Trapped: Alarm Bells Go Off

During a game, no one ever whispers in your ear there is a tactic on. For this, you need to build your intuition that something doesn't feel right.

Alarm bells go off when you realise there aren't enough escape squares for a free roaming warrior. Something doesn't smell right. The trapped piece. If one treasures freedom, then one despises being trapped.

Alarm bells went off where I was on the White side of a Sveshnikov Sicilian.

Black played the very unnatural 14. ... 0-0-0 setting off alarm bells. The Black Queen suddenly loses her escape square to d8, leading one to look for ways to exploit her trapped nature. After the forcing 15. b4 Qa3 we arose at the following position.

Here I found 16. Qc2 with the idea of Nb6+ and Nc4 trapping the Black Queen. My Queen takes away the b2 square as well as protecting the c-pawn, and there isn't much Black can do. Beware those escape squares.

Thematic Opening Moves

Black to Move

My opponent played 8. ... Be7 instead of the thematic 8. ... b5. The difference is that now White can quickly get both Knights controlling the d5 outpost. After 9. Nc4 intending Ne3, we see why 8. ... b5 is important, which denies White this move.

My Game Anotations and Analysis