Scrapping on opening after over 20 years

All Things Chess
1

Back in the days, Informants were the books of record in international chess. Rosenthalis annotated a win with black in the Najdorf:

  1. e4, c5 2. Nf3, d6 3. d4, cd 4. Nd4, Nf6 5. Nc3, a6 6. a4, d5!?

Rosenthalis’ game, and every game I played in over twenty years continued with the tactical:

  1. e5, Nfd7 8. e6, Nf6 9. ef, Kf7.

Black seems to have compensation with the only center pawns, even though he can’t castle immediately. In all these years, I only lost twice. Once was against IM Sherazi.

Well, a few weeks ago, I played a fellow 2000 player, who sat a long time after 6…d5. The game continued: 7. ed, Nd5 8.Bc4!

A very different position, but extremely logical! Keep the position open, where White has a big lead in development. I couldn’t come up with a plan to catch up in development and lost. True, I have no experience in this exact position, but neither did my opponent.

Many lessons can be made from this experience. It is all how you look at it.

Any suggestions?

All the best, Joe

2

I don’t know that opening, but there are a few good online sites for looking up opening theory, to see if those exact moves have been played by GM’s, and how they handled the situation. Check out 365chess.com and chesslab.com, for starters.

3

8…Nxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.Qe2 (what else?) 10…e6 with dynamic equality for Black. (Pray you don’t get mated.)

4
  1. Qf3 might be possible. 9…Qd4, 10. Bf7 Kd8, 11. bc. I don’t know. Ask Rybka.
5

Wow: you’re right. Even if Black winds up being better via perfect play, this is totally unappetizing.

[Event “?”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “???.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Najdorf Sicilian 6.a4 d5!?”]
[Black “variation 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Bc4!?”]
[Result “*”]
[ECO “B90”]
[Annotator “noodling with Rybka 3”]
[PlyCount “61”]
[EventDate “2010.06.15”]
[SourceDate “2010.06.15”]

  1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8.
    Bc4 Nxc3 9. Qf3 Qxd4 10. Bxf7+ Kd8 11. bxc3 Qf6 (11… Qe5+ 12. Be3 e6 13.
    O-O-O+ Ke7 (13… Bd7 14. Qxb7 Ke7 15. Bh5 $1 (15. Qxa8 Kxf7 16. Rd4 Ba3+ 17.
    Kd2 Rd8) 15… Qxh5 16. Qxa8 Kf7 17. Kb1 Qe5 18. Ba7 Be7)) (11… Qg4 12. Qd5+
    Qd7 13. Qb3 Nc6 14. O-O Kc7 15. Bf4+ e5 16. Be3 Kb8 17. Rad1 Qc7 18. Bb6 Qe7
  2. Qc4) 12. Qd5+ Kc7 13. O-O (13. Qc4+ Nc6 14. Bd5 Bf5 15. Be3 Rd8 16. Bxc6
    Qxc6 17. Qf4+ e5 18. Qxf5 Qxc3+ 19. Ke2 Qc4+ $19) 13… Nc6 14. Qc4 Bf5 15. Bd5
    e6 (15… e5 16. f4 Qd6 17. Be3 Re8 18. Rfd1 Kc8 19. Bf7 Qe7 20. Bxe8 Qxe8 21.
    Bb6 Kb8 22. fxe5 g6 23. Rab1) 16. Bf4+ e5 17. Be3 Rd8 18. Rab1 Rd6 19. Qc5 Rd7
  3. Rxb7+ Kc8 21. Qc4 Rxd5 22. Rb6 Rd6 23. Qxa6+ Kd7 24. Bc5 Re6 25. Qa8 Nd8
  4. Rd1+ Ke8 27. Rb8 Bd6 28. Qd5 Bxc2 29. Rd2 Kf7 30. Bxd6 Bxa4 31. Bc7 *