Feb-04-24
 | | FSR: POST ONE OF TWO The Rubinstein Variation 4...Nd4! is considered Black's most reliable response to the Spanish Four Knights. After the classical 4...Bb4 White can try for a small advantage with 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 d6 7.Ne2, though of course the engines find ways to keep this to almost nothing. The bizarre-looking 4...Bd6!? became somewhat popular in the years following I Frog vs Kholmov, 1996. It seems to have fallen out of favor but remains playable. Paul Morphy won an immortal brilliancy in Paulsen vs Morphy, 1857, one of the first games with 4...Bc5. It is out of fashion, but Gawain Jones recommends it in his Chessable course https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-... Back to 4...Nd4. Many games have been drawn quickly after 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 dxc3 7.exf6 Qxf6 (the tempting 7...exd2+ is too dangerous, e.g. J Shipman vs Weber, 1985), but Black can play on, e.g. Short vs Kramnik, 2011 (0-1, 43). John Curdo was fond of 5.Nxe5, e.g. J Curdo vs A Shaw, 1996, though objectively Black must be fine. 5.Ba4 used to be the main line, but it seems illogical to maroon the bishop on the queenside when the kingside may need defense. Then the standard 5...Bc5 is fine, but Stockfish 16 says that 5...c6!, playing against the bishop, is slightly better for Black. Kamil Plichta analyzes it in his Chessable course https://www.chessable.com/secret-bl... 5.Bc4, as played, seems most logical. It is White's best scoring line according to ChessBase Online, although 52.4% is nothing to write home about. After 5...Bc5 6.Nxe5, 6...O-O would leave White better after 7.O-O d6 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.Be2!, when White appreciates having the bishop on c4 rather than a4. Instead, 6...Qe7! is considered Black's best. Now 7.Bxf7+? led to a glorious finish in Blitz vs Belle, 1978. 7.Nd3 d5! 8.Nxd5 Qxe4+ 9.Ne3 Bd6! gives Black more than enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn. Akiba Rubinstein won an immortal game in Z Belsitzman vs Rubinstein, 1917. Best for both sides is 7.Nf3 d5! as in the game. After 8.Nxd5, 8...Qxe4+ 9.Ne3 Bg4 10.Be2! Nxe2 11.Qxe2 O-O-O 12.d3 Qe8 or Qe6 Black's bishop pair and lead in development give him enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn. White usually plays 8.Bxd5, as I did. This has become a drawing line. After 8...Bg4!, White tried 9.h3!? in D Paravyan vs Motylev, 2019, but forcing Black to inflict doubled pawns on White isn't appealing. After 9...Bxf3 10.gxf3, Stockfish 16 recommends 10...Nh5, when it analyzes 11.d3 Qf6 12.f4 Nxf4 13.Qg4 Bd6 14.e5 Bxe5 15.Ne4 Qe7 16.Bxf4 f5 17.Bg5 fxg4 18.Bxe7 Kxe7 19.O-O-O gxh3 20.c3 c6 21.Bc4 Ne2+ 22.Kc2 Nf4 -0.19. |
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Feb-04-24
| | FSR: POST TWO OF TWO
After 9.d3 O-O-O, 10.Bg5 would be better for Black after the odd-looking 10...Bb4! S Lu vs C Li, 2017, preparing ...Rxd5. So White should play 10. Be3 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Rxd5! 12. exd5 Re8. Now White has two playable moves, both leading more or less by force to a draw. 13. c3 Nxf3+ 14. gxf3 Qh4! 15. Kd2 Rxe3! 16. fxe3 Qf2+ 17. Kc1 Bxf3 18. Qe1 Bxe3+ 19. Kb1 Bxh1 20. Qxh1 Qe2! with a draw occurred in F Vallejo Pons vs Dominguez Perez, 2006 and many later games. I played the other drawing move, 13.O-O. Note that after 14...Bd6!, I couldn't play 15.Bxd4?? Qg5+! 16.Kh1 Qf4! 0-1. Instead of 16.Bxd4, I could have played 16.Kg2, but 16...Nxc2! 17.Qxc2 Qg4+ gives perpetual check. Short vs McShane, 2017. White played for the win with 16.Kh1 in Motylev vs Radjabov, 2010, but Black was better after 16...Qh3! 17.Rg1 Nf3 18.Rg2 g5! (0-1, 42). My opponent had to play 16...Bxf4, since 17.Qxf4?? 18.Qh5! wins. After 17.Kg2, he could also have played 17...Qg5+, which draws after either 18.Kh1, F Vallejo Pons vs Caruana, 2019, or 18.Kf3, McShane vs So, 2019. In the game continuation, I could have played 20.Kf3 Qh3+ 21.Kf4 Qh2+! with a perpetual, but instead "took a walk on the wild side" with 20.Kf5! Now 20...g6+! 21.Kg4! is forced for both sides. Now one way to draw is 21...Qg2+ 22.Kf4 (or 22.Kh4) Qh2+ 23.Kg4! White must allow the draw, since 23.Kg5?? h6+! forces mate. I was pleased that my opponent preferred 21...f5+! leading to a more picturesque draw after 22.Kg5! (22.Kf3?? Qh3+ 23.Kf4 Qh4+ 24.Kf3 Qg4#) Qg2+. After 23.Kf4 Qh2+ and 23...g5+ 24.Kxf5 Rf8+ both lead to a draw. I preferred 23.Kh6! Qh2+! Now unfortunately 24.Kg7? gets the king in trouble after 24...Re7+ 25.Kg8 Qd6!, so I had to scurry back with 24.Kg5! allowing the perpetual. |
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Feb-04-24
| | FSR: Another correspondence game where I was up a rook and bishop but had to allow a perpetual is F Rhine vs A Boerkoel, 1996. |
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Kibitzing
