What's New- January '02
Hello everyone! I trust you all had happy holidays..
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Our first update of 2002 features some games from the US Championship.
Richter-Rauzer
Lets start with some Richter Rauser misery courtesy of GM Alex Fishbein.
His first game vs Shabalov, JAN02/06, see's the highly dubious looking 12...a5?! where White clamps on the qside. Things looked grim for Black (Fritz disagreed!) and what followed was highly entertaining.
He took another crack at it vs Kudrin, JAN02/04, with Black getting even less counterplay. Have a look, is it just me or is Black in trouble after 12 Qe1 ? Refutation is a harsh word, but improvements look hard to find.
The line used in Kriventsov-Gulko, JAN02/07, was one of my favorites years ago. The move that bothered me back then was 7 Be3, but White's choice, not to mention the 2 above games, makes me wonder about the ...Qb6 Rauser systems.
Najdorf
For a long time I've been touting 7...Nbd7 vs the Sozin in the Najdorf variation. Finally I got to practice what I've been preaching. In my game with Paschall, JAN02/05, the opening was very sharp but ok for Black until the premature 12...Nxb3.
Lapshun-Baginskaite, JAN02/02, was another case where Black became better fast until numerous inaccuracies spelled her doom. To me 7...Nbd7 is looking better than the normal ...b5 and Bb7 lines.
Paulsen/ Taimanov
The line of the Paulsen/Kan played in De Firmian-Stripunsky, JAN02/03, looks mighty passive for Black. White's play looked good and left Black muttering about his lack of counterplay.
English Attack
Leko-Van Wely, JAN02/01, saw White make the unusual 'switch' from straight Scheveningen into an English attack.(We've seen it before in Adams-Topalov FIDE World Championship New Delhi 2000. There Black obtained satisfactory play.) It seemed like Black's ...Qc7 was misplaced and made active play difficult. ...Nc6 lines vs the English Attack don't look so good.
Classical Sozin/ Two Knights
We finish up with Short-Stefansson, JAN02/08, which is important when White tries f3 vs the classical 2 N's. Black's best reply looks like ...e5. In this game Black got a good position. Another question... What was White intending after 11...Nc6 ? 12 a4 is terrible while Bb5 repeats. I guess allowing Black the ...a4 push is the lesser of the evils.
See you all in February!
Fed