Luck is with the Better Player!

By Chuck Unruh

Unruh,C (2197) - Paolercio,A (1797) [B25]

Tulsa Winter Open 2004 (Round 3)

Nothing like a test of Opening knowledge, then to play the young rising star Anthony Paolercio. In both of our games, I drew the White pieces in the Closed SiciIian Variation. Interesting is the fact that I was playing the White side of the Classical Closed Sicilian and the inferior Spassky Line ( 9.Bd2 ) before Anthony was born, but time nor skill has improved the variation. During the last round of the Bella Rozsa (OCB December 2003, page 26) in my game with Anthony, I essay the old Spassky 9.Bd2 line only to learn that wisdom is not the exclusive domain of aging chess masters. The young man played all the right themes 1) short center defense e6,d6 2)Queen side expansion b5,a5 3) Rook breakthrough on the C file and 4) Knight advancement to a3 or c6. In short, the White position was busted with savvy Black Opening play. However, Anthony got a little greedy on the Queen side and under estimated the potential King side onslaught. I won with only coffee house luck. Vowing not to let myself drift into a poor Closed Sicilian Variation again, I was well prepared to play the more modern lines. If you are interested in an overview of modern theory on the Closed Sicilian, I highly recommend that you read Susan Polgar's article in Chess Life October 2003.

Along came the Winter Open and in round three a rematch with Anthony. The game is a repeat of our former encounter up to move 9.Be3, the more modern approach for White. My best trap for the early 11.e5! has been set, and now the only thing left is to cut off the exits and win this game in master form! 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 d6 4.d3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.f4 Classical Closed, modern and popular is 6.Be3. 6...e6 Short center defense, 6...e5 allows White the 7.Nh3!? variations. 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Be3 Rb8 10.Rb1 b5 Aggressive, some conservative lines use ...b6 as the White Bishop then bites a granite wall of pawns. 11.e5 b4 Too aggressive, book is 11....Nf5. The White Queen Knight wants to go to e4, with an eye on f6, starting a Kings side attack. 12.Ne4 dxe5 13.Bxc5?! 13.fxe5 keeps the White edge. 13...exf4 14.gxf4 Rb5 15.d4= Nf5? Mixing defensive systems, in other Closed Sicilian Variations Black sacks the exchange on f8 for good counter play,15... Qc7 still keeps the position equal. 16.Bxf8 Kxf8 17.c3 Qd5 18.Ne5! Ne3 The point of 18.Ne5 was to invite the Black Knight to fork the White Queen and Rook. 19.Qf3?! 19.c4 Nxc4 20.Nc3 Qxg2+ 21.Kg2 Ne3+ 22. Kg1 Nxd1 23.Nxb5 is stronger. 19...Nxf1 20.Rxf1 bxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxd4+ 22.Qxd4 Nxd4 23.Nd6 Rb8 24.b3–+ Bxe5?! 24...f6 –+ 25.fxe5 Nf5 26.Rc1 Nxd6 27.exd6 e5 28.Rc7 Be6 29.Rxa7 29...Rd8 30.Ra6 f5 31.b4 e4 32.a4 Bc4 33.Rc6 Bd3 34.b5 e3 Black had a slight advantage until this move. Better is 34... Ke8 35.Bf3?! 35.b6 35...g5 36.b6 g4 37.Bg2 f4 38.Bd5?? Time pressure blunder ! 38.Bf1 +- 38...f3 39.b7 Bf5? Black Mates in six with 39...f2# 40.Rc7 f2+ 41.Kf1?? Not even 41.Kg2 +- can help White as the last second ticked off of my clock. 41...Bd3+ 0-1 Luck in the Tulsa Winter Open was with the best player as Anthony evened our Bella Rozsa score! Until next encounter, I wish all of our chess friends, Good Luck!