|
AN EXTRAORDINARY IDEA IN THE TROMP
By Andrew Martin
The purpose of this article is to draw your attention to an extraordinary idea in the Trompowsky attack, an opening replete with unusual and interesting chess.
K. Chernyshov (2531) - Grischuk (2724) [A45]
Sochi, 2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 c5 4.f3 Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6 6.d5 Qb6 7.e4!?
DOES THIS WORK?
This is the move White would like to play, but Black can take on b2 and win a couple of pawns. If he doesn’t take, then Nd2-c4 and a4 just gives white a very good position. To date, I think most masters simply didn’t believe that White could get enough compensation for his coming investment.
7...Qxb2 8.Nd2 Qxc3 9.Bc7!
BRINGS 7.e4 BACK TO LIFE
Quite a stunning novelty, inconveniencing the Black Queen. White plans Ne2 and/or Rc1, gaining time. Is it sound? There are only a few games to go on and White is doing very well.
9...g6
To provide the Queen with an escape square perhaps? 9...Qe3+ has been suggested, and after that White should play 10.Ne2 d6 11.Nc4 Qh6 12.Bxb8! (12.Rb1 is also interesting.) 12...Rxb8 13.Qa4+ and Black’s defensive task is considerable: 13...b5 (13...Nd7 14.Qxa7) 14.Qxa7 Nd7 15.Na5 (15.Rb1!? b4 16.a3) 15...Qh4+ 16.g3 Qf6 17.Kf2 Qxa1 18.Bh3 Rb7 19.Nxb7 Qxh1 20.Bxd7+ Kxd7 21.Nxc5+ Ke8 22.Qb8 Qxh2+ 23.Ke3. I can’t guarantee all these moves because the complications are considerable, but over the board Black’s task would be a nightmare.
10.Rc1 Qe3+ 11.Ne2 Na6
11...Bh6? led to disaster in the following recent miniature. Black takes away the only retreat square from his poor Queen! 12.Nc4 Qg5 13.h4 Qh5 14.Ng3, 1–0, B. Steiner - E. Karavade, Pardubice 2005.
12.Nc4 Qh6 13.Bf4 Qg7 14.Qa4!
An excellent move, preventing ...d7-d6, which makes it difficult for Grischuk to develop his queenside.
14...g5 15.Be5 g4 16.f4 Qg6 17.Ng3 Rg8 18.Ne3 Nb4 19.a3 Nc6
DESPERATION
I guarantee that Grischuk would not have played this move unless he felt that his position was desperate. However, the longer one looks at Black’s position and the more one tries to make it work with legitimate moves, then the difficulties become obvious.
20.dxc6 dxc6 21.Be2 Nd7 22.0–0
22.Bc7 is recommended by Fritz 9, and then 22...b5 (22...h5 23.Qc2 h4 24.Ngf5 Nf6 25.Bd3 ±) 23.Qc2 e6 24.Nxg4 with White beginning to sweep up, e.g., 24...h5? 25.Nxh5.
22...Nxe5 23.fxe5 Bh6 24.Qb3 Be6 25.Qc3 b6 26.Rcd1 Bxe3+ 27.Qxe3 Qg5 28.Qc3!
Without doubt White should retain Queens and make capital out of the centralized Black King.
28...Rd8 29.Nf5 h5 30.a4
The obscure complications were obviously taking a toll on both players. 30 Bc4! is strongest, e.g., 30...Rg6 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Rd1+ Kc7 33.Qd3 and White penetrates.
30...h4 31.a5 Rxd1 32.Rxd1 Bxf5 33.Qd3! Kf8 34.exf5 Qf4 35.Qd8+ Kg7 36.Qxe7 Qxf5 37.Qxh4
Black puts up stubborn resistance from here on in, but he cannot save the game.
37...Re8 38.Rf1 Qxe5 39.Qxg4+ Kf8 40.Bc4 Re7 41.Rf4 Qe1+ 42.Bf1 Qe5 43.g3 Re6 44.Qh4 b5 45.Qd8+ Kg7 46.Qd7 Rf6 47.Rg4+ Kh6 48.Qd2+ Kh7 49.Bd3+ Kh8 50.Re4 Qd5 51.Qc3 Qd6 52.Rf4 Kg7 53.Kf2 c4 54.Be4 c5 55.Ke3 Qd4+ 56.Qxd4 cxd4+ 57.Kxd4 Ra6 58.Bd5 f6 59.Rg4+ Kh8 60.Kc5 Rxa5 61.Kb4 Ra1 62.Kxb5 c3 63.Rc4 Rc1 64.Kb4 Rc2 65.h4 a5+ 66.Kb3, 1-0. A remarkable game in many ways, not the least for Grischuk’s display of fighting spirit!
M. Pavlovic (2471) - A. Aleksandrov (2630) [A45]
Vrnjacka Banja, 2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 c5 4.f3 Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6 6.d5 Qb6 7.e4 Qxb2 8.Nd2 Qxc3 9.Bc7 b6
AN INTERESTING DEFENSIVE TRY
It is very early in the life of 9.Bc7 and perhaps life will be short, perhaps not. Here’s another recent try by Black. 9...b6 restores a5 as a retreat square and prepares ideas such as ...Bc8-a6, covering c4 if needed.
10.Rc1!
White forces the opponent to make a critical decision as to which way the Queen should go. 10.Ne2 might also be playable: 10...Qa3 (10...Qa5 11.Be5 d6 12.Bc3 Qa3 13.Nc4 Qa6 14.Ng3) 11.Rb1 Ba6! 12.Rb3 Qa5 13.Qc1.
10...Qa5
10...Qe3+ 11.Ne2 d6 12.Nc4 Qg5 and now:
13.Bxb8?! Rxb8 14.Qa4+ Nd7 15.Qxa7 g6 16.f4 Qf6 17.g3 Bh6 18.Bh3 0–0 19.Bxd7 Rb7 20.Qa8 Rxd7 21.Nxb6 Rc7 22.Nxc8 Rcxc8 23.Qa6 Qb2 24.Qc4 Ra8 25.Rc2 Qa3 26.0–0 Bg7 27.Rb1 Ra4 28.Qb3 Qxb3 29.Rxb3 Rxe4 30.Rb7 Ra8 31.Kf2 Bf6 32.Kf3 Rea4 33.g4 h6 34.Ng3 Ra3+ 35.Rb3 Rxb3+ 36.axb3 Ra3 37.Ne4 Rxb3+ 38.Kg2 Bd4 39.Rc4 Rb2+ 40.Kg3 Re2, 0–1, J. Garnett - M. Ozanne, Douglas 2005.
I think I prefer the immediate 13.Qa4+!
MARTIN’S STAMP OF APPROVAL
Setting up a capture on b6: 13...b5 (13...Bd7 14.Qa3! and Nxb6 is hard to stop.) 14.Qxb5+ Nfd7 15.Rb1! Qf6 (15...g6 16.Qa4! [renewing the idea of Nb6] 16...Na6 17.Qc6! Nxc7 18.Qxc7 Bg7 19.Qc6 and wins. This would be a typical raid on the Black queenside, which seems rather compromised without the presence of the queen!) 16.e5! with a big attack.
11.Be5!
PREPARING TO TORMENT BLACK’S QUEEN
A curious retreat which makes perfect sense now that Black has played ...b7-b6. The Queen is in danger once again.
11...Ba6
11...d6 12.Bc3 Qxa2 (12...Qa3 13.Nc4 Qxa2 14.Ra1) 13.Bc4 Qa3 14.Nb1 shows what can happen to Black’s Queen.
12.Bc3 Qa3 13.Nc4 Bxc4 14.Bxc4 d6
14...e6 15.Ne2! exd5 16.Bxf6 dxc4 17.Qd5! also looks much better for White: 17...Nc6 18.Rd1.
14...e5 15.Qd2 d6 16.Rb1 leaves Black with insoluble problems.
15.Bd2 Qb2
15...a6!?
16.Ne2 Qe5 17.Bb5+ Kd8 18.0–0 g6 19.Bf4
White’s maneuvering with this Bishop is a joy to behold.
19...Qh5 20.Ng3 Qh4 21.Qd2 h6 22.e5!
The Black Queen has been shunted right out of the game and now the action starts. The coming play is easier to understand than what went before.
22...Ne8 23.Ne4 f5 24.Bg3 Qh5 25.Nxc5! dxc5 26.Bc6 Nc7 27.Bxa8 Nxa8 28.e6 Nc7 29.Rxc5!
BLASTING THROUGH
A superb move, fatally exposing Black's King.
29...bxc5 30.Qb2! Nba6 31.Qxh8 g5
31...Ke8 32.Bxc7 Nxc7 33.Qb2! is a switchback which forces mate!
32.Qxf8+ Qe8 33.Qxf5, 1-0.
9.Bc7 will clearly give Black considerable problems at the board and if he or she is not extremely well prepared could lead to a quick win. So for the time being, the ball is in Black’s court to come up with some new ideas in this most interesting opening duel.
| 