I regret I cannot tell you what happens on 2…c5 3.dxc5 e6 It is a secret because if I expect someone to play 2…c5 I will play 2.a3 when on the neo-version of the Prie 2.Nf3 Nf3 3.a3 c5 I can only transpose into an exchange Slav after 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4 which also suits me by the way.
Alternatively, QGA fans connoisseurs can take on c5 and play c2-c4 or play a reverse Chigorin 2…c5 3.Nc3!? with the extra-move a2-a3 I imagine useful.
1.d4 d5 2.a3 g6 makes imperceptible difference compared to 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.a3 g6 White continues 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.e3 c5 5.c3 .
a3 may prove useful if Black wants to attack on the queenside with c5-c4, b7-b5 or exchange on d4 but the most important is that “Black’s dark squared bishop hits the granite of the d4 pawn".
At the day of today, now counting only the FIDE games, I have 16 wins 9 draws on a total of 25 games against a 2314 average with the Prié for a 2577 performance I could never have dreamt of, except with Black
with the material presented in the poll!
At my age, it is too late to correct my most severe defects. So, to stay competitive and as efficient as possible I do as everyone should do : optimize the output of my strengths and minimize the handicap of my weaknesses.
I don’t care about “playing beautiful”, any so-called "Morphy's spirit" bullshit, but I am proud to have the most compact chess repertoire amongst the grandmasters.
That is why only players with a good knowledge of the a6 Slav can make an enhanced use of my opening I make publicity about only when kindly asked to.
And yes! As keano pertinently points out I always take back towards the centre in the Torre-London Nimzo to keep the vital f4 under control.
And always play a2-a3 to avoid the manoeuvre Nf6-d5-b4 hitting my Bd3...
Some examples straight from the horse’s file
Prie,E (2429) - Taylor,P (2289)
4NCL Telford (3), 17.01.2004
1.d4 Cf6 2.Fg5 e6 3.Cd2 h6 4.Fh4 c5 5.e3 Cc6 6.c3 b6 7.Cgf3 Fe7 8.a3 Fb7 9.Fd3 0–0 10.De2 cxd4 11.cxd4 Ch5 12.Fg3 d6 13.Tc1 Dd7 14.0–0 Cxg3 15.hxg3 Tfc8 16.g4 Tc7 17.Ce4 Tac8 18.Tcd1 Cb8 19.Cc3 a6 20.d5 De8 21.Fb1 e5 22.g3 Cd7 23.Rg2 Cf6 24.Th1 Fd8 25.g5 hxg5 26.Cxg5 Cxd5 27.Fh7+ Rf8 28.Fe4 Cf6 29.Fxb7 Txb7 30.Th8+ Cg8 31.Ch7+ Re7 32.Dg4 Txc3 33.bxc3 Dc6+ 34.Rg1 Ch6 35.Dg5+ f6 36.Dxg7+ Cf7 37.Dxf6+ Rd7 38.Dxf7+ Rc8 39.De6+ Td7 40.Cf8 1–0
Prie,E (2467) - Braun,P (2223) [A47]
RPF liga1 Bad Kreuznach (8.1), 12.03.2005
[Prié,Eric]
1.d4 Cf6 2261 FIDE 2.Cf3 e6 3.Ff4 b6 4.e3 Fb7 5.h3 c5 6.c3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Fe7 8.a3 0–0 9.Cc3 d6 10.Fd3 Cbd7 11.0–0 Te8 12.e4 Cf8 13.Te1 a6 14.Dd2 b5 15.Tad1 Tc8 16.Fh2 Db6 17.e5 Cd5 18.Ce4 dxe5 19.dxe5 b4 [19...Cg6 20.b4 (20.Cd6 Cxe5 21.Cxe8 Cxf3+ 22.gxf3 Txe8 23.Fe5) 20...Ted8 21.Cd6 Cxe5 22.Cxc8] 20.Cd6 Fxd6 21.exd6 Ted8 22.Ce5 Cd7 23.Cxd7 [23.Fxh7+ Rxh7 24.Cxf7 Tf8 25.Cg5+ Rg8 26.Cxe6 Tf6÷] 23...Txd7 24.Tc1 Tdd8 25.Fc4 a5 26.Fe5 h6 27.Dd3 f6 [27...Ce7 28.Fxe6 fxe6 29.dxe7 Txd3 30.Txc8+ Fxc8 31.e8D+ Rh7 32.Dxc8] 28.Fxf6 Cxf6 [28...Txc4 29.Fxd8 Txc1 30.Fxb6 Txe1+ 31.Rh2 Cxb6 32.Db5] 29.Fxe6+ Rh8 30.Fxc8 Fxc8 31.Te7 Cg8 32.Dg6 Dd4 33.Te8! [33.Tcc7 Ff5 34.Dxf5 Dd1+ 35.Rh2 Dxd6+ 36.De5 Cxe7 37.Txe7 Dxe5+ 38.Txe5 Td2=] 33...Txe8 34.Dxe8 Fb7 [34...Ff5 35.g4! (35.axb4 axb4 (35...Dxd6 36.bxa5 Dd2 37.Tc5 Dxb2 38.De5) 36.Df8 (36.Tc6 Dd1+ 37.Rh2 Dd5 38.Tb6 Fe6 39.Db5 Dd4 40.Dxb4 Fc4 41.d7 Df4+ 42.Rg1 Dc1+ 43.Rh2 Df4+) 36...Dxb2 37.Te1 (37.Tc7 Dd4 38.g4 Fe6 39.Te7 Fd5 40.d7 Dd1+ 41.Rh2 Dh1+ 42.Rg3 Dg2+ 43.Rh4 g5+ 44.Rh5 Dxh3+ 45.Rg6 Dd3+ 46.Rh5 Dh3+ 47.Rg6) 37...Dd2 38.Te8 Dd5) 35...Dxb2 (35...Dxd6 36.gxf5 bxa3 37.bxa3 Dxa3 38.Tc8 Db3 39.De6 Dxe6 40.fxe6 Rh7 41.Ta8) 36.Te1 Fd3 (36...bxa3 37.gxf5 a2 38.d7 a1D 39.Txa1 Dxa1+ 40.Rg2) 37.d7 Fb5 38.d8D Fxe8 39.Txe8 Dc1+ 40.Rh2 Df4+ 41.Rg2 Dc4 42.axb4 axb4 43.Da8 b3 44.Tb8 Rh7 45.Df3] 35.d7 Dd5 36.f3 Dd4+ 37.Rh1 Dd2 38.Tg1 Fc6 39.d8D Fxe8 40.Dxd2 Brettmeister de Rheinland-Pfalz au 2ème échiquier avec 5,5 sur 6 contre une moyenne à 2199 = Perf DWZ à 2610. Cette compétition de 4ème division, sans arbitre obligatoire, ne compte malheureusement pas pour le Elo FIDE. 1–0
Prie,E (2475) - Rayner,F (2205)
XXIX Open Donostia San Sebastian (2.7), 09.04.2006
[Prié,Eric]
1.d4 Cf6 2.Cf3 e6 3.Ff4 b6 4.e3 Fb7 5.h3 Fe7 6.Cbd2 0–0 7.Fd3 c5 8.c3 Cc6 9.a3 d6 10.De2 Dd7 [10...cxd4 11.cxd4 e5 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Cxe5 Fd6 14.Cxc6 Fxc6 15.Fg5 h6 16.Fe4 Fxe4 17.Fxf6 De8 18.Fc3 Fc6 19.Dg4] 11.Td1 Tad8 12.Fb5 Dc8 [12...Cd5 13.Fh2 Cc7 14.Fd3 e5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Cc4 De6 17.e4 Txd3 18.Dxd3 Td8 19.De2 Txd1+ 20.Rxd1 Fa6 21.b3 b5 22.Ccxe5 b4 23.c4 bxa3 24.Cxc6 Dxc6 25.Rc1] 13.0–0 Cd7 14.Fh2 a6 15.Fd3 b5 16.e4 Tfe8 17.Tfe1 Ff8 18.e5 g6 [18...dxe5 19.Fxh7+ Rxh7 20.Cg5+ Rg6] 19.exd6 cxd4 20.cxd4 Cf6 21.Fe5 Cd5 22.Ce4 f5 23.Cf6+ Cxf6 24.Fxf6 Txd6 25.Fb1 Dd7 26.d5 [26.Fa2! Fg7 27.Fxg7 Dxg7 (27...Rxg7 28.d5) 28.d5 Ce7 29.dxe6 Fxf3 30.gxf3 Tc6 31.Fb3 (31.f4 Dh6 32.De3 Tc2 33.b4 Tec8 (33...Txa2 34.Db3) 34.Fb3 T2c3 35.Td8+ Txd8 36.Dxc3 Dxf4 37.Df6 Dc7 38.Df7+ Rh8) 31...Dh6 32.De5 Dxh3 33.Df6 Tcc8 34.Td7 Dxf3 35.Fd1 Df4 36.Te3] 26...Txd5 [26...Ca5! 27.Fc3 Cc4 28.Ce5 De7 (28...Cxe5 29.Dxe5 Fg7 30.dxe6 Texe6 31.Txd6 Txd6 32.Fa2+ Fd5) ] 27.Fa2 Txd1 28.Txd1 Df7 29.Fc3 h6 [29...Fc8!] 30.Ce5 Cxe5 31.Dxe5 Fg7 32.Dxg7+ Dxg7 33.Fxg7 Rxg7 34.Td7+ Rf6 35.Txb7 Td8 36.Tb6 Td2 37.Fxe6 Txb2 38.Fc8+ Rg5 39.Fxa6 Ta2 40.Fxb5 Txa3 41.Fe8 Ta1+ 42.Rh2 Ta2 43.Txg6+ [43.g3 f4 44.Rg2 fxg3 45.Rxg3 Ta3+ 46.f3 h5 47.h4+ Rh6 48.Fxg6 Tc3 49.Fe8+ Rg7 50.Fxh5] 43...Rf4 44.f3 h5 45.Th6 1–0