Download PGN of June '13 Flank Openings games
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Larsen's Opening - 1...e5, 4...Bd6 [A01]
In Bernadskiy, V - Nevednichy, V White tries an exotic new setup against Black's exotic setup in White's exotic opening:
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, but maybe this time it has all gone a bit too far!
Réti - 4...dxc4 5 0-0 [A13]
In Salgado Lopez, I - Pelletier, Y Salgado goes for an interesting gambit instead of the normal paths and gave Pelletier a lot of problems to solve.
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Here for Black, I would play something other than 9...Nxe5.
4...dxc4 5 Qa4+ with ...Ra7 [A13]
Both players enter into a known position by a different move order. Zhou Weiqi plays in an interesting and provocative way by 11...Be7 and 12...Qa8, and after 13.d5!? the game entered into big complications:
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Still, everything is under control for Black, see the game Zhou Jianchao-Zhou Weiqi.
Anti-Grünfeld 3...Nf6 [A10]
Nakamura, H - Svidler, P was a really interesting fight!
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Black is probably better after the opening but it's not easy to prove it. I think exchanging the queens was a bad idea. For White I would take a look at 11.Ne4!?
Pseudo-Grünfeld 5 h4 [A16]
h4-h5 lines are tried in many different positions and are not always working. In the Pseudo-Grünfeld it's in fashion now, but I'm still not sure if it's sound. To spend 2 moves to open the file is sometimes too expensive:
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But if White manages to finish his development the attack can be dangerous, as seen in Vallejo Pons, F - Safarli, E.
Mikenas Attack 3...d5 4 cxd5 [A18]
Ding Liren is another one to try the less played 4.cxd5, which avoids the theoretical mainlines in the Mikenas, and easily got a good position:
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I think the popularity of this idea should increase a lot in the coming months, see Ding, L - Wei, Y.
Symmetric 6...Qb6 7 Nbd5 - Kramnik's 9 Na4!? [A33]
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Kuljasevic follows in Kramnik's footsteps and reaches a fantastic attacking position in Kuljasevic, D - Brkic, A. This variation was played in 3 recent games from strong players - once again Kramnik found something new where nobody else was looking.
Pure Symmetrical 5 Nf3 Nf6 [A38]
Yu Yangyi simply copied his opponent's moves, and this idea can't be underestimated!
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Instead, black players with a taste for adventure can try the dxc4 lines, while White also has an interesting alternative to 9.Ne5, see the notes to Zhou Jianchao-Yu,Y.
Till next time, Alex.
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