Tales of a Wandering American: High Wycombe, Rd. 4

This game was played in the fourth round of the High Wycombe Open in Buckinghamshire, England.  As posted previously, the third round featured a disastrous loss to GM Peter Wells and my confidence in being able to play more than a dozen moves without hanging something was shaken.  Also, I was beginning to run out of laundry, didn't have a car, and there didn't seem to be a washing machine anywhere within the rather sizable grounds of the venerable, quaint, and rather commercially isolated Uplands Park Hotel.   Things were bleak.  But, as they say, things are darkest right before rummaging through the smaller compartments of your luggage in search for a clean pair of socks, and I eventually emerged from my sartorial time scramble with the means to carry on for another round or two.

John Chernoff (2140) vs. Sarah Hegarty (2051), 2011 High Wycombe Open

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5

I like this variation of the Sicilian mainly because for several moves I get to pretend it's a Ruy Lopez.

3. ...Nd4 4. Bc4 g6 5. Nge2 Bg7 6. Nxd4 cxd4 7. Qf3

Not the most subtle move. Black's next is a bit antiquated however, with many players now preferring 7. ...Nh6.  One idea with ...Nh6 is that, after castling, ...Ng4! (Qxg4 d5!) is possible and annoying.

7 ...e6 8.Nb5 d6 9. c3 dxc3 10. dxc3 a6 11. Nd4

The opening can I think be considered at this point something of a success for White.  Black's typically Sicilian counterplay against either e4 or along the c file is difficult to achieve, as are any useful central breaks.  Meanwhile, White is prepared to exploit the dark squares (weakened with 7. ...e6) with a looming Bg5 and can storm the Kingside with h2-h4-h5, etc.

11. ...Qc7 12. Bb3 Ne7 13. Bg5 Nc6 14. Nxc6 bxc6

White took on c6 to rule out such things as 14. Bf6? Ne5!, when tables are turned, petards are hoisted, shoes are on other feet, etc.  In any event, White's pressure has palpably increased over the last few moves and direct attacking lines are beginning to form.  However, these are the sorts of positions I often botch in an attempt to over-analyze things to mate instead of simply playing whatever line leads to the next reasonably promising position.  For example, there's a number of tempting moves to consider here, many of which transpose: White can O-O-O, he can charge ahead with h4, he can occupy the dark squares with Bf6, and of course he can play the safe but still quite good O-O.  Anyhow, after thinking for far too long about these things, I eventually decided that it was quite possible I might be able to play all of the above (well, save O-O) and that the order wasn't nearly as important and avoiding time pressure, and that... oh, damn, too late.  15 minutes left!  OK, h4!

15. h4 a5 16. Bf6 Bxf6 17. Qxf6 Rg8

A critical position - I've played two out of my three "ideas", but Black's only form of counterplay is threatening to disrupt the third (18. O-O-O?! a4).  Therefore...

18. Ba4!

The Bishop is oddly effective here - not only does it block a4 but it also ties Black's Q to the c6 pawn.  Furthermore, if Black plays ...Bd7, White's h5 threatens to bring a R to h7, menacing f7.  Muwhahaha.

18 ...Rb8 19. O-O-O

And thus the third shoe drops.

19. ...Qb7?

Black had to try the more active 19. ...Qb6 (20. b3 Qc5) here.  To be honest, it was very possible I might have then plunged into the almost certainly unnecessary but highly tempting vortex of  20. Rxd6!?! Qxb2+ 21. Kd1 etc.

20. b3 Qc7

I was going to write here "back to the kitchen" but then realised that might sound chauvinist and therefore am writing it like this instead.

21. Rh3

Intending Rhd3.

21. ...Ba6 22. c4

Renewing the threat.

22. ...Rd8

Digging in.  Note that 22. ...Bb5 fails to 23. cxb5 cxb5+ 24. Rc3.

23. e5!

Piling on further, in light of 23. ...d5 24. cxd5 exd5 25. Qxc6+.

23. ...Bb5

Doesn't quite work, but still an ingenious try.

24. exd6 Qd7 25. cxb5 cxb5 26. Bxb5

The final position is the apotheosis of White's dark-square strategy throughout this game.  And yes, I'm only saying that so that I can use "apotheosis" in a sentence.

1-0

Here's the game for replay: