Main
Date: 02 Jun 2005 05:49:36
From: Ron
Subject: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition

Okay, so I've now seen a line several times that I'm not quite sure how
to handle. It happens when white delays going into the QGD exchange
variation for a move or two when black is going for a Cambridge Springs.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7

Normally, someone going for the exchange variation will play 4.cxd4.

Now, however, I've run into both:

5.e3 c6 6.cxd5 when I've been responding exd5

and

5.cxd5 exd5 6.e3 c6, transposing.

Obviously, delaying the exchange for one more move is fine and gets me
into a comfortable Cambridge Springs position from which I've scored
quite well (5.e6 c6 6.Nf3 Qa5 7.cxd5 Nxd5!).

But the question is what to do if white exchanges on move five or six.
The problem is that in the QGD exchange, I often want to post my queen
bishop on f5. But I can't do that now, because it's blocked by my QN.

In studying master games, control of that diagonal seems so important
that players of the black pieces are willing to seriously weaken their
kingside by playing ...g6 if neccesary to support Bf5.

Invariably, what's been happening to me in this line is that my pieces
have gotten cramped. As far as I can tell, this line isn't even
mentioned in Panczyk and Ilczuk's 2002 study of the Cambridge Springs, I
seriously doubt there is a tactical refutation, and I've struggled to
find master games to help me understand the best way to untangle my
pieces.

Help, please! Advice and/or master games illustrating plans by black
would be greatly appreciated!

-Ron




 
Date: 03 Jun 2005 23:17:52
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition
I have experimented with 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5
5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 g6. It's tactically dubious because both f6 and b7
are targets: e.g., 7.e3 Bf5 8.Qb3. Steve Tennant made me suffer in
this line recently.

However, if the same position with an additional Nf3 for white and an
additional Be7 for Black arises (often because Black played 1...Nf6 and
White adopted a move order designed to avoid a possible Nimzo-Indian),
then 7...g6 is fully playable, and IMO the most reliable route to
equality.

Richard is right that this desirable move order can't be forced by
Black.



 
Date: 03 Jun 2005 13:18:27
From:
Subject: Re: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition
Ron,

The two variations you give are both well-known transpositions to the
main line of the QGD exchange variation. E.g., 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3.
Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2. In this variation, Black
usually does not get the Bc8 to f5, so I am not sure what it is that
you have in mind.

There are a number of plans available to both sides. One popular plan
of development for Black is ..Be7, ..Nbd7, ..0-0, .. Re8, ..Nf8.
Where you go from there depends on what White is doing, but Black can
sometimes drum up play on the Kingside. One of my favorite examples
is:

[Site "USSR"]
[Date "1954.??.??"]
[White "Taimanov,k"]
[Black "Nezhmetdinov,Rashit"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D36"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3
Nf6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. e3 O-O 9. Bd3
Re8 10. O-O Nf8 11. Rab1 a5 12. a3 Ne4 13. Bxe7
Qxe7 14. b4 axb4 15. axb4 Ng6 16. b5 Bg4 17. Nd2
Nxd2 18. Qxd2 Nh4 19. f3 Qxe3+ 20. Qxe3 Rxe3 21. fxg4
Rxd3 22. bxc6 bxc6 23. Ne2 Rd2 24. Rf2 h6 25. Rbf1
Ng6 26. h3 f6 27. Ng3 Rxd4 28. Rb1 Ra7 29. Rb8+
Kh7 30. Rfb2 Rd1+ 31. Kh2 Re1 32. Rd8 Nf4 33. Nh5
Re2 34. Rxe2 Nxe2 35. Rc8 Nd4 36. Nf4 Re7 37. h4
Re4 38. Kg3 Re3+ 39. Kf2 Re4 40. g3 Ne6 41. Rxc6
Nxf4 42. gxf4 Rxf4+ 43. Kg3 Re4 44. Rd6 Re5 45. h5
Kg8 46. Kf4 g5+ 47. Kf3 Kf7 48. Rd7+ Ke6 49. Rh7
d4 50. Rxh6 Re3+ 51. Kf2 Re4 52. Kf3 Rf4+ 53. Kg3
d3 54. Rh8 Rd4 55. Re8+ Kf7 56. Re1 d2 57. Rd1
Rd3+ 58. Kg2 Kg7 59. Kf2 Kh6 60. Kg2 f5 61. gxf5
Kxh5 62. Kf2 g4 63. f6 g3+ 64. Ke2 Rd6 65. Kf3
1/2-1/2


Hope this helps,
Richard Stanz



  
Date: 03 Jun 2005 20:37:32
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition
In article <[email protected] >,
[email protected] wrote:

> [Site "USSR"]
> [Date "1954.??.??"]
> [White "Taimanov,k"]
> [Black "Nezhmetdinov,Rashit"]
> [Result "1/2-1/2"]
> [ECO "D36"]
>
> 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3
> Nf6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. e3 O-O 9. Bd3
> Re8 10. O-O Nf8 11. Rab1 a5 12. a3 Ne4 13. Bxe7
> Qxe7 14. b4 axb4 15. axb4 Ng6 16. b5 Bg4 17. Nd2
> Nxd2 18. Qxd2 Nh4 19. f3 Qxe3+ 20. Qxe3 Rxe3 21. fxg4
> Rxd3 22. bxc6 bxc6 23. Ne2 Rd2 24. Rf2 h6 25. Rbf1
> Ng6 26. h3 f6 27. Ng3 Rxd4 28. Rb1 Ra7 29. Rb8+
> Kh7 30. Rfb2 Rd1+ 31. Kh2 Re1 32. Rd8 Nf4 33. Nh5
> Re2 34. Rxe2 Nxe2 35. Rc8 Nd4 36. Nf4 Re7 37. h4
> Re4 38. Kg3 Re3+ 39. Kf2 Re4 40. g3 Ne6 41. Rxc6
> Nxf4 42. gxf4 Rxf4+ 43. Kg3 Re4 44. Rd6 Re5 45. h5
> Kg8 46. Kf4 g5+ 47. Kf3 Kf7 48. Rd7+ Ke6 49. Rh7
> d4 50. Rxh6 Re3+ 51. Kf2 Re4 52. Kf3 Rf4+ 53. Kg3
> d3 54. Rh8 Rd4 55. Re8+ Kf7 56. Re1 d2 57. Rd1
> Rd3+ 58. Kg2 Kg7 59. Kf2 Kh6 60. Kg2 f5 61. gxf5
> Kxh5 62. Kf2 g4 63. f6 g3+ 64. Ke2 Rd6 65. Kf3
> 1/2-1/2

Very helpful, thank you.

I had been doing my database searches poorly and not finding anything,
but the idea of Nf8 opens up a lot of possibilities.

I'm also exploring the idea of playing, ...exd5, ...Qa5 anyway, and
following up with ...Ne4.

Thanks again!

-Ron


 
Date: 02 Jun 2005 18:12:04
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition
I like early ...g6 lines in the Exchange QGD, too. But Cambridge
Springs players simply have to be prepared to accept the main line of
the Exchange QGD (uncomfortable in practice, especially at my level,
but perfectly fine in theory).



  
Date: 03 Jun 2005 01:31:11
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition
In article <[email protected] >,
"[email protected]" <[email protected] > wrote:

> I like early ...g6 lines in the Exchange QGD, too. But Cambridge
> Springs players simply have to be prepared to accept the main line of
> the Exchange QGD (uncomfortable in practice, especially at my level,
> but perfectly fine in theory).

I understand that - but don't those lines involve not blocking the QB
with the QN?

Isn't this not the main line, but rather a favorable transposition for
white?


   
Date: 04 Jun 2005 07:40:07
From: AK
Subject: Re: Cambridge Springs - Sneaky Exchange Var transposition
On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 01:31:11 GMT, in rec.games.chess.analysis you
wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I like early ...g6 lines in the Exchange QGD, too. But Cambridge
>> Springs players simply have to be prepared to accept the main line of
>> the Exchange QGD (uncomfortable in practice, especially at my level,
>> but perfectly fine in theory).
>
>I understand that - but don't those lines involve not blocking the QB
>with the QN?
>
>Isn't this not the main line, but rather a favorable transposition for
>white?

You cannot get Bf5 if white plays right move order in Exchange QGD
anyway. If you have Mega database, you can find some annotated games.
Just search the position after Nf8.