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The annotated game by id=raskerino (Suba Game #2) reminded me of this game from the New Zealand Correspondence "Reserve" Championship, 1975-6. This game has the same moves as raskerino's until move 8. It, too, is a tactical melee, but is just too long to be called a "miniature". |
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1. c4
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At this time something like 90% of my games as White began with this move, Correspondence or OTB. However, it was surprising how often it would transpose into King's Indians or Moroczy Bind Sicilians. Not that I minded ... |
  2 comments
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1... c5
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The Symmetrical English has the reputation for being dull and drawish. My experience never really supported this view. |
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2. Nc3
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Not the only, but it looks like a logical continuaton. 2.Nf3 is also a popular method, often preferred as less likely to lead to "dull symmetry". |
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2... Nf6
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Possibly the most usual reply, though 2...Nc6 is not uncommon. |
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3. Nf3
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3.e4 is also playable here. |
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3... d5
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The most active line for Black. 3...b6 or 3...e6 are playable alternatives. |
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4. cxd5
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Practically forced. Black's d-pawn can not be allowed to advance. |
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4... Nxd5 5. e4
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Forces the Black knight to make a third move. 5.g3 and 5.e3 are more restrained and less loosening of White's position, but the text move is hard to pass up! |
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5... Nb4
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Planning to disrupt White's king. It leads to interesting complications, but is the expediture of tempi by Black worth the inconvenience caused to White? We'll see. Safer, by the way, is 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 g6, when White can choose between 7.d4, transposing into a Grunfeld, or (better) 7.Bb5ch ..., 8.0-0. |
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6. Bc4
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A logical move that anticipates Black's next... 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4?? runs into 7...Qxd4! |
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6... Nd3+
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The "point". White loses his castling rights, leaving the rook hard to activate. For all that, White's development otherwise proves quite rapid in the sequel. However, 6...e6, say, is less good: 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2 a6 11.Ng3 Bd6 12.Qg4 with, according to Nimzovitch, advantage to White. *** Another line, 6...Be6 has been tried, but after 7.Bxe6 fxe6 etc, Black found his KB hard to activate in Golombek-Dijkstra, Leeuwarden,1947. |
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7. Ke2
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Driving the knight away from d3 before retiring to f1. |
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7... Nf4+
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Black could also play 7...Nxc1ch, though it is hard to give up a knight with its 5th move for a unmoved bishop that has no mobility at all!To continue: 8.Rxc1 a6 (8...e6? 9.d4 cxd4 10.Bb5ch Nc6 11.Qxd4 Qxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7 13.Rhd1 Rc8 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Ba4 Bb4 16.Rd4 Bc5 17.Rc4 Bb6 18.e5 f5 19.Nb5) 9.d4 cxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Nxd4 when White has a big lead in development with the king conveniently placed in the centre. |
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8. Kf1 Nc6
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Deviating from 8...Ne6 played in the Suba vs Sax game, and in Averbakh-Bondarevsky, Moscow, 1946: 9.Ne5 Qd4 10.Qa4ch Bd7 11.Nxd7 Qxd7 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Qxd7ch Kxd7 14.d3 e5 15.Be3 e6 16.Ke2 ... |
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9. d4
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Gambiting a pawn for rapid development. Much preferable to 9.d3, say. |
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9... cxd4
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The alternative here is 9...Ng6, though it gives up a pawn: 10.dxc5 Qxd1ch 11.Nxd1 Bg4 12.Be3 e6 13.Nc3 etc. White won't mind exchanges on f3 as he will be left with an extra pawn constituting his Q-side majority, and the B-pair into the bargain. |
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10. Bxf4 dxc3 11. Qb3
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Naturally, exchanges on d8 come into consideration: 11.Qxd8 Nxd8 12.bxc3 when White has a big lead in development. |
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11... e6
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Had Black played instead 11...Be6, White would be happy to double his pawns on the e-file, threatening e4-e5 with a serious bind on Black's K-side. |
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12. Rd1
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Possibly the simple 12.Qxc3 is more circumspect, but I always liked playing on the edge... |
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12... Qf6
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This move seemed to beckon on White's attack... |
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(2340)