If you commit an indiscretion or a series of indiscretions, as Governor Spitzer knows all too well, your reputation can be destroyed overnight. Opening variations enjoy reputations that can dissolve just as rapidly. Some are played for decades and then, suddenly, some brilliant investigator discovers something untoward about them, which brings them crashing down. This is precisely what has just happened to a key variation of the Sicilian Defense. In the first round of the recently concluded intercontinental tournament held in Mexico and Spain, Viswanathan Anand, playing black, unmasked a vulnerability in the Polugaevsky variation that, ever since 1973, in Spassky-Tukmakov, was considered favorable for white Goodbye, Polugaevsky variation, at least for now. Goodbye, Eliot Spitzer, for good.

SHIROV VS. ANAND (White) (Black) Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Qb6!? 12. Nb3!? Black’s eleventh move — the brainchild of Lev Polugaevsky — was considered dubious for many years. Efim Geller made the first attempt to refute it in 1973 in the game in which it was introduced. He played 12. Nxe6?! fxe6 13. Qh3 but after 13…e5 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 0-0-0 16. Bf5 Kc7 17. Re3 b4! Polugaevsky parried the attack and won. The next attempt at a refutation was by Maya Chiburdanidze, playing 12. Nd5!? against Lev Dvoiris in 1980. But Boris Gelfand rendered this move harmless when facing Alexander Shabalov in 2004: 12…Qxd4! (Dvoiris lost after 12…exd5 13. Nc6!! Bxc6 14. exd5+ Be7 15. dxc6 Nc5 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Bf5) 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Bxb5 Qc5 15.b4 Qxb5 16. Nc7+ Ke7! 17. Nxb5 axb5 18. Qh5 Rxa2 19. Qxb5 Bh6!! and black won. 12. Nb3 — played in the current game, is the only move that has been considered advantageous to white. 12… Rc8! A significant novelty. The good reputation of 12. Nb3 has been based on Spassky-Tukmakov, 1973, in which white won beautifully after 12…b4?! 13. Na4! Qc7 14. Nd4 Be7 15. Qh3 Nc5 16. Nxc5 dxc5 17. Nxe6! fxe6 18. Bc4! 13. Qh3

(See Diagram)

In case of 13. Kb1 black could postpone the exchange sacrifice for one move by playing 13…Be7. 13… Rxc3! 14. bxc3 Qc7 By sacrificing the exchange, black has obtained a solid position in the center and permanent opportunities to harass white on the queenside. Will anyone want to defend the white side of this position ever again? 15. Kb1 The attempt to bring the g5 bishop back for defensive purposes via 15.f5 e5 16. Bd2 Nb6 would leave the initiative in the hands of black after the maneuvers of the knight on a4 and a d6-d5 break at the appropriate moment. Deserving of attention was 15. Bxf6!? Nxf6 16. Kb1. 15… Be7 16.e5?! White tries to fight for the initiative, but he doesn’t have the resources to obtain it. It would have been better to try to organize a defense via 16. Qg3 e5 17.f5 Nb6. 16… dxe5 17.f5 Nd5! White’s idea would be realized in the case of 17…exf5? 18. Bxf5 Nb6 19. Qg3 with white pressure in the center. 18. Bxe7

In case of 18. Bd2 exf5 19. Bxf5 N7b6, black’s position would be much better. 18… Kxe7 19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Qg3 g6 21. Rd2 Rc8 22. Qg5+?!

Preferable was 22. Qh4+! attacking as well h7 pawn. After 22…

22…N7f6 23. Rf1 e4 24. Bxb5 axb5

25. Rxd5 Bxd5 26. Qxf6+ Kd6! black is better, but the struggle continues. 22… Ke8 23. Qg4 Nxc3+ 24. Ka1 Bd5 25. Re3?! More stubborn was 25. Qh3 Na4

26. Bf1 e4. 25… Nf6

Even more resolute was 25…e4!

26. Bxe4 Nxe4 27. Rxe4 Ne5! 28. Qf4

Qc3+ 29. Kb1 Nc4 and white is defenseless. 26. Qh4 Qe7 27. Bf1

This loses on the spot. Of no help was 27. Rf2 Nd1 And 27. Qh3 Qb4 only prolongs the struggle. 27… Bxb3! 28. cxb3 Nce4 29. Rb2

No better 29. Rd1 Qa3. 29… Rc1+ 30. Rb1 Qc5 0-1