Download PGN of August ’23 KID games
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Karpov System 6.Be3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Nf3 [E73]
In fact, the first 4 games are in the line known as the Lesser Averbakh or Karpov Variation, where Black tries 6...Nc6, inviting White to push her pawns and gain space by chasing the knight all over the board. This is becoming very popular for Black lately.
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Our first game is from the World Cup with the World Champion, Wenjun, Ju - Paethz, E in the line White went for the positional 8.Nf3:
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Black also preferred to play more cautiously by not trading any pawns in the centre. After that White took more space and was more active but Black was solid and later found good counterplay with 31...Bd4, managed to trade everything and draw the game.
Karpov System 6.Be3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.f4 Ned7 [E73]
Game 2, Cheng, S - Iskandarov, M, was also from the World cup. After 8 f4 Black tried the very rare 8...Ned7 line. Then he managed to get a nice position with 9....e6 and 13...e5:
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Later he took control of the centre and started to press. White was defending well until some point but after 30....Nh5 Black kept a big edge and won the game.
Karpov System 6.Be3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.f4 Neg4 9.Bd2 Nh6 [E73]
In Janik, I - Gumularz, S Black went for the main line with 8 ...Neg4 and then managed to quickly develop his queenside.
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Later he went for complications with 19....e6 and the game become imbalanced. Both players missed chances but in the end Black blundered and White won.
Karpov System 6.Be3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.h3 [E73]
In Lupulescu, C - Firouzja, A White went for the solid 8.h3 line. Black then tried a rare plan with 9....Ned7, hoping to keep more pieces on and to press against e4 later:
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Then the game became sharp and Black took the initiative. He gave up material but White could not find the only defense, so Black won.
Classical, Makagonov System, 5.h3 Nbd7 6.Nf3 e5 7.d5 [E90]
Klimkowski, J - Sokolovsky, Y was in the Classical with an interesting move order and there was already a novelty when Black played 7....h5:
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Black followed up with 9...Bh6 and traded the bishops. White tried to take the initiative but Black defended well and got a strong knight in the centre. However, later he started to play passively and White slowly gained an edge and won the game.
Classical Variation 7.0-0 h6 8.Re1 [E94]
Bitan, B - Gupta, A was another new plan which I like in the Classical with 7....h6. Black instantly found a new idea with 8....Nh7 and then quickly expanded with 10...f5:
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However, White managed to open the game with a pawn sac and started to put on some pressure. Black defended well and later got a very big plus. However, with only one mistake the game become equal and White managed to escape.
Classical, Donner Variation 7.0-0 c6 8.Be3 [E94]
Vignesh, N - Panjwani, R was also in the Classical, but with 8...Na6:
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White went for 9.h3 and after 9...exd4 Black started to put pressure on e4. Later Black took control of the dark squares and after 19...Nf4! he grabbed the initiative. He had a big edge but decided to trade queens and then slowly lost it and the game ended in a draw.
Classical Variation 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Bf4 [E94]
Eljanov, P - Mamedov, R featured a Classical with 7...exd4. White went for the rare 10 .Bf4 line and Black followed the main plan to obtain control over e5.
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Later Black made a mistake with 15...a5 giving White an edge on the queenside. However, then White decided to give up a pawn and now it was Black who was much better, but after some further mistakes White even managed to win.
Till next month, Marian
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