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The Trompowsky 2...e6 3 Nd2 [A45]
One tends to assume that 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 Nd2 will take play into Torre waters. It usually does, but 3...h6 4 Bh4 c5 5 e4!? is an intriguing independent option promoted in Playing the Trompowsky:
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We've examined it before, but not 5...cxd4 6 e5 g5 7 Bg3 Nd5 8 h4 Nc6, which can't be so bad, although Black soon finds his queen offside and is slaughtered in Rahman - Fedorchuk.
Tromp 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 [A45]
Another continuation which Richard Pert has done much to promote is 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d6 6 Bd3 e5 7 Ne2 g6 8 0-0 Bg7 9 f4 Qe7 10 f5!?. After 10...Nd7 11 fxg6 fxg6 12 Nd2 a mini-tabiya is reached:
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It seems that White is slightly better here, but 12...Bf6!? followed by the prudent plan of walking the king to g7 didn't turn out too badly for Black in Delchev - Kohlweyer.
The Neo-London System 2...c5 3 dxc5!? [A45]
The critical test of the 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 move order is 2...c5. Rapport tried 3 dxc5!? back at Wijk and an Israeli Grandmaster repeated it in Nabaty - Loncar. Black is fine after 3...Na6 and 3...Qa5+ 4 Qd2 Qxc5 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 may also be playable:
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I quite like White, with the position rather resembling 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 f3 Nf6 5 dxc5 Qa5+ 6 Nc3 Qxc5 7 e4, but here he hasn't got f3 in and so 6...g6 may be an OK version of the Dragon for Black.
The London Anti-Nimzo 8...Qe7 9 Ne5 Nd7 [D02]
It's amazing that even after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4 quite unexplored ways for both sides to handle the position are being investigated. Two are presented in the notes to Kamsky - Shankland, where the American no.2 sticks to his favourite 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 move order. Last month I suggested that Kamsky likely hadn't studied Eric's excellent London analysis, but he is at least au fait with one of his major finds. After 2...d5 3 e3 e6 4 Nd2 c5 5 c3 Nc6 6 Ngf3 Bd6 7 Bg3 why isn't Black any longer supposed to go 7...0-0 8 Bd3 Qe7 9 Ne5 Nd7?
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Shankland certainly didn't know, but I hope that most ChessPub subscribers do.
The Torre Attack with ...e6 and ...c5, 4 e3 [A46]
Fresh waters are also being trawled after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5, such as 3...c5 4 e3 h6 5 Bxf6!? Qxf6 6 Nbd2:
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I can't promise that this leads to any advantage, but it might catch out a well booked-up opponent and should suit those with a bit of Torre and Trompowsky experience. We take a look in Piorun - Andreev where, incidentally, White's winning run in this update unfortunately comes to an end.
Torre v KID 2...g6 [A48]
A much more furrowed line is 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d6 6 e4 c5 7 dxc5 dxc5 8 Bc4:
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This was covered a fair bit by Aaron, but hasn't been seen so much of late. Black should be OK and, indeed, White must be quite precise with his move order if he wants to set any problems. He wasn't in Kolev - Nedev and don't skip the early notes there for I've taken a look at an enterprising new idea from the world champion.
The Jobava-Prié Attack 3...g6 [D01]
It wouldn't be a 2014 update without some coverage of 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 would it? 3...g6 may look a bit like waving a red rag at a bull in view of 4 Qd2 Bg7 5 Bh6, but Black may have enough counterplay after 5...0-0 6 Bxg7 Kxg7 7 0-0-0 c5:
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White can grab the d-pawn with 8 dxc5 Qa5 9 Nxd5, but that is pretty risky as it gives up a2 - see Cabrera - Dvirnyy.
The Colle will have to make a reappearance next month! Until then, Richard
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