This line is very solid for Black, hard to win from though unless you're Kramnik. Last year's Qatar game didn't reveal anything new, I guess at some point White asks why they'd bother banging their head against a brick wall when you can play 5.Bf4 or even take on f6 in response to ...h6.

The opening of today's game in Qatar by Kramnik caught my eye. Actually he played it last year in Qatar as well and a handful of his elite colleagues have been giving it a try. 

With the first games not appearing in the line to the 1980s, my 1970s understanding of the QGD that .. c5 is a mistake is shown wanting.

Without the inclusion of 5.. h6 6. Bh4, the position was known to Capablanca and contemporaries. 



Matlakov-Kramnik Qatar 2015.