Download PGN of July ’24 Flank Openings games
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Réti Opening, Capablanca’s System 5 h3 Bh5 6 d4 [A07]
Mamedov, R - Ahmadzada, A reached a topical position after 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 c6 4 0-0 Bg4 5 h3 Bh5 6 d4 e6 7 c4 Nbd7:
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White normally trades with 8 cxd5 exd5 before playing 9 Ne5, but Mamedov instead chose the rare 8 Ne5, which introduces some subtle differences. Black could now consider 8...Nxe5 or 8...Ne4, but instead continued development with 8...Bd6. Following 9 f4 Ne4 10 Bxe4 dxe4 11 Nc3 f5, and the loosening 12..g5, White was pressing, as it isn't clear where Black's king could find shelter.
King’s Indian Attack, 4...g6 [A08]
Caruana, F - Vidit, S opened with a reversed King’s Indian after 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 c5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 0-0 g6 5 d3 Bg7 Now 6 Be3 was a novelty, aiming to generate practical chances by changing the structure.
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Now 6...Qb6, attacking the b2-pawn, is critical, but Black continued with 6...d4. The game continued 7 Bf4 0-0 8 c3 Nc6 9 Ne5 Nd5 10 Nxc6 bxc6. Objectively, this is nothing special for White, but the doubled c-pawns give something to aim at. This likely makes White's play a little easier, which is especially important in a rapid game
Gurevich’s Anti-Slav, 4...Nbd7 [A11]
The game Keymer, V - Mishra, A began with the anti-Slav setup 1 c4 c6 2 Nf3 d5 3 e3 Nf6 4 Nc3, which was answered by 4...Nbd7 going for a quick ...e7-e5, reaching the following position after 5 Qc2 e5 6 cxd5 Nxd5 7 Bc4:
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Now 7...Bd6 was a surprising novelty, sacrificing a pawn for quick development. After 8 Nxd5 cxd5 9 Bxd5 0-0 the players have reached a kind of Morra gambit in reverse! It appears, however, that Black already has full compensation, and things even started to get a bit awkward for White after 10 Bc4 b6 11 d3 Bb7 12 e4 b5. A few moves later, however, Black started to lose momentum, and White eventually managed to consolidate the extra pawn.
Réti Opening, Double Fianchetto vs. QGD setup, 7 cxd5 [A14]
Aravindh, C - Gavrilescu, D revisited the setup arising after 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 e6 4 0-0 Be7 5 c4 0-0 6 b3 b6. Last month we looked at the traditional 7 Bb2 Bb7 8 e3, while this month’s game continued with the modern approach 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 Bb2 Bb7 9 d4, leading to the following position after Black’s 13th move:
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The engine evaluates this position as equal, but White has scored more than 60%, implying that the space advantage makes it a bit easier for White to play. I think that this game is a good case in point. Later on, after 19...e5?!, White got the important f5-square for the knight, and took over the initiative.
King’s English, Keres System 4 Nf3 e4 5 Nd4 d5 [A20]
Lie, K - Hauge, L reached one of the key positions in the Keres System after 1 c4 e5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 c6 4 Nf3 e4 5 Nd4 d5 6 cxd5 Qxd5:
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Now 7 e3 is a critical option, but 7 Nc2, rerouting the knight to the e3-square is a natural move. After 7...Qh5, however, White should cover the h3-square with 8 h3 or even 8 h4. Instead 8 Nc3 allowed Black to proceed with 8...Bh3 9 Bxh3 Qxh3. Black soon completed development and established a strong space advantage.
King’s English, 1 c4 e5 2 d3 [A20]
After 1 c4 e5 the move 2 d3 is increasingly being used by top players, to avoid concrete theory. Caruana, F - So, W was an instructive game that evolved from a reversed Dragon, fianchetto setup.
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From the diagram, White started to play ambitiously with 12 Nb5 h6 13 Be3 Nd5 14 Bc5 followed by 15 e4 and 16 a4. Black faltered with 17...Na6, allowing a powerful breakthrough with 18 d4 and 21 Nxf7!, leading to a decisive advantage for White.
King’s English, Reversed Dragon 6...Bc5 [A29]
Xue Haowen, - Sankalp, G reached an important theoretical position in the 6...Bc5 line after 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 g3 d5 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 Bg2 Bc5 7 0-0 0-0 8.d3 h6 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 10 Bd2. In earlier Updates, we have reviewed 10...Rd8 and 10...a5, but 10...Qd6 is actually Black's most popular choice here.
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Now 11...Rd8 is perhaps most accurate, since after 11...Bb6 12 Nd2 Be6 13 Nc4 picks up the bishop pair. After 13...Bxc4?! White's unopposed g2-bishop gained in strength, and White was soon better.
King’s English, Four Knights 4 g3 Bb4 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 e4 [A29]
Maghsoodloo, P - Puranik, A featured an important line of the English, namely 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 g3 Bb4 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 e4 7 Ng5 Bxc3 8 bxc3 Re8 9 f3, which has been well explored since coming to prominence in the 1987 Kasparov-Karpov match.
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The mainline here is considered to be 10...d5 11.d4 dxc4, but 11...Qe7 is a sound alternative. The game continued 11 e3 d6 12 Nd4 Ne5 13 d3 c5 14 Nf5 Bxf5 15 Rxf5 d5!, with an instructive battle of two knights vs. two bishops. The players went down a long line that has been essayed in both OTB and correspondence games, only varying from earlier practice on move 29!
Until next month, David.
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