Download PGN of July ’22 1 e4 ... games
>> Previous Update >>
Scandinavian Defence with 3...Qd8 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bc4 e6 [B01]
After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.Nf3 Nf6 it is worth stressing the rather obvious point that if White doesn’t play a quick d4, then Black may be able to push ...c5. In particular, the game continuation of 5.Bc4 is probably a bit too slow. It turns out that I played d4 just in time to maintain some advantage, and the game’s first critical moment arose after 12...a6?!:
             |
Being unaware of my opponent’s intentions I wasn’t able to capitalise on the earlier competent opening play (13.Ne5! is probably the simplest solution.) Later, I managed to confuse my lower-rated opponent and win a rather unconvincing game in Fernandez, D - Dunworth, C.
Caro-Kann Defence, Endgame Variation 3.d3 dxe4 4.dxe4 Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1 Nf6 [B10]
One line I have championed extensively in these pages is 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d3, the so-called ‘Endgame Offer’ and this month we check two games where the endgame was actually entered. Both continued 3...dxe4 4.dxe4 Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1 Nf6 and, by coincidence, featured similar themes of the b1-knight being developed to c3 and then feeling rather constrained.
In our first game Fernandez, D - Harvey, M, I chose the well-known but still relatively artificial looking 6.Nfd2, though I swiftly found myself confused after 6...Ng4!? 7.Ke2 g6:
|
|
With such modern lines it is a valid reflex to push a flank pawn (a4 or h4) if unsure what to do, and in fact both moves were preferable to the game’s 8.Nc4, after which I found myself drifting into a slightly worse position. My saving grace was that the impending f4 thrust created practical problems for my opponent, ultimately moving on to f5 and constricting both a d4-knight and a c8-bishop.
In the second game Neiksans, A - Tari, A White chose a relatively rare continuation, 6.Bd3, against which the right response is almost certainly 6...Nbd7! Instead, the Norwegian chose 6...g6, allowing White to pose significant problems with just simple development. A couple of moves later, however, White overplayed his hand, i.e. 7.h3 Bh7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Bf4 Nbd7 and now 10.e5?!:
|
|
A tense struggle ensued after 10...Nd5, while Black actually seems to have some advantage in case of the superior 10...Nh5. An idea worth bearing in mind.
Caro-Kann Defence, Two Knights Variation with 3...Bg4 and 6.g3 [B11]
The next game is, in some sense, quite far from the bleeding edge of opening theory. And yet it has its merit as it was played by the World Champion, dispatching one of his potential rivals with the Black pieces. Play began with 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2:
|
|
In Duda, J - Carlsen, M the world champion simply exchanged twice on e4 and played ...Qd5, equalising three moves later. White could absolutely have done better, but not trivially. After getting equality, Carlsen managed to grind out an endgame win (though not without adventures.)
Caro-Kann Defence, Advance Variation 4.Nd2 e6 5.Nb3 a6 6.Nf3 c5 [B12]
Back to an old chestnut and to 2 players who have battled it out here before in Haria, R - Houska, J. They followed their previous game on this site, up until the moment when White went 12. Bf4:
|
|
A major concern in this line is White’s ability to inflict a bind with Nd4, and so it’s not surprising that in this second iteration, the many-time British women’s champion opted for 12...Bg4, generating chances to take the offending knight off. Despite this, she never actually took ...Bxf3 and a few moves later, Ravi missed a chance to play 15.Nd4. I quite like Black’s novel idea, though it still wouldn’t be my first choice against 4.Nd2.
Caro-Kann Defence, Panov-Botvinnik Attack with 6.Nf3 a6 [B13]
Ignoring a slightly unusual order of initial moves, our first position of theoretical interest in the next game arises after 1.e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 and now the slightly unusual 6...a6!?:
|
|
This is a high-class waiting move, eliminating the Bb5 problems that arise in the 6...Be6 lines and doing something which will be constructive in case of an IQP arising. In Grandelius, N - Van Foreest, J White chose to treat it like a 6...e6 system and continue with 7.c5 Bg4 8.Be3, an option which seems quite critical (8.Be2 is also possible.) White will be trying to push on the queenside while Black gains counterplay against the d4-pawn in various ways; an important one being ...h6 followed by ...Nh7 and ...Qf6. In other cases, Black can even indulge in ...Ng8-e7-f5. As it happened, Black started trying to prepare ...e5, a valid strategy but one which might have given White a slight nibble.
Caro-Kann Defence, Exchange Variation with 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 [B13]
I often wonder about options for leaving the b7-pawn hanging in the Exchange, and Dreev demonstrates one of the most playable ones for us in this month’s game Inarkiev, E - Dreev, A. Following 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 White played the slightly stodgy-looking 7.Nf3 e6 8.Qb3, inviting Black to head back into main lines with 8...Qc8.
|
|
Instead, Black went for the principled 8...Bd6!, which, after the equally principled acceptance of the pawn 9.Qxb7 Bxf4 10.Qxc6+, could have even led to Black fighting for an advantage. No fewer than three instructive mistakes in a row then led to White being the one pressing, and eventually winning.
Caro-Kann Defence, Korchnoi Variation 5...exf6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Qc2 Re8+ 9.Ne2 h5 [B15]
Both this month and next we will see some principled paths by White against this fashion of the last 5-10 years. This month’s final game is Grieve, H - Houska, J which saw a distinctly route-1 approach employed by the younger player, with the key moment coming after 14.f4:
|
|
Houska’s choice of 14...g6 is certainly valid, but there is a practical case to be made for 14...Qd6 as well since in the game she wound up facing a rather sustained sacrificial attack.
All the best, Daniel
>> Previous Update >>
Please post you queries on the 1 e4 ... Forum, or subscribers can email me at support@chesspublishing.com.