Download PGN of April ’24 1 e4 e5 games
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Scotch: 4...Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.Nd2 [C45]
After a look at the main move 9.b3 last month, we again see a successful attempt in the Scotch from the white side with the rarer 9.Nd2. After the further 9...g6 10.Nf3 Bg7 11.Qc2!?:
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We already have a very little-explored position where White first got some pressure, the found a long tactical sequence heading to a rook ending where the defence was too much for the strong GM with the black pieces in Can, I - Ganguly, S.
Giuoco Piano: 3...Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 a5 7.Re1 Ba7 [C54]
A critical game in the last round of the Reykjavik Open led to a big win for English IM Matthew Wadsworth with the black pieces. After 6...a5 7.Re1 Ba7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Nf1 Ne7 10.Ng3 Ng6 11.h3 c6 12.Bb3 d5:
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Play reached a typical Italian-style position where both sides had their fair share of chances but Black came out on top of a complex struggle in Moussard, J - Wadsworth, M.
Italian Opening: 3...Nf6 4.d3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.0-0 Be7 [C55]
Following a subscriber request, I take one more look at this direct option against the Italian which leads to much more forcing play. Despite being trendy recently, it hasn’t yet been recommended in any Black book or course that I am aware of, so I do my best to provide the outline of a repertoire for Black here.
After 7.Re1 f6:
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White has a wide range of critical 8th moves here which we examine, finishing with 8.d4 Nb6 9.Bb5 which was seen in the complex game Radeva, V - Guichard, P.
Two Knights: 4.d3 h6 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 g5 [C55]
A more combative line for Black which certainly complements the equalising attempt 4...d5 is the popular 4...h6. We later saw the continuation 7.a4 Bg7 8.Nbd2 a5!?, stopping White’s expansion at the second time of asking:
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White has some challenges to reroute a knight to target the f5 square, since 9.Re1?! g4 leads to concrete problems. However 9.Bb3!? and 10.Nc4! was logical and strong, so Black never really got any winning chances in the well-played draw Nevednichy, V - Galperin, P.
Spanish, Anti-Berlin: 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nbd2 0-0 6.Bxc6 bxc6!? [C65]
Unusually, we next see two wins for Black in the Berlin Defence: Firstly, after covering 6.Nb3 in the December update we now see 6.Bxc6 bxc6!? 7.Nxe5 in Gokerkan, C - Heimisson, H:
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This critical pawn grab can lead to many possibilities including a quick repetition or complex endings, but here the lower-rated player with the black pieces punted an interesting piece sacrifice in return and ended up winning with a rapid king hunt.
Spanish, Berlin Ending: 9.Rd1+ Ke8 10.Nc3 Ne7 [C67]
A game that caught my eye when watching live was the brilliant Adhiban, B - Kjartansson, G. The ever-creative Adhiban tried 11.a4!? here:
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This aims for expansion with a4-a5 followed by Ra4!? against most Black tries. Instead we saw different fireworks after 11...a5 12.Nd4 Nf5?! 13.Ndb5!, a fully sound piece sacrifice which unfortunately later went wrong and Black came out on top in this complex struggle.
Spanish, 3...a6 4.Ba4 g6 5.d4 [C70]
Another game from Reykjavik which made the headlines, for the legendary Vasyl Ivanchuk resigning in an apparently equal position! In the opening he played the critical 5...b5! 6.Bb3 exd4 when after 7.c3!?:
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Play later reached a complex Benoni-style structure in the great fight Garifullina, L - Ivanchuk, V which was cut short by Ivanchuk’s resignation after blundering a tactic when he could still have fought on.
Spanish, Smyslov Variation 9...h6 10.d4 Bd7!? [C93]
Playing for a win with Black against a strong, well-prepared 1.e4 player is always one of the biggest challenges, but a very rare but decent opening choice was made in Divya, D - Alekseenko, K. After the logical moves 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Nf1 a5 13.Ng3 a4 14.Bc2 Bf8:
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A typical complex Spanish position was reached where a full range of plans were on show, but Black’s experience eventually told after White missed some chances to favourably open the queenside.
All the best, Harry
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