2010 top novelties (part 2)

BY: BOBBY ANG

(As published in Chess Piece, BusinessWorld, 14 February 2011.)

Here are the final two candidates for Top Theoretical Novelty of the Year in 2010:

No. 5. Jakovenko vs. Inarkiev (Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation)

In the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Black has a lot of possibilities here and it is not clear which is best. There is 5...f6, 5...Bg4, 5...Qf6, 5...Bd6, 5...Ne7, 5...Qe7, 5...Be7, 5...Be6 and 5...Qd6.

My personal favorite is 5...Qf6, as for amateurs like me it is always desirable to keep your queen in the vicinity of the enemy king. About this move Bobby Fischer in My 60 Memorable Games commented that the ballet dancer Harmonist showed good sense by trying 5...Qf6 with the threat of ...Bg4 (against Schallopp in Frankfurt 1887) but after 6.d4 exd4 7.Bg5! Qg6 8.Qxd4 White can get a clear initiative."

This observation rings true, which is why Black started playing 7...Qd6 instead of bringing it to g6 so as to exchange queens if White should play 8.Qxd4. Take a look at the following game, though, where Jakovenko totally destroys Inarkiev right in the opening stage.

Jakovenko, Dmitrij (2725) -- Inarkiev, Ernesto (2669) [C68]
4th ACP World Rapid Cup Odessa UKR (1.1), 27.05.2010
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No. 6. Ootes vs Villwock (Sicilian Sveshnikov)

Lars Ootes is the Junior Champion of the Netherlands. In the following game he resurrects an old sacrificial line in the Sveshnikov which seemed to have run its course.

Ootes, Lars (2358) -- Villwock, Martin (2212) [B33]
Leiden Noteboom Memorial 70th (6), 14.02.2010
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