A lazy approach to opening study

I generally detest opening study though I enjoy sharp openings (bad combination). Anyway, I played my first OTB tournament in two years two weeks ago and while playing down 500 points nervously watched my opponent whip 12 book moves out with great confidence while I sweated profusely before navigating to a middlegame where I trounced him. In order to better understand some of my chosen openings, I'm asking you fellow RHP members to please provide your favorite games (GM or personal) in the following two lines for my personal study.

Gruenfeld 5. Bf4
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Bf4
(especially games where black plays c5)


BLack replies to 1. Nf3 with a delayed d4 that resemble a benko (in an cruel twist of fate I do well with the benko but fail miserably with the benoni) or are just otherwise fun. I typically end up playing a structure with a kingside fianchetto with d5 and c6 while white plays similarily but plays c4 rather than c3. They're very boring games.

I know what you mean when you say you like you like sharp openings but don`t wanna study lines or variations too much.
I can`t think of a solution really but I know what you mean I think.

Originally posted by zebano
I generally detest opening study though I enjoy sharp openings (bad combination). Anyway, I played my first OTB tournament in two years two weeks ago and while playing down 500 points nervously watched my opponent whip 12 book moves out with great confidence while I sweated profusely before navigating to a middlegame where I trounced him. In order to better u ...[text shortened]... d5 and c6 while white plays similarily but plays c4 rather than c3. They're very boring games.

Here's a recently finished Grunfeld for you. It was book (MCO 15) until white's 10th move. I have the sense that I faffed about with the Queen too much and ended up dropping a piece. I was able to recover it but the endgame was lost.

Game 7170994

Originally posted by Ragwort
Here's a recently finished Grunfeld for you. It was book (MCO 15) until white's 10th move. I have the sense that I faffed about with the Queen too much and ended up dropping a piece. I was able to recover it but the endgame was lost.

Game 7170994

Thanks Ragwort. I like 10. Bb3 better for white because of how painful Kf1 can be having no h1 rook available. That said, the BE5 is a simple exchange that I should try more often since blacks bishop is often his primary piece. I think Qf3 and Qxb7was a little too ambitious for white but you failed to exploit. I believe blacks 23rd move is teh turning point. Instead of Rc7 I would try Rf-d8, the point being that whites king is still trapped and you will lift the d-rook instead.

i.e.
23.... Rfd8 24. Ke2 Rxc4 25. Qxc4 Qd2# or white can put up more resistance with
23.... Rfd8 24. Ke2 Rxc4 25. Rhd8 Rc2+ 26. Rxc2 Qxd1+ winning a rook

of course white should avoid Ke2 so perhaps
23.... Rfd8 24. g3 Rd6 and black will at least win back his missing piece.

No engines were used so I suggest double checking my analysis.

Originally posted by zebano
of course white should avoid Ke2 so perhaps
23.... Rfd8 24. g3 Rd6 and black will at least win back his missing piece.

No engines were used so I suggest double checking my analysis.

25.Qxc8 gg

I have the dembo grunfeld book. if you ever need a specific line pm me

Hi Zeb.

David Tebb as Black. Always instructive at punishing slack opening moves.

White's idea to chop a developed piece for an undeveloped piece was to perhaps
stop Black from putting pressure on the d-pawn with Nc6.

An error of judgement or just a very bad move?

You will find loads of other examples of this Bf5 & c5 line on:

http://www.timeforchess.com/gamesexplorer/



Pity it ended there., but Knight moves, b3+, Qd2 and then Nxe3+ is terminal.

This is still going on - some good games and some really bad ones

Tournament 2342

Originally posted by Ragwort
25.Qxc8 gg

well that would be bad =(