Download PGN of February ’25 1 e4 ... games
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Pirc Defence 4.Be2 Bg7 5.Be3 0-0 6.h4 [B07]
In the game Paravyan, D - Karthik, V there was an interesting line in the Pirc where there was already a new position after 8.h5:
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Soon the game went into an endgame where both sides were trying to improve in this classical Pirc pawn structure. Black was a bit more active but then decided to go for a trade of bishops which gave White some resources to press. Later White managed to obtain some edge and after Black did not find the best defense White won the game.
Caro-Kann, Two Knights 3...Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.Be2 Nf6 [B11]
Keymer, V - Praggnanandhaa, R featured the Two Knights variation in the Caro-Kann. Black decide to go for the active line 7...d4 but after 9.c3 the game went into a almost new position:
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The middlegame was equal and soon the pieces started to disappear quickly. It was looking like it will soon be a draw in the totally symmetrical endgame but White found a way to activate his bishop and then activate his queen and Black was forced into a very passive position. After a long battle White managed to get a big edge, then he messed up and it was a draw until Black finally blundered and White won.
Caro-Kann Advance 3...c5 4.dxc5 e6 5.Be3 Nd7 6.Nf3 Ne7 [B12]
Lodici, L - Idani, P was in the Caro-Kann Advance with 3...c5. White went for a line where he is trying to defend the extra pawn. Soon we had a new position and the critical moment was after 12.e4 where Black have found a nice tactic:
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12...Nxc5! and Black got an edge. After that White managed to stabilize his position but in the endgame he made one mistake and Black managed to activate his bishop and later win the game.
Caro-Kann Advance 3...c5 4.dxc5 e6 5.a3 Bxc5 6.Nf3 Ne7 7.Bd3 [B12]
Nikitenko, M - Omonov, A was also in the Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann with 3...c5. The game followed one of the main variations for a long time.
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Here White found an interesting idea to fight for the advantage with 18.h3 and in a complicated endgame Black missed an intermezzo and was forced to resign shortly.
Caro-Kann Advance 3...c5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Nc6 6.Qf4 e6 7.Bd2 [B12]
Rathanvel, V - Szpar, M was in one of the new trending lines in the advanced Caro-Kann where White is developing his queen early and after the standard 6.Qf4 he went for a quick long castles:
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Black managed to get a safe position and later White gave a pawn and was trying to press. In a very interesting battle Black later managed to create a counterattack and the game went into a spectacular endgame which looked like a study:
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It was not clear who was better until the very end where Black managed to win it dramatically with a zugzwang.
Caro-Kann Advance Variation 4.g4 Be4 5.f3 Bg6 6.e6 [B12]
Kacharava, N - Paichadze, L was in a rare line in the Advanced Caro-Kann with 4.g4:
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White tried one of the standard ideas to give a pawn with 6. e6 and even later a second one in order to block the black kingside. It nearly worked as Black struggled to develop his kingside but in the middlegame he managed to achieve it with the clever 19...g5 and the game went into an equal endgame which was drawn.
Caro-Kann Advance Variation 4.c4 e6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nge2 [B12]
Van Foreest, J - Abdusattorov, N was also in a trendy line in the Advanced Caro-Kann with 4.c4 which I thought only I played many years ago. White went for a plan where he managed to activate his queen and to prevent Black from short castles.
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Later Black castled long and White was trying to create an attack against his king. However, Black managed to defend very well and with a small combination started a decisive counterattack which eventually allowed him to win the game after his king had to travel throughout the whole board.
Caro-Kann, Classical mainline 12.0-0-0 Nbd7 13.f4 0-0 14.c4 [B19]
Finally, Sychev, K - Bernadsky, V it was in the Classical main line in the Caro-Kann. Everything was normal and the game followed the standard lines until Black probably mixed something up and went 14...c5 which allowed White to get a big advantage with 15.d5:
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Soon White started a strong attack and managed to win the game easily after that.
Till next month, Marian
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