linksspringer wrote on 05/06/08 at 09:54:46:
On to
8...e5 9.d5. Challenging white in the centre looks like a better idea than trying to contain with 8...e6.
Now black has a few ideas to play with: knight to b4 or d4, pawn e5-e4 or not, Bxf3 or not, and it seems they have all been played.
But I'll focus on the moves black with rating 2495+ has played. 1) pawn sacrifice with Bxf3 and Nd4:
9...Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Nd4 11. Bxd4 exd4 12. Qxd4 Re8+ 13. Kd2 {13.Be2?! Ne4 ; 13.Kf1 Bb4 Steininger -Schlenker (0-1, 38)}
13...g5 14. h3 h5 15. Qd3 Qd7 16. Qd4 Qf5 17. Qd3 Qd7 18. Qd4 Qf5 1/2-1/2 Lopez Martinez (2437) - De la Riva Aguado (2552)
2) invading with Nb4/Nc2
9...Nb4 10. O-O Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nc2 12. Rc1 {the engine line is 12.Be4 Nxe4 13.Qxc2 Ng3 14.Qxf5 Nxf5 but black has no problems}
13...Nxe3 13. fxe3 Bc5 with equality Pasko (2303)-Krivoshey(2495) (0-1, 116)
As I said, there are other black tries as well, but in particular line 2 convinces me black has no major problems to solve.
Yes certainly Black has many tries, but it is important to recognise and fully appreciate some important re-occuring key tactical and strategical motifs in all these positions.
A) Strategically, White's King is safer on the Kingside than Black's on the Queenside.
B) Tactically, White is often able to mount an attack on the opposing King faster and more effectively than his opponent. This is so mainly because he has a lead in development and his pieces are better placed.
c) A very important feature of the position also is White's advanced mobile queenside pawn majority, which lends great force to any mating attack he might pursue.
d) A chess engine has no regard for motifs, themes or intuition and once their horizon has been exceeded they often miss the plot entirely. That is why on this forum I emphasis greatly the importance of developing a good thought process rather than simply number crunching with an engine, not that I am insinuating that this is what you are doing, but as these threads are read by many of varying strengths I like to breakdown what I say and offer guidance.
Now to apply my evaluation consisting of a, b, c, d to the position you categorise as "line 2 convinces me black has no major problems to solve":
Pasko (2303)-Krivoshey(2495)
9...Nb4 10. O-O Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nc2 12.Be4! The engine move as you called it, is actually best here but not for the reasons you may think [
12.Rc1?! as played in the game is not as good, but may still be sufficient for an advantage if followed up correctly]
Nxe4 13.Qxc2 Ng3 14.Qxf5 Nxf5 you claim that Black has no problems in this ending, but after
15.Ne4 White is certainly for choice although one could argue it is nothing to write home about.
Returning to the position after
13...Ng3, White has a more intriguing and thematic option, i.e
14.Qa4 simply giving up an exchange for a very dangerous attack, for e.g
14...Nxf1 15.Rxf1 and already it is difficult to offer Black good advice. The natural reply
15...a6 is strongly met by
16.c5 intending
c6 with what looks a winning attack. Fritz suggests Black try
15...Qg6 supposedly intending some defense with Qa6, but after
16.Nb5! I think he's toast.
You seem to have made a special point of emphasising Black's rating in the game under consideration as if it validates the approach used, but a high rating alone should not paralyse us from thinking objectively for ourselves. A compatriot of mine relatively recently deafeated Nigel Short with the Elephant gambit, and once at an Olympiad got a semi playable position with it against Greek GM Kotronias, nevertheless that has done nothing to dispel my views on the matter that objectively the Elephant is rubbish and this is more or less how I feel about 1...Nc6.
Toppy
Pearls cast before swine, Toppy.
Pages: 
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4 Nc6 4.Nf3 (Read 18149 times)
