Jan 2000 Update
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There are many exciting new ideas to report this month. There seems to have been a surge of popularity in the French at the highest level, judging from the number of times it was seen in the elite Wijk aan Zee tournament. Korchnoi, Timman, Short and Morozevich all ventured to play our opening as Black. |
Tarrasch
The variation with 3...Be7 is still enjoying huge popularity. I have even given it a go myself- have a look at Zagrebelny - McDonald. I have also discussed the variation with my chess pupil, 13 year old Thomas Rendle, who has scored 2/2 against players rated more than 100 Elo points above him, including a 15 move win- see Kwiatkowski - Rendle.
In this month's update you will find all the latest and top class games, including games by Short and Morozevich and a lot of independent analysis and ideas. You can find these games by clicking on Adams - Morozevich. Korchnoi - Short and Almasi - Timman.
Meanwhile, in the 3...Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 f4 Tarrasch, a recent game McShane - Bischoff featured a way for Black to avoid all the sharp tactical variations. I'm sure this appeals to many of us above a certain age! I would suggest you approach this game by going to the Tarrasch 3...Nf6 page and first reading the section entitled 'a bomb proof shelter'. Though to be honest in the game selected Black's shelter proved as flimsy as cardboard after he made a serious positional oversight.
The Advance
In the gambit line 3 e5 c5 4 Qg4 Black came up with what seems to me an outright refutation in Jimenez-Shabalov. Could this old eccentric variation really have died?
The theoretical struggle in the mainline 6 a3 variation continues in Rytshagov - Pedersen. This is the cutting edge of the Advance Variation.
The Classical
First of all, I'm disappointed to learn from Stefanova - Hamdouchi that the 'modern' handling of the McCutcheon allows White to force a draw if he wishes it.
Secondly, I see that Morozevich is still crushing top class opposition with his pet line in the Classical with 7..a6. Have a look at Polgar - Morozevich in which Judith Polgar bites the dust.
Thirdly, in Anand - Korchnoi. the veteran Grandmaster suffers a drastic defeat in the 4 Bg5 dxe4 5 Nxe4 Nbd7 variation. Everyone likes to see a miniature game, but on the other hand a bad blunder from Black deprived us of what would have been a very interesting middlegame. Therefore the verdict on this line remains open.
King's Indian Attack
This variation is still looking great for White. Just like the Tarrasch 3...Be7 for Black, it is an example of a rather neglected line suddenly seizing the imagination of a whole group of top class players.
In Leko - Timman. Timman ventures into the modern mainline of the K.I.A. against Leko, and like so many Grandmasters before him soon finds himself in serious trouble.
Meanwhile, Korchnoi defends in avantgarde fashion in Timman - Korchnoi. This is one of the most successful methods I have seen of Black countering White's pressure in this line. However, it needed an inaccuracy from White to make it all possible.
Finally, in McDonald - Bigg I tried 2 d3 myself and went for an accelerated version of the kingside attack with an early h4 and Bh3 rather than Bg2. I'll leave you to decide whether or not it's all nonsense!