Nov-16-08
 | | Eyal: 11.Nf5!? is certainly an interesting alternative to the standard 11.Nxc6. It doesn't appear in CG database, but more extensive databases such as chessbase show several games where this move has already been played; it seems, however, that Karjakin wasn't prepared for it (which is a bit surprising, since he's considered to be a super-expert in the Sicilian). The "novelty" is 14...Nh5? which is pretty much refuted by 15.Qc3! Black should play 14...Nxd5, with a complicated struggle after, e.g., 15.Bxd5 Bb7 16.Bh6 Qd7 17.Qxh7 0-0-0 18.Bxf8 Rxf8 (Coleman-Eames 2005). From this point on Solak conducts the attack very well, with the possible exception of 21.Rae1 instead of Bxf7+ immediately, since 21..Nxh6 22.Bxf7+ Kxf7 23.Qxh6 Kg8 seems to offer Black a better game with the knight on g7 rather than g8. But just when Black's position is about to collapse after 35...Rg8, he misses the winning 36.Qb6! (36...Ba4 37.Qxa6 and the bishop cannot keep defending the knight), as well as 40.Rxc6 a few moves later, after Karjakin's blunder on move 39 (40...Nxf5 41.Qxf6+!; or 40...Re8 leading to a similar sequence as in the game, but with the extra c4-pawn for White). The resulting 2R vs. Q endgame seems like one that Black can hold, especially once the Q-side pawns are gone. After about 50 moves of maneuvering, Solak tries a final winning idea/trap in 94.h5 and succeeds when Karjakin blunders with 95...Kh6?? allowing a mating net after 96.Kh1 (the Rh2 threat is lethal); instead, Black should have been ok
after queen moves that keep an eye on the 1st rank or one of the white rooks, such as Qd1/d6. Overall, an excellent achievement for Solak.
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| Nov-16-08 | | Jim Bartle: Why do we see Bc4 against the Sicilian so rarely these days? |
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| Nov-25-08 | | Abdooss: Hahaha :-) interesting game.. David slaying Goliath, indeed!! |
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Aug-25-12
 | | Cemoblanca: I am absolutely sure that CG mistook White with Black here, because Solak played like Karjakin @ his best! ;0) Great game! |
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sac: 11.Nf5