Clyde Kapinos submits his draw from the recent simultaneous by Pittsburgh's own GM, Alex Shabalov. In the November 1996 issue of En Passant, I annotated another draw with Shabalov from a simul, submitted by Bruce Linderman. Interestingly, both Clyde and Bruce played the same opening. White: GM Alex Shabalov Black: Clyde Kapinos Simultaneous exhibition May, 1999 Sicilian Defense, Accelerated Dragon variation 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 This move marks the Accelerated Dragon variation. Clyde had been studying two videos about this opening, by Roman Dzindzichashvili ("The Roman Forum"): "The Dragon's Accelerated Battle Over the Maroczy Bind", and "The Dragon's Accelerated Return". 5 c4 White's pawn formation is called the "Maroczy bind". Black will find it difficult to enforce ... d5, which is the natural equalizing move in other, related, variations of the Sicilian Defense. But he can sometimes get counterplay with ... b5 or even ... f5. Against Linderman, Shabalov had played 5 Nc3. 5 ... Nf6 6 Nc3 d6 7 Be2 Nxd4 8 Qxd4 Bg7 9 Bg5 O-O 10 O-O Be6 Black is now threatening 11 ... Nd5, so White must move the queen. 11 Qe3 Qb6!? Recommended by Dzindzi. The obvious 12 Qxb6 axb6 apparently gives White no advantage. 12 Qd2 It seems that White has lost a tempo with his queen, but Black's queen will likewise have to move again. 12 ... Rfc8 13 b3 Nxe4? White's beautiful minor pieces are easily a match for Black's rook and pawn. Instead of this losing mistake, 13 ... a6 or 13 ... Qa5 or 13 ... Qd8 would make strategic sense. 14 Nxe4 Bxa1 15 Rxa1 f6 16 Be3 Qd8 17 Rd1 b6 18 h4 Qe8 19 Bd4 This threatens 20 Bxf6, after which 20 ... Bf5 would not win material, but only simplify to a bad endgame: 21 Bf3 Bxe4 22 Bxe4 exf6 23 Bxa8 Rxa8 24 Qxd6. 19 ... Qf7 20 Bb2 White can still play 20 Bxf6, which simplifies to a pawn-ahead endgame after 20 ... exf6 21 Nxd6, or after 20 ... Bf5 21 Bf3. But his position is so strong, it's not necessary to cash in immediately. 20 ... Rc7 21 Qd4 Threatening 22 Ng5. 21 ... h6 22 a4 Rac8 23 Nc3 Rc5 24 Bf3 a6 Black was afraid of Nb5, but now his b-pawn is hopelessly weak. 25 Bd5 Bxd5 26 Nxd5 R8c6 27 Ba3 The rook is trapped. If 27 ... Ra5, either 28 Bb4 or 28 Nxb6 is good. 27 ... e5 28 Qe3 Kg7 29 Bxc5 bxc5 30 f4 Qd7 31 Rf1 Qg4! Black can't defend against the attack, but he correctly sticks his queen as close as possible to the enemy king. 32 fxe5 dxe5 33 Qf2 f5 34 Re1 e4 35 Qb2+ Kf7 36 Qh8 Qxh4 37 Rd1 Rd6 38 Qh7+ Kf8 39 Qc7 Rd8 40 Qxc5+ Kf7 41 Qc7+ Kf8 42 c5? Necessary was 42 g3 Qg5, and now not 43 c5? Rxd5 with perpetual check, but 43 Kg2 with the strong threat of 44 Nf4. 42 ... e3! Diagram: 3r1k2/2Q5/p5pp/2PN1p2/P6q/1P2p3/6P1/3R2K1 43 g3 If 43 Nxe3 Rxd1+ 44 Nxd1 Qe1+ with at least a perpetual. But the move played likewise leaves White fighting to draw. 43 ... e2! 44 Re1 Qd4+ 45 Kg2 Qxd5+ 46 Kh3 Qd2 46 ... Qd7 has been suggested as a winning attempt, but White can hold the rook endgame: 47 Qxd7 Rxd7 48 Rxe2 Kf7 (to prevent 49 Re6) 49 Rc2, and now if 49 ... Ke7 50 c6 Rc7 51 b4 (but not 50 b4? Rd4). If 46 ... Qd1, White can play either 47 Qe5 (which was also possible in the game), or the tricky 47 Rxe2 Qf1+ 48 Rg2 Rd2 49 Qc8+ Kf7 50 Qc7+ Kf6 51 Qc6+ Kg5 52 Kh2. 47 Rxe2 Qxe2 48 Qxd8+ Kf7 49 Qd5+ Kf6 50 c6 Qg4+ 51 Kh2 Qe2+ 52 Qg2 Qxg2+ 53 Kxg2 Ke6 54 b4 Kd6 55 b5 axb5 56 axb5 g5 57 Kf3 h5 The moves after about this point have been reconstructed, because Clyde stopped keeping score. 58 Ke3 Kc7 59 Kd4 h4 60 gxh4 gxh4 61 Ke3 h3 62 Kf3 f4 Agreed drawn.