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Black to play : Sicilian Tactics

Black to play

What is your assessment and can you calculate the best line for each side ?

Critical moment

Black to play : find the best move !

Key moves : find the winning path

Key Move I: White to play and win !

Key Move II: White to play and win

Key Move III: White to play and win

Petroff Tactics II ( Advanced Level)

White just played 24 g3 to cover against the attack on f2. What's the verdict ?

Black to play

Who said that the Petroff always lead to dull positions ?

Tactics : Intermediate Level

I What is White's best move ? ( Level=Medium )

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II: What is the best move for White ? (Level = Difficult)

Tactics to solve : Easy level selection

1. Black to win (Category Easy)

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2. White to play and win (Category Easy)

KMO:Key Move Order !

White to play and win

Hint:

The candidate moves would be:

1 Bb5+

1Qa4+

1b8=Q+

1Bf6

Tactics&traps in the Petroff Defense

This post is about tactical themes in the Petroff Defense :

1e4 e5 2Nf3 Nf6 3 Ne5 d6 4 Nf3 Ne4 5d4 d5 6 Bd3 Be7 70-0 Bg4 8 Re1 Nc6 9Nbd2 f5 10 c3 0-0 11 Qb3 variation.

11..Na5 12Qa4 12..Nc6 13 Bb5 Nd2 14 Nd2 Qd6 15 h3 Bh5 16 Nb3 Bh4 17 Nc5 Rae8

Here we reach the position after 18 Bd2

Black to play after 18 Bd2

Black can play 18..Bf3!?, which is a thematic and recurrent move in the Petroff Defense (Analysis position here-This may qualify as an opening novelty, although I don't have any recent database). The aim here is to show chess patterns and motifs , and not listing the existing games in a given opening.

Position after 18..Bf3!? White to play

Here's an hint (Read below after studying the diagram!)

Would you play

A) 19 gxf3

B) 19Nxb7

C)19Bf1

Tactics straight from the (Petroff) opening lab.

Good luck!

Amber Chess 2011 (Monaco)

Official site: Amber Chess Tournament here

And the winner of the 2011 edition is Levon Aronian. Congratulations to the armenian GM who came first ahead of top players such as Anand, Kramnik, Carlsen ...

Kasparov explained move by move

Kasparov-Ponomariov 2002

White to play (Diagram I)

Garry plays 1 a4! This opens a second front, making the defensive task harder for Black.

If Pono tries to defend his pawn by 1..c4 then 2 Qb6! Re7 3 g5! and White's victory is near.

Therefore, Pono plays 1..e4 2 ab5 ab5 3 Bb5 Qe5 reaching Diagram II

White to play ( Diagram II)

Here Kasparov plays 4 Qg5!

If 4..Be6 then 5Bc4! is decisive. The bishop cannot be taken in view of 6 Rd7+. and 5..Re8 6 R1d5 Qf6 7 Qf4! leaves White winning.

If 4..Ra7 5 R1d5 Qf6 6 Qh6! similar to the game,

The game went 4..Qe7 5 Qh6 Be6 ( because 5..Qf8? loses against 6 Bc4+ and 7 Rd8+).

We reach the next position :

White to play and win (after 5..Be6) Diagram III

Here Garry clinched the victory by playing (after repeating the moves) 6gf5!

After 6..Bf5 7 Bc4+! Ke8 8 Qf4! is strong, so Pono played 6..gf5

The game ended : 7Be2!

A great move bringing the bishop into the attack via the h5-e8 diagonal.

7..Qf6 8 Bh5+ Ke7 9 Rxe6! 1-0

Final Position

Position after 9 Rxe6! 1-0

9..Qe6 10 Qg7+ wins

9..Ke6 10 Rd6+! wins

Find the key continuation

Black to play

How did Black maximize his chances in this blitz game ? What are the key moves to consider ?

Carlsen-Nakamura Wijk Aan Zee 2011 Brilliancy explained

Black just played 28..Qxd5. White to move 29?

Follow game on the applet below ( press + for replay, or > for next move)

Sicilian Najdorf 7 Nde2 Part II 7..Nbd7

In the 2 previous posts, I covered the main answers for Black against the 7 Nde2 move -variations
a)7..Be6,
b)7..Ng4
c)7..Be7
in this repertoire against the Sicilian Najdorf with White.

As a reminder, the tabiya (key position) and the analysis we present arises after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cd4 4 Nd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 e5 7 Nde2 !?

Alternatives moves for Black:

Variation d) 7..Nbd7 8 Ng3 Qc7 - these are standard moves for Black in the Najdorf.
9 Nh5 Nh5

Position afer 9..Nxh5, White to play

White can play 10 Nd5! as a strong switchenzug (intermediary) move. 10..Qa5+ 11 b4 Qd8 12 Qh5 Nf6 13 Qh4.
Here Black played 13..Nd5 forcing an ending in Nisipeanu-Bologan 2006, Black lost in 25 moves

Black should play 13..Be7 14 Ne7 Qe7 15 Bd3 Be6 15 O-O (Analysis) with a += position.

Variation e) 7..Nbd7 8 Ng3 g6!? 9 a4 Qc7 as played in Nisipeanu-Topalov which final result is a draw.
Here rather than Nisipeanu's 10 Qd3 Nc5 11 Qc4 Be6 12 Nd5!? which ended in a equal ending,
I recommend 10 a5!? reaching the following:

Position after 10 a5!? in variation e)

Once again, White has interesting prospects. My chess engine is in agreement : += or slightly better for White. In a tournament game, I'd rather play wit the White pieces here.

Najdorf 7Nde2 Part I

See previous post for introduction to this Sicilan Najdorf Variation.
Tabiya ( key position ) is the following after

1 e4 c5 2Nf3 d6 3d4 cd4 4Nd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 e5 7 Nde2

TABIYA

Variation a): 7..Be6 (Logical development move) 8 f4 Nbd7 -We reach the following diagram

White to play

Here White can play 9 f5!? Bc4 10 Nc1 Bc1 11 Rf1 and



-11..Rc8 12 Nb3 b5 13 a3 Be7 14 Qd3! (Nisipeanu-Aresenshko), White has a good grip on d5, which is the key objective of this variation
-11..d5 !? 12 Nd5 Ne4 13 Nb3 (Nisipeanu-Gelfand 2006)



Variation b): 7..Ng4 8 Nd5 Ne3 9 Ne3 ( 9fe3!?) Be7 10 Nc3 Be6 11 Bc4 !? (Analysis)

Position after 11 Bc4!?. The key here is to play for the control of d5. White has an easier game here in my opinion.

Variation c): 7..Be7 8 Ng3 Be6 9 Be2 0-0 10 0-0 Nbd7 11 a4 Rc8 12 Qd2 Analysis

Here both sides developed their pieces. The computer evaluates the position as +=, slightly better for White. This position is also easier to play with White over the board because Black has no easy plan to free himself.

For instance 12..Nc5 13 b4 or 12..Nb6 13 a5! Nc4 14 Bc4 Bc4 15 Rfe1 d5?! 16 Bb6!; In this last variation, 14..Rc4 is better 15 b3 Rc8 16 Nd5!? gives an interesting battle which is typical of the variation. I suggest you play this line c) (with White AND Black) against a computer to practice.

Once again, the idea here is to give a weapon for White to bring the game on familiar territory. Not every Najdorf player will be thrilled to play such positions, even if the position is either += or = according to your favorite chess engine.

Stay tuned for Part II of this repertoire against the Sicilian Najdorf !

Sicilian Najdorf Theory: A variation for White !

Key Position (Tabiya) after 7 Nde2!?

This is how we reach the diagram:

1e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cd4 4Nd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 Najdorf Defense

6Be3 e5 The most principled answer. On 6..e6, White can play 7 Be2,0-0,f4 or 7f3,8Qd2,90-0-0 followed by g4 which are both good plans for White.


7 Nde2!?

Which is GM Nisipeanu's move and we reach the diagram above. This is an interesting weapon against the Popular Najdorf for White.

In the next 2 days, we will look at how to build a repertoire for White in this variation.

Monaco Melody Amber Chess 2011

Monaco (click the picture to expand!)

http://www.amberchess20.com/

March 11 - March 25 2011

Participants

Viswanathan Anand (India),

Magnus Carlsen (Norway),

Levon Aronian (Armenia),

Vladimir Kramnik (Russia),

Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria),

Alexander Grischuk (Russia),

Vasily Ivanchuk (Ukraine),

Sergey Karjakin (Russia),

Boris Gelfand (Israel),

Hikaru Nakamura (United States),

Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan)

Anish Giri (The Netherlands)

Sadly, the 20th and last edition of an incredible chess tournament I had the privilege to attend in person several times.

You can review several games from previous tournaments on this blog, for instance:

http://www.top10chess.com/2009/03/amber-round-2-aronian-leko-rapid.html

http://www.top10chess.com/2009/03/carlsen-kramnik-blindfold-brilliancy-10.html