Download PGN of June '09 KID games
Fianchetto Variation
Fridman - Yu.Vovk is the only main game of this update that had been played before June, but it is the right time, perhaps, to discuss the Gallagher Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 O-O 5.g3 d6 6.Bg2 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.e4 a6 9.h3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Re8:
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and especially the game continuation 11.Be3 Rb8 12.b3!, which, I agree, is not very pleasant for Black to meet.
Accelerated Averbakh
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This rare line can be connected with the idea of 5...0-0 6.Qd2!?. But we will look at something different this time: 5...h6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bc1 c5!?, see I.Sokolov-Berg.
The Classical 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2
For 6...c5, see Eljanov - Sedlak. I confess that I am not a fan of this line for Black, although of course this is subjective as no one is able to prove as yet that this move, or any other, is losing by force.
For the Exchange Variation 7.dxe5, see Onischuk - Bologan. Almost no news in this game as such, but some nuances are discussed in the notes.
Following 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh6 the move 11.c5!? is a more serious way to fight for the advantage with White, see Onischuk - Inarkiev:
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For 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 a5 11.bxa5, see Gelfand - Nisipeanu:
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It was more or less clear that this was the KID game of the month. Not because it is Bayonet Attack, but simply because it was such an interesting and exciting game.
Finally, there is 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2, a deep prophylaxis system. In Gelfand - Radjabov, Black opted for the further 9...a5 10.a3 Bd7, which is the mainline in our eBook, and is also suggested for Black in Bologan's book:
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If I have been given a chance I would also have chosen this line against Gelfand, especially in the 1990s. Well, once I played against Boris with Black, in a rapid game, but instead he played 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 and then 4.e3, 5.c3 - an even deeper prophylaxis!
Till next month, Mikhail
Don't hesitate to share your thoughts and suggestions with me. Any queries or comments to the KID Forum, or to me directly at mikhail@chesspublishing.com (subscribers only) would be most welcome.