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Normal Topic early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann (Read 583 times)
George Jempty
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Re: early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
Reply #6 - 11/30/25 at 15:06:15
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Actually it was Marshall who played this way against Jaffe, so it is interesting that two renowned attacking grandmasters played this formation
  
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George Jempty
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Re: early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
Reply #5 - 11/22/25 at 23:21:09
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Thanks for the feedback, I also showed it to my IM (with a GM norm) coach, and he too liked it.  Switching to a 1.d4 repertoire has unleashed some creativity/sleuthing.
  
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Re: early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
Reply #4 - 11/21/25 at 13:37:47
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I really like this move order! As far as I see, the early Nd7 is motivated by at least by the following points:

1)  The threat to take on c4 and keep the pawn by …Nb6 - similar in spirit to lines with …c6 or …a6, preparing …dxc and …b5.
2) Delayed development of the Bf8, that can challenge a white Bf4 in one move from d6 or even go to b4/c5/g7 depending on the circumstances.
3) (before …e6) Delay of …e6, allowing …Bf5/g4 if White doesn‘t play actively in the centre and gives Black the time for manoeuvres like …Nb6.

Too bad we can‘t play it against 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Smiley There it would even prevent Bg5.

There is of course the better known move order 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nbd7, where again Black has extra options against some White setups, like …dxc4+…Nb6 against Bf4.
  

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Re: early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
Reply #3 - 11/21/25 at 05:36:44
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Both versions 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nd7 and 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nd7 look playable to me. I think 2/3...Nd7 should be just like any other defense. White is slightly better but if black knows what they are doing can equalize, and if white over-reacts black can get chances.

A. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nd7
  1. 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 your idea 5...Nb6 6.Bf4 Bd6 idea is sound, the bNb6 is a little goofy but not a real weakness.
  2. 4.Bg5 Be7 was the plan I guess. A Lasker-like (...Ne4) or Capablanca-like (...Nd5) bishop swap without needing to move the bNf6.
  3. 4.Bf4 dxc4 is a real concern for white.
  4. 4.Nc3 is important, black can just develop, transposing to regular QGD lines, but critical is 4...dxc4 5.e4 Nb6 with real gambit play, similar to the Geller variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 (and 5.e4).

B. 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nd7 
  1. 3.g3 is not the first move that comes to mind, but there is a trendy 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nd7 where 3.d4 transposes.
  2. 3.Bf4 is a move order idea, planning 4.e3 and 5.c4 while bypassing ...d5xc4. It shouldn't trouble black too much if willing to transpose into QGD with 5.Bf4. But, if black doesn't want that, how to get a good position? A second idea after 3.Bf4 is staying in London waters with 5.c3, depending on what black does. 3...e6 4.e3 Bd6?! I don't like it. 5.Bxd6 (Stockfish prefers 5.Bg3 or briefly even 5.h4!?, but 5.Bxd6 makes sense to me) 5...cxd6 6.c4 (the correct followup) 6...Ngf6 7.Nc3 with a tiny edge due to the bBc8.
  
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George Jempty
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Re: early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
Reply #2 - 11/19/25 at 20:42:20
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MNb wrote on 11/19/25 at 17:27:45:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nd7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 and 6.Bf4.


Ok then, the *immediate* 5...Nb6 against this plan, and on 6.Bf4 then 6...Bd6

EDIT, a line I've generated with SF17 to a very significant depth and drilling into sub-branches, is 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nd7 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Nb6 6. Bf4 Bd6 7. Bxd6
Qxd6 8. e3 Ne7 9. Bd3 c6, essentially equal, e.g. 10. Qc2 g6 11. h4 h5 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Qc7
« Last Edit: 11/20/25 at 03:11:39 by George Jempty »  
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MNb
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Re: early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
Reply #1 - 11/19/25 at 17:27:45
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nd7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 and 6.Bf4.
  

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George Jempty
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early ...Nd7 as played by Jaffe and R. Spielmann
11/19/25 at 16:42:19
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Against 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 I'm considering 2...Nd7 as played by Jaffe three or four times in his match against Marshall.  Then if play proceeds 3.c4 e6, transposing from the QGD 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nd7, we reach a position from 11 of Spielmann's games (according to 365chess), including beating Bogolyubov.

To me there seem to be at least a couple of ideas behind 2...Nd7.  Of course, to support ...c5, possibly in such a way as to avoid an isolani.  Also, after castling and/or clarification in the center, an eventual ...Nb6, annoyingly exerting control on c4.

To give context, I'm looking for an alternative to 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Bf5?! on account of 3.c4.  The "QGA and 2...Bf5 against everything else" repertoire I started playing again this year, has served me well however

Interestingly from the initial move order given, 1.Nf3 d5,  if White instead tries Keymer's 2.e3, I had already determined I would play .... drum roll please: 2...Nd7  Roll Eyes
  
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