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(875545) Kudrin,S (2515) - DeFirmian,N (2575) [B80]
US Championship (Gp. 2) Chandler (3), 25.08.1997
[Rohde]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Going back many years, Kudrin and deFirmian have played brutal Sicilians in the U.S. Championship, with Najdorfs when deFirmian was Black, and Dragons when Kudrin was Black. Here Kudrin finds a way to sidestep the Najdorf. 2...Nc6 3.Nge2 e6 Heading for the Taimanov. 3 ... e5 is the only way to stop the reversion back to an Open Sicilian. 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 d6 This hybrid Taimanov / Scheveningen invites White to play either the Sozin / Velimirovic with Bc1-e3 and Bf1-c4, or the Keres Attack imitation 6 g4. Kudrin selects another path. 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 Be7 9.f4 Bd7 10.Kb1 b5 11.Bd3 0-0 12.h3 Nxd4 Although this exchange brings White's bishop to a dangerous post on d4, there is no other way to free Black's game. Most importantly, the f6 knight needs d7 as a retreat square. 13.Bxd4 Bc6 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Nd7 16.Ne4 Rc8 17.Qe3 Bxe4 18.Qxe4 g6 19.h4 Nc5 The start of a quick centralization which nips White's attack before it gets too serious. 20.Bxc5 Rxc5 21.h5 Qd5 22.Rde1 Qxe4 23.Rxe4 Rd8 24.b4 Rcd5 25.a3 Bf8 26.hxg6 hxg6 1/2-1/2
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