Lessons From Torquay 3

WHILE preparing for Trefor Thynne, my round-three opponent in the Riviera afternoon open, I noticed, albeit from a small sample of games, that against 1.e4 he likes to play the Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian: 1...c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5.

There were just three games in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database in which Thynne faced the Rossolimo: 3.Bb5, which is perhaps the most popular anti-Sicilian way of avoiding the Sveshnikov.

On one occasion he replied 3...g6, another time he played 3...d6 and finally he tried 3...e6.

Generally one cannot learn much from three games, but playing three different systems suggests, if nothing else, uncertainty about which continuation is best.

Accordingly I was happy to play the Rossolimo, which is anyway one of my main openings with white.

Thynne replied 3...Nf6, and it was only after 4.Nc3 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Re1 0-0 7.d3 that he had his first 'think'.

Position after 7.d3

The game, which can be seen here, ended in a draw, and Thynne explained in the postmortem that he had a publication by grandmaster Daniel King - I cannot recall if it was a DVD or a book - that recommends 3...Nf6.

He said the ideas included speedy kingside development for Black, and discouraging White from expanding in the centre with c3.

Naturally 3...Nf6 is no panacea for Black in the Rossolimo - it would not be lagging so far behind 3...d6, 3...e6 and especially 3..g6 if it were.

But having a plan in chess is important, hence the famous old advice that a bad plan is better than no plan.

LESSON: when unsure how to meet a particular opening, one answer is to access a popular plan explained by a top player.