The delayed Ryder : final chapter

I have been covering the delayed Ryder, occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.g4 Qxd4 9.Be3 rather extensively.

My blog "What the hec ?" covered the line after 9...Qe5. "Nb5 - it must be right" discussed 9...Qb4 whilst "A killer move in the delayed Ryder" discussed 9...Qd6.

This post focuses on 9...Qd8 (diagram) and white's obvious continuation 10.g5. Black only has 10...Nd5 and 10...Nfd7 as 10...Ng8 looses quickly (++)

a/ 10...Nd5 11.000 e6 12.Nxd5
...a1/ 12...cxd5 13.Bb5+
......a1a/ 13...Nc6 14.c4 (=)
......a1b/ 13...Nd7 14.Rhf1 Qe7 15.Kb1 (+)
...a2/ 12...exd5 13.Re1 (+)

b/ 10...Nfd7 11.000
...b1/ 11...e6 12.Be2 (+=)
...b2/ 11...g6 12.Bc4 (++)
...b3/ 11...Qc7 12.Kb1 (+=)
...b4/ 11...Qa5 12.Qg3 (+=)

So it seems that 9...Qd8 is not so bad after all - the line 10.g5 Nd5 11.000 e6 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Bb5+ Nc6 14.c4 (diagram) offers only equality. Black has two pawns, but is far behind in material. However, black may restore equality after 14...Be7 15.cxd5 exd5.

Houdini now suggests 18.Kb1 (diagram) with equality.

Talking about a disappointment !

Seems I forgot this one : Welling's line.

I was glancing through my collection of blogs I wrote for a year and a half now, and it seems I seldom wrote on the O'Kelly ( or Ziegler if you prefer ) defense.

Today I will cover Welling's line, occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.00 e6 8.Ne5 and now black captures the pawn on c2 : 8...Bxc2 (diagram)

Black gets a great game if wgite captures the bishop immediately, eg 9.Qxc2 Qxd4+ 10.Kh1 Qxe5 (=+). Fortunately, white has the great sacrifice 9.Nxf7, after which black has two options : 9...Bxd1 and 9...Kxf7.

Let's look first at 9...Bxd1 10.Nxd8 (diagram)

a/ 10...Kxd8 11.Rxd1
...a1/ 11...Nbd7 12.Bxe6 (+=)
...a2/ 11...Kc7 12.Bxe6 (+=)
...a3/ 11...Ke7 12.Re1 (+=)
...a4/ 11...Be7 12.Bxe6 (+=)
...a5/ 11...Bd6 12.Bxe6 (+=)
...a5/ 11...Bb4 12.Bxe6 (+=)

The alternative 9...Kxf7 seems better at first sight, but that assessment changes quickly after drilling down on 10.Qxc2 (diagram). ( Note that I also suggested 10.Bxe6+ Kxe6 11.Qxc2, but it seems black might escape after 11...Kd7 ).

After 10.Qxc2, black is forced to capture on d4, but this leads to disaster after the surprising 10...Qxd4+ 11.Be3!! (diagram).

White offers another piece, but this strategy wins in all lines :

b/ 11...Qxe3+ 12.Kh1
...b1/ 12...Bd6 13.Rae1
......b1a/ 13...Qh6 14.h3 (++)
......b1b/ 13...Qd4 14.Ne4 (+)
......b1c/ 13...Qc5 14.Ne4 (+)
...b2/ 12...Be7 13.Rae1 Qd4 14.Qe2 (+=)
...b3/ 12...Bb4 13.Rae1 Qd4 14.Qb3 (+)
...b3/ 12...Ke8 13.Rae1
......b4a/ 13...Qg5 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 (++)
......b4b/ 13...Qh6 14.Qb3 (++)
......b4c/ 13...Qc5 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 (++)
......b4d/ 13...Qb6 14.Ne4 (+=)
......b4d/ 13...Qd4 14.Rxe6+ (++)
...b4/ 12...Qg5 13.Ne4 (++)
...b5/ 12...Qh6 13.Qb3 (++)
...b5/ 12...Qb6 13.Qf5 (++)

c/ 11...Qxc4 12.Rf4
...c1/ 12...Qxf4 13.Bxf4
......c1a/ 13...Bc5 14.Kh1 (+=)
......c1b/ 13...Nbd7 14.Be3 (+=)
......c1c/ 13...Be7 14.Rf1 (+)
...c2/ 12...Qa6 13.Ra4

......c2a/ 13...Qxa4 14.Qxa4 (+)

......c2b/ 13...Be7 14.Rxa6 Nxa6 15.Rf1 (+=)
......c2c/ 13...h6 14.Rxa6 Nxa6 15.Rf1 (+=)



Hope you appreciate this fantastic line - I sure do !

That's the same, isn't it ?

I had some problems lately playing against a strange Vienna-like line, occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Bf5 4.f3 exf3 (diagram).

White has two options now : 5.Qxf3 and 5.Nxf3. The Ryder-like continuation 5.Qxf3 seems more direct as it attacks both the pawn at b7 and the bishop on f5. Unfortunately, black has the simple, but very effective 5...Qc8 and white has difficulties in creating an attack

So I advise it is better to stick to 5.Nxf3 (diagram), with followng options :

a/ 5...Nf6 6.Ne5 (Gunderam defense)

b/ 5...c6 (A Karo Cann without Nf6) 6.Bd3
...b1/ 6...Bxd3 7.Qxd3 (=) and white has a nice lead in development
...b2/ 6...Bg6 7.Bg5 (=)
...b3/ 6...Bg4 7.h3 (+=)

c/ 5...e6 6.Bd3
...c1/ 6...Bxd3 7.Qxd3 (=)
...c2/ 6...Ne7 7.Bf4 (=)
...c3/ 6...Bg6 7.Bxg6 hxg6 8.Qe2 (=)

d/ 5...Nc6 6.d5 (+=)

e/ 5...Ne7 6.Nh4

The alternative 5.Qxf3 Qc8 6.Bf4 (diagram) also does not seem to bring any advantage for the attacker, eg 6...Nf6 with complete equality.

So it seems that this is a completely different line, as black has a much simpler game defending. Most lines seem to equlize rather quickly. I will remember this option if someone dares to venture a Blackmar Diemer against me !

Not that easy

My previous post covered a line in the Teichmann defense : 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 with black now attacking white's outpost on e5 with 8...Nfd7 or the more natural 8...Nbd7.

We learned that white gets a small advantage after 8...Nfd7 and that black can obtain equality after 8...Nbd7 9.Qf3 c6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.g5.

Now there is also the line 8...Nbd7 9.Qf3 e6. Houdini, at a depth of 22, sees a tiny white advantage but rates both 10.Qxb7 and 10.Nxg6 the same. To determine which one is best, let's look first at 10.Qxb7 (diagram).

a/ 10...Nxe5 11.dxe5
...a1/ 11...Nd7 12.Bb5 Rb8 13.Qxa7
......a1a/ 13...Qh4+ 14.Qf2 (=)
......a1b/ 13...Bb4 14.Bxd7+ Kxd7 15.Be3 (+=)
......a1c/ 13...Be7 14.Be3 (+=)
......a1d/ 13...Ra8 14.Qf2 (+=)
......a1d/ 13...Rxb5 14.Nxb5 Bb4+ 15.Bd2 Bxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Nxe5 17.Kc3 (+=)
...a2/ 11...Rb8 13.Bb5 Nd7 transposing to a1.

b/ 10...Rb8 11.Qxa7
...b1/ 11...Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nd7 13.Bb5 transposing to a1.
...b2/ 11...Ne4 12.Nxd7 Kxf7 13.Qa4+ c6 14.Qa7+ (=)
...b3/ 11...Ra8 12.Qb7 (=)

The lines after 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Bg2 (diagram) are quite different :

c/ 11...c6 12.Rf1 Qe7 13.Bg5 (+=)

d/ 11...Bd6 12.00 00 13.Qxb7 (=)

e/ 11...Be7 12.Qxb7 (+=)

f/ 11...Bb4 12.00 (+=)

g/ 11...c5 12.Be3 (=)

h/ 11...Rb8 12.Rf1 (+=)

i/ 11...Qc8 12.Rf1 (+=)

j/ 11...Nb6 12.g5 (+=)

So overall, it seems that the continuation 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11,Bg2 offers the attacker better chances than 10.Qxb7.

What a difference those additionals bits make

I upgraded my laptop some time ago from Windows 7 32 bit to 64 bit and moved to the 64 bit version of Houdini. What a difference these additional bits make ! It seems that my analysis runs a lot faster and deeper now. I am looking forward to the 128 bit version of the operating system - imagine what a difference that will make in chess analysis ?

In my book "Attack with the Blackmar Diemer, I covered a line in the Teichmann incorrectly. After 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 Nfd7, I suggested 9.Bg2 which leads to nothing after 9...Nxe5 10.Bxb7 N8c6 11.dxe5 Qxd1+ 12.Nxd1 Be4

But I now find that 9.Nxg6 hxg6 10.Bg5 (diagram) is far better.

a/ 10...f6 11.Qd3 (+)

b/ 10...c6 11.Qe2 (+=)

c/ 10...c5 11.d5 (+=)

d/ 10...Nc6 11.Bg2 (+=)

e/ 10...Nf6 11.Qf3 (+=)

f/ 10...Nb6 11.Qd3 (+=)

In the related line 8...Nbd7 (diagram), I suggested 9.Qf3. But now I see that 9.Nxg6 is also possible, often transposing. But since 9.Qf3 yields a more complicated play, I will keep this as the recommended move.

g/ 9...c6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.g5
...g1/ 11...Nh5 12.Bc4
......g1a/ 12...e6 13.Rf1 Qe7 14.Bd2 (=)
......g1b/ 12...f5 13.gxf6 exf6 14.Bd2 (=)
......g1c/ 12...f6 13.Qe4 (+=)
...g2/ 11...Nh7 12.h4 (+=) (Improving on 12.Bc4 I suggested earlier)
...g3/ 11...Nd5 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Qxd5 (+=)
...g4/ 11...Ng8 12.Bc4
......g4a/ 12...e6 13.Rf1 (+=) (Improving on 13.00)
......g4b/ 12...f5 13.Be6 (++) (Improving greatly on 13.Be3)

h/ 9...e6 10.Qxb7 ( or 10.Nxg6 )
Will be covered in a following post

i/ 9...Nxe5 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.e6 fxe6 12.Qxb7 (+=)

j/ 9...c5 10.Be3 (+)

k/ 9...Rb8 10.h4 (+)

So my 32 additional bits really make the difference, as more and more small white advantages appear on the board !