FIDE Surveys – Josif Dorfman

1

Josif Dorfman:

2B + N vs 2N + B

Concept

Usually, chess games are played in
accordance with the well known strategical
rules. But sometimes, in modern practice, we
have solve a problem in very contradictory
situations. I described already in my books
and in some articles a new theory when we
don’t speak about two bishops, but about
two B+N against 2N+B. We shall learn, how
to proceed in such cases. In the first game I
was a proponent of my own strategy.

Dorfman J. : Hauchard A.
Mondariz 2000

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nf3
Bg7 6.Be2 0–0 7.0–0 a6 8.Bd2 Bg4 9.Qb3
Ra7 10.h3 Bf3 11.Bf3 e6 12.Rfd1 Nbd7

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-wq-trk+0
9trp+n+pvlp0
9p+p+psnp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+PzP-+-+0
9+QsN-zPL+P0
9PzP-vL-zPP+0
9tR-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Here, nothing betokened a conflict.
According to the pawn structure White has
break the center with e3–e4. But according
to the material, White needs the Knight to
develop his play on the light coloured
squares.
13.e4

13.Rac1 Re8 14.Be1 Nb6 15.cd5 ed5 16.Ne2
Nc4 17.Bb4 a5 18.Be1 Bh6 19.Rd3 Ne4
20.Be4 Re4 21.Nc3 Re8 22.Na4 b5 23.Nc5
Bf8 24.Qc2 Bc5 25.dc5 b4 26.Rd4 Qf6
27.Rcd1 Rb7 28.e4 Rbe7 29.f3 Ne3 30.Qd3
Nd1 31.Qd1 de4 32.Rd6 Qe5 33.Bh4 Qc5
34.Kh1 Re6 35.Rd7 e3 36.Qe2 Rd6 37.Be7
Qc1 38.Qd1, 0:1, Glek I. : Savchenko B.,
Qubai 2014;
13.Be2 Qb8 14.a4 a5 15.Rab1 Ra8 16.Qc2
dc4 17.Bc4 Nd5 18.Qb3 Re8 19.Bf1 Bf8
20.e4 Nb4 21.Rbc1 Bd6 22.e5 Be7 23.Ne4
Qd8 24.Qf3 Nd5 25.Bh6 Bf8 26.Bg5 Qb6
27.Bc4 h6 28.Be3 Qd8 29.Bd2 Kg7 30.b3
Be7 31.g3 Rh8 32.h4 Qb6 33.Kg2 Raf8
34.Qe2 Rc8 35.Qe1 Ra8 36.Rc2 Qd8 37.Qe2
Nb4 38.Rc3 Qc7 39.h5 g5 40.f4 gf4 41.gf4
Rag8 42.Kh3 Kf8 43.Rf1 c5 44.dc5 Nc5
45.f5 Qe5 46.Nc5 Qc5 47.fe6 Qd4 48.Rf7
Ke8 49.Bb5 Nc6 50.Qc4, 1:0, Schlosser P. :
Nikcevic N., France 2003.
13...de4 14.Be4

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-wq-trk+0
9trp+n+pvlp0
9p+p+psnp+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+PzPL+-+0
9+QsN-+-+P0
9PzP-vL-zPP+0
9tR-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

The only logical solution.
14...Qc7
In case of 14...Ne4 15.Ne4 Qh4 (This
counterplay seems forced to defend against
Bg5, Bb4 or Be3, followed by d5!) 16.Re1
Bd4 17.Bg5 (or 17.Qd3 e5 18.Bg5 Qh5
19.g4 Nc5 20.Qd4 ed4 21.gh5) 17...Bf2
18.Kf1 Be1 19.Re1 Nc5 20.Qc2 Qe1 21.Ke1
Ne4 22.Qe4 Raa8 23.Bh6.
15.Bf3

FIDE Surveys – Josif Dorfman

2

The evaluation of the position has changed.
White has a huge advantage.
15...Raa8 16.Rac1 e5 17.d5

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9+pwqn+pvlp0
9p+p+-snp+0
9+-+Pzp-+-0
9-+P+-+-+0
9+QsN-+L+P0
9PzP-vL-zPP+0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

It's time for action on the queenside!
17...e4 18.Be2
18.Ne4 Ne4 19.Be4 Nc5 20.Qe3 Ne4 21.Qe4
Bb2 22.Bf4 Qd7 23.dc6 Qc6 24.Qc6 bc6
25.Rb1 was good enough.
18...c5 19.Be3 Rfe8

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+k+0
9+pwqn+pvlp0
9p+-+-snp+0
9+-zpP+-+-0
9-+P+p+-+0
9+QsN-vL-+P0
9PzP-+LzPP+0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

The ability to identify critical points in the
game is extremely important.Black prepared
the transfer of his Bishop on d6. White takes
an appropriate action.
20.d6 Qc6 21.Qa4 Rac8 22.b4 Qa4 23.Na4
cb4 24.c5 h5 25.Rb1 a5 26.a3 ba3 27.Rb7
Nd5 28.Rd5 a2 29.Rd1 Red8 30.Bc4 a1Q
31.Ra1 Ba1 32.Bg5 Rb8 33.Rb8 Rb8 34.c6
Rb1 35.Bf1 1:0.

To satisfy the curiosity, I looked for the
resembling idea. I was shaken by the next
game.

Bronstein D. : Damjanovic M.
Zagreb 1965

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3
Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.e4 de4

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0
9zpp+n+pzpp0
9-+pvlpsn-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+PzPL+-+0
9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy

8.Be4!
Just unbelievable!! Played 50 years ago!
The "boring" 8.Ne4 Ne4 9.Be4 offers for
White better chances:
a) 9...Nf6 10.Bc2 b6 11.0–0 0–0 (11...Bb7
12.Re1 Qc7 13.Qe2) 12.Qd3 h6 13.Rd1 Bb7
14.Ne5 c5 15.Ng4 Ne4 16.dc5 Bc5 17.Qe2
Qe7 18.Be4 Be4 19.Qe4 f5 20.Nh6 gh6
21.Qf3, 1:0 (38), Ding L. : Liu Q., Jiangsu
2015;
b) 9...e5 10.0–0 0–0 11.de5 Ne5 12.Ne5 Be5
13.Bh7 Kh7 14.Qh5 Kg8 15.Qe5 Qd3 16.b3
(16.Qf4) 16...f6 17.Qf4 Re8 18.Be3 Qg6
19.Rad1 (19.f3! Bh3 20.Rf2), Krasenkow M.
: Rausis I., Jersey 2015, ½ (34);
c) 9…c5 10.0–0 0–0 11.Bc2 Qc7 (11...h6
12.Qd3 Nf6 13.Rd1 Qc7 14.dc5 Bc5 15.b4
Bb4 16.Bb2 Qd7 17.Bd4!)12.Qd3 f5 13.Rd1
cd4 (13...Nf6 14.dc5 Bc5 15.Be3 e5 16.Bc5
Qc5 17.Qd6 Qd6 18.Rd6) 14.Qd4 Bc5
15.Qc3 a5 16.Be3 b6 17.Bc5 bc5 18.Ba4
Nb6 19.Bb5 Bd7 20.a4, Fressinet L. :
Hansen C., Oslo 2015, 1:0 (35).
8...Bb4

FIDE Surveys – Josif Dorfman

3

We can realize the depth of Bronstein's
undestanding of chess after 8...Ne4 9.Ne4
Now, according to my rules, White, who has
two N and a B against two black's B and N,
is playing for exchange of darkcoloured B
and the N. The goal is to get a favourable
couple Q+N against Black's Q+B. After this
symplifications a very important resource
c4–c5 will appear.
a) 9...Nf6 (9...Be7 10.Bg5 0–0 11.0–0 Bg5
12.Nfg5 Qe7 13.Qh5 h6 14.Nf3 b6 15.Rfe1
Bb7 16.c5 bc5 17.dc5 Ba6 18.Nd4, Giffard
N. : Nguyen T., Paris 2006, 1:0 (29);
b) 9...Bb8 10.0–0 0–0 11.b3 Re8 12.Bb2 f6
13.Re1 Nf8 14.Qc2 Ng6 15.Rad1 Qc7
16.Qc3 Qf7 17.Ba3 Rd8 18.Qa5, ½, Markus
R. : Godena M., Nova Gorica 2007;
c) 9...Bb4 10.Bd2 Bd2 11.Qd2 Nf6 12.Nf6
Qf6 13.0–0 0–0 14.Qe3 Bd7 15.Ne5 Rad8
16.f4 Qe7 17.c5, Polak R. : Sabejinski S.,
Dresden 2007, 1:0 (40);
d) 9…Nf6 10.Nd6 Qd6 11.0–0 0–0 12.Bg5
Nd7 13.c5 Qd5 14.Be7 Re8 15.Bd6, Garcia
Palermo C. : Perez J., Ceuta 1994, ½ (65).
Possible is 8...h6 9.Bc2 0–0 10.0–0 e5 11.h3
(11.Re1!˛) 11...ed4 12.Qd4 Qc7 13.Ne4
(13.Rd1) 13...Be7 14.Be3 Ne4 15.Qe4 Nf6
16.Qd3 Rd8 17.Qc3 c5 18.Rad1 Be6 19.b3
Nh5 20.Rd8 Rd8 21.Rd1 Bf6 22.Rd8 Qd8
23.Qd3 =, Giffard N. : Forestier F., Le Port
Marly 2009, 0:1 (60).
Or 8...0–0 9.0–0 c5 10.Bg5 10.Bc2! and
White contols the outpost e5 and therefore
has avoid the useless exchanges.
9.Bc2 0–0 10.0–0 c5 11.Ne2
In such cases it's important to activate the
queenside majority by a3, dxc5 and b4.
11.Bf4 cd4 12.Nb5 Bc5 13.Bc7 Qe7
14.Nbd4.
11...Ba5
11...cd4 12.a3 Bd6 13.Ned4.
12.Bg5
12.dc5 Nc5 13.Bf4.
12...a6 13.dc5 Bb4 14.Qd4
Suddenly White has deviated from his idea
14.a3 Bc5 15.b4 Be7 16.c5.

14...h6 15.Bc1 Bc5 16.Qh4 Re8 17.Nc3 Be7
18.Qg3 Nh5 19.Qh3 Nhf6 20.Re1 Qc7
21.Qh4 Nf8 22.Bd2 Bd7 23.Ne5 Bd6
24.Bf4 Be5 25.Be5 Qd8 26.Rad1 N6h7
27.Bh7 Kh7 28.Qe4 f5 29.Qb7 Qc8 30.Qc8
Rac8 31.b3 Bc6 32.Ne2 Kg8 33.Nd4 Kf7
34.Bd6 Ng6 35.Bb4 Bb7 36.Nf5 ef5 37.Rd7
Kg8 38.Rb7 Re1 39.Be1 Rd8 40.Kf1 Rd1
41.Ke2 Rc1 42.Bd2 Rc2 43.Rb6 1:0.

Obviously, such occasions are rare in all
professional careers. However, when it
happens, like in a very recent game In
EECC, Skopje 2015, it’s a real aesthetics.

Huzman A. : Jakovenko D.
Skopje 2015

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3
e6 6.Nh4 Bg6 7.Ng6 hg6

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9zpp+-+pzp-0
9-+p+psnp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+PzP-+-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy

Here we have a very modern position with
the same conflict. White needs be able to
break the center avoiding the exchange of
Knights.
8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.0–0 Bd6 10.h3 Qe7
Black has many options here, like 10...Bc7,
10...a6; 10…0-0 or 10…dc4.
11.e4
Strange, but it's a novelty! Other possibilities
are 11.cd5, 11.Bd2, 11.Qb3 or 11.c5.
11...de4

FIDE Surveys – Josif Dorfman

4

XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+k+-tr0
9zpp+nwqpzp-0
9-+pvlpsnp+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+PzPp+-+0
9+-sNL+-+P0
9PzP-+-zPP+0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

White plays as they teach at school ...
12.Be4 Ne4 13.Ne4 0–0–0

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+ktr-+-tr0
9zpp+nwqpzp-0
9-+pvlp+p+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+PzPN+-+0
9+-+-+-+P0
9PzP-+-zPP+0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Critical position. White has some simple
moves like Re1 or Qb3. Alexander Huzman
chose a very aggressive plan on the flank.
14.b4 Rh5 15.Rb1 Bc7 16.Re1 f5 17.Nc5
Qd6 18.g3 Rh3 19.Re6 Qf8 20.Nb7 f4
21.Bf4 Kb7
Accordind to Komodo, Black missed a force
draw after 21...Bf4 22.Nd8 Bg3 23.Rb2 Qh8
24.Qg4 Rh1 25.Kg2 Qh2 26.Kf3 Rg1 27.fg3
Qb2 28.Nc6.
22.b5 Bf4 23.bc6 Ka8 24.Qg4 Qf5 25.Qf5
gf5 26.cd7 Bc7 27.Re8 f4 28.c5 fg3 29.d5
gf2 30.Kf2 Rh2 31.Kg1 Rh8 32.Rbe1 Rh5
33.d6 Kb7 34.dc7 Kc7 35.Rd8 Kd8 36.c6
1:0.