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Advance Variation 4 c3 Qb6 5 Nf3 Bd7 6 Be2 Bb5 7 dxc5 [C02]
Over the years I haven’t always kept up with Black’s setup 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Qb6 5 Nf3 Bd7, a solid but not terribly ambitious line which intends ...Bb5, exchanging off Black’s ‘bad’ bishop. In Blomqvist, E - Keinanen, T, Kuressaare Saaremaa Rapid 2025, White played 6 Be2 (6 a3 and 6 Bd3 are the main alternatives).
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Here Black can play 6...Bb5, as in the game, or 6...cxd4 7 cxd4 Bb5. I give an overview of the latter move in the notes. After 6...Bb5, the players entered the critical sequence 7 dxc5 Bxc5 8 b4 Bxf2+ 9 Kf1 Bc6 10 a4, which could be considered the main line and requires serious preparation. Although the players got the early move order wrong, an important position was reached and White emerged with a small advantage. With more accurate play, it looks to me as though Black could have improved and held the balance.
Classical 3...Be7 Steinitz transposition 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nfd7 6 Nce2 c5 7 c3 Nc6 [C11]
After 3 Nc3, 3...Be7 has attracted considerable attention over the past couple of years, in part because many prominent players have employed it. An obvious motivation is that Black doesn’t need the massive preparation required by 3...Bb4 and 3...Nf6. White In Caruana, F - Praggnanandhaa, R, Zagreb 2025, White chose to transpose to a standard Steinitz variation by 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nfd7 6 Nce2 c5 7 c3 Nc6:
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Caruana has been involved in several games from this position, and chose 8 h4 (he had previously played 8 g3), which leads to some complex and critical lines after either 8...Qa5 or the game’s 8...0-0.
Classical 3...Be7: Exchange transposition 4 Bd3 c5 5 exd5 exd5 [C01]
4 Bd3 is the most important alternative, and can be met in a variety of ways. 4...Nc6 5 Nf3 Nb4 tries to win the bishop pair, but 6 Bb5+ c6 7 Be2 dxe4 or 7...Nf6 8 e5 lead to some advantage for White. 4...c5 is arguably the most logical move, directly challenging the center. After 5 exd5 exd5 (5...cxd4!? is interesting) 6 dxc5, White threatens to hang onto his extra pawn and Black’s choice is critical:
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In Rustamov, R - Alizada, P, Sheki 2025, Black played 6...Nf6?! and could have had difficulties if White had played 7 Be3!. After 7 Nf3, the game was instructive and shows how the isolated pawn needn’t be a disadvantage. Still, Black should play 6...Nc6! first, in order to answer 7 Be3? with 7...d4.
Classical Variation 3...Be7 4 Bd3 c5 5 dxc5 [C10]
In Kantor, G - Kozak, A, HUN Rapid Ch Ajka 2025, 5 dxc5 came immediately after 4...c5. Then 5...Nc6! (again directed against Be3), 6 Nf3 Bxc5 7 0-0 Nge7 followed:
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Here Black can answer exd5 with ...exd5 and have a comfortable game, so White developed via a3/b4/Bb2 and equality resulted, followed by an early draw. A variation with full play for both sides.
Classical Variation 3...Be7 4 e5 c5 5 Qg4 [C10]
4 e5 is another interesting try, gaining space and intending 5 Qg4. 4...c5 threatens to dissolve White’s center, and after 5 Qg4, Black has an interesting choice:
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In Rey Martinez, J - Harikrishnan, A, Andujar 2025, Black played the popular 5...g5!?, which is exciting but a bit risky, as illustrated by several Archives games and the game continuation. In the notes I include some analysis of the safer 5...Kf8.
Classical Variation 3...h6 4 Bd3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Nb4 6 Be2 Nf6 7 e5 Ne4 [C10]
After 3 Nc3, 3...h6 is another way to avoid mainstream theory. We saw Carlsen try it out in a couple of games (including one in the Archives). One idea is that after 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nfd7, Black has invested time in the passive ...h6 but White can’t bolster the center with f4. I have to say that 4 Bd3 seems to be an even more serious challenge here than after 3...Be7. In Abdulov, O - Baidetsky, V, Ankara 2025, Black played the most frequent defense with 4...Nc6 5 Nf3 Nb4 6 Be2 Nf6 7 e5 Ne4:
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Now both 8 0-0 and the game’s 8 a3 produce interesting, double-edged play. So far Black has been holding his own. I feel that 6 Bb5+! c6 7 Be2 is a better way for White to play for the advantage, however. Black may want to find another approach here.
Winawer Main with 7 h4 Qc7 8 h5 6 9 Rh3 [C18]
The main line with 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 h4 continues to attract adherents. White has recently turned his attention to lines with the move Rh3, which both defends the third rank and has ideas of attacking from f3 or g3. Iskandarov, M - Berkes, F, Turkish Ch Ankara 2025 continued 7... (I have a fairly lengthy note on 8 Rh3, which can transpose but allows Black more leeway) 8...h6 9 Rh3:
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The game saw 9...b6 (9...Nbc6 is also playable) 10 a4 Ba6 with decent counterplay.
Winawer Main with 7 Qg4 Qc7 8 Bd3 Qa5 [C18]
After 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Qg4 Qc7, the main lines with 8 Qxg7 are arguably a little played out, and the option 8 Bd3 is played just about as often by strong masters these days. At this point, we have seen mainly 8...cxd4 and 8...c4 in many Archives games. In Saric, I - Abdusattorov, N, Croatian Rapid Zagreb 2025, Black chose the related sequence 8...Qa5!? 9 Bd2 c4:
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This might seem a little rushed, but the combination of ...Qa5 and ...c4 eliminates White options like dxc5 and a4 with an early Ba3. With this particular move order, Black gets to his desired structure without needing to deal with those ideas.
Till next month, John
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