Download PGN of January ’22 French games
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Advance Variation, Hector Gambit 5...Qb6 6 Bd3 cxd4 7 0-0 Bd7 8 Re1 Bd7 9 h4 [C02]
Ever since it was recommended in Gawain Jones’ Coffeehouse Repertoire book (and given a boost by Carlsen), we’ve seen a steady stream of games with the gambit 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Qb6 6 Bd3 cxd4 7 0-0, which Jones calls the Hector Gambit. the sequence 7...Bd7 8 Re1 Bd7 9 h4 Rc8 10 h5 h6 has become one of the main lines:
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Hector himself was involved in a recent battle and chose 11 Nbd2 in this position, but 11 Bc2 and Jones’ preference 11 a3 are equally interesting, as given in the notes. The game, Hector, J - Hansen, Lars, Malmo 2021, was roughly equal until Black played inaccurately and allowed a powerful attack.
The straightforward defense with 9...Nf5 leads to 10 Bxf5 exf5 11 cxd4 Be6 12 Nc3, which can’t be too bad for Black but gives White a slight lead in useful moves over similar equal positions in other lines of the French:
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In Piorun, K - Vastrukhin, O, Wch Rapid Warsaw 2021, Black managed to equalize and then took advantage of a White inaccuracy to claim a large advantage. In time trouble, however, the tables turned. This is a fairly practical variation for either color.
Advance Variation 5...Bd7 6 Bd3 cxd4 7 0-0 [C02]
After 5...Bd7, 6 Be2 is normal, but 6 Bd3!? cxd4 7 0-0 has been played by some strong players recently. It offers a gambit similar to the one above, and can even transpose after 7...Qb6 8 Re1. The difference between this and the Hector Gambit is that Black can accept the pawn by 7...dxc3 8 Nxc3 Nge7:
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This acceptance is less risky for Black than in the line 5...Qb6 6 Bd3 cxd4 7 0-0 dxc3, because in that case the vulnerability of Black's queen on b6 is one reason that White has sufficient compensation.
In Mamedov, R - Rapport, R, Baku 2021, Black gained the advantage after attacking the e-pawn via ...Qb8 and ...Ng6, although with more accurate play White could have retained adequate compensation (although no more than that).
Tarrasch, Guimard Variation 4 Ngf3 g5 [C04]
The Guimard Variation 3 Nd2 Nc6 has been covered in ChessPublishing over the years in far more depth than in any other source, but considering how often it’s being used, I’ve been rather neglectful of late. I suspect that some of the newfound popularity of 3...Nc6 derives from Dmitry Kryakvin’s The Modern French (Vol 1) repertoire, and I notice that Yago Santiago has put forth a complete Guimard repertoire for Black in recent ChessBase Magazines.
I’ll start with something a bit silly, i.e., 3 Nd2 Nc6 4 Ngf3 g5?!! This is a crazy move which Novikova has used many times when faced with superior opposition. I had to mention it, both because it's so outrageous and because Black's performance rating over many games in my database is only 30 points below White's (that is, better than Black normally achieves), which says something about the practical value of using completely irregular lines in these booked-up times (especially in Blitz games).
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In Manish Kadam, O - Novikova, G, Titled Tuesday 28th Dec 2021, White tried 5 exd5 exd5 6 Bb5 Qe7+ 7 Ne5, which you’d think was appropriately aggressive but should have failed. White naturally has better alternatives, as given in the notes.
Tarrasch, Guimard Variation 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 c3 f6 [C04]
An important and popular line of the Guimard Variation is 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 c3. After 6...f6, White has a variety of moves, but usually chooses between 7 Bb5 and 7 exf6 Qxf6 8 Bb5:
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In Nasir, Z - Thavandiran, S, Titled Tuesday 14th Dec 2021, Black played the logical-looking 8...e5?. This hasn’t been refuted over-the-board (or in this game), but the engines are merciless and cast it into serious doubt. In the notes, I analyse the critical move 8...Bd6.
Tissir, M - Zaibi, A, Dubai 2021 tested the main alternative 7 Bb5 fxe5 8 dxe5:
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Here Santiago’s preference 8...a6 was played in a recent game with Alekseenko, which I put in the notes with considerable analysis. But 8...Be7 remains the main move. In the game, 9 0-0 0-0 looked fully equal for Black, so I’ve updated old analysis of 9 Nd4 in the notes. The latter move is still both critical and unresolved, so both sides should examine it carefully.
Tarrasch, Guimard Variation 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 Nb3 f6 [C04]
6 Nb3 has been treated as the main line in most sources for many years (although 6 c3 has been almost as popular). In a Blitz game between supergrandmasters, Giri, A - Duda, J, chess.com Speed 2021, Black made what I think is a serious error with 6...f6?, which may just reflect Duda’s unfamiliarity with the Guimard, but may also have been for some kind of surprise value. Giri responded with 7 Bb5!:
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White has control over the center and more active pieces; nevertheless, it’s surprising how bad Black’s position already is.
Tarrasch, Guimard Variation 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 Nb3 a5 [C04]
In Kochavi, O - Shachar, E, Safed 2021, Black played the normal 6...a5 (6...Be7 is also played and sometimes transposes) 7 a4 b6:
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We’ve seen more games with 7...Be7, but 7...b6 is part of Kryakvin’s repertoire. The game isn’t perfectly played, but has typical maneuvers and does illustrate how difficult Black’s play can be if he gets too cramped.
Winawer with 4 Bd2 [C18]
To end with another fun game (albeit not a theoretically very important one), it’s curious to see a 70-year-old line repeated in the recent game Bernadskiy, V - Short, N, Vergani Cup 2022. After 3 Nc3 Bb4, faced with 4 Bd2, Short went right into the main line by 4...dxe4 5 Qg4 Qxd4 (the normal order is 5...Nf6 6 Qxg7 Rg8 7 Qh6 Qxd4 8 0-0-0 Bf8, etc.) 6 0-0-0 Nf6 7 Qxg7 Rg8 8 Qh6 Bf8 9 Qh4 Rg4 10 Qh3 Qxf2:
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In this very familiar position White tried the old and now rare move 11 Nb5 and soon stood considerably worse. The game itself is noteworthy for Short’s powerful attack, and the fact that in setting up a potentially beautiful brilliancy, he seems to have taken too much time and forfeited in an equal position.
Theoretically, the important thing here is that the move order Black chose played does not guarantee that he will get to the key main line positions, and yet playing the normal order gives White ways to deviate as well. So 4 Bd2 is not dead; see the notes to the early moves for clarification.
Till next month, John
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