16...Qxc3 Dragon: The Full Truth Emerges?
 
(A new look at the famous Karpov-Gik game.)

To: info@chess-sector.odessa.ua
Subject: 16...Qxc3 in the Dragon
Date: 13 Aug 2002 2:39
 
This is in reference to M. Golubev's discussion of Sasha Goldstein's improvements in the 16...Qxc3 line in the Veresov-Dubinin line in the Dragon, which was initially played in the game Karpov-Gik, 1968. I have done some computer-aided analysis which suggests that this line is bad for Black after all. After 17 Ne2 Qc5, Karpov played 18 g4, and looking at Gufeld's suggestion of 18...Bxg4, I think Black is at least equal. But this, along with the main line under discussion, is beside the point if, as I claim, White can improve with 18 Rxh5!. Now if 18...gh 19 Rh1 Ng4 looks forced, but after 20 fg Bxg4 21 Nf4! and now if 21...Qe3+ 22 Kb1 Qxe4 23 Qg5+ Kf8 24 Nxh5 Qg6 25 Qxg6 hg 26 Nf6! Bc8 27 Nd5 b5 28 Nc7 Rb8 29 Rh8+ Kg7 30 Rd8, and I think White's advantage is clear enough.
If this has already been covered by others, I apologize for the repetition.
Victor Reppert
Phoenix, Arizona

Postscript by Mikhail Golubev:
Many thanks and congratulations to Victor Reppert - the variation 16...Qxc3 (or, at least, its main line 16...Qxc3 17.Ne2 Qc5) seems to be finally refuted! The best idea now, possibly, would be to ask the twelfth world champion Anatoly Karpov to tell us why, really, he didn't play 18 Rxh5! thirty four years ago...
Recently 18.Rxh5 idea occurred in practice in the slightly different version:
N.Castaneda-I.Sipos
FSIMB July, Budapest 2001
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.h5 Nxh5 13.Bh6 Bxh6 14.Qxh6 Rxc3 15.bxc3 Qa5 16.0-0-0 Qxc3? 17.Ne2 Qc5 18.Rxh5! (18.g4?! Bxg4!, Verner-Tseitlin, Alma-Ata 1979) 18...gxh5 19.Rh1 (It's similar to Mr. Reppert's line, with the only difference in Black's rook position - f8 instead of a8.) 19...Qa3+ 20.Kb1 Rc8 21.Rxh5 e6 22.f4 Ng6 23.f5 Rxc2 24.Kxc2 Ba4 25.fxg6 Qxa2+ 26.Kc1 Qa3+ 27.Kd2 Qb4+ 28.Ke3 Qxb3+ 29.Kf2 Qb6+ 30.Kg3 Qb3+ 31.Kh2 Qb2 32.gxh7+ 1-0

CBV Download:
16...Qxc3 Dragon overview (15.12.2000)
Victor Reppert's new line