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21.Qa1 f5 22.Nb3 Rfe8 23.Na5 Ba8 24.Nc3?

After 24.Be2 Nxb2 25.Qxb2 e4! 26.Rxc8 Rxc8 27.d4 Qg3 is a very powerful infiltration.

24...Nxb2 25.Qxb2

25.Nxd5 loses to 25…Nxd3.

25...e4!

Opening up for business. White is totally lost now.

26.d4 Nxe3! 27.Ne2

27.Rxe3 Bxd4 with …f4 to follow is a nightmare for White.

27...f4! 28.Rxc8 Rxc8 29.Rc1 Rf8, 0-1. Well, that was quite easy. White never had any shred of initiative throughout and Uhlmann always seemed to be in charge. Let's see another game with this line.

Saradjen (2203) – G Mohr (2474) [A00]
Bled, 2003
1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Qd6 3.a3 e5 4.Nf3

This time White hits the centre immediately, hoping perhaps for ...e5-e4. Black could probably go 4...Nd7 “a la” Uhlmann, but Mohr wants to shut down the diagonal.

4...f6!?

This is the play of a man confident in his powers. He is absolutely sure that he can outplay his opponent and so 4...f6.

5.e3 Be6 6.d3 Nd7

Equal already and one glance at the White position will show that the best he can hope for is to maintain equality just by simply getting his pieces out. Personally, I prefer Black, who owns the center!

7.Nbd2 Nh6 8.c4 c6 9.Be2 Nf7 10.Qc2 Qb8!?

10...Be7 11.0–0 0–0 is very comfortable too.

11.cxd5 cxd5 12.0–0 Bd6

I guess that's why he went ...Qb8.

13.Rfc1 0–0 14.Nf1 Nb6

I'm looking for echoes of the Uhlmann game and this move provides me with one. Perhaps Black is planning ...Qe8 and …Na4, nabbing White's Bishop.

15.Ng3 Qe8 16.Rab1 Qd7 17.Qd2 Na4

He won't get the Bishop but it's a good square anyway.

18.Ba1 a5

I'm a firm believer in the power of the center. If you own the middle of the board you have better chances to assume the initiative and that's exactly what 18...a5 is all about.

19.Bd1

On 19.bxa5, Deep Fritz is showing 19...Bxa3 20.Rc2 Bd6 as equal, but is that really true? Black should swap one pair of Rooks, decreasing any potential pressure on b7, and then go after the a-pawn.

19...axb4 20.axb4 Nb6 21.Bb3 Ra3

The advantage is increasing. Note how little White has achieved so far; he seems to be watching the game.

22.Nh4 Rfa8 23.f4 Qb5 24.f5 Bd7

I don't see why he can't take the pawn immediately: 24...Bxb4 25.Qd1 Bd7. Just a pressure thing maybe, emphasizing his control. Black is so dominant he can take the pawn at will.

25.Bc3 Na4 26.Ba1 Bxb4

There she goes!

27.Qd1 Bd2!

A nice tactical blow which in effect finishes the game. White puts up some resistance, but it is uphill all the way to defeat.

28.Qxd2 Rxb3 29.Rxb3 Qxb3 30.Nh5

Some hack?

30...Nd6 31.Rf1 Be8

I think not!

32.Bxe5 fxe5 33.Nxg7

He may as well; he's utterly lost otherwise. 

33...Kxg7 34.f6+ Kh8 35.Qf2 Bf7 36.Qg3

Last chance saloon.

36...Rg8

Oddly, the Grandmaster saw it!

37.Qxe5 Qb6 38.d4 Nc3 39.Nf3 Nc4 40.Qe7 Qe6 41.Qxb7 Qxf6 42.Nd2 Qg6 43.g3 Nxd2 44.Rxf7 Qb1+ 45.Qxb1 Ncxb1 46.Rc7 Ne4 47.Kg2 Nbc3 48.Kf3 Rf8+ 49.Kg4 Nd1 50.Kh5 Nxe3 51.h3 Nxg3+ 52.Kh6 Ngf5+ 53.Kg5 Nxd4, 0-1.

2...Qd6 and 3...e5 appears a very effective counter to the Polish/Sokolsky/Orang-Utan opening or whatever you want to call it. It is a line which can be thoroughly recommended.

Now we come to the bastardized cousin of the Sokolsky, the infamous Grob's attack. Anyone who ventures 1.g4 against you will certainly know what they are doing and have absolutely no worries at all about playing such rubbish. In fact, they thrive on it! A measured response is necessary. Black must resolve to put White in his place; 1 g4 cannot be a good move. I will show a very rare response, but one which I believe to be extremely effective.

T Wall (2220) – T Upton (2340) [A00]
London, 1984
1.g4?! e5

You can play 1...d5 but why trade blows with White? He wants you to play that move.

2.h3

We'll deal with 2.Bg2 next.

2...Ne7!

This is the move I think! You'll note that the h4-square is very weak and perhaps this is the Achilles heel of the Grob. Black trains his sights on this square and it would be great if he could get a Knight there.

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