Mikhalevski’s Sharp games in 5…Ne4 variation of Four Knights Scotch

In case 5…Ne4 variation of Four Knights Scotch sounds like a mix of various buzzwords, this refers to the first moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nxe4 which seems to be dropping a piece, except for it does not.

Alexander Mikhalevski seems to be among the strongest players who ever tried this line, with mixed results as the following two super sharp games illustrate:

Sutovsky, Emil - Mikhalevski, Alexander
   1994 , C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 Qe7 7. f3 d5 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. O-O dxe4 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Re1 O-O-O 12. Rxe4 Qf6 13. Qe2 c5 14. Nb3 Qb6 15. Be3 Bd6 16. Qf2 f5 17. Rc4 Qb5

Harassing the rook is Black's best hope for counterplay.

18. Rc3 c4 19. Bc5 Bc6

( 19. ... cxb3 20. Bxd6 )

20. a4 Qa6 21. Bxd6 Rxd6 22. Nc5 Qb6 23. Rxc4 Qxb2 24. Re1 Re8 25. h3 Qb6 26. Rxe8+ Bxe8 27. Qe1 Bxa4 28. Qe5 Bxc2 29. Rxc2 Qb1+ 30. Kh2 Qxc2 31. Qe8+ Rd8 32. Qb5

32. ... Rd2 33. Qe8+ Rd8 34. Qe6+ Kb8 35. Qc6

35. ... Qxc5

( 35. ... Qb2 36. Na6+ Kc8 37. Qxc7# )

36. Qxc5 g6 37. Qe7 Rd6 38. Qxh7 a5 39. Qf7 Kb7 40. Qc4 Kb6 41. g4 fxg4 42. fxg4 c5 43. h4 Rd4 44. Qe6+ Kb5 45. Qxg6 a4 46. Qe6 Rd2+ 47. Kg3 Rd3+ 48. Kf4 c4 49. g5 a3 50. g6 a2 51. Qe5+ Ka4 52. g7 Rd8 53. Qb2 1-0

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Timmerman, Gert - Mikhalevsky, Alexander
   1996 , C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 Qe7 7. f3 d5 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. O-O dxe4 11. Re1 O-O-O 12. Rxe4 Qf6 13. Qf1 Bc5 14. Qa6+ Kb8 15. Be3 Rhe8 16. c3 Rxe4 17. fxe4 Bb6

18. a4 c5

Activating the light squared bishop is essential in this structure.

19. a5 Bc8 20. Qc4 cxd4 21. axb6 axb6

( 21. ... dxe3?? 22. Qxc7+ Ka8 23. Qxa7# )

22. Bxd4 Qe7

23. Bxg7

( 23. Qa2 Bb7 24. Qa7+ Kc8 )

23. ... Rd2

In return for the pawn Black gets to activate his pieces, which is always important in positions with bishops of opposite color.

24. Bh6 Rxb2 25. Bc1 Rc2 26. Qa4 Qc5+ 27. Kh1

27. ... Qa5! 28. Qxa5 bxa5 29. Bh6 Bb7 30. Rxa5 Bxe4 31. Re5 Bc6 32. Rc5 Bxg2+ -/+

33. Kg1 Bh3 34. Bf4 Rg2+ 35. Kh1 Rf2 36. Be3 0-1

Kosintseva plays Isolated Pawn to beat the French

Here are a couple of games that illustrate how White can opt into standard IQP structure against the French defence – this method was used effectively by Nadezhda Kosintseva to beat a couple of strong players:

Kosintseva, Nadezhda - Vysochin, Spartak
   2004 , C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Ngf3 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O Be7 11. a3 b6 12. Re1 Bb7 13. Bc2 Rc8 14. Qd3 Qd6

( 14. ... g6!? 15. Bh6 Re8 16. Rad1 )

15. d5 exd5 16. Bg5 g6 17. Rxe7! Nxe7 18. Nb5 Qe6 19. Nfd4 Qe5 20. f4

20. ... Qe4 21. Bxf6 Qxd3 22. Bxd3 Nc6 23. Nxc6 Rxc6 24. Bd4 a6 25. Nc3 Re6 26. Na4 Rfe8 27. Kf2 Bc6 28. Nxb6 Bb5 29. Bxb5 axb5 30. Nxd5 Re2+ 31. Kf3 R8e6 32. Rc1 f6 33. Rc8+ Kf7 34. Rc7+ Kf8 35. Nxf6 Rd2 36. Be5 h6 37. h4 Rd8 38. h5 gxh5 39. Ke4 b4 40. axb4 Rb6 41. Kf5 Rd2 42. g3 Rxb4 43. Kg6 1-0

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Kosintseva, Nadezhda - Xu Yuhua
   2009 , C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Ngf3 dxe4 6. Nxe4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 h6 10. O-O O-O 11. a3 Be7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Bf4 a6 14. Qd3 Bf8 15. Rad1 Ne7 16. Ne5 Bd7 17. Rfe1 Bc6 18. Qh3

18. ... Bd5 19. Re3 Qb6 20. b4 Rec8

21. Rg3

Kingside threats are now impossible to defend against without material losses.

21. ... Rxc3

( 21. ... Kh8 22. Nxf7+ )

22. Rxc3 Nc6 23. Bxh6 Nxd4 24. Be3 Ne2+ 25. Kf1 Qd6 26. Ng4 Ne4 27. Bxe4 1-0