Download PGN of August '14 1 d4 d5 games
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Slow Slav 4 e3 Bf5 5 cxd5 cxd5 6 Qb3 Nc6 pawn sac [D10]
Del Rio de Angelis-Altini features 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e3 Bf5 5 cxd5 cxd5 6 Qb3 Nc6, this pawn sacrifice has revitalized the whole line, and now 7 Qxb7 Bd7 8 Qb3 Rb8 9 Qd1 e5 10 dxe5 Nxe5 11 Be2 Bd6 12 Nf3 Qc7 which was suggested by Ruslan:
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However, White's subsequent play casts doubt on the entire setup.
Slow Slav 4...Bg4 5 cxd5 cxd5!? [D11]
Next up is a game of mine, after 4...Bg4 5 cxd5 everybody used to think that 5...Bxf3 was obligatory and that Black is doing fine. The latter is true, but the first might not be so clear. In Dragun - Ragger I played 5...cxd5!? instead:
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The game continued 6 Nc3 e6 7 Qa4+ Nbd7 8 Ne5 a6!, a very important move, threatening to push ...b5 and get rid of the problems along the a4-e8 diagonal.
Slav 4 g3 [D11]
The move 4 g3 has not been covered on ChessPub yet. It is an interesting line, which became prominent through the efforts of GM Alexander Grischuk:
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In Laznicka - Matlakov play continued 5 Ne5! Bf5 6 cxd5 cxd5 7 Nc3 Nc6 and now 8 f3!, the deep idea of GM Alexander Grischuk. White is preventing ...e6 and therefore hampering Black's development.
4...Bf5 and other black options are covered in Melkumyan - Heberla, where White tries to get an improved version of the 4.e3 Slav, when he has the possibility to play e4 in one move, not two.
Main Slav 5...Bf5 6 Ne5 Nbd7 7 Nxc4 Nb6 [D17]
The next game is an interesting theoretical fight between two ChessPublishing authors. Fier - Ragger opened 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5 6 Ne5 Nbd7 7 Nxc4 Nb6 8 Ne5 a5 9 f3 Nfd7 10 Nxd7 Nxd7 11 e4 Bg6 and now 12 Be3, mentioned by Ruslan in the eBook:
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White is better, but Black should try my suggested novelty on move 17.
Schlechter System 6 Be2, 7...dxc4 [D94]
Is it a Grünfeld, or is it a Slav?
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The Schlechter Variation is named after the Austrian World Champion Candidate Karl Schlechter. It became relatively popular due to the simple nature of Black's play. Black can safely develop his pieces and usually doesn't have to fear any big home preparation, though practically all variations are at least a touch more comfortable for White.
Beliavsky - Heberla features a strong and important novelty from White and excellent endgame technique.
Anti-Meran 10 Be2 Bb7 11 e4 [D46]
11 e4 has clearly become the main move in the last two years. In particular, the slightly better endgame after 14...Bg3 has attracted many White players.
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In Khismatullin - Ponkratov Black introduces a novelty, but the Russian grandmaster Denis Khismatullin is very well prepared for it and shows the route to White's advantage.
Anti-Meran 9...e5 [D46]
In Swapnil - Borovikov, following 4 e3 e6 5 Nf3 Nbd7 6 Qc2 Bd6 7 Bd3 O-O 8 O-O dxc4 9 Bxc4 e5 10 Bb3 Black played 10...h6:
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This is quite a rare move. Black wants to stay flexible and keep all his plans open ...Re8, ...Qe7 or ...Qc7.
Best wishes, Markus
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If you have any questions, then please post a message at the 1 d4 d5 Forum, or subscribers can email ruslan@chesspublishing.com.