Volume 40, Number 1 Colorado Chess Informant January 2013
Page 22
Going Berserk by Jeffrey Baffo
Colorado Open, Sept. 1, 2012, Round 1 White: Jeffrey Baffo( USCF 1866) Black: Robert Ramirez( USCF 2154) Game / 90; 30” Increment Queen’ s Knight Attack( QNA) NIC VO 15.1 ECO A00 Novosibisk Opening 1
My only other game with Robert was about a thousand years( and rating points) ago. Don’ t remember much except I slopped my way to victory in a game that isn’ t fit to line the bottom of a bird cage. Since then he has risen to become one of the premier tournament players in the Rocky Mountain region. He is rightly respected for his awesome tactical prowess, letter perfect opening preparation, and overall strategic knowledge. Of course I knew what I was going to play and was curious to see his interpretation of how to fight against it.
1. Nc3 c5 This was predictable as Robert is a passionate advocate( as am I!) of the Sicilian defense. I’ ve not hidden my opinion about this move, but even so, I’ ll state it again; one of the very best ways of meeting 1. Nc3. I think everyone knows I play 1. Nc3!, but( as Chris Petersen said 2) it still seems to cause people considerable hesitation once they actually see it on the board. 1... c5 is starting to crop up more and more in my games and the increased frequency it appears is at least partially my fault. I just can’ t stop my own big mouth and have sung it’ s praises in multiple published articles, not to mention many casual conversations.
2. d4 Not the main line, at least not in the Chess Opening Theory world. I’ ve done my own research and analysis and prefer it to the established lines. It is certifiably insane( as am I!) and no rational tournament player should even bother studying it, let alone play it 3. So, at least until the crazy wears off, I’ ll play this way. In my world it’ s just one of the many independent main lines of the QNA 4, but to be fair it does have it’ s own name; Novosibisk. With my poor language skills and penchant for mispronunciation, it comes out sounding like“ No-vo-berserk”. In any case it sure leads to berserker style positions.
2 … cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qh4 Right about here my opponents almost always go into a deep think. If the game is a live tournament, a lot of them start looking at their score sheets. Already the battle lines are drawn; Black seeks to prove her Ladyship to be on a frivolous, if not downright dangerous, adventure. I want a Sicilian position but only because the ideas will all have Sicilian themes, with key differences that I understand much better than my opponent 5.
4... d6 Sound reaction, but 4... d5 is the critical test.
5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bg5 A kibitzer said, loud enough for me to hear,“ So are we getting a normal position here, or what?” That made me smile despite myself. I wanted to“ shush!” the person, but couldn’ t, it was all I could do not to bust out laughing. In any case the kibitzer has / had a point. Are we about to see a transposition here, maybe to a recognizable Rauzer or Dragon Sicilian? Good question.
6... Be6 7. e4 Qa5 8. Bd3 a6 9.0-0 Nfd7 10. a3 6 f6!? Nope. I think all chance at normalcy is right out the window here. Good. Just the way I like it. Mass confusion, but with the experience edge heavily tilted my way. Robert wins his games like most strong players do; staying relevant in and around the center, complicating the game and then out playing his opponent when, as the young people say these days 7,“ the sh * t gets real”. Consequently, he has a healthy dislike for simplified positions. His move show just how committed he is to that method.
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11. Be3 Bf7 O. K., Robert’ s motif is starting to become clear. He will hunker down behind his barricades, gather his strength, and when his banner men are all assembled, unleash hell.
12. b4 Qh5 13. Qxh5 Bxh5 It seems as though Robert has arranged things with great skill. All he need do is keep lines closed for a little while longer, finish his development and then exploit the organic weakness in White’ s position; the backward c-pawn on the half open file.
14. Nd2 Nce5? A beautiful post for the knight, but it can’ t stay there. Wait a minute! Robert isn’ t thinking of snagging the two bishops, is he? He is! And I’ m just the kind of nutball who’ ll help him do it!
15. f4! Nxd3 16. cxd3 Thing start to go south for Robert from here on out. The reasons are worth noting; he has opened lines( handing me the c-file) for the better developed player AND transformed the weakling on c2 to a central bulwark on