Ferrero Plays Larsen's Opening

This game took place in the final round of Saturday's Viking Quads in Mount Arlington, New Jersey. The player of the white pieces is Steve Ferrero, editor of Atlantic Chess News. I myself have played Larsen's Opening on occasion. It is a good weapon to have in your arsenal, especially against opponents who play "book" openings.

[All notes by Jim West]

Steve Ferrero (USCF 1837) - Ari Minkov (USCF 1955), Mount Arlington NJ 6/30/2007

1.b3 e6 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.Nf3

I prefer 3.f4 with a Bird's Opening formation.

3...c5 4.c4

Here I would have played the flexible 4.e3; e.g., 4...d5 5.Ne5, or 4...Nc6 5.Bb5.

4...Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nd2??

White had to play 7.Nc3 Ne4 8.Nxc6 Nxc3 9.Qd2 dxc6 10.Bxc3 with an equal position. The game move should have lost to 7...Nxd4 8.Bxd4 Ne4 9.Be3 Bxd2+ 10.Bxd2 Qf6 11.f3 Qh4+ 12.g3 Nxg3.

7...Ne4?! 8.N4f3 O-O 9.a3 Nxd2 10.Nxd2 Be7 11.b4 b6 12.g3 Bb7 13.Bg2 Na5

It appears that Black is playing for a draw, as he now begins to swap pieces.

14.Bxb7 Nxb7 15.O-O d5 16.cxd5 Qxd5 17.Nf3 Rfd8 18.Qxd5 Rxd5 19.Rfd1 Rad8 20.Rxd5 Rxd5 21.Rc1 Rd7 22.Kf1 Bd8 23.Ke1 Rc7 24.Rxc7 Bxc7 25.Ne5 Bxe5 26.Bxe5

The exchange of pieces has left White with the slight endgame advantage of bishop versus knight.

26...b5 27.Bc7 Kf8 28.Kd2 Ke7 29.Kc3 Kd7 30.Bb8 a6 31.Kd4 f6 32.f3 Kc6 33.e4 Nd8 34.e5

White shows that he does not understand this ending. He starts putting his pawns on the same-colored squares as his bishop when he should be doing the exact opposite.

34...f5 35.Bd6 Nf7 36.Be7 g6 37.h3 h5 38.f4 Kd7 39.Bf6 Kc6 40.Be7 Kd7, draw.