Having the most recent information about opening novelties is an important recommendation for any one tournament player above 2000 who wants to improve his level and thus have greater success in competitions. This time I will present an interesting novelty in the English Opening that happened in the game played two months ago between Russian Grandmaster Anton Shomoev and German FIDE Master Frank Buchenau in the fourth round of the Chigorin Memorial Tournament.

[Event “Chigorin Memorial”]
[Site “St Petersburg, RUS”]
[Date “2012.10.30”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Anton Shomoev”]
[Black “Frank Buchenau”]
[Result “1-0”]

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Nxd5 6.cxd5 Nd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qc2 Qe7 In this position White had only played 9.Bg2 continuing development. But this time the Russian Grandmaster decided to go against the rules.

9.Qxc7! Novelty 9…Qe4 It is precisely for this move that White had always avoided capture on c7 10.Rg1 Qxd5 11.Bg2 Qe6

12.Qf4 The most solid, active move because it keeps the Kingside safe while attacks the Black’s central pawn. Of course 12.Bxb7?? would have been a blunder because of 12…Bd6! and then White would have had to surrender his queen for rook and minor piece to keep the b7-bishop 12…Bc5 protecting the d4-pawn 13.Qg5!

White has slight advantage due to his better pawn structure, excellent queen activity and full control by his bishop of the long, white diagonal. After an interesting fight Shomoev won on move forty-four.

Robert M. Cuadros
December 2012

Have a question for Professor Robert Cuadros?
Write to rmcuadros@instructor.net

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