In the book, "Winning with Chess Psychology" Pal relates how he was in a friendly argument with Yuri Averbakh about Boleslavsky's book on the Sicilian; Benko says, it does not mention the Najdorf variation at all? How can this be??? "Averbakh insisted that the variation was in the book." The variation was in the book, but not under that name.

Benko writes this anecdote:

It's a theme we often see in the Sicilian. White often gets the first attack right from the opening or the early middlegame, but if this doesn't work then he often has to suffer a black counter attack in the late middlegame or ending.

It's a bit like the ancient tale of Sir Gawain and the Green knight, which I am sure you will all remember. It starts ...

SIÞEN þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye,

Þe borȝ brittened and brent to brondeȝ and askez,

Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt

Watz tried for his tricherie, þe trewest on erthe:

Hit watz Ennias þe athel, and his highe kynde,

Þat siþen depreced prouinces, and patrounes bicome

Welneȝe of al þe wele in þe west iles.

Okay, maybe it's not a story best told in the original!

Anyhoo, the story is that King Arthur and his knights were dining in Camelot one day ... somewhere between the fish course of salmon cooked three ways and the main of pan-fried suckling pig with a beetroot and balsamic jus ... when into the dining room rides a fabulous knight.

He's a big bloke, this knight, sitting on top of a big 'orse. But the most unusual thing about him is that he is almost totally green. His armour, hair, skin, even the aforementioned 'orse. All green. A bit like the Northern Ireland soccer team. Without the 'orse.

Anyhoo, the green knight challenges the best knight in the room to a game of chess - with the green knight playing the green side of the Sicilian (1...c5). The proposition is that one of the Arthurian knights can pick up his sword and take a free hit on the green knight's unprotected head. In return, the knight playing white must visit the green knight's castle one year later and let the green knight have the same free chop at his noggin.

Only Sir Gawain is brave enough to take up the challenge. He hefts his mighty broadsword and chops the green knight's head clean off. A bit like Dirty Harry's magnum. Only without the magnum.

At which point the green knight calmly picks up his head and says "righto, I'll see you in a year's time for my turn".

And that's the essence of the Sicilian. Black says ... you attack first. I'll take my turn later.

Here white seems to be doing well until black starts to make mate threats. Fritzie finds several slightly inaccurate white moves which progressively shift it from a small white edge to equality to a humungous black advantage.

The errors (if we can call them that) are very subtle - 27. Kh1 (better was 27. Rff1), 28. Ref1 (Rff1) 29. g3 (Qh6 or Qh4). Basically, white has to realise that his attack has stalled and bring his pieces back to the defence of the kingside.

But maybe that's a lesson for us all. One day a green knight will wander into your life and offer you a free sword chop at his head. At that point you have to realise that he wouldn't have made that offer unless he had some devilishly cunning plan.

Watch out: