|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Chessville
From the
Green
Regulation
|
The Essential Centre-Counter I am very pleased this month to be able to present some
extracts from my forthcoming book on the Centre-Counter. There is no
opening quite like it and my researches show that 2....Qxd5 is perfectly
playable at any level. It is in fact, a very good weapon for the
average player to achieve good results with and it's relatively easy to
master. Start reading and learning with Part One
of The Essential Center-Counter. Delorme,L (2037) - Molenaar,J (2171) [B01]
[Click here to
follow along on an interactive JavaScript board] 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3 c6 6.Bd2
I regard this as possibly White's most dangerous try against the modern Center-Counter, particularly lines where Black intends ..Bf5. Most definitely, Black must not be caught 'shunting' out the pieces himself. Good points from the White side:
Friends, let us not be downhearted! We must recognize the danger, back ourselves confidently and take appropriate action. 6...Qc7! Wisest. Black buggers off. 7.Nge2 A) 7.f4!?
is a very recent try; in fact I never saw it before this following game. Ignore the result because Conquest is simply much stronger. I will suggest improvements for Black. 7...Bf5 8.Nf3 e6 9.0-0 Bd6 So far, so OK. Black hits f4 and keeps White out of e5. 10.Ng5 Nbd7 11.a4 Nb6 12.Bb3 0-0-0 13.a5 Nbd5 14.a6 b6 15.Qc1 Bc5+ (Inserting 15...Nh5! 16.g3 Nhf6 is very worthwhile. Due to the porous nature of his King, White is worse.) 16.Kh1 h6 17.Nf3 g5 (17...Rhe8! is a second improvement, planning ..e6-e5 at the right moment, refusing to weaken.) 18.Ne2 Bd6 19.Ra4 Bg4 20.Nfd4 Nh5 21.Rc4 c5 22.Nb5 Qd7 23.Nxd6+ Qxd6 24.Nc3 Ndxf4 25.Nb5 Qd7 (25...Qb8!) 26.Ba4 Qe7 27.b4 Be2 28.bxc5 bxc5 29.Qb2 Nxd3 30.cxd3 Rxd3 31.Rfc1 1-0 Conquest,S-Saptarshi,R/Mumbai IND 2004; B) 7.Qe2 Bf5 8.Nf3 e6 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.Rhe1 0-0-0 11.h3 doesn't seem over-frightening. 11...Bg6 12.Nh4 Nb6 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Bb3 Bd6= appears an appropriate response. 7...Bf5 8.Ng3 Bg6 9.Nce4 A novelty. A) 9.Qe2 e6 10.f4 Bd6 is rather critical I would say:
If Black survives this variation with flying colours he is really in business. We must determine whether f4-f5 is a real threat at every stage. If it is not, Black proceeds as per the programme. 11.Rf1 Nbd7 12.Nce4 Now that the Knight on g3 is protected, f4-f5 becomes a worry. 12...0-0-0?! (I think I prefer 12...Nxe4! 13.Nxe4 Be7
which is as safe as houses. The immediate attack isn't
working : 14.f5 Bxf5 15.Bf4 Qa5+ 16.c3 0-0 (16...b5!? 17.Bb3 (17.b4 Qd8
18.Bb3 Nf6) 17...b4 with an unclear position; 13.0-0-0 (13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.0-0-0 looks a bit better
for White.) 13...Rhe8 (13...Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Be7 15.Bc3 B) 9.Qf3 e6 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Bf4 is a final try, hoping to exploit the early retreat of Black's Queen. However, White played Bd2 himself earlier so tempos are equal. 11...Qb6 (11...Bd6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Rfe1 0-0 looks like nothing whatsoever for White.) 12.Bb3 Be7 13.Rfe1 0-0 14.Nge4 Rad8 But perhaps this is nothing either. 15.Na4 Qa5 16.Qg3 Nd5 17.Bd2 Qa6 18.Nac3 N7f6 19.Bc4 Nxe4 20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Rxe4 Qc6 22.Rg4 dxc4 23.Rxc4 Qxc4 24.dxc4 Rxd2 25.Qc7 Rfd8 26.h3 Rd1+ 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kh2 Bd6+ 0-1 Weidner,J-Patscha,E/Hiddenhausen, 1996 9...Nbd7 10.Qe2 e6 11.0-0 Be7 12.f4
White was not to be talked out of his favourite move but the question remains: is it any good? The f-pawn leaves possible dark-squared weaknesses in the wake. 12...0-0-0 Combative. I think 12...0-0 13.Rae1 b5!
is maybe technically best, giving Black easy equality e.g.
14.Bb3 (14.f5? exf5! 15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.Bb3 Bxb2 13.b4 h5 14.Nxf6 14.f5 would avoid embarrassment to the Knight on g3. 14...Nxf6 15.Qf2 c5 16.h3 h4 17.Ne2 Ne4!
I guess this was just the sort of game he was aiming for. 18.dxe4 Rxd2 19.Qe1 Rd7 There was no real objection to 19...Rxc2 20.Bb3 Rb2 21.Rc1 Bxe4! but a guy like this obviously doesn't want the same treatment that he dishes out. 20.Bb5 Rdd8 21.Nc1 a6 22.f5 Bh7 23.Be2 c4 I don't see why he doesn't take on b4: 23...cxb4 24.Nd3 exf5 25.exf5 Rhe8 24.fxe6 Qe5 25.Rb1 Bd6 26.g3 hxg3 27.Bg4 Qd4+ 28.Kg2 Bxe4+ 29.Bf3 Bxf3+ 30.Rxf3 Rxh3 31.Kxh3 Rh8+ 0-1 OK, we have the picture. Black is a relentless
attacking maniac. Good play! It seems that White's opening idea
of 6 Bd2 should be met carefully with 6..Qc7! You can then develop
regularly having taken away his little fun with Nd5. f4-f5 has to be
carefully watched and calculated. Speedy castling (on either side)
would appear to be essential. On to Part Three of The Essential Center-Counter [Index of IM Andrew Martin's columns]
|
Place Your Ad Advertise to Single insert:
The
|
||||
|
||||||
) 14.Nxd6+ ± Leuw,M-Gozzoli,C/La Fere FRA 2004. Please note the improvement at move
12 carefully.
) 14...Bxe4 15.Nxe4 (15.dxe4
Nc5=) 15...Nxe4 16.dxe4 Nc5=
