MY round-four game saw Black play the Cozio Variation of the Spanish, ie 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7, which is only the sixth-most popular Spanish continuation in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, but nevertheless occurs 9,728 times.
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| The starting position of the Cozio |
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Historically the most-popular continuations are 4.0-0, 4.c3 and 4.d4, but 4.Nc3!?, which was an Alexander Alekhine favourite, is arguably the most-critical line.
It might look innocuous, but 4...g6, the normal continuation in the Cozio, runs into 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5!? Bg7 7.Bg5.
Then Black's most-popular reply, 7...h6, is the only way to keep the game going, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1, but 8.Bf6 is pleasant for White.
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| What else can Black sensibly play? |
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My game, after 4.Nc3!?, saw 4...Ng6, which dates back to at least 1867 and was played both times by Magnus Carlsen when he reached the position in 2020.
Despite the world champion's endorsement, the move leaves a poor impression, although it may be that the real problem goes back to 3...Nge7.
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| A) Position after 4...Ng6 |
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Compare the above diagram with the following one, which arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6.
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| B) Position after 3...Nf6 |
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I do not care how strong Carlsen is, there is no doubt diagram A) is more favourable for White than diagram B).
My game at Fagernes continued, from diagram A), 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4, which is similar to a Scotch Four Knights, except it is White to move, not Black, and the black king's knight is on g6 rather than f6.
After 6...Nxd4!? (Carlsen has played this) came 7.Qxd4 c6 8.Bc4 Qb6 9.Be3!?, and I went on to win, although the engines reckon Black is OK after the apparent-novelty - it does not appear in Mega23 - 9...Qxb2!?
LESSON: lots of club players, myself included, like to get out of mainlines early to try to set novel problems to their opponents. The downside of this is that sidelines tend to be either inferior, or to require precise play if the opponent knows, or finds over the board, the theory.
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