ChessBase Magazine #132

Opening Surveys i ChessBase Magazin 132

Marin: Alekhine Defence B04

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Ng5 e6

Postny: Sicilian B90

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.f4 (b5 10.0-0-0)
With 9.f4 (instead of 9.f3) White enters a so far little played sub-variation which is based mainly on the fact that 9...exf4 can hardly equalize. According to Postny, the whole thing looks quite promising for the first player.

Kritz: French C18

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5!? 6.b4 cxd4 7.Nb5 Bc7 8.f4
The quiet variation with 7.Nb5 (the alternative is 6.Qg4 or 7.Qg4) promises White a safe advantage in most lines. Only after 8... Bd7! things are less clear.

Kuzmin: Petroff C43

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2
This is the favourite line of Ian Nepomniachtchi. Playing 4.dxe5, White avoids the long theoretical variations and still has propects of a slight opening advantage - you can't ask for more against the Petroff.

Marin: Ruy Lopez C66

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4 Bd7 5.0-0 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 0-0 9.Bxc6 bxc6
The diagram position arises almost consequently after 3...d6, so good knowledge of the variations and plans are quite relevant for the first player. For Black, the fine thing about 3...d6 is that early on he is the one to determine what is played.

Grivas: Slav Defence D11

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nbd2 Bf5 5.Nh4 Be4
Following an article of Grivas on 4.Nbd2 in CBM 123, now it turned out that 5...Be4 represents quite a good defence and requires additional analysis.

Hazai/Lukacs: Slav Defence D15

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Bf5 6.Bf4 Nbd7 7.e3
There hardly is a more straightforward way to fight the 4...a6-Slav than 5.c5. The article of our Hungarian authors shows that with the most frequent move 7...e6 Black is struggling to achieve equality, a trend can be noticed towards 7...g6.

Karolyi: Queen's Gambit Accepted D20

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 c5 4.d5 e6 5.Bxc4 Nf6 6.Nc3 exd5
The discussed line with 3...c5 4.d5 e6 is at any rate straighter and simpler to play than than the main variations 3...e5 or 3...Nf6. In his article, Tibor Karoly tries to prove that it also qualifies to grant Black a satisfactory game.

Langrock: Queen's Indian Defence E12

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 g6
In the first part of his investigations on the Romanishin Variation, the author goes to introduce the sidelines (i.e. not 6.Qc2 or 6.Bg5). Some of them do present a challenge, yet Black should be able to master it.

Stohl: Nimzo Indian E32

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4
The variation with 5.e4 has been frequently played of late, seeing a development: first 7.a3 was tried, now 7.Bd3 is played right away. After 7...c5 the move 8.Ne2 was customary, now the latest trend is 8.Nf3.

Krasenkow: King's Indian Defence E90

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3
The author is one of the greatest specialists of the King's Indian with 6.h3. Part 1 of the survey deals with variations without 6...e5, focusing in particular on 6...c5 7.d5 e6.

Grivas: King's Indian Defence E92

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 e5 7.Be3 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Bf2 a6 11.0-0 b5
The diagram position, which can be easily reached after 7.Be3, has appeared suprisingly seldom in practice so far, yet these games looked quite good for the second player.