D02 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3.Bf4 (1.c3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.Bg3)

This is one of the openings that has not been studied all that much and probably for a good reason. I would not recommend this to anyone, even though you can win games with it, especially if you are playing against me as this game so clearly demonstrates... This was played in the third round of a 15 minute tournament that was held at the FIDE Online Arena. After three rounds I had collected one win and two losses. It had not gone all that well at that point but there was one more game to be played that could at least change the outcome to a more positive one. More about the progress in the tournament when I post the fourth round game that was also the final round this time. I have added three mate in ones, one mate in three and one mate in five today.

[Event "Tournament 28070887"] [Site "online arena"] [Date "2015.03.19"] [Round "3"] [White "Chessmaster100"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "1652"] [BlackElo "1791"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] 1. c3 {A00 Saragossa Opening: General} (1. d4 d5 (1... Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 {0-1 (46) Kadianis,G (2040)-Anagnostopoulos,K (2250) Malevizi 2016}) 2. Bf4 Nf6 (2... c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. c3 {0-1 (73) Yakubbaeva,N (2071)-Nodirjanova,N (2179) Tashkent 2018}) 3. Nf3 e6 (3... c5 4. c3 e6 {0-1 (46) Kadianis,G (2040)-Anagnostopoulos, K (2250) Malevizi 2016}) 4. e3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. Bg3 Nc6 {0-1 (27) Largo Chaparro,S (1471)-Pinillo Canon,S (1657) Ibague 2018}) (1. Nf3 Nf6 {1-0 (49) Lennox,R-Peebles,J Dublin 1937}) 1... d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nf3 ( 5. Bd3 e6 {0-1 (73) Yakubbaeva,N (2071)-Nodirjanova,N (2179) Tashkent 2018}) 5... e6 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. Bg3 {0.00/20 D02 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2... Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3.Bf4} (7. dxc5 $14 {0.53/19} Bxc5 8. Nbd2) 7... O-O 8. Qe2 $146 {-0.46/19} (8. Nbd2 $14 {0.32/22}) (8. Ne5 Qc7 9. f4 c4 (9... cxd4 10. exd4 Ne4 11. Nd2 f6 12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. Qe2 f5 14. O-O Bd7 15. Nf3 Qb6 16. Ne5 Be8 17. Bf2 Kh8 18. Be3 Qd8 19. Rac1 Nf6 20. Qe1 b5 21. Qh4 Qa5 22. Bb1 Ne4 23. g4 fxg4 24. Qxg4 {Yakubbaeva,N (2071)-Nodirjanova,N (2179) Tashkent 2018 0-1 (73)}) 10. Bc2 b6 11. Bh4 Be7 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Qh5 g6 14. Qg4 Ne7 15. h4 Nf5 16. Kf2 h5 17. Qh3 Bxe5 18. fxe5 Nh6 19. Qg3 Qe7 20. Bd1 Kh7 21. Bc2 Ng4+ 22. Ke1 f6 {Largo Chaparro,S (1471)-Pinillo Canon,S (1657) Ibague 2018 0-1}) (8. O-O b6 (8... Re8 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. f4 cxd4 11. exd4 g6 12. Nd2 Kg7 13. Qc2 Rg8 14. Rf3 Kf8 15. Bh4 Ne8 16. Raf1 Ng7 17. g4 f5 18. h3 Be7 19. Bg3 Nxe5 20. dxe5 Bd7 21. Nb3 Rc8 22. Nd4 Bc5 23. Bf2 {Lennox,R-Peebles,J Dublin 1937 1-0 (49)}) 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. Ne5 Ne7 11. a4 Ne4 12. Qc2 Nxg3 13. hxg3 g6 14. g4 Qc7 15. f4 cxd4 16. cxd4 Qxc2 17. Bxc2 Ba6 18. Bd3 Bxd3 19. Nxd3 Rfc8 20. Rfc1 h6 21. Kf2 Nc6 22. Nb3 a5 {Kadianis,G (2040)-Anagnostopoulos,K (2250) Malevizi 2016 0-1 (46)}) 8... Re8 {0.47/21} (8... b6 $15 {-0.46/19}) 9. O-O $2 {-1.31/20 [#]} (9. Ne5 $1 $14 {0.47/21 keeps the upper hand.}) 9... b6 $2 {0.54/20} (9... Bxg3 $1 $17 { -1.31/20} 10. hxg3 e5 11. dxe5 Nxe5) 10. Re1 {-0.49/23} (10. Ne5 $14 {0.54/20} Bb7 11. Nd2) 10... e5 $2 {3.06/20} (10... Bxg3 $15 {-0.49/23 stays ahead.} 11. hxg3 Bb7) 11. dxe5 $2 {-0.07/22} (11. Bb5 $18 {3.06/20}) 11... Nxe5 $11 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Bxe5 Rxe5 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. Nf3 Re8 {0.00/23} (15... Rh5 $15 { -0.42/19 was preferrable.}) 16. Bb5 {-0.45/20} (16. a4 $11 {0.00/23}) 16... Re7 {0.00/24} (16... Re6 $15 {-0.45/20}) 17. Qd1 {-0.75/18} (17. Ba6 $11 {0.00/24}) 17... a6 {-0.01/21} (17... Re6 $17 {-0.75/18}) 18. Be2 {-0.58/20} ({White should play} 18. Bd3 $11 {-0.01/21}) 18... Qd7 {0.00/21} (18... Re6 $15 { -0.58/20}) 19. Qb3 {-0.41/18} (19. Qc2 $11 {0.00/21}) 19... Qc6 {0.00/23} ( 19... Re6 $15 {-0.41/18}) 20. Rad1 Rd8 21. Qc2 {-0.47/18} (21. Nd2 $11 { 0.00/23 is superior.}) 21... h6 {0.00/23} (21... Ree8 $15 {-0.47/18 might be stronger.}) 22. Bf1 {-0.55/19} (22. Nd2 $11 {0.00/23}) 22... Rde8 {0.00/23} ( 22... Ree8 $15 {-0.55/19}) 23. c4 {-0.89/17} (23. Be2 $11 {0.00/23 keeps the balance.}) 23... Qe6 {0.00/24} (23... dxc4 $17 {-0.89/17} 24. Bxc4 b5) 24. cxd5 Nxd5 25. a3 Qe4 {1.10/24} (25... Nf6 $15 {-0.31/23}) 26. Qxe4 $16 Rxe4 27. Nd2 {0.00/24} (27. Bxa6 $1 $16 {1.15/22} Bxa6 28. Rxd5) 27... Rg4 {1.31/22} (27... R4e6 $11 {0.00/24}) 28. h3 {0.21/25} ({Better is} 28. Nc4 $1 $16 {1.31/22 Strongly threatening Nd6.} Rg6 29. g3) 28... Rg6 $1 $11 29. g3 {0.09/25} (29. g4 $14 {0.53/21 feels stronger.}) 29... b5 {0.89/20} (29... Nc7 $11 {0.09/25 remains equal.}) 30. Bg2 $16 {Threatens to win with Nb3.} Re7 {1.59/21} (30... Ba8 $142 {0.79/27}) 31. Nb3 $36 {Keeping Black busy.} c4 $2 {5.46/21 [#]} ( 31... Nb6 $16 {1.47/24}) 32. Na5 {White is clearly winning.} ({Weaker is} 32. Bxd5 Bxd5 33. Rxd5 cxb3 $16) 32... Rd6 {and the idea ...Ba8 leaves Black hopeful.} 33. Nxb7 Rxb7 34. Rxd5 Rbd7 35. Red1 Rxd5 36. Rxd5 {Accuracy: White = 25%, Black = 3%.} 1-0