Download PGN of September '12 KID games
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Fianchetto Variation [E60]
A tricky line for Black that can only be used in a "pure" KID move order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Qa5+:
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This could be a useful surprise weapon and in Ponomariov - Volokitin Black gets the upper hand rather quickly.
Panno Variation 9.Nd5 [E63]
The laboratory of the Bulgarians is always coming up with new things. In Bulski - Cheparinov Black plays a line that is "known" to be bad, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 a6 8.b3 Rb8 9.Nd5:
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The move 9...Nxd5!? is frowned upon by theory but it's time for another look after this game. Probably it is just unclear, but when White avoids the most ambitious line Black equalizes easily and goes on to win nicely.
Seirawan Variation [E70]
In Moiseenko - Vovk we round up some recent games in the Seirawan Variation. This line should not be so threatening theoretically, but it is both solid for White and contains some venom. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Bd3 0-0 6.Nge2 Nc6 7.0-0 e5 8.d5 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Ne2 (the big alternative is 10.Nb5) Black plays 10...Nd7!?:
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Black is ok here, I think, but after a slip he is in for a lot of suffering.
Sämisch System 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 [E81]
The next game is striking because of the strength of the players and the game's brevity, following 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nc3 0-0 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 Nc6 (As we have seen, the immediate 7...Qa5 can be met by 8.Nc1!?)
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Here 8.Qd2 already looks like a mistake. This is hard to imagine, but watch what happens in Iturrizaga - Dominguez Perez where a 2600+ player gets wiped out with White in 21 moves.
Sämisch System - Panno [E83]
For the second time in the last few months, Wang Hao faces the gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Qd2 Rb8 9.h4 12.Nb3 c5 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Nxd4 exd4 15.Bxd4, and now in Wang Hao - Jere Black used the move order 15...d5!? sidestepping Wang Hao's 15...Re8 16.Rd1!? which we looked at recently. I think that this version of the gambit is viable.
Classical - Makagonov Variation [E90]
This line continues to be hot, and we look at two games this month in the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5 which resembles the main lines of the Petrosian Variation. First, we see 8.g4 and in this game Jakovenko - Kotronias White plays a strong novelty which, incidentally, I suggested last month! After the further 8...Na6 9.Be3 Kh8 10.Be2 Bd7 11.Nd2 Ng8 12.h4 f5:
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Here, instead of the typical Makagonov move 13.gxf5, White played 13.f3! White blocks the kingside rather than trying to rip things open. This is similar to the Benko-Pinter line in the Mar Del Plata (9.Ne1, 10.f3, g4) except that here White has not castled, which favours him.
Next, I indulge myself by presenting a thematic win of mine recently played vs. an FM. In Bryan - Vigorito White played 9.Bd3!? which is a bit unusual, even though it is natural enough.
Classical - 9.b4 Bayonet Attack [E97]
We have two games in the Bayonet this month.
In Korobov - Vovk White returns to 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 and then plays the slightly uncommon 10...f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 Kh8 13.Be3!? which we have not seen in a while:
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Black is probably ok here but White is better prepared in this game.
The hot line in the Bayonet is still Kramnik's 10.g3 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.Bf3. In Wojtaszek - Morovic Fernandez Black plays 12...c6 13.Bg2 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6 fxe4 (recently we saw 15...Nxe4 16.Nxe4 fxe4 17.b5 in the wonderful game Kramnik-Grischuk, Moscow 2012). The game looked very one-sided after 16.b5! d5 17.Ba3 Re8 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Qb3 but I think that there were opportunities to fight. The line still looks pleasant for White though.
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.