In SOS-5 Adrian Mikhalchishin wrote about the Romanishin Gambit. In the 2007
Georgian Championship Levan Pantsulaia played an exciting game (which ended in
a draw) against David Arutinian. Let's look at that game and take into account
some other recent practical examples.
This is the so-called Romanishin Gambit. It is a gambit only after 5.
d4
- a move that is not very popular as Black simply obtains too much
compensation. See SOS-5 for the details.
This quiet reaction is one of the main options.
A) 5.
c6 (stronger looks
5...d5)
6.b3
7.d4
8.
(8...
9.
d6
10.
bxc4
11.bxc4
e5
12.d5
0-0
13.
14.0-0
15.dxc6!
16. (with
simple means White has gained a significant positional edge)
16...
17.cxd5
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. and
White had won a pawn in Saatdjian-Zelcic, Cannes 2007;
B) 5.d3
6.0-0
c5
7.e4
d6
8.
9.a4
bxc4
10.
11.a5
0-0 with about equal chances in Rahman-Reefat, Dhaka 2007;
C) 5.0-0
bxc4
6. (for
6. see
SOS-5)
6...d5
7.
dxc4
(7...c5)
8.
c6
9.d3
10.
11.
(11.
cxd3
12.exd3
13.
11...
12.
13.
14.
and
the minor pieces were stronger than rook and pawn despite the fact that White
has some additional positional compensation. Yagiz-Gelashvili, Athens 2006.
Equally popular is
5... (of
course play after 5...c5 can easily transpose into lines after 5.. .
b7
and vice versa)
6. (this
was Pantsulaia's choice earlier in the same Georgian Championship. White can
also play
6.0-0
c5
7. and
now:
7...
(7...
8.d3
(8.
bxc4
9.bxc4
was
seen in some earlier Romanishin games)
8...0-0
9.
d5
(9...
10.
11.e3
12.
13.
with
equality in Kiss-Romanishin, Kavala 2006)
8.cxb5?!
axb5
9.d4
d5
10.
11.e3
12.dxc5
gave
Black a strong central position in Grunberg-Ivanov, Bucharest 2007)
6...bxc4
(6...c6 has been played by Aronian, while Romanishin himself
has preferred
6...b4
7.
d6)
7.bxc4
c5
8.
9.0-0
10. (this
was given in SOS-5 as slightly better for White. Therefore Black should
concentrate on 6...c6 or 6...b4)
10...d6
11.e4
12.e5!
dxe5
13.
14.
0-0
15. Now
White was better in Pantsulaia-Gelazonia, Tbilisi 2007. Later he was worse, but
he managed to upset the balance again and won in the end.
6... has
always been Romanishin's preference - see SOS-5.
A) 8.e3
9.
(9...
10.
11.d3
12.
0-0
13.
d6
14.d4
15.
bxc4
16.
and
Black's position is perhaps already slightly preferable as he has managed to
exchange his b-pawn for White's c -pawn. Kern-Dautov, German Bundesliga
2006/2007.
B) 8.d3
9.e4
d6
10.h3
11.
0-0
12.
b4
13.
14.
15.
was
equal in Butnorius-Van Hoolandt, Dresden 2007.
C) Nothing is gained by
8.d4
cxd4
9.
10.
11.
12.
Gustafsson-Navara,
Ermioni 2006.
If
8... then
9.e4
10.e5
More ambitious than
10.d3
11.h3
12.
13.
0-0
14.h4
15.
16. ½-½
Rahman-Kurajica, Turin Olympiad 2006.
This is more ambitious than the solid
10...
A typical (Sicilian) sacrifice. White may also consider
12. postponing
the sacrifice of the knight until after
12...e5
13.
for example
13...exd4
14.e5
dxe5
15.
16.c5
17.
18. with
unclear play.
A quiet positional continuation. Black is clearly taking over after the
forcing
14.
0-0!
(14...
15.
15.
16.
17.
with
a winning attack.
White also has compensation after
15...b4
16.a5.
17...
18.
is
hard to calculate behind the board - 19.
a1.
The text is natural.
Seeking employ for his h-rook.
This is best, but to some extent an admission of failure. All the light
pieces are exchanged now.
Black is a (not too active) piece up. However, he cannot prevent the
invasion of his second rank.
Now White has three pawns for the piece and Black's king's position is
airy. Yet, it is only Black who can play for a win here.
Now Black opted for a repetition with
½-½
Levan Pantsulaia
David Arutinian
f3
g2
c7
c1
xg2