Op dinsdag 23 september vond de 1e trainingsavond voor de A-groep plaats. Ook dit keer weer was GM John van der Wiel de spraakstalmeester die ons meenam naar verschillende interessante (uitspeel)stellingen.
Hieronder een greep uit de instructies.
Steve Giddins – John van der Wiel, Amsterdam 1995. E42
- d4 Pf6 2. c4 e6 3. Pc3 Lb4 4. e3 c5 5. Pe2 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 7. c5 Pe4 8. Ld2 Pxd2 9. Dxd2 Df6!? 10.
a3 La5 11. b4 Ld8 12. De3 0-0 13. g3 b6 14. Lg2 bxc5 15. dxc5 La6 16. 0-0 Lc4 17. Tfd1?! [Vraag: wat
had wit hier moeten spelen? Antwoord: 17. Tac1! is een probleem voor zwart. Wit wil vervolgen metPe4 en 19. Txc4 (plus meestal 20. Pd6) wat hem heel mooie compensatie zal opleveren. Zwart
kan dat nauwelijks verhinderen en had daarom iets eerder moeten kiezen voor 15…Pc6 en 16…Tb8,
analoog aan partijen met 12. f4 van wit. Ik denk dat 12. De3 niet beter kan zijn, omdat wit later
steeds moet oppassen voor d5-d4 en omdat hij veld e5 niet bestrijkt. Na 15…Pc6 16. 0-0 Tb8 zou Lc8-
a6 weer in beeld komen.] 17…Pc6 18. f4 Tb8 19. Tab1 g5(!) 20. b5 gxf4 21. Pxf4 [Na 21. gxf4 Pe7
staat zwart ook prima.] 21…De5(!) 22. Dd2 La5 23. bxc6 Txb1 24. Txb1 Lxc3 25. Dc2 Tc8 [Van wits
trotse structuur is weinig over.] 26. Kh1 Ld4 27. Da5 Lxc5
0 – 1
You don’t know? So dig deeper! Article 2
by GM John van der Wiel
Last time we started exercising in-depth analysis and calculation of sharp unusual positions. This is
meant to increase our skills and confidence, when deciding whether or not to embark on a risky
course. Remember, sharp unusual positions are not only difficult for you. There is a (hopefully) human
opponent opposite you and when you are well-trained in these things… Let’s watch another example,
where the risky choices are rewarded:
I. Sokolov – Van der Wiel, Dutch championship 1996. E42
- d4 Nf6. 2. c4 e6. 3. Nc3 Bb4. 4. e3 c5. 5. Ne2 cd4. [5…d5. 6. a3 Bxc3+. 7. Nxc3 cd4. 8. ed4 dc4. 9.
Bxc4 is considered to be somewhat difficult for Black ever since the Korchnoi – Karpov matches.] 6.
ed4 d5. [Another big line is 6…0-0. 7. a3 Be7 with a choice for White between 8. d5!? and the less
interesting 8. Nf4] 7. c5 [7. a3 Be7. 8. c5 is doing rather well for Black, who is in no danger of losing
his best bishop and has ways of creating counterplay (with b7-b6 and often a7-a5).] 7…Ne4. 8. Bd2
Nxd2. 9. Qxd2 Question: If you are looking for a double-edged game, trying to make White’s life
more difficult, what would you play here?
9…Qf6!? [There are several reasonable moves, but all the others tend to keep Black’s game a little
passive. The old main line 9…a5. 10. a3 Bxc3+. 11. Nxc3 a4 blocks White’s majority, but still doesn’t
give Black an easy life. Other moves are 9…b6, 9…0-0 and 9…Qd7. The latter was a novelty in 1988,
with the idea of preserving Black’s bishop pair. I didn’t really like Black’s positions with the queen on
d7. A little cramped for the minor pieces, but it did give me the idea for the more active text, which I
then developed.] 10. a3 Ba5. * DIAGRAM * Exercise 1: In this article I also want to show some of
the theoretical intricacies of this variation. After some study, what do you judge to be White’s best
move? - b4 [This doesn’t allow the bishop its more active square c7 (12. Nb5) and may be necessary for
Ivan’s new plan with Ne2-g1. And yet I don’t consider 11. b4 to be the best move. There is one general
drawback to it: Black’s counterplay often starts with b7-b6 and with the bishop still on a5, that is not
available! Two other moves demand attention. Not so much 11. Qe3, slowish after 11…0-0, but: A) 11.
f4 (freezes the centre and blocks the road to f3) 0-0. 12. b4 (12. g3 Bd8!?) Bd8. 13. g3 b6. 14. Bg2
bc5. 15. dc5 Ba6. 16. Rc1 * Analysis Diagram * And now? Not 16…Bc4? 17. Ne4! de4. 18. Rxc4
Nc6. 19. Bxe4 Rc8. 20. 0-0 Be7. 21. Qc2 1-0, Gavrikov – Shishkov, Tallinn 1998, but rather 16…Nc6!
Now 17. b5 Na5. 18. ba6 Nb3. 19. Qd1 Nxc1. 20. Qxc1 Rac8 would give Black enough compensation
due to the difference in pawn structures and after 17. 0-0 Rb8. 18. Rb1 a draw was agreed in Babula –
Van der Wiel, European championship for countries, 1999. If Black doesn’t like these complications,
there is also an option to play with 13…Nc6, 14…g6, 15…Qg7 and 16…Bf6; B) 11. g3(!) is my favourite,
even though White loses the right to go 0-0. 11…Qf3. 12. Rg1 Now Knaak – Van der Wiel, Palma de
Mallorca 1989, continued 12…Nc6. 13. b4 (13. Nf4 Bxc3) Bc7! 14. Bg2 Qf6. 15. f4 0-0. 16. Rf1 Ne7. - Rc1 (with 17…b6. 18. c6!?) According to Knaak’s analyses chances were equal, but I am not so
sure. I think I prefer White, as Black finds it hard to become active (although the plan initiated in the
game with…Bd7, …Qh6, …Kh8, …f5, …Ng8 and …Nf6 is reasonable). To avoid Ba5-c7 the East-
german GM recommended 11. b4, but here I certainly don’t agree with Rainer: after 11…Bd8. 12. g3
Qf3. 13. Rg1 Qh5! 14. h4 0-0 and soon b7-b6 Black has good counterplay. If you, like me, don’t fancy
Black’s game position, we might consider 12…Qh5!? (instead of …Nc6) 13. h4 Nc6 (here 13…0-0. 14.
Qg5! is unpleasant, so Black puts pressure on d4). 14. Nf4 Qh6. 15. Bb5!? Bc7. 16. Nfe2 with possibly
a very small advantage for White. So in my opinion 11. g3 is the strongest, with 11. b4 and 11. f4
sharing second place.] 11…Bd8. 12. Ng1!? [An original prepared idea by Sokolov. Time-consuming
but otherwise healthy.] 12…0-0. 13. Nf3 b6. 14. Be2 bc5. 15. dc5 [After serious thought. It seems
strange to reduce the proud majority on the queenside, but 15. bc5 is a decent alternative. After
15…Nc6. 16. Rb1 Black should play 16…a6! (as indicated by Sokolov. If Black doesn’t take the b5
square from White’s pieces, he will have problems.) 17. 0-0 Bc7 or also 17…g5!? with 18…g4 or
…Qg7, fighting for the initiative.] 15…Nc6. 16. 0-0 [Certainly not 16. b5? Ba5 (with 17. Rc1 d4). 0-1,
Paschall (2285!) – Oll, Chicago 1997.] 16…Bc7. 17. b5!? [Plenty choices in this phase. Besides the
straightforward text, 17. g3, 17. Rfd1 and 17. Rab1 are all reasonable alternatives.] 17…Ne5. [Now
17…Ba5?! 18. Rac1 would be tactically wrong, in view of 18…d4. 19. Ne4 or 18…Ne5. 19. Nxd5!] 18.
Nd4 [Not 18. Nxe5 Bxe5. 19. Rac1 Bf4.] * DIAGRAM * Question: What should Black play here?
18…Nd7! [18…Nc4 may look tempting, but it is at the expense of Black’s structure: 19. Bxc4 dc4. 20.
Qe3! stops Black’s tactical ideas, e.g. 20…Qe5. 21. Qxe5 Bxe5. 22. Rad1 and White is better. On
18…Rd8 White replies 19. Rad1 and Black’s rook is not that great. The strength of 18…Nd7 is not only
being ahead of f2-f4 but also the point 19. c6?! Bf4! 20. Qd1 Be5. 21. cd7 Bxd7, to Black’s advantage.] - Na4! Bf4. 20. Qb4 e5. 21. Nb3 [White had to be careful: A) 21. g3? ed4. 22. gf4 Qg6+. 23. Kh1
Qe4+ loses a piece; B) 21. Nc6?! Bb7. 22. Na5 Qh6. 23. g3 Bd2! means a sacrifice and C) 21. Nf3 e4
gives Black dangerous attacking chances.] 21…Qg6. * DIAGRAM * Exercise 2: The game is
sharpening. White intends to win it on the queenside, Black on the kingside. Now which move meets
the requirements of the position best? (Complications are mounting: start digging as a warm-up for the
-gruesome?- final Exercise.)
- g3! [22. b6? ab6 (or even 22…Rb8!?) just loses the pawn and 22. c6?! Nf6 helps Black. But there
is no hurry: as long as Nd7 doesn’t move, Black has no real attack. The question is: which move
leaves White best prepared for the sharp future? It is mainly between the prophylactic 22. g3 and 22.
Kh1. Let’s study the latter: 22. Kh1 Nf6. 23. b6 Ne4(!) (23…Qh6. 24. g3 Ng4. 25. h4! is unclear) and
now: A) 24. b7 Qh6. 25. g3 Nxg3+. 26. fg3 Bxg3. 27. Rf2 (or 27. h4 Bxh4 and Black has a mighty
attack) Bxf2. 28. ba8(Q) (after 28. bc8(Q) White will not be mated, but 28…Raxc8 simply leaves Black
much better) 28…Bg3. 29. h4 Bxh4! and the attack will not be stopped, as can be seen from 30. Kg2
Qg5+. 31. Kh1 Bg3 or 30. Rf1 Bg3+. 31. Kg2 Qh3+! or 30. Qxc8 Bg3+. 31. Kg2 Qh2+. 32. Kf3 Qf2+
etc.; B) 24. Bf3 Ba6! 25. Bxe4 de4 with a promising initiative for Black; C) 24. g3 when Black can play
24…Bh3 or even consider 24…Bg4!? Instead of 23. b6 White may try 23. g3 (a double prophylaxis, if
you like). Then 23…Bh3. 24. Bf3 (24. Rg1 Ng4!) e4. 25. Bg2 Qh5 sees Black attacking, whereas White
hasn’t made progress. So 22. Kh1 doesn’t do White much good, often due to the vulnerability on the
dark squares. With 22. g3! White tries to bolster them in a more robust way.] 22…Nf6. [It is hard to
delay this move, that leaves the queenside unguarded. White would be happy with 22…h5?! 23. Kh1.
The best alternative would be 22…e4, even though it gives White the d4 square.] 23. b6!? [White
could still prefer a more prudent course with 23. Bf3. Black has quite a bit of choice: 23…Bh3, 23…e4,
23…h5, none of which allows a definitive judgment other than ‘chances for both sides’.] Question:
what would you play here as Black?
23…Bh3!? [It is slightly insane to allow White 2 strong passed pawns like this. What could happen
after the ‘healthier’ 23…ab6 ? A) 24. Nxb6 Rab8. 25. Nxc8 (25. a4 Bh3. 26. a5 h5 will be too much
attack) Rfxc8. 26. Bb5. Black has some advantage and a pleasant choice between 26…e4 and
26…Ne4!?; B) 24. cb6(!) Bh3. 25. b7 Rab8 (25…Rxa4. 26. Qxf8+!). 26. Nac5! (this is the only
disadvantage of 23…ab6: White’s knight can reach this good square immediately) 26…h5! with huge
complications. If White reacts well, chances will still be about equal. I will spare you the main lines this
time, that begin with 27. Kh1 h4 and now 28. Ra2 or 28. Nd3 or 28. a4!? If you really want to see
some extensive analysis, I refer you to Informant 67, game nr. 627.] 24. b7 Rab8. 25. c6 [From now
on, with such pawns, White will be happy to give up an exchange, when that means a dangerous
black attacking piece leaves the board.] Question: After the bold 23…Bh3 (of course you wisely chose
23…ab6), how does Black continue now? Attack, defence or some mixture?
Answer: Two moves qualify for gold. Not A) 25…Ne8. 26. Bf3! (26. Qc3 Qe4! is wrong) Qxc6. 27. Na5
with either 28. gf4 or 28. Bxd5, to White’s advantage; B) 25…e4 stops the c-pawn, but 26. Nac5 (26.
Rfc1!?), heading for a6, poses new problems and probably Black will be too slow; C) 25…d4. 26. Nac5
or Bf3, both controlling e4 and very promising for White. I think it should either be the text move,
shown below, or: D) 25…Ne4!? 26. c7 Rxb7! (26…Nxg3. 27. fg3 Bxg3. 28. Bg4! blocking the g-file and
gaining time for the defence, for instance: 28…Bf4. 29. Rxf4 ef4. 30. Qxf8+!? Rxf8. 31. c8(Q) Bxg4. 32.
Qxf8+ Kxf8. 33. b8(Q)+ etc.) 27. Qxb7 Bxg3. 28. fg3 (or 28. Bf3 Bxh2+! followed by 29…Qh6 with
attack) Nxg3. 29. Kf2 Nxe2. 30. Kxe2 (30 Qxd5 Nf4) Qg2+. 31. Kd3 (31. Rf2 Bg4+ is dangerous)
Qe4+. 32. Kd2 Qg2+! and Black makes a draw, as 33. Kc3? d4+ would lose the queen. Quite difficult
to find over the board. I couldn’t. Now for the game: 25…h5!? [A good universal attacking move (even
creating a square for Black’s king), albeit less swift than Nf6-e4.] * DIAGRAM * Exercise 3:
Determine the candidate moves for White (not too many), then dig deep. Try to find as much as you
can. Can you predict the most likely result? And yes, this will be very complicated.
Solution: We’ll select 3 moves, before returning to the game: A) 26. Bf3; B) 26. Kh1 and C) 26. Nac5.
A) 26. Bf3 [Perhaps the most solid.] 26…h4. [26…e4. 27. Bg2 Bxg2. 28. Kxg2 h4 is slightly better for
White.] 27. c7 [Slower is not safer here: 27. Bg2 Bxg2. 28. Kxg2 Ne4! (28…Qh5. 29. Qc3!) 29. c7 (29.
Ra2 Qxc6!) hg3. 30. fg3 Nxg3. 31. Rxf4 ef4. 32. Qxf8+ (32. cb8(Q) Rxb8 or Ne4+ means good
compensation) Rxf8. 33. c8(Q) Ne4+. 34. Kf3 (34. Kf1 Qa6+) Qh5+ or maybe also 34…Ng5+ with
sufficient initiative for Black. Most likely it will be a draw.] 27…hg3. 28. fg3 Bxg3. 29. cb8(Q) Rxb8. - hg3 [30. Kh1!? Bxf1.] 30…Qxg3+. 31. Kh1 Bxf1. 32. Rxf1 e4. The verdict is: equal chances. May
sound surprising, White being two pieces up, but since 33. Bg2? Ng4 and 33. Qe1 Qh3+. 34. Kg1 ef3
are too dangerous, a perpetual check via 33. Be2 or 33. Nd4 Qh3+. 34. Kg1 Qg3+. 35. Bg2 Ng4. 36.
Rf5 (36. Nf3 Ne3) Qe3+ is the logical outcome; B) 26. Kh1 h4. 27. Bf3?! [27. Rg1?! Ne4 with attack; - c7? Rxb7!; 27. Nac5! = variation C.] 27…e4. 28. Bg2 [28. Rg1 hg3.] 28…Bxg2+. 29. Kxg2 Nh5
and Black has a powerful attack; C) 26. Nac5 h4. 27. Kh1! and now things are getting difficult. I will
treat no less than 4 options: C1) 27…hg3. 28. fg3 Qc2. 29. Qb5! and possibly Qb5-d3. There’s not
enough attack and Bf4 doesn’t function so well anymore; C2) 27…Nh5. 28. Rg1! [29. Bxh5 Qxh5 and
Nh4 (35. Ng1 Bxf1) Nf2+. 36. Kg1 d4; or 34. Kg1 Nc3; or 34. Qxe3 Bxf1, all in Black’s favour.]
34…Nc3. 35. Qxe3 Nxe2. [35…Rbe8. 36. Qf4 may be less clear.] 36. Qxe2 Qxc6. Black wins the b-
pawn and has the advantage.
Concluding, this last line is objectively good for Black, which makes the Nac5 + Kh1 section dubious.
But with so many pitfalls, who knows what would have happened in real life? 26. Bf3 deserves to be
called the best move, with equal chances, but Black has to be pretty inventive there. So from move 23
to 25 most optimal lines are draw(ish). Surprising, perhaps, in such a sharp position!
Let’s finally get on with the game, you say? Very well: 26. b7?? Rxb7! 0 – 1. [Because after 27. Qxb7
(27. Qc3 Rxc7) Qe4. 28. f3 Qxe2. 29. Rf2 Be3 it’s all over.]
That was a dreadful blunder, of course, but as I said earlier: fortunately the opponent is only human
and sometimes your daring play is over-rewarded.
g4 Bxg4. 29. Rg1 Ng3+! don’t avert the danger.] 28…hg3. 29. fg3 [29. hg3?! Qh6. 30. Rg2 Bg4!
would be very powerful for Black.] 29…Qxc6. [29…Be3. 30. c7 Qc6. 31. cb8(N)!] 30. Na5! Qh6. 31.
gf4 Nxf4. 32. Bf1 and White has the upper hand; C3) 27…Ng4 and then: C3x) 28. Nd7 [After 28. gf4?
Ne3! Black wins.] 28…hg3. [28…Nxh2?! 29. Nxf8] 29. fg3 Nxh2. [Threatens 30…Bg2+!] 30. Rxf4! ef4.
[30…Bxd7. 31. Rh4 favours White.] 31. Qxf4 [A worthy alternative is 31. Nxf8. If the following variation
is correct, a draw is the most likely outcome: 31…Qxg3. 32. Rg1 Qh4. 33. Qe1 Qh6. 34. Qf2 Nf3! 35.
Bxf3 Bg4+. 36. Qh2 Bxf3+. 37. Rg2 Qxc6. 38. Qh7+ Kf8. 39. Qh8+ Ke7. 40. Qxb8 Bxg2+ etc.]
31…Bxd7. 32. cd7 Rxb7. 33. Nd4 [33. Nc5 Rb2.] 33…Rxd7. 34. Kxh2 and chances are about equal;
C3y) 28. c7(!) Nxh2. [If 28…Rbe8?!, then 29. Nd3 or also 29. c8(Q)!] 29. cb8(Q) Rxb8. [29…hg3. 30.
Qxf8+ doesn’t work for Black. After 30…Kh7 a nice way to stop the attack is 31. Qxf4 ef4. 32. Qh8+!
Kxh8. 33. b8(Q)+ Kh7. 34. Qxf4] 30. Nd3! [Not 30. g4 Nxg4!] and White is much better. Important is,
that he need not fear 30…Rxb7. 31. Qxb7 Qe4+. 32. f3 Qxe2. 33. Rf2 and the onslaught is rebuffed.
Having seen this, you might wonder if Black should try 28…Rxb7!? instead of …Nxh2. After 29. Qxb7 it
might work, but in case of 29. Nxb7 Nxh2. 30. Rg1(!) hg3. 31. Rxg3 Bxg3. 32. fg3 (Qxg3. 33. Rg1) I
can’t see anything satisfactory for Black; D) 27…e4!? with a two-way split: D1) 28. Rg1 [We don’t like
Na6 Ng4 with a fierce attack, or 28. Qc3 Rbe8! with 29…e3 or …Be5.] 28…Ng4! [28…hg3. 29. fg3
Be5 is also dangerous, but maybe 29. Rxg3!? can save the day for White.] 29. Bxg4 Bxg4. 30. Nd4
Be5. This looks like too much horror for White. Even the all-defending 31. Ncb3 Qh5 doesn’t stop the
threats; D2) 28. Nd4(!) e3! [This time 28…Rbe8. 29. Rg1 hg3. 30. Rxg3! is to White’s advantage.] *
DIAGRAM * 29. Nf3 [29. fe3 looks very risky and 29…Bd6(!) should punish it.] 29…hg3. 30. fg3 Bd6.
Qc3 [Is there any other move? Not 31. Qd4 which loses to …Qc2! And 31. Qh4 Bxf1 can’t be
justified, either.] 31…Bxc5! [Black must be quick, before White’s pawns dominate the scene.] 32.
Qxc5 Ne4. 33. Qc1(!) [33. Qxe3 Bxf1 loses material, but remarkably the more obvious 33. Qxd5 Nc3
and 34…Nxe2 has a similar fate.] 33…Qf6! [It keeps raining difficult moves. One would expect
33…Bxf1. 34. Bxf1 Qf6 (attacks Nf3 and plans 35…Nc3) to be very strong, but White plays 35. c7!,
ignoring the threat. The pawns are so powerful, that Black doesn’t even seem to have a road to
equality. Even now he has to keep the Bh3 in order to control the c8 square.] 34. Re1 [What else? 34.
Nh4 Bxf1. 35. c7 Nf2+. 36. Kg1 Nh3+ this time is good for Black (37. Kh1 Qf2!?); or even 34. c7 Rxb7.