There are so many multifarious ways to play the Caro Kann without constantly playing the same old, same ol’ 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5, and I am pleased to see the younger generation finding new moves in old openings in lieu of once again trotting out the same old moves played by earlier generations of players. I recall former US Chess Champion Stuart Rachels writing about why one must follow main line theory, but where is the fun in so doing?
The featured game is between two youngsters not afraid to blaze new trails.
Vladislav Artemiev 2697(RUS) vs
Murali Karthikeyan 2585 (IND)
Aeroflot Open 2018 round 02
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qe2
Bf5 (Stockfish takes the knight; Houdini plays the game move) 6. Nxf6+ gxf6 7. d4 (Stockfish & Komodo prefer 7 d3)
Qd5 8. c4 (Houdini & Komodo play 8 Be3. See game below) Qe4 9. Qxe4 Bxe4 10. Nh4 (Komodo prefers 10 Be2) Na6 11. f3 Bc2 12. Be3 (When replaying this game I jotted down 12 Ke2, thinking along the lines of “If he comes into my house, I want to kick him out ASAP!” Then when going over it with the ChessBomb it pleased me no end to see the Fish had it as the first choice!)
e5 (Having played the gxf Kann over the years I would be inclined to castle; so too would the fish) 13. dxe5 (I made it three in a row when jotting down 13 d5!) fxe5 14. Rc1 Bg6 15. a3 Bc5 16. Bxc5 Nxc5 17. b4 Ne6 18. c5 a5 (The logical 18…Ke7 appealed to me while sitting at home with all the time in the world, as white is lagging in development and the move advance of the King gives way for the rooks. The Fish agrees.) 19. Bc4 Ke7 (I could not help but wonder why Artemiev did not preface this with first taking with 19…axb4. So did the Fish…) 20. O-O axb4 (SF has 20… Rhd8 best) 21. axb4 Rhd8 (Now there are, according to the Fish, better moves with 21… f5, and even 21…f6)
White to move
22. f4? (Simply 22. Rfe1 is better, with about an even game. This gives an advantage to black.) Nxf4 23. Rce1 Kf8 24. Nxg6+ (24 g3 is better) hxg6 25. Rxe5 Rd4 26. Bxf7 Kxf7 27. g3 Kf6 28. gxf4 Rxb4 29. Rg5 Rh8 (29… Ra2!) 30. Rg2 (30. Rf2) Rh5 31. Rd1 Rxc5 32. Rd6+ Ke7 33. Rgxg6 Rxf4 34. Kg2 (34. h4, says the Fish) Rg5+ 35. Rxg5 Kxd6 36. Rg8 (36. Kg3 Forcing moves!) b5 37. Kg3 Rf1 38. Ra8 (White is lost, but 38. Kg2, another Forcing move, would make the opponent have to work)
b4 39. h4 c5 40. Rb8 Kd5 41. h5 Rh1 42. Kg4 Kc4 43. Kg5 b3 0-1
Tingjie Lei (2531) v S. Swapnil (2533)
Seville Open 2018
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Bf5 6.Nxf6+ gxf6 7. d4 Qd5 8. Be3 Bg4 9. c4 Qh5 10. O-O-O Nd7 11. Qd2 Bxf3
12. gxf3 e6 13. f4 a5 14. Be2 Qf5 15. Bd3 Qh5 16. f5 e5 17. dxe5 fxe5 18. Bc2 Rd8 19.Qxa5 Bh6 20. Qc7 Bxe3+ 21. fxe3 Qg5 22. Kb1 Qe7 23. Qxb7 O-O 24. Rd2 e4 25. Qc7 Ra8 1-0
Vladislav Artemiev (2524) v Alexey Zenzera (2387)
Event: Somov Memorial 2013
Site: Kirishi RUS Date: 05/16/2013
ECO: B10 Caro-Kann, two knights variation
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Qe2 e6 6. g3 Nf6 7. d3 Nxe4 8. dxe4 Bg4 9. Bg2 e5 10. Be3 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Bg5 14. Rad1 Qe7 15. Bxg5 Qxg5 16. Qc4 Qe7 17. Bg4 g6 18. h4 h5 19. Bh3 Rd8 20. Rxd8+ Qxd8 21. Qb3 b6 22. c3 Na6 23. Qa4 Nc5 24. Qxc6 Qe8 25. Qxe8+ Rxe8 26. Rd1 Kf8 27. f3 Ke7 28. Kf2 Rd8 29. Rxd8 Kxd8 30. b3 Ke7 31. Ke3 Kd6 32. b4 Na6 33. Bf1 Nc7 34. f4 f5 35. Bc4 exf4+ 36. Kxf4 fxe4 37. Kxe4 Ke7 38. Ke5 Ne8 39. Bd3 Kf7 40. c4 1-0
Nastassia Ziaziulkina (2369) v Jovana Rapport (2327)
Event: 21st European Teams Women
Site: Hersonissos GRE Date: 11/04/2017
ECO: B10 Caro-Kann, two knights variation
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Bf5 6. Nxf6+ gxf6 7. d4 Bg4 8. Qe4 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 10. Bf4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Bb4 12. c3 Be7 13. Bc4 Nd7 14. Rg1 O-O-O 15. Rg7 f5 16. Qe3 Rhg8 17. Rxf7 Rg1+ 18. Bf1 Bg5 19. f4 Bxf4 20. Qxf4 Qb5 21. O-O-O Rxf1 22. Rxf1 Qxf1+ 23. Kc2 h5 24. Re7 Qc4 25. b3 Qa6 26. a4 c5 27. dxc5 Qc6 28. Be3 Nxc5 29. Qc4 Rd5 30. Bxc5 Rxc5 31. Qxe6+ Qxe6 32. Rxe6 Rd5 33. Rh6 Re5 34. Kd3 b5 35. axb5 Rxb5 36. Kc4 Re5 37. Rxh5 Re4+ 38. Kd3 Rf4 39. Ke3 Re4+ 40. Kf3 Re5 41. Kf4 Re2 42. Kxf5 Rxf2+ 43. Ke4 a5 44. Rxa5 Rxh2 45. Ra7 Kb8 46. Rg7 Rb2 47. b4 Rd2 48. c4 Rd1 49. b5 Kc8 50. c5 Kb8 51. b6 Re1+ 52. Kd5 Rd1+ 53. Kc6 Rd8 54. Kb5 Rd5 55. Ka6 1-0
GM Karthikeyan Murali: “Chess helped me in Academics”
Armchair Warrior 