The April clinic featured internet games (again!) with the first three being in the Queen's Gambit Declined. I've found this to be a particularly useful opening for teaching strategy because of the clear plans both sides can have, and in particular in the Exchange Variation (1.d4 d4 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5). Other lines are also interesting with the following position arising from a Semi-Slav (see diagram). What should Black play here?
Black played the natural 16...Be6! which proved to be much stronger than appears at first sight. White's problem is that when he moves his queen Black can trap the rook on b1 with ...Ba2, the continuation of the game being 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Qc2 Ba2 with a winning position for Black. The only small fly in the ointment is that 18...Ra2 might have been even stronger. In any case Black went on to win after a few ups and downs!
Nigel Davies
