Alterman’s Gambit Guide - Alatorsev Gambit in Semi-Slav Part 1

Opening: D44: QGD semi-Slav: anti-Meran, Alatortsev system

Player(s):

Vladimir Alexeyevich Alatorsev (1909-1987), was a Russian chess grandmaster, organizer, teacher, author, and administrator. During his career, he became champion of both Leningrad and Moscow, and played nine times in the Soviet Chess Championship finals, with his best competitive results in the 1930s, as he placed clear second in the 1933 Soviet final. Alatortsev was an early Leningrad chess rival of Mikhail Botvinnik, who later became World Champion. The Botvinnik Semi Slav 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 is one of the most complicated Chess openings, with highly unbalanced situations and double edge play. However, despite the main line with 9...hg 10. bg5 Nbd7, Black can try out the less known Gambit line 9...Nd5!?, named after Alatorsev. In the new two-part Gambit Guide series, GM Boris Alterman shows you the main ideas and recent developments in this quite sharp and interesting line.