What's New- January '01
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Hello all my chess friends! Happy New Year! |
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Scheveningen/ English Attack
Welcome to the B80 to 89 January 2001 Najdorf/Scheveningen update.
Let's start off with our only English Attack. In Kapnisis,S-Tsivelekidis White avoids the exchange sac with 13 Nce2, a very logical move. It's not easy for Black to attack so he should arrange the ...d5 break.
Shirov, A - Topalov, V sees White continue his mastery as another world class GM gets brutalized. Maybe Shirov is on to something. Black seems to have great problems unraveling.
Babula puts up 2 pts vs Mirumian and Jansa with a Nb3 idea vs the Keres attack. It doesn't strike me as dangerous.
Ehlvest has adopted the Scheveningen of late. Here he defeats Shahade in an offbeat line, Shahade, G - Ehlvest, J, while Lobron takes out Balster in a positional g3 variation.
Good luck to all!
Najdorf
This month's B90 to 99 Najdorf update sees the up and coming GM 17 year old Alexander Grischuk teach Shirov a tough lesson- Grischuk, A - Shirov, A. One of my big things in the Sicilan is how and when to move the Bishop from c8. Black's ...Bb7 looked inaccurate and led to difficulties.
In Perunovic, M - Sadvakasov, D Black's 8...h5!? continues to provide solid results. In this game the opening came out in White's favor.
We end with Nijboer, F - Vink, N where 10...ba4?! gave White a nice edge. Black should stick with the normal 10...b4 11 Nd5 Bd5 12 ed5 Nb6. After 10...ba4 Black was suffering.
Next month looks like a real big Najdorf month. I'm expecting the Corus Wijk aan Zee tournament to produce some top notch stuff. See you all in February!
Richter Rauzer
Hello and welcome to the January 2001 Richter Rauser update.
Not an action packed month, but some stuff worth a look. With all the success the f3 lines have seen, its popularity was gonna grow. This time Black put up a good fight. In Beshukov, S - Conquest, S Black emerged with the point after a real slugout! It was very messy, but looked better for White out of the opening into the early middlegame.
In our second f3 game Bonanno, A - Hitzgerova, G the opening phase turned out well for Black. 10 f4 didn't seem very testing though. After 15 Bf6 gf6 Black is in a normal Rauser. I'm stubborn in my support of these...h5 ideas!
Schmidt Schaeffer, S - Atalik, S poses Black no problems. It's just a good way for White to make a draw.
Happy Hunting Fellow Rauser Friends!
Sveshnikov/ Kalashnikov
Greetings! Welcome to the January 2001 B32-B33 Sveshnikov/ Pelikan/ Lowenthal/ Kalishnikov update.
I'm glad to see Kramnik playing Sicilians again. Check his game with Adams- FE686- in the early going it was very exciting but then the air came out of the balloon. A real professional GM chess game!
Zapata, A - Echavarria, J sees why I preach the main line vs the positional variation. Black lost the fight for the d5 point then suffered.
The insipid 7 Nd5 system triumphed in Mezentsev,V-Keatinge Clay,A but Black has a plethora of improvements. Our lone Kalashnikov game sees Gofstein put the squeeze on Fernandez- FE681.
We finish up with a Lowenthal. I think trading on f6 is White's best way to guarantee an edge. White does it in Ilfeld, E - McCollum, P and Black suffered. It sidesteps the craziness.
Good luck to my fellow chess players around the globe!
Paulsen/ Taimanov
Welcome to the January 2001 Taimanov/ Paulsen/ Kan update.
We start off with Shirov, A - Anand, V from the final of the FIDE knockout. In a key spot Black resorts to a very solid approach achieving easy equality and more when White overextends.
Aarthie, R - Taimanov, M sees the creator of his namesake opening lose horribly. It's very possible that the 6...Nge7 variation has reached the end of the line.
Polgar, J - Miezis, N sees Black enter another variation of ill repute. Time and time again I see Black go down without throwing a punch. I would avoid it like the plague!
Best Wishes from GM Fed
Classical Sozin/ Two Knights
Welcome to the January 2001 B54 to 59 update. It seems that the Benko Variation vs the Sozin is hogging this section. This month is no different.
In Balzar, A - Dinstuhl, V Black played very riskily. I've faced this line many times and have concluded that 9...Ne5 is safest; it might be = already.
Boris Gulko has been doing well with this line for a very long time. Here he defeats De Vreught in a very complicated contest. 9 Ng3 invites the sharp replay 9...h5. Even so things were around =.
In Busquets, L - Fedorowicz, J White went berserk with g4, g5 generously donating the e5 square to yours truly. 14 Qh3!? was seen in the July 2000 update. I like Black's counterplay vs pawn storms in this variation.
Till next month! Good Luck!