Download PGN of March ’17 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d6 [A45]
Stefan Kindermann has established himself in recent months as a leading Trompowsky presence and against the solid 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d6 he was initially well prepared with 6 Bd3 g6 7 Ne2 Bg7 8 0-0 e5 9 f4 Qe7 10 f5:
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Aleksandr Fier and Richard Pert both did plenty to put this critical advance on the map, but after 10...Nd7 White should likely avoid the 11 Qb3 gxf5! of Kindermann, S - Eljanov, P.
The Torre Attack: 2...e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 b6 [A46]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 b6 6 Bd3 Bb7 7 0-0 Be7 I continue to quite like 8 c4!?:
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Is this a Queen’s Indian? Well, yes, technically it is, but the line arises much more often from a Torre than a QID move order. In Berkes, F - Narayanan, S, 8...d5 9 Bxf6!? Bxf6 10 cxd5 Bxd5 is new for us, as well as quite sharp.
The Torre Attack v KID: 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 e4 [A48]
For many years now White has met 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 with 5 c3, but is allowing 5 e4 d5 really so bad?
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Well, perhaps not. This month we’ll see developments after both 6 exd5 Nxd5 and 6 Bd3 dxe4 7 Nxe4 Nxe4 8 Bxe4, which is surely fine for Black, but he quickly concedes an edge and is outplayed in Bu Xiangzhi - Gupta, A.
The London System v KID: 2...g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 4 c3 d6 5 h3 0-0 6 Nbd2
Needless to say the London is still a pretty topical opening and we see some developments after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 in Kamsky, G - Kulaots, K. There the leading London practitioner sticks to 4 c3 d6 5 h3 0-0 6 Nbd2:
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I continue to have my doubts that 6...Nbd7 7 e4 e5! is anything for White, but after 6...Nc6 7 e4 Qe8 the Estonian Grandmaster is outplayed in textbook fashion.
The Jobava-Prié Attack v KID [D00]
The Jobava-Prié and London are, of course, closely related and, indeed, 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 g6 continues to be met by 3 Nc3 in recent weeks and months. After 3...d5 4 Qd2 Bg7 White finds himself at a cross-roads:
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5 0-0-0 eventually turns out well in Alekseev, E - Grigoriants, S, but Black was fine out of the opening, so it seems that the critical line is 5 Bh6 0-0 6 Bxg7 Kxg7 7 0-0-0.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...e6 4 Nb5 Na6 [D00]
Via a 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 move order Wesley So preferred 3...e6 4 Nb5 Na6 with 5 a3 c6 6 Nc3 Bd6 7 e3 b6 his idea:
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This position should enable either side to outplay the other and it was initially the much lower-rated player who did the outplaying before being tricked at the death in the PRO League encounter Sheng, J - So, W..
The Barry Attack: 4...c6 5 e3 Nh5 [D00]
Even Magnus Carlsen has followed in Mark Hebden’s footsteps of late, although our main focus this month is the provocative 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 c6 5 e3 Nh5!? 6 Bg5 h6 7 Bh4:
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White hopes for 7...g5 8 Ne5 and 7...Nd7 8 g4!? was a decent-enough novelty in Starostits, I - Efimenko, I, which was another game in which the higher-rated player was a little fortunate to survive.
Until next month, Richard
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