Download PGN of July '15 1 e4 e5 games
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Spanish - The Open Variation with 9.Nbd2 [C83]
I've always liked analysing games in this system of the Spanish, and the game Caruana, F - Giri, A 3rd Norway Chess 2015, is no exception. The players went for a topical line and reached the following diagram position:
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The players followed a recent game Timofeev, A - Reshef, O European Championship Jerusalem 2015, for the first 20 moves, and then Caruana introduced a good novelty here, 21.Ba2, but Giri was up to the task and even obtained a slight edge after White's later inaccuracy. An interesting and theoretically important game, which proved once again that Black holds on in this line.
Breyer Variation with 13.Nf1 [C95]
A well-known line of the Breyer Variation was played in the game Anand, V - Carlsen, M, 3rd Norway Chess 2015, but in the following diagram position Magnus surprised his opponent:
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Here most black players answered 17.Bg5 with 17...h6, but instead the world champion played 17...Bg7, a move which is considered to be inaccurate. Even though the result reconfirms the evaluation, I think the reputation of the line with 17...Bg7 is worse than it really should be and so if someone analyses it properly it can be played.
The Berlin Wall with 11...Ne7 [C67]
The game Caruana, F - Carlsen, M 3rd Norway Chess 2015, saw a rather popular line of the Berlin with 11...Ne7.
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Once again Magnus tried to surprise his opponent here with the rare line of Emil Sutovsky, 12...Bf5. As usual, Fabiano was well-prepared and improved upon White's play in the stem game Motylev, A - Sutovsky, E/Moscow 2005 with 16.c4. The world champ was then the first to err, starting with 18...Na6?! and he then miscalculated with 22...Ne6?! and got into a very unpleasant endgame, which he couldn't hold. A great technical win from Caruana. Nevertheless, the opening line with 12...Bf5 is playable.
Berlin with 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nd2 [C65]
This rare line of the Berlin occurred in the game Anand, V - Caruana, F 3rd Norway Chess 2015.
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Here Caruana introduced an early novelty, 6...bxc6 instead of 6...dxc6, and equalised without too many problems. Probably the most accurate defence would be 13...Bxe3 instead of 13...Nxe4. Fabiano's 6...bxc6 looks good, and White should try 10.exd5 or 11.exd5, which is critical and I expect to see it in the near future.
Scotch with 4...Bc5 5.Nxc6 [C45]
In the game Nepomniachtchi, I - Andreikin, A, Capablanca memorial 2015, the players repeated the first seven moves of a recent game of White's, Nepomniachtchi, I - Svetushkin, D, European Championship Jerusalem 2015.
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In this already very rare diagram position Andreikin decided to improve upon Black's play in the game Yu Ruiyuan-Yu Yangyi/China CHN 2015, with 9...Bd7 instead of 9...a5 and was soon slightly better. Only practice will show whether 9...Bd7 is good, but there is also nothing wrong with 9...a5 as played by the Chinese GM Yu Yangyi. So, the entire line looks OK for Black.
Scotch with 4...Nf6 5.Nxc6 [C45]
The game Nepomniachtchi, I - Eljanov, P, Capablanca memorial 2015, featured an important theoretical line, and soon the players reached the critical diagram position:
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Here Ian tried to improve upon White's play in two preceding games with 17.a4 (instead of 17.Kd2 in Wang Hao-Karjakin,S/Moscow RUS 2013 and 17.Ne4 in Wan, Y - Wen, Y/Sharjah 2014), but it didn't change the outcome, as White lost all three games! Even though White's play can be improved by 20.Ne4, instead of 20.Kd2, he wouldn't be better anyway. A well-played game by Eljanov, I wonder if anyone is going to try to revive the line for White?
Giuoco Piano with 8...Be6 [C54]
An interesting fight took place in the game Giri, A - Anand, V 3rd Norway blitz 2015.
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After a few transpositions the players reached the diagram position, which is important for the line. Here Anand introduced the novelty 18...Kh8, instead of the 18...Ne7 from Smirin, I - Pelletier, Y/Aix-les-Bains 2011. Anish answered with a very interesting combination, which soon led to a decisive attack. However, Black's play can be improved with the help of 21...d3!, which would at least retain the balance. A short, but very interesting game. The opening line which occurred in the game looks equal, but some accurate play is required from both players.
King's Gambit Accepted with 3...d5 [C36]
Last, but not least, is the game Carlsen, M - Aronian, L 3rd Norway blitz 2015. We don't see players of this calibre discussing the King's Gambit very often, although the world champion does play it occasionally in blitz games.
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The players followed the game Zvjaginsev, V - Tomashevsky, E/Vladivostok 2014, for the first 15 moves and reached the position given in the diagram above. Aronian was the first to deviate with 15...Re7, instead of 15...f6 in the aforementioned game, but Carlsen was the one to introduce a novelty on the next move. His 16.d5, instead of 16.Rxe7 in a game between lesser known players, turned out to be dubious. Both players missed the point of 16...Qc5+, which could give Black a slight edge.
A well-played game by both players, especially if we take into account the fact that it was only a blitz game. The opening line which occurred in the game looks rather equal.
See you next month, Victor.
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