1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5
Of course many of your more excitable opponents will
try the Schliemann but I am going to recommend an approach which
completely takes the wind out of Black's sails. Importantly,
Black's kingside attacking chances will be diminished and he will be
forced to solve unusual opening problems.
4.d3! fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5
6...d6 is rather a passive move: 7.Qd3! Bg4 (7...Be7
8.Qc4! Qd7 9.Ba4 a6 10.Bb3 Bd8 11.Bd2 b5 12.Qd3
)
8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Be7 10.Qd3 a6 11.Bc4 b5 12.Bb3 Nd4 13.Bg5
.
7.Qe2 d6 8.Qc4!?
White tries to hit Black before he has time to get his
pieces out. This manouvre (Qe2-c4 before Nc3) is an interesting
way to justify the often maligned 4.d3. White threatens Nxe5!
8...Bb6
8...Bd7 9.Bxc6! Bxc6 (9...bxc6 10.Nxe5 Qe7 11.Nxd7
Nxd7 12.Nd2 ±) 10.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 11.Rxf2 dxe5 12.Nc3 Qd7 13.Bg5
Guseinov,G-Glek,I / Dos Hermanas 2003;
8...Qe7 9.Nc3 a6
a) 9...Qf7? 10.Nxe5 Qxc4 11.Nxc4 0-0 12.Ne3
Ne5 13.Be2 Bd7 14.Kh1 Rae8 15.f3 c6 16.Nc4 Ng6 17.Na4 Bb4 18.a3 Nxe4
19.axb4 b5 20.fxe4 bxc4 21.Nc3 d5 22.Be3 1-0 Stevic,H-Zelic,M/Medulin
2002/CBM 90 ext (22);
b) 9...Bd7 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Nd4 12.Bxd7+
Qxd7 13.Nxd4! Bxd4 14.a4! a6 (b)14...c6 15.c3 Bb6 16.a5 Bc7 17.a6 ±
J. Shaw) 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.fxe3 ±; 10.Bxc6+ bxc6 11.Be3 Be6 12.Qa4 Bd7
13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.Ne2 ± 1-0 Van de Oudeweetering,A-Bor,W/Eindhoven
1986.
9.Nc3 Bd7 10.Ng5
10.Bg5 h6 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 a6 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Nh4!
Rf8 15.Ng6 Rf7 16.Qe6+ +- 1-0 Leskur,D-Dinic,V/Vrsac 2000/EXT 2001
(58).
10...Qe7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Nd8
Keeping e6 under control.
12...Nd4 13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.c3 Nf5 15.Ne6 ±
13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.Qe4 g6
14...c6 15.Nxh7 cxd5 16.Qxd5! ±
15.a4 a5 16.Be3 0-0
16...Bxe3 17.fxe3 ±
17.Bxb6 cxb6 18.f4 Qf5
19.fxe5!!
A beautiful continuation of White's opening strategy.
19...Qxg5
19...Qxe4 20.Nxe4 dxe5 21.c4 +- Strategically won for
White.
20.Rxf8+ Kxf8 21.Rf1+ Kg8 22.e6
The poor N on d8 is trapped and at the same time it
locks in the black R.
22...Qe7 23.c4 Rc8 24.b3
White has finished his cage and is ready to start some
activity.
24...Rc7 25.Qd4!
25.Qe3 b5 26.axb5 a4 would give Black some hope.
25...Nxe6 26.dxe6 Qxe6 27.Qxb6 Re7 28.Qxa5 Qe3+
29.Kh1 Kg7
29...Qxb3?? 30.Qd8+ Kg7 31.Qf8 mate
30.Qd8+- Rf7 31.Rxf7+ Kxf7 32.Qd7+ Kg8 33.Qc8+ Kg7
34.Qd7+?
34.Qxb7+! Kh6 35.h3 Qe1+ 36.Kh2 Qe5+ 37.g3 Qb2+ 38.Qg2
Qxb3 39.Qd2+ Kg7 40.Qd4+ Kf7 41.Qd5+ Ke7 42.a5 Qc2+ 43.Kg1
34...Kg8 35.Qc8+ Kg7 36.Qxb7+ Kh6 37.h3 Qe1+ 38.Kh2
Qe5+ 39.Kg1 Qe1+ 40.Kh2 Qe5+ 41.g3 Qb2+ 42.Qg2 Qxb3 43.Qd2+ Kg7
44.Qd4+ Kf7 45.Qxd6 Qxa4 46.Qd5+ Ke7 47.Qe5+ Kf7 48.c5 Qc2+ 49.Kg1 Qd2
50.h4 Qc2 51.Qd5+ Kf6 52.c6 Qe2 53.c7 Qe1+ 54.Kh2 Qf2+ 55.Qg2 Qc5
56.Qf3+ Ke7 57.Qf4 Kd7
57...h5! 58.Qe4+ Kd7 59.Qxg6 (59.Kg2 Qxc7 60.Qxg6 Qb7+
61.Kf2 Qb2+ 62.Ke3 Qa3+ 63.Kf4 Qc1+ 64.Kf5 Qc5+ 65.Kf4 Qc1 +=)
59...Qf2 +=
58.Qf7+ Kc8 59.Qg8+ Kxc7 60.Qxh7+ Kd8 61.Qxg6 Qf2+
62.Kh3 Qf1+ 63.Kg4 Qe2+ 64.Kf5 Qf3+ 65.Ke6 Qc6+ 66.Kf7 Qe8+ 67.Kg7
Qe7+ 68.Qf7+- 1-0
Summarizing, the idea of 4 d3 followed by Qe2-c4 is
very effective, preventing castling, intimidating the Bishop on c5 and
the Knight on c6 and threatening Nxe5.
Black is under pressure right from the off and seems
to be quite unable to put his usual attacking ideas into play.
