Ametanoitos wrote on 03/18/11 at 08:37:05:


Saw the Vitiugov analysis, and it's unrelated to the line I've developed for black that's heavily grounded in correspondence games.

11...a6 isn't my preference, despite it being the formal "main line" by number of games played.

I'd have to shoot myself afterwards though

In terms of OTB chess the o-o-o/Bd3 etc stuff actually gives a dangerous enough attack for Dreev to have suffered somewhat at times. I can well believe that it can be defused with a bit of care/knowledge though. 

But then 4 e5 is hardly terribly exciting. Maybe if you go 5 Nce2.

BPaulsen wrote on 03/17/11 at 20:25:57:


Actually Vitiugov in his book doesn't consider that Black gets full equality after c5+Qxd5. He actually gives the same line as Tzermiadianos with a slight improvement over his analysis where his conclusion is "the ending is slightly worse for him but defendable".

My preference is for Petrosian's old ...Be7 in place for the main line today ..a6

Stigma wrote on 03/16/11 at 17:59:23:


I have the book, I just didn't notice it covers that line, as I usually transpose by 4.Nf3 Nc6. But anyway I need to get a good database at last, to prepare better for this line as white plays Nf3, Bd3 and c3 quite often. Thanks for the info.

My perspective on current state of theory, and my personal preferences at the moment.

#1) Exchange: I prefer 4...Bd6 against 4. Nf3/4. Bd3. Still completely equal as the Exchange is supposed to be.

#2) Advance: 5...Nge7 has been my preference of late, owing mostly to the fact that it avoids any trappy gambit lines that I don't like having to remember, and I'm very fond of black's cause in 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nf5 8. Bxf5 exf5. Other fifth moves for black are fine too. 

#3) French KIA - I still use 2...c5 then just Nc6/g6/Bg7/Nge7/0-0/e5 etc. In spite of the lost tempo on e6-e5 black's easy to play. 

#4) Tarrasch - I don't know why white even bothers given 3...c5 with 4...Qxd5 essentially torpedos any hopes white may have of playing for an edge.

#5) 3. Nc3 Nf6 is my preference, having fallen behind on the Winawer given it's too much effort to keep up with various rook endgames that come out of it in the Poison Pawn, it simply ceased to be practical at a certain point.

4. Bg5 dxe4 is completely satisfactory for black, I'm not even sure why white players insist on playing this nowadays (it's not even that good in blitz).

MacCutcheon has high stock right now too.

3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 is the true battleground. I remain loyal to 7...cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 a6. Against Khalifman's 11. Nb3 the preference is b6, Bb7, Rc8, then Bb4 (provoking a3 at which point Be7 is played, then b5-b4 uses the a3 weakness).

I'm not aware of a path to any white advantage in all this even with other 11th moves, correspondence results have supported this of late.

The French's stock is very high in my eyes right now. Of course, I welcome attempts to challenge it in a discussion.

Classical and Winaver very different beasts. 

The classical is a fairly rational, solid opening. Not sure if there's any specific issues with it. Suspect you'll get 4 e5 a lot actually (Khalifman went this way for instance.).

From my experience on the white side do pay a fair bit of attention to the Bxe7/Bd3/o-o stuff because you really can end up in a bad ending relatively easily if you're not careful. But other stuff to look at too.

The Winaver is very individual opening of course. 7 Qg4 very much critical then plenty of options. The 6 .. Qa5/7.. Qa4 stuff would probably be a very suitable second system as much less ciritical in terms of specific moves.

There's the McCutheon too of course. That seems to be the weapon of choice for some young rising Russian GMs in opens so could be good fun.  Entirely as random/individual as the Winaver but subtly different too.

Essentially there isn't a single wonderful answer to 3 Nc3 A huge choice of pretty sound and terribly fun stuff but, asides perhaps for some 4 Bg5 de based ideas, all fractionally scary.

MNb wrote on 03/17/11 at 00:34:44:


4.Nf3 Nc6 is not Watson's line, it's McDonald's from How to Play against 1.e4 (though I first read about it in Motwani's "C.O.O.L Chess"). Watson gives only 4...Bd6 and 4...Bg4.