Download PGN of April '14 KID games
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Irregular 4.e3 [E60]
Last month we took our first look at the "Anti-Grünfeld" 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 0-0 5.Be2:
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In Malakhov - Gabrielian Black plays in pure King's Indian style with 5...d6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 and pulls off a big upset.
Fianchetto Variation - Panno 8.Bf4, 10.Nd5 [E63]
The Panno with 8.Bf4 remains in vogue, if only because it leads to fresh positions. After 8...Rb8 9.Rc1 b5:
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10.Nd5!? has been the new trend. Black's reaction in Fridman - Almasi was 10...bxc4, with the idea 11.Nxf6+ exf6! which is often the right recapture in such positions.
Sämisch Gambit Accepted 6...c5 7.dxc5 dxc5, 10...b6 [E81]
Over the last few years Black has been suffering a bit in the Sämisch Gambit accepted, 6.Be3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bxc5 Nc6 10.Nge2, but now 10...b6 is taking over from 10...Nd7 as the new main line:
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following 11.Ba3 Ba6 12.Nb5 the move 12...Bb7!? is very rare, but it looks fine, see Parligras - Saric.
Classical Variation - Petrosian 7...Na6 [E92]
I have played the Petrosian a lot with both colours, and the line 7.d5 Na6 never appealed to me much, although I will admit I am always a little annoyed to face it!
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Now 8.Bg5 is supposed to be a rather naive move, but in Porper - Jones White went for this, and I am sure White understood well what he was doing. After 8...h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nxe4 (this is supposed to be the problem with White's 8th move) 11.Nxe4 f5 12.Nc3 f4 13.Nd2 is already a rare position. Although Black is certainly ok, I can see that stylistically this line could appeal to some players of the white pieces.
7...Nbd7 [E94]
7...Nbd7 is not as common as 7...Nc6 or 7...Na6, but has still seen a bit of a revival in the past few years. After 8.Qc2 Nh5 9.Rd1 Nf4 10.Bf1:
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the move 10...c6 is unusual, as Black usually forces the pace with 10...c5. Witness a creative sacrifice and king hunt in Kotanjian - Smirin.
7...exd4, 9...c6 [E94]
Shomoev's bombshell 7.0-0 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Kh1 Nh5 11.g4 Nf6 12.Bf4 h5 13.Nf5!:
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catches another victim in Sjugirov - Prizant. After 13...gxf5 14.gxf5 Black played 14...Bf8?!, a novelty which looks reasonable enough, at first, but Black is probably just losing. Black's position hangs by a thread in any case, and I think we can conclude that 12...h5 is simply unplayable.
9.b4 Bayonet Attack [E97]
Bacrot - Onischuk sees White return to the main line 9.b4 Nh5 10.g3 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 for a little break from Kramnik's 12.Bf3. After 12...f4 13.b5:
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13...Ne8!? is a rare move which looks fine, but I think more tests will be needed to make a lasting verdict on its viability.
9.Ne1 Main line 13.g4!? [E99]
Lastly, I indulge myself with one of my own games where I tried out the topical 13.g4!? based on my work at Chesspublishing.com. In Vigorito - Brattain I went for 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.f3 f5 11.Be3 f4 12.Bf2 g5 13.g4!? fxg3 14.hxg3 Ng6 15.Ng2 h5 16.Ne3 when Black's subsequent hesitant play led to problems.
Until next month, David
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Don't hesitate to share your thoughts and suggestions with me. Any queries or comments to the KID Forum, or to me directly at david@ChessPublishing.com (subscribers only) would be most welcome.