Download PGN of November ’25 Flank Openings games
>> Previous Update >>
Réti, KIA 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 b5 [A07]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 b5!?:
             |
In Theodorou, N - Mamedyarov, S, Black chose the early space-gaining queenside pawn advance against the King’s Indian Attack. After White tried to exploit the move order with an early e2-e4 thrust, Black demonstrated a clearly defined idea of how to equalize: 5.d3 Be7 6.e4 dxe4 7.dxe4 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bb7 9.Nd4 Bxe4 10.Nxb5 Na6 11.N1c3 Bxg2 12.Kxg2 0-0 13.Nd4 Nb8!:
|
|
Black defends the vulnerable squares with a 'knight dance' and White is left at a loss for an opening advantage.
Réti Opening 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nd7 [A07]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nd7 4.h3 Bh5 5.0-0 c6 6.d3 Ngf6 7.c4 Bxf3 8.exf3!?:
|
|
The world champion used the fashionable e-pawn recapture idea in a little-known version, avoiding the dry main line, with success in Gukesh, D - Movsesian, S.
Réti Opening 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 3.d4 [A07/D02]
Three highly theoretically relevant games were played in this system last month, two in the World Youth Championship, and one in the European Team Championship. After 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 Black threatens to play ...e7-e5, so White can either allow this, play 3.c4 or the logical 3.d4 as recommended by Delmuth, for example. Following 3...Bf5 4.Bg2 Nb4 5.Na3 e6:
|
|
Akhlevdiani, I - Parkhov, Y saw White going for active play before even castling with the following sequence: 6.c3 Nc6 7.Qb3 Rb8 8.Nh4 Bg4 9.e4 dxe4 10.Bxe4 Be7 11.Nc4 Bxh4 12.gxh4 Nf6 13.Bg5 Qd7:
|
|
But now White lost the whole momentum with 14.Bg2? instead of the correct 14.Bxf6!
The other two games continued with 6.0-0, and Black took different paths. 6...Nc6!? 7.Nh4!? in Samadov, R - Olenik Campa, R, White reacted to the threat to a3 with a threat to f5. After 7...Bxa3 8.Nxf5 exf5 9.bxa3 Na5! Black was trying to clamp down on White’s light-squares, but White demonstarted a brilliant resource in the fight for the initiative: 10.g4!:
|
|
In Campos Gomes, M - Piliposyan, R, Black prevented the Nh4 sorties with 6...Be7 and after 7.c3 Nc6 8.Qa4, he sacrificed a pawn on c6 in order to accelarate his development and played a new move later on: 8...Nf6!? 9.Ne5 0-0 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Qxc6 Rb8 12.Qa4 Re8!?N:
|
|
The novelty offered Black full compensation and an interesting game.
Réti 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.c4 e6 5.cxd5 [A11]
This is the only rapid game in our selection. I decided it was worthy of its place here because it was a top-level clash between the world number 1 and the world champion.
After 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.c4 e6 5.cxd5 Bxf3 6.Bxf3 cxd5 both sides carried out the well-known developing and manoeuvring moves 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d4 Nf6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.e3 0-0 11.Bd2 Rc8 12.Qe2 Ne8 13.Rfc1 Nd6 14.Be1 Qd7 15.Qd1 f5 16.Be2 Ne4. in Carlsen, M - Gukesh, D White only deviated from the trodden paths here with the logical novelty 17.Na4N:
|
|
Magnus Carlsen won a nice technical game, but the improvement for Black is quite clear, making the theoretical verdict of fully adequate play for Black unchanged.
Mikenas-Carls Variation 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e5 d4 6.exf6 dxc3 [A18]
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e5 d4 6.exf6 dxc3 7.Bb5+ Nc6:
|
|
Levon Aronian employed one of his trusted equalizing variations for Black, but fell under pressure before the game petered out to a draw after White’s missed opportunity in Oparin, G - Aronian, L.
Symmetrical Four Knights 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 [A34]
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.g3 g6 7.h4 h6 8.d4!?N:
|
|
The new move led to a direct clash in the centre and an interesting game in which boths sides followed accurate paths, ultimately making the game fade out to a draw in Anton Guijarro, D - Leko, P.
Until next month, Lukasz.
>> Previous Update >>
To contact the author please go to the Flank Openings Forum, or subscribers can write directly to Support@chesspublishing.com.