Do you want to start playing the main lines after 1.d4 with White?

by Sagar Shah - 27/02/2019

Thanks to good chess advice being easily available these days chess players have realized that they should be playing main lines in the opening. However, the quantum of material is so extensive that players are thrown off by this approach and take up side lines. In the long run, however, they face problems and soon realize that they have stagnated. No matter how hard you work on your middlegame or endgame you are not able to improve. The reason is simple - you have to give yourself a good start. You have to begin with the main lines. With this in mind, ChessBase has released two volumes of 1.d4 repertoire for White by GM Nicholas Pert. It deals with all the main lines after 1.d4 and in this article we give you an overview of what you can expect.

Nick Pert is a strong English GM, who is known for his solid choice of opening systems

Attacking repertoire with 1.d4 Vol.1

The first Volume of an Attacking repertoire with 1.d4 deals with all lines from white side after 1.d4 d5

Overview of the Vol.01 of the Attacking Repertoire with 1.d4!

1. Queen's Gambit Accepted

Against the Queen's Gambit Accepted, you play aggressively with 3.e4!?

2. Queen's Gambit Declined

Against QGD Pert recommends to take on d5. If Black has played ...Be7 then you go Bf4, and if 3...Nf6 then you take on d5 and play Bg5

3. Tarrasch

The most common way to combat the Tarrasch is to play 6.g3, but Pert suggest to take the pawn on c5 which leads to interesting new positions

01: 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.dxc5 d4 7.Na4 Bxc5 8.Nxc5 Qa5+ 9.Bd2 Qxc5 10.Rc1 Qb6 11.e3 Nge7/dxe3 - Video Analysis [10:46]

02: 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.dxc5 d4 7.Na4 Bxc5 8.Nxc5 Qa5+ 9.Bd2 Qxc5 10.Rc1 Qb6 11.e3 Nf6 - Video Analysis [07:08]

03: Early Deviations - 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6/c4/Nf6/cxd4 - Video Analysis [11:16]

04: Henning-Schara Gambit - 4.cxd5 cxd4 5.Qa4 Bd7/b5 - Video Analysis [09:59]

4. Triangle Setup

Taking the bull by the horns. The Triangle system is an aggressive way to play, but if you are well prepared then 4.e4! is the right way to play.

01: 4.e4 Bb4 - Video Analysis [06:20]

02: 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4 8.Be2 - Video Analysis [16:04]

5. Slav Defence

Pert recommends the exchange variation in the Slav. I have my doubts here. It's true that the exchange Slav gives you an additional tempo in a symmetrical position, but still it may not be the best weapon to play for a win. Pert says he has some new ideas in this system, which would be interesting to see.

Chapter 6: Other Systems

01: Symmetrical 2...c5 3.cxd5 Qxd5/Nf6 - Video Analysis [05:33]

02: Baltic Defence 2...Bf5 3.cxd5 Bxb1 4.Qa4+ - Video Analysis [09:58]

03: Chigorin 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 a6 - Video Analysis [08:42]

04: Chigorin 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 - Video Analysis [12:19]

05: Chigorin 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Sidelines - Video Analysis [08:57]

06: Albin Counter Gambit 2...e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3 - Video Analysis [06:56]

Contents of Vol.01

There are 15 test positions towards the end of the lecture which are interactive.

Attacking repertoire with 1.d4 Vol.2

Overview of the content after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 by the author himself

Two example games:

02: Example Game 1 Blumenfeld Gambit - Pert,N - Gallagher,D [09:59]

03: Example Game 2 Nimzo-Indian - Vallejo Pons,F - So,W [07:47]

Chapter 1: Nimzo-Indian

The interesting thing is that you play 3.Nc3 and not 3.Nf3. By playing Nc3 you avoid many sidelines and can go for more focused preparation.

Pert recommends the solid 4.Qc2 line against the Nimzo. Whenver the opportunity presents, he has suggested lines with e4.

01: 4...b6 5.e4 c5 6.d5 Qe7 7.Nge2 - Video analysis [13:49]

02: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bd2 0-0 7.a3 - Video analysis [08:37]

03: 4...d6 5.e3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Nge2 - Video analysis [05:50]

04: 4...d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.e3 c5/0-0/e5 - Video analysis [14:23]

05: 4...c5 5.dxc5 Bxc5/Na6 without castling - Video analysis [12:18]

06: 4...c5 5.dxc5 0-0 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3 sidelines - Video analysis [07:18]

07: 4...c5 5.dxc5 0-0 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3 b6 8.Bf4 Bb7/Nh5 Main Line - Video analysis [05:02]

08: 4...d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.dxc5 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 Main Line - Video analysis [12:37]

09: 4...d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 Sidelines on move 7, 8 and 9 - Video analysis [09:02]

10: 4...0-0 5.e4 d5/c5/d6- early deviations - Video analysis [18:21]

11: 4...0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bd3 c5 8.Nge2 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nd7 10.Bf4 Ndc5 - Video analysis [08:00]

12: 4...0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bd3 c5 8.Nge2 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nd7 10.Bf4 Qh4 11.g3 Qh3 - Video analysis [14:04]

13: 4...0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bd3 c5 8.Nge2 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nd7 10.Bf4 Qh4 11.g3 Qh5 - Video analysis [12:47]

Chapter 2: Benoni setups

7.Bf4 is Pert's recommendation against the Modern Benoni

01: Modern Benoni - 3...e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Bf4 Bg7 - Video analysis [13:18]

02: Modern Benoni - 3...e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Bf4 a6 - Video analysis [13:47]

03: Czech Benoni - 3...e5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Be7/Nbd7/g6 - Video analysis [10:19]

04: Snake Benoni - 3...e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6 - Video analysis [09:46]

05: Late Benoni - 3...g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Nf3 e6 - Video analysis [16:34]

06: Old Benoni - 3...g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Nf3 0-0 - Video analysis [07:56]

Chapter 3: Benko Gambit

4.Nf3 against the Benko leads to interesting positions where in many lines White goes for active play with e4 pawn sacrifice

01: 4.Nf3 bxc4/b4 - Video analysis [09:05]

02: 4.Nf3 Bb7 5.e4 Nxe4 6.Bd3 Nf6/Nd6 - Video analysis [10:49]

03: 4.Nf3 g6 5.cxb5 a6 6.e4 - Video analysis [07:41]

04: Blumenfeld Gambit 4.Nf3 e6 5.e4 - Video analysis [26:26]

Chapter 4: Other setups

01: 2...b6 3.Nc3 Bb7 4.Qc2 - Video analysis [09:06]

02: Budapest Gambit - 2...e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6/g5 - Video analysis [09:00]

03: Fajarowicz Gambit - 2...e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.a3 - Video analysis [09:45]

There are 15 interactive test positions towards the end of Part II.

You can buy the combo of Vol.01 + Vol.02 of an attacking repertoire with 1.d4! by Nick Pert for Rs.1899 and save Rs.100

Vol.01:

Vol.02:

Vol.01 + 02:

If you are curious as to what happened to the King's Indian and the Grunfeld, you would be happy to know that Pert has recorded a separate product on this subject with the idea of fianchettoing with Nf3 followed by g3 against both the Grunfeld and the King's Indian.