Langer,M (2325) - Goldsby I,A (2254) [B97]
Paul Morphy Open Airprt Hilton/New Orleans, LA (5), 07.01.2001

I studied this as a problem (although I knew the "book" move was Bf6) ... I originally set myself the time limit of 5 minutes ... but the next time I looked at clock, over 20 minutes had gone by!

I first looked at the sac, 15.NxP/e6 ... as many others did as well, judging from all the earlier posts. (Which I went back and read in some detail.) I found a couple of "cheapo" wins for White, but - just as quickly - came up with a defense for Black. However, after being unable to find a FORCED win for White, I switched to the other "candidate move" of 15.Bf6.

I never really found a forced win for White, I did work out the main continuation ... to about move nineteen. And as I did so, I was overcome with a sense of deja-vu. (I used to have both a paperback book, AND a "Chess Digest" pamphlet on this opening ... so it is probable that memory played as much as a role as anything else, in my ability to work out the complex variations.)

However, this is NOT a problem ... not in the truest sense of the word. ALSO!!! I was unable to find a forced win ... IF Black did not capture on f6.

I set this position up for Fritz 9, and I gave it close to half an hour to solve it. (Intel 3.4 GHz processor with 350 MB of RAM for Fritz for the hash-tables.) After all this time, Fritz sees a BIG edge for Black ... nearly 1.5 points. And its two main move choices are 15.Qe3 and 15.Be2.

I also have the latest ECO ... but I have found so many errors in that book, I would not trust it any farther than I could throw it. (1840 hrs.)

Guy Mazzoni (2363) - GM Milko Bobotsov (2357)
[B97] Le Havre, FRA; / 02.04.1966
[A.J.G.]

1.e4 c5;
This is just some very general comments on the opening. [The ratings here come from the website of Jeff Sonas. (http://www.chessmetrics.com)]

2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6;
This opening might be named after Najdorf, but it was truly Bobby Fischer's successes with this system that made it so popular.

6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6;
The dreaded "Poisoned Pawn" variation, and one of Bobby's workhorses ... that brought him a lot of points. (And it probably should be named after Fischer.)

After OVER 25 years of trying to actively refute this variation, I have conceded that it is sound, and even begun to try the Black side of this system.

8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5,
The older move, first sharply used by Paul Keres in his game vs. A. Fuderer in the 1955 Interzonal Tournament. (Keres won brilliantly - in only 18 moves.) Today, this has been supplanted by 10.f5, and the theory is stll in a state of flux. (I just saw an opening theory article on-line, in one key variation, the analysis seems to favor White.)

[ Easily the most important game of the last 30 years in the 10.f5 , was GM V. Ivanchuk - GM G. Kasparov; 8th Super-GM (7) / Linares, ESP; 1990. (Black won a convincing victory in 43 total moves.) ]

10...dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 12.Bc4,
This is one of the sharper moves here, and White can also play 12.Ne4 as well.

(Now Black can play 12...Be7 and also 12...Qa5.)
12...Bb4;
The 2006 version of the Fritz "Power-Book" gives this as best.

13.Rb3 Qa5 14.0-0 0-0 15.Bf6,
The only serious try here, but White has played NxP/e6 in a few games.

This was first played in agame between GM R. Byrne and GM Larry Evans in a U.S. Championship game in the 1960's. (See my previous posts.)

15...gxf6;
This appears to be an error, the evaluations (of any program) immediately begin to fluctuate, a sure sign of a crisis point in a chess game.

I like 15...Nc6 here, Fritz likes 15...Bc5. (18...♔h8 is also worth consideration.) And there has NOT been enough current GM games, (especially in the "post-computer" age); to draw any definite conclusions here.

[ 15...Nxf6 16.exf6 Rd8 17.Rxb4 Qxb4 18.Qg5 g6;
Black seems to be clearly better here, although in practice, White has scored well.

See GM John Nunn's 1996 book, "The Complete Najdorf, 6.♗g5." Chapter 5, 10.e5 / Line # B23, (12...Bb4); beginning on page # 117. ISBN: # 1-879479-45-1 (paper) ]

16.Qh6 Qxe5 17.Nf5 exf5 18.Ne4 Re8 19.Rh3, ( )
Both the theoretical verdict ... and the computer analysis of the game ... strongly indicate that Black can no longer defend himself.

15. Rxb4 and then 16 Nd5 etc but couldn't
see that the exchange sac was winning - alhough White can cook up an attack against the Black king

I also looked at 15 Rxf7 and N or Bxe6

I thought that 15 Rxb4 Qxb4 16 Bf6 was the solution but the move 16 ... Nxe5 gave problems

It was interesting anyway - but I spent hours on ths one and failed to find White's actual first move (except as one option) -

In this case, I suspect 15. Bf6 was apparently an open>

So 19 Qh6 is not 'sound'.

ButL 21 Rxf6 gxf6 22 Qg5 Qe7 23 Nf5 or 22 ... Bxe6 23 Bxf6+

If you are really interested in this line (and playing it), you would HAVE to get a good book on it! (Playing these lines without thorough study would be suicide.) If you don't have Nunn's book, I would purchase it, even though it is ten years old. (The theory of this system has not changed that much in the last few years.)

ALSO - maybe there is a newer, (better) book out there on this line ... but I am not sure what it would be. (Personally, I like Nunn, he is EXTREMELY detailed!)

I found the following quote insightful: <In Fischer’s youth, people tried to beat him with 10 e5 here, but that seems totally busted now. 10 Bxf6 also was tried, but that move is only aiming for positional compensation. The only move that gives White hope for a strong and enduring attack is the one that became established as best by the late Sixties, i.e., 10 f5, which assaults the keystone of Black’s king position, namely the e6-pawn.>