Hello All,
A couple of recent games have featured big White centres out of the opening.
Here's another that I brought up to date recently on my Versus Revisited page
on the Downend & Fishponds Chees Club website. If the note, or part of one, is
not accredited then it is mine.
White launches an eight-Pawn(!!) attack against Graham's Nimzovitch Defence. He
leaves a lot of holes that Graham fills in with his pieces. "Total destruction"
in just 20 moves!
Enjoy!
Tyson
Text begins:
TYACK,R - COPELAND,GP [B00]
CORRESPONDENCE, 1983
This game features the extremely rare Eight Pawns Attack. The problem with that
is the pieces don't get developed. Notes, as well as the Black piece moves, by
Graham Copeland (GPC).
1.e4 Nc6
{The Nimzovitch Defence which was undergoing a serious reappraisal at the time.
Not much had been published previously but now Hypermodern players thought it
was worth looking at.}
2.d4 d5
3.e5 Bf5
4.c3 Qd7
{Black already leads 3–0 in pieces developed.}
5.Ne2 f6
{Attacking the head of the Pawn chain which White is justified in reinforcing.}
6.f4 Nh6
7.h3!?
{"This is committal but interesting." GPC. Deep Rybka changes its evaluation
from near-equality to plus 0.35 for Black.}
7...Bg6
{"To allow...Nf5." GPC.
So White prevents it.}
8.g4
{Mariotti-Gligoric, Praia de Rocha Zonal tournament 1969 featured the six-Pawn
attack.}
8...e6
9.Ng3 0–0–0
10.b4
{"But this is extravagant." GPC.}
10...Kb8
11.a4
{And now we have the advance of all eight Pawns after just 11 moves. White
doesn't get to make another eleven moves! Deep Rybka thinks Black is 0.6
better. }
11...fxe5
12.fxe5 Be7
13.h4
{"13 Be3 Bh4 14 Bf2 Qf7! 15 Ra2! is just about defensible." GPC.
Actually it's not. Black can play the ironic 15...Bxg3 16 Bxg3 Bxb1 17 Qxb1 Qf3
18 Rg1 Qxc3+ when the White Bishops do nothing whilst the position opens up.
However, Deep Rybka says 14 Rg1 is better. It doesn't think the text is so bad
either. Why allow Black to occupy h4?}
13...Be4
{"Intending 14...Rhf8 and 15...Bf3." GPC.
I have a preference for the alternative 14...Rdf8 with the option of ...Qd8
attacking h4 again. }
14.Nxe4?
{Foolishly swapping off his only developed piece. I prefer 14 Rh2 Rdf8 15 Be2
Qd8 16 g5 Nf5 and Black is about to play ...h6 opening up the Kingside where he
has more pieces. This should be to Black’s advantage. What actually happens is
even better. }
14...dxe4
15.Qe2?
{Black was threatening 15...Nxe5. Graham wrote "Best was 15 Be2 but then
15...Qd5 16 Be3 Nxe5 17 dxe5 Qxe5 18 Qc2 or Qc1 Rhf8 is a dominating position
for Black."
Indeed Black is threatening 19...Qg3 and 19 Bd2 creating cover for the King is
no good because of 19...e3, while 19 Rh3 is met by 19...Bxh4+.
Deep Rybka suggests after 15 Be2 Qd5 the simple 16 0–0 but after the equally
simple 16...Bxh4 it has Black at +0.6. Originally Deep Rybka considered two
other moves. It quickly rejected 15 Bxh6 gxh6 because this just gives Black an
open g-file to play on, and the absence of the dark-squared will probably make
itself felt soon. The engine looked at 15 Bb5 for a long time before it decided
that both 15...Rhf8 and 15...Qd5 were good, and the latter was strong enough to
force 16 Bxc6.
The problem here is that White has no real plan whereas Black does. Blast open
lines and try to get at the White King while there is no defensive
co-ordination. The text allows Black to do exactly that.}
15...Nxd4!
16.cxd4
{"If 16 Qxe4 Nb3 winning." GPC.}
16...Qxd4
17.Ra2
{If 17 Bb2 Bxb4+ is instant annihilation.}
17...Bxb4+
{That's three Pawns for the piece already. White's side of the board is a huge
void and the Black pieces are rushing to fill it }
18.Nd2
{If 18 Bd2 e3 is still winning material. After 19 Bxb4 Qxb4+ White has to
interpose on d2 again.}
18...e3
19.Rh3 Nxg4
20.Rg3
{Just a move but now White gets decimated.}
20...exd2+
{"White resigns because of the forced continuation 21 Bxd2 Bxd2+ 22 Rxd2 Qa1+
23 Rd1 Rxd1+ 24 Qxd1 Qxe5+ (winning the Rook that White has handily just put on
g3 -TM). There is nothing better for a Hypermodernist that destroying his
opponent's centre. I certainly had fun in this game: Total destruction!" GPC.
0–1
Text ends.
