The Chess Mind

His performance wasn't up to what chess fans might have expected, based on his rating and recent successes, but Levon Aronian more than made up for his indifferent result by displaying an astonishing array of antique, (allegedly) second-rate and just plain bizarre opening variations. Not only that, but he performed quite well with them, too!

Click here and be inspired.

Brilliant and mediocre?

Anand's 8th move - though unfortunately not his invention - offered a brilliant solution to a perennial problem in the TMB (Tartakower-Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Variation of the QGD (Queen's Gambit Declined). The logic is impeccable and the solution is ingenious. The only problem is that Black can equalize - painlessly - with the correct rejoinder.

Click here for the explanation and details.

My friend Alex Herrera has long been interested in the Moller Gambit in the Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3!?), and while it has long had a dodgy reputation, as the Brits are wont to say, Alex has kept his eyes open and found some new ideas.

One important very interesting and important idea of his is presented and discussed in Tim Harding's current Chess Cafe column, entitled "The Giuoco Piano Revisited". You can find that here, while Alex's contribution can be replayed here. (I offer some comments therein, to the 18...Qc7(!) variation, prefaced with "DM". In particular, I think that after 18...Qc7 19.Bd3 d5 20.h3, Black should prefer 20...Kf8 rather than 20...g6, when as far as I can tell Black will consolidate with an extra pawn.)

The variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 d6 9.f3 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 b5 12.h4 a5 13.h5 is one I've taken a close look at in at least four earlier posts (the most recent one is here; you can find the earlier links therein), and it seems time for another one.

The occasion is a recent game from the Russian U-20 championships in Cheboksary, and as it features a line not too closely examined in the earlier posts, it's worth a look, if only for the sake of filling out the theoretical picture: click here for Nepomniachtchi-Savchenko.

No norms or big prizes were at stake in this last round game from the US Championship, but this 13-mover is worthy of attention just the same. Alex Lenderman is a fan of tricky openings, and his 1.Nc3 fits into this category. Irina Zenyuk made natural moves, and yet after her very natural sixth move, she may have already found herself in a lost position!

How is this possible? Have a look, here.