It's a critical test of this move order. It's not the only one. Apparently, if best could be determined by democratic processes, transposing to the main lines is at least as good as the Sozin treatment.

gewgaw wrote on 04/12/11 at 11:29:54:


Not sure that anyone can be 'sure' about such things. Serious question?
Chess - a complex game, don't know much about PCs, but it appears to remain so.

I think the main reason this line isn't played more often for Black is that he has to be prepared for two other lines that normally arise when Black tries to play the Taimanov:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 and since Black isn't attacking the e4-pawn, White can play 5.Nb5 d6 6.Bf4 or 5.Nb5 d6 c4.  

Neither of those variations lead to normal Scheveningen pawn structures.  It's up to you whether you'd rather allow those lines, plus deal with a possibly slightly better (for White) version of the Sozin, just to avoid the Keres.  

Personally if I were a Scheveningen player, I'd be booked to the teeth on the Keres in an attempt to scare White players away from there!  Of course that's much easier said than done...

Either 6 g4 anyway or English attack style stuff I suspect. Classical Shevy OK too of course, so long as you're happy with whites play in the non a6 lines.

The Sozin is a non trivial practical deterrent (theoretically perhaps not so bad) because there's rather a lot of relatively sharp theory there that the standard Shevy move order just avoids completely. Even Classical players often dodge it all via the early Qb6 lines.

This approach is well-known and popular as an anti-Keres move order. Using 5...d6.

Argument is that g4 has less bite as no Knight there on f6. So Ne7-g6 stuff can happen.  Also black idea of ...g5 versus e4,f4,g4, as in a famous Polgar game. Look in your dbase - you should find plenty of examples.
Had such a game as white, quick chopping, ...wish I could find...
White is quite happy with Q on e2 in such.

The Sozin is a major issue of sorts. Kasparov did do it a couple of times vs Karpov but then stopped because of the Nb5/c4 stuff. More because that suited Karpov I think.

No especially good reason to avoid it, and the odd incentive to use it, though and I think its less common simply because its not so 'natural' somehow.

It is known, respected and does get used by strong players though. 

Hi all,

I usually play the Taimanov, but I had always an eye on the scheveningen, due to move transpositions.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 d6 (5... Qc7) 

Why isn´t this move order more common? It simply avoids the keres and the Nb8 just jumps a little bit earlier to his square c6 without any commitments?