Every Russian Shoolboy Knows
Building your opening repertoire with GM Yermolinsky - part 17
QGD with Bf4 line - Part Four
Video #4 So, you think the Queens Gambit is a boring opening, all about weak pawns and endgame play? This video will open your eyes a bit wider. As the great champion Alexander Alekhine often proved in his games, White just uses a queenside diversion to force Black to draw his pieces way from the real target: Black's own king. The attack on the abandoned monarch can be swift and merciless. Against the young and talented John-Daniel Bryant I used this strategy by deliberately fracturing my queenside pawns. Another surprising pawn recapture on move 23 decided the game in my favor. One of the most common pawn structure issues arising from the Bf4 line is White's recapture on f4 with his e-pawn. The three games there illustrate that Black shouldn't be counting his chickens too early. Thanks to the Nh5xf4 time-consuming operation White gets a massive lead in development that can be translated into advantage in both middlegame and endgame.