ChessBase Magazine Extra 223

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6

On his way to the Tata Steel Masters 2025, Leon Luke Mendonca stopped off in Hamburg, specifically to record one of his best games of the past year on video in the ChessBase studio. He chose White's victory against Harika Dronavalli at the Chennai GM Challengers 2024. Faced with the French Defense, Mendonca opted for the Advanced Variation, where his opponent followed up 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 with 5...Qb6. With 6.a3 c4 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Rb1 Bd7 9.h4 0-0 10.b3 and an early exchange of queens, Mendonca gained a long-term strategic advantage.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5

In January, Magnus Carlsen was playing for his new club, FC St. Pauli, in the German Bundesliga. During the match with Max Warmerdam, the Fianchetto Variation of the King's Indian Defense with 6...Nd7 appeared on the board following a transposition of moves from the English Opening. Nico Zwirs analyzes the game, where his compatriot, true to his enterprising style, chose 8.Qc2 instead of the main continuation 8.e4, thus steering the game into relatively uncharted territory. After 8...Re8 9.Rd1, Carlsen forced the door with 9...e4. So, what to do with the knight on f3? Nico Zwirs examines White's three options: 10.Nd2 is natural, attacks the advanced e-pawn, and is playable. 10.Ng5 allows Black to sacrifice the 10...e3-pawn with roughly equal practical chances. And 10.Ce1, the move of the game which after 10...Nb6 11.c5? (better 11.Bg5!) Nd5 12.cxd6 Qxd6 13.Bg5 e3! played in favor of the world number 1.

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