Download PGN of October ’23 Flank Openings games
>> Previous Update >>
Larsen’s/Bird’s Opening, 1 b3 d5 2 Bb2 c5 [A03]
In Larsen’s Opening after 1 b3 d5 2 Bb2 c5 3 e3 Nf6, White most often enters a reversed Queen's Indian setup with 4 Nf3, but Nakamura, H - Giri, A instead continued with the more ambitious 4 f4:
             |
In many ways, 4 f4 is a thematic move, strengthening control of the important e5-square. On the other hand, White's e3-square can be weakened, and Giri demonstrated Black’s trumps in a model game. After 4...g6 5 Bb5+ Bd7 6 Bxd7+ Qxd7 7 Nf3 Bg7 8 Qe2 0-0 9 d3 Nc6 10 Nbd2 d4, with ...Nf6-g4-e3 soon following, Black was already better, and later built up a winning attack.
Réti Opening, 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 0-0 e5 [A07]
In the Réti with 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7, we looked at the setup with 4 c4 dxc4 5 Qa4+ in last month's Update. This month’s game Jones, G - Potkin, V, explores the alternative 4 0-0, allowing Black to occupy the centre. The following typical position was reached after White’s 8th move:
|
|
Black has a number of alternatives here, but 8...Qxd1 is natural enough. The problem for Black is that after 9 Rxd1, White controls the d-file and has chances to generate a light initiative. Gawain has prior experience in this position, and took over the game after Black weakened the light squares with 14...f6.
Réti Opening, Anti-Slav Gambit, 4...dxc4 5 Qc2 [A11]
Warmedam, M - Tabatabaei, M opened with 1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 c6 4 c4 dxc4, and now, instead of the mainline 5 0-0 Nbd7 6 Qc2 Nb6, White chose the less common 5 Qc2. Black responded with the principled 5...b5, which was followed by 6 b3 cxb3 7 axb3 Bb7 8 Ba3:
|
|
In return for the pawn, White is applying immediate pressure on the queenside dark squares. After 8...Nbd7 9 0-0, Black could continue with the reasonable 9...g6 or 9...e6, but in the game soon went badly wrong, since after 9...Rc8 10 d4 g6 11 Bb4 11...a6? allowed a deadly pin with 12 Ba5, after which it was soon all over.
Réti Opening, 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2 Bd6 [A13]
After the standard moves 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2, Ivanisevic, I - Maksimovic, B took a fresh direction with the rare 4...Bd6 which is new to the site:
|
|
Following 5 0-0 0-0, if White plays 6 d4, then 6...Nc6 would transpose to a line of the Catalan championed by GM Bluebaum. Instead, after 6 b3, Black changed the structure with 6...dxc4 7 bxc4 e5. By following up with active development, Black was able to restrain White's central majority and emerged from the opening without any problems.
Anti-Grünfeld, 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 e5 [A16]
This month we again take a look at the gambit line 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 e5 5 Nxe5 0-0 6 Nf3 Re8 7 d3, and the following position was reached after 12 moves:
|
|
In last month’s Update, Indjic-Djukic continued with 13 a3 Na6 14.Nb5!?, ending in an attacking win for White. This month, Niemann, H - Woodward, A shows the other side of the coin. If White loses the initiative in this double-edged position, then Black can get strong counterplay, with White's king becoming exposed in the centre. After 13 h4 Nd4 14 Rc1 Qd6 15 a3 Na6 16 f4, White was doing well, but later on Black turned the tables with an exchange sacrifice and a tenacious pursuit of White’s king.
Symmetrical English, Double Fianchetto [A30]
The variation starting with 1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 g3 b6 4 Bg2 Bb7 5 0-0 g6 6 Nc3 Bg7 7 d4 cxd4 8 Qxd4 d6 was very popular at one point, but nowadays is a less common guest in high-level games. Indjic, A - Predke, A continued with 9 Be3 Nbd7 10 Rfd1:
|
|
Now 10...Rc8 leads to a complex line with a large body of theory associated with it. Instead, 10...Nc5 is quite rare, but the idea of ...Nc5-e4, aiming to trade a pair of knights, seems perfectly logical. In the game, Black achieved a thematic ...b6-b5 break and equalized out of the opening. Black was able to press later on, with the game eventually ending in a draw, after no fewer than 158 moves!
Symmetrical English, Four Knights 5...Qb6 [A31]
In Gelfand, B - Svidler, P, Black essayed the tricky move order 1 Nf3 c5 2 c4 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 and now 5...Qb6. Among other things, this avoids the line 5...e6 6 g3 Qb6 7 Ndb5 which we look at in the following game.
|
|
6 Nb3 is White’s most common response, and after 6...e6, White can revert to mainline theory with 6 g3, or attempt to exploit the specific move order with 7 a3. After 7...d5 8 Be3 Qd8 9 cxd5 Nxd5 10 Nxd5 exd5 11 g3 Be7 12 Bg2, rather than defend a slightly passive IQP position, Black offered up the d5-pawn, pursuing activity with 12...Bf6. This line certainly looks playable for Black, although in this game, Gelfand got the upper hand in the early middlegame and went on to win.
Symmetrical English, Four Knights 6 g3 Qb6 7 Nbd5 [A33]
Mamedyarov, S - Gelfand, B varied from the previous game with 1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 e6 6 g3 Qb6, and followed one of the mainlines with 7 Ndb5 Ne5 8 Bf4 Nfg4 9 e3 a6 10 h3 axb5 11 hxg4 Nxc4. Now, White chose 12 Rc1 which was first introduced in Giri-Nepomniachtchi at the 2020 Candidates.
|
|
The aforementioned stem game saw the sharp 12...d5 13 b3 Bb4 14 bxc4 Ra3, but Gelfand’s 12...Bb4 looks like a sensible novelty, avoiding those complications. After 13 a3 Bxc3+ 14 Rxc3 d5 Black was on solid ground. At an appropriate moment, Black can return the extra pawn to solve his remaining opening problems.
Until next month, David.
>> Previous Update >>
To contact the author please go to the Flank Openings Forum, or subscribers can write directly to Support@chesspublishing.com.