The Very Latest Developments
The March 2002 UpdateWell, firstly, I must once again apologise for the lateness of this update; I hope to post April's update before the end of the month. Actually, this one is a bit of a departure from the usual, as rather than trying to find novelties and interesting games from the previous month's tournaments, I have instead dealt with reader's questions (from last month), and, rather self-indulgently, I have included a couple of my most recent games. TonyK |
All this month's new games are easily downloaded in PGN format using ChessPub.exe, open ChessPub.exe, put the date on, say, 13th April 2002, and then click on 'Flank Openings', over on the right. All these games should appear (and the new ChessPub Guides, too!)
You can also enter the specific ECO code if you are only interested in a particular opening. To download the March '02 Flank Openings games directly in PGN form click here: 
English Opening
1...e5
A26: In recent weeks I have spent much of my time flitting from one country to another playing club matches. Curiously, I had three opponents who were Dutch Defence experts and all replied to my English Opening with 1...f5, of course. In each game I played my Botvinnik System, as recommended in my book.
In the satirical magazine Kingpin (there is a dull-as-ditchwater article by yours truly in the up-coming Spring issue) Horton reviewed The Dynamic English and poured scorn on this statement of mine: «it is possible to win games with White, by just playing a piece set-up, and subsequent plan, with which you are familiar, sometimes regardless of your opponent's moves.». However, I am still playing these same set-ups that I recommend in the book, ... and I am still winning!
All Botvinnik System fans should examine Kosten - Renner.
1...c5
A30: Last month 'Jonathan' asked if Black can enter a normal Hedgehog after 2.g3, and the answer is basically 'no', although he might be able to get into a Benoni-type position.
In Seirawan - Ftacnik I have a look at what nasty things tend to happen to Black if he really does insist on playing a Hedgehog!
1...Nf6 & others
A13: Many readers have enquired about Black playing a Slav set-up against the English, and a few months ago I considered the line 1 c4 c6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 Nf3 Nbd7!?.
Well, although I said there that I had never seen this system myself, by a curious coincidence 4...e6, and then ...Nbd7 was then played against me in the Clermont Ferrand Open:
            
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Play is very similar, although if Black wants to play ...e5 he has a tempo less here. See my thoughts about this in Kosten - Randisi.
Réti
A05: Jeroen Piket said to me the other day that: «The English is a good opening if White uses it to transpose into a d4 mainline at the right moment». Which is certainly true at the highest levels, but lower down there are a lot of players (like me) who go out of their way to avoid such mainlines, and so it was with interest that I looked at the anti-King's Indian line 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 g3 g6 3 b4!?
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This was recommended by Angus Dunnington in his book easy guide to the Réti Opening, and I examine lines where Black plays ...c6, and ...d5 in Narciso Dublan - Pedersen, and the more typical ...d6, and ...e5 in Hoffmann - Wemmers.
A15: Actually, I prefer the line 2 c4 g6 3 b4 myself, although play is very similar, and indeed transposes in Sulskis - Afek.
All three games should be examined together.
A06: Last, and certainly least, Klas Johnson, a Budapest Gambit player, asked me about the reversed Budapest: 1 Nf3 d5 2 e4, which apparently is called the Tennyson Gambit.
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The overall score for this line is not too good for White, but better than one might expect!
Is it better or worse than the Budapest? Well, the absence of the c5-pawn (compared with the Budapest) seems to aid White if Black defends his e4-pawn with 3...Nf6, but helps Black if he plays 3...Bf5!
This is all discussed in the Tennyson Gambit.
This month's e-mails:
Don't forget to pop over to my 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