Download PGN of April ’25 Flank Openings games
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Réti Opening, Capablanca System 2 g3 Bg4 3 Bg2 c6 4 0-0 Nd7 [A07]
Following 5 h3 Bh5 6 d3 Ngf6 we've previously examined games with 7 Qe1 and 7 Nbd2, which both aim for e2-e4 and KIA-style play, but not the natural flanking move 7 c4:
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In Saric, I - Kourkoulos Arditis, S Black captured on f3 and then c4, but rather than recapture (when Black can play the dull 9...Ne5, forking f3 and c4) White played the combative 9 d4, and on move 13 he played a very nice novelty. He gained some advantage with his bishop pair and an advanced e pawn, but his obvious 19th move, which looks so logical and strong, turned out to be a mistake, Black finding a very clever riposte.
Bluebaum System 1 g3 d5 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 0-0 Bd6 [A13]
After last month's in-depth look at the Bluebaum System, and in particular 5 c4 0-0 6 b3 Nc6 7 Bb2 d4 followed by 8 e3 (see Shuvalova, P - Bluebaum, M), this month, in Kushko, D - Bluebaum, M I examine the main alternative 8 Nxd4 Nxd4 9 Bxd4 Bxg3 10 hxg3 Qxd4:
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The notes mostly only contain games from 2024 and 2025, which shows just how recent this line is, while the actual game features a novelty for Black as late as move 21 which is totally winning!
Neo-Caralan 1 c4 e6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 0-0 dxc4 [A13]
Following on from the Bluebaum we have some similar lines here. In the Neo-Catalan with 5...dxc4 when White normally replies 6 Qa4 to recapture the c pawn:
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Now, in Maurizzi, M - Sarana, A I have looked at three separate Stockfish-approved methods of continuing as Black, all of them are promising, and in all of them Black gets to play 7...e5!
Réti Opening 1 c4 e6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 Nf3 Be7 5 0-0 0-0 6 d3 [A14]
I decided to prepare this 6 d3 system as a slightly unusual alternative to the long 6 b3 mainlines I have played for so long (although I've also tried 6 Ne5, and recommended 6 Qc2 in the Dynamic English, of course) and was quite happy with my first try, which you can find in the notes to Yuffa, D - Csonka, B. This main game continued 6...c5 7 Ne5 Qc7 8 f4 Rd8 9 Nc3 a6 and now the sharp 10 g4!?:
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White gears-up for a kingside attack, but, in fact, play actually went into an ending where White had a slight advantage. White had a very clear and simple plan in this ending which worked perfectly after one misstep from Black - very instructive.
Mikenas Attack 3...d5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 e5 d4 [A18]
In Jurcik, M - Shirov, A Black played the mainline 6 exf6 dxc3 7 Bb5+ c6 (David had previously looked at a couple of games featuring 7...Nc6) 8 Qe2+ Be6 9 Bc4:
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But here he went for the unusual 9...Qd4, presumably to avoid the slightly worse ending that occurs after 9...Qxf6. In the game White played an interesting novelty on move 10 and then incorrectly, and somewhat unnecessarily, sacrificed a piece. His illustrious opponent demonstrated that he can defend just as well as he can attack, and despite having his king wander around the middle of the board, won comfortably.
However, this line in general seems unpleasant for Black, and I would certainly be happy to play it as White.
King’s English 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 Nd5 a5 4 Nf3 d6 5 a3 Bc5 6 e3 [A21]
Following on from the Praggnanandhaa, R - Abdusattorov, N game in the February update, we already have a new attempt from Black, 11...exd4!?:
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Black followed this up with a pawn sacrifice on the queenside in Van Foreest, J - Yuffa, D which offers some practical chances but is not objectively correct, in my opinion. White defended well, achieved a winning position, but then played a terrible blunder in a simple endgame, turning a win into a loss.
Incidentally, there was also an interesting game in this line played by David Cummings in Prague, see the note to move 11.
Four Knights Variation, 4 e3 d5 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 Bb5 [A28]
Following the normal 6...Nxc3 7 bxc3 Bd6 8 d4 Bd7 9 0-0 0-0 I like the move 10 Nd2!:
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The knight aims for e4 or c4 and also frees the f pawn, which, as you can see in Maghsoodloo, P - Tregubov, P, can be surprisingly important as the advance of this pawn led to a swift mating attack.
Symmetrical English 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 Nc6 4 Nc3 g6 5 d3 [A36]
Another line that attracted my attention recently was 5 d3:
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This has become trendy with the elite recently, and even Magnus Carlsen has been trying it. After 5...d6 he normally follows up with 6 Qd2 followed by 7 b3 and 8 Bb2, and I gave this a go myself in Poland, and was happy with the position I obtained..The main game Grischuk, A - Nikitenko, M instead went 5...e6 6 h4 attacking Black on his slightly weakened dark squares, but then transposed into a Botvinnik setup. Black was unable to castle so kept his king in the middle and sacrificed a pawn to lever open the kingside. Very messy play ensued.
Until next month, Tony.
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