1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 g6 6.f4 Bg7 7.Bb5+
7.e5 is normal and very strong. I played
the suspect 6...Bg7 (6...Nc6 is best) without any theoretical knowledge
and in fact intended to reply to 7.e5 with 7...dxe5 8.fxe5 Ng4 9.Bb5+ Kf8,
overlooking 10.Ne6+.
7...Nfd7 8.Nf3
Hubner-Vatter, West Germany 1985, went 8.Be3 0-0
9.0-0 a6 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Kh1 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 b5 14.a4 [+/=].
8...O-O 9.Bd3 a6 10.a4 Nc6 11.O-O b6 (=)
Slightly superior was 11...Nc5, preventing 12.Qe1
due to 12...Nb4.
12.Qe1 Bb7
Now, 12...Nc5 would be inferior due to 13.Be3
Nb4 14.Rd1. White's KB is not an important ingredient of his kingside
attack while Black can no longer sink a knight into e5 after White plays
f5.
13.Qh4
Black to play
This position is similar to the main variations
in the 6.f4 Qc7 Najdorf lines, but the differences are tricky.
One difference is that with only the e-pawn separating
the queens on the h4-d8 diagonal Black can play ...e6 - a move he often
plays in the 6.f4 Qc7 Najdorf lines on his own time - with a gain of tempo,
since White is not interested in a trade of queens. The caveat is
that after 13...e6 14.Qh3 White's subsequent f4-f5 will put pressure on
e6.
Another difference is that Black has been able
to prevent e4-e5 without developing his queen to c7. While c7 is
often a good square for the queen, other squares exist which may better
enable him to cope with the attack.
The major difference, however, is that Black has
a knight on c6 instead of f6. This does have the advantage of ensuring
Black iron control over e5 after White plays f5, but on the other hand
a knight on f6 defended by a knight on d7 is a valuable defensive piece.
All of the post-mortem participants were initially of the opinion that
White's attack should be more potent than usual.
Nevertheless, my current opinion is that Black's
several tenacious defensive resources enable him to hold the balance.
13...e6 14.Qh3 Qc8
This seems to lead to equality. It is also nicely
economic, as it takes advantage of the strengths of black's position while
hiding its weaknesses. 14...Nf6 would be uneconomic in this way:
15. f5 exf5 (else e6 hangs - White is nicely taking advantage of his queen's
unusual location) 16. Bh6 and Black's lack of support of the KN with a
Nd7 leaves him vulnerable against Ng5 and then either Nd5 or Rxf6. This
is surely an improvement for White over normal 6. f4 Qc7 Najdorf lines.
15.f5 exf5 |
White to play
16.Bh6
After 16.exf5 Nde5 17.Bh6 Black could play:
A) 17...Nxd3 18.cxd3
Qxf5 19.Qxf5 gxf5 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Nh4 Ne7 (21...Nd4 22.Rf4 would be worse.)
22.Rae1 Rfe8 when White should have at least some advantage. During
the game I thought that this variation would be much better for Black.
It is surprising how White's initiative continues even after the queens
have been traded.
B) 17...Nxf3+ 18.Rxf3
Ne5 19.Rf4 f6 (White was threatening 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.f6+ Kh8 22.Qh7 Rg8
23.Rh4 [+-]), with a slight advantage over the game continuation since
White has yet to play Bxg7. This omission, however, seems to be irrelevant,
since White can't use it to crush Black with 20.Rh4 due to 20...Nxd3 21.cxd3
(21.Bxg7 Qc5+ [-+]) 21...Qxf5 [-+].
16...Nde5
16...fxe4 was unplayable: 17.Nxe4 Nde5 18.Qh4
Qg4 19.Qxg4 (19.Qf6 Bxh6 [-+]; 19.Nf6+ Bxf6 20.Qxf6 Nxf3 21.Rxf3 Qd4+ [-+])
19...Nxg4 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Nxd6 Rfb8 (21...Bc8 22.Be4 [+-]; 21...Rab8 22.Nxb7
Rxb7 23.Bxa6 [+-]) 22.Nxf7 [+-].
17.Bxg7
Also possible were:
A) 17.exf5, transposing
to 16.exf5 Nde5 17.Bh6.
B) 17.Ng5 fxe4 (17...f6
18.Bxg7 [+-]) 18.Qh4 (18.Qxc8 Rxc8 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Nxe4 Rad8 [-/+]) 18...Qg4
and Black is at least slightly better.
17...Nxf3+ 18.Rxf3 Kxg7 19.exf5 Ne5
White to play
20.Rf2
Also possible were:
A) 20.f6+ Kh8 21.Rg3
(21.Qh6 Nxf3+ 22.gxf3 Rg8 [-+]) 21...Qxh3 22.Rxh3 Rfe8 [-/+] since White's
pieces are uncoordinated and his f-pawn weak.
B) 20.Rf4 f6 21.Rd1
(21.Rh4 Rh8 accomplishes nothing for White) 21...Qc5+ (21...Qd7 22.Be4
Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxa4 24.Ng5 [+-]; 21...g5 22.Rd4 Qc5 23.Be4 threatening 24.b4
gives White a strong initiative.) 22.Kh1 g5 23.Rff1 with rough equality.
20...f6 21.Rd1 Qd7 22.Be4 Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxa4 24.fxg6
hxg6 25.Nxd6
25.Nxf6 Rxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Rxd6+ Kg7 should
be inadequate: 28.Qc3 Qa1+ 29.Kf2 Rf8+ 30.Kg3 Qa5 31.b4 Qb5 32.Re6 Rf5
33.Re7+ Kh6 [-+].
25...Qg4 26.Qxg4 Nxg4 27.Re2 Ne5 28.h3 Rfd8 ½-½ |