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Winawer Mainline 7 Qg4 Qc7 8 Bd3 c4 9 Be2 [C18]
The main line with 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Qg4 Qc7 continues to hold up well for Black after 8 Qxg7, and we are continuing to see a modest but regular dose of 8 Bd3 games. The popular sequence 8...c4 9 Be2 Qa5 10 Bd2 Nf5 has the advantage of preventing two of White’s thematic ideas: dxc5 and a4 followed by Ba3. At the same time, Black releases all pressure on the center and White has time to attack on the kingside.
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In Pulkkinen, K - Burcu, C, European Club Cup Rhodes 2025, White played 11 Nf3 (11 h4 is also worth examining) 11...Qa4 (11...Nc6) 12 Ra2 (12 0-0) 12...Nc6, a position that has held up well for Black, who in this case wins a thematic game.
After 8 Bd3 c4 9 Be2, the older order 9...Nf5 also deserves attention. Now 10 Nf3 (which sometimes transposes to Pulkkinen - Burcu) and 10 h4 have been played most often. In Kumar Sharma, D - Shivamshika, G, Indian Ch Guntur 2025, White chose 10 Bd1:
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This slightly strange-looking move has been played quite a lot, particularly by some strong players. Now White's knight can come to e2, protecting c3; then, since White hasn't been forced into Bd2, he can play a4 and Ba3. The knight on e2 also leaves the f-pawn free to advance, unlike lines with a knight on f3. On the other hand, White’s pieces are passively-placed and Black is able to obtain counterplay; it’s hard to assess whether he can achieve complete equality.
Winawer Mainline 7 Qg4 cxd4 8 Bd3 Qa5 [C18]
Avoiding 7...Qc7 8 Bd3 with 7...cxd4 is a legitimate option. In Ter Sahakyan, S - Vasquez Schroeder, R, Titled Tue Oct 14 2025, there followed 8 Bd3 Qa5 (I have a lengthy note on 8...Qc7, which is in good standing) 9 Ne2:
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Here Black may have mixed up move orders and played 9...Ng6?!, when White should have come out of the opening with a definite advantage. The notes review and update older Archive games with the well-known sequence 9...0-0 10 Bg5 Ng6 11 Qg3 Nd7 12 f4 dxc4 13 h4 h5; it seems that with accurate play this line will end in a draw, but both sides can easily slip up.
In this variation, another thoroughly-analysed line begins with 9 Rb1 (instead of 9 Ne2) 9...Qxc3+ 10 Bd2 Qc7 11 Nf3 Ng6 12 0-0 Nc6 13 Rfe1 Bd7 14 h4 0-0-0 15 c3!:
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I’m including the older game Sury, R - Davidov, D, ICCF 2024 to provide a more complete record of this line. I haven’t given many details, but in the main line I’ve suggested a move that I think makes Black’s life easier. This is a variation that both White and Black need to commit to memory.
Winawer 6...Nc6 7 a4 Qa5 8 Bd2 [C18]
Instead of the traditional 6...Ne7, the alternative 6...Nc6 is still being played fairly often with decent results. Recently Akobian has used the move in both Classical and Blitz time controls. A very well-played Bltz game was Meng, Y - Akobian, V, Titled Tuesday Oct 21 2025, where White played 7 a4, which is not as popular as 7 Qg4 or 7 Nf3, but may be just as good. The game went 7...Qa5 8 Bd2:
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Black played 8...c4!? and a very complex game resulted in which White might have been able to secure a very small edge, but both sides will have prospects. I devote a lengthy note to 8...Nge7, which can either transpose into one of the main Positional Winawer lines or go its own way.
Winawer 6...Nc6 7 Qg4 g6 8 Nf3 Qa5 9 Bd2 Qa4 [C18]
The main line 7 Qg4 g6 was played in Sowinski, P - Psyk, R, Suwalki 2025. Although 8 h4 and 8 a4 both tend to become critical at an early stage, the game move 8 Nf3 is slower. It has been played more often and leads to strategic maneuvering. The game continued 8...Qa5 9 Bd2 Qa4 10 Bd3 c4 11 Be2 Bd7 12 0-0 0-0-0:
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This position has arisen fairly often but hasn’t yet been resolved. Both sides need to be aware of both move orders and the general contours of play.
Winawer 5 Bd2 Ne7 6 a3 Bxc3 7 Bxc3 Nbc6 [C17]
After 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 Bd2 Ne7 6 a3 Bxc3 7 Bxc3, I recently looked at 7...b6 8 h4. The old main line is 7...Nbc6 8 Nf3 cxd4 (8...b6 is possible here as well) 9 Bxd4 (9 Nxd4 is covered in the notes to our game):
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Samunenkov, I - Markus, R, EU team C Batumi 2025, went 9...Nf5 (9...Nxd4 also equalizes, as I show in the notes) 10 Bc3! (more challenging than 10 c3) 10...d4 11 Bd2 Qd5. White tried to make something of his bishop pair, but with careful play Black showed that his well-placed pieces can keep the play level.
Steinitz Variation 5 Nce2 c5 6 c3 Nc6 7 Nf3 Be7 8 h4 [C11]
I was asked about the game Robson, R - Sevian, S, US Ch Saint Louis 2025, and thought I should include it because the opening was nearly a disaster straight away for Black: 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 Nce2 c5 6 c3 Nc6 7 Nf3 Be7 8 h4 (a relatively unexplored move in this popular position):
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Black played the inaccurate 8...f6?, and after 9 Nf4 tried to sacrifice a piece for insufficient compensation with 9...Ndxe5. After some inaccuracies, Black managed to scramble back to a draw, but the best way to play this line is 8...cxd4! 9 cxd4 f6, when 10 Nf4 Ndxe5! is now sound and equal.
Till next month, John
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