A caveman mating plan is, after all, still a plan. It must be respected.
Bent Larsen White
Viktor Korchnoi Black
Brussels 1987
English Opening A11
1 c4 c6 2 ♘f3 d5 3 g3 ♘f6 4 b3 ♕b6
The Black queen discourages 5 ♗b2 dxc4! (6 bxc4? ♕xb2), eyes tactics involving f2 and prepares his next move.
5 ♗g2 e5!
Based on 6 ♘xe5? ♕d4.
6 0-0 e4
Now 7 ♘g5 h6 8 ♘h3 ♗e7 favors Black’s space edge.
Question 383: Why not 8...dxc4 9 bxc4 ♕d4 ?
7 ♘e1 h5!? 8 ♘c3 h4 9 d4 hxg3 10 fxg3?
The principled 10 hxg3 looks risky after 10...♕a5 (11 ♗b2? dxc4 12 bxc4? ♕h5! and mates). But 11 ♗d2 dxc4 12 ♘xe4 or 11...♗b4 12 ♕c1 was unclear.
10...♕a5!
Thanks to 10 fxg3?, now 11 ♗d2? e3! costs a piece and 11 ♗b2 allows 11...♘g4!.
11 ♕c2 ♗b4 12 ♗b2 ♗e6 13 cxd5
Better is 13 a3 but Black holds the high cards after 13...♗e7.
13...♘xd5! 14 ♘xd5 cxd5 15 a3 ♗d2!
Now 16 b4 ♗e3+ 17 ♔h1 ♕d8! and 18...♕g5 will be threatening 19...♖xh2+! 20 ♔xh1 ♕h6+ and wins. White is losing after 18 ♗c1 ♗xd4 or 18 ♕c3 ♕g5 19 g4 ♕h4.
16 ♕d1? ♗e3+ 17 ♔h1 ♕c7! White resigns.
No defense to 18...♕xg3.
Geo Sikharulidze White
Miranda Mikadze Black
Tbilisi 2007
1 ♘f3 ♘f6 2 c4 c6 3 g3 d5 4 b3 ♕b6 5 ♗g2 e5 6 0-0 e4 7 ♘e1 h5 8 cxd5 cxd5 9 ♘c3 h4 10 d3 hxg3 11 hxg3 ♗d6 12 ♘a4 ♕c7 13 ♗g5 e3!? 14 ♗xe3 ♘g4 15 ♕c1 ♘c6 16 ♘c3 ♘h2! 17 ♘xd5 ♕d8 18 ♗g5 f6 19 ♗f4 ♘xf1 20 ♔xf1 ♗h3 21 ♕e3+ ♗e5 22 ♗xe5 ♗xg2+! 23 ♔g1 ♗xd5! 24 ♗xf6+ ♔f7 25 ♗h4 g5 White resigns.