Download PGN of August ’24 Flank Openings games
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Réti Opening, 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 b6 [A07]
After 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3, Black has a wide choice of second moves, but 2...b6 is quite a rare one. Jones, G - Wadsworth, M continued 3 Bg2 Bb7 4 0-0 Nd7 5 d3 Ngf6 6 c4 e6:
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White now continued 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 e4, staking a claim in the centre. White emerged from the opening with a slight edge, which developed into a strong initiative after 17...Nb8 and 20...Bc8 left Black more passively placed.
Réti Opening, Capablanca’s System 4 Ne5 Bf5 [A11]
There has been a flurry of recent games in the line 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 c6 3 c4 Bg4 4 Ne5 Bf5, which can lead to some entertaining tactical possibilities after 5 Qb3 Qb6 6 cxd5 Qxb3 7 axb3:
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Now 7...Be4 8 dxc6 Bxh1 9 Rxa7 1-0 was the dramatic conclusion of the top-level online game Caruana-Firouzja! Black should prefer 7...Bxb1, when 8 Rxb1 featured in Ghasi-Wadsworth from this month’s British Championship. Meanwhile, this month’s featured game Isik, A - Raja, R continued with the interesting 8 Bg2, sacrificing a piece. Black should be OK with correct play, but instead went wrong in the complications. By move 15, White had no less than four pawns for the piece, as well as a big lead in development.
Neo-Catalan, 4...dxc4 5 Qa4+ Nbd7 [A13]
The game Akopian, V - Kraai, J began with 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2 dxc4 5 Qa4+ Nbd7 6 Qxc4 a6. Now the mainline starts with 7 Qc2, but White varied here with 7 Qb3:
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Now 7...c5 is Black's most popular move overall, and the main reply to 7 Qc2, but not objectively the best here. After 8 a4 Be7 9 a5 it is harder for Black to develop the c8-bishop without compromising Black's queenside structure. Indeed after 13...b5 14 axb6, White was able to gradually increase the pressure against Black’s split pawns.
Reversed Benoni 4 Nf3 Be7 5 0-0 0-0 6 b3 d4, 8 Ne5 [A14]
Mikhalevski, V - Van Foreest, J revisited the setup arising after 1 c4 e6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 Nf3 Be7 5 0-0 0-0 6 b3 d4 7 e3 c5 8 Ne5, which is a topical approach in the reversed Benoni.
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In a theoretically important encounter, the players reached a dynamic middlegame position where Black had enough for a sacrificed pawn. A correctly played game was only decided in Black’s favour after a time pressure mistake.
King’s English, 1 c4 e5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 h6 [A20]
Following 1 c4 e5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2, the game Ghasi, A - Conquest, S left mainstream theory with the offbeat 3...h6. White responded with the logical 4 Nf3, which was met by 4...e4 5 Nd4 Nc6:
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After 6 Nc2 Bc5 (6...d5 is more principled) 7 Nc3 Qe7 8 Ne3 Bxe3 9 fxe3, White got pressure along the half-open f-file. This culminated in the exchange sac 16 Rxf6! which left White in command.
King’s English 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 g3 Bb4 4 Bg2 0-0 5 e4 [A22]
Wamerdam, M - Chen Qi opened with 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 g3 Bb4 4 Bg2 0-0 5 e4 Bxc3 6 bxc3 c6:
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Most high-level games have continued with 7 Nf3 or 7 Ne2, but 7 Ba3 is an attempt to take play out of normal patterns. After 7...Re8 8 Bd6, Black should be fine after 8...Re6 or 8...Na6, but 8...c5 left the door open to 9 f4 which would give White the initiative. Instead 9 Ne2 Qb6 10 Bxb8 Rxb8 11 d3 led to a more conventional pawn structure. White eventually prevailed thanks to a Kings-Indian style attack against the king.
King’s English 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Nf3 f5 4 g3 [A27]
Vakhidov, J - Christiansen, J revisited the reversed Grand Prix Attack line 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Nf3 f5 4 g3 Nf6 5 d4 e4 6 Nh4, and now 6...Bb4 is a fresh idea, offering the f5-pawn:
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Play continued with the critical 7 Nxf5 d5 8 Ne3 dxc4 9 d5 Bxc3+ 10 bxc3. Now 10...Ne7 is likely best, while 10...Ne5 gave White more of a free hand. After 11 Ba3 Neg4 12 Qa4+, White emerged with an advantage.
Pure Symmetrical 5 Nf3 d6 6 0-0 Bf5 [A37]
Xue Haowen - Harsha, B featured an important line of the Symmetrical English, namely 1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 Nc3 d6 6 0-0 and now 6...Bf5 is a topical move:
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7 h3 cuts across the plan of ...Qd8-d7 and ...Bf5-h3. Following 7...e5 8 d3 Nge7 9 a3 0-0 10 Rb1 a5 we have a typically complex Botvinnik setup. Black was able to successfully achieve the thematic ...d7-d5 break, and was doing well, although White later turned the game around and won.
Until next month, David.
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