Thanks for the links! The last link isn't Chess Evolution, but another chesscafe series, "Checkpoint". The only one of the three that really deals explicitly with the QGA is the first one, but that alone is worth close study.

Edouard played a slightly unusual variation on move 11 (see below; I won't copy the entire article, but the moves are in the public domain), but I think the comments by Bacrot and Naiditsch are relevant to the main line (11...Na5) as well. This analysis is excellent and would certainly deter me from playing the QGA regularly without addressing the issues Bacrot and Naiditsch raise.

BPaulsen wrote on 09/30/11 at 18:59:32:


lol, and it's been much appreciated!  If I played the QGA, I would! in the meantime, I will learn all there is to know from you guys and find out whether adding the QGA as my 6th defense to 1.d4 is worth considering.  (Hi, my name is Seth, and I am addicted to chess openings...)

Seth_Xoma wrote on 09/30/11 at 18:46:50:


In case you missed it there's been two relevant games and a side-variation to one of those games mentioned. Feel free to contribute to the ongoing discussion.

BPaulsen wrote on 09/30/11 at 13:26:46:

Wow, I liked that!.. 
And I didn't know.. I just moved the pieces up and down.. Poor me! 

I know some good GMs that prepare it for tournament use. That's why i said that i predict that it will become more popular. Will it be among the absolute top? Not sure, probably not but who knows?

About the game you mentioned in the 7.a4 line! Congrats! Good find, the 15...Qc7 move is what i also believe that shows the correct path. The idea behind this move is extremely clear. That's why i would concentrate my efforts as White in the 12.Bf4 move, although White plays for very little here. By the way, if Black choses the Nfd5 continuation i believe that the line starting with Qe4! gives White the edge and i prefer it over the Bb3 continuation that is more positional in nature and was recommended by Khalifman.

As about the position in the 7.dxc5 beeing "unclear" i would disagree. In NCO Nunn defines an "unclear" position as an one that is very complicated but balanced. The kind of balance that is very sensitive. This is not the case in the 7.dxc5 endgame. Yes, the endgame is complicated for sure and White plays for nuances, but "unclear"? It is just balanced with more chances for White to gain an advantage and less chances for Black to take the initiative. Only Markovic could invent an evaluation sign for this position!

The QGA may become very popular again in the next couple of years. The reason for this is that there are lots of new ideas that wait to be found and played. Nowdays it is considered that the most critical lines against it are only two. 1) The Classical exchange with 7.dxc5 and 2) 3.e4

As for the Classical variation, the exchange with 7.dxc5 is not very critical from the theoretical point of view as it leads to equality (although i know at least one GM who argues that White is better!) but from the practical point of view Black's task is joyless. In my opinion those variations can be played with very good results if we prepare them very seriously and study them in depth

In the Classical variation by personal favourite is 7.a4, although again there i like very much a particular idea for Black that hasn't received the practical tests it deserves and keeps getting unmentioned in the theoretical manuals, although it has an extremely high score in the few games it was tried. We can talk about 7.a4 in general if you like, because this is the line i suggest to the followers to Avrukh's reperoire.

3.e4 is  huge subject! My favourite is 3...e5 but i can tell you with confedence that many critical lines and very important ideas haven't been played over the board yet. I cannot tell of any White's advantage as i can see it now, but there is one if we take into account only the lines played in practice.

GMs love to investigate new paths and it seems that the QGA offers that opportunity, so that's why i predict that its popularity will rise the next years.

Maybe Im not remembering correctly, but didnt Ivanchuk play the QGA against Panomoriov in the world cup? I think it was the game where Pano played Nxe6?

Seth_Xoma wrote on 09/29/11 at 20:55:14:


Dunno, maybe fashion or too few winning chances in the critical lines? Anyway, I haven't really seen a refutation.