Download PGN of July '15 1 d4 d5 2 c4 games
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Slow Slav Main Line 4...Bg4 [D11]
Our first game, Meier - So, is from the recent Dortmund super-tournament, where Meier went for 10.g5 in the main line - a move new to the site:
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In the game Black went for 10...Ng8 and Meier obtained an opening advantage with logical strategic play (keeping h5 in reserve), but I think 10...Ne4 is fine for Black; I also cover White's other 10th move options and 9.h4, but you'll need to be a subscriber to enjoy those goodies! Anyway, Black seems in good shape in the main line, in case you're willing to risk entering the 5.h3 Bh5 6.g4 system I advocated in a recent update.
Exchange Slav with 6...Nh5 [D13]
One of the main fears that can put a club player off the Slav is the prospect of the Exchange Variation, which has a bit of a boring reputation if White plays an early Nf3. However, I've analysed some unbalancing options in Rakhmanov - Najer and concluded that 6...Nh5! Is the best line if you want to play for a win:
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I don't see any way to obtain a hint of an advantage after this move, although Rakhmanov's 7.Be5 worked well after Najer mistimed the weakening ...f6, which Black can do without. I've also analysed 6...Ne4 but after a closer analysis I can't recommend it.
The Slow QGD 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 [D30]
I couldn't come up with a name for the somewhat trendy way to avoid theory with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.e3, so I called it the 'Slow QGD'! But despite its innocuous impression, Black has to be careful not to be move ordered into another opening:
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I explain all the move order points in Nakamura - Anand, and while this system won't give White an advantage against normal play, it is a very safe option and we can safely say there are no variations analysed out to a forced draw (yet)!
QGD Blackburne 4...Nbd7 [D37]
In a previous update I mentioned I wasn't a big fan of 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 because of 5.Bf4!, but after doing some homework I've concluded that Black is actually fine here if he plays 5...Bb4! as in Andreikin - Bruzon from the recent Capablanca Memorial:
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Although White won the game, Black should have gone for the ...Ne4/...g5 setups (which incidentally can transpose to a trendy line of the Ragozin - with many options for White avoided). I've demonstrated that Black is holding his own in all lines and it's unlikely your opponents will be ready for 4...Nbd7 - which isn't very trendy but offers a lot of move order tricks, especially if White plays 5.Bg5 (as I've explained before).
Semi-Tarrasch with 6.a3 [D40]
In Koneru - Adhiban, White went for the Semi-Tarrasch, which is considered quite harmless by theory, but as it's new to ChessPublishing I've gone into a lot of detail and concluded that White has good chances of an edge against all but the most accurate opening play by Black, and like with the 4.e3 line before, White doesn't risk anything.
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In the diagram above I'd recommend playing 8...Ba7 rather than Adhiban's 8...Bd6 - for the full details you'll just have to play through the game!
Anti-Moscow with 6...g5 7.Bg3 Ne4 [D43]
It used to be assumed that in the Anti-Moscow, Black had to accept the sacrifice, but in Vachier Lagrave-Carlsen, the World Number One played a rare line with 6...g5 7.Bg3 Ne4, which is reminiscent of certain lines of the Ragozin:
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The computer rates White's chances very highly at first, but the positions are not the sort engines fully comprehend and I haven't found anything that would put me off this as Black. The critical lines definitely start with 8.e3 Nxg3 9.hxg3 Bg7 and from here my analyses will serve as a good starting point for your own investigations!
Anti-Meran Semi-Slav Main Line [D46]
We started with a main line and it's time to finish with a main line - here we will see a nice game So - Navara where Wesley showed the advantage of surprising the opponent with a relative sideline, 12.Ng5:
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Essentially, White's alternatives to 12.e4 are harmless if Black is prepared, but Navara didn't react in the best way and So won a very nice game. I'm pretty sure I'll return to 12.e4 at a later stage, when a few more high-level games have been played (currently 11...Rc8 is more trendy than 11...a5, so we'll see!)
OK, that's all for this month - I hope you found my analyses as useful as I found them in the recent Oceania Zonal, where I used my ideas published here to help me win a few games :) Max
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