BenoniA70

Stewart V. Thompson
Kevin Haigh

HV Chess Tournament 2004
HV Fire Station, 2004


1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Bg5

? I have 8761 Modern Benoni's on my database, only 39 played Bg5. The move is innocuous. The Bishop is misplaced.

7... h6

Correct move. White is never going to take the Knight. It would be suicide on the Black squares.

8. Bh4

?The Bishop is now in an awful position. It can no long cover Q checks or b2 or c3. It is vulnerable to g5 K-side attack with g5

8... g5

? NO, premature. Kev confuses 6.Bg5 when g5 enables fianchetto with gain of tempo. This puts White's B on a better square.

8... Bg7 I played here. 9. f4 This is just too ambitious. 9... Qa5 10. Qd2 O-O 11. Nf3 Re8 12. Bd3 c4 13. Bc2 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 c3 !! Nice one Peakey ! 15. bxc3 Bxc3 0-1 Guest-Peake ICC.

9. Bg3

Now the Bishop is better, hitting d6 pawn. Some lines he will be able to play e5 or Nb5 etc. Also Black's f5 square is weak.

9... Bg7 10. Qa4+

This has often been played against me by patzers on the ICC (generally after 6. Bf4) . It violates Steinitz's 2nd principle.

10... Bd7 11. Bb5

Qb3 has been played a few times though it has scored extremely well for Black. This move has never been played at master level

11. Qb3 hitting both d6 and b7 has been played but... 11... Qc7 12. Bxd6 (12. Bc4 O-O 13. Nge2 Nh5 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 15. Qxb7 Qb6 16. Qxa8 Na6 wins) 12... Qxd6 13. Qxb7 Qb6 14. Qxa8 Qxb2 Black won quickly Guest-Peake ICC

11... Qb6

I played O-O in the same position.This is interesting as it enables a6 to be a threat (Bxb5 and Qxb5) and hits b2.

11... O-O was the move that I played here. 12. Bxd6 Bxb5 13. Nxb5 Re8 Threat Rxe4ch. 14. e5 (14. f3 a6 15. Nc7 b5 16. Nxb5 (16. Qc2 Qxd6 17. Nxa8 Nbd7 advantage Black) 16... axb5 17. Qxa8 Qxd6 advantage Black) f3 is better. 14... Nbd7 Since Nc7 is not a problem. White is hanging himself. 15. Nc7 Nb6 16. Qc2 Qxd6 17. Nxe8 (17. Nxa8 Qxe5+ 18. Ne2 Nbxd5 19. Kf1 Rxa8 advantage Black) 17... Qxe5+ 18. Qe2 Rxe8 Black won quickly Guest-Peake ICC

12. Nge2

f3 was an alternative here.

12... Nh5










Black starts to go wrong


He's obsessed with White's QB ! Of course a6! is surely better.

12... a6 Threat Bxb5 and Qxb5. 13. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 14. O-O O-O White has run out of steam.

13. O-O Nxg3

a6 now is not as good as Black cannot castle as d7 no long has the defence of the f6 Knight. This is weak as White has Nxg3!

14. fxg3

Ugly. Roger remarked that Nxg3 was, of course better, as White has Nf5 to follow with advantage.

14... a6

Misses the boat. This allows White off the hook as he has a perpetual with the Rook sack. Black had Bxb5

14... Bxb5 was simple and good. 15. Nxb5 (15. Qxb5+ Nd7 is not a problem) 15... O-O and Nd7 to follow. White has a crater at e5 !

15. Bxd7+ Nxd7

Roger said best to go for the Rook sack as otherwise Black has the better position.

16. Rxf7

This draws.

16... Kxf7 17. Qxd7+ Kg8 18. Qe6+ Kh7 19. Qf5+

Drawn by perpetual check.

1/2-1/2 [Geoff Peake]