1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4

[abcott]

From the game below, black plays 2 .... Bg4, but his first move ....d6 has ruled out Ne5.

Any thoughts...?


[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2009.11.23"]
[Round "1.15"]
[White "Tregubov,P"]
[Black "Akobian,V"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2642"]
[BlackElo "2624"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[ECO "A41"]

1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. e3 Nd7 4. c4 e5 5. Nc3 Ngf6 6. Be2 c6 7. O-O Be7 8.
e4 O-O 9. Be3 Bh5 10. Nd2 Bg6 11. d5 Nc5 12. f3 a5 13. Nb3 Nfd7 14. Nxc5
Nxc5 15. Qd2 Qc7 16. Rad1 Rfd8 17. g4 h6 18. Kg2 a4 19. Rh1 Bh4 20. Kh3 Qe7
21. Qc2 a3 22. b4 Na6 23. Qb3 c5 24. bxc5 Nxc5 25. Bxc5 dxc5 26. d6 Qg5 27.
Rd3 h5 28. Rf1 hxg4+ 29. fxg4 Qh6 30. Kg2 Bg5 31. Rh3 Bh4 32. Rd1 Rd7 33.
Bf3 Ra6 34. Nb5 Qg5 35. Qd3 Qf6 36. Qd5 Rc6 37. Rd3 Bg5 38. Rxa3 Ra6 39.
Rxa6 bxa6 40. Qa8+ Rd8 41. Qxa6 Be3 42. Qa5 Bxe4 43. Qe1 Qf4 44. Qg3 Bxf3+
45. Qxf3 Qxc4 46. Qxe3 Qxb5 47. Qxe5 Re8 48. d7 0-1

[Rudel]

I'm trying to remember...is this the line recommended in the "An explosive repertoire for Black"?

[abcott]

I wasn't aware of that, but yes it is. The Hodgson Variation, apparently.

[Rudel]

abcott Wrote:I wasn't aware of that, but yes it is. The Hodgson Variation, apparently.

I cannot find my copy of that book at the moment, but the use of Qd3!? is worth considering. This covers the Knight and threatens Qb5+ at the same time.

You could either do this immediately [1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4 3.Qd3] or after developing a bit [1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4 3.e4 Nf6 4.h3 Bh5 5.Qd3]

Anyone have a copy of that book handy to see what they suggest in response.

[casa2022]

3.Qd3 c6
3... Nd7!? 4.Bg5 c6 5.Nc3 Kgf6 6.e4 e5 Philidor type position and black take the upper hand - Hansen-Heiberg Arhus 1993
3.. Nc6!? interesting
4.Ng5 e6 5.f3 Bh5 6.Nh3 d5 7.Kf4 Bg6 in many variations, black is better

3.e4 Nf6
(3... Nd7!? 4.Nc3 e5 5.Bc4 c6 6.Be3 b5 many complexities see Khalifman-Belikov with better ending for black)
4.Bd3 e6 5.Nbd2 Be7 6.c3 Bh5 7.Nf1 Bg6 8.Ng3 d5 not dangerous for black
4.Nc3 e6 5.Be2 Be7 6.0-0 (or 6.d5) with many black options to equalise
5.h3 Bh5 6.Qe2!? c6 7.g4 Bg6 8.Bg5!? Black seems to be holding up in this line but there is still unexplored territory
4.h3 no analisis

[Rudel]

Thanks, Vincent! They don't analyze 4.h3, eh? if you think they are playing the repertoire from that book, this might be the way to go on general principles.

I'll look at the specific lines later.

[Rookpawn]

ECO A41: 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4 Qd3
1.d4 d6 Tartakower system and Modern Defense

2... Bg4 The most played move with a score of 52.6%, 5097 games

3.e4 (1452 games with a 53.3% score) (3.c4; 1913 games with a score of 57.5%)
(3.Qd3; 61 games with a 41% Score, played by Kuppa, Grivas, Varga)

3... Nf6 Played by far the most with 1100 games, Nbd7 is a distant second with 193 games.

4.h3 (160 games with a score of 56.3%, (Kasparov, Jussupov)

4... Bh5 (Anand, Gulko, Adams) --- or --- 4...Bxf3 (Kortschnoj, Tischbierek, Lutsko)

5.Qd3 Unexplored territory according to my database. No games played.
(The main moves 5.Nc3, 5.Bd3, 5.Qe2, and 5.Nbd2, all played by top level players at one time or other. Kasparov chose 5.Bd3)

An interesting discussion on what to call this variation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?title=Talk:Wade_Defence
1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4 Modern Tartakower(Wade) variation or Wade Defense

Heres a link to about 100 games:
http://www.ecochess.com/a00a99/a40a49/tartakower.htm

Heres three recent games played this month in the World Open and British Rapid Play

[WhiteElo "2435"]
[BlackElo "2489"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "swiss (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[Source "Mark Crowther"]
[SourceDate "2009.11.23"]

1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 Bg4 3. e4 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. h3 Bh5 6. Qe2 c6 7. g4 Bg6 8. h4 h5
9. g5 Nfd7 10. Bf4 Be7 11. Bh3 d5 12. Nd2 Nb6 13. O-O N8d7 14. Rad1 Rc8 15.
Rfe1 O-O 16. Bg3 Bb4 17. f4 dxe4 18. Ndxe4 Nd5 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2009.11.23"]
[Round "1.14"]
[White "Tregubov, P."]
[Black "Akobian, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[WhiteElo "2642"]
[BlackElo "2624"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "Mark Crowther"]
[SourceDate "2009.11.23"]

1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. e3 Nd7 4. c4 e5 5. Nc3 Ngf6 6. Be2 c6 7. O-O Be7 8. e4
O-O 9. d5 Nc5 10. Ne1 Bd7 11. f3 cxd5 12. cxd5 a5 13. Nd3 b6 14. Be3 Nh5 15.
Qd2 g6 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Rae1 Rc8 18. Be3 Bf8 19. Nxc5 bxc5 20. Bc4 f5 21. exf5
gxf5 22. f4 e4 23. a4 Re7 24. Nb5 Rg7 25. Qe2 Nf6 26. Bd2 Rg6 27. Bc3 Be7 28.
Qd2 Ra8 29. h3 h5 30. Re3 Kh7 31. Qe2 Kh6 32. Be1 Nh7 33. Rg3 Qg8 34. Rxg6+
Qxg6 35. b3 Kg7 36. Nc7 Rg8 37. Ne6+ Bxe6 38. dxe6 Nf6 39. Bc3 Kh6 40. Kh1 Qg3
41. Be1 Qg6 42. Bc3 h4 43. Qd1 Qxg2# 0-1

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2009.11.23"]
[Round "1.15"]
[White "Tregubov, P."]
[Black "Akobian, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A41"]
[WhiteElo "2642"]
[BlackElo "2624"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "Mark Crowther"]
[SourceDate "2009.11.23"]

1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. e3 Nd7 4. c4 e5 5. Nc3 Ngf6 6. Be2 c6 7. O-O Be7 8. e4
O-O 9. Be3 Bh5 10. Nd2 Bg6 11. d5 Nc5 12. f3 a5 13. Nb3 Nfd7 14. Nxc5 Nxc5 15.
Qd2 Qc7 16. Rad1 Rfd8 17. g4 h6 18. Kg2 a4 19. Rh1 Bh4 20. Kh3 Qe7 21. Qc2 a3
22. b4 Na6 23. Qb3 c5 24. bxc5 Nxc5 25. Bxc5 dxc5 26. d6 Qg5 27. Rd3 h5 28. Rf1
hxg4+ 29. fxg4 Qh6 30. Kg2 Bg5 31. Rh3 Bh4 32. Rd1 Rd7 33. Bf3 Ra6 34. Nb5 Qg5
35. Qd3 Qf6 36. Qd5 Rc6 37. Rd3 Bg5 38. Rxa3 Ra6 39. Rxa6 bxa6 40. Qa8+ Rd8 41.
Qxa6 Be3 42. Qa5 Bxe4 43. Qe1 Qf4 44. Qg3 Bxf3+ 45. Qxf3 Qxc4 46. Qxe3 Qxb5 47.
Qxe5 Re8 48. d7 0-1

[Fromper]

Honestly, if one of my games were to start 1. d4 d6, my second move would be e4. If black's going to let me have the strong center with pawns on d4 and e4, I'll take it.

Except against 1. d4 c6. My problems with the Caro Kann are part of why I switched from 1. e4 to 1. d4.

--Fromper

[Rookpawn]

Fromper Wrote:Honestly, if one of my games were to start 1. d4 d6, my second move would be e4. If black's going to let me have the strong center with pawns on d4 and e4, I'll take it.

Yes, but then after ... Nf6 we're jumping into the Pirc. Not a pool I'd wish to jump into unprepared.

[Fromper]

Rookpawn Wrote:

Fromper Wrote:Honestly, if one of my games were to start 1. d4 d6, my second move would be e4. If black's going to let me have the strong center with pawns on d4 and e4, I'll take it.

Yes, but then after ... Nf6 we're jumping into the Pirc. Not a pool I'd wish to jump into unprepared.

As a Colle player, there's no way you're going to be able to avoid transposing into the Pirc/Modern once in a while, so you'd better have something prepared. And it's likely to come up more often than the opening sequence in the title of this thread, so having something prepared just for 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 seems like a waste of study time compared to preparing for the Pirc.

Personally, I've always enjoyed the 150 Attack, even before I saw that it's often recommended as a companion opening to the Colle. I played it for years against the Pirc/Modern as a 1. e4 player. You don't really have to know any theory. Just play d4, e4, Nf3, Nc3, Be3, Qd2, and O-O-O, not necessarily in that order, then launch your h pawn up the board at black's g6 pawn and go from there.

The only exception is where black plays moves like c5 early to get aggressive on the queen side, in which case you usually have to avoid castling queen side into an attack.

Also, having never really studied the theory, I'm not sure where the f1 bishop usually goes. I often just leave it on f1 until I need it, or until I need it out of the way of my queen's rook getting to the king side. I recently purchased Summerscale's Foxy Openings DVD on this opening, but I haven't watched it yet, so I'll be curious to see what he says about that bishop.

--Fromper