Download PGN of March ’26 Flank Openings games
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Réti, Nimzovich-Larsen Attack: 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Bg4 [A06]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 0-0 6.Nc3!? c5 7.e4:
After 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Bg4 4.e3 e6 5.h3 Bh5 6.d3 in Wirig, A - Pranesh, M, White prepared to exchange Black’s light squared bishop off for a knight. However, after 6...c5?! 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 Nc6:
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he missed a flexible change of plans, playing 9.Nxg6?! instead of 9.Nxc6! Bxc6 10.Nd2 with a stable edge.
Réti, Nimzovich-Larsen Attack: 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Bf5 [A07]
1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Bf5 4.d3 e6 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 h6 8.Nc3!?:
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In Deac, B - Gavrilescu, D, White used this provocative development scheme which seems to come into fashion more and more on the top level. It paid off and White went on to win after Black overextended his centre with ...d4 not exactly at the bst moment.
Réti, Advance Variation: 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 g5 [A09]
After 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4!? g5!? in Van Foreest, J - Gurel, E, White reacted to the flank sacrifice by 4.g3!? After 4...g4 5.Nh4 e5 6.Bg2 Be7 7.Qa4+!?:
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the disorganizing queen check threw Black off balance
Reversed Benoni: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c5 4.c4 e6 5.0-0 d4 [A13]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c5 4.c4 e6 5.0-0 d4 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Bc5 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bxf6 gxf6!?:
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Antova, G - Park, E, saw an interesting creative subvariation of the Reversed Benoni being played. Both sides followed a high level correspondence game, leading to a highly interesting middlegame, until White faltered badly and allowed Black to fully take over the game.
Ré: 3...e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 0-0 6.c4 [A14]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 0-0 6.c4!? c5 7.Ne5!?:
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Vitaliy Bernadskiy played a creative interpretation of the Ré, but Black was up to the task and showed a very good response: 7...a6!, preparing to challenge White’s pawn chain with ...b5. Black even got chances of taking over the advantage at one point until the game ended in a pretty fair draw, see Bernadskiy, V - Saydaliev, S
Pseudo Grünfeld: 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4 [A16]
The game Samadov, R - Alizada, P was a reminder of the need for thorough preparation and move-by move precision in sharp variations. In a sharp cutting-edge Anti-Grunfeld line, Black stepped right under the razor with one wrong move in the early phase of the game: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4 Bg7 6.h5 Nc6 7.d4 Bf5 8.Rh4 Bf6 9.g4 Bxh4 10.gxf5 e6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Bh3:
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12...Kf7? 13.Ne4! Re8 14.Qd2! and Qd2-h6 led to Black’s rapid, inevitable demise.
Symmetrical Four Knights 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.d4 [A34]
b>1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 dxc4 7.Be3N:
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This somewhat unexpected novelty, played in Donchenko, A - Gelfand, B, opens a new chapter in the history of this old variation, where countless games have so far continued into the equal endgame after 7.Nxc6.
Pure Symmetrical English: 5...d6 6.0-0 Be6 [A37]
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 Be6!?:
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In Mardov, D - Antipov, M, Mikhail Antipov used his rare pet line in this well-known variation to great effect. I conclude that the line, although still obscure, is very well worth playing and investigating.
Until next month, Lukasz.
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