April '00 Update
New HighlightsIn the Classical Main Line we have two features on the topical 9 b4 Nh5
|
|
            
|
when I will examine the lesser moves 10 Qc2!? and 10 Qb3!? Something different to 10 Re1 anyway.
We will see that Black does best to go ...c7-c5 against lines where White plays an early h2-h3. Watch out for an out-of-character technical display from Velimirovic.
Nigel Davies makes an artistic contribution in KID432 and in KID427 Anatoly Karpov demonstrates that blindfold chess isn't exactly his favourite game.
A fascinating email query from John Sutton has prompted me to create a file for you to download. He is intrigued by Shirov's pawn sacrifice in the Fianchetto Variation : 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 g3 0-0 5 Bg2 d6 6 0-0 Nbd7 7 Nc3 e5 8 e4 c6 9 h3 Qb6 10 c5!?
|
|
going on to mention 10...dxc5 11 dxe5 Ne8 12 e6 (the sacrifice) fxe6 13 Ng5 Ne5 14 f4 Nf7 15 Nxf7 Bd4+ 16 Kh2 Rxf7 17 e5
|
|
I provide full coverage for you in this month's emailbag.
Finally, my old friend Norman Stephenson sends an instructive game which you will also find in the emailbag section.
And this is just the beginning. There are 30 new HOT GAMES from the worldwide tournament scene and plenty more original annotations to enjoy.
Annotated Games
Classical
KID428 Epishin's interesting move, 10 Qc2 doesn't look like much but the idea is that after 10...Nf4, White plays 11 Bxf4! exf4 12 Rad1! and his major pieces have suddenly found very good squares.
KID438 A dangerous, relatively new idea which appears to come from the Greek Grandmaster Skembris. White intends to meet ...Nf4 with Bxf4 and Rad1 to be followed by c4-c5 or e4-e5. His intentions are clear: to blow Black away in the centre.
KID429 White is not interested in the spectactors- he wants to grind his opponent down. I suppose I can recommend 8 dxe5 as a useful surprise weapon (over the board only), but let's face it, it's tedious.
KID434 It looks like Black should play 9...Nh5 against 9 Bd2. The Knight goes to its most active square preparing ...f5 and ...Nf4!
KID433 Clearly 10 Nd5 in the Exchange Variation introduces a line which is not to be underestimated and can even creep up on you. I would avoid this variation on move nine.
Fianchetto
KID427 Only a blindfold game you might say. Yes, but these are two of the world's greatest players and their blindfold strength is probably only 50-100 ELO points below normal. And 9...Qa5 is less played than 9...Qb6, which makes for a refreshing change.
KID432 A picture postcard which will take its place in the anthologies. And on top of all the art, a most instructive performance.
Four Pawns
KID435 It seems to me black has to disrupt white in two areas- the centre as well as on the queenside, so this leads us to 9...e6. I say this because White's grip on b5 and the imminent kingside initiative are evident for all to see.
Bg5 Systems
KID437 It's very fashionable to stick the Knight on a6 these days. The advantages are clear in that the Bishop on c8 is unobstructed and Black's Queen also feels a bit freer. Whether objectively better than either 6...c5 or 6...Nbd7 it is difficult to say- here is one commentator who remains to be convinced...
Miscellaneous Lines
KID430 A very important policy decision. Atalik offers a transposition to the Modern Benoni where he hopes to squeeze all the life out of Black's position...
KID431 Another outing for a system which is supposed to be good for White. We will see that this is not necessarily the case with Velimirovic happy to adopt an older method of defence.
KID436 Caveman tactics are unlikely to succeed against the King's Indian Defence. That was something we all picked up in the early days. 'What the Hell' thinks Pilkauskas...
Have a good month and thanks for accessing this site.
IM Andrew Martin.