What's New- November '01
|
Welcome to this month's update. I hope your chess experience is proving a pleasant one. |
The Tarrasch 3.Nd2 Nf6/5.Bd3 Mainline.
In the September Update I looked in some detail at a line against John Watson's recommendation 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 Qb6!?. Recently Michael Adams had to meet 7...Qb6 so it was interesting to see what someone rated 2731 would come up with. Unfortunately his opponent played an inferior move and so we were denied any fresh theoretical knowledge. On the other hand, we do get a wonderful lesson in how to exploit the two bishops as an attacking force. Have a look at the highly instructive game Adams-Rojo Gomez, NOV01/01.
The Tarrasch 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3
When I first started doing the French website a couple of years ago the variation with 5...c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Qxf6!? was looking hot for Black. Now however it is under siege from various different directions. The line presented here might be the most unpleasant of all for Black as he has to part with his important dark squared bishop almost by force. Hertneck is a very capable player- rated 2570- and often plays the French with distinction. Therefore it is a bad sign for the variation when he loses in 21 moves. Have a look at Tiviakov-Hertneck, NOV01/09.
The Tarrasch 3...c5 4.exd5 exd5 [or 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.exd5 exd5]
Some time ago I annotated the game Rublevsky-Bareev in what I styled the 'Pawn Snatch' Variation. However, I omitted to point out how Black's play could have been strengthened at a key point in the opening. This line is reconsidered in the next game. The conclusion is that Black is OK. Also included in the notes is an insidious trap in which Ydasin caught Psakhis a couple of years ago. Check out Dritan-Brynell, NOV01/02.
Meanwhile subscriber Jonathan Faydi emailed me an interesting idea for White:
'In your articles in the French you mention an interesting possibility in the Tarrasch : 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.c3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 with IQP positions arising. What about playing against the c5 tarrasch too?
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.c3!? and black has nothing better than giving white an IQP instead of getting himself his usual IQP....'
Exactly! It is a good way to get Black out of his familiar structure. If 4...cxd4 5.cxd4 exd4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Nc3! and White can continue his standard IQP build up. In fact this idea was used regularly in England by GM James Howell and IM Gavin Crawley, both of whom vanished from the chess scene some years ago. So maybe it is time to reintroduce it into tournament play?
Classical 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2
This line popularised by Anand is fast going the way of all new ideas. It has enjoyed a honeymoon period in which White achieved splendid results. Now however the losses are starting to appear as the novelty value wears off and Black begins to find good ways to respond. You may recall the two games given in the August Update that were wins for Black in the variation played by Anand against Shirov.
Assuming that you don't want to get involved in this highly complex mainline, Black can also play solidly as this month's game demonstrates. GM Atalik had clearly studied the game Anand-Bareev given on ChessPub and found an improvement for Black. Have a look at Sax-Atalik, NOV01/08.
The Classical 4.e5.
I have received an interesting email from Ron Langeveld in response to my comments on the games Wedberg-Brynell and Fogarasi-Bricard. Ron demonstrates that I overestimated Black's chances in one variation and underestimated his chances in another one. However, looking through the analysis I believe things are by no means clear in the variation given in the Brynell game. The email follows, but you can play through the analysis along with some of my own comments by clicking on the made up encounter Further Analysis-Further Analysis, NOV01/03. It all seems to be good news for Black! Many thanks to Ron for providing a fine piece of analysis which is of undoubted theoretical importance.
Ron writes:
Dear Neil,
It was a nice surprise to see your response to my email in the September issue. Previously I did not specify why I don't like the main variation from black's point of view. Your September issue certainly inspired me to take up the friendly challenge with this follow up.
From the start, the variation involved is
[ as stated above, you can play through this by clicking on Further Analysis-Further Analysis, NOV01/03]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a6 11.h4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 13.Rh3 b4 14.Na4 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 f6
I still think this line is not really an option for black. Continuing...
16.Qxb4 16.exf6 Qxf6 16...fxe5 17.Qd6 Qf6 18.f5 Qh6+ where you comment:
"Forced, for if 18...Qxf5 19.Rf3 Qg6 20.Rxf8+ Nxf8 21.Nb6 wins material."
True, but if black wants to play for a win then only 18...Re8! is an option. 19.fxe6 Qf4+ 20.Kb1 Qxa4 21.exd7 Bxd7 22.Ra3 Qg4 23.Qxd5+ Be6 gives black better compensation then in the mainline, and if white speculates on restricting black 's play (Bb7) with for example 19.Rb3!? then my instinct tells me black should not be afraid for complications after 19...Qxh4 20.fxe6 Qxa4.
"19.Kb1 Nf6! 20.Nb6 Ne4! 21.Qc7 Rf7! 22.Qc6 (critical indeed) Bb7 (22...Qh5?? 23.Qe8+ Rf8 24.Qxh5 ) 23.Qxe6 Nf2 (Black has to avoid the tempting line 23...Qxe6 24.fxe6 Rxf1 25.Rxf1 Nd2+ 26.Kc1 Nxf1 27.Nxa8 Bxa8 as then White can win with 28.Rf3 threatening the knight and planning 29 e7.; but worth considering is 23...Rd8 ) 24.Qxh6 gxh6 25.Rg3+ Kh8 26.Re1 Re8 and Black seems to have plenty of play for the pawn."
I disagree with this assessment. It is white that gets active play after 27.Ra3 with a "domino" attack on the queen-side (a6 directly and d5 indirectly). 27...Rxf5 looks forbidden fruit to me after 28.Bxa6 Bxa6 29.Rxa6 Rf6 30.Ra8 and after 27...Rf6 28.Nd7 followed by 29.Nc5 black's position is hangin on a (too) thin thread.
The other consideration: 23...Rd8 is followed by 24.Qxh6 gxh6 25.Bd3 Nf2 26.Rg3+ Rg7! (Kf8 or kh8 is followed by 27.Rf1 Nxd3 28.Rxd3) 27.Rxg7 Kxg7 28.Rf1 Ng4 29.Na4 and now 29...Kf6 is dubious because of 30.Nc5 and 29...Rc8! may leave the initiave entirely to white with 30.b4 !?
Please let me know what you think of this Neil. In the meantime, let's get back at the main reason why I did not want to play this variation with white: 15...Qa5! in the first place. With a different move order you analysed a game continuing with:
14.Na4 Qa5 15.b3 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 Bb7 17.c3 Rfc8 18.Kb2 bxc3+ 19.Rxc3 Rxc3 20.Qxc3 Qd8!
with comments "White has always played 21.g3. This is a very natural move as it defends h4 and completes the dark square pawn structure. However, it turns out that there is an arms race going on on the queenside and White doesn't have time for the luxury of this quiet move. Therefore 21.Rc1 looks critical: can White profit by seizing the c file?"
I think there is no way for white to profit. After 21...Rc8 22.Qb4 (what else?) black should play 22...Rxc1 instead of Bc6. White must recapture with 23.Kxc1 and now black can put white to the test with 23...Bc6 or simply draw with 23...Qxh4 24.Qxb7 Qf4+ 25.Kb2 Qxf2.
I don't understand this comment!- Neil
As black I would choose 23...Bc6 hoping for something like 24.Qd6?! Bxa4 25.bxa4 Qc8+ 26.Kd1 Nc5 27.a5 g6 28.Qb6 Na4 29.Qxa6 Qc3 30.Bd3 Nc5 and black is winning.
Kind regards and till the next time,
Ron Langeveld
The Classical 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7
At the highest levels this opening line is relatively uncommon- White often prefers 4.e5 while after 4.Bg5 Black usually responds 4...dxe4. Still, I was surprised to find that there are only two games after 4...Be7 on the website compared to dozens on 4...dxe4. This month I try to redress the balance somewhat.
The great Victor Kochnoi has his own special system here. Remember that after the alternative 4.e5 Black can delay kingside castling in favour of a rapid queenside expansion: 4...Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 a6 8.Qd2 b5! utilising the queenside pawns. I like this line for Black. Korchnoi applies the same idea after 4.Bg5 Be7.
One of its good features is that the black king isn't yet a target for Greek Gift ideas as occurs for example in Glek-Morozevich in ChessPub. When I wrote the Chapter on the Classical in Mastering the French it was truly bewildering trying to work out in which subvariations the Greek Gift was sound. Korchnoi avoids the problem altogether and gradually grinds down Sophia Polgar in the endgame. Have a look at S.Polgar-Korchnoi, NOV01/07.
The Winawer Mainline 7.Qg4 Kf8.
Peter Leko comes up with a new method of attack for White against Predrag Nikolic, who is one of the chief advocates of the 7...Kf8 variation. In fact it is a manoeuvre known from other mainline Winawer systems which as far as I know has never been applied here before. In any case it proves fantastically successful.
I'm a bit surprised that Leko chose to 'waste' his idea in a Rapidplay game rather than wait for a more serious rated game. Still, as I know from experience if you wait for the right occasion you might end up waiting forever- or someone else gets the idea in first! Enjoy Leko-Nikolic, NOV01/06.
The Advance Variation: 6.a3 variation.
3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 Nh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nf5 9.Bb2 Bd7
Many players would be afraid to advance 10.g4 here. This isn't surprising- after all, any book on chess strategy will quite rightly hammer home the message that you should look after your king. Moving the g-pawn up two squares appears to be ripping open the protective shell of pawns around the castled position.
However, it is vital to have a constructive plan. The closed nature of the French Advance centre dictates that White must gain space on the kingside and dislodge the black knight from f5. Therefore even though it loosens the kingside, 10.g4! is the right move. You can find several games featuring it on ChessPub, including Short-Lputian.
The game given this month shows what happens if White avoids 10.g4 and makes do with a routine development of his pieces. This does more damage to his king than g2-g4 ever could, as it gives Black a free hand to gain space himself on the kingside and launch a deadly attack. If you need a reminder that a good plan is the best protection for your king, not a perfect row of pawns, have a close look at Grosar-Tukmakov, NOV01/05.
The Advance: Bd7 and Bb5 system
Here French expert Vaganian comes up with an novel way for Black to deploy his pieces. It is reassuring that even today there is scope for finding new ideas at an early stage in the opening. Grischuk looks to gain pressure on the kingside but is confounded by the Armenian's active response. Have a look at the fighting draw Grischuk-Vaganian, NOV01/04.
Well it's goodbye again- I hope you liked the update.
Regards
Neil.