CHESS
Advance strategy
Raymond Keene
A VARIATION which has recently become popular, espoused by Nigel Short, Gata Kamsky and Alexei Shirov, is 3 e5 against the Caro-Kann (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5). For many years this was neglected, as indeed was its sister variation in the French Defence (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5), also known as the Advance Variation.
The main champion of the Advance strategy was Aron Nimzowitsch, who popu- larised both lines for White in his games and his books, which included two of the holy texts of chess strategic thought, Mein System and Die Praxis meines Systems. Although somewhat neglected for years afterwards, with 3 Nc3 both in the French Defence and Caro-Kann becoming the main highways, recent research has indicat- ed that White has plenty of resources to drum up tactical and attacking chances even after the respective pawn chains have been fixed. In my article of 28 June last year, I reviewed Byron Jacobs's book on 3 e5 against the Caro-Kann. Now grandmas- ter Tony Kosten has produced a compan- ion volume on 3 e5 against the French (The French Advance, Cadogan Books, £14.99). This game shows the rich and complex positions it can generate.
Nunn—Anand: Munich 1991; French Defence. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 The key move of the Advance variation, after which the board is divided in two by the respective pawn chains fixed on dark and light squares. 3 ...c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Bd7 In this game Black delays his assault on d4. Alternative strategies develop if Black plays an early ... Qb6. 6 Bet Nge7 7 0-0 cxd4 8 cxd4 Nf5 9 Nc3 Be7 10 g4 This move gains space and also forces Black to relinquish his well- placed knight on f5. On the other hand a vacu- um develops in front of the white king. 10 ...Nh4 11 Nxh4 Bxh4 12 Be3 0-0 13 f4 f6 (Diagram) In spite of the fact that his king's bish- op is temporarily marooned on an unsightly Position after 13 . . . f6 square, it is correct to challenge White's spatial plus in this way before White has time to consol- idate. 14 exf6 Bxf6 15 Rcl The disadvantage of 15 g5 Be7 16 Bd3 is that 16 ...g6! prepares ... Bd6 and ...Ne7, when White's kingside is even more porous than Black's. 15 ...g6 16 Qd2 Bg7 17 Bf3? Inaccurate, allowing Black to equalise. 17 Na4! would have been better. 17 ...Qa5 18 Bg2 Kh8 19 Khl Rac8 20 h3 Qb4 21 Rfd1 b6 22 Bfl Na5 23 b3 Bc6 Black allows a tactical trick that enables White to reposition his knight. 23 ...Qe7 would have removed the black queen to a less exposed square. 24 Ne4 Qe7 The point is that 24 ... Qxd2 25 Nxd2, followed by Nf3, puts the knight en route to its most effective square, e5. 25 Ng5? A tactical error. The knight should be heading for d3 to control f4 and e5, so 25 Nf2 is best. 25 e5 26 Rxc6 A good decision as 26 fxe5 h6 27 Qc2 Qe8 leaves Black with an edge. White will get a pawn and a good position in return for the sacrificed exchange. 26 ...Nxc6 27 dxe5 NxeS An interesting alternative is 27 Nb4 28 fxe5 h6 29 Ba6 but not 29 Qxd5? hxg5, threatening ... Rcd8. 29 ...RcdS 30 Bf4 Rde8 Position after 30 . . . Rde8 (Diagram) Clearly Black is playing all out for the win, otherwise he would surely have chosen the riskless 30 ...Rxf4 31 Qxf4 hxg5 32 Qe3 QxeS with an advantage. 31 Bb5 hxg5 32 BxeS gxf4 33 Bxg6 Qh4 34 Bf5 34 Qh2 Bxe5 35 Rxd5 looks as though it should be good for White. 34 ...£3?! Black is taking too many risks. 34 ... Qxh3 + 35 Qh2 Qxh2+ 36 Kxh2 is fairly level. 35 Qh2 Re8 36 e6 Kg8 37 g5 Bf8?? Losing; 37 ... Qxg5 38 Rxd5 was only a little better for White. 38 Qe5 Qf2 39 Rgl (Diagram) 39 ...Re7 After 39 ... Bc5 Position after 39 Rg1 White has a long, forcing variation: 40 Bh7+ Kxh7 41 Qf5+ Kg8 42 Qf7+ Kh8 43 Qxe8+ Kg7 44 Qd7+ Kg8 45 Qc8+ Kg7 46 Qb7+ Kg8 47 Qb8+ Kg7 48 Qxa7+ Kg8 49 Qb8+ Kg7 50 Qg3 Qe2 51 Qc7+ Kg8 52 g6 winning. 40 Bg6 Black resigns.
Previous page
