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The cover of this Yearbook features Shakhriyar Mamedyarov who has introduced a remarkable TN in the Four Knights' Defence.  The young Azeri GM beat Sergei Rublevsky in the first round of the Foros tournament with  his discovery and deservedly won the Brilliancy Prize. Akiba Rubinstein would have been proud.  His invention has stood the test of time.

 Sergei Rublevsky - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov  [C48]
Foros GM Tournament 2006 (1)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4

The Rubinstein Variation.

5.Ba4

Other alternatives are not considered in the Yearbook survey.

1. 5.Bc4 c6 6.Nxe5 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.Nf3 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 0–0 10.h3 b5 11.Be2 b4 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Re8 14.Qf3 cxd5 15.0–0 (15.Qxd5? Ba6 16.d3 Qc7 The White queen is in trouble on account of the threat...Bb7.-NSH) 15...Qe7 16.Bb5 Qe5 17.g3 Bxh3! 18.Bxe8 Rxe8 19.d4! (19.Rd1? Qe6 with the threat of...Bg4.If the White queen leaves the axis d1–h5, her counterpart can occupy e4 or g4 with dire threats.-NSH) 19...Qe6 (Not 19...Qxd4?! 20.Rd1) 20.Bd2 Bxf1 21.Rxf1= Ivanchuk.

2. 5.Nxe5 Qe7 6.f4 Nxb5 7.Nxb5 d6 8.Nf3 Qxe4+ 9.Kf2 Ng4+ 10.Kg1 Qc6 11.Nbd4 Qc5=

3. 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 dxc3 7.exf6 Qxf6 8.dxc3 Qe5+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Bxe2 d5= Alekhine-Capablanca St.Petersburg 1914.

5...c6 6.Nxe5 d5 7.d3 Bd6 8.f4?!

Mamedyarov does not comment on this move.  It weakens the kingside.  Shirov prefers 8.Nf3.

8...Bc5

Now the White King is forced to remain in the centre.

9.exd5

Not 9.Be3? Nxc2+ 10.Qxc2 Bxe3

9...0–0! TN

10.Ne4

White would like to play c3 and evict the knight on d4.  If White tries to capture the pawn on c6, the point of 9...0–0 is revealed.

10.dxc6 Nxc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bxc6 Bg4 13.Qd2 (13.Bf3 Re8+ 14.Kf1 Qd4 15.Qd2 Rad8 16.h3 Nh5! 17.Ne4 Rxe4 18.Bxe4 Ng3+ 19.Ke1 Nxh1–+) 13...Rc8 14.Be4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Re8 16.Kf1 Qh4 17.Qe1 Qh5 18.Be3 Bxe3 19.Qxe3 f5–+

10...Nxe4 11.dxe4 Qh4+!

12.g3

The alternative is 12.Kf1 Nb3 13.Nd3 Nxa1 14.Nxc5 Bg4 15.Qe1 Qxe1+ 16.Kxe1 b5 17.Bb3 cxd5! 18.h3 Nxb3 19.axb3 Be6 20.f5 Bc8 21.g4 dxe4 22.Kf2 with slight chances of a draw.

12...Qh3 13.Be3

On 13.Qd2 Bg4 14.Rf1 Rfe8 and the threat of ...Nf3+ offers favorable complications for Black.

13...Qg2

Not 13...Nxc2+?! 14.Qxc2 Bxe3 15.Qe2 and White is fine.

14.Rg1

If 14.Rf1 f6! 15.Nf3 Re8 16.Nd2 Bf5! 17.Rg1 Qxh2 18.Nf1 Bb4+ 19.c3 Qxb2 20.cxb4 Rxe4–+

14...Qxe4 15.Kf2 Re8!!

16.Qd3

16.dxc6 is met by a similar exchange sacrifice as in the game. 16...Rxe5 17.fxe5 Bg4 18.Qd3 Qf3+ 19.Ke1 Rd8! 20.cxb7 Qxb7 21.Rd1 Bxd1–+

16...Rxe5 17.fxe5 Qf3+ 18.Ke1 Bf5

19.Rf1

19.Qd2 loses to 19...Nxc2+! 20.Bxc2 Bb4 21.Qxb4 Qxe3+ 22.Kf1 Bh3+ 23.Rg2 Qf3+ 24.Ke1 Qxg2 25.Qc4 Qg1+ 26.Kd2 Qxh2+ 27.Kc3 Bg2–+

19...Bb4+! 20.c3 Bxd3 21.Rxf3 Nxf3+ 22.Kf2 Nxh2 23.cxb4 Ng4+ 24.Kf3 Nxe5+ 25.Kf4 Ng6+ 26.Kf3 cxd5 27.Rc1 Ne5+ 28.Kf4 Ng6+ 29.Kf3 b5 30.Bb3 Bc4 31.Bc2 Ne5+ 32.Kf4 f6 33.Rd1 Bxa2!

Not fearing ghosts.

34.b3 Rc8 35.Bc5 a5 36.Bf5 Bxb3 37.Rb1 Bc2!

38.Be6+

Other lines also lose:

38.Bxc8 Bxb1 39.bxa5 Nd3+–+;
38.Bxc2 axb4 39.Rc1 Rxc5 40.Bxh7+ Kxh7 41.Rxc5 Nd3+–+

38...Kh8 39.Ra1 Re8 40.bxa5 Nd3+ 41.Kf3 Nxc5 42.Bxd5 b4 43.a6 Nxa6!  0–1

White resigns in view of 44.Rxa6 Rb8 –+.   The march of the pawn can only be stopped by further loss of material.

The NIC Yearbook offers a series of  feature articles on recent developments in opening theory.  Each article is followed by  representative games with brief annotations.  This issue offers as many as 34 opening surveys* ( See the list-Ed.) along with trademark features like the Forum, Sosonko’s Corner, and book reviews.  Besides mainstream openings like the Sicilian, French, King’s Indian, and Nimzo-Indian, the issue also has a fair sprinkling of 19th century openings like the King’s Gambit and Scotch Game etc.

The Yearbook offers a number of GM secrets to the dedicated player.  A case in point is the article on the Catalan Opening that played a decisive role in the recent FIDE World Championship Match between Kramnik and Topalov.

Vladmir Kramnik – VeselinTopalov (E04)
Elista 2006 (1)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3

The Catalan Opening.

4...dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 7.Qc2 Bxd2+!?

7...Nc6 is more usual.

8.Qxd2! c6

Not 8...b5? 9.Qg5!

9.a4 b5 10.axb5 cxb5 11.Qg5 0–0

Not 11...b4 12.Ne5 (12.Qxg7 Rg8 13.Qh6 Bb7 14.0–0 Bd5 followed by ...Nc6.) 12...Ra7 13.Nxc4 0–0 (13...Qxd4?! 14.Nd6+ Qxd6 15.Qxg7 is better for White.) 14.e3±

12.Qxb5 Ba6!? TN.

13.Qa4

Why not take the pawn on a5?

13.Qxa5 Bb7 14.Qxd8 Rxa1 15.Qxf8+ (15.Qb6 Rxb1+ 16.Kd2 c3+ 17.Kxc3 Nd5+–+; 15.Qc7 Rxb1+ 16.Kd2 Rxb2+ 17.Kc1 c3–+ Beautiful variations.) 15...Kxf8 16.0–0 (16.Kd2 Ng4!) 16...Ra2

A) 17.Rc1 Rxb2 18.Na3 Nbd7 (18...Rxe2?? 19.Rb1!+-) 19.Bf1 Bxf3 20.exf3 Rd2 21.Rxc4 Nd5
B) 17.Ne5 17...Ba6 18.Nc3 Rxb2 with counterplay.

13...Qb6 14.0–0 Qxb2 15.Nbd2 Bb5 16.Nxc4 Bxa4 17.Nxb2 Bb5 18.Ne5 Ra7

Now Kramnik played 19.Bf3?! allowing Topalov to gain initiative.  Subsequently he won the game only after Topalov had overreached himself.

White could have played 19.Nbc4 Nbd7 20.Nxa5 Bxe2 21.Rfe1 Bb5 22.Nac6 Rxa1 23.Rxa1±  However, it is a moot point whether this line would have sufficed for a win with so little material on the board.

Topalov's imaginative line with 12...Ba6  needs more tests.

The Forum, offering a selection of readers' opinions, remains the most stimulating feature of them all.  A case in point is the discussion on the following variation:

Petroff Defence 6....Bd6 Variation (C42)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0–0 0–0 8.c4 c6 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bg4 12.Rb1 Nd7 13.h3

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