Keano wrote on 07/25/06 at 14:11:04:


Keano wrote on 07/24/06 at 16:48:42:

However, I don't know if this means Khalifman thinks 11...Bb4 is Black's best bet.  I'm tempted to buy the Khalifman book (is it volume 6 of the Anand/White series?), after which I would of course lend it to my friend SF whenever he needed it...

You are making sense John, but speaking off the top of my head what happens if a White Knight comes to c5!? -i.e. after ..b4 then Na4 clogging things up with Nc5 coming in some lines

Afterthought - after ...Bxe3 then Qxe3 ...b5 and now maybe that strange move a3 which I never like playing when I am castled queenside - but it might be good here  

After-Afterthought - I dont like a3 much, I´ll stick with my instincts and develop with Bd3 after ...b5 - then Qh3 is coming isnt it    It seems worth a look though...

Re something much higher up the thread; I would like to say that SmyslovFan's 13...g5 in the piece sacrifice line was in fact introduced into modern theory in the lesser-known game Korchnoi-Cox, simultaneous display, Shropshire, 1980 or so. The game finished in a draw after Black had good chances, and the great man was kind enough to tell me it was an interesting idea. I noticed he didn't rush out and play it, mind.

Ok, 


Here are the chief candidate moves for Black after 11.Nb3:

• 11...Bb4
• 11...Be7
• 11...b6
• 11...Bxe3
• 11...Something else.
  
  

11...Bb4 is the most popular move, and was played in the important game, Anand-Morozevich, San Luis 2005.  Anand destroyed Moro and made the entire opening look awful.  But it may not be so bad if Black can come up with improvements after 12.Rhf1!  (12.Bd3 and 12.g4 have also scored well for White.)

11...Be7 has been tried several times, but it just doesn't solve any of Black's problems.

11...b6 is the most interesting of the alternatives to 11...Bb4.  However, that too has not scored well for Black.

11...Bxe3 is thematically suicidal.  Psakhis considers this to be just bad and spends almost no time on it.  Suicidal or not though, it has had some positive results in the few games (between weaker players generally) that I've found.

Black's basic problems can be summarized simply:

A) White will get a tremendous king-side attack with some variation on a theme of Qf2-h4, R-3rd rank (hence Anand's Rhf1), sac on h7 or push f5-f6 and mate.

B) The endgames for Black are generally classically abysmal.  The light  squared Bishop rarely plays any part except as spectator.  GM Rowson showed that the N vs B endgame in this case really is horrible for Black.  That's why 11...Bxe3 is so rarely played.  In most games, White simply crushes Black on the kingside while the Bishop does nothing.

The most common variation goes something like:

11.Nb3 Bb4 12.Bd3 b5 and White is already gunning for a huge kingside attack without any worries from Black's B on c8.

I'd appreciate any advice and concrete variations!

woofwoof wrote on 07/25/06 at 03:19:47:

Thanks woofwoof,
This works and is easy to use.

On the assumption that both 11.Qf2 and 11.Nb3 were acceptable to everyone, I chose 11.Nb3.  So we have:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a6 11.Nb3




Image generated at the site suggested below by woofwoof:
http://zwiggybo.com/chessboard/composer/index.php

OstapBender wrote on 07/25/06 at 00:28:43:


Me! all the diagrams which are linked to that french chess diagram composer have disappered. It happened last night!

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/25/06 at 00:29:56:

Really?  This is unfortunate.  

Thanks for the info on the issue, though.   Maybe if I purchase it, you can borrow mine.