Kudrin Lectures At 2^nd ICA Thursday Swiss!

 

While our Thursday night Swiss was not well attended the lecture by GM Sergey Kudrin presented in summary below was well received and much talked about.

Building A Correct Opening Repertoire

 

A correct opening repertoire should be based on three principles.

 

Principle I: Build your opening repertoire around lines that are fundamentally sound. 

 

Application: Observe opening lines that are utilized at the GM (Grandmaster) level (i.e. via chessbase or current news websites reporting on recent GM games); The lines used here are sufficiently sound... otherwise they would not and could not be played at the GM level.

 

Principle II: Prepare and specialize in opening lines that are to some degree unpopular.

 

Application: Search any chess database for opening lines that are played at the GM level but have a relatively small amount of games played; Decide upon a line and set aside a period of time to specialize and master the plans, ideas, and nuances of that position. 

 

Principle III: Do not fail to consider the importance of trans-positional opportunities 

 

Example: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 (Sicilian Dragon) 6.Be3 Bg7 (6...Ng4 fails to 7.Bb5+) 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6: 9.Bc4 is titled the Yugoslav attack. The positions that arise are extremely sharp. A single incorrect move from either side may be fatal. White\'s attacking idea is generally 0-0-0, Kc1-b1, Bc4-b3, g2-g4, h2-h4-h5, Be3-h6, and quick checkmate. Black\'s attacking idea is generally...Bc8-d7, ...Ra8-c8, ...Nc6-e5-c4, attack on the queenside (especially c-file), and quick checkmate. For optimal results, White must be prepared which is very difficult considering that new games are played every week and consequently new theory is perpetually developed. However, White\'s relatively new move 9.0-0-0 shines as the positions which arise give only White the practical chance to play for a win. Although surprisingly, it is impossible for Black to employ the usual attacking strategy as White\'s attack is two tempi ahead of the usual, as he omitted Bf1-c4-b3. Therefore, Black\'s only option to not get blown off the board is to take advantage of the disadvantage of 9.0-0-0. The downside of 9.0-0-0 is that 9.Bc4 prevents the central break 9...d5; 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 (11...Bxc3?? 12.Qxd5 Qxd5 13.Nxe7+) 12.Bd4 when it is difficult for Black to play for a win. Alternatively, 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Kb1 prevents 10...dxe4 in view of 11.Nxc6 Qxd2 12.Nxe7+ Kh8 13.Rxd2 leaving White with an extra piece. A transpositional opportunity for Black to avoid such unpleasant lines is to play the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 when the usual attacking plan f2-f3, Qd1-d2, 0-0-0, g2-g4, h2-h4-h5, Be3-h6 is a huge positional blunder as Black is able to open the center a tempo up from the previous lines. (Opening the center is an important strategy to dissolve the opponents attack on the wing.) 7.f3? 0-0 8.Qd2 d5! is a tempo up from the previous lines as the Black d-pawn springs to d5 in one move, rather than two. For example, 9.0-0-0 fails to 9...dxe4 10.Nxc6 Qxd2+. Additionally, 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bd4 when 11...e5 is more sensible in comparison to the previous variation as 12.Bc5 Re8 does not lose a pawn on d5 as White\'s rook is not yet on d1. Furthermore, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 (Rossolimo) is often an annoying variation to which Black must react, still more difficult is if Black has to play for a win. Therefore, another transpositional opportunity is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 (Hyper Accelerated Dragon) with the idea of sidestepping the Rossolimo.