Over the summer, on each Saturday we will be providing a Weekly Quiz Question on Find the Plan (and Move)! This will be taken from an actual game position and you will be provided with a number of possible options but only one might be best! These will be different to the Puzzles as they do not lead to an immediate win or draw but will focus more on the right plan so we recommend that you spend 5 to 10 minutes considering the position.
There will be at least one better plan (and move) and one weaker plan (and move) with other plans (and moves) assessed as being somewhere in between.
Martin Simons welcomes your feedback on the weekly quiz and any game submissions you may have for inclusion.
In today’s position you have White alongside top grandmaster Ivan Sokolov, and your opponent is Emir Disdarevic. The game was played Bosnia Sarajevo in 1998 and you are about to play your 7th move.
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Bd2 a5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.e4 d6 6.Bd3 e5
Your options are:
A) Play 7.Nf3 to develop the knight to its most natural square, cover d4 and put pressure on e5.
B) Play 7.Nge2 to develop the knight, cover d4 and not impede any later f4 plan.
C) Play 7.dxe5 to avoid the need to defend d4 and maintain flexiblity on where to place the king’s knight.
D) Play 7.d5 to close the centre making Nc6 impossible and then to prepare the f4 break.
E) Play 7.a3 to force the bishop to capture the knight on c3 and then with 8.bxc3 this would support the pawn mass in the centre.
