Download PGN of August ’19 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 h4 d5 4 Nd2 Bf5 [A45]
Black’s most solid and, from White’s perspective, most annoying response to 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 h4!? is 3...d5 4 Nd2 Bf5. The young Turkish Grandmaster Cemil Ali Marandi recently tested 5 Nxe4 Bxe4 6 f3 twice:
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We take a look at how he got on in the Turkish Team Championship in Ali Marandi, C - Ozer, O.
The Trompowsky: 2...c5 3 Bxf6 gxf6 4 d5 d6 [A45]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 c5 we examine developments following both 3 Bxf6 and 3 d5 Qb6 4 Nc3, the Vaganian Gambit. The former and then 3...gxf6 4 d5 d6 5 c4 (this now seems like a much more standard set-up than it used to) 5...Bg7 6 Nc3 f5 7 e3 Nd7 8 Qc2 Qa5 9 Bd3 Ne5 10 Nge2 sees White developing quickly and logically:
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However, Black can blow open lines with 10...b5!?, which generated good counter-chances in Hernandez Guerrero, G - Perdomo, L.
The Torre Attack v KID 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 c3 0-0 5 Nbd2 d5 6 e3 [A48]
In Kramnik, V - Svidler, P we cover recent developments after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5, as well as welcoming the temporary return to the board of the 14th world champion. Following 3...Bg7 4 c3 0-0 5 Nbd2 d5 6 e3 Nbd7 7 Be2 0-0 8 0-0 e5 Kramnik settled for 9 Rc1!?:
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The resulting positions are more rich than may at first seem apparent and Svidler soon overplayed his hand.
The Flexible Anti-King’s Indian: 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nbd2 [A48]
I’m not entirely sure what 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nbd2 should be called, but in speed games it has attracted the interest of some strong players of late.
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White angles for 3...Bg7 4 e4 and after 3...d5 4 e3 Bg7 can expand with 5 b4, as we’ll see in Aronian, L - Vachier-Lagrave, M.
The London: 2...Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nd2 Qb6 [D00]
Quite an ambitious choice for Black after 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 is 2...Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nd2 Qb6, intending 6 Qb3 c4 7 Qc2:
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Black has a few options here. He is unable to equalise from what I can see, although 7...g6!? 8 e4 Qd8 wasn’t such a bad try in Edouard, R - Feller, S.
The London, Anti-Nimzo 4 e3 Bd6 5 Bg3 0-0 6 Nbd2 b6 [D02]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 Bf4 e6 4 e3 Bd6 5 Bg3 0-0 6 Nbd2 Black doesn’t have to hurry with ...c5 and 6...b6 7 c3 Bb7 8 Bd3 Nbd7 is most certainly not without its logic:
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9 Qc2 saw White taking control of e4 in Carlsen, M - Aronian, L, where Black was quickly in trouble after hurrying to resolve the central tension.
The Colle-Zukertort: 3...e6 4 Nbd2 c5 5 b3 [D05]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 e3 e6 4 Nbd2 c5 5 b3 b6 6 Bb2 Bb7 7 Bd3 Nbd7 8 0-0 Bd6:
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we’ve only ever considered one approach for White before, namely the direct and dangerous 9 Ne5 0-0 10 f4. However, it’s also possible to play in more positional fashion with 9 dxc5, as we’ll see in Aronian, L - Karjakin, S.
Fingers crossed for more high-level games to bring you again next month.
Until then, Richard
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