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Subject: Re: (OT) French Defense = New Idea [12. Rh3!]

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 15:26:06 04/19/04

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On April 19, 2004 at 17:08:43, José Antônio Fabiano Mendes wrote:

>GM Kavalek = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22893-2004Apr18.html
>
>In the last round at Foxwoods, Watson played the French against the young
>International Master Dmitry Schneider.
>
>Faced with an improved plan after 11 moves, Watson could not find the right way
>and his position deteriorated.
>
>Schneider-Watson
>
>1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 (Watson's favorite move.
>"The knight is flexibly placed to assist in various attack on White's center,"
>he says. But he also likes 6...f6, a popular sharp alternative.) 7.Na3 Ng6
>(Watson explains that black is aiming at the head of the white pawn chain,
>planning to undermine it with f7-f6.) 8.h4!? (Hoping to dislodge the knight with
>9.h5.) 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Kf1 (Watson gives another reason for the knight
>being on g6: 10.Bd2?! Qb6 11.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 12.Qd2 0-0 13.h5 Nf4 14.Bf1 g6 15.hxg6
>fxg6 with equal chances.) 10...h6! (An important stopper. Letting the h-pawn run
>to h6 would weaken the dark squares on the kingside.)
>
>11.h5! (White plans to lift his rook to h3 and attack the pawn g7 immediately.
>It is a significant improvement over 11.Nc2 that allows black a useful defensive
>move, 11...Be7, for example 12.h5 Nf8 13.Rh3 Nh7 14.Rg3 Ng5 with a playable game
>for black.) 11...Nf8 12.Rh3! (The key move.)

[D]r2qkn1r/pp1b1pp1/2n1p2p/3pP2P/1b1P4/N4N2/PP2BPP1/R1BQ1K1R w kq - bm Rh3;

>12...f5 (Black decides to protect
>the weak pawn on g7 with the king, but he will have difficulties coordinating
>his pieces. After 12...Nh7 13.Rg3 the blocking move 13...Ng5 is not available,
>and 13...Rg8 or 13...0-0? are both met by 14.Bxh6. Also 12...f6 13.Nc2 [or
>13.Rg3] 13...Be7 14.Rg3 is not pleasant for black.) 13.Rg3 Kf7 14.Nb5!? (Aiming
>for the square d6.) 14...Be8 15.Bf4 Kg8 (Now the rook is boxed in.)
>
>16.a3 a6? (After this positional slip, black will be left with passive pieces,
>weak dark squares and without a counterplay. Better was 16...Be7 17.Rh3 Nh7,
>hoping to crawl slowly out of trouble.) 17.axb4 axb5 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Ne1 Kh7
>(After 19...Nxb4 20.Qd2 Nc6 21.Bxh6, white has the advantage.) 20.Nc2
>(Protecting the queenside pawns, white can now devote his attention to the black
>king.) 20...Qd8 21.Rh3 Ne7 (Watson tries to do a decent defensive patchwork, but
>is unable to avert white's attack.)
>
>22.g4! (The storming of black's defensive wall begins.) 22...fxg4 (Watson had to
>cope not only with the pressure on the pawn f5, but also with the advance
>23.g5.) 23.Bd3+! (Re-shuffling his pieces.) 23...Nf5 (After 23...Kg8 24.Qxg4
>white threatens to win with 25.Rg3.) 24.Qxg4 Rg8 25.Ne3 (The knight on f5 is
>overmatched and black loses a pawn.) 25...Bd7 26.Nxf5 exf5 27.Bxf5+ Bxf5
>28.Qxf5+ Kh8 (On 28...g6 29.hxg6+ mates.)
>
>29.e6! (The pride of the Advanced variation proudly advances, opening the scope
>of the bishop on f4.) 29...Qe7 (After 29...Nh7 30.Be5 Ng5 31.Qg6!, threatening
>32.Qxh6+, wins.) 30.Re3 Nh7 31.Qf7 (31.Qxd5 should also win.) 31...Qf6 (31...Re8
>is met by 32.Bd6!) 32.Be5 Qd8 33.e7! (After 33...Qe8 or other queen moves
>34.Bxg7+ wins.) Black resigned.



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