What's New- April '01
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Hi and welcome to the April Update. We have a lot to get through this month. To start with, as requested I have compiled a short theoretical on the Bayonet Variation. There is the usual selection of current annotated games. Then comes a couple of recent queries, dealt with in the Emailbag. Thanks for tuning in! Andrew Martin |
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BAYONET ATTACK CLASSICAL MAIN LINE 9 b4
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Clearly the most direct way of commencing a Queenside assault, 9 b4 has been around for a long time. It's a very attractive move. No time is wasted as White prepares a quick c4-c5 and the Knight on f3 stays where it is, giving White the possible option of Ng5-e6.
Black also has something to bite on. For an instant the Knight on c3 is unprotected and White's Queenside pawns are rather loose. Thus 9...a5!
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comes into consideration as well as the manouvre 9...Nh5!
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intending ...Nf4, when capturing Black's Knight would leave White loose along the a1-h8 diagonal.
At the outset I would like to make the point that other moves are risky for Black. Perhaps the best of the alternatives is 9...c6!?
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a Gufeld original -- flexible, latterly espoused by Murey and Luke McShane.
Mark Hebden likes 9...Kh8!?
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intending the convoluted ...Neg8, ...Ne8 and ...f7-f5 but his results are nothing special. Finally we have the traditional Knight retreats 9...Ne8
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and 9...Nd7
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intending a quick ...f7-f5. It is here that White's scheme really comes into its own. Black cannot really challenge White to a Queenside vs Kingside race- he is way behind. A typical example would be Liebert-Postler E Germany 1971 eg 9 b4 Nd7 10 c5! dxc5 11 bxc5 Nxc5 12 Ba3!
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( with tremendous attacking compensation ) 12...b6 13 Rc1 f5 14 Bxc5 bxc5 15 Qb3 Kh8 16 Rfd1 fxe4 17 Nxe4 Nf5 18 Nxc5 Nd4 19 Nxd4 exd4 20 Bf3 Bf5 21 Qc4 Qg5 22 d6! ( Very strong ) 22...Rac8 23 Bb7 +- cxd6 24 Bxc8 Rxc8 25 Ne4 Rxc4 26 Nxg5 Bc2 27 Nf7+ Kg8 28 Nxd6 Rc6 29 g3 Bf8 30 Rxe5 1-0 A rout!
The Bayonet Variation is very popular today. White has been scoring heavily and many of the World's best players have been playing 9 b4. It has been difficult for Black to combat the flexible 9 b4 Nh5 10 Re1!
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and there is 10 c5!? and 10 g3 to worry about too. Against 9...a5 both 10 Ba3!
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and 10 bxa5 Rxa5 11 Nd2!
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look good for White. My feeling is that Black should be able to survive but he has to keep up with all the latest games and ideas- there is no hope playing 'naturally'.
Let's take a look at the most recent information and games - I hope that they prove useful to you.
9...Nh5
We now come to the very latest game in what has become a critical battleground of the King's Indian, APR01/01. Strong players have become very attracted to 10 Re1. White prepares Bf1 and maybe g2-g3, when the Knight on h5 looks out of position. The Rook becomes useful after ...f7-f5. In all cases the White King is more stable after this sequence. The onus has been very much on Black to find a solution.
See also: APR01/05.
9...a5
In view of the current record of 9...Nh5 10 Re1!, 9...a5 may be considered Black's most promising try against the Bayonet Variation. Originally thought anti-positional, 9...a5 has been enriched with new ideas. However, APR01/02 demonstrates that the problems are not all solved yet.
APR01/04 From my standpoint 9...a5 looks decidedly anti-positional, attacking White where he has more space and enabling him to open up lines. But modern chess has nothing to do with beauty -if it works, play it!
Other important games: APR01/06, APR01/08 and APR01/09.
Others
APR01/03 Luke McShane has shown a recent liking for this move 9...c6.
Plus: APR01/07.
Main Games
Classical
APR01/10 7...Na6 is an older way of holding up b2-b4 which will be seen to be unsatisfactory. Most modern players prefer either 7...a5! or 7...Nbd7, with some justification.
APR01/14 In this line there are many opportunities for Black and 9...Nh5 is just one of those options. I am unconvinced that ...Nh5-f4xe2 is the best plan frankly.
APR01/16 Hot off the press!
Fianchetto
APR01/11 Black could always play 8...Rb8 if he wants a transposition. It isn't clear after that whether White has anything better than 9 h3.
You are about to see a very efficient win by White. He avoids all complications and makes chess look an easy game. Curic makes a dubious opening choice and is ruthlessly punished: APR01/15.
APR01/20 Hot off the press!
Samisch
APR01/18 Hot off the press!
Bg5 Systems
APR01/13 This is a very picturesque game. As to the correctness.... well, perfection isn't everything.
APR01/17 Hot off the press!
APR01/19 Hot off the press!
Miscellaneous Lines
APR01/12 7...Nh5 here is one of those combative ideas, so typical of the King's Indian. If you have been experiencing problems against the 5 Bd3 variation, take a look at this game.
Knight to the edge will always be controversial but if we focus on the positive points of the move we see that Black attacks, takes the thought of Bg5 out of White's head and prepares ...e5, ...Nf4 and ...f5. Not bad!
I do sincerely hope you are enjoying the ChessPublishing experience. Contact me at amartin@wizard2.demon.co.uk with your thoughts and suggestions.
Yours In Chess,
IM Andrew Martin