The best game prizewinner
Make life difficult for the Sicilian! 2.b3 is a thoroughly venomous but still solid kind of "Anti-Sicilian". No matter what setup black chooses, the bishop on b2 will always be unpleasant for him.Today, I review the highlights from Gibraltar and take a look at best game from the tournament: Muzychuk vs Kobo.
But first: Maghsoodloo-Esipenko, Round 9. Black should be winning, taking the pawn on a4 is as good a try as any right?
Black to play — Try your moves!
This week's show
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The Sicilian has been known for decades as the most reliable way for Black to obtain an unbalanced but good position. Among the most popular Sicilians at the top level the two that certainly stand out are the Najdorf and the Paulsen.Lawrence is live most Tuesdays at 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET / 12 Noon EST)
| 1.e4 | 1,166,623 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
| 1.d4 | 947,298 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
| 1.Nf3 | 281,602 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
| 1.c4 | 182,102 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
| 1.g3 | 19,702 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
| 1.b3 | 14,265 | 54% | 2427 | --- |
| 1.f4 | 5,897 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
| 1.Nc3 | 3,801 | 51% | 2384 | --- |
| 1.b4 | 1,756 | 48% | 2380 | --- |
| 1.a3 | 1,206 | 54% | 2404 | --- |
| 1.e3 | 1,068 | 48% | 2408 | --- |
| 1.d3 | 954 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
| 1.g4 | 664 | 46% | 2360 | --- |
| 1.h4 | 446 | 53% | 2374 | --- |
| 1.c3 | 433 | 51% | 2426 | --- |
| 1.h3 | 280 | 56% | 2418 | --- |
| 1.a4 | 110 | 60% | 2466 | --- |
| 1.f3 | 92 | 46% | 2436 | --- |
| 1.Nh3 | 89 | 66% | 2508 | --- |
| 1.Na3 | 42 | 62% | 2482 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.f4 a6 7.Nxc6 Qxc6 8.Bd3 b5 9.Qe2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Bc5 11.a3 Ne7 12.0-0-0 0-0 13.h4 f5 14.g4 d5 15.gxf5 exf5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Qxd5 18.Rhe1 Qf7 19.Bc3 Rfe8 20.Be5 Re6 21.Qf1 Rf8 22.Qh3 Rh6 23.Bxf5 Qxf5 24.Rd7 Rg6 25.Qb3+ Kh8 26.Rxb7 Bf2 27.h5 Rg3 28.Qd5 h6 29.Re2 Rg1+ 30.Kd2 Bh4 31.Qd4 Rc8 32.Bxg7+ Kg8 33.Qxg1 Rxc2+ 34.Ke3 Qh3+ 35.Kd4 Bf2+ 36.Rxf2 Rc4+ 37.Kd5 1–0
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| Muzychuk,A | 2539 | Kobo,O | 2445 | 1–0 | 2020 | | Gibraltar Masters | 10 |
Please, wait...
Follow along with Lawrence and try your own moves
Previous shows on-demand
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Lawrence Trent's latest
Read a review of Trent's previous FritzTrainer on the "Bombastic Bird's Opening"!
Welcome to the Bombastic Bird's, a revolutionary repertoire for one of the most enterprising and underrated openings in chess theory (1.f4). In this series, IM Lawrence Trent uncovers a number of groundbreaking theoretical novelties and new ideas that will soon have scorners of this romantic system regretting they ever doubted its soundness.
Solution to the puzzle
SHOW50...♛xa4 proved to be a huge mistake after 51.♖c8! threatening mate on h5. After 51...g5 52.b6! Black has nothing better than a draw.
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