Quote:
This is really interesting, JEH! I wonder if you would be able to mention two or three more thematic GM/IM games with the ...d5 idea and/or other thematic sacs?
I did some investigation into these lines a number of years ago, but sadly the laptop with my analysis on was nicked
I must revisit doing that, good for a refresher anyway. In the meantime, here's some sample lines...
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd2 Nf6 6.g3 [6.b3 a5 7.Bb2 a4 8.Nxa4 d5 9.cxd5 Ne4 10.Qd3 Rxa4 11.a3 Nc5 12.Qd1 Re4] 6...Be6 7.e4 a5 [7...Be7 8.b3? Nxe4! 9.Nxe4 d5] 8.b3 Nxe4 [8...a4!?] 9.Nxe4 d5
Here's some games...
Weissel,G (2158) - Zaynard,A (2035) [A21]
Vienna-ch Vienna (9), 30.10.2005
A nice quick scalp for a >100 rating difference
1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.Nc3 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd2 Nf6 6.b3 a5 7.Bb2 a4 8.Nxa4 d5 9.cxd5 Ne4 10.Qe3 Rxa4 11.bxa4 Bb4+ 0-1
Franco Ocampos,Z (2475) - Romero Holmes,A (2460) [A21]
Leon Leon (10), 1990
This game is annotated in the Soltis 1. ...d6 book.
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd2 Nf6 6.g3 Be6 7.e4 Be7 8.b3 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 d5 10.Bg2 Bb4 11.Nc3 d4 12.Bb2 Qf6 13.Nge2 0-0-0 14.Qc1 dxc3 15.Bxc3 Qe5 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Bxb4 Bh3 18.Qc3 Qf5 19.g4 Bxg4 20.f3 Rd3 21.fxg4 Qe4 22.Qxd3 Qxd3 23.Rd1 Qh3 24.Ng3 Qxg4 25.0-0 h5 26.Kh1 h4 27.Nf5 Qe4+ 28.Kg1 Rh5 29.Rd2 Rg5+ 30.Kf2 Rg2# 0-1
Polak,T (2450) - Jansa,V (2490) [A21]
Lazne Bohdanec Lazne Bohdanec (5), 1997
Jansa, of course

...
1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.Nc3 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Qd2 Be6 7.e4 a5 8.b3 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 d5 10.cxd5 Bxd5 11.Qe2 Bb4+ 12.Bd2 Qe7 13.f3 Nd4 14.Qd3 Nxf3+ 15.Nxf3 Bxe4 16.Qe3 Bxf3 17.Bb5+ c6 18.Qxe7+ Kxe7 19.Rf1 Bd5 20.Bd3 Rhd8 21.0-0-0 Bxd2+ 22.Rxd2 Be6 23.Kc2 a4 24.Kc3 axb3 25.axb3 Ra3 26.Bc2 Rxd2 27.Kxd2 h6 28.Kc3 Ra5 29.Rf2 Kd6 30.h4 Rc5+ 31.Kd4 g6 32.Re2 Rd5+ 33.Kc3 Bf5 34.Bxf5 Rxf5 35.Re3 g5 36.hxg5 hxg5 37.Rd3+ Rd5 38.Rf3 f5 39.Re3 Re5 40.Rd3+ Ke6 0-1
Huebner,R (2605) - Kasparov,G (2715) [A21]
Hamburg m Hamburg (1), 1985
The Game
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Qd2 Be6 7.Nd5 Ne5 8.b3 Ne4 9.Qe3 Nc5 10.Bb2 c6 11.Nf4 Ng4 12.Qd4 Ne4 13.Bh3 Qa5+ 14.Kf1 Ngxf2 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Nxe6 Kd7 17.Nh3 Nxh3 18.Qxe4 Re8 19.Nc5+ Qxc5 20.Qg4+ Kc7 21.Qxh3 Be7 22.Bxg7 Rhf8+ 23.Bxf8 Rxf8+ 24.Ke1 Qf2+ 25.Kd1 Qd4+ 26.Kc2 Qe4+ 27.Kd2 Bg5+ 28.Kc3 Qe5+ 0-1