[Event "US Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mednis, E"]
[Black "Browne, W"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Browne, W"]

{ Sicilian Defense B84
This was probably my best game from my 1975 US Championship run. My notes are based on commentary from my new (soon to be released) double video "Mr. Six-Time! "filmed with my good friend GM Ron Henley for the World Wide Web Chess Superstore.
This particular video takes a look at my best games from six different US Championships - the six championships that I won! } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 Nbd7 7. Be3 e6 8. a4 { Mednis is more a of positional player than a tactical player, so it is not so surprising that he should choose this continuation over the more aggressive 8.g4. } 8... b6 { Intending Bc8-b7 to pressure White's e4-pawn. } 9. f4 { If 9.0-0 then 9...Bb7 and White must play 10.f3 after which Black can choose between 10...d5 or 10...Rc8. } 9... Bb7 10. Bf3 Rc8 $1 { With a view to sacrificing the Exchange on c3. The solid 10...Be7 is also possible. } 11. O-O Rxc3 $5 { A thematic Sicilian Exchange sacrifice - removing a key defender of the e4-pawn. The line 11...Qc7? 12.Qe1 Be7 13.Rd1 0-0 14.g4! with a clear advantage for White is given by Mednis and Byrne in Informant, but I would never play such an inferior variation as this. In a game against Tal, I chose the possibly superior 11...Be7 12.e5 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 dxe5 14.Nc6 Qc7 15.Nxe7 Kxe7, with an unclear position, and Black went on to win, Tal-Browne, Milan 1975. Coverage of the Tal game is to be found on my forthcoming video "Beating the Soviet Champions. " } 12. bxc3 Nxe4 { Black's compensation for the sacrificed Exchange includes the capture of White's valuable e-pawn, play against White's fractured queenside pawn structure and good prospects for his minor pieces. } 13. Ne2 { Passive. Probably better is 13.c4. Note that 13.f5 e5 14.Ne2 Qc7 is promising for Black. After 13.Bxe4 Bxe4 14.Nf3 Be7 15.Nd2 Bb7, I would be very happy, as my bishop is even stronger here than in the main line. } 13... Qc7 14. Qe1 { White's queen is not well placed here. The Black knight covers g3, and after Bf8-e7 the h4 square is also covered. There appears to be little point to this move if Qe1-g3 or Qe1-Qh4 are not possible. Black has good control of center, sufficient material , and good prospects in the center. If 14.Qd4 (eyeing my pawn on b6), then 14...e5 15.Qd3 Ndc5 16.Qc4 d5 17.Qa2 (if 17.Qb4 a5) and the White queen has been on a road to nowhere. } 14... d5 $1 { Increasing my grip on the center, but it was also possible to play simply with 14...Be7. } 15. Bd4 { If 15.Bxe4 dxe4, and Black intends a6-a5 and an exchange of dark squared bishops followed by Nd7-c5 and targeting the weak a4-pawn (with Bb7-c6). } 15... Bc5 16. Ng3 { If 16.Bxc5 Qxc5+ followed by Nd7-f6 with a great game for Black. } 16... f5 { Of course not 16...Qxf4?? 17.Bxe4 losing a piece for Black. } 17. Qe3 { If 17.Nxe4 dxe4 and Black is much better. } 17... O-O 18. Bxc5 $1 bxc5 19. a5 { Denying Black's Nd7 a route to c4. After 19.Bxe4 dxe4 and the Black's two pawns hold White's three on the queenside, and Black has a dangerous mobile 5-3 majority on the kingside. } 19... e5 { A surprising break in the center which threatens 20...exf4 winning a piece and 20.fxe5 is not possible as 20...f4 wins. } 20. Ne2 { Not 20.Bxe4? dxe4 21.fxe5 Qxe5 22.Qf4 Qxf4 23.Rxf4 g6 24.Rd1 (or 24.Rb1 Bc6, followed by Bc6-b5-c4 and/or Ne5-c6 or Ne5-c4, with a big advantage for Black.) 24...Ne5 with a clear advantage for Black. } 20... g5 $5 { An uncompromising method of maintaining the initiative. Black's wall of pawns on the fourth rank make an impressive sight. A good alternative is 20...d4 21.Qd3 c4. } 21. fxe5 $6 { Instead 21.Bxe4 gxf4 22.Bxd5+ Bxd5 23.Qd3 was necessary (as pointed out by Byrne and Mednis) although Black is still a lot better. Nor does 21.g3 gxf4 22.gxf4 Kh8 (with the idea Rf8-g8) 23.Kh1 d4 look very good for White. } 21... f4 22. Qc1 { If 22.Qd3 Nxe5 with the idea of Nc4-e3. } 22... Nxe5 { Let's take stock. White's Ne2 has nowhere to go. White's Bf3 can take on e4, but d5xe4 would give Black a dangerous four on two majority with possibilities of e4-e3 (followed by Qc7-c6) or f4-f3 coming. } 23. Rb1 Nc4 $1 { Guarding the b6 entry point and eliminating White's only possible counterplay. Black's powerfully posted knights are vastly superior to White's passive rooks. } 24. Qe1 Ned2 25. Rf2 Nxb1 26. Qxb1 { Black wins back the Exchange securing a material advantage and a clearly winning game. } 26... Nd2 { Also good is 26...Ne3, with the idea g5-g4. } 27. Bxd5+ { Desperate times lead to desperate measures. I was about to ice the game with Nd2xf3+, so Mednis resorted to this petite combination that ultimately backfires. } 27... Bxd5 28. Qd1 Rd8 $1 { Refuting Edmar's last hopes. } 29. Qxd2 Bxg2 30. Qe1 Ba8 { The long diagonal is completely opened with fatal consequences for White. } 31. h4 Qc6 32. Kh2 Qh6 33. Ng1 g4 { Black is completely winning, but because I was short on time (about 30 seconds left) Mednis played on to the time control at move 40. As we shall see, the threat of g4-g3 is devastating and I require only a few more moves to seal the win. With only a few seconds left on my clock, I missed the simple mate with 33...Qxh4+ 34.Nh3 Qg3 mate. } 34. Qe7 Rf8 35. Rd2 g3+ 36. Kh3 Qg6 37. Rd6 { It was necessary to play 37.Qg5 entering a completely losing ending for White. } 37... Qf5# 0-1