[Ed's note: we'll do a proper welcome soon, but we are very pleased to have John Jurgens blogging for us! This is his first post.]

The Carlsen vs Radjabov game bears a strong resemblance to a French Defence structure Kopec anti-Sicilian System. My friend and colleague Lefu Ntho has been scoring heavily with this system which is unfamiliar and very disconcerting to most Sicilian players. Luckily, help is at hand in the form of IM Danny Kopec’s discussion of the system (which can be found in ChessCube’s Shop).

I ran the recent Carlsen victory through Deep Rybka 3 (64 bit) and here is the analysis.

Carlsen – Radjabov

Pearl Spring

[Rybka 3 (30s)]

B30: Sicilian: 2…Nc6 3 Bb5, lines without …g6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0–0 Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7 8.Qe2 d5 9.e5 d4 10.Be4 Qb6 11.d3 Rd8 12.a4 Nd5 13.axb5 axb5 14.cxd4 cxd4 15.Nbd2 Nf4 16.Qd1 Nb4N

Black threatens to win material: Nb4xd3

[16...Nd5 17.Nb3 Be7 18.Bd2 Ndb4 19.Qe2 0–0 20.Ng5 g6 21.Nxh7 Kxh7 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Bxg6 fxg6 24.Qxg6+ Kh8 25.Qh6+ Kg8 26.Qg6+ Kh8 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Qxe6+ Kh8 29.Qh6+ ½–½ Pahud,C (2185)-Carron,J (2300)/Lausanne 2003/EXT 2004; 16...Ng6!?=]

17.Nb3² Bxe4 18.dxe4

d4 becomes the focus of attention

18…Nfd3

[18...Ng6 19.Nbxd4 Be7 20.Be3²]

19.Bg5 White threatens to win material: Bg5xd8

19…Rc8 20.Nfxd4 [Worse is 20.Nbxd4 Bc5 21.Bd2 Bxd4 (‹21...Nxb2 22.Qb3 N2d3 23.Be3±) 22.Nxd4 Qxd4 (‹22...Nxb2 23.Qb3 N4d3 24.Bc3±) 23.Bxb4 Qxb4 24.Qxd3 0–0=]

20…Nxb2 White has an active position. Black has a new passed pawn: b5

21.Qe2 Exerts pressure on the isolated pawn. White threatens to win material: Qe2xb2

21…Nc4 22.Rfc1 Bc5 [22...Qb8 23.Nxb5! Decoy: b5 23...Qxb5 24.Nd4 Qxe5 25.Rxc4±]

23.Nxb5 White has a strong king attack. [¹23.Nxc5 Qxc5 24.Be3±]

23…0–0?? [¹23...Bxf2+ was a good chance to save the game 24.Qxf2 Qxb5±]

24.Nxc5+- [24.Rxc4?! is clearly weaker 24...Qxb5 25.Kf1 Bb6 26.Rxc8 Qxe2+ 27.Kxe2 Rxc8±]

24…Nxe5 [24...Rxc5 is the last straw 25.Be7 Qxb5 26.Bxc5 Qxc5 27.Qxc4 Qxc4 28.Rxc4 Nd3+-]

25.Be7 1-0

[Updated to correct spelling - 5 October - Ed]