A couple of bits:

ECO (3rd edition) thought Timman could have been slightly better with 27. Qf2 Bb5 28. Raa1 Ra6 29. Rad1.

Glenn Flear, in his Closed Ruy book of a few years ago, thought Black was fine in the 19...Kh7 line, but the only game he cited was Luther-Acs 2001, in which White played Nh2 in conjunction with putting his rooks on the a-file.   

kylemeister wrote on 05/15/08 at 03:19:47:


Summer's coming on and the warmer weather leaves me brimming with optimism.  Can we salvage 19...Kh7 ?  Or at least determine what Gligoric had in mind?

Here is the classic Spassky-Portisch game that seems to have put the ball in Black's court:

[Event "Candidates sf2"]
[Site "Geneve"]
[Date "1977.08.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Spassky,Boris V"]
[Black "Portisch,Lajos"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "C95"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 Kh7 20.Nh2 Bg7 21.Rf1 h5 22.f3 Qe7 23.Bg5 Qf8 24.f4 exf4 25.Rxf4 Nfd7 26.Raf1 Ne5 27.Nxh5 gxh5 28.Qe2 Qh8 29.Rh4 Kg6 30.Bd1 f5 31.Rxf5 Rf8 32.Qxh5+ Qxh5 33.Bxh5+ Kh7 34.Bf7+ Bh6 35.Rxh6+ Kg7 36.Bf6+ Kxf7 37.Bxe5+ Ke8 38.Rxf8+ Kxf8 39.Bxd6+ Kg7 40.Ng4 1-0

The key move here is 20.Nh2, and Davies's question stems from his wondering how Gligoric would have responded in this 1999 game if his opponent had played 20.Nh2 instead of 20.Ra3:

[Event "YUG Cup"]
[Site "Herceg Novi"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Todorovic,Jovan"]
[Black "Gligoric,Svetozar"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Eco "C95"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 Kh7 20.Ra3 Rb8 21.axb5 axb5 22.Nh2 h5 23.Bg5 Be7 24.Nf3 Kg8 25.Qe3 Nh7 26.Bh6 Bf6 27.Nd2 Bg5 28.Bxg5 Qxg5 29.Qxg5 Nxg5 30.h4 Nh7 31.Rea1 Nf6 32.Ngf1 Ra8 33.Ne3 Rxa3 34.Rxa3 Ra8 35.Rxa8+ Bxa8 36.f3 Bb7 37.Kf2 Kf8 38.Ke2 Ke7 39.b3 cxb3 40.Nxb3 Nxb3 41.Bxb3 Nd7 42.Kd2 Kd8 43.Bd1 Kc7 44.Bc2 Kb6 45.Bb1 Bc8 46.Bc2  1/2

In a number of games after 20.Nh2, White seems intent on following up with a queenside assault, which doesn't seem to work (and seems rather inconsistent with 20.Nh2); the more successful plan involves the kingside attack and foregoing pressure along the a-file.  Is there a way that Black can deaden this attack?

Black is theoretically OK in the a4 lines, but its a tough line to play in practice.  White gets an easy game -- even the tyros know that the basic plan is Ra3, Ra1, axb5 and an invasion down the a-file -- and while Black can hold, his position tends to be passive and not much fun.

The old main line of the Breyer runs like this:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4

Fairly standard at this point is:

15...c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 

There has been a lot of fanfare surrounding 15.b3 d5; was 15.a4 debunked or proved relatively safe for Black?  I presume (picking up where the bold print above leaves off) that Black's best involves 19...h5 and not the rather attractive 19...Kh7...

Managed to take a peek at my old breyer book when i went back to my home country during the x'mas holidays.

The flexibility i was talking abt in an earlier post here is that black has a nomber of plans he can pursue during the game when the kt is on d7. So bringing the kt back to b8 & then to d7 is not a waste of tempo as such given that white also 'wastes' tempo swinging his b1 kt to g3, not to mention the bishop retreat from b5 to c2.

Now, with the kt on d7:

1) It can go to b6 to (a) support the d5 pawn push (b) make its way to c4 to bolster up e5

2) It can go to f8 to (a) make its way to e6 to guard the central dark squares c5, d4 & f4 or (b) in some cases it can make its way to g6 where it pressures the dark squares f4 & h4. 

3) It can just stay there to facilitate c5, whereby  we enter lines where c5 is played.

Perhaps Hgman wld also like to play thro a few Breyer games just to get a feel of things? Alternatively you may also download a whole lot of breyer games in pgn format from chessopolis.com.

Hope whatever i hv posted so far helps a little in your decision making.

There is a very good TWIC theory article on the Breyer:

'TWIC Theory Issue #3 – IM Malcolm Pein on the Breyer Lives!'

The Breyer:  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 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 

A few years ago, Van der Sterren penned an In Memoriam article in the NIC YB.  IIRC, he was mainly worried about 15.b3 when White's plan of d5 and c4 can leave Black's position, and especially his bishops, rather passive.   

Since then there has been a revival, but it is based on some messy tactics.  The critical line is 15.b3 d5! 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 g5 18.Nxg5 hxg5 19. Bxg5 when White has sacked a piece for two pawns and an attack.  Tony provides a decent overview of this line in the Spanish e-book.

In any event, as played at the highest level, the Breyer is no longer a guarantee of a quiet maneuvering game.  See Mamydarov's games for examples.