A king with racing boots

Black to play. How would you assess the position?
a) draw
b) Black wins
c) White wins
Solution
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 c5 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 6.e3 Nc6 7.Nbd2 d5 8.Bb5 Bd6 9.Qa4 Bd7 10.Nb3 Qe7 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Nfd4 Rc8 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Nxc5 Qxc5 15.Nb3 Qb6 16.Qd4 f6 17.Qc5 Qxc5 18.Nxc5 Ke7 19.b4 Rb8 20.f4 e5 21.fxe5 fxe5 22.Rf1 Be6 23.Kd2 Rhf8 24.a3 Kd6 25.Rae1 Rbe8 26.h3 Bc8 27.Ke2 Rd8 28.Rxf8 Rxf8 29.Rf1 Rxf1 30.Kxf1 d4 31.cxd4 exd4 32.e4 g5 33.g4 Ke5 34.Ke2 Kf4 35.Kd3 Kg3 36.e5 Kxh3 37.e6 Bxe6 38.Nxe6 Kxg4 39.Nxd4 h5 40.Ke2 Kg3! 40...h4? 41.Kf2 Kh3 42.Nxc6 g4 43.Ne5 g3+ 44.Kg1 g2 45.Nf3 Kg3 46.Nxh4 Kxh4 47.b5 Kg5 48.a4 Kf5 49.a5 Ke6 50.b6 axb6 51.a6 Kd7 52.a7 Kc7 53.a8Q+- 40...Kf4? 41.Nxc6 h4 41...Kg3 42.Nxa7 h4 43.b5 h3 44.b6 h2 45.b7 h1Q 46.b8Q++- 42.Kf2 g4 43.Nxa7 h3 44.Nc6 g3+ 45.Kg1 h2+ 46.Kg2 Ke3 47.Ne5 h1Q+ 48.Kxh1 Kf2 49.Nf3 g2+ 50.Kh2 Kxf3 51.Kg1+- 40...Kh3? 41.Kf2 Kh2 42.Nf3+ 42.Nxc6 g4 43.Nd4 g3+ 44.Ke3 g2 45.Nf3+ Kg3 46.Ng1 h4 47.Ne2+ Kg4 48.Kf2 h3 49.b5 Kf5 50.a4 Ke5 51.Kg3 Kd5 52.Kxh3 Kc5 53.Kxg2 Kb4 54.Nc3+- 42...Kh3 43.Nxg5+ Kg4 44.Nf3 Kf4 45.Nd4 Ke4 46.Nxc6 a6 47.Nb8+- 41.Kf1 41.Ne6 g4 42.Ng7 h4 43.Nf5+ Kh3 44.Kf1 g3 45.Kg1 Kg4 46.Nd4 h3 47.Nxc6 Kf3 48.Nd4+ Ke4 49.Nc6 Kf3= 41...g4 42.Kg1 42.Nxc6 h4 43.Ne5 h3 44.Nxg4 Kxg4 45.b5 Kf3 46.Kg1 Ke4= 42...h4 43.Nxc6 43.Nf5+ Kf4 44.Nxh4 Ke4 45.Ng6 Kd4 46.Ne7 c5 47.Nc6+ Kd5 48.Nxa7 48.b5 c4 49.Nxa7 c3 50.Nc6 Kc5 51.Nb4 Kxb5= 48...cxb4 49.axb4 Kc4 50.b5 Kc5 51.Kg2 Kb6= 43...h3 44.Nd4 44.Ne5 Kf4 45.Ng6+ Ke4 46.Kh2 Kd5 47.Ne7+ Kd4‼ 47...Kc4? 48.Nc6 a6 49.a4 Kd5 50.Nb8 Ke4 51.Nxa6 Kf3 52.Nc5 g3+ 53.Kxh3 g2 54.Kh2 Kf2 55.Ne4+ Kf1 56.Nd2+ Kf2 57.Nf3 Kxf3 58.Kg1+- 47...Ke4? 48.a4 Kf3 49.Nf5 Ke4 50.b5 Kxf5 51.a5 Ke6 52.b6 axb6 53.a6+- 48.Nc6+ Ke3 49.Kg3 h2 50.Kxh2 Kf2 51.Ne5 g3+ 52.Kh3 g2 53.Ng4+ Kf3 54.Kh2 Kxg4 55.Kxg2 Kf4 56.Kf2 Ke4 57.Ke2 Kd4 58.Kd2 Kc4 59.Kc2 a5= 44...h2+ 45.Kh1 Kf2! 45...Kh3? 46.Nf5 g3 47.Ne3 Kh4 48.b5 Kg5 49.Nf1 Kf4 50.Nxg3 Ke5 51.a4 Kd4 52.Ne2+ Kc4 53.Nc3+- 45...Kf4? 46.Kxh2 Ke3 47.Nf5+ Kf4 48.Ne7 Kf3 49.Kg1 Ke4 50.Nc8 a6 51.a4 Kd5 52.Na7 Kc4 53.b5 axb5 54.Nxb5 Kb4 55.Nc3+- 46.Nf5 g3 47.Nh4 47.Nxg3 Kxg3 48.b5 Kf4 49.a4 Ke5 50.a5 Kd6 51.b6 axb6 52.axb6 Kc6= 47...Ke3 48.b5 Kd4 49.Nf5+ Kc5 50.Nxg3 Kxb5 51.Ne4 Ka4 52.Nc3+ Kxa3 53.Nb5+ ½–½
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Limp,E | 2369 | von Bülow,G | 2373 | ½–½ |
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Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine
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ChessBase Magazine 162
Introduction by Karsten Müller
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Opening articles in CBMagazine #162
Stohl: English Defence A18
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qxf6

As Igor Stohl demonstrates, the Mikenas-Flohr Variation of the English Defence is really reliable from Black’s point of view, but at first there is a struggle for equality. Even Aronian, the greatest expert with the white pieces, came to grief when he played the variation with Black against Grischuk.
Rotstein: Old Indian Defence A53
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Bf5 4.Nf3 c6

According to the analyses of Arkadij Rotstein White cannot, just as he is unable to do with 4.f3 e5 (see CBM 161), lay claim to a simple advantage after 4.Nf3 c6. Above all, 5.Nh4 Bg6!? proves to be surprisingly playable for Black.
Antic: Benoni A62
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 a6 10.a4 Re8 11.Bf4

The white bishop move is somewhat annoying for Black, since the natural developing move 11...Nbd7 is now excluded. In his article Dejan Antic analyses the two popular replies 11...h6 and 11...Nh5, but he believes that only the knight move offers certain chances for equality.
Havasi: Modern Defence B06
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 a6 5.Nf3

It is not at all rare to see this variation with ...a6. Gergö Havasi investigates above all 5...Nd7, since he has reserved the main variation 5...b5 for his next article. White should achieve a comfortable game with natural developing moves – developing the bishops.
Krasenkow: Sicilian Defence B25
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3

Michal Krasenkow thinks that the Closed Sicilian is very playable at amateur level. In his article he presents a repertoire for White, just as he played himself till reaching a playing strength of around 2400.
Postny: Sicilian Defence B46
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.e5 Nd7 11.Qg4

The variation attracted the attention of Evgeny Postny because it was recently played by Fabiano Caruana – both with White and with Black. There is a trend away from 11...g6 to 11...¢f8. At the moment the variation appears to be under development and there are as yet no certainties.
Szabo: Sicilian Defence B90
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 h5 9.Nd5 Bxd5 10.exd5 Nbd7 11.Qd2 g6 12.Be2

The position in this diagram has been seen recently on several top level boards. The continuations 12...Bg7 and 12...Qc7 are up for discussion. As Krisztian Szabo shows, as well as a knowledge of variations one should also master a few tricks and manoeuvres.
Müller: King's Gambit C34
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3

In the first part of his repertoire for White with the King’s Gambit Karsten Müller acquaints you with his fundamental idea. It is a setup with Nc3, d4 and g3 and is called the Quaade Gambit (or the Quaade setup). It works excellently against Fischer’s Defence 3...d6 and Becker’s Defence 3...h6.
Breder: Ruy Lopez Four Knights C48
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4

The article by Dennis Breder focusses after 4...Nd4 on the reply 5.Ba4. It should be followed by 5...c6 and, as our author shows, in many lines Black can even hope for more than mere equality.
Kuzmin: Queen's Pawn Game D00
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4

Alexey Kuzmin refers in his article to the games of Baadur Jobava, who has recently been employing this variation successfully. Jobava’s special variation comes after the most played move 3...Bf5 in the form of 4.f3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.h4.
Marin: Nimzo Indian Defence E53
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7 8.Na4

The line with ...c5 is very solid and involves a substantial amount of theory, but Mihail Marin manages, starting with 8.Na4, to show how White can set his opponent problems and aim for an advantage.
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