Here there is a solution:

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[Event "Bishop Endgame"]
[Site "CG.COM"]
[Date "2013.04.14"]
[Round "?"]
[White "truefriends"]
[Black "N.N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3bk3/3b1pp1/3Pp2p/4P2P/5PP1/3BB1K1/8 w - - 0 41"]

41. g4 Bc5 42. Kg3 Kd6 43. Bd3 Ba4 44. g5 fxg5 45. Bxg5 Bb4 46. Kf2 Bc5+ 47. Kg2 Bd4 48. Bh6 Ke7 49. f4 Bb2 50. Bg7 Kd6 51. Kf3 Bd1+ 52. Be2 Ba4 53. Bf8+ Kd7 54. Bf1 Bd1+ 55. Kg3 Ke8 56. Bb4 Bc2 57. Bb5+ Kf7 58. d6 exf4+ 59. Kxf4 Ke6 60. Bc4+ Kd7 61. e5 Bc1+ 62. Kf3 Bf5 63. Bb5+ Kd8 64. Bc5 Bd2 65. Be3 Bc3 66. Bb6+ Kc8 67. Kf4 Bd2+ 68. Be3 Bc3 69. Bc6 Bh3 70. Be8 Bf5 71. d7+ Bxd7 72. Bxg6 Kd8 73. Bxh5 1-0

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Today I learned that they will grant you a year of extra membership once you have reached more then 15000 postings.

The reason is clear, main theory prefers Bc4, and here this bishop can be easily attacked by a black pawn which means a loss of tempo for White and then, why did they sac a pawn in the first place?

Well, things are not as easy there, what if White can avoid a loss of the tempo? I tell you, they can, because Bc4 is not required, but current theory is silent there. So I developed my own. ( Took me several years, though, but I don't regret it. )

Aleksandr Lenderman vs Steven Zierk / National Open (2012) 1-0 Lenderman vs S Zierk, 2012 >

This game made a great puzzle of the day. But for me, what makes it especially noteworthy is that the loser, Steven Zierk is no patzer! Here's what the CG database says about him...

< Steven C Zierk is an International Master. He is also the 2010 U18 World Champion, having taken the title with a clear first place, scoring 9.5/11 and a 2723 performance rating. This achievement has earned him a GM norm. Last FIDE rating: 2485 >

Probably over 98% of CG patrons are below this rating. Zierk ranks #38 in the USA. Not too shabby! <(@ 2599 Lenderman ranks #11)>. So it begs the question.. How did such a strong player get tumbled that quickly? I mean after all, we’re talking about an under 18 world champion! The game therefore merits careful investigation, since whatever is gleaned from it, will have value at ANY level of play.

After the moves..
< 1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Nc3 > we have this position:

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White played 1.c4, but this is the Caro-Kann Defense by transposition. It is found in the CG Opening Explorer by the following move order.. 1.e4 c6 (Caro-Kann) 2.c4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Nc3 (Accelerated Panov Attack). The “normal” Panov-Botvinnik attack move here is 5.d4 , but in the Accelerated variation white temporarily delays d4 in favor of rapid piece development.

Play continues < ..Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bb5 a6 >

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More usual in this position (78 games in the CG database), and I think somewhat better, is 7. ..e6 . Nevertheless, this is still known territory.

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In this position black plays
< ..Nxc3 > , but again, ..e6 is objectively better.

Now, I do not consider myself an expert on the theory of this opening, but exchanging the knight certainly seems like a concession to me.

1. White’s isolani could have become a target, but ..Nxc3 repairs white’s pawn structure and brings support to the center.

2. The knight is centrally located, can be a strong post, and with no white C or E pawn, is very difficult to dislodge. So if white wants to get rid of it, it will be at the cost of repairing black’s pawn structure (pulling the isolated c pawn to d5).

3. Black has spent 2 moves on the knight already. Why spend a 3rd just to eliminate it?

4. If the knight remains on d5, it is available to f6 as a defender.

I won’t call it a blunder, but for the above reasons I think 9. ..Nxc3?! is “dubious”. After drawing this conclusion I ran the position in Arena (Houdini 1.5 vs Houdini 1.5) to check computer analysis. Houdini also preferred 9. ..e6 and played out the following line 10. Re1 Be7 11. d4 O-O 12. Bd2 f6 13. Qc2 Rb8 14. Ne4 Qb6 15. b3 Qa7 16. a3 Qc7 17. b4 Bd7 18. Qd3 Rb5 19. Rac1 Ra8 value -0.06 depth 20

< 10. bxc3 e6 11. d4 Bd6 > and we have reached a key position in this line.

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As far as the CG database is concerned, we are now out of “book”.

An appealing feature of the Caro-Kann, obvious in the early Bf5, is that black solves the problem inherent to some openings like QGD and Philidor.. How to develop the Bc8.

In this variation however, white gives up his light squared bishop to fracture blacks pawn structure and hem in the Bc8. Black sees this as temporary, thinking he will remedy it with a freeing pawn move (preferably ..c5 to exchange off the isolani), after which he will emerge with the two bishops advantage. But we shall see.

In the above position white is slightly ahead in development, and thanks to 9. ..Nxc3, now has the better pawn structure. Black’s pawn structure yields to white the superior mobility. So from a theoretical point of view, white has won a small trump right out of the opening. His advantage is more than slight. He is ready to begin his attack and black has not yet equalized. Neither can he do so easily. Thus when assessing this position,

An interesting novelty, which is most likely a home cooked recipe.

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A purist may protest the knight shouldn’t be moved a second time this early in the opening, and that another piece should be developed. A classical player like Fischer or Karpov would likely have played 12.Re1. BUT.. Ng5 does create interesting tactical possibilities, and in the case of this game, gave black another opportunity to take a wrong turn, and since he did not respond correctly, it paved the way to a magnificent win. Yet backed up with accurate prepared analysis, even against good defense it still should be good enough to at least give white an edge on the clock. So in the game, it has good practical and surprise value.

Theoretically, its probably worthy of further testing, and may prove to be tactically sound against best defense, assuming of course that black will make the same previous weaker moves.

It is not clear all that Alex had in mind, but there are some ideas...

@ Ng5 tries to provoke a weakening black pawn advance.

@ It opens the diagonal for a possible Qh5 should black castle. After 12. ..0-0 13.Qh5 h6 14. Ne4 white targets blacks good bishop and restrains the ..c5 break.

@ White also could try 12. ..0-0 13.Qd3 to provoke the weakening ..g6, or if ..f5 14.f4! and the backward pe6 will become a liability. If black then plays ..h6 to chase the knight, he weakens the light squares, and either way, after Nf3 and white owns e5. White can also try a4 and Ba3 to trade off the dark squared bishops, then Ne5 will be a very strong post.

So Ng5 opens up some tactical possibilities, and the positions contain lots of ideas. Complications is exactly what is wanted in a novelty. At the very least a good novelty with lots of complications will bury the opponent in complex analysis OTB and either tire him, or use up his time, or both, so that when he is short on time later on, he gets flagged or blunders. So in the practical world of chess, Lenderman's preparation paid good dividends.

So on the plus side…
Ng5 discourages castling, provokes K-side weaknesses, prepares an attack on the black castled king, and/or attacks the Bd6 and support c5. In general, it produces lots of tactical possibilities.

On the down side…
Ng5 does have one drawback. It abandons the guard of h2.

< ..Be7? >

The question mark is not for the move alone, but for the plan motivating it. Black apparently was thinking that if he trades off whites knight, he would relieve the pressure on h7, making it safe to castle. But this is not completely true, as we will see in a moment.

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White exploits the absence of black’s king knight. Had black played 12. ..Qc7 and still had the Nd5 he could answer Qh5 with Nf6 driving the Q back with more than adequate defense.

< Bxg5 14. Bxg5 >

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The position is becoming critical, and black is in danger of losing already. Let’s recap.. Black spent 3 tempi (3 knight moves) to exchange his knight on c3, so on move 10 white gained at least 1 tempo (using only 1 knight and 1 pawn move). Black spent 3 tempi to exchange his K bishop on g5, so on move 14 white gained at least 1 more tempo (black made 3 bishop moves and white only made two knight moves, AND recaptured the piece by developing another piece.. his bishop). So, White is at least 2 tempi ahead, and with the advantage of first move as white, we should be able to SEE the 3 tempi on the board. And we do. White is castled (first move advantage), and two developing moves, Bg5 and Qh5. On the other hand, every black piece is on it’s original square! In addition, his pawn formation is fractured and he has a bad bishop. It will take at least 1 tempo (a pawn move) to free the bishop. So black is behind the 3rd tempo.

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and there it is! Black intends to exploit the pin with ..f6 but this plan will never come about. White will beat him to the punch.

<15. Rfe1 O-O >

I found the following comment thought provoking:

“ whiteshark: <15...0-0> is flirting with disaster. After 15...Rb8 16.Re5 Qxa2 Black has ...Rb5 or ...Rb1 as defensive resource and the game would have been still in balance.”

Anyway, now that black is ready for ..f6, white unleashes his next shot.

< 16. Re5! Qd6 >

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Black just lost his last tempo, and we have arrived at the Daily Puzzle “guess the move” position. The hall is rented, the stage is set, and all the ingredients for a quick knock-out are present. The black king position is completely bare! All white needs to do is find the right STRATEGEM..

< 17. Bf6!! >

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A Superb move! This is called “annihilation of defense”, after which there really is no defense. The following possibilities demonstrate the sac is irresistible.

17. ..Kh8
18.Qh6! Rg8 19.Rh5! or
18.Qh6! gxf6 19.Qxf6+ Kg8 20.Rg5++ or
18.Qh6! gxf6 19. Rh5 and 20.Qxh7++

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A direct frontal assault after exposing the king. The threat of course is Rh3 and Qxh7++ . If black tries ..Qf4 18.Rh3 Qf5 19.Qh6! and white threatens Rg3+ and mate to follow. Black must give up the queen with ..Qg6 Rg3 to prevent it.

< ..e5 >

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Opening the bishop diagonal guards against Rh3, and if Rg3+ Kh8 Qh6 Rg8 and black is holding on, but white plays the very accurate..

< 19. Qh6!? >

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Renewing the Rg3+ and mate threat. The pin of the F pawn is the final coup de gras . Bf5 fails miserably since dxe5 Qd8 exf6 wins the queen outright. Black can’t even play ..f5 Rg3+ Qg6 giving up the queen for rook to save the king.

< Kh8 20. dxe5 Qd8 21. Rd3! >

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A completely unexpected move for a spectacular finish! Black throws in the towel.

If ..Qxd3 Qxf8++
If ..Qd7 exf6! Qxf6 Qxf6+ and Rg3++
If ..Qd8 Qxf6+ and Rg3++

Black chose a lesser variation on move 7 (..a6 instead of ..e6), and made two faulty exchanges (trading off his two best minor pieces) losing at least 2 tempi in the process, neglected his development, and left his king without adequate protection, thus turning the Caro-Kann into the Karo Syrup defense!

I have not played through the all of the games from the 2012 National Open, but this one is a wonderful miniature, and a sure candidate for the first brilliancy prize from that event.

COMMENTS, thoughts, insights, and ideas are welcome and appreciated.

FUTURE RESEARCH:
I personally do not care for the 7 ..a5 variation, and in that line certainly wouldn’t play Nxc3, but should the game position after 12.Ng5!? appear, ..Qc7 seems to me the most sensible line for black. I would be interested in seeing any games that transpire from there.

Concerning this line…
1. c4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bb5 a6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. O-O Nxc3 10. bxc3 e6 11. d4 Bd6 12. Ng5 Qc7

<Concerning this line…
1. c4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bb5 a6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. O-O Nxc3 10. bxc3 e6 11. d4 Bd6 12. Ng5 Qc7>

I looked at this line for some time, and White will get a good game after

<13. Qh5 h6 14. Ne4 O-O 15. Re1> Now White is devastatingly threatening 16. Nf6+ and 16. Bxh6 and the only defense seems to be <15... Bf4>.

Now White could trade bishops or play something like <16. Ba3 Rd8 17. g3 Rd5 18. Qd1 Bg5 19. c4 Rd7>.

But somehow I feel I haven't found the strongest continuation for White here.

<12. Ng5> is really strong, and it could be that Black lost the game already with <9... Nxc3>.

Thank you.

< But if you ask me, when playing a Caro-Kann as White, I would instantly choose the advance variation after the WT game last year. I can tell you: Black has no chance. >

For sure, i very much like the line we played too but..

< I really wonder why the advance is not used on tournament level more often. >

Many of the Caro games get there by transposition, as with this game. White played 1.c4 , and as the old joke goes, "you can get there from here". The opportunity for the advanced is gone.