gewgaw wrote on 05/15/10 at 10:55:21:


On b4 the knight dissuades the e5 push since d5 is hanging. It also causes problems for White if ...Bg4 is allowed, since a later ...Bxf3 would allow ...Nc2-d4 if Qxf3. If White has to take on f3 with the f-pawn, he has other problems.

Mostly to develop that poor knight by any means possible  

Also b4 isn't such a bad square as an outpost peeking at d3/d5. A long way from the kingside though so have to be careful (iirc there's some rather brutal Kasparov - Nunn game illustrating that.).

Thanks for posting the game Lee, it looks as though the ideas presented in my original post are the strongest ways to combat the apparenly overrated Flick-Knife with 9. a4. 

At some point, when I'm not so busy with other chess commitments, I'll definitely get around to checking out the over critical lines against the MB, starting with Avrukh. I think I already debunked his KID line.

14...f5 is an idea that has been out there for a long time.  Palliser mentions it, for example.  So it's odd that my strong opponent played so mildly against it.  He probably assumed that I was heavily booked and decided to dodge out.

Someone seriously preparing the MB will also have to take a hard look at Avrukh's 
Fianchetto Var. ideas. I hadn't thought this was a big challenge, but he makes the case for White at great length and I presume well, though I've only checked a little of it. 

I'm up against a 2450+ CC-IM in a Flick-Knife and doing fine, after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. f4 Bg7 8. Bb5+ Nfd7 9. a4 O-O 10. Nf3 Na6 11. O-O Nb4 12. Re1 a6 13. Bf1 Re8 14. h3 f5 15.Ng5 Nf8 16.Bc4 h6 17.Nf3 fxe4 18.Rxe4 Bf5 18.Rxe8+ Qxe8 and a number of subsequent moves that have left me with a somewhat better position, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to win.  Lately my opponent offered a draw and I declined.  I was surprised that my strong opponent had so little against 14...f5!?, which of course is the line that you started this thread about.  I have no deep notes on it; my plan was simply to try to solve whatever problems came up.

My other MB game for ChessPub is really, really fascinating in addition to being theoretically important (at least, I think it may be). If I remember the moves correctly, it went 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Bf4 a6 8.a4 Bg7 9.e3 0-0 10.h3 Nh5 11.Bh2 f5 12.Be2 f4 13.O-O! an important idea that scores very well for White in recent practice, and to my frustration, wasn't featured in the ChessPub pdf file on the MB.  Taken by surprise and noting that lines where Black exchanges soon on e3 seem to work out rather badly, I took some time and decided on 13...Qe7 14.Re1 Nd7 15.exf4 Nxf4 15.Bxa6 Ne5 16.Bf1, a gambit that has been played once or twice before, but here I innovated with 16...g5!? in preference to 16...Qf7?! as played before but which I believe runs into problems after 17.Ng5.  After some more moves with me building up and my opponent sort of floundering around but also establishing a knight on e4, I sacked a piece for an attack that will be sufficient for equality, perhaps not more.  I am very soon regaining my piece, after which there will be a little play for either side.  

I hope I don't have the moves screwed up; if so, I will come back and correct.

Against the MML so far I have just played the standard ...b5 idea and in three games (not for ChessPub), nobody has been able to scrape more than half a point off of me.

My whole problem with the MB is what do do after 2.Nf3. I hate that move 2...e6, but I suppose it's what I'll have to play, since I don't really trust 2...c5 3.d5 e6 based on my current info.  I suppose I could think about 2...c5 3.d5 b5, when I would have to be prepared for a Benko Declined; but there I'm not really sure that 4.Bg5 Qb6 is completely O.K. for Black.

What I have actually done in most of my corr games is play 2...g6 and switch to a Gruenfeld.  Not really a repertoire choice in combination with the MB, I realize, but fun anyway.

8...Nbd7 is playable....but you need nerves as steel.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7. f4 Bg7 8. Bb5+ Nbd7 9. e5 dxe5 10. fxe5 Nh5 11. e6 Qh4+ 12.Kd2 BxNc3+ 13.bxc fxe 14.dxe 0-0 15.Nf3 Qg4 16.Re1 a6 17.Bf1 Ndf6 18.e7 Re8 19.Qb3 Kg7
with even chances

Markovich wrote on 01/06/10 at 19:58:07:


See the August 2007 update.

Well thanks for that generous help.  Any chance of your posting what Black's supposed to do after 25.Kc2?  I recall that the last time I looked, it was 18.Qg4 f5 19.Qf3 that I found unappetizing from a black point of view.