Download PGN of February '13 French games
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Advance Variation 5...Nh6 [C02]
I am very pleased to receive a contribution of two annotated games from our erstwhile French columnist on ChessPublishing, Kevin Goh. Kevin continues to play some of the most instructive and/or exciting French Defences that are out there, and these are no exception. He is listed under Goh Wei Ming in the Archives as a player, and 'Wei Ming' as an annotator.
Yap Ki -Goh Wei Ming, Singapore 64th National Championships 2012, tests the move 5...Nh6 after 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3:
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I have undoubtedly overexposed this move to the readers, since I have advocated it in books, first in Dangerous Weapons: the French and then in Play the French 4. Kevin plays a slightly strange interpretation, but reaches a fairly typical French position and outplays his opponent. His notes are excellent, and I've made a few brief comments.
Advance Variation 4...Qb6 planning ...Bb5 [C02]
The line 3...c5 4 c3 Qb6 5 Nf3 Bd7 (actually 4...Bd7 5 Nf3 Qb6 in this case) was tested in Motylev - Kovalev, Warsaw 2012. After 6 Bd3 cxd4, White chose 7 Nxd4:
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This is probably the most challenging idea, preventing ...Bb5, and has scored well over the years. It does so here, although I think White misses the correct move order for an opening advantage.
Winawer Variation 7 h4 [C18]
The positional Winawer with 7 h4 continues to fascinate. Steel - Goh Wei Ming, Istanbul 2012, is another nice game by Kevin, which I've given with his notes.
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Here Kevin tries 8...f6!?, a move I suggest in PTF4. A nice sacrificial battle results.
Portisch-Hook 6...Qa5 [C18]
Another 7 h4 line is seen in Andriasian - Movsisian, Yerevan 2013. It turns into a Portisch-Hook Variation:
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This type of position has proven playable for Black, who outplays his opponent. A miniature huge upset appears in the notes.
Sipila - Socko, Stockholm 2013, comes directly from the Portisch-Hook move order 6...Qa5 7 Bd2 Qa4. After 8 Qg4 Kf8, White foregoes the traditional 9 Qd1 for the more adventurous 9 Nf3:
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After 9...Ne7, this has transposed into the fairly well-known line 6...Ne7 7 Qg4 Kf8 8 Nf3 Qa5 9 Bd2 Qa4. I think White has chances for a slight advantage in the variations which follow, but rich and complicated positions abound in any case, and all three results are possible.
Classical Variation with 4 e5, 7...Qb6 [C11]
Jakovenko - Nepomniachtchi, Moscow (Blitz) 2012, is another game from last month which I've decided to use to illustrate a line I've neglected, namely, the Steinitz with 7...Qb6 8 Na4 Qa5+ 9 c3, and now 9...b6, which has become a very important alternative to 9...c4 and 9...cxd4.
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There's an awful lot going on in this position; as far as I can tell, Black is holding his own. The notes are arguably more important than the game.
7...cxd4 8 Nxd4 Qb6 [C11]
Another line for Black that has periodically looked to be refuted is 7...cxd4 8 Nxd4 Qb6, leading to the following well-known sacrificial position:
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I haven't paid attention to the theory of this line in this column. In spite of years of experience and analysis, theory hasn't settled upon a verdict, but it appears to me that White can no longer count upon any advantage. The super-grandmaster game Anand - Nakamura, Wijk aan Zee 2013, followed a main line that seems to be equal, and has even given White a few more difficulties than Black. I've tried to cover an overview of the theory by citing a number of games, especially from the past year.
Till next month, John
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