The Incorrect Vs The Bayonet

What's ultimately good about blitz is that there are virtually no unplayable opening variations with these time controls. Any old, funny, semi-refuted stuff can be used.

GM Grigore,George G (GGG) - GM Golubev,Mikhail
Chess.com 5+0 blitz, 27.08.2019
King's Indian E97
[Mikhail Golubev]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0 6.Nf3 e5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Ne8

This variation is objectively dubious for Black, but it gives him most practical chances for the kingside attack, unless White is very specifically prepared! I provided the coverage of the main Black's ideas in two annotated games of my 2006 book "Understanding the King's Indian". But there was much news since then! Here, I'll make an overview of my this year's blitz games, mainly. There's quite enough headache, anyway. 

10.a4!?

Instead, 10.c5 f5 11.Nd2 (Or: 11.Ba3!? Nf6 12.Nd2 and here Black can consider ...fxe4 as I played in an old 1985 game against GM Eingorn in his simul; instead, 12...f4 13.Nc4 g5 was GCamachoMartinez-Golubev, Chess.com 3+2 blitz 2019 where 14.b5!? Ne8 15.b6 can be unpleasant for Black; 11.Ng5 h6 12.Ne6 Bxe6 13.dxe6 fxe4 is an old, probably acceptable for Black line where White should avoid 14.Nxe4? d5 15.Ng3 c6 -/+ NguyenHlb-Golubev, Chess.com 3+0 blitz 2019; 11.cxd6 SP1200–Golubev, Lichess 3+0 blitz 2019 11...Nxd6!) 11...Nf6 and here 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 is the interesting historical main line. 14.a4 (after 14.Ba3 Ng6 the main move is 15.b5! which I met in several games in the past, while 15.Rc1 Rf7 transposes to brentmeir-Golubev, Lichess 3+0 blitz 2019: 16.b5 Bf8! and it followed 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.Qb3 h5 19.b6 a6 20.Na5 g4 21.Nc6 Qe8 -/+) 14...Ng6 15.a5!? (also sensitive is 15.Ba3 Rf7 16.b5 dxc5 17.Bxc5 h5, where 18.h3?! Bf8! and now 19.Bxf8, deviating from Tishin-Golubev, Alushta 2006, 19...Qxf8 20.d6?! Be6! 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.exd5 cxd6 23.Bd3 Nh4 -/+ was Achanich-Golubev, Lichess 3+1 blitz 2019) 15...h5 (there's also 15...Rf7 16.Ba3 Bf8!? 17.b5 dxc5) 16.Ba3 Rf7 17.b5 dxc5 18.Bxc5 (18.b6!? g4 19.bxc7 Rxc7 20.Nb5 g3 21.Nxc7 Nxe4! was Beliavsky-Nakamura, Amsterdam NH 2009, and, as it was pointed in some later published analysis, White still could have obtained a big advantage by 22.fxe4! Qh4 23.h3 Bxh3 24.gxh3 Qxh3 25.Rf2 gxf2+ 26.Kxf2 Qg3+ 27.Kf1 f3 28.Nxa8 fxe2+ and now 29.Kxe2! Nf4+ 30.Kd2 Qd3+ 31.Kc1, etc. So, maybe Black has to try 18...cxb6 19.axb6 and only now 19...g4) 18...g4 19.d6!? (Black is able to deal with the tempting 19.b6 as, in particular, in MightyMove-Golubev, Chess.com 2+1 blitz 2019, the game which I briefly annotated in my blog earlier) 19...Be6?! (19...Bf8!) 20.dxc7! Qxd1 21.Rfxd1 Rxc7 SP1200–Golubev, Lichess 3+0 blitz 2019 22.Bxa7! Rxc4 23.Bxc4 Bxc4 24.Bf2 +/-.
Rare is 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 h6! (11...Nf6 leads to the 9...Nh5 variation) 12.Ne6 Bxe6 13.dxe6 c6 14.c5 d5 15.exd5 cxd5 pablazo-Golubev, Lichess 3+0 blitz 2019 16.Qb3! with mutual chances. 

10...f5 11.c5

After 11.a5 Nf6, 12.Nd2 (a relatively calm approach is 12.Bg5!? introduced in Ivanchuk-Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2009; also makes sense 12.Ng5!? h6 13.Ne6 Bxe6 14.dxe6 fxe4 and in this line White has to decide between 15.a6!? and 15.b5!?; weaker is 15.Be3?! c6 GM S.Savchenko-Golubev Chess.com 3+2 blitz 2019) the following possible move order transposes to the game: 12...f4 13.c5 g5 14.Ba3 g4 15.b5.

11...Nf6 12.Nd2! f4!?

12...g5 13.Nc4 h6?! 14.f3 was Anand-Nakamura, London 2011; moves like 12...Bh6 and 12...Rf7 deserve to be mentioned, at least.

13.Ba3

After 13.Nc4 g5 instead of going for the better known positions, White can try 14.Nb5. Then: 14...Nxe4!? (if 14...Ne8 White has ideas with Bg4) 15.f3 a6! 16.Nxc7! Nc3 17.Qe1 (17.Qc2!?) 17...e4! (17...Nxe2+?! 18.Qxe2 Rb8 19.cxd6 Nf5 +/-; 17...Qxc7?! 18.cxd6 Nxe2+ 19.Qxe2 Qd7 20.dxe7 Qxe7 21.d6!? Qe6 22.Bb2 and White is better, Berkes-Nyzhnyk, Bad Wiessee 2013) 18.Nxa8 Nxe2+ 19.Qxe2 exf3 20.Qxf3 Bxa1 21.Nxd6 (21.Nab6 Nf5 = Ruggeri Laderchi-Mannermaa, ICCF 2017) 21...Nf5 22.Nxf5 Bxf5 23.Nb6 Bd4+ 24.Kh1 Qe8!! 25.d6 Be4 =.

13...g5 

14.b5

Or: 14.h3 Ng6 15.b5 Rf7 16.a5 Bf8 17.b6 (17.c6!?) 17...axb6 18.axb6 cxb6 19.cxd6 (19.c6!?) with a complex position was GM Mozharov-Golubev, Chess.com 3+1 blitz 2019. Black's attack as in most cases eventually prevailed, after mutual mistakes. Maybe I could have tried 19...g4!? 20.hxg4 Rg7 at this point.
Two more options are 14.Nc4 g4 where 15.Nb5? Abu-Zaid84-Golubev, Chess.com 2+1 blitz 2019 allows 15...Nxe4! and 14.a5 g4.

14...g4

After 14...Ng6 White can play 15.b6!?. 

15.a5?!

More critical is 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Nc4!, transposing to Kramnik-Nakamura, Khanty-Mansiysk OL 2010; it followed 16...Ne8 (playable to some extent is 16...f3!? 17.gxf3 gxf3 18.Bxf3 Ne8) 17.Bxg4 Qc7! 18.Be2 f3 19.b6 (19.gxf3!?) 19...axb6 20.Nb5 (20.gxf3! Bh3 is better for White who can even play 21.Kh1!?) 20...fxe2 21.Qxe2 Qd8 22.Nbxd6 Nxd6 23.Bxd6 Rf7 =.

Also important is an immediate 15.Nc4!? where the exchange sacrifice 15...dxc5 (15...Ne8? 16.Bxg4 +-; 15...f3) 16.Bxc5 Ng6 (16...Rf7?? 17.Nxe5 +-) 17.Bxf8 Bxf8 can be dubious.

15...Ng6

Of some interest can be also 15...f3.

16.g3!?

Other recent blitz games of mine went: 16.Nc4? f3! 17.gxf3 gxf3 18.Bxf3 Nh4 -/+ Aditya Mittal-Golubev, Chess.com Titled Tuesday 3+2 blitz Sept 2019; 16.cxd6 cxd6 transposes to wonderland89-Golubev, Chess.com 3+0 blitz 2019, it followed 17.Nc4 f3! 18.gxf3 gxf3 19.Bxf3 Nh4 (19...Ne8!?) 20.Bxd6? and here the best would have been the calm 20...Rf7! -/+ with the idea of 21.Bxe5 Nd7!; 16.b6 axb6 17.axb6 cxb6 18.cxd6 f3 19.gxf3 gxf3 and Black is doing well, BSWPaulsen-Golubev, Chess.com 3+0 blitz 2019.

16...dxc5?!

Here this capture is wrong! Instead, 16...f3! is double edged/unclear and, for example, can lead to a draw after 17.Bc4 (17.Bd3!?, Marichal Gonzalez-R.Singh, Port of Spain 2016, 17...Nf4 18.Nc4!? Ne8!) 17...Nf4!? 18.gxf4 exf4 19.cxd6 (if 19.e5? Nd7!) 19...Nd7 20.dxc7 (20.Kh1 Qh4 21.dxc7 Rf6 22.Nxf3 gxf3 leads to the same) 20...Qh4 21.Nxf3 gxf3 22.Kh1 Rf6 23.d6+! (not 23.Qxf3?? Ne5) 23...Kh8 24.Qd5! Qxh2+! 25.Kxh2 Rh6+ 26.Kg1 Rg6+ = with the perpetual check.

17.Bxc5 Rf7 18.Nc4

The position after this, not necessarily the best, move is still relevant for some move orders where White plays Nc4 earlier. Maybe 18.Bc4!? Kh8 is an even more promising line for White.

18...h5

Possibly, White is still a stronger side one way or another. What had been seen in the over-the-board practice is 18...Bf8 19.Bxf8 Qxf8!? 20.b6!? Al.Shneider-Heimann, Germany 2012 and 18...Nd7 19.Bb4 f3 20.Bd3 Nf4 Antic-Kobese, Centurion 2014.

19.b6

A serious alternative here is 19.d6!? Be6 (19...Bf8 20.Bxa7! cxd6 21.Bb6 Qe7 +/-) 20.Bxa7! cxd6 21.Bb6, etc.

19...axb6

19...h4!? does not seem to work properly after 20.bxa7! Bf8 (or 20...hxg3 21.fxg3! Bf8 22.d6! Be6 +/- and here White has choice between several good options) 21.d6! f3 (21...hxg3 22.fxg3!) 22.Bd3! (22.dxc7?! Qxc7 23.Bxf8 hxg3!) 22...hxg3 23.fxg3 +/- (23.hxg3?? Rh7!) and engines suggest that White should be more or less winning.

20.axb6 Rxa1 21.Qxa1 h4

22.Qa8?!N

Tempting, but imprecise. White is certainly better after 22.bxc7 Qxc7 23.Qa3 (23.Bb6!?) 23...hxg3 24.fxg3! (24.hxg3 Bf8!) though it's nothing like an automatic win; in the game Holroyd-Persson, ICCF 2014 Black eventually escaped with a draw after 24...Bd7!?, etc. Probably, also better for White is 22.Qa5!?.

22...hxg3 23.fxg3

Or 23.hxg3 Bf8! 24.bxc7 Qxc7 (24...Rxc7? 25.Bb6) 25.Bd6! Bxd6 26.Nb5! Qb8 27.Ra1! Qxa8 28.Rxa8 Bb4 29.Rxc8+ Rf8 =.

23...Bf8 24.Bf2 Rh7 25.bxc7 Qxc7

Now, it's rather double edged.

26.Nb5

Or 26.d6 Qc6!.

26...Qd7 27.Nb6

Somewhat stronger could have been 27.Nbd6!? f3! 28.Bxf3! (28.Bd3? Nf4!! with the idea of 29.gxf4? Rxh2 30.Kxh2 Qh7+ 31.Kg1 Qh3 32.Ne3 g3! 33.Bxg3 Qxg3+ 34.Kh1 Ng4 35.Qa2 Qh3+ 36.Kg1 Bxd6–+) 28...gxf3 29.Qxc8 Qxc8 30.Nxc8 b5! +/= (30...Nxe4 31.Bb6!).

27...Qg7 28.Qxc8 Qh6! =

Black lost his bishop, but his direct attack started.

29.h4

29.Qe6+!? Kg7 30.h4 fxg3 = leads to equality in the crazy computer lines after 31.Bxg3 (31.Nd4!?) 31...Qe3+ or 31...Bc5+.

29...fxg3 30.Bxg3

Not 30.Qe6+? Rf7!.

30...Qe3+

31.Bf2?

Correct was 31.Kh2!! = where 31...Qxe2+ (after 31...Nxh4 32.Qe6+! forces 32...Rf7) 32.Rf2 Rxh4+! (32...Qxb5?? 33.Qe6+) 33.Bxh4 g3+! 34.Bxg3 Ng4+ 35.Kg1 Qe1+ 36.Kg2 Qxe4+ should lead to a draw.

31...Qxe2 32.Qe6+ Rf7!–+ 33.Nd6 Bxd6 34.Qxd6 Nf4 35.Qxe5 Qf3 0–1

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