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Anti-SiciliansUpdate October 2014with GM Dave SmerdonHello everyone. This month, it's all about surprises. We're going to take a look atsome very unusual Anti-Sicilian ideas that I guarantee will give you that oh sosatisfying "What the..?" expression on your opponents' faces!

Queenside Fianchetto

2.c3 Sicilian Rossolimo Variation

Suba Move order

Moscow Variation

To download the October '14 Anti-Sicilian games directly in PGN form, click

here:

>>Previous Update>>

Queenside Fianchetto 2.b3 g6, 4.h4!? [B20]

Our first game probably saw its first bemused expression after White's second

move, and an even bigger one after White's fourth:
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Motylev-Potkinsaw Black try the very sensible, very critical counter to 2.b3with

the ...Nf6/g6 system. This is indeed an excellent response by Black. However,

Motylev's interesting flank thrust definitely deserves attention!


2.c3 Sicilian

Rossolimo Variation Suba Move order Moscow Variation

2.c3 Sicilian 2...d5 Mainline, 6.Na3 a6 [B22]
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We then take a quick stop-off into more routine 2.c3Sicilian territory.Smerdon-

Davidcontinues our discussion about6.Na3against 2.c3 d5with ...e6. At the

Tromso Olympiad, my strong Italian opponent played the rare 6...a6!?, which is

quite logical:
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White can build up a little bit of pressure, but Black's choice is good enough for

equality if he is prepared to defend rather passively.

2.c3 Sicilian 2...Nf6 Delayed d4, 7...d6 [B22]

Then,Tiviakov-Ferreirasees one of our favourite Antis proponents facing the

common 7...d6against perhaps the modern main line of all of 2.c3:
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Check out 10.h3 in the notes for my opinion on White's best chance for an

advantage.


2.c3 Sicilian

Rossolimo Variation

Suba Move order

Moscow Variation

Rossolimo Variation 2.Nc3/3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 [B23]

Next, two games where Alexei Shirov is on the receiving end of this Anti, which ispopular at club level. After 3...Nd4 4.Bc4, Shirov tried the two main lines against

weaker players in the recent Riga Open.
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InSanders-Shirov,Alexei followed the main line of the seminal game Svidler-Leko

here:


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In this game, the lowly-rated white player plays courageously and energetically,and claims a great scalp.

3.Bb5 Moscow/Rossolimo hybrid 7.Bc4!? [B51]

Baklan-Mamedovis one of the little gems of this month's issue.
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7.Bc4!?looks like such a nonsensical retreat. Why invite ...b5 voluntarily? The

reason is as subtle as it is clever, and this is definitely one surprise weapon for

White you should add to your repertoire!


2.c3 Sicilian

Rossolimo Variation

Suba Move order Moscow Variation
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Suba Move order 4.dxc5 [B53]

Usually 3...Nf6is an invitation to transpose to a normal Open Sicilian without

allowing 4.Qxd4. And theoretically, alternatives to 4.Nc3 have always beenconsidered harmless. But is that strictly true? At the recent Olympiad, Marie Sebagdecided to test the waters by going down the critical, forcing lines after4.dxc5:


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The critical point of this variation is Black's seventh move, where the choice isbetween a murky endgame pawn sacrifice and an equally unclear 'two pieces for a

rook' ending. In either case, an extremely well-prepared White player has goodchances to score a win without any thinking over-the-board! Don't miss the

gameSebag-Hou.


2.c3 Sicilian

Rossolimo Variation

Suba Move order Moscow Variation

Moscow Variation 3...Bd7, 7.Qe2 [B52]

Finally, our last little surprise weapon this month is seen inKuzubov-Rasulov:
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We've looked a lot at 7.Re1 in this position, which we have concluded gives White

excellent chances of playing for two results, but objectively Black should be able toequalise.7.Qe2is therefore a useful addition to the arsenal. The idea is to keep e1

free for the retreat of White's Nf3, with a view to kicking back the black knight on e4

with f3, etc. It leads to less forcing positions than 7.Re1, and in the game Kuzubov

makes easy work of his 2500 opponent.


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2.c3 Sicilian Rossolimo Variation Suba Move order

Moscow Variation

Til next time. Enjoy the surprises! Dave

1 e4 e5Update September 2014with GM Victor MikhalevskiHello everyone,

If the previous update was based on the Chess Olympiad in Tromso, in this one Icouldn't possibly ignore the strongest ever tournament in the entire history ofchess. 1 e4 e5 specialist Caruana's brilliant result makes it even more interestingfor us.

Spanish Scotch

Bishop's Opening

Philidor Defence

To download the September '14 1 e4 e5 games directly in PGN form, click

here:

>>Previous Update>>

Spanish - The Archangel variation with 8.a4 [C78]

Our first game in this system isTopalov,V-Nakamura,H2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014.

The players followed the game Kulaots,K (2577)-Caruana,F (2721)/Caleta 201,1 for

the first 18 moves before they reached the following diagram position:
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Topalov introduced a new idea here, 19.e5?!, which is dubious in my opinion and

led to a Black edge. Only Nakamura's later mistake allowed Topalov to win the

game, and despite White's win the opening line is hardly setting Black anyproblems. Anyway 18.Bd3 has to be preferred over18.Bb1.


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Spanish -The Archangel variation with 8.d4 Bb6 9.Be3 [C78]

Nakamura played the system again in the gameVachier-Lagrave,M-Nakamura,H,

2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014.


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Hikaru played the rare line with 13...Na5and introduced a new, but pretty logical

idea two moves later (15...Nc4!in the diagram position) and equalised. Nakamura's

plan with13...Na5and 15...Nc4is interesting and deserves further practical tests.

Closed Spanish with 6.d3 [C84]

The gameCaruana,F-Aronian,L ,2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014, featured a rather

popular deviation from the Marshall Attack,6.d3.


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The players followed the game Dominguez Perez,L (2754)-Karjakin,S

(2756)/Beijing CHN 2013, for the first 14 moves and reached the diagram positiongiven above. Here Caruana introduced a logical novelty, 15.Na2and outplayed

Aronian in a long manoeuvring game. This game is one of the best achievements

of the Italian GM in Saint Louis, a very well played game by Caruana despite someserious resistance from the former number 2. The opening line looks roughly equal,although there is still a lot of play ahead, 21...Bxg5 was necessary and allowed

Black to retain the balance.

Berlin with 5.Re1 [C67]

None of the top tournaments miss the Berlin endgame, and Saint Louis wasn't an

exception. We'll start with the gameNakamura,H-Aronian,L,2nd Sinquefield Cup

2014. The American GM played the rare line with 11.Re2, which is gainingpopularity after it was introduced by Vachier-Lagrave earlier this year.


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Aronian was the first to surprise his opponent with 12...Be7here, instead of the

12...Bc7 which was played in Vachier Lagrave,M (2766)-Giri,A (2750)/Biel SUI2014. The idea of the French GM, 11.Re2, hasn't been explored enough and so I'm

expecting to see more practical tests. The question of where to retreat with the

dark-squared bishop remains open, while 13.c4!? is an interesting way to set more

problems.

The Berlin Wall with 9.h3 Ke8 [C67]

This line saw Nakamura on the other side of the Berlin in the gameCaruana,F-Nakamura,H,2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014. The players followed a long theoretical

line, which had been known since Caruana,F (2773)-Karjakin,S (2778)/Sao

Paulo/Bilbao 2012, and reached the following position:


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The gameVachier-Lagrave,M-Carlsen,M2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014, saw the

World Champion attempt to surprise his opponent with the rare 7...a5, instead of

the more common 7...0-0. However, the French GM was well-prepared.


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Instead of Volokitin's 8.a4, MVL introduced the interesting novelty 8.e5, which

initiated big complications. However, both players were up to the task and the

position remained equal for most of the game. High-level play from both players -

bravo! The rare line with ...a5 seems to lead to an equal position despite all the

complications, and so the ball is now in White's court.

Spanish Scotch

Bishop's Opening

Philidor Defence

Bishop's Opening with 2...Nf6 3.d3 c6 [C24]

One of the critical games of the tournament occurred in the third round and openedthe way for the Italian GM. So,Carlsen,M-Caruana,F2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014, is

yours to enjoy. The World Champion played the opening inaccurately (11.Bg3?!)

and decided to look for chances with a piece sacrifice in the following diagramposition:
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Carlsen came up with 15.Bxf7+here, but his next move16.Nxe5+was wrong.

Caruana played very precisely and didn't leave the Champ a single chance tosurvive. This game is a rare case of the World Champ getting a worse position from

the opening with the white pieces. The entire line looks fine for Black and so White

has to look for an improvement early in the opening.

Spanish
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Scotch

Bishop's Opening Philidor Defence

Philidor Defence - Hanham variation with 5.g4 [C41]

The gameAronian,L-Vachier-Lagrave,M,2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014, saw the

Armenian GM in an aggressive mood.
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Already here on the seventh move Levon introduced the new idea 7.Bh3. Black's

inaccuracies 10...Be7and 12...c6allowed White to seize a clear edge and only his

later unconvincing play allowed the French GM to escape with a draw. White'snovelty 7.Bh3doesn't look too dangerous for Black, although he has to play

precisely. So I'll not be surprised to see more practical tests of this line even though

I prefer 7.Be3.

Spanish

Scotch Bishop's Opening

Philidor Defence

Enjoy!

See you next month, Victor.

French DefenceUpdate September 2014with IM John WatsonIt's interesting to look at the current distribution of games and variations in theFrench Defence. The use of 3 e5 (the Advance Variation) has steadily dropped overthe years and is now employed in around 11% of games in the French, and theExchange Variation in about 10% (a number comparable to the King's IndianAttack). These are both down from peak frequencies of about 15% in much earliertimes. 3 Nc3 naturally remains the most popular move, accounting for around 43%of French Defence games (only 14% of these are Winawers). Over the past decade,the most significant increase has come in the use of the Tarrasch (3 Nd2), which is

now played in almost a quarter of games in the French (23%). I think that thisreflects both the perception of safety (who wants to be pinned with Bb4, whether

in the Winawer or MacCutcheon?) and the idea that it doesn't require as much
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preparation as 3 Nc3, while developing faster than 3 e5.This month we'll concentrate upon the Tarrasch and MacCutcheon variations.

Tarrasch Variation MacCutcheon Variation

To download the September '14 French games directly in PGN form, click here:

>>Previous Update>>

Tarrasch Variation 3...c5 4 exd5 Qxd5, 6...Qd7 [C07]

In the variation with 3 Nd2 c5 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 Ngf3 cxd4 6 Bc4, Rublevsky (alongstanding expert of Tarrasch theory) played White twice against the relativelynew move 6...Qd7, leading to this basic position:
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Black keeps the diagonal of his bishop on f8 unblocked (as opposed to 6...Qd6)and perhaps play ...Bc5, but in the games, Black had to be careful of Bg5 and Bxf6.SeeRublevsky-Goganov,St Petersburg Rapid 2014.

Tarrasch Mainline 3 Nd2 Nf6, 11...0-0 12 Bf4 [C06]

In the main 3 Nd2 Nf6variation with 11...0-0rather than 11...Qc7,Fedorowicz-

Wang,Montreal 2014, tested the important line with 14 g3:
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From this position, Black played 14...Qf6 15 h4, and then tried the slightly strange-

looking 15...Qh6, which was good for an original position with a slight theoretical

disadvantage. Objectively, 15...h6 is arguably equal and therefore more accurate,

but it provides fewer positive chances.


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In the same variation, Black inFeuerstack-Bente,St Pauli 2014, bypassed the

usual 13...Ne4 in favor of 13...Qd6:


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Black is on the verge of equality in this line, but since White retains a tiny edge in

simplified positions, Black's winning chances are restricted. Thus a lower-rated

player on either side may not be afraid of this variation, while a higher-rated one

might want to avoid it.

Tarrasch 3 Nd2 Nf6, 9 Nf4 Exchange sac line [C06]

Some players are still attracted to the violent variation with 9 Nf4:


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This month White had some success, most noticeably in the gameKarth ikeyan-Volkov,Abu Dhabi 2014, in which French expert Volkov was able to keep

approximate equality throughout, and then blundered. Nevertheless, the overall

assessment is encouraging for White, who should probably be happy if this line

always leads to such playable and double-edged positions.

A less theoretically critical but nevertheless instructive game wasAnarkulov-DeGondo,Tromso 2014.
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In this standard position, Black played 16...e4 17 fxe4 Bb4+, preventing White from

castling. However, the cost of weakening his pawns and opening lines renders this

idea dubious, and White stayed on top.


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Tarrasch Mainline 3 Nd2 Nf6, 11...Qc7 12 g3 [C06]

InPerdek-Musialkiewicz,Poronin 2014, the main line with ...Qc7 and ...Bd6

arose, and White tried the positionally consistent and critical move 12 g3:


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There followed 12...0-0 13 Bf4 Ng4, a line which is still unresolved. White got some

positional advantage, but then ran into trouble in short order.


Classical/MacCutcheon Variation 6 Be3, 7...Kf8 [C12]

Suc-Tratar,Trieste 2014, featured 6 Be3in the MacCutcheon. After 6...Ne4 7 Qg4,Black answered with7...Kf8, which is not most masters' favourite these days, but

seems to hold its own. White gambited the c-pawn to arrive at this position:
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White has good compensation, but probably only enough.

MacCutcheon Variation 6 Bd2, 8...Kf8 [C12]

In the main line with 6 Bd2 Bxc3 7 bxc3 Ne4 8 Qg4, 8...Kf8is likewise lesspopular than 8...g6 (I recommend the latter inPTF4), but the moves are both well-

established and perhaps of equal value. A standard position arose inAl Modiahki-

Peralta,Tromso 2014:


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This is considered equal, and the game does nothing to change that impression.

MacCutcheon Variation 6 Bd2, 8...g6 [C12]

A few games with 8....g6, currently the main line, are imbedded inAtabayev-Liu

Guanchu,Budapest 2014.


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This variation is playable for both sides. Black loses this time, but not due to the

opening, and the notes provide alternative ways for him to play.


Open SiciliansUpdate September 2014with GM Michael RoizHi everyone,For some reason, in this issue we have less games from Top GM's, but all thegames were extremely spectacular. Almost all of them were decided by a directattack - so very typical for Open Sicilians! Enjoy!

Kan/Taimanov Scheveningen

Najdorf

To download the September '14 Open Sicilian games directly in PGN form, just

click here:

>>Previous Update>>

Kan/Taimanov 6.g3 a6 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.0-0 Nxd4, 10.Qd3 [B47]
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In our first gameWang Hao-Gopal,the Chinese grandmaster went for a rare line

with a kingside fianchetto. 10.Qd3is not without poison, as was shown a couple of

times in Michael Adams' games:


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However, this time Black was able to solve all the problems with an attractive pawnsacrifice (10...Ng4!, 11...h5!). White's position looked quite scary for the major part

of the game, and at the end he committed a decisive mistake.

Kan/Taimanov 6.Be3 a6 7.Qf3!? [B48]

Our next gameEdouard,R - Soko lov,A saw a quite rare but rather attractive set-

up with White's queen on f3. In the Diagram position after 7.Qf3Black has some

concrete problems to solve:


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In my opinion the best response is 7....Nf6 8.0-0-0 Ne5 9.Qg3 b5!, which needssome practical tests. Instead, 7....Bb4?!was played, and after 11.Na4!the game

transposed into the preceding game Caruana-Rublevsky, where White was clearly

better. Andrei's innovation 11...Rb8didn't really change the evaluation, and White

convincingly won the game.

Kan/Taimanov 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 Bb4 9.f3 0-0 [B48]

The gameGharamian,T - Soko lov,A is quite important from a theoretical point ofview. For some reason 9...0-0is not popular, but it looks like a reasonable

alternative to the main lines with 8...Be7 or 8...Bb4 9.f3Ne5. In fact, Black has

some playable options on moves 10 and 12. Anyway, Andrei Sokolov followed his

previous game in this line, and an important theoretical position aroseafter 13...Be7, when Tigran produced the interesting novelty 14. Nde2:


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It seems that Black's position should be fine had he played 14...Ne5!? or14...Rfd8!? rather than 14...d5?!which was somewhat premature. However, the

real mistake came on move 17, and as a result, Gharamian managed to develop a

decisive attack.

Kan/Taimanov 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.0-0 Nxd4 [B48]

Out next gameKotronias - B anikassaw another important novelty, 12...Bd7!:


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Black's best continuation here is probably 10...Nb6, which leads to very complexand dynamic play. Instead, 10...g6, which was played by 13th World Champion,

seems rather dangerous for Black, as was proved by Sergey Klimov. White had

decent alternatives on almost every move, but his chosen way to handle the

position looks most unpleasant for Black. In fact, even such a strong player as GM

Denis Khismatullin was forced to resign as early as move 24.

The Perenyi piece sac 7.g4 e5 8.Nf5 h5 [B81]

The gameSafarli,E - Art emiev ,Vsaw a fashionable and long theoretical line, and

the players were following my recommendation from the previous issue right up

until move 20:


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However, in the Diagram position after 14.f5, Kuzubov failed to handle the position

correctly and was outplayed. Luckily for him, White committed some seriousmistakes on moves 26 and 28, and so finally Yuriy achieved an important victory.

The Najdorf with 6.h3 e5 7.Nde2 h5 [B90]

Our last game of this issueKov acevic,A - Szuhanek,Rsaw another common

theoretical line of the Najdorf, which was already previously covered on our site.

The aggressive set-up with 11.Qd3, followed by 0-0-0 seems insufficient for

claiming an advantage.


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However, in the Diagram position after 12.0-0-0, Black didn't manage to playprecisely, so that after 14.f4!Kovacevic had a somewhat better position. However,

his subsequent mistakes (16.Nxe6?!, 19.Qxc2?!) allowed Szuhanek to seize the

initiative. Had White played 25.Bd3! the result of the game would still be

unpredictable, but 25.Bc4?was already a decisive mistake, and Black was able to

develop a crushing attack. No doubt, the ball is back on White's court in this line!

Kan/Taimanov Scheveningen

Najdorf

We are looking forward to a European Club Championship and some other otherattractive competitions! Michael Roiz

DragonsUpdate September 2014with GM Chris WardHi there everyone!So, in time for this month's update I received an interesting e-mail, and that's upshortly, but we start with a heavyweight clash; as big as it comes!

Accelerated Dragon

Yugoslav Attack

To download the September '14 Dragon Sicilian games directly in PGN form click

here:
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>>Previous Update>>

Accelerated Dragon Maroczy Bind [B36]

What opening would you play against 1 e4 when facing a 2800 who has just scored

7/7 against some of the World's top players? Well, in this day and age you'd haveto say that the Berlin Defence would be a good bet, but fortunately for us that

wasn't the case when the World Champion had the task of halting the steamroller.

Maybe not the Dragon, but its more solid colleague the Accelerated variant, thoughwith a relatively ambitious twist. Yes, inCaruana- Carlsen, following1.e4 c5 2.Nf3

Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.f3 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 0-0

10.Qd2first up Magnus played 10...a5. Sure, 10...Be6 and 10...Qa5 are more

popular moves, but we have featured this a-pawn several times before which

carries with it the idea of ...a4 only to park the queen on a5 after. Well, the new

World number 2 sought to freeze that pawn in its tracks with 11.b3(where othershave tried 11 Na4 and 11 c5) but that didn't stop arguably the greatest player of alltime. No, he carried on with 11...a4:
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but after 12.b4 Be6 13.Rc1 Nd7 14.Be2 Nb6there was no doubting (as is typical inthese Maroczy Bind positions) that White had an edge. Many might have just

dropped their knight into d5 but, showing his confidence, Caruana continuedwith15.Nb5and after 15...a3 16.Nd4 Bd7, seemingly went for it with 17.h4 h5

18.g4. Needless to say an intriguing game followed!

Accelerated Dragon

Yugoslav Attack

Dragadorf with an early ...h5 [B75]

Harvey emailed me: A friend of mine and a strong correspondence player as wellas being a Dragon expert asked me to send you this game of his. Feel free to use it

on the site if you wish. He is particularly interested in what you think of his idea of

h5 and not castling till late.

Thanks for that game (to you and friend) but regular subscribers will know that we

have seen a few encounters here recently with an early ...h5. Specifically, that is, inconjunction with the Dragadorf set-up of ...a6 intending ...b5. ...Nbd7, ...Bb7 etc.
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and that is of course how your submitted game turns out. Although Black didn't

quite grind out that full point, it was an attractive game from his point of view and inthe early examples on this site, I quite liked this early ...h5 move, in particular

thwarting both g2-g4 and Bh6. However, those who have been following the

developments here will know that it was the featured game Navara-Kislinsky that

has put a bit of a dampener on the variation.

I have annotated your submission for this month's update but the first thing thatpeople will note is how unimpressed I am with White's selected 8 h4?!. Currently

the onus is on Black to respond to Navara's simple idea of castling kingside and

playing in the centre.


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'Dragadorf with an early ...h5' seems like the best way to label this variationalthough just as in the Navara-Kislinsky game, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4

4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3it was 7...h5that appeared before ...a6.

Although of course I don't know for sure if Black was planning to play in the samemould as a Dragadorf, that is certainly how he was tempted to continue after 8

h4?!inHiarcs Forum - Erdowith8...a6 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.Be2 Qc7 11.0-0-0 b5

12.Kb1 Bb7being typically characteristic moves. I certainly like Black's position

here but in the annotation I seriously question the logic behind White advancing his

h-pawn after Black has his and reiterate that theoretically speaking it is the centralplan of David Navara's that Black needs to be coming up with a solution for.

Yugoslav Attack 9 g4 e5 [B76]

As we all know, 9 g4is very trendy these days but this is only the second time that Ihave featured the response 9...e5on this site:


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I explain in my annotations toWang Hao -Salemhow I will probably always

consider the move 9...e5as dubious because of the standard reasons of blocking

the Dragon bishop, conceding an outpost and creating a backward pawn, and for

those reasons perhaps it is a bit surprising that this second outing also

sees 10.Nxc6. However, after 10...bxc6, a lot revolves around Black's ability tosuccessfully achieve the break ...d5 but the novelty 11.g5pretty much ensures that


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he can't. This is a very impressive demonstration of controlled chess by a top

player.

Yugoslav Attack 9 0-0-0 d5 10 Kb1 [B76]

In the 9 0-0-0Yugoslav Attack, I have always thought that there was a certainappeal to the variation 9...d5 10.Kb1 Rb8with that rook itching to enter the action if

only Nxc6 can be provoked. This line has featured a few times here

onChessPublishingand the new move we have here is that following 11.Ndb5 a612.Na7 e6, White plays the illustrated below 13.f4:


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The blatant idea is to shut out the Dragon bishop with e4-e5 but inSuarez Gomez-

Pavlidisthat doesn't work out too well after 13...Re8 14.e5 Nd7 15.g4 g5!An

entertaining game for sure but no doubt one in which White regretted not

preventing that break with 15 h4! instead.

Yugoslav attack 9 0-0-0 d5 10 Qe1 [B76]

I have to say that I liked the gameNanjo,R-Grandelius,not because anything

particularly special happened but because of Black's determination to play for a win

and not acquiesce to a draw by repetition. The opening though did bring ussomething different as after 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Qe1 e5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.exd5 Nxd5

13.Bc4 Be6 14.Ne4, instead of the most common 14...Qc7 preparing ...Rfd8, Blacksettled for the rare14...Re8as illustrated below, with a different plan in mind:
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The game continued 15.g4 Qc7 16.Bc5 Nf4 17.Bd6 Qb6 18.Bc5 Qc7

19.Bd6when Black deviated with 19...Qc8. Of course he doesn't stand better but

in 20.Bxe6 Qxe6 21.Kb1 f5 22.gxf5 gxf5, he had clearly generated some winning

chances that eventually came good.


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Yugoslav Attack 9 0-0-0 d5 Main line with 12...Bxd4 [B76]

Unfortunately it would appear that after 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6

12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qa5 15.b3 Qc7 16.g3, Black's idea of 16...Rd8('?!' or '?') as seen inZajic-Vucinicis just flawed. The rook isn't adequately

protected yet on d8 and White promptly called Black's bluff with the illustrated

below 17.c4!


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There are variations elsewhere in the old 9 0-0-0 d5 main line where leaving apiece on d5 to be taken tenders some very reasonable compensation buthere 17...e5 18.Qd2 Bf5 19.cxd5 cxd5+ 20.Kb2definitely wasn't one of them.

Instead of 18...Bf5I have tried to make 18...Bd7!? work but alas my efforts still

came up short. However, it's not as though this is dreadful news for Black as both

16...Bf5 and 16...Nb6!? still seem to be okay.

1 e4 ...

Update September 2014with GM Neil McDonaldThe lines in the Scandinavian and Modern examined this month aren't yetsmothered in theory. As we shall see, the rewards for doing something differentcan be spectacular, as even the best players often go wrong when confronted with

unusual ideas. Of course, if you are Caruana you can play straight down a mainlineand find something new (see the Caro-Kann section)!

Scandinavian Defence Alekhine's Defence Pirc/Modern Defence

Caro-Kann

To download the September '14 1 e4 ... games directly in PGN form, click here:

>>Previous Update>>

Scandinavian 3.Nc3 Qd6 [B01]

More stunning results for Black in unexplored variations
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In the two games given this month Black combines his early queen foray with a

quick fianchetto on g7. He has the kind of success Black enjoyed in the King'sIndian Defence before White learnt how to handle it properly. In the first example,White is cajoled into castling queenside by the opening line4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6 6.

Bg7 7.Bg2 Qa6!?:


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The black queen prevents 8.0-0. Wei Yi duly responded with an ultra aggressive

set up with queenside castling (when you're 15 years old and rated 2645 I guess

you are pretty fearless!). You can see the spectacular outcome inWei Yi-

Miroshnichenko.

In our second game, Black played even more provocatively by delaying Nf6 infavour of an immediate 4.d4 g6!?Once again White was tempted into castling

queenside after 5.Nb5 Qb6 6.Bf4 Na6 7.Qe2 Bg7 8.0-0-0. You can see hisdownfall inHansen-Spraggett.

Scandinavian Defence Alekhine's Defence

Pirc/Modern Defence Caro-Kann

Alekhine 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6 [B04]

A tough nut to crack

With the moves 4...dxe5and 5...c6Black has eliminated the white e5 pawn and

strengthened his control of the d5 square. White keeps a space advantage but the

black position is a tough nut to crack. Here we continue the theme of a quickfianchetto by Black with 6.Be2 g6 7.0-0 Bg7:
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Black prepares to put pressure against White's remaining centre pawn. White is

outplayed in instructive style inFrancisco-Zherebukh.


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Scandinavian Defence

Alekhine's Defence Pirc/Modern Defence

Caro-Kann

Modern Defence 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 a6 [B06]

Classical versus Hypermodern play

After 5.Qd2 b5 6.0-0-0we see a clash of chess philosophies.
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White puts pawns on e4 and d4, develops in direct style, castles queenside and

tries to punish Black for his lackadaisical development and his multiple pawn

moves. Of course a Modern or Pirc player is going to love Black's set up but fastdevelopment and seizing space is not to be laughed at. In this month's game Black

triumphs after a tough fight inGopal-Petrosian.

Modern Defence 3.Nc3 d6 4.Bg5 [B06]

It's important to be consistent!

It's OK to be a Classical player or a Hypermodern player, but mixing the two

approaches at the wrong moment can be catastrophic. In our next game Blackplayed 4...Nd7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f4 b5 7.Nf3. This is all in impeccable Modern style, but

then he switched to a 'development at all cost's approach with7...Ngf6? 8.Bd3 0-0?!which asks to be punished with 9.e5!:


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Things got very grim for Black in the illustrative game, but fortunately for him there

was a happy ending inFil ippov-Benidze.


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Scandinavian Defence

Alekhine's Defence Pirc/Modern Defence

Caro-Kann

Caro-Kann Two Knights 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 a6 [B11]

Don't play 3...a6 if you want an open battle in the centre

The little move 3...a6is useful as it prevents a future Bb5+ by White in the event of

a pawn exchange on d5. On the other hand Black is falling behind in development

so he has to play with care. A failure to keep lines closed brought a huge attack

down on his head inVazquez-Hamitevici.

Caro-Kann Two Knights 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 [B11]

The e5 square versus the d4 square

Here in the Two Knight's mainline after 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 Nf6Grandmaster Dubov

has tried the unusual move 6.e5!?with play continuing 6....Nfd7 7.Qg3 e6 8.Be2

c5:
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White focuses on the kingside by seizing a space advantage. On the other hand he

has neglected the important d4 square. This imbalance leads to an exciting fightinDubov-Ding-Liren

Caro-Kann Advance Short System 5.Be2 c5 [B12]

Mindboggling complications

Of course we can't ignore Caruana's fantastic win against Vachier Lagrave on the

way to getting 8.5/10 at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup. A very sharp and topical position

was reached after 6.Be3 Qb6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.0-0 Qxb2 9.Qe1 cxd4 10.Bxd4 Nxd411.Nxd4 Bb4 12.Ndb5 Ba5 13.Rb1 Qxc2:


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And here the current World Number Two came up with the idea of 14.Rc1 Qb2

15.g4!The computers are deeply unenthusiastic about 15.g4, which is why this

was such a deadly piece of home preparation. Black players hadn't botheredlooking too deeply at it, if at all.

The complications go on and on in this variation- even the endgames areimbalanced. Here is the astoundingly complexCaruana-Vachier L agrave.

Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6[B13]

Sometimes ugly moves are the best

Here after 6.Bg5the reply 6...Ne4!?is a new move on ChessPub:


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Black counterattacks against the white bishop, leading to a very sharp skirmish in

the centre. He has to make some ugly moves, like ...f7-f6, but his dynamism meansthat all the variations look at least equal or good for Black inSulskis-Kovalenko.

Scandinavian Defence Alekhine's Defence

Pirc/Modern Defence

Caro-Kann

1 d4 d5Update September 2014with IM Max Illingworth

Hello, fellow ChessPublishing subscribers! We've seen a ton of developments allacross the 1.d4 d5 spectrum this month, not least because of the recent Olympiad,and we can't do justice to all of them here, but in this update I've tried to please
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everyone. I present some rare but quite promising options in the Closed Catalan,fill some gaps in the ChessPublishing archives, give you some fresh ideas to causeproblems for the opponent in the Exchange Slav, answer a few questions from theForum, and include a few games that, while not the most theoretically relevant,show very clearly how to handle some typical pawn structures. Let's carry on withthe games :)

Slav Defence Vienna Variation

Catalan

The September '14 '1 d4 d5' games can be downloaded directly in PGN form

here:

>>Previous Update>>

The Slow Slav 4.Qc2, 5...Bg4 [D11]

Let's start with a Carlsen game or two!Nyback-Carlsenisn't anything new from atheoretical perspective, as the rare7...e5!?(see the diagram) was already

recommended in Avrukh's GM Repertoire: Classical Slav:
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This is essentially a move order device to reach the 7...Bxf3 8.gxf3 e5 9.dxe5 lineand avoid 9.Be3. The practical disadvantage is that White can get a very safe

position in more than one way, including with Nyback's continuation. I've shared a

couple of ideas that could work against someone blindly following Avrukh, but itdoesn't change the fact that4.Qc2is theoretically harmless.

The Smyslov Slav 5...Na6, 8...Bxf3 [D16]

As some of you may know, I do a fair bit of coaching, and one of my students was

thinking of adopting this system (5...Na6in the Main Line Slav) as a solid surprise

weapon, feeling it was somewhat underestimated. So when it was tried in theheavyweight clashAronian-Carlsenat the Olympiad, well, I just had to take a look!


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This middlegame position arose after Black traded with ...Bxf3 (as opposed to

...Bh5 as seen in the archives). Theoretically the game has little value as White is

just slightly better here and Aronian played it safe to help the team achieve their

match victory over Norway, but I think the pawn sacrifice 6.e4 and 8.Qxf3! (first

brought to my attention by my student) is a strong, if almost unknown continuationthat would put a lot of people off 5...Na6if it became common knowledge.

Slow Slav 4.Nbd2 [D11]

With Markus covering 4.g3 in the previous update, we should turn to another newmove for ChessPublishing- 4.Nbd2- which, like 4.g3, requires precise play from

Black to achieve an equal game. Remember the Italian super-GM's treatmentinNakamura-Caruana:


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However, if Black goes for the position below by playing an early ...Bf5, I see no

problems for him:


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The question was already partly answered on the thread with7...Rc8! 8.Nf3 e6, but

even in this symmetrical position Black needs to find a few more accurate movesafter 9.Qb3to guarantee equality. 7.Rc1goes unmentioned by Avrukh as well, so

this is definitely something you could pick up for a game as your opponents are

unlikely to be prepared, unless they subscribe here ;).

The last game of this section, but perhaps the most theoretically important,isAronian-Navara,where I cover what I think is White's best try against the ...Bf5

variation, namely 7.Qb3!, which leads to the following basic position:


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Compared to a normal position, Black has got in ...Bd7 and ...Na5 for White's Qc2,

but there's a lot more to the position than that - Black can't get in ...Bf5 and you'llsee in the notes that a later ...Nc4 doesn't automatically equalise for Black either.


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My notes are just a summary of what is an extremely fashionable line, but I second

Avrukh's recommendation of lines with an early ...Nh5 - Black can equalise only byeliminating White's dark-squared bishop. I'm not sure Aronian's improvement in the

game gives White an advantage, but his position is quite easy to play and in the

game Navara didn't solve the fresh problems.

Slav Defence

Vienna Variation Catalan

Vienna Variation 7.Bxc4, 8...Qa5 [D39]

Getting the theoretically not so critical games out of the way now, wehaveKramn ik-Vallejo Pons,where the Spanish GM used an opening strategy

seen quite a lot at the top level - accepting a slightly worse position that you know

how to hold. However, White has to play very accurately from the position below to

make something of his small edge:
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What would you play here as White? In the game Kramnik played too ambitiously,

and found that his 'mating attack' didn't actually lead to mate. In the notes I'velooked into the details of when White should play f4, when Black should respond

with ...e5, and other positional questions in this pawn structure.

Slav Defence

Vienna Variation

Catalan

Closed Catalan ...Bb4+ - e7, 10...a5 [E08]

In my opinion the most solid way for Black to meet the Catalan is with the

...Bb4+/...Be7 systems, and while this has been covered a bit on ChessPublishing,the 10...a5ofDing Liren-Gajewsk iseems a very simple way for Black to equalise,

despite the final result of the game:
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The idea behind 10...a5is that White can't put pressure on the queenside with a4-

a5 (as he could after 10...Ba6). I also answer a question on the Forum about the

difference between ...Bb4+ and ...Be7 in my notes, and my conclusion is that Whiteneeds to look elsewhere to fight for an advantage. ...Bb4+ also has the advantage

of dodging White's interesting option in the next game.

Catalan/QGD Hybrid 7.Qd3 [E06]

You've probably heard before that you should avoid Nc3 in the Catalan, because

after ...dxc4 the knight on c3 gets in the way of regaining the c4-pawn, but modernchess is only becoming more concrete and Kramnik twice met 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6

3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7with 5.g3!?recently. InKramnik-Topalovhe reached the

following position:


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The basic idea of this move order is that after 7...c6 8.0-0, we've transposed to avery nice Catalan version where White gets in e4 early, and

Topalov's 7...Nb6wasn't a panacea either. I've also analysed what happens if

Black grabs the c4-pawn, and I still haven't seen a route to equality against thisversion of the 'Nc3 Catalan' - 4...Nbd7 5.g3 dxc4 is a better version as now there's

no Ne5.

Slav Defence

Vienna Variation

Catalan

d-Pawn SpecialsUpdate October 2014with IM Richard Palliser

After last months Tromp-less column, its time to redress the balance. Moreover,we have a number of all-GM theoretically relevant games in the opening to
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consider. Nowadays the Trompowsky may be almost mainstream, but it continuesto pack a certain punch, as well see.

London System Trompowsky

You can download the October '14 d-pawn specials games directly in PGN form

here:

>>Previous Update>>

The London via Tromp 2...Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 [A45/D02]

Im often getting into trouble with Tony for my ECO classification, but is it our fault

that that E14 has pinched an important line from the Colle or B13 from theLondon? At least 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 d5 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 Nf6 6 c3 Nc6 7 Nd2

g6 8 Ngf3 Bg7 9 h3 0-0 10 0-0 Nd7is A45 territory, or so one would think:
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Black had been doing well enough here, but then Richard Pert introduced 11Be2!?, which fellow Trompowsky expert Peter Wells refined further. We have all

the details inWells-Hebdenand by losing a tempo with the bishop White actually

transposes to a variation of the London!

The London System ...d5 and ...g6 [D02]

Another route to our last diagram is 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 4 e3 0-0 5 Be2d5 6 h3 c5 7 c3 Nc6 8 0-0 Nd7 9 Nbd2, saving two on the move order.


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This is definite D02 territory and here9...b6might be more sensible than pushing

the e-pawn. That said, White retains definite chances for an edge with 10 Qa4!, as


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This has some shock value, but whether the bishop goes to e5, c1 or even e3

White appears to obtain the upper hand. Miladinovic chooses the first of those and

ultimately prevails in an unnecessarily messy encounter.

Tromp - Vaganian Gambit [A45]

Via 2...e6 3 e4 c5 4 d5 Qb6 5 Nc3 Qxb2 6 Bd2 Qb6 7 f4 d6we reach a key line ofthe Vaganian Gambit and after 8 Rb1 Qc7 9 Bb5+Black really has to know his

stuff:


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Despite his 2600+ rating an Azeri GM fails to block with the knight and wasfortunate to survive inSwinkels-Durarbeyli.

Tromp 2...c5 3 Bxf6 gxf6 [A45]

2...c5is always a problem for me, if a nice problem to face: to go 3 d5 or 3 Bxf6?The latter is preferred inHera-Zhouwhich provides further evidence that 3...gxf6 4
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d5 Qb6 5 Qc1 f5 6 c4 d6 7 Nc3 Nd7 8 e3 Bg7 9 Qc2is quite pleasant for White.

Note too here Bartels use of 6...Bh6 7 Qc2!?, which seems to have placed anotherball in Blacks court.

Tromp 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 [A45]

A more topical tabiya arises after 2...e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d5 6 Nd2 c5 7

Ngf3:


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Black often develops his knight to c6 here, either immediately or after an exchangeon d4, but 7...a6!?is an important alternative and a move which worked out quite

well inSedlak-Ni Hua.

Tromp 2...d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6 gxf6 [D00]

Finally, we switch to D00 waters and the modern move order2...d5 3 e3 c5 4 Bxf6

gxf6 5 dxc5. Mickey Adams has shown that 5...e6 6 Nf3 gives White good chances

for an edge, but5...Nc6!? 6 Nf3wasnt so effective inVit iugo v-Vachi er Lagrave.

King's IndianUpdate September 2014with IM David VigoritoThere so many interesting King's Indian games at the Olympiad that I had to splitthe games up. This month we will mostly look at the Fianchetto and Smischvariations, while next month we will delve into Olympiad games in various line of

the Classical systems.

Fianchetto Variation Seirawan Variation

Smisch System

To download the September '14 KID games directly in PGN form, click here:

>>Previous Update>>

Fianchetto Variation - early ...c5 [E60]
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