The main line...anyone?

I guess many of us CC players enjoy doing the painstaking research of fiddling through opening encyclopaedias, Informators or databases to gain the upper hand over (or equalise against) our opponents. This is one of the attractions of CC for me. In the local OTB chess scene, few play main line theory, so I seldom get a chance use anything I have read or worked out. I have many an opponent deviate from their usual lines just to avoid my "fearsome" theory and quite a few have paid dearly. Just two months ago, I had one 1900+ rated opponent thinking for 10 minutes over his 4th move in the Civil Service team rapid (30 min) championships and dishing out 1.e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 e6 4.Nf3 g6?! and my 5.d4! did him in shortly.

As a newcomer to CC (I started in July 99), I was quite pleased to find that my opponents were more than willing to hop into current "vogue" lines played by top OTB GMs today. When the Las Vegas FIDE World Championship was in progress, the middlegame position in Shaked-Babula(Rd 1)(KID Classical) was identical to Sanchez - Tay, ICCF EM/M/071 and Tay- Redinger IECG, C1-236 followed Nisipeausu-Khalifman (Semi Finals Rapid Playoff) (Sicilian Accelerated Dragon) for a long, long, time. (For more details, please see my website www.oocities.org/juniortay )

There is some logic to following such lines eg.

1) If the top GMs play it, it must be "more" correct.

2) The theory is still evolving and publication of the assessments in NIC, Chessbase magazines or Informators will not be due yet.

3) A computer consulting opponent's Fritz can no longer follow its book theory and we know how Fritz can assess opening positions strangely sometimes.

Then again, perhaps my opponents just stumbled into the main lines without knowledge of its theoretical status and popularity. In the following game, my opponent, Giovanni Comini (Italy) and I discussed the "hottest" Petroff line in top flight OTB chess and I managed to find a refutation to his novelty.

Hope you will enjoy the game!

Junior Tay from sunny Singapore.

2nd of May, 2000.

juniortay@hotmail.com

(1) Tay,J (2416) - Comini,G (2287) [C42]
ICCF EM/M/A092, 2000
[Junior Tay]

Nowadays, this variation is used as a drawing weapon in top flight OTB chess. Famed exponents are superGMsKramnik, Shirov, Anand and even Judit Polgar, who has beaten Alexander Morozevich with it!

[10...b6 an inspired idea by Kramnik played earlier at Linares against Kasparov. Kasparov took too much time to work out the advantage and had to concede a draw but later, he was less forgiving against Olafsson in a rapid tourney. A) 11.Ne5 Bb7 12.a3 (12.Re1 dxc4 13.Bxc4 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Nd5 15.Qf3 c6 16.Bb3 Bd6 17.Bc2 Qc7 18.Qh3 g6 19.Bh6 Rfe8 20.c4 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Nb4 22.Bf5 Rxe5 23.Qc3 Rae8 24.f4 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26.Qxe1 Qd8 27.Qe5 f6 28.Qe6+ Kh8 29.Qf7 Qd4+ 30.Kf1 Qd1+ 31.Kf2 Qd2+ 32.Kg3 Qe3+ 33.Kh4 Qf2+ 34.Kh3 1-0 Hracek,Z-Jussupow,A/Wattenscheid GER 2000/The Week in Chess 280 (34)) 12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 Nc6 14.Bf3 Na5 15.c5 c6 16.Re1 Bf6 17.Ng4 Bc8 18.cxb6 axb6 19.a4 Nc4 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Ba3 Nxa3 22.Rxa3 Be6 23.Qb3 ½-½ Shirov,A-Anand,V/Linares ESP 2000 (23); B) 11.a3 11...Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.cxd5 Qxd5 14.Re1 (14.Bf4 Bb7 15.c4 Qd8 16.d5 Na5 17.Qc2 Re8 18.Bd3 h6 19.Ne5 Rf8 20.Rfe1 Bg5 21.Bg3 Bc8 22.Rad1 Qf6 23.h4 Bf4 24.Bh7+ Kh8 25.Rd4 Bxg3 26.fxg3 g6 27.Bxg6 fxg6 28.Nxg6+ Kg7 29.Re7+ Rf7 30.Rf4 Bf5 31.Rxf5 Qa1+ 32.Kh2 Rxe7 33.Nxe7 Qxa3 34.Qe4 1-0 Savanovic,A-Pavasovic,D/Bled SLO 2000/The Week in Chess 282 (34)) 14...Bb7 15.Bd3 Rae8 16.c4 (16.Qc2 h6 17.Bh7+ Kh8 18.Be4 Qd8 19.Bb2 Bf6 20.c4 Na5 21.Bxb7 Nxb7 ½-½ Kasparov,G-Kramnik,V/Linares ESP 2000/The Week in Chess 278 (21)) 16...Qd8 17.d5 Nb8 18.Ne5 (18.Qc2 g6 19.Ne5 Bf6 20.Bb2 Nd7 21.f4 Bg7 22.Qf2 Nc5 23.Bc2 Qd6 24.Re3 f6 25.Ng4 Rxe3 26.Qxe3 Bc8 27.f5 Bxf5 28.Bxf5 gxf5 29.Nf2 Ne4 30.Nxe4 ½-½ Kasparov,G-Anand,V/Linares ESP 2000 (30)) 18...Bf6 19.Bb2 g6 20.Qd2 Nd7 21.Nxd7 Bxb2 22.Nxf8 Bxa1 23.Nxg6 Rxe1+ 24.Qxe1 hxg6 25.Qxa1 c6 26.dxc6 Bxc6 27.Qc3 Qd6 28.Be2 Bd7 29.Qe3 Be6 30.h4 Kf8 31.g3 Ke7 32.g4 Kf8 33.h5 gxh5 34.gxh5 Qc5 35.Qh6+ Kasparov,G-Olafsson,H/Chess@iceland rapidplay Group A 2000/The Week in Chess 282/1-0 (64); 10...Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Bf6 14.Bf4 Na5 15.cxd5 Qxd5 16.Bf1 b6 17.Ne5 Rad8 18.g4 Be4 19.Qe2 Bxe5 20.Bxe5 Nb3 21.Ra2 Bf3 22.Qe3 Na5 23.Rc2 f6 24.Bxc7 Rd7 25.Bg3 Bxg4 26.Bg2 Qb3 27.Rcc1 Qf7 28.d5 Qh5 29.c4 Nb7 30.a4 g5 31.Rc3 Qg6 32.Qd4 Bf5 33.Rce3 Nc5 34.a5 h5 35.axb6 Anand,V-Sokolov,I/Chess@iceland rapidplay Group B 2000/The Week in Chess 282/1-0 (56)] 11.Ne5 the critical main line [11.Be3 Bf5 12.Rc1 dxc4 13.Bxc4 c6 14.Ne5 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Nd5 16.Qf3 Be6 17.Bd2 f6 18.Nd3 Qd7 19.Bb3 Bg4 20.Qg3 Kh8 21.c4 Bd6 22.Nc5 Bxc5 23.dxc5 Ne7 24.Bf4 Rfe8 25.Bd6 Be2 Shirov,A-Kramnik,V/Monaco MNC 2000/The Week in Chess/½-½ (49)]

[11...c5?! 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.d5 Bd6 (13...Bf5 14.a3 Na6 15.Bg4 Qc8 16.f3 Bxg4 17.Nxg4 exf3 18.Qxf3 f5 19.Ne3 f4 20.Ng4 Bd6 21.Bd2 Nc7 22.Rae1 Qf5 23.Bc3 Rae8 24.Qh3 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 f3 26.Qxf3 Qxf3 27.gxf3 Rxf3 28.Be5 Ne8 29.Kg2 Rf8 30.b3 h5 31.Nf2 Bxe5 32.Rxe5 Nf6 33.Kg3 Kf7 34.Nh3 Rb8 35.Ng5+ Kg6 36.Ne6 b5 37.Rg5+ Kh6 38.Rxg7 bxc4 39.bxc4 Rb3+ 40.Kf4 Rc3 41.d6 Ne8 42.Rf7 Rxc4+ 43.Ke5 Re4+ 44.Kd5 Kg6 45.d7 1-0 Khachian,M-Egin,V/Sochi 1997/EXT 99) 14.a3 (14.f4 exf3 15.Nxf3 Bg4 16.a3 Bxf3 17.Rxf3 Na6 18.Bd3 g6 19.Bh6 Re8 20.Qd2 Rc8 21.Raf1 Rc7 22.Bg5 Be7 23.Bf6 Bxf6 24.Rxf6 Rd7 25.Bc2 Nc7 26.Qf2 Ree7 27.Ba4 b5 28.Bxb5 Nxb5 29.cxb5 Qc7 30.Rc6 Qe5 31.Qf3 Kg7 32.Rxc5 Rd6 33.Qf4 Qxf4 34.Rxf4 f5 35.Kf2 Kf6 36.Rd4 Red7 37.Rc6 Ke5 38.Rxd6 Kxd6 Milos,G-Zarnicki,P/Panamerican-chT 1996/EXT 98/1-0 (57)) 14...Bxe5 15.axb4 Bd7 16.bxc5 Qc7 17.Be3 (17.d6 Qxc5 18.Be3 Qb4 19.Rxa7 Rxa7 20.Bxa7 Ba4 21.b3 Bxb3 22.Qb1 Bxd6 23.Be3 Rc8 24.Rc1 Qa4 25.Qxe4 Qc6 26.Qb1 Qa4 27.c5 Bf4 28.Bf3 Bxe3 29.fxe3 Rc7 30.Qe4 g6 31.Qe5 Qd7 32.Ra1 Qc8 33.Ra8 Qxa8 34.Qxc7 Qa1+ 35.Kf2 Qb2+ 36.Kg3 Qd2 37.Qb8+ Kg7 38.Qe5+ Kg8 39.h3 Qb4 40.Qb8+ Kg7 41.Qxb7 Qe1+ 42.Kh2 Qxe3 43.Qc7 Be6 44.Qd6 Kf6 45.Qd8+ Kg7 46.Qd6 Kf6 47.Qd8+ ½-½ Furlan,M-Pavasovic,D/Ljubljana op 1996/CBM 53 ext) 17...Bxh2+ 18.Kh1 Be5 19.Bd4 Bf4 (19...Rfe8 20.b4 Qd8 21.Bxe5 Rxe5 22.Ra3 Qh4+ 23.Kg1 Rg5 24.f4 exf3 25.Rfxf3 Re8 26.Rfe3 Rxe3 27.Rxe3 h5 28.b5 Rg6 29.Bf1 Qf4 30.Qf3 Qg5 31.c6 bxc6 32.bxc6 Rf6 33.Qg3 Qxg3 34.Rxg3 Bxc6 35.dxc6 Rxc6 36.Kf2 f6 37.Ke3 g5 38.Kd4 Re6 39.c5 Kf8 40.Rc3 1-0 Wahls,M-Pavasovic,D/Dresden zt 1998/CBM 65) 20.b4 a6 21.d6 Qd8 22.g3 Re8! A) 23.gxf4 Qh4+ 24.Kg1 (24.Kg2 Qh3+ 25.Kg1 Re6-+) 24...Re6-+; B) 23.Kg2! 23...Bg5 24.Rh1 Bc6 25.b5 Bd7 26.f4! Bf6 27.Qd2 h6 28.Qb2 Bxd4 29.Qxd4 Qc8 30.Ra3!+- axb5 31.Rxa8 Qxa8 32.Ra1 Qc8 33.cxb5 Kf8 34.Ra7 Kg8 35.c6 Bxc6 36.bxc6 Qxc6 37.Qa4 Rd8 38.Qxc6 bxc6 39.d7 Kf8 40.Ba6 1-0 Tay,J-Lannaioli, A - IECG Masterclass-097. A hearty thanks to German GM Matthias Wahls for showing me the way!]

for the "wasted" Ne5-f3 move, White gets to prevent Black's Bishop and Knights from accessing the f6 square. Moves like Re1 and eventually, Bd3+Qc2 are also likely to force more concessions from Black in the future. Also, the a2-g8 diagonal is weakened. All these motives were sucessfully exploited in the current game.

Looks logical but Black has to give up his light square Bishop. However, the other variations shows how Black gets tortured for a long time before reaching some semblance of equality. Definitely not fun for the CC player! [12...Kh8 13.Qb3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 dxc4 15.Bxc4 Bxc4 16.Qxc4 Qd5 17.Qb3 Qxb3 18.axb3 Nd5 19.Re1 Rfe8 20.Bd2 c6 21.c4 Nb6 22.Nh4 Kg8 23.Nf5 Kf7 24.Kf1 Bf8 25.Rxe8 Kxe8 26.Ne3 g6 27.Ke2 Adams,M-Timman,J/Wijk aan Zee NED 2000/The Week in Chess 273/1-0 (41); 12...c5 A) 13.Be3 Rc8 14.a3 (14.dxc5 Bxc5 15.Nd4 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Bxd4 17.Bxd4 Nc6 18.c5 Bf7 19.Re1 Re8 20.Bd3 Rxe1+ 21.Qxe1 Rc7 22.Qb1 h6 23.Qb3 Re7 24.h3 Qa5 25.Rd1 Kh8 26.Rb1 Bg8 27.Rd1 ½-½ Leko,P-Anand,V/Corus 2000/The Week in Chess 272) 14...Nxc3 15.bxc3 Nc6 16.cxd5 cxd4 17.Nxd4 Bxd5 18.Nf5 Be6 19.Qb1 g6 20.Rd1 Qc7 21.Nxe7+ Qxe7 22.h4 b6 23.Ba6 Rcd8 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Qe4 Ne5 26.Bd4 Bd5 27.Qe3 Qd6 28.Bxe5 fxe5 29.Rd1 Qc7 30.Qd3 e4 31.Qd4 e3 32.fxe3 Rd7 33.Bc4 1-0 Polgar,J-Marciano,D/Batumi GEO 1999 (33); B) 13.Qb3 13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Nc6 15.cxd5 Na5 16.Qc2 Qxd5 17.Bd3 Qh5 18.Re1 c4 19.Rxe6 cxd3 20.Qxd3 Rfe8 21.Bd2 Bf8 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.c4 Nc6 24.h3 Rd8 25.Bc3 Qc5 26.Qe2 Qa3 27.Qc2 a5 28.d5 Nb4 29.Qb3 Nd3 30.Rd1 Nf4 31.Qxa3 Bxa3 32.Bxa5 1-0 Ni Hua-Ribshtein,N/Budapest HUN 2000 (32) ]

[13...Nxd5?? 14.Nxe4; 13...Bf5?? 14.Nh4! overloading Black's minor pieces. Black has to shed material to keep them alive 14...Nd6 15.a3 Na6 16.Nxf5 Nxf5 17.Bb5+-]

[Better is 14...Qxd5 15.Be3 += this is akin to obtaining a good version of the Goring Gambit declined. eg 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 (15.a3 Nc6 16.Qc2 with the threat of Bc4and Bd3 16...Nd6 17.Bf4 += White has an initiative which is likely to increase due to his two bishops and Black's weakened Kingside.) 15...c6? 16.a3 Na6 17.Qa4+-]

White is gaining tempi on his way to development in the QGD fashion

[16...h6?! My chess pal Tony Dempsey would call this the Swiss Cheese Defence; 16...g6?? 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Qxg6+ Kh8 19.Qh5++- and picks off the Knight]

I had a long think here wondering which side of the board I should aim at. I had three general plans. 1) Central pressure leading to a kingside attack starting with 19.Rae1. 2) Burn bridges with Kh1 and g2-g4. 3) In the end, I decided to continue QGD style with the trusty Queenside minority attack since Black cannot undertake anything active.

Commencing the minority attack. I have a tendency to compare positions which I have obtained with tabiyas (standard opening setups). Here, I liken this to a great Queen's Gambit Exchange variation which White has achieved the e4 break, forced the f5 weakness and is rolling on with his b4-b5 minority attack.

[20...a6 21.a4 The attack rolls on!]

[21.b5?! too early... 21...Nxb5 22.Bxb5 cxb5² 23.Qb3 Rd8 24.Rac1 Qa8 25.Qxb5 +=]

[21…Bf6 22.a4±]

anticipating the terrible Qb3 pin

Crash!...A pseudo pawn sacrifice which nets the exchange if accepted.

[23...axb5 24.axb5 Nxb5 25.Bxb5 cxb5 26.Qxc8 Rxc8 27.Rxb5+- and Rxb7 to follow 27...Rc2 28.Rxd5 Rxd2 29.Nf3+-]

the whole point of b4-b5

[24...Nf6 25.axb5 axb5 26.Bb4+- intending Bxd6 and Nf7+ netting the exchange to follow 26...Nc4 is another way to drop the exchange 27.Bxe7 Rxe7 28.Bxc4 bxc4 29.Ng6+ hxg6 30.Qh3+ Kg8 31.Rxe7+-]

the same motive again

[27...Ne4 28.Nf7+ Rxf7 29.Qxf7 Bxb4 30.Rxb4 Rd8+-]

and Black threw in the towel. After 28...Qa8 29.Qe6 is curtains for Black. 1-0