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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Cozio Defence (Read 37812 times)
Michael Ayton
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #11 - 06/06/10 at 23:00:55
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Why not play the Deferred version? I was involved in a thread on this a couple of years ago, and if my memory serves came to think a (the?) critical line was Palac-Arkhipov, which went: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. O-O g6 5. c3 Bg7 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 [b]a6[/b] [obviously this can be played on move 3 or 4 too, thus changing the nature of, if not ruling out, various White tries] 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bc2 O-O 10. d5 Na5 11. a4 b4 12. Nbd2 d6 13. Nb3 [[i]13 Re1[/i] c6!?, Kupreichik-Arkhipov, is inferior?] c5 14. Nxa5 Qxa5 15. Nd2 Qd8 16. Nc4 [[i]16 a5[/i] f5!?] a5 17. Re1 Ba6 18. Bb3 Nc8 19. Rb1. I've a feeling this is mentioned in Andrew Greet's book as being a bit better for White, but after [b]19 ...Bc4[/b] 20 Bc4 Nb6 (21 Bb5 c4) has Black anything real to fear?

  
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Schaakhamster
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #10 - 06/06/10 at 17:51:09
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TopNotch wrote on 06/06/10 at 16:20:27:
Schaakhamster wrote on 06/06/10 at 14:49:51:
TopNotch wrote on 06/06/10 at 14:37:02:
I thought 10.Qd2 was supposed to be the most testing.

Tops Smiley


My sources don't mention that move. Sokolov, Flear and Kuzmin see 10. 0-0 as best. Kuzmin thinks 10. ... a6 equalizes while Sokolov thinks white better after 10. 0-0. 10 ... Nf5 isn't good after 10. 0-0 while after 10. Nxd4 it works wonders  Smiley.



So much the better, as 10.Qd2 is at least equal to 0-0 while at the same time setting a few more nasty traps for Black to fall in to.

Tops Smiley


Emms in his Easy Guide to the Ruy Lopez recommends it. It is interesting to say the least!
  
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TopNotch
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #9 - 06/06/10 at 16:20:27
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Schaakhamster wrote on 06/06/10 at 14:49:51:
TopNotch wrote on 06/06/10 at 14:37:02:
I thought 10.Qd2 was supposed to be the most testing.

Tops Smiley


My sources don't mention that move. Sokolov, Flear and Kuzmin see 10. 0-0 as best. Kuzmin thinks 10. ... a6 equalizes while Sokolov thinks white better after 10. 0-0. 10 ... Nf5 isn't good after 10. 0-0 while after 10. Nxd4 it works wonders  Smiley.



So much the better, as 10.Qd2 is at least equal to 0-0 while at the same time setting a few more nasty traps for Black to fall in to.

Tops Smiley
  

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Schaakhamster
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #8 - 06/06/10 at 14:49:51
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TopNotch wrote on 06/06/10 at 14:37:02:
I thought 10.Qd2 was supposed to be the most testing.

Tops Smiley


My sources don't mention that move. Sokolov, Flear and Kuzmin see 10. 0-0 as best. Kuzmin thinks 10. ... a6 equalizes while Sokolov thinks white better after 10. 0-0. 10 ... Nf5 isn't good after 10. 0-0 while after 10. Nxd4 it works wonders  Smiley.

  
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TopNotch
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #7 - 06/06/10 at 14:37:02
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JhF wrote on 05/22/10 at 21:04:24:
kylemeister wrote on 05/22/10 at 15:46:54:
In his recent book, Ivan Sokolov (who has played the Cozio, but says he is in no hurry to return to it) thinks that 4. Nc3 is "the most unpleasant option" for Black.


Indeed 4..g6 looks unpleasant for black:

4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5.

* * * * * * * *
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6..Bg7
6..Nxd5 7.dxe5 Qe7+ (7..a6? 8.dxc6 axb5 9.Qxd5 Rg8 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Qe3) 8.Kf1 Ne5 (8..Qc5?? 9.Qe2+ Ne7 10.Bg5 Bg7 11.Re1 f6 12.b4 Qxb4 13.Bd2 Qc5 14.Nxd4 Kd8 15.Nb3 Qa3 16.Bc1 Qb4 17.c3 Qd6 18.Bf4 Qa3 19.d6 Nd5 20.c4) 9.Nxe5 Qxe5 10.Qf3

7.Bg5 h6 8.Bf6 Bxf6 9.Nxf6+ Kf8
* * * * * * * *
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Here white has a few options but I like simply 10.0-0 Nf5 11.Nd5 Ng7 as in Gashimov-Aronian 2009. I trust that 11.Nxd7 is ok for black.


I thought 10.Qd2 was supposed to be the most testing.

Tops Smiley
  

The man who tries to do something and fails is infinitely better than he who tries to do nothing and succeeds - Lloyd Jones Smiley
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Schaakhamster
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #6 - 06/06/10 at 14:12:10
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Kuzmin has done a survey in CBM 134 on this lines. Combined with Sokolov's "Ruy Lopez Revisited" and Flear's older "Offbeat Spanish" I have used this to prepare the Cozio. Although I still have some work to do I rather like it and on first sight Kuzmin and Sokolov's improvements seem viable.

As a teaser:

Zhu Chen uses 9. ... Nb4 as suggested by Kuzmin. I think that this idea equalizes.


[Event "FIDE GP w"]
[Site "Nalchik RUS"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[White "Kosintseva,T"]
[Black "Zhu Chen"]
[Round "9"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2524"]
[BlackElo "2476"]
[ECO "C60"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. O-O g6 5. d4
exd4 6. Nxd4 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Nc3 d5 9. exd5
Nb4 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. a3 Bxd4 13. axb4
Bg7 14. d6 Qxd6 15. Qxd6 cxd6 16. Rfd1 Bxc3 17. bxc3
Rd8 18. Kf1 Be6 19. Ke2 Kf8 20. Rd4 Ke7 21. Kd2
Rdc8 22. Bd3 a6 23. Be4 Rab8 24. Re1 Kd7 25. Re3
Rc4 26. Bd3 Rxd4 27. cxd4 Rc8 28. c3 h5 29. h4
Bd5 30. g3 Bc4 31. Bc2 d5 32. Ba4+ Kd6 33. Be8
Rc7 34. Rf3 Ke6 35. Re3+ Kf6 36. Ba4 Rc8 37. Rf3+
Kg7 38. Re3 Kf8 39. Kc1 b6 40. Kb2 a5 41. bxa5
bxa5 42. Ka3 Rb8 43. Bc2 Rb6 44. Re1 Rf6 45. f4
Rb6 46. Re3 f5 47. Re1 Kf7 48. Re3 Rb8 49. Re1
Kf6 50. Re3 Kf7 51. Re1 Kf6 52. Re3 Kf7 53. Re1
1/2-1/2
  
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najdorfslayer
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #5 - 05/23/10 at 21:05:34
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If you want to see lots of Cozio games check out Aronian in one of the recent (last 18 months I think) rapid tournaments, he has a big + record with Black playing it
  
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JhF
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #4 - 05/22/10 at 21:18:04
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brabo wrote on 05/22/10 at 15:38:05:
JhF wrote on 05/22/10 at 12:54:21:
In my database it appears as if many white players have not prepared against the Cozio Defence very well. Most play either c3 before 0-0 or 0-0 before c3 but many also play d4 directly before c3 or even d3-d4.

Personally I have just memorized one variation. I am not even sure its white's best: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. O-O g6 5. c3 Bg7 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+ Be6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Bg5 Qd6 12. Nbd2 O-O

My question is if white players should be concerned about the Cozio Defence and if the answer is yes then what would you suggest as best for white?


I've prepared myself several times against the Cozio Defence in the last decade but somehow never got it on the board in an official game. My very recent mainline goes:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.0-0 g6 5.c3 Bg7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Re1 Be6 10.Bg5 (I find it important to wait still a bit with taking on c6 so black doesn't know immediately what white will do.) Qd6 11. Nbd2 0-0 12. Nc4 (Till last year I exclusively chose for Ne4 but in my most recent update I saw some virtues of playing it a bit different. Besides Nc4 is much less wellknown so gives extra surprise effect for a real boardencounter.) Qb4 13. Bxc6 (It has to be played once of course.) bxc6 14. Qc1 with some chances for white. The idea is to play Nfe5 followed up with Bh6 and it becomes clear after exchanging the bishops that blacks awkward pawnstructure gives white the better propects.


Did you consider 4.Nc3 when you prepared against the Cozio, if so what did you think?
  
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #3 - 05/22/10 at 21:04:24
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kylemeister wrote on 05/22/10 at 15:46:54:
In his recent book, Ivan Sokolov (who has played the Cozio, but says he is in no hurry to return to it) thinks that 4. Nc3 is "the most unpleasant option" for Black.


Indeed 4..g6 looks unpleasant for black:

4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5.

* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
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*

6..Bg7
6..Nxd5 7.dxe5 Qe7+ (7..a6? 8.dxc6 axb5 9.Qxd5 Rg8 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Qe3) 8.Kf1 Ne5 (8..Qc5?? 9.Qe2+ Ne7 10.Bg5 Bg7 11.Re1 f6 12.b4 Qxb4 13.Bd2 Qc5 14.Nxd4 Kd8 15.Nb3 Qa3 16.Bc1 Qb4 17.c3 Qd6 18.Bf4 Qa3 19.d6 Nd5 20.c4) 9.Nxe5 Qxe5 10.Qf3

7.Bg5 h6 8.Bf6 Bxf6 9.Nxf6+ Kf8
* * * * * * * *
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* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
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*

Here white has a few options but I like simply 10.0-0 Nf5 11.Nd5 Ng7 as in Gashimov-Aronian 2009. I trust that 11.Nxd7 is ok for black.
  
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #2 - 05/22/10 at 15:46:54
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In his recent book, Ivan Sokolov (who has played the Cozio, but says he is in no hurry to return to it) thinks that 4. Nc3 is "the most unpleasant option" for Black.
  
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Re: Cozio Defence
Reply #1 - 05/22/10 at 15:38:05
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JhF wrote on 05/22/10 at 12:54:21:
In my database it appears as if many white players have not prepared against the Cozio Defence very well. Most play either c3 before 0-0 or 0-0 before c3 but many also play d4 directly before c3 or even d3-d4.

Personally I have just memorized one variation. I am not even sure its white's best: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. O-O g6 5. c3 Bg7 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+ Be6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Bg5 Qd6 12. Nbd2 O-O

My question is if white players should be concerned about the Cozio Defence and if the answer is yes then what would you suggest as best for white?


I've prepared myself several times against the Cozio Defence in the last decade but somehow never got it on the board in an official game. My very recent mainline goes:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.0-0 g6 5.c3 Bg7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Re1 Be6 10.Bg5 (I find it important to wait still a bit with taking on c6 so black doesn't know immediately what white will do.) Qd6 11. Nbd2 0-0 12. Nc4 (Till last year I exclusively chose for Ne4 but in my most recent update I saw some virtues of playing it a bit different. Besides Nc4 is much less wellknown so gives extra surprise effect for a real boardencounter.) Qb4 13. Bxc6 (It has to be played once of course.) bxc6 14. Qc1 with some chances for white. The idea is to play Nfe5 followed up with Bh6 and it becomes clear after exchanging the bishops that blacks awkward pawnstructure gives white the better propects.
  
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Cozio Defence
05/22/10 at 12:54:21
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In my database it appears as if many white players have not prepared against the Cozio Defence very well. Most play either c3 before 0-0 or 0-0 before c3 but many also play d4 directly before c3 or even d3-d4.

Personally I have just memorized one variation. I am not even sure its white's best: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. O-O g6 5. c3 Bg7 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+ Be6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Bg5 Qd6 12. Nbd2 O-O

My question is if white players should be concerned about the Cozio Defence and if the answer is yes then what would you suggest as best for white?
  
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