Article: 14183 of rec.games.chess.misc Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.misc Path: info!dregis From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (D.Regis) Subject: Re: Bust needed [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7] Message-ID: Organization: University of Exeter, UK. References: <582t2p$1biq@pulp.ucs.ualberta.ca> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 12:14:27 GMT In article <582t2p$1biq@pulp.ucs.ualberta.ca> jmacnab@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca (John Macnab) writes: >A while ago, I played an active game (G30) with another B-class player (we >both hover in the mid-1600s). I was white. The game began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 >Qe2?! > >I spent a lot of time over the board trying to figure out how to punish >him for this cheek. I played 3. d4 and tried to overwhelm the center, but >got nowhere. Now I realize that 2...Qe2 is not a _strong_ move, but I >can't see how to really take advantage of the situation as well as my >intuition says I should. Any ideas? I guess we're talking 2...Qe7 here ;-) I should say I don't know a bust, but I'll add some other thoughts. There's actually a small literature on this line. It was played by a club player in the UK and promoted by (guess who) Mike Basman as "the Strong Point Defence". I don't know how your colleague followed up, or exactly how MB reckons you are supposed to handle it, but I'm going to guess that after e.g. 3. Nc3! c6! 4. d4! Black will play 4...d6, the get his bits out with ...Nbd7, ...g6 and ...Bg7 Analogous variations include the Philidor Defence, Hanham variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 the Closed Giuoco Piano 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 and some lines of the Classical Pirc 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 All three are played by Black players who don't mind a bit of cramp if their position is solid and they can uncoil later. The two strategies used by White against these lines are either (a) try and bust the line (which is what you want to do) (b) just squeeze the Black position (a1) The try for a bust in the Hanham is: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 c6 Reaching an analogous position. 5. Nc3 Be7 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Ng5 Bxg5 (7...Nh6 8. Ne6! wins) 8. Qh5 g6 (or 8...Qf6 9. Bxg5 Qg6 10. Qh4 +- Schlechter-Alekhine 1910) 9. Qxg5 Qxg5 10. Bxg5. This position is much easier to play for White, and when it has been reached White players have a huge plus score from here. White will play O-O-O and double rooks on the d-file. There is no way for White to penetrate further than playing Rd6 just yet, but b2-b4-b5 should either win the c6 pawn or produce the exchange ...cxb5, Nxb5 with pressure. (a2) The try for a bust in the closed Giuoco is Mestel's: 4... Bb6 5. d4 Qe7 6. Bg5 Of course, Black doesn't want to weaken the Kings-side with ...f6. 6... Nf6 7. d5 Nd8 8. d6 cxd6 The capture with 8...Qxd6 9. Qxd6 cxd6 is no safer for Black. 9. Na3 a6 10. Nc2 Bxf2+ 11. Ke2 Bc5 12. Nh4 Ne6 13. Nf5 +- Mestel-Doyle '75 (b1) The squeeze for White against the Hanham and Closed Giouco is different in detail but similar in principle: maintain your space advantage, avoid exchanges, keep Black's counterplay under control and, rather than trying to overrun the Black position, try building up pressure on each side until something cracks. This is difficult to keep control of and is why people keep playing this sort of line as Black, hoping for a breakout later. There are some examples of successful squeezes in the Strategy: Space section of the Canon on my Web site, which should give you the idea. -- May your pieces harmonise with your Pawn structure and your sacrifices be sound in all variations D _ / "()/~ Dave Regis &8^D* WWW: http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/chess.html || \_/| = DrDave on BICS ~\ / "...what else exists in the world but chess?" _|||__SHEU: ~/sheu.html -- NABOKOV From info!dregis Tue Dec 10 17:25:32 GMT 1996