Category Archives: e4 Chess News

e4ChessNews and d4ChessNews March 11 2013

Mar 11

Posted by

e4chessnews

TWIC 956
Even a strong player can lose his way in a complex opening like the Sicilian Scheveningen. Here is a recent example.

Noroozi,O (2347) – Ghaem Maghami,E (2568) 
Sicilian Scheveningen 6.Be2 w/Qe1-g3[B85]
21st Fajr Open Mashhad IRI (6.1), 23.02.2013

White to Play



d4chessnews

TWIC 944
Schandorff proposes 5.a3 against the Albin Counter-Gambit and this line continues to be popular and successful. White won with a thematic attack in the feature game.

Mirzoev,A (2553) – Bentivegna,F (2335)
Albin Counter-Gambit 5.a3 Bg4[D08] 
33rd Crespi Memorial Milan ITA (6.5), 06.12.2012

White to Play


Posted in d4 Chess News, e4 Chess News

Leave a comment

e4ChessNews March 9 Posts-French Defence

Mar 9

Posted by

e4chessnews

The French was my primary defence to 1.e4 at one point so now I’m preparing to use it again.

TWIC 956
3 games in the French examined.

Game 1
Georgiadis,N (2380) – Rodshtein,M (2616)
French Winawer 6…Qc7 7.Nf3 [C18]
29th Open Cappelle la Grande FRA (1.9), 23.02.2013

Black to Play

Game 2
O’Connor,Jon (2124) – Short,N (2697)
French Winawer 6..Qc7 7.Qg4[C18]
20th Bunratty Masters, IRL (1.2), 01.03.2013

Game 3
Valuet,B (2290) – Ulibin,M (2521)
French Tarrasch 3…Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Ngf3 [C05]
29th Open Cappelle la Grande FRA (3.53), 25.02.2013

Black to Play

Posted in e4 Chess News, French Defence

Leave a comment

Other Blog Posts 2013-03-06

Mar 6

Posted by

Two interesting games from yesterday’s TWIC 956 are covered.

d4chessnews

TWIC 956
The Grunfeld is a perpetual headache for 1.d4 players. Schandorff proposes the Russian System(5.Qb3) in Play 1.d4: The Indian Defences(Quality Chess 2012) so Grunfelders need to be well prepared for all the nuances.

Howell goes with a super-refinement, 8.a4 against the sharp Hungarian variation which is now catching on. White had a typical massage going but blundered a piece. It’s not clear how Howell won as the final position is clearly winning for black. 

Analysis shows that the 8.a4 still holds some promise and the value of the game is not lost.

Howell,D (2634) – Plat,V (2452) 
Grunfeld Russian System 7..a6 8.Qa4[D97]
4NCL 2012–13 Staverton ENG (5.111), 23.02.2013

White to Play

22…Nc8

e4chessnews

TWIC 956
The 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 kingside restraint method of defending the English attack remains the hot trend. This idea is analyzed thoroughly in The Sharpest Sicilian 2012(Chess Stars 2012).

White went all out for the attack with 17.g4 but one inaccuracy was enough to lead to a collapse of the kingside.

Fuchs,Ju (2292) – Popilski,G (2518) [B90]
SI Najdorf 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 h5(B90)
29th Open Cappelle la Grande FRA (1.53), 23.02.2013

Black to Play

30.Rf2

Posted in d4 Chess News, e4 Chess News

Leave a comment

e4ChessNews Blog Posts March 4 2013

Mar 4

Posted by

e4chessnews
This is my blog for e4 news, analysis and games.

TWIC 955
2 Sicilian defense games are featured. 

I’ve been working hard on widening my repertoire to include a Sicilian and for now am focusing on the Najdorf. Last year I relied on 1..d6 and the Philidor to carry me and before that the French(and other openings). The search goes on for reliable weapons to fight against 1.e4.

Game 1

Ftacnik recommends 2.c3 d6 for Black in The Sicilian Defence(Quality Chess 2010) so this is a likely line for 2.c3 Sicilian players to face and one of many lines a Najdorf player can use.

In the feature game, GM Cheparinov convincingly exploited a lead in development and an uncastled king to win an exchange. The material advantage was converted with precision in the RRB-RBB/RR-RB ending.

Hoegener,C (2059) – Cheparinov,I (2709) 
Sicilian 2.c3 d6[B22]
Reykjavik Open 2013 ISL (1.4), 19.02.2013


Black to Play

15.Qc2

Game 2
Ftacnik recommends 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 for black in The Sicilian Defence(Quality Chess 2010) and this is the path followed by Shirov in the feature game. 

Shirov varied and did not develop with ..Nc6 but with a later …Nbd7. Smeets built up a nice position but did not find the best way to exploit his chances. 

In the sharp ending that followed, Shirov had good compensation for a pawn defiicit and won nicely with tactical play against white’s numerous weak pawns.

Smeets,J (2613) – Shirov,A (2718)
Sicilian 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 [B52]
Bundesliga 2012–13 Trier GER (10), 24.02.2013

White to Play

28…Nd7

Posted in e4 Chess News

Leave a comment

e4ChessNews Blog Posts March 3 2013

Mar 3

Posted by

e4chessnews
This is my blog for e4 news, analysis and games.

Today two recent games in the topical Sicilian Najdorf English Attack 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 are examined.

TWIC 953

Cheparinov won with a brilliant attack after first subduing white’s pawn storm idea with a quick …h5. Restraining the kingside and delaying  …0-0 is the defensive method advocated in The Sharpest Sicilian 2012(Chess Stars 2012) so this is a key game for keeping up with current theory.

Berescu,A (2495) – Cheparinov,I (2709) 
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6(10.f3 h5) [B90] 
35th Georgi Tringov Open Plovdiv BUL (8.3), 09.02.2013

Black to Play


22.Nc4


TWIC 955

Bu won a model ending after white made small structural compromises in the normally sharp English Attack in a Sicilian Najdorf. The big fashion is 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 but Bu used the …a5-a4 queenside attack plan.

Hagen,Andr (2411) – Bu Xiangzhi (2675)
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7(10…a5) [B90]
Reykjavik Open 2013 ISL (8.18), 25.02.2013


Black to Play


37.Rd3

Posted in e4 Chess News, Sicilian Najdorf

Leave a comment

e4ChessNews Blog Posts March 1-2 2013

Mar 2

Posted by

e4chessnews
This is my new blog for 1.e4 opening news and ideas.

Keeping Up With The Sharpest Sicilian 2012
2 Featured games on the Najdorf.


TWIC 939
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 is a very popular line. The kingside restraint plan slows down the traditional kingside pawn storm allowing time for black to get going on the queenside.

In the featured game, the slow plan 13.a3 is not dangerous and the result was not related to the opening so black has nothing to worry about.


Gabrielian,A (2592) – Neverov,V (2494) 
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 [B90]
Chigorin Memorial St Petersburg RUS (9.21), 04.11.2012

TWIC 926
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 is a very popular line. The kingside restraint plan slows down the traditional kingside pawn storm allowing time for black to get going on the queenside.

In the featured game, Bologan chose 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.Nd5 and went for a positional game. 16…a5 conceded an outpost on b5 which allowed Bologan to start a strong massaging game which resulted in victory.

Bologan,V (2732) – Wang Hao (2739) 
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 [B90]
45th Biel GM Biel SUI (9), 01.08.2012

Posted in e4 Chess News, Sicilian Najdorf

Leave a comment

My Other Blogs

Feb 28

Posted by

Canada CanadaChessNews
The focus is on Canada and Canadian players.

New
These blogs were started Feb-28-2013. The focus will be on openings and defences that I am interested in.

d4ChessNews

e4ChessNews

Thank you everyone for the supporting the blog.

Posted in Canada Chess News, d4 Chess News, e4 Chess News, My Other Blogs

Leave a comment