THE REFUTATION OF THE 4…Nd7 CARO-KANN?

Home

>

Chess

>

Openings

>

Bits & Pieces

>

Archive

> The Refutation of the 4...ND7 Caro-Kann

Search Our Site

Search The Web

THE REFUTATION OF THE

4…Nd7 CARO-KANN?

By Andrew Martin

Part 1 |

Part 2

In my recent investigations for ChessPublishing.com, which, by the way is very much thriving, I
came across this interesting game. I would welcome some input from the readers. Has anyone any
sensible suggestions to revive Black's chances?

Ganguly - Speelman [B17]
Gibraltar Masters, 2004
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7

A FAVORITE OF SPEELMAN AND KARPOV

Speelman was very pessimistic about the future of 4...Nd7 after this game. He's been playing this
variation for 25 years and still could not avoid getting crushed. Let us see whether Black's chances
are really that bad.

5.Ng5 Ngf6 6.Bd3 e6 7.N1f3 Bd6 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Qc7 11.0–0 b6 12.Qg4 Kf8 13.
b3 Bb7

IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER THAN 13…Bb7?

This is the first point at which Black could seriously consider deviating. The Bishop stays on c8 to
facilitate ...e6-e5: 13...c5!? 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Bb2 e5 (Blocking the long diagonal in this manner
slows down the White attack.) 16.Bf5 h5 (16...Bxf5! 17.Qxf5 Re8 seems more stable to me.) 17.
Qh3 Ne6 18.Nh4 Rh6 19.Qe3 Bb7 (finally) 20.Rad1 Nd4 21.Be4 Kg8, 1/2-1/2, Geenen -Bagheri,
Belgium 2003. Agreeing a draw in this position is rather silly; the game is just warming up. I prefer
White after 22.Bxb7 Qxb7 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Rxd4 Bc5 25.Qe4 with a clear plus.

14.Bb2 Nf6 15.Qh4 c5

Several other moves have been played: 15...Nd5 16.Ne5 c5 17.Qg3 Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nb4 19.Rfd1
Rd8 20.c4 Nxd3 21.Rxd3 Rxd3 22.Qxd3 Ke7 23.Qg3

http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/040313_refutation.html (1 of 2)16/04/05 09:42:34

Google Search

THE REFUTATION OF THE 4…Nd7 CARO-KANN?

MISERABLE STRUGGLE TO DRAW

Although White has an edge, it is my impression that this position should be survivable. Of course,
if a miserable struggle for the draw is the best that Black has then it's not very attractive: 23...g5 24.
h4 Rg8 25.Rd1 Rg6 26.Bc1 gxh4 27.Qxh4+ Ke8 28.Bxh6 Qe7 29.Qxe7+ Kxe7 30.Bf4 Rxg2+ 31.
Kf1 Rg4 32.Bg3 Rd4 33.Rxd4 cxd4 34.Ke2 Be4, 1/2-1/2, Pikula -Sundararajan, Biel 2000.

Black's best try might well be 15...Ke7

CONNECTING ROOKS

Part 1 |

Part 2

Copyright © 2003 Andrew Martin

Created and Maintained by

Prometheus Technology Solutions

http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/040313_refutation.html (2 of 2)16/04/05 09:42:34

The Refutation of the 4...ND7 Caro-Kann

Home

>

Chess

>

Openings

>

Bits & Pieces

>

Archive

> The Refutation of the 4...ND7 Caro-Kann

Search Our Site

Search The Web

THE REFUTATION OF THE

4…Nd7 CARO-KANN?

Part 1

| Part 2

Logical in the sense that Black's King is his problem. So Arlandi connects the Rooks. 16.Ne5 Rae8
17.f4 Kd8 18.Rad1 Kc8 (The King march has its funny side.) 19.c4 c5 20.dxc5 Bxc5+ 21.Kh1 Rd8
22.f5 (The time spent wandering the board with the King means that White has been able to take
the initiative.) 22...exf5 23.Bxf5+ Kb8 24.Nd3 and now Black has two ways to play:

A) 24...g5 25.Qh3 (25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3 Bd4! =)25...Bd4! =,

BLACK HAS SURVIVED

Black holds on, perhaps more.

B) 24...Qc6?! 25.Qg3+ Bd6 26.Be5 Ka8 27.Bxd6 (27.Rd2)27...Qxd6 28.Qxd6 Rxd6 29.Ne5 Rhd8
30.Rxd6 Rxd6 31.Kg1 Rd2 32.Rf2 Rd1+ 33.Rf1 Rd2, 1/2-1/2, Bellia -Arlandi, Porto San Giorgio
1997.

So, respectable results for Black but some rather dubious positions I think. Perhaps the last game
represents the best chance for survival with 24...g5 to be quickly followed by ...Bd4 looking quite
reasonable.

16.dxc5 Qxc5 17.Bd4!

A strong novelty, preventing ...Qh5.

In the recent game Leko-Bologan, Wijk aan Zee 2004, White had played 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qxf6
when after 18…Qh5!! 19.Rfe1 Black died a gruesome death: 19…Rg8?? 20.Be4! (Neutralizing the
main threat.) 20...Rxg2+ 21.Kxg2 Qg4+ 22.Kh1 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 Qxe4 24.Re1 Qh7 25.Nd4 Ke8 26.
Nxe6

THE END OF THE UNIVERSE

Black is wiped out. 26...Kd7 27.Qf3 Rb8 28.Nd4 Rc8 29.Qh3+ f5 30.Nxf5, 1–0.

However, Speelman would have improved on move nineteen with the simple 19…Bxf3! (instead of
the catastrophic 19…Rg8??) 20.Qxf3 Bxh2+ 21.Kf1 Qxf3 22.gxf3 Ke7 with a Black advantage.

17...Qa5

Trying to keep in touch with h5 but, as Speelman pointed out in a recent newspaper column, that

http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/040313_refutation_2.html (1 of 2)16/04/05 09:42:51

Google Search

The Refutation of the 4...ND7 Caro-Kann

may not be totally essential. Instead, Speelman thinks that 17...Qc7! 18.Bxf6 Bxf3 19.Bb2 Bb7 is
Black's best chance.

BEST CHANCE, BUT STILL NICE FOR WHITE

However, White must hold at least a small edge with connected Rooks and a more influential
Queen.

18.Bxf6 gxf6

18...Bxf3!? was Black's original intention but then he noticed 19.Qd4 Bxh2+ 20.Kxh2 gxf6 21.Qd6+
Ke8 22.Rfe1!! which turns out well for White: 22...Qh5+ 23.Kg1 Rg8 24.Bb5+! (A couple of
sacrifices to begin with but White gets everything back with interest.) 24...Qxb5 25.Rxe6+ fxe6 26.
Qxe6+ Kd8 (26...Kf8 27.Qxf6+ Ke8 28.Qxf3) 27.Qxg8+ Kd7 28.Qf7+ Kc8 29.gxf3 with advantage.

19.Be4!

The same idea that Leko employed, neutralizing Black's powerful Bishop and giving White an
undisputed positional advantage.

19...Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Rd8 21.Rad1

A CLEAR ADVANTAGE FOR WHITE

21...Qh5 22.Rd3 Kg7 23.Rfd1

Very powerful play. In effect the Black Bishop is useless.

23...Bc7 24.Rd7! b5 25.h3 Bb6

There are still no real weak points for the Bishop to latch on to. The pawn on f2 is very well
covered.

26.c3 Rc8 27.R1d3 Rhe8 28.Nd4 Kh8

I would have hoovered off the Knight in an instant but as it turns out 28...Bxd4 would make no
difference: 28...Bxd4 29.Rg3+ Kh8 30.Qxd4 e5 31.Qd6 Qf5 32.Rxf7, winning.

29.Qf4 Rg8 30.Qxf6+ Rg7 31.Nxe6, 1-0.

Talented players backed up by powerful computer programs are changing the face of chess. The
4...Nd7 line has been played and relied upon by many of the world's elite so of course it has almost
been analyzed to death. We will have to see whether this game sounds the final death knell or
whether there is life yet to be found.

Part 1

| Part 2

Copyright © 2003 Andrew Martin

Created and Maintained by

Prometheus Technology Solutions

http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/040313_refutation_2.html (2 of 2)16/04/05 09:42:51