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The Taxman idea part II works. 27..Rg5 28,Qxa6 Qf3 No Queen checks and takes on g5 shots. How does white answer 27...Rg5. 28.Kf1(?)

Back to the game. We are here.

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I recall asking a junior player why he played such a move.

He looked at me like I was daft, shrugged his young shoulders and said: "It's theory."

I'd never fob anyone with that answer and as it's halftime and all my football bets are doing a Colonel Moreau

Colonel Moreau

I'll do the b1 Knight in the KIA in a nutshell.

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Nothing wrong with 6.Nc3 in the short term, you can never argue with a developing move, except it could be a later target when Black starts shoving the Q-side pawns.

But 6.Nbd2 is much more flexible. You have c3 options keeping things off d4 and one of the key themes in the KIA is Re1, e4, e5, h4, Nbd2-f1-h2-g4 and sac on f6.

Remember the themes, the spirit of an opening, never just the cold moves. You get the themes by playing over games with that opening... lots of games. (sorry no short cut here, it has to be done) certain things pop up again and again. You store the ideas and soon discover that certain ideas appear in all openings from all kinds of settings.

Correctly done you will be able to play any opening without memorising one page of theory. Then you build a repertoire to suit your style. Here you must be aware that you do not choose the opening that suits you. The opening will choose you. You will know what I mean when it happens.

Anyway...where was I. (tearing up my betting slips.)

A Theme.

On d2 after the Rook goes to e1 to boost e4 - e5 the Knight settles on f1 and you can flick it out to e3 or as I mentioned h2-g4 and sac on f6. It's a time honoured way games have gone in the past.

Here is such a game I witnessed first hand and noted up somewhere....(I write so much stuff I forget where I've placed it all...possibly the Scottish Chess Magazine.)

Watch the game unfold. It's gives the impression from move one it was White to play and win.

W Burnett vs A D Brown, 2009

Keep your eye on the b1 Knight.

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/mo...

<Aronian commented:

<For some reason I underestimated White’s defensive resources. I thought after 20…f4 White was just going to collapse… I was daydreaming.> >

So why did White not collapse? If we look at the sequel after 21 Bxf4 Bxf4 22 gxf4 Qxf4 Karjakin was able to invade Black's position with his queen by playing a manoeuvre with his queen that comprised no less than four moves, the moves 23 Qc5, 24 Qe3, 25 Qg3 and 26 Qc7 invading Black's position. Aronian could hardly have anticipated that. If he had he might have tried to play for the queen side attack ...b4 and perhaps successfully.