a)Exchange variation

• classical (white:Bc4+Nf3 black:cxd4+Qa5+)

a) Bd2 pressure to ‘c’ file-queen-side operations (Rc8+a6+b5+Na5+Qb6)
b) Qd2 ’c’ file-2 bishops
c) Kf1 complications Qa3
• 7.Bb5+

b) Prins Na6+c5
• 7.e4 pressure on the isolated d5 Bf5+Qb6+Re8+Rd1
• 7.Bf4

c)others
• 4.Bg5 (Stockholm variation) white holds the c4 pawn (gambit) with Be6+0-0+c5
• 4.Nf3 +5.Bg5
• 4.Bf4 c5+Qa5+Qxc5+(Qa5 or Qh5)+Bg4xNf3 Capablanca
• 4.Nf3 + 5.Bf4 (Capablanca variation, gambit)
• neo-grunfeld 3.g3
• Nf3+e3 (quite variation) c5+Na6 Black plays c5 anyway

classical (Bc4+Ne3 cxd4+Qa5+) D86

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5

r1b1k2r/pp2ppbp/2n3p1/q7/2BPP3/4B3/P3NPPP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 0 11

3 possible answers: 11.Bd2 (main) and 11.Qd2 or 11.Kf1

1. 11. Bd2 Qd8

a) 12.Bc3 O-O 13. O-O Bg4 14. f3 Bd7 (pressure on ‘c’, exploiting the vulnerable 2 bishops)

r2q1rk1/pp1bppbp/2n3p1/8/2BPP3/2B2P2/P3N1PP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 15

15. Rb1 (or 15.Qd2 a6 16.a4 Rc8) Qc7

• I play on the queen-side a6+b5(+b4) (and simultaneously I put pressure on the white center).
 • White: f4-f5-(f6)+Nf4+Qf2, Ne2-f4-d5 (after d5, creating an outpost) or else, or Ng3-e4-f6.

• Breakthroughs: black...f5, white-f4-f5

• Na5-c4 or xb3,

• pieces: strong Bg7and Knight (Na5-c4 or xBb3), weak Bd7 (but supports the battle for “c”, and the queen-side pawn advance, at g4
threatens to exchange it for the knight). White knight: Ne2-f4-d5 or else, or Ng3-e4-f6.

• imbalances: queen-side majority vs central majority, white ‘f’ file, black ‘c’ file (usually exchange of rooks)

illustrative game1: Beliavsky-Svidler (1998)

• if 12.d5 not BxRa1 but Ne5 13.Bb5 Bd7 (if 14.Rb1 BxB 14.RxB Nd3+) 14.BxB QxB

b). Qd2 ( queen-side majority, 2 bishops

11. Qd2 Qxd2 12. Kxd2 O-O 13. Rhd1 Na5

r1b2rk1/pp2ppbp/6p1/n7/2BPP3/4B3/P2KNPPP/R2R4 w - - 0 14

14. Bd3 Be6 15. Rdc1 Rfc8 16. Rxc8 Rxc8 17. Rc1 Rxc1 18. Nxc1 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Bxc4

typical maneuvering : Na5-c4+Be6+Rc8 (exchanging all Rooks)

c) Kf1 pressure on d5 (Qd8+Bh6xNf4)

11.Kf1 0-0 and now or 12.h4 or 12.Rc1 or 12.e5 white has a king-side activity, black has queen-side majority and pressure on d5
eg Kf1 O-O 12. h4 h5 13. Rc1 Bd7 (or 13...Qa3) 14. Nf4 Kh7 15. e5 where 15...Nd8 or 15...Ra-d8 looks sufficient

r4r2/pp1bppbk/2n3p1/q3P2p/2BP1N1P/4B3/P4PP1/2RQ1K1R b - - 0 15

complicated position.
imbalances: white center space, queen-side majority, exposed king (but actually white presses black king), Nf4 strong,
typical maneuvering: black Qa3, Rd8, Bh6, pressure on d5, ‘c’ file
white e5, Nf4, h4+Rh3
 Russian-Prins
Na6+c5

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Na6 8. Be2 c5 9. d5 e6 10. O-O exd5 11. exd5 Bf5 (or 11...Nc7)
12. Be3 Qb6

r4rk1/pp3pbp/nq3np1/2pP1b2/2Q5/2N1BN2/PP2BPPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 13

black puts pressure on isolated-passed d5, tries to encircle it

queen-side majority versus isolated passed central pawn
white pressure against c5
possible positional sacrifice Re8xBe3 to play on dark squares.
possible maneuvering: Na6-b5, Nf6-e4 or Nf6-e8-d6, Qb4

if 9.dxc then ...Be6 10. Qb5 Rc8

alternatively (rare 7%):

7. Bf4 Na6 8. e4 c5 9. dxc5 Qa5 10. e5 Nd7 11. a3 Qxc5 12. Nd5 Nb6 13. Qxc5 Nxc5 14. Nxe7 Kh8 15. Rc1 Ne6

r1b2r1k/pp2Npbp/1n2n1p1/4P3/5B2/P4N2/1P3PPP/2R1KB1R w K - 0 16

4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 (eco D82)

Capablanca variation

c5+Qa5+Qxc5+(Qa5 or Qh5)+Bg4xNf3

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 c5 6. dxc5 Qa5 7. Rc1 dxc4 8. Bxc4 O-O 9. Nf3 Qxc5
 rnb2rk1/pp2ppbp/5np1/2q5/2B2B2/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/2RQK2R w K - 0 10

possible continuation

10. Bb3 Bg4 11. O-O Qh5 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Qxf3 14. gxf3 Nc6

two bishops V weak pawn formation

the major pieces will be exchanged on ‘d’ file

or 10...Qa5 11. O-O Na6

with a lot of possible moves ( 12.a3, 12.Qe2, 12.Ng5, 12.Ne5, 12.Bc4 ), but good results for black

4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.Rc1 eco-D92

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bf4 O-O 6.Rc1 (permitting dxc4)

(or 6.e3 transposition to previous chapter, D082) dxc4 7. e4 Bg4 8. Bxc4 Nh5 9. Be3 Bxf3 10. gxf3 e5 11. dxe5 Bxe5 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. O-
O Nd7

r2r2k1/pppn1p1p/6p1/4b2n/2B1P3/2N1BP2/PP3P1P/2R2RK1 w - - 0 14

4.Bg5 (Stockholm -Taimanov variation) D80

black holds the c4 pawn (gambit) with Be6+0-0+c5, gives the 2 bishops

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5.

➢ Bh4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 dxc4 7. e3 Be6 8. Nf3 Bg7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O c5 11. Rb1 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Bd5 13. Qc2 Qd7 14. Rfd1 Bxd4 15. c
xd4 Qe6
 rn3rk1/pp2pp1p/4q1p1/3b4/2pP3B/4P3/P1Q1BPPP/1R1R2K1 w - - 0 16

white sacrifices a pawn for better development, the two bishops and the weakness on black squares.

Black exchanges the knight, captures the pawn and defends it with Be6 (and Qe6 later on)

1. black plays at queen-side

2. no breakthroughs

3. typical maneuvering:

4. pieces:

5. imbalances: queen-side majority, white has two bishops, weak black squares around black king.

game1: Gelfand (2733) vs. Kamsky (2732)

interesting looks 8. Qb1 Qd5 9.Nf3 Nd7 like in the game Aronian-Svidler:

https://www.365chess.com/view_game.php?g=3439095

typical:+Nd7-b6+Bg7+Bf5+c5

7.Qa4+ (is safer, regains the pawn) Qd7 8. Qxc4 b6 9. Bg3 c5 10. Be5 f6 11. Bxb8 Rxb8 12. a4 cxd4 13. cxd4 e5 14. Nf3

1rb1kb1r/p2q3p/1p3pp1/4p3/P1QP4/5N2/4PPPP/R3KB1R b KQk - 0 14

illustrative game1:Marcelen-Berkes (2008)

white king is at the center, black has two bishops and the position will be opened.

• Typical maneuvering: Bb7+Rc8+a5+Bb4

➢ 5. Bf4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. e3 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. Qb3 cxd4 10. exd4 dxc4 if 11.Bxc4 Nc6

➢ 5. Nxe4 dxe4 6. e3 Bg7 7. Ne2 c5 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. d5 Ne510. Nc3 f5 11. Be2 O-O 12. O-O
 or 7. Qc2 c5 8. O-O-O cxd4

4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 D91

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bg5 Ne4 6. cxd5 Nxg5 7. Nxg5 e6 8. Nf3 exd5 9. e3 O-O

rnbq1rk1/ppp2pbp/6p1/3p4/3P4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQ - 0 10

and now 10.b4 or Be2 (or 10.Qb3)

a) b4

b) Be2

Neo-Grunfeld 3.g3 D72

6...Nb4 and not b6

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nb4 7. a3 N4c6 8. d5Nd4 9. Ne2 Bg4 10. Nbc3 c6 11. h3 Bf3

rn1qk2r/pp2ppbp/2p3p1/3P4/3nP3/P1N2bPP/1P2NPB1/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 12

typical maneuvering: Nf6-d5-b4-d4, Bg4

4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 (quiet variation)

Black plays c5 anyway, isolated pawn

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O

 rnbq1rk1/ppp1ppbp/5np1/3p4/2PP4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQ - 0 6

a possible (gambit) continuation is

➢ 6.Bd2 (protects Nc3 and prevents Qa5, but masks d5 and delays castling, hopes to save a tempo as Bf1 will probably capture on
c4) c5 7.dxc (or cxd) Na6 8.cxd Nxc5 9.Bc4 a6 10.a4 Bf5 11.0-0 Rc8 12.Qe2 Nfe4 13.Rfd1 (or Nd4) NxN with compensation for
the pawn. Black plays Nc6, focus on development (Bf5+Rc8) and then begins active operations ( Nfe4). At least equality+queen-
side majority.

• Black plays against d5, has better play: exchanges 2, 3 or even 4 pairs of light pieces, re-gains the d5 pawn and has pressure on the
‘c’ file

• typical maneuvering: Bf5-e4xd5, Bxc3+Rxc3, Nf-e4xd2, Nf-e4xc3, Nc4-d3

• b5 and creates a passed pawn on the queen-side (after Bxc3+Rxc3)

➢ 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Be2 (main line) c5 (opens the position while white King is uncastled) 7. O-O
(or 7.dxc Qa5 8.0-0 dxc 9. Bxc4 Qxc5 with very good score for black) cxd4 8. exd4 Nc6

r1bq1rk1/pp2ppbp/2n2np1/3p4/2PP4/2N2N2/PP2BPPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 9

With a lot of continuations for white (about 14!) 9.Qb3, 9.h3, 9.Re1, 9.Be3, 9.Bg5, 9.Bf4, 9.Ne5 9.c5 etc, but all scores very well for black

white may be left with an isolani (or with c5 will require a queen-side majority, but weak d4 pawn)

eg

9. h3 dxc410. Bxc4 Na5 11. Be2 Be6 12. Ne5 Rc8 13. Be3 Nd5 14. Nxd5 Bxd5 15. Qa4 a6 16. Rac1 Nc617. Rfd1