2017 3 Tables Chess - February Round 1 Anton Taylor, 1917 - Randas Burns, 2014 Sicilian Hungarian Variation (B27)

2017 3 Tables Chess - February Round 1
Anton Taylor, 1917 - Randas Burns, 2014
Sicilian Hungarian Variation (B27) 

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c3 Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 d5 6. e5 Bg4 

Up until this position we have been playing one of the main lines in the Hungarian Variation.
7. Be2? This is the positionally losing move although it looks innocent enough. Nbd2 and the bishop check are better alternatives and don't lead to nearly as sad a position. 7. ... Bxf3 8. Bxf3 e6 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. O-O O-O 13. Rc1? Another positional blunder. There is no future trying to take the file Qd3 is recommended by komodo but the position already is in black's favor by small degrees. 13. ... Nc6 The longer you let komodo evaluate the worse things get for white. The mistake of Be2 becomes clearer and clearer. 14. Re1?? and now the position is completely lost. 14. ... Qb4 15. Ne2 Rac8

Komodo recommends Qxb2 instead but that's a hard move for a human to make and gives white some counterplay. 16. Rc2 Nxe5 17. Qd2 Nxf3+ 18. gxf3 Qxd2 19. Rxd2 Rc6 20. Rc1 Rfc8 21. Rxc6 Rxc6 22. Kf1 h5 23. f4 Kf8 24. f3 Ke7 25. Kf2 Kf6 26. Ke3 Bh6 27. h4 a6 28. Kd3 Kf5 29. Ke3 Kf6 30. Kd3 Bg7 31. Ke3 Ke7 32. Kf2 Kd6 33. Kg3 Rc4 34. Kf2 Bf6 35. Kg3 Bd8 36. b3 Ba5 37. Rb2 Be1+ 38. Kh3 Rc6 39. Rb1 Bd2 40. Rb2 Bc1 41. Nxc1 Rxc1 42. Rd2 Kc6 43. Kg3 Kb5 44. f5 gxf5 45. Kf4 Kb4 46. Kg5 Kc3 47. Rg2 Kxd4 48. Kxh5 Rc8 49. Rg7 Rh8+ 50. Kg5 f6+ 51. Kxf6 Rxh4 52. Kxe6 f4 53. Rxb7 Rh6+ 54. Kf5 Ke3 55. Kg5 Rd6 56. Kg4 d4 57. Re7+ Kf2 58. Kxf4 d3 59. Rh7 d2 60. Rh2+ 0-1 There is a lot of technical gold here and I give full credit to Randas for keeping level-headed and not simply assuming his victory. However, the real lesson is in how these small opening moves can lead to complete disaster. The seemingly innocent Be2 was the decisive blunder and the whole reason for all of white's difficulties.