Author: John Merlino
Date: 16:58:07 04/19/04
Go up one level in this thread
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.) 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. First of all, I don't understand the point of 11...Nf8 in this position: [D]r2qk2r/pp1b1pp1/2n1p1np/3pP2P/1b1P4/N4N2/PP2BPP1/R1BQ1K1R b kq - 0 11 It seems like Nge7 or even Bxa3 are superior moves. Here's what CM9000, SKR personality on an AMD 2500+, says about the top 3 moves in this position: Time Depth Score Positions Moves 1:04 1/12 0.13 13832227 11...Nge7 12.Nc2 Ba5 13.Bd2 Bb6 14.Bc3 Nf5 15.g4 Nfe7 16.Qd3 O-O 17.Bd2 Ba5 1:13 1/12 0.55 15924357 11...Bxa3 12.hxg6 Be7 13.gxf7+ Kxf7 14.Be3 Qb6 15.Rh3 Rac8 16.Rb1 Kg8 17.a3 Na5 2:02 1/12 0.79 26264179 11...Nf8 12.Rh3 Nh7 13.Rg3 Kf8 14.Qb3 Be7 15.Be3 Na5 16.Qc3 Rc8 17.Qd2 Qb6 But, either way, after 11.Nf8, CM_SKR finds Rh3 in two seconds with a strong score: Time Depth Score Positions Moves 0:00 1/3 0.84 1390 12.Bd2 Qa5 13.Bxb4 Nxb4 0:00 1/4 0.85 3048 12.Bd2 Qa5 13.Bxb4 Qxb4 0:00 1/5 0.82 11911 12.Bd2 Bxd2 13.Qxd2 Nh7 14.Rh3 O-O 0:00 1/5 0.83 18466 12.Rh3 a6 13.Be3 Be7 14.Qb3 0:00 1/6 0.93 41969 12.Rh3 Qb6 13.Bf4 O-O-O 14.Nb5 Kb8 15.Rc1 0:00 1/6 1.01 54829 12.Bd2 Bxd2 13.Qxd2 Nh7 14.Rh3 O-O 15.Rc1 0:00 1/7 0.92 115260 12.Bd2 Bxd2 13.Qxd2 Nh7 14.Rh4 O-O 15.Rc1 a6 0:01 1/8 0.90 220373 12.Bd2 Nh7 13.Bxb4 Nxb4 14.Qb3 Qa5 15.Nc2 Nxc2 16.Qxc2 Rc8 0:02 1/8 1.01 452524 12.Rh3 Qb6 13.Rg3 g5 14.hxg6ep fxg6 15.Be3 Ne7 16.Nc2 0:06 1/9 0.97 1291173 12.Rh3 Qb6 13.Rg3 g5 14.hxg6ep fxg6 15.Rh3 Be7 16.Nb5 0:14 1/10 0.99 2982789 12.Rh3 Nh7 13.Rg3 Kf8 14.Bd2 Qa5 15.Nc2 Bxd2 16.Qxd2 Qxd2 17.Nxd2 Rc8 18.Nf3 0:52 1/11 1.01 11055631 12.Rh3 Ne7 13.Qb3 Qb6 14.Bf4 Nf5 15.Nc2 Ba5 16.g4 g5 17.Bxg5 hxg5 18.Qxb6 Bxb6 19.gxf5 2:01 1/12 1.06 26164789 12.Rh3 Ne7 13.Kg1 Bxa3 14.bxa3 Bc6 15.Bd2 Nd7 16.Bb4 Nb6 17.Rc1 Ba4 18.Qd2 O-O jm
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