Download PGN of October ’22 d-Pawn Specials games
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bh4 d5 4 f3 [A45]
In practice, a common reaction to 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bh4!? is 3...d5, rather than the critical 3...g5 and 3...c5, and after 4 f3 White has good chances of obtaining the advantage:
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Here the knight really should go back to f6 as 4...Nd6?! 5 Nc3 just continues to look too ambitious from Black, as we’ll see in Varga, C - Ilinic, Z.
The Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 c5 [A45]
It’s been great to see both Alireza Firouzja and Richard Rapport wheeling out 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 of late. The latter had to face the solid sideline 3...e6, the former was up against 3...d5 and after 4 e3 c5 opted for 5 f3!? Nf6 6 Nc3:
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This leaves White a tempo up on a line of the Jobava-Prié and might be closely compared with Mamedyarov-Harikrishna below. I’m just not convinced here that the inclusion of f2-f3 is so great for White and 6...a6! seemed fine for Black at this stage in Firouzja, A - Gascon Del Nogal, J.
The Trompowsky: 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 e5 [A45]
The strong English amateur Alan Walton has a huge amount of experience in his beloved Trompowsky, but still appeared surprised by 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 e5!?:
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This was, of course, Carlsen’s recent choice against Duda and White didn’t really obtain much after 6 dxe5 (6 Bc4!) 6...Qxe5 in Walton, A - Maciol, R.
The London: 2...c5 3 d5 d6 [A45]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 a critical test is very much still 2...c5 when we’ll examine Gata Mr London Kamsky’s latest games with 3 e3. The main alternative is 3 d5 when 3...d6 4 Nc3 e5 5 Bd2 e4 continues to hold up well enough for Black:
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Here 6 e3 a6 7 a4 Qe7 was new and seemed quite comfortable for Black in a key game from the President of Uzbekistan Open, Naiditsch, A - Vakhidov, J.
The London: 2...g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 [A45]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 most Jobava-Prié practitioners go 4 e4 and take on the Pirc, but 4 e3 0-0 5 h4!? is also possible:
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This looks rather crude, but actual carries some danger and 5...h6? already allowed White a strong idea in Bortnyk, O - Gubajdullin, A. Can you spot what that concept might be?
The Jobava-Prié: 3...c5 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 Bg4 [D00]
1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 Nf6 3 Nc3 c5 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 Bg4!? isn’t one of the main lines of the Jobava-Prié, but this then 6 f3 Bd7! seems like a decent enough line for Black:
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Mamedyarov tried 7 g4!? and eventually won a complex struggle in Mamedyarov, S - Harikrishna, P, but not due to obtaining any opening advantage.
The London: 2...g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 e3 0-0 5 Be2 d5 6 0-0 c5 7 c3 [D02]
1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 c3 g6 4 Bf4 Bg7 5 e3 0-0 was a rather unusual move order to reach what is sometimes referred to as the London versus the Grünfeld and after 6 Be2 c5 7 0-0 Nc6 8 Nbd2 it’s hard not to like Black’s attempt to exploit the omission of h2-h3 with 8...Nh5!?:
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The early stages turned out well enough for Black before his overambition was punished in Abdusattorov, N - Mamedyarov, S.
Will we have more Mamedyarov encounters to enjoy next month?
Until then, Richard
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