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Master the Modern: the breathtaking Beefeater Variation
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...fxg4I think Black should capture. If he doesn't, White will already have a strong attack.6...Qa57.gxf57.Qb3fxg47...Qxc3+8.Bd2Qxc47.h37.e4will 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 natural7...d6Then comes8.hxg4Bxg49.Bh39.Nh3Qa510.Ng5Qxc3+11.Bd2Qxc412.Rh4Nf613.f3Qxd514.fxg49...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.Qd310.f3=Bxh311.Nxh3Qa512.Qb310...Nbd711.Nf3Qa511...Bxh312.Rxh3Qa512.Bxg4Nxg413.Ng513.Rh413...Nge5The nice thing about 7..d6 is that Black gets to develop quickly.13...0-0-014.Ne6Rdg814.Qc2Nf614...0-0-015.Qb315.Rb1would have been more challenging, with typical complications after0-0-016.Rb516.f4?!Nxc417.Nf7Nxd5is very good for Black.16...Qa617.Qb3h618.Ne6Rdg815.Ne6Kd716.Rb1Qa615...Qa616.Ne6Kd717.Rh4h618.Rb1b619.Bxh6?Nf720.Bg5Nxg521.Rxh8Rxh822.Nxg5Rh1+23.Kd2Rxb124.Qxb1Qxc425.e425.Qxg6Qxa2+25...Nxd526.exd5Qxd5+0-1 Williams,L (2240)-Norwood,D (2515) England 1998 A good example of Black's chances in this line.There is also7...Qa5which I like least, but White was unable to prove anything in our featured game:8.Qd3How do you evaluate8.hxg4!Qxc3+8...Nf69.g5Nh510.Bd2d611.e4Ng712.f4+-9.Bd2Qxc4?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...d69.hxg4Bxg410.f3Bd710...Bc811.Kf211.Nh3seems more thematic. Black should meet it withNf611...Bxh312.Bxh3Nd712.Ng5Bf513.e4Bc814.Rb1Nbd7which seems solid enough.11...Nf612.Bh6Rg812...Bf513.e4Bc813.Bg5h514.Rh414.Nh3Bf515.e4Bc814...Bf515.e4Bc816.Qc2Nbd717.f4Ng4+By now, White's position is uncomfortable.18.Rxg4hxg419.Bd3Rh820.Kg3Nf620...Rh5!?21.e5Rxg522.fxg5Nxe523.Bxg6+Kd8was a better way to proceed.21.e5!White is back in the game.Nh5+22.Kg2Bf523.Bxf5gxf524.Ne224.Qxf5!Qxc325.Qg6+Kd826.Bxe7+!was the way to go and thenKxe727.Qe6+Kf828.Qxd6+Kf729.Qd7+Kf830.Qd6+with a perpetual..24...dxe525.Qxf5exf426.Qxg4?Qb627.Kf3Qg628.Rh1Qd3+29.Kf2f330.Ng3Qc2+31.Kxf3Rf8+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.fxg3Qa59.Qd3d610.Bg2when most accurate appears to be10.g4b511.cxb5a610...Nd710...Nf6!?11.Bg5Nbd711...Kd812.e4h612.Nf3b5!?13.cxb513.0-0Rb814.e4bxc415.Qc213...a6is sharp and playable.11.Nf3Nb612.e4Qa413.Bf113.0-0Nxc414.e5Bf515.Qe213...Nf614.Bh6Qa3The usual weird position has arisen.8...d69.Bg2Qa510.Qd3Nd711.e4Nb612.Nf3Nf6
Black must create pressure immediately as the danger of being steamrollered in the center is very real.13.0-0Qa414.Nd2Nh515.f5Bd716.e5?
Sensing the game slipping away already Thorfinnsson goes into psycho mode, but the coming sacrifice is not working.16.Rb10-0-017.Rb3Qa618.Ra3Ba419.Qe3Rhg816...Bxf517.Rxf5gxf518.Bf318.Qxf5Qd1+19.Nf1Qe2would be decisive.18...Nf4!19.Qe3Black's idea can be seen after19.Qxf5Rf8!20.Bh5+Nxh521.Qxh5+Kd719...dxe520.Qxe5Ng621.Bh521.Qxf5Nxc4leaves White struggling to create a threat.21...0-0-022.Bxg6hxg623.Nb3Nxc424.Qxe7Nd625.Bg5b66 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