Another Timely d5 Strike
Last night after posting a game in my pet line, the Accelerated Dragon, I faced a very similar position over the board at the Reno Chess Club. This game is the type of position I am at home in, and I played a pretty accurate game. I couldn't help feeling maybe there was something more there for White, but as the notes confirm there is hardly anything. I played pretty well, I'm happy with it.
(14) Clifford,John (1591) - Gafni,Kevin (1916) [B34]November (2), 08.11.2007[Gafni,Kevin]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f3?!
[7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 a5 9.f3 d5 is the main line]
7...0-0 8.Be2 d5! 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.e5 Nd7 11.f4 e6 12.h4 c5 13.Nxd5? exd5 14.Qxd5 Rb8 15.b3?
[15.0-0-0 Qa5 16.h5 Nb6 17.Qxc5 Qxa2 18.Qa3 Qxa3 19.bxa3 Bf5-/+]
15...Bb7-+ 16.Qc4 Bxg2 17.Rh2 Ba8?!
[17...Nxe5 I had a feeling this move was better during the game but I chickened out 18.fxe5 Bxe5 19.Rxg2 Bxa1 20.Bxc5 Rc8-+]
18.0-0-0 Qc7 19.h5 Nxe5 20.Qxc5
[20.fxe5?? Qxe5 21.Rh3 Qb2+ 22.Kd2 Bd5-+]
20...Qxc5 21.Bxc5 Bh6! 22.Rf2 Rfe8 23.Kb1 [>=23.Bxa7 Rbc8] 23...Rbc8
[23...Nc6 24.hxg6 fxg6 25.Bc4+ Kh8]
24.Bb5?! [24.Bxa7 Nc6] 24...Ng4 25.Bxe8? [25.Rfd2 Bc6] 25...Nxf2 26.Bxf7+ Kxf7 27.hxg6+ Kxg6 [27...hxg6 may be better] 28.Rd6+ Kh5 29.Bxf2 Be4 30.Bxa7 Bxc2+ 31.Ka1 Bxf4 32.Rd5+ Kg4 33.Kb2 Be4 34.Rc5 Rxc5 35.Bxc5 And it's just technique from here... 35...h5 36.Be7 Bg5 37.Bd6 h4 38.Bh2 h3 39.b4 Bf4 40.Bg1 Kg3 0-1
After the game I was playing with Nathaniel, who is probably the best player at the club right now. I get frustrated by our games, I know that if I wait I can just beat him but I can't help attacking which really allows him to show off his style. Either way I really regard our blitz as more of a preparation for a real game. We're 1-1 right now in tournament play but I have yet to have White and I have a nasty line prepared if he plays his usual Dragon. In blitz last night he played the Taimanov, which was weird, and provoked me to sac a knight for nothing, which led to more sacs and me just running out of pieces. Then I played black and used under a minute for the game but actually got a pretty good position for the speed with which I was playing. Then I blundered and lost. Oh well. Blitz is blitz.
so its a new link or, if i have it, will aggressively 'move you up'. FYI my link orders and groups are highly conceptually and sequentially structured.
you know RLP? the best person ever.
warmly, dk
repeat in brief (groan of sorrow! long text!)
yes, have you down, already, postioned at top.
what does watsons newer strategy book have, that Pachman, Silman, Kotov, Nimzovitsch, Aagaard, close review of GM games, Dvoretsky's school of excellence series not have already, or with PCT etc, taken together?
not to doubt you. you must be right. but for those of us with too many already, many read but few if any reread, etc, what will this other Watson book do that his earlier book and these others not do?
BTW, GM Seirawan emailed me a BCC last night--sent to Silman as usual, but also to watson, whom i met here, as he emerged from playing hall, when US Chess championship was here, in 2001, then latter in 2002.
mr watson made a good walking companion for a bit, a decent, serious man, but limping a bit and if you didnt know it, he had a bad stroke.
how he types all his massive weekinchess reviews is beyond my grasp.
warmest, dk
FORGIVE ME, I HATE TO EDIT OR RETYPE, SO IT IS BAM, BAMB, BAMB LIKE EMRLALD LAGESSE ON FOOD TV THEN SEND. **** !!
As far as the Watson book goes. You don't have to take my word for it, Chess Strategy in Action was voted Chess Book of the Year in 2003. SOMCS, his first book, basically touches on all of the books that you have mentioned and basically makes the point that none of the advice given in these books should be accepted in absolute terms. The best players break these rules constantly and although you cannot just break rules whenever you want you should understand that there are exceptions to the rules. His examples are extremely topical and that book is truly insightful. Chess Strategy in Action attempts to build on his theory, but like I said it seemed trivial to me only 2 years ago, now I really see the value of this book. Once you understand that there can be no absolute generalities, just practical play, he attempts to show how such practical play is actually executed. And how when one player strays from principled play the other player is often forced to stray from the rules as well. I don't know if that's really a good explanation or not, it's a very difficult concept and an equally challenging text. Dvoretsky is the only author of the ones you mentioned who can put out a good text like this one aimed at Candidate Masters. Books that deal with topics this subtle and the small nuances of the game require that your game is extrememly sharp and deep to gain insight from the discussion. If you don't understand Pachman, Silman, and Nimzo then you are wasting your time trying to read this book. It attempts to distinguish when to use the strategies that were introduced or explained by past authors.