The adventurous central king

by Oliver Reeh
3/6/2020 – This non-everyday opening position saw 12...Nc6 13.Nxc8+ Ke6. Now White has only one continuation to give him an advantage. Can you follow in Shirov's footsteps!?
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Pushing the limits

There is a new trend in modern opening play to make maximal use of the resources of a position (with the engine's help, of course), no matter how risky it might look. With hindsight, it's easy to say the black king e6 had it coming...

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5 3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Nc3 Qa5 6.Nxd4 Nf6 7.Bd2 e5 8.Ndb5 Bb4 9.a3 Bxc3 10.Nd6+ Ke7 11.Bxc3 Qd5 12.Bb4! This non-everyday opening position saw 12...Nc6 13.Nxc8+ Ke6. Now White has only one continuation to give him an advantage. Can you follow in Shirov's footsteps!? Nc6 13.Nxc8+ Double check. Ke6 A curious position. Black threatens to regain the knight on c8 with good play.
Only one continuation gives White the advantage. Can you play like Shirov?
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Shirov,A2664Westerberg,J25461–02019D06EU-chT 22nd9.3

Oliver Reeh in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by tactic expert Oliver Reeh in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, endgames, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

88 times, IM Oliver Reeh leads you step by step through the most brillant game conclusions of the world champions - in interactive Fritztrainer format, enabling you to enter the winning moves yourself.

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Highlights of this issue

  • CBM 193

    The cunning 6.a3!?
    Alexander Seyb investigates a fresh way to tackle the Najdorf

  • IQP positions welcome!
    Robert Hungaski recommends 3.e3 e5! In the QGA

  • Middlegames without minor pieces
    Mihail Marin on successful strategies with queen and rooks

  • All for the trade of queens - 13.g4!? vs. the Maroczy
    David Navara dissects his endgame triumph over Dmitry Jakovenko in Jerusalem

  • “My favourite game of 2019”
    Together with Simon Williams, retrace the game Dubov-Svane - “Move by Move”!

  • Star analyses
    Annotated games by Giri, Firouzja, So, Duda, Navara, Van Foreest, Nielsen, Sarin, l’Ami and more

  • A fresh wind against the Caro-Kann Exchange Variation
    Roven Vogel recommends  ...♝f5 as an antidote

  • My first draw against the World Champion!
    Jan-Krzysztof Duda analyses an explosive encounter from Wijk

  • Dutch duel
    Anish Giri reviews his game vs. Jorden Van Foreest

  • Long-term compensation
    Real sacrifices are the ones not leading to victory directly. Interactive video with Oliver Reeh!

  • Quiet move decides king hunt
    Rainer Knaak presents another trap in the Philidor Defence (video)

Links

Oliver Reeh has been working for ChessBase for many years as a translator and presenter of the internet show TV ChessBase, and he also looks after the tactics column in ChessBase Magazine, for which he has also been responsible as editor-in-chief since 2019. The International Master has contributed to the CB "MasterClass" series and is the author of the DVDs "Strike like the World Champions" and "Master Class Tactics - Train your combination skills!" Volumes 1 & 2. Oliver Reeh lives in Hamburg.

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