What's New- October '02
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Hello everyone, sorry for the delay - I've been traveling a lot lately. |
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To download the October '02 Open Sicilian games directly in PGN form, just click here: 
Sveshnikov/Kalashnikov Variation [B32-B33]
On the Sveshnikov front we see another strong player get a good game with 7 Nd5!? in Ivanchuk-Babula. Black's position was very passive. Check the game Kovacevic-Espinoza included in the notes, where Black's active approach deserves consideration.
Classical Sozin/Two Knights [B56 to B59]
In the Benko system we have 2 examples.
Chuprys-Fedorowicz sees White get the king-side pawn-storm rolling. I've had a lot of experience in this line so I wasn't too frightened.
Black didn't understand the theory in Dgebuadze-Schabanel and got a horrible game.
Richter-Rauzer [B60 to B69]
Hamdouchi-Xu Jun is classified under B60, but should be lumped in with the Benko system. Black shrugged off White's pawn-storm and got a great game, but drifted off and lost miserably.
Nijboer-Alekseev sees Black try 13...Be7!? which I consider a decent alternative to Kozul's 13...Ra7. Black's ...Qe5 idea got him into difficulties.
Scheveningen [B80 to B89]
Next, Shtyrenkov-Kaiumov in the Sozin where Black got the better game without trying.
Najdorf [B90 to B99]
Let's move on to the ever popular "English Attack".
From Black's point of view 6...Ng4 seems to be fading away. It's rarely seen nowadays. In a related development 6...e6 has also lost popularity (possibly due to Shirov's piece sac and the Nb3 line) replaced by 6...e5!?.
            
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Our 2 examples are Adams-Vallejo Pons and Bacrot-Gelfand. Both games saw Black keep the balance and I've included other games in the notes. It looks like the lines with Black's knight hanging out on h5 look decent. White picks up the bishop pair, but Black gets play on the queenside.
I'm heading to Crete, Greece, for the World Juniors where I'll coach the US kids.
See everyone next month! (or later this month as the case may be.)
If anybody has any questions please contact me at feddy@mindspring.com and I'll do my best to help out. I've had problems replying when contacted through Chess Publishing at thefed@chesspublishing.com.