UIA OPEN 2009 REVISITED

I participated in the recent UIA Open 2009. The quality of my games was not up to the best, nevertheless, I did produced some sparkling victories. Despite losing to the FM Nicholas Chan, I had played well, but only failed to deliver the final punch during the critical point. Before that, this was my best game in that tournament:-

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g4

This is known as The Keres attack. After the game, my opponent informed me that he had not known this.

6...e5 7.Nf5?!

At home, after consulting GM John Nunn's recipe in BTS3, I discovered that 7.Bb5+ is correct

7...g6 8.g5

Onced, I used to retreat 8.Ne3? and eventually lost. This defeat cost me the title of Kolej Islam Champion (Double round robin rematch) which I had won the first series 7 round swiss earlier.

8...gxf5 9.exf5?! Bxf5

After the game, my opponent claimed that he believe, if he could defend, than he could keep the extra piece safely. He may be right, but it is difficult in practise to realise such ambition.

10.Qf3 Qd7 11.gxf6

Here, I regained the extra piece with innitiative

11... Nc612.Be3 h5

setting a trap if I proceeded with 13.0-0-0 Bg4! wins the exchange.

13.h3 Bxc2!?

My opponent took the bait.

14.Rc1 Bf5 15.Bb5 a6 16.Ba4 Be6 17.Bb6!

This keep black's armies bottled in further.

17...Rc8

18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.Qxd5 Qe6

It is difficult to imagine such a move, which is a natural attempt to ease the pressuse by offering Queens trade was a decisive blunder.

20.Rxc6!!

After this, there is no defence.

20...Kd7

The main line 20...Qxd5 loses to 21.Rxc8 double checks and mate!

21.Rxd6

Double check and mate 1-0

Good references for this opening system:-

1. Beating The Sicilian 2 and 3 - John Nunn

2. Sicilian e6 and d6 / Sicilian Scheveningen - Kasparov & Nikitin