SicilianB21

Geoffrey Byfield
Daaim Shabazz

Harold Chan Open 2004 (6)
UWI - KINGSTON, Jamaica, 2004


1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d3 4. Bxd3 e6 5. c4 a6










Of course, Smith-Morra players aren't used to these type of positions. The Maroczy Bind takes a certain positional sense which is what they attempt to avoid. You can't just crush these Sicilian positions so easily and Byfield learned this lesson. 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. f4 d6 9. Qf3 Nc6 More flexible is 9... Be7 10. Rc1 Qa5?! 10... Be7 11. Nd5? exd5 12. cxd5 Bg4 13. Qg3 Qa5+ 14. Bd2 Nb4 15. Bb1 Qb6 16. a3 Nbxd5! 11. Nge2 Be7 12. g4 g5!?










I had a position many years ago where I decided not to play this move and got a losing position. Fortunately, I snatched a draw from my opponent. This time I played it! 13. h4 13. e5 dxe5 (13... Nd7 14. Rd1 gxf4 15. exd6 Nce5 16. Qxf4 Bg5 17. Qe4 Nf6) 14. fxg5 e4! a move I saw in my analysis. 15. Bxe4 Ne5 (15... Nxe4 16. Qxe4 Bxg5 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. h4) 16. Qg2 Nfxg4 reminding me of Shirov-Polgar. After the game Byfield and I looked at some wild lines such as 17. Bd2 (17. Bd4 Bxg5 18. Bxe5 Nxe5!) 17... Qd8 18. Rd1 (18. Bxb7 Bxb7 19. Qxb7 Rb8 Beautiful is 20. Qg2 Qxd2+!! 21. Kxd2 Bxg5+ 22. Ke1 Nd3+ 23. Kf1 Ne3+) 13... gxf4 14. Bxf4 Nd7 I didn't like 14... e5 15. Bd2 (15. g5?? exf4 16. gxf6 Ne5) 15... Bxg4 16. Qf2 15. a3 Nde5 16. Qg3 Rg8 17. g5 h6 18. c5 hxg5 18... f6?! 19. cxd6 Bxd6 19. Bd2 Qd8! Setting up a couple of nasty tactical threats from long-range. 20. Na4 dxc5 21. Bb1 g4 22. Bf4??










22. Ng1 22... Bxh4! 23. Rxh4 Qxh4 24. Bxe5 Nxe5 25. Rxc5 Qxg3+ 26. Nxg3 Nd7 27. Rc7 Kd8 28. Rc1 b5 29. Nc3 Bb7 30. Kf2 Rc8 31. Rd1 Ke7 32. Nce2 Ne5 33. Nf4 Rh8 34. Kg2 Nf3 35. Nfh5 Rhd8! 36. Bd3 Rxd3 0-1 [Shabazz D.]

Game(s) in PGN