|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Chessville
Advertise to Single insert:
|
Annotated Games"Opening the Center"
SlowMoe v. DA Annotated by David Surratt [Click here to view the "Annotated_Games" PGN file in Chess Tutor, an interactive chess board.] [Or download the PGN file to use in your own chess program.]
This is the first of two games submitted by reader D.A. This game, played on ICC at a time control of 20 20, illustrates the perils of prematurely opening the center. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
The Tarrasch Variation of the French Defense. The Tarrasch's reputation is one of a solid, safe, yet less aggressive method of combating the French. White avoids the pin of his queen-knight seen in the Winawer, while still supporting the king-pawn. White takes a slower, more positional approach, attempting first to limit Black's counterplay. Black has two main ways to respond: 3...Nf6, and 3...c5. 3... Nf6 Black invites 4.e5, allowing White to set up the cramping pawn chain, and establishing a permanent imbalance in the position. The fight then hinges on whether or not White can consolidate his center. Black of course, will try to undermine the center with the pawn breaks ...c5 and possibly ...f6. There follows 4...Nfd7, and now White most often responds with either 5.Bd3 (the most popular move - continuing to develop while keeping options open) or 5.f4. The latter move has the merits of reinforcing e5 and grabbing space on the kingside, where White wants to attack anyway. 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3
6... Nc6 An alternative worth considering is 6... b6, seeking to exchange off the problem bishop with ...Ba6. As Psakhis puts it "Black's play is a little slow, but strategic achievements - and the exchange of light-squared bishops certainly comes under that heading - can be worth the price of a little inconvenience." 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 Qb6 A more frequently seen alternative is the thematic pawn break 8... f6. 9. Nf3 f6 10. exf6 Nxf6
The strategic battle lies in White's efforts to exploit the backwards Black e-pawn, while Black tries to complete his development and drum up some counterplay. 11. O-O Bd6
This position can also be reached via the move order. 8...f6 9.ef Nxf6 10.Nf3 Bd6 11.0-0 Qb6. 12. Nc3 The most popular move, as it sets Black the most problems. Alternatives for White include: 12. b3, 12. a3, 12.Bd2, 12.Re1, and 12. Bf4 12... O-O 13. Be3 Qc7 13... Qxb2 14. Nb5 Be7 15. Rb1 Qxa2 16. Ra1 Qb2 17. Ra4 and Black has no defense to 18.Bc1, winning the queen. Better alternatives for Black include 13... Bd7 or 13... a6. 14. Re1 14. Nb5 was better, removing Black's good bishop & eliminating the battery on the b8-h2 diagonal, and oh-by-the-way, leaving plenty of dark-squared holes all over Black's center.
Since Black's next move is to open the center by 14...e5, let's stop and look at that idea for a moment. Forget about calculating tactics though, just use your tactical & strategic "sense". The question is - when is it appropriate to open the center? Conventional wisdom holds that it's usually an excellent response to a wing attack. Problem is, there really isn't one happening here yet. Another instance when you want to open the center is if you're far enough ahead in development to take advantage of the reduced tension and opening of lines. Problem is (again!) Black isn't ahead in development. In fact, if anyone is, it's White - by a tiny margin. So if opening the center is going to prove to be in anyone's interest, it's going to be White's, especially considering that there will be an open line to the Black king. Now the open line isn't necessarily dangerous for the Black king, but it does offer tactical possibilities for White. Tactics don't just happen; remember, there has to exist certain facilitating conditions - like open lines to attack or check the opposing king, or better piece placement. Without calculating a single move, I can tell you this: Black should NOT open the center yet. 14... e5? This is too dangerous. This sort of bare-knuckle fight has to favor White. The natural looking 14... Bd7 allows 15. Nb5 Qb8 16. Nxd6 Qxd6. An interesting line is 14... Ng4 15. Bxh7+ Kh8 (15... Kxh7 16. Ng5+ Kg8 17.Qxg4 Bxh2+ 18. Kh1 Bf4 19. Bxf4 Rxf4 (19...Qxf4 20. Qh5 Qf5 21. g4) 20. Qh3 Qd8 21. Qh7+ Kf8 22. Rxe6 (Don't you just love moves like this? Right in the middle of an attack, when Black thinks he has everything covered, and then some thunderbolt like this!) 22... Bxe6 23. Nxe6+ The proverbial family fork. Maybe Black's best hope is to first keep White's knight away from b5 with 14... a6, after which Fritz calls it even (0.19 or so in White's favor is all). White can choose here from moves like 15.Rc1, 15.h3, or 15.Kh1. 15. Qb3 Better was 15. Nb5 Qd8 16. Nxd6 e4 (16... Qxd6 17.dxe5 giving Black the isolated d-pawn instead! 17... Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Bc5 Qxb2 20. Re2 Qc3 21. Rc1 Qa5 22. Bxf8 Kxf8 23. Qb3 White stands much better positionally, not to mention the small material edge. The point of the rook moves was to accelerate White's development.) 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Bc4+ Kh8 19. Ng5 Qe8 and Black lacks compensation for the pawn.
15... e4 No time for this, and besides, the d-pawn is pinned - so there's not really a pawn fork here anyway. 15... exd4 was better. 16. Nxd5 Kh8?? The best defense is 16... Be6 17.Nxc7 Bxb3 18. axb3 Bxc7 19. Bc4+ Kh8 20. Ng5. White still has the advantage, but Black lives to fight on. 17. Nxc7 Black resigns 1-0
|
The
|
||||||
|
||||||||
