Hello Chess lovers
I did some of my usual research on TWIC and found a lovely positional game by GM Bauer of France.In this game he manages to show a number of skills: favourably transforming the position, engage in schematic thinking,rearrange the pieces so that they pressure the IQP, convert a material advantage. Lets see this in action.
Bauer vs Hammes
1.d4e6 2.Nf3Nf6 3.Bf4d5 4.e3Bd6 5.Bg3Ne4 6.Nbd2Ng3 the first critical point. The pawn structure changes and this is to be of some significance later.
7.hg3Nd7 8.c3e5 9.de5Ne5 10.Ne5Be5 11.Nf3Bf6 12.Qc2g6 13.0-0-0c6 14.e4!
At first it seems as if Bauer is playing simple chess. Developing, exchanging and castling. However the last move radically alters and transforms the position.With the black king in the centre ...de4 is not likely. White is mobilized and more harmonious than black as a result of the the time consuming moves Nf6/e4/g3.
14....Qa5 15.ed5cd5 Here we reach one of the turning points in the game. The pawn structure has changed again and white has a focal point to play against. From this point onwards to move 31 white organizes his play around the point. Sometimes this situation arises. One particular theme dominates the position and it is up to the player to demonstrate skill in organizing the play around the theme.
16.Qb3Be6 17.Bb5Kf8 The effect of this is to slow black's attempts to reinforce d5.
18.Nd4Rd8 19.Be2 The bishop awaits new instructions on this square before going on the next mission.
19...Bc8 20.Kb1 protecting a2 so as to enable a few other moves.
20....Kg7 21.g4 Square denial. The f5 square is taken away from the c8 bishop.Good positional players gradually reduce their opponent's options.
21...Rd6 22.Qc2h6 23.Qd2 Bauer cannot hide his intentions any longer. The major pieces will gang up against the d-pawn.
23...Rdd8 24.Rh3! Now the other point behind g4 is clear . The third rank is free for the rook to go to d3.
This clearly did not involve calculation but schematic thinking on a grand scale. The queen came in from the left to the centre and now the rook comes in from the right to the centre.
24...Qc7 25.f4!More square denial and preparing an aggresive move in the future. 25...Qc5 26.Rd3b6
27.Ka1 White has improved nearly every piece. Only the minor pieces need regrouping.
27....a5 28.Bf3a4 29.Nc2Be6 30.a3Qc4 31.Ne3Now the knight joins the assault on d5....Qc8
32.Nd5Bd5 33.Rd5Qc7 34.g5! The follow up. When the dark square bishop moves The queen will check on d4 and then black will have to fret about the a pawn and his back rank.
34....Be7 35.Qd4 + 1-0 Black had enough.
Summary
The opening seemed unremarkable. However the time-consuming 5...Ne4 and 6...Ng3 altered the position.
14.e4! Opened and transformed the position, leaving black with an IQP. He could not generate enough activity to compensate for the static pawn and seemed not to recognise the danger enough. What happened between move 18 and 31 involved planning and schematic thinking. White started to think where his pieces were best located in the future and then working back to the present. The rest was execution and conversion. I hope this was a good clear example of it in action.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Gems from Gibraltar Part One-Hou Yifan's Defensive Dexterity.
Hello Chess lovers
I would like to share with you an example of one of Hou Yifan's major qualities which was on show in the Gibraltar Open. Her defensive dexterity when playing the Sicillian defense.She played a marvellous game against Hunt and showed amazing composure to refute wave after wave of attack on her king. This is an important skill in practical over-the-board chess. One must prepare mentally for very aggressive and ambitious players.
Lets look at the battle.
Hunt vs Hou Yifan
B81 Sicillian
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3e6 Steering the opening into a Scheveningen set up which was mastered so well by Kasparov in the mid-eighties.
6.g4 The Keres attack. I learned about this in the 80s from an English magazine which explained that the major aim was to chase away the f6 knight and help to dominate d5 in general terms and to prepare a king-side attack specifically.
6...Nc6!? 7.g5Nfd7 8.Be3Be7 9.h4a6 10.Qe2Qc7 11.Bh3?! A really double edged move.In these positions, white does take aim at the e6 square.However, because Qe2 was played Bc4 is not available immediately.It blocks the h-file for white and it was to later play a sacrificial role on f5.
11....Nc5 A great multi tasking move. First black targets e4 and helps to bolster e6 and secondly black clears the second rank for defence. This is vital in this variation.
12.0-0-0 Nd4 13.Bd40-0 A very critical moment. Opposite side castling has occurred. Every move has to be very precise now or the game can end very quickly. Every tempo is vital.
14.Rdg1b5 A good move which actually clears b7 for the queen.
15.Bf5?! -Usually a knight is sacrificed on f5.Hou Yifan made sure to exchange the knight.It is interesting to note that Hunt did not play 15.Kb1!?b4 16.Nd1a5!? 17.h5.Instead she attacks with pieces.
15...ef5 16.Nd5Qb7! 17.Qh5The next wave attacks are coming. 17...Ne6!The knight is brilliantly posted here. 18.Nf6Bf6 19.gf6g6 20.f3Kh8 The next procedure. Hou Yifan clears g8 for the rook. Square clearance is important for defence. 21.Qh6Rg8 22.h5The next wave of attack....22...g5!! 23.Be3f4!
24.Bf4 More commital chess. 24...Nf4 25.Rg5Rg5 26.Qg5Ne6 27.Qg2Bd7! Only now does the bishop move.The g8 square is covered. Hou Yifan has moved on the second and first rank for many moves repelling wave after wave of attacks on the black king.
28.Rg1Qb6! Hunt had enough. If 29.f4Qe3 ensues.
Summary.
White appeared to be preparing an assault on e6 but as soon as Yifan castled went all out with a piece assault instead of the h4-h5/g5-g6 battering ram.
Once white played 15.Bf5?! it was the point of no return. Hou Yifan believed in her defensive resources on the second rank. The knight on e6 covered g7 and the Bishop on e7 covered f6.The bishop on c8 covered e6.At the right moment g7-g5! closed the lines on the h and g files. Only on move 28 did Hou Yifan emerge from her trenches to start a counterattack. This is an example of someone trained by computer as much as a personal coach.I hope you found this blog instructive.
I would like to share with you an example of one of Hou Yifan's major qualities which was on show in the Gibraltar Open. Her defensive dexterity when playing the Sicillian defense.She played a marvellous game against Hunt and showed amazing composure to refute wave after wave of attack on her king. This is an important skill in practical over-the-board chess. One must prepare mentally for very aggressive and ambitious players.
Lets look at the battle.
Hunt vs Hou Yifan
B81 Sicillian
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3e6 Steering the opening into a Scheveningen set up which was mastered so well by Kasparov in the mid-eighties.
6.g4 The Keres attack. I learned about this in the 80s from an English magazine which explained that the major aim was to chase away the f6 knight and help to dominate d5 in general terms and to prepare a king-side attack specifically.
6...Nc6!? 7.g5Nfd7 8.Be3Be7 9.h4a6 10.Qe2Qc7 11.Bh3?! A really double edged move.In these positions, white does take aim at the e6 square.However, because Qe2 was played Bc4 is not available immediately.It blocks the h-file for white and it was to later play a sacrificial role on f5.
11....Nc5 A great multi tasking move. First black targets e4 and helps to bolster e6 and secondly black clears the second rank for defence. This is vital in this variation.
12.0-0-0 Nd4 13.Bd40-0 A very critical moment. Opposite side castling has occurred. Every move has to be very precise now or the game can end very quickly. Every tempo is vital.
14.Rdg1b5 A good move which actually clears b7 for the queen.
15.Bf5?! -Usually a knight is sacrificed on f5.Hou Yifan made sure to exchange the knight.It is interesting to note that Hunt did not play 15.Kb1!?b4 16.Nd1a5!? 17.h5.Instead she attacks with pieces.
15...ef5 16.Nd5Qb7! 17.Qh5The next wave attacks are coming. 17...Ne6!The knight is brilliantly posted here. 18.Nf6Bf6 19.gf6g6 20.f3Kh8 The next procedure. Hou Yifan clears g8 for the rook. Square clearance is important for defence. 21.Qh6Rg8 22.h5The next wave of attack....22...g5!! 23.Be3f4!
24.Bf4 More commital chess. 24...Nf4 25.Rg5Rg5 26.Qg5Ne6 27.Qg2Bd7! Only now does the bishop move.The g8 square is covered. Hou Yifan has moved on the second and first rank for many moves repelling wave after wave of attacks on the black king.
28.Rg1Qb6! Hunt had enough. If 29.f4Qe3 ensues.
Summary.
White appeared to be preparing an assault on e6 but as soon as Yifan castled went all out with a piece assault instead of the h4-h5/g5-g6 battering ram.
Once white played 15.Bf5?! it was the point of no return. Hou Yifan believed in her defensive resources on the second rank. The knight on e6 covered g7 and the Bishop on e7 covered f6.The bishop on c8 covered e6.At the right moment g7-g5! closed the lines on the h and g files. Only on move 28 did Hou Yifan emerge from her trenches to start a counterattack. This is an example of someone trained by computer as much as a personal coach.I hope you found this blog instructive.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Inspirational game for the month
Hello Chess lovers,
I would like to introduce to you the inspirational game of the month January. I find that the websites simply do not supply us with inspirational material. They supply us with a lot of "objective" material which is often presented in a very dry way. The purpose of this article is to inspire players to find joy in chess instead of endless analysis of opening lines.
My choice of inspirational game is as follows: Fier vs Dzagnidze
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nf3b6 4.g3Ba6 5.b3d5 6.Bg2dc4!? As early as possible, black seeks an imbalance:
7.Ne5Bb4 8.Kf1c6 9.Nc6Nc6 10.Bc6Ke7 11.Ba8Qa8 Amazing ! black trades his indolent rook for a powerful light square bishop and in the next series of moves assumes a dangerous initiative which then induces errors.
12.f3Rd8 13.Ba3Ba3 14.Na3c3!? black makes it clear that he wants to target d4.
15.Kf2e5 16.Nc2ed4 17.Nd4?! Now black works on the new feature of the position : the pin on d4.
17...Ne4! 18.fe4Qe4 19.e3Rd6! A second feature has come up-white's insecure king. 20.g4g6! Preventing Nf5. 21.Rhg1Rf6 22.Kg3Qe3! 23.Nf3Be2! 24.Qc1Rf3 0-1
Wasn't that refreshingly barbaric! I hope you enjoyed it as much as me.John
I would like to introduce to you the inspirational game of the month January. I find that the websites simply do not supply us with inspirational material. They supply us with a lot of "objective" material which is often presented in a very dry way. The purpose of this article is to inspire players to find joy in chess instead of endless analysis of opening lines.
My choice of inspirational game is as follows: Fier vs Dzagnidze
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nf3b6 4.g3Ba6 5.b3d5 6.Bg2dc4!? As early as possible, black seeks an imbalance:
7.Ne5Bb4 8.Kf1c6 9.Nc6Nc6 10.Bc6Ke7 11.Ba8Qa8 Amazing ! black trades his indolent rook for a powerful light square bishop and in the next series of moves assumes a dangerous initiative which then induces errors.
12.f3Rd8 13.Ba3Ba3 14.Na3c3!? black makes it clear that he wants to target d4.
15.Kf2e5 16.Nc2ed4 17.Nd4?! Now black works on the new feature of the position : the pin on d4.
17...Ne4! 18.fe4Qe4 19.e3Rd6! A second feature has come up-white's insecure king. 20.g4g6! Preventing Nf5. 21.Rhg1Rf6 22.Kg3Qe3! 23.Nf3Be2! 24.Qc1Rf3 0-1
Wasn't that refreshingly barbaric! I hope you enjoyed it as much as me.John
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Crisis point in the No-Nonsense Najdorf B96 Part One.
Hello Chess Lovers
Today we get all hardcore with the Najdorf! Specifically the 6.Bg5 line. Its amazing to think that we can get to original moves and positions before move 36. Yet in 2011 Carauna tried an interesting move against French genius Vachier Lagrave . Lets check it out.
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.Bg5e6 7.f4h6 8.Bh4Qb6 9.a3!?All of a sudden this works.If black played 7....Qb6 8.a3?! would not have the same effect because the bishop is on g5 so
after 8 ...Nc6 9.Bf2 is impossible. Now if 9...Nc6 10.Bf2 is possible. As Naiditsch asserts black has the burden of proof in demonstrating that ...Qb6 is sensible especially as the sugarcoated b-pawn is doused with cyanide poison now.Worse news for black the queen on b6 blocks the b-pawn so b7-b5 is delayed for a move.
9...Nbd7 (9...Nc6 10.Bf2Qc7 11.Qd3) 10. Bc4 g5 This is a typical idea in the Sicillian with pawns on e6 and d6.The idea is to attack the f-pawn and divert it away from e5. The alternative is the 10...Be7. Players who are in a combative mood and are not afraid to lose a fighting game will try ...g5.Players who have classical beliefs/doctrines will go for development with ...Be7. It is also a question of priorities. One school of thought says that because there is a bishop on c4 it makes perfect sense to fight for e5 and get an outpost for the d7 knight with a tempo.The other school of thought is to get another piece into action. We will look at 10...Be7 in part two.
11.Bf2Qc7 (11...Nc5 12.Qf3g4 13.Qe3Qb2 14.0-0 white is more harmonious in this position.
Black is barely able to land a decent blow)
12.Be6!?A really courageous move made by those in the mood for posing serious problems to the opposition.12....fe6 13.Ne6Qc4 14.Nf8Rf8 15.Qd6a5 Here we have to take stock no some smoke has cleared.
White has removed three pawns from the board for the brave sacrifice of the bishop on e6.He is also able to marshall his rooks to the central files quite soon. There is no forced mate in 16 here.However the position forces black to come up with active moves for defence. Psychologically its unpleasant to be thinking of defending the black king for the next 10 moves so the annoyance factor is huge. Black will start thinking that he/she would rather be playing some other sport or doing something more pleasurable.
16.0-0-0Ra6 -Active defence! 17.Qd2gf4 18.Rhe1At this point white centralises his pieces like Topalov.Re6 19.Bd4Ng4 20.Nd5!b6 21.Kb1 At this point GM Naiditsch decides to stop. He simply leaves the ECO sign indicting initiative for white. However we can get deeper here. The contrast between the sides is extremely strong. White has the burden of proving that he has offensive momentum and resources. Black has to show not just resourcefulness in defence but actually like defending this position and proving that in the long run he can come out on top in the endgame. At this point I got really curious at how Rybka and Fritz 13 would break down such a position. Lets take a look.
The search engines of Rybka trotted out active moves first.
Here I would like to look at 21...Bb7 first. So the plus side is that it brings another piece into the fray e4 is a target.The minus side is that d7 is a vulnerable square on an open file. Lets take a look at a sample variation:
21...Bb7 22.Nf4Re4 23.h3Ngf6 24. Bf6 Nf6 25.Nh5!? Highlighting black's problem on d7.
25...Qc7 26.Qh6Qe5 and here I leave the position to you chess lovers who want the deep truth about this line. I hope I have opened some more doors for debate.
Today we get all hardcore with the Najdorf! Specifically the 6.Bg5 line. Its amazing to think that we can get to original moves and positions before move 36. Yet in 2011 Carauna tried an interesting move against French genius Vachier Lagrave . Lets check it out.
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.Bg5e6 7.f4h6 8.Bh4Qb6 9.a3!?All of a sudden this works.If black played 7....Qb6 8.a3?! would not have the same effect because the bishop is on g5 so
after 8 ...Nc6 9.Bf2 is impossible. Now if 9...Nc6 10.Bf2 is possible. As Naiditsch asserts black has the burden of proof in demonstrating that ...Qb6 is sensible especially as the sugarcoated b-pawn is doused with cyanide poison now.Worse news for black the queen on b6 blocks the b-pawn so b7-b5 is delayed for a move.
9...Nbd7 (9...Nc6 10.Bf2Qc7 11.Qd3) 10. Bc4 g5 This is a typical idea in the Sicillian with pawns on e6 and d6.The idea is to attack the f-pawn and divert it away from e5. The alternative is the 10...Be7. Players who are in a combative mood and are not afraid to lose a fighting game will try ...g5.Players who have classical beliefs/doctrines will go for development with ...Be7. It is also a question of priorities. One school of thought says that because there is a bishop on c4 it makes perfect sense to fight for e5 and get an outpost for the d7 knight with a tempo.The other school of thought is to get another piece into action. We will look at 10...Be7 in part two.
11.Bf2Qc7 (11...Nc5 12.Qf3g4 13.Qe3Qb2 14.0-0 white is more harmonious in this position.
Black is barely able to land a decent blow)
12.Be6!?A really courageous move made by those in the mood for posing serious problems to the opposition.12....fe6 13.Ne6Qc4 14.Nf8Rf8 15.Qd6a5 Here we have to take stock no some smoke has cleared.
White has removed three pawns from the board for the brave sacrifice of the bishop on e6.He is also able to marshall his rooks to the central files quite soon. There is no forced mate in 16 here.However the position forces black to come up with active moves for defence. Psychologically its unpleasant to be thinking of defending the black king for the next 10 moves so the annoyance factor is huge. Black will start thinking that he/she would rather be playing some other sport or doing something more pleasurable.
16.0-0-0Ra6 -Active defence! 17.Qd2gf4 18.Rhe1At this point white centralises his pieces like Topalov.Re6 19.Bd4Ng4 20.Nd5!b6 21.Kb1 At this point GM Naiditsch decides to stop. He simply leaves the ECO sign indicting initiative for white. However we can get deeper here. The contrast between the sides is extremely strong. White has the burden of proving that he has offensive momentum and resources. Black has to show not just resourcefulness in defence but actually like defending this position and proving that in the long run he can come out on top in the endgame. At this point I got really curious at how Rybka and Fritz 13 would break down such a position. Lets take a look.
The search engines of Rybka trotted out active moves first.
Here I would like to look at 21...Bb7 first. So the plus side is that it brings another piece into the fray e4 is a target.The minus side is that d7 is a vulnerable square on an open file. Lets take a look at a sample variation:
21...Bb7 22.Nf4Re4 23.h3Ngf6 24. Bf6 Nf6 25.Nh5!? Highlighting black's problem on d7.
25...Qc7 26.Qh6Qe5 and here I leave the position to you chess lovers who want the deep truth about this line. I hope I have opened some more doors for debate.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
The concept of momentum in the games of Ivan Sokolov's games Pt.1
Hello Chess lovers,
I wish to share with you a concept which some Grandmasters use in their openings especially with the white pieces when they assume the responsibility that comes with the white pieces. Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand and Carlsen all have this aura when they play with the white pieces. The impression is that they are the ones doing the action and their opponents just applaud. In many cases we see them assuming an unstoppable initiative. The positions are not all very forced and they find moves that prepare for onslaughts and keep the momentum going.
At the same time they are alert for counterplay. They also are aware of the GMs who try very solid variations in which they are happy to respond to the ideas of white and then develop potential as GM Rowson would put it.
In this small trilogy I will focus on a GM who is quite powerful with the white pieces.Ivan Sokolov, the Bosnian-Dutch player who really causes more than his fair share of problems with the white pieces. We shall see how he maintains the momentum with the white pieces in positions where there are no forced lines until much later in the middlegame.
Unto the game!
I Sokolov v Akopian
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nc3d5 By transposition, the players have reached the Queen's Gambit Declined, a favourite of the world's top players in the 80s and 90s until the Slav defence took over.
4.cd5ed5 5.Bg5Be7 6.e3c6 7.Bd3Nbd7 8.Qc2 This move order keeps open the possibility of playing 0-0-0 and Nge2.
8...0-0 9.Nf3Re8 10.h3Nf8This is the standard plan for black.The h7 square is over protected and the c8 bishop gets some air.However it requires a lot of patience. 11.0-0Ng6 12.Ne5Ne5 13.de5Nd7 14.Be7Qe7 15.f4 The position has been transformed.The dark square d6 has been weakened by the exchange of the bishops on e7.
15...Nf8 16.Qf2From this position the queen prepares for action in a different sector of the board.
16...b6 17.e4This is the beginning of a passage of play where it seems that the only direction that white is going is foward.
17...Bb7 18.Rad1Ne6 It appears that black is placed to deal with various white threats.The problem is that black is passively placed and has no target to aim at.
19.ed5!This exchange leaves b5 free for the knight.
19...cd5 20.Nb5 The knight heads for d6.
20...Nc5 21.Nd6Mission accomplished.To get this position against a strong GM like Akopian is a wonderful achievement.21...Re8
22.Rfe1a5 23.Bb1This is both a preparatory and information gathering move.It is possible that Ivan also had the idea of a3 and Ba2.
23...Bc6 24.Nf5!Qe6 25.Qh4g6 26.Nh6Kf8 27.f5!Qe7 28.f6!Qc7 29.Nf5!This position must have been a nightmare.Nothing is forced yet Ivan is able to develop a steady momentum.
29...h5 White now invades the weakened dark squares. 30.Qg5Ne6 31.Qh6Ke8 32.Nd6Rd6 This is perfectly understandable. However it introduces a new line of attack-the e-file.
33.ed6Qd6 34.Qh7 now f7 is the new focal point.
34...Kd8 35.Qf7Nf4 36.Qe7Qe7 37.Re7 and black had enough.1-0
So what were the key moments here?
A) The move 12.Ne5 and the subsequent exchange on e5.
B) The move 14.Be7 removing a defender of the dark squares.
C)15.f4 grabbed more space.
D)19.ed5 resulted in the knight's move to b5 and then to d6.
E)27.f4-f5 the beginning of an onslaught on the dark squares.
It should be noted that the c3 knight became a star player for white causing a lot of trouble. In this game most of the white pieces went forward and Ivan exploited the changes in the pawn structures very well against a strong GM with a good track record.
I wish to share with you a concept which some Grandmasters use in their openings especially with the white pieces when they assume the responsibility that comes with the white pieces. Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand and Carlsen all have this aura when they play with the white pieces. The impression is that they are the ones doing the action and their opponents just applaud. In many cases we see them assuming an unstoppable initiative. The positions are not all very forced and they find moves that prepare for onslaughts and keep the momentum going.
At the same time they are alert for counterplay. They also are aware of the GMs who try very solid variations in which they are happy to respond to the ideas of white and then develop potential as GM Rowson would put it.
In this small trilogy I will focus on a GM who is quite powerful with the white pieces.Ivan Sokolov, the Bosnian-Dutch player who really causes more than his fair share of problems with the white pieces. We shall see how he maintains the momentum with the white pieces in positions where there are no forced lines until much later in the middlegame.
Unto the game!
I Sokolov v Akopian
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nc3d5 By transposition, the players have reached the Queen's Gambit Declined, a favourite of the world's top players in the 80s and 90s until the Slav defence took over.
4.cd5ed5 5.Bg5Be7 6.e3c6 7.Bd3Nbd7 8.Qc2 This move order keeps open the possibility of playing 0-0-0 and Nge2.
8...0-0 9.Nf3Re8 10.h3Nf8This is the standard plan for black.The h7 square is over protected and the c8 bishop gets some air.However it requires a lot of patience. 11.0-0Ng6 12.Ne5Ne5 13.de5Nd7 14.Be7Qe7 15.f4 The position has been transformed.The dark square d6 has been weakened by the exchange of the bishops on e7.
15...Nf8 16.Qf2From this position the queen prepares for action in a different sector of the board.
16...b6 17.e4This is the beginning of a passage of play where it seems that the only direction that white is going is foward.
17...Bb7 18.Rad1Ne6 It appears that black is placed to deal with various white threats.The problem is that black is passively placed and has no target to aim at.
19.ed5!This exchange leaves b5 free for the knight.
19...cd5 20.Nb5 The knight heads for d6.
20...Nc5 21.Nd6Mission accomplished.To get this position against a strong GM like Akopian is a wonderful achievement.21...Re8
22.Rfe1a5 23.Bb1This is both a preparatory and information gathering move.It is possible that Ivan also had the idea of a3 and Ba2.
23...Bc6 24.Nf5!Qe6 25.Qh4g6 26.Nh6Kf8 27.f5!Qe7 28.f6!Qc7 29.Nf5!This position must have been a nightmare.Nothing is forced yet Ivan is able to develop a steady momentum.
29...h5 White now invades the weakened dark squares. 30.Qg5Ne6 31.Qh6Ke8 32.Nd6Rd6 This is perfectly understandable. However it introduces a new line of attack-the e-file.
33.ed6Qd6 34.Qh7 now f7 is the new focal point.
34...Kd8 35.Qf7Nf4 36.Qe7Qe7 37.Re7 and black had enough.1-0
So what were the key moments here?
A) The move 12.Ne5 and the subsequent exchange on e5.
B) The move 14.Be7 removing a defender of the dark squares.
C)15.f4 grabbed more space.
D)19.ed5 resulted in the knight's move to b5 and then to d6.
E)27.f4-f5 the beginning of an onslaught on the dark squares.
It should be noted that the c3 knight became a star player for white causing a lot of trouble. In this game most of the white pieces went forward and Ivan exploited the changes in the pawn structures very well against a strong GM with a good track record.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Theoretical highlights from Sunningdale Congress Part One
Hello Chess lovers, I would like to share with you the theoretical highlights of the August edition of the Sunningdale Congress. Before I get into the openings I would like to say that these tournaments organised by Sean Hewitt give hundreds of players an opportunity to earn norms and simply advance their ratings. Its a quiet venue in Windsor, England and hotel rates are ultra reasonable.The atmosphere is friendly and the playing conditions excellent.
Onto the first theoretical highlight featuring the really creative, out-of-comfort zone play by GM Simon Williams.
McClement v Williams Sunningdale Congress
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 giving the invitation to white.... 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3g6 ...so it looks like we will see a straight Dragon....
6.Be3a6 !? -This is not a new concept. GM Williams wrote a book on this line. Black does not just routinely play Bg7 and 0-0 allowing white to know the fixed address of the king. Instead he plays for an attack on e4 and to develop on the queenside. It is also an information gathering sequence. Imagine a young player booked up for the Dragon and ending up playing such a move order. All of a sudden new questions emerge about tempi lost and gained and where white should put his pieces.
7.f3(7.Qd2Ng4 was Ivanchuk v Ljubojevic 1992)b5!? Square denial. The c4 square is taken away from white's bishop.
8.Qd2Bb7
And now black's design are clearer. Black anticipates that white will castle long and so clears c8 for a rook.This means that it is black who will be poised for an attack. Pyschologically this is really hard for white. Generally he has a bishop on b3 in normal Dragon lines. Now white is having to adjust to black's ideas.
9.Bd3Nbd7 10.0-0-0e5!? 11.Nb3
All of a sudden the big picture changes. The problem for white is that his pieces are in the path of black's pawns. between moves 11 and 17 the board changes irrevocably with pawn advances by black.
11....b4 12.Ne2a5 13.Kb1Qc7 14.g4a4! 15.Nbc1a3 16.b3d5! black has more than equalized. He has shifted white from an offensive mindset to a defensive mindset.
17.g5d4 18.Bf2Nh5!? contesting f4 and physically delaying h4-h5 ideas.
19.h4Be7 20.Rdf10-0 - an interesting decision.GM Williams realized that the move 17.g5 prevents Bh6.
Therefore the danger of a mate on the dark squares is remote.
21.Ng3Nf4 22.Nce2Ne2 23.Ne2Rfc8 24.h5Ba6 25.Rfg1Nc5 26.hg6hg6 27.Rg2Ne6 28.Rhg1 and here we can see that the game is simply in black's favour. Black's pieces are poised on key squares and lines.The g5 pawn is a key concern and other points will soon receive GM William's treatments.
28...Bd3 29.cd3Ra6!? 30.Rc1Rc6! 31.Rc6Qc6 32.f4Nc5 black continues to improve his position.In this phase of the game, no concrete tactical variations need to be calculated. The simple aim is piece optimization.
33.Qc2Qa6 34.Qc4?! -The lower rated player often does this.Seeking the refuge of a simpler position he exchanges a valuable piece. The problem is that pawn structure changes radically in favour of black.
34...Qc4 35.dc4d3! 36.Ng3ef4 Things fall apart. 37.Bc5Rc5 38.Nf1Bg5 and black has a massive edge.White puts up symbolic resistance. 39.Nd2Bf6 40.Nf3Rh5 41.Kc1Bc3 and white had enough.
so ...0-1 In this game GM Williams did not play a single move novelty but rather developed an entire concept of playing. Some of the key phases came early.
1) 7....b5 took away c4 and prepared Bb7.
2) 10...e5!? fixed the e4 pawn and also contested f4.
3) Moves 11 -17 radically altered the pawn structure in black's favour.
4) It was uncomfortable for white to shift from offence to defense.
Onto the first theoretical highlight featuring the really creative, out-of-comfort zone play by GM Simon Williams.
McClement v Williams Sunningdale Congress
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 giving the invitation to white.... 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3g6 ...so it looks like we will see a straight Dragon....
6.Be3a6 !? -This is not a new concept. GM Williams wrote a book on this line. Black does not just routinely play Bg7 and 0-0 allowing white to know the fixed address of the king. Instead he plays for an attack on e4 and to develop on the queenside. It is also an information gathering sequence. Imagine a young player booked up for the Dragon and ending up playing such a move order. All of a sudden new questions emerge about tempi lost and gained and where white should put his pieces.
7.f3(7.Qd2Ng4 was Ivanchuk v Ljubojevic 1992)b5!? Square denial. The c4 square is taken away from white's bishop.
8.Qd2Bb7
And now black's design are clearer. Black anticipates that white will castle long and so clears c8 for a rook.This means that it is black who will be poised for an attack. Pyschologically this is really hard for white. Generally he has a bishop on b3 in normal Dragon lines. Now white is having to adjust to black's ideas.
9.Bd3Nbd7 10.0-0-0e5!? 11.Nb3
All of a sudden the big picture changes. The problem for white is that his pieces are in the path of black's pawns. between moves 11 and 17 the board changes irrevocably with pawn advances by black.
11....b4 12.Ne2a5 13.Kb1Qc7 14.g4a4! 15.Nbc1a3 16.b3d5! black has more than equalized. He has shifted white from an offensive mindset to a defensive mindset.
17.g5d4 18.Bf2Nh5!? contesting f4 and physically delaying h4-h5 ideas.
19.h4Be7 20.Rdf10-0 - an interesting decision.GM Williams realized that the move 17.g5 prevents Bh6.
Therefore the danger of a mate on the dark squares is remote.
21.Ng3Nf4 22.Nce2Ne2 23.Ne2Rfc8 24.h5Ba6 25.Rfg1Nc5 26.hg6hg6 27.Rg2Ne6 28.Rhg1 and here we can see that the game is simply in black's favour. Black's pieces are poised on key squares and lines.The g5 pawn is a key concern and other points will soon receive GM William's treatments.
28...Bd3 29.cd3Ra6!? 30.Rc1Rc6! 31.Rc6Qc6 32.f4Nc5 black continues to improve his position.In this phase of the game, no concrete tactical variations need to be calculated. The simple aim is piece optimization.
33.Qc2Qa6 34.Qc4?! -The lower rated player often does this.Seeking the refuge of a simpler position he exchanges a valuable piece. The problem is that pawn structure changes radically in favour of black.
34...Qc4 35.dc4d3! 36.Ng3ef4 Things fall apart. 37.Bc5Rc5 38.Nf1Bg5 and black has a massive edge.White puts up symbolic resistance. 39.Nd2Bf6 40.Nf3Rh5 41.Kc1Bc3 and white had enough.
so ...0-1 In this game GM Williams did not play a single move novelty but rather developed an entire concept of playing. Some of the key phases came early.
1) 7....b5 took away c4 and prepared Bb7.
2) 10...e5!? fixed the e4 pawn and also contested f4.
3) Moves 11 -17 radically altered the pawn structure in black's favour.
4) It was uncomfortable for white to shift from offence to defense.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Crisis Point in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
Hello Chess Lovers,
I think that the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit needs to be addressed by anyone contemplating an
entry into the world of the Slav and Semi-Slav. Its very important to understand that it is not
a gambit built on rapid attacks. Its built on the notion that open e and f-files and a clear a2-g8
diagonal offer lots of chances for active play.
Black's responses depend on the move orders white chooses:
A) 1d4d5 2.Nc3Nf6 3.e4Ne4 4.Ne4de4
And now for a number of responses:
A1) 5.f3e5! Black has a lot of scope for trouble free development.
A2) 5.Bc4Nc6 6.c3e5 One can see a clear repetition of the ideas for black.Strong central reactions.
A3) 5.Bf4e6 6.Qd2c5 7.0-0cd4 8.Bb5Nc6 9.Ne2Bd7
In all of these cases black manages to get on with development and strike out in the centre.
B) 1.d4d5 2.e4de4 3.Nc3Nf6 4.f3ef3 5.Nf3g6 6.Bc4Bg7 7.0-00-0 8.Qe1Nc6 9.Qh4Bg4
10.Be3Bf3 11.Rf3e5 12.Rd1Nd4 13.Rf2b5 with an advantage for black.
Black has no trouble in finding very easy moves. White on the other hand has to keep justifying his gambit.
At move ten, black took off a potentially strong knight. The thematic e7-e5 came in and the centre was liquidated thereafter. I believe this is where white has work to do to justify the investment of a pawn.
You can have fun with Rybka or Fritz on this. Blessings. John
I think that the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit needs to be addressed by anyone contemplating an
entry into the world of the Slav and Semi-Slav. Its very important to understand that it is not
a gambit built on rapid attacks. Its built on the notion that open e and f-files and a clear a2-g8
diagonal offer lots of chances for active play.
Black's responses depend on the move orders white chooses:
A) 1d4d5 2.Nc3Nf6 3.e4Ne4 4.Ne4de4
And now for a number of responses:
A1) 5.f3e5! Black has a lot of scope for trouble free development.
A2) 5.Bc4Nc6 6.c3e5 One can see a clear repetition of the ideas for black.Strong central reactions.
A3) 5.Bf4e6 6.Qd2c5 7.0-0cd4 8.Bb5Nc6 9.Ne2Bd7
In all of these cases black manages to get on with development and strike out in the centre.
B) 1.d4d5 2.e4de4 3.Nc3Nf6 4.f3ef3 5.Nf3g6 6.Bc4Bg7 7.0-00-0 8.Qe1Nc6 9.Qh4Bg4
10.Be3Bf3 11.Rf3e5 12.Rd1Nd4 13.Rf2b5 with an advantage for black.
Black has no trouble in finding very easy moves. White on the other hand has to keep justifying his gambit.
At move ten, black took off a potentially strong knight. The thematic e7-e5 came in and the centre was liquidated thereafter. I believe this is where white has work to do to justify the investment of a pawn.
You can have fun with Rybka or Fritz on this. Blessings. John
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