A Modern Classic in the Grand Prix Attack

 

In 2003, blog-meister Daaim Shabazz PhD. Famously asked, “Is the Grand Prix Attack Busted?” In his article, he described the Grand Prix Attack as “rarely seen at top level play where only GM Sergey Tiviakov remains its top employer.”  Then Mr. Shabazz points us to the game of GM Sergey Tiviakov vs GM Garry Kasparov and IM Stephen Muhammed’s analysis as further proof of the GPA’s troubles.

Today, the Grand Prix Attack may not be as in vogue as it was at the end of the twentieth century, but the fans of employing an early “f4” against the Sicilian have plenty of reasons to keep striking at black with the GPA. First and foremost, it wins for white a high percentage of the time. Secondly, the continual improvement of online chess sites have made it easier than ever to study the finer points of the attack. For example, check out the free resources on the Grand Prix Attack available on The Bishop’s Bounty.

But is it still playable at high levels of chess? I leave you with a game where IM Emory Tate destroys GM Maurice Ashley in 22 moves which serves as pretty good proof that the Grand Prix Attack is indeed a dangerous weapon at all levels of chess. Enjoy…

 

[Event “National Open”]

[Site “Las Vegas”]

[Date “14.6.14”]

[Round “3”]

[White “Tate, Emory”]

[Black “Ashley, Maurice”]

[Result “1-0”]

[Eco “B82”]

[Annotator “Chris Torres”]

 

{[ SICILIAN def.Grand Prix Attack]}

1.e4 c5

2.Nc3 {Playing “2) Nc3” is white’s second most popular way to meet the Sicilian Defense behind “2) Nf3.”}

Nc6

3.f4 {This system for white is known as the Grand Prix Attack and is one of white’s deadliest weapons against the Sicilian Defence.}

3…e6

4.Nf3 a6 {Not as popular as 4… d5 or 4… Nge7, but still rather common.}

5.d4 {IM Emory Tate follows very classical opening principles of development and controlling the center.}

5…cxd4

6.Nxd4 Qc7

7.Be3 d6 {Historically, this move does not score well for black. However, it does not seem to be the root cause of black’s loss in this game. If you are looking for an improvement for black, I suggest:}

( 7…b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.Qf3 Nf6 10.O-O h5 11.Kh1 Be7 12.a3 Rc8 13.Rae1

d6 14.Qh3 g6 15.Bg1 Qd7 16.Nf3 Ng4 17.Nd1 f5 18.Ne3 Nd8 19.Nh4

Bxh4 20.Qxh4 Nxe3 21.Rxe3 fxe4 22.Bxe4 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 Rxc2 24.Qf6

Rg8 25.Bb6 Qe7 26.Qd4 Rc6 27.Ba5 {…1/2-1/2, Andriasian Zaven (ARM) 2619  – Movsesian Sergei (ARM) 2710 , Warsaw 12/16/2011 Ch Europe (blitz)}

)

8.Qf3 Nf6

9.Bd3 Be7 {All of my chess students should recognize that IM Emory Tate is winning in time, space and force.}

10.Qg3 {In the entire recorded history of chess, this move has only been played once previously in a nice win for white. See Michael Link vs Daniel Schlecht from Germany, 1993.}

10…Bd7 ( 10…Nh5 11.Qf2 Nf6 12.h3 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 b5 14.e5 Nd7 15.O-O

Bb7 16.f5 Nxe5 17.fxe6 Bf6 18.Ne4 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 Rc8 20.Bf5 Rb8

21.Rad1 O-O 22.exf7+ Qxf7 23.Ba7 Ra8 24.Bb6 Qe7 25.b3 Bh4 26.Qd2

g6 27.Be4 Rxf1+ 28.Rxf1 Rb8 29.Qd5+ Kg7 30.Bd4 Bf6 31.c3 b4 32.c4

Re8 33.Kh1 Nd7 34.Bd3 Bxd4 35.Qxd4+ Ne5 36.Be4 Qc7 37.Bd5 Rf8

38.Re1 Qe7 39.c5 Rf5 40.Qxb4 {1-0, Link Michael (GER) 1986 – Schlecht Daniel (GER) 2391, Goch (Germany) 1993}

)

11.O-O {After white castles, my database contains one dozen games with an identical position.}

11…O-O {There is nothing wrong with this move, but another option is:}

( 11…g6 12.Nf3 b5 13.e5 Nh5 14.Qf2 O-O 15.Rad1 dxe5 16.Bb6

Qb7 17.fxe5 Nb4 18.Be4 Bc6 19.Bxc6 Qxc6 20.Be3 Ng7 21.a3 Nd5

22.Nxd5 exd5 23.Nd4 Qc7 24.Bh6 Bc5 25.Bxg7 Kxg7 26.Qf6+ Kg8 27.Kh1

Bxd4 28.Rxd4 Rae8 29.Rxd5 Re6 30.Qf2 Rxe5 31.Qf4 {…1/2-1/2, Kovalevskaya Ekaterina (RUS) 2486  – Khurtsidze Nino (GEO) 2425 , Moscow 2001 Ch World FIDE (KO-system) (w)}

)

12.Rae1 Rac8

13.a3 ( 13.Kh1 b5 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Ne8 16.Nxc6

Bxc6 17.Ne4 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Bc5 19.Bf4 Be7 20.Rf3 g6 21.Bh6 Ng7

22.Ref1 Qc4 23.Bd3 Qh4 24.Qxh4 Bxh4 25.a4 bxa4 26.Rf4 Bd8 27.Rxa4

a5 28.Bd2 Rc5 29.b4 Rxe5 30.bxa5 Nf5 31.Rb1 Be7 32.a6 {1-0, Looshnikov Nikolai (RUS) 2450  – Labunskiy Dmitry (RUS) 2420 , Ekaterinburg 2002 Ch Russia (club)}

)

13…g6 ( 13…b5 14.e5 Ne8 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.Ne4 d5 17.Ng5

f5 18.exf6 Nxf6 19.Bd4 h6 20.Nf3 Bc5 21.Kh1 Bxd4 22.Nxd4 Qb6

23.c3 a5 24.f5 exf5 25.Re7 Rf7 26.Rxf7 Kxf7 27.Bxf5 Kg8 28.Bxd7

Nxd7 29.Nf5 Qf6 30.Qd3 Rc5 31.b4 axb4 32.axb4 Qxc3 33.Ne7+ {…1-0, Friedel Joshua E (USA) 2498  – Davydov Sergey (RUS) 2362 , Moscow  2/ 4/2008 It (open)}

)

14.Kh1 Kh8

15.Nf3 Rg8 {?} {GM Maurice Ashley attempts to go into “full turtle mode” and rebuff the coming attack. The only problem with this strategy is that there is a noticeable crack in black’s shell.}

16.e5 {!} {IM Emory Tate was not impressed by his opponent’s defense and begins his assault.}

Nh5 {Of course we should expect Grandmasters to find the best defensive resoursces and GM Maurice Ashley does just that.}

17.Qh3 {IM Emory Tate’s queen had to move and placing it into the same file as black’s king is the most aggressive choice available.}

f5 {This fails to keep the position closed because of the “en passant” option.

Another choice for black would have been to play something like this:}

( 17…d5 18.f5 exf5 19.Nxd5 Qd8 20.Nxe7 Nxe7 21.Qh4 Be6 22.Bg5

{but white is still winning easily.} )

18.exf6 Nxf6 {?} {After this mistake, GM Maurice Ashley’s position disintegrates. IM Emory Tate suggested that play should have continued like this:}

( 18…Bxf6 19.Ng5 Bxg5 20.fxg5 e5 21.g4 {with white mainting the advantage in a complicated position.}

)

19.Ng5 {!} {IM Emory Tate has been punishing GM Maurice Ashley’s mistakes with razor sharp accuracy.}

Rcf8 {GM Maurice Ashley is against the ropes and hoping his opponent misses the knockout blow.}

20.Nxe6 {!} {IM Emory Tate, whose son is a World Champion kick boxer, knows how to finish a bout.}

Qc8 {The computer may recommend a slightly different line but all the roads lead to a rapid defeat for black.}

21.f5 {IM Emory Tate keeps applying relentless pressure until his opponent cracks.}

21…gxf5

22.Bxf5 Rf7

23.Bh6 {To his credit, GM Maurice Ashley manages to save his king but will definitely

lose material after IM Emory Tate plays Ng5. Knowing this, black resigns.}

1-0

 

Daaim Shabazz PhD. has a great blog entitled, “The Chess Drum.” Check it out!

 

Gm Maurice Ashley is running the richest chess tournament in history in Las Vegas. Sign up at http://millionairechess.com/

 

IM Emory Tate will be glad to teach your child in person at the TCAMA Summer Chess Camp in Fremont, California.