Download PGN of June ’17 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 e4 c5 4 Nd2 [A45]
The gambit 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 Nd2 h6 4 Bh4 c5 5 e4!? has been fairly topical of late and it transpires that White might also try to reach it via 3 e4 c5 4 Nd2!? h6 (4..cxd4, and if 5 e5 Qa5 must be critical) 5 Bh4:
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Black’s latest try is to decline with 5...d5, but after 6 e5 g5 7 Bg3 Ne4!? he shouldn’t have managed to equalise in Chigaev, M - Safarli, E.
The Trompowsky: 2...d5 [D00]
As we’ve seen on several occasions of late, 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 is becoming something of a problem for the Trompowsky player. 3 Nd2 and if 3...c6 4 e3 is a simple approach:
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Of course, Black shouldn’t go 4...e6?!, but even a 2380-rated player did of late, accepting the subsequent loss of time with ...c6-c5. This isn’t theoretically relevant, but Ivanisevic, I - Saraci, N is a game which all club players interested in either this line or how to handle the Torre Attack should enjoy.
Likewise, 3 e3 c5 4 Nd2 has seen a few outings of late and after 4...Nc6 5 c3 Black finds himself at a cross-roads:
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5...Bg4 is perhaps simplest, whereas 5...Qb6 6 Qc2 cxd4 7 exd4 e5 likely asked too much from Black’s position in Vitiugov, N - Nguyen, T.
The Veresov Attack: 3...Bf5 4 f3 [D01]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 3 Nc3 hasn’t been too topical of late, whether with this or a pure Veresov move order, but there are developments to consider this month after both the critical 3...c5 and 3...Bf5 4 f3 h6 5 Bh4:
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Here 5...c6 has been the most topical choice and should be OK for Black, whereas 5...e6?! 6 e4 Bh7 felt a little too submissive in Ponkratov, P - Druska, J.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...e6 4 e3 Bd6 [D00]
Baadur Jobava hasn’t touched this of late, shifting his focus towards more fertile, new territories, but 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 was employed twice by the world champion in the Norway Chess blitz tournament and thrice by Richard Rapport during the Zalakaros Open. One of Black’s better defences is 3...e6 4 e3 Bd6 5 Nf3:
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Here he can trade on f4 or go 5...0-0 6 Bd3 and then 6...c5, whereas the copycat 6...Nc6?! didn’t seem too impressive in Rapport, R - Horvath, J, a most striking game which was decided by some brutal pawn power.
The Colle Opening: 3...c5 4 Nbd2 [D04]
One of the problems for the Colle player has long been 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c5. There are a few options here, as we’ll see, but Vladimir Kramnik has tried 4 Nbd2!? in two blitz games of late:
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In response Black should continue to hold back on ...e6, preferring either 4...Nc6, as Boris Gelfand did, or 4...cxd4 5 exd4 Nc6 6 c3 Qc7 7 Bd3 Bg4, which quickly turned out rather well in Abdulla, A - Xu Yi.
The Colle Opening: 3...e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 0-0 [D05]
After 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 White tends to push either his c- or b-pawn, partly just to avoid 5 0-0 c4 6 Be2 b5 7 b3 Bb7:
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This certainly gives Black a lot of space and even after 8 Nc3!? he has a couple of decent options, no matter how quickly matters went wrong for him in Kramnik, V - Giri, A.
Will we see any more of the elite slaughtered by the Colle next month? Until then, Richard
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