Download PGN of August ’21 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 h4 c5 4 d5 [A45]
Celtic Tigers star IM Klaudia Kulon twice wheeled out 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 h4!? c5 4 d5 at the famous Czech Open in Pardubice.
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After 4...Qb6 5 Nd2 Nxg5 6 hxg5 Qxb2 7 g6!? White was well underway and won a brutal game in Kulon, K - Slovak, K, and 4...h6!? 5 Bf4 d6 (5...Qb6! is the critical line) 6 f3 Nf6 7 e4 was also a pleasant edge at this stage in Kulon, K - Stocek, J, although things soon went badly awry.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...c5 4 e3 a6 [D00]
Sergey Karjakin was twice surprised by 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 in rapid tie-break games at the World Cup. After 3...c5 4 e3 he went in for the solid 4...e6 5 Nb5 Na6 6 c3 Be7 against Vladislav Artemiev before switching to 4...a6 5 Nf3 cxd4 6 exd4 Bg4:
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I’m a little uncertain how Black would have equalised after 7 h3! followed by involving the g-pawn, whereas 7 Be2 Nc6 8 Ne5 Bxe2 9 Nxe2 e6 10 c3 Be7 seemed fine for him in Vachier-Lagrave, M - Karjakin, S, a hard-fought fight where Karjakin displayed great attacking verve in the endgame.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...e6 4 e3 Bb4 [D00]
I’m surprised that most white players aren’t meeting 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 e6 with 4 Nb5, since 4 e3 Bb4 continues to look a little awkward. 5 Nge2 0-0 6 g4?! was certainly a try to mix things up in Omar, N - Yilmaz, M.
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However, after 6...Nxg4! 7 Rg1 Nf6 it’s far from clear that White has anything like sufficient compensation, despite the half-open g-file.
The London: 2...d5 3 Nf3 Bf5 4 e3 e6 5 c4 [D02]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 Bf4 Bf5 is not a new line, of course, but has tended to go in and out of fashion without ever really fully catching on for Black. A critical response is 4 e3 e6 5 c4!? Bxb1 6 Rxb1 Bb4+ 7 Ke2:
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It’s been a couple of years since we last considered this. I suspect Black is fine and he was certainly well prepared en route to a comfortable hold in Abasov, N - Sargsyan, S.
The London: 2...d5 3 Nf3 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Bg4 [D02]
Black has a few tempting and fairly critical approaches after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2, including 5...Bg4 6 c3 e6 7 Qb3 Qc8:
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Now unpinned, White can consider both 8 Ne5 and 8 Nh4, as well as the calm 8 h3 Bh5 9 Be2 which led to quite an instructive manoeuvring battle in Artemiev, V - Gelfand, B.
The London: 2...d5 3 Nf3 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Qb6 [D02]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Qb6!? is an even sharper approach, not least when Black tries to make 6 dxc5 Qxb2 7 Rb1 Qc3 8 Bb5 g6!? work:
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After 9 e4 Wesley So improved over his earlier 9...Bg7? with 9...dxe4 10 Be5 Qa5 which quickly became rather sharp and extremely unclear in the topsy-turvy battle that was Le Quang Liem - So, W.
Let’s hope there are plenty more examples of fighting chess to enjoy next month!
Until then, Richard
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