Amateur Team East, 15.02.2009
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6
I spent some time deciding between this move and 4.0–0 because I had been looking at this fun gambit line that goes 4...Bg7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Qa4 0–0 7.d4
cxd4 8.cxd4 Nxe4 9.d5 Nc5 10.Qa3 Qb6 11.Nc3 Nd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Bh6. But then I remembered that I also wanted to play another idea in the modern 4. Bxc6 line.
4...dxc6
5.d3 Bg7
6.h3
6...Nf6
7.Nc3 0–0
8.Be3 b6
9.Qd2
9... Be6This is a good example of the kind of position where lower rated players are unlikely to know or figure out the positional ideas. Black usually plays ...e5* here, or sometimes ever earlier, delaying castling, followed or preceded by rerouting the knight Nf6-d7-f8-e6-d4. If black doesn't know to do this, it isn't so easy to come up with a plan at all.
You know what black players often do? If they find e5, they often continue by playing for ... f5, but this is tricky, because white's going to take, I think, and then if you recapture with a piece, white overprotects e4 and sticks a piece there and it's positionally winning maybe? but if you recapture with the pawn, sometimes your king is not so safe and your position starts to feel a bit airy? I don't know that's true-- I didn't learn it somewhere, it's just what I think.
My intention after 9...e5 had been to try a new plan with a3 and b4.
*White can't really take on e5: 10.Nxe5 Nxe4 11.Nxf7 Nxd2 12.Nxd8 Nf3+ 13.gxf3 Rxd8
.
10.Ng5 Maybe I don't want to take the bishop, maybe it has no useful role, but at the time I thought this made sense, since I might want to take it, plus I'm preparing f4.
a few hours later: the more I think about it, maybe I don't like 10. Ng5, because I think I really don't want to exchange any pieces really-- I should just keep them all on and watch him muddle around hopelessly, spacelessly.
10...Qd7
11.0–0 Rfd8
12.f4
Of course, I could take on e6, but the bishop's not going anywhere, and by refraining from taking I'm tying the queen down to defending. 
19... Qh8
Of course, I could take on e6, but the bishop's not going anywhere, and by refraining from taking I'm tying the queen down to defending. 12...h5
I was very surprised to see this disgusting move. Does he not understand that I'm preparing f5? Does he think he's attacking me? Why do people do this kind of thing to themselves?
13.Qe2
I couldn't decide here. Ne2 is interesting, but maybe then c4 will be extra trouble, since I've left my e pawn loose. Qe2 gets out of the pin on the d file and touches the h5 pawn... but I felt it wasn't the perfect square for the queen.
13...Qc8
14.f5 gxf5
15.Nxe6 fxe6
I had expected 15...Qxe6 16.Rxf5 I figured this would be good, because I have space, no weaknesses, and lots of ways to improve my position.
16.Rf3 Rd7?
Black should try 16...c4 17.Raf1 cxd3 18.cxd3 Qd7 19.exf5 exf5 20.Rxf5 Qxd3 21.Qe1 fritz says +/= but doesn't it look more dangerous for black?]
17.exf5 e5 look at his bishop
18.Rg3 Kf7
19.Ne4
19... Qh8 19...Nxe4 20.dxe4 is positionally awful for him because his bishop is so locked in, but I can also throw in 20.Qxh5+! Kg8 21.dxe4
20.Ng5+ Ke8
21.Ne6 Bh6
22.Bxh6 Qxh6
23.Rg6 Qh8
24.Qxe5 1–0
3 comments:
Everyone, play 2... a6 (the O'Kelley) against Elizabeth!
:)
P.S. another Boston team won again this year. We had three teams on the top four boards in the last round (I think, something like that). Unfortunately, our team, "The Shmelov Fear" (lead by SM Denys Shmelov) wasn't one of them. Next year...
-Matt
Elizabeth, just play this:
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 g6
4. O-O Bg7
5. Re1 e5
6. b4
You'll thank me.
Ever play the line with 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5? If Black doesn't play 3. ... Nd4 you take on c6, play f4 (maybe d3 first) and you're two tempos up on this line.
3. ... Nd4 is better, but there's still fun to be had.
Rick Massimo
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