My CZ Games

[Fromper]

Maybe sub-chapters could be listed in the table of contents. My bigger complaint is that all the training positions reference chapters and sections, without giving pages. I guess putting the pages of the sections in the table of contents would solve that, as well.

--Fromper

[Tumshie]

I think that kind of thing would be useful to me now, having already read the material and wanting a quick reference. The danger, speaking only for myself, is that it would also have made it much easier for a reader pushed for time to simply skim-read the books.
So, unless there is some way in which you could send out an addendum to each reader a month after purchase- which seems unlikely- emmm, I think I've just argued myself out of what I intended to write, which was that it seems a good idea!

Perhaps it is, just not for lazy/busy types like me.

(01-10-2010 02:53 AM)Rudel Wrote:  Hmm...this brings up a good point. Do you think it would be useful for me to have a little outline at the beginning of each chapter so people can easily find such things?

For example, for chapter 5, the outline would be something like:

5.1: The organizing principle---When can White play Ne5 ?

5.2: White should not play Ne5 when...
5.2.1 Black exchanges early
5.2.2 Black exchanges early (alternate line that allows Ne5 with creative play)
5.2.3 Black plays his Queen out early
5.2.4 Black expands early on the Q-side

5.3 Otherwise White can play Ne5
5.3.1 Case where Black plays ...Nbd7
5.3.2 Case where Black plays ...Nc6

Would something like this be useful or just take up space?

[Zukertort_Player]

I just saw your game, and I had some suggestions:
1.) On move 4 after he pinned your knight with ..3 Bg4, you should reply with a sound and counter-attacking 4. c4! with the idea of hitting in the center and with a timely 5. Qb3!?
2.) If I'm not mistaken, it is the recomended treatment in Zuke'em
What do you think of these?

Zukertort_Player

[Rudel]

In Zuke 'Em I recommend 4.h3 against 3..Bg4.

It is 3...Bf5 that I meet with 4.c4.

[jstainer]

So I was able to play the CZ 3 times in a weekend tournament. One in particular (that I lost) was interesting to me (actually they all were but this one was a different line) and thought I'd post it here.

I was playing someone at least 300 rating points higher than me and I succumbed to some tactics at the end. Before that though things were interesting.

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 4. c4 dxc4 5. Bxc4 e6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nbd2 Bd6 8. b3 O-O 9. Bb2 Re8 10. Re1 Bg4 11. Qc2 e5 12. Bd3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 exd4 14. Bxd4 Be5 15. Bxe5 Nxe5 16. Bf5 g6 17. Be4 Nxe4 18. fxe4 Qxd2 {White resigns} 0-1

after 4. ... dxc4 I was a little unsure of how to proceed. 5. Bxc4 e6 6. 0-0 seemed obvious and ended up giving me an 'ok' position, but is there something else I should have been looking at?

Nc3 at some point seems to be somewhat along the lines of what would be reccomended, and I played Nbd2 to protect the e4 square and prepare a pawn push AND at the same time protect my other knight from the Bishop that wanted to ended it's life.

Any thoughts?

[Rudel]

Hey there,
Here are some general comments on this setup.

I agree that Nc3 is the preferred play here, and part of the reason is that a standard practice in these QGA-type positions is for White to play Qe2 after getting in Bc4, planning Rd1, supporting the center pawn pushes e4 and d5. The Knight on c3 would get in the way if it were on d2. After Black has played Bf5 [rather than Bg4], concerns over a later Bxf3 are less, as it represents a loss of time.

Also, since you are planning to get e4 in, there is no need for b3. I would almost suggest just playing Qe2, and Rd1 nearly blindly once Black has allowed you to play Bxc4 in a single move and then played ...Bf5 [if Black has not played ...Bf5 yet, you might want to play h3 to stop ....Bg4. This has no bearing on this particular line, just general advice on QGA lines.

Note even if Black plays ...Bb4 [instead of ...Bd6 or ...Be7], Qe2 is still a reliable choice. You have nothing to fear from the Knight plant on e4. For example 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Bf5 4.c4 dxc4?! 5.Bxc4 e6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Qe2!? Bxc3 8.bxc3 Ne4 9.Ba3! and White will get a great attacking setup with Qb2 if Black takes on c3 (e.g. 9...Nb6 (9...Nxc3?! 10.Qb2 is even worse) 10.Bb3 Nxc3 11.Qb2 Ne4 (11...Nb5 12.Bxe6) 12.Ne5 with f3 and e4 to follow, and White has a tremendous initiative.

A minor nitpick: after Black has played ...e5, I don't think it is good to move the Bishop. It seems to me that a Bishop on c4 pinning a pawn f7 [a pawn no longer defended by the Rook] is almost certainly doing a good job where it is. This is yet another reason why b3 is probably a bad idea...since you would like to keep it on that diagonal.

[jstainer]

Bd3 was more certainly a bad move, I agree. When we went over the game after it was one of the first comments I made myself.

I'll try and play this out a few times and see what kinds of positions I can generate, but it's certainly not an opening I expected.