The Stoltz Variation

One of the games at the 90th Hastings Congress began 1 e4 c5 2 Bc4 e6 3 Qe2. Naturally, this caught my eye. Regular readers know of my fondness for the Bishop’s opening, and also for the Chigorin variation against the French, or any opening containing the move Qe2. How could I not pay attention when both moves are played in the same opening? The game was between David Sedgwick (1995) and Ali R Jaunooby (2175), and was played in the eight round. The latter played 3…Nc6. I considered only 4 Nf3 or 4 c3, but Sedgwick played 4 d3, which I did not understand. A quick consultation with the Chessbase database (http://database.chessbase.com/js/apps/database/) shows only those two moves having been played, so 4 d3 must be a TN. The game continued: 4…b5 5.Bb3 Nd4 6.Qd1 d5 7.c4 bxc4 8.Ba4+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.Nf3 cxd3 11.Qxd3 Nf6 12.e5 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Ne4 14.Nd2 f5 15.Nxe4 fxe4 16.Qg3 Qb5 17.a4 Qa6 18.Bg5 Rb8 19.Qc3 h6 20.Bd2 Be7 21.Qg3 Kf7 22.Qf4+ Kg8 23.b4 Bg5 24.Qg3 Bxd2+ 25.Kxd2 Rxb4 26.Rhb1 Rd4+ 27.Ke1 Kh7 28.Rb5 Rf8 29.Rab1 Rf7 30.h4 h5 31.Qg5 Rf5 32.Qe7 e3 33.fxe3 Rxa4 34.Qxc5 Rxh4 35.Qc2 Re4 36.R1b3 Qa1+ 37.Qb1 Qxe5 38.Qc1 Qg3+ 0-1

Because of my experience playing 2 Qe2 versus the French I would never play a move like 4 d3, allowing the Knight to come to d4, attacking the Queen, so I checked out 4 Nf3 on the CBDB, learning that both Komodo and Stockfish play the Knight move. After 4 Nf3 both Komodo 8 and Houdini 4×64 play 4…Nf6, which would be a TN, as the CBDB contains no games with the move. It does show that Komodo 6 plays 4…Nge7, which is a move that has been previously played. Finding no games at the CBDB, I surfed on over to 365Chess (http://www.365chess.com/opening.php?m=9&n=75620&ms=e4.c5.Bc4.e6.Qe2.Nc6.Nf3.Nf6&ns=3.3.195.572.2485.4268.4065.75620) finding two games with 4…Nf6, so we do have a “main line.” Both games were played last century, back in 1972, the year I met Bobby Fischer at the Church’s Fried Chicken tournament in San Antonio after Bobby bested Boris, winning the World Chess Championship.

Slavoj Kupka (2375) vs Josef Pribyl (2435)
CSR-ch 1972

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. d3 Be7 6. Bb3 O-O 7. c3 e5 8. O-O d6 9. Rd1 Qc7 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Be6 12. Nbd2 Rad8 13. Nc4 Nh5 14. Bg3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 Rfe8 16. Ne3 Bxb3 17. axb3 Bf8 18. g4 f6 19. g3 Qf7 20. Nd2 a5 21. Ndc4 Ra8 22. Nb6 Ra6 23. Ned5 Be7 24. Kg2 Bd8 25. Nc4 Qe6 26. Rh1 Rf8 27. Nce3 Rf7 28. Nf5 Kf8 29. Qd2 Ke8 30. b4 cxb4 31. cxb4 axb4 32. Qc2 Rxa1 33. Rxa1 Rd7 34. Ra8 Kf7 35. Qa4 Be7 36. Rc8 Bd8 37. Ra8 Kg6 38. Nfe3 Kh7 39. Nxb4 Bb6 40. Nc4 Bd4 1/2-1/2

Jiri Malis (2220) vs Ivan Jankovec (2320)
CSR-ch 1972

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. d3 Be7 6. Bb3 d5 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. c3 dxe4 9. dxe4 Qc7 10. O-O b6 11. e5 Nd7 12. Re1 Bb7 13. h4 Rfe8 14. h5 Bf8 15. Nf1 g6 16. Bc2 Bg7 17. Bf4 Ne7 18. Rad1 Rad8 19. N1h2 a6 20. Bg5 b5 21. h6 Bh8 22. Ng4 Nb6 23. Bf6 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Ned5 25. Bxh8 Kxh8 26. Qd2 Qe7 27. Be4 Nc4 28. Qc2 Rd8 29. b3 Ncb6 30. c4 Nb4 31. Rxd8+ Qxd8 32. Qe2 Bxe4 33. Qxe4 Qc7 34. Ng5 Nxa2 35. Qf3 Qe7 36. Qf6+ 1-0

Further research shows this is not the first time Mr. Sedgwick has played this opening, having had the temerity to play this way against a future World Champion of Women.

David Sedgwick (2095 ) vs Alex Longson (2135)
7th Monarch Assurance 1998

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Be7 4. d3 d5 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. c3 Nf6 7. Bg5 O-O 8. Nd2
b5 9. f4 a5 10. Ngf3 a4 11. Bc2 d4 12. O-O a3 13. bxa3 dxc3 14. Nb3 Nd4 15.
Nbxd4 cxd4 16. e5 Nd5 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Nxd4 Qc5 19. Qf2 Rxa3 20. Bb3 Ne7 21.
Nc2 Qxf2+ 22. Rxf2 Ra8 23. Nb4 Rd8 24. Rd1 Bb7 25. g4 g6 26. d4 Bd5 27. Rc2
Bxb3 28. axb3 Rac8 29. Kf2 Nd5 30. Nxd5 Rxd5 31. b4 Rc4 32. Ke3 Rxb4 33. Rxc3
Ra4 34. Rc8+ Kg7 35. Rc7 Ra8 36. f5 gxf5 37. gxf5 exf5 38. Kf4 Rad8 39. Rg1+
Kf8 40. Kg5 Rxd4 41. Kf6 R4d7 42. Rgc1 Rxc7 43. Rxc7 Kg8 44. Rb7 Re8 45. Rxb5
Re6+ 46. Kxf5 Rh6 47. Rb2 Rg6 48. h4 Rg1 49. h5 Kg7 50. Rf2 h6 51. Ke4 Ra1 52.
Kf5 1/2-1/2

David Sedgwick (2091) vs Alexandra Kosteniuk (2398)
9th Monarch Assurance 2000

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. c3 Be7 5. d3 d5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. Bg5 O-O 8. Nf3
b6 9. e5 Nd7 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. d4 a5 12. Nbd2 Ba6 13. Qe3 cxd4 14. cxd4 Nb4 15.
O-O-O a4 16. Bc2 Rfc8 17. Ne1 Bd3 18. Nxd3 Nxc2 19. Qg3 Na3+ 20. Nc5 Nb5 21.
Qd3 Na7 22. b4 axb3 23. Ndxb3 bxc5 0-1

These were the oldest games found:

Goesta Stoltz vs Jan Foltys
Karlovy Vary 1948

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. c3 Be7 5. d3 d5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. Nf3 dxe4 8. dxe4
O-O 9. e5 Nd5 10. Bc2 Qc7 11. h4 f5 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Nbd2 e5 14. Ng5 g6 15. h5
Nxh5 16. Nxh7 Nf4 17. Bb3+ Kg7 18. Ne4 Rh8 19. Bxf4 exf4 20. O-O-O Bf5 21. Neg5
Ne5 22. Bc2 Bxg5 23. Nxg5 Kf6 24. Ne4+ Kg7 25. Rxh8 Rxh8 26. Nd6 Kf6 27. Bxf5
gxf5 28. Rd5 Qe7 29. Kc2 Rh2 30. Qd2 Rh4 31. Rxc5 f3 32. gxf3 Qd7 33. b3 Nxf3
34. Ne4+ Ke7 35. Qxd7+ Kxd7 36. Nd2 Rf4 37. Kd1 Nxd2 38. Rd5+ Kc6 39. Rxd2 Rf3
40. c4 a5 41. Ke2 Rc3 42. Kd1 Rf3 43. Rc2 a4 44. b4 Rd3+ 45. Ke2 Ra3 46. Kf1
Rd3 47. Kg2 b5 48. Kf1 bxc4 49. Rxc4+ Kb5 50. Rf4 Ra3 51. Rxf5+ Kxb4 52. Rf4+
Kc5 53. Rf5+ Kc4 54. Rf4+ Kd5 55. Ke1 Rxa2 56. Kd1 a3 1/2-1/2

Goesta Stoltz vs Gedeon Barcza
Karlovy Vary 1948

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 a6 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nge7 6. d4 cxd4 7. cxd4 d5 8. Bb3
dxe4 9. Qxe4 Na5 10. Bc2 Qd5 11. Qe2 Qc4 12. Qd1 Nd5 13. a3 Bd7 14. Ne5 Qc7 15.
Nxd7 Qxd7 16. O-O Rc8 17. Nd2 Qc7 18. Be4 Nf6 19. Bf3 Be7 20. b4 Nc6 21. Bb2
O-O 22. Rc1 Qd7 23. Nc4 Rcd8 24. Qb3 Nd5 25. g3 Bf6 26. Rfd1 Nce7 27. Ne5 Bxe5
28. dxe5 Rc8 29. Be4 Rxc1 30. Rxc1 Rc8 31. Rd1 Qb5 32. Bd4 g6 33. Bd3 Qc6 34.
Bc5 Qc7 35. Qb2 Qd7 36. Be4 Qa4 37. Re1 b6 38. Bd4 a5 39. bxa5 bxa5 40. Bd3 Nc6
41. Be3 Rb8 42. Qa1 Nxe3 43. Rxe3 Ne7 44. Be4 Rd8 45. Qc3 Rd1+ 46. Kg2 Nd5 47.
Bxd5 Rxd5 48. Qc7 Rd7 49. Qb6 Kg7 50. h4 h5 51. Qc5 Rb7 52. Kh2 Qd1 53. Qd6
Qxd6 54. exd6 Kf6 55. f4 1-0

I propose this opening be named the “Stoltz variation.”

Ilia Smirin (2664) vs Vitezslav Rasik (2436)
CZE-chT 2003

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. c3 Be7 5. Bb3 d5 6. d3 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O
b5 9. Bg5 c4 10. dxc4 bxc4 11. Ba4 dxe4 12. Bxc6 exf3 13. Bxf3 Rb8 14. Bf4 Rb5
15. b4 Nd5 16. Bg3 Bf6 17. a4 Rxb4 18. cxb4 Bxa1 19. Qxc4 Bb7 20. Na3 Bc3 21.
Rd1 Bxb4 22. Rxd5 Bxd5 23. Qxb4 a5 24. Qd6 Qxd6 25. Bxd6 Rc8 26. Kf1 Bb3 27.
Ke2 Bxa4 28. Ke3 Bc6 29. Bxc6 Rxc6 30. Be7 f6 31. Kd4 Rc1 32. h4 Rf1 33. Ke3
Rd1 34. Nc4 a4 35. Nb2 Ra1 36. Nc4 Rb1 37. Kd3 Kf7 38. Ba3 Kg6 39. Bb2 Rxb2 0-1

Slavko Cicak (2497) vs Bengt Lindberg (2420)
35th Rilton Cup 2006

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. Nf3 d6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bb3 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. d4
cxd4 9. cxd4 e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Rd1 Qb6 12. h3 Bc5 13. Bg5 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4
15. Nd2 Be6 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Nf3 Bxb3 18. axb3 Rad8 19. Nxd4 Rxd4 20. Rxd4
exd4 21. Rd1 Rd8 22. Rd3 Qc6 23. Qd2 Qxe4 24. Rg3+ Kf8 25. Qb4+ Ke8 26. Re3 1-0

I Am a Hou YiFAN!

When I began playing chess seriously what now seems like a lifetime ago the French defense gave me trouble. The defense also gave Bobby Fischer trouble; the loss to Edmar Mednis comes to mind. I experimented with all the “tried and true” variations, but did not feel comfortable with any of them. then Branko Vujakovic, an exchange student in Atlanta from Yugoslavia, and a strong player, showed me the variation, 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Bd3!? White usually plays 5 c3, or even 4 c3. the idea is to sac a pawn for development after 5…cxd4 6 0-0. Although it has been called the Milner-Barry, it actually has no name, as far as I can ascertain. NiC has it listed under “C02,” while http://www.365chess also has it as “C02, advance, Nimzovich system.” I liked the variation because it was little known. Because of that I was able to score several knock-outs, including one over Roger Sample, may he R.I.P. The game was played in a tournament in the Great State of Tennessee. We both smoked cigarettes then and Roger suggested we play in his hotel room so we could smoke, and I wholeheartedly agreed. The TD allowed us to do so, with the proviso that, “If there any problems you are on your own as to how to settle it. I just want to know the outcome.” I sacked a Knight on f7 and attacked Roger like a wild man, winning the game. When I saw Roger decades later he said, “I still have Knightmares about your move.” I also recall being on the road with Branko somewhere, sometime, and playing the variation against an expert (with my being a class “D” player). I played like Branko had taught me, advancing my h-pawn, opening up his castled position. Someone my opponent knew was standing, looking at the position, when my opponent looked up and plaintively said, “Would you look at that. Hardly out of the opening and I’m busted…”
My chess “bible” was “Chess Openings: Theory and Practice” by I.A. Horowitz. This particular opening was listed under “UNUSUAL VARIATIONS.” I found that appealing. A variation from Alekhine-Euwe from Nottingham, 1936 is mentioned in the notes, but there was one full game:
Igor Bondarevsky v Mikhail Botvinnik
Absolute Championship Leningrad/Moscow 1941
Round: 2 Score: 0-1
ECO: C02 French, advance, Nimzovich system
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bd3 cxd4 6. O-O Bc5 7. a3 Nge7 8. Nbd2 Ng6 9. Nb3 Bb6 10. Re1 Bd7 11. g3 f6 12. Bxg6+ hxg6 13. Qd3 Kf7 14. h4 Qg8 15. Bd2 Qh7 16. Bb4 g5 17. Qxh7 Rxh7 18. exf6 gxf6 19. hxg5 e5 20. gxf6 Kxf6 21. Bd6 Re8 22. Nh4 Rg8 23. Kh2 Bf5 24. Re2 d3 25. Rd2 dxc2 26. f4 Be3 27. Bxe5+ Nxe5 28. fxe5+ Ke7 29. Rf1 c1=Q 0-1
This loss did not deter me from essaying the Nimzovich system. But my opponents began to study the opening and I needed to find another variation with which I was comfortable. “Seek and you shall find.” I sought, and found, the answer in “Theory and Practice.” You will not be surprised to learn I “discovered” the variation once again in the “UNUSUAL VARIATIONS” section. This is the only complete game with my new variation contained in T&P:
Mikhail Chigorin – Hermann Von Gottschall
Barmewi, 1905
1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 c5 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Nc3 d5 6. d3 d4 7. Nd1 Nf6 8. g3 b5 9. Bg2 Ba6 10. O-O Rc8 11. b3 c4 12. Ne1 cxd3 13. cxd3 O-O 14. Bd2 Qb6 15. Nf2 Nb4 16. Qd1 Bb7 17. a3 Nc6 18. g4 a5 19. g5 Nd7 20. Ng4 b4 21. a4 Nc5 22. Rf3 f5 23. gxf6 Bxf6 24. Rh3 Bd8 25. Rc1 Rc7 26. Rh5 Nb8 27. Ne5 Nbd7 28. Nc4 Qa6 29. Rb1 Nf6 30. Rh3 Ncd7 31. Nf3 Qa7 32. Qe2 Nc5 33. Nfe5 Ncd7 34. Kh1 Nxe5 35. fxe5 Ne8 36. Rg1 Rcf7 37. Qh5 g6 38. Bf3 Rg7 39. Qg4 Bc8 40. Bh6 Qe7 41. Be2 Bc7 42. Bxg7 Qxg7 43. Qg5 Bd7 44. Rhg3 Rf7 45. h4 Kh8 46. h5 gxh5 47. Bxh5 Qxg5 48. Rxg5 Rf8 49. Bf7 1-0
I was hooked. Who was Mikhail Chigorin? I tried to discover as much as possible about the player, and it was not easy “back in the day.” It took months, YEARS, to find all I could about the man responsible for 2 Qe2. Who would play such a move? What would GM Reuben Fine, PhD, say about a player who moves the Queen to e2 leaving the King in her rear? I managed to locate the games of the famous match between Siegbert Tarrasch and Chigorin in which the move Qe2 was played eleven times by the latter, scoring six wins, two draws, with three losses. 365Chess shows an astounding FIFTY games played by Chigorin with 2 Qe2 (http://www.365chess.com/search_result.php?search=1&m=3&n=118&ms=e4.e6.Qe2&wid=158099). For this Mikhail had twenty five wins, ten draws, and fifteen losses.
After reading the above you may have an idea of how elated I was upon discovering Hou Yifan essayed Qe2 against Harika at the recently completed Lopata Women’s Grand Prix. It is rare to see a game with the early Quees move by such a strong player.
Hou Yifan – Dronavalli Harika
Lopota WGP 2014 Lopota GEO , Rd 8 2014.06.27
1.e4 e6 2.Qe2 c5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d6 5.Bg2 g6 6.O-O Bg7 7.c3 e5 8.a4 Nge7 9.Na3 O-O 10.Nc4 h6 11.d3 Be6 12.Bd2 Re8 13.h3 b6 14.Rfe1 Qd7 15.b4 cxb4 16.cxb4 d5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Nfxe5 Nxe5 19.Nxe5 Qb7 20.f4 Nf5 21.Qf2 Nd4 22.Rac1 Rad8 23.Bc3 Qa8 24.b5 Nb3 25.Rc2 Nc5 26.Bb4 Bxe5 27.Bxc5 Bxg2 28.Rxe5 Rxe5 29.fxe5 Bxh3 30.Bd6 Qd5 31.Qe3 Re8 32.Re2 Bg4 33.Qe4 Qxe4 34.Rxe4 Bf5 35.Rc4 Bxd3 36.Rc7 Ra8 37.Kf2 Bf5 38.Ke3 Be6 39.Kd4 g5 40.Rb7 h5 41.Rb8+ Rxb8 42.Bxb8 h4 43.gxh4 gxh4 44.Ke3 Bb3 45.Bxa7 Bxa4 46.Bxb6 Bxb5 47.Kf4 Bd7 48.Bd8 h3 49.Kg3 Be6 50.Bf6 Bf5 51.Bd8 Be6 52.Bf6 Bf5 53.Bd8 ½-½
8 a4 appears to be a TN. While researching the opening on http://www.365chess.com and http://database.chessbase.com/js/apps/onlinedb/ I found two games in which GM Kevin Spraggett, the man responsible for the best chess blog, “Spraggett on Chess” (http://kevinspraggettonchess.wordpress.com/) had to face 2 Qe2.
Lawrence A Day v Kevin Spraggett
C00 Toronto Summer op 2000
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. c3 e5 8. a3 Nge7 9. b4 O-O 10. Bb2 b6 11. Rd1 Qc7 12. d3 h6 13. Nbd2 Bb7 14. Nc4 Rad8 15. b5 Nb8 16. a4 d5 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Re1 Rfe8 19. Qc2 Nd7 20. Qb3 N7f6 21. Nfxe5 Nh5 22. d4 Re6 23. Nc6 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 Bxc6 25. bxc6 cxd4 26. cxd4 Qxc6 27. Ne5 Qe6 28. Rc1 Ndf4 29. Qxe6 Nxe6 30. Nc6 Rd7 31. Ne5 Rd8 32. Nc6 Rd7 33. Ne5 1/2-1/2
Igor Ivanov v Kevin Spraggett
C00 Montreal m 1981
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. c3 e5 8. b4 cxb4 9. cxb4 Nxb4 10. Nc3 Ne7 11. Rb1 Nbc6 12. Ba3 O-O 13. Nb5 Bg4 14. Nxd6 b6 15. Qc4 h6 16. h3 Be6 17. Qc2 Qd7 18. Kh2 Rfb8 19. Rfe1 Nc8 20. Nb5 a6 21. Nc3 b5 22. Nd5 N8e7 23. Rec1 Rb7 24. Qc5 Rab8 25. Bb2 Kh7 26. Nxe7 Nxe7 27. Bxe5 Rc8 28. Qe3 Bxa2 29. Rxc8 Qxc8 30. Ra1 Be6 31. Bxg7 Kxg7 32. d4 Rb8 33. d5 Bd7 34. Qd4+ Kh7 35. Qf6 Qf8 36. Rxa6 Ng8 37. Qf4 b4 38. Ra7 1-0
Jaan Ehlvest – Robert Huebner
C00 Rubinstein mem 32nd 1995
1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O d6 7. c3 e5 8. d3 Nge7 9. Nh4 O-O 10. f4 f5 11. Nd2 exf4 12. gxf4 Kh8 13. Ndf3 Be6 14. Ng5 1/2-1/2
Ian Nepomniachtchi (2704) v David Navarra (2722)
Event: 28th European Club Cup
Site: Eilat ISR Date: 10/12/2012
Round: 2
ECO: B40 Sicilian defence
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. c3 e5 8. Na3 Nge7 9. Nc2 O-O 10. Rd1 Qb6 11. b3 Be6 12. Bb2 c4 13. Ng5 cxb3 14. Ne3 bxa2 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Ba3 Qb3 17. Bxd6 Rfd8 18. Bxe7 Nxe7 19. Qc4 Qxc4 20. Nxc4 b5 21. Ne3 a5 22. Rxa2 b4 23. Rda1 b3 24. Rxa5 Rxa5 25. Rxa5 b2 26. Rb5 Rxd2 27. Bf1 Nc6 28. Nc4 Rc2 29. Rxb2 Rxc3 30. Bh3 Nd4 31. Rb8+ Kf7 32. Rb7+ Kf8 33. Bf1 Nf3+ 34. Kg2 Ne1+ 35. Kh3 h5 36. Rb1 Nf3 37. Kg2 Ng5 38. Rb8+ Ke7 39. Rb7+ Kf8 40. Nd6 h4 41. h3 Kg8 42. Be2 hxg3 43. h4 Bf8 44. Rb8 Nf7 45. Nxf7 Kxf7 46. fxg3 Rc2 47. Kf3 Bc5 48. Rb7+ Kf6 49. Bb5 Rf2+ 50. Kg4 Rb2 51. Bc6 Rxb7 1/2-1/2
Igor Glek (2575) v Stephen Brady (2320)
Event: EU-Cup 21st
Site: Saint Vincent Date: 09/20/2005
Round: 3 Score: 1-0
ECO: C00 French, Chigorin variation
1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 g6 6. c3 Bg7 7. h4 h5 8. d3 Bd7 9. Na3 Nh6 10. Nc4 Qc7 11. a4 Ng4 12. Ng5 Bh6 13. O-O Nge5 14. Ne3 f6 15. Nh3 Ne7 16. d4 Nf7 17. f4 cxd4 18. cxd4 Rc8 19. Bd2 Qb6 20. Bc3 Bg7 21. f5 gxf5 22. Nf4 Bh6 23. exf5 e5 24. Ned5 Nxd5 25. Nxd5 Qd8 26. dxe5 dxe5 27. Kh2 Bf8 28. Nf4 Be7 29. Ng6 1-0
I discovered Stoltz played Qe2 eleven times, winning four, losing five, with two draws. (http://www.365chess.com/search_result.php?submit_search=1&eco=C00&wid=154632#)
Goesta Stoltz – Mikhail Botvinnik
Staunton mem 1946
1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 c5 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nge7 5. Nc3 g6 6. d3 Bg7 7. Be3 d5 8. exd5 Nd4 9. Qd2 exd5 10. Nce2 h6 11. Qc1 Bf5 12. c3 Nxe2 13. Nxe2 d4 14. Bd2 Bxd3 15. Bxb7 O-O 16. Bf3 g5 17. O-O Ng6 18. Re1 Ne5 19. Bg2 Ba6 20. Qd1 Nd3 21. Qa4 Qf6 22. f4 Rae8 23. Bc6 Nxe1 24. Bxe8 Nf3+ 25. Kf2 Nxd2 26. Bc6 Bxe2 27. Kxe2 dxc3 28. bxc3 Qxc3 29. Rd1 Rd8 30. Be4 gxf4 31. gxf4 Qh3 32. Rg1 Qh5+ 33. Ke3 Qh3+ 34. Ke2 Qxh2+ 35. Rg2 Qh5+ 36. Ke3 Qh3+ 37. Ke2 Qe6 0-1
White may not win every game, but every game will be interesting!