The analysts for the World Team in the Kasparov vs. The World are all rising young chess superstars. These are the next generation of names that will rise to the top of the chess-playing world. If you're unsure what move to play against World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov, our analysts can point you in the right direction with their thoughtful responses.

It's crunch time. Garry Kasparov has brought his Queen out attacking two pawns simultaneously - on b6 and on f7. Does this mean that The World is in trouble?

In my commentary two days ago I spoke of how the move 16...Ne4 was strategically desirable: with every exchange, Black comes closer to an endgame where the two central pawns, supported by the King, really come into their own. My only doubt about the move was whether it could be justified tactically - whether there was a short-term hit that puts the move in doubt. With this Queen move Garry is now putting the move to the test.

I write my commentary without knowledge of the analysts' recommendations, but I very much hope that there is not unanimous opinion on this move - I would like you all out there to do a bit of work before you decide on your vote! I can see TWO CONTINUATIONS which are both highly plausible for Black. Let me give a short summary of the options:-

Over the last few days, analysis on the bulletin boards has concentrated on the move 18...Nd4, leading to obscure complications after White plunges in and captures the pawn on f7 with the Queen. No firm conclusions have been reached, but I would just say that this dynamic position is just the kind which would appeal to Garry.

Instead of this, 18...e6 has also been mentioned, keeping black's five beautiful pawns from h7 to d6 intact. Of course White's Queen can take on b6, 19 Qxb6, but then black gets tremendous piece activity with 19...Nd4. In this position Black even threatens to win the Queen with 18...Ra6. White can crawl out, but Black can force an endgame, and, as I have mentioned before, this is where Black's positional strengths - the centre pawns supported by the King - come into play. I like this kind of position, it is rather typical of the Sicilian Defence that Black gets a majority of pawns in the centre.

You don't have to be too skilled at interpreting my code to realise which move I would prefer to play! However, let me repeat what I said the other day. In many positions in chess there is very often not one objectively best move; it comes down to a matter of style and taste. So look at both moves carefully, see what the Analysts are recommending, then decide for yourself.

One thing I am convinced of: the World's position is fundamentally sound and with correct play the World Champion should not win. See you at the Zone theatre chat room at 2 pm PST (10 pm GMT) for a discussion of this fascinating position.

Nd4 to Garry's Qb3

I propose 18....Nd4. Now Garry will probably play 19.Qxf7. After this move Black has the interesting possibility 19....Nc2, exchanging his Knight against White's Rook on a1.

Nd4 to Kasparov's Qb3

My next try is 18...Nd4. My previous thought was 18...Bd4 but White might have a slighty better position after 19.Qxf7 Ne5 20.Qb3 Ng4 and now 21 Bd2; it's still a lot to be analyzed but I think Black has better chances with 18...Nd4. After 18...Nd4 White is practically forced to move 19.Qxf7 since 19.Qxb6 is losing immediately after 19...Ra6! 20.f3 Qd5. After 19 Qxf7 Black has an option of either 19...Ne6 or 19...Nf5; 19...Rf8 is insufficient because of 20.Qxg7 Rxf2 21.Kxf2 (21 Rxf2?? means checkmate in three moves 21...Qe1+ 22 Rf1 Ne2+ followed by 23...Qxf1 checkmate!)21...Qf5+! 22 Bf4! followed by 23 Kg1). After 19...Ne6 the only move for White to save his position would be 20.Bg5 threatening e7 and forcing Black to play 20... Nxg5 21 Qxg7 Ne6! 22 Qh6! (the only move to keep the balance) 22...g5! with a good play for Black. After 19...Nf5 White's best chance is still 20 Bg5 but here black can reply 20...Rf8 chasing away the Queen, 21 Qb3 Nd4 22 Qxb6 Rf5 with a complicated game. If we are going to choose 18... Nd4 as The World's Move, 19...Ne6 after White's 19 Qf7 may well be Black's only alternative.

Good Luck in choosing the best available move, Florin.

Nd4 to Kasparov's Qb3

We have no choice, the move 18...Nd4 is forced. Now the World Champion will probably play 19.Qxf7 (not 19.Qxb6 Ra6) and we will have to chose between 19...Bf6 and 19...Nc2.

f5 to Kasparov's Qb3

I highly recommend that the World plays 18...f5 (pawn on f7 to f5).

SUMMARY At each and every turn in such a sharp chess middlegame, there awaits a microcosm of seemingly unending complications and secrets waiting to be explored. Over the last few days, on the World Team Strategy Bulletin Board, we have witnessed a fascinating debate over various possibilities for Black after White's 18.Qb3. Why could we expect such a move from Kasparov? Because 18.Qb3 is the most direct approach at White's disposal to combat Black's dynamic new opening system. I have actively participated in discussions on the World Team Strategy Bulletin Board on three candidate moves for Black. Each of these moves held some appeal, but under close scrutiny failed, in my opinion, to fully meet the demands of Black's position. In my Analysis Section, I will briefly indicate why I eventually declined to recommend any of these moves to my teammates. In more detail, I will present a case for my recommendation - the enterprising and dynamic 18...f5 - an analytical project initiated by the GM Chess School, and collaborated on by me.

ANALYSIS SECTION - WHY I WON'T RECOMMEND 18...Bd4, 18...e6, or 18...Nd4

A) 18...Bd4 I realized the option 18...Bd4? was not viable, as after 19.Qxf7 Ne5 20.Qb3 Ng4 (or 20...Nd3 21.Qb5+! Kd8 22.Bd2, leaves White clearly better), and now the straightforward 21.Qb5+ Qc6 22.Qd3 Qd5 23.Ra3! Rf8 24.Qe2, leaves White with a clear advantage.

B) 18...e6?! A second alternative for Black involves keeping the f7-point intact with 18...e6?! After 19.Qxb6 Nd4 20.Kh1, White will stand better, for example:

B1) 20...Qc6 21.Qxc6+ bxc6 22.Ra3! c5 23.Bd2 Nc2 24.Rf3 Ke8 25.b3 Nd4 26.Rd3 Rb8 27.Bc3! and White has an advantage;

B2) 20...Ra6 21.Qb4 Qc6 22.Rd1 Rb6 (22...Nc2 23.Qf4, is good for White) 23.Qd2! and White keeps an edge, for example: 23...Nb3 24.Qf4, with a clear plus for White;

B3) 20...Nc2 21.Qb5+ Qc6 22.Qxc6+ bxc6 23.Ra2 c5 24.b3 Nd4 25.Bb2, and White is better.

C) 18...Nd4?! After this sharp response, White continues with 19.Qxf7, and now Black has a choice between 19...Bf6, 19...Nc2, or 19...Ne6.

C1) 19...Bf6!? (GM Chess School) remains with unresolved problems after 20.Ra3! for example:

C1a) 20...Nc2 21.Rf3! Ne1 22.Rg3 Be5 23.Bd2! with a clear advantage for White.

C1b) 20...Rxa4 21.Rxa4 23.Be3 Qb5 24.Re1 Qxb2 25.Qd5! Nd4 26.Qxb7+ Ke8 27.Qd5! and White has a clear advantage (and threatens to clean house with 28.Qxd6!);

C1c) 20...Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Nxc1 (21...Ra5? loses to 22.Re3) 22.Rxc1 Rc8 (not 22...Rxa4?? 23.Qg8, and White wins) 23.Raa1, and White is clearly better, for example:

C1c1) 23...Qxa4 24.Qxh7 Rxc1+ (24...Bxb2? loses to 25.Qh3+) 25.Rxc1 Bxb2 26.Re1 Be5 27.Qxg6, is good for White, and;

C1c2) 23...Rxc1+ 24.Rxc1 Bxb2 25.Qc4 Qxc4 26.Rxc4, and White is clearly better in the endgame, and should win.

C2) Instead, after 19...Nc2 (my original suggestion), we have 20.Bd2! (White's strongest continuation, found by "Martin"), and now:

C2a) 20...Bxb2 21.Ra2 Bf6 22.Qb3 Nd4 23.Qxb6, with a clear plus for White, "Martin".

C2b) 20...Bd4 21.Rab1 Rxa4 22.Qxh7 Qf5 23.Bc3 Bc5 24.Rbd1 Rf4 25.Rd2 Ne3 26.Re1! Nd5 27.Rxd5! Bxf2+ 28.Kh1 Qxd5 29.Qxe7+ Kc6 30.Qe8+ Kc5 31.Rc1! winning for White.

C2c) 20...Nxa1, and now a series of mutually forcing moves: 21.Re1 Qh4 22.Qd5 Rf8 23.Qxb7+ Ke8 24.Qc6+ Kf7 25.Qd5+ Ke8 26.Qb5+ (Protects White's b-pawn) 26...Kf7 27.Rxa1 Qd4, and now:

C2c1) 28.Be3 Qxb2 29.Qxb2 Bxb2 30.Rb1 Bc3 31.Rxb6 Ra8 32.Rb3, or

C2c2) 28.Qb3+ Ke8 (28...e6?! 29.Re1 Re8 30.Qf3+ Kg8 31.Qc6 Rf8 32.Be3 Qb4 33.Rb1 Bd4 34.Qd7 Bxe3 35.Qxe6+ Kg7 36.Qxe3 Qxa4 37.Qxb6, with a solid extra pawn for White) 28...Ke8 29.Be3 Qxb2 30.Qxb2 Bxb2 31.Rb1 Bc3 32.Rxb6 Kd7 33.Rb7+, leads to ROOK + BISHOP endgame, where White enjoys the advantage of having an OUTSIDE PASSED PAWN. Although Black can hope to generate counterplay with his passed d-pawn, Black will have many TECHNICAL PROBLEMS to overcome in order to hold the game. This variation clearly illustrates Black's weakness on the LIGHT SQUARES after sacrificing his f-pawn.

C3) Finally (after 18...Nd4 20.Qxf7), there is 19...Ne6?! (threatening 20...Rf8). This falls short after 20.Bg5! Nxg5 21.Qxg7 Ne6 22.Qh6! leading to a clear White advantage.

MY RECOMMENDATION TO MY TEAMMATES - 18...f5 For the last few days, I have been in contact with my friend GM Alexander Khalifman, who had worked long and hard at the GM Chess School on a fourth possibility that, in my opinion, is the best continuation for Black - namely 18...f5. Following a number of analysis sessions and with feedback from Alexander and the GM Chess School, I began to deeply study and appreciate the quality of the move 18...f5 and its strategic goals. The analysis that follows is the result of collaboration between myself and my friends and colleagues at GM Chess School and SmartChess Online. As an analyst, I have a responsibility to make use of all the resources "The World" has to offer.

Let us examine the strategic and tactical ideas behind this energetic thrust with our f-pawn. What do we accomplish?

a) By moving our f-pawn from under attack, we do not allow White the opportunity of tearing the tapestry of our KINGSIDE PAWN STRUCTURE apart with Qb3xf7. It is far better to jettison the doubled b-pawn for active piece play and initiative than allow the VITAL f-pawn (which comprises part of our central pawn mass and king shield) to become compromised. By playing 18...f5 we preserve the INTEGRITY of our PAWN STRUCTURE! (We maintain the chain of pawns from h7-d6).

b) On f5 this pawn serves the double duty of protecting our Queen on e4, and prevents a possible Qb3-h3 check.

c) With the further advance of this pawn to f4, this valuable little helper will deprive the enemy Rooks and Bishop of the e3-square, and the enemy Rooks and Queen of the g3-square.

d) The further advance to f3 (Supported by the Black Queen and Knight) could actually lead to AN ATTACK ON KASPAROV's KING!

e) Much later down the road (after the exchange of Queens in many variations) this pawn has already advanced up the board and is in position to help his teammates on the e- and d-files as they combine to storm the White position in the endgame!

Now let us look at some of the possible variations following 18.f5.

D) 18...f5 D1) If White plays the aggressive 19.Bg5, Black has the powerful CENTRALIZING move 19...Qd4! For example:

D1a) 20.Rfd1 Qxb2, is good for Black as 21.Rxd6+? exd6 (21...Kc7!? also wins but there is nothing to fear as White's Rook on a1 will be HANGING) 22.Qf7+ Kc8, and Black is winning;

D1b) 20.Rad1 Qxa4 21.Qxb6 (21.Qf7 Bxb2 22.Qxh7 Qg4, is good for Black, for example 23.Qxg6 loses to 23...Ne5) 21...Qb4, and Black has an edge;

D1c) 20.Qf7, when the White Queen is ejected with 20...Rf8, and Black is better;

D1d) 20.Be3 Qxb2, is just good for Black;

D1e) 20.Rab1 Rxa4, with advantage to Black;

D1f) 20.Rfe1 Be5, and Black is OK.

Alternate modes of development by White allow Black good play for example:

D2) 19.Be3 Qb4 20.Qxb4 (if 20.Qf7 Be5! with the idea f5-f4) 20...Nxb4 21.Bxb6 Nd3 22.a5 Rc8 (but not 22...Nxb2? 23.Rac1, with a plus for White) 23.Rab1 Nxb2 24.Be3 d5 25.Rfc1 Rc7, and Black is OK.

D3) 19.Ra3 Nd4 20.Qf7 Ne2+ 21.Kh1 Bd4 22.Bg5 Nf4 23.Bxf4 Qxf4, with dynamic play.

In Chess "To get something you have to give up something"! Thus it is true in this position (after 18.Qb3 f5!), as in order to obtain all the positive benefits associated with maintaining our VALUABLE f-pawn, we must be willing to part with his weak brother on b6. HOWEVER, although surrendering this pawn may well be the "Acid Test" of 18...f5, nonetheless it gives Black TIME and EXPOSES the WHITE QUEEN to POTENTIAL DANGER.

D4) 19.Qxb6 Nd4!

This Knight leap into the center allows our Queen on e4 to defend our pawn on b7, and indeed threatens 20...Ra6 trapping the White Queen! (note 21...Ra6 22.Qb4 Ne2+ discovered check is a recurring motif). And now:

D4a) 20.a5 is a clever resource based on tactics which allows White to extricate his Queen while avoiding heavy casualties: 20...Ra6 21.f3 (Counterattacking the centralized Black queen is White's "Saving Grace") 21...Qd5 (The Black Queen must maintain the protection of the vital b7-pawn) 22.Qb4 b5!

This classy and dogged pursuit of the INITIATIVE demonstrates the power and use of centralized and coordinated pieces versus simply playing for short-term tactical tricks. Now Black renews the threat of 23...Nc2, while squeezing the White pieces. For example:

D4a1) 23.Rb1 Nc6 24.Qd2 (Attacking the Black pawn on h7 with 24.Qh4, would merely allow Black to force the exchange of Queens with 24...Qd4+ 25.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 26.Kh1 Rxa5, with the ideal big endgame advantage for Black) 24...Qd4+ 25.Kh1 Rxa5, when Black has recovered his sacrificed pawn (the b6-pawn), and with the better DEVELOPMENT he is poised to exchange Queens and reap his reward in the ENDGAME!

D4a2) 23.Qd2 Qc4! (Unpinning our Knight so we can threaten the fork with 24...Nb3. White also has to be concerned about nasty secondary threats such as 24...Nc2 followed by 25...Bd4+, when his Rook on f1 may be hanging to the Black Queen on c4) 24.Qd1 (if 24.Qf2 Nc2 25.Rb1 Bd4, and Black wins) 24...Nb3 25.Rb1 (Forced as 25.Ra3? Nxc1 26.Qxc1 Bd4+! 27.Kh1 Qxc1 28.Rxc1 Bxb2 is a COMPLETELY WON ROOK ENDGAME for BLACK: 29.Rca1 Bxa1 30.Rxa1 b4 31.Ra4 Kc6 32.Rxb4 Rxa5, etc.);

D4a3) The attempt to use "Lateral Defense" with 23.Rf2 to defend the c2-square would fail tactically to 23...Nc2 (23...Nb3!? may well net more MATERIAL for Black) 24.Rxc2 Qd1+ 25.Kf2 Qxc2+ 26.Kg3 Qc4! winning for Black;

D4a4) The attempt to promote a pawn by sacrificing a Rook with 23.axb6 loses by force to 23...Rxa1 24.b7 Nc6 25.b8=Q Nxb4 26.Qxb4 Qd4+! 27.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 28.Kh1 Bxb2, etc. D4b) With 20.Bd2, White develops his Bishop, connects his Rooks, and most importantly provides a "Protected Square" on b4 so his Queen may safely retreat. After 20...Ra6 21.Qb4, Black has the powerful Queen retreat 21...Qc6! which takes full advantage of the wonderful range of the centralized Black pieces (The d4-Knight in particular), and introduces the threat of 22...Nc2, recovering the Exchange under FAVORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES for BLACK. Note White can't challenge the Black Queen with his Rooks on c1, as that would allow the alternate Knight fork (Nd4-e2 check). Some sample variations:

D4b1) 22.Rfc1? Ne2+ 23.Kf1 Nxc1 24.Rxc1 Rxa4! 25.Rxc6 Rxb4 26.Bxb4 bxc6, with a WINNING two pawn plus BISHOP ENDING;

D4b2) Trying to remove the White Rook from the "Fork Square" on a1 while keeping his a4-pawn protected with 22.Ra2? would allow the Black Knight to "Strut some more of his Stuff"! after 22...Rb6 23.Qa5 (23.Qc3? loses to 23...Ne2+) 23...Nb3 (The third (!) square the Black Knight can fork on!) 24.Qa8 Nxd2, and Black has an OVERWHELMING MATERIAL ADVANTAGE;

D4b3) White could simply RETURN THE EXCHANGE, and try to bind the Black Queenside with 22.a5?! but after 22...Nc2 23.Qb3 Nxa1 24.Rxa1, White would be CLEARLY ADMITTING DEFEAT in the OPENING for WHITE, and Black has a pleasant choice of 24...b5 or 24...e6 with a small but definite advantage.

D4c) With 20.Kh1, the White King deftly steps out of harm's way from the dangerous Black Kngiht. This prudent course of action seems to be the real "Litmus Test" of Black's play. Here, the GM CHESS SCHOOL, offers the following interesting Queen maneuver which is designed to again exploit the several WEAK LIGHT SQUARE points (c2, b3, f1) in the White camp.

20...Qd5!? 21.Ra3 (Pinning our Knight with 21.Rd1?! will boomerang on White: 21...Qb3! - Attacking the White Queen on b6 and the White Rook on d1, thus forcing a favorable exchange of Queens - 22.Qxb3 Nxb3 23.Ra2 b5! and Black has a clear advantage. Using the PIN on the a-file to recover our sacrificed pawn, and leaving us with a dream endgame!) 21...Ra6 22.Qb4 Qc6!? (Eyeballing the White pawn on a4, while threatening the fork on c2. Note that the Knight fork on c2 would be premature as after 22...Nc2? 23.Qb3! Black has lost his initiative) 23.Qc3 (23.Qd2 Rxa4, favors Black) 23...Qxc3 24.bxc3 Nc6, and Black has FULL COMPENSATION for the equivalent of a pawn, for example, after 25.c4 Na5 26.Rh3 Nxc4 27.Rxh7 Bf6, Black would achieve a clear advantage.

I believe the harmony created by the moves 15...Ra8 and 16...Ne4, is enhanced with the move 18...f5, and reflects the harmony in cooperation between our good friends at GM Chess School and SmartChess Online. I have greatly enjoyed my recent rapport with GM Chess School.