Bresando wrote on 04/05/13 at 15:52:43:
Since you're talking about move 9 alternatives, may I ask what's the current theoretical verdict on 9...Bg4?
A game today on this line. Both players have EL= greater than 2600 and Kovalenko is one of the few players over 2600 that "sometimes" plays the Alekhine
(others are Rozentalis, more often with also a game given below, and Shimanov - less often)
I must confess I was never atracted to 9...Bg4 but
apprently is a frequent choice of GMs (although they lose).
The game today uses a move criticized by G. Jones,
16...g6, in his analysis of the game Bologan-Rozentalis. I saw the game and apparently Black was Ok and it is not clear where it went wrong.
Onischuk,Vladimir (2591) - Kovalenko,Igor (2643) [B03]
Russian Cup Final 2013 Khanty-Mansyisk (1.1), 12.12.2013
[Robot 4]
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.Be2 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Qh4+ 12.Bf2 Qf4 13.c5 Nd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 g6 17.f4 Bh6 18.Be3 f6 19.h4 0-0 20.h5 fxe5 21.fxe5 Bxe3+ 22.Kxe3 g5 23.h6 Rf4 24.Rag1 Re4+ 25.Kd2 Nxd4 26.Rxg5+ Kh8 27.Bg4 Rg8 28.Rxg8+ Kxg8 29.Bc8 Nf3+ 30.Kd1 Nxe5 31.Bxb7 Rd4+ 32.Ke2 Kf7 33.Rg1 Ng6 34.a3 Kf6 35.b4 Rh4 36.Rf1+ Ke6 37.Bc8+ Ke7 38.Bb7 d4 39.Rh1 Rg4 40.Bf3 Rf4 41.Bd5 Rg4 42.Kd2 Ne5 43.Rf1 Rg5 44.a4 Rh5 45.Rh1 Rxh1 46.Bxh1 Kf6 47.a5 c6 48.Be4 Kg5 49.b5 cxb5 50.c6 Kxh6 51.c7 Nc4+ 52.Kd3 Nd6 53.Kxd4 Kg7 54.Kc5 Nc8 55.Bb7 Ne7 1-0
Rozentalis also played the Alekhine, Luther against
him played the 4PA, this time 9...Be7.
Here is the game