e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 (Stockfish 14 @depth 60 plays the second most popular move according to the ChessBaseDataBase, 3 Nc3. In almost eighteen thousand games it has scored 52%. SF 15 @depth 61 will play 3 Nd2. In over ten thousand games it has scored 54%. The most often played move has been 3 e5, and it has scored the highest at 55%. The game move has only been played in about two thousand games, but has scored a 54% success rate) 3…dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c3 Nd7 7. Bd3 (SF 14 & 15 prefer 7 Be2. There is only one game previously played with the move 7 Be2 (see Stefansson v Grant below). 7 Bc4 has been seen in 72 games, scoring 56%. The move played in the game, 7 Bd3, has been attempted on 26 occasions and has scored an astounding 69%!)
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 (One of the things I like about 365Chess.com is learning who is the leading practitioner of an opening and/or particular variation. Heather Richards has played 3 f3, the opening FM Kazim Gulamali, called the “Little Grandmaster” at the House of Pain when still a child, proclaimed the “Caro-Kann Crusher,” in twenty-two games. GM Nikola Mitkov has used the weapon eighteen times; and Artyom Timofeev is credited with playing the Crusher on sixteen occasions. The thing about playing so-called “offbeat” openings is that one can compare the play of other, stronger, players with that of your own play. Chess is a language of sorts. The moves “talk” to you if you will listen. The game you are replaying contains ideas of the players producing the moves. The beauty of Chess is “understanding” those ideas, and possibly incorporating them into your own play. With tools like the 365Chess.com and the CBDB (http://database.chessbase.com/js/apps/database/) how can players not be better than their predecessors? If one wanted to learn this opening a good start would be to replay the above mentioned fifty-six games. With only that one would be well-armed for battle in a weekend tournament. Stockfish ‘thinks’ little of the Fantasy variation. If white played 3 Nd2 SF shows an advantage of +0.47. After playing 3 f3 it shows black with a small advantage of -0.2)
3…g6 (After this move Heather leads with ten, scoring seven wins; two draws; and only one loss. GM Julian Hodgson has faced 3…g6 five times, scoring three wins and two draws. Stockfish 8, at depth 49, plays 3…e6, which is a tough not to crack. Houdini 3 x 64 at depth 30 plays 3…dxe4. The CBDB shows white scoring only 52% against 3…e6, but an astounding 64% after 3…dxe4!)
4. c3
(After reading an article advocating this move it was my choice the next time facing 3…g6, something soon regretted because of the lack of development. The Fish at the CBDB has 4 Nc3, but the Fish at ChessBomb shows 4 Be3.)
Bg7 5. Bf4 (Komodo plays 5 Na3 [Najer v Rozum below] or Bg5. The Fish at ChessBomb plays 5 Na3, but I prefer it’s second choice…Qe2!)
5…dxe4
(This move is not shown so it is an unsound Theoretical Novelty. Komodo & Stockfish play 5…Nd7. See Mitkov v Azmaiparashvili below for 5…Qb6.)
6. fxe4 e5 (6…Nf6) 7. dxe5
7…Qxd1+ (7… Nd7 is better. If 8. Qd6 Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Nxe7, for example.)
8. Kxd1
Be6 (Stockfish “thinks” black should play 8…f6, with this to follow: 9. Nf3 fxe5 10. Bxe5 Bxe5 11. Nxe5 Nd7 12. Nf3 Ngf6. Black is down a pawn, but the isolated e-pawn can be attacked. It may be the best hope for black.)
9. Nf3 Nd7 10. Nbd2 h6 (There is no reason to delay developing with 10…Ne7)
11. Nc4 (11 Bc4 is better)
11…g5 (She should take the knight with 11…Bxc4)
12. Bg3 Ne7 (SF shows 12..Kf8; Bxc4; g4; & 0-0. The move played in the game is not shown.)
13. Nd6+ (White has a ‘won’ game)
Kf8 14. Kc2 Rb8 (14…Ng6)
15. Nd4 (Why not develop with Bc4?)
Ng6 (SF prefers 15…Bxe5)
16. Be2 (The Fish prefers 16 Rd1)
Bxe5 17. Nxe6+ fxe6 18. Rhf1+ Nf4 19. Nc4 Bc7
20. e5 (And there goes the advantage…20 Rfd1 or a4 keep the advantage)
Ke7 21. Bxf4 gxf4 22. Rxf4 b5 (Why not take the pawn with 22…Nxe5?)
23. Raf1 (I’m “advancing to the rear” with 23 Nd2)
Armchair Warrior 