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White scores pretty well in this month’s update, although that’s not always due to our favourite opening systems, I have to admit. Look out for Alireza Firouzja continuing to do well at blitz with the Trompowsky, an opening in which we’ll look at a couple of lines which have a definite French Defence air, as well as Magnus Carlsen giving a practical masterclass after erring early on in a Barry Attack.

Download PGN of June ’23 d-Pawn Specials games

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The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 f3 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 e4 [A45]

We actually begin by returning to the relatively rare line 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 e6 when 4 f3 Nf6 5 e4 d5 6 Nc3 reaches the same position as a 3...d5 4 f3 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 e4 move order more commonly does.

Here Black has a fairly wide choice and a decent case was made for the Classical French-like 6...Be7 in Firouzja, A - Jaracz, P.


The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d5 [A45]

The variation 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d5 also has a certain French air, especially if White now goes 6 e5 Qd8 7 Bd3 c5:

This might look all quite natural, but ...Qb6 is coming and it’s not so easy to hold everything together while completing development as White, especially after the overly ambitious 8 Ne2?!, as we’ll see in Quesada Perez, Y - Ahmad, K.


The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 Qd2 [A45]

A major alternative for White after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 is, of course, 5 Nc3 or even 5 Qd2 which can transpose in the event of 5...d6 6 Nc3:

Here 6...g5!? still feels quite critical to me, unlike 6...g6?! 7 f4 which gave White very easy play in Firouzja, A - Oro, F, and do check out the notes to White’s 13th move to see a powerful example of h4-h5 being followed up by Rh4.



The Barry Attack: 5 e3 Bg4 [D00]

Carlsen, M - Lorparizangeneh, S actually began with a 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 e3 Bg7 move order, only for Carlsen to eschew the trendy 5 h4 in favour of 5 Nf3, taking play back into a position which more normally arises via the Barry and 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 Bg7 5 e3.

Here Black does, of course, usually castle, but the Iranian GM preferred 5...Bg4 when White can very much consider both 6 Qd3!? and 6 h3, as well as Carlsen’s simple 6 Be2, after which he eventually won following a few adventures and an excellent practical piece sacrifice.


The Barry Attack: 5 Nb5 [D00]

The fashionable handling of the Barry after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 Bg7 is, of course, not 5 e3, but 5 Nb5 Na6 6 e3 0-0 7 h3:

Here 7...c6 is certainly fairly logical when 8 Na3!? was a new idea for us to consider in Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son-Sasikiran, K.



The London: 2...c5 3 e3 Nc6 4 c3 Nf6 5 Nd2 g6 [D00]

After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 it’s been a while since we examined 2...c5 3 e3 Nc6 4 c3 Nf6 5 Nd2 g6!?, a line which Tony Kosten noted that his Italian Team Championship captain, Loris Cereda, was twice doing pretty well with as Black on the next board.

After 6 Ngf3 Black might consider 6...Qb6, since the 6...Bg7 of Hambleton, A - Bornholdt, J should likely be met by 7 dxc5!, instead of the game’s 7 h3 Qb6.


The London: 3...Nf6 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Qb6 [D02]

A more topical and no less critical line is 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 d5 3 e3 c5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Qb6 when 6 dxc5 Qxb2 7 Rb1 Qc3 8 Bb5 g6!? 9 e4! dxe4 10 Be5 Qa5! 11 0-0! exf3 12 Nc4 Qd8 13 Qxf3 remains a critical piece sacrifice, giving White definite pressure:

The latest evidence suggests though that a well-prepared black player can equalise with 13...Bg4! followed by some further precise defensive play, as we’ll see in Vachier-Lagrave, M - Duda, JK.



Will we have more fascinating piece sacrifices to consider next month?

Until then, Richard

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