Thursday, March 18, 2010

Center Counter Defense

Classified as an irregular defense, this opening is also known as Center Counter Game or Scandinavian Defense, having been analyzed by Scandinavian players in the 19th century. Black's challenging 1..P-Q4 reply to White's 1. e4 aims to open up the center (usually with the combined early development of Black's queen) preventing positional play, but should present no severe opening problems for the competent White player.

The following game is also known as the Peruvian Immortal Game.

CANAL vs. DUBYNA
Budapest, 1934

1. e4, d5
2. exd5, Qxd5
3. Nc3, Qa5
4. d4, c6

Excessive caution. It is a good idea to develop a piece, say 4. ... Nf6.

5. Nf3, Bg4
6. Bf4, e6
7. h3, Bxf3

One should not exchange a Bishop for a Knight so readily. Aside from that, Black brings the White Queen into active play.

8. Qxf3, Bb4
9. Be2, Nd7
10. a3!, 0-0-0

Black carelessly relies on what he thinks is a foolproof pin. It seems, superficially, that 11 axb4 would be too costly for White.


11. axb4!!, Qxa1+
12. Kd2, Qxh1
13. Qxc6+!! ....

Exquisite!   Only a chess master sees the beauty of this move in a trice, and evaluated several moves ahead.

13. ..... bxc6
14. Ba6 mate.

Beautiful! It is instructive to go back over the game to see how Black unwittingly forced White to go into this combination.

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