Professor Mauro Berni (Genoa, Italy) shared some pages from a booklet entitled Le mie 50 Siciliane by Francesco Scafarelli that combines history and not always happy endings.
Roberto Cosulich – Francesco Scafarelli
8th Italian Team Chess Championship; Recoaro Terme, May 1967
Sicilian Defence B75
8th Italian Team Chess Championship; Recoaro Terme, May 1967
Sicilian Defence B75
Notes by Scafarelli, Le mie 50 Siciliane, Editrice Scacchistica Internazionale, Napoli, 1980, pp. 40-41 and pp. 49-50.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Bd7 7. Be3 g6. Preferable is 7. ... Ng4 8. 0-0 or 8. Nxc6. It is more convenient for Black to submit himself to attack on the f-file by eliminating the e3-Bishop, than to deal with heterogeneous castling.
8. f3! Bg7 9. Qd2. Now White’s position is ideal for attacking on the Kingside.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Bd7 7. Be3 g6. Preferable is 7. ... Ng4 8. 0-0 or 8. Nxc6. It is more convenient for Black to submit himself to attack on the f-file by eliminating the e3-Bishop, than to deal with heterogeneous castling.
8. f3! Bg7 9. Qd2. Now White’s position is ideal for attacking on the Kingside.
9. ... Na5 10. Bb3 Nxb3. Or 10. ... Rc8 11. 0-0-0 Na5 12. h4 b5 13. Kb1 Nc4 14. Qe2 b5 15. Bg5 Nh7 16. Bc1 e5 17. Nf5 gxf5 18. Bxc4 Rxc4 19. Rxd6 Rc6 20. Rd3 Qc8 21. Rhd1 Be6 22. Rd8+ Qxd8 23. Rxd8+ Kxd8 24. Nd5 Kd7 25. Qe3 Bxd5 26. exd5 Rc7 27. Qd3 e4 28. fxe4 Re8 29. Qf3 fxe4 30. Qf5+ Kd8 31. Be3 Nf8 32. d6 Rb7 33. Qd5 Rb8 34. Qxf7 1–0 Pérez – Scafarelli, 2nd Costa del Sol Tournament, Torremolinos 1962.
11. axb3 h5. Preventing g2-g4.
12. h4 a6 13. 0-0-0 Rc8 14. Nd5 Nxd5. Questionable. More interesting is 14. ... Bc6.
15. exd5 0-0. Black cannot abstain himself from castling because of the e-file.
16. g4 Rc5? An oversight in a difficult position after that, as consequence of Black’s castling, the g2-g4 advance regained purpose.
17. Nc6! bxc6. Editor’s note: 17. ... Rxc6! 18. dxc6 Bxc6 seems most acceptable to Black.
18. Bxc5 cxd5. If 18. ... dxc5 19. dxc6!.
19. Be3 d4. Editor’s note: 19. ... hxg4! 20. h5! gxf3 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Qxd5+ Rf7 23. Bh6 Qf8 24. Bxg7 Qxg7 25. Rd2 Bg4 26. Rdh2 Bh5 is the cold-blooded defence recommended by the mighty engines, but Scafarelli may well be excused for having been afraid of it.
20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Qa5 22. Kb1 Rc8 23. Rd3 Qc5. Black is again compelled to simplification.
24. Qxc5 Rxc5 25. Re1 hxg4 26. fxg4 Kf8 27. Rd4 Rc6 28. c4 e5 29. Rxe5? An unnecessary sacrifice.
29. ... dxe5 30. Rxd7 f5! 31. gxf5 gxf5 32. Kc2 Re6 33. c5 f4 34. Rd6! Re7 35. Rxa6 Kg7! 36. Kd2 e4 37. Ra1 Kf6 38. c6 Rc7 39. Rc1 Ke5 40. b4 Kd4 41. b3? (41. b5)
41. ... e3+ 42. Ke2 f3+ 43. Kxf3 Rf7+ 44. Ke2 Rf2+ 45. Ke1 Rg2? (45. ... Rh2!)
46. Rd1+ (46. Kf1!)
46. ... Ke4
11. axb3 h5. Preventing g2-g4.
12. h4 a6 13. 0-0-0 Rc8 14. Nd5 Nxd5. Questionable. More interesting is 14. ... Bc6.
15. exd5 0-0. Black cannot abstain himself from castling because of the e-file.
16. g4 Rc5? An oversight in a difficult position after that, as consequence of Black’s castling, the g2-g4 advance regained purpose.
17. Nc6! bxc6. Editor’s note: 17. ... Rxc6! 18. dxc6 Bxc6 seems most acceptable to Black.
18. Bxc5 cxd5. If 18. ... dxc5 19. dxc6!.
19. Be3 d4. Editor’s note: 19. ... hxg4! 20. h5! gxf3 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Qxd5+ Rf7 23. Bh6 Qf8 24. Bxg7 Qxg7 25. Rd2 Bg4 26. Rdh2 Bh5 is the cold-blooded defence recommended by the mighty engines, but Scafarelli may well be excused for having been afraid of it.
20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Qa5 22. Kb1 Rc8 23. Rd3 Qc5. Black is again compelled to simplification.
24. Qxc5 Rxc5 25. Re1 hxg4 26. fxg4 Kf8 27. Rd4 Rc6 28. c4 e5 29. Rxe5? An unnecessary sacrifice.
29. ... dxe5 30. Rxd7 f5! 31. gxf5 gxf5 32. Kc2 Re6 33. c5 f4 34. Rd6! Re7 35. Rxa6 Kg7! 36. Kd2 e4 37. Ra1 Kf6 38. c6 Rc7 39. Rc1 Ke5 40. b4 Kd4 41. b3? (41. b5)
41. ... e3+ 42. Ke2 f3+ 43. Kxf3 Rf7+ 44. Ke2 Rf2+ 45. Ke1 Rg2? (45. ... Rh2!)
46. Rd1+ (46. Kf1!)
46. ... Ke4
Editor’s note: It goes without saying that the ending is an elementary book win for White after 47. Rd8, but...
47. c7?? Kf3 48. Kf1 e2+ 0–1. Incredible, but possible. This also is part of the charm of the game of chess.
47. c7?? Kf3 48. Kf1 e2+ 0–1. Incredible, but possible. This also is part of the charm of the game of chess.
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