Comments on: Blowing out the French with Simple Strategic Concepts!

By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 06:23:26 +0000

After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Nxe4 dxe4 8.c3 Nd7, best is 9. Ne2 (9.f3 is met by 9…b6! equalizing, when 10.fxe4 is met by 10…Qh4+) and if 9…f5, then 10.Nf4!N threatening 11. Qh5+; after the threat is stopped, White plans Qb3, a4, Bc4, and 0-0; Black’s best is 9…0-0 10.Ng3 Qh4 11.Be2!N f5 12.exf6 Nxf6 (other recaptures are met by 13.0-0) 13. Qb3 b6 14.0-0, when White is better, with plans such as Nf5-e3 and Bc4. If 9…f6 (Which has never been played), then 10.Qc2 fxe5 11.Qxe4 Qd6 (11…exd4 12.Nxd4 and the e-pawn is a target) 12.dxe5 Qxe5 13.Ng3, followed by f3 and 0-0-0.

By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 06:45:45 +0000

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By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 01:26:19 +0000

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By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 01:22:34 +0000

After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bxe7 Nxc3 7.Qg4! Qxe7 8.Qxg7 Qb4 9.Qxh8+ Kd7, best is 10. Bd3!. If 10…Ne4+ 11.Ke2 Nc6 then 12.c3! Qxb2 13. Nf3 and Black doesn’t have enough compensation for the exchange. 10…Qxb2 IS forced here, and White must give back the exchange with 11.Rd1 Nxd1 12.Kxd1 Qxd4, but after 13.Qf8 Qxe5 14.Nf3 Qf6 15.Re1 followed by Ne5+ and Nxf7, White is winning. 12…Nc6 fails to 13.Qxh7 Nxd4 14.Qxf7+ and 15.Qf4, winning.

By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 01:41:43 +0000

After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Nxe4 dxe4 8.c3 Black’s best is 8…Nd7, after which 9.f3 exf3 10.Nxf3 is good for White; after 9…e3, black loses the e3-pawn after 10.Qc1 Qg5 11.Nh3 (better than 11.Ne2 followed by 12.f4, which also works) Qh6 12.f4.

By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 01:37:32 +0000

After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bxe7 Nxc3, the engines recommend 7.Bxd8 Nxd1 8.Rxd1 Kxd8 9.f4 and White can exploit the fact that Black’s bishop is bad.

By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 01:36:06 +0000

White Book Update in Classical French: After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bxe7 Nxc3 7.Qg4! Qxe7 8.Qxg7 Qb4 9.Qxh8+ Kd7 10.Nf3 Ne4+ 11.Ke2 rather than Qxb2, black has 11…Nc6!, after 12.Ke3 Nxd4!! is best (12…Qxb2 13.Bd3 and White wins). 13.Bd3 (13.Nxd4 Qd2+ 14.Kf3 Qxd4 gives White no advantage) Nf5+ 14.Ke2 Nd4+ 15.Kf1 (15.Nxd4 allows Qd2+ with a perpetual) Qxb2 16.Rd1 Nc3 17.Re1 Nxc2 18.Bxc2 Qxc2 (not 18…Qb5+? 19.Kg1 Ne2+ 20.Rxe2! Qxe2 21.Bb3 and wins) 19.Qf6! and the a2-pawn cannot be taken: 19…Qxa2? 20.Qxf7+ and 21. Qxh7 and White wins; or 19…Nxa2? 20.Qxf7+ Kd8 21.Qf8+ Kd7 22.Qg7+ Kd8 23.Kg1 and White wins. 19…Qg6 (best) 20.Re3! Nxa2 21.h4 b6 22.Kg1 (threatens to trap the knight with Qf4) 22…d4! (22…Nc1 23.Kh2 Na2 24.Qf4 traps the knight and wins) (22…Nb4 23.h5 Qxf6 24.exf6 and White wins a pawn back with Ne5+ or Ng5; if 24…Ke8 25.h6 fixes the h-pawn and wins it) 23.Qxg6 hxg6 24.Nxd4 and White is better, but the position is probably drawn. Better is 20…Ne4 21.Qxg6 hxg6 22.h4 followed by 23.Ng5 exchanging the knights (best is 22…b6 23.Ng5 Nxg5 24.hxg5 Ba6+ freeing f8 for the rook to defend the f-pawn), where white has a rook for two passed pawns for Black; however, this endgame is drawn with best play.

By: Alex Latham

Alex Latham — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 03:58:13 +0000

White Book Update in MacCutcheon French! After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bxf6 Bxc3+ 7.dxc3 gxf6 8.Qd2 Qa5 9.Bd3 Bd7 10.Ne2 Bc6 11.Nf4 Nd7 12.c4 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 e5, best is 14. d5! (a surprising pawn sacrifice) If 14…Ba4?! 15. Nh5 0-0-0 16.Kc3 followed by 17.Bf5, 18.Bxd7, and 19.Nxf6. Better is 14…exf4 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.Rae1+ Ne5 17.Kc3 followed by Re4 and Rxf4, when White is better due to Black’s horrible pawn structure. Note: 14.Nd5 only draws after Bxd5 15.exd5 0-0-0! and the engines say this is a draw.