SLAYING THE DRAGON

I spent last Saturday exclusively preparing for the final round against the Passion and Glory team. Their known players were Nik Ahmad Farouqi, Abdullah Che Hassan, Najib and Hanafi. Nobody from our side had expected that, they would import the additional super stars consist of Nicholas Chan, Ian Udani and the rising star from my former University during my degree's years, Fadzil Nayan of UIAM. I was given task to handle the white pieces. Against Nik Ahmad Farouqi, I had to prepare meeting his pet defence systems, Sicilian O'Kelly. I had also looked into his rare, Sicilian Paulsen but I had no time to investigate the modern defence which he had played in 2 games (according to my personal database collection). Against Abdullah Che Hassan, the prediction is much more straight forward as during pass few years, he had devoted himself as a Sicilian dragon player. However, the specific variation had been changing a few times. But I managed to pick the latest variation he played in the recent National closed (2009 or 2010). Against Najib, I had met him across the board once and he played the Sicilian dragon with the Soltis block formation. Therefore, the preparation against Abdullah Che Hassan is quite relevant against him. Against Hanafi I know nothing about his game.

Arriving at the hall, as our team discovered, we simply needed only 2 points to become the champion. When sitting down, I found out that, it is Abdullah Che Hassan who sits in front of me, and my preparation should be very useful, unless he deviates from his usual defence system. While others of my friends, Samsol Bahrin against Fadil Nayan, may be ubpredictable, Aziz Shukor and Nicholas Chan should favour Nicholas Chan, Kamalarifin and Ian Udani should be a closed fight.

At the end I managed to utilise fully my preparation and net down the only point for NUSA MAHKOTA. When I finished, I was told that Aziz and Samsol had succumbed to their respective opponents earlier and I had the chance to watch Kamalarifin vs Ian Udani in action during their mutual severe time trouble which ended in favour of the Filipino.

Kamalarifin tried to play only for a win as a draw or a lose may not change the result of teams' placing. This is because the point I had netted secured us the 2nd place (otherwise, the Pass Pawn team would had catch us after slaughtering the 17 chess club 3-1) For another perspective, please see Hairulov's blog here

As being requested by some players, I should publish the only point NUSA MAHKOTA got in the final round. Even the great Mok Tze Meng complimented , "Why not? Give the readers some entertainment reading and it contains some brilliant points!".

Well, here is the game with my own annotation:

[Event "Insofar team final"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.01.16"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rizal A Kamal"]
[Black "Abdullah Che Hassan "]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B79" Sicilian dragon Yugoslav attack]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2011.01.17"]
[SourceDate "2011.01.17"]


1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2
Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7

(9... Nd7 {A week before this game, Fairin opted for this specific sideline and managed to defeat me during the 17 chess club rapid tournament})

10. O-O-O Ne5 11. Bb3 Qa5 12. h4
(12. Bh6 {I had also considered this during the game, just like my latest encounter against Hanif Arkurni (see my blog under the label 'Hanif')})

12... Rfc8 13. Kb1!
{It is hard to see the point behind this high quality waiting move until you actually play it and feelit!} (13. h5 {is also a promising continuation, but according to my personal database, Abdullah Che Hassan has experienced this move before and I suppose, he must had studied it.})

13... Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Nb3
{One of the local's dragon expert, Saprin Sabri, had once told me(during 2002 KUiTTHO tornament, that once white had planted a knight on b3, its very difficult to breach's white's king's sanctuary}

15...Qc7 16. Bd4 Be6 17. h5 a5 18. a4
{These are all theories. However, the most important fact is that, this was played by Abdullah Che Hassan himself in National Closed 2010 (or 2009)}



18...Rb4 
(18... Qc6 {was played by Abdullah Che Hassan in the aforementioned encounter.})

19. hxg6 fxg6
(19... hxg6 {is normally played})

20. Rh4
(20. Bxf6! Bxf6 21. Nd5 {was suggested in one of Gufeld's Sicilian Dragon's books.} Bxd5 22. Qxd5+ Kg7 23. Rxh7+ Kxh7 24. Qf7+ Kh6 25. f4 Kh5 26. Qh7+ Kg4 27. Qh3+ Kxf4 28. Rf1+ Kxe4 (28... Ke5 29. Rf5+ Ke6 30. Rc5+ Kf7 31. Rxc7) 29. Qf3+ Ke5 30. Re1+ Re4 31.Qxe4#)

20... Qc4 21. Rdh1
{As this is a rapid 25 minutes game, I had no ample time to calculate anything else except preparing for the possible mating attack}

21...h5 22. g4 Rxb3 23. cxb3 Qxb3 24. gxh5 Rc8 25. hxg6 Rxc3
{Diagram # An important moment. I had more time but now I spent more time calculating the double Rooks sacrifice. (26. Rh8+ Bxh8 27. Rxh8+ (27. Qh6?? Qa2#) 27... Kxh8 28. Qh6+ (28. Bxf6+ Kg8 29. Bxc3 Qa2+ 30. Kc1 Bb3 31. Qh2 Qa1+ 32. Kd2 Qd1+ 33. Ke3 Qc1+ 34. Kf2 Qc2+ 35. Kg3 Qxh2+ 36. Kxh2 b6 37. Bd4 Bxa4 38. Bxb6 Kg7 39. Bxa5 Kxg6 40. b4 {Probably only a draw}) 28... Kg8 29. Bxf6 Qa2#) Suddenly I noticed that, it was black who in fact, threatening mate in one. Therefore...}



26. Qxc3 !
{The correct capture [NM Kamalarifin] The most important point is that, white has not invest anything yet!}

26... Qa2+ 27. Kc1 Qxa4 28. Rh7 Qb5 29. Rxg7+
(29. Bxf6 exf6 30. R7h5 Qb6 31. Rxa5 is the computer way of winning)

29... Kxg7 30. Bxf6+! exf6 31. Qc7+ Bd7 32. Qxd7+!
(Black resigned as after 32. Qxd7+;  Qxd7 33. Rh7+ Kxg6 34. Rxd7 {White wins a whole Rook}) 1-0




Recommended books for reference on this opening system and variation (from white's perspective)

1. Sicilian Dragon - Edouard Gufeld
2. Dismantling the Sicilian
3. Beating The Sicilian 2 - John Nunn
(C) Copyright to Rizal Ahmad Kamal 2011