Download PGN of May ’19 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 [A45]
Of course, White almost always meets 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 with 4 f3 or 4 d5, but wanting as ever to go his own way, Baadur Jobava tried 4 e3 Qb6 5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 bxc3:
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This is a bit ugly, but does lead to a fresh position and one where White was able to exploit the b-file before actually being outdone in the creativity and calculational stage. Jobava, B - Smirin, I is only 14 moves long, but still extremely exciting.
The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d6 [A45]
Last month we saw White trying 6 Bc4 after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d6. This time we investigate developments after the traditional development, 6 Bd3, as well as 6 Nd2 g6 7 Bc4!?, which forces both sides into some early precision:
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The game soon became a classic battle between the f-file and White’s light-square play against Black’s solidity and bishop-pair in Dragun, K - Gabuzyan, H.
The Torre Attack: 2...e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 e3 Nc6 5 c3 [A46]
Tuvsanna, N - Lu Shanglei is something of a major upset, and one where White most certainly didn’t get lucky. One wonders if Lu was to regret mixing things up with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 e3 cxd4 6 exd4 h6 7 Bh4 g5!? 8 Bg3 Ne4:
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My suspicion is that this asks too much of Black’s position and he was certainly quickly in trouble in the game.
The Torre v KID: 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 [A48]
We round up a number of developments after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 in Lemos, D - Hillarp Persson, T, including seeing Alexei Shirov following in Danny Gormally’s footsteps with 4...0-0 5 e4 d5 6 exd5 Nxd5 7 Nb3!?. Instead, 4...d6 5 c3 Nbd7 6 e3 h6 7 Bh4 0-0 8 Bd3 e5 9 0-0 Qe8 10 e4 reaches a important tabiya:
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The creative Swedish Grandmaster came well prepared and 10...Nh5 11 Re1 Nf4!? looked like a good piece of preparation.
The London: 2...g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 e3 Bg7 5 h4 [A45]
The modern London with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 e3 Bg7 5 h4 continues to remain topical, unlike, most notably, 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4. In recent months White has struggled a little after 5...h5, as we’ll see, while also investigating 5...c6 6 Be2 Qb6:
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The pressure against b2 interferes with White’s aim of castling long, but both 7 a3!? and the 7 Rb1 of Ansell, S - Adair, J are far from unacceptable for him.
The London: 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bf4 [A47]
Gata Kamsky sticks with his preferred move order of 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 e6 3 e3 b6 4 Nf3 Bb7 5 Nbd2 Be7 6 h3 0-0 7 Bd3 c5 8 0-0 in Kamsky, G - Nozdrachev, V:
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Do note how he how has avoided touching the c-pawn and that soon finds itself not on c3, but c4 as White goes on to win an instructive encounter.
The Barry Attack: 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 Bg7 5 e3 0-0 [D00]
Partly due to the modern handling of the London, as in Ansell-Adair, 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 Bg7 5 e3 0-0 hasn’t been too popular of late and when it is seen, White often tries 6 Nb5. He preferred the older 6 Be2 c5 7 dxc5 in Gaprindashvili, V - Asadli, V:
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Now 7...Nbd7 is critical when I’m still not convinced by 8 Nb5?! due to 8...a6, as well as the 8...Nxc5 of the game.
Will the 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 version of the London see a resurgence of interest soon? If it does, we’ll have to cover it!
Until next month, Richard
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