Kenilworth Kibitzer

There is a good piece today in the Spanish language InforChess titled "Teoría de Aperturas: Una jugada en el ataque Barry" by Jorge Luís Fernández that covers one of Black's better defenses against the Barry Attack: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 (no King's Indian's allowed!) 3...d5 (unless you play the Pirc, this makes the most sense) 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 Bg4! (first played in Lasker - Reti, Rotterdam 1923). This line was also recommended by IM Andrew Martin in an archived piece titled "Dodgy Games with Dodgy Names" (which I mention in a bibliography on the line), but Martin recommended meeting 6.Qd3!? (threatening Qb5+) with 6...c6 rather than Fernández's interesting 6...O-O!? 7.Ne5 Be6! Both seem fine.

It's important to note that White can also play the so-called Tarzan Attack with 5.Qd2!? which sidesteps the Bishop pin and threatens Bh6 at some point. Arthur Kogan has had success with this line and writes about it in SOS. But there is good discussion at the ChessPub forum suggesting that some of Kogan's analysis does not hold up and the classic game Yusupov - Kasparov, Belfort 1988 is still good theory.

Now I just have to figure out how to beat the Trompowsky, the Versesov, the Blackmar Diemer, and a bunch of other crap.

Labels: barry attack, opening analysis

In reviewing my openings in preparation for USATE, I have finally made my way to the question of what to play against Bird's Opening (1.f4)? On those rare occasions when I encounter it, I have been playing the Schlechter's Gambit 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 Nc6, but a review of lines at the French site "L'Ouverture Bird" has been rather discouraging. And I have to ask myself, "Why play something risky against somebody foolish enough to play 1.f4 anyway?" There is always Kasparov's choice (see Romanishin - Kasparov, Leningrad 1976) of 1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bg4 4.b3 Nbd7 5.Bb2 c6 6.Be2 Qc7 7.O-O Bxf3 8.Bxf3 e5, which looks reasonable.

What do Bird player's fear? What do you play against this? What would Don do? Or, what would Don rather you didn't? :-)

Labels: bird's opening, opening analysis