How to successfully avoid a theoretical struggle
In an era where information is fast becoming a currency in itself, the game of chess is undergoing big changes. Previously success in chess was 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration ; today we are beginning to let the computer play a significant role in both areas, and success takes on a whole new meaning. I have some fears as to where it will all end if this trend continues… In the game below we witness an obscure move order against the popular Najdorf variation of the Sicilian Defence. The move 6.a3, in my opinion, is neither good nor bad , but has the intended advantage of avoiding the beaten track and throwing the opponent on his own devices. As a bonus, I suppose, the move is unlikely to be refuted any time soon by the silicon demons…
Carlsen – Wojtaszek
Tata Steel 2017
[Annotator "Spraggett"]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.a3{[#]} e5{[#] The standard reply, but I think it is not very flexible. There are plenty of reasonable alternatives:}
( 6...b5 7.Bd3 e5 8.Nde2 Nbd7 9.Ng3 Nb6 10.O-O Be7 11.f4 O-O
12.Kh1 Be6 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Nf5 Bxf5 15.Rxf5 Qd6 16.Qf1 Rac8 17.a4
b4 18.Nd1 a5 19.b3 Nfd7 20.Bb2 g6 21.Rf3 Nc5 22.Nf2 Ne6 23.Ng4
Nd4 24.Rf2 f6 25.Rd1 Qe6 26.h3 Rc6 27.Qe1 Bc5 28.Rf1 Qe7 29.Qh4
Qg7 30.Bc1 g5 31.Qg3 Kh8 32.Ne3 Nc8 33.Bb5 Re6 34.Qg4 Rb6 35.Nc4
Rb8 36.Nxa5 Nxb5 37.axb5 Nd6 38.Rd5 Rxb5 39.Nc6 Re8 40.Be3 Bxe3
41.Rxd6 Rf8 42.Qe2 Bc5 43.Rd5 Qb7 44.Nxe5 {1-0,<strong style="color:red;"> Dvoirys S – Paehtz E, Cappelle la Grande 2001</strong> }
)
( 6...e6 7.Be2 ( 7.Bd3 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Kh1 Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6
11.f4 ) ( 7.g4 b5 ( 7...Nc6 8.g5 Nd7 9.Be3 ) 8.g5 Nfd7 9.Be3 ) )
( 6...Nc6 )
( 6...g6 7.Be2 Bg7 8.O-O Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qd2 Ng4
11.Bxg4 Bxg4 12.Nd5 Rc8 13.f3 Be6 14.c3 Ne5 15.b3 Bxd5 16.exd5
Qa5 17.Ne2 Qb5 18.Rab1 Qd3 19.Rfd1 Qxd2 20.Rxd2 b5 21.h3 Rc7
22.Bb6 Rb7 23.Bd4 Rc8 24.Ra2 Nd3 25.Bxg7 Kxg7 26.a4 b4 27.c4
Nc5 28.Nd4 e5 29.dxe6 fxe6 30.Rd2 Kf6 31.Nc2 Ke7 32.Ne3 a5 33.Nc2
Rd7 34.Ne3 Rf8 35.Rd4 Kd8 36.Kh2 Kc7 37.Kg3 Kc6 38.Rd2 g5 39.Nc2
h5 40.Nd4+ Kb6 41.h4 gxh4+ 42.Kxh4 d5 43.cxd5 Rxd5 {0-1,<strong style="color:red;"> Harikrishna,P – Vachier Lagrave,M, Norway Blitz 2016</strong> }
) 7.Nf5!? {[#] Again there are serious alternatives:}
( 7.Nf3 Be7 ( 7...h6 8.Bc4 Be6 9.Bxe6 fxe6 10.Nh4 Nc6
11.f4 Rg8 12.Nf3 Qb6 13.Qd3 Ng4 14.Rf1 exf4 15.Bxf4 g5 16.Bd2
O-O-O 17.O-O-O Bg7 18.Qe2 Kb8 19.h3 Nge5 20.Be3 Qa5 21.Nxe5 Bxe5
22.Rd3 Rgf8 23.Kb1 Rc8 24.Bg1 Ne7 25.Rfd1 Rc6 26.Na2 Qb5 27.Nb4
Rc7 28.Qe3 Nc8 29.Rb3 Qc4 30.Qd3 Ka8 31.Re1 Ne7 32.Qd1 Nc6 33.Nd3
Bd4 34.Bh2 e5 35.Bg3 a5 36.Nc1 Rcf7 37.Rd3 Bf2 38.Bxf2 Rxf2 39.Rxd6
Rxg2 40.Nd3 Nd4 41.Nxe5 Qxc2+ 42.Qxc2 Nxc2 43.Rc1 Ne3 44.Rxh6
g4 45.Rc5 Rf1+ 46.Ka2 Rff2 47.Rxa5+ Kb8 48.Rh8+ Kc7 49.Rc5+ Kd6
50.Rb5 g3 51.Rh6+ Kc7 52.Rh7+ Kd6 53.Rhxb7 Rd2 54.R7b6+ Ke7 55.Rg6
Kd8 56.Rg7 Kc8 57.Rc5+ Kd8 58.Rb7 Nd1 59.Nf7+ {1-0,<strong style="color:red;"> Dvoirys,S – Zanan,E, Ch ISR 6-12-2016</strong> }
) 8.Bc4 Be6 9.Ba2 O-O 10.O-O b5 11.Re1 Re8 12.Bg5 Nbd7 13.Nd2
Rb8 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Nf1 b4 16.Nd5 bxa3 17.bxa3 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Bg5
19.g3 Qd7 20.Qd3 Rb6 21.h4 Bh6 22.Reb1 Reb8 23.Rb3 Bxd5 24.Qxd5
g6 25.Rab1 Rxb3 26.Rxb3 Qc7 27.a4 Bc1 28.Kg2 h5 29.Nh2 Rxb3 30.cxb3
Qc2 31.Nf1 a5 32.Kf3 Qc3+ 33.Ke2 Qc2+ 34.Kf3 Qc3+ 35.Ke2 {1/2-1/2,<strong style="color:red;"> Karjakin,S – Giri,A , Wijk aan Zee 4-1-2017 79th Tata</strong> }
)
( 7.Nde2 )
d5{[#]}
( 7...Bxf5$5 8.exf5 d5 9.Bg5 d4 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Nd5
Qc6 12.c4 dxc3$6 13.Rc1 Bc5 14.Rxc3 a5 15.Bb5 {1-0,<strong style="color:red;"> Schou-Moldt T – Skrabakova K, Teplice 2012</strong> }
) 8.Bg5! d4 9.Bxf6 Qxf6$6 {[#]} ( 9...gxf6! 10.Nb1 ( 10.Ne2 Qb6 {<strong style="color:red;">Debashish D- Aswin J, New Delhi 17- 1-2008</strong> }
) Bxf5 11.exf5 Qd5 12.Qd3 Nc6 13.Nd2 ) 10.Nd5 Qd8 11.Qg4!{[#]} Bxf5
( 11...g6$6 12.Qg3! Nc6 13.Nxd4!$16 ) 12.Qxf5 Bd6 ( 12...Nc6 13.Bc4
Bd6 ) 13.h4{[#]} Nc6 14.Bc4 ( 14.O-O-O ) b5 ( 14...Ne7 15.Nxe7 Qxe7
16.h5 ) 15.Bb3 ( 15.Ba2 ) Ne7 ( 15...O-O 16.Rh3 ) 16.Qg4
( 16.Nxe7 Qxe7 17.Bd5 ( 17.Rh3 ) Rb8 18.Bc6+ Kf8 19.h5 Qf6 )
O-O 17.Rh3!{[#]} Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Ra7 ( 18...Qc8$6 19.Qg5 Qxc2$6 20.Rg3 g6
21.Rc1 Qxb2 22.Rb3! Qa2 23.h5 Rac8 24.hxg6 Rxc1+ 25.Qxc1 hxg6
26.Rg3$18 ) 19.Rg3 Qf6 20.a4!{[#]} Bb4+ ( 20...Rc7$5 ) ( 20...b4 21.O-O-O
Rc7 22.Kb1 a5 23.Bb3$16 ) 21.Kf1 bxa4 22.Rxa4 a5 23.Ra1!{[#]} Rc7 24.Bb3
Ra8 25.Kg1 Bf8 26.Qh5 g6$6 ( 26...Raa7$14 ) 27.Qg4 Ra6$2 ( 27...Bh6! )
28.h5 Qf4 29.Qe2 Qf6 30.Qb5!{[#]} Qc6$2{[#]} ( 30...Rc5$5 31.Qe2$5 ( 31.Qe8 Qe7! )
( 31.Qb7$5 Rb6 32.Qa7 Ra6 33.Qd7 Qe7! ) ) 31.Qxe5!$18 Re7
( 31...Bd6$2 32.hxg6!$18 Bxe5 33.gxf7+ Kf8 34.Rg8+ ) 32.Qf4
( 32.Qxd4 ) a4 ( 32...Qxe4 33.Bxf7+! ) 33.Bd5 Qc7 ( 33...Qxc2
34.Rc1 Qxb2 35.Rc8 d3 36.Rf3 Rf6 37.Qxf6 Qxf6 38.Rxf6 d2 39.Bxf7+
Kg7 40.Rd6 ) 34.Qd2 Qb6 35.Ra2 Rc7 36.Rf3 Qb4 37.Qe2 Rb6 38.hxg6
hxg6 39.g3$5 Kg7 40.Kg2 Rd7 41.Qd1 Rf6 42.Rxf6 Kxf6 43.c3
( 43.Qg4 Ra7 44.Ra1 Qxb2 45.Rh1 a3 46.Qf4+ ) dxc3 44.Rxa4{[#] Black has had enough.} 1-0
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