Download PGN of April ’16 1 d4 d5 2 c4 games
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The Marshall Gambit 8.Be2 a5!? [D31]
The Marshall Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4) may not be as trendy as the 4.e3 I've previously covered, or 4.Nf3, but we should still be ready for it! It would be even better if we can reach lines mainly with our 'own' theory - where the opponent will be on their own resources from an early stage. Enter the 8...a5!? of Korobov - Sengupta, which first came to prominence after Bukavshin also won with it a year ago:
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The idea behind this move is to keep the options open for the b8-knight - it may prove better on d7 or even c6 based on where the bishop retreats. At first I had consigned this line to the garbage heap because of 9.Bd6, but a later analysis showed that this line is still healthy for Black! I also updated the coverage of the alternatives for both sides - most importantly, we should accept when playing this way as Black that White can opt for 8.Ne2 and steer the game towards very safe positions if he chooses, and trying to avoid it with 4...Bb4 can't be recommended.
Semi-Tarrasch with e3, Hybrid Systems [D32]
The systems covered in Wang Yue-Rui Gao are a bit of a grey area, as the positions are classified under the D32 ECO code, but can easily transpose to lines from the Panov-Botvinnik Attack, and at a higher level they usually arise from a Symmetrical English move order! If that's too much to take in, then observe the following position from our main game:
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Theory tends to give this position as just equal, on the basis that it is a Nimzo-Indian, Karpov Variation with colours reversed, but I feel the extra tempo gives White good grounds to claim a small edge here. The move order to get here was 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.e3 e6 5.d4 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bb5 Bd6 8.0-0 0-0 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.b3, but Black has two good ways to avoid this problem line - with the practical 7...cxd4, playing by analogy with the Panov-Botvinnik, or 6...Nxd5, but then you really should know your Caro-Kann theory, or at least how to move order White out of it.
The 4...Nbd7 QGD Hybrid System [D37]
I already showed some ideas in this 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 system in the last update, based on the Candidates games, but here I will complete the coverage of the other options, starting with the 5.e3!? of Neuman - Chmel, a move new to our site:
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Here it is important for Black to know about the nuance 5...a6!?, otherwise he may fall into a slightly worse position with routine play, as the game demonstrated. For what it's worth, I think 5.g3!? is a very interesting shortcut as well, when Black should probably transpose to the Closed Catalan (covered last time) with 5...Be7 as taking on c4 plays into White's hands.
The 4...Nbd7 Hybrid Exchange QGD [D35]
In our next game, Navara - Carlsen, we take a close look at an original interpretation of the 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 by the World Champion, in 6...h6 7.Bh4 c6 8.e3 g5! 9.Bd3 Nh5:
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This position brought a smile to my face when I first saw it as I had recommended a similar approach in the Exchange QGD for Black a while back, and it also resembles an old line of the Ragozin, except here ...Nd7 is a lot more useful than ...Bb4 (the bishop wants to go to g7). Previously the major alternative 6.Bf4 c6 wasn't covered on ChessPub, but I've given a lot of analysis to show that Black is fine whether White tries 7.h3, 7.e3 or 7.Qc2.
5.Qa4+ Ragozin [D38]
There was one Queen's Gambit game left over from the last update on the Candidates event, and that is Nakamura - Aronian, where in the last round White went for the 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qa4 Nc6 6.e3 0-0 7.Qc2 system I've covered here in the past:
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This was the key position of the game in terms of the opening battle, where Aronian found himself on the back foot after 13...Bd7, but Nakamura failed to make the most of his edge and the game was drawn in the end. I would recommend 13...e4 as the way for Black to maintain the balance, but you should check out my analysis of the alternatives, especially 7...Ne7!? which comes close to fully equalizing for Black. In one way it makes sense that after White loses a tempo with the queen, Black can do the same with his knight!
5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 Ragozin [D38]
You might have noticed that I've been doing a fair bit of updating old analyses in this update, and this game is no exception! In very trendy lines like the Ragozin, it's essential to stay up to date to be competitive against professional players. However, the game Mamedyarov - Wojtaszek showed that one also shouldn't forget the older tries in case someone goes on the logic that 'What is old and forgotten is as good as new'!
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In this position, White tried 13.Nxd4 and obtained an advantage, but only because Wojtaszek forgot the key move in the rapid game. 13.Qxd4 is a new try I didn't cover in my earlier analyses, and Black should do his homework if he wants to equalize as White has ideas of both pressuring in the ending and switching to a kingside attack after natural but wrong moves by Black. I updated all the other independent lines after 6...Qxf6 too, showing where my old conclusions have been superseded by new interpretations.
Anti-Meran Semi-Slav with 7.Bd3 [D46]
As a left-over from my Candidates analysis last update, here is my analysis of the variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 and now 11.Rd1, based on the correspondence game Persson - Kupsys:
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This is a key position for the variation, which had been covered previously on the site, but since then an important development in 14...Bc5! has proven a clear equalizer for Black. He still has to be a little careful that his b7-bishop does not remain shut out of the game, but objectively Black does not experience any problems in this line. I also offer some very interesting ideas against 12.Bd2, check the notes for the specifics!
The Open Catalan [E04]
It's been on my mind for a while to update all the Open Catalan lines with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2, but for most it can be daunting to keep up with the theoretical state of each line! So I have made it easy for you and divided Black's options between two games. First of all, I've used Zhou - Bu to give my take on the 5...a6 and 5...Nc6 variations:
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This position arose in the game, and there is not much to add, except that White seems to have messed up this endgame a fair bit of late - meaning it may not be as risk-free for the first player as people used to think! Meanwhile, against 5...a6 I would recommend sticking to Avrukh's recommendations, although I've covered White's alternatives for those playing it as Black.
In our last (bonus!) game for the update, Mikhailov - Butov, I have concentrated on the 5...Bb4 6.Bd2 a5 variation, and drawn some interesting conclusions, most notably that White seems to only obtain an advantage by playing the pawn sacrifice 7.a3! Bxd2 8.Nbxd2 b5 9.b3! cxb3 10.Qxb3.
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This is the key position for the evaluation of the 7.a3 idea, and it seems that White has more than enough positional compensation with his pressure down the queenside files, grip over c5 and the fact he can steadily expand on the kingside and perhaps even in the centre. The main game was a model demonstration of how to handle such positions as White. I also show that White is better against sidelines such as 5...Nbd7 and 6...c5, but the best of the lines mentioned here is the 5...c5 variation, where I show how to deal with a recent concept of Caruana's.
That is all for the month of April! In the next update I'll make sure to cover the key developments from the Norway Chess super-tournament, the recently concluded US Championship, and other major events! Max
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