Download PGN of May ’25 Flank Openings games
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Réti Opening, Lasker System 9 Re1 [A07].
In Movsesian, S - Stevic, H, although the game started with 2 b3 and 3 Bb2, we soon reach a standard Réti versus Lasker setup where White has played 9 Re1, 10 e4 and 11 Qe2:
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This is a position that could easily arrive with colours reversed if Black plays a King's Indian against the London System, except that the black queen would then still be on d8. In this game Black just made one slip which allowed White to destroy his king position and quickly force resignation.
Réti Opening, 3...c6, 4...Bf5 and 5...dxc4 [A11]
Subelj, J - Pranav, V features another Lasker-style setup with 4...Bf5, but this time White played 5 c4 and Black captured:
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We've considered my preferred 6 Na3 in the past, but here White first played 6 a4 to impede ...b7-b5, and later a4-a5 and then the standard b2-b3 to open the queenside files. Black played well at first, but then blundered in a slightly inferior endgame.
I noticed something interesting when analysing this and similar positions: Humans normally answer b2-b3 by capturing on b3, and gaining a pawn, but Stockfish often prefers to simply return the extra pawn with ...c4-c3. For instance:
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White has just played the thematic 9 b3 to open the queenside when Stockfish suggests not taking the pawn but instead playing 9...c3 when 10 dxc3 leaves the e4 bishop safe on the h1-a8 diagonal.
Neo-Catalan 4...dxc4 5 Qa4+ Bd7 6 Qxc4 c5 [A13]
The mainline here, and the only move we'd considered previously, is 7 Ne5, gaining the bishop pair. However, in Vakhidov, J - Nigmatov, O White preferred 7 Nc3, which, though rare, actually scores the highest. Following 7...Bc6 8 0-0 Be7 9 e4 White blunts the c6 bishop and intends Qc4-e2 followed by d2-d4 with more space.
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Black replied with the critical 9...b5, swapping the black b pawn for the white e pawn, and the game then became extremely tactical when Black left his king in the centre, and White sacrificed an exchange. Later White won another piece, but the position was still unclear until Black slipped, and then White grabbed his chance and finished in style.
Reversed Benoni 4...d4 5 0-0 c5 6 e3 Nc6 7 d3 [A13]
Normally White captures on d4 after 4...d4 5 0-0 c5 6 e3 Nc6 but instead 7 d3 is a subtle move-order nuance, White defers capturing on d4 so that he can wait for Black to develop his king's bishop before White plays the standard Na3.
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Yakubboev, N - Makhnev, D was unusual in that the sides later exchanged d pawns, but without the d4 pawn Black had no space advantage, White's pieces were the more active and he gained a clear advantage.
Réti Opening, Double Fianchetto vs. QGD setup [A14]
In the following position, after 11...Qc7, White most often develops the a1 rook naturally to c1:
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Instead, in Nakamura, H - Gadzhiev, R White played 12 Ne1!? which is rare, but has similar ideas to 12 Nh4, and after 12...dxc4 13 bxc4 Bxg2 14 Nxg2 play transposed. After this Hikaru continued with the standard plan of advancing the kingside pawns and followed this with a thematic knight sacrifice on f6, and a crushing attack.
Mikenas Attack 3...c5 4 e5 Ng8 5 d4 cxd4 6 Qxd4 [A19]
Following 6 Qxd4 Nc6 7 Qf4 d6 8 Nf3 Nh6 9 Be2 Nf5 10 0-0 dxe5 11 Nxe5 Yuffa, D - De Boer, E introduced the natural 11...Bd6, although this transposed into 11...Qc7 12 Nxc6 Bd6 after 12 Nxc6 Qc7, reaching a new position that was seen two times in April:
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Play was nearly level until Black made a mistake which allowed a nasty deflection, after which he could have resigned.
King’s English, Four Knights 4 e3 Bb4 5 Qc2 Bxc3 6 Qxc3 Qe7 7 b3 [A28]
7 b3 is quite a trendy move, intending to develop the c1 bishop on b2 to pressurise the e5 pawn, but it might not be very good! After 7...d5 8 d4 Black played 8...Bg4 in Meshkovs, N - Neiksans, A:
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This move is favoured by Stockfish, and although it has only been played 3 times so far, all 3 games were crushing victories for Black! It seems that White has to play very accurately just to force Black to take a draw!
King’s English, Reversed Dragon 6...Nf6 7 b4 [A29]
Following the sharp 7 b4!? e4!? (Carlsen has preferred 7...Bd6) 8 Ng5 Bxb4 9 Ngxe4 Nxe4 10 Nxe4 White has swapped his b pawn for the black e pawn, which allows him a nice central pawn majority:
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In Harsha, B - Swiercz, D Black then played a risky combination to win an exchange, and, frankly, would have been worse against simple play, but White got into the spirit and sacrificed a piece as well, leaving himself a rook down but with the black king stuck in the centre.
White was close to winning at several points, but then unfortunately made one slip which allowed Black to untangle with some precise moves, and win.
Until next month, Tony.
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