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Remember as a kid (and a serious chess enthusiast) how exciting it was to read the games collections of the great players. Books by Fischer, Larsen, Botvinnik, Geller, Smyslov come immediately to mind. Fantastic works of chess literature. Is it only me then, or have we experienced a significant drop in quality of writing over the past couple of generations? NEW IN CHESS magazine bores me to tears – it’s all the same! The games of Anand, Kramnik, Leko, Adams, even Shirov ... they don’t excite me in the same way. Maybe the quality of chess is higher but the games seem dry; there is little humanity in them. The computer reveals itself in the moves. Yawn. There are notable exceptions. Kasparov is a giant all on his own – his books are marvelous. And I have to admit more than a sneaking regard for the work of Nigel Short, whose interesting style of play we will feature here. Of course Short was in the news recently for his comments about Tony Miles, about whom he was very candid. It was rather ill judged to remark on mental illness, rivalry and screwing the other guy’s girl in an obituary but, hey, that’s Nigel! I suppose if you must indulge in a bit of points scoring, it’s better to do this when your rival is dead. At least then he can’t come round and crush your spectacles into your scrawny little face. Seen in this light, the piece was particularly well timed. Luckily for us, Short carries over this original energy into his chess playing – he is different to the rest.
Short (2702) - Prasad (2395) [B20]
IND, 2004
1.e4 c5 2.b3!?
The Snyder Variation, which certainly packs a punch for the unwary. I think I am going to recommend it to you. It would really be wonderful if White could get the Bishop working against the Black kingside the whole game through. That must be the main idea.
2...Nc6 3.Bb2 e5
So I guess this is Black’s most critical response. If Black can shut the Bb2 out of the game then he has chances himself with a well timed ...f7-f5 or ...d6-d5!
4.Bc4
Both 4.Bb5 and 4.f4!? blend in with the main theme but I like Short’s move, which is very harmonious. Black shuts down one diagonal but leaves another open. f2-f4 has not been ignored, just delayed.
4...Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Nc3 Be7
Black could try to neutralize White’s other Bishop but, as we will see, the capture on c4 is very scary. In fact it helps White to keep a clamp on the center: 6...Be6 7.Nge2! Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.f4! (That's the way.) 9...exf4 10.Nxf4 Bxc4 11.bxc4 Nd7 12.Ncd5 Nde5 13.Nh5 (I think Nigel may have got his idea from this game. White has a definite edge here and attacking chances!) 13...Re8 14.Qe1 Bh4 15.Qe2 Re6 16.Nhf4 Rh6 17.Ne3 Bg5 18.g3 Rf6 19.Nf5 Qd7 (If 19...Bxf4 20.gxf4! Rg6+ 21.Kh1 Nd7 22.Rg1. I think what I like is that the ideas are simple to understand and very effective. Black is being denied his traditional Sicilian counterplay and forced to engage in a protracted defense of his King.) 20.Qh5 Bh6 21.Nd5 (Crushing Knights!)
21...Re6 22.Nxh6+ Rxh6 23.Qxh6 gxh6 24.Nf6+ Kf8 25.Nxd7+ Nxd7 26.Rf5 Rd8 27.Rh5 Nb4 28.Rxh6 Nxc2 29.Rf1 Ne3 30.Rf3 Ng4 31.Rxd6 Ke7 32.Rd5, 1–0, Bellini -Ronchetti, Reggio Emilia 2003. A very strong and convincing performance by White. Note that once Black took on c4, he bared the d5 and f5 squares of which White made capital use.
7.Nge2 0–0 8.0–0 a6 9.a4
Continuing to clamp down on Black’s freeing pawn breaks. Meanwhile, f2-f4 looms.
9...Nd4 10.h3
It seems that 10.f4 might have been played immediately. Perhaps Short was afraid of
10...Bg4 with some compensation for Black after a sequence such as 11.h3 Bxe2 12.Nxe2 d5 13.fxe5 Nxe4 14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.dxe4 dxc4 16.Bxd4 Rc8
but 17 c3! should give White a large advantage. The text, 10 h3, is typical Nigel. He wants to completely dominate the game.
10...Be6 11.f4 Nd7 12.f5! Bxc4 13.dxc4 Bg5 14.Nd5 Nf6
14...Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Nf6 16.Rad1 is pretty horrible for Black.
15.Nec3 Kh8 16.Nxf6 Qxf6 17.Nd5 Qh6 18.Kh2
White’s advantage is big for many reasons:
1) He has a better Bishop.
2) The pawn f5 gives him kingside space and considerable chances of attack.
3) The Knight on d5 cannot be ejected, whereas Black’s Knight can be sent packing with the simple c2-c3. Nigel is in his element – Black must grovel.
18...g6 19.c3 Nc6 20.f6
Now it really is bad. The pawn on d6 is a goner long-term and Black just has no flexibility. The next stage of the game sees Nigel increasing control.
20...Qh5 21.Rf3 Rae8 22.g3 Re6 23.Kg2 Rc8 24.a5! Nb8 25.Qd3 Nd7
No matter how many times he attacks the pawn, White can defend.
26.Raf1 Bh6 27.b4 Bg5 28.Ba3 Bh6 29.R3f2 Bg5 30.bxc5 Nxc5 31.Bxc5 dxc5
31...Rxc5 32.Qb1! allows the white queen to decisively enter the game: 32...Re8 (32...Rxc4 33.Qxb7 Re8 34.Qxf7 Rg8 35.Ne7+-) 33.Qxb7 Rf8 34.Qxa6.
32.h4
Prepared by 23 Kg2
32...Bh6 33.Qe2!
Very good! Compare the pieces and you can see that the Queen exchange is a very bad deal for Prasad. In the endgame the incarceration of the Black King is the most notable feature.
33...Qxe2 34.Rxe2 g5 35.Kh3 gxh4 36.Kxh4 Rg8 37.Rf5 Rd8 38.Rb2 Rd7 39.Rf1 Re8 40.Rfb1
Child’s play.
40...Rb8 41.Rb6, 1-0.
Two points stand out:
1) Nigel Short is a very original, highly skilled player. His games are much more interesting and experimental than virtually anyone else on the planet.
2) The 2.b3 variation is a very dangerous way to combat the Sicilian. It’s not overly complex and puts Black under serious pressure. I am quite sure that 99% of Sicilian players will not have anything meaningful prepared at all.
VERDICT: Black was comprehensively outplayed. Shit happens!
Fedorov (2620) - Gyimesi (2618) [B12]
CRO, 2004
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2
Although the Advance Variation has increased massively in popularity, the very sharp line with 5.g4 and 6.Nge2 hasn’t followed. Black has a number of interesting and very satisfactory responses, one of which we see here. In my view, Black must start with 6...c5!
6...c5!
Quite right! A vigorous reaction in the center is indicated.
7.h4 h5 8.Nf4 Bh7
Black is only too willing to sacrifice the incidental h-pawn to increase his central pressure.
9.Nxh5 Nc6 10.dxc5
I think the main reason I don’t like this line for White has to do with the pawn structure. When the smoke clears. Black usually holds all the trumps in that area. It’s almost as if White has no Plan B; if the attack breaks down, he has nothing left to call on. For example, 10.Be3 cxd4 11.Bxd4 Bxc2! 12.Qxc2 Nxd4 13.Qa4+ Nc6 (Compare the pawns and you’ll see what I mean!) 14.0–0–0 Qb6 15.f4 0–0–0 (15...g6! is strong: 16.Nf6+ [16.Ng3 Qe3+] 16...Nxf6 17.exf6 Bb4) 16.Rh3 g6 17.Ng3 Qb4 18.Qxb4 Bxb4 19.Bd3 Bxc3 20.bxc3 Nh6 21.Be2 Kc7 22.Nf1 Ng8 23.Nd2 g5 24.fxg5 Nxe5, M Nielsen - B Nielsen, Copenhagen 2004.
10...Bxc5 11.Bg2
Two heavyweights duel after 11.Bb5 Qc7 12.Bxc6+ (12.Nxg7+ Kf8 13.Nh5 d4!) 12...Qxc6 13.Qf3 Kf8 14.Ng3 Ne7 15.h5 Bd4, =. The fight seems to be evenly balanced.
11.Nxg7+ (Not many take on g7, but perhaps it is possible.) 11...Kf8 12.Nh5 Qb6 13.Rh2 Nxe5 14.Be2. Naturally Black holds a strong initiative.
11...Bg6 12.Bg5
This time I think it’s unwise to take on g7: 12.Nxg7+ Kf8 13.h5 Kxg7 14.hxg6 Rxh1+ 15.Bxh1 Qh4.
12...Be7
White’s position is fragmented and he faces threats such as ...Qb6 so he’s trying to keep his game alive with tactics. Gyimesi’s novelty is cool, hanging g7 as usual, but he’s gaining a lot of time if White goes in and takes the pawn (which of course he doesn’t). It may be that Black has more than one good move: 12...Qc7!? (I think I prefer to retain the option of ...Qb6 in one move, but it must be said that 12...Qc7 looks good!) 13.0–0 (13.Nxg7+ Kf8 14.Nh5 Qxe5+ 15.Qe2 Bd4!) 13...Bxh5 14.gxh5 Nge7 15.Re1 0–0–0 16.Qe2 a6 17.Rac1 Bd4, Bae - Hermansson, Aarhus 2003.
13.f4
13.Nxg7+ Kf8 14.Bxe7+ Ngxe7 15.Nh5 Bxh5 16.gxh5 Qb6.
13...Bxh5 14.gxh5 Qb6 15.Qd3!
The only move to hold the position together, covering e3.
15...Rc8
Maybe 15...Qxb2 was playable, not so much grabbing a pawn as downgrading White’s pawn structure still further: 16.Rb1 Qa3 17.Rxb7 (17.Rb3 is better, but White still ends up with structural problems: 17...Qa5 18.Bxe7 Ngxe7 19.Rxb7 Rc8 20.Rh3) 17...Bb4 18.Rh3 Rc8.
16.Kf1?
I don’t understand this move from a 2600 player. What was going through his head? It’s pretty obvious that White has to try 16.Bxe7 Ngxe7 17.0–0–0 and this position is uncomfortable but you can play. 16.Kf1 is obviously going to lead to immediate problems.
16...Rxh5
16...Qxb2 17.Rb1 Nxe5! 18.fxe5 Qxc3 19.Qxc3 Rxc3 20.Rxb7 f6! 21.exf6 gxf6 22.Bf4 Rxc2 23.Rxa7 Bc5.
17.a3 Bxg5 18.hxg5 Rxh1+ 19.Bxh1 Nge7 20.b4 Qd4, 0-1.
He has no wish to face the endgame after 21.Qxd4 Nxd4 22.Rd1 Rxc3. 5.g4 and 6.Nge2 is a variation for the committed. It’s very sharp and very well analyzed so you have to know a lot. Black has numerous interesting ideas in response. Finally, you have no plan B if the attack breaks down; maybe that’s part of the attraction anyway!
VERDICT: It’s important to have a fallback position in a game of chess.
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