The Very Latest Developments
Welcome to the November 2002 Olympiad special!All the games this month come from the Olympiad (despite the numerous time-trouble errors - is chess becoming a game of reflex rather than reflection?) with the exception of one game from the German Bundesliga, and one from its British equivalent, the 4NCL (Four Nations Chess League). This last one was my dismal effort, from a personally disastrous weekend! I lose on average less than one English Opening as White per year, so this, and the fact that it involves a line I discussed last month, makes it fit for inclusion. Sorry to all those that wrote with questions, I have only answered one (old) one on my latest E-mailbag, but will try to catch-up on the others next week. TonyK |
To download the November '02 Flank Openings games directly in PGN form click here: 
English Opening
1...e5
[A20]: Here is my aforementioned defeat, which involves the 5...Na6 move against the Keres System. Black, a young Irish player who won a medal for his board at the Olympiad, happily exchanged into an endgame where he completely outplayed me!
Have a look at Kosten,A - Collins,A.
1...c5
[A32]: Gelfand,B - Nisipeanu,L features a new pawn sacrifice that was twice played by Gelfand in the Olympiad, 8 N1c3!?
                    
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Both games are considered here.
[A33]: In Marin,M - Almasi,Z, involving the Four Knights mainline, White tried a sensible-looking novelty, but Black quickly took control with a strong exchange sacrifice, and never took his teeth out of White's position, finishing in style.
[A39]: After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 c5 6.0-0 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nc6 8.Nc3 play moves from a King's Indian, Fianchetto Yugoslav Variation, to the Symmetrical English, and Black tried the popular 8...Ng4
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Unfortunately he gets mown-down by the ex-FIDE champ in superb positional style - this is one worth studying!
1...Nf6 & others
[A10]: Agrest,E - Atalik,S reconsiders the English Defence mainline, White trying a new move as early as move 7. However, Black reacts well and seems to be on top when White sacs a pawn for a kingside attack, which Black manages to diffuse with a rook offer that forces a perpetual!
[A16]: Ivanchuk,V plays an innovation in a anti-Grünfeld line I recommend in The Dynamic English, but his opponent Mamedyarov,S defends actively and well, making a comfortable draw.
[A18]: Agrest,E - Sturua,Z features a disastrous loss for White who never managed to recover from his opening innovation. The Mikenas Attack was made to look like the Mikenas Defence!
Réti
[A04]: After last month's fortuitous victory Vaganian again tries his anti-Dutch system, but he is obviously 'getting the hang of it' as he decimates his unfortunate opponent - Heidrich - in fine style.
Bird's
[A03]: In Ricardi,P - Dominguez,L we see a pure 'reversed Leningrad':
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Does White's extra tempo make this line more playable? The answer is yes.
e-mails
Don't forget to pop over to my November E-mailbag!
Please feel free to share any of your thoughts with me, whatever they are, suggestions, criticisms (just the polite ones, please), etc. Drop me a line at tonykosten@chesspublishing.com
Till next month, Tony K