| 5...a6
is the move order most typical of
the Taimanov, but this allows White
to play the fairly strong line 6.Nxc6
(a move that makes ... a7-a6 pointless)
bxc6 7.Bd3 and White will castle and
get quick kingside pressure; 5...Nf6
commits Black, after 6.Ndb5, to the
Four Knights Sicilian after 6 ...
Bb4, or the Sveshnikov Sicilian after
6...d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 6.g3
6.Be3 is popular here; then after
6 ... a6 (which has to be played sometime),
White has an important choice - 7.Bd3,
7.f4 or 7 Be2 6...a6
6...Nf6? 7.Ndb5 is a mess that Tal
once fell into against Fischer! The
problem for Black is that after 7
... Qb8 (to keep an eye on the sensitive
d6 square), White has the immediate
8 Bf4. 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.0-0 Bc5
An unusual move. The main line is
8...d6, and then after 9.Re1, 9 ...
Rb8! is a new move by Portisch, and
an improvement on 9...Be7 10.Nxc6
bxc6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Rxe5 with the better
game for White, or the cramped 9...Bd7
10.a4; the idea is, after 9 ... Rb8,
10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Rxe5, Black
plays 12 ... Bd6. A move I have toyed
around with is 8...h6?! - a kind of
waiting move - 9.Re1 (another line
is 9.Nb3 d6 10.f4 and White looks
to play g3-g4-g5) 9...Nxd4 10.Qxd4
(but 10.e5! is strong, and Black must
defend with 10 ... Nb5!) 10...Bc5
11.Bf4 d6, and the point is that Black
can afford to play a later ... e6-e5
because White will not have Bf4-g5
to soften up the d5 square.
9.Nb3 This appears to be
better than 9.Be3 d6 and the opposition
on the diagonal only paralyzes White's
pieces. 9...Ba7 10.Qe2 Ne5
Burnett takes brilliant advantage
of this move. Black should just have
played 10 ... d6. 11.Kh1 d6
12.f4 Nc4 13.e5!!
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