Sveshnikov Trap #1

Following on from Steve's post on the subject of the Sveshnikov Sicillian, I thought I'd contribute a basic trap that Black can fall into.

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 e5 (this is a Svesh)
6. Nb5 d6
7. Bg5 a6
8. Na3 b5 (looking at springing a knight fork)
9. Bxf6 gxf6 (Better than Qxf6 Nd5, Qd8 etc.)
10.Nd5 f5 (dominating the centre)
11.c3 fxe4 (a greedy pawn grab?)

Here comes a neat little sacrifice for White in the Sveshnikov that can be played in this position ...

12.Bxb5 axb5
13.Nxb5

Black is now concerned about losing the exchange so moves the a8 Rook out of
the line of fire but alas, it's too late ...

14. .. Ra5
15.Nc7+ Kd7
16.Qg4+! f5 (the only move ...)
17.Qxf5#

A nice mate with Queen and two Knights!

Sicillian Defence a Tal King Hunt

Here is one of the late Mikhail Tal's games against Calvo. This is a classic King Hunt and shows that if you let an expert player in with a shout then they're more than happy to let pieces drop if they can see a mate!

Tal vs Calvo

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 Nc6
6. Bg5 e6
7. Qd2 a6
8. 0-0-0 h6

I think this is a fairly "run of the mill" opening, with neither player playing anything unconventional ..

9. Be3 ... (surely this entertains Ng4 ?- but obviously Tal had this covered :)
9. ... Bd7
10. f3 b5

By playing b5 black has initiated his queenside assault ...

11. g4 Qa5 (In return Tal begins a Kingside assault making the game double-edged).
12. Nxc6 Bxc6
13. Kb1 (in preparation for 13. ... b4)
13. ... Be7
14. h4 Rc8
15. Bd3 b4
16. Ne2 d5
17. e5 Nd7
18. Bd4 Nc5
19. f4 (those pawns keep on moving !!)
19. ... h5
20. f5 Nxd3
21. cxd3 hxg4
22. fxe6 fxe6 (Tal has allowed the sacrifice of a pawn, but black has a backward e-pawn ... )
23. Nf4 Rh6
24. Rdg1 (Tal has pounced on the week doubled pawns ..)
24. ... Kd7 ( bringing the King into the defence)
25. h5 Bb5 (A low league player like myself would probably have grabbed the g4 pawn immediately, but Tal plays a deeper move, creating a knight outpost)
26. Ng6 Bc5
27. Bxc5 Rxc5
28. Nf4 d4
29. Rxg4 Rxe5
30. Rxg7+ Kd6
31. Qf2 Re3
32. Qh4 (With this forcing move Tal appears to begin an encirclement of the enemy king)
32. ... b3
33. Qe7+ Ke5
34. Qc5+ Kxf4
35. Qg5+

1 - 0


and it is mate in 2

(35. ... Kf3
36. Qg4+ Kf2
37. Qg2 # )

Sicillian Defence 2.f4 Mikhail Tal's approach

The way that Tal dealt with 2.f4 is shown in the following game. At the time that this game was played several of England's leading grandmasters, notably Hebden, Hodgson and Watson had employed 2.f4 as a means of unseating the Sicillian experts.

By playing 2.f4 White aims to steamroll down the Kingside and hold the initiative. It is certain that up until the time of playing, more theoretical advances had been made for the benefit of White after 2.f4. Although it ended in a draw this game provides some good pointers on dealing with 2.f4.


Hartson vs Tal
(Tallinn 1979)

1.e4 c5
2.f4 d5
3.exd5 Nf6
4.Bb5+ Bd7
5.Bxd7+ Qxd7
6. c4 e6
7.Qe2 Bd6
8.dxe6 fxe6
9.d3 0-0
10.Nf3 Ng4
11.Nc3 Nc6
12.0-0 Bxf4
13.Qe4 Qd4+!

(Tal always likes to find a simple win and reaches some very
tactically promising positions ... !

After 14.Nxd4 Bxh2+ White gets mated.)

The game continued ...

14.Qxd4 cxd4
15.Bxf4 dxc3
16.Bd6 Rfd8
17.c5 cxb2
18.Rab1 b6
19.Rxb2 bxc5
20.Bxc5 Rxd3
21.h3 Nf6
22.Rc1 Rad8
23.Kh2 e5
24.Bf2 e4
25.Rxc6 exf3
26.Bxa7 Rd2
27. Rcc2 Rxc2

1/2 - 1/2