The new European champion, Matthias Bluebaum, comments. New video series by Jan Markos: "Practical tips for the tournament player". Opening videos by Sokolov, Rogozenco and Marin. 10 opening articles for your oening repertoire and much more!
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5!?
The Trompowsky Attack is an old opening which nowadays enjoys good popularity. Playing 2.Bg5, White intends to spoil Black's pawn structure by giving up their bishop. Former world champion Kasparov played the "Tromp" a lot of times, the current title holder Carlsen employs it occasionally. Mamedyarov and Nakamura are experts for White, while the main adherent is IM Djordjevic from Serbia who has played hundreds of games with it. 2...c5!? is the 4th most popular response, often employed by American top guns Nakamura and Xiong. Black immediately attacks the centre, aiming to get a doubled-edged position. The most principled move for White now is 3.d5, which we are going to look at in the second part of this article. The present survey will deal with other options for White on move 3, which can lead to many kinds of positions.
From the above diagram, I will examine: A) 3.e3, B) 3.dxc5, C) 3.Nc3 and D) 3.Bxf6.
This passive continuation gives a slight edge for Black (as does 3.c3?!, another "solid" move, which allows Black to quickly seize the initiative with 3...Ne4 4.Bf4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 and now 5...d5!) 3...Ne4! 4.Bf4 Qb6! A standard move, putting pressure on the d4 and b2 pawns. 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.bxc3 d6.
A solid position for Black. The plan is ...g6, ...Bg7 and then simply castling.
White tries to transpose to a kind of Veresov position. The next moves are likely going to be 3...cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qh4 e6 6.0-0-0 Be7 7.e4 a6!
A Sicilian-type of position has arisen. Black is probably going to play on the queenside, while White tries to pressure on the kingside. 8.Nf3 (8.f4 b5 9.e5 b4! with a doubled-edged position, see Hansen,L - Lokander,M 0-1) 8...Qc7 9.Bd3 d6 10.Rhe1 Bd7 lead to a complicated battle between two great fighters, analysed in detail by the black player: Rapport,R - Adhiban,B 0-1.
This is one of the simplest ways to play. Although the arising positions may be symmetrical, there are plenty of exciting lines to be seen. 3...e6 4.e3 Bxc5 5.Nd2 d5 6.Ngf3 h6 7.Bh4 Nc6.
If Black has time to build up a centre and keep it, they have an advantage, but White can trade the pawns with c4 or e4 when the position will be simplified - see Miladinovic,I - Asadli,V 0-1.
After 3.d5, this is the second most common 3rd move for White. After all, this is the whole idea of the Trompowsky Attack, to give up the dark-squared bishop to spoil Black's pawn structure. The arising position will be dynamic. 3...gxf6 is the standard recapture
when White again has two ways to go with the d4 pawn: D1) 4.dxc5 and D2) 4.d5.
D1) 4.dxc5
White trades the pawns and simplifies the position. (4.c3?! - after 2...c5!?, it's usually passive to play e3 or c3 for White - allows Black a great space advantage after 4...d5 5.e3 e5!) 4...e6! 5.Nd2 Bxc5 6.Ne4 This natural sequence was played in most of the games, e.g. by Djordjevic. 6....Bb4+ 7.c3.
In a blitz game, Firouzja now played the natural 7...Be7, missing the strong intermediate move 7...d5! with the intention to give up Black's bishop pair in the best circumstances - see Djordjevic,V - Firouzja,A 0-1.
D2) 4.d5
The most principled continuation. 4...Qb6! I like this move, which creates problems for White by simply attacking the b2 pawn. In the following, Black can increase the pressure on it by playing ...f5 and ...Bg7. 5.Qc1 f5!.
The pawn belongs here anyway, so I think it best to start with this move. It opens up the diagonal h8-a1, additionally, the h6 square can now be used by the bishop or even the queen. Now there is a last split:
D21) 6.c4. A natural move. 6...Qh6!? This rare continuation is one of the top recommendations from a strong engine. After trading queens, Black would have the more pleasant endgame thanks to the bishop pair. 7.e3 (White declines) and now 7...e5!.
This position is almost completely new territory, so there are plenty of plans to be tried out. Black has doubled pawns, but also the opened g-file in return. They can manoeuvre the king over to the queenside (c7!), the knight to f6, and play actively. Meanwhile, White should play for statics, keeping this pawn structure.
D22) 6.g3 Bg7 7.c3 d6 8.Bg2 f5
Black plans Nd7-f6, then the aggressive attack with h5-h4 - see Evgeny Postny's great analysis of Lakdawala,C - Nakamura,H 0-1.
D23) 6.e3. Similar to the line above, White seeks a solid structure with pawns on e3 and c3. 6...Bg7 7.c3 d6.
A static position has arisen. Black is going to attack the d5 pawn with Nd7-f6, White will continue Nh3-f4. Then Black's second plan is to play for e7-e5, and in case of White's Bc4, support this advance with ...Re8. All this is analysed in Martinez Reyes,P - Xiong,J 0-1.
Summary: This was the first part of my analysis of the energetic reply 2...c5!? against the Trompowsky Attack. Black immediately creates counterplay by attacking the centre and opening the diagonal for Qd8, which is one of the main ideas. Black has good chances in all lines and can play solidly if necessary. In the second part of the article, I will show you how to deal with White's main move 3.d5. After that, you will have a complete repertoire for Black against the Tromp!
You can find Petra Papp's opening article with all games and analyses in the new ChessBase Magazine #208!
Grigoriants: English 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3 f5 5.exf5
Papp: Trompovsky 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 Part I
Ris: Sicilian Sveshnikov 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 Nd4
Moskalenko: French Advance 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nge7
Vogel: Italian 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Re1 d6 7.a4 Be6
Kapnisis: Ruy Lopez 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c4
Kuzmin: Queen’s Gambit Accepted 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 c5 7.Re1
Miron: Schara-Hennig Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4
Braun: Catalan 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Na3
Szabo: Nimzoindian 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Bg5 c5
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On the first page of ChessBase Magazine #208 you have direct access to the editors' recommendations: the highlights of the issue!
European Championship 2022: Matthias Blübaum celebrated the greatest success of his career so far by winning the European Championship. The new champion comments on two of his games as well as the winners of the silver and bronze medals, Gabriel Sargissian and Ivan Saric. Plus analyses of many other players, including Ruslan Ponomariov, Aryan Tari, Ivan Cheparinov, Rasmus Svane, Yuriy Kuzubov, Maxime Lagarde and others.
Superbet Bucharest 2022: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Levon Aronian and Wesley So in the tiebreak. Anish Giri comments on three highlights from Bucharest, Dorian Rogozenco presents two games of the winner in the video.
Our new author, Jan Markos, is a Slovakian chess book author, trainer and grandmaster. His first contribution is about time management. First, Markos elaborates on three general and easy-to-implement recommendations in the more than 20-minute video. At the beginning there is a fundamental question: in which types of positions should we invest time at all - and in which not?
CBM authors analyse their favourite games from the first knockout world championship 25 years ago. An exclusive collection of 22 annotated games awaits you!
Following his examination of the London System against the King's Indian in CBM 207, Tanmay Srinath defends his favourite opening with White in this issue against an exceedingly combative approach by Black: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5, which immediately leads to sharp and double-edged play. After 3.d5 b5!? the Indian recommends the enterprising pawn sacrifice 4.e4!
Dorian Rogozenco presents a pawn sacrifice against the Gruenfeld Defence, which the new European Champion also used successfully. Ivan Sokolov came across the innovation 8...h5 in the Ragozin Variation, which he examines in detail in this and the upcoming CBM. And Mihail Marin explains why in the Slav Defence after 5...Bf5 he no longer fears the move 6.Ne5.
Dorian Rogozenco: Gruenfeld Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Bb5+
Ivan Sokolov: DG Ragozin Variation (Part I)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Bb4 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 h5
Mihail Marin: Slav Defence
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Nb6 8.Ne5 a5
CBM #208 covers a broad spectrum with 10 opening articles:
Grigoriants: English 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3 f5 5.exf5
Papp: Trompovsky 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 Part I
Ris: Sicilian Sveshnikov 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 Nd4
Moskalenko: French Advance 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nge7
Vogel: Italian 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Re1 d6 7.a4 Be6
Kapnisis: Ruy Lopez 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c4
Kuzmin: Queen’s Gambit Accepted 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 c5 7.Re1
Miron: Schara-Hennig Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4
Braun: Catalan 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Na3
Szabo: Nimzoindian 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Bg5 c5
"The second look", "Unspoken invitations" and much more. - Rainer Knaak examines eight traps from current tournament practice, three of which he also presents in video format.
Test your chess move by move with Robert Ris! Radoslaw Wojraszek's brilliant game against Kacper Piorun is made for the interactive training format: from seizing the initiative to preventing counterplay to a successful attack on your opponent’s king!
Mihail Marin discusses five strategic topics on the basis of the game material –incl. video introduction (playing time: 22 minutes)
Alexander Alekhine himself described his game against Richard Réti in Baden-Baden in 1925 as one of his most brilliant games ever. Enjoy the video presentation by Dorian Rogozenco!
Oliver Reeh's tactics contribution consists of 34 games with many training questions. Solve his favourite combinations together with the International Master in the interactive video format!
Karsten Mueller provides comprehensive training material for the highest demands. Not only on the World Championship tournament 25 years ago, but also on the Oslo Esports Cup 2022, the Hamburg endgame expert provides plenty of illustrative material and analyses (incl. video)..
Order now in the ChessBase Shop !
Single issue: 19,95€ or annual subscription (6 issues) 99,70€. You can find the ChessBase Magazine subscription (incl. ChessBase USB stick for new subscribers) on the CBM homepage! Or subscribe to ChessBase Magazine in the ChessBase Shop right away!
