Wednesday, 23 July 2025

a3 or not a3, is it a question?

 Despite my new found faith in not wasting moves in the opening, it isn't always clear if a sly little move like a3 is really a waste. It could be a necessary penetrative move, or part of a plan to expand on the queenside. In the following game 9.a3 is followed up by 10.b4. This allows White to then find a good square for the dark squared bishop (often an issue in the Catalan), before demolishing Blacks kingside. Amazingly, the player with the Black pieces was Tigran Petrosian, who normally did not allow such things to happen.


Vasily Smyslov - Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian [E00]
Moscow Team Championship Moscow URS, 1967


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