Exeter Chess Club: KIA vs. Sicilian

C5. KIA vs. Sicilian

The KIA can be played against all lines of the Sicilian, and in fact many French variations start off in the Sicilian (e.g. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3).

  Again, we won't bother too much about variations and get straight into the games. A few you do need to know about:

C5.1 KIA Sicilian with 2...d6

3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2

 

t+lDjLsT
Xx+-XxXx
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pPpP-PbP
RnBqK-+r
C5.1.1 Sicilian with 4... g6
The best way to develop the Bf8.

5. O-O Bg7 6. c3 e5 7. d3 Nge7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. a4 h6 10. Nc4 Be6 11. Qe2 Qc7

 

t+-+-Tj+
XxD-SxL-
-+sXl+xX
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p+n+p+-+
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Now either 12. Nfd2 or 12. Bd2 with only a small edge.

 

C5.1.2 Sicilian with 4... Nf6
Forces d3 and avoids c3/d4 lines.

5. d3 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. a4

 

t+lD-Tj+
Xx+-XxLx
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p+-+p+-+
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R-Bq+rK-
As in a couple of Bobby Fischer games from the early part of his career.

 

C5.2 KIA Sicilian with ...e6 and ...g6

If Black plays the Bf8 to e7 or d6 we have French lines. But Nc6 and Ng7 is the best set-up for Black against the Closed Sicilian, and many will play it against the KIA. After

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Nbd2 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O Nge7

  you can play the traditional

8. Re1 (Yudasin-Jukic, 1989)

  or the new and exciting line

8. exd5 (Dvoretsky - Vulfsson, 1986)

  Both are given below.

  You can also play g3 lines in most variations of the Open Sicilian: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 (...) 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 (...) 6. g3.

 

Example games C5

Fischer,Robert J - Sherwin,James T, New Jersey, 1957
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nbd2 Rb8 8. Re1 d6 9. c3 b6 10. d4 Qc7 11. e5 Nd5 12. exd6 Bxd6 13. Ne4 c4

 

-Tl+-Tj+
X-D-+xXx
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pP-+-PbP
R-BqR-K-
Characteristically, Fischer selects the simple and clear theme of winning the bishop pair.

14. Nxd6 Qxd6 15. Ng5 Nce7 16. Qc2 Ng6 17. h4 Nf6

 

-Tl+-Tj+
X-+-+xXx
-X-DxSs+
+-+-+-N-
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pPq+-Pb+
R-B-R-K-
"Tactics flow from a superior position" - Fischer

18. Nxh7 Nxh7 19. h5 Nh4 20. Bf4 Qd8 21. gxh4 Rb7 22. h6 Qxh4 23. hxg7 Kxg7 24. Re4 Qh5 25. Re3 f5 26. Rh3 Qe8 27. Be5+ Nf6 28. Qd2 Kf7 29. Qg5 Qe7 30. Bxf6 Qxf6

 

-+l+-T-+
Xt+-+j+-
-X-+xD-+
+-+-+xQ-
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pP-+-Pb+
R-+-+-K-
31. Rh7+ Ke8 32. Qxf6 Rxh7 33. Bc6+ 1-0

Smyslov - Botvinnik, USSR Ch, 1955
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. d3 c5 6. e4 Nc6 7. Nbd2 d6 8. a4

 

t+lD-Tj+
Xx+-XxLx
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p+-+p+-+
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R-Bq+rK-
A standard flexible set-up for White

8... Ne8 9. Nc4 e5 10. c3 f5

 

t+lDsTj+
Xx+-+-Lx
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p+n+p+-+
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White has prepared a strong positional pawn sacrifice

11. b4 cxb4 12. cxb4 fxe4 13. dxe4 Be6 14. Ne3 Nxb4 15. Rb1 a5 16. Ba3 Nc7 17. Bxb4 axb4 18. Rxb4 Bh6 19. Rb6 Bxe3 20. fxe3 Bc4

 

t+-D-Tj+
+xS-+-+x
-R-X-+x+
+-+-X-+-
p+l+p+-+
+-+-PnP-
-+-+-+bP
+-+q+rK-
The Black game is teetering

21. Rxd6 Qe8 22. Re1 Rf7 23. Ng5 Re7 24. Bf1 Bxf1 25. Rxf1 Qxa4 26. Rd8+ Re8 27. Qf3 Qc4 28. Rd7 1-0

Yudasin-Jukic, Bern 1989
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Nbd2 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O Nge7 8. Re1 b6 9. h4 h6 10. c3 a5 11. a4 Ra7

  All as in Ljubojevic-Kasparov, Niksic 1983. Now best is

12. exd5 exd5 13. Nb3 d4 14. cxd4 cxd4 15. Bf4

 

-+lDj+-T
T-+-SxL-
-Xs+-+xX
X-+-+-+-
p+-X-B-P
+n+p+nP-
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R-+qR-K-
...with White's pieces being better placed in the more open position.

15... O-O 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Rxe5 Qd6 19. Qe2 Be6 20. Nd2 Nc6

  Now a great exchange sacrifice

21. Rxe6 fxe6 22. Nc4 Qd7

 

-+-+-Tj+
T-+d+-+-
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p+nX-+-P
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R-+-+-K-
Black has no counterplay

23. Nxb6 Qe8 24. Rc1 Ne7 25. Qxe6+ Qf7 26. Qe2 Qb3 27. Nc4 Qxa4 28. Qe6+ Kg7 29. Qb6 Rd7 30. Ne5 Rdd8

[30... Rf6 31. Qc5]

31. Rc7 Qe8 32. Qe6 1-0


Dvoretsky - Vulfsson, USSR, 1986
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Nbd2 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O Nge7 8. exd5

  Black has a choice

8... exd5

[8... Nxd5 9. Nb3 b6 10. c4 Nde7 11. d4

 

t+lDj+-T
X-+-SxLx
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+-X-+-+-
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+n+-+nP-
pP-+-PbP
R-Bq+rK-
with advantage]

9. d4 cxd4

[not 9... c4 releasing the tension:

10. c3 Bf5 11. Re1 O-O 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Bf4 h6 14. h4 f6 15. Ne3 Be4 16. Bh3 Kh7 17. b4 a6 18. a4 Ng8 19. g4 g5 20. Bg3 Qd7 21. Nd2 Bg6 22. Bg2 Nge7 23. f4 gxh4 24. Bxh4

 

t+-+t+-+
+x+dS-Lj
x+s+-XlX
+-+x+-+-
pPxP-PpB
+-P-N-+-
-+-N-+b+
R-+qR-K-
with advantage]

[Nor 9... Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Bxd4 11. Nb3]

10. Nb3 Qb6 11. Bg5

[Even better was 11. Bf4!

e.g. 11...Bf5

[or 11... d3 12. c3 Bf5 13. Re1 O-O 14. Nh4 Be6 15. Qxd3

 

t+-+-Tj+
Xx+-SxLx
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+-+x+-+-
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pP-+-PbP
R-+-R-K-
with play against the IQP]

[or 11... O-O 12. Bd6 d3 13. c3 Rd8 14. Bc5 Qc7 15. Qxd3 Nf5 16. Rfe1 Na5 17. Qb5 Nc6 18. Rad1 Nd6 19. Qe2 Ne4 20. Be3 h6 21. c4 dxc4 22. Qxc4 Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Qe7 24. Nh4

 

t+l+-+j+
Xx+-DxL-
-+s+-+xX
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+n+-B-P-
pP-+-PbP
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with advantage]

12. Bd6 O-O 13. Re1 Rfe8 14. Bc5 Qc7 15. Bxd4 Nxd4 16. Nfxd4

 

t+-+t+j+
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11... Nf5

[11... O-O 12. Nfxd4 Nf5 may have been better than what was played]

12. Re1+ Be6 13. g4 Nd6

 

t+-+j+-T
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14. Nfxd4!!

  This gives White a prolonged initiative

14...Bxd4

[14... Nxd4 15. Be3 N6b5 16. a4]

15. Nxd4 Qxd4

[15... Nxd4 16. Bf6]

16. Bxd5 O-O 17. Bxc6 Qc5

  The best defence.

[17... Qxg4+ 18. Qxg4 Bxg4 19. Bg2]

[17... Qxd1 18. Raxd1 bxc6 19. Rxd6 Bxg4 20. Rxc6]

18. Bf3 Qxg5 19. Qxd6 Rac8 20. c3 Qb5 21. Rad1 Bxa2 22. Rd2 Rfd8 23. Qxd8+ Rxd8 24. Rxd8+ Kg7 25. Rd2 h5 26. h3 Be6 27. Re4 a5 28. Red4 hxg4 29. hxg4 Qg5 30. Kg2 b6 31. Re2 Qc5 32. Kg3 Qb5 33. Rdd2 Qg5 34. Re3 Qc5

[34... f5 35. Rd4]

  Time trouble I think affects both players, and the game rolls to a halt

35. Be2 Qc6 ? 36. f3 ?

[36. f4! with good winning chances]

36... g5 37. Rd4 Qc7+ 38. Kg2 Kf6 39. Bd3 Qc5 40. Be4 Qb5 41. Rd2 Qe5 42. Ree2 Qb5 43. Bb7 Qc5 44. Rd4 b5 45. Red2

 

-+-+-+-+
+b+-+x+-
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XxD-+-X-
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idea Bd5

45... Ke5 Q

  If this is all too hair-raising, you can always play more quietly at move 8.

 

Karlsson - George, Torbay, 1994[B40]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 d5 4. Nbd2 Nc6 5. g3 b6 6. Bg2 Bb7 7. O-O Bd6 8. Re1 Nge7

 

t+-Dj+-T
Xl+-SxXx
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pPpN-PbP
R-BqR-K-
Our esteemed visitor Agust Karlsson explained this line to me in the car on the way over: "Very easy, the King's Indian Attack. You know the old Fischer games? Always the same attack, always the same sacrifices. Very easy."

9. Ng5 O-O 10. Qh5 h6 11. Ndf3 Nd4 12. e5 Bc7 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Nf3 Nf5 15. g4 Ne7

 

t+-D-Tj+
XlL-SxX-
-X-+x+-X
+-+xP-+q
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pPp+-PbP
R-B-R-K-
16. Bxh6 Ng6

[16... gxh6 17. Qxh6 f6 18. exf6 Nf5 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Rxe6 Bc8 21. gxf5 Bxe6 22. Qg7#]

17. Bd2 Qb8 18. Ng5 Rd8 19. Bb4

 

tD-T-+j+
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+-+xP-Nq
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19... Nf8 20. Qxf7+ Kh8 21. Bxf8 1-0

 

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This document (sic11.txt.html) was last modified on 25 Jan 1996 by [cool blue cat]

Dr. Dave