Download PGN of December ’24 Flank Openings games
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Réti/Larsen’s Opening, 1 Nf3 d5 2 e3 Nf6 3 b3 Bf5 [A06]
Ding Liren - Gukesh, D (Game 4) opened with 1 Nf3 d5 2 e3 Nf6 3 b3, to which Gukesh responded with 3...Bf5 4 Be2 h6, a reliable setup for Black. Now White tried to cut across Black's natural plans with 5 Ba3:
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The game continued 5...Nbd7 6 0-0 e6 7 Bxf8 Nxf8 8 c4 N8d7, after which Black is ready to complete development. White tried an unusual form of the minority attack with 11 b4 12 Nd4 and 14 a4, but then the tension was soon released, and Black equalized comfortably.
In the notes, I have also included a discussion about the opening of Game 14, where Ding varied with 2 g3, later transposing to a 1 d4 opening.
Réti Opening, 1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 d4 3 c4 c5 [A09]
1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 d4 3 b4 c5 is a topical line of the Réti that was featured in Gukesh, D - Ding Liren (Game 11). In last month’s Update, we looked at 4 b5, while Gukesh chose the sharp 4 e3, entering a reversed Blumenfeld gambit setup. Following 4...Nf6, 5 a3 was a rare move, leading to the diagram position after 5...Bg4 6 exd4 cxd4 7 h3 Bxf3 8 Qxf3 Qc7:
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Here 9 c5, freeing the f1-bishop, is White’s best try, while the slower 9 d3 allows Black to get full control of the important c5-square with 9...a5 10 b5 Nbd7 11 g3 Nc5. Black was on the brink of clear advantage but after choosing 15...g6 (instead of 15...e6!) the tables started to turn in White's direction. White built up strong pressure on the queenside, before Black collapsed with a fatal blunder on move 28.
Reversed Benoni 5...Nc6 6 e3 [A13]
Ding Liren - Gukesh, D (Game 12) saw another reversed Benoni structure, this time in the variation 1 c4 e6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 Nf3 d4 5 0-0 Nc6 6 e3. Now Black most often pushes 6...e5 (see Esipenko-Keymer in the December 2023 Update), while Gukesh varied with 6...Be7, which was followed by 7 d3 dxe3 8 Bxe3 e5 9 Nc3 0-0 10 Re1:
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Objectively Black is doing OK here, but started to play some slightly passive moves such as 10...h6, 13...Rb8 and 16...Nd7. After some clever preparatory moves, White was able to achieve a powerful central breakthrough with 18 d4 and went on to win convincingly.
Accelerated Nimzo 1 c4 e6 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 e4 [A13]
The rapid game Abdusattarov, N - Carlsen, M started with 1 c4 e6 2 Nc3 Bb4, and now 3 e4 is the fashionable answer to Black's early bishop sortie. Here 3...Ne7 is a solid reply, while 3...c5 is a provocative choice:
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4 Qg4 is the most direct challenge to Black's setup. Now 4...Kf8 is the most circumspect, while 4...g6 weakened the dark squares. Here White could have pounced with 5 Nb5 d6 6 a3 Ba5 7 b4!, but instead chose a slower setup with 5 a3 Bxc3 6 bxc3 Nc6 7 d3. After 9 f4 f5 10 e5, White kept a strong grip on the dark squares.
Nimzo English, 4 g4 d6 [A17]
Krasenkow, M - Rozentalis, E was an interesting game from the FIDE World 50+ Championship, beginning with 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 g4. Now 4...h6 is the most common reply, but with 4...d6, Black stays solid and provides an escape route for the f6-knight. The game continued 5 g5 Nfd7 6 Qc2 Nc6 7 a3 Bxc3 8 Qxc3:
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Now after 8...Nde5 9 Nxe5 dxe5 10 Rg1 Qd4 11 d3 Qxc3+ 12 bxc3 White was for choice, with open lines for the bishop pair as well as both rooks. Strangely enough, White’s early g-pawn push was vindicated, as the h7-pawn later became the Achilles heel of Black's setup.
King’s English 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 Nd5 Be7 [A21]
Ding Liren - Gukesh, D (Game 8) opened with 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 Nd5 Be7. White often plays 4 d4 or 5 d4, but instead chose quiet development with 4 Nf3 d6 5 g3. Following 5...c6 6 Nxe7 Nxe7 7 Bg2, Gukesh uncorked the novelty 7...f6. Black bolsters the pawn centre and prepares a quick ...d6-d5:
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White chose a “flank” strategy, applying pressure on the centre with 9 b3, 10 Ba3 and 13 f4, while leaving the e- and d-pawns untouched. After 16 Re4, the players reached an unusual position, where White’s bishop pair, and central pawn majority was balanced by Black’s active pieces, and queenside pawns. Later, the middlegame swung heavily in Black’s favour, and then in White’s favour, before ending in a draw.
King’s English, Reversed Closed Sicilian [A25]
Vidit, S - Hong, A was an instructive, non-theoretical battle, typical for the kind of closed English that arises after 1 c4 e5 2 d3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 Nc3 d6 6 Rb1. After 6...a5 7 a3 Black went for the enterprising 7...h5::
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Following 8 Nf3 Nd4 9 Nxd4 exd4 10 Ne4 h4, White was confident to castle into the potential attack with 11 0-0. Black continued to press on the kingside while White aimed for control of the queenside and centre. A back-and-forth battle eventually ended in White’s favour.
Symmetrical English, Four Knights 6 Bf4 d5 [A33]
After 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 e6, the move 6 Bf4 is one of the options for White, that avoids the complex theory associated with 6 g3. Now 6...d5 is the most common reply, leading to the diagram position after 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9 Bd2:
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White is trying to eke out an edge from the slightly better pawn structure, but Indjic, A - Kacharava, N showed that things can kick off if Black is not precise. Now 9...Bb4 is most accurate, although 9...Rb8 is a natural enough move. Following 10 e4 Nxc3 11 Bxc3 Qb6, Black quickly slipped into trouble, since after 12 Qg4 Ba6 13 0-0-0 White was way ahead in development.
Until next month, David.
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