Catastrophes & Tactics in the Chess Opening - Volume 3: Flank Openings: Winning Quickly at Chess Series, #3

INTRODUCTION

Thanks for picking up this book. I sincerely hope you will enjoy reading the book as much as I have writing it.

We all dream of winning our games fast, using excellent opening preparation, flashy tactics, and then mate our opponents. However, it rarely goes like that. Usually, the games average around 40 moves, contain enough blunders on both sides to have both you and your opponent horrified after the game. However, what I have found is that many games, even amongst the strongest players, contain errors and mistakes, some quite significant ones, as soon as the players depart the theory that is known to them.

This book, the third in a series of nine, aims to take a look at some of those games, but only the ones that are of 15 moves or shorter. Of course, for a game to end within 15 moves, one of the players has to have made one or more serious mistakes. I have left out games where a piece is threatened, and the player forgot to move it, touched the wrong piece or such things. However, I have included games that include typical mistakes, even if they seem banal.

But some examples are quite interesting, for example, let’s take a look at the following position from game 118 with White to move:

As for the games, they are typically between players with a rating of at least 2350 and often well more than that, although I have made some exceptions when I found a game of particular interest or value; you will find several games played by players rated above 2600 in this book. Furthermore, I have included some older games, but where the players would most certainly have been rated above 2350 if rating had existed at that time.

The openings covered in this volume are:

●  Orangutan (or Sokolsky Opening): 1.b4

●  Van Geet’s Opening (or The Dunst): 1.Nc3

●  Larsen Attack: 1.b3

●  Bird Opening: 1.f4

●  Reti Opening & King’s Indian Attack: 1.Nf3

●  English Opening: Indian, Dutch & Slav Lines: 1 c4

●  English Opening: 1.c4 e5

●  Symmetrical English: 1.c4 c5

In opening encyclopedia terms, these openings have the Chess Informant Opening code of A00 through A39. There is a total of 1xx main games, but with many more complete games in the notes.

Should you have any comments, corrections or compliments, please do not hesitate to send them to carstenchess@gmail.com

If you like to receive a weekly update with more miniatures, opening ideas, chess tactics, samples from upcoming books, discounts and much more - then sign up at www.winningquicklyatchess.com

Good luck, and enjoy it!

Carsten Hansen

Bayonne, NJ

July 2017

CHAPTER ONE

Minor Flank Openings

Van Geet’s Opening 1.Nc3

Game # 1

J.Plaskett (2467) – J.Speelman (2583) A00

Catalan Bay 2003

1.e4 d5 2.Nc3 dxe4 3.Nxe4

This position is typically arrived at with 1.Nc3 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nxe4, which is why the opening as classified as a flank opening even if it starts with 1.e4.

3...Nc6 4.Bb5 Qd5 5.Qe2 Bf5 6.Ng3

6.f3 is more solid.

6...Qxg2 7.Qe5 e6?

Black wants to get as many pieces as possible developed as fast as possible, but 7...e6 is not the best move. Instead, Black should have considered 7...Bd7 8.Qxc7 Nf6 9.Qxb7 Rd8 10.Bf1 Qd5 and White has to play very carefully to survive Black's lead in development.

8.Qxc7 Bc5

Does White need to protect the f2–pawn, or can he play something better?

9.Qf4?

White decides he has to protect the f2–pawn, but he is mistaken.

Instead, White could have allowed Black to capture on f2 on account of Black's weaknesses on the queenside: 9.Nxf5! exf5 10.Qxb7 Bxf2+ 11.Kd1 and Black is lost because of the simultaneous threats against c6 and a8.

9...0–0–0 10.Bxc6 Qxc6 11.d3 Nf6 12.Qf3?

How should Black continue?

White should have played 12.Nf3, and after 12...Rhe8 Black is better, but not yet winning.

12...Bb4+! 13.Bd2 Qxc2 And White resigned because he realized that neither 13...Qxc2 14.Rc1 (nor 14.Bxb4 Qxb2 15.Rd1 Qxb4+ 16.Kf1 Bxd3+ 17.Rxd3 Qb1+ leaves him with a playable position) 14...Qxc1+.

0–1

Game # 2

S. Stinis (2053) – P.Claesen (2396) A00

Leuven 2002

1.Nc3 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nxe4 e5

The alternatives are among others 3...Qd5 4.Nc3, which transposes to a Scandinavian Defense, or 3...Bf5 is also solid and good.

4.Bc4! Bf5?!

This developing move looks so obvious and natural, but it is, in fact, a rather significant inaccuracy. The more solid alternative is 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.0–0 Bf5 8.Re1 Bxe4 9.Rxe4 Nf6 and here White can take the game in an interesting direction with 10.Rh4!? 0–0 11.Qd3 Qd7?! (Black should consider 11...Nb4 12.Qb3 c5 13.Bd2 b5 14.Bxb5 Rb8 with chances to both sides) 12.Bg5 g6 13.Re1 Rad8??

Why is Black's last move such a significant error?

(13...Rae8 is solid and much better) 14.Bb5! (14.Rf4! is even stronger, e.g., 14...Nh5 15.Rxf7! Rxf7 16.Bxf7+ and now 16...Kxf7 is met by 17.Rxe7+ Nxe7 18.Ne5+, winning the queen and the game) 14...Nd5 (Black should have gotten himself away from d7, for instance, 14...Qd6 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Rxd4 Qc5 looks horrible for Black, but at least he is still in the game) 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Bxe7 Nxe7 17.Rxd4 Nd5 18.c4 Nb4 19.Qb3 Qf5 20.Rxd8 and Black resigned, 1–0, Tarlev-Grinev, Mukachevo 2009.

5.Qf3 Bg6

The alternatives are:

5...Qc8 6.Ng5 (White's strongest continuation is probably 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.g4 Nc6 8.Ne2 Nh6 9.gxf5 Nxf5 10.d4 with a steady initiative) 6...Nh6 7.Qb3 Bg6 8.N1f3 Nc6 9.Bb5 Bd6 10.d4 e4 11.Ne5 Bxe5 12.dxe5 0–0 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.e6 as played in Slapikas-Saljova, Polanica Zdroj 1996 and now 14...Qa6 15.exf7+ Nxf7 16.Ne6 Rfe8 would have been fine for Black; his lead in development and White's uncastled king makes up for the inferior pawn structure.

5...Nh6 6.d3 Bxe4 7.Qxe4 Nc6 8.Bxh6 gxh6 9.Bb5 Qd6 10.Nf3 f6 11.0–0–0 0–0–0 12.Bxc6 Qxc6 13.Qxc6 bxc6 14.Nh4 with a clear positional advantage for White, O.Vovk-Slobodeniuk, Kiev 2003.

6.Ng5 Nh6

6...Nf6? is met with 7.Qb3, after which Black resigned,1–0, in Havenaar-Von Saldern, Guernsey 2001.

7.Qxb7 Nd7 8.Be6?

How should Black meet this move?

Flashy, but not particularly good. After 8.Qc6 Rb8 9.d3 White would have had an extra pawn and Black some compensation in return for the pawn in the shape of a lead in development.

8...Be7?

Black should have played 8...fxe6 9.Nxe6 Rb8! 10.Nxd8 Rxb7 11.Nxb7 Be4!, threatening both b7 and g2, Black has the better chances.

9.Bxd7+ Kxd7 10.N1f3 f6?! 11.Qd5+ Ke8??

Complete meltdown.

12.Qc6+ Game over!

1–0

Game # 3

K.Lawson – A.Soltis (2430) A00

Reno 1994

1.Nc3 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nxe4 e5 4.Bc4 Nd7?

This developing move just spells trouble. The f7-square is already soft to hamper your development, and reach of your own pieces by playing this move can hardly be a good idea. In the previous game, we saw the consequences of 4...Bf5

5.Nf3 Ngf6??

I cannot begin to fathom the reasons why the grandmaster played this stupid move. Now 6.Neg5 begs to be called.

But also 5...Nb6 6.Bxf7+ (even 6.Nxe5 Nxc4 7.Nxc4 is better for White) 6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Ke8 8.Qh5+ and Black is already well on his heels.

5...Be7 is probably the most solid and best.

6.Neg5

White is already winning.

6...e4 7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Ne6

Okay, now Black loses his queen. He does, however, struggle on for a few more moves.

8...exf3 9.Nxd8 fxg2 10.Rg1 Kxd8 11.d4 Bd6 12.Rxg2 and finally, Black resigned.

1–0

Game # 4

V.Ivaschenko (2111) – V.Kirpichnikov (2380) A00

Sukhumi 2008

1.Nc3 d5 2.e4 d4 3.Nce2 e5 4.Ng3 Nf6

4...Be6 is the main line.

5.Bc4 Nc6 6.d3 Bb4+

An alternative is 6...Na5 7.Bb3 Nxb3 8.axb3 Bd6 9.Nf3 0–0 10.0–0 Ne8 11.Qe2 g6 12.Bh6 Ng7 and Black is doing fine, Barhudarian-Melnikov, St Petersburg 2007.

7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 Qe7 9.a3 Be6 10.Bb5 0–0 11.Nf3 Bd7

12.0–0

White can also consider 12.Bxc6!? Bxc6 (12...bxc6 is the safer but uglier choice) 13.Qg5, with the nasty threat of Nf5 and Black is already in trouble at this point.

12...Nd8 13.Bc4

The exchange on d7 looks like a natural choice for White, e.g., 13.Bxd7 Nxd7 14.Nf5 Qf6 15.c3 and White has the upper hand.

13...Bg4 14.Qg5 Bxf3??

Black should have played 14...Nc6 15.Nf5 Bxf5 16.Qxf5 and White has somewhat better chances, but nothing serious.

15.Nf5 Ouch! Black resigned.

1–0

Game # 5

Z.Mestrovic (2435) – K.Hulak (2450) A00

Yugoslav Championship (Belgrade) 1978

1.Nc3 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Bf4 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd6 Bxd6 8.Qxd6 Nf6

Black is playing ambitiously. The safe 8...Qe7 9.Qxe7+ Kxe7 is perfectly okay for Black.

9.e4 Qb6 10.0–0–0 Ng4 11.Rd4 e5?

What is White's best move?

The previous move is a big mistake. Black should have played 11...Nxf2, and now 12.Rg1 Qb8 13.Qxb8 Rxb8 14.e5 f5 15.Be2 Bb7 16.Rf4 Ne4 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.Rxe4 and White is at best, a smudge better.

12.Nd5!

White can also obtain an advantage with 12.Rd2 Qb8 13.Qa3 and White is ahead on development with Black's king still stuck in the center. However, the text move decides the game in White's favor instantly...

12...Qd8 13.Nc7+ Qxc7 14.Qxc7 exd4 15.Qg3, and facing losing additional material, Black resigned.

1–0

***

Sokolsky/Orangutan A00

Game # 6

J.Dominguez (2352) – J.Munoz Santana (2396)

Santo Domingo op 2006

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b4 e6 3.a3 c5 4.bxc5 Bxc5 5.e3 0–0 6.c4 d5

Or 6...b6 7.Bb2 Bb7 8.Nc3 d5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Be2 Nd7 11.Qb1 Be7 12.Ne4 N5f6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 and Black obviously doesn't have any problems, Pesotsky-Folk, Pardubice 2009.

7.Bb2 b6

Black has also tried 7...Nc6 8.d4 Be7 9.Nbd2 b6 10.Be2 Bb7 11.0–0 Rc8 12.cxd5 Qxd5 13.Qb3 Na5 14.Qxd5 Nxd5 15.Rfc1 with chances to both sides, Jaracz-Tomczak,  Trzcianka 2015.

8.Be2 Nc6 9.0–0

Black already has a comfortable position, but this certainly doesn't help. He could have considered the exchange on d5, but after 9.cxd5 exd5 10.d4 Bd6, Black has