Exeter Chess Club: Traditional Closed Sicilian

B5. Playing f4 vs. Sicilian (b)Traditional Closed Sicilian

Example games B5b
This line has been adopted by three World champions at one time or another: the young Karpov, the mature Spassky, and by Smyslov throughout his chess career. And as we shall see, Kasparov knows about the line.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4

 

t+lDj+sT
Xx+-XxLx
-+sX-+x+
+-X-+-+-
-+-+pP-+
+-Np+-P-
pPp+-+bP
R-BqK-Nr
[6. Be3 e5 7. Qd2 is another popular line; Black gets into trouble after 6...e6 7. Qd2 Nge7?! 8. Bh6 e.g. 8...O-O? 9. h4! or 8...Bxh6 9. Qxh6 Nd4 10. O-O-O]

6... e6 7. Nf3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 Nd4

  is the main line, although Spassky has tried 9. Bd2. After 6...e5 Spassky has experimented with more active 7. Nh3 Nge7 8. O-O Nd4 9. f5!?

  Theory is not so critical in the Closed Sicilian because of the non-forcing nature of the line.

 

Example games B5b

Spassky - Geller, Candidates, 1968
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. f4 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O Rb8 9. h3 b5 10. a3 a5 11. Be3 b4 12. axb4 axb4 13. Ne2 Bb7 14. b3

 

-T-D-Tj+
+l+-XxLx
-+sX-Sx+
+-X-+-+-
-X-+pP-+
+p+pBnPp
-+p+n+b+
R-+q+rK-
Another defensive move! Is White just going to stand and get punched apart?

14... Ra8 15. Rc1 Ra2 16. g4

 

-+-D-Tj+
+l+-XxLx
-+sX-Sx+
+-X-+-+-
-X-+pPp+
+p+pBn+p
t+p+n+b+
+-Rq+rK-
At last an attacking gesture

16... Qa8 17. Qe1 Qa6 18. Qf2 Na7 19. f5

 

-+-+-Tj+
Sl+-XxLx
d+-X-Sx+
+-X-+p+-
-X-+p+p+
+p+pBn+p
t+p+nQb+
+-R-+rK-
The characteristic break

19... Nb5 20. fxg6

  Opening the f-file (so what? see move 23!)

20... hxg6

[20... fxg6 21. Nf4 Bc8 22. Ng5 Nc7]

21. Ng5 Na3 22. Qh4 Rc8

 

-+t+-+j+
+l+-XxL-
d+-X-Sx+
+-X-+-N-
-X-+p+pQ
Sp+pB-+p
t+p+n+b+
+-R-+rK-
the Q-side is about to give, but...

23. Rxf6 exf6 24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. Nxf7 Rxc2

[25... Kxf7 26. Bh6 Rg8 27. Nf4 Rxc2 28. Rf1 Kf8 29. Nxg6+ Kf7 30. Nf4

  or Nh8+

30... Kf8 31. Nh5 Bxh6 32. Qxh6+ Ke7 33. Qh7+ Kd8 34. Nxf6

 

-+-J-+t+
+l+-+-+q
d+-X-N-+
+-X-+-+-
-X-+p+p+
Sp+p+-+p
-+t+-+b+
+-+-+rK-
is just terrible]

26. Bh6 Rxc1+ 27. Nxc1 Kxf7 28. Qxg7+ Ke8 29. g5

[29. e5 Bxg2 30. e6]

29... f5 30. Qxg6+ Kd7 31. Qf7+ Kc6 32. exf5+

 

-+t+-+-+
+l+-+q+-
d+jX-+-B
+-X-+pP-
-X-+-+-+
Sp+p+-+p
-+-+-+b+
+-N-+-K-
1-0

  32... Kb6 33. Qxb7+ Qxb7 34. Bxb7 Kxb7 35. f6 1-0

Psakhis - Kasparov, La Manga, 1990 [compare B23]
Oddly, one of the best example games I have on file for the Closed Sicilian is this one, from quite a different opening

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d6 5. Nf3 e5 6. d3 f5 7. O-O Nf6

 

t+lDj+-T
XxX-+-Lx
-+sX-Sx+
+-+-Xx+-
-+p+-+-+
+-Np+nP-
pP-+pPbP
R-Bq+rK-
8. Rb1 h6 9. b4 O-O 10. b5 Ne7 11. a4 Be6 12. Ba3 Rc8

 

-+tD-Tj+
XxX-S-L-
-+-XlSxX
+p+-Xx+-
p+p+-+-+
B-Np+nP-
-+-+pPbP
+r+q+rK-
Black does not rush but secures the Q-side.

13. Nd2 b6 14. e3 g5 15. d4 exd4 16. exd4 f4

 

-+tD-Tj+
X-X-S-L-
-X-XlS-X
+p+-+-X-
p+pP-X-+
B-N-+-P-
-+-N-PbP
+r+q+rK-
17. Re1 Bg4 18. Nf3 Qd7 19. c5 Rce8 20. Rc1 Nf5 21. Qd3 Kh8 22. cxd6 cxd6 23. Rxe8 Qxe8 24. Rf1 Qh5

 

-+-+-T-J
X-+-+-L-
-X-X-S-X
+p+-+sXd
p+-P-Xl+
B-Nq+nP-
-+-+-PbP
+-+-+rK-
The Black pieces hover like vultures

25. Ne4 Nxe4 26. Qxe4 Bh3 27. Ne5 Bxg2 28. Kxg2 g4 29. Bxd6 Rf6 30. Bb8 Qh3+

 

-B-+-+-J
X-+-+-L-
-X-+-T-X
+p+-Ns+-
p+-PqXx+
+-+-+-Pd
-+-+-PkP
+-+-+r+-
0-1

Smyslov - Romanishin, Moscow, 1976 [B23]
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Nh3 h5

 

t+lDj+sT
Xx+-XxL-
-+sX-+x+
+-X-+-+x
-+-+p+-+
+-Np+-Pn
pPp+-PbP
R-BqK-+r
The sixth moves on each side are unusual.

7. f4 Bg4 8. Qd2 Nd4 9. Ng1 Qd7 10. h3 Be6 11. Nce2 h4 12. g4 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. g5

 

t+-+j+sT
Xx+dX-L-
-+-Xl+-+
+-X-+xP-
-+-S-P-X
+-+p+-+p
pPpQn+b+
R-B-K-Nr
Black can find no refuge on the King's-side, it is clear.

14... O-O-O 15. Nxd4 cxd4 16. Ne2 Bf7 17. c3 dxc3 18. bxc3 Kb8 19. Rb1 d5 20. O-O e5 21. fxe5 Bxe5 22. d4 Bc7 23. c4 Ne7 24. c5 Rdg8 25. Qb4 Bd8 26. Rf3 Nc6 27. Qb5 Bh5 28. Rfb3

 

-J-L-+tT
Xx+d+-+-
-+s+-+-+
+qPx+xPl
-+-P-+-X
+r+-+-+p
p+-+n+b+
+rB-+-K-
White's tripling is very threatening.

28... Rg7 29. Nf4 Bxg5 30. Nxh5 Rxh5 31. Qe2 Bxc1

 

-J-+-+-+
Xx+d+-T-
-+s+-+-+
+-Px+x+t
-+-P-+-X
+r+-+-+p
p+-+q+b+
+rL-+-K-
And the coup de grace:

32. Rxb7+ Qxb7 33. Qe8+ Kc7 34. Rxb7+ Kxb7 35. Qxh5 Nxd4 36. Kf1 Be3 37. Qh8 Rd7 38. Qe8 1-0

C. King's Indian Attack against the common half-open defences

Back to Chess Coaching Page

This document (sic9.txt.html) was last modified on 25 Jan 1996 by [cool blue cat]

Dr. Dave