Photo from game 3
Game 3: Gregory Kaidanov vs. Judit Polgar
Today’s opening theme: Sicilian Najdorf
[Event “Sicilian Theme Match”]
[Site “South Carolina”]
[Date “2010.02.24”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Kaidanov, Gregory”]
[Black “Polgar, Judit”]
[ECO “B99”]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qf3 Be7 9. O-O-O Qc7 10. Bd3 h6 11. Qh3 Nb6 12. f5 e5 13. Nb3 Bd7 14. Rhe1 a5 (14…0-0-0 is another option.)
15. a3 (I do not think that this move is necessary at this moment. White should continue to focus on the center and on the Kingside. Every tempo is crucial in the Sicilian Najdorf.)
15…a4 16. Nd2 Ra5 (An interesting choice. 16…Bc6 and 16…Rc8 are some other choices.)
17. Be3 (A possibility for Black if she wants a dynamic game would be 17…d5 18. Bxb6 Qxb6 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Nce4)
17…d5 18. Bxb6 Qxb6 19. exd5 Nxd5 (So far as expected.)
20. Nxd5 (I am not crazy about this move. I prefer 20. Nce4 to maintain pressure on the Kingside. Then the Knight on d2 can go to c4. Now Black has a comfortable position.)
20…Rxd5 = (21. Qf3 makes sense here. If 21…Bc6 then 22. Be4. If 21…Rc5 then 22. Nc3 +=)
21. Qf3 Rc5 22. Ne4 (The Rook must remain on the c file. Therefore, Rc8, Rc6 or Rc7 are all playable. I prefer 22…Rc8.)
22…Ra5 23. Bc4 +/- (Now White has a considerable advantage with multiple threats such as Qg3 and f6.)
23… Bb5 24. f6! (White is breaking through. This will cause the Black King to be in a vulnerable position. 24… gxf6 25. Nd6+ Bxd6 26. Qxf6 +-)
24…Bxc4 25. fxe7 Kxe7 26. Qc3! (Black has serious problems now.)
26…Bd5 27. Qxe5+ Be6 28. Qxg7 (If 28…Rd8 29. Qf6+ Ke8 30. Qxh6 Rf5 +-)
28…Rc8 29. Qf6+ Kf8 30. Qxh6+ Ke7 31. Qf6+ Kf8 32. Rd6 Qc7 33. Qh6+ Ke7 34. Rxe6+ fxe6 35. Qg7+ Kd8 36. Qf8+ Kd7 37. Nf6+ 1-0 (If 37…Kc6 38. Rxe6+ Kb5 39. Qb4#)
Live commentary. How refreshing after a long time. Thanks Susan.
I just finished watching Topalov win Linares so now i am watching this game!
Live Chess is very cool !
I did not know that was so strong Kaidanov, sorry but my English is very bad
It is maybe a little sad that Black loses all games in a Sicilian theme match, lol, but I am still routing for Judit on the final game… 🙂
(I never liked the Sicilian anyway.)
Yalki palki!—I hope White’s record in this theme match doesn’t scare Black players off the Sicilian! When you use the ChessBase feature that shows you White’s winning % in various opening lines, Sicilian lines regularly hold White to 52–53%, significantly below the 57–58% scoring rate overall. (I don’t know if anyone has weighted these percentages by the Elo ratings of the players, which would be more telling.)
There was an interesting relevant passage in Dylan McClain’s Jan 30 NY Times chess column:
“Modern Players Prove Bobby Fischer Was Wrong […about chess getting played-out]
Players are certainly better prepared than ever because databases and computers are widely used to analyze and dissect openings. Players can sometimes reel off 20 or more moves before they leave their preparation.
That seems to have sucked the life out of some openings. Most top players know a couple of lines in the Petroff Defense through more than 20 moves, and it is not uncommon for them to play that out and agree to a draw, if that is the result they want.
But there are systems that live on, and have thrived, because new resources are being discovered for each side. An example is the Grunfeld Defense, with new chapters, it seems, being written for it almost every month. Part of the reason is the opening is fairly dynamic: Black voluntarily cedes the center and than attacks it, while White tries to prove that Black’s strategy is a mistake.”
On the flip side, Gelfand’s Petroff lost to Topalov today, though Gelfand was doing fine around move 15. But I do see a time coming down the pike when chess will either do what competitive checkers has done for decades—choose openings by lot—or will choose the starting setup by lot Fischer’s way…or non-randomly Bronstein’s way.
Ah, I see Dylan has just posted an item about this match.
The Sicilian is 0-3.
CAN I USE YOUR ANALYSIS PRIVATELY OR PUBLICLY FOR MY TRAINING THE KIDS I LIKE TO TRAIN?? THANK YOU!!