Download PGN of January ’22 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...g6 3 Bxf6 exf6 4 e3 [A45]
It’s not one of the main lines after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5, but 2...g6 has always been around and retains a certain following. 3 Bxf6 exf6 4 e3 should be met by a switch of approach and 4...d5, if you ask me, but 4...Bg7 5 c4 f5 6 Nc3 d6 7 g3 0-0 8 Bg2 c6 9 Nge2 was seen in Assaubayeva, B - Balajayeva, K.
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Black normally develops the knight to d7 in such structures and 9...Na6?! 10 0-0 Rb8 11 a3 simply looked rather nice for White in the game.
The Trompowsky: 2...c5 3 d5 d6 [A45]
It would be fascinating to know how Shakhriyar Mamedyarov would have met 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 c5 3 d5 Ne4 (OK, probably with 4 Bf4, which remains in decent health), but 3...d6 4 Nc3 h6 5 Bxf6 exf6 6 e4 g6 was an independent option seen in Mamedyarov, S - Cheparinov, I, where 7 Bd3 Bg7 8 Nge2!? was a notable method of development:
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This doesn’t race the king’s knight towards c4, but does make it harder for Black to break with ...f5 while also leaving White’s f-pawn free to advance. Mamedyarov was quickly pleasantly for choice and went on to ultimately record a comprehensive victory.
The Trompowsky: 2...d5 3 Nd2 c5 [D00]
Sticking with the Azeri no.1’s adventures with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5, after 2...d5 he tried 3 Nd2, facing both 3...Bf5 and the critical 3...c5 in Warsaw. The latter saw Mamedyarov score two victories after 4 dxc5 Qa5 5 Nf3:
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One was against Carlsen no less, but we’ll focus on Mamedyarov, S - Indjic, A, where 5...e6? might have been punished by simply 6 Bxf6 gxf6 7 c3 Qxc5 8 e4.
The Torre Attack: 3...e6 4 e3 Be7 5 Bd3 c5 6 c3 0-0 7 Nbd2 b6 [D03]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 3 Nd2 was also how Karjakin, S - Janik, I began, but there 3...e6 4 e3 Be7 5 Bd3 b6 6 c3 c5 7 Ngf3 (this looks like a position where 7 f4!? might very much be deployed) 7...0-0 8 Ne5 took play into a fairly important Torre position:
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For my money Black has castled prematurely. He may still be only slightly worse after 8...Nfd7!, whereas 8...Bb7?! 9 Bxf6!? Bxf6 10 f4 Ba6 11 Bc2! quickly saw Karjakin launching a powerful attack.
The London: 2...g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 e3 c5 [A48]
We’ve never considered ...Qb6 ideas in the King’s Indian lines as early as 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 4 e3 c5 5 c3 Qb6!?, but this was seen in a battle at the World Blitz between two creative types, Jumabayev, R - Rapport, R.
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White countered in typical fashion with 6 Qb3, but after 6...d6 I’m not totally sold on 7 Bb5+!? and only Rapport, if anyone, was better by the time the middlegame began.
The London: 3...e6 4 e3 c5 5 c3 Nc6 6 Nbd2 Bd6 7 Bg3 0-0 8 Bd3 b6 [D02]
A rather important modern line, namely 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 Bd6 5 Nbd2 c5 6 c3 Nc6 7 Bg3 0-0 8 Bd3 b6 9 Qe2 Bb7 was seen in Abdusattorov, N - Oparin, G, where 10 e4!? Be7 11 e5 Nh5 12 Ng5!? was a shocking new idea for us to consider:
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The concept actually belongs to Ernesto Inarkiev from the previous World Blitz (Moscow, 2019), and while the engines aren’t completely sold on it, White does appear to obtain fairly attractive compensation after 12...Bxg5 13 Qxh5 g6 14 Qe2 cxd4 15 h4!.
The London: 3...c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Bg4 [D02]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 d5 3 e3 c5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Bg4 6 c3 cxd4 7 exd4 e6 8 Qb3 is another quite important and topical enough modern tabiya:
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Objectively, perhaps 8...Qc8, as we’ve previously focussed on, is correct, but 8...Bd6!? 9 Qxb7 Bxf4 10 Qxc6+ Kf8 must be tempting, especially at a faster time control. There probably isn’t quite enough compensation after 11 Ne5!, but White didn’t find that and was quickly in some trouble in the brutal encounter that was Aronian, L - Abdusattorov, N.
Will we see more teenage success with or against our favourite weapons next month?
Until then, Richard
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