Group 1: Double King-Pawn Openings

Joel Benjamin - Michael Rohde NY State Championship Saratoga Springs, 0199 [Rohde, M.: Ruy Lopez]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 This could not have been a complete surprise to Joel as he had seen me play it against Wolff at the Reshevsky Memorial and against Zapata at the 1993 World Open. 4.c3 Another sharp choice is 4 Nc3 - then after 4 ... g6 5 d4 cxd4 6 Nd5 Nxd5? 7 exd5 Qe7+ 8 Be2 Ne5 9 Nxd4 was bad for Black in a Rohde - W. Shipman game, but many Rohde - Hoffman blitz games instead have proceeded 6 ... Bg7 7 Bg5 h6 (box) 8 Bf6 Bxf6 9 Nxf6+ Kf8. The knight cannot be maintained on f6 and the critical line may be 10 Nxd4 Kg7 11 Nd5 Nxd5 12 exd5 Nxd4 13 Qxd4+ Qf6 14 Qxf6+ Kxf6 15 d6! Both Wolff and Zapata played 4 O-O against me. In Zapata - Rohde after 4 ... Ng6 5 d4 cxd4 6 Nxd4 Bc5 7 Be3? (better is 7 Nb3) Nxd4 8 Bxd4 Bxd4 9 Qxd4 Qg5! Black has already equalized. 10 Qd5 was forced (not 10 Nc3?? Nh4 and wins) and I tried 10 ... h6. Wolff also was unfamiliar with the opening. After 4 O-O Ng6 he played 5 Nc3 Bc5 (now it is not easy for White to get d2-d4 in) 6 Ne2?! O-O 7 d4 exd4 8 Nexd4 Nxd4 9 Nxd4 and 9 ... Qh4 was probably correct, though I feared 10 Nf5 Qxe4 11 Bd3 (Wolff intended the lame 10 Nb3 Bb6 11 Bd3 d6 with a great position for Black) but instead I chose 9 ... d5!? 10 Nb3 Bd6 11 exd5 Qh4. 4...d6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Bc4 The immediate pressure on f7 is inconvenient for Black. Westerinen once essayed 6 O-O Ng6 7 d5 Nb8 8 Qb3 Qc8 9 Na3. On the direct 6 dxe5 Nxe5! 7 Nxe5 dxe5 is good enough - not 7 ... Bxb5? 8 Nxf7! 6...Na5 7.Be2 Ng6 W. Shipman had played 7 ... Nc6 here against Benjamin, but 8 dxe5 followed by Qd1-b3 would have been strong. Note: Joe Shipman has written extensively on the Cozio, inspired by his father's games, but I am not familiar with Joe's work. In any case, the text solidifies Black's game on the kingside, but leaves the queen's knight out on a limb (rim). 8.d5 b6 9.h4 Taking a potshot at the other knight. On 9 Ba6 I would have played 9 ... Rb8. 9...Be7 10.h5 Nf8 On 10 ... Nh4 11 Nxh4 Bxh4 12 Bg4 White will always be slightly better. From f8 the knight can hop to h7 (after ... h7-h6) and then Black is ready for some kingside counterplay. 11.h6 g6 12.b4 Nb7 13.Ba6 Bc8 14.c4 Nd7 15.Bb2 I did not really understand this move. It has turned out that despite Black's laborious maneuvering, his position is rock solid - there are no targets. 15...0-0 16.Nbd2 An oversight. 16...Nbc5 17 bc Ba6 18 c6 Nc5 Black has dissolved his one poorly placed piece, and despite White's advanced pawn phalanx, Black is doing well because of the initiative brewing with f7-f5. 19.Ba3 The exclamation marks are for the draw offer that accompanied this move. Benjamin could have played the normal 19 ... Qc2 and offered a draw, although Black would be better after 19 ... Bc8 or 19 ... f5. Instead, the draw offer came with a move that allows Black to start an attack - hoping that if I did go for the attack I would overpress and be miserable about not having taken the draw. Moreover, now I had to calculate exactly how strong the attack really is. I decided that since Bonin, my certain next round opponent, is no pushover, I had better pursue the position I had now. 19...Nd3+ 20.Ke2 Nf4+ 21.Kf1 f5 22.exf5 gxf5 23.g3 I had overlooked that this move was perfectly playable, because if 23 ... Nxd5 24 Qa4 Qc8 25 Nxe5. 23...Ng6 24.Qc2 Bc8 Kg2 24...Bf6 25.Bb2 e4 26.Nd4 Be5 I returned the draw offer and was relieved when it was accepted, even though Black is still a little better. 1/2-1/2

Timman - Short, El Escorial (7) C68 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 O-O Qd6 [Before this game, this move was regarded as a sound and active defence. Faced with this position in Game 9 of this match, Short selected 5 ... Ne7, which invited immediate complications: 6 Nxe5 (else Black is very comfortable after 6 ... Ng6) Qd4 7 Qh5 (White gets nowhere with 7 Nf3 Qxe4 8 Re1 Qg6 9 Ne5 Qf5, Ligterink - Velimirovic, Amsterdam 1976) g6. DIAGRAM From this position, Timman - Nikolic, _____________, continued 8 Nf3 Qxe4 9 Qa5 Qf4 10 d3 with good prospects for White, but Timman was evidently afraid of Geller's untested ECO suggestion 9 ... Bg4!, although WHite may stand better after 10 Re1 Qf5 11 Qxc7. So Timman played the "main line" 8 Qg5 Bg7 9 Nd3 (This strange knight placement controls the b4 square in anticipation of 9 ... Qxe4? 10 Re1, but allows Black counterplay against White's stunted development.) f5 10 e5 c5 (Not 10 ... Bxe5? 11 Nxe5 Qxe5 12 d4 with a very strong attack.) 11 b3 h6 (Snapping upr the rook is rarely a good option in this line - after 11 Qxa1 12 Nc3 b6 13 Bb2 Qxf1+ 14 Kxf1 h6 15 Qg3 Bb7 16 e6 White was doing very well in Dieks - Van Scheltinga, Wijk an Zee II 1974.) 12 Qg3 (The sharpest line. Black has sufficient compensation after 12 Qe3 f4 13 Qxd4 cxd4.) f4 13 Qf3 Bf5 14 Qxb7 (Black was also fine after 14 Bb2 Qd5 15 Nxf4 Qxf3 in Vladimirov - Ivanov, USSR 1975) Be4 and Short went on to win a nice attacking game - 15 Qxc7 Bxd3 16 cxd3 Bxe5 17 Qb7 Rb8 18 Qxa6 f3 19 Nc3 fxg2 20 Re1 O-O 21 Qe6+ Rf7 22 Nd1 Qxa1 23 Qxe5 Qxe5 24 Rxe5 Nc6 25 Rxc5 Nb4 26 Ba3 Nxd3 27 Rc6 Ra8 28 Rd6 Rxa3 29 Rxd3 Rxa2 30 Ne3 Kg7 31 Kxg2 Ra5 32 Rd4 Rb5 33 b4 Rbb7 34 Rc4 Rfc7 35 Rg4 Rd7 36 h4 h5 37 Rg5 Rxb4 38 d4 Rf7 39 Rd5 Rb2 0 - 1] 6 Na3 [The decisive game of the 1991 U.S. Championship, the 3rd match game between Joel Benjamin and Gata Kamsky, continued 6 d3 Ne7 7 Be3 Ng6 8 Nbd2 c5 (More cautious is 8 ... Be7.) 9 Nc4 Qe6 10 Ng5, and Kamsky missed the necessary 10 ... Qg4! Instead, after 10 ... Qf6 11 Qh5, Benjamin obtained a strong attack which he later misplayed.] Be6 [A long time ago a game between John Fedorowicz and myself continued 6 ... b5 7 c4 (Fine for Black is 7 d4 exd4 8 Qxd4 Qxd4 9 Nxd4 c5; perhaps the best try for an advantage is 7 d3 Ne7 8 Be3 Ng6 9 c4, etc.) Bg4 8 d4!? (The position is equal after 8 h3 Bxf3 9 Qxf3 Nf6, Pinter - Portisch, Budapest 1975.) O-O-O 9 d5 f5! 10 h3 h5! 11 exf5 e4 12 cxb5 cxd5 with a complete mess - a good example of the so-called New Jersey School of Chess.] 7 Qe2! [This principled move completely revamps the 6 Na3 system. White prepares both Na3-c4 and to embarass the Black queen with Rf1-d1 and d2-d4. Instead, 7 Ng5 Bd7 8 Nc4 Qg6 9 d3 f6 accomplishes nothing, as does 7 d4 exd4 8 Qxd4 O-O-O.] f6?! [It was better to give back the prized bishop pair with 7 ... O-O-O 8 Nc4 Bxc4 9 Qxc4 f6, obtaining a position where Black's control of space compensates for the passivity of his minor pieces.] 8 Rd1 DIAGRAM [The threat of 9 d4 is highly unpleasant, and 8 ... c5 9 c3 does not improve matters. Short resorts to a strategem from his Sicilian-bashing systems.] g5 9 d4 g4 10 Ne1 O-O-O [Nothing was to be gained by 10 ... exd4 11 c3 c5 12 Nec2.] 11 Be3 h5 [Seemingly cavalier, but Black was already in deep water. On 11 ... Ne7, White keeps on rolling with 12 c4. And 11 ... Bh6 tends to lead the White queen on a direct path to a7 via e3.] 12 d5! [A pawn juggernaut is more convincing than piece play with 12 dxe5.] cxd5 13 exd5 Bf7 14 c4 Qd7 DIAGRAM 15 d6! [Giving Black no time to mobilize. However, Black's best practical chance is to grab the pawn and see which method White chooses. After 15 ... cxd6 16 Bb6 Re8 17 c5 d5 18 c6 bxc6 or 18 Rac1 Kb8 the game is not over. But 18 b4 is pretty strong. Short attempts to sidestep the roller and gets hammered. Note that 15 ... Qa4 is simply met by 16 dxc7, so the queen stays close.] Qc6 16 c5 Nh6 [White would not be distracted from the task at hand by 16 ... Bh6 17 b4 Bxe3 18 fxe3.] 17 b4 Qa4 18 Nc4 Rd7 [This move is designed to stop 19 dxc7, which now loses to 19 ... Bxc4. 18 ... Qb5 or 18 ... Qxb4 both fail to 19 dxc7 Rxd1 Qxd1.] DIAGRAM 19 Na5! [By threatening 20 c6, White forces Black to incarcerate his own queen. 19 ... Qb5 20 Qb2 is no defense.] c6 20 Nd3 Nf5 21 a3 Kb8 22 Nb2 Qb5 23 Qe1 [All of the preparations are complete.] Nxe3 24 fxe3 Bh6 25 Kh1 [Why permit the minor irritation of 25 a4 Bxe3+?] h4 26 a4 Qxa5 27 bxa5 g3 28 h3 Bg5 29 Nd3 Ka8 30 Rab1 Re8 31 Rb6 Bd5 32 e4 1 - 0

Igor Ivanov - Grigory Kajdanov, US Open? 1992 C78 1 e4 [A rare guest in Ivanov's repertoire.] e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Qe2 [The Worall Attack, which is due for a surge in popularity following Short's successful use of it in his match against Karpov.] b5 7 Bb3 O-O 8 c3 d5 [This continuation is a close relative of the Marshall counter-gambit. The only difference is that it is White's queen, rather than White's rook as in the Marshall, that will end up on e5.] 9 d3 [The main line. On the immediate 9 exd5, 9 ... Bg4! 10 dxc6 e4 produces sufficient compensation.] h6!? [ECO omits this move, and gives instead the alternatives 9 ... d4, ... Re8, ... Bc5, ... dxe4, ... Bg4, and ... Qd6. But 9 ... h6 is well motivated: if White continues to refuse the sacrifice, ... h6 joins the battle to control d5 by stopping a thematic Bg5, and if White accepts the pawn sacrifice, ... h6 usefully prevents White from offering piece exchanges on the g5 square.] 10 exd5 Nxd5 11 Nxe5 Nxe5 12 Qxe5 Nf6 [By delaying ... Bb7 until after the queen has been kicked out by ... Bd6, Black ensures that the White queen cannot utilize the f5 square.] 13 Nd2 Bd6 14 Qe2 [Probably better was 14 Qd4! Bb7 15 a4. The idea is that the queen could settle, if necessary, on h4, where it would remain a thorn in Black's side. For example, (after 15 a4) 15 ... c5 16 Qh4 Kh7 (threatening 17 ... g5) 17 Nf3 is good.] Bb7 [Black is now looking forward to a massive buildup with 15 ... Qd7 and 16 ... Rae8, so Ivanov scrambles to exchange pieces.] 15 Ne4 Nxe4 16 dxe4 Qe7 [White would be well suited by 16 ... Qd7 17 Bd5, or 16 ... Re8 17 Qf3.] 17 Re1 Rge8 18 Qg4 Kh8 DIAGRAM 19 Qh3 [It was high time to establish equality with 19 Bf4! f5 20 Bxd6 cxd6 21 Qg3. The text threatens 20 Bxh6, but after Kajdanov's reply the c1 bishop is reduced to the role of a spectator. However, Ivanov welcomes the resulting complications.] f5!! 20 e5 [Much better than the groveling 20 f3, which has the idea that if Black plays for space with ... f4, then at least White maintains his e4 bulwark, but fails to 20 ... Bc5+ 21 Kh1 fxe4 22 fxe4 Bf2, etc., or 21 Be3? Bxe3+ 22 Rxe3 Qc5.] f4! 21 Bc2 [Toughest was 21 Bd2!, forcing Black to take on e5, if at all, with the awkward bishop. After 21 Bd2 Bxe5 22 Bc2 (with the idea 23 Qd3; if 22 ... f3 23 Bxh6!) Rd8 23 Rad1 Qf6 White is still under heavy pressure.] Qg5 [Stops both 23 Bg6 and 23 Qd3.] 22 e6 [Not 22 Be4? Rxe5 23 f3 Rfe8. 22 Bd2, looking for simplification, was to be considered.] Rf6 23 Bb3? [A clear road to equality is not evident. Though it seems correct to defend the e-pawn, and the e-file, the bishop was well placed defensively on the b1-h7 diagonal. On 23 Bd2 Rfxe6 24 f3?, intending Re2 25 Kf1! Qe5 26 Qf5! and White repels the attack, Black has 24 ... Bc8!, and then 25 Rxe6 Bxe6 26 Re1 Qc5+! winning. So White must try, after 23 Bd2 Rfxe6, 24 Rxe6 Rxe6 25 Re1 Rxe1+ 26 Be1, hoping that his latent counterplay with Qe6 or Qd7 will materialize once his queen is relieved of the duty to defend g2.] Rg6 24 f3 Qc5+ 25 Kf1 DIAGRAM Rg5! [By menacing 26 ... Rh5, Kajdanov budges the queen off her defensive perch.] 26 Qh4 Bxf3!! 27 gxf3 Rg1+ 28 Ke2 Rg2+ 29 Kd3 [The point is 29 Kd1 Be7 30 Qh3 Qf2.] Be7 30 Qh3 Rd8+ 31 Ke4 Qc6+ 32 Kxf4 Rf8+ 33 Ke3 Bc5+ 0 - 1