Thursday, September 20, 2007

More PCG with 4.Bc4 and 5.Ng5

At his Contre Gambit Philidor blog, Frederic Fournier analyzes the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.O-O Nxd4 7.c3 f4 8.Nxh7 Ng4, recommending two lines:

a) 9.cxd4 Qh4 (9...Nxh2? 10.Qh5+ +-) 10.h3 Qxh7 11.Qb3 +=;


b) 9.h3 Rxh7 10.cxd4 Qh4 11.Qb3 exd4 12.Bg8 (threatening 13.Qf7+ +/-) Ne5 13.Bxh7 Qxh7 14.Bxf4 Qxe4 15.Bxe5 dxe5 16.Nd2 (with the idea of Rae1 and Nc4) +/-.


But Black does better to omit ...Qh4 until White captures with hxg4. For example, 9.cxd4 Rxh7 10.h3 c6 11.hxg4 (11.Qb3 Nh6=) Qh4 12.f3 Be7 13.Qb3 g6 yields Black a dangerous attack.

The same position arises after 9.h3 Rxh7 10.cxd4 c6 11.hxg4 Qh4, etc.

Instead of 8...Ng4, Fritz8 prefers 8...Bg4 9.f3 Be6 10.Nd2 Bxc4 11.Nxc4 Ne2+ 12.Qxe2 Rxh7 which is slightly better for Black.