The text was introduced at the GM level by Emil Sutovsky. Here Black played 5.g5!? - a similar idea has been known after 5.d6 6.Nbd2 or 6.0-0. The game Karjakin, S - Dubov, D Lindores Abbey Final 8 rapid 2020, saw an early surprise from Dubov in the diagram position given below: An interesting game in which Black's novelty 10.c5 deserves serious attention. White obtained an advantage, but then went for the wrong piece sacrifice, 23.Rad1?, and after mutual mistakes Black won the game. However, Black answered with the dubious 12.fxe5?!, when after the correct 12.Bxe5! chances are equal. To be fair, I couldn’t find any advantage after other continuations, either.

The game continued 11.Bg3 Qe7 and now 12.dxe5, which looks a little premature. In the diagram position, which has been seen about 20 times, the Russian player introduced an interesting novelty, 10.c5!?, instead of the main line 10.Qe8. In the game Wang Hao - Paravyan, D Gibraltar Masters 2020, the players discussed the 6.0-0 line of the Anti-Berlin system. I believe the assessment of 14.Nxf3 remains unchanged - White is better, although Black's position is playable.īerlin Defence 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6. A short game, but important for the theory of the 9.Nbd2 system. Grischuk went for the bold 19.e6?!, but it led to simplifications and a rather quick draw. Earlier we have mostly seen this position in correspondence chess.

After 15.Nxf3 axb5 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.Ng5 Nxg5 18.Bxg5 he continued with the correct 18.h6. Here Anand played 14.Nxf3+, which I considered to be dubious, I prefer 14.Nxb5. The game Grischuk, A - Anand, V Stavanger 2019, featured an important branch of the Open Spanish with 9.Nbd2.

Vienna opening