Fifth OTG game: defeated my first dragon
Hi again,
here it is the fifth game at XXVII Internacional Vila de Sant Boi. This time I had to face another experienced 1900+ player, Jordi Sanchez Viana.
The game was another Sicilian defense (the third in a row) in which black played a sort of dragon defense but played in an unusual order. It was a funny game with some tactical opportunities that we both missed and I'll show them here, so you can test (if you want) if you see the right continuation.
Let's go to the game.
The opening
The opening was strange. It began as a classical sicilian, but black delayed Nf6 for long and finally it transposed into a line of the sicilian dragon. Not bad, as I like to play this opening.
First attack on black king
After Qxc4 I launched the thematic attack against black fianchetto: g4-h4-h5, exchanging dark bishops, etc. Black, on his side, looked for some counter-play at queenside, but he didn't play Rc8, threatening the exchange sacrifize at c3, nor advanced b pawn to hostigate my knights.
White attack on kingside could be done without major problems.
How would you continue from this position?
I missed my chances to finish the game and, after Ne3, game is equal but now black has his own chance to attack on my king, so I prepared for that and tried to survive.
Finally, however, I succeeded to simplify the game into a won ending through the d file, winning the game.
After this game I'm the first one in the U1800 category, with 3.5/5 points but 5 more U1800 players are just at 3/5.
See you next week.