Rio Vs Josh Frenchdefense

Table of Contents

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C10 French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense

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Keywords to search: Tricky, Explore, Game, idea, Puzzle, Critical

Starting Position

  1. e4,e6
  2. d4, d5
  3. Nd2, dxe4
  4. Nxe4, Nd7
  5. Nf3, Ngf6
Two good lines from here by white: (1) Nxf6 (2) Bg5

Nxf6+

  1. Nxf6+, Nxf6
  2. Bd3, c5
  3. Be3
### 8. ..., Ng4 (attacking bishop) 8. ..., Ng4 9. Ne5, Nxe3 10.fxe3 or 9. Ne5,Nxe5 10. dxe5 are both good for white
### 8...,Nd5 (attacking bishop) 8. ...,Nd5 9. O-O, Nxe3 10. fxe3 (Tricky) **Black cannot play cxd5 because of Ne5 followed by Bb5+** 10....,Bd6 11.dxc5, Bxc5 12.Ne5

Bg5 (game)

Black can immediately play h6. White should **NOT give up bishop pair**.

6. Bg5, h6

6. Bg5, h6 7. Nxf6+, Nxf6 8. Be3, Nd5 9. Bd2 is the correct way to play by white.
Black can counter by Be7 (**Game**)

6. Bg5, Be7

6. Bg5, Be7 7. Nxf6 In this position, Black can take back with **Bishop** or **Knight**.
### If Black takes back with Bishop: 7. ...,Bxf6 8. h4, Bxg5 9. hxg5 opens up the Rook ................................ 7. ...,Bxf6 8. h4, h6 9. Bxf6, Nxf6 10. Ne5 is better for White. ................................ **Tricky, Explore** 7. ...,Bxf6 8. h4, O-O 9. Bd3, h6 leads to Bishop sacrifice and Qe2-->Qe4 ideas for white. **Find winning ideas for White** FEN: r1bq1rk1/pppn1pp1/4pb1p/6B1/3P3P/3B1N2/PPP2PP1/R2QK2R w KQ - 0 10
### If Black takes back with Knight (**Game**): 7. ...,Nxf6 8. Bd3, O-O White can castle O-O immediately. But better to play Qe2 or Qd2 to keep black guessing on which side white should castle Moves to expect from Black : **c5, h6, Bd7, b6** (to fianchetto the light square Bishop) 9.Qe2
#### 9....h6?? loses to h4 by white offering to sacrifice the bishop. **If black takes**. 9. ...,h6 10. h4, hxg5 11. hxg5, **Black should play g6 to stop Bh7+** **If Black wants to save the Knight:** 11 ...,Nd5 12. Bh7+, Kh8 13. Qe4 (Black is losing). **If Black plays g6** 11. ..., g6 12. gxf6, Bxf6 13. O-O-O (white is much better, Black king is weak and exposed)
#### 9....h6?? loses to h4 by white offering to sacrifice the bishop. If black **DOES NOT** take: 9. ...,h6 10. h4, Re8 11.Bxf6, Bxf6 12.O-O-O, Bd7 13. Ne5 (tricky move, If Black take the h4 pawn, white gets 2 pieces for a Rook) 13. Be4 (attacking Blacks weak b7 pawn)
#### 9....c5 9. ...,c5 10. dxc5, Bxc5 11. O-O-O ( **tricky move, Black Queen in x-rayed by the Rook, h6 by Black will lose to Bh7+**)
#### 9....Bd7 9. ...,Bd7 10. O-O-O, c5 11. dxc5, Bxc5 12. Ne5 (idea: White plans to take the bishop, deflect the Queen and then Bxf6)
#### 9....b6 (weakens the light square diagonal) **Puzzle**: If Black plays b6 in the position below, find the winning idea for white: FEN: r1bq1rk1/ppp1bppp/4pn2/6B1/3P4/3B1N2/PPP1QPPP/R3K2R b KQ - 3 9 9. ...,b6 ?? 10. Bxf6, Bxf6 11. Qe4 (idea : forking the Rook and threatening mate)
9. Qd2 Now h6 by Black is pretty bad after Bxh6--gxh6---Qxh6 threatening Ng5.
#### 9. ...,c5 9....c5 10. dxc5, Bxc5 11. O-O-O, Be7 **Puzzle**: Find a very attacking idea by White with 2 plans. FEN: r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/4pn2/6B1/8/3B1N2/PPPQ1PPP/2KR3R w - - 2 12 12. Qf4 !! (great move, two ideas: double attack the f6 position, and threaten Bxh7) The only way for Black to defend is to counter attack. Two moves look appealing: Nd5 (attacking the Queen) and Qa5. Qa5 is the proper move. Why Nd5 is a blunder ? 12. ...Qa5 13. Kb1, h6 **Puzzle**: White to sacrifice the bishop, what is the winning idea ? (a little deep, positional) 14. Bxh6, gxh6 15. Ne5 !! (Why Qxh6 DOES NOT work ? Ans: Because of ...Qh5) White has two plans to stop Black playing Qh5 : g4, Ne5. Also Re1 works (why ?) Ne5 works, but not g4. Find out why ? White plans to use the Knight (and support it by a Rook) to block the Black Queen from going to h5. Once it is done, it is safe to take Qxh6.
#### 9. ...,b6 (good move, Black wants to do Bb7) 9....b6 10. O-O-O, Bb7 11. Qe2
### 9. O-O (Game) 9. O-O (Game) Black can now play h6 : ...h6-->Bf4-->c5-->dxc5-->Bxc5-->Qe2 (position is equal) The Game continued as : 9. O-O, c5 10. dxc5, Bxc5 **Now White again has the option of Qe2 or Qd2 (idea: connect the rooks)**
#### 11. Qd2 : better, does not allow h6 because of Bxh6--gxh6--Qxh6 with the idea of Ng5 11. Qd2, Be7 12. Rad1, Qc7 13. Rfe1 (equal position)
#### 11. Qe2 (Game) : not strong move now, allows h6 by Black. White cannot play h4 now as White is already castled king side. 11. Qe2, h6 12. Bh4, Be7 13. Rfd1 (x-ray White Queen)
11. Qe2, Be7 12. Rad1, Qc7 (critical position, Game) **Puzzle**: If Black had played Qb6, what should white do ? FEN: r1b2rk1/pp2bppp/1q2pn2/6B1/8/3B1N2/PPP1QPPP/3R1RK1 w - - 4 13 13. Ne5! Strong positional move. The Knight is supported by the Queen, Black cannot attack the Knight quickly with Be6 (loses to Bxf6). 13. ...., h6 14. Bf4, Be6 **Puzzle** : Find two positional moves from White (Prophylactic moves) White should not allow Nd5 attacking the Bishop, two good moves for white here should be c4 (take away d5 square) and Bg3.
13. c3 (Game, passive move by white) Black should have played h6 and played correctly - what are the moves that keep things alomost equal (moves are forcing though) ? **Puzzle** 13. c3, h6 14. Bh4, Bd7 15. Bg6, Qb6 16. Ne5
13. c3, b6 ?? (Game) A very critical, weakening move by Black. How should white take advantage ? Critical position. FEN: r1b2rk1/ppq1bp1p/4pnp1/6B1/8/2PB1N2/PP2QPPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 14
14. Bh6, Rd8 15. Ne5, Bd7 16. Nxd7, Rxd7 (Black is happy, exchanged its bad light squared bishop for whites good Knight and connected the Rooks).
**Puzzle**: A better idea for white : shuffle the moves and see if a better combination exists. 14. Ne5! (prevents the bad Bishop from developing) Black can try to counter attack by moving the knight to attack and exchange the bishops. Two possible positions: Nd5, Nh7. FEN: r1b2rk1/ppq1bp1p/4pnp1/4N1B1/8/2PB4/PP2QPPP/3R1RK1 b - - 1 14 **Explore 2 variations from this position** **Variation 1** 14. ...,Nh5 15. Bh6, Ng7 **Variation 2** 14. ...,Nd5 15. Bh6, Rd8 (Re8 results in Bb5) 16.Bc4, Bf6 17.Ng4,Bg7 18.Bxg7,Kxg7 19.Qd2,Qxc4 20.Qh6+
Written on November 11, 2022