Move

   This game involves an interesting exploration of a controversial line of the Dragon variation starting with the move 10...Qa5. Robinson punished Porter for making an old mistake going back to 1968 and executed the win effeciently. Nonetheless it is good to see the mainline Sicilians being debated in Jamaica. Onto the Battle !!!!
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6
   This move signifies an entrance into the labyrinthine world of the Dragon variation. This variation is notoriously complicated and is uncompromising. It has been debated as to whether this is a sound opening. Yet some of the world's top Grandmasters have employed it. It has been in the repertoires of Kiril Georgiev, Sergei Tiviakov, Mikhail Golubev and Chris Ward. Kramnik successfully employed it against Adams in 1998 ( Wijk aan Zee ) and Ilya Smirin (1999), and Kasparov employed the weapon against Anand in the 1995 World Championship Match with success. The opening often involves opposite side castling and simultaneous attacks on both wings. Kasparov once said , in essence that the universal principles of chess cannot be applied to this opening. Veselin Topalov in commenting on his game against Short in the Linares tournament of 1995 said as follows : " Perhaps the Dragon is suspect , but I do not know the refutation. Yet." ( NIC 1995 Vol. 3, Page 28. )
6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3
   To prevent the annoying ...Ng4 and prepare g2-g4.
Nc6 8. Qd2 O-O 9. Bc4
   This is the most aggressive line with a very low margin of error. Memory is just as important as understanding and accuracy through to the twentieth move is called for.
Bd7 10. O-O-O Qa5
   The first critical position. This line is never employed at the highest level. Chris Ward is a devotee of this set up. The ChessBase 8.0 reports that Black scores below average with this line. (42%)
11. Bb3
    The strongest move. Other lines are 11. Kb1 and 11. h4 .
Rfc8 12. Kb1 Ne5 13. h4 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Nb3
   The next critical position for Black : Where should the Queen go ? Porter makes a move which is a mistake dating back to 1968. The alternatives are 1) 15...Qd8 and 2) 15...Qc7.
Qa6?
   This mistake dates back to 1968, Zuckerman versus Van Scheltinga, Wijk aan Zee. The problem with the move is that e4-e5 is now possible as the queen has forsaken the 5th rank. White can exploit an x ray position on the d-file. Maurice handles this phase of the game very well.
16. e5!
   This move is a lovely multi funtional thrust. Aimed at exploiting the vulnerable bishop position on d7 and unseating the crucial knight on f6.
Ne8 17. h5
   The game follows a path similar to Alexandria versus Konopleva , 1968, USSR Women's championships.
Rac8 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Bh6 Bxe5 20. Nd5 Bf6 21. Bg5
   The white plan is based on pressure points h8 and e7. If white can exchange the principal defender - the black square bishop - then he can invade the dark squares.
Bf5
   All of a sudden Porter collapses. 21...Bg7 preserving the dark square bishop was the lesser of two evils.
22. Bxf6 Nxf6 23. Nxe7+ Kf8 24. Nxf5 gxf5 25. Qh6+
   ( A strong alternative was 25. Qg5 leaving room for Rh6 )
Ke7 26. Rhe1+ Ne4 27. fxe4 fxe4 28. Qh4+ Kf8 29. Rxe4 Rxe4 30. Qxe4
   The game i s no longer a contest it remains for Maurice to be accurate in his finishing.
Re8 31. Qd3
   ( Decent, but 31.Qf4 is also strong with the idea of 32.Rf1 and to hit the pressure point d6. )
Qxd3 32. Rxd3 Re1+ 33. Nc1 Ke7 34. c3 f5 35. Rd2 Rg1 36. Kc2 f4 37. Nd3
   Maurice played this game with confidence and sufficient accuracy. He has started out 2002 with a bang. All the best to Maurice. He is a hard worker on and off the board. A player who takes his chess seriously. Congratulations to both players for entering the Dragon debate !!
1-0