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Hikaru Nakamura vs Michael Barron
PWC Toronto Open (2009), Toronto CAN, rd 5, Apr-19
Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation (A85)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-24-09  Vasilyev90: 4.h4 is a novelty by Nakamura I think.
Apr-24-09  I Like Fish: 24.qh4...
checkmate...
Apr-24-09  kurtrichards: Secrets of Opening Surprises (SOS). There is nothing Barron (rating:2252) can do here.
Apr-24-09  MagnumDefender: Deep Intuition by GM Nakamura, I look forward to seeing him in battle for the World Championship through which his name may be crested beside the likes of Capablanca,...it seems to me that black's fortress only collapsed after 18...d6, when GM Nakamura launched an assault on the black king with a forced mate in six. ..so does black save the game by playing 18...Re8? Anyone with fritz analysis wish to shine some more light on this game? I want to know if there was a defense to Nakamura's early exchange sac, or if it was best prevented.
Apr-24-09  Riverbeast: Obviously it didnt dawn on black that it was mate on the move, until after he played 23...dxe5 and hit his clock

I wonder how much time had elapsed on Nakamura's clock before his opponent saw the mate in one...Maybe Nakamura let his clock run to give him time! :-)

Apr-24-09  shalgo: <MagnumDefender> After 18...Re8? White has 19.Ne5+ winning the queen.

<Vasilyev90> I have 141 games in my database with 4.h4. It was first played by Popov in 1960. The exchange sacrifice has also been played on several occasions. In fact, the novelty here appears to be 10...Kg8 (instead of 10...Kf7 as in Sutorikhin-Bardolf, Kecskemet 1991).

Apr-25-09  Vasilyev90: <shalgo>thanks for the info!
Apr-25-09  kdogphs: What a dominating performance by Nakamura!
Apr-25-09  Poisonpawns: Radjabov vs M Bartel, 2004 Here is another game is this line,Black plays a bit better but still loses.Instead of 6..fxe4?! black prefers 6..c6 and of course 4.h4 is not a novelty.
Apr-25-09  Gilmoy: But is that <Sutorikhin-Bardolf 0-1> or <Sutorikhin-Bardolf 1-0>? :)
Apr-25-09  Jim Bartle: I think this game demonstrates one reason why Nakamura has not moved up among the true elite. He plays an odd opening against a player rated 2250, and crushes him.

If this is what he wants to do, crush lower ranked players in twenty moves, fine. (Leaving aside the fact that it sometimes backfires, as with Samsonkin.) But how is this helping him move up from the third to the second echelon of top players? Why doesn't he play the same way he would against, say, Boris Gelfand?

Apr-25-09  shalgo: <Gilmoy> Sutorikhin-Bardolf was 1-0 in 22 moves. Sutorikhin is an IM who was rated 2405 at the time (which would probably be equivalent to about 2500 now, given rating inflation). Bardolf was unrated and untitled; he scored 0/13 in this tournament.

I don't know that there is much to choose between 10...Kg8 and 10...Kf7. White has excellent compensation for the exchange in this line.

Apr-26-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexmagnus: <Why doesn't he play the same way he would against, say, Boris Gelfand?>

It's a somewhat common bhaviour (on all levels) that one plays differently against worse players than against equal and better ones. I never understood why. I mean, against better players one plays what one believes to be the best one can play - so why intentionally make not the best moves against worst ones? Man, that won't make the win quicker (on average, that is).

Apr-26-09  ironxcl: If I were Black, I'd probably answer crazy 4. h4 with equally insane 4...h5!? Of course it's not recommended to commit your pawns on Kingside so early, but at least White did it first!

alexmagnus: Well, I guess lower-rated players aren't as much competent at combating bizarre openings as GM's are. Also, the element of surprise is probably bigger than in games against >2600 ELO playes, who usually have nerves of steel. So being agressive against weaker opponents may be quite good strategy, even if it's not executed with the strongest possible moves.

May-03-10  Wyatt Gwyon: Does this particular anti-Dutch have a name?
Jun-14-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  PawnSac: <Vasilyev90: 4.h4 is a novelty by Nakamura I think.>

No, this line has been known for some time
Cramling, Welling, Radjabov, and many other well knowns have used it

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che...

Jun-14-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  PawnSac: <Riverbeast: I wonder how much time had elapsed on Nakamura's clock before his opponent saw the mate in one...Maybe Nakamura let his clock run to give him time! :-)>

He may have gotten up from the board and took a stroll around the room to give the other players time to look at the position before ending the game! <wink>

Jun-14-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  PawnSac: <ironxcl: If I were Black, I'd probably answer crazy 4. h4 with equally insane 4...h5!?>

..h5 would give white a nice dark square hole into which he can sink a DSB and/or Knight. 4..h6 would be better, as in...

Ivan Cheparinov vs Le Quang Liem
IMSA World Masters Blitz (2019) (blitz), Hengshui CHN, rd 13, May-18 Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation (A85) ยท 0-1

Jun-14-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  PawnSac: <9...Bxh6?>

this is poor. It leaves the black monarch completely exposed. Better was 9...d6 and try to get the Q out on the light diagonal to provide kingside defense.

< alexmagnus: It's a somewhat common behavior ..that one plays differently against worse players than against equal and better ones. I never understood why. I mean, against better players one plays what one believes to be the best one can play - so why intentionally make not the best moves against worst ones?>

Because the theoretically "weaker" move leads to sharp positions, that if black does not handle with precision, will end up giving white attacking chances. Whereas a much stronger player won't go into such lines without being booked up on it, and have prepared analysis.

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