The Latest Theory - March '04
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I hope you enjoy them! TonyK |
Hi everyone,To download the March '04 Flank Openings games directly in PGN form click here: 
English Opening
1...e5
[A24]: You may remember that I received an email from Andy Lewis a couple of months ago, asking how best to handle the KID set-up. By chance Misha Gurevich played an interesting game in February where, in the following standard position:
            
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he played the surprising 8 e4!?, losing a tempo on a standard Botvinnik System. Even more surprising was the fact that he then played for d4, which leaves him effectively two tempi down on a Fianchetto King's Indian! However, this is not as senseless as it seems: Black had to do something with these two extra moves, and in both Gurevich,M - Lanzani,M, and the Gurevich - Grischuk game in the notes Black wasted two moves with one of his own knights (although not the same knight!) and White had a superior position.
1...c5
There were several interesting Hedgehogs this month, and despite the fact that White is playing increasingly aggressive systems, the solid black position seems to hold up well. That said, Black must always be extremely careful, as the slightest inaccuracy can lead to a quick disaster!
[A30]: Strong up-and-coming young German star (and ChessPublishing.com subscriber!) Jan Gustafsson is rapidly becoming one of the top English Opening experts, and this month I have analysed two of his latest efforts.
In the first, Gustafsson,J - Babula,V, a double fianchetto line, the following position was reached:
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and here Black captured on h6, a novelty. However, I doubt that this move will find many followers as with a series of brutal thrusts Jan gained a winning attack, but then decided to take a perpetual check! Perhaps he was in time trouble, or wanted to nip outside for a smoke!
Anyway, I will be seeing Jan in a couple of days' time in the final phase of the Austrian league, so perhaps I will ask him!
[A30]: Another Hedgehog from Jan, but this time with the black bishop on e7. White plays a slightly unusual but belligerent line in Gustafsson,J - Prusikin,M and Black was mown-down in double-quick time.
[A30]: Sargissian,G - Pantsulaia,L reaches the standard branching point for the 7 Re1 line:
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but this time Black chose to move his queen's rook (we had only previously considered 3 different moves with the other rook).
Later, White plays a novel exchange sac to reach a sharp and unclear ending. A wild game replete with tactics!
[A32]: The following position is very popular:
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indeed, I have had it myself as Black a few times recently and played 5...Bb4+. However, in Greenfeld,A - Ward,C, Dragon king Chris preferred the unusual 5...Qb6!?, and White correctly countered with a pawn sacrifice.
1...Nf6 & others
The Dutch takes a bit of a hammering this month - I can't help thinking that this is less effective against Flank Openings, myself, although perhaps I am biased!
[A10]: Whilst winning the Clermont-Ferrand Open I managed to dispatch my two main rivals on the same day! The first of these, played in the morning, was Kosten,A - Popchev,M, where I simply played my standard 'Anti Stonewall Dutch' set-up and won without breaking into a sweat.
[A16]: In this anti-Grünfeld position:
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Black tried 9...a6!?, instead of the 9...Nbd7 we had considered up till now, in Bu Xiangzhi - Neverov,V - a game which features non-stop excitement!
Réti
[A04]: Another Dutch disaster! In this position:
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White played 2 d3!? followed by e4, reaching a Latvian Gambit style position. I don't think Dolmatov can have lost too many games as quickly as this, especially against a young boy! See the brevity Carlsen,M - Dolmatov,S.
e-mails
Please feel free to share any of your thoughts with me, whatever they are, suggestions, criticisms (just the polite ones, please), etc. Drop me a line at the Flank Openings Forum, or subscribers can write directly to tonykosten@chesspublishing.com
Till next month, Tony K