1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6 A good line which should be more popular. Giving up only a half-tempo (the Black queen will have to retreat to c7, but the White knight will have been driven from d4 to be), Black gets a solid Sicilian formation without too much theory to worry about. 5.Nb3 Nf6 6.Bd3 e6 7.0-0 d6 8.c4 Be7 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 Qc7 11.f3 b6 Adopting the flexible Hedgehog formation. 12.Qd2 Ne5 13.Rac1 [13.Rfc1!? Bb7 14.a4 is a radical attempt to utilize the otherwise ineffectual knight on b3, and create queenside play immediately.] 13...Bb7 14.Rfd1 Rac8 15.Nd4 Qb8 16.b3 a6 17.Bf1 Bd8 18.Qf2 The position is even. Often players of the Black pieces will try to make a central break too soon, but if Black waits, White must also wait. 18...Bc7 19.Bg5?! [19.Kh1 was indicated, getting the king off the g1-a7 diagonal in the event of Black exploding with ... b6-b5, and also making sure that h2 is never captured with check.] 19...Ned7 20.Qh4 Bd8 [20...d5 is too early because of  21.exd5 exd5 22.Nf5] 21.Qe1 Re8 Conditions appear to be very good for Black to play either ... d6-d5 or the pawn sacrifice ... b6-b5 very soon. 22.Bd3 h6?! [22...d5! 23.cxd5 exd5 24.Nf5 Nc5 looks great for Black.] 23.Bh4 Bc7 [23...d5 no longer works -  24.Bg3 Bc7 25.Bxc7 Rxc7 (25...Qxc7 26.cxd5) 26.e5] 24.f4 Now Lopez is prepared to meet ... d6-d5 with e4-e5, so the action shifts to other breaks such as ... b6-b5 or ... e6-e5. 24...Qa8 [24...e5? 25.fxe5 dxe5 26.Nf5] 25.Rc2 [25.Kh1 seems safest.] 25...b5 26.cxb5 Bb6 27.Bf2 Rxc3 Unnecessary. [27...Ng4! 28.Na4 Nxf2 29.Qxf2 (29.Nxb6? Nxd3) 29...Rxc2 30.Bxc2 Ba7 and White's position is very troubling.] 28.Qxc3 Ng4 29.bxa6 Bxe4 [29...Bxa6 30.Bxa6 Qxa6 31.Qc6 and it is difficult for Black to recoup enough stuff.] 30.Bxe4 Qxe4 31.Qc6 Now this is crushing. 31...Qxc6 32.Nxc6 Nc5 33.Rxd6 Kf8 34.Nd4 Ba7 35.Nb5 Ne4 36.Nxa7 Nxd6 37.Nc6 Rc8 38.a7