najdorfslayer wrote on 04/02/12 at 17:04:32:


I remember analyzing the Schliemann Deferred when I qualified for the US Correspondence Championship in the mid-90's.  It's not as bad as it's reputation if Black responds to 5. d4 with 5...fxe4, as he would if 3...a6  4. Ba4 were not interpolated, as opposed to 5...exd4 allowing 6. e5.  Now after 3...a6  4. Ba4 f5  5. d4 fxe4  6. Nf3 Nf6  7. Bg5 (probably 7. 0-0 is critical) a position is reached that, again, without 3...a6 and 4. Ba4 interpolated, even Lasker defended as Black: see http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1380312 . 

In conjunction with analyzing that game, but in the context of the Deferred Schliemann, I remember coming to the conclusion that 7...Bd6!? might be adequate instead of Lasker's ...Be7 which allowed Nc3 by White with a big edge (again, whether or not 3...a6  4. Ba4 is interpolated).  One thing about 7...Bd6 is that in one line of my analysis (I wish I could recall after 15+ years) I remember that the interpolation of ...a6 was somehow helpful to Black.

ADDENDUM: I didn't realize it but a game of mine from that US Correspondence championship with this very line is actually in Chess Base.  My opponent plays the inferior Nc3 against *my* ...Bd6 (according to ChessBase I'm first) but I must have been so enamoured of Lasker's play in his game in the Schliemann proper, that I in turn played the inferior ...Bb4.

Anyway here's the score if it's of interest -- I had to withdraw from the tournament but am sure I wasn't doing so well in this game anyway.  As for the move 7...Bd6 though, I see a 2400-player drew GM Gyula Sax with it in 2005, so perhaps it is indeed viable?

[Event "USA-ch13 prel 04 corr"]
[Site "USA"]
[Date "1996.06.24"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Reithel, Donald P"]
[Black "Jempty, Georges"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C70"]
[WhiteElo "2330"]
[BlackElo "2016"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn (corr)"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.04.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 f5 5. d4 fxe4 6. Nxe5 Nf6 7. Bg5 Bd6 8.
Nc3 Bb4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. f3 Qe8 12. Bb3+ Kh8 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Nxc6
1-0

Matemax wrote on 02/15/12 at 14:17:25:


I think Ivan Sokolov was quite critical of the Delayed Schliemann in 'Ruy Lopez revisited'.

I would like to see the lines
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 f5
combined with
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.0-0 Qf6.

A friend of mine has had some great results as Black with these lines against some good ECF 160+ players.

I hope there will be lots of lines without 3...a6 and not lines where you have to wait for White to play 10 moves or so of theory before you unleash your 'Dangerous Weapon!'

White's normal route to an advantage is playing c3 and d4 in most mainline Ruy Lopez variations, so playing d3 implies a loss of tempo, and most likely equality. The earlier d3 is played, the more options Black has (which is why I like playing 3...Nf6 sometimes as it is astounding the number of players who play 4 d3 instead of the critical 4 0-0).
On the other hand I always used to play (later) d3 variations as White simply because I couldn't be bothered to learn all the theory!

@MNb

I'm not a big expert on the Arkangelesk and I don't have my DB here with me so I can't really comment on the other variation you gave, but I realise my comment was badly phrased.
I didn't mean to imply that the alternatives were easier for black, all I'm saying is, if you're white and you know you're going to play d3, why give black the chance to play a lot of different stuff when you can wait for them to commit to ...Be7 first? Unless of course I'm missing something, which is quite probable.

TopNotch wrote on 02/05/12 at 03:52:23:


That is quite true. Adams found himself in trouble twice last week in Gibraltar after 6...b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 and he had to perform a couple of miracle save in the endings.
Incidentally I think it is better for white to play 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 rather than the immediate 5. d3 after which black can still go into an Archagelesk, or play 5...d6 and 6...g6.

The unassuming 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3!? is quite poisonous (albeit slow acting poison) for black if he does not know exactly how to react.

Definetly a worthy candidate for a Dangerous Weapons book.

Tops    

GMTonyKosten wrote on 01/28/12 at 16:29:21:


If you aren't 100% sure which lines you are going to do, how do you know one of the lines suggested is right?

Bibs wrote on 01/28/12 at 13:26:54:

Well I only signed the contract yesterday, and I am still not 100% sure which lines I will do!