Chess Improvement

Does this mean that current theory frowns upon 7. e5 (instead of 0-0)? I’ve always played 7. e5 (7… Nxe5 8. NxN Bxe5 9. Bxf7ch KxB 10. Qd5ch).

Well, the following game shows that the compensation for the pawn is most likely not sufficient in this line:

Topalovic,Z (2355) – Cebalo,M (2570) [B21]
Ptuj Ptuj (8), 1995

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.e5 Nxe5
8.Nxe5 Bxe5 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qd5+ Kg7 11.Qxe5+ Nf6 12.0-0 d6 13.Qg5 Rf8
14.h3 Bd7 15.Re1 Rf7 16.Be3 Bc6 17.Rad1 Qd7 18.Ne2 Ne4 19.Qh4 e5
20.Nd4 exd4 21.Bh6+ Kg8 22.Rxe4 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qf5 24.Qxd4 Qf6 25.Qd2
Re8 26.Be3 a6 27.Bd4 Qf4 28.Qc3 d5 29.Qb3 Qf5 30.a4 h5 31.a5 Kh7
32.Bb6 Re5 33.Rd3 Re1+ 34.Kh2 Qf4+ 0-1

Topalovic-Cebalo.pgn

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Since Black can play Nh6 at any time, including at move 8, why not play it right away? Alternatively, why not block off the Bc4’s diagonal by playing 8… e6, which also has the benefit of reinforcing the f5-square?

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For sure Black can play 8. Nh6 right away. Whether this is better is rather questionable though because White has got other ideas than the pawn push f4 -f5.

I already gave an analysis line in my answer to Scott’s analysis, I’ll repeat it here for you:

[Event "Analysis"]
[Date "2006.02.12"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dc Gentle"]
[Black "Dc Gentle"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 g6 6. Bc4 Bg7
7. O-O d6 8. Ng5 Nh6 9. Be3 Bd7 10. h3 O-O 11. Qd2 Kh8 12. a3 Ne5
13. Bd5 Rc8 14. Qe2 Qc7 15. Rac1 e6 16. Ba2 Nc4 17. Bf4 b5 18.
Rfd1 e5 19. Bg3 f5 20. a4 a6 21. b3 Na5 22. axb5 axb5 23. Qd2 Qb6
24. Qxd6 Qxd6 25. Rxd6 Nf7 26. Nxf7+ Rxf7 27. b4 Nc4 28. Rd5 Nb2
29. Rc2 Na4 30. Rdd2 Rff8 31. Rxd7 f4 32. Bh4 Nxc3 33. Be7 Nxa2
34. Bxf8 Rxc2 35. Bxg7+ Kg8 36. Bxe5 Nxb4 37. Bxf4 Na6 38. Ra7
Nc5 39. Bh6 Ne6 40. Rb7 Rc5 41. Kh2 Rc2 42. Kg3 Rc5 43. f3 Rh5
44. Be3 Nc5 45. Rb8+ Kf7 46. Kh2 Nd7 47. Rb7 Ke8 48. g4 Re5 49.
Kg3 Kd8 50. Bd4 Re6 51. Rxb5 {and Black could have resigned earlier}
1-0

Analysis-DCGentle.pgn

As you see the black knight and black bishop on the kingside are rather useless during the whole game which is the reason Black loses. 8. Ng5 paralyzes the black game.

I also answered the question why Black may try 8… Ne5.
By attacking the bishop c4 by 8… Ne5 Black wins time to develop his bishop and provokes 10. f4 which is not the best option for White under all circumstances as you noticed yourself already, In the earlier game with 8… Ne5 Black could have tried 13… Na5 followed by 14. Be2 in order to prevent the pawn push f5.

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