Botvinnik used to say that each robust participant ought to have their “personal idea.”
I learn Botvinnik’s recommendation whereas I used to be nonetheless very younger and this formed my method to openings and opening variations. Though I all the time performed the primary strains, each with White and Black, I all the time seemed for much less acquainted and fewer identified concepts and plans in them. I’d attempt to analyse them, after which I’d typically shock my opponents.
This was the that means behind Botvinnik’s recommendation. It’s not sufficient to know the official idea as a result of everyone is aware of the official idea. You will need to have your individual ideas and concepts and use these to realize a bonus, even when that benefit is barely a psychological one. Your personal ideas and concepts can generally be primarily based on feeling. It’s possible you’ll really feel snug in a sure sort of place even when official idea doesn’t regard it very extremely. Or you’ve analysed a line deeply and noticed it’s good, despite the fact that official idea hasn’t reached that verdict (but).
I want to give an instance from my very own expertise with every of the 2 instances talked about above.
My openings have all the time been closely influenced by Fischer. That meant that I studied each opening he ever performed. Fischer various his openings when he confronted 1.d4. Among the many openings he used was the Semi-Tarrasch.
Within the mid-90s the Semi-Tarrasch wasn’t a preferred opening. It was thought of comfortably higher for White, however I fairly favored it. If White performed 5.e3 (after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5) I already thought of this as a small ethical victory because it normally confirmed me that he wasn’t ready. And in the primary line after 5.cd Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4, I used to be comfortable to play Black having exchanged a pair of minor items. A number of occasions I even bought to make use of Fischer’s thought of 8…Nc6 and solely one in all my opponents performed the essential 9.Bc4!
I used the Semi-Tarrasch on a number of necessary events and it by no means let me down. Curiously sufficient, it was solely after Kramnik’s use of it within the London Candidates in 2013 that the Semi-Tarrasch bought its correct recognition and is now thought of very protected for Black!
The second instance of my very own idea is within the Najdorf. When fascinated by what to do towards the English Assault, I once more went again to Fischer’s video games. It’s possible you’ll be shocked, however Fischer has one recreation within the English Assault – a blitz recreation towards Robert Byrne from the New York blitz event in 1971. I checked that recreation and noticed that Fischer was misplaced after the opening, however solely after he misplayed it.
Discovering an enchancment in his play wasn’t that tough.
This place arises after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.g5 Nh5 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5.
Right here Fischer performed 14…Rc8? and after 15.Bh3 he was busted. I checked out this place and thought why not shut that diagonal and play 14…f5! In reality, that transfer had been performed towards Robert Byrne in 1972, however I didn’t know that again within the early 90s after I was analysing and making ready this variation.
The entire line beginning with 12…Nh5 was thought of doubtful then. What folks performed was 11…h6 or 7…Be6 and eight…Nbd7, suspending the event of the kingside, and even 12…b4. However I analysed White’s choices, each 15.gxf6 and 15.Na5 and got here to the conclusion that Black’s place is stuffed with life and provides glorious possibilities.
In the primary line after 15.gxf6 Bxf6, Black has good squares for his items and this compensates for the light-square weaknesses. What was additionally necessary was that after this change the character of the place modified. White not has an assault and may actually play on the queenside. This transformation just isn’t all the time welcome with aggressively-minded attackers.
Evidently that with idea growing in different instructions I used to be method forward of my opponents when the above place appeared on the board. The variation served me properly for greater than 10 years, whereas immediately it is among the most important responses to the English Assault!
Having your individual idea is an important step ahead in developing your individual repertoire. Hopefully, these two examples may help you discover your individual unique paths within the trendy jungle of opening idea.