Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Closed Variation
Ziping Liu (USCF 1682) - Polly Wright (USCF 1700), Westfield NJ 6/28/2009
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.c3 d6 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.O-O Bd7 9.Re1 Re8
The rook is misplaced on e8. Black should play 9...Ne8 with the idea of ...Nc7, ...Rb8, ...b5, and ...b4.
10.Qc2 Rb8 11.a4 a6 12.Nf1 Qc8 13.Bg5 Bh3 14.Ne3 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 h6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.a5 Qd8 18.Nc4 d5 19.exd5 Qxd5 20.Ne3 Qd7 21.Kg1 Rbd8 22.Red1 Qc7 23.Nc4 e5
24.Ne1 e4 25.Ng2 exd3 26.Rxd3 Rxd3 27.Qxd3 Qd8 28.Qxd8 Rxd8 29.Nge3, draw.