Latest Updates:
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Opinion on the Classical Variation (Read 6143 times)
sssthepro
Senior Member
****
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 439
Joined: 12/16/06
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #11 - 03/09/07 at 11:35:52
Post Tools
So you mean that is the critical line? I currently employ a6 and h6. However, no one play Nxc6 against me yet.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
IMRichardPalliser
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 305
Location: York
Joined: 03/23/04
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #10 - 03/09/07 at 11:14:02
Post Tools
Interesting too to see Classical expert, Pete Wells, recently employing the 8...Bd7 variation in the 4NCL. Is this currently looking like the best way to go?
On the other hand, from the same TWIC, I see Rowson is still happy to allow 8...h6 9 Nxc6.
  
Back to top
WWW  
IP Logged
 
kylemeister
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 4901
Location: USA
Joined: 10/24/05
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #9 - 03/08/07 at 23:19:55
Post Tools
It's interesting how (as I recall) about 10-15 years ago it seemed everybody was playing the 7...a6 and 8...h6 Rauser with black, and now it seems nobody is.  If there's some kind of clear reason, I don't know what it is.  (My impression is that 9. Nxc6 is definitely dangerous, but I don't think that can account for it ...)      
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
kalle99
Full Member
***
Offline


They say I have Aspbergers
syndrome.

Posts: 144
Location: Stockholm
Joined: 11/05/05
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #8 - 03/08/07 at 22:40:52
Post Tools
Study GM Zdenko Kozuls game in the Classical Sicilian. They are just fantastic many of them. He is a real Classical sicilian devotee. He crushed Shirov with it (and he also have one loss to Shirov).
By the way I am a bit surprised over the good statistics the Classical sicilian have compared to many other sicilians. White really has to fight for the win.

[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Kozul, Zdenko"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8.
O-O-O Bd7 9. f3 Be7 10. h4 h5 11. Kb1 Rc8 12. Nxc6 Rxc6 13. Bd3 Qa5 14. f4 Ng8
15. f5 Bf6 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. Qg5 Qe5 18. Ne2 O-O 19. g4 Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Qxe4 21.
Nc3 Rxc3 22. bxc3 Qa4 23. Qc1 Bc6 24. Rhe1 Qc4 25. gxh5 exf5 26. Rg1 Be4 27.
Rxd6 Qxc3 28. Qb2 Qxb2+ 29. Kxb2 Kh7 30. h6 g6 31. h5 Rg8 32. hxg6+ fxg6 33.
Kc3 Kxh6 34. Kd4 Kh5 35. c4 g5 36. Ke5 Re8+ 37. Kf6 g4 38. Rd4 Rf8+ 39. Ke7 Rc8
40. Kf6 Rc6+ 41. Ke5 Kg5 42. Rd8 Rc5+ 43. Kd4 Ra5 44. Rf1 Bf3 45. Rg8+ Kf4 46.
Rg7 Kg3 47. Rg5 Kf4 48. Rg7 Rxa2 49. Rxb7 g3 50. Rg7 g2 51. Rg1 Rc2 52. c5 Be4
53. Ra1 Rd2+ 54. Kc4 Kf3 55. Rxa6 Bd3+ 56. Kc3 Bxa6 57. Kxd2 Kf2 58. Rf7 Bc8
0-1
  

"I Often see in chess forums people asking : " What is the current status of that line ?"&&&&Its a good reasonable question,but who can claim that he knows the answer ?!&&&&Semko Semkov Januari 2008
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
LeeRoth
God Member
*****
Offline


I love ChessPublishing.com!

Posts: 1520
Joined: 10/22/05
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #7 - 02/23/07 at 18:12:28
Post Tools
Cresspahl wrote on 02/18/07 at 23:11:19:
I can recommend you annother old love of mine:

6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.000 h6 9.Be7 Qc7 10.f4 [10.f3 !?] Be7!? - sadly this is a rare bird nowadays, but its clearly worth further analysis. I had some nice wins with this line some 10 years ago and still don't see any refutation from whites side around the corner.

Cresspahl  Wink


What do you do, though, about 9.Nxc6?  This move has put me off a similar Rauzer line that I used to play with Black.  Cry

Regards,
Lee Roth
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MNb
God Member
*****
Offline


Rudolf Spielmann forever

Posts: 10756
Location: Moengo
Joined: 01/05/04
Gender: Male
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #6 - 02/20/07 at 20:47:42
Post Tools
It has been since long, since I looked at this stuff and my source is not quite recent either (1982). Is 6...Bd7 7.Qd2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Qa5 9.f4 Rc8 10.0-0-0 Rxc3 considered correct these days? If not, than Black has to play 10...e5. Then the move order 6...e6 7.Qd2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bd7 is to be considered as well. (This is about half I know of the Richter-Rauser  Wink ).
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
GC Lichtenberg
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
lnn2
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 1504
Location: nc
Joined: 09/22/04
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #5 - 02/20/07 at 08:29:14
Post Tools
imho the strongest line is 6. Bg5 Bd7!? , intending ...Rc8/...Qa5/...Nxd4 in some order. Check Dreev's games (B60-B61): see

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?pid=12136&playercomp=black&eco=B60

and

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?pid=12136&playercomp=black&eco=B61

his results have been good, so i hope Tony eventually gets around to covering this!

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
notyetagm
Full Member
***
Offline


I love ChessPublishing.com!

Posts: 105
Location: Groton
Joined: 06/14/05
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #4 - 02/19/07 at 20:50:03
Post Tools
Quote:
Plenty of people seemed prepared to play the Classical in the B and C sections at Corus, but it does seem that the number of paths available against the Rauzer (at least from an objective perspective) is shrinking. Yermo writes very well in his Explained guide, but even he failed to fully convince me that White wasn't just better in many positions after 6 Bg5.


Yes, even a non-titled amateur like me knows that the Richter-Rauzer is the critical line against the
Classical Sicilian and the strength of this line is why you never see the elite Sicilian players (Topalov,
Polgar, Anand, etc.) essay it.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
IMRichardPalliser
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 305
Location: York
Joined: 03/23/04
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #3 - 02/19/07 at 16:58:08
Post Tools
Plenty of people seemed prepared to play the Classical in the B and C sections at Corus, but it does seem that the number of paths available against the Rauzer (at least from an objective perspective) is shrinking. Yermo writes very well in his Explained guide, but even he failed to fully convince me that White wasn't just better in many positions after 6 Bg5.
  
Back to top
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Cresspahl
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


Audiatur et altera pars

Posts: 15
Location: home
Joined: 09/06/05
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #2 - 02/18/07 at 23:11:19
Post Tools
I can recommend you annother old love of mine:

6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.000 h6 9.Be7 Qc7 10.f4 [10.f3 !?] Be7!? - sadly this is a rare bird nowadays, but its clearly worth further analysis. I had some nice wins with this line some 10 years ago and still don't see any refutation from whites side around the corner.

Cresspahl  Wink
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MNb
God Member
*****
Offline


Rudolf Spielmann forever

Posts: 10756
Location: Moengo
Joined: 01/05/04
Gender: Male
Re: Opinion on the Classical Variation
Reply #1 - 02/18/07 at 20:43:42
Post Tools
I don't guarantee you equality, but one idea is Csom's Variation:
6...e6 (or Bd7 first) 7.Qd2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bd7 looking for counterplay as fast as possible. Sometimes Black sacs the exchange on c3 (after Rc8, Qa5). Sometimes Black sacs a pawn on f6 (White plays Bxf6, gxf6, Qxf6). There are some move order issues, which I have forgotten.
It is an old variation; an example is Panno-Hort, Palma de Mallorca 1970. Maybe Black can try 12...Rxc3, I really don't know.
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
GC Lichtenberg
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
sssthepro
Senior Member
****
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 439
Joined: 12/16/06
Opinion on the Classical Variation
02/18/07 at 08:30:20
Post Tools
What do you guys think about the Classical Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6? To me, it seems good, but I am a bit afraid of the Rauzer variation. Can someone tell me his comments on the rauzer variation and recommend a good line? Of the Rauzer lines I have seen, it seems that it is hard for black to play for a win.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Bookmarks: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Google Google+ Linked in reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Yahoo