0263 SICILIAN DEFENSE [B-23]
Wendy's XXXIX, Rd:2, 10-9-02, Charlotte
NM Frankie Newton (2226) NM Harold Mouzon (2215)
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. O-O Nxb5 7. Nxb5 d5 8.e5 (I hadn't seen this idea before, but I found a number of games where it has been played - Frankie heads for a "French-like" position, which I didn't want to let him have, since he understands them very well) 8...d4!? 9. d3
a6 10. Na3 h5 (I'm not sure if this is strictly necessary - as the game went on the weakness created in Black's kingside tells against him. More consistent is 10... b5 (trying to restrict White's knight on a3) 11. Qe1 Nh6 12. b4! b5!? (Not a bad practical try - 12...cxb4 13. Qxb4 Nf5 14. Bb2 wins the d-pawn with far less counterplay for Black. but 12...b6 was probably objectively best - I was loath to give White's knight the c4 square but it can't be helped 13. bxc5 bxc5 14. Qe4 Bd7 15. Qd5 Rc8 16.Qb7 Rc6 17. Bd2 0-0 18.Nc4 looks good for White - he controls most of the board - but it is still a game) 13. bxc5 (Now 14. Qe4, which I was most afraid of, allows 14...Be6! 15. Qc6+ Kf8 16. Qxc5 Nf5, and White can't get his queen out - R...c8 & R...a8 will lead to a draw by repetition) 13...Bb7 14. Bb2 Nf5 15. Qb4 O-O 16. c6 (A nice clearance. If White tries to take the d pawn, Black has 16. Nxd4 a5! 17. Qxb5 Nxd4 18. Qxb7 Rb8, winning a piece) 16...Bxc6 17. Nxd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qc7 (Black is simply down a pawn - he has some hopes of pressure on the c pawn but White can handle it.) 19. Rae1 Rfd8 20. Qe3 e6 21. Nb1 Bb7 22. Re2 Rac8 23. Nc3 Bf8 24. Kh1 Qa5 25. f5! (What's most impressive about this winning combination is that Frankie had about 4 minutes left on his clock!) 25...exf5 (We spent a while looking at 25...gxf5 but it is good for White - 26.Qg5+ Bg7 27. Re3 b4 {or ...Kf8 28. Ne4 anyway - fxe4 29. Rg3 wins} 28.Ne4! fe4 Rg3 and wins) 26. e6 Rxc3 (A couple of other tries for black which fail are 26... Re8 27. Qd4! Bg7 {If 27...fxe6 28. Nd5 e5 [Otherwise 29 Qh8+ & 30. Qh7+ forces mate] 29.Rxe5 Rxe5 {...Bg7 30.Rxe8+ mates} 30. Qxe5 Bxd5 31.Qxd5+ Kh7 32. Qf7+ Kh6 33. Bc1+ g5 34. Bxg5+! Kxg5 35. Rxf5+ and mates} 27.exf7+ Kxf7 28. Qd7+ Kf8 29. Ne4! Bxb2 30. Nd6 Kg8 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. Qxe8+ Kh7 33.Nxb7 leaves White with an extra rook (Haven't checked w/ Fritz yet, I suspect there might be a mate as well) Or 26...fxe6 27. Qxe6+ Kh7 28. Qf7+ Bg7 29. Nd5 Rg8 30. Rxf5! Bxd5 (gxf5 amounts to the same thing) 31. Rxh5+ gxh5 32. Qxh5+ Bh6 33. Re7+ mating) 27. exf7+ Kh7 28. Qe5 Bg7? (Much more testing is 28...Rdc8 - The major point being that 29. Bxc3 Qxc3 30. Qxc3 Rxc3 31. Re8 no longer attacks a hanging rook, and can be met simply by...Kg7. The f7 pawn will fall & Black will be better - So white has to find something else. Guess what - he does!) 29.Rxf5! Qc7! (Not 29...gxf5? 30.Qxf5+ Kg7 31. Re6! And mates - And now 30. Bxc3 still won't work - 30...Qxe5 31. Rfxe5 (otherwise Black CAN take the rook) Rxc3 32. Re8 Kg7 33.Rb8 Bd5 34. h3 (White would much rather play 34. Ree8, but then comes Rxc2 35. Kg1Bc5+ 36. Kf1 Bxg2+ 37. Ke1 Kxf7 And Black has all the winning chances) 34...Bxf7 and White will have to struggle to hold the ending) But unfortunately this is all academic - White hacks on with 30. Rxh5+! gxh5 (Bh6 31. Bxc3 Qxc3 (Qxf7 32. Rxh6+ Kxh6 33. Qe3+ wins) 32.Rhxe5 Rxc3 33.Re7 Bf8 34. Rxb7 - White has an exchange + 3 pawns, including the still monstrous pawn on f7) 31.Qxh5+ Kg7 (Bh6 32. Qf5+ Kh8 (or Kg7 33. Bxc3+ Qxc3 34. f8=Q+ Rxf8 35 Re7+ mates) 33. Qg6 Qc6 34 Re8+) Now 32. Re6 fails to 32...Qxf7! 33. Qh6+ Kg8 34. Rg6+ Bg7 And White doesn't have any more pieces to throw in the mix, but Stop the presses! White has a killer!  - 32 Rf2!! Calmly  overprotects the f-pawn With the NASTY threat of 33. Qg5+ followed by Qg8+ - If 32...Ba3 33. Qg5+ Kf8 (Kh7 34. Rf5 forces mate) 34. Bxa3+ Rxa3 35. Qh6+ Ke7 36. f8=Q+ Rxf8 37. Qxf8+ and White emerges with the exchange PLUS 3 pawns) 29. Bxc3 Qxc3 30. Qxc3 Bxc3 31. Re8 (Congratulations-it's a girl!) 1-0 (Notes by Mouzon)