Download PGN of June ’19 1 d4 d5 2 c4 games
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Slow Slav 6...Be4 7.f3 Bg6 8.Qb3 Qc7 [D12]
In the Slow Slav with 6...Be4, 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Be4 7.f3 Bg6 8.Qb3 Qc7 9.Bd2 Be7 has gradually morphed into the main line:
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If White takes on d5, Black can recapture with the c-pawn and develop with ...Nc6. In Vidit, S - Shankland, S White played the flexible and common 10.g3. Shankland went for 10...a6!? Black avoids castling for now and keeps open the possibility of ...Nc6. In general, ...a6 is a useful move in various positions.
Chebanenko Variation 5.e3 Bf5 6.Ne5 [D15]
In the Chebanenko with 5.e3 Bf5, 6.Ne5 is a tricky line. After the obligatory moves 6...Nbd7 7.Qb3 Qc7 8.cxd5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 cxd5 11.Bd2 Qxe5 used to considered bad, but times change. Then 12.Rc1 Bd7 reaches a position which Shankland had with Black himself recently:
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In Shankland, S - Bogner, S the American was certainly inspired by Gelfand’s idea 13.Qb6!? but Black had done his homework.
Queen's Gambit Accepted 7.b3 [D27]
For a QGA player 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 c5 7.b3 is a bit of an annoying line, but Nakamura seems to have found a reliable way to equalize. 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Be7!? is not the most ambitious, but the QGA is an equalizing opening. 9.Bb2 0-0 10.Nd2 b5 11.Be2 Bb7 12.Bf3 and now Ding Liren - Nakamura, H saw 12...Ra7!?:
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Also possible is 12...Nd5 but as Nakamura has played the text move twice, I believe we can trust it!
Blackburne QGD 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5, 10...Re8 [D37]
5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.a3 Nc6 9.Qc2 Qa5 10.Rd1 Re8 11.Nd2 e5 12.Bg5 Nd4 13.Qb1 Bf5 14.Bd3 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Ne4 This all looks confusing if you have not seen it before, but it's popular at high levels. This game shows that there is still danger lurking. 16.Nxd5 Nxg5 17.b4 Qd8 18.bxc5 Nde6 reaches a known position:
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In Caruana, F - Nakamura, H Fabiano came up with 19.Qf5!? A new move which is likely designed to test the opponent's memory. Unfortunately for Hikaru, he did not recall all of the details.
Catalan Opening Mainline 4...Be7, 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 [E05]
7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 c6!? is a relatively new line, which seems quite solid for Black. After 12.a4 Nbd7 13.Nc3 Bg6 14.Nh4 is a natural enough move, but Black seems fine:
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After 14...Bh5! Vidit, S - Wang Hao saw White play 15.h3. This is the engine's top choice, but that may be because everything else is worse!
Catalan Opening Mainline 4...Be7, 7.Qc2 b5 [E05]
7.Qc2 b5 is a risky line. After 8.a4 b4 9.Nfd2 Nd5!? is very uncommon:
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Clearly this is preparation, and the fact that the computer does not like it makes it all the more dangerous! After 10.Nxc4 c5 (another rare move) 11.dxc5 the World Champion came up with the novelty 11...Ba6 in Ding Liren - Carlsen, M. Again, the computer is horrified...at first.
Catalan Opening Mainline 4...Be7, 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Nxc6 [E05]
The line with 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Nxc6 is kind of fun, but White's interest has been slowing down. 8...bxc6 9.Na3 Bxa3 10.bxa3 Ba6 11.Qd2 Rb8 12.Qa5 Rb6 13.a4 Qd6 is a well-known position:
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In Mamedyarov, S - So, W White played 14.a3!?N which at least has the virtue of preventing ...Qb4. This should not change much, but in the game the American GM blundered almost immediately.
Catalan Opening 4...Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.Nc3 dxc4 7.Ne5 [E06]
Caruana’s idea 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.Nc3!? dxc4 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxc6 Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Qa4 c5 12.dxc5 Qxc5 13.Be3 Qc7 14.0-0-0 has received some attention:
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In Gupta, A - Praggnanandhaa, R Black tried 14...a5. This is a reasonable move. Black needs a real plan though. The danger for Black is that the position stabilizes with White having the better structure.
David.
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