Michael Khodarkovsky: SICILIAN CAPRICIO The Past and Present - Tribute to Igor Platonov

We always recommend that our students study games played by old masters so they may learn from the classics. In this survey, I refer to modern games, which are reminiscent of games played in the 1970s by the late, and perhaps forgotten by many, USSRs Grandmaster Igor Platonov. I had the privilege to work as the assistant coach of Igor Vladimirovich Platonov, Head coach of the Ukrainian Team at the 1985 USSR Team Cup in Volgograd. Our discussions and joint analysis helped me grow both as a chess analyst and trainer. However, my long-time friends and mentors, GMs Lev Alburt and Sam Palatnik knew Igor Platonov very well. They wrote in their co-authored book Platonovs Chess Academy: Platonov was unquestionably a chess philosopherHis clearly defined individuality, in combination with the breadth of his views and powerful intellect, made Igor Platonov a distinguished star in the chess galaxy I am grateful to Lev and Sam for allowing me to use excerpts of their work to make a tribute to Igor Platonov. Levy : Platonov Havana 1972 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Qb6 An innovative idea back then in the beginning of 70s of the last century, which forces white knight to move back on b3 from the ideal central square d4. This idea became popular and many well-known players included it in their repertoire. 5.Nb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Be3 Qc7 8.a3 Be7
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9.f4 d6 10.Bd3 a6 11.Qf3 b5 12.00 Bb7 13.Rae1

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White completed development and it looks like he didn't do anything wrong. However, in a few moves white would feel unexpected vulnerability. 13...b4 14.ab4 Nb4 15.Qg3 00 16.e5

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16...Nh5 17.Qh3 g6 18.g4 Nd3 19.cd3 Ng7 20.Rc1 Qd8 21.ed6 Bd6 22.Nd2 Seems better was to play: 22.Nc5 Rb8 23.Nb7 Rb7 24.Qg2 Qb8 25.Ne4 Be7 26.Bd4 f5 27.gf5 Nf5 28.Be5 Qa7 29.Qf2=. 22...Be7 23.Nde4 Rc8 23...h5 24.g5 Nf5. 24.Rcd1 h5 25.gh5 Nh5
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It was hard to anticipate at move 13 that black will dominate the game by move 25th. 26.f5 ef5 27.Rf5

one of the most important event as world Championship Candidates match is. 5.Nb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.00 00 9.a4 d6 10.Be3 Qc7 11.f4 b6 12.Qf3 Bb7 13.Nb5 Qb8 14.c3 e5!?

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27gf5! 28.Qh5 Rc6!? 29.Qf5 Rg6 30.Ng3 Bd6 31.Nce2 Re8 32.Nf4 Bf4 and White resigned in view of 33.Qf4 Qd5 or if 33.Bf4, then 33...Qd4 and 34...Qb2. 0:1. Kamsky : Gelfand Kazan 2011 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Qb6 Almost forty years later since the game Levy : Platonov, Boris Gelfand decided to use this line in the game versus Kamsky in
FIDE Surveys Michael Khodarkovsky

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The text move deserves serious attention. Back in the 50s, it was established that one of the most important elements or strategic plans in the Sicilian if you will is to reach a disorientation of white knights. Therefore move 14...e5 has emphasized the control over square d4 and eliminated an opportunity for white knights to reach a harmony with each other. 15.f5 a6 16.Na3 d5!? 17.Nd2 Qd8 18.Bf2 d4! 19.Qe2 Re8 20.Nb3 Nd7 21.Kh1 Ba3 21...Bh4=. 22.Ra3 Nc5 Relatively even position would arise after 22...Qf6 or 22... Nf6. The text move and the following one, although look aggressive due to active cavalry, but could bring black a lot of troubles. See line below after move 25.Qh5. 23.Bc4 Na5?! 23...Nb3 24.Bb3 dc3 25.Qh5. 24.Na5 ba5 25.Qh5? 25.Bf7 Kf7 26.Qc4 Bd5 27.ed5 Ne4 28.d6 Kf8 29.cd4 Nf2 30.Rf2 ed4 31.Rf1 Qd6. 25...Qc7 26.Bd5 Bd5 27.ed5 Ne4 28.Bg1? Now black achieves a winning position
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28.Qe2 Nf2 29.Qf2 Qc4 30.f6 g6 31.cd4 ed4 32.Qf4 Re4 33.Qc1 Qc1 34.Rc1 Re5 35.Rd3 Rd5 still with better chances for black but better than the move played in the game. 28...Qc4 29.Raa1 Qd5 30.Rad1 d3 31.Qf3 Rad8 32.Rfe1 Nf6 33.Qd5 Rd5+ 34.c4 Rd7 35.Bb6 e4 36.c5 Rc8 37.h3 h5 38.Kg1 h4 39.Ba5 Rc5 40.Bc3 Rc4 41.Bf6 gf6 42.b3 Rb4 43.Kf2 Rd5 44.Ke3 Rf5 45.Rc1 Rg5 46.Rc4 Rc4 47.bc4 Rg2 48.c5

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48Re2 49.Re2 de2 50.Ke2 Kf8 0:1. Suetin : Platonov Russia 1976 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.Be2 Qc7 8.f4 b5 9.Bf3 Bb7 10.a3 Nbd7 11.Qe2

In his commentaries for Chess informant, Suetin wrote back then that White's position here is slightly better. Then he was changing his opinion to the opposite as game was progressing. 11...e5 12.Nf5 h6!? Accurate move to ensure useless position of the Knight on f5 on the long run. 13.00 g6 14.Ng3 ef4 15.Bf4 Ne5 16.Rad1 Bg7 17.Kh1 00 Both sides reached a critical position, now starts a transition from the opening to middlegame. 18.Rf2 Rfe8 19.Qf1 Rad8 20.Be5 Re5!?

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A witty maneuver to use a rook as a shuttle on the fifth rank. 21.Rfd2 h5 22.Qd3 Rc5 23.Nf1 Ne8 24.e5 Re5 25.Bb7 Qb7 26.Nd5 Nf6 27.Nf6 Bf6 28.Rf2 Qe7 29.c4 Bg7 30.cb5 ab5 31.Nd2 Re1 32.Re1 Qe1 33.Rf1 Qe8 34.Nf3 Qc6 35.Ng5 Rf8 36.b3 d5 37.Qf3 Qd7 38.a4 ba4 39.ba4 Bh6 40.Qf6 d4 41.Nf3 d3 42.Qa1 d2 43.a5 Rc8 44.Nd2 Qd2 45.a6 Rc2 46.Rg1 Ra2 47.a7 And White resigned before Black perform a simple but cute final accord: 47...Qg2! 0:1.

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FIDE Surveys Michael Khodarkovsky

Karjakin : Cheparinov Porto Carras 2011 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.g4 h6 10.000 b4 According to Bobby Fischer it is in black's favor to play b4 with the following d5 in the Sicilian defense. 11.Nce2 11.Nc6 bc3. 11...Qc7 12.h4 d5 13.Bh3 Nb6

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The best position for the knight - it takes control over square c4 and opens the light squared bishop to protect a pawn on e6 from any possible thematic sacrifices. 14.b3 de4 15.g5 Nfd5 16.fe4 Ne3 17.Qe3 hg5 18.hg5 g6! 19.Kb1 Bg7 20.Rhf1 Qe5

The battery on the long diagonal is ready to shoot! 21.Qf2 Ra7 22.Ng1 Rc7 23.Ngf3 Qc5 24.Qd2 Qc3 25.Bg4 Qd2 Queens exchange here favours black. 26.Rd2 Ke7 27.Rdf2 Nd7 28.Ne2 Bb7 29.Ne1 Ne5 30.Nd3 Ke8 31.Ne5 Be5 Seems like white was able to decline immediate threats, but strategically black has much better endgame which he proved in the following moves. 32.Bf3 Rh4 33.Nc1 Be4 34.Re2 Bf3 35.Re5 Be4 36.Rf2 Bf5 37.Ra5 Rc6 38.Rg2 Rh3 39.Re5 Rh1 40.Kb2 Rd6 41.Nd3 Bd3 42.cd3 Rd3 43.Re4 a5 44.Re5 Rd5 45.Rd5 ed5 46.Rd2 Rf1 White resigned in view of 47.Rxd5 Rf5! 0:1. Tal : Platonov Russia 1968 Among Platonov's sound victories, the following is one of the greatest achievements of his career. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qf3 h6 8.Bh4 Nbd7 9.000 Qc7 10.Be2 Be7!

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FIDE Surveys Michael Khodarkovsky

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Avoiding a hidden trap in case of 10...b5? 11.e5! Bb7 12.Ne6 fe6 13.Qh5! and if 13...Nh5, then 14.Bh5 mating next move! 11.Rhe1 g5 12.Bg3 Ne5 13.Qe3 b5 14.a3
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Rb8 15.f3 Nfd7! Now black is planning to relocate the knight from d7 to c4 via b6 square to obtain a domination of his cavalry. 16.f4 gf4 17.Bf4 b4 18.ab4 Rb4 19.Rf1 Qb6 20.b3 Ng6 21.Bh5

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21Rd4! 22.Rd4 Nf4 23.Rf4 23.Bf7 Kd8 24.Rf4 e5+. 23...Bg5! 24.Bf7 Kd8 25.e5 Rf8 26.Ne2 Rf7 27.h4 Bf4 28.Nf4 d5 29.g4 Rg7 30.g5 hg5 31.hg5 Ke8 32.Nh5 Rh7! 33.Nf6 33.g6 Rh5 34.g7 Kf7 35.Qf3 Rf5 36.Rg4 Qd8!+. 33...Nf6 34.ef6 Rh1 35.Kb2 Rh4! 36.c3 Rh2 37.Ka3 Rc2 37...a5! 38.Qh3 Qa5 39.Ra4 Qc5 40.Rb4 a5 41.Qh8 Kd7 42.Qh7 Kc6 43.Qc2 ab4 44.Ka2 bc3 45.g6 e5 46.f7 Be6 47.Qd3 Qf2+The best continuation, which leads to technically winning position. 47...c2? 48.Qa6 Kc7 49.f8Q Qf8 50.Qa7, with a perpetual check. 48.Ka3 Qa7 49.Kb4 Qc5 50.Ka4 c2 51.f8Q Qa7 52.Kb4 Qb7 53.Ka4 c1Q 54.Qff1 Qf1 55.Qf1 Qa7 56.Kb4 Qc5 57.Ka4 Kb6 0:1.

FIDE Surveys Michael Khodarkovsky