More Chess Games, Home
Brian Early (1989)-
Steve Brill (1830)
Metropolitan Congress
Amateur Championship, 6/14/75

Play through this game using almost any chess software using this pgn file.
Knight
More Chess Games, Home, Back to the Top

Sicilian Defense, Closed Variation

Brian was a friend for many years, when we played in the same tournaments and belonged to the same chess club (The Marshall in Greenwich Village). I wonder what he's doing today—Google turns up nothing.

Always substantially higher rated than me, he'd beaten me in one game and we drew another one. This was my chance to even the score.

Playing an uncharacteristically quiet variation of the Sicilian, both sides jockey for positional superiority in the opening. After Black advances on the queenside and in the center, White fails to find the right rejoinders. Black continues with great accuracy, even in the hindsight of 2009 computer analysis, leading to a very satisfying (for me) rout.

1. e4, c5; 2. Nc3, d6; 3. Nge2, a6?!

(Better is 3...g6, 3...Nf6, 3...Nc6, and 3...e5 all have had better success for Black in master games.)

4. g3, g6; 5. Bg2, Bg7; 6. 0-0=

(Opening the center with 6. d4 is more aggressive. Looks like Brian was trying to improve his position quietly before undertaking more active play, which is what you do when playing White in the Closed Sicilian.)

6...Nc6; 7. d3, e6;

(7...Nf6 is a little better.)

8. Be3, Nge7

(8...Nd4 is also good.)

9. d4, cd4; 10. Nd4, 0-0

(10...Rb8!?)

11. Nb3

(White could also try to play 11. Nc6, Nc6; 12. f4!?, with the idea of 12. g4, and a kingside attack, but Black's counterplay on the queenside would keep the game equal.)

11...b5

(Black advances on the queenside. 11...Ne5; 12. Qe2= is slightly better.)

12. Qe1

More aggressive is 12. f4!?, Bb7; 13. Qd2, Qc7; 14. a3, Rb8=

12...Rb8;

(Preparing to go on the offensive on the Queenside, typical of Black's strategy in the Sicilian. But an immediate b4!? is better.)

13. Rd1, Qc7

14. Bc1?!

(Here White should have played Qd2!?, Rd8; 15. f4=. Now Black gets the edge through a Queenside attack.)

14...a5!

(14...b4! is a little better.)
Early-Brill diagram

15. Ne2, b4;

(Not 15...a4?; 16. Nad4)

16. f4, Ba6; 17. Rf3?

(Extricating himself from the pin by 17. Rf2, Be2; 18. Rd2, a5 is better, although Black maintains the initiative.)

17...Be2; 18. Qe2, a4; 19. Nd2, Nd4; 20. Qd3, Qc2!?

(Black heads into a winning endgame, eschewing the stronger win of the exchange by 20...Nf3! because after 21. Nf3, he didn't realize the strength of 21...d5!)

21. Qc2, Nc2; 22. Nc4, d5!

(With White's active knight gone, his disorganized pieces can't stop Black's advance.)

23. Ne5

(If 23. ed5, Bd4+ with a big advantage.)

23...Be5; 24. fe5, d4!

This passed pawn, the knight on c2, the advanced queenside pawns, and Black's material advantage give him a strong attack.

25. Bg5?

(This attempt at counterplay fails, but 25. Bh6, Rfd8 just drives the rook behind the passed pawn, but 25. b3, ab3; 26. Rb3, Nc6; 27. Bf4, Rcf8; 28. Rd2, Ne3; 29. Be3, de3; 30. Re3, Ne5; 31. Rb3 allows white to hang on with a disadvantage.)

25...Nc6; 26. Rc1, b3; 27. ab3, ab3; 28. Bf6, Rfc8; 29. h4?!

(29. Bf1 is better.)

29... Ne3; 30. h5

(White is lost.)

31... Nb4; 31. Rb1, gh5; 32. Bf1, h6!?

(This keeps the bishop off the c1-h6 diagonal, although 32... Rc2 is just as good.)

33. Kf2?! Rc2; 34. Ke1? R8c8; 35. Be7, Rc1! 36. Rc1, Rc1; 37. Ke2, Nf1; 38. Rf1?

38. Bb4 loses more slowly.

38... d3!

(This finishes things quickly.)

39. Kf2, d2; 40. Bb4, Rf1; 41. Kf1, d1(Q); White resigns.