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We’ve much to enjoy this month, but I must begin by congratulating ChessPublishing supremo, Tony, on his fine double gold medal (team and individual) winning performance at the World Senior Team Championship in Krakow earlier this month! Great stuff. Tony stuck with his favourite 1 c4 and 1 Nf3, but plenty of the elite have been playing our favourite lines this month and we’ll see two crushing wins with the Trompowsky for Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

Download PGN of July ’24 d-Pawn Specials games

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The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 Ne4 [A45]

We begin with the English Championship, won after a dramatic play-off by former ChessPub contributor Gawain Jones. In Hebden, M - Jones, G, 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 3 e3 Ne4 4 Bf4 Bf5 looked quite solid from Black before Gawain livened things up with 5 Nd2 e6 6 Bd3 g5!?:

This quickly led to the structure becoming unbalanced and Black went on to triumph in a fairly wild encounter.


The Trompowsky: 2...d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 [D00]

Sticking with the solid 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 after 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 both Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh have tested 5 Bb5+ of late and then 5...Bd7 (5...Nc6 is a little more combative) 6 Bxd7+ Nxd7 7 Ne2:

This feels fairly pleasant for White, solid and objectively fine though Black must be and only a tactical oversight prevented Black from likely winning in Praggnanandhaa, R - Ding Liren.


The Trompowsky: 2...d5 3 Nd2 c5 [D00]

I believe that my Trompowsky repertoire work may finally be published this autumn (after more updating!), where against 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 I recommend 3 Nd2!?, and if 3...c5 4 dxc5 e6 cover a few options, including the critical 5 e4!? Bxc5 6 e5 Qb6! 7 exf6! Bxf2+ 8 Ke2:

Already the board is on fire. Chances should be about equal, but Black quickly lost his way in Praggnanandhaa, R - Giri, A.



The London System: 2...e6 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 Nc6 [A46]

After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Black doesn’t have to go 5...d5 and 5...h6!? has been a bit trendy at a high level over the past year or so.

Black gets ready to meet 6 c3 with 6...Nh5, so White opted for the critical looking 6 Nc4!? d5 7 Nce5 in Abdusattorov, N - Maghsoodloo, P, following up in impressive AlphaZero fashion.


The London System: 2...e6 3 Bf4 Be7 [A46]

The Uzbek no.1 has also had to face 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4 Be7!? in recent months. Black’s idea is 4 e3 Nh5, going straight after the London bishop:

Perhaps White should prefer 4 h3 as here 5 Bg3 d6 6 c4 Nd7 7 Nc3 0-0 8 Qc2 g6!? seemed quite comfortable for Black who was even quickly for choice after 9 0-0-0 a6 10 Kb1 b5! in Abdusattorov, N - Caruana, F.


The London System: 2...Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 e6 5 Nd2 Nc6 6 Bd3 Bd6 [D00]

After 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 e6 5 Nd2 Nc6 6 Bd3 Bd6 White doesn’t have to retreat to g3 and 7 Bxd6 Qxd6 8 f4 is quite a critical line, where 8...cxd4 9 cxd4 Bd7!? was a new approach for us to consider in Gukesh, D - Vachier-Lagrave, M.

Black’s ambitious idea was 10 a3 h6!? 11 Ngf3 g5!? and he went on to win a brutal miniature.


The London: 2...Nf6 3 Nf3 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Bg4 [D02]

After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 d5 3 e3 c5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Black has a few options, including 5...Bg4 6 c3 e6 7 Qb3 Qc8 8 h3 Bh5 9 Be2 Be7:

We’ve seen this solid-looking line before, but not 10 g4!? which Firouzja wheeled out twice in Norway, including in Firouzja, A - Ding Liren.



Let’s hope we have more elite games to enjoy too next month!

Until then, Richard

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