QGD Exchange
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.cxd5!?
This method of entering the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined is often criticised for reducing White's options, and for making it relatively easily for Black to exchange light-square bishops, which is generally regarded as a good for thing for Black to achieve in these lines. However, among those who apparently disagree, or at least do not regard such considerations as overly weighty, are Carlsen, Caruana and Ding, as well as strong players of the past.
4...exd5 5.Nc3 c6
The immediate 5...Bf5!? is suggested by Dragon1, although after the reply 6.Qb3 it reckons White is slightly better. Strangely, however, Stockfish17, which does not recommend 5...Bf5!?, nevertheless reckons the position after 6.Qb3 is equal.
6.Qc2 g6!? 7.Bg5
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| How should Black proceed? |
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7...Bg7
Most popular is 7...Be7, after which the round-two game Johnson - Stephen Dilleigh (2067 ECF/2048 Fide) continued 8.e3 Bf5 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nbd7 11.h3!? 0-0 12.0-0 Re8, with an equal game, according to the engines (but 1-0, 55 moves).
Grandmasters have also played 7...Bf5!?, although the engines reckon 8.Qb3 gives White at least a slight edge.
8.e3 Bf5 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nbd7 11.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has a slight lead in development, and has an obvious plan to follow in the Minority Attack. But Black has no weaknesses and has swopped off the light-square bishops, which, as I mentioned earlier, is generally believed to ease Black's defence. The engines reckon the game is equal.
12.b4
Mikhail Botvinnik - Max Euwe, World Chess Championship Tournament 1948, went 12.Ne5 Qe8 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.b4 Rfe8, when a draw was agreed (the game was played in round 22 of the 25-round tournament at a stage when Botvinnik was cruising to victory).
12...b5!?
More common is 12...a6 or 12...Rfe8!?
The idea of the text is Black wants to drop a knight on c4, masking the backward c pawn, and meanwhile hoping White's b pawn will prove weak.
13.Ne5 Qb6
The engines prefer 13.Qc7, which leaves the b6 square for the black queen's knight to use on its way to c4.
14.Bxf6!?
This paradoxical-looking swop is quite often played in the Exchange Variation. The idea, I believe, is that the bishop, being on dark squares, cannot directly attack Black's queenside pawns, so swopping it for a knight that can help defend the queenside pawns may help the attack.
14...Nxf6 15.Rfc1
Probably best is 15.a4, when Black seems to have nothing better than 15...a6 (15...bxa4?! horribly weakens Black's queenside, a factor almost certainly more significant than the weakening of b4).
15...a5 16.a3 axb4 17.axb4 Rxa1 18.Rxa1 Rd8 19.Qb1!? Bf8 20.Ra5 Nd7 21.Nf3!?
The engines suggest 21.Nd3.
21...f5?!
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| The engines strongly dislike 21...f5?!, presumably because it weakens the e6 and e5 squares (a white knight on e5 can no longer be expelled by playing ...f6), and also weakens Black along the second rank |
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22.g3 Qc7 23.Qb3?!
Probably better is 23.Ne2, with possibly Nf4 to come, according to the engines.
23...Qd6 24.Na2 Nb6 25.Ne5 Nc4 26.Nxc4 dxc4!
Black also gets a protected passed pawn after capturing towards the centre with 26...bxc4, but then c6 is vulnerable, while after the text c6 has more protection, and Black gets the useful d5 square for the queen.
27.Qa3 Qd5 28.Nc3 Qd6 29.Na2 g5!? 30.Ra8
The engines reckon this is best.
30...Be7 31.Ra7
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| What should Black play? |
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31...h5
31...f4! is a good pawn sacrifice. After 32.gxf4?! gxf4 White's king looks very vulnerable, with White's main strength bunched on the queenside. Instead the engines suggest 32.exf4!?, but 32...Bf6!? is strong.
32.Qa6 h4
...f4 still seems best.
33.Qb7 Re8
Black may have a slight edge after this, but the engines suggest 33...Kf8 or 33...h3!? The point about the latter is 34.Qxe7? runs into 34...Qxe7 35.Rxe7 Ra8 etc.
34.Ra6 h3
Stronger is 34...Rb8! 35.Qxc6 Qxc6 36.Rxc6 Ra8 37.Nc3, and either ...Bxb4 immediately, or 37...h3 38.Kf1 Bxb4.
35.Rxc6
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| Black to play and draw |
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35...Qb8??
The right square, but the wrong piece. After 35...Rb8 the game is completely equal, according to the engines, eg 36.Rc8+ Rxc8 37.Qxc8 Kg7 38.Qxa5 Qa6 39.Qd7 Kf7, when White should take the perpetual.
36.Qd7
Black is busted.
The game finished:
36...Qd8 37.Rg6+ Kh8 38.Qxf5 Qc8 39.Qf7 Bf8 40.Rg8#
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