Download PGN of October ’24 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 5 dxc5 Nc6 [D00]
We begin with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 and then the modern main line that is 2...d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 5 dxc5. After 5...Nc6 with Nakamura’s 6 a3!? e6 7 b4 a5 8 Nd2 Black appeared caught out in Vaishali, R - Assaubayeva, B:
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Here Black should liquidate the queenside, not allow White to consolidate with 8...f5?! 9 Rb1 axb4 10 axb4 Bg7 11 Bb5, which left the talented young Kazakh IM in some trouble.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...c5 4 e4 dxe4 5 dxc5 [D00]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 c5 4 e4 dxe4 it’s become established that White can do much better than 5 d5, namely by preferring 5 dxc5!:
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Black has a few options here, which we discuss this month and of which the worst is 5...Qxd1+? 6 Rxd1 Bg4 when 7 f3!? exf3 8 Nxf3 Bxf3?! 9 gxf3 a6? was already a decisive mistake in Murzin, V - Bjerre, J.
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Can you spot White’s deadly blow?
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...c5 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 a6 [D00]
Via a 1 Nc3 d5 2 d4 Nf6 3 Bf4 c5 move order, the same position arose in no less an encounter than Firouzja, A - Anand, V, where White opted for the more restrained 4 e3 and after 4...cxd4 5 exd4 we consider two moves this month: 5...Bg4 6 Be2 Bxe2 7 Ncxe2!, after which Tan Zhongyi was quick to make use of her favourite Nc1-d3 manoeuvre, and Anand’s 5...a6 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 h3 Bxf3 8 Qxf3 Nc6 9 0-0-0 e6:
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Here 10 g4!? remains thematic and led to Firouzja gaining a large advantage when Anand rather castled into White’s attack.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...e6 4 e3 Bd6 [D00]
Another route into the Jobava-Prié is 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 e6 3 e3 d5 4 Nc3 when 4...Bd6 5 Qf3!? is a fairly important trend:
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The main idea is revealed after 5...0-0 6 g4!, which is very aggressive and also possibly slightly better for White, as we’ll see in Wei Yi - Vidit, SG, which quickly became something of a slugfest.
The Barry Attack: 4...Bg7 5 h4 h5 6 e3 [D00]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 g6 4 e3 Bg7 5 h4 is, of course, another variation of the Jobava-Prié, if one which after 5...h5 6 Nf3 should really be considered as a line of the Barry, into which play has transposed. After 6...0-0 7 Ne5 c5 8 Qd2 Nc6 quite a critical position is reached:
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This would be a standard Barry had h2-h4 and ...h5 not been inserted, and I was asked by a subscriber if White was OK here. White is certainly OK, although I prefer going 9 f3!? to 9 0-0-0, and after 9...Qa5 (we also take a good look at the alternatives), suggest either 10 dxc5 or 10 Bb5!?, since 10 0-0-0?! Nd7! was a good novelty from Black, who quickly won a brutal encounter in Fraser-Mitchell, J - Clark, G. This all-English clash was from the World Senior Team Championship in Krakow back in July, but I hope you’ll forgive me for including it: Black gets in a ...Rxb2 sacrifice and FM Gary Clark plays for Charlton CC, a suburb of London!
The London: 3...c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Nh5!? [D02]
It’s back to the Global Chess League to see the very modern line that is 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Nh5!?. White really needs to go 6 Bg5 h6 7 Bh4 g5 8 Ne5! when 8...Nxe5 9 dxe5 Ng7 10 Bg3 Qb6!? was quite possibly preparation in Abdusattorov, N - Wei Yi.
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Here 11 Qf3?! Be6 12 0-0-0 might well have encouraged Black to advance Harry, the h-pawn, so probably 11 c4! is the critical move.
The London: 3...e6 4 e3 Bd6 5 Ne5 [D02]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 Bd6 White’s most aggressive choice is 5 Ne5 when after 5...0-0 6 Bd3!? (possibly a better move order than the common 6 Nd2) 6...c5 7 c3 Black has a choice: 7...Nc6 8 Nd2 Qc7 is fairly critical, 7...b6 8 Nd2 Ba6 9 Bxa6 Nxa6 a simpler approach:
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This was seen in Erigaisi, A - Stefansson, H, where one of the stars of the Olympiad uncorked 10 h4!?, quickly obtaining a clear plus. And what’s this game got to do with the capital city of the UK? Don’t forget that the opening was a London!
Will we have more London Systems or games played in London to consider next month?
Until then, Richard
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