CHESS
Open and shut
Raymond Keene
THERE IS A WIDESPREAD misconcep- tion that it is only the open games that can lead to slashing attacks. Many people believe, erroneously as it turns out, that you have to open with 1 e4 and then play the King's Gambit, the Scotch or at least a Ruy Lopez with a quick d4, in order to gain aggressive chances. This is not true. As the hypermoderns, Reti and Nimzowitsch, pointed out in the 1920s, the slow-burning aggression associated with the closed open- ings can often result in a more prolonged and fruitful initiative than the premature explosion of energy associated with open games, which might lead to an early burn- out and arid sterility on the board.
That said, the Scotch, for example, is quite capable of scoring rapid knockout victories, but White may run the risk of allowing Black an easy equality if the right defensive path is found. Here is an attrac- tive case in point from a recent tournament in Hungary.
Godena—Rogic: Bukfurdo, April 1995; Scotch Opening.
1 e4 e5 2 Nt3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Bb4 6 Nxc6 bxc6 7 Bd3 d5 8 exd5 cxd5 9 0-0 0-0 10 Bg5 c6 This is a well-known main line. White can now try the brutally direct 11 Qf3 but after 11 h6 12 Bxf6 Qxf6 13 Qxf6 gxf6 the simplifi- cation, far from damaging Black, has left him with two valuable bishops, while White has no easy way, to exploit the doubling of Black's pawns. The likely result is a draw. More endur- ing pressure results from 11 Na4 followed by c4, trying to make something out of White's slightly superior pawn structure on the queen's flank. The move chosen by White is ostensibly the most dangerous, but Black can gain equal prospects if he knows how to defend correctly. 11 Net Re8 A natural move, but probably already a mistake. By playing instead the accu- rate 11 h6 12 Bh4 Bd6 13 Nd4 c5 14 Nf5 BxfS 15 Bxf5 Rb8 as in Lutz—Yusupov, Munich 1992, Black can count on level chances in a position where there is very little tension. 12 c3 Be7 13 Nd4 Bd7 14 Rel Qb8 This permits an attractive combination. 15 Rxe7 Rxe7 16 Bxf6 gal6 17 Qh5 (Diagram) For a modest material investment
Position after 17 Qh5
White has now created an ideal attacking forma- tion. This position reveals the reason for the kind of attraction that open games exert over many players. 17 ...f5 18 Qg5+ Kf8 19 Qh6+ Ke8 20 Bxf5 Qb7 21 Qf6 Be6 22 Rel A fine move which ensures that White regains his sacrificed material with much interest. 22 ... BxfS 23 Rxe7+ Qxe7 24 Qxc6+ Qd7 25 QxaS+ Ke7 26 Nxf5+ QxfS 27 Qxa7+ and with three extra pawns White has an easily won position.
In contrast, here is another game from the same event in which the more patient lighting of the attacking fuse leads to an offensive in which the victim had no clear path to equality.
Gostisa—Huss: Bukfurdo, April 1995; Catalan Opening.
1 d4 e6 2 c4 Nf6 3 g3 d5 4 Nf3 Be7 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 c6 Opting for trench warfare. A popular alternative is 6 ... dxc4. 7 Qc2 Nbd7 S b3 b6 9 Rdl Ba6 10 Nbd2 Rc8 11 e4 Qc7 12 Bbl RfdS 13 Racl Qb8 14 Qbl Bb7 15 Bh3 Qa8 This is taking a policy of attrition too far. I see no particular virtue in placing the queen on this eccentric square. The time had come to somewhat allevi- ate Black's cramp with 15 ... dxe4. 16 Rel a5 17 Ng5 Obviously speculating on the possibility of sacrifices against Black's pawn on e6. 17 ... Nf8 18 a3 h6 19 Ngf3 N8d7 20 Qd3 Re8 21 e5 Nh7 22
cxd5 Ba6 (Diagram) At first sight a harmless interpolation, molesting White's queen before
Position after 22 . Ba6
making the recapture ... cxd5. White's response, though, is stunning. 23 dxe6 An amazing sacri- fice of the queen for a rook and two pawns. The main point is simply to drag Black's king into the firing line. 23 ... Bxd3 24 exf7+ White could also play 24 exd7, at once recouping a knight with a further rook to come, due to White's fork. In that case, however, Black would retain the ser- vices of his 1 pawn so his king would remain in relative safety. 24 ...1(18 The best defence. After 24 ...Kid7 25 e6+ followed by exd7, White has a much improved version of the previous note. 25 fxeSQ+ Kxe8 26 Re3 Ba6 This move must be wrong. If Black's play can be improved it is by 26 ...Bg6 which keeps the bishop in the vicinity of the black king. Nevertheless, after 27 Nc4 with threats such as Bxd7+ followed by Nxb6 or Rcel followed by Nd6 White still maintains a powerful initiative. 27 Ne4 Rd8 28 Bf5 Ng5 29 NfxgS hxg5 30 Bg6+ 1C18 31 Rf3+ Kg8 32 Bf7+ Kh7 If 32 ...Kf8 33 d5 leaves Black totally tied up since 33 ... cxd5 loses at once to 34 Bxd5 + . 33 g4 g6 He must do this to prevent mate from White's rook, but by giving himself a bolthole for his king on g7 Black automatically increases the latent power of White's lurking bishop on b2. 34 e6 Ne5 Returning the ballast in this fashion scarcely diminishes White's attack and now leaves him with more than enough material compensation for the queen, but if instead 34 ...Nf8 the unmasking move 35 d5 is immediately lethal. 35 dxe5 Rd3 36 Nf6+ Kg7 Black should at least have eliminated a dangerous attacker with 36
Bxf6. 37 Rxd3 Bxd3 38 Rc3 Qa6 39 Ne8+ Kh6 40 Nc7 Qb7 41 Rxd3 Qxc7 42 Rd7 Black resigns A crisp conclusion to a superb attack.
Previous page
