Download PGN of December '08 1 d4 d5 games
Strange Defences [D08]
Nielsen - Rasmussen: It seems that Peter-Heine Nielsen almost refuted one of Black's main options in the Albin Counter Gambit here. A series of precise moves helped White to already achieve a decisive advantage by move 13!
Chebanenko System [D15]
Maslak - Potkin: White's setup to counter the Chebanenko here is becoming popular these days. Here Black was not well prepared, and his Q-side action turned out to be fatal for his own king.
QGA [D20]
David - Rozentalis: Here Black was punished for his unexpectedly passive play in the opening.
Ivanisevic - Sedlak: Black chose a rare line in the QGA but White's reaction took him by surprise and caused a series of dubious moves, which led to a quick disaster.
Marshall Gambit [D31]
Van Wely - Gustafsson: Jan Gustafsson had an easy day since Loek van Wely mixed up the ideas in a sharp Bronstein Gambit:
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Here 13 Bf3? lost the c-pawn.
Tarrasch Defence [D32]
Mamedyarov - Genba: A very surprising defeat for the top player - perhaps he was not sufficiently motivated by the level of the event.
Anti-Meran [D45]
Sasikiran - Erdos: In this game White found a clever way to convert his lead in development into a crushing attack ... with his opponent's help.
Vallejo Pons - Roiz: Here Black introduced an interesting novelty 8...b5!?:
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but two inaccurate moves which followed gave White good attacking chances.
Rustemov - Lastin: It seems that White should be more active while playing the Latvian Bayonet. Supporting the g-pawn by h2-h3 gives Black some good options and one of them worked out well in this game - White already found himself lost by move 15:
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Mamedyarov - Nepomniachtchi: Mamedyarov played a sharp line which was popular in the 1990's. Nepomniachtchi rejected the gift and came up with a rare option, which is known to be suspicious, having probably prepared some ideas. However, the surprising novelty which followed took him by surprise and he failed to offer tough resistance. Yet it should be mentioned that White's energetic play is not so easy to parry even with more accurate defence.
Catalan [E04]
Ovetchkin - Tolstikh: A series of routine moves led Black to a quick disaster in a seemingly harmless endgame.
Ruslan
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