Sipke Ernst: Two Knights Game - Ulvestad Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5!?
This variation, which goes back to US master Olav Ulvestad (1912-2000), begins with the advance 5...b5. For a long time, however, this line was considered hardly playable for Black. But as in many other areas, modern engines have led to a re-evaluation here too, and even Magnus Carlsen played the variation against Gukesh last year. The GM from the Netherlands first shows how Black can reach a good game against the sidelines 6.Bb3, 6.Bxb5 and 6.dxc6. He then discusses two options for Black in detail against the main continuation 6.Bf1: 6...Nd4 and his recommendation 6...Nxd5. This very often leads to positions in which Black, after castling long, launches a strong attack on the kingside.
Mikhalchishin's miniatures (Part II)
With this edition of CBM Extra, master trainer Adrian Mikhalchishin contnues his series of short videos on new opening ideas. Enjoy!
Sicilian Najdorf Variation 6.f3
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 h5 9.Nd5 Bxd5 10.exd5
With the modern move 8...h5, Black prevents White's thematic advance g2-g4 and steers the game into more positional waters. Mikhalchishin himself had this variation on the board against Margeir Petursson (Lviv 2025). In the game, his opponent opted for the continuation 10...g6, to which Mikhalchishin responded with 11.Qd2 Nbd7 12.0-0-0 Nb6 and the positional pawn sacrifice 13.c4 – a sacrifice that Dominguez Perez had already used twice years ago. ‘In my opinion, it has not yet been tested sufficiently!’
Sicilian Najdorf Variation 6.Bc4
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Nbd7 8.Qe2 Nc5 9.Bd2
6.Bc4 was one of Bobby Fischer's favourite weapons against the Najdorf Variation. White then wants to carry out the ‘Fischer Attack’ by advancing the f-pawn. Mikhalchishin shows a modern treatment of this idea by Frederik Svane against Andrei Volokitin (2025): After 6...e6 7.Bb3 Nbd7, he continued with 8.Qe2 Nc5 9.Bd2, intending to castle long immediately. Only then did he set his pawns in motion on the kingside. ‘Probably, the Fischer Attack is alive!’
Spanish with 4...Nge7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 5.Nc3 d6 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4
‘Everybody nowadays sacrifices a pawn.’ The young German talent Christian Gloeckler did just that at the 2025 Prague Open against GM V. Vetoshko in the Spanish sideline with 4...Nge7. But is the sacrifice initiated by 6.d4 also sound? After 8...exd4, Mikhalchishin examines White's options 9.Nd5, 9.Qf3 and 9.Qh5 and finds that White gets at best some compensation for the pawn.