The Instructor

Opening Catastrophes
How does a strong player come to lose in just 18 moves? I
should know, because I have lost several games just as
quickly. If you want to lose a miniature, then here are three
helpful tips. First of all, it is a big help if you are Black.
Losing in under 20 moves with White requires a special
talent which few possess. Secondly, choose a provocative
opening in which you try to realise strategic ambitions, but
at the cost of backward development and delayed castling.
Thirdly, if something goes slightly wrong, dont reconcile
yourself to defending a bad position - seek a tactical
The Instructor solution instead! Dont worry about the fact that tactics are
bound to favour the better developed side; just go ahead
Mark Dvoretsky anyway. Follow this advice and at least you will get home
early. John Nunns Best Games

The Chess Cafe In the games we shall now examine, Black was the winner; so Doctor
E-mail Newsletter Nunns first recipe was not exploited here. However, the other two
Each week, as a service to recipes were carried out in exemplary fashion.
thousands of our readers, we send
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to it! And, we do not make this list 1. e2-e4 g7-g6 2. d2-d4 Bf8-g7 3. Nb1-c3 c7-c6 4. Ng1-
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e2?! d7-d5
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On 4...d6 5 g3, with Bg2 and 0-0 to follow, White
develops his pieces harmoniously.
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5. e4-e5

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Why did Sergei Makarychev

develop his knight to e2?
With this pawn structure,
sooner or later Black will
have to play e7-e6. But first,
he must bring out the bishop
at c8 - this piece has no
Order future otherwise. If Whites
School of Chess Excellence, knight stood on f3, Black
Volume 2: would continue 5...Bg4! On 4
Tactical Play f4 d5 5 e5, Black has a choice between 5...h5 6 Be3 Nh6
by Mark Dvoretsky 7 Nf3 Bg4 8 Be2 e6 and 5...Nh6 6 Be2 f6 7 Nf3 Bg4 8
Be3 e6. In either case, he successfully resolves the
problem of his light-squared bishop (which of course
does not mean he solves all of his opening problems -
White still maintains an impressive space advantage).

But with the knight on e2, the bishop has nowhere to go -

it will not feel comfortable on f5, nor on g4.

Nevertheless, all of this is achieved at too high a price (in

the spirit of Nunns second bit of advice!) In order to
frustrate his opponents plan, White has simultaneously
violated two of the basic opening principles (quick
development and fighting for the center). His knight
stands in the way of his bishop, and it also fails to
control the central square e5. That is the place where
Black immediately takes aim.

5f7-f6! 6. Bc1-f4?

White is consistent: he does not want to play f2-f4,

which would give the enemy bishop access to g4 and f5.
But he still should have supported e5 with a pawn,
because there are no longer enough pieces to do the job -
one result of the knights unfortunate development to e2.

6...Nb8-d7

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Since White can neither defend his e-pawn nor advance

it (7 e6? Nf8), it must be exchanged at f6, giving up the
center and aiding the development of Blacks pieces.

7. e5xf6

Note that the e-pawn made three moves and then

disappeared from the board - this means that the tempi
used to advance it have been wasted. Nimzovich used to
call such pawns (and pieces) tempo-devourers.

7...Ng8xf6 8. Qd1-d2 0-0 9. Ne2-g3

One can understand Makarychevs desire to develop his

kingside pieces as quickly as he can. But still, he should
have waited a little longer - 9 f3!? first was better, in
order to cover the important squares g4 and e4.

9...e7-e5!

With a lead in development, one must open the game

energetically.

10. d4xe5 Nf6-g4 11. Bf1-e2

How does Black continue?

The tempting 11...Nxf2? fails
to 12 0-0! (or 12 Rf1!). The
most natural move would be
11...Ndxe5, when White
cannot castle either way (12
0-0? Nxh2!). Of course,
Black must reckon with 12
f3, after which his knight has
no comfortable retreat. But
Blacks position is so strong, that he has every right to
proceed with material sacrifices .

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11...Nd7xe5! 12. f2-f3?!

And now Makarychev follows Nunns third

recommendation: bravely marching forward, into the
tactical melee. On the other hand, by now its hard to
recommend anything. On 12 h3, the simplest way of
maintaining Blacks advantage is 12...Qf6!? Nor is the
sharper 12...Nxf2 bad, considering lines like 13 Rf1 d4!?
or 13 0-0 Nxh3+!? 14 gh Bxh3 15 Rf2 Qh4.

Perhaps Whites best course was to give a testimonium

paupertatis (testament of poverty), in Alekhines
trenchant phrase, with 12 Nd1. But here too, Whites
position is not to be envied.

12...Rf8xf4! 13. Qd2xf4 Bg7-h6

13...Qb6 would have been much weaker, in view of 14

Nd1!

14. Qf4-a4

It seemed to me that 14 Qd4 Be3 15 Qa4 (the bishop is a threat on e3, but
the knight would be still worse) would have been a little harder to deal
with. Black would have continued his attack by 15...Bf2+ 16 Kf1 Qh4 17
fg Bxg3. Later it was discovered that even with the queen on d4, Black
could play 14...Ne3!!, and if 15 Qxe5, then 15...Bf4! and the queen has
no retreat.

14...Ng4-e3 15. Nc3-d1

Also hopeless was 15 Kf2 Qb6. Now, before taking the

g2-pawn, its important to secure the b6 square for the
queen.

15...b7-b5! 16. Qa4-b3 Ne3xg2+ 17. Ke1-f2 Bc8-h3

White resigned, as he is defenseless against the threat of

18...Qb6+. If 18 Nf1, then 18...Qh4+.

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Csom Dolmatov Frunze, 1983

1. c2-c4 c7-c6 2. Ng1-f3 d7-d5 3. b2-b3 Ng8-f6 4. Qd1-

c2 e7-e6 5. Bc1-b2 Nb8-d7

6. d2-d4?!

Why does Istvan Csom postpone the development of his

light-squared bishop? First he wants to see where the
enemy bishop will be developed. In reply to 6...Be7 there
would follow 7 e3 and 8 Bd3. But if 6...Bd6 (with the
idea of quickly preparing for e6-e5: 7 e3 0-0 8 Bd3 Re8),
White would fianchetto his bishop, and after 7 g3 0-0 8
Bg2 Re8 9 0-0, the move e6-e5 loses much of its force.

Having guessed his opponents strategic plan, Sergei

Dolmatov changes the course of the battle.

6...Nf6-e4!

Every chessplayer must have an understanding of the

basic ideas of every opening - not just the ones included
in his own opening repertoire - because sometimes,
positions occur which are not at all typical of the
opening he started out playing. Thats what happens
here: after 7 e3 f5, we get a version of the Stonewall
Dutch that favors Black. The Hungarian GM, not
wanting to play that sort of position, fianchettoes his
bishop.

7. g2-g3?! Bf8-b4+ 8. Nb1-d2?

White does not yet sense the danger. Of course, 8 Nc3?

Qa5 9 Rc1 Qxa2 was bad; but he had to reply 8 Nfd2.

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Dolmatovs next strong move

sets his opponent insoluble
problems. Its amazing how
quickly Whites apparently
solid position goes critical.

8...Qd8-f6!

The threat is 9...Bxd2+ 10

Nxd2 Qxf2 mate.

9. Ra1-d1

Csom gives up the exchange. The alternative was the

pitiful 9 Bc1, which would be met by 9...e5 10 Bg2 ed 11
0-0 Ndc5.

9...Bb4xd2+ 10. Rd1xd2 Ne4xd2 11. Qc2xd2 0-0

White managed to make use of some inaccuracies from his opponent

later on to drag out the game, but he could not save it.

In the games we have looked at so far, Whites

unfortunate opening play was refuted by comparatively
simple means. In the next game, played recently, Black
had to resort to a series of spectacular sacrifices.

Macieja Ivanchuk Moscow wch 2001 (rapid)

1. e2-e4 e7-e6 2. d2-d4 d7-d5 3. Nb1-c3 Ng8-f6 4. e4-e5

Nf6-d7 5. Nc3-e2 c7-c5 6. f2-f4 Nb8-c6 7. c2-c3 Bf8-e7
8. Ng1-f3 0-0 9. a2-a3

Heres an entertaining game (Berkvens - Hummel,

Hoogoven 2000): 9 h4 f6 10 a3 a5 11 Ng3 b6 12 Bd3
Ba6 13 Bxh7+ Kxh7 14 Ng5+ Kg8 (14...fg? 15 hg+ Kg8
16 Rh8+! Kxh8 17 Qh5+ Kg8 18 g6 and wins) 15 Nxe6
Qe8 16 Qg4 Qf7 17 Nf5 Kh8 18 Nxf8 Bxf8 19 h5 fe 20
Qg6 Qe8!? 21 de Bd3 22 Qxc6 Bxf5 23 Qxd5 Nf6 24

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Qf3 Rd8 25 Be3 Rd3 26 Rh4? (26 Qe2 Nd5, with

initiative) 26...Nd5. White resigned.

9...a7-a5 10. h2-h4

The earlier move was 10 Ng3.

10...f7-f6 11. Ne2-g1?!

11 Ng3 would have led to a position from the above-

cited game. By going to g1, the knight forestalls the
typical idea of the exchange sacrifice at f3; however, this
puts White far behind in development, which is
energetically exploited by Ivanchuk.

11...c5xd4 12. c3xd4 Qd8-b6 13. Bf1-d3 f6xe5 14.

f4xe5

An instructive evaluation of a
similar position from this
same variation of the French
Defense was given by the
master A. Kosikov in
Dvoretsky and Yusupovs
book, Opening Preparation:

Black has a strange clump

of pieces on the queenside
(Qb6, Nd7, Bc8, Ra8), which get in the way of each
others development. One could, of course, continue
11...Qc7, intending Nb6 and Bd7; but in that time, White
could also complete his development; and then his
advantage in space would have a major influence on the
rest of the game.

But lets look at this situation from a different point of

view. Well or ill, but Black has now gotten four of his
pieces developed; meanwhile, his opponent has only

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developed his bishop and his knight - and that piece

takes away the best square f3 from the other knight. Plus,
its Blacks move. Blacks sizable lead in development is
obvious. Its well known that this is not a very important
factor in closed positions. So Black must open the game
by clearing away the pawn barricades.

14...Nd7xe5! 15. d4xe5 Nc6xe5 16. Bd3-c2

Black is also better after 16 Bb1 Bd7 17 Qc2 Ng6 18 h5

Rac8.

16...Bc8-d7 17. Qd1-e2 Ra8-c8!

The most energetic. After 18 Nxe5 Bxh4+, we have the

following pretty variations:

19 Rxh4 Rxc2!, and wins; 19 Kd1 Bxa4! (19...Qd4+ 20

Nd3 is inferior) 20 Bxa4 Qd4+ 21 Nd3 Qxa4+ wins; 19
Kd2 Qd4+ 20 Qd3 (20 Bd3 Ba4! wins) 20...Rf2+ 21 Ne2
Rxe2+! 22 Kxe2 Bb5! wins.

18. Bc2xh7+ Kg8xh7 19. Qe2xe5

19 Nxe5 Bb5 wins.

19...Be7-d6 20. Bc1-e3?

White overlooks his opponents powerful 21st move. But

even after 20 Qh5+ Kg8 21 Ne2 e5, Blacks initiative
more than compensates for the sacrificed material.

20...Qb6-b3 21. Nf3-d2

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21...Rf8-f1+!! 22. Ke1xf1

Qb3-d3+ 23. Kf1-f2
Bd6xe5 24. Ng1xf3
Be5xb2 25. Ra1-b1 Rc8-
c2 26. Rh1-d1 e6-e5 27.
g2-g3 Bd7-g4 White
resigned.

Copyright 2002 Mark Dvoretsky. All rights reserved.

Translated by Jim Marfia

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