For this month’s update some Saemisch (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0) games caught my attention, both with 6.Be3 and 6.Nge2. Continuing last month’s theme of delayed castling for Black, I conducted some research into the trendy 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 Bg4 line (which is often reached via a 1.Nf3 move order), and discovered that 6.Be2 Bxf3 7.gxf3!? is quite dangerous for Black.

Saemisch
Classical

King’s Indian Defence, Saemisch Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 (E81/E82)

The Saemisch Variation was once considered to be THE way to combat the King’s Indian, though its popularity started to dwindle when the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 c5 became popular, sacrificing a pawn.

Nikita Vitiugov is one player who has kept his faith in the White side, his game against Max Warmerdam (Vitiugov, N – Warmerdam, M) continuing 7.Nge2 Qa5 8.Nc1 cxd4 9.Nb3 Qb6 10.Bxd4 Qd8 11.Be2 Nc6 and now the Vitiugov employed the unusual 12.Bf2.

Some King’s Indian aficionados have tired of the standard 6…c5 and 6…b6 is one of the moves that has attracted their interest. In the game Bin-Suhayl, I – Hebden, M, Black further stirred the pot with 7.Nge2 e6 8.Qd2 Ba6!?, asking White what he wants to do about the c-pawn.

6.Nge2 is a popular alternative for White, looking to play the Benoni position that arises after 6…c5 7.d5 e6 8.Ng3, whilst keeping all his options open with the c1 bishop. Here too Black does not need to play 6…c5 but can instead go 6…a6 7.Be3 Nbd7 and meet 8.Qd2 with 8…b5. This has been covered here before, but since then White has concluded that 9.h4 is his best try. Black then responds with 9…h5

after which 10.cxb5 is probably too risky (Buss, M – Anokhin, Y)

whereas 10.0-0-0 led to a fascinating piece sacrifice that was accepted in Praggnanandhaa, R – Rapport, R and declined in Kong, X – Petkov, M.

Saemisch
Classical

King’s Indian Defence, Classical Variation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 Bg4 (E73)

This line has been quite fashionable of late, often arising via a 1.Nf3 or 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 move order. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 Bg4 Black’s idea is that 6.Be2 is met by 6…Bxf3 7.Bxf3 e5, which has been proving quite reliable. Yet White has an interesting alternative in 7.gxf3, bringing a pawn towards the centre.

Black has tried several ways to combat this approach, but none of them have worked particularly well. In Camallonga, C – Krstulovic, A he tried the direct 7…e5 but the two-bishop endgame that arises is simply better for White, notwithstanding the fact that Black drew in this game.

The other two games feature 7…Nfd7 8.f4, with 8…Nc6 being played in Parvanyan, A – Yoann, R and 8…c5 being Black’s choice in Gorshtein, I – Sedlak, N, and neither of them getting crowned in glory. I tend to think that 8…Nc6 is the more promising approach, but Black has it all to prove.

That’s all for now, see you next month! Nigel