The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan: A Popular Chess Opening Explained by a Top Player

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Victor Bologan

The Chebanenko Slav

According to Bologan

New In Chess 2 0 08

© 2 0 0 8 New In Chess Published by New In Ches s , Alkmaar, T he Netherlands www.newi..nchess.com

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Cover design: Steven Boland Supervisor: Peter Boel Translation: Steve Giddins Proofreading: Rene Olthof Production: Anton Schermer

ISBN-13: 978-90-56 9 1 -246 - 8

Author - Grandmaster Victor Bologan

Editor - International Master Vladimir Barsky

Consultant - Grandmaster Victor Komliakov

For more information about the author, see the website

www.bologan .md

The author would like to express his gratitude to Garry Kasparov,

Mark Dvoretsky and Viktor Gavrikov for allowing him to use their

texts in the Introduction.

His sincere gratitude also goes out to Nikolay Popov for his com

ments quoted in the Introduction, and to Alexey Shirov for writing

his very special Foreword to this book.

Contents

Foreword by Alexey Shirov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part I - Various Replies on Move 5 .

11

29

Chapter 1 : The Exchange 5 . cxd5 . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 3 0

Chapter 2: The Cunning 5 .h3 . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1

Chapter 3 : The Uncommon 5 .1fi'c2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 4: Pressure on Black 's Pawns: 5 .'¥Yb3 . . . . .. . . . . . . 48

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5 .g3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Chapter 6: Developing: 5 .ii.f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2

Chapter 7 : The Rare 5 .�g5 . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7 6

Part II - Inserting S.a4- e6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Chapter 8 : Catalan-Style: 6 . g3 . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 8 2

Chapter 9 : The Timid 6 . e 3 . . . . . . .. . . .. . .. .. .. . . . . . . . , 93

Chapter 10: Pinning: 6 . .i1lg5 . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Part III - The Insidious 5 .ttJe5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 17

Chapter 1 1: The Forcing 5 . . . b5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 8

Chapter 1 2: The Main Move: 5 . . . e6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 1

Chapter 1 3 : The Exchange 5 . . . dxc4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 5

Chapter 14: Chebanenko's Favourite: 5 . . . �bd7 . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 9

Part IV - The Solid 5.e3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 1 5: Minor Replies: 6 . cxd5 , 6 .b3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 6

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6 .c5 Various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Chapter 1 7: Seizing Space: 6.c5 ttJbd7 . . . . . . . . ... . . .. . . 1 5 9

7

8


Part V - The Strategic 5.c5. . . 165

Chapter 18: The Provocation 5 . . . �g4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 66

Chapter 19: The Rare S . . . g6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 170

Chapter 20: The Sortie S . . . �f5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 73

Chapter 21: Flexibility: 5 . . JZlbd7 6.h3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 0

Chapter 22: Flexibility: 5 . . . tLlbd7 6.�f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Practical Examples.

Index of Variations.

213

225

Index of Players. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

New In Chess Code System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Foreword by Alexey Shi rov

We all know chess theory nowadays. Some of us know less, others more. But do we really know the history of chess theory, its development? And, of course, the next question would be - is it important at all? Judging by my personal experience the answer is positive. Many teenagers of today want to know how chess was before they were born.

Our generation (Viorel Bologan is just half a year older than me) have enjoyed all the benefits of 'technical progress' in chess. We were still very young and fresh when the use of databases and analysis engines became the most convenient form of working on chess and the experience we had before prevented us from underestimating the human touch, so the work with new technologies could become especially effective. But I think the nostalgic memories of times when everything was done with the desire to discover new things , when the search for the truth in chess was sometimes absorbing, those memories simply can't be taken away. As well as memories of people who never knew the modern times.

The year 1 9 9 7 was sad for both Viorel and me. The chess community lost two personalities who had devoted all their life into chess investigation - the Latvian Alvis Vitolinsh and the Moldavian Vyacheslav Chebanenko. I was supposed to write a tribute to my countryman but I haven't done it yet - who knows when I

will be able to. Therefore it's important for me to see that Viorel has done so towards his former trainer and spiritual guru. And I should say that the 4 ... a6 Slav is still only a small part of Chebanenko's contribution to chess, his other system l.c4 e5 2.lbc3 �b4 3.ttJd5 �e7!? immediately comes to mind as I played it a few weeks ago against Levon Aronian in Morelia 2008 and achieved a better position! His old ideas in the Rossolimo Variation (l.e4 c5 2.lbf3 lbc6 3.�b5 g6 4.�xc6 dxc6 S.d3 etc.) are very important too," practically the whole modern theory of that system is Just the continuation of old Moldavian investigations.

I £lrst heard the name of Chebanenko because of the 4 ... a6 Slav. A Latvian of my age, Kaspars Ramma (he was a fine positional player in his youth but then suddenly stopped competing), successfully employed it in the second half of the eighties and once he annotated his best effort for the Riga magazine Shakhmaty

or Sahs, mentioning the author of the opening, of course, and also referring to Viktor Gavrikov's article. When I saw those comments I distrusted everybody involved, as I dogmatically thought that a tempo could not be wasted like this. I

still needed to meet Chebanenko and become Viorel's friend to change my opinion!

At the beginning Vyacheslav Chebanenko was like a ghost for me. He never left his

9


hotel room. During some junior competition I even mistook Boris Itltis for him, because Boris was visible with Moldavian youngsters but he was unknown to me, while Chebanenko's name would always be mentioned when one was preparing against the Moldavian players. I got to know Vyacheslav Andreevich personally in 1988 when he was helping Oratovsky in his match versus Kramnik in Moscow and I attended the meeting of Botvinnik with Jeroen Piket at the same time and venue. Of course, the place I first met Chebanenko was his hotel room and we

immediately started analysing the Slav with 4 . . . a6 which I tried to 'refute', but in vain.

Vyacheslav Chebanenko would normally try not to let his knowledge be spread outside the !v101davian chess school, but with me he made an exception, perhaps because I was Viorel's friend. He also introduced me to his girl students and one of them was my girlfriend for a short while. I wouldn't mention this if it were not for the fact that later on in some of my games I employed a move that he had taught the girl (6 ... �g4 after l .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3/tJc3 ttJf6 4.cxdS cxdS

10

S.£H4 tZJc6 6.e3), so the Moldavian school definitely had a certain impact on

my chess.

So, should say that Vyacheslav Chebanenko was a nice and a quiet man

in daily life and a true workaholic in

chess research, and one oT the most re

markable trainers of his time. He left this world too early but his systems are still alive. Even though he was not a tactician at all, his chess strategy has passed the test of time and technology.

Finally I should thank Viorel Bologan for a tremendous job of unifying the modern discoveries in the 4 . .. a6 system with its

historical background. Now the reader has everything he needs to know - the old strategic ideas and the latest concrete nuances. And the fact that sometimes pieces don't get exchanged before move 20 shows how fascinating and complex the opening is.

Play 4 . . . a6 in the Slav! I used to think it was a loss of tempo butitis not!

Alexey Shirov

Tarragona, 16th of March 2008

Introduction

Containing extracts from the books' Revolution in the 1970s' by Garry Kasparov and 'School of Chess Excellence 4 - Opening Developments' by Mark Dvoretsky, and the article 'A New System in the Slav Defence' by Viktor Gavrikov

This book is dedicated to Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko, the patriarch of Moldovan chess , and my trainer and teacher. In working on tills book, I was gready assisted by my long-time friends and colleagues , 1M VladimIr Barsky (editor) and GM Victor Komliakov (consultant) , to whom I offer my warmest regards and heartfelt gratitude. Without them, I could not even have begun work.

Doctor Chebanenko's

Philosopher's Stone It was all a long time ago. Back in the days when people wrote letters to each other on paper, and a telephone in one's apartment was regarded as a luxury; when a Simple IBM electronic calculator took up most of my father's office, and bigger mainframe computers occupied whole floors in the Moldavian Soviet Republic's 'Gosplan' planning institute ; back in the days when Fritz was still just a glint in Frederic Friedel 's eye, and MIkhail Moiseevich Botvinnik was still struggling with the problem of constructing artifIcial intelligence . Back in those days, people , chess players included, used to use their own heads to think. One used to sit down before a game and decide - OK, if he plays this, I will choose that plan ; if he does this, I'll follow that well-known game , and if he does any-

thing else, I ' ll just work something out over the board. That was all the preparation one did. That is assuming one was a professional, and analysed other people's games , and studied good books - if you were a complete lazybones , then better not to play chess at ail! But we liked to play! It is not only a question of enjoying the process itself, but also , if things go well , there are material rewards - a stipend from the state, foreign travel, dining coupons , lectures, simuls . . .

- OK, you win, said the maestro of Moldavian chess, Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko, stretching himself out on his sofa. - I 'll show you something. It is time to introduce the Doctor, as Vyacheslav Andreevich was called by the older generation of his pupils. Not only did he come up with a miraculous solution to all the problems of the idle chess players of Moldavia , by creating for them a unique opening repertoire , contained within a couple of exercise books. He also managed to interest the whole chess world in his ideas, even such grandiose figures as Tigran Petrosian and Garry Kasparov. In order to avoid the inaccuracies that are inevitable when re-telling a story, I will let you hear it 'from the horse's mouth' as it were , in the words of the 13th World Champion himself

1 1


Extract from Garry Kasparov's book Revolution in the 1970s, pages 324-32 6:

The Chebanenko Line When speaking of the founders of the modern opening, one cannot omit the name of the Kishinev master Vyacheslav

Chebanenko (1942-1997), a noted theo

retician and trainer, who brought on a

whole generation of grandmasters and

masters Gavrikov, Iordachescu, Bologan, Komliakov, Rogozenko, V

Nevednichy, Oratovsky and many others. His opening 'bomb' in the Sicilian Defence is well-known, after being used by Petrosian in the first game of his match

against Fischer.

Slav with 4 ... a6 But what is rather more important is that Chebanenko invented and worked out in detail the 4 ... a6-system in the Slav Defence:

1. d2-d4 d7-d5 2. c2-c4 c7-c6 3. lLlg1-f3 lLlg8-f6 4. lLlb1-c3

12

Or4.e3 a6. 4 . ... a7-a6

And from the mid 1970s, the various Moldovan masters began to use the system in practice.

Today it is one of the main opening sys

tems against 1.d4, but 30 years ago, only

a small number of players knew about it and it seemed quite an exotic idea. Chess ideas were still dominated by relatively classical principles. and the apparently pOintless loss of a tempo had trouble being accepted.

. .. It is worth seeing how it changed the evaluation of the Exchange Variation of

the Slav Defence.

The author with the inventor.

1 . d2-d4 d7-d5

2. c2-c4 c7-c6

3. lLlg1 -f3 lLlgS-f6

4. c4xd5 c6xd5

5. �b1 -c3 lLlbS-c6

6. ii.c1 -f4

For a long time, the main methods of defence Were confined to be either 6 ... e6 or 6 ... �fS. But then it turned out that, by analogy with 4.ttJc3 a6 S.cxdS cxdS 6.i.f4lLlc6. in the diagram position the move

6. ... a7-a61?

was good , with the idea of 7.e3 �g4!, whllst7.lLleS can bernet by 7 ... 'i'b6, and on 7.!tel Black equalises with 7 ... �f5 8.ltJesllc8.

5. e2-e3

6. b2-b3

7. h2-h3

b7-b5

ii.cS-g4

Introduction

In the main line-7.iLe2 e6 8.0-0 ttJbd7 9.h3 �h5 - Black has a solid position, whilst the bishop retreat to f5 is also not bad.

7. ... �g4xf3

7 ... �hS 8.g4. S. 'iYd1 xf3 e7-e6

Chebanenko's pupils preferred 8 ... eS! 9.dxeS (9.c5 ttJbd7) 9 ... �b4 1 0.�d2 �xc3 11.�xc3 ttJe4 12.�b4 bxc4 13.bxc4 (13.e6 l:ta7; 13.'iVg4 cS!) 13 ... 'iYb6 14.a3 as IS.cxdS cxdS \\-ith good play.

9. ii.c1 -d2

9.�d3!? 9 . ...

1 0. 'lWf3-d 1 ?!

ii.fS-b4

The natural 1 0 .�d3 is better, since White has no objections to either 10 ... ttJ bd7 11.0-0 intending a2-a3, and 10 ... 'iYaS 11..!:!'cl �xc3 12 Jhc3 (12.�xc3!?) 12 .. . 'i' xa 2 1 3 . 'iV d 1 with obvious compensation for the pawn (Sadler-Levitt, Dublin Zonal 1993).

1 0. 0-0

1 1 . ii.f1 -e2 b5xc4

There is no sense in giving a complete 1 2 . b3xc4 c6-c5!

overview of all the possible variations of An energetic move! the Chebanenko System, especially as I only really became acquainted with it quite late on, in the 199 Os, when it began to become a bigger and bigger part of the repertoire of top players. Viktor Gavrikov passed the baton to Victor Bologan. Alexey Shirov and other young grandmasters. I remember being struck by the ease with which Black won in the game OIl-Anand (Biel Interzonal 19 9 3) : 1 3. d4xc5?

13


of course, 13.0-0 cxd4 14.tt:lxdS! was correct, with equality - Anand.

13. d5-d4!

14. e3xd4 'iWd8xd4

15. �d1-c2 tLlb8-c6

16. 0-0 �d4-e5! 17. ,*,c2-a4?! Ua8-d8

18. �d 2-e1 tLlc6-d4!

19. 'i'a4xb4 tLld4 xe2+

20. tLlc3xe2 �e5xa1 21. tLle2-c3 'l1l:i'a1-c1 !

and Black won (0-1).

Having looked at the details of the system, I included it in my repertoire, and achieved good results, never experiencing any problems. In the words of Bologan,

14

'to date, White has not found any advantage here, and the main lines remain those that were written in our notebooks

all those years ago'. (End of extract)

***

The title of 'Doctor' was given to

Vyacheslav Andreevich for his tireless

opening experiments, many of which he used even with very young players. First the idea would be born, then the details would be worked out on his handheld 'Riga' magnetic chess set (by

using such a set, Chebanenko did not

have to get up from the sofa on which he always lay full-length), and then dictated

A page from the author's notebook during his Chebanenko days.

to his pupils. who wrote them down in their exercise-books. And then the pupil. faithfully believing that he had in his hands a super-novelty. would be sent off to his game. It 15 only fair to say that the Doctor's opening experiments were usually successful. although that success was not always carried over to the latter part of the game. A typical picture for the Moldavian team in national competitions would go something like this - after the opening. we would have a large advantage. then the position would gradually level out. and in time-trouble. everything would be turned on its head. One of his 'victin1S' was his young girl pupil Tanya Derid. She did not have a very good memory. so Vyacheslav Andreevich drean1ed up for her the following opening variation: l .e4 c6 2.d4 ds 3 .cuc3 a6!? Black gives his opponent the move. without clarif)'ing the situation ill the centre. and in answer to the most natural move 4.0.£'3. he continues 4 . . . itg4. It may very well be by analogy with this that the move 4 . . a6!? in the Slav was found.

* * *

Nikolay Popov recalls (Popov was the first Moldavian IM, and is now a sports commentator on Russian TV): - Chebanenko was born in Kishinev. but later studied in Leningrad. at the institute of optics and mechanics. However. this did not prove to be his vocation. and he left Leningrad and continued his stumes in Odessa. at the institute of maths and physics. After finishing hIS studies. he spent two years working in the distribution business. in a village somewhere in

Introduction

Moldavia. and then returned to Kishinev and devoted himself to chess. He worked as a trainer at the chess club and continued his own playing career. He always had his own approach to chess. his own way of looking at things. This attracted me and I decided to study with him. We spent a lot of time analysing the most varied positions. although I have to say that I always felt a little uncomfortable. I have a very open, dynamic sty Ie, whereas he tended to look at the sort of positions that I could not really get on with, and this put me off somewhat. Maybe I could outplay him in analysis, simply because I was the stronger practical player. but we always had differences of principle in relation to positions. For example, Chebanenko really liked the line l .e4 cs v'bf3 tLic6 3 .�bS and on the next move, regardless of what Black did. taking on c6 . Nowadays this is considered a major variation. but I just could not accept that it should be possible to play like this. I remember that we even played a match. where I answered 3 .�bs with 3 . . . a6 and forced him to take on c6 . I do not recall the result of the match. but he got the advantage in the opening. Up to a certain level (let us say against candidate masters) he scored vIrtually 100% with this opening. because his opponents simply did not how to play against it. He also spent a great deal of time on another opening. wruch did not become so popular. but in which he very fi=ly believed: l .e4 d6 2 .d4 cuf6 3 . tLic3 c6 !? Here he investigated a whole mass of positions. Thanks to Chebanenko I played a lot of games. and very successfully at that. with the Black line l.c4 es 2 . tLic3 �b4!?, and

15


if 3. ttJd5, then 3 ... �e 7. And if the knight did not come to d5, then Chebanenko did exactly what he did in the Sicilian, and took immediately on c3, carrying out the same plan that he loved - the battle against doubled pawns. Petrosian described in detail in 64, the magazine that was around at the time, one of Chebanenko's novelties. After he beat Kortchnoi and qualified for the final Candidates' match against Fischer, he was passed a letter, addressed to the winner of the Kortchnoi-Petrosian match, in which there was analysis of the variation later seen in the first game of the FischerPetrosian match . Later, Tigran Vartanovich was very upset that he had wasted such an innovation, by failing at the crucial moment to follow the analysis.

* * *

Grandmaster Victor Komliakov recalls: - We, his pupils, used to call Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko the Guru, or

16

Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko (below, centre): a key figure of Moldavian chess.

Doctor. He had a deep knowledge of chess strategy. He was a great researcher, although it was not only opening ideas I

that interested him, but chess strategy in

general. He had studied Nimzowitsch's theories very deeply and built his own conception. In any opening, the Doctor always strove first and foremost to identify its strategic basis. At the start of the 1970s, Chebanenko was the trainer of the Moldavian schoolchildren. He never cared about who was in front of him, a schoolboy or a masterhe always wanted someone on whom to test his ideas. W hen you analyse on your own, it is not always possible to retain one's objectivity. At first, he tested his stuff on other Moldavian masters, who also worked as trainers - Nikolay Popov and Boris Itkis (he, in particular, analysed a great deal), and then Chebanenko started to include in the analysis his own pupils - Gavrikov, me, Titov, and others. All of his ideas, Vyacheslav Andreevich first tested on us.

I remember that at a session in 197 S, we spent about 10-12 days polishing up the variation, and then wrote it an out in a

notebook. Unfortunately, I no longer have the notebook. One of the first to try it was Popov, but he was not very successfuL Then there was a lull for about S years, before Gavrikov started to use the variation. In those days, in the main, we played the King's Indian, and only rarely the Slav: Later, when we found some problems with the King's Indian, we returned to the Slav. There are many openings, after all, and one should not spend all one's time on the same one! Chebanenko, for example, spent a lot of time on the Modern Defence with c6-d6, and with white opened l.e4- more often than 1 .d4. He played the Slav with 4- .. a6 from time to time, in competitions, the games of which have not made it into contemporary databases, such as the Moldavian championships, for example. Then Gavrikov took up the baton. He played the Chebanenko Variation t wice ill

the 1981 USSR Championship (against Beliavsky and Tukmakov), and made two draws. In December 1983, in the magazine Shakhmaty v SSSR he published an

article, entitled 'A new system in the Slav Defence', At the beginning of the 1990s, Viorel Bologan asked Chebanenko's permission to show the variation to Shirov. Alexey started playing the line very successfully, and being a generous and well-brought up young man, he later went out of his way to express his gratitude to Chebanenko. It was very lillportant to Chebanenko that he had a suitable opponent (albeit only a

candidate master), in order that he could

Introduction

find his ideas. Chebanenko would come to a training session and say 'Look, I have a new idea' , and would set up on the board the critical position, which would usually be the product of a night-time vigiL He would then start to check it, regardless of whether the pupil played this variation or not. Over time, his pupils grew up, and became strong opponents, who had from the beginning developed the art of analysis. In those days, there were no computers, and we all moved the pieces by hand. Chebanenko worked a great deal, and the pieces on his magnetic chess set covered many kilometres moving around the board!

***

'The Chebanenko Line' (to use Kasparov's apt expression!), as well as the a6-Slav examined in this book, also included l.c4 eS 2.tLJc3 �b4 3.tLJdS �e7 ill the English Opening, and all kinds of King's Indian set-ups, particularly with the knight on d7. To avoid the Four Pawns, Sarnisch and Averbakh variations, we often started with 1 ... d6. Correspondingly, against l.e4- we were prepared to play the Philidor, reaching it either by 2.M lLlf6 3.ttJc3 eS, or by 3 ... c6, where Chebanenko handled the pawns in virtuoso style, playing either ... dS, ... cS, or ... eS, depending on circumstances. As White we all played l.e4, although V yacheslav Andreevich occaSionally looked at lines after l.d4; in particular against the Dutch Defence he worked out a system involving a pawn sacrifice with h2-h3 and g2-g4. It is interesting to note that this motif appears nowadays ill almost all closed openings.

17


Needless to say, we did not get mixed up in Open SicIlians, but faithfully employed the Doctor's prescription: against 2 ... d6 and 2 ... tLlc6 - 3 .£Lb5 , whilst after 2 . . . e6 we had the choice between 3 . c4 or 3 .d3 . Against the French it was only 2 .d3 , 1 . . .e5 we happily met with the Italian, whilst if we thought the Petroff/Russian Game was likely, we would play the bishop to c4 at move 2 . The main thing that links all the abovementioned lines is the restrained pawn structure, usually involving d3 -c3 as White and d6-c6 as Black. The pieces would then be placed very harmoniously within that pawn structure. The typical plan of preparing either . . . b5 or . . . d5 , and also the overall conception, made the whole system easy to remember and play. The strange thing is that the main variation of Chebanenko's whole life, the Slav with 4 . . . a6 , is somewhat outside the general opening conception of the 'Chebanenko Line ' , because the pawn structure in the centre is determined already at move one. This exception to the general rule allowed Chebanenko to demonstrate his strategic talent. The move . . . d5, compared vvith . . d6, gives Black more room to manoeuvre. It may seem that Black is going to play quite normally, but the originality of the Chebanenko Variation is that it is still in accord with Chebanenko's principal opening credo - preserving the maximum number of options. So who £lrst played the move 4 ... a6 in the Slav? In this regard, the article by Rene Olthof in Yearbook 8 1 is extremely interesting, in whIch he refers to the game Reginald Pryce Michell versus Mir Sultan Khan, British Championship 1 92 9 .

1 8

The £lrst serious opponent, and, therefore, the £lrst person to put the Chebanenko Variation to a serious test, was Nikolay Popov, from whom we have

already heard above (incidentally, he also at one time spent a month training me) .

Nikolay Popov: , . . . And then he developed his variation of the Slav, with 4 . . . a6 , a move he was

very proud of Once again, he and I argued over the merits of this line, because the move breaks many of the general rules of opening play. Nowadays this line has become widely-accepted, and even Kasparov devoted a whole chapter to it, in

his book Revolution in the 1970s. At a certain level, such as in Moldavian tournaments , this opening scored well. But in 19 7 5 , I played two games against Leonid Zaid, and he twIce defeated me

with the move 5.iLg5. As far as I know, however, nowadays Black is OK in this variation. Also in 19 7 5, I tried the variation against Dorfman, and as early as move 1 5 , he (as White) offered me a draw. I refused and went on to lose. Even

so, deep-down, I did not really believe in

the Chebanenko System, which to a signi£lcant extent was the antithesis of my style. On the other hand , Victor Gavrikov believed much more in Chebanenko's systems. He lived in a town about 50 km from Kishinev, and every day, he would catch the bus into the capital, to work with Chebanenko. In the early 1980s, Gavrikov had a golden period, first quali£)ring for the USSR First League, then the Super League, and in one Super League dividing 1- 3 places , thereby getting into the Interzonal.'

* * *

It was Victor Gavrikov, the first 'homegrown' Moldavian grandmaster, who first gave the Chebanenko Variation its name, and developed its reputation as a serious opening. This was all done in his article in the highly-respected magazine Shakhmaty v SSSR in December 1983. It

was on the basis of this article that I decided to give a short history of the variation, in this book. I hope readers will find this small historical journey of interest; it can be found at the end of this Introduction. After the publication of Gavrikov's article, the variation finally ceased to be purely a

Moldavian specialIty, and began, at first quietly. and later with greater publicity. to

enter the realms of the top of world chess.

One of the first practitioners was still a young talent, the 16-year-old Alexey Dreev.

Extract from School of Chess Excellence 4 -

Opening Developments by Mark Dvoretsky, pages 134-138.

What is Meant by High Class

I hear the speech not of a boy, but of a man. - Alexander Pushkin

Almost every talented young player can carry out energetic attacks . filled with combinational blows. Such games indi

cate the player's talent, but not his matu

rity or the high class of his play. The truth is that the class of a player is about all-round versatility, the ability to take independent decisions in the different situations arising during the course of the battle.

Introduction

In the chapter 'How a chess player devel

ops' I described the preparation of Alexey Dreev, who took the prestigious utle of World U-16 Cadet Champion in 1983. The following year in Champigny (France), Alyosha repeated his success and became a double champion. And fi nally, in the world U-20 championship in Kiljava (Finland), the IS-year old Dreev

scored 10/13, to take the silver medal

ahead of a host of players several years older than himself (the winner, with 10. S. was Curt Hansen). Remarkably, Dreev did not lose a single game in any of these three tournaments!

o Thorsteins,Karl • Dreev,Alexey

World ]Wlior Championship, KIljava 1984

1 . d2-d4

2. c2-c4

3. tLlg1 -f3

4. tLlb1 -c3

d7-d5

c7-c6

tLlgS-f6

a 7-a6!?

Black chooses a system suggested by the well-known trainer from Kishinev, Vyacheslav Chebanenko. Nowadays it is

played regularly by Alexey Shirov, Vladimir Epishin. Julian Hodgson and other well-known grandmasters, but then, it had not yet become fashionable. When preparing for the world junior championship, Dreev and I decided to

widen his opening repertoire. to include

several such lesser-known lines. The ad

vantages of this approach are obvious -we would not need to spend so much time studying the new schemes, whilst Dreev's opponents were unlikely to be well-prepared for them.

19


Generally speaking, such an approach to one's opening repertoire is questionable, and should not become one's main method, but as a temporary measure when preparing for a specific event, it has its merits.

T he first time the system with 4 . . . a6 was tried in the event was the game Wells -

Dreev. At that moment, both players had 3/3. Their game, although it ended in a qUick draw, was quite tense: 5.cxd5

7 .. .tne4! 8.a3!?

the variation 8.e3 �xc3 9Jhc3? eS! followed by 10 ... i.M. In the game

Beliavsky-Tukmakov (USSR Championship, Frunze 1981) White preferred 8.�eS, but after 8 ... �xc3 9.Uxc3 �d7 10.�b3 f6! 11.�xc6 i.xc6 12.e3 e6 13 .i.d3 i.e7 14.0-0 Wf7! Black equalised. 8 ...

1 2.tbd2 £!.f5 1 3 Jbc6!? If 13 .i.e2 the game

is about even. Instead, the young Englishman strives for complications. 1 3 .

1 6.�b7 l:ta7 1 7.0-0 17 .i.c7? �e8 18.�b6 'iWd7!. 1 7...'iI'a5 1 8.tbb3

queen exchange leads to a superior ending for White: 19.'liVxa4!? .l:!.xa4 20 . .l:!.c1 llc4 (20 ... .l:!.a7 21.'uc7; 20 ... i.d3 21.�cS) 21.1hc4 dxc4 22.�aS. 19 ... £!.d8 20.£!.c7 £!.xc7 21 .'i'xc7+ wg6

22.�g3+ '.t>f7 23 .'tWc7+ Draw. Actually, Peter Wells was in slightly too much of a hurry to agree a draw - he could still fight for a win by: 23 . .. �g6 24.�cS! 'iVaS 2S.�c6! nb8 26.M! (but not immediately 26.i.c8? nc7 27 .'liVe8+ �h6) 26 .. :tWxa3 27.i.c8 "iYx M 28.i.xe6 i.xe6 29.'l!¥xe6, and White's position remains preferable.

20

In round 8, Dreev again played the variation, thIS time against the future bronze medal winner, Karl Thorsteins. We managed to guess what the opponent would play. It was not hard to imagine that in looking for a weapon against 4 ... a6, the Icelandic player would rely on

the latest Informant (it was unlikely that he would be familiar with Gavrikov's recent article in Shakhmaty v SSSR, which had served as our main source of information). In Informant 36, Tukmakov had annotated a game where he had won as White, and it was this game that T horsteins decided to follow. Studying the game Tukmakov - Bagirov (USSR 1 983), Dreev and I came to the conclusion that Black could achieve satisfactory play. As a result, an interesting opening duel arose in the game against T horsteins.

S. j,c1 -gS tbf6-e4

6. j,gS-f4 tbe4xc3

7. b2xc3

S. g2-g3

9. il.f1 -g2

1 0. tbf3-eS

dSxc4

b7-bS

i.cS-b7

Tlus move proves to b e the prelude to interestmg tactical complications. White goes into them, since otherwise Black will play 10 .. .tud7 and White's compensation for the pawn is questionable.

1 0. ... f7-f61

Black takes up the gauntlet. On 10 ... l{irc8 Tukmakov gives the line 11 . .l:!.b 1 tbdl 12.�xc4! bxc4 13.'iVa4 eS 14.dxeS lLlcs 15."iYxc4, and now it is bad to play 15 ... 'iVe6? 16.'iVxe6+ fxe6 17 Jhb7.

1 1 . tbeSxc4!

In the above-mentioned source game, Vladimir Bagirov continued 11 ... bxc4?! 12 . .l:!.b1 eS 13.l:f.xb7 exf4, and after

14.'i'a4?! Vi'c8 I S .l':i.b6 �d6 1 6.'ii'xc4 We7 he managed to beat off the first wave of the attack and obtain a promising position. However, as Tukmakov pointed out, White could play more strongly : 14.'i'bl! �e7 ( 1 4 . . . �d6 I SJhg7 ) lS.'iVe4! 'i'd6 1 6 . 0 - 0 ti:ld7 ( 1 6 . . .fxg3 17 .hxg 3 g 6 1 8 .Itfb 1 is hardly any better) 1 7.'fiNxc6 'li'xc6 1 8 .�xc6 0-0-0 1 9 .l:tfb 1 .id6 20 . .!::!.a7 with advantage. Black also has a diffl.cult position after l 1 . . .eS?! 1 2 .dxeS 'ii'xd 1 + 1 3.l:txd l bxc4 1 4.e6 ! �c8 I S .l':i.b l . It turns out that here, just as in the critical position of the game Wells-Dreev, seen earlier, the key to the position is the zWischenzug . . . g7 -gS ! , which improves Black's chances in the subsequent struggle.

1 1 . ... g7-g5!!

1 2. �f4xb8

Many years later, Vishy Anand chose against Dreev 1 2 .�e3! bxc4 1 3 . nb l 'JIiic7 1 4 .h4 with good compensation for the sacrificed piece.

12. '" b5xc41

Suddenly the white bishop is trapped. How can it sell itself as dearly as pOSSible? Sergey Dolmatov suggested the paradoxical move 1 3 . .I1I..e S ! with the idea of avoiding further exchanges and weakening the enemy king 's hiding place on the kingside. For example 1 3 . . . fxeS 1 4.nb 1 �c7 IS .�a4 \t>f7 (or I S . . . l:tc8 1 6 .dxeS) 16.'i'xc4+ e6 1 7 .dS! exdS 1 8 .�xdS + 'it'f6 1 9 . f41 . It is hard to say where White's attacking chances are better, here or in the Anand-Dreev line; only further practical expenence can answer thIS question.

1 3. J::r.a1 -b1

1 4. l:lb1 xb7

�a8xb8

l:!.b8xb7

Introduction

1 5. �g2xc6+ l:!.b7-d7

1 6. 'i'd 1 -a4 e7-e6

1 7. 0-0

In his commentary, Tukmakov looked at this variation and continued it as follows: 1 7 . . . \t>e7 1 8 .�xd7 'i'xd7 1 9 .'ii'xa6 �g7 2 0 .'li'xc4 .!:!.c8 2 1 .Vi'd3 . In preparing for this game, we decided that the final position is satisfactory for Black, and we also noticed that he could develop the bishop on a another diagonal: 1 9 . . . 'it'fl ! ? (instead of I 9 . . . �g7) 2 0J'l:b l �e7. However, at the board, Dreev did not blindly follow what we had analysed at home. Instead, he thought further and found the most preCIse way to develop his pieces.

1 7 . ... �f8-d6!

Such decisions show not only good positional understanding, but also the ability to think independently. and belief in one's own ability.

1 8. 'iYa4xa6

White could instead choose 1 8 .nb 1 r:J;;e7 1 9 .�xd7 'iWxd7 20 .'i'xa6 I!.c8 2 1 ..!lb7 ! ? l:tc7 nJhc7 'fixc7 . Now the direct B . a4? is bad because of B . . . �b4!! 2 4 .cxb4 c3 2 S .dS ( 2 S .'li'd3 c2 2 6 .�xh7+ <;;!;>d6) 2S . . . exdS 2 6 .iVd3 c2 27.'JIiie3+ 'It>d7 2 8 .'li'cl 'i'c4, and the pawn soon promotes. Instead, White

21


must play 2 3 .'ii'b5!. Then it makes sense for Black to harass the enemy king by means of 23 . . . h5 ! 24 .a4 h4 (preparing ... h4-h3 and . . . '!Wb8) . If 2 5 .r;;i;>g 2 , then ei-ther the immediate 2 5 . . . 'iVb8 2 6 .'llfxc4 'i'b I , or first 2 5 . .. f5 - in both cases , it is not easy for White to defend.

1 8. ... �e8-f7!

From here, the king can defend the h7 pawn in case of necessity. In the variation 1 8 . . . r;;i;>e7 1 9 .�xd7 "'iWxd7 20 .'ihc4 tl.b8 (or 20 . . . tl.c8) 2 1 .'iVd3 �f8 2 2 .c4 the black queen is tied to the pawn instead.

1 9. iLc6xd7 'iV d8xd7

20. 'i'a6xc4

We have already looked at the position arising after 20 .tl.b 1 tl.c8 2 1 .tl.b7 tl.c7 22 .tl.xc7 'iYxc7 , only with the king on e7 , where he is slightly better placed. The difference is apparent in the variation 2 3 .a4t? �b4?! 24 .cxb4 c3 (not 24 . . . 'it'g7? because of 2 5 .b 5 c3 2 6.b6 'iVc6 27 . 'Ii'a7+ 'it'g6 2 8 .'Ii'c7 ) 2S .'iVd3 �g7 2 6 .'iVc2 'iVc4 27 .b5 (27 .r;;i;>f1 ? 'iVxb4 28 .'it'e l 'iVb2 29 .'it'dl 'iVa 1 + 3 0 .'iVc l 'iVxa4+ and 3 1 . . .'iVxd4) 27 . . :iV xd 4 2 8 . 'jib 3 with a probable draw.

20. ... Uh8-b8

21 . a2-a4

The other possibility was 2 1 .'iWd3 �g7 22 . c4, as was played nine years later ill

the game Rashkovsky-Rublevsky (Kurgan 1 99 3 ) . Black will probably Will the a 2 pawn, but it is hard to say if this will give him realistic winning chances. The white pawn chain h2-g3 -f2.-e3 -d4-c5 restricts the activity of the black bishop.

21 . �d7-c8

22. 'i'c4-d3 �f7-g7

23. f2-f4?

Here, at last, is a positional error. White is afraid of 23 . . . .llb3 and prepares to defend

22

the pawn by lif3 . However, the text move weakens the king's position and gives Black the chance for an attack. He should have played to use the a-pawn: .2 3 .l:!.al tl.b3 24.aS , or 2 3 .c4 'iWa6 (this is the point of2 1 .. .'iYc8) 24.tl.d l 'iYxa4 2 5 .c5 .

23. ... g5xf4

24. g 3xf4

Subsequently, Dreev confidently realised his extra material. (End of extract)

***

So it was that the wind got in the sails. After Popov, Gavrikov and Dreev, many other players started playing the a6-Slav: Milorad Knezevic, Vladimir Bagirov, and, of course, Chebanenko's pupils - Victor Komliakov, German Titov, Georgy Orlov, Vasily Sanduliak, Dom Rogozenko . . . Your humble servant played his first game with the variation in 1 98 9 . Even so, with Megabase showing just 1 00 games in the variation, the 1 9 80s are more like just the prelude to the full symphony of the 1 9 90s , where we find some 2000 games. Probably the most interesting time for the variation was the turn of the third millennium. The move 4 . . . a6 attracted both question marks and 'dubious' signs. Variations were 'closed' (for instance, the move 5 .�g5 ) and new ones opened. Amongst the top 10 players, the first to include the variation in his repertoire was Alexey Shirov. He played fearlessly, with an abundance of risk-taking and passion , and I decided to introduce my friend to Vyacheslav Andreevich, who in turn, via me, showed Shirov many of the subtleties of the variation. Thanks to Shirov, the Chebanenko Variation began to appear in all of the capitals

of the chess world - Linares, Biel, Tilburg, Monaco. To the honour of both Shirov and Chebanenko himself, the variation achieved a 5 0% score, 1 4- 1 4. And this was against the very best players in the world. Shirov, along with Chebanenko's pupils, like me, Komliakov and Rogozenko, both promoted the name of Chebanenko, and at the same time influenced other, independent schools of players, taking up the 4 . . . a6Ime. One who greatly enriched the theory of the variation was Ivan Sokolov, who not only won many fine games in the line, with some beautiful combinative blows, but also brought to it a dose of aggression. I was not surprised when, af ter a pause, Ivan returned to the variation and again scored extremely well with it. It is no coincidence that in the test positions , you will find a number of examples from Sokolov's games. Of the generation of Dreev, Sokolov and Shirov, two others who played the variation are Bareev and Khalifman. But the only ones who made it a permanent feature of their repertoires were all born in the 1 9 7 0s, and funnily enough, were all called Sergey - Movsesian, Rublevsky and Volkov. Apart from the a6-variation, they have little in common. Movsesian is sharp, temperamental and talented (in 20 0 8 , he qualified for the A group at Corus) , Rublevsky - strong and confident, Volkov - original and creative, but they all found something they could relate to in the a6-system. InCidentally, Rublevsky (with some help from me! ) has also been successful with another of Chebanenko 's ideas, namely on the white side of the Sicilian.

Introduction

In the new millennium, the line started appearing at every level. After its successful use by Kasparov (in games against Kramnik, Ivanchuk and Khalifman) , it was taken up by Morozevich , Bacrot and the young Carlsen. At a certain moment , the Moldavian Variation (as it is sometimes also known) also received a helping hand from the Bulgarian school. First it was the highly experienced Kiril Georgiev, and then world champions Antoaneta Stefanova and Veselin Topalov. As well as Gavrikov's article, a Significant role in the popularisation of the variation was played by the New In Chess Yearbook Series. Time after time, it carried articles devoted to the variatlOn. And for every article, the line had another name! It was the ' chameleon' , the 'modern a6 ' , the Chebanenko, and simply ' the a6 Slav' . Largely thanks to these articles, people began to start belieVing in the variatlOn. In preparing this book, I of course consulted not only these articles, but also the only book devoted to the line, Grandmaster Flear's 1 9 8 3 publication The . . . a6 Slav. Despite the high quality of all the above material, I nonetheless decided to put pen to paper. It may appear that everything has already been played and written about the variation. Nothing of the sort! Recently, Kamsky has produced some new ideas, and again White must search for an advantage. Every time one prepares against the a6-system, one experiences a definite feeling of discomfort. I have had problems preparing as White against Malakhov (another major practitioner of the variation) , Movsesian and Stefanova.

23

The Chebanenko Slav Accordmg to Bologan

Nikolay Popov: - In the mid-1980s, I moved away from Kishinev and Chebabenko acquired some new pupils - Bologan, Rogozenko, N evednichy, Iordachescu . .. By nature, Chebanenko enjoyed excellent health. But chess obsessed him, and he could spend hours on end absorbed in analysis, without even getting up from his sofa. His favourite pose was lying on the sofa, smoking, and constantly analysing some position or other. He smoked a Moldavian brand of cigarette called 'Liana' , whICh were extremely strong and rough. The fIrst thing he did after waking up each day was to light up. I remember that I once tried to talk him into taking some exercise: - You never go anywherel You should go for walksl He asked: -What for? - Because when you walk, it gets your heart pumping and the blood flowing. - My heart pumps faster when I have a cigarette. It's just the same! He died aged just 55, his health wrecked. After he was divorced from his wife, he lived alone, and never looked after himself properly. I remember that he used to buy some sort of strange and disgusting preserve, made from whale meat, which he would eat with eggs! He did not eat like a normal person, with a flISt course, and a second course, etc. Occasionally, he would visit his mother and eat a decent meal, but generally, his diet left a great deal to be desired. Eggs and preserve -and that was about it. I was told that he became ill in 1995 and was taken into hospital. They tested his blood pressure and did various other

24

tests, and it became clear that he was very ill. He was put on a drip. of course, at that moment, he wasn't able to smoke. Two

days later, the doctors repeated their tests, and could not believe their eyes. in 48 hours, his system had completely cleaned itself out! Unfortunately, after this experience, Chebanenko came to believe that any time he wished, he could put his health right in a couple of days. But of course, this was just an illusion, and he died of a heart attack two years later. Our mutual friend Slava Kokhlov told me that he was at home with Chebanenko at the time. The latter stood up, went into the bathroom, then suddenly cried out and that was that. An ambulance was called, but it was already too late ...

***

... on that very day, 1 August 1997, I was supposed to fly from Moscow to Kazan, on business. But for the first time in my life, the flight was cancelled because of a technical problem with the plane, and I had to return home. There I received the sad news from Komliakov. We went to the funeral together. But it was a silent farewell, I had missed the chance to say goodbye to him. Maybe that is why, for a

long time afterwards, I used to dream about Vyacheslav Andreevich, and he used to appear to me, alive, talking to me, offering advice, asking how I was ... The following year, thanks to my brother and several Moldavian chess enthuslasts, we managed to organise the first Chebanenko Memorial, which was won brilliantly by Alexander Morozevich, who scored 8.5 out of 9. He went on to win six tournaments in a row, and entered the

world elite. The memorials became an annual event, but quickly deteriorated into a modest tournament, offering only an 1M norm. But we believe that the day will come when famous GMs will once again come to Kishinev, to celebrate the memory of the great trainer. He may be gone, but his chess ideas are very much alive, as the book now before you testifies !

Instead ofa Guide-Book

The first real guide to the system was grandmaster Victor Gavrikov's article 'A New System in the Slav Defence', published in Shakhmaty v SSSR No. 12, 1983. I think the reader will find it interesting to see how the theory of the variation looked a quarter of a century ago. In italics you will find comments by the present author, updating for the present-day state of theory in the Chebanenko System.

In our day, it is difficult to invent a wholly new opening system. Nonetheless, the search goes on, and 1 would like to acquaint the reader with one such unusual system.

1 . d2-d4 d7-d5

2. c2-c4 c7-cS

3. tLlg1 -f3 tLlgS-fS

4. tLlb1 -c3 a7-aSl?

Introduction

The inventor of this continuation is the Moldavian master V Chebanenko. Several of his other ideas have gained general acceptance. 1 could mention for example his ideas in the Sicilian Defence: l . e4 cS 2 .tDf3 e 6 3 d4 cxd4 4.tDxd4 tDc6 S .tLlbS d6 6 .iif4 eS 7 .�e3 tDf6 8.�gS �e6 9 .tD l c3 a6 1 0 .�xf6 gxf6 1 1 .tDa3 ds ! . And in the King's Indian: l .d4 tDf6 2 .c4 g6 3 .g3 �g7 4.�g2 d6 S .tDc3 0- 0 6 .tt:lf3 tDbd7 7 .0- 0 eS 8.e4 c6 9 .h3 'tWb6 1 0 . .l::te l exd4 1 1 .tt:lxd4 - 1 1 . . . tDe8! , whIch was first seen in the game Artamonov-Chebanenko ( 19 68) . The system under discussion here first began to be worked out in 197 2 . Later it was subjected to practical tests, Initially in

Moldavian, and later in All-Union tournaments. A certain amount of material has thus been gathered, which I aim to summarise here.

I

5. c4xd5

One of the main lines, since in the Exchange Variation of the Slav, the move a6 looks like a loss of a tempo.

� - cSxd5

S. �c1 -f4

This positlon is often reached by a different move-order: l .d4 ciS 2 .c4 c6 3 .cxdS cxdS 4.tDc3 tDf6 S .�f4 tDc6 6 .e3 . A typical example was the game Zllltkus-Chebanenko (VI USSR People's Spartakiad 1975) : 6 . . . a6 7 .�d3 �g4 8.£3 � 9 .tt:lge2 e6 1 0.0- 0 �e7 1 1 .�g3 0- 0 ( 1 l . . .�g6 is also good) 12 .tDf4 �g6 1 3 .tt:lxg6 hxg6 , and Black had no problems.

S . ... tLlbS-cS

7. e2-e3

Magerramov, against Popov (Beltsi 19 79) played 7 .tDe5. There followed 7 . . . e6 8.e3

25


�xeS 9 .dxeS �e4 ! ? 1 0 .ikd3? ! �xc3 1 1 .bxc3 ikd7 12 .'i¥c2 ikc6 with a splendid position for Black. In the game Beliavsky-Gavnkov (49th USSR Championship, Frunze 1 981 ) White preferred 7 . .l:!.c 1 , but after 7 . . . �e4 ! ? 8.�eS (or 8.e3 �xc3 9 . .l:!.xc3? eS t ; 9 .bxc3 �g4) 8 . . . tUxc3 9 . .l:!.xc3 �d7 1 0.'iWb3 f6! 1 1 .tbxc6 (worse is 1 1 .tbxd7 lJ:!Vxd7 , threatening .. . e7 -e S) 1 1 .. .ikxc6 12.e3 e6 1 3 .�d3 ike7 14.0-0 Wf 7 ! Black 's chances were n o worse.

7. ... �cS-g4

S. �f1 -e2

On 8.h3 both 8 . . . �hS , and 8 . . . ikxf3 are possible. Also seen is 8.ikd3 e6 9 .h3 ikhS 10 .g4 ikg6 11.ikxg6 hxg6 12 .tbeS .l:!.c8 13 .Wf l ike7 , and Black did not experi� ence any difficulties (VladimirovGavrikov, Moscow 1 98 1 ) . Instead of 9.h3 , worse is 9 .'iVb3 because of 9 .. . �xf3 ! 1 0.gxf3 tbaS 11 .lJ:!Vc2 .l:!.c8 1 2.0-0 �e7 with the better prospects (Azmaiparashvili-Itkis, Dinamo Championship 1980 ) .

S . ...

9. 0-0

1 0. .l:!.a1 -c1

e7-e6

�fS-e7

Nothing is promised by 1 0 .tbeS , after which in the game Platonov-Gavrikov (Beltsi 1977 ) there followed: 1 0 . . . Le2

2 6

1 1 .tbxc6 ikxd l 12.�xd8 l:1xd8 1 3 Jl.fxd 1 �k8 1 4.Sac 1 0-0 "'ith a qUick draw.

1 0. 0-0 1 1 . a2-a3

1 2 . tUc3-a4

l:laS-cS

tUf6-e4

Black has sufficient counterplay.

The theory of this popular variation grew continually, with both sides looking for improvements on almost every move. I will mention in particular the plan connected with developing White's king's knight to e2: 3.tbc3 tUf6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.ikf4 tUc6 6.e3 a6 7.iLd3 or 7. Sc1 followed by tbge2J2-f3 and later, depending on circumstances, either g2-g4 or e3-e4. Personally, it seems to me that the most unpleasant plan for Black is the set-up 7.f'I.c1, as tried by Beliavsky in the above�mentioned game with Gavrikov. Even so, the critical positions remain the same, and the assessment 'Black has sufficient counterplay' has survived the test of time

II

5. �c1 -g5 tUf6-e4

6. �g5-f4

Nothing better is apparent. 6. tUe4xc3 7. b2xc3 d5xc4

This position was met in the game Zaid -Popov (Daugavpils 19 7 4 ) , where

there followed 8.e4 b5 9 .tbe5!? g6 I O .'iYf3 f6 1 1 .'iYg3 ! with the initiative for White. The move 9 . . . ,i,e6, followed by . . . £7-f 6 , deserves attention, where it is hard for White to justify the sacrifice in concrete terms. In the later game Tukmakov-Bagirov (VIII USSR Spartakiad 1 983) W hi te preferred . . .

8. g2-g3

. . . but after 8 .. . b5 9 .�g2 �b7 1 0 .tLle5 f6 ! I I ,ciJxc4?! bxc4 1 2 .Mb 1 e5! 13 Jhb7 exf4 did not obtain sufficient compensation for the sac..:rificed material.

The move 5 .. �g5 was at first regarded as a virtual refutation of the Chebanenko System, but nowadays is rarely seen. The main reason is the move shown by Gavrikov in his notes -

9 . . . �e6, after which it is very difficult for White to show that he has sufficient compensation for the pawn. Also not bad is 9 .. . 'iY as, and even the previously rejected move 9 . . . g6 was rehabilitated, with the help of the computer. White in turn has tried to strengthen his play with 6.�h4, 6.e3 and even 6.h4!?, butwithout particular success.

III

S. e2-e3

The natural continuation; W hite aims to develop his kingside pieces qUickly.

5. ... b7-bS

6. c4xdS

On 6.c5 a good reply is 6 . . . �g4, followed by . . . tLl bd7 and . . . e 7 -e5.

6. ... c6xdS

7. tLJf3-eS

In the event of 7 .�d3 , both 7 . . . �g4 and - 7 . .. e6 are possible, leading to positions examined later .

7. ... e7-e6

8. �f1 -d3

9. f2-f4

1 0. 0-0

tUb8-d7

�c8-b7

Introduction

This position was reached in the games Kharitonov -Gavrikov (MoscoW 198 1 ) and Tukmakov-Gavrikov (49th USSR Championship, Frunze) . The weakening of the e4-square gives Black adequate counterplay. These games continued as follows : Kharitonov-Gavrikov: 10 ... Ilc8 1 1 .a3 Jl..e7

1 2 .f5! �c7! 1 3 .i2Jxd 7 �xd 7 14.�f3 g6!

1 5.fxg6 fxg6 1 6 . .ltd2 0-0 Black's chances are not worse. Tukmakov-Gavrikov : 10 ... i2Je4 1 1 .a4!? b4

1 2.i2Jxe4 dxe4 1 3.�c4 fie7 14.a5 0-0

1 5 .i2Jxd 7 'i'xd7 16 .�e2 f5 1 7.fid2 llfc8

1 8JHc1 fid5! with equality.

This line has seen theory develop especially fast, and the developing move S.e3 is considered one of the principal replies to the Chebanenko System. Both the line mentioned by Gavrikov (6. cS) and one not mentioned by him (6.b3) deserve separate chapters, so considerable is the information available on them. In concluding his short article, Victor Gavrikov summarised things as follows:

I believe that the material presented above gives a good impression of the character

2 7


of the new system. Without doubt, subsequent practice will bring improvements for both sides, but one can already conclude that Chebanenko's idea deserves attention. It certainly does! A quarter of a century later, whole new systems have grown up, which have been developed by the best players and analysts. White has tried all of the following moves: 5:�c2, 5.iYb3, 5.h3!? , 5.g3, 5.§i.f4, 5.a4, 5.lue5, 5.c5, but in every case, Black has sooner or later found reliable responses. The early knight jump into the centre has caused Black to shed a fair bit of blood, and he has had to rack his brains over how to meet the Catalan-style 5.g3. The battle between 'sword and shield' continues in almost every serious tournament, and the Chebanenko System remains popular with black players who wan t a solid position with counterchances. The system still lives and grows, as this book will show. (End of article)

I should add a word or two about things which are not covered in the book, but

which may be of interest to practical players. The real Chebanenko System starts after 4 . . . a6 and does not include lines arising after White's other fourth moves. Thus, lines such as 4.iYc2 and 4.e3 after 3.tDf3 , and also 4.e3 after 3. luc3. A detailed analysis of these lines would require another book,

and for the moment, I would just offer the

follOwing brief advice:

Af ter 3. tUf3 tUf6 4.e3 Black is best advised to continue 4 . . . §i.f s S . tDc3 e6 6. tUh4 §i.g6 after which he has a very solid position, which does not require deep opening knowledge. The picture after 3.tLlf3 tLlf6 4.iYc2 is completely different . Here Black can

2 8

bring the white queen into the centre by means of 4 . . . dxc4 S .'lWxc4 §i.f s 6.tU d e6

with good play for Black .

The other way to avoid the Chebanenko System is by 3.tLlc3 tLlf6 4.e3 after which

Vladimir Andreevich considered the move 4 . . . a6! as adequate. If White then sticks to his guns and continues S .'�i c2 ( 5 . tUf3 transposes back into lines covered in the book, beginning with 5 . e3) , then Black does best to answer . .. e6 followed by . . . cS . The white queen turns out to

have gone to c2 rather prematurely. For

absolute confidence, I would recommend

you to consult a database, collect together the games of the strongest players in this line, and study them, before going into battle.

Victor Bologan April, 200B

Part I - Various Replies on Move 5

Chapter 1 : The Exchange 5 .cxd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0

Chapter 2 : The Cunning 5 .h3 . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1

Chapter 3 : The Uncommon 5 .'iVc2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · 44

Chapter 4: Pressure on Black's Pawns : 5 .'iVb3 . . . . . ..

..

..

. . . . . 48

Chapter 5 : Catalan-Style : 5 . g3 · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0

Chapter 6 : Developing : 5 .itf4 · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2

Chapter 7 : The Rare 5 .jl,g5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6

Chapter 1

The Exchange S.cxdS

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.tt'lg1 -f3 tLlg8-fS 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-aS 5.c4xd5

In this firs t chapter, we will consider the Exchange Variation of the Slav, but not all variations; only those in which Black plays . . . a7-a6. Instead of the usuaI 4 .tDgl-j3, which we will come to later, it also makes sense to consider another move-order, in which White puts his king's knight on e2 . In this line too, advocates of the Chebanenko system usually play the useful prophylactic move . . . a7-a6.

• • •

1 . d2-d4 d7-d5

2. c2-c4 c7-cS

3 . tLlb1 -c3 tLlg8-fS

4. c4xd5 cSxd5

5. �c1 -f4 tLlb8-cS

S. e2-e3

6 .llc 1 a 6 7. tDf3 leads to the position which we will examine under the normal move-order with 4.tDf3 .

S. ... a7-aS

Generally speaking, the threat tLlc3:..b5 is not all that dangerous, but experience with the Chebanenko shows that the move .. . a7 -a6 turns out to be useful in a

3 0

number of different situations, and not merely for defending against the ' crude' threat of a fork on c7 .

7. i.f1 -d3

Alexander Morozevich handled thIS position in very original fashion: 7 .l::i'.c1 �g4 8 .f3 £l,d7 9.g4 e6 10.14 Jl.e7 11.Jl.d3 0-0 12 . .ib 1 �b6 1 3 .l::i'.h2 l::i'.fc8 14.h5 J[e8 . White has seized space on the kingside, but Black has no weaknesses and is well mobilised, therefore it is extremely hard to break his position down (Morozevich-Sakaev, Moscow 2 0 07 ) .

7. ... �c8-g4

8. tbg1 -e2

As the following game shows, W hite cannot just play 'how he likes' in this position, since in the event of careless play, he can unexpectedly find himself facing difficulties: 8.f3 �h5 9. CLJge2 e6 10.0- 0 �e7 1 1.:c l 0- 0 12 .tZla4 tZld7 13 .�b3 (equality results from 13 .a3 �g6) 1 3 ... l::i'.a7 14 . .ig3 (more accurate is 14 .a3 �g6 1S ..Lg6 hxg6 16 .'iYd3 CLJb6 17 .CLJxb6 'tWxb6 18.b4, draw, Doric-Ruck, Vogosca 2007) 14 ... �g6 15.Jl.xg6 hxg6 16 .e4?! �6 17 .l/i'c2 l::i'.a8 18.tZlc5 ::I.c8+ Stefanova -Svetushkin, Athens 2 0 06 .

a ... e7-e6

9. 0-0

A) Now, after 9 ...

remain: 1 0.

the' advance of the b-pawn. Both 10 .'iYb3 ttJaS 11.'i'a4+ b5 12 .'iI'c2 Jl.xe2

Chapter I : The Exchange S . cxdS

13 .'ihe2 0- 0 14 .l::i'.ac 1 'iYd7 1 5 .l::i'.c2 l::i'.fc8 16 .lHc 1 CLJc4 17 .CLJb 1 CLJd6 (draw, Van

der Stricht-Dautov, France tt 2 0 05) 18.'llVf3 , and 10.iLg3 0- 0 I 1.f 3 Jl.h5 1 2 .tZlf4 Jl.g6 13 .t2:lxg6 hxg6= (Bunzmann-Postny, France tt 2 0 07 ) are harmless for Black. 1 0 ...

1 2.lLla4 CLld7 1 3 .b4

Black can hardly count on counterplay, but now he gets an isolated pawn on d5, which can cause him some headaches. 14.dxeS CLlcxeS 1 S .'@b3 CLlc4 1 S.

1 7.CLlac3 CLlfS 1 8.h3 .l1i.eS 1 9.CLld4

B) 9 ... .l1i.hS 1 0 .l:!.c1 In the following game, W hite fell for a tempting combination, wluch turned out to be unfavourable for him: 10 .'i'b3 t\a7 11 .l::i'.fc l �e7 12 .t2:lg3 �g6 13 .�b5? axbS 14.CLJxb5 'il'a5 15.�c7 'i'a4 16.CLJxa7 'il'xa7 17 .�b6 'il'a6+ Nlkolic-Bareev, Sarajevo 1998. 1 0 ..

.l1i.gS 14.CLlf4 .l1i.xd3 1S .CLlXd3

CLlXCS 17.CLlxCS CLlaS 18.'ii'a4

�a5 20.b3

to full equality (Gerber-Liblszewski, Lausanne 2 0 06) .

C) 9 ..

1 1 .lk

vantage after 11.�xd6 'iYxd6 12 .tZlf4 �g6 , for example : 13 .l::i'.c 1 0- 0 14.�xg6 hxg6 15.tZld3 tZld7 16 .f4 l::i'.ac8 17.tZla4

3 1


ttJM I S .ttJ dc5 ( I S .ttJac5 ttJxd3) I S . . . b 6 1 9 .ttJxd7 1:rxc l 2 0 .'ilhc l 'l!!Vxd7 2 1 . ttJxb 6 'ili'b7 22 .ttJa4 ttJxa2 23 .�d2 ttJb4=. 1 1 ...� g 6 1 2.lZla4 �xd3 1 3.'iVxd3 0-0

1 4.�xd6 'IlUxd6 1 5.'\Wb3

1 7.f4 lZla5 1 S.'\Wd3 lZlc4 1 9.b3 lZld6, and thanks to his control over (he breakthrough points e4 and f5 Black's chances are, at a minimum, not worse (Zakharchenko-Novltsky, St Petersburg 2006 ) .

Now for the 'Chebanenko'move order. 1 . d2-d4 d7-d5

2. c2-c4

3. tUb1 -c3

4. tUg1 -f3

5. c4xd5

c7-c6

tUg8-f6

a7-a6

c6xd5

This position is the start of the ' refutation' of the Chebanenko system. Certainly, we have before us the tabiya for the Exchange Slav, in which the move a7 -a6 was for a long time considered little more than a waste of a tempo. However, Chebanenko 's work changed this assessment.

6. £c1 -f4

It is considered that in the Exchange Variation, the cl bishop stands best on this square, where it controls the squares e5 and c7 .

3 2

On 6.

(7 .�f4 ttJc6)

And now, both 7 . . :�i' as and 7 . . . ttJc6 are possible :

A) 7 ..

1 0.'iV b3

1 2.exd4 �d6 1 3.�g3 �xg3 14.hxg3

Equality results also from 1 4 . . . �f5 1 5 .lIh5 ttJe7 1 6 .�e2 0-0 1 7 .'li'b2 'fic7 I S :>t>f1 .l::i.feS 1 9 . <>t>g 1 'if d7 20 . ttJfl £g6 2 1 ..l::i.eS f6= , Ionov-Volkov, Elista 200 1 . 15 .'lWc2 h6 1 6�e2

b6 1 9.�

hard for either player to improve the position of his pieces.

B) 7 ... lLlc6 S.e3 �f5 Black may also force transposition into a slightly worse endgame, in which he should gradually be able to equalise: S . . . '/Wa5 9 .�b3 'ifM 1 0 .�e2 �f5 1 1 .'li'xM ttJxM 1 2 .0-0 e6 1 3 .ttJxe4 �xe4 1 4.a3 ttJc6 I S .ttJd2 �g6 1 6 .nfcl �d6 (the move 1 6 . . . <>t>d7 1 7 .M �e7 l S .�g3 I'!.hcS 1 9.ttJb3 b6=, IskusnikhBurmakin, Tomsk tt 200 1 has also been seen) 1 7 . .1':tc3 <>t>d7 I S .ttJb3 b6 1 9 .1d.acl :l:!.hcS 20 . ttJd2 CiJe7 2 1 .:l:!.xcS ttJxc8=, S. Savchenko-Delchev, Ohrid (play-off rapid) 2 00 1 . 9 .

.be4 1 2.0-0 lLla5 1 3.'/lIYd1 �d6 1 4.lLld2 �g6

1 5.�g3 0-0 1 6.ihd6 '/lIYxd6; the position has simplified and is equal (Aseev-Kir Georgiev, Paris rapid 1 9 95 ) .

6. ... tZJb8-c6

A) The immediate 7J:Ic1 has its plusses.

A I ) 7...eS!? The main move, the only drawback of which is that the bishop on c8 remains locked in behind the pawns. 8.e3 fle7 9.�d3 0-0 1 0.0-0 ti.Jh5 The follOwing was only a blitz game, but still has some significance for the theory of the variation: 1 0 . . . �d7 1 1 .tLleS Uc8 1 2 .'iWf3 .ie8 1 3 .'i'h3 Wh8 1 4.�gS g6 I S .�h6 J:!.g8 1 6 .f4;t Kramnik-Kamsky. Moscow 2007 . 1 1 .jLe5 fS 1 1 . . .tLlf6 1 2 .�g3 tLlhS 1 3 .�eS �d7 1 4.a3 f6 1 S .�g3 tLlxg3 1 6.hxg3 fS 1 7 .tLla4 �e8 18 .tLlcS �xcS 1 9.Ihcs �hS 20 .'iWc2 �xf3 2 1 .gxf3 'i'd6 22 .f4 - White retains a small initiative, although it is far from easy to break down the black position, of course, Chernin-M. Gurevich, Venacu 2 0 0 6 . 12.ilg3 ti.Jxg3 1 3.hxg3 f5

14.g4 It is essential somehow to break down Black's powerful pawn set-up in

Chapter 1 : The Exchange 5 . cxdS

the centre. A piece attack on the queenside looks fairly harmless , for example : 1 4.tLla4 �d6 I S .tLlcS gS 1 6 .'iVb3 g4 1 7 .tLlh4 (the h-file must be closed, else White may face conslderable difficulties , for instance : 1 7 .tLle 1 W6 1 8 .�e2 Uh6 1 9 .tLled3 (Grabarczyk-Jelling, Gothenburg 1 99 3 ) , and here Black could have seized the advantage by 1 9 . . . �gS 20 .tLlxb7 �xg3 ! (20 . . . �hS 2 1 .f4 gxf3 2 2 . l'1xf3 ;t) 2 1 .fxg3 'l!'xe3 + 2 2 .tLlf2 'iWxb3 2 3 .axb3 tLlxd4=t=) 1 7 . . . tLlaS 1 8 .�dl b6 1 9 .tLlb3 oo) 14 . . .fxg4 15.ti.Je5

ti.Jxe5 1 S.dxe5

extra pawn, but wishes to sell it back as dearly as possible. In the following game, White seized the chance to force perpetual check: 1 7.'lWh5 gS 1 S .. bgS hxgS

1 9.'iiVxgS+ whS 20.fxg3 �d7 2H �'hS+,

draw (Sulava-V Georgiev, Nice 2 0 0 3 ) . A2) 7 ... i1tl51? looks logical, but slightly

weakens the queenside, and Wmte can develop some initiative there: S.e3

comphcations after 8 . . . Uc8 favour White: 9 .�e2 e6 1 0 .0-0 �e7 1 1 .'iWb3 (it is precisely the unfortunate position of tlle c8 rook that prevents Black from defending the b7 pawn conveniently) 1 1 . . . tLlaS 1 2 .�a4+ tLlc6 1 3 .La6! Ua8 1 4.Lb7 ! Iixa4 I S .�xc6+ �f8 1 6 .tLlxa4± Krarnnik-Anand, Moscow 2007 . 9.'lWb3 �b4!

3 3


In this 'impudent' fashion, Black not only completes his development, but also defends his pawn. 9 .. Jb7 1 0 .it.e2 it.e7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2 .tLla4 tLld7 1 3 .a3 4JaS 1 4.'i'a2 bS ( 1 4 . . . tLlc4!?) I S .4JcS 4JxcS 1 6 .dxcS tLlc6 1 7 JHd 1 favours White. 1 0.�gS 1 0 .tLleS 'iVe7 ; 1 0 .a3 �xc3 + I l .bxc3 'iVd7 ; 1 0 .�e2 0-0 1 1 .0 - 0 'iVe7 1 2 .a3 �xc3 1 3 Jhc3 tLle4 14 . .l'!cc1 gS I S .�g 3 .l:'I.fc800. 10 . . . 0-0 1 1 �e2

1 2.0-0 �e7 1 3.1ija4 �g4 14.'iVbS

1 S .'t!lVxdS .bdS 1 S.�f4 ( 1 6 .it.xd8 .l:'I.fxd8 1 7 .tLlcS tLlxcs 1 8 . .l:'I.xcS g6 1 9 .h3 �xf3 20 .it.xf3 tLlb4 2 1 .a3 4Jd3 n .l:'I.c2 .l:'I.bc8 23 . .l:'I.d2 4Jcl =) 1 S ... ScS 1 7.�dS .&\eS

1 S.lLlcS ZbxcS 1 9.1:!. �e7=

(Nogueiras-Harikrishna, Merida 2 0 0 7 ) . A3) Chebanenko considered 7 ... 't!lVbS dubi

ous because of the pawn sacrifice 8 .e3 (8 .tLla4! ? 'i'aS + 9 .�d2 'i'd8 1 0 .'i'b3t; not dangerous is 1 0 .e3 tLle4 1 1 .'i'b3 4Jxd2 1 2 .tLlxd2 e6 1 3 .4Jb6 .l:'I.a7 14.tLlxc8 'iVxc8 I S .�d3 �d6 1 6 .0-0 0-0 1 7 .£4, draw, Andersson -Bologan, Manila 1 992) 8 . . 'i'xb2 9.�e2 e6 1 0.0-0 �a3 1 1 . .l:'I.c2 'i'b6 1 2 .tLla4 'i'aS 1 3 ..l:'I.xc6 bxc6 14.'i'b3 t.

A4) 7 ..

As they say, in for a penny, in for a pound! Black continues to break the classical principles of development, this time moving again an already -developed piece.

A4 1 ) S.lLleS

34

As the classics taught us : complications should favour the better-developed side. But in this variation, complications often lead only to mass exchanges. and the equalisation of the position : S .. .ttJxc3

9.l:1xc3 ii.d7 1 0.e3 On 1 0 .'i'b3 Black has the reliable answer 1 0 . . . f6 ! , for example : I l .tLlxc6 it.xc6 1 2 .e3 e6 1 3 .it.d3 �e7 1 4 . 0 - 0 �f7 I s . .l:'I.fc l 'iVd7 1 6 .a3 .l:'I.hc8 1 7 .'lidl g6 1 8 .'lifl �d8 1 9 .h4 it.a4 2 0 .'lie l it.b S 2 1 .it.xbS abS n .'iVe2 l"rc4 with mutual chances, Beliavsky-Gavrikov, Frunze 1 9 8 1 . 1 0 ..

1 1 .a3 :&!.cS 1 2.ltJ d 3

1 2 .4Jxc6 .l:'I.xc6 13 . .l:'I.xc6 �xc6 1 4 .�d3 'iVaS + I S .'iVd2 'l&xd2+ 1 6 .�xd2 �d7 , N. Garcia Vicente-Kadimova , Pula 1 99 7 ; Black also faces no problems after 1 2 .�c2 4JxeS 1 3 .�xeS .l:'I.xc3 1 4 .'iYxc3 WVc8 I S .�d2 'i'xc 3 + 1 6 .�xc3 f6 1 7 .�g3 �e7 1 8 .�d3 , MarinIordachescu, Bucharest 2 0 0 l . 1 2 ...

1 3.l:!.xcS lLlxcS 1 4.J1l.e2 'li'aS+ 1 S.'Ii'd2

'li'xd2+ 1 S.�xd2 J1l.dS 1 7.�g3 �e7 Or 1 7 . . . it.xg3 1 8 . hxg3 tLld6 1 9 .tLlcS it.c6 2 0 . .l:'I.c l as 2 1 .b 3 = , Computer 'Nimzo 8 ' -Computer ' Gambit T' , Cadaques 2 0 0 1 . 1 S.l:!.c1 J1l.xg3 1 9.hxg3 ItJdS 20.I1c7

�dS 21 .Sc 1 = . It is not obvious how White can break through, and there are few pieces left on the board.

A42) S.lLlxe4 dxe4

9.t2Je5 On 9 dS Black has the excellent counter-blow 9 . . . eS ! , for example : 1 0 .dxc6 �xd l + 1 1 .�dl exf4 1 2 .�gS JtlS l 3 .c7 I:tc8 1 4.g4 fxg3 I S .hxg3 .i.e7 1 6 .�h3 �xh3 1 7 .�xh3 �d7+ , Gonzalez Garda-Antunes , Matanzas 1 9 94.

A4 2 1 ) In the event of 9 . . :� a5+ 1 0 . .i.d 2 ( 1 0 .�d2 �xd2+ 1 1 ..i.xd2 �xd4) 1O . . . 'i'xa2 1 1 .�xc6 hxc6 1 2 .e3;!; White has a considerable advantage in development and excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn, A422) Black has a slightly worse end

game after 9 ... 'lWxd4 1 0 .�xc6 (m the variation 1 0 .'i'xd4? ! �xd4 1 1 .�c4 there is the interesting counterblow 1 1 . . . eS ! ? 1 2 .�xeS .i.b4+ l 3 .�d2 �fS 14 .I:tc4 hdH I S .Wxd2 .i.e6 1 6 .I:txe4 0-0 with the initiative for the sacrificed pawn (Kaidanov-Sherzer, New York 1 9 9 0 ) 1 0 . . . 'iVxd l + 1 1 .Ii?xd l bxc6 1 2 .I:txc6 f6 1 3 .g3 eS 14 . .i.e3;!;; A423) 9 . .. ti.lxe5 1 0 . .i.xeS (bad is

1 0 .dxeS �aS + 1 1 .'iYd2 'iYxa2+) 1 0 . . . 'i'a5 + 1 1 .�d2 �xd2+ (winning the a2 pawn is qUlte risky, even though an immediate refutation is not obvious : 1 1 . . .'iVxa2 1 2 .e3 e6 1 3 . .i.e2 �b3 1 4.I:tc3 'i'b6 I S .�c7 'iYb4 1 6 .0-0) 1 2 .�d2 f6 1 3 .�g3 �d7 . Black wants to put the bishop on c6 , equalising the chances. Of course, White can now enter the enemy position with his rook - 1 4.I:tc7 , but then he is forced to sacrifice the exchange within a few moves: 1 4 . . . .i.c6 I S .e3 �d8 1 6.'lttc2 eS 1 7 .I:txc6 bxc6 1 8 .dxeS . His compensation is probably adequate only to maintain dynamic equality.

A43) 8.

Chapter 1 : The Exchange S . cxdS

8 ... �f5 Also fully possible is 8 . . . �xc3 9 .I:txc3 �b6 1 0 .iI'd2 .i.g4 1 1 .�eS �xeS 1 2 . .i.xeS nc8 1 3 .e3 f6 14.�g3 nxc3 I S .'iYxc3 .i.d7 1 6 . .i.d3 e6 1 7 . 0 -0 .i.e7 1 8 . .i.c7 VWc6 1 9 .I:tcl VWxc3 20 .MXc3 .i.c6 2 1 .h4 �d7 , and Black gradually equalised, Dautov-Dreev, Essen 2 0 0 0 . 9.e3 e 6 1 0.�e2 !Ji e 7 1 1 .4:lxe4

0-0 1 3.41e5

J:rfc8 1 6.MC3 �c6 1 7.:llfc1 l:tac8 1 8.h3 h6

1 9.b4 !Jig6 2 0.!Ji d1 'lWb5 21 .!Jie2 'ifb6

22.!Jid1

portunely agreed a draw (Krivonosov-Oll, Tallinn 1 99 8 ) ;

A44) 8.e3 4:lxc3 9 .bxc3 (the positional exchange sacrifke scarcely poses serious danger to Black: 9 .MXc3 eS 1 0 .�xeS .i.b4 1 1 .�xc6 .i.xc3 + 1 2 .bxc3 bxc6 1 3 .�d3 = , Barsky)

change on c3 , followed - if White takes 9 ..

with the rook - by . . . e 7-eS and . . . .i.b4. tention is concentrated. But in VIew of the

35


fact that it is hard to equalise completely in this line, it is worth considering 9 ... �f51? 1 0 .�d3 �xd3 1 1 ."iVxd3 e6 1 2 . 0-0 �d6 ( 1 2 . . .ttJ a 5 1 3 .e4 �e7 1 4.exd5 exd5 1 5 .14 0-0 1 6 .�f5 g6 1 7 .�h3 'li'cs I S .�g3 .l::!:eS 1 9 . .l::!:ce l ttJc4 20 .�h6 �d6 2 1 .�g5 �f5 ! - Black is even a little better, Rodshtein-Vallejo Pons, Pamplona 2007 ) 1 3 .�xd6 �xd6 1 4.c4 dxc4 1 5 . .l::!:xc4 0-0 1 6 .ttJg5 f5 ( 1 6 . . . g6 1 7 .tUe4 'fie7 l S .'fic3 :t) 1 7 .'fib l ( 1 7 .tUB .l::!:adS I S .'fic3 deserves attention) 1 7 . . J:tadS l S .l:tc5 �e7 1 9 .LDf3 h6 wlth mutual chances , Agamaliev -Vysochin, Swidnica 2 0 0 0 . Slightly passive, but also possible i s 9 . . . e 6 1 0 .�d3 �a3 1 1 ..l::!:b l b5 1 2 .0-0 f5:t, Kubecka-Fuksik, 1 99 5 / 9 6 .

Back to 9.

Czech Republic

1 0.�d3 The cautious move 1 0 .�e2 does not pretend to much: 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 .c4 ( 1 1 . 0-0 �a3 1 2 .�bl b5 1 3 .'fib3 'fie7) 1 1 . .�b4+ 1 2 .'lt>fl dxc4 1 3 .Lc4°O . 1 0 ... e6 1 1 .0'

Now Black should play very carefully, to neutralize his opponent's initiative:

A44 1 ) Interesting, but insufficient for equality, is 1 1. ..�a3

1IJfIe7 1 4 .e4 ( 1 4.tLJe5 tLJxe5 1 5 .�xe5 0-0

3 6

1 6 .�c2 f5 °o, Computer ' Francesca ' Computer 'Zugzwang ' , Paderborn 1 999) 1 4 .. �xf3 1 5 .gxf3 �d6 1 6 .�g3 tLJa5 1 7 .'iVc2 :t ; A442) Excessive enterprise can also

backfire on Black: 1 1 .

�a3 1 3 .�c3 �b4 1 4 . .l::!:b3 dxc4 1 5 .�xc4 b5 1 6 .�d3 0-0 1 7 ."iY b l �xf3 I S .gxf3 �d6 ! ? - Barsky ( I S . . . g5 1 9 .�g3 fS 2 0 . .l::!:c l f4 2 1 .�xh7 + 'It>hS n .�e4 fxg3 2 3 .hxg3 ±) 1 9 .�xh7+ 'It>hS 20 .�xd6 'fixd6 2 1. �d3 e5=) 1 2 . . . �h5 1 3 .�b1 'fid7 1 4 .llb6 ! (Black usually starts to suffer after such moves) 1 4 . . . . �xf3 1 5 .'fixf3 tLJa5 1 6 .'fie2 �xc3 1 7 .�xa6 bxa6 I S .'iVd2 'fidS 1 9 . .6i:bS .l::!:cs 20 .�xc8 'fixcs 2 1 .'fixaS ± ;

A443) 11 ...�d6 1 2 .�xd6 'fixd6 1 3 .c4 ladS 1 4.c5 'fie7 1 5 .lab l .l:I.d7 (for complete happiness, Black needs to realise the plan . . . 0-0 , . . .f6 and . . . e5) 1 6 .'iVa4 (White cannot gang up on the b7 pawn, because Black qUickly achieves . . e6-eS and creates pressure against the d4 pawn: 1 6 . .l:I.b6 �c7 1 7 .h3 �xf3 I s .'fixf3 0-0 1 9 . .l:I.fb l .l:I.dS 20 .'fid l e5 2 1 .'fia4 exd4 n .exd4 1IJfId7=) 1 6 . . . �xf3 1 7 .gxf3 0-0 I S . f4

I S . . . f6 (other lines also deserve close attention: I S . . . 'fih4 1 9 .'fi d 1 f6 20 .'fif3 or

I S . . . f5 1 9 .'lt>hl 'It>hS 2 0 . .l:I.g l 'fiM

2 1 .l:i:g3 e5 22 .dxe5 ii'lxe5 2 3 .�e2) 1 9 .f5 e5 20 .iha6 exd4 ( 2 0 . . . .!::!.c8 2 1 ..!::!.b6 exd4 22 .�xb7 Rxb7 2 3 Jhc6 .llxc6 24.'il'xc6 dxe3 25 .'il'xd5 + 'it>f8 2 6 . .!::!.e l or 20 ... tt'lxd4 2 1 .exd4 bxa6 22 . .!::!.fe l , favouring White) 2 1 . exd4 l:ia8 2 2 .l'hb7 Zhb7 23 .'il'xc6± .

White has more than sufficient compensation for the exchange, and Black should go over to defence.

B) In case of 7.4.:!e5 Black quietly continueshis development.

7 ..

dangerous for Black, because White does not manage to fix the -...veakness on c6 : 8 .lLlxc6 bxc6 9 .e3 (little is promised by 9.tt'la4 ii'le4 1 0 .a3 c5 1 1 .f3 'i'a5 +) 9 . . . �d6 l o .ihd6 'ii'xd6 1 1 .�d3 0-0 1 2 .0-0 c5 1 3 .dxc5 'il'xc5 1 4.'i'c2 �d7

Chapter 1 : The Exchange 5 .cxd5

1 5 .'!::!'fc l Rfc8 1 6 .'iVe2 'i'b 6=, and Black's chances are in no way worse, Nedela-Dobrovolsky, Czech Republic 1 99 3 . B ...

B 1 ) The endgame after 9.

1 0.4.:!xe4

1 O .�d3 ttJxc3 l 1 .bxc3 �d7 1 2 . 0-0 �c6 1 3 .�c2 h6 followed by . . . 'il'a5 , . . . �c5 , . . . 0 -0-0 ) 1 0 ...

1 2. 0-0-0+ IS fully defensible for Black, for example 1 2 . . .�d7 (also possible is 1 2 . . . 'it>e8 1 3 . .!::!.d4 b5 1 4 . .llxe4 �c5 1 5 .�g3 h5 followed by . . . �b7) 1 3 .nd4 (also seen here is 1 3 .Wb l Wc7 1 4.�e2 �e7 1 5 . .!::!.d4 �c6 1 6.l:kl Wb6 1 7 .�h5 g6 1 8 .�d l l:lhd8 . This position is equal. A couple of careless moves followed and already the advantage went to Black: 1 9 .�c2 g5 2 0 .�g3 h5 2 1 h3 l:ixci4+ , Coppini -N a umkin, Toscolano 1 99 5 ) 1 3 . . . l:I.c8+ 1 4.Wb l �c5 1 5 J:txe4 b5 1 6 .�g3 �c6 1 7 . .llg4 h5 1 8 .�h4+ (thanks to this check, White can retain the rook but he cannot count on any advantage - the difference in development and piece activity is too great. Note, for example, that 1 8 . l:tx g 7 ? loses to 1 8 . . . �e4+ 1 9 .Wa l �f8+) 18 . . . W e8 1 9 . .!::!.f4 l:lg8 2 0 .�g5 �e7 2 1 .�xe7 Wxe7 22 .l:ld4 llgd8 B . l:lxd8 llxd8 24.<t>c l

3 7


ndS=. Black's chances are at least no worse.

B2) 9.�xe5 �e7 Black also has another plan - he can transfer his bishop to c6 and drive the enemy bishop from eS : 9 . . . �d7 1 0 .�d3 �c6 1 1 .�f3 tOd7 1 2 .�g3=, Hodgson-SadJer, Ischia 1 99 6 . 1 0.�d3 The assessment is not changed by 1 0 .'iYb3 bS 1 1 .�d3 0-0 1 2 .0-0 �d7 1 3 .a4 b4 14 . .itxf6 gxf6 I S .tOe2 fs 1 6 .aS �d6=, Khalifman-M. Gurevich, Reggio Emilia 1 9 9 1 1 9 2 . 10 ..

12.

1 4 .�g3 �h4 l S .�e2 �xg 3 = (Zagorskis-M. Gurevich, Bad Godesberg 1 99 6 ) . 12 ..

15 .a3 tLJe4 1 S.r!

1 8J:tfc1 tlxc3= (Ziiger-Gavrikov, Bern 1 99 2 ) .

Now for the main line after 6 . . / b c 6 . 7. e2-e3 .\tc8-g4

A) Now, scarcely dangerous for Black is B.h3, since in many lines he voluntarily exchanges on f3 , and sets up a solid barricade on the light squares: 8 ...

eS Active play on the queenside is out of place here: 9 .. . Wfb6 ! ? 1 0 . ,gb l e6 1 1 .�d3 lbb4 1 2.. � e 2 tOc2+ ( 1 2 . . .�d6;t) 1 3 .�d2 tiJb4 1 4.,ghc l ± . 1 0.il.d3

and now:

3 8

A I ) The shortest path to equality is 1 1 .�xdS

A2) 1 1 .0-0 0-0 (fully possible is 1 1 . . .�xf4 1 2 .'iYxf4 0-0 1 3 .,gac l :Sc8 1 4 .,gfd 1 'iYe7 l S .e4 dxe4 1 6 .�xe4 tOxe4 and Black has equalised, AgamalievShabanov, Moscow 1 9 9 1 ) 1 2 .,gacl (also not dangerous is 1 2 .�gS tOb4 1 3 .�b 1 �e7 1 4 .a3 tiJc6 l S .�e2 tOe8 1 6 .�d3 fs 1 7 .�f4 tOd6 1 8 .�a2 :C:c8 1 9 .,gac 1 tiJe4 20 .tOa4 'iYaS 2 1 .tOc3 lbxc3 2 2 .�xc3 'iYxc3 2 3 . lhc3 with equality, Kamsky-Gelfand, Tilburg rapid 1 9 92) 1 2 . . .,gc8 .

In this symmetrical position, the chances of the two sides are approximately equaL The following game underlined this assessment : 1 3 .�gS h6 1 4.�h4 �e7 I S .�b l tOe8 1 6 .�g3 tOd6 1 7 .11fd 1 fs 1 8 .4Ja4 tOe4 1 9 .�xe4 dxe4 20 .'ile2 tOb4 2 1 .tOcS �xcS 2 2 .dxcS with equality, Lopatin-Shabanov, St Petersburg 1 99 8 . A3) 1 1 .�g5 h 6 1 2 .�h4 (or 1 2 .�xf6

'ilxf6 1 3 .ihf6 gxf6 1 4 . .ll c l �e7 I S .�e2 = , Abramovic-Akopian , Biel 1 993 ) 1 2 . . . �e7 1 3 . 0-0 0-0 1 4.'fie2 ,gc8 l S .,gacl lbe4 1 6 .�xe7 4Jxc3 1 7 .bxc3 'iYxe7 1 8 .c4 dxc4 1 9 .�xc4 bS 20 .�d3 lbb4= Naumkin-Conquest , Palma de Mallorca 1 9 8 9 .

B) The line B.�d3

1 0 .j,xd6 �xd6 1 1 .h3 il.xf3 1 2 .�xf3= is extremely peaceful. C) The complications after B.l:!:c1 are in

teresting, but not very favourable for White. B . . . e6 Black has another, sufficiently reliable path to equality - 8 . . . �xf3 9 .�xf3 e6 1 0 .i.d3 i.d6 1 1 . 0-0 i.xf4 1 2 .�xf4 0-0 1 3 .tLla4 Mc8 , Geller-Smyslov, Elista 1 9 9 5 . 9.�b3 �xf3 1 0.gxf3

does not work because of 1 0 . . . tLla5 . 10 .. .

1 0 . . . tLla5 1 1 .�a4+ b5 1 2 .tLlxb 5 +- . 1 1..�.d3 In reply to 1 1 . M g 1 Black can simply continue developing, leaving the g7 -pawn under attack : 1 1 . . . i.e 7 ! 1 2 . .!::!.xg7 ! ? tLlh5 1 3 . .llg4 f5 +. 1 1 ...�d6

Also not bad is 1 1 . . . i.e7 , intending . . . ttJh5 and . . . f5 . 1 2 .�xd6

1 4/2Ja4 'it>hB.

Black has good counterchances. In the following game, he even managed to obtain some advantage:

1 5 .'iYb6 tLld7 1 6 .�b3 .llg8 1 7 .tLlc5 tLlxc5 1 8 .l:lxc5 g5 1 9 fxg5 .!::!.xg5 20 . f4 Sg7 2 1 .<;tJf1 �f8 22 .Sg 1 .!::!.xg 1 + 23 .\t>xg l 'i'g7 + 24.\t>f2 ga8=+' Lasanta Rica-Magem Badals, Zaragoza Open 1 994.

Back to the main line after 7 . . . il.g4.

Chapter 1 : The Exchange S . cxdS

B. �f1 -e2 e7-eS

9. 0-0

If 9 .�b3 i.xf3 1 0 .gxf3 ( 1 0 .i.xf3 tLla5) , Black maintains equality with 1 0 . . . Sa7 .

9. ... �fB-e7

9 . . . �d6 1 0 .�xd6 �xd6 l 1 .tLle l �xe2 1 2 . � xe 2 = Miles-Smyslov, Amsterdam 1 9 8 1 .

1 0. .!::!.a1 -c1

Or 1 0 .h3 �h5 1 1 .Sc l 0-0 1 2 ,tbe5 �xe2 1 3 .�xe2 tLlxe5=.

1 0. ... 0-0

1 1 . a2-a3

Only equality results also from 1 1 .tLle5 i.xe2 1 2 .�xe2 tLlxe5 1 3 .i.xe5 tLld7 14 .�g3 �a5 1 5 .a3 gfc8 and . . . b5 .

1 1 . ... .llaB-cB

1 2. <1:Jc3-a4

If 1 2 . b4 tLle8 followed by . . . i.d6 . 1 2 . ... <1:J fS-e4

1 3. b2-b4 �e7-dS

14. �f4xdS <1:Je4xdS

1 5. <1:Ja4-c5 �g4xf3

1 S. �e2xf3 as-a5

1 7. 'i'd1 -b3 b7-bS

1 B. <1:Jc5-d3 <1:JdS-c4

1 9. .!::!.f1 -d1 a5xb4

20. a3xb4 �dB-dS=

Black follows up WIth . . . .!::!.a8 .

A position from my oid notebook. Black has occupied the weak square c4, whilst the modest pawn on b6 stops White's

3 9


knight from occupying the analogous square on c5 .

Conclusion

The Exchange Variation of the Slav is employed by White in two circumstances: when he wants to draw, and when he is confident in his technique (Ponomariev, Morozevich) . In the first case, the variation with . . . a6 is not so bad, since the symmetry is broken, and Black has chances to play for a win. When it comes

40

to playing against super-grandmasters, firsdy, one does not meet them so often, and secondly, the basic defensive ideas are well-known, so things are not easy for White either. It seems to me personally that White's most promising continuation is 7 Jlc l , after which Black should either play his knight to e4, followed by 9 . . . �f5, or play the bishop to f5 immediately. The variation with 7 . . . .:.tg4 is experiencing difficulties at the present time.

Chapter 2

The Cunning S.h3

1 .d2-d4 d7-dS 2.c2 -c4 c7-c6 3.<1:Jg1 -f3 <1:Jg8-f6 4.<1:Jb1 -c3 a7-a6 S.h2-h3

5.h3 ! ? is a cunning move, in the spirit of the Chebanenko school. I first faced it in the decisive game of the 1997 New York Open, against Zviagintsev. White makes a useful move and invites Black to reveal his plans .

• • •

First we examine Black's minor alternatives. These do not allow Black to equalise : A) 5 ..

A I ) 6.exdS exdS 7�f4 This is the most attractive point of the move S .h3 . In normal lines where Black plays . . . b7 -bS , such as S .e3 , for example, this bishop ends up on the much worse square c l . 7 ... e6 8.e3

.ib 7 I wasn't very happy a bout exchanging the dark-squared bishops : 8 . . . ii.d6 9 . .ixd6 'iVxd6 1 O.ttJeS;l;) 9.�d3 it.e7

10.0-0 0-0 1 1 .a4! A standard idea) 1Lb4 1 2.1iJb1 is as , from where it takes under control the two important squares b3 and c4. 13.ttJbd2

tage for White, Zviagintsev-Bologan, New York 1 99 7 ;

A2) 6.eS! It is in precisely this variation that the full potential of the move h3 is revealed. 6 ...

the move h2-h3 . The bishop, which appears to have found an active position, now comes under attack. 7 ..

8 .ii.g2 tbe4 9 .tbeS tbxc3 1 0 .bxc3 �. 8.it.g2 it.xf3, and here. as my friend and fellow Chebanenko pupil Doru Rogozenko quite correctly noted, White should recapture with the piece: 9.jo,xf3 (instead of 9 .exf3 e6 1 0 . f4 g6 I US exfS 1 2 .gxfS ii.g7 1 3 .ii.e3 0-0 , P.H.Nielsen-Rogozenko, Germany Bundesliga 2000/0 1 ) 9 ..

4 1

The Chebanenko Slav AccordIng to Bologan

cxdS 1 2 .�xdS 1la7 1 3 . c 6 �b4+ 1 4 .�f1 t (Rogozenko) B) 5 ...

Queen's Gambit Accepted, where White has an extra tempo (Black has played cS in two moves instead of one) in the form of the move h3 . Play may continue: S.

7.

1 0 .dxcS 0-0 1 1 .e4 hcs 1 2 .eS tDd7 1 3 .�f4 �e7 1 4.'ill!'e2± Ivanisevic-Sedlak, Mataruska Banja tt 2007 ) 10.exd4

1 1 .J:l:e1

14.'I1\IIb3

A. Braun-Le Quang bern, Budapest 2006 .

Now for the main move. 5. .. . e7-e6

The most solid and also the most popular. Black argues that in a Meran structure, the move . . . a6 will be more useful than the move h3 . A) S.e3?! One of the ideas of the move

h2-h3 was to lengthen the diagonal h2-bS for the c1 bishop. After e3 , one can legitimately ask why White bothered . . . S ...

in his commentary in Chess Informant 1 0 0 , considers that White obtains the advantage after S . a4 cS 9 .hc4 b6 1 0 .dS exdS I 1 .tDxdS �b7 1 2 .e4 tDxdS 1 3 .exdS �d6 1 4 .0-0 0-0 I S .1le 1 , but if we make a couple more natural moves like

42

l S . . . <1Jf6 1 6 .�gS h6 1 7 .�h4, then after 1 7 . . . bS ( 1 7 . . . gS ? ! l S . <1JxgS hxgS 1 9 .�xgS �g7 20 .�fS with a dangerous attack for White) the position takes on a forcing character, which does not allow White to increase his advantage quietly: l S .axbS axbS 1 9 .�xbS 1lxa 1 20 .a.xal �xdS 2 1 .fi.d 1 �xf3 22 gxf3 'ill!' e7=. 8 ... b5 9.�d3 c5 1 0.a4 b4 1 1.QJe4 i.b7

1 2.QJxfS+

15.0-0 0-0 1 S.�

(Ivanisevic-Roiz, Valj evo 200 7 ) . B ) S.

the move h2-h3 will prove all that useful in the Exchange Variation. However, it does not spoil anything, and -as my game with Zviagintsev showed, it is too early for Black to relax. After S ...

tDxc3 9 .bxc3 tDc6 1 0 .�d3 �d6 1 1 .�xd6 �xd6 , draw, Henrichs-Kritz, Osterburg 2 0 0 6 ; 7 . . . tDc6 S .e3 �d6 9 .�d3 0-0 1 0 .0-0 bS 1 1 .11c1 �b7 1 2 .�b 1 fi.cs 1 3 .'iYe2 1lc7 1 4.:t:I.fd l �xf4 l S .exf4 iVd6 l 6 .'iYe3 :t:I.fcs 1 7 .<1JeS , draw, Timman-Laznicka, Carlsbad 2007 . 8.�xdS 'I1\IIxdS 9.e3 QJcS 1 0.�d3 �d7!

1 1 .0-0

6. c4-c5

7. c5xb6

b7-b6

ttJb8-d7

7 . . . 'iYxb6? S .<1Ja4 �b4+ 9 .�d2 'i!aS 1 0 .a3 hd2+ 1 1 .<1Jxd2± (Rogozenko) .

8. g2-g3

The bishop could also be developed to d3 , but this would not change the character of the struggle. Black WIll advance . . . c6-cS , and White will try to use his development lead to develop an initIative on the queenside: A) 8.e3 �xb6 9 .�d3 cS 1 0 .0-0 �e7

1 1 .<iJa4 VJHa7 1 2 .dxcS ttJxcS 1 3 .ttJxcS �xcS 1 4.b3 0-0 1 S .�b2 �d7 1 6 .ttJeS .tbS 1 7 .11el VJHb6 1 8 .�xb5 axb5 = (Stocek-Movsesian , Czech Republic tt 2003 /04) ; B) 8.�f4 ttJxb6 9 .e3 cS 1 O .ttJeS �b7

1 1 ..td3 �e7 1 2 .dxcS �xcS 1 3 .ttJa4 i,d6 1 4.�3 ttJxa4 I S .�xa4+ We7 1 6 .11el ncB 17 .0-0 �b6 1 8 .11c3 llxc3 1 9 .bxc3 �c7 20 .11b 1 (Bauer-Yakovenko, Pamplona 2006) 20 . . . 11b8 2 1 .�d4 ttJhS 22 . .th2 f6 B .ttJg6+ ! hxg6 24.�xd6+ �xd6 2S .�xg6 �c6 26Jhb8 �xb8 27 . .txhS �b l + 2 8 .�h2 �xa2 with good chances of a draw.

a ... 'tifd8xb6

8 . . .ttJxb6 9 .�g2 cS 1 0 .0-0 �e7 l 1 .b3;1; . 9. �f1 -g2 c6-c5

1 0. 0-0 �f8-d6

1 1 . l::ta1-b1 c5xd4

1 1 . . . 0 -0 1 2 .ttJa4 �b5 1 3 .b 3 llb8 (13 . . . i.b7 1 4 .dxcS ttJxcS 1 S .ttJd4 'ife8;1; followed by . . . 'if e 7, Rogozenko) 14 .�a3 �e4 (Knaak-Rogozenko, Germany Bundesliga 1 996 /9 7 ) 1 S .dxcS ttJdxcS 1 6.<iJd4 �d7 1 7 .ttJxcS ttJxcS 1 8 .'iVc2

Chapter 2: The Cunning S .h3

ttJe4 1 9 .�xe4 dxe4 20 .�xd6 'iYxd6 2 1 .1Hd 1 �b7 22 .ttJfS;1; .

1 2 . QJf3xd4 0-0

1 3 . QJc3-a4

1 3 .�e3 �b7 14.ttJa4 ttJeS I s .11e l �d7= . 1 3. 'i¥b6-b8

14. �c1 -e3

1 5. llb1 -c1

a6-a5

�c8-a6=

Without doubt, the position is fresh, and with a board full of pieces, there is much of interest to be found for both sides. But all the same, the chances are about equaL White has active pieces , Black the pawn centre.

Conclusion

This line with h2-h3 is not without its sense for White. Sometimes he simply wishes to play chess , avoiding all theory and sharp lines. Black should certainly not allow his attention to slacken, but should concentrate on IDS main task, namely equaliSing accurately.

43

Chapter 3

The Uncommon 5.iVc2

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lb.b1 -c3 tUg8-f6 4.tUg1 -f3 a7-a6 5.'lWd 1 -c2

5.Wc2 is a rare move, which can be recommended to those who do not like 'memory contests', and prefer to fight over the board. But, as usual in such situations, if White wishes to play this way himself, he must also allow his opponent to do so. Therefore Black hils many reasonable continuations and may choose in which direction to direct play .

• • •

A) The sharpest play arises after 1 1 . 0-0 'iVb6 1 2 .Mad l tLld7 1 3 .dS i1LeS 5 ... dxc4.

6.e4 6 .a4 is not dangerous for Black after 6 . . . i1Lg4 (also possible is 6 . . . e6 7 .i1LgS 'iVaS 8 . e4 bS 9 .�xf6 gxf6 1 0 .i1Le2 i1Lb7

44

1 4.b3 exdS (worse is 1 4 . . . exb3 l S .'iVxb3 rJ;;e7 1 6 .dxe6 fxe6 1 7 . eS !± KorobovKobalia, Amman tt 2006) l S . exdS b4 1 6 .dxe6 fxe6 1 7 . tLle4 cx b3 1 8 . 'iY c4 i1Ld5 1 9 .J:lxdS exdS 20 .'iYxdSGG) 7 . e3 tLlbd7 (White has a small advantage after 7 . . . �3 8 . gxf3 e6 9 .be4 cS 1 0 .dxe5 �xeS 1 1 .l:lg 1 0-0 1 2 .�d2 'iYe7 1 3 .lOe4 �e7 1 4 .�e3 tLlbd7 l S .0-0-0�) 8 .i1Lxe4 e6 9 .tLleS tLlxeS 1 0 .dxeS tLld7 1 I .f4 'iYh4+ 1 2 .'iYf2 ifxf2+ 1 3 .\t>xf2 0-0-000. In the ending, Black has fully adequate play 6 ... b5

We will examine several options for White :

AI ) 7.eS tLld5 8 .tLl e4 �f5 9 .t21d6+ exd6 1 0 .'ifxf5 dxe5 1 L � g 5 �b4+ 1 2 .<J,(d l f6+; A2) 7.a4 .lll.b7 Practice has also seen

7 . . . e6 ! ? 8 . axb5 (8 .kg5 �b7 9 .�e2 tLlbd7 1 0 .0-0 draw, Shinkevich-Akimov, Ufa 2004) 8 . . . cxb5 9 . e5 tLld5 1 0 /uxb5 axb5 ! 1 1 .J:1.xa8 �b7 VVlth more than enough compensation, 5 th match game Gelfand-Bacrot, Albert 2 002 . S.eS ttJdS

9.e6 fxe6 The 'bone' cannot be left on e6 : 9 .. .f6 1 0 .tLle4 g 6 l 1 .tLlc5 �c8 1 2 .axb5 cxb5 V Kiselev-Vysochin , Lugansk 2 0 0 7 ; 1 3 . .ixc4 bxc4 1 4.'ifa4+ tLld7 1 5 .�d2 fie7 1 6 .�a5 'il'd6 1 7 .tLld2±. 1 0.ttJe4

1 0 . .ie2 ct:Jd7 1 1 .0 -0 ct:J7f6 1 2 .t!.e l� . 1 0 ... e5 1 1 .ttJcS .lll.cS 12 . .lll.e2 1 2 .axb5 cxb5 ; 1 2 .tLlxe5 tLlM 1 3 .iI'd2 �xd4 1 4.'iixd4 tL!cH. 12 ... exd4 13 .ttJxd4 �d6 14.ttJe4

'i"e5 (Bareev-Kir. Georgiev, Halkidiki 2002) 1S . .lll.e3 ttJxe3 16 .fxe3 g6 1 7.ttJf3

'fic7 1S:iVc3 ttgS 1 9.0-0 .lll.g7 20.ttJd4oo.

A3) 7 . .lll.e2

7 ... e6 The move 7 . . . �g4 has almost never been met in practice. In some games played more than 20 years ago, White seized the initiative: 8.a4 (less dangerous for Black is 8 . .ie3 e6 9 .0-0 �M 1 0 .J:1.ad l 0-0 I l .h3 (l l .tzJe5 Le2 1 2 /uxe2 'il' c7 1 3 .b3 cxb3 14.axb3 as +) 1 1 . . . �5 1 2 .g4 Lc3 1 3 .gxh5 �b4 1 4.tLle5 Piket-Hodgson,

Chapter 3 : The Uncommon 5.�c2

Netherlands tt 1 996/97 ; 14 .. . 1Wc7 00) 8 . . . tLlbd7 (also deserving of attention is 8 . . . e6 9.axb5 cxb5 1 0 .ttJxb5 tLlc6 1 1 1Wa4 l/i'd7 1 2.tLle5) 9.e5 tLld5 1 0 .axb5 axb5 1 1 .t!.xa8 �xa8 1 2 .tLlg5 tLlb4 1 3 .iYe4 f5 1 4.�f4 t , Ehlvest-Dreev, Lvov 1 9 8 5 . S.O-O Neither 8 . a4 �b7 9 .e5 tLld5 1 0 /ug5 ttJb4 1 1 .�e4 �xd4+, nor 8.e5 ttJd5 9 .lue4 tLld7 1 0 .tLlfg5 h6 1 1 .ttJf3 c5 1 2 .b3 ttJb4 1 3 .�b l cxb3+ UtnasunovVolkov, Elista 2 0 0 0 , work out very well for White. S ... .lll.e7 9.b3 cxb3 (9 . . . M 1 0 .ttJd l c3 I I . a3) 1 0.axb3 �b7

( 1 0 . . . ttJbd7 l 1 .e5 ttJd5 1 2 .ttJxd5 cxd5 1 3 .�xb5;!;) 1 1 .eS ttJdS 1 2.ttJe4 ttJd7

13 .�a3�. White has good compensation for the sacrificed pawn , although he can scarcely count on a real advantage.

B) S ... g6

Chess is not just a game of pawns! Black's position IS very solid, but rather passive.

6.�gS White also has another reliable route to a small, but long-lasting advantage· 6 .cxd5 cxd5 (6 . . . ttJxd5 does not solve all the problems either: 7 .e4 ttJxc3 8 .bxc3 �g7 9 .�e3 0-0 1 0 .�e2 c5 l 1 .d5 �a5 1 2 . 0 - 0 �g4 1 3 .lhb l �c7 1 4.h3 �xf3 1 5 .�xf3 ttJd7 1 6 .�e2;!; Cs. Horvath-Krutti, Hungary tt 2002/03 ) 7 .�g5 ttJc6 8.�xf6 exf6 9 . e3 (or 9 .g3

45

The Chelxmenko Slav According to Bologan

i.b4 1 0 .�g2 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 ne8 1 2 .e3 �fS 1 3 .'i'b3 �xc3 1 4 .'i'xc3 �e4 I S JUcl 'iYb6 1 6 .l2:ld2 �xg2 1 7 .'Jfxg2 llad8 1 8 .lLlb3 ;!; Ivanchuk-Nikolic . Monaco (rapid) 1 995) 9 . . . £.e6 1 0 .£Le2 iLd6 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2 .nfc l nc8 1 3 .�d l 'il!e7 ( 1 3 . . . bS 1 4 .l2:le l l2:le7 I S .l2:ld3) 1 4.tt=Je l nfd8 I S .�f3 �b8 1 6 .lLld3;!;. Ivanchuk-Speelman. New York 1 99 5 . 6 ... dxe4 After the incautious 6 . . . £Lg7? Black loses a pawn: 7 .ihf6 £Lxf6 8 .cxdS cxdS 9 .ttJxdS . 7.a4 The alternative is 7 .e4. for example: 7 . . . bS 8 .a4 �b7 (8 . . . b4 9 .�xf6 exf6 1 0 .lLld l ) 9 .eS h6 (9 . . . l2:ldS 1 0 .lLle4 'il!c7 (1 0 . . . £Lg7 loses to 1 1 .l2:ld6++-) I l .b3 cxb3 1 2 :tWxb3�) 1 0 .£.d2 lLldS l 1 .e6 ( l 1 .lLle4� ; 1 1..� e2� with the idea of 1 1 . . . £Lg7 1 2 . e 6 ! ) I L .�g7 ( 1 1 . . . fS 1 2 .�e2 ( 1 2 .b 3 ! ?) 1 2 . . . 'il!d6 1 3 . 0 - 0 £Lg7 1 4 .Mfe I 0 -0 1 S .lLleS 'iV xe6+ Zakharevich -Bryzgalin. Krasnodar 2003 ) 1 2 .exf7+ 'it'xf7 1 3 .h4 cS 1 4.hS cxd4 1 s :ihg6+ �8 1 6 .lLlxdS 'il!xdS 1 7 .axbS axbS 1 8 . Mxa8 £Lxa8 1 9 .Mh4- and White's attack is very dangerous. 7 ... ilg7 Or 7 . . . £Le6 8 .e4 lLlbd7 9 .as;!;) 8.e4 as 9 .. be4;t.

C) 5 ... e6?!

In this position . the move . . . a7 -a6 turns out to be a loss of tern po.

46

C 1 ) On 6.e5 Chebanenko considered the best response to be 6 . . . g6 (With the idea . . . £LfS and . . . lLle4) 7 . e4 dxe4 8 . lLlxe4 lLlxe4 (8 . . . £Lg7 9 .l2:lxf6+ £.xf6) 9 .ihe4 �g7 1 0 .£Le2 0-0 1 1 .'il!h4 eSoo; C2) The exchange 6.exd5 i n this ver

sion is not especially dangerous to Black:. 6 ... exd5

7.ilgS 7 .e4 dxe4 8 .lLlxe4 .�b7 9 .�d3; lLlc6 or 9 .lLlxf6+ gxf6°O Chebanenko. 7 ... iilb7 White has a small advantage after 7 . . . e6 8 . e3 (or 8 .�xf6 gxf6 9 .e3 �b7 1 0 .£.e2 l2:ld7 1 1 . 0 -0 Mc8 1 2 .'il!b3 I1c7 1 3 ,l'Hc l 'l:Wc8 1 4.'il!d l £.b4 I S .a4::t, Malinin-Karalkin . Novaya Ladoga 2006) 8 . . . £.e7 9 .£Ld3 l2:lbd7 1 0 . 0 -0 £Lb7 I I .a4 b4 1 2 .l2:lbl as 1 3 .lLlbd2 l:tc8 1 4.'il!dl lLle4 I S .£Lxe 7 rJ;;xe7 1 6 ,tt=Jb3::t , Bocharov-Burmakin. Nefteyugansk 2002 . 8.e3 tlJbd7 In the event of 8 . . . tLle4 9 .£Lf4 (9 .£.h4 lLld7 1 0 .£.d3 l!c8 1 1 . 0-0 lLlb6 1 2 .i!'b3 tLlxc3 1 3 .bxc3 'Vic7 l 4.nfcl e6) 9 . . . tLld7 1 0 .£Ld3 l!c8 1 1 . 0 -0 e6 1 2 :iVb3 tLlxc3 ( 1 2 . . . gS 1 3 .£.eS f6 1 4.£.g3 lLlxg3 I S .hxg3 £Ld6 1 6 .e4 b4 1 7 .z:rae I tLlb6 1 8 .eS fxeS 1 9 .dxeS �e7 2 0 .lLld4::t) 1 3 . bxc3 lLl b6 White has the unpleasant advance 14 . a4 ! . thanks to which he seizes the initiative. 9.Jld3 e6 1 0.0-0 Jle7

1 1 .l:!.ae1 0-0.

The chances are approximately equal;

C3) 6.e4! (also not bad is 6 . ..tg5, whilst in the event of 6 .e3 tLlbd7 7 .b3 �d6 play transposes into the Anti-Meran with �c2 , where the move . . . a7 -a6 is useful for Black) 6 . . . dxe4 7 .tLlxe4 tLlxe4 8 .1{irxe4 �b4+ 9 .�d2 �xd2 + 1 0. i2Jxd2 l2Jd7 1 L�e2 0-0 1 2 . 0-0 cS 1 3 .dxcS tLlxcs 14.'i'e3 ;!; (Sysoenko-Soldatov, Evpatoria 2006) .

Now for Black's main move in this line. 5. ... b7-b5

S. b2-b3 97-9S

A) Judging by the colour of the ink in my notebook, we came to this move some time later, first studying 6 ... tiJbd7,

but after 7 .e3 g6 8 .�d3 ! (8 .�e2 �g7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 .�b2 i2Jb6 l 1 .tLleS �fS 1 2 .�d3 hd3 1 3 .'iVxd3 1{irc8 1 4Jhc 1 '!lVb7 l S J:tc2 bxc4 1 6 .bxc4 i2Jfd7= Chebanenko) i t turned out that White is ready to maintain the tension in the centre, and this, in turn, leads to some problems for Black in developing his pieces : 8 . . . �g7 9 . 0 - 0 0 -0 1 0 .�b2 �b7 l 1 .lIfda (Chebanenko) ; B) Also unsatisfactory is 6 ... ..tg4 7 .i2JeS

.ie6 8.g3 1{irc8 9 .e4 i2Jbd7 1 0 .exdS cxdS 1 1 .cxbS tLlxeS 1 2 .dxeS i2Je4 1 3 .�b2 �fS

Chapter 3 : The Uncommon S .1{irc2

1 4 .bxa6 ± (Ksieski-Seifert , Porabka tt 1 9 86 ) ; C) White is also better after 6 ... e6 7 .e3

l2Jbd7 8.�d3 �e7 9 . 0-0 �b7 1 O .�b2 0-0 1 1.tI ad l .tIc8 1 2 .cS 1{irc7 1 3 .b4 g6 1 4.a4 eS 1 S .dxeS l2Jg4 1 6 .h3 l2JgxeS 1 7 .l2JxeS tLlxeS (1. Timoshenko-Shemeakin, Sevastopol 2000) 1 8 .axbS axbS 1 9 .e4!±.

7. e2-e4

7 .e3 �fS ; or 7 . cxdS cxdS 8 .�gS �S 9 . 1{irb 2 l2Je4 (Matveeva-Stefanova, Hyderabad 2 002) .

7. ... d5xe4

7 . . . bxc4 8 . eS (8 .bxc4) 8 . . . cxb3 9 .1{irxb3 (9 .axb3 ! ?) 9 . . . tLlhS 1 0 .ii,d3�.

8. tLlc3xe4 tLlfSxe4

9. 'iYc2xe4 �f8-97

1 0. 92-93 �c8-f5

1 1 . 'i'e4-e3 cS-c5=t=

Molander-Maidla, Tuusula 1 9 9 7 .

Conclusion

White can play this way, but he should not count on anything in particular. To put it bluntly, White 'walks into' the programmed advance . . . b S , which not only presents Black with a tempo or two, but in the long run , gives him grounds for playing on the queens ide.

47

Chapter 4

Pressure on Black's Pawns: 5. 'iYb3

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3/bg1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.�d1 -b3

S.�b3 is a fairly rare move, the idea of which is to pressurise the pawns on dS and b7, and thereby hinder B lack from developing his bishop from c8. Now Black has a choice of three continuations: 1. 5 . . . dxc4, 11. 5 . . . b5 and III. 5 . . . e6 .

• • •

By the way, if your opponent gets frightened and puts on b3 not his queen, but the pawn - S .b3 , then there is nothing to worry about, you simply follow Chebanenko's recommendation: 5 . . . �g4! and then . . . lLlbd7 .

I 5. ... d5xc41?

Playing by analogy with the Queen 's Gambit Accepted, Black wants to advance . . . b7-bS and . . . c6-cS , opening the long diagonal for his queen's bishop. The drawback of the plan is a slight loss of time, since the c-pawn takes two moves to reach cS .

6. �b3xc4

48

6. ... b7-b5

If Black changes his mind and brings the bishop out by another route with 6 ... �f5,

then White secures the advantage by developing his pieces Catalan-style: 7 . g3 ! e6 8 .�g2 lLlbd7 9 . 0- 0 cS (of course , he

does not want to enhance the sphere of influence of the bishop on g 2 , but otherwise Black's position remains cramped) 1 0 .dxc5 �xc5 1 1 .tLlh4:l:: , and Black faces a difficult defence.

7. 'il'c4-d3 e7-e6

8. e2-e4

Rybka also likes the plan with a fianchetto : 8 . g 3 ! ? c5 9 .�g2 �b7 1 0 .0-0 (Barsky) .

8. ... c6-c5

9. d4xc5

This exchange allows White to count on the better endgame, thanks to his superior development and the weakness of his opponent's queenside pawn structure. But White also has another, more aggressive plan: 9.e5 cxd4 10.ti'lxb5 axb5 1 1 .exf6 ii::c6

A) Now, in the variation 12.ViHe4 �d7 13 .�d2 gxf6 1 4 .�xb5 f5 1 5 .i¥f4 White has to give up the pawn on g2 , in order to safeguard his queen: 1 5 .. . 1:tg8 1 6 .h3 l:rxg2 1 7 . .ll cl .llc8 1 8 .a4 .llg6 1 9 .�d l i.h6 20 .'il'd6 �f8 . Both kings are under fire in the centre and Black, to avoid worse trouble, began to repeat moves : 2 l .'Ii'f4 �h6 2 2 .'iVd6 �f8 draw, Kortchnoi-Movsesian, Budapest 2 0 0 3 . B) 12.fxg7 kxg7 1 3 .�e2 e 5 14 .0-0

�e6 1 5 .'il'xbS 'iVd7 1 6 .tLlgS .llb8

Chapter 4: Pressure o n Blacks Pawns: S.�b3

1 7 .'iVc5 .liLf8 1 8 .'iVc2 kf5 1 9 .tLle4 �e7 20 .a3 0-0 (Tregubov-Gelashvili, Dubai 2002 ) 2 1 . M:l::. of course, Black dominates the centre, but his king is weak and White does after all have an extra pawn. Therefore White's prospects appear preferable.

Back to the main line.

9. ... �f8xc5

The loss of castling rights does not bother Black, and it is more important to bring lus pieces into play quickly and create counterplay, by taking aim at the f2 pawn. After the rather tame exchange of queens 9 . . . 'li'xd3 1 0 .�xd3 �xc5 White obtains a significant advantage in the ending, thanks to his extra tempo (his bishop has already come from fl to d3) : I I . eS ttJd5 1 2 .tLlxd5 exd5 1 3 .�f4 �e6 1 4.�e2 ! (in the endmg, the king should, as a rule, strive to take an active part in events, by remaining close to the epicentre of the action - proVIding, of course, that this activity does not involve increased risk! In the game Korotylev-Iliushin, Moscow 200 7 , after 1 4.Mcl ttJd7 1 5 .0-0 h6 1 6 .!k2 g5 1 7 .�g3 �e7 1 8 JHc l �b6 1 9 .h3 llhb8 2 0 .'\t>fl �d8 2 1 .tLld2 1:tc8 22 .tLlb3 Black could have equalised the chances , by exchanging both paIrs of rooks: 22 . . .Ihc2

49


13 .lhcl l:rc8) 1 4 . . .t2Jd7 I S .a4 b4 1 6 .11hc l We7 1 7 .jLgS + f6 1 8 .exf6+ gxf6 1 9 .jLe3 �e3 10 .Wxe3 Wd6 1 1 .ttJd4 ttJeS 1l .f4 ttJxd3 13 .a.c6+ Wd7 14.Wxd3 jLfS + lS .'it>dl jLe4 1 6 . Mxf6 jLxg l 17 .I!g l tr with a clear advantage for White, which he soon realIsed, IvanchukIliushin, Villarrobledo 100 7 . The following two examples show that the retreat 1 1 .. .t2Jf d7 is no better than 1 l . . .ttJdS : 1 2 .jLe4 a.a7 1 3 .0-0 (also good is 1 3 .jLf4 jLb4 1 4.a.cl .:tc7 I S .jLdl �c3 1 6 .J:!.xc3 J:'txc3 1 7 .jLxc3 ttJcS 1 8 .jLcl ttJa4 1 9 .jLxa4 bxa4 10 .Wel;l;; W Browne-Saeed Saeed, Taxco 1 985) 1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4.jLf4 jLe7 1 5 .llac l tLlcs 1 6 .�.b l Bd7 1 7 .jLgS f6 1 8 .exf6 gxf6 1 9 .jLe3 ttJd3 10 .Mcl;l;; (Agrest-Eriksson, Gothenburg 1006) 10 . . . ttJc6 1 1 .a3 ttJdeS 1l .tLlxeS ttJxeS 13 .jLal llc7 14.f4 ttJc4 1S .ttJa4;l;; .

1 0. e4-eS

Maybe White is promised more by 1 0 .'iixd8+ 'it>xd8 I I .jLd3 ttJbd7 1 2 .0 -0 jLb7 1 3 .eS tLldS 1 4.ttJe4 We7 l S .jLgS+ ( I S . a4 !?) I S . . . f6 1 6 .exf6+ gxf6 1 7 .jLh6 Wf7 1 8 .llae 1 - in this tense position, White retains a definite initiative, Tregubov-Gelfand, Sochi 1 0 0 5 .

1 0. ... ti.Jf6-g4

1 1 . �d3xd8+

The artificial 1 1 .'iYe4?! does not bring anything good: 1 1 . . . ttJxfl 1 1 .'iYxa8 'iYb6 J 3 .ttJe4 ttJxh 1 1 4 .ttJxcs 'iYxcS=F.

1 1 . ... �e8xd8

1 2 . ii.c1 -gS+ �d8-e8

1 3 . ii.gS-h4

Too fanciful is 1 3. ttJe4 jL b4+ 1 4 'It>e 1 jLb7 1 S .lld l jLdS =F.

13. ... ti.Jb8-d7

14. ii.h4-g3

1 S. ii.f1 -e2

1 6 . 0-0

s o

ii.c8-b7

lla8-b8

ii.b7xf3

1 7. g2xf3 tUg4xeS

1 8. a2-a4°o

White has definite compensation for the sacrificed pawn , but no more, Khalifman-Stefanova , Drammen 1004.

II

S. ... b7-bS

6. c4-cS

The most principled move and the most unpleasant for Black. In the event of the exchange on dS , Black manages to achieve sufficient counterplay, with the help of several cunning tactical ideas:

6.cxd5 cxd5 7.a4 bxa4 8.lLixa4 lLic6 If 8 . . . ttJbd7 9 .jLf4 e6 1 0 .llc l 'li'a5+ I l .tLlc3 jLe7 1 2 .h3 0-0 1 3 .e3 Ih7 1 4 .jLd3 a.b 7 I S .'iYcl llb4 White's chances are better Kahn-Dolgener, Buda pest 1 99 S . 9.il.f4 Approximate equality results from 9 .'i¥c3 jLd7 1 0 .ttJcS e6

1 1 ..Ill.d2 tLle4 1 2 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLle5 1ll'b6 1 4.tLlxc6 �xc6 1 5 . e3 . 9 . . . e6 10.l:tc1 �b4+ 1 1 .'>t>d1 If White wishes to achieve something in this life, he has to be ready to get his hands dirty. After 1 1 .4Jc3 .i.d6 Black achieves equality without great trouble. 1 1 ... �d6 12 . .txd6 �xd6.

The critical position, the assessment of which only practice can show. For now, we would draw the reader's attention to a brief analysis by grandmaster Victor Komliakov: A) 13.'iYb6 Risky, but possible. 1 3 . . . Ad7

1 4.tLle5 .t!.b8 (the complications after 1 4 .. . 4:le4 turn out in White's favour: 1 5 .tbxd7 tLlxf2 + 1 6. �e 1 tLlxh 1 1 7 jhc6 �xd7 1 8 .tLlc5 'iYd8 1 9 .:lxe6+ �f8 20 .�xd8 + l:!.xd8 2 1 .l:!.e3;l;) 1 5 .'iYxa6 tbe4 1 6 .tLlc5 tLlxe5 1 7 .'ihd6 tLlxd6 1 8 .dxe5 4:lc4 1 9 .e4 tLlxe5 20 . exd5 l::(xb2 2 1 .dxe6 fxe6 22 .Ae2 Ac6+ . The activity of Black's pieces should not be underestimated. White must play very accurately, in order not to fall into an unpleasant position. B) The line 13 .lt:Jc5 <1:Je4 1 4.�e l l::(b8

l S .'i'a3 tLlxc5 1 6 .dxc5 'iYe7+ is prospectless for White. C) 13.e3 <1:Je4 1 4.<1:Jb6 :b8 l S .<1:Jxc8

l:txc8 1 6 .Axa6 llc7 1 7 .l:!.f1 00. Wlllte has

Chapter 4: Pressure on Black's Pawn�: 5.'iYb3

riously exposed. If it were not for the computer, one would hardly recommend going in for this position (Komliakov) .

S . .. , as-a5

Black defends against the unpleasant advance a2 -a 4 and at the same time seizes space on the queenside.

7. 4:lf3-e5 a5-a4

S. �b3-c2 �dS-a5

9. j>.c1 -d2 b5-b4

1 0. 4:lc3-d 1

1 0 .tLlb I ! ?;t. 1 0. ttJfS-e4

1 1 . a2-a3 4:le4xd2

1 2. 'liUc2xd2

1 2 .axM 'iYxM 1 3 .'iYxd2;t. 1 2. b4-b3

1 3. ttJd1 -c3 f7-fS

1 4. ttJe5-d3 j>.cS-f5

The immediate 1 4 . . . e5 ! ? deserves attention. 1 5 . ttJd3-b4

By 'fastening on' to the pawn at c6 , White prevents his opponent complenng the development of his queenside normally.

1 5. e7-e5

1 S . d4xe5 j>JSxc5 1 7. e5xfS 0-0

1 S. fSxg7 l::(fS-f7

1 9. e2-e3 Ac5xb4

20. a3xb4 �a5xb4

21 . l::(a1 -a3±

won a pawn, of course, but his kmg is se- Khenkin-Leszczynski, Copenhagen 2007 .

5 1


III

5. . . . e7-e6

of course, Black does not like to shut in hlS bishop on c8 , but he can afford to accommodate his opponent to some extent. By playing S .'/i'b3 , White wanted to force the move S . . . e6 . Excellent, job done. But now what? The queen is far from ideally placed on b3 .

A) 6 .cxd5 is a solid, but not very ambitious move. The black knight on b8 now obtains a convenient square on c6 , and in general. White reveals his cards rather early : 6. ,.cxd5 7.�g5 Little is promised by 7 .M4 iie7 8 .e3 0-0 9 .h3 bS 1 0 .iid3 tLlc6 1 1 . 0 - 0 iib7 1 2 .Mfc l Mc8 1 3 .tLleS tLlaS 1 4 .iVdl tLlc4, draw, Marj anovic-Simic, Nis tt 1 9 94. 7 ... t2lc6

Also not bad is 7 . . . iie7 , for example: 8 . e3 h6 9 .iixf6 iixf6 1 0 .iid3 tLlc6 1 1 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 2 .Mac l tLlaS 1 3 .'/Wd l bS 1 4 .tLle2 tLlc4 I s .iib l iib 7 1 6 . tLlf4 'Jj!Je7 (also possible is 1 6 . . . g 6 ! ? , but in this case, Black must constantly worry about possible tactical blows on g6 and e6) 1 7 . b3 tLld6 1 8 .tLleS l:!.fc8 1 9 .'Jj!Jd2 tLle4 20 .'Jj!Jd3 'Jj!Ja3 ! (not 20 . . . Mxc l 2 1 .Mxc l Mc8 2 2 . Mxc8+ with advantage for White, Piket-Shirov, Aruba 1 9 9 5 ) 2 1 .tLle2 iid8 2 2 .f3 tLlf6 =F . 8.e3 i.e7

9.�d3 b5 1 0.0-0 �b7 and now :

S 2

A I ) The advance 1 1 .a4 seems logical: 1 1 . . . tLlaS 1 2 .'/Wdl b4 1 3 .tLlb l h6 1 4 .iixf6 iixf6 I S .tLlbd2 0-0 (deserving of attention is I S . . . '/Wd6 1 ? 1 6 .l:!.cl 0-0 1 7 .l:!.cS tLlc6 1 8 . tLlb3 eS 1 9 .dxeS tLlxe5 20 .<1'lfd4 Mfc8 2 1 .Mxc8+ Mxc8 , and Black hardly risks losrng this position) 1 6 .tLlb3 tLlxb3 1 7 .'Jj!Jxb3 'Jj!JaS 1 8 .eLJd2 ! ? eS (after 1 8 . . . Mfc8 1 9 .Mfc l Mxc l + 2 0 . .J:hc l Mc8 2 1 .Mxc8+ iixc8 22 .Wic2 iid7 2 3 .b3 �b6 24.tLlf3 the position is close to equality) 1 9 .'/Wd l ;t, BacrotZichichi , Biel 1 99 S ;

A2) 1 1 .1:rac1 l:!.c8 1 2 .'/Wdl 0-0 13 .'i!'e2 (of course, on e2 the queen is better placed than on b 3 , but this manoeuvre has cost White two tempi) 1 3 . . . tLla5 1 4 .tLleS tLle4 l S .iixe7 'Jj!Jxe7 1 6 .'8b l f6 1 7 .tLlf3 tLlc4 1 8 .b3 tLlcd6= WojtaszekGrabarczyk, Warsaw 2 0 0 S ;

A 3 ) 1 1 .l:tfc1 tLlaS ! ? (Black needs to proceed very accurately, in order to neutralize his opponent's initiative on the queenside. Thus, the careless 1 1 . . . 0-0 leads to problems : 1 2 .a4 b4 1 3 .tLlb l eLJd7 1 4.iixe7 'Jj!Jxe7 I S .tLlbd2 eS 1 6 . .sil.f5 e4 1 7 .tLle l tLla5 1 8 .'/Wdl tLlb6 1 9 .1:(cS l2lac4

2 0 .aS tLlxb2 2 1 .'iYb3 (even stronger is 2 1 .'iYc2 tLl6c4 22 .iixe4 dxe4 23 Jt:lxc4 tLlxc4 24.'/Wxc4±) 2 1 . . .tLl6c4 22 .tLlxc4 tLlxc4 2 3 .'/Wxb4;t Bareev-Smrov. Tilburg 1 99 3 ) 1 2 .'i'd l tLlc4 1 3 .1i'e2 h6. This

critical position needs further testing. In my opinion, Black's chances are in no way worse.

B) 6 .g3

6 ... dxc4 7.'li'xc4 b5 8.'MVd3 Prospectless is 8 .�b3 c5 9 .dxc5 �xc5, for example: 1 0 .�g2 0-0 (also not bad is 1 0 . . . �b6 ! ? 1 1 . 0-0 il.b7 1 2 .�f4 tbbd7) I l .ttJe5 I:!.a7 1 2 .tLJd3 �d4 1 3 .a4 �b7 1 4.�xb7 I:!.xb7 1 5 .axb5 axb5 1 6 . 0 - 0 �b6 (or 1 6 .. .tiJc6 ! ? 1 7 .I:!.dl �b6) 1 7 .�g5 tbbd7 18 . .1xf6 tLJxf6 1 9 .tbM �c5 2 0 .e3 , draw, G. Horvath-Vegh, Hungary tt 1 99 3 /94 . S ... CS 9.�g2 �b7 1 0.0-0

10 ... lIJbd7 A more active development of the knight is also possible: 1 0 . ..t2Jc6!?

1 1 . J::[d 1 ( 1 1 .�e3 c4 1 2 .�b l tbe7 B .nd l ttJed5 1 4.�g5 h6 1 5 .�xf6 tbxf6 1 6 .tiJe5 il.xg2 1 7 .<;;t>xg2 �e7) 1 1 . . . �e7

Chapter 4: Pressure on Blacks Pawns: 5.�b3

1 2 .tbe5 ttJb4 1 3 .'li'b l �xg2 1 4.'lt>xg2 cxd4 1 5 .�e3 �c5 1 6 �xd4 �xd4 1 7 .tbf3 tbc6 I S .tbxd4 ttJxd4 1 9 .e3 0-0 20 .'uxd4 '/Wb6= (Komliakov) 1 U!d1

Both sides are playing cunningly, refusing to clarify the situation in the centre. However you look at it, the exchange on c5 or d4 is an extra tempo to develop one's pieces, and in an open position, every tempo is worth its weight in gold. The move 1 1 .�g5 is more direct, and at the same time more aggressive. But Black has sufficient resources to maintain the balance: 1 1 . . .h6 1 2 .�xf6 tiJxf6 1 3 .'ufd l c4 1 4.�c2 'i'c7 1 5 .a3 �e7 1 6 .e4 0-0 1 7 .d5 exd5 I S .e5 tbg4 ! ? (in the event of the more passive I S . . . tbd7 White can develop dangerous pressure on the kingside: 1 9 .tbxd5 �xd5 20 .11xd5 MadS 2 1 .�f5 tbb6 22JhdS gxdS B .e6 M6 24.I:!.e l �xb2 2 5 .tbh4 'i'e7 26 .�e4 g6 2 7 . exf7 + 'i'xf7 2 S .�g4 Meister-Rogozenko, Ceske Budej ovke 1 994) 1 9 .tbxd5 �xd5 20 .gxd5 �c5 ! (by tying the enemy forces to the defence of f2 , Black seizes the initiative) 2 1 .Ufl IiadS 22 .I:!.xdS :§.xdS+ .

1 1 ... c4 After the exchange on d4, White's chances would be preferable, therefore Black refrains from clarifying the centre and instead advances his pawns on the

5 3


flank. hoping quickly to complete his development and obtain counterchances on that sector of the board) 1 2.'lWe2 b4

13 .ttJb1 .!:leS 14.�gS �e7 The pawn sacrifice seen in the following game is interesting, but appears inadequate for equality : 1 4 . . . 'iVaS 1 S .�xf6 <1:Jxf6 1 6 .<1:Je 1 <1:JdS 1 7 .a3 c3 1 8 . bxc3 bxc3 1 9 . .sel �e 7 2 0 . e4 ( 2 0 .�b3 �a8 2 1 .e4 lUb6) 2 0 . . . tLJb6 2 1 .<1:Jxc3 0-0 22 .'iYb3 Mc7 2 3 .�e2 .sfc8 H . .sxc7 lhc7 Dyachkov-Soln. Siofok 1 9 9 6 . 1 S.tIJeS

�xg2 16 .'>t>xg2 0-0 1 7.a3 e3 Maybe the pawn sacrifice should be tried in a slightly chfferent form: 1 7 . . . b3 ! ? 1 8 .�d2 tLJxeS 1 9 .dxeS <1:JdS 20 .�xe7 �xe7 2 1 .e4 c3 2 2 .bxc3 tLJb6 23 .�b2 �,Jc4 24 .�xb3 tLJxeS 2 S . <1:Jd2 �cS with good draWing chances) 1 S.bxe3t SosonkoB. Kogan , Lone Pine 1 9 8 1 .

C) 6.a4 is a useful prophylactic move. Obviously. in playing . . . e7-e6 . Black sooner or later will have to advance . . . b 7 -bS . in order somehow to 'resettle' his light-squared bishop. and therefore White takes control of the b S-square in anticipation.

6 ... dxe4 7.'ib'xe4 bS Without this advance it is very hard for Black to count on reasonable play. S.iYd3 8 .�b3 b4 9 .tLJd 1

S4

cS . S ... b 4 But this move could have been delayed. 8 . . . �b 7 deserves attention, for example : 9 .�gS �e7 (or 9 . . . tLJbd7 1 O .Mel �e 7 I 1 . e3 0-0 1 2 .�e2 bxa4 1 3 . 0 - 0 a3 1 4.bxa3 �xa3 1 S J:tb 1 Ma7 1 6 .e4 �e7 1 7 .e S tLJdS 1 8 .tLJe4oo , Winants-l 'Ami , Hoogeveen 2 0 0 7 ) I O .�xf6 �xf6 1 1 . e3 <1:J d 7 1 2 .�e2 0-0 1 3 .0-0 �e7 1 4 Jhc I �b6 1 s .Mfd I Mfd8 1 6 ."iVc2 Mac8 1 7 .tLJd2 b 4 1 8 .<1:Jc4 � c7 1 9 .tLJe4 c S+ Black has achieved the programmed advance. and thanks to his bishop pair, and space advantage on the queenside, he stands somewhat better, Pne-Fressinet, Meribel 1 9 9 8 . 9.tIJe4 ttJxe4 1 0.'iYxe4 � b7

1 1 .g3 The most natural move, although 1 I .�f4 also deserves attention: 1 1 . . . <1:Jd 7 1 2 . e3 ( 1 2 .Me l ! ? Barsky) 1 2 . ..ltJf6 1 3 .'iVeS ( 1 3 .�c2 cS 1 4 dxcS �aS I S .Mc I <1:Je4 1 6 .b3 <1:JxcS 1 7 .�c4 �e7 with chances for both sides) 1 3 . . . cS 1 4 .dxcS tLJd7 l S .�d4 tLJxcS 1 6 .�c4 �xd4 1 7 . exd4 tLJd7 1 8 . 0 - 0 <1:Jb6 1 9 .�d3 tLJdS with a good position for Black. 1 1 ...'!WeS 1 2.1!Vd3 c5 1 3.dxeS ttJd7

1 4.�g2 ttJxeS 1 S .'ib'd1 �dS 1 6.ttJh4 ttJb3

1 7J1b1 �xg2 1 S.ttJxg2 'liVe6 1 9.'!Wxb3

�xg2 20.1!Vf3 'ib'xf3 21 .exf3 b3':

Gust. Hernandez-L. Marin, Bucharest 2 0 0 0 .

D) 6.il.f4 is a rather insidious and litde-explored move. Understanding that Black will sooner or later have to play . . . b7-b5 , White wishes to bring his rook to cl as quickly as possible, whilst the bishop stops its opposite number from coming to d6.

6 ... b5 6 " . dxc4 ! ? 7 .�xc4 b5 8 . 'lWb3 (8.'ilfd3 c5) 8 . . . tLibd7 9 . e3 c5 (Chebanenko) 7.cxd5 cxd5

Dl ) Now, less logical is 8 .e3 iLe7 9 . .te2 0-0 1 0 .0-0 CLJc6 1 1 .l:I.fc l iLb7 1 2 .'ilfdl llc8 (also good is 1 2 . . .tLih5 13 . .tg5 .ixg5 1 4 .tbxg5 tLig3) 1 3 .a4 b4 1 4.ttJb l 'i¥b6 (also not bad is 1 4 . . . tbh5 ! ? , in order to exchange one 0 f the strong enemy bishops and weaken the pawn on d4: 1 5 .ttJbd2 tLlxf4 1 6 .exf4 'iid6 1 7 .g3 tLla5 1 8 .CLJb3 CLJxb3 1 9 .'iixb3 11c7 with a good game for Black, Komliakov) 1 5 .tLlbd2 CLJh5 1 6 .iLe5 ( 1 6 .iLg5 f6 1 7 . .tM g 5 1 8 .CLJ e l tLlg7 1 9 .iLg3 CLJf5 20 .tL:d3 tLJa5) 1 6 . . .f6 1 7 .iLg3 �xg 3 , and Black's chances are no worse, Magerramov-Garcia Callejo , Andorra 1 99 1 . D2) 8.�c1 and now: D2 1 ) In the game Magerramov-Titov,

Uzhgorod 1 9 8 8 , Black fell into a standard trap : 8 . . . iLe7 ? 9 .tLlxb5+-, and the knight cannot be taken because of 9 . . . axb5 1O . .ic7 ;

Chapter 4: Pressure on Black's Pawns: 5 .1\Wb3

D22) 8 " .'iia5 9 . e3 iLe7 (9 " . CLJe4 1 0 .iLd3 tLlxc3 1 1 .0-0± is in White's favour) 1 0 .iLd3 - White's chances are preferable;

DB) 8 . "tLic6 9 . e3 iLb7 1 0 . .§i.d3 iLe7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 .h3 llc8 - Black has a very solid position.

Back to the main line. 6. �c1 -g5

We have reached a posItion from the popular Moscow Variation, but with the inclusion of the moves �b3 and a6 . In whose favour are these two extra moves? On the one hand, the pawn at c4 is now defended (we certainly won't get a Botvinnik Variation ! ) , but on the other, the queen is a little far from the centre and is occupied with rather a menial task - defending a pawn . . . .

In this position, Black can either start by giving up the centre with . . . dxc4, or play along Carlsbad lines with . . iLe7 .

A) 6 ... dxc4 7.'lihc4 b5

A 1 ) As in the variation with 6 . .if4, the retreat 8.'liIb3 seems rather passive and does not create particular problems for Black: 8 ... IDbd7 9.J:!:d 1 9 . e4 h6 1 0 .iLh4 g5 1 1 .iLg3 b4 . 9 . . . �a5 Also good is 9 . . . 'iic7 , for instance: 1 0 .g3 c5 1 1 .iLxf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .iLg2 iLb7 1 3 . 0 -0

5 5


iLe7 1 4 .dxc5 iLxc5 1 5 .tLle 1 iLxg2 1 6 .'it>x g2 0-0 1 7 .tLld3 iLd4 l S .Mel 'lWb7+ 1 9 .Wg 1 h5 20 .e3 iLb6 2 1 .'lWd l h4+ , Gen. Timoschenko-Rogozenko, Berlin 1 994. 1 0.�d2 '/Wb6 The retreat to c7 also has its merits : 1 0 . . . 'li'c7 1 1 . g3 iLb7 1 2 .iLf4 iLd6 1 3 .iLxd6 'li'xd6 1 4.iLg2 c5 1 5 .dxc5 'li'xc5 . 1 1 .e4 c5 1 2.e5

1 2 .iLe3 tZJg4 1 3 .dxc5 iLxc5 1 4 .iLxc5 'iVxc5 1 5 .Md2 iLb 7 1 6 .h3 tLlge5 + . 1 2 . .lLlg4 13 .h3 cxd4.

A l l ) The complications after 14.tLld5?!

turn out in Black's favour: 1 4 . . . exd5 1 5 .hxg4 '/i'e6 1 6 .iLe2 (even worse is 1 6 . tLlxd4 'li'xe 5 + 1 7 .iLe3 tLlc5 ( 1 7 . . . tZJf6) l S .tLlf3 tZJxb3 1 9 .tZJxe5 d4 20 .iLxd4 tLlxd4 2 1 ..uxd4 iLc5 22 . .ud1 iLb4+ 2 3 .We2 0 -0+) 1 6 . . . tLlc5 1 7 . tZJxd4 'lWxe5+ Pelletier-Morozevich, BieI 2 0 0 6 ) ;

A 1 2) After the intermediate pawn capture 1 4.ttJxb5 Black has his own zWischenzug: 1 4 . . . tZJxfl 1 5 .tLld6+ iLxd6 1 6 .'Ii'xb6 tLlxb6 1 7 .Wxfl iLe7+. A1 3 ) 14.hxg4 dxc3 1 5 .iLxc3 iLc5 (in the

ending after 1 5 . . . iLb7 1 6 .'iVc2 tLlc5 1 7 .iLd4 'iVa5 + l S .�d2 'lWxd2+ 1 9 .Wxd2 0-0-0 20 .'lte3;t White's chances are somewhat better, on account of his more active pieces) 1 6 .'Ii'c2 b4 1 7 .iLd4 iLb7 l s .hc5 'li'xc5 1 9 .'li'xc5 tLlxc5 20 .11M

56

as . This ending is quite harmless for Black, as his pieces are placed every bit as well as those of his opponent.

A2) 8.�d3 c5

A2 1 ) Black is Significantly behind in

development, therefore any concrete measure may turn out rather unpleasant for him. For example, he must reckon. WIth the break 9.a4. Even so, his defensive resources appear to be sufficient: 9 . . . cxd4 1 0 .tZJxd4 b4 1 1 .tLle4 iLb7 1 2 .iLxf6 gxf6 1 3 J:ldl iLe7 1 4.'li'f3 b 3 .

White can win the queen with 1 5 . tt.k6, but then Black gets excellent counterplay: 1 5 . . . tZJxc6 (otherWise White wins the pawn on f6 without any compensation) 1 6 .MxdS+ 11xdS 1 7 .e3 iLb4+ I S .tZJc3 hc3+ 1 9 .bxc3 b2 20 .'li'e4. 'Hertneck stops here and claims advantage for Black but Bareev goes further and reaches a different conclusion: (G. Flear)) 2 O . . . 11gS (in the variation 20 . . .fS 2 1 .'iVc2 tZJe5 2 2 .£4 tLlf3+ 2 3 . gxf3 iLxf3 H.'li'xb2 iLxh l 2 S .iLxa6 kIgS 2 6 .iLfl iLe4 2 7 .�b4± it suddenly turns out that the black king is weak, w Illist the passed pawn on a4 is quite dangerous. Here, despite the terror induced by the b2-pawn, White can attempt to employ prophylaxis by 2 1 .f3 . True, even in this

case, the advantage lies with Black: 2 1 . . .lIgS ! 22 .�b l l:tgdS 2 3 .'iYxb2 l:td 1 + 24.We2 as 2 5 .c4 ttJb4=i=) 1 5 .e3 'ii'aS + 1 6 .'�e2 �f8 1 7 .�f4 �eS 1 8 .f3 ( 1 8 .lWh6+ �e8 1 9 .tLld2 tLlc6 20.lD2xb3 Flear 20 .. . l::tc8 1 ? 2 l .f3 tLlxd4+ 22.tDxd4 fSoo) 1 8 . . . �xf4 1 9 .exf4 �g7= Lautier-Bareev, Linares 1 994. AlI) 9 .. bf6 gxf6

1 0 .ndl �b7 I I .dS b4 1 2 .tLla4 'iYxdS 1 3 :ihdS �xdS 1 4.tLlb6 �xf3 I S . gxf3 lla7+ Browne-B.Kogan, Estes Park 1 9 86 . It may very well be that i t i s time for White to swallow his pride and concern himself with aiming for equality: 1 0 .e3 .tb7 l 1 .dxcS (it is time to simplify the position. Accepting an IQP cannot be recommended: 1 1 .�e2 cxd4 1 2 . exd4 �g7 1 3 . 0-0 tbc6 1 4.a4 ttJb4 I S .�d2 bxa4 1 6 .. 8xa4 as 1 7 .�bS+ �e7 1 8 .�e2 �d6 1 9 .tLlcS �dS 20 . .&r.a3 tbc6 2 1 .tLla4 fS 22 .nd l nab8 23 .�c3 �xf3 24.�xf3 ttJxd4 2 S . nxaS tLlxf3 + 2 6 . gxf3 + Ehlvest-Khalifman, Rakvere 1 9 9 3 ) I 1 . . .LcS 1 2 .�c 2 tLld7 1 3 .�d3 nc8 14.i.e4 he4 I S .'ihe4 fs 1 6 .'ii'd3 tLlb6 with roughly equal chances, Akopian-Khali[man, Lucerne 1 99 3 .

Black has two more alternatives to 6 . . . iLe7 :

Chapter 4: Pressure on Blacks Pawns: 5 . �b3

B) 6 ... b5 This is the move Black wants to play, refusing to concede his opponent the initiative on the queenside. 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.11c1 .1i.e7 9.e3 0-0 10 . .l1Ld3

�bd7 1 0 . . . �b7 ! ? with the idea tLlc6 . 1 1 .0-0

1 1 .�f4 �b7 1 2 .a4 b4 1 3 .tLla2 nc8 1 4 .IDcS lWxcs I S .0-0 as 1 6 .nc1 �aS 1 7 .�bS ncS Pelletier-Dunis, La Rochesur-Yon 2006 . 11 ...�b7 12.a4 1 2 .tLleS tZJxeS 1 3 .dxe5 lLJe4. 1 2 ... b4 13.�a2 a5 14.�b5

�b6! 15.�e5 �e4 1 6J1/.xe7 Wixe7 17.l:1c2

J:l:fc8, with chances for both sides, Polugaevsky-Rivas Pastor, Linares 1 985 . But Black can also perfectly well adopt a more complicated approach with 1 7 . . . f6 ! ? 1 8 .tLlc6 'il'd6 (the following illustrative variation is also interesting: 1 8 . . . hc6 1 9 .1:txc6 l2Jd2 20 .'iYd 1 lLlxfl 2 1 .�xb6 'iYc7 22 .nxe6 'iYxh2+ B .cJtxfl 'fihl + 24.�e2 �xg2 2S .�e l f5 26.�fl 'iVh l 27 .�b3 llaeS 2S . .!'::d6 .!'::d8 29 . .!'::xdS l':.xdS 3 0 .tLlc1 f4 3 1 .exf4 'ueS+ 3 2 .tLle2oo) 19 .11fc 1 nfc8 20 .f3 tLld2 2 1 .�e7 + �xe7 22 .l::!.xd2 eS (Kornliakov) .

C) 6 .. .tbbd7 7 .e3 h6 ! ? 8 .�4 b5 9 .c5 �e7 (with the idea 1 0 . . . tLlh5) 1 0 .�e2 0-0 1 1 . 0 - 0 tUe4 1 2 .�xe7 'iVxe7 1 3 .�xe4 dxe4 1 4 .tLld2 e5= (Chebanenko) .

6. ... i1l.f8-e7

5 7


Here, the immediate deployment of the rook does not change the character of the struggle significantly ; 7 .Idd l tLlbd7 S .e3 0-0 9 . cxd5 (Black plays in classical style after 9 .�d3 dxc4 1 0 .�xc4 b5 1 1 .�d3 c5 1 2 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 3 .dxc5 '/i'c7 1 4.tLle4 �b7 1 5 .tLlxf6+ gxf6 1 6 .Id c l IdacS 1 7 .0-0 �xc5) 9 . . . exd5 1 0 .�d3 tLle4 1 1 .�f4 ( 1 1 .�xe7 fixe7 1 2 .�xe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLld2 lLlf6 1 4 .0-0 h6 1 5 .h3 �e6 1 6 .�c2 �5) 1 1 . . .tLldf6 1 2 . 0-0 �d6 1 3 .�e5 �e7 1 4 .h3 jU'5 1 5 .Idfe l �g6 1 6 .�xd6 tLlxd6 1 7 .�xg6 hxg6 . In this position, Black's knights are posted in the ideal fashion for the Carlsbad structure, which assures him solid equality (Bauer-Pne, France 1 995) .

7. e2-e3

Now, 7 ... 0-0 is fully possible, after which White has a large choice of plans for the subsequent play.

A) 8.cxd5 cxd5 9 .�d3 , keeping a small opening initlative. B) 8.�e2 dxc4 9 .�xc4 b5 1 0 .�e 2

tt'lbd7 l 1 .a4 b4 1 2 .hf6 tLlxf6 1 3 .tLlb l c5 , and Black has solved his opening problems satisfactorily. For example, 14 .dxc5 �xc5 1 5 .tLlbd2 �b7 1 6 .lLlc4 �d5 1 7 .0-0 tLle4 I S .'Yic2 IdcS 1 9 .�d3 f5 20 ."i¥e2 as 2 1 ,cilce5 �d6 22 .�c4 �xe5 (2L .Idc5 ! ? 2 3 .�xd5 Idxd5)

5 S

2 3 .tt'lxe5 Kortchnoi-Short, Wijk aan Zee 1 99 7 . C) 8.l"rc1 lLlbd7 9 .cxd5 (Black has no

real problems after 9 .�e2 dxc4 1 0 .ihc4 b5 l 1 .iYd3 c5 1 2 .0-0 �b7 l 3 .Idfdl b4 1 4.tLla4 cxd4 1 5 .'Yixd4 �a5 1 6 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 7 .�b6 �xb6 I S ,cilxb6 Idab8 1 9 .tLle5 IdfdS , Kortchnoi-Galliamova, MUIDch 2000 ) 9 . . . exd5 1 0 .�d3 J:!.e8 (White retains a small initiative ;uter 1 0 . . . lLle4 1 1 .�f4 lLlg5 1 2 .lLlxg5 �xg5 1 3 .�g3 ideS 1 4 .0-0 �h4 1 5 .�f4:t, Kir. Georgiev-Bacrot , Elista 1 9 95) 1 1 .0-0 tLlfS 1 2 .tLla4 tLle4 1 3 .�xe7 '1!Vxe7 1 4 .�xe4 dxe4 1 5 .tLle5 �e6 1 6 .'li'b6 f6 1 7 .tLlc4 J:!.abS I S .tLlc5 tLld7= . D) 8.�c21? b5 (after S . . . tLlbd7 9 .cxd5

exd5 1 0 .�d3 we have a typical Carlsbad structure, admittedly with the extra move a7-a6 for Black.) 9 .c5 tLlbd7 1 0 .�d3 h6 1 1 .�f4 J:!.eS 1 2 .0 -0 �xc5 1 3 .dxc5 e 5 1 4 .�g3 e4 1 5 .�xe4 tLlxe4 (or 1 5 : . . dxe4 1 6 .tLld4 tLlxc5 1 7 .tLlcxb5 cxb5 I S .�xc5 �d5 1 9 .J:!.fc l �) 1 6 .tLlxe4 J:!.xe4 1 7 .tLld4� Schekachev-Wemmers, Hamburg 2 0 0 5 .

7. ... Qlb8-d7

In Carlsbad style. 8. c4xd 5

This is the right time to determine the central pawn position. As we have already seen several times , after S .�d3 dxc4 9 .�xc4 b5 1 0 .�e2 cS Black achieves equality without any special problems, in particular thanks to the unfortunate position of the white queen on b3 , for example : 1 1 . 0-0 ..tb7 1 2 .Idfd l 'li'b6 1 3 .a4 c4 1 4 .�c2 0 -0 1 5 . axb5 axb5 1 6 .b3 Ivancsics-Gen. Timoschenko, Austria Staatsliga B 2 00 5 /06 , and here Black can even fight for the advantage with 1 6 . . . b4

1 7 .tLla4 'iVa5 1 8 .'iVxc4 �xf3 1 9 .�xf3 'il'xg5 20 .�xa8 �xa8 2 1 .tDc5 lld8 22 .'iVxb4 'iiid5 =F. 8 .'iV c2 ! ? i s also interesting.

B. ... e6xd5

9. h2-h3

A useful prophylactic move. In a recently-played game, after 9 .�d3 0-0 I O .1l!'c2 J:[e8 l 1 .h3 tDf8 1 2 .iH4 i..e6 1 3 .lLlg5 tlc8 1 4.0-0 �d6 1 5 .�e5 h6 1 6 .lLlf3 �xe5 1 7 .tDxe5 tLl6d7 1 8 .f4 f6 19 .tLlf3 tLlb6 20 .�ae l l:rc7 2 1 .tDh4 tLlc8 22.g4 lLJd6 2 3 .'iiiD �f7 24.t2lg2 tDe4 25 .he4 dxe4 2 6 .b3 c5 Black had not only equalised, but was even ready to seize the initiative if given the chance, Sasikiran-Malakhov, Sarajevo 2006 .

9 . 0-0

10. ik.f1 -d3 lLJf6-e4

1 1 . ik.g5-f4 tLld7-f6

12. 0-0 ik.e7-d6

13. ik.f4xd6 tLle4xd6

14. ttJc3-a4 'fiHdB-e7

Chapter 4: PresslUe on Blacks Pawns: 5. 'iiib3

1 5. 'iib3-c2

At this point a draw was agreed in Dorfman-Prie, Meribel 1 998 . A plausible continuation would have been

1 5. tLlf6-e4

1 6. ttJa4-c5 �cB-f5

1 7. ttJf3-d2 l:rfB-eB=

Conclusion

5 .'iYb3 does not place insurmountable difficulties before Black. The pressure on b7 and d5 is somewhat premature, which allows Black to switch to normal Carlsbad-style development after 5 . . . e6 . Lovers of the Queen's Gambit Accepted can be recommended to look at 5 . . . dxc4, after which the white queen is forced to lose several tempi, allowing Black to develop his pieces conveniently. Even so, the move 5 .'iiib3 does not spoil the general picture for White, and often he manages to outplay his opponent in positions that are full of positional nuances and strategic subtleties.

59

Chapter 5

Catalan-Style: 5.g3

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.lLlg1 -f3 tiJg8-fS 4.tiJb1 -c3 a7-aS 5.g2-g3

5.g3 is a flexible move in the style of the Catalan. UsuaZZy White prefers not to put his bishop on g2, from where it bites on the granite of the pawn on c6, but here Black has spent a tempo on . . . a7-a6. Even so, it is not clear that this move is a waste of time, as Black has quite a wide choice of possible plans: I. 5 . . . dxc4, II. 5 . . . g6, III. 5 . . . �f5, IV, 5 . . . b5.

• • •

I

5 . ... d5xc4

Black takes up the challenge. if you want a Catalan, a Catalan it is! To regain the pawn on c4, White has to spend several tempi, and Black hopes that this time will enable him to develop his pieces harmoniously. White, of course, may instead continue in gambit style, forgetting about the c4 pawn and simply continuing to develop, seizing space in the centre. This plan is aggressive, but double-edged: the healthy extra pawn on the queenside may have its say later on.

S. a2-a4

60

After 6 . .llLg2 b 5 7 . 0-0 e6 8 .tDe5 �b7 9 .a4 Black must play very accurately.

9 •. .t2:ld5 is the most ambiUous move. After 9 . . . �c8 1 0 .e4 tDbd7 1 1 .£4 !i.e7 1 2 . g4

White develops a fierce initlative, for example : 1 2 . . . tLJxes 1 3 .fxes tLJd7 1 4 .i1f4 0-0 I s .gs b4 1 6.tLJe2 as 1 7 .tLig3 i1a6 1 8 JtJh5 c3 1 9 . .l::rf3 cxb2 20 . .l::rb l cs 2 1 .tLlf6+ '.t>h8 22 .l:rh3 h6 23 .l:rxh6+ gxh6 24.�hs +- . It is possible, of course, to give back the extra pawn, in order to simplify the position somewhat and one way or another to complete one's development qUietly: 9 . . . §i.e7 1 0 axbs axbs 1 1 ..l::rxa8 i1xa8 1 2 .lt'lxbs cxbS 1 3 .i1xaS 0-0 1 4.i1g2 'iJ'b6 l s .e4 �fd7 1 6 .tLig4 tLic6 1 7 .i1e3 tLlM 1 8 .14 �d3 1 9 .�e2 , and here after 1 9 . . . hs 20 .�h2 es 2 1 .ds i1cs 22 .i1xcs 'i'xcs 23 .'ihhs tLif6oo. Black has even given up another pawn, obtaining reasonable compensation, KazhgaleevBuhmann, France tt 2 0 0 6 .

1 0.e4 The exchanges 1 0 . axbS axbs l UhaS i1xaS only make Black's decision easier. After the sample line 1 2 .e4 tLixc3 1 3 . bxc3 i1e7 1 4. � g4 0-0 I s .i1h6 �f6 1 6 . .l::ra l i1b7 1 7 .�f3 es I S .dxes �cS 1 9 .�f4 i1e7 2 0 .i1gs i1xgs Tl .lt'lxgs tLJa6= he has decent play. White also gets nothing from 1 0 . tLixds cxdS . 10 .. .tZ:lxc3 1 1 .bxc3 tLJd7 Black should be ready at the appropriate moment to exchange White's most dangerous piece. 12.f4 �e7

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5.g3

A) The move 1 3.tLJg4 looks tempting, in order to create pressure on the kingside. However, the analysis below shows that Black can meet all the threats and retain the better prospects : 1 3 ... 0-0 1 4.tLJe3 White won qUickly and effectively after 1 4 . e s tLi b6 I s . fs exfs 1 6 .�e3 (bad is 1 6 .lhfs i1cs 1 7 . .l::rfl tLids I S .i1dl �e6 1 9 .i1e4 'if d7 1 0 .tLif6+ ll.xf6 1 1 . exf6 i1g4 22 .'iVc2 tLJxf6 + , Torbin-Yevseev, St Petersburg 2 0 0 2 ) 1 6 . . . g6 1 7 .�xfS gxfs I S .:a.xfs f6 (correct was I S . . . ll.cS 1 9 . .l::rhs .l::ra7 ! - a typical way to include the rook in the defence of the king - 20 .axbs cxbs 2 1 . l:rxh7 '.t>xh7 2 2 .�hs + '.t>gS 23 .ll.e4 fs 24.�g6 + , and White has to force perpetual check) 1 9 .i1h6 '.t>hS 2 0 .i1xfs ll.xfS 2 1 .axbs axbs 22 J:haS i1xaS 2 3 Jhf6± Mlton-Krapivin, Moscow 2 0 04 .

A I ) Black would like to close things up with the move 14 .. .f5 , but then he comes under a direct attack. Admittedly, White has to play very energetically and inventively to bring the attack home: I s .g4! (worse is l s .es ? ! tLib6+ or l s .exfs exfs 1 6 .ds �cS !) I s . . . fxe4 1 6 .gs (nothing results from 1 6 .i1xe4? ! tLif6 1 7 .i1g2 ( 1 7 .ll.c2 cs+; 1 7 .'{irc2 tLixe4 I S .'{irxe4 �d7+) 1 7 . . . �ds =F) 1 6 . . . cs

6 1

The Cheoonenko Slav According to Bologan

1 7 .ilh3 ! (now the weakness of the e6-pawn tells, a reminder of the drawback of the impulsive move . . .£7-fS) 1 7 . . . cxd4 (the outcome is not changed by 1 7 . . . �h8 1 8 .ilxe6 tL'lb6 1 9 .96 1:tf6 ( 1 9 . . . ttJxa4? 20 .'ilihS h6 2 1 .tL'lg4+-) 20 .fS h6 2 1 .'ilihS 1:txe6 n.fxe6+-) 1 8 .ilxe6+ �h8 1 9 .cxd4 ttJb6 (also after 1 9 . . . ild6 20 . axbS axbS 2 1 .1:txa8 ilxa8 n .'ilig4 ttJb6 2 3 . fS White has a ferocious attack) 20 . g6 ! , Nogueiras-Perez, Merida 2006) A2) 14 ... cS! Only thus ! I S .dS exdS

1 6 .tL'lxdS ( 1 6 . exdS ilf6 1 7 .'ifc2 14 1 8 .ilb2 tL'lb6+) 1 6 . . . tL'lb6+. Black retains his extra pawn and his king faces no threats . ) B ) 1 3 Jib1 White does well to play flexi

bly, creating threats all over the board. 13 ... tt:lxeS The most practical decision -exchange off the opponent's most active piece. However, one cannot rule out the possibility that Black can get away with a more cold-blooded treatment of the position: l 3 . . . tL'l b6 ! ? 1 4 .axbS axbS I S .fS exfS 1 6 .'lifhS 0-0 1 7 .'lifxfS 'life8+. 1 4 .fxeS 0 - 0 1 S.'il'g4 ,>!;>hS 1 6 .Ub2 b4

1 7J:t bf2 '/WeS with mutual chances , Postl-Gartner, Austria tt 1 9 9 5 / 9 6 .

Back to the main line.

6 2

6 . ... g7-g6

Another possibility is 6 . . . e6, transposing into the system with S . a4.

7. ilf1 -g2

S . 0-0

ilfS-g7

A) The move S.aS deserves attention, fixing the weak dark squares on the queenside. Black must now play very accurately, in order not to fall under the 'press ' . For example: S ... O-O 9.0-0 (after 9 .'ii'a4 ile6 1 0 ."ii'b4 'ii'c8 1 1 .'ii'xe7 Me8 1 2 .'i'd6 tLJdS 1 3 .'ilia3 cS 1 4.dxcS ttJxc3 1 5 . bxc3 ilh3 Black had not merely equalised, but was fighting for the initiative, Sorokin-Soppe, Buenos Aires 1 998) 9 ... tt:ldS

1 0.tt:le4 White plays for a blockade of the queenside. Standard central play also deserves attention, but this is bound up with further sacrifices, for example: 1 0 .e4 ttJxc3 l 1 . bxc3 cS n .d S ! ? (in the

event of the cautious 1 2 .�e3 tLlc6 1 3 .'iVa4 cxd4 1 4.cxd4 �g4 I s .iYxc4 .txf3 1 6 .�xf3 tLlxd4 Black keeps his extra pawn and White's compensation should not suffice for more than equality) 1 2 . . . �xc3 1 3 .�h6 ne8 1 4.'iUc2 �xal 1 S .lIxa 1 00 . White is not likely to give mate in the foreseeable future, but he is assured of a long-lasting initiative for the sacrificed exchange. 10 ... �f5 1 V iJfd2 i.xe4 Black does not really need his bishop , although he could also play 1 1 . . .tt:l f6 ! ? 1 2 . e3 tLlxe4 1 3 .tLlxe4. 12.lLlxe4 tt'ld7 1 3.14?1 ncB 1 4.tt'lc3 tt'lb4

15J1a4 bS 1 6.axb6 '&'xb6 with the initiative for Black , Kortchnoi-I. Sokolov, Groningen 1 99 6 . B) O n 8 .tLleS ? ! there could follow a

Griinfeld-style response : 8 . . . tLlg4! 9 .0xc4 �e6 with a good game for Black.

S. ... 0-0

9. e2-e3 as-a5

A typical idea. The move a2-a4 has weakened the b4-square, and Black directs his knight to that square. He does not try to hold the extra pawn, but plays along the lines of the Grunfeld Indian Defence : he creates piece pressure on his opponent's pawn centre.

10. tLJf3-e5 tLJbS-aS

1 1 . tLJe5xc4 tLJaS-b4

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5 .g3

1 2. �d1-e2

Here, Flear's suggestion 1 2 .h3 ! i s stronger. White's plan , clearly, is 'iYe2 , nd l and only then e4.

1 2 . . . . �cS-g4

Provoking the move £'2-f3 , weakening White's kingside and, most importantly of all, closing the long diagonal of his light-squared bishop.

1 3. f2-f3

White is duly provoked. Now Black will play . . . c6-cS and obtain good play.

1 3. �g4-eS

1 4. lIf1 -d1 cS-c5!

1 5. d4xc5 'li"dS-c7

1 S . tLlc4-bS lIaS-dS

17. nd1 xdS l:lfSxdS

1 S. e3-e4

Also in the line 1 8 . �bS tiJd3 1 9 .'iY xaS tiJd7+ Black has excellent counterplay

1 S. l:ldS-d3

1 9. �g 2-f1

1 9. tLJfS-g4!=l=

Timman-I. Sokolov, Amsterdam 1 9 9 6 .

II

5 . ... g7-gS

S. �f1 -g2 �fS-g7

7. 0-0 0-0

S. c4xd5 cSxd5

9. tLJf3-e5

63


We have reached a well-known position from the Griinfeld Indian Defence, with Black having made the not-very-useful move . . . al -a6.

9.

1 0. �c1 -g5

1 1 . �g5-e3

e7-e6

h7-h6

tLlf6-d7

Full equality is also not granted by 1 1 . . . ttJbd7 1 2 .ttJd3 (weaker is 1 2 . f4 bS) .

1 2. f2-f4 tLl b8-c6

1 2 . . . b S . 1 3. �e3-f2

The more energetic 1 3 .llcl ! ? is also better for White, for example: 1 3 . . . ttJb6 (the attempt to solve Black's problems tactically leads to even greater difficulties: 1 3 . . . ttJdxeS 1 4.dxeS (less is promised by 1 4 .fxeS f6 l S .exf6 lhf6 1 6.iYd2 '>ith7 1 7 .l1xf6 'if'xf6 1 8 . .llfl 'if'e7 1 9 . �fl;j;) 1 4 . . . d4 l S .jLxc6 dxe3 1 6 .jLe4±; White will soon capture the pawn on e3 , and the g7 bishop remains out of play for a long time) 1 4.jLf2 jLd7;!:;. Black's position is cramped, but solid.

1 3 . tLlc6-e7

14. 1:ia1 -c1 tLle7-f5

1 5. e2-e4 d5xe4

1 6 . �g2xe4

To 1 6 .ttJxe4 ! ? Black replies 1 6 . . . tLlb6 1 7 .ttJc3 ttJe7 1 8 .'VIb3 as 1 9 .a4 lla6 ! with the idea . . . tLlbdS , holding the position.

64

1 6. tLld7-f6

1 7. �e4-g2 lLlf5-e7

1 8. 'if'd1 -b3

White retains some initiative, SasikiranMalakhov, Moscow 2 0 0 6 .

III

5. ... �c8-f5

Another perfectly logical move. Why not, if one can, develop the bishop outside the pawn chain?

6. �f1 -g2

7. 0-0

e7-e6

lZlb8-d7

One should never forget about the need for piece development. If Black instead devotes himself to unnecessary prophylaxis, he can fall into a difficult position: 7 . . . h6 8 .tLleS jLe7 9 .M4 0-0 1 0 .'lWb3 b5 1 1 .cxdS cxdS 1 2 .llacl 'lWb6 1 3 .'ufd1 g5 1 4 .jLe3 'i¥ d6 (Shipov-Volkov, Moscow

1 996) , and here the move I S .h4! would have been very strong: I S . . . . !tJg4 (on I S . . . g:xh4 there could follow 1 6 .iti4 hxg3 1 7 .fxg3 'iVb6 1 8 .�xh6 ne8 1 9 .1Lla4±, and the white queen heads towards the kingside) 1 6 .�d2 b4 (on 1 6 . . . lLlxeS 1 7 .dxeS 'iYxeS the combination 1 8 /ZlxdS ! exdS 1 9 .�c3 'iYd6 20 .�xdS �e6 2 1 .kxa8 �xb3 2 2 .l:i.xd6 �xd6 23 .axb3+- decides) 1 7 .lLla4. Black's position is gradually collapsing on both flanks.

8. tLlf3-h4 kf5-g6

9. tLlh4xg6 h 7xg6

10. e2-e4 d5xc4

White has a small, but definite advantage, after 1 0 . . . �xe4 I l . ttJxe4 dxe4 1 2 .�xe4 ILlf6 1 3 .�g2;t .

1 1 . �d1 -e2 �d7-b6

12 . kc1 -e3

We have reached a favourable (for White) transposition into the line 4.e3 in the Slav defence, where White does not need to hurry to regain the c4 pawn.

IV

5. ... b7-b5

As we have seen, after S . . . dxc4 we reach Catalan-style positions , and after S . . . g 6 , GrUnfeld-style. The move . . . b7-bS is the most principled, if Black wishes to continue playing in the spirit of the Chebanenko system.

Chapter S: Catalan-Style; S .93

Pushing the b-pawn forces White to make up his mind what to do with his c-pawn. White has three basic options : exchange, protect or advance.

IV. 1 ) 6 .c4xd5

IV. 2) 6.b2-b3

IV. 3) 6 .c4-c5

6. c4xd5

IV. 1

c6xd5

The exchange on dS promises White little. In reply, Black may simply play his bishop to b 7 , strengthening control over the e4-square, but he can also leave the bishop on c8 for the time being, hoping to play . . . a6-aS , and then bring the bishop to a6 and take the initiative on the queenside.

7. i.f1 -g2 �c8-b7

As we have already seen, 7 .. .e6 is more cunning, for instance: 8.0-0 tLlbd7 If 8 . . . �e7 9 .�f4 0-0 1 0 .a3 (the character of the position is hardly changed by 1 0 .'iV d3 �b7 1 1 .1:I.fc 1 ttJbd7 1 2 .a4 b4 1 3 .tZl b 1 as 1 4 .'iWd 1 (Grigore-Bologan, Romania 1 9 89) 1 4 . . . 'iVb6 1 S .�c7 'iVa7 1 6 .ttJbd2 l:i.fc8 1 7 .lLlb3 ttJb6; or 1 4 .�c7 l:i.c8 I S .bd8 llxc 1 + 1 6 .�f1 I:!.xd8) 1 0 . . . �b7 1 1 .'iWd3 lLlbd7 1 2 .Ufc1 lLlhS and Black did not experience any particu-1ar problems, Menadue-Hodgson, Frome 200 1 . 9.�f4 �e7 1 0J�c1 0-0 1 1 .a4 An ambitious, but not very good move. Black is the better prepared for action on the queenside. 1 1 ...�b6 1 2 .�d3 b4 1 3.tLlb1 a5

14.h3 $,a6 1 5.�e3 l:[ac8 1 6.tLlbd2 h6 1 7.g4

l:l.c6 18.�e5, Komarov-Nevednichy, Bucharest 1 994, and here after 1 8 . . JHc8 1 9 Jhc6 'iWxc6 20 .b3 1/&c2 Black obtained a serious advantage.

8. 0-0 e7-e6

9. tLlf3-e5 tLlb8-d7

6S


1 0. f2-f4 �f8-d6

Both sides have chances.

IV. 2

6. b2-b3

A logical move. White wishes to retain the tension in the centre, although in order to do so, he has to weaken the dark squares on his queenside.

6 . ... e7-e6

of course, one would prefer to develop the bishop first - 6 . . . .tf5 , but in this case, play becomes quite sharp, and Black is behind in development (he has spent tempi on the moves . . . a6 and . . . b5 ) . Even so, it appears that these variations do not hide anything too terrible for Black, for example: 7.gg2 e6 8.0-0 iiJbd7.

Other moves do not promise equality, for instance: 8 . . . .te7 9 .tLle5 0-0 1 0 . .tg5 h6

6 6

1 1 ..txf6 .txf6 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 .tbxe4;t: Vasilchenko-Dovzik, Budapest 1 994 . After 8 . . . tLle4 9 . .tb2 tLld7 1 0 .tLlh4 Black loses the battle for the key square e4. For example, 1 0 . . . tLlxc3 1 1 . .txc3 .tg4 n :ife l .te7 1 3 . .ta5 'ifb8 1 4 .cxd5 cxdS 1 5 .e4 0-0 1 6 .exd5 .txh4 1 7 .dxe6 i;lxe6 1 8 .gxh4±, Relange-Marzolo, France tt 1 9 99 / 0 0 . Another line which fails t o solve all the problems is 8 . . . �M 9 . .td2 .txc3 1 0 . .txc3 tLle4 1 1 .'i'e 1 as 1 2 .tLle5 [6 1 3 .tLld3 0-0 1 4. cxb5 cxb5 1 5 . .tb2;t:, Berkvens-Lobzhanidze, Dresden 2003 . 9.iiJe5 Not dangerous for Black is 9.t2Jh4 .tg4 (or even 9 . . . .tM 1 0 .tLlxf5 exfS 1 1 ..tb 2 0-0) 1 0 .'iY c2 .te7 I l .a3 0-0 1 2 .h3 ii,h5 1 3 .g4 tLle8 1 4 .gxh5 �xh4

1 5 .cxd5 cxd5 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7 . .txe4 1:.c8. White has weaknesses on both flanks and in the centre, therefore Black's chances should, at a minimum, not be worse . 9 ... iiJxe5 1 0.dxe5 iiJd7 1 1 .cxd5 cxd5 12.e4

dxe4 1 3.iiJxe4 iiJxe5 ( 1 3 . . . Le4 1 4.ii,xe4, Plaskett-Miles, London 1 99 3 , favours White) 14 .�g5 �xd 1 1 5 .J:Uxd1 �xe4

1 6 . ..Ihe4 l1c8.

For the sacrificed pawn, White has obtained two bishops and a serious lead in

development. Objectively, the ending should probably be drawn, but of course, it is more pleasant to play White.

17J!.ac1 1 7 .M4 f6 I S .�b 7 (White keeps a small advantage after I S .�xeS fxeS 1 9 .1:!.ac l l:!.xc l 2 0 .l:!.xc l t , Barsky) I S . . . UbS 1 9 .�xa6 �a3 . 1 7 .. . lJ:xc1

18.Il.xc1 wd7 1 9.14 f51 with mutual chances.

7. c4-c5

If 7 .�g2 ilLM S . �d2 tLlbd7 9 . 0-0 bxc4 1 0 .bxc4 as I l . a3 (if 1 1 .tLla4 dxc4 with the idea . . . �a6) 1 1 . . .�xc3 1 2 .�xc3 tLle4 with the idea . . . �a6 and Black has sufficient counterplay (Chebanenko) .

7. ... tLlbS-d7

Another important position. White has a slight space advantage , but Black has possibilities of counterplay on both flanks and in the centre ( . . . e6-eS) .

S. ii.c1 -f4

The most natural move : White strength-,

ens control over the square eS . But other plans are also possible : A) S.�h3 White continues his develop

ment, and at the same time deprives Black's knight of the g4-square, which is used for the standard counterplay with . . . e6-eS d4xeS tLlf6-g4. S ... h6 But Black in his turn finds another good idea; he intends to play gS and �g7 . 9.0-0 g5 10�g2 �g7 1 1 .l::tb1 as 1 2.l2:Je 1 tLlgS

13.'lWd2 f5 So as to remove the advance e2-e4 from the agenda, if only tempo-

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5 .93

rarily. 1 4.'iWe3 'iWe7 1 5.tLld3 tLlgf6 16 .f3

with very complicated play, where both sides ha ve their trumps.

B) S.a3 A rather too passive move , after which Black obtains good play without great problems, for example : S . . . eS 9 . tLlxeS tLlxeS 1 0 .dxeS tbg4 1 1 .b4 tLlxeS 1 2 .a4 ilLfS 1 3 .�g2 iLe7 1 4 . 0-0 0 - 0 .

C) S.�g2 A fairly unpleasant plan for Black: White simply continues developing, inviting his opponent to commit himself

S ... �e 7 9.0-0 0-0 and now: C 1 ) 10 .a3 tLle4 1 1 .'iWc2 f5 The knight is

entrenched on e4, after which Black can start an advance on the kingside, in the style of the Stonewall. 1 2 .�b2 1 2. .�d 1 �f6= 1 2 .• g5 1 3 .tLlxe4 fxe4 14.tLle5 tLlxe5

1 5 .dxe5 �d7 1 6.13 Or 1 6 .�h3 'il'cs , after which the light-squared bishop continues his journey over to the kingside. 1 6 ... exf3

1 7.exf3 �eS 1 S.�d4 as - Black's chances are not worse.

C2) Also possible is 1 0.'iWc2 , not fearing 1 0 . . . b4 1 1 .tLla4 ltJe4 1 2 .a3 J:!:bS

1 3 .�f41 ( if 1 3 . tLle l , then Black gets good play by means of 1 3 . . . eS 1 4 .dxeS tLlxeS l S . �xe4 dxe4 1 6 .'i¥xe4 iLf6 (with the idea . . . I:!.eS , . . . �g4) 1 7 .�b2 l:!.eS I S . axb4 as 1 9 .bxaS �h3 20 .tLlg2

6 7


�xa5 2 1 .ilfb l �b5 2 2 ,tD f4 �g4 2 3 .�g2 'iVxb3 24 .�fl �f5) 13 .. Jlb5

14.tiJe1 (also not bad is 1 4 .axb4 .l:!.xb4 1 5 .ttJb2 f5 1 6 .ttJd3 1:i.b5 1 7 .ttJde5 ttJb8 1 8 .h4 �f6 1 9 .e3;!;) 14 . . . bxa3 Black lures the enemy rook to a3 , where it is in the line of fire of the bishop on e 7. Also possible is 1 4 . . . �f6 ! ? , but then White has a wide choice of possible continuations : 1 5 .e3 ( 1 5 .ttJd3 , 1 5 . f3 ; the most practical. probably, is 1 5 .�xe4 dxe4 1 6 .�xe4 ttJx€5 1 7 .ttJxc5 .l:txc5 1 8 .dxc5 �xa l 1 9 .ttJd3;!;) 1 5 . . . e5 1 6 .dxe5 ttJxe5 1 7 .�xe4 dxe4 1 8 .�xe4 ttJg6 . Black has good compensation for the sacrificed pawn.

C2 1 ) In the event of 1 5.lha3 Black realises his plan : 1 5 . . . e5 , after which 1 6 .�xe5 is unfavourable to White : 1 6 . . . ttJxeS 1 7 .�xe4 dxe4 1 8 . dxeS 'Ii' d4+ . Significantly stronger is 1 6 .�xe4 dxe4 1 7 .�e3 fS 1 8 . ttJ g 2 , for example : 1 8 . . . .l:tf7 1 9 . .l:td 1 �f8 2 0 .dxeS ttJxe5 2 1 .ttJc3 .l:tb4 2 2 .M4 M6 2 3 .l:!.d6 �e8 24 .�d2 .l:tb8 2 S .ttJa4 nfb7 2 6 . �c3 .l:tbS 2 7 . ttJf4 , and White has the initiative . Black has definite counterchances in the centre and on the queenside , but for the moment, he still cannot solve the problem of his light-squared bishop.

68

C 22 ) A double- edged posmon is reached after 1 5.�xe4 dxe4 1 S .'iVxe4

.l:i:xb3 00 , and here it is unfavourable for White to take the pawn because of 1 7 .'lixc6 ? �b7 ( 1 7 . . . e5 1 8 .'lidS .l:!.b4) 1 8 .'iVc7 eS 1 9 .�xe5 lLJxe5 + . C23 ) 1 5 .tiJd3 �fS 1 S.e3 �e71? 1 7.g4

White has to take care of the bishop on f4. However, he could also himself chase the enemy knight at e4, with the move 1 7 .£3 . 1 7.ugS 1 B.�g3 1 8 .�eS ! ? 1 B .• tLJxg3

1 9.hxg3 e5 Black offers a pawn sacrifice to free his position. 20.dxe5 fS 21 .e4 tLJxe5

22.tiJc3 1:[bB 23.tLixe5 fxe5 24.exd5 �xc5

25.dxcS 'ffie7 2S.tiJd5 'iVdS 27.b4 bb4

2B.tiJxb4 :w.xb4 29.�xa3 l:ixg4.

This rather lengthy illustrative variations shows that overall, White retains the opening initiative. Black can achieve sufficient play, if he organises the break . . . e6-eS in good time, and forces exchanges in the centre and on the queenside.

Back to the main line after 8 . .i.f4. S. ... ttJf6-h5

With the idea . . . �c7 , . . . eS. Slower is 8 . . . h6 9 .h4 ttJe4 1 0 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 1 .4Je5 ttJxeS 1 2 . .1i.xeS iYd5 1 3 .2,g2 �xc5 1 4.'lic2 (even stronger is 1 4 . .1i.xg7 �b4+ l s .'�fI .llh 7 1 6 .�f6±) 1 4 . . . �b4+ I S .'�fI and White was slightly better in Van der Sterren-Nikolic, Rotterdam 1 99 7 .

9. i.f4-e3

1 0. i.f1 -g2

1 1 . 0-0

1 2. b3-b4

1 3. '/1lVd1 -b3

1 4. 'li'b3-c2

1 5. d4xe5

1 6 . ttJf3xe5

i.fS-e7

0-0

'li'dS-c7

a6-a5

a5-a4

e6-e5

ttJd7xe5

'ii'c7xe5

Chapter 5 : Catalan-Style: 5 .93

Chances are roughly equal in this 1 9.0-0 This sensible move, evacuating the position. king from the centre, promises White a

comfortable advantage. In practice, White IV. 3 has also tried 1 9 .c6 d4 2 0 .�f2 , and here

6. c4-c5

A) Now, interesting complications can arise after 6 ... �f5 7.tt:le5 tt:lfd7

S.liJxd7 l/Jxd7 9.�g2 g 6 1 0.f3 White prepares to seize the centre with his pawns, but Black is ready for such a development. 1 0 ... b4 1 1 .tt:la4 If 1 1 . e4 bxc3 1 2 .exfS cxb2 1 3 .�xb2 gxfS , everything is in order for Black. 1 1 ...e5

12.e4 �e6 1 3 .f4 exd4 1 4.exd5 In the variation 1 4 .'lWxd4 'lWf6 1 5 . �e3 �g7 1 6 .e5 'ti e 7 1 7 .'tixb4 J:r b 8 1 8 .'tiaS f6 1 9 .0-0 fxeS 2 0 :iYxa6 e400 White wins a pawn, but Black is not worse, thanks to his central predominance. 1 4 ... cxd5

15 .'lbd4 'lit6 1 6 .�e3 �g7 1 7.'lixb4 IlbS

1S.WVd 2 0-0

Black missed the brilliant counterblow 20 . . . �h3 ! ! (after 2 0 . . . �c4? 2 1 . 0-0-0 (2 1 .cxd7±) 2 1 . . . d3 (2 1 . . .Cilb6;t) 2 2 .cxd7 + - White achieved a decisive advantage, Bronstein-Bagirov, Minsk 1 98 3 ) 2 1 .�f3 ( 2 1 .�xh3 J:rfe8+ 2 V;tJf1 'liIYxc6+ also favours Black) 2 1 . . . tLleS !+ . 1 9 ... d4 20.�f2± .

B) The main alternative is 6 ... �f5 7.�g2

and now 7 . . . 'tic8 8 .h3 h6 9 .�f4 gS 1 0 .�eS tLlbd7 1 1 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .14 g4 1 3 .tLle5 �g7 ( 1 3 . . . 'tic7 ! ? 1 4. e3 e6 l S .tLld3 as 1 6 .a3 h5 1 7 . 0 -0 �g7+ also looks satisfactory) 1 4. 0 -0 h5 1 5 .M 0-0 ( l S . . . a5 1 6 .bxa5i, Goldin-Nikolaidis, St Petersburg 1 99 3 ) 1 6 .a4 '!Ye6 1 7 .'tid2 tLle4 1 8 .�xe4 dxe4 1 9 .'tia2 'liIYxa2 2 0 ..lha2 �xe5 2 1 .dxeS as nJlb2 axb4 2 3 .J:rxM bxa 4 24 . tLlxa 4 J:ra5 , and Black's chances are no worse.

C) It is also possible to fight for the e5 square straightaway with 6 ... tt:lbd7. According to my notes in my oId exercise book, this was the last line we looked at. 7.�g2 g6 S.O-O 8 .e4! ? dxe4 (8 . . . b4 9 .exd5 ! bxc3 1 0 .dxc6 tLlb8 1 1 .tLle5±) 9 .tLlg5 �g 7 1 0 .tLlgxe4 �b 7 1 1 .0-0 tLlxe4 1 2 . tLlxe4 tLlf6 1 3 .ne 1 O-O;!;/ = .

69


8 ... �g7 9.�f4

C l ) Or 9 .e4 ttJxe4 1 0 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 1 .<1:lg5 <1:lf6 1 2 .ttJxe4 ttJd5 (Chebanenko considered this position to be equal) 1 3 .lle l 0 -0 1 4 .<1:lc3 �e6 1 5 .�g5 , Khenkin-Charbonneau, Andorra 2003 ) 15 . . Jh7 != ; C 2 ) 9.�g5 0 -0 1 0 .�d2 M l 1 .ttJa4

ttJe4 1 2 .WxM llbS 1 3 .'li'e l ttJxg5 1 4 .ttJxg5 �xd4+ (Chebanenko) . 9 ... 0-0 The continuation 9 . . . ttJh5 has hardly been studied, but at first glance, it seems fully satisfactory for Black: 1 0.�g5 0-0 I l .e4 M 1 2 .<1:lxd5 ( 1 2 .<1:le2 dxe4 1 3 .ttJd2 f6 1 4 .�e3 ts oo) 1 2 . . . cxd5 1 3 .exd5 h6 1 4.�d2 a5�. 10.t2:ieS t2:ixeS

1 1 .�xeS I I .dxe5 ttJh5 . 1 1 ...�e6 1 2.�d2

Chebanenko only considered 1 2 .h3 'iVd7 1 3 . 'it>h2 ctJe4 1 4 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 5 .�xg 7 'it>xg7 1 6 .�xe4 �xh3 1 7 .�xc6 'li'xc6 I S .'it>xh3 .t'tfdSoo. 1 2 •. 'li'd7 1 3.f3 �h3

14.a4 �xg2 1 S .Wxg2 b4 1 6 .t2:ia2 as= ,

Ruck-Marzolo, Tallinn 1 99 7 .

Back to the main line. 6 . ...

7. �f1 -g2

S. 0-0

9. <1:lf3-e5

g7-g6

�fS-g7

0-0

In this fairly quiet posmon, several move-orders are possible, but none of

7 0

them take the game far from the realms of equality. For example, 9 .�4 �f5 1 0 .<1:le5 'ifcs 1 1 .lle l lldS 1 2 .f3 �h3 1 3 .�xh3 'li'xh3 1 4 .e3 'iics 1 5 .g4 <1:lbd7 1 6 .ttJd3 as 1 7 .�g3 ttJfS I S .'li'e2 lleS 1 9 .h3 ttJ6d7 2 0 .'li'h2 draw, RomanishinEpishin, Reggio Emilia 1 99 4/ 9 5 .

9 . ... �c8-e6

Black plans to prepare the exchange of the bishops by . . . 'li'cs and . . . �h3 . At the same time, he also gets the option of other methods of development, such as . . . ttJbd7 and . . . lldS. Interesting complications arise after 9 . . . <1:lg4 1 0 .f4 ttJf6 l 1 . e3 ( l 1 .a3 'ifc7) 1 1 . . .�f5 1 2 .g4 �e4 1 3 .ttJxe4 ( 1 3 . g5 �xg2 1 4 . gxf6 exf6 1 5 .ttJxc6 <1:lxc6 1 6 .'it>xg2 'iid7 1 7 .M ttJxM I s .'li'b3 ttJd3 Bellon Lopez-Hodgson, Bern 1 995) 1 3 . . . ctJxe4 1 4.a4 M I 5 .a5�.

1 0. h2-h3

1 0 .f4 'lics with the idea of . . . lldS ,

. . . �h3 (Chebanenko) . 1 O. .. . 'li'dS-cS

Here, the aggressive 1 1 .g4 is interesting: White tries to cramp the black pieces as much as possible, especially the battery 1/i'cS/ �e6. 11 ... hS 12 .f3 ( 1 2 .g5 ctJe4) 12 ... t2:ih7 ( 1 2 . . .hxg4 1 3 .fxg4 <1:lh7 1 4.e4 dxe4 1 5 .�xe4 ctJf6 1 6 .�g2 lla7 1 7 .a3 a5 �/= Chebanenko) 1 3 .gxhS?! This is an

unnecessary release of the tension. It was better to maintain it by 1 3 .�e3 ttJd7 1 4.t2Jd3 ! (this transfer of the knight to d3 is typical for the Chebanenko Variation. The knight not only threatens to come to f4, but also stops b4) 1 4 . . . hxg4 1 5 .hxg4 �d8 1 6 .ifd2:t. 13 ... gxhS 14.�h2 1 4.e4 �xh3 1 5 .exd5 Ud8 1 6 . f4oo. 1 4 ... l2ld7

1S.tLlxd7 '/Wxd7 1 6 .J::!.g1 �h8 1 7.e3 .l:lg8

1 8.f4 12lf6 1 9.'/We1 ii.h6 20JWh4 ktg7 and the attack along the g-file is unpleasant for White, Kortchnoi-Shirov, Groningen 1996 .

1 1 . I£tg1 -h 2 tLlf6-e4

1 2. tLlc3xe4 d5xe4

13. �g2xe4 IU8-d8

14. f2-f4 �e6xh3

1 5. l'l.f1 -f2

Worse is 1 5 J:rh 1 �f5 1 6 . 'iV d3 ( 1 6.�g2 ! ?) 1 6 . . . �xe4 1 7 .�xe4 'iVe6+, Ulibin-Voiska , Iraklion 1 99 3 .

15. ... �h3-e6

It seems he should have driven the knight from the centre : 1 5 " . f6 1 6.t2Jf3 �e6oo.

1 6 . e2-e3 f7-f5!?

16 .. .f6 1 ? 1 7 .t2Jd3 �d5 1 8 .�g2 �xg2 19 .1:I.xg2 .

1 7. �e4-f3;!;;

Goldin-Bologan, New York 1 9 9 3 .

Chapter 5 : Catalan-Style: 5 .g3

White has succeeded in obtaining an advantage in the centre, thanks to his pawn majority, but the position remains very tense.

Conclusion Despite the fact that 5 .g 3 is only the seventh choice in terms of popularity, Chebanenko considered it one of the most dangerous continuations. The fianchetto always leads to a reliable, harmonious development of White's pieces. Black's best chances arise after S . . . bS . White, in his turn, should close the position with c4-cS , after which he prepares e2-e4. Both practice and analysis show that our fears of 2 0 years ago were exaggerated, and Black can fight for equality after both 6 " .�f5 , and 6" .l2Jbd7 .

7 1

Chapter 6

Developing: 5.jLf4

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3/2Jg1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.�c1 -f4

No normal developing move can be bad in this position. White wishes to play e2-e3 and first develops his bishop outside the pawn chain, whilst at the same time not yet determining the pawn structure in the centre. Depending on the concrete situation, both the exchange on d5 and the cramping advance c5 are possible (with the bishop on f4, it is harder for Black to react to the latter with the advance . . . e7-e5) .

• • •

5 . ... d5xc4

The most natural reaction. Black immediately rules out c4-c5 , and with the bishop on f4, in many variations he can gain an important tempo by . . . tLlf6-d5 .

A) 6.e3 .

This modest move is connected with a nice trap, which Black needs to know about: 6 . . . b5 7 .tLle5 e6 8 .�e2 1ib7 9 .1ih5 g6 (only this move! The trap occurs after 9 . . . tLlxh5 ? 1 0 .iYxh5 g6 CossinShalamberidze , Saint Lorrain 2 0 0 5 ; 1 1 .tLlxg6 fxg6 1 2 .'m'e5 ±) 1 0 .�f3 tLld5:f. B) 6.e4. Not the most dangerous con

tinuation for Black to face. Of course, the

7 2

pawn centre d4 + e4 looks nice, but neither pawn threatens to advance further, and therefore Black can quietly get on with developing his pieces.

6 . . . bS 7 .Wic2 (if 7 .a4 .tb7 8 .axbS cxbS 9.dS g6 1 0 .�e2 .tg7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 .'ilVc2 lbbd7 1 3 .l:lfd 1 tLlcS=t= Black succeeds in placing his pieces conveniently, whilst retaining his extra pawn) 7 . . . .tb7 8 . .te2 e6 9.1'ld1 tLlbd7 1 0 .0-0 .te7oo. Thanks to his space advantage, White has some compensation for the pawn, but it is not so easy to suggest an acti ve plan for him. C) 6.g31?

The Catalan motif is possible in this line too, although the bishop on f 4 is not optimally placed for such a set-up.

6 ... b5 In the event of 6 . . . tt:ld5 7 . .td2 g6 8.e4 tiJxc3 9 . .txc3 b5 1 0 .d5 White has a dangerous initiative. 7.�g2 �b7 B.O-O e6

9./iJe5 �e7 1 0.'iI'c2 Continuing to play in gambit style. It is also possible not to give away the second pawn, and to continue with the sensible-looking alternative of playing on the queenside by 1 0 .a4, for example: 1 0 . . . tLld5 1 1 .axbS cxbS 1 2 .tbxd5 exd5 1 3 .b 3 ! f6 1 4.tt:lg4 (White also has an interesting piece sacrifice, the consequences of which are not easy to assess: 1 4 .tt:lxc4 bxc4 1 5 . bxc4 'iWd7 1 6 .iVb3 tLlc6 1 7 . .txd5 a5 ) 14 . . . iVd7 with a double-edged position. 10 ... f!Vxd4 1 H!.f d 1 '/Wc5 1 Vt'Je4 tiJxe4 13 .. be4 g6 The move 1 3 . . . f5 ? is refuted in beautiful style:

Chapter 6: Developing : 5 . .tf4

1 4.M5 exf5 1 5 .'S'xf5 .tf6 1 6 .�d7 ! ! , and White wins. 14.�e3 'il'xe5 15 .�d4 'il'c7 1 6 . .liL.xhB tiJd7

1 7.b3 15 1B . .liL.g2 w17 1 9 . .liL.b2 cxb3 20.8Xb3

c5 21 .e4!.

On the board we have approximate material equality (the exchange for two pawns) , but thanks to the somewhat insecure position of the enemy king, White retains definite pressure.

Now we come to the main move. 6. a2-a4

Preventing the advance . . . b7-b5 , after which White would not be able to regain the pawn on c4.

6. ... tLlf6-d5

Our notes ended here. Black has won a pawn, he gains a tempo thanks to the unfortunate position of the bishop on f4, and he starts a battle in the centre.

7 3


Instead, the line 6 . . . bS 7 . axbS cxbS 8 .<1:lx bS <1:ldS 9. �d2 is in White's favour.

A) Exchanging the bishop for an undeveloped knight is hardly a good idea: 7.kxb8 :txb8 8.e4 (or 8 .tueS e6 9 . e4 <1:lb4 1 0 .i1!.xc4 �xd4!) 8 . . .tuxc3 9 .bxc3 bS 1 0 .�e2 (also in Black's favour is 1 0 .tueS Wic7 l 1 .WUf3 e6 1 2 .WUg3 Jii.b7 1 3 .axbS cxbS 1 4.f3 J:tc8+ M.BraunGelle, Hungary tt 2 0 0 1 /02 ) 1 0 . . . g6 1 1 .h4 hs 1 2 .ttJeS 'fic7 1 3 .f4 iLg7 1 4 .g4 hxg4 l S . �xg4 Jii.xg4 1 6 .�xg4 heS 1 7 .fxeS '{jIaS 1 8 .'i¥g3 e6+ (Fardbehbahani-K. Kuznetsov, Dubai 200 1 ) .

B) 7.'lIUd2 tLlxf4 Worse is 7 . . . e6 , after which White regains the pawn, retaining at the same time the superiority in the centre : 8 . e4 ttJxc3 9. bxc3 bS 1 0 .ilLe2 .¥Lb7 1 1 . 0 -0 ilLe7 1 2 JHb 1 ttJd7 (the c4 pawn cannot be saved anyway, since on 1 2 . . . Wic8 there would also follow 1 3 .ilLxc4! bxc4 1 4.Wib2 na7 l s .Wib6) 1 3 .ilLxc4 0-0 14 .ilLd3 cS l S .Wie2 cxd4 1 6 .cxd4 ttJf6 1 7 .ilLgS h6 1 8 .ilLd2 ilLc6 1 9 .MC 1 Wib6 20 .dS ! exdS 2 1 . exdS ttJxdS (Kozul-Jukic, Ljubljana 1 99 6) , and White could have won the exchange, whilst retaining all the advantages of his position: 22 .�e4 g6 23 .ttJeS fs 24 .�f3 �b7 25 .ttJd7±. 8.'lIUxf4

74

8 . . . 'lIUd6 The pragmatic approach : Black offers transposition into an endgame, in

which White will probably regain the sacrificed pawn , but can hardly count on any advantage. The attempt to explOit the white queen's distance from the queenside does not lead to success: 8 . . . 'llVb6 9 . 0 -0 -0 ! (Black's idea is shown by 9 .'i¥d2 a s 1 0 . e 3 ( 1 0 . e4 g6) 1 0 . . . WUb4 1 1 ..¥Le2 g6 1 2 .0 - 0 Jig7 1 3 .ttJeS �e6 1 4 .ttJe4 Wixd2 l S .<1:lxd2 bS 1 6 .ilLf3 ilLxeS 1 7 .dxeS lla6=i=) 9 . . .f6 1 0 .ttJd2;t and White regains the pawn, retaining a serious advantage in development and a clear initiative. 9.'lIUxd6

exd6 1 0.e4 (Bauer-Bacrot , Val d 'Isere 2 0 0 2 ) , and here , thanks to a nice tactical idea . Black could secure excellent counterplay : 1 0 .. .f5 1 1 .tLld2 fxe4 1 VLJxc4

ke6 1 3Ji.Jb6 1:la7 1 4 . 8xe4 tLld7 15 .lLlc8

d5 ! , after which the white knight is stuck in the very heart of the enemy position, and will not return home any time soon. e) Too passive is 7 .ilLg3 e6 8 .e4 tLlxc3

9 .bxc3 b S .

Black quietly completes his development, retaining his extra pawn. For example. 1 0 .ilLe2 ilLe7 1 1 . 0-0 �b7 1 2 .'i¥b 1 'irc8 1 3 .ttJd2 0-0 H.eS ttJd7 l s .ilLf3 ttlb6 1 6 .Jii.e4 h6 1 7 . f4 cS 1 8 .dxcS hcs+

1 9 .�hl �xe4 2 0 . QJxe4 ttJxa4+ (Hergott-O 'Donnell, Ottawa 1 99 5 ) .

7. e2-e3 QJd5xf4 8. e3xf4

a ... e7-e6

An unusual position usually requires unusual hanclling. From this point of view, Khalifman's idea deserves attention: 8_i,e6

9./Ue5 g6 1 0.hc4 �xc4 11 /bxc4 �g7

12.'ifb3 0-0 1 3.l:!.d1 The complications after 1 3 .'iYxb7 turn out in Black's favour: 1 3 . . .'iVxd4 1 4.'iVxa8 (or 1 4.ttJb6 tbd7 ! I S .QJxa8 QJc5) 1 4 . . . 'iVxc4 1 5 .'iVa7 Lc3+ 1 6.bxc3 c5 1 7 .'i'c7 'i'xc3+ 1 8 .'it>e2 'i'c4+ 1 9 .'it>f3 �d3 + 2 0 .'it>g4 h5 + 2 1 .�h4 'ilUe2 22 .f3 'i'xg2+. 1 3 ... 'ifc7

14./Ue5 ibd7 1 5.0-0 tLlf6 1 6.l:!.d3 e6 1 7.g3

. !UdS with mutual chances , Gareev-Khalifman, Moscow 2007 .

9 . �f1 xc4 �f8-e7

10. 0-0 0-0

1 1 . 'iV d1 -c2 QJb8-d7

1 2. QJc3-e4 QJd7-bS

1 3. i1l.c4-d3 h7-h6

Here Black had another chance to complicate: 1 3 . . . ttJd5 ! ? 1 4 .g3 ( 1 4/tJeg5 f5 1 5 .g3 h6 1 6 .QJh3 g5 1 7 .fxg5 hxg5 18 .QJe5 g4 1 9 .ttJf4 ttJxf4 2 0 .gxf4 'i'xd4+=) 1 4 . . . ttJb4 1 5 .'iVc3 a5= (Komliakov) .

14. QJe4-c3 QJb6-d7

Chapter 6: Developing : 5 . . �.J4

And here, after 1 4 . . .tDd5 1 5 .4Jxd5 �xd5 1 6 .l:rad I , White can quietly build up pressure on the kingside, for instance: 1 6 . . J �d8 1 7 .ttJe5 'i'd6 1 8 .�h7+ �8 1 9 .�e4 Wg8 2 0 .i:ld3 ;t (Komliakov) .

1 5. :g:f1 -e1 cS-c5?!

After 1 5 . . . ttJf6 1 6 .'i'd2 b6 1 7 .ttJe5 iLb7 White stands a little better, but Black can certainly survive.

1 S. :J:I.a1 -d1

1 7. QJf3xd4

1 8. QJd4-f3

1 9. QJf3-e5

c5xd4

i1l.e7-f6

�d8-b6

QJd7-c5

Popovici -Ionescu-Brandis , Bucharest 1 9 94, and here White could have won by force :

20. �d3-h7+ �g8-h8

21 . QJc3-d5! eSxd5

22. QJe5xf7+ �f8xf7

23. l:Xe1 -e8+ gf7-f8

24. l:!.e8xf8

Mate.

Conclusion

Black should be careful. since any natural development, combined with central superiority, contains seeds of danger for him. If Black is not satisfied with Komliakov's recommendations after 8 . . . e6, I can advise him to play the Khalifman idea 8 . . . �e6 .

75

Chapter 7

The Rare 5.�g5

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tLlg 1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1-c3 a7-a6 5 . .¥Lc1 -g5

S . .i.gS is qu ite a rare move. It is generally considered (and not without justification) that the early jump of the black knight into the centre gives him good play .

• • •

6 . ... tLlf6-e4

First we will look at the minor alternatives for White.

A) 6ih4 is hardly dangerous , in view of 6 . ..tZlxc3 7.bxc3 dxc4 8.e4 b5 9.�e2 (or 9 .4Je5 g6 (9 . . . .i.e6 ! ?) 1 0 . .¥Le2 .i.g7 l Lt g 3 0-0 1 2 .M c5 1 3 .d5 e6+ Akesson-Sammalvuo, Reykjavik 1 99 5 ) 9 ... g 6 1 0.0-0 �g7 1 1.'� c1 0-0 1 2 .a4 f6

( 1 2 . . . <1:ld7 1 3 .�a3 = Sandstr6m-Hellsten, Sweden tt 1 9 9 5/96) 1 3.d5 cxd5 1 4.axb5

i.b7 1 5.tZld4 'lIfd7 1 6.b6 e6�;

B) 6.h4 Original, but also not dangerous for Black. Of course, he will not take the bishop, but by attacking it with a pawn at the right moment, he can gain an important tempo. 6 ... lLlxc3 7.bxc3 dxc4

and now:

7 6

B 1 ) 8.g3 has been seen, for example:

B l l ) 8 ... �e6 9 . .i.g2 4Jd7 1 0 .�b l ( 1 0 . a4 .i.d5 I I .a5 f6 1 2 .�f4 e5 1 3 .dxe5 fxeS 1 4 . .i.e3 .i.c5 1 5 .'iVd2 0-0 1 6 .0-0 'iVe7 1 7 .lIab l (Lutz-Bologan, Germany Bundesliga 1 99 3 / 94) 1 7 . . . <1:lf6=i=) 1 0 . . .f6 1 1 ..i.f4 b5 1 2 . 0 �0 4Jb6 1 3 .e4 .i.f7

14.�e l e6 I S .'/iIc2 �a3 1 6 .J:rad l O�O 17 .i.h3� (Bocharov-Alavkin, Bor 2 000) ; B 1 2) Also not bad is 8 ... b5 9.�g2 �b7

1 0.0-0 CiJd7 and now: B I 2 l ) 1 1 .a4 h6 1 2..�.f4 e6 1 3 .'iVd2

�e7 14.J:Hbl 0-0 I S . e4 11e8 1 6 .e5 cS ! ?� Tukmakov-Velicka, Basel 2 000 ; B1 22) 1 1 .e4 h6 1 2 . .if4 e6 1 3 .g4 i.e7

1 4. a4 tllb6 I S .gS hxgs 1 6 .hxgS �d6 17 .tlleS i.xeS 1 8 .�xeS 'ti'xgS 1 9 .'Mfb 1 �d7+ Dreev�Malakhov, Khanty-Mansiysk 200S ; B I B ) 1 1.'ii'b1 'iVc8 ! ( 1 1 . . .h6 1 2 . .if4

e6 1 3 .tlleS ( 1 3 .tLld2 g S ! 1 4.hxgS hxgS I S .�e3 nb8 1 6 .tlle4 �e7� favours Black) 1 3 . . . tLlxeS ( 1 3 . . . gS 1 4 .�xc6 .txc6 I S .tLlxc6 � c8 1 6 .�eS tLlxeS 1 7 .tllxeS gxM 1 8 .'ti'e4t) 1 4 . .ixeS 'iYd7 I S . .ie4 ! ?gg) 1 2 . e4 (both 1 2 . tlle S ? ! �xeS 1 3 .dxe5 h 6 1 4 . .if4 e6�, and 12 .a4 e6 1 3 . axbS cxbS� are bad) 12 . . . e6 1 3 .:e:el h6 1 4 .�f4 �e7 I S .'i'c2 0-0 1 6 Jhdl :e:e8= Naer-Kobalia, Russia 2002 .

B2) S.e4.

S ... bS 9.tbeS tbd7 9 . . . l/iVaS 1 0 .�d2 e6 1 1 .J:[h3 tLld7 1 2 .tLlxd7 �xd7 1 3 .'i'hS 0-0-0 (Black can fight for the advantage with I 3 . . . 'i'c7 , for instance: 1 4.:e:f3 g6 I S .'i'gS h6 1 6 .'i'f6 :e:h7 1 7 . .if4 iYb7

Chapter 7 : The Rare S . .igS

1 8 .�eS cS 1 9 .dS .ie7 20 . .ie3 exdS 2 1 .exdS 'iYb8�) 1 4.:e:g3 f6 I S .a4= (Lobron-Magem Badals, Moscow 1 994) . 1 0.tbxc6 �b6 1 0 . . . 'iYc7 1 1 .dS �b7 1 2 ..ie2 .ixc6 1 3 .dxc6 'iYxc6 1 4.'/iIdS �xdS I S . exdS g6� Dao Thien HaiKeitlinghaus , Budapest 1 99 6 . H .dS e6

1 2.�hS g6 1 3 .�f3 �b7 1 4.hS kxc6

1 S .hxg6 tbeS 1 6.�f6 tbxg6 1 7.dxe6 fxe6

1 8.�xe6+ �e7 1 9.�xe7 Cf1xe7 20.�e2 �cS

21 .11d 1 hS 22.'iVf6 Ilh7 23.eS h4 24,lld4

�xg2 2SJl:hxh4 l:lxh4"i' IvanisevicAnastasian, Panormo 1 998 .

Back to the position after S . . . 4'le4. C) 6.e3

6 .. JWaS Also not bad is 6 . . . 4'lxgS 7 .4'lxgS e6 (7 . . . eS 8 .h4 f6 9.4'lf3 e4 1 0 .4'ld2) 8 . f4 .ie7 9 .4'lf3 0-0 1 0 .iYc2 cS 1 1 ..id3 h6 1 2 .cxdS exdS 1 3 . 0-0 lLlc6 1 4.a3 cxd4 I S . exd4 .if6 (M . UmanskyMovsesian, Internet 2 0 0 S ) 1 6 .'tWf2 .ie6 1 7 .�ac l iYaS = 7.'lWa4 7 . cxdS tLlxc3 8 .bxc3 'iVxcH 9 .4'ld2 'tWaS 1 0 . . l:t cl ( 1 0 .i.d3 'i'xdS ) 1 0 . . . 'iYxdS 1 1 .4'lf3 iYaS + . 7 ... iVxa4 8.tbxa4 tbd7 9.cxdS tbxgS

1 0.tbxgS cxdS 1 1 .�d3 eS Black has fully equal chances in the endgame.

Now we arrive at the main line. 6. iLg5-f4 lLle4xc3

7 7


7. b2xc3 d5xc4

A) B.tLle5 (provoking . . . £7 -f 6) 8 . . . bS 9 .g3 f6 1 0 .t2Jf3 e6 ( 1 0 . . . gS 1 1..� d2 i.fS 1 2 .i.g2 i.e4 1 3 .0-0 e6 1 4.h4 h6 l S .lbe1 i.xg2 1 6 .t2Jxg2�) 1 1 .i.g2 Sl.e7 1 2 .0-0 0-0 1 3 .a4 i.b7 1 4 .�b 1 'li'c8 l S .e4 t2Jd7 (Piket-Gelfand, Wijk aan Zee (blitz) 1 9 98 ) 1 6 .i.h3 'if£7 1 7 .Se 1 with compensation for the material;

B) B.g3 b5 9.�g2 �b7 1 0.ttie5 After this move, possible sacrifices on c4 are in the air.

1 0_.f6 Or 1 0 . . . 'ii'c8 1 1 .Sb 1 tLld7 and now:

B 1 ) Bad is 1 2 .t2Jxc4? bxc4 1 3 .0-0 e6 1 4.�a4 l:la7 ( 1 4 . . . i.e7 ? l s Jhb7 'ii'xb7 1 6 .i.xc6 "li'a7 1 7J:t b 1 ±) l S .i.e3 cS 1 6 .i.f4 i.e7+ with insufficient compensation for the piece, Shirov-Movsesian, Sarajevo 2002 ; B 2 ) 1 2 .0-0 e6 1 3 . e4 t2JxeS 1 4.i.xeS f6

l S .i.f4 i.a3 1 6 .�hS + g6 1 7 .'/jIh6 '/jId7 1 8 .i.c 1 i.f8 1 9 .'i!'f4 i.e7 2 0 .'i!'h6=. 1 1 .tLlxc4?! g5! An effective tactical refutation of White's idea. 1 1 . . . bxc4 1 2 .l:tb l 'iVc8 1 3 .'iVa4 gS 1 4 .i.xb8 J;'!.xb8 l S .dS i.a8 1 6 . 0-0 l::!.bS 1 7 .'/jIxc4 e6 1 8 .i.h3 'ii'b 7 ! -+ , Utnasunov-Rustemov, Elista 200 1 . 1 2.�xbB Black is also better after 1 2 .i.e3 bxc4 1 3 .tib l 'ii'c7 1 4.h4 gxh4 I S .ldxh4 tLld7 1 6 .'/jIa4 ldb8 1 7 .'ii'xc4 cS

7 8

18 .i.xb7 l::txb7 1 9 .1::txb7 'ii'xb7 20 .dxc5 'iVc6+ . 1 2 ... bxc4! The white bishop has

no path back home. 1 3.Il:b1 !:[xbB 14.J:lxb7

J:!.xb7 1 5 .�xc6+ J:rd7 1 6 .'il4'a4 e6 17.0-0

�d6 1 B.'i?xa6 'it>f7 1 9.�xd7 'iYxd7 20.'lWxc4

.l:tbB=i= (Thorsteins-Dreev, Kilj ava 1 9 84) .

Now for White's most important option. S. e2-e4

It looks as though WlUte should at least have very good compensation for the

pawn, but one important circumstance is in Black's favour: a pair of knights have already been exchanged. It is the knight most of all that suffers from the cramp in Black's position.

S. ... b7-b5

9. ttJf3-e5

This aggressive knight move was one of the first attempts to 'refute' the

Chebanenko system by a direct blow. Later in this position, White players be

gan trying the rather 'abstract' move

9.�b1 , which does not pose Black serious problems: 9 . . . i.g4 1 0 .t2JeS ( 1 0 .�e2 !? e6

l 1 .h3 i.xf3 1 2 .i.xf3�) 1 0 . . . i,e6 1 1 .i.e2 f6 1 2 .tLlf3 i.£7 1 3 . a4 e6 1 4.0-0 i.e7 1 5 .ax bS (1 S .dS eS 1 6 .i.e3 0-0 1 7 J:tdl 'ii'c7oo) I S . . . cxbS 1 6 .eS i,g6 1 7 :iYc 1 �e4 1 8 .exf6 i.xf6 1 9 .'iYe3 �dS 20 .tLlgS i.xgS 2 1 .i.xgS il'd7 Bigg-

Kurrnann, Winterthur 2006 2 2 .'iWf4 tLlc6 23 .l:'tfe 1 ttJd8 24.�hS + g6 2 S .�f3 r;;g .

9. .. �c8-e6

The best reply according to current theory, although 9 ... 'l!Ua5 is also not bad: 1 0 .gc1 ( 1 0 .�d2 tLld7 1 1 .tLlxc6 "VJJc7 l 2 .t2Jb4 �b7 1 3 .eS e6 1 4 .<'bc2 tLl b6 1 5 .'ifg4 hS 1 6 ."VJJg3 h4 1 7 ."VJJh3 "VJJc6 1 8 .f3 b4+ Gormally-Volkov, Port Erin 2000) 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 ."VJJhS "VJJc7 1 2 .�g3 'ilVa7 1 3 .'ii'g4 hS 1 4 .'ii'gS "VJJe7 l S ."VJJe3 g6!? ( l S . . . cS ! ? 1 6 .dxcS 'iVxcs 1 7 .'iVf4 'il'e7 1 8 .�h4 'iVc7+) 1 6 .�f4= (RausisVelicka, Cairo 200 1 ) . Even the old move 9 ... 96 is possible, for instance : A) 10.h4 is not dangerous for Black:

10 .. .f6 1 1 .ttJf3 �g4 1 2 .hS gS 1 3 .�e3 lLld7 14.�e2 eS l S .h6 'ii'aS 1 6 .0 -0 �a3 1 7 .dxeS il.xf3 1 8 .�xf3 <'bxeS 1 9 .�hS+ r3Je7 20 .�d4 llad8 2 1 .f4 gxf4 2 2 .llxf4 llhf8 23 .'i'fl �d6 draw, Notkin-Chekhov, Orel 1 99 7 ; B) 10.'li'f3 f6 1 1 .'iV g3 �e6 1 2 .tLlf3

( l 2.dS cxdS 1 3 .exdS �xdS 1 4 .lld l e6+ Zaid-N. Popov, Daugavpils 1 9 74) l 2 0 0 .�g7 1 3 .�e2 "VJJaS 1 4 .llc 1 tLld7 ( 1 4" . 0-0 l S .h4 �f7 1 6 .hS gS 1 7 .h6±, Zaid-N. Popov, Cheliabinsk 1 9 7 S ) 1 S .h4 'i'xa2 1 6 .ttJd2 �aS 00.

1 0. 'if dl -f3

After 1 0 .�e2 Black also puts into effect his main plan - driving the knight from e5 : 1 0 .. .f6 1 1 .tLlg4 �f7 1 2 .0-0 ( 1 2 .h4 e6 1 3 .a:h3 cS 1 4 . dS exdS I S .exdS �d6= Zakharevich-Alavkin, Saratov 1 9 9 9 ) 1 2 . . .e 6 1 3 .a4 �e7 1 4 .�g3 tLld7 l S .f4

Chapter 7: The Rare 5 .�g5

0-0 1 6 .aS .a:c8 1 7 .tLle3 �d6 1 8 .eS �c7 1 9 .�h4 �xaS+ Budnikov-Shemeakin, Alushta 1 99 9 .

1 0. ... f7-f6

1 1 . tLle5-94 h 7-h5

Also reasonable is 1 L . tLld 7 . 1 2. tLl94-e3 97-95

1 3 . il.f4xb8 95-94

1 4. 'li'f3-dl l:a8xb8

1 5. il,f1 -e2 il,f8-h6+

Shomoev-Vnuk, Tula 1 9 9 9 .

Conclusion

The use of computers in chess analysis has greatly increased the defensive resources in positions , which inevitably results in the reassessment of many gambit variations. Even so, at the board, when two human players are facing one another, with all their emotions, anxieties , tiredness , etc . , sacrificing material frequently brings a strong psychological initiative, as well as the initiative on the board itself In concrete terms, I can recommend the move 9 ."VJJb 1 to white players , as a way to take play forward.

79

Part I I - I nserting 5.a4 e6

Chapter 8 : Catalan-Style : 6 .g 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · 8 2

Chapter 9 : The Timid 6 .e 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

. . . 9 3

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning : 6 .�g 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · 9 7

8 1

Chapter 8

Catalan-Style: 6.g3

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lbg1 -f3 ttJg8-f6 4.ttJb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.a2-a4 e7-e6 6.g2-g3

Answering prophylaxis with prophylaxis (5.a4), White prevents the advance . . . bl-bS and forces his opponent to transpose into one of the standard Slav schemes (5 . . . e6, 5 . . . 2ifS, 5 . . . g6 etc.). Whom the inclusion of the moves 4 . . . a6 5.a4 favours, only the subsequent play will show. After the natural reply 5 . . . e6, White has three main con

tinuations: 6.e3, 6 .i.g5 and 6.g3. The Catalan-style 6.g3 is a good possibility, as in

the ensuing positions the inclusion of a2-a4 and . . . a7 -a6 favours White .

• • •

Let's first have a look at the alternatives : A) 5 ... g 6 This inoffensive fianchetto of

the bishop to g7 cannot really be a way to full equality. White can bring his own

82

bishop to f4 or gS , or play the immediate e 3 :

A I ) 6.�f4 �g7 7.e3 0-0 8.'ifb3 'i'a5

9.�a3! Now there is no satisfactory defence to the threat of b2-b4, therefore the black queen has to return home emptyhanded. White blocks his opponent's queenside and wins the opening battle. 9 ... 'iYd8 1 0.a5 dxc4 1 1Jb c4 lDbd7 12.0-0

b5 1 3.axb6 lDxb6 14.�e2 lDbd5 1 5.ge5

with a clear positional advantage to White;

A2) 6.�g5 �g7 7 .e3 lDe4 White is better after 7 . . . 0-0 8 .iYb3 e6 9 . a5 ;!; with similar ideas to those after 6 .ID4. 8�f4 0-0

9 .i.d3 tLlxc3 1 0 . bxc3 tLld7 1 l . cxdS It is important to create a weakness on dS , else Black can equalise: 1 1 .0-0 dxc4 1 2 .�xc4 tLlb6 1 3 .�b3 tbdS 14 .�xdS 'Il:VxdS I S .tbeS f6 1 6 .c4 'iYaS 1 7 .tbf3 eS 18 .i.g3 �g4 1 9 .h3 �hS = (MedghoulSarakauskas, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 6) . 1 1 ... cxd5 1 2 .0-0 White's position is at the very least preferable ; A3 ) 6.e3 gg7 7 Sie2 0-0 8.0-0 a5 is of ten

s{!en in the a4-variation. Black takes control of the square b4, at the same time preventing White from expanding on the queenside. 9.b3

9 ... liJe4

The alternative is 9 . . . Ms , strengthening control over the square e4, but for the time being not occupying it with a piec e : 1 0 .�a3 tLla6 I I . cxdS cxdS 1 2 .,lle l h6 (the line 1 2 . . . tbb4 1 3 .tLleS J:tc8 also looks reasonable. Black fights for the c-file, and thereby supports his entire position) 1 3 .tbeS tbc7 ? ! (this is clearly the wrong direction, since White cannot create any real threats from the square bS , whilst the knight could have gone from a6 to the much better square 14) 14 .g4 �e6 I S .f4 tbce8 1 6 .fs gxfS 1 7 . gxfS �c8 1 8 .�d3 Wells-Zhu Chen , Pulvermiihle 2 0 0 0 . As they say, 'enough said ' .

Chapter 8 : Catalan-Style: 6 .93

1 0.gb2 tLlxc3 1 Uhc3 and White keeps a small edge, as he is prepared for any of Black's active attempts. such as . . . c6-cS and . . . e7-eS .

B) 5 ... .lit.f5 The principal drawback of this move lies in the weakening of the b7 pawn, which allows White to develop his pieces with tempo, whilst Black is forced onto the defensive.

6.ii'b3 rla7 In other lines , this move is not usually bad, but here White has the strong reply 7.a5! fixing b7 as a weakness and tying the rook to the unfortunate square a7 . In general , this is one of the main ideas for White in the battle against the Chebanenko system. 7 ... e6

8:iVb6 'lj'xb6 9.axb6 1:[a8 1 0.c5 tLlbd7

1 1 .e3 .

White's advantage is indisputable. His plan is simplicity itself: transfer the knight to as , after which it will be extremely difficult to meet the many threats against the pawns on a6 , b7 and c6 . 1 1 ... �e7 1 2.�e2 0-0 1 3 .tLld21 All according to plan. 1 3 ... e5 Black's counterplay comes too late. He will be able to speak of real threats only when his knight has come to e6 and his darksquared bishop to the long diagonal (the following variation, given by Gelfand , is interesting : 1 3 . . . aS 1 4 .tLlb3 �c2

8 3


1 5 .tiJxa5 tiJxb6 1 6 .11d2 tiJbd7 1 7 . 0-0 .!:!:fb8 1 8 .b4 with advantage to White) 1 4 .tiJb3 .tife8 1 5 .0-0 11f8 1 6 .11d2 11c2 1 7 .tiJa5 exd4 1 8 . exd4± (GelfandMorozevich , Astana 200 1 ) .

Back to the position after 5 .a4 and to the main subject of this chapter.

5. ... e7-e6

This is unquestionably the main line for Black here. Now White cannot play the cramping c4-c5 because of . . . b7 -b6.

6. 92-93

In principle, in Catalan-style positions, the inclusion of the moves a2-a4 and a7 -a6 should favour White, especially if the opponent has already played . . . c7 -c6 . The point is that Black does not really have any other plan than to play . . . c6-c5 , but this will involve the loss of a tempo. However, White's position also contains one clear weakness : his knight has come to c3 too early, and therefore, if Black takes on c4, it is hard to regain the pawn without some inconvenience. It is hard to attack c4 with the queen, and also with the queen's knight. White is therefore likely to have to use the king's knight for this task, although this piece would rather stay in the centre, on e5 . The minor alternatives for Black are:

84

A) 6 .. ..i.e 7 is a solid, but rather passive move. Black cannot achieve equality, if he does not resolve the development of his c8-bishop, so it makes sense to start thinking about this problem straightaway, rather than putting it off, in the vain hope that it will solve itself. 7.�g2 0-0 If 7 . . . aS 8 . 0-0 tiJa6 9 .tiJe5 tiJd7 1 0 .11f4 f5 l 1 .e4 fxe4 (Se. Ivanov-Shovunov, St Petersburg 1 9 9 7 ) White achieves a serious advantage by means of 1 2 . cxd5 exd5 1 3 .'lWh5+ g6 1 4 .tiJxg6 tiJf6 1 5 .�h4 J:.g8 1 6 .liJxe7 "i'xe7 1 7 .f3 ± . 8.0-0 a5 Of course, i t is nice to secure the b4-square, but this is

not the most important factor in the position. Now White has a choice of several natural continuatlOns, and after almost all of them, he retains the better game. In the following example, Black qUickly brings the rook on a8 into play, but one can only feel sorry for his queenside minor pieces : 8 . . . b6 ? ! 9 .tiJd2 l:h7 1 0 .e4 dxe4 1 1 .liJdxe4 Sd7 1 2 .�b3 11b 7 1 3 .aS b5 1 4.tt:Jc5 11xc5 1 5 . dxc5 Wile7 1 6 .�e3 .l:!.f d8 1 7 .h3 !;j;; (Shulman-Chekhov, Moscow 1 99 5 ) .

A I ) 9:t1ll'b3 is a very concrete move. The queen defends the c4-pawn, creates pressure on the queenside and frees a square for the rook. White wishes to bring all of his pieces into play as quickly as possible,

then open lines and exploit his superior development: 9 . . . 4Ja6 1 0 jH4 4JM l U:!.fdl b6 1 2 .4JeS �a6 1 3 .e4 gcS l 4.::lacl (With the exception of the knight on b4, all of Black's other pieces are rather passively placed) 1 4 . . . h 6 I S .exdS cxdS l 6 .cxdS lUfxdS 1 7 .4JxdS exdS l S .�d2± (Buhmann-Von Herman, Bad Konigshofen 2007) ;

A2) 9.�g5 is a fundamentally different plan. White wishes to prepare the advance e2-e4 and for this purpose he is prepared to exchange off his dark-squared bishop: 9 . . . <tIbd7 1 O .I:!.el h 6 1 1 .�xf6 4Jxf6 l 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 .tUxe4 �b6 l4 .�c2 ::ldS l S .cS 'iWc7 1 6 .0ed2t. Black has not solved the problem of the bishop on cS , and so White has a solid advantage (ElianovDrozclovsky; Kharkov 2000) ;

A3) 9.tiJe5?! Black's reply shows that this is a loss of tempo: 9 . . . 4Jfd7 1 0 .4Jf3 tiJb6 I l .b3 dxc4 1 2 .bxc4 lUxc4 1 3 .�b3 tiJb6 1 4.e4 ltJa6 I S . .l:!.d l ltJM 1 6 .�f4 tiJd7 1 7 .h4� . Thanks to his extra space and development, White has compensation for the pawn. However, Black's position is quite solid; he is not likely to mated in the foreseeable future, and his extra material may gradually tell (N aer -Malakhov, Istanbul 2003 ) ; A4) In another game between the same

opponents, Naer played the same idea in a more exact form, but still did not obtain the advantage: 9.t2ld2 �a6 1 0 .e4 ltJb4 1 1 .eS ltJd7 1 2 . cxdS cxdS 1 3 .ltJdb l ltJbS 14.lZJa3 ltJSc6 I S .�e3 b6 1 6 . .l:!.e l �a6 with chances for both sides (NaerMalakhov, Moscow 2 0 0 3 ) ; AS) 9.b3!? i s a move with several ideas;

the c4-pawn is defended, and there is a

threat to exchange the dark-squared bishops by �a3 .

Chapter S: Catalan-Style: 6.93

9 . . . ltJa6 1 0 .ltJeS ltJd7 1 1 . ttJd 3 ttJf6 1 2. e3 ltJM 1 3 .iLa3 lUxd3 1 4 .ihd3 iLxa3 l S Jlxa3 'iVe7 1 6 .::laa l 'iYM l 7 Jhbl b 6 l S .e4 �a 6 1 9 .11fe l ;t. Black has managed to obtain definite counterplay on the queenside, but has still not achieved full equality

B) 6 ... �b4 The introductory move to a path leading to interesting complications.

After 7.�g2 Black is at a crossroads: B 1 ) 7 ... dxc4 Black plays very enterpris

ingly : not only does he take the c4-pawn, but he intends to hang on to it. However, White has a strong reply, based on the tactical peculiarities of the position: B.lLJe5

lLJd5 9.�d2 b5 10.axb5 �xc3 1 1 .�xc3! Non-standard and strong. After the routine 1 1 .bxc3 cxbS 1 2 .e4 CiJe7 1 3 .h4 lUd7 1 4.ttJg4 �b7 1 5 . 0-0 hS 1 6 .ltJe3 lUf6+

S S


Black has an extra pawn and a fairly solid position (Khuzman-Volkov, Panormo (blitz) 2 0 0 2 ) . 11 ... cxb5 1 2.i1l.a5 �d6 The character of the position is also not altered by 1 2 . . . �e7 1 3 .e4 (only a draw by repetition results from 1 3 .0-0 0-0 1 4.e4 tLJf6 1 5 .'iYd2 Ue8 1 6 .b3 ilLb7 1 7 .ilLM 'iYd8 1 8 .ilLa5 'iYe7 1 9 .ilLM 'iYd8 2 0 .ilLa5 draw, S . Savchenko-Levitt, Cappelle la Grande 1 9 94) 1 3 . . .tt:JM 1 4.0-0 ltJ 8c6 1 5 .ltJxc6 ltJxc6 1 6 .ilLb6t . The bishop comes to c5 , and the black king will have to remain in the centre, after which the breakthrough d4-d5 gains signilkantly in strength. 1 3.e4 �b4 14.�xc41 bxc4 1 5 .e5

�d7 1 6 .bb4±. With material equality, White's positional advantage is indisputable.

B2) 7 ... lile4

This direct approach results in a series of exchanges and the simplification of the position, but not in equality 8:�b3 Also not bad is 8 .'iYc2 tLJd7 9 .0-0 f5 1 0 .ltJe1 0-0 1 1 .f3 tLJd6 n.c5 ltJe8 1 3 .ltJd3 'iYf6 14.e3 £.a5 1 5 .M £.c7 1 6 .£.b2�, and White has a large space advantage, Le Quang Liem-Ton That Nhu Tung, Cao Lanh Dong Thap 2006 . But the pawn sacrifice 8 .0-0 ltJxc3 9.bxc3 £.xc3 1 0 .t!.b 1 £.a5 1 1 .'iYc2 0-0 hardly offers great prospects. 8 ... �a5 9.i1l.d2

�xd2 1 0.�xd2 c5 1 1 .cxd5 cxd4

8 6

(Shulman-Bereziuk, Minsk 1 9 93) , and

here, after 1 2.�c4 (H) 1 3.�xd4 exd5

14:#Wxd5 bc3 1 5.bxc3 V1Vxc3 16.0-0! Black still has to fight for equality

B 3 ) If Black plays passively with LtiJbd7, he remains with problems, for exam pIe: 8.0-0 0-0

9.�c2 Also good is 9 .M4 ne8 1 0 .t2Jd2 e5 1 1 .dxe5 ltJxe5 1 2 .cxd5 cxd5 1 3 .'iVb3 'iYa5 1 4.£.xe5 t!.xe5 1 5 .e4 £.e6 1 6 .exdS (Lindinger-Ewaldt , Hamburg 2006)

1 6 . . . �xc3 1 7 .ltJc4 �xd5 1 8 . bxc3 i.xc4

1 9 .�xc4 Mc5 2 0 .�M;;!;; . 9 .. :iYe7 9 . . . a5 ! ? 1 0 .jli4 dxc4 1 1 .ltJa2 �e7 1 2. 'iYxc4 t2Jd5 1 3 .�d2 . 1 0.a5 l:rd8 1 1 .J:!.d1 dxc4 1 2.e4 e5

1 3.dxe5 tiJg4 14.i1l.g5 f6 1 5 .exf6 gxf6

1 6 .�f4t Romanishin-Barlocco, Reggio Emilia 1 994/9 5 .

Now for the main line. S. ... d5xc4

The most principled reply.

A) Now, 7.�.g5 seems perfectly logical. after which play takes on a gambit character. Black, despite having many possibilities, does not find it easy to identify a clear path to equality. A I ) 7...�b4 This quiet move is very nat

uraL B�g2 0-0 The line 8 . . . c5 9 .dxc5 0-0 1 O.'�iixd8 ( 1 0 .0-0) 1 0 . . ..l'lxd8 1 1 .tLle5 h6 1 2 . .txf6 (worse is 1 2 .�d2 ? ! �xc5 1 3 .tiJxc4 tLlc6 1 4 . 0 -0 e5 - Komliakov) 1 2 . . . gxf6 1 3 .tLlxc4 �xc5 1 4 .e3;t does not give full equality: Holding onto the pawn deserves attention: 8 . . . b 5 ! ? 9 . 0-0 (9.axb5 cxb5 1 0 .tLld2 �xc3 1 1 .bxc3 l:a7°O) 9 . . . �b7 . 9.0-0 tLlbd7 1 0.tLld2 h6

11 .i.xf6 ILlxf6 1 2.lLlxc4 a5 1 3.J:tc1 tLld5

14.e4 ILlf6 15.e5 tLld5 1 6 .tLle4 b6=.

Black has managed to find suitable squares for all his pieces, and controls im

portant squares in the centre. The chances of the two sides are roughly equaL A2) 7 .. .t2�bd7 is a less reliable continua

tion.

A2 l ) B.�g2 �e7 Black can even allow himself the further prophylactic move 8: .. h6, for i.nstance : 9 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 0 .a5 .iM 1 1 .fi'a4 �e7 1 2 . 0 -0 0-0 1 3 .tLle5 c5 1 4.QJa2 lld8 1 5 .tLlxM cxM 1 6 . .I:!.ac 1 lhd4 1 7 .e3 .!:!.d5 1 8 .tLlxc4 �d7 1 9 .1/lib3 �bS 20 .ttJb6 .!:!.b8 2 1 ..!:!.fd 1 draw, Yevseev-Shimanov, Peterhof 2 0 0 7 ) . 9.a5

Chapter 8: Catalan-Style: 6.93

h6 1 0.�xf6 �xf6 In this variation, Black puts his knight on d7 , so as to support, as appropriate, the advances . . . c6-c5 or . . . e6-e5 . 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.tLle4 il,e7 1 2 . . . b 5 1 3 .a..xb6 �xb6 1 4.tLlxf6+ tLlxf6 1 5 .tLle5 �xb2 1 6 .tLlxc4± is in White's favour. 1 3.lLled2 After 1 3 .tLlfd2 e5 1 4.tLlxc4 exd4 1 5 .'S'xd4 tLlc5 1 6 .'iVxd8 .!:!.xd8 1 7 .tLlb6 Ub8 Black is fme. 13 . . . c5 1 4.tLlxc4 tLlf6 After 1 4 . . . cxd4 1 5 .tLlxd4 the bishop on g2 begins to fire down the long diagonaL 1 5.tLlb6 J:lbB 1 6 .�c2 cxd4 1 7.l::tfd 1 �b4

1 B.l::txd4 "'I!iie7

1 9.J:txb4 White carries out a tempting combination, but stronger, probably, is the simple 1 9 .tLle5 , increasing the pressure and preventing Black developing his q ueenside normally (Barsky) . 1 9 ... "'I!iixb4

20."'I!iic7 �d7 21 .tLlxd 7 tLlxd 7 22."'I!iixd7 J:!fdB

23."'I!iia4 �xb2 24.wf1 (or 24.e3 .l:!.bc8) 24 . . . l::tbcB 25.tLle1 J:!d4 26."'I!iia2 �xa2

27.l::!:xa2 l::!:d 1 . The knight is paralysed, and cannot be untangled without serious help from Black, so the position is one of dynamic equality;

A2 2) B.e4!? A very modern approach: the move g2-g3 does not automatically mean that the bishop will then go to g2 . Far from it - if it is favourable, the bishop may very well change its direction. B ... h6

The small tactical skirmish after 8 . . . �a5

8 7


9 .�d2 eS 1 0 .�xc4 exd4 1 1 .ttJbS 'i'd8 1 2 .�b3 ttJdS 1 3 .ttJbxd4 ends in a complete triumph for White. 9.�xfS tUxfS

1 0 . .llxc4 Just as we discussed above; White has no compunction is putting his bishop on c4, where it has better prospects than on g2 . And the move g2-g3 itself is not such a serious weakening, if the bishop on c8 cannot get to h3 , whilst the advance hS-h4 is hardly a realistic possibility. 1 0 ... �b4 1 1 .e5 The pawn sacrifice 1 1 . 0 - 0 �xc3 1 2 .bxc3 ttJxe4 1 3 .ttJe5 0-0 1 4 .� d3 ttJf6 I S .aS deserves attention. 11 ..JLid5 12 .'iI'c2 'il'a5 Black has reasonable coun terpla y;

AB) S.a5

White's plan is obvious : to fix the queenside and gradually, at his own convenience, regain the pawn. of course, Black can Simply continue developing with 8 . . . �e7 , but it is better to take active measures at once, and break the blockade. Admittedly, this can result in all his queenside pawns becoming isolated (a6 , c6 , c4) , but, firstly, one of them is extra, and secondly, the pawn on b2 will also need protection. S ... b5 8 . . . �e7 . 9.axbS

�xbS .

A3) 7 . . .c5 This typical reaction to a 4 is not so good here, since Black is significantly behind in development.

8 8

S.iafS Nothing is promised by 8 .dS 'i.e7. S ... iVxfS 8 . . . gxf6 9.dS exdS 1 0 .'ifxdS favours White. 9.d5 exd5 Nor are the problems fully solved by 9 . . . �e7 1 0 .ttJd2 0-0 1 1 .ttJxc4 Ud8 1 2 .ttJb6. 1 0.tUxd5 'iVdB

1 1 .tUe5 tUcs 1 2.tUxc4 �eS 1 3 . .llg2 i.e7 1 4.tUcbS J:tbS 15.0-0 0-0 1 S .e3 tUb4 1 7.a5

White retains a small, but perceptible advantage;

A4) 7...�e7 S.tUe5 Another plan which deserves attention is one we have already met: 8 .e4 0-0 (on 8 . . . cS the simple 9.dxc5 is good) 9 .eS ttJdS 1 0 .he7 or the more aggressive 1 0 .M. S ... h6 9.�f4 9 ..Lf6 .Lf6 brings nothing. 9 ... tUd5 1 0.e4 Also possible is 1 0 .�g2 , but the complications after 1 0 .ttJxc4 ttJxc3 1 1 .bxc3 'iYd5 1 2 .lLib6 'itxhl 1 3 .ttJxa8 ttJd7 does not bring White any dividends. 10 ... t2:ixf4 11 .gxf4 White has

seized the centre and has thereby assured himself of the initiative;

AS) 7 ... hS S.�xfS 'iWxfS

In principle , White should be better, but it is not so simple, since besides the pawn, Black also has the two bishops and the diagonal a3 -f8 . AS l ) 9.i.g2 IiJd7 1 0.0-0 i.b4 White re

tains slight pressure after 1 0 . . . eS l l .aS (less is promised by l l .dS �b4 1 2 .dxc6 bxc6) l l . . .exd4 1 2 .tb e4 ViIIe7 1 3 .Villxd4 IiJcs 1 4 .lLlxcs ViIIxc5 1 5 .'iYc3 ViIIM 1 6 .'i¥e5 + ViIIe7 1 7 .l:!.fd l �e6 1 8 .ltJd4 idS 1 9 .'lWf4:t. 1 1 .a5 0-0 Here, after 1 1 . . .eS Black must reckon with 1 2 .Villa4. 12:i'a4 �e7 1 3.i:!:td1 After 1 3 .ltJa2 �d6 14.'i'xc4 Black carries out the thematic advance 1 4 . . . e5 and obtains good counterchances. 13 .. . .!lbS 14.'Mfa2 c5 1 5 .d5

exd5 16.�xd5 'lWxe2 1 7.ttJxb4 cxb4 1S.l:,[d2

It is not possible to trap the impertinent queen: 1 8 .l':!:el ViIId3 1 9 Jhd 1 'iYb3 . 1 a .. 'lIHe7 1 9.iixc4 �f6 20.l:,[d4 b5 21 .'lWxb4

1!l'xb4 22JIxb4 Black must play several precise moves in order to achieve full equality: 22 ... i.b7 23.l:td4 !IfdS 24.J:.ad1

l:[xd4 25.liJxd4 �xg 2 26.wxg2 l:,[dS 27.wf3

(Ponomariov-Bacrot, Biel 2 0 04) 27 ••• l:,[d5

28.We2 J:.e5+ 29.wf3 .l:td5=;

A52) 9.a5 In the Chebanenko System, one must reckon with this blockading idea at almost every move. 9_.liJd7 10.'Mfa4

Black is fine after 1 0 .�g2 e5 ! l l .d5 ib4. 10 . • .e5 1 1 .d5 b5 It is a little early for Black to be thinking about taking the initiative ; if 1 1 . . . e4?! 1 2 .ltJd2 ltJc5 1 3 .'iYxc4 cxdS 1 4.lLlxd5 �c6 (or 1 4 . . :iVe5 1 5£4 exf3 1 6 .tLlxf3 "iVd6 1 7 .!!d l ;\; Komliakov) 1 5 .liJxe4 tDxe4 1 6 .'iYxe4+ �e6 1 7 .�g2 0-0-0 1 8 .lLlb6 + �b8 1 9 .'iYxc6 bxc6 20.0-0:t he faces an unpleasant defence in the endgame (Komliakov) . 1 2 .axb6

tb7 1 3.dxc6 iLxc6 14.b7 J::i.bS 1 5.'iVxc4

txb7 16.i.h3 lbb6 1 7.'/lfb3 i.c5°o. Black . has solved his development problems and


can look to the future with confidence (Komliakov) .

B) Finally, after 7/ZJe5 Black equalises 'Catalan-style' by means of the advance . . . c6-c5 : 7 ... c5 S.dxc5 Or 8 .�e3 cxd4 9 .�xd4 'iYxd4 1 0 .�xd4 ltJc6 l l .ltJxc6 bxc6 1 2 .�g2 �b7 . S • . . �c7 Another possibility, which we also consider good, is 8 . . . 'iYxd l + 9 .ltJxd l �xc5 1 0 .�g2 ( 1 0 .ltJxc4 �d7 and . . . �c6) 1 0 . . .tbd5 1 1 .ltJxc4 �e7 12 .0-0 ltJc6 1 3 .ltJc3 l::!.d8 1 4.ltJe4 �M 1 5 .�dl �d7 1 6 .b3 �e8 ! = Yevseev-Atalik, Groningen 1 99 8 . 9.liJxc4

iLxc5 1 0.iLe3 iLxe3 1 1 .liJxe3 0-0 1 2 .iLg2

J:!.dS (Kiseleva-Ionescu-Brandis , Baile Herculane 1 99 6) .

Back to the main line. 7. � f1 -g2 c6-c5

Now we have to make a small excursion iItto the territory of the Catalan. In this position, White has two basic plans : he can take on c5 , or continue his development, by castling. We will examine the latter option first.

I

S. 0-0

Now Black already faces a choice: The following examples show that after S ... cxd4 9.liJxd4 White, as in the Catalan,

8 9


retains a certain amount of pressure. but by accurate defence. Black should be able to neutralise it :

A) 9 ... li'c7 1 0.a5 ttJbd7 1 1 .ttJc2 �c5

1 2�f4 e5 1 3 .�e3 0-0 1 4.ttJa4 Also not bad is 1 4 .Ma4 .Jla7 1 5 /Lid5 tLlxd5 1 6 .'iVxd5 tLlf6 1 7 .'iVxc4 'iVxc4 I s .lhc42; . 14 .... be3

1 5 .ttJxe3 li'xa5 1 6 .'lid6 li'b5 1 7.l:!.fcU

Beliavsky-Illescas Cordoba, Ubeda 1 9 9 7 ; B) 9 ... ttJbd7 1 0.'lWc2!? Kramnik's experi

mental play could have led to problems after 1 0 .tLlc2 'iVc7 1 1 .'iVd4 .Jlc5 1 2 .'iVh4 .Jle7 1 3 .ttJa3 tLle5 1 4 . .Jlf4 Kramnik-Gelfand, Linares 1 99 7 14" .tLlfd7 1 5 .'iVh5 0-0 1 6 .llid l f6 1 7 .a5 llbS�. 10 . . �c5 After the more cautious 1 0 . . . .Jle7 play turns in White's favour: l 1 .a5 0 -0 1 2 .Mdl '/!!Ic7 1 3 . .Jlf4 e5 1 4 .tLlf5 tLlc5 1 5 .tLlxe 7 + 'iVxe7 1 6 . .Jlg5;t. 1 1 .l:td1 'lWc7 1 2.a5 0-0 1 3J:ta4 ttJe5 14 .�f4

�e7 15 .ttJe4 �d7 1 6 .�xe5 White is not promised much by 1 6 .tLlxf6+ .Jlxf6 1 7 .11b4 11abS I S . .Jlxe5 'iVxe5 . 1 6 ... 'lWxe5

1 7Jbc4 l:tac8 1 8.ttJxf6+ �xf6 1 9.�xb7

lhc4 20.'lWxc4 'iVxa5 21 .'iVxa6 'ii'xa6

22.�xa6 l::tb8=. Thanks to the pair of acti ve bishops in an open position, Black has fully adequate compensation for the pawn (Komliakov) .

C) 9 ... �c5 The most energetic continuation. 1 0 .�e3 'iVe7 1 1 .ttJc2 Interesting, non-standard play results from I I .a5 ! ? 0-0 1 2 .'iVa4 .Jlxd4 1 3 . .Jlxd4 e5 1 4 . .Jle3 .Jle6 1 5 .llad 1 llcs with mULual chances. -

1 1 ...0-0 1 2.a5 ttJc6 1 3.�xc6 Black coped confidently with his opening problems in the following game : 1 3 .tLla4 .Jlxe3 1 4.tLlxe3 lldS 1 5 .'li'e 1 (or 1 5 .'iVb 1 tLld4 1 6 .11e l l:lbS 1 7 .tLlb6 .Jld7) 1 5 . . . tLld4 1 6 .tLlb6 MbS Kamsky-Bareev, Linares 1 9 94. 1 3 ... bxc6 14.ttJa4 �xe3 1 5.ttJxe3 c5

Black hurries to open the long diagonal

90

for his queen. The line 1 5 " .c3 1 6 .tLl xc3 l:ldS 1 7 .'li'c2 .Jlb7 l S .tLla4 'li'b4 1 9 .tLlcS Md2 20 .'li'c42; favours White. 1 6.tLlb6

llb8 1 7. ttJexc4 �b7 1 8.'lWb3 �fd8==

(Komliakov) .

a . .. . ttlba-c6

Now 9.ttJe5?! is dubious because of 9 ... ttJa5!, after which it turns out that it is

not so simple to recover the gambit pawn, for example : 1 0.dxc5 Clearly bad is 1 0 .d5 .Jld6 1 1 ..Jlf4 'ftI c7 1 2 .e3 0-0 1 3 .tLlf3 .Jlxf4 1 4 .gxf4 MdS+ LputianStefansson, Istanbul 2 0 0 3 , or 1 1 .f4 0-0 1 2 .e4 exd5 1 3 .exd5 MbS 1 4 .g4 tLld7 1 5 .Me l MeS 1 6 .tLle4 tLlxe5 1 7 .ttlxd6 .Jlxg4+ Dudukin-Kornliakov, Serpukhov 20 04) 1 0 ... 'lWxd 1 1 U I.xd1 bc5 12 .�d2

we7 13 .J:iac1 l:td8 14.ttJb1 ttJb3, and Black equalises.

9. d4xc5 'iVdaxd1

Also possible is 9 _.�xc5 1 0 .'li'xd8+ �xdS 1 1 .tLld2 tLla5 1 2 .tLlde4 4Jxe4 1 3 .tLlxe4 .Jlb4 1 4 . .Jlg5+ �eS with mu

tual chances (Clery-Fontaine, Pau 2000) . 1 O. ttlc3xd 1

If 1 0.J:1xd1 .Jlxc5 1 1 . .Jlg5 ..id7 1 2 .4Jd2 tLla5 1 3 . tLlde4g? (Beliavsky) , White faces certain difficulties, for example : 1 3 . . . .Jle7 1 4 .tLld6+ .Jlxd6 1 5 .MXd6 h6 1 6 . .Jlf4 .Jlc6�.

1 0. ... �f8xc5

1 1 . �c1 -e3 �c5-b4

l 1 . . .ttJd7 12 .ttJ d2 tt:la5 1 3 .1:.c I ;!; ; 1 l . . .�e7 1 2 .l::I.c l iLd7 1 3 Jhc4;!; .

12. lia1 -c1 tLlc6-a5

Or 1 2 . . . e5 1 3 .tt:ld2 iLg4 1 4.f3 iLe6 1 5 .4Jxc4 0-0 1 6 .f4 exf4 1 7 .gxf4 iLd5 1 8 .4Jb6 iLxg2 1 9 .�xg2 liad8 with equal chances, P.H. Nielsen-Schandorff, Odense 1 994.

13. tbf3-e5

14. tLle5xc4

15. l:lc1 -c2

Komliakov.

a d4xc5

9. tLlc3xd1

tbf6-d5

tLla5-b3

tLlb3-a1 =

II

�d8xd1 +

tLlb8-c6

In this typical Catalan endgame, White enjoys a certain initiative, but, as is shown by the analysis presented below, Black should hold the position. less accurate is 9 .. . �xc5 1 0 .iLe3 (the harmless 1 0 . tt:le5 has already been seen under 7JiJe5) 1 0 . . . iLb4+ (a line deserving attention is 1 0 . . . tt:l bd7 !? l 1 .iLxc5 lLlxc5 I V 1Je5 rJ;;e7 1 3 .tt:lxc4 11b8 1 4.0 -0 M:d8:;:

'Komliakov) I l .iLd2 iLe7 1 2 .tt:le3

lLlc6 1 3 .ttJxc4 iLd7 1 4 . 0 - 0 0-0 (Naer-Vysochin, Internet 2003) 1 5 . l:i.fd l 1:!Jd8 1 6 .tt:lfe5 iLe8 1 7 .tt:lxc6 iLxc6


1 8 .iLxc6 bxc6;!;, and Black faces a long and unpleasant defence.

1 0. �c1 -e3

Another major plan is associated with the activation of the knight from d 1 , and the attempt to exploit the weak squares in Black's camp, on the queens ide and in the centre: 1 0.tbe3 �xc5 1 1 .tbxc4 �d7 It is also possible to leave the bishop on c8 for the time being, in the hope of finding him a more active square than d7 : 1 1 . . .�e7 1 2 .0-0 tt:ld5 (White is better after 1 2 . . J:td8 1 3 .b3 4Jd5 1 4 .iLb2 f6 1 5 JHc 1 iLd7 1 6 .4Jce5 iLd6 1 7 .4Jxc6+ iLxc6 1 8 .tt:ld4 iLd7 1 9 .iLxd5 exd5 2 0 .iLa3 ;!; Ruck-Dautov, Budapest 20 04) 1 3 .4Jfe5 ! ? (Black faces no problems after 1 3 .b3 iLd7 1 4.iLb2 f6 1 5 .l:i.fc l l:rac8) 13 . . . 4Jd4 1 4.iLe3 4Jxe2+ 1 5 .�h l tt:ld4 1 6 .l:i.ad l 4Jxe3 1 7 .fxe3 4Jf5 1 8 .b4 iLa7 1 9 .94 f6 2 0 . gxf5 fxe5 2 l .fxe6 �xe6 2 2 .tt:lxe5 �b8 ! After driving the enemy knight from its powerful position on e5 , Black obtains a good game. 12 .0-0 We7

1 3.b3 Black demonstrated an accurate path to equality after 1 3 .4Jfe5 l:'1ac8 1 4 .4Jd3 tt:ld4! 1 5 .iLxb7 l:i.c7 1 6 .iLf3 tt:l b3 1 7 .tt:lxc5 J:Ixc5 1 8 .l:i.a3 4Jxc 1 ! 1 9 .1:.xc 1 J:I b8 Gelfand-Movsesian, Batumi 1 9 99 . 1 3 ... tbd5 Black also has a solid position after 1 3 . . . l:rhd8 1 4 .iLb2 J:Iac8

9 1


1 5 .!lac 1 .ik.e8 . 1 4.�b2 16 1 5 .�1c1

(R uck -Movsesian, Sibenik 2 0 0 6) 1 5 ._liac8.

1 0. lLlf6-d5

1 1 . 0-0 lLld5xe3

1 2 . lLld1 xe3 �fSxc5

13 . lLle3xc4 WeS-e7

1 4. l:Ia1 -c1

1 4 . ... l:ihS-dS

Worse is 1 4 . . . �d7 1 5 . lbfe 5 lLlxe5 J 6 .lLlxe5 �d6 1 7 .tLlxd7 �xd7 1 8 .�xb 7 .t:l.a7 1 9 .�c6+ c:J;;e7 2 0 .b3 llb8 2 1 .l:!.b l � (Aronian-Bacrot, Khanty-Mansiysk

92

2005 ) , and Black still has to suffer in an

ending a pawn down. 1 5 . e2-e3

Black is also fIne after either 1 5 .lLlce5 ttJxe5 1 6 .lhc5 ttJc6 1 7 .llf c 1 �d7 , or

1 6 .ttJxe5 �d6 1 7 .ttJc4 iLc7 1 8 .a5 1:b8 1 9 .ttJ b6 iLxb6 20 .ax b6 l:ld6.

1 5. �cS-d7

1 6. lLlf3-e5 lLlc6xe5

1 7. lLlc4xe5 iLc5-d6=

Belikov-Zakhartsov, Soc hi 2 0 0 6 .

Conclusion

Playing with the pawns on both flanks by 5 .a4 6 . g 3 , gives Black the chance to carry out the central break . . . c6-c5 , after which frequently an endgame is reached in which Black has use of the weakened square b4. The gambit 7 .iLg5 deserves serious attention from White. This line is not well worked-out, although we have done our

best here to help Black fmd a path to equality.

Chapter 9

The Timid 6.e3

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.�g1 -f3 �g8-fS 4.�b1 -c3 a7-aS 5.a2-a4 e7-eS

6.e2-e3

6.e3 is not a dangerous line for Black. He can transpose into a Queen 's Gambit, with the square b4 weakened.

• • •

S. ... cS-c5

7. £l,ft -d3 �b8-c6

8. 0-0

Here Black has a large choice of alternatives. He can immediately determine the central pawn structure, by taking on c4 or

d4, or he can continue developing his kingside, or even occupy b4 with a knight immediately.

A) 8 ... cxd4 9.exd4 :Ji.e7 1 0.:Ji.e3 Both 1 O .�gS dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 0-0 1 2 .'i!Vd2 tDb4 1 3 .Mad1 �d7 1 4.tDeS �c6 l S .'iVe2 tDfdS 1 6 .�c l Mc8 1 7 .�b3 'iVb6 1 8 .o8e4 .:rfd8 1 9 .�gS �e8 != (Matros-Turner, England tt 2 0 0 1 102 ) , and 1 0 .�f4 0-0 1 1 .�c 1 08b4 1 2.eS b6 1 3 .cxb6 �xb6 1 4.�b 1 �b7 l S .�d2 as 1 6 .:!:lfe 1 :!:lac8 1 7 .o8eS o8c6 1 8 .o8bS (Epishin-Fridman, Internet blitz 20 04) 1 8 . . . o8xeS 1 9 .heS tDe400 are harmless for Black. In this last line, both sides have their trumps in a tense position. However, another set-up deserves attention, connected with the development of the

9 3


dark-squared bishop on the long diagonal: l O ..a:el 0-0 I l .b3 �b4 1 LI¥.b2 b6 1 3 . .a:e3 CLJe7 1 4.lue5 .i.b7 1 5 .�c2 �c8 (or 1 5 . . . lic8 1 6 . .a:d li) 1 6 . .a:cl CUf5 1 7 �5 exf5 1 8 .CUa2 .i.d6 1 9 .c5 bxc5 20 .dxc5 d4 2 1 ..i.xd4 f4 n . .a:c3 .i.xe5 B . .i.xe5± Notkin-Epishin, StPetersburg 1 996 . 10.Hdxc4 11 .hc4 ttJd5 In the event of 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 2 ."li'e2 b6 1 3 . .a:adl tUb4 White has a highly unpleasant plan, involving an attack in the centre and on the kingside : l 4.CUe5 .i.b7 1 5 .f4 tUbd5 1 6 .f5 tLlxe3 1 7 .iVxe3 exf5 1 8 . .a:xf5 iVd6 19 .iVd3 as 20 .'iYb l .i.c8 2 1 ..a:ffl .i.e6 n.tUb5i Smagin-Se. Ivanov, Podolsk 1 990 . 1 2.'l!Ve2

0-0 131Ud1 Now that the rook has left the f-file, Black can safely allow the enemy knight into e5 : 1 3 ... ttJcb4 14.ttJe5 �d7

1 5.�b3 1 5 . CUxdS tLlxd5 =; 1 5 . .a:ac 1 �c6 1 6 .tUxc6 bxc6 1 7 .tUe4 a5= RenetMarjanovic, Paris 1 9 86 . lf the white pawn stood on a2 or a3 , the position would be in his favour, but thanks to his control of b4, Black has full equality. 1 5 ... i.c6 1 6.t!.ac1

�b6= After 1 6 . . . �e8 1 7 .'lin �c6 1 8 .�d2 "li'b6 1 9 .'iYg3 �h8 20 .CUxd5 tUxd5 2 1 .a5 'iYb5 n .'lih3 �e8 23 .�c2 f5 24.�b3;l; White retains definite pressure (Dizdar-Malakhov, Warsaw 2005 ) ; B ) There is also the somewhat impu

dent, but perfectly playable knight jump 8 ... ttJb4

94

9 .b3 �e7 (a very old example is Monticelli-Ahues, Prague 1 93 1 , which

went 9 . . . cxd4 1 0 .exd4 tLlxd3 1 1 .�xd3 �e7) 1 0 .�a3 0 - 0 1 1 . tUa2 tLlxd3 1 2 .iVxd3 b6 1 3 .dxc5 bxc5 1 4.cxd5 �b7 1 5 . .:tfc 1 llc8 1 6 .b4 �xd5 00 (TodorovicPopchev, Belgrade 2 0 0 5 ) ;

C) 8 ... dxc4

After this move, the game goes into the realms of the QGA, but since Grischuk started the game with the Chebanenko System, I give it here. 9 .�xc4 fiLe7 1 0 .'lie2 0-0 1 1 . .a:dl 'fIc7 1 2 .h3 lld8 1 3 .�b3 b6 l 4 .d5 ttJaS 1 5 .�a2 c4 1 6 .e4 �b 7 1 7 .fiLg5 exdS 1 8 .exd5 lle8 1 9 .'ifYc2 llad8'f , and Black took over the initiative (Euler-Grischuk, Mainz 2 0 0 7 ) ;

D) 8 .. . �e7 and now:

D 1 ) 9.cxd5 White wants to give his opponent an isolated pawn in the centre. But because of the weakness of b4 (an excellent post for both bishop and knight, and in addition, it is very hard to evict the bishop from c5) this plan is not danger-ous for Black. On 9 . dxc5 , both 9 . . . dxc4, and 9 . . . �xc5 are possible. 9 . .. exd5

1 0.dxc5 �g4 1 1 .h 3 �h5 1 2 .b3 �xc5

1 3 .�b2 0-0 14.g4 What else can one recommend to White ? In any other case, Black will soon play . . . d5 -d4 and

completey equalise. 14 ... �gS 1 5 .�xgS

hxg6 16 .g5 ttJe4 1 7.�xd5 ttJxc3 1 8.�xc5

lZle4 1 9.�c4 ttJxg5= (1 . Belov-Dreev, Moscow B 1985 ) ; D2) 9 .b3 0-0 1 0.�b2 ttJb4 Black begins

to think of more than mere equality. In the position with an almost symmetrical pawn structure, arising after 1 0 . . . b6 1 1 .�e2 �b7 1 2 .l::!.ad l "iIc7 , i t is very hard for White to pretend to any advantage. For example, 1 3 .cxd5 exd5 1 4.e4 dxe4 1 5 .tt::xe4 <1:Jb4 1 6 .dxc5 tLlxd3 17 .Cbxf6+ hi'6 1 8 .l::!.xd3 .1i.xf3 1 9 .1::!.xf3 rue8 20 .�c2 �xb2 2 1 .�xb2 'i'xc5=) 11J�c1 bS 1 2.£1.b1 £1.b7 1 3.ttJe5 cxd4

�4.exd4 Ilc8 15 .'iI'f3 ttJcS 1 S.ttJxcS £1.xcS

17.fih3 gS+ (Krush-Nebolsina , Jinan 200S) .

Now for Black's main move. S. ... �f8-d6

9. d4xc5 �d6xc5

The bishop has reached c5 in two moves, but this is small consolation for White, since he cannot kick the bishop by means ofa3 and b4.

Now White has several plans to choose from:

A) 10.cxd5 exd5 1 1 .e4 dxe4 Less good is 1 I . . .d4 1 2 .e5 (a position with mutual

Chapter 9: The Timid 6 . e3

chances results from 1 2 .<1:Je2 ? ! �g4 1 3 .<1:Je l "iIb6 1 4 .h3 �e6 1 5 .<1:Jf4 �b3 I 6 .�e2 0-0 is unclear, 1 . SokolovBacrot , Albert 2 0 0 4) l L .<1:Jd5 (also af-ter 1 2 . . . dxc3 1 3 . exf6 gxf6 (even worse is 1 3 . . . �xf6 1 4 .l::!.e l +±) 1 4 .�e l + �e6 1 5 .'li'xc3� and Black faces a difficult defence) 1 3 . <1:Jxd5 'li'xd5 1 4 .tLlg5 <1:Jxe5 1 5 .lIe 1 �e7 1 6 .�e4 � c5 1 7 .�f4, and White has a n unpleasant initiative. 1 2 .tUxe4 tUxe4 1 3 .£1.xe4 'il'xd 1

1 4.MXd 1 0-0 1 5 .£1.f4 ne8 1 S.il.xcS bxcS

1 7.J:rac1 �b4 1 8.�dS After 1 8 . .l:!.xc6 �e6 1 9 . .l:!.d 4 as Black should be able to hold the endgame. 1 8 ... �xdS 1 9JbdS llb8

20J:ldxcS � b 7 2 1 .l:!.dS iil.xf3 22 .gxf3 J:[xb2

23.l!xaS gS= Thanks to the activity of his rooks , Black draws without any problem .

B) The move 1 0.�e2 does not pose Black any problems.

10 ... 0-0 After 1 0 . . . dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 'fic7 the variation transposes into a well-known position from the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1 2 .e4 <1:Jg4 1 3 .g3 0-0 1 4.�4 e5 with mutual chances. 11 . J:td1 'Viie7 1 2.h3

�d7 1 3.�d2 l:i:ac8 1 4.cxd5 exd 5=

(Hochgrafe-Gisbrech t, Bundesliga B 2 0 0 0 / 0 1 ) .

1 0. e3-e4

Germany

95


1 0.

1 1 . tDc3xe4

1 2. �d3xe4

1 3. 1:tf1 xd1

d5xe4

tDf6xe4

'iVd8xd1

Formally. White has the endgame advantage of 3v2 on the queenside. but thanks to the hole on b4, this advantage is worth

9 6

nothing. On the contrary. given the chance, Black can advance his pawns in the centre.

1 3.

14.

1 5 .

1 6 .

�c1 -f4

tDf3-g5

�d1 xd8+

�c8-d7

0-0-0

�d7-e8

tDc6xd8=

Conclusion

Whereas after a2-a4, the move g2-g3 has some promise, the move e2-e3 is simply weak. White reaches positions from the Queen's Gambit, with the 'extra' move a4, which is only useful if Black has already developed his knight from b8 to

d7 . Otherwise, Black only needs to complete his development . .

Chapter 10

Pinning: 6.ilg5

l .d2-d4 d7-dS 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.ttJg1 -f3 ttJg8-fS 4.liJb1 -c3 a 7-aS S.a2-a4 e7-eS

6.ic1 -gS

With the insertion ofS.a4 e6, 6.�gS makes more sense than one move earlier, as the f6 knight cannot jump to e4 now. Black has five main possibilities: 1) 6 . . . aS; II) 6 . . . i.e7; III) 6 . . . h6; N) 6 . . . �4 and V) 6 . . . liJbd7 .

• • •

I

6 . ... as-aS

A possible, but rather provocative move. Already at the start of the opening, Black loses another tempo with a move of his

rook's pawn! The idea is obvious; Black wants to seize the b4-square, in return for which he is prepared to forget about the principles of rapid development.

7. e2-e3

The direct 7.e4?! does not yield anything, because of ? . . . dxe4 8. ttJxe4 �b4+ 9. liJc3 c5 1 0 .�e2 h6 (practice has also seen 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 cxd4 1 2 .ttJxd4 liJc6 1 3 .ttJdb5 h6 1 4.�h4 �e7 1 5 .�c1 �xc3 1 6 .ttJxc3 ttJd4 1 7 Jh3 ttJf5 1 8 .�xf6 �xf6 1 9 .ttJe4 'l:i'e7 2 0 . .tld l �d7 2 1 .ttJg3 �c6 Greenfeld-Bacrot , Bastia 2 0 04) 1 1 .�h4 ttJc6 1 2 .dxc5 �xd 1 + 1 3 . .tlxd l ttJe4 1 4.0 -0 ? ! (an extremely doubtful pawn sacrifice) 14 . . . �xc3 1 5 .�d3 f5

9 7


1 6 .bxc3 ttJxc3 1 7 .llal ttJb4 1 8 .lla3 ttJxd3 1 9 . 1:f.xc3 tLlxcS =t=, GershonStefanova, Athens 2 0 0 S . Black also does not have great problems after 7.g3, for example: 7 . . . ttJbd7 8 .ltg2 h6 9 . . iti4 ltb4 1 0 .0 -0 0-0 I I .ttJd2 gS 1 2 .lte3 ttJg4 1 3 .'iVc2 fS 1 4 .ttJdl 'iVf6 l S .ttJb3 ttJxe3 1 6 .ttJxe3 f4 1 7 .ttJd l ttJb6 1 8 .cS ttJc4 1 9 .ttJc3 b6 20 . cxb6 llb8 2 1 .ttJcS J:ixb6=F, Miton-Prie, France tt 2 0 0 7 .

7. il.f8-e7

The move 7 .. /Lia6 looks too slow, and White can gradually build up some pressure : 8.J�,e2 A double-edged endgame results from 8 .ltd3 tLlb4 9 . e4 dxe4 1 0 .tLlxe4 cS 1 1 . 0-0 lte7 1 2 .ltxf6 gxf6 1 3 .dS exdS 1 4. cxdS 'iVxd5 I S .ltbS + ltd7 1 6 .ltxd7 + 'iVxd7 1 7 .'iVxd7 + Wxd7°o Gagunashvili-Grabarczyk, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 7 . 8 ... �e7 This position is considered in more detail in the notes to the move 8 .lte2 . 9.0-0 0-0

10.'ii'b3 tLlb4 1 1 .tLla2 The knight on b4 is the pride of Black's position, therefore it is best to exchange it at once. 11 ... tLlxa2

1 2J'!xa2 tLld7 1 3.Jhe7 'ii'xe7 14.l:!.aa1 b6

1 S.cxdS exdS 1 6 J1fc1 �b7

(Beliavsky-Houska, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 04/0S) 1 7.�d3, and thanks to the weakness of the pawns on b6 and c6 White retains a stable advantage.

9 8

There are several plausible alternatives here :

A) 8.�d3 tLla6

The knight heads for b4, whilst Black prefers for the moment not to clarify the position in the centre. However, the knight can also take a different path: 8 . . .t2jbd7 9 . 0-0 0-0 1 0 .iYe2 dxc4 (without this exchange the black pieces are tied up in

their own camp) 1 1 .hc4 ttJds 1 2 .il.f4 ttJxf4 1 3 .exf4 ttJb6 1 4 .ltb3 ttJdS 1 5 .g3 fs 1 6 .llfe 1 ltf6 1 7 .I:Iad l ltd7 1 8 .�e5 lle8 1 9 .ttJa2 lle7 2 0 .ttJcl lte8 2 1 .tLlcd3 . White's chances are preferable ; he has a

space advantage, and his opponent's light-squared bishop has still not yet found itself a life, GagunashviliMorozevich, Moscow 2003 ) .

A I ) 9.0-0 tLlb4 1 0.e4 tLlxd3 1 1 .�xd3

dxe4 1 2 .li:lxe4 0-0 Stronger is 1 2 . . . tLlxe4 ! 1 3 .iiLxe 7 tLlxfl 1 4. J:(xfl 'iVxe 7 I S . cS 0 -0 1 6 .ttJeS f6 1 7 .tLlc4 eS 1 8 . J:i e 1 lte6 1 9 .ttJd6 b 6 2 0 . d xeS bxcSoo with sharp play - Komliakov. 1 3 .�xf6 gxf6 14.l:tfe1 'il;>h8 1 S .J:rad1 b6

1 6 :�e3 �b7 1 7.tLlc3 �b4 1 8:�Vh6;t. It is not easy to defend Black's position; his king is permanently weak. 1 8 .. . l:ig8

1 9J'le4 l"!.g6 20.'iI'h3 nc8 21 . .l:!.h4 'ii'g8

22.tLle2 I.td8 23.tLlf4 .l:!.g7 24.tLlhS 1:1g6

2S. tLlxf6! .l:!.xf6 26.li:lgS+- ShulmanZatonskih , Stillwater 2 0 0 S ;

A2) 9.l"!.c1 tLlb4 1 0.�e2 1 O .ltb l �d7 ! (this is strongest, although practice has seen other moves - 1 0 . . . b6 ; 1 0 . . . h6; 1 0 . . . dxc4) 1 1 .�f4? (better is 1 1 .il.xe7 'i'xe7 1 2 . cxdS exdS 1 3 . 0 -0 0-0 14.e4 ttJb6 I S . J:ie l lte6 1 6 .exdS ttJ6xdS with a roughly equal game, Komliakov) l 1 . .. dxc4 1 2 .e4 b6 1 3 . 0 -0 ltb7 1 4.ttjd2 tLld3 l S .ltxd3 cxd3 1 6 .tLlc4 0-0 1 7 . 'i'xd3 lta6 1 8 .ttJe2 bS 1 9 .axbS cxbS

20.t2Jd2 e5 I -exploiting the bad position of the knight on d2 , Black seizes the initiative, 1. Sokolov-Malakhov, KhantyMansiysk 2 0 0 5 . 1 0 ... 0-0 11 .0-0 b6 12.'!iVb3

ib7 12 . . . h6 ! ? 1 3 .iLh4 i.a6 1 4 JHe l c5 (Komliakov) deserves attention. 1 3.l::!fd1

I:!cB 14.h3 c5 1 5.tLle5 cxd4 1 6 .nxd4 tLld7

17 . . be7 'fixe7 1 8.tLlxd7 'fixd7 (SchenkDautov, France tt 2005 ) . 1 9.e4± .

B) Also not bad is 8.i.e2, after which one of the main practitioners of the move a5 , Antoaneta Stefanova , recently chose the interesting 8 ... b6 against Beliavsky.

The game went 9 . 0-0 i. b7 1 0 .cxd5 exd5 1 L�d3 tba6 l 2 .llel tLib4 1 3 .i.b l 0-0 1 4.t2Je5 c 5 1 5 .i.xf6 ? ! (there was no need to surrender the bishop) 1 5 . . . i.xf 6 1 6 .f4 g6 1 7 .'%Wf3 '%We7 18 . .l:kd l nae 8 1 9 .nfI �g7 2 0 .h3 nd8 (20 . . .f6 2 1 .tLixg6 hxg6 2 2..�xg6 nc 8 23 .'iVh5 nfd8 24.nf3 wf8 25 .'!:!'g3 i.c6 26 .h4 nc7+) 2 1 .tbg4 (Beliavsky-Stefanova , Gibraltar 2 0 0 8 ) 2 1 . . . f6+ . Also possible i s 8 ... tLla6 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.'liVb3

The following line leads to excessive simplifications and equality: 1 0 .tbe5 tbb4 l 1 .h3 ( 1 1 .'iVb3 - 1 0 .�b3) l l . . .tbd7 12 .i.xe7 'iVxe7 1 3 .tbxd7 i.xd7 1 4.'iVd2 ID'd8 1 5 .c5 e5 1 6 .tLia2 tLixa2 1 7 .Ii.xa2 ge8 , (l 'Ami-Zhukova, Wijk aan Zee C

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6 .JlgS

2005) 1 0 ... tLlb4 Full equality is not obtained after 1 0 . . . b6 I l .tbe5 i.b7 l 2 .c5 tbb4 1 3 .cxb6 h6 1 4.i.h4 c5 1 5 .dxc5 i.xc5 1 6 .tbg4 iLe7 1 7 .tbxf6+;!; Vaganian-Bacrat, Poikovsky 2005 .

This opening tabiya has already been tested in many games, including on the highest level

B 1 ) 1 1 .tLle5 is an active jump, but fairly harmless for Black : 1 1 ...tLld7 1 2.i.xe7

'!iVxe7 1 3.tLld3 dxc4 1 4.'!iVxc4 e5 1 5 .tLlxb4

'liVxb4 Or 1 5 . . . axb4 1 6 .tLie4 (Chuchelov-Khenkin, Germany Bundesliga 2004/ 0 5 ) 1 6 . . . na5 1 7 .iLd3 tbb6 1 8 .'iVc2 i.f5 , and Black has completed his development satisfactorily, achieving equal play. 1 6 JUd1 exd4 1 7.lhd4 '!iVxb2

1 8Jlb1 'liVa3 1 9.tLle4 'liVe7 20.tLld6 tLlf6

21.'IWc5 tLld7 22.'liVc3 tLlf6 White has sufficient compensation for the sacrificed material , but no more than that, Kramnik-BacTOt, Paris 2 0 0 2 ;

B2) 1 UUd1 The first eternal question is on which central files to place the rooks, and the second is with which rook to begin? 1 1 ...b6 1 2 .tLla2 Black reached a slightly worse position in the following game: 1 2 . cxd5 exd5 1 3 .tba2 tbxa2 1 4 .'iVxa2 tLid7 1 5 .iLf4 i.b7 1 6 .Ii.ae l i.b4 1 7 .'iVb l 'iVe7 1 8 .'iVf5 Mfe8 1 9 .tLie5 tLixe5 2 0 .i.xe5 i.d6 (the bishop on b4

9 9


looks very beautiful, but does not actually do anything, unlike its opposite number on eS) 2 L�xd6 �xd6 2 2 .'li'c2 llabS 23 .Ud3 g6 24 .Uc3 �aS 2S .�b3 'it'fS 2 6 .g3 11e7 2 7 .�fl lla7 2 S .14 hS 29 .Ub1 'iYb4, Wang Yue-Malakhov, Ergun 2 006 . 1 2 . ..tZlxa2 13Jha2 tZl d 7 The more active plan 1 3 . . . �a6 ! ? 1 4J:ha 1 .l:rcS l S .ttJeS h6 1 6 .�h4 'fic7 1 7 Jhc1 cS also looks reasonably promising. 14.�xe7 1 4.�f4 �.b7 l S .cxdS exdS 1 6 . .l:raa 1 �b4 (therefore it is also important for White to exchange the bishop on e7) 1 7 .'iYc2 11eS l S .llac1 'iYe7 , Shabalov-Kobalia, Port Erin 2 0 0 S . 14 . . :iVxe7 1 5 .cxd5 exd5 1 S .l:rc1 �b7

(Cheparinov-Karjakin, Cuernavaca 20 06) 17.�d3!;

B3 ) 11 'tZla2 A logical move; Black has expended a lot of tempi to secure the b4-square and direct his knight there, so why not exchange this knight off straightaway? At the very least, this will be unpleasant psychologically for the opponent!

11 ... tZlxa2 12.l:l:xa2 dxc4 Black does not achieve full equality after 1 2 . ..ttJ d7 1 3 .�xe7 'iYxe7 1 4.11aa l b6 I S .cxds exdS 1 6 .Ufc l �b7 Beliavsky-Wang Hao, Amsterdam 2006 , 1 7 .�d3;!;; . 1 3 .�xc4 liJd5

14.�f4 We have already met this strategic idea, and will meet it again. White is not

1 00

afraid to spoil his pawn structure, since in thIs position, it is much more important to secure control over the eS square. Black's biggest problem, which is not going to go away, is to secure some life for his imprisoned bishop on cS . 14 ... liJxf4 15.exf4 'i'd6

1 S.g3 b5 1 7.axb5 cxb5 1 S.'iVxb5 �a6

1 9.'tWb3 l:tabS 20.'tWd3 �xc4 21 .'i¥xc4 �fc8

22.'i¥e2;;!;; Onischuk-S.B. Hansen, Turin 2006 ; B4) 1 1.I! ac1

B4 1 ) 11 ... bSI? 12.IUd1 There is no danger for Black in 1 2 .ttJa2 ttJxa2 (both 1 2 . . . cS

and 1 2 . . . .ib7 are interesting alternatives) 1 3 .'iha2 ttJe4 1 4.�xe7 'lixe7 1 S .l21eS �b7 1 6 .cxdS cxds 1 7 .'iYa3 'iYxa3 l S .bxa3 .l:rfcS 1 9 .ttJd7 ttJc3 20 .�bS I:'!:c7 2 1 .ttJxb6 lla7 2 2 .h3 �a6 23 .'it'h2 hbS 24 .axbS ttJxbS 1. Sokolov-Stefanova, Hoogeveen 200S . 1 2...�b7 1 3.cxd5 exd5

1 4.h3 l:icS 1 4 . . . cS 1 5 .�f4 c5 1S .J::td2 c4

1 7.'lWd1 .IT!.aS Black had sufflcient counterplay after 1 7 . . . �d6 I S .ttJeS 'lW e7 1 9 .b3 cxb3 2 0 J:!.b2 ttJa2 2 1 .tLJxa2 bxa2 22 Jha2 tLJe4 or l S .�xd6 'iYxd6 1 9 .tLleS ttJd7 2 0 .ttJxd7 'iYxd7 2 1 .b3 �a6, Komliakov) 1 S.liJe5 liJeS (Van Wely-Kritz, Germany Bundesliga 200S /06) 1 9.�g4

l:ic7 20.b3;;!;;;

B42) It is also possible first to put the question to the bishop : 1 1 ...hS 12 .iLh4

1 2 .�f4 ttJhS . 1 2 ... bS 1 3 .cxd5 cxd5

1 3 . . . exd5 1 4 .ttJa 2 ! i ; 1 3 . . . tLJfxdS 1 4.�g3 ! ? 14.liJe5 liJd7 15 .. be7 'fIixe7

1 S .liJd3 �aS 1 7.liJxb4 'lWxb4 1 7 . . . axb4 l S .ttJbS± 1 S.'lWxb4 axb4 1 9.1iJb5�

Gelfand-Bacrot , Albert 2 0 0 2 ; B43 ) 1 1 ... liJh5 Forcing the exchange of

the dark-squared bishop, and slightly reducing the overcrowding in his rather small quarters. But what are we going to do with the bishop on cS? 12.be7 'fIixe7 1 3.liJa2

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6 .itgS

C2Jxa2 l 4-.'iha2 ttJf6 l S .'li'a3 Black has an Jta6 1 8 .QJeS J:f.c8 1 9 .'li'f3 cSoo easier task after l S .Jtd3 Jtd7 1 6 .QJeS �fc8 1 7 .cS Jte8 1 8 .lIc3 QJd7 1 9 .ttJxd7 �xd7 20 .l::tb3 l:!'.c7 2 1 .'i¥b1 h6 2 2 .l:!'.b6 eS, 1. Sokolov-Malakhov, Merida tt 2 0 0 S) 15 .. .'/�ba3 1 6 . bxa3 tDd7 1 7.l:tb1 B:e8

P.H. Nielsen-Malakhov, Sant LIuis 2 0 0 S 1 S.l:!fc1 ;to

Now for the main move. S. l'ia1-c1

a ... 0-0

It was also perfectly possible to direct the knight via a6 to b4 immediately: 8 •. tDa6

9.�e2 Superficial play brought White into difficulties in the following blitz game : 9 .cxdS exdS 1 0 .Jtd3 ttJb4 1 1 .Jtb 1 Jte6 1 2 .0-0 QJd7 1 3 .Jtf4 0-0 1 4.l:!'.e 1 lle8 l S .e4 QJf8 1 6 .Jtg3 dxe4 1 7 .ttJxe4 JtdS lS .tt:lcS b6 1 9.QJd3 ttJe6 2 0 .ttJfeS f6 2 1 .tLJf3 �xf3 2 2 .'i¥xf3 ttJxd4 2 3.'i¥d 1 'i'd7+ Mamedyarov-Kasimdzhanov, Baku 2005. 9 ... 0-0 1 0.0-0 tDb4 1 1 .'iiYb3 transposes into Variation B4 considered above after 8 .Jte2 .

9. �f1 -d3 tUba-a6

10. 0-0

1 1 . i.d3-b1

tUa6-b4

b7-b6

The move 1 1 . . . h6 ! ? also deserves attention: 1 2 .Jtf4 dxc4 1 3 .ttJeS QJfdS 1 4 .Jtg3 �d6 1 S .QJxc4 Jtxg3 1 6.hxg3 b6 1 7 .J:re 1

Komliakov. 1 2. �d1 ·e2

White can count on a small advantage after 1 2 .cxdS cxdS 1 3 .ttJb5 Jta6 1 4.QJe5 QJe8 1 5 .Jtf4:t

1 2. ... �ca-a6

Black also has another, quite promising plan to develop counterplay : 1 2 . . . dxc4 1 3 .ttJeS ttJfdS 1 4 .Jtxe7 'li'xe7 l S .g3 i.a6 1 6 .e4 ttJf6 1 7 .ttJxc4 llad800, Komliakov.

1 3 . b2-b3

13 ... tUf6-e4!

Black exploits tactics , to force favourable exchanges . Other options are : 1 3 ... tDd7 1 4.Jtf4 fs l s .lIfd 1 Jtf6 1 6 .ttJa2 'i¥e7 1 7 .ttJxb4 'iYxb4 1 8 .i.d3 l:!.fc8 1 9 .cxdS Jtxd3 2 0 . 'iYxd3 cxdS 2 1 .�c2 ! :t Gelfand-Malakhov, Sochi t t 2 0 0 5 ; 1 3 .. . c 5 1 4 .ttJb5 ttJe4 l S .Jtf4 l:!'.c8 1 6 .IHd 1 f5 1 7 .ttJe 1 ttJd6 1 8 .dxc5 bxc5 1 9 .ttJd3 ttJxbS 2 0 .axbS Jtb 7 2 1 .Jte5± Kursova-Stefanova, Krasnoturinsk 200 3 .

14. i.g5-f4

Neither 1 4.i.xe4 i.xgS 1 5 .ttJxg5 'iYxg5 1 6 . f4 'i¥f6 1 7 .Jtb 1 cSoo , nor 1 4.Jtxe7 QJxc3 I S .l::txc3 'i¥xe7 are dangerous for Black.

14 ... tbe4xc3

It seems that Black can also permit himself a more ambitious approach : 14 ... g511

1 0 1


1 5 . LDxe4 (the piece sacrifice 1 5 .. �e5 f6 1 6 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 7 .LDxg5 seems to give White no more than a draw by repetition: 1 7 . . . fxg5 1 8 .�xe4 �£6 1 9 .�h5 .l:!.a7 20 . f4 �xe5 2 l .fxe5 l':!.xfl + 22 . l:hfl .l:!.g7 23 . .l':lf6 �c8 24 .�xh7 + .l':lxh 7 25 .'iYxgs+ rJ;Jh8 26 .'i'f4 rJ;Jg7 2 7 .'iYgs+ rJ;Jh8 2 8 .�f4= Komliakov) 15 . . . gxf4 1 6 .exf4 dxe4 1 7 .1jVxe4 f5 1 8 .�xe6+ rJ;Jh8 1 9 .�e5 + �f6 2 0 .�xf5 ki.a7 2 1 .�e4 jLc8 22 .LDe5 t . White has four pawns for the piece, and his knight is very well placed, but even so, Black's resources, thanks to his bishop pair, should not be underestimated (Komliakov) .

1 5. llc1 xc3

Block the centre or open it? - that is the question. It seems that Black gets satisfactory play in either case.

1 5 ... f7-f5

1 5 . . . c5 1 6 .LDe5 f5 1 7 . .!:ldl �e8 1 8 . .l':lcc l .l':ld8 1 9 .h3 �d6 20 .dxc5 �xc5 2 1 .'iYf3 dxc4 2 2 .LDxc4 llxd1 + 2 3 .�xdl 'i'e7 and White is slightly better, David-Dunis , Port Barcares tt 2 0 0 5 .

1 6. .l:!.f1 -d1 Ae7-f6

1 7. �c3-c1 'lj'd8-e7

1 7 . . . c5 ! ? 1 8 .h3 11c8oo Komliakov. 1 8. ttJf3-e5 .l:!.a8-d8

1 9. Af4-g3 c6-c5°o

Sanchez-Dun is, France tt 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 .

1 02

II

6. ... �f8-e7

The third most popular move, after 6 . . . tLl bd7 (see Line V below) and 6 . . . as .

7. e2-e3 0-0

8. �f1 -d3 d5xc4

9. �d3xc4 c6-c5

1 0. 0-0 c5xd4

1 1 . e3xd4 ttJb8-c6

1 2. .l:!.f1 -e1

This position can also arise from the Nimzo-Indian Defence, or, even more commonly, from the Queen's Gambit Accepted. In general, it is considered better for White, for example:

1 2 . ... b7-b6

The plan with the fianchetto seems the most solid. Other tries are less reliable:

A) 1 2 ... �d7 1 3.'i¥e2 Exerting pressure on e 6 . 1 3 ... l:!c8 14J:[ad1 tZlb4 1 5ltJe5 �eS

The bishop has to go to a passive position, since on 1 5 . . . �c6 there would follow 1 6 .LDxf7 ! . 1 S .�b3 tZlfd5 1 7.�d 2 .ic6

1 S.'i¥g4 IilfS? Black allows the above-mentioned blow anyway. 19.tiJxf7!

l:!xf7 20.'i¥xeS tZlbd5 21 J:te5 il.d7 22.l:i:xd5

�xeS 23.lhdS+ J:ixdS 24 .. be6±

Lautier-Bologan, France tt 200 1 (by transposition) ;

B) 1 2 ... hS 1 3 .�h4 'li'bS 1 4.'i¥d2 l:!dS

Black has brought into play those pieces

which it is relatively easy so to do, but this is only a half-measure, and the problem of the c8 bishop still has to be resolved, since Black cannot count on equality otherwise. 15 .11ad1 'tWa5 1 6 .d5

�c5 17.'ii'e2 exd5 1 B.il.xf6 �xf6 1 9J1:xd5

�fS 20J'!.xdB �xdB 21 .'iVeB± 1 .

Sokolov-Anand, Prague 2 0 0 2 . 13. d4-d5 tLJf6xd5

14. tLlc3xd5

Mass exchanges and equality result from the other capture : 1 4 .11l.xd5 exd5 1 5 .'I!'xd5 'iYxd5 1 6 .tbxd5 �c5 1 7 .�e3 tib8 1 8 Jlac 1 �g4 1 9 .�xc5 bxc5 2o Jhc5 �xf3 2 1 .gxf3 tLJd4 2 2 .�g2 J:xb2 (Treppner-Werner, Germany Bundesliga 1 98 3 / 84) .

14. �e7xg5

15. tL:f3xg5 'iVd8xg5

16. t2Jd5xb6 lla8-b8

17. t2Jb6xc8 .!':!.f8xc8

18. �c4xa6 llcB-d8

19. 'lllYd1 -c1 �g5xc1

20. .!':!.a1 xc1 t2Jc6-d4

21 . 1:!.e1 -dH

Black will regain the pawn, of course, but thanks to the advantage of bishop over knight, and the outside passed pawn, White retains the better chances. Even so, the most likely outcome is a draw.

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning : 6 .JlgS

III

6 . ... h7-h6

It is useful to establish at once what White intends to do with the bishop : will he exchange it for the f6 knight or retreat, allowing the bishop to be hit by . . . g7 -g5 at some moment?

After 7.�h4 we reach a position which is examined below, with the inclusion of the moves . . . h6 and �h4.

A) 7 ... �b4 deserves attention.

A I ) B.'lWb3 a5 9.e3 tiJa6 1 0.Ild1 �e7 The bishop has nothing more to do on b4, so it frees the square for the knight. 1 1 .�e2

tiJb4 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3 .tiJe5 tiJd7 14�g3 tiJxe5

15 . .ixe5 b6 1 6 .e4 ita6 17.l::iJe1 J:tcB 1 S . .if1

itg5 Black has adequate play (Gavrikov-Hubner, Germany Bundesliga 1 99 3 /94) . A2) Possibly, quiet development by B.e3

'!Va5 9.'l!!Yc2 is stronger. Interesting, although hardly sufficient for an advantage, is the pawn sacrifice 9 .�xf 6 �xc3 + 1 0 .bxc3 'ifxcH 1 1 .tbd2 gxf6 1 2 . .!:!.c 1 'ifa3 1 3 .�e2 'ife7 1 4 .0 -0 as 1 5 . .!:!.e 1 (the assessment of the position is not changed by 1 5 .�h5 4Ja6 1 6 .'ifg4 <;t>f8 1 7 . cxd5 exd5 1 8 .'iff4 tbMoo) 1 5 . . . 0-0 1 6 .�fl f5 1 7 .'ifh5 'if g5 1 8 .'ifh3 4Ja6 1 9 .tbf3 'if g7

1 03


20 . cxdS exdSoo White has good compensation for the pawn. but no more (Komliakov) . 9 ... tLlbd7 10.tLld2 c5 1 1 .�e2

0-0 1 2.0-0 cxd4 1 3 .exd4 Wic7 14.tfb3 �d6

1 5.�g3! Black still has to solve the problem of the bishop on c8 . therefore White's chances are preferable (Komliakov) .

B) 7 ... dxc4 The most principled move. Here. the capture is stronger than without the insertion 6 . . . h6 7 .�h4. as in that case White has 7 .e4 bs 8 . abS cbS 9 .eS h6 and now the bishop goes to d2: 1 0 .�d2 tLJdS 1 1 .tLJbS �b7 1 2 .tLJa3 with advantage.

B 1 ) B.e3 This accurate move can also pose Black definite problems. B ... b5

9.axb5 White must strive for complications ; in the event of the quiet 9 .�e2 �b7 1 0 .tLJeS tLJbd7 I I .axbS axbS 1 2 .0-0 .fie 7 1 3 .£.£3 tLJxeS 1 4 .dxeS 'iVxd l I s 1Hxd i tLJdS 1 6 .J:'ixa8+ �xa8 1 7 . .l:!.a l �xh4 1 8 .J:'ixa8+ �d8 1 9 .'it>f1 'it>d7 20 .tLJe4 (Onischuk-Naer. POikovsky 2006 ) 20 .. J:te8+ Black solves all his development problems. retaining his extra pawn. 9 ... cxb5 1 0.�xf6 gxf6 1 1 .tLlxb5 axb5

1 2.l:txaB iLb4+

And now:

1 0 4

B l l ) 1 3.tLld2 �b7 1 4 . .l:!.a7 ? ! C 1 4.nal eS or 14 . . . .l:tg8 . with great compensation for the sacrificed material) 1 4 . . . 'l!Wb6 I S . .l:!.a l eS 1 6 .�e2 exd4 1 7 . 0-0 .l:tg8+ Black creates dangerous threats against the enemy king (Van den Doel-Van der Wiel. Rotterdam 1 99 9 ) ;

B 1 2 ) 1 3.>t>e2 �b7 1 4Jh l fs ( a serious alternative is 1 4 . . . .l:!.g8 . for instance: I S . g 3 ? �e4 1 6 .�c l �dS 1 7 .Jig2 tLJd7 +; 1 5 .tLJe 1 fs ( 1 S . . . tLJc600) , or I S .b3 �dS oo . Komliakov) I S .tLJeS .l:tg8 with double-edged play (Van WeIyTopalov, Wijk aan ae 2 0 0 6 ) .

B 2 ) Great complications . reminiscent of the Anti-Moscow Variation. arise after B.e4.

B2 1 ) In White's favour is B ... g5 9.�g3

b5 1 0.axb5 cxb5 1 1 .tLlxb5 axb5 12 .lha8

�b4+ 13 .lt>e2 tLlc6

14.tLle51 Thanks to this tactical trick, White strengthens his centre and stabilises the situation. 14_tLla5 1 4 . . . tLJxd4+ ? loses because of I S .'itxd4! 'itxd4 1 6 . .l:!.xc8+ We? 1 7 .tLJc6+ . 1 5 JlbB tLlxe4 1 6.l:1xb5 �d2

1 7.iVc2 tLlxg3+ 1B.hxg3 �a6 1 9.Wixd2 �xb5

20.Wib4 Wib6 21 :.t>e3± Berkes-Wang Hao, Taiyuan 2 0 0 6 ;

B 2 2 ) B ... b51? 9 . axbS cxbS 1 0 .eS g5 I l .tLlxg5 hxg5 1 2 .�xgS tLlbd7 1 3 .'l!Wf3

l'rbS 1 4 .exf6 �b7 l S .Vf4 ttJb6 (White has an extra pawn, but it isn't easy to complete the development of his kingside, whilst Black's light-squared bishop is very strong and his knight has the beautiful square dS) 1 6.h4 �b4 1 7 .hS IbdS l S .'iY g3 'it>d700. In this sharp position, Black's chances are in no way worse.

B3) B.aS The most unpleasant move for Black to face. Now the pawn on c4 is cut off from its support, and its loss is only a matter of time. In order to obtain counterplay, Black must go over to preparing the break . . . c6-cS .

8 ... c5 White is better after S . . . gS 9 .�g3 .ib4 1 0 .'iYa4 ttJdS 1 1 .e3 bS 1 2 .axb6 as 13 .'I'c2 �a6 1 4.ttJeS tDxb6 l S .h4± (Rogozellko-R. Vukic, Timisoara 2006) 9 .. bf6 Black easily equalises in the endgame after 9 .dxcS 'i'xdl + 1 0 .l:!.xd 1 �xcS 1 1 .ttJeS tDc6 1 2 .tDxc4 �b4 9 ... 'llixf6

9 . . . gxf6 100ks risky: 1 0 .dS exdS 1 1 .ttJxdS , for example: 1 1 . . .ttJc6 1 2 .e3 l:!.gS 13 .�xc4 l:!.xg2 1 4.ttJf4 .I1g7 l S .'iYxdS+ WxdS 1 6 .0-0-0+ 'it>c7 1 7 .ttJdS + 'it>bS l S .tLlb6 l::ra7 1 9 .1:!.hg 1 ;J; 1 0.dS 'i!b'dB 1 1 .tiJeS

tiJd7 1 2.t21xc4 !ke7 1 3.dxe6 fxe6 14.g3;1;

White retains the advantage, ShulmanShabalov, Chicago 2006 .

Now we reach the main line after 6 . . . h6 .

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6 .�gS

7. �g5xf6

S. e2-e3

9. 'iVd1 -c2

'i'dSxf6

ttJbS-d7

In the line 9 .�d3 g6 1 0 . 0-0 �g7 1 1 .e4 dxe4 1 2 .ttJxe4 '*I!f4 1 3 .g3 'fic7 1 4.'fie2 0-0 l S .l:!.ad1 eS 1 6 .dxeS ttJxeS 1 7 .ttJxeS 'iYxeS=F Black takes over the initiative.

9. . .. g7-g6

White retains pressure after 9 .. . 'i!b'dB

1 0.!kd3 !ke7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.J:tad1 , for example: 1 2 ... dxc4 1 3 .!kxc4 bS 14.!ka2 'liVb6

1 S .!kb1 g6 (Ushenina-Zhukova , Odessa 2006 ) 1 6 .h4 hS Allowing the enemy knight into eS is very dangerous : 1 6 . . . ttJf6 1 7 .ttJeS hS I S .ttJxg6 ! fxg6 1 9 .'fixg6+ 'it>hS 2 0 .f4 i::la7 2 1 .IH3 �b4 2 2 :�'h6+ 'it>gS 23 . .l:tg3+ 'it>f7 24.aS ! ! 'iYbS 2 S . ttJe4 ttJxe4 2 6 .�xe4 , and White's attack can be beaten off only at the cost of great material loss. 1 7.tiJe2 !kd6

1 B.e4;1; with the better prospects. 1 0. �f1 -d3 �fS-g7

l O S


In this position, typical of the Moscow Black's role is little more than that of a Variation, White keeps the opening initiative, thanks to his better development and space advantage.

IV

6 ... �f8-b4?!

This plan with . . . 'iYaS is not very good, since it allows the doubling of the f-pawns.

7. �d1 - b3 It is also possible not to determi ne the position of the queen yet, and simply to develop the pieces : 7.e3 'lWa5 7 . . . h6 8 . �h4 �bd7 9 . �d3 b6 1 0 . 0 - 0 �b7 1 Uue5 �xe5 1 2 .dxe5 dxc4 1 3 . exf6 'iYxd3 1 4 .fxg7 .l:rg8 I S .'iYf3 .lhg 7 (Black also has the interesting, but inadequate I S . . . ·\�N5 1 6 .'Ii'g3 'iYg6 1 7 .'i'c7 .!:hg7 1 8 .g3 f6 1 9 .'iVxb6±) 1 6 .<1:Je4 f5 1 7 . 'iYh5 + with a strong attack, Khalifman-Hodgson, Ischia 1 9 9 6 .

8.�xf6 �xc3+ 9.bxc3 'liixc3+ 1 0/2Jd2

gxf6 1 1 .cxd5 exd5 1 2 .�e2 f 5 1 2 . . .�f5 ! ? 1 3.0-0 ti:J d 7 14.a5 'iVb4 1 5 .�d3 ti:Jf6

1 6:iVc2 ti:Je4 (Vag ani an-Volkov, Moscow 2 0 0 2) , and here the avoidance of exchanges deserves attention : 1 7.ti:Jb3 'iVe7

1 8.13 ti:Jd6 1 9.1:iae1 .

White has more than sufficient compensation for the pawn, and in any event,

1 0 6

spectator. 7. 'iYd8-a5

8. �g5xf6 g7xf6

9. g2-g3 �b8-d7

1 0. �f1 -g2 f6-f5

1 1 . 0-0 �b4-e7

1 2. e2-e3 'iYa5-b4

1 3. 'iYb3-a2

Of course, it is not favourable for White to exchange queens , since in the rniddlegame, the black king will not feel fully safe.

1 3 .

1 4. a4-a5

15 . c4xd5

1 6 . :::tf1 -b1

1 7. b2-b4

�e7-f6

iYb4-e7

c6xd5

0-0

b7-b5

Essential , else White will exert too much pressure on the queenside.

1 8. a5xb6 �d7xb6

1 9. tLJf3-e1 itc8-d7

20. tLJe1-d3 �d7-b5

21 . tLJd3-c5;t

Gagunashvili-V. Milov, Oak Brook 2007 .

V

6 '" tLJb8-d7

The most common continuation. Black does not yet commit his king's bishop, waiting to see what plan White will

choose, before deciding whether the bishop should go to e7 or b4. The suggestion of the Russian grandmaster Dydyshko deserves attention, of trying to cramp Black on the queenside by means of 7.a 5. After this , I believe Black should try to use the slight breathing space to take concrete measures.

V. l

7. e2-e3

Vyacheslav Andreevich said that Black now obtains a good variation of the Cambridge Springs, where the inclusion of the move a4 is less favourable to White than Black's move . . . a6 . Even so, this seemingly intricate continuation requires energetic and resourceful play from Black.

7 ... �d8-a5

Worse is 7 . . . �b4? ! 8 .�d3 'iVa5 9 . 0-0 h6 (9 . . . �xc3 1 0 .bxc3 dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 tLJe4 1 2 .kf4 liJxc3 1 3 .'iVc2 'iVb4 1 4 .�d3 ttJd5 1 5 .�g3 �) 1 0 .�h4 dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 0-0 1 2 .�c2 c5 1 3 .tLJa2 cxd4 1 4.tLJxb4 �xb4 1 5 .tLJxd4t Greenfeld-Movsesian, Izmir 2 0 04 .

8. tt:Jf3-d2

We only considered B . .l1I.xfS tLlxfS 9.tLld2

9 .�c2 b5 ; 9 .�d3 �b4 1 0 .'i!'c2 dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 c5 1 2 .0-0 cxd4= Chebanenko. 9 ... .l1I.b4 10.'iVc2 c5 1 1 .Jil.e2 0-0 1 2.0-0 cxd4

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6 . �g5

1 3.exd4 dxc4 14.tLlxc4 'Wic7 15.J::tac1 Jil.d7

1 S .'iVb3 .l1I.dS 1 7.tLlxdS draw (Lalic-Dunnington, London 1 99 7 ) . Interesting i s B.cxd5, trying t o transpose into the game Yakovenko-Laznicka. If Black wishes to avoid this, he must play B .. .tLlXd5, after which White has the typical pawn sacrifice 9.e4 tLlxc3 1 0.bxc3 tLlfS

1 1 .i.d3 �xc3+ 1 2.We2.

There followed 12 ... �a5 1 3.�c2 iLe7

1 4.l:lhe1 hS Extremely optimistic. Correct was 1 4 . . . �b4 1 5 .�d2 �xd2 1 6 .liJxd2 'i!'h5 + 1 7 .tLJf3 0 - 0 1 8 .'i!'c5 'iVxc5 1 9 .dxc5 �. 1 5 . .l1I.d2 �h5 1 S.e5 iL'g4

1 7.l:!h1 !+- and the knight cannot be saved, Ehlvest-Paragua, Calvia 2 0 04 .

8. ... �f8-b4

9. iVd1 -c2

Or 9 .':cl c5 1 0 .�e2 cxd4 1 1 .exd4 dxc4 1 2 .�xf6 QJxf6 1 3 .QJxc4 'iVd8 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 5 .�f3 ':b8 1 6 .liJe5 'i!'e7 1 7 .'i!'b3 ':d8 and although Black has not solved the problem of the c8 bishop, he is able to hold, thanks to his control over the dark squares, S. Savchenko-Bareev, Azov tt 1 99 6 .

9 . c6-c5

1 0. tt:Jd2-b3

The quiet developing move 10.il.e2 allows Black to create a favourable pawn structure in the centre and even, given the chance,

1 0 7


to seize the initiative. For example, 1 0 ... cxd4 1 1 .exd4 dxc4 1 2 .�xfS tbxfS

1 3 .tbxc4 1JJic7 14.�b3 �dS 1 5 .a5 0-0

1 S.�bS .!adS 1 7.�f3 J:l.bS 1 S.0-0-0 tbd5 The following line also looks reasonable: l S . . . jLf4+ ! ? 1 9 .'it>b 1 jLd7 2 0 .'ilxc7 jLxc7+ . 1 9.\{!hc7 !J;...xc7 20.J:the1 tbb4

20 .. .tDxc3 P 2 1 .bxc3 �d7 + Komliakov. 21 .tbbS �xbS 22.axbS J:IdS 23.d5 J:l.xbS

24.�g4 WfS 24 .. .fS ! ? 2 S .jLf3 jLd7 + . 25.dxeS �xeS 2S.�xeS fxeS 27J:td7 ncs

2S.l:1e3 tbd5 29J'J:.g3 tbe7f. Beliavsky-Piket, Madrid 1 99 7 .

1 0. ... 'iVa5-c7

1 1 . �g5xf6

The exchanging operation in the centre also fails to pose any great danger for Black: 1 1 .dxc5 0-0 1 2.�d3 1 2 .11c1 �xc3 + 1 3 .bxc3 dxc4 1 4.�xc4 'ilc6 1 5 . 0 -0 'iYxa4 1 6 .jLd3 h6 ; 1 2 .jLxf6 tDxf6 1 3 .cxdS CUxdS 1 4.jLd3 h6 1 5 .0 -0 tDxc3 1 6 .bxc3 jLxcS . 12 ... dxc4 13.�xc4 �xc5

14.�d3 �dS! 1 5J:tc1 bS 1 S.'li'd2 1 6 .'iYe2? ! 'ilbS 1 7 . CU d 2 i, b 7 I S . tDf3 (better is l S .tDc4 jLc7 1 9 .f4 h6 2 0 .jLM eSao) l S . . . CUg4 1 9 .�b 1 ( 1 9 .�e4 �xe4 20 . tDxe4 jLM+ 2 1 .tDed2 tDcS) 1 9 .. Jks 20 . .:rd 1 tDfS 2 1 .h3 ttJeS + and it is obvious that not only has Black equalised, but he has also taken the initiative Mamedyarov-Dautov, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 .

l OS

1 S ... 1JJibS 1 7.tbe4 �e7 1 S.tbd4 l S .jLf4 eS 1 9 .jLg3 .:rd8 2 0 . 0 -0 ttJxe4 2 1 .jLxe4 tbf6

2 2 .'iYc2 ttJxe4 2 3 .�xe4 �f6 =. 1 S ... �b7

1 9.tbxfS+ �xfS 20.�xfS tbxfS= .

1 1 . ... lZ'ld 7xf6

1 2. d4xc5

1 3 . �f1 xc4

d5xc4

kb4xc5

1 3 . . . 0-0 14 .jLe2 jLxcs l S .tDxcS 'iYxcs 1 6 . 0 -0 �d7 1 7 .�f3 �c6 l S .�xc6 draw, Ftacnik-Postny, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 ) .

1 4. lZ'lb3xc5 'iVc7xc5

1 5. kc4-e2 1/2-1/2 Gyimesi-V Georgiev, Hamburg 2000 .

Y. 2

7. 'lWd1 -c2

A relatively fresh continuation, the main line being 7 .e 3 'iYaS S .ttJd2 . . . After 7 . 'iVc2 , if Black tries to play in similar fashion, then after 7 . . .'&' as the reply S . cxdS is unpleasant. On the mher hand, if Black continues developing with 7 . . . �e7 , followed by S . . . O -O , he has a cramped position, and it is not clear that he has anything to be too happy about. 7...�e7 S.e3 0-0 Here, probably a strong move is 9.�d3! 9 .aS h6 1 0 .jLh4 cS 1 1 . cxdS lZ'lxdS 1 2 .jLxe 7 lZ'lxe7 1 3 .dxcS tDxcS 1 4.M ttJd7 l S .�e2 ttJc6 1 6 .1::!.b 1 'iYe7 1 7 .iYe4 ttJf6 l S .'iVh4 e S 1 9 .1Ll e4

tLlxe4 20 .1/!fxe4 g6 2 I .Ilb2 Ild8 with approximate equality (Van Wely-Naer, Minneapolis 2 0 0 S ) :

A) Now, not very convincing is 9 ... aS

1 0 .0-0 b6 l 1 .lDeS ± ; B ) 9 ... dxc4 1 0 . .lll.xc4 c5 The small sim

plif ying operation 1 0 . . . lDdS does not solve all of Black's problems: 1 1 .fixe7 'J/lixe7 1 2 .0 - 0 ttJb4 1 3 .1/!fb3 cS 1 4 .dxcS 'iYxcs I S .lDe4 1/!fe7 1 6 .Ilfd 1 lDb6 1 7 .tLleS ! (after 1 7 . aS a draw was agreed in Lerner-Naer, Jerusalem 2 0 0 S . Play can continue : 1 7 . . . lDxc4 I 8 .'Mfxc4 ttJc6 1 9 .h3 ;t - a classical Chebanenko waiting move, keeping options open ! ) 1 7 . . . £d7 1 8 . Ild6± - Black's pieces are beginning to hang rather dangerously. 1 1 .0-0 cxd4

12 .exd4 ttJbS 13 . .lll.d3 hS One way or another, Black has to weaken his kingside. The move 1 3 . . . g6 also has its downside : 1 4 .'lWb3 lDbdS l S .tbes 1/!fd6 1 6 .aS 'iVb4 1 7 .£c4 'lWxb3 1 8 .£xb3;!; - the knight on f6 lacks the support of a pawn and Black's minor pieces are 'hanging in the air' . 14.�xfS .. bfS 1S .�e4 ttJdS 1S J�i'b3;t

Black cannot defend the dS outpost, which means he has to suffer for equality.

C) 9 ... hS 10.�h4 cS 1 1 .0-0 bS 1 2.cxdS

exdS 13 .ttJeS .lll.b7 14.f4 ttJeS 1 S.jLxe7 1\Vxe7

(Gustafsson-Ruck, Budapest 20 04) 1 S.aS!

Underlining the fact that Black's pawn structure is not very elastic and is vulnerable to some heavy blows. 1 S ... ttJefS

1 6 . . . bS 1 7 .lDxd7± is not good for Black. 17.�fS bS 1 S.ttJxd7 ttJxd7 1 9 . .lll.xd7 1\Vxd7

20.dxcS !tfeS 21 Jlad 1 ± White's advantage is indisputable;

7 . ... �d8-a5

8. c4xd5 c6xd5

A) With the classical structure after 8 ... exdS Black's pieces would be mis-

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning: 6 .�gS

placed - they are too far from the kingside, where Black usually seeks his counterplay : 9.e3 ttJe4 10.�f4 Play also favours White after I O . .ik.d3 lDxgS l 1 .lDxgS ke7 1 2 .tLlf3 lDf6 1 3 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 4 .lDeS cS I s .f4 . 10 ... �b4 1 1 Jlc1 ttJbS

For some reason, Rybka likes this rather fancy move. 1 2.�c7 �fS 1 3.�d3 .ucS

14.�xbS 'li'xbS 15 .0-0 jLxc3 1 S.bxc3 cS

1 7.ttJh4± White wins a pawn and retains all the advantages of his position;

B) S ... ttJxdS 9.�d2! An unpleasant resource for Black to face; however, even after the more direct 9 .e4 lDb4 1 0 .1/!fd2 cS;!; White retains the opening initiative. 9_.ttJb4 Bad is 9 . . . lDxc3 1 0 .e4±. 1 0.'ii:¥b3

1\VbS 1 0 . . . cS 1 1 .lDa2 ± 1 1 .ttJe4 as 1 2.e3

.lll.e7 1 3 . .lll.c4 0-0 14.0-0. White has a small , but stable advantage.

9. <i'lf3-d2!

After 9 .e3 Black succeeds in obtaining counterplay on the queenside : 9 . . . bS 1 0 .lDd2 (necessary prophylaxis , bad is 1 0 . .ik.d3 b4 1 1 .lDe2 b3+ 1 2 ."i¥d2 .ik.b4 1 3 .lDc3 lDe4 1 4 . . ihe4 dxe4+) 1 0 . . . b4 1 1 .lDcb 1 (only this way ; White loses after I I .lDe2 b3 1 2 .'ihb3 Cbe4) 1 1 . . .fib7 1 2 .lDb3 1/!fd8 I 3 .�d3 �d6 I 4 .f4 1/!fb6 I S .aS 1/!fa7 1 6 .lD l d2 .tf.c8 I 7 .1/!fdl ttJe400 . Both sides have their trumps .

1 0 9


9 ... h7-h6

Full equality is not promised by either 9 . . . �d6 1 0 .e3 h6 1 I .�h4- 0-0 1 2 .�d3 ;!; , or 9 . . . �b4 I O .e3 <1:Je4 I l .ti"dxe4 dxe4 1 2 .�h4 0-0 1 3 .�e2 f5 1 4.0 -0 <1:Jf6 1 5 :iYb3;!;.

1 0. �g5-h4 g7-g5

1 1 . �h4-g3 lLlf6-h5

1 2. e2-e3 lLlh5xg3

It is essential to exchange the bishop ; on 1 2 . . . �g7 1 3 .�d6± is unpleasant.

1 3. h2xg3 lLld7-f6 In the event of 1 3 . . . �g7 1 4 .�d3 0-0 1 5 . 0 -0 <1:Jf6 1 6 .<1:Jb3 'i&d8 1 7 .a5;!; White can seize valuable space queenside.

1 4. �f1 -d3 �c8-d7

15. 0-0 J:ta8-c8

1 6 . lLld2-f3

on the

Black has sufficient counterplay after 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7 .<1:Jdxe4 �e7 1 8 :iVe2 (Khenkin-Volkov, Stockholm 2004) , for example: 1 8 . . . Jil.c6 1 9 . <1:Jxf6+ �xf6 2 0 .<1:Je4 Jil.xd4 2 1 .tLld6+ c;t>d7 22 .<1:Jxc8 �d5 2 3 .Jil.e4 �xe4 24.�xe4 �xe4 2 5 . l:.ad l l:.xc8 2 6 . l:.xd4+ �d5 2 7 . .l:!.fdl l:.c2 2 8 .l:.4d2 l:.c4) 16 . . . Jil.g7 1 7 .<1:Je5

White's prospects are somewhat better, although Black retains a fully defensible position.

1 1 0

As usual, one must also check the inclusion of the moves 7 ... hS B . .li!.h4 and only then B .. :�a5 8 . . . Jil.e7 9 .e3 0-0 1 0 .�d3! favours White.

A) 9.cxd5 tLlxd5 1 0.e4 t2lxc3 1 1 .bxc3 c5

1 2.d5 Play turns out in Black's favour after 1 2 .�e2 cxd4 1 3 .tLlxd4 Jil.d6 1 4.0-0 'iYc7 ! (an accurate move, forcing the exchange of bishops; on 1 4 . . . 0 -0 there is 1 5 .f4 !00) 1 5 .�g3 �xg3 1 6 .hxg3 O-Of. 1 2 ... exd5 13 .exd5 g5! 14 . ..ig3 Sharp, but harmless for Black, is 1 4.c;t>d2 gxh4

1 5 .iVe4+ c;t>d8 1 6 .<1:Je5 <1:JxeS 1 7 .'i'xeS l:.g8-+. 14 ... .li!.g7, and Black firmly holds the initiative;

B) 9.e3! My idea in including the moves

7 . . . h6 8 .�h4 consisted in the fact that now 9 .cxd5 is not so good, but after the simple text it is not clear what Black has achieved.

B 1 ) Pointless is 9 ... ..ib4 1 0 . ..id3.

B2) Opening the centre does not promise equality, as Black still has problems with the development of his queenside : 9 ... c5 1 0 .�e2 dxc4 I l .Lc4 �e7 12 .0-0 0-0 (it is somewhat better to head for a position with White having an isolated pawn; 1 2 . . . cxd4 1 3 .exd4 0-0 1 4JHe l !) 1 3 .l:.adl cxd4 (or 1 3 . . . <1:Jb6 1 4 . .Lf6 �6 1 5 .<1:Je4±) 14 .l:.xd4 <1:Jb6 1 5 .�a2±;

B3) By 9 ... dxc4?! Black hopes for the other break . . . e6-e5 , but this plan is not so simple to carry out: 10.�xc4 B3 1) On 10 ... b5? White obtains the ad

vantage with 1 1 .�xe6 ! (harmless is 1 l.�b3 c5 1 2 .dxc5 tt"lxc5 1 3 .�xf6 gxf6 14.0-0 b4 1 5 .tt"le4 �b7 1 6 .tt"lxc5 'iVxc5 1 7 :i'd3 �3 1 8 .gxf3 .!:lg8+ 1 9 .'lt>h 1 'i'c6 20 .'iVe2 .!:ld8 2 1 ..!:lac 1 .!"!.d2 , Komliakov) 1 1 . . . fxe6 1 2 .'iV g6+ \t>d8 13 .t2Je5 Wc7 14 .tt:lxc6 'iVb6 1 5 .axb5 axb5 1 6 .Rxa8 'iV xc6 1 7 . .a:.a 1 ± , and Black has trouble finding a safe place for his king; B32) 1O .. �d6 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 . .!::l.fd 1 �

White has simple and clear play in the centre, and his advantage is not in doubt (Komliakov) . B4) 9 ... 1L1e4 1 0.Jtd3 f5 If 1 0 . . . g5 1 1 .�g3

tDxg3 1 2 .hxg3 dxc4 1 3 .�xc4 �g7 , White takes his king to the queenside: 14 .0-0-0�, whereas it is quite unclear what Black will do with his king. 1 1 .0-0 �d6 After 1 1 . . .g5 1 2 .�g3 tt"lxg3 1 3 .fxg3 �g7 1 4. cxd5 cxd5 1 5 . g4 fxg4 1 6 .�g6+ �d8 1 7 .�d2 ± the black king comes under attack. 1 2 .c5 �b8 13 .�xe4 fxe4

14.tLld2 0-0 15 .f3 exf3 16 .1L1xf3±, and Black's queenside is cramped, Van WelyKarjakin, Merida tt 2 0 0 5 .

Back to the position after 7 .'iVc2 . 7. ... �fS-b4

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning: 6.�g5

The most principled reply. 8. c4xd5

In case of 8 . e3 'iVa5 9 .tt"ld2 c5 we transpose into the variation 7 .e3 .

S. ... e6xd5

Also perfectly possible is 8 . . . cxd5 9 . e3 h6 (9 . . . 0-0 1 0 .�d3�) 1 0 .�h4 0-0 1 1 .�d3 b6 1 2 .0-0 �b7 1 3 .tt"le5 (the assessment is not affected significantly by 1 3 . .!:lfc 1 �d6 1 4.'iVe2 'iVe7 1 5 . .!:lc2 .!:lfc8 1 6 . .!:lac 1 'iVf8 1 7 .tt"la2 .!:lxc2 1 8 .l'hc2 tt"le4 Gustafsson-Volkov, Internet 2 0 04) 13 . . . 'iV c7 1 4 .tt"lxd7 tt"lxd7 15 . .!::l.ac 1 .!::l.fc8 1 6 .iVe2 iVd6 1 7 .h3 �xc3 1 8 .bxc3 iVa3 1 9 .'iYc2 as 2 0 .�b5 tt"lf8 . In this position, White's advantage is more of theoretical than practical significance.

9. e2-e3 a6-a5

1 0. i.f1 -d3 .¥i.b4-e7

1 1 . 0-0 0-0

1 2. h2-h3 h7-h6

White has the standard Carlsbad-style advantage after 1 2 . . . .!:le8 1 3 . .!:lae 1 tt"lf8 1 4.tt"le5 , Tkachiev-Chuprikov, Sochi 2 0 0 5 .

1 3. i[g5-f4 tLld7-bS

14. tLlf3-e5 tLlbS-a6

1 5. tLlc3-a2

1 6 . �d1 -b3

1 7. tLla2xb4

1 S. .i:ta1 -c1

.¥i.cS-e6

tLla6-b4

i[e7xb4

tLlf6-d7

Black is close to equality.

I I I


7. c4xd5

8. e2-e3

Y. 3

e6xd5

Play again goes into Carlsbad-type lines, but unlike the line S. 'fib3 , here White has weakened the square b4.

A) In this position, B ... �aS is a fully viable line, since the pawn on a4 means that White cannot control the b4-square.

A I ) 9.�d3 tLJe4 1 0.0-0 tLJxgS 1 1 .tLJxgS

tLJf6 1 1 . . .�e7 1 2 . f4 t{\f6 1 3 .'fic2 h6 1 4.ttJf3 �e6 I S .ttJeS nd8 1 6 .h3 hS 1 7 .ttJf3 Wf8 1 8 .ttJgS� Gelfand-Kamsky. Elista 2 0 0 7 . 1 2.'lfVc2 White does best to refrain from a pawn break in the centre for the time being; 1 2 . e4? ! h6 1 3 .eS hxgS 1 4 . exf6 gxf6 I S .11e 1 + �e6 1 6 .'fif3 �c7 1 7 .h3 'fif4+; 1 2 .f4 �g4 1 3 .�b3 'fib4 14 .'fic2 h6 J S .ttJf3 Lf3 1 6 .nxf3 �e7=. 1 2 ... h6 1 3.tLJf3 �d6 14.�fS 1 4 .ttJeS? ! ...IiLxeS 1 S .dxeS ttJg4+ ; 1 4.11ae 1 0 -0 1 S .ttJeS cS 1 6 .f4 'fib4. 14 ... 0-0 1S .tLJeS �xfS 1 6.'iVxfS 'iVb4 17 . .!::tab1 l:!aeB= Komliakov;

A2) 9.tLJd2 The knight is not badly placed on d2, supporting the e4-square and preparing to jump to b3 . 9 ... .>te7

White is better after 9 . . . �d6 1 0 . ...IiLd3 0-0 l 1 .ttJb3 'fi c7 1 2 .aS lle8 1 3 .�h4 h6 14 .�g 3�. 1 0.�d3 0-0 1 1 .0-0 !:teB 1 2.'iVc2 'iVdB?! A serious inaccuracy, allowing White to fIx the queenside.

1 1 2

1 3.aS! tLJfB 1 4.tLJb3 h6 1 s .. bf6 �xf6

1 6.tLJcS �e7 1 7.b4 .¥Ld6 1 B.l::tfe1 'iVc7 19.g3

tLJe6 20.14 'f1.e7 21 .tLJ3a4 tLJfB 22.tLJb6 .!:.b8 23.r;!;>g2;!; and although this game ended in a draw, thanks to desperate defence by Black, he has not repeated the line since, Yakovenko-Laznicka, Pamplona 2006 ;

B ) B ... aS In this way, Black deprives his

opponent of the chance to fIx the queenside by a4-aS , although this is not always so dangerous for him anyway.

9.�d3 �e7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .lWc2 �e8

1 2J�ae1 tLJfB 1 3 .tLJeS tLJg4 14.�xe7 J:ixe7

1 S .14 f6 1 6.tLJxg4 �xg4 17.1S �hS 1B.'/iUf2

1 8 .�h 1 'fib6 1 9 Jig 1 ...IiLf7 2 0 .g4 Cild7 (White obtained a small advantage after 2 0 . . . cS 2 1 .'fifl cxd4 2 2 . exd4 llae8 2 3 .11 d l lle3 24 .�bS Ii 8 e 7 , Van Wely-Sedlak, Germany Bundesliga 2004/0 S ; 2 S .'figl;!;) 2H �'f2 r;!;>hB 22.95 fxgS 23J:txgS tLJf6 24.'f1.eg1 �hS. 1B .. :iI'b6

19 .h3 .if7 2 0 .g4 h6 2 1 .h4 tLlh7 2 2 .'it>hl :!:!.ae8 B .n g l '{irc7 Slipak-Garcia Palermo, Villa Gesell 1 9 9 8 .

Now for the main line after 8 .e3 . 8. ... ilLf8-e7

9. ilLf1 -d3 0-0

10. �d1 -c2

1 0 .aS ! ? 10. .. . laf8-e8

1 1 . 0-0 tLJd7-f8

1 1 . . . a5 transposes to line B above. 1 2 . tLJf3-e5 tLJf6-g4

1 3. ilLg5xe7 �d8xe7

14. 'tt'le5xg4 �.c8xg4

1 5. .!:!.a1 -e1 ilLg4-h5

1 6. f2-f4! l:\a8-d8

1 7. f4-f5 f7-f6

1 8. .!:!.f1 -f4 c6-c5

1 9. �c2-d2 fi.h5-f7

20. ilLd3-c2

Chapter 10 : Pinning : 6 .�g5

White has only an insignificant advantage, but thanks to his extra class, he confldently turned it to victory (Atalik-Vegh, Budapest 1 9 9 8 ) .

V A

7. '/i'd1 -b3

7 . ... h7-h6

8 . ilLg5xf6 tLJd7xf6

9. a4-a5 c6-c5

1 0. e2-e3 c5xd4

1 1 . e3xd4 d5xc4

1 2. ilLf1 xc4 ilLf8-d6

13 . 0-0 0-0

14. I::!.f1 -e1 na8-b8

Hillarp Persson -Khalif man, 2 0 0 7 .

v. s

7. a4-a5

Dresden

1 1 3


There are a few sensi ble options : A) 7 ... dxc4 A I ) 8.e3 h6 The plan with S . . . b 5 ! ? de

serves attention. so as to open lines on the q ueenside and exert pressure on the b2 pawn: 9 . axb6 �xb6 1 0 .k!.a2 h6 1 L �.xf6 CUxf6 1 2.CU e S �b4 1 3 .CUxc4 �c7 14.�d3 c5 1 S .0-0 0-0. 9 .. bf6 tiJxf6 1 0.�xc4 .lll.b4 1 1 .'lWa4 'lWe7 12.0-0 0-0 13.tiJe5 .lll.d6 1 3 . . . c5 ? 1 4 .CUa2± ; 1 3 . . . �d7 1 4 .'iYb3;!; Janssen-lobron, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 3 . 14.tiJd3 c5 White retains pressure in the event of 1 4 . . . �d7 1 5 . 'li'b3 Ua bS 1 6 .IHd I ;!; ; and also after 1 4 . . . lLlg4 1 5 .h3 'i'fh4 1 6 .J:!:fd l �h2 + 1 7 .Wfl tLlf6 1 S .lLle5 �xe5 1 9 .dxe5 lLld5 2 0 .�d3 'i'fg5 2 1 .'Ii'e4 f5 2 2 . exf6 lLlxf6 23 .'Ii'b4;!;. 1 5 .dxc5 �xc5 16 .tiJxc5 'lWxc5 17 . .lll.e2 1 7 .�d3 ! ? �d7 1 S .lLle4;!;. 1 7 ... �d7 1 8.tiJe4 Dautov-Morozevich. Bled 2 0 0 2 1 8 ... tiJxe4 19.'lWxd7 'i¥b4 20.'lWa4 'i¥xb2 2U�a2 'lWe5 22.f4 'lWd5 23 . .lll.f3 f5;

A2) The gambit idea 8.e4 is fully possible : 8 ... h6

9.�h4 The exchange on f6 does not give Black great problems; he can quietly complete his development and then organise the advance . . . c6-c5 : 9 .�xf6 lLlxf6 I 0 .'Ii'a4 �d7 1 1 .'Ii'xc4 (after 1 1 .lLle5 Garry Kasparov not only solved all Black's problems, but also took over the initia-

1 14

tive: 1 1 . . . c5 1 2 .lLlxd7 �xd7 1 3 .d5 'i'xa4 1 4Jha4 exd5 1 5 .lLlxd5 lLlxd5 1 6 .exd5 0-0-0 1 7 .�xc4 �d6 1 S . 0 -0 llheS 1 9 .93 .l;I.e4 2 0 .b3 fi.deS:j: Gelfand-Kasparov. Moscow 2002) 1 1 . . . .l;I.cs 1 2..�d3 c5 1 3 .d5 exd5 1 4 .exd5 �d6 1 5 .0-0 0-000. 9 . . ii.b4 1 0.'lWa4 �xc3+ 1 1 .bxc3 g5 12.]£g3 tiJxe4

13.'iVxc4 If 1 3 .�xc4 lLlxg3 1 4.hxg3 . a

more or less forcing variation gives Black good counterplay: 1 4 . . . b5 1 5 .axb6 tLlxb6 1 6 .'Ii'a2 ( 1 6 .'i'fxc6+ fails to 1 6 . . . .id7 1 7 .'Ii'c5 UcS l S .'Ii'e5 f6-+) 1 6 . . . tLlxc4 1 7 .'Ii'xc4 'li'd5 1 S .'ii d3 as 1 9 .c4 .ia6 2 0 .Uc1 'li'f5 2 1 .'Ii'xf5 exf5 22 .<1'lxgS UbSoo. 13 ... tiJxg3 14.hxg3 and now:

A2 1 ) 14 ... c5?!

A2 1 1 ) 15.�e2 cxd4 1 6 .1:ldl Gagllnashvili-Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2004 ( 1 6.cxd4 b5 1 7 .axb6 lLlxb6 l S .'i'fd3 .ib7) 1 6 . . . 'li'xa5 1 7 .'Ji:Vxd4 f6 l S .lLlxg5 'iUe5 ! ; A2 1 2) 15 .�d3 cxd4 1 6 .�xd4 ( 1 6.cxd4

b5 1 7 . ax b6 lLlx b 6 1 S . 'tW c 6 + .id7 1 9 .'i¥e4 lLld5OO) 1 6 . . . lLlf6 1 7 .'lWxd8+ WxdS I S .lLlxg5 �e7 1 9 .1Llf3 �d7 ;

A2 1 3 ) 1 5 .dxc5 'fIfc7 1 6 .c6 (both 1 6 .lLlxg5 "iYe5 + 1 7 .lLle4 f5 , and 1 6.l{riVd4 e5 1 7 .'i¥c4 lLlxc5 l S .lLlxg5 �f5 1 9 .J:!.dl 1:.cs are unfavourable for White) 1 6 . . . bxc6 1 7 .�e2 lLle5 (the incautious 1 7 . . . c5 allows White to carry out a devas-

tating cavalry raid : 1 8 .tLlxgS �b 7 1 9 .tDxe6 fxe6 20 .'ihe6 + �d8 2 1 . 0 -0-0 Itc8 22 .�g4 �c6 2 3 . .!"!.d6±) 1 8 .iYcS tLlxf3 + 1 9 .�xf3 �d7 1 0 J :tb l ;i; Komliakov. An) Before beginning active opera

tions in the centre, it is better to drive the white knight further away : 14 ... g4

1 5/Zld2 tLlf6 1 6 .'iVd3 Less is offered by 1 6 .1lVe2 iYdS 1 7 . tLl c4t . 1 6 .. .'�c7

17.�c4 �d7 1 8.I:lb1 wf8 1 9.'tWd2 wg7

20.�d3 c5 21 .tLle5 cxd4 22.cxd4 J::iac8 23.l"I.xh6 J::ixh6 24.'tWg5+ wf8 25.'tWxh6+

9;;e 7 (Peek-Agrest , Gibraltar 2 0 0 6 ) 26.';t,f1 ±.

Back to the position after 7 .as . B) 7 ... b5 The attempt to bypass the as

pawn does not come free of charge : White can now spoil his opponent's pawn structure forever.

After 8.axb6 'tWxb6 , let us consider White's possibilities. B I ) 9."liVc2 cS (9 . . . dxc4 1 0 . e3 ) 1 0 .cxdS

( 1 0 .e3 i.b7 1 1 .cxdS tLlxdS 1 2 .�c4 tLlb4 1 3 .iYe2 h6 14 .dxcS 'i'xcs I s .�f4+) 1 0 . . . tLlxdS 1 1 .<1JxdS exdS 1 l .g3 cxd4 1 3 .�g2 i.b4+ ( 1 3 . . . ji,cS 14 . 0 -0 0-0 I s JHc 1 h6 1 6 .�f4;i;) 1 4.i.d2 .l:!.b8 1 5 .0 -0 �xd2 1 6 .'iVxd2 'iVxb2 1 7 .'iVxd4 0-0=;

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning : 6.�g5

B2) 9.�c1 cS (9 . . . i.b4 1 0 .cS 'iVc7 1 1 .g3 eS 1 l .tLlxeS tLlxeS 1 3 .i.f4 tLlf g4 1 4 .f3 'Vie7 I S . fxg4 tLlxg4 1 6 .'Vid2 0-0 1 7 .h3 tLlf6 1 8 .i.g2 .l:!.e8 1 9 .0-0 �fS 2 0 .i.eS ji,g6 2 1 .ji,xf6 gxf6 22 . .!"!.f2oo Komliakov) 1 0 . cxdS tLlxdS 1 1 . tLlxdS exdS 1 2 . g3 cxd4 1 3 .�g2 �cS 1 4.0 -0 0-0 15 .i.f4 tLlf6 ; B3 ) 9.'iYc1 cS (9 . . . �b4? ! 1 0 .cS 'ii'b7

1 1 .i.xf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .e 3;i;) 1 0 .e3 cxd4 l 1 .exd4 dxc4 1 2 .ji,xc4 ji,d6 1 3 . 0 -0 0-0 with equality, Komliakov;

B4) 9.J:ta2 ji,b4 1 0 .cS 'iYb7 1 1 .ji,xf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .e3 tLle4 1 3 .'iVc2 tLlxc3 1 4 .bxc3 i.xcH I S .tLld2 i.xd2 + 1 6 .�xd2 0-0 1 7 .i.d3 fs 1 8 . .l:!.b l 'iYc7 1 9 .f4 �d7 2 0 . .l:!.ab2;i;.

C) After 7 ... h6 the following move is well tested:

C l ) 8.�h4 �b4 8 . . . dxc4 9 .e4 gS 1 0 .�g3 i.b4 1 1 .'iVa4 hc3 + 1 2 .bxc3 transposes to 7 . . . dxc4. 9.'tWa4 �e7 1 0.e3 White is also better after 1 0 .cxdS exdS 1 1 .e3 0-0 1 2 .i.d3 cS 1 3 .0-0 .l:!.e8 1 4.l:i.fdl cxd4 1 5 .iYxd4 gS 1 6 .i.g3 tLlcs 1 7 .ji,c2± Zakharevich-Chuprov. Moscow 2006 . -

1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .�e2 c5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.0-0 b5

14.axb6 'tWxb6 15.'tWa2 c4 1 6.tLle5 'iVc7 1 7.tLlxd7 'liUxd7 18.�xf6 �xf6 19.tLlxd5!+Siebrecht -Sedina, Triesen 200 S .

1 1 5


C2) The newer idea of giving the bishop is equally good: S.1Uf6 and now:

C2 1 ) S ... tLlxf6 9.eS g6 and now: CI 1 1 ) 1 0.'iVe2 �g7 1 1 . e4 dxe4

1 2 .QJxe4 QJxe4 1 3 .'iI'xe4 'iVdS 1 4.'iI'c2 eS l S .�c4 �S 1 6 .'iI'e2 '!:lVe4 1 7 .'iI'xe4 �xe4 1 8 .QJxeS �xeS 1 9 .dxeS .lld8 ! ( 1 9 . . . �xg2 2 0 . .llg 1 �dS 2 1 .�xdS cxds 2 2 .'�d2 0-0-0 2 3 .�d3 d4 24 . .llae 1 .lldS 2 S .b4± Babula-Jirka, Prague 2 0 0 7 ; more stubborn is 2 0 . . . �h3 2 1 . .llg3 �fS 22 .nb3 l:a7 23 .0 -0-0 �e7 24 . .lld6:t) 20 .f3 �dS (Kramnik-Kasparov, Moscow rapid 2 0 0 1 ) 2 1 .�e2 ! 0-0 n . .lla3 .llde8 2 3 .Ue3 f6 24.�d3 llxeS 2S . .llxeS fxeS 26 .<;t>d2 ! ( 26 .�xg6 J:!.f4 2 7 .<;t>f2 .lla4oo) 2 6 . . . <;t>g7 2 7 .Me 1 :t Kasparov; C2 1 2) 10.g3 ��g7 1 1 .�g2 0-0 1 2 .0-0

ttJd7 13 .e4 dxe4 1 4'ttJxe4 eS I S .tLld6 exd4 1 6 .b4! and the knight on d6 is very strong: 1 6 . . . tLlf6 1 7 .tLleS ttJg4 1 8 .tLlxg4 h5 1 9 .�3 fs 2 O. tLlli6 + Jhh6 2 1 .'!:lVxd4:t; Cn) S .. :�Vxf6 9.'lllVb3 �d6 1 0.g3 gS

1 1 .exdS exdS 12 . .b:ld1 �e7 13 .'?:!Ya3 tLlfS

14.�g2 �fS 1S .0-0 tLle600 Tunik-Burmakin, St Petersburg 2 0 0 3 .

Back to the position after 7 .as . 7. ... �fS-b4!?

S. 'iVd1 -a4 �b4-e7

1 1 6

8 . . . �xc3 + 9 .bxc3 b5 1 0 .axb6 ( 1 0 . cxb5 cxbS 1 1 .'!:lVb400 Korneevets) 1 0 . . . QJxb6 1 1 .'iI'a2 tLlxc4 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 .'iI'xc4 exf3 1 4 .'!:lVxc6+ �d7 l s .'iI'xf3 0-0 1 6 .�e2:t,

9. e2-e3

9 .�xf6 ttJxf6 1 0 .cS 0-0 1 1 ,M ttJe4 draw, (Zakharevich -Saraka uskas, St Petersburg 2 0 0 5 ) .

9. ... 0-0

1 0. c4xd5

1 1 . �f1 -d3

1 2. 0-0

1 3. �g5-f4

e6xd5

I'i.fS-eS

ttJf6-e4

WhHe retains a small opening advantage, but Black also has his trumps for the future : he has occupied the point e4 and opening the path for his queen's bishop to the kingside.

Conclusion

It seems that one should listen to the ladies (Antoaneta Stefanova) and after 6 .�gS immediately stop the white pawn by 6 . . . aS , fixing the important square b4. Practice shows that it is not easy for White to obtain an advantage. Here, the key game for understanding the position is Belia vsky-Stefanova. If Black . delays, then things can become unpleasant for him after 7 .as .

Part I I I - The I nsidious 5.ttJe5

Chapter 1 1 : The Forcing 5 . . . b 5 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 8

Cha pter 1 2 : The Main Move : 5 . . . e 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 1

Chapter 1 3 : The Exchange 5 . . . dxc4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 25

Chapter 1 4 : Chebanenko's Favourite : 5 . . .tbbd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 29

1 1 7

Chapter 11

The Forcing 5 . . . b5

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tt'lg1 -f3 tt'lg8-f6 4'tt'lb1 -c3 a7-a6 5'tt'lf3-e5 b7-b5

S. tt'leS is quite an insidious move, after which Black is forced to reveal his plans. One might say that White adopts his opponent's tactics. He plays a solid move, which does not determine either the pawn structure or the position of his bishops. In this chapter, we will investigate Black's reply S . . . bS, which virtually forces White to simplify on dS.

• • •

First let's have a second look at Black's 5 th but after 5 ... jLf5 there is the unpleasant remove. ply 6.VI!¥b3, attacking the b7 pawn. For ex

ample, 6 . . . b5 7 . cxd5 cxd5 8 . a4 bxa4 9 .'ii'xa4+ .td7 1 0 .ltJxd7 tt'lbxd7 1 1 .i.gS e6 1 2 . e4 dxe4 1 3 . .tb5 ! .te7 1 4.i.xf6 U6 1 5 .4Jxe4 .txd4 1 6 . .ltc6 i.xb2 1 7 .l:!.d 1 :ra7 1 8 .1kxd7 +, and Black resigned (Yermolinsky-Rohwer, Philadelphia 1 99 2 ) . Before turning, in the next chapter, to what we consider the strongest reaction for Black, we will first look at :

5. ... b7-b5

After S . 4JeS , of course, most of all Black . . . after which White does best to exwishes to bring the c8 bishop into play, change on dS at once :

1 1 8

S. c4xd5! Little is promised by 6.b3 e6 (6 . . . tLle4 ! ?) 7 .e3 tLibd7 (7 . . . �d6) 8 .<1Jxd7 �xd7 9 .�e2 . .ib4 1 0 .�d2 bxc4 I l .bxc4 c5 1 2 .0-0 dxc4 l 3 .a3 cxd4 1 4.axb4 dxc3 I S .�xc3 0-0 1 6 .�xc4 �b5 1 7 .�e2 �xe4 1 8 .�xc4 �d5 1 9 .�xd5 <1Jxd5= (Dao Thien Hai-Ye Rongguang, Amsterdam 1 996 ) .

6. ... c6xd5

Besides the main move 7 .ik.f4 (see further on) , practice has also seen 7.g3 �b7 8 .�gl e6 9 . 0 -0 �e7 1 0 .�4 <1Jc6 1 1 ..1:tc l 'i'b6 (stronger is 1 1 . . .<1Jxe5 1 2 .dxe5 tLld7 1 3 .e4 b4 1 4.<1Je2 dxe4 l S .'/Wd4 �b6 1 6 .'iVxb6 <1Jxb6 1 7 .<1Jd4 Uc8 1 8 Jhc8+ <1Jxc8=) 1 2 . e4 <1Jxe5 13 .dxe5 tLlxe4 1 4 .<1Jxe4 dxe4 1 5 .'iVg4� (Lalie-Hodgson, Hastings 1 99 5 / 9 6) .

7 ... eS S.e3 Scarcely good is 8 . .l:!.c l ? ! , because White should be looking to play al-a4: 8 . . . jLe7 9 .e3 0-0 1 0 .�d3 �b7 1 1 .0-0 �bd7 1 2 .'iVf3 <1Jxe5 1 3 .�xe5 ne8 14.�h3 g6 1 5 .a4 b4 1 6 .tLle2 �d7 1 7 .b3 tLie4= .

A) White obtains a small but stable plus after B ... IDfd7 9 . �d3 <1Jxe5 1 0 . �xe5 tLld7 1 1 .�g3 tLlf6 1 2 . 0-0 �e7 1 3 .a4 b4 1 4.lbb l 0-0 1 5 .<1Jd2 as 1 6 .'iVe2 �d6 1 7 .nfc l ik.xg3 1 8 .hxg3 'iVb6 1 9 .tLlb3

Chapter 1 1 : The Forcing S . . . b5

�d7 20 .<1Jc5� Ulibin-Shovunov, Elista 1 9 9 6 ;

B ) The black queen was caught in a beautiful trap in the following game: B ... �e7 9 .a4 b4 1 0 .<1Ja2 0-0 1 1 .�d3 �b7 1 1 . .l:!.c l 'iVb6 1 3 .0 -0 b3 ? ! (better is l 3 . . . tLlc6 1 4.a5 <1Jxa5 1 5 .tLld7 tLlxd7 1 6 .�c7 'iVa7 1 7 .�xa5 .l:!.ac8 1 8 .<1Jxb4 g6;t Komliakov) 1 4.a5 ! '!Vxa5 1 5 .'!Vxb3 .l:!.a7

1 6 .<1Jg6 ! +- Kosic-Dragasevic , Herceg Novi 2 0 0 6 ;

C) B . ..tt'lbd7 9.�d3 IDxe5 1 0.�xe5 �dS

1 1 .0-0 White gets nothing from 1 1 .�xd6 'li'xd6 1 2 :iYf3 0-0 1 3 .'iYg3 'iYxg3 1 4.hxg3= Hellsten-Hodgson, Bermuda 1 9 9 7 . 1 1 ... 0-0 Possible is 1 1 . . . �b7 , for example: 1 2 . a4 (the plan 1 2 .f4 0-0 1 3 . .l:!.f3 deserves attention) 1 2 . . . b4 1 3 .�xd6 'iVxd6 1 4 .<1Ja2 0-0 I S .aS .l:!.fb8 draw, lukacs-Rogozenko, Budapest 1 9 9 5 . 1 2 .f4 i_b7 13.l:!.f3 g6 14.J::(h3 �xe5 1 5.fxe5 llle4

16 .he4 dxe4 17.'tWe1 J::[cB 1 B.a3 f5 1 9.exf6

'tWxf6 20 . .!:th4 g5?! Better is 2 0 . . . 'iVe7 2 1 ..llf4 lli5 22 .'!Ve2 '!Vc7 2 3 . 11afl .l:!.cf8 H.g3 Wg7= Komliakov. 2U lfg3 'tWf2+

22.'&xf2 l:!.xf2 23.lt>xf2 gxh4 24.l:!.c1 t

Dautov-Movsesian, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 7 /9 8 .

1 1 9


Back to the position after 6 . . . cxdS . 7. �c1 -f4 �cS-b 7

S. e2-e3 tLlbS-d7

9. �f1 -d3

9. ... e7-e6

Premature is 9 . . . <1Je4 because of 1 0 .a4 b4 1 1 .<1Je2 (1 1 . <1Jxe4 dxe4 1 L1c4 <1JxeS 1 3 . .txeS .tdS 1 4 .�e2;;) 1 1 . . .g S 1 2 . .tg3 <1Jxg3 1 3 .hxg3 e6 1 4.f4 h 6 l S .aS lLlxeS 1 6 .fxeS .tc6 1 7 .tDc 1 'iVbS l S .0-0 hS 1 9 .�f3 �b7 20 .�f6 l:rgS 2 1 .tDb3 ± (Gleizerov-Lyrberg, Stockholm 2004/0 5 ) .

1 0. 0-0 �fS-e7

Black still has definite problems after 1 0 . . . McS 1 1 .a4 b4 1 2 .lLlb 1 , for example: 1 2 . . . <1JxeS 1 3 . .txeS as 1 4 . .tbS + .tc6 l S . .txf6 gxf6 1 6 .1!i'd3 .td6 1 7 .l:rc 1 .txbS I S . �xb S+ rj;;e7 1 9 .<1Jd2 l:txc 1 + 2 0 .l::rxc I �bS 2 1 .�xbS .a.xbS 22.<tJb3� (Dokuchaev-Pochikeev, Smolensk 1 99 7) .

1 1 . a2-a4

As we have already pointed out, White should not remove the rook from the a-file: l l . l:r c l l:rcs 1 2 .�f3 <1JxeS 1 3 . .txeS �aS 1 4 . .tb l 0-0 l S .�h3 h6

1 20

1 6 .�g3 b4 1 7 .<1Je2 b3 ! = (Solomon-Van den Heever, Windhoek 2 0 0 7 ) .

1 1 . ... b5-b4 1 2. tLlc3-a2 0-0

1 3 . tila2-c1 tLld7xe5

1 4. d4xe5

Also not bad is 14.�xe5 tDd7 l S .�g3 as 1 6 .tDb3 �b6 1 7 .'iVe2 l::rfcS ls . .tHcl l:rxc 1 + 1 9 .1:'i.xc 1 ;; (Gleizerov-Meynard, Cappelle la Grande 2004) .

1 4. ... tLlf6-d7

1 5. tLlc1 -b3 UaS-cS

1 6 . 'iV d1 -e2 'i'dS-b6

1 7. a4-a5

1 S. llf1 -c1

'iYb6-a7

White has a small edge. His main advantage consists in the bishop on d3 , which both keeps the a6 pawn in its sights, and also points at Black's kingside (GelfandShirov, Chalkidiki 1 9 9 3 ) .

Conclusion 5 . . . bS is not good here. The white knight on f3 has already started moving towards Black's queenside, and it does not make sense to create further weaknesses in that area of the board.

Chapter 12

The Main Move: S . . . e6

l .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.ttJ g 1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.lLlf3-e5 e7-e6

After 5 . . . e6, Black's main reaction to the sortie 5/2Je5, White's strongest independent move is the smoothly developing 6 .Ylj4. He can try 6 .g3 b5 7.c5, with good play, but Black should in that case transpose to the 5. J 2Jbd7 6.g3 e6 1ine with 6 . . . lbbd7 .

• • •

Before we treat the main move 6 .Ylf4, first the minor alternatives are given. A) Several illustrative games have

shown what strategy White should follow in the system g2-g3 : 6.g3 b5 It is better for Black to play 6 . . . lbbd7 , transposing to the line S .. . lbbd7 6 .g3 e6 .

7.c5 Of course, White should shut in the f8 bishop. In the event of 7 . b3 Ylb4 Black is doing flne, for instance: 8 . Ylb2 lbe4 9 .11cl 'ii'aS 1 0 .�c2 �xa2 1 1 .Ylg2 Ylxc3 + 1 2 .Ylxc3 �xc2 1 3 . .l:!:xc2 lbxc3 1 4 .11xc3 f6 l s .lbd3 �e7 1 6 .0-0 IId8 (Cox-Kritz, Port Erin 2 0 0 7 ) 1 7 .lla1 as 1 8 .cxbS cxbS 1 9 .e4 dxe4 20 .11c7+ �d7 2 1 . .Ylxe4 �d6=F. 7...t2lfd7 B.t2ld3 g6 9.a4

iLg7 1 0.e3 e5 Also after 1 0 . . . M l 1 .lbxM White is clearly better. 1 1 .axb5 exd4 12 .exd4 iLxd4 1 3.�e2+ �fB 14.iLh6+ WgB 15 .iLg2±.

B) 6 . .llg5 is a fairly harmless alternative , after which Black will be able to obtain sufficient counterplay on the queenside.

1 2 1


6 . ..l2:lbd7 Black has other perfectly acceptable continuations: 6 . . . Jt.e7 7 .e3 b5 8 .cxd5 cxd5 9 .Jt.d3 Jt.b 7 1 0 .0 -0 ttJbd7 l 1 .ttJxd7 ttJxd7 1 2 .Jt.xe7 Wtxe7 1 3 .Wth5 tiJf6 1 4.Wt e5 0-0=; or 6 . . . h6 7 .Jt.h4 tiJbd7 8 . cxd5 exd5 9 .ttJf3 Jt.e7 1 0 .e3 0 -0 1 1 .Jt.d3 c5 1 2 .l::lc l c4 1 3 .Jt.b l b5 1 4 .a3 Jt. b7 1 5 .0-0 ttJe4= S.Kiselev-Donchenko, Moscow 1 999 . 7:Wic2 'i!VaS 8.tZlxd7 �xd7 9.�x16 gx16 1 0.e3 0-0-0 1 1 .c5 eS 1 2.a3 exd4 13 .exd4 $,h6 14.�e2 l:idg8 1 S.g3 1S;

C) 6.cS is a premature move, after which Black, exploiting the knight on e5 as something to 'latch onto ' , is able to

tZle6 1 9.�eS �xeS 20.dxeS 16 21 .exf6 �x16 22.l1fe1 �d7 23.�11 tZld4+ Peng Zhaoq in-Van der Wiel, Rotterdam 1 999.

Now for White's chief move. 6. iLc1 -f4

Simple piece development is not always sufficient to obtain an advantage. Usually in the Chebanenko Variation, the bishop is vulnerable on f4, because of a subsequent . . . dxc4 and . . . ttJd5 , which allows Black to regain the tempi lost earlier.

prepare the advance . . . e6-e5 and obtain A) Now, 6 ... bS is a risky move, after good counterchances : which White manages not only to seize

6 ... tZlbd7 7.�14 tZlxeS 8.�xeS tZld7 9.�g3 eS 1 0.e3 �e7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2.b4 exd4

13 .exd4 £L16 14Jk1 !le8 1 S.0-0 tZlf8 1 6 .�d2 as 1 7.a3 Or 1 7 .b5 tiJe6 1 8 .Jt.e5 Jt.xe5 1 9 .dxe5 ttJxcS . 17 .. .axb4 1 8.axb4

1 22

space on the queenside, but also to stabilise the position: 7.cS tZl1d7 8.b4 as 9.a3

tZlxeS 1 O .. beS tZld7 1 1 .�g3 1S 1 2.e3 l/Wf6

13 .tZlxbSI? A typical sacrifice: for the knight, White obtains two dangerous

passed pa\'ins, supported by both bishops (note how well the bishop on g3 stands in this position) 1 3 ... cxbS 14.�xbS 'tllId8 15.0,0 Yi,e7 16 .�c6 J'la7 1 7.bS 0-0 1 8.1:tb1

�h4 (Stohl-Movsesian, Olomouc 1 9 9 7 ) 1 9 .. bh4 'lWxh4 20.b6±;

B) 6 ... lIJbd7 is an accurate move, which also allows Black to count on equality : 7.e3 tiJxe5 8 . ..IheS

8 ... �d6 8 . . . �e7 9 .�d3 dxc4 1 0 .Shc4 c5 1 1 .dxc5 'iYxdl + 1 2 .Mxdl �xc5 1 3 .�e2 bS 1 4 .�f3 Ma7 (Panarin-Bryzgalin, \bronezh 2 0 0 7 ) 1 5 .We2 0-0 1 6 . .l:!.c l liJd7 1 7 . ..tg3 f5 1 8 .l:!.hd l ;l;; . 9.�xd6

�xd6 10.cS Wie7 1 1 .14 b6 12 .cxb6 Wib4 13.'i'b3 as 14.£Ld3 tLld7 1 5.0-0 tLlxb6

draw, Ruck-Bukal, Austria Staatsliga B 1 9 99/00 .

S . '" d5xc4

It is not usually favourable for Black to concede the centre, but in this concrete situation, he will manage to get in the freeing break . . . b 7 -b5 , followed by . . . c7 -c5 .

7. tbe5xc4 b7-b5

8. tbc4-e5 �c8-b7

Also seen is 8 . . . c5 9. dxc5 'li'xd l + 1 0 .Mxdl �xc5 I l .tbd3 �e7 1 2 .f3 tLlbd7 1 3 .e4 �b7 1 4.�e2 Mc8 1 5 .Wf2 tLlb6 1 6 .tbe5 �c5+ 1 7 .�e3 rJ;;e7 1 8 .Mcl

Chapter 1 2 : The Main Move: 5 . . . e6

�xe3+ 1 9 .Wxe3 .l:!.hd8= (Stangl-Kallai, Balatonbereny 1 9 9 6) .

9. e2-e3

White has other plans as well, but these do not offer him much either:

A) 9.Wid3 tbbd7 1 0 .tbxd7 'li'xd7 I I . e3 c5 1 2 .dxc5 �xc5 1 3 .'iYxd7+ tbxd7 1 4 . .l:!.dl .l:!.c8 1 5 .�e2 �b4= (Bellon Lopez-Postny, Stockholm 2 0 0 5 / 0 6) ;

B) 9.J'lc1 tLlbd7 1 0 .e3 .l:!.c8 1 1 .�d3 c5 1 2 . 0-0 cxd4 1 3 . exd4 �e7 1 4.'iYe2 0-0 1 5 .tLle4 �xe4 1 6 .�xe4 tLlxe4 1 7 .'iVxe4 tLlxe5 =.

9 . ... cS-c5

This advance should not be delayed, otherwise Black can find himself with problems : 9 . . . tLlbd7 1 0 .�e2 c5 1 1 . 0 -0 tLlxe5 1 2 .�.xe5 �d6 1 3 .�f3 Jixf3 (the queen exchange cannot be forced : on 1 3 . . . Le5 1 4.�xb7 �xh2+ there is 1 5 .Wh l .l:!.a7 1 6 .i..c6+ We7 1 7 .g3 'li'd6 1 8 .'Ii'f3 cxd4 1 9 .exd4 .l:!.c8 2 0 .d5 Wf8 2 1 .Wxh2 exd5 22 .�xd5 .l:!.xc3 23 .'Ii'xc3±) 1 4.'Ii'xf3 �xe5 1 5 .dxe5 tLld7 1 6 . .l:!.fd l .l:!.a7 1 7 .tLle4 0-0 1 8 .tLlxc5 tLlxe5 1 9 .'Ii'e4 'fic7 20 . .l:!.ac l tLlc4 2 1 .tLld3 'li'b7 2 2 .'iVxb7 Mxb7 2 3 .b3 tLlb6 24.<1.Jc5 Ma7 2 5 . 1'l:d6± (Gleizerov-Shalamberidze, Teheran 2006 ) .

1 0. d4xc5 iYd8xd 1 +

1 1 . Ua1 xd1 �f8xc5

1 2 3


We have reached a typical Queen's Gam� bit Accepted-type position. Given that White still has to spend time neutralising the bishop on b 7 , and that the black pieces are well placed, White can hardly claim any advantage.

1 2. �f1 -e2 ltlb8-d7

1 3 . 0-0

The assessment is not changed by 1 3 . <1:Jxd7 <1:Jxd7 14.0-0 t[\b6 I S .a3 l:.c8 1 6 .i1Ld6 <1:Jd7 1 7 . .iB i1Lxf3 1 8 .gxf3 (Zakharov-Volkov, Krasnodar 1 997 ) 1 8 . . .fS= .

1 3 . ltJd7xe5

1 4. �f4xe5 <Jte8-e7

1 5. J::td1 -c1 ltJf6-d7

1 6. �e5-g3 l:.a8-c8

1 7. l:.c1 -c2 ltJd7-b6

1 8. J::tf1 -c1 �c5-d6=

1 24

Ruck-Burmakin, Oberwart 2 0 0 3 .

Conclusion

S . . . e6 practically forces White to adopt a

set-up with g2-g 3 . In all other cases, Black obtains a valuable tempo to seize the long diagonal, by means of . . . dxc4, . . . b S , . . . i1Lb7 and . . . c S .

Chapter 13

The Exchange 5 . . . dxc4

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.tLlg1 -f3 tLlg8-fS 4.tLlb1-c3 a7-aS 5.tLlf3-e5 d5xc4

Black is the first to end the game of cat-and-mouse, and forces his opponent to adopt concrete measures. White can react with either recapturing on c4 or fixing the queenside first with 6 .a4.

• • •

First of all, the typical move S.a4 is possible. White saves the c4 pawn for dessert, considering that fixing Black's queenside pawns is more important.

A) S ... .lteS 7.e4 lLibd7 8.lLixc4 .ltxc4

White is favoured by 8 . . . b 5 ? ! 9 .4Je3 b4 l O . d5 bxc3 l 1 .dxe6 fxe6 1 2 .f3 g 6 1 3 .bxc3 � g 7 1 4 .�c4i Zhu ChenZhukova, Groningen 1 9 9 8 . 9 . .ltxc4 b5

10.axb5 axb5 Worse is 1 0 . . . cxb 5 ? ! 1 1 .�b3 b4 1 2 .4Jd5 . 1 1 J:txa8 �xa8 12 . .ltd3 1 2 .�b3 b4 1 3 .4Ja4 4Jxe4oo. 12 ... e5 1 3.0-0 1 3 .dxe5 4Jxe5 1 4 .�e2 .ic5 1 5 .f4 tLlc4 1 6 . e5 4Jd5 1 7 .4Jxd5 cxd5 1 8 .�f3 0 - 0 1 9 .�e2 J:1d8oo Komliakov.

The critical position, in which Black appears to be able to count on satisfactory play.

A I ) Bad is 13 ... iLe7?! because of 14.d5 b4 1 5.dxcS 'iUxcs 1 S .iLb5 �b7 1 6 . . . 'iVd6 1 7 .4Jd5 ! 4Jxd5 ( 1 7 . . . 0-0 1 8 .ihd7 l2lxd7

1 25


1 9 .�d2 Iib8 2 0 . �xM I:!.xM 2 1 .ttJxM+-) 1 8 .'ihdS 'ii'xdS 1 9 .exdS. 1 Vt'ldS± Baburin-Giorgadze, Ubeda 1 996 ; A2 ) 13 ... �b4 14.dxeS 1 4.�gS ? ! exd4

I S .Q]e2 ( l S . eS ttJxeS 1 6 J:te l iVb8 1 7 .�f4 �d6 1 8 . ttJe4 ttJxe4 1 9 .�xe4 0-0 2 0 .'ii'xd4 cS+) l S . . . �cS 1 6 .�c2 0-0 1 7 .ttJxd4 lle8= Komliakov; 1 4 .'ii'b3 �d6 °o . 14 ... lt:lxeS 1S.�c2 0-0 1S .iI'd4 ti"ic4

1 7.eS i'Lxc3 1 8.'li¥xc3 ti"idS 1 9JWh3!

Komliakov; A3) 13 ... exd4 14.eS ti"ixeS 1S .li:e1 'ifb8

1 S .ti"ie4 �e7 1 7.ti"ixfS+ gxfS 1 8.�e4 'i\ldSco (Komliakov) . The king on e8 is quite exposed and the kingside pawns are broken, but Black does have two extra pawns, and his knight occupies an excellent position in the centre. Both sides have their trumps, therefore.

B) White is better after S ... cS 7 .dS e6 8 . e4 exdS 9 . exdS �d6 1 0 .ttJxc4;;\; Meduna-Velicka, Stary Smokovec 1 99 6 ;

C ) S ... eS 7.e3 Black solved all his problems successfully in the following game : 7 . g3 cS 8 .�e3 cxd4 (too passive is 8 . . . ttJ bd7 9. ttJxc4 ttJdS 1 0 .�g2 ttJxe3 1 1 . Q]xe3 cxd4 1 2 .iVxd4 iVb 6 1 3 .iVxb 6 ttJxb6 1 4 .aS ttJd7 l S . ttJc4 �M 1 6 . 0 - 0 l:!.b 8 1 7 .I!.fc l 0 -0 1 8 .ttJa4 ttJf6 1 9 .ttJcb 6 �d7 2 0 . Uc 7 ;;\; Epishin-Volkov, St Petersburg 1 99 6 ) 9 .iVxd4 iVxd4 1 0 .�xd4 ttJc6 l 1 . ttJxc6 bxc6 1 2 . �g2 llb8 1 3 . 0 - 0 (Black i s fme after 1 3 .�xc6 + �d7 1 4 .�xd7+ ttJxd7 1 5 . 0 -0 -0 f6 1 6 .\tc2 �b4 1 7 .ttJe4 \te7) 1 3 . . . ttJdS 14 JHc 1 f6 l S .ttJe4 eS 1 6 .�cS �xcS 1 7 . ttJxcS llxb 2 + ER Nielsen-Johannessen, Copenhagen 2 0 0 3 . 7 .. . cS 8 .. lbc4 �dS The most accurate move-order. Black still has definite problems after

1 2 6

8 . . . ttJbd7 9 .ttJf3 �e7 1 0 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 1 .'ii'e2 b6 1 2 .lld1 �c7 1 3 .dSt; or 8 . . . cxd4 9 . exd4 tDc6 1 0 . ttJf3 i.e7 1 1 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 2 .�gS ttJb4 1 3 .'i!Ub3 ttJbdS 1 4.llfe 1 . 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.�d3 "VJ!ic7

1 1 .ti"if3 1 1 . f4 ttJc6 1 2 . ttJ e4 tbxe4 1 3 .�xe4 fS . 11 ... ti"ibd7 1 2.i'Ld2 bS 13 .1iJe4 �b7 14.ti"ixdS �xdS= Lukacs-Bezgodov, Budapest 1 9 9 6 .

Now for the main line. 6. tlle5xc4

6. ... b7-b5

The 'Catalan' plan, with the fianchetto of the king's bishop, presents real danger to Black, therefore he should hurry to get his bishop on the long diagonaL A slight delay by 6 . . . e6 allows White to seize the initiative : 7 . g 3 cS (White gets too great a lead in development after 7 . . . bS , for example: 8 . ttJeS ttJfd7 9 .tbd3 cS 1 0 .�g2 lla7 1 1 .�e3 cxd4 1 2 .iLxd4 I:!.c7 1 3 . 0-0 � b7 1 4 .ttJe4 tLlc6 I S .£xg7 �xg7 1 6 .ttJd6+ We7 1 7 .ttJxb7 lhb7 1 8 .�xc 6 ± Alonso Garcia-Fernandez Romero, Spain tt 2 0 0 7 ) 8 .dxcS 'i'xdl +

9 .ttJxdl �xcS 1 0 .�g2 We7 1 1 .£e3 tLlbd7 1 2 .hcS + ttJxcS 1 3 .ttJb6 1'1b8 1 4 .llc 1 ttJfd7 I S .ttJxd7 ttJxd7 1 6 .tLle3 ttJf6 1 7 .llc7 + �d7 (Tunik-Lavretsky, Minsk 2 0 0 5 ) 1 8 .b3;;\; .

Too passive is 6 . . /2lbd7 7 .�f4 bS 8 .lLleS ILlxeS 9 .dxeS tLldS 1 0 .lLlxdS cxdS 1 1 .a4 e6 12 .axbS �b6 1 3 .�a4 l:!.b8 1 4.bxa6+ id7 l S .�d 1 (F. Graf-Kritz, Differdange 2007) l S . . . �xb2 1 6 .it.d2 �xeS 1 7 .e3 icS 1 8 .�d3 0-0 1 9 .0-0:t.

7. <8c4-e5 �c8-b7

7 . . . e 6 , as on move S , allows White to seize the long diagonal after 8 .g3 .

Developing the bishop on f4 does have its plusses : 8.�f4 e6 9.e3 Qjbd7 Black equalised very easily after 9 . . . cS 1 0 .dxcS 'ixd1 + 1 1 .l:!.xd 1 �xcS 1 2 .�e2 lLlbd7 1 3 .<8xd7 lLlxd7 14 . 0 -0 We7 I S .. lii.d3 ILlf6= (Vasilevich-Stefanova, Elista 2 0 04) . Probably White should avoid the endgame and play the position with an isolated queen's pawn. Now, the following line is original, but not too dangerous for Black: 1 0 .'iVf3 'ib6 (White's idea is justified after 1 0 . . . l:k8 1 1 .�d3 �e7 1 2 .0-0 lLlxeS 1 3 .�xeS 0-0 1 4.'iVh3 g6 1 S .l:!.adl lLld7 1 6 .�f4 �aS 1 7 .�h6 Mfd8 1 8 .f4 fs 1 9 .e4 b4 2 0 . exfS exfs 2 1 .lLle4 lLlb6 22.�gS l:!.c7 23 .�xe7 l:!.xe7 24.'iVh4± Kazhgaleev-Samhouri, Macau 2 0 0 7 ) 1 1 .ttJxd7 lLlxd7 1 2 .�d3 lLlf6 1 3 .�eS tDd7 1 4 .�f4 lLlf6 I S .�eS lLld7 1 6 .0 -0 lL2xeS 1 7 .dxeS �e7 1 8 JHdl l:!.d8 1 9 .M cS 20 .�e4- �xe4 2 1 .ttJxe4 0-0 2 2 . lLlf6+

Chapter 1 3 : The Exchange S . . . dxc4

�xf6 2 3 . exf6 .l:!.xd 1 + 2 4 . .l:!.xd l .l:!.d8 2S . .l:!.c 1 (B. Savchenko-Deviatkin, Voronezh 2 0 0 7 ) , and here 2S . . . �d6= would have allowed Black to look to the future with confidence. 1 0.�e2 c5 and now:

A) Practice shows that 11 .iH3 is not dangerous for Black: 1 1 . . . �xf3 1 2 .�xf3 cxd4 1 3 .exd4 (the artificial 1 3 . lLle4 leads to difficulties for White : 1 3 . . . �b4+ 1 4 .�fl lLlxeS l S .�xeS lLlxe4 1 6 .'iVxe4 0-0+ A. Rychagov-Zakhartsov, Vladimir 2 0 04) 1 3 . . . i.b4 1 4.i.gS �c8 ( 1 4 . . . �xc3+ I S .bxc3 �c8 1 6 .lLlxd7 lLlxd7 1 7 .0-0 lLlb6 1 8 .�g3 f6 1 9 .�f4 0-0 2 0 .�d6 .l:!.e8 2 1 ..l:!.fc l �c6 22 .�cS lLlc4+ Riazantsev-Erenburg , Moscow 2 0 0 S ) l S .�xf6 lLlxf6 ( I S . . . i.xc3 + ! ? 1 6 .bxc3 lLlxf6 1 7 . 0-0 0-0= Komliakov) 1 6 .l:!.cl 0-0 1 7 . 0 -0 i.xc3 1 8 Jhc3 �d8 1 9 .1Llc6 �d6 20 .nfc l ttJdS = GleizerovKomliakov, Abu Dhabi 2 0 0 2 ;

B ) 1 1 .0-0 cxd4 1 2 . exd4 lLl b 6 (or 1 2 . . . b4 1 3 .ttJa4 �e7 1 4 . .l:!.c 1 �c8 1 S 'lLlxd7 lLlxd7 1 6 .l:!.xc8 �xc8 1 7 .iYd3 0-0 1 8 . .l:!.c 1 iYa8 1 9 .1:!.c7:t P.H. NielsenS .B. Hansen, Horsens 2 0 0 3 ) 1 3 .a 4 tt:lf dS 1 4-.tt:lxdS tt:lxdS 1 S .�g3 b4 1 6 .aS �d6 1 7 .�a4+:t Vasilevich-Stefanova, Elista 2 0 04 .

8. �c1 -g5 e 7-e6

1 2 7


A reliable move. However, Black also has other possibilities :

A) 8 . . . h 6 9 .jLM e 6 1 0 .e3 c 5 1 l .dxc5 'ilixd l + n .l:hd 1 jLxc5 1 3 Jlcl jLd6 1 4.ttJd3 ttJbd7= Ruban-Dreev, Novosibirsk 1 9 9 5 ; B ) 8 . . . ttJbd7 9 .t2Jxd7 if'xd7 1 0 .e3 e6

1 1 .jLxf6 gxf6 1 2 .jLe2 c5 1 3 .i.f3 cxd4 1 4 .exd4 b400 Zifroni-Burmakin, Graz 1 99 7 .

9 . 'iYd1 -d3

An attempt to give the game a sharp character, by castling q ueenside. If events de-

1 2 8

velop quietly, Black will soon advance . . . c6-c5 and equalise: A) 9 .e3 ttJbd7 1 0 .jLd3 c5 1 l . 0 -0 cxd4

1 2 .exd4 jLe7 1 3 Jle1 0-0= Yurtaev-De La Riva Aguado, Turin 2 0 0 6 ;

B ) 9 .nc 1 i.e7 1 0 . e 3 ttJ bd7 1 1 .i.e2 ttJxe5 1 2 .dxe5 ttJd7 1 3 .Le7 'iVxe7 1 4.[4 nd8 1 5 .if' c2 c5 1 6 . 0 -0 c4 ( 1 6 . . . 0 -0 1 7 .a4! b4 1 8 .t2Je4 �xe4 1 9 .ihe4� Cebalo-Stajcic, Graz 1 9 94) 1 7 .b3 ! ? cxb3 1 8 .axb3 'lic5=.

9. tLlb8-d7

1 0. tLle5xd7 'iYd8xd7

1 1 . 0-0-0 c6-c5�

Black has free development, and has al

ready managed to get his queenside pawns going, Gross-Velicka, Ceske Budejovice 1 99 3 . .

Conclusion

The capture on c4 has a definite right to exist, since after regaining the pawn, White's pieces stand in the way of the enemy pawns, which will advance with tempo.

Chapter 14

Chebanenko's Favourite: 5 . . . l2Jbd7

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.t2Jg1 -f3 t2Jg8-f6 4.t2Jb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.t2Jf3-e5 t2Jb8-d7

The most popular continuation, which Chebanenko also considered the main line, although Black also has other interesting possibilities. White's main moves are 6.g3, 6.iLf4, 6JiJxd7! ?, or 6.cxdS.

• • •

A) Far from harmless is 6.�f4 and 8 .�xeS �e7 9 .�d3 0-0 1 0 . 0 -0 bS l 1 .cS now: ttJd7 1 2 .�g3 eS ! 1 3 . �xeS ? ! tDxeS

A I ) 6 ... e6 is not without some sense, since despite the loss of tempo after . . . e6-eS , it allows Black to solve his problems after the exchange on eS : 7 .e3 tDxeS

1 4. dxeS 'iVc7 l S .'iVc2 g6 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7 .�xe4 'iYxeS 1 8 . b4 (Da utovGisbrecht, Saarbriicken 2002 ) 1 8 . . . �d7 1 9 .1:i.ad l 1:!:ad8 =F; A2) 6 ... dxc4 7.tbxc4 7 .e3 bS 8 . tDxc6

'lllVb 6 9 . tDeS �b7 1 0 .�e2 was seen in the game Dao Thien Hai-Le Quang Liem (Dalat City 2 0 04) , and after the correct interpolation of the exchange 1 0 . . . tDxeS 1 1 .�xeS ( l l .dxeS l:i.d8 1 2 .'lllVc2 tDdS 1 3 .tDxdS �xdS 1 4 . 0 - 0 g S ! ? l S .�g3 h S � ) i t was possible to calmly take the pawn : 1 1 . . . �xg 2 1 2 .l:i.g l �b7 1 3 . a4 e6 1 4 .�f3 tDdS and Black is fully OK.

1 29

The Chebonenko Slav According to Bologon

A2 1 ) After the capture on c4, less convincing is 7 ... b5 S.tLle5 �b7 9.e3 e6 1 0.'iVf3

The more aggressive, modern treatment, which has brought White good results ; 1 0 .�e2 c5 1 1 .0 -0 tOxe5 1 2 .�xe5 cxd4 1 3 .�xd4 �e7 1 4 .�f3 'i'bS 1 5 .�xb7 'li'xb7 1 6 .f4 0-0 and already after 1 7 .'li'f3 it became obvious that White could not have any pretensions to an advantage : 1 7 . . . 'li'xf3 I S . gxf3 l:IacS= AtalikChernin, Bled 1 9 9 9 . 1 0 . . . 'i'b6 1 1 .4:lxd7 tLlxd7 1 2 .�d3 c5 1 3 .�e4 �xe4 1 4 .ttJxe4 'i'aS + I H�e2 ! ScS 1 6 .Shd l 'i'M 1 7 .�fl c4 I S .'i'g3 4:lf6 1 9 .tOxf6+ gxf6 2 0 .dS exdS 2 I..! hdS c3 2 2 .�g4 �c4+ 23 .'it>g l 'li'c6 24 .bxc3 ± RiazantsevMovsesian, Moscow 2 0 0 7 ;

A 22 ) 7 ... tLld5 and now: An I ) S.�g3 b5 S . . . g6 9 . e4 ttJxc3

1 0 . bxc3 �g7 I I .�e2 0-0 1 2 . 0 -0 bS 1 3 .ttJ e 3 cSoo Chebanenko. 9.tLlxd5 cxd5 1 0.tLld2 tLlb6 1 1 .l:l.c1 tLlc4 1 2 .b3 tLld6 1 3 .'iVc2 e6 1 4.e3 �b7 15 .'iVc7 J:l.cS 16 .'iVxdS+ �xdS 17.lhcS+ wxcS= Ward-Hodgson, England tt 2 0 0 0 / 0 I ;

A222) S.�d2! tLl5b6 S . . . 4:lxc3 9 . �xc3 e6 1 0 .a3 ttJb6 ! ? l 1 .e3 ( 1 1 .�aS �dS 1 2 .�xb6 �xc4 1 3 .�d2 �d6) 1 1 . . . ttJxc4 1 2 .�xc4;t ; S . . . e6 9 .ttJe4 ttJ 7 f6 1 0 . ttJxf6 + 'iYxf6 I I . e4 ttJc7 1 2 .�aS ttJbS 1 3 .ttJb6 :abS 1 4 .�xbS axb S 1 5 . 0 - 0 �f4 (Dzhandzhgava-

1 3 0

Giorgadze, Ankara 1 9 9 5 ) 1 6J:te l S'le7 1 7 . a4 bxa4 I S .'iha4 0-0 1 9 .�b4±. 9.e3 g6 1 0.tLle4 tLlxc4 1 1 .�xc4 �g7 12 .. bf7+ wxf7 13 .tLlg5+ \tJeS 14.'iVb3 tLle5 15.dxe5

'iVd5 16 .'iVxd5 cxd5 17.f4 White has an

extra pawn , for which Black has no real com pensation.

B) 6.tLlxd71? It would appear illogical to

exchange the piece, which has already travelled halfway round the board, but:

6 ... hd7 7.'iVb3 Now Black has to solve a

concrete and far from simple problem: what to do about the pawns on b7 and dS ? B I ) On 7 ... dxc4 it seems best not to take

the b-pawn, but to prefer S .�xc4 b5 9 .'i'd3 e6 1 0 . g3 cS transposing into the game Atalik-Volkov, Neum 2000 , consid

ered under 7 .tOxd7 . If White does play S.'lWxb7 there can follow:

B 1 1 ) S ... e6 9.e4 9 .�f4 tOd5 1 0 .S'lg3 �M 1 1 .Sc l c5 1 2 .e4 �cS 1 3 .il'xc8+ :axc8 1 4.exdS cxd4� 9 .. J�bS 10.'i¥xa6

iLb4 11.'l1il'xc4 1 1 .f3 cS . 1 1 ... tLlxe4 12 . .1d3 tLld6 13.'iVb3 c5 14.dxc5 �xc5 15 .'iVc2t;

B 1 2) S ... e5!? (Volkov) 9.dxe5 Not dangerous for Black is 9 .e3 exd4 1 0 .exd4 �d6 1 1 . �xc4 �e7 + 1 2 .�e2 0 - 0

1 3 . 'il'b3 � M 1 4. 'il' c4 l:!:fe8 1 5 .�e3 tiJd5

1 6.0-0 �xc3 1 7 .bxc3 tUxe3 I S .fxe3 '!Ixe3 + 1 9 . .:a.f2 �e6=. 9 .. �cS 1 0.exfG If 1 0 .ttJa4 tUe4! White comes lmder a strong attack, for example: l 1 .tUxcS 'iVaS + 1 2 .'�d1 tUxf2+ 1 3 .'�c2 ilis + 14 .e4 0-0 I S .exfS 'ii'xcs 1 6 .'ii'c7 tUxh l 1 7 .�d2 !1abS l S . .!:'1el tUf2+. 10 ... l:l:a7

11 .fxg7 l:!:g8. Atalik considers that Black has a clear advantage here, but Flear argues that after 1 2 .�gS f6 1 3 .'iVxa7 �xa7 14 .�h4 Mxg 7 I S .e3 White has a perfectly playable position. I believe the truth lies somewhere between the two : l S . . . �fS 1 6 . .!:'1dl �b6 1 7 .�e2 �xb2 I S .�xf6 lld7 1 9 .0-0 �d3 with the better chances for Black.

B2) 7 ... �c8

8.g3 By fianchettoing the bishop, White strengthens the pressure on the dS pawn and prepares a later e2-e4. In the variation S . �gS e6 9 .cS �e7 1 0 . e3 the lack of a white knight on f3 allows Black to achieve the central break 1 0 . . . eS and achieve comfortable play : 1 1 . 0 -0 -0 tUd7 1 2 .�xe7 iYxe7 1 3 .tUa4 0-0 1 4 .�e2 .!:'1bS I S .'�b 1 exd4 1 6 . .!:'1xd4 tUxcs 1 7 .�a3 b6 I S .l:!.el �f6=F MochalovKorneevets, Minsk 1 99 6 . 8 ... eG 9.�g2 Sle7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .flf4 bS 1 2.cS as 13.e4

.!taG 14.l:!:fe1 dxe4 1S .�eS a4 1 G .1!!'d1 b4

17.lLlxe4! Despite all his inventiveness ,

Chapter 1 4: Chebanenkos Favourite: S . . . t2Jbd7

Black is still far from equality (EpishinKasimdzhanov, Bad Wiessee 1 9 9 7 ) .

B 3 ) After 7...eG , the bishop on d 7 feels very sorry for itself Of course, White will not take the b7 pawn immediately, because then Black can force a draw by a perpetual attack on the queen, but instead, White has a number of tempting continuations.

B3 1 ) If 8.cxdS tUxdS ! 9 . e4 tUxc3 1 0 .bxc3 bS Black soon achieves . . . c6-cS and obtains satisfactory play (c. Richter-B. Schmidt , Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 2 / 0 3 ) , and after 9. tLlxdS cxdS taking the pawn with 1 0 .�xb7 only leads to a draw: 1 0 . . . l:!.bS 1 1 .iYxa6 �bS ! 1 2 .iYa7 l:!.aS 1 3 .iYb7 l:!.bS;

B3 2) Interesting complications arise after 8.cS!? eS 9 .dxeS tUg4. It seems that Black's chances here are not worse, for instance: 1 0 .tUa4 tUxeS 1 1 .�c3 'file 7 1 2 .tUb6 l:!.dS 1 3 .�e3 �S 1 4. 0-0-000 Komliakov;

B3 3 ) 8.�f4 This simple developing move contains two threats : 'ii'xb7 and c4-cS (since with the bishop on f4 , Black no longer has the reply . . . e6-eS ) . 8 ... dxc4! White is better after S . . . bS 9 .cS �e7 1 0 .e3 0-0 1 1 .�d3 . 9.'l1hb7 tbdS 10.�g3

�b4 With the help of this pin , Black manages to create counterplay - the absence

1 3 1


of White's queen and bishop from the queenside makes itself felt. 1 1 .e4 Black is not set any problems by 1 1 J:'c 1 - see 7 . . . dxc4 . 11 ... �xc3+ 1 2.bxc3 tDxc3

13 .. bc4 1 3 .f3 tUbS 1 4 .itxc4 'iVaS + l S .�fl 0-0 (Ruck-Volzhin, Gyula 2 000) 1 6 .itxbS '/Wxb S + 1 7 .'/WxbS axbS= . 1 3 ... Cilxe4 14.0-0 tDxg3 1 5.hxg3 0-0 16 .l;Iab1 as Black is unlikely to be able to hold the extra pawn, therefore a draw is the most likely result.

B4) 7 ... b5 This positional pawn sacrifice is probably the best reply to White's plan. S.cxd5 cxd5 9.e3 An unambitious move, after which the position is qUickly equalised. However, in the line 9. tLlxdS tUxdS 1 0 .'iVxdS e6 1 1 .'/Wb3 itc6 1 2 .e3 itd6 Black has a lead in development and serious pressure on the kingside, in return for the pawn. 9 ... e6 1 0.a3 itd6 1 1 .�e2 l;IbS

1 2.itd2 0-0 draw, Ionov-Belikov, Kazan 1 9 9 5 .

Back to the position after 5 . . . tLlbd7 .

C) 6.cxd5 After this exchange, play usually goes into an endgame with good counterchances for Black.

6 ... tDxe5 7.dxe5 tDxd5 S.e4 There is little danger for Black in 8 .tUxdS �xdS

1 3 2

9 .�xdS cxdS 1 0 . itd2 itfS 1 1 .Mc l Mc8 1 2 .IIxc8+ itxc8 1 3 .e3 itfS 1 4 .ite2 e6 l S .itc3 Wd7 1 6 .'�d2 ite7 PelletierSammalvuo, Halle 1 99 5 . S ... tDxc3

9.'liVxdS+ �xdS 1 0.bxc3 e6 1 1 .a4 Or I l .ite3 �c7 1 2 . a4 cS 1 3 .itd3 Sid7 1 4 . �e2 ite7 l S . c4 itc6, Hulak-Loncar, Slavonski Brod 1 9 95 ) 1 1 ...�c7 1 2.h4 itd7 1 3 .a5 h6 14J:th3 ite7 15 .l:tf3 l::tafS 16 .h5 c5

1 7.l;Ig3 l;IfgS 1 S.l;Ib1 itc6 with a reliable position for Black (Dizdar-Schandorff, Moscow 1 994) .

6. 92-93

Far from the most popular, but a highly unpleasant move for Black.

6. ... e7-e6

Or 6 ... dxc4!? 7 .tUxc4 bS 8 . tLld2 �b7 9 .itg2 �b6 1 0 .tLlb3 ( 1 0 . a4 ! ? cS 1 l .dS e 6 1 2 . e4 ite7oo) 1 0 . . . c S ! = Chebanenko.

In this move-order, the exchange 7.CiJxd7 itxd7 and now S.'llVb3 deserves attention. Neither 8 .cS b6 9 . cxb6 'iYxb6 1 0 .itg2 cS 1 1 .dxcS Lcs 1 2 . 0 -0 itd4 1 3 .itf4 0-0 14 .'iVd2 tUg4 I S .e3 itf6 1 6 .h3 tLleS+ Gschnitzer-Kallai, Germany Oberliga 1 9 9 8 / 9 9 , nor 8 .'iVd3 are dangerous for Black.

A) S ... dxc4 9 .�xc4 bS 1 0 .'iVd3 cS 1 1 .itg2 IIc8 1 2 .dxcS itxcS:::: (Atalik-

Volkov, Neum 2000 ) 1 3 .0-0 b4 ( 1 3 . . . 0-0 14 .. �,gS .£.c6 I S .Mad l .£.e7) 1 4.tbe4 tLlxe4 ( 1 4 . . . .£.bS I S .'iYxd S+ '.t>xdS 1 6 .tUxcS .l:!.xcs 1 7 . .£.d2 Mc2 ( 1 7 . . . lLldS IS . .£.f3 l'!c2 1 9 .1'!fd l ) I S . .£.xb4 .£.xe2 19 . .£.aS +oo) I S .'ilhe4 ( l S . .£.xe4 .£.bS ) l S . . . .£.c6 1 6 .'ii'eS .£.xg2 1 7 .'.t>xg2 0-0 I S .�e3 .£.xe3 1 9 .'iYxe3 'iYdS + 2 0 .f3 ; B) But here, because White has ex

pended a tempo on the move g2-g 3 , it is easier for' Black to equalise: S ... b5 9 . cxdS (9.c S ? ! eS 1 0 .dxeS tUg4+ Komliakov) 9 . . . cxdS 1 0 . .£.g2 'ii'aS 1 1 . 0-0 b4 1 2 .lLlb l i.e7 1 3 .a4 bxa3 1 4 .tUxa3 0-0 with equality.

7. .£.f1 -g2

8 . d4xe5

9. c4xd5

tiJd7xe5

tiJf6-d7

Now it may be necessary to enter sharper play:

a _ e6xd5

Or 9 ... cxd5 1 0.e4 An important alternative is 1 0 . f4, after which it is not so easy for Black to achieve satisfactory play. We would suggest this plan : 1 0 ... �c5 Less convincing is 1 0 . . . .£.b4 because of 1 1.. �e3 b6 1 2 .�d4 �b7 1 3 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 4.e3 tUbS l S .lLla4 lLld7 1 6 .'i'b3 �aS 1 7 .Mac l MbS I S .'iYa3 neS (TunikLitvinov, Minsk 1 9 9 6 ) 1 9 .'i'd6 ;!; . 1 1 .e3

Chapter 14: Chebanenkos Fcwourite: 5 . ..'i)bd7

I l . e4 d4 1 2 'tUe2 0 -0 1 3 .'iYd3 as , . . . b 6 , . . . �a6+ Chebanenko. 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 2 .0-0 b5

1 3 .wh1 �b7 14 .tt'le2 f6 1 4 . . . 'ii'e 7 I s .lLld4 �b6 1 6 .b3 MfcS 1 7 .�b2) I S .tUd4 'iYb 6 ( I S . . . 'iYe 7 1 6 .exf6 Mxf6 1 7 .b3 �b6 l S .�b2 l'!f7 ;!; , Rabinovich-Chekurov, Szombathely 1 9 9 3 . 1 6.exf6 tLlxf6oo . 10 . . . d4 Very risky is 1 0 . . . dxe4? ! , since in the variation 1 1 .'iYa4 'WIc7 1 2 . 0 -0 .£.e7 1 3 .tbxe4 'iYxeS 1 4 .�f4 'ii'bS j S .'iYxb S axbS 1 6 'tUd6+ �xd6 1 7 .�xd6 lLlb6 (Lugovoi-Volkov, Elista 2 0 0 1 ) White 's initiative looks quite frightening, for example : l s ..lHc 1 '.t>d7 1 9 .�eS f6 20 .MC7+ �dS 2 1 .l:!.d l + lLldS 2 2 . �f4 g S 2 3 .�xdS gxf4 24 . Mxh7 Mxh7 2 S .�xb 7 + +-. 1 1 .'i'xd4 �cS 1 2 .�d1 tUxeS 1 3 .'i'xd S + �xdS 1 4 .�e2 �d7 I S .Mdl �e7 1 6 . f4 tUc6 (the assessment is not changed by 1 6 . . . tUc4 1 7 . e S;!; ) 1 7 .�e3 �xe3 I S . �xe3 MhdS 1 9 . eS reaching an endgame that i s clearly in White's favour, Farago-Tolnai , Austria Staatsliga 1 9 9 3 / 94.

1 0. f2-f4

The advance 1 0.e4 leads to an endgame with good counterchances for Black: 1 0 ... d4 1 1 . iVxd4 �c5 1 2. iV d1 tLlxe5

1 3 .iVxdS+ wxdS 14.0-0 Or 1 4 .�e2 �g4+ I S .f3 �e6 1 6 .b3 f6 1 7 .lLla4 �d6

1 3 3


1 8 .�e3 <1'Jd7 1 9 .1::rhdl �e7 2 0 .l::rd3 l::rad8 2 1 .<tJb6 iLc7 2 2 . <tJxd7 l::rxd7 draw, Herraiz Hidalgo-Perez, Havana 2 0 0 3 ; or 1 4.f4 <1'Jd3 + I S .�e2 <1'Jxc l + 1 6 .l::raxc l �g4+ 1 7 .�f3 �xf3 + 1 8 . �xf3 �e7 1 9 .eS �e6 2 0 . g4 g6 2 1 .<tJe2 iLa7 22 .<1'Jg3 11hd8 B .llhd l fS 24 .exf6 �xf6 Riazantsev-Dunis, Bastia 2 0 0 5 . 14 ... �e7 15 .tt'la4 �d4 16 .�d2 a5 17.J:ad1 J:rd8

Farago-Kallai, Hungary tt 1 99 5 / 9 6 . 1 0. ... iJ8-c5

1 1 . e2-e4 d5-d4

1 2. liJc3-a4

After the timid 1 2 .<1'Jb l ?! Black has a pleasant choice between 1 2 . . . 0 - 0 ! ? 1 3 .<1'Jd2 ( 1 3 .0-0 b S 1 4.�h l iLb6 I S .a4 iLb7 1 6 .aS iLa7 1 7 .<1'Jd2 cS+ Komliakov) 1 3 . . . aS 14 .<tJf3 iLa7 1 5 .0-0 d3 + 1 6 .�h l <tJcS + Komliakov) and 1 2 . . . iVaS + 1 3 .iLd2 �b6 ( 1 3 . . . 'iVbS ? ! 1 4 .'iVc2 0-0 ( 1 4 . . . d3 I S .'iVc3 0-0 1 6 .<1'Ja3 ;!;) I S .a4 'lllVb 6 1 6 .<tJa3 'lllVa7 1 7 .M!;!; KomarovKirov, France 1 993 ) 1 4.<tJa3 ! ? ( 1 4.'li'b3 0-0 I S .<1'Ja3 'lllVxb3 1 6 .axb3 bS) 14 . . . 0-0 I S . <tJc4 'iVc7 1 6 .M bS ( 1 6 . . . �e7 1 7 . 0 -0;!;) 1 7 .ttJ d6 �xd6 1 8 .exd6 'lllVxd6 1 9 .iLc3 iLb7 20 .'iVxd4 'li'xd4 2 1 .iLxd4 as 22 .bxaS l::rxaS , achieving satisfactory pIa y (Komliakov) . In Black's favour is 1 2 .<tJe2 0-0 1 3 .'iVd3 as 1 4. �d2 b6+.

1 2 . ...

1 3 .

14.

1 5.

1 6.

b2-b3

0-0

wg1 -h1

<1'Ja4xc5

1 7 . .l:[a 1 -b1

Komliakov.

1 3 4

�c5-a7

0-0

d4-d3+

ttJd7-c5

�a7xc5

a6-a5°o

Here too, the unexpected pawn sacrifice 1 8. e5-e6!?

deserves attention, although it is true that Black is not obliged to accept:

1 8. ... f7-f5!

1 8 . . . �xe6 1 9 .fS �c8 2 0 . l::rf3;t . 1 9. e4xf5 .l:tf8xf5

20. g3-g4 l:!.f5-d5

21 . f4-f5 d3-d2

22. �c1 -b2 b7-b6

With double-edged play.

Conclusion The second move with the same piece can

cost White his opening move initiative. In

fact, after S . . . <1'Jbd7 White ahs only two real chances to fight for the advantage: 6 .ill'4 and 6 . g 3 .

Part IV - The Sol id S.e3

Chapter 1 5 : (5 . . . b5) Minor Replies : 6 .cxd5 , 6 .b3 · . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 6

Chapter 1 6 : ( 5 . . . b 5 ) Seizing Space: 6 . c5 Various ' . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 46

Chapter 1 7 : (5 . . . b5 ) Seizing Space : 6 .c5 tUbd7 · . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 9

1 3 5

Chapter 15

Minor Replies: 6.cxd5, 6 .b3

1 .d2-d4 d7-dS 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lLlg 1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 S.e2-e3 b7-bS

6 .c4xdS, 6.b2-b3

The solid developing move 5 .e3, with which White invites his opponent to show his hand, has became one of the most popular replies to the Chebanenko system in recent times. Black usually replies 5 . . . b5, to start counterplay on the queenside. Now, with 6.b3, White keeps the tension in the centre and prepares to bring the bishop to b2. The obvious drawback of the move is the weakening of the dark squares on the queenside. The exchange 6. cxd5 does not pose Black great problems, as we will see .

• • •

S . ... b7-bS

Black immediately mltlates counterplay on the queenside. White now has three main continuations: 6 .cxdS , 6 .b3 and

1 3 6

6 .cS . In this chapter, we will examine the first two moves.

I

After White has played e2-e3 , shutting in

the bishop on c I , the exchange 6. c4xd5

does not create significant problems for Black. It turns out that the knight on c3 is also not ideally placed, since in answer to the typical break al-a4, Black will reply bS-b4, winning a tempo by attacking the knight.

6. ... c6xd5 7. �f1 -d3

7/iJeS e6 8 .�d3 - 7 .�d3 ; 7 .�d2 e6 8 .£l.d3 ttJbd7 9 .0 -0 transposes to lines below after 7 .�d3 .

7. ... e7-e6 In my view, 7 . . . �b7 is more accurate, in order to deprive White of the move e2-e4, for example: 8 .'iYb3 e6 9 . a4 b4=, and Black has solved his opening problems satisfactorily.

A) 8.0-0 .l1l.b7 Nor did Black experience particular problems after 8 . . . ttJbd7 9.i.d2 �d6 (or 9 . . . �b7 1 0 . a3 ttJe4 l 1 .£l.e 1 �d6 1 2 .ttJa2 0-0 1 3 .�b4 as 14 . .ixd6 ttJxd6 l S .'Ii e2 'lib6 draw,

Chapter l S : Minor Replies: 6 . cxdS, 6.b3

1 1 .'lif3 b4 1 2 .ttJd1 ttJe4 1 3 .ttJf2 fs 1 4 .'lid 1 ttJd7 l S .tZJxe4 dxe4 1 6 .�c4 'VWe7 1 7 .tLlxd7 'iYxd7 1 8 .�d2 draw, Prusikin-Kritz, Osterburg 2 0 0 6 . 1 1 . .l1l.d2

0-0 12 . .l1l.e1 1 2 .'lif3 ! ? b4 1 3 .ttJa4 ttJe4 1 4.�e 1 �xeS l S .fxeS �c6 . 12 ... /tJe4

1 3 .'iWf3 fS= Gleizerov-Bologan, Bled 1 99 0 ; B) More principled is 8.e4!? b4 lnterest

ing complications arise after 8 . . . dxe4 9 .tLlxe4 ttJ bd7 ! (White is favoured by 9 . . . �b7 1 0 .ttJcS �dS 1 1 .�f4) 1 0 .0-0 �b7 l 1 .tLlegS h6 1 2 .ttJxe6 ! fxe6 1 3 .�g6+ �e7 1 4 .�d2 with compensation. 9.eS bxc3 1 0.exf6 cxb2 1 1 .txg7 .l1l.xg7

1 2 . .l1l.xb2 'i:l!'aS+oo ;

C) If 8.tLleS Black completes his development easily, since White's 'blitzkrieg' on the kingside is not really dangerous to Black, for example: 8 . . . �e7 9 .0 -0 0-0 1 0 .f4 �b7 l 1 .fS exfS 12 .�S ttJc6 1 3 .ttJg4 (Zhang Ziyang-Wang Yu , Shandong 2007 ) 1 3 . . . g6 1 4.ttJxf6+ Lf6 l S .�d3 �g5=F .

Damlj anovic-Sakaev, Zlatibor 2 0 0 7 ) Back to the main line. 1 0 .a3 ( 1 0 .a4 b4 1 1 .ttJe2 ttJe4 1 2 .aS 0-0 6. b2-b3

1 3 .'ilVa4 ttJxd2 1 4 .ttJxd2 ttJf6 = Chebanenko) 10 . . . � b 7 1 1 .tt1a2 0-0 1 2 . .ib4 'lie7 1 3 .ti.c 1 ti.fc8 1 4 .'lib3 tLlb6 1 S .�xd6 'lixd6 1 6 .ti.xc8+ ti.xc8 1 7 .l::tc 1 draw, Movsziszian-Fernandez Romero, Lorca 2 0 0 7 . 9.tLleS Nothing is changed by 9 .'lie2 �e7 1 0 .�d2 0-0 l 1 .tLleS ttJbd7 1 2 .ti.ac 1 ttJe4 1 3 .ttJxd7 'i'xd7 = Anapolsky-Bologan . Jurmala 1 9 9 1 . 9 ... .l1l.d6 Practice has also seen 9 . . . ttJbd7 1 0 . f4 �e7 1 1 .�d2 0 -0 1 2 .J::i.c 1 Mc8 1 3 . a3 ttJb6 1 4 .'lif3 �a8 l S .�e 1 ttJc4 1 6 . .l:!,c2 ttJe4 1 7 .ttJxc4 bxc4 1 8 .�e2 fS=F Yusupov-Grischuk, Mainz 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.t4 tLlbd7 Or 1 0 . . . 0-0

In practice, various moves have been seen here : 6 ... .l1l.fS 7 .�e2 e6 8 . 0 -0 ! ? (in a game played in a junior competition, I suc-

1 3 7


ceeded in outplaying my opponent after 8 .tt:lM �b4 9 .�d2 �xc3 1 0 .�xc3 lLle4 l 1 .lLlxfS <1:lxc3 1 2 .<1:lxg7+ 'it>f8 1 3 .'i' c2 <1:lxe2 1 4 .<1:lhS lLlxd4 i s .exd4 �h4 1 6 .�e2 ! ? �xd4 1 7 . 0-0 lLld7 1 8 .11ad 1 'il'eS 1 9 .�f3 11g8 ! 20 .11fe 1 �gS 2 1 .lLlf4 'il'fS+ S . Petrosian-Bologan, Saki 1 9 89) 8 . . . lLlbd7 9 .�d2 !Jl.e7 1 0 .<1:lM �g6 1 1 .11c 1 0-0 12 .lLlxg6 hxg6 1 3 .cxdS cxdS 1 4.a4 b4 l S .lLla2 as 1 6 .11c6 <1:le4 (Black could equalise by means of 1 6 . . . 11c8 1 7 .'ii'c2 llxc6 1 8 .'Ii'xc6 lLle4 1 9 .11d 1 'ii'c8=) 1 7 i3 lLld6 1 8 .'ii'c2 'iVb8 1 9 .11c 1 llc8 2 0 .11xc8+ �xc8 2 1 .'i'c7::!;: KarpovV Milov, Ajaccio (blitz) 2 0 0 7 ; 6 ... e6 is a bad move, blocking in the bishop for no reason : 7 .�d3 <1:l bd7 8 .0 -0 !Jl.e7 9 .�c2 (9 . a3 0-0 1 0 .e4 dxc4 1 1 .bxc4 eS ! Chebanenko) 9 . . . 0-0 1 0 .!Jl.b2 h6 l 1 .cS � .

Vyacheslav Andreevich's original analysis considered that

6. . .. !Jl.c8-g4

was Black's best move. Now, 7.h3 seems a little careless, although for a long time, we considered it to be the main line. White walks into one of the main tactical tricks of the Chebanenko Variation. 7 ... ..\hf3 and now:

A) Black is fine after 8.gxf3 ILlbd7 9.f4 e6 1 0.c5 h6 Too passive is 1 0 . . . �e7 1 1 .�d3 g6 1 2 :iVc2 0-0 1 3 .<1:le2 as 1 4 .<1:lg 1 <1:lhS l S .<1:lf3 fs 1 6 .a3 <1:ldf6 1 7 .!Jl.b2 lLlg7 1 8 . 0 -0-0 �e8 1 9 .11dg 1 � l ' Ami -Kritz, Netherlands tt 2 0 0 7 I 0 8 . 1 1 .h4 h 5 1 2.ii.d3 ii.e7 1 3 .�f3 g 6 14.�h3 lLlg4 1 5.tiJe2 tilh6 16 .lLlg1 ii.xc5! 1 7.lLlf3

1 7 .dxcS loses after 1 7 . . . 'i'f6 1 8 .l:!.b 1 'il'c3 + 1 9 .'it>e2 <1:lxcS -+ . 1 7 .. . ii.b4+

1 8 . ..t>e2 ii.c3 19 . .!!b1 tDf5+ l 'Ami-1 . Sokolov, London 2 0 0 7 ;

1 3 8

B) 8.VWxf3

Now Black has a choice between three continuations : B 1 ) 8 ... e6 A quiet move, after which

Black is able to complete his development without problems, and the absence of one of his bishops is compensated for by his light-square pawn chain, and the fact that his other bishop lords it over the opponent's weakened queenside dark squares. 9.ii.d2 ii.b4 10.�d1 Practice has also seen 1 0 .!Jl.d3 'iVaS 1 1 .11c1 !Jl.xc3 1 2 .!1l.xc3 'iVxa2 1 3 .'iVd 1 dxc4 1 4 .bxc4 bxc4 l S .llal 'iVb3 1 6 .'iVxb3 cxb3 1 7 .\tld2 ttJdS 1 8 .llh b 1 <1:lxc3 1 9 . 'it>xc3 \tld7 2 0 . 11xb3 'it>c7 2 1 .11ba3 'it>b6 draw agreed, Malakhatko-Kritz, Ascona Open 2 0 0 7 . 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .ii.e2 bxc4 1 2.bxc4 c5 This timely break allows Black to equalise the chances. 1 3 .dxc5 d4 1 4.exd4 �xd4

1 5.�c2 tDc6 16 .0-0 �e5 1 6 . . . !1l.xc5=. 1 7.'li'a4?! �ad8 1 8.ii.e1 tDd4! 1 9.�xb4

tDxe2+ 20.tDxe2 Wlxa1 + Oil-Anand, Biel 1 9 9 3 ; B2) 8 ... e5! Exploiting White's tactical

weakness, Black permits himself a pawn sacrifice . 9.dxe5 ii.b4 1 0.ii.d2 �xc3

1 1 .ii.xc3 tDe4 12.ii.b4 bxc4 and now: B 2 1 ) 1 3.bxc4?1 'iVb6 14.a3 a5

B2 1 1 ) 1 5.eS .!"!.a7! 1 5 . . . fxe6 1 6 .iVh5 + c;f;>dS 1 7 .ii.c3 ! lLlxc3 I S .iV g 5 + �cS 1 9 .1hg7 iVb2 2 0 .iVxhS+ Wc7 2 1 .'i'e5+ Wb7 2 2 .�g7+ WcS= 1 S .cxd5

cxd5 17.Ik1 t2JcS 1S.exf7+? ( I S . .id3 ! ? axb4 1 9 . .ixe4 fxe6 ( 1 9 . . . dxe4? 20 .exf7++-) 2 0 .�g4 Wf7 2 1 .�f4+ �e7=. 1 8..J:!.xf7 1 9.'iWg4 (OvseevichKomliakov, Nikolaev 1 99 3 ) 1 9 ... t2Jxb4!? 20.Wc8+ �e7 21J�Vc7+ Wlixc7 22 . .!"!.xc7+ �e6 23.l:l:xf7 t2Jc2+ 24.�d1 wxf7 25.�xc2

.!:tc8+ 2S.wb1 t2Jxf2 27..1::l:g1 ftc3+

Komliakov; B2 1 2) 15 .cxd5 cxd5 1 6 . .id2 ( 1 6 .�c l ?

axb4-+ ; 1 6 . .id6 ! ? �b2 1 7 .11d1 �c3+ l S .'lt>e2 ttJc6 1 9 .11xd5 = Komliakov) 16 . . . 'llIYb2 1 7 .�d1 ttJc6t Dlugy-Bologan, New York 1 99 3 .

B22) 13.eSI?

13 .. .fxeS 1 3 . . . �a7°O . 14.�h5+ gS 1 5.iVe5

wf7 1s .. bc4 t2Jd7 1 7.'lWf4+ rJiJg7 1S.Jtd3

Chapter 1 5 : Minor Replies: 6 .cxd5, 6 .b3

'lWbS 1 9.JtdS fthfS-+ Krivoshey-Yakovenko, Internet 2 006 ; B2 3 ) 1 3 .Wlig41? c51? 1 3 . . . g 6 ? ! 1 4 . .ixc4

h5 1 5 :iVf4 'iYb6 (Gen. TimoshenkoGrigorieva, Guichen 1 992) 1 6 .a3 as 1 7 . .id6±. 14.f3 t2JcS 15 .fxe4 1 5 .�xg7 iVh4+ 1 6 .Wd1 ttJxb4 1 7 . fxe4 0-0-0 I S .�g4+ iVxg4+ 1 9 .hxg4 dxe4+ 2 0 .WcI �hgS 2 1 .�xh7 �xg4 n .�xf7 �g3 2 3 .bxc4 �xe3+ Komliakov. 15 .. .tZJxb4 1 S.Wlixg7 ftfSoo; B24) 1 3.Jtxc4

Rogozenko: 'The theory of the variation developed a lot after 1 993 and many resources for White were found. 1 3 .�xc4 is one such resource.'

B 24 1 ) 1 3 ... 'lWbS 14.a3 a5 1 5.JtdS t2JxdS 1 S .exdS (Prusikin-Neuman, Germany Bundesliga B 2005106) 1 S ... t2Jd7 1 6 . . . 0-0 1 7 . .ie2 'iVc5 l S .0-0 'iYxd6 1 9 . e4 lLld7 20 . exd5 cxd5 2 1 .b4 axb4 n.axb4 :ha l draw, Tkachiev-Bacrot, Calvia 2 0 0 7 . 17.�e2 'IWc5 1 S.0-0 �xdS=;

B242) A good alternative is 13 . . . t2Jg5 and now: B242 1 ) 14.Wlie2 dxc4 15 J�d1 WlibSI?

( 1 5 .. . lLld7 1 6 .'iVxc4 c5 1 7 . .ic3 lLle6 l S . 0 -0 0 -0 1 9 .£4 g6 Markos-Gen. Timoschenko, Banska Stiavnica 2 006 ( 1 9 . . J:(eS 20 . f5 ttJefS 2 1 .e6 fxe6 2 2 .'iYg4 'iYe7 2 3 .f6±) ; 2 0 .f5 gxf5

1 3 9


2 1 .IhfS lla7 22 .ShS CfJg7 23 .'iVg4 'iYe7 24.Sfl ±) 1 S .'1I!Vxc4 'ifb5 1 7.J::!.c1 lDd7 1 S.t4

lDe6 19.�dS �xc4 20.llxc4 c5=i=;

B2422) 14.�g3 dxc4 1 5.l:ld1 lDd7 1 S.0-0

lDeS 17.t4 gS 1 S.bxc4 c5 19.�c3 �c7

20.6:.dS 20 .f5 ! ? gxfS 2 1. .!:i.xfs with compensation, Komliakov. 20 ... l:tdS 21 ..!haS

0-0 22.t5 lDg7 23.�g5 brdeS 24.fS lDh5 25.ItdS <;;t>hS 2S.Itfd1 lDbS 27.�hS .l:igS 0-1 , Dumitrache-Bologan, Romania 1 9 90 .

B 3 ) Rogozenko : 'In order to avoid White's options on move 1 3 Black can start with S ... bxc4 9.bxc4 and only now 9 ... e5: In the event of the passive 9 . . . e6 White stabilises the position, qUietly completes his development and obtains the advantage: 1 0 .1td2 CfJbd7 1 1 .'iVd 1 dxc4 1 2 .1txc4 cS 1 3 .dS CfJb6 1 4.dxe6 tLlxc4 l S .'iVa4+ rJ:Je7 1 6 .'iVxc4 fxe6 1 7 .'iVxcs+ rJ:Jf7 1 8.'iVc4 1te7 1 9 .tLle4 CfJxe4 20 .'iVxe4± Z. Polgar-Macek, Dresden 2006 .

After the surprising push 9 ... e5 White has to play very accurately. But then, he can use the open b-file to his advantage.

B3 1) An interesting manoeuvre of his king's knight enabled Black to equalise quickly in the following game: 10.c5

CfJbd7 1 1 .1te2 g6 1 2 .0-0 1tg7 1 3 . .!:i.b 1 0-0 1 4 .1td 1 tLle8 ! l S .tLle2 tLlc7 1 6 .1ta4

1 40

tLlbS 1 7 .1tb2 11e8 1 8 . .!:i.fd 1 ttb8 1 9 .i.b3 Vilie7= Pinter-Komliakov, Manila 1 992 ;

B32) The incautious 10.dxe5? allows Black to take the initiative and trap the enemy king in the centre : 10_�b4 11 . .I1l.d2

�xc31 1 1 . . . 'iVaS ? 1 2 . exf6 �xc3

1 3 . .!:i.d 1 ± ; 1 1 . . .tLle4 ? ! 1 2 .tLlxe4 dxe4

1 3 .'iVd 1 1txd2+ 1 4 .Vilixd2 �xd2+

1 5 .�xd2 tLld7 1 6 .rJ:Jc3 ;!; . 1 2.�xc3 t/Je4

13 Jk1 lDxc3 14.l:txc3 �a5 15.wd2 'S'xa2+

1 S.l:!.c2 'ifa5+ 1 7.l:!.c3 ttJd7=+;

B3 3 ) After 1 0J�b1 White aims to finish his development and gradually begin to

open diagonals for his two bishops: B33 1 ) 10 ... lDbd7 1 U �.d2! �e7! 12 . .I1l.e2

Bad is 1 2 .cxdS ? because of 1 2 . . . exd4

1 3 .dxc6 CfJeS 1 4.'iVf4 dxc3 l S .i.xc3 tLlxc6+. 1 2 ... '/iVeS 13 .cxd5 cxd5 14.e4

White should open the centre; after 1 4. 0-0 e4 l s .Vilig3 h6 ! with the idea

. . . �_d6 , Black is fine. 14 ... exd4 15.1i:!xd5

J:[cS 1 S.ttJxfS+ lDxfS 1 7.0-0 Jle7

1 7 . . . tLlxe4 ! ? 1 S.e5;!; 1 8 .1td3 'iYxa2 1 9 .'iVe2;!; . 1 S ... lDd7 1 9.�b7 <1Jc5 20:ii'a7 h5 21 J�bS± Chernin-Gavrikov, Tilburg 1 992 ; B332 ) Black should strive for active

counterplay with 1 0 .. :iVa5 .

1 1 .�d2! A new idea, found by grandmaster Victor Komliakov in the process of working on the present book. White achieves noth-

ing after 1 1 .'iYfS tLlbd7 (but not 1 1 . . .�b4?? 1 2 .'iYcS+ �e7 I 3 .�b7++�) I 2 .�d2 �b4 1 3 .'iYc2 0-0 1 4.�d3 exd4 I S .exd4 l::tfeS+ 1 6 .tiJe2 .Ld 2+ 1 7 .'iYxd2 'iYxd2+ I S .�xd2 c5 , draw, Gleizerov-Bereziuk, Katowice 1 99 2 . 1 1 _Jlli4 12Jbb4 �xb4 13 .�f5! The white queen is ideally placed here: it defends the square b l , threatens a check on cS and attacks the eS pawn, also with check. 13 .. .lbbd7 14.tLlxd5 'iWb2 15 .tLlc7+ rJiJe7

Chapter I S : Minor Replies: 6.cxdS, 6 .b3

7. �f1 -e2

1 6.4:JxaS �xaS 1 7.g4 hS 1S.h4 gS 1 9.'iWd3 7. ... e7-e6

e4 20.'iWb3 'iWxb3 21 .axb3 ti:lxg4 22 . .ite2 f5 After 7 . . . �xf3 S .�xf3 e6 9 . 0-0 tLl bd7 23.0-0 tLlfS± Kornliakov. 1 0 .'iYc2 �e7 ;t White has a stable advan-

Back to the position after 6 . . . �g4.

Instead of 7 .h3 , there is also 7.�d2. This is an accurate prophylactic move : by defending the knight on c3 , White no longer has to fear central blows such as . . . e 7 -eS . 7 .. . eS S.h3 jj,h5 9.g4 .itgS 10.tLle5

tiJfd7 1 1 /bxgS hxgS 1 2.'iWc2 tLlbS 13 .c5 tiJ6d7 14.0-0-0 fLe7 15�g2 a5 1S .tLle2 tLlaS

17.a3 b4 1S.a4 �h4 1 9.�hfg/= Malakhatko-Wirig, Differdange 2 0 0 7 . In this closed position, White's advantage is not great, but Black is practically without counterplay and must await his opponent 's further actions.

Nowwe arri ve at the main move.

tage. 8. 0-0

Even blitz games sometimes reveal interesting opening ideas: S .h3 �b4 9 .�d2 �hS I 0 .0 -0 �d6 I I .tLleS �xe2 1 2 .tLlxe2 0-0 1 3 . .l:!.c1 ilLxeS ( 1 3 . . . dxc4! ? 1 4.bxc4 tLle4 1 5 .ilLe 1 ilLxe5 1 6 .dxe5 '/i!Vxd 1 1 7 .lhd l 1:(cS=) 1 4 .dxeS tLle4 1 5 .cxdS ! 'iYxd5 I 6 .�b4 l:!,eS 1 7 .�xdS exd5 (Fridman-Bacrot, Ajaccio (blitz) 2007 ) I S .f3 as 19 .ilLe I tLlg S 20 . tLld 4 1:(a6 2 1 .a4;t.

An important alternative after S . O-O is S ... tLlbd7, with which Black does not yet determine the position of his king 's bishop, and now:

A) Interesting is 9 . .itb2 , after which Black should transpose play into the line with 9 .h3 after 9 ... jl,dS 1 0.h3 1 0 .tiJe5 �xe2 l 1 .tiJxe2 iVc7 1 2 . cxdS cxd5 1 3 .1:(c 1 ii'bS 1 4 .tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 5 .h3 0-0 1 6 .1:(c6 1:(cs 1 7 . '/i!Vc2 tLlb6 I S .1:(c 1 'iYb7 = Karpov-Rublevsky, Moscow (blitz) 2 0 0 7 . 1 0 .. Jil.h5, see line B below. The retreat to f5 is less good: 1 O .. �f5 and now:

1 4 1


1 1 .tLlh4 �gS 1 2J1c1 0-0 1 3 .tLlxgS hxgS

14 . . lid3 e5 1 5.dxe5 �xe5 1S .cxd5 cxd5

1 7.�e2 1 7 .MC2 nc8 1 8 .tDe2 iLxb2 1 9 .1:!.xb2 tLl e S = Alexandrov-Bareev, Serpukhov 2 0 0 7 ; 1 7 .f4 ! ? ii.c7 1 8 .e4 ( 1 8 .\th l tLlcs 1 9 .ii.b l ii.b6) 1 8 . . . ii.b6+ 1 9 .\th2 ii.e3 2 0 .eS ii.xc 1 2 1 .'iWxc l d4 22 .tLle2 l:!.c8 23 .'iWd2 tLldS 24.tLlxd4 tLlcS 25 .ii.b 1 Moo. 17 .. ..!:tc8 1 8.'Ii¥d2 tLlc5

1 9.Z!fd H : . B ) 9.h3

B 1) As already noted above, Black is not advised to release the pressure on the diagonal d l -h5 : 9 .... iU5 10.�d3 1 0 .4'ih4 ! ? 1 0 ... �dS 1 0 . . . tLl e 4 1 1 .'iWc2 tLldf6 ( l l . . . tLlxc3 1 2 .ii.xfS exfS 1 3 .'iWxc3;t) 1 2 .tLleS� Komliakov; 1 0 . . . .i1lxd3 1 1 .'iWxd3 .i1ld6 1 2 .e4! .i1lM 1 3 . exdS cxdS 14 .cS .i1lxc3 I S .'iWxc3 tLle4 1 6 .'iWd3 0-0 1 7 . .i1lf4;t Komliakov; 1 0 . . . .i1lg6 1 1 .'iWc2 bxc4 (or 1 1 . . . .i1ld6 1 2 . .i1lxg6 hxg6 1 3 . e4

1 42

dxe4 1 4 .tLlxe4 tLlxe4 1 S .'iWxe4;t) 1 2 .bxc4 dxc4 1 3 . .i1lxg6 hxg6 14 .e4 .i1lM 1 S .eS tLldS 1 6 .ttJe4�. 1 1 .�xf51 After 1 1 .'iWe2 .i1lxd3 1 2 .'iWxd3 M 1 3 .tLla4 tLle4 1 4 . .i1lb2 ? ! ( l 4 . .i1ld2 !?) 1 4 . . . 0-0 I S .l:!.ac l fs 1 6 .cxdS cxdS 1 7 J''rc6 gS the position is double-edged, Riazantsev-Bologan, Moscow 2 0 0 2 . 11 . . . exf5 12 .'Ii¥c2 b4

1 2 . . . g6 ? 1 3 .cxdS cxdS 1 4.tLlxdS tLlxdS I s .iVc6 iVb8 1 6 .iVxdS 0-0 1 7 .M±. 1 3 .tLla4 gS ( 1 3 . . . tLle4 1 4. cxdS cxdS 1 s .iVc6 0-0 1 6 .iVxdS tLldf6 1 7 .'iWc4� 14.c5 1 4.cxdS cxdS I S .'iWc6 \te7 1 6 . .i1ld2 WUb8 1 7 .tLlcS nc8. 14 ._�c7 15.�d2 as

1 S .a3 bxa3 1 7J!xa3:t tLle4 1 8JUa1 g5?! 1 9.tLlbS!:t;

B2) 9 . . .. lkh5 10 .. lkb2 Not dangerous for Black is 1 0 .tLleS .i1lxe2 I l . tLlxe2 dxc4 1 2 .tDxd7 (or 1 2 . bxc4 ttJxeS 1 3 .dxeS 'iWxd l 14 .l:!.xd l tLld7 draw, GulievKomliakov, Moscow 1 99 7 ) 1 2 , . .'iWxd7 1 3 .bxc4 cS 1 4 . .i1l b2 cxd4 l S . .i1lxd4 bxc4 1 6 .'iWc2 .i1le7 1 7 .iVxc4 0-0 1 8 .l:!.ab l .ldfc8 1 9 .'iYb3 tLle4 2 0 . l:!.fd l 'iYbS draw, Neverov-Komliakov, Nikolaev 1 9 9 3 .

B2 1 ) 10 ... �b8 1 1 .tLle5 �xe2 and now: B2 1 1 ) 1 2 .tLlxe2 bxc4 1 3 Ji'c2 .tdS

14.bxc4 tLlxe5 1 5.dxe5 �xe5 1S . .txe5

�xe5 17.cxd5 cxd5 18.'Ii¥a4+ The line 1 8 .'ii'c6 + ! ? deserves attention : 1 8 . . . \t>e7

1 9 .�b7 + tLld7 2 O .tLld4 �d6 2 1 .tLlc6+ \tJf6 2 2 .lIac 1 00 . 18 .. . We7 1 9.tLld4 'iVd6 20/1Ic6+ Wf8 2Hrac1 g6 22.'ltd4 wg7+

Acs-Wang Yue, Paks 2 0 0 6 ; B2 1 2) 1 2 .'ltxe2 ttJxeS 1 3 .dxeS ttJd7

14.cxdS cxdS 1S . .l::l.ad1 il..e7 16 .f4 b4 17.ttJa4 0-0 1 8.e4 llVbS 19.�d2 ttJb6 20.�d4 ttJxa4 21 .bxa4 �b7 22.fS .l::l.fd8 23.f6 �f8 24.fxg7 �xg7 2S.�cS (Dobrov-Amonatov, St Petersburg 2 0 04) 2S ... aS 26.'iVgS h6 27.�h4 �d7=.

B22) 1 0 ... �d6

B22 1 ) 1 1 .:tc1 'iVb8 1 1 . . . 0 - 0 ! ? 1 2 .r1JeS i',xe2 1 3 .tLlxe2 bxc4 1 4 .bxc4 �bS ! = 12 .cxdS cxdS 13 .a3 Black did not play the prophylactic move 1 3 . . . h 6 , which would have sufficed for equality, and instead fell into a very unpleasant position: 13 ... 0-0 1 4.g4 �g6 1 S.tLlh4 ttJe4 1 6 .tDxg6 tLlxc3 17.l:'!.xc3 hxg6 1 8.'iVc2 tDf6 19 .itd3

eS 20.dxeS ilxeS 21 . .l::l.c6 £l.xb2 22.'iVxb2

tLld7 23.£l.e2 �d8 24.l:'!.d1 tDf8 2S.£l.f3±

Cosma-Bologan, Neptun 1 99 0 ; B222) 1 1 .tDeS £l.xe2 12 .tDxe2 and now: B 2 22 1 ) 1 2 ...'llfc7 13 .cxdS cxdS 14.l:'!.c1

'/i'b8

1S .tLlxd7 White obtained a small advantage after 1 5 .ttJc6 'iVb7 1 6 .'iV d3 0-0 1 7 J'k2 .l:'i:acS l s .lIfc 1 tLlbS 1 9 . r1JxbS l:I:xc2 2 0 . 'iVxc2 lIxbS 2 1 .�c6 r1JeS

Chapter I S : Minor Replies: 6 .cxdS , 6 .b3

2 2 .f3 b4 23 .e4 as 24 . W[2 dxe4 2 S . 'iVxb7 e 3 + 2 6 .Wxe3 l:!.xb7 27 .llcs lIbS 2S .l:!.xb S �xbS 2 9 .dS eS 3 0 .Wd3 ! Onischuk-Malakhov, POikovsky 2 0 04. 1S . . . tDxd7 Probably the more reliable line is l S . . . 'it>xd7 1 6 . f3 �b7 1 7 . tLlf4 �xf4 l S .exf4 lIhcS 1 9 .'iVd2 11xc 1 2 0 .�xc 1 ;:!; . 1 6 .e4 dxe4 !? 1 7.dS 0-0 1 7 . . . exdS l S .�xg7 ( l S .'i'xdS 0-0 1 9 .1Ifd 1 �h2+ 2 0 . Wh 1 �eS 2 1 .�xeS tLlxeS 22 .�xe4 l:!.eS 2 3 . r1Jd4 'iiVb6 24.l:!. e 1 g6 2 S .f4 r1Jg4= Komliakov) l S . . . !:tgS 1 9 .�a 1 r1Jb6 20 .�d4 tLid7 2 1 .tLic3 (2 1 .�a 1 =) 2 1 . . .'iVdS 2 2 . tLlxdS 'iVgS 2 3 .tLle3 ± . 1 8.dxe6 ttJcS! 1 9 .ttJf4 1 9 .'/Wd4 tLlxe6 2 0 .'iVxe4 BeS 2 1 .IHe 1 'iVa7 2 2 .'iVf3 = Malakhov-Grischuk, Poikovsky 2 0 04 ; 2 2 .tLlc3 �cS 23 . .l:'i:e2 .lladS =. 19 . .. fxe6 20:�g4 eS 21 .ttJe6 tLlxe6 22.'iVxe6+ Wh8 23 .l:l.c6 £l.c7 24.l:'!.fc1 ± Sasikiran-Sakaev, Copenhagen 2 0 0 3 ;

B 2 2 2 2 ) More common is 1 2 .. Jl:c8

13 .l:tc1 0-0 14.ILJf4 ttJe4 1S.'iVe2.

1S ... �xeS The critical moment. Usually the capture on eS is connected with the following exchanges: 1 6.dxeS bxc4 As Victor Komliakov correctly showed, the attempt to drum up play on the kingside does not bring Black anything : 1 6 . . . 'i!'gS 1 7 .cxdS cxdS l S .tLld3 hS 1 9 .!:tc2;:!; Komliakov. 17.bxc4 'il'aS 18.£Ld4 gS This

1 43


weakening of the kingside is not to my taste. But even after the quiet 1 8 . ..ttJ b6 1 9 .cxdS cxdS 20 . .l"!.xc8 .l"!.xc8 2 1 .'/Wg4;l; Black does not equalise. 1 9.'iiUg4 <;£thS

20.tilh5 �xa2 21 .f3 2 1 . f4 ! ? wi.th compensation. 21 ... c5 22 .. b1 ttJd2 23 . .!';l:f2 'iiUa3

24.':e1 'tifb4°o.

Back to the position after 8 . 0 - O.

We come to the alternatives to 8 .. .t2Jbd7 . First of all, here is another interesting blitz-game: S ... .lke7 9 .i.b2 0-0 1 O .tLl eS i.fS 1 1 ..l"!.c l tLlfd7 1 2 .tLlf3 tLlf6 1 3 .t2J h4 tt'lbd7 1 4.tt:lxfS exfs I S .i.d3 g6 1 6 . cxdS cxdS 1 7 .tt'le2 .l"!.c8 1 8 . .l"!.xc8 '/Wxc8 1 9 .'lWd2 'lWb7 20 . .l"!.c 1 ;l; Karpov-Bacrot, Ajaccio 2 0 0 7 .

But the main move is : S . ...

9. h2-h3

1 0. i.c1 -b2

1 1 . tt'lf3-e5

1 2. tt'lc3xe2

�fS-d6

itg4-h5

0-0

�h5xe2

1 2 .'/Wxe2 tLlfd7 ( 1 2 . . . dxc4 1 3 .bxc4 '/Wc7 1 4 .cS i.xeS I S .dxeS tt'ldS 1 6 .tLle4 tLld7 1 7 .f4 b4 1 8 .i.d4;l; Komliakov) 1 3 .tLlf3 fS 1 4.a4 b4 I S .tLla2 as 1 6 .tLlc1 tLlf6 1 7 .t2Jd3 tLlbd7 1 8 . .l"!.ac l tLle4 1 9 .cxdS tLlb8 2 0 .'lWdl , draw (Yevseev-Postny, Cappelle la Grande 20 04) .

1 44

1 2 . ... b5xc4

Alexander Morozevich found an original path to full equality : 1 2 . . . dxc4

1 3 . bxc4 tLlfd7 1 4 .a4 i.xeS I S .dxeS 14

1 6 .'lWd4 cS 1 7 .'lWe4 �a7 1 8 JH d l 'i'c8

1 9 . .l:!.d6 'lWb7 2 0 . "fVf4 tLlc6 2 1 .tt:lg3 tLle7 ! = (Karpov-Morozevich, Moscow 2 0 0 7 ) .

1 3. b3xc4 tt'lbS-d7!

A temporary pawn sacrifice typical of such positions.

1 4. .l"!.a1 -b1

1 4 .tLlf4 i.xeS I S .dxeS tLle4 1 6 .'iVd4 'liVb6= Komliakov. The move 1 4 . .l"!.c1 was considered under 8 . . . tLlbd7 .

1 4. ... iVdS-c7

1 5. tt'le5xd7 tt'lf6xd7

Capturing on d7 with the queen is in

teresting : 1 5 ... fhd7 1 6 .'t!\lIa4 lHb8

1 7 . .lkc3 Also seen is 1 7 .i.a3 .ixa3 1 8 . 'iha3 (AI. Kharitonov-Wang Yue, Is tanbul 2 0 0 S ) 1 8 . . . dxc4 ( 1 8 . . . 'iVc8

1 9 .tLlc3 h6 20 . .l:!.fc l dxc4 2 1 .iVcS tLldS 2 2 .'lWxc4 tLlxc3 2 3 .'liVxc3 .l:!.xb l

2 4 . .l:!.xb l l:rb 8 = Ushenina-Zhu Chen, Krasnoturinsk 2 0 0 7 ) 1 9 . .l:!.xb8 + l:hb8

20 . .l"!. c l .l"!.b6 2 1 .'iYcS 'iYb7 2 2 .�xc4 g 6 = Komliakov. 1 7 ... ttJe4 1 7 . . . dxc4 1 8 .'lW xc4 'liVc8 1 9 .i.b4 i.x14 2 0 . .l"!.x b 4 .l"!. x b4 2 1 .'ii'x b4 .1:I:b8

2 2 . 'iV a 3 ;l; . 1 S .c5 .lkc7 1 8 . . . tZlxc3 1 9 . tLlxc3 .l"!.xb l 2 O . .l:!.xb 1 i.c7 2 1 .g3 .l:!.a7 2 2 . � g 2 ;l; . 1 9 .1hbS+ �xb8

2O.�xa6;:j; . 1 6. c4-c5 �d6-e7

1 7. iVd1 -a4 �fS-bS

1 S. ii.b2-c3 l:I.bSxb1

1 9. �f1 xb1 l:I.aS-bS

20. lIb1 -b3 l:I.bSxb3

21 . a2xb3 �c7-b7

22. �c3-a5 e6-e5

The relatively simplified position, coupled with the attack on the pawn on d4, allows Black to look forward to a satisfactory outcome to the game

Chapter 1 5 : Minor Replies: 6 .cxd5 , 6 . b3

(Laznicka -Kritz , Austria Staatsliga 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 ) .

Conclusion

This line is one of White's most solid against the Chebanenko system. Without committing his pawns , he maintains the tension, whilst keeping a small space advantage. Of course, I am speaking of 7 .�e2 , and not the rather pleasant (for Black) 7 .h3 . The situation is typical for l .d4 players. Minimal risk, minimal advantage, but chances of maximum longterm suffering for Black.

1 45

Chapter 16

Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3/bg1 -f3 tLlgS-fS 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-aS 5.e2-e3 b7-b5 S.c4-c5

After 5.e3 b5, 6 .c5 is the most principled move, by which White seizes space on the queenside. In this chapter, we will consider three replies: 6 . . . iLg4, 6 . . . iLj5 and 6 . . . g6 .

• • •

A) Theory considers 6 ... kf5 insufficient for equality; on the basis of the Dreev game given below. However, Black has an interesting piece sacrifice, which needs practical testing. ViJe5 h5 On 7 . . . g6 the reply 8 .�b3 is unpleasant. a:&'b3 ti:lg4 9.ti:lxg4 hxg4 1 0.a4 ti:ld7 1 1 .ti:la2! (Dreev-Ni Hua, Moscow 2004)

1 46

And now: A I ) In the event of 1 1 ...'&'e8 it is White

who sacrifices a piece, and obtains the advantage: 1 2.ti:lb4 a5 13 .ti:lxe6 '!!fxe6 14.axb5 'li'g6 1 5.b6±;

A2) 1 1 ...e5 12 .ti:lb4 '!!fe8 13 .llYa2 White

strengthens the pressure along the a-file, and it seems hat there is no convenient defence against the threat to take on b S . However . . . 1 3 ... exd4

1 4.exd4 ti:lxe5!? 1 5.dxe5 ilxe5 Exploiting the fact that the white queen has been driven into a hole on the queenside, Black opens the position and forces the enemy king to remain in the centre. 1 6 .ti:ld3 'iYe6+ 1 7.'t>d1 ild6 1 8.axb5 exb5°o. The positions reserves further study (Komliakov) .

B) S ... gS This position has been met many times in practice, and White has a large choice of sensible developing moves.

B l ) 7.b4 Immediately declaring his intentions on the queenside.

B 1 1 ) On 7 ... �g4 , the active S.a4 is very unpleasant (nothing comes from 8 .h3 �xf3 9 .gxf3 as 1 O .bxaS �g7 l 1 .f4 'iUxa S 1 2 .�d2 b4 1 3 .ttJe2 ttJe4 1 4.�g2 ttJxd2 1 5 .'iUxd2 ttJd7 1 6 . 0-0 0 -0= Kamsky-Bacrot , Elista 2 0 0 7 ) : 8 ... ttJbd7 9.�b2 �g7 1 0.ttJe2 �xf3 1 1 .gxf3

0-0 1 2.f4 This move deprives Black of counterplay in the centre, whilst White has sufficient resources to strengthen his position on the queenside. 1 2 .. :iic7 1 3.ttJc1 J:tfb8 14.ttJb3 eS 15 .�d3 ttJe8 1S .�c3 ttJdfS 1 7.'ifc2 wh8 1 8.axb5 axb5 1 9.We2 Here the king feels safest . 19 . . . ttJgS 20.J:ta2 'ifc8 21 .:ha1 ttJc7 22.�e1 .a:xa2 23 . .a:xa2 1::aS 24.f3 �fS

25.�g3 ttJe7 2S .e4 IIxa2 27:�ha2 'ifaS

28.'ifa5 'il'xa5 29.bxa5± Black faces a difficult defence in the endgame (KozulKulj asevic, Warsaw 2 0 0 5 ) ;

B 1 2 ) 7 ... a5 A counterblow that aims to deny White a 'free' initiative on the queenside. 8.bxa5 'ifxa5 9.�d2 b4 1 0.ttJb1 From here the knight supports the break a2-a 3 . White is promised little by

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.cS Various

1 0 .tL'le2 , for instance : 1 0 . . . ttJe4 1 1 .ttJcl �g7 1 2 .M b 1 (Black is better after 1 2 .ttJb3 'iVa4 1 3 .�d3 �a6 1 4 .'iVc2 ttJxd2 1 5 '!·L'lfxd2 eS+ Rajkovic-Nikcevic, Podgarica 2 0 0 7 ) 1 2 . . .ttJa6 1 3 .�d3 ttJc3 1 4 . .2.xc3 bxc3 1 5 . 0-0 ttJb4 1 6 .I1b3 ttJxa2 draw, l' Ami-Burmakin. Bethune 2006 . 1 0 ... ttJe4 1 1 .a3 ttJxd2 1 2.ttJfxd2 �g7

An interesting pawn sacrifice in the spirit of the Benko Gambit is also possible: 1 2 . . . b3 ! ? 1 3 .'iVxb3 ttJd7 1 4 .'iVc3 'iWxc3 I S .ttJxc3 eS 1 6 .ttJb3 exd4 1 7 .exd4 .2.g7 1 8 . \td2 ttJf8 1 9 .�d3 ttJe6 2 0 .ttJe2 11a4 and for the pawn Black has serious pressure on the queenside : 2 1 .Wc3 �d7 22 . f4 \te7 2 3 . llhe l llb8 24 .g4 \tf8 2S .fS gxfS 2 6 . gxfS (Khenkin-Motylev. Sochi 2005 ) 2 6 . . . ttJgS 2 7 .Uf1 �f6+. 1 3.ttJb3 'ifa4 14.f4 �f5 15 .�d3 �xd3 1S .�xd3 ttJd7 1 7.0-0 0-0 1 S.axb4 'ifxb4 1 9.ttJ1 d2 J::!:fb8= Black has sufficient counter play (Miton-Rublevsky, Sochi 2006 ) .

B2) 7.�d2 A useful prophylactic move. As we have just seen, the black queen proves very useful on as , so White defends the e I -aS diagonal in advance.

B2 1 ) 7 ... a5 Prophylaxis against b2-b4 followed by a2-a4. The drawback of the move is that now the queenside pawns

1 47


are weakened and White has the idea of sacrificing a piece for two pawns (c6 and b5) . In addition, as we will soon see, the advance b2-b4 remains on the agenda. S.a3. Excessive directness can backfire on White. In the following game, he sacrificed immediately, but did not get anywhere : S . tLle5 �g 7 9 . ttJxb5 cxb S 1 0 .�xb5 + \t>fS 1 l . 0-0 ttJe4 1 2 . 11c l ttJxd2 1 3 .�xd2 'fic7 1 4 .c6 �xe5 1 5 .dxe5 \t>g7 1 6 .'iVxd5 �e6 1 7 .'iVd3 lldS I S .�e2 ii.xa2 1 9 .f4 J::ta7 2 0 .J::tc3 a4 2 1 .�fc l llcs+ Van der StrichtBurmakin , Bethune 2 0 0 6 . S ... �g7 9.b4! The most ambitious move. White gets nothing after 9 .ii.e2 ttJe4 1 0 . 0 -0 tLlxd2 1 l .'i'xd2 0-0 1 2 .M ii.g4 1 3 .tLle5 ii.xe2 1 4 .tLlxe2 a4 1 5 .f4 f6 1 6 .tLld3 e6= Malakhov-Volkov, Sochi 2 0 0 6 . 9 ... 0-0

1 0.�d3 neS 1 0 . . . ii.g4 ! ? I I .h3 hf3 1 2 . gxf3 ttJa6 1 3 .bxa5 e5 1 4. 0 -0 ttJh5=i= (Komliakov) also deserves attention. 1 1,ttJ e5 On 1 1 . 0 - 0 the pin 1 1 . . . �g4 is unpleasant, and allows Black to get in his planned advance . . . e7 -e5 : 1 2 .bxa5 e5 1 3 .�e2 hf3 1 4.�xf3 exd4 1 5 .exd4 tLle4 1 6 .ii.xe4 dxe4 1 7 .ii.e3 tLld7 I S .'iYc2 tLlf6=i= . 1 1 ...tLlfd7 1 2.tLlxd7 tLlxd7

1 3.14 e51 Preparing . . . e7 -e5 further does not work: 1 3 .. .f6 1 4.bxa5 e5 1 5 . 0 - 0± . 14.fxe5 tLlxe5 15 .dxe5 �xe5 16 .0-0 axb4 1 7.axb4 1::lxa1 1S.1lfxa1 'iVh4 1 9.h3 �xh3 20.�e1 �h6t For the sacrificed piece Black obtains two pawns and the initiative (Komliakov) ;

B22) Black also has another way of fighting for equality: 7 ... tLle4 S .ii.d3 ttJxd2 9 .iVxd2 �g7 1 0 .e4 �g4 l 1 .e5 �xf3 1 2 .gxf3 e6 1 3 .tLle2 as 1 4 .114 h5 1 5 . f4 a4= (Gerzhoy-Atalik, Ottawa 2007 ) ;

1 4S

B23 ) 7...�g7S.b4 and now:

B 2 3 1 ) White is better after S ... O-O 9.a4 �b7 1 0.axb5 Methodically seizing the

a-file by 1 0 . 11a3 ? ! tLlbd7 1 1 .'i'a l does

not work for White, because of 1 1 . . . a5 1 2 .axb 5 (better is 1 2 .'i'b2 e5 1 3 .axb5 axb4 1 4 .'i'xb4 'i' e 7 oo ) 1 2 . . . axM 1 3 .11xaS iVxaS 1 4 .ttJa4 (Zhao Xue

Volkov, Internet 2 0 0 5 ) 1 4 . . . cxb5 1 5 .ii.xb 5 iVa5 -+ . 1 0 . . . axb5 1 1 .I:txa8 �xaS 12 .�d3 tLlbd7 1 3 .tLle5 ttJxe5

1 4.dxe5 ttJd7 15 .14 e6 1 6.h4 h5 17.g4;!; Komliakov;

B23 2) S ... �g4 9.h3 .lkxf3 10.gxf3 ttJbd7

1 1 .f4 0-0 White had a small but stable ad

vantage after 1 1 . . . tLle4 1 2 .tLlxe4 dxe4

1 3 .�g2 f5 1 4 .f3 tLlf6 1 5 .'i'b3 'lid7 1 6 .a4 in the game Volkov-Swathi , Gibraltar 2 0 0 6 . 12.a4 e6 1 3 . .liLg2 tLleS 14.0-0 I1'Jc7

15 .l'�a2 'iVe7 1 6 .'iVc2 ldfbS 1 7.I:tfa1 'iVdSU=. Black is prepared for the opening of the

a-file and can look to the future with optimism. White retains a minimal opening advantage, but it is very difficult to

increase it (Lputian-Malakhov, Sochi 2 0 0 6 ) .

B 3 ) 7.�b3 By this move, the queen wishes personally to lead the assault on the queenside.

B3 1 ) 7 ... a5 B.tLle5 The line 8 .'ii'c2 �g7 9.a4 b4 1 0 ,tbb l looks rather too academic. True, the position is closed, but not so much so that White can permit himself to lose so many tempi: 1 0 . . . 0-0 I l .tLlbd2 ii.fs 1 l .ii.d3 ii.xd3 1 3 .'ii'xd3 tiJbd7 1 4.tllb3 'ii'c7 1 5 . 0 -0 eS (having fmished his development satisfactorily and placed all his pieces well, Black seizes the initiative) 1 6 .tllxeS tllxeS 1 7 .dxeS 'li'xeSf Shipov-Malakhov, Moscow (blitz) 2 0 0 6 . B 3 1 1 ) Now, somewhat premature is

S ... a4 on account of 9.�d1 a3 is a bad square for the queen: 9 .'ii'a3 ii.g7 1 0 .ii.d2 0-0 I I .b 3 lLle4 1 2 .lLlxe4 dxe4+ Al Sayed-Sriram , Port Erin 2 0 0 6 . 9 ... �g7

10.t4 Also not bad is 1 0 .�e2 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 tLlfd7 l l .tLlf3 eS 1 3 .�d2 �b7 1 4 .b3 axb 3 I S .'ii'xb3 lLla6 1 6 . .l:Iab l 'ii'c7 ( 1 6 . . . 'i¥e 7 ! ? 1 7 .l:!.fc l lUc8) 1 7 JHc l

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6 .c5 Various

l:tfb8 1 8 . a4 bxa4 1 9 .1tJ xa4 e4 20 .lLle l �c8 2 1 .lLlb6;t Rustemov-Talish Zade, Baku 2 0 0 7 . 1 0 ... tLle4 1 1 .�d3 t6 1 2.tLlt3 t5 1 3.tLle5 Wic7 14.g4 tLlxc3 15 .bxc3 txg4 1 6 .e4 dxe4 17.�xe4 0-0 1 B.0-0 �t5 19.�g2

(Aronian-Shirov, Mainz 2 0 0 5 ) 19 .. �xe5 20.txe5 tLla6 21 .�h6 J:!t7 22.c4 'IllYb7 23.e6

l:tt6 24.d5t White's initiative is very dangerous;

B3 1 2) B ... �g7 9.tLlxb5 A tempting sacrifice, but here there is a good defence for Black: 9 ... cxb5 Worse is 9 . . . a4 1 0 .'i¥b4 cxbS 1 L�xb5+ 'It>f8 l l . O - O tLJa6 1 3 .'iVa3 tLJc7 1 4.itc6 J:ta6 I S .�xa4. Not onl y does White have a third pawn for the piece, but now it is easier to advance the passed pawn on b2 : I S . . . tLJe4 1 6 .c6 !la8 1 7 .f3 'iVd6 1 8 .tLJd7+ ii.xd7 1 9 .cxd7 lLlf6 2 0 .b3 �h6 2 1 .�xd6 exd6 1 l . e4;t Aronian-Bu Xiangzhi, Moscow 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.bb5+ <;t>f8 1 1 .0-0 tLleB 1 2.tLld3 tLlc7 1 3.a4 �d7 14.�d2 �c6 1 5 .J:!tb1 �d7 1 6.�xc6 tLlxc6+

White does not have full compensation for the sacrificed piece (MledemaBurmakin, Bethune 2 0 0 6 ) ; The other line seen in practice also looks reasonable : 11 ... �a6 Instead of 1 1 . . . ttJe8 . 1 2.a4 tLle4 In the following game, Black got diverted by a bishop manoeuvre and ended up with a

149


cramped position: 1 2 . . . J1i.cs 1 3 . f3 �e6 14 .�d2 h5 1 5 .flfc l WgS 1 6 .c6 tLla6± (Rustemov-Sakaev, Sochi 200 5 ) . 13 .tbd3

.lil.b7 14.f3 <'2,f6 15.<'2,e5 'iie7 16 . .i1l.d2 h5

17.e6 .i1l.eS 1S.e4 �b6 1 9 . .i1l.e3 .i1l.e6 20.rtae1

<'2,a6 21 .14 <'2,e7 22.f5 (Aronian-V Popov, Moscow 2005 )

And here after 22 ... gxf5 23.exf5 .i1l.eS

24.l::te5 White has compensation. Any result is possible.

B 32 ) 7 ... .i1l.b7 Of course, the bishop is rather passive here, but now Black does not need to fear the piece sacrifice on b5 .

S.a4 <'2,bd7 9.axb5 axb5 1 O.J:[xaS �xaS

1 1.'�a2 e5 12 .�xaS+ .i1l.xaS 1 3.b4 exd4

14.<'2,xd4 .i1l.g7 1 5 . .i1l.b2 0-0 1 6 . .i1l.e2 <'2,e5

1 7. \t>d2 <'2,fg4?! Better is 1 7 . . . � b 7 ! ? l S .Wc2 l:I.aS, and the position is close to equality (Komliakov) . 1 S.f3 <'2,f6 1 9.rta1

1 5 0

iLb7 20 . .I:1a7 J:1bS 21 .<'2,b3± AronianKachiani, Mainz 2005 ; B 3 3 ) 7_ . .i1l.g7 Ignoring his opponent's

threats , Black Simply continues to develop S.a4 .lil.b7 9.<'2,e5 This active leap gives Black more problems than the harmless 9 .i1Ld3 , which has been met in practice. 9 ... 0-0 1 0.�e2 Also deserving of attention is 1 0 .f4 ! ? tLlfd7 I l .W3 . 10 ... <'2,fd7 It is not clear what Black should do after 1 0 . . . tLlbd7 1 l .f4;:!;. 1 1 .f4 <'2,xe5 Also after 1 1 . . .f6 1 2 .tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 3 .e4t White has the ini

tiative. 1 2.fxe5 16 13.exf6 The blocking sacrifice 1 3 .e6? ! is not dangerous for Black: 1 3 . . . 'lWcS 1 4 .axb5 axb5 1 5 .�xaS has+. 13 ... .i1l.xf6 White has the advantage after both 1 3 . . J:txf6 ? 14.e4± ; and 1 3 . . . exf6 ? 14 .�e4! (Roiz-Bratanov, Basel 2005 ) 14 . . .f5 1 5 .tLld6 Wile7 1 6 . 0-0 tLld7 1 7 .�d2 ta6 I S Jtd3± Komliakov. 14.<'2,e4 Or 14.0-0 WhS 1 5 .�g4 e5 1 6 .tLle2 'i'e7 1 7 . .idl exd4 I S .exd4 h5 1 9 .�f3± Komliakov. 14 ... .i1l.g7 15.<'2,g5 'li'd7 1 5 . . . e5 1 6 .e4:t . 1 6.<'2,f3 �g4 17.0-0 <'2,d7 1 S.h3 '/lIVg3 19..>td2 <'2,f6 20 • .lil.e1 �e7 21 .<'2,g5 �d7 22 . .i1l.d3;!': In

order to achieve adequate play, Black still has to solve the problem of his lightsquared bishop.

B4) 7 . .i1l.d3 Judging by the statistics, White most often prefers this simple developing move.

B41 ) 7 ".�g4 8.h3 Black is fine after 8 .'iVb3 tDbd7 9 . 0-0 �g7 1 0 .tDh4 eS= Komliakov. 8 ... �xf3 9.gxf3 iDbd7 Neither 9 . . . aS ? 1 0 .tDxbS cxbS 1 1 .�xb5+ tDbd7 1 2 .c6+- , nor 9 . . . eS 1 O .dxeS tDfd7 1 1 .f4 4JxcS 1 2 .�c2 t can be recommended. White intends h4-hS , creating strong pressure on the b 1 -h7 diagonal, after which the black king will be in danger. 10.f4 as. In the blitz game Gelfand-Anand (Moscow 2 0 0 7 ) White obtained a decisive advantage after 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 .�d2 (also not bad is the immediate 1 1 . b4 �g7 1 2 .a4!) 1 1 . . .�e7 1 2 .M 0-0 1 3 .a4 ttJhS 1 4.'iWe2 as I S .axbS axM I 6 .tDa4 �xcS 1 7 .dxcS 4JxcS 1 8 .�xM tDxa4 1 9 .�xf8 'iYxf8 2 0 . bxc6 tDc3 2 1 .'I!lVb2 J::rxa l + 22 .ifxa 1 +- . 1 1 .fS gxfS 1 1 . . .�6 ! ? deserves attention: 1 2 .'I!lVf3 (or 1 L�d2 b4 1 3 .tDe2 tDe4) 1 2 . . . eS 1 3 . fxe6 fxe6 1 4.'I!lVg3 M I S .tDe2 eS 1 6 .dxeS tDe4 1 7 .Le4 dxe4°o. 1 2 .�xfS eS 13 .�e2 eS

14.'i'f3 Wie7 .

Worse is 1 4 . . . �h 6 ? ! I S .�d2 exd4 1 6 .exd4 �e7 + 1 7 .�e3 �xe3 1 8 .fxe3 0-0 1 9 . 0-0-0 J::rae8 20 .J::rhg 1 + 'it>h8 2 1 .J::rg3;t Ponomariov-Grischuk, Moscow 2006 . 1S .iDe2 �hS 1 S.�d2 �g8 Bad is

1 6 . . . exd4 1 7 .tDxd4 'I!lVxcs 1 8 .l:.c1 �b6 1 9 .�b3 cS 20 .�xdS ± . 1 7.iDg3 exd4

1 7 . . . e4 1 8 .'I!lVe2 'I!lVe6 1 9 .0-0-0!. 1 8.iDfS

'i'xeS 1 9.iDxhS IllYxe2 20.iDxg8 iDxg8

21 .:gg1 ltJeS 22.'iWg3 iDgS 23J:te1 'i-lYxb2

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

White has more space, but Black has a powerful central pawn construction, and has managed to close the queenside. In

the follOWing game, White did not manage to pose his adversary serious problems: 1 S .lLle2 'fie7 17.'fih4 0-0-0 1 8.0-0-0 .!:!.dg8 19.�e1 'lWd8 20.�g3 hS 2L�f4 �hS 22 . .!:'l.hg1 iDe8 23.'lWf2 il.xf4 24.iDdxf4 \tb7 2S.g3 'Vlie7 2S.ti:le3 lLle7 27.e4 fxe4 28.fxe4 h4 29.g4 'VligS 30.\t>b1 iDfS 31 .exdS exdS 32.h3 .!:I.e8= Lautier-Bacrot , KhantyMansiysk 2 0 0 5 ;

B43) 7 ... iLg7

24JbeS tlJ8e7 with compensation, In this position, White has tried many Komliakov;

B42) 7...�fS is an interesting, but thus far little-examined move. 8ixf5 gxf5 9.iDe5 a5 1 0.f3 ti:lfd7 1 1 .ti:ld3

�g7 1 2.lllYe2 eS 13 .'iI¥f2 ti:lfS 14.�d2 ti:lbd7

1 5.b4 a4

moves: B43 1) 8.0-0 0-0 9.b4 �g4 1 0.a4 lLlbd7

1 1 .�e2 Or l 1 .h3 �xf3 1 2 .'I!lVxf3 eS 1 3 .�c2 ttJe8 1 4.axbS axbS l S Jha8 'iYxa8 1 6 .J:ld1 Cj'jc7= Komliakov. 1 1 ...'lWe7

1 2 . .l1/.b2 l:!fe8 13 .l:!a3 .l1/.xf3 Provoking action on the queenside does not work in

1 5 1


Black's favour: 1 3 . . . aS 14 .axbS axb4 l S .b6 �b7 1 6 . .I:!xaS .!:haS 1 7 .tUb l eS l S .h3� Komliakov. 14 . .hf3 eS 1 S.'iVa1

l S .g3 ! ? 1 S ... exd4 1S .exd4 '/WbS 17.1i'a2

tLlfS 1S.�e1 tLleS 1 9.�e3 hS= ErnstMichielsen, Groningen 2 0 0 5 ;

B43 2 ) S.�d2 0-0 9.b4 �g4 1 0.h3 �xf3 1 1 .gxf3 as 1 2.bxaS eS 13 .tLle2 tLlfd7 14.a4 exd4 1S.exd4 '/WfS White has clearly sinned against the principles of development, and as a result, he has problems : 1 S.0-0 '/Wxf3 1 7.tLlf4 'ii'xd1 1 S.llaxd 1 bxa4

1 9.tLle2 tLlaS"F Zakhartsov-Das, Moscow 2 0 0 6 ;

B43 3) S.e4 dxe4 9.tLlxe4 0-0 1 0.tLlxfS+ .bfS 1 1 .�e3 �g4 1 2.�e4 'ii"eS 13.h3 �fS 14.'ii"e2 �xe4 1S:lbe4 IldS 1 S .a4 'liUb7 17.0-0 lIdS 1S.tLleS tlld7= Black has fully adequate play (Aronian-Svidler, Heraklion 2 0 0 7 ) ;

B434) S.b4

S ... aS If S . . . �g4 9 .�b2 tUbd7 White, by means of 1 0 .tUe2 ! , deprives Black of counterplay, and gradually develops his initiative on the queenside : 1 0 . . . 'iVc7 1 1 .a4 0-0 1 2 .l'la2 (in the following game, White played 1 2 .l'la3 but did not obtain any advantage: 1 2 . . . l:!.fbS 1 3 .'iVa 1 Lf3 1 4.gxf3 'iii cS l S .�c3 tUeS 1 6£4 tUdf6 1 7 .tUg3 e6 l S .\t>e2 tUc7 1 9 .�d2 'iiidS 20 .'iiig l �f8 2 1 .'iVg2 bxa4 n .l'lxa4 l'la7 23 .l'lha1 l::!.ba8= Vallejo Pons-Shirov, Mo-

1 5 2

naco (blind) 2005 . There is no especially obvious difference between the position of the rook at a2 or a3 , and it looks as

though Vallejo Pons did not play energetically enough subsequently) 1 2 . . . .l:!:a7 1 3 .h3 �3 14 .gxf3 .l:Ifa8 l S .f4 e6 1 6 .0-0 tUeS 1 7 .�c2 �b7 l S .l'lfa 1 �6 1 9 .'iWb3 �dS 20 .'iVa3 tUc7 2 1 .�c3 bxa4 (Black loses patience and releases the tension) 2 2 .'iVxa4 tUbS 23 .�d2 �c7 24:;"h 1 ttJf6

2S .'li'c2 tUhS 26 .tUg l 'li'cs 2 7 .'li'd l �bS 28 .'iVg4 fS 2 9 .1iYg2 .l:Ig7 3 0 .tUf3! Aronian-Volkov, Sochi 2 0 0 5 . 9.bxaS tLifd7 9 . . . �fS has also been seen, and White did not manage to expose the drawbacks of

the move: 1 O .�xfS gxfS 1 1 .�d2 tL"le4 1 2 .0-0 tUxd2 1 3 .tUxd2 'li'xaS 1 4.'li'c2 b4 l S .tUe2 e6 1 6 .tUf4 0-0 1 7 .\t>h1 tZ:ld7 1 8 .tUb3 'li'bS 1 9 .f3 lda3 20 .g4 fxg4 2 1 . tUhS tUf 6+ Ibrahimov-Volkov, Abu Dhabi 2005 . 1 0.�d2 e5 1 1 . .l1l.e2 Neither l 1 .tUxeS ? ! tUxeS 1 2 .dxeS tUd7 1 3 .tZ:le2 tUxcs 14 .�c3 'iVe7+. nor 1 1 .�e2 e4 1 2 .tUg1 l'lxaS= bring White any special dividends.

We offer a short analysis of this important position:

B4 3 4 1 ) 1 1 ... !!:xaS 1 2.0-0 0-0=; B4342) 11 ...e4 1 2.tLig1 l::!.xaS 13.tLige2

1 3 . a4 bxa4 1 4 .�xa4 l'la7 ( 1 4 . . . 0-0 l S .tUge2 �a6 1 6 .0-0 �c4 1 7 .tUxe4 dxe4

1 8 . .1ha5 'iixa5 1 9 . .1hc6 'iic7 20 .ii.xe4 tLJxc5 2 1 .�f3;l;) 1 5 .tLlge2 0-0 1 6 .0-0 ka6=. 13 . . .1::ta7 14.0-0 0-0 1 5.J:Ib1 �a6 16 .l:tb4 1 6 .B exf3 1 7 .llxf3 f5oo ; 1 6 . llb2 f5 1 7 .iVb l tLlf6 °o . 1 6 .. .f5 17.�a1 !?

1 7 .tLJf4 "I!iIe7 1 8 .f3 exB 1 9 ."l!ilxB tLlf6 20 .'iWg3 tLlbd7=. 1 7._�cB 1 7 . . . tLlf6 1 8 .a4 bxa4 1 9 .1lfb 1 ;l; 1B.a4 (Kruppa-Ardelean, Galati 2006 ) 1B.JiJf6 19.�b1 ttJa6 20.J::1b3 b4 21 'ttJa2 W1c7 22.h3 ttJh5 23.ttJxb4 f4� ; B43 43 ) 1 1 .. .0-0 1 2.ttJe2 1 2 . 0 -0 f5

( 1 2 . . . e4 1 3 .tLl e l with the idea f3) 1 3 .tt:le2;l; . 1 2 ... .l:teB! 1 2 . . . e4? ! 1 3 .tLlfg l ;l;. 13 . .!iLb4 1 3 . O -O ? exd4 1 4.exd4 tLlxc5 l S .dxcS �xa l 1 6 .'i¥xa l llxe2 1 7 .�h6 f6+ . 13 ... �e7 14.a3 ttJa6°o PrusikinDautov, Warszawa 2 00 5 .

B43 5) B.h3 Prophylaxis against the development of the enemy bishop to g 4.

B43 5 1 ) In this version, with White not yet having 'played b2-b4, B ... �f5 is unpleasantly met by 9.�xf5 Harmless is 9.0-0 �xd3 1 0 .'iWxd3 tLlbd7 I l .e4 dxe4 1 2 .tLJxe4 0-0 1 3 .lle l ltJd5 1 4.�g5 'iWc7 15 .'i'd2 �7f6 1 6 .ltJg3 as 1 7 .lle2 a4 1 8 J iae l 'foVa5 = Harikrishna-Dableo , Doha (rapid) 2 0 0 6 . 9 ... gxf5 10.�c2 �cB 11.1tJe5 ttJe4 12.ttJd3 ttJd7 13 .ttJe2 �f6

14.�d2 .l:[gB 1 5.g3 e6 1 6.0-0-0 This is the whole point: with the pawn on b2 . White

Chapter 1 6 : Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

can castle long and quietly prepare an attack in the centre and on the kingside. 1 6 ... h5 17J1dg1 W1c7 1 B.ttJef4:t SasikiranKamsky, Sofia 2 0 0 7 ;

B43 5 2 ) B ... O-O 9. 0-0 ttJbd7 Now the white king is on g l , 9 . . . �f5 is perfectly possible, for example: 1 0 .�xf5 gxf5 1 1 .�e5 �fd7 1 2 .�d3 e5 1 3 . a4 exd4 1 4 .exd4 �xd4 1 5 .axbS ltJxc5 1 6 .ltJe2 ltJe6 1 7 .ltJxd4 tLlxd4 1 8 .�h6 lle8 1 9 .1tJf4 ltJxb5 2 0 .'iih5 'iif6 2 1 .llac 1 with compensation, Radj abov-Bacrot , Cap d' Agde 2006 . 1 0Jle1 After 1 0 . a3 lle8 I I . e4 e5 it turns out that Black is better prepared for complications in the centre : 1 2 .dxe5 �xe5 1 3 .ltJxe5 llxe5 1 4 .�f4 �e8 1 5 .'iWf3 d4 1 6 .tLle2 ltJd7 1 7 .b4 ltJe5 1 8 .'iig3 ltJxd3 1 9 .'iixd3 �e6 2 0 . �ad l �c4+ Radj abovIvanchuk, Odessa 2 0 0 7 . 10 ... a5 A perfectly good alternative is 1 0 .. J::ke8 , for example : I l . e4 b4 1 2 . �a4 dxe4 1 3 .i.xe4 ltJxe4 1 4.llxe4 as (another move worthy of attention is 1 4 . . . �f6 ! ? 1 5 .11e l ltJd5 1 6 .ltJe5 'iic7 1 7 . a3 as 1 8 .'iWf3 i(e6 1 9 .i.d2 'iWb7 2 0 .h4 'iWb5 2 1 .b3 llad8 2 2 . axb4 axb4 2 3 .h5 ltJc7 24.hxg6 hxg6+ Komliakov) 1 5 .�f4 tLlf6 1 6 .lle l tLld5 1 7 .i.e5 �a6 1 8 .i.xg 7 <;t>xg7= Ivanchuk-Bacrot, Odessa 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .a3 Wic7 12.e4 dxe4 13.ttJxe4 ttJxe4

14J:txe4 Or 1 4 .i.xe4 1::[d8 1 5 .'iWe2 ltJf6 1 6 .�c2 i.e6 1 7 .i.g5 ne8 1 8 .'iWd2 i.d5 1 9 .1tJe5 l:'l.ad8 20 .i.f4 'ii a7 2 1 .�h6 'iW c7= Lautier-Bu Xiangzhi , Internet 2 0 04. 14 ... e5 15.ttJxe5 ttJxe5 16 .�f4 f6 1 7.dxe5 fxe5 1 B.�g5 a4 1 9 . .I:[e2 �f5 20.�e4 h6 21 .�h4 �xe4 22.l:l.xe4 g5 23 .�g3 .l:[adB 24.Wlc2 ttd5= KozulJankovic, Dresden 2 0 0 7 ;

B 5 ) 7.ttJe5 �g7

1 5 3


B5 1 ) White obtains nothing after 8.�d3

0-0 9 . 0-0 QJfd7 1 0 .f4 QJxe5 1 l .fxe5 f6 1 2 .exf6 exf6 1 3 .'iYb3 f5 1 4.a4 .tb7 1 5 .axb5 axb5 1 6 J'ha8 .txa8 1 7 . .td2 QJd7 1 8 .�a2 QJf6 1 9 Jh l .tb7 20 .'ti:Va5 'iVc8= Dreev-Dautov; Mainz 2005 ;

B52) &f4 this move is useful to White in any event, therefore it makes sense to play it immediately. 8 ... tLlfd7 Black also failed to equalise after 8 . . . 0-0 9 .il.e2 QJfd7 1 0 .QJd3 as 1 l .0-0 QJa6 1 2 .a3 QJc7 1 3 .il.d2 f6 1 4 . g4 e5 1 5 .f5 gxf5 1 6 .gxf5 .th6 1 7 . Wh 1 � Chuchelov-Langheinrich, Netherlands tt 2005/06 . 9.tLld3 0-0 10.a4 �b7

1 1 .�e2 f6 1 2.0-0 eS 13.fS "iie7 14.whH Kunte-Sareen, Hyderabad 200 5 ;

B5 3 ) 8.�e2 White intends to transfer this bishop to the long diagonal and prepare the break e3 -e4. 8 ... 0-0 9.0-0 tLlfd7

The move 9 . . . .te6 also looks quite promising, for instance: 1 0 . f4 WIIc7 1 1 . g4 ( 1 l ..td2 ttJe4 1 2 .QJd3 as 1 3 .il.e l QJd7 14 .il.h4 , draw, Elianov-Malakhov, Moscow 200 6) 1 1 . . .QJe4 1 2 . .tf3 f5 1 3 .il.d2 QJd7 14 .il.e 1 ttJxe5 1 5 .fxe5 QJxc3 (even stronger is 1 5 . . . .th6 !+) 1 6 . .txc3 .th6 1 7 . .td2 fxg4 1 8 .il.xg4 1:txfl + 1 9 . '>t>xfl 'iVd7=i= Gelfand-Bareev, Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.f4 White has nothing after 1 0 .QJxd7 QJxd7 1 1 .f4 f5= . B 5 3 1 ) Quite often Black exchanges

knights at once :

1 54

1 0 ... tLlxeS 11 .fxe5 f6 1 2.exf6 exf6 The other recapture has also been seen: 1 2 . . . Mxf6 1 3 . .l:!.xf6 .txf6 14 .e4 dxe4 1 5 . .te3 il.e6 1 6 .QJxe4 QJd7 1 7 .ttJxf6+ QJxf6 1 8 .�f4 WIId7 1 9 .Wid2;t Carlsen-Burmakin, Gausdal 2 0 0 5 ; 1 2 . . .il.xf6 1 3 .e4 dxe4 1 4 .il.e3 il.e6 1 5 .QJxe4 ttJd7 1 6 .ttJxf6+ ttJxf6 1 7 .h3 �d7 1 8 .il.d3 QJd5 1 9 .il.h6 ::!.xfl + 20 .�xfl .l:i:d8 2 1 .'iVe2 tLJf6 22 . 'it>h 1 il.d5 = Pustov -N e boIs ina, Moscow 2 0 0 6 . 13.�f3 A position with mutual chances arises after 1 3 . e4 b4 1 4 .tLia 4 dxe4 1 5 .QJb6 .lla7 1 6 .'iVb3 + Wh8 1 7 .tLJxc8 �xc8 1 8 .il.f4 f5 1 9 . .l:!.ad l QJd7 20 .�d6 .l:!.e8 2 1 .�xb4 <1If6 22 .'ilUa3 QJd5 23 .�c4 g5°o S. Savchenko-Wirig, Metz 2007 . 1 3.-1S 14.b4 as Also not bad is 1 4 . . . .te6 ! ? 1 5 .a4 QJd7°o. 1S.bxaS l:[xaS 1 5 . . :i'xaS 1 6 .il.d200. 16.a4=; B 5 3 2 ) 1 0 .. .fS

Now, interesting complications arise after B53 2 1 ) 11 .b4!? and now:

B5 3 2 1 1 ) Play turns in White's favour after 1 1 ... �b7 1 2 . a4 CiJf6 1 3 .�d2 CiJbd7 14 .�e l ± ; B532 1 2) But the preliminary exchange

of knights is worthy of consideration: 1 1 ...ttJxeS 12 .fxeS and only now 1 2 ... aS!, whereas White is better after 1 2 . . . �e6 13 .a4 4Jd7 1 4.�d2;!;; ; B5 3 2 1 3) 1 1 ...aSI? 12.bxaS 'iYxaS 13 .il.d2

tbxeS 14.fxeS b4 1S .ttJxdS A typical sacrifke, which in this particular position is almost forced, since after 1 5 .t2l b 1 White can hardly count on an advantage, for instance: 1 5 . . . �a6 1 6 .a4 (worse is 1 6 .a3 �xe2 1 7 .'ii'xe2 ttJa6 1 8 . a4 lLlxc5 1 9 .dxc5 �xe5 2 0 .�a2 'ii'xc5=i=) 16 . . . �'«.xe2 1 7 .�xe2 CiJd7 1 8 .l::ta2 CiJxe5 (not forced, but an interesting counterblow) 1 9 .dxe5 �xe5 20 .t!.c l °° . 1 S ... exdS 1S .a3 ILleS 1 7.axb4 �xa1 1 S.�xa1 J:txa1 19Jba1 �hS 20.�a2 f4 21 .bS fxe3

22.�e3 ttJdS 23.eSt White's initiative is very unpleasant. It is more than likely that within a move or two, Black will have to return the piece, and then fight for a draw.

B5 3 22) 1 1 .lLld3 as

12 .�d2 Black obtained sufficient counterplay after 1 2 .b3 lLlf6 1 3 .�d2 �e6 14 .b4 a4 1 5 .ttJe5 ttJe4 1 6 .g4 4Jxc3 1 7 .�xc3 'li'Vc8 1 8 .g5 �f7 1 9 .a3 �xe5

Chapter 1 6 : Seizing Space: 6. c5 Various

20 .dxe5 e6 2 1 .t!.a2 4Jd7 22 .t!.f3 t!.e8 2 3 . I:I.h3 CiJf8 24.t!.h6 t!.e7 2 5 .�d3 t!.aa7 2 6 .'It>fl �e8 = Kazhgaleev-Panarin, Sochi 2006 . 12 ... ttJfS 13 .�e1 il.eS White is also better after 1 3 . . . lLlbd7 1 4 . .!h4 �h8 1 5 .'It>hl h6 1 6 .h3;!; Moiseenko-Ni Hua,

Beer-Sheva 2005 . 14.b4 a4 1S.ttJeS �d7

1 S.a3 ttJe4 17.11a2 ILlxe3 1 S.�xe3 il.eS 1 9.94 Thanks to his space advantage and the dominant position of the knight on e5 , White's chances are better. However, in view of the fact that all the play is taking place on one flank, Black has good chances to defend. 1 9 ... eS 20.�d3 1:.a7 21J:[g2 whS

22.il.e1 'iYeS 23.h4 ttJd7 24.hS gxhS 2S.gxfS

exfS 2S.�e2! (Carlsen-Malakhov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005 ) .

Now we arrive at the main move. 6. ... �c8-g4

A) Harmless is 7SJ.e2 ttJbd7 S.b4 8 . 0-0 e6 9 .h3 �5. S ... aS!? 8 . . . g6 9 . a4 �g7 1 0 .0-0 0-0 1 1 .�b2 �xf3 1 2 .�xf3 e5 1 3 .axb5;j; (AI Sayed-Hussein, Beirut 2004) 1 3 . . . axb5 1 4.t!.xa8 'ii'xa8 . 9.�a3 eS 10.�b3 a4 1 1 .�b1 �e7 12.h3 �fS 1 3.�d3

�xd3 14.�xd3 0-0= Kornliakov; B) 7.h3 �xf3 and now: B 1 ) S. �xf3 ttJbd7 Also perfectly normal

is 8 . . . g6 9 . g4 b4 1 0 .ttJ a4 �g7 1 1 .�g2 e5 1 2 .�d3 lLlfd7 1 3 .e4 dxe4 1 4 .�xe4 exd4 1 5 .i.d2 as 1 6 .t!.cl 0-0 1 7 .0-0 'ii'c7

1 5 5


1 8 .g5 (Kozul-Bukal, Kutina 2 0 0 6) 1 8 . . . f5 1 9 .9xf6 4:Jxf6 2 0 .�f3 tLJh5 2 1 .�xh5 gxh5 n .Irce l Wifl . 9.g4 '/i'aS White obtained a small advantage after 9 . . . e5 1 0 . gS 4:Jg8 1 1 .h4 Wie7 1 2 .tt::le2 h6 1 3 .�h3 g6 1 4 .�d2 f5 1 5 .gxf6 4:Jgxf6 1 6 .�g2 Irg8 1 7 .0 -0-0 0-0-0 1 8 .£3 �b7 1 9 .�b l 'Wh7 20 .Wal Ire8 2 1 .tLJc l �e7 2 2 . 4:Jb3 �d8 23 . .ia5 Wlfe 7 24 .a3 ;t; Sakaev -Bryzgalin, Kazan 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.jLd2 b4 1 1 .gS bxe3 1 2.�xe3 Wie7 13.gxfS tLlxfS

14.�d3 gS 1S.0-0-0 iLg7 1 S.h4 hS 17.Wig2

tLlg4 1S.l:tde1 eS 1 9.f3 tLlhS 20.e4 0-0 21 .eS

ttfeS= Black has good counterplay (Sakaev-Prie, France tt 2 0 0 6) ; B2) S.gxf3 We have already seen this

plan; White wants to set up a barricade in the centre (d4-f4) and only after stopping his opponent's counterplay will he turn to his own plans. S ... gS 9.f4 tLlhS 1 0.£l.e2 tLlg7

1 HWb3 tLld7 1 2.a4 tLleS 1 3 .tLla2 '!!VeS

14.tLlb4 as It appears that Black should refrain from this move for the time being, since now White gets the standard piece sacrifice in a particularly favourable form: 1S.tLlxeS 'il'xeS 1S.axbS tLlexeS Black immediately gives back the piece, but does not equalise. 17.dxcS Wixcs 1 S.£l.d2± Bacrot-Volkov, France tt 2 0 0 5 .

7. �d1-b3 tLJbS-d7

S. a2-a4

1 5 6

A) White is better after S ... gS 9.'iI'a3 llbS

1 0.axbS Also not bad is 1 0. b4 �g7 1 1 .�b2 0-0 1 2 .�e2 Wic7 1 3 .axb5 axb5 14.WiaS;l;; the move 1 0.4:Ja2 ! ? deserves attention. 1 0 . . . axb5 I I .Wia5 �g7 1 2 .Wixd8+ �xd8 1 3 .tLJg5 llf8 1 4.h3 �e6 1 5 .Ira7 rJtc8 1 6.4:Jxe6 fxe6 1 7 .f4 4:Je8 1 8 .4:Ja2 l:lb7 1 9 .11a5 �6 20 .h4 h5 2 1 .�d3± Zhu Chen-Nebolsina, Jinan 2005 ; B ) White i s also better after S ... eS 9.'iI'a3

b4 9 . . . Irb8 ! ? 1 0 .axb5 axb5 1 1 .b4 �xf3 1 2 .gxf3 g6 1 3 .�e2 �g7 1 4 .0-0 0-000 Komliakov. 1 0.'iI'xb4 MbS 1 1 .Wa3 as 1 2.tLlbS exbS 1 3.axbS £l.xf3 14.gxf3 tLlxcS 1S .dxcS tLld7 (Zhu Chen-Liang Zhihua, Jinan 2 0 0 5 ) 1 SJWxaS±;

C) S ... eS 9'tLla2 After 9 .'lWa3 ! ? Black should go over to the passive defence 9 . . .1:'I,c8 (9 . . . .!:!.b8 1 0 .axb5 axb5 1 1 .'(!iaS Wixa5 ( 1 1 . . . �e7 1 2 .Wixd8+ Wxd8 1 3 . .!:!.a7 l:!.c8 ( 1 3 . . . b4 1 4.4:Ja4 �5 1 5 .�d2;t;) 1 4.�d2 iLxf3 1 5 .gxf3 fJ.c7 1 6 .4:Jxb5 ! ± Elsness-Hole, Moss 2006) 1 2 .l:lxa5 iLe7 1 3 . .!:!.a6 .!:!.c8 1 4.tLJag) 1 0 .axb5 axb5 I l .Wia5 ( 1 1 .4:Jxb5 cxb5 1 2 .�xb5 iLe7) 1 1 . . . �e7 1 2 .'ifxd8+ �xd8 1 3 .l:!.a6 4:Jb8 1 4 .l:la7 �c7 1 5 .tLla2 0-0 1 6 .iLd2 l:lfe8 1 7 .iLd3 4:Jf d7 1 8 .iLaS �xaS + 1 9 .1:!.xa5 eS = Brynell-Hole, Oslo Open 2 0 0 5 . 9 . .. Wics 1 0.tLlb4 as Begins concrete play, where both sides must play accurately. 1 1 .tLlxcS 'il'xcS 12.axbS tLlxcS The only move ; bad is 1 2 . . . Wic8 1 3 .b6 'i'b7 1 4.�b5 �xf3 1 5 .gxf3 ± . 13.dxcS 'iVxc5

14.tLleS 14 ... �dS Again forced, but good. After other continuations , White obtains the advantage: 1 4 . . . i,h5 1 5 .i,d2 4:Je4 1 6 .b6! ttJxd2 (Yevseev-Aleshin , Smolensk tt 2005) 1 7 .'/Wa4+ 'it>e7 1 8 .b7+-;

1 4 . . . a4 ? ! 1 5 .t2Jd3 ( 1 5 .�d2 ! ? tLld7 !t) 15 . . . 'lWa7 1 6 .b 6 ! ( 1 6 .'lWc2 �d6 ! + ) 1 6 . . . 'lWa5 + 1 7 .�d2 axb3 I S . .ldxa5 llxa5 1 9 .�xa5 �d6 2 0 .f3 �f5 2 1 .tLlM± Komliakov. 15.ltJxg4 lLlxg4 1 6Jll.d2

16 ... d4! If Black would just quietly develop, White's two bishops would gradually have their say. 1 7.iL f1 -e2 dxe3 1S.iLxe3 lLlxe3 1 9.fxe3 0-0 20.0-0 a4+

Komliakov.

Back to the position after S . a4. B. ... �g4xf3

The most popular move, which leads to great complications.

9. g2xf3

9. ... e7-e5

With quieter play, White's advantage is obvious : 9 . . . e6 1 0 .'ii'a3 llcs 1 1 .�d2

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

Wilc7 1 2 . axb5 axb5 1 3 .'lWa7 Wilxa7 1 4 .nxa 7 ± Matveeva-Jovanic , Salona 2005 .

1 0. Wlib3-a3 llaB-cB

Also interesting is 1 O ... .l:tbS. The pawn sacrifice 1 0 . . . b4 does not give Black full equality: 1 1 .WilxM llbS 1 2 .Wila3 as 1 3 .tLle2 g6 1 4 .�d2 exd4 1 5 .exd4 �e7 1 6 .�h3 0-0 1 7 . 0-0 tLJh5 I S .Mab l f5 (Iljin-Amonatov, Sochi tt 2 0 0 5 ) 1 9 .Wilc3t.

1 1 . a4xb5 a6xb5

1 2. iVa3-a5 ncB-c7

Black does best to avoid the exchange of queens: 1 2 . . . �e7 1 3 .'iVxdS+ �xdS 1 4.Ma6 0-0 1 5 .�h3 nc7 1 6 .�d2 MeS 1 7 . 0 -0 tLlfS I S .tLla2± SvetushkinV Braun, Werther 2 0 0 5 .

1 3. �f1 xb5

White can delay this standard sacrifice for a move : 1 3 .iLd2 iLe7 14.iLxb5 cxb5

15 .lLlxb5 l:.(c6 The following line looks very dangerous for Black: 1 5 . . . llcs 1 6 .'lWxdS + �xdS (White is better after 1 6 . . . MXdS 1 7 .c6 0-0 l S .cxd7 tLlxd7 1 9 .�c3 ±) 1 7 .�a5 + �eS I S .M, but probably he can defend the position: I S . . . exd4 1 9 .exd4 tLlfS 2 0 .tLJa7 naS 2 1 .tLlc6 tLJh5 22 . 0 -0 �f6 23 .�c7 Mxa 1 24.Mxa l tLle6 25 .�d6 . 1 6 .'iVxdS+ iLxdS

1 7.b4 with compensation. 1 3. c6xb5

1 4. tbc3xb5 nc7-b7

1 5. 'iVa5-a6 'iVdB-bB

1 6. 'iVa6-c6

With the threat of 1 7 ..l:ta S ! 'li'xaS I S .tLlc7+ . 1 6 .tLla7? i s bad because of 1 6 . . . �xc 5 ! 1 7 . dxc5 tLlxc5 I S .'lWc6+ tLlfd7+ Tihonov-Zakhartsov, Kharkov 20 0 5 ; 1 6 .lla5 exd4 1 7 . exd4 hc5 l S .dxc5 0-0 1 9 .�e3 tLle5 20 .c6 l:te 7 .

1 5 7


1 6. �f8xc5!

Nonetheless! 1 7. �a1 -a8

Bad is 1 7 .dxcS? 0-0 1 8 .lLlc3 llc8 1 9 .'iYd6 lLlxcs 20 .'iYxb8 ncxb8 2 1 .0 -0 lLlb3+.

1 7. �c5-b4+

1 8. o;!;>e1 -e2 .l::b7xb5

1 9. .l:1a8xb8+ l::tb5xb8

20. d4xe5 tDf6-g8

As analysis shows, in this position, with an unusual material balance, chances are about equal, for instance:

21 . 'lic6-a4

2 1 . 'il'xdS lLle700. 21 . ...

22. l:!.h1 -g1

23. e3-e4

2 3 . . . d4 24 .e6 26 .�c7+- .

I S 8

tDg8-e7

g7-g6

�b4-c5

fxe6 2 5 .�f4 l:!.b6

24. e4xd5

25. 'iYa4-e4

26. l:!.g1 -d1 °o

tDe7xd5

tDd7-b6

Conclusion

Black's general idea, particularly after 6 . . . �g4, of getting rid of his bad bishop is very reasonable. The only drawback is tha.t

White can create unpleasant pressure on the queenside after a2-a4. Then there are unpleasant threats of sacrifices on c6 or

bS , plus penetration along the a-file, but thanks to possible counter-sacrifices on cS, Black ca.n maintain dynamic equality. The endgame after 9 .'iYa3 is a different story. Here White can justifiably count on

more, and Black must accurately combine defence of the queenside with the preparation of . . .e6-e S .

Chapter 17

Seizing Space: 6.c5 tLJbd7

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lLlg1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.e2-e3 b7-b5

6.c4-c5 lLlb8-d7

Nowadays, this is considered the most reliable answer to White 's pawn expansion plan. White's main reactions are 7.'lWb3, 7.�d2, 7 . .§i.d3, 7.b4 and 7.a3, but we will also look at minor alternatives.

• • •

A) In the following game, White played 1 2 . ax b5 axb S 1 3 .Ma7 .§i.e 7 several passive moves in a row, and as a result, could have ended up in an un-

. pleasant position: 7.h3 g 6 ! ? 8 . .§i.d2 as 9 .a3 ( 9 .tDxb5 cxb S 1 0 . .§i.xbS 'lWc7) 9 . . . .§i.g7 1 0 .b4 tDe4 1 1 .tDxe4 dxe4 1 2 .tDgS tDf6 1 3 . f3 0-0 1 4 . .§i.e2 (Cmilyte-Sebag, Calvia 2 004) 14 . . . eS I S .dxe5 exf3 1 6 . .§i.xf3 tDd5 1 7 . .kxdS 'li'xdS+ ; B ) 7.�d2 White rather slowly prepares

an attack on the queenside. In reply, Black qUickly advances . . . e7 -eS and obtains adequate counterplay. 7...a5

White is better after 7 . . . tDe4 8 . tDxe4 dxe4 9 . tDgS tDf6 1 0 .'ij'b3 e6 1 1 .a4 Mb8

(Khmelniker-Kritz . Biel 2 0 0 6) . and here White could force transposition into a favourable endgame : 1 4 . .taS 'ij'dS I S .'iVxdS exdS 1 6 . .ke2;t. B.a3 Wiic7 9.b4 e5 1 0.bxa5 e4 1 1 .tLlg1 l':!.xa5

1 2.tLlge2 h5 13 .tLlc1 �e7 14.tLlb3 J:!.aB 1 5 .h3 0-0 1 6 .�e2 h4 1 7.a4 bxa4 1 BJba4 �b7 1 9.i:i.a2 tLlh7 20J�'c2 f5°o Black has good counterplay in the centre and on the queenside (Bareev-Yakovenko , Moscow 2 0 0 5 ) ;

C) 7.�d3 This is the move most often met in practice. As a result. several reliable replies have been worked out for Black.

I S 9


C 1 ) 7 ... e51 Attractive and - the main thing - also in the spirit of the position. B/ilxe5 If 8 .�c2 e4 9 .ttJd2 g6 Black has good chances , for example : 1 0 .0-0 �g7 1 1 .f3 exf3 1 2 .'�Wxf3 0-0 1 3 .�h1 as 1 4 .a3 �b7 1 5 .e4 b4 1 6 .tLle2 �a6 1 7 .l::l[2 ViIIe7 1 8 .eS ttJe8 1 9 .tLl f4 ttJc7 2 0 .Villh3 ttJxeS 2 1 .Ville3 ttJg4 22 .1:Ixe7 CUxfH 23 .<;t>g l l::lae8 24.1:Ixc7 �xd4 2 S .ttJf3 ttJh3 + 2 6 .�h 1 ttJf2+ 2 7 .�g l CUh3 + 28 .�h1 ttJf2+ draw, EvdokimovMatlakov, St Petersburg 2 0 0 7 . B .. .tLixe5

9.dxe5 lLlg4 1 0.f4 The only way to fight for an advantage; after 1 0 .�e2 Black has no problems: 1 0 . . . �xeS 1 1 .Villd4 ttJd7 1 2 .b4 �e7 1 3 .a4 �f6 1 4 .'i'd3 ttJxcS ! l S .bxcS b4 1 6 .�b2 bxc3 1 7 .�xc3 �fS 1 8 .�xf6 1'fxf6 1 9 .1'fd4 <;t>e7+ Kornliakov. 10 ..... bc5 1 H j'f3 'ii'bSI?

is that most ardent advocate of classicism in chess, Boris Gelfand. White's play is to some extent remindful of the famous Steinitz Gambit. 12 ... lLlhS White has a small advantage after 1 2 . . . tLlxe3 1 3 .�xe3 �xe3 1 4 .ttJxdS ( 1 4.'iVxe3 �g4+ l S .<;t>d2 d4 1 6 .'i'g3 dxc3+ 1 7 .bxc3OO) 1 4 . . . cxdS l S .1:Ixe3!. 1 3 .h3 1 3 .fS ? 1'fc7 1 4.1:If4 f6 ! l S .e6 1'fxf4 1 6 .exf4 g6+.

C 1 1 1 ) 13 ... a5 13 . . . �e7 ! ? 14.�d2 .ia6

15 .<;t>f2 l S .l::lhc 1 also deserves consideration : l S . . . b4 ( l S . . . �e7 ! ? ) 1 6 .ttJa4 �xd3 + 1 7 .c;t>e l ! 1'fbS O J 8 . .l"!.xcS ( 1 8 .tLlxcS �c400) 1 8 . . . �e4 ( 1 8 . . . 'iWa6 1 9 .11cc 1 'iVbS =) 1 9 .'i'g3 'iWd3 20 .l:kc 1 °o. 15 ... �e7 (Gelfand-I. Sokolov, Merida tt 2005 ) 1S .f5!?±;

C 1 1 2) 13 ... lLlf5 The last word in this variation belongs to Black, and specifically, Aronian. Black draws the fire of the white pawns on himself, which is fully justified by the resulting increased exposure of the white king. 14.g4 lLle7 15.�d2 0-0 1S.l:tac1

The apparently fierce 1 6 .g is not so terrible; mate is not yet threatened, which allows Black to create his own threats: 1 6 . . . 'i'c7 1 7 .'i'f4 l::ld8�; 1 6 .a4 ! ? 1S ... f6

1 7.exfS J::r.xfS 1B.e4 �d4 1 9.exd5 cxd5

20.'�d1 J::r.f7 21 Jl:e1 �b7 22.'iVe2 tLlg6

23�xgS hxgS 24.'ii'eS l:tdB with an obvious advantage to Black, Gelfand-Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2008 .

C 1 2 ) We should not discount the less committal move 1 2 .lLld1 , for example: 1 2 ... lLlhS 13 .f5 "Wic7 14.�d2 'iYxe5 Worse is 1 4 . . . 0 -0 l S J:t:c 1 �b6 (Bacrot-Karjakin, Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 7 ) 1 6 .0-0 l::le8 1 7 .�c3 b4 1 8 .�d4 cS 1 9 .b3 l::lxeS

C 1 1 ) 1 2.We2!? One supporter ofthis ir- 20 .ttJb2 !± . 15 .�c3 'iYdS 1S .�xg7 J:[g8

rational-looking move, strangely enough, 1 7.fS �b4+ 1 B.lLlc3 'ii'e5 1 9.0-0 lLlg4

1 60

Chapter 1 7 : Seizing Space: 6.c5 �bd7

20 .'tiVf4 �xf4 2 1 .exf4 �c5 + 2 2 .'it>h l bring the bishop t o f4, in order to �d8 23 .�xh7 11e8°o. strengthen control over the square e5, but

Black has other ways to create coun-Back to the position after 7 .�d3 . ter-chances. There is no danger for Black

in 1 2 .�g5 tLlf6 1 3 .�xf6 �xf6 1 4 .tDe5 C2) 7 .. :'ilc7 �xe5 1 5 .dxe5 0-0 1 6 .�f3 �e6 1 7 ..l:He l

A typical piece of preparation, but the move is associated with the loss of a tempo. As a result, White can invite favourable complications : 8.0-0 eS 9.e4

9 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 0 .tLlxe5 �xe5 I l . e4 tDg4 1 2 .g3 �xc5 1 3 .exd5 cxd5 1 4 .�e2 �h5 I S .�xg4 �xg4 1 6 .11e 1 + 'it>f8 1 7 .�xd5 'i'xd5 1 8 .tLlxd5 ::ld8= 1. Vukic-Zaja , Zagreb 1 99 5 . 9 ... exd4 1 0.exdS dxc3 1 1 .d6

�a7 12J�le1+ \td8 13 .b4 with compensation; C3) 7 ... g6

8.0-0 �g7 9.e4 dxe4 10.lbxe4 Ibxe4

11 .. be4 W/c7 12.g3 White prepares to

Uad8=. 1 2 ... lbf6 1 3.il.f4 'iYb7 14.�eS 0-0

1 S.�xf6 exf6 16 .lbe1 Or 1 6 .d5 f5 1 7 .dxc6 �e7 1 8 .�d5 �xb2 1 9 .Mb l �c3 . 1 6 ... �e6 17.lbc2 fS 18.�g2 IHd8+ D. Gurevich-Burmakin, Graz 1 99 5 .

D ) On 7.b4 there follows the standard reaction 7...aS White is better after 7 . . . �c7 8 . a4. 8.bxaS

D 1 ) 8 ... 'iVxaS 9.�d2 b4 1 0.lbb1 Black is fine after 1 0 . tLle 2 tLle4 1 1 . tDc 1 e5 ! . This energetic advance is possibly even stronger than the line seen in practice: 1 1 . . .tLlxd2 1 2 .�xd2 e5 1 3 .tDb3 �a4 1 4.tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 5 .dxe5 �xb3 ( 1 5 . . . �e7 1 6 .�e2 f6 1 7 . exf6 �xf6 1 8 .tDd4) 1 6 . axb3 IDa 1 + 1 7 .'it>e2 �xc5 ( 1 7 . . . �6+ 1 8 .'it>f3 Uxfl 1 9 .i¥a2+-) 1 8 .�c2 11a5 1 9 .f4 ( 1 9 .'�;>d2 0-0 20 .�d3 g6 2 1 .�b2 �d7 22 .11al Ma3) 1 9 . . . f6 Wang Yue-Yakovenko, Taiyuan 2006 . After 1 1 . . .e5 there follows 1 2.tD b3 �a 3 1 3 .tLlxe5 tDxe5 1 4 .�c l (also in Black's favour is 1 4 .dxe5 �b2 1 5 .�e2 Mxa2 1 6 . Mxa2 �xa2 1 7 .�xb4 �a6

1 6 1


I S .ttJ d4 �xe2 1 9 .1Llxe2 'lib2 20 .�a5 'Ii a3 2 1 .� b6 'lib4++ Komliakov) 1 4 . . . 'lia4 1 5 .dxe5 �xc5 1 6 .'lic2 �b6 1 7 .�d3 �a6 I S .�xa6 .l:rxa6+ . 10 . . .tLle4

1 1 .a3 !? Alexey Dreev has suggested 1 1 .�e2 e5 1 2 .0 -0 , but after 1 2 . . .�e7 1 3 .a3 lLlxd2 1 4.lLlfxd2 (or 1 4 .lLlbxd2 bxa3 ) 1 4 . . . exd4 1 5 .lLlb3 'ifc7 1 6 .exd4 bxa3 Black has adequate play. 1 1 ..,l-Llxd2 In the following game, Black equalised after 1 1 . . .E!.bS 1 2 . .l:.a2 <'i\xd2 1 3 .'i!lxd2 ( 1 3 .l2Jfxd2 e5) 1 3 . . . .l:raS ! 1 4.�e2 e5 1 5 .0-0 �e7 1 6 . .l:rb2 bxa3 1 7 .'irha5 1:ha5 I S .Ma2 �a6 ( I S , . .exd4 1 9 .exd4 lLlxc5? 2 0 . dxc5 hc5 2 1 ..l:rc1 �d7 2 2 .lLl bd2 �d6 2 3 .lLld4 �f4 24 .lLl 2b3 ! .l:ra4 25 . .l:rcc2±) 1 9 .�xa6 .l:rxa6 20 . .l:rxa3= Aronian-I. Sokolov, Gothenburg 2 0 0 5 . 1V iJfxd2 �bS White is better after 1 2 . . . e5 1 3 .lLlb3 'lia4 1 4 . axb4 'lixb4+ 1 5 .lLl l d2:t. 13 .�e2 eS 14.0-0 §Le7 1 S.tiJb3

'ilc7 1S .a4 0-0 1 7.aS liJfS Black also has the initiative after 1 7 . . . e4 I s .lLl 1 d2 f5 1 9 .f4 exf3 20 .ttJxf3 lLlf6 2 1 .'iYe l lLle4 22 .lLle5 �6 B .lLld3 �a6+ . 1S . .!:ia4 �fS 1 9.1iJ1 d2

.!:ifeS 20.aS exd4 21 .exd4 (Kir. GeorgievErenburg, Gibraltar) 2005 21 ... iLfS 22..lae1

hS'i=;

D2) The alternative is S .. . eS 9.�d2 e4

1 0.liJg1 Also not bad is 1 0 .lLlg5 llxa5 I I .a4 bxa4 1 2. .�xa4 Mxa4 1 3 .'iVxa4 'iYc7 ( 1 3 . . . �b7 1 4 .'iYa7 'iYaS 1 5 .'iYxaS+ �xaS 1 6 . f3 :t ; 1 3 " .lLlbS ? 1 4 .'lia7 lLlfd70 ( 1 4 " .�d7 1 5 .lLla4 h6 1 6 .�a5 1 - 0 , Atalik-Reiss , Augsburg 2 0 0 5 ) 1 5 . lLlh3 �e7 1 6 .lLla4 0-0 1 7 .�e2 'iYeS I S .0 -0 g5 1 9 . .l:rb l ± Komliakov) 1 4 .f3 ( 1 4.lLla2 �e7 1 5 .lLlb4 tLlbS 1 6 .h4 0-0 1 7 .�e2 lLlg4; 1 4.�a6 �e7) 1 4" .h6 1 5 .lLlh3 exf3 1 6 .gxf3:t. 10 ... l::lxaS 1 1 .a4

bxa4 12.l:txa4 l:xa4 13 .'ilxa4 'ilc7 14.liJa2

�e7 1 S.liJb4

1 62

1S ... tbbS On 1 5 " .�b7 there is the un

pleasant reply 1 6 .�a6 ! �xa6 1 7 .tt:lxa6

'lib7 I S .lLlb4 lLlbS 1 9 .1Lle2 0-0 20 .0-0 .l:rcs 2 1 . .l:ra 1 ±. 1 S .liJe2 0-0 Interes�ing is

1 6" .h5 ! ? , after which castling kingside carries significant risk for White, although his king is fairly safe in the centre anyway: 1 7 .lLlc3 �d7 I S .�e2 h4 1 9 .h3 g5 20 .�d l :t . 1 7.liJc3 �b7 The problems are not solved by 1 7 . . . lLleS I S .�e2 i'.e6 ( I S " .f5 ? 1 9 .1Llcxd5 cxd5 20 .ttJxds �b7 2 1 .lLlxe7+ 'iYxe7 22 .'iYb3 ++-) 1 9 . 0-0 f5 2 0 .h3 lLlf6 2 1 ..l:ra l ± Komliakov. 1 S.�e2 liJbd7 1 9.1iJaS!± Dreev-Korotylev; Moscow 2004)

E) 7.a3 After close scrutiny, this modest-looking move turns out not to be so

harmless for Black, although he does have a reliable route to equality.

E 1 ) If Black comes to the mistaken conclusion that the time has come for a gen-

eral breakout on all fronts, he is in for a disappointment: 7 ... a5 8.�d3 e5 9.dxe5

ILlg4 1 0.e6 The more cautious 1 O . tLJd 4 also promises White good play : 1 O . . . ttJgxe5 1 1 .�e2 �b7 1 2 . f4 tLJg6 1 3 ..ihb5 Mc8 1 4.�d3 �xc5 1 5 . 0-0 0-0 1 6 .Mb l 'iYf6 1 7 .tLJce2 .!:i.fe8 1 8 .M axM 19 .axM �f8 20 .tUg3 'i'd8 2 1 .tLJh5 tLJf6 22.W5 Mb8 2 3 .tUxf6+ 'li'xf6 24.�b2 'iYd8 25 .�d4 �c8 2 6 .iYd2 �xf5 27 .�xf5 'lWd6 Milov-Yakovenko, Kerner 2007 2 8 .'Ii'c3 i . 1 0 .. .fxe6 11 .1ud4 tLlxc5

12.�e2 tLle5 13 .f4 tLlc4 14.b3 tLld6 15 .tLlxc6

'Wb6 16 .tLld4 �d7 17.0-0 Ji.e7 18.f5±

Lputian-Yakovenko, Fugen tt 2 0 0 6 ; E2) 7 ... g6 i s a solid, but slightly passive

plan: 8 .M �g7 9 .�b2 0-0 1 0 .a4 llb8 I l .axb5 axb5 1 2 .h3 'Ii' c7 l 3 .Ma2 tLJe4 1 4.'Ii'a l tLJxc3 1 5 .�xc3 f6 1 6 .14 e5 1 7 .dxe5 tLJxe5 1 8 .h5 Me8 1 9 .�e2i Vallejo Pons-Yakovenko, Lugo Spain tt 2006 ; E3 ) White keeps an opening initiative

after 7 ... e5 8.dxe5 tLle4 9.�c2 tLlexc5

10.b4 1 0 .�e2 'iVc7 1 1 .M tLJe6 1 2 . 0 -0 as 1 3 .�d2 . 1 0 ... tLle6 1 1 .�d3 a5 1 2J'!.b1 Wfc7

13.0-0 axb4 14.axb4 �b7 1 5.tLle2 tLlxe5

16.tLlxe5 �xe5 17.f4 'iic7 1 8.f5 tLld8 1 9.e4

�d6 20.�f4;!;;

E4) 7 ... 'Ulic7 8.b4 e5 9.dxe5 Or 9 . a4 .ii.b7 1 0 .�b2 �e7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2 . 0 -0

Chapter 1 7 : Seizing Space: 6.c5 <8bd7

llfe8= . 9 ... tLlxe5 1 0.�b2 �e7 1 1 .tLlxe5

�xe5 1 2 .tLla4 'Ulie4 1 3.tLlb6 llb8 14.tLlxc8

J:txc8

The cavalry raid has not brought White anything special; Black's position remains solid. 15 .'Ulid4 0-0 16 .�d3 1 6 .f3 �e6 1 7 .�e5 �xe5 1 8 .�xe5 tLJd7. 16 ... �xg2

1 7.0-0-0 'Ulig4oo Lputian-Bareev, Sochi 2006 .

F ) 7.�e2 i s a rare move, not without some poison, for example: 7 . . . a5 8 . 0-0 g6 9 .tLJe5 tLJxe5 1 0 .dxe5 tLJd7 I I .e4 d4 1 2 .'i'xd4 e6 1 3 .�e3 �xc5 1 4 .'Ii'd2 �xe3 1 5 .'Ii'xe3 'li'c7 1 6 .11ac 1 'li'xe5 1 7 .f4 'li'c5 1 8 .'Ii'xc5 tLJxc5 1 9 .tLJxb5 cxb5 20 .Mxc5 M 2 1..� b 5 + 'it>f8 22 .Mc7 ± (V. MilovYakovenko, Calvia 2007 ) .

Now we come t o the main move. 7. '/IVd1 -b3

1 6 3


7. '" MaS-bS

Other continuations also deserve consideration, for instance: 7 . . . eS 8 . a4 M 9 .�xM iLe7 (9 . . . Mb8 1 0 .�a3 as 1 1 .�e2 �e7 1 2 .0 -0 0-0 1 3 .11b 1 ;t) 1 0 . aS 0-0 1 1 .�e2 and Black does not have enough compensation for the pawn; 7 . . . aS 8 .�d3 (8 .lLlxbS a4 9 .�c2 cxb5 ; 8 .e4 a4 9 .�c2 M) 8 . . . g 6 9 . 0-0 M (9 . . . �g7 1 0 .e4 M 1 1 . eS bxc3 1 2 .exf6 ttJxf6 1 3 . bxc3 0-0 1 4 . .lle l ) 1 0 .lLle2 eS I l .dxeS lLlg4 1 2 .lLled4 lLlgxe S ; For 7 . . . g6 , see the variation 6 . . . g6 7 .�b3 .

S. �f1 -e2 e7-e5

Perhaps a more reliable path to equality is 8 . . . g6 9 . 0-0 �g 7 1 0 . a3 0-0 1 1 .�c2 Me8 1 2 .�d2 e5 = .

9 . 0-0 kfS-e7

1 0. tLlf3-e1

Also after 1 0 .dxe5 Black has enough resources to maintain the balance: 1 0 . . . tLle4 ( 1 0 . . . lLlxc5 1 1 .�c2 lLlfd7 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 .tLlxe4 tLlxe4 1 4.�xe4 0-0 1 5 . .l:!.d l � c7 1 6 .�g5;!: (Komliakov) or 1 2 .M lLle6 1 3 .a3 0-0 1 4 .�b2 lLl b6 1 5 .�d3 g6 1 6 .tLle2 lLlc4 1 7 .lLled4 �c7 1 8 .lLlb3) 1 1 .\'i'c2 lLlxc3 1 2 .�xc3 M 1 3 .�c2 tLlxcS 1 4 .b3 0-0 1 5 .a3 a5 1 6 .axM axM 1 7 .�b2 'fic7 1 8 . .l:!.fcl �d7=.

1 0. ... 0-0

1 1 . tLle1 -d3

1 2. f2-f3

1 3 . �e1 -d2

1 64

�dS-e7

MfS-eS

b5-b4

White's incautious play in the following game allowed Black to take the initiative; 1 3 . . . �d8 1 4.�d l a5 1 5 .M e4 1 6 .I/Jel axM 1 7 .lLlb 1 exf3 1 8 . gxf3 tLlf8+ (Nakamura-Pert , Gibraltar 2005) .

14. tLle3-a4 a6-a5

1 5. �d2-e1 keS-a6

1 6. ke1 -g3 g7-g6

1 7. Ma1 -e1 tLlf6-h5

1 S. kg3xe5 tLld7xe5

1 9. d4xe5 �a6xd3

20. �b3xd3 We7xe5

21 . f3-f4 We5-e4

22. �d3xe4 d5xe4=

In the ending, chances are roughly equal.

Conclusion

The foregoing material shows that Black's position is rich in resources, the main

theme of which is the central advance . . . e5 . The direct 7 .�b3 offers White few prospects after 7 . . . Mb 8 , but it seems to

me that in the line with 7 .�d3 , White has not yet said his last word.

Part V - The Strategic 5.c5

Chapter 1 8 : The Provocation 5 . . . 1tg4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 66

Chapter 1 9 : The Rare 5 . . . g 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 70

Chapter 2 0 : The Sortie 5 . . . �5 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · 1 73

Chapter 2 1 : Flexibility : 5 . . . ttJbd7 6 .h3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 80

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: 5 . . . ttJbd7 6 . .iti'4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 90

1 65

Chapter 18

The Provocation 5 . . . �g4

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tLlg1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 .¥lc8-g4

The pure strategic decision to play the immediate S. cS, just like 3 .eS in the French, will always have its supporters and opponents. The good thing about it is that White stops Black's potential pawn advances on the queenside . . . bS and . . . cS, and deprives Black's kingside pieces of the possibility to develop satisfactorily. Also, if Black insists on playing . . . b6 or . . . bS, there will be new weaknesses in his position: the pawns c6 and a6. The thrust e2-e4 is White's main idea. After this, his pieces will get more space and squares for manoeuvring. Meanwhile, Black has to be satisfied with only one decent square: dS, which usually is not enough. One more idea for White is to prepare the flank attack with pawns: b2-b4, a2-a4, b4-bS, when the situation in the centre is stabilised. Black's good news about S .cS is that now there is no more pressure on dS and ifhe is successful with . . . e7-eS, White's c-pawn can become a weakness. Also, after c4-c5, Black can still get his c8 bishop out to g4 or f5 and, after . . . CiJbd7, proceed with his main idea . . . e7-eS. As for the dark-squared bishop, this is usually placed on g7. Even if Black has less possibilities after S . cS, the nut is difficult to crack. Black has four possibilities: S . . . 1t.g4, S . . . .iif5, S . . . g6 and S . . . CiJbd7, only the first of which looks suspicious to me. The provocation S . . . 1t.g4 strikes me as rather odd. In my opinion, it just loses a tempo, s ince White has no objection to his jumping into e5. A second adequate reply is 6. �b3.

1 66

After the immediate 6.�b3, Black can play : A) 6 .. Aa7 and now: A I ) 7 . .liLg5 Or 7 .lueS �h5 S .�f4 going

into the main line. 7 ... .liLxf3 S . gxf3 tLlbd7 9.f4 e6 1 0 .e3 �e7 1 1 .�d3 tLlgS 1 2 .11g 1 f6 1 3 .�h4 f5 1 4 .�xe7 'fIxe7 1 5 .'fIc2 tbgf6 1 6 .b4 0-0 1 7 . a4� Hubner-I . Sokolov, Germany Bundesliga 2003 /04 ; A2) 7.h3 7 .g3 tLlbd7 S .�g2 hf3

9 .hf3 e5 1 0 .e3 �e7 1 1 .�d2 0-0 1 2 .0-0 'irc7°o Komliakov. 7 ... .liLxf3 S . exf3 eS 9.dxe5 tLlfd7 1 0 .f4 tLlxc5 1 1 .'fId 1 d4 1 2.<1Jb 1 'fId5 1 3 .tLld2 tLlbd7 1 4.'fIf3 tbb6 1 5 .'fIxd5 tLlxd5 1 6 .tLlf3 d3 (Van Wely-Hodgson, Groningen 1 9 94) 1 7 .�d2 as I S .0-0-0 tLle4 1 9 .�e 1 �c5 20 .�xd3 tLlxf2 2 1 .hf2 �f2 22 . f5 cJie7 23 . .te4 .!:ldS 24.�xd5 cxd5 25 . .!:ld3 � .

B) 6 ... �cS 7 .tLle5 �e6 S .tLla4 tLlfd7 9 . .if4 g6 1 0 .e3 �g7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2 .h4 f6 1 3 .tLld3 as 1 4. g4 tLla6 1 5 .�g3 �7 1 6 .g5 .!:leS 1 7 . 0 -0-0 .!:la7 I S .gxf6 ( 1 8 .�g4?! tLldxc5 !oo Khuzman-I. Sokolov, Istanbul 2003 ) I S . . . exf6 1 9 .h5 gS 20 .h6 �fS 2 1 .a3 ± .

6 . ttJf3�e5

A) Here, it may be that 6 .. ..l1Lf5 is more promising for Black than the common retreat to h5 , and now:

Chapter 1 8 : The Provocation 5 . . . �g4

A I ) 7.�b3

A 1 1 ) If Black now plays 7 .. J:J.a7, the rook remains stuck out of play on a7 for a long time, and White can prepare an assault in the centre: S.f3 g6 It appears that S . . . tLlfd7 is a better defence, and then after for example 9 .tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 0 .e4 dxe4 1 1 .�c4 �g6 1 2 .tLlxe4 b5 (1. Filip-Nanu, Predeal tt 2006 ) 1 3 .cxb6 tLlxb6 14 .�e2 e6 1 5 .�d2 as 1 6 .1/Wc3 � White's advantage is not so great. 9.e4

The sharper 9 . g4 has also been seen: 9 . . . �e6 1 0 .�f4 £Lg7 I l .e3 h5 1 2 .g5 tLlfd7 1 3 .tLld3 0-0 1 4.�e2 b6 1 5 .cxb6 tLlxb6 Veingold-Epishin, Seville 2004 1 6 .0 -0� . 9_.�e6 1 0 . .liLe3 1 0 .'iia4 �g7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 l 2 .�e3 b5 1 3 .'iVc2� Pelletier-I. Sokolov, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 /04 . 1 0 •.. .liLg7 1 1 .�c2 0-0 1 2 • .liLe2

tLleS Better 1 2 . . . dxe4 1 3 .fXe4 tLlbd7 1 4.tLlxd7 'iixd7 1 5 .0-0-0 tLlg4 1 6 .�g 1 tLlf6 1 7 .cJib 1 ;t. 1 3 .0-0 dxe4 14.fxe4 .liLxe5

1 5 .dxe5 tLld7 1 6.Uad 1 �c7 V.

Mikhalevski-Hodgson, Amsterdam 1 9 95 1 7.�a4±;

A l 2) Black should reply 7 ... �cS S.f3 g6

9.e4 9 . g4 ! ? �e6 1 0 .tLld3 tLlbd7 1 1 .�g2� Komliakov. 9 .. ..l1Le6 1 0.�c2 .liLg7 11 . .liLe3

0-0 12 . .liLe2 tLlbd7 1 3.tLlxd7 tLlxd7 14.0-0;1;

(Lemer-Dreev, Moscow 1 9 S 5 ) . White has a stable advantage, although it is not so easy to storm Black's barricades.)

A2) 7.f3 tLlbd7 White is better after both 7 . . . e6 S . g4 �g6 9 .h4± , and 7 . . . g6 S . e4 �e6 9 .�e3 �g7 1 0 .�e2 0-0 1 1 .'iid2 tLleS 1 2 .0-0-0 b6 1 3 .cxb6 'iiVxb6 1 4.tLla4 'irc7 1 5 . tLlc5 tLld6 1 6 .h4± KengisDegtiarev, Hamburg 2005 . S.g4 .liLe6

Things are distinctly bad for Black after S . . . �g6 9 .h4 tLlxeS 1 0 .dxe5 'iic7 ( 1 0 . . . d4 I l .tLla4 'irc7 1 2 .h5 �xh5 1 3 .gxh5 'iixe5

1 6 7


1 4 .f4+-) l LhS 'iWxeS 1 2 .f4+-) 9.tZ'ld3

lLlbB On the kingside Black should just leave well alone: 9 . . . hS 1 0 .gS tLlh7 1 I . 'ii'b3 ! (White is promised less after I l .tLlf4 �fS 1 2 .ttJxhS eS 1 3 .tLlg3 �e6 1 4 .f4 exd4 I S .'iWxd4 tLlxcS 1 6 .�e3 :;!; Komliakov) I l . . .l:ta7 1 2 .l:tg l ± , or 1 2 .ttJf4? ! �S 1 3 .e4 ttJxg S . 1 0.lLla41 Exploiting the unfortunate position of the bishop on e6 , the white knight leaps into the enemy queens ide and ties the opponent's heavy pieces in knots. 1 0 ... �cB After 1 0 . . . tLlbd7 I I .ttJf4± Black's position is unenviable. 1 1 .lLlb6 l'la7 12 .�d2 lLlbd7

13 .�a5 'lific7 14.'lifid2 'iYbB 15.g5 lLlh5 1 6.lLlxcB 'iYxcB 17.�h3±.

B) 6 ... �e6

B I ) There is no rush to play 7.'iYb3,

which does not bring White any particular dividends at this moment: 7 ... 'tda7

B.�f4 lLlh5 9.e3 g6 1 0.�g3 Practice has also seen 1 0 .�d3 ttJxf4 I l .exf4 �h6 1 2 .g 3 f6 1 3 .ttJf3 �g4 1 4 .tLlh4 eS I S .fxeS fxeS 1 6 .dxeS (better 1 6 .'i'b6 'ii'xb6 1 7 .cxb6 l:ta8 1 8 .dxeS tLld7 1 9 .f4 tLlxb6 2 0 .h3 �e6 2 LttJf3 cS 2 2 .h4°o -in this tense endgame, both sides have their trumps) 1 6 . . . ttJd7 1 7 .0-0 �h3 1 8 .'ufd l ttJxcS+ Sandstrom-Agrest, Sweden tt 2 0 03/04. 1 0 ... lLlxg3 1 1 .hxg3 lLld7

1 68

1 2.1Llxd7 .bd7 13 .lLla4 Vlifc7 14.'lifib6 �b8

1 5 .�d3 �g7 16.f4 �g4 1 7.'lifib3 h5 1 8.l2Jb6

e6 1 9.<;t>d2 f5 Black closes the position once and for all. The bishop on g4 is completely cut off, but on the other hand, White has nowhere to break through. 20.'iYc3 �f6 21 .Wc2 'lific7 draw, Akopian-1. Sokolov, Kerner tt 2 0 0 7 ;

B2) 7.�f4 lLlbd7 B.lLld3 Black's position is cramped, therefore, as the classics recommend, White should avoid unnecessary exchanges. Admittedly though, even after 8.e3 tLlxe S 9 .�xeS tLld7 1 0 .�g3 White can count on some advantage : 1 0 . . . g6 1 1 .�d3 �g 7 1 2 .�c2 ( 1 2 . 0 -0 0-0

1 3 .b4 fS 1 4 .�c2 �f7 l S .�h4 h6 1 6 .f4 �f6 1 7 .jLxf6 exf6 1 8 .ttJb l fi,e7 1 9 .11el l:tfb8 2 0 .tLld2 tLlf8 2 1 .a4 �e8 22 .Wf2 tLle6 2 3 .l:tab l hS 24.l:tb2 ttJc7 2S .tZlbl bS 2 6 .ttJc3 '!:!'b 7 = Elianov-Kanep, Gothenburg 2 0 0 S ) 1 2 . . .fS 1 3 .b4 i.fJ 1 4 .f4 0-0 I S .�h4 �f6 1 6 .�f2 i.g7 1 7 . a4 tLif6 1 8 .h3 ttJe4 1 9 .�h4;!; Sorokin-Degtiarev, Dresden 2007 . 8 ... g6

9.e3 �g7 10.�e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 lLle4 12.f3 lLlxc3 1 3 .bxc3 f5 14.J:!.b1 ± HalkiasDegtiarev, Hamburg 2 0 0 S .

Back t 0 the position after 6 . tLieS . 6. ... i.g4-h5

7. 'iVd1 -b3 naB-a 7

S. e2-e4

The most energetic continuation, although simple development also looks quite promising: 8�f4 ttJbd7

A) After the exchange on eS , Black has good chances of equalising: 9.e3 ttJxe5

10 .. be5 ttJd7 1 1 .�g3 e5! 1 2.�e2 �xe2

13.ttJxe2 fie7 14.0 .. 0 0-0 15 .Vic3 exd4

More accurate than 1 S . . Jle8 1 6 . .itxeS �xcS 1 7 . .itxg7 .itd6 1 8 . .ith6 .itxh2+ 1 9 . 'it>xh2 'iVh 4+ 2 0 . 'it>g 1 'ilfxh6 (Veingold-Morozevich , Tallinn 2 0 0 3 ) 2 1 .g3 tLlf6 2 2 .tLlf4 �gS 2 3 .'�g2 ttJe4 24.'ilfd3;t Komliakov. 16 .exd4 b6 1 7.cxb6

'i'xb6 1 8.1:1ac1 .!':(cB 1 9 .ttJf4 ttJf6=

Komliakov; B) 9.ttJd3 We have just seen a similar

plan. 9 ... h6 1 0.h3 g5 1 1 .�h2 �g7 12 .0-0-0

0-0 13 .g4 �g6 14.e3 ttJe4 15 .ttJa4 ttJef6

16 .f3 ttJe8 1 7.h4 f6 1 8.hxg5 fxg5 1 9.�e2 e6 20.ttJe5 ttJxe5 21 .�xe5 ttJf6 22.il.d3±

(Gyimesi-Zaj a , Austria Staatsliga B 2002/0 3 ) . Black's position has many weaknesses, and he has no counterplay.

S. ... e7-e6

No better is 8 . . . dxe4 9 . .ite2 e6 1 0 . .itxhS tLlxhS 1 1 . 0-0 ct:Jf6 1 2 . .itgS .ite7 1 3 . .!:tad 1 0-0 1 4J:He 1 ct:Jbd7 l S .tbc4 Me8 1 6 .h3 tLldS 1 7 . .itxe7 .l:'!.xe7 1 8 .tbxe4± (IotovTzekov, Sunny Beach 200S ) .

9. e4xd5 e6xd5

Chapter 1 8 : The Provocation S . . . Jii.g4

1 0. ilJ1 -d3

1 1 . itc1 -f4

1 2 . itf4xe5

tLlbS-d7

tLld7xe5

It is clear that the position of the rook on a7 cannot be regarded as a great achieve� ment for Black. White only needs to develop his pieces and seize the only open file.

1 2 . ... itfS-e7

1 3 . 0-0 0-0

14. .l:lf1-e1 ith5-g6

1 5. itd3xg6 h7xg6

1 6. l:!.e1-e2 tLlf6-g4

1 7. iVb3-b61±

Topalov-I. Sokolov, Wijk aan Zee 20 04.

Conclusion It is rather amazing that players - and not only weak ones ! - still play this line as Black.

1 69

Chapter 19

The Rare 5 . . . gs

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lLlg1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 g7-g6

The move 5 . . . g6 is seen more rarely than 6 . . . CiJbd7 or 6 . . . jJ.,fS, because the whole com

plex of lines involving . . . CiJh5 leads to White 's advan tage. At best Black may hope to transpose in to the variation with 5 . . . CiJbd7 .

• • •

After 6.h3 .J1g7 7 . . iH4 0-0 8 .e3 Black does best to play 8 . . . ltJbd7 , going into the S . . . <1'Jbd7 system. If 8 . . . bS White gets a clear advantage. Play transposes to the line with 7 .h3 , see the game Lautier-Epishin, on the next page; For 6.g3 �g7 7 .�g2 0-0 8 . 0-0 ttJbd7 , see the chapter on S . . . ltJ bd7 .

6. �c1 -f4

Now, Black has three choices: A) 6 ... �g4 7 .ltJeS �fS 8 .h3 �g7 9 . e3

ttJfd7 1 0 .ttJf3 0-0 1 1 .�e2 draw, IzoriaEpishin, Lake George 200 S ; B ) 6 ... tiJh5 is played by analogy with the

CiJ bd7 variation, but even so, this move is insufficient for equality

1 7 0

B 1 ) 7.�d2 offers little: 7 . . . �g7 8. 'iic1 ltJd7 9 .�h6 0-0 10 .�xg7 �xg7 1 1 .e3 eS 1 2 .CiJxeS CiJxeS 1 3 .dxeS d4 1 4.4Je4 (Marszalek-Tomaszewski , Ustron t t 2 0 0 6) 14 . . J:le8 1 S . f4 �fS 1 6 .4Jd6 'iYh4+ 1 7 .g3 CiJxg3 1 8 .hxg3 'S'xh1:f ;

B2) Better is 7.it.eS! f6 8.it.g3 and now: B2 1 ) White is better after 8_ . .lil.g7 9.e4

IiJxg3?! Slightly better is 9 . . . dxe4, although here too, White's advantage is indisputable: 1 0 .ttlxe4 j,;,e6 1 1 .j,;,d3 j,;,f7 12 .0-0 0-0 1 3 .�e2 as 1 4 .tiJc3 tiJa6 lS . .tc4 CiJc7 1 6 . .I:!.fe l tiJxg3 1 7 .hxg3 e6 18 .tLJe4 tLleS 1 9 . a3 h6 20 .Ihdl �d7 2 1 ..ta2 �hS 2 2 .tiJed2 CiJc7 23 .tLlc4 tiJd5 H.liJd6 j,;,gS 2 5 .j,;,b l ± Van der WerfDeegens, Netherlands tt 2 0 0 0 / 0 1 . 10.hxg3 dxe4 1 1 .�xe4 it.e6 12 .'/tc2 'iYaS+

12 . . . XLd5 1 3 .j,;,c4. 1 3.�c3 1 3 .ttlfd2 tiJd7 14.�c4 j,;,f5 1 5 .a3 ± Gelfand. 13 ... it.f7

14.0-0-0 b6 1S .�d2 bS (Gelfand-Shirov, Chalkidiki 1 9 93 ) 1 6 .�b3 '/Wc7 1 7.it.e2 �d7

1 8 . .if3± Gelfand; B22) 8 ... eS!? 9.e4

B22 1 ) 9 ... �xg3 10.hxg3 dxe4 1 1 .�xe4

.ifS 12,tiJc3 1 2 .j,;,d3 . In the Chebanenko Variation, White often fights for the centre at the cost of material. This is because, as a rule, he is better developed than his opponen t. 1 2 . . . j,;,xe4 1 3 .j,;,xe4 f5 14.i.xf5 ! transposing into a variation examined below. 1 2 . . . tiJd7 1 3 .j,;,e2 'ViIc7 14.0-0 0-0-0 :j: Cech-Jirka, Czech Republic tt 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 ;

B222) 9 ... dxe4 1 0JiJxe4 it.fS 1 1 .it.d3

i:.xe4 1 2 .it.xe4 �aS+ 1 2 . . /t:Jxg 3 ? ! 1 3 .hxg3 f5 1 4 .j,;,xf5 gxf5 1 5 .tiJxe5 ±

Chapter 1 9 : The Rare S . . . g6

'iVf6 1 6 .�h5 + 'lbe7 1 7 .0-0-0 with a strong attack for White. 13.<;t>f1 �d7 14.a3

fS 1S .b4 '/td8 1 6 .�c2 �xg3+ 1 7.hxg3 e400

Komliakov.

Now for the main move after 6 .j,;,f4 . 6. ... i.fS-g7

7. e2-e3

The prophylactic move 7.h3 is also quite good, for instance : 7 ... 0-0 8.e3 :te8 (S . . . tLlbd7 transposes into 5 . . . tLlbd7. In the follOwing game, Black tries to solve his opening problems by a combinational method, but White obtains a strong passed pawn, which decides the game: S . . . b5 9 . cxb6 'ViIxb6 1 0 .'iVb3 'ila7 1 1 .XLd3 c5 1 2 .tiJxd5 tiJxd5 1 3 .'iVxd5 j,;,e6 14.'il'xc5 �xc5 1 5 .dxc5 t2Jc6 1 6 . 0-0 :rfdS 1 7 .�e4 !tacS l S .:rad 1 .l:!.xd1 1 9 . .l:!.xd l �b2 20 .:rb 1 �a3 2 1 .tiJd4 XLxa2 22 . .l:!.b6 tiJb4 23 .c6 �d5 24.�xd5 tLlxd5 25Jha6 �b2 26 .CiJb5 ttlb4 27 .tLla7 +- Lautier-Epishin, Bastia (rapid) 2003 . 9.it.e2 �fd7 10.0-0 eS

1 1 .�xeS �xeS 1 2.it.xeS it.xeS 13.dxeS .a:xeS

14.e4t Sakaev-Zamanov, Cappelle la Grande 1 99 7 .

7. ... tLlf6-h5

S. i.f4-e5

Harmless for Black is S .�xbS fixbS 9 .j,;,e2 tLlf6 1 0 .0 -0 0-0 1 1 .b4 ttJd7 1 2 .'iVc2 e5 1 3 'dxe5 tiJxe5 1 4. ttjd4 'iVe7

1 7 1


1 S .l:I.ad 1 a s 1 6 .a3 axb4 1 7 . axb4 (Campara-Andres Gonzalez, Spain tt 2007 ) 1 7 . . . l:I.e8=.

S. lbbS-d7

9. il,e5xg7 lbh5xg7

1 0. il,f1 -e2 0-0

1 1 . 0-0 'iVdS-c7

1 2. b2-b4 f7-f5

1 3 . 'iVd1 -d2 e7-e5

1 4. d4xe5 lbd7xe5

1 5. lbf3-d4

Since all of Black's pawns are on the same-colour squares as his bishop, and White has a clear plan - to play a4 and bS - White's position deserves preference. (Se. Ivanov-Burmakin, Samara 2000) .

1 7 2

Conclusion

In this line, Black simply develops his pieces. In contemporary chess, this is an

impermissible luxury, especially in the Chebanenko system , where every move has many nuances.

Chapter 20

The Sortie 5 . . . �f5

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3/bg1 -f3 ttJg8-f6 4.ttJb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 �c8-f5

With 5 . . . �f5, Black tries at least to eliminate one potential problem, the passive bishop on c8. It is a moot point, however, whether it is so useful on f5 either .

• • •

A popular option here is 6.'tWb3 : White tries to create disharmony in Black's camp, exploiting the bishop's absence from the queens ide.

A) Now, the 'natural' move 6 ... 'iVcS

seems not so successful : 7.iI. f4 ttJbd7 S.h3

S . .. e6. The flank development of the king's bishop also does not solve all of Black's problems: 8 . . . h6 9 . g4 �h7 1 0 .�g2 gS 1 1 .�g3 tLJe4 1 2 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 3 . 0 -0-0 �g7 1 4.h4 tLJf8 l S .e3 tLJe6 1 6 .l:!.dg 1;!; Komliakov. A 1 ) 9.e3 White follows the motto

'Hurry - but do it slowly! ' 9 ... il.e7 1 0.il.e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 l:i.eS

A l l ) 1 2.ttJa4 �d8 1 3 .il,d3 iLc7 1 4 .�xfS exfS l S .'iYc2 g6 1 6 .tLleS tLlxeS 1 7 .�xeS heS 1 8 .tLlb6 �h2+ 1 9 .�xh2 'iYc7+ 20 .g3 l:!.ad8=i'= Van Wely-Short, Groningen 1 99 6 ;

A l l) Also 1 2.il.h2 �d8 1 3 .l:!.fd 1 h6 1 4 .l:!.ac 1 �c7 l S .il,xc7 'iYxc7 1 6 .tLJa4= Yudasin-Magem Badal s , Pam pIon a 1 9 9 5 ;

1 7 3


A 1 3 ) 1 Vbh41? A very unpleasant move for Black. 1 2 . . . e S 1 3 .tLlxfS exf4 1 4.exf4 tLlfS I S .�d3 ±.

A2) The obvious jump into the centre does not promise any advantage: 9.tbeS �e7 1 0.g41 �g6 1 1 .e3 �d8 A simpler route to equality is 1 1 . . .tLlxeS 1 2 .�xeS 0-0 1 3 .�e2 tLld7=. 1 2.�e2 ttlxeS? Stronger is 1 2 . . . �c7 ! 1 3 .h4 tLlxeS (but not 1 3 . . . h6 ? 1 4 .tLlxg6 fxg6 I S .�xc7 "iixc7 1 6 ."iic2 tLlfS 1 7 .f4±) 1 4.dxeS tLld7 I S .hS tLlxcs 1 6 .'ifd l �e4 1 7 .f3 hf3 I S .�xf3 tLld7 , although even here, Shirov claims that 1 9 .h6 g6 2 0 .'ifd2 tLlxeS 2 1 .�e2 gives White the better chances. 1 3 .�xeS �c7 (1. Sokolov-Shirov, Yerevan 1 996) 1 4 .�xf6 gxf6 I S .f4:t Shirov.

B) The main move after 6 ."iib3 is 6 ... J:!.a7 .

of course, the rook on a7 is not a very pretty sight, but this is a temporary factor. 7.�f4 ttlbd7 8.h3 Equality results from S . e 3 tbhS 9 .�e2 tbxf4 1 0 .exf4 e6= Schon-Pieper Emden, Germany tt 1 9 9 3 /94 . 8 ... h61? 9.e3 White has another tempting plan: 9 . g4 �h7 1 0 .�g2 gS 1 1 .�g3 �g7 1 2 . e 3 tLle4 1 3 .tLlxe4 �xe4 1 4 . 0 - 0 - 0 hS 1 S . l:!.hg 1 �f6 1 6 .tbe 1 �xg2 1 7 .Mxg2 b6 I S . cxb6

1 74

"iixb6 1 9 ."iixb6 tLlxb6 2 0 . tLld3:t. 9 ... g5

1 0.�h2 �g7 1 1 .ttleS Neither 1 1 .'!e2 tbe4 ! ? nor I l .tLld2 ! ? 0 - 0 1 2 .�e2 tte8 1 3 . 0 - 0 eS 1 4 .tbf3 tbe4 I S .tDxe4 �xe4= are dangerous for Black . 1 1 ... 0-0

A series of exchanges does not assure Black equality: 1 1 . . . tLle4 1 2 . tDxd7 'liVxd7 1 3 .tLlxe4 ..Iixe4 1 4 . f3 .!g6 I S .�d3 �xd3 1 6 .'liVxd3 :t .

B l ) 1 2.0-0-0 ttle4 13 .ttlxd7 'l:lVxd7

14.ttlxe4 �xe4 1S.f3 �g6 1 6.�d3 The more energetic 1 6 .h 4 ! ? gxh4 1 7 .i.f4 is

also possible, for example: 1 7 . . . Me8 I S .Mxh4 eS 1 9 .�xh6 �xh6 2 0 .Mxh6 exd4 2 1 .Mxd4 'liVe7 22 .'iVc3 'i'xe3+ 2 3 ."ifxe3 .l'he3 24.�d2:t Komliakov. 1 6 ._�xd3 1 7.�xd3 as 1 8.h4 g4 19.hSlt

Ward-Hodgson, St. Helier 1 9 9 7 ; B 2 ) Mutual chances result from 1 2.�e2

ttlxeS 1 3.�xeS ttld7 14.�xg7 �xg7 1S .0-0

1 5 . g4 �g 6 1 6 .f4 e6 1 7 . 0 -0-0 b6 I S . cxb6 'liVxb6 1 9 .'iVxb6 tbxb6=. 1S ... eS 1 6 .�d1 exd4 17.�xd4+ �f6 ;

B3) White can count on a small advantage after 1 2.�d3 �xd3 13 .tiJxd3 ttle4 14.f3

ttlxc3 1S .�xc3 l::!.e8 1 6.0-0;t;

B4) 1 2.f3 ttlxeS 1 3 .�xeS ttld7 1 4.�xg7

wxg7 1S .e4 Otherwise Black himself breaks through in the centre, with good play: I S .�e2 'Wfc7 1 6 .'�f2 eS . 1S ... dxe4 16 .fxe4 �g6 1 7.0-0-0 Black can turn the

space-gaining 1 7 .es to his own advantage after 1 7 . . . b6 1 8 .cxb6 4Jxb6 1 9J':tdl as (or 1 9 . . . f6 20 .�e2 fxes 2 1 .dxes 'iYc7+) 20 .i.e2 Ild7+) 17 . . . e5 1 8.'i!'c4 �f6=

Kramnik-Shirov, Vienna 1 996 .

Back to the initial position 0 fthis chapter. 6. �c1 -f4

The main move : White continues to develop and brings the bishop to a strong diagonal, where he controls the breakout point es .

6 . ... tbb8-d7

The position arising after 6 . . . e6 7 .e3 tZlbd7 is considered below, after Black's 7 . . . e6.

7. e2-e3

In this position, 7 .h3 is harmless because of 7 . . . b6 (also possible is 7 . . . e6 8 .e3 i.e7 9 .�d3 'lic8 1 0 .0-0 0-0 1 1 .14 Ue8 1 2 .a4 .!xd3 1 3 .'lixd3 as 1 4.bS �xcs l I s .dxcS es 1 6 .4Jxes 4Jxes 1 7 .�xes Uxes= Cebalo-Kritz, Biel 2007 ) 8 .14 4Je4 9 .Uc l 15 ! 1 0 .a4 g6 1 1 .e3 �g7 1 2 .�e2 0-0 13 .0-0 Ue8 14 .�h2 es I s .Ue l 'iYc8 1 6 .'iVb3 exd4 1 7 .4Jxd4 4Jes= Van WelyChernin, Germany Bundesliga 1 999/00 .

A) 7 ... g6 i s the trendy continuation, popularised by the efforts of Gata Kamsky. There is significantly more theoretical material to be found on 7 . . . 4JhS and 7 . . . e6 .

Chapter 20: The Sortie s . . . JXf5

A I ) 8.ill.e2 �g7 9 .4Jd2 0-0 1 0 .g4 �e6 1 1 .14 tLle8 1 2 .4Jb3 f5 1 3 .h3 4Jc7 1 4 .a4 fxg4 1 s .hxg4 �f7 1 6 .�g5 'li'e8 1 7 .f4 e5 1 8 .fxes ( 1 8 .f5 ! ?t) 1 8 . . . 4Jxe5 1 9 .�f4 4Jc4 20 .hc7 'iYe7 2 1 .�f4 g5 n .�d6 4Jxd6 23 . cxd6 'il'xd6 24 .tLlc5 �g6 25 J:rh3 b6 (Akobian-Roiz, KhantyMansiysk 2 0 0 7 ) 26 .tLlxa6 h5 2 7 .b5 c5 2 8 . gxh5 �f5 2 9 .�g4 �xd4+Z;

A2) 8.h3 ill.g7 9.�e2 �e4 9 . . . tLle4 1 0 . 0 -0 0-0 I l .tLla4 ( l l .tLlxe4 �xe4 1 2 .'lid2 �xf3 1 3 .hf3 es 1 4.�g3 .lle8 ; 1 1 . 'lib 3 l::( a 7 ) 1 l . . . f6 1 2 .�h2 ( 1 2 .4Jd2 ! ? es 1 3 .tLlxe4 �xe4 1 4.�g3=) 12 . . . e5 1 3 .'iYb3 1:H7 ! ( 1 3 . . . l1a7 1 4 .4Jc3 exd4 I s .4Jxe4 �xe4 1 6 .4Jxd4 .rJ.e8 1 7 .�d6± Illescas Cordoba-Magem Badals , Madrid 1 994) 1 4 .'lixb7 tLldxc5 1 s . 'li xc6 Uc8 =+=. 1 0.lllh4 e5 1 1 .dxe5 ( 1 1 .�g3 exd4 1 2 . exd4 0-0 1 3 .f3 �f5 1 4 .4Jxf5 gxf5 1 5 .'lid2 4Jh5 1 6 .�f2 f4 1 7 . 0 -0-0 Ue8 1 8 .l:rhe 1 tLlf8 1 9 .�d3 'il'f6 20 .4Ja4 4Je6 2 1 .�c2 4Jg3 n .'iVd3 'li'h6 B .4Jc3 U e 7 = Mamedyarov-Kamsky, Moscow 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 ...lllh5 1 2.lllf3

�xf3 1 3 .�xf3 Illxf4 14.exf4 Illxc5 15 .0-0

0-0 1 6 J!e1 �h8 1 7.g3 f6 1 8.�g4

(Alexeev-Kamsky, Moscow 2 0 0 7 ) 1 8 ... fxe5 1 9.fxe5 h 5 20.ill.f3 h4!+;

B) 7 .. . e6 is a very solid, although slightly passive move.

1 7 5


B 1 ) Straightforward play is hardly likely to bring White great dividends , for instance: S.�e2 There is no need to hurry to exchange light-squared bishops.

B 1 1 ) S ... b5 9.t21d2 tlle4? 9 . . . �e7 ; 9 . . . h6 ! ? 1 0.8dxe4 dxe4 1 0 . . . �xe4 1 1 .tLJxe4 dxe4 1 2 .f3 ;t . 1 1 .'iec2 8fS 1 2.�g5, and the e4 pawn is dropping off (Bareev-Martinovsky, New York 1 998 ) ; B 1 2 ) Bad is S .. .tL'lh5?! 9 . .ig5 �e7

1 0.�xe7 'il\Vxe7 1 1 .0-0 l 1 .tLJeS tLJhf6 1 2 .g4 �g6 1 3 .h41 1 1 ...8hfS 12 .b4 0-0

1 3.a4 .ig4 1 4.b5 �xf3 1 5 . .ixf3 e5 1 S .bxcS

bxcS 1 7.a5 J::ta7 1 SJ::tb1 tlleS 1 9JWa4 e4

20.�e2± (Se. Ivanov-Karttunen, Stockholm 2 0 0 2 1 0 3 ) ;

B 1 3 ) S ... hS 9 . 0-0 �e7 1 0 .b4 0-0 1 1 .h3 IIe8 1 2 .'ifb3 tLJe4 1 3 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 4.a4 M6 1 S .�d6 �xf3 1 6 .�xf3 eS 1 7 .e4 dxe4 1 8 .�xe4 exd4 1 9 .�g6;t (Beliavsky-Ivanovic, Belgrade 2 0 0 0) ; B 1 4) Interesting, but insufficient for

equality is S ... 4:Je4 because of 9.'il\Vb3

Worse is 9 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 0 .b4 �e7 1 1 . 0 -0 gS 1 2 .�g3 hS 1 3 .�eS l::rh7 1 4.tLJd2 �g6 l S .f4 g4 1 6 .e4 �xe4 1 7 .tLJxe4 dxe4 1 8 .'lW c2 f6 1 9 .'ihe4 tLJf8 2 0 .llad 1 fxeS 2 1 .dxeS Viflc7 22 . fs �d8 (Miton-Yakovenko , Spain tt 2 0 0 7 ) 2 3 .�c4 �xd l 2 4JIxd 1 �gS 2 S .�xe6 tUxe6 2 6 . fxe6 l:.g7 2 7 J :td7 �xd7 2 8 .exd7+ 'lWxd7 2 9 .'lWg6+=. 9 ... J:l:a7

1 7 6

1 0.8e5 8xe5 1 1 . .ixe5 fS 12 . .if4 IiJxc3

1 3.bxc3 �gS 14.a4

Once and for all fixing the weak p1Wl1 on b7 . Black remains cramped and without counterplay. 14-.lte7 15.a5 ().() 1 S.h4 h6 17.hS

.ih7 1S.0-0 WhS 1 9J�a4 'il\VcS 20.c4±

Sokolov-Van Delfi:, Netherlands tt 2007108; B 1 S ) S .. . j{,e7 9.0-0 9 .h3 0-0 1 0 .0-0 t'iJe4

1 1 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 2 .tLJd2 �g6 1 3 .b4 f6 1 4 .tLlb3 eS l S .�h2 l:.e8 1 6 .'lWd2 �f8 1 7 JHe 1 b6 1 8 .cxb6 'lWxb6 1 9 .a3i Black has created some counterplay, but overalL White's chances remain clearly superior (Drozdovsky-Onoprienko , Alushta 2 0 0 3 ) . 9 ... 0-0 1 0.b4 1 0 .tbh4 �g4 1 1 .£3 �hS 1 2 .g4 tLJe8 1 3 .ttJ g 2 �g 6 . 1 0 ... liJe4

1 1 .8xe4 �xe4 1 2.8d2 �gS 13 .a4 :!:lea

14.4:Jb3 �f6 1 5.�g3 e5 1S . .ig4 exd4

1 7.exd4 4:JfS (Adianto-Bacrot , Batumi 2 00 1 ) 1 S.tlla5 J::ta7<%.

B2) S.�d3 �g6 9 . 0-0 �e7 1 0 .'lWc2 0-0 1 1 .b4 'il'c8 1 2 .a4 b6 1 3 .�xg6 hxg6 1 4.cxb6 tLJxb6 1 S .as tLlc4 1 6 .�fb 1 .lla7 1 7 . .llb3 �b7 1 8 . .llab 1 <1Je8 1 9 . e4 CiJc7= Vaganian-Oms Pallise, Barcelona 2007 ;

B3) S.4:Jd2!? A flexible, multi-faceted move. White strengthens his control over the square e4, and prepares a pawn storm not only on the queenside, but also on the kingside. S ... �e7 9.�e2 and now:

B3 1 ) 9 ... 0-0 1 0 .g4 ! ? ii.g6 1 1 .h4 with the initiative;

B32) 9 ... �gS 1 0 .b4 0-0 1 1 . 0 -0 Me8 1 l .ii.g3 'iYc8 1 3 .M.cl ii.d8 1 4 .f4 b 6 ! � Piket-I. Sokolov, Amsterdam 2 0 0 0 ; B 3 3 ) 9 ... h S 1 0.b4 0-0 1 O . . . ifc8 1 1 . a4

b6 1 l .a5 b5 1 3 .g4 ii.g6 1 4.h4 ii.d8 1 5 .h5 ii.h7 1 6 .�b3 ii.c7 1 7 .�xc7 �xc7 1 8 . f4 ttJg8 1 9 .Mfl ttJe7 2 0 .e4 lLlf6 2 1 . e5 ttJd7 1 l . ttJd 1 t/= Naer-I . Popov, Krasnoyarsk 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .0-0 lIe8

12.�g3 1 2 .h3 �c8 1 3 .Me 1 iLd8 1 4 .iLfl e5 1 5 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 6 . e4 tLlxe4 1 7 .tLlcxe4 �xe4 1 8 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 9 .Mxe4 iLf6 20 .lie1 iff5 = Kir. Georgiev-Movsesian, Saraj evo 2 0 0 0 . 1 2 . . .'�!Vc8 1 l . . .iH8 1 3 .tLlb3 e5 1 4 .a4 tLle4 1 5 .tLlxe4 iLxe4 1 6 .<1;Ja5 Ma7 1 7 .�d2 exd4 1 8 . exd4 �g6 1 9 .�f3 tLlf6 2 0 .b5t BorovikovVysoehin, Ordzhonikidze 200 1 . 1 3 .�f3

as!? 1 3 . . . iLd8 1 4 .e4 dxe4 1 5 .iLxe4 lLlxe4 1 6 . tLldxe4 iLxe4 1 7 .tLlxe4 iLe7 1 8 .�e5 f5 1 9 . tLld2 as 2 0 . a3 b5 2 1 .cxb6 lLlxb6 1 l .bxa5 fha5 B .�b3 lla6 24 .J:!.fc 1 ;J; Piket-Zagrebelny, Is tanbul 2000 ; 1 3 . . . iLg6 1 4 .e4 dxe4 1 5 .l2:ldxe4 lLlxe4 1 6 .iLxe4 iLxe4 1 7 .tLlxe4 lLlf6=. 14.bS i.d3 1 S.i.e2 1 5 .Me 1 cxbS 1 6 .�e2 .1xe2 1 7 .'ihe2 b 6 ! 1 8 .tLlxb5 bxe5 19 .tL:lc7 e4 . 1S ... �gS 1S Jtc1 �d8 1 7.14

liJe4 18.ti:Jdxe4 i.xe4 1 9.ti:Jxe4 dxe4 20.a4

20.f5 exf5 2 1 .J:ixf5 ii.g5 1 l .�b3 tLlf6

Chapter 20 : The Sortie 5 . . . �f5

B.llcfl a4°o . 20_.fS 21.'1�Vb3 tbf6 22�c4

1 l .iLh4 g5 B.fxg5 ttJd500. 22 ... �c7 23.i.h4 ti:JdS= (Piket-Movsesian , Netherlands pff 2 000) .

B34) 9_. 'i'c8 Black clears the road for his bishop to reach c 7 .

B34 1 ) 1 0.b4 �gS 1 0 . . . �d8 1 l .f3 �c7 1 l .�xe7 �xe7 1 3 .e4 dxe4 1 4.fXe4 iLg6 (Sakaev-Kir. Georgiev, Vrnjacka Banj a 1 998) 1 5 .ttJc4 0-0 1 6 .e5 tLld5 1 7 .tLlxd5 cxd5 1 8 .tLld6t. 1 1 .0-0 The following plan looks quite promising for White: 1 1 . g4 h6 n .iLg3 i.d8 1 3 .a4 b6 1 4.a5 b5 1 5 .�b3 iLc7 1 6 .0-0-0 �b7 1 7 .f4 0-0-0 1 8 . .l:.dfl �b8 1 9 .�d 1 gde8 2 0 . ghg 1 �c8 2 1 .�e 1 �d8 1l .iLh4 �c8 2 3 .�b2 �b7 24.�f2 �b 8 2 5 .�g3 ge7 2 6 .h3t Lesiege-Slobodjan, Varadero 2000 . I t is also possible to attend to the advance b5 immediately: 1 1 . a4 b6 n .Mcl as 1 3 .cxb6 ! i.xb4 1 4.tLla2 (1 4.tLlb5 tLle4) 1 4 . . . �xd2+ 1 5 .�xd2 �b7 1 6 .iYc3 tLlxb6 1 7 .�xc6+ �xc6 1 8 .gxc6 tLlc4 1 9 .iLxc4 dxc4 20 Jhc4 ttJd5 (Inarkiev-I. Popov, Moscow 2 0 0 8) 2 1 .�d2 0-0 1l .MC5 m4 B.exf4 gib8 24.�e3± . 1 1 ... i.d8 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 l .a4 b6 1 3 .cxb6 tLlxb6 14 .a5 tLlbd7 1 5 .ttJa2 "i'b7 1 6 .Mcl :fc8 1 7 .Me3 ! (with the idea 'iYa4, J::i:fc 1 and llxc6) 1 7 . . . tLle8 ! 1 8 .�a4 ttJd6 1 9 .Ld6 �xd6 20 .tLlb3 e5� Nyback-Dautov, Ger-

1 7 7

The Chebanenko SICN According to Bologan

many Bundesliga 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 . 1 2 . .:g:c1

1 2 .a4 ! ? iLc7 1 3 .iLxc7 'fixc7 1 4.f4 b6 . 12 ... �c7?! 1 2 . . . 0 - 0 . 1 3.�xc7 Wixc7 14.f4

ILlg8 1 4 . . . tLle4 1 5 .tLJcxe4 iLxe4 1 6 .tLJxe4 dxe4 1 7 . f5 e5 I S .d5 cxd5 1 9 .'fixd5 tLJf6 20 .'iVd6 !:t ; 1 4 . . . 0 -0 1 5 .g4 16 1 6 . f5 exf5 1 7 .gxf5 iLh7 I S .e4 dxe4 1 9 .tLJdxe4 tLJxe4 20 .tLlxe4:t. 1S.e4 1 5 .a4 tLJe 7=. 1S . . . lLle7 1 S .fS! exfS 1 7.exdS cxdS

1 7 . . . tLlxd5 I S .tLJxd5 cxd5 1 9 .iLd3 ± . 1 8.bS 0-0 1 9.bS Wid8?! 1 9 . . . 'ficS 2 0 .tLJb3 tLlf6 2 1 .tLJa5 tLJc6 2 2 .tLJxc6 'fixc6 2 3 .'fia4 'fie6°o. 20.lLlb3 1LlfS 21 .lLlaS l:lb8

22.a4 It'le4+ Kramnik-Topalov, Dortmund

33 .iLe2 d4+ 34 .exd4 tLJd5+ 3 5 .'it> b3 f4 3 6 .iYg4± Elianov-Kamsky, Kerner tt 2 0 0 7 . 14.hS ILlfS 1 4 . . . iLh7 J 5 .l:!.g l;t. 1 S .l:'Ig1 �h7 1 S .lLlf3! Wid8 1 6 . . . i.f6 1 7 .'fib3 iLdS I S .e4 tLlxd4 1 9 .ttJxd4 tLJx c5 2 0 . 'fj a3 iLe 7 2 1 . 'fj as ± Komliakov; 1 6 . . . iLdS 1 7 . e4 dxe4 I S .tLJxe4 i,a5+ 1 9 .�fl ± ; H.Wib3! 1 7 .e4? ! dxe4 I S .ttJxe4 tLlf6 1 9 .tLJeg5 iLgS xd4, xh5 . 17_b6

18.cxbS 'lWxbS 1 9.WixbS 1 9 .tLle5 'i'xb3 20 . axb3 tLJxe5 2 1 .iLxe5 as 22 .ttJaH. 1 9 . . . lLlxbS 20J!cH Gelfand -Kir. Georgiev, France tt 2000 .

1 99 9 ; Back to the main line. B342) 10.g4!? �gS 1 1 .gS ttJg8 1 L .tLJe4

1 2 .tLlcxe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLlc4± . 1 2.h4 1 2 .e4 7. '" tUf6-h5!

h6. 12 . . . hS?! 1 L .e5 1 3 .dxe5 tLJxc5 1 4 .tLJa4 tLJxa4 1 5 .'fixa4 h6 1 6 . 0-0-0 hxg5 1 7 .hxg5 t!.xh l I S . t!.xh l 'fif5 1 9 .l::lhS �fS 20 .iLd 1 :t Komliakov.

1 3.gxhS! 1 3 .t!.g 1 hxg5 1 4.hxg5 iLdS 1 5 .e4 iLc7 1 6 .�d6 'fibS 1 7 .e5 b6 I S .M tLle700 Komliakov. 13 . ..t2lxhS 1 3 . . . gxh6 1 4.h5 iLh7 1 5 .lLlf3 iLdS 1 6 .'fjd2 iLc7 1 7 . 0-0-0 JUs I S .tLJe5 iLxe5 1 9 .iLxe5 lLlxe5 2 0 . dxe5 'fic7 2 1 .'fid4 lLle7 2 2 . t!.hg l 0-0-0 2 3 .M l::ldgS 24.�b2 'fidS 25 .'fif4 l::lxg l 2 6 . l::lxg l l::lgS 2 7 .t!.g3 'fifS 2s .iLf3 f6 2 9 .�b3 t!.xg3 3 0 .'fixg3 iLd3 3 1 . tLJa4 f5 3 2 .�c3 iLe4

1 7 S

Black attempts at all costs to eliminate the f 4 bishop. It is striking that, despite two

tactical weaknesses on f5 and h5 , the computer does not see a forcing refutation of this move.

8. iLf4-e5

If S .iLd3 Black has the elegant manoeuvre S . . . tLJxf4 (the direct S . . . i,xd3 9 .'fixd3 tLJxf4 1 0 . exf4 b6 l 1 .cxb6 'fixb6 1 2 .0-0 favours White) 9 .exf4 (9.iLxf5 tLlxg2+ 1 0 .�fl e6 ! ) 9 . . . iLg4! 1 0 .i,e2 iLxf3 l 1 .iLxf3 e6 1 2 .0-0 g6 1 3 .'i'd2 draw, Marin-Komliakov, Calcutta 1 99 7 ; The exchange o f bishops is nothing for

Black to fear : 8 .tUh4 tUxf4 (8 . . . �g6 ? ! 9 .�gS ;t) 9 .tLlxfS tUg6=; After 8 .�gS h6 9 .�h4 gS 1 0 .tUd2 �g6 1 1 .�e2 tUdf6 1 2 .�g3 tUxg3 1 3 .hxg3 �g7 Black has good counterplay.

a ... f7-f6

Black plays quite concretely, not fearing ghosts, and thereby obtains decent play. A) After S . ..t.iJxe5 9.t.iJxe5 l.iJfS 1 0.g4

1 0 .�d3 ! ? �xd3 1 1 . 'il'xd3 tUd7 1 2 . tUxd7 l\I'xd7 1 3 .tUa4 'il' g4 1 4.0-0;t KomJiakov. 10 ... geS 11 .14 gS 12.�d3 �g7 13.15 �c8

14.�f3t White seizes the initiative on the kingside Rogozenko-Kutirov, Skopje 2002 ; B) S ... l.iJhfS 9.�g3 9 .'ijVb3 l:!.a7 1 O .h3

tLlxeS 1 1 .�xeS �d7 1 2 .itd3 �xd3 1 3 .tbxd3 eS 14 . 0-0-0 ( 1 4 .dxeS tUxcs I S .tLlxcS �xcS 1 6 .l:!.cl 'il'e7 1 7 . 0 -0 l:!.a8 1 8 .e4 d4 1 9 .tLle2 0-0 2 0 .tUf4 as=) 14 . . . exd4 l S .exd4 �e7 1 6 .l:rhe l 0-000 Komliakov. 9 . . . l.iJe4 Better is 9 . . . b 6 ! ? 1 0 .cxb6 'il'xb6 1 1 .'li'b3 e 6 1 2 .'iVxb6 <1Jxb6 1 3 .11c l tLlfd7 1 4.�e2 h6 1 5 .0-0 c5 = . 10.l.iJxe4 .2.xe4 11 .�e2 eS 1 2.0-0 �xf3

13 .. bf3 iLe7 14.b4 iLh4 15 . . bh4 �xh4

16.a4 0-0 1 7.b5 axb5 1S.axb5 l:lfcS 1 9.�b3

1WdS 20.iLe2 £ixa1 21 Jha1 1:!.aS 22.J:La4 gS

23.g3 l:!xa4 24.�xa4 cxb5 25.iLxb5 l.iJbS , 26.'W'an Rodshtein-Kritz, Biel 2 0 0 7 .

9. �e5-g3!?

9 .tLlh4 fxeS 1 0 .tUxfS tUhf6 l 1 .dxeS tLlxeS 1 2 .tLJd4 ! ? with compensation.

9. ... e7-e5

Chapter 20: The Sortie 5 . . . ££5

1 0. tbf3-h4 �f5-g6

1 1 . tbh4xg6 h7xg6

1 2. �d1 -c2 l:!.hS-h6

1 3 . �f1 -d3 e5-e4

1 4. �d3-e2 t2Jh5xg3

1 5. f2xg3 1\!IdS-c7=

Black has prospects of even obtaining a slightly more pleasapt position. He has in reserve the plan of doubling on the h-file, and also of advanCing . . . fS -f4.

Conclusion

Here too, there is a good deal of practical experience, which allows Black to identify his opponent's main trumps, and to prepare appropriate counter-measures. White, in my opinion, has not exhausted all his resources in the variation with 6 .'il'b 3 . The very fact that the black rook ends up on a7 leads one to think that this is the direction in which White should be looking for an advantage.

1 7 9

Chapter 21

Flexibi l ity: S . . . ttJbd 7 S.h3

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tLig1 -f3 ttJgS-f6 4.ttJb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 ttJbS-d7 6.h2-h3

S. Jubd7 is the most flexible and at the same time most direct move. Black keeps ill mind all his plans (. . . e7-eS, . . . b7-b6, . . . g7-g6) but doesn 't reveal his choice yet. The only disadvantage is that the bishop on cS is locked in, but this will not be permanent, as often happens after . . . e7 -e6. After 5 . . .tijbd7, White has many lines which can be divided in two groups: moves that allow . . . 'iV c7 and moves that don 't. Of course, 6 .§Jj4 looks the most naturat as it takes this sweet diagonal under control - see the 22nd chapter. But White sometimes tries different plans. 6 .h3 is a classic prophylactic move, securing the h2-bS diagonal for the bishop. Generally, it is necessary to play more energetically in the opening, although I can understand White 's logic. If Black can allow himself the prophylactic . . . a6, why shouldn't White do the same? Mind you, I have to point out that White has already spent a

tempo on c4-cS. Firs tly, however, we will examine a few alternatives .

• • •

A) The voluntary imprisonment o f the bishop by 6.e3?! is not so good, as Black can either break with . . . b6 , or gradually prepare the other break . . . eS . In either case, White's dark-squared bishop does not take part in the game .

1 80

A I ) 6 ... g6 is perfectly logical - Black puts his bishop on the diagonal and prepares . . . e7-eS . 7.�d3 �g7 8J!Vc2 0-0 9.h4 �c7 1 0.�d2 eS 1 1.ttJ xeS ttJxeS 12.dxe5

'M:Vxe5 13 .0-0-0 J:ib8 14.ttJa4 White tries to block the queenside, in order to deprive

his opponent of counterplay on this side of the board. However, Black has enough resources to maintain the balance. 14 .. :llV e 7 1 S.i!.c3 lie8 1 6 .i!.d4 i!.e6 1 7.13

!tJd7 18.J::lde1 bS?! A nervous move ; better is 1 8 . . . h5 ! ? 1 9 .'iVc3 �xd4 2 0 . exd4 l/1Vf6= Komliakov. 1 9.cxb6 cS 20.�xg7

Chapter 2 I : Flexibility: 5 . . .'i)bd7 6.h3

I O .�b2 �f4 I l .a3 �f5 1 2 .'lWc l �xc 1 + 1 3 . .l:!.xc l as 1 4.e3 axM 1 5 .axb4 \t>d7=l= Komliakov. 8 . . . e4 9.tZld2 i!.e7 10.13 The more cautious 1 0 .�e 2 does not change the assessment: 1 0 . . . 0 -0 1 1 . 0 -0 b6 1 2 .tLlb3 bxc5 1 3 .bxc5 as 14 .I:!.b l °o Komliakov. 1 0 ... exf3 1 1.t2:\xf3 0-0 12.i!.d3

�xg7 21 .�c3+± Thuroczy-Dovzik, b6 1 3.0-0 as 14.cxb6 �xb6 1 S.bxaS �xaS

Harkany 1 99 7 ; A2) 6 ... b6 7 . M 'WIc7 8 .jLb2 as 9 . a3

bxc5 1 0 .bxc5 e5 1 1 .4:lxe5 tLlxe5 1 2 .dxe5 '!i'xe5 1 3 .tLla4 'ii'e6 1 4.'lWd4 �e 7 1 5 .4:lb6 ! ? l:!.b8 1 6 . �d3 0-0 1 7 .h3t Komliakov ;

A3) 6 ... e6 7 .�e2 b6 8 .cxb 6 'ii'xb6 9 .0-0 c5 1 0 .b3 cxd4 l 1 . exd4 4:le4 1 2 .tLixe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLlg5 tLlf6 ! ? 1 4 .f3 exf3 1 5 . . ihf3 �b7 1 6 .�xb7 'ii'xb7 1 n iYd3 h6 1 8 .tLlf3 �d6 1 9 .tLle 5 'iYd5 20 .tLlc4 lld800 Komliakov.

B) The other pawn move 6.b4?! looks more logical, but is not really a priority at this stage.

B l ) 6 ... 'il'c7 is a logical move; Black does not allow the enemy bishop to f4 and prepares the advance . . . e7 -e5 . B l l ) Now the routine 7:1i'c2 allows

Black to obtain counterplay without any great problems : 7 ... e5 8.e3 Black is favoured by 8 .dxe5 ? ! tLlxe5 9 .tLlxe5 'iVxe5

1 6.e4 dxe4 1 7.tZlxe4 i!.a6 1 8.c!2Jxf6+ tZlxf6

1 9.i!.xa6 �xa6= The pawn weaknesses cancel each other out, and the game is equal;

B 1 2) The best choice is to put the bishop on the long diagonal with 7.i!.b2

and after 7 ... eS to exchange on e5 , so that the bishop will not just be a 'big pawn' on b2.

At the very least , White retains the opening initiative here, for example: 8.dxeS

tZlxeS 9.tZlxeS �xeS 10.tZla4 �f4 1 1 .i!.d4!?

In the endgame after 1 1 .'ii'd4 'ii'xd4 1 2 .�xd4 White can also count on a definite advantage, for example: 1 2 . . .�5 1 3 .tLlb6 ldd8 1 4.e3 tLid7 1 5 .tLlxd7 .l:Ixd7 l 6 .a4 f6 1 7 . �e2 �e7 1 8 . g4 �e4 1 9 .f3 �g6 20 .h4 0-0 2 1 .h5 �e8 n.f4t Niesch-M. Horvath, Germany Bundesliga B 2004/ 0 5 . 1 1 ...�fS 1 2.c!2Jb6 !id8 13 .e3

'il'h4 The move 1 3 . . . 'iY g5 prevents White from completing the development of his kingside, although on g5 the queen co-

1 8 1


mes under attack from the enemy pawns: 1 4-.M 'iYg6 l S .hS 'iYgS 1 6 .�eS ttJd7 1 7 .ttJxd7 'itJxd7 1 8 .'iYd4-;!; Komliakov. 14 . .llI.d3 .l1t.xd3 1 S.'WIxd3 .l1t.e7 1 6 .0-0 0-0

1 7.a4 l:!:feB 1 B.bS axbS 19 .axbS tLle4

20.iI'c2 .l1t.f6 21 .11a7;l; White's initiative on the queenside develops more quickly than Black's counter play on the opposite wing.

B2) 6 ... aS?! A dubious decision - why give the opponent play on the queenside? Even without an invitation, White wants to play b4--bS , but this would require considerable preparation. 7.bS eS B.e3

e4?! Better is 8 . . . tZl e4-! ? 9. bxc6 bxc6 1 0 .�c2 tDxc3 1 1 .�xc3 e4- 1 2 .tZld2 �e7 Kornliakov. 9.tLld2 .llI.e7 10 . .!lb1 !? 0-0 11 . .llI.e2 cxbS 1 2.tLlxbS tLlbB 13 .tLlc3;l;

Komliakov; B3) 6 ... tLle4 After White has played

b2-b4-, the knight on c3 is somehow 'hanging in the air ' , and Black seeks to exploit this immediately. White faces a choice: if he defends the knight, then Black takes on c3 and brings his other knight to e4-. If instead White himself exchanges on e4-, then Black gets another good central outpost, on dS .

7 .tDxe4- dxe4- 8 .tDd2 tDf6 9 .tDc4- tDdS 1 0 .�b3 �e6 1 1 .e3 g6 1 2 .�d2 �g7

1 82

1 3 .�c2 f5 1 4-.�e2 �c7= Demarre-T. Martin, Issyles Moulineaux 2004-)

B4-) 6 ... g6 and now: B4- 1 ) 7.h3 is somewhat excessive pro

phylaxis. Even in closed positions, there is no point in wasting tern pi. 7 . .. 'tic7 It is

also possible to stick to the previously-chosen course : 7 . . . �g 7 ! ? 8 . .if4 0-0 9 . e3 as 1 0 . a3 ttJe4- 1 1 .'i¥c 1 axb4 1 2 . axb4- l:!.xa 1 1 3 .�xa 1 b6 1 4 .'YWa3 bxcS l S .bxcS ttJdxcS+ , seizing the initiative (Komliakov) . B . .llI.gS hS 9.1h4

tLlhS 1 0.g4 gS 1 1 .gxhS gxh4 12�g1 J:lh7

1 3 .tLlxh4 .ld:g7 1 4.�xg7 .llI.xg7 1 S.li:JfS 1f8

1 6 .tLlg3 tLlf6 1 7.iI'd2 I think that after 1 7 . e3 ! ? �g7 1 8 .'ilYf3 eS 1 9 .tDa4 White can fight for a small advantage. 17 ... e5

1 B.e4 .llI.e6 1 9.dxeS tLlxe4 20.li:Jgxe4 dxe4

21 .iI'd4 .llI.g7 22.tLlxe4 .llI.xeS 23.lZIdS+

il'xd6 24.'ihd6 .llI.xd6 2S.cxd6 �d7, and the ending is (Feldman-Magem 1 9 9 9 ) ; B4-2) 7.e3

better for Black Badals, Las Vegas

Now the dark-squared bishop only has one road - to b 2 . 7 ... .llI.g7 B . .llI.d3 0-0 Also reasonable is 8 . . . eS ! ? 9 .�c2 (or 9 .tZlxe5 ttJxeS 1 0 .dxeS tDg4' 1 1 .f4 0-0 1 2 .'iYe2 aS�) 9 . . . 0-0 1 0 .0-0 e4- 1 1 .tDd2 b6 1 2 .cxb6 tDxb6°o Komliakov. 9ib2 eS

10.dxeS tLlg4 1 1 .0-0 tLlgxeS 12 . .llI.e2 tLlxf3+

1 4 .�e2+ Elarbi-Mohammad, Turin 2006 ;

B43 ) 7.£Lb2 �g7 8 . g 3 0-0 9 .�g2 e S (Black carries out his plan consistently) 1 O .dxeS ttJg4 1 1 .e6 fxe6 1 2 .0-0 as 1 3 .a3 tDgeS 1 4.ttJxeS ttJxeS I S .ttJa4 tDc4 1 6 .�xg7 <Jo>xg7 1 7 .e4 "iYf6 with approximately equal play (Dyachkov-Sotnikov, Ekaterinburg 1 9 9 6) .

C) 6.g3 Although this move has been seen even at grandmaster level, I personally could not allow my hand to put the bishop on the same diagonal as the black pawn wall b 7 -c6-dS . However, its favourable statistics make one look more kindly on this fianchetto, whilst White avoids closing in his other bishop with e3 , and at the same time avoids committing it too early. Instead, he simply completes his development.

C l ) The break 6 ... b6 weakens Black's central pawn chain. White can reorganise his forces and harass the weak pawn on c6: 7.cxb6 'lixb6 8.�g2 e6 9.0-0 �e7

10:�c2 0-0 1 V lla4!? Premature is I I .e4? ! dxe4 1 2 .ttJxe4 ttJxe4 1 3 .'l'Wxe4 ttJf6 1 4.'iVc2 �b7 I S .�e3 tDdS 1 6 .ttJeS lIfd8 1 7 .'iVe4 lIac8 1 8 .lIfc l cS=, and Black, haVing rid himself of the c6 pawn, achieves fully equal play (Rodriguez Gon-

Chapter 2 I : Flexibility: 5 . . . �bd7 6 .h3

zalez-Franco, Leon 200 6 ) . 1 1 ... 'liVb5

1 2.�f4 h6 Black's life is not especially eased by 1 2 . . . cS ? ! 1 3 JHcl c4 1 4.tDc3 'i'b6 15 .�ab 1 �. 1 3J;Uc1;!; Kornliakov;

Cl) 6 ... g6 7.�g2 �g7 8.0-0 0-0

And now: C2 1 ) On 9.b4 the familiar manoeuvre

9_tLle4!? looks convincing, for instance : 1 0.�b2 Play develops in Black's favour after 1 0 .ttJxe4 dxe4 I I .tDg5 ttJf6 1 2 .�e3 �fS 1 3 .h3 h6 1 4.g4 �xg4 I S .hxg4 hxg5 +. 1 0 ... tLlxc3 1 1 .�xc3 a5 1 2.a3 tLlf6

13 .tLle5 tLle4= Kornliakov; Cn) 9.h3 Another version of the famil

iar prophylaxiS. 9 . . . �e8 1 0 .�c2 eS 1 1 .dxeS ttJxe5 1 2 .ttJxeS lIxeS 1 3 .�f4 �e8 1 4 . �ad1 'il'aS ! ? I S .�d6 ttJe4 1 6 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 7 .b3 e3°o Kornliakov; C23) On 9.�f4 there follows the stan

dard 9 . . . 4Jh5 1 0 .�e3 ! ? Wic7 I 1 .Wid2 e5 1 2. ttJ a 4 1I b8 with mutual chances; C24) 9.'liVc2 White frees the square d 1

for the rook and himself prepares to attack the centre with e2-e4. 9 ... ne8

1 0.:6!:d1 tLlh5 There is no clear equality after 1 0 . . . tDf8 I I .h3 h6 1 2 .ttJeS , for example: 1 2 . . . �fS 1 3 .iVb3 �c8 1 4.ttJa4 tD6d7 I S .g4 �e6 1 6 .�f4 gS 1 7 .�g3 �xeS 1 8 .�xeS ttJxeS 1 9 .ttJb6 Wic7 20 .ttJxa8 �xa8 2 1 .dxe S;1; Kurnosov-Volkov, Sochi 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .e4 dxe4 1 2.'iYxe4

1 8 3


ttJdf6 1 3 .'ii'e2 �g4 1 4.h3 �xf3 I S .'ii'xf3 �f8 1 6 .g4 tLlg7 1 7 .gS tL'ld7 1 8 .dS l:rc8 1 9 .�f4 Also good is 1 9 .tL'la4 'ii'aS 2 0 .dxc6 bxc6 2 1..!:txd7 'ii'xa4 22 .'iVe4� Komliakov. 19 ... e5 20.dxe6 J::ixe6 21.h4

'iiYe8 22.jLh3 tLJf5 23.jLxf5 gxf5 24.jLg3

tLJxc5 25.'li'xf5 :§.d8 26.�xd8 'iiYxd8 27.l:Id1

\We8 28.'it>g2! Sorokin-I . Popov, Sochi 2 0 0 7 ; C2S) 9.tLJa4 The knight seeks new pas

tures. 9 ... tLJe4 1 0.jLf4 f6 1 1 .'lWb3 e5 1 2.jLe3

exd4!? White is better after 1 2 . . /.i;'h8 1 3 Jhc1 'ffie7 1 4 . .l:i:fd l � Kahn-Kern, Budapest 1 994 . 1 3 .jLxd4 'lWe7 Another method of counterplay is also good: 1 3 .. .fS 1 4.'iWd3 'iWe7 I S . .l:i:ac 1 f4 1 6 .e3 fxg3 1 7 .hxg3 .l:i:b8°o Komliakov. 14.l:I:ac1 J::!:b8 15 .jLe3 g5 1 6.jLd4 g4 1 H'Ve3 gxf3

1 8.exf3 f5 1 9.jLxg7 'tlixg7 20.fxe4 fxe4 21 .f3

exf3 22.jLxf3 tLJf6 with chances for both sides.

D) The rare continuation 6.jLg5 also deserves attention, after which Black does best to put the question to the bishop immediately, before resolving the development of his own pieces.

D l ) 6 ... g6 7.e3 jLg7 It is also possible to start attacking the white pawn chain immediately: 7 . . . b6 8 . cxb6 �xb6 9 . .l:i:b l as 1 0 .�e2 �g7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2 .ttJa4 'iWa7

1 84

1 3 . .l:!.c1 �b7 . 1 4 .tLld2 (White wants to organise an outpost on cS for his knight, but in doing so, he gives his opponent more freedom of action in the centre) 1 4 . . . e S I S .ttJb3 tLle4 1 6 .�e7 l'1fe8 1 7 .�a3 exd4 1 8 .tUxd4 l:rac8 19.�f3 ttJeS (also perfectly possible is 19 . . . c5 20 .ttJbS �a6 2 1 .ttJbc3 tLlxc3 22 .bxc3 d4= Komliakov) 2 0 .�e2 tL'ld7 2 ] .�f3 ttJeS 2 2 .�e2 tLld7 2 3 .�f3 , draw

Vyzhmanavin-Dreev, Lvov 1 98 5 . D ] 1 ) I f 8.jLe2 0-0 9 .0-0 lle8 1 0 .h3 eS

1 1 .b4 Black can, of course, close the centre, accepting a slightly inferior position, but he can also exchange OIl d4 1 1 . . . exd4, and after the more or less forced 1 2 .tLlxd4 ttJf8 1 3 .tL'la4 ttJe6 1 4. ttJxe6 �xe6 1 5 . ttJ b6 he has the tactical resource l S . . . l"tb8 1 6 .�f4 tL'ld7 != , allowing him to maintain equality; D 1 2 ) 8.jLd3

On the one hand, the bishop is more actively placed here than on e2 , but on the other, it may come under attack after Black plays . . . e7 -eS . 8 ... 0-0 9.h3 Another line that has been seen is 9 . 0-0 .l:i:e8 1 0 .�f4 ttJhS 1 1 .�gS fs 1 2 .tL'ld2 ttJhf6 1 3 .f4 ttJe4 1 4.ttJf3 b6 I S . cxb6 'iWxb6 1 6 .tL'la4 'fIJa7 1 7 .�xe4 dxe4 1 8 . ttJeS tLlxeS 1 9 f xeS �e6 20 .b3 , and White had a small advantage (Raspovic-Sirnik, Zadar 2004) . 9 ... 1:.e8

1 0 .�f4 tLlhs 1 1 . 0 -0 There is no danger for Black in 1 1 .�h2 es 1 2 .dxeS tLlxeS 1 3 .ttJxes �xes 1 4 .0-0 �xh2 + I S .Wxh2 'iie7 1 6 .tLla4=. 1 1 ...ttJxf4 12.exf4 ttJfS

13.J:te1 ttJeS It is true that Black has not managed to achieve the break . . . e7-es , but in return, the pawn on d4 is in need of defence. 14.ttJe2 bS 15 .15 gxf5 1S .�c2

bxc5 17 .. bf5 ttJfS 1S.dxc5 �xf5 1 9.�xf5

e5= Komliakov; D 1 3 ) S.h3 bS 9.cxbS �xbS 1 0.'lWc2 0-0

1ull.d3 c5 1 2.0-0 cxd4 After 1 2 . . . c4 1 3 .�e2 �b7 1 4 .Mab l . . . b3� White takes the initiative on the queens ide. 13.exd4 a5 14.ttJa4 'lWa7 1 5.'lWe2 eS

1S.l:!:ac1 ttJbS Exchanges do not solve all the problems: 1 6 . . . �a6 1 7 .ha6 'iYxa6 18 :�xa6 Mxa6 1 9 .MC7:t Komliakov. 17.tiJc5 ttJbd7 1 S.ttJa4 ttJbS 1 9.ttJc5 ttJbd7

20.�f4 ttJxc5 21 . .i:ixc5 �aS 22.�xaS 'lWxaS

23.�xaS J.haS 24 . .i:ifc1 ;l;; (LysYJ-Slugin, Nizhnij Tagil 2006) . White's chances in the ending, of course, are better, but he cannot claim a large advantage, since he weakness of the pawn on d4 will always haunt him.

Dl) S ... hS 7.�h4

Now 7 . . . gs is the most consequent move, although of course a more restrained approach is also possible:

Chapter 2 I : Flexibility: S . . . 42Jbd7 6.h3

D2 1 ) 7 ... gS S.e3 �g7 9.�b3 0-0

1 0.0-0-0 l:i:eS 1 1 .�d3 g5 12 .�g3 ttJh5

1 3.�e5 ttJxe5 14.ttJxe5 �xe5!? Bad is 1 4 . . . f6 ? (Tuzhik-Y. Grachev, Novosibirsk 2 00 7 ) on account of 1 5 . tLlc4 dxc4 1 6 Jhc4+ e6 1 7 .g4±. 1 5 .dxe5 �c7

1 S .�e2 ttJg7 1 7.h4 g4 Undoubtedly, Black does not wish to open lines on the side where his king is castled, but even after 1 7 . . . 'iYxes nothing deadly for Black is apparent, for example: 1 8 .hxgs hxgs 1 9 .94 tLle6 2 0 .'iYc2 4Jf8 2 1 .4Ja4 �e6 22 .4Jb6 Mad8 2 3 . .l::!.d4oo. 1 S.�a4 h5

1 9.e4 d4 20.'lWxd4 ttJeS 21 .'iVe3 �xe5

22.ttJa4 ttJf4 23 .�f1 �eS 24.g3 tLjg6

25.ttJbS J::radSoo Black has sufficient counter play (Komliakov) ;

D2 2) 7_g5 S.�g3 ttJh5 9.e3 From a practical point of view at least, 9 .�es ! ? is more dangerous for Black, because after 9 . . .f6 1 0 .�g3 es l 1 .e3 tLlxg3 1 2 .hxg 3 e4 1 3 .tLld2 fs 1 4.'iYhs+ ( 1 4.�e2 4Jf6°O) 1 4 . . . <Jite7 his king has had to take to its heels , which is always unpleasant. 9 ... ttJxg3 10.hxg3 �g7 1 1 .�d3 e5 1 2.�f5 e4

The chances are equal.

Back to the position after the main move: 6. h2-h3

A) It is possible to attack the pawn on cs : S ... bS!? 7.b4 The pawn on cs must be

1 8 5


defended, otherwise White's whole set-up loses its point. 7 .cxb6 is totally harmless because of 7 . . . 'iYxb6 8 .e3 as 9 .Ad3 Aa6 1 0 . 0 -0 e6 I I .Axa6 'i'xa6 1 2 .'i'c2 Ad6 1 3 .e4 lUxe4 1 4.lUxe4 dxe4 I s .lUgS lUf6 1 6 .lUxe4 lUxe4 1 7 .1i'xe4 0 -0= Stocek-Keitlinghaus, Budapest 1 996 . 7 ... a5

B.b5 This mini-break is also seen in the classical Queen's Gambit . But in this version, it is not dangerous for Black and only leads to exchanges. B ... iLb7 9.'lIfa4 Black is better after 9 . cxb6 e6 1 0 .e 3 cS 1 1 .i1l.e2 cxd4 1 2 .4Jxd4 i1l.b4 1 3 .i1l.d2 0-0 1 4 . 0-0 4Jxb6 I S .a3 i1l.d6 1 6 .�b3 i1l.c7 1 7 JHc l �d6� Vasilevich-Foisor, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 . 9 ... 'iYcB

1 0.e4 White must play energetically ; if Black can stabilise his position, he sol ves all his problems. 1 0 .. .t2:Jxe4

1 Vl:lxe4 dxe4 12 .ttJe5 ttJxe5 1 3 .dxe5 e6

As well as this developing move , there is also 1 3 . . . bxcS ! ? , for instance : 1 4 .Ae3 e6 I S .ihe4 c4 1 6 .Axc4 Ab4+ 1 7 .Wfl 0 -0 1 8 .b6 cS 1 9 .'i'c2 a4 20 .a3 (or 2 0 .£d3 i1l.a6) 20 . . . �aS with a doubleedged position (Komliakov) . 1 4.bxc6 iLxc6 1 5 .iLb5 iLxb5 1 6 .�xb5+ 'lIfd7

1 7.�xd7+ >i.>xd7 1 B.cxb6 iLc5 (Nguyen Chi Minh-Schandorff, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 /04) , and here White

1 86

can obtain slightly better chances by means of 1 9.iLe3 .�xe3 20.fxe3 nabS 21 .0-0 >i.>e7 22.l::lab1 I1hcB 23.l:!.b5 l:lb7 24JUb1 l::lc6 25.'.t>h2 f5 26.exf6+ gxf6:!: ;

B) 6 ... g6!? 7.iLf4 iLg7 B.e3 0-0 9.�d3

9 .Ae2 lUe4 1 0 .lUxe4 dxe4 1 1 .t2:ld2 eS 1 2 .dxeS lUxcs 1 3 . lUc4 �e6= Chebanenko. 9 .. ,t2JeB 1 0.0-0 ttJc7 . . . l:1e8, . . . eS Chebanenko.

6. ... 'iVd8-c7

The main move: it is logical to occupy the key diagonal. Now Black is ready to ad

vance.

7. �c1 -g5 A) Black can now avoid the main lines

by playing 7 ... h6 !? B.iLh4 ttJh5 Worse is 8 . . . gS ? ! 9 .�g3 'i'aS 1 0 .4Jd2 �g7 I l .e3 'li'd8 1 2 .�e2 b6 1 3 .M as 1 4.a3 .ib7 1 5 . 0 -0 0-0 1 6 .t2:l b3t SundararajanVolkov, Internet 2 0 0 5 . 9.g4 The restrained 9 .e3 does not cause Black particular trouble, for example: 9 . . . gS 1 0 .ttJd2 gxh4 (also good is 1 0 . . . t2:ldf6 ! ? I l . g4 gxh4 1 2 .gxhS eS 1 3 .t2:lf3 e4 1 4.lUxM :ctg8 I S .'i'e2 .fie7 1 6 .t2:lg2 b6 1 7 . cxb6 'li'xb6 1 8 .lUf4 jtd6= Komliakov) 1 1 .iI'xhS eS 1 2 .'li'xM iLg7 1 3 .iI' g3 0-0 draw (Bellon LopezFernandez Romero, Campillos 2007) . 9 ... g5 1 0.gxh5 gxh4

In this non-standard position, White has a number of dangerous plans , but Black can always fmd some sort of counterplay. A I ) 1 1 .e4 This move only looks aggres

sive - from e4, the white knight will not have great prospects. 11 ... dxe4 1 2.lbxe4 �g7 13 .ttJc3 White effectively acknowledges his error, but even after 1 3 .i1Lc4 ! ? 'i'f4 1 4 .'iI'e2 \t>fS 1 5 .'ife3 'il'xe 3+ 1 6 .fxe3 It'lf6 1 7 .tUxf6 i1Lxf6 I S . e4 ligS 1 9 .Wf2 e5 ! � Black has sufficient counterplay (Komliakov) . 1 3 ... ttJfS

14.�c4 'lIif4 1 5.iVe2 �f5 1 S .)1g1 0-0 In fact, Black can already take the initiative : 1 6 . . . tUxh5 ! ? 1 7 J:ldl lidS I S .'if e3 �f6� Komliakov. 1 7.�e3 tbxh5 1 S.ttJe5

�h7 1 9,1ue2 �xe3 20.fxe3 jLxe5 21 .dxe5

J:tadS 22.ttJd4 eS 23.:1:1f1 jLgS 24.0-0-0

Ii.lg3 25.J::tf4 ttJf5= I. Sokolov-Malakhov, Selfoss 2 00 3 ;

A2) 1 1 .e3 e5 1 2.tt1xh4 exd4 The more ambitious 1 2 . . . ,UgS ! ? deserves consideration, for instance: 1 3 .'iI'f3 e4 1 4 .�e2 b6 1 5 .cxb6 tUxb6 1 6 .�d2 i1Ld6 1 7 .tUg2 �e7t Komliakov. 1 3.exd4 �e7 1 3 . . . iVf4? ! is not good because of 1 4.tUg2 ii'f6 1 5 .�e2+ \t>dS I 6 . 0 -0-0 i1Lg7 1 7 .tUe3 ! ± . 14.liJg2 .6[gS 15 .Vi:Vd2 ttJfS 1S .ttJe3 ttJeSoo

with a double-edged position (Komliakov) ; A3) 1 1 .11g1 Definitely the most poison

ous move.

Chapter 2 1 : Flexibility: 5 . . . �bd7 6.h3

11 ... bS The idea of exchanging rooks on g 7 , at the cost of several tempi, is not justified : 1 1 . . .lih7 1 2 .e3 lig7 1 3 .'uxg7 i1Lxg7 1 4.liJxh4 b6 1 5 .'iVg4 i1LfS 1 6 .cxb6 'il'xb6 1 7 . 0-0 -0 'ubS I S . 'ud2 tUf6 1 9 .�f3 ± Guseva-Stefanova, Sochi 2005 . 1 2.cxbS 'lWxbS 13 .'lWd2 libS 14.0-0-0 eS 15 .�c2 Wic7 1S.e3 �e7 17.1:rg7

This move is reminiscent of the ice-hockey ploy, of knocklng the puck deep into the opposing half of the rink: the rook is not really attacking anything of significance, but it gives Black something to worry about! 1 7 ... c5 1S.dxc5 .�fS

1 9.1ig4 'lWxc5 20.tbd4 tbe5 21 .1:;[g 1 The 'puck' has to return home after all. Even so, White's chances are superior, since the black king will not find a safe home for some time to come. 21 ... ttJcS 22.tbb3 'lI!VbS

23.tba4 'lWc7 24.wb1 i&d7 25.a3 'lWe5 2S .ttJac5;t Zhukova-Stefanova , Elista 2 0 04;

B) Instead of 7 . . . e5 or 7 . . . h6, the impatient knight leap into e4 is dubious: 7 .• ttJe4 S.ttJxe4 White gets nothing from S .i1Lh4 'i' as 9 .e3 ligS 1 0 . 'i' c2 g 5 I l .i1Lg3 tUxg3 1 2 .fxg3 e5 1 3 .dxe5 tUxc5= Komliakov. S ... dxe4 9.ttJd2 f5

Black does not really have full compensation for the pawn after 9 . . . h6 1 0 .i1Lh4 e3

I S 7


1 1 . fx e3 4:Jf 6 1 2..�f2. 1 O.e3 g6 1 1 . .iLc4

.iLg7 12.'i¥b3 The weakness of the a2-gS diagonal gives Black some problems, for example: 1 2 ... b5 1 3 . .iLgS tLlf6 14.'i¥f7+ cbd7

15 .ii.xh7!+- Vasilevich-Stefanova, Antalya 2 0 0 2 .

Back to the position after 7 . �gS . 7. ... e7-e5

a. e2-e3

Doubling the pawns with S .�xf6 gxf6 is not too frightening for Black, for instance : 9 .e3 fs 1 0 .4:Jh4 4:Jf6 1 1 .iLe2 4:Je4 1 2 .4:Ja4 �e6 1 3 .4:Jf3 exd4 1 4.exd4 �h6 I S .0 -0 0-0 1 6 .l::te 1 <;t>hS+ CramlingStefanova, Hyderabad 2002 .

a. ... �fa-e7

9. £f1 -e2

White also has the cunning move 9.�h4 , threatening an unpleasant pin from the square g 3 . Probably Black then has to clarify the situation of the eS pawn: 9 . . . exd4 (Black has a rather prospectless position after 9 . . . e4 1 0 .4:Jd2 ( 1 0 .�g3 ! ?) 1 0 . . . 0 -0 1 l .�e2 l::teS 1 2 . 0-0 4:JfS 1 3 .b4 h6 1 4 .a4 tLl6h7 I S .�g3 'lWdS 1 6 .bS± Kazhgaleev-R. Kozlov, Pavlodar 2006 ) 1 0 .exd4 b 6 I l . cx b6 'lWxb6 1 2 .l::tb 1 cS . The position is full of life, although in the follOWing example, Black was outplayed: 1 3 .�e2 cxd4 1 4.t2Jxd4 �c5

1 8 S

l s .tZlfS g6 1 6 .b4 iLxM 1 7 .0-0 'laS

I S . .ttxM 'i"xM 1 9 .tLlxd5 tbxd5 2 0 .�xd5 gxf5 2 1 .�xaS 0-0 n..igS �b 7 2 3 .'i"a7 tLle5 24.'i'e3 ± C. Hansen-S.B. Hansen, Malmo 2003 .

9 . ... 0-0

Or 9 . . . h6 1 0 .�h4 exd4 I l .exd4 b6

1 2 .cxb6 'i"xb6 1 3 .0 -0 0-0 1 4.lLla4 'ie7 I S .l':c 1 i Sundararajan-Neelotpal, Visakhapatnam 2 0 04 .

1 0. 0-0 .!:!.fa-ea

The problems are not fully solved by 1 0 ... exd4 1 1 .exd4 .t:leS 1 2.�d3 tbfS 13 .'i'd2

tLlh5 14J:tfe1 .iLe6

1 5.�xe7 Better than 1 5 . �e3 , although even here, after 1 5 . . . lt'lg6 1 6 .lt'le2 �c8 1 7 .�c2 Jtd8 ( 1 7 . . . Jtxh3 ! ? I S . gxh3 'l:!fxh3 1 9 .tLlg3 ( 1 9 .ihg6 fxg6 20 .tiJeS )lfs 2 l ..l:i'.ad 1 �h 4 2 2 . lIn :tIf5 +t) 1 9 . . . tZJxg3 20 .fx.g3 'i"xg3 + 2 1 .'Ii'g2;t) I S .tLle5;;!; Black never fully equalised, Avrukh-Svetushkin, Calvia 2004) . 1 5 ... l1xe7 1 6 . .t:le5 tLlf6 1 7.J!j,ae1 J:[aeS 1S.b4

tLlg6 1 9.ii.xg6 hxg6 20.a4 �f5 21 .g4;1; Black's position is passive, but solid.

1 1 . Wid1 -c2

1 1 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 2 .ru4 liJfd7 1 3 .dxe5 t2Jxe5 1 4 .l:k 1 �f5 1 5 .�g4 �g6 1 6 .Wh 1 ( 1 6 .tLla4 1 ? �f6 1 7 .�b3 �e7=) 1 6 . . . :tadS ( 1 6 . . . �xc5 ! ? 1 7 .�xe5 'i'xeS 1 8 .f4 'lWd6 1 9 .f5 �xf5 20 .hf5 g6

2 1 . i.d3 f5 with compensation, Kornliakov) 1 7 .�xe5 'lixe5 I S .f4 'lixe3 1 9 .f5 �xc5 2 0 .fxg6 hxg6 2 1 .tLle2 �d6 with good attacking chances (Sundararaj an-Wei Chenpeng, Moscow 2005 ) .

1 1 . . .. h7-h6

Releasing the tension in the centre with 11 ... e4?! is not favourable for Black because of:

A) 1 2.�f4 'iVdB 13 .tiJe5 It may well be better not to exchange knights : 1 3 .tLld2 ttJfs 1 4.M h6 1 5 . a4 g5 1 6 .�2 ttJg6 1 7 .f3 exf3 1 s . tLlxf3 �e6 1 9 .�d3 tLlfS 20 .tLle5± Shumiakina-Molchanova, St Petersburg 2 0 0 3 . 1 3 ... /tJxe5 14.�xe5 �f5

15.b4 tiJd7 1 6.�h2 �g6 1 7.a4 f5 1 B.b5 �g5

19.bxc6 bxc6 20.a5 'iVf6 2UiVa4 tiJxc5

22.dxc5 'iVxc3 23.'iVxc6 �f7 24.�xa6 d4

25.exd4 (Navara-V. Georgiev, Plovdiv 2003 ) . White has the advantage, even after the strongest reply 25 ... e3 26.fxe3

.be3+ 27.'�t h 1 �xd4 2B.k:ac1 'iVxa5

29.�c4;t;

B) Also possible is 1 2./tJd2 tLlfS 1 3 .kf4 'i'dS 1 4.illi2 i.e6 1 5 .M tLlg6 1 6 .a4 ltJd7 1 7 .tLl b3 (it seems that another plan is preferable : 1 7 .b5 ! ? �g5 I S .bxa6 bxa6 1 9 .gab 1 ;t Komliakov) 1 7 . . .f5 I S .tLla5

Chapter 2 1 : Flexibility: 5 . . . <8bd7 6.h3

'i'cs 1 9 .b5 �dS 2 0 .bxc6 bxc6 2 1 .tLlb3 �c7 00 Kobylkin-Vysochin , Kharkov 2 0 04 .

1 2. �g5-h4 e5xd4

1 3 . e3xd4 ttJf6-h5

14. �h4xe7 .l:!.e8xe7

15 . .l'1f1-e1 ttJd7-f8

1 6 . �e2-f1 ttJh5-f4

1 7. ttJc3-e2 ttJf4-g6

1 8. ttJe2-g3 �c8-e6

1 9. b2-b4 .l:!.a8-e8

20. a2-a4 �e6-d7

21 . 'li'c2-d2 l:te7xe1

22. .l":ta1 xe1 .l:!.e8xe1 =

As a result of a series of exchanges, Black has weakened to the greatest possible extent his opponent's threats connected with the advance b4-b5 (SundararajanVolkov, Dubai 2 0 0 5 ) .

Conclusion

White's 6th move alternatives after 5 . . . tLlbd7 do not represent any real danger, since they do not fulfil White's principal task, posed by his opponent's 5 th move, namely the battle for control of e5 . We have already seen a number of times how important this square is in the 5 .c5 -variation.

I S9

Chapter 22

Flexibil ity: 5 . . . tLJbd7 6.�f4

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.tL'\g1 -f3 tLlgS-fS 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-aS 5.c4-c5 tLib8-d7 S.�c1 -f4

We have already seen the bishop developed to this square. In this particular variation, White has already clarified the central pawn structure, and so it is easier for Black to work out a plan of counterplay. In most cases, this involves preparing the advance . . . e7-eS, and with this in mind, Black often drives the bishop from f4, by playing . . . CiJf6-hS.

• • •

Now, 6 ... lUh5 is the main line, to which we will return further on but Black also has another, more patient plan. 6 ... g6 7.e3 �g7and now:

1 9 0

A) S.£.e2 0-0 It is also possible to exchange the enemy bishop without delay: 8 . . . tLlhS 9 . 0-0 CiJxf4 1 0 .exf4 0-0 1 1 .l':!.el ne8 1 2 .�d3 CiJf8 1 3 .�a4 f6 (preparation of the advance . . . e7 -eS is the main leitmotif for Black in this position) 1 4.g3 �g4 l S .CiJh4 �d7 1 6 .�b3 'ub8 1 7 .f5 ! ? gS 1 8 .CiJf3 e6 19 .fxe6 �xe6 2 0 .'i'c2

�g4 2 1 . Ihe8 �xe8 2 2 .'ue 1 'i'hS 2 3 .tLld2 'ue8= Black has solved his opening problems and has a perfectly satisfac

tory game (Nicoara-Zhukova, Batumi 1 999) . 9.h4 h5 1 0.lUe5 'il'a5 1 H !Yd2 1Llxe5

1 2.�xe5 lUeS 1 3.bg7 lUxg 7 14.0-0-0 b6 In

timely fashion, Black opens a second front on the queenside. 1S .cxbS J::i:b8

1S .g4 hxg4 1 7.ndg1 :!'l:xbS 1 8.b3 A complicated position with mutual chances results from 1 8 .�xg4 i1I.xg4 1 9 Jhg4 .l:!.fb8°o Komliakov. 18 . . �fS 1 9.fLia4?? A terrible mistake, ending the game just when it was at its most interesting. 1 9 .. .'liha4-+ Dolgopolova-Babei , Chisinau 2 0 0 7 ;

B) 8.h3 Without this prophylactic move, White would constantly have to reckon with the move .. /L'lhS . 8 ... 0-0 The following game shows that Black should not hurry to force matters : 8 . . . tiJe4 9.tLJxe4 dxe4 1 0 .tiJd2 eS I I .dxeS gS 12 .i1I.g 3 tiJxcs 1 3 . 'ii' c2 tiJd3 + 1 4 .i1I.xd3 exd3 I S . 'ii' cS i1I.e6 1 6 . tiJe4 'iV dS 1 7 .'ii'xdS i1I.xdS l 8 .tbd6+ rJ;;;e7 1 9 .e4 ke6 20 .�d2 ± Agzamov-Itkis, Yerevan 1 9 8 1 .

A critical position, in which White has a wide choice of sensible developing moves.

B 1) 9.�d3 The bishop is frequently misplaced on this square : it is exposed to the threat of the fork . . . eS -e4, and can be attacked by the enemy knight from eS or cS .

Bl l ) In the following game, Black follows the tried and trusted scheme: he

Chapter 2 2 : FleXibility: 5 . . . �bd7 6.£f4

prepares the central advance . . . e7 -eS and after a series of exchanges , he equalises the game: 9 . . . J::i:e8 1 0.�h2 liJf8

1 1 .0-0 li'lSd7 12 .J::!e1 eS 1 3.liJxeS tLlxeS

14.dxeS �xeS 1S .l:tc1 �bh2+ 1 S .<;i;>xh2

'li'fS 1 7.'li'f3 'li'xf3 1 8.gxf3 <;1;>g7=

Mikhalchishin-Burmakin, Nova Gorica 2 0 0 5 ;

B 1 2) 9 ... liJe8 1 0.0-0 liJc7 1 1 .e4?! Better is 1 1 .t2Ja4 J:[e8 1 2 .i1I.gS tiJbS 1 3 .'ii'd2;;!;. 11 . . . dxe4?! Black could solve all his problems with the aid of a small tactic: 1 1 . . .tiJe6 ! 1 2 .i1I.e3 tiJdxcS 1 3 . exdS cxdS 1 4 .dxcS d4 l S .tiJxd4 i1I.xd4= Komliakov. 1 2.�xe4 fLifS 1 3.�c2 tLlcdS 14.�eS hS

1 S .�b3! Tsatsalashvili-Butuc , Urgup 2004 .

B2) 9.'li'c2 and now: B2 1 ) ReleaSing the blockade on the

queens ide does not give Black full equality: 9 ... bS 10.cxbS 'iYxbS 1 1 .�d3 cS 1 2.0-0

cxd4 1 3.exd4 ��b7 14.liJa4 'li'a7 1 S.b4 :!'l:fc8

1 S.'li'b3 tZJe4 1 7.li'lcS tLJexcS 18.bxcS �cS

1 9.J::!.ab1 Also good is 1 9 . rue 1 ! ? tiJxcs 20 .dxcS i1I.xa l 2 1 .11xa l 'i¥xcs 2 2 .11cl 'ii'aS 2 3 .tiJeS;;!; Komliakov. 19 ... eS

20.liJxeS liJxeS 21 .�xeS �xeS 22.dxeS

'iVxcs 23.J:Hc1 'Wd4 24.�c3 'li'f4 (draw, San Segundo-Malakhov, Sanxenxo tt 2004) 2S.l:tb4!;

B22) 9 . . . l:te8 10 .�e2 liJhS 1 1 .�h2 eS

1 2.dxeS liJxeS 1 3 .tLld4 liJfS 14.0-0 liJe4

1S .li'lxe4 dxe4 1S .'li'xe4? Stronger is 1 6 .l:!.fd l ! ? 'ii'e 7 l 7 .l:!.ac l ;;!; . 1 S ... liJg4

1 7.VWd3 tLlxh2 l 7 . . . tiJxe3 ! 1 8 . fxe3 l:!.xe3 1 9 . tiJxc6 iVe8=t= Komliakov. 1 8.<;i;>xh2

'iYh4 1 8 . . . i1I.xd4 ! ? = Komliakov. 1 9J:rad1 ! H. Hansen-Tozer, Copenhagen 2 0 0 0 ;

B2 3 ) 9 ... tLle8 The best. 1 0.£e2

1 9 1


1 0 ... e51 1 1 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 12 .dxe5 'fJe7 1 3 .0-0 '!Wxc5 14.'!Wd2 '!We7 15 .e4 dxe4 1 6 .tLlxe4 �xe5 1 7.�g5?! 1 7 JHe l ! ? �4 1 8 .'iYxf4 �e6 + . 1 7 . . . f6 1 8.�e3 tLld6 1 9.tLlxd6 �xd6+ Khalifman-Bacrot , Moscow 2 0 0 5 ;

B 3 ) 9.11c1 tLle8 Again this modest retreat gains in strength compared with the more ambitious 9 . . . tLie4 1 0 .�e2 tLixc3 1 1 .11xc3 f6 1 2 .0-0 eS 1 3 .�h2 e4 1 4.tLid2 f5 1 5 .�d6 ge8 1 6 .b4± Evdokimov-Kon. Lakhno, Samara 2 0 04 . 1 0.b4 tLlc7 11 .�e2 Me8 1 2.0-0 tLlb5 13 .a4

tLlxc3 14.Mxc3 e5 1 5 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 6.tLld4

'il!Vf6 17.�g3 tLld7 18.�d6 tLlf8 19J�b3 tLle6

20.tLlf3 tLlg5 21 .tLlxg5 'il!Vxg5 22.�f4 'iYf6

23.b5 axb5 24.axb5 �f8 25.'ifc1 :a2

26.�d3 �f5 27 .. ihf5 '!Wxf5 28.'il!Vb1 'il!Vxb1

29.:fxb1 = Erdos-Burmakin, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 7 ;

B4) 9.g4

1 92

Of course , there are many ways to play chess , but this move is hard to understand. Black is preparing a central blow, so why voluntarily weaken the flank? 9 ... tLle4 1 0.t2Jxe4 dxe4 1 1 .tLld2 e5 12.dxe5

tLlxc5 Superfluous exchanges just leave Black in an endgame with a frozen queenside: 1 2 . . . tLixeS 1 3 .�xeS �xe5 1 4 . tLixe4 ( 1 4 .'ii'c2 ! ?OO Komliakov) 1 4 . . . �xb2 ( 1 4 . . . �e6 ! ? l S .'I/i'xd8 llaxd8 1 6 .tLic3 fS+ Komliakov) I S .'iWxd8 11xd8 1 6 .gb l ge8 1 7 . f3 �eS 1 8 .�c4;t Kahn-M. Ionescu, Budapest 2000 . 1 3.tLlc4 �e6+ Both with queens on and with them off, Black has the better chances (Komliakov) ; BS) 9.b4 is a more sensible move than

9 .g2-g4. BS 1) Rather slow is 9 .. Jle8 10.�e2 tLlh5

1 Ull.h2 e5 1 2.lt�xe5 tUxe5 13 .il.xh5 gxh5

Black also has an interesting piece sacrifice: 1 3 . . . tLic4 ! ? 1 4 .�e2 tLixe3 1 5 .fxe3 ldxe3 Komliakov. 14.dxe5 'lifh4 1 5.'i'c14

'lifg5 16 .�f1 �xe5 1 7 . .l1l.xe5 �xe5 with equality, Galin-Idrisova, Ufa 2004 ;

BS2) But the standard counterplay with 9 ... tLle4!? seems stronger.

For example : 10.tUa4 1 0 .'iYc l ttJdxcS 1 1 . bxcS 'iY as also slightly favours Black. 1 0 ... a5 1 1 .b5 e5 1 2.�xe5 tUxe5 13.dxe5

'life7+ Komliakov.

B6) 9.11.e2 and now: B6 1) 9 ... J::l.e8 is another way to prepare

. . . e S : 1 0.0-0 tiJf8 1 1 .b4 ( 1 1 .'iYb3 tLl6d7 1 2 .e4 GLle6 1 3 .ile3 dxe4 1 4.tLlxe4 GLlf6 1 5 .lLlc3 CiJc7 1 6 .�f4 CiJcdS 1 7 .�eS lla7 1 8 .�c4 �e6 1 9 .tLl g S ;t MycMalikgulyew, Zagan 1 9 9 7 . 11 . . . tiJ6d7

12.'l!Vd2 e5 1 3.tiJxe5 tiJxe5 14.11.xe5 £Lxe5

15.dxe5 a5 1 6.a3 WHe7 1 7.f4 :!:ld8 1 7 .. .f6 1 8 .e4± Komliakov. 1 8Jlad1 l S . .§i.d3 =t= 1 8 ... axb4 1 9.axb4;l; Izeta-Burmakin, Cappelle la Grande 1 99 S ; B62) The queenside break i s less effec

tive: 9 ... b6 1 0 .cxb6 'iYxb6 1 1 .�c2 cS 1 2 .0-0 cxd4 1 3 .exd4 �b7 1 4.CiJa4 'iYa7 lS .b4 llacS 1 6 .'iYb3 .§i.c6 1 7 .tLlcS .§i.bS 1 8 .�xbS a.'CbS 1 9 .a4 CiJxcs 2 0 .bxcS bxa4 2 Uha4;t Movsziszian-Foisor, Lorca 200 1 ; B63) White retains a small endgame

advantage after 9 ... tiJe4 1 0 .0 -0 eS l 1 .lLlxeS 4Jxc3 1 2 .bxc3 GLlxeS 13 . .§i.xeS .ixe5 1 4.dxeS tteS l S .�d4 'iYe7 1 6 .£4 f6 1 7 . exf6 'iYxe3 + I S .l::rfI 'iYxd4 1 9 .cxd4;t Bareev-Burmakin, Elista 1 9 9 5 ; B64) 9 ... tiJe8 I t was precise I y this knight

retreat on which Chebanenko set his hopes. Black slowly but surely prepares . . . e7 -eS . And even though the resulting positions are slightly more pleasant for White, it is a perfectly playable line.

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: S . . . <Llbd7 6 .�4

B64 1 ) 1 0.0-0 tiJc7 1 1 .b4 l:le8 1 2.WHd2 e5

13 .tiJxe5 tiJxe5 14.dxe5 11.xe5 15.11.xe5

J::txe5 1 6.e4 a5 1 7.a3 axb4 1 7 . . . 'iYf6 ! ? deserves attention, for instance: 1 8 .f4 l:IeS 1 9 .eS 'iYh4 2 0 .CiJa4 axb4 2 1 .'iYxb4 �fS + P. Horvath-Burmakin, Balaguer 2 0 0 S . 1 8.axb4 l:lxa1 1 9.1ha1 'i!Vf6 20.exd5

White can force the exchange of queens, but with accurate defence , this plan is not dangerous for Black: 2 0 .11 d l dxe4 2 1 .�dS+ �xdS 2 2 . 11xdS+ lleS 23 .11xeS+ tLlxe8 24.4Jxe4 ile6 2 s . f4 CiJc7 2 6 .tLlc3 c;t>g7 (in one game, I incautiously exchanged knights , but the bishop endgame turned out to be highly unpleasant: 2 6 . . . CiJdS 2 7 .4JxdS ilxd5 2 s . c;t>fI f6 29 . .§i.g4 fs 3 0 .ile2 c;t>f7 3 1 .g3 c;t>e6 3 2 .c;t>e3 �g2 3 3 .ilc4+ .§i.dS 34 .�f1 h6 3 S .h4 hS 3 6 .c;t>d4 �h 1 3 7 .b S ± Shirov-Bologan, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 2 / 9 3 ) 2 7 . c;t>fI h6 2 S .c;t>e3 fs 2 9 .h4 c;t>f6 3 0 .g3 ilb3= Izeta-Magem Badal s, Zaragoza 1 994. 20 .. Jl:xd5 White has a small advantage after 2 0 . . . l::rxe2 2 1 .'iYxe2 'iYxc3 22 .11d 1 cxdS 2 3 .'iYe7 'iYb3 24 . . tHl tLle6 2 S .'iYeS+ c;t>g7 2 6 .'iYxcS 'iYxb4 2 7 .c6;t . 2U!li'c1 l:td4 22.b5 '.t>g7= Gelfand-Shirov, Linares 1 994;

B642) 1 0.b4 tiJc7 1 1 .0-0 :!:le8 12 . .Iil.g5 a5

13.a3 b6

1 93


1 4.cxb6 This exchange eases Black's defence. More unpleasant for him is 1 4 .'iiVc2 ! ? bs l S .�d3;t Komliakov. 14 . ..ltJxb6 1 S .�b3 �a6 1 6.iLxa6 l'ixa6

1 7/bd2 a4 Or 1 7 . . . axb4! ? 1 8 . axb4 fVa8 1 9 .Mxa6 'iYxa6= Komliakov. 1 B.�c2 �d7 1 9.1:ac1 �cB 20.�d3 �aaB 21 .�f4

ttJbS 22.ttJcb1 f6 23.ttJf3 0,c4 24.tbfd 2 ttJb6

2S.ttJf3= Hulak-Ibragimov, Dj akovo 1 994; B643) 1 0.�h2 ttJc7 1 1 .0-0 J"l:eB 1 2.ttJa4

Breaking in the centre does not really give White anything , since his opponent is excellently prepared: 1 2 . e4 dxe4 1 3 .4Jxe4 4Jf6 1 4 .4Jc3 4JfdS l S .�eS �xeS (less accurate is 1 S . . . �h6 1 6.�c4 �e6 1 7 .'l'!'b3 4JbS 1 8 .Mfe 1 �d7 1 9 .4Je4 Mad8 2 0 .a4 4Ja7 2 1 . 4JegS �fS 2 2 . �g3 f6 2 3 .4Je4 �h8 24.Mad 1 ;t Sher bakov -Shirov, Moscow 1 9 9 3 ) 1 6 .ttJxeS ttJf4 1 7 .Me 1 �e6 1 8 .iYd2 4Jxe2 + 1 9 . 1:!.xe2 f6 2 0 .tnf3 'l'!'d7 2 1 .4Ja4 4JdS=. 1 2 ... eS There i s no point in delaying this central blow: 1 2 . . . f6 1 3 .'l'!'b3 �h8 1 4.4Jb6 ( 1 4 .l:!.ad 1 does not prevent Black's plan : 1 4 . . . eS 1 S . dxeS fxeS 1 6 .e4 d4 1 7 .Mcl ttJe6 1 8 .Mfd 1 Wie7 1 9 .Wic2 Mf8 2 0 .Mfl ttJf4 �

Ahlander-Schandorff, Hillerod 1 9 9 S ) 1 4 . . . ttJxb6 l s .Wixb 6 4Je6 1 6 .Wib 3 ;t Komliakov. 1 3 .ttJb6 ttJxb6 14.cxb6 ttJe6

1S .. beS �xb6 16 .iLxg7 1 6 .Wi c2 ! ? Wi d8 1 7 .Mfe 1 �xeS 1 8 . ttJxeS . 1 6 ... ttJxg7

1 7.�d2 ttJfS 1 B.b4 Worthy of consideration is 1 8 .4JeS ! ? f6 1 9 . 4Jd3 4Jd6 2 0 . 4JcS . 1B ... ttJd6 1 9.�c3 iLfS 20.a4!?

2 0 . 4Jd2 (Elianov-Dovzik, Simferopol 2 0 0 3 ) 2 0 . . . 4JbS 2 1 . �xb S axbS+) 20 ... ttJe4 21 .'ifb3 f6 22.iLd3=

In this typical Carlsbad structure, the chances of the two sides are roughly equal.

1 94

White will try to develop a minority at

tack, whilst Black retains control over the central square e4 and gradually prepares a

kingside attack.

N ow we come to the main move. S. ... ttJfS-h5

First the minor alternatives for White: A) 7.iLd2 Sometimes the bishop re

treats , simply to gain time on the clock after 7 . . . 4Jhf6 8 .�f4.

A I ) 7 ... g6 Black wishes to utilize his op-ponent's rather slow approach.

A l l ) An equal game results from S.h3

�g 7 9 .g4 4Jhf6 1 0 .�f4 hS , for e.xample: 1 1 .Mg 1 hxg4 1 2 .hxg4 b 6 1 3 .cxb6 'i'xb6 1 4 .'l'!'b3 'l'!'aS l S .'iYa4 'iYxa4=, chaw (Stohl-Bologan, Chalkidiki 1 992) ; A 1 2) B.e3 �g7 9 .�e2 ttJhf6 1 0 .0-0

0-0 1 1 .�d3 Me8 1 2 .4Ja4 eS 1 3 .dxe5 ttJxeS 1 4 .4JxeS MxeS 1 S .i.c3 J::te8

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: S . A . lbd7 6 .�4

1 6 .etJb6 kib8 1 7 .�d4 tDd7 . . . QQ eS= 1 8 .kifc 1 VJfia7 1 9 .�f1 a4 20 .VJfia3 Knaak-Chebanenko; A 1 3 ) 8.e4!? dxe4 9.tLlxe4

And now: A 1 3 1 ) 9 ... tLldfS 10.tLlxfS+ Black has good

counterplay after 1 0 .tDc3 �g4 1 1 .�e3 tDg7 1 2 .�c4 �e6 1 3 .�e2 tDfs 1 4.�f4 <1:JdS 1 S .�eS f6 1 6.�g3 hS 1 7 .�d3 tDb4 1 8 .ihfS LfS 1 9 .0 -0 gS 20 .h4 g4 2 1 .etJe l = Sherbakov-Y. Ivanov, Elista 1 9 94. 10.Juxf6 Also possible is 1 0 . . . exf6 1 1 .�c4 �e7+ 1 2 .�e3 �h6 (inferior is 1 2 . . . tDg7 1 3 . 0-0 �e6 1 4.Le6 tDxe6 I S .dS cxdS 16 .iixdS VJfid7 1 7 . .l:!.ad l VJfixdS 1 8 . .l:!.xd5± C. Hansen-Hellsten, Malmo 1 9 96) 1 3 .'iVb3 0-0 1 4.0-0 he3 I S .fXe3 �g4 1 6 .tDd2 Mad8 1 7 .VJfic3 llfe8 1 8 .kife l tDg7= BelovVolkov, Korinthos 2004. 1 1 .�c4 �g7 White is better in the variation l 1 . . .�dS 1 2 .'iVb3 ( 1 2 .h3 �g7 1 3 .0-0 O-O;!;) 1 2 . . . �g7 1 3 .0-0 h6 14 . .l:!.fe l 0-0 I S .tDe5 kia7 1 6 .�d3 VJfic7 1 7 .�c2 .l:!.a8 1 8 .VJfig3 �d7 1 9 .�e4 .l:i:ae8 20 .a4 �e6 2 1 .'iVh4 hS 22 .kia3;!; (S. Savchenko-Sergeev, Alushta 1 999) 22 . . . M6 23 .�g3 h4 24.�f3 h3 2S .�xdS± . 12 .0-0 0-0 see lautierMalakhov, Poikovsky 2004; A 1 32) 9._�g7 10.�c4 0-0 1 1 .0-0 White

achieved a small advantage after I I .tDegS t2:df6 1 2 .h3 tDdS 1 3 .'1lVb3 h6 14.tDe4 t2Jhf6 IS .t2:lg3 bS 1 6.cxb6 �xb6 1 7 .0-0 as

Keitlinghaus, Germany Bundesliga 1 995/96 . 11 ... tLldfS l 1 . . .eS ? looks too dangerous: 1 2 . tDd 6 exd4 1 3 . tDxf7 l:ixf7 14.�+ <;txf7 1 S .�b3+ �f8 1 6.tDgS--+.

1 2.tLlxfS+ Of course, the knight on hS is poorly placed, and White does not really want to help it get back into play However, this variation shows that after the exchange on f6 , White retains all the advantages of his position. The retreat to c3 is also possible, but in this case, Black's task is easier: 1 2 .tDc3 �g4 1 3 .�e3 tDdS (another possibility is the ' super-solid' 1 3 . . . e6 1 4 .h3 �xf3 1 5 .VJfixf3 t2Jd5 1 6 .kiad l tDhf6 1 7 .�gS VJfic7 1 8 ..l:He l ;!; Sakaev-Zhukova, St Petersburg 1 9 94) 1 4 .�xdS cxdS 1 S .h3 �xf3 1 6 .VJfixf3 e6 1 7 .b4 �h4 1 8 .kiad l f5 1 9 . .l:i:fe l gS 2 0 .g4;!; Sapis-Zhukova, Koszalin 1 998 . A 1 3 2 1 ) Now, after the straightforward

1 2 •. tLlxfS White's initiative grows of its own accord: 1 3.'!i'b3 tLldS 1 3 . . . 'iVc7 1 4 .kife l (also not bad is 1 4.tDeS tDdS I S .�xdS cxdS 1 6 .'iVxdS �e6 1 7 .'iVe4 �xeS 1 8 .iYxeS iYxeS 1 9 .dxeS kifd8 2 0 .�gS <M8 2 1 .kife l .l:!.dS 22 .kiac l ;!;) 1 4 . . . �fS I S .tDeS e6 1 6 .h3 �e4 1 7 .�f4;j; ; or 1 3 . . . �g4 1 4.tDeS iYxd4 1 S .�xf7+ (this simple recapture is stronger than 1 S .�c3 �xcS 1 6. kife 1 lautier-

1 9 S


Malakhov, POikovsky 2 0 04, and here after 1 6 . . . e6 1 7 .iLb4 �a7 1 8 .iLxf8 .l"i:xf8°o a double-edged position could arise) 1 5 . . . �h8 1 6 .iLc3 �xc5 1 7 . .l"i:ae l ! t Black's position contains many weaknesses , and White's threats are very dangerous. 14.J:tfe1 .!J:eB 15 .ltJe5 'fJ.a7 1 S.11ad 1

.lll.eS 1 7.'iYg3;!; Peng ZhaoqinSheremetieva, Kishinev 1 9 95 ;

A I 322 ) 1 2 ... .lll.xfS 13 .'iVb3 'iVc7 Unconvincing is 1 3 . . . iLg4 1 4 .iLh6 tbg7 15 .0. e5 ± ; the d 4 pawn i s poisoned: 1 3 . . . Ld4 1 4.Uad l (it is also possible simply to take the bishop : 1 4 .tbxd4 �xd4 1 5 .�h6 tbg7 1 6 . .l"i:ad 1 �xc5 1 7 .iLxf7 + ! ±) 1 4 . . . �g4 1 5 .iLg5 ! LB O 1 6 .�xf3 �d7 ( 1 6 . . . 0.g7 1 7 . .l"i:fe l ±) 1 7 .�e4 e5 1 8 .'iI'xe5 1 8 . . . �xe5 1 9 .Uxd7± . 14JHe1 CiJg7 15.ghS! eS

1 5 . . . iLg4 1 6 .tbe5 iLxe5 1 7 . .l"i:xe 5 ± 1 S • .lll.g5 �xg5 1 7.CiJxg5± MikhalevskiSergeev, Kiev 1 99 5 .

Back to the position after 7 .iLd2 .

A2) On 7...Wfc7 the resolute 8 .e4 ! ? is unpleasant (White is promised less by 8 . g 3 g6 9 .iLg2 iLg7 1 0 . 0 -0 0-0 l 1 .iLg5 .l"i:e8 1 2 .�d2 f6 1 3 .iLh6;!;; Stohl-Vehcka, Prague 1 992) 8 . . . dxe4 9 .0.g5 ! 0.hf6 1 0 .iLc4 e6 l 1 .iLxe6 fxe6 1 2 .tbxe6 'iVb8 1 3 .£H4 'iVa7 1 4.'iVb3± ;

1 9 6

A3) Because of the hanging position of the knight on h5 , the attempt to initiate complications by means of 7 ... e5?! does not have the desired effect : B.CiJxe5! iZlxe5

9.dxe5 Wile7 White is better after 9 . . . �xcS 1 0 . e4 g60 1 1 .exd5 cxd5 1 2 .iLe2±.

A3 1 ) Now, the impatient 10.e4 allows Black to obtain fully adequate play: 1 0 ... 'i'xe5 1 1 . .lll.e2 CiJfS 1 2.exd5 CiJxd5 Practice has also seen 1 2 . . . iLxc5 1 3 .0-0 0-0 (better is 1 3 . . . cxd5 ! ? 1 4 .Ue l 0-0 1 5 .iLB 'iVd6 1 6 .iLg5 d4) 1 4 .dxc6 bxc6 1 5 .iLB Ub8 1 6 . .l"i:e l 'ijjrd4 1 7 .�e3 'li'xdl 1 8 .0.xd l iLxe3 1 9 .Uxe3 ttJdS 2 0 .J::t:e2;!;; Bologan-Morozevich, Tomsk 2 0 0 6 . 1 3.CiJxd5 iVxd5 14.0-0 �xc5 15�f3

'li'dSoo;

A3 2) The q ueenside raid 1 0.CiJa4 may bring White material gains, but in compensation , Black obtains good counterpla y: 1 0 ... 'Ii'xe5 1 1 .�c3 '/lieS Or

1 1 . . . iVg5 1 2 .tbb6 lIb8 1 3 .'ii'd4 �e6 1 4 .iYe5 iYxe5 1 5 .iLxe5 Lcs 1 6 . ..txb8 iLxb6 1 7 .e3 d4 with mutual chances.

1 2.'lid4 �d7 1 3.e3 f5 14.�d3 �e7 1 5.1fVe5

0-0 1 S.g4 'li'xe5 1 7.�xe5 fxg4 1B.CiJb6 .if5

1 9.�xf5 J::rxf5 20.CiJxaB 1::[xe5 21 .b4 IDf4

22.0-0 CiJd3 23.a3 �h5.,t ChiburdanidzeStefanova, Fiigen tt 2 0 0 6 ;

A3 3 ) 1 0.e3 'li'xe5 1 1 .CiJa4 CiJfS 1 l . . .�e7 is losing: 1 2 . 0.b6 l'1b8 1 3 .iLc3 �fS

14.tLlxc8 .&!.xc8 1 5 .�d3 'iVg5 1 6 .g4+- . 12.j[c3 '&g5 13.h4 'iVgS Or 1 3 . . . 'iVf5 14 .�d3 'iVg4 1 5 .'iVxg4 �xg4 1 6 .f3 �e6 1 7 .h5 h6 1 8 .�xf6 gxf6 1 9 .94!. 14.h5

'i¥h6 15.tt:lbS ld.bS 1 U\Vd4 iLeS 1 7.'iVe5 lddS

18.j[d4 tbe4 1 9.b4;l; .

A4) 7 •. tbhfS S.l:!.c1 White can also quickly organise the central break e2-e4, but this does not cause Black particular unpleasantness, for instance: 8 .'lWc2 g6 9 .e4 dxe4 1 0 .tDg5 h6 l 1 .tLlgxe4 <1'lxe4 1 2 .tDxe4 �g7 1 3 .�e3 tbf6 14 .<1'lxf6 + �xf6 1 5 .�c4 �xd4 1 6 . 0-0-0 �xe3 + 1 7 .fxe3 'iVc7 1 8 . .!"f.hfl e6°o Komliakov.

A4 1 ) S ... e5 This direct method does not solve the problems. 9.tbxe5 ttJxe5 10.dxe5

ti':'g4 1 1 .tba4 �eS 1 1 . . .<1'lxe5 1 2 .�c3 f6 13 .tLlb6 llb8 1 4 .<1'lxc8 llxc8 1 5 .g3 'iYd7 1 6 .M 'iVf7 1 7 .�h3 tDd7 1 8 .M lld8 1 9 .f4 �e7 2 0 .h5 g6 2 1 .'iVb3 llg8 2 2 . e4 gxh5 2 3 . exd5 cxd5 H.�f2 M 25 .�xd7 + llxd7 26 J:txM± TopalovBacrot, Sofia 2006 . 1 2.j[c3 'iVg5 13 .h4

Worthy of consideration is 1 3 .e3 �e7 14.�d4 f6 1 5 .'iVM. 13 .. . 'iVf4 14.�d4 �e7

15.tLlbS lddS 1 S.g3 'iVf5 1 7.�h3 'iVh5

1 8.'GYd2 0-0 1 9.'iVc3;l; Komliakov ; A42) S ... 'iVc7 A poor square for the

queen - now White gains an extra tempo

Chapter 22 : Flexibility: 5 . . . <8hd7 6.�f4

for development. 9 .g3 g6 1 0 .�f4 'iWd8 1 1 .�g2 <1'lh5 1 2 .�g5 �g7 1 3 .0-0 0-0 1 4 .e4 dxe4 1 5 .tDxe4 <1'ldf6 1 6 .tDc3 h6 1 7 .�d2 �e6 1 8 .I:le l <1'ld5 1 9. 11xe6 fxe6 2 0 .'iVe2 'iYe8 2 1 .'iVxe6+ 'iVf7 2 2 .'iYe2 <1'lxc3 2 3 .Lc3 Rad8 H.lle l �f6 2 5 .M 'ii'xa2 26 .'iYe3 �h7 2 7 .g4 <1'lg7 2 8 .�d2 h5 29 . gxh5 gxh5 3 0 .�fl �g8 3 1 .�d3 �f7 3 2 .<1'lg5+ �e8 3 3 .<1'lh7 'iVf7 34 .'iVg3 ± Vitiugov-V Popov, St Petersburg 2 0 0 6 ;

A43 ) S ... g S 9.h3 Prophylaxis : White intends to bring his bishop to f 4 and in advance, he prepares a retreat on h2 for it. 9 ... 'lWc7 Now in order to get his bishop to f4, White must weaken his kingside further. If Black naively just continues developing, he can qUickly find himself in a very unpleasant situation: 9 . . . �g7 1 0 .�f4 0-0 l 1 .e3 <1'le4 1 2 .�e2 tDxc3 1 3 .bxc3 b6 1 4 .cxb6 'ii'xb6 1 5 .0-0 c5 1 6 .'ii'a4 h6 1 7 .llb l 'ii'e6 1 8 .<1'ld2 cxd4 1 9 .cxd4 <1'lf6 20 .'iVa5 �d7 2 1 JIb6± A. Graf -Kuraszkiewicz , Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 / 04. 1 0.g3

Germany

The appearance of the bishop on f 4 is not a matter of life and death, and Black should not devote all his resources to the battle against this bishop: A43 1 ) 10 . . . tbh5 1 1 .�g 2 �g7 1 2 .0-0

0-0 1 3 . e4 (White i s promised little by

1 97


1 3 .ttJa4 eS 1 4.dxe5 ttJxe5 1 5 .ttJxe5 �xe5 1 6 .�h6 ttJg7) 1 3 . . . dxe4 1 4.ttJxe4 ttJdf6 I S .tLlc3 �e6 1 6 .ttJg5 �c4 1 7 .ge1 e6 l S .ttJa4 �d5 1 9 .ttJb6 .!:labS 2 0 .�a5 �xg2 2 1 .Wxg2 Wie7 22 .ttJc4i . The knight on h5 remains out of play, whilst the white lmight already has its eyes on d6 ;

A43 2) 10 ... e5 In principle, this i s playable, but the move is too committal. 1 1.1t:lxe5 Maybe even stronger is 1 1 .dxe5 ttJxe5 1 2 . ttJxe5 �xe5 1 3 .�f4 �f5 1 4 .'iYd4 �g7 I S .�d6± Xu Jun-Zhou Weiqi, Suzhou 2 0 0 6 . 11 . ..It:lxe5 12 .. �f4

tLlfd7

1 3 .e4 Black has no problems after 1 3 . dxe5 ttJxe5 1 4 .e4 �xc5 I S .exd5 Vi' e 7. 13 ... g5 Worse is 1 3 . . . dxe4 1 4 . ttJxe4 'iYa5 + 1 5 .�d2 �xa2 1 6 .dxe 5 ± . 14.�xg5 tLlg6 1 5 .exd5 �g7 (Vallejo Pons-Topalov, Monaco rapid 2 0 0 6 ) 1 6 .�g2 0-0 1 7.0-0;!;;

A43 3 ) 1 0 . . . �g7 1 1 .�g2 This move is more cunning than 1 1 .�f4 , for example : 1 1 . . .�dS 1 2 .�g2 ttJh5 1 3 .�g5 (Black has suffkient counterplay after 1 3 .�d2 e5 1 4 . dxe5 ttJxe5 I S .ttJxe5 �xe5 1 6 . e4 d4 1 7 . ttJe2 �e6 ! ? I S . 0 - 0 d 3 1 9 .1nc3 0 -0 2 0 .�e3 � d 7 2 1 .Wh2 MadS 2 2 . f4 �c7 2 3 .Vi'd2 f5 24 .e5 Vi'fl 2 5 .b4 g 5 ! � ) 1 3 . . . h6 (also possible i s

1 9S

1 3 . . . 0 - 0 1 4 . g 4 ttJ hf6 1 5 . 0 - 0 h5 1 6 . gxh5 tLlxh5 1 7 .'ijlb3 .!:leS l S . e4 dxe4 1 9 .ttJxe4 'VIc7 2 0 Jlfe i tLldf6 2 1 . ttJxf6 + ttJxf6 2 2 . ttJh4 tLld5 2 3 .�xd5 cxd5 2 4 .�xd5 '/i'c6 2 5 .'ii'xc6 bxc6=) 1 4 .�d2 0-0 IS .e4 dxe4 1 6 . ttJxe4 tLlhf6 1 7 . ttJc3 1!.e8 I S . 0 -0 e5 (as the following theoretically important game shows, less good is I S . . . tLlfS 1 9 . �b3 ttJe6 2 0 .�e3 tjjc7 2 1 . ttJe5 ttJfd5 2 2 . ttJxd5 tjjxd5 23 .j>.d 2

�xe5 24.dxe5 h 5 2 5 . .!:lfe 1 i TopalovKamsky, Sofia 2 0 0 6 ) 1 9 . dxe5 tjjxe5 2 0 . ttJxe5 '=:xe5 2 1 .ttJa4 �xh3 2 2 . �xh3 '=:d5 2 3 .'=:c2 ttJe4 24 .tjjb6 ttJxd2 2 5 . ttJxd5 ttJxfl 2 6 . �xfl 'iWxd5 2 7 .'ijlxd5 cxd 5 = WOj taszek-Laznicka, Pamplona 2 0 0 6 . 11 ... 0-0 1 2 .�f4 'MVd8

1 3 .0-0 tLlh5 14.�d2 f5 15 .tLla4 If one gets too wrapped up in one 's own plans, and forgets about the opponent's ideas , then one can easily fall into an unpleasant position: I S .b4 e5 1 6 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 7 .ttJa4 ttJc4 l S .�c3 �xc3 1 9 .tjjxc3 f4 2 0 .g4 ttJg7 2 1 .'ijld3 1!.e8 22 . .l::!.c e 1 ttJe6 2 3 . ttJb 1 a 5 + VolkeMovses ian , Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 . 1 5 . . . e5 1 6 .dxe5 tLlxe5

A43 3 1 ) There is no danger for Black in

1 7.�c3 ttJxf3 + I S .�xf3 �xc3 1 9 . .!:lxc3 ttJg7 20 .ttJb6 (20 . e3 �e6 2 1 .14 'JiIf6

draw, Postny-Movsesian, France tt 2 0 0 7 ) 20 . . . Mb8 2 l .e3 i.e6 22 .M gS 23 .i.g2 f4 H.exf4 gxf4 2 S .Me 1 Wic7 2 6 .'i'd4 libe8 = Arutinian-Laznicka, Dresden 200 7 ; A 4 3 32 ) In case 0 f 1 7 .e3 Black can also

solve his problems: 1 7 . . . tOxf3 + 1 8 .i.xf3 liJf6 1 9 .i.c3 '&'e7 2 0 .i.g2 i.e6 2 1 .i.eS liJe4 2 2 .'i'd4 i.xeS 23 .'iVxeS Mae8 H.M h6 2 s .M gS 2 6 .hxgS hxgS 2 7 .f3 liJf6°o Li Shilong-V Popov; Moscow 2 0 0 7 . Maybe Black should try for more: 27 . . . CLld2 ! ? 2 8 .MfI CLlc4 2 9 .l/i'd4 f4+ Komliakov ;

A43 3 3 ) 1 7.tiJb6 HbB 1B .iLc3 tiJf7 A line worth considering is 1 8 . . . CLlxf3 + 1 9 .i.xf3 i.ic3 2 0 . bxc3 tOg7 2 1 .'iWd4 f4 ! ? 1 9 .e3 iLe6 20.b4 Black obtained good counter-chances after 2 0 . CLld4 'flUe8 2 1 .M CLlgS 2 2 .a4 <2le4 23 .i.a 1 Mf7 24J:t e 1 i.f8 2 S .li:lb3 h6 2 6 .i.eS Md8 2 7 .i.d4 <2l hf6 2 8 . <2la S i.g7 29 .Me2 g S 3 0 .�e 1 <2lhS oo Jobava-Kamsky, Turin 2 0 0 6 . 20 .. . \\VeB 21 .a4 tiJf6

Black is certainly not obliged to avoid the exchange of bishops , for instance: 2 1 . . .i.xc3 ! ? 2 2 . Mxc3 CLlf6 2 3 .�d4 li:le4 H. MC2 'iYe7 2 S .Md1 Mbd8 2 6 . l2J e 1 i.d7 2 7 .CLld3 Mfe 8 00 Komliakov. 22.\\Ve2 g5 23.\\Vb2 'ife7 24.b5 g4 25.tiJd4

gxh3 26 .iLxh3 tiJg5 27.iLg2 iLd7

(Gagunash vili -N akam ura, Turin 2 0 0 6 ) 2B.tiJxd7 'i'xd7 29J:tb1 J:1.bcB 30.bxc6

bxc6 31 . 'li'b7 tiJge4 32.\\Vxd7 tiJxd7

33.iLb4::t .

Back to the position after 6 . . ,tDhS .

B) 7.iLg5 White agrees to retreat the bishop only after provoking the opponent into a slight weakening of the kingside.

Chapter 22: Flexibility: S . . . <tJbd7 6.Jlf4

7 ... h6 B.iLd2

B 1 ) Black is close to equality after B ... g6

9 .e4 dxe4 1 0 .li:lxe4 �g7 1 1 .i.c4 <2lhf6 1 2 .<2lc3 0-0 1 3 .0-0 b6 1 4 .M as l S . a3 i.a6 1 6 .�e2 i.xc4 1 7 .�xc4 �c7 Bocharov-Burmakin, Togliatti 2003 ;

B2) B .. :/ic7 9.e4 dxe4 10.tiJxe4 tiJdf6

1 1 .tiJc3 1 1 .li:lxf6 + ! ? <2lxf6 1 2 .i.c4 i.fS 1 3 .0-0 e6= . 1 1 ... iLe6 The knight cannot return to the centre: 1 1 . . . <2lf4? ! because of 1 2 .i.xf4 �xf4 1 3 .i.c4t, and on 1 3 . . . i.g4 there follows the double attack 14 .�b3 ! 0-0-0 l S .CLle2 �c7 1 6 .i.xf7 i.xf3 1 7 .i.e6+ �b8 1 8 .l/i'xf3 ±. 12 .tiJe5

MdB 1 3.iLe3 g6

14.'!i¥f3 A sharper method of developing the opening initiative is also interesting : 1 4.g4 ! ? �xeS (White retains a small but stable advantage after 1 4 . . . <2lg7 l S .Mg l hS 1 6 .h3 <2ld7 1 7 .<2lxd7 i.xd7 1 8 .�f3t) l S .dxeS Mxd 1 + 1 6 .Ihd 1

1 99


tLlxg4 1 7 .&ld4 tLlxe3 1 8 , fxe3 �g7 1 9 . .llb4 �c8 2 0 . e6;;!; . 14 . ..ltJg71? 14 . . . tLld5 1 5 .�c4 tLlhf6 1 6 .0-0 �g7 1 7 .&lac l ? ! (better is 1 7 .�d2 0-0 1 8 . .!:Ife 1 i , retaining a definite initiati ve) 1 7 . . . 0 -0 =

Gelfand-Magem Badals, Pamplona 1 999 . 15 .�c4 Black is fine after both 1 5 .g4? ! h5 1 6 .g5 tLlg4+, and 1 5 . 0-0-0 t2Jf5 1 6 .g4 tLlxe3 1 7 .fxe3 �g7 . 15 .... bc4 1 6 .ttJxc4

ttJe6 1 7.0-0 �g7 1 8 . .!"Ifd 1 0-0 1 9.Uac1 ttJd5

20.ttJxd5 l:!:xd5+ Sasikiran-Kasparov, Bled 2 0 0 2 ; B3 ) 8 ... ttJhf6 and now: B3 1 ) 9.�f4 g5 Black can continue chas

ing the enemy bishop: 9 . . . tLlh5 , for example : 1 O .�e5 tLlxe5 l l .tLlxe5 tLlf6 1 2 .e4 �e6 1 3 .exd5 �xd5 1 4.tLlxd5 tLlxd5 1 5 .�d3 e6 1 6 .'iVh5 �f6 1 7 ,0-0 g6 1 8 ,'i'd l ,i,g7 1 9 ,'i'b3 'i'e7 2 0 .&lae l 0-0 2 l .f4 'i'c7 2 H�;> h l &lad8 2 3 ,�c4 cJ;;>h7 24,�c2 tLle7 2 5 ,.!:Idl draw, Timman-De La Riva Aguado, Pamplona 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.�g3

1 0 ... �g7 The knight jump can also be played a t once: 1 0 , . . tLlh5 l l .e3 tLlxg3 1 2 .hxg3 �g7 , 1 1 .e3 ttJh5 This move cannot be put off any further, otherwise Black risks falling into a positional press, for instance : 1 l . . . 0 - 0 1 2 ,b4 tLle4 1 3 ,tLlxe4 dxe4 1 4 ,tLld2 e5 1 5 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 6 .tLlxe4 tLld3 + 1 7 ,Shd3 �xa 1

2 0 0

1 8 .'ih a l 'iYxd3 1 9 .tLlf6+ �h8 20 .h4 g4 2 l .�d6 �e6 2 2 ,tLlxg4+ f6 23 ,tiJxf6 .!:If? 24.tLlg4+ �h7 2 5 .t2Je5 'iYc2 2 6 .0-0 .l::1:g7 2 7 .'i'b l 'llixb l 28 . .l::1:xb l .ixa2 2 9 ,.l::t b 2 �d5 3 0 , f3 h5 3 l . e4 ± Rozentalis-Tasdan, Berlin (simul) 1 9 99 . 1 2.�e5 The bishop must move away; if 1 2 ,�d3 tLlxg3 1 3 .hxg 3 e5 1 4 .�c2 Ve7 Black is fine , for example : 1 5 .M as 1 6 ,b5 exd4 1 7 ,tLlxd4 tLlxc5 1 8 .0 -0 .id7

1 9 . .t!.c l 0-0 2 0 .ilLb l f5 =i= LoginovVolkov, St Petersburg 1 99 8 , True, White retains a definite initiative after 1 2 ,.ie2 tLlxg3 1 3 .hxg3 b6 1 4 .cxb6 e6 1 5 .'lWcH, 12 ... f6 1 3,ttJd2 The nice trick 1 3 .tiJh4 is not dangerous for Black : 1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4 .tLlg6 (better is 14 .ilLc7 1lVxc7 1 5 .tLlg6 .t!.f7 1 6 .'iVxh5 e5°o Komliakov) 1 4 . . ,fxe5 1 5 ,tLlxf8 'i'xf8 1 6 ,iYxh5 exd4 1 7 ,exd4 ilLxd4 1 8 ,'i'g6+ 'i!lg7 1 9 .'iYxg7 + �xg7+ Ogloblin-Iskusnikh, Moscow 2 0 0 6 . 1 3 ... 0-0 14.�g3 tLlxg3

1 5 .hxg3 e5 1 6 .ttJb3 exd4 1 7.exd4 f5

1 8,�e2 f4 1 9.'iUd3 fxg3 20.'/Wxg3 'i'f6 21 .0-0 'iUf4 22.'i'xf4 nxf4 23J:tad1 In this endgame, Black's chances are not worse (Avrukh-Volkov, Internet 2 004) ; B32) The alternative plan for White. as

we already know, consists of preparing the advance e2-e4: 9.'iUc2 fic7 1 0.e4 dxe4

11 .ttJxe4 ttJxe4 1 2.'iUxe4 ttJf6 1 3.'iic2 .ie6

14,�d3

14.Jbd7 It is important to take the eS-square under controL After the more direct I 4 . . . ildS l S .tLJeS e6 1 6 . 0 -0 ile7 1 7 . .l:tae 1 ttJd7 I 8 . .lilS4 tUxeS 1 9 .ilxeS White obtains a stable advantage (IonovPotkin , Sochi tt 2 0 0 4) . 1 5 .0-0 iLd5

16 .IHe1 e6 1 7.tue5 tUxeS 1 S.dxe5 il.e7

1 9.hIac1 0-0 20.'MUa4 f5 21 .exf6 il.xf6

22.'iWg4 �e5o:t Topalov-Kasparov, Linares 2 004.

Back to the position after 6 . . . tUhS .

C) 7.il.e3 Here the bishop is not terribly well-placed. It defends the d4 pawn, and indirecdy (after . . . e7 -eS) its neighbour on cS , but now White no longer has the dangerous plan e2 -e4.

7 ... g6 S.g4 tUhf6 9.g5 Black did not have particular problems after 9 .h3 ilg 7 I O .ilg2 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 hS 1 2 . gS tUh7 I 3 .h4 f6 1 4 .�d2 eS l S .gxf6 �xf6 I 6 . .l:tad 1 �e7 1 7 .M exd4 I 8 .ilxd4 �xd4 1 9 .�xd4 tLJdf6 = SakaevMalakhov, Sochi tt 2 0 04. 9 ... lDh5 1 0.il.h3

IDb6 1 1 .�g2 tUd7 12 .�h3 IDb6 13 .�xcS

IDxcS 14.'MUb3 'iWc7 15 .�d2 White has to lose a tempo, since otherwise he does not have a sensible plan . 1 5 ... �g7 1 6.e4

dxe4 1 7.tbxe4 0-0 1 S.0-0-0 hIbS 19 .tUe5 b6

20.'iWc3 e6 21.lDg3 bxc5 22.'iWxc5 J:!.b5

Chapter 22: Flexibility: S . . . <Llbd7 6 . .tf4

23.'iWc2 lDe7 24.lDxh5 gxh5 25.ll:he1 IDd5

26.�b1 J:rfbS 27.b3 c5o:t RiazantsevA. Kogan, Internet 2 0 04.

N ow for the main move after 6 . . . tUhS . 7. e2-e3!

A move which fulfils several functions: White continues his development, and in the event of an exchange on f4, he strengthens his control over the crucial square eS .

Besides the main move 7 ... g6 , which we will consider further on, other continuations involve refraining from the immediate advance in favour of fianchettoing the bishop to g 7 , and the further prepara-tion of . . . e 7 -eS :

A) 7 ... 4:lxf4 S.exf4 and now: A I ) S ... 'iWc71? 9.'iWd2 9 .g3 g6 1 0 .M is

considered via 7 . . . g6 9 ... g6 1 0.il.d3 �g7

I O . . . ilh6 1 1 .g3 f6 1 2 .'lWe2 b6 I 3 .cxb6 tUxb6 1 4.fS gxfS I S .tUM 0-0 1 6 .tUxfS ilxfS I 7 .ilxfS e5 1 8 . 0 -0 �h8 1 9 .!:tadi �g 7 � (Sasikiran-Bareev, Moscow 2 0 0 2 ) . 1 1 .0-0 e6 1 1 . . . 0 -0 1 2 .fS ! ? 1 2.h4

0-0 13 .h5? Better is 1 3 JHe 1 , and if I 3 . . . f6 ? (correct is 1 3 . . . b6oo ) , then 1 4.�e3 l:i.e8 1 S .hS±. 1 3 ... �h6 14.g3 e5

1 5.tUxe5 IDxe5 16 .dxe5 '1iVxe5 17.hxg6

hxg6 1 S.fxe5 �xd 2'f MoskalenkoRogozenko, Nikolaev 1 9 9 3 ;

2 0 1


A2) 8 ... g6 Although a frequent guest in tournament practice, this move does not suffice for equality.

9 . .l1l.d3 For 9 .h4 see Gelfand-Bacrot, Cap d' Agde 2003 .

A2 1 ) 9 ... 'i¥c7!? 1 0 .g3 .Ylg7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 J:tel b6 1 3 .cxb6 tLlxb6 1 4 .tt:!eS cS I s Jk l c4 1 6 . .Ylfl 'iVd6 1 7 . .Ylg2 .l:rb8 = Pinter-Dautov, Bischwiller 2 0 0 3 ;

Al l) 9 ... .l1l.h6 1 0 .g3 tb f8 l 1 .h3 tLle6 1 2 .tt:!a4 'iVaS + 1 3 .�fl nb8 1 4 .a3 'iVc7 I S .tt:!b6 0-0 1 6 .'iVd2;:!:; Piket-Prie , France tt 200 1 ;

A23) 9 ... b6 1 0 .cxb6 'iYxb6 1 1 .'iYd2 .Ylg7 1 2 .tba4 'iVa 7 (MalakhovStefansson, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ) 1 3 . .l:tc 1 ! ? .Ylxd4 1 4 . .l:txc6 .Ylg7 1 5 . 0 - 0 .Ylb7 1 6 . .l:tc7 Mc8 1 7 . .l:tfc l 'li'b8 1 8 . .l:txc8 + .Ylxc8 1 9 .'Ii'b4;:!:; ;

A24) 9 ... �g7 1 0.0-0 1 0 .tLleS 1Jfic7 1 1 .14 f6 1 2 .tL'lxd7 �xd7 1 3 .£5 'li'f4 1 4.fxg6 'iYxd4 I S . gxh7 'iVxcs 1 6 .�g6+ �d8 1 7 .'Ii'd2 fSoo Tregubov-V Ivanov, Elista 1 9 94. 1 0 ... 0-0 1 0 . . . b6 l 1 .cxb6 tbxb6 1 2 .tLla4;:!:; - Dreev. 1 1 .'/:Wd2 White gets nothing from 1 1 .b4 b6 1 2.'iVc2 as 1 3 .a3 'iVc7 1 4 .g3 e6= Van Wely-Khalifman, New York 1 994 ; but not bad for him is 1 1 ..l:tc l 'iVc7 1 2 .g3 tLlf6 1 3 .'iVc2 .Ylh3 1 4 . .l:tfe 1 e6 I S . .l:te3 .YlfS 1 6 .�g2 .Ylxd3 1 7 .'ihd3 ttJd7 1 8 . .l:I:e2 .l:I:ae8 1 9 .b4;:!:;

2 0 2

Gyimesi-Tukmakov, Pula 200 1 . 1 1 .. J;te8

1 2JHe1 'ViIc7 1 3.g3 /tJf8 14.'It>g2 1 4 . .l!l.fl �g4 I S .<1:l e 5 �e6 1 6 .h3 f6 1 7 .tt:lf3 .l!l.f7 1 8 .14 .l:!.ad8 1 9 . .Ylh3 e6 20 .ttJe2 eS 2 1 .fxeS fxeS U.<1:lxeS .YlxeS 23 .dxeS .l:txeS 24.ttJd4 .l:tde8= Fressinet-De La Riva Aguado, Pamplona 2 0 0 5 . 14 .. .fS 1 S .h3 'i¥d7 I S . . . �e6 1 6 .'iVc2 iVd7 1 7 . .l:rh 1 . 1 6.:a:h1 'i¥c7 17 . .llaeH.

A3) 8 ... b6 and now :

A3 1 ) 9.b4!? An important position, in

which Black has many possibilities.

A3 1 1 ) 9 ... aS 1 0.bS 1 0 .a3 g6 1 1 .�d3 �g7 1 2 .tt:!eS tLlxeS 1 3 .fxeS f6 1 4.f4 fxeS I S .fxeS 0-0+ Maric-Zhu Chen, Shanghai 2 0 0 1 . 1 O ... .l1l.b 7 1 1 ./tJeS /tJxeS 1 2.fxeS bxc5

1 3.dxcS e6 14.1/i'd4 f6 White is better after 1 4 . . . .l:tc8 1 S .b6±. 1 S.bxc6 iLxc6 1 6J:tb1

fxeS 1 7.'iWxeS .l1l.xcS 1 8 . .l1l.bS .l1l.xbS 1 9./tJxb5

0-0 20. 'i¥xe6+ �h8+ Komliakov; A3 1 2 ) 9 ... bxcS 1 0 .bxcS 'iVaS I I .'l!d2

g6 1 2 . .Yld3 �h6 1 3 . 0-0 'fIc7 1 4.g3 0-0 I s ..l'He l e6 1 6 . .l:!.ab l f6 1 7 .'Ii'c2;l:; PiketFontaine, France tt 2 0 0 1 ;

A3 1 3) 9 ... e6 1 0 . .Yld3 .Yle7 1 1 .14 as 1 2 .a3 .Yla6 1 3 . .Ylxa6 .l:!.xa6 1 4.bS .l:ta8 I S .bxc6 tL'lb8 1 6 .fS 0-0 1 7 .fxe6;:!:; Van

Wely-Levitt, London 1 9 9 2 ; A3 1 4) 9 . . :iVc7 1 0.g3 g6 1 U l:c1 fig7

12 .�e2 0-0 1 3.0-0 Useless is 1 3 .h4 because

of 1 3 . . . a5 1 4 .a3 axb4 I S .axb4 l:la3 1 6 .0-0 bxc5 1 7 .bxc5 <1Jf6+ Komliakov. 13 ... a5 14.cxb6 1 4.b5 bxcS 1 5 .dxcS tLlxc5 1 6 .tLlxdS cxd5 1 7 . 'tJfxdS �e6 I S . 'tJfxc5 'i'xc5 1 9 . 1:lxc5 �xa2 2 0 .<1Je5 (1 . Sokolov-Bacrot , Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 6) 20 ... a4 21 .b6 a3 22.i1H3 Ha6 23.lbd7 �d4=.

14 ... ltJxb6 1 5 .b5 �h3 1 6 .11e1 llfcS 1 7.ltJa4

�d7 1 S.bxc6 ItJxa4 1 9.�b5 �g4 20.�xa4

l'l.abS� Sakaev-Yakovenko , Moscow 2004. The passed pawn on c6 is strong, of course, but White's kingside is weakened and the d4 pawn is in need of defence;

A3 1 5) 9 .. . g6 1 0.�d 3 Black is fine after 1 0 .'tJfc2 .th6 l l . g3 0-0 1 2 .ii.d3 as l 3 .b5 .tb 7 1 4.bxc6 ii.xc6°o Komliakov. 10 ... 'li'c7 1 1 .g3 �g7 1 2.l:tc1 a5 1 3.a3

13 ... axb4 1 4.axb4 bxc5 1 5.bxc5 0-0

I S . . . l:la3 1 6 . 0 - 0 0 -0 1 7 . tLlb I lla7 I S .l:lel l:leS 1 9 .14 <1JfS oo Van WelyPiket, Monaco (rapid) 2 0 0 1 . 16 .0-0 J:(eS

17.lle1 ItJfS 1 S.'iYd2 f6 1 9.�f1 �g4 20.�g2

J:!.adS 21 .h4 �xf3 22.�xf3 e5'i= Babiy-Naer, Sochi 2004.

A3 2) 9.cxb6 'iYxb6 Another reliable line is 9 . . . e6 1 0 .'tJfd2 ( 1 0 .�d3 �xb6 1 1 .0-0 'if xb2 ( 1 1 . . . c5 1 2 .l:le I �e 7 I 3 .f5 0-0 ( 1 3 . . . cxd4 1 4.tLlxd4) 1 4 .fxe6 fxe6 I S ."ii!Vc2 <1Jf6 1 6 .<1Ja4+- Ernst-Ramirez Alvarez, Wijk aan Zee B 2005 ) 1 2 .<1Ja4

Chapter 22 : FleXibility: 5 . . . Cilbd7 6.JM14

�a3 1 3 .f5 exfS 1 4.�c2 �d6 I S . .txfS .te7 1 6 .l:lfe l ;;!;) 1 0 . . . ihb6 1 L� .. d3 ( 1 1 .l::lc l �d6 1 2 .�d3 c5= Komliakov) I 1 . . .l::lbS 1 2 .l::lb 1 c5 1 3 .dxc5 tLlxcs 1 4 .0-0 .td6 1 5 .f5 �e7 1 6 .l::lfe l �d6= Kazhgaleev-Kobalia, Internet 2 0 04.

White can sacrifice the b2 pawn - he obtains a sufficient initiative not only to restore material equality, but also to obtain a positional advantage :

A32 1 ) 1 0.�d3 'i!¥xb2 Or 1 0 . . . g6 1 1 .0-0 ( 1 1 .'tJfd2 �g7 1 2 .<1Ja4 'tJfa7 1 3 .jLc2 0-0 1 4.'tJfe3 c5 1 5 .dxc5 ii.b7 1 6 .0-0 d4 1 7 .'iVxe7 Lf3 I S .gill .!''!JeS 1 9 .'iVd6 (Malakhov-Stefansson, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ) 19 . . JhcS ! ?�) 1 1 . . .ii.g7 1 2 .llcl 'iYxb2 1 3 .<1Ja4 �b7 1 4.l:le l �c7 1 5 .'iVc2 �b7 1 6 .f5 .tf6 1 7 .M <MS I S .'ifd2 �g7 1 9 .94 e5 2 0 .fxe6 fxe6 2 1 .g5 .tdS 22 .l:lxe6 l:lfS 23 .�g2 �f4 (2 3 . . . J:.xf3 24.�f3 WVh2 2 5 .'ii'e3 'ii'xM 26 .l:lg 1 ±) 24.'ifxf4 l:lxf4 25 .l::lb I ;;!; Gyimesi-Lalic, Medulin 2002 . 1 1 .l:!.c1 g61? 1 2.0-0 �h6 13 .WHa4 More energetic than 1 3 .g 3 �a3 1 4.<1Ja4 �d6 I S .�c2 .tb7 1 6 .l:lb l with compensation, for example:

A3 2 I I ) The queen sacrifice leads to very interesting play: 1 3 _'iYb6 14.11c2 ItbS

1 5.ltJe5 1 5 .g 3 I ?;;!; Komliakov. 15 ... ltJxe5

1 6.fxe5 0-0 1 7.l:tb1 'iYxbH 1S.ltJxb1 l:ixbH

1 9.�f1 �f5 20.J:l.c3 �d2;

2 0 3


A3 2 1 2) Taking the pawn on f4 is very risky: 1 3 ... �xf4 14.l:tc2 'iVbS 1 4 . . . 'lWb 7 I S .1:[b l t2Jb6 1 6 ..lhb6 'lWxb6 1 7 .t2JxdS ± . 15 .'llhc6 �b7 16 .iYa4 iYd6 1 7.tt'ie2, and White's attack is irresistible;

A32 1 3 ) 13 ... iYb7 14.tt'ie2 After 14 .1:[b l 'fic7 I s .1:[fc l e6 the sacrifice 1 6 /t:J xdS ? ! does �lO t work: 16 . . . exdS 1 7 Jhc6 'IW dS l S .1:[e l + �fS 1 9 .1::l.d6 �g7 2 0 . fs 1:[eS-+ Babula-Karttunen, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 . 14 ... 0-0 1 5 .'lWxc6 iYxc6 1 6.l:Ixc6 tt'if6 1 7.l:Ic7

.!leS 1 S . .!:ib1 ;t .

A3 22) 10 . .!lc1 In reply to this solid developing move, Black does best- not to gorge himself on the b2 pawn, but to prepare the advance . . . c6-c S . 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 .£i.d3 cS 1 2 .dxcS t2Jxcs 1 3 .0 -0 £i.d6 1 4.fS 0-0 I S .£i.b l Ma7 1 6 .b4 tLJe4� PliasunovIskusnikh, St Petersburg 2002 ;

A3 2 3 ) 1 0.il'd2 e6 I t i s time to take some precautions on the kingside. Worse is 1 0 . . . MbS 1 1 .<1:la4 'iVb4 1 2 .'iVxb4 l:lxb4 1 3 .b3 e6 1 4.MC I £i.b7 I S .<1:lb2 ( I S .g3 f6 1 6 .£i.h3 �f7 1 7 .0 -0 £i.d6 I S .Mfe l Me8 1 9 .1're3;t) I S . . .f6 1 6 .�d2 �f7 1 7 .g3 as I S .£i.h3 jLd6 1 9 .tLJd3 l'rbS 2 0 . .l:i.he 1 ;t Belov-Kobalia, St Petersburg 200 1 .

A3 2 3 1 ) 1 1 . .!lc1 The position has become noticeably sharper, therefore general considerations become of second-

2 04

ary importance, and concrete variations take centre stage. Play revolves around the advance c6-cS -will Black succeed in achieving this advance or not? 1 1 .. . 11b8

In the event of the immediate 1 1 . . . cS the black king must be prepared for a dangerous journey : 1 2 .t2Ja4 �a7 1 3 .dxcS <1:lxcS 1 4 .'iVd4 t2lxa4 1 S . MXC S + �d7 1 6 .'lWxa4+ (on 1 6 Jha8 there is 1 6 . . . 'iVxd4 1 7 .<1:lxd4 £i.b4+ + ; nothing comes from 1 6 .'iVxa 7 + lha7 1 7 . l:lc2 f6=) 1 6 . . . 'itxcs 1 7 .t2JeS ( 1 7 . 'iVeS+ Wc? l S .'iVxf7 + �d6 ( 1 S . . . <;£;>bS 1 9 .i¥xe6 £i.b4+ 2 0 .�d l oo) 1 9 .t2JeS g6 2 0 .'i'f6 with compensation) 1 7 . . . �c7 1 8 .iha6+ �d8 1 9 .�e2 'iYb7 2 0 .£i.xb7 Uxa4 2 1 .tLJxf7 + �c7 2 2 . £i.xdS exdS 2 3 . <1:lxh s;t Komliakov. 1 Vua4 'lWb4

13 .iYxb4 .!lxb4 1 3 . . . £i.xb4+ 1 4.�dl - in the resulting endgame, White has a small advantage, thanks to the bad bishop on cS . 14.b3 �b7 1 5 .tt'ib2 Harmless is I S .1:[b 1 £i.c8 (as A. Khuzman showed, White is better after I S . . . t2lb6 1 6 .<1:lc3 cS 1 7 .a3 l'rxd4 ! 1 8 .<1:lxd4 cxd4 1 9 .tLJa4 ! <1:ld7 2 0 .b4±) 1 6 .l'rc l �b7=; White retains a small advantage after I S .£i.d3 cS 1 6 .dxcS £i.c6 1 7 .£i.xa6 llxf4 1 8 . 0 - 0 gS 1 9 .1:[fd l £i.g 7 2 0 .t2Jc3 J:l:b4 2 1 .£i.fI �e7 2 2 .t2Je2 traS 2 3 . t2lfd4 t2JbS 24 .l'rc2;t Halkias-Banikas, Athens 2 0 0 2 . 1 5 ... J:l:b6 Premature is I S . . . cS on account of 1 6 . tLJd3 MbS 1 7 . t2JdeS .!laS I S .b4 cxb4 1 9 .Mc7 <1:lxeS 20 . fxeS b3 2 1 . axb3 £i.aS 2 2 . �d 1 +-! By securing his king agamst checks from the bishop on f8 , White achieves a winning position. 1 6 .tt'ia4 1 6 .t2Jd3 £i.a3 1 7 .MC2 We7 1 S .t2Jfe s ;t . 16 .. J:i.b4 1 7.tt'ib2 f6 1S.wd2

�f7 1 9.g3 a5 20.�h3 �d6 21 .tt'id3 J:l:b5

22.l:the1 .!leS 23.�f1 �a3 with mutual

chances (Belov-Kobalia, St Petersburg 200 1 ; A3 232 ) After the passive 1 1 .i1Ld3 nb8

12.l:i.b1 Black solves his opening difficulties without great trouble : 1 2 . . . c5 1 3 .dxc5 tLJxc5 1 4 . 0 -0 (KazhgaleevKobalia , Internet 2 0 04) 1 4 . . . tUxd3 1 5 .'i'xd3 ii.d6 1 6 .f5 0-0+; A3 233 ) 11..�e2 1:Ib8 1 2 .b3 .ikM I 3 .0-0

c5 1 4.'li'e3 cxd4 1 5 .tZ:Jxd4 0-0 1 6 .1:Ifd l tLlf6 1 7 .a3 .ikxc3 1 8 .�xc3 .ikd7 1 9 J:[ac I 1:[fc8 20 .ife3 as 2 1 .f3 h6 2 2 .g3 �d6 23 . a4� Berkes-Miljkovic , Balatonlelle 200 3 .

B) 7 ... b6 This move has no independent Significance, and in all lines, it transposes back into variations with the capture on f4.

8.cxb6 8 .b4 tUxf4 9 .exf4 going into the main line. 8 ... ifxb6 8 . . . tUxf4 9 . exf4 going into the main line. 9 . .llI..d3 9. 'lW d2 tLlxf4 1 0 . exf4 going into the main line. 9 . . . 0.xf4 1 0.exf4 going into the main line; C) 7 . . . h6 8 . .llI..d3 g5 A very risky plan .

9.i.e5 4Jxe5 1 0 .tUxe5 4Jf6 I 1 .h4 gxh4 1 2 .1:Ixh4± Kasparov-Stefanek, Katowice 1 993 ; D) 7 .. .f6!? 8.i1Lg3 I t is important to pre

vent Black's plan. After 8 . .s1t.d3 e5 9 .dxe5

Chapter 22 : FleXibility: 5 . . . <Llbd7 6.�f4

tLlxf4 1 0 .exf4 tLJxc5 the second player obtains sufficient counterplay, for instance: 1 1 .0 -0 [5 1 2 J:k l .ike7 1 3 ,tba4 tUxa4 1 4.'li'xa4 0-0 I 5 .1:Ifd l �b6 1 6.'li'c2 c5 1 7 . .ikfl .ike6 1 8 .g3 l:[ac8 1 9 . .ikg2 rud8 2 0 .b3 �a7 2 1 .�b2 b6 22 .a4 l:[b8 2 3 .M �d7 24 . .ikfl as 2 5 . .ikb5 , draw agreed, Flumbort-Seres, Hungary tt 2 00 1 /02 . 8 ... g6 9.b4 �g7 10.e4 0.xg3 11 .hxg3 e6

12 . .llI..d3 0-0 (Gyimesi-Pinter, Budapest 2000) 1 3. <j;>f1 !? with a slight advantage for White.

Instead of exchanging on f4 , Black's main alternative is:

7. ... 97-96

Seemingly the most accurate move-order. Black invites his opponent to play h2-M.

Here White can play the interesting but rather committal 8 .h4, which we will consider further on. A simple developing move would be ' easier on the eye ' : 8.i1Ld3.

A) 8 ... i1Lg7 9.0-0

A I ) Black can ref rain from taking on the extra responsibility which the move 9 . . .f6 (see B2) involves, and can simply castle instead: 9_.0-0

A l l ) There is no danger for Black in 1 0.h3 0.xf4 1 1 .exf4

2 0 5


And now: Al I I ) 1 1 ... b6 1 2 .cxb6 iVxb6 1 3 . .'2Ja4

iVa7 1 3 .. . �c7 14 .�d2 ii.h6 l S .g3 l:!.b8 1 6 .llfe 1 lle8 1 7 .l:!.ac 1 eS 1 8 .dxeS 4'JxeS 1 9 .tLlxeS .t!.xeS 20 . .t!.xeS �xeS 2 1 .fxeS ii.xd2 (Gyimesi-Avrukh, Andorra 2 0 0 1 ) 22 .Mxc6± . 14.'iii'c2 Also seen is 1 4 Jacl 2Lxd4 I S .2Lxg6 2Lxfl+ 1 6 Jhfl hxg6 1 7 .ttJd4 2Lb7 1 8 . fs (Topalov-Kir. Georgiev, Saraj evo 2 0 0 1 ) , and Black equalises by 1 8 . . . e6 1 9 .fxe 6 fxe6 2 0 .llcc2 llxfl 2 1 .llxfl llf8 2 2 .'iV g4 .l:!.xfl 23 .'i'xg6+= Komliakov. 14 ... .txd4

15 .'iVxc6 £1.16 l S . . . 4'JcS 1 6 .tuxd4 tUxd3 1 7 .tUe2 �d7 (lines worthy of consideration are both 1 7 . . . l:id8 ! ? 1 8 .�b6 'i'xb6 1 9 .tUxb6 .l:!.b8 20 .lDxc8 .l:!.dxc8+, and 1 7 . . . l:!.b8= Komliakov) 1 8 .'i'xdS = Solozhenkin-Kallai , France tt 2 0 0 1 . 1 6.'llVxd5 .tb7 1 7.iVxd7 J::1.1d8= BanikasZagre beIny, Bled 2 0 0 2 ;

A I l l ) 1 1 ....:!.e8 1 l .'iVc2 ( 1 l .'iVd2) 1 l . . . 'iVc7 1 3 .g3 b6 1 4.b4 as l S .a3 tUf8 1 6 .'it'g2 'i'd7 1 7 .llhl axb4 ( 1 7 . . . bS ! ? ) 1 8 .lDa4 bxcS 1 9 .1Dxcs 'iYd6 20 . axM llb8 ? (Black is fme after 2 0 . . . .l:!.xa 1 2 1 ..l:!.xa 1 tUe6) 2 1 . 'i' c3;!; Nikolic-Safin, Moscow 200 1 ;

A I 1 3 ) 1 1 .. :tWc7 1 2 .g3 (if 1 l .tUe2 the break 1 l . . . b6 gains in strength: 1 3 .cxb6 'i'xb6 1 4 . . tk l cS l S .b3 �b7 1 6 .�b l .l:!.ac8 1 7 .'Ii' d2 e6+ Krasenkow-Rustemov,

2 0 6

Panormo 2 0 0 1 ) 1 2 . . . b6 1 3 .b4 bxc5 14 .bxcS tUxcs l S . Wg2 tUe6 1 6 . .l:!.c1 'fi1a7 1 7 .tUe2 cS 1 8 .dxcs tUxcs 1 9 .tUed4 .id7 2 0 .tUeS �xeS 2 l .fxeS tUxd3 22 .�xd3 ii.bS , draw, Gyimesi-Chernin, Balatonlelle 2 0 0 2 .

A l 2 ) White secures a small plus after 1 0 . .i1l.g5 J:te8 White is better after 1 0 . . . 'i'e8 I I .e4 dxe4 1 2 .tUxe4 <'2ldf6 1 3 .'iVb3 llb8 1 4 .tLlc3 ii.e6 1 S .ii.c4 .ixc4 1 6 .'l:iYxc4 'i'd7 1 7 . .llad 1 tUdS 1 8 .<'2lxd5 cxdS 1 9 .'i'c2 e6 20 .11d3 l:!.fc8 2 1 .l:lcl 'iYe8 22 .b4;t Gyimesi-Luther, Gibraltar 2 0 0 3 .

Most moves d o not pose any particular danger for Black, for example:

A l l l ) 1 1 .h3 �f6 1 LIl,xf6 tLlhxf6 1 3 .'iVd2 �c7 ! 1 4 . .l:!.ae l eS I S .dxe5 lDxe5= Sakaev-Burmakin, Linares 200 1 ;

A I 2 2 ) 1 1 .J:te1 'i'c7 1 2 . e4 dxe4 1 3 .lhe4 lDdf6 1 4 . .llh4 ii.e6 I S /ueS lDd7 1 6 .lDg4 llad8°O Khenkin-Engqvist, Stockholm 1 9 90/9 1 ;

A 1 l 3 ) 1 1 .il'c2 tUf8 1 2 . .l:'!.ae l 'i'c7 1 3 .e4 ii.g4 1 4 .ii.e2 dxe4 1 5 .'l:iYxe4 .ifS 1 6 .'i'e3 4'Je6=; A 1 24) 11 . .'2Jd2 Jil.16 The bishop on gS

interferes with Black's normal play. The attempt to shift play to the queenside does not suffice for equality: 1 1 . . . b6

1 2 . cxb6 'ilYxb6 1 3 J2Ja4 'ilYa7 1 4 .l:!cl �b7 I S /Llb3 eS 1 6 .�e2 ttJhf6 1 7 .dxeS tLle4 I S .�f4 (Iliushin-R. Kozlov, St Petersburg 2003 ) I S . . . gS 1 9 .�g3 ttJxeS 20 .tLlacS tLlxg3 2 1 .hxg3 QcS 22 . tLld4�. 1 2.il.xf6 tLlhxf6 13 .f4 b6 14.b4 a5 15.a3

il.a6 16 .'/!!Ve2 il.xd3 1 7.'iWxd3 axb4 1 8.axb4

'iWc7 19.tLlf3 'iWb7 20.h3 I;!xa 1 21 .I;!xa1 �a8=

Svetushkin-Bacrot, Bled 2 0 0 2 ; A I 2 S ) 1 1 .e4 !?

Without waiting for Black to complete all his preparations, White immediately goes onto the attack. 11 ... dxe4 Black also has a very interesting, although controversial exchange sacrifice: 1 1 . . . h6 1 2 .ilt,h4 gS 1 3 .ilt,g3 tLlxg3 1 4 .hxg3 eS I S .exdS exd4 (White is better after 1 S . . . cxdS 1 6 .tLl xdS e4 1 7 . .l:!.e l ttJxcS I S .dxcS 'ilYxdS 1 9 .�xe4 �xcS 2 0 .�h 7 + � LautierDorfman, Aix les Bains 2 0 0 3 ) 1 6 .tLle4 .l:!.xe4 1 7 .�xe4 ttJxcS I S .'iVc2 t2lxe4 1 9 .'ilYxe4 cxdS 2 0 .'ilYd3 'ilYb600. The two bishops, in an open position, are a powerful force, naturally, but even so, Black's king is not particularly secure and the white rooks will find useful employment on the central files. 1 2.il.xe4 Practice has also seen 1 2 .tLlxe4 ttJdf6 1 3 .ttJxf6+ exf6 1 4.�e3 �e6 I S .I!.c l iYd7 1 6 .�c4 :c.adS 1 7 .�xe6 iYxe6 I S .iYb3 iYxb3 1 9 .axb3 QhS 20 .nfe l �e6 2 1 .Qd2 ttJg7 2 2 .Wfl

Chapter 22 : Flexibility: 5 . . . -Llbd7 6.�f4

ttJfS = Borovikov-Volkov, Panormo 2002 . 1 2 ... tLldf6 13 .il.c2 il.e6 The 'forgotten' knight on the edge of the board can cause Black a lot of trouble, for example : 1 3 . . . Qg4 1 4.h3 �xf3 I S .iYxf3 'iVxd4 1 6 .g4 'ilYxcs 1 7 .Qe3 'ilYaS l S .�b3;!;. 14.l::!.e1 tLld5

1 5 .�d2;t The typical exchange sacrifice 1 S Jhe6 is not terribly dangerous in this position : 1 S . . . fxe6 1 6 .�e2 �d7 1 7 .t2leS �xeS I S .'ilYxeS .l:!.fs 1 9 . .l:!.e l IIf7 20 .�6 11dS 2 1 . a3 ttJg7 2 2 .g4 tLlf6 2 3 .'ilYg3 .!:f.dfS 24 . .!:f.d l ttJds=t= NielsenNikolic , Solingen 2 0 0 2 . 15 ... '!Wd7 If Black carelessly wastes a tempo with 1 S . . . � c7 , then the blow on e6 gains a good deal in strength: 1 6 .l:t xe6 fxe6 1 7 .I!.e l 'iVd7 I S .ttJeS �xeS 1 9 JheS ttJg7 2 0 .h4 r Filippov-Luther, Istanbul 2 0 0 3 . 1 6 .tLle5 White is also better after 1 6 .Qh6 ! ? �hS 1 7 .tLl e S Qxe S ? ! I s Jh eS ;!; . 1 6 . . . il.xe5 1 7.dxe5 l:l:ad8

1 8.l:tad1 'iWc7 (Nikolic-Dautov, Moscow 2 0 0 1 ) 1 9.tLle2! Wxe5 1 9 . . . f6 2 0 . exf6 exf6 2 1 .Qh6� . 20.tLld4 2 0 .ttJg3 'iVg7 2 1 .tLlxhS gxhSoo. 20 . . .'�·g7 21 .tLlxe6 fxe6

22.il.b3 'VjJJf7 23.'iV e2;t .

Back to the position after 9 . 0 -0 . A 2 ) 9 .. .f 6 1 0.h3 Black has sufficient

counterplay after 1 0 .ilt,g3 tLlxg3

2 0 7


I I .hxg3 e5 1 2 . e4 exd4 1 3 .tLlxd4 4'lxc5 1 4 .exd5 cxdS 1 5 .lie 1 + �f7 1 6. tLJ b3

tLlxd3 ( 1 6 . . .t2Je6 1 7 .tLlxd5 1:teS loses to I S . a4 nbS 1 9 .a5 f5 20 .�c4 �xb2 2 1 ..l:!.a2 ��f6 ll . .l:!.d2+-) 1 7 .�xd3 neS l S . .llxeS 'iVxeS 1 9 .'iVxd5 + 'iVe6 2 0 J:tc1 'iVxd5 2 1 .ttJxd5 �e6 22 .lic7+ �fS 2 3 .tLlf4 �f7 24.a:xb7 .l:!.eS with compensation .

A2 1 ) Of course, Black would like to exchange the enemy bishop with 1 0 . ..tl"lxf4?!

, but in this case, the e-file is opened, and in many cases, the black king begins to feel uncomfortable. For example : 1 1 .exf4

and now: A2 1 1 ) Bad is 1 1 ...'iWc7 because of 1 2 . f5 !

tLlf8 1 3 .ne 1 ! gxf5 14 'tLlh4± Dreev; A2 1 2) 1 1 ... b6 1 2 .b4 a5 1 3 .b5 ± ; A2 1 3 ) 1 1 ... 0-0 1 2 .f5 gxf5 1 3 .�xf5 tLle5

(or 1 3 . . . e5 14 .4'lh4) 14 .�xh7 + �xh7 1 5 .dxe5 fxe5 1 6 .4'lxe5 a:f5 1 7 .f4±; A2 l 4) 1 1 ... e6 1 2 . .l:!.e l Wf7 ; A2 1 5) 1 1 ... e5 12.f5! Black is fine after

1 2 .fxe5 fxe5 1 3 .4'lxe5 �xe5 1 4 .dxe5 0-0 . 12 ... exd4 I t looks very risky to play 1 2 . . . 0-0 1 3 .fxg6 e4 1 4.gxh7 + �xh7 1 5 .Le4+ dxe4 1 6 .tLlxe4 b6 1 7 .�c2 �g8 l S .4'ld6 with compensation; or 12 . . . g5 13 . .l:!.e l 0-0 1 4.b4 as 1 5 .b5 e4 1 6 .�xe4 dxe4 1 7 .�b3+ �h8 l S .tLlxe4 a4 1 9 .'iVc4 cxb5 20 .�xb5 .l:!.a6oo al-

2 0 8

though maybe it is precisely these variations that Black should look into. since a direct refutation of his play is not evident. . . ; 1 2 . . . e4? 1 3 .iii.xe4 dxe4 1 4.lLlxe4± Gelfand-Movsesian, Polanica Zdroj 2000. 13.tl"lxd4 After 1 3 .4'la4 tLle5 1 4.fxg6 h g6 1 5 .4'lb6 .ilb8 1 6 .tLlxe5 fxe5 1 7 .�xg6+ �f8 it suddenly turns out that White has no way to attack further, and despite its na

kedness , the black king feels quite safe. 1 3 . ..tl"lxc5 14.fxg6 t2:Jxd3 15 .'iiVxd3 hxg6

1 6.�xg6+ ..t>f8 1 7.l:!.fe1 ±.

All) 1 0 ... e5 1 1 . .£h2 e4

1 2.g4!? I think this energetic move is even

stronger than Stohl's piece sacrifice: 1 2 .iii.xe4 dxe4 1 3 . 4'lxe4 0-0 (bad is

1 3 . . . �f8 1 4 .�b3 ttJg7 1 5 . .l:!.ad l ±) 1 4 .4'ld6 (on 14 .g4 there is 1 4 . . .f5) 1 4 .. .f5 1 5 .�b3+ ( 1 5 . g4? ! fxg4 1 6 .hxg4 4'lhf6 1 7 .4'lg5 'iVe7 1 8 .e4 4'ld5 1 9 .f4 h6 20 .tLlh3 �h4 2 UH3 4'l7f6+ Sakaev-Volkov. New Delhi 2 0 0 0 ) 1 5 . . . WhB 1 6 .tLlf7+ llxf7 1 7 .'iVxf7 'iVg8 1 8 .<i:lg5 �xf7 1 9 .1Llxf7+ �g8 2 0 .4'ld6 lLlhf6;!; Dreev. 1 2 ... exd3 13 .gxh5 t2:Jf8 14.e4! .bh3

15 .ld.e1 wf7 16 .exd5 cxd5 1 7.�b3 'Wid7

1 8.t2:Jxd5 .£e6 1 9 . .Hxe6 t2:Jxe6 20.tbc7±

Yermolinsky-XuJun, New Delhi 2000 ;

Now back to the position after 8 .�d3 .

B) B . .J1ixf4 9.exf4 b6 Black tries to deflect his opponent's attention from the main theatre of operations, but only achieves partial success. 1 0 . cxb6 �xb6 1 1 .'ifd2 Jl.g 7 I V1:la4 � a7 1 3 .i.c2 0-0 1 4.'ife3 cS I S .dxcS j>,b7 1 6 .0-0 d4 1 7 .'ifxe7 j>,xf3 1 8 .gxf3 .9:fe8 1 9 .�d6 .irs 20 .'iVxd4 ttJxcS 2 1 .fs;;!; MalakhovStefansson , Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ; C) There is a very interesting sugges

tion of Igor Stohl : B .. .f6 The idea is in several lines to pIa y . . . e7 -eS immediately, without developing the bishop to g 7 . The bishop may then g o to e 7 or cS . 9.0-0 It looks too slow to play 9 .h3 eS 1 0 .dxeS ttJxf4 I l .exf4 fxeS 1 2 . fxeS (or 1 2 .lIJxeS ttJxeS 1 3 .fxeS Jl.xcS 1 4. 0 -0 i'gS) 12 . . . Jl.g7 1 3 . 0 -0 0 -0 1 4 .Me l tlJxcS +. 9 ... e5 9 . . . �g7 1 0 .h3± trans-poses to the main line. 1 0.dxe5 tLlxc5

11 • .!:!e1 There is no danger for Black in 1 1 ..!te2 ttJxf4 1 2 .exf4 �e700. 11 ...�g7 If I I . . .lIJxd3 1 2 .'iI1xd3 Jl.g7 1 3 . exf6 ttJxf6 there is the unpleasant 1 4 .e4 ! , for instance : 1 4 . . . 0-0 I S .i.gS dxe4 1 6 .�xd8 l!i.xd8 1 7 .ttJxe4 Mf8 1 8 .ttJxf6+ �xf6 19 .�xf6 lhf6 2 0 .ne8+ nf8 2 1..l:!.e7 l'1fl n Jhe 1 h6 (or n . . . �fS B . nxf7 \tJxfl H.g4 Jl.d7 2 S .tLlgS +±) 2 3 .l:'te8 + nfS H.l:'t l e7± . 1 2.exf6 tLlxf6 13 .�e5

4Jxd3 14.'i'xd3 0-0 15 .e4 �g4 16 .exd5

i.xf3 17.gxf3 tLlxd5�.

Chapter 22 : Flexibility: S . . . <2:lbd7 6 . .M4

Back to the position in the main line after 7 . . . g6 .

8 . h2-h4

As said, this move is rather committal. but it is not so easy for Black to demonstrate its downside. 'To take or not to take' is in this case a matter of taste. The following analysis shows that White's dark-squared bishop can be allowed to live. B .. . �g71? 9.�h2

A) Bad is 9 ... tLlhf6 in view of 1 O .ttJeS hS 1 1 .i.e2 ttJg4 1 2. jLxg4 hxg4 1 3 .tLlxd7 �xd7 1 4 .'iYb3 Mxh4 I S . 0 - 0 -0 and White was clearly better in lzoria-Safin, Dubai 2 004;

B) White is better after 9 ... b6 1 0 .cxb6 'iVxb6 1 1 .'W'd2 ( 1 1 .'iVb3 ! ?) 1 1 . . . 0 -0 1 2 .Jl.e2 tLlhf6 1 3 .ttJeS cS 1 4 .ttJa4 'iVe6 I S .ttJxd7 ttJxd7 1 6 .tLlxcS ttJxcS 1 7 .dxcS ± ; C) There is not full equality after

9 ... tLldf6 1 0 .ttJeS ttJd7 I I .tLlxd7 i.xd7 1 2 .�e2 ttJf6 1 3 .hS ttJe4 1 4.tLlxe4 dxe4 I S .�b3 'iVaS + 1 6 .�fl i.c8 1 7 .i.f4 and White had a slight advantage in Palo-Seel, Bad Worishofen 2 0 04;

D) 9 ... 0-0 10.�e2 tiJhf6 On 1 0 . . . l:'te8 there is the unpleasant reply I I .g4 tLlhf6 1 2 .l::.g 1 b6 1 3 .cxb6 'iYxb6 1 4.1/i'c2 i.b7

209


(Hubner-Papa, Stuttgart 2 0 04) l S .tLld2 ! ? e S 1 6 .gS tLle4 1 7 .tLlcxe4 dxe4 1 8 .tLl c4 'iVb4+ 1 9 .'iVc3 ±. 1 1 .ii:leS ii:le4 12 .ii:lxd7

�xd7 13 .'/i1Vb3 Or 1 3 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 4.a3 I:te8 I S .hS i1i.e6 1 6 .'iVc2 i1i.dS 1 7 .0-0-0 eS 1 8 .hxg6 hxg6 1 9 .1heS �xeS 2 0 .dxeS 'iVgS 2 1 . 'i!lb l 'iVxeS 2 2 . I:tM ld.ad8 B .r!dh l <;tof8 = Palo-Burmakin, Pardubice 2004. 13 ... eS 14.ii:lxe4 dxe4 1 S.dxeS Dubious is 1 5 .�xeS ? ! �xeS 1 6 .dxeS 'iVaS+ 1 7 .'iVc3 'iVxc3+ 1 8 .bxc3 ld.ae8 1 9 .0-0-0 �c8 and Black has a slight advantage. 1 S ... 'liUaS+ 1 6 .'liUc3 'liUxc3+

1 7.bxc3 nae8 18.0-0-0 �c8= PolakLaznicka, Brno 2 0 0 6 .

Now we continue with the main line. 8. ... lLIh5xf4

9. e3xf4

Black has several options in this position: A) 9 . . . �g7 1 0.hS 1 0 .'iVd2 0-0 ( 1 0 . . . b6

I I .cxb6 'Mixb6 1 2 .I:tc l 0-0 1 3 .tt:J a4 'iVa7 1 4.hS as 1 5 .hxg6 fxg6 1 6 .g3 tLlf6 1 7 .�cS �fS 1 8 .�d3 e6 1 9 .tLleS �ac8 20 . 0 -0± Rustemov-Movsesian, Moscow 2 004) 1 1 .hS b6 1 2 .cxb6 tLlxb6 1 3 .hxg6 hxg6 1 4.tLleS 'li'd6 I S .'li'e3 �d7 1 6 .fs �xfS 1 7 .g4 cS 1 8 .dxc S , draw (Stefansson-Krivoborodov, Pardubice 2 0 0 6) . 1 0 ... b6 1 1 .cxb6 �xb6 1 2.'lllVd2 .!:tb8

1 3.b3

2 1 0

And now there are several possibilities: A I ) 1 3 ... 0-0 1 4.�e2 1 4.tLleS tUxeS

I S .fxeS f6 1 6 .hxg6 hxg6 1 7 .£4 ExeS ] 8 .f xeS 'Mib4 1 9 .�e2 �e6°o Kornliakov; 1 4 .ld.c l tLlf6 I S .h6 �h8 1 6 .tLleSt . 14 ... c5

1 S.ii:lxdS � d6 1 5 . . . 'iV e6 1 6 . dxcS lLixc5 1 7 .ttJgS 'iVd6 1 8 .ld.d l ± . 1 6.dxc5 t2Jxc5

1 7Jld1 �b7 1 8.hxg6 hxg6 1 9.�c4 0e6

20.fSi Komliakov; A2) 1 3 ... e6 14.nc1 0-0 1S .ii:la4 White is

promised a small advantage by I S .t2JeS tLlxeS 1 6 .fxeS 'iVb4 1 7 .h6 �h8 1 8 .t2Ja4 'iVxdH 1 9 .'it>xd2 f6 2 0 .f4 fxeS 2 I .fxeS ld.f4 2 2 . 'it>c3 . 1 s .. :ifc7 16 . .id3t

Komliakov; A3) 1 3 ... gxhS 1 4.ld.c l ( 1 4.�eS lLixe5

I S .fxeS f6=i=) 1 4 . . . �cJf6 I S .tLleS!; A4) 13 . • ii:lf6 14.hxg6 fxg6 14 . . . hxg6

1 5 .l:lxh 8 + �xh8 1 6 .ld. cl ltJe4 1 7 . tt'lxe4 dxe4 1 8 .tLleS �b7 1 9 .1:1cS= FaragoSeres , Budapest 2 0 04. 1S .ltJeS liJg4

16 .ii:la4 �c7 1 6 . . . 'iVb4 1 7 .ttJxc6 WixdH 1 8 .'.t"xd2 ttJxf2±. 1 7.l::I.c1 ii:lxe5 1 8.fxe5 0-0

1 9.�d3 �d7 20.l::I.h4 with the initiative for White (Paragua-Movsesian, KhantyMansiysk 2 0 0 5 ) ;

AS) 1 3 ... cS 14.ii:lxdS 'lie6+ 1S.t2Je3 cxd4

The ending is extremely difficult for Black after l S . . . 'iVe4 1 6 .ld.dl 0-0 1 7 fS cxd4 1 8 .tLlxd4 ltJcs 1 9 .hxg6 hxg6 20 .f3 �xd4 2 1 .'iVxd4 i1i.xd4 22 .ld.xd4 i,xf5 23.lLixB gxfS H.1:1dS . 16.ii:lxd4 'lllVe4 17.J:id1 nb6

1 7 . . . 'iI'xf4? 1 8 .tbc6 'il'c 7 ( 1 8 . . Jlb6 1 9 .ttJxe 7 ! ) 1 9 . 1Ic 1 +- , NikolicStefansson, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 . 1 S.hxg6 hxg6

19 . . !bhS+ .lil.xhS 20.'i!'c2 Not so strong is 20 .g3 lId6 2 1 ."'iIK c2 'fHxc2 n.tbdxc2:t. 20 ... 'i'xc2 2V ljdxc2 .lil.c3+ 22.We2 ttJf6 23.:ld3 .lil.a5 24.ttJc4± Gelfand-Bacrot, Cap d'Agde 2 0 0 3 .

B ) 9 ... ttJf6 1 0 .tbe5 �h6 1 1 .g3 tbh5 1 2..�e2 ttJg7 1 3 .h5 g5 1 +.fxg5 �xg5 1 5 .h6 tLlf5 1 6 .�h5± Farago-Arduman, Nova Gorica 2 0 0 1 ;

C) 9 ... b6 10.cxb6 'lixb6 1 1 .'i!'d2 .i:i.bS 12.ttJa4 Bad is 1 2 .b3 e6 1 3 .h5 gxh5 14 . .1ld3 iLM 1 5 .Mel c5 1 6 .dxc5 'iVxc5+ Candela-Argandona, San Sebastian 2 0 0 6 . 12. _'lic7 13 .l:l:c1 ttJf6 14 . .lil.d3 .lil.h6 1 5.g3 0-0

16.tlJe5 .lil.b7 1 7.ttJc5 ttJe4 1Sixe4 dxe4

19.tiJed7+- Brodsky-Malakhatko, Rivne 2 0 0 5 ; D) White i s clearly better after 9 ... .lil.h6

1 0 .g3 tbf6 1 1 .tbe5 tbe4 1 2 .tbxe4 dxe4 1 3 .�c4.

9. ... �d8-c7

The best move. By attacking the f+ pawn, Black does not so much win a tempo (Since he will probably soon play . . . b7-b6, and the queen will have to move again to recapture on b6) as force a weakening of the enemy kingside.

1 0. g2-g3

Chapter 22: Flexibility: 5 . . . <Llbd7 6.�f4

Or 1 0.'i!'d2 and now: A) 1 0 ... .lil.g7 1 1 .h5 ttJf6 1 2.hxg6 hxg6

13JhhS+ .lil.xhS 14.ttJe5 .lil.e6 15.f3 Also worth noting is 1 5 . 0-0-0 ! ? 0-0-0 1 6 .�d3 tbe4 1 7 .�xe4 dxe4 1 8 ."'iIKe3 g5 1 9 .'iYxe4 gxf4 2 0 .'iI'xf4 iLf6 2 1 .'it'b l . 1 5 ... ttJd7

16 .0-0-0 .lil.g7 1 7 . .lil.d3 g5 1 S.g3 gxf4 1 9.gxf4

0-0-0 20.wb1 f6?!± 20 . . . 'iI'a5 ! ? 2 1 .iVc2 �h6 22 .tbe2 Mg8:t 21 .ttJg6± RadjabovRiazantsev, Warsaw 2005 .

B ) 10 ... ttJf6 1 1 .tbe5 h5 1 2 . g3 �5 1 3 .�g2 �g7 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 5 .me 1 Mae8 1 6 .Me2 tbg+ 1 7 . .l:i.ae 1 f6 1 8 .tbd3 'it'h7 1 9 .f3 tbh6 20 .tbfl e5+ (Beliavsky-Saltaev, Germany Bundesliga 2004/05 ) . Just as in the Sicilian it is the advance . . . d6-d5 , so in the Chebanenko, it is the advance . . . e7 -e5 which, as a rule, assures Black good play.

1 0. ... �f8-g7

1 0 . . . tLlf6 l 1 .tLle5 �g7 1 L�d3 ± . 1 1 . �f1 -d3 b7-b6

Less good is 1 1 . . . tbf8 1 2 .'iI'd2 �g4 1 3 .tbe5 iLe6 1 4.h5 gxh5 1 5 .'iYe2 kg4 1 6 .f3 �e6 1 7 . .l:i.xh5± (GyimesiDjingarova, Nova Gorica 2004) .

1 2. c5xb6 �c7xb6

1 3. 0-0 �b6xb2

1 4. lla1 -c1 'iYb2-b4

1 5. lLlc3-a4 0-0

1 6 . Mc1 xc6 lLld7-b8

1 7. .l:i.c6 -b6 'li'b4-a5

1 8. 'iYd1 -b3 �c8-d7+

2 1 1

The Chebanenka Slav According to Balagan

This line has been suggested by Victor Komliakov. Black has the ad vantage of two bishops and a minimal number of weaknesses, whilst at the same time, the active white pieces are rather attacking thin air.

Conclusion

It is no coincidence that this line is one of the most dense in the whole book. Literally thousands of games have been played

2 1 2

in it, and there is still no clear answer to

the question of where White can find an

advantage. Even so, things are not so easy for Black either. White has a rich choice

of possibilities, and Black must react accurately to each of them. We can say that the main lines of the variation only be

came clear to us after a good deal of col

lective work during the preparation of the book.

Practical Examples

While preparing myself for tournaments, when studying new openings I've always had the idea that together with opening knowledge should also come lmowledge of typical middle game ideas. Normally we would derive this knowledge from studying games of good players in a certain opening, and this is always good. But to make this work easier for chess players, I have decided to add to the present opening book 34 positions from tournament practice in which you can train your skills by trying to fmd typical ideas for both White and Black in the Chebanenko system. I 'd like to thank all the player,? who have created these examples , which make this book more interes ting. As a recommendation for the solving procedure I would advise you not to try and fmd the ultimate answer. Just get your brain to work and come up with ideas. It is very possible that you will find even better moves or, instead of one idea , you will find two. One way or another, working on these positions will allow you get a deeper understanding of the ideas of the Chebanenko system. Some of the positions have tactical solutions , some are positional. You should look at the examples as normal games where you have to make a move. Sometimes in a game we even have to calculate - this can also be the case here.

1 • 2 o

2 1 3


3 o 4 •

5 • 6 •

7 o 8 o

2 1 4

Pmctical Examples

9 o 1 0 •

1 1 • 1 2 •

1 3 • 1 4 o

2 1 5


1 5 o 1 6 •

1 7 • 1 8 •

1 9 o 20 •

2 1 6

Practical Examples

2 1 • 22 •

2 3 o 24 o

25 • 26 •

2 1 7


2 7 • 2 8 o

29 o 30 •

3 1 • 32 o

2 1 8

Practical Examples

3 3 • 34 •

2 1 9

Solutions

1 Aseev-Khmelnitsky Sibenik 1 98 9

With 1 1 .. . . eS !:j: Black obtains the better chances, since White cannot re tain the extra pawn : 1 2.tuxeS tUxeS 1 3 .dxeS IieS

14.14?! f6 1 S.exf6 �xf6 1 6 .g3 tUfS 1 7.tUd1

as with a very strong initiative for

4 Moskalenko-Rogozenko Nikolaev (zt) 1 9 9 3

14 .... eS Exploiting the pin on the f4 pawn, Black carries out his standard central break and obtains adequate play: 1S.tZlxeS tUxeS 1 6.dxeS '/iUxeS 17.hxg6 hxg6 1S.1xeS il.xd2'l'

Black. 5 OIl-Anand

2 Chernin -Gavrikov Tilburg 1 9 92

Here too the lead in development plays a decisive role. It is very hard for Black to find an adequate answer to: 14.e41± exd4

Even worse is 1 4 . . . dxe4 1 5 . ttJxe4. 1 S.exdS 'lWd6 1 6.tUe4 �xdS 1 7.tUxf6+ tUxf6

1 S.0-0 �xf3 1 9.'¥!'xf3 fleS 20.:a:e1 + Wd7

21 . .¥!.aS The black king comes under heavy fhe, whilst the extra pawn is only a temporary factor; soon Black will have to give it back.

3 Sakaev-Rublevsky (analysis) St Petersburg 1 9 9 3

2S.l:!.d6 One of those cases where taking is bad, and so is not taking. 2S .... .¥!.xd6 The best defence is 2 5 . . . ttJxd6 26 .cxd6 �xd6 2 7 . exd6 �xd6 2 8 ."'lj'xc6+ "'lj'xc6 29 .�xc6 I:!.d6 and if 30 .�xb5 7 (stronger is 30 .�e8 'litd8 3 1 .�e5 I:!.dl + 3 2 .<;!i>c2 I:!.fl 33 .�xb5 I:!.xf2+ 34.<;!i>b 1 a3 35 .�c6, and the passed pawn, supported by the two bishops, becomes very dangerous) and now 30 . . . I:!.b6 3 1 .�xa4 Ihb4 with excellent play for Black - his rook is very active and his pawns can gradually advance. 26.exd6 �b6 27.�xe6+ Black loses all his queenside pawns.

2 2 0

Biel (izt) 1 99 3

1 2 .... eS Using the fact that the white king has not yet been evacuated to the kingside, Black destroys the enemy pawn centre. 1 3.dxeS d4! 14.exd4 Black is better after 1 4 /iJ e 4 c1Jxe4 1 5 . �x b4 dxe3 1 6 .�xd8 exf2+ 1 7 .r;t>fl llxd8+ ; the weakness of the white king appears in the variation 1 4 .c1Ja4 �xd2+ 1 5 .'ijVxd2 c1Je4t 1 6 ."'lj'xd4 "'lj'a5 + 1 7 .<;!i>fl ttJdH 1 8 . �g l I:!.d8 . 1 4'M.'iVxd4 1S .'iVe2 Ibe6+

6 Krasenkow-Epishin Brno 1 99 4

1S .... ::I.a7!! With this unexpected move, Black defends against a penetration to the 7 th rank. Worse is the standard 1 8 . . . .!'lfe8 1 9 .I:!.c l Mxc6 20 .'iVxc6 "'lj'xc6 2 1 .ttJxe6 �c5 2 2 .�d4;!:: Grachev-Cornette, Heraklio 2 0 0 2 . 1 9.1:!.e1 In the line 1 9 i 4 c1J b8 2 0 .I:!.c3 b4 2 1 .I:!.d3 I:!.c8 Black seizes the c-file and obtains a slightly better position (Epishin) . 1 9 ... . tuxeS 20.lbxe6?

White misses a strong resource for his opponent. Correct was 2 0 Jk8 I1:lg6 2 1 .I:!.c6 with definite compensation for the pawn. 20 .... �xe6 21 .tUxfS WUxc2

22Jbe2 lbe4!+ Unexpected and very strong. Black closes off the open fIle and the knight on f8 has no escape.

7 Gavrikov-Nikolic Horgen 1 9 94

11 .f4;1; Prophylaxis : White defends against the standard break . . . e6-eS and thanks to his space advantage and good bishop, he

Solutions

also, thanks to his more harmoniously-placed pieces, to develop pressure on the queenside. 1S .dxcS "fic7 1S .li:lbS

'uadS 17JlxdS llxdS+

retains the advantage. 1 2 Kortchnoi-I. Sokolov

8 Lobron-Tischbierek Germany Bundesliga 1 9 94/95

1S.:6!.a2 By creating the strong threat of 1 6 .axbS (now the rook is defended by the knight and both black pawns on a6 and c6 are pinned) . White breaks up the opponent's queenside. Black cannot take advantage of the rook's position on a2 : 1 S .... b4

1S .. bc4+ �hS 17.li:lb3 'iWfS 1S.tbe4±

9 D. Gurevich-Hodgson Bern 1 9 9 6

14.li:lxgS! hxgS 1S .£xbS Sometimes it makes sense to exchange a strong bishop for an undeveloped knight - if, of course, one thereby wins a piece ! 1S .... li:lxbS 1S .'li'bS+-

Hodgson

1 0 Kramnik-Shirov Vienna 1 9 9 6

1 7 .... eS White has no t 'managed to strengthen his pawn centre, and Shirov exploits this in energetic style. 1S.'iVc4

1 8 .dxeS 'iVe7+ ; 1 8 .dS tLlxcs 1 9 .'iVc4 tLld7+. 1 S .... 'iVfS! 1 9.dxeS 1 9 .dS 'iVf4+ 2 0 Jld2 (2 0 .Wb1 cxdS+) 2 0 . . . 'iie3 2 1 .b4 as+. 19 . . . . li:lxeS 20.�d4 I:taaS! and 0-1

Shirov

1 1 Timman-I.Sokolov Amsterdam 1 9 96

14 .... cS This advance allows Black not only to solve all his opening problems, but

Groningen 1 9 96

1S .... bS White has tried to block the en-emy queenside, but Black finds a tactical resource, thanks to which he seizes the mltlatlve . 1 S .axbS After 1 6 .Mxb4 1 6 .. . �xaS the rook is trapped. 1s ... :11VxbS

1 7.jJ,e3 lUfS 1 S. �h1 lUbdS't'

Sokolov

1 3 Zviagintsev-Bologan New York 1 9 9 7

1 9 .... l:tc7 A multi-functional move : Black defends the weak point f7 , and at the same time is ready to double rooks on the c-file at the appropriate moment. 20.I:!ac1

Nothing comes from 2 0 .tLlg4 because of 20 . . . �e7 2 l .fS exfS 22 JhfS �gS with the idea . . . .!:I.e 7 , . . . �c8 . 20 ... Jbc1 21 .I:!xc1

litaS-cS 22.l:tf1 l:tc7 and 0-1

Bologan.

1 4 Beliavsky-Illescas Ubeda 1 9 9 7

1 S:iYdS The pa\Vll i s not going anywhere, and it is more important to take control of the dark squares in the enemy camp. 1 S ... JibS 17.I:!fcH

1 5 Beliavsky -Volkov Belgrade 1 9 9 8

9.aS! Seizing space and fixing the opponent's pawn structure. In the event of 9 . 0-0 Black has 9 . . . aS followed by . . . tLla6 (Beliavsky) and Black is fine. 9 .... li:lbd7

1 0.0-0 �dS 11 .li:ld2 and 1/2-112

Beliavsky

2 2 1

Tbe Cbebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 6 Krasenkow-Movsesian Polanica Zdroj 2 0 0 0

12 .... e5 As is well known, any standard idea requires accurate calculation. 1 3.tZ'lxe5 Or 1 3 .dxe5 tLlg4 l 4.h3 ( 1 4.e6 fxe6 l 5 .�xg6 :!:!'xf3 l 6 .gxf3 tLlge5 1 7 .�c2 tLlxf3 + l S .<i't>g2 �f6-+) 1 4 . . . tLlgxe5 1 5 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 6 .�e2 'li'h4--... Movsesian. 13 .... tZJxe5 14.dxe5

tZJg4'f Now, bad is 15.f4 because of 15 ... d4 , therefore Black regains the pawn and obtains a small advantage.

1 7 Jobava-Avrukh Ohrid 2 0 0 1

1 6 .... dxe4 Another example on the theme of a favourable transformation of the centrat pawn structure . 1 7.bxe4 e5 1 S.d5

Better was l S .tLld2 exd4 ( l S . . . l:!.feS 1 9 .tLlde4) 1 9 . exd4 'li'xe2 2 0 .tLlxe2 1HeS 2 1 .�f1 = Avrukh. 1S .. . . tZJb6 1 9 .exb5

exb5'f

1 8 Ilincic-Tosic Jahorina tt 2 0 0 1

1 S .... �e5 In this way, Black liquidates his opponent's pressure on the open file and obtains the advantage. 1 9.ki.xeS+ J::.xeS

20.�d4 'ge7.

1 9 J. Ivanov-Rustemov Dos Hermanas 2 0 0 2

1 2.15 White gets r id of his doubled pawn and slightly weakens the pawn protection around the black king. 1 2 .... b6 13 .exb6

tZJxb6 14.fxg6 hxg6 15J;l.e1 �

20 Ivanchuk-Kasparov Prague (blitz-m / 3 ) 2 0 0 2

1 2 ... . lt:le4 The difference between the squares e4 and e5 is that White cannot cover the e4-square by playing f3 , whilst

2 22

Black does have the equivalent method of covering eS . After a capture on e4, the diagonal of the �b7 would be lengthened. 13 .�h5 tZ'ldf6 14.'i'h3 tZ'lxe3 15.bxc3 ti:le4'f

2 1 Khuzman-I.Sokolov Istanbul 2 0 0 3

1S .... tZJxe5 With the help of this tactical blow, Black cuts the Gordian knot and frees his game. 1 9.tZ'ldxe5 'il'xg4 20.�6

llaaSoo

22 Wirig-Abergel Nancy 2 0 0 7

White has carried out the classical penetration on the queenside, in the process forgetting about his king. 27 .. ..lLlgf3+

2S.wh1 White loses by force after 28 .gxf3 :ctgH 29 .'it>h1 �xg 1 + 3 0 .Wxg 1 I/i'xh3 3 1 .�xaS + �h7 . 2S .... tZJd2 He could decide matters at once with 28 .. :iVf5 ! ! 29 .'Ii'xaS + �h7 3 0 .:!:!.bS :!:!'xg2 . 29:&!xcS+

llxeS+

2 3 De Villiers-Pick Durban Open 1 9 9 5

1 1 .e6! A blockading pawn sacrifice, the idea of which is to prevent Black finishing his development normally. Black declines the sacrifice but still has problems mobilising his forces on the kingside. 1 1 ....f6 1 1 . . . fxe6 1 2 .'Ii'xd3 g6 1 3 .0-0±. 1 2.0-0 g6 1 3.'ilVxd3 �g71 4.h4±

24 Lie-Ramirez Pula Open 2 0 0 7

1 1.tZJ xe6 I n our day, this idea has also become standard: White sacrifices the knight for two pawns, in order to obtain connected, far-advanced passed pawns. 1 1 ...�xe6 12 .axb5 tZJdxe5!? 1 2 . . .'I'c8 1 3 .b6±. 13:iVa3±

2 5 Dreev-Volkov Samara 1 9 9 8

1 7 ... .a5! Using his advantage in development and the extremely poor position of the white king, Black develops a fierce initiative within a few moves. 18.it,g2 The problems are not fully solved by 1 8 .4Jb6 �c3 + 1 9 .�d2 4Jxd2 20 .'i¥xd2 .!:!.b8 2 1 .bxaS iVxcS=F . A better defence was offered by the move 8 .bS ! ? , not allowing Black to include the rook on a8 in the game. For example, 1 8 . . . 4Jc3 1 9 . 4Jxc3 �xc3 + 20 .�xc3 �xc3 + 2 1 .�d2 �b4+. 18 .... axb4 1 9.lI:lb6 l:la3-+

Bologan

26 Milos-Morozevich New Delhi 2 0 0 0

35 ... �e2 From the positional point ofview, this exchange is favourable to Black, but instead he had available a hidden combinational solution: 3 S . . . �xh4! 3 6 .gxh4 .!:!.g6+ 3 7 .�g2 (3 7 .�h1 �d7 38 .�h2 �d6+ 39 .�h1 �f6) 37 . . . �e2 38 .�xa4 (38 .�c2 .!:!.xg2+ 39 .�xg2 �d7-+) 3 8 . . . �xa4 39 . .!:!.xa4 �f3 -+ . 36.it,xe2 J:i:xe2+

Bologan

27 Krasenkow-Movsesian Po1anica Zdroj 2 0 0 0

1 7 .... it,xh3 An accurately calculated blow, thanks to which Black obtains a large advantage. 18.gxh3 'iWxh3 1 9.14 1 9 . iV d 1 tLlf3 + ( ! ) 20 .�xf3 �eS -+ ; 1 9 .�c3 fs 20 .f4 4Jg4 2 1 ..!:!.f2 tiJxf2 2 v;i>xf2 "llUh2 + 23 .<;£;lfl .!:!.f7=F; 1 9 .f3 iVg3 + 2 0 .';i>h1 .l:!:ae8 2 1 .�e l �h3 + 22 .<;t>g l d4 23 .e4 d3 -+ . 19 .... �g3+ 20.'.t>h1 d4! 21 .�e1

'li'h3+ 22.'.t>g1 dxe3+

Bologan

Solutions

28 Gelfand-Movsesian Po1anica Zdroj 2000

1 2.f5 An elegant positional sacrifice. White plays to restrict his opponent 's minor pieces. 1 2 .... e4 1 3.it,xe4 dxe4

14.lLlxe4 0-0 15.'Ii'b3+ '.t>h8 1 6 .lLld6 it,h6

1 7.J:'l.fe1 ±

29 Dreev -Ra usis Luzern Wch-tt 1 99 3

1 1 .a4! Tactics in the service 0 f strategy! It turns out that the knight on c6 is unstable. and White manages to disrupt his opponent's queenside. 1 1 .. .. .i1lb7 1 1 . . . b4 1 2 .as �b 7 1 3 . 4Ja 4 4Je4 1 4.Jtd3 tiJxd2 l S .�xd2 'fIc7 1 6 . 0 -0;!;; ; 1 1 . . .'ihc6 1 2 .4J e4 �b6 l 3 . aS �b8 1 4.'!:!'xc8+ ! 14 . . . �xc8 l S .tiJxd6+ . 1 2.axb5 axb5

13 .lLlxb5 it,xc6 14.lLlxd6+ We7 15 . .i1lb5

�xb5 16 .�b4±

30 Variation from 5 .e3 b5 6.c5

13 .... e5! It appears that White has taken all possible measures to prevent this advance. Even so, as the analysis below shows , it is precisely with this move that Black seizes the initiative, by exploiting the concrete tactical features of the position. 14.fxe5

lLlxe5 15 .dxe5 axb4 l S . . . �xeS 1 6 .0-0 axb4 1 7 .axb4 '!:!'xa 1 1 8 .�xa 1 �h4 1 9 .h3 �xh3 20 .�e 1 'il'h6t . 1 6.lLlxb5 1 6 .axb4 k!:xa 1 1 7 .'lWxa l d4 1 8 . exd4 ( 1 8 .�e2 �xeS 1 9 .0-0 'il'M 20 . g3 �xg3 2 1 .hxg3 �xg3 +-+) 1 8 . . . �xd4 1 9 .�b 1 .!:!.d8 20 .4Je4 �S 2 1 .�f4 �xd3 2 2 .�xd3 lhd3 =F. 1 6 .... .ixe5 1 7.0-0 �a6 1 8.�xb4

.ltxa1 1 9.1Lld6 .i1lxd3 20.'iWxd3 .i1le5 21 .lLlxe8

'iWxe8+

Komliakov

2 2 3


3 1 Veron-Draoui Syre 2 0 0 6

16 .... J:rxf3! With the aid of this sacrifice, Black clevelolls a clangeTC"Y\l.s attack in the

centre and on the kingside. 1 7.�xf3 exd4

1 8.t2:ie2?! 1 8 . exd5 with the idea of 1 8 . . . dxc3 (very unpleasant is 1 8 . . . 4Je5 ) 1 9 .d6 . 18 .... t2:ieS� 1 9.t2:ixd4 t2:ixf3+

20.t2:ixf3 'lWf4 21 .t2:id4 �g7! 22.l:lfd1 �eS

23.f3 'li'e3+ 24.'.1>g2? Better is 24 .'it>h l . 24 .... �xd4 2SJ�ab1 �h3+ 0-1 D.Primel.

32 Gagunashvili-Haslinger Hastings 2006

Here White manages to prevent . . . c6-c5 in a rather unusual way. 13 .:aa4 'li'xc4

224

1 3 . . . '/!'xb2 1 4 . 0-0t . 14.lIxc4t Gagunashvili

33 'Pelletier-Morozevich Biel 2006

1 1 .. . . cS ! The standard break, after which everything is in order for Black. 12.e5

t2:ig4 13 .h3 cxd4 14.t2:idS exdS 1S.hxg4

'lWe6+

34 Maki Uuro-Dautov Gothenburg Ech-tt 2005

14 . . ..lilhS I t i s important to exchange one

of the opponent's two bishops. 1S .i<.xh5

�xhS 16 .'ufc1 'li'b7 17.bS cxbS 18.axb5

J:rfc8+

Index of Variations

1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tDf3 tDf6 4.tDc3 a6

S.cxdS cxdS 6 . .1H4 t2lc6 . . . . . . . 30 S . 'if c2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

- 7 .1:.c 1 33 - 5 . . . dxc4 44 - 7 .ttJe5 37 - 5 . . . g6 45

- 7 .e3 38 - 5 . . . e6 46

- 5 . . . b5 47

S.h3 . . . . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 S .'iVb3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

- 5 . . . b5 41 ; 6 .cxd5 41 , 6 .c5 41 - 5 . . . dxc4 48

- 5 . . . dxc4 42 - 5 . . . b5 50; 6 .c5 50, 6 .cxd5 50

- 5 . . . e6 42 ; 6 .e3 42 , 6.cxd5 42 , 6 .c5 42 - 5 . . . e6 52 ; 6 .cxd5 52 , 6 .g3 53 , 6 . a4 54,

6 .�f4 55, 6.�g5 55

225


S .g3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6O S .�gS etJe4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6

- 5 . . . dxc4 60 - 6 .�h4 76 - 5 . . . g6 63 - 6.h4 76 - 5 . . . jLf5 64 - 6 .e3 77 - 5 . . . b5 65; 6 .cxd5 65, 6 .b3 66, 6 .c5 69 - 6 .�4 78

S .�f4 dxc4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 S .a4 e6 6.g3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

- 6 .e3 72 - 6 . . . iLe7 84 - 6 .e4 72 - 6 . . . jLb4 85 - 6 .g3 73 - 6 . . . dxc4 86 - 6 . a4 73

2 2 6

Index of variations

S.a4 e6 6.e3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 s .ltJeS bS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

- 6 . . . cS 7.1Ld3 tLlc6 8 . 0-0 93 - 6 .cxdS cxdS 119; 7 .g3 119, 7 . .1Lf4 120

S.a4 e6 6.�gS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 S.CtJeS e6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

- 6 . . . aS 97 - 6 .g3 121 - 6 . . . .1Le7 102 - 6 . .1LgS 121 - 6 . . . h6 103 - 6 .cS 1 22 - 6 . . . 1Lb4 106 - 6 .1Lf4 123 - 6 . . . ttJbd7 106

2 2 7


5 .tbe5 dxc4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

- 6 . a4 125 - 6 .tbxc4 126

5 .tbe5 tbbd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

- 6 .i.f4 129; 6 . . . e6 129 , 6 . . . dxc4 129 - 6 .�xd7 �xd7 7 .'iYb3 130; 7 . . . dxc4 130, 7 . . . JLc8 131 , 7 . . . e6 131 - 6 . cxdS 132 - 6 .g3 132

228

5 .e3 b5 6.cxd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

- 6 . . . cxd5 7 .�d3 e6 137; 8 . 0-0 137, 8 .e4 137, 8 .�eS 137

5.e3 b5 6.b3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

- 6 . . . ..if5 137 - 6 . . . e6 138 - 6 . . . 2i.g4 138; 7 .h3 138, 7 .�d2 141 ,

7 .il.e2 141

5.e3 b5 6.c5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

- 6 . . . �5 146 - 6 . . . g6 147 - 6 . . . �g4 155

5 .e3 b5 6.c5 tLlbd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 59

- 7 .h3 159 - 7 .�d2 159 - 7 .�d3 159; 7 . . . e5 160 , 7 . . :�c7 161 , 7 . . . g6 161 - 7 .b4 a5 161 - 7 .a3 162; 7 . . . a5 163, 7 . . . g6 1 63 , 7 . . . e5 163, 7 . . .'fic7 163 - 7 .�e2 163 - 7 ."'ifb3 163

Index of Variations

5 .c5 �g4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

- 6 .'iVb3 1 67; 6 . . . Ua7 1 67, 6 . . . 'iic8 167 - 6.tue5 167; 6 . . . �f5 167, 6 . . . �e6 168, 6 . . . �h5 168

5 .c5 g6 6.�f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

- 6 . . . �g4 1 70 - 6 . . . tDh5 170 - 6 . . . �g7 1 71

229


S .cS �fS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 75 S .cS tLJbd7 6.�f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

- 6 .�b3 1 73; 6 . . . �c8 1 73, 6 .. . J::ta7 1 74 - 6 . . . g6 7 .e3 i.g7 190; 8 .Jt.e2 190, 8 .h3 191 - 6 .�f4 tLlbd7 7 . e3 1 75; 7 . . . g6 1 75, - 6 . . . tLlh5 194; 7 .i.d2 194, 7 .�g5 194, 7 . . . e6 1 75, 7 . . . tiJh5 178 7 .i.e3 201 , 7 . e3 201 ; 7 . . . tLlxf4 201 ,

7 . . . b 6 205, 7 . . . 16 205, 7 . . . f6 205, 7 . . . g6 205

S .cS tLJbd7 (6 .e3 180, 6 .b4 181 , 6 .g3 183, 6 .�g5 184) 6.h3 . . . . . . . 1 85

- 6 . . . b6 185 - 6 . . . g6 1 86 - 6 . . . 'WB c7 186

2 3 0

Index of Players

The numbers refer to pages

A Atalik 8 9 , 1 1 3 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 2 , Bologan 34, 4 1 , 6 5 , 7 1 , Abergel 2 22 1 48 , 1 62 7 6 , 1 0 2 , 1 3 7 - 140 , Abramovic 3 8 Avrukh 1 88 , 2 0 0 , 2 0 6 , 1 42- 143 , 1 9 3 - 1 94, 1 9 6 , Acs 1 43 2 2 2 2 2 1 Adianto 1 7 6 Azmaiparashvili 2 6 Borovikov 1 7 7 , 207 Agamaliev 3 6 , 3 8 Bratanov 1 5 0 Agrest 5 0 , 1 1 5 , 1 6 8 B Braun,A. 42 Agzamov 1 9 1 Babiy 203 Braun,M. 74 Ahlander 1 9 4 Babula 1 1 6 , 204 Braun,V 1 5 7 Ahues 94 Baburin 1 2 6 Brodsky 2 1 1 Akesson 7 6 Bacrot 45 , 5 2 , 5 8 , 74, 89 , Bronstein 69 Akimov 45 92 , 9 5 , 9 7 , 99- 1 00 , 1 39 , Browne 5 0 , 5 7 Akobian 1 7 5 14 1 , 1 44 , 1 4 7 , 1 5 1 , 1 5 3 , Brynell 1 5 6 Akopian 3 8 , 5 7 , 1 5 6 , 1 6 0 , 1 7 6 , 1 9 2 , 1 9 7 , Bryzgalin 46 , 1 23 , 1 5 6

1 68 2 0 3 , 2 0 7 , 2 1 1 Bu Xiangzhi 1 49 , 1 5 3 AI Sayed 1 49 , 1 5 5 Bagirov 20 , 2 7 , 69 Budnikov 79 AIavkin 7 7 , 79 Banikas 204 , 2 0 6 Buhmann 6 1 , 85 Aleshin 1 5 6 Bareev 3 1 , 45 , 5 2 , 5 7 , 9 0 , Bukal 1 2 3 , 1 5 6 Alexandrov 1 42 1 0 7 , 1 42 , 1 54, 1 5 9 , 1 63 , Bunzmann 3 1 Alexeev 1 7 5 1 7 6 , 1 9 3 , 2 0 1 Burmakin 3 2 , 46 , 1 1 6 , Alonso Garcia 1 2 6 Barlocco 8 6 1 24, 1 2 8 , 1 4 7 - 1 49 , 1 54, Amonatov 1 43 , 1 5 7 Bauer 43 , 5 8 , 74 1 6 1 , 1 7 2 , 1 9 1 - 1 9 3 , 1 99 , Anand 1 3 , 3 3 , 1 3 8 , 1 5 1 , Beliavsky 2 0 , 2 6 , 34 , 9 0 , 2 0 6 , 2 1 0

2 20 98 - 1 00 , 1 0 8 , 1 7 6 , 2 1 1 , Butuc 1 9 1 Anapolsky 1 3 7 2 2 1 Anastasian 7 7 Belikov 92 , 1 3 2 C

Andersson 34 Bellon Lopez 7 0 , 1 2 3 , Campara 1 72 Andres Gonzalez 1 7 2 1 8 6 Candela 2 1 1 Antunes 3 5 Belov,1. 95 Carlsen 1 1 4, 1 5 4- 1 5 5 Ardelean 1 5 3 Belov,V 1 95 , 204-2 05 Cebalo 1 28 , 1 7 5 Arduman 2 1 1 Bereziuk 86 , 1 4 1 Cech 1 7 1 Argandona 2 1 1 Berkes 1 04, 2 0 5 Charbonneau 70 Aronian 92 , 1 49- 1 5 0 , Berkvens 6 6 Chebanenko 2 5

1 5 2 , 1 60 , 1 62 Bezgodov 1 2 6 Chekhov 79 , 84 Arutinian 1 9 9 Bigg 7 8 Chekurov 1 33 Aseev 3 2 , 2 2 0 Bocharov 46 , 7 7 , 1 9 9 Cheparinov 1 00

2 3 1


Chernin 3 3 , 1 40 , 1 7 5 , 2 0 6 , 220

Chiburdanidze 1 96 Chuchelov 99 , 1 5 4 Chuprikov 1 1 1 Chuprov 1 1 5 Clery 90 Cmilyte 1 5 9 Computer 'Francesca' 3 6 Computer 'Gambit T ' 34 Computer 'Nimzo 8 ' 34 Computer 'Zugzwang' 3 6 Conquest 3 8 Coppini 3 7 Cosma Cossin Cox Cramling

D

Dableo

1 43 7 2

1 2 1 1 8 8

1 5 3 Damljanovic 1 3 7 Dao Thien Hai 7 7 , 1 1 9 ,

1 29 Das 1 5 2 Dautov 3 1 , 3 5 , 9 1 , 99 ,

1 0 8 , 1 1 4, 1 1 9 , 1 2 9 , 1 5 3 - 1 54 , 1 7 7 , 2 02 , 2 0 7 ,

224 David 1 02 De La Riva Aguado 1 2 8 ,

2 0 0 , 202 De Villiers 222 Deegens Degtiarev Delchev Demarre Deviatkin Dizdar Djingarova Dlugy Dobrov

2 3 2

1 7 1 1 67 - 1 68

3 2 1 82 1 2 7

94, 1 3 2 2 1 1 1 3 9 1 43

3 7 1 20 5 0

1 22 5 9 , 2 0 7

3 1 66 , 1 8 1 , 1 94

1 1 9 224

Dobrovolsky Dokuchaev Dolgener Donchenko Dorfman Doric Dovzik Dragasevic Draoui Dreev 1 9-20 , 3 5 , 45 ,

7 7 - 7 8 , 9 5 , 1 28 , 1 46 , 1 54, 1 62 , 1 6 7 , 1 84, 2 2 3

Drozdovsky 8 5 , 1 7 6 Dudukin 9 0 Dumitrache 1 40

5 7 , 1 02 , 1 34 Dunis Dunnington Dyachkov Dzhandzhgava

1 0 7 54, 1 8 3

1 3 0

E

Ehlvest Elarbi Elianov

45 , 5 7 , 1 0 7 1 8 3

8 5 , 1 54, 1 68 , 1 7 8 , 1 94

Elsness 1 5 6 Engqvist 2 0 6 Epishin 7 0 , 93 -94, 1 2 6 ,

1 3 1 , 1 6 7 , 1 7 0- 1 7 1 , 22 0 Erdos 1 92 Erenburg Eriksson Ernst Euler Evdokimov Ewaldt

F

1 2 7 , 1 62 5 0

1 5 2 , 2 0 3 94

1 60 , 1 92 8 6

Farago 1 3 3 - 1 34 , 2 1 0-2 1 1

Fard beh bahani 74 Feldman 1 82

Fernandez Romero 1 26 , 1 3 7 , 1 86

Filip,L . Filippov Flumbort Foisor Fontaine Franco Fressinet Fridman Ftacnik Fuksik

G

1 6 7 207 2 0 5

1 8 6 , 1 9 3 90 , 202

1 8 3 54, 202 9 3 , 14 1

108 3 6

Gagunashvili 98 , 1 06 , 1 1 4, 1 99 , 224

Galin 1 9 2 Galliamova 58 Garcia Callejo 55 Garcia Palermo Garcia Vicente

1 1 3 34

Gareev 75 Gartner 62 Gavrikov 2 6-2 7 , 34, 38 ,

1 0 3 , 1 40 , 220-22 1 Gelashvili 49 Gelfand 3 8 , 45 , 5 0 , 7 8 , 84,

9 1 , 1 0 0- 1 0 1 , 1 1 2 , 1 1 4, 1 5 1 , 1 5 4, 1 6 0 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 8, 1 9 3 , 2 0 0 , 2 0 8 , 2 1 1 , 223

Gelle Geller

74 39

Georgiev,Kir. 3 2 , 45 , 58 , 1 62 , 1 7 7 - 1 7 8 , 206

Georgiev,V. 3 3 , 1 0 8 , 1 89 Gerber 3 1 Gershon Gerzhoy Giorgadze Gisbrecht

98 1 48

1 26 , 1 30 9 5 , 129

Gleizerov 1 20 , 1 2 3 , 1 27, 1 3 7 , 141

Index of Players

Goldin 6 9 , 7 1 Horvath,M. 1 8 1 Jovanic 1 5 7 Gonzalez Garcia 3 5 Horvath,P' 1 9 3 Jukic 74 Gormally 7 9 Houska 9 8 Grabarczyk 3 3 , 5 2 , 98 Hubner 1 03 , 1 6 7 , 2 1 0 K

Grachev,Y. 1 85 Hulak 1 3 2 , 1 94 Kachiani 1 5 0 Graf,A . 1 9 7 Hussein 1 5 5 Kadimova 34 GraCF. 1 2 7 Kahn 50 , 1 84, 1 9 2 Greenfeld 9 7 , 1 0 7 I Kaidanov 3 5 Grigore 65 Ibragimov 1 94 Kallai 1 2 3 , 1 3 2 , 1 34, 206 Grigorieva 1 3 9 Ibrahimov 1 5 2 Kamsky 3 3 , 3 8 , 9 0 , 1 1 2 , Grischuk 94, 1 3 7 , 1 4 3 , Idrisova 1 9 2 1 4 7 , 1 5 3 , 1 7 5 , 1 7 8 ,

1 5 1 Hincic 2 2 2 1 98- 1 99 Gross 1 2 8 Iliushin 49-5 0 , 2 0 7 Kanep 1 68 Gschnitzer 1 3 2 Iljin 1 5 7 Karalkin 46 Guliev 1 42 Illescas Cordoba 90 , 1 7 5 , Karjakin 1 00 , I l l , 1 60 Gurevich,D. 1 6 1 , 22 1 22 1 Karpov 1 3 8 , 1 4 1 , 1 44 Gurevich ,M. 3 3 , 3 8 Inarkiev 1 7 7 Karttunen 1 7 6 , 204 Guseva 1 87 Ionescu,M. 1 9 2 Kasimdzhanov 1 0 1 , 1 3 1 Gustafsson 1 0 9 , 1 1 1 Ionescu-Brandis 7 5 , 8 9 Kasparov 1 1 4, 1 1 6 , Gyimesi 1 0 8 , 1 69 , Ionov 32 , 1 3 2 , 20 1 200-20 1 , 2 0 5 , 222

202-203 , 2 05 -206 , 2 1 1 Iordachescu 34 Kazhgaleev 6 1 , 1 2 7 , 1 5 5 , Iotov 1 69 1 8 8 , 2 0 3 , 205

H Iskusnikh 3 2 , 2 00 , 204 Keitlinghaus 7 7 , 1 8 6 , 1 95 Halkias 1 68 , 204 Itkis 2 6 , 1 9 1 Kengis 1 6 7 Hansen ,c. 1 8 8 , 1 9 5 Ivanchuk 46, 50 , 1 5 3 , 222 Kern 1 84 Hansen,H. 1 9 1 Ivancsics 5 8 Khalif man 3 8 , 5 0 , 5 7 , 7 5 , Hansen ,S.B. 1 0 0 , 1 2 7 , 1 8 8 Ivanisevic 42 , 7 7 1 0 6 , 1 1 3 , 1 92 , 202 Harikrishna 34 , 1 5 3 Ivanov,]' 2 22 Kharitonov,Al . 1 44 Haslinger 224 Ivanov,Se. 84, 94, 1 7 2 , Kharitonov,And. 2 7 Hellsten 7 6 , 1 1 9 , 1 9 5 1 7 6 Khenkin 5 1 , 7 0 , 99 , 1 1 0 , Henrichs 42 Ivanov, V. 1 95 , 2 0 2 1 4 7 , 206 Hergott 7 5 Ivanovic 1 7 6 Khmelniker 1 5 9 Hernandez,Gust. 54 Izeta 1 93 Khmelnitsky 220 Herraiz Hidalgo 1 34 Izoria 1 7 0 , 209 Khuzman 8 6 , 1 6 7 , 222 Hillarp Persson 1 1 3 Kirov 1 34 Hochgrafe 95 J Kiselev,S. 1 22 Hodgson 3 8 , 45 , 6 5 , 7 0 , Jankovic 1 5 3 Kiselev,V. 45

1 0 6 , 1 1 9 , 1 3 0 , 1 6 7 , 1 74, Janssen 1 1 4 Kiseleva 89 22 1 Jelling 3 3 Knaak 43 , 1 9 5

Hole 1 5 6 Jirh 1 1 6 , 1 7 1 Kobalia 44, 7 7 , 1 00 , Horvath, Cs. 45 Jobava 1 99 , 222 203-205 Horvath,G. 5 3 Johannessen 1 2 6 Kobylkin 1 8 9

2 3 3


Kogan ,A. 2 0 1 Langheinrieh 1 54 1 48- 1 49 , 1 5 4- 1 5 5 , 1 8 7 , Kogan,B. 54, 5 7 Lasan ta Riea 3 9 1 9 1 , 1 9 5 - 1 9 6 , 2 0 1 -2 0 3 , Komarov 6 5 , 1 34 Lautier 5 7 , 1 02 , 1 5 1 , 1 5 3 , 209 Komliakov 90 , 1 2 7 , 1 7 1 , 1 9 5 , 2 0 7 Malikgulyew 1 93

1 3 9- 1 40 , 1 42 , 1 7 8 Lavretsky 1 2 6 Malinin 46 Korneevets 1 3 1 Laznieka 42 , 1 1 2 , 1 45 , Mamedyarov 1 0 1 , 1 0 8 , Korobov 44 1 9 8 - 1 99 , 2 1 0 1 7 5 Korotylev 49 , 1 62 Le Quang Liem 42, 8 6 , Marie 202 Kortchnoi 49, 5 8 , 6 3 , 7 1 , 1 2 9 Marin,L. 54

2 2 1 Lerner 1 09 , 1 6 7 Marin,M. 34, 1 7 8 Kosic 1 1 9 Lesiege 1 7 7 Marjanovie 5 2 , 94 Kozlov 1 8 8 , 2 0 7 Leszczynski 5 1 Markos l 3 9 Kozul 74 , 1 4 7 , 1 5 3 , 1 5 6 Levitt l 3 , 8 6 , 202 Marszalek 1 7 0 Kramnik 3 3 , 99 , 1 1 6 , Li Shilong 1 9 9 Martin,T. 1 82

1 7 5 , 1 7 8 , 2 2 1 Liang Zhihua 1 5 6 Martinovsky 1 7 6 Krapivin 6 1 Li biszewski 3 1 Marzolo 66 , 70 Krasenkow 206 , 2 20 , Lie 2 2 2 Matlakov 1 6 0

222 -223 Lindinger 8 6 Matros 93 Kritz 42 , 1 0 0 , 1 2 1 , 1 2 7 , Litvinov 1 3 3 Matveeva 47 , 1 5 7

l 3 7 - l 3 8 , 1 4 5 , 1 5 9 , 1 7 5 , Lobron 7 7 , 1 1 4, 22 1 Medghoul 83 1 7 9 Lobzhanidze 6 6 Meduna 1 26

Krivoborodov 2 1 0 Loginov 200 Meister 5 3 Krivonosov 3 5 Loncar l 3 2 Menadue 6 5 Krivoshey l 3 9 Lopatin 3 8 Meynard 1 20 Kruppa 1 5 3 Lputian 90 , 1 48 , 1 6 3 Michielsen 1 52 Krush 9 5 Lugovoi l 3 3 Miedema 149 Krutti 45 Lukacs 1 1 9 , 1 2 6 Mikhalchishin 1 9 1

Ksieski 47 Luther 206-207 Mikhalevski 1 6 7 , 1 9 6

Kubecka 3 6 Lutz 7 6 Miles 39 , 66

Kulj asevic 1 47 Lyrberg 1 2 0 Miljkovie 205

Kunte 1 54 Lysyj 1 8 5 Milos 223

Kuraszkiewiez 1 9 7 Milov 1 0 6 , l 3 8 , 1 6 3

Kurmann 7 9 M Miton 6 1 , 9 8 , 1 4 7 , 1 7 6

Kurnosov 1 83 Macek 1 40 Mochalov l 3 1

Kursova 1 0 1 Magem Badals 3 9 , 7 7 , Mohammad 1 8 3

Kutirov 1 79 1 7 3 , 1 7 5 , 1 82 , 1 9 3 , 200 Moiseenko 1 5 5

Kuznetsov,K . 74 Magerramov 2 5 , 5 5 Molander 47 Maidla 47 Molchanova 1 89

L Maki Uuro 2 24 Montieelli 94

l'Ami 54 , 99 , 1 3 8 , 1 47 Malakhatko l 3 8 , 1 4 1 , 2 1 1 Morozevieh 3 1 , 5 6 , 84,

Lakhno,Kon. 1 92 Malakhov 5 9 , 64 , 7 7 , 85 , 9 8 , 1 1 4 , 1 44, 1 69 , 1 9 6 ,

Lalic 1 0 7 , 1 1 9 , 203 94, 9 9 - 1 0 1 , 1 43 , 2 2 3-224

234

Moskalenko 20 1 , 2 2 0 Motylev 1 4 7 Movsesian 4 3 , 49 , 7 7 - 7 8 ,

9 1 -9 2 , 1 0 7 , 1 1 9 , 1 2 3 , 1 3 0 , 1 7 7 , 1 9 8- 1 9 9 , 2 0 8 ,

2 1 0 , 222 -223

Onischuk Onoprienko Ovseevich

p

Palo

1 00 , 1 04 , 1 43 1 7 6 1 3 9

209-2 1 0

Index of Players

R

Rabinovich 1 3 3 Radjabov 1 5 3 , 2 1 1 Rajkovic 147 Ramirez Alvarez 203 , 22 2 Raspovic 1 84

Movsziszian Myc

1 3 7 , 1 9 3 Panarin 1 2 3 , i S S Rausis 7 9 , 223 1 62 66

1 93

N

Naer 7 7 , 8 5 , 9 1 , 1 04, 1 0 9 , 1 7 7 , 203

NakaIIlura Nanu Naumkin Navara Nebolsina Nedela Neelotpal Neuman Nevednichy Neverov

1 64, 1 9 9 1 6 7

3 7 - 3 8 1 89

9 5 , 1 54, 1 5 6 3 7

1 88 1 3 9 6 5

1 42 Nguyen Chi Minh 1 8 6 Ni Hua 1 46 , 1 5 5 Nicoara 1 9 0 Nielsen,P.H. 4 1 , 9 1 , 1 0 1 ,

1 2 6- 1 2 7 Niesch 1 8 1

Papa 2 1 0 Paragua 1 0 7 , 2 1 0 Peek 1 1 5 Pelletier 56-5 7 , 1 3 2 , 1 6 7 ,

224 Peng Zhaoqin 1 2 2 , 1 9 6 Perez Pert Petrosian,S. Pick

62 , 1 34 1 64 1 3 8 2 22

Pieper Emden 1 74 Piket 45 , 5 2 , 7 8 , 1 0 8 , 1 7 7 ,

202-203 Pinter Plaskett Platonov Pliasunov Pochikeev Polak Polgar,Z. Pol ugaevsky

1 40 , 2 02 , 2 0 5 6 6 26

204 1 20 2 1 0 1 40 5 7

Reiss Relange Renet 94 Riazantsev 1 2 7 , 1 3 0 , 1 34,

1 42 , 20 1 , 2 1 1 Richter,C. 1 3 1 Rivas Pastor 5 7 Rodriguez Gonzalez 1 8 3 Rodshtein 3 6 , 1 7 9 Rogozenko 4 1 , 43 , 5 3 , 5 6 ,

1 0 5 , 1 1 9 , 1 7 9 , 20 1 , 220 Rohwer 1 1 8 Roiz 42 , 1 5 0 , 1 7 5 Romanishin 7 0 , 86 Rozentalis 200 Ruban 1 28 Rublevsky 1 4 1 , 1 4 7 , 220 Ruck 3 1 , 7 0 , 9 1 - 92 , 1 09 ,

1 2 3 - 1 24, 1 3 2 Rustemov 7 8 , 1 49 - 1 5 0 ,

2 0 6 , 2 1 0 , 222 Nikcevic 1 47 Ponomariov 89 , 1 5 1 Rychagov,A. 1 2 7 Nikolaidis 69 Popchev 94 Nikolic 3 1 , 68 , 206-2 0 7 , Popov, I . 1 7 7 , 1 84 S 2 1 1 , 2 2 1 Popov,N. 25 -26 , 7 9 Sadler 1 3 , 3 8 Nogueiras Notkin Novitsky Nyback

o

O'Donnell

34 , 62 79 , 94

32 1 7 7

7 5 Ogloblin 200 011 1 3 , 3 5 , 1 3 8 , 220 Oms Pallise 1 7 6

Popov,v. 1 5 0 , 1 9 7 , 1 9 9 Popovici 7 5 Postl 62 Postny 3 1 , 1 0 8 , 1 2 3 , 1 44,

1 99 Potkin 20 1 Prh� 54, 5 8 - 59 , 9 8 , 1 5 6 ,

2 02 Prusikin Pustov

1 3 7 , 1 3 9 , 1 5 3 1 54

Saeed Saeed 50 Safin 206 , 209 Sakaev 3 1 , 1 3 7 , 1 43 , 1 5 0 ,

1 5 6 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 7 , 1 9 5 , 20 1 , 2 0 3 , 2 0 6 , 2 0 8 , 220

Saltaev Sarnhouri SaIIlmalvuo San Segundo Sanchez

2 1 1 1 2 7

7 6 , 1 3 2 1 9 1 1 02

2 3 5


Sandstrom 7 6 , 1 68 Sirnik 1 84 Thorsteins 1 9 , 7 8 Sapis 1 95 Slipak 1 1 3 Thuroczy 1 8 1 Sarakauskas 8 3 , 1 1 6 Slobodjan 1 7 7 Tihonov 1 5 7 Sareen 1 5 4 Slug in 1 8 5 Tirnman 42 , 6 3 , 2 00 , 2 2 1 Sasikiran5 9 , 64, 1 43 , 1 5 3 , Smagin 94 Timoschenko,Gen. 5 6 , 5 8 ,

200-2 0 1 Smyslov 39 1 3 9 Savchenko,B. 1 2 7 Sokolov,L 6 3 , 9 5 , 99- 1 0 1 , Timoshenko,L 47 Savchenko,S . 3 2 , 8 6 , 1 0 7 , 1 3 8 , 1 60 , 1 62 , 1 6 7 - 1 69 , Tisch bierek 2 2 1

1 54, 1 9 5 1 7 4, 1 7 6- 1 7 7 , 1 8 7 , 2 0 3 , Titov 55 Schandorff 9 1 , 1 3 2 , 1 8 6 , 2 2 1 -2 2 2 Tkachiev 1 1 1 , 1 3 9

1 94 Soldatov 47 Todorovic 94 Schekachev 5 8 Soln 54 Tolnai 1 3 3 Schenk 99 Solomon 1 2 0 Tomaszewski 1 7 0 Schmidt,B. 1 3 1 Solozhenkin 2 0 6 Ton That Nhu Tung 86 Schon 1 7 4 Soppe 62 Topalov 1 04, 1 69 , 1 7 8 , Sebag 1 59 Sorokin 62 , 1 6 8 , 1 84 1 97 - 1 9 8 , 2 0 1 , 206 Sedina 1 1 5 Sosonko 54 Torbin 6 1 Sedlak 42 , 1 1 2 Sotnikov 1 83 Tosic 222 Seel 209 Speelman 46 Tozer 1 9 1 Seifert 47 Sri ram 1 49 Tregubov 49-5 0 , 202 Seres 2 0 5 , 2 1 0 Stajcic 1 2 8 Treppner 1 0 3 Sergeev 1 95 - 1 9 6 Stangl 1 23 Tsatsalashvili 1 9 1 Shabalov 1 0 0 , 1 0 5 Stefanek 2 0 5 Tukmakov 20 , 2 7 , 7 7 , Shabanov 3 8 Stefanova 3 1 , 47 , 5 0 , 202 Shalam beridze 7 2 , 1 2 3 9 8 - 1 0 1 , 1 2 7 , 1 8 7 - 1 8 8 , Tunik 1 1 6 , 1 2 6 , 1 3 3 Shemeakin 47 , 7 9 1 9 6 Turner 93 Sherbakov 1 94- 1 95 Stefansson 90 , 202-2 0 3 , Tuzhik 1 8 5 Sheremetieva 1 9 6 209-2 1 1 Tzekov 1 69

Sherzer 3 5 Stocek 43 , 1 8 6 Shimanov 87 Stohl 1 2 3 , 1 94, 1 9 6 U

Shinkevich 45 Sulava 3 3 Ulibin 7 1 , 1 1 9

Shipov 64, 1 49 Sundararajan 1 8 6 , Umansky 7 7

Shirov 5 2 , 7 1 , 7 8 , 1 49 , 1 8 8 - 1 89 Ushenina 1 0 5 , 1 44

1 5 2 , 1 7 1 , 1 74- 1 7 5 , Svetushkin 3 1 , 1 5 7 , 1 8 8 , Utnasunov 45 , 7 8

1 93 - 1 94 , 2 2 1 20 7

Shomoev 79 Svidler 1 5 2 V

Short 5 8 , 1 7 3 Swathi 1 48 Vaganian 9 9 , 1 06 , 1 7 6

Shovunov 84, 1 1 9 Sysoenko 47 Vallejo Pons 3 6 , 1 5 2 , 1 6 3 ,

Shulman 84, 8 6 , 9 8 , 1 0 5 1 9 8

Shumiakina 1 89 T Van Delft 1 7 6

Siebrecht 1 1 5 Talish Zade 1 49 Van den Doel 1 04

Simic 52 Tasdan 200 Van den Heever 1 20

2 3 6

Van der Sterren 6 8 Van der Stricht 3 1 , 1 48 Van der Werf 1 7 1 Van der Wiel 1 04 , 1 22 Van Wely 1 00 , 1 04, 1 0 9 ,

1 1 1 - 1 1 2 , 1 6 7 , 1 7 3 , 1 7 5 , 202-203

Vasilchenko 66 Vasilevich 1 2 7 , 1 86 , 1 8 8 Vegh 53 , 1 1 3 Veingold 1 6 7 , 1 69 Velicka 7 7 , 7 9 , 1 2 6 , 1 2 8 ,

Veron Vitiugov Vladimirov Vnuk Voiska Volke

1 96 224 1 9 7 2 6 7 9 7 1

1 9 8 Volkov 3 2 , 45 , 64, 7 9 , 8 6 ,

1 06 , 1 1 0- 1 1 1 , 1 24, 1 2 6 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 3 , 1 48 , 1 5 2 , 1 5 6 , 1 8 3 , 1 8 6 ,

1 89 , 1 9 5 , 2 00 , 207 -208 , 2 2 1 , 223

Volzhin Von Herman Vukic,I. Vukic,R.

1 3 2 8 5

1 6 1 1 0 5

Vysochin 3 6 , 45 , 9 1 , 1 7 7 , 1 8 9

Vyzhmanavin 1 84

W

Wang Hao Wang Yu

1 00 , 1 04 1 3 7

Wang Yue 1 00 , 1 43 - 1 44, 1 6 1

Ward Wei Chenpeng Wells Wemmers

1 3 0 , 1 74 1 8 9

20 , 8 3 5 8

Werner 1 03 Winants 54 Wirig 1 4 1 , 1 54, 222 Wojtaszek 5 2 , 1 98

x

Xu ]un 1 98 , 208

y

Yakovenko 43 , 1 1 2 , 1 3 9 , 1 5 9 , 1 6 1 , 1 6 3 , 1 7 6 ,

203 Ye Rongguang 1 1 9 Yermolinsky 1 1 8 , 2 0 8 Yevseev 6 1 , 8 7 , 8 9 , 1 44,

1 5 6

Yudasin Yurtaev Yusupov

Z

Zagorskis Zagrebelny Zaid

Index of Players

1 73 1 2 8 1 3 7

Zaja Zakharchenko Zakharevich

3 8 1 7 7 , 206

2 6 , 79 1 6 1 , 1 69

32 46 , 7 9 ,

1 1 5 - 1 1 6 1 24 Zakharov

Zakhartsov 92 , 1 2 7 , 1 5 2 , 1 5 7

Zamanov 1 7 1 Zatonskih 98 Zhang Zi yang 1 3 7 Zhao Xue 1 48 Zhitkus 2 5 Zhou Weiqi 1 98 Zhu Chen 8 3 , 1 2 5 , 1 44,

Zhukova

Zichichi Zifroni Zuger Zviagintsev

1 5 6 , 202 99 , 1 0 5 , 1 2 5 , 1 8 7 , 1 90 , 1 9 5

5 2 1 2 8 3 8

4 1 , 2 2 1

2 3 7

New In Chess Code System

White stands slightly better ;j; Black stands slightly better +

White stands better ±

Black stands better +

White has a decisive advantage +-

Black has a decisive advantage -+

balanced position

unclear position 00

compensation for the material gg strong (sufficient) >

weak (insufficient) <

better is �

weaker is S

good move

excellent move t t

bad move

blunder ? ?

interesting move ! ?

dubious move ? !

only move 0

with the idea �

attack -

initiative i lead in development ii counter play �

mate X

correspondence corr.

2 3 8

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The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan: A Popular Chess Opening Explained by a Top Player

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