Download PGN of February ’23 KID games
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Karpov System 6.Be3 c5 7.e5 dxe5 [E73]
The first game, Andreikin, D - Theodorou, N was in a rare variation of the Karpov System. White advanced with 7.e5 but later Black tried to open his position with 10...f6:
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It led to some initiative for White but Black gave the pawn back and managed to defend. In the end there was a repetition and a draw.
Averbakh Variation 6.Bg5 Na6 7.Qd2 e5 8.d5 Nc5 9.f3 [E73]
Next was a battle between the young prodigies, Maghsoodloo, P - Firouzja, A. It was in the Averbakh System, the line with 11 g4:
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White was soon forced to trade both his bishops for knights but the centre was closed which seemed to favor his knights. Later he lost a pawn with 22.Rg1 and decided to sac an exchange but could not create any attack and was slowly outplayed. Black managed to win in the endgame.
Karpov System 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Ng4 8.Bg5 [E73]
Nesterov, A - Yakubboev, N was again a not very common line in Karpov's System. It was a more or less forced line where Black managed to establish his knights in the centre with 11....Nd4. and then 15...Nf4:
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The game was around equal for a long time. Towards the endgame both sides tried to organize an attack with opposite colored bishops, but it was Black who succeeded and won the game.
Classical Makagonov System 6.Nf3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.g3 Qe7 [E90]
Faizrakmanov, R - Ijushenok, I was extremely entertaining. It was in the Classical Makagonov System with an early 7...Nh5:
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This line is very direct and Black has to know it very well but he can get a nice position. It seemed he was prepared and after 12...Nf4 managed to activate all his pieces. White decided to win a piece but missed the good resource 18...f3 and suddenly Black had a very dangerous attack. Later, strangely, Black traded the queens and the endgame with knight against 3 pawns was not clear. Until he pulled another exchange sac and the pawns dominated the rook and then Black won in style.
Classical Makagonov System 6.Be3 Na6 7.Nf3 e5 8.d5 Nh5 9.Nd2 [E90]
Muradli, M - Asadji, V was also in the Classical Makagonov System but this time the mainline where Black went for the early 8...Nh5 and later a quick 10...f5:
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White castled queenside and Black immediately destroyed his centre with 16....b5. This created a dream centre with rolling pawns and open files which soon lead to Black winning material and later the game.
Classical Gligoric Variation 7.d5 Na6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bh4 [E92]
Bluebaum, M - Rapport, R featured the Petrosian System with the rare line 8.Be3, transposing into a Gligoric:
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White went on to block the game with 12 g4 but Black developed and started to improve his pieces and then opened the game with 19...b5. Then he sacrificed an exchange but got good compensation. Later White played too passively and slowly Black outplayed him and won.
Classical Variation 7.0-0 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Kh1 d5 [E94]
So, W - Mamedov, R was the Classical system with 7...exd4. Both players actually played a couple of games in the same line in this event which cleared even more things in this line. In the game we review it went to a line known before where Black sacs the exchange . He introduced 17...Bd7 and went on to give a pawn with 23....g4 and got good compensation.
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White missed a tactic and the pair of bishops were dominating the board and Black was clearly winning. It was a really good game until that point, but this was a rapid event and later B;ack missed the win and even managed to lose the endgame.
Classical, 7.Be3 Na6 8.0-0 Qe7 [E94]
Vidith, G - Shevchenko, K transposed into the standard Classical with ...Na6.
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The game has developed very fast and after only 10 moves Black was already lost. How? Check the game to find out. Even really strong players can mix up ideas and miss direct moves.
Till next month, Marian
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