What's New- September '03
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Hello everyone! I hope this late update finds you all well. |
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To download the September '03 Open Sicilian games directly in PGN form, just click here: 
Lets start off with the B33-32 sections.
Sveshnikov/Kalashnikov Variation [B32-B33]
Next is more Kalashnikov misery! More ranting and raving from GM Fed! Just look at Karjakin - Kosteniuk, haven't we seen this before? How can she keep losing the same way? Does this make any sense? Improvements must be found... if there are some. I think all my points are valid.
Kasimdzhanov - Smirnov sees Black manage the draw with the long variation in the 7 Nd5 Nd5 8 ed5 Nb8 line.
            
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This looks like Black's best. Some of the notes are worthy of attention. If Black wants to get ambitious then 8...Ne7 followed by ...Nf5 is the best chance.
Paulsen/Taimanov [B40 to B49]
Lets jump over to the English Attack sections.
In the B48 Taimanov where Fressinet punishes Heissler's 14...Bxh2 pawn snatch
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in Game 3 when Black's king faces a long life in the center. Things shouldn't have been that easy though. Black at the very least could have tried the very obvious looking 19...Nf4!?.
Classical Sozin/Two Knights [B56 to B59]
Something we haven't seen in quite awhile. B59 The Boleslavsky Variation...
We see Del Bosco-V Chernin play an uneven game to say the least, but with some interesting points.
6...e5!? is a dynamic move which avoids the Scheveningen lines that occur from 6...e6. From White's point of view 7 Nf3 is better than 7 Nb3. On Nb3 Black doesn't have to play...h6.
In my opinion Yefim Geller was the best I've ever seen handling the White side, and I can't believe White can ever get an edge after playing a4, as Black's knight on b4 is very well placed.
Richter-Rauzer [B60 to B69]
Our lone B61 Rauser, Makropoulos - Matnadze, sees the 6...Bd7 line.
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Years ago this was called the Modern Rauser, but that was a long time ago. I guess nowadays it's called the 6...Bd7 Rauser. Black's idea is to accelerate the queenside play, but I find the entire line dubious.
According to theory White's best is 7 Be2!? going for a Scheveningen with a premature ...Bd7 (instead of the 7 Qd2 of the game). One continuation is 7...e6 8 Bf6 gf6 9 0-0 a6 10 Kh1 Qc7 11 Bh5 with an edge. I don't see anything in the way of active counterplay for Black and in the game the queen trade left Black being worse without prospects.
Scheveningen [B80 to B89]
If Black players play ...d6 at some point it transposes into our next example Socko - Stevic in the B80 English Attack.
Some of the notes deserve alot of attention:
First up...I really liked the 17...Ra5! idea in Jens-Grigoriants. It's a multi purpose move combining long distance defense with queenside offense. Second in line is Degraeve-Zvjaginsev where Black played a fast ...d5.The game resembled a Dragon with the bishop on e7. If Black can get ...d5 in by all means play it.
In the main game we saw equal chances with neither side willing to take risks.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts, and I'll try to answer any questions. See you all in my next late update! I'm already working on it, so see you in 7 to 10 days.
Adios, GM John F
PS Feel free to contact me at the Forum (above) or send stuff to my email at feddy@mindspring.com. 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.