Download PGN of May '05 1 d4 d5 games
Chebanenko System [D15]
Rustemov - Sakaev: In this game the players continued the discussion of the piece sacrifice introduced by Levon Aronian at the Aeroflot Open 2005:
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Black came up with a new idea at move 12 but it seems that it failed to solve his problems. White's space advantage and strong Q-side pawns should have promised him the better chances but in a position with a piece less any inaccurate move could be fatal...
Khenkin - Motylev: In most cases Black achieved good play after Dreev's 6. c5, he does not wait for White's Q-side play but is doing something there himself. Here Alexander Motylev came up with an interesting pawn sacrifice, which helped him to break White's Q-side plans and achieve excellent counter chances.
Aronian - Volkov: In the Russian team championship Levon Aronian scored an excellent 7,5 out of 9. Here is his technical victory over one of the main Chebanenko experts. In such closed positions with doubled f-pawns White has recently scored well and this game is a good example of how.
Mainline Slav [D17]
Ivanchuk - Gelfand: Boris Gelfand introduced a good novelty on move 19 in a popular line of the Morozevich Variation and quickly achieved a winning position against Vassily Ivanchuk!
QGA [D20 - D29]
Riazantsev - Rublevsky: Recently Sergei Rublevsky suffered two painful defeats in the mainline so he decided to change his approach a bit and returned to the more common option. Then he introduced a novelty on move 19 and achieved excellent play for the sacrificed pawn:
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Unfortuntely, later a rather unexpected mistake led to big problems and only heroic defence allowed him to save half a point.
Moscow Gambit [D43]
Khalifman - Kobalia: A principled battle between two experts of the Anti-Moscow Gambit. After interesting and enterprising play from both sides Black achieved a good position but then he went astray and was smashed in style.
Onischuk - Lastin: Alexander Onischuk introduced a small but interesting innovation on move 18 in the deep line, in which White had recently failed to give Black any problems:
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He quickly achieved a tangible advantage but then underestimated Black's counter chances and was smashed. However it seems that Black should analyse the c-pawn advance instead of the central push he employed in the game.
Sakaev - Potkin: Konstantin Sakaev proved White's superiority in a typical Moscow Variation position. Black should have tried to advance his c-pawn more quickly, as Alexei Dreev usually does, but anyway White's strategy of breaking Black's position from two sides is worth studying.
Geller - Galkin: Alexander Galkin came up with a less popular, but more active and interesting approach, and slowly outplayed his opponent in the same line where Black was suffering in the game Sakaev - Potkin/RUS-chT Sochi 2005.
I've received some questions from our readers so in June I am going to answer the most interesting of them.
Ruslan
If you have any questions, then please post a message at the 1 d4 d5 Forum, or subscribers can email me at ruslan@chesspublishing.com.