|
|
6.Rg1 in the Sicilian Najdorf! - A blatant attempt to play the Keres Attack
by Junior Tay
Since starting out CC last June, I have spent a lot of time working out my opening repetoire. Evidently, a decent line is needed against the popular Sicilian Najdorf. About this time, 6.Rg1 started getting fashionable with GM Ivanchuk, Zvajintsev, Adams, Judit Polgar and Conquest giving it the odd punt. I figured that since there won't be much theory on this line for some time, it is worth a try in CC. Indeed, you won't be able to find any opening encyclopaedia with a proper assessment of this line though New In Chess (which I have not read yet) did put up a monograph on it recently (and of course, if you subscribe to ChessPublishing.com). Well, my score of 2.5/3 with it in ICCF Masterclass tournaments against ELO 2300+ opponents ain't too shabby, I guess.
6.Rg1 (according to my database) is the brainwave of Yugoslav IM Goran Todorovic who beat Lazic with it in 1990. The line shot into prominence when hyper-agressive Latvian-American GM Alexander Shabalov mauled Romanian GM Istratescu with it at the 1998 Elista Olympiad. In the following months, ELO 2600+ Russian GMs such as Fedorov, Zvajinstev won easily with it though it has now lapsed into relative obscurity, no thanks to GM Topalov beating Adams and Polgar with relative ease from the Black side. In CC, the other chap who consistently plays and wins with it is R. Lutzenburger who has since risen to ELO 2492 in the latest ICCF Rating list. So, here's to its revival!
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Rg1
|
|
My database shows 16 White wins, 21 draws and 18 Black wins. Not a respectable score for the line. However, even Kasparov mentioned in his website that "Topalov ran out of ideas and had to resort to 6.Rg1!" Certainly not a good endorsement of the system huh!
6...g6
[Sadler's 6...h6 7.g4 A) 7...Bd7?N 8.h4 Nc6 9.g5 hxg5 10.hxg5 Nxd4 11.gxf6 Ne6 12.fxe7 Bxe7 13.Nd5± Bc6 14.Be3 Rh2± (14...Rh4!? 15.Qd3 Qa5+ 16.Bd2 Qa4+=) 15.Qd2 A1) 15...Nc5! 16.Rg4!± (16.Bxc5? dxc5 17.Rxg7 Bf8 18.Rg8 Bxd5 19.exd5 Qe7+ 20.Qe2 0-0-0=) ; A2) 15...Rc8 16.0-0-0 g6 17.Be2 Nc5 18.Rh1 (18.Qb4 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 b5±) 18...Nxe4?+- (¹18...Rxh1 19.Rxh1 Bf6 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6+-) 19.Rxh2! My first Queen sacrifice in CC 19...Nxd2 20.Rh8+ Bf8 21.Bh6 Bxd5 (21...Qh4 22.Rxf8+ Kd7 23.Rxf7+ Kd8 24.Rf8+ Be8 25.Bxd2+-) 22.Rxf8+ Kd7 23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Rxd2 Rh8 25.Bf4 Rh1+ 26.Bd1 Kc6 27.Bxd6 f5 28.b3 b5 29.Kb2 Kxd6 30.Rxd5+ 1-0 Tay,J-Fernandez,J/ICCF Email Team Open Final Bd 3 SIP - Citefa; B) 7...g5! wrestling for control of the central dark squares, gave White some problems though B1) The prudent 8.Be3 e6 transposes to a variation of the English Attack favoured by Peter Leko 9.Qd2 (9.f3 Nbd7 10.Qd2 b5 11.a3 Bb7 12.0-0-0 Rc8 13.Kb1 Bg7 14.Bxb5!? axb5 15.Ndxb5 0-0 16.Nxd6 Rb8 17.h4 Ba6 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.Bd4 Rxb2+! 20.Kxb2 Qb8+ 21.Ndb5 Bxb5 22.Ka1 Ne5 23.Qxg5 Nxf3 24.Qxb5 Nxd4 25.Qxb8 Rxb8 26.Rxd4 Nxe4 27.Ne2 Nc3 28.Nxc3 Bxd4 29.Rg3 Kg7 30.Ka2 Kg6 31.a4 Rb4³ 32.Ka3 Bc5 33.Ka2 Bd6 34.Rd3 Bc7 35.Ka3 Rxg4 36.Nb5 Bb6 ½-½ Tay,J-Engl,H/ICCF EM/M/A092 ) 9...Nbd7 10.a4 (10.f3 Ne5 11.0-0-0 b5 12.h4 gxh4 13.f4 Nexg4 14.e5 b4 15.Na4 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 Nd5 18.Qf3 Be7 19.Bd3 Bb7 20.Be4 Bg5+ 21.Kb1 Qa5 22.b3 Rd8 23.Rd3 Qc7 24.Rf1 0-0 25.Re1 Kh8 26.Qd1 Nf4 27.Rd2 Ng6 28.Bxg6 fxg6 29.Rd3 Bd5 30.c4 bxc3 31.Nxc3 Qc5 32.Kb2 h3 33.Rxh3 Rf2+ 34.Nde2 Bf3 35.Qc2 Rd2 0-1 Degraeve,J-Van Wely,L/ch-FRA (team) 1999) 10...Ne5 11.f3 b6 12.0-0-0 Bb7 13.Qf2 Be7 14.Nb3 Nfd7 15.Be2 Qc7 16.Rd2 Rc8 17.Rgd1 Rg8 18.Kb1 Ng6 19.Qf1 Nb8 20.Qf2 Nd7 ½-½ Lutzenburger,R-Frost,L/QM.1998.0.00012 1998; B2) 8.Bc4?! Nbd7 9.h4 Ne5³ 10.Bb3 Bxg4 11.Rxg4 Nfxg4 12.Ba4+ b5 13.Ncxb5 Qa5+! 14.Nc3+ Kd8µ 15.f3 Qc5 16.fxg4 Qxd4 17.Qxd4 Nf3+ 18.Kf2 Nxd4 19.hxg5 hxg5 20.Bxg5 Bg7 21.Nd5 Ra7 22.c3 Nb5 23.Kg1 Be5 24.Rd1 Rg8 25.Be3 Rxg4+ 26.Kf2 Rb7 27.Nb4 Rxe4 28.Bb3 Nc7 29.Bxf7 Kd7 30.Rh1 Bf4 31.Bd4 Rxb4 32.Rd1 Rbxd4 0-1 Yemelin,V-Sammalvuo,T/EtVas Vantaa GM 1999; B3) 8.h4?! is far too agressive 8...gxh4 9.Be3 Nc6 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Qa5+ 12.c3 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Rg8 14.Bc4 Qa4 15.Kd2 Bd7 16.f3 Bg7 17.Qd3 Bb5 18.Bxb5+ axb5 19.g5 h5 20.g6 Rf8 21.Ke2 b4 22.a3 Conquest,S-Sadler,M/Torquay 1998/CBM 66 ext/0-1 (36); 6...Nc6 7.g4 A) 7...Nxd4 8.Qxd4 A1) 8...Nxg4 9.Nd5 Nf6 (9...Ne5!? 10.Be2 Bd7 White has just about sufficient compensation) 10.Nb6 White has great compensation for the pawn 10...Rb8 11.Be3 Be6 12.0-0-0 Qc7 13.Be2 Nd7 (13...g6 14.f4 Black is having a hard time finding moves) 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Rc8 16.c3 Rg8 17.Qh4 h6 18.Qa4 g6 19.Bg4 b5 20.Qxa6 b4 21.Rd4 bxc3 22.b3 Qd8 23.Rb4 Bg7 24.Bb6 Nxb6 25.Bxc8 Qxc8 26.Rxb6 Qxa6 27.Rxa6 Rh8 28.Re1 1-0 Lutzenberger,R-Watson,J/WC23/EWC01-SF11 1999; A2) 8...e5 9.Qd1 Be6 10.g5 Nd7 11.Qf3 Rc8 12.Bh3 Be7 13.Be3 Rxc3 14.bxc3 Qc7 15.Bxe6 Qxc3+ 16.Kf1 fxe6 17.Kg2 Qc4 18.a4 Rf8 19.Qg4 d5 20.c3 Nc5 21.Bxc5 Zvjaginsev,V-Ivanchuk,V/Elista 1998/CBM 65/1-0 (37); B) 7...e6 8.g5 Nd7 9.Be3 Qc7 10.f4 b5 11.Nxc6 Qxc6 12.Qd4! Bb7 13.a4!± Shabalov-Istratescu, Elista 98, 1-0 (28); 6...e5 7.Nb3 Be6 (7...h5! makes Rg1 look funny 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Be2 Nbd7 10.a4 b6 11.Nd2 Bb7 12.Nc4 Qc7 13.Ne3 Qc5 14.Qd3 Qd4= De Firmian 15.Nf5 Qxd3 16.cxd3 Bf8 17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.Ne3 Rc8 ½-½ Glek,I-Lautier,J/Open 1999) 8.g4 d5 9.exd5 (9.g5 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8 12.Be3 f5 13.gxf6 gxf6 14.0-0-0+ Nd7 15.Nc5 Bxc5 16.Bxc5 Rc8 17.Bd6 Bf5 18.c3 h5 19.Rg7 Rc6 20.h4 Kc8 21.Be2 Be6 22.Re7 Bg4 23.Bxg4 hxg4 24.h5 Nb6 25.Rf7 Nc4 26.Rf8+ Rxf8 27.Bxf8 Rc7 28.h6 Rh7 29.Bg7 e3 30.fxe3 Nxe3 31.Re1 Nf5 32.Bxf6 Rxh6 33.Bxe5 g3 Lutzenberger,R-Aldrete Lobo,J/WC23/EWC01-SF11 1999/½-½ (53)) 9...Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5 Black has few problems equalising-Ftacnik; 6...b5 Super GM Vesselin Topalov has made White's life difficult in this variation 7.g4 Bb7 (7...e6 8.g5 Nfd7 9.Rg3 Bb7 10.a3 Be7 11.Bg2 Nc6 12.f4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 0-0 14.Qf2 Rc8 15.Bd2 a5 16.f5 Kh8 17.f6 gxf6 18.gxf6 Bxf6 19.e5 Bxe5 20.Bxb7 Rb8 21.Bc6 f5 22.Bf4 b4 23.Nd1 Bxf4 24.Qxf4 Ne5 25.Bg2 Qf6 26.axb4 Rxb4 27.Qg5 f4 28.Qxf6+ Rxf6 29.Rga3 f3 30.Bf1 d5 31.Ra4 Nc6 32.Rxb4 Lutzenberger,R-Grimm,K/WC23/EWC01-SF11 1999/1-0 (55)) 8.Bg2 A) 8...Nfd7 9.Be3 (9.a4 bxa4 10.Rxa4 Nb6 11.Rb4 e6 12.Be3 N8d7 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Bxb6 Nxb6 15.Qd4 Nd7 16.Rxb7 Nc5 17.Rb4 Qg5 18.Qd2 Qxg4 19.Na4 Qh5 20.Nxc5 dxc5 21.Rb6 Rd8 22.Qe2 Qxh2 23.Kf1 Qh6 24.Bf3 Be7 25.Bh5+ g6 26.Bg4 0-0 27.Bxe6+ Kh8 28.Bd5 Qh3+ 29.Ke1 Rxf2 30.Qxf2 Bh4 31.Rf6 Rb8 32.b3 Bxf2+ 33.Rxf2 Qh6 Polgar,J-Topalov,V/Frankfurt-West Masters 1999/0-1 (50)) 9...e6 10.f4 Be7 11.g5 Nb6 12.b3 N8d7 13.Qd2 b4 14.Nce2 Nc5 15.Ng3 d5 16.e5 g6 17.h4 Qc7 18.Rc1 Ne4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.c4 Nd7 21.Nc2 Nc5 22.Bxc5 Bxc5 23.Rh1 e3 24.Qe2 0-0-0 25.Rh3 Rd2 26.Bxb7+ Qxb7 27.Qf3 Rhd8 28.Qxb7+ Kxb7 29.Nxe3 R8d3 30.Ng4 Rxh3 31.Kxd2 Rg3 32.Nh6 Be3+ 33.Kc2 Bxc1 34.Kxc1 Rf3 35.Nxf7 Rxf4 36.Nd8+ Kc8 37.Nxe6 Rxh4 38.Kd2 Re4 39.Nf8 Rxe5 40.Nxh7 a5 41.Kd3 Kb7 42.Kd4 Rf5 43.Ke3 Kc6 44.Ke2 Kd6 45.Nf6 Ke5 46.c5 Rxg5 47.Nd7+ Kd5 48.Kf3 0-1 Adams,M-Topalov,V/Frankfurt-West Masters 1999; B) 8...e6 9.a3 Nfd7 10.g5 g6 11.f4 e5 12.Nde2 Nb6 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Qxd8+ Kxd8 15.Be3 N8d7 16.0-0-0 Ke8 17.Bh3 h6 18.Bxd7+ Nxd7 19.Nd5 Rc8 20.h4 hxg5 21.hxg5 Rh2 22.Rd2 Rh3 23.Rg3 Rh4 24.Nec3 Bc5 25.Bxc5 Nxc5 26.b4 Bxd5 27.Rxd5 Ne6 28.Rxe5 Rh2 29.Rd5 Nf4 30.Rd2 Rh3 31.Rxh3 Nxh3 32.Kb2 Nxg5 33.Rd5 f6 34.Rd1 Rc6 35.Kb3 Ke7 36.Rg1 Kf7 37.Rd1 Ke6 38.Rd8 Ke5 39.Rg8 Kd4 40.Nd1 Nxe4 41.Rxg6 Rd6 42.Rg8 f5 43.a4 f4 44.axb5 axb5 45.Rf8 f3 46.Kb2 Rf6 47.Rd8+ Ke5 48.Ne3 Rd6 49.Rf8 Nf6 50.c4 Rd3 51.cxb5 Rxe3 52.b6 Re2+ 53.Kc3 Nd5+ 54.Kd3 Nf4+ 55.Kc3 Re3+ 56.Kc2 Nd5 57.b7 Nxb4+ 58.Kd2 Rd3+ 59.Ke1 Nc6 ½-½ Leko,P-Topalov,V/SuperGM It 1999]
7.g4 Bg7 8.Be3?!
trying out an Ivanchuk idea [8.g5 is stronger 8...Nfd7 (8...Nh5 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 Nc6 11.0-0-0 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Be6 13.Nd5 Rc8 14.Kb1 b5 15.Bb6 Qd7 16.Be2 Qb7 17.Be3 b4 18.Bxh5 gxh5 19.f4 Bg4 20.Rc1 Rc4 21.Qd3 Rfc8 22.Nb6 Be6 23.f5 Rc3 24.bxc3 Bxa2+ 25.Kxa2 Rxc3 26.f6 b3+ 27.Kb2 Rxd3 28.cxd3 1-0 Waitzkin,J-Ady,J/Manhatten March Int. 1999) 9.Be3 (9.h4 Nc6 10.Be3 h5 11.Be2 0-0 12.f4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 e5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Qd2 Be6 16.0-0-0 Rc8 17.Kb1 Qc7 18.Rgf1 b5 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.exd5 Qb7 21.Bc3 Rfe8 22.Rf4 Rxc3 23.bxc3 Qc7 24.Rf6 Nd7 25.Rdf1 Re7 26.Bd3 Nb6 27.R1f4 Nxd5 28.Bxg6 0-1 Nisipeanu,L-Kuczynski,R/Bundesliga 98/99 1998) 9...b5 10.a3 Bb7 11.h4 Nc5 12.h5 gxh5 13.Qxh5 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Ne6 Qa5+ 16.Bd2 b4 17.Nxg7+ Kf8 18.Bxb4 Qd5 19.Qh6 1-0 Conquest,S-Friedland,J/Mindsports ol g/25, London ENG 1998]
8...h5!
[8...b5 9.f3 Bb7 10.Qd2 Nc6 11.0-0-0 0-0 12.h4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 b4 14.Ne2 a5 15.Ng3 Ba6 16.Bxa6 Rxa6 17.h5 e6 18.Rh1 Qc7 19.g5 Ne8 20.Bxg7 Nxg7 21.Qh2 Ne8 was how Ivanchuk-Gelfand went in a rapid chess game. Ivanchuk later blundered with 22.e5? and lost. (22.f4! looks good for White.) ]
9.h3 hxg4 10.hxg4 Nc6 11.f3
Now we have a strange Yugoslav Dragon where Black has prised open the h-file instead of White!
11...Nd7!=+
Regrouping to exert central pressure via the long diagonal
12.Qd2 Nde5 13.Rg3 Na5
[13...Rh1 14.0-0-0 Rxf1!? 15.Rxf1 Nc4 16.Qe2 Nxe3 17.Nxc6 Nxf1 (17...Qb6 18.Re1 bxc6 19.Qxe3 Bd4 20.Qd2 Rb8 21.b3 Bf2 22.Rh3 Bxe1 23.Rh8+ Kd7 24.Qxe1+= Tay-Raffaele, IECC C1-2000) 18.Nxd8 Nxg3 19.Qf2 Bxc3 20.bxc3 Kxd8=] 1
4.b3 Bd7?!
Surprisingly, this natural developing move fritters the initiative away! [14...Nac6! =+ Applying even more pressure on the long diagonal is quite irritating for White.]
15.0-0-0 Rc8 16.Nd5 Nac6 17.Nf5!±
|
|
A typical idea in the Yugoslav Dragon.
17...gxf5 18.Bb6 f4 19.Rg2!
[19.Qxf4 Nb4!! 20.Bxd8 Rxc2+ 21.Kb1 Ng6 22.Nf6+ Bxf6 23.Qxf6 exf6-+; 19.Bxd8 fxg3 20.Bb6 Nxf3 21.Qg2 Bxg4 22.Qxg3 Nce5 with a raging initiative. I don't envy White's position]
19...Nxf3 20.Qxf4 e5
[20...Bh6 21.g5 Nxg5 22.Kb1±]
21.Qxf3 Qg5+ 22.Be3 Qg6
and now White simplifies to get the two bishops
23.Nb6 Rc7 24.Nxd7 Rxd7 25.c3 b5 26.Kb2 Rh4
[26...b4!? to wrestle control of the dark squares is probably the best try for Black. 27.Bd2! (27.Bxa6 bxc3+ 28.Kxc3 d5!) 27...bxc3+ 28.Bxc3 Nd4 29.Bxd4 exd4 30.Bxa6 d3+ 31.Kb1±]
27.a3
to prevent b5-b4 once and for all
27...Na5?!
Weird setup for Black, with all his pieces developed but totally uncoordinated. Black is trying for the d5 break via Qe6 (attacking b3), Nc6-e7 followed by d5. However, the plan is a bit too convulted and White has a concrete refutation. [27...Bf6 28.a4 b4 29.cxb4 Nxb4 30.Bd2+-]
28.Be2 egging Black on...
28...Qe6
[28...Nc6 29.Bf2 Rh8 30.g5+-]
29.Rd5 Nc6
][29...Rb7 30.Bf2 Rh1 31.Qf5+-]
30.a4!
|
|
With this thrust, Black's whole Queenside collapses and the King is suddenly in mortal danger
30...bxa4
[30...Ne7 31.Bg5 Rh8 32.Bxe7 Kxe7 33.axb5 axb5 34.Rxb5+-; 30...b4 31.Bg5+- and White's heavy pieces switch over to the c-file.]
31.Bxa6 Nb4 32.Bb5
[Hoping for 32.cxb4 Qxd5 33.bxa4 Rb7 34.Bxb7 Qxb7± which makes the win much harder]
32...a3+ 33.Kxa3 Nxd5 34.exd5 Qf6 35.Bxd7+ Kxd7 36.Qe4 Rh8 37.Qa4+
[37.Qa4+ Ke7 38.g5 Qf3 39.Qa7+ Kf8 40.Rf2 Qxd5 41.g6 f6 42.Qd7 and mate cannot be prevented.] 1-0
