dom wrote on 06/04/07 at 22:15:54:



There's already Ng6 at move seven

dom wrote on 06/02/07 at 09:41:54:


It's not obvious espacially after 7...Ng6 8.Bd3!?

realpolitik wrote on 05/31/07 at 23:29:10:


Not inevitably! In this game 10.bc3 is better than 10.Bxd7+

I don't know if anyone has mentioned that an entire chapter is devoted to this line in Watson's French: Dangerous Weapons.  Like all Watson's books of which I am aware, this one is full of interesting and original ideas, and well worth the money even if you don't play either the French or 1. e4.

The point was that after Ra6, black still has Ra8 since Rxc6 allows Rxa1+, picking up a rook for nothing. I haven't checked it with fritz, but it seemed that anything other than Ra7 or Ra5 allowed black to win the open a-file.

Thanks to both of you.

Dom, thanks for your analysis, I will try to track down a copy of the relevant NIC yearbook. It's strange - both myself and my opponent felt white was just better after 11.Nh4 - he hadn't considered 11...d4 and I dismissed it on the basis of either 12.Na4 or 12.Ne4 (I can't remember if there was something wrong with the latter, but I certainly spent some time on this move and felt that white should be okay).   

Castlerock - the opening was prepared the night before while drinking copious (3+ bottles) of wine, so looking at the theory of the lines will be a must if I plan to continue playing the line (and I see no reason not to, since I came out of the opening well). I'm not currently a subscriber to the French section, but a lot of people seem to think highly of it so I may well change that in future. 
I had considered the Qg3 idea, but my opponent seemed more than happy to give up the g7 pawn in most variations. I hadn't looked at the Qg3-d3 idea after the bishop exchange on b5, I think I was worried about giving black a tempo with Qg3 Nf5, and felt that the Qe1 supported b4/Bb4 thrusts, which I sadly never got around to.

Ra7+ was played solely because both me and my opponent were in time trouble - if I had had 15 or more minutes (or my opponent did), I would have more than likely played in another way, although I could see no way of keeping control of the a-file. However, I did feel that after Ra7 BxR QxR Ke8 Rc3 I may be able to get some drawing chances - probably incorrectly. I suppose the alternative would be 25.Ra5 Ra8 26.b4 Rxa5 27.ba, but I felt the a-pawn would eventually fall and I would eventually be losing this position.

Ahh well, at least the game told me more about my weaknesses than some games I've lost (or even won) this last season. A few months now and hopefully I can come back stronger for next year.

Best wishes,
Craig

Another try for White is 6.dxc5! (Murey/Spassky variation)

6...Nbc6 7.Bd2 Nf5 (7...Nf5 8.Bd3!? ; 7...Bxc5 8.Nf3 oo 9.Bd3 f5 10.exf6 Rxf6 11.Bg5 Batygin-Khasin,Lenigrad 1954 (Estrin et ChessMail)) 8.Nd3 oo 9.Bd3 Bxc5 10.oo (10.Bg5? Nxe5!!) f6=

6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 and original play (White position seems difficult because bad pawn structure but two bishops gives active play)

Some of those lines are given in NiC YB 66