"Mainstream" Daring Defences
Grünfeld & Dutch
Daring Defences February '02 Update.Welcome to this month's Mainstream Daring Update which contains a lot of interesting ideas- some new, some forgotten and at least one which for sheer risk can rival anything in the Maverick section! Let's begin with the Dutch. |
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Dutch
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad
The Staunton 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5
Note the move order 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 fxe4 4.Bg5 is also possible. That is in fact how this month's illustrative game began.
Thanks partly to its recommendation in Steffen Pedersen's The Dutch for the Attacking Player the move 4...Nc6 holds sway here. However, other moves are also interesting, and it might be worth looking at them as the theory on 4...Nc6 is growing quickly. Earlier I have looked at 4...c6; now I want to look at Nimzowitsch's old move 4...b6!?
                   
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Black prepares the development of his queen's bishop and continues the fight for the e4 square. I'm very impressed by Black's results in this line, both ancient and modern.
You can see a convincing win by Rausis at a recent French Open and also a fine vintage game by Nimzowitsch himself by checking out Toulzac-Rausis in [A83].
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad
2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4
In the ChessPub Guide I remark that after 3.Bf4 a Leningrad approach involving ...c7-c6 and ...g7-g6 would be a more dynamic way for Black to handle the position than the usual 3...e6. But is it sound? The key test is whether White can exploit the target created by ...g7-g6 to wipe out Black with a quick h4 and h5. For a detailed analysis of all White's plans and how to meet them have a look at Kosanovic-Hoang Thanh Trang in [A80].
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad
1.d4 f5 2.Bg5
Next up is a variation that is in the true spirit of the Daring Defences- it is incredibly reckless but it does surprisingly well in practice. I'm talking about 2.Bg5 c5!?/? In this month's game White is taken by surprise in a rapid-play game, and so- despite being a very strong junior player rated 2450 and rapidly rising- makes a fatal blunder after FOUR moves! How often does that happen?
Having said that you play the line entirely at your own risk. Choose your opponent and the time limit with extreme care before you decide to try it! You can find a full analysis in Handke-Berg, [A80].
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad.
The next game shows the kind of massive attack Black can develop in the Dutch if White plays passively. In fact there is probably no reply to 1.d4 which demands as much accuracy from White in EVERY system as the Dutch. If White wants to avoid a hard fight in the King's Indian or Slav, he can choose a quiet sideline; there isn't the equivalent of the King's Indian or Slav Exchange Variations in the Dutch!
Have a look at Korobov-Kim in [A81].
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad
The Dutch Leningrad with 7...Nc6
After 8.d5 Ne5 attention has focused on 9.Nxe5 dxe5 10.c5 or 10.e4. However, I'm told that in his book on Kramnik's opening repertoire Khalifman examines 9.Qb3!? instead, so we should have a close look at it. As it turns out my own introduction to this move was in a recent county match- it was a far from perfect game as I continuously chose the wrong plan in the middlegame, but I think it is interesting nevertheless. You can find a detailed analysis of this line in Knott-McDonald, [A89].
White plays c2-c3 versus the Leningrad
Grünfeld
The Exchange Variation: White plays an early Ba3.
The analysis of the two games was prompted by a couple of interesting emails from subscriber Doug Schwetke:
Hello GM McDonald,
I am interested in your opinion of the moves 6...Bg7 vs 6...c5 in the exchange variation of the Grunfeld. I notice that M. Gurevich was playing 7.Ba3 after 6...Bg7 in Wijk aan Zee 2002. GM Davies in his video on the Grunfeld recommends 6...c5 to avoid the several anti-7...c5 lines White has on move 7. What are your opinions on 6...Bg7 vs 6...c5?
Thank you,
Doug Schwetke
Arlington, Texas
It's a matter of personal preference, but I think 6...Bg7 is better, because in the Exchange Grunfeld White's most dangerous early divergence involves Bb5+.
If you look up the line 6...Bg7 7.Bb5+ you will see that Black gets good results after 7...c6, but does not do nearly so well after 7...Bd7. In contrast after 6...c5 7.Bb5+ Black doesn't have the option of c6, and you will see that White gets good results.
Of course, if 7.Ba3 is a dangerous option for White then we should consider 6....c5- but in my opinion it isn't. Gurevich won against a player in bad form at Wijk. Have a look at the analysis and see if you agree with me- it is in Gurevich-Kasimdzhanov, [D85].
The Exchange Variation: White plays 7.Be3
Doug also writes:
I have another question about a line recommended by GM Davies in his video tape on the Grunfeld. In the Exchange Variation with 7.Be3 8.Qd2 9.Rc1 he recommends 9...Nd7. What do you think of this line. I have included the games I have been able to find that include this move.
Here I should point out that I haven't seen Nigel Davies' video so I don't know exactly what he recommends. The good practical value of 9...Nd7 is that Black doesn't get inveigled in 30 moves of Kramnikian and Van Welyian theory as occurs after 9...Qa5. The drawback is that compared to systems with Nc6 Black isn't immediately challenging White's centre. I think this gives White chances to develop an initiative. Have a look at Volkov-Turov in [D85].
My thanks to Doug for your emails. I'll try to respond to the third one next time.
The Exchange Variation: 8.Rb1, 10...Qa5+
Next is a hard fight between two up-and-coming players. Black diverges from the mainline as early as move 13 and is punished for his errors in a very convincing style. But was it really so bad for him? If this can be made to work for Black then he has a fresh path which escapes from one of the most heavily analysed lines in the whole of chess. You can examine Johannessen-Nakamura, [D85].
The Russian System 7.e4 a6.
A couple of years ago after 8.Qb3 b5 9.e5 Nfd7 10.h4 Black suffered a famous defeat in the game Anand-Svidler given on ChessPub. Subsequently the analysts claimed that Black was in fact doing well in the opening, and it could all be safely repeated. Nevertheless, it has taken a high profile game at Wijk aan Zee to reassure me that this is true. Khalifman, the former FIDE World Champion, scores a crushing win that lays the ghost of Anand-Svidler to rest. Have a look at Kasimdzhanov-Khalifman, in [D97].
Also in this variation, White can try the immediate 10.e6. After 10...fxe6 11.Be3 Black ends up with a rotten-looking pawn structure in the centre but on the plus side the doubled pawns provide a secure square on d5 for a black knight. The game selected confirms that Black is at least OK here- his dynamism overwhelms White in Kanstler-Vlassov, [D97].
In view of his travails in the sharp lines above, perhaps White should settle for the quiet 8.Be2!? Then in a game with Kasimdzhanov at Wijk Peter Leko managed to hold the draw with 8...Bb7. He made an interesting improvement on his game with Kasparov given on ChessPub. Also at Wijk Bareev beat Van Wely after the Dutchman played 8...Be6. If you have a sense of deja vu, this is because the same players had a game in this line in the previous update. On the way to scoring the tournament success of his life, Bareev won convincingly. You can find details of the Leko game as well in the analysis to Bareev-Van Wely, [D97].
Well that's all for now. Good luck with your chess! To get in touch just send an email to me at neilmc@chesspublishing.com.
Best Wishes,
Neil
Jon Tisdall is back with the Maverick DD's in March