The Winning Academy 27: Lefthanders

by Jan Markos
11/28/2023 – In some sports, being a lefthander might give you a substantive advantage over your opponents. In table tennis or in tennis, for example, lefthanders score better over their right-handed opponents. Why? Approximately 90 percent of professional table tennis players are right-handed. Therefore, a left-hander plays a right-hander in 9 out of 10 matches, whereas a right-handed player plays a leftie only in 1 out of 10 matches. Left-handed players therefore have 9 times more experience with such a match, and therefore score consistently better. | Photo: John McEnroe, one of the most famous and successful left-handed tennis players | Photo: Wikipedia, Nrbelex
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In chess, we have "lefthanders" as well. Of course, I use the term "lefthander" only as a metaphor. Several grandmasters have such a unique and original style that it feels like they are violating the basic strategical rules. And yet, they are often successful. Why? Well, for the same reason as with the left-handed table tennis pros. They simply get strange and original positions far more often than their opponents, and therefore feel more comfortable playing them. This subjective edge often more than compensates the positional risks they are taking.

Probably the strongest "lefthander" among the top GMs today is Richard Rapport. Let us see how he was able to confuse a strong GM in a well-known structure:

Riazantsev-Rapport, Palma de Mallorca 2017:

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 d5

The Stonewall, a defensive set-up that is better than its reputation.

6.0–0

However, now the Hungarian magician started to cast his spells. First of all, he played two moves with an already developed knight.

6…Ne4!? 7.Nc3 c6 8.Nd2 Nd6!? 9.b3 Nd7 10.a4

And now, instead of modestly finishing the development, he launched a surprising attack, playing 10…h5!? 11.b4 h4.

GM Moradiabadi, who was annotating the game, remarked: "If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have told you that this move should lose on the spot but these days such a move can be played, and you need deep and thorough calculation to refute it! If it is refutable at all!"

And indeed, Riazantsev was not able to refute Rapport's set-up. After an interesting fight, Black won a nice game.

Here it is in full:

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1.d4 In an encounter in which you easily could think that Black (Richard Rapport a usual member of 2700 club) played a what one can consider a coffeehouse attack and got an inferior position against solid Alexader Riazantsev. Nevertheless, the Russian went astray and the game was almost a draw when he made another blunder and lost almost immediately. It was the sort of blunder hardly seen in top level tournaments of this kind. e6 2.c4 f5 The time to consider the Dutch/ Stonewall Defence as dubious has passed! Nowadays thanks to computers and practical implications almost any opening is playable. 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 d5 6.0-0 Ne4!? Too original even for Dutch players. But Rapport had played it in the past with mixed results! 7.Nc3 Riazantsev follows Ipatov's path against Rapport! 7.Ne5 Nd7 8.Nxd7 Bxd7 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Qb3 Bc6 11.Nd2 a5 12.Nf3 Bd6 13.Bf4 Bxf4 14.gxf4 Qd6 15.Qe3 0-0 16.Ne5 a4 17.Rac1 Bb5 18.Rc2 c6 19.Qh3 Qe7 20.Re1 a3 21.b3 Rf6 22.Bxe4 fxe4 23.e3 Rh6 24.Qg3 Rf8 25.Kh1 Rf5 26.Rg1 Rfh5 27.f3 exf3 28.Rf2 Be2 29.Qg4 g6 30.f5 Qh4 31.Qxh4 Rxh4 32.Ng4 R6h5 33.Nf6+ Kg7 34.Nxh5+ Rxh5 35.fxg6 hxg6 36.Rc1 Kf6 37.Rc2 Ke6 38.Kg1 Rg5+ 39.Kh1 Rh5 40.Kg1 g5 41.b4 g4 42.Rc3 Kf5 43.Rxa3 Rh8 44.Rc3 Ra8 45.a3 Ke4 46.Rb3 Rg8 47.a4 g3 48.hxg3 Rxg3+ 49.Kh2 Rg8 50.a5 Rf8 51.Kg3 Rh8 52.Rxe2 Rg8+ 53.Kf2 Rg2+ 54.Kf1 fxe2+ 55.Ke1 Rh2 56.Ra3 Kf3 57.e4+ Kxe4 58.a6 bxa6 59.Kd2 Kxd4 60.Rxa6 Rh6 61.Kxe2 Kc4 62.Rb6 d4 63.Rb8 d3+ 0-1 (63) Wojtaszek,R (2715)-Rapport,R (2701) Budapest 2014 7...c6 8.Nd2 8.Ne5 This move by Ipatov seems sound but despite White's long lasting advantage the game against Ipatov ended in a draw. Nd7 9.Nxd7 Bxd7 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.f3 11.Bf4 0-0 12.e3 b5 13.c5 a5 14.f3 exf3 15.Bxf3 Be8 16.e4 Bg6 17.e5 Be4 18.Bh5 Qc7 19.Qd2 a4 20.Be3 Bf5 21.h4 Bh3 22.Rxf8+ Rxf8 23.Kh2 Bf5 24.Rf1 Qd8 25.Bg5 Bxg5 26.Qxg5 Qxg5 27.hxg5 a3 28.bxa3 Ra8 29.Rf2 g6 30.Bd1 Rxa3 31.g4 Bb1 32.Bb3 Kg7 33.Rf6 Bxa2 34.Bxa2 Rxa2+ 35.Kg3 Ra6 36.Rxe6 Kf7 37.Rf6+ Ke7 38.Kf4 b4 39.Ke3 Ra3+ 40.Kd2 Rg3 41.Rxc6 Rxg4 42.Kd3 Rxg5 43.Rc7+ Ke6 44.Rc6+ Ke7 45.Rc7+ Ke6 46.Rc6+ 1/2-1/2 (46) Ipatov,A (2625)-Rapport,R (2649) Germany 2015 11...exf3 12.Rxf3 dxc4 13.Qc2 Bf6 14.Qxc4 Qb6 15.Be3 Qxb2 16.Rff1 Qa3 17.Bd2 b5 18.Qc1 Bxd4+ 19.e3 Bb2 20.Qe1 Bxa1 21.Qxa1 Rf8 22.Rc1 Qd3 23.Bb4 Rf6 24.Kh1 Rd8 25.Qe5 Kf7 26.Qh5+ Kg8 27.Rd1 Qc2 28.Be7 Be8 29.Rxd8 1-0 (29) Schneider, I (2487)-Rapport,R (2718) Austria 2014 8...Nd6!? The position looks very suspicious yet the game is practically very well alive and an original position has just arisen! 9.b3 Nd7 10.a4 h5 if you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have told you that this move should lose on the spot but these days such a move can be played and you need deep and thorough calculation to refute it! If it is refutable at all! 11.b4 h4 12.b5 hxg3 13.hxg3 Nf6 Something has gone wrong for White as his developmental advantage means nothing anymore. 14.Qb3 Bd7 15.a5 a6 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.Ba3 Rb8 18.Qc2 Nfe4 19.Ncxe4 fxe4 20.Rfb1 Rxb1+ 21.Qxb1 It seems that Rapport is in complete control of the position now. However his next moves cause a lot of turbulence! It should be wrong objectively but it is Riazantsev who lost his path through the maze of different lines! e3? 21...0-0! 22.Qb6 Qe8 23.e3 Bc8 22.Qg6+ Nf7 23.Bxe7 Qxe7 23...exf2+ 24.Kxf2 Qxe7 25.Qxg7 Rf8 26.Ke1± Black would have been down a pawn without any counterplay. 24.fxe3 0-0 25.Qd3? A strange retreat! 25.Rf1 Qa3 26.Qd3 Qxa5 27.e4 with a tangible advantage for White! Nh6 28.Nf3 Ng4 29.e5± 25...Qg5 26.e4 dxc4! Riazantsev must have missed this cheap tactic. 27.Nxc4 c5! White's extra pawn is becoming irrelavant but what happens in the next few moves is beyond everyone's wildest imagination! 28.Qe3 28.d5 Bb5 29.dxe6 Bxc4 30.exf7+ Bxf7 31.Qxa6 c4 should lead to a draw thanks to Black's active pieces and passed c-pawn. 32.Qc6 Qe5 33.Rf1 33.Rd1 Qxa5 33...Qxa5 34.Bh3 Qe5 35.Kg2 g6 28...Qxe3+ 29.Nxe3 cxd4 30.Nc2 e5 Now Black has some slight edge! 31.e3 Rc8 32.Nb4 dxe3 33.Bf1! This move equalises but only two moves later Riazantsev blunders! Rb8 34.Nxa6 Rb2 35.Nc5?? 35.Bc4 Bg4 36.Rf1 e2 37.Re1 Kf8 38.Nc5 Nd6 38...Ng5?? 39.a6 Nf3+ 40.Kf2 Nxe1 41.a7 and White promotes. 39.Bd5 Rb5 40.Nd3 Rxa5 41.Nxe5 Bh5 42.g4 Be8 43.Rxe2 Nxe4= 35...Ng5! but now White is in a mating net! 36.Bg2 Bh3 37.Bxh3 Nf3+ An important win for Rapport, which he could not have obtained if Riazantsev had not had one of his off days at the office! 37...Nf3+ 38.Kh1 38.Kf1 Rf2# 38...Rh2# 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Riazantsev,A2651Rapport,R26920–12017A92Palma de Mallorca FIDE GP6

***

Believe it or not, there are even crazier players around than GM Rapport. One of them is Jergus Pechac, currently the strongest Slovak chessplayer. His rating has been hovering around 2600 during the last years.

And yet, some of his openings resemble those that you can see at some event for beginners. One relatively fresh example:

Pechac-Motylev, Prague Challengers 2023:

1.Nh3

Really?

1…e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qa4

Well, is this touch of a genius, or a pure act of provocation? Or both, perhaps? In any case, Motylev felt that he should react aggressively:

5…b5 6.Qxb5 Rb8 7.Qg5

The queen is flying around like a bee on a meadow.

7…Nb4 8.Na3 Bb7 9.f3

A truly original position has arisen. White's play has violated basically all the laws of chess. Pechac ignored the centre and failed to develop his pieces, playing half of the moves with his queen. And yet, he did not lose the game, although playing a very respectable opponent, the European ex-Champion

The game ended in a draw.

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1.e41,182,45354%2421---
1.d4957,82655%2434---
1.Nf3285,85356%2441---
1.c4184,46556%2443---
1.g319,86356%2427---
1.b314,57954%2428---
1.f45,94948%2377---
1.Nc33,89950%2383---
1.b41,79048%2378---
1.a31,24954%2406---
1.e31,08049%2409---
1.d396750%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39267%2511---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.Nh3 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qa4 b5 6.Qxb5 Rb8 7.Qg5 Nb4 8.Na3 Bb7 9.f3 h6 10.Qe3+ Be7 11.Bg2 Nbd5 12.Qf2 Bb4+ 13.c3 Nxc3 14.0-0 Qe7 15.bxc3 Bxa3 16.Bxa3 Qxa3 17.Qe3+ Kd8 18.Nf4 Re8 19.Qd4 Ba6 20.Qxa7 Rb6 21.Kh1 g5 22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.Qa8+ Ke7 24.Qxd5 Bxe2 25.Rfe1 Re6 26.Qd2 Kf8 27.f4 gxf4 28.Qxf4 Qxc3 29.Rec1 Qe5 30.Qxe5 Rxe5 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Pechac,J2611Motylev,A2597½–½2023A00Prague Challengers 5th8

***

Some players become "lefthanders" only on special occasions. Usually, they play relatively normal chess, but sometimes – when the circumstances are just right – they turn into "lefthanders". This is how Hikaru Nakamura let his creativity flow freely against a much lower rated opponent in 2015:

Nakamura-Dejmek, World open 2005

1.e4 c5 2.Qh5!? d6 3.f4 Nc6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Qf3 e5 6.f5 d5 7.d3 b6

Again, the American GM did not bother much with development. All his pieces – except of the queen – are still in their initial positions. And yet, Nakamura did not feel obliged to move develop any of them. He played the aggressive 8.g4!? and later won.

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1.e4 c5 2.Qh5 d6 3.f4 Nc6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Qf3 e5 6.f5 d5 7.d3 b6 8.g4 Bb7 9.g5 dxe4 10.dxe4 Nd7 11.Be3 Qc7 12.Nd2 Nd4 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Bf2 Qc2 15.Bd3 Qxb2 16.Rb1 Qxa2 17.Qe2 a5 18.Ngf3 Bb4 19.0-0 0-0 20.Bc4 d3 21.Qxd3 Nc5 22.Qe3 Qa4 23.g6 Rad8 24.Bxf7+ Kh8 25.f6 Bxd2 26.Nxd2 Nxe4 27.Nxe4 Qxe4 28.Qxe4 Bxe4 29.Rxb6 hxg6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2657Dejmek,M21441–02005B20World op 33rd3

***

The World ex-Champion Magnus Carlsen is usually seen as a player with a truly classical style. Following the footsteps of Capablanca or Karpov, he prefers harmony over chaos, and strategical battle over murky complications.

And yet, even he sometimes turns into a "lefthander". Well, a careful positional version of a "lefthander", but still. This is how he started his game with Harikrishna:

Carlsen-Harikrishna, Wijk aan Zee 2013:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6

So far everything is normal, right? But now Carlsen played 3.c3!?, a move that is an extremely rare guest in tournaments at basically any level. Why did the Norwegian opt for such a second-rate opening?

Well, playing something off-beat makes senses if you want to make your opponent think on his own. In a Ruy Lopez, for example, Harikrishna would make 20 theoretical moves in just a few minutes and keep almost all his thinking time for another 20 moves till the first time control.

In the Ponziani opening, Carlsen has a good chance that his opponent would know only 8 or 10 theoretical moves, and therefore will have to make 30-32 independent decisions till move 40. Moreover, in a pawn structure that is not so familiar to him as Ruy Lopez.

Carlsen's psychological gamble paid off. Despite an objectively modest opening, he got a tangible advantage before move 20 and won a nice positional game.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Maybe not such a bad move after all. White threatens to occupy the centre with d2-d4, just "a bit" earlier than this happens in the Ruy Lopez (if Black does not interfere with this sweet plan by choosing the Open variation or the Marshall Attack, of course). And since Carlsen does not seem to be too keen to sustain long theoretical discussions, the Ponziani is the perfect one-game-opening. It is interesting to compare the game position after 7 moves with that arising after 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Obviously, White has an extra tempo in the Ponziani (c2-c3) with respect to an entirely approved opening! In the two-knight defence, the main line goes Bc5 , to be cpmpared wth the similar line below. 3...Nf6 4.d4 d5 5.Bb5 exd4 5...Nxe4 6.Nxe5 Bd7 7.Nxd7 7.Qb3 1-0 Prokopchuk,E-Sofieva,A (2385)/St Petersburg 1994/CBM 041/[Hecht] (74) 7...Qxd7 8.0-0 Be7 9.Nd2 Nxd2 10.Bxd2 a6 11.Bd3 0-0 12.Qf3 Estrin,Y-Vasilchuk,Y/Moscow 1961/MCD (1-0, 42) 6.e5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 This looks a bit passive. I have the feeling that 7...Bc5 may be the critical continuation anyway, even with the extra c2-c3. After all, Black does not necessarily want to put pressure on d4, but rather weaken the presure over c6 and for this reason c2-c3 is not too relevant. 8.0-0 8.Nxc6 Bxf2+ 9.Kf1 bxc6 10.Bxc6+ Kf8∞ Kastell,M-Jonasson,P SVE-ch Klass corr 1999 (1-0, 23) 8...0-0 9.f3 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Be3 Qe8 11.f3 Nd6 Gligoric,S-Keller,D Zuerich 1959 MCL [Bulletin] (1-0, 38) 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bxc6 Ba6 11.Nd2 Bxf1 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Qxf1 Rb8 Onderdelinden,D-Rosenhahn,E ICCF-Cup corr 1994 (0-1, 34) 9...Ng5 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Be3 f6 Gligoric,S-Fischer,R Buenos Aires 1960 (1/2, 20). Well, if Fischer, on a very rare occasion when he deviated from his 1...c5, chose this line, there may be something behind it. Unfortunately, it is impossible to put these two great players, Fischer and Carlsen, who reached unthinkable rating peaks of their time, to rehearse this position against eachother... 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Be3 This looks logical, but 10.f3 Nc5 11.f4 does not seem too bad either: 0-0 11...f5? 12.b4 Ne4 13.e6± Schneider,L (2410)-Moen,O (2315)/Eksjo 1981/MCL (1-0, 29) 12.Be3?! 12.f5! is the critical line, leaving Black with the permanent threats of e5-e6 and f5-f6. 12...f6 Panchev,P (2365)-Schoene,R (2360) Karl-Marx-Stadt 1990 (0-1, 42) 10...0-0 11.Nd2 Nc5 11...Nxd2 12.Qxd2 c5 13.Ne2 It makes more sense to fight for the c5-square: 13.Nb3 c4 14.Nc5 Bf5 15.b3 13...Bb5 14.Rfd1 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 Qd7= Dueckstein,A-Unzicker,W/Siegen 1970/EXT 2002 (1/2, 29) 12.b4N 12.f4!? f5?! 12...a5?! 13.f5 Nd3 14.f6 12...f6! 13.b4?! fxe5! 13.b4 Ne6?! 13...Ne4 14.N2b3± Basman,M-Masters,D/Bath 1963/EXT 1999 (1-0, 31) 12...Nb7?! Too passive, I believe. The provocative 12...Nd3!? may offer better chances for counterplay. 13.f4 13.N2f3 Nb2 14.Qc2 Nc4 13...a5 13...c5 14.bxc5 Nxc5 15.Qf3 14.Qc2 14.a3 axb4 15.axb4 Rxa1 16.Qxa1 c5 14...axb4 15.Qxd3 c5 13.f4 a5 14.f5!? This promising pawn sacrifice would not have been possible with the black knight on d3 rather than b7. axb4 15.cxb4 Bxb4 16.Qg4 White's compensation consists of two elements: his kingside threats and the idea of blocking the enemy queenside pawns on c5 and d4. Bc3 16...c5? 17.Bh6 g6 18.Nc6! Bxc6 19.fxg6 hxg6 20.Rxf7!+- 17.Rac1 Bxd4 18.Bxd4 Rxa2 It is not easy to find a good moment to fight against the blockade with ...c6-c5. This is a result of the combined threats on both wings, quite an effective method of play. 18...c5 19.e6 cxd4 20.f6 g6 21.exd7± 19.e6 f6 20.Nb3 Now and later, Carlsen will constantly choose the static approach, refraining from turning the game dynamic. It is not easy to judge whether he was right, maybe sometimes he was and other times not, but the course of the game is suggestive for his general style. 20.Rce1!? Rxd2 21.e7 Qe8 22.exf8Q+ Qxf8 23.Qf4 Rd3 24.Qxc7 20...Be8 21.Nc5 Nd6 22.Qf3 Qe7 I would not resist playing 22...Nb5 , with constant pressure against d4. In this case, White would have enjoyed lesser freedom to build up his attack, although play would have remained slightly one-sided anyway. 23.Rf2 Ra5 24.Nb3 Rb5 25.Bc5 Bh5 26.Qc3 White has achieved a faourable regrouping and can count on an advantage. Qe8 27.Qe3 27.Nd4± 27...Qa8 27...Ne4 28.Bxf8 Nxf2 29.Nd4 Ng4 30.Qg3 Qxf8 31.Nxb5 cxb5 32.Qxc7+- 28.Nd4 Rxc5 29.Rxc5 Ne4 30.Nxc6 Nxf2 31.Kxf2 Qa2+ 32.Kg3 Re8 33.h3± The position has calmed down, White has exchanged all the superfluous pieces and can enjoy his blockade. Black can only sit and wait to be crushed. Qa6 34.Qc3 Be2 35.Rxd5 Bb5 36.Nb4 Qb7 37.Qc5 Ba4 38.Rd7 Qe4 39.Rxc7 h5 40.Kh2 Kh7 41.Qf2 Rg8 42.Na6 Be8 43.Rc5 Qd3 44.Nb4 Qd6+ 45.Kh1 Qd1+ 46.Qg1 Qd6 47.Nd5 Rf8 48.Qd4 Kh8 49.Rc8 Bc6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2861Harikrishna,P26981–02013C44Tata Steel-A 75th4

***

Despite being left-handed in the everyday life, I never dared to become a "lefthander" at the board. I simply could not persuade myself to play moves that I knew were objectively second-rated. And yet, I admire all the "lefthanders" among professionals. Despite playing strange openings and violating chess rules, they are fully able to win games and tournaments.

And – of course – they get invitations to interesting events. The organizers know very well, that "lefthanders" will amuse the audience with their original play, and therefore the entire tournament will get better coverage.

In fact, thanks to lefthanders the life of entire chess community is richer, more amusing and more colourful.

And therefore: Long live "lefthanders" among us!

Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!

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Jan Markos is a Slovakian chess author, trainer, and grandmaster. His book Under the Surface was the English Chess Federation´s 2018 Book of the Year. His last book, The Secret Ingredient, co-authored with David Navara, focuses on the practical aspects of play, e.g. time-management over the board, how to prepare against a specific opponent, or how to use chess engines during the training process. Markos was the U16 European Champion twenty years ago. At present he helps his pupils from several countries to achieve similar successes. Apart from focusing on the royal game, he is also the author of several non-chess books, focused on critical thinking, moral dilemmas, and phenomenology.
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