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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Willempie counters the catalan (Read 11757 times)
Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #19 - 03/18/08 at 12:30:13
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A belated update:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 c5 6.O-O Nc6 7.Qa4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bxc6+ Bd7 10.Rd1 Bxc6 11.Qxc6+ bxc6 12.Rxd4 c5 13.Rxc4 Be7 14.Bf4 Nd5 15.Nd2 g5 16.Be3 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Rb8 18.b3 Rb4 19.Rac1 Kd7 20.Kf2 h5 21.R4c2 h4 22.Nc4 hxg3+ 23.hxg3 f6

Not sure who is better here.
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #18 - 12/17/07 at 09:20:28
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And finally we moved on. Though to be fair I used my share of time as well.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 c5 6.O-O Nc6 7.Qa4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bxc6+ Bd7 10.Rd1 Bxc6 11.Qxc6+ bxc6 12.Rxd4 c5 13.Rxc4 Be7 14.Bf4 Nd5 15.Nd2 g5
And now:
16.Be3 Nxe3



It would seem I got out of the opening in a perfect way. Mewonders if there is a way for white to improve as otherwise this variation brings him nothing. I still think that there may be something at move 14 and 15 for white, but I doubt it will bring him an advantage.
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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HgMan
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #17 - 11/24/07 at 22:59:25
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Quote:
Greetings,

Can't accept he's not winning quicker?  Roll Eyes

Let's hope he keeps "thinking" like that.  Wink

By the way, who are the team boards/members?

Kindest regards,

Dragan Glas


The team and further info is here:

http://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1188401025


  

"Luck favours the prepared mind."  --Louis Pasteur
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Dragan Glas
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #16 - 11/24/07 at 22:49:03
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Greetings,

Can't accept he's not winning quicker?  Roll Eyes

Let's hope he keeps "thinking" like that.  Wink

By the way, who are the team boards/members?

Kindest regards,

Dragan Glas
  
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Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #15 - 11/24/07 at 11:25:06
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15.Bd2 is indeed better. But I think psychology got to play its role. He blitzed through the first few moves and I think he expected the queen sac, which he was obviously judging similarly. When I deviated I think he thought I made an error and tried to punish me (I think I added to that by offering a draw around this point Cool). He still is in that punishing mode, but gets a bit annoyed that my pawns just wont drop.

So even in correspondence, psychology behind the board plays a role Smiley
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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Dragan Glas
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #14 - 11/24/07 at 05:10:30
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Greetings,

Willempie wrote on 11/19/07 at 11:13:25:
Thanks for the diagram. Sorry for the delay but my opponent seems to have put on his thinking cap after blitzing through the first moves:

The next moves are:
15.Nd2 g5
15.Nd2 is with the obvious idea of Ne4 and is better than Nc3 I think as that can run into a tricky combination of g5 and Nb6. However it has one big disadvantage after 15..g5 as the bishop can be exchanged and leave white with a nasty pawn structure to use an unerstatement.

I can't understand why your opponent played this - unless I'm completely missing something!

From the diagram, I'd have played 15. Bd2 with the idea of 16. Nc3 - if you didn't exchange knights, I'd follow up with 17. e4.

Say after 15. Bd2, 0-0; 16. Nc3, Nxc3; 17. Bxc3, Rfc8; 18. Rac1, with the idea of b3, Bb2-a3 and the c-pawn becomes a dead-weight on the black pieces - and White still has the option of Ra4 attacking the a-pawn, perhaps preceded by Rg4 (with the bishop still on the a1-h8 diagonal) to create another pawn weakness.

I still remember my Nimzowitsch!  Grin

Or, as I said earlier, am I completely missing something!?

Kindest regards,

Dragan Glas
  
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Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #13 - 11/23/07 at 06:53:53
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MNb wrote on 11/22/07 at 01:45:36:
I still wonder why you haven't played 5...Be7 anyway? White usually transposes as his independent options are not too impressive.
I would love though to see Anand chosing this endgame vs Kramnik. Hey Castlerock, can't you give him a hint?

Probably my unfamiliarness with the line coupled with my laziness. Almost all games I looked at involving 4..dxc4 went 5..c5, so it didnt really occur to me that there would be a transposition.
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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HgMan
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #12 - 11/23/07 at 00:52:57
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MNb wrote on 11/22/07 at 01:45:36:
I still wonder why you haven't played 5...Be7 anyway? White usually transposes as his independent options are not too impressive.
I would love though to see Anand chosing this endgame vs Kramnik. Hey Castlerock, can't you give him a hint?


I agree.  As White, I would probably have tried to steer the game back to more traditional waters.  That said, I might be inclined to ask the next opponent who played 4...dxc4 whether that was the intended move, and if not, whether s/he would like to correct it.

I maintain, however, that 5...c5 is unpleasant for White...
  

"Luck favours the prepared mind."  --Louis Pasteur
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MNb
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #11 - 11/22/07 at 01:45:36
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I still wonder why you haven't played 5...Be7 anyway? White usually transposes as his independent options are not too impressive.
I would love though to see Anand chosing this endgame vs Kramnik. Hey Castlerock, can't you give him a hint?
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #10 - 11/21/07 at 21:43:52
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LOL! That's a funny way to learn a new opening! But it seems you made it from the opening with a comfortable position. And you may have made me look closer into 5...c5 again! Concerning the queen sac, I completely agree with you. I would not like to play that way as Black.
  
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Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #9 - 11/21/07 at 21:20:54
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Girkassa wrote on 11/21/07 at 18:01:00:
I must say this looks really interesting! In fact, I thought the queen sac was almost forced in this line, which is why I have preferred 5...Bd7 the few times I've taken on c4 on move 4 (usually I play 4...Be7).

When I got to that position I thought I had already played 4..Be7 Grin

I have looked at the queen sac a lot and I was getting a bit desperate (really I cant understand why anyone would recommend it), so then I started looking at the alternatives and found that Mamedyarov game. I think white should be very slightly better, but certainly in correspondence I think I should be ok. In essence black has to watch out for two things:
-The c-pawn needs protection, but as little as possible. See the next point why.
-The weakest part of my position is the a-pawn. IF it can be attacked I can get into big trouble.
Mamedyarov had a nice illustration of turning this weakness into a strength. I thought of repeating this, but my opponent followed another line in which I think I am at least equal. One thing white has to watch out for is that the black bishop is only seemingly bad and at the very least can be used to plug the holes on the q-side if need be. Plus as in this game the black k-side pawns will go forward creating trouble.

If I am right and Anand reads this, we might see a very frustrated Kramnik Grin
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #8 - 11/21/07 at 18:01:00
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I must say this looks really interesting! In fact, I thought the queen sac was almost forced in this line, which is why I have preferred 5...Bd7 the few times I've taken on c4 on move 4 (usually I play 4...Be7).
  
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Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #7 - 11/20/07 at 08:28:18
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Willempie wrote on 11/19/07 at 11:13:25:
However it has one big disadvantage after 15..g5 as the bishop can be exchanged and leave white with a nasty pawn structure to use an unerstatement.

Presumably you mean 16. Be3 Nxe3. But can't White play 16. Be5 ?

He can and that is what I looked at most (I think that was the main benefit of putting the knight on d2 and c3 as that doesnt block the bishop).
I thought however that with 16.Be5 f6 17.Bc3 there is a very tricky line that would give me the advantage. I'll try posting that line when I am home (and dont forget).
The idea is 17..Nb6 18.Re4 Kf7 and then followed by f5 exchanging rooks in an original manner.
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #6 - 11/19/07 at 21:24:28
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Willempie wrote on 11/19/07 at 11:13:25:
However it has one big disadvantage after 15..g5 as the bishop can be exchanged and leave white with a nasty pawn structure to use an unerstatement.

Presumably you mean 16. Be3 Nxe3. But can't White play 16. Be5 ?
  
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Willempie
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Re: Willempie counters the catalan
Reply #5 - 11/19/07 at 11:13:25
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Thanks for the diagram. Sorry for the delay but my opponent seems to have put on his thinking cap after blitzing through the first moves:

The next moves are:
15.Nd2 g5
15.Nd2 is with the obvious idea of Ne4 and is better than Nc3 I think as that can run into a tricky combination of g5 and Nb6. However it has one big disadvantage after 15..g5 as the bishop can be exchanged and leave white with a nasty pawn structure to use an unerstatement.
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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