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The English Attack has been the bane of life for the Sicilian Najdorf players.

It has taken the joy out of their beloved system.  Perhaps the time is opportune for such players to explore the Scheveningen Variation in stead which offers no less interesting play.  In this Yearbook Evgeny Vladimirov offers a detailed opening survey featuring a TN in the Scheveningen.  Unfortunately, his assessment of individual positions in the following game suggests only a slight advantage to Black.  But I believe that Black has the upper hand at all critical points of the game.

Vladimir Bologan  -  Ivan Cheparinov [B84]
European Club Championship 2007

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6

The Scheveningen Variation

7.Be2 Nbd7

7...Be7 is the usual continuation.

8.g4

White threatens to dislodge the knight on f6 as its retreat to d7 is blocked by the other knight.  The flip side of the coin is that he would not be able to castle on the kingside.  8.0–0 b5 9.a4 b4 10.Nc6 Qc7 11.Nxb4 d5 leads to an unclear position.

8...h6 9.f4 g5!?N

Vladimirov suggests that other alternatives like 9...b5 and 9…Nc5 are also playable.  In both cases the complications appear to favor White.-NSH

10.fxg5 hxg5 11.Bxg5 b5 12.Bf3 Ne5 13.Nc6!? Nxc6 14.e5 Qb6

Not 14...Nxe5?! 15.Bxa8 Be7 16.Qd4±

15.Bxf6 Rh3 16.exd6 Qe3+ 17.Be2 Ne5! 18.Qc1

18.Bxe5? loses to 18….Qxe5 19.Qd2 (19.0–0?? Qxh2#) 19...Bh6–+

18...Nf3+!

18...Nxg4 19.Qxe3 Nxe3 20.Bd3 Bb7 is good for Black.  But the text is better.-NSH

19.Kd1 Qb6

The right move is 19...Qc5! 20.Qf4 e5 (20...Bxd6 21.Qe4 Ra7 22.b4 Qxb4 23.Rb1 Qxe4 24.Nxe4 Bf4) 21.Qe4 Qxd6+ 22.Bd3 Rb8 23.g5 b4 24.Ne2 Bb7 25.Qe3 Qe6 26.Ng3 Qg4 and Black’s attack is irresistible.

20.Ne4 e5

20...Bxd6?! 21.Bxf3 Rxf3 22.Qd2 Bf4 23.Qb4  gives needless counter-chances to White.

21.Bxf3 Rxf3 22.Qd2 Bxg4 23.Kc1

If 23.d7+ Bxd7 24.Qd5 Qc6 25.Qxe5+ Be6 26.Re1 Rc8 27.c3 Qd7+ 28.Kc1 b4 with attack.

23...Qc6 24.Rd1

24.Re1 Bf5 25.d7+ (25.Ng5 Bh6 26.h4 Kd7) 25...Qxd7 26.Qe2 Rh3 27.Ng5 Bh6 28.Qxe5+ Kf8 29.Rd1 Qe6 30.Qxe6 fxe6  and Black has the upper hand.

24...Rf4! 25.Nc5 Rxf6 26.d7+ Kd8 27.Qa5+ Qb6 28.Nb7+ Kc7 0–1

A brilliant counterattack.

Apart from Sicilian Scheveningen, this Yearbook also offers a number of other opening surveys* (See the list - Ed.)  I have refrained from commenting on them only on account of limitations of space.

Among the regular features, Sosonko’s Corner and Book Reviews (Glenn Flear) continue to maintain a high standard.

At the end of the day, however, one always returns to the Forum section featuring readers’ games and comments.  The following game shows a Nigerian player beating the computer.  The machine pays the price for its greed and pawn grabbing.

Bravo!

Ademola Sorungbe - Fritz 10 [C47]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4

The Scotch Four Knights Opening is a rare bird in tournaments.

4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bb5!?N

6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5 cxd5 9.0–0 0–0= is the only line known to theory.

6...Nxe4?! 7.0–0! Nxc3 8.Re1+ Kf8 9.bxc3 Bxc3 10.Nxc6! bxc6 11.Bxc6 Rb8 12.Ba3+ Kg8 13.Re7 Bf6 14.Rxf7!! Kxf7 15.Bd5+ Kg6 16.Qd3+ Kh6 17.Qh3+ Kg6

18.Bc1!

Denying the Black monarch the critical squares, g5 and h7.

18...Bg5

If 18...Bxa1?? 19.Qg4+ #

Or 18...d6? 19.g4+-

19.f4 Rf8 20.Qd3+ Rf5 21.g4 d6 22.fxg5 h5 23.h3 Qe8 24.Bd2 Qe5 25.Rf1 Qxd5 26.gxf5+ Qxf5 27.Rxf5+- 1–0

Highly recommended.
 

Other NIC Yearbook reviews by Prof.Nagesh Havanur:

* 32 Surveys:

Sicilian Defence - Najdorf Variation 7... Qb6  - Berg
Sicilian Defence - Najdorf Variation 9...h6  - Andriasian
Sicilian Defence - Scheveningen Variation 6. Be3  - Vladimirov
Sicilian Defence - Rauzer Variation 9. Nb3 -  Van der Weide
Sicilian Defence - Kan Variation 5... Ne7 - Mchedlishvili
Sicilian Defence - Closed Variation 9...b6  - Grivas
French Defence - MacCutcheon Variation 6. Be3  - Finkel
Caro-Kann Defence - Advance Variation 4. Nd2  - Fogarasi
Scandinavian Defence - Main Line 3... Qa5 - Prié
Petroff Defence - Nimzowitsch Variation 5. Nc3  - Lukacs/Hazai
Petroff Defence - Jaenisch Variation 8.Re1  - Fridman/Olthof
Ruy Lopez - Anti-Marshall Variation 8.h3  - Greenfeld
Ruy Lopez - Marshall Attack 8...d5  - Finkel
Ruy Lopez - Marshall Attack 8...d5  - De Dovitiis
King’s Pawn Openings - Two Knights’ Defence 5... Na5  - Urcan/Ceteras
Slav Defence - Anti-Moscow Gambit 6. Bh4 - A. Kuzmin
Slav Defence - Moscow Variation 6. Bf6  - Boersma
Slav Defence - Meran Variation 5.e3 - Hansen
Catalan Opening - Open Variation 6...dc4 - Anka
Nimzo-Indian Defence - Classical Variation 4. Qc2 d5 - Ikonnikov
Nimzo-Indian Defence - Ragozin Variation 6. Bg5 0-0  - Morgado/Alvarez
Nimzo-Indian Defence - Ragozin Variation 9. Qc2 - Mchedlishvili
Queen’s Indian Defence - Nimzowitsch Variation 4... Ba6  - A. Kuzmin
Queen’s Indian Defence - Nimzowitsch Variation 4... Ba6 - Karolyi
Grünfeld Indian Defence - Anti-Grünfeld 3.f3 - Van der Tak
King's Indian Defence - Classical Main Line 9. Nd2 - Lukacs/Hazai
King’s Indian Defence - Sämisch Variation 7... Nh5 - Langeweg
King’s Indian Defence - Sämisch Variation 6...c5 - Miedema
Benoni Defence - Fianchetto Variation 7.g3  - Avrukh
Old Indian Defence - Pseudo-Volga Gambit 4. Bg5 -  Fogarasi
Queen’s Pawn Openings - Trompowsky Opening 2...c5 -  Vilela
English Opening - Four Knights Variation 4... Nd4 –  C. Hansen

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