(8) Lopez,J (1967) - Goldfarb,D (1801) [B50]
Berkeley Chess Club, 07.05.2004
[Riese,Kayven]

1.e4 [ 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 f5 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.e3 Bc5 6.d3 f4 Diagram

I'm starting with a display of this great game (Saidy-Fischer New York 1969) because 1) I just bought this 1997 book by Gary Lane and 2) of course it is remotely relevant to the game I'm analyzing! {:D. In order to understand this, you have to realize that the English with 1..e5 is also sort of like a Sicilian defense with colors reversed. In the text, Jacob Lopez plays sort of a Closed Sicilian (although one would think that playing 6.d3 as Jacob does defines the game as closed, I remember somebody maybe Randy Hough or something at some tournament making a stipulation that a closed Sicilian includes g3 and Bg2 (colors reversed here would be g6 and Bg7). To make things even weirder with respect to how this is supposed to relate, the move Bc4 for white is sort of a testing move in the Sicilian Grand Prix, which includes the move 2.f4 or 3.f4 (after 2.Nc3) so I guess I am going way out on a limb, but oh well. 7.exf4 0-0 8.Nge2 Qe8 9.0-0 d6 10.Na4 Bd4 11.Nxd4 exd4 12.h3 h5 13.a3 a5 14.b3 Qg6 15.Nb2 Bf5 16.Qc2 Nd7 17.Re1 Nc5 18.Bf1 Ra6 19.Bd2 Rb6 20.Bxa5 Rxb3 21.Bd2 Ra8 22.a4 Ra6 23.a5 Kh7 24.Red1 b6 25.Be1 bxa5 26.Na4 Rxd3 27.Bxd3 Bxd3 28.Qa2 Nb4 29.Qa3 Nc2 30.Qb2 Nxa1 31.Rxa1 Nxa4 32.Rxa4 Qe4 33.Bxa5 Rxa5 34.Rxa5 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Qxa5 36.Qxd4 0-1 Saidy-Fischer/New York 1969/FatBase 98 (36)] 1...c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.d3 Diagram

I didn't find too many hits in the database the only one I finally found from here was an oldie but a goodie, namely Tarrasch. As I mentioned above, the normal system that is officially "the Closed Silician" with white playing a knight to f3 before playing f4 includes a plan with a fianchettoed kingside bishop, as mentioned above.6...e6 [ 6...Nf6 7.h3 0-0 8.Be3 Diagram

8...a6 9.a4 Na5 10.Ba2 e5 11.Qd2 Nc6 12.Bg5 Be6 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.Bxd5 Nb4 15.Bb3 Qc7 16.c3 Nc6 17.Nh2 Nh5 18.Bd1 Nf6 19.f4 Ne8 20.f5 f6 21.Be3 Ne7 22.Bb3+ Kh8 23.fxg6 Nxg6 24.Be6 Qe7 25.Bf5 Nc7 26.c4 Rf7 27.Qe2 Rg8 28.Qh5 Bf8 29.Ng4 Ne6 30.Bxe6 Qxe6 31.Rf2 Ne7 32.Raf1 Rg6 33.Bd2 Ng8 34.Qh4 Bg7 35.Rf5 Ne7 36.Rh5 Bf8 37.Bh6 Bxh6 38.Rxh6 Rxh6 39.Nxh6 Rf8 40.Qh5 Ng6 41.g3 Qd7 42.Ng4 Qe6 43.Ne3 Ne7 44.Qh6 Rf7 45.Kh2 Ng8 1/2-1/2 Berger,J-Tarrasch,S/Frankfurt 1887/FatBase 98 (45)] 7.Re1 [ 7.Bg5 Nge7 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 Diagram

9.Re1 0-0 10.Qd2 a6 11.Rad1 b5 12.Bb3 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne2 a5 15.a4 b4 16.c3 dxc3 17.bxc3 bxc3 18.Nxc3 Bd7 19.d4 Rfc8 20.d5 Bxc3 21.Qa2 Bxe1 22.Rxe1 e5 23.Rb1 Rab8 24.Qd2 Bxa4 25.h3 Bxb3 26.Qxa5 Bc2 27.Rc1 Bxe4 28.Ra1 Rb1+ 29.Rxb1 Bxb1 0-1 Kafka,G-Hua,L/Duisburg WchJM U10 1992/FatBase 98 (29); 7.Be3 Nge7 8.Qd2 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Bb3 d4 11.Bh6 dxc3 12.bxc3 0-0 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Rae1 Bg4 15.Re3 Nf5 16.Re4 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Nh4 18.Kh1 Nf5 19.Rg1 Re8 20.Rf4 Nce7 21.Bc4 Rc8 22.Bb3 b5 23.Qd1 Qd6 24.Re4 Nc6 25.Rg5 c4 26.Reg4 Qd7 27.Rg1 cxb3 28.axb3 b4 29.cxb4 Nxb4 30.R1g4 h6 31.Rh5 Nd4 32.Rh3 Qd6 33.Rh5 g5 34.Qd2 f6 35.Rh3 Nf5 36.Rhg3 Nxg3+ 37.fxg3 Nc6 38.f4 Re7 39.h4 h5 0-1 BIRBE,N-ALVAREZ,A/ch ESP w 1996/FatBase 98 (39); 7.Qe1 Nge7 Diagram

8.Nd2?! 0-0 9.f4 Nd4 10.Bb3 b5 11.Nf3 d5 12.Nxd4 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 b4 14.Ne2 Bg7 15.Ng1 Bd7 16.a3 a5 17.axb4 cxb4 18.Nf3 Bb5 19.Rg1 Qd7 20.Rb1 Rfc8 21.Qf2 dxe4 22.dxe4 Qc6 23.Nd4 Qb7 24.f5 a4 25.f6 axb3 26.cxb3 Bd3 27.fxg7 Bxb1 28.Rf1 Nc6 29.Bh6 Nxd4 30.Qxd4 Bxe4 0-1 Petrukhin,D-Kraev Alexey/ch RUS cadets (under 1997/FatBase 98 (30)] 7...Nge7 8.Bg5 Diagram

[ 8.Bf4 a6 9.a4 0-0 10.h3 Nd4 11.Nxd4 cxd4 12.Ne2 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bd2 Qd6 15.Ng3 f5 16.Qf3 Bd7 17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Qxd5 exd5 19.b3 f4 20.Nf1 f3 21.g4 Rac8 22.Re7 Rf7 23.Rxf7 Kxf7 24.Rc1 h5 25.Nh2 hxg4 26.hxg4 Rh8 27.g5 Rh3 28.Bf4 Bf8 29.Bg3 Rh5 30.Nxf3 Bg7 31.Re1 Bg4 32.Ne5+ Bxe5 33.Rxe5 Bf3 34.Bh2 Rh8 35.Re1 Rc8 36.Be5 Rxc2 37.Bxd4 Rd2 38.Re3 Bd1 39.Bf6 Bxb3 40.a5 Rd1+ 1-0 Tribuiani,R-Picardi,A/Formia 1994/FatBase 98 (40)] 8...0-0 9.a4 b6 10.Qd2 Re8 11.Rad1 Bb7 12.Bh6 Diagram

12...Bh8? [ David Goldfarb supplied the punctutation for the text and the possibility 12...d5 13.exd5 ( 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 ( 13...dxe4 Diagram

Sheesh. The engines claim this is actually possible. It seems quite absurd, but I am inexplicably intrigued. 14.Bf6 ( 14.Ng5 Nf5 ( 14...Kxg7 15.Bxe6) 15.Nxf7 Kxf7) 14...exf3 15.Qh6 Nf5 16.Qg5 h6 Diagram

Black escapes immediate mate but perhaps I am being hasty. White should probably go for the long term exploitation of the dark squares somehow. Either way, he has the two bishops. ( 16...Qd7 17.g4 Nd6 18.Qh6) 17.Bxd8 ( 17.Qh4? Nxh4 18.Bxd8 Raxd8) 17...hxg5 18.Bxg5 fxg2) 14.exd5 exd5 15.Nxd5 Nd4 ( 15...Nxd5 16.Rxe8 Qxe8 17.Bxd5 Qd7) 16.Nxd4 Bxd5 Diagram

17.Ne2 ( 17.Nf3 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Nf5 19.c3 Qh4 20.Re4 Qh3 21.Qf4 Qh6 22.Qxh6+ Nxh6 ( 22...Kxh6 23.Bxf7) 23.d4 cxd4 ( 23...Rxe4 24.fxe4 Rd8 25.d5; 23...Red8 24.d5) 24.cxd4 Nf5) 17...Qd6 18.Bxd5 Qxd5 ( 18...Nxd5 19.d4 c4) 19.Nc3 Qf5 20.Re4 Nc6 21.Rde1 Rxe4 22.Rxe4 Nd4) 13...exd5 14.Nxd5 Nd4 ( 14...Bxb2 15.c3) 15.Nxe7+ Rxe7] 13.Qf4 Ne5 14.Ng5 N7c6 15.Re3 Qf6 Diagram

[ Another point where David suggests the central grabbing move 15...d5 is here 16.exd5 exd5 ( 16...Nd4 17.Rxe5) 17.Nxd5 Diagram

sheesh something majorly wrong is going on here. 17...Rf8 a) 17...Nd4? Diagram

18.Rxe5 Bxe5 19.Qxf7+; b) 17...Bg7 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Rde1 f6 (b) 19...h6 20.Nxf7) 20.Ne4 Nxc4 21.dxc4 Diagram

21...Nb4 (b) 21...f5 22.Nd6 Rxe3 23.Rxe3 Qd7 24.Re7+ Nxe7 (b) 24...Qxe7 25.Nxe7 Nxe7) 25.Qe5+ Kf8 26.Qf6+ Kg8 27.Nxe7+ Qxe7 Diagram

black is crushed.) 22.Nc7 (b) 22.Qxf6+ Qxf6 (b) 22...Kg8? 23.Ng5 Bxd5 (b) 23...Rxe3 24.Qf7+) 24.Rxe8+ Qxe8 25.Rxe8+ Rxe8 26.h4 Bxc4) 23.Nexf6 Rxe3 24.Rxe3 Bxd5 (b) 24...Nxc2? 25.Re7+) 25.Nxd5 Nxc2 26.Re7+ Kh6 Diagram

it looks pretty dismal. Down a pawn and paralyzed, black has some serious problems to solve.) ; ] 16.Qh4 Nd4 17.Rh3 Diagram

17...Rad8 [ It was discussed briefly that there is no point in 17...Nxc2 18.Bf8 h5 19.Bxd6 Diagram

; Perhaps it is possible to play 17...Nxc4 Diagram

18.dxc4 Ba6 ( 18...Qe7) 19.b3 Nxc2 20.Bf8 h5 21.Bxd6 Nd4 22.f4 ( 22.Nb5 e5! Diagram

23.Rxd4 ( 23.f4 Diagram

23...Bxb5 a) 23...Ne2+ 24.Kh1 Nxf4 25.Rf3 Bxb5 26.axb5 Rad8 27.g3 Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Qxd6 29.gxf4 Qd1+ (a) 29...Bf6 30.Qe1) 30.Kg2 Bf6 31.Qg3 Qe2+ 32.Rf2 Qg4 (a) 32...Qe1 33.Ra2 Qxg3+ 34.Kxg3 exf4+ 35.Kxf4 Be5+ 36.Ke3 f5 37.Rxa7 Bxh2) ; b) 23...Qxf4 24.Qxf4 Ne2+ 25.Kf1 Nxf4 26.Rf3 Bxb5 27.axb5 Bf6 28.Nh3 Rad8 (b) 28...Nxh3 29.Rxh3 Diagram

(b) 29.Rxf6 Ng5 30.Re1 Kg7 31.Rf2 Rad8 32.Rd2 f6 33.b4 (b) 33.Ke2 Nxe4) 33...cxb4 34.h4 Nf7 35.Bxb4) 29...Rad8 30.Rhd3 (b) 30.Rd5) 30...Rd7 31.b4 Red8 32.bxc5 bxc5 33.Ke2) 29.Nxf4 exf4 30.Rd5 Rxe4 31.Rxf4 Rxf4+ 32.Bxf4 Rxd5 33.cxd5; c) 23...Rad8 24.fxe5 Ne2+ 25.Kh1 Rxe5 26.Re1 Rxg5 27.Rf3 Rf5 28.Qxf6 Rxf6 29.Be7 Rxf3 30.gxf3 Rd2 31.Bg5 Ra2 32.Nxa7; 24.fxe5 Qd8 ( 24...Ne2+ 25.Kh1 Qd8 26.axb5 Bxe5 27.Rhd3) ) ) 22...Qd8 23.e5 Diagram

but white still has a nice positional plus.] 18.Bb5 Nxb5 [ 18...Ndc6 19.f4 Nd7 20.Rf1 ( 20.Bf8?? Nxf8) 20...Nd4 ( 20...Qd4+ 21.Kh1 Bf6) 21.e5 Diagram

21...Qe7[] ( 21...dxe5? 22.fxe5 Qxf1+ ( 22...Qxe5 23.Nxf7 Nf5 24.Rxf5 ( 24.Nxe5 Nxh4 25.Bxd7 Rxd7 26.Nxd7 Bd4+) 24...Qxf5 25.Nxd8 Bf6 26.g4 Bxh4 27.gxf5 Rxd8 ( 27...Bxd8 28.Bxd7) 28.Rxh4 exf5) 23.Kxf1 Bxe5 24.Nxf7 Diagram

24...Nf5 ( 24...Kxf7 25.Bg5 Nf6 26.Bxe8+ Rxe8 27.Bxf6 ( 27.Qe1 Nc6) 27...Bxf6 28.Qxh7+ Bg7 29.Rg3 Kf8 30.Rxg6 Re7) 25.Qxd8 Rxd8 26.Nxd8) ; 18...Nec6 19.Bf8 h5 20.Bh6] 19.Nxb5 [ I doubt Jacob considered 19.axb5 Diagram

19...d5 20.f4 Nd7 21.e5 Qe7 22.Ra1 ( 22.Bf8?? Nxf8) 22...Ra8 for long, if at all.] 19...Qe7 [ 19...a6 Diagram

might have been testing, possibly leading to20.Nxd6 Rxd6 21.f4 Diagram

( 21.Bf8 Rc6 ( 21...Rd7 22.Bxc5 Diagram

( 22.Qxh7+ Kxf8 23.Qxh8+ Qxh8 24.Rxh8+ Ke7 25.Rh7 Rf8) 22...h5 ( 22...bxc5 23.Qxh7+ Kf8 24.f4 ( 24.Qxh8+ Qxh8 25.Rxh8+) 24...Bg7) ) 22.Be7 Qg7 23.Nxh7 Nd7 24.b3 e5) 21...Nc4 Diagram

( 21...Nxd3 22.e5) 22.e5 Nxe5 23.fxe5 Qxe5 24.Qf2 ( 24.Rf1 Qd4+ 25.Kh1 Qxh4; 24.Kh1 Qxb2 25.Rf1 Qxc2 Diagram

26.Bf8?? Qxg2#; 24.c3 Qe2) 24...Qf5 25.Qe2 ( 25.Nxh7 Qxf2+ 26.Kxf2 Bxb2 ( 26...Kxh7 27.Bf4+) 27.Ng5 Bc6) 25...Bd4+ ( 25...c4 26.Rf1 Bd4+ 27.Kh1 cxd3 28.cxd3 Qc5 29.Nxf7; 25...Qe5 26.Qxe5 Bxe5 27.Rf1 f6) 26.Kh1 f6 27.Ne4 Rdd8 28.Rf1 Bxb2 29.Rxf5 exf5 30.Nxf6+ Bxf6 31.Re3 Bc6 32.Rxe8+ Rxe8 33.Qf2 Bd4 Diagram

when black's well coordinated two bishops and rook are giving white's leaner army some serious problems.] 20.f4 a6?! [ 20...Nc6 Diagram

had to be tried, according to the engines. In retrospect, black is trying to get a little too fancy. 21.c3 ( 21.Bf8? Kxf8 22.Nxh7+ Kg8 23.Ng5 Bg7 24.Qh7+) 21...a6 22.Na3 f6 Diagram

; 20...Nd7 Diagram seems to allow 21.Nxf7 Qxf7 a) 21...Kxf7 22.Bg5 Nf6 23.e5 h5 Diagram

24.exf6 (a) 24.Nxd6+ Rxd6 25.exd6 Qxd6; a) 24.Bxf6 Bxf6 25.exf6 Qxf6) 24...Bxf6 25.Nxa7; b) 21...Qxh4 would be the line that would cause Jacob to reject it, but I don't agree. 22.Rxh4 Kxf7 (b) 22...Bd4+ 23.Kf1 Kxf7 24.Nxd6+) 23.Nxd6+ Kg8 24.Nxe8 Rxe8 Diagram

white has two healthy pawns plus a rook for a bishop and a knight. This is the type of endgame that I have seen GM Alex Yermolinski make quite a few good wins out of. White is up around a pawn or more by my calculations.; 22.Nxd6 Bf6 23.Bg5 Bxg5 24.fxg5 Qe7 25.Nxe8 Rxe8] 21.fxe5 axb5 22.Rf1 [ 22.Rf3 f5 23.exf6 Bxf6 24.Rdf1 seems to transpose] 22...f5 23.exf6 Bxf6 24.Rhf3 Diagram

black is busted. 24...Bd4+ [ 24...Rf8 25.Bxf8 Rxf8 26.Nxe6!! Diagram

26...Qxe6 27.Rxf6 Rxf6 28.Rxf6 Qa2 29.Rf1; 24...Bxb2 25.Rf7; 24...Bxg5 25.Bxg5; 24...Be5 25.Rf7; 24...Bh8 25.Rf7 Diagram

25...Rd7 26.Rxe7 Rdxe7 27.Bf8 ( 27.b3) 27...Bd4+ 28.Kh1 Rxf8 29.Rxf8+ Kxf8 30.Qf4+ Kg8 31.Qxd6 Bf6 32.Nxe6; 24...Bg7 25.Bxg7 Qxg7 Diagram

26.Nxe6! Qd7 ( 26...Rxe6? 27.Qxd8+) 27.Nxd8 Rxd8 28.Rf7 Qxf7 29.Rxf7 Kxf7 30.Qxd8; 24...bxa4? 25.Rxf6] 25.Kh1 d5?! Diagram

cracking under pressure. [ 25...Rd7 26.Rf8+ Rxf8 27.Rxf8+ Qxf8 28.Bxf8 Kxf8 29.Nxe6+ Kg8 30.Nxd4 cxd4] 26.Rf7 Qd6 27.Bf8 Diagram

black resigned. 27...h5 [ 27...Qb8 28.Qxh7#] 28.Bxd6 1-0