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A passed pawn can be a game-winning asset - if you know how to handle it! In this game, I converted successfully and for that reason it might be worth sharing. I'm not going to pretend it's a perfect game though, so if any other players - particularly stronger players - want to make additional comments, feel free. |
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1. e4
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This was a league game. I open with my standard. |
 
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1... c5
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The Sicilian. |
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2. c3
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My favourite reply. Sicilian players tend to dislike it, although it's becoming better-known. It does tend to lead to significantly different games to the more usual lines. |
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2... Nf6
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I think 2. ... d5 is slightly ahead in the popularity stakes at the moment, but this is perfectly playable. |
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3. e5
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Pretty much forced. |
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3... Nd5
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Standard. |
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4. d4
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Staking a claim in the centre. |
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4... cxd4
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Still standard, although there's been a trend as far as I can see towards not taking this pawn (maybe more so in the 2. ... d5 lines). The text frees c3 up for the knight, which plays into white's hands. Leaving the pawns in situ just makes it a bit more difficult for white to develop. |
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5. Nf3
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No rush to take the pawn as 5. ... dc hangs the knight (although black gets two pawns; I've only seen it played once, and after building up a nice attack, I screwed up and lost...) |
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5... d6
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5. ... Nc6 is more common here, but it all transposes. |
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6. cxd4
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Standard. |
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6... Nc6
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Standard. |
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7. Bc4
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7. Bb5 is also playable, but apparently much more dull. With this move, white sets his eyes on the a2-g8 diagonal. |
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7... Nb6
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Standard. |
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8. Bb3
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Dropping back along the same diagonal. |
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8... dxe5
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Still all book. |
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9. d5
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The first non-obvious move of the opening; white sacs a pawn to try prise open black's position. White has nothing after 9. de QxQ+ 10 BxQ e6. |
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9... Na5
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Standard. |
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10. Nc3
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White ignores the threat to the bishop, instead looking to gain time for the attack. If 10. ... NxB 11. QxN and white's focus is still on the same diagonal. |
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10... Bg4
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!? A novelty for me anyway. Now white has to choose between doubled b-pawns or f-pawns (the only other alternative, 11. Bc2, seems a bit too defeatist - it gives up on the a2-g8 diagonal and forces white into an entire change of plan, all while a pawn down). In the World database on gameknot, this move has been played just 18 times compared to 172 times for 10. ... NxB. It has a significantly better success rate for black too. On the face of it, I don't understand why this move isn't played more often. |
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(1934)