In the eighth round of the US Chess Championship young Christopher Yoo uncorked the seldom played Fantasy variation by moving his f-pawn one square on his third move. Word on the Chess street is seeing the move onscreen caused GM Ben Finegold to have a conniption fit.
Seeing the move made this Chess fan smile. Unfortunately, the offbeat openings played ‘back in the day’ do not see much action these daze, so when one is essayed it is a special treat.
[Event “U.S. Chess Championship”]
[Site “Saint Louis, United States”]
[Date “2022.10.13”]
[Round “8.2”]
[White “Yoo, Christopher”]
[Black “Xiong, Jeffery”]
[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “2563”]
[BlackElo “2690”]
[UTCDate “2022.10.13”]
[ECO “B12”]
[Opening “Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation”]
- e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 Qb6 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. fxe4 e5 6. Nf3 exd4 7. Qxd4 Be6 8. Bf4 Ne7 9. Bd6 Ng6 10. Bxf8 Rxf8 11. O-O-O Qxd4 12. Nxd4 Ne5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 Nbd7 15. Be2 O-O-O 16. g4 Kc7 17. g5 Rh8 18. h4 h6 19. Ne4 hxg5 20. hxg5 Nb6 21. Rxh8 Rxh8 22. f6 g6 23. c4 Nbxc4 24. Bxc4 Nxc4 25. Nc5 Nd6 26. Re1 Re8 27. Rxe8 Nxe8 28. Kd2 b6 29. Nd3 Kd6 30. Ke3 Nc7 31. Ke4 Ne6 32. Ne5 Nxg5+ 33. Kf4 Ne6+ 34. Ke4 Nd8 35. Kf4 Ke6 36. Ng4 Nb7 37. Kg5 Nc5 38. Nf2 Nd7 39. Nd3 Nxf6 40. Nb4 c5 41. Nc6 a5 42. Nd8+ Ke7 43. Nc6+ Kd7 44. Ne5+ Ke6 45. Nc4 Nd7 46. a4 Kd5 47. b3 Kd4 48. Nd6 Kc3 49. Nxf7 Kxb3 50. Kf4 Kxa4 0-1
https://lichess.org/broadcast/us-chess-championship/round-8/fm2WddB4
The best moves according to the Stockfish program at Lichess.com are given in parenthesis.
1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 (The Stockfish program has determined the insipid 3 exd5 is the best move. Where is the fun in that move?!) 3…Qb6 (3…e6) 4. Nc3 dxe4 (4…e6) 5. fxe4 (5 Bc4) 5…e5 6. Nf3 exd4 7. Qxd4 (7 Nxe4) 7…Be6 (TN SF plays 7…Nf6) 8. Bf4 (a4) 8… Ne7 (Nf6) 9. Bd6 (9 Be3) 9…Ng6 (9…Nbd7) 10. Bxf8 Rxf8 (10…Qxd4) 11. O-O-O (11 Qxg7) 11…Qxd4 12. Nxd4 Ne5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 Nbd7 15. Be2 O-O-O (15…a5) 16. g4 (16 b4) Kc7 17. g5 Rh8 (17…Rde8) 18. h4 (18 Ne4) 18…h6 19 Ne4 (19 gxh6) 19…hxg5 20. hxg5 Nb6 21. Rxh8 (21 Re1) 21…Rxh8 22. f6 (22 Re1) 22…g6 23. c4 (23 b4) The game is, for all intents and purposes, over.
Bartlomiej Heberla (2487) vs Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2568)
Event: EU-ch 7th
Site: Kusadasi Date: 04/13/2006
Round: 9
ECO: B12 Caro-Kann, Tartakower (fantasy) variation
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 Qb6 4.Nc3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.Qe2 Qxd4 7.Be3 Qd8 8.fxe4 Bg4 9.Nf3 e6 10.O-O Nbd7 11.Qf2 Bd6 12.Rad1 Qc7 13.Rxd6 Qxd6 14.e5 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Qxe5 16.Bd4 Qc7 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qxf6 Rf8 19.Ne4 Bf5 20.Rxf5 exf5 21.Nd6+ Kd7 22.Nxf7 Rxf7 23.Qxf7+ Kd6 24.Qf6+ Kc5 25.Bd3 Qd7 26.Qe5+ Kb6 27.b4 a5 28.Qc5+ Kc7 29.bxa5 Rd8 30.Qb6+ Kb8 31.a6 Qd4+ 32.Qxd4 Rxd4 33.axb7 h6 34.Bxf5 Kxb7 35.Bd3 Kc7 36.Kf2 Ra4 37.Kf3 Kd6 38.g4 Ke5 39.h4 Rxa2 40.g5 h5 41.Bg6 Ra3+ 42.Ke2 Rh3 43.Bxh5 Rxh4 44.Be8 c5 ½-½
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?back=1&gid=3331874&m=13
Arjun Erigaisi (2660) vs Tahsin Tajwar Zia, (2235)
Event: TCh-BAN Premier 2022
Site: Dhaka BAN Date: 03/20/2022
Round: 11.2
ECO: B12 Caro-Kann, Tartakower (fantasy) variation
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 Qb6 4.Nc3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.Qe2 h5 7.fxe4 e5 8.dxe5 Ng4 9.Nf3 Nd7 10.e6 fxe6 11.Bxe6 Nde5 12.Bxc8 Rxc8 13.h3 Nxf3+ 14.gxf3 Ne5 15.f4 Be7 16.Kf1 Bh4 17.Kg2 O-O 18.Rf1 c5 19.Nd5 Qg6+ 20.Kh1 Nc6 21.Rg1 Nd4 22.Rxg6 Nxe2 23.Rg2 Ng3+ 24.Rxg3 Bxg3 25.Ne7+ Kf7 26.Nxc8 Rxc8 27.Kg2 Bh4 28.Be3 b6 29.Rd1 Rd8 30.Rg1 g6 31.Kf3 Kf6 32.a4 a5 33.Ra1 Ke6 34.Ke2 Bf6 35.Rg1 Rg8 36.Kf3 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?back=1&gid=4337871&m=13
I began putting the moves into the analysis program at Lichess to only look at the opening moves. Next thing I know I was in the middle game and “just had” to know how the game would play out, so I opened Hearts of Space (https://v4.hos.com/this-week/program) and listened while watching the game as time stood still for quite a while.
- e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 Qb6 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. fxe4 e5 7. dxe5 Ng4 8. Qe2 Nxe5 9. Bb3 Bg4 10. Nf3 Be7 11. Be3 Qd8 12. Rd1 Qa5 13. O-O Nxf3+ 14. gxf3 Bh3 15. Rfe1 Qh5 16. Kh1 Nd7 17. Rg1 Rg8 18. Rg3 g6 19. a4 a5 20. Bf4 Nc5 21. Nd5 cxd5 22. exd5 Kf8 23. Qe3 Re8 24. Bh6+ Rg7 25. Bxg7+ Kxg7 26. d6 Bxd6 27. Qxe8 Ne4 28. Qxe4 Bxg3 29. Qe2 b6 30. Bd5 Bf5 31. Qd2 Kf8 32. Rg1 Be5 33. b3 Qh4 34. Rg2 Bd7 35. Re2 Qh3 36. Re1 Bg3 37. Rg1 Bc7 38. Qf2 Qh6 39. Rd1 Bh3 40. Qd4 Qg5 41. Rg1 Qh5 42. c4 Qe5 43. Qxe5 Bxe5 44. Re1 Bc3 45. Re2 Bb4 46. Bc6 Be6 47. h4 Kg7 48. Re3 Kf6 49. Re2 Bf5 50. Bd5 h6 51. Be4 Bc8 52. Bd5 Bf5 53. Be4 Be6 54. Kg2 g5 55. h5 Bd7 56. Bd5 Kg7 57. Re3 Bc5 58. Re1 Bb4 59. Rd1 f5 60. Be4 Be6 61. Bb7 Bc5 62. Bd5 Bd7 63. Bf7 Bc6 64. Be6 g4 65. Bd5 Be8 66. fxg4 fxg4 67. Kg3 Bxh5 68. Be4 Bf7 69. Kxg4 Kf6 70. Kf4 h5 71. Bf5 h4 72. Rh1 Bf2 73. Ke4 Kg5 74. Rh2 Be1 75. Rg2+ Bg3 76. Rd2 Be1 77. Rg2+ Bg3 78. Bh3 Bh5 79. Rd2 Bf7 80. Rd7 Bg6+ 81. Kf3 Bh5+ 82. Ke3 Be8 83. Rd5+ Kf6 84. c5 bxc5 85. Ke2 Bf7 86. Rxc5 Bxb3 87. Rxa5 Ke7 88. Ra7+ Kd6 89. a5 Bc4+ 90. Ke3 Be1 91. a6 Kc6 92. Bc8 h3 93. Rh7 Bxa6 94. Bxa6 Kb6 95. Rh6+ Kc5 96. Rh5+ Kb6 97. Be2 h2 98. Rxh2 Kc5 99. Rh5+ Kc6 100. Rh1 Bb4 101. Ke4 Kd6 102. Rc1 Ba3 103. Rc2 Bb4 104. Bb5 Ke6 105. Rc6+ Bd6 106. Rb6 Ke7 107. Kf5 Bh2 108. Re6+ Kd8 109. Rc6 Ke7 110. Rc2 Bb8 111. Rd2 Bd6 112. Rd4 Bg3 113. Rd7+ Ke8 114. Ke6 Kf8 115. Rf7+ Kg8 116. Bc4 Be1 117. Kf6 Bc3+ 118. Kg6 Bg7 119. Rf3+ Kh8 120. Rh3+ Bh6 121. Rxh6#
Armchair Warrior 