My first match against a member of CV.TV, as far as I can remember! Time control was 15 0.

The game is a typical example of me having the right plan but going about it the wrong way. GW had many opportunities to equalise and even gain an advantage, due to my incorrect move orders in the middle game (and even opening). 22. Df7 for example, should have been played a couple of moves earlier, when it is absolutely decisive. Actually playing it when I did allows too much counterplay. I'm lucky that inaccurate attack was met with inaccurate defense.

However, even if my the order with which I developed my attack was wrong, I'm pleased that I found some nice ideas, like Df7, which while perhaps not completely winning, make it very difficult to defend practically in a rapid game.

Thanks GW for the games I'm really looking forward to the tourney!

Edit: Also I missed a forced mate with a queen sac at the end but time was running low but that point, with about a minute left on the clock.

I like the way you created a weakness on e6 and then attacked it (though I'm not sure about giving up the dark square bishop.) Very Silman-esque.

Thanks! I'm not sure if it's necessarily Silman-esque. I'd never go in for these kind of Sniper variations, but actually I think this is pretty in keeping with the strategy of the Najdorf (giving up the dark square bishop and focusing on the light squares). It's a strange variation though, to be sure. I don't think Be6 is the normal move here.

I would expect this centre formation to favour black long term - early tactics aside. This Bg5xNf6 is to use the d5 outpost - idea Nd5 against backward d6 pawn, which you managed, but with a e6 pawn? Your pressure did not include your rooks, which makes me suspect ( only ) your play was premature. Felt like a lashing out to me, rather than an attack. What was your idea after 15...Bd8? My impression is white is going to get pushed back hard.

White really has to prove his time wasting play with Ng5 is justified with variations.

Agreed, after Bd8 black is slightly better.

Karjakin played this line against Anand and lost. I don't know how much of an indicator that could be of the line in general. If Karjakin thinks it's an okay play it probably has some merit, even if he lost. Anand is very strong, after all. Maybe I shouldn't judge a line by who plays it though. In any case at GM level Ng5 is the main line after Be6.

The idea of BxF6 wasn't to gain an outpost though, but to keep control of d5. I hoped that if the d pawn can't advance then e6 will remain weak. But better is probably 11. Qf3, and keep the idea of Bg5 for later.

Had a quick check on chessgames.com Your right. This does score well in the few games played. The Karjakin -Anand game ain't good. Catching up with development Qf3 etc does look better. This line just seems like a ' try ' by white - play something you probably don't believe in yourself but with a little computer help you can catch black cold. White has two bishops but it ain't a bishop friendly position. But who knows. Openings have less to do with logic these days, and more to do with trail and error specifics - as in concrete lines.

Yep...I think Qf3 is okay - at least as far as keeping the initative goes. 0-0 from black would just be a mistake I think, due to the threat of Qh3, hitting e6. He must defend the pawn with Kf7, after which I'd hope to embarass his position with f4 as soon as possible. You mention that it's not a bishop friendly position, but honestly with black's king on f7 I think black will have to play b5 and Na5 at some point anyway to get rid of the annoying light squared bishop.

I think a variation like this looks okay for white:



At some point white will get his d5 outpost, I think, with the help of Bxf6 some time.

Seems a reasonable enough line, but I prefer Rf8 ( open line ) followed by castling by hand - Kg8. Why is white not worse?

Rd8 if almost forced as far as I can tell. Rf8 is met with Nd5 which is practically winning already.

Maybe it's the xmas dinner addling my so called brain, but I don't get it.

Queen is undefended, and both the e6 pawn and f6 knight are pinned. White threatens a fork with nd5 as well as taking on f6. Blacks king will be stuck in the middle and White gets a good initiative I think. Winning already was maybe too strong but i ran the position through Houdini and it gives White as being about +1.

Sorry, I think I was a little p***** yesterday.

Good on you Happy Hangover