Master the Modern: the breathtaking Beefeater Variation

5...f5 6.g4 fxg4 7.h3 g3

 

 

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1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 f5 6.g4
It does not get more aggressive than this. White blasts away at the pawn chain before Black has a chance to settle the position down. This is a sharp procedure, but Black has resources. 6...fxg4 I think Black should capture. If he doesn't, White will already have a strong attack. 6...Qa5 7.gxf5 7.Qb3 fxg4 7...Qxc3+ 8.Bd2 Qxc4 7.h3 7.e4 will be seen in the next game. 7...g3!? With this tricky move, Black slows down the potential kingside pressure. There are two real alternatives, the first of which is the natural 7...d6 Then comes 8.hxg4 Bxg4 9.Bh3 9.Nh3 Qa5 10.Ng5 Qxc3+ 11.Bd2 Qxc4 12.Rh4 Nf6 13.f3 Qxd5 14.fxg4 9...Nf6
and it is a question of whether White has enough compensation for the pawn. He was unable to prove anything in the following game: 10.Qd3 10.f3= Bxh3 11.Nxh3 Qa5 12.Qb3 10...Nbd7 11.Nf3 Qa5 11...Bxh3 12.Rxh3 Qa5 12.Bxg4 Nxg4 13.Ng5 13.Rh4 13...Nge5 The nice thing about 7..d6 is that Black gets to develop quickly. 13...0-0-0 14.Ne6 Rdg8 14.Qc2 Nf6 14...0-0-0 15.Qb3 15.Rb1 would have been more challenging, with typical complications after 0-0-0 16.Rb5 16.f4?! Nxc4 17.Nf7 Nxd5 is very good for Black. 16...Qa6 17.Qb3 h6 18.Ne6 Rdg8 15.Ne6 Kd7 16.Rb1 Qa6 15...Qa6 16.Ne6 Kd7 17.Rh4 h6 18.Rb1 b6 19.Bxh6? Nf7 20.Bg5 Nxg5 21.Rxh8 Rxh8 22.Nxg5 Rh1+ 23.Kd2 Rxb1 24.Qxb1 Qxc4 25.e4 25.Qxg6 Qxa2+ 25...Nxd5 26.exd5 Qxd5+ 0-1 Williams,L (2240)-Norwood,D (2515) England 1998 A good example of Black's chances in this line.
There is also 7...Qa5 which I like least, but White was unable to prove anything in our featured game: 8.Qd3 How do you evaluate 8.hxg4! Qxc3+ 8...Nf6 9.g5 Nh5 10.Bd2 d6 11.e4 Ng7 12.f4+- 9.Bd2 Qxc4? Black is grabbing pawn after pawn and the danger is obvious, but the engines think Black is fine here. I'm not convinced this is the best course of action for Black, practically speaking. 8...d6 9.hxg4 Bxg4 10.f3 Bd7 10...Bc8 11.Kf2 11.Nh3 seems more thematic. Black should meet it with Nf6 11...Bxh3 12.Bxh3 Nd7 12.Ng5 Bf5 13.e4 Bc8 14.Rb1 Nbd7 which seems solid enough. 11...Nf6 12.Bh6 Rg8 12...Bf5 13.e4 Bc8 13.Bg5 h5 14.Rh4 14.Nh3 Bf5 15.e4 Bc8 14...Bf5 15.e4 Bc8 16.Qc2 Nbd7 17.f4 Ng4+ By now, White's position is uncomfortable. 18.Rxg4 hxg4 19.Bd3 Rh8 20.Kg3 Nf6 20...Rh5!? 21.e5 Rxg5 22.fxg5 Nxe5 23.Bxg6+ Kd8 was a better way to proceed. 21.e5! White is back in the game. Nh5+ 22.Kg2 Bf5 23.Bxf5 gxf5 24.Ne2 24.Qxf5! Qxc3 25.Qg6+ Kd8 26.Bxe7+! was the way to go and then Kxe7 27.Qe6+ Kf8 28.Qxd6+ Kf7 29.Qd7+ Kf8 30.Qd6+ with a perpetual.. 24...dxe5 25.Qxf5 exf4 26.Qxg4? Qb6 27.Kf3 Qg6 28.Rh1 Qd3+ 29.Kf2 f3 30.Ng3 Qc2+ 31.Kxf3 Rf8+ 0-1 Spelec,D (1996)-Sivic, J (2112) Slovenia 2014 This was a messy game between tow lower-rated players, which does not change my impression that both 7...g3 and 7...d6 are more reliable than 7...Qa5 although i am not writing 7...Qa5 off. Which you choose will be a question of style. 8.f4!? White can certainly capture on g3, but then games and results tend to suggest that Black can develop in reasonable peace: 8.fxg3 Qa5 9.Qd3 d6 10.Bg2 when most accurate appears to be 10.g4 b5 11.cxb5 a6 10...Nd7 10...Nf6!? 11.Bg5 Nbd7 11...Kd8 12.e4 h6 12.Nf3 b5!? 13.cxb5 13.0-0 Rb8 14.e4 bxc4 15.Qc2 13...a6 is sharp and playable. 11.Nf3 Nb6 12.e4 Qa4 13.Bf1 13.0-0 Nxc4 14.e5 Bf5 15.Qe2 13...Nf6 14.Bh6 Qa3 The usual weird position has arisen. 8...d6 9.Bg2 Qa5 10.Qd3 Nd7 11.e4 Nb6 12.Nf3 Nf6
Black must create pressure immediately as the danger of being steamrollered in the center is very real. 13.0-0 Qa4 14.Nd2 Nh5 15.f5 Bd7 16.e5?
Sensing the game slipping away already Thorfinnsson goes into psycho mode, but the coming sacrifice is not working. 16.Rb1 0-0-0 17.Rb3 Qa6 18.Ra3 Ba4 19.Qe3 Rhg8 16...Bxf5 17.Rxf5 gxf5 18.Bf3 18.Qxf5 Qd1+ 19.Nf1 Qe2 would be decisive. 18...Nf4! 19.Qe3 Black's idea can be seen after 19.Qxf5 Rf8! 20.Bh5+ Nxh5 21.Qxh5+ Kd7 19...dxe5 20.Qxe5 Ng6 21.Bh5 21.Qxf5 Nxc4 leaves White struggling to create a threat. 21...0-0-0 22.Bxg6 hxg6 23.Nb3 Nxc4 24.Qxe7 Nd6 25.Bg5 b6 6 g4 seems like the sort of thing White should be doing, but it does not lead to a position of advantage. Rather,a very messy position is reached which one presumes both players are looking for.
0–1
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Thorfinnsson2384Gretarsson,H24370–12021ISL-ch9