Download PGN of November '13 d-Pawn Specials games
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The Trompowsky 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 [A45]
Having annotated a fair few Tromps of late, I decided to return to the opening in Palliser - Zhigalko where 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 was met by 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 f3 Qa5+ 5 c3 Nf6 6 d5 e6 7 e4 exd5 8 exd5 d6 9 Qd2 Be7 10 c4:
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In this tabiya Black must decide what to do about the queens, but whether he exchanges or goes to d8 White seems to enjoy the more pleasant game.
A somewhat less common option is 3...d6, but this move might suit those with experience of the Pirc and Philidor. White responded with the creative 4 Qd3!? Nf6 5 e4 g6 6 Nc3 Bg7 7 Be2 in Van de Griendt-Schaefer:
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My team-mate, FM Jan van de Griendt, was in top form at the European Club Cup in Rhodes and goes on to totally demolish his German IM opponent, although I dare say that Black shouldn't be doing so badly at this stage.
The Torre Attack 3...c5 4 e3 h6 [A46]
Via the move order 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 Nd2 h6 4 Bh4 c5 5 e3 Be7 6 c3 b6 7 Ngf3 Bb7 8 Bd3 d6 quite an important position is reached in Predojevic - Berg:
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Black has held back on the almost standard exchange on d4 and it's actually not so easy for White to find a move here, as Eric has previously shown. Indeed, Black will find himself very close to full equality after a timely ...Nd5 or ...Nh5, but the Bosnian Grandmaster showed the way to pose him a few problems at the start of a most powerful performance.
The Torre Attack 3...d5 [D03]
Torre players should be happy to see 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 d5 and after 4 e3 c5 5 c3 Be7 6 Nbd2 Nc6 7 Bd3 there are a few ways for Black to play ...h6. However, the move rarely helps him, as we'll see in Nisipeanu - Glawe, where 7...0-0 8 0-0 b6 9 Ne5 Bb7?! 10 f4 was seen:
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This is an almost ideal position for White and the Romanian no.1 was quick to increase the pressure on the kingside before setting a tempting trap into which his opponent fell headlong.
The London System v King's Indian [A48]
After 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 4 e3 d6 going 5 Be2 looks more critical than 5 h3. It does allow 5...Nh5 6 Bg5 h6 7 Bh4 g5, but then there's 8 Nfd2:
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Eric quite likes this for White, as I see does Cyrus Lakdawala in his work on the London. So too do I, but not if White follows up as he does in Banawa - Yermolinsky.
The London System Anti-Nimzo [D02]
A completely different sort of London tabiya arises after 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 e3 Nf6 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nd2 e6 (5...Bf5 is surely the critical choice, although the passive text may not be so bad) 6 Ngf3 Bd6 7 Bg3 Bxg3 8 hxg3 Qd6 9 Bd3 (9 Bb5!?, fighting for control of e5, is the alternative).
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At this point 9...e5 leaves Black pretty close to full equality from what I can see, whereas 9...Bd7?! 10 Qe2 e5 11 dxc5! Qxc5 12 e4 gave White an edge in Sedlak - Hobber.
The Counter King's Fianchetto [A49]
As well as the Torre, Graham Burgess recommends 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 0-0 5 0-0 d6 6 a4 in his new work, A Cunning Chess Opening Repertoire for White. Whether this position belongs with the King's Indian or in this section isn't so clear, but it's undoubtedly a solid and quite sensible attempt to avoid too much theory for White:
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I've taken a look in Slipak - Flores where one of the key positions arises after 6...Nbd7 7 a5 c6 8 Nc3 Qc7 9 e4 e5 10 h3.
That's all for this month. I'll be back just before or possibly even during the London Classic, Richard
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