No flaming please for this post...I agree, I have not read posts before sanek9385's one  


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@sanek9385:

8.Na4 Qa5+ 9.c3 c4 Vaganian idea

10.b4! Nxb4?! (10...Qc7!) HgMan on chesspub forum

11.cxb4 Bxb4+ 12.Kf2 b5 

and now 13.a3!? is best because

13.Nc5 Nxc5 14.dxc5 Bd7! threatening Rc8-Qc7 to take c5 pawn

15.a3 Bc3 16.Rc1 Qxa3 +=

And yes, you are right 14...Bc3?! 15.Rc1 +/-

Point is c5 pawn is no longer under attack and can be kept by c6 + Nd4...better is to wait a3 White move. 

Alternative plan for Black is to play 10...Qb5 to achieve a5 or move
c6 knight like in game Nijboer-Benitah,Cappelle La Grande 2006 given 
on www.chessgames.com

Which one is Denis? Is this a translation too? Or a common Russian name?

Gotta love translation software too. Good use of the word 'phalanges'. Tricky to get that in a chess annotation normally.

Thanks for the annotation. Good quality stuff in an interesting line.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 06/21/09 at 07:32:12:


I wonder if you're thinking of their 1991 game at Linares?

schtroumfechecs wrote on 06/14/09 at 16:32:55:


Following on from S_F's post, I wasn't entirely satisfied with Black's play in the notes I first posted (quite a few years ago) after 13.Nb2.  As I mentioned, the standard 13...Bc3, which is cited in most places, is an error.  13...Ba3 isn't terrific, and launching a kingside attack with f7-f6 can help Black out.  I'm not convinced that 13...0-0 is necessarily a big improvement, but I decided that there was no imminent threat that White would advance the a-pawn (which can be uncomfortable), and Black often has trouble finding time to castle in the lines I analyzed.

I find the positions with the piece sacrifice very fascinating, but I'm wary of doing the real analysis work and adding 7...Qb6 to my Black repertoire because White is scoring so well with the uncommon 8.a3!? protecting b2 by tactical means. Many games lead to those depressing positions where the bad French bishop is the only significant difference between Black and White. 

So to all French experts: Why is 8.a3 not a problem?

Interesting thought.  It seems as though 14.g3 effectively rules out pushing the f-pawn, because it leaves e6 weak.

At first, I wondered about the immediate 14...f5 as a way of closing the diagonal and protecting the pawn:

A). 15.Bh3 (which I don't think is best anymore) Nb6 16.Qc2 Bd7 17.Rhc1 looks interesting, but I don't think Black is any worse off than in other lines.

B). 15.exf6 (obviously, this just helps Black) Nxf6 16.Bh3 Ne4+ and I'll happily play Black.

C). 15.Qc2 can be unpleasant for Black and probably rules out 14...f5.

Maybe the simple 14...h6 is best: 15.Bh3 Nb6 16.Qc2 Bd7.  White might have better than 15.Bh3 at this point, of course, since the e-pawn isn't as vulnerable.  Nevertheless, attacking the top of the pawn chain on e5 is difficult for Black.

I'll have to look at this some more...

Here's the conclusion to the second game.  I raced into the draw convinced I had a won endgame.   

Note, of course, that due to the transposition, the game is a move behind where it would typically play had it been a standard French:

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Qb6 8.Nc3 e6 9.Na4 Qa5+ 10.c3 c4 11.b4 Nxb4 12.cxb4 Bxb4+ 13.Kf2 b5 14.Nc5 Nxc5 15.dxc5 O-O 16.a3 Bc3 17.Rb1 f6 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Nd4 a6 20.Ne2 d4 21.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 22.Qxd4 Bb7 23.h4 Rf5 24.Qd7 Rf7 25.Qxe6 Qxa3 26.Qe5 Rc8 27.Rh3 Qxc5+ 28.Qxc5 Rxc5 29.Re3 Kf8 30.g3 Rd7 31.Nc3 Bc6 32.Bg2 Rd2+ 33.Re2 Rxe2+ 34.Nxe2 Bxg2 35.Kxg2 c3 36.Nc1 a5 37.Ra1 a4 38.Kf2 Rd5 39.Ra3 c2 40.Rc3 b4 41.Rxc2 Rb5 42.Ke3 b3 43.Rb2 Kf7 44.Kd3 Rb7 45.Kc3 Rc7+ 46.Kd2 Rb7 47.Rb1 b2 48.Na2 a3 49.Nc3 Rb3 50.h5 Rxc3 51.Kxc3 a2 52.Kxb2 axb1=Q+ 53.Kxb1 Ke6 54.Kc2 Kf5 55.Kd3  1/2-1/2

Matemax wrote on 02/27/09 at 15:00:22:


I'll have to consider this idea again.  I remember being tempted by 13...Bd7.  The game continues, but here is the current status (a few moves behind where we are in actuality):

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Qb6 8.Nc3 e6 9.Na4 Qa5+ 10.c3 c4 11.b4 Nxb4 12.cxb4 Bxb4+ 13.Kf2 b5 14.Nc5 Nxc5 15.dxc5 O-O 16.a3 Bc3 17.Rb1 f6 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Nd4 a6 20.Ne2 d4 21.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 22.Qxd4 Bb7 23.h4 Rf5 24.Qd7 Rf7 25.Qxe6 Qxa3 26.Qe5 Rc8 27.Rh3 Qxc5+ 28.Qxc5 Rxc5 29.Re3 Kf8 30.g3 Rd7 31.Nc3 Bc6 32.Bg2 Rd2+ 33.Re2 Rxe2+ 34.Nxe2 Bxg2 35.Kxg2 c3 36.Nc1 a5 37.Ra1 a4 38.Kf2 Rd5 39.Ra3 c2 40.Rc3 b4 41.Rxc2 Rb5 42.Ke3 b3 43.Rb2 Kf7 44.Kd3 Rb7 45.Kc3 Rc7+ 46.Kd2 Rb7 47.Rb1 b2

HgMan wrote on 02/24/09 at 16:28:18:


I'll need to go over the game carefully.  I think White more or less has to play 16.dxe5, but you're right: it is a serious concession.  I remember thinking that 21.Nd4 was also a problem for White...