Download PGN of June '14 1 d4 d5 games
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Slow Slav/Chebanenko hybrid 4 e3 Bf5 5 Nc3 a6 [D15]
The Slow Slav/Chebanenko hybrid 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 a6 has been popular recently. By having ...a6 instead of ...e6 Black avoids Nh4, hunting down his bishop:
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The critical 6.Qb3 is seen in Schlosser - Svetushkin. After 6...b5 7.c5 Black played 7...a5! 8.Ne5 a4 9.Qd1 g6! which was Bologan's concept. Black sacrificed a piece for some complications, but my team mate defended well and returned the piece for two powerful passed pawns. Just before the time control he was winning easily but was surprised by Black's check and let his flag fall trying to calculate the most precise win. He told me afterwards that it was the first time he had ever lost on time!
Instead, in Carlsen - Nakamura the World Champion plays the simple 6.Be2 h6 7.Bd3!? which is similar to the immediate 6.Bd3 which Carlsen played against Kamsky last year. This apparent loss of tempo actually has a point.
Chebenenko 6 c5 a5 [D15]
GM Bogdan Lalic sent me the following game, from a couple of days ago (at the time of writing) featuring the pure Chebenenko line 4.e3 a6 5.Nc3 b5 6.c5 and now 6...a5?!:
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I've added a bit of text to his analysis, see Lalic - Pinter.
Main Line Slav 5...Bf5 classical approach 6 e3, 15 Ng5 [D19]
In the main line 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe2 Nbd7 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Bh5 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qe3:
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14...Be7 is the most common line, even though in recent years 14...Bg6 and the similar 14...Re8 have been preferred. After the relatively modern 15.Ng5!? Bxg5 16.Qxg5 Black played the slightly unusual 16...Qxg5 17.Bxg5 in Onischuk - Shankland and then erred with 17...Bg6?! after which this White can prove an edge. An unusual case of the young American star mixing up his lines.
QGA 3 e4 b5!? [D20]
The game of the month is undoubtedly my team mate (twice over!) Romain Edouard's stunning victory for Guildford in their decisive clash against Wood Green in the 4NCL. To annotate it we are lucky to have super GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who was sitting a couple of boards away at the time.
The opening went 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 b5!? 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Nc3 a6! 7.Nxb5 axb5 8.Rxa8 Bb7 9.Ra1 e6!:
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Does Black really have enough compensation? Don't miss Hammer - Edouard.
Slav/QGA 4 Qc2 dxc4 5 Qxc4 Bf5 [D23]
The Slav/Queen's Gambit Accepted line 1.d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bf5 6.g3 e6 7.Bg2 Nbd7 8.0-0 has always been rather popular:
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Here Black almost universally plays 8...Be7, but in Homa - Holt the young GM went for 8...Bd6!? instead. This was not the first time he has played this way, and it will probably not be the last, as he won rather easily.
QGD 5 Bf4, 6...Nbd7 [D37]
5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c5 8.Rd1 is a fashionable setup:
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In Lenderman - Shankland Black was well prepared, and after 8...cxd4 9.Rxd4 Qa5 10.Rd1?! he soon took over.
Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 6 Qc2 [D46]
Recently White players have favoured the line 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 11.e4, with one idea being a pawn sacrifice after 11...e5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nd4 Neg4:
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14.g3 Bxg3 15.hxg3 Qxd4 16.Qd1! with good compensation for a pawn in the ending. In Wagner - Shirov Black preferred 14...Bc5!? which seems quite sound. Both sides were well prepared and made their way through the exciting complications unscathed.
Many thanks to Guildford supremo Roger Emerson for the Edouard game! Best wishes, Tony
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If you have any questions, then please post a message at the 1 d4 d5 Forum, or subscribers can email me at ruslan@chesspublishing.com.