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Hey folks. I am taking over this section now and I hope that we will see a lot of interesting games in the various openings after 1 e4. This month there were many games to choose from, but I have selected many Pirc and Caro-Kanns where there were either strong players or interesting games. Most of the games are not in the main lines so we can see some nice lesser-known ideas. The Caro-Kanns involved lines with a slow game where both sides try to outplay their opponent. Meanwhile, in the Pirc White has shown some interesting ideas to gain an edge as in game 2, a nice attacking line. This game actually surprised me, as how can Black get such a bad position early on without making any obvious mistake?

Download PGN of March ’24 1 e4 ... games

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Pirc Defence, Classical Variation with ...a6, 7...Nc6 [B08]

Our first game, Vokhidov, S - Savchenko, B, started as a Modern but moved to the Pirc Classical system with ...a6. Black went for the plan with 7...Nc6 and later he introduced a novelty 13...Nd7:

White offered a pawn and then declined a repetition but eventually had to go into an endgame with a pawn down. Later Black slowly managed to outplay his opponent and won the game.


Pirc Defence, 150 Attack 5...c6 6.Qd2 b5 [B08]

Petrov, N - Koropkov, P was the 150 Attack line in the Pirc. White went for the very sharp 7. Bh6 move which offers Black the possibility to win the central pawn:

Black took the pawn but White developed a strong initiative. Black left his king in the centre for a while but then White found a very nice combination with 19. Rxe6+! and a few moves later his attack was unstoppable and he won.


Pirc, Fianchetto System 3...e5 4.Nge2 Nbd7 5.g3 [B07]

Lupulescu, C - Nevednichy, V featured the Fianchetto System against the Pirc. Black decided to play the plan with 8...Re8 but when White later went 11. Qxd4 it turned out that Black struggles to create any counterplay.

It was all surprisingly easy, such an experienced player was quickly under severe pressure and White found a way to avoid giving any chances for activity to his opponent with 22.b4. Later he started to roll his central pawns and the game was soon over and White won.


Pirc, 150 Attack 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.f3 Nbd7 [B07]

Bellanhcene, B - Ivanchuk, V was again the 150 Attack against the Pirc. Black went for the plan with quick development on the queenside and then opted for the rare move 8...h6:

Later the centre was closed and both kings stayed in the centre for a long time. Ivanchuk managed to expand on the queenside with a standard plan and get an edge but White installed a strong knight on c6 which seems to have put some doubt in Black's mind and surprisingly he made a draw in a position where he still had some advantage.



Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 e6 6.Bf4 Bd6 [B13]

Puranik, S - Vlachos, A featured the Exchange Variation of the Caro-Kann. Black went for the plan with 5...e6 which looks a bit passive but is still solid:

The game was equal for a long time but Black decided to go for activity at the wrong moment and White managed to outmaneuver his opponent. Black lost his central pawn and was later under a mating attack and lost.


Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 6.h3 [B13]

Martirosyan, H - Saydaliev, S was in the same Exchange line but here Black went for the system with 5...Qc7:

Both players were maneuvering with their minor pieces until Black started to gain some space on the queenside. White managed to defend and the game was equal until close to the time control where both players missed great chances to win. The game became very tactical and in the end Black had an edge but blundered and White somehow won the game.


Caro-Kann, Short System 5...c5 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Be3 [B12]

Yu, Y - Artemliev, V was in the Advance Variation, and Black went for the system with a quick 5...c5 break. Soon a few minor pieces were traded and even though Black lost the right to castle it looked like White could not get much out of the opening. Nevertheless, later he found a moment to create something with 19.Bd3:

Black went into a rook endgame a pawn down but with an active rook which should have given him enough compensation. However, White exploited one mistake and managed to win this endgame which I think is very instructive.


Caro-Kann, Short System 5.c3 Nd7 6.Be2 a5 [B12]

In another Caro-Kann Advance, Santos, J - L-Ami, E Black went for a rare idea with 6...a5:

With the centre being closed each player was trying to expand on his strong flank. Black decided to castle late which gave White some hope that he can organize an attack, but with 32 ...f5 Black parried it and the game was equal and finished with a draw by repetition.



Till next month, Marian

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