Mafia connections

BEFORE the second world war the Sicilian Defence was regarded with some suspicion by the gurus of chess. Capablanca, world champion from 1921 to 1927, complained that it `left Black's position full of holes'. He rarely resorted to it and then only when he badly needed to win. True, the Sicilian had been popular in the l9th century with British masters such as Howard Staunton. Aron Nimzowitsch, the great chess thinker of the 1920s, also revived it with the provocative variation 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6, inviting 3 e5, when Black's king's knight is chased around the board.

Nevertheless, the Sicilian only truly came into its own with the explosion of interest in sharp counter-attacking systems created by the dynamic Soviet School of the 1940s and 1950s. Suddenly, having been something of a beggar at the feast, the Sicilian became almost de rigueur. Variations, subvariations and special lines associated with particular grandmasters suddenly began to burgeon and shoot in all directions. Najdorf, Boleslavsky, Polugayevsky, Kan, all of these had highways and byways of the Sicilian named in their honour.

A particular niche in the Sicilian's development is reserved for the Soviet grandmaster and concert pianist Mark Taimanov. It was Taimanov who revived some old, forgotten ideas of Staunton to show that rapid Black expansion on the queenside could well take precedence over the general mobilisation of Black's forces. Now the former British champion, grandmaster James Plaskett, has written a fine exposition of the Taimanov's strategy and tactics. This week's game is taken from Plaskett's new book and shows the Taimanov dismantling a player who was later to become a challenger for the world championship.

Anand-Plaskett: British Championship 1988; Sicilian Defence.

1 e4 c5 2 NB e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 Qc7 7 Qd2 This move came as a surprise to Plaskett. Anand tries to import a variation popular against other lines of the Sicilian Defence, into a mainline Taimanov. 7 ... Nf6 8 b5 9 0-0-0 b4 10 Na4 NeS 11 Nb3 Forcing Black's response. After the game 11 g4 was proposed as an improvement. 11 ... Rb8 12 BcS BscS 13 Naxc5 13 Nbxc5 d5 14 exd5 Nxd5 is no better for White. 13 ... d5! (Diagram) 14 exd5 Nxd5 Here Anand refrained from snatching Black's 'a' pawn, since this would automatically grant Black an attack against White's king down the newly opened 'a' file. 15 f4 Nd7 16 Nxd7 Bxd7 17 fS 0-0 Black emerges from the opening with a clear advantage, due to his development lead and attacking chances. 18 Be2 Rfd8 19 Bf Ba4! Already the white game is critical. 20 fxe6 Bxb3 21 ex7+ Kt8! 22 axb3 Nc3! 23 Qxd8+ Hoping to bale out into an ending where the reduced material gives hope of constructing an unassailable fortress. However this is not possible. 23 ... Rxd8 24 bxc3 bxc3 25 Kbl Rxdl+ 26 Rxdl Qa5 27 Rd3 Forced. 27 ... Kxf7 28 h3 Kf6 29 Ba8 h5 30 B g6 31 Ba8 g5 32 BE h4 33 Ba8 Ke6 34 BB Ke5 35 Ba8 The king and pawn endgame is lost for White after 35 RdS+ QxdS 36 BxdS KxdS, because he cannot stop the black king penetrating on one or the other side of his position, e.g. 37 Kcl Ke4 38 Kdl Ke3 39 Kel aS with a zugzwang. 35 ... Qc5 36 Bf Qa5 37 Ba8 Qb4 38 Ka2 Qa5+ 39 Kbl Qc5 40 Ka2 Ke6 41 Bf3 aS! After some hesitation Black proceeds with the correct plan. 42 Bh5 a4 43 Bg4+ Ke5 44 B Kf4 (Diagram) By combining the threat of mate with the penetration of his king, Black is also able to create situations where he may sacrifice the queen for the rook and thus promote a pawn. White cannot cope with all of these problems. 45 Bd5 Or 45 bxa4? Qb4. 45 ...a3 46 Bf Kg3 47 Ba8+ KQ 48 Bf3 QfS! Threatening to take the rook. 49 Bdl Of course 49 Rxc3 is met by 49 ... eS. 49 ... Kel And again. 50 Rd8 Qf6 51 RdS Qa 52 Rd3 The fortress collapses. 52 .. Qxg2 53 Kxa3 Qe4 Once more intending to capture. 54 Rd7 Qa8+ 55 Kb4 Qf8+ 56 Ka4 QfS White resigns.

The Sicilian Taimanov by James Plaskett (Chess Press, 14.99) is available from Cadogan Books, 27-29 Berwick Street, London W1V 3RF (tel: 0171 287 6555).

Copyright Spectator Mar 22, 1997
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