TalJechin wrote on 06/08/11 at 13:11:37:
[...]frankly, I don't see how you can possibly still defend 11...Qc7?!
For example, in the line you give as equal, just replace the 'I hope Black gives me a tempo with 26...Kh7' with 26...Qe6.
There is no contradiction in saying that 11.Qxc7?! "has no theoretical merits" and still wondering whether Black must win. Nobody is eager to play for a draw only (I guess 80% draw, losses: 20%), but there is a "Remiszone" in chess.
You are probably right to criticize 26.Qa6?, after 26...Qe6! it seems lost for White. More precise: 26.h4 f3 27.d5 Qxd5 28.Qe3 Rf5 29.hxg5 hxg5 30.Be1 Rxa2 31.Rxa2 Qxa2 32.Bf2 and I don't think that Black can win.
Gambiteer wrote on 06/11/11 at 04:00:33:
In the 8. Qa4 line isn't 9...Na5 more critical than 9...Qe7? According to my database, white scores over 60% against the latter and only 39% against the former. 9...Na5 seems to be the move of choice in correspondence games (i.e. the engine's preferred move!)
In the first post of mine in this thread you'll see a link to an earlier "Hanstein Gambit" thread. We had already discussed 9...Na5 in some detail. Here I was refering to the line which formerly deemed critical to us. My present view about Na5 is something like: White's position looks a bit strange, but capturing the pawn f7 is probably worth the trouble. The Hanstein Gambit is all about pawn breaks: White gives a pawn for the better long-term prospects. And taking the pawn break f7-f5 out of the position is, in this respect, not a small achievement.
Sorry, TalJechin, I forgot to reply on this one:
Quote:Btw, have you had any contact with the Jon Sveinsson from the ML in the first game I put here? A few years ago he claimed to have found the refutation of the Muzio - he even showed it to me at my chessclub's Christmas party (though the Muzio has never interested me so I soon forgot it - it was something about choosing between two set-ups depending on white's choice...) and added something about easily beating a GM on the net with it...
No contact so far. If you have, by coincidence, his address, please give it to me via PM. I'd gladly send him Kaissiber issue #13 with Dr. Stock's large article on the Muzio.