Download PGN of June '14 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky 2...e6 3 e4, 5 c3 d5 [A45]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 all the rage of late in both practice and here on ChessPub has been 5...d6, but 5...d5 6 e5 Qd8 is an important alternative, particularly for those with some French experience:
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At the end of last year our former resident expert, Aaron Summerscale, was happy to follow the main line with 7 Nf3 c5 8 dxc5 Bxc5 9 Bd3, but that isn't forced and both the unimpressive 7 Qg4 and 7 Bd3 are seen in Bacallao Alonso-Dvirnyy.
Tromp 2...c5 3 Nc3 [A45]
Talking of former columnists, a well-prepared Alex Fier met 2...c5 with 3 Nc3!? in the recent Limburg Open. After 3...cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qh4 d6 6 e4 e6 7 0-0-0 Be7 8 f4 Qa5 9 Nf3 an important tabiya for the line is reached:
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9...h6 10 e5! is pretty critical and Black soon found herself losing material in Fier-A.L'Ami.
The Pseudo-Trompowsky 2...h6 3 Bh4 c6 [D00]
Gata Kamsky became US Champion for a fifth time by making good use of his favourite London System, but this month we'll see him in action with a different theory-avoider, namely 1 d4 d5 2 Bg5. I'd love to know what he had in mind for the critical 2...f6, but the solid 2...h6 3 Bh4 c6 4 Nf3 Qb6 5 b3 Bf5 6 e3 e6 was preferred in Kamsky - Erenburg:
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Black must be fine here, but as so often, Kamsky outplays a strong grandmaster with consummate ease.
The Veresov Opening 3...c5 4 Bxf6 [D01]
Via a Trompowsky move order, Rapport - Bachmann saw the two grandmasters contest 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 d5 3 Bxf6 gxf6 4 Nc3 c5 5 e4!? dxe4 6 dxc5 Qa5:
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Previous ChessPub coverage has focussed on the sharp 7 Qh5. The talented Hungarian preferred 7 Qd5, failed to obtain any advantage and was then guilty of continuing in far too risky a fashion.
The Torre Attack ...e6, ...d5 & ...c5 [D01]
I was slightly surprised to see Judit Polgar meeting 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 with the classical 3...d5. After 4 e3 c5 5 c3 Nbd7 6 Nbd2 Be7 7 Bd3 b6 8 Ne5 Nxe5 9 dxe5 Nd7 10 Bxe7 Qxe7 11 f4 Bb7 something of a tabiya was reached in Harikrishna - Polgar:
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The leading Torre exponent had previously done well with the flexible 12 Qe2, but switched to the older 12 0-0, obtaining a pleasant edge before the game turned around as this rapid encounter began to really speed up.
The Torre Attack 2...g6, & ...d5 [A48]
Another important, if rather different Torre line is 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d5 6 e3 Nbd7:
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As we've seen before, 7 Bd3 Re8 8 0-0 e5 9 e4 is quite critical, but Volokitin's new idea 9...h6!? may remove much of the sting from it. That may help to explain why White opted for the solid 7 h3 in Kolev - Cheparinov, which surely can't promise any advantage, but was an excellent practical choice as Cheparinov was provoked into an unsound if tempting early piece sacrifice.
The Colle/QID 6...Nc6 [E14]
Finally, we continue to see Black struggling after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 e3 b6 4 Bd3 Bb7 5 0-0 c5 6 c4:
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The ever-creative Normunds Miezis tried 6...Nc6, but in a classic hanging pawns scenario fell victim to a powerful, model attack in Kovalenko - Miezis.
Next month I dare say we'll see the white queen's bishop preferring to go to f4. Until then, Richard
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