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LCB, Issue #113 --, Find the Perfect Melody on the Giuco Piano November 01, 2024 |
Find the Perfect Melody on the Giuco PianoLapoc Chess Board, Issue #113 -- GOTM #83 learn and play online chess The Italian Game is one of the grand old openings of the KPG. For centuries, when the Italians, the Spanish and the French were at the forefront of the chess world, this was the answer to 1...e5. Things changed in the middle of the 19th Century. The Ruy Lopez pushed it's way to the front. It became the automatic treatment of 1...e5 and the Italian Game was pushed into the shade. It was the Sicilian Defense, not the Italian, that would challenge the Spanish Game in the 1920s. 3.Bc4 has enjoyed a partial recovery in recent decades but still remains humble. All the same, an opening that was so important for so long must have something to it. The two main replies for Black are the Giuoco Piano (3...Bc5) and the Two Knights Defense (3...Nf6). A third less critical line is the Hungarian Defense (3...Be7). We have an Italian Game that goes into the Giuoco Piano. Alexander Jobova faced Sergey Karjakin in Sochi, Russia in 2013. Find the Perfect Melody on the Giuco PianoJobova, Aleksandrovich B - Karjakin, Sergey [C53]GotM #83 Sochi, 2013 [Connaughton, Ken] 1.e4 King's Pawn Game 1...e5 Open Game 2.Nf3 King's Knight Opening 2...Nc6 3.Bc4 Italian Game 3...Bc5 Giuoco Piano 4.c3 Preparing the d4 push in the center. 4...Nf6 5.d4 exd4
Black releases the tension. 6.e5 He wants to kick the Knight before recapturing. (6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Qb3 Qe7 10.0-0 d5 11.Bxd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5=) 6...d5!? Energetic reply and the position is getting sharp. (6...Ne4 7.Qe2 d5 8.exd6 0-0 9.dxc7 Qd7 10.0-0=) 7.Be2 White decides to keep the pieces on. 7...Ne4 Black gets a menacing Knight. 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Nxd2 And the e4-Knight is traded for the dark square Bishop. 10.Nbxd2 0-0 11.0-0 f6
Black attacks the White center. 12.Rc1 Kh8?! Nothing wrong with this but maybe it doesn't do enough to warrant the move. 13.Nb3 Bg4 14.a3 Be7 15.Re1 fxe5 16.dxe5
Now we have two passed pawns in the center. Which will prove the stronger? 16...Rf4 17.h3 Bh5 18.Nc5 Bxc5 19.Rxc5 Now they both have a Rook on the 5th rank. Which will be more effective?
The White pawn looks more dangerous at the moment. 20...Bg6 21.Bd3 Qf6 22.Ng5
It's getting incrementally but relentlessly more dangerous for Black with every move from White. Tactical strikes based on mating nets are beginning to show themselves. White owns f7, his Knight has a dangerous post on g5 and his heavy pieces could at some point gain a foothold on the h-file, to say nothing of the passer on e6. 22...Ne7 Blockading the pawn and more particularly supporting the Bishop on g6. 23.Bxg6 hxg6 He wants to continue the blockade of the e6-pawn, but the price to be paid is an open h-file with the two Black pawns forming a deadly corridor for their own King. 24.Ne4! White amazingly gives up his passed pawn and before long we see what price he will exact. 24...Qxe6 25.Ng5 He sacrificed the pawn because it was in his way. He now skewers the Queen and will use threats against the Knight to maneuver his forces into position. 25...Qf6 The Queen holds the Knight but this is a bad square.
White is making great progress playing with tempo, move after move. Black's Queen gets more passive during this tussle. 26...Qf8 27.Rxg6!!
Rook sacrifice is really pleasing. Black can't take or it's # in 2. 27...Rh4 Defending the h-file from the Queen's entry. (27...Nxg6?? 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.Qh7#) 28.Ne6!!
The attack on the Queen provides the time needed for 29.Rh5 which will be curtains. Black resigns. (28.Ne6 Qf7 29.Rh5+ Rxh5 30.Qxh5+ Kg8 31.Rxg7+ Qxg7 32.Nxg7 Kxg7+- With an easy win for White.) 1-0 Rubinstein, Akiba - Schlechter, Carl [D41] P.S. If you do not have html based email software and you're using a text only system, you may find that the links are only partially highlighted and may not work. If this is the case, simply copy and paste the entire link into the browser and hit Enter. That should get you where you want to go. Comments, ideas, feedback? I'd be stoked to hear from you. Get in touch See you next month. Ken 
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