Openings maverick Zvjaginsev up to his usual tricks
Russian GM Vadim Zvjaginsev is one of those players one should always keep an eye out for. Not only is he a very strong grandmaster (current rating: 2674, peak of 2680), he's also one of the most creative, experimentally-minded players of our age. His most famous experiment is his anti-Sicilian line 1.e4 c5 2.Na3!?*, but for Zvjaginsev, the road less traveled is a way of life.
His latest abominations against routine come from the just-completed Russian Cup, where he lost in the finals 1.5-.5 to Artyom Timofeev. In the semi-finals, against Tomashevsky, he trotted out the hoary old King's Gambit, while against Timofeev in the finals it was time for the Schliemann. Of course neither of those choices is as rare as his patented 2.Na3, but they're still both extremely rare at elite levels.
Have a look.
* Those interested in checking out the 2.Na3!? Anti-Sicilian can have a look at these posts and the game links therein: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
His latest abominations against routine come from the just-completed Russian Cup, where he lost in the finals 1.5-.5 to Artyom Timofeev. In the semi-finals, against Tomashevsky, he trotted out the hoary old King's Gambit, while against Timofeev in the finals it was time for the Schliemann. Of course neither of those choices is as rare as his patented 2.Na3, but they're still both extremely rare at elite levels.
Have a look.
* Those interested in checking out the 2.Na3!? Anti-Sicilian can have a look at these posts and the game links therein: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.