An important topic of discussion was what is our best continuation after 21.cxd5 cxd5 22.Qd1 fxg3 23.hxg3. The two main candidates were 23...Ne4 and 23...Qf7. My personal preference was for 23...Ne4.

But a few hours ago, I happened to find another critical line after 23...Qf7, where black sacrifices a piece for a crushing kingside attack, and that may change the entire assessment of the move 22.Qd1.

The line is:
21.cxd5 cxd5 22.Qd1 fxg3 23.hxg3 Qf7 24.Bd4 Qf5 25.Re1 <Rcd8 (the novelty)> 26.b4 Ne4 27.g4 Qxg4 28.f3 Qg3 29.fxe4 dxe4 30.Rc3 e3 31.Rxe3 Qf2+ 32.Kh2 Bb7 33.Rg1 Rf5 34.Qf1 Qh4+ 35.Rh3 Qxd4 36.Qe1 Rf2 37.Kh1 Qg4–+ -5.60/16

We have two tasks concerning this line.

The first is to confirm that black has a decisive advantage after move 29.

The second is to analyse the alternatives for white between moves 24 and 29. My first impression was that all alternatives lead to positions that favor black, but we need to be sure.

In my opinion, the alternatives for white that we need to verify are:

a) 24.b4
b) 25.Rc3, 25.Rc1, 25.Bf3, 25.b4
c) 26.Rc3, 26.Rc1
d) 27.Rf1, 27.Rc7, 27.Bf3
e) any other that you can suggest

As I said, my first impression is that all these alternatives lead to positions that favor black. If we can confirm this, then this line can be the refutation for 22.Qd1.

Actually 27. Bxe4 dxe4 (instead of Qxe4) is winning for black.

28.e3 Qh3 29.Rd2 Rf5;
28.Rf1 Qg4 29.Qd2 Rf5;
28.Kg2 e3;

Black has a decisive advantage in all cases.

I recommend this system for listing variations:

1.)
1.1)
1.2)
1.2.1)
1.2.1.1)
1.2.1.2)
1.2.1.3)
1.2.2)
2.)
2.1)
etc.

This way you can always add sub-variations by adding one more level to the numbering. And you don't need to change any of the original numbering. The variations grow and branch as the work progresses.

I believe Yury should have played 29.Bh3. That move was the strongest test of our position.

29.a4 Qe6 30.Qxc4 dxc4 31.Bd5 Qxd5 32.Rxd5 Rc8 33.e6 Kf8 34.Bc3 Nc1 35.Bb2

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[35.Bd2 Na2 36.b5 Ke7 37.Rd7+ Kxe6 38.Rxa7 c3 39.Be3 c2 40.Rxg7 Rc3 41.Bf4 Rf3 ]

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35...Nd3 36.Bc3 Ke7 37.Rd7+ Kxe6 38.Rxg7

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[38.Rxa7 Nf4 39.Kf1 Nd5 40.Bxg7 Nxb4 41.Bh6 c3 42.Rxh7 c2 43.Ke2 Na2 44.Be3 Rc3

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45.Bd2 (45.Rh6+ ) 45...Kd6 46.Rh6+ Kc5 47.Rh5+ Kc6 48.a5

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(48.Rh6+ Kb7 49.Rh7+ Ka6 50.h4 c1Q 51.Bxc1 Nxc1+ 52.Kd2 Na2 )

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48...b5 49.Rh6+ Kd5 50.Rh5+]

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38...Nc1 39.Kf1 Na2 40.Rg3 a6 41.Ke1 b5 42.axb5 axb5 43.Kd1 Nxc3+ 44.Rxc3 Ra8 45.Rh3 Kd5 46.Rh4 [46.Rh5+ Kd4 47.Rxb5 Ra1+ 48.Kc2 Ra2+ 49.Kd1 c3 ]

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46...Ra2 47.Rh5+ Kd4 48.Rxb5 c3

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29.a4 a6 30.b5

<[30.Re1 d4 31.Re4 d3 32.Qxc4 d2 33.Qf1 Qxf2+ 34.Qxf2 Rxf2 35.Kxf2 d1Q 36.e6 Kf8 37.Bxg7+ Ke8 38.Bf3 Qd2+ 39.Re2 Qf4 40.Be5 Qf5 41.Bc3 Nc1 ]>

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30...axb5 31.axb5 Re8 32.h3

<[32.f4 Qxf4 33.Bxd5+ Bxd5 34.Rxd5 Qe3+ 35.Kg2 Rf8 36.Rd1 Qf3+ 37.Kg1 Qg4+ 38.Kh1 Nc5 39.Rg1 Qf3+ 40.Qg2 Qxg2+ 41.Kxg2 Rf4 42.Rd1 Rb4 43.Ba3 Rxb5 44.Rd6 Kf7 45.Bxc5 Rxc5 46.Rxb6 Rxe5 Although Black has a small advantage, it may not be enough for a win.]>

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32...Nc5 33.Qc3

<[33.Rd2 Kh8 34.Qc3 Ne6 35.Bxd5 Bxd5 36.Rxd5 Qg6+ 37.Kh2 Nf4 38.Qf3 Nxd5 39.Qxd5 Qf5 ]>

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33...Ne6 From RV's forum. 34.Rxd5

<[34.Bxd5 Bxd5 35.Rxd5 Qg6+ 36.Kh2 Nf4 37.Qf3 Nxd5 38.Qxd5+ Qf7 39.Qd4 Qe6 40.Bc3 Rc8 41.Bb2 Rc5 42.Qd8+ Kf7 43.Bd4 Rd5 44.Qc7+ Kf8 45.Qb8+ Ke7 46.Qc7+ Qd7 47.Bxb6 Qxc7 48.Bxc7 Rxb5 49.Kg3 ;

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34.Qe3 Nf4 35.Kh2 Bxb5 (35...Nxg2 36.Kxg2 Qe6 37.Ra1 Bxb5 38.Kh2 h6 39.Ra7 Bf1 40.Qg3 Equal, unclear) 36.Qxb6 Bc4 37.Qe3 Rb8 38.Bc3 Rf8 39.Bd4 Qf5 40.Ra1 h6 41.Ra7 Rf7 42.Rxf7 Kxf7 Black has a small advantage.]>

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34...Bxd5 35.Bxd5 Qg6+ 36.Kh2 Qf5 37.Qd4 Kh8

<[37...Rc8 38.Qxb6 Qf4+ 39.Kg2 Qg5+ 40.Kh1 Rc1+ 41.Bxc1 Qxc1+ 42.Kh2 Qf4+ Draw]>

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38.Qxb6 Rf8 39.Bg2 Rd8 40.Qe3 Rd3 41.Be4 Rxe3 42.Bxf5 Rf3 43.Bxe6 Rxf2+ 44.Kg3 Rxb2 45.Bd7 Kg8 46.e6 Kf8 47.Kf4 Ke7

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I sent a copy of your 7/10/07 post to Yury.

You can see the full text of my message on the game's main thread.

Just wanted you to know.

Thanks for such an interesting, tight and clear comment.

Your friend in chess,

Peter / chesstoplay

My intention is to post a summary immediately after a move is made by each side. The idea is that everybody can read it and get quickly up to date with the current analysis for the move that was played. If I find the time, I also intent to post another summary more or less 24 hours before our move, to help in a last check.

I will make the effort to read everything that other teammembers post, and try to produce a clear systhesis. This job requires a great amount of time, so I will not be able to contribute with much analysis of my own. For this summary, I was able to check only the main forum, so forgive me if I missed anything on the other move forums. I will try to be more complete on the next summaries. As I was writing the summary I also could not check the last 2 or 3 pages, so forgive me again.

Note 1: In case someone wants to know, my bet is that he will play 10…Qe8.

Black has six main options at his disposal. They are: (1) 10…h6, (2) 10… Qc7, (3) 10... Be6, (4) 10… Nc7, (5) 10… Qe8 and (6) 10…Qb6.

The focus has been on the last three options. Other options have received less attention (in some cases, only one line have been posted).

In general, I would say that we are doing fine, but we are not yet fighting for a winning advantage. We are still in the point of looking for a good position, with a small advantage. You will also see that there are some lines where the veredict is not yet clear.

A summary of the analysis posted so far for each of the alternatives is below.

<(1) 10. Qa3 h6>

Up to now, the only line posted was 11. Rb1 Qe8 12. b4. Possible continuation: 12…Qf7 13. d5 Ne4 14. Bb2 Nc7 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. b5 (<horndog187>).

<(2) 10. Qa3 Qc7>

Only the move 11. b4 was proposed.

Possible continuations:

11...e5 12. b5 exd4 13. Nxd4 cxb5 14. Ndxb5 Qxc4 15. Nxd6 Qc5 16. Rb1 (<horndog187>)

Or

11…Be6 12. b5 cxb5 13. cxb5 Nb8 14. Bf4 Nbd7 (<horndog187>)

<(3) 10.Qa3 Be6>

Perhaps not the best move for black right now. White’s position seems promising after 11.d5.

Two other alternatives were also presented:
11. b3 Nc7 12. Bb2 f4 13. gxf4 a5 14. Ng5 Bg4 15. Rac1 d5 (+0.52) (<lonepsycho>) And
11.c5 Qd7 12.Bf4 Rad8 13.Rac1 Nd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 (+0.63) (<ZeroOne>)

<(4) 10. Qa3 Nc7>

Against 10…Nc7, the move 11.b4 does not seem promising. For example, 10.Qa3 Nc7 11.b4 Be6 12.Nd2 Ne4 13. Ncxe4 fxe4 followed by …d5, and black is better (<RookFile>). Actually, since the black knight can’t go anymore to c5, nor be attacked by b5, the move 11.b4 seems to have lost its main reasons after 10…Nc7.

It leaves 11.d5 as the main option against 10…Nc7.

After 10.Qa3 Nc7 11.d5, black has three main options: 11…Qe8, 11…c5, and 11…Bd7.

<(4.1) 10. Qa3 Nc7 11.d5 Qe8>

This line transposes to the line with 10…Qe8, mentioned below.

<(4.2) 10. Qa3 Nc7 11.d5 c5>

Here 12. Rb1 h6 is a doubled-edged continuation, with chances for both sides. Possible continuations:

a) 13. h3 Qe8 14. b4 cxb4 15. Rxb4 Qf7 16. Be3 g5 (<RookFile>)

b) 13. Be3 g5 14. b4 Ng4 15. Bd2 cxb4 16. Qxb4 Na6 17. Qa3 Qe8 18. Nb5 Qg6 (<RookFile>)

<(4.3) 10. Qa3 Nc7 11.d5 Bd7>

This line leads us to a position were white has many alternatives, and so far no one seems decidedly better than all others. At least five continuations can be taken into consideration: 12.dxc6, 12.Be3, 12.Bf4, 12.Bg5 and 12.Nd4.

In my opinion, the most representative lines are below (analysis for 12.Nd4 are needed):

a) 12.dxc6 Bxc6 13.c5 d5 14.Ne5 Ne6 15.Be3 Qc7 16.f4 Rad8 17.Qxa7 (<imag>)

b) 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Nd4 Qe8 14. Qa5 Ne6 15. Be3 Nxd4 with advantage for white (<Artar1>)

c) 12.Be3 a5 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Rac1 Ne6 15.Ng5 Nxg5 16.Bg5 with minimal advantage for White (<imag>)

d) 12. Bf4 Qe8 13.Rac1 c5 14.b4 cxb4 15.Qxb4 Qc8 16.Rb1 Na6 17.Qxb7 Qxc4 18.Nd2 Qc8 ² (0.39) (<horndog187>)

e) 12.Bf4 cxd5 13.Nxd5 Ne4 14.Rac1 e5 15.Be3 Nxd5 16.cxd5 Bb5 17.Re1 Qd7 18.Nd2 Nf6 19.Nc4 ² (0.32) (<horndog187>)

f) 12. Bf4 a6 13.Rab1 Qb8 14.Ne1 h6 15.Nd3 cxd5 16.cxd5 g5 17.Be3 Qe8 18.Qb4 Nb5 19.Nxb5 ² (0.31) (<horndog187>)

g) 12. Bf4 c5 13.Rab1 b6 14.b4 cxb4 15.Rxb4 Qc8 16.Rbb1 Na6 17.Nb5 h6 18.Nfd4 Nc5 19.Qb4 Nfe4 ² (0.30) (<horndog187>)

h) 12.Bf4 c5 13.Rab1 Rb8 14.h3 b5 15.Cxb5 Nxb5 16.Nxb5 Rxb5 (<kwgurge>)

i) 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.c5 and white is better. For example, 14...Nxd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.Rxd5 Bc6 17.Rd2 d5 18.Qe3 (<imag>)

<(5) 10.Qa3 Qe8>

This move will present a difficult question for us: play 11.d5 and allow 11…Nc5, or play 11.b4 and allow 11…Be6. Many lines were posted for both options, but which one is better is still a topic of discussion.

Here a question might be asked. I said above (3) that …Be6 is probably not the best move for black on the 10th move. Why should it be good on the 11th move after 10…Qe8? The reason is that 10…Be6 can be contested by 11.d5. But if he plays 10...Qe8 and we play 11.b4, then 11…Be6 should not be contested by 12.d5 because the rook on a1 can get vulnerable to the bishop on g7. (In this logic, I would suggest 11.Rb1 to be considered after 10…Qe8, so that we can still play b4 and answer …Be6 with d5. Just an idea, analysis needed)

<(5.1) 10.Qa3 Qe8 11.d5>

The following lines were posted:

a) 11.d5 Nc5 12.Be3 Nce4 13.Rac1 h6 14.Nd4 Nxc3 15.Rxc3 Bd7 (+0.36) (<kwgurge>)

b) 11.d5 Nc5 12.Be3 Nce4 13.Rac1 h6 14.h3 Bd7 15.Nxe4 fxe4 16.dxc6 bxc6 17.Nd2 Qc8 18.g4 (0.34) (<ajile>)

c) 11.d5 Bd7 12.h3 h6 13.Nd4 Nc7 14.dxc6 bxc6

<(5.2) 10.Qa3 Qe8 11.b4>

The following lines were posted:

a) 11.b4 Nc7 12.Bb2 Be6 13.d5 cxd5 14.Nd4 Bg8 15.cxd5 f4! Probably better for black (Tyomkin's analysis). But 13.Nd2 and white seem to stand well (<Marmot PFL>) we must also take into consideration the line 12...Qf7 13. Qb3 13...Qg8!? (<MarkThornton>)

b) 11.b4 Nc7 12.Rb1 Qf7 13.d5 cxd5 14.cxd5 h6 15.Qb3 (<ajile>)

c) 11.b4 Be6 12.b5 Nc7 13.bxc6 bxc6 14.Nd2 Ne4 15.Ncxe4 fxe4 16.Bxe4 leads to a dynamically equal position (<Artar1>).

d) 11.b4 Be6 12.Qb3 Nc7 13.d5 cxd 14.cxd Bg8 15.a4 Ne4 16.Bb2 NxN 17.BxN. (<Alije>)

<(6) 10. Qa3 Qb6 >

The most polemical move in the main forum. It was demonstrated that 11.b3 is bad, and should not even be considered, because of 11…Ne4. For example, 12. Nxe4 fxe4 13. Ng5 Nb4 14. Qb2 d5 and black is slightly better (<RookFile>), or 12.Na4 Qa5 13. Ng5 b5 14. Nxe4 fxe4 15. Bg5 bxa4 16. Bxe7 Re8 17. Bxd6 and black is winning (<RookFile>).

After 10. Qa3 Qb6, the main options for white are 11.Rb1, 11.Be3 and 11.h3. There are also two less explored alternatives, 11.Bg5 and 11.Ng5 that would need more analysis to be considered.

<(6.1) 10. Qa3 Qb6 11.Rb1 >

The basic line is:

10. Qa3 Qb6 11. Rb1 Qb4 12. Qxb4 Nxb4 13. a3 Na6 14. b4 Nc7

White has the edge, but we still do not have a clear veredict about the winning chances.

It would be important to see if black has other alternatives for the 11th move. One alternative might be 11....Ne4, but 12. b4 Be6 13. c5 Qc7 14. Nxe4 seem to lead to a clear advantage for white.(<RookFile> and <cornflake>)

<(6.2) 10. Qa3 Qb6 11.Be3 >

The main line goes 10.Qa3 Qb6 11.Be3 Qb4 12.Qxb4 Nxb4 13.Rac1 After that:

a) 13...Ne4, then 14.a3 and whether 14...Nxc3 15.Rxc3 Na6 or 14...Na6, white seems to retain an advantage, although it was not verified.

b) 13...Ng4, then 14.Bg5 and black has no better than to retreat with 14...Nf6.

c) 13...Be3 fails to 14. a3 Na6 15. d5 (<Boomie>)

d) 13…Bd7 and we have two alternatives:

d.1) 14.a3 Na6 15.Ne1 (note that e5 is still prevented because of the loose bishop on d7) 15...Nc7 16.Nd3 with a better position. (<kwgurge>)

d.2) 14.14.a3 Na6 15.h3 Nc7 16. Ne1. (<kwgurge>)

d.3) 14. Nf3-e1!? Possible continuations are

(d.3.1) 14...Ne4 15. Nxe4 fxe4 16. a3 Na6 17. Bxe4 Nc7(<pawndookie:>)

(d.3.2) 14...Ng4 15. Bf4 Bh6 16. Bxh6 Nxh6 17. a3 Na6 (<pawndookie:>)

(d.3.3) 14...Ng4 15.Bg5 Bf6 16.Bxf6+ Nxf6 17.a3 Na6 18.Nd3 (<imag>)

<(6.3) 10.Qa3 Qb6 11.h3 >

With the intention of playing Be3 without worrying about ...Ng4. Possible continuations:

a) 11…Be6 12.b3 h6 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Rac1 Qc8 15.d5 (<ajile>)

b) 11...Ne4 12.Be3 Qb4 13.Qxb4 Nxb4 14.Rac1 (<Artar1>)

c) 11…Qb4 12.Qxb4 Nxb4 13.Bd2 Na6 14.Be3 Nc7 (<Artar1> and <Hugin>)

d) 11...Qb4 12. Qxb4 Nxb4 13. b3 Ne4 14. Bb2 c5 15. a3 Nc6 16. e3 (<horndog187> and <Hugin>)

Just one query about <2.3.1>:

<b) 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Nd4 Qe8 14. Qa5 Ne6 15. Be3 Nxd4 with advantage for white (<Artar1>)

c) 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Nd4 Qe8. Looks good for black.>

You remind me of Clarence Darrow with the comprehensiveness and clarity of your presentation of the major lines pointing out strengths and weaknesses of our positions based on the evidence of our analyses to date.

Thanks for all your efforts!

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Just a quick thought before I go on holiday. Has anyone looked at 16...Nxc3 17. bxc3 <Nd5!?>

After <17. Bxd6 Re8>, Black threatens ...Nxc3 and ...Rxe2.

Thanks for all your work and effort!

Your summaries help cement the team together.

Your friend in chess, Peter / chesstoplay