Willempie wrote on 05/09/08 at 08:45:59:


14.Bb5 doesn't stop the threat of Qb4. Then again, all attempts to prevent Qb4 fail anyway.

linksspringer wrote on 05/09/08 at 07:39:31:

14.Bb5 and I dont see it.

I still don't follow, Toppy. Two obvious questions: (1) McDonald suggests two improvements for Black on Becerra Rivero--Sarkar, so why is that game so important, and what do you think of the improvements?; (2) since not everyone has OFWATA, could you say briefly which line(s) call(s) Black's idea into question in your view?

Sorry, I'm a bit confused -- precisely which position(s)/game(s) are you saying is/are inadequate for Black here?

SWJediknight wrote on 05/08/08 at 22:28:42:


Glad to get some Scandinavian input! 
The full Portuguese transposition is: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nf3 Qxd5 5.Be2 Nc6 6.c4 Qf5 7.Be3 0-0-0 8.Nc3
What do your sources on the Portuguese consider best play in this position?

I often play the Portuguese/Jadoul Variation with Black and reach a similar position, e.g. 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Nf6 3 d4 Bg4 4 Nf3 Qxd5 5 d4 Nc6 transposes.  It might arise by transposition from the Nimzo but I'm pretty sure most would consider it a line of the Scandinavian.   

I'm not sure if 1 e4 Nc6 is much of a hypermoden opening- most hypermodern openings have Black wait until well after the second move to lash out in the centre.  In my view it's not much more "hypermodern" than the Scandinavian, if at all.  I'm not convinced that it's any less sound than the Scandinavian, and it's certainly sounder than the Elephant, Latvian etc.  Slightly inferior yes, but not unsound.   

I'm not sure where 1 e4 Nc6 would fit in with chess history as it's always been offbeat; the Scandinavian is even trickier to pinpoint as it's become very popular at club level, and seemingly in women's chess also, in the last decade, but until then was always considered offbeat.

Anyway, from experience I consider these lines of the Scandinavian to be quite playable for Black- though I'm prepared to concede that White has an edge with accurate play.  The idea of kicking the Black queen with c2-c4 first as in TopNotch's lines, rather than Nb1-c3, seems to be the most definite way to get an edge, as the c-pawn can be used to support a queenside pawn storm.

That's the one! -- the moves you gave. Certain GMs seem to do very well with it and it's even found its way into the current French update! Can't be right though can it, blocking the c-pawn like that?