CG - "Problem of the Day"  
  (Tuesday / February 7th, 2012.) 

   Adel Choukri (2115) - Klaus Kuenitz (1686)   
  [A82]  
  ICT, Tradewise; Gibraltar  
  Caleta, ENG (3.98)  /  26,01,2012.  

   ***********************   

  [A.J. Goldsby I]  

Tuesday; February 7th, 2012. 

This game was featured as the POTD, ("Problem of The Day"); otherwise there was no real reason to give it more than a passing glance. 
(The play - by Black - was (very) poor, and White was not a master.) 

   1.d4 f5;  2.e4,  (Take my pawn - please!) 
The (dreaded) Staunton Gambit. 
[There are actually good positional reasons for playing this here - Black's first move weakened his King-side <especially f7> ... 
 and also opened many lines, of which the h5-e8 diagonal might be Black's biggest problem.]   

   rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/5p2/3PP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 2   

At one time, because this gambit was so effective and Black lost so many games against this system that many Masters would not even play 1...f5. (Instead, they would play 1...e6; hoping for 2.c4, when 2...f7-f5; might be a more palatable way of trying to play the Dutch.)   

          [ MCO-15 recommends:  >/=  2.g3!,  "+/="  with a plus for White. (Pg. # 493.) ]   

   2...fxe4;  3.f3!?,  ("Interesting." - Spock)  
This is a slight diversion ... but not a bad one here.   

In fact, although White departs from the well-trodden path, he gets a good game, nonetheless.  

          [ The main line would be: 3.Nc3 Nf6;  4.Bg5 Nc6;  5.d5 Ne5;  6.Qd4 Nf7;  7.Bxf6 exf6;  8.Nxe4, "~"  (unclear ... or  "+/=")  
             with maybe a small edge here for White. 

            [ See MCO-15, page # 501;  (and) column # 20. Also, see notes (a.) though (f.) here. ]   

             One of the most well-known games, (that arises from this position); 
             that is also in a lot of books on the Dutch Defense; would have to be:  
             GM Ian Rogers (2595) - IM A.J. Van Mil (2435);  / [A83]  
             ICT / Tilburg, NED (R#1) / 1993. {Black won, 0-1 in 42 moves.} ]    

   3...exf3!?;  (hmmm)   
It can be dangerous to accept the gambit, nowadays, I advise lower-rated players to avoid opening the position.  
(Usually the higher-rated player will prevail in a tactical setting.) 

Lately I have used 3...e3; (returning the button and leaving the Pawn on f3 - which takes away the best square from White's KN);   
and I have done very well with it.  

          [ The  "Power-Book"  gives us the following line:   
             3...d5!;  4.Nc3 Nf6;  5.fxe4 dxe4;  6.Bg5!? Bf5;  7.Bc4!? Nc6;  8.Nge2 e6;  9.0-0 Be7;  "/+"  (Black has the upper hand.)  
             Black is much better. (According to several engines, mostly I used Fritz 12.)  10.Qe1!?, "~"  ("comp")  (however) 
             White has some good play for the Pawn ... and Black's doubled KP's are not worth that much. 
             (Both Fritz and Houdini indicate that Black should play his KN to g4, and then the second player has the upper hand here.) ]   

   4.Nxf3 Nf6;  5.Bd3 d6?;   
This is simply horrible, not only does Black delay his development, he also weakens a multitude of points on the chess-board as well. 
(The most important aspect of Black's faulty 5th move is that the e6-square is now open to occupation.)   

   rnbqkb1r/ppp1p1pp/3p1n2/8/3P4/3B1N2/PPP3PP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 6   

My first instinct - after White played 5.Bd3 - was that Black should quickly fianchetto his King's Bishop ... 
and that this would allow Black to rapidly castle as well.  

          [ Better was:  >/= 5...g6!;  MCO-15; and several of the computer engine's opening books here. ]  

   6.0-0 Bg4?!;   (Probably just - '?')   
Another horrible concept, Black needs King safety - he needs to castle ASAP. (>/= 6...g6)  

Here - Fritz likes 7.Nc3 - and it gets my vote as well. (Rapid development is the order of the day for White!) 
   7.Qe1 Bxf3?;  (Wrong, wrong, wrong!)   
Not only does this trade off a developed piece, (thus losing time); it also grossly weakens e6 to boot. 
(Fritz-12 likes 7...Nc6; I like 7...e6; with the idea/POD of ...Qd7; ...Nc6; and more <fast> development.)   

Three engines (Fritz 12, Houdini, and Deep Junior) are all showing a VERY large edge for White ... 
Black's light squares are a sieve, begging for an invasion. 

   8.Rxf3 c6?;  (Choke, gag, barf.)    
I give up! (Black refuses to get any development at all, Fritz likes  8...Nc6;  here.)   

   rn1qkb1r/pp2p1pp/2pp1n2/8/3P4/3B1R2/PPP3PP/RNB1Q1K1 w kq - 0 9   

This is the current position, several chess engines already consider White to have a won game from this position. 

   9.Bg5,   (Pin ... and win?)    
This was OK, I guess ... 
but was also kind of a rather mechanical reaction here for White. 
(Better was  >/=  9.Nd2!,  with the idea of  9...Nbd7; 10.Nc4, " +- " - Deep Junior) 

   9...Nbd7;   (Surprise!)   
Someone splash cold water on my face and bring me a towel ... Black actually developed a piece. (At last!) 

Now the box prefers Nd2 over the line chosen in the game here.   
   10.Na3 Qb6!;  11.Nc4,    
This looks tempting, but it may have not been the most accurate try here for White.   

          [ >/=  11.Be3 "+/=" ]   

The next few ply look to be best/forced here. 
(At least one person - on the CG website - and one {in an e-mail} ... questioned the capture of d4. 
 It may be unwise to open the position when you are way behind in development, but Korchnoi always took such pawns.)   
   11...Qxd4+;  12.Be3 Qd5;  13.Rd1 0-0-0??;    
This was virtually a blunder here for Black, ...Ne5; looked to be much better. 
(Houdini liked placing the BQ on e6, and this was one of the first tries that I looked at, as well.) 

Castling Q-side not only drops a Pawn, but also places the Black King (and Queen!) in extreme peril, as well.  

          [ >/= 13...Ne5!;  14.Nxe5 Qxe5;  15.Qb4 b5;  16.Re1 a5;  17.Qh4 Qd5;  18.b3, "+/="  - Fritz 12. ]   

   14.Bxa7 Ng4?;  (Just ugly!)  
This was another mistake, (it completely misses White's threat); forced was  14...e6T;  for Black in this position. 

   2kr1b1r/Bp1np1pp/2pp4/3q4/2N3n1/3B1R2/PPP3PP/3RQ1K1 w - - 0 15   

Now we have the position for today's POTD. (Tuesday; February 7th, 2012.) 

   15.Nb6+ Nxb6;  16.Bf5+,  Black Resigns.  (1-0)  

The Queen is lost, so Black throws in the towel here.  

          [ In case you want to see the line that the computer considers to be "best play," then here it is, (use against Crafty EGT): 
            16.Bf5+ Qxf5;  17.Rxf5 Nd7;  18.Qe6! h5!?;  19.Bb6 Rh6;  20.Qb3 Nxb6;  21.Qxb6 d5;  22.Rd3! Rf6;  23.Ra3!, "+/-"  
             and now Black's position begins to fall apart here. (23.Rb3, may also win for White.) ]   

  Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2012. All rights reserved.