Nigel Short Lecture

Short-lecture

We had four days of very interesting lectures from former challenger Nigel Short on attacking chess. It was simply exceptional. One participant described it as the most enjoyable 15 hours in his chess career. In one game Nigel showed us how he self-forked his pieces. It seems he was a bad influence on himself:

Alon Greenfeld – Nigel Short
Isle of Man 07.10.2015

“I won by forking my own pieces today? Even if nobody else benefited from my talks, I certainly have!” Nigel Short sent this message after his splendid lectures in Edinburgh Chess Club last week.

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 Bg4 4.g3 f6 5.Bg2 e5 6.0–0 Nd7 7.Qb3 a5 8.e3 dxe3 9.fxe3 axb4 10.d4 Be6 11.Bb2 Nh6 12.dxe5 fxe5 13.Nbd2 Nf7
The opening had not gone very well for White, but after this Greenfeld finds a way back into the game.

14.Nd4! exd4 15.exd4

15…Nde5!? 16.Rae1 Bc5?!
The self-fork was too tempting it seems. When asked what he thought about it being apparently incorrect, Nigel said: “It won the game very quickly, what are you talking about?”
Stronger was 16…Ra3!?, when it is possible to imagine the game to continue with 17.Qc2 Rxa2 18.Qb1 Rxb2!? 19.Qxb2 Be7 20.dxe5 0–0 with a very complicated position.

17.Qe3??
Nigel said that he entirely missed 17.Bd5!, which would give White a big advantage after 17…0–0 18.dxc5.

17…Rxa2 18.dxc5 Rxb2 19.Rxf7?
This loses directly.
19.Nf3 was bad, but necessary.

19…Qxd2 20.Qxd2 Rxd2 21.Rf4
An important line goes 21.Rxg7 b3! 22.Rxe5 b2 23.Be4 Re2 24.Rxe6+ Kd8! and Black wins.

21…Nd3 22.Rxe6+ Kd7
0–1

Nigel Short appears in the Isle of Man video reports for Round 2 and Round 5 (featuring the above game).

Elsewhere in the same round I noticed that Michael Adams is playing the line John Shaw will be recommending in Playing 1.e4. His opponent wanted to avoid publicity, I think, by not resigning on move 8. But as I do not condone playing on a piece down against a superstar, there is no such luck…

Michael Adams – Alan Merry
Isle of Man 07.10.2015

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Bc4 Bf5 6.Bd2 Nd7 7.Qe2 Ngf6

8.Nb5 Qb6 9.Nd6+ Kd8 10.Nxf5 Qxb2 11.Qd1 e6 12.Rb1 Qa3 13.Ng3 Nb6 14.Bd3 Qxa2 15.Nf3 Qd5 16.0–0 Kc8 17.Ne5 Qxd4 18.Nxf7 Rg8 19.Ng5 e5 20.Bf5+ Nfd7 21.Be6 Rh8 22.Nf5
1–0

15 thoughts on “Nigel Short Lecture”

  1. Some other wild guesses:

    1.e4 c6 2.d4
    1.e4 e6 2.d4
    1.e4 c5 2.Nf3
    1.e4 e4 2.Nf3
    1.e4 g6 2.d4
    1.e4 d5 2.exd5

    I’m only in doubt about 1…Nc6. Will it be 2.d4 or 2.Nf3?

  2. I see the excerpt of Negi´s next volume is up. Looks excellent as always.

    Are there other books which are finished?

  3. Jacob Aagaard :
    @Jose
    When the book is done

    well i read at frequently asked questions and i hope you will like this:)
    when the book will be ready:)
    seriously, will you publish 3 book at once again, if so , seems like which ones will come first?
    thanks.

  4. Wondering what are chapters 17-19 from Negi and how many of my own corr. games I will see inside them ;). Judging from the table of content he focuses on 9.f4…

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