Playing the Queen's Gambit: A Grandmaster Guide

250 Pages·2009·6.57 MB·English

Lats Schandortt
Playing

the Queen’s Gambit
— A Grandmaster Guide

quay cHess @-§
Playing the Queen’s Gambit

— a grandmaster guide
By

Lars Schandorff

Quality Chess

www.qualitychess.co.uk
First English edition 2009 by Quality Chess UK LLP
2nd print 2009

Copyright © 2009 Lars Schandon

Playing the Queen’s Gambit - A Grandmaster Guide

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ISBN 978-1 -906552-18-3

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Preface

This book provides White with a hard-bitting repertoire against all Black’s answers to 1.d4 d5
24, che Queen's Gambit, including classies like the evergreen Queen’s Gambit, Declined, the
highly fashionable Slav, and the rather obscure Chigorin.

The repertoi

is based entirely on big mainlines, which guarantees its reliability and strength.
Firstly, you cannot expect to ger anything against well-respected openings like the Queen's Gam-
bit Accepted and the Semi-Slav by trying a little sideline or just by playing safe. The main lines,
on the other hand, have not hecome main lines hy chance. They have slowly but surely evolved
and proved their strengch over the years, so by choosing main lines you gain reliable weapons.

Secondly, the main lines are sharp and put the maximum pressure on the opponent, both theo-
rotically and in practice. This corresponds perfeccly with the philosophy behind this work, which
is that White should scrive for the initiative and show that moving first matters. Developing the
pieces fluidly to active squares and trying to take the centre with pawns to scize space ~ these are
key elements in che vatious White setups presented here.

Playing White is like serving in tennis. I remember when | started to play a few years ago — ten-
nis that is! — a good friend of mine explained char the serve should be a great offensive weapon.
Actually this is quite a ctuc! thing to tell a beginner, because the serve is hy far the most difficult
stroke in tonnis. But it is true of course, and the right attitude. With a gond serve you cither win
directly of, if the opponent manages to retum the hall, at least you get the chance to take the
initiative and dictate the rest of the duel,

In chis book L offer you an excellent first serve. And it will be an effective offensive weapon, T
promise that. But every ccnnis player knows that it is important to have a decent second serve as
wall, This may also be true in chess, especially in this computer age, so having a sale alternative
is a good idea, Thus, throughout the book I offer hines of where you could devore some of your
further investigations.

Enough. Let's hic the engine and scart rolling — T hope you enjoy che films, the songs and the
moves,

Lars Schandorff
Denmark, January 2009
Contents

Key to symbols used & Bibliography
Introduction

Queen’s Gambit Declined
Follow the Pair h

The 3...8e7 move order

‘The mainline

3.807

Queen’s Gambit Accepted
‘The 3..-b5 Variation

5 Variation

5 Variation

...c6 Variation

DFG Variation

3..dxe4

The 5... a6 Variation

The 5...2g4 Variation

“Ihe 5...6 Variation

The Mainline: 5...265 6.De5
‘The 6...2aG Variation

‘The Mainline — Part One:
“the Bishop Sacrifice — 1
“The Bishop Sactifice. 15...0-0
‘the Bishop Sacrifice ~ 15...b5 etc.
Kramniks ending

‘The Mainline - Part Two

“The Classical Move - 11.16
Morozevich’s 11...g5

Sokolov’s Variation — 7...b6
The Semi-Slav

The Borvinnik Variation
The Moscow Variation

‘The Cambridge Springs
Queen's Gambit Declined
‘Theory: Bowvinnik Variation

‘Theory: Moscow Gambit

‘Theory

£6 Variation
‘The 9...cxd4 Variation

The Chigorin
“The System

“The a6-variarion
“The active 4,..2¢4
Early Deviations

Minor Lines
The Albin Counter-Gambic
‘The Von Hennig-Schara Gambit

‘The Symmetrical 2...c5
“The Triangle Variation
‘Whe Semi-Tarrasch

The QGD with 3...£ib4

Index of Full Games
Index of Variations
Key to symbols used

z White is slightly better ? aweak move
F Black is slightly better ® — ablunder
£ White is better ! a good move
F Black is better u an excellent move
+= White has a decisive advantage a move worth considering
-+ Black has a decisive advantage n a move of doubtful value
= equality # mate
% with compensation (n) on march game
2 with counterplay > with an attack
oe unclear + with an initiative
N new move

Bibliography

Abrukh: Grandmaster Repertoire 1 — 1.d4 volume one, Quality Chess 2008
Berliner: The System, Gambit 1999

Bologan: The Chebanenko Slaw, New in Chess 2008

Davies: Gambiteer 2, Everyman 2007

Dooreisky: Duoreisky’ Analytical Manual, Russell 2008

Flear: The a6 Slav, Everyman 2003

Kasparov: My Great Predecessors 2, Everyman 2003

Kasparov: Kasparou vs Karpov 1975-1985, Everyman 2008

Khalifinan: Opening for White According to Kramnik 4, Chess Stars 2002
Khalifinan: Opening for White According to Kramnik 5, Chess Stars 2002
Palliser, Flean, Ward: Dangerous Weapons: The Queens Gambit, Everyman 2007
Pancayk: The Cambridge Springs, Gambit 2002

Pedersen: The Botwinnik Semi-Slav, Gambit 2000

Sadler: Queens Gambit Declined, Everyman 2000

Sakaev, Semkov: ‘the Queens Gambit Accepted, Chess Stars 2005

Vigorito: Play the Semi-Slau, Quality Chess 2008

Vigus: Play the Slav, Feryman 2008

Periodicals and Electronic Resources

ChessBase: Megabase, Corr Base, Opening Encyclopaedia and Magazine
Fritz and Rybka

New in Chess: Yearbouks and Magazine

Sahouski Informator: Chess Informant and Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
Introduction to the Repertoire

Thave explained die principles of the repertoire — aggressive reliable mainlines that seize space —
burafter 1.d4 d5 2.c4 howdoes thar rranslace into moves? Against som openings che choice seems
obvious, in others there are several possible lines that could fit the bill, Where there was a real
choice I have used my judgement to select the mast principled continuation — ne compromises!

Ler’s take it one opening at a time in the order I have arranged the chapters:

Chapter 1: Queen's Gambit Declined

1.44 d5 2.04 06 3.23 EMG Againsi the Queen's Gambit Declined my choice is: 4uexd5 exd5
Critical, yes, buc how does ie take space? The answer is that in many of my lines White will later
play B and of, 5.8g5 ‘The great Botvinnik will be our guide of how to play this tine,

BRU keane

Chapter 2: Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.04 duc The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a rough opening 1o meer, but it is obvious
my space-gaining choice must be: 3.e4 Black has various ways to challenge White’s central
dominance, so we will leave the details ill ver

eC are a)
8 Playing the Queen's Gambit

Chapter 3: The Slav

1.d4 d5 2.04 06 32083 AG 4.03 deed 5.a4 Sf Naturally, Black also has moves such as
S.nGgd, 5...2a6 and 5...e6, and | cover them all. Bur 5...J2f5 is the mainline of the Slay, and I
answer with the mainline: 6.e5 As against the Queen's Gambit Declined, { will usually build
my centre with £3 and ed.

ee aC ee)

Chapter 4: The Semi-Slay

1.d4 d5 2.04 06 3.263 26 4.2\c3 6 The Semi-Slay will be met by the most aggressive reply:
5.Qg5 Naturally if Black takes on e4 then White seizes the centre with c2-c4.

Ree kw an sn
Introduction 9

Chapter 5: The a6-Slav

1.4 d5 2.04 06 3.063 BA 4.23 aG Against the a6-Slav achieving ¢2-e4 is more difficult
(though it will happen in one of my key lines!). This time I claim a space advantage by playing:
5.€5 At this point Black has a choice, so we will Icave further explanation to the chapter itself.

ce a ec

Chapter 6: The Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.04 6 3.2c3 c5 The Tarraseh is the joker in our pack: White will not have a space
advantage but we will have easy development and the sounder pawn structure by following the
main line: 4cxd5 exd5 5.2063 Ac6 6.23 Whitc’s play will be more about control, whereas che

rest of the repertoire is more atracking,

mR BRAS &