I recently read GM Joel Benjamin's article The Anti-Sveshnikov, which is the seventh installment in his "Anti-Sicilians" series for the Jeremy Silman website (which I commented on in Part One of this series, with Part Two discussing a game of my own). It covers the Rossolimo line that begins 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 (and which might continue 4...Nd4 5.e5 Nxb5 6.Nxb5 Nd5 7.Ng5!) -- something I first came across in Chris Baker's A Startling Chess Opening Repertoire and then in Paul Motwani's very interesting Chess Under the Microscope. Benjamin promises an eighth and final article, likely in early August, covering what has become the main line of the "Anti-Sveshnikov," namely 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4. That line was featured in Kasparov's last game as a professional (losing as Black to Topalov at Linares 2005), which Benjamin promises to annotate, so I look forward to that. Meanwhile, to whet the appetite, here are some annotated Anti-Sveshnikov games:
- Topalov - Kasparov, Linares 2005 annotated by Dennis Monokroussos
- Topalov - Kasparov, Linares 2005 from ChessBase
- Topalov - Kasparov, Linares 2005 from Chessgames.com
- Topalov-Kasparov, Linares 2005 annotated by IM Craig Pritchett for The Herald (Scottland). See the column for March 12, 2005.
- Topalov-Kasparov, Linares 2005 annotated by Michiel Abeln
- Vallejo Popns- Radjabov, Linares 2006 annotated by Mihail Marin
- Bologon-Radjabov, Dortmund 2005 annotated by Nagesh Havanur
- Bologon-Radjabov, Linares 2006 annotated by Mihail Marin
- Hirawan - Harika, Hyderabad 2005 annotated by Nigel Short
- Kasparov-Leko, Linares 2005 annotated by Dennis Monokroussos
- Games like Kasparov - Leko (from Chessgames.com)
- Kulaots - Fedorov, Moscow 2004 annotated by Kulaots
Features the interesting gambit 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 5.d3 Nf6 6.Ng5 0-0 7.f4 d5!? 8.exd5 Bg4!?N - Philippe - Sveshnikov, Cap d'Agde 2003 annotated by Hans Ree
- Golubev - Guilbert, Bethune 2002 annotated by Gary Lane
Scroll down the page. The game opens 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5. - Plaskett-Bischoff, Hastings 2001 annotated by Lubomir Ftacnik
The 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 line leads to a spectacular White attack.
2 comments:
Thanks for the excellent coverage of the lines....it makes the Sveshnikov look avoidable, but still permits me to combat the other open sicilians.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, most people see it as the "Anti-Sveshnikov" system, though I think the Two Knights Sicilian can be played in a very independent fashion, choosing from a wide variety of lines (including the Rossolimo or a sort of KIA) and only going into Open lines when you wish.
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