1. e4 c5 2. c3

My go to play against the Sicilian - is the Alapin Variation. Which immediately challenges the c5 play for the center - preparing for d5.

2... Nc6 3. d4 b6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5

5. d5 this would have been a better attack on black's knights 5... Na5 6. e5 Ng8 7. b4 Nb7 8. Bf4 consilidating control of the center

5... Ne4 6. Bd3??

6. d5 d5 is still a better option here.

6... d5 7. exd6 Nxd6 8. dxc5 bxc5

Black now has isolated c-pawn which can be under pressure later on. I was sure I was going to win it in due course.

9. O-O c4 10. Be2 g6 11. Na3

This puts pressure on the c4-pawn, but also has the option to re-route the knight to the center through c2.

11... Ba6

11... Bg7 a preffered option here is to fianchetto the black squared bishop 12. Nxc4 Nxc4 13. Qxd8+ Nxd8 14. Bxc4 black is a pawn down, but they control the powerful diagonal in this line, and is ready to castle.

12. Nd4

12. Qa4 I thought about Qa4 here as my first candidate move, but didnt calculate anything substantial after black's response of 12... Qb6 (12... Bb7 I didnt think black was going to play Bb7 either which would have left me with a knigt, bishop and queen all attacking the c4 pawn which is only protected by the d6 knight. ) .

12... Bb7 13. Nxc4

I was so obssesed with capturing the isolated pawn I missed this better line 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. Qd4 threatening the unprotected rook 14... f6 and black can only destroy the pawn structure on the side left for them to castle. 15. Nxc4 then finally winning the pawn.

13... e5? 14. Nf3?

A missed opportunity 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. Nxe5 Ne4 16. Bd3 Qd5 17. Nxc6 Qxc6 18. Bxe4 and black dare not take the bishop with Re1 ready to strike, and the rook on a8 is left vulnerable.

14... Bg7?

Black opts to protect the e5 and this leaves the d6 knight under attack.

15. Nxd6+ Kf8 16. Nxb7 Qc7

I guess black wasnt ready for a queen exchange here.

17. Nc5 e4 18. Nxe4

Black was now falling apart her with the unforced errors.

18... Ne5 19. Qd6+

At this point I was up two minor pieces and two points, thus I wanted to simplify the position and opted for a queen exchange.

19. Qd5 Rd8 20. Qc5+ Qxc5 21. Nxc5 Nxf3+ 22. Bxf3 Another route for the queen exchange.

19... Qxd6 20. Nxd6 Ke7 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. Nc4 h5

and black hangs another piece

23. Nxe5 h4 24. h3 g5 25. Bxg5+

I took the fork bait here.

25... f6 26. Ng6+

because I had fork plans of my own.

26... Kf7 27. Nxh8+ Rxh8 28. Bf4 a5 29. Rfd1

And now it was time to let the rooks come out and play. A long overdue task for those pieces.

29... Ke6 30. Rac1

In case there was a pawn that needed promotion, the c3 pawn was unimpeded on the c-file.

30... Kf5

At this point black was just walking into a mating trap on their own doing.

31. Rd4 Re8? 32. Re1

This is a much more punishing line(s) that exchanges black's rook. 32. Bd3+ if 32... Ke6 ( if 32... Re4 33. Rxe4 Kg6) 33. Re1+ Kf7 34. Rxe8 Kxe8 and black has no minor pieces left, and none of the pawns are protecting each other.

32... Rf8? 33. Bd3#

A win were I felt I wasnt really under any pressure for most parts. Could have been more clinical in some phases but there wasnt any pushback from black. Chirag Dolio was gracious in defeat.

1-0

Annotator(s): Vladimir Mabhena.

Source(s): Vladimir Mabhena, via Craig DuBose.

Event information: Tournament report.