Play Chess Openings: Caro-Kann Mood to Fight

Monday, October 12, 2015

Caro-Kann Mood to Fight

A fighting spirit gives you a higher rating. Your opponents do not all resign quickly just because you show up. You need to make good moves. Just let the result happen. Don't cut it short. Before my rating surged past 2000 I was timid when playing stronger players. Once I learned to not offer draws my rating went up.

George E. Fawbush had a fighting spirit and almost never agreed to draws. GEF won frequently. He lost sometimes. He always fought hard. In my Caro-Kann Defence in the 4.c4 Panov Variation vs George Fawbush, I got a good position with the 5...g6 Gruenfeld type line. White chose the sharp 6.Qb3 idea but he went wrong ten moves later. Probably I offered the draw. I imagine Fawbush agreed because he stood worse. The other issue was that this game came from a Tennessee Chess Association event where he may have determined that he was not going to win. Five years later I beat Fawbush in a game analyzed by Arthur Bisguier.

Fawbush (2200) - Sawyer, corr TCA 1977 begins 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Qb3 Bg7 7.cxd5 0-0 8.Be2 Nbd7 9.Bf3 Nb6 10.Bg5 a5 11.Bxf6 [11.Nge2 a4 12.Qb5 Bd7=] 11...exf6 12.Nge2 Bf5 13.Qb5 Re8 14.0-0 Qd6 15.g4 Bd7 16.Qd3? [16.Qc5 Nc8 17.Ne4 Qb8=] 16...f5 17.h3 fxg4 18.hxg4 f5 [18...Rac8=/+] 19.Kg2 [19.Nb5 Bxb5 20.Qxb5 fxg4 21.Bxg4 Nxd5=/+] 19...fxg4 20.Bxg4 [20.Be4 Rac8-/+] 20...Bxg4 21.Qb5 Qf6