Latvian Gambit help

Originally posted by Northern Lad
3) (i) Korch says: "I dont see problems for black after 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 c6 7.d5 Qg6 (with Nf6, Be7 and 0-0 to follow)." I do. 8.h4! h5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Ne2 gives white a clear positional advantage.

(ii) Korch says: "After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Nc3 Qg6 9.Nb5 Qf7 10.Qd2 Nf6 I don`t see too serious problems for Bla a4 (instead of 8.Bxc6+) 8...b5 9.Nd5 Qd8 10.Bb3 Na5 11.0-0 looks very pleasant for white.

3) (i) Korch says: "I dont see problems for black after 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 c6 7.d5 Qg6 (with Nf6, Be7 and 0-0 to follow)." I do. 8.h4! h5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Ne2 gives white a clear positional advantage.

1) Why do you think that Black are obliged to play 8...h5? Why not simply 8....Nf6 with idea of 9.h5 Qf7 and Black has not bad position.
2) I don`t see "clear positional advantage" after 8...h5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Ne2 Qf7 11.Nf4 Nbd7 with intention of Ne5.

Originally posted by Northern Lad
3) (i) Korch says: "I dont see problems for black after 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 c6 7.d5 Qg6 (with Nf6, Be7 and 0-0 to follow)." I do. 8.h4! h5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Ne2 gives white a clear positional advantage.

(ii) Korch says: "After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Nc3 Qg6 9.Nb5 Qf7 10.Qd2 Nf6 I don`t see too serious problems for Bla ...[text shortened]... a4 (instead of 8.Bxc6+) 8...b5 9.Nd5 Qd8 10.Bb3 Na5 11.0-0 looks very pleasant for white.

(ii) Korch says: "After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Nc3 Qg6 9.Nb5 Qf7 10.Qd2 Nf6 I don`t see too serious problems for Black to solve." Well, how about simply 11.Qa5 b6 12.Qa4? Black's position is fairly horrible.

What`s so horrible after 12...Kd8! (with intention of a6-Bd7 and then maybe Kc8-b7) ?

Originally posted by Northern Lad
3) (i) Korch says: "I dont see problems for black after 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 c6 7.d5 Qg6 (with Nf6, Be7 and 0-0 to follow)." I do. 8.h4! h5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Ne2 gives white a clear positional advantage.

(ii) Korch says: "After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Nc3 Qg6 9.Nb5 Qf7 10.Qd2 Nf6 I don`t see too serious problems for Bla ...[text shortened]... a4 (instead of 8.Bxc6+) 8...b5 9.Nd5 Qd8 10.Bb3 Na5 11.0-0 looks very pleasant for white.

(iii) Korch says: "After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.Bb5 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.0-0 Qh4 black should be OK." I think white is better after 10.f3; also 8.Ba4 (instead of 8.Bxc6+) 8...b5 9.Nd5 Qd8 10.Bb3 Na5 11.0-0 looks very pleasant for white.

After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.Bb5 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.0-0 Qh4 10. f3 Nf6 11.fxe4 Qxe4 12.Re1 Be7 I dont see how White can exploit their advantage in development.

After 8. Ba4 b5 9.Nd5 Black should play 9....Qg6! and white can`t play 10.Nxc7? as after 10..Kd8 11.Nxa8 Qxg2 Black should win. If 10.Bb3 then after 10...Qxg2 11.Rf1 Bg4! 12. Nxc7+ Kd8 13.Ne6+ Kd7 14.Qd2 Bh3 Black should win.
Better is 10.0-0 but after 10...Bg4! 11.Qd2 Bf3! 12.Nf4 Qf6 position seems to me quite unclear.

Originally posted by Northern Lad
6) The game against Dave Tebb that Korch drew is one of those endgames that sometimes white will win and sometimes will be a draw, so hardly that inspiring for black. But, as he says, it's rather academic because of Silman's strong move 10.b4. However, his alternative 9...Be6 10.Re1 Be7 11.Ne2! with Nd4 or Nf4 to follow looks extremely strong for white.

9...Be6 10.Re1 Ne7 (instead of 11...Be7).

Originally posted by Northern Lad
8) Here I have to agree 9...d5! is an improvement and leads to a messy and unclear position (exactly what black wants). Maybe white has to content himself with a small but definite plus with 7.Bf4 d5 8.Ne5 Qe6 9.f3 though I agree it's hardly earth-shattering.

In conclusion, I accept that Korch has, at least in part, rehabilitated Variation 8. However, the others are still looking pretty dodgy for black, at least from where I'm sitting!

After 7.Bf4 d5 (7...d6 also seems to be playable) 8.Ne5 Qe6 9.f3 Bb4 White advantage seems to be quite symbolic.

Originally posted by Korch
9...Be6 10.Re1 Ne7 (instead of 11...Be7).

Well, 11.Ne2 still looks very convincing for white. This, of course, is a critical line in the whole 5...Qf7 variation, maybe the critical line.

Originally posted by Korch
Maybe. As I have said I dont have 100% confidence about this line.

Btw. Other possibility in 6...d5 line is 6...d5 7.Ne3 Be6 with idea of 8...Nc6 after 8.0-0.

6...d5 7.Ne3 Be6 8.c4 looks very powerful for white.

Originally posted by Northern Lad
Well, 11.Ne2 still looks very convincing for white. This, of course, is a critical line in the whole 5...Qf7 variation, maybe the critical line.

What about 11.Ne2 Nd7 12.Nd4 0-0-0

Originally posted by Korch
3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Be2 Ne7 7.0-0 d5 8.Ne3 Nbc6 9.c3 Bd7 10.f3 exf3 11.Bxf3 Qd6 12.Na3 Be6 13. b4 Qd7 anf if 14.b5 then 14...Nd8 with possible Nf7.

After 14...Nd8, 15.c4 gives white once more a massive advantage.

Originally posted by Northern Lad
6...d5 7.Ne3 Be6 8.c4 looks very powerful for white.

8...dxc4 9.0-0 Na6 (with intention to castle queen side)

Originally posted by Korch
What about 11.Ne2 Nd7 12.Nd4 0-0-0

Then 13.Ng4 Nc5 14.Bg5 puts black's position under tremendous pressure.

Originally posted by Korch
8...dxc4 9.0-0 Na6 (with intention to castle queen side)

I prefer 9.d5 cramping black's position.

Originally posted by Northern Lad
After 14...Nd8, 15.c4 gives white once more a massive advantage.

Yeah. Position became disgusting. OK. Then we put 6...Ne7 line aside. But we still have 6...Qd8 and 6...d5 😉

Originally posted by Northern Lad
I prefer 9.d5 cramping black's position.

9....Bf7 with intention to play Nd7 and castle queen side.

Originally posted by Korch
9....Bf7 with intention to play Nd7 and castle queen side.

Yes, but white still has a considerable advantage after 10.Nc3. I think after 6.Be2, 6...Qd8 is black's only playable line. After 7.d5 Nf6 8.Nc3 Be7 9.Bh5+ g6 10.Be2 I think white has a definite and significant edge (even if black's position is not completely unplayable), whereas you think it's only a slight edge for white. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one and leave it for others to decide.