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Download PGN of May '15 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky 2...d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 5 dxc5 [D00]
We begin with a further look at the topical 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 5 dxc5 e6 6 Nf3 Bxc5:
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Here 7 Be2 was Adams-Kramnik, but one can also make a good case for 7 c4!?, as we'll see in Ipatov - Alsina Leal.
The Jobava-Prié Attack [D00]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 continues to be wheeled out by Jobava and is still gaining adherents. In Bortnyk - Kislinsky we examine both 3...c5 and the slower 3...a6, with White winning an instructive game after a bold queenside expansion.
Then in Demidov - Panarin 3...Bf5 and 3...e6 come under the microscope, with the latter followed by 4 e3 Bb4 5 Bd3 c5 6 dxc5 Nbd7 7 Nge2 0-0! the main focus:
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White does have reasonable chances of emerging with a nibble, but objectively Black should be fine after his accurate last.
The Barry Attack 6...c5 7 Ne5 [D00]
Eugenio Torre keeps on wheeling out 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4, so the Barry is clearly not yet defunct. After 4...Bg7 5 e3 0-0 6 Be2 c5 7 Ne5 one might have thought that everyone knew to go 7...Nc6. However, 7...b6?! 8 h4 Bb7 9 h5 Nbd7 was seen in a recent game between two pretty reasonable players:
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Amazingly in Medina - Espinosa Veloz White had to agree to a draw after just another seven moves, but could you do any better?
The Neo-London System 2...c5, 6 Qc2 Bf5? 7 Qxf5! [D00]
One attraction of the 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 move order is the trap 2...c5 3 e3 Nc6 4 c3 Qb6 5 Qb3 c4 6 Qc2 Bf5? 7 Qxf5! Qxb2 8 Qxd5 Qxa1 9 Qb5 0-0-0:
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What's the star follow-up though? Amazingly White didn't know in Kamsky - Reshetnikov and was left badly red-faced after 10 Nf3?? Rd5!. Equally amazingly, though, the American star still won.
The Veresov 3...Nbd7 4 f3 h6 [D01]
If further evidence was needed that meeting 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bg5 Nbd7 with 4 f3 is no longer hugely advisable, take a look at 4...h6 5 Bh4 c5 6 dxc5!? (6 e4 is somewhat more prudent) 6...e6 7 b4 b6 8 c6 Ne5 9 b5?:
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Of course, this is critical, but it simply doesn't work due to 9...Bb4 10 Qd4 Nc4, after which White was extremely fortunate to eventually win a dramatic encounter in Dimitrov - Arnaudov.
The Trompowsky 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 f3 Qa5+ [A45]
I'm jumping around a little here, but by letting 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 top and tail this update, we can see another example of the need to know a bit of theory. After 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 f3 Qa5+ 5 c3 Nf6 6 d5 Qb6 7 Bc1 e6 White, of course, faces a major choice:
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Here 8 c4 can be met by 8...exd5 9 cxd5 c4!?, so the modern interpretation is 8 e4 when 8...exd5 9 exd5 c4? is no longer advisable, as we'll see in Damljanovic - Ristic.
Try not to forget your theory in any sharp lines of your d-pawn repertoire!
Until next month, Richard
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