brabo wrote on 05/22/10 at 15:16:30:


For annotations byAlexander Baburin of this very interesting game. see Chess Today 141.
http://www.chesstoday.net

Paddy wrote on 05/22/10 at 12:59:14:


I don't understand that Inarkiev with his status still ditches up 12... c4 which has known to be not good since 1976. A young Kasparov amazed the chessscene at that time by blowing his opponent in devastating style from the board. The move hasn't been selected anymore by a grandmaster since 1994 so that also says a lot. I know this stuff because I played the dubious move myself in 2004 and after a long tough fight was finally defeated by my young opponent, an international master at that time, nowadays a grandmaster. For the record in that game my opponent chose for 15. Ba3 which is as 15. Bd3 or 15. Bd2 (the choice of the young Kasparov) also good for an advantage.

Nowadays I play 12.., Bd7 with better success. B.t.w. c4 can become interesting if white has played Nbd2 or a4 so the strike b4 has become weak.

I agree with that, 12.d5 is a practical weapon, solid and simple.

Is the game available somewhere for us to have a look at?

[Event "Capablanca Memorial-A"]
[Site "Havana"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Antunes, Antonio"]
[Black "Granda Zuniga, Julio E"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C97"]
[WhiteElo "2445"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "CUB"]
[EventCategory "9"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.16"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 c4 13. b4 cxb3 14. axb3 Bd7 15. Ba3
Bd8 16. Nbd2 Qb8 17. Bd3 Bb6 18. Rf1 Rc8 19. Rc1 Ra7 20. Kh2 Ne8 21. Nh4 Bd8
22. Nf5 Bxf5 23. exf5 Bg5 24. Rc2 Bxd2 25. Rxd2 Nb7 26. Bb2 Nc5 27. f4 a5 28.
f6 Nxf6 29. fxe5 dxe5 30. Rxf6 e4+ 31. Kh1 Nxd3 32. Rxd3 exd3 33. Rf3 Re7 34.
Qxd3 Re1+ 35. Rf1 Rce8 36. Kg1 Qb6+ 37. Kh2 Qd6+ 38. Kg1 Qc5+ 39. Kh2 R8e3 40.
Qf5 Rxf1 0-1


[Event "Czestochowa op"]
[Site "Czestochowa"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Cherkasov, Nikolai"]
[Black "Aleksandrov, Aleksej"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C97"]
[BlackElo "2505"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "POL"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1994.03.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 c4 13. b4 cxb3 14. axb3 Bd7 15. Bd3
Rfc8 16. Bg5 h6 17. Bd2 Be8 18. Na3 Bd8 19. Rb1 Qa7 20. Qe2 Bb6 21. Rec1 Rc7
22. Nc2 Nh5 23. Nxe5 f5 24. b4 Nc4 25. Bxc4 Ng3 26. Qf3 Nxe4 27. Be1 dxe5 28.
Bd3 Nxf2 29. Bxf2 e4 30. Bxb6 Qxb6+ 31. Qe3 Qxe3+ 32. Nxe3 exd3 33. d6 Rd7 34.
Nxf5 Bg6 35. Ne7+ Kh7 36. Nxg6 Kxg6 37. c4 Rxd6 38. c5 Rd4 39. Rd1 Kf5 40. Rd2
Ke4 41. Re1+ Kd5 42. Rc1 Kc6 43. Rc3 a5 44. Ra3 Rxb4 45. Raxd3 a4 46. Rd5 Re4
47. Rd6+ Kxc5 48. R6d5+ Kc4 49. Rd7 a3 50. Rc7+ Kb4 51. Rc1 Rc4 52. Rb1+ Ka4
0-1

When i studied this sistem (Now i play sicilian) i reached the conclusion that black shouldn't hurry playing Nb7 (after 13. b4 cb3 played ) because it encourages white queenside play with b4. Anyway strong players have played this way (i.e. Ildar Ibragimov) so this could be debatable.

A model game in Rubinstein spirit cuold be this one:

[Event "Leon"]
[Site "Leon"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Sion Castro, Marcelino"]
[Black "Beliavsky, Alexander G"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C97"]
[WhiteElo "2380"]
[BlackElo "2650"]
[Annotator "Franco"]
[PlyCount "114"]
[EventDate "1994.05.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1994.10.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. c3
O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 Ne8 {/\ g6-f5} 13. b3 Nb7 {
/\ g6, Ng7, Nd8 Rubinstein} 14. Nbd2 g6 15. a4 Rb8 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nf1 Ng7
18. Bh6 (18. g4 $5) 18... Nd8 19. b4 $2 (19. g4 $5) 19... f6 20. Ra3 Nf7 21.
Bxg7 (21. Be3 f5) 21... Kxg7 22. Ng3 Bd8 $1 23. Qe2 c4 $1 {/^ a7-g1} 24. Rea1
Qd7 25. Ra7 Rb7 26. Ra8 Bb6 27. Nh2 Ra7 $1 28. R8xa7 Bxa7 29. Bd1 Bb6 30. Qg4
Qb7 31. Qe2 f5 $6 (31... h5 $5 {Beliavsky}) 32. exf5 Qxd5 33. Bc2 Ng5 34. Rd1
Qc6 35. Ne4 (35. Qg4 Bb7 36. Nh5+ gxh5 37. Qxg5+ Kh8 38. f6 $2 Rg8 39. f7 Qxg2+
$1 $19) 35... Nxe4 36. Qxe4 Qxe4 37. Bxe4 Bxf5 38. Bxf5 Rxf5 39. Ng4 Bc7 40.
Ne3 Rf8 41. Ra1 Bb6 42. Ra6 Bxe3 43. fxe3 Kf6 $1 44. e4 (44. Rxd6+ Kf5 45. Kf2
Ke4+ 46. Ke2 Ra8 47. Rd2 Ra3 48. Rc2 g5 $17) 44... Ke6 45. Ra5 Rf4 46. Rxb5
Rxe4 47. Kf2 Rf4+ 48. Ke2 Rf8 49. Ra5 h5 50. Ra7 Kd5 51. Ra6 g5 52. Ra7 Ke4 53.
Rg7 d5 54. Rxg5 d4 55. cxd4 exd4 56. Rxh5 d3+ 57. Ke1 c3 0-1

Hope this helps a bit

I agree with that, black played on the wrong side of the board. I think blacks best is just to sit tight on the kingside like in the game Karjakin and play on the queenside. In that way it is difficult for white to conduct anything really serious on the kingside. With this logic Im wondering about why Marin believes black should prevent a4.

In the Karjakin game white had more space in the endgame and the entry route via c4-b5. Instead of 55.Ke2 I am thinking maybe 55.Kc4, tying the black king to the defence, and then transfer the knight to the kingside, hoping to outplay the bad bishop. Haven't checked in detail though.

Edit: Im stupid, I see now that there are no prospects after 55.Kc4 Kb6 and ..Bd8

"After the hurried 12...c4 white could play 13.b4 Nb7! (if 13...cxb3 14.axb3 whites undeveloped knight proves useful, because the c3 pawn is defended) 14.a4 when compared to the Rubenstein system white's queen's knight could prove useful attacking the b5 pawn." Quote from Marin.

I still need to have a look at the games you mentioned.

20.c4 seems quite logical to me. Why did Alekseev&Akopian argue that it was blacks major mistake, what should he have played instead?

I have researched 12.d5 now and I believe that objectively black is fine.

Marin provides a convincing recipe for black in his Spanish repertoire book with 12..Bd7 13.b3 Rb8! discouraging white from 14.a4 After that black should play in Rubenstein fashion.