IMJohnCox wrote on 03/02/16 at 02:17:25:
OK, one interesting comparison I noticed with Marin's DVD is that in the main line 11.Kb1 Qb6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.f5, Kozul and Jankovic give 13...b4 a question mark "?" on page 133 (variation B), while it is Marin's recommendation (Video 5 by transposition). The difference is that after 14.Ne2, Marin recommends 14...e5, while K&J just give 14...Bxe4 and Marin warns of the dangers of taking this pawn (well, in a similar position, if not this exact variation by my recollection).
>You're doing better than me if you've even managed to find whereever it is they analyse 13...b4 at all. The layout of this book really is something else - just surreal. It makes you realise that our editors are underestimated and/or that it's not as easy as it looks to produce a comprehensible text.
Talking of Marin's DVD - in Video 6 he shows 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 9.f4 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.f5 Qb6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Kb1 b4 14.Ne2 e5 15.Ng3 h5 16.h4 Bh6 17.Qxd6 Rd8 18.Qxd8+ Qxd8 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Nxh5 Ke7 as an example of how Black can sometimes sac a pawn or two and still have sufficient counterplay with the two bishops. The principle is most likely correct, but the latest Negi book points out that instead of 20.Nxh5 White should play 20.Bxa6 with the idea of an eventual a3!, answering ...bxa3 with b4!. This doesn't refute the Kozul, of course, but might be a rather important addition to our understanding of White's resources in this type of position.
Latest: in the final round of the Candidates it was no great surprise that, against Kariakin, Caruana chose the Sicilian in a game in which he would most likely need to play for a win. What was a slight surprise was his choice not only of the Classical (which he had not played since 2009) but of a slightly strange idea in the Rauser:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8.O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 h6!? 10. Bh4 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6.
Caruana mentioned after the game that he had studied Li Chao's games in preparation. But what is the point of inserting ...h6 on move 9, if you're intending to head for a Kozul set-up? It seems to reduce (no...Bh6) rather than increase Black's options. As far as I can see its only virtue is psychological, hoping to worry White with the possibilities of ...Nxe4 or ...g5 and maybe gain time on the clock.
Explanation. anyone?