Download PGN of January '07 1 d4 d5 games
Main Slav [D16-19]
Johannessen - L'Ami: theory of the Morozevich Variation with 12...g5 is constantly developing. In this game Black got his counterplay in time and so White had to force a draw by perpetual. However, it should be mentioned that all 32 moves had already been mentioned by Boris Gelfand in his analysis.
Van Wely - Timman: Loek Van Wely comes up with an improvement over the recent game Topalov - Kramnik/WCh (m/2) Elista 2006 here:
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He prevented the closure of the Q-side and eventually managed to exploit his opponent's weaknesses by playing 17 a5!. Black could have defended better but White's chances seem preferable anyway.
Vienna Variation [D39]
Khmelniker - Khenkin: Igor Khenkin came up with a good novelty later in this sharp line:
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it helped Black to solve all his problems and even to get some hopes of an advantage.
Riazantsev - Sorokin: Black played a rare continuation and comfortably solved Black's opening problems but it seems that White could still maintain a small advantage with more precise play.
Botvinnik Variation [D44]
Riazantsev - Geller: Black played a rare but interesting option here, 16...Ba6:
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Logical play led to a very sharp endgame with many passed pawns, in which Black seemed fine. However, the players decided to stop and look for an improvement at home - actually it concerns White in the first instance...
Vallejo Pons - Perez Candelario: The Botvinnik Variation with the inclusion of a2-a4 and ...Bf8-b4 has recently started gaining some popularity. Here Francisco Vallejo Pons came up with an improvement over one of his own games, in which he faced the same position from the other side of the board. White managed to get somewhat the better chances but it seems that Black can still play the line.
Meran and Anti-Meran [D45-49]
Drozdovskij - Korobov: Yuri Drozdovskij comfortably outplayed his opponent here in a slow Anti-Meran set-up - Black has to look for a more precise approach.
Bareev - Bruzon Bautista: Lazaro Bruzon went into a position which I supposed to be rather suspicious in my comments to the game Topalov - Kramnik/WCh (m/4) Elista 2006, where, in the following position, Black captures on e4, and then on h2:
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The course of the game shows that Kramnik was probably right to avoid this, and his second successfully converted the advantage...
Ruslan
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