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GM E. Bacrot (2653) - R. Kasimdzhanov (2674)
[E97]
 FIDE Grand Prix (Rapid?)
Moscow, RUS; (1.1), 01.06.2002

[A.J.G.]

Tactical school, GAME ONE.  (#1.)  

These players - who are both highly rated,  2600+ ...   - play the King's Indian.  

 Black wins a very nice game. 

Click  HERE  to see a list that explains the symbols that I use.  Replay this game ... but on another website. 

1.d4 Nf6;  2.c4 g6;  3.Nc3 Bg7;  4.e4 d6;  5.Nf3 0-0;  6.Be2 e5; 
7.0-0 Nc6;  8.d5 Ne7;  9.b4 Nh5!?;    
Theory recommends this, but I much prefer ...a5. 
(Other games will concentrate on this line.)

     [ I like 9...a5!?; "~" here. (See game # 2.) ]  

10.Re1,  ('!')   
This is one of the main lines, but White has close to a dozen different 
ways to meet ...Nh5. 

MCO  -  and  GM Nick de Firmian  - obviously like Re1 here very much. 
(They award this move an exclam.)

(MCO states that Re1 was first worked out by ... Kramnik!) 

GM Loek van Wely  likes to play the move, 10.g3!? 
(I think g3 originated with Tal ... or other Russian analysts. The whole idea of
 g3 is to completely deprive the Knight on h5 from using the f4-square as a 
 potential outpost.) 

     [  GM John Nunn  gives the line: 10.g3!? f5;  11.Ng5 Nf6;  12.f3 c6; {D?} 
         This is the same idea as we see in this game. 

***

           ( MCO gives: 12...a5!?; "~"  {Diagram?} )    

             I stop here and call this unclear. I am not sure if I would be    
             comfortable playing the line that MCO gives in this line.     

             That line continues:  13.Bxa5, Rxa5;  14.Qb3, Kh8;  15.Bd2, Ra8;    
             16.Bd3, b6;  17.Kg2!?, f4!?;  {Diagram?}     
             The end of the column.    
             18.a4, Bh6;  19.gxf4, Nh5;  20.fxe5!?, Nf5!?;  {Diagram?}  
               ... "and Black had good play."  - GM Nick de Firmian. 

             Veingold - Atalik;  Oviedo (rapid) Tournament.  
             Oviedo, ESP; 1993.  

             [ See MCO-14, page # 588;  column # 10, & also note # (o.). ]   

***

        13.Be3 f4; 14.Bf2 Ne8; 15.Qb3 fxg3!?;  (Maybe - '!')  {Diagram?}  
          Black immediately opens lines. 

           ( Instead, MCO gives the line of:  15...h6; 16.Ne6 Bxe6; 17.dxe6 fxg3; 
             The end of the column. 18.hxg3, "~" {Diagram?}   
             This is a VERY unbalanced position. MCO continues on for many more   
             moves, instead I challenge everyone to set this position up on the chess   
             board, and run a few test lines through their own computer program.   
             (Or play this position against a friend or a training partner.)     
             GM A. Miles - GM A. Shirov;  Biel, 1992.     
             [ See MCO-14; page # 588, col. # 12, and study note # (t.). ]  )   

         16.hxg3 Nf5!?;  {Diagram?}  Praised when it was first played, 
          this move could be less than best in this position. 

            ( Maybe a little better is the following line: >/= 16...h6!; 17.Ne6 Bxe6;    
              18.dxe6 Rf6; 19.c5 d5!; "~"  {Diagram?}    
               when Black seems to have excellent play. (Analysis.) )    

         17.exf5 Qxg5; 18.Ne4!,  "+/="  {Diagram?}  and White had great play. 
          (The game soon resolved itself into a draw in 22 moves.)   
         Sharivazdanov - Diachkov;  Russian Junior Ch, 1995. 

         See the book:  "The Main Line King's Indian,"   
         by  GM John Nunn  and also  FM Graham Burgess.  
         [ (c) 1996, the authors. Henry Holt. ] 
         Chapter # 14, (on 9.b4); Line # B521, page # 304. 

***

         White could also play:  10.Qb3 Nf4; 11.Bxf4 exf4;  12.c5 Bg4; 
         13.Rac1,  "+/="  {Diagram?}  with a slight advantage to White.  ]  

10...f5; ('!')  {Diagram?} 
This (Pawn break) is Black's main source of play in a King's Indian. 
 If he does not get this move in, and just fools around while White plays 
 on the Q-side ...  eventually he will be squashed like a bug. 

Several books I have decry ...f5; here, suggesting that Black should play 
...Nf4 instead. 

     [  Many books say ...Nf4; is much better, but the results of this move
        really do  NOT  back this assertion up. 

        MCO gives the line: 10...Nf4;  11.Bf1 a5!?;  {Diagram?}  
        This weakens b5 slightly.  
        12.bxa5 Rxa5;  13.Nd2 c5!?;  14.a4 Ra6!; 15.Ra3!?,  {Diag?} 
        I am not sure about this. It is OK, but ...  

          ( Instead, the book:  "Nunn's Chess Openings,"  gives:    
            15.Nb3 b6!?; 16.a5 bxa5;  17.Ra4 Nh5!?; {Diagram?}    
            The end of the line. (row)  18.Bd2 f5; 19.Qa1 Nf6; 20.f3 Bd7;     
            21.Nb5, "~"  {Diagram?}  Nunn continues forward for several more   
            moves. I will stop here and just say my analysis - which I have been    
            working on for several years! - indicates that Black should probably    
            try  (21.) ...fxe4!  "=/+" (Black would seem to be a little better.)      

            GM V. Epishin - Ye Jiangchuan; Geneva, 1997.    
            (The game was drawn in just 27 moves.)      
            [ See NCO, page # 537, line/row # 8, and note # 45. ]  )   

        15...h6;  16.Nb5 Kh8;  17.g3 Nh5;  {Diagram?} 
         This is pretty much forced. (The end of the column.) 

           (Not 17...Nh3+?; 18.Bxh3 Bxh3;  because now the move: 19.g4!, "+/-"   
            {Diagram?}  traps the Bishop and wins a piece in this position.)    

        18.Bb2 Bd7;  19.Be2 Nf6;  20.f4!?,  "~"   {Diagram?}  
         "White had an edge."  ("+/=")  -  GM Nick de Firmian.  
         (White has just a little more space in this position.)   

        Milov - Gofstein;  Israel, 1997. 
        [ See MCO - 14; page # 588; column # 7, and note # (b.). ]  ]   

11.Ng5!?,  
If you are not going to play Ne6, this move is - in my opinion - 
a complete waste of time. 

I should also point out that this move is ... THE MAIN LINE. (!) 
(In this continuation.) 

     [ White could also try: 11.Nd2 Nf4; 12.Bf1, "+/=" ] 

11...Nf6;  (Maybe - '!')  
Does Black avoid taking his out-post square at f4 because this is an 
improvement, or because he wanted to avoid book? (TN?) 

     [  MCO gives the continuation of the line:  11...Nf4;  12.Bxf4 exf4;  
        13.Rc1,  "+/="  {Diagram?}  MCO continues on for many moves here. 
          (I stop here because Black's next move is ...Bf6!? If this is the best  
           that Black can do, the whole line is bad.)    

        [ See MCO-14; page # 588, column # 9, 
          and notes # (a.) through note # (g.). ]  ]  

12.Bf3!?,  
This looks artificial.  (But is still the main line.) 

     [  If White plays: 12.Ne6!? Bxe6;  13.dxe6,  {Diagram?} 
        White's e-pawn, (formerly his d-pawn); could be eventually lost.  

        Another approach for White is: 12.exf5!? gxf5;  13.f4!,  "~"   
        with wildly unclear results. 

        Maybe 12.f3!?  
        (To try and defend the pawn chain and the e4-square.)  ]  

12...c6!;   
I like this, Black begins to break down White's center.  
(This is not always played in {some lines of} the K.I.D.) 

***

  Now the main line ('book') is Bb2.   

Bacrot decides to take a slightly different route. 
13.Qb3,   
This is actually quite logical, White clears the back row, gets ready to 
centralize the Rooks, and greatly pressures the center and the key  
light squares here. 

     [ According to several books I have, one of the key the main line(s) is: 
        13.Bb2 h6;  14.Ne6 Bxe6;  15.dxe6 fxe4;  16.Bxe4 Nxe4;  17.Nxe4, 
        17...Nf5;  18.Qg4 Kh7;  19.Rad1, "+/="   
         White has very strong pressure here. (A fair initiative.)   

***

         White can also play: 
         13.Be3!? f4!?; (Maybe - '!?')  {Diagram?}  
          I don't like this, it strikes me as rather premature.  14.Bc1 h6;  
         15.Ne6! Bxe6;  16.dxe6 Nc8;  17.Qb3 Qe7;  18.c5 Re8;  
         19.Be2!?, "~"  {Diagram?}  MCO claims a small edge for White, I am 
         not so sure. I would prefer the evaluation of unbalanced, or "unclear." 

         Krasenkov - Gutman;  Vilnius, 1997.   
         [ See MCO-14; page # 588; column # 9, & also note # (e.). ]  ]