Games, analysis and discussion

Queen's Gambit Declined Orthodox

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[Event "Arctic Chess Challenge"]
[Site "??"]
[Date "2007.08.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jaeger, F"]
[Black "Gurevich, M"]
[Result "0-1"]

{Discussion of QGD Classical Orthodox Variation game:} 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 {3.cxd5 is premature. After 3...exd5 Black might quickly play ...c6 (permitting ...Qb6 in response to Qb3) intending to soon develop his B/c8 actively to f5 before White can deploy both of his bishops.} Nf6 {3...Be7 is a way to avoid the main QGD Exchange lines, but then Black must reckon perhaps especially on 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4, not that that is too terrible for him. After 5...0-0 6.e3 Black can, for example, try 6...c5, intending the old fashioned idea of recapturing with the pawn if White soon trades on d5, or he can try 6...Nbd7, answering the critical 7.c5 with the barely tested 7...b6!?, and after 8.c6 Nb8 the pawn/c6 is vulnerable. If Black wishes to get to certain QGD Classical Orthodox lines while avoiding (5)Bf4 lines (and perhaps also avoid QGD Exchange lines), a way he can try to achieve this end (after 3.Nc3), in a rather convoluted fashion, is 3...c6 (starting point for Triangle Semi-Slav, normally) and after 4.Nf3 (if 4.e4 Black can avoid the sharp, dangerous lines of the Marshall Gambit with 4...Bb4!?) 4...Nf6 5.Bg5 (if 5.e3 Black is committed to a Semi-Slav, though White can no longer play the critical 5.Bg5 lines of the Semi-Slav) h6!? (5...Be7 or 5...Nbd7 are also possible, naturally) 6.Bh4!? (6.Bxf6 is the Moscow Semi-Slav, where Black has the 2 bishops and is solid) 6...Be7 (6...g5!? 7.Bg3 Ne4!? is an independent option, which also avoids the sharp 6...dxc4 lines of the Anti-Moscow Semi-Slav) and after 7.e3 0-0 Black may next continue with ...Nbd7 or perhaps even ...Ne4, depending on what White does.} 4. Bg5 {4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 is a QGD Exchange where White still has the option of developing a knight to e2 if he wishes, perhaps followed by castling either way. In case of 4.Nf3 Black could (instead of 4...Be7), for example, play 4...Nbd7!? and still hope to get to a Classical Orthodox (though 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 is a QGD Exchange main line, albeit with White commited to Nf3). Then 5.Bf4 can be met by 5...dxc4!?, though if Black doesn't trust this then an alternative is 4...Bb4!? (the Ragozin QGD, played after advisably waiting for Ng1-f3 first by White).} Be7 {This modest bishop move is the foundation for various QGD Orthodox setups. Instead 4...Nbd7 begins another move order, setting a well-known trap, but then White can have another chance to play any of the main QGD Exchange lines.} 5.e3 {If 5.cxd5 Black can now recapture with the knight, eventually equalizing, if he wishes.} 5...0-0 {If ...h6 here or next move, possibly hoping to play a QGD Orthodox, Tartakower Variation, White has the perhaps duller option of Bxf6 instead of retreating to h4.} 6.Nf3 Nbd7 {The starting position of the QGD Classical Othodox Variation. A problem with the supposedly more active Tartakower, besides having more move order issues, is that after 6...h6 7.Bh4 b6 (the Tartakower) White can play the old main line 8.cxd5, where Black seldom wins in high level play, at least in my databases.} 7.Qc2 {If 7.cxd5 Black can recapture with the pawn, reaching a QGD Exchange main line where White is committed to Nf3, or Black can recapture with the knight, soon equalizing at the price of some simplifications. Besides his chosen move, White's other main alternative here is 7.Rc1, though Black has been doing well in reasonably high level play after 7...dxc4!? (7...a6!? is also recently popular again, though it is more complicated and risky, 7...h6 is another respectable choice, and the solid 7...c6 is the time-tested main line of old) 8.Bxc4 a6 9.a4 c5 10.0-0 (if 10.dxc5 Nxc5 equalizes, but if Black wishes to keep queens on he can use the seldom tried 10...Qa5!?) cxd4 11.exd4 (any other recapture is less ambitious and doesn't assure White of a draw) Nb6 with a roughly equal position. Black plans ...Bd7 followed by ...Bc6, perhaps, even if White has played Ne5. If a4-a5 happens later, sometimes ...Nc8 is played to optionally avoid being left with a slightly bad bishop in the event of simplification on d5.} c6!? {In the game this position was actually reached via an anti-Meran Semi-Slav move order; Black might have the most winning chances if he plays 7...b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 h6 10.Bh4 (10.h4!? and 10.Bf4!? are seldom used, and aren't mentioned in my books) Bb7 11.0-0 c5 12.Rad1, as given by Rizzitano, reaching a known line of the Tartakower QGD where ECO, 4th ed. D58/4 gives a number of equalizing lines for Black from here - the queen has been committed early to c2 here.} 8.0-0-0!? {8.Rd1 and 8.Rc1 can give rise to duller positions if White wishes, unless Black is willing to risk playing moves that may not be best.} Nb6!? {ECO, 1st edition gives 8...a6 9.Bd3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 b5 as unclear, but this has been omitted from more recent editions for some reason; the game continuation has hardly been tried.} 9.Ne5 dxc4 10.Nxc4 Nbd5 11.h4 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 b6 13.Ne5 Bb7 14.Kb1 {14.Bd3 looks about equal.} c5! {=/+; 14...Nd5 15.Qc2 f6 16.Nxc6 Qd6 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Bd3 h6 19.Bf4 Nxf4 =} 15.Bb5 Nd5 16.Qb3 Rc8 {Not 16...f6 17.Bd7 +/=; my machine likes grabbing a pawn with 16...Bxg5.} 17.Bxe7 {Better is 17.dxc5 Rxc5 18.e4 Bxg5 19.Nd7 with rough equality.} Qxe7 {=/+} 18.dxc5 bxc5 19.e4 Nb6 20.f3 Rfd8 21.g3? Qc7 {-/+} 22.Ng4 {Better is 22.Nc4.} c4 {Now Black can still capture on g3, and is clearly winning since he also stands well on the queenside. White resigns. Notes by Kevin Pacey.} 0-1


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Updated 06-14-2019 at 11:58 PM by Kevin Pacey

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