MODERN
BENONI A68
Peake
GM v Kev-Blitz Match
Game 18
White Black
Kev-Blitz - GMP
0:1 (ICC 10 15 u) 20/ 8/2003
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 e6 5. e4 d6
The point is that Black, by playing this move order, has avoided the
Taimanov Bb5ch variation. So Kev has to play plan B - But has he a plan B ? It
is interesting that the Modern Benoni - despite apparently being frowned on by
some - has been played by Tal ,Fischer, Kasparov, Nunn, de Firmian, Korchnoi,
Emms, Psakhis, Lautier, Suba, Hebden, Norwood and even Smyslov.
6. f4?! An attacking move, an
ambitious move, a go for the jugular move ! But is it the best? This move will
stand or fall on whether White will be able to play e5 with impunity. If he can
he will have an overwhelming won position. However, I believe that with best
play by Black - as in the King's Indian
4 Pawn Attack variation - White cannot achieve this with advantage. If he
cannot then his position is very "drafty" in Kev's words. He will
suffer from deep sores on the Black squares, a1-h8 and g1-a7 diagonals, and a
weak e pawn. A further point is that a Black rook on e8 will be very effective
on the half open file. White's soon to be half open c-file, however, is less
than useless. With regard to e5 I cannot envisage many of the positional
players, such as Petrosian, playing this move. In fact, Petrosian nearly always
played the positional Nf3 to d2 Knight's tour system (see Lloyd.doc for theory}
6..... Bg7
7. Nf3
[7. e5?! de 8. fe Nfd7 9. de fe 10. Qd6 Nxe5 11. Qxd8 Kxd8 12. Bg5 Kc7 13. Nb5
Kb6 14. O-O-O Nbc6 15. Be2 a6 16. Nc3 Kc7 17. Nf3 b6 18. Bf4 Rf8 19. Nxe5 Bxe5
20. Bxe5 Nxe5 21. Rhe1 Bd7 22. Ne4 Rae8 23. Bf1 Nc6 24. a4 Nd4 25. b4 Bxa4 26.
Rd3 Nc2
0-1, Goodwin E - Miles Anthony J 2588 , Staffordshire 1971 It (open) ]
7... ed
8. cd O-O
If White's
projected e5 push fails he will be in trouble on the Q-side as Black's 3 to 2
Q-side pawn majority will soon be rolling
- In effect then Black will have an extra pawn.
9. Bd3 This has
only scored 33% for White. In fact it doesn't really cover the e-pawn as...
[9. Be2 b5!? 10. Bxb5 see note to 10th move.]
9... b5!? This
sacks a pawn, but has scored heavily for Black
10. O-O
[10. Bxb5 Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Qa5 12. Kf2 Qxb5 13. Nxd6 has only scored 35 % for White
in 27 games, probably because of the King position]
10... c4!? I told
you the Q-side pawns would start to roll !
[10... b4 has scored 75% for
Black in 12 games and is perhaps even stronger.]
11. Bc2 b4
12. Nb5? gets
White into black square trouble.
[12. Ne2 Re8µ]
12... Qb6 Again
Black squares, Black squares! Black
will also use Ng4 and bishop's threats down the a1 h8 diagonal
13. Nbd4 Re8
14. Re1 Bb7
15. Kh1
[15. Be3!? Ng4 is embarrassing black
square trouble again.]
15... Ng4 It's all
a result of holes and weaknesses !!
16. Kg1
[16. Re2!? Ba6 17. Qg1 b3 18. ab cb°]
16... Bxd5! This
looked to win to me, but strangely enough Chess Tiger analysed after the game
that Black has only a small advantage after 17. h3 ! However, Shredder soon
found the Black win - so the moral of the story is computers are not all the
same and they do not always get it right !
17. Be3? -3.75
[17. h3!? had to be played b3 18. ab cb 19. Bb1 Nc6 20. hg Nxd4 21. Be3 Nxf3 22. gf Qb4 23. ed Bxb2
24. Ra6 (24. Be4 Bxa1 25. Qxa1 b2 26. Qb1 a5°) 24... Rxe3 25. Rxe3 Bd4°;
17. ed Rxe1 18. Qxe1 Bxd4°]
17... Nxe3
18. Rxe3 Nc6
Black's Knight joins the attack - it's a dream position !
19. Ba4
[19. ed Nxd4 20. Rxe8 Rxe8°]
19... Nxd4
20. Bxe8 Rxe8
21. Kh1 Bxe4
22. Qa4
[22. Nxd4 Bxd4 23. Re2 c3 24. bc bc 25. Rc1 Qc5 26. Qa4 Re7 27. f5 Bc6 28. Qd1
Rxe2 29. Qxe2 Qxf5 30. a3 Qf4
-6.02|d15 Tiger 15.0]
22... Qc6
[22... Re6 was also playable.
This looks simpler. -7.00]
23. Qd1
[23. Qxc6 Nxc6 is dead lost. -5.50]
23... Nxf3
[23... Nc2 was also possible]
24. gf Bxb2 This
bishop, as usual, has been a monster !
25. fe Bxa1
26. Qxa1 Rxe4
White
resigns [...]
[27. Rxe4 Qxe4 28. Kg1 c3]
[0:1]
Geoff Peake’s HOME Chess web site
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