Kenilworth Chess Club

A good way to prevent Benjamin from playing his bullet proof Philidor.

2… Nf6

It’s not so easy to get a Philidor type position here, since White’s f4 possibilities lead to a different sort of pressure: 2… d6 3. Bc4 Nf6 (3… Be6!?) 4. d3 Nc6 (4… Be7 5. f4 white is slightly better ) 5. a3 (5. f4?! Na5!) 5… Be6 6. Nd5 with a view toward an early f4 looks good for White.

3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Be7!?

Likely Benjamin was trying to sidestep his opponent’s preparation. This is not considered Black’s best continuation; the chief alternatives are much more active.

a) 5… Bc5! 6. Qe2 (6. d4 Bb4=) 6… Bf2+ 7. Kd1 Nxc3+ 8. dxc3 Bb6 black is slightly better

b) 5… Bg4 6. Qe2 Nxc3 7. dxc3 Nc6 8. Bf4 Qd7 9. O-O-O O-O-O 10. Qe3=

6. Qe2

6… Nc5?!

This has got to be the least good of Black’s options.

a) 6… Ng5!? 7. d4 c6 was Karpov’s choice

b) 6… Nxc3! 7. dxc3 c5 8. Bf4 Nc6 and Black s hould quickly develop and try to castle queenside with no difficulties.

7. d4 Ne6 8. Be3 O-O

Black seems committed to castling kingside here, but now White has a clear target.

8… f5!? might be the best move here, with the idea of reducing White’s attacking chances on the kingside before castling, e.g.: 9. exf6 Bxf6 10. O-O-O O-O and the Black king looks a little safer.

9. O-O-O c6

9… b6!? is an alternative, with ideas like Ba6, c5, and f6 in view, but White gets great attacking chances there as well: 10. Qd2 (10. Qf2!?) 10… Ba6 11. h4 Bxf1 12. Rdxf1 Nc6 13. Bg5 (13. Ng5! is probably even stronger) 13… Qd7 14. Nd1 f6 (14… h6? 15. Bxh6! with attack ) 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. c3 Rf7 17. Ne3 Raf8 18. Qd3 Qd8 19. Re1 h6 20. Bxf6 Nf4 21. Qd2 Rxf6 22. Kb1 Qd6 23. Ka1 Nxg2 24. Qxg2 Rxf3 25. Rhg1 R8f7 26. Nxd5 Kf8 27. Qe2 Ne7 28. c4 c6 29. Nc3 g6 30. d5 cxd5 31. cxd5 Nxd5 32. Qd2 R3f5 33. Qxh6+ Rg7 34. Rxg6 1-0 Hector,J-Brull,C

10. Qe1

Some previous games have gone 10. Qf2 b5 11. h4 (11. Bd3 b4 12. Ne2 a5 13. h4 f5 14. exf6 Rxf6 15. Bg5 Rf8 16. Qg3 Nd7 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Rde1 Nf6 19. Ng5 Nxg5 20. hxg5 Ne4 21. Bxe4 Qxe4 22. Rh4 Qe7 23. Nf4 Qd6 24. Re5 Bf5 25. Qe3 Ra7 26. Rh1 Be4 27. Ne6 Re8 28. Qh3 g6 29. Nc7 Re7 30. Qc8+ Kg7 31. Rxe7+ 1-0 Mallahi,A-Ganbold,O/Shenyang CHN 1999) 11… Nd7 12. Bd3 b4 13. Ne2 Qa5 14. Ng5 g6 15. Nxh7 Ba6 16. Nxf8 Rxf8 17. Bxa6 Qxa6 18. h5 g5 19. Kb1 Nb6 20. Rh3 Nc4 21. Bc1 f5 22. exf6 Bxf6 23. Rf3 Kg7 24. h6+ Kg6 25. Rf1 Nf4 26. Nxf4+ gxf4 27. Rxf4 c5 28. Rxf6+ 1-0 Hector,J-Schmid

10… Nd7

10… b5 11. Qg3 b4 12. Ne2 Qa5 13. Kb1 Na6 14. Nc1! white is slightly better

11. Bd3 f6 12. Qg3 fxe5

12… f5!? 13. Ne2! (13. Rdf1 f4! 14. Qh3 g6 15. Bf2 (15. Qxe6+?! Kh8 black is slightly better ) 15… Nb6 with counterplay ) 13… Qa5 14. Kb1 c5 15. Qh3 g6 is not so appetizing.

13. Bxh7+! Kxh7 14. Qh3+ Kg8 15. Qxe6+ Rf7 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Qxe5 Bg4

After this forced sequence, Fritz thinks Black is at least equal despite being down a pawn. I don’t see the compensation.

18. Rde1 Bd6 19. Qg5 Qxg5 20. Bxg5 Rf2 21. g3 Bb4

Forcing the Exchange of one Bishop for a Knight, which leaves behind opposite colored Bishops, which should complicate White’s task.

22. Be3! Rf3 23. Rhf1 Raf8 24. Rxf3 Rxf3 25. Kd2 Kf7 26. a3 Bxc3+ 27. bxc3 Bf5 28. a4 Be4 29. a5! Ke6

The only way to fight for a win with Bishops of Opposite color is to play on both sides of the board at once. White develops queenside activity to go with his kingside majority.

30. Rb1 Rf7 31. Bf4 Kf5 32. h4 Kg4 33. Rb4 Re7 34. c4! dxc4 35. Rxc4 b5 36. Rc5 Bd5 37. a6!

Fixing Black’s a-pawn on a dark square so that it can be a target.

37… Re4 38. Kc3 Re1 39. Kb2 Re4 40. Be5 g5 41. hxg5 Kxg5 42. Rc3 Kg4 43. Bb8! Rxd4 44. Bxa7 Rb4+

45. Rb3! Ra4

There is no stopping the a-pawn without great sacrifice: 45… Bxb3 46. cxb3 Re4 47. Bb8 Re7 48. a7 white has a decisive advantage

46. Ra3 c5 47. Bxc5 Rc4 48. Bd6 b4 49. Rd3 Be4 50. a7 Rc8 51. Rd4!

Black forfeits on time

1-0

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 cxd4 6. Nxd4 O-O 7. Nc3 Qc7 8. b3 d5 9. O-O dxc4 10. Ndb5 Qa5

10… Qc5 11. Ba3 Qe5 12. bxc4

11. Bf4 Nh5 12. Bc7 Qb4 13. a3 Qc5

13… Qxb3? 14. Qd2 a6 15. Rfb1 white has a moderate advantage

14. b4 Qf5 15. Rc1 Nc6 16. Nd5 Qd7 17. Rxc4 Nf6 18. Bf4 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 e5! 20. Bg5 h6 21. Be3 Ne7 22. Nc7 Nxd5 23. Nxd5

23. Nxa8? Nxe3 24. fxe3 Qxd1 25. Rxd1 Be6 black has a moderate advantage

23… Rd8 24. Rc2

24… Kh8?!

a) 24… Qxd5!? 25. Rd2 Qxd2! 26. Bxd2 Bh3 27. e4 (27. Re1? e4 black has a decisive advantage ) 27… Bxf1 28. Kxf1 Rd3 29. Qc1 Rad8 30. Be1 Rd1 position is unclear

b) 24… Qe8! 25. Rd2 Bh3! 26. Nc7 Rxd2 27. Qxd2 Qc6 28. Nd5 Kh7 black has a moderate advantage

25. Rd2

25. Qc1!

25… Qh3??

25… Qc6

26. Nc7 Rxd2 27. Qxd2 Rb8 28. Bxa7

Black forfeits on time, which suggests to me she just walked away from the board at this point in disgust.

1-0

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h3 O-O 6. Be3 c6

7. Qd2

7. a4!? d5?! 8. e5 Ne4 9. Bd3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 c5 11. h4! with initiative

7… b5!?

Vigus considers White’s 7.Qd2 imprecise due to his response: 7… e5! 8. dxe5 (8. O-O-O Qa5 9. g4!?) 8… dxe5 9. Bd3 Nbd7 and Black seems to reorganize. But I have to agree with Fritz that White looks good after 10. g4!

8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. O-O Bb7 10. e5 Ne8 11. exd6 Nxd6 12. Bh6 Qb6 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Ne5 Rad8 15. Qe3 Nf6 16. Rfe1 Bc8 17. Qf3 Bb7 18. Qe3 Bc8 19. Rad1 Bf5 20. Qf3 Rc8 21. g4 Bxd3 22. Nxd3 Rfe8

White has some pressure, but nothing Black cannot handle.

23. Ne5 b4 24. Na4 Qa5 25. Nc5 Qxa2 26. Nxc6 Qd5 27. Qxd5 Nxd5 28. Ne5 Nb5= 29. Nf3 Nxd4 30. Nxd4 Rxc5 31. Nb3 Rb5 32. Re5 e6 33. Nd4 Rb6 34. Nxe6+ Rbxe6 35. Rexd5 Rc8 36. R1d2 Rec6 37. Rb5 Rxc2 38. Rxc2 Rxc2 39. Rxb4 Kf6

40. Kg2 Rd2 41. Kg3 Rd3+ 42. f3 Rd2 43. h4 h6 44. Kf4 Re2 45. Rb5 g5+ 46. hxg5+ hxg5+ 47. Rxg5 Rxb2 48. Rf5+ Kg6 49. Ra5 Rb7 50. Kg3 Rc7 51. Kh4 Rb7 52. f4 f6 53. f5+ Kg7 54. Ra6 Kf7 55. Kh5 Kg7 56. Rd6 Rc7 57. Ra6 Rb7 58. g5 fxg5 59. Kxg5 Kf7 60. Rh6 Rb6 61. Rh7+ Kf8 62. Rxa7 Rc6 63. Rh7 Kg8 64. Ra7 Kf8

Game drawn by mutual agreement

1/2-1/2

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. Bd3 h6 11. Bh4 g5!

A well known concept in the Najdorf and a well respected defensive idea in this well known position.

12. fxg5 Ne5 13. Qe2 Nfg4 14. h3

Probably better is 14. Nf3 hxg5 (14… Nxf3 15. Qxf3 Ne5 16. Qh5 Ng6 17. Bg3 hxg5 18. Qf3 Ne5 19. Bxe5 dxe5 20. Rdf1 Rh7 21. h4 gxh4 22. Qg4 Rh6 23. g3 Rg6 24. Qf3 Rf6 25. Qh5 Rxf1+ 26. Rxf1 hxg3 27. Qxf7+ Kd7 28. Rd1 Kc6 29. Qg6 Bh4 30. Nd5 Qd6 31. Qe8+ Bd7 32. Qxa8 exd5 33. Bxa6 Qc7 34. Rxd5 Bg5+ 35. Kb1 Qb6 36. Bb5+ Qxb5 37. Rxb5 1-0 So,W (2540)-Adly,A (2578)/Dubai UAE 2008) 15. Bg3 (15. Bxg5 Bxg5+ 16. Nxg5 Qc5! 17. Nh3 Bd7 with counterplay ) 15… Bd7 16. Rhf1 Qc5 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Kb1 Rc8 19. Bf2 Qa5 20. Bd4 Rh6 21. h4 Rxh4 22. g3 Rh8 23. Qf2 Rc6 24. Bxe5 Qxe5 25. Qxf7+ Kd8 26. Ne2 Rf8 27. Qh7 Rh8 28. Qf7 Rf8 29. Qh7 Rh8 1/2-1/2 Shirov,A (2740)-Ivanchuk,V (2740)/Leon ESP 2008

14… hxg5 15. Bg3 Nf6 16. Rhf1 Nh5!

16… Bd7 17. Nf3 Nh5 18. Bh2 Nf4 19. Qd2 Nfxd3+ 20. cxd3 Nxf3 21. Rxf3 g4 22. Rg3 b5! 23. Kb1 b4 24. Ne2 e5 (24… b3) 25. d4 Qb7 26. Qe3?! Rh4 27. dxe5 dxe5 28. Rd5 f6 29. Qf2 Be6 30. Rgd3 Rh8 31. Ng3 Bxd5 black has a decisive advantage 0-1 Filipek,J (2359)-Baklan,V (2591)/Antwerp BEL 1999 (39)