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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 dxc4!?

Some variations lie hidden, waiting to be discovered, re-evaluated or reinvented.  Conceivably 3...dxc4, a little used move, could have a very big future.  It's much sharper than 3...Nf6.  Black makes a concerted effort to hold on to his pawn, causing White maximum inconvenience.

4.e3 Be6!?

This either works or it doesn't.  Black will be slaughtered or end up a hero.  Personally I would feel a little uncomfortable at the sight of 4...Be6 because, how can I put it, the move is very provocative.  One knows that one is obliged to press hard for the advantage but how exactly?  This is clearly the dilemma that affects Izoria in this game.  He knows something, but not enough.

5.Nc3 b5 6.a4 b4 7.Ne4

7.Na2 seems to win back the pawn, but it will take White quite some time to get organized : 7...a5 8.Ng5 Bc8 9.Bxc4 e6 10.e4 Be7 11.Nf3 Nf6 12.Qc2 Bb7 13.Bg5 Nbd7 14.0-0 c5=

Reminding me of the line 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 e3!?  If White was given time to play the knight manoeuvre Na2-c1-b3 he might hold the advantage but Riazantsev is right on the button.  15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.dxc5 0-0 17.Bb5 b3! 18.Qxb3 Nxc5 19.Qe3 Nxe4 20.Rfd1 Qb8 21.Nc3 Nd6 22.Nd4 Rc8  ½-½ Filippov, V - Riazantsev, A/56th ch-RUS, Krasnoyarsk RUS 2003

This guy seems to like the quick draw as you will see.  If anyone is better here, it is Black!

7...Nf6 8.Nc5

8.Ned2 Bd5 9.Bxc4 e6 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Qe2 c5 12.e4 Bxc4 13.Nxc4 cxd4 14.e5 Nd5 15.Bg5 Qb8 was the provocative course of a recent game between GM and lower-rated opponent.  Black wants to win and is willing to embrace a rather risky position hoping that the other guy goes wrong.  16.Nxd4 Bc5 17.Nb5 0-0 18.Nbd6?  Tukmakov's assessment is correct - White errs.  (Instead 18.Rfd1 was equal.) 18...Bd4 19.Rad1 Bxe5! 20.Nxe5 Qxd6 21.Nxd7 Qxd7 22.a5 a6 23.Qg4 Rab8 24.Bh6 f5 25.Qg3 Rb5 26.Bd2 Qe7 27.Bg5 Qf7 28.Qd6 Rxa5 29.Rfe1 Re8 30.Bd8 Ra2 31.g3 Rxb2 32.Qe5 Nc3 33.Rd6 Ra2 34.Qd4 Nb5 0-1 Kappeler, K-Tukmakov, V / Open, Winterthur SUI 2003.

8...Bd5 9.Ne5

I think White entertains hopes of winning the Bishop on d5.  9.Qc2 was a more severe test for Kupreichik: 9...e6 10.Bxc4 Bxc5 11.dxc5 Be4 (Here Black can definitely consider 11...Qa5!? 12.Bxd5 {12.b3 Qxc5 13.Bb2 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nbd7 with an unclear position} 12...cxd5 13.b3 Ne4 14.Bb2 Qxc5) 12.Qd2 Qa5 13.Qd6 Nbd7 14.Bd2 Rd8 15.Nd4 Bxg2

a) Here I suggest 15...Qxc5!

as an improvement : 16.Qxc5 Nxc5 17.f3 Bd5 18.Bxb4 Nfd7 19.Bxd5 (19.Be2 Rb8 20.Bc3 e5 21.Nf5 g6 with an unclear position) 19...cxd5 20.Ke2 Rb8 with an unclear position.

b) 15...Nxc5 16.Nxc6! Rxd6 17.Nxa5 Nd3+ 18.Bxd3 Rxd3 19.f3 Ba8 20.Ke2±.

16.Nxe6!! A devastating shot. 16...Rb8 17.Nxg7+ Kd8 18.Rg1 Bd5 19.Bxd5 cxd5 20.Rc1 Qc7 21.Nf5 Qxd6 22.Nxd6 Ne5 23.Ke2 Kd7 24.f4 Nc6 25.Rg7 Ke6 26.f5+ Ke5 27.Nxf7+ Kxf5 28.Rf1+ Ke6 29.Nxh8 1-0 Georgiev, V-Kupreichik, V/1st GM, Kish IRI 2003.  The master gets a taste of his own medicine but as I have indicated, Black has at least two ways to improve.

9...e6 10.f3

10.Nxc4 Bxc4 11.Bxc4 Bxc5 ½-½ Beliavsky,A-Riazantsev,A/Linares 2003 tells us little apart from the fact that this was a prearranged draw.  Black is clearly better after 12.dxc5 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 Nbd7 14.a5 Ne4!

10...Bxc5 11.dxc5 Nfd7!

A novelty.  Kupreichik performs the juggling act needed to keep the Bishop on d5 alive admirably.  His novelty lets the Queen loose although Rausis has shown that there is an alternative :  11...Nbd7 12.Qd4 0-0 13.e4 Nxe5 14.Qxe5 Nd7 15.Qd6 Qh4+ 16.g3 Qf6 17.exd5

He wins the Bishop but allows tremendous activity.  17...Qxf3 18.dxc6 Qe4+ 19.Kf2 Ne5 20.c7 f6 21.Kg1 Nf3+ 22.Kf2 Ne5 23.Kg1 Nf3+ 24.Kf2 ½-½  Karr,J-Rausis,I/Paris 1998.

12.Nxd7

I guess Black's point would be revealed after 12.Qd4 Qf6!  Kupreichik doesn't mention this move in his Informator notes; presumably he wants to catch someone else with this stuff.  13.Nxd7 ( 13.Nxc4 e5 14.Qg4 h5 15.Qg3 Bxc4 16.Bxc4 Nxc5) 13...Qxd4 14.exd4 Nxd7

12...Nxd7 13.e4 Bxe4! 14.fxe4 Qh4+ 15.Ke2

Kupreichik gives 15.Kd2 Nxc5 and Black brings a Rook swiftly to d8 with carnage.

15...Ne5!

It will be important to cover f3 and c4 too.

16.Qd2

Around this stage of the game I imagine that Izoria had already begun to accept his fate.  Kupreichik with the attack is a lethal weapon!

There is no decent alternative to 16 Qd2 because White's King is too open:

a)  16.Qc2 b3! 17.Qc3 Nd3 18.Qxc4 Qe1+ 19.Kxd3 0-0-0+ -+;
b)  16.Qe1 Qxe4+ 17.Be3 Rd8 18.Qf2 c3 19.bxc3 Qc2+ -+;
c)  16.Qd4 Qh5+ 17.g4 Nxg4 18.Qxg7 Ne5+ 19.Ke1 Qh4+ 20.Qg3 Qxe4+ 21.Qe3 Nd3+ 22.Bxd3 Qxh1+ 23.Bf1 Qxh2

16...Nd3 17.Qe3 Qe1+

Now a comical King march follows, all the way to mate!

18.Kf3 Ne5+ 19.Kf4 Qh4+ 20.Kxe5 Qf6+ 21.Kd6

Credit to Izoria; he plays the game out!

21...e5+ 22.Kc7 Qd8+ 23.Kxc6 Qd7 mate 0-1

Breathtaking!

It seems that after 4 ...Be6 5 Nc3 b5 Black is very much alive and kicking and the position is so unbalanced that it can easily go Black's way very swiftly indeed in the case of even a small mistake.  Next week we will see whether White has any better.
 

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