DAY 245 Other Foot

Aggressive players are often uncomfortable when the shoe is on the other foot.

Kamran Shirazi White
Tomasz Markowski Black
Warsaw 2012
Sicilian Defense, Morra Gambit B21

1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 d3 4 xd3 g6 5 f3 g7 6 c4 c6 7 f4 f6

Since c3 is not possible, if White defends the e4-pawn with 8 bd2, he allows Black to neutralize the center with 8...0-0 9 0-0 d5!.

8 e5? h5 9 e3 0-0

Not 9...xe5? in view of 10 xe5 xe5 11 d5!. Or 9...xe5? 10 xf7+! xf7 11 d5+.

illustration

Black would offer his own pawn sacrifice after 10 d5 d6!. For example, 11 exd6 e6 12 dxe7 xe7 13 e4 f6 14 h4 xc4 15 xc4 h6.

10 g4? d5!

Now 11 xd5 xg4 costs White at least a pawn. For example, 12 bd2 c7 and ...xe5 or ...ad8. No better is 11 exd6 xg4.

11 xd5 xg4 12 g1 xe5 13 h3

White hopes for a merely pawn-down endgame (13...xf3+ 14 xf3 xd1+). Not 13...xh3 14 xe5 xe5 15 xh5.

13...xd5! 14 xd5 xf3+

But now 15 d1 ad8 or 15 f1 xh3+ 16 e2 xg1+ with a big material edge.

15 e2 xg1+ 16 f1 ad8

Question 275: How would 17 b3 lose?

17 xb7 d1+ 18 g2 f3+ White resigns.

Tu Quoc Khanh White
Tran Anh Tri Black
Dong Thap 2003

1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 d3 4 xd3 c6 5 f3 d6 6 0-0 g6 7 e1 g7 8 f4 f6 9 h3 0-0 10 d2 b6 11 a3 b7 12 ad1 d7 13 c4 c5 14 c2 b5 15 e3 e6 16 g3 a5 17 e2 e8 18 d5 c8 19 e5 dxe5 20 xe5 c5 21 e4 g5 22 d7 xd7!? 23 f6+ xf6 24 xd7 xe4 25 b4 xg3 26 fxg3 d5? 27 xd5 xd5 28 xb5 resigns.