We are nearing the homestretch as we move on to the mainstream move (after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6) 4.g3.  But first, a bit more fun. A few months ago I had to play a meaningless last round game at the Marshall Chess Club. I figured I might as well try to create some material I could use for the column.

Almeida - Benjamin [E30]
Tuesday Night Masters, 2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.Bg5

This plausible developing move runs into tactical problems.

4...h6 5.Bh4 Bb4+ 6.Nc3

6.Nbd2? g5 7. Bg3 g4 snares a pawn for Black. I've won games like that.

6...g5 7.Bg3 Ne4 8.Qd3 d5 9.e3

9...e5!?

This aggressive move, threatening to bother the White queen with Bc8-f5, appealed to me at the board.  I completely forgot about 9...h5!, which has brought a lot of success for Black, e.g. 10.h4 g4 11.Nd2 Nxg3 12.fxg3 Qd6 13.Ne2 dxc4 14.Qxc4 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 e5 16.Rd1 Be6 17.Qc3 0–0–0 18.Kc1 Nb4 19.Qa3 Nxa2+ 20.Kb1 Qb6 21.e4 exd4 22.Nf4 Nc3+, 0–1. Wachtel-Yermolinsky, Philadelphia 1993.

10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Rc1??

In rapid chess we can understand White overlooking the fork. He should have gone for 11.Nd2 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nxg3 (12...Bf5 looks attractive but I think Black should remove the potentially dangerous g3-bishop. 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.Qb5 exd4 (14...Bxg2 15.Rg1 Bf3 16.Bxe5 is clearly better for White) 15.Qxd5 Bxd5 16.cxd4 should favor White due to the bishop pair.) 13.hxg3 exd4 14.cxd4 Be6, unclear.

11...Bxc3+

I almost goofed with 11...Nxg3 12.hxg3 e4 13.Nd2! but 11...Nxc3 12.bxc3 e4 13.Qb5 Qxb5 14.Bxb5 Ba3 also works.

12.bxc3

It's better to cough up an Exchange with 12.Rxc3 since 12...Nxg3 13.hxg3 e4 14.Qb5 Qxb5 15.Bxb5 exf3 16.Rxc6 Bd7 17.Rc5 saves the piece.

12...Nxg3 13.hxg3 e4 14.Qe2? Bg4! and Black won shortly.

Okay, let's consider 4.g3 now. Black can opt for a Catalan with 4...d5. I had one interesting game from there – 5.Bg2 dxc4 6.Qa4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nd5 8.Qb5 0–0 9.Qxc4 Nb6 10.Qd3 e5!? with interesting play, Grabliauskas - Benjamin New York Open, 2000. 

There are however, many other possibilities! Most “Tangoers” play 4...Bb4+, with 5.Bd2 Qe7 to follow:

The good news is, we are on very solid ground. The bad news is this main line Bogo-Indian position may not appeal to unorthodox openings buffs. The theory is naturally highly developed from here. I'll give a few games and point out the main theoretical divides as well as the main themes.

Skembris - Beliavsky [E11]
Yugoslavia, 1994
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2

It may seem more natural to take back with the queen, but 7.Qxd2?! Ne4 8.Qc2 Qb4+ forces White to sacrifice a pawn for dubious compensation. Thus the knight doesn't get to its most active square.

7...d6 8.0–0 a5

8...0-0 will often transpose.

9.e4 e5 10.d5 Nb8

Here we have a typical jumping off point for this variation. Black has the better bishop, his is not hemmed in by friendly pawns. White in return has more space to maneuver.

11.Ne1

The knight maneuver to d3 prepares pawn breaks on either wing.

11...0–0 12.Nd3 Na6 13.a3 Bg4 14.f3 Bd7 15.b4 c6!?

The pawn structure indicates White will play on the queenside (I read that in an instructional book once…can't recall who wrote it, Jeremy), but Black doesn't have to be passive there. With this typical break Black looks to improve his pieces. Beliavsky attempts to improve on 15...axb4 16.axb4 c6 17.dxc6 bxc6 when the a6 knight needs protection.

16.Qb3?!

16...cxd5 17.cxd5 axb4 18.axb4 Nc7

The knight seeks a route to the d4-square.

19.Qb2?! Bb5 20.Ra3 Rxa3 21.Qxa3 Ba6! 22.Rc1?! Nb5

The black pieces start to swarm, and Beliavsky wins easily.

23.Qa5 Nd4 24.Bf1 Nh5 25.Nf2 Be2 26.Rc3 Qg5 27.Qa2 f5 28.exf5 Qxf5 29.Bg2 Nf6 30.Rc7? Bxf3–+ 31.Rxb7 Ng4 32.Nxg4 Bxg4 33.Nf1 Ne2+ 34.Kh1 Bf3 35.Nd2 Nxg3+, 0–1.

D. Gurevich - J. Benjamin [E11]
USA ch, Seattle, 2000
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 d6 8.0–0 0–0 9.e4 e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Ne1 a5 12.Nd3 Na6 13.f4

Gurevich goes for the alternate plan of expanding on the kingside.  As a general rule, Black should not exchange on f4 unless he has a follow-up in mind.  Otherwise the White pawns might swarm the center.

13...c6

13...Nd7, looking to trade the d3-knight, is a popular alternative.

14.h3 Bd7 15.Kh2 cxd5 16.exd5

The routine capture towards the center 16.cxd5 allows 16...Bb5.

White's hope of scooping up Black's weak pawns is nullified by Black's aggressive play on the kingside.

24.Re2 Ra4 25.Re3 h5 26.Rf3 Qe5 27.Re3 Qf6 28.a3 bxa3 29.bxa3 b6 30.Re4 Ra8 31.Qe3 Bf5 32.Re7 Kg7 33.Rb7 Rc8 34.Qe2 h4 35.gxh4 Bg6 36.Qf3 Qe5+ 37.Qg3 Qxg3+ 38.Kxg3 gxh4+ 39.Kxh4 Rxc4+ 40.Kg3 Rc3+ 41.Kf4, 1/2-1/2.

From this small sample we see that the d2-knight is not particularly active. Therefore White has often preferred 6.Nc3, avoiding an immediate bishop exchange.

Khalifman - Adams [E11]
Groningen, 1990
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Nc3 Bxc3!?

As far as I can tell, this exchanging combination was introduced into practice by…me (Seirawan-Benjamin, U.S. Ch. 1987). The early reviews were not kind. In his then- fledgling magazine Inside Chess, Yasser opined my maneuver did not show an understanding of “timing in chess.” Yasser's tremendous strategic instincts notwithstanding, future practice vindicated my judgment. I was just ahead of my time.

The bishop on b4 is more or less pledged to an exchange for the c3-knight. By this method, Black ensures White will not keep the bishop pair. Black is also prepared to advance his f-pawn.

7.Bxc3 Ne4 8.Rc1 d6 9.Bg2 Nxc3 10.Rxc3 e5 11.d5 Nb8 12.0–0 0–0

13.Nd2

Among alternatives, 13.e4 is perhaps most plausible. Black might then continue 13...Bg4, looking to leave White with a bad bishop for his only minor piece.

13...a5 14.c5

Or 14.e4 Na6 15.f4 exf4 gxf4 f5, =.

After this meek move Black grabs the initiative. Black can handle the direct 17.Qb3 Nc5 18.Qb6 Na4! 19.Qxd8 Rxd8 20.Rb3 b5! 21.Rxb5? Ba6. White might do best with 17.a4! b6 18.f4 exf4 19.gxf4 f5 20.e4 fxe4 21.Bxe4 Nc5 22. Bc2 Ra7 with an unclear position, Piesina-Hracek, Pardubice 1992.

Adams rides a motif typical to this opening – good knight versus bad bishop.

25...f5 26.Bg2 Qa5 27.h4 Qb5 28.Qc3 Na4 29.Qb4 Qxb4 30.Rxb4 Rfb8 31.Rxb8+ Rxb8 32.Rb1 Rc8 33.Bh3 g6 34.e4 Rc2 35.Ra1 Nc5 36.exf5 Rxb2 37.fxg6 hxg6 38.Be6+ Kf8 39.Ra8+ Ke7, 0–1.

Well folks, it looks like we have one more dance lesson (get it … Tango?). In the last Tango article (I promise!) I will discuss 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 and finally answer Jeremy's theoretical question. Plus I will correct something I wrote about Seirawan from Tango Part Deux – you won't want to miss that!