The Varation of My Choice for the QGA and the QGD playing Both Sides

I just thought that it would be helpful to have my own variation of the QGA and the QGD.  So I will post it.  First is the QGD that moves into the semi-slav.

1 d4…d5  2 c4…c6  3 Nc3…e6  4 e4 (The Knight on c3 protects the e4 pawn, the Bishop on f1 protects the c4 pawn and the Queen on d1 protects the d4 pawn even though the d4 pawn doesn’t need protection through most of the opening.)  The point of this move is to apply pressure on d5.  If white were to win d5 with out any threats from the c6 and e6 pawns, there would be no question about who had the superior position (for those that need it spelled out, white is superior with far greater development and center control)  4 … Nf6  5 Bf4 (attacking the knight on b8 and guarding the important d6 square ( if black were to put his bishop on the d6 square the important a3-f8 and b8-h2 diagonals would be black’s)) 5…Nbd7  6 Nf3…g6  7 Be2…Bg7  8 0-0 …0-0  9 Qd3 (Black can only watch in dread as white makes the Alekhine’s gun only with the Queen in the front and not the rear)  9…Ng4.  Here is where I end on the QGD.  Now here is the QGA.

1 d4…d5  2 c4…dxc4 (although I would not normally take the c4 pawn as black as white has the superior position.)  3 Nf3 (the black pawn is not going anywhere!)  3…Nf6 (It would be unwise to try to hold the c4 pawn as black.  Be6 protects the pawn but it blocks the e pawn for black and it forces black to fianchetto in order to castle Kingside.)  4 e3 (builds a pawn chain and attacks the pawn on c4 with the bishop on f1)  4…Bf5  5 Nc3…Nc6  6 Bxc4…Bb4 (Pins white’s knight but white has a solution to this minor problem.)  7 0-0…0-0 (black quickly follows suit as not to fall behind in development.)  8 Bd2…Qd6 (this time it is black preparing for the Alekhine’s gun but, through pure coincidence, the Queen takes the nose again!)  9 Bb5…Rd8.  This is followed by Rd7 and then Rad8 (or R8d8).

Queen’s Gambit Declined, Chess

The Queen’s Gambit declined as black is my specialty.  After playing 1 d4…d5 2 c4, you can play dxc4 which is met with Nf3, e4 or e3 or you can play e6 which is the Queen’s Gambit Declined.  You can also play the defense c6 which is moving into the Semi-Slav defense in which black pushes both c6 and e6.  in the Slav defense only c6 is pushed.  My variation for both sides is  1 d4…d5  2 c4…c6  3 Nc3…e6  4 Bf4…Nf6  5 Nf3…Nbd7  6 g3…Bb4 (pining  knight) 7  a3 (or Qb3 which is not quite as good due to premature Queen development (if Bd2 then …Bd6 grabs the important b8-h2 and a3-f8 diagonals)) 7…Be7  8 Bg2…0-0  9 0-0…Qa5  10 Ne5…Nxe5  11 Bxe5…Ng4  12 Bf4…dxc4.  The combination that white did, g3 and then Bg2, is called a Fianchetto .  Fianchettoing is generally a good thing as it allows you to castle, in this case it is Kingside.  Castling Queenside is not as ideal because it leaves the king in a slightly dangerous position if you don’t move him to the b-file.  In most pawn structures, after a series of pawn exchanges, the c file is often left open.  Castling Queenside leaves the King on that weak rank.