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The October update shows some interesting novelties at a very top level. Kramnik's heavy blow in a rare Botvinnik line and Carlsen's stunning novelty in the slow Meran are most important!

Download PGN of October '08 1 d4 d5 games


Chebanenko System [D10]

Mamedyarov - Ivanchuk: Very creative play from the beginning. Ivanchuk came up with an interesting novelty in a rare line, 10...Nfd7!?:

This temporary pawn sac gave him decent counterplay. Nevertheless, Mamedyarov was able to maintain the better chances but all his strong attempts to get anything more substantial led nowhere due to his opponent's wonderful play in defence.



Main Slav Variation [D16]

Shirov - Svidler: A transposition from the Slav to the QGA with an extra tempo for White is not such a rare guest in tournament practice these days. Black gets a solid position and White should play very precisely to achieve anything substantial. In this game Svidler almost equalised but then missed a tactical shot and found himself in a difficult rook ending.



QGA [D27]

Bacrot - Dominguez: A sharp line which was popular some years ago was tested in this game. Dominquez came up with a rare approach for Black, but Bacrot was equal to the task. A series of energetic moves connected with a temporary piece sacrifice gave him the initiative in the ending, which he converted into a full point with excellent play. It seems that Black's problems are still unsolved in this variation.



QGD - Ragozin System [D38]

Van Wely- Mamedyarov: White's routine play in the opening gave Black a good opportunity to deviate from the main Ragozin lines and achieve comfortable play. Soon the game transposed into a very complicated and sharp ending where a draw was the most likely result, but Van Wely eventually went wrong.



Botvinnik Variation [D44]

Kramnik - Carlsen: This game is not new but somehow I managed to miss Kramnik's brilliant novelty, 14 axb5!:

which gives Black serious problems in the whole line!

Postny - Nikolov: Evgeny Postny followed Kramnik's footsteps (above) and achieved a comfortable edge. The novelty which followed was good enough to maintain the advantage when Black suddenly blundered.



Anti-Meran [D45]

Morozevich - Kramnik: Kramnik's ambitious choice in a sharp line of the Latvian Bayonet came as a real surprise since it's rather suspicious from a strategical point of view:

On the other hand, Morozevich was on his favourite ground and this certainly played its role. The position was still rather unclear but very unbalanced and Black was unable to keep everything under proper control.



Meran Variation [D46-47]

Werle - Michiels: A rare line in the Meran led to a quick disaster for Black. However, White's piece sacrifice was not the most promising way to fight for an advantage.

Carlsen - Aronian: A fantastic novelty by Magnus Carlsen brought him a deserved victory. White's second pawn sacrifice in a well-known position, 15 d5!? came as a shock:

He certainly got excellent compensation but it's still too early to make any definite conclusion as Black has some possible options, which have to be studied more thoroughly.



Lasker Defence [D56]

Aronian - Jakovenko: Dmitry Jakovenko successfully neutralised White's rare set-up with a series of energetic and precise moves. It seems that White has to concentrate on the main line if he wants to fight for an advantage in Lasker's Defence.



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.