Gambiteer II by Nigel Davies Black can hoist the pirate flag against two of White's strongest and most popular openings, the Queen's Gambit and the Ruy Lopez. He argues that neither (1 d4 d5) 2 c4 nor (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6) 3 Bb5 is optimal from a development perspective and that Black can take the initiative with the Albin Counter and Schliemann Gambits respectively. In this volume I will present a repertoire for Black in these two openings which should enable the reader to play them with confidence at any level. Ruy Lopez himself did not consider 3 Bb5 to be a very strong move, and from a development point of view it looks less relevant than, say, 3 Bc4. Is this enough justification … [Read more...]
Wading in the Baltic
by Tim Harding The Baltic Defence to the Queen's Gambit (ECO code D06) gets its name from its adoption by players from north-east Europe, specifically GM Igors Rausis and his wife, correspondence GM Olita Rausis. It arises by 1 d4 d5 2 c4 Bf5 or sometimes via 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Bf5 3 c4. Although the latter move order excludes two of White's sharpest responses, they are the lines most typical of the Baltic Defence. Sometimes the Baltic transposes into a variation of the Slav Defence; those lines will only be cursorily treated here. The "true" Baltic Defence initiates very sharp play from a very early stage and there are some gambit lines with an affinity to the Albin Counter-Gambit. It … [Read more...]
At the Crossroads
by Mark Dvoretsky In a very old classic game, after all of thirty rather boring moves, an interesting position arose, which shall become the subject of our discussion. Fine – Shainswit U.S. Championship, New York 1944 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. Nc3 dc 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. de Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 Be7?! To cite Garry Kasparov in My Great Predecessors, Part 2: “Later on, players would prefer 11...f6 12. 0-0 Rd8, or 11...Rd8 12. Qc1 f6. 11...g5!? is the fashion these days.” 12. 0-0 Be6 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. a5 14. Qc2! Rd8 (14...Qa5 15.Nb5; 14...0-0 15. Nb5 Qb8 16. Nd4) 15. Rfd1 0-0 16. Nb5 is probably stronger, as was played in the 1st game of … [Read more...]
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