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This month there haven't been that many games in the KID but we still manage to see some interesting ideas. The results have been mixed but overall Black did not have much trouble in the opening.

Download PGN of October ’22 KID games

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Four Pawns Attack 5...O-O 6 Nf3 c5, 9...Nbd7 [A69]

Adhiban, B - Karthikeyan, M featured the Four Pawns Attack, and Black opted for the line with 9....Nbd7:











Later the game followed one of the main lines and after 19....Rd3 Black got a nice game. After that both players played well, but in the end black blundered a piece in an equal position and lost.



Fianchetto VariationClassical Main line 8.e4 c6 9.b3 Re8 [E69]

Arsovic, G - Markus, R was in the Main Fianchetto Variation and White went for the line with 9.b3:











Black followed the main idea with 10...a6 and 12...b5 and got a decent game. Both players were trying to get nice outposts for their knights. White was a bit better but later Black managed to install his knight on c3 and started to push for an advantage. White was holding, but as some point he missed a simple tactic and lost.



Makagonov System 5.h3 0-0 6.Be3 Na6 7.g4 e5 8.d5 Nc5 9.Qc2 a5 [E71]

In Zaja, I - Martinovic, S we see the Makagonov System. White went for the idea 9.Qc2 and later recaptured by 13.exd5 which is a bit rare but probably better than the standard cxd5 in those positions:











The game was sharp as White castled queenside and started to attack on the h-file and Black managed to gain some counterplay. At some point White made a strange decision to sac a pawn and Black took advantage. After that he managed to free his knight with 26...f5 and the white king was in trouble. Soon Black won the game.


Makagonov System 5.h3 e5 6.d5 a5 7.g4 Na6 8.Nge2 [E71]

Niemann, H - Saric, I featured the same approach from the Croatian but White opted for the plan with 7.g4 and 8 Nge2. In reply Black went for a rare but nice plan that David Vigorito examined here 3 years ago, with the point that after 9...Bf6 and 10...h6:











he gets nice outposts for his knight and bishop. After that the game was balanced for a long time and it looked like it will be a draw, but in the endgame White first lost a pawn and then decided to trade bishops. However, this turned out to be a bad decision and Black won the rook endgame.


Karpov System 6.Be3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.f4 [E73]

Savchenko, B - Anuj, S featured the Lesser Averbakh System with 6...Nc6, which has been gaining popularity recently. After 11....b5 Black took the initiative:











He would have got a very promising position had he played 13....Bb7, but instead he was tempted to activate his queen. However, later White managed to fend off the attack and trade queens, when the endgame was easy for White to win.



Sämisch, Panno Variation 7.Nge2 a6 8.Rc1 [E83]

Raahul, VS - Neverov, V was in the Panno Variation of the Saemisch System. It seemed that White was not so familiar with this line as he played a new move, 9.b3:











Already after 13 moves Black could have got a very big advantage with 13....e6. Later Black missed more chances to gain an edge and White managed to achieve a safe position . At some point, though, he missed the nice move 26....d3 and suddenly Black was totally winning. Then, amazingly, Black made a bad blunder and White managed to escape with a draw.



Classical, Makagonov System 5.h3 e5 6.d5 a5 7.Be3 Na6 8.Nf3 0-0 [E90]

Duda, J - Saric, I started with a rare move order where Black delays castling and after 5.h3 first plays 5...e5. Later the game transposed to a more familiar position where White chose the line with 9.g4, but instead of going for the main move 10 a3 he opted for the very rare line 10.g5:











Black got very comfortable position and having played 14....Nxe4 could even have got a slight edge. Instead, White managed to grab the initiative and should have opened the h-file with a strong attack. He preferred to lock the black bishop on h8, and after Black failed to find the right plan he first lost a pawn and then later the game.


Classical Variation 7...Na6 8.Be3 Qe7 [E94]

Mohammad, N - Karthikeyan, M was in the Classical System with 7....Na6 and then the rare line 8....Qe7:











Next Black came up with the new idea 9....c5, but it is not very good and soon White was clearly better. However, he decided to complicate the game with 14.d6 and Black managed to get an equal endgame. Later both players were pushing and after a few twists and turns Black actually managed to win.



Till next month, Marian

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