Breutigam: Trompowsky Attack A45

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.h4

The move of the rook pawn may be markedly less played than 3.Bf4, but as Martin Breutigam shows in his article, much can be said in favour of 3.h4: in addition to objective factors there is also the fact that it wrenches opponents away from their accustomed variations.

Marin: Kovacevic Variation A48

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 c5 4.dxc5

The surrender of the centre at first looks harmless, but White will soon spread his wings on the queenside with a3, b4 and c4. According to Mihail Marin a future e3-e4 is even an option, whereas Black does not find it easy to develop a clear plan.

Rotstein: Snake Benoni A60

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6

In the first section Arkadij Rotstein examines the attempt at refutation with 6.e4 0-0 7.f4 and also the possible deviations 6...Qe7 and 6...Be5. Then the author turns to the modern treatment with 6.Nf3 0-0 7.Bg5 Re8 8.e3 Bf8.

Schipkov: Dutch A88

1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nc3 c6

In the final part of his series on 7...c6 Boris Schipkov analyses continuations other than 8.d5 or 8.b3, for example this time he deals with 8.Qb3 and 8.Rb1. But as our Russian author concludes, White does not have a single variation with which he can achieve an advantage.

Postny: Caro-Kann B19

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Kb1 0-0 14.Ne4

3.Nc3 may no longer be considered the main variation nowadays (now it is 3.e5), but nevertheless theory continues to develop and in some lines Black faces problems. But according to Evgeny Postny he should be in a position to be able to solve them.

Kritz: Sicilian B35

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 a5

As the practice of this variation shows, players with White commit a lot of inaccuracies. Leonid Kritz straightens out matters somewhat and also shows how the best moves for both sides lead to a slight advantage for White.

Langrock: French C01

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3

In the second part of this (for Black) unpleasant version of a French Exchange, Hannes Langrock shows variations in which after 5...Nc6 6.a3 Black does not take on c3. In addition the solid line 5...Nf6 is also up for discussion.

Neven: French C02
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bd3

This is another variation in which players with Black do not manage to reach the sort of positions with which they are familiar. But that is White’s main aim, because Knut Neven is not absolutely looking to achieve an opening advantage with his repertoire suggestion.

Stohl: Slav D18

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0

Both after the more flexible 8...Nbd7 and after 8...0-0 the move 9.Nh4 is White’s most ambitious try. Igor Stohl examines the latest developments, but cannot see a way for White to achieve a secure advantage.

Krasenkow: Semi-Slav D30

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.Qc2

From the practical point of view, the queen move is not a bad one, since the best move 4...dxc4 is played only in a minority of games. But after 5.Qxc4 Nf6 the analyses of Michal Krasenkow show that in this case White has good prospects.

Grivas: Queen’s Gambit D43

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Qb3

The move of the white queen represents a promising way of nevertheless getting in e4 in a single move. The results of the analysis of Efstratios Grivas hint that White always possesses at least a mini-advantage.

Karolyi: Nimzo-Indian E32

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b5

This pawn sacrifice can be recommended to those players with Black who want to be active right from the opening. White is well advised not to hang on to the pawn. But even when he returns it, according to Tibor Karolyi he has few prospects of achieving an advantage.

Kuzmin: King’s Indian E61
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bg5 d6 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2

Vassily Smyslov liked to play 4.Bg5 and so did Mikhail Gurevich later. In the first part of his contribution Alexey Kuzmin investigates lines in which Black has already played ...d6. White can then harbour justified hopes of an advantage.