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The Trompowsky 2...g6 3 Bxf6 exf6 4 c4 d5!? [A45]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 g6 3 Bxf6 exf6 4 c4 d5 doesn't have the best of reputations, but is actually quite a solid choice. After 5 cxd5 Qxd5 6 Nc3 Qd8 7 e3 c6 8 Bc4 (White can also fianchetto) 8...Bd6 9 Nf3 0-0 10 0-0 the position resembles the 2...d5 3 Bxf6 exf6 line:
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Just as there, White struggles slightly for a good plan and Andreikin - Grischuk was most certainly not without its instructive moments.
The Trompowsky 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 d5 [A45]
A somewhat sharper line is 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 d5 Qb6 5 Nd2:
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This retains a few adherents, but after 5...Qxb2 6 Nxe4 Qb4+ 7 c3 Qxe4 8 e3 e6 9 dxe6 Qxe6 I can't believe that White should ever have more than enough compensation. Indeed, in Swapnil - Girish his grip on d5 offsets Black's extra pawn, with a draw always looking the most likely result.
The Trompowsky 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 [A45]
Its back to solidity with 3...d5 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 Nf6 in Romanov - Harika, where White introduces a Jobava-Prié-like touch with 6 Nc3!?:
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This may not lead to an advantage, but certainly deserves attention and after 6...a6 7 dxc5 Nc6 8 Na4!? Nd7 Romanov might have seized the upper hand with the correct break, 9 e4! and not his 9 c4.
The Neo-London System 2 Bf4 c5 3 e3 Qb6 4 Nc3 [A45]
Even here we see an early development of the queen's knight to c3 with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 c5 3 e3 Qb6 4 Nc3 under the microscope in Meister - Vovk:
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After 4...Qxb2 5 Nb5 Nd5 an early draw beckons, but Black can also play for more with 4...a6!? and, indeed, Vovk soon found himself a piece up! As for white players who want to persist with the trendy 2 Bf4 move order, they are really best advised to meet 2...c5 with 3 d5.
The London System v KID with ...g6 [A48]
Kamsky's opponents tend to prefer 2...g6 and this was also seen in another game from the Andreikin - Grischuk ICC blitz final, which continued 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 e3 0-0 5 h3 c5 6 c3 cxd4 7 exd4 d6 8 Be2 Nc6 9 0-0 Be6 10 Nbd2 Qb6:
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Black is fairly active, but after 11 Qb1 White can hope to gradually push his pieces back and has decent chances for an edge from what I can see.
The Barry Attack [D00]
Yes, two 2700s meet in a Barry, albeit one which began 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 (the London) 2...g6 3 Nc3 d5 (now it's a Jobava-Prié) 4 e3 Bg7 5 Be2 (we'll also take a look at the immediate 5 h4) 5...c6 6 h4 h6 7 Nf3:
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Here 7...Qb6 might well be the most awkward for White, since it took Black a fair while to equalise after 7...Qa5 in Eljanov - Radjabov.
Jobava-Prié Attack 3...e6 4 e3 Bd6 [D00]
It seemed only fitting to end by exploring other recent developments after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4. As far as I can see, there are currently two major problems for White: 3...c5 and 3...e6 4 e3 Bd6:
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White tends to play for a grip on e5, but 5 Nf3 Bxf4 6 exf4 0-0 7 Bd3 b6 followed by ...c5 was just very comfortable for Black in Cordova - Kovalyov.
Will we saw more developments of the bishop to g5 or f4 next month?
Until next month, Richard
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