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11. Be3
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So I go for development. |
 
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11... Bxf3
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Black swaps. On the world database, 11. ... NxB was played in each of the six occasions this position was reached. On the gameknot database, 11. ... NxB was played in each of the four occasions this position was reached. Again, I don't see any particular reason for this discrepancy. Maybe black's just unnecessarily giving up the bishop pair here. |
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12. Qxf3
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12. PxB is the preferred recapture on gameknot (this swap coming after NxB on the other side of the board). I don't see what white has from that other than a long struggle to hold a draw, and indeed black has won on four of five occasions. |
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12... Nxb3
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Black swaps. |
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13. axb3
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Forced. Gameknot analysis gives white a slight edge here (+0.22) |
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13... g6
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Developing the bishop. Maybe this is why 11. ... BxN isn't as popular; with the LSB on the board, black could play e6 here, with the option of continuing with dxe BxP. Instead, 13. ... e6 now looks awkward for black, and white gets to use the time to bring up more reinforcements. |
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14. O-O
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I castle - often delayed in the c3 Sicilian, but it's the right time now. A rook is going to come to d1 to back up the pawn. |
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14... Bg7
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Black's ready to castle; the bishop could be quite dangerous on that diagonal too. |
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15. Rad1
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The first gripe from gameknot analysis. I wanted to back up the pawn and get the rook out of the bishop's sights. GK wants me to push straight away - 15. d6 ed 16. Rfd1 d5 (white's going to get the pawn back anyway; if not this one, then the b-pawn, it seems) 17. NxP NxN 18. RxN Qf6 19. Qe4 O-O and black has to swap off to avoid infiltration on the seventh. |
2 comments
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15... O-O
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Black returns the favour; GK wants to block the isolani with 15. ... Nc8, and white's game is awkward, it seems. |
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16. Bc5
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White should still push; black has another chance to play Nc8. |
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16... Nd7
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But he goes here instead. |
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17. Ba3
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Still eyeing d6 and getting ready to push. |
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17... a6
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Not sure what the plan here was tbh. Black was better off covering his hanging b-pawn. |
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18. d6
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So here we go. Cat among the pigeons time! Isolated pawns need to be pushed into the opposition's position anyway, so this is natural. |
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18... e6
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Black opts to push instead of take; I think 18. ... ed 19. BxP Re8 20. QxP is ok for white, who's got his pawn back at least; the threat is 21. Ba3 and the black knight is lost. 19. RxP, ganging up more directly on the pinned knight, seems to allow black time to defend b7. |
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19. Qxb7
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Material equality restored. |
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19... Rb8
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Accepting a pawn swap to get rook activity. |
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20. Qxa6
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I take. |
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20... Rxb3
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Black takes back; now it's black who has doubled pawns. |
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(1934)