*Attention visitors from the USCF and Chess Life Magazine: due to an oversight the wrong URL for the sample update was published in the magazine. You can find that sample here*
Download PGN of June '15 d-Pawn Specials games
>> Previous Update >>
The Trompowsky 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 [A45]
We begin with a couple of curiosities after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5. Firstly, can White really get away with 2...c5 3 d5 Ne4 4 Bc1? It seems not. However, 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 remains in good health (or 2...c5 3 d5 Ne4 4 Bf4), and after 3...d5 4 e3 White should welcome any attempt by Black to become creative with 4...g6:
             |
Following 5 Bd3 Nd6!? 6 Nf3 Bg7 7 Nbd2 it was hard not to feel that White had quite a reasonable version of the London in Le Roux-Battaglini.
More usually Black prefers 4...c5 and after 5 Bd3 Jonathan Hawkins has developed a reluctance for the solid 5...Nf6. His latest try was 5...cxd4 6 exd4 Qb6!?, reaching after 7 Bxe4 dxe4 8 Nc3 Nc6 9 Nge2 Bg4 a position which can also come about via 6...Nc6:
|
|
Here White should either castle or try 10 Be3!?, but unfortunately one of my ChessPub colleagues couldn't resist the pawn on e4 and was suffering before eventually even pressing with rook and bishop against rook in Smerdon - Hawkins.
The Tromp 2...d5 3 e3 [D03]
After 2...d5 quite a trendy line continues to be 3 e3 c5, but there's also nothing wrong with the more solid 3...c6. However, after 4 Bd3 Black should really not head into a bad version of the Torre with 4...Nbd7 5 Nf3 e6?!. White was quick to put the extra tempo after ...c6-c5 to good use, winning a sparkling, attacking game in Gretarsson - Sigfusson.
The Torre Attack 3...c5 4 c3 b6 5 e4 [A47]
Actually, initially we remain in Torre-Tromp hybrid waters with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 c3 b6 5 e4 h6 6 Bxf6 Qxf6:
|
|
This can come about from a few possible move orders, but in all cases the combination of ...h6 and ...b6 doesn't seem overly optimal, as we'll see in Cramling - Hejazipour.
The Torre Attack 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 b6 [A46]
More main line-type play occurs after 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 b6 6 Bd3 Bb7 7 0-0 Be7 8 Nbd2 d6 9 c3 0-0:
|
|
Here 10 a4!? is worth a try as 10...Nbd7?! 11 a5 is quite a nice edge, although strangely the experienced grandmaster soon squanders it before eventually winning in Cifuentes Parada-Dias.
The Torre Attack 3...h6 4 Bh4 g5 5 Bg3 Nh5 [A46]
A more combative approach from Black is 3...h6 and after 4 Bh4 g5 5 Bg3 we've only previously examined the knight leap to e4. 5...Nh5 is, of course, pretty similar, but Black soon becomes too ambitious in Kiewra - Hernandez, where the rising non-teenage American star gives an excellent interpretation of White's chances for many moves.
The Barry Attack 6 Be2 Bf5!? [D00]
Finally, we take a look at the latest after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 Bg7 5 e3 0-0. Nogueiras might have recently tried 6 h3, but I don't buy it. Instead, 6 Be2 Bf5!? is new to us:
|
|
Play normally transposes to one of the main lines after 7 Ne5 c5 8 0-0 Nc6, but the provocative 7...Ne4!? is also possible, as we'll see in Hungaski - Troff.
Until next month, Richard
>> Previous Update >>