Hard times

In my previous post I covered two critical lines in the Euwe defense 5...e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 00 8.00 Nbd7 9.Qe1.

We saw in post "New development in the Euwe defense" that black could not achieve equality after 9...h6 as 10.Qh4 Re8 is now refuted.

The next post "Out of nothing" focused on  9...c5, when black can obtain equality, provided he finds the single right move.

Other moves, apart from 9...h6 or 9...c5 also simply loose, eg

a/ 9...c6 simply looses after 10.Qh4, eg
a1/ 10...h6 11.Bxh6 winning
a2/ 10...Re8 11.Ne5 winning
a3/ 10...g6 11.Re8 winning
a4/ 10...h5 11.Ne4 winning

b/ 9...b6 is too slow, eg 10.Qh4
b1/ 10...h6 11.Bxh6 winning
b2/ 10...Bb7 11.Bxh7+ Nxh7 12.Bxe7 winning

b3/ 10...Re8 11.Ne5 Bb7 12.Rad1 with white advantage

c/ 9...Re8 10.Qh4 transposing into other lines, eg
c1/ 10...h6 11.Bxh6 winning ( see post "New development in the Euwe defense" )
c2/ 10...c5 11.Ne5 with black obtaining in equal game in one single line ( see "Out of nothing" ).

Bottomline : Hard times fall on black when stumbling into the line 5...e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 00 8.00 Nbd7 9.Qe1 in the Euwe defense, as only one line provides equality.