December 2002 1 e4...
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Greetings and welcome to this festive update. Wherever you are in the world I hope that you are enjoying a very happy Christmas period with your family and friends. IM Andy Martin |
Two recent email queries spark a couple of theoreticals which you will find here. I examine the PATZER variation 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qe5+!?
            
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which looks utterly ridiculous but is far, far better than one could imagine.
Then comes 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 Bc4 Nb6 5 e6!??
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which shocked a subscriber rigid. I deal with that too.
To the games themselves, a potpourri of ideas.
To download the December '02 1 e4 ... games directly in PGN form, click here: 
Speelman shows an effective way to deal with Glek's 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 g3
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, a line which has proved awkward in the past.
In a Four Pawns Alekhine, in Douglas Bryson - Thomas Luther Black sacrifices his Queen, challenging theory head-on! NCO gives 16 Qc1!
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but matters are not clear at all.
The Caro-Kann comes off worse against 2 c4 in two of our games but with stuff like 1 e4 c6 2 c4 e5 3 Nf3 Qa5?!
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Black is signing his own death warrant as far as I am concerned.
In the hi-powered encounter Short - Svidler Black shows how to nullify a potentially lethal line of the Advance: ie 7...Bd6
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and later 13...0-0!=
In the Pirc, Greek GM Dimitrios Agnos demonstrates how to meet the Austrian Attack using 6...Na6!
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And ....well, I won't spoil all the fun-there is more!
Why not join with me now and enjoy a feast of chess.
Please write to me at AMartin@ChessPublishing.com if you have any questions or queries and I wish you all a very good month.
Yours in chess,
IM Andrew Martin