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The Grand Prix Attack starts with 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 f4 and is quite
a dangerous system. A typical line then continues 3 ... g6 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Bc4 (this really is the characteristic move of the Grand Prix - a seemingly naive bombardment of f7) e6 6 O-O Nge7 7 f5! White pitches a pawn in
broad daylight either to expand the scope of the c4 bishop or to inflict a breach in what will become Black's castled position. In the following
game, knowing that famed chess coach Sunil Weeramantry is a Grand Prix devotee, I devised an early way out of the main lines. |
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(4) Sunil Weeramantry - Michael Rohde
Boston Boston, 10.03.1995
[Rohde, M.]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 I have never relished facing the Grand Prix Attack, which arises after 2 ... Nc6 3 f4 g6 4 Nf3 followed by 5 Bc4, which Sunil is a specialist in. And if Blcak avoids this with 2 ... Nc6 3 f4 e6 4 Nf3 a6, after 5 d4 Sunil is also quite happy on the White side of a Taimanov. I came to the board prepared to play 2 ... Qc7!?, radically stopping 3 f4. But the queen might just be stupid there in closed Sicilian positions after 3 g3. After a long think I came up with the following idea: 2...a6 3.f4 b5 4.Nf3 Bb7 The point! Black threatens to win a pawn with 5 ... b4. 5.d4 5 d3 followed by g2-g3 is an objectively good reaction. 5...e6 Keeping the pressure against White's center in suspense. Good for White was 5 ... b4 6 Na4 cxd4 7 Nxd4! Bxe4 8 Be3 with a big lead in development. 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Qxd4 Unclear is 7 Nxd4 with possibilities such as 7 ... Bb4 8 Bd3 Nf6 9 O-O!, 7 ... Nf6 8 e5, or 7 ... b4! 8 Na4 Nf6! 7...Nf6 8.0-0-0 Much better was 8 e5, even though Black is certainly OK after 8 ... Ng4. 8...Nc6 9.Qd3 Simply unplayable is 9 Qd2 b4. 9...Rc8 Amazingly, White's situation is already critical. 10.Ng5 By controlling the e4 square, White renews the threat of playing e4-e5. The immediate 10 e5 fails to 10 ... Nb4 11 Qd2 Ne4. But now White is ready to meet almost anything with e4-e5. For example, 10 ... h6? 11 e5! is very good for White, as after 11 ... hxg5 12 exf6 White threatens 13 Bb6! More testing is 10 ... Qa5. Then the immediate 11 e5 is impossible because of 11 ... Nb4 12 Qd2 Nxa2+. Instead, White plays 11 a3 and Black is stymied: 11 ... b4 12 e5!! works for White after 12 ... bxc3 13 exf6 cxb2+ 14 Kb1 or 12 ... bxa3 13 exf6 axb2+ 14 Kd2; a different route entirely is 11 ... Bxa3 but is not convincing after 12 bxa3 Qxa3+ 13 Kd2. This analysis makes clear the need to get the knight to b4 first. 10...Nb4 11.Qd2 Qa5 Now the threat of 12 ... Rxc3 is taking priority, and forces White's play. 12.Bd4 Rxc3 13.Bxc3 Nxa2+ 14.Kb1 Nxc3+ 15.Qxc3 With the c3 knight gone, White's middlegame counterplay lacks punch because e4-e5 is always answered by ... Nf6-d5. 15...Qxc3 16.bxc3 h6 Winning the second pawn for the Exchange in the most active way possible. Not good enough was 16 ... Nxe4 17 Nxe4 Bxe4 18 Rd2 and White should hold. 17.e5 He still cannot allow the Black knight to simply alight on e4. 17...hxg5 18.exf6 gxf4 Now White's kingside paralysis becomes a major factor. Weeramantry opts for activity at the cost of possibly a few more pawns. 19.c4 bxc4 20.Bxc4 Bxg2 21.Rhg1 Rxh2 Unfortunately for White, now if 22 Rd2 f3 23 Bf1, then 23 ... gxf6 24 Bxg2 Bc5! wins. In this line, 23 fxg7 Bxg7 24 Bf1 loses to 24 ... Bc3. If White tries the different move order 22 Bf1 (with the idea 22 ... f3 23 Bxg2, picking up the advanced pawn) then 22 ... Be4! wins because 23 fxg7 Bxc2+ 24 Kc1 Ba3 is mate. 22.Bxa6 gxf6 23.Bb5 Bc5 24.Rxg2 Rxg2 25.Rxd7 Kf8 26.Rd3 f5 27.Bc6 Rg3 28.Rd1 f3 29.Rf1 f2 30.Kc1 Ke7 31.Kd1 Kd6 32.Bb5 e5 33.Ke2 Rg1 34.Kf3 e4+ 35.Kf4 Ke6 36.Be2 Kf6 37.c3 Bb6 38.c4 Bc5 0-1
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