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May '00 Update

Alex Volzhin has returned from his success at the Capablanca Memorial 2000- thanks to Ruslan Scherbakov for the photo!

 

As promised I have continued updating the Pirc/Modern section. This month we'll look at the quiet positional line with Bd3.


This system was initially employed against the Modern Defence (in the move order with 1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 c3 d6 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 Bd3 etc), but since the `80s this line has also become common after 1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Bd3,










primarily due to the efforts of GM Sergey Dolmatov. The characteristic fearture of this set-up is that White doesn't strive to "refute" the Pirc as he does in Austrian Attack, the Saemisch-like 4 f3 and other sharp lines. Instead he limits Black's counterplay and aims for a minimal advantage, delaying the main struggle until the middlegame. This quiet way of playing against the Pirc/Modern has many supporters so the line occurs very frequently in practice.

AV164 Black manages to exchange White's light-squared Bishop, but the price is too high. White gets a strong pawn centre, and the threat of e5 is very unpleasant for Black.

AV165 The main line, where Black prepares counterplay on the K-side. White's 9th move novelty baffles Black and he unnecessarily gives up the centre.

AV166 An interesting attempt from Black to solve all his problems immediately but unfortunately it meets with a very nice refutation.

AV167 This modification of Dolmatov's system is worthy of consideration. White intends to strengthen the d4 square by playing Nb3, and it's important he avoids playing 7 h3 (aimed against ...Bg4) which amounts to rather a considerable weakening of the K-side.

AV168 Besides Dolmatov's setup (7 Re1 and 8 g3) White can also try 7 Bg5. The play here is very similar to that in a Torre attack and sometimes it can even transform into it.

AV169 6...c5 has had a certain rise in popularity of late and has even been played at the top level. Similar positions may also arise from the Alapin Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2 c3 d6 3 d4 Nf6 4 Bd3 g6 etc.) and the Torre Attack.

AV170 The set-up with 7...Nc6 leads to very complicated play which is more typical of a King's Indian. Here White woefully fails to adjust to the transition and it takes Black less then 10 moves to completely outplay his opponent!

AV171 A very ambitious attempt to combine the advantages of Dolmatov's setup (the protected d4 square) and the Austrian attack (a strong pawn centre).

AV172 Although I can't claim that such a quiet line gives White a considerable opening advantage, the statistics of the ...g6 lines against c2-c3 can hardly satisfy Black. That's why he has begun to deviate from a normal Pirc with 3...g6, finding other ways. In my opinion 3...e5 4 c3 d5 is the best possibility. Black exploits the drawback of 3 Bd3 which is the lack of control over d5 and breaks in the center.

AV173 Black borrows an idea from the Ruy Lopez Open Variation, transferring his problem bishop to g6 (via the h5-square).

Now it's time to draw certain conclusions. The examined line is rather unpleasant for Black especially if he develops his dark-squared Bishop on g7.

So I would recommend that from the normal Pirc move order Black players play the line with 4...d5.

If the Bishop is already on g7 as in the Modern Defence, then in my opinion Morozevich's plan with ...Nc6 is worth playing. In any case this line leads to very complicated positions with mutual chances and I hope that the analysis given will help you to feel confident playing either color.