Download PGN of May '06 1 e4 e5 games
Vienna
It isn't often that top players choose the Vienna Game, but in Zvjaginsev - Sokolov these two original players produced a very creative game in the opening. Here is the position after 7...Bd4!?:
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Later they neutralized each other and the game ended in a draw.
King's Gambit
In Axelrod A- Mikhalevski (Alexander, not Victor!) I investigate the lines where White counters 2...Bc5 with 7 Na4, when Black has the choice of allowing his bishop to be exchanged on either b6 or c5. In both cases I offer you a reinforcement for White, so I hope King's Gambit players will be happy!
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I think that Mikhalevski's idea (11...d5, above) is interesting, but that with accurate play White can emerge with a slight plus. Nevertheless, his game is a very interesting example of the strength of centralization!
Petroff
In Rublevsky - Shirov, Rublevsky found a very interesting novelty in this very popular line of the Petroff, 12 f3!:
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Shirov was equal to the task and set 'fire to the board'. He managed to create a very complex middlegame where White lost his way. Definitely a game to see!
Ruy Lopez - Classical Berlin
In Knebel - Daus the correspondence player Willi Knebel. found the fantastic rejoinder 16 Rae1!! which completely refutes Leko's concept:
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A very nice idea, typical of the play in correspondence chess.
Exchange Variation
Winants is an expert on e4-e5 and here, in the game Maze - Winants, he found a very nice improvement with 15...Bh5! that will put an end to this particular line of the Spanish Exchange:
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Unfortunately, a later inaccuracy allowed White to save himself from defeat.
Archangel
This line of the Möller attack is still alive:
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In Dominguez - Bruzon we discover what would have happened if Topalov had taken the piece in his game with Anand from Wijk aan Zee 2006. You will also see, even if Bruzon lost here, that it is easy to find an improvement for Black.
Chigorin
I still think that 12 d5! is a strong move against the Kéres variation of the Chigorin:
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Acs - Gschnitzer is another example where White easily crushed his opponent with this line.
Alekseev - Kazhgaleyev features the 13...Rd8 line in the Chigorin, which is becoming more and more popular. In this game Black played 17...d5 and got a very good position:
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Here I propose a very strong improvement for White on move 20 that makes me think that the whole variation is, in fact, much better for White. Have a look and judge for yourself!
In the previous game White played 17 Nf1! and you now know that this is strong for White. In this game Gashimov played 17 a3 instead:
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and soon obtained a fantastic attack, which he failed to win by simple means and then his play became weak. Tseitlin fought very hard and for unknown reasons resigned in a theoretically drawn position, see Gashimov-M.Tseitlin. A strange game!
This the end of the May update. I hoped you enjoyed it!
Olivier Renet
Please post your Kingpawn Opening queries on the 1 e4 e5 Forum, or subscribers can write to me at Olivier@chesspublishing.com if you have any questions.