tony37 wrote on 12/06/12 at 22:14:52:


True, h6 and Bh4 cancel each other. Well, I see it might depend on what set-up you want. I thought of keeping the bishop on g6 and answering h4-h5 with ...Bf5. I didn't think (and still don't) the bishop should end up on h7. Your game kinda confirms that suspicion.

Nothing against you at all, I just think that since b4 is a threat, Black needs to meet it. One way is to play an early a5, and as Cox mentions, you actually play the knight to b6, and normally don't move it until White is not threatening Na4. And Black didn't seem to do much in terms of the standard plans.

I wouldn't discard the delayed version, even though I am not really sure what Black benefits from giving away a tempo to have the option of playing ...Bh7 instead of ...Bg6.

Sorry, I just looked briefly at the game, I have certainly missed a lot of things. But at a quick glance it seem like Black didn't really play with a plan, or more correctly, at least not as Short has played the variation or how Cox describes some of the objectives for Black.

Black wants to have the knight on d6, not the bishop, right? And the bishop on h7, what is it doing there. Black should play ...h5 before White plays h5. Etc. I think Cox mentioned the game Sherbakov-Parker, Hastings 1994 as an example. It doesn't look anything like your game, tony.

But maybe we shouldn't conclude too soon on the death of 6.Qc2, I'd like to know what PANFR has in mind after 10...Nh5 11.O-O-O (with possible f4 ideas)

edit: my proposed solution for black:

PANFR wrote on 09/25/12 at 12:26:56:


Which thread?

That's an interesting line. The pressure is definitly higher with queens on the board. The Gambit looks quite interesting as well but propably not sufficient to fight on equal terms.

I'll delve a big deeper into it and see if i can find something playable for black in that line

Until that i'll come back to my 5...c6 move-order with Nh5 against Qc2 and Bf5 against e3

haha missed a move sorry

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Bf5! of course

Well i corrected the rest
Do you have any experience in that line? Or suggestions?

Hey Chesspub

i'm currently studying the QGD from black's point of view and am interested in Nigel Short's variation in the Exchange variation.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5

Here the Short variation runs like

5...c6 6.e3 Bf5!? 7.Qf3 Bg6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6


As i almost couldn't find any advantage for white in the following ending i was curious whether black could actually "force" it by playing an accelerated version of it with

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Bf5!?

The transposition is obvious 6.e3 c6 7.Qf3 and so on

The critical try to avoid it by any means should be then

6.Qb3!? Nc6!

and now

A)) 7.Qxb7?!

B)) 7.Bxf6

C)) 7.e3

A) 7.Qxb7?! Nb4!
A1) 8.0-0-0? Rb8 9.Qxa7 Qc8 10.Qa4+ c6 11.e4! Ra8! 12.Qb3 Nxe4 13.Re1 Be6! 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Rxe4 Be7 16.Rxe6! Qxe6 17.Qxe6 fxe6 18.Bd2 Rxa2 -/+  is propably white's best after long castle, which i find quite pleasent


A2) 8.Rc1!
8...Rb8! 9.Qxa7 Ra8 10.Qb7 Rb8!= forces the draw.

B) 7.Bxf6!? gxf6!? in order to stay in Short's line
(7...Qxf6!? 8.Nxd5N Qd6! 9.e3 Be6 10.Bc4 b5! 11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.Bxe6 Bb4+! 13.Ke2 fxe6 14.Qxe6+ Nd7 with unclear play but i think mutual chances) 8.e3 Bb4 9.Bb5 Qd6!?N with propably similar play. I think the structural damage gives black certain counterplay along the b and g files and should at least compensate

C) 7.e3 Na5!N

8.Qb4+ c6 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Qa4 Qb6 11.0-0-0 0-0-0
(10.Qe2!?)
with quite pleasent game for black in my opinion. Very similar to the main lines of the short variation



Can you tell me your opinion about this accelerated version of it and if you found something else that might be critical for this idea. It would be interesting if black could actually force it

looking forward seeing your suggestions