1.e4 {RJ} c5 2.c3 {RJ} d5 3.exd5 {RJ} Qxd5 4.d4 {RJ} g6!?

An interesting line.  I noticed Valentina playing it also at the BC open.  When I looked it up on my database it seemed fairly new.  Almost all of the games are from 1992 on.  As it interests me I will look at the opening in detail.

5.Nf3 {RJ} Bg7 6.Be2 {RJ}

6.Na3 Nf6

Analysis Diagram: Position After 6...Nf6

A) 7.Nb5 Na6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 (9.Qa4 0–0 10.Bc4 Qh5 11.Qb3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Bd7 and black has lots of dynamic possibilities on the kingside.  Kuif-Kengis, Germany 1996) 9...h6 10.Bd2 cxd4 11.cxd4 0–0 12.h3 Nf6 13.Nc3 Qd8 14.Qb3 Nc7 and black has a nice position as white has very little dynamic play for his isolated pawn. 15.Bc4 b6 (15...Be6!-/+) 16.0–0–0 Bb7=+ Vismara-Wojkiewicz, Geneva 1997;

B) 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nb5 (8.Bc4 Qa5 9.Nxd4 0–0 unclear) 8...0–0 9.Qxd4 (9.Nc7 Qc6 10.Nxa8 dxe3 11.Nd4 exf2+ 12.Kxf2 Qc5 13.Ke1 Bg4 14.Qb3 Nc6–+) 9...Nc6 10.Qh4 (10.Qxd5 Nxd5=+) 10...Ng4 11.Bd2 (11.Nc7? Qa5 12.Nxa8 Bxc3+ 13.Bd2 Bxd2+ 14.Nxd2 Qe5+ 15.Be2 Nd4 16.0–0 g5! 17.Qh5 Nxe2+ 18.Kh1 Nf4–+ Sepp-Ehlvest, Riga 1995) 11...Bf5 12.Nc7?! (12.Be2=+) 12...Qe4+ 13.Be2 Bf6 14.Bg5 (14.Qg3 Rad8 threatening Qc2 15.h3 Nge5-/+) 14...Rac8 15.h3 (15.Nb5 Qc2–+) 15...Nxf2 16.Qxf2 Rxc7-/+ Kozak-Dreev, Elista 1998;

C) 7.Bc4 7...Qe4+ 8.Be3 0–0 9.0–0 (9.dxc5?! Ng4 10.Ng5 Qxg2 11.Bd5 Nxe3 12.Bxg2 Nxd1 13.Rxd1 Na6=+ Sveshnikov-Cebalo, Slovenia 1998) 9...cxd4 10.Bxd4 Nc6 11.Re1 Qf5 12.Be5 unclear; 6.Qb3 Be6 7.c4 Qd7 8.d5 Bf5 unclear; 6.dxc5 Qxc5 7.Be3 Qc7 8.Na3 a6=; 6.Be3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Qa5+ (7...Nh6?? 8.Qc1+-) 8.Nc3 Nh6 9.Bc4 Nf5 10.Qb3 0–0 11.0–0 Nd6 12.Be2 Bg4 (12...Nc6 13.d5) 13.Rad1 Nc6 14.h3 (14.d5 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Ne5 16.Be2 Rac8) 14...Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Rab8= Seger-Dautov, German ch 1999]

6...Nc6?

This seems awkward as it will later be chased with d5.  6...Nh6 7.0–0 0–0 (7...Nf5 8.Na3 0–0 9.Bc4 Qc6 and black is very comfortable. San Marco-A. Sokolov, Paris 1999) 8.c4 Qd6 9.d5 Nf5 10.Nc3 Nd7 11.Bd2 Ne5 12.Ne4 Qc7 13.Bc3 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Nd4 15.b4 b6 ½-½ M. Turner-S. Pedersen, Oxford 1998; 6...cxd4 7.cxd4 Nh6 8.Nc3 Qd8 9.Bf4 0–0 10.0–0 (10.Be5 Nd7 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.0–0 Nf6 13.h3 Nf5) 10...Nf5 11.d5 a6 12.a4 Nd7 13.Qb3 b6 14.Rad1 Bb7 15.Rfe1 Rc8 16.Bf1 Nc5= Hort-Spraggett. San Bernadino 1992

7.Be3 {RJ}

Trying to force black to exchange on d4 so that Nc3 and d5 will come.

7...cxd4 8.cxd4 {RJ} Nh6

It is now very difficult to deal with the threat of Nc3 and d5.  8...Bf5 9.Nc3 Qd7 10.d5 Nb4 11.Nd4±; 8...Bg4 9.Nc3 Qd7 10.d5 Nb4 11.Qb3+-; 8...Nf6 9.Nc3 Qa5 10.0–0 (10.d5? Nxd5–+) 10...Nd5 11.Qb3 Nxc3 12.bxc3+=

9.Nc3 {RJ} Qd8 10.d5 {DS} Nb8 11.Bd4± {DS}

Black is dangerously behind in development now.

11...Nf5

11...0–0 I like this better 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Qd4+ is similar, but maybe a bit more flexible line for black.

12.Bxg7 {DS} Nxg7 13.Qd4 {DS}

13.Qa4+ Nd7 14.Qf4 looks very for for white.

13...0–0 14.g4!? {DS}

Very entertaining.

14...Nd7 15.0–0–0 {DS} Qb6

Trying to limit white's fun.

16.h4 {DS}

This is the problem with different players making the moves. Too often a few aggressive moves are made and then someone else backs off not wanting to push their luck if they don't know the plan.  16.Qf4 would be the caveman's choice and also my preference.  For example... 16...Qxf2 17.h4 e5 18.Qh6 f6 19.h5 gxh5 20.Rhg1 Rf7 21.gxh5 e4 22.d6 Nb6 23.Nxe4.

16...Qxd4 17.Rxd4 {DS} Ne8

17...Nf6 18.g5 Nfe8

18.h5 {DS}

18.Re4 e6 19.dxe6 fxe6 20.Rd1 (20.Rxe6 Nb6 with counterplay) 20...b6 21.Red4 is messy but seems to favor white.

18...Nd6 19.hxg6 {DS} hxg6 20.Ng5?{DS}

I don't like this move as when the knight on d7 moves the knight on f3 was going to a much better square on e5. And as it turns out the knight becomes really out of play on g5.

20...Nf6 21.f3 {DS} Bd7

Black is starting to look okay now.

22.Kd2 {DS}

White's pieces are clumsy and black is poised to generate counterplay. White should consider a regrouping here.  22.Nh3 Kg7 23.Nf4 Rh8 24.Rdd1 b5 25.Bd3 b4 26.Nce2 Rac8+ 27.Kd2.

22...Kg7 23.Ke3 {DS} Rh8 24.Rdd1 {DS} b5!

Counterplay!

25.a3?! {DS}

This makes matters worse by creating a more pronounced target.  25.Kd4.

25...a5 26.Kd4 {DS} b4 27.Nce4 {DS} bxa3 28.bxa3 {DS} Nb5+ 29.Bxb5 {DS} Bxb5 30.Nxf6? {OS}

This turns out to be a boomerang.  30.Rxh8 Rxh8 31.Rb1 Nxe4 32.Nxe4 Be2 33.Ke3 Bc4 34.d6 exd6 35.Nxd6 Be6 looks likely to be a draw.

30...exf6 31.Ne4 {RJ} Be2 32.Rxh8 {RJ} Rxh8 33.Rb1 {RJ}

White starts to lose direction. I would assume that time pressure has set in.  33.Re1 Bxf3 34.Nd6 g5 (34...Bxg4 35.Ne8+ Kh6 36.Rh1+ Bh5 37.Nxf6) 35.Nf5+ Kg6 36.Rg1; 33.Rg1 Bxf3 34.Nd6 Rd8 35.Rg3 Bxg4 36.Nb7 Rb8 37.Nxa5.

33...Bxf3 34.g5 {RJ} fxg5 35.Nxg5 {OS} Bxd5 36.Rb5 {OS} Bc6 37.Rxa5 {OS} 0–1

Final Position