Category Archives: annotated game

Smashing the Finegold Defense to the Smith-Morra

Posted on April 13, 2010 by

Continuing our series on the Smith-Morra Gambit, we consider the Finegold Defense as shown in the game Esserman – Finegold, ICC 2006.  The Finegold Defense (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 d6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.0-0 Be7 8 … Continue reading →

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USATE 2010, Round 1

Posted on February 14, 2010 by

  Vicary – MasseyBlack to play.   Stoyko-KatzWhite to play and win.   Moore – GoellerBlack to play and win a pawn. I got to meet the lovely Elizabeth Vicary (whose chess coaching at Brooklyn’s IS 318 I’ve long admired) … Continue reading →

Posted in annotated game, usate 2010 | 1 Comment

Gelfand – Nakamura, Bursa 2010

Posted on January 12, 2010 by

Gelfand and Nakamura Post Mortem The internet response to the game Gelfand – Nakamura, 7th World Team Championship, Bursa Turkey 2010, has been almost electric. It is a game with all of the bells and whistles typical of a brilliancy, … Continue reading →

Posted in annotated game, bibliography, nakamura | 4 Comments

Thomson – Stoyko, Kenilworth 2010

Posted on January 10, 2010 by

Thomson – Stoyko, Kenilworth 2010 White to play and draw. I have annotated the game Thomson – Stoyko, Garden State Chess League 2010, played Thursday night at the Kenilworth Chess Club in the match between Summit and Kenilworth.  Steve Stoyko … Continue reading →

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Friedel’s Fritz-Ulvestad Wins Again

Posted on December 30, 2009 by

MacKinnon – Friedel, Edmonton 2009 Black to Play and Win I have annotated the game MacKinnon – Friedel, Edmonton International Tournament 2009, where GM Josh Friedel continued his winning ways with the Two Knights Defense, Fritz-Ulvestad Variation (5….b5), to which … Continue reading →

Posted in annotated game, opening analysis | 7 Comments

Karjakin – Gelfand, World Cup 2009

Posted on December 7, 2009 by

Karjakin – GelfandPosition after 11….Ra6! It has been hard to follow the FIDE World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk Siberia (see games at Chessgames.com), which seems like a chaotic awards show, with loads of great stars making only cameo appearances and very … Continue reading →

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The Hybrid Zukertort Retort

Posted on December 2, 2009 by

I have posted analysis of what I call The Hybrid Zukertort Retort (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Nbd7 6.O-O Bd6 7.Bb2 Qc7!?), which is a surprisingly playable Black system against the Colle-Zukertort. I analyzed the line … Continue reading →

Posted in annotated game, opening analysis, rudel, zuke em | 3 Comments

Pseudo-Steinitz Two Knights French

Posted on November 24, 2009 by

There is a wonderful lecture series by GM Ronen Har-Zvi at ICC on what he calls the “Pseudo-Steinitz Variation of the French,” where Black plays 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Ne4!? to mess up White’s plans, with one … Continue reading →

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Marshall’s Italian Legacy of d7-d5

Posted on November 9, 2009 by

Frank James Marshall was known for his risky and uncompromising opening play, especially in the Open Games, where he often insisted on playing an early d7-d5 push as Black even if it meant playing a gambit. His legacy continues to … Continue reading →

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GM Josh Friedel Plays the Ulvestad

Posted on November 1, 2009 by

I have annotated two games with the Ulvestad Variation of the Two Knights Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5). You can also download the PGN. The first is a game of GM Josh Friedel’s from … Continue reading →

Posted in annotated game, opening analysis | 6 Comments