Frisco Del Rosario (2022) – Mike Splane  8/25/2008   Campbell Chess Club

 

Some games you learn a lot from.

 

A few months ago I compiled a list of my results as Black in various openings. I discovered that my highest winning percentage was with the Sicilian. The numbers were telling me one thing, but somehow this didn’t feel right to me.  It seemed like I had a lot of bad games I’d manage to win, and a few other games where I would get crushed. I wasn’t having great results with anything else, so I resolved to trust the numbers and start playing the Sicilian as my main defense to 1. e4.  

 

During this game I had an epiphany. I asked myself, why in the world am I playing this? I’m giving an aggressive, attacking-style player the optimum type of position for his skill-set. And I’m playing a passive, defensive position that doesn’t suit my style at all. I don’t really understand all the middlegame complexities.

 

Yet my overall results have been quite good with this defense. What the heck is going on? Why am I being successful?

 

So last night I looked at my results with the Sicilian. I discovered something remarkable. I’ve won almost 100% of the time when my opponent was rated under 1900, and never when my opponent was rated over that. So I shouldn’t be playing the Sicilian against strong players. And against weaker players I was probably winning because their skill sets are relatively poor. The Sicilian truly doesn’t suit me.

 

So, as a result of this game, I’ve decided I need to give up the Sicilian.

 

Thanks for the lesson, Frisco.  As Arnold said, “I’ll be back.”

 

1. e4 e6       2. d4 c5       3. Nf3 cd        4. Nd4 Nf6        5. Nc3 d6         6. Be2 Be7        7. 0-0 Nc6        8. Be3 0-0        9. f4 Bd7        10. Qe1 Nd4       11. Be4 e5 ??

 

I don’t have my transcript in front of me, so the move order may be a bit off, but we reached this position. I intended to play 11. … Bc6 and follow up with 12. …e5 after he played 12. Bd3 or 12. Bf3. I accidentally played the second move first.

 

There are a few problems with 11. … e5.

  • It opens the f file for White’s rook.
  • It opens the d4 g7 diagonal for White Bishop.
  • It makes the d5 square available for White’s knight
  • And it loses material.

 

12. fe de       13. Be5 Qb6+       14. Kh8 Qb2      15. Qg3 Ne8      16. Nd5 Qa3      17. Rf3 Qc5      18. Rc3 f6

 

I’m just being stubborn. I should have resigned several moves ago. Frisco plays calmly, showing good technique and keeping my pieces bottled up. The number one rule when you are winning is to suppress counterplay.

 

19. Rc5 Bc5        20. Bf4 Bc6        21. Rd1 f5         22. Bc4 Kh8        23. e5 b5        24. Bb3 a5       25. Qc3

 

Yup. That’ll do it.   

 

Black resigns   1-0