Download PGN of October '05 1 d4 d5 games
Botvinnik Variation [D44]
Sakaev - Yakovich: The Botvinnik Variation with the inclusion of the moves ...Bf8-b4 and a2-a4 is known to be suspicious for Black, but if you know some ideas and also take your opponent by surprise it may work well:
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Yuri Yakovich used to play it from time to time but it was Konstantin Sakaev who came up with a novelty here on move 19. Soon he sacrificed a piece and his opponent eventually failed to withstand the strong pressure and allowed White to finish the game with a series of beautiful manoeuvres. As to the opening line, it seems that White's choice allows Black to achieve a playable position.
Nielsen - Smeets: Another side line, connected with an early ...Qd8-c7, is recently being tested:
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However, the way Black played in this game does not solve his problems and White can claim the better chances.
Ionov - Solovjov: It seems that if White pushes his d-pawn deep into his opponent's camp Black can obtain reasonable counter chances:
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Perhaps White can still prove his advantage with precise play but this approach has to be well prepared and routine play may lead to disaster as can be seen in this game.
Greet - Ashton: Here White confronted an early ...Qd8-c7 with a simple approach - he just swapped light-squared bishops, opened a file on the Q-side, improved his pieces a bit and Black's vulnerable king cost him too much.
Zakharevich - Kornev: Here again White's simple approach to counter an early ...Qd8-c7 worked very well. However, it should be mentioned that it can be played only through the 11. g3 move order but there White must be prepared for 11...Rg8. Thus we may conclude - Black's approach is probably insufficient against 11. g3 but in case of 11. exf6 it may promise reasonable counter chances although White might still prove an edge there as well.
Van Wely - L'Ami: It seems that the side line with 13...Nxf6!? deserves more attention:
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White has still failed to show a clear way to gain something substantial here. In this game he could actually have faced serious problems and even after Black's omission he couldn't achieve more than half a point. Perhaps we'll see more games in this line in the near future, especially taking into account that another important deviation 11. g3 Rg8 is okay for Black at the moment.
Jakovenko - Yevseev: Another unusual line, 11. g3 Rg8, is still very much alive:
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Later White's small innovation did not bother Black very much, but he soon went wrong and found himself in trouble. However, the position was so complicated that even computers would certainly become overheated trying to calculate everything! Both players were doing their best to be equal to the task but how can you avoid mistakes in a position with queen and many far advanced passed pawns against rook and 3 minor pieces with both kings moving around? Just watch and enjoy this grandiose battle!
Van Wely - Shirov: Here a very deep line has been tested. White was supposed to have some advantage but it seems that Black is still okay. This rapid game is of the highest quality - till the very end both players were able to find the best moves, then suddenly White got overambitious and allowed checkmate in three!
Van Wely - Smeets: Another very deep line, and this one has been known to be drawish since the game Azmaiparashvili - Shirov/Madrid 1996 in which Black came up with a home-cooked novelty on move 33. Here Loek Van Wely tried to prove that Black should still defend precisely if White slowly advances his K-side pawn massive without exchanging the rooks and this approach brought him a quick success. It seems that Black has to work out his defensive plan very well in order to score half a point otherwise he might find himself in big trouble in the whole variation!
Ruslan
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