March '00 Update
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This month we concentrate on the 5...Ba5 variation of the Winawer, which was used three times by Khalifman at the Linares Super Tournament. That makes it a more popular choice than 5...Bxc3+ among the World's elite! The analysis demonstrates that it is a fully viable system for Black. |
Winawer
In Kasparov - Khalifman
Kasparov plays an interesting opening novelty, but the black position
proves too tough to crack.
Leko meanwhile chooses a topical variation in Leko - Khalifman and manages to set Black some serious problems. However, Khalifman slips out into an endgame that proves to be drawn.
Finally, Anand proves victorious in a really hard fight. It is possible that the sacrifical continuation chosen by Khalifman was too ambitious, but the last word has yet to be said [or written!] on this exciting line. Have a look at Anand - Khalifman and see what you think. Remember that Anand is rated number two or three in the world. Your opponents won't defend White's position as brilliantly as he does!
Tarrasch
I've had the chance to play the 3...Be7 variation a couple more times myself, and feel confident that it offers Black as good chances as 3...c5 or 3...Nf6. In fact it is a strange hybrid of the two ideas. Have a look at Yemelin - McDonald in which I did my best to lose in the middlegame after achieving a pleasant advantage from the opening. Maybe my next website should be on 'Combinations in the middlegame'. In any case, 3...Be7! is still looking fine.
Next we look at the 'long variation' in the 3...c5 4 exd5 Qxd5 Tarrasch. A recent game confirms the opinion that, despite some high profile and drastic defeats with this line, Black is OK! In fact both sides have to cross a minefield of tactics, and White's king seems in as much danger as Black's. Click on Barua - Harikrishna for a hair raising fight.
Finally in the Tarrasch 3...Nf6/ 5 Bd3 mainline, we examine an attempt by Black to thwart White's standard plan of exchanging dark squared bishops with Bf4. Or rather, we see a beautiful positional display by White when Black changes his mind and lets his dark squares be weakened after all! Players of this line as Black can take solace in the improvements suggested. The rest of us can just enjoy a fine and instructive game in Rozentalis - Rodriguez.
The Advance
The theme this month is Black's attack on White's centre after 6 Be2 f6. This is one of Black's most aggressive options, but it is also rather risky. On the other hand taking chances is often the way to win games against solid opponents who play the Advance in the hope of a quiet positional game. The chances are that after 6...f6 they will either
[a] play 7 exf6 just to get rid of the problem of the e pawn being attacked, which loses any opening advantage,
or [b] start panicking when their e5 pawn starts to prove indefensible. Of course, they won't know anything about games by Sveshnikov or Ivanchuk.....
First up is Lyell - Lehtivaara which features the critical main line in which White gambits his e pawn. The theory here really is crucial-Black gets his move order wrong and is suddenly in big trouble. The game also contains a most outrageous swindle.
In Peng - Reefat, a slightly more placid continuation for White yields him a big advantage when Black launches a wild counterattack.
Lastly, we see some pretty attacking play against a dubious opening experiment in Rayner - Williams.
The Classical
Just one game here, but it features what I believe is Black's most reliable sideline against 4 e5. White has never found a convincing answer to Black's plan of an immediate expansion with his pawns on the queenside. See if Muth - Vrana convinces you as well of its worth.