% BOOKTITLE = The Dark Knight System
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this Publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.23"]

{Welcome to the Dark Knight System, a weapon which can be used against
virtually every opening White can play!} 1. -- {In the Dark Knight System,
Black begins with} Nc6 {and adopts a dark-square strategy. The Dark Knight
System is a potent mix of several other openings, blending portions of the
King's Indian, Pirc, Scotch and Tango, but it contains many independent lines
too. It forces White onto his own devices very early on in the game. When
forced to improvise, even strong players are prone to playing weak moves or
expending their time and energy in the opening. --- In this book, FIDE Master
James Schuyler invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Black
opening. Drawing on over 25 years' experience with 1...Nc6, he presents a
repertoire for Black, studies the important tactical and strategic ideas,
examines key issues such as move orders, and tells you everything you need to
know about the Dark Knight System.} (1... Nc6 {James Schuyler is a FIDE Master.
He was Nevada State Champion in 2007 and won the Virginia State Championship
in both 2011 and 2012. He has been teaching chess for over 25 years.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.23"]

1. -- {Why another repertoire book on} Nc6 {- ? Didn't one come out just a few
years ago? As it turns out, the subject matter here is completely different,
as are the types of positions reached. 1...Nc6 isn't really an opening yet,
but the starting point for many openings. This book generally concerns itself
with Black's plans for using 1...Nc6 to force ...e7-e5, as played by Tony
Miles, for instance. This idea is properly known as the Kevitz System. 
(Wisnewski's repertoire book on ...Nc6 was all about the Nimzowitsch and
Chigorin Defences, in which Black plays 1...d5 or 2...d5.)} 2. -- (2. -- {The
Dark Knight System? --- For reasons I will lay out, I will be recommending a
fianchetto of the king's bishop if White resists the ...e7-e5 advance. These
are in fact the most common positions, and they have a much different feel
from a typical Kevitz System. Furthermore, I believe that the fianchetto is a
substantial improvement over the commonly played moves, and therefore a new
name is in order. Since it is a black knight venturing out from a dark square
to initiate a strategy of dark-square control... need I go on?}) (2. -- {Does
the Dark Knight System work? --- It works wonderfully, and in two ways.
Firstly, it can throw White on his own devices as early as move one! When
forced to improvise, even titled players can play shockingly weak moves or
expend their time and energy in the opening. Secondly, the opening is fully
sound and playable against all calibre of opposition. Black is fundamentally
okay so there will be no need to abandon the repertoire just because your
opponents are no longer surprised. Furthermore, this book is intended to leave
you a step or two ahead of even very well-prepared opponents. --- I would like
to take the opportunity to say that, in general, the quality of play in Dark
Knight variations has been low for both colours. In many common positions, as
early as moves six, five, four, and three (!) the unquestionably best moves
have been rarely or never played! To some extent this is understandable in an
"unorthodox" opening, particularly for White, who has more important things to
worry about. It is less understandable for Black, who can hardly be surprised
by his own opening. However, from Black's standpoint, this is highly
correctable - and what better opening to use than one in which there is a long
history of incompetence by the opponent, even at the GM level? I suggest that
Black's practical results (which are by no means bad) can be substantially
improved.}) (2. -- {Who plays it? --- As far as I know, nobody plays the Dark
Knight in exactly the fashion I will be recommending, but many strong players
use large parts of the repertoire, and most of the bits and pieces have been
tested in high-level encounters. --- In spite of the relative obscurity of the
Kevitz System, it should be noted that it was one of Miles's regular weapons
against both 1 e4 and 1 d4, and IM Zvonimir Mestrovic plays it frequently -
they each have hundreds of 1...Nc6 (with the idea of ...e7-e5) games to their
credit. --- It has also seen use by GMs Bogoljubow, Mikenas, Short, Hoi, Lazic,
Velimirovic, Benjamin, Gausel, Svidler, Huang Thong Tu, Hort, A.Sokolov,
Sulskis, Godena, Izeta Txabarri, Gulko, Klinger, Rogers, Olafsson, Tolnai, Art.
Minasian, Ubilava, Sadler, Anand, Dizdarevic, Gonzales, Speelman, Mohr,
Bachmann, Zarnicki, Gelashvili, Leko, Johansen, Shkuro, Rohde, Karpatchev,
Ermenkov, Bezgodov, and de facto GM Nikolaevsky - not to mention IMs Kjeldsen,
Cvetkovic, Przewoznik, Vlassov, Danailov, Tarlev, Barle (frequently), Z.Nikolic, Vujadinovic, Wohl, Sommerbauer, Mascaro, Matikozian, O'Donnell, Eid,
Ambrus, Kos, Bus, and presumably many others that I have missed. --- So, as we
can see, not only are strong players willing to play these positions (and
against other strong players) they do so over and over, in some cases without
any expectation of surprising their opponents. This says a lot about the
hidden consensus as to the merits of the opening among those in the know.}) (2.
-- {Coverage --- This is a repertoire book, but I am not adhering slavishly to
the concept. Sidelines for Black are presented if they are useful or
enlightening. One situation that sometimes comes up is that a main line, while
objectively fine for Black, offers very few winning chances. In this case, I
will try to offer an alternative which makes it more practical to play for a
win, normally with substantial additional risk (otherwise it would have been
chosen as the main line). --- Transpositions to other openings are obviously
frequent, but I will not abandon the reader just because we have reached a
position that happens to be known by a different name. I will mention
transpositions when available and cover the transpositions that I recommend.
--- That being said, it is not simple to fit a whole Black repertoire into one
volume, and decisions needed to be made about what to devote space to. Except
for here, I will not waste space expressing the wish that I had more space.
However, if certain positions receive light treatment, this is generally the
reason. When deciding what to focus on, I weighed both frequency and danger,
only intentionally ignoring White moves that are both rare and weak. Besides,
space aside, I see no point bogging down the reader with information he won't
need.}) (2. -- {Transpositions? Aargh! --- Why would anyone want to learn
independent Dark Knight and Kevitz positions when they are just going to have
to learn regular (transpositional) openings on top of it? One part of the
answer is that a player may greatly enjoy the non-transpositional positions,
and these are reached frequently. Another important part is that White
normally has to give up valuable options in order to enter the transposition.
For instance, in the Pirc reached through the Dark Knight System, White can
only play the Classical Variation which, though fairly popular, is just not
very challenging for Black. Admittedly, Black's knight reaches the slightly
unusual square c6, and does so unusually early, but I will demonstrate that
this is not a problem. With White's options limited and Black committed to
this sideline, the study material is relatively small. --- To continue, a
player who plays 1 e4 e5 must typically learn the Ruy Lopez, Two Knights,
Scotch, King's Gambit, Vienna, and other sidelines. Compared to this, the
Scotch reached via the Dark Knight is a light workload, not particularly
dangerous, and not a popular choice for White. Therefore, play the Dark Knight
System still.}) (2. -- {Oh, the humanity! --- I am admittedly human and,
furthermore, fallible, but I will refrain from continuously hedging in the
text (e.g. "If my analysis holds up, it seems to me that perhaps Black may
indeed have the better practical chances, though this idea is untried and
further investigation is needed"). If there are particular doubts about
conclusions, the normal solution is not to express them, but to rectify them.
--- Hopefully I am far less fallible with the help of chess engines,
especially Houdini (whom I sometimes refer to affectionately as "Mr. H").
Everything presented is computer-checked, which offers the reader substantial
protection when relying on the analysis. However, I have only used long
computer-generated variations when absolutely necessary; i.e. there are no
relevant human games to draw from, and the positions aren't settling down into
something that can be understood and assessed. In other words, fairly often.
--- I am inevitably prone to error when I quote statistics, or when I say that
a move is new. These statements are necessarily based on games I have access
to. I will try to avoid saying, "according to my database" every time, since
that should be taken as a given. And I apologize in advance to the true
originators for such errors in attribution.}) (2. -- {Untested? (*gasp*!) ---
In opening books, untested - or lightly tested - moves are typically treated
like embarrassing relatives, introduced quickly for propriety's sake and then
shuffled off to somewhere they won't bother anyone. Admittedly it is far
easier to discuss and analyse moves that have been played repeatedly by GMs,
but ultimately moves need to stand on their own merits, and we should not shy
away from a little work in order to play better chess. Besides, isn't it good
to catch our opponents unprepared? --- As for enemy novelties, it is also
sensible to be ready, especially if it is a computer novelty. After all, if
"my" Houdini says a move is best, my opponent's will too, and I will soon be
facing this move at the board.}) (2. -- {Who? --- "I" is me, James Martin
Schuyler. "You" is you, the reader. "We" is not the royal we - it is me and
you, the reader. "Our" opening is the Dark Knight System. I am nobody in
particular. My qualification for writing this book is the fact that I wrote
the excellent book you are now holding in your hands.}) (2. -- {Assessments
--- Chess writers will often tell you that your understanding of a position is
more important than the objective assessment. No doubt this is true, but this
is not a good reason to be unconcerned with assessments. An objectively poor
position will require a great deal of preparation and understanding in order
to be worth playing. Also, what if your opponent happens to understand it
too?! Wouldn't it be better to take the time to understand a sound position
instead of a questionable one? --- I will try to convey as much of my
understanding as possible, but I am also extremely concerned with the
objective quality of the position (to the extent that it is possible to
determine it). I do not want to place us one or two inaccuracies away from an
extremely difficult position, nor do I want our opponent to have the luxury of
one or two inaccuracies and still retain chances for an advantage. --- If you
are not concerned with assessments, simply ignore them, or cross out the words
and write in crayon, "Black is okay". I do not find this useful, but it is
sufficient for many and true as far as it goes - if the position were not
extremely playable, it would not be in the book. --- Houdini is not the final
arbiter of anything - especially since it is people who must play the
positions - but he is a far stronger player than I am, and he is nothing if
not objective, so when looking for what passes for the truth, his assessments
carry considerable weight. When his opinions have not made sense to me, I have
looked deeper. Typically, I have become convinced, but sometimes I am able to
convince him - rarely do we continue to disagree. --- Assessments in this book
are intended to apply to narrow ranges. "Equal" corresponds to an advantage
for one player of no more than 0.09 pawns. "Comfortably equal" is the more
pleasant half of that range. "Tiny advantage", "tiny edge", or "slightly
better" is an advantage of 0.10 to 0.17 pawns, while "nearly equal" would be a
similar disadvantage. In most chess works, such positions are simply labelled
as equal, but I believe that there is far too big a difference between +0.15
and -0.15 (two to three inaccuracies or even two to three tempi in many
positions) to let it go without mention. An "edge" or "small advantage" is
between 0.18 and 0.25 pawns. In other works, such positions are often called
"approximately equal". I understand that the style of assessment I am using
implies a degree of precision that is difficult to attain, but I would rather
strive for precision and risk falling short than strive for vagueness in the
hopes of evading criticism. --- I have not found it necessary to include in
the repertoire positions worse than a quarter pawn disadvantage, but they are
not uncommon in the notes. I have not tried to be as precise in my
descriptions of theoretically unimportant positions, but the unadorned words
"advantage" and "better" mean approximately 0.26 to 0.39 pawns, while 0.4 to 0.6 is a "comfortable advantage" and more would be "clearly better" or some such,
while more than one pawn would be "nearly winning".}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Personal history with 1...Nc6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{My love affair with 1...Nc6 goes back to the late '80s, and my trusty old
'Batsford Chess Openings'. I had owned it for some time before I came across a
single line by Bogoljubow concerning the amazing} 1. d4 Nc6 $5 {. Should White
"take the bait" and try to play a kind of mirrored Alekhine's, a wonderfully
interesting position may be reached:} 2. d5 Ne5 3. f4 Ng6 4. e4 e5 5. f5 {(??)}
Qh4+ 6. Kd2 Qxe4 {(?)} 7. fxg6 Qxd5+ 8. Ke1 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 hxg6 {. Although
labelled as unclear, Black's compensation seemed tremendous to me, with three
premium pawns and the half-open h-file for a small knight. My shoddy but
practical analysis confirmed this: after} 10. Nc3 $6 ({Importantly, after the
correct} 10. c4 $1 {I still preferred Black.}) 10... c6 11. Nf3 f6 $1 12. Bd3
$6 Ne7 13. Bd2 d5 14. Be2 Nf5 {, White will be lucky to survive, even should
he find a defence to} 15. -- e4 16. Ne1 Ng3 17. Rg1 Bc5 {. This is, in fact,
what many players tend to do as White. --- Two of Bogo's opponents were kind
enough to allow 5...Qh4+!. Alas, after 26 years of 1...Nc6, I have yet to
bring this variation to the board during a tournament game. (And now I never
will. Even if White plays into it, I will be obligated to correct Black's
sixth move. More on this in Chapter Three.) On the plus side, I have yet to
encounter any real opening difficulties against any calibre of opposition. ---
Therefore, play the Dark Knight System!} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Weak Colour Complex"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.23"]

{There is no way to play chess well while adhering to a single idea, or even
two or three ideas - the game is far too complicated - but I have noticed that,
in the Dark Knight System, one concept assumes far greater than normal
importance, and that is the notion of the weak colour complex. In many of the
high-level games that Black wins, it is by taking advantage of White's
weaknesses on the dark squares. I would assume that most readers are familiar
with the idea of a weak colour complex, but since it is especially important
in the DKS, I will prattle on about it anyway.} 1. -- {In some positions, a
player is more likely to have problems because of weaknesses on a single
colour. The conditions:} (1. -- {Most of the player's pawns are on a single
colour (at least in a certain area of the board). Naturally, the weak colour
complex will occur on the opposite colour.}) (1. -- {The player is missing the
bishop that he would need to guard the weak colour.}) (1. -- {The player's
king is in the vicinity of the weak squares.}) (1. -- {The player's opponent
still has the bishop that can infiltrate on the weak colour.}) (1. -- {A
player will usually experience problems if three of the conditions are met.
Furthermore, if you notice two conditions in your opponent's position, it is
worth seeing if you can aggravate his situation. --- A few more observations:
Obviously, if a player's opponent has no access to the 'weak' squares, there
is no weak colour complex, regardless of what other conditions are present.}) (
1. -- {A knight is a handy piece for the invader to have, because it allows
him to extend the attack to the other colour. (A knight sitting on a weak dark
square attacks light squares).}) (1. -- {A space advantage is no protection
against a weak colour complex - it can even be a vulnerability.}) (1. -- {Weak
colour complexes are common in fianchetto openings - for the opponent of the
player that fianchettos, that is. This is because of how each player is likely
to set up their pawns, and also because the fianchettoed bishop (the one that
is likely to be infiltrating the enemy weaknesses) has extra protection
against being traded off for a knight.}) (1. -- {The weak colour complex will
not come up often in the theoretical section because it does not usually
appear in a full-blown form until the middlegame, but the idea permeates the
games section.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Section One: 1 d4 Nc6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 {. The Dark Knight first caught my attention as a defence to 1 d4.
Although playing it against 1 e4 requires very little additional knowledge,
Black may find it useful that his 1 d4 opponents are unlikely to know the ins
and outs of the Scotch and the Pirc. Besides, since it is not so easy (for
most of us) to meet 1 d4, it is especially nice to find an effective defence.
It even neutralizes the London, Trompowsky, and other white "easy" systems.} 2.
-- ({Apart from} 2. e4 {which is covered via 1 e4 in Section Two, White has
three main moves:}) (2. Nf3 {- Chapter One}) (2. c4 {- Chapter Two}) (2. d5 {
- Chapter Three}) ({Others:} 2. e3 e5 ({or} 2... d6 {and 3...g6, to keep
things interesting - White's pawn on e3 makes a poor impression in this King's
Indian type of position}) 3. Nf3 {sees White try to play a French with an
extra move, but this move order gives Black a few good options.} ({instead,} 3.
c4 {transposes to A2}) ({; whereas} 3. d5 {is schizophrenic nonsense:} Nce7 4.
c4 d6 5. Nc3 f5 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. Bc2 g6 {gave Black an extremely comfortable
version of a King's Indian in J.Paasikangas Tella-T.Lindqvist, Finnish Team
Championship 1996 - see Game 1}) 3... e4 ({also possible is} 3... exd4 4. exd4
d5 {- an Exchange French - to dry up the game}) 4. Nfd2 f5 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7
$1 {transposes to line B2 in Chapter Seven.}) (2. Nc3 {will soon transpose,
after} e5 3. d5 ({or} 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. e4) 3... Nce7 4. e4 {, into positions
considered in Chapter Four (see 4 Nc3 in lines A and B respectively).}) (2. c3
e5 3. e4 {- see 3 c3 at the beginning of Chapter Four.}) (2. Bg5 $6 {looks
like an attempt to outdo Black in the weird department, though it does prevent
...e7-e5 for now. Black must not shy away from the bizarre:} f6 $1 {(breaking
the pin and challenging White to prove that the bishop is well placed on the
rim)} 3. Bh4 d5 $1 {(this is not normal for us, but White has given us space
and time and centre, so we do not wish to be disturbed by a belated d4-d5)} 4.
e3 (4. c4 $6 e5 $1 5. dxe5 Bb4+ 6. Nc3 d4 7. a3 Be7 8. Nd5 fxe5 9. Nxe7 Ngxe7 {
is just good for Black}) 4... Nh6 $1 5. Nc3 (5. c4 e5) ({, or} 5. Bd3 e5 $1 6.
dxe5 Nxe5 7. Nc3 c6 8. Nf3 Nxd3+ 9. Qxd3 Nf5) 5... Nf5 6. Bg3 {and we have a
few sound choices, but the point of our play is to pursue the bishop, so let's
go!} h5 $5 (6... e6) (6... g6) 7. Be2 g6 8. Nf3 Be6 ({time to take a break;} 
8... h4 9. Bf4 g5 10. Nxg5 fxg5 11. Bh5+ Kd7 12. Bxg5 {is pretty dangerous}) 9.
Bf4 Bf7 10. h4 a6 11. O-O Qd7 {and 12...0-0-0 is equal.}) (2. f4 $5 {is
another radical way to prevent 2...e5.} -- ({. In the very limited practice,
Black has done well with} 2... d5 3. Nf3 ({of course, White also has} 3. e3 Bf5
4. Bd3 e6 $1 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. O-O {, and although White has no advantage, he has
reached a Stonewall position with which he is presumably comfortable}) 3... Bg4
4. e3 f6 $5 {; e.g.} 5. c4 ({while after} 5. Bb5 Qd6 6. O-O a6 7. Bxc6+ Qxc6 8.
c3 Nh6 9. Nbd2 O-O-O 10. Qe1 Bf5 11. Qe2 e6 12. Re1 Be4 13. c4 Bb4 14. cxd5
exd5 15. a3 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Bxd2 17. Bxd2 f5 {, Black had continuously
maintained his grip on e4 and went on to win with his good knight versus bad
bishop in J.Vialatte-F.Giroux, Paris 2006 - see Game 2}) 5... e5 $1 6. cxd5
Qxd5 7. Nc3 Bb4 {and White was already worse in C.Depasquale-A.Ker, New
Zealand Championship 2001.}) ({. Nothing wrong with any of that, but taking
the opponent out of his comfort zone is one of the things this book is about,
and for this purpose the brand-spanking-new, I-just-made-it-up,} 2... f5 $5 {
fits the bill. No sane person would play the Stonewall against the Dutch -
White gives up the e4-square without getting the e5-square in return - so only}
3. d5 {can be critical. But will the Stonewall player be happy in the
resulting positions? He may not play 3 d5 at all, but here's what happens if
he does:} Nb4 $1 4. -- (4. a3 Na6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nf3 Nc5 $1 7. e3 ({or} 7. b4
Nce4 8. Bb2 a5 9. b5 e6 10. dxe6 Bc5 $1 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bd4 d6 13. e3 Bxe6
14. Bd3 Qe7 {with a bizarre position that slightly favours Black}) 7... e6 8.
dxe6 Nxe6 (8... d5 $5) 9. Bd3 g6 10. O-O d5 {and while Mr. H calls it equal, I
would be far more comfortable sitting behind the black pieces.}) ({. Seeing
how the black army converges upon the e4-square, White may rethink his
decision to evict the Nb4, but leaving it there is not convenient either,
since White must fortify the d5-pawn and he can no longer play Bd3; e.g.} 4. c4
Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. g3 Bg7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. Nf3 e6 {is equal.}) ({. Alternatively,
White may try to address the weak e4-square by placing a black pawn there:} 4.
e4 $5 fxe4 5. a3 {(otherwise 5...c6!)} Na6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Be3 c6 $5 (7... g6 {
leads to more "normal" positions}) 8. Bxa6 bxa6 9. dxc6 d5 10. Nge2 e6 {. Mr.
H likes White here, but what do you think?}))) ({Without further ado, the not
sane Stonewall Attack vs. Dark Knight Dutch, which I can't wait to see happen
in real life:} 2. f4 f5 $1 {(I'm giving this move an upgrade as of now)} 3. Nf3
e6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bd3 b6 $1 6. O-O Bb7 7. a3 {(if White doesn't play this soon, ...Nb4
is going to be extremely annoying)} Ne7 (7... g6 $5) 8. c4 Nc8 $1 {with ...Be7 ...0-0 ...Nd6 coming, and a wonderfully fun equal position.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1: 1 d4 Nc6 2 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 {. This is the most common reply, and a very logical one for
a 1 d4 player. White stops Black's planned 2...e5, while trying to maintain a
familiar position (unlike 2 d5).} d6 {. There may be nothing wrong with 2...d5,
but with 2...d6 Black continues to fight for the e5-square. Also, after 2...d6
Black's Nc6 will usually be presented with an excuse to move soon, freeing the
c-pawn to join in the battle for the centre. While the knight is not exactly
glued to the board in Chigorin-type positions (i.e. after 2...d5), it may not
find a convenient opportunity to relocate for some time, leaving the c-pawn
out of play. White has:} 3. -- ({A:} 3. c4) ({B:} 3. d5) ({C:} 3. Bf4) ({D:} 
3. g3) ({E:} 3. Bg5) ({Instead:} 3. e4 {is covered via 1 e4 - see Chapter Five.
}) (3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e4 {also reaches Chapter Five.}) (3. e3 {can be met by} g6 {.
}) (3. h3 $5 {may be a trick to induce ...e7-e5, but} Nf6 (3... e5 4. e4 {is
now some sort of Philidor, when} exd4 5. Nxd4 g6 $5 {is not really bad}) 4. Nc3
g6 5. e4 {will transpose into lines we are more familiar with - see line C1 in
Chapter Five again.}) (3. c3 {was used to good effect in B.Kurajica-Z.Mestrovic, Bosnian Team Championship 2003,} -- ({, continuing} 3... e5 4. e4
Nf6 5. Bd3 (5. Bb5 $5) 5... Be7 6. Nbd2 {and White went on to win.}) ({.
Instead,} 3... Nf6 4. e4 g6 {transposes to 4 c3 g6 at the beginning of Chapter
Five.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 3 c4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 (1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 Nc6 $5 (6...
e5 {is "normal"}) 7. d5 Nb8 {reaches Position One below.}) 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4 g6
$1 ({Until I started researching this book, I always played} 3... e5 $6 {here,
but if White follows up correctly,} 4. d5 $1 {will lead to unpleasant
positions for Black (though this is not widely known). The text move is in
keeping with the idea of provoking d4-d5 while leaving the a1-h8 diagonal open,
a common theme in the Dark Knight.}) 4. d5 $1 {White should play this now,
while Black is mid-fianchetto, or it will be less effective.} (4. Nc3 Bg7 5. --
(5. e4 Bg4 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 Nd4 8. Be2 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 c5 {is a comfortable
variation of the Modern Defence in which Black has outscored White} ({another
option is} 9... Ne7 $5 {, and if} 10. Bxd4 $6 exd4 11. Ne2 c5 12. dxc6 $6 bxc6
13. Nxd4 $6 {, then} Qa5+ 14. Kf1 Qc5 {regains the pawn with a clear advantage}
) 10. dxc6 {, though the game should be equal after} bxc6 11. O-O Ne7 12. c5 $1
O-O {.}) ({. On} 5. d5 {Black could transpose to our main line with} Nb8 {,} ({
though} 5... Ne5 $5 6. Nxe5 Bxe5 7. e4 Nf6 $1 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 $6 (9. O-O c6
$1 10. h3 $1 {improves, when White retains an edge}) 9... Nd7 {is more fun.
This was actually played in M.Tratar-M.Srebrnic, Slovenian Championship 2010,
and A.Ipatov-R.Antoniewski, German League 2011. Black has equalized, reached a
fascinating new position and, furthermore, went on to win both times (see
Games 3 and 4).}))) 4... Nb8 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. e4 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O {. This is now an
obscure King's Indian variation that can arise via 1...Nf6 above. It is also...
--- *Position One* --- White's position certainly is large and, indeed, he has
the advantage, but Black has counterplay on the dark squares. One important
thing to realize is that both ...e7-e5 and ...c7-c5 are poor at this stage in
the game (though they are frequently played). Both moves take squares away
from Black that he will enjoy using, while neither move puts any pressure on
White's centre, or anywhere else for that matter. If that's not clear enough,
notice that ...e7-e5 or ...c7-c5 will place Black two tempi down in a main
line King's Indian (Petrosian System) or Benoni. Meanwhile, ...c7-c6 or ...e7-e6 actually does pressure White's centre while reserving the c5- and
e5-squares for Black's pieces. Even so, there's no rush, since White has no
convenient pawn break. Because Black has good control over when and how much
the board opens up, it makes sense for him to wait for a particularly good
opportunity. --- Since Black's play is on the dark squares, White has a space
advantage, and the game is not open, the trade ...Bg4xf3 suggests itself - but
in spite of the favourable factors, it is still no bargain to part with the
bishop pair. In any case, Black is not the one in control of the trade, since
White could have played h2-h3 at any point going back to move five. Indeed, GM
Neverov and IM Bonin did choose 5 h3 when confronted with this situation.
Personally, that would please me, as it costs White a tempo and saves me from
a difficult decision. If you prefer ...Bg4, play it as soon as White plays Be2.
--- We will need to look carefully at:} 8. -- ({A1:} 8. h3) ({A2:} 8. O-O) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A1: 8 h3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "E91"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4 g6 4. d5 Nb8 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. e4 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O 8. h3
Nbd7 ({With h2-h3 included, it becomes possible to start considering ...e7-e5,
though the immediate} 8... e5 9. Bg5 {has scored 100% for White.}) 9. Be3 {
Logically, White takes measures against 9...Nc5.} Nc5 $1 {But we play it
anyway! White's dark bishop is way too valuable to trade.} 10. Qc2 ({In Y.Balashov-G.Kuzmin, USSR Championship, Vilnius 1980, White played} 10. e5 Nfd7 (
10... Nfe4 $5) 11. exd6 exd6 12. Bd4 Nf6 {and the game soon petered out to a
draw (see Game 5).}) (10. Bxc5 $6 dxc5 11. e5 $6 {is no good, because of} (11.
O-O e5 $1) 11... Nd7 12. e6 fxe6 13. dxe6 Ne5 14. Qb3 Nc6 15. O-O Bxe6 16. Qxb7
Nd4 {with the better game for Black.}) 10... a5 11. O-O Nfd7 $1 {Black's main
idea is to play 12...e5. This resembles Yates's plan in line D of this chapter.
Black improves his pieces and clamps down on the dark squares before engaging
in pawn play.} 12. -- ({White should also be concerned about the positional
damage he could suffer after (for instance)} 12. Rad1 Bxc3 $5 13. bxc3 {,
though this is obviously a double-edged sword.}) ({Now if} 12. Nd4 e5 13. Ndb5
f5 {with good play}) ({or} 12. Bd4 Bxd4 13. Nxd4 e5 14. dxe6 fxe6 15. Rad1 e5
16. Nf3 b6 17. Rfe1 Bb7 18. Bf1 Kg7 19. Re3 Ne6 {with equality. Black may
consider ...Rxf3 at some point. As in many similar cases, White hurts his own
position by trading off Black's fianchettoed bishop.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A2: 8 0-0"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "E91"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4 g6 4. d5 Nb8 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. e4 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O
a5 (8... Bg4 $5 {is a logical alternative.}) 9. Nd4 (9. Ne1 {is also played,
when} Na6 10. Nd3 b6 11. Be3 Nc5 ({or} 11... Nd7 {is similar to the main line.}
)) (9. h3 {is seen as well, with a likely transposition to A1; e.g. after} Nfd7
10. Be3 Na6 {and 11...Nac5.}) 9... Na6 (9... e5 $6 {is more common, but this
move of Stefano Rosselli del Turco's is the most accurate. Piece play before
pawn play in this variation!}) 10. Be3 Nc5 11. f3 e5 $1 12. Nb3 Nfd7 ({The
two-time Italian Champion's} 12... b6 13. Qd2 Ne8 $6 14. Rae1 f5 15. exf5 Nxb3
16. axb3 gxf5 17. f4 {was not very successful in S.Flohr-S.Rosselli del Turco,
Zürich 1934.}) 13. Qd2 b6 {. White may be slightly better because of his extra
space, but he has no pawn play. Meanwhile, we can advance ...f7-f5 at any time;
we are also threatening} 14. -- Nxb3 15. axb3 Nc5 {, which will force White to
play an awkward move to defend the b-pawn (or else give up his good bishop).} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 3 d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d5 {The time to play this was move two. Now White will
have great difficulty finding an advantage.} (3. c4 g6 4. d5 Nb8) 3... Ne5 {
The most accurate reply, though there is a tendency for the positions to dry
up early.} ({If Black must play for a win,} 3... Nb8 {is better, probably
transposing to line A above.}) 4. Nxe5 ({If White delays this capture,
presumably with} 4. e4 {, Black plays} Nf6 5. Nc3 Nxf3+ 6. Qxf3 g6 {and the
fianchettoed bishop will enjoy its open diagonal, while White's queen will
soon need to move again (but to no particular effect); as for example in R.Fischer-J.Schuyler, Richmond 2008 (see Game 6).}) ({Sometimes in blitz White
tries to avoid trading my "problem" knight by playing} 4. Nd4 {, but White's
knight is no better off after} c5 {. If} 5. dxc6 Nxc6 6. e4 {, we are in a
Sicilian with Black having slipped in an extra move while White's attention
was diverted. Focus on the board, White!}) 4... dxe5 5. e4 {This is nearly
automatic, but not obligatory;} ({in L.Altounian-J.Schuyler, Las Vegas 2008,
White played} 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. g3 $5 {(see Game 7).}) 5... Nf6 $1 ({The
move Black wants and needs to play is ...e7-e6, but after} 5... e6 $4 {Black
is already lost! Then} 6. Bb5+ $1 Bd7 7. dxe6 $1 Bxb5 8. Qh5 $1 {was brutal in
J.Bonin-J.Schuyler, New York 1988 (see Game 8). I shouldn't feel too badly, I
suppose - Mestrovic has made this blunder, and Miles made it twice!! (Since
Miles was Miles, he actually lost neither game.)}) 6. -- {White now has:} ({B1:
} 6. Nc3) ({B2:} 6. Bb5+) (6. Bd3 {is less common and less logical. H.Keskar-J.Schuyler, Norfolk 2008, continued} e6 7. -- (7. c4 Bc5 8. O-O O-O 9. Nc3 exd5
10. cxd5 {, when I set about blockading the d-pawn with} Ne8 11. Be3 Bxe3 12.
fxe3 Bd7 13. Qf3 c5 14. Qg3 f6 15. Rad1 Nd6 {and Black is a bit better already.
The game concluded} 16. b3 b5 17. Qh4 Qa5 18. Rc1 b4 19. Na4 Rac8 20. Rf3 c4
21. Bf1 cxb3 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. axb3 Bxa4 24. bxa4 b3 25. Qg4 b2 26. Qe6+ Kh8
27. Rxf6 Qd8 {0-1.} (27... --)) ({. Three years later, H.Keskar-J.Schuyler,
Hampton 2011, went} 7. dxe6 Bxe6 {with comfortable equality, albeit with a
long struggle for a win (see Game 9).})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B1: 6 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d5 Ne5 4. Nxe5 dxe5 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nc3 e6 $1 {This is
still the move Black needs to play - and now he actually can, as my computer
explained to me a few years ago.} ({This is of great theoretical importance
because following} 6... a6 {, White is doing well with} 7. f4 $1) ({or
similarly,} 6... g6 7. f4 $1 {.}) 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. dxe6 Bxb5 $1 ({Previously,
both Jonathan Speelman and Emmanuel Bricard have tried} 8... fxe6 {, each
securing a draw - though if you see the games, you may not be so eager to
repeat their methods. --- Instead, after 8...Bxb5, White has several paths to
the endgame, but almost no chance of extracting anything from the position.})
9. Nxb5 {White should capture neither the queen nor the f-pawn, though this is
not simple for him to figure out.} (9. Qxd8+ Rxd8 10. Nxb5 {has been played
four times, but it is slightly weaker than the text. Then} fxe6 $1 11. Nxc7+
Kf7 12. Nb5 Rc8 $1 ({better than} 12... Nxe4 $6 {, as in I.Kreitner-H.Stenzel,
Long Island 1997}) 13. Nc3 Bb4 14. Bd2 Bxc3 15. Bxc3 Nxe4 16. Bxe5 Rxc2 {is
equal.}) (9. exf7+ {costs a move (as opposed to waiting for ...f7xe6) and
improves Black's king position, so it is not a good idea.} Kxf7 10. Nxb5 ({or} 
10. Qxd8 Rxd8 11. Nxb5 Nxe4 12. f3 a6 {and Black has slightly the better of
the probable draw}) 10... Qxd1+ 11. Kxd1 Nxe4 12. Ke2 c6 13. Nc3 Nxc3+ 14. bxc3
{is roughly equal again.}) 9... Qxd1+ 10. Kxd1 O-O-O+ 11. Ke2 a6 12. Nc3 Bb4
13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Rxd5 15. exf7 {. White has a nominal edge because of the
isolated e-pawn, but the game is all but drawn.} -- ({Still, let's be careful
and avoid any mishaps by taking the a7-g1 diagonal immediately before White's
bishop entrenches itself on e3: i.e.} 15... Bc5 16. Be3 Bxe3 17. Kxe3 Rf8 18.
Rad1 {, and now let's centralize the king:} Rd6 19. Ke4 Rxf7 20. f3 Kd7 {-
although White can't win, he can try to lose if he likes with} 21. Kxe5 Re7+
22. Kf4 Re2 {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B2: 6 Bb5+"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d5 Ne5 4. Nxe5 dxe5 5. e4 Nf6 6. Bb5+ Bd7 (6... Nd7 $2 {
, as in E.Bukic-Z.Mestrovic, Belgrade 1978, is an experiment that should not
be repeated. Had White seen} 7. Qh5 $1 {our hero would have found himself a
pawn down for nothing.}) 7. Qe2 (7. Qd3 {is rarely played:} a6 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.
O-O ({D.Haessel-J.Schuyler, Pawtucket 2008, continued} 9. Nc3 e6 10. Bg5 Bb4
11. O-O-O O-O-O 12. f3 Qe7 13. Qc4 h6 {with equality, though there was still
some play, and I went on to win - see Game 10}) 9... e6 10. c4 Be7 11. Nc3 {is
obviously similar to the main line. White's queen has some extra options, but
his d-pawn is pinned. These differences are important enough to change Black's
best method of counterplay:} b5 $1 12. -- (12. Rd1 b4 13. Ne2 O-O 14. Bg5 a5 {
with a slight edge for White. --- One important point of Black's queenside
expansion is that it secures the c5-square for his bishop, ensuring that it
won't get shut out of play (as it would if White were allowed to seize space
on the queenside with a2-a3 and b2-b4). White's knight has also been taken out
of contact with the important d5-square. Notice that if White ever plays d5xe6,
and for some reason Black doesn't feel like recapturing with a piece, ...f7xe6
is positionally sound because the f-file is valuable and the e6-pawn controls
critical squares.} (14... --)) ({. Hold on! Couldn't 12...b4 have been
prevented? Indeed,} 12. a3 {is possible for White and not a bad move, but 11...
b5 was not played with only 12...b4 in mind. After} O-O 13. Rd1 exd5 14. cxd5
Rfd8 {, Black's idea is to play 15...c5 and, if White doesn't capture, 16...
Ne8 and 17...Nd6. White's edge is tiny.})) 7... a6 ({I'm not crazy about} 7...
g6 $5 {with that silly pawn sitting on e5, but it does avoid spending a tempo
on 7...a6, and Mestrovic is 2-0 with it, which suggests it is worth a try in a
must-win game. Check out D.Rasic-Z.Mestrovic, Croatian Team Championship 2001,
and J.Barle-Z.Mestrovic, Slovenian Championship 1997, in the games section 
(Games 11 and 12).}) 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. O-O ({Somehow White has done well with} 
9. Bg5 {, though it is not a move that should cause problems.} -- ({. In P.Staniszewski-H.Kaulfuss, Darmstadt 1996, Black certainly had the right idea
and was a bit better following} 9... e6 10. Bxf6 ({for White, the most
accurate continuation may be} 10. Nc3 Bb4 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3 exd5 13. Bxf6
gxf6 14. Rfd1 Qb5 15. Qf3 O-O-O {, though he has nothing to show for it -
instead he should have been accurate on move three!}) 10... gxf6 11. dxe6 fxe6
(11... Qxe6 {is also good}) 12. O-O $6 (12. Qh5+ Qf7) 12... O-O-O 13. Qc4 Rg8
14. Nc3 {, even if he went on to lose after the passive} Re8 $6 {;} ({here} 
14... Kb8 15. Rfd1 Bd6 16. b4 f5 {was better.})) ({. Alternatively, the untried
} 9... h6 $5 {is playable, although in this case} 10. Bxf6 exf6 11. O-O f5 12.
exf5 Qxf5 13. Nc3 Bd6 14. Ne4 O-O 15. c4 {is a tiny edge for White.})) 9... e6
10. c4 Be7 $1 {Allowing Black to castle short.} ({Instead} 10... Bc5 $6 11. Bg5
{spells trouble.}) 11. Nc3 O-O 12. Rd1 exd5 13. cxd5 {. White's d5-pawn is
currently an asset, and Black has two possible ways to neutralize it.} -- ({
First, he can attack it directly with ...c7-c6. This is definitely worth
considering in some similar positions, but it doesn't work so well here; e.g.} 
13... c6 $6 14. Bg5 $1 Rfd8 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. dxc6 Qxc6 {and the eternal
knight sets in with} 17. Nd5 {.}) ({If Black tries to prepare this with ...
h7-h6 (in fact not a bad move at all) it is unlikely he will be fully ready
for 14...c6 anyway; e.g.} 13... h6 14. a3 (14. Be3 Ng4 $1) 14... c6 15. Be3
cxd5 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Rxd5 Qe6 18. Rad1 {and while Black's position is
playable, it is very dull, and White has a small but clear advantage.}) ({The
second plan is very appropriate here, which is a timely ...Ne8 and ...Nd6.
This idea is useful in many variations of the Dark Knight, but especially the
ones starting with 3 d5. The point of the knight transfer is fourfold: the
knight is safe, as White's own d-pawn shields it from attack; the knight is
active - centralized and controlling the important e4-, f5-, c4-, and
b7-squares; the knight blockades the strong d-pawn, so Black does not need to
worry about an eventual d5-d6 by White; and finally, the knight has cleared
itself from the f-file, so it is now possible (and usually desirable) for
Black to play ...f7-f5. Coincidentally, the ...f7-f5 break also does (at least)
four things: frees Black's rook(s), isolates White's d-pawn (or pressures
White's e-pawn), clears the second rank for easy defence of the c7- and
g7-pawns, and gains space. --- Therefore,} 13... Rad8 14. Bg5 Ne8 15. Bxe7 Qxe7
16. Rac1 Nd6 17. b3 f5 {and with all Black has accomplished, perhaps White
should resign? Unfortunately, chess is not quite that simple, but Black can
now start fighting on equal terms.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C: 3 Bf4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bf4 {White plays the London System, which stops the ...e7-e5 break for now, but the bishop bites a granite pawn on d6.} Nf6 $1 ({To
be honest, I've always played} 3... Bg4 $6 {here, intending to force through ...e7-e5 one way or another. However, in researching this book, I found that} 4.
d5 $1 (4. c4 e5 $1) (4. e3 e5 $1) ({, or} 4. Nbd2 Nxd4 $1 5. Nxd4 e5) 4... Nb8
{gives White a large advantage. Although this has only been played once in my
database and never against me, I believe it is a bad idea to play moves one
knows to be poor, however unlikely it might be to encounter the refutation.
This kind of "hope chess" is bad for one's confidence and psychology - one is
no longer in control of the game. As for 3...Bg4?!, it is not actually
surprising that this move is questionable - there are virtually no cases in
the Dark Knight where the bishop goes to g4 early. With Black's pawns set up
on dark squares, it is costly to trade the light-squared bishop for a knight,
and the bishop rarely has anywhere decent to retreat to. Should you wish to
ignore my advice and take your chances, I will point out that 4 d5! is White's
only good move, and it goes so far against the grain for a typical London
System player that you, too, may never encounter it.}) 4. e3 ({If} 4. d5 $6 {
, then} e5 $1 5. -- (5. dxc6 exf4 6. cxb7 Bxb7 7. Qd4 d5 $1 8. Qxf4 Ne4 $1 9.
c3 Bd6 10. Qc1 O-O 11. e3 c5 {and, with 12...d4! coming, White's tiny material
advantage does not make up for all of his pathetic grovelling.}) ({. Instead,} 
5. Bg5 Ne7 6. c4 ({or} 6. Nc3 h6 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. e4 a6 9. Bd3 f5) 6... Ne4 $1
7. Bd2 (7. Bh4 $6 c6 $1) 7... g6 {is equal.})) 4... g6 (4... Nh5 {has done
well in practice. However, White once again has the annoying novelty} 5. d5 $1
(5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Nxg3 8. hxg3 Bg7 {reaches a position Black is
normally happy to have even with a tempo less}) 5... Nxf4 6. exf4 Nb8 7. Nc3 {
and Black's knight excursions have placed him too far behind in development, a
situation he will have trouble fixing; e.g.} g6 8. Qd4 $1 {.}) 5. Be2 Bg7 {.
White has:} 6. -- ({C1:} 6. O-O) ({C2:} 6. h3) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C1: 6 0-0"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bf4 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. h3 {Black is
finally ready to play 7...Nh5, so White prepares a retreat, but this is still
a slow move.} ({Instead:} 7. c3 Nh5 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Ne1 Nf6 11. Bg3 Ne4
12. Nd2 Nxg3 13. hxg3 e5 14. Nd3 Be6 15. Bf3 d5 {is equal. Of course, White
wasn't playing for an advantage anyway, but this isn't the position he wanted
either.}) (7. c4 e5 $1 8. Bg5 ({or} 8. dxe5 Ne4 9. h3 dxe5 10. Bh2 Bf5 {with
an edge}) 8... h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 exd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. exd4 Ne4 13. Nc3 Re8
{and Black is a little better.}) 7... e5 $1 {After this unplayed novelty,
White is the one who must be careful to keep the balance. Furthermore, in
doing so, he may not be able to maintain his typically comfortable London
structure.} 8. Bh2 (8. dxe5 {gives up more of the centre for no gain. Black's
point is} Ne4 $1 {and White's extra e-pawn is pinned to the b2-pawn.} 9. Qd5 $6
dxe5 10. Qxe4 exf4 11. Nc3 fxe3 {just makes matters worse for White.}) 8...
exd4 $1 {A second annoyance for the London System player, who is hoping for ...e5-e4 at some point, after which White has excellent long-term prospects
because of the h2-bishop, which makes it hard for Black to generate meaningful
play on the kingside, whereas White has no difficulties making progress on the
queenside, due in large part to that same piece. It is not hard to see why
that bishop appeals to so many players! However, we will be sure to maintain
control over it.} 9. exd4 (9. Nxd4 {may be slightly preferable (because the
f3-square will be useful for the e2-bishop), but White players do not seem to
consider such moves. In any case,} Re8 {is still the correct response, and
Black is comfortably equal.}) 9... Re8 {. Simple chess! Black has no problems
at all. Moves worth considering in the near future are ...Bf5 (...Be6), ...Ne4
(...Nd5), ...Bh6, ...Qd7, ...Rb8, ...b7-b5. If Nbd2, then ...a7-a5 is a good
idea, while if Nc3, then ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5 is effective.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C2: 6 h3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bf4 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. h3 O-O 7. c3 {. This
slows White's queenside play to a crawl, but it does avoid problems on the
long diagonal.} (7. c4 $6 {is a bad idea. Black was already better following}
e5 $1 8. Bh2 exd4 9. exd4 Ne4 $1 {in K.Gunasekaran-K.Akshayraj, Dhaka 2005,
and went on to win after} 10. Nc3 $2 ({but if} 10. Bf4 $1 Re8 11. O-O g5 $1 12.
Be3 g4 $1 13. hxg4 Ng3 $1 14. Re1 Nxe2+ 15. Rxe2 Bxg4 {with a big edge to Black
}) 10... Ng5 $1 11. O-O Nxf3+ 12. Bxf3 Nxd4 {with a free pawn.}) 7... Nd7 ({I
shall soon try the untried} 7... a5 $5 {. I do like the idea of avoiding the ...e7-e5 break for the time being, as it makes contact with the enemy where he
is already fortified.} 8. -- ({. Black's plan is} 8. O-O a4 9. Nbd2 a3 10. b4
Nd5 11. Qc1 Nxf4 12. exf4 {- equal according to my computer, but this does not
even vaguely resemble the position White was hoping to play. Notice how we
have rid ourselves of the London bishop, while starting to soften the long
diagonal for our own dark-squared bishop.}) ({. Naturally, White could stop
the a-pawn with} 8. a4 {, in which case we go to plan B:} Nd5 9. Bh2 e5 10. O-O
exd4 {(the mini-operation succeeds - White must give up the b4- or f4-square)}
11. exd4 Bh6 $1 12. Re1 Re8 13. Nbd2 Nf4 14. Bxf4 Bxf4 15. Qb3 d5 16. Bd3 Rxe1+
17. Rxe1 Ne7 {and although White is not worse, he is once again without his
favourite bishop. I've played the London System quite a lot, so I know exactly
how annoying these ideas can be.} (17... --))) 8. O-O e5 9. Bh2 Qe7 {. This is
the main line - which shows that every once in a while a main line is actually
good! Interestingly enough, Houdini prefers White, but extensive practice
shows the opposite. Black normally continues with 10...f5, 11...Kh8, and then
looks for a good opportunity to shut out White's London bishop with ...f5-f4!.
Perhaps Mr. H is underestimating the problem of the h2-bishop. Sometimes Black
prepares ...f5-f4 with ...e5-e4 and ...g6-g5 (or just ...g6-g5). Meanwhile,
White shoves the a- and b-pawns. Sooner or later the c6-knight gets kicked and
usually re-routes itself to the f7-square via d8. These ideas come to life in
P.B.Pedersen-D.Bekker Jensen, Danish Team Championship 2008, and R.Valenti-V.Tkachiev,
Corsica (rapid) 1997 (see Games 13 and 14); whereas V.Golod-E.Sutovsky, Netanya (rapid) 2009 (Game 15) shows Black, a strong GM, fail
utterly to contain the London bishop.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "D: 3 g3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. g3 {A subtle (read: boring) move.} g6 $5 ({Mestrovic
has responded} 3... e5 $5 {here five times, drawing all comers from expert to
GM. This is a good bet for Black theoretically, since the endgame after} 4.
dxe5 Nxe5 5. Nxe5 dxe5 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {gives only a tiny edge for White.
Perhaps your opponent will turn away from this Mutually Assured Dullness, but
I would as soon not give him the opportunity. Thus, the usual solution: 3...
g6!?.}) 4. -- {. When we must look at:} ({D1:} 4. d5) ({D2:} 4. Bg2) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "D1: 4 d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. g3 g6 4. d5 {If White is going to kick the knight, he
should do it now - though, according to my database, 4 d5 has never actually
been played.} Nb8 {I have selected this retreat over other options in many
variations, and the more I think about it, the more I like it. Like General
MacArthur, the knight shall return, likely settling on the newly soft
c5-square.} ({Incidentally, if} 4... Nb4 {is played, it is with a similar idea:
...a7-a5, ...Na6 and ...Nc5.}) 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O Nf6 ({I also like} 6... e5 $5
7. dxe6 (7. e4 Nd7 8. c4 Ne7 {is likely to transpose to D2; e.g.} 9. Nc3 O-O)
7... fxe6 8. e4 Nh6 $1 9. c4 Nf7 {.}) 7. c4 O-O 8. Nc3 {This line was topical
in the 1920s (!) with Frederick Yates seen frequently behind the black pieces
against the best players of his day, while Alekhine and Grünfeld championed
White. Richard Réti played both colours. Yates was able to defeat Réti, Kmoch,
and Alekhine, the last of these games winning a brilliancy prize at Carlsbad
1923.} Nbd7 {The board resembles Position One, with White's fianchetto not
particularly helpful to him. Black should develop and establish his pieces on
the dark squares before initiating pawn play.} ({The most common move,} 8... e5
$6 {, didn't work in the 1920s and still doesn't work in the 21st century.
Even with the centre closed, Black will lose too many tempi with his knights
in order to play ...f7-f5.}) ({Another common move,} 8... c5 $6 {, is equally
illogical and unsuccessful.}) 9. h3 {Prophylaxis against ...Ng4 and ...Nge5.}
a5 10. Be3 ({Or} 10. e4 Nc5 11. Qc2 {and now, with the knight anchored on the
c5-square, Black is ready for} e5 {, 12...Nfd7 and 13...f5; while} 12. dxe6
Bxe6 {is equal.}) 10... Nc5 {. Black intends 11...Nfe4 with near equality.} 11.
-- (11. Nd4 Bd7 {transposes to H.Kmoch-F.Yates, Hastings 1927/28, a beautiful
demonstration by Black of how to build an attack (see Game 16).}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "D2: 4 Bg2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. O-O (5. d5 {is playable now and at
any point, but it was most forcing on move four, when Black was obligated to
play ...Nb8. Now Black also has} Ne5 (5... Nb4 $5) ({, and} 5... Na5 {(!) as
in A.Galliamova-M.Krasenkow, Koszalin 1997 - see Game 17}) ({, though
transposing to D1 with} 5... Nb8 {is obviously simplest.})) 5... Nf6 6. c4 O-O
7. Nc3 {By transposition we have reached the fianchetto variation of the
King's Indian Defence. There is an obscure but logical sideline for Black that
has been played successfully by strong players.} Nd7 $5 {This prepares both ...e7-e5 and ...f7-f5, and holds up White's c4-c5 break.} ({The immediate} 7... e5
{is frequently played, but White has done very well with} 8. d5 Ne7 9. c5 $1 {.
}) 8. e4 (8. d5 Na5 ({or} 8... Nce5 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. Qb3 {and now} c5 (10... a5
) ({, or} 10... b6 {is level})) 9. Qa4 c6 10. Bg5 Nc5 11. Qb4 Na6 12. Qa4 Nc5 {
is a draw.}) 8... e5 9. d5 ({These other moves are almost as common:} 9. Bg5
Bf6 $5 (9... f6) 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11. h3 (11. d5 Nb8 $1) 11... Re8 12. a3 {was A.Kotov-A.Lein, USSR Team Championship 1962; then} (12. d5 Nb8 $1) 12... exd4 13.
Nxd4 a6 {is a tiny edge for White.}) (9. Be3 $6 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nde5 11. Nxc6
bxc6 12. Qa4 c5 {and Black is better; e.g.} 13. Nd5 c6 14. Nc3 Rb8 $1 15. Rad1
(15. b3 Nd3 $1) 15... Rb4 16. Qc2 Nxc4 {with a big advantage.}) 9... Ne7 10.
Ne1 f5 11. Nd3 h6 12. f4 {This is not a very good move, but it's what White
has been playing for. Black must try to prove that White's position is
overextended.} exf4 13. Nxf4 (13. Bxf4 Nb6 $1 14. Qb3 fxe4 15. Nxe4 Nf5 {is
equal.}) 13... Ne5 14. Qb3 fxe4 15. Nxe4 (15. Bxe4 g5 16. Ne6 Rxf1+ 17. Kxf1
Bxe6 18. dxe6 c6 {gives Black the advantage, since if} 19. Qxb7 $6 Nxc4 20.
Bxc6 $2 Rb8 21. Qa6 Qf8+ 22. Kg2 Bd4 {, White's exposed king loses him the
game.}) 15... g5 16. Nh5 Rxf1+ 17. Bxf1 Bh8 {. Things are still complicated,
but Black is slightly better due to White's looser position.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "E: 3 Bg5?!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bg5 $6 {. Preventing ...e7-e5 for now, this move has
given Black plenty of practical problems, but objectively it is poor to allow
Black to play ...h7-h6 and ...g7-g5 for free with White's knight already
committed to f3.} h6 4. Bh4 (4. Bf4 g5 5. Bg3 {comes to the same thing;} (5.
Bd2 g4 {wins the d-pawn}) ({; while after} 5. Bc1 {White may die of shame. As
a matter of fact, my engine recommends both 5 Bc1 and 4 Bc1, which certainly
makes clear what it thinks of this whole 3 Bg5 fiasco.})) 4... g5 5. Bg3 g4 $1
{Dare I say it? This logical move is another strong, unplayed novelty which
fully turns the tables. White has deliberately provoked these moves, only to
find that his knight has nowhere to go. He will also find his Bg3 awkwardly
placed.} 6. Ng1 $1 {Limiting the damage.} ({Others are clearly worse:} 6. d5
gxf3 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. exf3 Rb8 $1 {with some advantage to Black in a
complicated position.}) (6. Nh4 $6 e6 $1 {threatens 7...Be7, trapping the
knight, which explains the following contortions:} 7. h3 h5 8. e4 Be7 9. d5
Bxh4 10. Bxh4 Qxh4 11. dxc6 g3 12. f3 bxc6 {and Black pockets a pawn.}) 6...
Bg7 7. e3 h5 8. h3 h4 9. Bh2 Nh6 10. hxg4 Nxg4 11. Nc3 e5 {. Black has an edge
in this bizarre position.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2: 1 d4 Nc6 2 c4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 (1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 e6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb5 {- a Grand Prix Attack.})
1... Nc6 2. c4 {. To my mind, this is already a lax move. White puts up no
resistance to Black's logical follow-up. Presumably some players are hoping
for a Chigorin (after 2...d5).} e5 3. d5 ({Instead: The lame} 3. e3 {offers
Black a few methods:} -- (3... exd4 4. exd4 d5 5. Nf3 Nf6 {is an equal
Exchange French position.}) (3... d5 $5 {is a kind of Chigorin/Albin which has
been played repeatedly by many GMs - with poor results, however.}) ({.
Personally, I like} 3... Bb4+ 4. Nc3 ({of course,} 4. Bd2 {is also possible:}
exd4 5. Bxb4 (5. exd4 $2 Qe7+ $1 {wins the d-pawn}) 5... Nxb4 6. exd4 Nf6 ({not
} 6... Qe7+ 7. Be2 Qe4 $6 8. Kf1 $1 {and Black's queen is worse than White's
king}) 7. Nf3 ({if instead} 7. a3 Nc6 8. d5 $6 {, then} Qe7+ $1 9. Be2 Ne5 {
and Black is better, as White must figure out some way to develop and guard
the c4-pawn}) 7... d5 {is at least equal - the exchange of bishops will help
Black in the coming isolated queen pawn position.}) 4... Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 d6 {,
playing a kind of Nimzo-Indian with ...e7-e5 in one go. After} 6. Nf3 ({or} 6.
Bd3 f5 $1) 6... e4 7. Nd2 f5 {, the game can also be thought of as a reversed
Grand Prix Attack (cf 1 e4 c5 above).})) (3. dxe5 Nxe5 {cannot be dangerous
either. Black's position resembles a Budapest Gambit, but without any of the
inconvenience normally associated with recovering the e-pawn;} (3... d6 $5) 4.
-- ({; e.g.} 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. Be2 c6 $5 {was fine and worked
out well for Black in R.Aghasaryan-A.Chibukhchian, Kajaran 2011 (see Game 18).}
) ({. And} 4. e4 $6 {is an especially bad idea: after} Bc5 {White is already
worse and must be very careful; e.g.} 5. Nf3 ({or} 5. Be2 Qh4 $1) 5... Ng4 6.
Nd4 d5 $5 7. cxd5 Qf6 8. Be3 Nxe3 9. fxe3 Qh4+ {and White will be needing both
his chess resources and his sense of humour as he plays} 10. Kd2 {.})) (3. Nf3
{transposes to 1 c4 Nc6 2 Nf3 e5 3 d4, covered at the beginning of Chapter
Seven.}) 3... Bb4+ $1 (3... Nce7 {is played 90% of the time, and with
excellent results, but if White really understands what's going on, Black will
be forced to play positions I cannot recommend; e.g.} 4. Nf3 $1 Ng6 ({attempts
to transpose to a King's Indian with} 4... d6 {do not bring happiness either,
because (to make a long story short) White gets to break on the queenside
early with 6 c5 or 7 c5}) 5. h4 $1 (5. Nc3 Nf6) 5... Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 h5 7. g3 Nf6
8. Ng5 $5 {and Black doesn't have much to look forward to - White has all the
squares and will soon have the bishop pair unless Black makes a pathetic
retreat. Black also needs to worry (after 5 Nc3 Nf6) about all of the
"dynamic" tries mentioned in Richard Palliser's 2005 book on the Tango, some
of which pose questions to which Black has yet to find answers. (Whenever
Black reaches the Tango via the Dark Knight, White is already committed with a
pawn on e4, which takes away all "dynamic" tries, leaving "classical" tries,
which Palliser rightly considers to be pleasant for Black.) --- Instead, with
3...Bb4+, Black develops his bishop before it gets obstructed by ...Ne7 or ...d7-d6, incidentally solving his space issues and defusing White's h2-h4-h5
ideas. What could be more logical?}) ({White blocks with: A:} 3... Bb4+ 4. Bd2
) ({B:} 3... Bb4+ 4. Nd2) (3... Bb4+ 4. Nc3 $6 {is legal and it doesn't lose
material. So much for its positive points.} Nce7 5. Qc2 {(otherwise 5...Bxc3+)}
a5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 d6 8. e4 f5 {gives Black a comfortable position typical
of this chapter. Our development is simple and we can consider clamping down
on the queenside with ...a5-a4 when we feel we can spare the time.} 9. Qg3 Ng6
10. exf5 Bxf5 11. h4 Qe7 12. Ne2 Nf6 13. h5 Nf8 14. Nc3 N8d7 15. Qg4 Bc2 $1 {
might make White feel like a tough guy, but it does not lead to an advantage.})
*

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 4 Bd2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 ({Alternatively,} 5. Nxd2
Nce7 6. d6 $5 ({or} 6. e4 d6 7. Bd3 Nf6 $1 {- Black plans ...0-0, ...Ng6, ...Qe7, ...Nh5, and/or ...a7-a5, ...b7-b6, ...Bd7.} ({in this particular position
it is too costly to play} 7... f5 $6 {, activating both White's Bd3 and his
ridiculous Nd2})) 6... cxd6 7. Ne4 Qa5+ 8. Qd2 Qxd2+ 9. Kxd2 Nf5 10. g4 Nh4 11.
Nxd6+ Ke7 12. c5 b6 13. b4 Nf6 14. Nf3 Nxf3+ 15. exf3 Ne8 {is equal.}) 5...
Nce7 {and now:} 6. -- ({A1:} 6. d6 $5) ({A2:} 6. Nc3) ({Here} 6. Qg5 Ng6 7.
Qxd8+ Kxd8 8. Nc3 d6 {is just equal, though not without play.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A1: 6 d6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 Nce7 6. d6 $5 cxd6 ({A.Hoffman-A.Fernandez, Mar del Plata 1996, went} 6... Nc6 $6 7. Nc3 cxd6 8. Nb5
Nf6 9. Nxd6+ {, and gives a good example of what Black must avoid (see Game 19)
.}) 7. Qxd6 (7. Nc3 Nf6 ({or} 7... d5 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Qxd5 Qe7 $1) 8. Nf3 d5 9.
cxd5 ({or} 9. Nxe5 d6 10. Nf3 Be6) 9... d6 10. e4 O-O {is no problem for Black.
}) 7... Nf6 $1 8. Nc3 (8. Qxe5 {frees Black's d-pawn and does nothing to
address White's development - he is still four (!) moves away from castling
kingside and the queenside is not a safe place:} O-O 9. Nc3 d5 $1 10. cxd5 (10.
e3 Be6 11. Nf3 Ng6 12. Qd4 dxc4 13. Qxd8 Raxd8 {is equal}) ({; or} 10. Nf3 Nc6
11. Qf4 Qa5 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Qd2 Nxc3 $1 14. Qxc3 Nb4 15. Nd4 Rd8 {with
considerable pressure}) ({; or} 10. O-O-O Bd7 $1 11. Nf3 Rc8 12. cxd5 $2 Re8
13. Qd4 Nexd5 14. Kb1 Nxc3+ 15. bxc3 Ne4 {, winning}) 10... Nexd5 11. Nxd5 Nxd5
12. a3 {this sad move is necessary to prevent 12...Qa5+;} ({castling just
loses after} 12. O-O-O $4 Be6 {, with} 13. -- Rc8+ 14. Kb1 Nc3+ {coming}) 12...
Re8 13. Qd4 {(after thirteen moves, White's kingside is hilarious - the most
plausible explanation is that he rolled very bad dice in his Chaturanga game)}
b5 $1 14. Nf3 Bb7 15. e3 Qc7 16. Be2 Rad8 {gives Black plenty for the pawn.})
8... O-O {Which brings us to: --- *Position Two* --- This position has never
occurred, but it is the obvious way to disturb Black's easy play after 3...Bb4+, so I think it will be contested many times in the future. Furthermore,
Black's methods of counterplay are tricky and therefore require special
attention. --- The first time I saw this position was on an analysis board
about 25 years ago, when my teacher was trying to explain to me why people
didn't play 3...Bb4+. It seemed obvious at the time that Black's position was
bad - after all, the d-pawn is hopelessly backward. How can Black possibly
evict White's queen and achieve the ...d7-d5 advance? --- Often we can't, but
there are other options and, depending on how White continues, it is actually
possible to "play around" White's queen and leave the d7-pawn alone for the
foreseeable future. After all, it is securely guarded and Black's pieces do
have other ways to develop.} 9. -- ({This idea is demonstrated by the variation
} 9. e4 Nc6 10. Nf3 Qa5 $1 11. O-O-O (11. Bd3 Re8 12. O-O ({or} 12. Bc2 b6 13.
a3 Qc5) 12... Re6 13. Qa3 Qxa3 14. bxa3 {and White can stop bragging about his
superior structure}) 11... a6 12. Kb1 Re8 13. a3 b5 14. cxb5 axb5 15. Bxb5 Ba6
{. Black's whole army is activated and the d-pawn is neither an obstruction to
Black nor a target for White's counterplay. Black's compensation is more than
sufficient. Notice the ...a7-a6, ...b7-b5 idea, which develops Black's bishop,
weakens White's control over d5, and opens lines against White's king. It is
powerful enough that it can sometimes be used even when White has not castled
queenside (and ...b7-b5 can occasionally be played without ...a7-a6). --- Was
White's play too co-operative? Presumably 9 e4 is the culprit, providing a
target for Black's ...Nf6 and ...Qa5. It also leaves a hole on the d4-square
which could turn into a long-term problem, although it did stop ...Nf5, a
useful move for Black.}) ({Therefore} 9. e3 Re8 10. Nf3 Nf5 11. Qd2 d6 $1 (
11... b5 $5 {is a great try, but} 12. Nxb5 Bb7 13. Be2 Ne4 14. Qc2 Qa5+ 15. Nc3
Nxc3 16. bxc3 Nd6 17. O-O {is a little better for White}) 12. Be2 (12. Rd1 Qb6
13. Be2 Be6 14. O-O h6 ({or} 14... Rad8 $5)) ({, or} 12. e4 Ne7 13. O-O-O Qb6
14. Qxd6 Qxf2 15. Nxe5 {and} Bf5 (15... Bg4 $5) (15... Be6 $5) ({, or} 15...
Nc6 $5 {with equal chances in all cases})) 12... b6 13. e4 Ne7 14. O-O Bb7 15.
Qd3 {. By playing for ...d6-d5 (with the queenside fianchetto) Black has
managed to provoke e3-e4 again, which is once again a target, and again leaves
the dark squares weak. On the other hand, if Black doesn't find a plan, he may
find himself statically worse with his backward d-pawn, despite White's "bad"
bishop. It is Black's idle Ne7 that will save the day by repositioning to
target those soft dark squares:} Ng6 16. g3 Nf8 $1 17. Rad1 Ne6 $1 18. Qxd6 Nd4
({or} 18... Qxd6 19. Rxd6 Nc5) 19. Qxd8 Nxe2+ 20. Nxe2 Raxd8 {, which is at
least equal for Black.}) ({Can White save a tempo by keeping his e-pawn
flexible? Not unless he wants an e-pawn shoved up his king's file:} 9. Nf3 Re8
({or the wild} 9... e4 10. Nd4 e3 11. fxe3 b5 $1 12. Ndxb5 a6 13. Nc7 Ra7 14.
N7d5 Nexd5 15. cxd5 Rb7 {with excellent play}) 10. Rd1 Nf5 11. Qa3 (11. Qd2 e4
12. Qc2 d5 $1 {with advantage}) 11... e4 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. Rxd4 e3 {and
although Black's d-pawn remains, White now has a matching one on the lovely
e2-square, and has at least as much to worry about.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A2: 6 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 Nce7 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4 ({It
is now my great displeasure to show V.Rao-J.Schuyler, New York 1986. I had not
yet started to use 1...Nc6 regularly, but it seemed like the perfect choice
against the straight-laced, booked-up senior master. We pick up after} 7. Nf3
f5 8. g3 $5 Nf6 9. e4 h6 {(generally a useful move, preventing Ng5 and making ...g7-g5 possible; here Black prepares to play 10...fxe4)} 10. exf5 Bxf5 11. Bg2
O-O 12. O-O {. I was justifiably happy with my position. Houdini prefers Black
and suggests ...Qd7, ...Bh7, ...Rf7, ...Raf8. However, I was a 15-year-old
expert, therefore...} g5 $6 13. h4 g4 14. Nh2 Kh7 15. f3 gxf3 16. Rxf3 Bg6 $6
17. Raf1 Neg8 18. g4 Qe7 19. h5 Be8 20. Qd3+ Kg7 21. Ne4 $6 {(I have been
barely hanging on, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel since I will
be in good shape if I can reach an endgame; also, it seems that White's attack
is not simple to play)} Rf7 22. Ng3 Bd7 23. Qe3 b6 24. g5 $6 hxg5 25. Qxg5+ Kh8
26. Nf5 Bxf5 27. Rxf5 Raf8 28. h6 Qe8 29. Qg6 $4 {White, short on time and
frustrated about being unable to break through, commits a horrible blunder,
allowing his queen and rook to be forked;} ({instead, after} 29. Rxf6 $5 Nxf6
30. Rxf6 Qe7 31. Rxf7 Qxg5 32. Rxf8+ Kh7 {a crazy endgame arises - presumably
White has some advantage}) 29... Nh7 $4 {. From completely winning to
completely losing in one move, as we approach the time control. In my haste I
both overlooked the fork and the fact that 29 Qg6 attacks f7.} ({White's
position would have disintegrated completely after} 29... Ne7 {. If you think
I'm over this after just 26 years, you would be wrong. I resigned shortly.}))
7... f5 {I prefer this active move in spite of a few downsides; i.e. weakening
the e6-square, and opening the game for White's lousy bishop. Black's rook
will soon be enjoying the f-file, and the Ne7 will gain access to d4 via the
f5-square;} ({though} 7... Nf6 {is surely playable, hoping for a better
opportunity to play ...f7-f5.}) 8. exf5 {. After 7...f5, there is only one
game in my database, H.Titz-C.Barlocco, Dresden 2004:} Bxf5 9. Bd3 Nf6 10. Nge2
$1 {This knight covers the soft f4-square. Instead, Nf3 is vulnerable to ...Bg4 and will be loose if White finds it necessary to play g2-g3.} O-O 11. O-O
Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nh5 {This typical move usually provokes White into playing g2-g3,
a long-term weakness.} 13. g3 Qd7 14. f3 a6 15. Rad1 Rae8 16. Ne4 h6 {An
important move: Ng5-e6 must be prevented.} 17. c5 Nf6 18. N2c3 {There is
nothing wrong with this, but knights that control e4 are not permitted to
control d4 as well!} Nf5 $1 19. b4 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 g5 {This is intended to
discourage White from playing f3-f4, which would undermine Black's knight as
it arrives on d4.} 21. Kg2 Nd4 {. The position has been equal since move six,
but somehow Black contrived to win in 75 moves (see Game 20).} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 4 Nd2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Bb4+ 4. Nd2 {Considering the pawn structure and the
closed position, it will be fine for us to trade off our dark-squared bishop
for a knight. Besides, White's knight would have controlled the important
e4-square, a job for which White's dark-squared bishop is uniquely unsuited. I
beat future-GM Jesse Kraai (then a senior master) in this variation, though
the game doesn't survive. Apparently I am not one of those awesome people who
remember every game they have ever played.} Nce7 5. a3 {Just about everyone
plays this, but White has more challenging moves.} (5. Ngf3 {and now} Bxd2+ {
is nearly forced:} ({Black can't play} 5... d6 $4 6. Qa4+) 6. Bxd2 ({don't
worry about} 6. Qxd2 d6 7. Qg5 Ng6 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. e4 h6 $1 10. Bd3 N8e7 11.
O-O f5 {with equal chances}) 6... d6 7. e4 f5 8. exf5 Nf6 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O
Nxf5 $1 {with interest in ...e5-e4, or ...a7-a5, ...Nd7, ...Nc5, (...b7-b6),
while ...h7-h6 is generally very useful as well. Houdini claims that all roads
lead to equality, but the fact that he likes} 11. Bc1 {a whole bunch seems
like a bad omen for White.}) (5. Qa4 $5 {was played in B.Avrukh-I.Ben Menachem,
Israeli Team Championship 1999 - an annoying move because it pins the d-pawn,
complicating the defence of e5 (if Black has to play ...Ng6 in order to guard
the pawn, it defeats the purpose of 3...Bb4+).} -- ({. The game continuation} 
5... c5 6. a3 (6. Ngf3 $5) 6... Bxd2+ 7. Bxd2 Nf6 8. Nf3 e4 (8... O-O $5) (8...
Ne4 $5) 9. Nh4 O-O 10. d6 {was pleasant for White.}) ({. Although Black has
ways to try to make 5...c5 work, I prefer} 5... a5 6. a3 ({after} 6. Ngf3 e4 7.
a3 Bxd2+ 8. Nxd2 f5 9. g3 Nf6 10. Nb3 O-O 11. Bh3 d6 12. Nd4 Bd7 13. Qc2 a4 14.
O-O Qe8 {White's bishops barely register as an asset; 15...b5!? is likely to
follow}) 6... Bxd2+ 7. Bxd2 Nf6 8. Nf3 -- (8... Ne4 $1 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qc2 (10.
Nxe5 Nf5 11. Bf4 d6 12. Nf3 g5 13. Bc1 Qf6 14. h3 h5 ({or} 14... Nh4 {gives
Black considerable pressure for the pawn})) 10... Nf6 11. Nxe5 d6 12. Nf3 ({or
} 12. Nd3 Re8 13. Bd2 Bf5 14. e3 c6 15. dxc6 Nxc6 {and 16...d5}) 12... c6 $1
13. dxc6 Bf5 14. Qa4 bxc6 {with full compensation; e.g.} 15. Rd1 ({or} 15. Bd4
Ne4 16. g4 $5 Bg6 17. h4 h6 {with just a big mess}) 15... Re8 16. Bd4 Ne4 17.
e3 c5 18. Bc3 Nxc3 19. bxc3 Ng6 20. Be2 Rb8 21. O-O Nf4 ({or} 21... Be4 $5 {.})
) ({. For the cowardly it is not strictly necessary to sacrifice a pawn:} 8...
e4 9. Nd4 O-O {is playable, though White has a small advantage after} 10. Qc2 (
{or} 10. e3 d6 11. Be2 Bg4 12. f3) ({, or} 10. g3 c5 11. Nb5 Nf5 12. e3 b6 {
intending 13...Ba6, 14...Bxb5 and 15...Nd6}) 10... d6 11. g3 c6 12. dxc6 Nxc6
13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Bg2 d5 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. Bc3 {.}))) (5. Qc2 $5 f5 6. Ngf3
Bxd2+ 7. Nxd2 d6 8. e4 Nf6 9. Bd3 {was tried in S.Ariste Castano-J.Salgado
Gonzalez, Saragossa 1998} -- ({, at which point Black panicked and played} 9...
f4 $2 {, a decision which led to difficulties since he lacked counterplay
against White's big queenside (} 10. c5 $1 {is best).}) ({. Instead,} 9... O-O
$1 10. exf5 Qe8 {is absolutely fine for Black; e.g.} 11. h3 ({or} 11. f3 Qh5
12. g4 $6 Qh4+ 13. Kd1 h5 14. g5 Qxg5 15. Ne4 Qxf5 16. Ng5 e4 $1) 11... Qh5 12.
g4 $6 Nxg4 13. Be2 Bxf5 14. Qd1 Qh4 15. Bxg4 Bxg4 16. Qxg4 Qxf2+ 17. Kd1 Nf5
18. Ne4 Qd4+ {and the suffering of White's king is far greater than our small
material investment.})) 5... Bxd2+ 6. Bxd2 (6. Qxd2 d6 7. Qg5 {is pointless
because of} h6 $1 8. Qxg7 $6 Ng6 9. Nf3 ({White should probably prefer} 9. h4
$1 Nf6 10. h5 Rh7 11. Qxh7 Nxh7 12. hxg6 fxg6 13. Rxh6 Nf8 14. Nf3 {, when} c6
({or} 14... Qd7 {gives Black slightly the better chances})) 9... Nf6 10. Ng5
Qe7 11. g4 Nxg4 12. Ne4 Bf5 13. Ng3 Bd7 14. Bh3 O-O-O 15. Bxg4 {and now in D.Justo-P.German, Buenos Aires 1995, Black spoiled some fine work with} Bxg4 $6 (
{whereas} 15... Rdg8 $1 16. Bxd7+ Kxd7 17. Nf5 Rxg7 18. Nxe7 Nxe7 {would have
left him with chances to convert his advantage}) 16. Ne4 Bf5 17. Nf6 {which
was approximately equal.}) 6... d6 7. e4 f5 8. exf5 ({Since the main line
offers White nothing, it makes sense that in M.Gurevich-D.Zoler, Antwerp 1998,
White looked for and found something else -} 8. Qh5+ $5 {- and was immediately
rewarded by} Kf8 $6 {, after which Black's static king provided a nice target
for Gurevich's kingside storm (see Game 21).} ({Instead,} 8... g6 9. Qh4 fxe4
10. f3 exf3 11. Nxf3 Nf5 12. Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. Bd3 Nf6 {leaves White with enough
for the pawn, but no more than that; e.g.} 14. O-O Rf8 15. Rae1 Ke7 {, and now
Mr. H sees nothing better than} (15... Ke8 $5) (15... a5 $5) 16. Ba5 Kd7 17.
Bd2 Ke7 {, repeating position.})) 8... Bxf5 9. Ne2 Nf6 10. Ng3 -- ({Either} 
10... Bg6 {, as in E.Arlandi-M.Lanzani, San Marino 1998 (see Game 22)}) ({or} 
10... O-O {, as in G.Grigore-P.Brochet, Creon 1999 (see Game 23), is good
enough for equality, though in the latter game Black contrived to lose.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3: 1 d4 Nc6 2 d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 {. White takes the bull by the horns - a surprisingly uncommon
reaction. It is worth noting that this is how Miles played against his own
specialty when he faced Zvonimir Mestrovic.} Ne5 {. White normally chooses
between:} 3. -- ({A:} 3. e4) ({B:} 3. f4) ({Others: After} 3. Nf3 -- ({,
Black may wish to try} 3... Nxf3+ 4. exf3 e5 ({or} 4... e6) ({, or} 4... g6 {
), but I don't care for it - White has development, space, and open lines in
exchange for his anti-positional capture.})) ({. Simply} 3... d6 {transposes
to 1 d4 Nc6 2 Nf3 d6 3 d5 Ne5 in Chapter One.})) (3. Bf4 Ng6 4. Bg3 {- does
the bishop dominate the knight, or does the knight dominate the bishop? In the
blitz game E.Bacrot-C.Bauer, Ajaccio 2007, it looked like the latter after} Nf6
5. Nc3 e5 6. e4 $6 (6. dxe6 {is an improvement for White, but Black has
nothing to fear after} fxe6 {and 7...Bb4}) 6... Bb4 7. Bd3 d6 8. f3 Nh5 9. Bf2
c6 $1 10. dxc6 bxc6 11. g3 Ba5 12. f4 $6 Nf6 13. f5 Ne7 14. Nge2 Ng4 {, when
Black has a huge advantage (though he went on to lose). Bauer's method of
meeting 3 Bf4 should be copied exactly.}) (3. Nc3 e6 {will soon transpose to
other lines in this chapter; e.g.} 4. f4 (4. dxe6 fxe6 5. e4 {- see line A})
4... Ng6 5. dxe6 fxe6 6. e4 {- see 6 Nc3!? in line B.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 3 e4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. e4 e6 ({Mestrovic played} 3... d6 $5 4. f4 Nd7 5. Nc3 c6
{and went on to draw with GM Drasko (Game 24).}) ({Black has also scored well
with} 3... Ng6 $6 {, which can transpose into lines considered below, but his
position is highly suspect after} 4. h4 $1 {.}) 4. dxe6 $1 (4. f4 $6 {is seen
here most often and seemed fine the first 55 times it was used, but on the
56th, the German master Lutz Diebl played} exd5 $1 {and drew with GM Gyimesi
in the Bundesliga. Bravo!} ({If it is Black who is keen to avoid the draw, he
needs to forego 4...exd5 and play} 4... Ng6 {, transposing to positions
considered in line B below.}) 5. -- ({. If White takes the knight, Black draws
by perpetual:} 5. fxe5 Qh4+ 6. Ke2 ({if} 6. g3 $2 {, as Gyimesi actually
played, then} Qxe4+ 7. Qe2 Qxh1 8. Nf3 b6 9. Nc3 {and now, rather than Diebl's
premature} Ba6 $2 ({the preliminary} 9... c6 $1 {maintains Black's nearly
winning advantage - 10...Ba6 is still coming to extricate the queen})) 6...
Qh5+ 7. Kd2 Qh6+ 8. Kc3 Qc6+ 9. Kd3 Qa6+ {etc. Diebls's 4...exd5 was tested
again in V.Erdos-R.Rapport, Hungarian Team Championship 2012, to produce
another entertaining draw (see Game 25).}) ({. Meanwhile, White doesn't need
to go in for Gyimesi's contortions (Gyimnastics?) to avoid a forced draw; he
can play} 5. exd5) ({, or} 5. Qxd5 {, although he cannot hope for an opening
advantage after such concessions.}) ({. The best response is} 5. Nc3 $1 Ng6 6.
Qxd5 Nf6 7. Qd3 Bc5 8. Be3 Qe7 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Nf3 {with a small advantage
for White.})) 4... fxe6 {This recapture is certainly dynamic, although the
somewhat exposed position of Black's king requires careful treatment.} ({Many
players prefer} 4... dxe6 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {, but Black's results have been poor
- pretty much draws and losses. Nonetheless, Short made it look easy to defend
in S.Gordon-N.Short, British Championship 2011, so his method could certainly
be tried (see Game 26); and M.Gurevich-M.Rohde, Philadelphia (blitz) 1989,
shows that it is possible for Black to win if White overextends (see Game 27).}
) 5. Nc3 {This flexible move makes it hard for Black to activate his f8-bishop;
} ({since} 5. Nc3 Bb4 $2 {, is met by} (5... Bc5 $4 {loses to} 6. Qh5+) 6. Qd4
$1 {, targeting Black's loose bits on b4, e5, and g7.}) ({Alternatively:} 5. f4
Ng6 {is line B below.} (5... Nf7 $5) ({, and} 5... Nc6 $5 {are fine too, but
no better than the text.})) (5. Nf3 Nxf3+ ({therefore, just} 5... Nf7 {which
is similar to the main line - and transposes after} 6. Nc3 b6) 6. Qxf3 Qf6 {is
already equal according to Kalinin, but} 7. Qg3 {will gain some advantage -
White's queen is active while Black's is mainly awkward.}) (5. Bf4 {is untried
but should lead White to a normal plus; e.g.} Ng6 (5... Nf7 $5) 6. Bg3 Bc5 7.
Nc3 a6 8. Nf3 Nh6 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O d6 11. h4 b5 {.}) (5. Be3 $5 Nf6 6. Nc3
Bb4 7. Bd4 $6 Nc6 8. a3 Ba5 9. e5 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Nd5 {is a pleasant position
for Black.}) 5... b6 $1 {The fastest way for Black to mobilize. The
fianchettoed bishop is active and occupies a diagonal which may soon be
lengthened by White's e4-e5.} (5... Nc6 $5 {, as recommended by Rybka 3, is
also possible - after all, the knight retreats sooner or later, and c6 is not
a bad square.}) 6. Nf3 ({V.Burmakin-J.Ulko, Moscow 1995, continued} 6. Bf4 Ng6
$6 ({instead,} 6... Nf7 7. Nf3 Bb4 $1 8. Bd3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Bb7 10. O-O Nf6 11.
Re1 O-O 12. e5 Nd5 13. Bd2 c5 14. Qe2 c4 $1 15. Bxc4 Rc8 16. Bb3 Qc7 {is only
a bit better for White}) 7. Bg3 Bb7 8. h4 h5 $6 {, and after the simple} 9. Nf3
{White would have been much better.}) 6... Nf7 $1 ({It is a bad idea to
activate White's queen with} 6... Nxf3+ {, as tried by B.Savchenko.}) 7. Bc4 $6
({Instead:} 7. Bf4 {transposes to 6 Bf4 Nf7 7 Nf3 above.}) (7. Bd3 {is
stronger - at this stage White is more likely to play e5 than Black is. After}
Bb7 8. O-O Nf6 9. Qe2 Bb4 10. Re1 Ng4 $1 11. h3 Nge5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Qh5+ Nf7
14. Bf4 Bxc3 15. bxc3 g6 16. Qg4 Qe7 {White has a small advantage, though he
has long-term concerns about his pawn structure. Black still has a useful
choice as to where he should castle. 17...Qc5 is usually a good move.}) 7...
Bb7 8. Qe2 a6 {This useful little move prevents Nb5 and Ba6, while preparing ...b6-b5-b4.}
9. Bb3 Bb4 ({Here} 9... Nf6 $6 {was played in C.Crouch-A.Karpatchev, Cappelle la Grande, 1993, starting complications which objectively
favour White.}) ({The straightforward} 9... Bb4 {can also lead to
complications - e.g.} 10. O-O Nf6 11. Rd1 Qe7 12. e5 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Ne4 14. Rd4
Nxc3 15. Qd3 Nd5 {- but here Black is fine.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 3 f4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. f4 Ng6 4. e4 ({Other moves:} 4. h4 {is an interesting
attempt to take advantage of Black's inflexible knight.} -- ({. In the expert
section of the 1985 New York Open, I fell for White's trap and played} 4... e5
$2 5. h5 $1 Nxf4 $5 6. e3 {, though I went on to win an ugly miniature with}
Qg5 $1 7. Qf3 Nxd5 8. Qxd5 Qg3+ 9. Kd1 d6 10. Bb5+ Kd8 11. Qxf7 Nf6 12. Nf3 $4
Qxg2 13. Rf1 Bg4 14. Be2 Qxf1+ $1 15. Bxf1 Bxf3+ 16. Be2 Bd5 {(trapping
White's queen) 0-1. Hilarious!}) ({. Instead,} 4... e6 $1 5. h5 N6e7 6. c4 $5 (
6. dxe6 fxe6 7. e4 d5 {transposes to 6 h4 d5 7 h5 N6e7 in the notes to
Position Three below}) 6... Nf6 7. Nc3 Nf5 8. Qd3 ({if} 8. dxe6 fxe6 9. g4 {,
then relatively simplest is} Ng3 ({though} 9... Nxg4 $5 10. e4 Nfe3 ({or} 10...
Nfh6 {is possible})) 10. Rh3 Nxf1 11. g5 Nxh5 12. Rxh5 Ng3 13. Rh3 Nf5 14. e4
Nd6 15. Nf3 Nxc4 16. Nh4 Rg8 17. Qh5+ g6 18. Qxh7 Rg7 19. Qh6 Rg8 {with a draw}
) 8... Bc5 $1 9. e4 Ng4 {is fine for Black, according to Mr. H, though there
are some crazy variations to consider:} 10. -- (10. exf5 Nf2 11. Qg3 Nxh1 12.
Qxg7 Qh4+ 13. Kd2 ({or} 13. Kd1 Qg4+ $1 14. Qxg4 Nf2+) 13... Rf8 14. Nge2 Nf2
15. Nb5 Bb6 16. d6 Qxh5 17. fxe6 Ne4+ 18. Kc2 Nxd6 {is in Black's favour.}) (
10. dxe6 Nf2 11. Qd5 ({not} 11. exf7+ $2 Kf8 12. Qd5 Nxh1) 11... d6 12. Qxf5
Bxe6 13. Qxc5 dxc5 14. Kxf2 Bxc4 {with an unbalanced but roughly equal
position.}) (10. Nd1 Nfh6 11. dxe6 f5 $1 12. Be2 Qe7 $1 {with excellent play
for the pawn.}))) (4. f5 {overextends:} Ne5 5. Bf4 d6 6. e4 g6 $1 ({in
practice, Black has played} 6... Nf6 $6) ({, or} 6... e6 $2 {, but it is best
to challenge White's space immediately}) 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bxe5 Bxe5
10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 11. Nxe5 dxe5 12. O-O Nf6 {with equality; e.g.} 13. Qd3 c6 14.
c4 cxd5 15. cxd5 Rc8 16. Nc3 O-O {.}) (4. Nf3 {is legal and was in fact the
move order for Onischuk-Shkuro mentioned below (see the notes to Position
Three).} e6 5. dxe6 ({while} 5. c4 Bc5 {will not bring White any happiness})
5... fxe6 6. e4 {transposes to the main line.}) 4... e5 (4... e6 {may
transpose after} 5. dxe6 {;} ({or it may turn into a kind of mirrored Alekhine,
which usually works badly for White because of the weak a7-g1 diagonal; e.g.} 
5. c4 $6 exd5 6. cxd5 Bc5) ({, or} 5. Nf3 exd5 6. exd5 $6 Bc5 {.}) ({. However,
} 5. Nc3 $1 exd5 6. Qxd5 $1 Nf6 7. Qd3 Bc5 8. Be3 Qe7 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Nf3 {is
better for White - though Black is still okay.})) 5. dxe6 $1 {White's only
good move.} (5. f5 $2 {could lead to the position mentioned in the
introduction to this book after} Qh4+ 6. Kd2 -- ({, and} 6... Qxe4 7. fxg6
Qxd5+ 8. Ke1 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 hxg6 {, assessed as unclear by Bogoljubow. The
endgame is favourable to Black}) ({, but that is a moot point because} 6... Nf6
$1 {is even stronger - as one of my students, Matthew Shih, was kind enough to
point out to me last year.} 7. -- (7. fxg6 $2 Nxe4+ 8. Ke2 Qf2+ 9. Kd3 Nc5+ 10.
Kc3 Na4+ 11. Kb3 Qb6+ 12. Kc4 Qa6+ $1 13. Kb3 Nc5+ 14. Kc3 Ne4+ 15. Kb3 Qb6+
16. Kc4 Qb4+ 17. Kd3 Nf2+ {wins White's queen.}) (7. Nc3 Bb4 8. fxg6 Nxe4+ 9.
Ke2 Qf2+ 10. Kd3 f5 (10... Bxc3 11. Kxe4 $1 Ba5 12. c3 hxg6 13. Kd3 d6 14. Kc4
Bf5 15. Qe2 Qb6 {may be better, but it's far more complicated, as Black will
still be down material for some time}) 11. Nxe4 Qd4+ 12. Ke2 Qxe4+ 13. Be3 f4
14. Qd3 Qxe3+ {also leaves Black much better.}) (7. Qf3 Nxe4+ 8. Ke2 Nf4+ 9.
Bxf4 Qxf4 10. Qxf4 exf4 11. Kf3 Nf6 12. Nc3 Bb4 13. Nge2 (13. Re1+ Kf8 14. Bc4
b5 $1 15. Bxb5 Bb7) 13... d6 14. Kxf4 h5 $1 15. Ne4 Nxe4 {is relatively best,
but still very good for Black.}))) (5. Nf3 $2 {is apparently tempting (it has
been played several times), but after} exf4 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Bd3 Qe7 $1 8. Qe2 d6
9. Na4 (9. Bd2 $6 a6 $1 {is even worse}) 9... Bb6 10. Bd2 Nf6 {White has far
too little for the pawn.}) (5. Qf3 exf4 6. Nc3 (6. Bxf4 Nxf4 7. Qxf4 Qf6 8.
Qxf6 Nxf6 {leaves Black with a superior pawn structure and White with an acute
shortage of dark-squared bishops}) 6... Bc5 7. Bxf4 Nxf4 8. Qxf4 Qf6 9. Qg3 d6
10. Bb5+ Kf8 11. Nf3 Qg6 {and Black can look forward to a long and pleasant
endgame.}) (5. Ne2 {(or 5 Nh3)} exf4 6. Nxf4 Bd6 $1 {already puts the enemy
kingside under pressure:} 7. Qf3 (7. Nxg6 $6 hxg6 8. Qf3 Qh4+ 9. Kd1 Nf6 10.
Bd3 Be5 {is obviously not satisfactory for White}) 7... Nf6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bd3 {
leaves Black with several good ideas, the simplest being} Be5 (9... c6 $5) (
9... Ne5 $5) 10. O-O d6 11. h3 c5 {, when Black's activity and strong e5-point
give him the advantage.}) 5... fxe6 {brings us to: --- *Position Three* ---
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the players who have reached this
position with the black pieces need collectively to have their heads examined.
White's main asset is his powerful pawn duo on e4 and f4. Black's main asset
is his central pawn majority. One need notice only one of these two things in
order to come up with the correct plan (or at least the correct sixth move)
for Black. In fact, I'm not even going to insult my readers by saying it out
loud, so if you still don't know, see Wood-Penrose below and then read Pawn
Power in Chess by Hans Kmoch. --- Instead of taking the opportunity to strike
in the centre, Black has generally been seduced by 6...Bc5, occupying the
a7-g1 diagonal, presumably to stop White from castling. Naturally this is less
important than the central battle and, what's worse, it doesn't even work. If
White finds the bishop troublesome, he can trade it off with a timely Na4 or
Qe2 and Be3. To add insult to injury, White is usually better off castled long
anyway. Sometimes 7...Bc5 is a good idea (or 7...Bb4+ 8 c3 Bc5), but if there
is a knight on c3, it is much better to put pressure on White's centre with 7...Bb4, which prepares ...Nf6-e4. --- Black's e4-knight can be a very annoying
piece. As we see in the following analysis, White's light squares are usually
too weak (because he has had to play g2-g3) to allow him to eliminate the
knight comfortably with Bd3 and Bxe4, even if this wins a pawn. --- Let's get
to the analysis.} ({The endgame after} 5... dxe6 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {is playable in
theory, but with Black's slightly misplaced g6-knight, it is less appealing
than the similar ending in line A (without 3 f4 Ng6). In practice, Black's
results are quite poor.}) 6. Nf3 ({Other moves:} 6. Bd3 {is less popular and
less successful. Then Black has done fine with 6...Bc5, but} d5 $1 {is more
accurate;} (6... Bc5) 7. -- ({, as in B.Wood-J.Penrose, Southend 1957(!),
which continued} 7. e5 Nh6 8. Be3 $6 {, and now not the game's} Nf5 $6 ({but
instead} 8... Nh4 $1 9. Qe2 c5 $1 {and Black is better}) 9. Bxf5 exf5 10. Nf3
Be7 $6 (10... c5 $1) 11. c4 {, which is good for White.}) ({. No better is} 7.
Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Nh6 9. Nf3 O-O 10. g3 {, when Black gently plays} e5 $3 {and
lets White try to work out the details with his king in the centre. The
correct solution is} 11. Nxd5 ({according to Houdini,} 11. f5 dxe4 12. Nxe4
Bxd2+ 13. Qxd2 Bxf5 14. O-O-O Qe7 {is also equal, but to me it looks a lot
like White is down a pawn for nothing; fortunately, it's not really our problem
}) 11... Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 c6 13. Ne3 exf4 14. Bc4+ Kh8 15. Qxd8 Rxd8 16. gxf4
Nxf4 17. Rg1 b5 {with equality.})) (6. Be3 {is seldom played - although it
prevents ...Bc5, White's important dark-squared bishop is vulnerable:} d5 {(of
course)} 7. g3 (7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Qd3 Bxc3+ 9. Qxc3 Nf6 10. O-O-O O-O 11. exd5 exd5
12. Nf3 Bg4 {is equal}) 7... c5 $1 8. Nd2 Qb6 9. Rb1 {(sad, but there's really
nothing better)} (9. f5 exf5 10. exd5 Nf6 11. Qe2 Be7 12. Nc4 Qa6 13. Bxc5 ({or
} 13. d6 b5 $1) 13... O-O 14. d6 Bd8 15. d7 Bxd7 16. Bxf8 Nxf8 {gives Black
more than enough for a small exchange}) ({, while} 9. Bd3 Be7 10. Ngf3 Nh6 11.
Qe2 Ng4 12. exd5 exd5 13. Bg1 O-O 14. O-O-O Bd6 15. h3 Nf6 {is fine for Black})
9... Bd7 10. Ngf3 Nf6 11. e5 Ng4 12. Bg1 Qc7 13. c4 $1 d4 14. Bd3 Bc6 15. h3
Nh6 16. Bf2 Be7 17. O-O O-O 18. b4 b6 19. Ne4 {. White's play makes an
excellent impression, but here Black has} Nxf4 $1 20. gxf4 Rxf4 21. Qe2 Nf5 22.
Rb3 Rf8 {, which reverses the initiative at the cost of a small material
investment. Houdini calls it equal, but if I had the choice, I'd sit behind
the black pieces.}) (6. g3 d5 7. Nf3 {transposes to 6 Nf3 d5 7 g3 below.}) (6.
h4 $5 {has never been played, but it's a venomous move.} -- ({. The tactical
justification is} 6... Nxh4 $2 7. Qg4 $1 Be7 (7... Ng6 8. Rxh7) 8. Qxg7 {with
a large advantage for White.}) ({. Correct is the anti-shocker} 6... d5 {,
even though} 7. h5 N6e7 {blocks the f8-bishop. After} 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. Nc3 Bb4 10.
Bd2 Nf6 11. e5 Bxc3 12. Bxc3 Ne4 13. Bd3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 {, Black gets out of
Dodge with} Qe7 15. Ng5 Bd7 16. Bxh7 O-O-O {, when White has space and a pawn,
but is badly overextended with nowhere for his king. I will utter a naughty
word: unclear.})) ({The rare} 6. Nc3 $5 {is logical, fighting for the
d5-square, but Black forces ...d7-d5 anyway with} Bb4 $1 7. Nge2 ({other moves,
such as} 7. Nf3 d5) ({, and} 7. Bd3 d5 {, transpose elsewhere}) 7... d5 8. Qd3
c6 9. Bd2 Nf6 ({after} 9... dxe4 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. a3 Ba5 {White is a little
better in the endgame}) 10. e5 Ng4 11. h3 Nh6 12. O-O-O O-O 13. g4 b5 14. Kb1
Bc5 15. Bg2 a5 {and although White had a head start in the race, it is
difficult for him to advance further. Then} 16. Nd4 $5 Qb6 17. Nxc6 Bb7 18.
Nxd5 exd5 19. Nxa5 Nxf4 20. Bxf4 Qxa5 21. Bxd5+ Kh8 22. Bxh6 gxh6 {is
certainly complicated, but not unfavourable to Black.}) ({The text move,} 6.
Nf3 {, is by far the most common - apparently with good reason since White has
won the last five games in a row from this position, most notably A.Onischuk-I.Shkuro, Ukrainian Team Championship 2009, which is a perfect example of what
Black must avoid (see Game 28). Clearly we need some new and improved ideas.})
6... d5 $1 {This move is part of my original analysis that dates back to 1986,
and inspired the above variations. In twenty-five opportunities, Black has
somehow failed to try this, so we analyse in a vacuum. For most players, the
following lines need hardly be memorized, but offer an excellent opportunity
to get acquainted with the wide variety of plans for both sides.} (6... Bc5) 7.
Nc3 ({The first thing I realized 26 years ago was that} 7. f5 $6 {is not a
problem:} dxe4 ({as it turns out,} 7... exf5 {is also okay:} 8. exd5 Nf6 9. Nc3
Bb4 10. Qe2+ Kf7 $1 11. Ng5+ Kg8 12. Bd2 Bxc3 13. Bxc3 Nxd5 14. Bd2 h6 15. Nf3
Kh7 16. O-O-O Re8 {and it is White who has the hard job of proving full
compensation}) 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 exf5 10. Nf7+ Ke8 11. Nxh8 Nxh8 12. Nc3 c6
13. Bc4 (13. g4 $5) 13... Nf6 14. Be3 Bd6 {is a bit better for Black.}) ({
Notice that Black isn't actually threatening 7...dxe4, so White has an array
of options:} 7. e5 {may not be best, but it is certainly critical. White plans
Ng5 and Nxh7, an argument he will try to enhance with h4-h5, Bd3, or Qh5. This
plan is indeed dangerous, especially if Black is castled on that side of the
board. However, Black does not skip his turns, and as long as White is
pursuing this plan he is neither developing quickly nor attending to his own
king. For instance,} Nh6 $1 8. -- (8. Be3 Ng4 9. Qd2 Nxe3 10. Qxe3 Qe7 $1 11.
Nc3 Qb4) ({, or} 8. g3 c5 9. Ng5 Be7 10. Nxh7 ({after} 10. Bb5+ Kf8 {White has
to worry about both 11...c4 and 11...Nxe5}) 10... Nf5 11. Qh5 Kf7 {, when
Black has good compensation after White's failed attack; e.g.} 12. Nc3 Kg8 13.
Nf6+ Bxf6 14. Qxg6 Be7 15. Bg2 c4 16. O-O Rh6 17. Qg4 Qb6+ 18. Kh1 Bd7 19. h4
Bc5 20. h5 Ne7 {and White is having trouble with development, the centre, and
his king, which doesn't leave much to be happy about.}) ({. There is also} 8.
h4 $5 Bc5 9. h5 ({or} 9. Bd3 Ng4 {when, according to Houdini, White has
nothing better than} 10. Nd4 Nh6 11. Nf3 {, with a repetition}) 9... Ne7 10.
Ng5 Nhf5 11. Qd3 h6 12. g4 Nd4 13. c3 Ndc6 14. Nf3 a5 $1 {with equal chances.
Black intends ...b7-b6, ...Ba6 (...Bb7), ...Qd7 (or ...d5-d4, ...Qd5), and
will have the choice of which side to castle. White may enjoy his space, but
may also find himself overextended. --- Hold on: what's so great about 7...Nh6
- ? --- I used to have problems in this position in blitz games because I
didn't know the proper arrangement for the pieces - especially whether to play
7...Bc5 or 7...c5, and also whether to play ...Nh6 or ...N8e7. As it turns out,
it is not yet clear whether it is the bishop or the pawn that belongs on c5,
so it makes sense to wait on that decision, but the knight is just about
always best on the h6-square. All of ...Ng4, ...Nf5, and ...Nf7 are useful
options from there, and it can hold up White's g- and f-pawns. Just as
important, developing the knight to h6 avoids a traffic jam on the e7-square,
which may be needed for Black's other knight, not to mention the bishop and
queen. (You may now resume your normal programming.)})) ({The immediate} 7. h4
$5 {is also possible, but Black is already fine after} Bb4+ $1 8. c3 ({not} 8.
Bd2 $2 dxe4 $1) 8... Bc5 9. h5 N6e7 {; e.g.} 10. b4 Bb6 11. c4 $5 dxc4 12.
Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. Bb2 ({not} 13. Ng5 $2 Bd4 $1) 13... Nf5 14. Kd2 Ng3 15. Nc3 Ne7
{, which is certainly no worse for Black.}) (7. Bd3 {allows us to surprise
White with} dxe4 $1 8. Bxe4 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Nf6 10. Bxg6+ hxg6 {. Although our
pawns are vile, our bishop pair and overall activity are quite enough,
particularly since the enemy king is a bit loose; e.g.} 11. -- (11. Nbd2 Bd6
12. Nc4 b5 13. Nce5 Bb7 14. Ke2 Bxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7 {and Black is more
comfortable because of White's bad bishop}) (11. Be3 $6 Bd6 12. Nc3 Ng4 13. Ke2
O-O $1 14. g3 $6 (14. Bc1 $1) 14... b6 $1 {and suddenly White is in big trouble
}) (11. Nc3 Bd7 12. Ne5 (12. Ke2 Bd6 $1 13. Ne5 Bxe5 14. fxe5 Ng4 {nets a pawn}
) 12... O-O-O $3 13. Nf7 Bc6+ 14. Nxd8 Kxd8 15. h4 Bxg2 16. Rh2 Bf3+ 17. Ke1
Bc5 {and how is White going to untangle himself without shedding any material?}
)) (7. c4 $5 {does force} dxe4 {, but weakens White's position as well:} 8.
Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 Ke8 10. Nxe4 Nf6 11. Bd3 b6 12. Nbc3 Bb7 13. O-O Rd8 {and
Black is comfortably equal.}) (7. g3 Bc5 (7... Bb4+ 8. c3 Bc5 9. Qe2 Qe7 10.
Nbd2 Nh6 11. Ng5 O-O 12. h4 Re8 {is okay, too}) 8. Qe2 (8. Nc3 Nf6 $1 9. e5 Ng4
10. Nd4 O-O 11. Qxg4 Bxd4 12. Bd2 c5 $1 13. O-O-O Qb6 {with equal chances})
8... Nf6 9. e5 Ne4 10. Be3 Bxe3 11. Qxe3 Ne7 $1 12. Bd3 Bd7 13. Nbd2 Nxd2 14.
Nxd2 (14. Qxd2 c5) 14... O-O 15. O-O Nf5 {and with 16...Qe7 (or 16...b6) and
17...c5 coming, Black has sufficient counterplay.}) (7. exd5 $6 exd5 8. Bd3 {
makes no sense - it surrenders the centre and activates Black's problem piece,
the c8-bishop. Unsurprisingly Black has many ways to play:} Bg4 ({or Black can
enter an equal endgame with} 8... Bb4+ {and 9...Qe7+}) 9. O-O Bc5+ 10. Kh1 N8e7
11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 O-O {seems simplest.}) 7... Bb4 8. g3 {White usually
finds it necessary to play this sooner or later.} ({Otherwise:} 8. Bd3 Bxc3+ 9.
bxc3 dxe4 10. Bxe4 Qxd1+ 11. Kxd1 Nf6 12. Bd3 O-O 13. Re1 Ng4 14. Bxg6 hxg6 15.
h3 Nf6 16. Ne5 Nh5 17. Nxg6 Rf6 18. Ne7+ Kf7 19. Nxc8 Nxf4 $1 {with equal
chances.}) (8. e5 N8e7 (8... c5 {isn't bad either}) 9. g3 O-O 10. Bd3 c5 {and
Black's good centre and rapid deployment ensure that he will not be rolled up
on the kingside and that his chances are not worse.}) (8. Qd3 $5 Bxc3+ $1 9.
Qxc3 Nf6 10. e5 Ne4 11. Qa3 Qe7 12. Qxe7+ Nxe7 13. Bd3 b6 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Ng5
h6 16. Nxe4 Bb7 17. Nc3 Nf5 18. O-O O-O-O {and Black has the d-file, while
White's c1-bishop is a huge problem, a situation which fully compensates for
the pawn.}) 8... Nf6 $1 9. Bd2 O-O 10. e5 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Ne4 12. Bd3 b6 $1 {.
White's c3-bishop is a silly piece - at the moment Black is far better off
keeping the e4-knight and blocking the other bishop.} 13. -- (13. Bxe4 dxe4 14.
Ng5 {is pointless because of} h6 $1 15. Nxe4 $6 Bb7 16. Qe2 Qd5 17. Nf2 Nxf4 $1
18. gxf4 Rxf4 19. Rf1 ({not} 19. Rd1 $6 Rxf2 $1) 19... Raf8 20. Bd2 ({still not
} 20. Rd1 $6 Qxa2 $1 21. Rd7 Qa4 22. Rxc7 Bg2 {and White is toast}) 20... Rf3
21. a4 R8f5 22. O-O-O Rxe5 23. Qxf3 Qxf3 24. Nd3 Qd5 25. Nxe5 Qxe5 26. Bc3 Qe3+
27. Kb1 Bd5 28. h4 g5 {with some advantage to Black.}) (13. Qe2 Bb7 14. O-O-O
Qe8 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Ng5 e3 17. Rhe1 h6 18. Nf3 Ne7 19. Qxe3 Nd5 {with enough
play for the pawn; e.g.} 20. Qd3 a5 21. Nd4 ({or} 21. Nd2 Nb4 $1) 21... a4 22.
a3 c5 23. Ne2 b5 {.}) (13. O-O Ne7 14. Qe2 Bb7 (14... Nc5 $2 15. Bxh7+ {is too
strong}) 15. Rad1 Qe8 {is equal.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Section Two: 1 e4 Nc6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 {. One might argue that it makes more sense to play the Dark Knight
against 1 e4 than 1 d4, because the dangerous move 2 d5 is no longer available.
On the other hand, White, as a 1 e4 player, is more likely to be familiar with
the possible transpositions to the Scotch and the Pirc. Personally, I find the
second argument to be more compelling than the first (for a decade I played 1
d4 Nc6 with no plan for defending the Scotch), but the reader can make up his
own mind, or better yet just play 1...Nc6 against everything!} 2. -- (2. d4 {
(including The Scotch) - Chapter Four}) (2. Nf3 {(the Dark Knight Pirc) -
Chapter Five}) (2. Nc3 {- Chapter Six}) ({Other moves:} 2. Bc4 {commits the
bishop way too early:} Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 $1 4. d3 Bb4 5. Bd2 d5 6. exd5 exd5 7. Bb5
O-O 8. Nge2 Ne5 $1 9. a3 Bd6 10. Bg5 c6 $1 {was P.Cruz-A.Kogan, Lisbon 2000.
Black has a big advantage, largely due to having shut White's light-squared
bishop out of play.}) (2. f4 {is not as bad as it looks. After} d5 $1 ({for
those who are interested,} 2... e5 3. Nf3 ({besides, there is also} 3. Nc3 {,
with wildness that White is presumably prepared for}) 3... f5 $5 {is the
Adelaide Counter-Gambit, a wild and fascinating defence to the King's Gambit,
but truly outside the scope of this book}) 3. -- ({, then} 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3
{leads to a bizarre kind of Scandinavian. Fortunately,} Qe6+ $1 {is more
awkward for White than it is for Black; e.g.} 5. Nge2 ({or} 5. Be2 Nd4 $1) ({
, or} 5. Qe2 Nb4 $1) 5... Nd4 $1 6. d3 Nf6 7. Ne4 Nf5 8. c3 g6 {with some
advantage to Black in all cases, according to Houdini;} (8... Nxe4 9. Qa4+)) (
3. e5 {is a good Nimzowitsch Defence for Black since White's pawn does not
belong on f4 (at least until ...f7-f6 is played).} -- ({. In R.Barkman-S.Lejlic, Karlskrona 1997, Black used this to good effect:} 3... Nh6 4. d4 Bg4 5.
Be2 Bxe2 6. Nxe2 Nf5 7. c3 e6 8. Qd3 h5 (8... Qh4+ $1) 9. Nd2 $6 Qh4+ {with
advantage due to White's light-square problems - White decided to pitch a pawn
with} 10. Ng3 Qxf4 11. Nxf5 Qxf5 12. Qxf5 exf5 {, but he had no compensation.})
({. Alternatively, Black can throw a clog in White's machinery with} 3... g5 $5
4. d4 gxf4 5. Bxf4 Bf5 6. c3 Qd7 7. Nf3 h5 8. Be2 O-O-O 9. Nh4 Bg4 10. Nd2 Bh6
{as in H.Gohlke-S.Wiezer, Gorlitz 1985, with a small advantage according to
'New In Chess'. Actually, I don't believe Black is better, but the position is
interesting and Black has the makings of a kingside attack.}) ({. Wisnewski's
recommendation is} 3... d4 $5 {- one idea is to clear the d5-square for
Black's queen, but I am not keen on relinquishing control over e4.}))) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4: 1 e4 Nc6 2 d4 e5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 {. Now White has:} 3. -- ({A:} 3. d5) ({B:} 3. dxe5) ({C:} 
3. Nf3) ({On} 3. c3 {,} -- ({, Black can transpose to a Ponziani with} 3... Nf6
4. Nf3) ({, but} 3... d5 4. dxe5 dxe4 ({while for a more interesting endgame
Black can play} 4... Be6 $5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Qxd5 Bxd5 {with full compensation;
e.g.} 7. f4 f6 8. exf6 Nxf6 9. c4 Be6 10. Nf3 O-O-O 11. Nc3 Nb4 {with a large
advantage to Black}) 5. Qxd8+ Nxd8 {is simpler and equal.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 3 d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 {. White normally chooses between:} 4. -- ({A1:} 
4. Nf3) ({A2:} 4. c4 $6) ({Others:} 4. f4 {is a fairly common mistake at
amateur level. The apparently hard-to-spot} Ng6 $1 {transposes to 1 d4 Nc6 2
d5 Ne5 3 f4 Ng6 4 e4 e5 with the difference that White's only good move, 5
dxe6 en passant, is not permitted by the rules. How unfortunate!} ({White does
not have my sympathy though, since} 4... exf4 $6 5. Bxf4 Ng6 {is also lousy.}))
({Miles had a wonderful answer to} 4. Be3 {in} f5 $5 {, with which he drew
with Beliavsky and beat Campora (see Games 29 and 30). The point is to take
advantage of the newly moved bishop, which is vulnerable to both ...f5-f4 and}
({If Black does not play 4...f5, White may be able to stop the f8-dark bishop
from developing comfortably, e.g.} 4... Ng6 5. a3 $5 {, though} b6 {is
satisfactory for Black.}) 5. exf5 Nxf5 {.}) (4. Nc3 Ng6 5. Be3 Nf6 (5... Bb4 $5
) 6. a3 {is very lightly tested. Then} b6 7. Nf3 Bc5 {is fine, when} 8. Bxc5
bxc5 9. d6 $6 O-O {and 10...Bb7 is at least equal.}) (4. d6 {has been played a
few times and Black usually just takes, which is fine - but I prefer} Ng6 {,
accelerating development after} 5. dxc7 Qxc7 {; e.g.} 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Nge2 ({
after} 7. Bd2 $6 Bxc3 $1 8. Bxc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 O-O 10. Ne2 Rd8 {and 11...d5,
Black is better}) 7... Nf6 8. a3 Bc5 9. b4 Bb6 {and Black is fine, since} 10.
Nb5 $6 {runs into} Bxf2+ 11. Kxf2 Qb6+ {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A1: 4 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Ng6 {Here 4...d6 is recommended by De
Firmian in MCO14 as a way to keep the play obscure. In my opinion, the reverse
is true: 4...d6 will transpose to Pirc or King's Indian-type positions,
whereas 4...Ng6 maintains a unique "Kevitzian" flavour.} ({Furthermore,} 4...
d6 $6 5. c4 $1 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 {runs into} 7. c5 $1 {which is indeed a certain
kind of King's Indian - the bad kind.}) 5. -- {After the text White has two
important moves:} ({A11:} 5. h4 $1) ({A12:} 5. Be3) ({After other moves, Black
is already a statistical favourite, reaching positions similar to line A2.} 5.
Nc3 Nf6 6. Bg5 $6 {this is wrong, as usual;} ({it was not too late for} 6. h4
$1 h5 {, though this is rarely played here}) 6... h6 $1 {(Black can wait, but
putting the question immediately places the most pressure on White to follow
through with this ill-conceived exchange)} 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. g3 Bc5 9. Bh3 a6 {
and Black is already a bit better due to his powerful dark-squared bishop -
and if White doesn't prepare the exchange of light-squared bishops Black has a
comfortable advantage.}) (5. Bd3 Bc5 6. O-O Nf6 7. Nc3 c6 $6 ({even so he
should have preserved the bishop on the diagonal with} 7... a6) ({, or} 7... a5
) 8. Na4 Be7 {was Y.Dembo-R.Goldin, Petah Tiqwa 1996, which Black went on to
win.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A11: 5 h4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Ng6 5. h4 $1 {This is the way to start
posing problems for Black and his knight on g6.} h5 {Black is forced to weaken
his kingside or accept an extremely cramped position. But let's not forget
that White has also weakened his kingside.} 6. Bg5 ({Alternatively:} 6. Nc3 Nf6
7. Ng5 $5 (7. Bg5 {transposes to the main line}) 7... -- (7... Bb4 $1 8. Be2 d6
9. Qd3 Bd7 10. a3 {, and instead of} Bxc3+ {as in M.Kravtsiv-K.Tarlev,
Evpatoria 2007 (see Game 31),} ({I prefer} 10... Bc5 {, retaining the bishop
for now; e.g.} 11. g3 O-O 12. O-O Ng4 {with a tiny edge to White. Black
intends ...Qe7 and ...f7-f6 to evict the knight, and probably ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5.})) ({. Riskier is} 7... Bc5 $5 8. d6 $1 cxd6 9. Bc4 O-O 10. O-O b5 $1
11. Nxb5 Ba6 12. a4 Rc8 13. Be2 d5 14. exd5 Nxh4 15. Bxh5 e4 {- Black has
solved the problem of his weak pawns by sacrificing them all and now has
reasonable play for the pawn minus, but White had many other tries.})) (6. g3
Bc5 7. Bg5 f6 $5 (7... Nf6 8. Bh3 d6 9. Bxc8 Qxc8 10. Bxf6 gxf6 {is simpler -
Black will play ...f6-f5 at his convenience, with near equality}) 8. Bd2 d6 9.
Nc3 Bd7 10. Be2 N6e7 {was a little better for White in H.Meissner-A.Miles,
European Cup, Slough 1997, though Miles methodically ground out the win in an
instructive ending (see Game 32).}) (6. Be2 Nf6 7. Nc3 a6 8. Bg5 Bc5 9. O-O d6
{is already equal since Black has quickly established his bishop in the ideal
position. Black will normally follow with 10...Qd7, breaking the pin and
intending ...Ng4 or ...Qg4.}) 6... Nf6 7. Nc3 Bb4 (7... Bc5 {is a possible
alternative.} 8. -- ({. Then} 8. Na4 $6 Bb4+ 9. c3 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. d6 {
was A.Ivanov-J.Benjamin, US Championship, Parsippany 1996, which Ivanov won,
but Black's inaccuracies are yet to come. Indeed, after} cxd6 12. g3 $5 -- (
12... d5 $6 13. Qxd5 d6 $2 14. Bb5+ Kf8 {White was much better}) ({, but
Benjamin could have played} 12... b6 13. c4 (13. Qxd6 $6 Bb7 14. Qd3 Bc6 15. b3
d5 {is great for Black}) 13... Bb7 14. Nc3 Be7 {, followed by ...Nf8-e6 -
Black's extra pawn may not be much of an asset, but he is not suffering for
having it.})) ({However, the correct response to 7...Bc5, namely} 8. Nd2 $1 {
, puts Black under some pressure.})) 8. Nd2 $1 ({Instead:} 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3
c6 10. c4 d6 11. Nd2 Qa5 {was L.Christiansen-J.Benjamin, US Championship 2000 
(see Game 33). Black had nothing to complain about and went on to win.}) (8.
Be2 {allows us to preserve the bishop with} d6 9. O-O Bd7 10. a3 Bc5 11. Qd3 a6
12. g3 Bh3 13. Rfd1 {and break the annoying pin by} Qc8 ({or} 13... Qb8 $5 {),
when we're just about equal. (This queen manoeuvre should be kept in mind
throughout this section.) 14...Ng4 is likely, targeting the f2-square. --- The
text move is more challenging.})) 8... d6 $1 ({In E.Mortensen-C.Hoi, Ostrava
1992, Black played} 8... c6 9. Be2 (9. g3 $5) 9... Bxc3 10. bxc3 cxd5 11. Bxh5
(11. exd5 $5) 11... Nf4 12. Bf3 Ne6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. exd5 Nc5 15. g3 (15. h5
$5) 15... d6 {with only a tiny disadvantage, but White missed some good
chances along the way.}) 9. -- {After the text, we're in uncharted territory
again, which is just how we like it. Right?! Right.} (9. Bb5+ {is certainly
not a big deal after} Bd7 10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 {. Sure, we liked that bishop, but
White has solved our space problem and helped us break the annoying pin on our
f6-knight. Then} 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Qf3 Qg4 (12... Bxc3 13. Qxc3 f5 14. g3 O-O-O
{is okay, too}) 13. Qxg4 ({or} 13. Qxf6 Bxc3 14. bxc3 Nf4 $1 15. Nf3 Qxg2 16.
Ng5 Rf8 17. O-O-O Qxf2 18. Nh7 Ne2+ 19. Kd2 Qxf6 20. Nxf6+ Ke7 21. Nxh5 Rh8 22.
Kxe2 Rxh5 23. Rdg1 {with a draw, presumably, though only Black can pretend to
play for a win}) 13... hxg4 14. g3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Ne7 16. c4 f5 {is level.}) (9.
Be2 Nf4 $1 {(as in many similar positions, White does not want to take this
knight, especially since his bishop is strong on the g5-square)} 10. Bb5+ Kf8 (
{this time} 10... Bd7 {doesn't work well - White will gain the very useful
g2-g3 with tempo}) 11. O-O Bg4 12. f3 ({or} 12. Qe1 Bd7 $1 {- the situation
has changed again already; the bishop exchange now brings equality:} 13. Bxd7 (
{or similarly} 13. Bd3 $6 c6) 13... Qxd7 {and Black will follow with 14...Qg4
if possible, otherwise 14...c6}) 12... c6 $1 13. Ba4 Bxc3 14. bxc3 Bd7 15. dxc6
Bxc6 16. Bxc6 Qb6+ 17. Kh1 Qxc6 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. Nb3 d5 20. e5 Nd7 21. Re1 Re8
22. Qd4 Rh6 {is roughly equal. --- There are many other ways the game could go,
and White does have chances for an advantage, but the preceding lines give a
good indication of Black's resources.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A12: 5 Be3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Ng6 5. Be3 {White doesn't actually play
this very often, but Black's attacking ideas in this variation are too
important and widely applicable to relegate to a footnote. Study carefully.
Don't worry, it's fun and easy.} Nf6 6. Bd3 ({Not} 6. Nbd2 c6 $1 7. c4 $6 {
(this is no good, but the alternative is to give up the centre)} Ng4 $1 8. Bg5
$2 Qb6 9. Qe2 $6 Bc5 {and White needs CPR.}) 6... Ng4 $1 7. Bd2 ({Or} 7. Bg5
Be7 8. Bd2 Bc5 {, transposing.}) 7... Bc5 8. O-O a5 9. h3 Nf6 {. White has
gotten h2-h3 for free, but free is still way too expensive - he must be
extremely careful because of his weakened kingside:} 10. -- (10. Qe1 d6 11.
Bxa5 $6 Bxh3 $1 12. gxh3 Qd7 13. Kh2 Nf4 14. Ng1 Ng4+ $1 15. Kh1 ({not} 15.
hxg4 $4 Qxg4 {and ...Qg2 mate}) 15... Nxf2+ 16. Rxf2 Bxf2 17. Qxf2 Rxa5 18. Qf3
O-O 19. Nc3 f5 20. exf5 Nxd3 21. Qxd3 Rxf5 {and Black is better because of
White's weak king and awkward knights.}) (10. a4 O-O 11. Na3 d6 12. Qe1 ({or} 
12. Nc4 c6 $1 13. dxc6 d5 $1 14. exd5 $6 e4 $1) 12... Nh5 13. Be3 Ngf4 $1 14.
Bxc5 Qf6 $3 15. Be3 Bxh3 16. Bxf4 Nxf4 17. Nh2 Bxg2 18. Qe3 Bxf1 {and even
though White survives, Black maintains some material and positional pluses.
--- Note that in many similar positions White voluntarily spends a tempo on
h2-h3(?) - a move which contributes greatly to his downfall. Note, too, that
Black's attack with ...Nh5, ...Ngf4, ...Qf6 is so strong that he can sacrifice
a full piece to accelerate it. One free tempo and the game would have been
over.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A2: 4 c4?!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 $6 {This weak move is almost as common as
4 Nf3. It wastes a tempo in a critical position, obstructs the f1-bishop, and
leaves a big hole on the d4-square. In exchange, White has fortified d5, but
the price is too high - he has already squandered his first move advantage,
and if he plays at all indifferently he will soon stand worse. White imagines
he will eventually be playing c4-c5, but this is difficult to achieve.} Ng6 (
4... Nf6 {is similar, when} 5. Nc3 Ng6 {transposes to a position often reached
through the Tango. However,} 6. h4 $1 {is a dangerous move here, and Black has
both objective and practical problems. The text move order makes it difficult
for White to play an early h2-h4 and so avoids this troublesome line.}) 5. -- {
White has:} ({A21:} 5. Nc3) ({A22:} 5. Be3) ({A23:} 5. Nf3) ({A24:} 5. Bd3) ({
A25:} 5. g3) ({A26:} 5. a3) (5. -- {By the way, I hate all these nested
letters and numbers which make the book look like the awful, tedious outlines
we had to write in seventh grade Social Studies. It makes my eyes glaze over
just looking at it, and probably yours, too, so just read about 5 Nc3 and 5
Be3 and then skip to line B. The rest doesn't much happen and it's pretty
obvious anyway. Maybe someday, when you need to look something up, you'll
thank me that the material is so well organized. I take cash and cheques.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A21: 5 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. Nc3 Bc5 $1 ({If} 5... Nf6 {then} 6.
h4 $1 {and Black is back on less solid ground.}) 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. Be2 ({By now} 7.
h4 $2 {is not possible because it does not address the threat of} Ng4 $1 {.}) (
{For} 7. Bd3 {, see A24, notes to White's seventh move.}) 7... O-O {Black will
be playing ...d7-d6 and usually ...a7-a5 soon, but this move order is the most
accurate;} ({since} 7... d6 $6 {is met by} 8. b4 {(} Bxb4 $4 9. Qa4+ {).}) (
7... a5 {is sometimes played, but White is actually quite far from being able
to play Na4 because the e4-pawn would hang. Holding off on ...a7-a5 makes
sense because: 1. Black may change his mind and play ...a7-a6. --- 2.
Sometimes Black can prevent Na4 with ...Bd7 instead. --- 3. It is possible to
allow the bishop to be traded off under some circumstances - I have recently
noticed that tempi sometimes matter in chess.}) 8. O-O d6 (8... a5 {(which
could just as easily have been 8...d6 9 Ne1 a5)} 9. Ne1 d6 10. Nd3 Bd4 $1 {was
W.Weisser-L.Trumpp, German League 2003, in which White quickly reached a
difficult position and got abused tactically (see Game 34).}) 9. Qc2 ({In B.Perrusset-I.Moullier, Paris 2005, White tried} 9. a3 a5 10. Bd2 Qe7 11. Rb1 Bd7
12. b4 $6 axb4 13. axb4 Bd4 $1 {but she was worse after the queenside had
opened and it was Black who was successful in the end (see Game 35).}) 9... Bd7
{This stops Na4 for now.} ({Instead, D.Baramidze-E.Griezne, Baunatal 1999,
continued} 9... a6 10. a3 Qe7 11. b4 Ba7 12. Nd1 {, when Black got to
demonstrate the typical manoeuvre} Nh5 $1 13. Ne3 Ngf4 {which he used to good
effect (see Game 36).}) 10. a3 a5 {. Black is slightly better.} 11. -- ({If} 
11. Rb1 {, we will certainly fix White's queenside pawns with} a4 {.}) ({If} 
11. b3 -- ({, we have available the slow plan} 11... Qe7 {, 12...h6, 13...Nh5,
14...Ngf4, 15...Qf6, etc, which I provide because it's often necessary in
similar positions}) ({; but here we just blast out} 11... Nh5 $1 12. Nxe5 (12.
g3 {is safer, but it does create a weakness, and Black is better after the
simple} Nf6 {, menacing ...Bh3 and/or ...Ng4}) 12... Nxe5 13. Bxh5 Qh4 14. Be2
f5 15. g3 Qh3 16. Bf4 Rae8 ({or} 16... g5 $5 17. Bxe5 dxe5 18. exf5 Ra6 {with
more than enough for the pawn}) 17. b4 ({not} 17. Bxe5 $2 Rxe5 18. Bf3 f4 19.
Bg2 Qh5 20. b4 Bh3 21. bxc5 Bxg2 {, winning}) 17... axb4 18. axb4 Bxb4 {with
clearly the better game for Black.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A22: 5 Be3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Nc3 ({Other moves:} 6.
Bd3 b6 $1 (6... Nh4 $5 7. Kf1 b6 8. g3 Ng6 9. Kg2 Bc5 {is similar, but White
is certainly not suffering from his inability to castle}) 7. Nc3 Bc5 ({in V.Vilkov-A.Provotorov, Kaluga 1996, the only time this position has been reached,
Black played the highly inconsistent} 7... Bb4 $6 {and went on to lose}) 8. Nf3
O-O 9. O-O {and there are many roads for both players, but they all lead to
equal positions - the imminent and positionally favourable bishop trade
balances White's space advantage; e.g.} a5 10. Qd2 Qe7 11. Rfe1 d6 12. Bxc5
bxc5 13. g3 a4 {and the game is still balanced.}) (6. f3 Bb4+ (6... b6 {is
still interesting, but after} 7. Nc3 Bc5 8. Bxc5 bxc5 9. d6 $1 {White has
balanced the chances}) 7. Nd2 Qe7 {. Miles scored 4-0 from this position,
beating GM Kaidanov and IMs Shirazi and Langeweg; e.g.} (7... b6 $5) 8. g3 O-O
9. Bh3 c6 {and Black is better, going on to win in G.Kaidanov-A.Miles, Palma
de Mallorca 1989 (see Game 37)} ({or} 9... a5) ({, or} 9... Bc5 {.})) (6. Bg5
$6 {is ridiculous here and in all positions where Black can play ...h7-h6. The
bishop is way too valuable to trade, and even when it's possible to retreat, ...h7-h6 is always a useful move for Black. So} h6 $1 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 {and White
has even more dark-square problems than usual. Black's queen is also very
happy on the f6-square.}) 6... Bb4 7. f3 ({Against} 7. Qc2) ({or} 7. Bd3 {
Black plays exactly the same way.}) 7... Bxc3+ {Black's results are excellent 
(+21 -12 =8) with this move, so there is little need to worry about
alternatives.} ({Sometimes Black plays} 7... Qe7 {with the idea of trading the
dark-squared bishops, but this is time-consuming compared to the text, and
hasn't worked well in real life.}) ({Quoting Joel Benjamin: "This is important:
do not hang your bishop with 7...d6 8 Qa4+." (Actually, according to my
database,} 7... d6 $4 {has been played three times and White has yet to play}
8. Qa4+ {, even in the game where White was a GM. I won't name the GM. Can
this possibly be right?! Can you explain yourself, Pablo?)}) 8. bxc3 d6 9. Qd2
$5 ({In fact, just about anything is better than the lemon} 9. c5 $6 {that
White squeezes out most of the time, which leads to: --- *Position Four* ---
Apparently it is just too tempting to liquidate the weak c-pawn, but the lines
that open are all going to be seized by Black; and while White's weakness on
c4 is no more, he has an even bigger problem on c3, which is directly in the
line of fire, sitting on Black's half-open c-file. The games all go the same
way:} O-O 10. -- ({, and} 10. Bd3 Nd7 $1 11. cxd6 cxd6 12. Ne2 Qa5 $1 ({or} 
12... Qc7) 13. O-O Nc5 {, and ...Bd7/...Rac8/...Na4, or ...b7-b6/...Ba6/...
Rac8 on the queenside, and after White is pacified there, ...f7-f5 on the
kingside. S.Brudno-J.Benjamin, Boston 2001, is a classic example (see Game 38),
whereas in R.Mitchell-J.Schuyler, Bloomington 1991 (Game 39) Black focuses
entirely on the queenside, a strategy which is far less effective, as we will
see.}) ({. Can things really be that simple for Black? Not quite, but if White
wants to get any play, he pretty much needs to go crazy like a Grandmaster (in
I.Jelen-E.Dizdarevic, Ljubljana 1992 - see Game 40 - White went crazy like an
IM, which did not work), as in E.Rozentalis-M.Lazic, Genoa 2004, which went} 
10. cxd6 cxd6 11. Bd3 -- (11... Qc7 12. Ne2 Nd7 13. h4 $5 Nc5 14. h5 Ne7 15. g4
$1 {and while White may not have been better, he certainly was scary, and he
did go on to win after} Nxd3+ $6 16. Qxd3 b5 17. Ng3 a5 18. Kf2 Ba6 19. Qd2 f6
20. Nf5 Rf7 21. Rhg1 Rc8 22. Rac1 Kf8 23. Qb2 Nxf5 24. gxf5 Qc4 25. Qd2 h6 26.
Bb6 Qa4 27. Kg3 Rb7 28. Be3 Rbc7 $4 ({Notice that White's pawn storm had less
to do with blowing Black open than controlling the f5-square, preparing it for
his knight. The square is especially important since, had Black been able to
break with ...f7-f5, White's strategy would have failed. Notice, too, that
Black was never losing - in fact, he was never significantly worse - until 28...Rbc7??. Instead} 28... Rf7 $1 {, preparing the escape 29...Ke7 if necessary,
would have pre-empted White's sacrificial attack and held the balance. White's
ideal position wasn't so dangerous after all!}) 29. Bxh6 b4 30. Kh4 bxc3 31.
Bxg7+ Ke8 32. Qg2 {1-0.}) ({. Let's go back to move 11, set up the proper
defence without fear, and try to play a little more quickly and actively on
the queenside:} 11... Qa5 $1 {(or 11...Nd7 first)} 12. Ne2 Nd7 13. h4 Ne7 14.
h5 h6 15. g4 f6 16. Qd2 Nc5 17. Bc2 b6 18. Ng3 (18. c4 $1 Qa6 {is equal}) 18...
Ba6 19. Nf5 Nxf5 20. gxf5 Rf7 21. Rg1 Kf8 {, followed by 22...Rc8 with
pressure on the c3-pawn. --- We now return to our regular programming.}))) 9...
b6 ({Palliser concludes that there is no point delaying castling, but I am
finding that} 9... O-O 10. h4 $1 {(intending} Nh5 11. Bf2 ({or} 11. Ne2 {) is
very dangerous for Black, who must be extremely resourceful in a dizzying
array of variations in order to avoid disaster. (See for yourself - I won't
bore you with the details. Frankly, I wouldn't even know where to start.)
After the text move, Black can bail out to the queenside if things get too
hairy too quickly - a surprising but valuable option!})) 10. h4 {Not forced,
obviously, but if this is what White is about, he is likely to get right to it.
} ({If 10 Bd3 (or 10 Ne2, for that matter), Black could castle, having lost
nothing - but I would prefer to stay flexible with 10...Nd7; for example,} 10.
Ne2 Nd7 11. h4 h6 12. h5 Ngf8 $1 {and 13...Nh7 will be like the main variation;
} ({in Z.Koczka-Zsu.Simon, Hungarian Team Championship 2003,} 12... Ne7 $2 {
was 1-0 in 30 moves.})) ({If} 10. Bd3 Nd7 11. Ne2 {, Black can still delay ...0-0 in favour of} Nc5 $1 {. Can White keep waiting before committing to either
castling or h2-h4 - ?}) 10... h6 {This stops White's pawn from going to h6,
which would leave Black with a big cramp and weaknesses on the dark squares.}
11. g3 ({Someone will try} 11. h5 Nf8 $1 {(I just love this move - the knight
heads for the open c5-square, whereas a knight on e7 would be going nowhere
for a long time)} 12. g4 N6h7 $1 {(preventing 13 g5 and preparing an eventual ...Ng5!, while ...Qh4+ is also sometimes useful)} 13. Bd3 Nd7 {(Black is at
least equal in spite of White's space - his knights are happy pieces, unlike
White's sad bishops)} 14. Kf2 Nc5 15. Kg2 a5 16. Ne2 Ng5 {etc. It is even safe
to castle kingside now.}) 11... Nd7 {This transposes to A.Karpov-D.Chevallier,
France 1993 (see Game 41). According to Palliser, this game was very
influential and popularized the variation with Be3 for White. If so, the
game's true theoretical significance was greatly overestimated - Black was
fine well into the middlegame, and even better at one point. His only real
problem was that he was playing Karpov!} 12. Nh3 Nc5 13. Nf2 -- ({So far we
have followed the famous game, and Black could certainly continue more or less
like Chevallier (who tried} 13... Qd7 {here)}) ({but I would rather play
actively with} 13... f5 $5 {; e.g.} 14. exf5 Bxf5 15. Bxc5 bxc5 16. Bd3 O-O 17.
O-O Qd7 {. We no longer have to worry about a positional squeeze by White,
real or imagined. White's knight will soon be established on the e4-square,
but it has no forward movement and does not control important squares. One
likely plan for us is ...Ne7-c8-b6 to close the b-file and pressure White's
weakness on c4. We can also consider ...Rab8-b6 and ...Rfb8. Black is clearly
no worse and I believe White has to be careful that he is not punished for his
overextended pawns.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A23: 5 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 {Although
Black's bishop is very strong on the a7-g1 diagonal, the doubled c-pawns are
also a big problem for White, and one that cannot possibly be fixed. Not only
are they targets in the late middlegame and endgame, they immobilize White's
queenside, making it difficult for him to generate meaningful play on that
side of the board. Furthermore, White is forced to play an awkward move like 7
Bd3 or 7 Qc2 to defend his e-pawn. Because it is possible to inflict the
positional damage and still attack, I prefer to double the pawns if possible,
though this is largely a matter of taste.} ({This is a difficult decision,
especially since we will need to know the positions after} 6... Bc5 {anyway
because of the different move orders White can use (see line A21 for this).})
7. Bd3 (7. Bd2 $6 {keeps the pawns from being doubled, but it is bad
nonetheless:} Bxc3 8. Bxc3 Nxe4 9. Bxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Qf6 11. Nd3 O-O 12. Be2
d6 13. O-O Bf5 {and Black has a significant advantage in activity.}) 7... Bxc3+
8. bxc3 d6 9. O-O O-O 10. h3 $6 {This is not good, but it is always played, if
it hasn't been played already. Even Houdini likes it! Black's attacking ideas
should be familiar by now:} Nh5 {. Black intends ...Nhf4 and ...Nh4, or ...Ngf4
and ...Qf6. On the queenside, it will probably be necessary to play ...b7-b6 soon, while a2-a4 should be met by ...a7-a5 to eliminate counterplay. In
theory White should be okay, but in reality Black has won every game. W.M.Buehl-J.Benjamin, Reno 1999 (see Game 42) is typical.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A24: 5 Bd3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nc3 ({With} 6. Ne2 $5 Nf6
7. O-O {White gets his knight to e2 without spending a tempo on h2-h3 (as
compared to the main line), but he will still find that he has not found a
route to an advantage:} O-O (7... d6 $6 8. b4 $1) 8. Nbc3 a6 9. Ng3 d6 10. Nf5
Nf4 $1 11. Be3 ({not} 11. Bxf4 $6 exf4 12. Qf3 $6 g6 $1 13. Nh6+ Kg7 14. Qxf4
Nh5 15. Qd2 Qh4 $1 16. b4 Qf4 $1 17. Qxf4 Nxf4 {winning, because the Nh6 is
still trapped}) 11... Nd7 $1 12. Bc2 g6 {with equal play.}) 6... Nf6 7. h3 {
Given an exclamation mark by some sources, which to me seems a little extreme
- the move is more like an arguably necessary evil.} ({Admittedly 7 h3 is far
superior to} 7. Nge2 $4 Ng4 8. O-O Qh4 {, winning.}) (7. Nf3 {isn't so great
either.} O-O 8. O-O a5 (8... a6 {is also reasonable, but the text move is
sound and Black is 5-0 with it}) 9. a3 d6 10. Rb1 Nh5 {with a dangerous
initiative in practice. In A.Hahn-J.Bonin, New York (rapid) 2003, White
managed to block Black's favourite bishop with} 11. b4 axb4 12. axb4 Bb6 13.
Na4 Ba7 14. Bc2 Nhf4 15. c5 {, but Black's attack was still strong, and he won
a topsy-turvy battle (see Game 43).}) (7. Be3 b6 $1 {transposes to A22 above 
(the first note).} (7... Bxe3 {isn't the worst move ever, but it loses the
f4-square for Black's knights, which love to settle there and checkmate White.}
)) 7... O-O 8. Nge2 a6 {Not the only good move.} (8... a5 {is also worth
considering - it slows down White's b2-b4, though it does leave Black's
queenside less flexible and weakens the b5-square.}) ({K.Ellmauer-D.Huber,
Schwarzach 2001, went} 8... d6 {(8...a5 is a better move order)} 9. O-O a5 10.
Kh1 $6 Nh5 11. g4 $4 Qh4 $6 (11... Nhf4 $1) 12. Kg2 Bxg4 13. hxg4 Qxg4+ 14. Ng3
$2 (14. Kh2) 14... Ngf4+ 15. Bxf4 Nxf4+ 16. Kg1 Qxg3+ {0-1. Short and sweet.})
({I.Jelen-Z.Mestrovic, Slovenian Team Championship 1996, saw} 8... Nh5 $5 9. g3
$6 {, which is incorrectly assessed by De Firmian as better for White - a case
of annotating by result.} (9. Na4 $1) 9... -- ({. The game continued
preposterously with} 9... Qf6 $6 10. Rh2 d6 $6 (10... Qd8 $1 {is equal}) 11.
Na4 Bb4+ $4 12. Nec3 $1 {and Black's h5-knight is toast.}) ({. Going back to
move nine, it is true that White has more space, but his position is very
loose. Simply} 9... a6 $1 {, followed by ...d7-d6 and ...c7-c6, and what moves
does White imagine that he is going to be playing? For example,} 10. O-O d6 11.
Kh2 Nf6 12. Rb1 c6 13. b4 Qd7 14. Ng1 Bd4 15. Nce2 Ba7 {and White's position
is slowly degrading.})) 9. O-O d6 (9... Nh5 $6 {was no good because of} 10. Na4
$1 Ba7 11. d6 $1 {with a small edge and a large disruption of Black's plans.})
10. Ng3 $1 {Otherwise, the nasty 10...Nh5! is coming;} ({e.g.} 10. Rb1 Nh5 $1
11. b4 Ba7 12. Kh1 Nhf4 {and ...Qh4 or ...Nh4 with threats against g2, h3, and
f2.}) 10... -- {The position after 10 Ng3 has never been reached;} ({but we
have many reasonable and sensible moves such as} 10... Bd7) (10... Re8) ({or} 
10... h6 {(with equality), and ...c7-c6 may be on the cards. --- One
interesting idea is ...Nf4. One thing we absolutely do not need to worry about
is Bxf4 exf4 - White's good bishop is too valuable to squander in such a
fashion, and our pawn on f4 is strong, not weak. We will very much enjoy the
use of the e5-square for our knight, bishop, rook, or queen. Even if ...g7-g5
is necessary to defend f4, Black's kingside will remain safe.}) ({Another idea
is ...Bd4 and ...c7-c5, anchoring the bishop. In this closed position, we will
not mind if our bishop gets traded off, especially since we will wind up with
a protected passed pawn on the d4-square (if the bishop is taken, either
recapture can be considered, though ...e5xd4 is the typical answer). Naturally,
White will not be eager to play d5xc6 (en passant) because of the loss of
space and centre.} 10... Bd4 {is not the most accurate}) ({but} 10... h6 11.
Na4 {can definitely be met by} Bd4 {and 12...c5.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A25: 5 g3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. g3 {Taking the f4-square away from
Black's knight is sensible, but this move is slow, and the white bishop is not
going to be active on g2.} Nf6 6. Bg2 ({If} 6. Nc3 {, we have that choice
again - to take the strong diagonal or to double White's c-pawns. I prefer to
have a queenside target, particularly since White has taken measures against
our kingside play. Also, White's fianchetto leaves the c4-pawn without
protection. So} Bb4 7. Bg2 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. Ne2 ({or} 9. h4 h6 {with a
comfortably equal position very similar to A.Karpov-D.Chevallier in A22 - if}
10. h5 $6 {then} Nf8 $1 {with advantage}) 9... O-O {and Black has won every
game. White's plan to play f2-f4 is far too weakening - after ...e5xf4 g3xf4,
White has problems on c4, e4, f4, g4, and h4. While Black is waiting for f2-f4,
he can play ...b7-b6, ...Nd7, ...Nc5, ...f7-f5 and perhaps ...a7-a5 and ...Ba6.
E.Schiendorfer-D.Recuero Guerra, Herceg Novi 2006, is a typical disaster for
White (see Game 44).}) 6... Bc5 7. Nc3 ({The popular} 7. Ne2 {allows Black to
take the initiative immediately with} h5 $1 {, when 8...h4 cannot be stopped
because} 8. h4 $2 ({or} 8. Bg5 $2 Bxf2+) 8... Ng4 9. O-O $2 ({or} 9. Rf1 Qf6 $1
) 9... Nxh4 $1 {is awful for White.}) 7... O-O (7... d6) (7... a5) ({and} 7...
h5 {are also interesting}) 8. -- {but castling is flexible,} ({and leads into
the amusing miniature H.Titz-C.Rossi, Austrian Team Championship 2001:} 8. Nf3
d6 9. O-O a6 10. Qd3 b5 11. b3 Bd7 12. a4 b4 13. Nd1 Qc8 14. Be3 Nxe4 15. Nxe5
Nxe5 16. Qxe4 Bf5 17. Qh4 Ng6 {0-1. White resigned because} 18. Qh5 Bg4 19. Qg5
h6 {traps the queen. --- As seen in this game, ...a7-a6 is often the best way
to preserve the bishop in this variation, because with White's bishop
fianchettoed, the advance ...b7-b5 is easy to achieve and likely to be
effective.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A26: 5 a3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. a3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Bd3 ({Other
moves:} 7. Nf3 $2 Ng4 $1) ({or} 7. Nge2 $2 Ng4 $1 {is terrible. Have you
noticed that White needs to be careful on the dark squares? Eh?}) ({I've seen
White play} 7. h3 {here, after which he should have his right to play White
permanently revoked - but the fact that he always loses here has as much to do
with his obviously passive attitude as the defects of his position.} d6 8. Nf3
a5 9. g3 O-O 10. Bg2 c6 {was C.Baluta-A.Cioara, Bucharest 1996 (see Game 45),
in which White, an FM, got manhandled while Black demonstrated all the
available ideas (...c7-c6, ...b7-b5, ...Ng4, ...f7-f5, etc).}) (7. b4 {
certainly looks stupid and has lost all the games so far, but in analysis
things are not so clear:} Bd4 8. Nge2 Nxe4 (8... c5 $5 {looks okay}) 9. Nxe4 ({
not} 9. Nxd4 $4 Nxc3 10. Qd3 exd4 11. Qxd4 Qe7+ {, winning}) 9... Bxa1 10. d6
$1 ({stronger than} 10. Be3 $6 Bd4 11. Nxd4 exd4 {, though after} 12. Qxd4 $1
O-O 13. d6 {White still has some play}) 10... b6 11. h4 Bb7 12. dxc7 Qxc7 13.
Nd6+ {with full compensation and more than one way to pursue the attack.
Against a dangerous and prepared (GM) opponent, Black would probably do well
to avoid the whole mess with 8...c5, but otherwise it makes sense to pocket
the material and let White try to figure out how to prove compensation.}) 7...
a5 (7... a6 {has done well in practice, but I can't see the logic of allowing
White to accelerate his queenside play.}) 8. Rb1 ({Instead:} 8. Nge2 $4 {is
still terrible due to} Ng4 9. O-O $6 Qh4 {.}) (8. Na4 {is interesting, but not
especially strong:} Ba7 9. c5 (9. d6 {is a little better, but} cxd6 {and 10...
d5 will be sufficient for easy equality}) 9... d6 10. Be3 {was R.Staudte-M.Roth, Chemnitz 1998, when} Nh4 $1 ({instead of} 10... Ng4 $6) 11. Kf1 Ng4 $1
12. Bd2 dxc5 {already leaves White in poor condition.}) 8... d6 9. h3 O-O 10.
b4 axb4 11. axb4 Ba7 {. Black was already slightly more comfortable in Bu
Xiangzhi-L.Christiansen, Deizisau 2000 (see Game 46);} 12. -- ({and Bu's} 12.
g3 $6 {should have worsened White's situation after} c6 ({or} 12... Bd7) ({,
as opposed to Christiansen's} 12... Ne8 $6 {. Black, who was better throughout
most of the opening and early middlegame, ...lost.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 3 dxe5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 {. White has:} 4. -- ({B1:} 4. Nf3) ({B2:} 4.
f4) ({Instead,} 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. Nf3 $2 (5. f4 Nc6 6. Nf3 {transposes to line B22
below}) 5... Ng4 $1 6. Nd4 {is like a Two Knights Defence (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3
Bc4 Nf6 4 Ng5 d5 5 exd5 Nxd5) with reversed colours, except that Black's
king's knight is at home instead of his queen's knight.} -- ({. This makes it
harder to pressure the Nd4, so the standard idea of} 6... Nxf2 {is less
effective; e.g.} 7. Kxf2 Qf6+ 8. Ke3 Ne7 9. Ncb5 Qe5 10. c3 f5 11. Kd2 fxe4 12.
Kc2 O-O 13. g3 d5 14. Bf4 {does not give Black enough compensation.}) ({.
However, Black still has} 6... d5 $5 {; e.g.} 7. Nxd5 c6 8. f3 Ne5 9. b4 Bd6
10. Nc3 Bxb4 11. Bb2 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qe7 {and White is very loose.} (12... --)) ({
. Alternatively,} 6... Qh4 {is less ambitious but much simpler:} 7. g3 Qf6 8.
Qxg4 Bxd4 9. Nd1 d5 $1 {(since the c8-bishop is defended!)} 10. Qe2 dxe4 11.
Qxe4+ Ne7 {and Black is a bit better.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B1: 4 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 $1 {. Although the
text move has had no serious trials, analysis demonstrates its viability and
none of the ideas previously tried have proven themselves reliable. In most
cases, we intend to play like a Philidor, counting on the knight trade to ease
our space disadvantage, while trying to show that White's queen is awkward on
f3; and there are other possibilities depending on how White reacts. It is not
possible to analyse exhaustively, but the following information should leave
us a few steps ahead of the opponent, who has never even considered this
position.} ({The usual move is} 5... Qf6 {, but then White can either allow or
avoid the queen trade as he pleases, with a pleasant position in either case.})
6. -- {White can consider:} ({B11:} 6. Nc3) ({B12:} 6. Bc4) ({B13:} 6. e5) ({
B14:} 6. Bd3) ({B15:} 6. Be2) ({B16:} 6. Bg5) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B11: 6 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Bd3
Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O 9. O-O d6 10. Re1 (10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Qxf6 gxf6 {
is an equal endgame.}) 10... -- {After 10 Re1, White is a little better in
spite of his bad pawns.} ({It is time for Black to reposition the knight with} 
10... Nd7 {, which steps out of the potential pin, prepares ...Qf6, and
eventually ...Nc5 or ...Ne5, where it should have good prospects. Black
further intends ...b7-b6, ...Bb7, and ...Re8, targeting White's e-pawn, and
may eventually try for ...f7-f5.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B12: 6 Bc4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 Bd6 (6... d6 $5
{is not bad, and keeps things very Philidor-esque, but I prefer the bishop to
be more active if possible.}) 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Bg5 ({Or} 8. O-O Qe7 9. Bf4 (9. Bg5
$6 Qe5 $1 10. Qg3 Qc5 11. Qh4 $1 Be5 $1 {is level}) 9... Bxf4 10. Qxf4 d6 11.
Rad1 Re8 {, intending ...Be6 or ...Qe5. The exchanges have eased Black's space
problem, and White's edge is tiny.}) 8... c6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Qxf6 gxf6 11.
O-O-O Bc5 12. f3 b5 13. Bd3 d6 {. Black's powerful dark-squared bishop is 
(nearly) enough to balance his ugly pawn structure.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B13: 6 e5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Bf4 (7.
Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Qb4+ 9. Nd2 Nf4 10. Qe4 Ne6 {is equal.}) 7... c6 8. Nd2 ({Other
moves lead to equality:} 8. Qe2 Nd5 9. Bg3 f5 $1 10. c4 Nc7 11. Nc3 Ne6 12. f4
d6 $1 13. O-O-O Qc7 14. Qc2 g6 15. Kb1 dxe5 16. fxe5 Bg7 ({or} 16... Be7) ({,
or} 16... f4 $5 {.})) (8. Nc3 d6 $1 9. O-O-O dxe5 10. Re1 Nd7 11. Bc4 f6 {and
Black keeps his extra pawn, although White has the appropriate compensation.
Black intends ...Nb6 (or ...Nc5), ...Bd7 and ...0-0-0.}) 8... d5 9. O-O-O Nd7
10. Qg3 Nc5 {. On the surface, this looks bad for Black, who is still four or
more moves away from completing his development - but he controls the
e6-square, and White lacks the means to orchestrate a breakthrough, so White's
advantage is small;} 11. -- ({e.g.} 11. Kb1 Bf5 (11... h5 $5) 12. Nb3 Nxb3 13.
Qxb3 O-O-O 14. Bd3 Be6 $1 {with no real problems.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B14: 6 Bd3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Bd3 d6 7. O-O Be7
8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bf4 (9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Bf6 11. c3 Re8 {gives White very
little.}) 9... Bg4 10. Qg3 Be6 {. The threat to trade off White's good bishop
with 11...Nh5 is annoying. Assuming White defends against that, Black should
consider the candidate moves ...c7-c6, ...Re8, ...Nd7 (or ...Ng4), ...Ne5, ...Nxd3, ...Bh4, ...Bf6, and ...Qc7 (or ...Qe7). White is only slightly better.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B15: 6 Be2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Be2 d5 7. e5 Ne4 8.
Nc3 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 c6 10. Be3 Be7 11. f4 O-O {. And with 12...f6! coming, Black
has equalized.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B16: 6 Bg5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nf3 Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Bg5 d6 7. Nc3 ({As
usual} 7. Bxf6 $6 Qxf6 8. Qxf6 gxf6 {is equal.}) 7... Be7 {. In principle, we
can already notice that, compared to a regular Philidor, White's Bg5 and Qf3
are awkwardly placed, so White cannot expect much from the opening;} 8. -- ({
e.g.} 8. h3 O-O 9. O-O-O c6 10. Qg3 (10. e5 Ne8 {doesn't do anything}) ({,
while after} 10. Be2 Qa5 11. Bd2 Qc7 12. Qg3 b5 13. Bh6 Ne8 {Black is
certainly no worse}) 10... Qa5 11. f4 Be6 {leads to a wild race with
approximately even chances.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B2: 4 f4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 {This is far less popular than 4 Nf3
among the strongest players, but gives excellent results. Fortunately, it's
easy to see where Black has been going wrong.} Nc6 {. White has:} 5. -- ({B21:
} 5. Bc4) ({B22:} 5. Nf3) ({Alternatively:} 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Nf3 {transposes to
line B22.}) (5. Be3 {prevents 5...Bc5,} -- ({, but Black is okay after} 5...
Bb4+ 6. c3 Ba5 {(R.Hübner-V.Hort, German League 1984, see Game 47).}) ({. Even
better is the unplayed novelty} 5... d5 $1 {which brings equality; e.g.} 6.
exd5 Nb4 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Qe2 ({or} 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. Nf3 Nxd5 10. Qe2 O-O-O {-
come to think of it, White is much worse here}) 8... Nxc2+ 9. Qxc2 Bxb5 10. Nc3
Ba6 11. Nf3 Bd6 12. O-O-O Nf6 13. Rhe1 O-O {, when Black's bishop pair
balances White's space advantage.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B21: 5 Bc4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nf6 $1 {This strong move,
from the IM-GM clash L.Shytaj-M.Godena, Italian Championship, Marta Franca
2008, leads to very sharp play, not unfavourable to Black.} ({Before this,} 
5... Bb4+ {was the standard reply, as played by E.Pedersen, Przewoznik, Miles
and Hort, who scored one draw between them! (It was Miles.)}) ({Not} 5... Bc5
$2 {because of} 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Qd5+ {.}) 6. Nc3 {Shytaj's choice.} ({Only} 6.
e5 {is critical, but Black has sufficient resources:} d5 $1 7. Bb3 Ng4 8. Bxd5
Bb4+ 9. Nc3 ({or} 9. c3 Bc5 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Qxd8+ Kxd8 12. Ne2 Bf2+ 13. Kf1
Bb6 14. Nd4 f6 15. exf6 Ba6+ 16. Kg1 Re8 17. Bd2 Re4 18. fxg7 Ke7 19. g3 Bd3 {
with dangerous play - Black's light-squared bishop is an absolute monster})
9... O-O $1 10. Bxc6 Qxd1+ 11. Kxd1 bxc6 12. Ke2 f6 $1 13. h3 Nh6 14. Nf3 Nf5
15. Ne4 fxe5 16. fxe5 Be6 17. Bd2 Bxd2 18. Kxd2 Rad8+ 19. Kc3 Ne3 20. Nd4 Bd5
21. Nc5 Bxg2 22. Rhg1 Nd5+ 23. Kc4 Ne3+ 24. Kc3 {with a draw.}) 6... Bb4 7.
Nge2 ({Here} 7. e5 d5 8. exf6 dxc4 9. -- ({, and} 9. Qe2+ $6 Kf8 $5 (9... Be6 {
is also good}) 10. Be3 Qxf6 11. O-O-O Be6 {was better for Black, who went on
to win in M.Orso-G.Bordas, Budapest 2000 (see Game 48). Go Bordas!}) (9. Qxd8+
{improves for White, when} Kxd8 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. Be3 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Rxg7 13.
Kf2 Bf5 14. Rd1+ Kc8 15. Rd2 b6 {is equal.})) 7... Nxe4 $1 (7... d6 {is equal;
Godena finds more.}) 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Qd5+ Kf8 10. Qxe4 d5 {A sharp reversal
of fortune has occurred in the centre, and this is far more important than any
minor inconvenience suffered by Black's king.} 11. Qf3 Qh4+ $1 12. g3 Bg4 $1 {
After seeing this, Godena is my new hero.} 13. Qd3 $2 {White, who is suffering
badly, may as well take a pawn for his troubles.} (13. Qxd5 {is not clearly
losing, whereas the text move is.}) 13... Qh5 14. O-O d4 $6 (14... Re8 $1 {
allows less counterplay:} 15. Be3 d4 $1 16. Nxd4 Rxe3 17. Qxe3 Nxd4 18. Qd3
Nf3+ 19. Rxf3 Bxf3 {.}) 15. f5 $1 dxc3 16. Nf4 $1 Qf7 17. Ne6+ Kg8 18. bxc3 Bd6
19. Qe4 Ne5 20. Qxb7 Re8 21. Nd4 c5 22. Qa6 cxd4 23. Qxd6 Nf3+ 24. Kg2 Qb7 {.
White has had enough. Did I mention that Godena is my new hero?} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B22: 5 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Nc6 5. Nf3 {Rare at a high level, this
lazy-looking move is White's best, apparently doing nothing to contest the
a7-g1 diagonal.} Bc5 6. Nc3 d6 ({Instead:} 6... a6 $6 7. Qe2 $1 d6 8. Be3 Bxe3
9. Qxe3 Nf6 10. O-O-O {is pleasant for White.}) (6... Nf6 $5 {leads to wild
complications and is fully playable if you enjoy such positions. Here are some
sample variations:} 7. e5 $1 Ng4 8. Bc4 ({or} 8. Ne4 $1 Bb6 9. Bc4 d5 10. Qxd5
Qe7 (10... Qxd5 $5) 11. h3 Be6 12. Qb5 a6 13. Qa4 Bxc4 14. Qxc4 Ne3 15. Bxe3
Bxe3 16. g3 O-O-O {, when Black has compensation for most of a pawn}) 8... d6
9. Ng5 ({or} 9. Ne4 Be3 10. exd6 O-O (10... Bxc1 $5) 11. Bxe3 Nxe3 12. Qe2 Nxc4
13. Qxc4 cxd6 14. O-O-O Be6 15. Qb5 d5 16. f5 a6 17. Qc5 Bxf5 18. Rxd5 Qe7 19.
Nd6 Be6 20. Rd2 Bxa2 $1 21. b3 Qf6 22. Nd4 a5) 9... O-O 10. h3 Nh6 11. Na4 Bb6
12. Nxb6 axb6 13. O-O dxe5 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. fxe5 Nxe5 16. Bb3 c5 17. Bf4 c4 {
with equality.}) 7. Na4 $1 Bb6 8. Nxb6 axb6 9. Bd3 Nf6 (9... d5 {transposes to
S.Fedorchuk-A.Miles, Ohrid 2001, which Miles won (see Game 49), but the idea
does not merit the exclamation mark bestowed by Kalinin - the simple text is
best.}) 10. O-O O-O 11. Re1 ({If White prevents ...Nb4 with} 11. Bd2 {, the
answer is} d5 $1 12. e5 Ne4 13. Be1 Nc5 14. f5 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Qe7 16. Bc3 Qc5+
17. Kh1 Qc4 {with equality.}) ({White has also tried} 11. b3 $5 Bd7 12. Bb2 Nb4
$1 13. Qd2 Nxd3 14. cxd3 c5 15. f5 Bc6 16. Qg5 h6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Qxf6 gxf6 {
, when Black had equalized in J.R.Capablanca(!)-M.H.McGuire, New Orleans 
(simul) 1911. Black went on to win, outmanoeuvring Capablanca with his better
minor and queenside pawn majority. Outrageous!}) 11... -- {So far we have
followed M.Heyne-R.Vogel, Passau 1999, which actually started as an Englund
Gambit! (1 d4 e5?!).} ({Instead of} 11... Re8 {(which could be met by} 12. e5
$1 {)}) ({Black should have played} 11... Nb4 {, an annoying attack on White's
bishop pair, which he can no longer preserve. After} 12. Bd2 (12. Bc4 Be6 $1)
12... Nxd3 13. cxd3 {Black's plan is to mobilize his queenside majority with}
c5 {, ...b6-b5-b4 and ...b7-b5 (again!), develop the bishop with ...Bd7-c6,
and restrain White's centre by ...Re8. It is also important to prevent Bg5, so
if White plays f4-f5, then ...h7-h6 is the normal response. I cannot tell a
lie - White has a tiny edge. Notice that} 14. a4 b5 $1 {is tactically possible
(and desirable) because} 15. axb5 Rxa1 16. Qxa1 Bd7 {recovers the pawn and
activates the bishop.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C: 3 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C44"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 {. Now White has:} 4. -- ({C1:} 4. Nxd4 {- the
Scotch Game}) ({C2:} 4. Bc4 {- the Scotch Gambit}) ({If} 4. c3 {(the Göring
Gambit), we decline with} d5 $1 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. cxd4 Bg4 7. Be2 Bb4+ 8. Nc3
Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Qc4 {and White, who can't yet castle, has done terribly after} 10.
Bxc6+ ({or} 10. Qb3 Qxb3 11. axb3 {with vile pawns}) 10... bxc6 $1 11. Qe2+
Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 O-O-O 13. Be3 Ne7 {, when Black's king is safe and guards his
weaknesses. White should really be okay, but has had serious problems in
practice. One good idea for Black is ...Ba5-b6 to pressure White's d4-pawn and
shore up the queenside.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C1: 4 Nxd4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 $1 {We are allowed to play the
normal move on occasion. There's always time for weirdness later. White's
main moves are:} 5. -- ({C11:} 5. Be3) ({C12:} 5. Nxc6) ({First let's take out
the trash:} 5. Nb3 $6 {leaves our bishop uncontested on a strong diagonal:} Bb6
6. -- (6. a4 a6 7. Nc3 {. The position is highly reminiscent of a Caro-Kann
Classical Variation (in mirror image), but with a few advantages for us. We
have saved a move on ...c7-c6 (i.e. ...f7-f6 here), it is hard for White to
trade our strong dark-squared bishop, and we will find castling short to be
far more efficient and effective than castling long in the Caro (where ...Kb8,
...Rc8, ...c6-c5 is time consuming). --- If anyone tells you to let White play
8 Nd5, don't believe them:} Nf6 $1 (7... Nge7 {is good too, transposing to 6
Nc3 Nge7 below}) ({, but not the insipid main variation with} 7... d6 $2) 8.
Bg5 (8. Be2 {is preferable}) 8... h6 9. Bh4 d6 {and Black is better already.})
({. Apparently Magnus Carlsen has had some good results with} 6. Qe2 d6 7. Be3
{but, given the above comparison, it is clear that this should not be
dangerous. Black simply needs to keep in mind the ...f7-f5 break:} Nge7 $1 8.
Nc3 O-O 9. O-O-O f5 $1 {- a few people have noticed this, and Black is +7 -4
=2 in this position (most of the games reached by transposition). Goh Wei
Ming-F.Bellini, Turin Olympiad 2006, is a nice win by Black (see Game 50).}) ({
. A cagier move order which is sometimes used is} 6. Nc3 {, when it is not yet
clear whether White will be playing a2-a4 or Qe2. It is more important to be
prepared for the fashionable Qe2, so} Nge7 7. Qe2 ({while} 7. a4 a6 8. Bg5 f6
9. Bh4 O-O {is absolutely fine for Black, who intends ...d7-d6, ...Ng6 and ...f6-f5, or else ...d7-d6, ...Be6, ...Qd7 (or ...Qe8) and ...f6-f5}) 7... d6 8.
Be3 {transposes to the previous paragraph.})) (5. Nf5 $6 {performs well if
Black doesn't know his stuff (he usually doesn't). Surprise the surpriser by
knowing this short variation:} d5 $1 6. Nxg7+ Kf8 7. Nh5 Qh4 8. Ng3 Nf6 $1 9.
Be2 dxe4 {and Black has a small advantage with which he almost always wins.}) (
5. c3 $6 {indicates that White has forgotten the move order. Don't lazily
transpose with} Qf6 $6 ({but play} 5... Nf6 $1 {instead, with advantage}) 6.
Be3 {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C11: 5 Be3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 ({White can try} 6.
Nb5 {here, but after} Bxe3 7. fxe3 Qh4+ {(this intermezzo forces a concession)}
8. g3 Qd8 9. Qg4 g5 $1 10. N1c3 Ne5 11. Qe2 d6 12. h3 c6 13. Nd4 Nf6 14. O-O-O
Qe7 15. Qf2 Be6 16. Be2 O-O-O {, Black was obviously fine and went on to win a
marathon game in P.Bontempi-O.Jovanic, Nova Gorica 2008 (see Game 51).}) 6...
Qg6 $5 {From here the queen threatens e4, pressures g2, and clears the
f6-square for the knight. Also, we steer clear of the most heavily analyzed
continuations. Black has done very well with this move! --- There are two main
replies, and a bunch of minor ones.} 7. -- ({C111:} 7. Nd2) ({C112:} 7. Nb5) ({
Others: The unlikely-looking} 7. Qe2 {has also been popular.} -- ({. White
hopes for} 7... Qxe4 $4 8. Nxc6 Bxe3 9. Nd4 {, winning (this has yet to work,
but hope springs eternal).}) ({. Instead,} 7... Nxd4 $1 8. cxd4 ({or} 8. Bxd4
Bxd4 9. cxd4 Ne7 10. Nc3 O-O 11. O-O-O c6 {and with 12...d5 coming, Black is
slightly better}) 8... Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 Ne7 11. g3 $1 {(to
discourage 11...d5)} O-O 12. Bg2 Qb6 {and White will have compensation for the
pawn he is losing, but no more than that.})) (7. f3 a6 $5 {(this is a novelty
- it's time to put a stop to Nb5 once and for all)} 8. Nd2 ({or} 8. Qd2 Nge7 {
, transposing to S.Vajda-S.Skembris, Naujac 1999, which continued} 9. Nc2 Bxe3
10. Nxe3 d6 11. Be2 {and Black found plenty of activity with} f5 {, going on
to win - see Game 52}) 8... d6 9. Qc2 Nge7 10. O-O-O Ba7 11. Kb1 O-O {is equal.
}) ({Dembo and Palliser (D&P) like} 7. Qf3 {pretty well, but after} d6 8. Nb5
Bg4 9. Qf4 Bxe3 10. Qxe3 Rc8 {I don't agree that White is better; e.g.} 11. f4
Nf6 12. Bd3 O-O 13. O-O Rfe8 14. Nd2 Bd7 {and Black has no particular problems.
} 15. Nxa7 $6 {is met by} Ng4 16. f5 Qh5 17. Qg3 Nxa7 18. Rf4 $1 Qxh2+ (18...
Ne5 19. Rh4 Qxh4 20. Qxh4 Nxd3 21. f6 {is less clear}) 19. Qxh2 Nxh2 20. Kxh2
Nc6 {with a small but persistent endgame advantage for Black due to White's
backward e-pawn, weak e5-square, and defensive bishop.}) ({D&P also like} 7.
Be2 {and it is indeed dangerous to try to win a pawn, but in E.Stavropoulou-M.Ikonomo-poulou, Athens 2003, Black found an excellent alternative:} Nf6 $1 8.
Nd2 (8. O-O d6 9. Kh1 Bd7 10. Nd2 O-O {is equal}) 8... d5 $1 9. exd5 Nxd5 10.
Bf3 Nxe3 11. fxe3 Ne5 $1 {with a clear advantage.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C111: 7 Nd2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6 7. Nd2 {This
is pathetic, but it's played most of the time, so I guess that makes it the
main line! I can't imagine why White would play the Scotch if this is his plan
for dealing with 6...Qg6. The following draws significantly on Dembo and
Palliser.} Nf6 8. Qf3 ({Other moves:} 8. f3 {is more common, when Black should
strike in the centre with} d5 $1 9. Bb5 $1 ({stronger than} 9. Qc2 $6 Bxd4 10.
cxd4 O-O 11. O-O-O dxe4 12. fxe4 Re8 13. a3 Nxe4 14. Bd3 Bf5 15. d5 Nd6 16.
Bxf5 Qxf5 {and Black keeps an extra pawn}) ({, or} 9. Nb5 $6 Bxe3 10. Nxc7+ Kf8
11. Nxa8 dxe4 12. Qe2 Qh6 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. fxe4 Ne5 {and White needs both to
survive and to extricate the knight, which is more hard than easy}) 9... Qxg2
10. Rg1 Qxh2 11. Rxg7 {. Up until now we've been following E.Berg-I.Morovic
Fernandez, European Championship, Saint Vincent 2000,} -- ({, which continued} 
11... Bd7 12. Qb3 Qh4+ 13. Kd1 {and D&P says favours Black, but Houdini calls
even, and Black did go on to lose.}) ({. Instead, I am recommending} 11... Kf8
$5 12. Rg1 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Be7 14. Qb3 c6 15. e5 $1 ({after} 15. Bd3 dxe4 16.
fxe4 Qh4+ 17. Bf2 Qf4 18. Rf1 Be6 {, White's compensation is insufficient})
15... cxb5 16. exf6 Qh4+ 17. Ke2 Qxf6 18. Qxd5 Qf5 19. Qe4 Qxe4 20. fxe4 h5 21.
Nf3 Bg4 {with approximate equality in an unbalanced endgame.})) (8. Be2 d5 $1 {
transposes to Stavropoulou-Ikonomopoulou a few paragraphs above. I must say
it's interesting that Black so rarely captures on e4 or g2. However, 6...Qg6
has other points to it, and White can't leave those pawns hanging forever.}) (
8. Qc2 $6 Ng4 $1 9. O-O-O Nxe3 10. fxe3 O-O 11. N2f3 d6 12. Nf5 Re8 {and Black
is on top - D&P.}) (8. Qe2 Ng4 9. Nc2 Nxe3 10. Nxe3 Ne7 11. Nb3 Bb6 12. Nf5 Qf6
13. Nxe7 Qxe7 14. g3 O-O 15. Bg2 d6 {with a small advantage in R.Roszkowski-A.Leniart, Grodzisk Mazowiecki 2007 - D&P.}) (8. Nf5 {(or 8 Nc2)} Bxe3 9. Nxe3
O-O 10. Bd3 d5 11. exd5 Qxd3 12. dxc6 Re8 13. Nb3 Qb5 14. a4 {occurred in J.Hoogendoorn-A.Van de Oudeweetering, Leeuwarden 2001, when Black can keep some
pressure with} Qa6 $1 {, stubbornly denying White's castling rights.} (14...
Qxc6 {was equal after} 15. O-O {- D&P}) 15. Qe2 {. After} Qxc6 16. O-O Ng4 17.
Nd4 Qd6 {White will soon have an isolated e-pawn and a somewhat worse position.
}) (8. f4 {has worked very well for White in practice, so be careful! The
careful response is} Nxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4 10. f5 Qg4 11. Qxg4 Nxg4 12. Bf4 d5 13.
h3 Nf6 14. e5 Ne4 15. g4 g6 16. fxg6 fxg6 {, which is slightly better for
Black because of his imminent f-file control, though it was not enough to win
in A.Motylev-S.Gligoric, Yugoslav Team Championship 2000 (see Game 53).}) (8.
h4 h5 $1 {is not helpful to White in any variation.}) 8... Ng4 $1 9. Nf5 ({The
unplayed} 9. Nb5 $5 {is a better try, though after} Nxe3 10. fxe3 Kd8 {, the
position is balanced. And imbalanced. Go figure.}) 9... Nxe3 10. Nxe3 O-O 11.
Nd5 Ne5 12. Qg3 {. So far this is B.Kharashkina-O.Stjazhkina, St. Petersburg
2001,} -- ({and now instead of} 12... Ng4 $6) ({Black should have preferred} 
12... Qxg3 13. hxg3 c6 {, which D&P call "at least equal", though I think is
safe to call a small advantage for Black.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C112: 7 Nb5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6 7. Nb5 $5 {
This is the only critical move, but it is rarely played.} Bxe3 8. Nxc7+ ({Just
as often White wimps out with} 8. fxe3 Kd8 {, when White's structural problems
are far more serious than Black's king position. Black wins virtually every
game; e.g.} 9. Nd2 Nf6 10. Qf3 ({IM Rathnakaran somehow got caught behind the
white pieces in this variation and tried} 10. Qb3 Ng4 $5 11. O-O-O $2 Nf2 12.
Be2 Nxh1 {, K.Rathnakaran-P.Negi, Indian Championship, Mangalore 2008 - but
the game is far too silly to put in my book.}) 10... d6 11. h3 Re8 12. O-O-O
Bd7 {and Black can capture the e-pawn at his convenience.}) 8... Kd8 9. Nxa8
Bf4 $1 10. Qf3 Bh6 $1 {. White's queen is lousy on the f3-square - it can't
reach the queenside, it's vulnerable to ...Bg4, and makes it impossible for
White to guard his e-pawn securely with f2-f3. The position is still extremely
complicated, but approximately equal. --- Some more analysis follows, though
it is hardly practical to be exhaustive, so here are some bits to keep in mind:
1. The material imbalance (two minor pieces for a rook, once the a8-knight
drops) is inherently the most useful for Black in the middlegame - the minor
pieces are well suited for attack. This means that Black should not be eager
for trades even though his king is a bit loose. --- 2. If an endgame is
reached, it is far better for Black to retain his single rook than to trade it
for one of White's two rooks. --- 3. Pawn exchanges favour White, whose rooks
have the most to gain from an open board. --- 4. Naturally, Black will try to
keep his bishop pair if possible. Even deep in an endgame, two bishops are
normally equal to a rook and two pawns. --- Black had a chance to show the
power of points #2 and #4 in P.Hromada-L.Ostrowski, Moravian Team Championship
2002 (see Game 54).} 11. -- ({In D.Campora-V.Tkachiev, Biel 1995, White tried} 
11. Qf5 Qxf5 12. exf5 b6 13. Na3 Bb7 {. As I just mentioned, a queen trade
generally favours White, but the price was too high: a tempo, a crippled pawn
majority, and a weakened centre position. Black had no problems after
pocketing the knight, and had winning chances, although the game ended in a
draw (see Game 55).}) ({Dembo and Palliser recommend} 11. Be2 Nf6 12. O-O Nxe4
13. Bd3 {(end of analysis), but Houdini greatly prefers Black's position after}
f5 {. Naturally, Black will play ...b7-b6 and ...Bb7 at his earliest
convenience; e.g.} 14. Na3 Ne5 $1 (14... Nd2 15. Qd5 {is not worth it}) 15. Qh3
({not} 15. Qe2 $2 Bf4 $1 16. g3 $6 Ng5 $1 17. f3 Re8 {with a brutal attack})
15... b6 16. Rad1 Bb7 {and it's still complicated, but Black is trapping the
knight, activating his pieces, generating threats against the enemy king, and
not being checkmated, which adds up to an excellent position.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C12: 5 Nxc6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 {This move is popular among
Extremely Boring GMs and people with no idea what's going on. (I'm thinking of
taking it up myself.) Experience shows that in the endgames that are normally
reached, White sometimes wins and just about never loses. Yuck! Don't worry,
it's all taken care of.} Qf6 6. Qd2 ({Apparently,} 6. Qf3 $5 {is topical at
the moment:} Qxf3 7. gxf3 bxc6 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. fxe3 {. At first glance the
position looks completely equal, which goes to show you that sometimes first
glances are dead on. In practice White has a nagging edge (+13 -5 =21), but
that's only because Black has not found the correct plan until this very
moment:} d6 $1 (9... Ne7 $6) 10. Nc3 ({or} 10. Rg1 g6) 10... Nf6 $1 {(the
novelty)} 11. Kf2 ({or} 11. O-O-O) 11... O-O 12. Rd1 Re8 {. The point is to
immobilize White's centre pawns and prepare ...Re5, from which the rook has
quite a pleasant view! One obvious idea is ...Rh5, while under some
circumstances ...d6-d5 can be played (especially if White has castled long).
Black's activity is quite sufficient to neutralize the practical advantage
White has been getting after 9...Ne7?!. This idea was inspired by I.Grynfeld-A.Bisguier, Helsinki Olympiad 1952! (see Game 56), though Bisguier in fact
missed his chance to play ...Re5.}) 6... dxc6 7. Nc3 ({Or:} 7. Qf4 Be6 8. Nc3
O-O-O 9. Bd3 h6 $5 {- kingside expansion with 10...g5 will be useful whether
the queens are traded or not. In any case, Black has activity in exchange for
his crippled queenside majority.} ({For the adventurous,} 9... h5 $5 {is also
possible:} 10. O-O h4 11. h3 Ne7 12. Qxf6 gxf6 13. Ne2 Rhg8 {with more
weaknesses for more activity.})) (7. Bd3 Be6 {and (to make a long story short)
Black gets to castle long, with excellent development.}) 7... Bd4 $1 {White
intended 8 Qf4 to enter an annoying endgame. The text move stops this
insidious and somnolent plan and equalizes, according to Dembo and Palliser.
In practical play, Black seems to do even better.} 8. Bd3 Ne7 ({If Black had
tried to take a shortcut with} 8... Nh6 {, White would have put a stop to it
immediately with} 9. h3 $1 {.}) 9. O-O Ng6 {Black's knight is taking the
scenic route to the g4-square, where it will be dangerous to the white king.}
10. Kh1 ({Since the main variation offers nothing, White sometimes tries} 10.
Ne2 $5 {which frees his position after} Bb6 {.} ({So far, taking the pawn has
performed badly for Black, but it is the critical move, and I do not believe
in letting White off so easily:} 10... Bxb2 11. Bxb2 Qxb2 12. f4 Qa3 13. f5 Ne5
14. Qg5 Bd7 {is equal, as in J.Smeets-A.Beliavsky, Maribor (rapid) 2004 (see
Game 57).} ({Even better is} 14... Qf8 $1 {, followed by 15...f6, when White
does not have quite enough for the pawn. If} 15. f6 $6 Qc5+ 16. Kh1 g6 {, the
threat of 17...Nxd3 gives Black time for ...Bd7 and ...0-0-0.}))) 10... Ne5 11.
Be2 ({The knight is strong, but if White tries to dislodge it with} 11. f4 {,
then} Ng4 12. Qe1 (12. Nd1 $4 Nxh2) 12... Nxh2 ({in B.Sultimov-N.Pokazanjev,
Russia 2007, Black tried for and got more with the risky} 12... Bd7 $5 {- see
Game 58}) 13. Kxh2 Qh6+ 14. Kg3 Qg6+ {is a draw by perpetual.}) 11... Ng4 12.
Nd1 Qd6 (12... Be6 {is fine too, intending to castle long.}) 13. Bxg4 ({After} 
13. g3 h5 14. c3 Bb6 15. Qg5 Qe5 16. f3 Qxg5 17. Bxg5 Ne5 {, Black had the
initiative in D.Pavasovic-N.V.Pedersen, Bled Olympiad 2002}) ({or if} 13. f4 {
, Black has the pleasant choice between} Nxh2 {, with another perpetual,} ({and
} 13... h5 $5 {, trying for more - Dembo and Palliser.})) 13... Bxg4 14. -- (
14. c3 Bf6 15. Qxd6 cxd6 {is about equal}) ({while the common} 14. Qg5 Qg6 {is
a little better for Black.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C2: 4 Bc4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C44"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Bc4 {The Scotch Gambit.} Nf6 $1 {. The Two
Knights Defence. I have chosen sound sidelines for Black to simplify the study
material. --- White has:} 5. -- ({C21:} 5. O-O) ({C22:} 5. e5) ({Or} 5. Ng5 d5
$1 6. exd5 Qe7+ 7. Kf1 Ne5 8. Qxd4 Nxc4 9. Qxc4 h6 10. Nf3 Qc5 11. Qe2+ Be7 12.
c4 Nxd5 {with an edge for Black;} (12... b5 $5)) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C21: 5 0-0"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C56"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8.
Nc3 Qd8 $5 {This is rare but sound. The idea is to make it more difficult for
White to recover the d-pawn.} 9. Rxe4+ ({Just as common is} 9. Nxe4 $6 Be7 10.
Bg5 f6 $1 {and White, down a pawn and lacking his light-squared bishop usually
panics with} 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Bxf6 O-O 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 {, but there is no
compensation for the sacrificed material.}) 9... Be7 10. Nxd4 f5 $1 11. Rf4 ({
Or} 11. Bh6 $5 -- ({, when Black can take a draw with} 11... fxe4 12. Bxg7 Rf8
13. Qh5+ Rf7 14. Rd1 Qd6 15. Ndb5 Qf4 16. Nd5 Qxf2+ 17. Kh1 Bd7 18. Nf6+ Bxf6
19. Nxc7+ Ke7 20. Nd5+ Ke6 21. Nc7+) ({, or play on with} 11... O-O 12. Nxc6
bxc6 13. Rd4 Qe8 14. Bf4 Bf6 {with equal chances.} (14... --))) 11... O-O 12.
Nxc6 Qxd1+ 13. Nxd1 bxc6 14. Rc4 c5 15. Be3 Re8 {. Black's bishops are strong
enough that he is not worse.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C22: 5 e5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C56"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 Ng4 $5 6. -- ({At first this
seems insane because of} 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ng5+ {, but as in so many similar
positions, Black's king position is fine since White has traded off his most
powerful attacking piece (the light-squared bishop). So} Kg8 $1 8. Qxg4 ({after
} 8. Qf3 Bb4+ $1 9. c3 Qe7 10. Qd5+ Kf8 11. O-O Ngxe5 12. cxb4 Nxb4 13. Qb3 h6
{White has nowhere near enough for two pawns}) 8... h6 $1 9. Nf3 d6 10. Qe4 ({
or} 10. e6 Qf6) 10... dxe5 11. Nxe5 {, and now} Qf6 ({though Houdini likes} 
11... Qe7 12. f4 Qh4+ 13. g3 Qf6 14. O-O Bf5 15. Qd5+ Kh7 {with a large
advantage because White has a stupid position - or, to be more specific, due
to Black's bishop pair and White's weak light squares}) 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. O-O
Bf5 {is simplest.}) ({White also has: C221:} 6. Qe2) ({C222:} 6. O-O) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C221: 6 Qe2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C56"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 Ng4 6. Qe2 {Most often played,
but White struggles to equalize in the main lines.} Qe7 7. Bf4 f6 $1 8. exf6
Qxe2+ $1 {This is the most forcing.} 9. Bxe2 (9. Kxe2 $6 {is more common, when
the brand new, never been opened, still in its original packaging} gxf6 $1 {
gives Black the advantage; e.g.} 10. Re1 ({or} 10. Rd1 Nge5 11. Bd5 d3+ 12.
cxd3 Nxf3 13. Bxf3 Nd4+ 14. Kd2 Nxf3+ 15. gxf3 c6 {, when White has recovered
the pawn, but wishes he hadn't}) 10... Nge5 11. Kf1 d6 12. Nbd2 Bd7 13. Ne4 Bg7
{, and although Black's position is far from perfect, White is having a hard
time recovering the pawn.}) 9... Nxf6 10. -- ({There is still chess to be
played, but the position is equal after (among others)} 10. Nbd2 d6 11. Nb3 d3
12. Bxd3 Nb4 13. O-O-O Nxd3+ 14. Rxd3 h6 {and 15...Kf7, though Black has
managed to stir things up a bit.}) ({Worse for White is} 10. Bxc7 $6 d6 $1 11.
Bb5 Bd7 12. Bxc6 Bxc6 13. Nxd4 Bxg2 14. Rg1 {, as in R.Stranz-K.Neumeier,
Austrian Team Championship 2004, when Black should have continued} Bh3 {with
an edge.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C222: 6 0-0"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C56"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 Ng4 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 ({Or} 7.
Bf4 g5 $1 8. Nxg5 (8. Bg3 h5 $1 9. h3 h4 $1 {, D.Von Wantoch Rekowski-J.Peric,
Tivat 2001, was a strong case for Black - see Game 59}) 8... d5 $1 9. e6 (9.
exd6 $6 Bxg5 10. dxc7 Qf6 11. Qe2+ Kf8 {doesn't give White enough for the piece
}) 9... Bxg5 10. Qxg4 Bxe6 11. Bxg5 Bxg4 12. Bxd8 Rxd8 {and Black keeps a pawn,
for which White has not nearly enough.}) 7... d6 8. exd6 cxd6 $1 {The text
move is very dynamic - a main idea is to use the g4-knight to harass White on
the soft f2-square.} ({Only} 8... Qxd6 {has been played, but then} 9. b3 $1 O-O
10. Ba3 Qd8 11. Bxe7 Nxe7 12. Qxd4 Qxd4 13. Nxd4 {gives White a good endgame.})
9. Nxd4 ({Not} 9. h3 $6 Nge5 {and Black is better already}) 9... O-O {and now:}
10. -- (10. h3 d5 $1 11. Nxc6 ({or} 11. Bb3 $6 Bc5 $1 12. c3 Nxf2 $1 13. Kxf2
Nxd4 14. cxd4 Qh4+ 15. Kf1 Bxd4 16. Be3 Qf6+ 17. Kg1 Bxb2 18. Nd2 Bxa1 19. Qxa1
Qxa1 20. Rxa1 Re8 {with advantage - quite a small one actually; the material
balance very strongly suggests trades for Black, so if} 21. Kf2 Be6 22. Nf3 $6
{then} d4 $3 {makes progress}) 11... bxc6 12. hxg4 (12. Bd3 Nf6 {is equal})
12... dxc4 13. Qf3 Be6 $1 14. Qxc6 Bxg4 $1 15. Qxc4 Be6 16. Qe2 Re8 17. Nc3 Bf6
{and the board is so open that the bishop pair offsets the missing pawn. White
also lags in development.}) (10. Nc3 Bh4 $1 11. g3 Bf6 12. Ndb5 a6 13. Nxd6
Nxf2 $1 {. Wow! It's complicated, but at least you won't be seeing the
position for the first time, unlike your poor opponent. As it turns out, White
has several acceptable routes to a draw, but no good way to play for a win:}
14. -- (14. Nxf7 Qxd1 15. Nxd1 Nxd1 {and White can repeat moves now with} 16.
Nd6+ Kh8 17. Nf7+ ({or play} 17. Rxd1 Bd4+ 18. Rxd4 (18. Kh1 Bg4 $1 {is
trouble for White}) ({, as is} 18. Kg2 Rf2+ 19. Kh1 Bg4) 18... Nxd4 {and
repeat moves here with} 19. Nf7+ Kg8 20. Ng5+ {etc.})) (14. Qd5 Bd4 $1 {, when
White has a couple of draws:} 15. Qxf7+ ({or} 15. Nxf7 Nd3+ 16. Be3 Qxd5 17.
Bxd5 Nxe1 18. Rxe1 Bf5 19. Bxd4 Nxd4 20. Re7 Bxc2 21. Rxb7 Nf5 {and the usual
repetition follows}) ({. But} 15. Re8 $6 {is not one of them:} Qxe8 16. Nxe8
Be6 $1 17. Qh5 Bg4 18. Nf6+ Bxf6 19. Qd5 Rad8 20. Kxf2 Rxd5 21. Nxd5 Bd4+ {is
better for Black, who is more active, and White's king is still a problem})
15... Rxf7 16. Nxf7 Nd3+ 17. Kh1 Nf2+ {, and now it is Black who is best
advised to repeat moves.}) (14. Bxf7+ Kh8 15. Kxf2 Bd4+ 16. Kg2 Qxd6 17. Bf4
Qc5 18. Ne4 Qf5 {and the complications are not over, but White's king position
is far too fragile for him to have serious thoughts about winning - losing is
quite attainable though!}) (14. Kxf2 $6 {doesn't make sense.} Bd4+ {and 15...
Qxd6 is not terrible for White, but he has nothing to compensate for his loose
king.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5: 1 e4 Nc6 2 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 (1... d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 {is a Classical Pirc. There are
many strong players happy to use our c6 placement for the knight; for instance,
GMs Smirin and Adorjan have played} Bg7 (4... Nc6 {is our main line}) 5. Be2
O-O 6. O-O Nc6 {twenty times between them, with seven wins and one loss. Of
course, 6...Nc6 is not precisely 4...Nc6, but I intend to show that the
differences are not critical.}) 2. Nf3 {. With this move, White hopes to enter
his favourite double-king-pawn position, which he will be happy to do after 2...e5. We are obligated to disappoint him, and in the resulting Pirc positions
White may wish he had not committed his knight so soon - the Austrian Attack 
(f2-f4) and the Argentinean Attack (f2-f3) are no longer available to him, nor
are several other aggressive variations.} d6 3. d4 ({After the premature} 3.
Bb5 {we have an extremely rare situation where it is fine to play} Nf6 4. Nc3
Bg4 {- White is unlikely to keep the bishop pair and he won't be able to stop
Black from shifting his pawn structure to light squares.} ({Nonetheless,} 4...
g6 5. d4 a6 {is simpler, especially since we will need to know this position
anyway.})) 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 ({Other moves:} 4. c3 {is possible and does not
actually drop a pawn. However,} g6 {is fine for Black. Miles downed GMs
Becerra Rivero and Zelcic starting with this move (see Games 60 and 61).
Mestrovic is also 2-0 with 4...g6 here. To continue:} (4... Nxe4 $4 5. d5 Nb8
6. Qa4+ {picks up the e4-knight}) 5. Bd3 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. h3 e5 8. -- (8. Re1
{. Although Black has tried many things in hundreds of games, I am recommending
} b6 $1 {, as played once in I.Vasilevich-M.Allakhinova, Russian Team
Championship 2002.} 9. -- ({. One point is that, after} 9. d5 Ne7 {, Black's
pawn holds up White's queenside play}) ({; while} 9. Be3 exd4 $1 10. cxd4 Nb4 {
picks up the bishop pair:} 11. Nc3 Nxd3 12. Qxd3 Re8 13. Rad1 ({or} 13. Rac1 c5
) 13... Bb7 14. d5 Rc8 {with only a small advantage to White; ...Rc8 helps
prepare an eventual ...c7-c6, and pre-empts any White pressure down the c-file.
}) ({. The game continuation should not have been too dangerous either:} 9. Qa4
Bd7 10. Bb5 Qe8 11. d5 Ne7 (11... Nb8 $1) 12. Bxd7 Nxd7 (12... Qxd7 $1) 13. Qc4
Nc5 14. b4 b5 15. Qe2 Na4 16. Bd2 {, and now} f5 $3 ({instead of} 16... c5 $6 {
as played}) 17. Ng5 fxe4 18. Ne6 Qf7 19. Nxc7 Rab8 20. Ne6 Rfc8 21. Qxe4 Bf6 $1
{is good for Black, who plans 22...Nb6 and 23...Nbxd5.})) ({. White tried} 8.
Na3 {in L.Rozman-J.Schuyler, Washington 2012:} d5 $1 9. Bg5 $6 (9. exd5 Nxd5
10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Re1 Bg7 {is equal}) 9... dxe4 10. Bxe4 exd4 11.
Bxc6 $6 (11. cxd4 {is still fairly level}) 11... dxc3 $1 {with great
complications favouring Black (see Game 62).})) (4. Nbd2 {is similarly met by}
g6 {. Miles took down GMs Zapata and Nijboer with this move (see Games 63 and
64). Given his successes with this fianchetto, it is surprising to me that
Miles was never willing to play 4...g6 against 4 Nc3, even when other moves
were giving him trouble.}) (4. Bd3 {doesn't look right because Black can pick
up the bishop pair with} Nb4 {. My first inclination was that this must
equalize immediately, but apparently tempi sometimes matter in chess!} ({
Therefore,} 4... g6 {here too! All three of White's fourth move sidelines may
transpose into each other.}) 5. O-O {. After} Nxd3 6. Qxd3 g6 7. c4 Bg7 8. Nc3
{it will be difficult for Black to disrupt White's huge centre.}) 4... g6 $1 (
4... Bg4 {is by far the most common move, ensuring that Black reaches
positions unique to 1...Nc6, but Black has both objective and practical
problems after White's most accurate reply} 5. Be3 {. Then Miles always played}
e6 {and, when that stopped working,} (5... a6 {, which was worse}) ({, while
Mestrovic has repeatedly but unsuccessfully tried to uphold} 5... e5 {. After}
6. Bb5 {, his record speaks for itself (+2 -9 =3).})) 5. -- {On the other hand,
our standard fianchetto with 4...g6 is reliable, transposing to a Classical
Pirc (see 1...d6 above) with the odd 4...Nc6. White has many moves here, so I
will divide the material into three groups:} ({A:} 5. Bb5) ({B:} 5. d5) ({C:
Others} 5. --) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 5 Bb5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+ (6. Ba4 {doesn't
make much sense, but it has been played several times, most significantly in M.Kozakov-A.Zajarnyi, Lvov 1998, which continued} b5 7. Bb3 Bg7 8. h3 -- (8...
O-O 9. O-O e6 10. a3 Bb7 11. Re1 Na5 12. Ba2 c5 13. d5 {, and now after} e5 $6
({instead, Black could have kept the balance with} 13... exd5 $1 14. Nxd5 Bxd5
15. Bxd5 Nxd5 16. Qxd5 Nc4 {- the important feature of the position from
Black's standpoint is the active g7-bishop}) 14. b4 $1 cxb4 15. axb4 Qc7 16.
bxa5 Qxc3 17. Bd2 Qc7 18. c4 $1 {White eventually converted his advantage.}) ({
. The simple} 8... Na5 {, picking up the bishop pair, also brings equality; e.g.} 9. O-O Bb7 10. e5 dxe5 11. dxe5 Nxb3 12. axb3 Ne4 13. Qxd8+ Rxd8 14. Nxe4
Bxe4 15. Rxa6 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Bxe5 {and if you're still awake after all these
trades, you'll notice that White's disgusting pawn structure is balanced by
some extra rook activity. --- Based on the Kozakov game, 6 Ba4 is recommended 
(sort of) by Andrew Greet in 'Beating Unusual Chess Defences: 1 e4', so it is
a good idea to be prepared.})) 6... bxc6 7. O-O Bg7 8. h3 {White usually plays
this move sooner or later in the Dark Knight Pirc, as he gets tired of
worrying about ...Bg4.} ({Others:} 8. e5 $5 Nd5 9. Ne4 O-O 10. Re1 {was equal
in O.Biti-G.Belamaric, Portoroz 2005. White's lunge has pushed into where
Black is strong and opened up squares for the c8-bishop. Black should play} a5
11. h3 c5 $5 12. exd6 cxd6 13. dxc5 dxc5 14. Nxc5 Qd6 15. Ne4 Qc6 16. c3 a4 {
and in this open position, the bishop pair and queenside pressure are fully
worth the sacrificed pawn.}) (8. Qe2 O-O 9. Rd1 Bg4 (9... a5 $1 {equalizes})
10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Nd7 12. Be3 e5 {with a small edge for White in E.Sveshnikov-T.Gelashvili, Cappelle la Grande 2009, albeit one he was unable to
convert (see Game 65).}) 8... O-O 9. Re1 Rb8 10. Rb1 Nd7 11. Bg5 $6 {The
strong White and Black players to hold this position were focused on the ...e7-e5 break when they should be preparing for ...c6-c5.} (11. Be3 {is a bit
better, though it still doesn't stop} c5 $1 {; e.g.} 12. Qd2 ({or} 12. dxc5
Rxb2 $1 13. Rxb2 Bxc3 14. Rb3 Bxe1 15. Qxe1 Nxc5 16. Bxc5 dxc5 {equal}) 12...
cxd4 13. Bxd4 Nf6 14. e5 Nh5 15. exd6 cxd6 16. Bxg7 Nxg7 {with equality.})
11... c5 $1 ({After} 11... h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Bg3 e5 $6 (13... c5) ({, or} 13...
f5 $5 {is better}) 14. dxe5 dxe5 {, as in B.Vuckovic-Z.Petronijevic and D.Nestorovic-N.Ristic (from the 2003 Serbian Team Championship), White enjoys a
large structural advantage which is not compensated for by Black's inactive
bishop pair.}) ({Whereas} 11... c5 $1 12. e5 ({of course, White could swallow
his pride and play} 12. Be3 {, which is equal after} e6) 12... Re8 13. exd6
cxd6 14. Nd5 f6 15. dxc5 Nxc5 {sees Black starting to get the better of it.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 5 d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. d5 Nb8 {As I have mentioned before,
one of the significant benefits of the fianchetto is that 5 d5 opens the
diagonal for the g7-bishop.} ({It would be a shame to close it with} 5... Ne5
6. Nxe5 dxe5 {.}) 6. Be2 ({Other moves:} 6. Bc4 {isn't as stupid as it looks -
after all, when Black plays ...c7-c6 White will enjoy having the option to
open the a2-g8 diagonal whenever he wants. However, Black is allowed to change
his plans too:} Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 {(this is usually played by this stage,
on moves 5, 6, 7 or 8; otherwise White has to worry about both ...Bg4 and ...Ng4)} -- (8... e5 $5 {(this is a new move intended to punish Bc4 and h2-h3; if
White refuses to open the position, the c4-bishop is atrocious - both passive
and hindering White's natural plan of c2-c4-c5)} 9. Be3 ({or} 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10.
Bxe6 fxe6 11. e5 dxe5 12. Qe2 Nc6 {, and with the knights jumping to the d5-
and d4-squares, Black has full compensation for his weakness on e6}) 9... a6
10. b4 ({if} 10. a4 {then} a5 {and 11...Na6}) 10... Nh5 11. Qd2 Nd7 12. Ne2 Qe7
{and with ...f7-f5 coming, Black has reached a good King's Indian-type
position.}) ({. Instead, N.Praznik-A.Beliavsky, Bled 1999, continued} 8... c6
9. a4 a5 10. Re1 Nfd7 11. Be3 Na6 {. Though White was better, Black played
effectively on the dark squares throughout the game and went on to win, making
this a must-see (see Game 66).})) (6. Bg5 {is in fact the most often played.
White intends long castling and a quick attack, but despite the time gained
against Black's knight, this strategy is questionable - Black's counterplay
with ...c7-c6 is very fast:} Bg7 7. Qd2 c6 8. Bh6 ({after} 8. O-O-O {, Black
courageously castled in F.Lukez-S.Lejlic, Rodeby 1998, and equalized with} O-O
9. Bh6 Bg4 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. Be2 Nbd7 {- White's "attack" is going nowhere; e.g.} 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Qb6 14. h4 $6 Ne5 {, threatening ...Nc4}) 8... Bxh6 $1
9. Qxh6 Qb6 10. O-O-O Bg4 {is an interesting position, not at all unfavourable
for Black; e.g.} 11. -- (11. Rd2 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nbd7 13. f4 cxd5 14. exd5 Rc8 {
with great interest in ...Rxc3;} (14... O-O-O $5 {and 15...Kb8})) ({, or} 11.
Be2 Qxf2 12. Rhf1 Qc5 {and while White is certainly well developed, he has
nothing concrete for the pawn.}) ({. In N.Sulava-M.Muse, Croatian Team
Championship 2002, White changed the course of the game with} 11. e5 $6 dxe5
12. d6 {, but had Black spotted} Nbd7 13. dxe7 Qb4 {, followed by 14...Qxe7
and 15...0-0-0, White would have found himself without sufficient compensation.
})) (6. Be3 {is very similar to 6 Bg5, into which it often transposes (i.e.
after Be3-h6). One time that didn't happen was in K.Nemcova-F.Olafsson,
Marianske Lazne 2008, which went} Bg7 7. Qd2 c6 {(by transposition)} 8. h3 b5
$6 (8... O-O 9. Be2 b5 $1 {, as in J.Hjartarson-F.Olafsson, Reykjavik 1995,
was a better move order - see Game 68}) 9. a3 $6 (9. dxc6 $1 b4 10. Bb5 $1 {is
unpleasant for Black}) 9... a6 10. dxc6 Nxc6 11. Bd3 O-O 12. O-O Bb7 {,
resulting in an equal Dragodorf type of position which Black went on to win 
(see Game 67).}) (6. h3 $1 {is the most accurate move, reaching line B1 below
after} Bg7 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O {.}) 6... Bg7 ({There is something to be said for
} 6... Bg4 {(or 7...Bg4), with a likely transposition to B2. Of course White
could have played 6 h3, insisting on B1.}) 7. O-O O-O {. White has:} 8. -- ({
B1:} 8. h3) ({B2: Others (besides 8 h3)} 8. --) ({Or} 8. a4 a5 $1 {- Black
cannot allow himself to become further cramped. The insertion of the two
a-pawn moves is helpful to Black though, since it helps him to establish
knight outposts on the c5- and b4-squares.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B1: 8 h3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 {
This is played most often, spending a tempo to stop 8...Bg4. As we will see, 8.
..Bg4 was indeed Black's intention, but a tempo is a tempo. There is some
disagreement about the merits of 8 h3 - Alburt and Chernin adorn it with an (!)
, while Nunn says it is "not really necessary". I think it is the best move in
the position.} e5 $1 {Smirin and Gulko have each chosen 8...e5 three times,
with an even (total) score;} ({while Finkel, Urban, and Gufeld have four wins
and three draws with} 8... c6 {, but against this, Benjamin's plan (} 9. a4 a5
10. Re1 Na6 11. Bxa6 $1 {- see the note on 8...c6 in line B2) is very strong
for White.}) ({For those interested in making ...c7-c6 work, I suggest} 8... a6
{(or 8...b6)} 9. a4 b6 10. Be3 Bb7 11. Qd2 c6 12. Rad1 Qc7 13. Bh6 Nbd7 {as in
A.Bachofner-P.Hopman, Amsterdam 2006, when White is only slightly better.}) 9.
dxe6 {If White does not play this move, he winds up in a King's Indian type of
position where his normal play (with c2-c4-c5) is blocked by the c3-knight.
This problem is serious for White, more so than Black's funny knight on b8 
(which is normally on the e7-square). Black will play carefully for ...f7-f5.
Part of being careful is considering ...h7-h6 to prevent White's Ng5-e6.} Bxe6
{Black has caught up in development and now has only to worry about a small
space disadvantage. If White is not alert, Black will fix this with a quick ...d6-d5. --- White has now only showed interest in:} 10. -- ({B11:} 10. Bg5) ({
B12:} 10. Nd4) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B11: 10 Bg5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3
e5 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. Bg5 $1 {Dubious according to Nunn, in his 1989 'The
Complete Pirc', this has been by far the more dangerous move in practice.} h6
11. Be3 ({Instead:} 11. Bh4 Nc6 12. Qd2 g5 13. Bg3 d5 {equalizes.}) (11. Bf4
Nc6 12. Qd2 g5 13. Bh2 Re8 14. Rad1 Nd7 {offers White a tiny edge, but typical
dark-square play for Black.}) 11... Nc6 12. Qd2 Kh7 13. Rad1 Re8 14. Rfe1 a6
15. a4 {. So far we have followed J.Piket-B.Gulko, Amsterdam 1989,} -- ({which
continued} 15... Bd7 16. Bc4 Be6 17. Be2 Qe7 18. Nd5 Qd8 19. Nc3 {, indicating
that nobody could come up with a plan - this is already a threefold repetition,
but somehow the game continued and Gulko contrived to lose, even after a later
repetition.}) ({Alternatively,} 15... Qe7 {is fine to test the opponent for a
draw (} 16. Nd5 Qd8 17. Nc3 {)}) ({but if one wants to continue, there is} 
15... Nd7 $5 16. Bf1 b6 {, intending 17...Nc5, while ...Nde5 is also a
possibility, as is the manoeuvre ...Qc8-b7. White is a little better. --- Y.Gruenfeld-I.Smirin, Israeli Team Championship 1997 (see Game 69), shows what
happens if White does not play a2-a4 to contain Black's queenside expansion -
Black's counterplay was more than sufficient.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B12: 10 Nd4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3
e5 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. Nd4 Bd7 {The insertion of these moves makes it easier for
Black to pressure the e4-pawn.} 11. Re1 Nc6 {Now White either loses time
retreating the knight or agrees to an exchange that will ease Black's position.
} ({Similar is} 11... Re8 12. Bf1 Nc6 13. Nb3 a5 14. a3 a4 15. Nd2 {, and now
Black should play} Nd4 $1 ({instead of} 15... Na5 $6 16. Nf3 {, which was good
for White in K.Hulak-S.Marangunic, Yugoslavia 1977}) 16. Nf3 Nxf3+ 17. Qxf3 Bc6
{with an equal position.}) 12. Nf3 Re8 13. Bc4 Be6 14. Nd5 Qd7 15. c3 Bxd5 16.
exd5 Rxe1+ 17. Qxe1 Ne5 $1 18. Nxe5 dxe5 {. The position is equal, White's
bishops being offset by his poor development and the inconvenience of guarding
the d5-pawn.} 19. -- ({If} 19. Qxe5 {, then after} Re8 {and 20...Re1+, White
will never complete his development.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B2: Others (besides 8 h3)"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 ({The normal Pirc move order to the position at move eight is} 1...
d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Bg4 7. Be3 Nc6 8. d5 Nb8 {.
} (8... Bxf3 {is the traditional main line, but it is not stronger.})) 2. Nf3
d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O {If White is going to
refrain from 8 h3, it makes very little difference which move he chooses, but
we'll take the following as the main line:} 8. Be3 ({Alternatively:} 8. Bg5 {
should be treated similarly:} Bg4 $1 9. -- (9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 c6 11. Qd2 Nbd7
{and Black follows with ...Qb6, ...a7-a5, ...Nc5 and ...Nfd7, with typical
dark-square play, even if White is still slightly better.}) ({. White can also
try to do without h2-h3. For instance,} 9. Qd2 c6 10. Rfe1 Nbd7 {transposes to
L.Vajda-M.Marin, Rumanian Championship, Bucharest 1998, and M.Kolosowski-Dan.Fraczek, Legnica 2011, which both continued} 11. dxc6 $5 bxc6 12. Nd4 -- ({,
and} 12... Rc8 $6 13. f3 Be6 14. Nxe6 fxe6 {with advantage to White.}) ({.
According to Houdini, Black can equalize in this line with} 12... Qb6 $1 13.
Na4 Qc7 14. Bxg4 Nxg4 15. Bxe7 d5 16. f4 (16. Nf3 $6 Nde5 $1 17. Bxf8 Nxf3+ 18.
gxf3 Qxh2+ 19. Kf1 Rxf8 20. fxg4 Qh1+ 21. Ke2 Qxe4+ 22. Kf1 Qxa4 {is good for
Black}) 16... Rfe8 17. exd5 cxd5 18. h3 Nge5 {.}))) (8. Re1 Bg4 {(of course)}
9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Nfd7 $1 11. Be3 c6 {was D.Rogozenco-V.Nevednichy, Rumanian
Team Championship 2005, where White went wrong immediately with} 12. Bd4 $6 {
, initiating an exchange beneficial to Black; e.g.} Bxd4 13. Qxd4 Qb6 {is
equal. Without this mistake White is a little better, but Black's minor pieces
are all good, and he has the simple plan of ...a7-a5, ...Na6, ...Nac5, ...a5-a4-a3 (if possible), and ...Qb6 or ...Qc7.}) 8... Bg4 ({Black has done very
well with} 8... c6 {, but Joel Benjamin (who played 1...Nc6 frequently in the
1990s) warned me that Black's position is difficult after} 9. a4 $1 a5 10. h3 {
(otherwise 10...Bg4)} Na6 11. Bxa6 $1 {(an idea I have not been able to find
in any published games - the point is to stop Black's active 11...Nb4)} Rxa6 {
, when it is hard to find a constructive plan for Black, whereas White can
still build; e.g.} 12. Qd2 Ra8 13. Rad1 Re8 14. Bd4 Qc7 15. Rfe1 {. Black
lacks space, development and pawn play, while his only "asset", the
light-squared bishop, is more of a problem than anything else. Indeed, this
type of position acts more closed than open, in part because nobody wants to
relieve the tension between the d5- and c6-pawns - for White to trade would
assist Black greatly in the central battle, while if Black trades, he has
accessible weaknesses on the b5- and e7-squares.}) ({A possible antidote is} 
8... a5 $5 9. a4 Na6 {, when White should be less eager to snap off the knight.
Notice that since Black has not yet played ...c7-c6, he can later try ...e7-e6
or ...e7-e5 instead. However, there are other moves to worry about besides 9
a4.}) (8... Bg4 {is simplest, transposing to a favourite line of the great
Pirc (see 1...d6 above) expert Alexander Chernin, who used it with great
success in the 1990s (three draws, three wins, all against GMs).}) 9. h3 {
White must play this sooner or later unless he is intending to allow the
exchange of light-squared bishops. White should at least retain the bishop
pair if he is hoping to keep an advantage.} (9. Nd2 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 {, and now
Chernin's recommendation} Re8 11. f4 e6 {has been tested only once, in A.Czebe-N.Resika, Budapest 2000 - Black, an FM, held the draw against the GM.}) (
9. Nd4 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 c5 11. Nf3 Qb6 12. Rab1 Qa6 13. Qd2 Ng4 14. Bg5 Re8 {with
equality in B.Chatalbashev-M.Popchev, Cacak 1991 (see Game 70).}) (9. Ng5 Bxe2
10. Qxe2 c6 11. Rad1 Qa5 12. f4 Qa6 13. Qf3 Nbd7 {with equality. Black, with
more experience in this type of position, went on to win in R.Ziatdinov-A.Chernin, New York Open 1998 (see Game 71).}) (9. Qd2 {("Here the 'threat' of
Be3-h6 is a fiction because the exchange of bishops is in Black's favour. But
what other plan can White try?" - Chernin)} c6 10. Rad1 Qa5 11. a3 Rc8 12. b4
Qc7 13. Bd4 Nbd7 14. Rfe1 a5 {was equal in P.Blatny-A.Chernin, Pardubice 1993,
and ended as a draw.}) 9... Bxf3 10. Bxf3 c6 11. a4 a5 12. -- ({The GM to hold
this position as White found nothing better than} 12. Nb1 $6 {. To me, this is
a good indication of the health of Black's position.} Nbd7 13. g3 {was V.Arbakov-A.Chernin, Bern 1995, where Black can equalize with} Ne5 ({or} 13...
Nc5 14. Bxc5 dxc5 15. dxc6 bxc6) ({, as well as Chernin's} 13... Nb6 14. Bg2
Qc7) 14. Bg2 Nc4 15. Bd4 Nh5 {.}) ({Instead, in D.Primel-A.Nowocien, French
Team Championship 2007, White tried} 12. Qd2 Qc7 13. Rad1 Na6 14. Rfe1 Nb4 15.
Bd4 Nd7 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 {, again with equality}) ({while R.Kashtanov-A.Lugovoi,
St. Petersburg 2000, saw} 12. Be2 Qc7 13. f4 Na6 14. Bc4 Nd7 15. Qe2 Nb4 (15...
Bxc3 $5) 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Rad1 {, and now Black took a break from his
dark-square strategy to play} e6 $1 18. Bb3 d5 $1 {. If there is a way to an
advantage in this variation, White has yet to find it.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C: Others"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 {. In these lines White chooses to
play a regular-ish Pirc instead of trying to challenge the correctness of
Black's early ...Nc6 with 5 d5 or 5 Bb5. --- There are a few choices:} 5. -- ({
C1:} 5. h3) ({C2:} 5. Be2) ({C3:} 5. Be3) ({C4:} 5. Bc4) ({C5:} 5. Bg5) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C1: 5 h3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. h3 {This is the most frequently
played move here. White does not want to be bothered by ...Bg4 or ...Ng4.
Nevertheless, a tempo is a tempo, however well motivated.} Bg7 6. Be3 {By far
the most common;} ({but also seen are:} 6. Bg5 O-O 7. Qd2 {, when both 7...a6
and the surprising 7...d5 have worked extremely well for Black.} -- (7... d5 8.
exd5 Nxd5 9. Bh6 (9. O-O-O Nxc3 10. Qxc3 Qd6 11. Bc4 Bf5 12. Rhe1 Rad8 13. Qe3
Na5 14. Bd3 Be6 {gives White a tiny edge}) 9... Nxc3 (9... Be6 $1 {is equal})
10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. Qxc3 Qd5 12. O-O-O Be6 13. b3 Bf5 {and Black converted
White's advantage (har!) in So.Polgar-J.Fries Nielsen, Rimavska Sobota 1991 
(see Game 72).}) (7... a6 8. O-O-O b5 (8... d5 $5) 9. a3 (9. Bd3 Bb7 10. Kb1
Re8 11. Rhe1 e5 12. d5 Ne7 {is slightly better for White}) 9... Rb8 10. Bh6 b4
11. axb4 Nxb4 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. e5 Nfd5 {was equal in M.Yilmazyerli-D.Arutinian, Istanbul 2007, though the stronger player (Black) went on to win 
(see Game 73).})) (6. Be2 {is not very consistent with 5 h3 because the pin
has been prevented already - White is normally hoping to retain the option of
Bc4. Then} O-O 7. O-O (7. Be3 {transposes to 7 Be2 in the notes to the main
line}) 7... e5 (7... a6 $5 {is more combative, and was tried successfully in N.Ryba-J.Schuyler, Washington 2012 - see Game 74}) 8. -- {, and now:} (8. dxe5 {
. Hold on! Seriously, how do we decide how to recapture in this position (and
similar positions)? --- First of all, it is safe to assume that if White took
once on e5 he will take again given the opportunity, so we will wind up with
the same pawn structure in either case - the only difference being the c6- and
f3-knights. Do we like having them there or not? The main factor if the
knights are on is that White can play Nd5 without having to worry about being
evicted by ...c7-c6, but sometimes Black's ...Nd4 is useful, too. If the
knights are off, White has the possibility to pressure Black's centre and
activate his rook with f2-f4, but this also frees Black's g7-bishop. In
general, the ability to play ...c7-c6 is the most important factor, so ...Nxe5
is the normal choice. The reader would be well advised to take special note of
any exceptions. --- Here} Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Bg5 c6 {is equal, when} 11. Bc4
b5 {allows Black free expansion on the queenside.}) (8. Be3 {is a bad version
of 7 Be2 e5 in the main line - if White is castled kingside he has no attack
to compensate for his troubles; i.e.} exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 {and White already
lacks a comfortable way to defend his e-pawn.} 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Bf3 {is most
common, when Black plays ...Ba6, ...Nd7, and can consider ...Rb8, ...Qb8, ...Ne5, and/or ...Nb6. White is equal according to Mr. H, but Black wins most of
the games. There are no worthy examples because White can't seem to hold onto
his pieces.}) (8. d5 Ne7 9. Be3 {is similar to the main line - except that
White is not fast enough with his pressure on the d-file, so} c6 {is already
equal, and after} 10. dxc6 bxc6 11. Qd2 Qc7 12. Rad1 d5 13. exd5 Nexd5 14. Nxd5
$6 cxd5 {Black took over the centre in N.Jhunjhnuwala-S.Gligoric, Lucerne
Olympiad 1982 (see Game 75).} (14... --))) ({On} 6. Bc4 {Black could proceed
"normally" with} O-O {(cf line C41 below),} ({but the immediate} 6... Nxe4 $1 {
is an equalizer:} 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Nxe4 d5 9. Nc5 Qd6 {, threatening 10...Nxd4
or 10...e5. White can sacrifice a pawn with} 10. Nd3 -- ({, when} 10... Nxd4
11. Bf4 Nxf3+ 12. Qxf3 Qe6+ 13. Be5+ Kg8 14. Qg3 Bxe5 15. Nxe5 Qa6 {leaves him
with enough compensation but no more.}) ({. Or Black can decline the gift:} 
10... Rf8 11. c3 (11. Bf4 Qe6+ 12. Be5 Kg8 13. c3 Nxe5 14. Ndxe5 Qd6 {is equal}
) 11... Kg8 12. O-O h6 13. Re1 g5 {, though White is slightly better here.})))
(6. Bb5 {looks silly since Black can castle out of the pin, but after} O-O 7.
O-O {Black has nothing better than} a6 8. Bxc6 bxc6 {, transposing to line A
above.}) 6... O-O 7. Qd2 ({Or} 7. Be2 e5 (7... a6 {is more aggressive, but
riskier}) 8. dxe5 ({; other moves transpose elsewhere:} 8. d5 Ne7 9. Qd2 {is 9
Be2 in the main line,} ({while} 9. O-O)) ({, and} 8. O-O {were covered via 6.
Be2 above}) 8... dxe5 {(Didn't I just say this was wrong? - this is one of
those exceptions)} ({actually,} 8... Nxe5 {is fine too, but the text move has
performed much better, so why not?}) 9. O-O Qe7 {with equal chances. The point
is that} 10. Nd5 {is not dangerous because of} Nxd5 11. exd5 Nd4 $1 12. Re1 Nf5
$1 {(chasing the more dangerous bishop) and Black is comfortably equal.}) 7...
e5 8. d5 ({Others:} 8. O-O-O exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 10. f3 {- Black wins nearly
every game from this position. Indeed, White's pawns on h3 and f3 make a
ludicrous impression (he is essentially down a full tempo in a Philidor
Defence Larsen Variation), though White should not actually be worse.} Nxd4 11.
Bxd4 Be6 12. g4 (12. Bf2 a6 13. Kb1 b5 14. h4 c5 $1 {was about equal in G.Bastrikov-E.Geller, Tashkent 1958 - see Game 76}) 12... c5 $1 13. Be3 Qa5 $5 (
13... d5 $1 {equalizes}) 14. Qxd6 $6 (14. Bh6 $1 Bxh6 15. Qxh6 Bxa2 16. Rxd6
Re6 {is slightly better for White}) 14... Nxe4 $1 15. fxe4 Bxc3 16. Qxc5 $2 (
16. bxc3 $2 Qa3+ 17. Kd2 Rad8 {wouldn't have worked either}) ({; instead after
} 16. Bd3 {, closing the d-file, the game still continues, though Black is
clearly better.}) 16... Bxb2+ 17. Kxb2 Qxa2+ 18. Kc1 Rac8 {and White soon
called it quits in D.Bescos Cortes-S.Garza Marco, San Jose 1998.}) (8. dxe5 {
seems like it is headed for dullness, but things could get interesting if
nobody trades those queens; e.g.} Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. O-O-O Be6 11. g4 c6 12.
g5 (12. Qxd8 Rfxd8 13. Rxd8+ Rxd8 14. Bxa7 Bh6+ 15. Be3 Bxe3+ 16. fxe3 h5 17.
g5 Nh7 18. h4 f6 19. gxf6 Nxf6 {is equal despite the slight pawn deficit:
Black's activity and future passed h-pawn are sufficient}) 12... Nd7 13. h4 Qa5
{and the race is on. Black has no reason to be pessimistic about his prospects.
}) 8... Ne7 {The e7-knight supports the ...c7-c6 break, but with White likely
to castle long and form a battery on the d-file, the usefulness of this option
is reduced.} (8... Nb8 {is also quite reasonable.}) 9. O-O-O ({Instead:} 9. Bh6
{is statistically the most dangerous, scoring 6/7 for White, but Black was
heavily outrated and his play quite uninspired. Artashes Minasian shows us the
way in D.Saduakassova-Art.Minasian, Dubai 2011:} Bd7 $1 10. Bd3 (10. O-O-O $6
b5 $1) 10... c6 ({or} 10... b5 11. a3 a5 12. O-O b4 {intending ...c7-c6 with
counterplay}) 11. dxc6 Bxc6 {(taking firm control over the d5-square; backward
pawn? what backward pawn?)} 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. O-O Qc7 {with easy equality (see
Game 77);} (13... b5 $5)) (9. Be2 Bd7 (9... Nxe4 $5 10. Nxe4 f5 11. Nc3 f4 12.
O-O-O {is slightly better for White}) 10. g4 ({not} 10. Bh6 $6 c6 $1 11. dxc6
Bxc6 {with advantage}) 10... b5 $1 11. g5 (11. Bd3 $6 b4 12. Ne2 c6 13. dxc6
Bxc6 14. Ng3 Nxe4 $1 {is good for Black}) ({; while} 11. a3 Rb8 {is equal,
since} 12. Bxa7 $2 {runs into} Ra8 $1 13. Be3 b4) 11... b4 12. gxf6 bxc3 13.
Qxc3 Bxf6 {with a level position.}) (9. Rd1 Nh5 10. g4 Nf4 {(this aggression
is called for because White can no longer tuck his king away on the queenside)}
11. Bxf4 exf4 12. Qxf4 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. g5 Bxc3+ 15. bxc3 Re8 16. Be2 Ng6 {
with compensation.}) (9. g4 a6 {should transpose to the main line once White
castles long.}) 9... a6 10. g4 b5 11. g5 (11. Bd3 -- (11... Bb7 $6 12. Ne2 $6 (
{better} 12. a3) ({, or} 12. g5 {with an edge}) 12... c6 $6 {was equal in K.Haznedaroglu-T.Gelashvili, Antalya 2009;} (12... Nfxd5 $1)) ({; but Black
could have blown it open with} 11... b4 12. Ne2 Nexd5 $1 13. exd5 e4 14. Bxe4
Nxe4 15. Qxb4 Re8 {, when White has a great deal to worry about for his extra
pawn. In the actual game 12...Nfxd5! would have been even stronger, giving
Black a comfortable advantage, but White need not have allowed that.})) 11...
Nh5 {. A race scenario is developing in which Black's chances are no worse -
White has a hard time evicting the h5-knight, and will also find it hard to
profit even if the h-file opens.} 12. -- ({One continuation of many:} 12. Kb1
Bd7 13. Nh2 Nc8 $5 14. Ng4 Nb6 15. b3 b4 16. Ne2 a5 {, still with
approximately even chances.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C2: 5 Be2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O ({
Azmaiparashvili plays} 6... Bg4 {here, making sure White can't change his mind
and play 7 d5 and 8 h3. Black may even have considered 5...Bg4!?. It is not
clear which is the most accurate. Besides, why should White change his mind?})
7. Be3 {White tries to make do without h2-h3. Is he inviting trouble or saving
a tempo?} ({The alternative is} 7. Bg5 h6 {and then:} 8. -- (8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3
Nh5 10. d5 Nxg3 11. hxg3 Ne5 {is equal; e.g.} 12. Nd4 c6 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5
Qb6 15. Rb1 Nd7 16. Bf3 Rfe8 17. g4 Nf6 {.}) (8. Be3 Ng4 9. Bd2 e5 10. d5 Ne7
11. h3 Nf6 12. Be3 Nd7 13. Qd2 Kh7 14. Ne1 f5 {most closely resembles a King's
Indian, where White's attack will be greatly delayed by his pawn stuck on the
c2-square.}) (8. Bf4 Ng4 $1 9. h3 ({if White does not play h2-h3, the game
will transpose to 8 Be3 just above; e.g.} 9. d5 e5 10. Bd2 Ne7) ({, or} 9. Bd2
e5) ({, or even} 9. Bc1 e5 10. d5 {etc}) 9... e5 10. dxe5 Ngxe5 11. Nxe5 $6 (
11. Qd2 {is better, retaining a tiny edge after} Kh7 {; Black can consider ...Nxf3+ and ...Nd4, or ...Be6, or ...f7-f5, or ...Re8}) 11... dxe5 {was level in
A.Sakharov-A.Adorjan, Sochi 1976, though Black went on to win a wild game (see
Game 78).})) 7... e5 $1 ({As usual,} 7... a6 {can be tried - the main line is
a bit drawish - but then} 8. d5 Nb8 9. a4 {is an excellent answer.}) ({
Alternatively,} 7... Bg4 8. d5 Nb8 {transposes to line B2;} (8... Bxf3 9. Bxf3
Ne5 10. Be2 c6 {is a main line Classical Pirc which will not be covered.})) 8.
dxe5 ({Or:} 8. d5 Ne7 9. Qd2 Ng4 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 g5 12. Bg3 f5 13. h3 Nf6
14. exf5 Nxf5 15. Bh2 Qe8 {with a tiny edge as Black considers a kingside
attack based on his space advantage there, or the ...e5-e4-e3 lunge, or ...Qf7
and ...Ne7, building pressure on White's d-pawn. White is not well situated to
use his asset - the e4-square.}) (8. Qd2 {(as usual, it is a bad idea for
White to try to maintain the tension - this only works if Black is not happy
to take!)} exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 10. f3 (10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. f3 d5 {transposes;} (
11... Qe7 {is also fine})) 10... d5 $1 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Rad1 Qe7 13. Bd4 dxe4
14. fxe4 Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Qxe4 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Bf3 Qe3+ 18. Qxe3 Rxe3 19. Bxc6
Rb8 20. Rd8 Rb6 {with a level endgame.}) 8... Nxe5 (8... dxe5 {is also
playable. Z.Bratanov-B.Chatalbashev, Bulgarian Championship 2004, continued} 9.
Qxd8 Rxd8 10. Bc4 h6 11. h3 b6 12. Nd5 Na5 $1 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Be2 Bb7 15. b4
Nc6 16. c3 a5 17. a3 Ne7 18. Nd2 Bg5 $1 {and Black went on to win (see Game 79)
.}) 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Qxd8 Rxd8 {. In practice this is equal, but White can try
to extract a little something.} 11. -- ({By far the most common is} 11. Rfd1 {
(or 11 Rad1 - it doesn't much matter)} Be6 12. Nb5 {, when the new move} Rdc8
$1 {keeps things level; e.g.} 13. Nxa7 Rxa7 14. Bxa7 b6 15. Rd3 Ra8 16. Ra3 Bf8
17. Ra6 Bc8 18. Ra4 Bd7 {etc.}) (11. Nb5 Bd7 12. f3 {looks scary. The novelty}
a6 ({both} 12... b6) ({, and} 12... Bxb5 {give White something to work with})
13. Nxc7 Rac8 14. Bb6 Bc6 15. Nxa6 Rd2 16. Bd3 bxa6 17. Be3 Rxd3 18. cxd3 {is
a tiny edge for White, but the imbalances should provide Black some winning
chances as well.}) (11. Bc4 c6 12. Rad1 Re8 13. a4 Bf8 14. f3 Kg7 15. Rd2 Bb4
16. Rfd1 Re7 17. Kf2 Rd7 {and White is running out of things to play for.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C3: 5 Be3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Be3 Bg7 6. Qd2 ({Other moves are
covered elsewhere:} 6. d5 Nb8) (6. h3 O-O) ({and} 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O {were seen
in lines B, C1 and C2 respectively}) ({while} 6. Bc4 {is C43 below.}) 6... O-O
$1 (6... Ng4 $6 {should not work here. After} 7. Bg5 (7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 f6 9.
Bh4 O-O 10. Bc4+ Kh8 11. d5 Ne7 12. h3 Nh6 {, intending 13...Nhg8, 14...h6 and
15...f5 is satisfactory for Black}) 7... h6 8. Bh4 {the bishop chase is not
paying dividends and White wins nearly every game.}) 7. Bh6 (7. h3 {is C1 again
}) ({and} 7. d5 Nb8 8. h3 c6 {is in the notes to line B.}) ({Others:} 7. O-O-O
{has not scored well, but White's set-up is challenging - he has managed to
omit h2-h3 and stop ...e7-e5,} -- ({, while} 7... Ng4 $6 8. Bf4 e5 9. dxe5
Ngxe5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. h4 {is still not convincing.}) ({. However, White has
committed his king, so:} 7... a6 $1 8. Bh6 b5 9. Bxg7 (9. Bd3 {allows} e5 $1)
9... Kxg7 {and the annoying threat of 10...b4 already forces some sort of
concession (such as the weakening} 10. a3 {or an awkward defence of the e-pawn)
. White is only slightly better.})) (7. Be2 e5 (7... a6 8. d5 $1 Nb8 9. a4 {
was K.Wang-J.Schuyler, Washington 2012; I felt my a-pawn was misplaced, and I
did go on to lose, but I was not without chances - see Game 80}) 8. dxe5 ({or} 
8. O-O-O Ng4 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Qxd8 ({while} 10. Qe1 $5 Nd4 11. Kb1 c6 12. Bxd4
exd4 13. h3 Qf6 {is unclear}) 10... Nxd8 11. Nd5 $6 Ne6 {with an even position}
) 8... dxe5 {is equal. With White's queen on d2 and his passive bishops, this
is not the time for the exchange variation, and} 9. O-O-O Qe7 ({or} 9... Ng4)
10. Bg5 Be6 11. Nd5 Bxd5 12. exd5 Rfd8 {just makes matters worse for White.}) (
7. Bc4 -- (7... Ng4 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 e5 11. d5 Nd4 {is about equal,
but not a very rational position - the tactics would take pages.}) ({. Instead,
} 7... Bg4 $5 {keeps things under control; e.g.} 8. O-O-O ({or} 8. d5 Bxf3 9.
gxf3 Ne5 10. Be2 c5 11. O-O-O Qa5 12. Kb1 Rab8) 8... Nxe4 9. Nxe4 d5 10. Bd3
dxe4 11. Bxe4 Qd7 12. d5 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Ne5 14. Be2 Ng4 15. Bd4 e5 16. dxe6 Qxe6
17. Bxg7 Kxg7 {with near equality.})) 7... e5 $1 {Centre play beats wing play.}
8. Bxg7 Kxg7 9. O-O-O ({After} 9. d5 Ne7 10. O-O-O Rb8 11. Bd3 ({if} 11. h4 Bg4
) ({, or} 11. Kb1 b5) 11... b5 (11... c6) ({, or} 11... Bg4 {, Black has full
counterplay.})) 9... Bg4 10. dxe5 dxe5 {. This position has led to three draws,
but Black has a slight advantage based on White's weak bishop.} 11. -- ({For
instance,} 11. Qe3 Nd4 12. Nb5 $6 {was F.Saez-A.Safranska, Grenoble 2003, when}
c5 13. c3 Qa5 $1 14. Na3 (14. cxd4 $2 cxd4 15. Qa3 Rac8+ 16. Kb1 Qxa3 17. Nxa3
Nxe4 18. Re1 Nxf2 19. Rg1 Bxf3 20. gxf3 d3 21. Rxe5 d2 22. Be2 Rfe8 23. Nc4 b5
{is nearly winning}) 14... Bxf3 15. gxf3 Ne6 {would have given Black a large
positional advantage.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C4: 5 Bc4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bc4 Bg7 {. And now:} 6. -- ({C41:} 
6. O-O) ({C42:} 6. Qe2) ({C43:} 6. Be3) ({Instead:} 6. Bg5 $6 Nxe4 $1 7. Nxe4 (
{or} 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Nxe4 d5 9. Nc5 Rf8) 7... d5 8. c3 $5 dxc4 9. d5 f5 $1 10.
dxc6 Qxd1+ 11. Rxd1 fxe4 12. Nd2 bxc6 13. Nxe4 Rb8 {is good for Black.}) (6.
Bf4 {- As a novice, I remember thinking that this was some kind of ideal
position for White. Nowadays, it looks like White is begging for trouble, as
the bishops are vulnerable and do not defend his centre. Indeed, my research
uncovered a large collection of games by some of the lowest-rated players I
have ever seen in any database -} Nxe4 (6... Bg4 {is more combative}) 7. Nxe4 (
7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Nxe4 Rf8 9. d5 Kg8 $1 10. Bg5 ({or} 10. Qd2 Qd7 $3 11. dxc6 $6
Qg4 $1) 10... Ne5 {with a tiny edge}) 7... d5 8. Bd3 dxe4 9. Bxe4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4
Qxd4 11. Qxd4 Bxd4 12. Bxc7 Bxb2 13. Rb1 f5 14. Bf3 Bd4 {with a level endgame.}
) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C41: 6 0-0"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. O-O O-O (6... Bg4 {is
also good; e.g.} 7. Be3 O-O 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 e5 10. dxe5 ({or} 10. d5 Ne7)
10... Nxe5 11. Qe2 Nxc4 {with equality.}) 7. h3 $6 {This is no good, but it is
the most common,} ({and other moves are either met by ...Bg4 or else are
covered elsewhere:} 7. d5 Nb8 {is line B again}) ({while} 7. Be3 Ng4 {is C43
below.}) 7... Nxe4 8. Bxf7+ (8. Nxe4 $6 d5 9. Bd3 (9. c3 $1 dxc4 {is only a
little worse for White}) 9... dxe4 10. Bxe4 Nxd4 {is clearly unsatisfactory
for White.}) 8... Rxf7 9. Nxe4 d5 $1 {. White has four knight retreats and
they're all bad - he has reached an inferior version of 5 h3 Bg7 6 Bc4 Nxe4!
etc in line C1 (see the notes to White's 6th move).} 10. -- ({The most
frequent is} 10. Nc5 $6 {and now, rather than} Qd6 $6 {as always played,} (
10... b6 $1 11. Nb3 Qd6 12. Ng5 Rf8 13. Re1 e5 {gives Black a comfortable
advantage.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C42: 6 Qe2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. Qe2 Bg4 $1 7. Be3 ({GM
Robert Zelcik has twice played} 7. e5 {and won (against much weaker opponents).
} -- ({. If Black takes the bull by the horns with} 7... Bxf3 8. gxf3 Nxd4 9.
exf6 Nxe2 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. Kxe2 $5 ({or similarly} 11. Bxe2 {- White is 2-0
here as well}) 11... Rxg7 {we reach this mess: Queen and two pawns is a lot
for three minor pieces, even three pieces that include the bishop pair. Is
there really no way to use the material? The key to the position is to make
sure the pawns stay mobile. It is not bad to sacrifice a pawn if it helps to
open files, trade rooks, disorganize the white pieces, or expose the enemy
king. A close look at the games shows that one of the candidate masters was
crushing the GM, so we should not despair, and instead resolve to emulate
Black (up to a point) in R.Zelcik-M.Djurkovic, Pula 2001 (see Game 81).}) ({.
Anyway, if this is not to your taste, Black can chicken out without adverse
consequences; e.g.} 7... dxe5 8. dxe5 Bxf3 9. gxf3 Nh5 10. f4 Bh6 {which is
equal, though still not simple.})) 7... e5 8. dxe5 (8. d5 $6 Nd4 $1 9. Bxd4 ({
or} 9. Qd1 Bxf3 10. gxf3 O-O) 9... exd4 10. Nb5 (10. e5 $2 O-O $1 11. exf6 dxc3
{wins}) 10... O-O 11. O-O Re8 {was much better for Black in M.Strubreiter-K.Rogetzer, Austrian Team Championship 2004, and after} 12. Nbxd4 $6 Nxe4 13. Qd3
Nc5 14. Qd2 {Black should have cashed out:} Bxf3 15. Nxf3 Bxb2 {, with a
squeaky-clean extra pawn to go with his positional advantages.}) 8... Nxe5 9.
Bb3 O-O 10. O-O-O (10. h3 Bh5 11. O-O-O a5 {simply transposes.}) 10... a5 {.
This is a new move. Black has equalized and should start thinking about how to
exert the most pressure.} 11. -- ({White will not enjoy playing a2-a4, but it
is necessary:} 11. h3 Bh5 $1 12. a4 ({not} 12. g4 $2 Nfxg4 13. hxg4 Bxg4 {and
14...Bxf3}) 12... Nxf3 13. gxf3 Nd7 14. Rhg1 Ne5 15. Rg3 c6 {is still equal,
Then} 16. Bc5 Bh6+ 17. Be3 $1 ({since} 17. Kb1 $2 dxc5 $1 18. Rxd8 Raxd8 {
should terrify White}) 17... Bg7 {repeats.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C43: 6 Be3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. Be3 O-O 7. O-O (7. Qd2 {
transposes to 7 Bc4 in line C3 (see the notes to White's 7th move).}) 7... Ng4
8. Bg5 ({Instead:} 8. Bf4 $6 Nxd4 $1 {(fork tricks everywhere!)} 9. Nxd4 e5 10.
Be3 Nxe3 11. fxe3 exd4 12. exd4 Be6 {was H.Hughes-K.Richardson, British League
2004. Black had the edge and went on to win (see Game 82),} ({although} 12...
c6 $1 {was simpler with a comfortable advantage.})) ({I don't know who would
play it, but Houdini likes} 8. Bc1 {, when} Nf6 {returns to 6...0-0 in line
C41 and offers (or bluffs) a repetition.} ({Instead,} 8... e5 {allows White a
small advantage after} 9. Bg5 $1 Bf6 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11. d5 Nb8 {.})) 8... h6 9.
Bh4 ({On} 9. Bf4 $6 Nxd4 $1 {is best, as in the previous note, even though
White has the extra possibility} 10. Nxd4 e5 11. Bxh6 $1 ({after} 11. Ne6 $5
fxe6 12. Qxg4 exf4 13. Bxe6+ Kh7 14. Bxc8 Qxc8 {Black's active bishop allows
him a small plus - which he may convert to a structural advantage with ...Bxc3}
) 11... Bxh6 12. Nf3 c6 {and White is only slightly worse.}) 9... g5 {This
potentially king-weakening move is acceptable because White has also castled
short.} 10. Bg3 Nf6 {. Chances are equal;} 11. -- ({e.g.} 11. h3 Nxe4) ({or} 
11. Bb3 Bg4 12. d5 Na5 13. h3 Bh5 14. Qd3 Bg6 {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C5: 5 Bg5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bg5 Bg7 6. Qd2 h6 $1 {This bishop
hunt does work.} 7. Bf4 ({Others:} 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Nh5 9. d5 Nb8 {(it is good
form to delay ...Nxg3 until the last moment, even without any specific idea in
mind)} 10. Nd4 c5 11. Bb5+ Kf8 {was equal in A.Grilc-G.Mohr, Slovenian Team
Championship 2008, though the better player (Black) went on to win because
White could not control the dark squares (see Game 83).}) (7. Be3 Ng4 8. O-O-O
(8. Bf4 Nxd4 $1 9. Nxd4 e5 {equalizes; e.g.} 10. h3 exd4 11. Nb5 Ne5 12. Nxd4
Qe7 13. Bb5+ Bd7 14. Bxd7+ Nxd7 15. O-O-O O-O-O) 8... Nxe3 9. Qxe3 O-O 10. h3
a6 11. g4 b5 {was equal in D.Janowski-F.Yates, Marienbad 1925(!), a wild game
that ended in a draw (see Game 84).}) 7... d5 $1 {Abruptly, Black aborts the
bishop chase in order to seize this opportunity for an unexpected central
thrust. This is a new move.} 8. exd5 ({Or} 8. Bb5 Nxe4 9. Nxe4 dxe4 10. Ne5 Bd7
11. Bxc6 Bxc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. O-O-O Qd5 14. Kb1 O-O-O 15. c3 g5 16. Be3 f5
17. g3 e5 18. Qe2 Qb5 19. Qxb5 cxb5 20. dxe5 Bxe5 21. Bxa7 Kb7 {with some
chances in the endgame for Black due to his extra space, superior bishop, and
"queenside" (i.e. away from the kings) pawn majority.}) 8... Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5
10. c3 (10. Bxc7 {is too greedy; e.g.} Bg4 11. c3 (11. Be2 Rc8 12. Bg3 Bxf3 13.
Bxf3 Qe6+ 14. Qe3 Nxd4 15. Qxe6 Nxf3+ 16. gxf3 fxe6 {is equal}) 11... Bxf3 12.
gxf3 Rc8 13. Bf4 Qxf3 14. Rg1 e5 15. dxe5 Bxe5 16. Bxe5 Nxe5 17. Bb5+ Ke7 {and
Black has slightly fewer king problems than White.}) 10... Bg4 11. Be2 O-O-O {
. Black has reached a very satisfactory cross between a Modern and a
Scandinavian, and has excellent activity to compensate for White's extra pawn
presence in the centre, with ...g6-g5 and/or ...e7-e5 to follow.} 12. -- ({Now
} 12. O-O -- (12... e5 $6 13. Nxe5 {doesn't quite work because the g4-bishop
is hanging}) ({, but} 12... Bh5 $1 {threatens both} 13. -- e5 ({and} 13... g5
14. Bg3 {(?!)} f5 {, with the initiative.}))) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6: 1 e4 Nc6 2 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 {. To play the Dark Knight against both 1 e4 and 1 d4 (as
opposed to just against 1 d4) requires some plan for dealing with this
relatively rare move.} Nf6 ({As with 2 Nf3, White hopes to return to familiar
territory with} 2... e5 {, and while this is fine theoretically, learning the
Spanish Four Knights, Belgrade Gambit, Vienna Game, Vienna Gambit, and Scotch
Four Knights is not a practical answer to an "uncommon" variation.}) ({Another
possibility is} 2... e6 3. d4 d5 {, transposing to a French sideline covered
in 'Wisnewski's Play 1...Nc6!'.}) ({Ideally we should find something that
resembles - and is likely to transpose into - positions we already know, but
we need to be careful of our move order because the Dark Knight Pirc is not
well suited for generating counterplay against the Argentinean Attack. (For
instance,} 2... g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Be3 d6 5. Qd2 Nf6 6. f3 e5 7. Nge2 {is tricky
for Black at best, though} a6 8. O-O-O b5 {is a decent try.}) 3. d4 ({Others:} 
3. f4 d5 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 (5. Nce2 $6 d3 $1 6. cxd3 Nd5 7. a3 Bg4 8. Qb3 Nb6 {
is a mess for White}) 5... dxc3 6. fxg7 cxd2+ 7. Qxd2 Qxd2+ ({or} 7... Bxg7 8.
Qxd8+ Nxd8) 8. Bxd2 Bxg7 {is just equal.}) (3. Nf3 d6 {followed by ...g7-g6
will be a Dark Knight Pirc.}) 3... d6 {. We intend to fianchetto but we are
not yet committed, so it is impossible for White to start an Argentinean
Attack.} 4. -- ({The most common reply by far is} 4. Nf3 {, transposing to
Chapter Five.}) ({Here, we will take a close look at: A:} 4. f4) ({B:} 4. d5)
({But first:} 4. Be3 {makes no sense because of} Ng4 $1 {. If} 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4
g5 7. Bg3 Bg7 {, we have gotten our fianchetto with gain of time, reaching
positions similar to Chapter Five. While this does not actually give easy
equality, it is certainly satisfactory - 4 Be3 is almost never played.}) (4. f3
e5 5. Nge2 exd4 6. Nxd4 Be7 {is a kind of Philidor where White's f-pawn does
not belong on f3. White normally continues in "Argentinean" style with} 7. Be3
O-O 8. Qd2 {, when Black has} Nxd4 (8... d5 $5 9. O-O-O dxe4 10. Nxc6 Qxd2+ 11.
Rxd2 bxc6 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. fxe4 {offers a tiny endgame advantage for White})
9. Bxd4 c6 10. O-O-O {and now} b5 {with an equal game (though perhaps we
should call such a position unclear)} ({or} 10... Be6 {, which transposes to A.Mista-M.Szelag, Koszalin 1999 (see Game 85).})) (4. Bg5 h6 $1 {(Mestrovic's
move, which he has had a chance to use four times, with two wins and two draws
against very strong opposition)} 5. Bh4 {this doesn't seem consistent, but it
is the most common;} ({also, if} 5. Bxf6 exf6 $1 6. d5 Ne7 {, White has little
to combat the incredibly slow but effective plan of 7...a6, 8...g6, 9...Bg7,
10...0-0 and 11...f5, with approximate equality}) 5... g5 6. Bg3 Bg7 {is also
equal.} (6... e6 $5) 7. -- ({. White tried} 7. h4 g4 8. h5 {in I.Jakic-Z.Mestrovic, Zadar 2001 (see Game 86), where} e5 9. d5 Nd4 {was quite sufficient}
) ({; while R.Zelcic-Z.Mestrovic, Nova Gorica 2003, saw} 7. f3 O-O 8. Bf2 {,
but Black used the same idea, taking advantage of White's slow play:} e5 9. d5
Nd4 $1 10. Nge2 c5 $1 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Bxd4 {and although
Mestrovic was successful with} c5 $6 {(see Game 87),} (13... Rb8 $1 {is
stronger, with excellent compensation.}))) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 4 f4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. d4 d6 4. f4 e5 5. dxe5 ({Other moves don't offer much:
} 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Nxd4 {is some sort of Philidor where White's 4 f4 is
premature. Black must be alert in order to prove this - and it is worth noting
that, until now, he has not been up to the task:} Be7 7. Be2 O-O 8. Be3 Nxd4 9.
Bxd4 {and here the new move} d5 $1 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Qxd5 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qf6
13. Qd2 Rd8 14. Bd3 (14. Qe3 {is met by} Qh4+ 15. g3 ({or} 15. Qf2 Qf6 16. e5
Qc6) 15... Qh3 {and White has some trouble getting his king safe and
activating his h1-rook; e.g.} 16. Bf3 b6 17. e5 Rb8 18. Qe2 Bb7 19. Bxb7 Rxb7
20. Rd1 Rbb8 {with compensation}) 14... Qb6 15. Qf2 Qb2 16. O-O Qxc3 17. e5 Qd4
18. Qxd4 Rxd4 19. Rad1 Kf8 20. c3 Rd7 21. Be4 Rb8 {and Black unravels safely.})
(5. d5 Ne7 6. Nf3 (6. fxe5 dxe5 7. Be3 Ng6 8. a3 Bd6 {is fine for Black}) ({;
or} 6. f5 c6 $1 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Nf3 Qc7 {with usually ...d6-d5 coming soon,
and sometimes ...Rb8 and/or ...g7-g6}) 6... exf4 7. Bxf4 Ng6 8. Bg3 Be7 9. Qd2
O-O 10. O-O-O Nd7 {intending ...Bf6, ...Re8, ...a7-a6, ...b7-b5, ...Nc5, ...Bb7. White's h2-h4 must be met by ...h7-h6 so that the enemy pawn does not
reach the h6-square. The position is equal.}) (5. fxe5 dxe5 6. d5 Nd4 $1 (6...
Ne7 {transposes to 5 d5 Ne7 6 fxe5 above}) 7. Nf3 Bc5 8. Na4 $5 ({or} 8. Bg5
O-O 9. Qd3 Qd6 {and since} 10. O-O-O $6 Ng4 $1 {is strong, White is clearly
worse}) 8... Nxe4 9. Nxc5 Nxc5 10. Nxd4 Qh4+ 11. g3 Qxd4 12. Qxd4 exd4 {and
although White's bishops are nice, it is not easy for him to recover the pawn
with a good position - Black is a little better.}) (5. Bb5 $6 exd4 6. Qxd4 Be7
7. Nf3 O-O 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Re8 10. Rd1 Bb7 {with two bishops and a big
bull's-eye on the e4-pawn - more than enough to make up for our space
disadvantage.}) 5... dxe5 ({Black often throws in} 5... Bg4 6. Nf3 {, but this
does not help the situation.}) 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. Nf3 Bb4 8. Bd3 Re8 {. This
position has been reached only once:} 9. -- ({in Ma.Tseitlin-C.Barlocco, World
Seniors Championship, Port Erin 2004, which continued} 9. O-O -- (9... exf4 10.
Nd5 Nxd5 11. exd5 Ne7 {, and White went on to win.}) ({. However, Black can
equalize with} 9... h6 $1 10. fxe5 Ng4 11. h3 ({or} 11. Rd1 Bc5+ 12. Kf1 Bd7)
11... Ngxe5 12. Bf4 ({or} 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Nd5 Nxf3+ 14. gxf3 Bd6) 12... Nxd3
13. cxd3 Be6 {.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 4 d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. d4 d6 4. d5 Nb8 {After this White will usually play
Nf3 soon (and Black ...g7-g6), transposing to line B in Chapter Five. Here we
investigate some independent set-ups by White.} ({Don't get any funny ideas.} 
4... Ne5 $6 5. f4 Ned7 6. Nf3 c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. e5 {is no good for Black.}) 5.
f4 {The most often played, but it is not a strong move. The problem is that,
after 5...c6, White will be unable to maintain the e4/f4 pawn duo, unless he
plays the otherwise undesirable 6 dxc6.} ({Instead:} 5. Bg5 g6 6. Bxf6 exf6 7.
Bd3 {(to hinder ...f6-f5)} Bg7 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O Nd7 10. h4 Nc5 11. h5 f5 {
with full counterplay.}) (5. Be3 {(this logical move has had only one obscure
trial)} c6 6. Qd2 Nbd7 7. O-O-O cxd5 8. exd5 a6 {should make for a lively game,
with ...b7-b5 and ...Bb7 coming, and probably ...g7-g6 and ...Bg7, with maybe ...Rc8, ...Qc7 and/or ...Nb6. White will be unable to organize the rapid
pressure on the e-file that would make this uncomfortable for Black.}) 5... c6
6. dxc6 ({Other moves:} 6. Nf3 cxd5 7. exd5 g6 8. Be3 Bg7 {is equal. Black
will continue with ...0-0, ...Nbd7, ...Qc7, ...a7-a6, ...b7-b5, ...Nc5 (or ...Nb6), and ...Bb7 (or ...Bd7). Since White's central pawns are split, the
f-pawn is mainly a weakness. Then} 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Nbd7 {transposes to M.Drasko-Z.Mestrovic, Bosnian Team Championship 2003 (see Game 24).}) (6. Be2 g6
{will probably transpose to 6 Nf3,} 7. -- ({, after} 7. Nf3 cxd5 8. exd5 Bg7 9.
Be3 {for instance.}) ({. Instead, A.Stefanova-M.Zielinska, Dresden 2004,
continued} 7. Be3 Qa5 ({Black can improve slightly by} 7... Bg7 {and 8...0-0,
rather than committing the queen so early}) 8. Bf3 $5 Bg7 9. Nge2 cxd5 10. exd5
Bg4 {, which was about equal, but Black did go on to lose.})) 6... Nxc6 7. Nf3
g6 8. Bc4 ({Alternatively:} 8. e5 $5 {is a good try, though it has never been
played:} Nh5 ({or} 8... Nd7 $5 9. exd6 Bg7 $1 10. dxe7 Qxe7+ 11. Qe2 Nb4 12.
Qxe7+ Kxe7 13. Kd1 Rd8 {with compensation}) 9. exd6 Bg7 10. Bc4 O-O 11. O-O
exd6 {and White's holes balance Black's holes.}) (8. Be3 Bg7 9. Qd2 O-O 10.
O-O-O Ng4 11. Bg1 Qa5 12. h3 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 Qxc3 14. bxc3 Nf6 {with slightly
the more comfortable game for Black.}) 8... Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Kh1 Bg4 11. Be3
Rc8 12. Bb3 {. The position is equal;} -- ({but Black needs to find something
more active than} 12... a6 $6 13. h3 Bd7 14. Qe1 b5 $6 15. e5 $1 {, after
which White was much better in N.Raghavi-K.Szczepkowska, World Junior
Championships, Istanbul 2005.}) ({Black can choose between} 12... Nd7) (12...
Qd7) (12... Nh5) ({and} 12... Na5 {(since the complications after} 13. Bxa7 $6
b6 14. e5 Nd7 $1 15. h3 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Nc6 17. Nb5 dxe5 {favour Black).}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Section Three: Others"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.23"]

{This section deals with almost everything except the opening moves 1 e4 and 1
d4, including some quite unusual openings. Except for 1 c4, which needs to be
taken seriously, the challenge for Black is to give himself chances to wrest
the initiative early, and/or make sure that White does not reach the type of
position with which he is experienced and comfortable. In a few cases, I am
forced to admit that 1...Nc6 is not suitable, in which case I like 1...g6. I
choose to believe that this is not too much of a departure, since the
fianchetto is so common in the Dark Knight System.} 1. -- {I will warn the
reader that the coverage in Section Three is less detailed than in the other
sections. This is because these openings are far less common, and also because
you may already have your own systems of defence, which there is no need to
abandon.} (1. c4 {- Chapter Seven}) (1. Nf3 {- Chapter Eight}) (1. -- {Others
- Chapter Nine}) (1. -- {Miscellaneous Topics - Chapter Ten}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "7: 1 c4 Nc6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 Nc6 {. You could play the Dark Knight against 1 e4 and 1 d4 and then
play any favourite system against 1 c4, but it makes some sense to use 1...Nc6
here too, since there is a fair chance of reaching positions you already need
to know to meet 1 d4.} 2. Nc3 ({Others:} 2. d4 e5 {returns to Chapter Two.}) (
2. g3 e5 3. Bg2 f5 {will transpose to line A below once White (inevitably)
plays Nc3.}) (2. Nf3 e5 3. d4 e4 4. Ng5 (4. Nfd2 f5 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. e3 {is line
B2}) 4... Bb4+ 5. Nc3 {and now} -- ({, Black can certainly play} 5... f5 {,
transposing to line B1}) ({; but} 5... d5 $1 {is even better, as in Ge.Lambert-A.Labarthe, Vichy 2000.} 6. -- ({. Not without reason, White worried
about the centre opening up and played} 6. c5 $2 {, when} h6 ({or} 6... b6 $1)
7. Nh3 Bxh3 {would have been strong}) ({; but even after} 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3
Nf6 8. cxd5 Qxd5 9. f3 O-O 10. fxe4 Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Qxe4 12. Qd3 Bf5 {Black
maintains an advantage along with his grip on the e4-square.}))) 2... e5 {.
White will now choose from the following:} 3. -- ({A:} 3. g3) ({B:} 3. Nf3) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A: 3 g3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 f5 $5 {A reversed Grand Prix Attack, which is "not a
good idea", according to Hikaru Nakamura. Nonetheless, it was most likely the
great disparity in playing strength that was the difference in our encounter -
upon examination, the positions are just fine so long as Black does not use
the typical plan of trying to deliver checkmate right out of the opening. Come
to think of it, he may have been saying that the opening was a bad choice
against him in particular, which is no doubt true given that I had nothing
prepared other than the usual recipe.} 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 ({After} 5. e3 {, the
gambit} d5 $5 {has been very successful. The idea is to open up the game to
reach the weak light squares on White's queenside, particularly the gaping
hole on d3. If White tries to remain a pawn ahead, Black obtains dangerous
compensation; e.g.} 6. cxd5 Nb4 7. -- (7. Qb3 $6 Nd3+ 8. Kf1 e4 9. Nh3 Bd6 {
and White has great difficulties with both king safety and development.} (9...
--)) ({. Instead,} 7. d3 Nfxd5 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Nf3 {is the normal continuation,
when Black's position is a bit loose but White needs to create some sort of
off-board diversion to sneak his e-pawn back to e2. L.Gofshtein-N.Mitkov,
Lisbon 1999, continued} Bd6 10. O-O Nf6 11. Qb3 Qe7 12. e4 fxe4 13. dxe4 {and
the game was equal after} Qf7 14. Qc3 Qh5 15. Nd2 O-O {, though White went on
to win (see Game 88).})) 5... Bb4 6. Bd2 {Otherwise White's c-pawns will be
doubled, providing long-term compensation for surrendering the bishop pair.} ({
A brutal example is J.Ramirez-J.Schuyler, Las Vegas 2007, which saw} 6. a3 $2
Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. Rb1 O-O 9. e3 $2 e4 10. d4 b6 {, followed by ...Ba6 (see
Game 89).}) 6... O-O 7. Nf3 ({Instead:} 7. e3 {worked great for White in H.Nakamura-J.Schuyler, Las Vegas 2008:} -- (7... Bxc3 8. Bxc3 -- (8... d6 9. Ne2
Qe8 10. h3 {, and since} Qh5 $6 {would be met by} 11. f4 $1 {, I was already
out of ideas and lost quickly.}) ({. Meanwhile, Black is actually fine after} 
8... d6 9. Ne2 Qe8 10. h3 ({against} 10. Qd2 {,} b6 {can be used just as well})
({, though} 10. O-O {is a serious test}) 10... b6 $5 11. O-O Bb7 {, to oppose
White's strong bishop and work towards relieving him of the bishop pair, which
is nearly equal according to Houdini.}) ({. Going back further, Black has} 8...
d5 $1 {which is three for three in my database, most significantly in O.Foisor-J.M.Degraeve, Le Touquet 1996 (see Game 90).})) ({. And if that's not
enough, in J.Iruzubieta-B.Gulko, San Sebastian 1996, Gulko casually played} 
7... Ne7 $5 {and after} 8. Nge2 ({although} 8. a3 {is more testing}) 8... c6 $1
{to guard the d5-square and preserve the dark-squared bishop. This too was
nearly equal (see Game 91).}) ({. Last but not least, Black can try} 7... f4 $5
{which scored a full point in N.Spiridonov-K.Spraggett, Cannes 1992 (see Game
92). In case it's not obvious, my main recommendation is 7...Bxc3 8 Bxc3 d5!.})
) (7. a3 $6 {is very often played, and with very bad results. It is hard to
justify spending a tempo to force an exchange which Black is interested in
making anyway:} Bxc3 8. Bxc3 d6 ({again} 8... d5 $5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Bd2 h6 $1
11. Qb3 $6 ({or} 11. Nf3 e4 $1) 11... Be6 12. Qxb7 Nd4 {with excellent
compensation}) 9. Nf3 Qe8 {, and with White having squandered a tempo on a2-a3,
Black's "typical plan" (described below) has done well, while if White delays
castling, he runs other risks. F.Bruno-B.Kurajica, Lugano 1985, was a short
lesson for White (see Game 93).}) 7... e4 $1 {This rare line is best, taking
advantage of White's previous move to establish a knight on the e4-square.} ({
For the record, the "typical plan" is} 7... d6 8. O-O Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Qe8 {,
intending} 10. -- Qh5 {,} 11. -- f4 {,} 12. -- Bh3 {,} 13. -- Ng4 {,} 14. --
fxg3 15. fxg3 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Rxf3 17. Kxf3 Rf8+ {and wins! Some of the most
astute readers may have noticed that five of White's moves were skipped -
indeed that is a little snag. To see how Black's attack can work against an
opponent with a pulse, check out M.Sher-K.Spraggett, Andorra 1993 (Game 94),
though Spraggett did require a large assist from his GM opponent, and 7...d6
is not my recommendation.}) 8. dxe4 Bxc3 $1 (8... Nxe4 {will normally
transpose, but this new move order cuts down on White's options.}) 9. Bxc3 Nxe4
10. Rc1 {I expect White to try to preserve his pawn structure as he has in the
analogous positions from the alternative move order.} ({However, if} 10. O-O $5
{, Black should retain the strong knight:} d6 (10... Nxc3 $6 11. bxc3 {and
White's open lines make it easy for him to pressure the queenside}) 11. Qc2 a5
12. Nd4 Qe7 {and 13...Bd7 with just a slight edge for White.}) 10... d6 11. O-O
-- ({The only time this position has been reached, Black started losing the
thread with} 11... Be6 $6 12. Nd4 Nxd4 $6 13. Qxd4 Nxc3 $6 14. Rxc3 c5 15. Qd2
{, when White had a pleasant long-term advantage and went on to win in the
game Har.Becker-Joa.Franz, German League 1997.}) ({Instead, after} 11... Qe7
12. Nd4 Bd7 13. Qb3 Nc5 14. Qc2 a5 {, White's edge is tiny.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B: 3 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A27"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 f5 {This move has a solid reputation and is a
popular alternative to 3...Nf6.} 4. d4 e4 {. And now mainly:} 5. -- ({B1:} 5.
Ng5) ({B2:} 5. Nd2) ({But also:} 5. Ne5 {- only Larry Christiansen (and
Houdini) seems interested in playing this move, though he has an impressive
3-0 with it. After} Nf6 6. Bf4 {, as in L.Christiansen-S.Conquest, Oviedo 
(rapid) 1992, the new move} Nh5 $5 ({otherwise Black can try} 6... d6 7. Nxc6
bxc6 8. e3 Be7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Be6 {, with a slight edge for White}) 7. Bd2
Nf6 {is fine for Black if he is content with a draw, because} 8. e3 d6 9. Nxc6
bxc6 10. Be2 Be7 11. O-O O-O {is nothing for White.}) (5. Bg5 Be7 6. Bxe7 Ngxe7
7. Nd2 Nxd4 8. Ndxe4 Ne6 9. Nd2 b6 $1 10. e3 Bb7 11. Nf3 O-O {with easy
equality and chances for more; e.g.} 12. g3 $6 ({or} 12. Be2 f4 $1) 12... f4 $1
13. exf4 Nxf4 14. gxf4 Rxf4 15. Bg2 ({or} 15. Be2) 15... Qf8 $1 {is good for
Black.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B1: 5 Ng5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A27"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 f5 4. d4 e4 5. Ng5 Bb4 6. Nh3 {This retreat is
necessary. After the text move, the position again resembles a reversed Grand
Prix Attack. White's king's knight will soon reach the excellent f4-square,
but the four moves it takes to get there is a high price, even in a blocked
position.} ({G.McKenna-J.Schuyler, Richmond 2008, instead continued} 6. f3 $6
h6 $1 7. Nh3 exf3 {, threatening 8...Qh4+ and 9...Qxd4. My opponent found} 8.
e3 $1 {which keeps White in the game, though} Qh4+ 9. g3 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qh5 11.
Bg2 Qf7 12. Bxf3 Qxc4 13. Bh5+ Kd8 {would have allowed Black an edge. (A.Beliavsky-V.Bagirov, Minsk 1983, also saw White play 6 f3?!, but Black did not
punish him and went on to lose.)}) (6. g3 $6 {, as in J.Timman-I.Sokolov,
Dortmund 1999, is not a good idea either - the bishop should not be caught
dead on the g2-square. After} Nf6 7. d5 Ne5 8. Qb3 Qe7 9. Bg2 $6 h6 10. Nh3 Qc5
11. Bf4 $6 Nxc4 {White had little for the pawn.}) 6... Nf6 7. e3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3
d6 9. Nf4 O-O {White's c4-pawn is weak and his bishops are not yet working,
but he should be able to force through the c4-c5 break. If Black is not
careful, this will bring White a significant advantage. However, White needs
to be careful as well, because if the position opens up at the wrong time or
in the wrong way, he will be punished for his slow development.} 10. h4 b6 11.
Ba3 Rf7 $1 {This is a new move, and it makes us more comfortable by stepping
out of the influence of White's a3-bishop and avoiding Ne6 forks. It is also
useful to guard the seventh rank and shield our king.} ({The similar} 11... Re8
{was tried successfully in R.Koch-M.Wiedenkeller, Reggio Emilia 1982/83, but
it accomplishes a bit less and leaves Black vulnerable to the Bb5 pin. It is
worth noting that Black's results have been excellent in this variation even
without the text move, though a few high-level players have successfully
advocated White.}) 12. c5 {If White does not play this now, 12...Ba6 is coming,
and the c4-c5 break will be forever ineffective.} bxc5 (12... d5 $5 {.}) 13.
Bc4 ({Naturally, if} 13. dxc5 {then} d5 $1 14. c4 $2 d4 {and White's structure
is awful.}) 13... d5 14. Bb5 Nb8 15. Bxc5 c6 16. Be2 Ba6 {. White has relieved
himself of his pawn weakness, but the coming bishop exchange brings equality.
Black's plans are to manoeuvre a knight to the lovely c4-square, trade off
White's f4-knight, and fight for the b-file;} 17. -- ({e.g.} 17. Rb1 Bxe2 18.
Qxe2 Nbd7 19. Ne6 Qc8 20. Bd6 Nb6 21. Nc5 Nfd7 22. Nxd7 Rxd7 ({or} 22... Qxd7
23. Bf4 Rc8 {and 24...c5}) 23. Bf4 Nc4 24. O-O Rb7 {, which is still equal.
Black has achieved his objectives, but White's "bad" bishop is very strong.
Black will not be better unless he can arrange to exchange the other pair of
rooks.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "B2: 5 Nd2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A27"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 f5 4. d4 e4 5. Nd2 {This move is not common here,
but the position is important since it can be reached from a few different
move orders.} Nf6 6. e3 (6. Ndb1 $5 {is a cute move, intending 7 Bg5. Houdini
likes} b6 $5 {, opening paths for the bishop and sketching out some territory
on the queenside. Then} 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. e3 ({or} 9. Nd5 Bb4+ 10. Nbc3
Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qd6 12. e3 Ne7 13. Nf4 g5 14. Qh5+ $6 Kf8 15. Ne2 Ba6 {and
Black is better}) 9... Qf7 10. Nb5 Kd8 11. Be2 g5 {leads to a murky position
which Mr. H calls equal. Unfortunately, there are no games to draw on, and the
computer convincingly shot down all my sensible ideas, so we are stuck with
this nonsense. He continues} 12. a3 h5 13. Nd2 g4 14. Qc2 h4 15. O-O-O h3 16.
g3 {, still equal.}) 6... Be7 $1 (6... g6 {is just about always played, but
the fianchetto is slow and somewhat accommodating, releasing the b4-square.
Sokolov and Sigurjonsson both got squashed by White's huge queenside after Rb1
and b2-b4. The text move keeps Black focused on where the play will actually
take place.}) 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O d5 $1 ({Previously} 8... Qe8) ({and} 8... d6 {
have been tried. The text is an unplayed novelty that prevents Black from
getting overrun on the queenside, reaching a satisfactory reversed Classical
French.}) 9. cxd5 ({Or} 9. a3 Be6 10. b4 a6 $1 {, strongly discouraging the
further advance of White's queenside pawns.}) 9... Nb4 10. Qb3 Nbxd5 11. Nc4 c6
12. Bd2 Qc7 {. Intending 13...Be6, 14...Rfd8, and Black is fine.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "8: 1 Nf3 Nc6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A04"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. Nf3 Nc6 {. If you play 1...Nc6 against 1 e4 and 1 d4, you may as well play
it against 1 Nf3, since White will usually respond with 2 d4, 2 e4, or 2 c4,
transposing to Chapters One, Five and Seven respectively. The only
continuation with independent significance is:} 2. g3 e5 3. d3 d5 $1 ({I've
played} 3... f5 {here in the past because it is extremely effective against
the King's Indian Attack, but its value is questionable against other set-ups.}
) 4. Bg2 g6 $1 {An excellent recipe. White's extra tempo amounts to little.} 5.
O-O Bg7 6. e4 ({White challenges the centre with} 6. c4 {less often. In Bu
Xiangzhi-V.Ivanchuk, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011, Black played} dxc4 7. dxc4 Qxd1 8.
Rxd1 e4 9. Nfd2 f5 {, when White needed} 10. f3 {to equalize.} ({Instead, after
} 10. Nc3 Be6 11. Nd5 $6 O-O-O {Ivanchuk went on to win (see Game 95).})) 6...
Nge7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. c3 a5 9. a4 h6 {. Black has outscored White here at all
levels of play.} 10. -- ({K.Arakhamia Grant-A.Raetsky, Bern 1995, showed Black
expanding and using his space advantage after} 10. Re1 Be6 11. exd5 Bxd5 $1 {
(see Game 96)}) ({while V.Frias Pablaza-A.Baburin, San Francisco 1997, saw
Black's central control turning into a powerful tactical strike against
White's king after} 10. exd5 Nxd5 {(see Game 97).}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "9: Others"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{I used to "pre-move" 1...Nc6 in online blitz games - after all, it's playable
against everything, right?} 1. -- ({Eventually I was embarrassed (several
times!) by a player who sometimes opened} 1. b4 {. After} Nc6 2. b5 {, I did
not feel like I had found the refutation to the Orang-utan!} Ne5 3. Bb2 $6 ({
but} 3. e4) ({, or} 3. d4 {leaves Black with no excuse for his knight placement
}) 3... Nc4 $5 {is not bad.}) (1. -- {In all seriousness, 1...Nc6 is just not
the best way to start challenging White after 1 b3, 1 f4, 1 e3, 1 a3, or
especially 1 b4. Play whatever you like, but in my opinion, 1...g6 - the "Dark
Bishop"? - is simple and strong against all of these. --- Against 1 b4 and 1
b3, 1...g6 may come as a surprise to the opponent, which is always nice. It
also makes sense to oppose White's bishop on the long diagonal, especially
since his will be loose, while ours (after we castle short) will be guarded -
a tactical advantage.}) ({Larsen's Attack: Based on the counter-fianchetto,
Houdini and I have cooked up something new and fun against Larsen's Attack:} 1.
b3 g6 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. e4 Bg7 $5 (3... d6 {is much more common}) 4. e5 Nd5 5. c4
Nf4 $1 {. This move is provocative and strong. White can keep advancing pawns,
with tempo in some cases, but he will not be able to control the territory he
imagines he is conquering, and he will become weak in an area of the board I
like to call the "deep centre" - d3, e3, and the surrounding squares. After} 6.
g3 Ne6 7. d4 d6 8. -- ({, and} 8. d5 $6 Nc5 9. b4 {(otherwise the knight is
very powerful in conjunction with ...Bf5)} Ncd7 10. f4 O-O 11. Nf3 c6 $1 12.
Qb3 cxd5 13. cxd5 dxe5 14. fxe5 a5 15. bxa5 Nc5 {, White's position is
approaching the later stages of a long and painful decline.}) ({. It is easy
to criticize White's play, but he was already worse very early; for instance,} 
8. Nf3 O-O 9. Nc3 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Ne4 b6 12. Qd3 Bb7 13. Qe3 f5 $1 14.
exf6 exf6 15. O-O-O {still leaves White struggling after} Re8 ({or} 15... f5 {.
}))) ({Sokolsky's Opening (aka The Orang-utan, aka The Polish):} 1. b4 g6 2.
Bb2 Nf6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. d4 Nbd7 7. Be2 e5 8. O-O e4 9. Nfd2
Re8 {. I know, there are other ways the game can go, but this is typical.
Black has reached a King's Indian Attack in reverse, and in practice Black's
attack has proven stronger (+12 -2 =4 is 77.7%). White's extra tempo, Bb2, is
just about useless because the bishop belongs on the a3-square. --- In spite
of his successes, Black has yet to produce a model for correct play. In the
games I can find, Black keeps allowing the enemy pawn to a6, which accelerates
White's queenside initiative. The reader is better off studying the classic
King's Indian Attacks by Fischer, Petrosian, Bronstein, Larsen, etc. They go 
(in reverse - I have translated here) ...Nf8, ...h7-h5, ...Bf5, ...a7-a6 (when
White's pawn reaches a5), ...N8h7, ...h5-h4 (and ...h4-h3 if possible), ...Ng5
with scary invasions coming on the light squares or (if White has played h2-h3)
scary sacrifices on the h3-pawn.}) ({Bird's Opening: Against} 1. f4 {, I would
warn against playing ...d7-d5, which gives White what he wants: the e5-square.
Instead, after} g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. -- (3. e3 d6 4. d4 Nd7 {, Black is +17 -1 =3
according to my database. Wow! Obviously White's position can't actually be
that bad. What the statistics mean is that, for those interested in winning
chess games, it is extremely important to combat the opponent's automatic
plans. Then} 5. Bd3 ({while} 5. Bc4 e6 {has scored 100% for Black, most
notably in A.Spichkin-D.Reinderman, Rijeka 2010 (see Game 99)}) 5... e5 6. c3
Qe7 {was no fun at all for White in A.Capaliku-J.Gombac, Nova Gorica 2010 (see
Game 98).}) ({. Of course, White does not have to play a Stonewall - just as
popular is a reversed Leningrad Dutch with} 3. g3 {, when one system has
performed extremely well for Black:} b6 $5 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O e6 6. d3 Ne7 7. e4
d6 {with 8...Nd7, 9...c5, 10...Qc7, and 11...0-0 to follow. Dzindzi pithily
states that "any opening named after an animal is bad", but here the
Hippopotamus is well-suited to combat both White's kingside expansion and his
fianchettoed bishop. Black certainly made it look easy in P.Auchenberg-To.
Christensen, Helsingor 1997 (see Game 100). An important idea is to play ...f7-f5 just when White is ready for his f4-f5 advance (though Christensen did
not find this necessary).})) ({Other Others: As for} 1. Nc3 Nc6) ({and} 1. g3
Nc6 {, play should transpose to our repertoire at some point.}) ({As I
mentioned already, a good answer to} 1. e3 {is} g6) ({and also} 1. a3 g6 {,
when White is challenged to find any use for his opening move.}) ({If 1 h3, 1
h4, 1 Nh3, 1 Na3, 1 a4, or 1 f3, you're on your own.} 1. f3 {is particularly
troubling because it is not clear whether White is intending} -- 2. Nh3 {and 3
Nf2} ({or} 2. g4 $1) ({, or} 2. Kf2 $1 {and} -- 3. Kg3 $3 {. May you be
confronted with these problems frequently.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "10: Miscellaneous Topics"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Reducing the Workload - The Dark Knight for Dummies: Perhaps some readers
have gotten the impression that the study material (which in my opinion is
very small) can be substantially simplified. Indeed, it can. There is no
sensible way to avoid Chapter One, but Chapter Two is, in some sense,
unnecessary.} 1. -- ({After} 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 {, Black can simply play} d6 {,
which will almost certainly transpose to Chapter One.}) ({Likewise, Black need
not learn Chapter Three. After} 1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 {, Black can just play} Nb8 {
, with a likely transposition to Chapters One or Five.}) ({Chapter Four? Toss
it. Just play} 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d6 {, probably transposing to Chapters One,
Five, or Six. --- In other words, don't play for an early ...e7-e5 and plan on
fianchettoing the king's bishop whether it is necessary or not. The thing is,
the positions from Chapters Two, Three and Four, are among my favourites in
the Dark Knight System, so I would rather know them and play them than avoid
them, but anyone who prefers to fianchetto can study less and play his own
favourite positions more.}) ({Notice that when playing the System this way,
White's f- and c-pawns are both free, so White could play a "Four Pawns
Attack" if he so chooses. Without going into detail, I will point out that
this is not a good way for White to fight for an advantage:} 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d6
3. d5 Nb8 4. c4 g6 5. f4 Bg7 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Be2 e6 $1 9. O-O (9. e5
$5) 9... exd5 10. cxd5 c6 $1 11. dxc6 Nxc6 12. Kh1 Re8 13. Bd3 Qb6 ({or} 13...
a6 {and 14...b5, with equality.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Light Knight Attack!?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{If the Dark Knight System is so great, why not play it with an extra tempo?} 
1. -- ({Well, the good news is that nobody can stop you; e.g.} 1. Nc3 $5 e5 2.
d3 d5 3. g3 d4 4. Nb1 Nc6 5. Bg2 {with a reversed Dark Knight Pirc.
Furthermore, there are many other possible move orders White can use. The bad
news is that it will often be Black fighting for the advantage, not White. How
can a system be good for Black and not for White? The answer is that Black and
White have different opening objectives. In the DKS Black often loses some
time with his knight, but this is mitigated by the fact that he has reached a
position where tempi are relatively unimportant. Therefore, playing such a
position a tempo up represents only a small gain, sometimes not enough even to
equalize.}) ({As for} 1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 -- ({, I believe White can fight for an
advantage after} 2... d4 {(a practical one, if not a theoretical one)}) ({,
but in my experience Black usually plays} 2... e6) (2... c6) ({, or} 2... Nf6 {
instead, transposing to his favourite defence (French, Caro-Kann, and
Alekhine's, respectively)}) ({, or just} 2... dxe4 3. Nxe4 {and} Bf5 (3... Nf6)
({, or} 3... Nd7 {, with a good version of Black's favourite Caro-Kann
variation. While these positions are all playable for White, there is little
chance of getting Black out of his comfort zone.}))) ({Of course, real chess
is not the same as theory, and for the right player and/or the right opponent,
the "Light Knight Attack" could be the perfect weapon. The grandmaster Jörg
Hickl has played} 1. g3 e5 2. Bg2 d5 3. d3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Nc3 c6 6. e4 ({or
} 6. O-O O-O 7. e4 {) many times with good results. --- Readers might choose
to view the position as a Dark Knight Pirc reversed, and Hickl's move order is
an excellent way to reach it since Black never had a good opportunity to play ...d5-d4. There is not much else to learn because Black's set-up is an
extremely common one against 1 g3.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Illustrative Games"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.23"]

{The games section serves several purposes:} 1. -- (1. -- {It shows typical
middlegame and endgame ideas in the Dark Knight System - there is a whole game
to be played, after all.}) (1. -- {It serves as a place to demonstrate some
alternatives to the main recommendations.}) (1. -- {It shows by example why
certain popular variations were rejected. Consider these games a warning.}) (1.
-- {It shows how successful the Dark Knight System can be in practice.}) (1. --
{It shows how much fun it can be to play the Dark Knight System in your games!}
) *

[Event "Game 1: Finnish Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paasikangas Tella, J."]
[Black "Lindqvist, T."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{A "good" King's Indian.} 1. d4 d6 ({We would reach the game position via the
move order} 1... Nc6 2. e3 e5 3. d5 $6 Nce7 4. c4 d6 {etc.}) 2. c4 e5 3. e3 Nc6
4. d5 Nce7 5. Nc3 f5 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. Bc2 g6 {Black now plays an excellent
version of a King's Indian - not an uncommon occurrence against an opponent
inexperienced with the Dark Knight.} 8. Nf3 Bh6 $5 {Why not? Now if White
plays e3-e4, Black can relieve himself of a problem piece. If White does not
play e3-e4, Black has the powerful e5/f5 pawn duo.} 9. b4 O-O 10. Bb3 a5 11.
bxa5 Rxa5 12. a4 Kh8 13. Nb5 Ne4 14. O-O $6 c6 $1 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. Na3 Be6 {
White has no compensation for Black's huge centre.} 17. Nd2 Nc5 18. Bc2 Ra6 19.
Bb2 Bg7 20. e4 f4 $6 21. Kh1 Qd7 22. f3 $6 {White weakens his dark squares
unnecessarily. Black should have to work for this.} Rfa8 23. Nab1 Nc8 24. Nc3
Nb6 25. Bb3 Qf7 26. Bc2 Bf8 27. Ba3 Ncxa4 28. Nxa4 Nxa4 29. Bxd6 Bxd6 30. Rxa4
Rxa4 31. Bxa4 Qc7 {Black has somehow managed to avoid winning any pawns, but
his bishop pair provides a nearly decisive advantage.} 32. h3 $2 (32. Qc2)
32... Bb4 $1 33. Nb1 Bxc4 34. Rg1 Bc5 35. Re1 Bf2 {and Black soon won:} 36. Nc3
Rd8 37. Qa1 Bxe1 38. Qxe1 Kg7 39. Kh2 Qd6 40. Qb1 Rb8 41. Qa1 Kh6 42. Qe1 Kg7
43. Qh4 Rb7 44. Nd1 Ra7 45. Nb2 Bb5 46. Bxb5 cxb5 47. Qf2 Qd4 48. Qc2 Ra1 49.
h4 h5 50. Qc7+ Kh6 51. Qc8 Qg1+ 52. Kh3 Qh1# 0-1

[Event "Game 2: Paris"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vialatte, J."]
[Black "Giroux, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A03"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{An anti-Stonewall - rare light-squared play.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. f4 d5 {Black has
not signed a contract to play on the dark squares, and White has already given
himself a big hole on e4. Furthermore, with Black not having played ...Nf6,
White is not guaranteed an outpost on e5.} 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. e3 f6 $5 {Black may
or may not get ...e7-e5 in, but he has certainly stopped Ne5!} 5. Bb5 Qd6 6.
O-O a6 7. Bxc6+ $6 {This is not going to help the situation on the light
squares.} Qxc6 8. c3 $6 Nh6 9. Nbd2 O-O-O $6 ({Black's knight needs to get to
the d6-square as soon as possible -} 9... Nf5 $1 10. Re1 Nd6 $1 {with a
pleasant advantage. Black eventually gets the position he should have, but
only with some co-operation from his opponent.}) 10. Qe1 Bf5 11. Qe2 e6 12. Re1
Be4 13. c4 Bb4 $5 {Black's plan, which he will soon execute, is to give up
both bishops and play "good knight versus bad bishop". This fails to take into
account White's development and queenside counterplay.} 14. cxd5 exd5 15. a3
Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Bxd2 17. Bxd2 f5 18. Rac1 Qe6 19. Qe2 Rd7 20. b4 Kb8 21. b5 axb5
22. Qxb5 Nf7 23. Bb4 Nd6 24. Qa4 $2 {An incomprehensible positional mistake.
The knight that lands on c4 is worth far more than the "tall pawn" on b4.
However, in this roundabout way we see the proper fruition of Black's early
advantage.} Nc4 25. Bc5 b6 26. Qa6 Qc6 27. Rb1 Qa8 28. Qb5 $2 Kc8 $1 29. a4 (
29. Bb4 c6 {traps the queen.}) 29... bxc5 30. Qxc5 Qa5 31. Qc6 Rd6 32. Qb7+ Kd7
33. Rec1 Ra8 34. Qb5+ Qxb5 35. Rxb5 Rxa4 36. Rb8 Nxe3 37. Re1 Re6 38. Rg8 Re7
0-1

[Event "Game 3: Slovenian Ch., Ljubljana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tratar, M."]
[Black "Srebrnic, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Can White be made to pay for delaying d4-d5 - ?} 1. d4 d6 ({We would reach
this by} 1... Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 {- in this particular game
White did not even have the option of playing 4 d5.}) 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4.
Nc3 Nc6 5. d5 Ne5 6. Nxe5 Bxe5 7. e4 Nf6 {It seems odd to cut off the retreat
for the dark-squared bishop, but the piece is very active where it is, and the
danger is far less than it appears. White's lame attempt to trap the bishop on
move nine goes nowhere. Such lovely dark square control!} 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 {
In addition to the threat of f2-f4, White makes sure Black cannot damage his
structure with ...Bxc3 - however, this retreat is still not the most accurate.}
Nd7 10. h4 h5 11. Nf4 Nc5 12. Bc2 e6 $1 {White has forgotten about his
development and now stands worse. White is a GM, by the way. The rest of the
game is kind of brutal.} 13. Rb1 a5 14. f3 $6 {Be careful on the dark squares,
White!} exd5 15. cxd5 c6 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Ne2 Ba6 18. Bg5 Qc8 $6 (18... Qb6)
19. Kf2 Rb8 20. b3 Re8 21. Re1 Ne6 22. Be3 d5 $1 23. exd5 cxd5 24. Rc1 Qd8 25.
Bd3 Qxh4+ 26. Kf1 Bb7 27. Qd2 d4 28. Bg1 Nf4 29. Nxf4 Bxf4 30. Qxa5 Bxf3 31.
Rc2 Bg3 0-1

[Event "Game 4: German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ipatov, A."]
[Black "Antoniewski, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Making White pay for delaying d4-d5.} 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6
5. d5 Ne5 6. Nxe5 Bxe5 7. e4 Nf6 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 Nd7 10. O-O Nc5 11. f4 Bg7
12. f5 $6 {No sooner has White conquered the e5-square than he immediately
relinquishes it. White (another grandmaster) receives the proper punishment -
eventually.} e6 13. Bc2 exf5 14. exf5 Nd7 $6 15. Bf4 $2 Bxb2 16. Bh6 Qh4 17.
Bxf8 Nxf8 18. Nf4 Bxa1 19. Qxa1 Bd7 {White has sacrificed a pawn to trade off
Black's powerful bishop, only to find that the exchange has not helped him.
This is a typical result.} 20. Qc3 Re8 21. c5 Bb5 22. g3 Qe7 23. Rb1 Ba6 24.
Ba4 Qe4 25. Bc2 Qe3+ 26. Qxe3 Rxe3 27. cxd6 cxd6 28. Ba4 Ra3 29. Bb3 Nd7 30.
Re1 Kf8 31. Ne6+ $4 {White's position was very unpleasant anyway, but he gets
no compensation for the knight.} fxe6 32. dxe6 Ne5 33. Rc1 gxf5 34. Rc8+ Ke7
35. Rc7+ Kf6 36. Rxh7 Bc4 37. e7 Bb5 38. h4 d5 39. h5 Nf3+ 40. Kg2 Ng5 41. Rh6+
Kxe7 42. Rg6 Nf7 43. h6 Ra6 0-1

[Event "Game 5: USSR Ch., Vilnius"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balashov, Y."]
[Black "Kuzmin, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E91"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{White plays an early e4-e5, accomplishing nothing.} 1. Nf3 ({We would reach
this the game position with the move order} 1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4 g6 4. d5
Nb8 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. e4 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O {.}) 1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 Nc6 7. d5 Nb8 8. h3 Na6 9. Be3 Nc5 10. e5 Nfd7 11. exd6 exd6
12. Bd4 Nf6 {A valid choice;} ({though Black could just as comfortably have
allowed the exchange with} 12... a5) ({or} 12... Re8 {.}) 13. O-O a5 14. Re1
Re8 15. Bf1 Bd7 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. Qd2 Nfe4 18. Nxe4 Nxe4 19. Qe3 Bxd4 20. Qxd4
Nc5 21. Re1 Qf8 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 6: Richmond"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, R."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{White avoids Nxe5.} 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. e4 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. d5 Ne5 5. Nc3 Nxf3+ 6.
Qxf3 g6 7. Bg5 Bg7 8. Bb5+ {White's bishop has no squares so he trades it, but
I appreciate the extra breathing room.} Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 (9... Nxd7 $5) 10.
Qe2 O-O 11. O-O e6 12. Rad1 ({On} 12. Qf3 {, I intend} Ne8 {followed by 13...
c6.}) 12... exd5 13. exd5 $6 ({Instead,} 13. Bxf6 $1 Bxf6 14. Nxd5 {is equal.})
13... Rae8 14. Qf3 Ng4 15. h3 Ne5 16. Qg3 $6 (16. Qe2 {is the lesser evil.})
16... Qf5 $1 {Black is better here, but there are many mistakes in the coming
complications - White's next move really stirs things up.} 17. Nb5 $5 h6 18.
Be3 Qxc2 19. Bd4 $6 (19. Bxa7 $5) 19... a6 $2 (19... Qc4 $1 20. Nxa7 Qxd5) 20.
Rc1 $2 Qe4 21. Rfe1 Qxd5 22. Nxc7 Qxd4 23. Nxe8 Rxe8 24. Kh1 Rd8 25. Rc7 Qb6
26. Re7 $2 Kf8 0-1

[Event "Game 7: Las Vegas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Altounian, L."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{White's alternate plan with g2-g3.} 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d6 3. d5 Ne5 4. Nxe5 dxe5
5. c4 e6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. g3 exd5 8. cxd5 Bc5 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 {White has
managed to keep his space plus without committing his e-pawn, which leaves me
in some doubt as to the best squares for my pieces. My last is intended to
provoke White to weaken his king position, a plan which I continue throughout
the game.} 11. Qb3 Bb6 12. h3 Bf5 13. Kh2 h6 14. Qc4 $6 {This only helps me
find the right plan. After this game, the knight transfer became the standard
way for me to combat this whole variation with 3 d5.} ({The alternative try} 
14. a4 {would at least have given me a little problem to deal with.}) 14... Ne8
$1 15. Na4 Nd6 16. Qb3 Be4 {White is intending to grab the bishop pair, so I
already start working to relieve him of it. It is awkward for him to avoid the
trade.} 17. f3 Bf5 18. Bd2 Bd7 19. Nxb6 axb6 20. Bb4 Re8 21. e4 {Levon
mentioned to me after the game that he played this to stop 21...Nf5, oddly
overlooking the alternate route.} Nb5 22. Bc3 c5 23. dxc6 bxc6 24. Rfd1 Qc7 $6
({By now I am actually better if I just play the simple moves} 24... c5 {and
25...Nd4.}) 25. Bf1 Be6 26. Bc4 Bxc4 27. Qxc4 Nxc3 28. Qxc3 Red8 29. a3 Rd6 30.
Rac1 Rad8 31. Rxd6 Qxd6 32. Rc2 Qd1 33. Rf2 Rd3 34. Qxc6 Qe1 35. Qc2 Rd1 ({
After} 35... Rd1 36. Qc8+ Kh7 37. Qf5+ g6 38. Qxf7+ {the result is a draw by
perpetual check.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 8: New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bonin, J."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Don't play 5...e6??} 1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d5 Ne5 4. Nxe5 dxe5 5. e4 e6 $4 (
5... Nf6 $1) 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. dxe6 $3 {Whatever you do, don't let this happen to
you!} Bxb5 8. Qh5 $1 Bb4+ $5 {Following the disaster on move 5, this is the
best chance in a terrible position.} 9. Nc3 $6 Qd4 $2 ({Much better is} 9...
Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qf6 {, when the continuation} 11. exf7+ Kf8 12. fxg8=Q+ Kxg8 {
is not so terrible for Black.}) 10. Qxf7+ Kd8 11. Bd2 Bxc3 12. O-O-O $1 {Ow!}
Bxb2+ 13. Kb1 Ne7 14. Be3 Bc3 15. Qxg7 Rg8 16. Qxe5 {. The carnage is
unspeakable.} 1-0

[Event "Game 9: Hampton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Keskar, H."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "179"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Equal plus symmetrical equals win - fight the good fight.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6
3. d5 Ne5 4. Nxe5 dxe5 5. e4 Nf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. dxe6 $6 {Obviously White can
forget about an advantage after this - the question is, how do I beat my
lower-rated opponent from this nearly symmetrical position? The fact is, if I
play at all dynamically and keep my eyes open, there will be opportunities to
create imbalances. One way to start is to delay castling.} Bxe6 8. O-O Bc5 9.
Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Qe7 11. a3 Rd8 $6 (11... O-O-O) 12. Nd2 g5 13. Bg3 Bg4 14. Qe1
Nh5 15. Be2 Nxg3 16. hxg3 Be6 17. Nf3 f6 18. Rd1 h5 {Black is nowhere near
winning, but White certainly has a lot to worry about with ...h5-h4 and (after
g3xh4) ...g5-g4-g3 coming.} 19. Rxd8+ Qxd8 $6 (19... Kxd8 $1) 20. Qc3 Qe7 21.
Bc4 Bc8 22. b4 Bb6 23. a4 a6 24. a5 Ba7 25. b5 $6 axb5 26. Bxb5+ c6 $6 (26...
Kf8 $1) 27. a6 $1 {I had overlooked this.} Qc5 28. Qxc5 $6 (28. axb7 $1 Bxb7
29. Bc4) 28... Bxc5 29. axb7 Bxb7 30. Ba4 Kd7 31. Rd1+ Kc7 32. Bb3 Bc8 {In
spite of all the trades, this renews Black's kingside threats.} 33. Bf7 $6 h4
34. Kf1 hxg3 35. fxg3 Bg4 36. Bb3 Kb6 37. Rd2 Bb4 $6 ({It is best for Black to
cash out with} 37... Rh1+ 38. Ke2 Rg1 39. Kd3 Bxf3 40. gxf3 Rxg3 {. Instead, I
kept trying to squeeze out a clear win with no risk, but I have underestimated
White's ability to generate counterplay.}) 38. Rd1 Bc5 39. Rd2 Be3 $2 40. Rd6
$1 {Somehow I overlooked this. Suddenly Black has no advantage at all.} f5 $1
41. exf5 e4 42. Rxc6+ $1 Kxc6 43. Ne5+ Kc5 44. Nxg4 Bd4 45. f6 {My opponent
reasonably offered a draw here. I turned over my scoresheet and wrote the
numbers 51 through 100 on the back.} Bxf6 46. Nxf6 Rf8 47. Ke2 Rxf6 48. Ke3 Kd6
49. Kxe4 Rf2 50. Ke3 Rf1 ({If} 50... Rxg2 51. Kf3 Rg1 52. Kg4 {and 53 Kxg5
draws.}) 51. Ke2 Rf8 52. Ke3 Ke5 53. Bc4 Rd8 {Somehow I will need to win one
of the g-pawns and then generate zugzwang and/or mating threats. I wasn't sure
how, but I kept on playing. To make the draw easier on himself, White needs to
be alert for the chance to push the c-pawn, though he is understandably
reluctant to loosen his bishop.} 54. Bd3 Rd4 55. Kf3 Ra4 56. Ke3 Rd4 57. Kf3
Kd5 58. Ke3 Kc5 59. Kf3 Kb4 60. Ke3 Kc3 61. Ke2 Ra4 62. Ke3 Kb2 63. Kf3 Kc1 64.
Ke2 Rb4 65. Bf5 Ra4 66. Bd3 Rd4 67. Ke3 Rd5 68. Kf3 Rd4 69. Ke3 Rb4 70. Ke2 Ra4
71. Bf5 Ra5 72. Bd3 g4 $5 {It was important to try everything before playing
this committal move, which presents slightly different challenges to White.}
73. Ke3 Ra4 74. Be4 (74. c4 $1) 74... Kd1 75. Kf4 $6 Ke2 76. Kf5 Kf2 77. Kf4
Rc4 78. Ke5 Ke3 79. Bd3 Ra4 80. Kf5 Kf2 81. Be4 Kxg3 82. Ke5 Kf2 83. Bd5 Ke3
84. c4 Ra5 85. Kf5 g3 86. Kg4 Kf2 87. Kf4 Rc5 88. Ke5 Ke3 89. Kf5 Rc8 90. Ke5 {
. Unfortunately, the time situation demanded that I stop notating here. In
addition to zugzwang and mating threats, there is now a third winning
possibility, which is somehow to drive the white king to d8 (or thereabouts),
sacrifice the rook on d5, and win the resulting king and pawn endgame. This is,
in fact, how I won, somewhere around move 120-130. Naturally, White could have
held the position with correct play, but this is hardly relevant from a
practical standpoint.} 0-1

[Event "Game 10: Pawtucket"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Haessel, D."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Winning the draw.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d5 Ne5 4. e4 Nf6 {I am planning 5...
Nxf3+, but first I want White to figure out how to defend his e-pawn.} 5. Nxe5
dxe5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Qd3 a6 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. Nc3 e6 10. Bg5 Bb4 11. O-O-O O-O-O
12. f3 Qe7 13. Qc4 h6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. g4 {The position has been equal since
move 9, and now I am faced with the problem of generating some winning chances
against my somewhat lower-rated opponent. Somewhere in my chess education I
learned that Q+N work better together than Q+B, while R+B co-ordinate better
than R+N. It is time to arrange the ideal exchange - which, fortunately, is
not too difficult.} Qc5 $1 16. Qxc5 Bxc5 17. Rd3 h5 {My half-open files will
not suffice for this position.} 18. h3 Rh7 19. Rf1 Rdh8 20. Nd1 Bd6 {My idea
is to block the d-file and cross my king over to the e7-square - a small
improvement to my position. My opponent is sufficiently worried about this to
weaken his dark squares in order to stop it.} 21. c4 $6 Be7 {I can't explain
this move, but the tempo is not important.} 22. Kc2 hxg4 23. hxg4 Rh2+ 24. Rd2
Bc5 25. Nc3 Bd4 26. Rfd1 Be3 {As the game develops, I am starting to
understand better why the bishop and rooks work well together - one reason is
that the bishop disrupts the co-ordination of the enemy rooks.} 27. Re2 R8h3
28. Rxh2 Rxh2+ 29. Kb3 Rf2 30. Rd3 Bd4 31. a4 Kd7 32. a5 Kd6 33. Na4 Ke7 34.
Ka3 Rc2 35. Kb3 Rf2 36. Ka3 f5 $5 {In spite of my hard work, Black is still
nowhere close to winning. This is as good a try as any.} 37. gxf5 exf5 38. Rb3
fxe4 39. fxe4 f5 40. Rxb7 fxe4 41. Rxc7+ Ke8 42. c5 $4 ({Oddly, White can hold
with the "grovelling" manoeuvre} 42. Rh7 $1 e3 43. Rh1 Rd2 (43... e2 44. Re1)
44. Nc3 {. Fortunately for me, my opponent could not bring himself to consider
this defence seriously.}) 42... e3 43. d6 e2 44. Nb6 e1=Q 45. d7+ Ke7 0-1

[Event "Game 11: Croatian Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rasic, D."]
[Black "Mestrovic, Z."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "124"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Mestrovic tries 7...g6!? and wins!} 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d5 Ne5 5.
Nxe5 dxe5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Qe2 g6 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. Nd2 $6 (9. c4 {and 10 Nc3 is
simpler and stronger.}) 9... Bg7 10. Nc4 Nh5 (10... O-O $5 11. Nxe5 Qa4 $1 {
and Black recovers the pawn one way or another.}) 11. g4 $6 Nf4 12. Bxf4 exf4 {
White has kindly released Black's fianchettoed bishop from its prison.} 13.
O-O-O O-O 14. e5 e6 15. d6 cxd6 $6 {Too co-operative, allowing White to land
his knight on the juicy d6-square.} ({Instead,} 15... Qa4 16. Kb1 b5 17. Na3
cxd6 {and Black is better.}) 16. Nxd6 Qa4 17. Kb1 f3 18. Qxf3 Bxe5 19. Rhe1
Bxd6 20. Rxd6 Rac8 21. b3 Qa5 22. Red1 Qc5 23. R1d2 b5 24. h4 a5 25. R6d3 Qe5
26. Re2 $6 Qh2 $1 27. h5 Qg1+ 28. Kb2 a4 29. a3 b4 $6 30. axb4 Ra8 $6 31. Red2
axb3 32. Rd1 {By now White has regained the advantage, but it is still not
simple to play against heavy pieces with poor king protection.} Qh2 33. Rxb3
Qe5+ 34. Qc3 Qg5 35. f3 Rfe8 36. Qd4 $2 (36. b5 $1) 36... Red8 37. Ra3 Rab8 38.
Qe3 Rxb4+ 39. Ka2 Qf6 40. Rxd8+ Qxd8 41. h6 Qd5+ 42. Rb3 Ra4+ 43. Kb2 Ra8 44.
Qf4 e5 45. Qb4 Qd8 46. Qc5 Qd1 47. Qa7 Rc8 48. Rc3 Rf8 49. Rd3 Qe1 50. Qe3 Qa5
51. Ra3 Rb8+ 52. Kc1 Qc7 53. Qc3 Qe7 54. Qe3 Qh4 55. Rb3 Rc8 56. Kb2 Qf6 57.
Rb6 Qe7 58. Qb3 e4 59. f4 $2 {After a long defence, White cracks.} Qc7 60. Rb7
Qxf4 61. Qd5 $2 e3 62. Ra7 $2 Qf6+ 0-1

[Event "Game 12: Slovenian Ch., Krsko"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Barle, J."]
[Black "Mestrovic, Z."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Mestrovic wins again with 7...g6!?.} 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. d4 d6 3. e4 Nf6 4. d5 Ne5
5. Nxe5 dxe5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Qe2 g6 8. O-O Bg7 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 10. c4 O-O 11. Nc3
Nh5 12. g3 c5 13. dxc6 Qxc6 14. Be3 e6 15. b4 f5 {White is still better.
Black's kingside pawn majority is not as dangerous as it looks. Mestrovic soon
drifts into a bad position without making any obvious mistakes, which is why
I'm not crazy about this variation.} 16. b5 Qe8 17. Bc5 Rf7 18. f3 b6 19. Bd6
Rd7 20. Rad1 Rc8 21. c5 bxc5 22. Qc4 Nf6 23. Bxe5 Rcd8 24. Rxd7 Nxd7 25. Bxg7
Kxg7 26. f4 $6 (26. Ne2 $1 {is stronger, intending 27 Nf4.}) 26... Qe7 27. exf5
exf5 28. Nd5 Qe6 29. Qc3+ Kh6 30. g4 fxg4 31. Qd2 Qe4 32. f5+ g5 33. Re1 Qxf5
34. Ne7 Qf6 35. Qd5 Kh5 36. Nf5 Nf8 37. Qxc5 Qb6 38. Qxb6 axb6 39. Ng7+ Kh6 40.
Nf5+ Kg6 41. Ne7+ Kf6 42. Nc6 Rd2 43. Rf1+ Kg7 44. Ne5 Ng6 45. Rf7+ $2 Kg8 46.
Rf5 $4 Rd1+ ({Not} 46... Rd5 $4 47. Nxg6 Rxf5 48. Ne7+ {and White wins}) ({but
after} 46... Rd1+ 47. Kf2 ({or} 47. Kg2 Nh4+) 47... Rd5 48. Nxg6 Rxf5+ {is
check.}) 0-1

[Event "Game 13: Danish Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pedersen, PB."]
[Black "Bekker Jensen, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Beating the London System.} 1. d4 Nf6 ({We would reach this by} 1... Nc6 2.
Nf3 d6 3. Bf4 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. h3 O-O 7. c3 Nd7 8. O-O e5 {.}) 2. Nf3
g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 O-O 5. Be2 d6 6. h3 Nfd7 7. O-O Nc6 8. c3 e5 9. Bh2 f5 10.
dxe5 dxe5 11. Na3 g5 12. Nc4 Qf6 13. b4 f4 {Houdini completely hates Black's
position, but an aggressive stance on the kingside often reaps benefits. It is
very difficult for White to solve the problem of liberating his entombed
h2-bishop while at the same time keeping his king safe.} 14. Nfd2 Nb6 15. Na5
Qg6 16. e4 Rd8 {By now even Mr. H understands that White is not better.} 17.
Qc2 Nxa5 18. bxa5 Nd7 19. Rad1 Re8 20. Qa4 Kh8 21. f3 h5 22. Nb3 Nf6 23. a6 g4
24. hxg4 $2 hxg4 25. axb7 $2 g3 $3 26. bxc8=Q Raxc8 27. Bxg3 fxg3 28. Qxa7 Qh6
29. Rfe1 Ra8 30. Qc5 Bf8 0-1

[Event "Game 14: Corsica (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Valenti, R."]
[Black "Tkachiev, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Beating the London System again.} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 d6 5.
h3 O-O 6. Be2 Nc6 7. O-O Nd7 $6 (7... e5 $1) 8. Bh2 e5 9. c3 Qe7 10. a4 f5 11.
Na3 Kh8 12. b4 e4 {Black decides he will be able to get ...f5-f4 in later -
this is slightly optimistic, but it pays off.} 13. Nd2 g5 14. Qc2 Nf6 15. b5
Nd8 16. c4 Ne6 (16... f4 $5) 17. Rfc1 f4 18. Rab1 Qe8 19. Nxe4 $4 fxe3 20. Nxf6
exf2+ 21. Kh1 Bxf6 22. Qe4 Nxd4 0-1

[Event "Game 15: Natanya (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Golod, V."]
[Black "Sutovsky, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Losing to the London System.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 d6 5. Be2
O-O 6. h3 Nc6 7. O-O Nd7 $6 8. c3 e5 9. Bh2 f5 10. a4 Qe7 11. b4 e4 $6 {
Opening up the game for White's dark-squared bishop. This is clearly bad since
Black has little chance of achieving ...f5-f4 to close the diagonal again.} 12.
Nfd2 Nd8 13. a5 a6 14. c4 $1 c5 $2 {This stops White's planned 15 c5!, but it
weakens too many squares, most especially d5 and d6.} 15. Nc3 cxd4 16. Nd5 Qf7
17. exd4 Ne6 18. Bxd6 Nxd4 19. Bxf8 Nxf8 20. Nb3 $5 {Giving back the exchange
is not necessary, but it does help to clarify the position.} Nxb3 21. Qxb3 Bxa1
22. Rxa1 Be6 23. Rd1 Rd8 24. Qc3 Bxd5 25. Rxd5 Rxd5 $2 {This gives White's
queen easy access, though Black's position was lousy anyway.} 26. cxd5 Qg7 27.
Qc5 Qe5 28. Bc4 Qa1+ 29. Kh2 Qe5+ 30. g3 Kg7 31. Qb6 Kh6 32. Qd8 $2 Kg7 $4 ({
My computer kindly tells me that Black can save the game with} 32... Nd7 $3 33.
Qxd7 Qd4 {. The text move is hopeless.}) 33. d6 Qb2 34. Qe7+ Kh6 35. Qxf8+ Kh5
36. Bf1 e3 37. d7 e2 38. Bg2 1-0

[Event "Game 16: Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1927.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kmoch, H."]
[Black "Yates, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E62"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "1927.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{How to fight in the critical lines of the 1 d4 Dark Knight System.} 1. d4 Nf6
(1... Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. g3 g6 4. d5 Nb8 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O Nf6 7. c4 O-O {is one
of many similar move orders to the game position.}) 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3
O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. d5 Nb8 ({Here} 7... Na5 $5 {is recommended by
theory, and is objectively best, though Yates makes a good case for the text
move - and note that we would normally not have this option, reaching the game
position by 1 d4 Nc6 (see above).}) 8. Nc3 a5 $1 9. Nd4 Na6 10. h3 {White
prevents 10...Ng4 but, as I am so fond of saying, a tempo is a tempo. This
also necessitates a later Kh2.} Nc5 11. Be3 Bd7 12. Qd2 Qc8 13. Kh2 e5 14. Ndb5
({White should have preferred} 14. dxe6 {, though Black is fine after} Nxe6 ({
or even} 14... Bxe6 15. Nxe6 Qxe6 16. Bxc5 dxc5 17. Bxb7 Rad8 18. Qf4 Qb6 19.
Bf3 Qxb2 {, when Black's strong bishop and activity make up for the crippled
queenside.})) 14... b6 15. Rac1 Nh5 16. b3 f5 {Yates's play has a very modern
feel to it, but his next move is too optimistic.} 17. f4 g5 $6 18. Bxc5 $6 ({
After} 18. fxg5 f4 19. Bf2 fxg3+ 20. Bxg3 Nxg3 21. Kxg3 {White at least has a
pawn for his trouble.}) 18... gxf4 $2 {Yates bluffs again with this fake (and
unnecessary) zwischenzug. However, the rest of the game he conducts
masterfully.} 19. gxf4 $2 bxc5 20. e3 Kh8 21. Bf3 Nf6 22. Rg1 Qd8 23. Rg3 Bh6
24. Rf1 Be8 25. Ne2 Bg6 26. Rgg1 Qe7 27. Nbc3 Rg8 28. Ng3 Raf8 29. Bd1 Rg7 30.
Rg2 Rfg8 31. Rff2 Nd7 32. Nce2 Qh4 33. Ng1 $6 exf4 34. exf4 Nf6 35. Kh1 Re7 36.
Rf1 Rge8 37. N1e2 $2 {The losing mistake, though White was about waist-deep in
it anyway.} Ng4 38. Rf3 Qxh3+ 39. Kg1 Bg7 40. Rd3 Re3 41. Rxe3 Rxe3 42. Bc2
Rxg3 $1 43. Nxg3 Bd4+ 44. Kf1 Ne3+ 0-1

[Event "Game 17: Koszalin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Galliamova, A."]
[Black "Krasenkow, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{5...Na5!? - a strong alternative to 5...Nb8.} 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4.
Bg2 Nc6 5. d5 Na5 {It is possible to consider this square any time White has
fianchettoed, though it is more usual with a white pawn on c4 to harass. As it
turns out, White does not enjoy the omission of c2-c4, as the d5-pawn becomes
a target. In any case, Black must be active quickly on the queenside to
justify the knight's position. The typical method is ...c7-c5 to gain space
and make sure the knight doesn't get trapped - in this game Black has other
ideas.} 6. O-O c6 7. e4 Nf6 8. Qe2 cxd5 9. exd5 Bd7 10. Nfd2 b5 11. b4 Nc4 12.
Nxc4 bxc4 13. Qxc4 Rc8 14. Qe2 $6 ({It was already dangerous to win the pawn,
and now White chooses the wrong retreat:} 14. Qb3 Nxd5 $6 15. Bxd5 Bxa1 16.
Bxf7+ Kf8 17. c3 {is good for White.}) 14... Nxd5 15. Bxd5 Bxa1 16. c3 O-O 17.
Bg5 Bc6 $6 (17... Bf5 $1) 18. Bxc6 Rxc6 19. Bxe7 Re8 20. Qf3 Qd7 21. Bf6 Ra6
22. Nd2 Rxa2 23. Qf4 Qf5 24. Qxd6 Bb2 $6 ({Black should make space for his
king with} 24... h6) ({or} 24... h5 {.}) 25. Nb3 $2 ({White would be right
back in the game after} 25. Bd4 {.}) 25... Qe6 26. Qxe6 Rxe6 27. Bd4 Ra3 28.
Na5 $2 (28. Nd2 {was a better try, intending} Bxc3 $2 29. Nb1 {.}) 28... Bxc3
29. Nc4 Ra1 $1 30. Bxc3 Rxf1+ 31. Kxf1 Rc6 32. Bd4 Rxc4 33. Bxa7 Rxb4 34. h4
Kg7 35. Kg2 Kf6 36. Be3 Ke5 37. Kf3 h5 38. Kg2 Ke4 39. Bc5 Rb5 40. Be3 Kd3 41.
Bf4 Ke2 42. Be3 Rb3 43. Bc5 Rf3 44. Bd4 f5 45. Kg1 Rd3 0-1

[Event "Game 18: Kajaran"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aghasaryan, R."]
[Black "Chibukhchian, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Black, given plenty of rope, tries to hang himself but fails.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4
e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. e3 {White's unambitious play has already left him with no
trace of an advantage. Frankly, the rest of the game sees Black try too hard
to win, for which he was unjustly rewarded.} Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. Be2
c6 8. Nf3 d6 9. O-O Re8 10. Qb3 Ba5 11. Rad1 Bc7 12. Nd4 Qe7 13. h3 Ng6 14.
Rfe1 Nh4 15. g3 Ng6 16. Bf1 h5 17. f4 $6 h4 $6 (17... Bb6 18. Na4 Ne4 $1) 18.
g4 Bb6 19. Na4 Bc7 $6 20. e4 Nxe4 $6 21. Bg2 $6 (21. Nc3 $1 {was stronger,
with the idea} Qf6 22. Nxe4 $1 Qxd4+ 23. Be3 $1 Qxe4 24. Bf2 {.}) 21... d5 $2 (
21... Qf6 $1) 22. cxd5 Qf6 23. g5 Qxd4+ 24. Be3 Qxd1 25. Qxd1 cxd5 26. f5 $2 (
26. Qxd5) 26... Bxf5 27. Qxd5 Nd6 28. Rc1 $2 Rxe3 29. Rxc7 Rd3 30. Qc5 $6 Nf4
$1 31. Bf1 $2 Rd1 32. Nc3 Nxh3+ 33. Kg2 Rd2+ 34. Kh1 Ne4 0-1

[Event "Game 19: Mar del Plata"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hoffman, A."]
[Black "Fernandez, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Crushed on the d-file - don't let this happen to you!} 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3.
d5 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 Nce7 6. d6 Nc6 $2 {Circumstances may change, but
right now the best square for this knight is e7, from which it controls d5 and
has the option to attack d6 with ...Nf5. Black should only consider ...Nc6
after White has played e2-e4, clamping on d5 but opening a hole on the
d4-square. Even after the correct 6...cxd6, Black can still be crushed in this
fashion if he is not alert to all the methods of counterplay, so study
Position Two. In this game, Black never got on the board.} 7. Nc3 cxd6 8. Nb5
Nf6 9. Nxd6+ Kf8 10. Nf3 h6 11. e3 e4 12. Nd4 Qa5 13. Qxa5 Nxa5 14. N4b5 b6 15.
Be2 Ke7 16. O-O-O Nb7 17. Rd4 Nc5 18. Nc3 Ne6 19. Rd2 a5 20. Rhd1 Nc5 21. Nd5+
Nxd5 22. Rxd5 g6 23. Nxe4 Nxe4 24. Re5+ Kd8 25. Rxe4 Re8 26. Red4 Re6 27. Bf3
Ra7 28. h4 h5 29. Rf4 Ke7 30. Bd5 Rf6 31. Rxf6 Kxf6 32. Rd4 d6 33. Kd2 Ke7 34.
Kc3 Rc7 35. a4 Be6 36. Rd2 Rc5 37. b3 Kd7 38. f3 Rc7 39. e4 Rc8 40. e5 Bxd5 41.
Rxd5 Re8 42. Rxd6+ Kc7 43. Kd4 Rg8 44. f4 Re8 45. Kd5 Re7 46. Rc6+ Kb7 47. e6
1-0

[Event "Game 20: Dresden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Titz, H."]
[Black "Barlocco, C."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "150"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Middlegame and endgame ideas in the 3...Bb4+ structure.} 1. c4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3.
d5 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 Nce7 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4 f5 8. exf5 Bxf5 9. Bd3 Nf6
10. Nge2 O-O 11. O-O Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nh5 13. g3 Qd7 14. f3 a6 15. Rad1 Rae8 16.
Ne4 h6 17. c5 Nf6 18. N2c3 Nf5 19. b4 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 g5 21. Kg2 Nd4 {This is
the position where we left off when analysing in the theoretical section.} 22.
cxd6 cxd6 23. Rc1 Rf7 24. Nd2 Kg7 25. Nb3 Nxb3 26. axb3 Qf5 27. Qxf5 Rxf5 28.
Rc7+ Rf7 29. Rxf7+ Kxf7 30. Rc1 Re7 31. Kf2 e4 32. f4 gxf4 33. gxf4 e3+ 34. Ke2
Kf6 35. Rc3 Re4 36. Rxe3 Kf5 37. Kd3 Rxb4 38. Kc3 Rxf4 39. Re6 Rh4 40. Rxd6 Ke5
41. Rd7 b5 42. d6 b4+ 43. Kd3 Kd5 44. Ra7 Rh3+ 45. Kc2 Rxh2+ 46. Kd3 Rh3+ 47.
Kd2 Kxd6 48. Rxa6+ Kd5 49. Rb6 $2 Kc5 (49... Rxb3 {(or on the next move)} 50.
Rxh6 Rc3 {reaches the winning endgame rather sooner.}) 50. Rf6 Rh4 $2 51. Ke3
Kd5 52. Rf5+ Ke6 53. Rb5 Kd7 54. Rb6 h5 55. Kd3 Rg4 56. Rh6 h4 57. Ke3 Ke7 58.
Kf3 Rg3+ 59. Kf4 Rxb3 60. Rxh4 Kd6 61. Rh5 Kc6 62. Ke4 Rc3 63. Kd4 Kb6 64. Rg5
Ka6 65. Rh5 Rc1 66. Rh8 Kb5 67. Kd3 Ka4 68. Kd2 Rc7 69. Rh3 b3 70. Rh6 Ka3 71.
Rb6 Kb2 72. Kd3 Rd7+ 73. Kc4 Kc2 74. Kb4 b2 75. Rc6+ Kd2 0-1

[Event "Game 21: Antwerp"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gurevich, M."]
[Black "Zoler, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{A warning: beware the static king - a nice attack by White.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4
e5 3. d5 Bb4+ 4. Nd2 Nce7 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Bxd2 d6 7. e4 f5 8. Qh5+ $5 Kf8 $6 (
8... g6 9. Qh4 fxe4 {is not the most fun ever, but it does leave Black with a
pawn for his trouble. The text move is less accurate and demands more
precision from Black in the coming moves in order to avoid a disaster like the
one in the game.}) 9. f3 (9. exf5 $1) 9... Nf6 10. Qh4 Ng6 11. Qf2 Kf7 $6 (
11... fxe4 12. fxe4 Kf7 {will allow Black to finish castling artificially with
approximate equality.}) 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. g4 Bd7 14. h4 Re8 15. h5 Nf4 16.
O-O-O Ba4 17. Re1 b5 18. Nh3 Nxh3 19. Rxh3 Qd7 20. Rh4 bxc4 21. g5 Nxd5 22.
Bxc4 Qc6 23. Kb1 Bb5 24. Ba2 Kf8 25. f4 e4 $2 {Black's position has been bad
for a long time, but this ends the game.} 26. Qd4 Bd3+ 27. Ka1 e3 28. h6 Re5
29. hxg7+ Ke7 30. fxe5 exd2 31. exd6+ Kxd6 32. Rh6+ Bg6 33. Qxd2 1-0

[Event "Game 22: San Marino"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Arlandi, E."]
[Black "Lanzani, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{No problems for Black after 3...Bb4+ 4 Bd2.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Bb4+ 4.
Nd2 Nce7 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Bxd2 d6 7. e4 f5 8. exf5 Bxf5 9. Ne2 Nf6 10. Ng3 Bg6
11. Be2 O-O 12. O-O Ne4 (12... Nf5) 13. Nxe4 Bxe4 14. f3 Bf5 15. Be3 b6 16. Qd2
Qd7 17. Rac1 Kh8 18. Rfd1 a5 19. b3 h6 20. Qb2 Bh7 21. Kh1 Ng6 22. Bf1 Nf4 23.
g3 Nh3 24. Bg2 Ng5 25. Rf1 e4 26. Bxg5 exf3 27. Rxf3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 23: Creon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grigore, G."]
[Black "Brochet, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "105"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Fight for the e4-square or suffer the consequences!} 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5
Bb4+ 4. Nd2 Nce7 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Bxd2 d6 7. e4 f5 8. exf5 Bxf5 9. Ne2 Nf6 10.
Ng3 O-O $5 11. Be2 ({Black offers his other bishop, an invitation White is
wise not to accept:} 11. Nxf5 $6 Nxf5 12. Bd3 e4 13. Bc2 Qe8 14. O-O Qg6 {and
15...Rae8 with a harmonious and menacing position. Who's afraid of the bishop
pair?}) 11... Qe8 (11... Qd7) 12. O-O Ne4 (12... Bg6) 13. Be3 Nxg3 (13... Qg6)
14. hxg3 b6 {Although this was also played in Game 22, I don't think it helps
Black. If he wants to, White can break through with b2-b4 and c4-c5 anyway,
and now Black has to worry about penetration on both the c7- and c6-squares.
Furthermore, it rules out the possibility of Black breaking with ...c7-c6.} (
14... Bd7 {is more flexible.}) 15. g4 Bd7 16. Bd3 {Taking advantage of tiny
inaccuracies, White has built an advantage, taking over the b1-h7 diagonal,
along with the critical e4-square. It's not so easy playing a Grandmaster.
Remember to fight for e4! As it happens, Black still had plenty of chances.}
Ng6 17. Be4 Nf4 18. g3 Qe7 19. f3 $6 (19. Qc2 $1) 19... Nh3+ 20. Kg2 Ng5 21.
Bxg5 Qxg5 22. Qd3 g6 23. Rh1 a5 24. Rh4 Kg7 $6 (24... Rf7) 25. Rah1 Rh8 26. Qc3
h6 27. b3 $2 (27. f4 $1) 27... Qf6 28. f4 g5 $6 (28... exf4 29. Qxf6+ Kxf6 30.
Rxh6 Rxh6 31. Rxh6 Rg8 {holds the balance.}) 29. fxg5 Qxg5 30. Rh5 $1 Qxg4 31.
Qe3 Kf7 32. R5h4 Qg7 33. Rxh6 Rxh6 34. Rxh6 Rh8 35. Rg6 Qf8 36. Qg5 Ke8 37. Rf6
Qe7 38. Qg6+ $6 (38. Bf5 {maintains more pressure. Presumably the mistakes
here are due to a time scramble.}) 38... Kd8 39. Rf7 Qe8 $4 (39... Be8 $1 {
holds.}) 40. Qf6+ $2 (40. Rxd7+ $1 {wins immediately.}) 40... Kc8 41. Bh7 Qd8
42. Qg7 Re8 43. g4 Bxg4 44. Qxg4+ Kb8 45. Rg7 Rf8 46. Qd7 Qxd7 47. Rxd7 Rf4 48.
Rd8+ Ka7 49. a4 e4 50. Rg8 Rh4 51. Bf5 Rf4 52. Bd7 e3 53. Re8 1-0

[Event "Game 24: Bosnian Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Drasko, M."]
[Black "Mestrovic, Z."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{3...d6!? - an interesting alternative to 3...e6.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. e4 d6
({Previously Mestrovic had successfully played} 3... e6 {, but maybe he no
longer believed in it? The text move winds up leading to a position considered
in Chapter Six (see 6 Nf3 in line B).}) 4. f4 Nd7 5. Nc3 c6 6. Nf3 cxd5 7. exd5
Ngf6 8. Be3 g6 9. Be2 Bg7 10. O-O O-O 11. Qd2 a6 12. a4 Qc7 13. Bd4 Nb6 $6 {
The position was equal, until this time-waster hands White an advantage.} (
13... Nc5 {is better.}) 14. a5 Nbd7 15. Na4 Ne4 16. Qe3 Bxd4 17. Nxd4 Nef6 18.
Nc3 Qc5 19. Rfd1 b5 20. axb6 $6 (20. b4) 20... Nxb6 21. b4 {. Perhaps nobody
was in the mood for a fight - the position is equal again anyway.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 25: Hungarian Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Erdos, V."]
[Black "Rapport, R."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{GM uses Diebl's novelty 4...exd5!.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. e4 e6 4. f4 exd5 5.
fxe5 Qh4+ 6. Ke2 Qh5+ 7. Kd2 Qh6+ 8. Kc3 Qc6+ 9. Kd2 Qh6+ 10. Kd3 Qa6+ 11. Kd2
Qh6+ 12. Ke1 Qh4+ 13. Kd2 {I can't help but get the feeling these guys are
messing around. Black's next constitutes a risky attempt to play for the win.}
Qf4+ 14. Kc3 Qxe5+ 15. Qd4 Bb4+ (15... Qxe4 $5) 16. Kd3 dxe4+ 17. Qxe4 Qxe4+
18. Kxe4 Nf6+ 19. Ke3 Bc5+ 20. Kf3 b5 21. Bd3 $6 ({According to Houdini, White
is better after} 21. Be3 $1 Bb7+ 22. Ke2 Bxe3 23. Kxe3 {, though it hardly
looks like a safe advantage. Then again, the text move doesn't look safe
either, and White clearly has no advantage there.}) 21... Bb7+ 22. Kg3 Bd6+ 23.
Kf2 Ng4+ 24. Kf1 Nxh2+ 25. Kf2 Ng4+ 26. Kf1 Nh2+ 27. Kf2 Ng4+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 26: British Ch., Sheffield"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gordon, S."]
[Black "Short, N."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{An alternative to 4...fxe6!? - the "endgame" with 4...dxe6.} 1. d4 Nc6 {I
must say, this warms my heart.} 2. d5 Ne5 3. e4 e6 4. dxe6 dxe6 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8
6. f4 Nc6 7. c3 Bc5 8. Nf3 a5 9. a4 Nh6 ({In this position,} 9... Nf6 {is also
good. However, it is nice for this knight to have a stable home, controlling
important squares. Short's 10...f6 ensures that he will not be squeezed on the
kingside, as does 14...h5.}) 10. Bd3 f6 11. Ke2 Ke7 12. Na3 Bd7 13. Nc4 Nf7 14.
h4 h5 $1 15. Be3 Bxe3 16. Nxe3 b6 17. Rhg1 g5 18. g3 g4 19. Nd4 Nd6 20. Rac1
Rhc8 21. b3 Ne8 22. Rgf1 Nd8 23. e5 f5 24. Rfd1 Nb7 25. Rd2 Nc5 26. Rcd1 Ng7
27. Nc4 Nxd3 28. Rxd3 Rd8 29. Na3 Ne8 30. Ke3 Rac8 31. R3d2 Rb8 32. Rd3 Rbc8
33. R1d2 Rb8 34. Kf2 Rbc8 35. Ke2 Ra8 36. Ke3 Rab8 37. Ke2 Ra8 38. Kf2 Rac8 39.
Rd1 Rb8 40. R3d2 Rbc8 41. Ke1 Ra8 42. Rd3 Rab8 43. R1d2 Ra8 44. Kd1 Ng7 45. Kc2
Ne8 46. Kb2 Ng7 47. Nc4 Be8 48. Ka3 Rdc8 49. Nb5 Bc6 50. Rd4 Ne8 51. Nbd6 Rd8
52. Nxe8 Rxd4 53. Rxd4 Kxe8 {. Wow, that was boring! Are you sold on 4...fxe6
yet?} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 27: Philadelphia (blitz)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gurevich, M."]
[Black "Rohde, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{A better advertisement for 4...dxe6.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. e4 e6 4. dxe6
dxe6 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Bf4 Ng6 {Although ...Nc6 is normally the best retreat
for this piece, the difference is not so great that Black would decline the
tempo gain.} ({Here} 6... Bd6 $1 {is also good, threatening 7...Nd3+ or 7...Nf3+.}) 7. Be3 Nf6 8. Nc3 $6 {This careless move allows Black to harass
White's poor dark-squared bishop further, disrupting White's development.} (8.
f3 {was called for.}) 8... Ng4 9. Bd2 Bc5 10. Nh3 Bd7 11. Be2 Nf6 12. O-O-O Ke7
13. f4 $6 ({Again} 13. f3 {.}) 13... Bc6 {By now Black is a little better -
White's position is too loose.} 14. Bd3 Nh4 15. e5 $2 {This is a terrible idea,
releasing the strong c6-bishop.} ({White needed to let go of the g-pawn and
seek counterplay against Black's king with} 15. f5 $1 {.}) 15... Nd5 16. Ne4
Be3 17. c4 Bxd2+ 18. Rxd2 Nb4 19. Bb1 Nxa2+ 20. Kd1 Rhd8 21. g3 Nf3 22. Rxd8
Rxd8+ 23. Ke2 Nd4+ 24. Kf2 Nb4 25. Rc1 $6 Nb3 26. Rc3 Nd2 27. Nxd2 Rxd2+ 28.
Ke3 Rxb2 29. Bxh7 Rxh2 30. Ng5 Rg2 31. Ne4 a6 32. Kd4 b6 33. Ng5 Nc2+ 34. Kd3
Ne1+ 35. Kd4 a5 36. Bg8 a4 37. Bxf7 Bd7 38. c5 0-1

[Event "Game 28: Ukrainian Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Onischuk, A."]
[Black "Shkuro, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Don't play 6...Bc5?!?!.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. f4 Ng6 4. Nf3 e6 5. dxe6 fxe6
6. e4 Bc5 $6 (6... d5 $1) 7. Bd3 $6 Nh6 8. Qe2 O-O 9. g3 a6 $6 (9... d5 $1) 10.
Nc3 b5 11. e5 Bb7 12. Ne4 Bb6 13. Bd2 Nf5 14. O-O-O h6 $6 15. Rhf1 c5 $6 {
Black gets tired of sitting around waiting for the brutality, but this only
makes things worse due to the new hole on d6.} 16. Nd6 Bd5 17. c4 $2 ({White
should play} 17. Bxf5 $1 {, maintaining the wonderful d6-knight.}) 17... bxc4
18. Nxc4 Nfe7 $6 (18... Rb8) 19. h4 Nf5 20. Rg1 Nge7 21. g4 Nd4 22. Nxd4 cxd4
23. Rgf1 Rb8 24. Kb1 Bc5 25. f5 Nc6 26. g5 exf5 27. gxh6 Qxh4 28. hxg7 Rf7 29.
Nd6 Bxd6 30. exd6 Be4 31. Rf4 Bxd3+ 32. Qxd3 Qf6 $2 33. Rh1 Rxg7 34. Rxf5 Qe6
35. Qh3 {. In spite of the inaccuracies, there is feeling of inevitability
about the result of this game due to White's uncontested superiority in the
centre and on the kingside.} 1-0

[Event "Game 29: European Ch., Saint Vincent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beliavsky, A."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{4 Be3 f5!? - take one.} 1. d4 Nc6 2. e4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Be3 f5 5. f3 {White
resigns himself to allowing Black a good King's Indian with an early and easy ...f7-f5.} ({Instead, if} 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nf3 d6 7. exf5 c6 {, White's centre
disintegrates. (In fact, White can still play for an advantage, but it is easy
to see why this was not appealing.)} (7... a6 $5)) 5... Nf6 6. Nh3 d6 7. Nf2 c6
({The great Beliavsky has not succeeded in casting any doubt on Black's idea.
Now Miles should just get on with his comfortable King's Indian:} 7... g6 {.
The c-pawn can wait.}) 8. c4 c5 9. g3 g6 10. Nc3 Bg7 11. g4 f4 12. Bd2 g5 13.
b4 b6 14. bxc5 bxc5 15. Bd3 $6 {Doubtful.} (15. h4 {looks more to the point.})
15... h5 $1 16. h3 Kf7 17. Ke2 Ng6 18. Qa4 Bf8 19. Rab1 Be7 20. Bc2 hxg4 $6 {
I suppose it's a draw either way, but there is no disadvantage to maintaining
the favourable tension. After this, I'm not sure who's playing for the win, or
why.} 21. hxg4 Rxh1 22. Rxh1 Bd7 23. Qa3 Rb8 24. Nb1 Qb6 25. Bc3 Rh8 26. Rg1
Bc8 27. Nd2 Qa6 28. Qxa6 Bxa6 29. Rb1 Bd8 30. Ba4 Bc7 31. Bb5 Bc8 32. Nf1 Ke7
33. Bc6 Nh4 34. Nd2 Ng2 35. Bb7 Bd7 36. Ba6 Bb6 37. Nf1 Nh4 38. Be1 Ng2 39. Bd2
Nh4 40. Bb5 Bc8 41. Be1 Ng2 42. Bd2 Nh4 43. Rb3 Kd8 44. Bc6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 30: Seville"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Campora, D."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{4 Be3 f5!? - take two.} 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Be3 f5 5. f3 Nf6 6.
Nc3 d6 7. Qd2 g6 8. O-O-O Bg7 9. h3 $6 f4 10. Bf2 {The pawn structure on the
kingside makes it impossible for White to open lines there without creating a
complex of weak squares and pawns. Black does have ways to create play on the
queenside, as we will see.} O-O 11. Kb1 a6 12. Nge2 Bd7 13. Nc1 b5 14. a3 Qb8
15. Nb3 Rd8 16. Na5 c5 17. dxc6 Nxc6 18. Nxc6 Bxc6 19. Bh4 Rd7 20. Bxf6 Bxf6
21. Nd5 Bh4 22. Nb4 Bb7 23. c4 {White tries to free his terrible f1-bishop,
but in the process opens lines against his own king.} Kg7 24. Bd3 $6 a5 25. Na2
$6 (25. Nd5) 25... b4 $1 26. axb4 axb4 27. Qxb4 $6 Bf2 $6 {Black's "bad"
bishop turns into a monster.} ({Nevertheless, Black should insert} 27... Qa7
28. Nc3 Bc6 29. Qb3 {and then} Bf2 {perhaps, though Black has other good ways
to continue the attack here.}) 28. Nc3 Bd4 29. Kc2 Qc8 30. Nb5 Bc5 31. Qb3 Ba6
32. Ra1 Be3 33. Rhd1 {White has actually done an excellent job repairing his
position and Black should no longer be able to break down the fortress.} Rb7
34. Nxd6 $4 {Oops!} Rxb3 ({White realizes too late that} 34... Rxb3 35. Nxc8 {
will be met by} Rab8 $1 {intending} 36. Rxa6 Rxb2+ 37. Kc3 R8b3# {. Of course
White can defend the mate, but then he will remain a piece down.}) 0-1

[Event "Game 31: Evpatoria"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kravtsiv, M."]
[Black "Tarlev, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C44"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Fighting the eternal Ng5.} 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Nf6 $2 {
Perhaps this is a database error?} 5. Nc3 $2 ({In any case, the reader should
know that this is not an acceptable move order:} 5. Nxe5 Nxe4 6. Qe2 Nd6 ({not
} 6... Nf6 $2 7. d6 $1 cxd6 8. Nc4 Qc7 9. Bf4 {and Black is busted}) 7. Nc3 {
already leaves Black with no good way to complete his development.}) 5... Ng6
6. h4 h5 7. Ng5 $5 Bb4 8. Be2 d6 9. Qd3 Bd7 10. a3 Bxc3+ ({As I mentioned in
the theoretical section, it is better to retain this strong bishop with} 10...
Bc5 {. This is particularly true since Black will not inflict any structural
damage with the exchange. White's queenside stays mobile and his bishops
should come into their own sooner or later. Frankly, from this point on, I do
not care for Black's position until the game is nearly over.}) 11. Qxc3 c6 12.
Qb3 $6 ({It makes more sense for White to open the game with} 12. dxc6 {.})
12... cxd5 13. exd5 O-O $6 (13... Qc7) 14. Ne6 $1 fxe6 15. dxe6 Bxe6 16. Qxe6+
Kh8 17. Bg5 Qb6 18. O-O-O Qxf2 19. Bf3 e4 20. Bxf6 Rae8 21. Qd7 $6 (21. Be7 $1)
21... gxf6 22. Bxh5 Re7 23. Qxd6 Qf4+ 24. Qd2 Qxd2+ 25. Rxd2 Nf4 26. Bd1 e3 27.
Rd4 Nxg2 28. Be2 f5 29. Kd1 Ree8 30. Bf3 Rd8 31. Rxd8 Rxd8+ 32. Kc1 Rd2 33. Rg1
Nxh4 34. Bxb7 Rd7 $2 (34... Rh2) 35. Rh1 $6 (35. Ba6) 35... Rxb7 36. Rxh4+ Kg7
37. Kd1 Kf6 38. Ke2 Kg5 39. Rd4 Re7 40. c4 $4 f4 41. Rd1 Rh7 42. Kf3 Rh3+ 43.
Ke4 e2 44. Re1 Re3+ 45. Kd4 Re8 0-1

[Event "Game 32: European Cup, Slough"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Meissner, H."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Ng6 5. h4 h5 6. g3 Bc5 7. Bg5 f6 8. Bd2 d6
9. Nc3 Bd7 ({Or} 9... a6 {- Black must play to preserve the dark-squared
bishop.}) 10. Be2 N6e7 {Miles prepares to defend the h-pawn, which was about
to drop off.} 11. Nh2 g6 12. Qc1 c6 13. Be3 Bxe3 14. Qxe3 Qb6 15. Qxb6 axb6 16.
dxc6 bxc6 17. O-O b5 18. a3 Nc8 19. Rfd1 Nh6 20. Nf1 Ke7 21. Ne3 (21. a4) 21...
Nb6 22. Rac1 Ng4 23. Bxg4 Bxg4 24. Rd3 {Very slowly White is being outplayed.
Miles makes the most out of a small thing - his single, uncompromised pawn
group. White needs to organize a pawn break, but he is showing no inclination
to do so.} Nc4 25. Nxc4 $6 {Now Black has b2 as a target.} ({The immediate} 25.
Rb1 {was better.}) 25... bxc4 26. Re3 Rhb8 27. Rb1 Rb7 28. f3 Be6 29. Nd1 d5 {
Yikes! Black sure has a lot of centre pawns!} 30. Ra1 Kd6 31. Re2 d4 32. Kf2 c5
33. c3 Bd7 34. Rd2 Ke6 35. Ke2 Rab8 36. Ke1 Ba4 37. Ra2 $2 {White grows tired
of the thankless defensive task.} Bb3 38. Ra1 Bxd1 39. Kxd1 Rxb2 40. Rxb2 Rxb2
41. a4 Rg2 42. Ra3 Kd6 43. a5 Kc7 44. a6 Kb8 45. a7+ Ka8 46. Ra6 Rxg3 47. Rxf6
Kxa7 0-1

[Event "Game 33: US Ch., Seattle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Christiansen, L."]
[Black "Benjamin, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Ng6 5. h4 h5 6. Bg5 Nf6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. a3 {
This seems odd. Doesn't White have anything better to do?} ({Indeed} 8. Nd2 {
is better, but one way or another White does need to force our dark bishop off
the board or we will be happy to preserve it with 8...a6.}) 8... Bxc3+ 9. bxc3
c6 $1 {I am always reluctant to change the pawn structure on the queenside
after saddling White with the doubled pawns - after all, the structure is
already favourable, right? There is some logic there, but better players than
me have demonstrated time and time again that Black should be willing to play
on both sides of the board in this type of position, particularly since White
has already made inroads on the kingside. Therefore 9...c6!, the only
convenient pawn lever for either colour. Black targets the centre and prepares
to break the annoying pin on f6.} 10. c4 d6 11. Nd2 Qa5 12. Bd3 Ng4 $1 {
Benjamin reminds his opponent that 5 h4 cuts both ways - the g4-square is
lovely this time of year.} 13. Qe2 ({If} 13. f3 $2 f6 14. fxg4 Bxg4 15. Be2
Bxe2 16. Qxe2 fxg5 17. hxg5 Nf4 18. Qf3 cxd5 19. exd5 O-O {with an obvious
advantage for Black.}) 13... f6 14. Be3 Nf4 {Houdini doesn't like this, but
Benjamin acquires the gorgeous e5-square for his other knight.} 15. Bxf4 exf4
16. O-O c5 17. Nf3 Ne5 18. Rfb1 Qc3 19. Nxe5 Qxe5 20. a4 g5 {White is in
trouble. Even the coming endgame gives little relief.} 21. hxg5 fxg5 22. Ra3 g4
23. Qd2 Rh7 24. Qc3 Qxc3 25. Rxc3 Re7 26. g3 f3 27. a5 Kf7 28. Kf1 Rb8 29. Ke1
$6 {Crossing to the queenside with the king loses the e-pawn, though staying
put is no bargain either. Black will bring his king to e5 and prepare to break
with ...h5-h4.} Bf5 30. Kd2 Bxe4 31. Bxe4 Rxe4 32. Re3 Rxe3 33. Kxe3 Kf6 34.
Kf4 Kg6 35. a6 b6 36. c3 Rf8+ 0-1

[Event "Game 34: German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Weisser, W."]
[Black "Trumpp, L."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "134"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Ne5 3. e4 Ng6 4. Nf3 ({I don't believe in this move order
because of} 4. h4 $1 {.}) ({White could force the game variation using the
move order} 4. c4 e5 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Nf3 {.}) 4... e5 5. c4 Bc5 (5... Nf6 {is
more accurate here, and if} 6. Nc3 {then} Bb4 {. In addition to the structural
damage we can inflict, it is not convenient for White to defend the e-pawn.})
6. Be2 Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. O-O a5 $1 9. Ne1 d6 10. Nd3 {This is an odd way to
pursue the bishop - and quite unsuccessful, as White has released the
d4-square.} Bd4 11. Bf3 Nh4 $6 {Setting a trap, which White falls right into;}
({but it is best prepared by} 11... h6 {to prevent 12 Bg5.}) 12. Nb5 $2 Nxf3+
$1 13. Qxf3 $6 Bg4 14. Qg3 Be2 $1 {Suddenly Black's light-squared bishop is
all in White's business.} 15. Re1 $6 (15. Nxd4 Bxf1 16. Nf5 Nh5 17. Qf3 Bxd3
18. Qxd3 {is a better chance.}) 15... Nxe4 16. Qh3 Bxd3 17. Nxd4 Nc5 {The
smoke has cleared and Black has an extra centre pawn for no compensation.} (
17... Qf6 $1 {would have been even stronger.}) 18. Nf5 Qf6 19. Ne3 Qg6 20. b3
f5 21. Ba3 Ne4 22. Nd1 Bc2 23. Bc1 f4 24. Qe6+ Qxe6 25. dxe6 Nc5 $6 (25... Rfe8
) 26. e7 Rfe8 27. Nc3 Nd3 $2 {Black has let slip most of his advantage.} 28.
Re2 Nxc1 29. Rxc1 Bf5 30. c5 $6 (30. Nd5) 30... Rxe7 31. Nd5 Rf7 32. cxd6 cxd6
33. Rd2 Rd8 34. f3 Be6 35. Nc7 $2 Rc8 36. Rdc2 Bf5 37. Rc4 Rff8 38. Kf2 Kf7 39.
Nb5 Ke7 40. Rxc8 $2 {Equivalent to resignation, even if the game somehow
lasted 27 more moves.} Rxc8 41. Rxc8 Bxc8 42. Nc3 Ke6 43. Ne4 h6 44. Ke2 d5 45.
Nc3 Bd7 46. Kd2 Kd6 47. Kd3 Kc5 48. Kd2 Bc6 49. Kd3 Bb5+ 50. Kd2 Bf1 51. g3
fxg3 52. hxg3 h5 53. Nd1 g5 54. Ne3 Bb5 55. Nf5 Bd7 56. Ne3 b5 57. Kd3 h4 58.
gxh4 gxh4 59. a3 h3 60. Nf1 Bf5+ 61. Kc3 b4+ 62. axb4+ axb4+ 63. Kd2 Kd4 64.
Ng3 Bd3 65. Nh1 h2 66. Ng3 Bf1 67. Nf5+ Kc5 0-1

[Event "Game 35: Paris"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Perrusset, B."]
[Black "Moullier, I."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Ne7 5. e4 Ng6 6. Be2 Bc5 (6... Bb4 $1) 7.
Nf3 O-O 8. O-O d6 9. a3 a5 10. Bd2 Qe7 {This generally useful move often makes
...Nh5 possible;} ({e.g.} 10... Qe7 11. Qc2 Nh5 $5 12. Nxe5 $4 Qxe5 {. In this
game Black had other ideas.}) 11. Rb1 Bd7 12. b4 $6 axb4 13. axb4 Bd4 $1 {Once
again the slippery dark bishop finds a home on the lovely d4-square.} 14. Bd3
Ra3 15. Rb3 Rxb3 16. Qxb3 Ra8 17. Qc2 Bb6 18. Qb2 h6 19. Ra1 Rxa1+ 20. Qxa1 {
White has finally dealt with the can of worms he opened up on the a-file, but
his remaining pieces are not very well co-ordinated. Suddenly Black starts
attacking. All the attacking moves are typical of the variation, and the rooks
are not needed.} Ng4 21. Be1 Nf4 22. Bc2 $2 ({The only satisfactory defence is
} 22. Bf1 {, though Black will still have some initiative.}) 22... Qf6 $1 ({
After} 22... Qf6 {Black is threatening the crushing} 23. -- Nh3+ $1 24. Kf1
Bxf2 $1 25. Bxf2 Nxh2+ 26. Ke2 Nf4+ 27. Kd1 Nxg2 {.}) 23. h3 $2 Qg6 (23...
Nxh3+ $1) ({and} 23... Nxf2 $1 {also win.}) 24. hxg4 Qxg4 25. Nh4 Qxh4 26. Bd1
Nd3 27. Bf3 Bxf2+ 28. Bxf2 Qxf2+ 29. Kh1 Nf4 30. Nd1 Qh4+ 31. Kg1 Bg4 32. Qa3
Bxf3 33. Qxf3 Qe1+ 34. Kh2 Ne2 0-1

[Event "Game 36: Baunatal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baramidze, D."]
[Black "Griezne, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O
d6 9. Qc2 a6 ({In the theoretical section I recommend} 9... Bd7 {and usually
10...a5, but the game move is quite reasonable. In either case, Black uses the
same attacking ideas on the kingside.}) 10. a3 Qe7 {In addition to preparing ...Nh5, this holds up White's c4-c5 advance.} 11. b4 Ba7 12. Nd1 Nh5 (12... Nf4
$5) 13. Ne3 $6 ({Here} 13. g3 {is best, which certainly makes it clear why
White needs to omit h2-h3.}) 13... Ngf4 14. Nf5 $6 Qf6 $6 {At some cost, White
has arranged not to be checkmated on the kingside.} ({Black should slow down
and play} 14... Bxf5 15. exf5 e4 ({or} 15... Rfe8 {with positional advantages
based on space, activity, and White's weak f5-pawn.})) 15. g3 $1 Bxf5 16. exf5
e4 17. Bxf4 Nxf4 18. gxf4 exf3 19. Bxf3 {You don't see this every day. Black
is still slightly better, and his position is simpler to play, as we will see.}
Qh6 20. Rae1 $2 {White decides that with three f-pawns, he won't miss one.
However, even tripled pawns control squares, and the f4-pawn is particularly
important since it covers weak dark squares. Far better to give up the f5-pawn
which is one more obstruction to White's sad bishop (though in fact White
should not be eager to give up any of his pawns). After this his game slowly
deteriorates.} Qxf4 21. Qe4 Qg5+ 22. Qg4 Qf6 23. Re4 Rae8 24. Rfe1 Rxe4 25.
Rxe4 {Since the f4-pawn's disappearance White has had to be careful not to
allow ...Bd4 and ...Be5, but he can't defend everything.} Qb2 26. Be2 $6 Qxa3
27. f6 $2 {Time trouble?} Qa1+ 28. Kg2 Qxf6 29. f3 Qd8 30. Qf4 g6 31. Bd3 Kg7
32. h4 h5 33. Qg5 Re8 34. Qxd8 Rxd8 35. Re7 Bb8 36. b5 axb5 37. cxb5 Kf6 38.
Re4 Ba7 39. Rf4+ Kg7 40. Re4 Bb6 41. Kg3 Ra8 42. Kf4 Ra3 43. Be2 Bf2 44. Re7
Ra4+ 45. Re4 Rxe4+ 46. Kxe4 Bxh4 47. f4 Kh6 48. Bd1 Be1 49. Bf3 Bc3 50. Bg2 Bb2
51. Bf1 f5+ 52. Kf3 g5 0-1

[Event "Game 37: Palma de Mallorca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kaidanov, G."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. e4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. c4 Ng6 5. Be3 Bb4+ (5... Nf6) 6. Nd2 Nf6 7. f3
Qe7 8. g3 O-O 9. Bh3 c6 $1 {The strongest players are much more likely to do
this than look to blockade the queenside.} 10. a3 Bc5 11. Nf1 $6 b5 $1 {
White's slow manoeuvring does not take into account Black's option to open the
position up. Black was better already, but now White is in serious trouble.}
12. b4 Bd4 $1 {That square again! When will White learn not to play c2-c4 - ?}
13. Bxd4 exd4 14. Qxd4 bxc4 15. d6 Qe5 {Understandably, White tries to close
things again. Miles has correctly seen that he will be winning the endgame if
it comes to that.} 16. Ne2 a5 17. Ne3 $6 (17. bxa5) 17... axb4 18. Nxc4 Qh5 19.
Bg2 c5 20. Qe3 Ba6 21. Nb6 Rab8 22. axb4 Rxb6 23. bxc5 Rc6 24. Ra5 Ne5 25. Nf4
Qg5 26. Qd4 Rb8 27. Ra1 h6 28. Rxa6 Rxa6 29. O-O Nc6 30. Qc4 Ra5 0-1

[Event "Game 38: Boston"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brudno, S."]
[Black "Benjamin, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Brutality in the Be3 variation.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Ne7 5. e4
Ng6 6. Be3 Bb4 7. f3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. c5 O-O 10. Bd3 Nd7 $1 11. cxd6 cxd6
12. Ne2 Qa5 13. O-O Nc5 14. Bc4 Bd7 15. Bb3 Rac8 16. g3 f5 {After constructing
an ideal position on the queenside, Benjamin opens up the second front. The
more I look at the Dark Knight System, the more I'm struck by how often it is
Black who has the convenient pawn breaks, and how useful that is.} 17. Bc2 fxe4
18. fxe4 Rxf1+ 19. Kxf1 Bh3+ 20. Kg1 Rf8 21. Qd2 Qxa2 $1 {Ow!} 22. Re1 ({If} 
22. Rxa2 Rf1# {.}) 22... Qc4 23. Bf2 a5 24. Nc1 Rf3 25. Ne2 a4 26. Qg5 Nxe4 0-1

[Event "Game 39: Bloomington"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mitchell, R."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "114"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 (3... Bb4+ $1) 4. e4 Nf6 $6 (4... Ng6) 5. Nc3 Ng6
6. Be3 Bb4 7. f3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. c5 $6 {As I mentioned in the theoretical
section, this dubious move happens like clockwork. Incidentally, I worked out
Black's plan independently during this game.} O-O 10. Bd3 Nd7 11. cxd6 cxd6 12.
Ne2 Qa5 13. O-O Nc5 14. Qd2 Nxd3 $6 {This is a big commitment.} (14... b6 {is
more accurate - White's bishop isn't going anywhere.}) 15. Qxd3 b6 16. c4 Ba6
$6 ({Having taken the bishop,} 16... f5 {(or 15...f5) is the logical follow-up.
Black is better on the queenside, but it is hard to play against a single
weakness.}) 17. Qb3 Rac8 18. Rfc1 Rc7 19. Rc2 $6 {White intends a perpetual on
my queen, but there is a tactical snag.} ({The right way to implement this
plan is} 19. Bf2 Rfc8 20. Be1 Qc5+ 21. Bf2 {etc.}) 19... Rfc8 20. Bd2 Qc5+ 21.
Be3 Bxc4 22. Bxc5 Bxb3 23. axb3 bxc5 $2 ({This game was a long time ago, but I
remember that I never even considered the right move, which is} 23... a5 $1 {
, even if Black is actually not much better after} 24. Ng3 $1 Nh4 25. Nf1 h6
26. Ne3 {. Still, White must find these moves. After the text, Black gets all
tangled up and is lucky to extricate himself. The rest of the game is full of
inaccuracies, most of which I will not bother to mention.}) 24. Ra6 Rd8 25.
Rca2 (25. b4 $1 c4 26. Rc6) 25... Rb7 26. R2a3 Rdd7 27. Nc3 (27. Rc6 $1) 27...
Kf8 28. Na4 Nf4 29. Nb2 Ke7 30. Kf2 f5 31. g3 Nh5 32. Nc4 fxe4 33. fxe4 Nf6 34.
Na5 Rb6 35. Nc6+ Kf7 36. Ke3 Ng4+ 37. Kd3 Nxh2 38. Rxa7 Rxa7 39. Rxa7+ Kf6 40.
Kc4 Nf1 41. Rd7 Nxg3 42. Rxd6+ Kg5 43. Rd7 g6 44. Rxh7 Nxe4 45. Re7 Kf4 46. b4
cxb4 47. Nxb4 Nf2 48. Rf7+ Kg3 49. Kc5 Rb8 50. Nc6 $4 {Things have been
approximately even the whole time despite my frequent pawn advantage. Here
White falls into a trap. The coming knight and pawn endgame is winning for
Black in all variations because White's king and knight are both so far from
the passed pawns.} Ne4+ 51. Kc4 Nd6+ 52. Kd3 Rb3+ 53. Kc2 Nxf7 54. Kxb3 e4 55.
Kc3 Kf2 56. Ne7 g5 57. Nf5 e3 0-1

[Event "Game 40: Ljubljana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jelen, I."]
[Black "Dizdarevic, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Ne7 5. e4 Ng6 6. Be3 Bb4 7. f3 Bxc3+ 8.
bxc3 d6 9. c5 O-O 10. h4 $6 {White must attack or Black will tighten the
screws one by one. However, this is too soon and too crude.} Nh5 11. Bf2 c6 $1
{Over and over we see this move, typically at the most surprising and
inconvenient time for White.} 12. g4 Nhf4 13. h5 Ne7 14. cxd6 $6 {The
complications are dizzying, even for my computer.} ({It's hard for things to
work out well for White with his king in the middle, but he needs to try} 14.
h6) ({or} 14. Ne2 {.}) 14... Qxd6 15. c4 cxd5 $1 16. cxd5 Bxg4 $1 17. h6 (17.
fxg4 {runs into} Qb4+ {and 18...Qxe4+, winning the rook.}) 17... g5 18. Qb3 Bd7
19. Ne2 Neg6 $2 (19... Ba4 $1 20. Qe3 Rfc8 $1 {and White cannot last long.})
20. Rg1 f6 21. Nc3 Rfc8 22. a4 Kh8 23. Kd2 b6 24. Ba6 Nh3 25. Rgf1 Nxf2 26.
Bxc8 Rxc8 27. Rxf2 Qc5 28. Rff1 Nf4 29. Ne2 Qa5+ 30. Nc3 Ne2 31. Rfc1 Nxc1 32.
Rxc1 Kg8 33. f4 $2 {White isn't having any fun at all, but this only makes
things worse.} exf4 34. e5 $2 fxe5 35. d6+ Kf8 36. Qb1 Kg8 37. Qb3+ Kf8 38. Qb1
Qc5 0-1

[Event "Game 41: France"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Chevallier, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Black loses because he's playing Karpov.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5
Ne7 5. e4 Ng6 6. Be3 Bb4 7. f3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. Qd2 Nd7 10. h4 h6 11. g3 b6
12. Nh3 Nc5 13. Nf2 Qd7 {There is nothing wrong with this move;} ({but} 13...
f5 {can be played, and so I believe it should be played.}) 14. Rb1 a5 15. f4 $6
{In his annotations, Palliser gives this an '!' and indicates that it is the
beginning of the end for Chevallier.} exf4 16. gxf4 Qe7 $6 {After this Black
is a little worse.} ({Meanwhile, should Black find} 16... h5 {, he is a little
better! In one stroke, Black stabilizes his knight, clamps down on White's
weak g4-square, and immobilizes White's isolated h-pawn. Of course, with a
small edge (or even a small disadvantage) Karpov will probably win - he does
outrate Chevallier by 430 points.}) 17. Bxc5 $1 bxc5 18. h5 Nf8 19. Rg1 f6 20.
Bd3 Nd7 21. Qe2 Ba6 $2 {Black's situation will not improve with his king in
the centre. For better or for worse, he must castle and try for ...f6-f5.} 22.
Ng4 Nb6 23. Ne3 Bc8 24. Qg2 Rg8 25. Qg6+ Kd8 $6 (25... Kf8) 26. Kd2 Bd7 27. Qh7
Qf8 28. Rg2 Kc8 29. Rbg1 Kb7 30. Rxg7 Rh8 31. Qg6 Be8 32. Qf5 Rd8 33. Qe6 Bxh5
34. Nf5 Nc8 35. e5 fxe5 36. fxe5 Qe8 37. Rb1+ Ka8 38. Rxc7 Qxe6 39. dxe6 dxe5
40. Rxc5 e4 41. Nd4 Rxd4 42. cxd4 exd3 43. Rxh5 {. Overall, an impressive game
by Karpov, but not one that casts any doubt on Black's opening.} 1-0

[Event "Game 42: Reno"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Buehl, W."]
[Black "Benjamin, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Ne7 5. e4 Ng6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bd3 Bxc3+ 8.
bxc3 d6 9. O-O O-O 10. h3 $2 Nh5 11. Kh2 $5 Nhf4 ({Because of 11 Kh2, Black's
normal attacking plan needs to be modified -} 11... Ngf4 $6 12. Bc2 Qf6 $4 13.
g4 {traps a knight.}) 12. Ng1 $6 Nxd3 $1 {They say bad bishops defend good
pawns - but they don't if they're dead.} 13. Qxd3 f5 14. exf5 $6 (14. f3) 14...
Bxf5 15. Qg3 $6 Qd7 $1 16. f4 $6 Qa4 {This is why I like doubling White's
pawns so much - it provides a ready-made target on the other front if the
kingside play is running out of steam.} 17. fxe5 Qxc4 18. Rd1 Nxe5 19. Rd4 Qc5
20. Ne2 Rae8 21. Nf4 Ng6 22. Nxg6 Bxg6 23. Bg5 Re2 24. a4 $6 Rff2 25. Rg1 Be4
0-1

[Event "Game 43: New York (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hahn, A."]
[Black "Bonin, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. e4 Nf6 (4... Ng6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Nf3 Nf6 {is
another route to the game position.}) 5. Nc3 Ng6 6. Nf3 Bc5 ({I prefer} 6...
Bb4 {here, but we must know this position anyway.}) 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O a5 9. a3
d6 10. Rb1 Nh5 11. b4 axb4 12. axb4 Bb6 13. Na4 Ba7 14. Bc2 Nhf4 {Here again,
the h-knight goes first. This is to allow ...Bg4 and ...Nh4 - an effective
plan with White's bishop already on c2. Black has a significant advantage and
a powerful initiative.} 15. c5 Bg4 16. g3 Qf6 $2 ({Black is almost winning at
once with the alternative} 16... Nh3+ 17. Kg2 Qd7 18. Be3 f5 $1 {, bringing a
rook into the attack.}) 17. Rb3 Bxc5 18. Nxc5 dxc5 19. bxc5 Ra1 20. gxf4 Nxf4
21. Kh1 Nh3 22. Qe2 Rfa8 $2 (22... Ra2 $1) 23. Rc3 $4 ({Instead, with} 23. Qe3
$1 {White has excellent chances to realize her extra material. After the text,
she is completely busted.}) 23... R8a2 24. Kg2 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Nf4+ 26. Kf1 Nxe2
27. Kxe2 Qf4 28. Re3 Bxf3+ 0-1

[Event "Game 44: European Jnr Ch., Herceg Novi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schiendorfer, E."]
[Black "Recuero Guerra, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{The catastrophe that is White's plan of g2-g3 and f2-f4.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6
3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Ne7 5. e4 Ng6 6. g3 Bb4 7. Bg2 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. Ne2 O-O 10.
O-O Qe7 11. Qd3 Bd7 12. Ba3 Rfe8 13. Rae1 b6 14. Nc1 Qd8 {Not the most
inspiring play so far. Now comes typical hara-kiri by White.} 15. f4 $2 exf4
16. gxf4 Nh5 17. Ne2 Qh4 18. Bc1 f5 19. Kh1 Re7 20. exf5 $4 Bxf5 21. Qf3 (21.
Qxf5 Rxe2 22. Rxe2 Ng3+ 23. Kg1 Nxe2+ 24. Kh1 Ng3+ 25. Kg1 Nxf5 {is
hilariously brutal.}) 21... Bg4 22. Qf2 Rxe2 0-1

[Event "Game 45: Bucharest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baluta, C."]
[Black "Cioara, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. e4 Ng6 5. a3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. h3 d6 8. Nf3 a5
9. g3 {This is amazing. I'm wondering when White will get around to moving his
b- and f-pawns.} O-O 10. Bg2 c6 11. O-O cxd5 12. cxd5 Bd7 13. Re1 Qc8 14. h4 $2
Ng4 15. Re2 b5 16. Bd2 b4 17. Na4 Bb5 $6 {Black has built his position
admirably so far, but now he starts to lose the thread.} (17... Ba7 18. axb4
Bb5 {was better.}) 18. Nxc5 Qxc5 19. h5 Ne7 $6 (19... Bxe2) 20. Bh3 $6 (20. Be3
$1) 20... Bd7 $2 {After this lemon, Black is actually worse for a moment.} 21.
Bg2 $2 {But only for a moment.} (21. h6 $1 g6 22. Qb3 {was correct.}) 21...
bxa3 22. Rxa3 f5 $6 (22... Bb5 $1) 23. Be3 $6 Nxe3 24. Rexe3 fxe4 25. Rxe4 Rab8
26. Qd2 a4 27. Nh4 Rb7 28. Ree3 Rb4 29. Rac3 $6 Qb6 30. Re2 h6 31. Kh2 $2 Rd4
$2 (31... Bb5) 32. Rd3 $4 Rxd3 33. Qxd3 Bb5 $1 {Finally!} 34. Qe3 Qxe3 35. Rxe3
Rxf2 36. Kg1 Rxb2 37. Bh3 Rb1+ 38. Kf2 Rb3 39. Be6+ Kf8 40. Re1 a3 41. Rc1 a2
42. Ng6+ Nxg6 0-1

[Event "Game 46: Deizisau"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bu Xiangzhi"]
[Black "Christiansen, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A50"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{A loss for Black - can this be right?} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 Ne7
5. e4 Ng6 6. a3 Bc5 7. Bd3 a5 8. Rb1 d6 9. h3 O-O 10. b4 axb4 11. axb4 Ba7 12.
g3 $6 Ne8 $6 {This awkward move prepares the ...f7-f5 break, but Black never
gets to execute this plan.} ({Besides,} 12... c6 $1 {is just sitting there
waiting to be played. Yet again. One benefit to ...c7-c6 is that after ...c6xd5 c4xd5 White can no longer shut out the monster a7-bishop. Black would
then be significantly better.}) 13. Nf3 Bd7 ({Black realizes that} 13... f5 $6
{hurts his position, trading off White's lame light-squared bishop and
allowing White to castle without dropping the h3-pawn. After the text move,
White has equalized - though not for long.}) 14. Bg5 $6 (14. Kf1 $1 Qc8 15. Kg2
{was correct.}) 14... Qc8 15. g4 c6 16. Ne2 h6 17. Bd2 cxd5 18. cxd5 Qd8 19.
Ng3 Bb6 20. O-O Nf4 $1 21. Bxf4 exf4 22. Nh5 Nf6 23. Nxf4 Re8 {Black's pawn
sacrifice has removed White's best minor piece from play and opened the gates
for Black's pieces. This is a thematic idea in the Dark Knight System, and
indeed in any position where the opponent has put most of his pawns on one
colour (especially in the vicinity of his king).} 24. Qc2 Rc8 ({Houdini points
out} 24... g5 $1 25. Ng2 {the knight's idiot square;} ({but if} 25. Ne2 h5 $1)
25... Rc8 {and 26...Nxe4. In the game White's knight becomes a real pain in
the keister.}) 25. Qb2 Nxe4 26. Nh5 Nc3 27. Rbc1 ({Had White played} 27. Rfc1
$1 {, he could have gone for} g6 28. Rxc3 Rxc3 29. Qxc3 gxh5 30. gxh5 {with no
fear of} Bxh3 {.}) 27... g6 28. Qd2 Ne2+ 29. Kg2 Rxc1 30. Qxh6 Nf4+ 31. Qxf4
Rxf1 32. Kxf1 gxh5 33. Qh6 f5 34. Qg6+ Kh8 $6 {Christiansen, who has been
defending perfectly until now, slips. It is not good to allow Qxh5 with check,
and by winning the pawn White defends his own peon on h3.} 35. gxf5 Rf8 36.
Qxh5+ Kg8 37. Qg6+ Kh8 38. Qh6+ Kg8 39. f6 Rf7 $4 (39... Bxh3+ 40. Qxh3 Rf7 ({
or} 40... Rxf6 {offers legitimate chances of survival.})) 40. Ng5 $1 Bxh3+ 41.
Nxh3 $4 {Suddenly Black is back in it.} (41. Ke1 $3 {is completely winning; e.
g.} Qd7 42. Qg6+ Kf8 43. Bb5 $1 {.}) 41... Qxf6 42. Bh7+ Kh8 43. Bg6+ Kg8 44.
Bxf7+ Kxf7 45. Qh7+ Ke8 46. Qxb7 Qd4 $2 (46... Qf5 $1) 47. Qc8+ Bd8 48. Qe6+
Be7 49. b5 Qd3+ 50. Kg2 Qxb5 {Black has recovered one pawn, but his queen is
out of play and White takes the opportunity to enter a winning pawn endgame.}
51. Nf4 Qb2 52. Ng6 Qf6 53. Qxe7+ Qxe7 54. Nxe7 Kxe7 55. Kf3 Kf6 56. Kf4 Kg6
57. Kg4 Kf6 58. f4 1-0

[Event "Game 47: German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Huebner, R."]
[Black "Hort, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "1984.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Hort plays the Kevitz, and lets Hübner off the hook.} 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3.
dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Nc6 5. Be3 Bb4+ (5... d5 $1) 6. c3 Ba5 7. Nf3 Nf6 8. e5 (8. Qa4
$5) 8... Ng4 9. Bc5 $2 d6 $1 10. exd6 O-O {White is much worse here.} 11. Be2
Re8 12. h3 cxd6 13. hxg4 dxc5 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 $6 (14... Bxd8) 15. Nfd2 Ne7 16.
Na3 Nd5 17. g3 Bc7 18. Bf3 Ne3 19. g5 Bf5 $6 (19... Nf5 $1 {is better, forcing}
20. Nf1 ({or} 20. Ne4 {, which is not very good either)}) ({, because} 20. Rg1
$2 {loses to} Nxg3 $1 21. Rxg3 Rxd2 $1 22. Kxd2 Bxf4+ {and 23...Bxg3.})) 20.
Ndc4 Nxc4 21. Nxc4 Bd3 {There is still some play, but Black has no real
advantage.} 22. b3 Rab8 23. Kf2 b5 24. Ne3 c4 25. Nd5 Bb6+ 26. Kg2 Kf8 27. Rhe1
Re8 28. b4 Bf5 29. Rxe8+ Rxe8 30. a4 bxa4 31. Rxa4 h6 32. gxh6 gxh6 33. Nxb6
axb6 34. Kf2 Rd8 {By now it is White who is trying for a win, though it is
unlikely.} 35. Ra8 Rxa8 36. Bxa8 Ke7 37. Ke3 Kd6 38. Kd4 b5 39. Bd5 f6 40. Bf7
Bd7 41. Ke4 Ke7 42. Bg6 Bc6+ 43. Kd4 Kd6 44. Bh5 f5 45. Bg6 Bd7 46. Bf7 Bc8 47.
Be8 Ba6 48. Ke3 Ke7 49. Bg6 Bc8 50. Kd4 Kd6 51. Be8 Ba6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 48: Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Orso, M."]
[Black "Bordas, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. e5 d5 8.
exf6 dxc4 9. Qe2+ Kf8 $5 (9... Be6 $1) 10. Be3 ({Had White been tempted by} 10.
fxg7+ $2 Kxg7 {, Black's last move would have been amply rewarded. The rook's
rapid arrival on the e-file is a serious problem for White.}) 10... Qxf6 11.
O-O-O Be6 {The inconvenience suffered by Black's king is not enough to make up
for White's missing pawn and shortage of light-squared bishops.} 12. Ne4 Qe7 $6
(12... Qf5) 13. Nf3 c3 14. b3 $6 (14. bxc3) 14... a5 15. Kb1 a4 16. Qb5 $4 {
White is now lost.} (16. Bf2 {is essential, though Black has a clear edge.})
16... axb3 17. axb3 Bxb3 18. cxb3 Qxe4+ 19. Rd3 Ra5 20. Qc4 Qxc4 21. bxc4 Ke7
22. Nd4 Nxd4 23. Bxd4 Rha8 24. Re3+ Kd7 $2 25. Rhe1 $2 (25. Bxc3 $1 Bxc3 26.
Rd1+ {and Black still has to show good technique.}) 25... Ra1+ 26. Kc2 R1a2+
27. Kd3 Rd2+ 28. Ke4 f5+ 29. Kxf5 Rxd4 30. c5 Bxc5 31. Rxc3 Rf8+ 32. Kg5 Be7+
0-1

[Event "Game 49: European Ch., Ohrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fedorchuk, S."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. f4 Nc6 6. Nf3 d6 7. Na4 Bb6 8.
Bd3 d5 $6 {An interesting attempt to take advantage of the decentralized
knight, but Black is spending a tempo to open the position when he is behind
in development and White will soon have the bishop pair.} 9. Nxb6 axb6 10. e5
$6 {Not terrible, but it makes no sense to close the position. The f5-square
will be useful for all of Black's pieces.} Nge7 11. O-O Bf5 12. Nh4 Bxd3 13.
Qxd3 Qd7 {Black has equalized.} 14. Bd2 Qg4 15. Be1 O-O 16. h3 Qd7 17. Bd2 Ra4
18. Bc3 Ng6 19. Nxg6 fxg6 20. g3 Ne7 21. Kh2 h5 22. b3 Re4 23. Rae1 Qc6 24. Bd2
Nf5 25. Qc3 $6 {The black knight becomes strong after this.} (25. g4 {was best.
}) 25... h4 26. gxh4 Nxh4 $6 (26... Qxc3 27. Bxc3 Kf7 $1 {was better.}) 27.
Qxc6 bxc6 28. Kg3 Nf5+ 29. Kg4 Kf7 30. Rxe4 dxe4 31. Re1 Rd8 32. Be3 $6 Rd1 $1
33. Re2 Ke6 34. Bf2 Rf1 35. a4 c5 36. a5 $6 bxa5 37. Kg5 $2 Rh1 38. Bxc5 Rxh3
39. Kxg6 Rg3+ 40. Kh7 e3 41. Kg8 g5 42. fxg5 Rxg5+ 43. Kh7 Rg7+ 44. Kh8 Rg3 45.
Rh2 Kxe5 46. Ba3 Rg4 47. Bb2+ Ke4 48. Bc3 Rh4+ 49. Rxh4+ Nxh4 50. Bxa5 e2 51.
Kg7 Nf3 52. Kf6 Ke3 0-1

[Event "Game 50: Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Goh Wei Ming"]
[Black "Bellini, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Nc3 d6 ({For our
purposes, it is important to use the precise move order} 6... Nge7 7. Qe2 d6 {.
}) 7. Qe2 Nge7 8. Be3 O-O 9. O-O-O f5 $1 {There's no time like the present.}
10. g3 fxe4 11. Nxe4 Nf5 12. Bf4 Qe8 ({Mr. H says} 12... Kh8) ({or} 12... h6 {
with advantage to Black.}) 13. Bg2 a5 14. Rhe1 Qg6 15. c3 $6 h6 16. a4 Be6 $6
17. Qc2 $2 (17. Nec5 $1) 17... Nh4 18. Bh1 Bg4 19. Rd3 Rae8 20. f3 $2 Nxf3 $2 (
20... Be6) 21. Bxf3 Bxf3 22. Rxf3 d5 23. Nbd2 dxe4 24. Rff1 Ne5 25. Rxe4 Ng4
26. Rfe1 Rd8 27. Re7 $6 Qxc2+ 28. Kxc2 g5 29. R1e6 Rf7 30. h3 $4 ({Instead of
this blunder the simple} 30. Rg6+ $1 Kh7 31. Ree6 {keeps White in the game.})
30... Rxe7 31. Rxe7 gxf4 32. hxg4 fxg3 0-1

[Event "Game 51: Nova Gorica"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bontempi, P."]
[Black "Jovanic, O."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. Nb5 Bxe3 7. fxe3 Qh4+
8. g3 Qd8 9. Qg4 g5 $1 {This Basmaniac-esque move is a bit funny-looking at
first, but if we think about it, it is the dark squares that need coverage
since we have a light-squared bishop and we are about to have a knight posted
on the lovely e5-outpost. To be a little more concrete, it is beneficial to
take the f4-square from White's queen.} 10. N1c3 Ne5 11. Qe2 d6 12. h3 c6 13.
Nd4 Nf6 14. O-O-O Qe7 15. Qf2 Be6 16. Be2 O-O-O 17. Nf5 Bxf5 18. exf5 {White's
pawn structure has improved somewhat, but his bishop has not, nor has the
gaping hole on e5. Furthermore, White no longer has the f5-hole to use.} Ned7
19. Bf3 Nc5 (19... d5 $5) 20. Rhe1 h5 21. Rd4 Qe5 22. h4 Rhg8 23. Red1 gxh4 24.
gxh4 Kc7 25. Rf4 $6 Rde8 26. Kd2 $2 Ncd7 $6 ({Black is reluctant to put any
pawns on light squares for long-term positional reasons, but White won't reach
the long term after} 26... d5 $1 27. Re1 Nce4+ 28. Bxe4 Nxe4+ 29. Nxe4 dxe4 {
, which exposes the ludicrous placement of White's king; e.g.} 30. Kc1 Qa5 31.
Kb1 Rg2 32. Qf1 Qd2 33. Rc1 Qxe3 34. Qxg2 Qxf4 {with a winning position.
Instead, soon comes an avalanche of blunders that is presumably time-induced.
--- You know what? You don't want to see the rest of this. It's ridiculous and
embarrassing. --- Black eventually won the game on move 81.}) 0-1

[Event "Game 52: Naujac"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vajda, S."]
[Black "Skembris, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qf6 $5 5. Be3 ({Apparently this is a
playable move order, though it gives White the option of} 5. Nb5 $5 {, which
is good enough for some edge.}) 5... Bc5 6. c3 Qg6 7. f3 Nge7 ({In the
theoretical section, I recommend the immediate} 7... a6 {.}) 8. Qd2 a6 9. Nc2
Bxe3 10. Nxe3 d6 11. Be2 f5 12. exf5 Bxf5 (12... Nxf5 {is equally good.}) 13.
O-O O-O (13... O-O-O {is at least as good too.}) 14. Na3 Rae8 15. Rae1 Kh8 ({
It's time to take away White's option to snap off the bishop; i.e.} 15... Be6 {
.}) 16. Nac2 Qh6 17. Bd3 Bxd3 18. Qxd3 Ng6 19. Nd5 $6 Nce5 20. Qd4 c6 21. Nde3
$6 (21. f4 $1) 21... Nf4 22. Kh1 Qg6 $6 (22... Ned3 $1) 23. g3 $2 (23. Qd2)
23... Nfd3 24. Rd1 Nxb2 25. Rb1 Ned3 26. Qb6 Na4 27. Qxb7 Nxc3 28. Rb6 $6 (28.
Rb3) 28... Ne5 29. Rxa6 Rxf3 30. Rxf3 Qe4 31. Ne1 Nxf3 32. N1g2 Nb5 $1 0-1

[Event "Game 53: Yugoslav Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Motylev, A."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6 7. Nd2 Nf6 8.
f4 Nxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4 10. f5 Qg4 11. Qxg4 Nxg4 12. Bf4 d5 13. h3 Nf6 14. e5 Ne4
15. g4 g6 16. fxg6 fxg6 17. a3 Bxd2+ 18. Bxd2 h5 19. Rg1 hxg4 20. hxg4 Be6 21.
O-O-O Kd7 22. Bg2 Nf2 $6 ({Black keeps an edge with} 22... Nxd2 23. Kxd2 ({or} 
23. Rxd2 Raf8) 23... Bxg4 {.}) 23. Rdf1 Raf8 24. Bg5 Nxg4 25. Rxf8 Rxf8 26.
Bxd5 Bxd5 27. Rxg4 Rf1+ 28. Kd2 Rf2+ 29. Kc3 a5 30. Bh4 Rf3+ 31. Kd2 Bf7 32. d5
Bxd5 33. Rxg6 Rb3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 54: Moravian Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hromada, P."]
[Black "Ostrowski, L."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qf6 5. Be3 Bc5 6. c3 Qg6 7. Nb5 Bxe3 8.
Nxc7+ Kd8 9. Nxa8 Bf4 10. Qf3 Bb8 ({I recommend} 10... Bh6 $1 {in the theory
section.}) 11. Nd2 Nf6 12. O-O-O Re8 13. Re1 $6 ({White should be willing to
sacrifice the e-pawn, for which he will gain easy development; e.g.} 13. g3
Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Qxe4 15. Qxe4 Rxe4 16. Bg2 Re7 17. f4 {and, for one thing, it is
no longer clear how Black will ever corral the wayward knight. The text move
is far too passive, a recurring problem for White as the game goes on.}) 13...
b6 14. Bb5 Bb7 15. Nxb6 axb6 16. Qe3 Bc7 17. f3 Nd5 (17... Kc8) 18. Qf2 Nf4 19.
g3 Ne6 20. Bxc6 $6 {A bad idea, which weakens the light squares around White's
king and simplifies Black's task of using his bishop pair.} Bxc6 21. Nb3 Nc5 (
21... Ke7 $1) 22. Nxc5 Qg5+ 23. Qe3 Qxc5 24. Qxc5 bxc5 25. b3 f5 26. exf5 Rf8
27. Re3 Rxf5 28. Rhe1 Bd6 29. Rf1 $2 (29. f4) 29... g5 30. Kb2 h5 31. Rd1 Kc7
32. Rf1 Kb7 33. a3 c4 34. b4 Bc7 $2 (34... h4 $1) 35. Kc2 $6 (35. Re7 $1) 35...
Bb6 36. Re7 Kc8 37. f4 Bg2 38. Rd1 gxf4 39. Rdxd7 $4 ({Here} 39. gxf4 d5 {is
no bargain for White, but the text ends the game immediately.}) 39... f3 40.
Rb7 Bd8 41. Rf7 f2 0-1

[Event "Game 55: Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Campora, D."]
[Black "Tkachiev, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6 7. Nb5 Bxe3 8.
Nxc7+ Kd8 9. Nxa8 Bf4 10. Qf3 Bh6 11. Qf5 $6 Qxf5 12. exf5 b6 13. Na3 Bb7 14.
Nxb6 axb6 15. Nc4 Kc7 16. Rd1 d5 $1 {A clever thrust.} 17. Na3 ({If} 17. Rxd5
$6 Nf6 18. Rd1 Re8+ 19. Be2 Ba6 {, White regrets his pawn grab.}) 17... Nf6 18.
Nb5+ Kd7 19. Be2 Re8 20. Kf1 Re5 21. h4 Ne4 22. Rh3 Nd2+ 23. Ke1 Ba6 24. a4 Nc4
25. b3 Nd6 26. Rhd3 d4 $1 27. cxd4 $6 {White's rooks will not enjoy
languishing behind the isolated d-pawn. However, the position is not rich
enough to offer Black good winning chances (in GM play).} Re4 28. g4 Bf4 29.
Kf1 Nxb5 30. axb5 Bxb5 31. R3d2 $1 Rxe2 ({Unlikely as it seems, White's move
saves the day, since} 31... Bxd2 32. Bxb5 {(threatening both 33 Rxd2 and 33 d5)
} Rxd4 33. Ke2 {regains the piece.}) 32. Rxe2 Kd6 33. Ke1 Bxe2 34. Kxe2 Kd5 35.
Kd3 h6 ({Not} 35... Nxd4 $4 36. Kc3 Be5 37. f4 Bf6 38. g5 {.}) 36. Re1 Bd6 37.
Re8 Be7 38. h5 Bf6 39. Rc8 Nxd4 40. Rc7 Nc6 $6 (40... Nxb3 {is a better try.})
41. f4 Ne7 42. Ra7 Kc6 43. Ke4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 56: Helsinki Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1952.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grynfeld, I."]
[Black "Bisguier, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1952.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 {Once, when GM Bisguier was analysing one of my games, he said he'd
known all about ...Nc6 and ...e7-e5 since long before I'd been born. This
makes sense because he was coached by Alexander Kevitz, by whose name this
system is known.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7.
gxf3 bxc6 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Nf6 ({As I mentioned in the theoretical section,
White has done pretty well here. Bisguier's plan takes care of any potential
problems, though I think it's simpler to start with} 9... d6 {.}) 10. Nc3 ({
After} 10. e5 $5 Ng8 11. Rg1 g6 12. Nc3 f6 13. exf6 Nxf6 14. O-O-O O-O {,
White has little to nothing either, but I still see no reason to allow him
this option.}) 10... O-O 11. O-O-O (11. e5 Nd5) 11... Re8 12. Bh3 d6 ({Also
possible is} 12... g6 {(a useful semi-waiting move), intending ...Re5-h5.
After the text, Black slips into a passive position.}) 13. Bxc8 Raxc8 14. Rd4
a5 $6 15. Rc4 c5 16. Ra4 Ra8 17. Nb5 Rec8 18. Na3 $6 (18. e5 $5) 18... Nd7 19.
Nc4 Nb6 20. Nxb6 cxb6 {Black has equalized (again). Nothing else happens.} 21.
c4 Kf8 22. Ra3 Ke7 23. Rb3 Rab8 24. a4 Ke6 25. Rd1 Rc6 26. Rg1 g6 27. Kd2 Rf8
28. Rg3 f5 29. exf5+ Rxf5 30. e4 Rh5 31. h3 g5 32. Ke3 h6 33. Rd3 Rh4 34. Rb3
Ke5 35. Rd3 Rc7 36. Rb3 Rb7 37. Rd3 Ke6 38. Rb3 Kd7 39. Rd3 Kc6 40. Kf2 Rf7 41.
Kg2 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 57: NLD-SLO match, Maribor"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smeets, J."]
[Black "Beliavsky, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qd2 dxc6 7. Nc3 Bd4
8. Bd3 Ne7 9. O-O Ng6 10. Ne2 Bxb2 $1 {Beliavsky courageously grabs the pawn -
the "principled" move (whatever that means).} 11. Bxb2 Qxb2 12. f4 Qa3 13. f5
Ne5 14. Qg5 Bd7 ({I am recommending} 14... Qf8 $1 {, when White has worries
about proving full compensation, though Black had his chances in this game as
well.}) 15. Qxg7 Qc5+ 16. Kh1 O-O-O 17. Qf6 h5 18. h3 Kb8 (18... Qd6 $5 {with
a structural advantage in the endgame.}) 19. Rf4 $6 Bc8 20. Rh4 $2 Rhg8 $2 ({
Black is nearly winning with} 20... Nxd3 21. cxd3 Qf2 22. Nf4 Rhg8 {, because
White's queen, knight, and king's rook are stuck in a very unhealthy
co-dependent relationship.}) 21. Rf1 Rd6 22. Qe7 Qa5 $6 23. Rxh5 Rd7 24. Qf6
Rd6 25. Qe7 Rd7 26. Qf6 Rd6 27. Qe7 Rd7 ({Instead of repeating moves, Black
was much better after} 27... Nxd3 28. cxd3 ({or} 28. Qxf7 Nf2+ $1) 28... Qxa2
29. Nf4 Rxd3 $1 {(and not} 30. Nxd3 $4 Qxg2# {).}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 58: Russia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sultimov, B."]
[Black "Pokazanjev, N."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qd2 dxc6 7. Nc3 Bd4
8. Bd3 Ne7 9. O-O Ng6 10. Kh1 Ne5 (10... O-O {is not a bad move, and avoids
the forthcoming dilemma}) (10... Qh4 {is also reasonable according to Houdini.}
) 11. f4 Ng4 12. Qe1 Bd7 $6 ({White has certainly lost the theoretical battle
since} 12... Nxh2 13. Kxh2 Qh6+ {is a draw by perpetual. But what if Black
wants to win? Pokazanjev's move is very risky - in fact, it's objectively poor,
but sometimes it's worth taking such risks. Perhaps Black should have deviated
earlier.}) 13. Na4 $6 {Out of book, White makes a poor choice. As we will see,
Black does not even have to allow his bishop to be forced off the strong
diagonal.} a6 14. c3 Ba7 15. b4 Qe7 16. Rb1 O-O-O {Black is not fooled by
White's queenside demonstration, which is mainly bark and has little bite.} 17.
Qg3 h5 18. h3 $2 Bf5 $3 19. Nc5 ({The bishop should not be taken:} 19. exf5 $2
Nf2+ $1 20. Rxf2 Qe1+ 21. Bf1 ({or} 21. Kh2 Bxf2 {and 22...Qg1 mate}) 21...
Bxf2 22. Bd2 Qxb1 23. Qxf2 Rxd2 {and wins - though White is just about lost
anyway.}) 19... Bxc5 20. bxc5 Bxe4 21. Bxe4 Qxe4 22. Rb4 Qe2 23. Qf3 {The
endgame will bring White little relief - he cannot possibly hold onto his six
isolated pawns.} Qxf3 24. gxf3 Nf6 25. f5 Rd5 26. Be3 Rxf5 27. Bd4 Nd5 28. Rb2
Rh6 29. c4 Nf4 30. Rfb1 Ne6 31. Bg1 Rxf3 32. Rxb7 Rxh3+ 33. Bh2 Rd3 34. Ra7 Rf6
35. Rxa6 Rf2 36. a4 Rh3 37. Ra8+ Kd7 38. Kg1 Rhxh2 39. Re1 Rfg2+ 40. Kf1 Nf4
0-1

[Event "Game 59: Yugoslav Junior Ch., Tivat"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Von Wantoch Rekowski, D."]
[Black "Peric, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C56"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Dealing roughly with 7 Bf4?!.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5
Ng4 6. O-O Be7 7. Bf4 g5 $1 8. Bg3 h5 $1 9. h3 h4 $1 10. Bh2 $6 (10. hxg4 hxg3
11. fxg3 d6 {is relatively best, though still with advantage to Black.}) 10...
Nxh2 11. Kxh2 d6 12. Bb5 dxe5 13. Nxe5 Qd6 14. f4 Be6 15. c4 $2 gxf4 16. Qf3
Kd8 $6 (16... Kf8 $1) 17. Nxc6+ bxc6 18. Bxc6 Rb8 19. b3 Rg8 20. Nd2 Rg3 21. c5
Qxc5 22. Rfc1 Rxf3 23. Rxc5 Rxh3+ 24. gxh3 Bxc5 25. Ne4 Rb6 26. Ba4 Bd6 27. Rd1
Be5 28. Ng5 Ke7 29. Nf3 f6 30. Nxd4 Rd6 31. Nc6+ Kf8 32. Rxd6 Bxd6 33. Nd4 f3+
34. Kh1 Bd5 {. Black did not have a high rating, but she produced the model
game.} 0-1

[Event "Game 60: Andorra"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Becerra Rivero, J."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 {Like most high-rated players, White tries to narrow the
knowledge gap with this second move.} ({Instead,} 2. d4 e5 ({or in some cases} 
2... d5 {) fights in Black's home territory. Of course, there is nothing
stopping Black from also knowing 2 Nf3 d6 positions well.})) 2... d6 3. d4 Nf6
4. c3 g6 5. Bd3 Bg7 6. Na3 {Becerra Rivero is the only one to have tried this
move here. Although decentralizing, it has the merit of not interfering with
White's other pieces.} O-O 7. O-O e5 8. dxe5 $6 Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 {White's
decision to exchange in the centre is not consistent with his previous play.
The c3-pawn is intended to shorten the diagonal for Black's fianchettoed
bishop and/or hold the d4-point, neither of which are meaningful anymore.
White's d3-bishop is also misplaced, obstructing the open d-file. He no longer
has any trace of an advantage. Perhaps White is trying to make a draw, in
which case he has chosen the wrong opponent.} 10. Qe2 Qe7 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6
$6 {This small inaccuracy leads to White's future problems. We will witness
dark-square torture yet again.} Qxf6 13. Bc4 Bd7 14. Rad1 Rad8 15. Rd3 h5 16.
Qe3 a6 17. Rfd1 Bg4 $5 18. f3 Bc8 {Miles's bishop manoeuvre softens up the
dark squares for his unopposed dark bishop. There is certainly nothing
concrete yet, but it is getting to where White needs to be careful.} 19. Bb3
Rxd3 20. Rxd3 h4 21. h3 Qe7 22. Nc4 Kh7 $1 23. f4 $6 {This game reminds me of
the old story of the old lady who swallowed a fly, and a spider to catch the
fly, and a bird to catch the spider, etc. White prevents ...Bh6 for now, but
the new problems are bigger than the old ones.} exf4 24. Qxf4 b5 25. Ne3 Be5
26. Qf3 (26. Nd5 $1) 26... Qg5 27. Rd1 Kg7 28. Rd5 Qg3 29. Ng4 Qxf3 30. gxf3
Bf4 31. Kg2 Re8 32. Rd1 f5 33. Nf2 Bg3 34. Nh1 Bd6 35. Nf2 Kf6 36. Bd5 Rh8 37.
Nd3 Rh5 38. f4 fxe4 39. Bxe4 Rh8 40. Bf3 Re8 41. Bg4 $2 {In principle, this is
a favourable trade for White, who relieves Black of the bishop pair, but the
devil is in the details.} Bxg4 42. hxg4 Re3 43. Kf1 Bxf4 44. Nb4 Kg5 45. Nd5
Rf3+ 46. Ke2 Rg3 47. Rd4 Bd6 0-1

[Event "Game 61: Pula"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zelcic, R."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. c3 g6 5. Bb5 Bd7 (5... a6 {is also fine}) ({
or even} 5... Bg7 6. d5 a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. dxc6 bxa4 9. Qxa4 O-O {with
compensation.}) 6. Qe2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Rd1 Qe8 9. c4 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11.
Bxd7 $6 Nxf3+ 12. Qxf3 Nxd7 {Black is already better.} 13. Qe2 $2 f5 14. Nd2
Nc5 15. Re1 Qf7 (15... Qa4 $1) 16. exf5 Rae8 17. fxg6 $4 hxg6 $2 ({Overlooking
} 17... Qxg6 18. Qf1 Rxe1 19. Qxe1 Bd4 {, which wins immediately.}) 18. Qf1
Rxe1 19. Qxe1 Nd3 20. Qf1 Qxf2+ 21. Qxf2 Rxf2 22. Nf3 Rc2 23. Be3 Nxb2 24. Rb1
Nxc4 25. Bxa7 b6 26. Bb8 Ne3 27. Ne1 Re2 $2 {Miles puts the game in jeopardy
with this mistake. The c-pawn is Black's most valuable.} 28. Bxc7 Bc3 29. Nf3
Rxg2+ 30. Kh1 Rf2 31. Ng5 Be5 32. Bxb6 Rxh2+ 33. Kg1 Re2 34. Nf3 Bf4 35. Re1
Rxe1+ 36. Nxe1 Nc4 37. Bd4 Kf7 38. Kf2 Ke6 39. Ng2 Bd2 40. Kf3 g5 41. Ke4 d5+
42. Kd3 Ba5 43. Ne3 Nxe3 44. Bxe3 g4 45. Bf4 Bb6 46. Bg3 Kd7 47. Bf4 Kc6 48.
Bg3 Bc5 49. a4 Bd6 50. Be1 $2 (50. Bh4 $1) 50... g3 51. Ke2 g2 0-1

[Event "Game 62: Washington"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rozman, L."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. c3 g6 5. Bd3 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. h3 e5 8. Na3 d5
$1 {White has the slow c2-c3 and h3-h3 under his belt, and the decentralizing
Na3, so I felt it was time to hit back in the centre.} 9. Bg5 $6 dxe4 10. Bxe4
exd4 11. Bxc6 $6 {White was hoping to damage my structure instead of accepting
the isolated d-pawn. This would have been fine for Black, but I saw something
I liked better.} dxc3 $1 12. Qa4 $6 {The critical tries involved saving the
bishop, but since Black was getting three pawns for it, including the
dangerous b2-pawn, I was willing to take my chances (and White was not).} bxc6
13. Qxc6 $2 ({Either} 13. bxc3) ({or} 13. Rad1 {was correct.}) 13... cxb2 14.
Rad1 Bd7 15. Qc2 Qc8 $6 ({I was eager to break the pins, but analysis shows I
could have safely made it harder for White to recover the b-pawn with} 15...
Rb8 $1 {.}) 16. Qxb2 Ne4 17. Qb4 Re8 (17... Re8 {incidentally threatens} 18. --
Bxh3 19. gxh3 Qxh3 {, which will win the piece back on the kingside.}) 18. Kh2
$2 {Not a working defence, though neither one of us noticed the obvious
refutation.} Bf8 $1 (18... Bxh3 $1 19. gxh3 Qf5 {, again recovers the piece.})
19. Qa5 Bd6+ 20. Kg1 Bxh3 21. gxh3 Qxh3 22. Rd3 Ng3 $1 23. fxg3 Qxg3+ 24. Kh1
Re2 0-1

[Event "Game 63: Matanzas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zapata, A."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "126"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Do not try this at home, or even when away from home.} 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3.
d4 Nf6 4. Nbd2 g6 5. c3 Bg7 6. Bb5 O-O 7. O-O Bd7 (7... a6 {is better, trying
to pick up the bishop pair. Black's bishop may prefer to deploy on b7 or a6.})
8. Re1 Qe8 9. Bf1 e5 10. h3 Qd8 11. a4 Re8 12. a5 a6 13. d5 Ne7 14. c4 Rf8 {
While each of Black's moves had its purpose, the overall impression is very
poor. This is a bad King's Indian.} 15. c5 Ne8 16. Nc4 Nc8 17. Qb3 Bb5 18. Be3
Rb8 19. Rac1 Nf6 20. Nfd2 Nd7 21. cxd6 cxd6 22. Qa3 Nf6 23. Nb6 Bxf1 24. Kxf1
Na7 25. Qb4 Nb5 26. Nb1 Ne8 27. Nc3 Nxc3 28. Rxc3 Nc7 29. Nc4 {Without making
any obvious mistakes, most of White's pressure has dissipated.} Nb5 30. Rcc1 f5
31. Na3 Nxa3 32. Qxa3 Qd7 33. Bb6 Rbc8 34. Qb3 Bh6 35. Ra1 Bg5 36. Ra4 $6 {By
now, White is actually worse.} Bd8 37. Rb4 fxe4 38. Bxd8 $6 Qxd8 39. Rxb7 Qxa5
40. Qd1 $2 (40. Qb4) 40... Qc5 41. Qd2 Rf4 $2 (41... Rxf2+ $1 42. Qxf2 Rf8 {
wins.}) 42. Kg1 Qd4 43. Rd1 Qxd2 44. Rxd2 a5 45. Rb6 Rc1+ 46. Kh2 Rf6 47. Rb5
Rf1 48. Kg3 h5 49. Rxa5 Rf4 50. f3 $4 exf3 $2 ({Here} 50... e3 $1 51. Rc2 Rh1
52. h4 g5 {.}) 51. gxf3 R1xf3+ 52. Kg2 h4 53. Ra6 Rf6 54. Ra4 R3f4 55. b4 Kg7
56. Rb2 Kh6 57. Ra7 Rf3 58. b5 $2 (58. Kh2) 58... Rg3+ 59. Kh2 Rff3 60. Ra4
Rxh3+ 61. Kg1 Rhg3+ 62. Rg2 Rxg2+ 63. Kxg2 Rb3 0-1

[Event "Game 64: Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nijboer, F."]
[Black "Miles, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Try this at home.} 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nbd2 g6 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+
bxc6 {As we will see, this position is much easier to play than ...Bd7 of the
previous game. Miles's methods of play are worth remembering and repeating.} 7.
O-O Bg7 8. e5 Nd5 9. c4 Nb6 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Rd1 a5 12. Nf1 Ba6 (12... f6 $5)
13. b3 Qd7 14. Ng5 Bc8 15. f4 a4 16. Be3 f6 $1 17. Nf3 Qe8 18. h3 fxe5 19. fxe5
h6 20. Rac1 axb3 21. axb3 g5 {Black has been preparing ...Bf5, though after
White's next the plan changes.} 22. d5 cxd5 23. cxd5 Ba6 24. Qd2 Bxf1 25. Rxf1
Qb5 26. Rfd1 $6 Qxb3 27. Rxc7 $2 Nc4 28. Qd3 Qxd3 29. Rxd3 Ra1+ 30. Kf2 Nxe5
31. Rd2 Rf7 32. Ra7 $2 Rb1 $2 (32... Rh1) 33. Ra4 Kh7 34. Kg3 Rb3 35. Re4 Ra3
36. h4 $6 Nxf3 37. gxf3 gxh4+ 38. Kg4 Bf6 39. f4 Rg7+ 40. Kf5 h3 41. Rh2 Rg3
42. Bc5 $2 dxc5 0-1

[Event "Game 65: Cappelle la Grande"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sveshnikov, E."]
[Black "Gelashvili, T."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "139"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bb5 a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. O-O Bg7 8.
Qe2 O-O 9. Rd1 Bg4 {This makes it easier to fight for the central dark squares
and advances a clear plan.} ({Nonetheless, I prefer} 9... a5 {and 10...Ba6.})
10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Nd7 12. Be3 e5 13. Qe2 Re8 14. Qc4 $6 ({White could have
bottled up Black's bishop and rook with} 14. d5 $1 {.}) 14... exd4 15. Bxd4
Bxd4 16. Qxd4 Qg5 17. Qd2 Qh4 18. Re1 Nc5 19. f3 Re5 20. Qf2 Qe7 21. Ne2 Ne6
22. Nd4 Nxd4 23. Qxd4 a5 24. Qc3 Rc5 25. Qd2 Re8 26. a4 Qf6 27. c3 Rb8 28. Re2
Re5 29. Rae1 g5 30. Qe3 c5 31. Qd3 Qe6 32. Qa6 c4 33. Qa7 Rc8 34. Qd4 Re8 35.
Kf1 f6 36. Qd2 Kf7 37. Kg1 Ke7 38. Kh2 Kd7 39. Qd4 Qf7 40. Qf2 h5 41. Kg1 c5
42. Rd2 f5 43. Red1 R8e6 44. Qe2 fxe4 45. Qxc4 {Black has been pressing hard
for the win, but without anything to work with. Now he is in danger.} Qf4 $6
46. Qa6 $6 (46. Qb5+ Ke7 47. Qb7+ Kf8 48. fxe4 {is stronger.}) 46... exf3 47.
Rxd6+ Ke7 48. Qa7+ Kf6 49. Rxe6+ Rxe6 50. Qxc5 Kg6 51. Qd4 Qf5 52. g4 hxg4 53.
hxg4 Qf7 $2 54. Rf1 $6 ({And here} 54. b4 $1 {.}) 54... Rf6 55. Kf2 $6 Qb3 56.
Qd3+ Kg7 57. Rd1 Qxb2+ 58. Rd2 Qb8 59. Qd7+ Kh6 60. Kf1 Qb1+ 61. Rd1 Qe4 62.
Qd2 $4 {After this move White is losing.} (62. Rd2 {held the balance.}) 62...
f2 63. Qd5 Qxg4 64. Qh1+ Kg6 (64... Kg7 $1) 65. Rd4 Qc8 $2 (65... Qe6 {(or 65..
.Qf5)} 66. Qe4+ {(forced)} Qxe4 67. Rxe4 Kh5 {wins, since if} 68. Re2 {then}
Kg4 69. Rxf2 Rxf2+ 70. Kxf2 Kf4 {etc.}) 66. Qe4+ Kh6 67. Qe3 Qf5 68. Qd3 $2
Qxd3+ 69. Rxd3 Rg6 $4 (69... Kh5 {still wins.}) 70. c4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 66: Bled"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Praznik, N."]
[Black "Beliavsky, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 Nc6 6. d5 Nb8 7. h3 O-O 8. O-O
c6 (8... e5 $1) 9. a4 $1 a5 10. Re1 Nfd7 $1 {Black clamps down on the dark
squares, incidentally stopping White from considering the e4-e5 break.} 11. Be3
Na6 12. Bd4 (12. Bxa6 $1) 12... Nb4 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Ne2 Qc7 15. c3 cxd5 16.
Bxd5 Nc6 17. Ned4 Nf6 $6 {Weakening the dark square control.} 18. Qb3 $6 ({
White now has} 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. e5 {with a pleasant advantage.}) 18... Ne5 $1
19. Nxe5 dxe5 20. Nf3 Ra6 21. Rac1 Nh5 22. Bc4 $6 Rf6 23. Nd2 $6 Qc5 24. Re3
Rd8 25. Nf1 $6 Nf4 26. Qb5 Qc7 27. Qb3 h5 28. Qa2 Rfd6 29. Qb3 Bd7 30. Bb5 Be6
31. Qc2 h4 32. Ree1 Qc8 33. Re3 g5 34. f3 $6 Nh5 (34... Qc5 $1) 35. Rce1 (35.
Ree1) 35... Qc5 36. Kh2 Kf8 37. Rd3 $6 Rxd3 38. Bxd3 Bxh3 $1 0-1

[Event "Game 67: Marianske Lazne"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nemcova, K."]
[Black "Olafsson, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Be3 Nc6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Qd2 c6 7. Nf3 Nf6 8. h3 b5
$6 {This is a great idea if it works out tactically, but it doesn't.} ({So let
us imagine instead that the game went} 8... O-O 9. Bd3 b5 10. a3 a6 11. dxc6
Nxc6 {.}) 9. a3 (9. dxc6 b4 10. Bb5 {is a problem for Black.}) 9... a6 10. dxc6
Nxc6 11. Bd3 O-O 12. O-O Bb7 {Black's opening has been extremely successful -
White's game has a cramped feel in spite of her central space advantage.} 13.
Rfe1 d5 $6 {This "freeing" move is quite unnecessary. Black has many
improvements he can make (such as ...Rc8, ...Nd7, ...Qa5, or even ...e7-e6)
before he needs to consider taking action. It is White who will be left
without anything constructive to do.} 14. Bh6 $2 {I've never heard anyone say
that it's a good idea to react to central action with play on the wings.} dxe4
15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. Nxe4 Nd4 17. Nxd4 Qxd4 18. Qc3 Qxc3 19. Nxc3 e6 {White is
slightly worse due to her very restricted bishop, though she solves this
problem quickly.} 20. Ne4 Rfd8 21. Nc5 Bc6 22. a4 bxa4 23. Nxa4 Bb5 24. Nc5
Rac8 25. b4 Rd4 26. Bxb5 axb5 27. c3 Rc4 28. Ra7 Kg8 29. Rb7 $6 (29. Re3 Nd5
30. Rf3) 29... Rxc3 30. Rxb5 Nd5 31. Rb7 Nxb4 32. Rxb4 R8xc5 {A theoretical
draw, but Black has some practical chances.} 33. Re2 R5c4 34. Rbb2 g5 $1 {This
stops White from constructing the ideal defensive pawn formation for this
endgame: f2/g3/h4. The point of the formation is that Black cannot create a
passed pawn without trading off all the rest of the pawns.} 35. Kh2 Kg7 36. Rb5
Kg6 37. Rbb2 h5 38. Ra2 h4 39. Re1 Rc5 40. Kg1 Kf5 41. Kf1 e5 42. f3 R3c4 43.
Ree2 Kf4 44. Kf2 f5 45. Ra3 Rb5 46. Rae3 $2 {The endgame has been getting
harder to defend. Now, White is lost.} Rc1 47. Re1 Rb2+ 48. R3e2 Rcc2 49. Rxc2
Rxc2+ 50. Kf1 Rb2 51. Kg1 Kg3 0-1

[Event "Game 68: Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hjartarson, J."]
[Black "Olafsson, F."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Be3 Nc6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Qd2 c6 7. Nf3 Nf6 8. h3
O-O 9. Be2 b5 $1 10. a3 {White has nothing better than this lame try. Black
has equalized already.} a6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Rfe1 Nbd7 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. Bd3 Bb7
15. Bh6 Rc8 16. Rad1 Qb6 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Re3 Ne5 19. Nxe5 dxe5 20. Re2 Rfd8 {
By now Black is a little better, but the players soon decided to call it a day.
} 21. Qe3 Qd4 22. Rde1 Nh5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 69: Israeli Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gruenfeld, Y."]
[Black "Smirin, I."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 7. d5 Nb8 8. h3
e5 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Be3 Nc6 12. Qd2 Kh7 13. Rad1 Re8 14. Rfe1 Bd7
15. Bc4 Be6 16. Bf1 a6 17. Qc1 {Very soon Black has all the play he needs.} ({
White can make him work harder with} 17. a4 {.}) 17... Qc8 18. a3 b5 19. Nd4
Nxd4 20. Bxd4 Qb7 21. Qf4 Nd7 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Qd2 Qb6 24. Re3 Rad8 25. g3 Nf6
26. Bg2 a5 27. b3 Rb8 28. a4 bxa4 $6 (28... b4) 29. Nxa4 Qb4 30. Nc3 Nd7 31.
Kh2 Nc5 32. f4 f6 $6 33. Qe2 $6 (33. f5 $1) 33... Bf7 34. Nd5 Bxd5 35. exd5
Rxe3 36. Qxe3 Rf8 37. f5 g5 38. Qe2 Nd7 39. Ra1 Ne5 40. Ra4 Qc3 41. Re4 Rb8 42.
Qh5 Rb4 43. Re2 a4 44. Qe8 axb3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 70: Cacak"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chatalbashev, B."]
[Black "Popchev, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Bg4 7. Be3 Nc6 8. d5
Nb8 9. Nd4 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 c5 11. Nf3 Qb6 12. Rab1 Qa6 {Chernin points out that
this queen manoeuvre is both typical and strong.} 13. Qd2 Ng4 14. Bg5 Re8 15.
Qf4 Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. Qh4 Qc4 18. Rbe1 ({White gains nothing by grabbing
the pawn:} 18. Bxe7 Nd7 19. f4 Bd4+ 20. Kh1 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Qxe4 {is equal.})
18... Bxc3 19. bxc3 f6 20. Bh6 Nd7 21. Qg4 e6 22. f4 Rad8 23. dxe6 Qxe6 24. Qg3
Qxa2 25. f5 Qf7 26. fxg6 hxg6 27. Qxd6 Kh7 28. Qf4 $6 {It is time to extricate
the bishop.} Re5 29. Bg5 Rf8 30. Qh4+ Kg8 31. Bf4 Re6 32. Rf3 g5 33. Qg4 Rfe8
34. Bg3 Ne5 35. Bxe5 Rxe5 36. h4 $6 Qe6 37. Qh5 Kg7 38. Ref1 $4 {Oops! Black
had an advantage, but this throws the game.} Rh8 39. Qxh8+ Kxh8 40. Rxf6 Qc4
0-1

[Event "Game 71: New York Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ziatdinov, R."]
[Black "Chernin, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Be2 Nf6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. O-O Bg4 7. Be3 Nc6 8. d5
Nb8 9. Ng5 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 c6 11. Rad1 Qa5 12. f4 Qa6 13. Qf3 Nbd7 14. Qh3 h6 $1
15. Nf3 h5 $1 16. Bd4 $6 c5 17. Bxf6 Nxf6 18. Qh4 $6 b5 {White hasn't gotten
anything done on the kingside, but he has serious problems on the queen's wing.
} 19. Ne2 $6 Qa4 20. Ng3 Qxc2 21. e5 dxe5 22. fxe5 Ng4 23. Rd2 Qc4 24. Qxe7
Rae8 25. d6 $6 {A desperate try for complications which fails after Chernin's
accurate treatment.} Bh6 $1 26. b3 Qb4 27. e6 Rxe7 28. dxe7 Bxd2 29. exf7+ Kxf7
30. exf8=Q+ Kxf8 31. Nxd2+ Kg7 32. Nge4 Qd4+ 33. Kh1 c4 34. bxc4 bxc4 35. h3
Ne3 36. Rf4 c3 37. Nf3 Qd1+ 38. Kh2 Nf1+ 39. Kg1 Nd2+ 40. Kf2 Nxe4+ 41. Rxe4 c2
0-1

[Event "Game 72: Rimavska Sobota"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, So"]
[Black "Fries Nielsen, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Nf3 ({If} 4. Be3 {, Fries Nielsen intended} d5
{, an interesting and surprising move that I don't believe in.}) 4... d6 5. h3
Nf6 6. Bg5 O-O 7. Qd2 d5 ({In the next game, Black tries the enterprising} 7...
a6 {.}) 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Bh6 Nxc3 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. Qxc3 Qd5 12. O-O-O $1 (12.
Bc4 $6 Qa5 {is ineffective.}) 12... Be6 13. b3 Bf5 14. Nh4 Bd7 15. Rd2 $6 Kg8
16. Qe3 Qd6 17. c3 a5 18. Nf3 Qa3+ 19. Kd1 $6 {Asking for trouble.} (19. Rb2 {
was correct.}) 19... a4 20. Qh6 f6 21. Bc4+ e6 22. d5 Ne7 $2 ({Since White has
counterplay in either case, it does not help to give up the pawn. Hence} 22...
Nd8 $1 {.}) 23. dxe6 Bc6 24. Nd4 axb3 25. Nxc6 bxc6 26. Bxb3 Rab8 27. Re1 $6 ({
The way to extricate the king is} 27. Ke2 $1 Rxb3 28. axb3 Qxb3 29. Rhd1 {.})
27... Rxb3 28. axb3 Qxb3+ 29. Ke2 Qc4+ 30. Rd3 $2 {Walking into a dangerous
pin.} (30. Kf3 $1 {is still approximately equal.}) 30... Nd5 31. g3 $2 ({My
computer tells me that White is okay after} 31. e7 $3 Re8 32. Kd2 {and that
all other moves lose brutally. I won't try to explain, especially since I
don't understand it myself.}) 31... Ra8 32. Qd2 Ra2 33. Rb1 Nxc3+ 34. Ke1 Qe4+
{. Since 35...Qh1 mate follows.} 0-1

[Event "Game 73: Istanbul"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yilmazyerli, M."]
[Black "Arutinian, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. h3 Bg7 6. Bg5 O-O 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O
b5 9. a3 Rb8 10. Bh6 b4 11. axb4 Nxb4 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. e5 Nfd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5
15. h4 h5 16. Ng5 $6 {The knight can stay here as long as it wants, but it
does not have important targets in Black's position.} c6 17. Bc4 Qb6 18. b3 Bf5
19. exd6 exd6 20. g4 Bxg4 21. Rdg1 $6 Bf5 22. Nh3 Qb4 23. Qxb4 Rxb4 24. Rg3 a5
25. Bxd5 cxd5 26. Rd1 Rc8 27. Rd2 a4 28. Kb2 axb3 29. cxb3 Rcc4 30. Nf4 Rxd4
31. Rxd4 Rxd4 32. Nxh5+ Kf8 33. Nf6 Rd1 34. h5 gxh5 35. Nxh5 d4 36. Rg5 $6 Rd2+
37. Kc1 Rxf2 38. Ng3 Bg6 39. Rd5 Rg2 40. Nh5 Rf2 41. Ng3 Rf3 42. Ne2 d3 43. Nc3
Ke7 44. b4 Ke6 45. Rd4 Rf2 46. Nb5 Rc2+ 47. Kd1 Bh5+ 48. Ke1 Re2+ 49. Kf1 d2
0-1

[Event "Game 74: Washington"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ryba, N."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. h3 a6 $5 ({
Against a lower-rated opponent there is some concern that the natural move,} 
7... e5 {, will lead to a position with too few winning chances, in which case
7...a6 is often a good alternative.}) 8. a4 e5 9. Be3 $6 {It is almost always
a bad idea for White to try to preserve the central tension in the Dark Knight
Pirc. This is especially true when he has played h2-h3. Black is already at
least equal.} ({It is nice for me to have the b5-square covered and his
b4-square weak. Therefore, if} 9. dxe5 {, Black will play} dxe5 {, keeping the
extra pair of knights on the board.}) 9... exd4 10. Nxd4 Re8 ({One Pirc author
recommends} 10... Bd7 {first in this type of position, but I prefer to have my
c-pawns doubled! The half-open b-file co-ordinates well with the dark-squared
bishop, and it is nice to have the d5-square securely guarded.}) 11. Nxc6 bxc6
12. Bf3 Nd7 13. Qd2 Rb8 14. Rab1 Qf6 15. Be2 Qe5 16. Rfd1 Qa5 17. Bd4 ({It is
often deflating to computer-check your own games. This queen manoeuvre, which
I was proud of during the game, accomplishes less than nothing after} 17. b4 $1
Rxb4 $6 18. Nd5 $1 Rxa4 19. Qxa5 Rxa5 20. Nxc7 Rxe4 21. Rxd6 {with an edge for
White.}) 17... Bxd4 18. Qxd4 Rb4 19. Qd2 Nc5 {This will not get anything done
either.} ({After} 19... Nc5 {Black is not even threatening} 20. -- Nxa4 {
because of} 21. Ra1 {and 22 b3.}) 20. b3 Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Rexe4 22. Bf3 Re5 23.
Bxc6 Bf5 24. Bf3 Qc5 25. c3 Rb8 26. b4 Qc4 27. Rb2 Rbe8 28. Qd4 Qe6 29. Kh2 Be4
$1 {It isn't much, but I will have a little something to play for after
stripping White's king of its best defender. Who knows? The e-file might even
be worth something.} 30. Bxe4 Rxe4 31. Qd3 a5 32. Qd5 Qf6 33. Qxa5 Qxc3 34.
Rbb1 c5 $6 {This is another move that seemed very strong to me when I played
it.} (34... Re2 {is a better try. But by now we were running low on time to
reach move 40.}) 35. Qb5 ({White can equalize starting with} 35. Qb6 $1 {(the
text move is not bad, either).}) 35... cxb4 36. Rxd6 R8e5 37. Qb8+ Kg7 38. Rd8
Rf5 39. Rg8+ Kh6 40. Qf8+ Kg5 41. Qd8+ f6 42. Re8 Rd4 43. Qe7 $2 ({Houdini
finds} 43. f4+ $1 Rfxf4 44. Re5+ {with equality. White is lost after any other
move.}) 43... Rxf2 44. Re1 Rd3 $4 (44... Rd3 {is threatening} 45. -- Rxh3+ 46.
Kg1 Rxg2+ {and wins! Somehow I overlooked both of White's defences.}) 45. Qxh7
({Or} 45. h4+ $1 Kxh4 46. Qxh7+ Kg5 47. R1e4 {, when Black has to find} Rxg2+
$1 48. Kxg2 Rd2+ 49. Re2 Rd4 $1 {and draws (apparently).}) 45... Rdd2 {This is
the move that would have won last turn.} 46. Rg1 $4 ({Snatching defeat from
the jaws of a draw. My opponent saw the correct continuation but misevaluated
it:} 46. h4+ Kf5 47. R8e5+ Qxe5+ (47... fxe5 48. Qf7+ Kg4 49. Re4+ Rf4 50.
Qxg6+ Kxh4 51. Qh6+ {draws}) 48. Rxe5+ fxe5 49. Qf7+ Ke4 50. Qb7+ {is no worse
for White.}) 46... Qc6 47. h4+ Kf5 {. Not the most beautiful game, but the
opening was a success.} 0-1

[Event "Game 75: Lucerne Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jhunjhnuwala, N."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. Nf3 g6 2. e4 d6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 7. h3 e5 8. d5
Ne7 9. Be3 c6 $1 {White is unable to keep his centre intact, nor is he fast
enough on the d-file to inconvenience Black.} 10. dxc6 bxc6 11. Qd2 Qc7 12.
Rad1 d5 13. exd5 Nexd5 14. Nxd5 $6 {Helpfully completing the opposing centre.
Black starts building his edge.} cxd5 15. c3 Bb7 16. Bh6 Ne4 17. Qc1 Rfe8 18.
Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Nd2 Nc5 20. Nb3 Ne6 21. Rfe1 a5 22. Bb5 Re7 $6 {Black does not
have a good reason to disconnect his rooks. However, White's next makes it
easy to fix the problem.} 23. Bf1 $2 (23. a4) 23... a4 24. Na1 Rd8 25. Nc2 f6
26. Nb4 Qb6 27. Qc2 Nc5 28. a3 Red7 29. Re3 Nb3 30. Ree1 Rd6 31. Qe2 d4 32. Qb5
Qxb5 33. Bxb5 dxc3 34. Rxd6 Rxd6 35. bxc3 Nc5 36. Re2 Rd1+ 37. Kh2 e4 38. Kg3
f5 39. h4 Kf6 40. Be8 $2 h6 $2 (40... Rh1 $1) 41. Bb5 $2 (41. Kh2 $1) 41... Rh1
42. f4 g5 43. hxg5+ hxg5 44. fxg5+ $6 Kxg5 45. Kf2 f4 46. Bc6 $2 Bxc6 ({Since
after} 46... Bxc6 47. Nxc6 {the reply} Nd3# {is mate.}) 0-1

[Event "Game 76: Tashkent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1958.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bastrikov, G."]
[Black "Geller, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C46"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1958.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 d6 4. h3 g6 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Bg7 7. Be3 Nf6 8. Qd2
O-O 9. O-O-O Re8 10. f3 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Be6 12. Bf2 a6 13. Kb1 b5 14. h4 c5 15.
g4 $2 {The text move is too slow.} ({White can play the aggressive} 15. h5 $5)
({or the defensive} 15. a3 {.}) 15... b4 16. Ne2 $6 Qa5 $2 ({Black gets a big
advantage with} 16... Nxe4 $1 17. fxe4 Qf6 {, threatening mate and White's
bishop.}) 17. Nc1 Bxg4 $6 18. Bg2 $2 {Black's sacrifice is thematic, but not
quite sound.} (18. fxg4 Nxe4 19. Qf4 Nc3+ $6 20. bxc3 bxc3 21. Bc4 {is defence
and counterattack.}) 18... Be6 19. Qxd6 Rac8 20. Nb3 Qa4 21. Bh3 $2 Bf8 $2 {
Unnecessarily removing the bishop from the main diagonal;} ({and misevaluating
the most direct continuation:} 21... Bxh3 22. Rxh3 c4 23. Nc5 Qb5 {threatens
24...Rc6.}) 22. Qh2 $6 Bxh3 23. Qxh3 c4 24. Nc1 c3 25. Bd4 cxb2 26. Nb3 Bg7 27.
Bxb2 Qc6 28. Rh2 Red8 29. Rhd2 $2 Rxd2 30. Rxd2 Nxe4 $1 31. fxe4 Bxb2 32. h5 (
32. Kxb2 $6 Qc3+) 32... Qc3 33. Qxc3 Bxc3 34. Rd1 Kg7 35. Rd6 Rc4 0-1

[Event "Game 77: Dubai"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Saduakassova, D."]
[Black "Minasian, Art"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 g6 5. h3 Bg7 6. Be3 O-O 7. Qd2 e5 8. d5
Ne7 9. Bh6 {White trades her best minor piece for Black's obstructed bishop in
the hope of weakening his king position.} Bd7 $1 {Preparing ...c7-c6 and/or ...b7-b5.} 10. Bd3 c6 (10... b5 11. a3 a5 {and 12...b4 is also good.}) 11. dxc6
Bxc6 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. O-O Qc7 (13... b5 $5) 14. Qe2 Rfe8 15. Bb5 a6 (15... d5
$1) 16. Bxc6 Qxc6 17. Rad1 Rac8 18. Nd2 $6 d5 19. exd5 Nexd5 20. Nxd5 Nxd5 21.
c4 Nf4 22. Qe4 f5 23. Qxc6 Rxc6 24. b3 Ne2+ 25. Kh2 Nc3 26. Ra1 Rd6 27. Nb1
Nxb1 28. Raxb1 Rd2 {Rook endgames are notoriously drawish, but according to
Jesus de la Villa in '100 Endgames You Must Know', this reputation is unearned.
With his better rooks and king, Black has his winning chances.} 29. a4 Kf6 30.
Kg1 e4 31. Rfe1 Red8 32. Kf1 Ke5 33. c5 Rc2 34. Red1 Rd3 $1 35. b4 Ra3 36. Rdc1
Rxc1+ 37. Rxc1 Rxa4 38. c6 bxc6 39. Rxc6 Kd5 40. Rc7 Rxb4 41. Rxh7 Rb6 42. h4
Kc4 43. g3 a5 44. Rc7+ Kb5 45. h5 gxh5 46. Rf7 Kc4 47. Rxf5 Ra6 48. Rxh5 a4 49.
Rh8 a3 50. Rc8+ Kd4 51. Rd8+ Ke5 52. Rd1 a2 53. Ra1 Kf5 54. Ke2 Ra3 55. Kf1 Ke5
56. Ke2 Kd4 57. g4 Ke5 58. Kd2 Kf4 59. Kc1 Kxg4 60. Kb2 Ra8 0-1

[Event "Game 78: Sochi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sakharov, A."]
[Black "Adorjan, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "1976.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bf4
Ng4 9. h3 e5 10. dxe5 Ngxe5 11. Nxe5 dxe5 12. Be3 Nd4 13. Bc4 Qh4 14. Nd5 $6 {
Not appreciating the danger. By relinquishing control over e4, White subjects
himself to a powerful attack.} (14. f3) ({or} 14. Bd3 {is still approximately
equal, even if nobody likes to play such moves.}) 14... c6 $1 15. Nc7 Bxh3 $1 {
Now White must defend accurately to survive, and even then he will be worse -
there is no good way for him to retain a material advantage.} 16. Nxa8 Qxe4 {
The queen's arrival on this square is a nightmare for White, who has far too
many bishops lying around.} 17. gxh3 Nf3+ 18. Kh1 Nh4+ 19. f3 Qxe3 20. Nc7 Qf4
21. Qd3 Qg3 22. Qe2 e4 $6 (22... Nf5 $1) 23. Qh2 Qxh2+ 24. Kxh2 Nxf3+ 25. Kh1
Nd2 26. Ne8 $4 (26. Ne6 $1) 26... Nxc4 27. Nxg7 Kxg7 28. Rfe1 f5 29. Rad1 Rf7
30. b3 Ne5 31. Rd6 Nf3 32. Red1 Re7 33. Rd7 Kf7 34. Kg2 f4 35. R1d6 Nh4+ 36.
Kf1 e3 37. c4 e2+ 0-1

[Event "Game 79: Bulgarian Ch., Sofia"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bratanov, Z."]
[Black "Chatalbashev, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "108"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 7. Be3 e5 8. dxe5
dxe5 9. Qxd8 Rxd8 10. Bc4 {One might think that White plays for a win with
little risk. However, White (a GM) also lost in M.Hebden-E.Sutovsky, Isle of
Man 1999.} h6 {To prevent the annoying 11 Ng5.} (10... Ne8 $5) 11. h3 b6 12.
Nd5 Na5 $1 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Be2 Bb7 15. b4 Nc6 16. c3 a5 17. a3 Ne7 18. Nd2
Bg5 $1 {So far it's not much for Black, but trading the worst minor for
White's best is the first step on the road to a win.} 19. Bxg5 hxg5 20. Rad1
axb4 21. axb4 Kg7 22. f3 Ra2 23. Nc4 Rxd1 24. Bxd1 Ba6 25. Bb3 Bxc4 26. Bxa2
Bxa2 27. Ra1 Bc4 28. Ra7 b5 29. Rxc7 Kf6 {Perhaps White should hold this, but
he has a long and thankless defensive task ahead of him. Black's task is to
penetrate with his king.} 30. Ra7 Ke6 31. Ra6+ Kd7 32. Ra7+ Kd6 33. Ra6+ Nc6
34. Kf2 Kd7 35. Kg3 Nd8 36. h4 gxh4+ 37. Kxh4 Ke7 38. Kg3 Ne6 39. Kf2 Nf4 40.
g3 Ne2 41. Ra3 Kf6 42. Kg2 Kg5 {And now White is lost. How did that happen?}
43. Kf2 f5 44. exf5 gxf5 45. Kg2 f4 46. gxf4+ Kxf4 47. Kf2 Nc1 48. Ra8 Nd3+ 49.
Kg2 Ke3 50. Kg3 Kd2 51. Ra3 Kc2 52. Kg4 Kb2 53. Ra7 Kxc3 54. Kf5 Kxb4 0-1

[Event "Game 80: Washington"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wang, K."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Be3 Bg7 6. Qd2 O-O 7. Be2 {White
tries to play without h2-h3 - an uncommon plan. White tries to play without
h2-h3 - an uncommon plan. I was aware that 7...e5 was the main move, but as in
Game 74, I wanted to spice things up. I couldn't remember for sure, but 7...a6
is usually a reasonable option.} a6 $6 ({As it turns out, this is one position
where} 7... e5 $1 {works a little better than usual and 7...a6 works a little
worse than usual.}) 8. d5 $1 Nb8 9. a4 $1 {Since a2-a4 is normally met by ...a7-a5, it stands to reason that Black's a-pawn is misplaced.} c6 ({I now
believe that} 9... b6 {is the best move in the position, intending to follow
with ...c7-c6, ...Bb7, ...Nbd7. At the time I was reluctant to try this since
White had not spent a tempo on h2-h3 to prevent ...Bg4.}) 10. a5 $1 Nbd7 11.
O-O Qc7 12. Rfe1 Nc5 {This picks up the bishop pair, but I will not be
enjoying my pawn structure.} 13. Bxc5 dxc5 14. dxc6 bxc6 {Ugly as this is, it
is worse to allow White access to the d5-square.} 15. Bc4 Rb8 $6 ({Instead,} 
15... Ng4 $1 {frees the bishop and controls White's e-pawn.}) 16. e5 Ng4 17.
Qe2 Rxb2 {Losing a bit of material, but it is no worse than anything else.} 18.
h3 Nh6 19. Bb3 c4 $6 (19... Nf5) 20. Na4 cxb3 21. Nxb2 bxc2 22. Qxc2 Be6 23.
Nd3 Bd5 24. Nd4 Rd8 $2 (24... e6) 25. Qc5 Nf5 26. Nxf5 gxf5 27. Qb6 Qxb6 28.
axb6 Rb8 29. Rxa6 Bc4 30. Ra3 $6 e6 $2 31. Nc5 Bf8 32. Nd7 Bxa3 33. Nxb8 Bd5
34. b7 c5 35. Nc6 1-0

[Event "Game 81: Pula"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zelcic, R."]
[Black "Djurkovic, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Bc4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Qe2 Bg4 7. e5 Bxf3 8.
gxf3 Nxd4 9. exf6 Nxe2 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. Kxe2 Rxg7 12. Bh6 Rg8 {"Everybody
knows" three pieces are much better than a queen, but is this true regardless
of how many pawns the queen has? Regardless of structural problems? Regardless
of king position? As much fun as these positions can be to play, White is
asking too much from his minors.} 13. h4 {This is played mainly to keep the
bishop from getting cut off by an eventual ...g6-g5.} c6 $1 {An important move
to control White's minors, and uses those extra pawns well.} 14. Rhe1 Qd7 $1
15. Rad1 Qf5 {Activating the queen quickly is certainly the right idea,} ({but
} 15... Qh3 $1 {is more accurate, and if} 16. Rh1 Qf5 {.}) 16. Bg5 O-O-O 17.
Kf1 $2 {The queen is supposed to be harder to play, but not when the pieces
have an exposed king. It is the GM who makes the first big mistake.} d5 18. Bd3
$6 Qh3+ $6 {This check would have been more useful to Black after grabbing the
f-pawn.} 19. Kg1 f6 20. Bf1 Qxf3 21. Rd3 Qg4+ 22. Rg3 Qb4 $1 {Black's queen is
not done making trouble.} 23. a3 $6 Qa5 $2 {White's bluff works.} ({Every
white pawn that disappears de-stabilizes White's pieces more. They are running
short on support points, and they can't be left lying around loose. Hence} 
23... Qxb2 $1) 24. Bd2 e5 $6 25. Ne4 Qb6 $2 (25... Qc7) 26. Nxf6 Rgf8 27. Rb3
$2 {Just as White is getting back into the game, he plays this awful
intermediate move, forcing Black to improve his queen position.} ({White is
not so badly off after} 27. Rf3 {, threatening 28 Bh3+ and 29 Nd7, while if}
Rf7 {then} 28. c4 $1 Kb8 (28... Rdf8 29. Bh3+ Kc7 30. c5 $1) 29. Nxd5 Rxf3 30.
Nxb6 Rxd2 31. Na4 Rdxf2 {and Black is "only" better.}) 27... Qc7 28. Rf3 $1 ({
White is in a bad way after} 28. Ng4 e4 {, but at least he doesn't lose more
material.}) 28... Rf7 $4 (28... Qg7 29. Bh3+ Kc7 30. Bg5 Rd6 {wins.}) 29. Bh3+
Kb8 30. Rxe5 Qxe5 31. Bf4 Qxf4 32. Rxf4 Rdf8 33. Nd7+ Kc7 $4 {Yikes! When it
rains, it pours.} (33... Ka8 $1 {is still approximately even.}) 34. Nxf8 (34.
Nxf8 Rxf4 {walks into} 35. Ne6+ {.}) 1-0

[Event "Game 82: British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hughes, H."]
[Black "Richardson, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Bc4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Bf4
$6 Nxd4 $1 9. Nxd4 e5 10. Be3 Nxe3 11. fxe3 exd4 12. exd4 Be6 (12... c6 $1) 13.
Qd3 Bxc4 (13... c5) 14. Qxc4 c6 15. Kh1 $6 Qb6 16. Rad1 Rad8 $6 (16... Qxb2)
17. b3 Qa5 18. Rf3 d5 {It is no good to open the c-file for Black and allow
him to press on the weak c2-pawn.} 19. exd5 cxd5 20. Qc5 Qxc5 21. dxc5 d4 22.
Ne2 Rfe8 23. Nc1 Rc8 24. b4 b6 25. cxb6 $6 (25. Nb3 bxc5 26. bxc5 {offers
White better chances of a successful defence.}) 25... axb6 26. Rf2 Rc4 27. Nd3
Rec8 28. Kg1 $6 (28. a4) 28... Rxc2 29. Rdd2 $2 (29. a4) 29... Rxd2 30. Rxd2
Bh6 31. Rb2 Rc3 32. Ne5 d3 33. Nxd3 Rxd3 34. Kf1 Rd2 0-1

[Event "Game 83: Slovenian Team Ch."]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grilc, A."]
[Black "Mohr, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bg5 Bg7 6. Qd2 {Thanks to this move,
and the fact that White is giving Black ...h7-h6 for free, the bishop no
longer has enough squares to escape.} h6 7. Bf4 g5 8. Bg3 Nh5 9. d5 Nb8 10. Nd4
c5 11. Bb5+ Kf8 $1 {The king is fine here. Black keeps the sensitive f5-square
under control.} 12. Nf5 Bxf5 13. exf5 Qa5 14. Be2 Nxg3 15. hxg3 Nd7 16. O-O c4
17. Rfe1 Rc8 {Mohr has no shortage of ways to improve his position and has
gained the advantage.} 18. Rab1 Rc7 19. Qe3 Bxc3 20. bxc3 Nf6 21. Bxc4 $2 {
White is understandably unhappy with his position, but things are not yet as
desperate as this. There will be no compensation for the piece.} Rxc4 22. Qxe7+
Kg7 23. Qe3 Kf8 24. Qe7+ Kg7 25. Rxb7 Rf8 26. Qxd6 Qxd5 27. Qa6 Rxc3 28. g4
Rxc2 29. Rxa7 Qd4 0-1

[Event "Game 84: Marienbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1925.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Janowski, D."]
[Black "Yates, F."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "1925.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bg5 Nc6 6. Qd2 h6 7. Be3 Ng4 8.
O-O-O ({If the white bishop tries to slip away with} 8. Bf4 {, Black equalizes
immediately with} Nxd4 $1 {.}) 8... Nxe3 9. Qxe3 O-O 10. h3 a6 {With the two
players castled on opposite wings, the race is on.} 11. g4 b5 12. Rg1 Na5 13.
Bd3 c6 14. Ne2 $6 {White is "racing" a little slowly.} (14. e5) ({or} 14. h4 {
is better.}) 14... Nc4 15. Bxc4 bxc4 16. Qc3 a5 17. e5 Qb6 18. exd6 exd6 19.
Ng3 {White is much worse, with no bishops and a weaker attack.} c5 $6 (19...
Rb8) 20. Nf5 $1 cxd4 21. N3xd4 Bxf5 22. gxf5 d5 23. Rg2 $6 Rae8 24. f3 Re7 $6 (
{It is important to prevent 25 Qd2, which allows White to escape the
unpleasant pin and reorganize his defence. Hence} 24... a4 $1 25. a3 Rb8 {,
threatening 26...Rfe8 and 27...Re3.}) 25. Qd2 a4 26. a3 Rb8 27. c3 Reb7 28.
fxg6 fxg6 29. Qc2 g5 30. Qxa4 Qc5 31. Rdd2 Qf8 32. Qa5 Kh8 33. Qxd5 $2 Qxa3 $1
34. Qe4 Qa1+ 35. Qb1 {What's the best move in this position?} Qa4 $2 ({Yates
overlooks the problem-like} 35... Qa8 $3 {, which sets White the unenviable
task of defending against ...Ra7-a1.}) ({In fact Yates didn't play the
second-best move either -} 35... Qa5 {.}) 36. Rge2 Qa5 37. Re3 Bf8 38. Kd1 Qc7
39. Qf5 Ra7 40. Nb5 Ra1+ 41. Kc2 Qh7 42. Qxh7+ Kxh7 43. Nd6 Bxd6 44. Rxd6 Ra2
45. Re7+ Kg8 46. Kd2 Raxb2+ 47. Ke3 Rc2 48. Rdd7 Rxc3+ 49. Ke4 Kf8 50. Rf7+ Kg8
51. Rg7+ Kf8 52. f4 gxf4 53. Rdf7+ Ke8 54. Rc7 Rg3 55. Rh7 Kf8 56. Rh8+ Rg8 57.
Rxh6 Re8+ 58. Kf5 Rg7 59. Rh8+ Rg8 60. Rhh7 Rg1 61. Rh8+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 85: Koszalin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mista, A."]
[Black "Szelag, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nge2 Be7 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 exd4 7. Nxd4 Nc6 8.
Qd2 Nxd4 9. Bxd4 Be6 10. O-O-O c6 11. g4 b5 12. b3 Nd7 13. Rg1 b4 14. Ne2 c5
15. Bb2 Ne5 $6 {Initiating complications that should not work out well for
Black.} (15... Rc8 $5 {was better, with ideas of ...c5-c4.}) 16. Qe3 Qa5 17. f4
c4 18. fxe5 c3 19. Nxc3 bxc3 20. Bxc3 Qxa2 21. exd6 $6 (21. Kd2 $1 Qa3 ({or} 
21... Bxb3 22. Bd3 Bxc2 23. Ra1) 22. Ra1 Qc5 23. Qxc5 dxc5 24. Ke3 {is good
for White.}) 21... Bxd6 22. Bxg7 Ba3+ (22... Rfc8 $1 {was stronger.}) 23. Kd2
Bb4+ 24. Kc1 $4 ({Better is} 24. Bc3 Rfd8+ 25. Ke1 Rxd1+ 26. Kxd1 Rd8+ 27. Ke1
{, when White can still defend.}) 24... f6 25. Bxf6 Rxf6 26. Qd4 Rf2 27. Qb2
Ba3 0-1

[Event "Game 86: Zadar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jakic, I."]
[Black "Mestrovic, Z."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Bg7 7. h4 g4 8. h5 e5
9. d5 Nd4 10. f4 $6 exf4 11. Bh4 $6 c5 12. Qd2 $6 {White's gambit was a poor
choice, as in this position he has no real compensation for the pawn he has
sacrificed.} Qb6 13. O-O-O O-O 14. Qxf4 Nxh5 15. Qd2 Bd7 $2 (15... f5 $1 {is
just good for Black, whereas now White gains time for his attack.}) 16. Bf2 Nf6
17. Bd3 Rfe8 18. Be3 h5 19. Bh6 Re5 20. Rf1 Rae8 21. Qf4 Qd8 22. Nge2 Nxe2+ 23.
Nxe2 c4 24. Ng3 cxd3 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Nxh5+ $4 ({Missing the much stronger} 
26. Rxh5 $1 Rxh5 27. Qxf6+ $1 Qxf6 28. Nxh5+ Kg6 29. Nxf6 {, when White comes
out on top.}) 26... Rxh5 27. Rxh5 Nxh5 28. Qxf7+ Kh6 29. cxd3 Qe7 30. Qf2 Bb5
0-1

[Event "Game 87: Nova Gorica"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zelcic, R."]
[Black "Mestrovic, Z."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Bf2
e5 9. d5 Nd4 {White has been getting very little done, so it is easy to
justify Black's aggression.} 10. Nge2 c5 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Bxd4
c5 $6 (13... Rb8 $1) 14. Bxf6 $6 Qxf6 {When will they ever learn? From now on
White has a severe weak colour complex on the dark squares, and Mestrovic's
play from this point on is impeccable.} 15. Rb1 Be6 16. Be2 Rab8 17. O-O Qf4
18. Kh1 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Rxb1 20. Qxb1 Qe3 21. Bd3 c4 22. Re1 Qd2 23. Bf1 Qxc3 24.
h3 Rd8 25. Qc1 Rb8 26. Re3 Qe5 27. Ra3 Rb2 28. Qd1 $2 a5 29. Qc1 c3 30. Ra4 Qf4
31. Qxf4 gxf4 32. Bc4 Rxc2 33. Bd5 Bxd5 34. exd5 Rb2 35. Rc4 c2 36. Kh2 Rxa2
0-1

[Event "Game 88: Lisbon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gofshtein, L."]
[Black "Mitkov, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. e3 d5 6. Nxd5 Nxd5 7. cxd5 Nb4 8. d3
Nxd5 9. Nf3 Bd6 10. O-O Nf6 11. Qb3 Qe7 12. e4 fxe4 13. dxe4 Qf7 14. Qc3 Qh5
15. Nd2 O-O 16. f3 Bh3 17. Nb3 Rf7 18. Be3 Raf8 19. Qc4 h6 $6 {After this,
White has an edge.} ({It is simpler and better to keep the knight out with} 
19... b6 {.}) 20. Na5 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 g5 $6 (21... b6) 22. h3 Qg6 $2 23. Nxb7 h5
24. Rad1 g4 25. Nxd6 cxd6 26. Rxd6 {. Black has no real counterplay.} 1-0

[Event "Game 89: Las Vegas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ramirez, J."]
[Black "Schuyler, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

{Punishing the doubled c-pawns.} 1. c4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3
Bb4 6. a3 $2 {White greatly overestimates the value of the bishop pair and
half-open b-file, spending a tempo to reach a position Black would happily
play with a tempo less.} Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. Rb1 O-O 9. e3 $2 {White's
previous sins are minor relative to this positional catastrophe (which is
nonetheless an extremely common mistake among amateurs). White's pawn
structure will self-destruct in 5...4...3...2...1...} e4 $1 10. d4 b6 $1 11.
Ne2 Ba6 12. Nf4 Bxc4 13. d5 $2 {A hopeless try at complications.} Ne5 14. Ne6
Qe7 15. Nxf8 Nd3+ 16. Kd2 Qxf8 17. h3 Nxf2 18. Qa4 b5 19. Qa5 Nxh1 20. Bxh1 Qf7
21. Rb2 Qh5 {. White's play was poor, but not uncommon for a club player. That
was how to win.} 0-1

[Event "Game 90: Le Touquet"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Foisor, O."]
[Black "Degraeve, JM."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 f5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. d3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. e3 Bxc3 8. Bxc3
d5 $1 9. Ne2 Be6 10. b3 Qe7 11. a3 Rad8 {Simple chess has brought Black a
small advantage, but this will dissipate unless he takes action now.} 12. Qc2
Bf7 $6 (12... dxc4 13. dxc4 Ne4 $1 {was better.}) 13. O-O Bh5 $6 {This bishop
transfer, typical of the Stonewall Dutch, makes far less sense without a
closed centre.} 14. Rfe1 Qf7 15. Bb2 Kh8 16. Rac1 Rd6 17. b4 dxc4 18. dxc4 Rfd8
19. Bxc6 $2 {Black's pieces are already poised to jump into White's holes
after this ill-conceived trade.} Rxc6 $2 ({After} 19... bxc6 $1 {White doesn't
even get the e-pawn for his trouble, since if} 20. Bxe5 $2 Rd2 {.}) 20. Bxe5
Ng4 21. Red1 Re8 22. Bf4 Nxh2 $5 23. Kxh2 Bf3 24. g4 fxg4 25. Ng3 Qf6 26. Qd3
$4 (26. Kg1 $1 Qh4 27. Kf1 {holds on. The text just loses.}) 26... g5 27. Qd4
gxf4 0-1

[Event "Game 91: San Sebastian"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Iruzubieta Villaluenga, J."]
[Black "Gulko, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. e3 Ne7 8. Nge2
$6 (8. a3) ({or} 8. Nf3 {is preferable.}) 8... c6 9. O-O d6 10. d4 Kh8 11. a3
Ba5 12. b4 Bc7 13. d5 Bd7 14. a4 Qe8 {Black is already better.} 15. dxc6 Bxc6
16. e4 Rc8 17. Be3 Bxe4 18. Bxe4 $6 Nxe4 $2 ({After} 18... fxe4 {, Black keeps
his pawn, and with it a large advantage.}) 19. Nxe4 fxe4 20. Nc3 Bb8 21. Nxe4
Qc6 22. Nd2 Nf5 23. Qe2 Bc7 24. b5 Qd7 25. Bxa7 b6 $2 26. a5 bxa5 27. b6 Nd4
28. Qe4 Nc6 29. bxc7 $6 Nxa7 30. Rxa5 Nc6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Game 92: Cannes"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spiridonov, N."]
[Black "Spraggett, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 f5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. e3 f4 {This is
not the best, but it is aggressive and sound.} 8. Nf3 ({If} 8. exf4 exf4 9.
Bxf4 {, Black gets good play with} d5 $1 {.}) 8... Qe8 9. O-O Bxc3 10. Bxc3 d6
11. exf4 exf4 12. d4 Qh5 13. d5 Ne7 14. Nd4 Bg4 15. f3 Bd7 16. Re1 Ng6 17. Ne6
Bxe6 18. Rxe6 fxg3 19. hxg3 Qg5 20. Qe1 h5 21. Kh2 h4 22. gxh4 Nxh4 23. Qg3 Qh6
24. Kg1 Nf5 25. Qh3 Qg5 26. Rae1 Rf7 27. R1e2 Raf8 28. Bd2 Qg6 29. Kh2 $6 (29.
R2e4) 29... Nd4 30. Bc3 $2 (30. R2e4) 30... Nxe2 31. Rxe2 Qd3 32. Rd2 Qh7 33.
Bd4 b6 34. b4 Re7 35. c5 $2 Nh5 36. cxd6 cxd6 37. Kg1 Qb1+ 38. Bf1 Nf4 39. Qh2
Rf5 0-1

[Event "Game 93: Lugano"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bruno, F."]
[Black "Kurajica, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Bg2 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. Nf3 d6 (7... e4
$1) 8. a3 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Qe8 10. O-O Qh5 11. Qd2 f4 12. gxf4 h6 ({Otherwise
White will play} 12... -- 13. fxe5 dxe5 14. Qg5 {, and there is no attack.})
13. fxe5 dxe5 14. d4 Bh3 15. dxe5 $6 {Black's aggression usually pays
dividends, but it is not without risk.} ({Even at this late stage, White can
escape to a good position with} 15. Bxh3 Qxh3 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 Ng4 ({or} 
17... Rad8 18. Qf4 {and 19 Qg3}) 18. Qd5+ Rf7 19. Qg2 {.}) 15... Rad8 16. Qf4
Bxg2 17. Kxg2 $6 (17. exf6 $1) 17... Nd5 18. Qc1 $4 {White is worse now,} ({
but he survives after} 18. Qh4 {.}) 18... Nf4+ 0-1

[Event "Game 94: Andorra"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sher, M."]
[Black "Spraggett, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 f5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. d3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. Nf3 d6 8. O-O
Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Qe8 10. e3 Bd7 ({Black, who is down a tempo on the previous game,
is not ready for} 10... f4 $6 {.}) ({Instead,} 10... e4 11. dxe4 Nxe4 {is fine
for Black, but this is not why a player like Spraggett plays the reversed
Grand Prix Attack.}) 11. Rc1 Kh8 12. b4 Nd8 13. b5 Rb8 14. a4 Ne6 15. Nd2 f4 $1
16. exf4 exf4 17. Bxf6 {Removing one of Black's most dangerous attacking
pieces, but pulling his rook into the action. Besides, that was a very good
bishop!} Rxf6 18. Ne4 Rh6 19. d4 Qg6 20. Re1 Rf8 21. Rc3 b6 22. Rd3 Bc8 23. a5
Rh5 24. Bf3 Rh6 25. axb6 axb6 {According to Houdini, White has been at least a
little better the whole time, but that doesn't take into consideration the
difficulty and fatigue of defence. White makes a move he certainly wouldn't
have made if he were fresh - but he isn't fresh, and that is no accident.} 26.
Qe2 $4 fxg3 27. fxg3 Nf4 28. Qd2 Nxd3 29. Qxd3 Bg4 30. Bg2 Qh5 31. h4 Re6 32.
Rf1 Rxf1+ 33. Qxf1 Qf5 34. Qa1 Re8 35. Qa7 Bf3 0-1

[Event "Game 95: World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bu Xiangzhi"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O e5 5. d3 Nc6 6. c4 dxc4 7. dxc4 Qxd1 8.
Rxd1 e4 9. Nfd2 $6 (9. Ng5) 9... f5 10. Nc3 Be6 11. Nd5 $2 O-O-O {This is just
awful for White, who can't activate any of his pieces. He soon pitches a pawn
to free himself, but there is no compensation for this sacrifice.} 12. Nb3 Nf6
13. Bg5 Bxd5 14. cxd5 Rxd5 15. f3 exf3 16. Rxd5 Nxd5 17. Bxf3 Ndb4 18. Kf1 Re8
19. Nc5 Bd4 20. a3 Bxc5 21. axb4 Nxb4 22. g4 Nc2 23. Ra5 Be3 24. gxf5 Bxg5 25.
fxg6 Ne3+ 26. Kg1 h6 27. Rxa7 c6 28. g7 Kc7 29. Ra4 Rg8 0-1

[Event "Game 96: Bern"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Arakhamia Grant, K."]
[Black "Raetsky, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O e5 5. d3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Nge7 7. e4 O-O 8. c3
a5 9. a4 h6 10. Re1 Be6 11. exd5 Bxd5 $1 12. Qc2 ({Black prevents the active} 
12. Nc4 {because of} e4 {, exploiting the vulnerable situation of the white
knight at c4.}) 12... f5 13. b3 Qd7 14. Ba3 Rfe8 15. Rad1 g5 16. Nc4 Ng6 17.
Ne3 Bf7 18. d4 e4 19. Nd2 h5 20. f3 f4 21. Nec4 fxg3 22. hxg3 exf3 23. Nxf3 Qg4
24. Ne3 Rxe3 25. Rxe3 Qxg3 26. Qf2 Qxf2+ 27. Kxf2 g4 28. Ng5 Bh6 29. Nxf7 Bxe3+
30. Kxe3 Kxf7 31. Rf1+ Kg7 32. Bd5 Re8+ 33. Kd3 Nd8 34. Rf5 c6 35. Be4 Ne6 36.
c4 $4 Nef4+ 37. Ke3 Ng2+ 38. Kd3 Ne1+ 39. Ke3 Nc2+ 40. Kd3 Nxa3 0-1

[Event "Game 97: San Francisco"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Frias Pablaza, V."]
[Black "Baburin, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A07"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 e5 5. O-O Ne7 6. e4 O-O 7. Nbd2 Nbc6 8. c3
a5 9. a4 h6 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nc4 Bf5 12. Re1 Re8 13. Nh4 Be6 14. Bd2 Qd7 15.
Qb3 Nde7 16. Bf1 Rad8 17. Rad1 b6 18. Bc1 g5 19. Ng2 Bg4 20. Be2 Bxe2 21. Rxe2
Nf5 22. Ree1 $4 {Black is already better, but this allows a winning shot as
Black quickly exploits the weakened White kingside.} Nfd4 $1 23. cxd4 Nxd4 24.
Qa2 Nf3+ 25. Kf1 (25. Kh1 $2 Qh3) 25... Nxh2+ 26. Kg1 Nf3+ 27. Kf1 Qh3 28. Nce3
Nd4 29. Kg1 Re6 30. b3 Red6 31. Bb2 Nf3+ 32. Kf1 e4 33. dxe4 Rd2 34. Rxd2 Rxd2
0-1

[Event "Game 98: Nova Gorica"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Capaliku, A."]
[Black "Gombac, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. f4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. e3 d6 4. d4 Nd7 5. Bd3 e5 6. c3 Qe7 7. e4 Ngf6 8. fxe5
dxe5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 c5 12. Nbd2 $6 (12. d5 c4 13. Bc2 Qd6 {is
best, though this is not a problem for Black.}) 12... cxd4 13. cxd4 exd4 14.
Nxd4 $6 Ne5 15. Bc2 Rd8 16. N4b3 $6 (16. N2b3) 16... Be6 $6 ({White is in
trouble, but} 16... a5 $1 {is stronger; e.g.} 17. a4 b6 {and 18...Ba6.}) 17.
Qe2 Rac8 18. Rac1 Bg4 19. Qf2 g5 20. Bg3 Nh5 {I sense a dark-square
catastrophe on the horizon for White.} 21. Kh1 Nxg3+ 22. Qxg3 a5 $1 23. Nf3
Bxf3 24. gxf3 Ng6 25. Nxa5 Rd2 26. Bb3 Rxc1 27. Rxc1 Be5 28. Qe1 Rxh2+ 29. Kg1
Nh4 30. Qe3 Bd4 31. Rc8+ Kh7 32. Rh8+ Kg6 33. Rg8+ Kh5 34. Qxd4 Nxf3+ 0-1

[Event "Game 99: European Ch., Rijeka"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spichkin, A."]
[Black "Reinderman, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. f4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. e3 d6 4. d4 Nd7 5. Bc4 e6 {It is most important to
blunt the bishop.} 6. O-O Ne7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Bb3 c5 9. Qe2 d5 {White's
light-squared bishop is now both passive and in danger.} 10. a4 b6 11. Rd1 Bb7
12. Bd2 a6 13. Be1 Nf5 14. Bf2 Qc7 15. g3 $6 Nd6 16. h4 c4 17. Ba2 b5 18. h5 b4
19. Nb1 Nb6 $6 (19... a5 $1) 20. hxg6 fxg6 21. a5 Na4 22. c3 bxc3 $6 23. Nxc3
Nxc3 24. bxc3 Rab8 25. Bb1 {White, who was practically lost, is now back in
the game.} Bc8 26. Ng5 $6 Bf6 27. Nf3 Rb5 28. Qa2 Bd8 29. Bc2 Rxa5 30. Qb1 Rxa1
31. Qxa1 Nb5 32. Ba4 Be7 33. Be1 Bd7 34. Ne5 Be8 35. Rc1 Bd6 36. Nf3 h6 37. Bc2
Na3 {. Did White's flag fall? Black hasn't made any progress on the board
since winning the a-pawn.} 0-1

[Event "Game 100: Helsingor"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Auchenberg, P."]
[Black "Christensen, To"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A02"]
[Annotator "James Schuyler"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.02.01"]

1. f4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O e6 6. d3 d6 7. e4 Ne7 8. Qe2 Nd7
9. Nbd2 O-O 10. g4 c5 {Black has actually gained the advantage with his simple
development scheme. White's plan to attack on the kingside is slow.} 11. Rf2
Qc7 12. Nf1 c4 13. Ng3 cxd3 14. cxd3 {Black needs to start using the c-file as
soon as possible. His next few moves do not work towards that, and he starts
drifting.} Ba6 $6 15. Be3 Nc5 16. Rc1 Qd7 17. Ne1 Nc6 18. Qd2 Bd4 $6 19. Bxd4
Nxd4 20. Qb4 $2 (20. f5 $1) 20... e5 21. Bf1 $2 Qxg4 22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Rg2 Qf4
24. Qd2 Qxd2 25. Rxd2 Rac8 26. Rcd1 Nce6 27. Bh3 f5 28. exf5 gxf5 29. Kf2 Nf4
30. Bf1 h5 31. h4 Kh8 32. Ng2 $2 Nde6 $2 (32... Nh3+ $1) 33. Ne3 Ng7 34. Be2
Rcd8 35. Bf1 Rd4 36. Nc2 Rd6 37. Nb4 Bb7 38. Nc2 Rfd8 39. Nb4 Rd4 40. Nc2 R4d6
41. Nb4 a5 42. Nc2 Ng6 0-1

