Download PGN of July '11 1 d4 d5 games
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The Main Slav 11...g5 [D17]
Cabrera - Petrosian: With 15...Qd6 Black invites an endgame that Bu Xiangzhi successfully defended in 2009:
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Petrosian played accurately, but his opponent did not.
Moscow Variation 9. Ne5!? [D43]
Morozevich - Caruana: The novelty 13.Qf4 attempts to deprive Black's queen of the f6 square:
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Apparently Caruana had already analyzed this move at home, and prevailed in a complicated struggle.
Anti-Meran 8...dc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Bd3 [D46]
Ponomariov - Giri: Giri ventures 11...b4:
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drawing comparisons to the Lundin Variation, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 b4.
Meran 8...Bb7 [D48]
Carlsen - Shirov In the less common 12...Qc7 13.Nd4 line, Shirov chooses to close the center with 13...e5. Carlsen sinks his knight into h6, and restricts Black's play with 16.g3!:
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, then switches his focus to the queenside.
QGD Lasker Defence [D56]
Aronian - Harikrishna: I know you're sick of the QGD after last month's update, but Aronian's total lack of respect for the Lasker Variation deserves an encore!:
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With g4 to follow.
Catalan Opening [E04-05]
Dzagnidze - Zatonskih: 16...Bd7! was first seen in the spectacular game Mikhalevski - Robson in early July:
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Dzagnidze attempts an improvement, but also finds herself in trouble.
Sasikiran - Hou Yifan: White has good chances for an enduring edge after 12.Rac1:
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Perhaps 8.a4 will once again find favor with the elite.
Until next month, John
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