Download PGN of May ’23 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 f3 Nf6 5 Nc3 [A45]
Our opening encounter sees 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 f3 Nf6 5 Nc3 Bf5 6 g4! Bg6 7 h4 h6 8 Bd3 Bxd3 9 Qxd3:
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This is, of course, a Jobava-Prié with an extra tempo for White (Bg5-f4 has taken two moves, ...Nf6-e4-f6 three), and, as such, fans of that opening should also pay special attention. White’s space advantage is a handy asset and he makes good use of it en route to gradually suffocating Black of any real activity in Firouzja, A - Arat, U.
The Torre: 3...h6 4 Bh4 d5 5 e3 Be7 6 Bd3 b6 7 Nbd2 Bb7 8 Qe2 [D03]
The Trompowsky player can be quite subtle as to when to enter definite Torre waters after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 Nd2. Here 3...h6 4 Bh4 d5 5 e3 Be7 6 Bd3 b6 was all quite sensible from Black in Hansen, E - Loiacono, A, where 7 Qe2!? Nbd7 8 Ngf3 finally took play into the Torre proper:
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After 8...Nbd7 White produced a blitz move if ever there was one in 9 0-0-0?!, leaving himself objectively worse after the game’s 9...c5! 10 c3 c4! before he quickly won a pawn and ultimately prevailed in a wild struggle.
The Torre: 3...h6 4 Bh4 c5 5 c3 [A46]
After the conventional Torre move order 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 we take a look at a line that can occur both with and without ...h6; Bh4 inserted, namely 3...h6 4 Bh4 c5 5 c3!? Qb6:
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Here Eric and the majority of Torre players’ instinct has been to go 6 Qb3, but a living legend preferred to retain the queens with 6 Qc2 in Ivanchuk, I - Santos Latasa, J.
The Torre vs KID: 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d6 6 e4 c5 [A48]
Vladimir Kramnik might be retired from classical play, but he is still a pretty active speed chess player and full of small wrinkles in slightly offbeat lines. One of those is 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d6 6 e4 c5 7 d5!?, as he twice wheeled out in the strong Satty Zhuldyz Rapid and Blitz event, held in Astana at the same time as the world championship match.
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Kramnik’s play has already gained imitators, strong ones at that, and it’s not clear to me that Black can definitely equalise after the 7...e6 8 Bc4!? h6 9 Bxf6! Qxf6 10 dxe6 of Kramnik, V - Sindarov, J, very solid though he was after 10...Bxe6!.
The Torre vs KID: 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 e4 [A48]
Danny Gormally’s win over Alex Fier at Hastings 2017/18 helped to make 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 e4 d5 6 exd5 Nxd5 7 Nb3!? trendy for a while. It’s fallen out of fashion, but was still seen in Jumabayev, R - Tiglon, B, where 7...h6 8 Bd2 Bg4 9 Be2 felt all a bit like a strange type of Alekhine or Scandinavian if you prefer:
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Black continued to play against d4 and on the dark squares, but didn’t equalise until White underestimated the need to exchange knights on d4.
The London: 2...Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 e6 6 c3 Nh5 [D02]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 e3 c5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 Black can already consider all of 5...Nh5, 5...e6 6 c3 cxd4 7 exd4 Nh5, as originally popularised by Wesley So, and 5...e6 6 c3 Nh5. We examine the latest trends in the last of those lines this month, with 7 Bg5 f6 8 Bh4 g6 9 Be2 cxd4 10 Nxd4!? Ng7 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 e4 seen in Vachier-Lagrave, M - So, W.
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White has the more compact pawns and a lead in development, but lacks an especially good and aggressive plan, while Black has a long-term trump in his extra central pawn. This game from the recent Superbet Classic isn’t the most riveting in this update, but does show that Black doesn’t face any problems in this line.
The Reversed Slav: 3 c3 c5 4 dxc5 [D02]
Last month we enjoyed two games from the world championship match and this month we get to see the first game of its rapid play-off where 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 c3 likely came as a surprise. After 3...c5 4 dxc5 e6 there was possibly another in the shape of 5 Be3!?:
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This has been a pet line of both Luca Moroni and Nihal Sarin, and while Black may have been relieved at not reaching another Carlsbad structure, he did fail to equalise in Ding Liren - Nepomniachtchi, I.
We’ll ideally have more games from the elite to enjoy next month too.
Until then, Richard
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