Download PGN of December ’25 Open Sicilian games
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Kan 5.Be3!? [B42]
We start with Kadric, D - Doric, D, where in the relatively rare position after 6.Bd3:
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Black prematurely played 6...Nxd4?! which made White's lead in development very significant, and a few other inaccuracies, such as 9...b4?!, allowed Denis to score a nice victory in attacking style.
The Four Knights 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 Bb7 9.Bd3 [B45]
The game Esipenko, A - Yakubboev, N saw White play the relatively rare 9.Bd3!? Most likely, this somewhat confused Nodirbek, as in the critical position after 12.Bf3:
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he came up with the poor novelty 12...Bd5? White's reaction wasn't the most precise, and the endgame that arose after 32.Kd1 should be holdable with adequate care. Alas, the impulsive 32...h5? led to fatal consequences. In general, we should see more practical tests of 9.Bd3!? in the future.
The Four Knights 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 Bb7 9.Be2 [B45]
The game Sokolovsky, Y - Fedoseev, V saw an interesting theoretical discussion in one of the key lines of the Four Knights. In the position after 16.Rf2:
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Black played the new move 16...Qc7 in his attempt to maintain the tension. The approximate balance was kept till 26...Be6? that cost Black an exchange. Luckily for GM Fedoseev, his opponent returned the favor when blundering his rook at the end.
Four Knights 6.Ndb5 Bc5 7.Bf4 0-0 8.Bc7 Qe7 9.Bd6 Bxd6 10.Qxd6 Qd8 [B45]
The game Leko, P - Erigaisi, A saw Peter play the relatively uncommon 13.a4 in another well-know tabia of the Four Knights:
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However, it looks like Arjun was well-prepared for it: 13...b5! followed by 15...Ne8! was played without hesitating. Black obtained reasonable compensation for a pawn, so Peter's decision to call it a day is sensible.
Taimanov 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.Qe2 [B48]
The next game, Zhu, J - Andreikin, D, saw Black deviate from the main paths with the risky innovation 9...Ne7:
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White reacted properly with 10.Bd2! and quickly managed to obtain a powerful attack. Dmitry was on the verge of collapse, but a few of his opponent's mistakes let him parry the threats and even gain the upper hand.
Najdorf 6.h3 e6 7.g4 b5 8.g5 Nfd7 9.a3 Bb7 10.h4 [B90]
The important encounter Sindarov, J - Yakubboev, N saw Nodirbek takes a major risk by playing 11...Na5?!:
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Javokhir reacted well with the energetic 12.f4 and 13.f5! and Black soon found himself in a lost position. The rest was full of mutual mistakes, but eventual a draw should definitely satisfy GM Sindarov, who is the Winner of the World Cup.
Najdorf 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f4 b5 [B90]
The game Firouzja, A - Mishra, A saw both players demonstrate their deep knowledge of the Najdorf. White played the new(for our site) 9.Qf3:
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but it didn't get Abhimanyu confused: Black reacted well with 9...Nc6!, followed by 11...h6! and then went for the most ambitious exchange sacrifice. This was a high-level game played by both, ending in a draw after 33 moves.
Najdorf 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qe2 [B95]
In our last game, Svidler, P - Nepomniatchi, I, the players quickly entered a typical, but unexplored Najdorf position after 8...b5:
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This innovation seems to offer Black acceptable play, but Ian made a big mistake by moving the guard of his kingside - 14...Nd7? This let Peter quickly expand on the kingside and open files. Had Peter found 23.b4! it would be very difficult for Ian to stay in the game, while 23.Rc3?! made it possible for Black to finally involve the king's rook. The really critical moment came at the end, when 30.Bxe5?? let Ian decide the game by a direct attack.
See you next month, Michael
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