[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2021.04.02"]
[Round "?"]
[White "SimonPerez97"]
[Black "salhi2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Paulcarrero"]
[BlackElo "1869"]
[ECO "A21"]
[Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian"]
[Termination "SimonPerez97 won by resignation"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[UTCDate "2021.05.03"]
[UTCTime "03:57:28"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "1758"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 c5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. e3 { [%csl Re3][%cal Ye2e3,Rc1e3] } ( 5. d3 { A different approach to the opening is to play with d3, trying to push b4 to play actively on the queenside. Also allowing the c1 bishop to get out through g5. [%csl Bg5][%cal Ga2a3,Gb2b4,Yc1g5] } 5... Nc6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O d6 8. a3 Bg4 9. Bg5 { White rapidly finishes development. [%csl Gf3,Gg2,Gg5,Gc3] } 9... a6 10. Rb1 ( 10. e4 { e4 closes the diagonal for the g2 bishop, it also allows the entrance of the c6 knight on d4, which could be annoying. [%csl Yd4,Re4][%cal Yc6d4,Rg2e4] } ) 10... Qd7 11. b4 { [%csl Rb4][%cal Rb2b4] } 11... cxb4 12. axb4 h6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nd5 { [%csl Yd5][%cal Yc3d5,Rd5b6,Rd5c7,Rd5e7,Rd5f6] } 14... Bd8 { A bishop two squares away horizontally or vertically from a knight dominates its action. Without the d8 bishop, the d5 knight would be savage. [%cal Yd5e7,Yd5f6,Yd5b6,Yd5c7,Rd8b6,Rd8f6] } 15. Re1 a5 16. bxa5 Bxa5 { Black's pawn structure is damaged. An isolated pawn on b7 and a backward pawn on d6 become clear targets for white's pieces. Black has to stop his position from collapsing. [%csl Rb7,Rd6] } 17. Nb6 Bxb6 18. Rxb6 Ra7 19. Qd2 Be6 { Accurately trying to eliminate the d6 pawn. [%cal Re6d5,Bd6d5] } 20. Reb1 { [%csl Bd5][%cal Rb6b7,Rb1b7,Bd6d5] } 20... d5 21. cxd5 Bxd5 22. Qe3 Re8 23. R6b2 f6 24. Qc5 Ra5 25. Qb6 Kh7 26. Nh4 Rb8 27. Bxd5 Rxd5 28. Kg2 Ra5 29. h3 Ra4 30. Nf3 Ra5 31. Rb5 Rxb5 32. Qxb5 Qf7 33. Rb2 Qd7 34. Nd2 Rd8 35. Ne4 f5 36. Nd2 Qd6 37. Nf3 Qf6 38. Qb6 Rd7 39. Qc5 Qe6 40. Rb5 Re7 41. Qd5 e4 42. Nh4 Qxd5 43. Rxd5 Nb4 44. Rd6 exd3 45. exd3 Rf7 46. d4 Nd3 47. Rb6 f4 48. g4 f3+ 49. Kg3 Nf4 50. Rb4 Ne2+ 51. Kh2 Nc3 52. Rb3 Ne4 53. Re3 Nxf2 54. Nxf3 Nd1 55. Rb3 Rc7 { Black has endured the storm. } 56. Kg3 Nc3 57. h4 b5 58. g5 { Ziese, Gerhard (Leipzig) - Szabo, Almos, 1/2-1/2, Danube/4, 2012, https://lichess.org/dRWYTaEq } ) 5... Nc6 6. a3 d6 7. Nge2 { White often plays this e3 followed by Ne2, in order to get his Knight on d5 and reinforce it with the other one on c3. [%csl Rd5][%cal Rg1e2,Re2c3,Rc3d5] } 7... O-O 8. O-O Be6 9. b3 ( 9. Nd5 $1 { Stops the move d5, which might liberate black's pieces. } ) 9... Qc8 ( 9... d5 $1 10. cxd5 Nxd5 $15 { Black gets a pretty good position. Basically, black is now playing with the white color in an open Sicilian. } ) 10. Bb2 Bh3 11. d4 { White carries on with his plan. Fighting for the central control. [%csl Rd4][%cal Rd2d4] } 11... cxd4 12. exd4 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 { The fact that the white squared bishop on g2 disappeared could make it seem like the king on g2 is now unsafe, but black doesn't have a clear way to get his pieces to take advantage of the white squares around the king. Therefore, white's king is alright. [%csl Rg2] } 13... exd4 $2 $16 { Strategically a blunder. Keeps an isolated backward pawn on d6 in a half open file, clearly a target for white in the long term.
Breaking the central tension without justification can lead us to trouble. A recurrent problem I've seen over and over through the years. [%csl Rd6] } ( 13... Bd8 { Don't take, allow him to take. } 14. dxe5 ( 14. d5 Ne7 $10 { The d file is closed, making it way harder for white to attack the d6 pawn. Solid for black. The Bishop on d8 gives the square e7 to the knight. [%csl Rd6,Rd5,Be7][%cal Bc6e7] } ) 14... dxe5 $14 { Solid for black. [%csl Re5] } ) 14. Nxd4 Nxd4 15. Qxd4 Ne8 { White has simple ways to attack the d6 pawn. [%csl Bd6][%cal Ya1d1,Rd1d6] } 16. Nd5 Qd7 17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 { A strong bishop against a deficient knight. [%csl Rg7,Re8][%cal Rb2g7] } 18. Rfe1 Qg5 19. h4 Qg6 20. Re7 b6 21. h5 $5 { Tricky. } 21... Qg5 { Black doesn't fall for the trap. } ( 21... Qxh5 22. Rxe8 Raxe8 23. Qxg7# ) 22. Rae1 Nf6 23. Qxd6 { The pawn finally goes down. } 23... Qxh5 ( 23... Nxh5 { was better. } ) 24. Bxf6 gxf6 25. Qxf6 $18 { Black collapsed. It is over. } 25... Qg6 26. Qh4 f5 27. R1e6 Rf7 28. Rxg6+ hxg6 29. Rxf7 Kxf7 30. Qd4 Re8 31. b4 Re7 32. c5 bxc5 33. bxc5 g5 34. c6 Rc7 35. Qd6 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0