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Ask the Tiger with GM Nigel Davies
September, 2003 Your chance to pick the brain of one of the world's leading GMs, chess teachers, and authors! Learn more about Nigel's teaching philosophy and check out his very reasonable rates. Visit his website, Tiger Chess, loaded with instructional articles. Ask the Tiger Your Question Now!
Question: I'm a chess hobbyist who only plays against computers (I just can't commit to a club, even for only one night a week). I favor the Stonewall Attack with White, and your "souped-up" Stonewall from your video got my attention and got me to thinking. Would it be possible to come up with an opening system for White where you begin with the idea of playing the Stonewall, Barry Attack, or London System, and then transposing to one of the other two as circumstances dictate? Thank you. David R.Ward, Somerville, NJ, USA Answer: There are common positional themes to all these openings, for example you often get to play Nf3-e5 in all of them. But in arranging these set-ups you will necessarily rule out transpositions; in the Stonewall you put a pawn on f4 whilst in the London system and Barry you want to put a bishop there. -------------------------------------------- Question: Well, you know surely that British IMs Gary Lane and Miroslav Houska play the Blackmar-Diemer gambit, too. So I have the hope that the BDG is better known in Great Britain than anywhere.There is a new idea in Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Tartakower Defense: 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.g4 Be4 8.Nxf7!? That's the new idea first played in 1998 by German Neumeyer, systematized by me: Belka-Neumeyer-Line. I could win several games as White in past but also found a strong Black idea very dangerous for White: 8...Kxf7 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.Qxb7 Qxd4!? 12.c3 Qd5 13.Bg2 Qe5+ 14.Kf1 Nd5! (a very strong riposte!) if 15.Qxa8 so 15...Bc5 and White loses! What can White play better in 15th move or before? It would be very pity should the whole line die due to this Black's single riposte... Wieland Belka Answer: You've got the wrong Brit. I suggest you stop wasting your time on this stuff and study 2.c4 instead. Or if you want to attack then play 1.e4. --------------------------------------------- Question: I have been playing the Caro Kann as black for some time with a certain amount of success. I am getting use to the structures and some of the standard opening lines. I find, however, that some white players seem to try to deal with it as if it were a version of the Sicilian and play 2 Nf3 (after 1e4 c6). My books tell me that this is not a standard response to the Caro Kann. Why is that? Is there an easy way to refute it? Many thanks, Tim Cowen, London UK Answer: You should be able to find it in quite a few books, 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 is known as the Two Knights Variation. -------------------------------------------- Question:
I want to know as to how one can gain advantage if the opponent does not
follow main lines (eg. does not offer d4 in Sicilian)? Answer: Joe Gallagher's 'Beating the Anti-Sicilians' offers antidotes to the side-lines as does Rogozenko's 'Anti-Sicilians: A Guide for Black'. But the best approach is to improve your middle and endgame play. -------------------------------------------- Question: I read something about your new book "The Veresov....". It seems to be a complete repertoire for white with Veresov as a main line. My question is: Which other lines (or systems) are also included in this book as a part of repertoire? Marjan Semrl, Slovenia Answer: For a detailed response buy the book! For a less detailed reply you can download the main games (but with no notes) from the downloads page at Tiger Chess. ------------------------------------------- Question: Which opening book do you think is the best for 1300 rating players? Thanks, Benzi. Answer: Reuben Fine's 'Ideas Behind the Chess Openings' is probably still the best bet, despite the fact that it was written long ago. ------------------------------------------ Question: I am reporter from Eastern Eye News Paper, I am running a story this week on the rule changes to the British championships that will take effects next year. I have spoken to the President of the BCF and the chairmen of British Chess magazine for their views on the issue. I have yet to contact a member of chess team that will no longer be able to compete, how ever comment from a British Grand Master would be very useful. Our deadline is Tuesday so if you can get back with a reply asap that would great. - Tarlock Answer: Sorry about the 2 month delay. No comment. ------------------------------------------- Question: On page 12 of your Grunfeld book, under move 18. Rxe7, you give a variation 18.Bc5 Van Wely-Svidler Biel 2000. Their game continued 24....Qxf3 25. Qd5 Qg4+, but my Chess Tiger 15.0 found 25.Bh4!...what do you think...? Thanks, Skip Fritze Answer: Please pass on my warmest congratulations to Chess Tiger for its magnificent discovery. ------------------------------------------- Question: I have a question regarding a variation in the Benoni - Four Pawn Attack. A recent game of mine went: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 O-O 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 exd5 9.cxd5 Bg4 10.O-O Nbd7 11.Re1 Re8 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Qa5 14.Be3 b5 15.a3 Nb6 16.e5 Nfd7 17.e6 Nc4 18.exd7 Rxe3 19.Rxe3 Nxe3 20.Qd3 b4 21.Nb5.
In his book, "Attacking with 1.d4", Angus Dunnington gives the following variation by Agnos on page 85: 21... Bxb2 23.Re1 bxa3 23.Rxe3 a2 24.Re8 Kg7 25.Rxa8 a1=Q 26.Kh2 Bf6 and Dunnington states that "... White is well on top." In my game with Cullum, Black played the new move 21... bxa3. The game continued with 22.Qxe3 Qxb5 23.Qe7 Bd4 24.Kh2 Qxb2 25.d8=Q Rxd8 26.Qxd8 Kg7 27.Re1 Qd2 28.Rf1 a2 29.Qxd6 a1=Q 30.Rxa1 Bxa1 31.Qxc5 Qxf4 32.Kh1 Be5 and I resigned. My question is, what do you think is White's best line after 21...bxa3. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Jim Tracz. Cleveland, Ohio USA Answer: Maybe White can make a fight of it with 22.Be2 but the position already looks better for Black. I can't really see Mr. Dunnington playing this stuff himself, maybe you should get the Four Pawns book by Vaisser. ------------------------------------------ Question: In this position...
...Black played 57...f6, White responded 58.Ke6?? and was instantly mated by 58...Bc8. In Beliavsky's book Modern Endgame Practice, he says that after 58.Nxf6 Bxg2 59.Bf5 Ke7 "any chances of a win are insignificant." Ed Eusebi and I have been looking at this position though, and wondered if White's chances weren't better after all? Our thoughts ran something along the lines of: 60.Nxe8 Kxe8 61.Kf6 (61.b6) ; 59...Nxf6 ( 59...Bb7 60.Nxe8 Kxe8 61.Be4 Bc8 62.b7) 60.Kxf6 Ke8 61.Bf5 Kd8 62.Kxg5 Ke7 63.Kxh4 Kd6 64.Bc8 Kc6 65.b7 Kc7 66.Kg4 Bxb7 Mate in fifteen. (66...Bxh3+ is mate in ten.) I wondered if Black couldn't sac the bishop for the b-pawn, and hide his king in the h8 corner, since White's bishop is the wrong color to force promotion of the h-pawn? Ed points out that that idea won't work if the White king and Bishop can keep the Black king out of the corner. He adds "...but perhaps the Black king never had to go over to the queen side. If the king just ignores the advance of the b-pawn and stays on the kingside, then White could try to win by first capturing the Black pawns, then bringing his king over to the queenside and using his bishop to mask the Black bishop's control of b7. Note that Fritz didn't advance the b-pawn until the Black king forced it, but this brought the king far from the h-file. There seems to be a fine balance in this endgame between the play on both sides of the board. The Black bishop can not take the h-pawn when the White b-pawn is on b6, unless the Black king is there to stop b7. So the h-pawn can be used to deflect the bishop from defense of b7, and the b-pawn can be used to deflect the Black king from the queenside. With White's multitude of winning plans, the Black defense looks very difficult to me." He further points out that the h-pawn can be used to deflect the bishop from defense of b7, and the b-pawn can be used to deflect the Black king from the kingside. He wrote again to add "I've been doing further analysis of this endgame, and just realized that White can also win by NOT capturing the Black kingside pawns with his king. Once Black gives up his bishop, White just has to put Black into Zugzwang and force him to advance the g-pawn. Then White's passed pawn is on the g-file, and that's a win. I knew this technique, but didn't consider it until I looked at a line where Black gives up his bishop right away so that his king can remain on the kingside: 59...Bb7 60.Nxe8 Kxe8 61.Be4 Bc8 62.Kf6 62.b7 Bxb7 63.Bxb7 Kf7 64.Kf5 Kg7 65.Bd5 Kh6 66.Kf6 Kh7 67.Be4+ Kg8 ((67...Kh6 68.Bg6 g4 69.hxg4 h3 70.g5#) 68.Bg6 Kh8 69.Kf7 g4 70.hxg4 h3 71.Be4 h2 72.Bh1 and wins. So White only captures the pawns with his king when the Black king has moved to the queenside to prevent the advance of the b-pawn. Then he keeps the king out of h8. Otherwise, he wins by winning the bishop. He just has to make sure that Black can't play a favorable ...g4 at some point. This simplifies matters for White." Can you please shed some GM light on this ending? Thanks! David Surratt Answer: I agree with you. It looks to me as if Black is lost. ------------------------------------------- Question: I have several of your tapes. Is it possible to download or purchase chessbase files with all the lines you cover in your tapes? Thanks, Dan Answer: If someone else produced such files it would be a breach of copyright. If I did it I would be breaking my contract with the publisher. So I'm afraid not. -------------------------------------------- Question: How many plays could possibly be in the second turn of the whites? Erik Sanchez Answer: It's probably better to ask a computer. We GMs try to whittle the possibilities down rather than count them. -------------------------------------------- Question: I have been studying your book regarding the Gruenfeld where you mention this line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O e6.
Who came up with the 10...e6 idea? The earliest game that I could find was this one: Schmidt, U - Clark, M, Los Angeles 1991: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Ne2 c5 9.O-O Nc6 10.Be3 e6 11.Rb1 Na5 12.Bd3 c4 13.Bc2 b6 14.f4 f5 15.Qe1 Bb7 16.Ng3 Qh4 17.Bc1 Rf7 18.Ba3 Bh6 19.Nxf5 1-0. I have been looking for theory in books and databases (I could only gather 15 games with 7 wins by black, 5 wins by white and 3 draws) and very little pops up! After Black's 10th move is 11.dxc5 bad? Why? I see 11...Ne5 or 11...Qa5 coming with good game for black... Am I right? Regards, Diego Acosta Answer: I don't know who thought of it first, but I spent some time analyzing 10...Qc7 11.Rb1 e6 many years ago. One day I wondered why Black couldn't play 10...e6 anyway. It's almost always bad for White to capture on c5. The usual mechanism for Black is to recover his pawn with ...Qc7 followed by ...Rd8, ...Bf8, ....Na5 and ...Bxc5. Sometimes he can sac a pawn with ....b6 for play on the c- and a-files. -------------------------------------------- Question: Could you please define for me "patzers". Thanks, Barbara. Answer: Someone who's 500 points lower rated than you. ------------------------------------------- Question: Here is a question that has been on my mind for some time: Why did you name your site TigerChess? I loved Simon Webb's excellent little book 'Chess for Tigers', in which a tiger was used as a metaphor for stronger players. Is there a relation and what is this obsession with tigers? - Jens Madsen Answer: I just figured it sounded better than 'gerbilchess' (eg. 'Ask the Gerbil', 'Gerbil Growl' etc). ------------------------------------------- Question: I used to follow your excellent chess column in the Liverpool Daily Post on Saturdays in the late 1980's. Could you tell me how many columns you published and are they available anywhere? Many thanks, Neil Answer: I later wrote a weekly column for the Jerusalem Post, so in total I've probably had around 400 columns published. I don't think they're available anywhere but if there was enough demand I'd make them into a book. -------------------------------------------- Question: As a very modest club player returning to club chess after a break, I bought your Alekhine's Defence book to refresh my preparation of this defence, which was my old tried and trusted response to e4. [You would not believe the number of games that start 1 e4, Nf6 (long think by White, centred, I think on "How can I transpose? I bet the B*** knows these lines. Blow this, let's have a Four Knights-type set up") 2 Nc3, d5, (another long think), 3 exd5, Nxd5, 4 Nxd5, Qxd5?....thanks very much, I think I just equalized!]. I have greatly enjoyed your book, which I have found an excellent resource. I see why you are a successful coach. My question really centres on the lines in Chapter 8. You are a bit critical of the 5...g6 and 5...c5 lines against the 4 pawns attack, although playing them through I can see how they would work at club level rather nicely and your discussion is most helpful. On the other hand, you think the 5...g5 line is playable. I immediately liked the look of it (it has that raffish, gambit-like air that club players warm to) but I did not like the lines with 6 Qh5+. (see your brief comment p. 126) In particular, after 6...dxe5, the older Burgess book looks (p.96) at a sequence 7 c5 Nd5 8 fxe5 Nf4 9 Bxf4 gxf4 10 Bc4 e6 11 Ne2 Nc6 12 Nbc3 "with an assault on f7..." I set up and played thru as far as this and I did NOT like the black situation. What I wonder is whether now, a couple of years on, you still like the 5..g5 line and if so, how you would deal with 6Qh5+? It is of concern to me because it is an easy move to see and tempting to players at my level to play--so I expect to meet it if I play 5...g5. Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks again for the excellent book, Stephen Mugford Answer: After 6.Qh5 dxe5 7.c5 Nd5 8.fxe5 it seems better to play 8...Nb4 (rather than 8...Nf4) with the idea of 9.Qd1 Qxd4 or 9.Bc4 Nc2+ 10.Ke2 e6. Would I recommend 5...g5 today? I don't know! It's unlikely that I'd play it myself. --------------------------------------------- Question: I have a query about a perhaps too much neglected variation in the Ruy Lopez, that would refute the Lopez as a "weapon" if proven adequate. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Nxe5 and now Black plays 5...Nxe4 (not e5!). Then according to the very little info in books, White plays 6 Qe2 Ne5 7 Qxe4 Qe7 with a quick equality (perhaps?). If 8.d4 then black simply returns the knight to c6.
The opening books just do not consider this simple line. Is this a conspiracy? Well just an oversight then? Perhaps the grandmasters just do not wish to admit this drawing variation, because that would take interest away from the Lopez and make it redundant as a "weapon". If this is all untrue, then where is the refutation? By the way, I'm looking forward to getting hold of your new books, Grunfeld and Alekhine, really soon. Do continue your good work, for all us who love the "chess truth"! Thanks from Darren Answer: I think you need a better book. The problem with 5....Nxe4 is that after 6.Qe2 Ne5 7 Qxe4 Qe7 White can play 8.Nc3 after which 8...Ng6 is met by 9.Qxe7+ Bxe7 9.Nd5 with a plus. Meanwhile 5...Nxe5 has been doing OK, so much so that 5.c3 is now the move of choice amongst the big boys. --------------------------------------------- - GM Nigel Davies, Tiger Chess Email GM Davies and Ask the Tiger Your Question Now!
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