WORLD champions set trends in openings, which is why the French Tarrasch: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 experienced a major revival when Karpov used it to grind down opponents, apart from Korchnoi, in the 1970s.
Even Kasparov played the Tarrasch, as well as 3.Nc3, and he also revived the Exchange Variation: 3.exd5.
In more recent times there has been a trend for Black to try moves that would have been regarded as bordering on heresy a generation earlier.
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2, some strong players started playing the wait-and-see 3...a6!?
This first appears in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database in 1948, with Botvinnik among its early experimenters.
One of the ideas is that after White's most-popular reply, 4.Ngf3, play can continue 4...c5 5.exd5 exd5 without White having the potentially simplifying Bb5+.
Even more outrageous to classical eyes is 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 h6!?, when Black does not have the excuse that White has played slowly with Nd2, blocking the white dark-squared bishop.
This first appears in Mega20 in 1965. By early 1998 it had been played six times, resulting in six black wins.
Farrukh Amanotov (2632) - Vadim Malakhatko (2462)
Astana (Kazakhstan) 2019
French 3.Nc3 h6
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 h6!? 4.Nge2!?
An unusual positional approach that Amanotov presumably prepared beforehand as Malakhatko is well-known for playing 3...h6!? Most popular are 4.Nf3 and 4.Bd3. For what it is worth, the analysis engines Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 also like 4.Be3!?
4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Nd7 6.g3 Ngf6 7.Nxf6+ Nxf6 8.Bg2 Bd6!?
Instead of playing the pawn-break ...c5, Malakhatko has in mind ...e5.
9.0-0 0-0 10.c4 c6
Blunting the g2 bishop, but also giving the d6 bishop a retreat that keeps it on the b8-h2 diagonal.
11.Nc3 e5 12.c5 Bc7 13.c5
White ensures there will be an unbalanced pawn-structure.
13...cxd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 Qe7 16.Qc2 Rd8 17.Bg2 f5
White's queenside pawn-majority could be a trump in an endgame, but for now Black's kingside/central pawn-majority is at least as important.
18.b4 e4 19.Bb2 Be6 20.Rfd1 Qf7 21.Bf1!? Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Bxa2 23.b5?!
White has good compensation for the pawn after 23.c6 bxc6 24.Qxc6, according to the engines.
23...Bb3
This is the best move, according to the engines, although, contrary to first impressions, it does not win the exchange.
24.Qc3 Re8
Not 24...Bxd1?? 25.Bc4.
25.Rd2 f4 26.Qxg7+ Qxg7 27.Bxg7 e3!?
Also roughly level is 27...Kxg7 28.Rd7+ Kf6 29.Rxc7.
28.Rd7 e2 29.Bxe2 Rxe2 30.Rxc7 Bd5 31.Kf1 f3 32.h4
 |
| Black to play and draw |
32...h5?
Black has a draw after 32...Rd2 33.Kg1 Rd1+ 34.Kh2 Rd2 etc.
33.Kg1 Re1+ 34.Kh2 Rb1
The problem for Black is that 34...Re2 is simply met by 35.Bd4, eg 35...Re4 36.Bc3 (not 36.Be3? Rxe3!) Rc4 37.Bd2 Rd4 38.Be3 Rb4 39.Rd7 Be4 40.g4! hxg4 41.h5 with winning play on the kingside, according to the engines.
35.Bf6 Rb5 36.g4! Rb4
Very good for White is 36...hxg4 37.h5.
37.gxh5 Rf4 38.Bg5?
Better is 38.Rc8+, forcing Black to play 38...Kf7, after which 39.Bg5 is very strong for White as Black cannot force rooks off.
38...Rf7 39.Rc8+ Rf8 40.Rc7 Rf7 41.Be7
White keeps rooks on, but his winning chances have gone.
41...Kh7 42.Kg3 a5 43.Bd6 ½–½
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