Download PGN of March ’22 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 Bf5 [A45]
We begin, though, with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5. Why? Well the position after 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 Bf5 5 f3 Nf6 6 g4!? Bg6 7 h4 has certain similarities with one of the main lines of the Jobava-Prié:
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Here White’s queen’s knight doesn’t have to be bound for c3, of course, and he enjoyed definite chances for an edge in Smith, A - Sylvan, J.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...e6 4 Nb5 Bb4+ [D00]
One of Black’s most important defences to 1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bf4 is the classical 3...e6 when White faces a choice. 4 Nb5!? was seen in the aforementioned Niemann, H - Anton Guijarro, D, where 4...Bb4!? (we’ll also examine developments after Black’s main move, 4...Na6) 5 c3 Ba5 6 e3 a6 7 Na3 0-0 8 Nf3 Nbd7 9 Be2 Ne4!? was seen:
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Here I rather like Niemann’s calm 10 Nb1!, improving the worst-placed piece and after 10...g5 11 Bg3 h5 12 Bd3!? things quickly kicked off on the kingside.
The Jobava-Prié: 3...e6 4 e3 Bb4 [D00]
The alternative is that typical Jobava-Prié move 4 e3 when at club level Black often puts his bishop on e7 or d6, QGD style, but 4...Bb4 is critical:
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Here we have developments after both 5 Nge2 and 5 Bd3 to consider and I certainly don’t like the 5...c5 6 a3? of Musat, A - Moore, N.
The Jobava-Prié: 3...c5 4 e4 [D00]
An arguably even more critical line is 1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bf4 c5 when 4 e4!? has recently attracted the attention of both Niemann and Mamedyarov.
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After 4...dxe4 Niemann has made a decent case for 5 dxc5 (5 d5 would be the Morris Countergambit, which also arises after 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 e4!? dxe4 4 d5 Nf6 5 Nc3), and we’ll see him quickly exploiting White’s lead in development after 4...cxd4 5 Qxd4 Nc6 6 Bb5 in Niemann, H - Rodchenkov, S.
Black has more often preferred 4...Nxe4 5 Nxe4 dxe4 when 6 dxc5 lets him choose between an early exchange of queens and 6...Qa5+ 7 c3 Qxc5 8 Qa4+ Nc6 9 Qxe4 Bf5:
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I had thought Black was fine here, but Mamedyarov, S - Praggnanandhaa, R suggests that matters aren’t so simple for him.
The Jobava-Prié: 3...e6 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 a6 [D00]
White can also meet 3...c5 with 4 e3 when 4...cxd4 5 exd4 a6 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Ne5 is the critical line:
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Here Black should go 7...Bd7!, not 7...Bf5?! 8 g4!, as occurred in Cabarkapa, N - Stanojevic, I.
The Jobava-Prié: 3...Bf5 4 f3 e6 5 g4 Bg6 6 h4 [D00]
Finally, we come to 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 Bf5, a popular choice at lower levels, if no longer so much at grandmaster ones. Why? Well, 4 f3 e6 5 g4 Bg6 6 h4 is just a lot of extra space for White:
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Black should be OK here, but he does need to be fairly precise, as we’ll see in Zaragatski, I - Reichmann, H.
Will there be an more important Jobava-Priés to consider next month? Until then, enjoy following the Charity Cup and especially the Berlin Grand Prix!
Richard
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