What's New- November '03
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Hello everyone! Happy Holidays ...I hope this not very late November update finds everyone well. |
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To download the November '03 Open Sicilian games directly in PGN form, just click here: 
Sveshnikov/Kalashnikov Variation [B32-B33]
First up I had request by email from Kent Leung who pointed out that I should show more of 8...Ne7 in the 7 Nd5 Nxd5 8 exd5 line vs the Sveshnikov:
            
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I'll certainly do my best. I have to say that the lines with ...Nf5 are more ambitious than anything we see with 8...Nb8. Laurin - Sevillano might not be the best example, but many of the notes are interesting. Also after 9 c4 the move 9...Nf5 must be best... I liked Black's plan in Zelcic-Illescas (see the note), but White is hanging in there. On 9...Ng6 White has several promising tries.
Paulsen/Taimanov [B40 to B49]
Lets get things going with an English Attack, Marjanovic - Perunovic from the B48 Taimanov section. The ...Na5 idea seen here and in the important notes with Anand playing Black vs Topalov and Grischchuk is worth serious attention. In the main game White weakened his own king position with 14 a3?! and after 18...b4 Black had an out of control initiative. White should be careful when playing a3 as it gives Black something to shoot for.
Richter-Rauzer [B60 to B69]
Next up Richter Rauser killer Shabalov dealing out some serious punishment on Van der Weide in the 6...Bd7 variation - see Game 3. As a life-long Rauser player this in one of the few lines I never trusted. The risk vs reward factor shows me to ditch 6...Bd7, but that's just one man's opinion. Still Black could have gotten adequate play with 10...dxe5 11 fxe5 e6 12 0-0-0 Bc6 13 Nb5 Bxb5 14 exf6 and now 14...Ba4!? should be played with Black being somewhat worse, but it's not fatal.
Scheveningen [B80 to B89]
In the B80 section Black learned an important lesson where Mahia routed S Rodriguez - see Game 4. Moves like 7...Be7 or 7...Qc7 are very time consuming. Black might try to transpose back into a Nc6 line, but even that is risky.
We move out of the English Attack area, but not very far into the B81 Keres Attack section.
A Rodriguez-Julia was a very strange game. Black's opening looked shaky, but it could have turned out well. No guts! No glory! I think Black could've sacrificed the exchange on several occasions with good comp, but he changed his mind and lost miserably.
Najdorf [B90 to B99]
Rowson - de Firmian (B90 section) sees the stubborn American GM try 6...Ng4 again. 6...e5 has passed 6...e6 in the fashion show that is chess. White continues to confound Black with 10 h3!:
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Black's choice of 10...Nf6 led to a disaster... I think 10...Ne5 is a better try, but not by much. I couldn't find any significant improvements for Black so this variation is on the endangered list.
Sometimes I get locked into certain lines so if anyone has a request email me and I'll do my best to help out. See everyone in December!
Good Luck to all my chess friends around the globe!
Adios, GM John F
P.S. Feel free to contact me at the Forum (above) or send stuff to my email at feddy@mindspring.com (subscribers only). I'll try to answer your questions as soon as possible. I've had problems replying when contacted through Chess Publishing at thefed@chesspublishing.com. Thanks! Fed.