ChessPub Forum - The Kaufman repertoire

Gilchrist is a legend God Member Offline Posts: 1039 Location: Manchester, UK Joined: 03/02/10	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #132 - 02/13/12 at 09:50:58	Post Tools	Print Post
	The Botvinnik Variation is much more scattered a variation than the Meran; at least in the Meran, White will not usually end up with four passed pawns on the kingside on move 25 and somehow have to defend against a kingside attack when Black is two exchanges down or something. But credit to Kaufman for recommending 5. Bg5, which is undoubtedly the main line and the sternest test of the entire Semi-Slav complex. One of the reasons I bought this book was for coverage of both Grünfeld and Breyer, and the rest of the repertoire for 1. d4 as White is generally main line recommendations. I think it is good for players under 2300 to get accustomed to learning and playing main lines in order to improve and enrich their understanding of the game. In 2004, I played 7...Qb6 Najdorf against a 2400 and he played a new novelty on move 24 that I forgot exactly how to play against, and I lost on move 33. Things like that happen I suppose, but I have a feeling that if I played the Botvinnik Semi-Slav in a tournament game, I would probably end up with a lost position around move 26 or 27.

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Chessexplained Junior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 93 Location: Duisburg, Germany Joined: 02/03/12 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #131 - 02/13/12 at 09:44:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 02/13/12 at 05:41:04: I still find it very difficult to learn the Semi-Slav Botvinnik (for either White or Black). I am surprised it was recommended, since I doubt most lower rated players can memorise all of the variations or understand the positions fully, if even grandmasters find it difficult. I read the chapter on the English, I have never seen the recommendations before--what happens on 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nc2 and then e4 trying to play some sort of Maróczy setup? His recommendation of 5. Bg5 is certainly difficult for a club player to digest. Still at club level this opening comes up rarely and if, Black often will play things like 5...Be7 or Nbd7, avoiding the critical lines altogether. In the English line 6...Bxc3+ is believed to be at least = for Black. I think he has a positive score with that move (can't check database right now).


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fling God Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 1591 Joined: 01/21/11 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #130 - 02/13/12 at 09:38:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 02/13/12 at 06:56:03: I learnt the Najdorf 7...Qb6 variation when I was below 2000, and it was definitely difficult to learn. I am sure there are players below 2000 who can learn the Botvinnik Semi-Slav well, but I think that particular opening is probably the most complicated opening in all of chess theory. I tried to study the Botvinnik Semi-Slav last year, and at my current level (~2250 ELO), I still could not say definitively that I knew what was going on in most of the variations. I think I would recommend the Meran System against the Semi-Slav, since many grandmasters play that and it is probably the second most critical line in the Semi-Slav other than 5. Bg5. Well, the Meran system is pretty complicated for both sides as well! I think the whole Semi-Slav complex is for sure among the top in terms of complexity. The Anti-Moscow isn't exactly a breeze to learn either, e.g. But on the other hand, I think that against equally rated players below let's say 2300, chances are your opponent won't understand more than you if you have spent some time studing your lines


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Gilchrist is a legend God Member Offline Posts: 1039 Location: Manchester, UK Joined: 03/02/10	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #129 - 02/13/12 at 06:56:03	Post Tools	Print Post
	I learnt the Najdorf 7...Qb6 variation when I was below 2000, and it was definitely difficult to learn. I am sure there are players below 2000 who can learn the Botvinnik Semi-Slav well, but I think that particular opening is probably the most complicated opening in all of chess theory. I tried to study the Botvinnik Semi-Slav last year, and at my current level (~2250 ELO), I still could not say definitively that I knew what was going on in most of the variations. I think I would recommend the Meran System against the Semi-Slav, since many grandmasters play that and it is probably the second most critical line in the Semi-Slav other than 5. Bg5.

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Bibs God Member Offline Posts: 2347 Joined: 10/24/06	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #128 - 02/13/12 at 06:03:08	Post Tools	Print Post
	Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 02/13/12 at 05:41:04: I still find it very difficult to learn the Semi-Slav Botvinnik (for either White or Black). I am surprised it was recommended, since I doubt most lower rated players can memorise all of the variations or understand the positions fully, if even grandmasters find it difficult. Agree, this is a very irrational line. Not suitable for club players I think, just random mayhem, bits strewn. Bit like people recommending Winawer PP for white, just not happening without heavy, heavy prep. Othewise things just fall off.


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Gilchrist is a legend God Member Offline Posts: 1039 Location: Manchester, UK Joined: 03/02/10	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #127 - 02/13/12 at 05:41:04	Post Tools	Print Post
	I still find it very difficult to learn the Semi-Slav Botvinnik (for either White or Black). I am surprised it was recommended, since I doubt most lower rated players can memorise all of the variations or understand the positions fully, if even grandmasters find it difficult. I read the chapter on the English, I have never seen the recommendations before--what happens on 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nc2 and then e4 trying to play some sort of Maróczy setup?

	Creo lo que creo no importa lo que creen los demás.
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FM Dikkie Junior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 75 Location: Veenendaal Joined: 02/20/08 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #126 - 02/12/12 at 20:18:05	Post Tools	Print Post
	Having said that I think black has a lot more of opportunities against the line of Bobbydigital. Further investigation needed. I like Kaufman's book very much by the way. Lots of interesting stuff.


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FM Dikkie Junior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 75 Location: Veenendaal Joined: 02/20/08 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #125 - 02/12/12 at 20:10:42	Post Tools	Print Post
	Vas, maybe white can play an interesting pawn sac to shut in black's bishop. So instead of your 19.a5 white can try 19.Na5 Ba8(what else?) 20.c5!? (a move an engine wouldn't come up with easily I think) Nxa4. Now after 21.Nb3 even my engine prefers white a little even with pawn less(!) Maybe interesting for further investigation.


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Vass God Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 1105 Joined: 06/22/11	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #124 - 02/12/12 at 15:09:59	Post Tools	Print Post
	BobbyDigital80 wrote on 02/12/12 at 13:39:20: This Breyer line isn't in the book 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. a4 Bf8 14. Bd3 c6 15. Qc2 g6 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Nb3 with the idea of c4 and planting the N on c5 at some point. What is black supposed to do against this? It looks like he has no play. Black always 'has a play' in Ruy Lopez.. Just a line: 17...Rc8 (black rook -> white queen on the c-file) 18.c4 (You said it! I consider 18.Bf1 better.. To which black has to play 18...Qb6) 18...Nb6 (Hello!.. What are your pawns on a4 and c4 are doing?) and if 19.a5 (Get away with your knight!) 19...bxc4 20.Bxc4 Nxc4 21.Qxc4 c5 (Ha! We had a bishop on b7.) 22.Bg5 h6 23.Rad1 Qe7 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 where black has the bishops' pair while white has a better pawn-structure.


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BobbyDigital80 Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 357 Joined: 05/15/08 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #123 - 02/12/12 at 13:39:20	Post Tools	Print Post
	This Breyer line isn't in the book 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. a4 Bf8 14. Bd3 c6 15. Qc2 g6 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Nb3 with the idea of c4 and planting the N on c5 at some point. What is black supposed to do against this? It looks like he has no play.


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Gilchrist is a legend God Member Offline Posts: 1039 Location: Manchester, UK Joined: 03/02/10	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #122 - 02/10/12 at 21:15:01	Post Tools	Print Post
	The pawn structure looks bad--four pawn islands and a pair of doubled pawns; looks much easier to play White.

	Creo lo que creo no importa lo que creen los demás.
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BPaulsen God Member Offline I Love Light Squares! Posts: 1702 Location: Anaheim, CA, USA Joined: 11/02/08 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #121 - 02/10/12 at 21:07:14	Post Tools	Print Post
	I'd expect that diagram to result in a draw with best play. Not sure white players may necessarily be discouraged by that, though. It's pretty much two-result chess (black has enough holes to swear off any idea of winning that position - white's king isn't a huge deal) - possibly bad for correspondence due to lack of imbalance, probably fine for practical use. As a Nimzo-Indian player I'd find it depressing to get out of the opening, even if objectively okay.

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Re: The Kaufman repertoire
Reply #120 - 02/10/12 at 11:53:08

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But did not Bacrot draw Dreev in that very same line a few months later? The two games are identical up to 16. Rxf1

Hard to believe that White has any tangible advantage from the diagram. Andreikin played 16. ... Nd7 and Bacrot improved with 16. ... Nc6. The latter is also my engine's recommendation with an evaluation of +0.23 at depth 25.

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Chessexplained Junior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 93 Location: Duisburg, Germany Joined: 02/03/12 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #119 - 02/10/12 at 10:10:25	Post Tools	Print Post
	He goes for 7.Nf3 against 6...d5 and gives the game Shomoev-Andreikin, Moscow 2011 as his main line.


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F22 Senior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 306 Joined: 07/16/09 Gender:	Re: The Kaufman repertoire Reply #118 - 02/10/12 at 09:52:56	Post Tools	Print Post
	So Kaufman recommends the Capablanca variation of the Nimzo-Indian: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2. How does he deal with the Kramnik variation: 4. ... O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5? The only way to avoid this is to play 4. ... O-O 5. e4 and 4. ... d5 5. cxd5 and neither of these two are promising for White.


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