Download PGN of August ’22 French games
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Advance Variation 5...Qb6 6 Be2 cxd4 7 cxd4 Nh6 8 Bxh6 Qxb2 [C02]
Given its persistent popularity, we should take another look at the topical line 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Qb6 6 Be2 cxd4 7 cxd4 Nh6 8 Bxh6 Qxb2 9 Nbd2 gxh6 10 0-0:
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Here acceptance of a second pawn by 10...Nxd4 isn’t necessarily bad but is very risky. In Bokhnak, T - Bartos, J, Usti nad Labem 2022, Black played 10...Bg7, which seems to allow White too much unchallenged leeway. As the game went, White missed numerous good continuations but eventually prevailed.
The most practical move is 10...Bd7, which continues to be tested. It came up via the odd order 9 0-0!? gxh6 (9...Qxa1 10 Qb3! Nxd4 turns out to be enormously complicated and unclear) 10 Nbd2 Bd7 in the game Vokhidov,, S - Grischuk, A, Rapid Wk19 Swiss Chess.com 2022. White played 11 Nb3:
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Black can get in trouble in such positions if he doesn’t hurry to get some pieces out, so his decision to go with 11...a5 and 12...a4 turned out to be quite risky. In the end, White had too many pieces left attacking in a position where Black’s king had no safe place to go.
Advance Variation 5...Bd7 6 Bd3 Rc8 [C02]
Flexible systems with ...Bd7 and ...Rc8 are popular among grandmasters these days. After 5 Nf3 Bd7 6 Bd3, I have neglected Black’s alternatives to 6...cxd4. In Karaev, S - Jobava, B, Titled Tuesday 28th June 2022, Black played 6...Rc8:
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Now there are some important lines after 7 0-0, e.g., 7...cxd4 8 Re1. In the game, White played 7 a3 a6 (I look at a fascinating line beginning 7...cxd4 8 cxd4 Qb6 9 Bc2 g5 10 h3 Nxd4!) 8 0-0, and although the game’s 8...Nh6 led to a win, Black should probably play 8...cxd4 9 cxd4 Qb6 10 Bc2 g5! with complications.
Advance Variation 5...Bd7 6 Bd3 cxd4 7 0-0 dxc3 8 Nxc3 [C02]
The normal 6...cxd4 can head towards the Milner-Barry Gambit after 7 cxd4 Qb6, but these days White has been experimenting with 7 0-0 dxc3 8 Nxc3. A logical follow-up is 8...Nge7 9 Re1 Ng6 10 g3:
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Malczyk, R - Sernecki, F, Bydgoszcz 2022 continued 10...Be7 11 h4 0-0 12 h5 Nh8 (intending ...f6 and ...Nf7). This results in a complex game in which Black may need to sacrifice an exchange to maintain the balance.
Advance Variation 5...Bd7 6 Be2 Rc8 7 0-0 [C02]
The more popular ...Rc8 line is 5 Nf3 Bd7 6 Be2 Rc8. After 7 0-0, we have seen 7...a6 in a few Archives games. In Zhigalko, S - Papp, L, Titled Tuesday 28th Jun Chess.com 2022, I examine a few recent ideas in this line. The game went 8 dxc5 Bxc5 9 c4 Nge7 10 Nc3:
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Here Black played 10....Qa5, to indirectly defend d5, but it is too slow and lost a very short game. The sacrifice 10...0-0 is perfectly sound, since White loses time and development if he tries to capture the pawn.
In Anand, V - Korobov, A, Superbet Rapid Warsaw 2022, Korobov tried a move he has used several times, 7...h6:
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This semi-waiting move is high on the engine’s recommendation list. It and prevents Ng5 or Bg5, but it looks slow and doesn't help with Black's intended queenside or central play. Anand played the direct 8 Be3, intending dxc5 in various lines, and Black had trouble generating activity. The same applies to 8 a3, and I personally doubt that 7...h6 will be a lasting solution to this variation.
Tarrasch Variation 3...Nf6 Mainline 11.0-0 0-0 12.Bf4 Bxf4 13.Nxf4 Ne4 14 Ne2 Bd7 [C06]
I haven’t looked at the main line with 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 c3 c5 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 Ne2 cxd4 8 cxd4 f6 9 exf6 Nxf6 10 Nf3 Bd6 11 0-0 0-0 for some time. In the variation with 12 Bf4 Bxf4 13 Nxf4 Ne4 14 Ne2, the age-old sacrifice 14...Rxf3 has likely been a victim of engine analysis, and recent games have tested 14...Bd7 instead. Sokolin, L - Root, D, U.S. Seniors Rancho Mirage 2022, continued 15 Bxe4 dxe4 16 Nd2 Qb6 17 Nc4 Qa6:
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This has been tried before. In the game, the play was double-edged and equal until White played a serious inaccuracy.
In Alsina Leal, D - Jul Perez, A, Barbera del Valles 2022, White chose 15 Ng3 instead:
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Black responded with the positional concession 15...Nxg3?! and stood instructively worse throughout. Instead, 15...Ng5 and 15...Rf4 are better and deserve investigation.
Tarrasch 3...c5 4 Ngf3 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nc6 6 Bb5 Bd7 7 Nxc6 bxc6 8 Bd3 Bd6 9 Qe2 e5 [C07]
I hate to keep harping on the variation 3 Nd2 c5 4 Ngf3 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nc6 6 Bb5 Bd7 7 Nxc6 bxc6 8 Bd3, but strong players are routinely taking up both sides of this on a regular basis, so it seems important to keep up.
In Moranda, W - Sanchez, S, Chennai Olympiad 2022, Black played Giri’s recommendation from his Chessable repertoire: 8...Bd6 9 Qe2 e5, which has become the main line by some margin. After 10 c4, Black avoided the usual 10...d4 with 10....Ne7!?:
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After 11 cxd5 cxd5, White transposed back to main lines with 12 exd5 (12 0-0 might have called Black’s move order into question, although that needs to be studied) 12...Nxd5. This has been tested repeated and appears to be quite level, although in the game Black deviated and stood worse.
Tarrasch 3...c5 4 Ngf3 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nc6 6 Bb5 Bd7 7 Nxc6 bxc6 8 Bd3 Qc7 9 Qe2 Bd6 [C07]
The older solution 8...Qc7 9 Qe2 Bd6 was tested in Azarov, S - Yang, K, Rapid Wk23 Chess.com 2022: 10 Nf3 (10 c4 Ne7 11 Nf3 has its drawbacks, examined in the notes) 10...dxe4 11 Qxe4 Nf5 12 Qh4 c5:
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This seems to be holding up for Black, but requires precise play (for White as well). In the game, a modest edge for White turns into a forced win when Black blunders.
Till next month, John
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