1.e4 c5 2.c3 The 2 c3 Sicilian, although somewhat of a drawish opening, is particularly good for White to use when Black must win. White gets a super-solid position with a slight advantage in many of the lines, and over-aggressive attempts by Black to wrest the initiative can be very risky. 2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3

A bit of move-order finessing. 4 d4 cxd4 5 cxd4 (or 5 Qxd4) has been superseded by 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nf3, but Benjamin delays d2-d4 altogether. 4...Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 d5 Black should consider 6 ... c4, cutting off the advance of White's d-pawn at the pass. Then 7 Bc2 d6 8 exd6 Qxd6 9 Na3 Bg4, for example, is very interesting. 7.exd6 Qxd6 8.0-0 Be6 A common maneuver in this variation. Had White played d2-d4 earlier, even as late as on move 8, a more common position would have been reached, e.g., 8 d4 (instead of 8 O-O) cxd4 9 O-O Be6 (still considered the best defense; 9 … dxc3 10 Nxc3 is a gambit giving White a dangerous initiative) after which 10 Na3 is considered unclear, and 10 Bxe6 is the main line.

9.Na3 The point of Benjamin’s move order becomes clear – he gets in the Nb1-a3 maneuver without offering the gambit referred to in the last note. Bxb3 10.Qxb3 Qd5 Black would be more passively placed on 10 ... e6 11 d4 cxd4 12 Nb5 Qd7 as the queen would be responsible for covering c7. 11.d4 cxd4 12.Nb5 Rc8 13.Nfxd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 e6 15.Rd1 Bc5?!

Unnecessary. Black had equality with 15 ... Be7, as White does not get anywhere with 16 Nb5?! Qxb3 17 axb3 a6 18 Nd6+? Bxd6 19 Rxd6 Nd5 menacing … Ke8-e7. 16.Qb5+ Ke7 White is also more comfortable on 16 ... Qd7 17 a4. 17.Qe2 Rhd8 18.Be3 Qe5 19.Qg4 h5 20.Qh4+ f6 21.Nf3 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 Qf5 23.Bxc5+ Rxc5 24.Qg3 Kf7 25.Qb8

An exploratory mission which ends up winning a pawn. 25...Qc2 26.Qxb7+ Kg8 27.Re1 Qxb2 28.Qxa7 Rxc3 29.Qe7 e5 30.Qe8+ Kh7 31.Qxh5+ Kg8 32.Qe8+ Kh7 33.Qe6 Rc1 34.h3 Rxe1+ 35.Nxe1 Qb1 36.Kh2 Na4 37.Nf3 Nc3 38.a3 Qb2 39.Qf5+ Kg8 40.Qc8+ Kh7 41.Qf5+ Kg8 42.Nh4

Giving back the pawn to start an attack on the Black king. 42...Qxa3 43.Qe6+ Kh7 44.Qf7 Qc1 45.Qg6+ Kg8 46.Qe8+ Kh7 47.Qg6+ Kg8 48.Qe8+ Kh7 49.Ng6 Kh6 50.g4 Qg5 51.Ne7 Qf4+ 52.Kg1 Ne2+ 53.Kf1 Ng3+ 54.Kg2 Kh7 55.Qg8+ Kh6 56.Qh8+ Kg5 57.Qxg7+ Kh4 58.Ng6+