Short-Nataf

France v England
Olympiad, Istanbul 2000

Notes by John Emms

1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3
The Closed Sicilian has been making a bit of a comeback in recent years, with its exponents including Nigel Short and Michael Adams.
3...g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 d3 Rb8 6 f4 d6 7 Nf3 e5?!
After the game Nigel pointed out thatin this system....Rb8 and....e5 do not mix very well, "a bit like coca-cola and champagne."
8 0-0 Nge7 9 f5!
The extravagance of....Rb8 allows White the time to initiate a swift kingside offensive in this thematic manner.
9...gxf5 10 Nh4 Nd4
Black can attempt to hang on to the pawn with 10...fxe4 but following 11 Qh5 White's attack is extremely dangerous, for example 11...Be6 12 Nxe4 h6 13 Bh3! Bxh3 14 Rxf7 and Black is in some trouble.
11 exf5 f6
11...Nexf5? loses to 12 Qh5.
12 Nd5 Nxd5 13 Bxd5
White's opening has been a complete success. The bishop sits proudly in the d5-outpost, preventing Black from castling kingside. With the black king stranded in the middle of the board, White can look to open up the position to his advantage.
13...Qe7 14 a4 Bd7 15 c3 Nc6 16 Be3 Nd8 17 d4 Nf7 18 dxc5 dxc5 19 Qb3 b6 20 Rad1 Rd8 21 Rd2 Kf8 22 a5
Over the last few move Short has gradually increased the pressure and Black now feels obliged to offload a pawn.
22...Bh6 23 Bxh6+ Nxh6 24 axb6 axb6 25 Qxb6 Kg7 26 Qa7 Kf8 27 Be4?!
After the game Nigel commented that 27 Be6! would have been more crushing, for example 27...Be8 28 Qxe7+ Kxe7 29 Rxd8 Kxd8 30 Ra1 and White remains a pawn up with a devastating position. After the game continuation Black is able to put up some resistence, although the fianl result is never really in any doubt.
27...Nf7 28 Rfd1 Be8 29 Qxe7+ Kxe7 30 Rxd8 Nxd8 31 Ng2 Ba4 32 Rd2 Nf7 33 Ne3 Nd6 34 Nd5+ Kf7 35 Nxf6 Nc4 36 Bd5+ Kxf6 37 Bxc4 Kxf5 38 Kf2 h5 39 b3 Bc6 40 Rd6 Bh1 41 h3 Rf8 42 Ke3 Kg5 43 h4+ Kg4 44 Rg6+ Kh3 45 Be2 Rb8 46 Bd1 Bd5 47 c4 Bf7 48 Rg5 Rb4 49 Ke4 Be6 50 Rxh5 Kxg3 51 Kxe5 Bxc4 52 Rg5+ Kh3 53 bxc4 Rxc4 54 h5 Kh4 55 Rg1 1-0