The Latest Developments - May 2003
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Hi everyone! Welcome to the May Flank Openings update, which I worked on after writing (and 'performing'!) a video for Bad Bishop giving Black a sharp repertoire in the Nimzo-Indian - it should be out soon if you fancy seeing me in person! TonyK |
This month I have also answered a couple of emails from Dan Heisman on my E-mailbag.
To download the May '03 Flank Openings games directly in PGN form click here: 
English Opening
1...e5
[A20]: In the Keres System, when play reaches the following position:
            
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what happens when Black now captures on c4? In Turner,M - Yastrebov,A White elected to recapture the pawn, but swapping on d8 is also interesting, see the notes.
[A29]: In the game Marin,M - Karpov,A the former Champ played his favourite system with ...Bc5 in the Four Knights, but then White countered with a sharp exchange sacrifice to weaken Black's kingside defences, unfortunately missing two crucial opportunities to gain the advantage.
You don't get any more chances against Anatoly!
1...c5
[A30]: I have been a bit lax about covering the Fianchetto Hedgehog:
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So this month there is a double helping!
First, in Anand,V - Gomez Esteban,J the Indian genius plays the mainline with 7 d4 and Black falls into an instructive trap, after which there was no turning back.
And in Berkes,F - Almasi,Z White prefers 7 d3 but Black's fantastic opening play leaves him well on top, only to ruin everything with a blunder in time-trouble.
1...Nf6 & others
[A17]: I must admit to having a liking for 4 g4 in the Nimzo-English, but the old mainline with 4 Qc2 is still very much alive.
The game Malakhov,V - Nikolenko,O is in many ways an 'ideal' Flank game: White allows Black the centre and simply manoeuvers his pieces into strong squares and threatens from afar, before countering in the centre, when the game explodes into sharp tactics, and White wins!
Réti
[A09]: In the reversed Schmid Benoni it makes sense to delay d3 for various tactical possibilities, for example White can play 6 b4!?:
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However, this seems to favour Black, see Matamoros Franco,C - Vallejo Pons,F.
[A11]: Craig Hall wrote: «I love your Flank Openings, your annotations are superior to the other forums to which I subscribe!» (So far I like it!) «Because of your column, I have recently begun playing the Gurevich system 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Qc2
Could we see some games where Black plays 3...Bg4 or 3.Bf5 ? Also, a game where Black employs a kingside fianchetto?»
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Thanks for doing such a great job»
The first question is a very good one, as recently I played Gurevich's system, and my opponent did, indeed, play ...g6, so I have had a look at some games from the 'Guru', to see how White should handle this.
And I have also looked at the other 3rd moves in the notes, with the interesting conclusion that one of them is almost unsound!
So, have a peek at Gurevich,M - Dreev,A, but as this is such a big game, with lots of analysis, it might be an idea (to see everything easily) to use the PGN file in ChessBase.
Concerning the Anti-KID line, I have decided not to look at it this month because I have already covered it quite extensively, see the [A15] chapter in the English 1...Nf6 & others eBook.
Thanks for all the compliments!
[A13]: In Jurkovic,H - Pandurevic,M White plays e3 instead of g3 and wins with a sharp mating attack, but, of course, Black could have improved!
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 directly to tonykosten@chesspublishing.com
Till next month, Tony K