Saturday, October 29, 2005

Notes on Steve Stoyko's Lasker Variation Lecture #3


diagram
Black to play after 18.Rd5.


FM Steve Stoyko's Third Lecture on the Lasker Defense to the Queen's Gambit Declined was excellent, focusing on various White alternatives to the Lasker proper, including Bf4 and Bxf6. I have posted both a java applet and PGN online. You can find my notes on Lectures One and Two online as well.

This third lecture focused on an old game that Steve played in the U.S. Amateur Teams (presumably in 1978, when Steve's team won, though he actually did not say), from which the diagram above is taken. Black to play and keep the initiative and likely gain the advantage, though Steve took a draw for the team. Let me warn you on this one: when you think you see an interesting move, look a little more and you might just see Steve's stunner (which was home preparation, based on ideas he got directly from GM Beliavsky).

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