ANNOTATED GAME

Playing against the Maroczy bind, part 1
bartpieters (2054) vs. hityerclock (2225)
Annotated by: hityerclock (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B27), Acton extension
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Pages: 12
33. Qd1
To meet ...Be5 with Qg1.
1 comment
 
33... Bc6
Activating the rook.

 
34. Rb1 Rb4 35. Rc2 Be5 36. Qg1 e3 37. b3 Qg5
Threatening ...f4 and ...f3.
3 comments
 
38. Re1
GK computer claims this is a mistake and that white should pay 38.h3, but that's also wrong as black can just continue with 38...f4. White's best try here is probably 18.Rd1, looking to get some play on the open d-file, for example 38.Rd1 f4 39.Nd5! intending 40.Qf1, with some counter-play.
1 comment
 
38... Bd4
Threatening to win white's Q with 39...e2.
2 comments
 
39. Qf1 Rxb3 40. Nd5 Kg7
Probably not necessary, I was concerned about back-rank funny-business. Now the K can hide out on h6 if it needs to.
1 comment
 
41. Ra2 Be5 42. Rae2 Qh4 43. Qg1 f4
It felt like I was playing one of those 15-number sliding puzzles to get the pawn to f4. Now I have to figure out how get f3 in. fortunately for me, white is completely bottled up.

 
44. Rd1 Qh5 45. Qf1 Ra3
?! I need to get rid of the N of d5 (to open up the a1-h8 diagonal) so I can play ...f3. The plan is ...Ra4 and ...Rxc4, but after I made this move I realized that I could have just played 45.Rb4! right away, as 45...Nxb4 solves my problem!

 
46. Rde1
This also solves black's Nd5 problem ...
2 comments
 
46... Rd3
Here comes exchange sac number 2!
2 comments
 
47. h3 Rxd5 48. cxd5 Bxd5 49. Rd1 f3
Here white resigns. He has to return the the material he has gained with interest, for example, 50.Rxd5 fxe2 51.Qe1 Qf4! 52.Qxe2 Qf2 53.Qxf2 exf2 54.Rd1 Bg3, and the white rook is tied up defending against f1=Q, so black's can just march the c-pawn down to c2, and play ...Bf4 and ...c1.
7 comments
 

Pages: 12