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The Barry Attack

IM Malcolm Pein
October 29, 2023

The Barry Attack, also known as the Jobava London System, with d2-d4, Bc1-f4 and Nb1-c3, as opposed to a move of the c-pawn, is hugely popular nowadays.
There are instructional videos, courses and books advising how to terrorise the player of the black pieces with an early kingside attack.
White has also scored numerous quick wins after Black moves his queen’s knight too early and allows Nc3-b5 with destructive consequences on c7.
In this one-sided game, Black avoids all the pitfalls and recycles his knight via b8-d7, which, in my view, is superior to moving it from a6-c7 where it just gets in the way.

C R G Krishna – A R Salem Saleh
Qatar Masters Open

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Nb5 Na6 6.e3 0–0 7.h3 Ne4 (Logically exploiting the absence of the queen’s knight)
8.Nd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2 c6 10.Nc3 Nb8 (If 10...Nc7 11.0–0–0 b5 12.h4 h5 13.Be2 f6 14.g4 is possible)
11.0–0–0 b5 12.e4 (12.Kb1 Nd7 13.h4 e5 was also good in Padmini – Asadli, Baku 2023)
12...b4 13.Na4 Qa5 14.Nc5 e5!

15.Bxe5? (15.Be3 Nd7 16.Nxd7 Bxd7 17.Kb1 Rfd8 is not much better)
15...Bxe5 16.Nb3 Qxa2 17.dxe5 a5 18.Qd4 a4 19.Nc5 Nd7 20.Nxd7 (If 20.e6 Nxc5 21.Qxc5 Bxe6)
20...Bxd7 21.Bd3 a3 (Black’s attack has arrived, White’s is stillborn)