Chess - The Scotsman 13/10/12

I always admire smart-thinking people who manage to play in such a way that even their most-prepared opponents – armed with lots of pre-game analysis using a computer – still do not catch out the really clever players who choose openings which depend much more on skill and understanding than on memory and knowledge of long, sharp variations.

One opening which, in my opinion, largely (though not always!) defies computer analysis is the Scandinavian Defence. With 1 e4 d5, Black’s dynamic d-pawn is effectively saying to White, “Let’s play a free, open game! Beyond that, you can’t be sure what will happen!”

In life, many people have given their lives in fighting for freedom. In chess, too, freedom is to be treasured. I loved Black’s free, active piece-play right from the start of the following game played at the 2010 Seville Open tournament.

White: I Starostits; Black: H Hamdouchi. Opening: Scandinavian Defence

1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nf3 c6 6 Bd2 Bf5 7 Ne4 Development with 7 Bc4 is generally considered to be the “main line” here. Other options include 7 Ne5 Nbd7, but in response to the overaggressive 8 g4?!, Black was already better after the simple 8…Be6 in the super-GM clash E Sutovsky-L van Wely at the recent Istanbul Olympiad. 7…Qb6 8 Nxf6+ gxf6 It’s interesting here to make a comparison between different openings and observe that Black has achieved a very good version of the Caro-Kann line 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nf6 5 Nxf6+ gxf6, because in the current game White’s Bd2 does not fit in well and, indeed, it even leaves the b2-pawn requiring protection. 9 b4 Rg8! This simple but effective and active move hinders the development of White’s king’s bishop. 10 Rb1?! By contrast, this awkward-looking rook move lacks real purpose, and instead White should probably have preferred 10 a4 or 10 g3. 10…Nd7 11 Rb3 The rook continues to use very precious time that White can ill afford. 11…e5 12 Be3?! Another dubious choice. Black is naturally going to avoid 12…Bxb4+?? 13 c3 and of course he’ll see that White is now threatening 13 dxe5, but later White’s b4-pawn will feel the reduced protection with no bishop on d2. 12…Qc7 13 dxe5 Be6 14 c4 0-0-0 Threatening a discovered attack with …Nc5. 15 Qc2 Nxe5 16 Nxe5 16 Nd4 Ng4! is also good for Black, and 16 Qxh7? Nxf3+ 17 gxf3 Bxb4+ (or 17…f5!) 18 Rxb4 Qa5 19 Qb1 c5 20 Bxc5 Qxc5 is so terrible for White that he may wish to end it all with 21 Rxb7 Qe5+ 22 Be2 Qc3+ 23 Kf1 Bh3 mate. 16…Qxe5 17 f4? Under enormous pressure, White collapses. 17…Bxb4+! 18 Kf2 Qa5 Black is already in a winning position, a pawn up and threatening …Bc5. White now sacrifices in desperation. 19 Rxb4 Qxb4 20 Be2 Qa5 21 Qxh7 Qxa2 22 Rc1 Rxg2+ 23 Kxg2 Qxe2+ 24 Bf2 Qg4+ 25 Kh1 Bxc4 Not less deadly than 25…Bf5. 26 Bg3 Rd1+ 27 White resigned, in view of 27 Rxd1 Qxd1+ 28 Kg2 Qf1 mate.