Download PGN of June '14 KID games
>> Previous Update >>
Fianchetto - Kavalek Variation 8...Bg4 [E62]
In the Kavalek Variation after 6...c6 7.0-0 Qa5 8.e4 I have sometimes wondered if 8...Bg4 is relatively playable:
             |
Will Black get enough counterplay to compensate giving up the bishop pair? After 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 I suspect that the old move 10...Nfd7 will not really hold up. On the further 11.Be3 the game Gajewski - Moussard sees 11...c5?!, which I thought had been refuted, but here both players seem unfamiliar with the line.
In Socko - Adamowicz we look at 10...e5 (and 10...Nbd7 is similar) which is much safer and certainly playable, though perhaps not completely equalizing.
Yugoslav Variation 7...cxd4 [E65]
The pawn sac line 1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 c5 7.0-0 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nc6 often comes from a Symmetrical English Opening (1 c4 c5). After 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bxc6 the move 10...Bh3?! is not very common:
|
|
Following 11.Bxa8 Qxa8 White played 12.Nd5 in Sargissian - Bregadze, and won fairly comfortably. I suspect 12.f3! is even better, however.
Classical - Gligoric Variation 7...Ng4, 9.Bc1 [E92]
For a long time I have held that in the Gligoric Variation after 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 the retreat 9.Bc1?! is inferior to 9.Bh4 because of the pawn sacrifice 9...Nc6 10.d5 Nd4!:
|
|
The game Fodor - Jones demonstrates how easily Black can get the initiative, but the logical outcome is probably equality. Jones takes a practical chance and goes for more, eventually scoring the full point.
7...Nbd7 8.Be3 [E94]
7...Nbd7 8.Be3 c6 (8...Re8 is the modern choice) 9.d5 c5 10.Ne1 has long been held to favour White:
|
|
the creative Hungarian goes his own way with 10...Qe7, but White is more than up to the task and scores a nice upset in Baumegger - Rapport.
7...Na6 8.Be3 [E94]
In the line 7...Na6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8 White has mostly been going for 10.Re1 in recent years (rather than 10.dxe5). In Shulman - Samsonkin we get a little reminder of why the reply 10...h6?! should be avoided:
|
|
as following 11.Bh4 Nf6 12.Bxf6! Bxf6 13.c5! just seems good for White.
7...exd4 Glek's line with 9...Nc6 [E94]
The U.S. Championship saw the young GM Daniel Naroditsky twice venture 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 Nc6 10.Be3 Nh5 which has taken a couple of lumps recently:
|
|
In Shankland - Naroditsky White goes for 11.Nc2!? Be5 12.Nd5 Bxb2 13.g4 Ng7 14.Rb1 Bf6 but after 15.Kh1? (previously we saw 15.f4, but probably Naroditsky intended 15...Ne6!) Black quickly takes over with 15...Ne6, when Black's central control outweighs anything that White can come up with.
In Lenderman - Naroditsky White played 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Qd2 f5 13.Rad1!? instead, and only got a miniscule edge, but it's a position that is easy to play for White.
Until next month, David
>> Previous Update >>
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.