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A practical repertoire for the positional player after 1.d4 Vol.3
1.d4f52.c4Nf6Let us see what happens if black attempts a Stonewall2...e63.Nc3Bb4Black wants to fight for control over e4 with this move. This can work when white has developed a knight to f3 but now white can still develop the knight to e2 or h3 this doesn't make sense.3...d5?!The stonewall sort of works out when white develops the bishop to g2, but in this position white can still develop it to d3 or e24.Bf4Nf64...Bd6can be answered with5.e34...c65.e3Nf6transposes5.e3c6transposes5...Bd66.Nf3Bxf47.exf40-08.Rc1±5...Bb46.Bd30-07.Nf3±6.Bd3Be76...Bd67.Nf3There is nothing wrong with7.Bxd6but I just like to keep the tension and allow black to double our pawns on the f-file7...0-08.0-0Ne49.Qc2Bxf410.exf4Nd710...Bd711.Ne5Be812.f3Nd613.c5Nf714.b4±with a huge space advantage11.Rac1±7.h3!?0-08.Nf3Ne48...Bd7?!9.Qb3 is annoying for black as ...b6 is a rather weakening moveb610.0-0Be8?11.cxd5!cxd512.Nb5when black is already close to lost9.0-0Nd79...b610.Rc1Bb711.cxd5!exd511...cxd5?12.Nb5+-12.Ne5±white can even consider g4 next move. The point is black cannot finish development withNd7because of a nice tactical shot:13.Nxd5cxd514.Nxd7Qxd715.Rc7+-10.Rc1Ndf611.Qc23...Nf6transposes4.Bd2Nf65.e30-05...Bxc36.Bxc3Ne47.Ne20-08.f3Nxc39.Nxc36.Bd3b67.Nh3!?Bb78.0-02...d62...c63.Nc3d5?!3...Nf6tr.3...e6?!4.e4fxe45.Nxe4±4.Bg5±2...b63.Nc3Bb73...Nf6tr.4.Bg5!?g65.e3Bg76.Nh3!it is perfectly fine to continue6.f3Nf67.Bd36...Nf67.Nf40-08.h4±2...c53.d5±2...g6this move gives white an extra possibility with3.h4!?3.Nc3Nf6tr.3...Bg7?!allows4.e4!±3...Nf64.h5!Nxh54...Bg75.h6Bf86.Nc3±5.Rxh5gxh56.e4and this looks incredibly dangerous for black, e.g.Bg77.Qxh5+Kf88.Qxf5+Kg89.Nc3±3.Nc3d63...g6This is by far the most popular move I think if this works then this is the best move order. Black is waiting with the development of Nb8 as there are better squares than d7 for it as we will see in the mainline. White however does have some interesting alternatives here4.Bg54.h4!?is a very interesting alternative which tries to punish black's move order. It was seen in some high level games as well.d64...Bg75.h5Nxh55...d61-0 (69) Nakamura,H (2787)-Caruana,F (2795) Saint Louis 20166.h6Bf87.Bg5e68.Nh3±5...gxh5?6.Bg50-07.e3±6.e4fxe46...Nf67.exf5gxf58.Bh6Bxh69.Rxh6±7.Rxh5gxh58.Qxh5+Kf89.Bh6d610.Nxe4Qd711.Bxg7+Kxg712.Qg5+4...h6?!5.Nh3!Nc65...d66.Nf4Rg87.d5±5...e66.e4!Nxe46...fxe47.Nf4Rg88.g4+-7.Nxe4fxe48.Qg4Rg89.Qxe4d510.cxd5Qxd511.Qxd5exd512.Nf4±6.Nf4Rg86...Kf7?7.h5g58.Ng6Rg89.d5??7.g3±4...c6?5.h5gxh55...Nxh56.e4Nf67.exf5gxf58.Bg5+-5...Rg86.hxg6hxg67.Bg5Bg78.Nf3Ne49.e3±6.e4+-0-1 (73) Sargsyan,A (2402)-Van Foreest,J (2673) Chess.com INT 20205.h5Nxh56.Rxh56.e4Nf67.Bd3Bg77...c68.exf5Bxf59.Bxf5gxf510.Bg5Bg711.Bxf6Bxf612.Qh5+Kd713.Nge27...fxe4?!8.Nxe4Bg79.Nxf6+exf610.Rxh7f5!11.Rxg7!Kf812.Rxg612.Rxc7Qxc713.Bf412...Qe8+13.Be3Qxg614.Kd2!?8.exf58.Nf38...Bxf59.Bxf5gxf510.Bg5Nc611.Nf3Qd712.d5Nd813.Nd4Ng4!14.f3h6and with some precise play black has managed to keep the balance6...gxh57.e4fxe47...Be6?8.Be2!Kd79.d5Bf710.exf5±7...Qd7?8.Nh3Kd89.e5!∆dxe5?10.Ng5+-7...c6?8.Qxh5+Kd79.e5dxe510.Qxf5+e611.Qxe5Bd612.Qe2+-7...Bg78.Qxh5+Kf88...Kd7?9.Qxf5+e610.Qb5+c610...Ke711.Bg5+Bf612.Nf3+-11.Qh5Bxd412.Nf3Bg712...c513.e5+-13.e5!d514.cxd5cxd515.Nxd5+-8.Qxh5+Kd79.Qh3+9.Qg4+Ke89...e610.d510.Nxe4Be711.Nf3Qg8!10...Qe810...Qf611.Bg5Qf512.Be2Bg713.dxe6+13.Nxe4h614.Bh4Qxg415.Bxg4Ke816.Nh3h517.Bxe6Bxe618.dxe6Rh619.Nf413...Qxe613...Kxe6?14.Nd5+-14.Nd5h615.Bh4Qxg416.Bxg4+Kc617.Ne7+Kc518.Bxc8Nc619.Bh3Nxe720.Bxe7Bxb221.Rb1Be522.Ne2Kxc423.Be6+Kc524.Bh411.Bg5Be712.c512.Nh3!?12...Kd813.dxe6Bxe614.Qxe6Bxg515.Qd5h615...Bf616.Qxb7Qc617.Ba6e318.fxe3Qxa619.Qxa8Kc820.Qe416.Qxb7e316...Qc617.Ba617.Nd5exf2+18.Kxf2Qc619.Ba6Qxb720.Bxb7dxc521.Bxa8c622.Nf3cxd523.Bxd5=10.Qh5+=9...Kc69...e610.Nxe4Be711.Nf3Qf811...Qg812.Bg5+-12.Nfg5Qf513.g4Qg614.Bd3+-10.d5+Kb611.Na4++-4...Bg75.e3d65...0-06.Bd3d67.Nge2e58.f3tr.6.Bd3e57.f37.Nge2Nbd7tr.7...h68.Bh4Nbd78...g59.Bg3f4?10.dxe5dxe511.exf4exf412.Bg6+Ke713.Qb3fxg314.Nxg3+-7...e4?!8.Bc27...0-08.f37...0-07...Nbd78.Nge2tr.7...Be6!?Ernst-Beukema, Belgian league 20238.d5Bf79.e4f410.Nge2Nbd711.Nc10-012.Be2a513.Nd3h614.Bh4g515.Bf2b616.Qc216.g4!?7...Nc68.Nge20-09.0-0Qe810.Qd28.Nge2I think this position is a slightly better version compared to the mainline for black, as in the mainline black developed the Knight to d7 early, but this is not the best square.c68...Nbd7transposes to the mainline9.Qd2!?I like keeping it flexible. If the position gets closed with d4-d5 followed by e3-e4 at some point white might consider castling queenside9.0-0Be610.Kh1Nbd710...Na611.e411.d5!Bf712.e4f413.Nc1c514.Be23...e6transposes4.Bg5Bb4The most logical follow-up to 3...e64...Be75.e30-05...b66.Nh36.Bd3Bb77.f3c56...Bb77.f3c58.Qd20-09.0-0-0!?h69...cxd410.exd4h611.Be310.Bxf6Bxf611.d56.Bd3b67.Nh3!Bb78.0-0h69.Bf45.Rc10-05...b66.e3Bb77.Nge20-08.a3Be7White is comfortably better with the pair of bishops after8...Bxc3+?!9.Nxc3Qe810.Nb5!inserting Nb5 Na6 is very awkward for blackNa611.f3Qg612.Bh4Rae813.b4±9.h4!Ng410.Bxe7Qxe711.Nf46.e3d66...Bxc3+7.Rxc3d67...Qe88.Bxf6Rxf69.Nh3!8.Bd3Qe88...e59.Ne2h610.Bxf6Qxf611.c59.Bxf6Rxf610.c5!6...b67.Bd3Bb78.f37.Nge2h68.Bxf6Qxf69.a3Bxc3+10.Nxc3f411.Qf33...b6There are many games here and most of them continued Nf3 or Bg5, however white has much stronger4.e4!fxe44...Nxe45.Nxe4fxe46.Qh5+g67.Qe5Rg88.Qd5+-4...e5is best according to the engine, but also here white stays on top after5.dxe5Nxe46.Bd3Bb47.Nge2±5.g4!e65...h66.Bg2and nowBb7 would quickly lead to disaster after7.h4!+-6.g5Ng87.Bg2d58.f3e38...exf39.Qxf3+-9.Bxe33...c64.Bg5Ne45.Nxe4fxe46.f3!?d56...exf37.exf3±7.Qd24.Bg5Nbd74...e65.e4fxe46.Nxe4Be77.Nc30-07...e58.Nf3exd48...0-0CTRL f79.Nxd48.Nf3e5CTRL f78...Nc69.Be2e510.d5Nb811.Be3!?9.dxe5dxe510.Qxd8Rxd811.Nxe5Bb412.f34...g6?5.Bxf6exf66.e3 The engines don't like this structure at all for black. The pawn would be so much better off on f7 instead of f6Bh67.g3c68.Bg2Na69.Nge20-010.0-0and white is ready to start queenside expensionNc711.b4±4...Ne4!?5.Nxe4fxe46.Qc2g67.Qxe44...e5?!5.dxe5dxe56.Qxd8+Kxd87.0-0-0+Ke88.Nf3Bd69.g3Be610.c5Bxc511.Nxe5Bxf2?11...Nbd712.Nxd7Nxd713.Bh3Bxf214.e412.Bg2c613.e4±4...c6?5.Bxf6exf66.e3±5.e3g65...c66.Bd3g65...e56.Qc2!?h66...g67.0-0-0h67...c68.g4!fxg49.dxe5dxe510.h38.Bh4Bg79.f4!?exf49...e410.Nh30-011.g4!±10.exf40-011.Nf3±7.Bxf6Nxf68.0-0-0e48...exd49.exd4Be79...g610.Nf3Bg711.Re1+Kf712.c510.Bd30-011.Nf3±8...Qe79.c5!dxc510.dxe5Qxe511.Bc4!Qe711...Bd612.Nf3Qe713.Nh4+-12.Nf3Be613.e4!Bxc414.exf5+-9.f3Qe79...Be710.fxe4fxe411.Nxe40-012.Bd3Kh813.Nf310.Kb1c610...g511.h4Bg712.hxg5hxg513.Rxh8+Bxh814.fxe4Nxe414...fxe415.Nd5!Nxd516.cxd5+-15.Nxe4fxe416.Be2c617.Rf1Bf618.Bh5+Kd819.Bg6Be620.Ne211.Nge2g611...exf312.gxf3Qxe312...g613.Nf4Rg814.Bd3±13.Rd3Qe714.d512.fxe4fxe413.Ng3Bg713...d5?14.cxd5cxd515.Bb5+Bd716.Rhf1+-14.Ncxe4Nxe415.Nxe4Bf516.Bd30-017.Rhe15...h66.Bh4e56...g57.Bg3Bg78.h4g49.Bd3e610.h5±6...g67.Bd37.f4!? is possibly even stronger7...Bg77...e5tr.8.Nge28.f4would now be too late:e5and white can't play Nf3 anymore because of ...e48...e5tr.7.Bd3g67...g5?!8.Bg3f4?9.Bg6+Ke710.exf4+-7...e48.Bc2Be78...c69.f3!g510.Bg3d511.cxd5cxd512.fxe4fxe412...dxe413.Bb313.Bb3Nb614.Nge2±9.Nge2c610.Nf4Kf711.Bg3g512.Nfe2!?8.Nge26.Bd3Bg76...c67.Nge2e58.f3Be79.Qd26...e57.Nge2Be78.f30-09.Qd27.Nge2e5tr.8.f3tr.c68...0-09.Qd2!?9.0-0is fine, but let's keep it flexiblec69...b610.Bc2a611.a4a512.Qd2b613.d5c514.Nb5Nb815.f4Na616.e4±9...b610.e4f411.Bc28...h6 this is possibly already inaccurate9.Bh40-09...b6?!Pruijssers recommendation in his course on the Dutch on chess2410.e4!g510...f4?!11.Nxf4exf412.e50-013.exf6Bxf613...Qe8+14.Be4Nxf615.Bxf6Rxf616.0-0±14.Bf2±10...fxe4?11.Bxe4+-11.Bf2f411...fxe412.Nxe40-013.0-0Bb714.N4g3!±12.Bc20-013.Qd2Qe714.0-0-0±10.0-0In the game Dreev-Vachier Lagrave, Riga 2021 white continued with10.Qc2and this is probably also fine, although I prefer the queen on d2c611.0-0Qe812.Bf2b613.b4Bb714.Rad1Qe715.Qb3Kh7and here white could have played16.e4when white is doing very well, asf4can be met with17.c5!10...c611.Qd2Rf712.Rad1Nf813.Bc2±- (52) Mikhalevski,V (2517)-Gorshtein,I (2469) Arad 20229.Qd20-010.0-0Qe810...Qc711.Rac1Nb6I don't see another logical way for black to finish development12.Kh1Be613.d5Bf714.e4f415.g311.Rad1Nb611...e4?12.fxe4fxe413.Bc211...Kh812.Bc212.b3±