Download PGN of November ’23 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 h4 [A45]
Meeting 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 with 3 h4!? continues to score fairly well at fast time limits online. We’ll see Jonas Bjerre quickly getting into trouble as Black after allowing the highly thematic pawn sacrifice 3...c5 4 dxc5 Qa5+ 5 Nd2 Nxg5 6 hxg5 Qxc5 (6...g6!) 7 g6!, in contrast to which our main game features the solid main line that is 3...d5 4 Nd2 Bf5 5 Nxe4 Bxe4 6 f3 h6 7 Bf4 Bh7 8 e3 e6 9 Bd3 Bxd3 10 Qxd3 c5:
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We’ve previously focussed our attention on 11 dxc5 here, but White can also maintain the central tension and 11 c3 Nc6 12 Ne2 Bd6 was all pretty natural from both sides and about equal in Cordova, E - Brodsky, D, which quickly descended into attacking chaos.
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 e3 [A45]
The old main line of the Trompowsky is 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 then 4 f3, but here there’s also 4 e3!?, as championed by Baadur Jobava. Jan-Krzysztof Duda recently gave it a whirl to surprise his young Indian opponent, although 4...Qb6 5 Bd3?! arguably took things too far:
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Here Black should be fearless and capture on b2 then a1, whereas 5...Nf6? 6 Nc3 cxd4 7 exd4 left White actively placed and certainly not worse whether or not Black now took on d4 in Duda, JK - Pranav, V.
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 [A45]
Black’s other big response to 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 is, of course, 3...d5 when 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 is all quite standard, unlike then 5...g6!?:
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Stockfish doesn’t mind this slightly provocative fianchetto, which quickly showed its worth after 6 Be5?! f6 7 Bxb8 Rxb8 when Black was at least equal and dynamically placed in Erigaisi, A - Zhalmakhanov, R, where the much higher-rated white player was on the wrong side of a draw.
The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 Nc3 [A45]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 White normally goes 3 e4, 3 Nd2 or 3 Nf3, but 3 Nc3 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 a3!? is an attempt to sidestep the line 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 Nc3 Bb4.
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Can White really get away with giving up a tempo so to prevent ...Bb4? It seems that he can and I would be surprised if Hernandez Guerrero, G - Real Pereyra, J, was the last we heard of this line.
The Trompowsky: 2...d5 3 Bxf6 exf6 4 e3 Be6 5 Ne2 Bd6 6 g3 [D00]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 it makes for a change these days to not consider 3 e3 c5, but 3 Bxf6 exf6 4 e3 Be6 5 Ne2 Bd6 6 g3 Nd7 7 Bg2 c6:
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In this solid line for Black, White has a few options, including 8 Qd3!?, after which he went on to score an instructive win, albeit without first obtaining an opening advantage in Terry, R - Duran Vega, S.
The Torre Attack: 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d5 6 e3 c5 [A48]
I’ve been asked to take a look at the 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5 version of the Torre, where both sides keep coming up with new ideas. We’ll begin with quite a classical response from Black, namely 3...Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d5 6 e3 c5 when 7 Be2 h6 8 Bh4 Ne4!? is an active approach:
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It certainly looks like a reasonable one, with 9 Nxe4 dxe4 10 Nd2 cxd4 11 cxd4 Nc6!? securing decent counterplay in Skoberne, J - Safarli, E.
The Torre Attack: 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d6 6 e4 c5 [A48]
Black’s other main approach after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 is, of course, 5...d6 6 e4 c5 when 7 dxc5 dxc5 8 Bc4 Nc6 9 0-0 Qc7 might be considered the main line:
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Here 10 Qe2 is standard and while 10 a4!? is thematic, it was also backed up by deep preparation in the visually shocking encounter Camacho Collados, J - Hebden, M, where White soon enjoyed a dangerous attack.
Next month we’ll take a look at 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d5!? and I rather suspect that the London may make a reappearance!
Until then, Richard
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