Download PGN of May ’18 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 f3 [A45]
After 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 Peter Svidler recently plumped for 3...c5, as we’ll see, but the solid 3...d5 4 f3 Nf6 5 e4 e6 was preferred in Alarcon Casellas, R - Gonzalez Zamora, J:
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Black declines the pawn and following 6 e5 Nfd7 7 Be3 c5 8 c3 Nc6 reaches a rather French-like position. I don’t mind taking White here, but Black too has his trumps and those queenside trumps soon give him the upper hand after some overly ambitious play from White.
The Trompowsky: 2...c5 3 Nc3 [A45]
Meeting the uncompromising 2 Bg5 c5 with 3 Nc3 is equally uncompromising and after 3...cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qh4 we discuss developments in both the main line with 5...e6 and 5...d6 6 0-0-0 Qa5!? 7 e4 Be6:
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Black’s play is admirably direct and currently the ball is in White’s court, at least if he wants to prove an advantage, as we’ll see in Barbero Sendic, A - Asis Gargatagli, H.
The London System: 2...e6 3 Bf4 Bd6 [A46]
We round up some recent developments in the ‘Queen’s Indian’ lines of the London, i.e. 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4, this month in Sedlak, N - Markovic, M, the most striking of which are Daniel Fernandez’s 3...Be7 4 e3 Nh5!? and 3...Bd6!?:
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This is certainly quite radical, but the acclaimed London expert didn’t initially find it easy to prove an advantage as White ahead of launching a violent attack which only came up just short after Sedlak missed a deadly quiet move.
The London System: 2...g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 4 e3 0-0 5 Be2 d5 [D02]
The older handling of 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 g6 is, of course, 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 e3 when double fianchetto lines remain popular for Black, while 4...0-0 5 Be2 d5 6 h3 c5 7 c3 would be rather classical play from both sides:
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Here too a fianchetto is possible and 7...b6 8 a4 Nc6 9 Nbd2 Nd7! 10 Nbd2 Bb7 seems fine for Black who quickly gave up a pawn for the bishop-pair and activity in Altini, N - Dvirnyy, D.
The London: 2 Bf4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 e3 Bg7 5 h4 [D00]
Finally we come on to the aforementioned modern interpretation of the London, namely 2 Bf4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 e3 Bg7 5 h4!?. After 5...0-0 6 h5...
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...Subscribers should know by now what move Black should play and what he shouldn’t do. Piorun, K - Szczurek, K is a graphic example of the latter.
The Jobava-Prié Attack: 3...e6 4 Nb5 [D00]
After 1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bf4 e6 White has mainly been preferring 4 Nb5 to 4 e3 of late. Play often continues 4...Na6 (4...Bb4+ is a decent alternative) 5 e3 Be7 6 Nf3 0-0:
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White should avoid 7 c3 Nh5 and despite a fine creative recovery job, I wasn’t too impressed by 7 Ne5 in Paikidze, N - Zatonskih, A, so 7 h3 should likely be preferred.
The Colle-Zukertort mainline 8...cxd4 [D05]
We haven’t considered the Colle-Zukertort for a few months, but it retains several loyal adherents and 3...e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 b3 Nc6 6 Bb2 Bd6 7 0-0 0-0 8 Nbd2 can still be considered the main line:
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The critical moves for Black are 8...b6 and Tony’s 8...Qe7 9 Ne5 Qc7, whereas 8...cxd4 9 exd4 b6 10 a3 Bb7 11 Qe2 gives White a grip on e5, although after 11...Ne7! Black was still able to defend in Tomashevsky, E - Schroder, J-C.
Will we see more Londons when the elite return to action in Norway later this month?
Until next time, Richard
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