Thursday, April 26, 2007

Tango Tactics

Sherer - Goeller
Spiller-Orlov
Allies-Alekhine
Schwarman-Orlov

I have posted some games featuring "Tango Tactics" arising out of the Black Knights Tango and related lines (including the Zurich Variation of the Nimzo-Indian). They make an excellent study aid for anyone trying to learn this line. You can also download the positions as a PDF file to print out and carry with you. In the positions above it is always Black to play and win, of course, by the quickest way possible. Additional games and puzzles are included in the links. For more info on the Tango, check out my 1...Nc6 bibliography.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Michael! I'm trying out this line. But, so far, in response to 1. d4 Nf6, I get 2.Nf3.

Michael Goeller said...

Yeah -- and you will probably get a lot of 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3, or 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5, and all sorts of stuff. That's why I usually play the Tango via the move order 1.d4 Nc6 2.c4 Nf6, meeting 1.d4 Nc6 2.Nf3 with either 2....d5 (Chigorin Defense) or 2....d6 (The Panther). At least we aren't playing in his favorite territory -- and I get to avoid the Blackmar Diemer Gambit, which is a pain.

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 one option is 2...g6 transposing to the King's Indian where you only have to learn the Classical and Fianchetto lines -- avoiding the annoying Saemisch and Four Pawns Attack, for example. The KID resembles the Tango in some ways and can help you play some lines -- especially 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6 4.a3!? when most people seek a KID type position with 4...d6 and ...g6 etc.

A good article on the Classical KID for people under 2000 is "A Patzer's Progress" by Jeff Otto.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to take your advice and go with the KI (good article!). This way, if I do get 2.c4, I can choose between Tango or Budapest (I've been looking at Jim West's post on the Fajorowicz variation and it looks like fun). Thanks!