Technical Editor:
IM Sergey Soloviov
Cover design by:
Kalojan Nachev
Translation by:
GM Evgeny Ermenkov
The publishers would like to thank Phil Adams for advice regarding the English translation.
Copyright© Igor Lysyj, Roman Ovetchkin 2012 Printed in Bulgaria by "Chess Stars" Ltd. - Sofia ISBN13: 978 954 8782 88-3
Igor Lysyj
Roman
Ovetchkin
The Open Games for Black A complete black repertoire with l.e4 e5 against
everything except the Ruy Lopez
Chess Stars
Bibliography Opening for White Ace. to Anand (vol. I) by Khalifman, Chess Stars 2003 Beating the Open Games by Mihail Marin, Quality Chess 2008
Other CHESS STARS Books Repertoire books: Opening for White Ace. to Kramnik l.�f3 by A. Khalifman Volume 1a: Old Indian, rare lines in the Classical Variation, 2006 Volume 1b: The Classical Variation, 2006 Volume 2: Anti-Nim-Ind, Anti-Queen's Indian, English, 2008 Volume 3: English (1 ... c5), English (four knights), 2011 Volume 4: Maroczy, Modern, Trifunovic, 2011 Opening for White According to Anand l.e4 by A. Khalifman Volume 8: The Sicilian, Paulsen-Kan and rare lines, 2006 Volume 9: The Sicilian, Paulsen-Taimanov and other lines, 2007 Volume 10: The Sicilian, Sveshnikov, 2007 Volume 11; The Sicilian, Dragon, 2009 Volume 12: The Sicilian, Rauzer Attack, 2009 Volume 13: The Sicilian, English Attack, 2010 Opening for Black According to Karpov by Khalifman Current theory and practice series: The Sharpest Sicilian by Kiril Georgiev and At. Kolev, 2007 The Safest Sicilian by Delchev and Semkov, 2nd rev.ed. 2008 The Queen's Gambit Accepted by Sakaev and Semkov, 3rd. rev. ed., 2008 The Easiest Sicilian by Kolev and Nedev, 2008 The Petrosian System Against the QID by Beliavsky and Mikhalchishin, 2008 Kill K.I.D. by Semko Semkov, 2009 The King's Indian. A Complete Black Repertoire by Victor Bologan, 2009 The Scotch Game for White by Vladimir Barsky, 2009 The Modern Philidor Defence by Vladimir Barsky, 2010 The Moscow & Anti-Moscow Variations by Alexey Dreev, 2010 Squeezing the Gambits by Kiril Georgiev, 2010 A Universal Weapon l.d4 d6 by Vladimir Barsky, 2010 The Meran & Anti-Meran Variations by Alexey Dreev, 2011 The Safest Grunfeld by Alexander Delchev and Evgenij Agrest, 2011 Fighting the French: a New Concept by Denis Yevseev, 2011 The Modern Reti. An Anti-Slav Repertoire by Alexander Delchev, 2012 The French Defence. Reloaded by Nikita Vitiugov, 2012 The Berlin Defence by Igor Lysyj and Roman Ovetchkin, 2012
More details at www. chess-stars.com 4
Contents Preface
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7
Part 1. All White Lines wfo 2 .c!Of3 l.e4 e5 1 2 3 4
Rarely-Played Moves. Centre Game 2.d4 exd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 King's Gambit 2.f4 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Vienna Game 2.ltlc3 ltlf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Bishop's Opening 2. .ic4 ltlf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Part 2. All White Lines wfo 3 .ib5 l.e4 e5 2.c!Of3 c!Oc6 •
5 6 7 8
Rarely-Played Moves. Ponziani Opening 3.c3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Belgrade Gambit 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.d4 ed S.ltldS i.e7 . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Glek Variation 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.g3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Four Knights Game 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.i.b5 i.b4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
9 10 11 12
Goring & Scotch Gambits 4.c3 dS; 4.i.c4 i.cS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 4.ltlxd4 ltlf6 wfo S.ltlxc6; S.ltlxc6 be wfo 6.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 4.ltlxd4 ltlf6 S.ltlxc6 be 6.e5 �e7 7.�e2 ltldS wfo 8.c4 . . . . . . 138 4.ltlxd4 ltlf6 S.ltlxc6 be 6.e5 �e7 7.�e2 ltldS 8.c4 .ia6 . . . . . . . 144
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Evans Gambit 4.b4 hb4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 4.d3 ltlf6 various; S.i.b3 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 4.ltlc3 ltlf6 S.d3 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 4.0-0 ltlf6 S.d4 hd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 4.0-0 ltlf6 S.d3 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 4.c3 ltlf6 various; S.d4 exd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 4.c3 ltlf6 S.d3 0-0 wfo 6.0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 4.c3 ltlf6 S.d3 0-0 6.0-0 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Scotch Game 3.d4 exd4
Giuoco Piano 3 . .ic4 .ic5
Index ofVariations
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5
PREFACE
My main opening weapon throughout my chess career, from 1998 to 2010, was the French Defence. However, in the last five years of this period I played a large number of games in the strongest tournaments in Russia, mostly against players rated over 2600, and I suffered many humiliating but well-deserved defeats.
These losses made me reconsider the situation and I came to the conclusion that the cramped positions in the French Defence are stra tegically risky and do not quite suit my playing style. At the beginning of 2010 I qualified for the World Cup and I had to make up my mind how I was going to try to neutralize effectively Ostap Bender's favourite move (l.e4). *
The overwhelming majority of the world's theoretical experts con sider that in reply to l.e2-e4 there are really only two good moves. Since the sharp Sicilian positions might turn my hair prematurely grey, I decided to study the calmer move l...eS.
I managed to study the new positions quickly and easily and I felt quite comfortable with them in practice. By the summer of 2011 I was already playing nothing but l...eS and had no opening problems with Black, either in the Finals of the Championship of Russia or in the World Cup.
In this book I have presented all my analyses and my discoveries during the World Cup. I believe that it will be useful for chess players at all levels to study them, together with the excellent annotations and explanations of Roman Ovechkin.
*English Editor's note: Ostap Bender is the hero of the famous Russian comic novel The Twelve Chairs, by Ilf and Petrov
6
The reader might justifiably pose the following question: "How to cope with the Ruy Lopez if you are Black?". In fact, almost every vari ation of this opening deserves to be analyzed in a separate volume, so we shall reveal to you the tremendously complicated and fashionable Berlin Defence in our next book.
Finally, I and my co-author R.Ovechkin should like to express our immense gratitude to our friends, Grandmasters I.Kurnosov, P.Ponkratov and A.Riazantsev, as well as to my long-time coach N.Ogloblin, for their generous contributions and invaluable help dur ing the writing of this book.
Igor Lysy Ekaterinburg, February 2012
7
Part l l.e4 e5 All
White Lines without 2.tLlf3
In Chapter 1, we deal with White's least popular moves. The most serious among them seems to be 2.d4 - the Centre Game, but it went practically fell out of use after the game Nepomniacht chi - Vallejo Pons, Moscow 2007. We base our analysis on this par ticular encounter. In Chapter 2, we study the om nipresent opening of the roman tics - the King's Gambit (2.f4). Unfortunately, the 21st century computer programs have dealt a severe blow to chess romanti cism. We recommend to Black to play 2... d5 3.exd5 exf4, after which White is forced to fight for equality. In Chapter 3, we analyze the Vienna Game - 2.c!L! c3. Just as in the King's gambit, Black should 8
try to advance d7-d5 as quickly as possible. His free piece-play and the fight for the centre enable him to equalize effortlessly. The read ers should pay special attention to the line: 2 .. A�f6 3.f4 d5 4.exd5 �xd5 ! - we think this quite fash ionable variation will reduce con siderably the adherents to the Vi enna Game. Nowadays, even some of the strongest grandmasters in the world are trying to avoid the Petroff Defence and the Ruy Lopez by playing 2 . .ic4 and we suggest Black develops his knights to c6 and f6. After this White can hardly find anything more sensible than transposing to the Giuoco Piano, which is stud ied in Part 2. We ask our readers not to be amazed that in the main lines of several of these chapters Black even obtains an advantage, while in some of the side variations White somehow maintains the balance. This is because in the main line of every variation we have tried to present either the most popular, or the most ambi tious moves for White in his fight for an advantage on the opening.
Chapter 1
l.e4 e5 Rarely-Played Moves Centre Game
kov - Vukanovic, Internet 2004, Black seizes the initiative and ob tains the advantage of the bishop pair with 6...lt:laS 7.i.b3 lt:lxb3 8. axb3 dSt) s ..d6 6.h3 i.g7 7.d3 i.e6 8.i.b3, Nakamura - Mitkov, Minneapolis 200S (It is even worse for White to play 8.lt:lbc3? lt:lb4 9.ri!fdl o-m= his king is stranded in the centre and im pedes the coordination of his own pieces.), 8...0-0 9.0-0 lt:ld7 10. i.xe6 fxe6 ll.�g3 �e8= Black's pawn-structure has been disrupt ed, but he has excellent play on the opened f-file. 2.d3 - This move is solid, but somewhat passive. 2...lt:lc6 .
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In this chapter we shall ana lyze some rarely played moves for White, among which the most popular is
2.d4 For 2.c3 dS 3.exdS �xdS 4.d4 exd4 (it is also good for Black to simply develop a piece 4...lt:lc6!?=) S.cxd4 lt:lc6 6.lt.'lf3 i.g4 - see Chapter 9. 2.�hS - Naturally, we shall have a look at this move only be cause it has been played several times, against grandmasters at that, by GM Nakamura. We can not find any other pluses of this move, though... Black equalizes effortlessly, to say the least. 2... lt:lc6 3.i.c4 g6 4.�f3 lt:lf6 S.lt:le2 (after S.c3 i.g7 6.d3, Shaposhni-
3.lt:lf3 lt:lf6, or 3.c3 dS 4.lt.'ld2 lt:lf6 S.i.e2 aS 6.lt:lgf3 i.cS - see Chapter S. 9
Chapter 1 3.li:Jc3 lLlf6 4.f4 ( 4.lLlf3 d5 - see Chapter 7; 4.g3 d5 5.exd5 lLlxd5 6.i.g2 lLlxc3 7.bxc3 i.c5 - see Chapter 3) 4...exf4 5.hf4 d5 6.e5, Kuehn - D.Trifunovic, Gladen bach 1999. Now, Black's best re ply seems to be 6...d4 7.exf6 dxc3 8.bxc3 �xf6 9.i.d2 i.a3t - his pieces are much more active than their counterparts and White might fail to develop altogether. 3.g3 d5 4.i.g2 (it is worse for him to opt for 4.exd5 '\&xd5 5.lLlf3 i.g4 and now White loses after 6. i.g2? e4-+, but even after the more precise reply 6.lLlbd2 f5+ Black is better, because he has oc cupied the centre and leads in de velopment) 4...dxe4 5.he4 lLlf6 6.hc6+ bxc6+ White must fight for equality, since his light squared bishop is absent from the board and the light squares on his kingside are vulnerable, Meijers - Krivonosov, Latvia 1994. 3.f4 d5 4.exd5 (after 4.lLlc3 dxe4 5.lLlxe4 lLlf6 6.lLlxf6+ '\&xf6 7.fxe5 lLlxe5+ Black is considera bly ahead in development, Jan turin - Feoktistov, Moscow 1996) 4...'\&xdS 5.lLlc3 i.b4 6.i.d2 (6.fxe5 \&xeS+ 7.'\&e2, Bardahchiyan Vasenina, Varna 2010, 7...lLlf6t he leads in development) 6...�e6 7.lLlf3, Nikolin - Markovic, Vrnja cka Banja 1996 (7.i.e2 exf4 8.lLlf3 lLlf6 - see 7.lLlf3), after 7...exf4+ 8.i.e2 lLlf6 9.i.xf4 lLld5 10.i.d2 lLle3 ll.i.xe3 '\&xe3+ Black obtains the advantage of the two bishops. 3.lLld2 lLlf6 4.g3 d5 5.i.g2 i.g4 6.lLlgf3 dxe4 7.dxe4 i.c5t - Black 10
has an excellent game thanks to his perfectly deployed pieces and the passivity of White's bishop on g2, Maninderpal - I.Ibragimov, Sangli 2000.
2 . . . exd4 3.Ybd4 3.lLlf3 lLlc6 - see Chapters 9-12; 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 �xd5 5.cxd4 lLlc6 6.lLlf3 i.g4 - see Chapter 9; 3.i.c4 lLlc6 4.lLlf3 (4.c3?! lLlf6 5. lLlf3 lLlxe4 6.0-0 d5+) 4...i.c5 see Chapter 9.
3
• • .
lLlc6
4.�e3 This is the main move for White and it is considered to be the most aggressive. His queen is ready to go to g3 attacking Black's kingside. 4.'\&d1 - This move is too slow. 4...lLlf6 5.i.d3 d5 6.exd5 '\&xd5 7. lLlf3 i.g4t - Black is far ahead in development, Lange - Paulsen, Leipzig 1864. 4.�d3 - White's queen is not better placed here than on e3. 4... lLlf6 5.lLlc3 (5.f3?! d5+) 5...d5 6. i.g5 d4 7.lLld5, Badev - Marholev, Borovetz 2008 (He can weaken his opponent's pawn-structure
l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3. Wixd4 liJ c6 4. Wi e3 liJf6 with 7.i.xf6 gxf6 8.li:ld5 fSt, but Black's advantage of the two bish ops and his free piece-develop ment are much more important.), after 7...li:lb4 8.li:lxb4 i.xb4+ 9.c3 dxc3 10.Wixd8+ l!ixd8 11.0-0-0+ l!ie8 12.bxc3 i.xc3+ White can hardly prove that his slight lead in development is sufficient to com pensate Black's extra pawn in this endgame. 4.Wic4 li:lf6 5.li:lc3 (S..id3 dS 6. exd5 '\WxdS+ - Black leads in de velopment and after 5..ig5 .ib4+ 6.c3 i.e7 7.li:lf3 dS 8.exd5, T.Bauer - Simi, Plzen 2004, he should keep the queens on the board and after 8... li:lxd5+, his superior de velopment provides him with good attacking prospects.) 5... .ib4 6..id2 d6 7.0-0-0, Gunsberg - Mortimer, London 1887, after 7....ie6 8.li:ld5 i.xd2+ 9.fud2 0-0t Black has better development and is ready to begin active operations. 4.Wia4 - White's queen does not impede the development of his own pieces on this square. 4... li:lf6 5..ig5 (5.li:lc3 .ib4 6..id2 0-0 7.0-0-0 d6 8.a3, Amit - Hai movich, Israel 2002 and after 8... .icS+ Black gains important tempi for the organization of his attack due to the misplacement of the enemy queen; 5.li:lf3 i.cS 6.i.b5 Wie7 7.li:lc3 liJeS! 8.li:lxe5 Wixe5 9. f4 Wie7 10.e5 0-0 11..ie2 li:lg4!+ White has delayed the evacuation of his king away from the centre and might be sorry for that, Prie - Relange, Nice 1994; in the vari ation 5.i.f4 .icS 6.li:ld2 0-0 7.f3
d5 8.0-0-0 Wie7+ Black's pieces turn out to be much better placed, Kalinsky - Rubinstein, Kiev 1903) 5....ic5 6.li:lf3 (6.li:lc3? i.xf2+) 6... h6 7..ih4 g5 8..ig3 dS 9.li:lc3 dxe4 10.li:le5 e3 11.fxe3 0-0t. He has weakened his castled position, but has tremendously active piec es thanks to his opponent's king stranded in the centre, for exam ple: 12.li:lxc6 bxc6 13..id3 i.xe3 14.Wixc6 .id7 15.Wixc7 Wixc7 16. i.xc7 l'!fe8 17.1!if1 .id4� White has succeeded in exchanging queens, but has great problems coordinat ing his pieces.
4 .c!t)f6 ••
5.li:lc3 5.i.c4 .ib4+ 6.li:lc3 0-0 7..id2 i.xc3 - see 5.li:lc3. 5.e5 li:lg4 6.'%1/e2 d6!
11
Chapter 1 7.exd6+ .ie6 8.dxc7 Wxc'T+ White has won a pawn, but he may fail to develop his forces. 7.f3 lt:\h6 8.exd6+ (8..ixh6 Wh4+ 9.g3 Wxh6 10.exd6+ .ie6 11. d7+ �xd'T+ Black has lost his cas tling rights, but has obtained the advantage of the two bishops, having a considerable lead in de velopment too.) 8....ie6 9.dxc7 Wxc'T+ 7.h3 lt:\gxe5! White fails to win a piece. 8.f4 lt:ld4 9.�e4 Wh4+ 10.�d1, Taubenhaus - Gunsberg, Hamburg 1885, 10... lt:\e6 ll.g3 Wf6 12.lt:lc3 c6+ Black ends up with a solid extra pawn. 5..id2 - This modest looking move is necessary anyway and seems reasonable, since it pre vents the development of the en emy bishop to b4, where it would be most active. 5....ie7 6.lt:\c3 (6. .ic4 dS 7.exd5 lt:lxdS 8.Wg3?, Ca brera - Suasnabar, Lima 2000, opening of the central files is in Black's favour, since he has supe rior development. White's last move has enabled Black to start an immediate attack with the move 8...lt:\d4!+) 6...d5 7.exd5 lt:\xd5
8.Wg3 (It would be more accu12
rate for White to play 8.lt:lxd5 WxdS 9.lt:le2 .ifS+, although even then Black's chances are prefera ble thanks to his perfectly central ized pieces.) 8...lt:lcb4 9.lt:lxd5 (M ter 9.0-0-0 lt:\xc3 10.bxc3 lt:\xa2+ White loses after 11.�b1 .ie6 12.c4 bS! 13.�xa2 bxc4-+, as well as af ter ll.�b2 lt:\xc3 12.�xc3 .if6+ 13.\t>b3 Wd4-+ Hernandez Mu noz - Guadamuro Torrente, Lin ares 2007 and in both cases, Black's attack is decisive.) 9... WxdS 10..ixb4 (10.Wxg7? lt:\xc2+ 11.�d1 lt:\xal 12.Wxh8+ .if8 13. �c3 .ie6-+ White's kingside piec es have completely failed to come into action.) 10...�e4+ 11.lt:le2 Wxb4+ 12.Wc3 �b6 13.0-0-0 0-0+ Black has an overwhelming advantage with his superior de velopment and a powerful bish op-pair in a position with an open centre, Sanchez Castillo - Otazo Sanchez, Merida 2001. 5.lt:lf3.ib4+!?
This is a standard resource and the readers will encounter it very often in this book. Black forc es the enemy pawn to c3, where it occupies the best square for the development of White's knight.
l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3. Wfxd4 tt:lc6 4. Wi e3 tt:lf6 6.c3 (after 6.i.d2 0-0 7.hb4 tt:lxb4 8.i.d3 d5+ White cannot evacuate his king from the centre without material losses) 6...i.a5 7.i.c4, Neira Garcia - Flear, San Sebastian 2005 (in reply to 7.i.d3, Hajagos - Csikos, Hungary 2010, Black can exploit the exposed po sition of the enemy queen to acti vate his pieces with 7...i.b6 8.'ffff4 d5 9.e5 tt:lh5 10.Wffa4 i.d7+) 7...i.b6 8.'fffd3 0-0 9.0-0 Wfe7 10.tt:lbd2 d6t White has problems with the development of his queenside in view of the vulnerability of his e4pawn. 5.i.e2 Wffe7! - This surprising move enables Black to open the position to his advantage. 6.tt:lc3 d5 7.exd5 tt:lb4 8.i.d3, Mason Schlechter, Paris 1900, 8...tt:lxd3+ 9.cxd3 i.f5 10.tt:lge2 Wffxe3 ll.he3 o-o-m=, or 8.Wffxe7+ he7 9.i.d3, Schiffers - Schlechter, Nurem berg 1896, 9...tt:lxd3+ 10.cxd3 i.f5+ and in both cases, Black re gains his pawn, preserving his ad vantage of the two bishops. s . . . .lb4 6 . .ld2 o - o
7.0-0- 0
It is bad for White to opt for 7.'fffg3? d5+ and Black opens the central files to his advantage, while after 7.i.c4? i.xc3 8.i.xc3 tt:lxe4+ he wins his opponent's centre pawn and White is unable to retain the advantage of the bishop pair, Kupreichik - Lein, Voronezh 1969.
7 . . . ges
s.eg3 White is trying to organize a piece-attack against the enemy king, but he is likely to fail due to his lag in development. 8.tt:lge2 d5! 9.tt:lxd5 tt:lxd5 10. Wfff3 hd2+ 11.l=!xd2 tt:lcb4! 12.exd5 tt:lxa2+ 13.Wb1 tt:lb4+ White's king position has been weakened and Black's pieces come into action easily and effortlessly. 8.Wff4 i.xc3 9.hc3 l'!xe4 10. 'fffd2 (or 10.Wffg3 d5+) 10...d5 ll.f3 l'!e8 12.tt:le2 Wffe7 13.tt:lf4 d4! 14. hd4 tt:lxd4 15.Wffxd4 i.f5t - Black has mobilized his forces and seiz es the initiative thanks to his cen tralized pieces. 8.f3 d5 9.'ffff2 (In answer to 9.i.e1, Chigorin - Gunsberg, Ha13
Chapter 1 vana 1890, it is good for Black to play 9...'?tfe7! 10.tt:lxd5 tt:lxdS 11. ElxdS .ie6--+ and he completes the activation of his forces and begins an offensive; 9.'1!9g5 d4 10.tt:ld5 .ixd2+ ll.Elxd2 tt:lxd5 12.'1!9xd5 1!9e7+ Black is considerably ahead in de velopment and this provides him with excellent attacking chances.) 9...dxe4 lO ..igS (In the variation 10.tt:lxe4 .ixd2+ 1U!xd2 1!9e7 12. tt:lxf6+ '?tfxf6t, unlike his oppo nent, Black has no problems with the development of his forces, Meisling - Em.Lasker, Copenha gen 1919.) 10....id7! 11.tt:ld5, O.Ka linina - Z.Mamedjarova, Chisi nau 2005. White's kingside stands idle and Black begins an attack with the help of the energetic line: 11...e3! 12.'?tfh4 .id2+ 13.@b1 .ifS 14.tt:lxf6+ gxf6 15..ixf6 1!9d6--+ 8..ic4 d6
It is not good for White to choose 9.li?l(e2 i.cS 10.'?tfg3 tt:leS 11..ib5, Zezulkin - Hudecek, Lito mysl 1994, because after the con crete reply 11...tt:lh5 12.'?tfg5 '?tfxgS 13..ixg5 c6 14..id3 tt:lg4+ Black forces a transition into an end game and succeeds in winning at least a pawn. After 9.h3, Ljubojevic - Rosi no, Venice 1966, Black solves his problems with 9....ie6 10.i.xe6 Elxe6 11.tt:lge2 dS+ and maintains an edge thanks to his active piec es. After 9.tt:lh3 tt:leS 10..ib3, Ja kobsen - Lhagva, Siegen 1970, Black can play 10...c6 11.f4 tt:leg4 12.'?tfd3 h6+ and he covers the im portant dS-square and restricts both his opponent's knights. 9.tt:lf3 i.e6 10.he6 Elxe6 11. tt:lgS Ele8 12.f4 h6 13.h4 '?tfd7 14. 1!9f3 '?tfg4+ White's aggressive ac tions have led to the appearance of the excellent g4-outpost for Black's pieces and problems for White with the protection of his e4-pawn, Winawer - Janowski, Vienna 1896.
8 .tbxe4 9.tt:lxe4 gxe4 ..
9.f3 - With this move White fortifies his e4-pawn, but weak ens the dark squares in the centre. 9...tt:le5 10.i.b3 aS 11.a3 i.cS 12. '1!9e1 bS! 13.tt:lxb5 a4 14..ia2 c6 15.tt:lc3 '1!9b6--+ - White's kingside forces have not yet come into ac tions, Pieroni - Rada Equiza, France 2008. 14
l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3. Wixd4 ltJ c6 4. Wi e3 ltJf6 1 0 . .if4 10.i.h6? �f6 11.i.g5 Wie6-+ After 10..b:b4 �xb4 ll.a3 �b6 12.lt:le2 d5+ Black has a solid extra pawn in the centre. He manages to comfortably regroup his pieces in the centre in the variation 10.i.g5 i.e7 ll.h4 d5 12.f3 �e6 13.i.c4 �d6+ Ostberg Eriksson, Sweden 2008. 10.c3 i.e7! White is unable to exploit the exposed position of the enemy rook.
2004) 13...g6 14.Wffh6 lt:le5 15..ie2 d5 16.lt:lf3 lt:lg4 17.�xh4 Wixh4 18. lt'Jxh4 �xe2+ White loses at least another pawn, Shumyatsky - Van Riemsdijk, Sao Paulo 2009.
1 0 . . . §'f6 11.c!Llh3 After 11..b:c7? d6 12..b:d6 Wih6+ 13.c;t>b1 .b:d6-+ White's back rank was so weak that he lost his bishop in the game F.Mayer Geske, Offenbach 2005. n . . . d6
t2 . .id3
12.f3? �d4 13.�xd4 Wixd4-+
12 . . .c!Lld4
After ll.lt:lf3 d6 12.h3 lt'Je5+ Black has a solid extra pawn in the centre. ll.f4 - White weakens the light squares in the centre. 11... d5 12.lt:lf3 (12.i.d3 i.f5 13..b:e4 .b:e4+) 12....if5! 13..id3 Wid7 14. .b:e4 .b:e4+ Rudd - Avrukh, Lon don 2010. White has won a pawn, but Black's attack against his king will be deadly after lt:la5, �a4 etc. ll.i.d3 .ih4! - the rook must return to base. 12.Wif3�e8 13.�h5 (13..ic2?! d6 14.lt'Jh3 lt'Je5 15.�h5 g6 16.Wih6 .b:h3 17.gxh3 lt:lf3-+ and after i.g5, Black will enter an easily winning endgame, Waschk Schoenrock, Mecklenburg
13 . .ie3 13.c;t>b1? - This move loses by force. 13...lt:le2 14.Wif3 i.a3!! 15. bxa3 (15.c3 lt:lxc3-+; 15.i.c1 Wixf3 16.gxf3 �e8-+ Rigby - Tuvshin tugs, Las Vegas 2008) 15...lt:lc3+ 16.c;t>c1 lt:lxa2+ 17.c;t>b1 lt:lc3+ 18. c;t>cl .b:h3 19..b:e4 .b:g2! 20.Wixg2 §'xf4+ 21.c;t>b2 lt:lxe4-+ Nepom niachtchi - Vallejo Pons, Moscow 2007. It is not good for White to play 13..ig5?! Wffe6 14.c3 Wixa2 15.cxd4, Masliakov - Orlov, St. Petersburg 2007 and now Black wins with 15...�xd4! 16..b:h7+ (16.lt:lf4 .if5! 15
Chapter 1 17.i.xf5 1!c4-+) 16 . . . 1!7xh7 17.1!xd4 �a1+ 18.1!7c2 .tfS+ 19.1!7b3 .ie6+! 20.1!7c2 �a4+ 21.1!7d3 1!e8!� White's king is completely bare and he is helpless against his op ponent's mating attack, despite his extra rook: 22.�h4+ l!?g8 23 . .ie3 �bS+ 24.1!7c2 c5-+
13 .tM5!? ••
In the diagrammed position even young Capablanca failed to find the right path and he ended up an exchange down after 13 . . . .ig4? 14.ltlg5 1!xe3 15.�xg4 ltle2+ 16.he2 1!xe2 17.ltle4 1!xe4 18. �xe4± Mieses - Capablanca, Ber lin 1913. There is an interesting alter native to the move in the text and
16
this i� GM Korchnoi's recommen dation 13 . . . 1!g4!?
14.Yff3 ges 16.c3 hc3!
15 .tg5 •
%YeS
Black obtains more than suffi cient material equivalent for the piece and completely open up the enemy king. 17.bxc3 %Yxc3+ 18 .tc2 (18. l!?b1? %Yb4+ 19.1!7a1 ltld4-+) 18 �al+ 19.1!7d2 (19 . .ib1? 1!e5-+) 19 �xa2+. White's bishop on gS not only prevents his knight from using this square, but does not participate in the protection of his king either, so there is no doubt that in the near future he will have to trade the queens and defend a rather unpleasant endgame. •
•••
•••
Chapter 2
l.e4 e5 2.f4 King's Gambit
4... lDf6 - see 3.exd5, or 3.lDc3 lDf6 - see Chapter 3, variation A. All other alternatives for White are clearly worse, for example after 3J'9h5 lDf6 4.'Wxe5+ .ie7-+ Black's lead in development is so great that he should be able to set tle the issue very quickly.
2 . . . d5 Black's main move in the dia gram position is 2... exf4. It has been analyzed in GM K. Sakaev's book "The Petroff: an Expert
Repertoire for Black". The basic advantage of the move we recommend is that White does not get the type of game he would like - with sacri fices of pawns and pieces, and mating attacks. After 2... d5, Black effortlessly completes his devel opment in most variations and occupies the only open file; this provides him with chances not only of equalizing, but of seizing the initiative as well.
3.exd5 For the moves 3.lD f3 exf4 4. exd5 (4.lDc3 lDf6 - see Chapter 3)
3 . . . exf4 This move is much more natu ral than 3... e4, which was consid ered as a refutation of White's en tire attacking concept by the world famous "knight" of the King's Gambit - Rudolf Spielmann. Black restores the material balance, has the unpleasant threat 4... �h4+ and his pieces come into play effortlessly. His f4-pawn re stricts the mobility of White's 17
Chapter 2 dark-squared bishop and enables Black's pieces to fight for the e3square.
li:lf6 8.li:lf3 0-0+ and he may fail lo-develop his queenside owing to the unfavourable placement of his queen on e2. After 4. .ie2 �h4+ 5.\!ffl .id6 6.d4 c6 7.li:lf3 �d8 8.dxc6 li:lxc6+ White's king is totally misplaced and he will have to return with in terest the tempi lost by Black on manoeuvres with his queen. 4.�f3?! - White has protected his d5-pawn and parried the threat of �h4+, but his lag in develop ment is so great that he cannot even equalize, and here after 4... li:lf6
4.li:lf3 It is not good for White to play 4.d4?! �h4+ 5.1!fd2, Tartakower - Szabo, Ljubljana 1938, 5... �d8!+ Black removes his queen from any possible enemy attack with tempo, while White's king is bound to remain stranded in the centre for a long time; or if 4. li:lc3?! 'W'h4+ 5.1!fe2 (in the gambit variation 5.g3 fxg3 6.'W'e2+ ie7+ White has no compensation what soever for the lost pawns) 5... .ig4+ 6.li:lf3 id6+ and Black will continue with li:le7 and li:ld7, as in the 4. .ic4 variation. It would not be in the spirit of the position for White to choose 4.�e2+?!, be cause in this version of the King's Gambit White's queen is mis placed on the e-file and will come under attack with tempo. 4... .ie7 5.li:lc3 li:lf6 6.d4 0-0t It is rather dubious for White to opt for 4. .ib5+?! c6 5.�e2+ (5.dxc6 li:lxc6 6.li:lf3 li:lf6 - see 4.li:lf3) 5... .ie7 6.dxc6 li:lxc6 7.li:lc3 18
5. .ib5+ c6 6.dxc6 li:lxc6 7.d4, Spielmann - Nimzowitsch, Mu nich 1906, 7... .ib4+ 8.c3 0-0-+ Black's attack is decisive. After 5.li:lc3 .id6 6. .ib5+ c6 7. dxc6 0-0 8.cxb7 �e7+ 9.�e2 �xb7 10.li:lf3, Wheatcroft - Ser geant, Margate 1939, it seems very attractive for Black to play 10... li:lc6 11.0-0 l'!e8 12.�d1 .if5� and he has an overwhelming lead in development. After the more accurate re sponse for White 5. .ic4 c6 6.li:lc3 .id6 7.�e2+ 1J.e7 8.d4 (after 8.d6? 'W'xd6 9.d3 0-0 10. .id2 b5 ll. .ib3 a5+ Black has an extra pawn and a
l.e4 e5 2.f 4 d5 3.ed ef4 ..!Llf.3.!Llf6 dangerous initiative, J.Polgar Benjamin, Buenos Aires 1992, while he obtains a great lead in development after 8.dxc6 lt:Jxc6 9. d3lt:ld4t) 8... 0-0 9.hf4 cxdS 10. �b3 .ib4+ White's his queen proves to be misplaced on e2 and White will lose more tempi later, Enders - Moehring, Salzwedel 1982. 4..ic4?! �h4+ S.@f1 .id6
Black has protected his f4pawn and wishes to prepare the penetration of a knight to the e3square. This outpost will inevita bly become available to Black be cause White cannot continue the game without d2-d4 or d2-d3. 6.lt:Jc3 lt:Je7 7.lt:Je4 (after 7.d4 0-0 8.lt:Jf3, it is good for Black to play 8... �h5 - see 6.lt:Jf3, or 8... �h6!?+ Bronstein - Beliavsky, Kislovodsk 1982) 7... 0-0 8.lt:Jxd6 (in reply to 8.�e1, Westerinen Agdestein, Espoo 1989, it seems logical for Black to avoid the ex change of queens with 8... �h6 9.lt:Jf3 lt:JfS 10.d3 lt:Jd7-F and his knight will head for the g4-square; or if 8.lt:Jf3 �h6 9.i.b3?! .ig4 10. lt:Jxd6 cxd6-+ White will be una ble to develop his pieces) 8... cxd6 9.lt:Jf3 �f6 10.d4 lt:Jd7 ll. .ib3 lt:Jb6
12.c4 .ig4+ Black will double his rooks on the c-file and White will lose his c4-pawn, Dekic - Ninov, Ulcinj 1998. 6.lt:Jf3 �hS 7.lt:Jc3 lt:Je7 8.d4 0-0 9.@f2 (The endgame arising after 9.lt:Je5 �xd1+ 10.lt:Jxd1 lt:Jd7 ll.hf4 lt:Jb6 12.i.b3 lt:JbxdS 13. .id2 is nearly hopeless for White, De Wit - Winants, Haarlem 1997, and now 13... a5+ and despite the exchange of queens White has considerable difficulties, connect ed with the fact that his king is so misplaced that he cannot coordi nate his forces.) 9... lt:Jd7 10.!%e1 (10..ib3?! lt:Jf6 1U%e1 i.g4 12.h3 .ixf313.�xf3 �h4+ 14.@fl lt:Jf5-+ Hartmann - G.Schmidt, Bayern 2000) 10... lt:Jb6 ll. .ib3 lt:JexdS 12. lt:JxdS lt:JxdS 13.c4 lt:Je3 14.he3 fxe3+ 15J'%xe3, J.Polgar - Topalov, Mexico City 2010. Here it would be very strong for Black to con tinue with 15... c5! - he controls the dark squares and restricts the mobility of his opponent's light squared bishop. Black's hands would then be free for active op erations on the kingside.
4
...
�{6
19
Chapter 2 In the diagram position White usually plays the moves A) 5.i.b5+ ?! and B) 5 .ic4. For S.tt:lc3 ttJxdS - see Chapter 3, variation A. S..ie2?! - The bishop is rather passive on this square. After 5... ttJxdS 6.c4 tt:lb4! 7.d4 .ifS 8.tt:la3 gS 9.0-0 .ie7+ Black has succeed ed in keeping his extra pawn. S.d4 ltJxdS •
6.tt:lc3 .ib4 - see Chapter 3; 6. .ic4 .ie6 - see variation A. 6.c4? .ib4+ 7.Wf2 tt:le3!- Black quickly completes his develop ment and organizes a decisive at tack against White's king strand ed in the centre, Hisler - Murey, Metz 2003. 6..id3 �e7+ 7.�e2 (if 7.Wf2 tt:le3 8.�e2 eSt Black controls the dark squares in the centre and ob tains excellent attacking pros pects.) 7...tt:lb4 8..ixf4 tt:lxd3+ 9. cxd3 tt:lc6+ - Black is clearly bet ter thanks to his bishop pair and White's weaknesses along the d file. 6..ie2 .ib4+! 7.c3, Tartakower - Alekhine, New York 1924, 7... .id6+ Black has a stable advan tage owing to his extra pawns and 20
White's vulnerable e3 and e4squares. S.c4 c6!
Black is trying to exploit his lead in development and at the same time eliminate his oppo nent's cramping pawn. 6.tt:lc3 cxdS 7.cxd5?! (for 7.d4 .ib4 - see 6.d4) 7... ttJxdS+ Even if White regains his pawn, he will end up with an isolated pawn. In the game Borrowdale - Pante leyev, Email 2007, there followed later 8.�e2+? .ie6 9.�b5+ tt:lc6 10.�xb7 ttJdb4 ll..ibS .id7-+ and White was losing a lot of material. 6.dxc6?! - This move only en hances Black's piece-develop ment. 6...ttJxc6 7.d4 .ib4+ 8.tt:lc3 (after 8..id2? 0-0--+ Black's attack is decisive) 8...0-0 9..ie2 tt:le4 10. .id2 ttJxd2 11.�xd2 .ig4+ White will be faced with a long and dif ficult defence in view of the ab sence of his dark-squared bishop and his weaknesses in the centre, Hermanowski - Grube, Ruhrge biet 1998. 6.d4 .ib4+ 7.tt:lc3 (If 7..id2?! then after the exchange of the dark-squared bishops White will have great problems protecting
l.e4 e5 2j 4 dS 3.ed ef4 . lt:lf3lt:lf6 his e3-square and will need to re capture the enemy f4-pawn with his queen, which will provide Black with additional tempi for the activation of his pieces. 7... hd2+ 8.W/xd2 cxdS 9.W/xf4 0-0 10.lt:lc3 lt:lc6+ Martinez Martin Meszaros, Peniscola 2002.) 7... cxdS 8. .ixf4 0-0 9.�e2 dxc4 10. hc4 (10.0-0 lt:lc6 11.hc4 �g4 see 10. .ixc4) 10... lt:lc6 11.0-0 �g4 12.a3. White should drive the enemy bishop to the aS-square. (12.�e3?! 1'%c8 13.�b3, Handoko Matanovic, Surakarta 1982, 13... lt:laS+) 12... �aS
There has arisen a complicat ed position with a dynamic bal ance, in which White's d4-pawn more often than not proves to be a weakness rather than a strong central passed pawn. 13.�gS?! .b£3 14.1'%xf3 W/xd4+ 1S.W/xd4 lt:lxd4+ White has ended up a pawn down and has prob lems on the c-file, Bronstein Nikolaevsky, Leningrad 1971. In the variation 13.dS lt:ld4 14. Wh1 lt:lxf3 1S.gxf3, Angelov - Ma rinescu, Bucharest 199S, Black can obtain a very good position after 1S... 1'%c8 16.W/d3 !hS 17.lt:le4
�g6� White will be unable to maintain his knight on the e4outpost and after its disappear ance his king will be terribly en dangered. 13.Wh1!? This is a useful move, since it removes his king from a very dangerous diagonal. 13... .b£3 (in answer to 13... �c7!?, Ageichenko - Kholmov, Moscow 1968, White has the response 14.�gSoo with a very complicated position) 14.1'%xf3 W/xd4 1S.Wif1 lt:le5 16.heS W/xeS 17.1'%e1 W/d4 18.1'%d1 W/h4!
White has excellent compen sation for the pawn, but tourna ment practice shows that it should be sufficient only for equality: in the game Winberg - Weg man, Email 2007, after 19.1'%h3 WigS 20.1'%g3 W/eS= Black's queen was well placed in the centre. White failed to create serious problems for his opponent with 19.g3 W/h6 20.b4 !c7 21.1'%d4 �es 22.1'%h4 WigS 23.lt:le4 lt:lxe4 24.1'%xf7 lt:lxg3+! 2S.hxg3 1'%xf7 26.Wixf7+ Wh8 27.1'%hS �g4 28.�d3, Niewia domski - Pietruske, Email 2007, since at the end of the forced line: 28... W/d1+ 29.Wg2 W/xd3 30.1'%xeS 21
Chapter 2 �c2+ 3l.li>h3 �c8+ 32.1i>h4 b6= Black has exchanged his oppo nent's most active pieces and the game will inevitably end in a draw.
A) 5 . .ib5+ ? ! The bishop is better placed on c4 than on b5.
5 . . . c6 6.dxc6 For 6.�e2+?! i.e7 7.dxc6 lt:lxc6 - see 6.dxc6.
6 . . . tDxc6
White's centre can hardly be advanced owing to the weakened complex of squares on the e-file, while Black's pieces have no diffi culty coming into play.
7.d4 White loses a piece after 7. 0-0?? �b6-+; it is also bad for him to opt for 7.lt:le5? �b6 8.�e2 il.e7 9.lt:lc4 �dB 10.c3 0-o:i= - he has transferred his knight to a very bad square and lags consid erably in development. 7.�e2+?! - This loses an im portant tempo for White. 7... .ie7 22
8.d4 0-0 9.hc6 bxc6 10.0-0 :!'!eSt (Black's powerful threat .id6, followed by the transfer of his knight to the e3-square, forces White to sacrifice his queen.) 11. hf4 il.a3! 12.�xe8+ �xeS 13. lt:lxa3 .ie6+ and owing to the unfa vourable position of his knight on a3, White's compensation is in sufficient. 7.hc6+ bxc6 8.0-0 il.d6 9. :i'!e1+ il.e6 10.d4 (10.lt:lg5 0-0 11. lt:lxe6 fxe6+ White is considerably behind in development and can not win a pawn: if 12.l'!xe6? il.cS+ 13.1i>h1 f3! with a decisive attack for Black) 10... 0-0+ with the bishop pair and a powerful pawn on f4. White cannot equalize with 7.lt:lc3 il.d6 8.�e2+ il.e6 9.lt:ld4 (It is slightly better for him to opt for 9.hc6+ bxc6 10.lt:lg5 �d7 11. lt:lxe6 �xe6 12.0-0 0-0t when Black's f4-pawn considerably cramps White's position, but the absence of queens should enable him to gradually equalize, Sirotti - Schmidt, Email 2008.) 9... 0-0 10.lt:lxe6 fxe6 11. .ixc6 bxc6t White is a long way behind in de velopment and may come under a dangerous attack, for example after the greedy 12.�xe6+? li>h8 13.0-0 �b6+ 14.1i>h1 l'!ae8! 15. �h3 (Black mates quickly after 15. �xd6? �f2!! 16. �xf8+ lt:lg8-+) 15... �f2 16.\1;lff3 '11;lrh4-+ White's queenside is undeveloped, while all Black's pieces are participating in the action.
7 . . . .id6
l.e4 eS 2/ 4 dS 3.ed ef4. tt:\j3 tt:\f6
8.t'fe2+ 8.tt:lc3?! 0-0 9.0-0 �b6 - see 8.0-0. White loses after 8.d5? tt:lxd5+ and Black's knight is untoucha ble in view of .ib4+. Black has no problems after 8.0-0 0-0.
9.c3 .ig4 10.tt:lbd2 :Be8 - see 9.tt:lbd2. 9. .ixc6?! bxc6 10.tt:le5, R.J. Fischer - Witeczek, Detroit (sim) 1964, 10....b6 ll.:Be1 �b6+ Black exerts powerful pressure against the enemy centre. 9.tt:lc3?! �b6 10.'it>h1 .ig4 11. .ixc6 bxc6+ Black has obtained the bishop pair and has superior development, while White's king side is weak, Green - Aitken, Sun derland 1966.
9.c4 .ig4 10.tt:lc3 :Bc8 ll. .ixc6 bxc6 12.tt:le2 tt:lh5+ Van Eijk Swinkels, Dieren 2005, or ll.'it>h1 .ib8 12. .ixc6 bxc6+ Cordel Flecher, Email 2007 and in both cases Black's f4-pawn considera bly cramps White's pieces. 9.tt:lbd2 .ig4 10.tt:lc4 (Black leads in development and has an excellent position on the kingside with control of the only open file. He has long-lasting initiative and in the variation 10.c3 :Be8 ll. .id3 h6 12.tt:lc4 .ic7t) 10... .ic7 ll. .ixc6 (11.c3 :Be8 12. .ixc6 bxc6 13.tt:lce5 .ixe5 14.dxe5 �b6+ 15.�d4 tt:lh5+ - he succeeds in preserving the powerful pawn on f4, Nowak Daenen, Email 2009) ll... bxc6 12. �d3 :Be8 13.h3 (in the line: 13.b3 hf3 14.:Bxf3, Pedersen - Pordzik, Email 1995, it looks very attrac tive for Black to continue with the centralizing operation 14... :Be4 15. .ib2 �d5t; 13.tt:lfe5 i.f5! 14. �xf5 �xd4+ 15.'it>h1 .ixe5+ White will regain his pawn, but Black's rook will penetrate to the seventh rank. White cannot solve his problems even after the more ac curate reply 13.tt:lce5 .ixf3 14. tt:lxf3 �d5t since Black's pieces are considerably more active than their counterparts.) 13... .ixf3 14. :Bxf3 :Be4 15.c3 c5+ Richter Schueler, Email 2000.
8 . J.e6 .
.
(diagram)
9.�g5 9.tt:le5? 0-0 10. .ixc6 bxc6+ Black has an obvious advantage with his powerful bishop-pair, 23
Chapter 2
better development and great piece-activity and after White's greedy attempt 1l..b:f4? �b6 12. c3 'LldS, followed by .b:eS, Black's attack becomes decisive, Long Wygle, Columbus 1977.
9 . . . 0 - 0 1 0 .4Jxe6 10..b:c6? i.g4 1l.�d3 �aS+ 12.i.d2 �xgS-+ White's king will will be stuck in the centre, McTav ish - Puri, Winnipeg 1985.
10
•. .
�b6!
has a lot of pieces for the queen, but they will be unable to come into play.) 12...4Jxe2 13.4Jxf6+ gxf6 14..b:e2 l"\e8 1S.'it>d1, Gysi Vayser, Email 1995 and here Black wins easily after 15...l"\xe2! 16.\t>xe2 �c6-+ - the coordinat ed actions of his queen, bishop and f4-pawn are quite sufficient to win the game. In answer to 11.0-0, Black's attack is crushing after 11...f3!? 12.l"\xf3 l"\ae8 13..b:c6 l"\xe6 14. �d3 bxc6--t 11. .. �xc6 (ll...bxc6!?t) 12. 0 - 0 (after 12.4Jxf8?? l"\e8-+ White obtains two rooks for his queen, so material is not his real problem: his king has no safe shelter and will come under a very dangerous attack.) 12 . . . lUe8 13.
�f3 �xf3 14.l'!xf3 l'!xe6 15.lik3 (In the endgame after 1S.i.xf4? l"\e1+ 16.'1t>f2 l"\h1 17..b:d6 4Je4+ 18.'1t>e2 4Jxd6+ White has an extra pawn, but his entire queenside is practically immobilized.) 15 . ••
g5t
ll.hc6 Jakubiec - Bulski, Cracow 2011. 11.4Jxf8? 4Jxd4 12.4Jxh7 (12. 'Lld7 'Llxd7 13..b:d7 4Jxe2 14.\t>xe2 l"\d8 1S.i.f5, Petrovic - Petran, Novi Sad 1981, 15...�c6-+ White 24
White cannot advance his cen tral pawns and his bishop and
l.e4 e5 2f 4 d5 3.ed ef4 . tt'lj3 tt'lf6 rooks are restricted by his oppo nent's f4-pawn. In addition, Black controls the only open file and can improve his position at lei sure. He can transfer his king to g6 and prepare the penetration of his knight to the e3-outpost.
B) 5.J.c4 This calm move is White's best.
5 . . . .!Llxd5
6. 0 - 0 For 6..!Llc3 .!Llxc3 - see Chapter 3. 6.\!9e2+ ?! i.e7 7.0-0 .!Llc6 (it is less energetic for Black to contin ue with 7...i.e6 - see 6.0-0) 8.d4 0-0 9.tt'lc3 tt'lb6+ White is faced with an unpleasant choice - to re main a pawn down, or to present his opponent with the bishop pair, D.Sokolov - Bykhovsky, Pavlodar 1991. 6.d4 i.e6 (diagram) 7.0-0? tt'le3 - see 6.0-0; or 7. i.b3 i.b4+! - see 6.i.b3. 7..ixd5 \!9xd5 8.0-0 (8.tt'lc3
i.b4+ White will fail to regain his pawn, or he will end up with a weakened pawn-structure on the queenside.) 8...tt'lc6 - see 6.0-0. 7.\!9e2 i.b4+ 8.c3 i.e7 9.0-0 0-0 10.i.xd5 i.xdS ll.i.xf4 cS+ Black has a stable advantage with his powerful bishop-pair in this open position. 6.i.b3 i.e6 7.c4 (7.0-0 cS - see 6.0-0; 7.d4 .ib4+! - He deprives the enemy knight of the c3square, which is its best and after 8.c3 i.e7 9.0-0 0-0 10.c4 tt'le3 ll.i.xe3 fxe3+ Black obtains the bishop pair.) 7...tt:le7 8.d4 tt'lg6 9.0-0 i.e7 10.tt'lc3 0-0 ll.tt'le2 i.g4+ White can regain his pawn in several ways indeed. He will present Black with the bishop pair, which will provide him with long-lasting initiative, or after 12.tt'lxf4 tt'lh4! the pawn-shelter of White's monarch will be weak ened. Black should not be afraid of 6.i.xd5 \!9xd5 7.tt'lc3 (7.0-0? tt'lc6 8.d4 i.e6 - see 6.0-0, or 8.tt'lc3 \!9f5 9.d4 J.e6 - see 7.tt'lc3; 7.d4 i.b4+ 8.i.d2 \!9b5+ Black preserves his extra pawn and prevents White from castling kingside.) 7... \!9f5! 25
Chapter 2
8.�e2+ Ji.e7 (8...�e6 9.d4 1i.b4 - see 8.d4) 9.d4 tt:lc6 10.0-0 (10. tt:lb5 0-0 ll.tt:lxc7? �a5-+ Joita Nikolaevsky, Leningrad 1960; 10. d5 tt:lb4 ll.tt:ld4 �f6 12.d6 �xd6 13.tt:ldb5 �c5 14.1i.xf4 0-Q=i= Black maintains a great advantage with his bishop-pair in a position with an open centre, Kucherenko Kharchenko, Kharkov 2006) 10... ii.e6 ll.d51i.xd5 12.tt:lxd5 �xd5 13. Ji.xf4 0-0-0+ Black has an extra pawn in a quiet position, Jalas Latal, Email 2009. White plays only very seldom 8.0-0?! tt:lc6 9.d4 Ji.e6 10.tt:lh4 (after 10.tt:le5 tt:lxe5 1U3xf4 �g6 12.dxe5 1i.c5+ 13.'it>h1 0-0+ he re gains his pawn, but falls consider ably behind in development, Far kas - Lyell, Kecskemet 2010; 10. tt:le2 g5 ll.b3 0-0-0 12.1i.b2 i.g7 13.c4 g4 14.tt:le1 f3 15.gxf3 E!hg8-+ Black has a crushing attack in a position with material equality, Eames - M.Adams, Canterbury 2010) 10...�a5. Now, after ll.tt:lf3 0-0-0 12.1i.xf4 tt:Jxd4 13.tt:lxd4 E!xd4-+ Sharma - Kislik, Kec skemet 2010, or ll.d5 0-0-0 12. ii.xf4 tt:lb4 13.�f3 tt:lxd5 14.tt:lxd5 E!xd5-+ Keller - Pirrot, Bad Wo erishofen 2008, Black has a solid 26
extra pawn and he only needs to play accurately to realize his ad vantage. 8.d4 1i.b4 9.�e2+ (after 9.0-0 0-0 10.tt:le5 hc3 11.bxc3 it would be interesting for Black to play ag gressively with ll...g5!?oo, while the simplest way for him to equal ize would be ll...tt:ld7 12.1i.xf4 tt:lxe5 13.1i.xe5 �d7 14.�d3 f6 15. Ji.g3 b6 16.d5 1i.b7 17.c4 E!fe8=) 9... �e6 10.1i.xf4 0-0 11.�xe6 he6 12.'it>f2 (in the variation 12.hc7 E!c8 13.1i.xb8, Mista - Georgiadis, Plovdiv 2008, Black can force simplification into a very pleasant endgame, with equal material but where his bishop is superior to the enemy knight, with 13...E!xc3 14.bxc3 hc3+ 15.\t>e2 Ji.xa1 16. E!xa1 E!xb8+) 12...1i.xc3 13.bxc3, Zhang Pengxiang - Nisipeanu, Trignac 2002, and after 13...tt:ld7t he maintains a long-lasting initia tive thanks to his superior pawn structure and more active minor pieces.
6 . . . J.e6
7.J.b3 Black ·is threatening 7...tt:le3,
l.e4 e5 2.f 4 d5 3.ed ef 4 . tL!j3 ttlf6 so White should try to neutralize this threat quickly. 7.hd5?! - This move will only make matters worse. 7.. .'�xd5 8. d4 ttlc6 9.hf4 0-0-0+ Black has a clear advantage with his two bishops, free piece-development and a clear-cut plan of operations on the kingside, Ovetchkin Tarasova, Belgorod 2008. 7.'�'e2 - This is a harmless move but it enables White to keep the position balanced: 7... !le7
8.ttlc3 ttlc6 (The position would be much more complicated after 8... c6!? 9.d4 g5oo) 9.d4 0-0 10. tLlxd5 hd5 ll.hd5 �xd5 12.hf4 .td6 - see 8.d4. 8.d4 - This is objectively the best move for White, but the aris ing position does not present any problems for Black. 8... 0-0 9.ttlc3 (9.!lb3?! .tf6 10.c4 tLle3 ll.he3 fxe3 12.�xe3 Eie8t - Black occu pies the only open file and his dark-squared bishop exerts pow erful pressure on the a1-h8 diago nal, Schaub - Svendsen, Email 2000) 9... tLlc6 (There arises a fighting position after 9... tLlxc3!? 10.bxc3 hc4 11.�xc4 .id6 12.�b5 tLld7 13.�xb7 ttlb6?, but White
retains some good trumps, Mar chisotti - Satici, Email 2008.) 10.hd5 hd5 ll.tt:lxd5 �xd5 12. hf4 ild6 13.�d2 (13.hd6? tt:lxd4!+ with an extra pawn for Black) 13... hf4 14.'�xf4 gae8 15. c3 �d7 16.Eiae1 f6 17.b3 tLle7 18.c4 c6= and White's d4-pawn will be much more of a liability than a dangerous passed pawn, Krzyza nowski - Patrici, Email 2009.
7 c5 ! •.•
Black is fighting for the centre and the dark squares.
8.d3 8.tLle5?! fld6 9.!la4+ l!if8 10. �e2 �f6 ll.tLlc4 flc7 12.d3 a6+ Black has lost his castling rights, but is considerably ahead in de velopment and preserves his ex tra pawn, Villwock - Lyell, Buda pest 2009. 8.ttlc3?! c4! 9.fla4+ (9.flxc4? tLlxc3-+) 9... tt:lc6 10.d4 cxd3 11. cxd3 fle7 12.tLlxd5 hd5 13.i.xf4 0-0+ White's pieces are discoor dinated and his d3-pawn is weak, Lanzani - Godena, Milan 2002. 8.c4 tLlf6 9.tLlc3 ttlc6 10.tLle2 .td6 ll.d4 tt:lxd4 12.tLlexd4 cxd4 27
Chapter 2 13.Wxd4 (13.lt:'lxd4 i.cS �xf4 o-m= Black will quickly occupy the central files with his rooks.) 13...Wc7 14.h1 h6+ White has failed to regain his pawn and his bishops are passive. 8.h1 i.e7 9.d4 0-0 10.c4 lt:'le3 11.i.xe3 fxe3 12.d5 i.g4+ Black's bishop has gained access to the important a1-h8 diagonal, while White's bishop resembles a pawn, Fier - Saralegui, Turin 2006. 8.d4 cxd4 9.lt:'lxd4 (Black should not be afraid of the line: 9.h1 lt:'le3 10.i.xe3 dxe3 11. Wxd8+ xd8 12.i.xe6 fxe6 13. lt:'lgS i.d6, lngylfsson - Lukase vicius, Email 2004 and here, White's only move is 14.lt:'lf7+ e7, but he ends up in a difficult position after 15.lt'lxh8? lt:'lc6 16. lt:'lc3 :B:xh8+ and Black's central pawns should settle the issue. White fails to equalize with 15. lt:'lxd6 e2 16.:B:e1 xd6 17.:B:xe2 lt:'lc6+ and Black remains with an extra pawn and a more active king.) 9....ic5 10.h1 i.xd4 11. '\Wxd4 0-0 12.i.xd5 (12.i.xf4 lt:'lc6 13.Wf2 lt:'lxf4 14.'\Wxf4, Hague Berzinsh, West Bromwich 2004,
28
14...i.xb3 15.axb3 Wd4! 16.Wxd4 lt:'lxd4+ - Black has weakened his opponent's queenside pawn structure and forces his knight to go to the a3-square.) 12...lt:'lc6 13. Wxf4 WxdS+ White's king is insuf ficiently protected and he lags in development, Lyell - Haslinger, Great Yarmouth 2007.
8
••.
c!Dc6
9.i.xd5 After 9.lt:'lc3 lt:'lxc3 10.bxc3 .id6 11.i.xe6 fxe6 12.We2 We7+ White fails to regain his pawn.
9 . . . 'fbd5 1 0 .ixf4 J.e7 11. lt:'lc3 Wd7+ Black has obtained the •
bishop pair and dominates the centre, Hynes - Sochor, Email 2008.
Chapter3
l.e4 e5 2.ltlc3 Vienna Game
White has developed a piece and covered the dS-square and is now ready to sharpen the game by advancing f2-f4. Black has several good moves in the diagram position; we rec ommend
3 . . . d5 !
Here, in contrast to the King's Gambit, this move is definitely Black's best. White's main attempts now to fight for the advantage, are Al) 4.fxe5 and A2) 4.exd5, al though he has also tried some 2 . . . �f6 Just as in the King's Gambit, other moves in practice. Black should strive to advance 4.�f3, R.J.Fischer - Holger son, Sacramento (sim) 1964. The with d7-d5. Now White can play 3.i.c4 only virtue of this move is that the �c6, transposing to the Bishop's eleventh World Champion played Opening (see Chapter 4), or 3.�f3 it once in a simultaneous display. �c6 (see Chapters 6-8), but his After 4... dxe4 s.�xe4 exf4 6.d3 most principled moves are A) i.e7 7. .hf4 0-0 8.0-0-0 cS 9. 3.f4 and B) 3.g3. �e2 �c6+ Black obtains a lead in development and an advantage in the centre. A) 3.f4 4.�f3- This developing move 29
Chapter 3 often transposes to variation A2 . 4...exf4 5.e5 (5.exd5 tt:lxd5 or 5. tt:lxd5 tt:lxd5 6.exd5 '\Wxd5 - see variation A2) 5... tt:le4
6.d4?! - White weakens im portant central squares with this move. 6...i.b4 7.i.d2, Plajnsek Pavasovic, Pokljuka 1991, after 7...c5 8.i.d3 i.xc3 9.bxc3 c4 10. i.e2 tt:lc6 11.0-0 g5+ Black re mains with an extra pawn and a powerful knight in the centre. It seems rather strange for White to try 6.i.e2?! since after 6...g5 7.0-0 tt:lc6 8.i.b5 a6 9. hc6+ bxc6+ Black preserves his extra pawn, obtains the advan tage of the bishop pair and has good attacking prospects, Spiel mann - Bogoljubow, Berlin 1919. After 6.'\We2 tt:lc5 7.d4 tt:le6 8. i.d2 c5 9.dxc5 tt:lc6 10.0-0-0 hc5+ Black is not behind in de velopment and he keeps his extra pawn. 6.d3 - White ejects the enemy knight from its wonderful square, but acquiesces to the fact that he will be unable to regain the f4pawn. 6...tt:lxc3 7.bxc3 g5 8.h4 (The piece-sacrifice after 8.i.e2 g4 9.0-0 gxf3 10.hf3 i.h6-+ did 30
not bring him any dividends in the game Mayo - Hulme, Grange mouth 2005; 8.d4 g4 9.tt:lg1 '\Wh4+ 10.@e2, Gunsberg - Mieses, Vien na 1903, 10...i.h6+ Black pre serves his extra pawn and his lead in development and has good attacking chances against the enemy king stranded in the centre.) 8...g4 9.tt:ld4 c5 10.tt:lb3 tt:lc6 ll.hf4 i.g7 12.d4 (The c5pawn is untouchable owing to 12.tt:lxc5? '\Wa5+ and White loses both his pawns on c3 and e5.) 12... c4+ Black has excellent prospects for active operations on the queenside, Haida - Molisch, Brno 1937. 4.d3 exf4
Strangely enough, only four moves have been played to reach this position and yet White needs to react very accurately in order not to lose quickly. In the variation 5.e5 d4! 6. tt:lce2 tt:ld5 7.tt:lxf4 i.b4+ 8.@f2 tt:lc6 9.tt:lf3 0-0+ Black has man aged to keep the enemy king in the centre and achieve a consider able lead in development, and af ter White's careless reply 10.i.e2? tt:le3!--+ Black's attack became de-
l.e4 e5 2.l!J c3 l!Jf6 3.f 4 d5 cisive in the game Lombardy Smyslov, Teeside 1975. Or 5..txf4 .ib4 6.exd5 (6.l!Jge2 0-0 7.e5 l!Jh5 8..ie3 f6+; 6.e5 d4 7.exf6 dxc3 8.'�fe2+ .ie6 9.b3, Chigorin - Levitsky, Moscow 1899, 9...'!Wxf6+ and in both cases Black is clearly ahead in develop ment) 6...t!Jxd5 7..id2 hc3 8. bxc3 0-0 9.l!Jf3 �e8+ 10..ie2 Vffe7 ll.c4 l!Jf6+ White's king is strand ed in the centre and impedes the coordination of his own pieces, Spielmann - Em.Lasker, St. Pe tersburg 1909. After 5.exd5 t!Jxd5 6.t!Jxd5 Vffxd5 7.hf4 .id6 8.hd6 (8.Vfid2 0-0+) 8...Vffxd6 9.Vffd2 0-0 10. t!Jf3, Bronstein - Matanovic, Vienna 1957, by playing 10...�e8+ ll..ie2 c5 12.0-0 t!Jc6+ Black es tablishes control over the centre and easily deploys his pieces to excellent squares.
Al) 4.fxe5 t0xe4
Ala) 5.d3 Alb) 5."Bf3 Ale) 5.t0f3
5.d4? - White fortifies his e5pawn, but leaves his opponent's powerful knight in the centre and as a result is unable to develop his pieces. 5....ib4! 6.Vfid3 (6.'!Wf3 t!Jxc3 7.bxc3 Vffh4+ 8.g3 Vffxd4 9. t!Je2 .ig4!-+ Albin -Weiss, Vien na 1890) 6...0-0 7.l!Jf3 .if5 8.Vfie3 c5 9..id3 t!Jc6 10.a3 cxd4 11.t!Jxd4, Gusev - Leonov, Donskoj 2007, Black can turn his tremendous lead in development into material gains in the simplest way with the line: ll...t!Jxd4 12.axb4 Vffh4+ 13. g3 t!Jxg3 14.Vffxg3 '!Wxg3+ 15.hxg3 hd3 16.cxd3 t!Jc2+ 17.'i!?d1 t!Jxa1-+ Black should not be afraid of 5.l!Jxe4 dxe4 6.d4 (6.Vffe2 Vffd5+) 6...exd3 7.cxd3 (even after White's more accurate response 7.hd3 '!Wh4+! 8.g3 '!We7 9.l!Jf3 t!Jc6 10. 0-0 .ig4t his king is very poorly protected and this provides Black with excellent attacking chances) 7...t!Jc6 8.l!Jf3 .ig4+ White's cen tral pawns are weak and Black completes development before his opponent, Marshall - Napier, New York 1896. 5.Vffe2 - White's queen only impedes his development on this square. 5...t!Jc6 6.l!Jf3 (6.t!Jxe4? t!Jd4+) 6....if5 7.d3 t!Jxc3 8.bxc3 d4 9.�b1 (after 9.c4? .ib4+ 10.'i!?f2 0-0 ll..ig5 Vffd7-+ White is com pletely incapable of completing the development of his pieces, Fries Nielsen - Matthiesen, Aarhus 2003) 9....ic5 10.'!Wf2 Vffe7 11.�b5 a6 12.�xb7, Castro Rojas Rajna, Budapest 1977 and now after the aggressive line: 12... 31
Chapter 3 0-0-0! 13J'l:b3 ltlxe5 14.ltlxe5 Wxe5+ 15.i.e2 dxc3 16. Wf3 !!he8+ Black ends up with a so_lli:Lextra pawn and good attacking chances against White's king stranded in the centre.
Ala) 5.d3 White forces the exchange of a powerful enemy piece.
5 . . . �xc3 6.bxc3 d4 7.�f3 There is a transposition of moves after 7.i.e2 ltlc6 8.lt'lf3 i.c5, or 7.i.d2 ltlc6 8.ltlf3 i.e6 - see 7. ltlf3.
7
. . •
�c6!
Tournament practice has shown that Black can easily ob tain an edge if he ignores his op ponent's c3-pawn. He leads in de velopment and his pieces have excellent squares.
8 . .ie2 After 8.i.b2 i.g4 9..ie2 dxc3 10.i.xc3 i.c5 11.�d2 0-0 12. 0-0-0 �d5 13.Wf4 i.e6+ White succeeds in evacuating his king to the queenside, but it is not well
32
placed there either, Y.Shaposh nikov - Korchnoi, Sochi 1958. Black has good attacking prospects after 8. .id2 .ie6 9.cxd4 ltlxd4 10.c3 ltlxf3+ 11.Wxf3 i.e7 12.Wxb7 i.h4+ 13.'i!?d1 0-0t 8.cxd4 .ib4+! 9. .id2 .ixd2+ 10.Wxd2 ltlxd4 11.c3 (It would be over-optimistic for White to choose 11.0-0-0 0-0 12.We3, Niedermaier - Panteleev, Germa ny 2010, since after 12... c5+ he will have serious problems with the safety of his king, while in the variation 11.i.e2 ltlxf3+ 12. .ix£3 Wd4+ he loses his e5-pawn) 11... ltlxf3+ 12.gxf3 0-0 13.1'!g1 (13. 0-0-0 Wd5 14.d4 c5 15.1'!g1 g6 16.c4 We6 17.i.e2 cxd4 18.Wxd4 Wa6+ Black has managed to de stroy the enemy centre and his king is much safer, Tushev - Ka zantsev, Email 2009; 13.d4 Wh4+ 14.Wf2 Wf4+ White will have prob lems with his centre very soon. Black will either undermine it with f7-f6, or he will play c7-c5, or both... ) 13.. .f6 14.f4 fxe5 15.fxe5, Winterfeld - Goehring, Germany 1993. White's king has no safe shelter, therefore Black should complete his development and at tack the enemy centre only later. The best way for him to begin is with the move 15... i.e6+
8 . J.c5 ..
Black effortlessly deploys his pieces to excellent squares and maintains an edge. White's cen tral pawns are only a liability for him.
l.e4 e5 2.tt:l c3 tt:lf6 3.f 4 d5 ll
. .•
�d4
9. 0 - 0 White solves the problems with the safety of his king but sac rifices a pawn, and regaining it may be a difficult task. 9.cxd4 .b:d4 10.E!b1 0-0 11. .ib2 E!e8 1V Lixd4 tt:Jxd4+ Black forces his opponent either to sac rifice a pawn, or to go in for an unpleasant position with bishops of opposite colours. 9..ig5 §'d7 10.c4 h6 11..id2 0-0 12.0-0 §'e7+ White will have difficulties with the protection of his pawns on d4 and eS. 9..ib2 0-0 10.cxd4 tt:Jxd4 11. c3, Lewandowski - Paprocki, Tor farm 2005, 11...tt:Jxe2 12.�xe2 .ie6 13.d4 i.e? 14.c4 .ib4+ 15.g;,f2 c6+ White can hardly organize mean ingful counterplay with his light squared bishop absent from the board and his pawn centre is harmless for Black, since it can easily be undermined with f7-f6, or even with b7-b5.
9 dxc3 1 0 .g;,hl 0 - 0 ll.ti'el .••
11..if4? ! tt:ld4+ - After the ex change of the knights, Black's bishop will occupy the excellent d4-outpost.
12 .idl •
1V Lixd4? .b:d4 13.�g3, Broo kes - Haast, Haarlem 2011, 13... E!e8 14.i.h5 g6+ - Black hopes to attack the enemy eS-pawn and his kingside is securely protected. In the variation 12.�xc3 .ib6 13.�d2 tt:lxf3 14..b:f3 .id4 15.E!b1 .b:eS+ White will have problems with the defence of his kingside, because Black is threatening �h4, Yusubalijev - Filev, Teteven 2004. 12 �xfJ 13.hf3, Opl Donchenko, Dresden 2010, and here Black can play 13 c6+ re stricting his opponent's light squared bishop and preserving his extra pawn. Later he can at tack the enemy eS-pawn, while White's piece-activity is almost harmless and cannot compensate for the material deficit. •••
•••
Alb) 5.ti'fJ The queen is better placed here than on e2, because it does not prevent the development of White's bishop, but in many vari33
Chapter 3 ations it comes under attack with tempo.
5 . . . �c6 6.i.b5 6.lt)xe4?! ltld4 7.'<&c3 (7.'<&d1 dxe4 8.c3 ltlc6 9 . .ib5 '<&d5 10.'<&e2 i.d7 11.hc6 i.xc6-+ - The light squares in his camp are cata strophically weak, Spielmann Moewig, Coburg 1904) 7 . . . dxe4 8.ttle2 ltlc6 9.ltlg3 V9d5 10 . .ic4 '<&xeS 11.0-0, Tzermiadianos - A. Mastrovasilis, Athens 2002, 11 . . . f5!+ Black has an extra centre pawn and can effortlessly develop his pieces, so this provides him with a clear advantage.
6
• . •
ltlxc3
White is faced now with a rather difficult choice.
7.dx:c3 This is White's best option. His e5-pawn may be a bit weak, but his pieces come into play without any difficulties. After 7.'<&xc3 Wh4+ White lags in development and has problems with the protection of his e5pawn. 7.bxc3 '<&h4+ 8.g3 '<&e4+ 9. '<&xe4 dxe4 10 . .ixc6+ (10.d4 exd3 11.cxd3 .id7 12 . .if4? ltlxe5! 13. hd7+ ltlxd7 14.'it>d2 0-0-0+ Black has a solid extra pawn, Ca tozzi - Daniel, BesaDJon 1949) 10.. . bxc6 11.ltle2 (11.d4 exd3 12. cxd3 .if5 13.'it>e2 l'!d8 14.d4, Koeniger - Maier, Munich 1993, after 14 . . . c5+, Black emphasizes the vulnerability of his opponent's central pawns) 11 . . . .ic5 12.d4 (12. ltld4?! 0-0 13.ltlxc6 l'!e8 14 . .ib2 .id7 15.ltlb4 l'!xe5+ White has failed to win a pawn, his knight on b4 might be lost and his bishop is very passive, Antal - Bick, Witley 2001.) 12 . . . exd3 13.cxd3, Vojta Spacek, Czech Republic 2011 and by playing 13 . . . .ia6 14.d4 .ie7+ Black controls the light squares in the centre and after completing his development he can begin un dermining White's pawn-chain.
7 Wh4+ . • •
It looks very good for Black to try here 7 . . . a6!? 8.hc6+ bxc6= when his advantage of the bishop pair guarantees him equality, but he can try for more, Paulsen Blackburne, Breslau 1889.
8.g3 ti'e4+ 9.ti'xe4 dx:e4 The e5-pawn is considerably 34
l.e4 e5 2. tt:\ c3 tt:\f6 3.j4 d5 weaker than the e4-pawn and White must play precisely to maintain the balance.
Pilgaard, Villagarcia de Arosa 2002, after 13.. J:!hf8 14J!e1 h6t Black completes his development and is ready to begin active opera tions. The greedy attempt 15.l'!xe4 tt:\a5 16.tt:lf3 .ic6 would lead to the loss of the exchange for White: 17.!J.d3 (17.l'!e3? g5-+) 17...f6! 18. exf6 hf6+, because after 19.l'!e3? g5-+ he would lose a piece.
1 0 bxc6 11./t)e2 i.c5 12. li)d4, Swanson - Savage, Hinck •.•
ley Island 2009.
1 0 . .ixc6+ White disrupts his opponent's pawn-structure, but now Black's light-squared bishop might be come very active. It is not good for White to opt for 10..ie3 .id7 11..ixc6 .ixc6 12. tt:le2 g6 13.0-0-0 .ig7 14.tt:\d4 .ixe5 15.tt:\xc6 bxc6 16..id4 .ixd4 17J'!xd4 f5 18J!hd1 o-m= and he must play very energetically; oth erwise, Black's central pawns will promote, Adamko - Pheby, Email 2009. After 10.tt:le2 .id7 11.hc6 .ixc6 12.tt:ld4, Baljon - Knox, Teesside 1978, Black can preserve his important bishop, avoiding any defects of his pawn-structure, with the move 12....id7t 10..if4 .id7 11.0-0-0 (White cannot reach complete equality with 11.tt:le2 0-0-0 12.i.c4 .ie6 13..ixe6+ fxe6t Black's e4-pawn is safe, while White's e5-pawn will need protection.) 11...0-0-0 12. .ic4 !J.e7 13.h4, Paredes Corda -
Now it would be very strong for Black to play 12 i.b6 ! 13.a4 (13.tt:lxc6?! !J.h3 14.tt:\d4 0-0-0� White might fail to complete his development and his e5-pawn is seriously endangered.) 13 a5 14.J.f4 h6 15.h4 J.g4t White must find several very precise moves to neutralize Black's active pieces. •.•
•••
Ale) 5./t)f3 J.e7 This is the ideal square for the bishop. It cannot be attacked on e7, it covers the g5-square and as sists in the preparation of f7-f6. 35
Chapter 3
6.�e2 White must fight against Black's centralized knight, other wise he may end up in a worse po sition. 6.d4 cS 7..id3 (White would not equalize with 7..ib5+ tt:lc6 8. 0-0 0-0 9..ixc6 bxc6 10.�d3, Menzel - Buchholz, Mecklenburg 2000, because Black can continue with 10....if5 ll.tt:lh4 cxd4 12.tt:lxf5 dxc3 13.bxc3 .icS+ 14..ie3 .ib6+ and he gains an edge, thanks to his powerful knight in the centre and White's weakened pawn structure.) 7...tt:lxc3 8.bxc3 c4 9. .ie2 tt:lc6 10.0-0 0-0 ll..ie3 (Af ter 11.�e1 .ifS+ the vulnerability of White's c2-pawn is empha sized) ll...bS+ Black's position is preferable, owing to his clear-cut plan of queenside attack, Span genberg - An.Karpov, Buenos Aires 1994. 6..ie2 0-0 7.0-0 cS 8.'it>h1 (White can get rid of his oppo nent's powerful knight with 8. tt:lxdS �xdS 9.d3 tt:ld6 10.exd6 .ixd6+, but Black would maintain an edge in view of his control over the centre.) 8...tt:lc6 9.d3 tt:lxc3 10. 36
bxc3, Androni - Sapera, Eretria 2011, 10...f6 ll.exf6 .ixf6t White's c3-pawn is weak and he has no ac tive counterplay, so he must think about defending. 6.d3 - White gets rid of the powerful enemy knight, but the arising pawn-structure is in Black's favour. 6...tt:Jxc3 7.bxc3 cS 8..ie2 (8.g3 0-0 9..ig2 tt:lc6 10. 0-0 .ig4+ White has problems with the protection of his eS-pawn and his c3-pawn is a liability too, Heinz - Pelt, Mehlingen 1992) 8...tt:lc6 9.0-0 (in response to 9. .if4, Black's energetic reaction 9... gS! 10..ig3 hS+ emphasizes that White's king has no safe shelter, so he has no compensation for his weakened pawn-structure) 9... 0-0 10.�e1 (otherwise, Black's play follows the already familiar script: after 10J:l:b1 f6 ll.exf6 .ixf6 12.d4 c4t Malienko - Karnaukh, Kiev 2010, or 10.d4 �aS ll..id2, Schmidt - Beckmann, Germany 1988, ll...c4 12.h3 f6 13.exf6 l:l:xf6+ Black fixes his opponent's vulnerable queenside pawns and exchanges the eS-pawn, which cramps his position. In answer to 10..if4, it seems reasonable for Black to choose lO ...�aS 11.�d2 f6t eyeing the enemy c3-pawn and depriving White of his only trump - his space advantage.) 10...f6 ll.d4 {ll.exf6 .ixf6 12..id2 �d6+ Black has deployed his piec es aggressively and exerts pres sure against the weak c3-pawn.) ll...fxeS 12.dxe5 .ifS 13.c4 'it>h8 14.cxd5 �xdS+ White has pro-
l.e4 e5 2. ltJ c3 ltJf6 3.f 4 d5 voked radical changes of the pawn-structure, but has not equalized yet, because his eS pawn and all his queenside pawns are vulnerable, Kutsenko - Kar naukh, Kiev 2011. 6..id3! ? ltJcS 7..tb5+ (7..te2? d4+) 7...c6 8.d4 cxbS 9.dxc5 .ie6 10..ie3 ltJa6 11.WI'd3?! (White fails to equalize even after the more ac curate line: ll.ltJxbS ltJxcS 12.0-0 0-0t, but although Black's bish ops can hardly be activated for the time being, his position is prefer able owing to the weakness of White's eS-pawn.) ll...b4 12.c6 bxc3 13.cxb7, Lu Shanglei V.Malakhov, Chaongqing 2011. White will inevitably regain his piece, but we believe that Black can still create problems for him with the aggressive line: 13...ltJb4! 14.W/b5+ .td7 1S.bxa8W/ ttJxc2+ 16. 'i!ff2 W/xa8 17.WI'e2 ttJxa1 18.bxc3 0-0 19J''! xa1 �b7+ - The forced play has ended, leaving Black with the advantage, thanks to his pow erful bishop-pair and White's rather weak pawns.
6
•••
l0xc3
7.dxc3 White's position would be worse after 7.bxc3 0-0
Now: 8.W/e3 f6 9.c4 ltJc6 10..ib2 fxeS ll.cxdS W/xdS+ - The position has been opened up and Black has a big lead in development, Meijer Euwe, Utrecht 1926. 8.d4 f6 9.We3 (9..if4 fxeS lO ..txes .tg4 11.�e3 ltJc6 12..te2 ttJxeS 13.dxe5 b6+ White's king is stuck the centre, Becker - Cygon, Espelkamp 1975) 9...fxe5 10. ttJxeS, Pashkin - Akhromeev, Simferopol 1989, and now the best way for Black to exploit his lead in development is to ex change his opponent's only active piece with the move 10...ltJc6+ 8.g3 cS 9..ig2 ltJc6 10.0-0 .ie6 ll.d3 Wd7 12..ig5 !iae8 13.!iae1 h6 14.he7 !ixe7+ White has de ployed his pieces relatively well, but he is not likely to improve his position in the near future, while his queenside weaknesses remain a cause of concern for him, Olsze wski - Malaniuk, Kowalewo Po morskie 2006.
7
•••
c5
37
Chapter 3
8 . .if4 It is not so good for him to opt for 8.�e3 ltJc6 9.'\Wf2 '\WaS 10.'\Wg3 �e6 11.�e2 (ll.�d3 0-0-0 12. 0-0 hS� Black's chances of or ganizing an attack against the en emy king are not worse than those of his opponent) 11...'\Wa4 12.�d3, Kujovic - Panchanathan, Dallas 2004, after 12... 0-0, Black is threatening to win a pawn with the move cS-c4, while after 13.b3 Vfig4+ White is faced with the rath er unpleasant choice between an inferior endgame and an attempt to protect his weak pawns in the coming middle game. 8.'\Wf2 Vfib6! - Black prevents the development of the enemy bishop on cl. 9.�e2, Hector Docx, Gothenburg 200S (In reply to 9.'\Wg3, Black is ready to trans fer his queen to the other side of the board: 9... '\Wg6 10.'\Wxg6 hxg6=. It would be worse for White to continue with 9.c4 �e6 10.cxdS hdS ll.c3 lLlc6+ - he has got rid of his backward pawn, but lags in development and his eS pawn would be more of a target than an asset, Vojta - Rachela, 38
Tatranske Zruby 2008. It is more accurate for White to play 9.b3 �e6 10.�d3 ltJd7 ll.c4 dxc4 12. bxc4 Vfic7� Black's position is a bit cramped, but if White fails to exploit this, his queenside weak nesses are bound to tell.) 9... 0-0 10.0-0 c4!?= Black has given the d4-square to his opponent, but has radically solved the problem of protecting his kingside. White can hardly avoid the exchange of queens and only he may have problems in the endgame.
8 .. )l)c6
9. 0 - 0 - 0 9.'\Wd2 h6 10.�e2 (10.0-0-0 �e6t Black controls the centre and is ready to begin an offensive on the queenside.) 10... gS 11.�e3 g4 12.lLlg1 d4 13.�f4 dxc3 14. '\Wxc3, Aaberg - Barkhagen, Swe den 1996, 14... '\WdS+ - He not only attacks the g2-square, but his oth er pieces are all perfectly prepared to come into action immediately. 9.'\Wf2 �e6 10.Vfig3 'WaS (It is less energetic for Black to contin ue with 10... '\Wb6 11.0-0-0 0-0-0 12.lLlgS hgS 13.hgS :i!d7 14.�f4
l.e4 e5 2. llJ c3 llJf6 3.f 4 d5 g6=, although he would not have any problems even then, Ponkra tov - G.Timoscenko, Satka 2008.) ll.a3 (ll.�xg7? 0-0-0 12.�h6 d4+ - Black has begun a decisive attack against White's king, at the price of only a pawn.) ll...h6 12. h4 (It would be worse for White to opt for 12.�xg7? 0-0-0 13.�g3 �a4+ and Black's threats are tre mendously dangerous, or 12. 0-0-0 g5 13.�e3 o-o-m: and here he has a very unpleasant plan of advancing with d5-d4.) 12...0-0-0 13.0-0-0 i>b8� White has prevented his opponent from occupying additional space on the kingside, but Black's position has no weaknesses and he has excel lent counterplay on the queen side.
9 . . . .te6
also good to play ll ... �d7 12.i>b1 �f5t when Black has deployed his pieces perfectly and is ready to begin active play on the queen side) and after ll...�d7 12.h3 0-0 13.g4 �ab8-+ with the idea b7-b5, Black begins a direct attack against the enemy king. 10.i>b1 - This is a useful pro phylactic move for White. 10... �a5 ll.a3 (in the endgame after 11.�b5 �xb5 12.�xb5 0-0t, Black has no problems at all) ll...h6 12. h4, Sorensen - Z.Polgar, Tunja 1989. The best place for Black's king would be on the queenside, so she must prepare active opera tions on the queenside with 12...0-0-0� followed by a mov ing her king to the aS-square. 10.�f2 �aS ll.a3 (in answer to ll.i>b1, Ballester - Haslinger, Dos Hermanas 2004, it seems very at tractive for Black to begin a direct attack with ll...d4 12.c4 b5 13. llJd2 �b8-+) ll...h6 12.�e3 b6� Black has obtained a very solid position and after moving his king to a8 he can start to prepare the central pawn-break d5-d4 or or ganize an attack against the ene my king.
10
• . •
h6 11.g3
11.�f2 �a5 12.a3 0-0-0�
1 0 .h4 10.c4 - White is fighting for the e4-square, but this only helps Black organize active operations on the queenside. 10...d4 11.llJd2, Hector - Ivkov, Cannes 1989 (in response to ll.h4, Hector Inkiov, Copenhagen 1990, it is
ll
• • .
Yfd7 12 .tg2 •
In answer to 12.�f2 it seems very reasonable for Black to con tinue with 12...0-0-0. White's only attempt to put this move in doubt would be connected with 13.�e3, but Black can counter this with 13...d4! 14.cxd4 cxd4 15. 39
Chapter 3 l2Jxd4 \Wd5t - he will inevitably re gain his pawn and his pieces will be tremendously active.
12
•••
0 - 0 - 0 13.h5
13.\Wfl l'!he8 14.�h3 hh3 15. \Wxh3 \Wxh3 16.l'!xh3 f6= - Black eliminates the enemy e5-pawn, which cramps his position, and he completely equalizes, Barreras GarcHa - Piccoli, Email 2008.
13
4
•• .
�xd5 !
This natural move is the most precise for Black.
i.g4
•••
14.'tf.>b1 14.\Wfl \We6 15.'tf.>b1 (after the exchange of the light-squared bishops with 15.i.h3 hh3 16. \Wxh3 l'!d7 17.liJd2 a6 18.'i!?b1, Mo rales Pecino - Kozlov, Email 2007, Black can play 18...\Wxh3 19.l'!xh3 i.d8t emphasizing that White's e5-pawn might become a weakness.) 15... l'!d7 16.a3 l'!hd8 17.l'!d3, Morales Pecino - Albano Rivares, Email 2008, and after 17...i.f5 18.l'!d2 l2Ja5t Black ob tains excellent attacking pros pects.
14 ghe8 15.Wfl We6 16. i.h3 .hh3 17.Wxh3 gd7 18.g4 ged8 19.a3 d4= Glukhovtsev •••
Koronowski, Email 2010 40
A2) 4.exd5 White plays this move quite often, even at grandmaster level. He wishes to fight for the ad vantage in a position with an ex tra pawn after 4...e4, but...
Now White can choose be tween several possibilities A2a) 5.�xd5? ! , A2b) 5.�f3 and A2c)
5.fxe5. Among his alternatives, we must mention that in the varia tion 5.\Wh5 l2Jxf4 6.Wxe5+ l2Je6+ White's queen will come under at tack with tempo by Black's devel oping pieces, Noble - Braunberg er, Frankfurt 2010, while after 5. \Wf3 l2Jxf4 6.i.c4 l2Jc6+ Black ends up with a solid extra pawn, Blanch - Janev, Balaguer 2011.
A2a) 5.�xd5? ! Wxd5 Black's queen is perfectly placed in the centre of the board, because it impedes White's devel opment and cannot be attacked at all.
l.e4 e5 2.tt:l c3 tt:lf6 3j 4 d5 6 . . . �c6 7.�£3 i.g4 8 .i.e2 �xeS
6.fxe5 For 6.tt:lf3 tt:lc6 7.fxe5 .ig4 see 6.fxe5. 6.tt:le2?! - White fails to evict the enemy queen from the centre with this: 6... .ie7 7.d4 (the seem ingly more consequent 7.tt:lc3? i.h4+ forces White to give up a whole rook.) 7... .ih4+ 8.tt:lg3 exd4 9.c4, Halpin - Blumbergs, Email 2005, and now with 9.. .'�c6+ Black impedes the development of his opponent's light-squared bishop and is quite ready to launch a decisive attack in a few moves. After 6.\1;Ye2 tt:lc6 7.c3 .ie7 8. fxe5 .ih4+ 9.d1, Van de Berk mortel - Gorla, Switzerland 1992, the simplest for Black would be to regain his pawn with 9... tt:Jxe5 10.tt:lf3 (Black does not lose his knight, because in the variation 10.d4? .ig4 ll.tt:lf3 0-0-0-+ White is unable to capture it.) 10... i.g4 11.\1;Yb5+ \1;Yxb5 12.hb5+ c6 13. .ie2 tt:Jxf3 14.hf3 hf3+ 15. gxf3 0-0-0+ - The material is equal, but Black has a superior pawn-structure and his pieces come into play very quickly.
9.d4 (In the variation 9.0-0 .ic5+ 10.h1, Inkiov - Dobrev, lraklion 1992, Black maintains a stable advantage, thanks to his lead in development and control of the centre, with 10... tt:Jxf3 11. hf3 hf3 12.l'!xf3 0-0+) 9 • . •
� xf3 + 1 0 . h£3 hf3 11. �xf3 �xf3 12.gxf3 0 - 0 - 0 t Black has a much better pawn-structure on the kingside and a lead in de velopment, Sanz Alonso - Mala niuk, Warsaw 2008.
A2b) 5.�£3 exf4
41
Chapter 3 This position is reached much more often from the King's Gam bit, but for the sake of a conveni ent presentation of the theoreti cal material, we shall analyze it here.
6 .ic4 •
6.d4?! - This move weakens the important e3-square and pro vides Black with several tempi for his development. 6....ib4 7..id2 .ixc3 8.bxc3 o-m= 6..ie2?! - White's bishop is more passive here than on c4. 6... lt'lxc3 7.bxc3 .id6 8.d4 0-0 9.0-0 lt'ld7+ 6.lt'lxd5?! \11i xd5 Black's queen is perfectly placed in the centre. 7.d4 .ie7 8.c4 (8..id3 lt'lc6 9..ixf4 gS! 10..ig3 g4 ll.c4 \11ie6+ 12.lt'le5 lt'lxeS 13.dxe5 .ib4+ 14.'tt> f1 .id7+ and Black will evacuate his king to the queenside) 8...\11i e4+ 9.'tt> f2 (9. .ie2 lt'lc6 10.0-0 .ig4 ll.dS lt'leS 12.'tt> h1 0-0 13.lt'lxe5 .ixe2 14J�e1 .ixd1 15J�xe4 .ic2 16.!'le2 .id6+ White has played quite sensibly so far but has failed to equalize. He either remains a pawn down, or must fight against his oppo nent's powerful bishops in an open position, Tellier - Schmidt, Email 2009.) 9....if5 10.c5 (the endgame after 10.\11i e2 �xe2+ 11. .ixe2 gS+ is very difficult for White, not least because of the missing pawn.) 10...lt'lc6 ll..ibS �d5 12..ixf4 (it would be more ac curate for White to play 12.!'le1 .ie4 13.�e2 fS 14..ixf4 0-0-0+, but even then, the vulnerability of his d4-pawn and the insufficient 42
protection of his king would hurt him.) 12...0-0-0 13..ie3 .if6+ Kieninger - Eliskases, Stuttgart 1939. 6..ib5+?! c6 White has lost a tempo, but now Black's knight has no immediate access to the c6-square. 7.\11ie2+ .ie6 8..ic4 .ie7 9.lt'lxd5 cxdS lO ..ibS+ lt'lc6 11.d4 \11lc7+ White has not regained his pawn yet and lags in develop ment, Rubinstein - Tarrasch, Merano 1924.
6 . . . lt'lxc3 7.bxc3 7.dxc3 \11ixd1+ 8.'tt> xd1 .id6 9. !'le1+ 'tt> f8 10.lt'le5 .ixeS ll.!'lxeS f6 12.!'lc5 c6 13..ixf4 b6 14.!'ld5 (White's compensation for the ex change is insufficient after 14. .ixb8 bxcS 15..id6+ 'tt> e8 16..ixc5 .ifS+) 14...cxd5 15..ixd5 gS! (Black frees the g7-square for his king in case of an eventual check from the d6-square!) 16..ie3 (16..ig3?! .ig4+ 17.'tt> e1 lt'lc6 18..ixc6 !'lc8 19. .ibS 'tt> t7+ Black has coordinated his rooks and has no problems with the realization of his advan tage.) 16....ig4+ 17.'tt> d2 lt'lc6 18. .ixc6 !'ld8+ 19..id4 !'ld6+ Although White's bishop on d4 is a beauti ful piece, it cannot compensate for the lost exchange.
7 .id6 8.\11ie 2+ .•.
White's position in the middle game is clearly worse: 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4 lt'ld7 10..id3 !'le8 ll.c4 cS 12. c3 lt'lf6+ White has failed to regain his pawn and his central pawns are weak, Nobel - Cipka, Email 2005.
8
••.
9e7 9.Wxe7+ 'tt>x e7
l.e4 e5 2. lt'l c3 ll'Jf6 3.f 4 d5 would be completely irrelevant with his king stranded in the cen tre.
6 . . . Wfh4+ 7.�e2 .i.g4+ 8 . ll'J f3 c!Oc6 9.Wfe1
10.0-0 After lO.lLJgS i.e6 ll.ll'lxe6 fxe6 12.0-0 ll'Jc6+ Black has the better prospects, thanks to his extra pawn.
9.d4? 0-0-0 10.i.d2, Hamppe - Steinitz, Vienna 1859 (for 10. Wfe1 WfhS - see 9.Wfe1, while after 10.if4 f6 White will be unable to parry his opponent's attack). Here Black forces mate with 10...E:xd4! ll.cxd4 ll'Jxd4+ 12.<.!id3 i.fS+ 13. �c3 ll'lxf3 14.V9xf3 V9b4#
9 . . . V9h5
1 0 . . . .i.e6 1u;e1 �d7 12. he6+ fxe6+ Farley - Kazh galeyev, Yerevan 1996.
A2c) 5.fxe5
1 0 .d4? !
This move has been tried by grandmasters Ivanchuk, Naka mura and Ponkratov. The best that White can rely on is an ap proximately equal endgame.
5 .. .ti)xc3 6.bxc3 After 6.dxc3? Wfh4+ 7.�d2 icS 8.ll'Jf3 V9g4--+ White's extra pawn
Objectively speaking, this is not the best move for White, but it is the most ambitious. He pre serves his extra pawn and hopes to gradually consolidate his posi tion. Black must react with maxi mum energy in order to refute this plan. The best move for White leads to a much calmer game after 10. �d1! i.xf3+ ll.gxf3 0-0-0 (Black can obtain a very good position even with the riskier line: 11... Wfxf3+!? 12.i.e2 WfdS�) 12.V9e4 (White loses by force after 12.d4? 43
Chapter 3 lt'lxd4! 13.cxd4 �xf3+ 14..te2 :B:xd4+ 15..td2 :B:xd2+ 16.�xd2 �xh1-+ Donkers - Haast, Haar lem 2011.) 12...�xe5 13.d4 (The position would remain approxi mately equal after 13.�xe5 lt'lxe5� White has the advantage of the bishop pair, but his pawn-struc ture is bad and he has problems with the coordination of his pieces.) 13...�a5 14..td2, Naka mura - Milliet, Cap d'Agde 2010 (it is no better for him to play 14.�d3 .ta3+). It is essential here for Black to take the fS-square under control by playing 14 ... g6.
This move is forced; other wise, he cannot develop his king side.
11 . . . {6 !
After this pawn-advance, it be comes obvious that White's king will not be safe on the kingside ei ther.
12.exf6? This is a principled move, but it loses by force. Black must react very energetically though ... It would be more accurate for White to continue with 12. .tbS fxeS 13..txc6 bxc6. Black plans to advance his pawn to fS, restricting White's light-squared bishop and moreo ver he is threatening to play .th6. After 15.a4 .th6 16.f4 (16..txh6? �xc3-+) 16...:B:he8 17.�f3 lt'le7+, or 15..tc4 .th6 16.f4 :B:he8 17.�f3 fS+ he is able to force his oppo nent to place a pawn on f4, where it will become an easy target for attack, while in the variation 15..td3 .b3 16.:B:b1 :B:he8 17.�h4 �dS 18.�h3+ fS+ White will be unable to coordinate his pieces.
1 0 . . . 0 - o - o u.q;,f2 44
In this position, no matter how he recaptures on eS, White must fight for a draw: 14.lt'lxe5 .td6 15.h3 :B:hf8+ 16. q;,g1 .txeS 17.�xe5 (after 17.hxg4
l.e4 e5 2. llJ c3 llJf6 3/ 4 d5 �xg4 White has to give up his queen in the variation 18.'1Wxe5? E:de8 19. .if4 E:xe5-+, but even af ter 18.E:h4 .ig3 19.E:xg4 .ixel+ White is still a long way from equality) 17... �xe5 18.dxe5 E:d1+ 19. ci!fh2 E:xh1+ 20.'tt> xh1 E:fl+ 21. 'tt> h2 .ifS+ - The presence of bish ops of opposite colours on the board provides him with some chances of saving the game, but no more than that, Gavrilov Pavlikov, Email 2009; 14.�xe5 �g6 15.E:e1 (15.�e2 .id6+) 15... .id6 16.�g5 E:df8 17. E:e2 E:fS 18.�xg6 hxg6 19. 'tt> e3 .ixh2t Black has regained the pawn and his pieces continue to be very active, Diogo - Debevec, Email 2009.
12
• • .
.txf3 ! 13.Yfe6+
White practically loses by force after 13.gxf3 �h4+ 14.'tt> e2 �xf6
24.�g3 W/d4+ 25.'tt> g2 �e4+ 26. 'tt> g1 E:f3-+
13
. • .
'tt>b 8 14.gxf3 gxf6
It looks as if White has a solid centre, an extra pawn and the ad vantage of the bishop pair, and it is his move... Nevertheless, he is defenceless. Black successfully breaks his opponent's centre and has a decisive attack, with various spectacular sacrifices.
15.Yfh3 White cannot save the game with 15.h4 E:e8 and after the re treat of his queen Black's attack is crushing.
15. .ie3 (He must develop, protecting his d4-square in the process.) 15... .ib4! 16. .ih3+ 'tt> b8 17.cxb4 (the d4-square was impossible to defend anyway... ) 17... llJxd4+ 18.hd4 �xd4 19. .if5 E:he8+ 20 . .ie4 E:xe4+ 21.fxe4 �xe4+ 22. 'tt> f2 E:f8+ 23.'tt> g1 W/g4+
16.W/c4 .id6 17. .ie2 E:hg8 18. �d3 llJeS! 19.dxe5 .icS+ 20.'tt> e1 �xeS 21.f4 �e7-+; 16.�b3 .icS! 17.E:b1 b6 18. .ic4 45
Chapter 3 ll:lxd4 19.cxd4 hd4+ 20.@f1 l'!e3 21.he3 'Wxf3+ 22.@e1 l'!e8 23. @d2 he3+ 24.@c3 i.d4+ 2S.@b4 �hS 26.'Wd3 l'!e3-+ ; 16.'Wxf6 i.d6 17.'Wh6 'WdS 18. l'!b1 ll:lxd4 19.cxd4 l'!hg8-+; It is no better for White to opt for 15.id3 ib4! 16.l'!b1 (16.cxb4 'Wh4+ 17.@f1 l'!he8 18.'Wg4 'We1+ 19.@g2 'Wc3 20.'Wf4 l'!g8+ 21.@f2 �xa1 22.'Wxc7+ @aS!-+) 16... �h4+ 17.@fl l'!de8 18.'Wg4 'We1+ 19.@g2 'We7-+
15 . . . 'Wa5 16.f4 White loses even faster after 16.i.b2 i.a3 17.ha3 'Wxc3!-+
19...l'!e8 20.'Wf3 l'!xd3 21.cxd3 'Wc3 22.l'!b1 i.b6 23.i.b2 'Wc2 24.l'!e1 l'!xe1+ 25.@xe1 'Wxb2-+ Black has obtained more than enough pawns for the exchange and the enemy king is quite open, with queens present on the board.
19 ... �d3+ 2 0 .cxd3 J.d4 21. ie3 he3 22.�xe3 ge8+ 23. �f3 ti'd5+ 24.�g4 f5 + 25.�h4 ge6 26.Yffl 'ifd8 + 27.�g3 ge3+ White loses his queen, and more over all his weak pawns are drop ping, 0-1 J.Andersen - Frey Beck man, Email 2002.
16 . . . �xd4! ! This is an important resource for Black, to deprive White's mon arch of any shelter.
17.cxd4 gxd4 18.id3 ic5
White's centre has been de stroyed and no matter where his king goes Black's pieces will be all over it.
19.@f3 19.@g2 l'!g8+ 20.@f3 l'!xd3+ 21.cxd3 i.d4-+ 19.@fl - This is evidently the most tenacious defence for White. 46
B) 3.g3 This is a less risky move than 3.f4 - White obtains a solid pawn structure on the kingside and postpones active operations until he has completed his develop ment.
3 . . . d5 It is also good for Black to play here 3...i.c5.
4.exd5 �xd5 5.J.g2 S.lLlf3 lLlc6 - see Chapter 7. S.�hS? - White plays analo-
l.e4 e5 2. lt:Jc3 lt:Jf6 3.g3 d5 gously to the famous variation of the Scotch Game (l.e4 eS 2.lt:Jf3 lt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4.lt:lxd4 V9h4!?), but the superfluous move g2-g3 worsens considerably his posi tion. S... lilc6! 6.i.b5, Proehl Kruppa, Berlin 1993. Here, Black can complete his development with 6... i.e7 7.i.xc6+ (7.V9xe5 lt:ldb4 8.@d1 0-0 9.i.xc6 bxc6! see 7.i.xc6) 7... bxc6 8.V9xe5 lt:lb4 9.@d1 0-0 10.lilge2 �e8 ll.VNhS c5-+ and he should win quickly, thanks to his overwhelming lead in development and the vulnera bility of the light squares on White's kingside. S.lt:lge2?! - The idea to capture with a piece on c3, after an even tual exchange there, is not good, because in that case the b-file is not opened. S... lt:lxc3 6.lilxc3 (but not 6.bxc3? VNdS+ and White is forced to play 7.�g1, after which his king cannot be evacuated to the kingside, his only possible safe place.) 6... lilc6 7.i.g2 i.e6 8.0-0 V9d7 9.d3, Mieses - Napier, Hastings 1905, his knight has been removed from the kingside and this enables Black to obtain excellent attacking chances with the help of the standard move 9... hSt
5 . . . lLlxc3 6.bxc3 .ic5 Black plays 6... i.d6 more of ten, but we believe that the bishop is more actively placed on cS, while if White advances withd2d4, tension arises in the centre and it is not in his favour to re duce it.
7.lLle2 7.lilf3 - There is no doubt that this is the most dangerous move for Black and after 7... lt:lc6, there arises the Glek variation, see Chapter 7. For 7.d3 lilc6 8.lilf3 (8.lile2 0-0 - see 7.lile2) 8...0-0 9.0-0 i.g4 or 7.V9e2 0-0 8.d3 lt:lc6 9.lt:lf3 �eB 10.0-0 i.fS - see Chapter 7. 7.�b1 0-0 8.lile2 (White loses after 8.i.xb7?? i.xb7 9.�xb7 VNdS 10.V9f3 e4-+) 8... lilc6 9.0-0 V9d6! - see 7.lile2. 7.f4N - This move has not been tried in practice yet, but Black must be well prepared against it. 7... lilc6!? (The position is less clear after 7... exf4 8.d4oo) 8.fxe5 (after 8.lLlf3 exf4 9.d4 i.d6 10.i.xf4 i.xf4 ll.gxf4 0-0 12.0-0 lt:le7!+, it becomes clear that not only does White need to protect his weak pawns on f4 and c3, he also has weak squares on the e file, which require defending.) 8... i.xg1 9.hc6+ (9.�xg1 lLlxeS 10. i.a3 i.g4 ll.VNb1 lilf3+ 12.i.xf3 i.xf3 13.V9b5+ V9d7 14.V9e5+ @dB 1S.@f2 �e8 16.vgf4 �e6t - White's light squares in the centre are vul47
Chapter 3 nerable and this provides Black with good attacking prospects.) 9... bxc6 10.13xg1 0-0� White's king has no safe shelter and the presence of bishops of opposite colours on the board will lead to a powerful attack for Black. 7.W/h5?! - This queen-sortie, in combination with the develop ment of the bishop on c4, does not seem logical and should not yield any advantage for White. 7... 0-0 8.lt:'lf3 lt:'ld7 9.0-0, G.Szabo - Bon te, Galatzi 2007. Black should oc cupy the centre here with 9... e4 lO.lt:'lgS (10.lt:'ld4?! .ib6+ and his pawn is untouchable, because after ll.he4? lt:'lf6 12.W/h4 lt:'lxe4 13.�xe4 l'%e8+ the light squares around White's king are defence less.) 10... lt:'lf6 ll.W/e2 l'%e8 12. lt:'lxe4 lt:'lxe4 13.he4 .if5 14.d3 Wf6 15. .id2 .ixe4 16.dxe4 �c6 17.l'%fe1 l'%e6 18.'>t>g2 fSt Black regains his pawn and preserves the activity of his pieces.
7
•••
i.g4 - see 8.0-0) 9... l'%b8 10.0-0 (10.hc6? W/f6+ - Black regains the piece and dominates the light squares in his opponent's camp.) 10... .ig4 - see 8.0-0. 8.i.b2?! White prepares active operations in the centre, but plac es his bishop in a very passive po sition. 8... 0-0 9.d4 .ib6 10.0-0, Karacsony - Pinter, Budapest 2011, 10... W/f6+ 8.d4!? i.b6 (in the variation 8... exd4 9.cxd4 lt:'lxd4 10. .ib2 lt:'lfS ll.W/xd8+ '.t>xd8 12.0-0-0+ .id7 13.lt:'lf4� White's pieces are very active, at the cost of a couple of pawns) 9.ia3, Ivitza - Satholm, Krakow 1964 (Black should not be afraid of 9.d5 W/f6 10.0-0 lt:'laS+ since White has voluntarily fixed his weaknesses.) 9... W/f6 10.0-0 ig4+ Black has deployed his piec es with meximum effectiveness and is ready to evacuate his king to the queenside.
8... 0 - 0
lt:'lc6
9.d3 8. 0 - 0 For 8.l'%b1 0-0 9.0-0 W/d6 see 8.0-0; 8.d3 0-0 9.l'%b1 (9.0-0 48
9.'>t>h1? i.e6 10.h3 .idS+ White will have great problems with the protection of his kingside after
l.e4 e5 2.4Jc3 lt:Jf6 3.g3 d5 the exchange of the light-squared bishops, Tarrasch - Trenchard, Vienna 1898. In response to 9.i.b2?!, Fele can - S.Vajda, Bucharest 1997, it would be good for Black to con tinue with the prophylactic move 9....tb6 10.4Jc1 �g5 ll.lt:Jb3 i.g4 12.�c1 �f5t and White cannot avoid the exchange of the light squared bishops. 9J:'!:b1 �d6! - This is the best square for Black's queen, because it does not impede the develop ment of the rest of his pieces or the advance of his f-pawn and it also protects the knight on c6.
After 10.d4 i.b6 ll.dxe5, Ver hovodko - Miton, Mureck 1998 (ll.d5?! tt:Ja5+ leaves White's queenside pawns securely block aded), it is reasonable for Black to enter an endgame with ll...�xd1 12J:'!:xd1 tt:Jxe5t - his pieces are much more active, while White's queenside pawns are vulnerable. In answer to 10.d3, Steffens Ljubarskij, Germany 2007, Black can play 10..J:'!:b8!? (diagram) The idea of this move can be best illustrated in the variation
n ..te3 i.xe3 12.fxe3 b5!+ and Black fixes his opponent's weak queenside pawns. It is no better for White to opt for ll.@h1 i.g4 (the move 10... l:'!:b8 also turns out to be useful here, since Black's b7-pawn is protect ed.) 12.h3 (after the risky 12.f4? :!:'!:feB+ White is helpless against Black's piece-activity) 12....te6 13. c4 f5 14.4Jc3 a6 15.@h2 (the ag gressive attempt 15.4Jd5 b5+ in creases the number of weaknesses in White's camp) 15....td4 16.i.d2 b6+ Black controls the centre and has excellent prospects on both flanks. Still, he is a long way from a win... ll.c4 - White wishes to deploy his knight quickly to the centre of the board. 11...i.g4 12.h3 i.e6 13. tt:Jc3 �d7 14.@h2 b6t Black can evict his opponent's knight from the d5-outpost by preparing c7c6.
9 . . . i.g4 (diagram)
1 0 .h3 For 10.l:'!:b1 l:'!:b8 ll.i.e3 i.xe3 12.fxe3 tt:Je7 - see 10.i.e3 After 10.i.e3 i.xe3 ll.fxe3 l:'!:b8 12.l:'!:b1 lt:Je7 13.c4 (White's greedy attempt 13.l:'!:xb7? l:'!:xb7 14.hb7 49
Chapter 3 ll.c4 �d7 12.
ll .id5 mxg2 YlYd7+ . . .
12.c4
hg2
13.
c6-+ loses a bishop.) 13... c6 14. �d2 bS 15.cxb5 cxbSt the main drawback of his position is the ab sence of a good square for his bishop.
10
••.
.ie6
lO... i.hS?! llJ'i:bl !i:b8 12.g4 .ig6 13.tt:\g3oo Shirov - Rytshagov, Tallinn (rapid) 2004.
u.mh2 After ll.!i:bl !i:b8 12.c4 �d7 13.mh2 b6 14. .ie3 tt:\d4t Black's piece-activity provides him with excellent attacking prospects.
50
After the exchange of the light squared bishops White will have great problems with the defence of his king and the organization of active counterplay, Shennum Rodin, Email 2001.
Chapter 4
l.e4 e5 2..ic 4 Bishop's Opening
2
.•.
/0c6
In the diagrammed position the overwhelming majority of players prefer the move 2... /0f6, but in that case they must be pre pared to enter the variation 3.d4 exd4 4.'Llf3!?, while now White's main attempts to fight for the ad vantage are based on 3.'Llf3 i.c5 see Chapters 13-20. Among White's other possibilities, we shall consider A) 3 .c3, B) 3.d3 and C) 3./0c3 . The position after 3.�h5 g6, arises more often after another move-order: 2.�h5 /Oc6 3.i.c4 g6 and this was analyzed in Chapter 1, while White's other attempt to checkmate the opponent in a flash - 3.�f3 �f6 4.c3 i.e7 5.�g3 �g6
6.�xg6 hxg6 7.'Llf3 d6? provides Black with an excellent position for the endgame. 3.a3?! - White saves his bish op from an exchange, but loses an important tempo. 3... 'Llf6 4.'Llc3 (it is preferable for him to play 4.d3 i.c5 - see 3.d3) 4... 'Llxe4 5. /Oxe4 (5.i.xf7+? �xt7 6./0xe4 d5 7.'Llg3 i.c5 8.�f3+ �g8+ Black has occupied the centre, obtained the advantage of the bishop-pair and has a clear-cut plan connect ed with the pawn-advance h7-h5h4.) 5... d5 6.i.d3 dxe4 7.i.xe4 i.d6= 3.f4 'Llf6 4. 'Llf3 (4.'Llc3 'Llxe4 see variation C; 4.d3 exf4 - see variation B ; 4.fxe5?! 'Llxe5 5.i.b3 'Llxe4+ Black has won a pawn and will create threats against the en emy king.) 4... 'Llxe4
51
Chapter 4 5.d3?! d5! 6.i.b5 tt'ld6 7.i.xc6+ bxc6 8.fxe5 tt'lf5+ Black's doubled pawns are not at all weak and his light-squared bishop will become very active on the long diagonal or, if White plays d3-d4, on the f1a6 diagonal. 5.fxe5?! Steinitz - Steffelaar, Haarlem 1896, This seems to be the most natural move, but it is a mistake. After 5... tt'lxe5! 6.tt'lxe5 vgh4+ 7.g3 tt'lxg3 8.i.xf7+ 'it>d8 9. vgg4 �xg4 10.tt'lxg4 ltlxh1 ll.i.d5 i.d6 12.i.xh1 h5 13.tt'le3 i.xh2+ Black ends up with a slight mate rial advantage in the endgame. 5.i.d5 - White presents his op ponent with the advantage of the bishop-pair, but obtains a power ful centre. 5... tt'lf6 6.i.xc6 dxc6 7.fxe5 tt'ld5 8.0-0 i.e7 9.d4 (9. tt'lc3 tt'lxc3 10.bxc3 0-0 ll.d3 f6?) 9... i.f5 10.a3 tt'lb6 11.�e2 0-0 12. c4 �d7 13.ltlc3 f6? Black ex changes the e5-pawn, which cramps his position and it is White's turn to play very precise ly.
6.tt'lf3 tt'lf4+, or 6.d3 tt'lb6 7.i.b5 �d5 8.hc6+ bxc6t
6 . . . .te6 !N Black emphasizes quick com pletion of his development.
7.dxe5 A) 3.c3 This is an attempt to occupy the centre.
3
•.•
tt'lf6 (diagram)
4.�e2 4.d3 tt'la5 - see variation B. After 4.�b3 �e7 s.vgc2 g6+ Black comfortably completes his development.
52
It is more accurate for White to play 7.tt'lf3 exd4 8.0-0 (after 8.ltlg5?! �d7 9.tt'lxe6 fxe6 10.0-0 0-0-0+ Black has an extra pawn and superior development) 8... i.e7 9.cxd4 0-0?, but this leads to a position in which Black has no problems with his develop ment and can hope to seize the initiative owing to White's weak ness on d4.
4 . . . d5 5.exd5 �xd5 6.d4
7
It is worse for White to opt for
Black launches an attack.
. • .
�db4!
l.e4 e5 2. i.c4 ttJ c6 8.cxb4 White is forced to be greedy. After 8.he6? tLld3+ 9.'i!ld1 (9. 'tt> fl tLlxcl 10.'\Wc2 fxe6 1l.V9xc1 V9d3+ 12.tLle2 !ld8-+) 9... fxe6 10. ttJd2 V9d5+ White will have diffi culty completing his develop ment. In the variation 8.tLla3 hc4 9.ttJxc4 ttJd3+ 10.'tt>fl V9d5� Black's lead in development and his pow erful knight on d3 provide him with more than sufficient com pensation for the pawn.
8
•••
14.ttJf3? '1Wc5 15.ti'xg7 0-0-0 16.V9xf7 i.g4. White is in a critical situation. His king is stranded in the centre and his pieces are not developed. After 17.V9c4 V9xe5+ 18.i.e3 hf3+ 19.gxf3 :B:d4 20.ti'b3 tLlxe3 2l.fxe3 :B:e8+ White's extra pawn is no consolation at all.
ttJd4
14 �xe3 15.'1Wxe3 hc3 16.bxc3 ti'g4+ 17.�£J cxb5+ •••
The material is equal, but Black's bishop is active, while White must worry about his king stranded in the centre and his numerous weak pawns.
9.ti'd3 After 9.V9e4 i.xc4 10.tLlc3 hb4 1l.i.e3 c5 12.0-0-0 hc3 13.bxc3 !leSt White is very likely to come under a dangerous attack.
9
.••
Af5 1 0 .ti'g3
After 10.hf7+ 'tt> xf7 ll.V9c4+ i.e6 12.V9d3 ttJc6 13.V9f3+ 'tt> g8� only his queen is in action, so White must defend very accurate ly in order not to lose quickly.
10
hb4+ ll.�c3
•••
11. 'tt>fl tLlc2+
ll . . . �c2+ 12.�e2 ti'd4 13. Ab5+ c6 14.Ae3
B) 3.d3 The main idea of this move is to enter variations of the King's Gambit without sacrificing a pawn.
3 . . . �f6 (diagram)
4.f4 4.ttJf3 .ic5 - see Chapter 14; 4.ttJc3 ttJa5 - see variation C. 4. .ig5?! (4.tLle2 ttJ aS+!) 5... h6 5.i.h4, Spielmann - Schlechter, Karlsbad 1907 (after 5.hf6 V9xf6+, White may be in trouble 53
Chapter 4 10.0-0?! tt:\a7 11.i.a4 b5 12.i.b3 i.xb3 13.cxb3 tt:\c6t Black's pawn structure is better, so White must play 10.c3 d5+!, although even then Black has an excellent posi tion. He has better development and a slight space advantage.) 7... axb6
on the dark squares). Now it is very good for Black to play 5... tt:\a5!?t gaining the advantage of the bishop-pair, while White's dark-squared bishop might prove to be completely out of play. 4.c3 - With this move White saves his bishop from exchange, but presents his opponent with enough time to equalize. 4... tt:\a5 5.i.b5 c6 6.i.a4 d5 7.tt:\d2 dxe4 8.dxe4 i.d6 9.b4 b5 10.i.c2 tt:\b7= 4.a3 - White's bishop is safe now. 4... i.c5 5.tt:\c3 (after 5. tt:\f3 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.b4 i.b6 8.i.e3 i.e6 9.tt:\bd2, Petrov - Arnaudov, Al bena 2011, Black can try to seize the initiative with the line: 9... i.xe3 10.fxe3 i.xc4 11.tt:\xc4 b5 12. tt:\cd2 a5t) 5... d6 6.tt:\a4 (White cannot create any problems for his opponent with 6.tt:\f3 tt:\d4 7. h3, Stukopin - Goganov, Kirishi 2011, because after 7... i.e6= his most dangerous piece is ex changed.) 6... i.b6 7.tt:\xb6 (Black should not be afraid of 7.tt:\f3 i.e6, since after 8.i.xe6 fxe6 9.tt:\xb6 axb6 - see 7.tt:\xb6, while in the variation 8.i.b5 0-0 9.tt:\xb6 axb6 White must play very carefully: 54
White has the advantage of the bishop-pair, but he is unable to prevent the exchange of his light squared bishop, so Black will eas ily obtain a comfortable game. 8.c3 h6 Black is trying to re strict the mobility of White's dark-squared bishop. Instead, Black could have equalized easily with 8... i.e6!?=) 9.i.b3 i.e6 10. i.c2 d5 11.f3 �e71' White has pre served both his bishops, but Black has occupied the centre and has a considerable lead in develop ment, Stukopin - Chadaev, Ta ganrog 2011. 8.tt:lf3 i.e6 9.i.xe6 (in response to 9.�e2, Ivanovic - Kovacevic, Novi Sad 1985, Black can try to maintain an edge with 9... i.xc4 10.dxc4 h6 11.0-0 0-0 12.l'!e1 tt:\d7t with the idea tt:\d7-c5-e6) 9... fxe6= Schoeneberg - Bisguier, Skopje 1972.
l.e4 e5 2. i.c4 ltJ c6 8.lLle2 i.e6 9.lLlc3, Morozevich - Aronian, Moscow (blitz) 2009. White's knight is better placed on c3 than on f3, but after 9... h6 10.0-0 0-0 ll.i.e3 W/d7= Black has no problems at all.
4 . . . exf4
5.tl:\c3 After 5.lLle2? f3 6.gxf3 d5 7. i.b5 i.d6+ White's kingside is in ruins, while after 5.ltJf3 d5 6.exd5 ltJxd5t he will need to present his opponent with the advantage of the bishop-pair; otherwise he cannot regain the f4-pawn. 5. .ixf4?! d5 ! 6.exd5 ltJxd5
kingside with 7.. .'?ff h4+ 8.g3 W/e7+ 9.ltJe2 i.e6 10.0-0 W/c5+ 1l. �h1 ltJe5+ 7.Wfe2+ , Spielmann - Schlech ter, Nuremberg 1906, 7... i.e6 8. hd5 W/xd5 9.lLlc3 (White loses af ter the greedy line: 9.hc7? ltJd4 10.lLlc3 i.b4 ll.Wfd2 13c8 12.i.f4 0-0 - he has an extra pawn, but is unable to complete his develop ment without losing material.) 9... W/a5 10.lLlf3 0-0-0+ Black ob tains the advantage of the two bishops and leads in develop ment. 7.hd5 W/xd5 8.ltJf3i.g4 9.0-0 0-0-0+ Alapin - Chigorin, St. Petersburg 1881. Black has the bishop-pair and a better position in the centre and can continue with a clear-cut plan for a king side offensive: f6, g5, h5 etc.
5 . . J.b4 .
6.�f3
In mann 1906, Black
answer to 7.id2?!, Spiel - Chigorin, Nuremberg it would be very good for to weaken his opponent's
After 6. .ixf4 d5 7.exd5 ltJxd5 8.hd5 (8.W/e2+ ? J.e6 9.J.d2, Ber gez - Flear, Narbonne 2008, Black can play 9... ltJd4 10.Wfd1 0-0-+ and he maintains an over whelming lead in development.) 55
Chapter 4 8...�xd5 9.tt:\f3 .b:c3+ 10.bxc3 0-0t His pieces are perfectly placed, while White's pawns are vulnerable.
6
. .•
d5 7.exd5 c!Dxd5 8. 0 - 0
After 8.�e2+ i.e6 9..b:d5 �xd5 10..b:f4 0-0-0+ Black has superior development and the ad vantage of the bishop-pair and he controls the centre, Mongredien - Morphy, Paris 1859.
side pawns are a juicy target for Black's attack.
C) 3 .!Dc3 •
White does not have any better square for this knight in any case.
3 ... c!Df6
8 . . . hc3 9.bxc3 0 - 0 1 0 . hd5 ti'xd5
4.d3
ll.J.xf4 White must regain his pawn, because after ll.c4?! �d6 12J'!b1 i.g4 13.�d2 (after 13.!!xb7 tt:\d4 14. c3 tt:lxf3+ 15.gxf.3 i.h3 16J:!f2 l:'lfe8+ he must worry about the safety of his king) 13...hf3 14.gxf3 tt:\d4+ Black has an extra pawn and bet ter-placed pieces. In addition, he maintains excellent attacking prospects against his opponent's badly protected king, Knezevic Blagojevic, Petrovac 2004.
ll Yfc5+ 12.h1 Wxc3 13. hc7 (13.tt:\g5 �a5+) 13 .lg4t .••
•••
White has been deprived of any active possibilities and his king56
4.tt:\f3 .ic5 - see Chapter 15. 4.tt:\ge2 tt:\xe4! 5.tt:\xe4 (5..b:f7+ mxf7 6.tt:\xe4 d5 7.tt:\4g3 h5!+) 5... d5 6..id3 dxe4 7.he4 i.d6t Black has a slight space advantage. 4.f4 tt:\xe4 5.tt:\f3 (5..b:f7+? mxf7 6.tt:\xe4 d5 7.tt:\g5+ lt>g8 8.d3 exf4 9..b:f4 �e7+ 10.tt:\e2 i.g4+ Black's development is clearly su perior) 5...tt:\d6 (Black wins an important tempo. The position is less clear after 5...tt:lxc3!? 6.dxc3 �e7 7.f5oo)
l.e4 e5 2. i.c4 lt:l c6 6.i.b3 e4 7.lt:lg5 (It is worse for White to opt for 7.lt:le5 �h4+ 8.g3 �h3 9.�e2 lt:ld4 10.�e3 lt:l4f5 11. �g1, Schmidt - Thiede, Germany 1993, ll... i.e7+, or 7.�e2 �e7 8. lt:lg5 lt:ld4 9.�e3 lt:lxb3 10.axb3, Prins - Stoltz, Saltsjobaden 1952, 10... c6+ and in both cases, White will have problems regaining his pawn.) 7... h6 8.lt:l gxe4 lt:lxe4 9. �e2, Bogoljubow - Romanovsky, Leningrad 1924 (after 9.lt:lxe4 d5 10.lt:lg3 h5+ White's difficulties with the coordination of his piec es are noticeable). Now Black can force a very favourable endgame with 9... �h4+ 10.g3 �e7 11.�xe4 (having provoked the advance of the enemy pawn to the g3-square, Black has deprived his opponent of the resource ll.lt:ld5? lt:lxg3+) ll... �xe4+ 12.lt:lxe4 lt:ld4+ Black obtains the advantage of the bish op-pair. 6. .id5 e4
not succeeded either in regaining his pawn, or in obtaining any compensation for it. 7.lt:lg5 lt:lb4 8.i.b3 h6 9.lt:lgxe4 lt:lxe4 10.lt:lxe4 d5 ll.lt:lf2 �e7+ 12.�e2 i.f5 13.d3 0-0-0t Black has completed his development and obtained a slight advantage in the centre, Bronstein - Keres, Parnu 1971. 7.�e2 i.e7 8.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe4 9. �xe4 lt:lb4 10.0-0?! (White should preserve his bishop with the line: 10.i.b3 d5 11.�e2 0-0=, but his position remains unpleas ant owing to the strange place ment of his pawn on f4, where it deprives his own bishop of this excellent square. However, he should be able to maintain the balance... ) 10... lt:lxd5 11.�xd5 c6 12.�h5 0-0+ Black has a stable advantage, thanks to his bishop pair, H.Jonkman - S.Ernst, Gro ningen 1999.
4
7.lt:lxe4 lt:l xe4 8.�e2 i.e7 - see 7.�e2. 7.lt:le5 g6! - Black does not al low the enemy queen to go to the h5-square. 8.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe5 9.lt:lxd6+ hd6 10.fxe5 he5 11.0-0 0-0 12. d4 i.g7 13.�f3 'it>h8+ White has
. . •
lt:la5
5.c!i�ge2 5.f4?! lt:l xc4 6.dxc4 .ib4 7.�d3 (White loses quickly after 7.lt:l f3? lt:l xe4 8.fxe5 lt:l xc3 9.�d2 lt:l xa2 57
Chapter 4 10.c3 tt:Jxc1 ll.cxb4 tt:lb3 0-1 Gal lagher - Miles, Chicago 1990.) 7... .hc3+ 8.Wxc3 (after 8.bxc3 We7 9.tt:'lf3 d6 10.�a3 c5+ White's bish op is shut out of play) 8...0-0 9. fxe5 tt:lxe4 10.Wd4 Wh4+ ll.g3 Wg4 12.�f4 f5+ Black has fortified his knight in the centre and wish es, after suitable preparation, to develop his bishop on b7, where it will be perfectly placed. White, on the other hand, will have a much more complex task to activate his bishop. 5.We2?! tt:Jxc4 6.dxc4 �b4 7. �d2 0-0 8.a3 .hc3 9..hc3 We7 10.tt:'lf3 d6 ll.tt:'ld2 tt:ld7 12.tt:lfl tt:lc5 13.b3 f5+ Black is ahead in devel opment and controls the centre, Hromadka - Duras, Bad Pistyan 1912. 5.�b5 - White's bishop cannot avoid being exchanged. 5...c6 6. �a4 b5 7.�b3 b4 8.tt:lce2 d5 9.exd5 tt:Jxb3 10.axb3 cxd5 ll.tt:'lf3 �d6+ In addition to his bishop-pair, Black maintains a space advan tage, A.Sitnikov - Tarlev, Evpato ria 2007. 5.�g5 tt:Jxc4 6.dxc4 h6 7.�h4 (after 7.�e3 �b4 8.Wd3, Riemer sma - Willemsen, Groningen 1989, Black seizes the initiative by playing 8...tt:lg4 9.�d2 �c5 10.tt:'ld1 d6t; 7..hf6?! Wxf6 8.tt:ld5 Wd8 9.'1Wh5 d6+ White's knight will not remain for long on the d5-out post, while Black's bishops are much more powerful than White's knights, which have no secure squares, Deshmukh - Murali Krishnan, Chennai 2000) 7...�e7 58
8.tt:lge2 0-0 9.Wd3, Mok Tze Meng - Nadanian, Tarakan 2008. Here Black should complete the development of his queenside with 9...d6� 5.a3 tt:Jxc4. Naturally Black will not allow this bishop to run away. 6.dxc4 d6 7.tt:lf3 (7.tt:lge2 �e7 8.f3, Spangenberg - Miles, Matanzas 1994, after 8...c6 9.Wd3 �e6+ he cannot be prevented from preparing d6-d5; 7.We2 �e7 8.�e3 tt:lg4 9.tt:'lf3 tt:Jxe3 10.Wxe3, Salwe - Helbach, St. Petersburg 1905, 10...c6t - Black deprives the enemy knights of the d5square and plans to prepare f7-f5. White cannot create any prob lems for his opponent with 7.f4, Korbut - Malysheva, Orel 2006, because after 7...c6 8.tt:Jf3 Wb6 9.Wd3 tt:lg4 10.tt:'ld1 exf4 ll..hf4 �e6 12.h3 tt:Je5 13.tt:Jxe5 dxe5 14. �xeS Wc5 15.�d4 Wxc4=, there arises an endgame in which White must try to hold the balance by accurate play.) 7...�e6 8.We2 c6 9.0-0 Wc7 10.h3 h6 ll.b3 �e7= Black's game is quite easy with his bishop-pair, Mammadov - Stu kopin, Kirishi 2011. 5.tt:Jf3 tt:Jxc4 6.dxc4 �b4
l.e4 e5 2. .ic4 lt:J c6 After 7..ig5?!, De Dovitiis Chtcherbine, Villa Martelli 2004, Black should use the opportunity to weaken White's pawn-struc ture with 7....ixc3+ 8.bxc3 d6+ 7..id2 d6 8.\We2?! (White had to maintain the balance here by exchanges: B.lt:JdS hd2+ 9.lt:Jxd2 c6 10.lt:Jxf6+ \Wxf6 11.0-0 0-0=.) 8...0-0 9.a3 (in the variation 9.0-0-0 �e8 10.lt:Jh4 hc3 11. .ixc3, Cherepkov - Klovans, Al ma-Ata 1968, Black obtains excel lent attacking prospects with 11... \Wa4 12.'i!?bl .ie6 13.b3 \Wc6 14. 13he1 bSt) 9...hc3 10.hc3 lt:Jd7 11.0-0 lt:JcS 12.b3, Ori - Collutiis, Alghero 2011. After 12...f5+, he opens the f-file and greatly acti vates his pieces. 7.\Wd3 d6 8..id2 (8.0-0?! hc3 9.bxc3 0-0+; after 8..ig5 h6 9.hf6 \Wxf6 10.0-0-0 hc3 11. \Wxc3 \Wf4+ 12.\We3 \Wxe3+ 13.fxe3 b6+ Black ends up with a superior pawn-structure, Jossien - Mar holev, Bethune 2006) 8....ie6 9. lt:JdS (It is less accurate for White to opt for 9.a3 hc3 10.hc3 tt:Jd7 11.b3, Zabojlovich - Acs, Bratis lava 1993, since this enables Black to organize active operations on the kingside with 11...0-0 12.0-0 fSt) 9...hd2+ 10.lt:Jxd2 lt:Jd7? White's knight is beautifully placed on dS, but Black's bishop is not at all inferior, Chuprov - G. Kiselev, Krasnoyarsk 2007. 5.\Wf3 .ib4 6.lt:Jge2 tt:Jxc4 7. dxc4 d6 8.h3 (Black should not be afraid of 8.0-0 c6 9.h3 .ie6 10.b3 \We7?, because White cannot
make use of the weakness of the d6-pawn, Dunlop - Mussainov, St. Gallen 2008.) 8....ie6 9.b3 lt:Jd7 10.0-0 0-0 11.lt:Jg3 \Wf6 12. \Wxf6 (White should not try to avoid the trade of queens, because after 12.\Wd3 lt:JcS 13.\We3 hc3 14.\Wxc3 \Wg6 15.\Wf3, Drabke Michalczak, Bad Woerishofen 2005, 15...f5 16.exf5 hfSt Black has excellent prospects on the kingside.) 12...lt:Jxf6= Rogers Tunasly, Singapore 1997. S..ib3 tt:Jxb3 6.axb3 dS! - This is the most convincing way for Black to obtain a good position.
In the endgame after 7..ig5 .ib4 8.hf6 gxf6 9.exd5 \WxdS 10. \Wf3 \Wxf3 11.lt:Jxf3 13g8t Black has a solid centre and very powerful bishops and he can easily connect his rooks, Roeder - Mandl, Vorra 1990. 7.lt:Jf3 - This move leads to simplifications. 7...dxe4 8.lt:Jxe5 exd3 9.\Wxd3 (After 9.0-0, Black should not try to win a pawn at the expense of development. In stead, the simple reaction 9....ie7 10.13e1 0-0 11.\Wxd3 \Wxd3 12. tt:Jxd3 .idS= provides him with ex cellent prospects in the endgame.) 59
Chapter 4 9...'\Wxd3 10.ltlxd3 .ifS ll.ltlbS! .id6= - The position is complete ly equal, Casper - Khalifman, Moscow 1987. 7.exdS .ib4! - This is the most precise way for Black to solve his opening problems. He effortlessly completes his development.
After 8.'\Wf3 ltlxdS 9.t!Jge2 0-0 10.0-0, Braun - Vogt, Oder 1977, it would be sensible for him to fortify his knight in the centre with the move 10...c6= After 8..igS '\WxdS 9.ltlf3 .ig4 10.'\We2, Kovacs - Lukacs, Hun gary 199S, it is good for Black to transfer his knight to the e6square, starting with 10...ltld7= 8..id2 ltlxdS 9.'\Wf3 (Rather dull and drawish positions arise after 9.ltlxdS hd2+ 10.'\Wxd2 �xdS ll.f3 0-0= earlier - Sharif, Orange 1994, as well as after 9. �e2 0-0 10.ltlf3 .ig4 11.0-0 aS=, while in the variation 9.ltlge2 .ie7 10.0-0 0-0 ll.t!JxdS '\WxdS 12. ltlc3 �c6t Black's pieces are more active.) 9....ie6 10.'\Wg3 0-0 11. �xeS ge8 12.@fl �d7 13.ge1, Rog ers - Taylor, Eerbeek 1978. White has won his opponent's central pawn but lags in the development 60
of his kingside and after 13...ltlxc3 14.hc3 f6 1S.'\Wg3 hc3 16.bxc3 aS+ Black is threatening to create a dangerous passed pawn with bS, a4, while in response to 17.c4 he is ready to open the a-file, so that af ter 17...a4 18.bxa4 gxa4 he can at tack the enemy c2-pawn. 8.ltlf3 ltlxdS 9..id2 0-0 10. 0-0 (after 10.ltlxdS hd2+ 11. �xd2 '\WxdS= Black's bishop seems stronger than the enemy knight, but White should still be able to hold the balance) 10... ltlxc3 11.hc3 (ll.bxc3 .id6=) 11... .ixc3 12.bxc3 f6 13.'\We2 (in the variation 13.ge1 aS! 14.d4 exd4 1S.cxd4 '\Wd6 16.'\We2 b6= White's position is the centre is prefera ble, but Black's powerful bishop compensates for this, Heilala Sladek, Email 2008; after 13.d4 exd4 14.cxd4 .ie6 1S.c4 c6=, White can hardly turn his d4pawn into a dangerous passed pawn, while it might even become a liability later.) 13...'\We8 14J:Ue1 �c6 1S.c4 ge8 16.�e3 (16.d4 .ig4 17.dS '\Wd7 18.'\Wd3 aS=) 16....ig4 17.ltld2 aS 18.ltle4 b6= - White's centralized knight is strong, but Black's bishop is not inferior, to say the least, Zautzig - Rosin, Email 2008.
5
. • •
.ic5 !?
The capture ltlxc4 will not run away, so Black does not need to be in any hurry to make it. Black has a quite reliable alter native here - S....ie7, but we would like to recommend a more active move.
l.e4 eS 2. .ic4 tt:\ c6
6. 0 - 0 White loses after 6.a3? tt:\g4-+ Vyhnalek - Blatny, Decin 1972, or 6..igS? tt:\xc4 7.dxc4 .ixf2+ 8.<;!;>xf2 tt:\g4+ 9.<;!;>e1 WfxgS-+ After 6.tt:\a4? .ie7+ Black gains an important tempo, since White's knight will need to go back to the c3-square in any case. 6.tt:\g3 d6 7.0-0, Forgo - Lu kacs, Zalakaros 1997 (7.h3 tt:\xc4 8.dxc4 .ie6 9.�d3 0-0 10.0-0 tt:\d7� Black's plan is based on Wfh4, followed by g6 and fS; in the variation 7.tt:\a4 tt:\xc4 8.dxc4 .ib6 9.tt:\xb6 axb6= there arises a com pletely safe position for Black. Both sides will have difficulty in finding an active plan, Pereira Lukacs, Almada 1988) 7. . . .ig4 8. Wfe1 tt:\xc4 9.dxc4 .ie6 10.b3 0-0 11. .ie3 tt:\d7� 6.h3 tt:\xc4 7.dxc4 d6 (diagram) 8.a3 .ie6 9.Wfd3 0-0 - see 8.Wfd3. 8.0-0 .ie6 9.Wfd3, Tischbierek - V.Chekhov, Berlin 1984, 9... 0-0 10.tt:\g3 tt:\d7� 8.Wfd3 .ie6 9.b3 (The aggres-
sive attempt 9.f4 exf4 10. .ixf4 tt:\d7 11.0-0-0 0-0� presents Black with the eS-square, Gavric - Trkaljanov, Kladovo 1991; he should not fear 9..igS h6 10. .ih4 gS! 11. .ig3 Wfe7t when Black can evacuate his king to either side of the board, so he need not be con cerned about the weakening of his kingside; in the variation 9.a3 0-0 10.0-0 tt:\d7 11.tt:\g3 aS 12.b3 g6�, as well as after 9.0-0 tt:\d7 10.b3 0-0 11.tilg3 Wfh4� Black will prepare the pawn-advance f7fS with the idea of opening the f file.) 9. . . tt:\d7 10 . .ie3, Doghri Oms Pallisse, Mallorca 2004. Here Black should fix his oppo nent's queenside pawns on light squares with 10... 0-0 11.0-0 aS=
6 . . . toxc4 7.dxc4 d6
61
Chapter 4 8.�d3 8.i.g5 i.e6 9.ltld5 (9.�d3 h6 see 8.�d3) 9... hd5 10.cxd5 h6 ll.i.xf6 �xf6t Black can solve his problems with now-familiar manoeuvres after 8.h3 (8.a3 i.e6 9.�d3 a5 10. b3 0-0 ll.ltlg3 ltld7+t) 8... i.e6 9. �d3 ltld7 10.b3 0-0 ll.ltlg3 �h4+t White cannot hurt his oppo nent with 8.ltlg3 i.e6 9.b3 0-0 10.ltla4, Valenz - Sodoma, Plzen 2000, since after 10... i.d4 ll.c3 .ib6 12.ltlxb6 axb6=, despite the absence of his dark-squared bish op Black has an easy game: ltld7, �h4, g6, f5...
sa de Mar 2010, he obtains excel lent attacking prospects with 11... i.d4 12.i.b2 i.xb2 13.ltlxb2 �g5t 9.ltld5 c6 10.ltlxf6+ (In answer to 10.b4, Mitkov - Pavasovic, Nova Gorica 2003, Black can con tinue with 10... cxd5 ll.cxd5 i.b6 12.dxe6 fxe6+t - both sides have weaknesses, but the opening of the f-file is in Black's favour.) 10... �xf6 ll.b3 0-0 12.i.e3, Mitkov Gyimesi, Yerevan 2001, 12... i.a3=
9. . 0 - 0 .
8 . . .ie6 .
1 0 .ig5 •
9.b3 In the variation 9.i.g5 h6 10. .ixf6 (after 10.i.h4?! g5 ll.i.g3 h5--+ Black launches a direct at tack against the enemy king) �xf6 ll.ltld5 hd5 12.cxd5 0-0 13.c3 a5t Black's powerful dark squared bishop provides him with a long-lasting initiative, Babujian - Dolzhikova, Tromsoe 2010. After 9.ltla4 ltld7 10.ltlg3 0-0 ll.b3, Forcen - Oms Pallisse, Tos62
White provokes the advance of his opponent's pawn to h6, so that Black will have problems advanc ing g7-g6, followed by f7-f5. After 10.i.e3 ltld7 11.�ad1, Bu kovec - Krivec, Grize 2001, he can play ll... a6+t with the idea of b7-b5. After 10.ltla4 ltld7 ll.ltlg3 .id4 12.c3 i.b6 13.'i!th1, Roeder - Ren ner, Vorra 1990, it is good for Black to play more aggressively with 13... �h4t, planning to pre pare f7-f5, while a similar attempt by White to open the f-file with 14.f4?! exf4 15..ixf4 �feB+ pro-
l.e4 e5 2. �c4 lt'l c6 vides Black with a stable advan tage, thanks to his control of the e5-square and the weakness of White's e4-pawn. 10.lt'ld5 - His knight will not remain on d5 for long and after 10...lt'ld7 ll.lt'lg3 c6 12.lt'lc3 Wff e7"? White is practically incapable of exploiting the vulnerability of the d6-pawn. 10.�b2 - The bishop is rather passive on this square. 10...a6 11. Eiad1, Miroshnichenko - Gustafs son, Chalkidiki 2002. The stand ard reaction ll...lt'ld7 12.lt'lg3 g61' enables Black to advance f7-f5, with good attacking chances. After 10.h3 lt'ld7 ll.lt'lg3, Mit kov - Finegold, Bolingbrook 2005, it is very good for Black to play the standard move ll...Wff h4"? Black deprives White's bishop of the h6-square and prepares an of fensive on the kingside. In the game, there followed ll...�d4 12.�e3 lt'lc5 13.'\1;Vd2 he3 14.Wff xe3 f5 15.exf5 hf5 16.lt'lxf5 Eixf5= and Black equalized completely. 10.lt'lg3 lt'ld7 11.�e3 he3 12. Wffxe3 a6!?= With this move Black emphasizes that besides the plan of f7-f5, White must be on the alert about the possibility b7-b5, Vogt - A.Petrosian, Riga 1981.
10
••.
h6 ll . .ie3
After ll.M6 Wff xf6+, Black's bishops are much more mobile than White's knights, while after 11.�h4 g5 12.�g3 a61' White can not exploit the weakening of Black's kingside. In addition, af ter Black advances f7-f5 his g- and h- pawns will join in the attack.
ll . . . �d7 12.lt'lg3 a5 13.a4 13.lt'lf5 �xe3 14.Wff xe3 lt'lc5 15. g4 a4?- White is faced with an un pleasant choice. He must either weaken the c4-pawn, or acquiesce to the opening of the a-file, Ed wards - Schloesser, Email 1997.
13 :Se8 14.:Sadl he3 15. �xe3 Wffg5 ! •••
After the exchange of the queens, there arises a completely equal endgame.
16.�f5 hf5 17.�xg5 hxg5 18.exf5 �c5= Bucek - Zidu, Email 2007.
63
Part 2 l.e4 e5 2.�f3 �c6 All
White Lines without 3.�b5
In the Four Knights Game (Chapter 8), readers will become acquainted with a unique opening manoeuvre, which was first tried in the 19th century and then re discovered in the 21st century! In the Symmetrical (Pillsbury) vari ation (l.e4 e5 2.�£3 �c6 3.�c3
�f6 4 .ib5 .ib4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 6. d3 d6 7 .ig5) Black plays 7 �e7! •
•
64
• . •
without being afraid of weak ening his kingside pawn struc ture. The reflects the absolutely concrete approach to solving the problems of the opening which is typical of today's chess. The Scotch Game (Chapters 9-12) is one of White's main weapons in the open games. In the main variations White lays the emphasis on long-term advantages, but falls considera bly behind in development. Ac cordingly, Black must react very energetically and quite concrete ly. In the basic position of the main line, arising after l.e4 e5
2.�£3 �c6 3.d4 exd4 4. �xd4 �f6 5.�xc6 bxc6 6.e5 fle7 7.fle2 �d5 8.c4 .ia6 9.b3 g6 1 0 .f4
we recommend a move which is ultra-modern yet already well tested at grandmaster level 1 0 d6 ! This is the reason that White began to experiment more and more often with 9.�d2 in his fight for the advantage and in deed several spectacular encoun ters at top level were won using this move. Here again we present a very reliable defensive method - 9 g6, followed by the ex change of queens and the activa tion of the light-squared bishop with c6-c5. In the Italian Game, White re cently abandoned the idea of ad vancing quickly with d2-d4 (in Chapters 16 and 18 we demon strate why) and instead he now tries to focus on a positional struggle in the middlegame, plac ing his pawn on d3. In such posi tions, Black can afford to play with maximum energy, striving to advance quickly with d7-d5. This is more or less analogous to the plans based on d7-d5 in the Vien na Game and the King's Gambit. -
••.
•••
In the treatment of the Italian Game there is a special place re served for the Evans Gambit (Chapter 13). This invention of the famous captain cannot stand up to the theoretical requirements of the year 2011. Having reas sessed the key position in the main line (l.e4 e5 2.�f3 �c6
3 .ic4 .ic5 4.b4 .b:b4 5.c3 .ia5 6.d4 exd4 7.YlYb3 ee7 8. 0 - 0 .ib6 9.cxd4 �xd4 1 0 .�xd4 .ixd4 ll.�c3 �f6 12.�b5 hal! ) •
Grandmaster Kurnosov gained an easy victory in the game Hector - Kurnosov, Copenhagen 2011.
65
Chapter S
l.e4 e5 2.�£3 �c6 Rarely-Played Moves Ponziani Opening
In this chapter we shall ana lyze some openings which are played only very rarely, such as: A) 3.d3 - the Philidor Defence with colours reversed and B) 3.c3 the Ponziani Opening. Black has no problems after the move 3.c4?! (the Dresden Opening). After 3...i.c5 4.ll'lc3 d6 5.d3 ll'lge7 6.i.e3 0-0 7.i.e2 ll'ld4 8.0-0 ll'lec6 Black has a very com fortable game, dominating the d4-outpost, Kurtenkov - Lukacs, Vrnjacka Banja 1985. 3.g3 (this is the Konstantino polsky Opening) 3...ll'lf6 4.d3 (4. ll'lc3 d5 - see Chapter 7) 4...d5 5. exd5 (5.ll'lbd2 dxe4 6.dxe4 ic5 see variation A) 5...ll'lxd5 6.i.g2 i.c5 7.0-0 0-0 8.!'1e1 (8.ll'lc3 -
66
ll'lxc3 9.bxc3 i.g4 - see Chapter 7) 8...f6 9.ll'lbd2 ig4 10.c3 �d7� Black has deployed his pieces in ideal fashion and has a wonderful position, Ballmoos - Gysi, Ger many 1993. 3.i.e2 ll'lf6 4.d4 - this is the Taylor Opening (it is preferable for White to opt for 4.d3 - see variation B or 4.ll'lc3 - see the Four Knights Opening). 4...exd4 5.e5 ll'lg4 6.0-0 (in reply to 6. ll'lxd4 it is strong for Black to con tinue with 6...ic5 7.ixg4 ixd4+ and White is faced with the un pleasant choice between losing his e5-pawn and playing the move f2-f4, which prevents the quick evacuation of his king away from the centre) 6...i.e7 7.i.f4 (after 7. ll'lxd4 ll'lgxe5 8.f4, the natural move 8...ll'lg6+ provides Black with excellent chances of neutral izing his opponent's activity, while retaining the extra pawn) 7... d6 8.i.b5 0-0 9.ixc6 dxe5 10. ll'lxe5 ll'lxe5 ll.ixe5 bxc6 12.ixd4 i.d6� Black has a good game with his powerful bishop pair in this open position, A.Mueller - Polu dnyakov, Email 2006.
l .e4 e5 2. t'iJ.f.3 t'iJ c6 3.d3 t'iJf6 A) 3.d3 With this, White reaches one of the variations of the Philidor Defence with an extra tempo.
3 . . . tt!f6
4.c3 White can hardly continue the game without this move. White intends to seize extra space on the queenside and takes control over the important d4-square, while his queen gains access to the c2square. 4.tt!bd2 dS S.g3?! (his bishop on g2 will be restricted by his own pawn on e4, so it would be better for White to choose S..ie2 .icS see 4..ie2, or S.c3 aS - see 4.c3) S...dxe4 6.dxe4 .icS 7..ig2 0-0 8.0-0 V!ie7 9.c3 aS 10.a4 b6+ Black easily deploys his forces to active positions and cannot be prevented from occupying the d file and penetrating to the d3square, compressing his oppo nent's pieces to the maximum, Bravo Barranco - Fernandez Gar cia, Barcelona 2000. 4..ie2 dS S.exdS (After S.lt:lbd2 .icS 6.c3 aS, or 6.0-0 0-0 7.c3 aS,
or 7.a3 aS 8.b3 V!ie7 9.c3 :gds, there is a transposition to the main line - see 4.c3 - while after 9..ib2 dxe4 10.dxe4 :gds ll.Vfie1 .ig4 12.t'iJc4 .ixf3 13..ixf3 bS 14. t'iJe3 t'iJd4 1S..ixd4 .ixd4t White must play very accurately to neu tralize Black's initiative and equalize.) S...t'iJxdS 6.0-0 .id6 7. lt:lc3 t'iJxc3 8.bxc3 0-0 9.t'iJgS?! (it is preferable to play prudently with 9.:ge1 h6=) 9....ie7 10.t'iJe4 .ie6+ White's knight is unstable in the centre, while Black's pieces are more active and he has extra space, Zilka - Priborsky, Svetla nad Sazavou 1999.
4 . . . d5
5.tt!bd2 S..igS?! - White presents his opponent with the advantage of the bishop pair and he will be forced to fight for equality. S... dxe4 6..ixf6 �xf6 7.dxe4, Loosh nikov - Smikovski, Moscow 200S, and now Black's most energetic line to seize the initiative would be: 7...gS!? 8..ic4 g4 9.t'iJfd2 i.d7 10.0-0 hS ll.lt:la3 0-0-0� with a dangerous attack. 67
Chapter S 5.Wc2 a5 6.i.e2 (White cannot create any problems for his oppo nent with 6.a4 i.c5 7.i.g5 i.e6 8.lt:\bd2 !J..e7 9.1J..e2 lt:\d7 10.he7 Wxe7 11.0-0 0-0= and he has no active prospects, but Black will find it difficult to obtain anything real out of his slight space advan tage, Kurajica - Ivkov, Belgrade 1978. The position is equal after 6.lt:\bd2 !J..c5 7.exd5 Wxd5 8.lt:\e4, Aubert - Beikert, France 1994, because with the accurate reac tion 8...1J..e7 9.i.e2 h6 10.0-0 !J.f5 ll.lt:\fd2 0-0= Black can hope to obtain an edge later thanks to his comfortably deployed pieces.) 6... i.c5 7.0-0 (in the variation 7.i.g5 !J.. e6 8.lt:\bd2 h6 9.i.h40-0 10.0-0 d4= White cannot achieve much from having pinned Black's f6knight.) 7 ... 0-0 8.i.g5 dxe4 9. dxe4 h6 10.i.h4, Aleksic - Korne ev, Assisi 2003, and here, Black could consider trying the sharp line: 10...g5!? ll.i.g3 lt:\h5+! when he obtains a very active position at the cost of a deterioration in his pawn-structure.
5
68
•••
a5
6 .ie2 .
For 6.Wc2 !J..c5 7.i.e2 0-0 - see 6.i.e2.
6
.ic5
. .•
7. 0 - 0 7.a4 - This is a purely defen sive move, depriving White of his only possible active plan, based on the pawn advance b2-b4. 7...0-0 8.0-0 �e8 9.Wc2 i.f8 10. �e1 h6 ll.lt:\f1 i.e6+ White's posi tion is solid but very passive, lssa - Jonkman, Cairo 2003. 7.Wa4 - This move helps White prepare a quick b2-b4. 7... 0-0 8.b4 i.d6 9.b5 lt:\e7 10.0-0 lt:\g6= White has seized space on the queenside, but Black has de ployed his pieces in ideal fashion. 7.Wc2 0-0 8.lt:\b3?! (it is better for White to play here 8.0-0 We7 9.b3 �dB - see 7...0-0; 8.h3?! this move weakens the dark squares on White's kingside 8... lt:\h5+) 8...i.a7 9.i.g5 h6 10.1J.xf6 Wxf6 ll.exd5 lt:\e7 12.c4 c6 (12... lt:\ g6!?t) 13.dxc6 lt:\xc6� The vul nerability of the dark squares in White's camp cannot be compen-
l.e4 e5 2. lLlj3 lt:Jc6 3.d3 tt'lf6 sated for by his extra pawn, espe cially since he lags in develop ment, Van Riemsdijk - De Souza, Sao Paulo 1991.
7
.••
0 - 0 8.b3
8.lt:Jxe5 lt:JxeS 9.d4 .ib6 10. dxeS lLlxe4 ll. .id3 (in the end game after ll.lt:Jxe4 dxe4 12.'\Wxd8 l'!xd8= it would be easier for Black to attack the eS-pawn than for White to target the e4-pawn, but Black cannot obtain any real ad vantage from this) ll... .ifS= Black's pieces are active and White must play accurately to maintain the balance, Belkhodja - Azmaiparashvili, Dubai 2002. 8.'�c2 a4 9.b4 (The simplify ing combination 9.lt:Jxe5? lt:JxeS 10.d4 hd4 ll.cxd4 lt:Jc6+ leads to the loss of a pawn for White.) 9... axb3 10.lt:Jxb3 .ie7= Black has no "bad" pieces and he can fight for the advantage, Barle - Pavasovic, Ljubljana 1997.
8
•••
We7
9.a3 For 9.'�'c2!? l'!d8 10. .ib2 .ig4! - see 9..ib2. White can consider trying 9.
.ib2 l'!d8 10.'Wc2. Now it would be premature for Black to continue with 10... d4?!, because in re sponse to ll.cxd4 he will need to recapture with his pawn - 11 exd4 (in the variation ll... tt:Jxd4 12.lLlxd4 hd4 13.hd4 l'!xd4 14. 'Wc3;!; Black will have problems with the protection of his eS pawn, and moreover White has a slight lead in development.) 12. a3co, but with 10... .ig4! he can ob tain a wonderful position, • . .
for example: ll.h3 (in the vari ation ll.exdS tt:JxdS 12.l'!fe1 lt:Jf4 13. .if1 .ifS 14.lt:Je4 .ia7= White's knight is perfectly placed on e4, but this is the only plus in his po sition.) ll... .ihS 12.l'!fe1 (or12.a3 d4 and after 13.cxd4 hf3 14.lt:Jxf3 lLlxd4 15.lt:Jxd4 hd4+ or 13.b4 dxc3 14.bxc5 cxb2 15.'\Wxb2 l'!a7+ Black obtains the better position, thanks to his control of the impor tant d4-square and his more ac tive pieces) 12... d4 13.cxd4 (White loses if he tries to break the pin with 13.g4? dxc3 14.'\Wxc3 hg4 15.hxg4 lt:Jxg4-+) 13... .ixf3! 14. lt:Jxf3 (if 14.dxe5 lt:Jxe4 15.lLlxe4 i.xe4 16.dxe4 .id4+ Black regains his pawn and puts his knight on 69
Chapter S d4, or 14.dxc5 i.xe2 15.gxe2 ltld7!?+ and if White loses his cS pawn he will have problems with the protection of his d3-pawn, but if 16.gcl ltlb4 17.'\Wc4 ltlxa2 l8.ga1 llJ b4+ the number of pawns on the board remains equal, but White has numerous weaknesses to wor ry about.) 14...ltlxd4 15.ltlxd4 i.xd4+ The dark-squared bishops have been exchanged and Black maintains a slight but stable ad vantage owing to his control over the d4-square.
trol of the d4-square, which pro vides him with a stable advantage, Piskunov - Keosidi, Krasnoyarsk 2009.
B) 3.c3 This is the Ponziani Opening.
3 . . . d5
9 ,gds 1 0 .Yl¥c2 d4 . •
ll . .ib2 After ll.cxd4 i.xd4 12..ib2 (if 12.gbl?! ltlhS 13.g3 .ih3 14.gel ltlf6t Black's activity is very dan gerous) 12...i.xb2 13.V;Vxb2 i.g4+ Black will inevitably exchange his bishop for White's knight to gain control of the d4-square. In the variation ll.c4 ltlhS+ White is deprived of any active play for a long time, V. Pogosian - Zhukova, Aix-les-Bains 2011.
ll . . . .ig4 12.cxd4 hf3 13. c!bxf3 c!bxd4 14.c!bxd4 hd4 15. hd4 gxd4+ Black has firm con70
This is Black's most energetic reply, creating maximum prob lems for White. In the diagram position the most frequently played moves are: B1) 4 . .ib5? and B2) 4.Yl¥a4. For 4.exd5 YlYxdS 5.d4 exd4 see Chapter 9; for 4.d3 ltlf6 5. ltlbd2 - see variation A.
B1) 4 .ib5? •
This active move leads to a very difficult position for White.
4 . . . dxe4 5. c!bxe5 S.i.xc6+ bxc6 6.ltlxe5 YlYgS see S.ltlxeS.
5 . . . V;Vg5! The double attack against g2 and eS presents White with prob lems that he will be unable to solve.
l.e4 e5 2. ttJj3 tLl c6 3.c3 d5
6.'lfa4 6..ixc6+ bxc6 7.W/a4 W/xg2 see 6.W/a4. 6.d4 W/xg2 7.:1U1 �d6! 8.W/h5 (In the variation 8.li:lxc6 i.d7 9. W/a4 a6 10.lt:la3 :Bc8+ Black re gains his piece, ending up with a great lead in development, while after 9.lt:lxa7 c6 10.�c4 :Bxa7 11.d5 c5 12.lt:la3 :Bxa3 13.bxa3 b5 14.�e2 lt:lf6 15.�e3 0-0+ his compensa tion for the exchange is more than sufficient. White's pieces are un coordinated, his king is stranded in the centre and his pawns are weak, Hlavacek - Tsenkov, Email 2005.) 8...g6 9.W/h4 .ixe5 10.dxe5 �d7 11.�f4, Velimirovic - Boudiba, Luzern 1989. Now Black should complete his development by playing ll...lt:lge7 12.lt:ld2 0-0-0 13.0-0-0 lt:lf5 14.W/g5 W/xg5 15. .ixg5 lt:lxe5 16.�e2 :Bde8+ and al though White's bishops are strong, this cannot compensate for his lost pawn, because Black's pieces are very well placed.
6
• . •
fixg2 7 .b:c6 + •
Or 7.:Bf1 �h3 8.@d1 (For 8..ixc6 bxc6 9.W/xc6+ @d8, see 7.hc6+; it is no better for White
to opt for 8.lt:lxc6 bxc6 9..ixc6+ @d8 10.W/c4, in view of 10...:Bb8 and after ll.he4 W/g4 12.:Bh1 lt:lf6 13.d3 �d6+ Black retains an overwhelming advantage, since White's king is stuck in the centre, while if 12.f3 .ixf1 13.W/xf1 '?9h4+ 14.W/f2 W/xf2+ 15.@xf2 �d6+ Black should be able to exploit his extra exchange.) 8...i.d6 9.:Be1 lt:lf6 10. lt:lxc6 0-0 ll.lt:ld4 c5 12.�fl i.g4+ 13.lt:le2 (in the line 13.f3 exf3 14. .ixg2 fxg2+ 15.@c2 .ixh2 16.d3 :Bfe8-+ White has an extra queen for only a few pawns, but Black's g2-pawn is so powerful that White is already beyond salvation.) 13... W/xf2 14.h3 �g3 0-1 Nikolov Radulski, Blagoevgrad 2010.
7
• . •
bxc6 8.'lfxc6+ @d8
9.gfl White's position is hopeless after 9.W/xa8 '?9xh1+ 10.@e2 �d6 ll.lt:lxt7+ @d7 12.lt:lxd6 cxd6-+ and he will be mated or else he loses his entire queenside. In the variation 9.W/d5+ .id6 10.lLlxt7+ @e7 ll.W/g5+ 'lfxg5 12. lt:lxg5 �b7 13.0-0 @f6 14.d4 exd3 15.f3 @g6 16.lt:le4 he4 17.fxe4 71
Chapter S lt:\f6+ White's position is very dif ficult, because his queenside is completely undeveloped, Pech Krupikov, Email 2005. After 9.<;!,?d1 �xh1+ 10.<;!,?c2 lt:\h6 1l.�xa8 .id6 12.lt:\c6+ (White pre serves more chances of saving the game with 12.lt:\c4 �xh2+) 12... <;!,?d7 13.lt:\xa7 lt:\g4 14.lt:\a3 lt:\xf2-+ White is completely helpless against the combined action of Black's forces, Taylor - Hebden, Aintree 1998.
9 <;!,?dt
• • •
.ih3 1 0 .�xa8 + <;!,?e7 11.
11.lt:\c6+ <;!,?d6-+
ll . . . Yfxfl+ 12.<;!,?c2 .if5
Rheinstaedtler, Email 2005; it is no improvement for White to opt for 13.lt:\c6 <;!,?f6 14. ll:\d4 (after 14.�d8+ .ie7 15.�d4+ <;!,?g6 16.lt:\e5+ <;!,?h5-+ when Black's king is completely safe, while its white counterpart is exposed; White is also catastrophically be hind in development and together these factors will prove decisive) 14...�d3+ 15.<;!,?b3 lt:\e7 16.a4 .ig4 17.<;!,?a2 c5 18.lt:\b3 .ie6-+ White has neither completed his devel opment, nor ensured the safety of his king, Csonka - Vujosevic, Hungary 2005; 13.�d5 <;!,?f6 14.lt:\d7+ hd7 15. �xd7 .id6-+
13
• • •
e3+ 14.d3
14.<;!,?b2 e2 15.lt:\c6+ <;!,?f6 16. �xfB e1�-+ Black organizes a de cisive attack with his two queens and a bishop.
13.b3 The alternatives for White lose quickly: 13.lt:\a3 f6 14.lt:\c6+ <;!,?t7 15.lt:\d4 �d3+! 16.<;!,?b3 .ig4 17.lt:\ac2 (after 17.�c6 .id1+ 18.lt:\ac2, Black wins with GM L.Gutman's recommen dation - 18....id6 19.�d5+ <;!,?g6 20.�f5+ <;!,?h6 21.f3i.xc2+ 22.lt:\xc2 lt:\e7-+) 17...lt:\e7 18.�xa7 .ie6+ 19.lt:\xe6 �d5+ 20.<;!,?a4 �d7+ 21. <;!,?b3 �xe6+ 22.<;!,?a4 ll:\d5 23.b4 hb4 24.lt:\xb4 gas 0-1 Radoor 72
14 e2 15 .i.d2 elltJ + 16. hel YrxeH Black needs only to • • •
•
complete his development, after which the realisation of his extra piece should not be any problem whatsoever, Stec - Sedlacek, Slo vakia 2004.
l.e4 e5 2. ll'lj3 ll'lc6 3.c3 d5 B2) 4.VHa4
This is the strongest move for White, after which and he can ob tain an acceptable position.
4 . . . f6 Black securely bolsters the e5pawn and hopes to complete his development more easily than his opponent.
move 7...e4! 8.ll'ld4 ll'le5 9.ll'la3 .ic5 10.ll'lac2 ll'le7+; it is no better for White to opt for 6..ic4 W/e4+ 7. 'it>dl .ie6 8.d3, since Black can counter this with 8.. J:'!:d8 9.ll'lbd2 l'!xd3 10..ib5 W/xa4+ ll..ixa4 l'!d8+ winning a pawn.) 6....id7 7..ib5? (The lesser of the evils for White here is to enter an inferior end game with 7.VHc4 W/xc4 8..ixc4 exd4 9.cxd4 ll'lb4 10.ll'la3 0-0-0+) 7...a6 8.c4 W/e4+ 9..ie3 l'!d8-+ Reznicek - Kuzmicz, Karvina 2010. After the move 5.d3, there arise positions resembling the Philidor Defence with colours re versed, except that Black has a pawn on f6 and not a knight. This circumstance does not preclude him from obtaining a very good position, mainly because the posi tion of White's queen on a4 looks completely senseless. 5....ie6
5 . .ib5 After 5.exd5, the reduction of the tension in the centre is in Black's favour, since it facilitates the task of developing his pieces. 5...'\WxdS 6.d4 (For 6..ib5 ll'lge7 see 5..ib5; if 6.b4 .id7 7.b5, Black can provide an excellent square for his knight by the intermediate
and now: 6.ll'lbd2 W/d7 (The inaccurate move 6....id6?! enables White to play 7.d4t and seize the initia tive.) 7..ie2 ll'lge7 8.0-0 a6 9.d4 (It is still not too late for him to simplify the position. It is inferior for White to opt for 9.b4 ltlg6+ 73
Chapter S Ljubojevic - Palacios de la Prida, Malaga 1971.) 9... exd4 lO.exdS (10.cxd4 lLlg6+) lO... i.xdS 11. ltJxd4 0-0-0 12.ltJ2b3 �e8 13. �d1 ltJxd4 14.�xd4 lLlc6 15.�g4+ 'i!?b8= Black has no problems, but White's position has no problems either; In the variation 6.i.e3 i.d6 7. ltJbd2 lLl ge7 8.d4 0-0= Black eas ily completes his development, Turkov - Nightingale, Email 2009; 6.i.e2 i.d6 7.exd5 (after 7.b4 ltJ ge7 8.ltJ bd2, B.Savchenko Delorme, Rijeka 2010, the sim plest way for Black to stop the ad vance of White's queenside pawns is with the move 8... a6=) 7... i.xd5 8.ltJbd2 (In response to 8.d4, Black equalizes with 8... exd4 9. cxd4 ltJge7 10.0-0 0-0 ll.lLlc3 i.f7 12.i.c4 �e8=; after 8.0-0 ltJ ge7 9. .ie3 it would be good for Black to play the natural move 9... 0-0, not fearing 10.c4 in view of 10... ltJd4! ll.i.xd4 i.c6 12.�c2 exd4 and here it is bad for White to continue with 13.lLlxd4? i.xh2+ 14.'i!?xh2 �xd4+, while in the vari ation 13.lLlbd2 b6 14.lLlb3 i.cS= Black maintains his space advan tage.) 8... ltJge7 9.0-0 0-0 10.lLle4 fS (the position is equal after 10... �e8 ll.i.d1 lLld8 12.�xe8 �xe8=) ll.lLlxd6 �xd6? Black has grant ed his opponent the advantage of the bishop pair but has seized space and has no problems with his development.
5 .tL!ge7 6.exd5 • •
This move seems forced, be74
cause after 6.d3?! i.e6 7.0-0 a6 8.i.xc6+ ltJxc6 9.�e1 i.e7 10.lLlbd2 0-0+ Black has slightly the better prospects thanks to his two bish ops, Blackburne - Berger, Ham burg 1885, while if 6.0-0?! dxe4 7.�xe4 i.fS 8.i.xc6+ (8.�e2 a6 9. i.xc6+ ltJxc6 10.d4 �dS+) 8... bxc6 9.�a4 i.d3 10.�e1 �d7+ White has great problems with the develop ment of his queenside, and will thus be unable to exploit the weakness of Black's pawns.
6 . . . �xd5
7.d4 White should try to gain space; otherwise, after 7.0-0?! e4, he will have difficulties equalizing.
8.lLle1 i.d7 9.d3 (It seems rea sonable for him to play 9.f3, but
l.e4 e5 2. lLlj3 lt:J c6 3.c3 d5 in the variation 9... exf3 10.lLlxf3 a6 ll.i.c4 '!WhS 12.i.e2 gSt Black obtains excellent attacking chanc es, while if ll.i.e2 0-0-0 12.d4 'tt> b8+! Black's kingside prospects are at least as promising as White's active play on the queen side.) 9... exd3 10.lLlxd3 a6 ll.lLla3 (or ll.i.c4 '!WfS 12.'1Wc2 0-0-0+ with a considerable lead in devel opment for Black) ll... �d8 12.luf4 (12.i.c4 lLleS 13.'1Wb3 'i:lxc4 14.lLlb4 '!Wfl 1S. '!Wxc4 '!Wxc4 16. 'i:lxc4 i.bS 17.b3 lLlg6 18.�e1+ 'tt> :fl+ Black has a stable advantage in this position with an open centre, thanks to his bishop pair, Daenen - Morau, Email 200S) 12... axbS 13.lLlxbS '!WeS 14.'i:ld3 '!WfS 1S. lLlxc7+ 'tt> f7 16. '!Wb3+ i.e6 17.'i:lxe6 '!Wxe6 18. '!Wxe6+ 'tt> xe6 19. 'i:lcS+ 'tt>fl 20. 'i:lxb7 �d7 21.lLlcS �dS 22. 'i:le4, Schakel - Miettinen, Email 2008. White has sufficient material equivalent for his piece, but after 22... 'i:lfS+ Black's pieces are so ac tive that White will find it difficult to advance his pawns much fur ther. After 8.i.xc6+ '!Wxc6 9.'1Wxc6+ bxc6 10.'i:ld4 cS ll.'i:lbS 'tt> d7+ White is unlikely to be able to ex ploit the weakness of his oppo nent's queenside pawns, because he will have great problems with his development. After 8.c4 '!Wd7 9.'i:le1 a6 10. 'i:lc3 Black can consider continu ing with 10... b6!?,with these sam ple variations: 11.cS (In the end game after ll.hc6 '!Wxc6 12.'1Wxc6+ 'i:lxc6 13.lLlxe4 �b7 14.d3 0-0-0
1S.i.e3 lUeS+ Black will inevitably regain his pawn, retaining better development, but even in the line: 14.b3 0-0-0 1S.lLlg3 hS 16.h4 i.d6+ White will probably be una ble to keep his extra pawn, since his pieces are horribly passive. It is not advisable for him to opt for ll.d4 exd3 12.'i:lxd3 i.b7 13.hc6 hc6 14.'1Wc2 0-0-0+, or ll.lLlxe4 i.b7 12.hc6 hc6 13.'1Wc2 'i:lfS 14. 'i:lf3 0-0-0+ and in both cases Black has the bishop pair and su perior development.) ll... i.b7! 12. i.e2 'i:ld4 13.i.hS+ g6 14.'\Wxd7+ 'tt> xd7 1S.i.d1 'i:ldS 16.cxb6 cxb6 17. 'i:lxe4 �e8 18.d3 fS 19.lLlc3 i.g7� Black has mobilized his forces in ideal fashion and has excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
7. . . e4
8.c4 After 8.i.c4 '!WaS 9.'\WxaS 'i:lxaS 10.'i:lfd2 'i:l xc4 ll.lLlxc4 i.e6 12. 'i:lbd2, Reznicek - Hladik, Havi rov 2010, Black can play 12... fS 13.0-0 lLlg6t and he maintains the initiative in the endgame, thanks to his powerful light7S
Chapter S squared bishop, which has no op ponent. 8.l!jfd2 �g5 9. \!;>f1 (White can hold the balance with the sur prising line: 9.�fl! e3 10.fxe3 �xe3+ 11.�e2 �g4 12.�d1 �xe2+ 13.�xe2 .ixe2 14.\!;>xe2 l2'ld5=) 9 . . . a6 10.l2'la3? (after 10.�e2 �g6+ White's position is worse, but there is plenty of fight left) 10 . . . axb5 11.�xa8, Ovetchkin - Ha matgaleev, Perm 1998 and here Black can immediately settle the issue with ll . . . �f5, because White is helpless against the threat of 12 . . . l2Jd5.
8
• • •
10.d5?! l2Jd4 11.l2'lxe4 a6+, and it is no better to opt for 10.hc6 l2Jxc6 ll.d5 l2Jb4 12.0-0 (12.l2Jxe4 �f5 13.f3 �e8+) 12 .. .f5+ and Black's knight will penetrate to the d3square.
1 0 tlJxd4 ll.c5 tlJxb5 12. �xb5 �d7 13.ti'e2 • • •
But not 13.�c4+ �e6 14.�e2 h6 15.0-0 f5+ leading to a very advantageous endgame for Black.
13 tlJd5 14. 0 - 0 �c6 15. .ie3, Mercky - Boychuk, Email • • •
2006.
�d8 9.tlJfd2
White should avoid 9.d5 exf3 10.dxc6 \!;>f7 11.0-0 bxc6 12.hc6 l2Jxc6 13.�xc6 fxg2 14J:!e1 gbs 15.l2Jc3 �d7 16.�f3 �h3+, because he cannot exploit the centralized position of Black's king. Now there will be an endgame in which Black will have the better chanc es, thanks to his two powerful bishops. 9 \!;>f7 • • .
Here Black could have created problems for his opponent by playing 15 .ie6 16.ge1 (It is worse for White to opt for 16. l2Jbc3 �e7 17.�h5+ g6 18.�f3 l2Jxe3 19. �xe3 ghe8+ and Black will gradu ally eject his opponent's knights from the centre, while the inevita ble exchange of the major pieces will also be in his favour.) 16 . • .
. • •
.ie7 17.�h5+ g 6 18.�£3 .if5 19.tlJbd2 gadS 2 0 .id4 gbe8= •
1 0 .tlJxe4 It is too risky for White to play 76
White's pieces are a bit more ac tive, but Black has a long-term plus - his advantage of the two bishops.
Chapter 6
l.e4 e5 2)i)f3 �c 63.�c3 tLlf6 Four Knights Game Belgrade Gambit
All four knights have come into play in the first three moves of the game. This is why the open ing is called the Four Knights Game. White's main move in the dia gram position is 4..ib5 - see Chapter 8, but 4.g3 is also popu lar - see Chapter 7. In this chap ter we shall deal with all White's other reasonable moves.
4.d4 In response to 4..ic4, Black has an interesting counter-blow 4... lt:lxe4! - a move which has been analyzed in the recently published book of GM Konstantin Sakaev "The Petroff: an Expert Repertoire for Black" - but he can also go into the Italian Game
with the move 4....ic5 - see Chap ter 15. 4.lt:\xe5? - this piece-sacrifice is not justifiable. 4...lt:\xe5 5.d4 lt:\g6 6.e5 llJg8 7..ic4 d5! (this is the simplest way for Black to solve the problems with his develop ment) 8..hd5 llJ8e7 9..ig5 �d7+ On the next move, Black's knight will be deployed to the f5-square and he will take over the role of attacker. After 4.lt:\d5 .ic5 5.d3 (if 5. lt:l xf6+?! �xf6t Black leads in de velopment) 5...lt:\xd5 6.exd5 lt:\d4 7.lt:\xd4 .ixd4= Black has no prob lems with his development and his position in the centre is not inferior. 4.h3 - This is not exactly a de veloping move... 4....ib4!? (Black can also play here 4...d5) 5..ic4 0-0= 4.a3 - This is an attempt by White to pretend to be Black, with an extra tempo. He also prevents the appearance of the enemy bishop on the b4-square. 4...d5 5. .ib5 (After 5.exd5 lt:\xd5, it is not good for White to play 6.llJxd5 �xd5 7.d3 g6 8..ie2 .ig7 9.0-0 77
Chapter 6 0-0 10J''l e1, Drazic - Blagojevic, Zadar 2009, since after 10... b6+ Black prepares the development of his light-squared bishop to a wonderful square and, thanks to his slight space advantage, he ob tains the better prospects. After 6.�b5 l!Jxc3 7.bxc3 �d6=, White's extra tempo a2-a3, in comparison to the position with colours re versed in the variation with 4.d4, cannot provide him with an ad vantage - see Chapter 10.) 5... l!Jxe4 6.1!t/e2 (The position of the pawn on a3 cannot guarantee an edge for White in the variation 6. l!Jxe5 1!t/g5 - see 4.�e2; in the line: 6.0-0 1!t/d6 7.1!t/e2 l!Jxc3 8.dxc3 f6+ Black fortifies his centre and can gradually compensate for his lag in development, Starostits Colin, Calvi 2009) 6... l!Jxc3 7. 1!t/xe5+ 1!tle7 8.dxc3 �d7 9.1!t/xe7+ (9.hc6 hc6 10.i.e3 1!t/xe5 11. l!JxeS �bS 12.a4 �a6= Visser Van der Wiel, Hilversum 2006) 9... he7 10.i.f4 (or 10.�e3 a6 11. �a4 bS 12.�b3 �e6=) 10... 0-0-0 11.0-0-0, Kindermann - Gyime si, Austria 2004 and after playing 11... a6 12.�a4 bS 13.i.b3 �e6+ Black considerably restricts the mobility of his opponent's light squared bishop, which will not be activated any time soon. 4.d3 dS S.exdS l!JxdS - Black has occupied the centre and is able to harmoniously complete his development. Only one game between grandmasters has been played with this line and it contin ued with 6.g3, Slobodjan - Babu78
rin, Havana 1999; then a reason able response seems to be 6...�g4!? 7.i.g2 (after 7.h3 hf3 8.1!t/xf3 l!Jdb4+ White loses his c2-pawn) 7... l!Jd4 8.a3 c6 9.h3 l!Jxc3 10.bxc3 l!Jxf3+ 11.hf3 �e6+ White has some problems with castling and his light-squared bishop, which is usually quite active in the Glek System, has been restricted by Black's pawns on b7 and c6. 4.i.e2 - This developing move is too modest. 4... d5 (but not 4... �cS S.l!JxeS!t with an initiative for White) S.exdS (It is also possible to play S.�bS?!, reaching a posi tion with colours reversed in which Black's move �f8-b4 is not recommended by theory, and quite rightly so. s... l!Jxe4 6.l!Jxe5, Djuric - Blagojevic, Zlatibor 1989, after playing 6... 1!t/g5! 7. l!Jxc6 1!t/xg2 8J''lfl a6, Black ob tains either a crushing attack in the variation 9.l!Jxd5 axbS 10. l!Jxc7+ @d7 11.l!Jxa8 @xc6--+, or a very pleasant endgame in the line: 9.i.a4 l!Jxc3 10.dxc3 1!t/e4+ 11.1!t/e2 1!t/xe2+ 12.@xe2 �d7 13.�f4 hc6 14.hc6+ bxc6 15.hc7 @d7 16. �g3 hS+) S... l!JxdS
6.0-0 (The variation 6.�b5
l.e4 e5 2. tt:lf3 tt:lc6 3.tt:lc3 tt:lf6 tt:lxc3 7.bxc3 i.d6, is dealt with in Chapter 10 with colours reversed and leads to an equal position; it is inferior for White to opt for 6.tt:lxd5 �xd5 7.d3 i.e7 8.0-0 0-0+ and Black has a stable ad vantage thanks to his extra space and comfortable development.) 6... tt:lxc3 7.bxc3 (in the endgame after 7.dxc3 '\!;lfxd1 8J'1xd1, Chris tensen - Sobjerg, Denmark 2008, Black equalizes easily after 8...i.f5 9.i.d3 hd3 10.cxd3 0-0-0=) 7... e4 8.tt:ld4 (In answer to 8.tt:le1 an option worth considering is 8... f5!? Now, after 9.d3 i.e6? White is unable to activate his knight, so Black's prospects are not at all worse, but even in the variation 9.d4 i.d6 10.g3 0-0 ll.tt:lg2 b6? White has no advantage, since he must take care of his weakened squares on the kingside.) 8... tt:lxd4 9.cxd4 '\!;lfxd4
'\!;l!d7 15.i.xb7 !!d8 16.he7 '\!;lfxe7 17.'\!;lfa4+ @f8+ Black has a far-ad vanced extra passed pawn and he is not going to lose it, so it will cre ate considerable problems for White to complete his develop ment.) 13.. .i.e6 14.i.e4 '\!;lfxd1 15. !!xd1 1'!b8 16.i.f4 i.d6 17.hd6 cxd6 18.1'!xd6 @e7t - Black's superior pawn structure provides him with an enduring initiative, Short Volokitin, Wijk aan Zee 2009.
4
.•.
exd4
5.t0d5 This is the Belgrade Gambit. The move 5.tt:lxd4 leads to the Scotch Game - see Chapter 10, variation A. 5 .ie7 6 .ic4 6.tt:lxd4 tt:lxd5 7.exd5 (after 7. tt:lf5? i.b4+ 8.i.d2, Ju.Hodgson Orr, London 1985, 8... tt:lf6-+ Black should win easily with his extra piece) 7...tt:lxd4 8.'\!;lfxd4 0-0? - after the exchange of all the knights, White's space advan tage does not impede the harmo nious development of the rest of Black's pieces, Sax - An.Karpov, Tilburg 1979. . . .
10.c3 (10J§:b1 i.d6 ll.i.b2 '\!;l!d5 12.d3, Soria Castillo - Mellado Trivino, Seville 2006, 12 ... 0-0+ Black has a solid extra pawn, al though White has some compen sation owing to his active pieces.) 10... '\!;l!d5 ll.d3 exd3 12J�� e1 i.e7 13.hd3 (13.i.a3?! i.e6! 14.i.f3
•
79
Chapter 6 In the variation 6.i.d3 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.h3 l"!e8+ Black pre serves his extra pawn, Reinsdorf Karmann, Dittrichshuette 2004. 6.i.b5 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.lL\xd4 (after 8.i.xc6 bxc6 9.lL\xf6+ .ixf6 10.lL\xd4 c5 ll.lLle2 i.a6+ Black's powerful bishop pair gives a sta ble edge, Fletzer - Zimmerman, Venice 1949) 8... lL\xd4 9.�xd4 lL\xd5 10.exd5 i.f6 11.'?9d3 a6 12.i.a4 b5 13.i.b3 g6� Black's bishops are more active than White's, but White has a slight space advantage, Szilagyi Kluger, Budapest 1963. 6.i.f4 d6 7.lL\xd4 (The alterna tives are no better for him. After 7.i.b5 0-0 8.0-0 i.g4+, or 7.i.d3 i.g4 8.h3 .txf3 9.'?9xf3 0-0 10. 0-0 lL\e5 ll.he5 dxe5+ Phoo balan - Ashwath, New Delhi 2007, or 7.'?9d3 0-0 8.0-0-0 i.g4 9.h3, Riemens - Erwich, Amster dam 2002, 9... .th5+ White fails to regain his pawn, while in the va riation 7.i.c4 i.g4 8.h3 hf3 9. �xf3, Martensen - Hodl, Meck lenburg 1998, 9... 0-0+ his bishop pair provides him with some com pensation, but not enough... ) 7... 0-0
8.lL\b5 (8.i.e2?! lL\xd5 9.exd5 lL\xd4 10.�xd4 i.f6 11.'?9b4 '?9e7+ White has problems castling and his pawns on b2 and d5 need pro tection, Schakel - Braggaar, Ven lo 2007; 8.lL\c3?! - White reaches a position from the Philidor De fence, but with two tempi down, spent on the knight manoeuvre c3-d5-c3. 8... d5! 9.lL\xc6 bxc6 10. e5 lL\d7 11.i.d3 l"!b8 12.13b1 lL\c5+ Black has the edge, thanks to his superior development, Seeck R.Hess, Bad Pyrmont 1976; 8. lL\xc6?! bxc6 and here White loses a pawn after 9.lL\xe7+ �xe7 10.f3 d5 ll.e5 lL\h5 12.'?9d2 lL\xf4 13. �xf4 f6+ Prudnikov - Suglobov, Kiev 1999, but even after 9.lL\c3 13b8+ he can hardly compensate for his lag in development, Ba ersch - K.Mueller, Goerlitz 1972) 8... lL\xd5 9.exd5 lL\e5�. Black has an excellent position and exten sive tournament practice has con firmed this. 10.�d2 c5 ll.he5 dxe5 12.d6 i.g5 13.�d5 �aS+ 14.c3, G.Garcia - Aleksandrov, Turin 2006, he is ahead in devel opment and can head for a very favourable endgame with 14... i.e6! 15.�xc5 (15.�xb7 l"!ab8-+; White is unable to evacuate his king in the variation 15.�xe5? l"!fe8+) 15... a6 16.h4 i.d8 17.b4 �b6 18.�xb6 i.xb6 19.lL\c7 i.xc7 20.dxc7 l"!fc8+ Black's position in the centre is better, while White must worry about the safety of his c3-pawn.
6
. • •
0 - 0 7. 0 - 0
It is worse for him to opt for 80
l.e4 e5 2. ti:J.fJ ti:J c6 3. ti:J c3 li:Jf6 7.li:Jxd4 ti:Jxe4 8.0-0 ti:Jf6 9.ti:Jxc6 (9.ti:Jxe7+ ti:Jxe7 10. .ig5 ti:Jg6 11. gel, Nathanail - Skembris, Corfu 1995, ll... d5 12..id3 h6 13. .te3 ge8+ Black has ended up with an extra central pawn, while White's bishops are bound to remain pas sive.) 9... dxc6 10.ti:Jxe7+ '!Wxe7+ Black's extra pawn is doubled, but it controls the important d5square, Hoffmann - Heimann, internet 2005.
7
• • •
pawn in the game Haahr - Sa maritani, Denmark 1989.
9
• • .
�xd5 1 0 .hd5
After 10.'1Wxd5 .ie6 ll.Vfid3 Wd7= the position becomes sim plified very quickly.
10
. . •
.tf6 11.Vfid3 aS
d6 8.�xd4 �xd4
9.tbd4 After 9.ti:Jxe7+ Vfixe7 10.'1Wxd4 Vfixe4 ll.Vfic3 Vfffc6+ White did not obtain any compensation for the
12.a4, Uribe Arteaga - Cabre ra, Collado Villalba 2010 (or 12.c3 a4 13.a3 :B:e8 14. .ie3 c6 15. .ia2 .ie6= Black has seized more space on the queenside and this pro vides him with balanced pros pects) 12 ge8 13.c3 c6 14 .tb3 .te6 15 . .tc2 g6= Black will inevi tably advance with d6-d5, equal izing completely. • • •
•
81
Chapter 7
l.e4 e5 2) bf3 tl)c 6 3.tl)c3 tl)f6 4.g3 Glek Variation
It is inferior for White to retain a pawn on e4, since after 5.d3 dxe4 6.dxe4 �xdl+ 7.'i!;>xdl i.g4t Black will quickly complete his development.
5
•••
�xd5 6 . .ig2
For 6.d3 ttlxc3 7.bxc3 .ic5 8. i.g2 0-0 9.0-0 (9.ttlg5 - see 6. i.g2) 9...i.g4 - see 6.i.g2.
6 . . . �xc3 7.bxc3 According to our database, the diagram position was reached for the first time in the game Nim zowitsch - E.Gruenfeld, Karlsbad 1923. It has been tried by some other famous players too, but it was GM Igor Glek who analyzed it thoroughly and began to play the move 4.g3 regularly and success fully at grandmaster level.
If 7.dxc3? �xdl+ 8.'i!;>xdl i.f5+ Black leads in development, hav ing stranded his opponent's king in the centre and weakened his pawn structure, Straub - Stefano va, Willemstad 2003.
7 .ic5 •••
4 . . . d5 After this move Black obtains a slight space advantage. He has a reasonable alterna tive here - 4...i.c5!?, which was covered in detail in the recently published book "The Petroff: an Expert Repertoire for Black" by Konstantin Sakaev.
5.exd5 82
8. 0 - 0 For 8.�e2 0-0 9.0-0 �e8 -
l.e4 e5 2.tLlf3 tLl c6 3.tt:J c3 tLlf6 4 .g3 d5 see 8.0-0. Glek - S.Novikov, Moscow 2006. After 8.d3 0-0 9.tt:Jg5 (9.0-0 Now Black can activate his pieces - see 8.0-0) 9. .. i.e7 10.'\&h5 i.f5� with the resolute move 13... e4! White's premature attack has 14.WI'e2 (after 14.dxe4 i.c4+, or been neutralized and Black has 14.i.xb6 axb6 15.i.xe4 i.h3+ excellent counterplay. White loses the exchange; or if 8... 0 - 0 14.i.xe4 i.h3 15.i.g2 i.xg2 16. i>xg2 Wfd5+ 17.i>g1 tt:Jes�) 14 . . . exd3 15.cxd3 i.d5 = The light squared bishops are exchanged and Black has chances of seizing the initiative. 9.WI'e2 - White's queen is not always well placed on this square. 9... l"!e8 10.d3 (or 10.l"!e1?! e4! ll.d3 i.f5 12.dxe4 l"!xe4 13.'\&bS?, Antal - Gara, Budapest 2002, 13... tt:Jd4! 14.cxd4 l"!xe1+ 15.tt:Jxe1 \!tfxd4-+ and owing to the threat 9.d3 of mate White loses the exchange) In response to 9.l"!b1, Glek - 10... i.f5 1l.tt:Jg5 Wfd7 12.i.e3 i.b6 Hebden, Dos Hermanas 2003, it 13.l"!fe1 l"!ad8 14.l"!ab1, Lima is very good for Black to continue Dervishi, Elista 1998. Black's with 9... e4! 10.tt:Jd4! (after 10.tt:Je1 forces are ideally placed and he l"!e8+ White has problems bring can start an offensive with 14... h6 ing his knight back into play and 15.tt:Je4 i.g4 16.'\&d2 f5! 17.tt:Jc5 it also remains misplaced after i.xc5 18.i.xc5 b6 19.f3 (19.i.a3?! 10.tt:Jh4 f5+) 10... tt:Jxd4 ll.cxd4 e4+ - Black's knight will attack Wfxd4 12.i.b2 Wl'c4 13.d3 exd3 the weak light squares on White's 14.cxd3 Wl'g4! (Capturing on a2 kingside) 19... i.h5 20.i.f2 i.f7 21. seems very risky for Black, be a4 tt:Ja5+ Black wants to play c7-c5 cause then White can develop his on his next move. White has ob initiative in various ways, for ex tained a slight space advantage ample with 14.'\&h5!?) 15.WI'c2 and his bishops can protect his i.d6= White's pieces are very ac king, but they are bound to re tive, but this suffices for equality main passive. In answer to 9.l"!e1, Black can at the most. 9.WI'e1!? - White's queen pro choose between many good tects the c3-pawn from this moves, but we recommend 9... square, in contrast to its develop 'l&f6!? - Black intends to develop ment on e2. 9 .. . l"!e8 10.d3 h6 11. his pieces very quickly and this .ie3 .ib6 12.tt:Jd2 .ie6 13.tt:Jb3, will enable him to seize the initia83
Chapter 7 tive, thanks to his greater control of the centre. In addition, he tar gets White's c3-pawn, which might become very important in many variations.
After 10.h3 .ie6 11.�e2 �fe8 1Vl:\xe5?, Brancaleoni - Aglietti, Bratto 2002, Black wins a pawn with 12...ll:\xe5 13.d4 (13.�xe5 .id7-+) 13...hb3! 14.dxe5 fue5-+ 10..ib2?! - The bishop is not well placed here. 10....ig4 ll.h3 .ih5 12.�e2 (Following 12.g4 .ig6 13.d4, Ornstein - Potikha, Aviles 2000, Black must reinforce his centre with 13....id6 14..ic1 h6 15.�b1 �ab8 16.h4 exd4 17.cxd4 .ih7! 18.g5 hxg5 19.hxg5 �d8+! White has seized space, but he has several weaknesses in his camp.) 12...�ae8 13.d3 �e6 14.g4 .ig6 15. ll:\d2 �h4 16.a4 h5t Black has de ployed his pieces in ideal fashion and seized the initiative on the kingside, Mi.Tseitlin - Hebden, Hastings 1995. The aggressive move 10.d4?! led after 10...exd4 ll..ig5 �g6 12.cxd4 ll:\xd4 13..ie7 i.xe7 14. �xe7 ll:\e6+ to the loss of a pawn and problems with White's rook stranded in the enemy camp, Zar84
nicki - Gareev, Internet 2005. 10.�e2 .id7 ll.�b1 (ll.d3 e4 12.dxe4 �xc3 13..id2, Virovlan sky - Pokrovski, Moscow 1999, 13...�a3+ Black maintains a slight advantage thanks to his very ac tive queen and superior pawn structure.) ll....ib6 12.a4 (12.d3 e4 13.�xe4 �ae8 14.�f4 �xc3t All Black's pieces are in action and White's weak queenside pawns become a telling factor.) 12...�fe8 13.d3 e4 14.dxe4 �xc3+ Black has a slight but stable advantage ow ing to his excellent pawn struc ture. In the variation 10.d3 i.b6 11. �e2, Bates - Ledger, Torquay 1998 (Here it is preferable for White to opt for ll..ie3 e4 12.ll:\d2 exd3 13.ll:\e4 �g6 14.cxd3 .ig4 15. �b1 �ae8+! his pieces, in particu lar his knight, are very active but it is unable to come to the c5square in view of the variation 16.ll:\c5? �xe3+, while after every exchange the vulnerability of White's pawns becomes more ob vious.), Black can play 11...h6 12. .ie3 e4 13.ll:\d4 (13.dxe4 �xc3+) 13...exd3 14.�xd3 �d8+ and Black ends up with the superior pawn structure. 10.�b1 - This is a very reason able move, because White's rook will remain active along the open file. 10....ib6 ll.d3 h6 12.h3 (after 12.�e2, Waitzkin - A.Mikhalevs ki, Budapest 1997, 12...i.e6 13.c4 .ig4+!; White does not obtain any advantage with the move 12.i.e3, Xie - Chapman, Manly Sydney
l.e4 e5 2. ltlj3 ltl c6 3. ltl c3 ltlf6 4.g3 d5 2009, because after 12... e4 13. ltld4 exd3 14.cxd3 ltlxd4 15. .b:d4 .b:d4 16.cxd4 1!9xd4 17. .b:b7 l'!b8= the position is considerably sim plified.) 12... .ie6 13.c4 l'!ad8 14. 1!9e2, Quesada Perez - Hernandez Carmenates, Cuba 2000, and here Black can play 14... l'!fe8 15. .ib2 .ic8� Black has strength ened his centre and his pieces are ideally placed. 9 . . . .ig4
1 0 .h3 10. .ie3?! - This move leads to a change in the pawn structure which is not in White's favour, Rodriguez - Miguel Lago, Mon dariz 1995, 10... .b:e3 ll.fxe3 e4! 12.dxe4 We7+ Almost all White's pawns are weak and his bishop is passive. 10.'W'e1 f6 11.ltld2 (For ll.h3 .ih5 - see 10.h3; or ll.l'!b1 Wd7 12.We4 .ib6= Black has securely covered his b7-pawn, fortified his centre and developed his pieces in ideal fashion, Aguilar Melian Mengual Bolo, Email 2008; after ll.We4 .ie6 12.1!9h4 l'!b8, White can hardly organize any active
play on the kingside, because af ter 13.g4?! ltle7+ he weakens the important f4-square, Gheorghe Haznedaroglu, Email 2006.) 11... 1!9d7 12.l'!b1 .ih3 13. .b:h3 Wxh3 14.'W'e4 (after 14.l'!xb7? .ib6 15. We4 ltla5+ White loses the ex change) 14....ib6 15.c4, Fernan dez Romero - Fernandez Garcia, Lanzarote 2003 (it is better to play 15.a4 l'!fe8 16.ltlc4 We6= ) 15... We6 16.ltlb3 a51' and Black seizes the initiative. 10.'W'e2 .ib6!?N This prophy lactic move has not yet been tried. (It seems too risky for Black to weaken his kingside with 10... f6 ll.d4't, but he has a very reasona ble alternative in 10... Wc8 11.1!9e4 .ifS 12.'W'c4 .ib6=) ll.h3 (White should avoid ll.We4 f5 12.1!9c4+ l!th8 because after 13.ltlg5 Wf6+ Black's pieces are very actively de ployed, having fortified the e5pawn and deprived the enemy knight of the e4-square. In the endgame arising after 13.h3 .ih5 14.Wh4 Wxh4 15.ltlxh4 e4 16.dxe4 fxe4+ White loses the exchange with the greedy move 17. .b:e4 .ie2+, but even after 17.g4 i.f7 18. .b:e4 .ic4 19.i.d3 ltle5 20. .b:c4 ltlxc4+ Black has more than suffi cient compensation for the pawn. White's kingside has been de stroyed, his f2-pawn is weak and Black's rook is threatening to pen etrate to the e2-square.) ll... i.h5 12.g4 .ig6 13.ltld2 (A drawish endgame arises after 13.ltlxe5 l'!e8 14.ltlxc6 l'!xe2 15.ltlxd8 l'!xd8 16. a4 i.a5 17. .ie3 l'!xc2 18.i.xb7 .ib6= 85
Chapter 7 Black regains his pawn and it be comes pointless to continue the game.) 13.. .f5 14.li:'lc4 �d7?
Black has obtained an excel lent position, which can be con firmed by the following varia tions: 15.a4 l"lae8 16.i.a3 fxg4! 17. .txf8 gxh3 18. .txc6 �xc6 19.�g4 l"lxf8 20.tt:lxe5 (20.�xh3 l"lf5 21. '\Wg3 '\Wf6-+) 20... �f6 21.tt:lxg6 .txf2+ 22.'it>h1 �xg6 23.�xg6 (23. '\Wxh3 l"lf5-+) 23... hxg6 24.'it>h2 l"lf3+ and the advance of the g6pawn will be very unpleasant for White. 15.tt:lxe5 - This is the most principled move. 15... tt:lxe5 16. '\Wxe5 fxg4 (Black obtains excel lent compensation after the pa tient line: 16...c6!? 17.'\Wg3 i.c7 18.f4 l"lae8�) 17.'\Wd5+ '\Wxd5 18. .txd5+ i.f7 19. .txb7 l"lab8 20.i.c6 gxh3? The number of pawns is equal and the weakness of Black's h3-pawn is compensated for by the vulnerability of White's a2and c3- pawns on the queenside. In answer to 10.l"le1, Wieclaw - Olszewski, Rewal 2007, it would be reasonable for Black to deploy all his forces in the centre with 86
10... '\Wd7 11.�e2 i.b6 12.�e4 (12. tt:lxe5?? tt:lxe5 13.�xe5 l"lae8-+) 12... l"lad8 13.a4 l"lfe8? After 10.l"lb1, Nyysti - Sam malvuo, Helsinki 2000, the game becomes greatly simplified after 10... e4! ll.dxe4 �xd1 12.l"lxd1 tt:le5 13.l"ld5 tt:lxf3+ 14.hf3 .txf3 15. l"lxc5 he4 16J'!xc7 l"lac8= White has an extra pawn, but his queen side pawn structure is in ruins and he has no advantage whatso ever.
1 0 . . . i.h5
ll.g4 ll. .ie3?! - Just as on the pre vious move, this leads to a change in the pawn structure which is not in White's favour. ll... .txe3 12. fxe3 e4! 13.dxe4 .txf3 14.�xf3 tt:le5 15.�e2 �e7+ Black's power ful centralized knight is stronger than White's bishop, restricted by the pawn on e4, Belkhodja - Daas Hossem, Tunis 2001. In reply to 11.�e2, Nyysti Van Hoolandt, Helsinki 2001, it seems reasonable for Black to support his e5-pawn by playing ll... f6 (without the inclusion of
l.e4 e5 2. ttl.f.3 ttl c6 3. ttl c3 ttlf6 4.g3 dS the moves 10.h3 �h5, this would have been dangerous for Black owing to the vulnerability of Black's light-squared bishop) 12. d4!? (this is White's most princi pled move, although it would be more prudent for him to continue with 12J"!e1 �f7 13.tt:ld2 �d5 14. hd5+ '!Wxd5=) 12...�b6 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.g4 �g6 15.�g5 (15.tt:lxe5?! tt:lxe5 16.'!Wxe5 c6 17.�e3 l"!e8 18. '!Wf4 he3 19.fxe3 '!We7+ Black re gains his pawn and retains the better prospects, in view of White's weakened pawn structure and his vulnerable king, which has been deprived of a secure pawn shelter.) 15...'!We8 16.tt:lh4 �f7 17.tt:lf5 �e6 18.�e4 (18..b:c6?! bxc6 19.tt:le7+ c;t>h8 20.'\WxeS �c4+ White has lost his king's only de fender and is condemned to a dif ficult defence.) 18... c;t>h8 19.tt:le3 tt:ld8! 20.�4 '!Wa4 21.ttld5 tt:lf7 22. tt:lxb6 axb6 23.l"!fe1 tt:ld6f! White has the advantage of the two bish ops, but his king is exposed and his queenside pawns are vulnera ble. ll.'!We1 - White attacks the en emy e5-pawn and avoids the pin. ll...f6 12.l"!b1 (12.tt:ld2 '!Wd7 13.tt:le4 �e7 14.�e3 b6 15.f4 exf4 16.gxf4 f5 17.tt:ld2 l'!ae8+ Black has taken control over the e4-square and occupies the e-file, Trabert - Vul, Kecskemet 1991; the position is about equal after 12.'!We4 �f7 13. tt:ld2 '!Wd7= Barbaric Vuk - Ra kuljic, Stobrec 2004, or 12.�e3 �b6 13.tt:ld2 �f7= ) 12...�b6 13. �a3 (if 13.tt:ld2 �f7 14.tt:lc4 �d5=,
then Black exchanges his oppo nent's active bishop and has no problems whatsoever) 13...l"!e8 14.tt:lh4 '!Wd7 15.'\We4, Pel - Van Leent, Hoogeveen 2004, 15...�f7 16.l"!b2 l"!ad8+ Black has massed all his forces in the centre, while White's pieces are scattered round the edge of the board. After ll.l"!b1 l"!b8 12.l"!b5, Sper dokli - Ubiennykh, Athens 2001 (12.g4 �g6 13.tt:lg5 �e7 14.tt:le4 f5 15.gxf5 hf5 - see ll.g4), it would be reasonable for Black to bolster his e5-pawn by playing 12...�d6= After ll.l"!e1 f6 12.�e3 he3 13.l"!xe3 it looks very good for Black to play 13...'\Wd6=, connect ing his rooks with the plan of cen tralizing them and then sending his queen to target the weak ene my pawns. n . . .tg6 .
12.tt:lg5 12.'!We2 l"!e8 13.tt:lg5 (in answer to 13.tt:ld2, Jensen - Efimov, Email 2009, it is very good for Black to continue with 13...'!Wd7 14.tt:le4 �e7 15.l"!e1 f5 16.gxf5 hf"Sf! followed by the transfer of his 87
Chapter ? knight to e6) 13...h6 14.ll:Je4 �b6 15.c;!lh1 (15.\Wf3, Burnett - M.Kan torik, Tatranske Zruby 2008, 15... ll:Je7 16J'!b1 �b8 - he wants to push c7-c6, while after 17.c4 Black is ready to retreat 17...ll:Jc6 18.c3 �e7?) 15...ll:Je7? Lupulescu Kir.Georgiev, Rijeka 2010.
12 . . . �e7 13.ll:Je4 f5 !
gressive line: 16.f4 \Wd7 17.\Wf3, Simic - M.Trifunovic, Golubac 2008, because of 17...�be8 18. c;!lh2 exf4 19.�4 ll:Jd8t Black plans to advance with b7-b6 and c7-c5, improving his position in the centre and strengthening his queenside. It is no improvement for White to play 16..te3 \Wd7 17. c;!lh2 b6+, because Black will cen tralize his rook and transfer his knight to the e6-square, Tirard Karpatchev, Avoine 1999.) 16... \Wd7 17..te3, Lastin - Egin, Mos cow 1997, he can continue with 17....te6 18.a4 �f5 19.\We2 �f7+ gaining tempi for the develop ment of his kingside initiative.
15 . . . .i.g6
White's pieces gain permanent access to the e4-square, but the f file is opened. This provides Black with attacking prospects and he can occupy the excellent f4square, which is at least as impor tant as e4.
Black can even try to obtain an edge now with the move 15... \Wd7!?? later deploying his knight on e6.
16.\Wg4 �f5
14.gxf5 ht'5 15.Yflt5 White merely loses time with 15.ll:Jg3, Glek - Thorfinnsson, Ali mini 2011, since giving up his bishop on g2 for the enemy knight on c6, might lead to a dangerous attack for Black. So Black is not obliged to prevent that capture, and after 15...�e6 16.\Wh5 g6 17. �h6 �d5 18.ll:Je4 \Wd7t, with the plan of ll:Jc6-d8-e6, he seizes the initiative. After 15.�b1 �b8 16.�h5 (White cannot achieve much with the ag88
17.trh5 17.\Wg3 c;!lh8? 17 . . . .i.g6= and the game Ste vie Adams, Plovdiv 2010 ended in a draw after a three-fold repeti tion of moves. -
Chapter S
l.e4 e5 2)ijf3 ltlc6 3.lilc3 lilf6 4.i.b5 Four Knights Game Double Ruy Lopez
4 . . . .ib4 We believe that this ancient symmetrical response provides Black with excellent chances of equalizing. He has a good alterna tive though. This is the sharper move 4...ltld4!? - see Konstantin Sakaev's book "The Petroff: an
Expert Repertoire for Black". 5. 0 - 0 Black has no problems after S.a3 hc3 6.dxc3 ltlxe4 7.�e2 ltld6 8.hc6 dxc6 9.�xe5+ �e7 10. �xe7+ l!txe7= with an absolutely equal endgame, Bachin - Gutov, Sochi 2007. In the variation S.d4 exd4 6.ltlxd4 i.xc3+ 7.bxc3 ltlxe4 8.�f3 0-0 9.0-0 ltlxd4 10.cxd4 dS+ White fails to obtain sufficient
compensation for the pawn, since it would be bad for him to contin ue with ll..ia3? ltld2 12.�f4 ltlxfl 13.hf8 �xf8 14.E:xfl c6 1S..id3 .ie6+ with advantageous simplifi cations for Black. After s.�e2 0-0 6.hc6 (6. 0-0 d6 - see 5.0-0; but not 6.d3? ltld4 7.ltlxd4 exd4 8.a3 .iaS 9.b4 and after playing 9....ib6 lO.ltldl aS+ Black obtains a considerable lead in development and his piec es are ideally placed; in answer to 6.a3, he is not obliged to present his opponent with the advantage of the bishop pair; it is sufficient for Black to play 6....ic5 7..b:c6 bxc6 8.0-0 E:e8=) Black equalizes with 6...dxc6 7.0-0 E:e8=. Black has no weaknesses in his camp and he has two powerful bishops. Later he plans to deploy his knight on the e6-square. The move S.ltldS leads to sim plification, after which White must play very carefully. S...ltlxdS 6.exd5 e4 7.dxc6 dxc6 8..ic4 (It is simpler to opt for 8..ie2 exf3 9.hf3 0-0 10.0-0 �f6= when Black's development is a bit bet ter, but he will have difficulty ex89
Chapter S plaiting this.) 8... exf3 9.'Wxf3 0-0 10.0-0 'Wh4 ll.i.e2?! (White needs to make one more precise move, and after ll.d3 i.d6= Black's slight initiative is not dan gerous, unless White weakens the light squares around his king with 12.g3?! 'Wh3+ Falout - Vaindl, Czech Republic 1999.) ll... l"l:e8 12. d3 i.d6 13.g3 'Wa4t Black's pieces are noticeably more active and he has a dangerous initiative. The game Y.Meister - Kurnosov, Sat ka 2008, ended in a win for him after 14.c3 i.h3 15.l"l:e1? i.g4 0-1. 5.d3 d6 6.i.g5 (6.0-0 0-0 see 5.0-0; 6.i.xc6+ bxc6 7.0-0 0-0 - see 5.0-0; it is too passive for White to play 6.i.d2 0-0 7. 0-0 !iJe7 8.a3 i.a5 9.i.c4 c6 10. i.a2 !iJg6= Black has covered the d5-square and can try to seize the initiative later with the move d6d5, or prepare the transfer of his knight to the f4-square, Bara midze - Kir.Georgiev, Kusadasi 2006; it is no better for White to opt for 6.a3 i.xc3+ 7.bxc3 0-0 8. 0-0 h6 9.l"l:e1, because by playing 9... a6 10.i.a4 !iJa5= Black de prives his opponent of his only trump - his advantage of the bishop pair.) 6... h6 7.i.h4 g5 8. i.g3, Legaspi - Iuldachev, Kuala Lumpur 2008. Here it is worth considering 8... 0-0!? 9.a3 i.xc3+ 10.bxc3 !iJa5 ll.i.a4 c6 12.!iJd2 b5 13.i.b3 !iJxb3 14.cxb3 i.g4! 15.f3 i.e6= With his bishop manoeu vre, Black has deprived his oppo nent of control of the important h5-square and his knight cannot 90
be prevented from occupying that square later on. 5.hc6 bxc6 - Neither side has castled yet, so it is preferable to capture towards the centre with the pawn, obtaining chances of seizing the initiative. 6.!iJxe5 (6. d3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 - see 5.0-0; af ter 6.0-0 d6 7.d4 0-0 8.dxe5 hc3 9.bxc3 !iJxe4 10.'Wd4 d5, it would be premature for White to play ll.c4? i.a6 12.l"l:e1 i.xc4+ with an extra pawn for Black and an advantage in the centre. After ll.i.a3 l"l:e8 12.l"l:fel, Salameh Myers, Lugano 1968, he can play 12... i.a6= not allowing the oppo nent to advance with c3-c4.) 6... 'We7
White must play very carefully in this position to maintain the balance. It is bad to continue with 7. d4?! d6 8.!iJxc6 hc3+ 9.bxc3 �xe4+ 10.�e2, E.Mamedov - Jo erg, Germany 2003, Black can counter this with 10... @d7! 11. 'Wxe4 !iJxe4 12.!iJa5 !iJxc3+, regain ing his pawn and maintaining a lead in development. After 7.f4 hc3 8.bxc3 (In re ply to 8.dxc3, it is strong for Black
l.e4 e5 2. ti:Jj3 ti:Jc6 3. ti:J c3 ti:Jf6 4. i. b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 to play 8... 0-0! 9.0-0 c5 10J:�e1 i.b7t and he regains his pawn, while his unopposed light -squared bishop becomes very active.) Black must enter a forcing line by playing 8... d6 9.ti:Jxc6 �xe4+ 10. �e2 �xe2+ 11.\t>xe2 .ib7 12.ti:Jd4 .ixg2 13.:1'&gl .ih3+. Black has a strong initiative, thanks to his su perior pawn-structure and more active pieces. If White plays greedily - 14.:1'&xg7? then his king comes under the combined attack of all of Black's pieces: 14... .ig4+ 15.\t>fl lt>f8 16.:1!g5 :1'&e8-+, followed by the subsequent expulsion of White's rook from the g-file with the move h7-h6. After 7. ti:Jf3 .ixc3 8.bxc3 (It is inferior for White to play 8.dxc3, because after 8... �xe4+ 9.i.e3 i.a6t Black regains his pawn and prevents the evacuation of White's king to safety on the kingside.) 8... �xe4+ 9.�e2 �xe2+ 10.1t>xe2 .ia6+ ll. lt>d1 0-0= A completely symmetrical position has ap peared on the board with Black having several extra tempi, al though he cannot exploit this in any meaningful way, Cofman Pfefferle, Germany 2005. In the variation 7.ti:Jg4 hc3 8. dxc3 �xe4+ 9.ti:Je3 d6 (9....b6! ? 10.�d4!=) 10.0-0 0-0= Black has a slight advantage in the cen tre, but the position is practically equal, Kroselj - Novak, Nova Gorica 2009. After 7.ti:Jd3! .bc3 8.dxc3 �xe4+ 9.�e2 �xe2+ 10.1t>xe2 0-0= White cannot exploit the
vulnerability of his opponent's a7pawn but has no other pluses, Aripov - Khoroshev, Tashkent 2010. 5... 0 - 0
White has tried various possi bilities in the diagram position. His best chances of trying to ob tain an advantage are with A) 6.i.xc6 and, of course, with the most natural move B) 6.d3. It is bad for him to opt for 6. d4?! hc3 7.bxc3 ti:Jxe4 8.�d3 d5 9.ti:Jxe5 ti:Jxe5 10.dxe5 c6 ll.i.a4, Riemann - A.Anderssen, Breslau 1876, since his bishop on a4 re mains out of play and Black can attack the e5-pawn with 11... :1'&e8+ The simplifications after 6. ti:Jd5 ti:Jxd5 7.exd5 e4 8.dxc6 exf3 9.�xf3 dxc6 10. .id3 i.d6t enable Black to obtain a lead in develop ment, Thesing - Werle, Eforie Nord 2009. The position is completely symmetrical after 6.a3 hc3 7. dxc3 ti:Jxe4 8.:1'&el ti:Jd6 9.hc6 dxc6 10.ti:Jxe5 :1!e8= 6.�e2 - This is an attempt by White to reach original positions. 91
Chapter S 6...d6 7.h3 (It is no improvement to opt for 7.hc6 bxc6 8.tt:\d1, be cause by playing 8.. J"!:e8= Black prevents d2-d4 and prepares the pawn-advance d6-d5, ending up with a space advantage.) 7...h6 8. tt:\d1 .ia5 9.c3 .ib6 10.d3 .ie6= Black has deployed his pieces in ideal fashion and has no problems whatsoever, Santamaria - Mon teros, Barranquilla 1995. 6J"!:e1 d6
7.d4?! - Black is much better prepared for the opening of the position: 7...exd4 8.tt:\xd4 tt:\xd4 9.�xd4 .ic5 10.�d2, Koziel - Wil iczkiewicz, Slask 1996 and after 10 ...c6 ll..id3 tt:\g4 12J"!:f1 f5+ Black is ahead in development and has excellent attacking pros pects. After 7.h3 .id7 8.a3, Sharapov - Burdalev, Yuzhny 2010, Black obtains a very good game with 8... hc3 9.bxc3 tt:\e7 10.a4 tt:\g6= Having doubled pawns, White will find it hard to utilize his ad vantage of the bishop pair. It is no improvement to con tinue with 7.a3 hc3 8.bxc3 (after 8.dxc3 it is good for Black to opt for 8...h6= restricting the mobili92
ty of his opponent's dark-squared bishop) 8.. J"!:e8= when Black has prevented White's possibility of occupying the centre with d2-d4 and has no problems at all. After 7.d3, Black's simplest re sponse is 7...h6=, preventing the pin of his f6-knight. In reply to 7.tt:\d5 Black has a good line which has not been played yet: 7....ic5 8.c3 (The risky move 8.d4?! leads after 8...tt:\xd4 9.tt:\xd4 tt:\xd5 10.tt:\b3 tt:\f4+ to a position where White is just a pawn down.) 8...a6 9..ic4 .ia7 10. d4 (After 10.d3 tt:\xd5 ll.hd5 tt:\e7 12 ..ib3 tt:\g6= Black can easily parry the activity of White's bish op by playing .ie6.) 10...h6 ll.h3. White has not allowed his oppo nent to increase the pressure against the d4-pawn with the move .ig4, but here Black can play ll...exd4 12.cxd4 l"!:e8 13.�d3 tt:\xd5 14.hd5 tt:\b4 15..ixf7+ @xf7 16.�b3+ d5 17.�xb4 dxe4 18. tt:\e5+ @g8? Although Black's king is a bit exposed, he has two powerful bishops, while White has difficulty pursuing his attack since after 19.�b3+ .ie6 20.�g3 �xd4 21.hh6, there arises an endgame in which Black's bishop is slightly superior to White's knight after 21...�xf2+! 22.�xf2 .ixf2+ 22.@xf2 gxh6 23.l"!:xe4 .idS=
A) 6 . .bc6 This exchange deserves atten tion, but Black obtains the advan-
l.e4 e5 2. l:iJ.f3 l:iJ c6 3. l:iJ c3 l:iJf6 4.i.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 tage of the bishop pair and can be optimistic about the future.
6 . . . dxc6
'Wf3 i.g6=) 10... l:iJd6 11.i.f4 �xe1 + 12.'Wxe1 i.f5= The position is sym metrical and its evaluation as ab solutely equal cannot be disputed, Al.Ivanov - Kamsky, Saint Louis 2011.
7 . . . i.g4
7.d3 After 7.!'1e1 �e8 8.a3 (in re sponse to 8.d3 it seems good for Black to opt for 8... h6 9.h3 b6 10.i.e3 .b:c3 11.bxc3 c5= fortify ing his position in the centre) 8... i.d6 9.h3 l:iJd7? - this standard transfer of Black's knight to the e6-square provides him with an excellent position. 7.l:iJxe5 �e8 8.l:iJd3 (after 8.l:iJf3 l:iJxe4 9.l:iJxe4 �xe4+ Black has the bishop pair and superior develop ment, Forgacs - Vidmar, Buda pest 1913; in the variation 8.d4 .b:c3 9.bxc3 l:iJxe4= Black has the better pawn-structure, but he cannot really exploit this, Tauben haus - Chigorin, New York 1889) 8 ... .b:c3 9.dxc3 l:iJxe4 10.�e1 (af ter 10.'?;Yf3 '?;Yf6 1l.'?;Yxf6 l:iJxf6= the opponents can agree to a draw, Spassky - Ljubojevic, Linares 1985; White has no chances of ob taining an advantage after 10.i.f4 i.f5 11.�e1 l:iJd6= Michiels Sasikiran, Antwerp 2009, or 11.
8.h3 In answer to 8.i.g5 it is good for Black to play 8... 'Wd6 9.a3 .b:c3 10.bxc3 l:iJd7=, followed by a later transfer of his knight to the e6-square. It is no improvement for White to opt for 8.i.e3 l:iJd7? since Black is ready to exchange on c3, fol lowed by c6-c5, as well as accom plish the standard manoeuvre of the knight to e6. After 8.'We2 l:iJd7 9.l:iJd1, it is good for Black to continue with 9... '?;Yf6t, which would lead to a weakening of White's pawn structure.
8 . . . J.h5 (diagram)
9.ee2 It is not very easy for White to get rid of the pin, for example it would be bad for him to opt for 93
Chapter S
9.g4? tt:\xg4 10.hxg4 (Black can organize a powerful attack with out sacrificing anything after 10. tt:\xe5 tt:\xe5 11.�xh5 fs�) 10... hg4
use of the circumstance that the centre has been closed.) 11....ig6 12.@g2 !!adS (Black wins an im portant tempo by attacking the enemy e4-pawn.) 13.�e2, Nim zowitsch - Leonhardt, San Sebas tian 1911. Now Black can obtain an excellent position with 13....ic5 14../t:\d1 �e6 15../t:\e3 f6fZ when Black has fortified his kingside and plans to advance his queen side pawns. In the variation 9.@h1 tt:\d7 10. g4 .ig6 11../t:\e2, Nimzowitsch Levitsky, St. Petersburg 1914, Black ends up with a wonderful game by transferring the knight to the e6-square, where it both de fends and attacks after 11....id6 12../t:\g3 tt:\c5 13../t:\fS tt:\e6fZ
9 . . .c!Dd7 1 0 .�dl
ll.@h1?, Capablanca - Chajes, New York 1912 (it is preferable for White to play 11.@g2 ixc3 12.bxc3 f5 13.�e1 fxe4 14../t:\ g5 l'U5 15.�xe4 !!xg5 16.ixg5 �xg5+ although even then his king is exposed, while Black has two pawns for the exchange) and here Black can win by force with 11...f5! 12.!!g1 ixc3 13.bxc3 .ih5 14.!!g5 �e8 15. exf5 e4! 16.dxe4 �xe4 17.!!xh5 !!ad8-+ and Black regains the sacrificed material with interest. After 9..ig5 �d6 10.i.xf6 �xf6 11.g4 (White plans to organize an attack on the kingside, making 94
Or 10.g4 .ig6 11../t:\d1 .id6 12. tt:\e3 tt:\c5 13../t:\c4 f6 14. ./t:\h4 .if7 15../t:\e3 tt:\e6+ and Black has de ployed his forces in ideal fashion and is well prepared for action on the queenside, Soffer - Alterman, Israel 1998.
1 0 . . .1:�e8 ll.�e3, Tarrasch Rubinstein, Vienna 1922, 11
. . •
l.e4 eS 2. lD.f3 lD c6 3. lD c3 lDf6 4. i. b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 .if8+t Black intends to carry out the manoeuvre lDd7-c5-e6 and strengthens the position of his king.
B) 6.d3 This is White's main move in this position. He wants to pin the enemy knight on f6.
tage in the centre. In reply to the careless move 10.c4?!, Bazant Zeberski, Czech Republic 2008, Black could have played 10... lDd7!?t with the idea of lD d7-c5 and c7-c6.
Bl) 7 . .ixc6 bxc6
6 . . . d6
8.lDe2 In the diagram position, he can try to fight for the advantage with Bl) 7 .ixc6, B2) 7.lDe2 and •
B3) 7 .ig5. •
7.lDd5?! (The resulting change in the pawn-structure is in Black's favour.) 7... lDxd5 8.exd5 lDe7 9.c3 ic5 10.i.c4 i.g4 11.h3 ih5 12.ie3 ib6 13.a4 f5+ White's light squared bishop is out of play now and Black easily gains extra space on the kingside, enabling him to organize an attack there, Jaffe Capablanca, New York 1910. 7.h3 lDe7 8.a3 (8.lDe2 c6 - see 7.lDe2; 8.i.g5 c6 - see 7.i.g5; 8. lDh4 c6 9.i.a4 d5+t) 8... hc3 9. bxc3 lDg6= Black has deployed his pieces in ideal fashion, preventing White from obtaining any advan-
With his previous move White weakened his opponent's queen side pawn structure, but gave up any chance of deploying his knight in the d5-outpost. Accord ingly, its transfer to the g3-square seems to be his most reasonable continuation. 8.ig5 h6 9.i.h4 (It is inferior for White to play 9..ixf6 �xf6+ and Black has a solid centre, strong bishops and a clear-cut plan of action based on the pawn advance f7-f5, Weiss - Strathoff, Dortmund 2003.) 9...%!fe7 10.h3 %!fe6 1U3e1 lDh5+ Black's knight is eyeing the f4-square and he is preparing f7-f5. After 8.i.e3 hc3 9.bxc3 it is good for Black to strengthen his centre by playing 9...c5= 95
Chapter S 8
. • .
.ig4 9.1l:lg3 �h5 1 0 .�f5
In answer to 10.c3, K.Berg D.Bronstein, Tastrup 1990, be fore removing his bishop from an attack, it would be useful for Black to weaken his opponent's king side with 10...tLlxg3 ll.hxg3 .icSt
14.e4 Wi'b8 15.b3 �b6 + 16.c!>hl 1Ue8 =
Black is preparing to advance with d6-d5, opening the d-file and preventing his opponent from or ganizing an effective kingside at tack.
10
• • .
.ic5 !?N
This is a logical move, prevent ing the manoeuvre tLlf5-e3, but it has not been tested in practice yet.
B2) 7.�e2
ll .ie3 •
After ll.tLle3 .ixe3 12.fxe3 fS 13.exf5 !!xfS 14.h3 .ixf3 15.!1xf3 �f6= Black completes his devel opment and has no problems at all. It is no improvement for White to opt for ll.i.d2 tLlf6 12.tLle3 .ixe3 13.fxe3 tLld7=, preparing t7-f5. ll .ixf5 It is also possible for Black to try the original idea ll...�f6!? 12.hc5 dxcS 13.g3 !!feB 14.!1e1 hfS lS.exfS W/xfS 16.tLlh4 WigS 17. tLlf3 Wi'fS= and White is unable to exploit the vulnerability of Black's tripled pawns. • • •
12.exf5 .ixe3 13.fxe3 �f6 96
White's knight will be better placed on g3 than on c3.
7
• . •
�e7 8.c3
For 8..ig5 c6 - see 7..ig5; 8. .ia4 tLlg6 9.c3 .ia5 10.tLlg3 c6 - see 8.c3. 8.tLlg3 c6 9..ia4 tLlg6 10.d4 (10. c3 .iaS - see 8.c3; Black has no
l.e4 eS 2. tiJj3 tiJ c6 3. tiJ c3 tiJj6 4. J.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 problems after 10.i.b3 h6 ll.h3 l3e8 12.c3 i.a5 13.l3e1 d5=, or 10. h3 d5 ll.c3 J.d6 12.l3e1, Nim zowitsch - Maroczy, Karlsbad 1907, 12... h6= and in both cases Black even enjoys a bit more space.) 10... exd4 ll.tiJxd4 d5 12. exd5 tiJxd5= The position is com pletely equal after the centre pawns have disappeared off the board, Janowski - Burn, Ostend 1907. After 8.h3 c6 9.i.a4 tiJg6 10.c3 i.a5 ll.i.c2 (here it is better for White to play ll.tiJg3 d5 - see 8. c3.) ll... d5 12.i.g5 (12.tiJg3 l3e8 13.�h1, Korenev - Diulger, Eforie Nord 1998, 13... i.b6t) 12... h6 13. i.e3, Novak - Priborsky, Klatovy 2002 and after 13...l3e8 14.tiJg3 i.b6t Black is deploy his pieces ideally and obtain a slight space advantage.
telin, St. Petersburg 1993, and af ter playing 12... tiJg6 13.tiJxg6 hxg6= Black fortifies his king side; 9.i.g5 tiJg6 10.tiJh4, Godena Toth, Switzerland 1997, and now with 10...c6 11.i.a4 i.b6 12.�h1 d5 13.exd5 �xd5= Black equalizes completely, since after 14.i.xf6?! gxf6 15.tiJf3 l3d8+ White is unlike ly to be able to exploit the slight weakening of his opponent's king side and his d3-pawn needs addi tional protection.
9 . . . c6 1 0 .ta4 •
For 10.i.c4 tiJg6 ll.i.b3 h6 see 10.i.a4.
l O . . . tiJg6
8 . . . .ta5
ll.d4
9.tiJg3 White has no chance of retain ing an edge after the alternatives: 9.h3 tiJg6 10.tiJg3 c6 11.i.a4 d5 - see 9.tiJg3; 9.CiJh4 c6 10.i.a4 d5 1l.tiJg3 i.b6 12.h3, Gubanov - Pe-
ll.l3e1 l3e8 12.J.c2 d5 13.a4 (White can create more problems for his opponent with 13.i.g5!? h6 14..b:f6 �xf6 15.d4, but after 15... i.g4 16.exd5 .b:f3 17.�xf3 �xf3 18.gxf3 CiJh4 19.i.e4 cxd5 20..b:d5 exd4 2l.l3xe8+ l3xe8 22.b4 i.c7 23.cxd4 l3d8 24. .b:b7 l3xd4 25.a3 g6� practically by force we reach an endgame in which Black has more than enough compensation 97
Chapter S for the pawn.) 13....ic7= and Black's position in the centre is slightly preferable, Llaneza Vega - Sebastian, Germany 2009. In answer to ll..ib3, it is good for Black to play 1l...h6 12.h3 d5= The position becomes dead equal after ll.h3 dS 12..ib3, Varga - G.Timoshenko, Herculane 1996, 12... dxe4 13.dxe4 h6=
his opponent's king position.) 13...exd4 14.tt'lxd4 dS 15.exd5 tt'lxd5=
ll . . J:�e8
The position is symmetrical and both sides have similar devel opment; nevertheless, they have to play very accurately, because after 16.tt'ldf5 �f6 17.�f3 tt'le5 18. �hS, G.Kuzmin - A. Kharitonov, Moscow 1991, Black could have seized the initiative with the move 18....ic7t
12 . . . .ib6 ! 12 . .ic2 White supports his e4-pawn. It would less logical to play 12..ib3 h6 (But not 12...exd4?! 13.cxd4, Alekhine - Euwe, Am sterdam 1936, since the e4-pawn is taboo, because if 13...tt'lxe4? 14.tt'lxe4 l"i:xe4 15..ixf7+ @xf7 16. tt'l g5± White wins the exchange, so it turns out that Black has sim ply given up the centre to his op ponent for nothing.) 13.h3 (It would be more accurate for White to continue with 13.dxe5 dxeS 14.�c2 .ib6=; in the variation 13. l"i:e1?! .ig4, he is unable to main tain his centre and after 14.dxe5, Janowski - Tarrasch, Ostend 1907, 14... tt'lxe5+ Black destroys 98
After this move White is una ble to prevent the freeing pawn break d6-d5.
13.h3 But not 13.l"i:e1?! .ig4 14..ie3 d5t 13 d5 14. �xe5, P.Popovic Pruijssers, Germany 2010. • • .
l.e4 eS 2. 0f3 ttl c6 3. ttl c3 ttlf6 4. �b5 �b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 Now the position becomes to tally simplified after the following practically forced line: 14 �xe5 • . •
15.dxe5 �xe4 16.�xe4 dxe4 17.'ti'xd8 hd8 18.gel gxe5 19 .if4 ges 2 0 .he4 .ie7 21 .ic2 .ie6 22 .ib3 hb3 23.axb3 .ic5 = and the endgame looks very •
•
•
drawish.
B3) 7 .ig5 •
White bases his hopes of ob taining an advantage on this move.
7
• • •
�e7! ?
Black carries out the standard manoeuvre of his knight to the g6-square, without being afraid of the break-up of his kingside. He is preparing to play in the centre by advancing c7-c6 and d7-d5. This ancient move became fashionable again during the years 2010-2011, mostly owing to games by the ex-world champion Ruslan Ponomariov against the strongest Rumanian Grandmas ter Nisipeanu. Black is trying to seize the initiative.
8. �h4 After 8.�e2 c6 9.�a4 ttlg6 10. c3 �aS 11.b4, Schiffers - Steinitz, Nuremberg 1896, it seems very good for Black to aim his bishop at the f2-square by playing 11... �b6t It is not advisable for White to play 8.�c4 c6 9.hf6 (For 9.ttlh4 dS - see 8.�h4; it is inferior to opt for 9.'ti'e2 ttlg6 10.ttlh4, Janowski - Showalter, New York 1898, since Black can counter this with 10... ttlf4 11.hf4 exf4+ ob taining the advantage of the bish op pair and preparing the open ing of the central files with the move d6-d5; White also fails to retain any advantage with the line: 9.ttle2 ttlg6 10.c3 �a5 11.ttlh4, Matisons - Kostic, Bardejov 1926, to which Black can respond with 11... d5 12.exd5 cxdS 13.�b3 .ic7= with a slight advantage in the centre.) 9... gxf6 10.ttle2 dS 11.a3 .iaS 12.�a2 .ib6 13.ttlg3 ttlg6� Black has put White's light squared bishop out of play and has excellent counter- chances, based on eventual activity on the kingside. 99
Chapter S 8.h3 c 6 9.i.c4 (9.i.a4 lt'lg6 10. i.b3 h6 ll.i.d2 i.e6= ) 9 ... lt'lg6 10. lt'lh4, Zavoronkov - Zjukin, Tal linn 2 0 05 (10.lt'le2? ! h6 ll . .hf6 �xf6+ The lack of White's dark squared bishop is a telling factor in this position.) 10 . . . lt'lf4 ll.i.b3 lt'le6 12 .he6 fxe6 ! = Black has se curely covered the fS-square. 8.i.xf6 - This is a very princi pled move. 8 . . . gxf6 10 .bxc3 cxbS ll.i.gS f6 12 .i.e3 �aS+ and he obtains the better prospects thanks to the weakness of White's queenside pawns. 9.i.a4 lt'ld7
9 .d4 (Black can obtain a very good position after 9.lt'ld5 lt'lxdS 10.exd5 i.g4?, or 9.lt'le2 c6 10. i.a4 fS ll.exfS, Schiffers - Hal prin, Vienna 1898, ll . . . lt'lxfS? or 9.lt'lh4 c6 10 .i.a4 fS?) 9 . . . hc3 10.bxc3 c6 ll.i.e2 (ll.i.d3 lt'lg6=) l l . . . lt'lg6 12J!e1 fS 13.exf5 hfS 14.i.d3 �f6 15 . .hf5 �xfS = White is unable to exploit the somewhat insecure position of his oppo nent's king, while Black domi nates in the centre and has excel lent prospects after an exchange of queens, Bogut - S.Atalik, Neum 2 004. 8 c6 (diagram) 9 .tc4 In response to 9 . .hf6?! Black has the strong line : 9 . . . .ixc3 ! ...
.
100
Now: 10.a3 hc3 11.bxc3 lt'lc5 12 .i.b3 lt'lxb3 13.cxb3 i.e6 = and Black has no problems at all, Y.Gruenfeld Baron, Petach Tikva 2011; 10.i.b3 ll:lcS (10 ... h6? ll . .ixe7 �xe7 12.lt'lg6± White ends up with an extra exchange) ll.lt'lfS hfS 1 2 .exf5 h6 13.i.h4 �d7 14.he7 (in the variation 14.f6 lt'lg6 15.fxg7 <;t>xg7 16.ig3 fSt Black has excel lent attacking chances) 14 . . . �xe7 15.lt'le2 dS+ with a very strong po sition for Black in the centre, Ni tin - A.Gupta, Dubai 2011; 10.lt'le2 lt'lcS ll.c3 (The game is
l.e4 e5 2. ltJ.f3 tt'l c6 3. ttJc3 ltJf6 4. i.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 equal after ll.i.b3 tt'Jxb3 12.axb3 f6 13.i.d2 .ixd2 14.W/xd2 dS= White's rook on a1 has become ac tive, while Black has obtained a slight space advantage.) ll . . . tt'Jxa4 12.cxb4 (12.W/xa4 i.cS 13.d4 i.b6 14J'!:ad1 i.g4 ! 15.f3 i.e6+ Black has the better prospects thanks to his bishop pair, Negi - Sargissian, Sestao 2 010) 12 . . . tt'lb6 13.a4 i.e6 14.tt'lg3 f6 15.i.e3 dS= Black has a bit of extra space and his king is quite safe. After White's risky at tempt 16.a5 d4 17.i.d2 lt'Jd7 18.f4 exf4 19.tt'le2 tt'JeS 20 .tt'lxf4 i.t7 2 1 . tt'Jf3, Adams - Clery, Mulhouse 2011, Black could have seized the initiative by attacking the en emy b4-pawn with the move 21 . . . W/d6t 9 . . . d5
B3a) lO.hf6 White is trying to prove that the weakening of his opponent's king position is more important than the advantage of the bishop pair, which he presents to Black with this move. 1 0 gxf6
Here it is worth analyzing thoroughly B3a) 1 0 .hf6 and B3b) 1 0 .i.b3. In answer to 10.exd5, R. Pon omariov - A.Mastrovasilis, Rima vska Sobota 1996, it is good for Black to opt for 10 . . . tt'Jexd5 11.tt'le4 i.e7= with unavoidable simplifi cation.
14.W/h5 - This quite natural and aggressive move was tried only in the game Schiffers Teichmann, Berlin 1897. Black must react very precisely. First he must support his centre pawns : 14 . . . i.e6 15J:!ae1 (after 15.d4 l!>h8 16.dxe5, Black has the pleasant choice between the equalizing
.••
ll.i.b3 ll.exdS cxdS 12 .i.b3 hc3 13. bxc3 lt'Jg6
101
Chapter S line : 16 . . . ttlxh4 17.�xh4 fxeS 18. �g3 f6 = and the double-edged variation 16 . . . ttlf4 17.�h6 fxeS 18. 13ae1 f6 19.g3 13g8 2 0 .'i!th1 tt:lg6�) 1S . . .'i!th8 16.ttlxg6+ (It is inferior for White to continue with 16.d4 e4+ since Black's centre is very solid and White's bishop on b3 might remain out of play for long time to come. 16.g3 �d7 17.ttlg2 rtlg7 18.ttle3 d4 ! - Black must dis lodge the enemy knight from its excellent post, since White was already threatening to advance his f2-pawn. 19.cxd4 exd4 20.ttlg2 i.g4 2 1.�dS 13fd8 2 2 .�xd7 i.xd7! = White is unable to make use of the vulnerability of Black's pawns, mainly because his knight is badly misplaced.) 16 . . . fxg6 17.�h6 aS 18.a4 13f7 19.f4 �b6+ 2 0 .'i!th1 �c7 21.fxeS fxeS 22.13xf7 i.x£7= White's pawn on c3 and Black's eS-pawn are equally weak; 14.ttlxg6?! - It is not logical for White to strengthen his oppo nent's king position, although this move has been played very often. 14 . . .hxg6 1S.�d2 (It is inferior for him to continue with 1S.f4 e4 16. c4? ! Arngrimsson - Semcesen, Reykjavik 2 009. Black can coun ter this with 16 . . . dxc4 17.i.xc4 bS ! 18 .i.b3 �d4+ 19.rtlh1 exd3 2 0 . �xd3 �xd3 21.cxd3 i.fS 2 2 .d4 aS+ and he ends up with the better endgame, thanks to the possibili ty of creating an outside passed pawn. It is also important that White's centre pawn cannot ad vance beyond the dS-square. White fails to equalize with 1S.13b1 102
i.e6 16.f4 �c7 17.fxeS fxeS+ when his bishop is passive and his c3pawn is weak, Koehler - Schmidt, New York 1898. It is much safer for him to play 1S.c4 ! i.e6 16.cxdS i.xdS 17.f4 ®g7 18 .fxeS fxeS= when White has got rid of his vul nerable c3-pawn, but Black has no weaknesses in his camp either, Schulz - Hromadka, Trencianske Teplice 1926.) 15 . . . ®g7. After 16. 13ae1, Schiffers - Janowski, Mos cow 1901, Black can play 16 . . . i.e6 17.f4 �c7 18.fxe5 fxeS+ and Black obtains a solid centre and can ex ert pressure against the weak en emy c3-pawn. In response to 16.f4, Schiffers - Suechting, Berlin 1897, it is very good for Black to play 16 . . . �b6+ 17.d4 exd4 18.cxd4 �d6+ White's bishop is incarcerated and any at tempt to free it would lead to the appearance of another weak pawn.
ll a5 ! This is an important improve ment on Black's treatment of this position in a game played nearly a hundred years ago : ll . . . �d6 12. ...
l.e4 e5 2. 1:iJ.f.3 l:iJ c6 3. 1:iJ c3 1:iJf6 4. i.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0-0 'Wf3
after14.g3 l:iJf4 ! 15.'Wf3 (15.gxf4 l'!g8+ 16.
..•
Black's set-up in the centre is quite secure and his king is rela tively safe. In the endgame he will have the possibility of creating an outside passed pawn by advanc ing b7-b5, Saptarshi - Gupta, New Delhi 2011.
B3b) 10 .ib3 •
In the variations 14.1:iJe2 l:iJxh4 15.'Wxh4 l'!g8 16.exd5 cxd5 17.
Chapter S This is the most popular reply for White. He is convinced that the possibility of capturing on f6 is unlikely to run away. 1 0 a5 Black begins immediately ac tive queenside play, although it would be also very good to con tinue with 10 . . . �d6 ! ? , Caruana Aronian, Moscow 2010. ll.a3 After 11.a4 �d6 12 .�f3 h6 13 . .ixf6 �xf6 14.�xf6 gxf6 15.f4 (White fails to obtain any advan tage with the line : 15.exd5 .ixc3 16.bxc3 tt:lxd5 17 . .ixd5 cxd5 18.f4 l'!a6 ! =) 15 . . . i.e6= White is unlike ly to be able to exploit the weak ness of his opponent's kingside pawns, while Black has already occupied the centre. Black has nothing to be afraid of after 16. exd5 cxd5 17.tt:lb5 l'!ad8= Yu Rui yuan - Harikrishna, Mashhad 2011. A much more dangerous try is 16.f5, Kotsur - Pashikian, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011, but here Black can obtain excellent coun terplay with the far-from-obvious idea of 16 . . . i.c8 ! (the right square for this bishop is a6 ! ) 17. tt:le2 b6 18.tt:lg3 i.c5+ 19.@h1 l'!d8 ! 20.tt:lh5 l'!d6 21.tt:lf3 (White's attempt to mate his opponent fails after 21. l'!f3 @f8 2 2 . l'!g3 i.f2 23.l'!g4 .ixh4 24.l'!xh4 dxe4 25.dxe4 i.a6+) 2 1 . . . i.a6? and Black has succeeded in protecting his f6-pawn with his rook and now the weakness of his kingside pawns is completely
compensated for by his advantage of the bishop pair and the possi bility of occupying the d-file. ll . . . hc3 12.bxc3
• • •
104
The diagram position was reached in the game Ni Hua - Yu Lie, Guangzhou 2010. Here Black can already seize some more space on the queenside with 12 . . . a4! 13 .ia2 YlYd6 14.YlYf3 It is inferior for White to opt for 14.f4 dxe4 15.fxe5 (in the vari ation 15.dxe4 �c5+ 16.@h1 tt:lxe4 17 . .ixe7 �xe'l+ White loses anoth er pawn) 15 . . . �xe5 16 . .ixf6 gxf6 17.dxe4 �xc3 18.�d6 tt:lg6 19. tt:lxg6 hxg6+. White can regain his pawn only at the cost of exchang ing queens, but then the endgame will be very difficult for him owing to his numerous weak pawns. 14 ... h6 15.hf6 Yfxf6 16. fixf6 gxf6 17.f4 (17.l'!fe1 dxe4 18.l'!xe4 tt:ld5t) 17 .. J:!a5? Both sides have weak pawns on differ ent sides of the board, so the posi tion is double-edged. •
Chapter 9
l.e4 e5 2.tL�fJ ttlc6 3 . d4 exd4 Goring Gambit Scotch Gambit
White's main move in the dia gram position is 4.tt:\xd4 (Chap ters 10-12). Sharper positions can arise if White does not recapture this pawn immediately. We shall analyse the Goring Gambit with A) 4.c3 and the Scotch Gambit with B) 4 . .ic4. In response to 4 . .ib5 Black can play for example 4 . . . tt:\f6 - see Chapter 1 of our book "The Berlin Defence", or 4 . . . a6, which is also good, transposing to other popu lar variations of the Ruy Lopez. Nevertheless, the best choice is simply to retain the extra pawn with the move 4 . . . .ic5. There might follow: 5.0-0 (in reply to 5.tt:\bd2, Black can end up with a solid extra pawn in the centre by
playing 5 . . . a6 6.hc6 dxc6 7.0-0 .ia7+, while after 5.c3 dxc3 6.tt:\xc3 tt:\ge7 7 . .ig5 0-0 8.We2 a6 9 . .ic4 d6+ Black has no problems with the development of his pieces, Butarova - Zemlina, Russia 2003) 5 . . . a6 6 . .ia4 (after 6 . .ic4, Black should react in similar fash ion to variation B, by playing 6 . . . d 6 7.c3 .ig4 and the fact that his pawn is on a7 and not on a6 is not at all detrimental to his position) 6 . . . tt:\ge7 7.tt:\g5 (Black should not be afraid of 7.b4? ! .ixb4 8.tt:\xd4 0-0 9 . .ib2 .ic5+ Schiller - I. Ivanov, Los Angeles 1995; it seems much more insidious for White to opt for 7.c3 ! ? dxc3 8. tt:\g5, Akvist - Wedberg, Eksjo 1979, but Black has at his disposal the resolute deflecting counter blow - 8 . . . c2 ! 9 . .ixc2 d6 10 ..ib3 tt:\e5 ll.@h1 h6 12.f4 and here the simplest response is 12 . . . .ig4 ! ? 13.We1 hxg5 14.fxe5 tt:\g6 ! 15. hf7+ @d7, making use of the fact that White loses after 16.hg6?? E!xh2+ 17.@xh2 Wh8+ 18.@g3 Wh4#, while after 16.e6+ .ixe6 17.he6+ @xe6t Black has an ex tra pawn and dangerous threats 105
Chapter 9 on the h-file, while his own king can be easily evacuated to a safe zone.) 7 . . .f6 8 . .ib3 (It is more ac curate for White to continue with 8.lL!f3 0-0 9.c3 dxc3 10.lL!xc3 d6+ and White has some compensa tion for the pawn, although it is insufficient. White can also try 8. lL!f7 Wxf7 9.�h5+ g6 10.�xc5 d6 11..ib3+ , Ryden -Ahlberg, Goth enburg 1919, obtaining the advan tage of the two bishops, but Black can deprive his opponent of this trump by giving back his extra pawn with ll . . . .ie6 12 . .ixe6+ Wxe6 13.�c4+ dS 14.�b3 Wf7 15. exdS 'r9xd5 16.�xb7 lL!eS 17. �xdS+ lL!xdS+ retaining a consid erable lead in development.) 8 . . . fxgS 9.'r9h5+ lL!g6 lO . .ixgS .ie7 11 . .id2 , Balinov - Sarakauskas, Schwarzach 2000. White has sac rificed a piece and kept his oppo nent's king stranded in the centre, but after ll . . . b6! 12.f4 .icS ! - + with the idea of �h4 ! , Black easily neutralizes all the threats. White's alternatives do not create any serious problems for Black: 4 . .ig5 .ie7 S ..ixe7 (It is less natural for White to play S.h4? ! h6 6 ..if4 lL!f6 7.lL!bd2 0-0 8 . .id3 dS 9.e5 lL!g4+ Black ends up with an extra pawn and a superior po sition in the centre. His knight is ideally placed on the g4-square, weakened by White's fifth move.) s ... �xe7 6.lL!bd2 lL!f6 7 . .id3 (or 7 . .ib5 �b4+) 7 . . . d6 8.0-0 .ig4+ and White has no compensation for the pawn. 106
4 . .id3?! - On this square the bishop performs only defensive functions. 4 . . . -icS S.lL!bd2, Scher bakova - Kozhukina, Odessa 2008, s . . . d6 6.lL!b3 .ib6 7.o-o lL!f6+ Black has consolidated his extra centre pawn and is ready to attack the enemy e4-pawn.
A) 4.c3 ! ? This i s a n interesting sacrifice of the c-pawn, which is usually ir relevant in the middlegame, with the idea of gaining tempi for the development of the pieces. 4 . . . d5 !
Black's best way to counter this gambit is to decline it and en sure comfortable deployment of his forces. 5.exd5 In several games White has tried S.eS?! - with this he not only gives up a pawn, but also the light squares in the centre of the board. After s . . . dxc3, no matter how White recaptures on c3, he has no compensation for the pawn. If S . .id3 .ig4!
l.e4 e5 2.tt:\j3 tt:\c6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5
6.0-0 (if 6.WI'b3, Black obtains the better prospects by playing 6 . . . hf3 ! 7.gxf3 tt:lge7, for exam ple : 8 . .if4 g6 9.tt:la3 .ig7+ or 8. 0-0 Wl'd7 9.exd5 tt:JxdS 10.WI'xb7 j'!b8 ll.WI'a6 i.e?+ and in both cases White must fight for equal ity with his ruined kingside. In reply to 6.cxd4, Black obtains a very good position with 6 . . . Wl'd7! 7.exd5 tt:Jxd4 8. tt:lc3 .ib4 9 ..ie4 tt:Jxf3 10.hf3 hf3 11. Wl'xf3 0-0-0 12.0-0 .ixc3 13.bxc3 Wl'xdS 14. Wl'g4+ �b8 1S.WI'xg7 tt:le7+± and his chances are not at all worse in a fight on both flanks, owing to his well centralized pieces.) 6 . . . tt:lf6 7.j'!e1, Tran Thi Nhu - Nguy en Thi My, Hue 2009, and now Black's most convincing way of neutralizing White's threats seems to be 7 . . . .ie7 8.e5 tt:ld7 9. .ibS dxc3 10.tt:lxc3 a6 ll.hc6 bxc6 12 .WI'a4 .ixf3 13.gxf3 tt:lb6 14.Wxc6+ Wl'd7 15.Wxd7+ �xd7+ with a favourable endgame for Black. S.ibS - This is an attempt by White to continue in the spirit of the Ruy Lopez, but his pawn on c3 impedes the comfortable com pletion of his development. 5 . . . dxe4
6.tt:Jxd4 (after 6.We2 tt:lf6 7. tt:Jxd4 WdS 8.0-0, Bonner Coates, Ayr 1978, the simple re sponse 8 . . . .ic5 9 . .ie3 .ig4 10. hc6+ bxc6 11.Wa6 ib6+ enables Black to have a lead in develop ment and occupy the centre) 6 . . . .id7 7.tt:Jxc6 (White has n o com pensation for the pawn, even if he tries some other possibilities: in the variation 7.hc6 bxc6, after both 8.\1;Ye2 fS 9.0-0 .id6 10.tt:ld2 tt:lf6+ and 8.0-0 id6 9.j'!e1 fS 10.ttla3 tt:lf6+ Black ends up with an extra centre pawn ; 7. Wa4 tt:Jxd4 8.WI'xd4 .ixbS 9.We5+ We7 10. WxbS+ c6 ll.WI'a4 fS+ Deev E.Egorov, Pavlodar 2008; 7.i.f4 .id6 8 . .bc6 bxc6 9.Wd2 tt:lf6+; 7.0-0 .id6 8.Wa4 tt:Jxd4 9.hd7+ Wxd7 10.\1;Yxd4 fS+ White is a pawn down and his queenside is not developed, Subrt - Horacek, Plzen 2 000) 7 . . . bxc6 8 . .ia4, Gar cia Cortes - Pascua Vilches, Vall adolid 1992 (8 . .ic4 .id6 9.0-0 tt:lf6+ with an extra pawn and comfortable development for Black) and now it looks very rea sonable for Black to continue with the aggressive line: 8 . . . .ic5 ! ? 9. 0-0 Wh4+ 5 \1;Yxd5 •••
107
Chapter 9
6.cxd4 In answer to 6 . .id3 ? ! it is very good for Black to play 6 . . . .ig4 7. �e2 Ejjge7 8 ..ie4 �d7 9.0-0 0-0-0+ and Black has won a centre pawn and leads in development. It is worse for White to play 6.tjjxd4 (jj f6 !+, because his c3pawn merely impedes the devel opment of his pieces, for example: 7.tjjx c6 (7 ..ie3 .ie7 8.c4 �a5+ 9. tjjc3 tjjxd4 10.hd4 0-0+ and Black leads in development, which guarantees him a growing advantage in a position with open files in the centre) 7 . . . �xc6 8.ltld2 (Entering an endgame with 8.�e2+ .ie7 9.�b5 .id7 10.�xc6 hc6+ merely highlights White's lag in de velopment; after 8 . .ig5, Black can mobilize his forces faster: 8 . . . .id7 9.�e2+ .ie7 10.ltld2 0-0-0+) 8 . . . i.g4 9 . f3 , Schrimpl - Tschanter, Email 2 005 and here Black can exploit his opponent's develop ment problems by playing 9 . . . 0-0-0! 10.fxg4 !'!:e8+ ll.i.e2 �xg2 12 .!'!:fl i.c5--+ and White will be un able to activate his queenside. After 6.i.e2 i.g4 7.0-0 (7.cxd4 i.b4 - see 6.cxd4) 7 . . . d3 ! 8.�xd3 108
(8.c4 �d7 9.�xd3 �xd3 10 .hd3 hf3 11.gxf3 0-0-0 12.!'!:dl (jj ge7+ the bl-knight has gained access to the c3-square, but White cannot contest the d4-square and his kingside is in ruins. After 8.hd3 0-0-0= Black obtains a slight lead in development, but White should have sufficient resources to maintain the balance.) 8 . . . �xd3 9.hd3 hf3 10.gxf3, Wake ham - McAndrew, Email 2005, Black can continue here with 10 . . . 0-0-0 ll.i.c2 lt:le5 12.f4 ltlg6? and he reaches a very promising position, thanks to his superior development and White's ruined kingside. After 6.i.e3 i.g4 (a very inter esting and rather unclear position arises after 6 . . . i.f5 ! ? 7.lt:lxd4 0-0-0oo) 7.i.e2 (7.cxd4 hf3 see 6.cxd4) 7 . . . d3 ! 8.�xd3 �xd3 9 .hd3 0-0-0= Black easily solves all his problems. 6 J.g4 .••
7 . .ie2 It would be too passive for White to opt for 7.lt:lbd2? 0-0-0 8.i.e2, Munk - Miklos, Bratislava
l.e4 eS 2. ttlj3 tLlc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dS 2 0 04, 8 . . . tLlf6+ - Black has de ployed his pieces in the centre in ideal fashion and leads in devel opment. 7 . .ie3 i.xf3 8.gxf3 (In the end game after 8.�xf3 �xf3 9.gxf3, Riemann - Anderssen, Breslau 1875, 9 . . . tLlb4 lO . .tbS+ c6 ll . .ia4 .id6 1 2 . 0- 0 llJe7+ he controls the important dS-square.) 8 . . . .ib4+ 9.tLlc3, Rosenzweig - Kupka, Czech Republic 20 06, 9 . . .tLlf6 10. a3 .ixc3+ 11.bxc3 0-0 12 . .id3 ttlaS ! 13.0-0 llJc4+ White has the advantage of the two bishops, but here this is not sufficient even for equality, owing to the numerous weaknesses in his camp. 7.tLlc3 .ib4 8.a3 (8 . .ie2 .ixf3 ! - see 7 . .ie2 ; in the variation 8.i.d2 �e6+ White ended up a pawn down in an endgame after 9. �e2 ? ! hf3 10 .�xe6+ fxe6 ll.gxf3 llJxd4+ Chaplin - Lane, Royan 1989, but even after 9 . .ie3 tLlf6 10 . .ie2 tLldS 11.�d2 0-0+ only White has anything to worry about.)
�xa1 10 . .ie2 tLlxb4 11.0-0 �a5 1 2 . �b3gg and White's initiative pro vides him with good compensa tion for the sacrificed exchange.) 9.axb4 (9.�xf3? �xf3 10.gxf3 llJxd4 ll.axb4 tLlc2+ 12 .'kt>d1 tLlxa1 13 . .ic4 0-0-0+ 14 . .id2 ttle7-+ White is unable to trap Black's knight, Stojkovska - Atnilov, Budva 2003; 9.gxf3 .ixc3+ 10. bxc3 ttlf6? White's two bishops are not sufficient to compensate for the numerous weaknesses in his camp.) 9 . . . �e6+ ! ? (This is Black's simplest route to equali ty.) 10 . .ie2 .ixe2 ll.tLlxe2 tLlf6 12. 0-0 0-0 13.b5 llJb4= White's bS pawn considerably cramps Black's queenside, but he can easily ex change it, after which White will need to take care about the pro tection of his d4-pawn, Voigt Chandler, Germany 2002. 7 .ib4+ 8.tLlc3 Or 8 . .id2 ? ! .ixd2 + 9.tLlbxd2, Klee - Minge, corr. 1994 (after 9. �xd2 0 - 0 -0 + Black leads in de velopment) 9 . . . tLlf6 10.0-0 0-0+ and White has no compensation for the weakness of White's d4pawn. ••.
8 . . . .ixf3 (It is inferior for Black to play the seemingly attractive line: 8 . . . �a5? ! , Warzecha - Kocks, Germany 2000, in view of 9.axb4 ! 109
Chapter 9 8 . .ixf3! Black is not forced to present his opponent with the advantage of the two bishops, but this is his most direct road to equality. 9.hf3�c4 ..
1 0 . .ixc6+ White's alternatives are not very promising. 10.d5? ! �d4 ll.i.d2 0-0-0+ - White's king is stranded in the centre and the dS-pawn is weak, Viszlai - Marek, Presov. After 10 .i.d2 0-0-0 ll.i.xc6, Goris - Schott, Davos 2006 (after ll.a3 i.aS+ White will have prob lems with his centralized king and the protection of his d4-pawn.) 11.. .�xc6+ White has given up his only advantage - the two bishops - and has gained nothing in return. In the variation 10.i.e2 i.xc3+ ll.bxc3 �xc3+ 12 .i.d2 �xd4+ the position is opened and White's bishop-pair provides some com pensation for his two missing pawns, Mehlhorn - Van Bogaert, corr. 1992. 10.i.e3 i.xc3 + ll.bxc3 �xc3 + 12 .�fl (12 . .id2 �a3= ) 12 . . . �c4+ 110
13. �g1 (It is a quick draw after 13.i.e2 �dS 14.i.f3 �c4=) 13 . . . �ge7 14J''k 1 (14.�d2? ! , Warzecha - Fahrbach, corr. 199 2, 14 . . . 0-0 15J''lc 1 �a4+ Black has only one extra pawn, but he has no prob lems with his development and a clear-cut plan of action against his opponent's vulnerable d4pawn.) 14 . . . �xa2 15J''!:a 1 �c4 16. !'lc1= , draw, Marshall - Capa blanca, Lake Hopatcong 1926. Black has won a couple of pawns, but he cannot avoid the repetition of moves. White has no reason to decline the draw either; otherwise he is behind on material and might come off second best. 10.�b3 (After the exchange of queens, White will have weak pawns on the queenside and this prevents him from exploiting the power of his bishop-pair.) 10 . . . �xb3 ll.axb3 (ll.i.xc6+ bxc6 see 10.i.xc6) ll . . . �ge7 12.0-0 (12. i.gS �fS 13.d5 �cd4 14.i.d1 0-0+ White has problems coordinating his pieces; 12.i.e3 0-0-0 13.0-0-0 �b8 14J''!:h e1 �fS 15.i.xc6 bxc6+ Black's forces are much more ac tive than their white counterparts, Borin - Karpatchev, Arco 2003) 12 . . . 0-0-0
l.e4 e5 2 .!Df.3 .!Dc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5 .
13 ..ie3 (The move 13.dS leads to considerable simplification: 13 ....!Dd4 14.l'!xa7 .!Dxf3+ 1S.gxf3 .ixc3 16.bxc3 .!DxdS 17.c4 'it>b8 18. l'!a3 .!Db4 19 ..ie3, Marie - Veroci, Belgrade 1989, after playing 19 ... .!Dc2 2 0.l'!a2 .!Dxe3 2 1.fxe3 c6= Black enters a double-rook end game and can fight for the advan tage, because his king can be acti vated much more easily.) 13 ...a6 14.l'!fd1 (14..!Da2?! - with this move, White merely helps the centrali zation of Black's monarch. 14 ... .iaS 1S. .!Dc3 .ib6 16.dS, Schneider - Serrano, Germany 1993, 16 ... .!DeS 17..ie4 .ixe3 18.fxe3 'it>b8+ Black has obtained excellent out posts for his knights on eS and d6; 14.l'!a4? ! White voluntarily iso lates his rook from the action. 14...aS. Now, after 1S ..!DbS .!DdS 16.l'!d1 l'!he8+ White has no com pensation for his weak queenside pawns, Mastrovasilis - Georgiou, Niforeika 2000, while after 1S. l'!d1, Olsar - Walowy, Karvina 2003, 1S...l'!he8 16.g3 'it>b8� Black's piece activity compensates for White's advantage of the bishop pair.) 14...l'!he8 1S.l'!a4 (After 1S. l'!ac1, Izbinski - Nurkiewicz, Lub niewice 2002, 1S...'it>b8 16.g3 .!DfS+ White has great problems in the centre. It is more accurate for him to play 1S.g3 'it>b8 = Forster - Go dena, Switzerland 200S.) 1S...aS 16.l'!aa1 'it>b8 17.l'!ac1 .!DfS+ Black has deployed his pieces in ideal fashion and begins the siege of White's vulnerable d4-pawn, Bon ner - R.O'Kelly, Morecambe 197S.
1 0 . . . bxc6
11.1Ne2+ After 11.'Wb3 �xb3 12.axb3 aS= the mutual weaknesses on the queenside balance the pros pects.
Tournament practice confirms the evaluation of this position as favourable for Black. 13.0-0 0-0-0 14..!Da2 (14. .ie3?! .!De7+) 14....!De7 1S . .!Dxb4 axb4 16 ..id2 .!DdS 17.l'!a4 'it>d7= Black's position is completely safe, thanks to his powerful cen tralized knight, Wolff - Kosiol, DDR 1990. 13 ..igS f6 14..ie3 .!De7 1S.'it>e2 0-0-0 16 ..!Da2 , Burnier - Van Beurden, France 1993, 16 ....!DdS= 13 ..if4 0-0-0 14.0-0 (14. 111
Chapter 9 0-0-0 lt:'le7+) 14 ... lt:'le7 1S.lt:'la2 l'!he8 16.lt:'lxb4 axb4 17.l'!fe1 ltJdS. Black has no problems at all. White's attempt to simplify the position as much as possible with the line 18 ..id2 l'!xe1+ 19.he1 l'!e8 2 0.l'!a8+ 'i!ld7 2 1.l'!xe8 'i!lxe8 2 2.f3 'i!ld7 23.g4 cS ! + fails, be cause despite the fact that the fight continues on both sides of the board, only Black can play for a win, since his pieces are notice ably more active, while White's queenside pawns are weak, Spooner - MacKintosh, Email 20 03. 11 . . . -exe2+ 12.�xe2 lt:'le7 Black's queenside is in ruins, but White will find it difficult to exploit this effectively, while Black has a clear-cut plan of ac tion against the enemy d4-pawn.
13 . .te3 It is no better for White to opt for 13.l'!d1 0-0-0 14.'i!lfl cS 1S. dxcS, Havlikova - Miturova, Czech Republic 2 0 04, because the game ends in a draw almost by force, after 1S ...hc3 16.l'!xd8+ l'!xd8 17.bxc3 l'!d3 18 ..ib2 l'!d2 112
19.l'!e1 'i!ld7 2 0.l'!e2 l'!d1+ 2 1.l'!e1 l'!d2 = 13.'i!ld3 0-0-0 14.�c4 (14..ie3 ltJfS 1S.'i!lc4 .iaS 16.g4 lt:'ld6+ 17. 'i!ld3 i.b6 18.a4 aS 19.l'!ad1 fS 20. h3 �b7 2 1.'i!lc2 l'!hf8 = and Black has no problems whatsoever, Dos Santos - Salzmann, Email 2007) 14....iaS 1S ..igS (1S.b4 .ib6 16 ..ie3 ltJdS 17.a3 l'!he8 18.1'!he1, Kot Staniszewski, Warsaw 2 0 0S, 18 ... lt:'lxc3 19. �xc3 aS=) 1S ...f6 16..ie3 .ib6 17.1'!hd1 ltJfS= The weakness of the d4-pawn does not allow White to fight for the advantage, Dolgov - Fleischanderl, Email 2002. 13 .. 0 - 0 - 0 14,ghdl Black has nothing to worry about after 14.lt:'la4 l'!he8 1S.l'!hd1 ltJdS= since although White's d4pawn is securely protected Black has an easy plan of action on the e-file, Ruck - Acs, Hungary 1994. 14 .. ,ghe8 .
15.gacl White has no advantage after 1S.l'!d3 ltJfS 16J'!ad1 cS 17.dxc5 l'!xd3 18.l'!xd3 hcS= Varitski Pedersen, Pardubice 2 0 0S.
l.e4 e5 2. tt:l./3 tt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4 . .ic4 .ic5 15 .ia5 16.1t>f3 .ib6 = White has no chance of attacking Black's weak pawns, while White's d4pawn needs permanent protec tion, Zarnicki - Soppe, Buenos Aires 1998. • • •
B) 4 . .ic4 The Scotch Gambit. This is a useful developing move. White delays the pawn-advance c2-c3 for a while, although he can hard ly manage without it. In fact, Black's pawn on d4 deprives White's knight on b1 of its best development square - c3.
4 .ic5 It is natural for Black to pro tect his d4-pawn, preventing its capture. 5. 0 - 0 The variation 5.c3 tt:lf6 trans poses to the Italian Game - see Chapter 18. 5.i.f4? ! We will study this move only for the sake of statis tics, since White has won all the games so far played with it. 5 . . . d6 6.tt:lg5, Valverde Lujan - Rubio
Barrio, Valladolid 1990 and here Black can retains a great advan tage with 6 . . . tt:le5 7 . .ixe5 'Wxg5 8. i.g3 tt:lf6+ 5.e5 tt:lge7 6.0-0 0-0 7.tt:lbd2 d5 8.exd6 .ixd6+ White cannot equalize with the aggressive line 5.i.g5 tt:lge7 6. c3 , Regnat - Bildt, Mittelfranken 2009, 6 . . . dxc3 7.tt:lxc3 0-0 8.0-0 h6 9.i.h4 d6 10.tt:ld5 i.e6+ - he has some compensation for the pawn (having seized some space in the centre), but not enough. 5.tt:lbd2 - This move is too slow, Hoferek - Turkova, Lip tovsky Mikulas 2 005, 5 . . . d6 6. tt:lb3 i.g4 7 . 0 -0 tt:lf6+ White has failed to regain his centre pawn and needs to think about equaliz ing. White can also try 5.tt:lg5 tt:lh6
• • .
For 6 . .ixf7+ tt:lxt7 7.tt:lxt7 \t>xt7 - see 6.tt:lxt7. After 6.'Wh5 'We7 7.0-0 (The alternatives for White lead to dif ficult positions for him : in answer to 7.f4?, Von Eckstadt - Anders sen, Leipzig 1855, Black can begin a decisive counter-attack by play ing 7 . . . d5 ! 8 . .ixd5 tt:lb4 9.i.b3 i.g4 10.'Wh4 f6- + , it is bad for White, 113
Chapter 9 for similar reasons, to opt for 7. c3? - 7 ... ./tJeS 8 . .ie2 d3 9 ..id1 dS-+ ; 7.tt'lf3? - this move loses a second pawn. 7 . . . �xe4+ 8.�d1 �fS 9 . j:'1e1+ .ie7- + ; 7 . ./tJ xfl tt'lxfl 8. ht7+ �xfl 9.�xcS, Bassett Woollett, Dublin 1892, after 9 . . . b 6 lO.�bS aS !+ White has re gained his pawn, but is consider ably behind in development.) 7 . . . d 6 8.h3 (Here i t i s bad t o continue with 8.f4? .ig4 9.�h4, Stein Lobo, Palo Alto 198 1, 9 . . . .ie2 ! 10. .ixe2 d3+ 11.�h1 dxe2 12,j:'1e1 .lt'ld4- + , or 8.c3? .ig4 9.�h4 .lt'leS ! 10.cxd4 hd4 11..ib3 f6 12 . .1t'lh3 .lt'lht7- +) 8 . . . ./tJeS 9 . .ib3 (9 . .ibS+? c6 10 . .ia4 .lt'lg8 ! - + Black transfers his passive knight to a better square, with tempo) 9 . . . .id7 10. f4 .lt'lc6 11.fS (11 ..id2 0-0-0+) 0-0-0+ White can capture the enemy t7-pawn, but his queenside is undeveloped and his e4-pawn will need additional protection. White can regain his pawn by playing 6 . .1t'lxt7 .lt'lxt7 7.ht7+ (Af ter 7.�hS �e7 8.ht7+ �xt7 9. �xeS b6 10.�bS aS+ White has problems evacuating his king away from the centre) 7 . . . �xt7 8. �hS+ g6 9.�xcS (9.�dS+ �g7 10. �xeS j:'1e8+)
114
9 . . . dS ! This is the most precise way for Black to exploit his lead in development. He is trying to or ganize an attack against his oppo nent's king which is stranded in the centre. 10.0-0! This is the only move. (10 .exdS? j:'1e8 + 11. �d1 j:'1eS 12 .c4 �h4-+ ; 11. �f1 b6 12. �c4 .lt'laS 13.�bS .lt'lb3 ! ! 14.cxb3 aS-+ and White is unable to com plete his development, Hadden Vnukov, Email 1999; after 10.eS? ! j:'1e8 it would be too risky for him to play 11 . .if4 �f6 12 . .ig3 j:'1xeS+ 13 .heS �xeS+ 14.�d1 �gs� and Black's attack is decisive, while in the variation 11.0-0 j:'1xeS 12 . .if4, Mamedov - Grischuk, Internet 2 0 03, 12 . . . j:'1e4 13 . .ig3 .ifS 14 . .1t'ld2 j:'1e2 1S.j:'1ad1 �d7+ Black remains with an extra pawn and ideally placed pieces; White cannot equalize by entering an endgame with 10.�xdS �xdS 11.exdS .lt'lb4 12 . .1t'la3 j:'1e8 + 13.�d1 .lt'lxdS and af ter 14 . ./tJbS .ifS 1S.id2 j:'1ad8+ Lin diawati - Pokorna, Jakarta 2007, or 14.igS ifS+, Black's central ized pieces give him the better prospects.) 10 . . . dxe4 11.c3, Shu mov - Urusov, St. Petersburg 18S3, (in the variations 11.if4 j:'1e8 12 .c3 d3 13 . .1t'ld2 ifS 14.j:'1fe1 �d7+ or 1l.j:'1e1 j:'1e8 12 .igS �d7 13.c3 j:'1eS 14.�c4+ �e6 1S.�xe6+ he6 16 . .if4 j:'1aS+, White's compensa tion for the pawn is insufficient) and now the simplest response for Black is 11.. . .ifS 12.cxd4 �xd4 13.�bS j:'1he8 14.�xb7 �b6 1S. �xb6 axb6+ and he has already completed his development, while
l.e4 e5 2.lt:l.f3 lt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4. i.c4 i.c5 White must play very accurately to equalize. 5 . . . d6
6.c3 The alternatives rebound on White : 6.tt:lg5 ? ! - This premature at tack merely leads to a loss of tem pi. 6 . . . ltle5 7 ..tb3 h6 8.f4 d3+ 9. @h1 dxc2 10.'�xc2 hxg5 11.fxe5 ltlh6 12.e6 (12.exd6 �xd6 ! - + with the idea of mating the opponent after 13 ..ixg5 �xh2+ 14.@xh2 tt:lf5+ 15.i.h6 l3xh6#) 12 . . . fxe6 13. e5 ltlf5 14.l3xf5 exf5 15.e6 �f6-+ Black has an extra exchange, su perior development and an at tack, Garcia Ilundain - Shirov, Villarrobledo 1997. 6.h3 ? ! - White prevents his knight from being pinned at the cost of an important tempo. 6 . . . tt:lf6 7.l3e1 (7.c3 dxc3 8.ltlxc3 h 6 9.i.f4 o-m: Helvensteijn - La crosse, Netherlands 1996; or 7. i.g5 h6 8.i.h4 0-0 9.ltlbd2 l3e8 10 .l3e1 ltle5 n . .td3 tt:lg6 12 .i.g3, Harvey - Walker, Hinckley 2008, 12 . . . i.e6+, and in both cases White's compensation for the sac-
rificed centre pawn is obviously insufficient) 7 . . . 0-0 8.c3 (8.i.g5 ? ! h 6 9.i.h4 ltle5 10 .i.b3 ltlg6 ll.i.g3 l3e8+ Szopka - Pankiewicz, Wro claw 2 006) 8 . . . dxc3 9.ltlxc3 h6+ White has comfortably deployed his pieces, but Black has no prob lems with his development either, Engelbert - Sammalvuo, Copen hagen 2 0 04. 6.b4? ! .ixb4 7.tt:lxd4, Smid Michalek, Czech Republic 2008, 7 . . . ltlf6 8.ltlb3 0-0 9.c3 .tc5+ White has not succeeded in solv ing the problems, either with the development of his queenside or with regaining his pawn. 6.i.g5 ?! tt:lf6 7.c3 (7.i.b5 h6 8. i.h4, NN - Em. Lasker, Budapest 1900, 8 . . . 0-0 9.tt:lbd2 l3e8+; 7. tt:lbd2 - White cannot achieve much by quiet development. He is a pawn down and has no compen sation for it. 7 . . . h6 8.i.h4 0-0 9 . h 3 i.e6 10 .i.e2 l3e8+ Motyka Warakomska, Kolobrzeg 20 0 1 ; the move 7.e5 leads to simplifica tions which are advantageous for Black: 7 . . . dxe5 8.l3e1 0-0 9 .ltlxe5 tt:lxe5 10.l3xe5, Kanak - Kalivoda, Klatovy 2000, 10 . . . i.d6 ll.l3e1 h6 12 .i.h4 c5+ - Black ends up with a solid extra pawn) 7 . . . h6 8.i.h4 i.g4+ White's premature bishop sortie to g5 has provided Black with tempi for the development of his pieces and after the inaccurate move 9.'�b3? 0-0 10.�xb7 i.xf3 ll.gxf3 tt:le5 12 . .te2 l3b8 13.�a6 d3 14 . .td1 fub2-+ White fails to complete his development, Rob inson - Roberts, Swansea 2 0 0 2 . 115
Chapter 9 6J'!:e1 tt'lf6 7.e5 (7.c3 dxc3 8. tt'lxc3, P.Balogh - Tropp, Liptovs ky Mikulas 2005, 8 . . . tt'lg4 ! 9J!fl tt'lge5 10.tt'lxe5 tt'lxe5 11.i.e2 a6! + Black takes care of his bishop and retains an extra pawn) 7 . . . dxe5 8.tt'lxe5 o-m=. White has opened the e-file but Black has managed to evacuate his king, Galli - Soli nas, Bratto 1999. 6 . . J.g4!? Black does not need the extra pawn and he tries to use the time that White will spend regaining it to create meaningful counterplay. .
7.ti'b3 7.h.f7? - This combination loses. 7 . . . @xf7 8.tt'lg5+ �xg5 9. �b3+ i.e6 10.1!t/xb7, Allen - Adle man, Warren 1994, 10 . . . �g6 ! 11. �xa8 .ih3 12 .g3 1!t/xe4- + and Black mates quickly. 7.h3? ! - White obtains the ad vantage of the two bishops, but falls behind in development. 7 . . . .ixf3 8 .�xf3 �f6 9.�e2 ll::lg e7 1 0 . b 4 .ib6 11.i.b2, Marra - Pinheiro, Volta Redonda 2001, 11 . . . tt'lg6 12. g3 h5 and Black begins a decisive attack. 116
After 7 . .if4 tt'lf6 8.tt'lbd2 0-0+ Thorsteinsson - Kaidanov, Inter net 2000, or 7.tt'ld2 dxc3 8.bxc3, Shumov - Kolisch, St. Petersburg 1862, 8 . . . ll::lf6+ Black remains with a solid extra pawn. 7.b4 .ib6 8.�b3 (8.a4 a5 9.b5 ll::le 5 10 .i.e2 d3 ! 11.hd3, Mac Donnell - Steinitz, London 1862, 11 ... tt'lxf3+ 12.gxf3 .ih3 13J'!:e1 �h4 14J'!:a2 ll::le7+ Black has de stroyed the white king's shelter and leads in development.) 8 . . . 1!t/f6 9 . .ig5 (9.tt'lg5 ? ! ll::le 5 10.h3 .ih5 11.g4 h6 ! 12.f4 tt'lxc4 13.�xc4 hxg5 14.fxg5 �e5 15 ..if4 �xe4-+ Albin - Fleissig, Vienna 1890) 9 . . . �g6 10.tt'lbd2 , Sassi - Jagstaidt, Switzerland 1995, 10 . . . ll::lf6 11. l"!:ae1 0-0+ Black completes his development and has no prob lems at all. In the variation 7 . .ib5 .ixf3 8. 1!tfxf3 �f6 9.�d3 ll::lge7+ White's bishop pair does not provide him with sufficient compensation for the pawn, since Black leads in de velopment, Em. Lasker - Ruten berg, Moscow 1899.
7 .lxf3! • • •
l.e4 e5 2.ltlj3 ltlc6 3.d4 exd4 4. i.c4 i.cS The destruction of the white king's pawn shelter is much more important than the loss of the bishop pair. 8.hf7+ After 8.gxf3 lt:Je5 9.cxd4 ixd4 10.f4 (White fails to regain his pawn with 10 . .ixf7+ lt:Jxf7 11.Wa4+ Wd7 12 .Wxd4, because of 12 . . . lt:Je5 13.lt:Jd2 lt:Jxf3+ ! 14.lt:Jxf3 Wg4+ 15. \tlh1 Wxf3+ 16.\tlg1 lt:Je7-F Carame Gonzalez - Mannion, Catalan Bay 2004.) 10 . . . lt:Jxc4 11.Wxc4 i.b6 12.lt:Jc3 Wh4! --+ Black has won a pawn and begins an attack on his opponent's poorly defended king, Eliason - Anderssen, Berlin 1855. 8 \tlf8 •..
9. gxf3 After 9.i.xg8? 1"i:xg8 10.gxf3 g5+ the d4-pawn hampers White's harmonious development and his king is vulnerable, so Black has excellent attacking prospects. (diagram) White loses almost by force af ter 11.\tlh1 Wf6 12.f4 gxf4 13.Wxb7, Suhle - Anderssen, Cologne 1859, 13 . . . Wg5 ! 14.�xa8+ lt:Jd8 15.e5
c6-+ , or 11.�d1 Wd7 12 .b4, Ko lisch - Anderssen, Paris 1860, 12 ... Wh3 13.\tlh1 (13.bxc5 lt:Je5 14. lt:Jd2 dxc3-+) 13 ... dxc3 14.bxc5 c2 15.We1 Wxf3+ 16.\tlg1 lt:Jd4-+ , or 11.We6 lt:Je5 12.Wf5+ \tlg7 13.\tlh1 \tlh8 14.1"i:g1 g4 15.f4 lt:Jf3 16.1"i:xg4 Wh4 ! 17.1"i:g2 �xh2+ 18.1"i:xh2 1"i:g1# Reiner - Steinitz, Vienna 1860. In answer to 11.lt:Jd2, Kopetzky - Spielmann, Vienna 1933, the simplest course for Black would be to put his king in the corner, so that it does not get in the way of his attacking forces : 11 . . . \tlg7 1 2. \tlh1 dxc3 13.Wxc3+ i.d4 14.Wb3 Wf6 15.�xb7 lt:Je5+ If 11.Wxb7 lt:Je5 12.cxd4 1"i:b8 13.�d5 i.xd4--+ all Black's pieces are in action and he has a danger ous attack against White's ex posed king, Kusturin - Saracino, Italy 1984. 9 . . . dxc3 1 0 . .ixg8 White must play very accu rately, for example he loses after 10.bxc3 lt:Je5 11.i.d5 �h4 12 .Wd1 Wh3-+, while after 10.i.h5 g6 11. i.g4, City Turin - City Edinburgh, corr. 1911, Black wins quickly with 11 . . . lt:Jd4! 12.Wc4 Wh4 13.lt:Jxc3 h5-+ 10 ... gxg8 11.�xc3 �d4 117
Chapter 9 ll
The situation is less clear after gS!?�
Black's monarch at all.
. . .
12.'llYd l White is lost after 1 2 .'llYxb7? l'l:b8 13.�d5 �h4 14.�g2 g5-+ since Black's attack is decisive. 12 . . . �{6 13.f4 After 13.l2Jd5 �f7 14.�g2 c6 15. l2Je3 �g6+ 16.�h1 �hS 17.�g2 �g6= the game ends in a draw by repetition. 13 g5 ! Black brings his rook on g8 into action. 14.fxg5, Sosnik - Toczek, Mikolajki 1991. 14.f5 g4 1S . .tf4 l2Jf3+ 15.�h1, Von Heydebrand - Mayet, Berlin 1839, 15 . . . c6+ and Black deprives the enemy knight of the excellent dS-square, after which White's pieces will have difficulty in find ing good squares. Both kings look exposed, but White cannot hurt •••
118
Now Black can play 14 �f3 ! 15.�xf3+ �xf3+ 16.�hl �xg5= White cannot exploit the open position of Black's king now that the queens have left the board. White's king is cut off and this will be very important in the end game. However, White's pawn structure is slightly better, so the chances are approximately equal. •.•
Chapter 10
l.e4 e5 2.!L!f3 ll::lc 6 3 . d4 exd4 4.ll::lxd4 Scotch Game
The diagram position charac terizes the Scotch Game. This opening was very popular during the 19th century, but then it was almost forgotten for a long time. During the 90s of the last century it was resurrected, mostly because Garry Kasparov played it in his last match against Karpov. Nowa days this is one of the main open ing weapons of GM Sergey Rublevsky. 4... �(6 Besides this move, Black often plays 4 . . . .ic5, but that leads to po sitions of an entirely different type. 5.�xc6 5.lt:'lf5? - White loses several tempi with this move. 5 . . . d5 6. .ib5 lt:'lxe4 7.lt:'ld4 'i;!ff6+
5.f3?! - He fortifies his e4-pawn but weakens the dark squares and lags in development. 5 . . . d5 ! + 5.W/d3 ? ! - This queen sortie is premature. 5 . . . .ic5 6 ..ie3 (6.lt:'lxc6 bxc6+) 6 . . . lt:'le5 7.W/b3 lt:'lfg4+ Black is ahead in development and obtains the advantage of the two bishops. 5 . .ig5? ! h6 6.i.xf6 (After 6 . .ih4 g5+ White loses his centre pawn and will have to spend many tempi in order to regain it.) 6 . . . W/xf6 7.c3 .ic5 8.lt:'lf3 0 - 0 9 . .id3 d6 10.0-0 .ig4 ll.lt:'lbd2 lt:'le5 1 2 . .ie2 . White has maintained the material balance but presented his opponent with the advantage of the two bishops, and after 12 . . . lt:'lg6+ White might come under a dangerous attack. 5.lt:'lc3 .ib4 6 . .ig5 (6.lt:'lxc6 bxc6 - see variation A; 6.lt:'lf5? 0-0 7. .id3 d5 8.exd5 lt:'lxd5+ White lags considerably in development.) 6 . . . h 6 7 . .ih4 g 5 8.lt:'lxc6 hc3+ 9.bxc3 dxc6 10.W/xd8+ �xd8 11 ..ig3 lt:'lxe4 12.0-0-0+ .id7 13 . .ic4 lt:'lxg3 14. fxg3 �e7 15.hf7 .ig4 16.�d4 �xf7 17.�xg4 �ae8+ - The almost forced variation has ended and 119
Chapter l O Black's prospects are preferable, thanks to his superior pawn structure. 5.�c4? ! - This attempt by White to organize an attack against the enemy king is prema ture. 5 . . . ltJxe4 6.ltJxc6 (After 6. 0-0 d5 7.�b5 �d7+ Black has an extra centre pawn. White can re gain it with 6.hf7+ \t>xf7 7.'®'h5+ g6 8.'®'d5+ \t>g7 9.ltJxc6, but after 9 . . . '®'e8 ! 10.'®'e5+ '®'xeS 11.ltJxe5 �b4+ 12 .c3, Petrik - Priehoda, Nova Bana 1983, 12 . . . �d6 ! 13.ltJf3 b6+ Black obtains the advantage of the two bishops and his pieces are very comfortably placed.) 6 . . . bxc6 7.'®'e2 Vfie7 8.0-0. White leads in development at the cost of a pawn, but Black can neutral ize his activity with the precise re sponse 8 ... ltJd6 ! 9.�e1 (9.�e3?! ltJf5 10.�e1 d5 11.�d3 ltJxe3 12.'®'f3 �e6 13.�xe3 '®'b4+ with an extra cen tre pawn and the advantage of the two bishops.) 9 . . . �xe2 10.�xe2 + �e7 11.�d3 \t>d8+ Black should not be afraid of coming under at tack, now that the queens have disappeared from the board. After the completion of his develop ment, his advantage will increase. 5 .e5? ! ltJxe5 6.�e2 . White has given up a pawn and he needs to try to create some difficulties for his opponent. 6 . . . '®'e7 7.ltJf5. This is his most attractive move, but not the best. (He should prefer 7.�f4 d6 8.ltJc3 ltJg6 9.�e3 a6 10.0-0-0 c5 ll.ltJf3 �e6 12 .ltJg5 �f5+, or 7.ltJc3 ltJc6 8.ltJdb5 �xe2+ 9 .he2 @dB+ and in both cases 120
Black will have problems realiz ing his extra pawn.) 7 . . . '®'b4+ 8. ltJc3 (in the variation 8.c3 We4 9. ltJe3 ltJc6 10.ltJd2 '®'e6 ll.ltJf3 d5+ only White will have difficulties) 8 . . . d6 9.ltJe3 �e7 10.�d2 '®'c5 11. 0-0-0 c6 12.f4 ltJg6 13 .g3 0-0+ His hasty attack has been neutral ized and Black has a solid extra pawn, Rositsan - Ziatdinov, To ronto 1998. White fails to create problems for his opponent with the line: 5.�b5 a6 6.hc6 (It would be worse to opt for 6.�a4?! ltJxd4 7.'®'xd4 b5 8.�b3 c5 9.�e5+ �e7+ White will save his bishop but his queen is exposed in the centre of the board, which will enable Black to complete his development with tempo; after 6.ltJxc6 bxc6 7.�d3 d5= there arises a position from variation C, with the inclusion of the move a7-a6, which does not change the evaluation of the posi tion.) 6 . . . dxc6 7.0-0 c5 8.ltJb3 '®'xd1 9.�xd1, Kholmov - Reshev sky, Moscow 1991. Now Black can deploy his pieces in ideal fashion by playing 9 . . . �e6 10.�f4 (It is worse for White to opt for 10.ltJc3 �d6 11.�g5 ltJd7+ - his knight on b3 is cut off from the action, while Black's bishops are wonderfully placed and his knight is ready to go to the c4-outpost. His queen side pawns will advance easily at an opportune moment. Black has no problems either in the varia tion 10.f3 i.d6 ll.ltJc3 0-0-0 12. �e3 b6 13.ltJc1 ltJd7 14.ltJ1e2 h6=) 10 ... ltJxe4 11.hc7 �c8 12 . .if4 �d8 !
l.e4 e5 2. tiJj3 tiJc6 3.d4 exd4 4. tiJxd4 tiJf6 5. tiJxc6 be 6. tiJc3 i.b4 13J�xd8+ @xd8= Black has ex changed a pair of rooks, his king is safe and he can think about seizing the initiative. 5 bxc6 •..
In the diagram position White most often plays 6.e5 V!ffe 7 (Chap ters 11-12). In this chapter, we shall deal with some seldom played moves, among which we shall focus on: A) 6.tiJc3, B) 6.tiJd2 and C) 6.i.d3. After 6.i.g5 h6+ White either loses his e4-pawn, or he must give up his important dark-squared bishop for the enemy knight. In response to 6.'\Wd4, we rec ommend the amusing possibility 6 . . . i.d6 ! ?N, which has not yet been tried (Black has usually played 6 . . . d5) with the following sample variations : 7.i.d3 (7.i.g5 V!ffe 7 8.i.xf6 gxf6 9.tiJd2 i.eS 10. V!ie3 hb2 ll.l�b1 V!ffe S+ and de spite the fact that Black's king lacks a safe shelter, he has the better prospects thanks to his ex tra pawn and powerful dark squared bishop.) 7 . . . 0-0 8.tiJd2 (8.0-0 V!ie7 9.ll:k3 l'i:e8 10.h3 cS
11.V!ffe3 i.b7 12 .l'i:e1 '!WeS 13.f4 '!Wd4+. Black has completed his develop ment and his pieces are ideally placed. White cannot exploit the awkward position of his oppo nent's bishop on d6, because in the variation 14.e5? heS 15.fxe5 l'i:xeS+ he ends up at least a pawn down.) 8 . . . V!ffe 7 9.0-0 l'i:e8 10.llJf3 i.cS ! (After this accurate move Black reaches an equal endgame.) ll.V!ffc3 .ib4 12.1�'c4 dS 13.exd5 cxdS 14.V!ffh 4 tiJe4 15.V!ffxe7 he7=
A) 6.toc3 This position is very often reached from the Four Knights Game. 6 . . . .ib4
7 .id3 The alternatives for White re duce him to fighting for equality. 7.i.d2 V!ffe 7 8 . .id3 hc3 9.hc3 tiJxe4 10.0-0 tiJxc3 ll.V!ffh S tiJe2 + 12 .he2 0 -0+ Black has a solid extra pawn and he will easily make up his slight lag in develop ment. 7.i.g5 h6 8.i.h4 0-0 9.i.d3 dS 10.0-0 hc3 ll.bxc3 gS 12 . .ig3 •
121
Chapter 1 0 dxe4 1 3 . .ic4 '\We7+ Black has won a pawn, while White will find it dif ficult to exploit his opponent's weakened king position. 7.e5 - White's pieces are not ready to support his space advan tage. 7 . . . '\We7 8.'\We2 tt:ld5 9 . .id2 tt:Jxc3 10.hc3 hc3+ 11.bxc3 O-m: Rapoport - V. Dmitriev, Nikolaev 2007. After 7.'\Wd4 '\We7, White has difficulties in maintaining the material balance.
In the variations 8.f3 .ic5 9. '\Wd3 (9.�a4? l'i:b8 10.a3 0-0 11 . .ie2 d5-+ Palmiotto - Stoeckl, Munich 1958) 9 . . . 0-0 10 . .ie3 he3 11.'\Wxe3 d5! 12 .e5 l'i:e8 13.f4 tt:lg4 14.�d2 f6+ E.Semenova Haug, Kerner 2009, or 8.e5 .ic5 9.'\Wh4 (9.'\Wf4 .id6+) 9 . . . '\Wxe5+ 10 . .ie2 , Shevelev - Golod, Ramat Aviv 1998, 10 . . . 0-0+, or 8 . .ig5 '\Wxe4+ 9 . .ie3 0-0+ Livshits N.Mamedov, Verdun 1995, Black wins the enemy centre pawn and obtains a great advantage. White can fight for equality by playing 8 .i.d3 .ic5 9.'\Wa4 (9.�c4? ! tt:lg4 10.tt:ld1 d5 11.'\Wa4, Pons Hounie Fleurquin, Mar del Plata 1936, but after 11 . . . 0-0 he loses 122
after 1 2 . 0-0? '\We5-+ with a deci sive attack for Black, while in the variation 12.'\Wxc6 dxe4 13 . .ie2 l'i:b8+ Black occupies the centre and obtains a huge lead in devel opment.) 9 . . . tt:lg4 10.tt:ld1, Eick hoff - Ljubarskij , Bad Bevensen 2 005, 10 . . . l'i:b8 11.a3 �f6 12.0-0 '\We5 13.g3 O-m:, but Black still has the better prospects thanks to his lead in development and White's weakened kingside. 7 d5 •.•
8.exd5 After 8 . .ig5 h6 9 . .ih4 g5 10. .ig3 dxe4+ Black has an extra cen tre pawn. It is rather dubious for White to opt for 8.e5? ! tt:lg4. Now, we shall analyze two logical continu ations:
l.e4 e5 2.lb.j3 lb.c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 0.xd4 lb.f6 5.lb.xc6 be 6.lb.c3 i.b4 1) 9.0-0 0-0 10 .'\!;!fe1 (White loses quickly after 10.'\!;!fe2 l"le8 11. f4 i.c5+ 12.'it>h1 0.xh2 !-+ Gunnars son - Hardarson, Arborg 1998, or 10.f4 ic5+ 11.'it>h1 '\!;!lh4 12 .h3, Kastner - Schiess}, Passau 1999, 12 ... '\!;!lg3-+, or 10.l"le1 i.c5-+ fol lowed by '\!;!lh4 ; after 10 .h3 0.xe5 11.i.xh7+ 'it>xh7 12 .'1'9h5+ 'it>g8 13. '\!;!!xeS i.d6 14.'1'9d4 l"le8+ Black has two bishops and dominates the centre, so he has the better pros pects, Cid Royo - Baron Rodri guez, Spain 2004; 10.a3 i.c5 11 .h3 0.xe5 12 .i.xh7+ 'it>xh7 13 .'\!;!lhS+ 'it>g8 14.�xe5 l"le8 15.'\!;!fg3 i.d6 16. i.f4 '\!;!ff6 17.i.xd6 cxd6+ White has succeeded in exchanging one of his opponent's active bishops but this has strengthened Black's cen tre, Koekoek - Konijn, Hengelo 1998) 10 . . .f6 11.exf6 Wd6 1 2 .f4 0.xf6+ White had to exchange his e5-pawn, which was cramping Black's position and now his king is vulnerable. 2) 9.i.f4 f6 10.0-0 (10.exf6?! '\!;!fxf6+ and Black has numerous unpleasant threats; in the varia tions 10.h3 0.xe5 11.i.xe5 '\!;!fe7 12. 0-0 fxe5 13.Wh5+ 'it>d8+, or 10 .e6 i.xe6 11.We2 , Alonso - Nuevo Perez, Seville 2001, 11 . . . �d7 1 2 . i.f5 'it>fT+ White loses his centre pawn and is unable to exploit the uncastled enemy king) 10 . . . 0-0 11.exf6 Wxf6 12.i.g3 i.d6 13.Wd2 (13.i.e2 0.e5+ Black has a slight edge with his perfectly centralized forces, Afek - Gyimesi, Kecskem et 1994) 13 . . . !'lb8 14.0.a4, M. Nikolov - Arnaudov, Sunny
Beach 2 005, 14 . . . h5t with excel lent attacking chances. 8 .. cxd5 .
9. 0 - 0 9.i.g5 0-0 10.0-0 c6 - see 9.0-0; after 9.a3 i.e7 10.0-0 0-0, there arises a position from variation C2 with a white pawn on a3 rather than a2, but this does not influence the correct evalua tion of the position as equal. 9.i.b5+ i.d7 10.We2 + (10. i.xd7+ ? ! Wxd7 11.0-0 0-0 12. '\!;!fd3 !'lfe8+ Black has excellent de velopment and dominates the centre) 10 . . . i.e7 11.i.xd7+ Wxd7 12.0-0 0-0 13.i.g5 h6 14.hf6 hf6+ - Black's bishop is more powerful than the enemy knight, since the latter does not have any secure outposts, Meister - A. Onischuk, Togliatti 2003. The inclusion of the moves 9.We2+ i.e7 cannot change the character of the fight, because White's queen on e2 is less active ly placed than on the f3-square, while Black's bishop will occupy the d6-square anyway. 9. 0 - 0 ..
123
Chapter 1 0 chances on the queenside and in the centre, T.Kosintseva - Zaiatz, Sochi 2 005. 1 0 . c6 ..
1 0 . .ig5 This is White's most popular and aggressive move. After 10 .h3 c6 11.lLle2 (11.i.g5 h6 - see 10.i.g5) ll .. J'!e8 12.c3 i.d6 13.lLld4 i.c7t Black seizes the initiative, Tinsley - Em. Lasker, Leipzig 1894. Or 10.i.e3 c6 ll.lLla4 l'!:e8 1 2 . i.f4 i.g4 13.f3, Danilovic - Bakic, Vrnjacka Banja 1999 and after 13 . . . i.d7+ the weakness of the e3square inside White's camp be comes a telling factor. 10 .lLlb5 i.g4 ll.f3 i.c5+ 12 .@h1 i.d7 13.c3 i.b6 14.ltJd4 c5 15.ltJf5 l'!:e8+ Black has occupied the cen tre and his pieces are ideally de ployed, while White will have great problems in accomplishing the same, P. Dobrowolski - Nurk iewicz, Barlinek 1996. 10.lLle2 l'!:e8 ll.c3, Navara Held, Olomouc 1999, ll . . . i.d6 1 2 . i.f4 e S t Black takes space and seizes the initiative. The game is approximately equal after 10.i.f4 i.d6 11.�d2 c6 12 .lLle2 l'!:e8 13.lLlg3 .txf4 14.�xf4 .ie6 = Black has gained a safe and solid position and has counter124
In the diagram position, White's main tries in the fight for the advantage are Al) ll.c� a4 and A2) ll.Wf3. The alternatives fail to create any problems for Black: ll.l'!:e1 h6 12 ..th4 i.e6 13.a3 i.d6 14.�f3 l'!:e8 15.b4? (it is more pre cise for White to opt here for 15. h3 a5 =) 15 ... i.g4 16 . .txf6 �d7 17. i.f5 '!Wxf5 18.�xf5 hf5+ Black's bishops are very powerful, G.Kuz min - Moldobaev, Krasnodar 1998; in the variation ll.h3 h6 1 2. i.h4 i.d6 13.lLle2 c 5 14.c3 l'!:b8 15. b3 l'!:e8 16.l'!:e1, Zhang Pengxiang - A.Onischuk, Poikovsky 20 07, it looks very good for Black to play 16 . . . i.b7? and White must be on the alert all the time for Black's possible pawn-breaks d5-d4 and c5-c4 ; ll.i.h4 i.d6 12 .i.g3 l'!:b8 13.b3 i.e6 14.lLle2 c5= White has no ac tive prospects, Sermek - Borisek, Bled 2005;
l.e4 e5 2.lUj3 lUc6 3.d4 exd4 4.lUxd4 lUf 6 5.lUxc6 bc 6.lUc3 §ib4 l l.lUe2 - White transfers his knight to the f4-square, but it is not very stable there. ll ...h6 12. i.h4 i.d6
the only open file, Koch - Fressi net, Evry 2008) 18 ...l'!e5 19.l'!fe1 We7 2 0.Wc3 d4 2 1.Wa5 l'!e8 2 2 . l'!xe5 '11;1/xeS 23 . .id3 l'!e7t White's bishop has no good prospects, while Black has more space and good chances of weakening his opponent's king position.
Al) ll.tLla4
13.lt:Jd4 (13.h3 c5 - see 11.h3; 13 ..ig3 l'!e8 14..ixd6 Wxd6 15.lt:lg3 Wb4 t Bujisic - Blagojevic, Bar 2006; 13.r,th1 l'!b8 14.b3 c5 15.c3 l'!e8 16.Wc2 , Zelcic - Mainka, Dresden 2002, 16 . . . a5 17.l'!fe1 a4t Black's queenside initiative is running unopposed) 13...c5 14. lt:Jf5 (14.lt:Jb5? ! �b8 15.c4 .ib7 16. lUc3 d4 17.lUe2 Wd6 18..ig3 Wc6 19.f3 .ixg3 2 0.lUxg3 l'!fe8+ White has spent too many tempi on ma noeuvres with his knight and in the meantime Black has created a powerful passed pawn and has weakened the e3-square inside his opponent's camp, Zifroni Macieja, Rimavska Sobota 199 2 ; after 14.lt:Jf3 .ig4 15.h3 .ie6 16.c3, Svidler - Kolev, Moscow 1994, the aggressive line: 16 ... g5 17..ig3 .ixg3 18.fxg3 Wb6t enables Black to seize the initiative) 14 ....ixf5 15 ..ixf5 g5 16.�g3 .ixg3 17.hxg3 l'!e8 18.Wf3, Baklan - Almasi, Germany 1998 (18.l'!e1 Wd6 19.c3 l'!xe1+ 2 0.Wxe1 l'!e8 2 1.Wd2 We5 22 ..id3 r,tg7t Black has occupied
White's idea is to undermine Black's centre with c2-c4, or else to blockade it with c2-c3 and b2b4,in which case his knight will gain access to a wonderful out post on d4. ll h6 12 .ih4 .id6 Black has an interesting alter native here - 12 ... l'!e8 ! ? 13.gel After 13.c3 l'!e8 Black has no problems at all, for example: 14.l'!e1 l'!xe1+ 15.Wxe11id7 16..ig3 .ixg3 17.hxg3 Was 18 ..ic2 ge8 19. Wd2 .if5= He exchanges his po tentially "bad" bishop and his po sition is even a bit more active, Potkin - Vescovi, Moscow 2002. 13.c4 l'!b8 ••.
.
125
Chapter l O
For 14J'le1 i.e6 - see 13.:B:el. 14.b3 :B:e8 15.cxd5 (15.:B:e1?! :B:xe1+ 16.�xe1 dxc4 17.i.xc4 i.xh2 + ! 18.'it>xh2 tt:lg4+ 19.'i!lh3 tt'le3+ 2 0 . 'i!lg3 �d6+ 21.f4 �g6+ 2 2 . 'i!lf2 tt:lxc4 23.bxc4 �c2 + 24. 'i!lg1 �xa4+ Black has regained his piece and even has the better chances now, thanks to the weak light squares in his opponent's camp. It would be advantageous for him to exchange the queens, because his rook is more active than its white counterpart.) 15 . . . cxdS 16.:B:c1 .if4 17.:B:c2 �d6 18. i.g3 i.xg3 19.hxg3, Beck - Van Hoolandt, Dresden 20 07, after playing 19 . . . i.a6 2 0.i.xa6 �xa6= Black can exchange his passive bishop and can seize the initiative at an opportune moment, in view of his powerful passed pawn in the centre. 14.:B:c1 .if4 15.:B:c2 �d6 16 . .ig3, Varga - L.Vajda, Eger 2 0 0 2 , 16 . . . hg3 17.hxg3 d4t Black has a strong central passed pawn. 14.\1;Vf3 gS 15 . .ig3, Spangen berg - Zarnicki, Buenos Aires 1993, 15 .. J''l e 8 16.:B:ae1 :B:xe1 17. :B:xe1 i.g4 18.\1;Ve3 d4 19 .�c1 i.xg3 20.hxg3 �aS+ Black's pieces are deployed considerably more ac126
tively and his passed pawn is very strong. 14.cxd5 (This seems to be White's most natural move.) 14 . . . cxdS 15.b3 i.b7 16J:'k1 i.f4 17.:B:c2 �d6 18.i.g3 i.xg3 19.hxg3 d4f± Black's d4-pawn is much rather an asset than a liability, his bish op on b7 is very active and his prospects are at least equal, Z.An driasian - Wang Hao, Moscow 2 0 07. 13 :B:b8 ••.
14.b3 14.c3 cS 15.i.c2 (15.b3 i.d7 16.tt'lb2 gS 17.i.g3 .ixg3 18.hxg3 \1;Va5t Black's pieces are very ac tive, Hector - Fernandez Garcia, Komotini 1992) 15 . . . i.d7 16J''lb 1, Ki.Georgiev - P.Nikolic, Brussels 1992, 16 . . . :B:e8 17.:B:xe8+ i.xe8 18. �f3 .ic6+ Black maintains a slight but stable edge thanks to his dom inance in the centre and White's passive knight on the edge of the board. 14.c4 .ie6 15.cxd5 (after 15.:B:c1 d4 16.c5 i.f4 17.:B:a1 gS 18 .i.g3 hg3 19.hxg3, Al.Motylev - Der vishi, Guarapuava 1995, Black
l.e4 e5 2. 1:iJ.f.3 1:iJ c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 1:iJxd4 1:iJf6 5. 1:iJxc6 be 6. 1:iJ c3 i.b4 could have played 19 . . .'�aS 2 0 .b3 l"lfe8t, provoking the weakening of the important c3-square) 1S . . . cxdS 16.b3, Pugachov - Shalam beridze, Mlada Boleslav 1993. Now it is worth considering 16 . . . l"lc8 17.l"lc1 '\WaS ! ? , without being afraid of 18 . .ixf6 gxf6, because Black's powerltil bishops will compensate for the weakening of his castled position. White cannot organize an attack on the kingside with the help of his f2-pawn, be cause in answer to 19.l"lf1 ! ? Black has the response 19 . . . '\Wb4 ! � 14 .Ae6 15.1Yf3 gb4 16 .Ag3 c5 17.h3 In the variation 17.i.fS i.xfS 18.'\WxfS gd4 19.l"le2 i.xg3 2 0 . hxg3, Egin - Belozerov, Seversk 1997, Black can solve the prob lems with the rather exposed po sition of his rook and the protec tion of his cS-pawn with the active pawn-advance 2 0 . . . c4 ! = t7 gbs It is also good for Black to play here 17 . . . c4 18.i.f1 i.xg3 19.'1Wxg3 '!WaS = •.•
2 0 .'\Wxg3 ti'a5= Black has de ployed his pieces in ideal fashion and taken numerous important central squares under control. With so many pieces present on the board, White will find it diffi cult to prove that his opponent's cS-pawn is weak, Rublevsky Anand, Moscow 1996.
A2) ll.ti'f3
•
.•.
This is an aggressive move with the idea of organizing an at tack on the enemy king. ll h6! That is Black's simplest re sponse. 12 .hf6 After 12 .i.h4?! gS ! 13.i.g3 i.g4 14.i.c7 .ixf3 1S.hd8 l"laxd8 16. gxf3 cS+ Black has a small but sta ble advantage, thanks to the dis rupted pawn structure on White's kingside, M. Rodin - O.Sepp, Moscow 2 004. 12 .i.f4? ! id6 13.l"lfe1 (13.h3 i.e6 - see variation C) 13 . . . l"lb8 14.1:iJa4 cS 1S.b3 i.e6t Black has seized the initiative owing to his •••
•
18.gadl ges 19.�c3 hg3
127
Chapter l O dominance in the centre, Sutov sky - Davies, Rishon Le Ziyyon 1995. 12 . . . ti'xf6 13.'�xf6 gxf6 Black's two powerful bishops fully compensate for the defects of his pawn structure. 14.c!Oe2 .ld6
15.c!Od4 15.c4? ! dxc4 16.hc4 .ie5 17J!ab1 .if5 18.l='1bd1 .ixb2 19.l='1d6 l='1ac8+ and Black has managed to win a pawn, E. Berg - Najer, In ternet 2004. In the variation 15.b3 .ie6 16. l='1ad1 l='1fd8 17.c4 l='1ac8 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.l='1c1 l='1xc1 20.l='1xc1 l='1c8 21.l='1xc8+ .ixc8= Black's passed d5-pawn, supported by his strong bishops, provides him with equal chances. In reply to 15.l='1ad1, Votava V. Malakhov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, it would be fine for Black to continue with 15 . . . .ie6 16.tt:\d4 (16.b3 c5=) 16 . . . c5 17.tt:\f5 h£5 18 . .ixf5 d4 19.l='1fe1 l='1fe8= and this endgame, with bishops of oppo site colour, is equal. It is more or less the same af128
ter 15.lt:lg3 l='1e8 16.tt:\f5 .ixf5 17. .ixf5 l='1e7 18.l='1fe1 l='1ae8 = and after the exchange of all the rooks a draw becomes inevitable, Ko vanova - Mkrtchian, Jermuk 2010, or 15.l='1fd1 .ig4 16.h3 he2 17 . .ixe2 .ie5 18.l='1ab1 l='1ab8 19.b3 l='1fd8= Shkuro - Tarlev, Alushta 2006. 15 . . . c5 16.c!Of5 hf5 17.hf5
The opponents can agree to a draw in the diagram position, which is exactly what happened in numerous games. 17. . . .le5= Skripchenko - Ste fanova, Krasnoturinsk 2003.
l.e4 e5 2. lt':,j3 lt':, c6 3.d4 exd4 4. lt':,xd4 lt':,f6 5. lt':,xc6 be 6. lt':, d2 d5 This is the Tartakower varia tion, with which White cannot gain any advantage. His knight on d2 impedes the development of his own pieces, but his position is still quite solid, so he can main tain the balance without too many problems. 6 d5 7.exd5 7 . .id3 .id6 - see 6 . .id3 . 7.e5 ? ! - This move looks ac tive, but it leads to an inferior po sition for White. 7 . . . lt':,g4 8.lt':,b3 lt':,xe5 9 .�e2 .ib4+ 10.c3 .id6 11.f4 .ig4 12 .�e3 0-0 13.�g3 (after 13 .fxe5 l"!e8 14.exd6 �h4+ 15.g3 l"!xe3+ 16.he3 �f6+ Black's threats 17 . . . �f3 and 17 . . . l"!e8 turn out to be too difficult to parry) 13 . . . l"!e8 14.�f2 .id1 15.fxe5 l"!xe5-+ White has come under a crushing attack and he has no satisfactory defence against 16 . . . l"!f5+, because it would not work for him to con tinue with 16.�g1 hb3 17.axb3 .ic5-+ 7 . . . cxd5 8.J.b5+ 8 . .id3 .id6 - see variation B2. In response to 8.lt':,f3, Black should continue with 8 . . . .ic5 9. .ib5+ .id7 10.hd7+ �xd7 11.0-0 o-m= - his bishop on c5 is very powerful and his knight will go to the e4-square; thanks to this cen tralization, he will have a slight edge. 8 .td7 9.hd7+ After 9.'1We2 + .ie7 10.0-0 (10. hd7+ �xd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.lt':,b3 l"!fe8 13. �f3 .id6+ Black occupies the only open file and his pieces are comfortably deployed, Lueth-
gens - Matthaei, Germany 1993) 10 ... c6 ll ..id3 0-0 12 .lt':,f3 l"!e8 13. c3 .ig4+ Black is slightly ahead in development and his position in the centre is preferable, Black burne - Janowski, St. Petersburg 1914. 9 . . . Ybd7 1 0 . 0 - 0 .ie7
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ll.b3 White has many possibilities to choose from, but he has no chance of gaining an advantage with any of them . ll.lt':,f3 0-0 12 . .ig5 (after 12 .b3 lt':,e4= Black immediately neutral izes the threats on the long diago nal, Rosito - M. Sorokin, Villa Ge sell 1997) 12 . . . h6 13 ..ih4 l"!fe8 14. l"!e1 �b5 15.b3, Tiviakov - Fressi net, Pamplona 2 005, 15 . . . '\Wc5= Black is ready to attack the enemy weakness on c3. ll.l"!e1 0-0 12.l!�fl (White does not achieve much with 1Vt::l f3 , Tartakower - Thiellement, Paris 1955, 12 . . . l"!fe8 =) 12 . . . l"!ab8 13.b3 .ib4= Dolukhanova - Turova, Salekhard 2008. ll.c4 - White has matched his opponent's slight superiority in 129
Chapter 1 0 the centre, but, as compensation for his weakened pawn-structure on the queenside, Black's central ized knight is tremendously strong. 11 . . . 0-0 12.cxd5 lLlxdS 13. lt:Je4 l!ad8 14.'\1;Vf3 l!fe8 15.l!d1, E. Sveshnikov - Morozevich, St. Pe tersburg 1993, after 15 . . . '\1;Vb5 16 .h3 c6? Black's prospects are by no means worse. ll.lLlb3 0-0 12 . .ie3, Pedersen - Juergens, Denmark 2 001, 12 . . . l!fe8 13.l!e1 .id6= At a n oppor tune moment Black can exploit the insufficient protection of White's kingside. 11 0- 0 12.i.b2 gfe8 13. '11;Vf3 Or 13.lt:Jf3 c6=
C) 6.i.d3 This is a very reasonable and flexible move. White can develop his knight on b1 either to c3 or d2 . However, it is rather difficult for him to obtain any advantage in this pawn-structure. 6 . . . d5
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13 tt)g4 This is the simplest way for Black to equalize. He plans to ex change the dark-squared bishops. 14.h3 i.f6 15.hf6 tt)xf6 16. gfe1 YHd6 17.'%Yc3 c5= Black dominates the centre, but White has quite sufficient resources to maintain the balance, Godena Onischuk, Reggio Emilia 2 010. •••
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130
The most usual moves in the diagram position are Cl) 7.e5? ! and C2) 7.exd5. 7.lt:Jc3 .ib4 - see variation A. 7.0-0 dxe4 8.'\1;Ve1 (8.'\1;Ve2 i.g4 - see 7.'%Ye2; 8.l!e1 .ie6 and now White loses after 9.i.xe4?? '\1;Vxd1 10.i.xc6+ YHd7 11.hd7+ lt:Jxd7-+ Geffert - Motycakova, Slovakia 2008, while if 9 . .ia6 YHxd1 10.l!xd1 l!b8 ll.b3 .id6 12 . .ib2 e3! 13.fxe3 lt:Jg4 14.l!d2 i.xh2 + 1s.'i!?h1 o-m= Mezhetsky - Pushkariov, Chill ingham 1996, or 9 ..if1 YHxd1 10 .l!xd1 .id6+ Tellore - Yarmoly uk, Email 2009, White fails to ob tain compensation for the sacri ficed pawn) 8 . . . -ifS ! This is the best move for Black and it enables him to equalize without any prob lems. 9.f3 (9 . .ig5?! .ie7 10.i.xf6
l.e4 e5 2. 0f3 tt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4. tt:lxd4 tt:lf6 5. tt:Jxc6 be 6. J.d3 d5 .ixf6 11 . .ixe4 0-0! 12 ..ixf5 .ixb2 13.tt:la3 �f6 14J'!b1 .ixa3+ Black's extra pawn is weak and almost irrelevant, but he is still the one playing for a win , be cause his pieces are much more active.) 9 . . . i.c5+ 10.i.e3 i.d4 11. fxe4 tt:lg4 12 . .ixd4 �xd4+ 13.<;f;>h1 i.e6= - Black's control of the d4square completely compensates for his damaged queenside pawn structure, Cook - Wyder, Email 2008. 7.tt:ld2 ? ! i.d6 8.0-0 (In the endgame after 8.exd5 �e7+ 9. �e2 �xe2+ 10 . .ixe2 cxd5 11.i.b5+ i.d7 12 . .ixd7+ <;f;>xd7+ White must fight for equality, since Black has a clear lead in development and dominates the centre, Csom Ribli, Hungary 1972 .) 8 . . . 0-0 8 . . . 0-0 9.h3 (White merely weak ens the position of his king with the seemingly active line : 9.f4?! i.g4 10.�e1, Ehrler - Pioch, Ger many 1981 and after 10 . . . tt:Jxe4 11.tt:lxe4 E:e8+ he cannot exploit the weaknesses of Black's queen side; in the variation 9.E:e1 E:e8, it would be too optimistic for White to play 10.c4 i.g4 11.�c2 �e7 1 2 .f3 �e5 13 .g3 i.h3 14.tt:lb3 dxe4 15. fxe4 �h5+ and the open position of his king precludes him from at tacking the weak enemy pawns, Burchfield - Bladyko, Email 2008, but even after the more ac curate 10.exd5 E:xe1+ 11.�xe1 cxd5t Black maintains the initia tive, thanks to his superior posi tion in the centre, Callas - Verat, Cannes 1996.) 9 . . . E:e8
10.exd5 (It is premature for White to opt for 10.�f3 �e7 11. exd5 �e5 12.�g3 �h5 13.f4 i.c5+ 14.<;f;>h1 cxd5+ - White's kingside is weak, which, in combination with Black's occupation of the only open file, guarantees Black the better prospects, Santos Lata sa - Navarrete Espi, Porto Carras 2010; Black also has an excellent position after 10 .E:e1 i.b7 11.exd5 E:xe1+ 12 .�xe1 cxd5 13.tt:lf3 c5+ Fodre - Balint, Hungary 2005.) 10 . . . cxd5 11.b3 (It is less accurate for White to play 11.c4 d4 and in the variation 12.tt:lb3 c5 13.�f3 E:b8 14.i.g5 i.b7 15.�f5 �d7 16 . .ixf6 �xf5 17.i.xf5 gxf6+ Black has a protected passed pawn in the centre and the advantage of the two bishops, which more than compensates for the defects of his kingside pawn-structure, Krause - Vincent, corr. 1990, while if 12.�f3 E:b8 13.tt:le4 tt:Jxe4 14 . .ixe4 �e7 15.E:e1, Margraf - Van der Veen, Germany 2008, Black can enter a very pleasant endgame by playing 15 . . . i.b7 16 . .ixh7+ <;f;>h8 17.E:xe7 i.xf3 18.E:xe8+ E:xe8 19. id2 i.e2+; after 11.tt:lf3 eSt White must react very precisely in order to parry the activity of Black's ide131
Chapter 1 0 ally placed pieces, Velimirovic Kurajica, Banja Luka 1985.) 11 . . . �b7 1 2 .�b2 , Brandenburg - Tim mermans, Dieren 2010; here Black can play 12 . . . �f4 ! ?t, pre venting the enemy queen from coming to the f3-square. White fails to create any prob lems for his opponent with the line: 7.�g5 �e7 8.tLlc3 (8.exd5 'l!tifxd5! 9.1!tiff3?, Rocha - Cleeve, corr. 1987, 9 . . . 1!tifxg5 10.1!tifxc6+ �d8 11. 'l!tifxa8 '!tiel+ 12.�e2 'l!tixhl-+ and Black ends up with an extra bish op.) 8 . . . ttJxe4 9.�xe7 '!tixe7 10. he4 dxe4 ll.'l!tifd4 0-0 1 2 . 0-0 �f5 13.Elfel Elfd8 14.1!tifc4 Elab8� White can probably regain his pawn but Black's piece-activity and the superiority of his bishop over the enemy knight provide him with sufficient counter chances, Navarrete Delgado Nava Pereda, Bergara 2 010. 7.'!tie2 dxe4
After 8.tLlc3 the position is considerably simplified. 8 . . . �b4 9.he4 hc3+ 10 .bxc3 ttJxe4 11. 'l!tixe4+ 'l!tie7 12.1!tifxe7+ �xe7 13. �f4 Elb8 14.0-0-0 Elb7 15.Elhel+ �e6 16.Eld4 Elhb8= White's piece activity has been completely neu132
tralized, Nedoma - Gubas, Email 2008. 8.0-0 - This move is too opti mistic, Johnsson - Buj , corr. 1983, 8 . . . �g4 9.'1!tife3 (9.f3 'l!tifd4+ 10.�hl �e7+) 9 . . . 1!tife7 10 .�a6 1!tife5 ll.�b7 �d6 12 .hc6+ �d7 13. hd7+ ttJxd7 14.g3 0-0+ Black's forces are much more active. The variation 8.he4 ttJxe4 9. '!tixe4+ '!tie7 leads by force to an endgame in which Black has a powerful bishop pair in a position with an open centre, which more than compensates for his weak ened pawn-structure on the queenside, Mieses - Teichmann, Berlin 1924. 8.�g5 �b4+ 9.ttJc3 0-0 10. he4 hc3+ 11.bxc3 Ele8 12.0-0 (12 .f3 ? ! 'l!tifd6+ Link - Schulz, Email 2 005. Black is ready to an swer 13.hf6 with 13 . . . gxf6 ! +) 12 . . . �f5 13.f3 'l!tifd6 14.hf6 'l!tifxf6 15. 'l!tifc4 (After 15.Eladl 'l!tifxc3+, in ad dition to his piece-activity, Black wins a pawn, which, although weak, is still an extra one, Bertel - Sapronov, Email 2006.) 15 . . . he4 16.fxe4 'l!tife6 17.1!tifxe6 Elxe6= There is hardly any material left, Pavelek - Rabatin, Frydek Mistek 2 0 07. 8.tLld2 �b4 9 .he4 0-0 10.c3 (10.hc6?, Palmiotto - Bianchi, Italy 1961, 10 . . . �b7! 11.hb7 Ele8 12 .ha8 'l!tifxa8 13.1!tifxe8+ 'l!tixe8+ 14.�fl ttJg4� White has failed to coordinate his forces and Black's attack is decisive.) 10 . . . ttJxe4 11. ttJxe4 �f5 12.0-0 Ele8 13.cxb4 Elxe4 14.�e3 Elxb4= Black is not
l.e4 e5 2. tlJ.fJ l:iJ c6 3.d4 exd4 4. tlJxd4 tlJf6 5. tlJxc6 be 6. i.d3 d5 likely to realize his extra pawn, Zahour - Glembek, Email 2 0 04.
8
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.ic5
Cl) 7.e5? !
White seizes space but this is too optimistic, since his pieces cannot support this gain. 7 .li�g4 8. 0 - 0 8.i.f4 i.cS 9 .i.g3 (9.0-0 gS see 8.0-0) 9 . . . i.d4 10.c3 (it is preferable for him to opt for 10. CiJc3 heS+) 10 . . . heS 11.0-0 hg3 12 .fxg3 i.e6+ Black has won a pawn, seized space and weak ened his opponent's king posi tion, Fernandez - Congiu, France 2006. 8.f4 .icS 9.\We2 0-0 10.CiJd2 i.f2 + 1l.'>�;>fl i.b6+ The material is equal, but White's king is in terri ble danger, Storkebaum - Leh ner, Kaufungen 2003. After 8.\We2 i.cS 9.f3 (9.0-0 \We7 - see 8. 0-0) 9 ... CiJf2 10J'U1 CiJxd3+ 11.cxd3, Holzinger - Ba jer, Oeffingen 2 0 0 2 , Black can best highlight his opponent's de velopment problems with the move 11 . . J'!b8+ ••
9 . .if4 9.CiJd2? \Wh4-+ ; 9 .\We1 \We7! 10.i.f4 gS+ It is rather careless for White to play 9.h3? tlJxeS 10J'!e1 (10.\We2 \Wf6 1U'!e1 0-0 - see 10.l3e1; 11. 'it>h1 0-0 12 .i.e3 tlJxd3 13.\Wxd3 he3 14.fxe3 \Wxb2 1S.CiJd2 aS-+ and White lost several pawns in the game Nash - Murphy, Email 2 007) 10 . . . \Wf6 11.�e2 (In reply to the more accurate move 11.i.e3 , Jouglet - Dessenne, Lille 20 04, Black can enter a favourable end game with 11 . . . d4! ? 12 . .ic1 0-0 13.hh7+ 'it>xh7 14.�hS+ 'it>g8 1S. �xeS �xeS 16.l3xeS i.d6 17.l3e1 cS+) 11 . . . 0-0 12.\WxeS �xf2 + 13. 'it>h1 hh3 ! 14.gxh3 �f3+ 1S.'it>h2 i.d6-+ Delmar - Lipschuetz, New York 1888. After 9.�f3 0-0 10.i.f4 f6 11. �h3 g6+ White loses at least a pawn, Klimpel - Held, Wuerz burg 1996. 9.�e2 �e7 10.if4 gS 11.i.d2 (11.i.g3? hS 12 .i.a6 i.xa6 13.�xa6 i.b6 14.�a4 \We6 1S.h4 0-0-0 16. CiJd2 gxh4 17.i.xh4 l3dg8-+ 133
Chapter 1 0 White's king is weak and his piec es are uncoordinated, Brochet Hebden, France 1998) 11.. .0-0 12 .b4 (after 12 .i.c3 d4, White merely creates additional weak nesses in his position with the line 13.b4 i.b6 14.i.d2 �xeS 1S. �xeS tt:JxeS 16.hgS tt:Jxd3 17.cxd3 i.fS 18.gd1 aS 19.bxaS gxaS+ Malureanu - Chifor, Baile Hercu lane 2010, but his defence is difficult even after the more precise 13.i.aS �xeS 14.�xeS tt:JxeS 1S.hc7 tt:Jxd3 16.cxd3 i.fS 17.gd1 gfe8+ - his d3-pawn is weak and Black's light-squared bishop is so powerful that White faces a long and laborious de fence.) 12 . . . i.b6 13.a4 �xeS 14. �xeS tt:JxeS 1S.i.e2 aS 16.bxaS i.xaS 17.hgS i.fS+ Fister - Babel, Email 2009. 9 g5
two bishops, while White is inca pable of exploiting the somewhat open position of the enemy mon arch. 10 .i.d2 0-0 ll.b4, Kerman Klengel, Email 2 0 0S, ll . . . i.b6 12. i.c3 f6 13.h3 (13.exf6? �d6 ! 14.g3 gxf6 ! - + ) 13 . . . tt:JxeS+ Black is ahead in development and has an excellent position in the centre; therefore, White cannot do any thing to exploit his opponent's rather exposed king. 1 0 h5 •••
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ll .ie2 ll.h3? h4 12 .i.h2 tt:Jxh2 13. �xh2 �e7 14.�e2 (White cannot ease his defensive task with the prophylactic line: 14.�h1 �f8 1S. �e1 g4 16.hxg4 i.xg4 17.tl:Jd2 h3 18.g3 h2 19.£4 Ah3 2 o .gf3 gb8 21. tl:Jb3 i.gH) 14 . . . i.d4 1S.tl:Jc3 (1S.c3 �xeS+ 16.f4 �xe2 17..ixe2 Ae3 18. fxgS hgS+ Haupold - Holl, corr. 1990) 1S . . . �xeS+ 16. �xeS+ heS+ 17.�g1 .ie6+ Black has two strong bishops and an extra pawn, so his position is nearly winning, Kopy lova - Severina, Rybinsk 20 09. .
1 0 .ig3 10.i.c1, Werner - Michalczak, Boeblingen 1999, 10 . . . 0-0 11.tl:Jd2 tt:JxeS 12 .tl:Jb3 .ib6 13 .�hS tt:Jxd3 14.cxd3 f6+ Black has won a pawn and obtained the advantage of the •
134
l.e4 e5 2. 4:Jj3 4:J c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 4:Jxd4 4:Jj6 5. 4:Jxc6 be 6. i.d3 d5 White fails to seize the initia tive with ll .b4 h4 12 .hh4 i.d4 13.c3 .be5 14.i.g3 hg3 15.fxg3 CiJxh2 16J�e1 + , Ikegami - Hay akawa, Email 2 006, because after the simple move 16 . . . @f8+, Black has excellent chances of realizing his extra pawn. ll ... h4 12.hg4 hxg3 13. hxg3 f5 !
19 gaf8 ! This is much simpler than the following line, which leads to a completely unclear position: 19 . . . l:Ml 5 20.Wixh5 !!h8 21.Wid1 �h6 2 2 . Wffd 4+ @g8 23.f4 Wffh 2+ 24.@f2oo 2 o .gf3 .tf5 21.g4 Wffe5 22. gb3 .th7+ White's extra pawn is of no importance, because his king is vulnerable, his bishop out of action and his major pieces are passive. •••
14.exf6! 14.i.h5+? @f8 15.g4 Wie7 16. gxf5 Wffxe5 17.!!e1 Wffxf5 18.�f3 !!xh5 0-1 Pasternak - Em.Lasker, Switzerland 1898. White loses beautifully after 14.Wid3? fxg4 ! 15.Wffg 6+ @f8 16. Wffxc6 .ib6 17.4:Jc3 (after 17.Wffx a8 @g7 18.�c6 !!h6 19.Wic3 Wffh 8 2 0 . e 6 + d4-+ White i s mated) 17 . . . @g7 18.4:Jxd5 (18.Wffx a8 !!h6-+) 18 . . . !!h6 19.e6 he6 2 0 .4:Jxb6 cxb6 2 1.Wib7+ .if7- + Black is threatening to mate after Wffh 8, so he should easily convert his extra bishop into a full point. 14 YlYxf6 15 .th5+ �f8 16. �c3 �g7 17.�a4 i.d6 18.ge1 18.c4? ! i.a6 19 .g4 .bc4+ 18 .td7 19.ge3 •••
C2) 7.exd5 White gives up the centre and cannot fight for an advantage, de spite the fact that his pawn-struc ture is better. Black can centralize his pieces and equalize easily. 7 cxd5 •••
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135
Chapter 1 0 The pawn structure in the dia gram position is identical to the one that we analyzed in variation A. Here, though, Black should not develop his bishop to the b4square, since it will be better placed on d6 or e7. Grandmaster practice has con firmed that Black's position is very solid. 8. 0 - 0 It seems a bit strange for White to make a second move in a row with his bishop: 8 .i.b5 + i.d7 9. i.xd7+ �xd7 10.0-0 i.e7 11.c4 (After 11.ttld2, there arises a posi tion from variation A, except that Black has an extra tempo; 11.c3 0-0 12.ttld2 h6 13.ttlf3 i.d6 14.i.e3 c5+ Black's central superiority gives him the slightly better pros pects, Osadchy - M.lvanov, Mos cow 1997; after 11.b3 0-0 12 .i.b2, Plenkovic - Jovanic, Zadar 2010, the simplest response for Black would be to strengthen his posi tion in the centre with 12 . . . c5 13.ttld2 E:fe8=) 11 . . . d4 12 .i.g5 0-0 13.�d3 E:ab8 14.b3 ttld5 15.i.xe7 ttlxe7= Black has a powerful cen tral passed pawn and can be opti mistic about the future, Zelcic Varga, Montecatini Terme 1997. After 8.tLld2 i.d6 9.0-0 0-0 10 .c4 (10.c3 c5+) 10 . . . d4 11.h3 c5 12 .tLlf3 E:e8+ Black dominates the centre and has the better pros pects, Chernyshov - Stebunov, Anapa 2009. The position seems completely equal after 8 . .ig5 i.e7 9.ttlc3 0-0 10.0-0 c6= , or 8.tLlc3 c6= 136
8
.te7
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9.�c3 9.i.g5 0-0 10 .E:e1 (The posi tion is again completely balanced after 10.tLld2 .ig4 11.�c1, Fercec - Fejzullahu, Fuegen 2 0 06, 11 . . . h6 12 .i.h4 tLlh5 1 3 . .b:e7 �xe7=) 10 ... E:e8 11.tLlc3 c6 12.tLla4, Am bartsumova - M. Krylov, Moscow 2010, 12 . . . i.e6 13.c3 �c7= In the variation 9.c4 0-0 10. cxd5 tLlxd5 11.i.e4 i.e6 12.tLlc3 tLlxc3 13.bxc3 �xd1 14.E:xd1 E:ad8= Black's pieces are a bit more ac tive, but the position is still equal, Nimzowitsch - Tarrasch, San Se bastian 1911. 9 0 - 0 10 .tg5 Black equalizes comfortably after 10.E:e1 E:b8 11.b3, Hackfeld - Zili, Email 2 005, 11.. .i.g4 ! 12. �d2 c5= , or 10.i.f4 c6 11.E:e1 i.d6 12 .�d2, Serner - Piccoli, Email 2009, 12 . . . �c7 13 . .b:d6 �xd6 14. h3 i.d7= , while after 10.ttle2, Napoli - Del Rio Angelis, Cutro 2 0 04, 10 . . . c5 11.b3 �b6+ Black's chances are even preferable thanks to his dominance in the centre. ••.
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l.e4 e5 2. 0../3 0. c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 0.xd4 0.f6 5. 0.xc6 be 6. i.d3 d5 1 0 i.e6 ll.'�f3 After 11.0.e2 h6 12 .i.c1 c5 13.c3 B:b8 14.B:b1 119d7 15.B:e1 i.d6 = Black has nothing to complain about, Hermann - Gabriel, Ger many 1993. ll h6 ...
dark-squared bishop has no op ponent and gives him the better prospects, Sevillano - Krasen kow, Dhaka 1995. 12 c6 13.h3 i.d6 14.0.e2 c5= ...
. . •
12 .if4 After 12 . .ixf6? ! i.x£6 13.0.a4 B:b8 14.B:ab1 �d6 15.b3 c5+ Black's .
White should manage to hold the balance with accurate play, Plukkel - Sulypa, Wijk aan Zee 2010.
137
Chapter ll
l.e4 e5 2 . �f3 �c6 3.d4 exd4 4 . �xd4 �f6 5 .�xc6 bxc6 6. e5 Scotch Game Mieses Variation
In this chapter, we begin the analysis of White's most natural move, known as the Mieses Varia tion, after its populariser, al though it was played for the first time by Blackburne in 1881, in his match against Zukertort. 6 . . . �e7 Naturally, it is useful for Black to force White's queen to occupy the e2-square, where it prevents his light-squared bishop from coming into play. 7.ti'e2 It is not good to play 7.i.f4?! ll:JdS 8.i.g3 (8.�d4 ll:Jxf4 9 .�xf4 f6 10 .e6 �xe6+ ll.i.e2 i.d6 12 .�d2 13b8 13 .b3 0-0-+ and Black's ex tra centre pawn and lead in devel opment guarantee him a quick victory, Zurowski - Head, Email 138
1997) 8 . . . �b4+ 9.ll:Jd2 �xb2 10. i.c4 ll:Jc3 11.�c1 �xc1+ 12.13xc1, Petrovic - Stojanovic, Nis 2010 and after 12 ... i.a3 13.13a1 i.b2-+ and Black wins the exchange. 7.f4 d6 8.�f3 (8.�d4 dxeS 9. fxeS ll:Jg4 10.i.f4 f6 11.�c3 ll:JxeS 12 .i.e2 �b4+ Black forces an end game with an extra pawn) 8 . . . i.d7 9 .�e3 dxeS 10.�xeS �xeS+ 11. fxeS, Knapczyk - Sloan, Email 2001 and with ll . . . ll:Jg4+ he em phasizes the weakness of his op ponent's eS-pawn. 7 .ftld5 ••
8.b3 After the rather indifferent move 8.c3?, it is good for Black to continue his development with 8 ... g6 9.f4 i.g7 10 .g3 0-0 ll.i.g2 aS+
3.d4 ed 4Jjj xd4 l:iJf6 5Jijxc6 be 6.e5 �e7 7. �e2 l:iJ dS After 8.�e4?! g6 ! ? 9.i.d3 .ig7 10 .f4 0-0 11 . .id2 d6+ White will be unable to hold on to his centre, Zhivetjeva - Zaitseva, Russia 2004. It is not good to play 8.a3?! g6 9.c4, Dolukhanova - Ivanenko, Evpatoria 2006, since after 9 . . . l:iJb6 10.1:iJc3 .ig7 11..if4 0-0 12 .�e3 1'3e8+ White must pay for the tempo wasted on a2-a3. 8.�d2? ! White's bishop is mis placed on this square. 8 . . . g6 9.c4 (9.1:iJc3 .ig7 10.f4, Dvornitzky Bauer, Hungary 2007, 10 . . . 0-0 11.0-0-0 d6 12.exd6 �xd6 ! t) 9 ... l:iJb6 10 . .if4 .ig7 1l.l:iJc3 .ia6 12 .b3 dS+ White lags in development and his bishop on f4 would have been better placed on b2, Goering - Germann, Germany 2009. In answer to 8.f4, Mieses Forgacs, Ostend 1907, it is very strong for Black to follow Garry Kasparov's recommendation : 8 . . . �b4 + ! 9.c3 (9.�d2?! l:iJe3 ! ? 10.c3 l:iJxf1 11.cxb4 l:iJxd2 12 . .ixd2 1'3b8 13.a3 aS 14.bxaS 1'3xb2+ and Black maintains a stable edge with his bishop pair and better pawn structure.) 9 . . . �b6 10 .�f3 aS 11. l:iJd2 (11.c4 1:iJb4 12 .�e2 .icS 13.a3 l:iJa6+ Black has advantageously regrouped his forces for an attack on the enemy kingside.) 11 . . . �e3+ 12.�xe3 l:iJxe3= and after the ex change of queens Black has noth ing to fear. He cannot be prevent ed from exchanging the central eS-pawn. 8.h4 �e6 9.c4 (9.1'3h3 d6! 10.c4 l:iJb6 11 ..if4 dS+; 9.g3 .icS 10 .i.h3
fS 11.0-0 0-0 12 .c4 1:iJb6 13.b3 d6 14 . .ib2 �g6+ Black has dangerous threats on the kingside. White is noticeably behind in development after 9. 1:iJd2 .ib7 10 .c4 l:iJb6 11. l:iJf3 .ib4+ 12 ..id2 .ixd2+ 13.1:iJxd2 0- 0+) 9 . . . 1:iJb6 10.lt:ld2 d6 11.exd6 cxd6= and Black's excellent de velopment fully compensates for the slight defects of his pawn structure. 8.g3 g6 9 .b3 (For 9.c4 .ia6 see 8.c4; after 9.f4 f6 10.exf6 lt:Jxf6 11.lt:Jc3 dS= Black's superiority in the centre compensates for the weakness of his doubled pawns; 9 ..ig2 .ig7 10.0-0 0-0 11.c4 .ia6, or 11.1'3e1 1'3e8 12.c4 .ia6 - see Chapter 12, while if 10.f4 f6+, Black can destroy his opponent's centre, after which his lead in de velopment will become a telling factor.) 9 . . . .ig7 10 . .ib2 d6 11 . .ig2 (in the variation 11.f4 dxeS 12 .fxeS 0-0 13.lt:Jd2 1'3e8 14. 0-0-0 �gS+ White will once again be unable to retain his eS-pawn and might then come under a dangerous at tack.) 11 . . .-ixeS 12 .-ixeS �xeS 13. �xeS+ dxeS+ Black's extra centre pawn is much more important than the slight defects of his queenside pawn structure. 8.lt:Jd2 g6 9.lt:Jf3 (For 9.c4 - see 8.c4; in response to 9.b3, Black maintains better prospects with the line: 9 . . . �cS 10 .�e4 �c3 11. 1'3b1 .ih6 12.i.c4 0-0+; in the vari ation 9.1:iJe4 .ig7 it is too optimis tic for White to opt for 10.f4 0-0 11 . .id2 l:iJb6 1 2 .0-0-0, because after 12 . . . dS 13.exd6 cxd6 14.i.c3 139
Chapter 11 )"1e8 15 . .b:g7 �xg7 16.li:Jg3 h5+ Black is considerably ahead in de velopment, while if 10.c4 f5= , ir respective of White's reply, Black will have no problems at all.) 9 .. . 1Wb4+ 10.1Wd2 (10 .c3? li:Jxc3+) 10 . . . )"1b8 ll.c3 (ll.c4 1Wxd2+ 12 . .b:d2 li:Jb4 13.�d1 c5= White must play accurately to avoid to ending up in a worse position, Schoellmann - Mikhalchishin, Bled 1995) 11 . . . 1We4+ 12 .1We2 (12 .i.e2 ? ! i.a6i) 12 ... 1Wxe2+ 13.i.xe2 i.g7 14.0-0 0-0 15.c4 i.a6= Black has ob tained a good game, Vujic Blagojevic, Belgrade 2 0 09.
8 . . a5! ? This interesting move aims at the quickest possible organization of queenside counterplay. 9.c4 If White ignores his oppo nent's threats he can end up pay ing dearly, for example: 9.i.b2 a4 10.li:Jd2 axb3 11.axb3 )"1xa1+ 12 . .b:a1 1Wa3 13.1Wd1 i.b4+ White has great problems owing to his lag in development and the weakness of his dark squares, Mieses - Marco, Hastings 1895. .
140
9 .ti:lb6 ••
1 0 . .ia3 For 10.li:Jd2 a4 11.i.b2 or 10.g3 a4 11.i.b2 - see 10.i.b2 . 10.a3 - This i s loses a tempo and weakens the b3-pawn. Black can play 10 . . . g6 1l.i.b2 i.g7 12. li:Jd2 0-0 13.f4 and now after 13 ... d6 ! + he obtains a huge lead in de velopment and destroys the ene my centre. With the move 10.a4, White prevents the opening of the a-file at the cost of weakening the b4square and his b3-pawn. 10 . . . 1Wb4+ 11.li:Jd2 1Wc3 12.)"1b1 i.b4 13.1We4, Grosar - T.Matkovic, Makarska 1994 (The alternatives are even worse: 13.f4 1Wd4 14.g3 0-0 15.1Wd3 '&c5 16.i.b2 d5+ Weteschnik - S.Vajda, Balaton bereny 1996, or 13.h4 0-0 14.)"1h3 '&d4 15.1We3 c5 16.'&xd4 cxd4 17. )"1d3, Garma - Chan, Beijing 2008, 17 . . . c5+, or 13.�d1 '&d4 14. i.b2 '&f4 15.g3 '&h6 16.i.g2 0-0 17.i.d4 d5 ! + Uralde - Daus, Email 2002 and in all cases White has obvious problems with his ex posed king, which not only re-
3.d4 ed 4 . tiJxd4 f1:Jj6 5.tiJxc6 be 6.e5 �e7 7.'ef e2 f1:J d5 8.b3 a5 quires protection but also pre vents the harmonious coordina tion of his pieces.). Here Black can continue with 13 . . . 0-0 14. .id3 g6 15.0-0 d5 16.�e2 .ig4+ and he retains the better pros pects, thanks to his ideally placed pieces and superior pawn struc ture. 10.f1:Jc3 a4 1 U�bl (ll . .ib2 'e!e6 - see 10.i.b2) ll . . . axb3 12.axb3 �e6 13 . .id2 (13.�e4 .ib4 14 . .id2 d5 - see 13 . .id2) 13 . . ..ib4 14.�e3 (14.�e4 d5 15.exd6 cxd6= Crouan - Kosten, Sautron 2 005) 14 . . . d6 15.exd6 �xe3+ 16.fxe3 cxd6 17. id3 0-0= Black has nothing to fear in this endgame, Tomazini Vl. Kovalev, Burdur 2010. 10.ib2 a4
In the variation 11.�f3 �g5 12 .f1:Jd2 .ib4 13 .0-0-0 axb3 14. axb3 0-0+ White's king runs away from the centre, but it re mains unsafe owing to the open a-file. It is no improvement for him to play 11.f4 axb3 12.axb3 �b4+ 13.f1:Jd2 gxa1+ 14.ixa1, because Black can continue with 14 .. .'\WaS 15.i.b2 i.b4 16. �d1 0-0t and he obtains a clear lead in develop-
ment, with excellent attacking chances in view of the vulnerable position of the enemy king. After 11.g3 axb3 12.axb3 �b4+ 13.f1:Jd2 gxa1+ 14.ixa1 �aS it would be too risky for White to opt for 15 .ib2 .ib4 16.�d1 0-0t, since after 17.f1:Je4? ! d5 18.exd6, Chikhaoui - Marin, Turin 2006, Black maintains an overwhelming advantage with the natural move 18 . . . cxd6-+, while in the varia tion 15 . .id4 .ib4 16.ig2 0-0 17.f4 d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19 . .b:c6 i.fsgg Black has excellent compensation for the pawn, because White's king will not find safety anywhere, Fernandez Jimenez - Rizouk, Se ville 2010. 11.�c2 'e!gS 12.g3 i.b4+ 13. f1:Jd2 0-0 14.f4, T.Kosintseva - S. Guliev, Moscow 2 004, 14 ... �e7 15.ig2 (15 . .id3?! d5 ! 16 ..bh7+? �h8 17 . .id3 axb3 18.axb3 gxa1+ 19.ixa1 dxc4 2 0.bxc4 �c5-+) 15 . . . d5+ Black has a better posi tion, since White's king lacks a safe and secure refuge. The endgame is equal after 11.�d2 axb3 12.axb3 gxa1 13 .ixa1 �b4 14.'e!xb4 ixb4+ 15.ic3 c5= 11.f1:Jc3 �e6 12.0-0-0 (In re sponse to 12 .f4 it is good for Black to play 12 . . . .ib4 13.0-0-0 0-0 14.'e!f3 axb3 15.axb3 d5 16.exd6 cxd6t with excellent attacking prospects; 12 .g3 i.b4 13.0-0-0 axb3 14.axb3 , Cetina - Osolin, Bled 2001, 14 . . . 0-0 15 . .ig2 ixc3 16 . .b:c3 d5+ and Black exposes White's king. After 12 .�e3, it is worth considering 12 . . . ga5 ! ? 13.f4 141
Chapter 11 i.b4 14.0-0-0 axb3 1S.axb3 dS+) 12 . . . axb3 13.axb3 i.a3 14.�e4, Sarenac - Nestorovic, Subotica 2007, 14 . . . �e7 1S. @c2 i.xb2 16. @xb2 �b4 17J''!b 1 0-0 18 ..id3 g6+ and Black retains an edge, since his opponent's king is exposed. 11.�e3 - This move is played with the idea of developing the light-squared bishop centrally and castling kingside. ll . . . axb3 12.axb3 �b4+ 13.@d1 (It is inferi or for White to play 13.�c3 l:'!xa1 14.ha1 4Ja4! 1S.�xb4 hb4+ 16. @d1 4JcS 17.@c2 d6 18.i.d3 4Jxd3 19.@xd3 i.fS+ 2 0.@e3, because the more or less forced line has ended and after 20 . . . @d7+ Black has a great advantage, thanks to his powerful bishop pair in an open position and the unsafe po sition of White's king; 13.4Jd2 l:'!xa1+ 14.i.xa1, Baumegger - Ols en, Bled 2002, 14 . . . �a3+ Black has a noticeable lead in develop ment.) 13 . . . l:'!xa1 14.ha1 i.cS 1S. �g3 0-0 16.@c2 �e1 17.f4 �xg3 18.hxg3 dS= White has succeeded in completing his development and exchanging the queens, but Black has nothing to complain about. 11.4Jd2 axb3 12.axb3 l:'!xa1 + 13.ha1 �a3 14.�d1 (14.i.d4?! .ib4 1S.�d1, Chandler - Loeffler, Wuerzburg 1993, 1S . . . cS 16 . .ie3 �b2 17.f4 d6 18.exd6 cxd6+ Black has the better prospects, thanks to his lead in development and the open position of White's king.) 14 ... .tb4 1S.i.d3 (It is much more passive to continue with 1S . .ie2 142
�aS 16.i.b2 0-0 17.�c2 d6+) 1S . . . �a2 ! This important move pre vents White from developing har moniously. (The game S.Zhigalko - Balogh, Aix-les-Bains 2011, continued 1S ... �aS?! 16.@e2 0-0 17.�c2t and White managed to seize the initiative.) 16.@e2 (It is no better to play 16.i.c2 �aS 17. i.d4 0-0 18.i.e3 �xeS 19.0-0 dS+, or 16.i.d4 0-0 17.i.e3 �aS 18.0-0 �xeS+ Van der Weide Ris, Haarlem 2007 and in both cases White has no compensation for the sacrificed pawn.) 16 . . . 0-0 17.�c2 �xc2 18.hc2 l:'!e8 19.f4 dSt White's position looks defen sible, but Black has the initiative. 1 0 J�'e6 ll .ixt'S But not ll.i.b2 a4+ reaching a position we analyzed in our notes to the move 10.i.b2, but with White having lost a tempo. ll J3xf8 ••
.
•.
12.4Jc3!N This is the only move to keep the position balanced. In response to 12.a4, it is good for Black to play 12 . . . .ib7 13.�e3 0-0-0 14.id3 d6+ with the better
3.d4 ed 4. !jj xd4 &jjf6 5. !jj xc6 be 6.e5 Vff e7 7. Vff e2 !jj d5 8.b3 a5 development and superior pawn structure. White has also tried 12.Cjj d 2 a4, after which he must already fight for equality. 13J'l:d1 (He is unable to keep the balance with 13 .b4 .ib7 14.Vfffe3 0-0-0+, or 13. l'%c1 .ib7 14.Vfff e 4, Temkov - Mitk ov, Skopje 2008, 14 . . . axb3 15. axb3 0-0-0 16.c5 Cjj d 5+ and in both cases, White is considerably behind in development and might lose his e5-pawn.) 13 . . . axb3 14. axb3, Ambarcumova - Zaiatz, Sochi 2 004, and here Black can continue with 14 . . . .ib7 15.Vfffe 3 f6 16.Cjj f3 c5+ and he completely solves the problem of how to acti vate his pieces. 12 a4 13. 0 - 0 - 0 White is unable to prevent the opening of the a-file, because af ter 13.b4? .ia6+ he loses his c4pawn. He obtains no advantage with the greedy line 13.c5 Cjj d5 14.Cjj xa4 'it>d8 (Black can also play for a win with 14 . . . .ia6 ! ? 15.Vfffe4 hf1 16. 'it>xf1 f5 17.Vfff d 4 f4gg with excellent compensation for the pawn.) 15. Vffe 4 l'%e8 16.0-0-0 &jj f6 17.�f4 Vffx e5 18.Vfffxe5 l'%xe5 19 . .id3 .ia6 20 .ha6 l'%xa6= White has failed to preserve his extra pawn and the position is equal. 13 axb3 14.axb3 •••
•••
14 '1t>d8 ! After this precise move, Black can even fight for more than equality. 15.'9'e3 The alternatives for White seem to be worse: after 15.Vfffe 4 f6 16.Vfffx h7 Vfffe 7!+ Black restores the material balance, while if 15.�h5 f6 16.Vfffxh7 �e7 17.e6 (17.exf6 �xf6 18.�c2 l'%a1+ 19.Cjj b 1 d6 20.�b2 Vfffh 6+ 2 l.l'%d2 l'%a8 2 2 .f3 i.f5 23. .ie2 Cjj d7+ his compensation for the sacrificed pawn is more than sufficient) 17 . . . d5 18.cxd5 (18. i.d3? ! he6 19.l'%he1 f5 2 0.l'%e2 Wf6 21.'1t>c2 'it>c8+) 18 . . . l'%a1+ 19.'1t>c2 l'%xd1 20.'1t>xd1 cxd5+ White has succeeded in trading several piec es, but his king is still exposed, while Black dominates the centre. 15 f6 16 .td3 'ffxe5 17. .ixh7 Wxe3+ 18.fxe3 .tb7 19. .te4 (otherwise Black will contin ue with 19 . . c5) 2 0 .h4 gas= •••
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•
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143
Chapter 12
l.e4 e5 2 . �f3 � c6 3.d4 exd4 4.�xd4 �f6 5 . �xc6 bxc6 6.e5 �e7 7.�e2 � d5 8.c4 Scotch Game Mieses Variation
We see in the diagram the ba sic position of the Mieses Varia tion. Black has two possibilities here - 8 . . . .ia6 or 8 . . . ttlb6 and we choose the former, since it devel ops a piece and temporarily re stricts his opponent's pieces. 8 . . . .ia6 The basic drawback of this move is that Black's a7-pawn can not come into play any time soon, but it is difficult for White to ex ploit this effectively. His main at tempts to create problems for Black are based on: A) 9.ttld2 and B) 9.b3. White has also tried: 9.�e4 ttlf6 10.�e2 (10.�e3? ttlg4 11.�e2 ttlxe5-+) 10 . . . ttld5 see 8 . . . .ta6; 144
9.a3 - White takes control over the b4-square but loses an important tempo and weakens the b3-square. 9 . . . g6 10.f4 (In an swer to 10.�e4, it seems very good for Black to continue aggres sively with 10 .. .f5 11.�d4 ttlb6 12. ttld2 .ig7 13.ttlf3 d6+ - he leads in development and wins the enemy eS-pawn.) 10 . . . ttlb6 ll.ttld2 .ig7 12 .b3 0-0 13 . .ib2 E:ae8 14.�e4 f6+ Black has completed his de velopment and starts to open the central files, Hughes - R.Stein, Email 1999; 9 . .id2 - White's bishop is less actively placed here than on b2, so he will have to lose an impor tant tempo later in order to trans fer it to the long diagonal. 9 . . . ttlb6 10.b3 g6 ll ..ic3 .ig7 12.g3 0-0 13.ig2 E:fe8 14.0-0 .ixeS 15.E:e1 hc3 16.�xe7 E:xe7 17.ttlxc3 E:ae8+ Black has ended up with a slight edge thanks to his extra doubled pawn, Cabrera - Rego, Cuba 1999; 9.h4 - This move has its points. White wants to develop his bishop on gS or his rook to h3, but his king remains in the centre,
3.d4 ed 4. 0.xd4 0.f6 5. 0.xc6 be 6.e5 W!e7 7. Wfe2 0.d5 8.c4 � a6 which cancels out all the pluses of this move. 9 ... 0-0-0 10J%h3 (White loses after 10.i.g5? f6 11. exf6 and here, instead of the equal endgame arising from 11 . . . Wffx e2 + 12 .i.xe2 0.xf6= M .Shcher bin - Salnikov, Salekhard 2 0 07, Black can strike a powerful tacti cal blow with 11 . . . \Wf7! - + ; after 10 .b3 f6+ White must play very accurately to avoid losing quickly, since Black's lead in development is becoming threatening.) 10 . . . 0.b6
11.b3 (White can consider 11.0.d2 ! ? l:'!:e8 12 .l:'!:a3 �b7 13.0.£3, but after 13 . . .£6 14.l:'!:e3 \Wd8 15. exf6 gxf6 ! + he might start to re gret that his king has not been evacuated away from the centre yet.) 11 .. .£6 12 .l:'!:e3 (in the varia tion 12.a4 l!Jd5+ Black will rede ploy his knight to the weakened b4-square) 12 . . . 0.d5 13.l:'!:e4 f5 14. l:'!:d4 l:'!:e8+ White has great prob lems with the protection of his weak e5-pawn and his queenside has not yet been developed, Bak lan - Nielsen, Internet 2004; 9.£4 - This move is too opti mistic. 9 .. .'
1894 and here, after 11 .. .'�'b6 1 2. 0. c 2 0-0 13.W!f3 0.b4 14.l!Je1 i.f2 ! t Black's pieces are tremen dously active; after 9.g3 g6 10.�g2 (it is pref erable for White to opt for 10 .b3 �g7 - see 9.b3, or 10.0.d2 �g7 see 9.0.d2) 10 . . . i.g7 11.0-0 (1l.f4? 0-0 12 .b3 f6 13 .�a3 0.b4 14.Wffd 2 l:'!:ab8-+ White has failed to en sure the safety of his king, Ma lienko - A. Rodin, Kiev 2 007) 11 . . . 0 - 0 12 .l:'!:e1 (after 12 .0.d2 0.b6 13. f4 f6+ White has problems with the protection of his e5-pawn) 12 . . . l:'!:fe8
It is bad for White to play 13. �d2? l:'!:ab8 14.b3 '
Chapter 12 A) 9.�d2 This is a natural developing move. White generally deploys his knight to f3 to fortify his e5pawn. 9 . g6 .
.
1 0 .�f3 10.b3 i.g7 - see variation B. It is too risky for White to choose 10.g3?! i.g7 11.f4 0-0 12. W/e4, L.Milov - Pinter, Bayern 1999, since after 12 . . . l!Jb6 ! 13.i.e2 (13 .c5 hf1 14.cxb6 i.h3 ! 15.bxc7 d5 16.'1Mfe2 f6-+) 13 .. .f6 14.exf6 \Mfxf6-+ Black's lead in develop ment becomes decisive. In answer to 10.l!Je4, Gress hoff - Dimitriadis, Email 1996, we recommend that Black con tinue with 10 ... 0-0- 0 ! N
146
This logical move has not been tried yet. There might follow: 11. W/c2 (11.\Mff3? ! '1Mfxe5 12.cxd5 hfl 13. i>xf1 !'!e8+ Black ends up with an extra pawn, but he will have problems realizing it) 11 ... \Mfxe5 12.cxd5 hf1 13.i>xf1 !'!e8 14.dxc6 W/xe4 15.W/xe4 !'!xe4 16.cxd7+ lt>xd7 17.i.e3 i.d6= - The activity of his pieces compensates fully the slight defect of his queenside pawn structure. 10.\Mfe4 f5 11.exf6 (in the varia tion 11.'!Wd4 l!Jb4 12 .'!Wc3 i.g7 13. l!Jf3 c5+ all Black's pieces have ex cellent prospects) 11 . . . l!Jxf6 12. \Mfxe7+ i.xe7=
Tournament practice has shown that Black has no difficul ties in this endgame: after 13.i.e2 0-0 14.0-0 !:iae8 15.i.f3 g5 16.h3 h5 17.g3 d5+ White will be faced with an un pleasant defence; it is not no better for White to opt for 13.b3 0-0 14.i.e2 i.b4 15. 0-0 !:iae8 16.i.f3 d5 17.!:1d1 g5 18. h3 h5 19.g3 (19.g4 hxg4 2 0.hxg4 i.c5+ Shadrina - Pokorna, Sze ged 2 006) 19 ... i.c5 2 0 .i.b2 g4-+ Black has seized control of the f-
3.d4 ed 4. l1Jxd4 l1Jf6 5. l1Jxc6 be 6.e5 Wie7 7. Wie2 l1J d5 B.c4 .ia6 file, Khamrakulov - Perez Cande lario, Zafra 2004; it looks most precise for White to opt for 13 . .id3, but after 13 . . . l1Jd5 ! ? 1 4 . .tc2 l1Jf4 15.g3 l1Je6= Black is able to exploit the weak ness of the d4-square. 1 0 . . . %tb4+
This move practically forces White's king to remain in the cen tre, because after ll.l1Jd2 ? ! it is very good for Black to play either ll . . . l1Jb6 or 11.. .i.g7 and he retains a huge lead in development in ei ther case. ll.<.!ldl �b6 12.b3 i.g7 13.'i!:td2 It is no better for White to opt for 13.Wc2 0-0 14J�'d2 fixd2+ 15 . .txd2 d5= 13 ... ti'xd2 + After this move Black equalizes. Here Black used to play 13 . . . Wie7, but i n the game Nepomni achtchi - Svidler, Moscow 2010, White continued with 14 . .tb2 0-0 15.Wc2 c5 16.h4 t and created real problems for his opponent. 14 . .bd2 Or 14.Wxd2 c5=
14 . . . c5 ! ? With this move Black ensures that his a6-bishop will be able to relocated to the long diagonal and also prevents his opponent from gaining space on the queen side with the move c4-c5. 15.�c2 0 - 0 16 . .id3 With 16.a4 .ib7 17.a5 l1Jc8 = White merely helps his opponent to redeploy his pieces to more ac tive positions. After 16J'%d1 E:fe8 17.a4 (in the variation 17 . .te3 he5 18.hc5 i.f6= White is unable to win the d7-pawn, because after 19.hb6? axb6 20.E:xd7 i.c8+ he loses his a2-pawn) 17 . . . l1Jc8 18.i.e3 d6 19. exd6 cxd6 2 0 . .tf4 .ib7= The activ ity of Black's powerful bishops fully compensates for the weak ness of his d6-pawn. 16 . . . .ib7 17.gael Black has no problems after 17.E:he1 d6 18 . .ic3 gae8 19.exd6 .txf3 20.gxf3 cxd6= The dark squared bishops are exchanged and Black obtains chances of seizing the initiative by transfer ring his knight to the centre.
147
Chapter 12
17 . . . d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19. ge7 .ixf3 2 0 .gxf3 d5 21 . .if4 (White has no advantage after 2l ..ie3 .if6 22 J''lb 7 �fb8 23.�xb8+ �xb8 24.cxd5 LLlxd5=) 21. .id4 22 .ig3 dxc4 23.bxc4 f5 ! = Black has restricted his oppo nent's light-squared bishop and soon he will either exchange or evict his opponent's active rook, J .Andersen - Gagliardi, Email 2008. .•
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B) 9 .b3 White protects his b2-pawn and in the process ensures that his dark-squared bishop can be developed to its most active posi tion. 9 g6 • •.
Now White has two main moves in his fight for the advan tage: B1) 1 0 . .ib2 and B2) 1 0 .f4. 10.%lfe4? - White is trying to develop his light-squared bishop to d3 or e2, but Black has a direct refutation up his sleeve. 10 .. .f5 11.%lfd4 (11.%lfe2 .ig7 12 ..ib2 d6+ Black wins the enemy e5-pawn and retains the better develop ment.) 11.. .LLlb4 12 .%lfc3 (12.@d1 .ig7-+ ) 12 ... .ig7 13 . .ib2 d6! 14. %lfxb4 .ixe5 15 . .ixe5 %lfxe5+ 16 . .ie2 %lfxa1-+ Black will have the pleas ant task of realizing his extra ex change. In the variation 10.g3 .ig7 11.f4 (it would be better for White to opt for ll . .ib2 - see variation B1) 11.. .f6 12 ..ib2 (in answer to 12. .ia3 it is very strong for Black to play 12 ... LLlb4 13.%lfd2 c5 14 . .ig2 0-0-0+ - he has completed his development and exerts pressure against the enemy centre) 12 ... fxe5 13.fxe5 0-0 14.LLld2 �ae8 15.0-0-0 %lfg5+ White's king is exposed and he will be unable to hold on to his e5-pawn. 10.LLld2 .ig7 ll.LLlf3 (ll . .ib2 LLlb4 - see variation B1) 11 . . . 0-0
12 .%lfb2 LLlb6 13 . .ie2 , Trinh Thi 148
3.d4 ed 4 . l'iJxd4 ti:Jf6 5. ti:Jxc6 be 6.e5 W! e7 7. W!e2 ti:JdS B.c4 .i a6 Nhu - Nguyen T Tra, Ho Chi Minh City 2001 and here after the simple line: 13 .. .f6 14.W!a3 W!xa3 15.ha3 !%feB+ Black ends up with an extra pawn. In response to 12 . .ig5, Lovik Sartori, Kerner 2009, it is good for Black to continue with 12 .. .f6 13.exf6 W!c5 ! 14. 0-0-0 ti:Jxf6t and he has excellent attacking pros pects. After 12 . .ib2, Fogarasi - Volk mann, Budapest 1997, 12 .. .f6 13. exf6 W!b4+ 14.W!d2 !%ae8+ 15.'i!id1 W!xd2+ 16.mxd2 ti:Jxf6+ Black's lead in development provides him with the better chances, despite the simplification. 10 . .ia3 - White loses a tempo, hoping to prove that Black's knight on b4 is no better placed there than on b6. 10 . . . ti:Jb4 ll . .ib2 (ll.hb4? W!xb4+ 12 .Wid2 W!e7 13. W!a5 f6 !+, ll.g3 ? ! ti:Jc2+ 12 .W!xc2 W!xe5+ 13.W!e2 .ig7 14.ti:Jc3 W!xe2+ 15. 'i!ixe2 hc3 16.!%c1 .if6+ Ab dollahzadeh - Grandelius, Lund 2010 and in both cases Black has an extra pawn; while in the variation 11.f4 d5 12.ti:Jc3 0-0-0 13.W!b2 WieSt his threats are extremely dangerous.) 11 . . . :ll.g 7
12.a3 (12 .f4 0-0 13.ti:Jc3 d6 14.0-0-0 dxe5 15.a3 ti:Jd5+ with better development for Black) 12 . . . ti:Jd5 13.ti:Jd2 (in reply to 13. W!e4, E.Semenova - Rysbayeva, Voronezh 2010, it is very strong for Black to play 13 .. .f5 14.W!e2 0-0 15.ti:Jd2 d6+ winning the e5pawn; after 13 .g3 0-0 14 ..ig2 !%ae8 15.0-0, Kharashkina - Kuz mina, Vladimir 2002, it is good for him to play in similar fashion to the main line of variation Bl: 15 . . . he5 16.W!xe5 W!xe5 17.he5 !%xe5 18.cxd5 hf1 19.mxf1 cxd5 20.ti:Jc3 c6= Black has occupied the e-file with his rooks and his king will be transferred to the d6square.) 13 . . . 0-0 14.0-0-0 (14. W!e4?! ti:Jb6 15 ..ie2 !%ae8 16.f4 f6+) 14 . . . !%ae8 15.W!f3 (after 15.g3 ti:Jb6 16.f4 d6 17 ..ig2 d5 18.h4 !%b8t Black has a powerful initiative) 15 . . . ti:Jb6 16.ti:Je4 he5 17.he5 (in the variation 17.ti:Jf6+ W!xf6 18. W!xf6 .txf6 19.hf6 c5+ White's ad vantage of the bishop pair does not fully compensate for the loss of his important centre pawn.) 17 ... W!xe5 18.ti:Jf6+ mh8 19.ti:Jxe8 W!a1+ 20.'i!ic2 W!a2+ 21.'i!ic3 fue8= . I t i s easy t o see that here White cannot avoid the perpetual check, for example: 22 . .id3 ti:Ja4+ 23. bxa4 W!xa3+ 24.'i!ic2 W!a2 + 25.'i!ic1 W!a3+ 26.md2 W!b4+ 27.'i!ic2 W!xa4, with a draw.
Bl) 1 0 .ib2 This is an attractive move. White develops his bishop to its best possible position. .
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Chapter 12 1 0 . . i.g7 .
ll.g3 11.lLlc3? ! - After this move, White loses any chance of exploit ing the tactical motifs based on capturing Black's knight. ll...lLlxc3 12 .hc3 0-0 13.g3 !lfe8 14.f4 d6+ White loses his e5-pawn and will be unlikely to obtain full compen sation for it owing to his lag in de velopment, Ikonomopoulou Konstantinidis, Iraklion 2 0 07. ll.lLld2 lLlb4
12 .�e4? - This move loses to 12 . . . d5 13.�b1 .ic8- + In the variation 12.lLle4 0 -0 13.f4 d 5 14.a3 (14.lLlf2? dxc4 15. bxc4 !labS 16.g3, Ksir - Makov sky, Czech Republic 1996, 16 . . . !lfd8 17.a3 lLld5 18.!lc1 g5 !-+) 150
14 ... dxe4 15.axb4 �xb4+ 16.�d2 �xd2+ 17.<±>xd2 !lfd8+ 18.<±>c2 .ic8+ Black's prospects are prefer able, because he has an extra passed pawn, Klausner - Boldysh, Email 2 005. 12 .lLlf3 c5 13.g3 (In response to 13 .�e4?, it is very good for Black to play 13 . . . !lb8 !+, while if 13.a3? lLlc6 14.0-0-0 0-0 15.h4 !lfb8 16. <±>c2 !lb6+ he is ahead of his opponent in creating threats, Kar kuth - Graf, Germany 1991.) 13 ... 0-0 14 ..ig2 d5 15.0-0 l'!ad8
16.!lfd1 (White cannot trouble his opponent with the line: 16.a3 lLlc6 17.!lfe1 dxc4 18.bxc4 lLld4 19. �e4, Altrock - Pellegrinon, Email 2 0 0 2 , since Black can play 19 . . . lLlxf3+ 2 0 . .hf3 !lb8 21.�c2 hc4 2 2 .�xc4 !lxb2 = , winning a pawn. His bishop is terribly restricted however, so the prospects are equal.) 16 . . . !lfe8 17.a3 (After 17. lLle1 dxc4, White has no time for 18.l'!xd8?, Guinsburg - Offen born, Email 2000, because after the surprising retort 18 . . . c3 ! 19. !lxe8+ �xe8 2 0.�e3 cxb2 21.l'!d1 i.xe5+ Black obtains excellent winning chances, but even after the more natural line: 18.bxc4
3.d4 ed 4 . ti'Jxd4 t:j'jf6 5.ti'Jxc6 be 6.e5 'Wfe7 7. fie2 t:j'j d5 B.c4 .i a 6 �xd1 19.�xd1 heS 2 0.heS 'WfxeS 21.'W!xeS �xeS+ Schaper - Johans son, England 1998, or 19.'W!xd1 heS 2 0.heS 'W!xeS+ Sukhov Daurelle, Email 2002, Black can hope to increase his advantage.) 17 . . . t:j'jc6 18.'W!c2 (18.�e1 'Wff8 19 . .ih3 dxc4 20.bxc4 t:j'jd4 2 1.fid1 .ib7 2 2 .hd4 cxd4+ Black has ob tained a powerful passed pawn in the centre, supported by his mighty bishops, Sutton - Klaus en, Email 2008.) 18 . . . d4 19.�e1 fid7 2 0 .b4 t:j'jxeS 21.bS, Svidler M.Adams, Tilburg 1997 and here Black wins by force with 2 1 . . .d3 ! 2 2 .'W!b3 t:j'jxf3 + 23.hf3 'WffS 24. .idS d2 2S.�fl c6 ! 26.hc6 �d3-+ 12.0-0-0
12 . . . t:j'jxa2+ (Here Black could also consider the less greedy line 12 . . . cS ! ? 13.t:j'je4 .ib7, with the fol lowing sample variations : 14.�e3 he4 1S.'Wfxe4 0-0 16.�b1 aS?, or 14.a3 he4 1S.'W!xe4 t:j'jc6 and now if 16.f4 �b8 17.�c2 0-0t Black's attack develops effortlessly, but even after 16.h4 �b8 17.�h3 t:j'jd4? he has excellent counter-chanc es.) 13.�b1 t:j'jb4 14.t:j'je4 0-0 1S. 'Wff3 (In the variation 1S.t:j'jf6+ hf6 16.exf6 'W!xe2 17.he2 d6=
Black's extra pawn compensates the loss of his important dark squared bishop.) 1S . . . �fe8 16. t:j'jf6+ (After 16.h4 dS 17.t:j'jf6+ hf6 18.exf6, he can choose be tween 18 . . . 'WfcS - see 16.t:j'jf6, and complete equality with 18 . . . 'W!e4+ 19.fixe4 �xe4=) 16 . . . hf6 17.exf6 'WicS 18.h4 (It is preferable for White to opt for 18.fif4 dS 19.'W!h6 'Wff8 20.'W!xf8+ �xf8 = , but Black's extra pawn and active pieces fully compensate for White's bishop pair.) 18 . . . dS 19.'Wff4 (White should avoid 19.hS gS+) 19 . . . dxc4 20.bxc4 .ic8 ! (This is stronger than 20 . . . �ab8 when in the game Carlsen - Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2011, there followed 21.�h6 'Wff8 2 2 .'W!xf8+ �xf8 23.hS .ic8 24. hxg6 fxg6 2S.�xh7 .ifS+ 26.�a1 t:j'jc2+ 2 7.�a2 t:j'jb4+ 28.�a1 with a draw.) 2 1.'W!h6 'Wff8 2 2 .�xf8+ �xf8 23.hS .ifS+ 24.�a1 cS-+ and White is beyond salvation. 11 . . . 0 - 0
12 . .tg2 Or 12.f4? f6 13.exf6 'W!b4+ 14. �d1, Hampl - Goc, Email 2 00S, 14 ... �xf6 ! - + with a crush. 1S1
Chapter 12 After 12.lt:\d2 d6 13 .�e4 (13. lt:)f3? dxe5 14.lt:)xe5 l:'lfe8-+ ; 14 . .b:e5 .b:e5 15.lt:)xe5 l:'lfe8 16.f4 f6- + Kradolfer - Wang Yu A, Oropesa del Mar 1998) 13 . . . .b:e5 ! (after 13 . . . lt:)b4? 14.a3 d5 15.cxd5 .b:f1 16.�xf1 lt:)xd5 17.�g2;!; White has a stable edge thanks to his better pawn structure and superi ority in the centre, Jones Smeets, London 2 009) 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.�e3 .b:b2 ! 16.�xe7 l:'lfe8 17.�e3 d4+ Black regains his queen, obtaining two pawns for the exchange, with a powerful bishop pair and a strong central passed pawn. In answer to 12 .i.h3, Ashley Held, Budapest 1997, it is good for Black to continue in standard fashion with 12 . . . d6 13 .0-0 .b:e5 14.i.g2 (14.he5 dxe5 15.l:'le1 l:'lfe8 16.�d2 lt:)b6=) 14 . . . l:'lab8 15.lt:)c3 fi.g7= and White's compensation for the pawn is sufficient for equality, but nothing more. 12 . . . gae8 13. 0 - 0 After 13.f4? ! f6+, Black will not only win the enemy e5-pawn, but will also bring his rook on f8 into action.
152
13 . . . .lxe5 14.ti'xe5 For 14 . .b:e5 �xeS 15.�xe5 l:'lxe5 - see 14.�xe5 . 14 . . . ti'xe5 15 .ixe5 gxe5 16. cxd5 Or 16.f4 l:'le3 17.cxd5 .b:fl 18 . �xfl cxd5 - see 16.cxd5. 16 .bf'1 17.�xfl cxd5 •
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18.f4 18.lt:)d2 l:'lfe8 19 . .if3 (19.lt:)f3?! l:'le2 2 0 .l:'le1 l:'lxe1+ 2I.lt:)xe1, Lyell - Truta, Bled 1997, 2 l . . .c6+ - The exchange of rooks in this pawn structure is in Black's favour.) 19 . . . a5 2 0 .l:'lc1 c6 2 I.lt:)b1 2 l . . .�f8 2 2 . lt:)c3 �e7 23.lt:)a4 �d6 24.tt:lc5 l:'lb8 25.i.e2 l:'le7 26.l:'lc2 = . Black has centralized his king and occu pied the only open file. White will find it difficult to improve his po sition, because an exchange of rooks or any opening of files on the kingside will be in Black's fa vour. However, Black cannot do much without the help of his op ponent either, so in the game S. Movsesian - Bacrot, Chalkidiki 2 0 0 2 , the players agreed to a draw. It is scarcely any better for
3.d4 ed 4Ji:Jxd4 tlJf6 5. ttJxc6 be 6.e5 W!e7 7. W!e2 ttJ d.S B.c4 � a 6 White to play 1B.0,a3 c6 19.tiJc2 !UeB 2 0 . tiJe3 (20.i.f3 'i!;>fB 21.tiJb4 'i!;>e7 2 2 .tiJd3 - see 1B.tiJc3) 20 . . . 'i!;>fB 2 1.�d1 'i!;>e7 22.�d4 'i!;>d6 ! = and now that Black's king has oc cupied the d6-square he has no problems whatsoever. 1B.tiJc3 c6
White has tried various moves here, but the essence of the posi tion is very simple. Black needs to activate his king and this should be enough to equalize. Tourna ment practice has confirmed this evaluation: 19.�e1? ! - After the exchange of rooks White becomes the de fending side. 19 . . . �xe1+ 20.'i!;>xe1 f5+ Smistik - Rychtecky, Brno 2007; 19.tlJa4 �feB 2 0.�f3 (Black has no problems after 20.tiJc5 �5e7 21.�c1 'i!;>g7 2 2 .b4 �e2 23.tiJxd7 �xa2= Lupynin - Arppi, Email 200B; while in the variation 2 0 . �c1 � e 2 21.tiJc3, Zezulkin - Du biel, Ustron 2004, 21.. .�d2+ he can even play for a win.) 20 . . . 'i!;>fB 21.tiJc5 'i!;>e7 2 2 . tiJd3 (22.�c1 'i!;>d6 23.tiJd3 �5e7= Sumets - Moi seenko, Kharkov 2000) 22 . . . �e6 23.tiJc5 (After 23.�c1 'i!;>d6, the
careless 24.�c5 �e1+ 25.'i!;>g2 �1e4+ gives Black the better pros pects, but even after the more ac curate 24.b4 �aB 25.tiJc5 �eeB 26.a4 �abB = Black has nothing to complain about, Ponkratov Sepman, Samara 20 04.) 23 . . . �e5 24.0,d3 �e6= Rublevsky - Bolo gan, Tomsk 2001; 19.�f3 �bB 2 0 .�c1 'i!;>fB = Black's king i s centralized and he has no worries, Totsky - Yan demirov, Maikop 199B; 19.�d1 �feB 2 0.�f3 ! (White's idea is to mask the e-file with his knight on the e2-square and then to attack the enemy a7-pawn with his rook.) 2 0 . . . 'i!;>fB 2 1.tiJe2 (It is less effective to play 21.tlJa4 'i!;>e7 2 2 .tiJb2, Berelowitsch - Pliester, Bussum 200B, 22 . . . �e6 23.�d4 'i!;>d6=) 2 1 . . . 'i!;>e7 (Black's position is solid enough and this can be best illustrated by the line 2 1 . . . �bB ! ? 2 2 .�d4, Avotins - Maurer, Email 2006, 22 . . . a5 23.�a4 �b5, with the idea of equalizing com pletely after the thematic varia tion 24.tlJf4 �eB 25.�e2 �c5 26. tiJd3 �c2 27.�f3 �c3 28.�e2 �c2 =) 22.�d4 'i!;>d6 23.�a4 �aB 24.�a5 (after 24.h4, Zelcic - Plenkovic, Omis 2 004, it is good for Black to play 24 . . . a5 ! ? 25.'i!;>e1 'i!;>c7= ; in an swer to 24.b4, Zelcic - Bozanic, Pula 2000, the simplest route to equality for Black is to transfer his king to the centre in standard fashion with 24 . . . <;!;>c7=) 24 . . . 'i!;>c7 25.b4 (25.'i!;>e1 'i!;>b6 26.b4 �aeB= Cento - Malyshev, Email 2009) 25 ... a6 26.tiJc1 'i!;>b6 27.tiJb3 �a7 153
Chapter 12 2B . .ie2 f6 29. lt:\c5 d6 30.lt:\a4+ @b7= The white pieces have de veloped their maximum activity, but White has failed to capture the a6-pawn and there is no way of improving his position in sight, Rublevsky - Tseshkovsky, Sochi 2005. 18 ge3 19.h:d5 The tricky move 19 . .if3? ! is rather dubious, because after 19 . . . �feB 2 0 .lt:\d2 @g7+ Black gains a slight edge, thanks to the possibil ity of activating both his rooks. 19.lt:\d2 c6 2 0 .lt:\f3, Turkin U.Eliseev, Moscow 200B (After 2 0 .�e1? ! �feB 21.lt:\f3 �xe1+ 2 2 . lt:\xe1 �e3+, Black's active rook and central pawns are stronger than White's minor pieces, Lap enna - Sbarra, Bratto 2 006.), 2 0 ... �feB 21.lt:\e5 �e7 2 2 .�c1 f6 23.lt:\g4 �3e6 24 . .if3 @g7= White's rook cannot be activated, owing to the weakness of his back rank. 19 gd3 •.•
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It is inferior for White to choose 20 . .ie4 �d1+ 2 1 . @e2 !!c1 2 2 .@d2 �g1 23 . .ic2 �eB 24 . .id1 �g2 + 25.@d3 �e1 26.lt:\c3 �xh2+ and he loses his kingside pawns, Brilla Banfalvi - Clark, Email 200B, or 20 . .ic4 �d1+ 21.@e2 �g1 2 2 . @f2 �c1 23 . .id3 �eB 24.f5 !!eel+ and White's queenside is completely paralysed, D. Kovacs Szakall, Hungary 2 004. 2 0 ges 21.@f2 c6 22 .te2 It is still not too late for White to lose the game: 2 2 .lt:\a3? �d2 + 23 . ..t>g1, Klek - I.Balog, Szeged 200B, because after 23 . . . d5 ! - + h e i s unable t o coordinate his pieces. 22 gde3 ! 23 .idl gd3 24. .ie2 gde3 25 .tdl gd3, draw, Carlsen - Aronian, Moscow 2010. •••
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154
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B2) 1 0 .f4 Garry Kasparov introduced this move into practice some 20 years ago in his game against Kar pov (Tilburg 1991) and it was con sidered to be White's most princi pled continuation. 1 0 d6 !? •••
2 0 .tf3 ! This is the only move to hold the balance.
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3.d4 ed 4. l1Jxd4 l:iJf6 5. l:iJxc6 be 6.e5 �e7 7. �e2 l1J d5 8.c4 .ia6 This has become the most fash ionable move in the last few years and White so far White has been unable to prove any advantage. ll.'ilYd2 11.�f3? ! - White loses more tempi and falls considerably be hind in development. 11 . . . l1Jb4 12. �c3 (White loses after 12 . .ib2 ? 0-0- 0 ! 13.e6 Ei:g8 14.�d1 d5-+ Smerdon - S. Hansen, Canberra 2011, or 12.a3? l1Jc2 + 13.�d1 l1Jd4 14.exd6 cxd6 15.�d3 .ig7- + Brandenburg - S.Ernst, Gronin gen 2 0 09, and in both cases White fails to complete his develop ment.) 12 . . . c5+ 11 . .ib2 .ig7 12.�f2 (White can try to win the enemy knight, but he pays a high price for it, because after 12 .�f3? dxeS 13.cxd5 exf4+ 14.�d2 hb2-+ he ends up a rook down, Ronchetti - Gustafsson, Reggio Emilia 2008.) 12 . . . l1Jf6 13. .ie2 dxe5 14.fxe5 (14.he5 ?! l1Je4 15.�d4 f6 16.�xe4 0-o:+= Black re gains his piece and dominates the dark squares.) 14 . . . l1Jd7 15.0-0 o-m= Black can easily exploit the weakness of his opponent's e5pawn, while White has difficulty in attacking Black's queenside pawns effectively, Johansson Do Prado, Email 2009. 11.exd6 - This move has not been played yet, but Black must be well prepared to face it. After 11 . . . �xe2 + 12 .he2 .ig7 13.cxd5 he2 14.�xe2 cxd5 15.l1Jc3 hc3 16.Ei:bl c6+ Black should b able to capture the d6-pawn in the next few moves.
11.'ilYb2 l1Jb6 12.l1Jd2 (Black's defensive task would be more complex after 12 .c5 .ixf1 13.cxb6 .ia6 14.�c3 �d7!+) 12 . . . .ig7 13. l1Jf3 0-0 14 ..id2 f6+ - White is unable to hold on to his eS-pawn, Jones - Kovachev, Fagernes 2011. 11.'ilYf2 l1Jf6
12 . .ie2? ! dxeS 13.0-0 lLle4! (This move is stronger than 13 . . . �cs 1 4 . .ie3 l1Je4 15.�f3 �xe3+ 16.�xe3 .icS 17.�xc5 l:iJxcS 18. fxe5 0-0= and the weaknesses on eS and c6 cancel each other out, So - Sargissian, Wijk aan Zee 2011.) 14.�f3 fS ! 15.l1Jc3 exf4 16. l1Jxe4 fxe4 17.�xf4 .ig7 18.Ei:b1 Ei:f8 19.�g3 Ei:xfl+ 2 0.hf1 .ie5 21.�f2 0-0-0+ Black's powerful passed pawn in the centre makes his po sition preferable. 12 . .ia3 �e6 13 . .ie2 dxe5 14. fxeS (It appears more accurate for White to play 14 . .b:f8 �xf8 15. 0-0 exf4 16.�xf4 �g7= with more than enough compensation for the pawn, Lundberg - Johans son, Email 2008.) 14 . . . ha3 (Here it looks very good for Black to play 14 . . . 'ilYxe5 ! ? 15.0-0 0-0-0 16.hf8 Ei:hxf8 17.�xf6 �xe2 155
Chapter 12
18.lt:lc3 \!Ne3+ 19.Wh1 \!Nd4= and his extra pawn fully compensates for the temporary passivity of his bishop and his disrupted queen side pawn structure, Siefring Schneider, Email 2008.) 15.lt:lxa3 lt:ld7 16.0-0 (16.lt:lc2 lt:lxe5 17. 0-0 0-0 - see 16.0-0) 16 ... 0-0 17. lt:lc2 lt:lxe5 18 J:'i:ae1 (It is no better for White to opt for 18J:'i:ad1 \!Ne7 19.lt:le1, Richter - Zitzmann, Email 2008, since Black can con tinue with 19 . . . �c8 = activating his most passive piece. It is more ac curate for White to play 18.lt:lb4 ! �b7 19.lt:ld3 lt:lxd3 2 0 .hd3 �adS 2 1 .�ad1 c5 ! 2 2 .'\Wxc5 \!Nb6 = Black has given back his extra pawn, but now his bishop is more active than its white counterpart.) 18 ... \!Ne7 19.�f3 �b7 2 0 .lt:ld4 \!Nc5 2 1.b4 lt:lxf3+ 22. lt:lxf3 �xf2 + 23. �xf2 �feB+ Black's bishop looks a bit passive, but he has excellent chances of creating a passed pawn on the kingside, while he can acti vate his bishop via the a6-square or by advancing with c6-c5, M. Mueller - Gustafsson, Germany 2009. ll ... �b6
12.Aa3 In the variation 12 .c5 hf1 13. �xfl dxc5 14.lt:lc3 c4+ White fails to obtain compensation for the pawn, because all Black's pieces can be ideally deployed, Jara binsky - Kalchev, Email 2009. It is not much better for White to play 12 . .ib2 .ig7 13 ..ie2 dxe5 14. 0-0 0-0 15.\!Na5 exf4 16 . .b:g7 Wxg7 17.�f3 .ib7+ - He will prob ably manage to regain one of his missing pawns, but not both . . . , Szablowski - Kislik, Budapest 2011. 12 ... c5 13.�c3 13 . .id3 - This move looks more active, but in fact only White will have problems now. 13 . . . 0 - 0 - 0 1 4 . .ib2 dxe5 15.0-0 1J.g7 16.�e1 �he8+ - Black's pieces have been well centralized and his prospects are superior.
13 . . . Ag7!? Black shows that he is in a fighting mood . . . I t i s sufficient for equality for Black to play 13 . . . dxe5, for exam ple: 14.lt:ld5 lt:lxd5 15.�xd5 �dB 16.�xe5 (in the endgame after 156
3.d4 ed 4. 1:LJxd4 1:iJf6 5. 1:iJxc6 be 6.e5 Wfe7 7. Wfe2 1:iJ d5 8.c4 .i a 6 16.W/c6+ W/d7 17.W/xd7+ l'!xd7 18. fxeS .ib7= Black has no bad piec es, Rovchakov - Primakov, Email 2 008) 16 . . . .tb7 17 . .ib2 f6 18. W!xe7+ mxe7 19.l'!g1 mt7= White cannot exploit the weakness of Black's queenside pawns, since he is unable to attack them, Rosen Nilsson, Email 2008. 14. 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 0 15.W/f2 After 15.exd6 cxd6 16 . .ib2 l'!ad8 17 . .id3 V9c7, White must play very accurately, because after the natural move 18.l'!he1? ! Black can seize the initiative with 18 . . . d S 19.lt:lxd5 .ixb2+ 20 .W/xb2 1?Jxd5 21.cxd5 c4 2 2 .bxc4 l'!xdSt, but even after the prophylactic move 18.mb1 dS ! 19.1?Jxd5 I?Jxds 20. hg7
the pawn.
15 .ib7! After 15 . . . l'!fd8?! 16 . .id3 dxeS 17 . .ie4 l'!ab8 18.hc5 W/f6 19 .f5 ! White has neutralized his oppo nent's threats on the a1-g8 diago nal, Kotronias - Gustafsson, Aix les-Bains 2011. 16 .id3 a5+± - The a-file will be opened and this will provide Black with excellent counterplay. •••
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157
Chapter 13
l.e4 e5 2 . ttlf3 ttlc6 3 .J.c4 J.c5 4.b4 Evans Gambit
fending but has excellent chances of seizing the initiative.
This aggressive move was in troduced into practice more than 150 years ago. 4 . . . J.xb4 Capturing the pawn is Black's most principled reply. 5.c3 White plans to use the tempo gained as a result of the pawn sacrifice to occupy the centre. It often happens that the best square for his dark-squared bishop is a3, so it is bad for him to play 5 . .ib2 ? d6+ or 5.a3? .ia5+ 5 . . . J.a5 Black can choose between sev eral possibilities to retreat his bishop. We have decided to rec ommend this one, because with this move Black is not just de158
6.d4 White's alternatives here lead at best to a transposition of moves back to the main line. 6.Wb3 We7 7.d4 (White must play energetically, since it would be inferior to opt for the indiffer ent line 7.0-0 tt:lf6 8.d4 0-o:t= and Black succeeds in evacuating his king away from the centre with out any positional concessions, while after 7.J.a3 d6 8.d4 tt:lf6 9. d5, he has the tactical shot 9 . . . tt:ld4 ! 10.tt:lxd4 exd4 11.Wa4+ .id7 12.Wxa5 Wxe4+ 13.�d1 0-0--+ with a decisive attack.) 7 ... exd4 see 6.d4.
l.e4 e5 2. f:Dj3 f:Dc6 3. �c4 �c5 4.b4 i.xb4 5.c3 �a5 6.�a3 d6 7.0-0 (7.d4 exd4 see 6. 0-0) 7 . . . f:Df6 8.d4 .ig4. Now White's only chance of continuing the game is with 9.dS f:De7 10. W/a4+ c6 ll.dxc6 f:Dxc6+ and Black's extra pawn is not decisive yet. 6.0-0 f:Df6 7.d4 f:Dxe4
8.dS f:De7 9.f:DxeS 0-0. Black has removed his king from the centre and retained the extra pawn, and after White's nest con tinuation 10 .l'!e1 d6 ll.l'!xe4 �fS 12 .l'!e2 dxeS 13.l'!xeS W/d7+ White regains his pawn, but at the cost of a noticeable lag in develop ment. In response to 8.l'!e1, it is very good for Black to play simply 8 . . . dS ! 9.�bS o-m= when White can regain one of his pawns, but achieves little else. 8 .W/b3 0-0 9.l'!e1, Maslik Gavrilov, Pardubice 1996, 9 . . . f:Df6 ! ? 10.dxeS d S ! 11.�d3 f:De4+ White must grant his opponent the advantage of the two bishops if he wants to regain the sacrificed pawn. 8 .i.a3 d6 9.dS (after 9.dxeS 0-0+ Black evacuates his king from the centre, ending up with a
solid extra pawn.) 9 . . . f:De7 10. W/a4+ c6 ll.dxc6 0-0+ and White has failed to obtain compensation for the pawn. 8.dxeS 0-0 9.W/dS (it is worse to continue with 9.W/c2 dS 10. exd6 f:Dxd6+, or 9.i.a3 d6 10 .W/c2 f:DgS+ and in both cases Black has an extra pawn and superior devel opment. After 9.idS f:DcS Black neutralizes his opponent's initia tive in the variation 10 .i.a3 ib6 ll.f:Dbd2 f:De7 12.ixcS ixcS 13. f:De4 d6+, while in response to 10. f:DgS, Chigorin - Schabelsky, carr. 1884, Black can now capture a second pawn, obtaining a great advantage, because after 10 . . . f:DxeS ll.f4 c 6 12 .ib3 f:Dxb3 13 . axb3 f6 14.fxeS i.b6+ 1S.�h1 fxgS 16.ia3 l'!xfl+ 17.W/xf1 dS ! 18.exd6 W/f6+, or in this line 14.ia3 ib6+ 1S.�h1 f:Dg6 16.hf8 W/xf8 17.f:De4 dS 18.f:Dg3 aS+, his bishops are tremendously active.) 9 . . . f:Dxc3 10.f:Dxc3 ixc3 11.igS (ll.l'!b1 d6+) 11.. .W/e8 12 .l'!ad1 (the more ag gressive variation 12.l'!ae1 he1 13.l'!xe1 W/e6+ does not help White either) 12 . . . heS 13.l'!fe1 d6-+ and Black should win easily with his three extra pawns, Fraser Neumann, Dundee 1867. 8.f:DxeS ! ? 0-0 9.f:Dxt7 (in the line : 9 . .ia3 d6 10.f:Dxc6 bxc6 11. W/a4 WigS ! 12 .ic1 W/hS 13.W/xc6 i.fS 14.f3 f:Df6 1S.g4 W/g6+ Black has mobilized all his forces, unlike his opponent) 9 . . . l'!xt7 10 . .ixt7+ �xt7 ll.dS (after ll.W/hS+ �f8 12 .W/xh7 f:Df6 13.Wfd3 dS 14.igS W/d6+ Black completes his development with1S9
Chapter 13 out any problems, while retaining a slight material advantage) 11 . . . ti:J e 7 12 .�a4 .b:c3 13.ti:Jxc3 ti:Jxc3 14.�c4 ti:Jcxd5 (14 . . . ti:Jexd5 ! ?) 15. �g5 'it>g6 ! ? 16.�xd5 ti:Jxd5 17. hd8, Mavlyaveev - Mrykhin, Ar mavir 2010 and after 17 . . . b6� Black has more than sufficient compensation for the exchange, thanks to his powerful passed pawns, which will be advanced soon. 6 . . . exd4
.ie6+ and Black has good chances of gradually realising his extra pawn, W.Hort - Wassermann, Email 2001. 7 . .ia3 - This development of White's bishop is premature. 7 . . . d 6 8. 0-0 (8.�b3 �f6 ! 9.0-0 ti:Jge7 10.cxd4 0-0 ll . .ib2 ti:Jg6+ White's centre looks beautiful, but it cannot compensate fully for the sacrificed pawn, since Black's position has no weak spots.) 8 . . . dxc3 9.\Wb3 .ig4 ! Black i s fighting for the initiative. White is practi cally forced to play 10.hf7+ 'it>f8 ll.hg8 l'!xg8 12.�xb7 \WeB 13.e5 l'!b8 14.�a6 l'!b6 15.�c4 �e6 16. �xe6 he6 17.exd6 .if5 18.dxc7+ 'it>f7+ and he is left temporarily with an extra pawn, but this can only be a small consolation for him, because he can hardly de velop his queenside without ma terial losses.
White's main moves in the di agram position are A) 7. 0 - 0 and B) 7.'#Nb3. His other possibilities are infe rior. After 7.e5 d5+, Black seizes the initiative, ending up with an extra pawn, Marache - Morphy, New Orleans 1857. It is not good to play 7.ti:Jg5 ti:Jh6+, since that just helps Black's king get away from the centre, Llaneza Vega - Farran Martos, Formigal 2002. It seems a bit strange for White to continue with 7.ti:Jxd4 ti:Jf6 8 . ti:Jxc6 dxc6 9.�xd8 + 'it>xd8 10.f3
A) 7. 0 - 0 Strangely enough, this natural and often-played move is serious inaccuracy, after which White will be forced to fight for equality. However, this became clear only during the process of the evolu tion of this variation and mostly owing to the analytical and practi cal contributions of the English grandmaster Michael Adams. 7 �ge7 (diagram) Al) 8.cxd4 A2) 8.�g5
160
•••
In the variation 8 . .ia3 0-0
l.e4 e5 2. tDj3 tD c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 .ia5 6.d4 ed 1 0 .ta.3 This is a very reasonable move, since it enables White to keep the enemy king in the centre. lO.I:iJgS? ! 0-0 U.l:iJxh7
9.cxd4 (9.1:iJxd4? ! d6+) 9 . . . d6+ White's centre is beautiful but Black effortlessly completes his development, retaining the extra pawn, while White's bishop on a3 is obviously misplaced. It is no improvement for him to opt for 8.�b3 0-0 9.cxd4 .ib6 lO.dS (otherwise Black will play d7-d5 himself, seizing the initia tive) lO . . . I:iJaS 11.�b4 (it is more or less the same after 11.'\!;!!c3 or 11 .�c2) 1l.. .l:iJxc4 12.�xc4 d6+ Black has an extra pawn and the bishop pair and White's space ad vantage cannot fully compensate for both these factors.
Al) 8.cxd4 d5 9.exd5 ttlxd5 and now: ll . .ia3 1!b8 ! (Black protects his b7-pawn and is not afraid of the pressure of the enemy bishop from a3, since he will easily neu tralize it later by playing .ib4.) 12 .1!d1 (12 .1:iJbd2 .ib4 13 ..ixb4 l:iJcxb4+ Black is ready to evacuate his king and he has retained his extra pawn.) 12 . . ..ib4 13 .!xb4 l:iJcxb4 14.a3 l:iJc6 1S.I:iJc3 l:iJxc3 161
Chapter 13 16.�xc3 .bc4 17.�xc4 0-0 18.dS 'Lle7+ White has gained space and has good chances of a draw, but nothing more than that, Nowak Potrata, Email 2006; it is bad for White to be greedy with 11.�xb7 'Lldb4. In the varia tion 12 .dS �b8 13.�xb8 �xb8 14.dxe6 fxe6 1S.'Llc3 0-0 16.�b1 �e8+ he fails to obtain sufficient compensation for the queen, Sui skis - Svidler, Moscow 2001. White cannot equalize with the line: 12 .i.bS 0-0 13.hc6 �b8 14. �xa7 'Llxc6 1S.�cS .idS
coordinated, T.Warakomski Batchuluun, Olomouc 2010. 1 0 . . . .ie6
-
ll ..ib5 11.�b3 �b8 ! - see 10.�b3. ll.'Llbd2 ? ! .ib4 12 .hb4 'Llcxb4 13.�a4+. Now, after 13 . . . �d7 14. �xd7+ c,ilxd7 1S.'Lle4gg White's ac tive pieces compensate for the sacrificed pawn, so Black should instead play 13 . . . ll:\c6.
For example: 16.'Llbd2 �e8 17.'Llb3 .ib4 18. �c2 hf3 19.gxf3 �dS+ all his pawns are weak and his king is ex posed, E.Sveshnikov - Graf, Ke merovo 199S; 16 ..igS f6 17 ..ie3 i.b6 18.�c2, Shlegin - Lysyj 2 010 and here Black's most precise move is 18 . . . fS ! --+ when his attack becomes de cisive; after 16 . .ia3 16 . . . �e8 17.'Llbd2 .ib6 18.�c3 .bf3 19.�xf3 ll:\xd4+ White's queen must retreat to the d1-square, after which Black has an overwhelming advantage, be cause his pieces are much better 162
14 ..ibS 'Llde7 !? 1SJ'!ab1 0-0 16.hc6 bxc6 17.�b7 aS+ Black's extra pawn is almost irrelevant, but his bishop is superior to the enemy knight, so his position is preferable, A.Muzychuk - Ko steniuk, Heraklio 20 07. Nevertheless, White can equal ize, but he has to find a series of
l.e4 e5 2. tiJj3 tiJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 i.a5 6.d4 ed practically only moves to do so: 14.h6! �c8 15J�fcl ! 0-0 16.hb7! �xb7 17.�xc6 �xc6 18.fuc6 E:tb8=, although at the end it is still only Black who can play for a win. ll ... .ib4! 12.hc6+ bxc6 13.hb4 tiJxb4 14.�a4
give up the extra piece with 11 . . . dxc3 12 .d6+ @e8 13.dxe7 �xd1 14.E:xd1 tiJc6 15.i.g5 i.fS+ and he will inevitably regain the e7pawn, ending up with a great ad vantage, thanks to his far-ad vanced passed c-pawn. 9 . . . c!Oe5
14 . . . �b8 ! Black provokes advantageous simplifications. 15.a3 tiJd5 16.�xc6+ ti'd7 17.�c5 �d6 18.�xa7 0 - 0 19. tiJbd2 gas 2 0 .�c5 ti'xc5 21. dxc5 �a4= This almost forced variation has led to an endgame in which Black has returned the pawn and can try to prove that his bishop is stronger than the enemy knight. In addition, White's cS pawn can be attacked much more easily than Black's c7-pawn. A2) 8.c!Og5 d5 (diagram) 9.exd5 9.tiJxf7 - This piece-sacrifice is interesting but not quite sound. 9 . . . @xf7 lO.exdS tiJeS ll.i.b3, Hughey - South, Alberta 2000. Now, it is reasonable for Black to
1 0 .ib3 After 10.l'i:e1?! tiJxc4 11.�a4+ c6 12 .ti'xc4 0-0 13.d6 tiJfS+ Black has the two bishops and an extra pawn. If 10.i.b5+ c6 ll.dxc6 bxc6 12.cxd4 cxbS 13.dxe5 �xd1 14. E:xd1 i.f5+ Black's bishops are tre mendously active in this open po sition, E.Sveshnikov - Wu Shao bin, Beijing 2008. •
163
Chapter 13 If 10.'&a4+, Mitlasovszki Shiomi, Budapest 1998, Black equalizes easily with 10 ... .id7 11. WxaS tLlxc4 12 .Wc5 tLld6 13.Wxd4 0-0= and White is unable to con solidate his position in the centre owing to his lag in development. After 10.Wxd4 f6 ! White is un able to exploit the weakness of the e6-square. 11.1"1e1 (If 1l..ib3 .ib6 12 .We4 .ifS 13 .Wa4+ Wd7 14. Wxd7+ , Segovic - I.Saric, Sibenik 2008, then after 14 . . . tLlxd7+ Black maintains the better prospects, because if 15.tLle6 he6 16.dxe6 tLlcS 17.1"1d1 tLle4+ White's pieces are undeveloped and he is unable to support his far-advanced pawn, which he is likely lose before long. Instead, several games have con tinued ll ..ibS+ c6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13 . .ie2 MS+, also with the better chanc es for Black, in view of his lead in development.) ll ... .ib6 12.Wh4 .ifS
13 . .ia3 tLJ7g6 14.'&g3 Wd7 15. CLJe6 he6 16.dxe6 Wc6 17 . .ie2 (17. .ib3? 0-0-0-+ - White cannot develop his queenside.) 17 . . . Wxe6 18.tLld2 0-0-0+ Black's forces are ideally developed and centralized, so White's advantage of the two bishops is not sufficient to com164
pensate for the m1ssmg pawn, Tanti - V.Szabo, Email 2008. After 13.CLJe6 CLJ7g6 14.'&h5 he6 15.dxe6 tLlxc4 16.Wb5+ c6 17.Wxc4 tLleS 18.We2 0-0+, White's queenside is undeveloped, so White's pawn on e6 is much more of a liability than an asset. 13.tLlf3 - This is White's most accurate move. 13 . . . CLJ7g6 14.'&h5 0-0 15.Wxf5 tLlxc4 16.tLlbd2 tLlceS 17.c4, Fritsche - Fritz, Email 2008 and now with 17 . . . :1'1£7? Black gains more than adequate counter-chances. 1 0 ... 0 - 0
ll.lL!xh7 White's alternatives are much worse: ll.Wxd4?! - this move pro vides Black with important tempi for the organization of a decisive attack. ll . . . CLJ7g6 12 . .ic2 .ib6 13. Wd2 h6 14.tLle4 Wh4-+ White is unable bring his queenside pieces into play, Baker - Collins, Sun ningdale 2009; ll.cxd4?! - after this move White's centre pawns are doomed. ll ... tLlg4 12.Wf3 (12 . .ia3 tLlxdS 13.
l.e4 e5 2. CiJj3 CiJ c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 �aS 6.d4 ed hf8 W/xgS and here after 14.�a3 CiJf4-+ White cannot save his king without huge material losses, De scroix - Ruch, France 1997, while if 14.hd5 �xdS 15.�a3 �d7+ Black's pieces become extremely active, which more than compen sates for the sacrificed exchange, Anderssen - S.Mieses, Breslau 1867) 12 . . . CiJf6 13.�a3 h6 14.CiJe4 CiJxe4 15.W/xe4 1"le8 16.�b2 CiJfS 17. �f4 �b4+ White's central pawns are weak and this prevents the ac tivation of his own bishops, Mo rozevich - Mi.Adams, Wijk aan Zee 2001. n . . .
than their white counterparts and White's dS-pawn will soon be come weaker than Black's c7pawn, Chorfi - Zimmer, Email 2001.
B) 7.'M>3
This is White's best move. He does not allow his opponent to develop his g8-knight to the e7square and this enables him more easily to organize active play in the centre. 7 V!le7 8 . 0 - 0 Now Black has problems evac uating his king away from the centre and so the effect of this move is even greater. 8 .tb6 •••
14 .id2 In the variation 14.cxd4 1"le8 15.�f4 W/d6 16.�xd6 cxd6 17 . .id2 .ib6t Black regains the pawn, re taining some pressure thanks to the greater activity of his pieces, Canizares Cuadra - Grazinys, Email 2 0 03 . 14. . . ge8 15.iff4 ifd6 16. i!Yxd6 �xd6 17.cxd4 .ib6 18. �c3 hd4=i= Black's pieces are much more aggressively placed •
.••
165
Chapter 13 9.cxd4 The move 9.i.g5? is not good and after 9 . . . f6 ! 10.i.f4 ltJa5 11. 1Wa4 ttJxc4 12 .1Wxc4 1Wf7 13 .1We2 d3 ! 14.1Wxd3 d6+ Black obtains the advantage of the two bishops and has prevented his opponent from breaking through in the cen tre, Daulyte - N. Kosintseva, Dresden 2008. 9 .i.b5 - With this move White presents his opponent with an important tempo for develop ment. 9 . . . tLlf6 10.i.a3 d6 11.e5, E. Christiansen - Joensen, Torshavn 2 0 03, 11 . . . ltJg4 12 .hc6+ bxc6 13.cxd4 0-0+ Now, even if White manages to regain the pawn, his position will still be worse, be cause he will have problems com bating his opponent's active light squared bishop. A very interesting position arises after 9.i.a3 ! ? d6 10.tLlbd2 ! ? (for 10.cxd4 ttJxd4 11.tLlxd4 hd4 12 .tLlc3 lLlf6 - see 9.cxd4 ; if 10. e5? ! tLl a5 11.1Wa4+ i.d7 12 .i.b5 a6 13.hd7+ 1Wxd7 14.1Wc2 ltJe7 15. cxd4 0-0+ Black has succeeded in preserving his extra pawn, while ensuring the safety of his king) 10 . . . tLlh6! (Black needs to prepare castling, but the e7-square is oc cupied. Putting his knight on f6 is no good either, because then White's pawn-break e4-e5 be comes much more effective.) (diagram) 11.cxd4 (Black should not be afraid here of the thematic move 11.e5, because after 11 . . . 0-0 1 2 . �ae1 tLl a5 13.1Wb2 i.e6 14.exd6 166
cxd6 15.he6 fxe6 16.cxd4 '!Wd7+ he succeeds in ensuring the safety of his king, while retaining the ex tra pawn.) 11 . . . ttJxd4 12.tLlxd4 (12. 1Wc3?! To Ngoc Minh - Nguyen Phu, Hanoi 2002, 12 . . . 1Wf6 and despite the fact that White can prevent his opponent from cas tling kingside with 13.e5 dxe5 14. �ae1, Black can evacuate his king away from the centre to the other side of the board by playing 14 . . . i.e6 ! +) 12 . . . hd4 13.�ae1 0-0 14.e5 c5 15.ltJf3 heS 16.i.b2 b5 ! Black gives back his extra pawns, in order to exchange as many pieces as possible. 17.i.d5 (It is important that after 17.1Wxb5 ltJg4 18.h3, Black has the resource 18 . . . 1Wc7!+ and h e retains a t least one extra pawn, while if 18.1Wb3 i.e6 19.he6 1Wxe6 2 0.1Wxe6 fxe6 21. he5 ltJxe5 2 2 .tLlxe5 dxe5 23.�xe5 �ac8 24.�xe6 �fd8= his passed c pawn, supported by both his rooks, guarantees Black at least a draw.) 17 . . . .ie6 18.ltJxe5 hdS 19. 1Wxd5 dxe5 20.�xe5 �adS 21.1Wb3 1Wh4 2 2 . �xc5 a6= White's piece activity provides full compensa tion for the sacrificed pawn, but nothing more than that. 9 �xd4 . . .
l.e4 e5 2 .tiJj3 lLl c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 i. a5 6.d4 ed With 9 . . . lLla5 Black can obtain the advantage of the two bishops, but he falls further behind in de velopment. After 10.11tla4 lLlxc4 11.11tlxc4 d6 12.a4� White has a powerful initiative, exploiting his lead in development and space advantage. Black's queen is mis placed on e7, since he must con stantly watch out for the possibil ity for White to open files in the centre, Sutovsky - Smagin, Essen 2001. 1 0 .�xd4 hd4 11.�c3 ll.i.a3 d6 12 .lLlc3 lLlf6 - see ll.lLlc3. ll . . �f6
an extremely rash move. With 13 . . . d6 14J�xa1 0-0 15J'�e1 a6 16. lLld4 cS 17.e5 dxeS 18.lLlf3 i.e6-+ Black parried all his opponent's threats and retained an extra ex change and several pawns as well, Hector - Kurnosov, Copenhagen 2 011) 13 . . . \t1d8 (13 . . . \t1f8?, Thiele - Schlemermeyer, Berlin 2 007, 14.i.a3 d6 15J�xa1 W!xc7 16.e5�) 14.lLlxa8 i.d4
.
12 . .ia3 12-ltl bS ! ? - This is an interest ing, if somewhat adventurous, move, forcing Black to tread a very narrow path and find a series of only moves. If he manages to do so, however, White will have to fight for equality. 12 . . . i.xa1! (After the less greedy line : 12 . . . i.e5? 13. i.a3 d6 14J�acl c6 15.f4 ! a6 16. lLlc7+ 11tlxc7 17.fxe5 dxeS 18. 11tlg3 ! + - Black is beyond salva tion.) 13.lLlxc7+ (13.i.a3? - this is
Black's position looks very dangerous. His king is stranded in the centre and his extra pawn might not make up for this. How ever, White's knight on a8 is out of action, and this enables Black to parry the enemy threats and to retain the better prospects with precise play, for example: 15.i.b2 11tle5 16.i.xd4 W!xd4 see 15.i.e3 ; 15 . .ia3? - White pushes the enemy queen to a better square, with tempo. 15 . . . 11tle5 16.i.d5 lLlxe4 17.he4 11tlxe4 18.i.b2 hb2 19. 11tlxb2 b6 2 0 .lLlxb6 .ib7 2 1.Wxg7 ge8-+ It looks as if White has achieved a lot, but now in the end he still loses his knight; 15.i.e3 ! ? - White wants to ex change the active enemy bishop, 167
Chapter 13 but he must pay for this with a re duction in his attacking potential. 15 . . . V!!/c5 16.i.xd4 �xd4 17.i.d5 (after 17J�d1 �c5+ White has no more attacking resources and his knight remains in exile, Cotu ra Vida - Kristjansson, Email 2010) 17 . . . ttlxd5 18.exd5 d6 19. V!!/g3 (after 19 .�f3 E:e8 20.�xf7 i.d7+ White will be unable to save his knight) 19 . . . �xd5 20.�xg7 V!!/e5 2 1 .V!!/xf7 i.d7 2 2.h3 E:e8+ The material is equal, but it will be much easier for Black to pro mote his passed pawn than for White to advance his kingside pawns. In reply to the most principled move for White, 15.i.f4, Black should not be greedy, because af ter 15 . . . ttlxe4, Ibrahim - Mathews, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, 16.i.d5� White's activity might be trouble some for Black, so it is better for him to opt for 15 . . . d6!
After 16.i.xd6? White is una ble to exploit the open d-file, be cause after 16 . . . V!!/x d6 17.E:d1 i.g4 ! - + Black will easily realize his extra bishop. If 16.i.xf7? ! ttlxe4 17.�d5 (or 17.i.e3 ttlc5 18.�a3 i.xe3 19 .fxe3 168
E:f8 2 0.i.d5 E:xf1+ 21.'it>xf1 �f6+ 2 2 .i.f3 b6-+ and suddenly Black's counter attack becomes decisive) 17 . . . i.c5 18 .i.e3 i.xe3 19.fxe3 E:f8 2 0.�a5+ b6 21.ttlxb6 axb6 2 2 . V!!/xb6+ �c7 23 .�d4 E:xfl- + Black should be able to turn his extra bishop into a full point. In the variation 16.i.d5 E:e8 17.i.g5 (or 17.i.xfl? E:f8 18.i.d5 ttlxe4-+ and Black's counter attack along the open f-file is crushing) 17 . . .i.c5 (It is inferior for him to choose the hasty line 17 . . . b6? 18.�a4 i.c5 19.i.c6� since White's knight is safe, un like Black's monarch.) 18.i.xf7 E:f8 19.i.d5 �e5 20 .i.h4 g5 2 1.ig3 �e7 2 2 .e5 ttlxd5 23.�xd5 i.e6 24. exd6 i.xd5 25.dxe7 + 'it>xe7 26.E:c1 b6+ After this long and almost forced variation, Black ends up with the advantage of the two bishops in an endgame with an open centre. 16.E:d1 - This is clearly the best move for White. 16 . . . i.c5 17. e5 (After 17.i.e3, Black can boldly capture his opponent's central pawn : 17 . . . ttlxe4 18 . .b:c5 ttlxc5 19. �a3 b6 2 0 .�g3 i.d7 21.�xg7 E:e8+ and White is unable to bring his knight into play.) 17 . . . ttlg4 18.i.b5 (18.exd6? �f6-+) 18 . . . i.xf2 + 19. 'it>h1 i.c5 20.i.g3 i.e6 21.exd6 i.xb3 2 2 .dxe7+ 'it>xe7 23.E:d7+ 'it>f6 24.axb3 E:xa8 25.E:xb7 E:d8 26.i.e2 ttlf2 + 27 . .b:f2 .b:£2+ The position has been simplified and is close to a draw. However, it is White who will have to struggle for the half-point.
l.e4 e5 2JiJj3 tt'l c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 �aS 6.d4 ed 12 .i.g5 ! ? - This aggressive sortie has only rarely been played. It is in fact a perfectly reasonable move, because Black will have great problems against his excellently developed opponent. 12 .. . WeS ! ? (12 . . . c6? ! 13.e5 ! --+ ; 12 .. . 0-0?! 13.tt'ldsgg) 13.hf7+. White is playing for a win. (Black's de fence would be much easier after 13 . .hf6 Wxf6 14.tt'ld5 Wd8 15.:B:ad1 cS 16.Wg3 0-0 17.Wd6 b6 18. tt'le7+ 'i!>h8 19.tt'lf5 i.b7 20.tt'lxd4 cxd4 21.:B:xd4 �c6 2 2 .�dsgg White will inevitably regain his last missing pawn and a drawish end game will ensue, Claridge - Pap pier, Email 20 05.) 13 . . . \!>fS ! 14. �d2 ! (this is the only move) 14 ... aS ! ! This far-from-obvious move is the only one that enables Black to preserve the balance.
The idea can be best illustrat ed by the variation 15.a4 :B:a6 ! 16. �c4 tt'lg4 17.g3 :B:f6-+ and Black's attack is decisive. It is also bad for White to choose 15.:B:ad1 (after 15.:B:ac1 or 15.:B:ab1, Black's reply would be the same), in view of 15 . . . a4 ! 16.�c4 b6+ and he loses material.
White's best choice here is 15.�c4 ! , but even then, after 15 . . . a4, Black obtains the better pros pects almost by force: 16. Wb4+ d6 17.:B:ad1 tt'lg4 18.g3 Wh5 19 .h4 tt'leS 20.i.e2 tt'lf3+ 21.i.xf3 �xf3 2 2 . 'i!>h2 i.cS 23.�b5 \Wg4 24.i.f4 b6+ White definitely has some com pensation, but he has no direct threats, while Black has built up a very reliable defensive fortress and he should gradually be able to consolidate his position. 12 . . . d6
13J�adl White can regain one of his pawns with 13.hf7+ Wxf7 14. Wa4+ �d7 15.Wxd4 0-0+, but this will hardly be sufficient, because Black has already completed his development and has no weak nesses whatsoever, Bohm Kraidman, Netanya 1977. 13 . . ..b:c3 14.Ybc3 ti'e5 It is premature for Black to play 14 . . . 0-0 15.:B:fe1 tt'lg4 16.f4 ! gg and White obtains excellent com pensation for the pawn, Cosenti no - Nowak, Email 2010.
169
Chapter 13 19.g4 Vfh4 2 0 .i.b3 i.e6+ and he will exchange the light-squared bishops, returning some of his ex tra pawns. 16 We7 .••
15.Vfcl! This is the ideal square for the queen; from here it not only helps the development of White's bish op to b2, but is ready to be trans ferred to the kingside at any mo ment. 15.Vfb3 ? ! 0-0 16 . .tb2 Wffe 7 17. !l:fe1 .te6+ and Black succeeds in exchanging one of his opponent's powerful bishops, at the cost of one of his extra pawns. In the endgame, arising after 15.Vfxe5 dxeS 16.f4 .te6 17.he6 fxe6 18.fxe5, Kovalevskaya - Ste fanova, Antalya 2002, White will still need to fight hard for a draw if Black plays 18 . . . lDg4 ! + 15 0 - 0 15 . . . lDg4? - This attempt to or ganize a counter-attack leads to a very difficult position for Black after 16.f4 Wff aS 17 . .tb2 0-0 18. :B:dS± 16.i.b2 White cannot create any seri ous problems for his opponent with the consolidating move 16. f3?! Wff aS 17.e5 WffxeS 18 . .tb2 , Mozzino - Defore!, Email 2002, because Black can play 18 . . . Wffh 5 • • •
170
17.e5 17.f4 ! ? - This is an interesting alternative for White. Black faces great difficulties, which can be il lustrated by the following varia tions : 17 . . . .te6 18 . .td3 :B:fe8 19.f5 .td7 20.:B:f3--+ and White's rook is transferred to the g-file, with de cisive threats. After 17 . . . lDxe4 18. :B:fe1, Black loses after 18 ... c6? 19.:B:xe4 Wffxe4 20.Wic3 Wffg 6 21 . :B:xd6 .te6 2 2 .f5 ! +-, while some of his other options lead to com pletely unclear positions. Howev er, he can solve all his problems with 17 . . . b5 !
l.e4 eS 2. Ci:Jj3 Ci:J c6 3. � c4 �c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 �aS 6.d4 ed White will end up in a difficult situation if he tries to keep his bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal. 18 .�b3 �b7 19.eS dxeS 2 0 .fxeS Ci:Je4+ It is slightly better for him to opt for the greedy line 18.i.xbS Ci:Jxe4 19.fS (19.�c6 �b8 20.�fe1 fS 2 1.�d4 �e6+) 19 . . . �b8 2 0 .�c6 (20 .f6? Ci:Jxf6 2U!xf6? �xbS- + ; Black's position remains very sol id after 2 1.i.xf6 gxf6+, followed by f6-fS) 20 . . . �b7 2 1.i.xg7 mxg7 2 2 . i.xe4 �f6 ! + Black has parried all the enemy threats and activated his bishop, while retaining an ex tra pawn. 18.eS! - An equal endgame arises after this move. 18 . . . bxc4 19.exf6 �e4 20.fxg7 (20.�d4? �fS 2 1.�f3 �e8+ and Black is ready for a powerful counter attack on the light squares.) 20 . . . �e8 21.�fe1 �c6 2 2 .�xc4 �b7 23.�xc6 i.xc6= White's most prudent line here would be to exchange all the rooks, but the arising ending with bishops of opposite colours is a dead draw. 17 .1t:�g4 It is bad for Black to play 17 . . . dxeS, because after 18.�a3 �e8 19.i.xf8 �xf8 20.�b2--+ White's piece activity more than compen sates for his minimal material deficit. (diagram) 18.exd6 In the variation 18.�b3 �e6 ! 19.exd6 cxd6 20.�c3 �f6 2 1.�d2 �g6 2 2 .�c2 �fS= White can re gain one of his pawns immediate••
ly, but the second pawn provides Black with sufficient compensa tion for the fact that White's bish op is superior to his knight. After 18.f4 dxeS 19.h3 (Or 19.fxeS?! �e6+ and White's dark squared bishop is no longer so ac tive; 19.�a3 cS 2 0 .h3 Ci:Jh6 ! 2 1.�dS �d8! 2 2 .i.xcS �c7 23 .�e3 �xcl 24 . .ixc1 exf4 2S . .b:f4 i.e6 26. i.xb7 �xd1 27.�xd1 �e8 28 .a3 Ci:JfS= White's bishops are very strong and provide full compen sation for his missing pawn, but nothing more than that.) 19 . . . �cS+ 2 0 . mh1 (20 .i.d4 �as 2 1 . fxeS Ci:JxeS 2 2 .heS �xeS. Now it is bad for White to opt for 23. ht7+? ! mh8+ and Black com pletes his development, retaining at least one extra pawn, while in the variation 23.�xt7 i.e6 ! 24. �xc7 �ac8 White must continue with 2S.�dd7! �xc7 26 . .b:e6+ �xe6 27.�xc7, which leads after 27 . . . �e3+ to a completely drawn rook and pawn ending.) 20 . . . Ci:Jf2 + 21.mh2, Pellen - Iniguez, Email 2 0 09. All White's pieces are very active, but Black has sufficient re sources to simplify the position: 171
Chapter 13 2 1 . . . .ie6 ! 2 2 . .ixe6 '\Wxcl 23.E:xcl l2Jd3 24 . .ib3 l2Jxb2 25.fxe5 (25. E:xc7 e4 26.E:xb7 l2Jd3 27.E:e7 l2Jc5 28 .1d5 E:ad8=) 25 . . . c6 26.E:f3 b5 27.fuc6 l2Jc4= entering an equal endgame with four rooks on the board. 18 cxd6 19 .ia3 This is White's most aggres sive line. The seemingly attractive line 19.E:fel?! Wfh4 20.'\Wf4 i.e6+ pro vides Black with superior pros pects, because after any retreat of White's bishop, Black continues with 2 1 . . .g5 ! , exchanging the queens. Or 19.E:del i.e6 ! 2 0 . .ixe6 fxe6 2 1.'\Wc4 l2Je5 22 . .ixe5 dxe5 23.E:xe5 E:fe8 24.E:fel E:ac8 25.'\Wb3 E:c6 26.f4 Wfd7= and White will soon regain his pawn, while Black will activate his pieces. It is less precise for White to play 19.'\Wf4 l2Je5 2 0 .E:fel .ie6! 2 1 . .ixe5 dxe5 22 .'\WxeS E:ad8 23.E:xd8 E:xd8 = , because he will need to follow up with several very pre cise moves to maintain the bal ance, Corbat - Dayants, Email 2002. 19 gds 2 o .gfel (diagram) The diagram position was •••
•••
172
•
reached in the game Aberbach Janosi, Email 2008. White's bish ops are so powerful that they fully compensate for the two missing pawns, so we suggest that Black should seek to simplify the game as much as possible with 2 0 Y;\'h4! 21.Y;\'f4 Y;\'f6 ! 22.�g3 (In the variation 2 2 .'\Wxf6 l2Jxf6 23. E:xd6 i.e6 = Black can exchange the light-squared bishops and a pair of rooks, at the cost of the ex tra pawn. He obtains equal pros pects, however, since his pieces are centralized and he can even tually create a passed pawn on the queenside.) 22 .tbe5 23 .id5 .ig4! 24.f3 .if5 25.hb7 gabS 26.hd6 gxd6 27.gxd6 �xd6 28.�xe5 �xe5 29.gxe5 .ie6 3 0 .ie4 ha2 31.gas .ie6 32. gxa7= This almost forced line has led to a dead-drawn position. .•.
•.
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Chapter 14
l.e4 e5 2 .lt)fJ lt)c6 3 .ic4 i.c5 •
Giuoco Piano
moves and is fighting for equality. 4 .c!l:\f6 ••
In this chapter we shall deal with some very rarely played schemes with which White tries to obtain an edge - quiet variations without the early moves c2-c3 and 0-0. 4.d3 4.d4 exd4 - see Chapter 9. 4.i.b3 lLlf6 5.lLlxe5 (5.d3 0-0 - see 4.d3) 5 . . . W/e7! 6.lLlxc6 W/xe4+ 7.Wfe2 W/xe2+ 8.xe2 dxc6= Black is better developed and he has no problems at all, Firman Laznicka, Germany 2008. 4.W/e2 d6 5.lLlc3? ! (it is prefer able for White to play 5.c3 lLlf6, or 5.d3 lLlf6 6.c3 a6, or 5.0-0 lLlf6 6.c3 0-0 - see Chapter 19) 5 . . . .ig4 6.W/d1 lLlf6+ - White has wasted a couple of tempi on queen
5 . .tb3 ! ? I n general, this prophylactic move is useful for White. For 5.lLlc3 - see Chapter 15; for 5. 0-0 - see Chapter 17. 5.W/e2 d6 6.h3 (After 6.i.e3 !xe3 7.fxe3 .ie6= Black obtains a slight lead in development, but he can hardly exploit it effectively; it is inferior for White to opt for 6. 0-0 0-0 7.i.g5, Spencer - Blake, Liverpool 1923, because Black can respond with 7 . . . h6 8.i.h4 g5 9.i.g3 g4 10.lLlh4 lLlh5t with ex cellent attacking prospects; after 6.ig5 h6 7.ih4, Bohatirchuk Ludwig, Kirchheim 1947, it looks 173
Chapter 14 very good for Black to isolate White's dark-squared bishop from the action with 7 . . . gS 8 ..ig3 .ie6+) 6 . . . .ie6 7 . .ib3 , Nestler Milner Barry, Helsinki 19S 2 . Now it is reasonable for Black to opt for the prophylactic move 7 . . . h6=, depriving the enemy knight and bishop of the gS-square. S . .igS - Black has not yet played d7-d6 and so this pin is not dangerous. S . . . h6 6 . .ih4 .ie7 (Much sharper positions arise af ter 6 . . . gS ! ? 7 . .ig3 d6 8.c3oo) 7.tt:lc3 (7.c3 0-0, or 7.tt:lbd2 0-0 8.c3 d6 - see Chapter 19; 7.0-0 0-0 - see Chapter 17) 7 . . . d6 8 . .ixf6 (This move is almost forced, because if 8.0-0?! tt:Jxe4 9.he7 tt:Jxc3 10 . .ixd8 tt:Jxd1 11.hc7 tt:lxb2 12 . .ixd6 lt:lxc4 13.dxc4 f6+, or 8.h3?! lt:lxe4 9 .he7 lt:lxc3 10.hd8 lt:lxd1 11. hc7 lt:lxb2 12 . .ixd6 lt:lxc4 13.dxc4 f6+ Although White regains his pawn his queenside pawn struc ture is just terrible, so he must fight for a draw.) 8 . . . .ixf6 9.lLldS (it is preferable to opt for 9.0-0 lt:le7=) 9 . . . tt:laS 10.lt:ld2, Pelikan Rossetto, Villa Gesell 1971. Now Black can continue with 10 . . . .igS't and White's knight will inevitably be ejected from its excellent square and his light-squared bishop will be exchanged for Black's knight. In addition, Black can activate his rook with fl-fS. S.lt:lbd2 0-0 6 . 0-0 (6.h3 d6 7.c3 aS 8.0-0 .ie6= Black has completed his development and neutralized his opponent's most active piece in the process. Black 174
has no weaknesses in his position and in response to 6.lt:lfl, Rabiega - Jussupow, Germany 2007, he can play 6 . . . lt:laS 7 . .ib3 lt:lxb3 8 . axb3 dS+ obtaining the advantage of the two bishops and starting active operations in the centre.) 6 ... d6 7.c3 aS ! ? Black prevents his opponent from seizing extra space. 8.a4 h6 9J'�e1 .ie6 10.�b3 �e8= S ..ie3 .ixe3 6.fxe3 d6
This position is completely safe for Black, as can be confirmed by the following variations: 7.0-0 .ie6 8 . .ixe6 fxe6 9.lt:lc3 0-0 - see 7.lt:lc3 ; 7.c3 0-0 8 . .ib3, Lacrosse Hamsany, France 200S (8.0-0? ! lLlaS 9.lt:lbd2 tt:Jxc4 10.lt:lxc4 c6't Black is preparing d6-dS and his bishop is more powerful than ei ther of White's knights, Messe maker - Olland, Amsterdam 1887), and here Black can play 8 . . . .ie6 9.he6 fxe6= , retaining a slight lead in development; 7.lt:lc3 ie6 8 ..ib3 (8.lLldS 0-0 9.0-0 hdS lO . .ixdS lLlxdS 11. exdS tLJ b8= Black is ready to fight for the centre with c7-c6, followed by �b6 ; after 8.he6 fxe6 9.0-0
l.e4 e5 2. t:tJj3 t:tJ c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.d3 l:tJf6 5 . .ib3 0 - 0 0-0, White cannot create any problems for his opponent with 10.d4 V!ie7 11.Vfid2 a6 12 .a3= Anand - Aronian, Moscow 2009 (blitz), or 10.l:tJd2 t:tJd7 11.'!9e2 V!ie7 12 J'!xf8+ :!! xf8 13.:1!f1 :!!xf1+ 14. V!ixf1 a6 1S.a3 V!if6 16. V!ixf6 t:tJxf6 17.t:tJf3 h6 18.h3 @f7 19.@f2 @e7 20.\!;>e2, draw, Bronstein - Spas sky, Moscow 1981.) 8 . . . 0-0 9.0-0 .ixb3 10.axb3 dS ll.exdS t:tJxdS 12.t:tJxdS V!ixdS= Black's pieces are slightly more active, but he will find it difficult to exploit this, Mo rovic Fernandez - Leko, Yopal 1997. 5. . . 0 - 0
6. 0 - 0 It would again be harmless for Black for White to play 6 . .igS h6 7 ..ih4 .ie7 ! = or 6 ..ie3 .ixe3 7.fxe3 d6 8.0-0 .ie6. 6.t:tJbd2 aS ! ? 7.c3 d6 8.t:tJfl (The position is equal after 8.0-0 .ie6 = , or 8.h3 .ie6= since Black neutralizes the pressure of his op ponent's light-squared bishop and obtains an excellent posi tion.) 8 . . . dS 9.exdS t:tJxdS 10.l:tJg3 f6 11.0-0 .ie6+! . Black has the
better development and domi nates the centre, but White's light-squared bishop is very strong. Black's plan includes de ploying his major pieces in the centre and exerting pressure against the enemy d3-pawn, which will become even weaker after every exchange of pieces. 6 . . . h6! ? White's move order i s tricky; its point is that after the appar ently attractive 6 . . . dS? ! 7.exdS t:tJxdS 8 .h3 t:tJb6 9.:1!e1 aS 10.a4 .id6 ll.l:tJc3 ! .ifS 12 .l:tJbS;!; Black was faced with difficulties in the game Movsesian - Naiditsch, Odessa 2010. The other natural move 6 . . . d6 leads after 7.c3 .ib6 8.t:tJbd2 t:tJe7 9.t:tJc4 t:tJg6 10.a4 c6 ll.l:tJxb6 axb6 12 .h3 h6 13 . .ie3t to a position where White has the advantage of the two bishops, but it is difficult for him to prove an edge. Howev er, there is no easy equality for Black in sight either . . . , Andriasian - Sargissian, Yerevan 2008.
7.c3 7.t:tJbd2 d6 8.c3 (8.h3 .ie6 9 . 17S
Chapter 14 !!el i.xb3 10.axb3 dS= Black has no weaknesses and comfortably develops his pieces.) 8 . . . aS 9.1'!el �e6 10.ttlc4 (It is also possible for White to try 10.�a4 \Wb8 ! ? with active play on the queenside; 10. i.xe6 fxe6 ll.a4 �e8= and Black can organize active play on the kingside ; 10.ttlfl i.xb3 ll.axb3 dS= , or ll.�xb3 a4 12 .�c2 dS= with a slight space advantage for Black) 10 . . . bS ll.ttle3 a4 12 .�c2, Hasan - Lodhi, Dhaka 2008 (it is better for White to play 12 .i.xe6 fxe6?) and by playing 12 . . . �b6 13.d4 exd4 14.cxd4 dS lS.eS ttle4t with the idea of f7-f6, or even f7fS, Black firmly seizes the initia tive. It is no better for White to opt for 7.�e3 i.xe3 8 .fxe3 d6= fol lowed by �e6 and Black neutral izes White's light-squared bishop. After 7.1'!el d6 8.c3 �e6 9 .d4 (9.h3 aS ! ? = ) i.xb3 10.axb3 �b6= the pressure against White's cen tre pawns provides Black with equal chances. 7 . . . d5 !?
8.exd5 176
In the variation 8.�e2 dxe4 9.dxe4 \We7 10.ttlbd2 , Tian Tian Liang Xiaoning, Xiapu 2 00S, it is good for Black to continue with lO . . . aS= , with the idea of gaining space on the queenside by ad vancing aS-a4, or preparing the development of his bishop to the a6-square. After 8.ttlbd2 dxe4 9 .ttlxe4 (or 9.dxe4 aS=) ttlxe4 10.dxe4 �f6= Black's position is a bit more ac tive. 8 . . . �xd5 9.�bd2 In answer to 9.1'!el, Black can protect his eS-pawn indirectly with the surprising line 9 . . . ttlf6 ! 10.�c2 (10.ttlxeS? i.xf2 + ! ll.'.!?xf2 ttlxeS--+ with a very powerful at tack; White cannot capture the knight on eS owing to the fork, while after 12 .d4 ttlfg4-+ his king is doomed.) 10 . . . 1'!e8 11.ttlbd2 a6= 9 .ttlxeS ttlxeS (9 ... i.xf2 + ? ! 10. !!xf2 ttlxeS ll.h3;t White has a sta ble advantage thanks to his two powerful bishops, Miranovic Balog, Sombor 2010) 10.d4 ttlb4 ll.dxcS (after ll.dxeS ttld3= he will be unable to preserve his ex tra pawn) ll . . . ttlbd3 12 .f4 (after 12.ttla3 �g4 13.f3 �fSt Black's pieces are so active that he will re gain his pawn no matter what rea sonable move White chooses. Black will play �e7 and after that he is likely to maintain an edge.) 12 . . . �g4 13.�d2 ttlxcl 14.fxeS �xd2 1S.ttlxd2 ttld3= Black re gains his pawn and the position is considerably simplified.
l.e4 e5 2.ti:JfJ ttJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.d3 tlJf6 5. i.b3 0 - 0 square, but White will find it dif ficult to exploit this. 1 0 . . . ges ll .ia4 In the variation ll.ttJcxe5 ttJxe5 12.l2Jxe5 l"1xe5 13.d4 hd4 14.cxd4 l"1e4 15 . .ie3 c6= White obtains the advantage of the two bishops, but ends up with an isolated pawn on d4. In return, Black has the won derful d5-square for his pieces. •
9 . . . tLlf6 ! N I t would b e worse for Black to try the natural line : 9 . . . i.f5? ! (9 . . . i.g4? 10.tlJe4 i.b6, Segura Perez Uvasnani, Internet 2 0 04, 11. i.xh6 ! and since Black loses after 1l.. .gxh6 12 .hd5 �xd5 13.l2Jf6+ he will remain a pawn down . ) 10. ttJe4 i.e7 ll.tLlg3 i.g6 12 J!elt White will retain an enduring initiative by exerting pressure against the enemy e5-pawn and along the a2-g8 diagonal. 1 0 .c!bc4 After 10.�e2 l"1e8 ll.tlJe4 l2Jxe4 12.dxe4 �f6 13.i.e3 i.b6 = the only drawback of Black's position is the relative weakness of the d5-
ll e4! 12.dxe4 Bxd1 13. gxd1 gxe4 14 . .ixc6 bxc6 15. gd8+ �h7 16.c!be3 .ie7 17.gd1 c5+! White cannot effectively ex ploit the weakness of his oppo nent's queenside pawns, owing to the great activity of Black's pieces. •••
177
Chapter 15
l.e4 e5 2 . �f3 �c6 3 .J.c4 J.c5 4 . � c3 �f6 Giuoco Piano Italian Four Knights Variation
The Italian Four Knights vari ation is not considered to be dan gerous for Black; nevertheless, he must play accurately. 5.d3 White can hardly manage to continue the game without this move. For 5.a3 a6 6.d3 h6 - see 5.d3 ; 5.h3 d 6 6 . 0 - 0 (6.d3 - see 5.d3) 6 . . . h6 7.d3 - see 5.d3 ; 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 (6.h3 a6 7.d3 h6 - see 5.d3; 6.a3 a6 7.d3 h6 - see 5.d3) 6 ... h6 - see 5.d3. In response to 5.'?;1/e2, it is very good for Black to play 5 . . . ll:ld4! 6. ll:lxd4 i.xd4 7.0-0 d6= and he has no problems with the develop ment of his pieces. 5.ll:ld5 d6 178
and now: 6.0-0 0-0 7.d4?! (7.d3 h6 see 5.d3) 7 . . . ll:lxd4 8.i.g5 i.g4+ White's compensation for the sac rificed pawn is obviously insuffi cient; 6.d4 ll:lxd4 7.ll:lxd4 (7.b4 i.b6 8.i.g5 c6 9.i.xf6 gxf6 10.ll:lxb6 Wxb6+ Black has ended up with an extra pawn in a solid position) 7 . . .i.xd4 8.i.g5? (This is the only way for White to justify his pawn sacrifice on the previous move.) 8 ... i.xf2 + 9.'i!ifl ll:lxd5 ! 10.Wxd5 (10 .i.xd8 ll:le3-+) 10 . . . Wxg5 11. Wxf7+ 'i!id8 12.'i!ixf2 We7+ and Black has a solid extra pawn; after 6.c3 ll:lxd5 7.exd5 (7 . .b:d5 0-0 8.0-0 �f6 9.d3 h6 - see 5. d3) 7 ... ll:le7 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4 (9.d3 h6 - see 6.d3) 9 . . . exd4 10.ll:lxd4 ll:lf5 = Black easily completes his
l.e4 e5 2. 0../3 0.c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4. 0. c3 0.f6 5.d3 h6 development and has the d5square safely blocked by a white pawn. White's space advantage is almost irrelevant, since only a few minor pieces will remain on the board. 5 h6! ? Black prevents his knight from being pinned by i.g5. ••.
Here, we shall analyze in detail A) 6. 0 - 0 and B) 6.0.d5. 6.i.b3 0-0 7.0-0 d6 - see 6.0-0; 6.h3 0-0 7.0-0 (it is infe rior for White to play 7.g4 0.a5 ! t) 7 . . . a6 - see 6.0-0. White has also tried: 6.a3 a6 - White has prevented the exchange of his light-squared bishop for the enemy knight and it is good for Black look after his own dark-squared bishop in the same fashion. 7.i.e3 (7. 0-0 0-0 - see 6.0-0; 7.h3 0-0 8.0-0 d6 - see 6.0-0; 7.0.e2 d6 8.0-0 0-0 9 .0.g3 i.e6= ; 7.b4 i.a7 8.0-0 d6 9 .i.e3 0-0 10.i.xa7 �xa7 ll.h3, Galego - Garbisu de Goni, Mond ariz 2 0 0 2, ll . . . i.e6= Black neu tralizes his opponent's most ac tive piece.) 7 . . . d6 8.h3 (8.0-0
0-0 - see 6.0-0) 8 . . . i.xe3 9.fxe3 i.e6 = after the exchange of the light-squared bishops, the posi tion has become absolutely equal; 6.0.e2 - White wants to trans fer his knight to the f5-square. 6 . . . d 6 (If Black wants t o obtain a double-edged fighting position, he can continue here with 6 . . . d5 ! ? 7.exd5 0.xd5 8.0.g3 0 - 0 9.0-0 i.e6 10J:%e1 f6oo - Black has a slight space advantage, but the light squares on his kingside are a bit weak, A.Kogan - Stefanova, Brena Baja 2 005.) 7.c3 0-0 8.0.g3 (8.h3 i.e6 =) 8 . . . i.e6 9.i.b3 d5 10. �e2 �e8 = Black has completed his development and has no prob lems at all, Carraminana Lopez Kosten, Tarragona 2007; 6.i.e3 he3 7.fxe3 d6 8.d4 (8.0.d5 0.xd5 9.hd5 0-0 - see 6.0.d5; after 8.h3 i.e6 9.i.xe6 fxe6 10.0-0 0-0= a completely equal symmetrical position arises; the same approach can be recom mended for Black after 8.�d2 i.e6 = , or 8.a4 i.e6=) 8 ... 0-0 9. 0-0 i.g4 10.h3 (after 10.i.d5 0.xd5 ll.exd5 exd4 12.exd4 0.e7t Black seizes the initiative, because White's d5-pawn will need pro tection. Following an exchange of the major pieces, Black's pawn majority on the kingside might become a telling factor.) 10 . . . i.h5 11.�d3 �e8= White has obtained a slight space advantage, but the tension in the centre is not in his favour, because only Black can re solve it favourably; otherwise White's doubled pawns might be179
Chapter 15 come very weak, L.Garcia - Alva rez Fernandez, Spain 1997.
A) 6. 0 - 0 0 - 0
White fails to obtain the advan tage of the two bishops, since af ter 10 . . . .ie6= , he must either trade the light-squared bishops, or withdraw his bishop to bl.) 9 . . . .ie6 10 . .ixe6 fxe6= Black has ex changed his opponent's most dangerous piece. 7 a6 Both sides have ensured the safety of their bishops against the enemy knights. 8 . .ie3 d6 •••
7.a3 For 7.tLld5 d6 - see 6.tLld5; 7. h3 a6 (It is useful for Black to pre vent the threat of tLla4.) 8.a3 d6 9 . .ie3 .ixe3 10.fxe3 .ie6 - see 7.a3. White cannot achieve any thing with the immediate 7.tLla4 !J.e7 8.tLlc3 .ic5= The variations arising after 7. !J.e3 d6 will be dealt with after the move 7.a3 and the fact that here the moves a2-a3 and a7-a6 have not been included is not signifi cant. After 7.a4 d6 8 .tLld5 tLlxd5 9 . !J.xd5 tLl e 7 10 . .ic4 a S 11.c3 c 6 1 2 . E1 e 1 tLl g 6 = Black securely protects the e5-square and will prepare the deployment of his knight on f4, Zautzig - Brobakken, Email 2008. 7 . .ib3 d6 8.tLla4 .ib4 9.h3, Vallejo Pons - Ginzburg, St Lor enzo 1995 (After 9 .a3 .ia5 10 . .ia2 180
9.h3 9.b4 .ixe3 10.fxe3 .ie6= Black has neutralized White's active bishop, Karpatchev - Galdunts, Germany 2007. White fails to obtain any ad vantage with 9 . .ixc5 dxcS 10 . .id5 tLle7 11.tLlxe5 tLlexd5 12.exd5 tLlxd5 13 .Wf3 .ie6 14.tLle4 b6= Black has no weaknesses in his position and neither side has any active pros pects. 9 .b:e3 1 0 .fxe3 .ie6 11. .b:e6 fxe6 12.d4 exd4 13.exd4 e5 14.dxe5 li)xe5= White has failed to obtain anything with this variation and the position is com•••
l.e4 e5 2. Ci'Jj3 Ci'J c6 3. 1i.c4 1i.c5 4. Ci'J c3 Ci'Jj6 5.d3 h6
pletely equal, Al.Motylev Harikrishna, Minneapolis 2 005.
B) 6.lt:ld5 d6
for 8.exd5 Ci'Je7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 .d4 exd4 ll . Ci'J xd4 Ci'JfSt, since the bishop on c4 is restricted by his d5-pawn, while Black's bishops are active. 8. . 0 - 0 Black has a very reasonable alternative here in 8 . . . li:le7 9. �b3 li:lg6 10.d4 �b6= ; although White's centre pawns are beauti fully placed, he might have prob lems maintaining them, while af ter 1l.dxe5 li:lxe5 12.li:lxe5 dxe5 13. �xd8+ in the game Belozerov Smikovski, Omsk 2 001, the oppo nents agreed to a draw. It is im portant that in the variation 13 . . . i>xd8 14.hf7? ! �f8+ Black re gains the pawn, even ending up with a lead in development. .
7.c3 Or 7.0-0 0-0 8.�e3 (8.c3 li:lxd5 9.hd5 �f6 - see 7.c3) 8 . . . li:lxd5 9 .hd5 �b6 10 .hb6 axb6= and in view of the inevitable move �e6, the prospects are absolutely balanced, Pepic - Laveryd, Stock holm 1994. The move 7.h3 is generally useful, since it restricts the mobil ity of Black's light-squared bish op, but on the other hand it can be harmful, because White's king side is weakened. For example, he can have problems protecting the f4-square. 7 . . . li:lxd5 8.hd5 �f6 9. �e3 li:le7 10 .�b3 li:lg6� Robatsch - Reshevsky, Maribor 1967. 7.�e3 li:lxd5 8.hd5 he3 9. fxe3 0-0 10.0-0 li:le7= Black plans to transfer his knight to g6 and improve his position in the centre with c7-c6 and d6-d5, And. Sokolov - Tkachiev, France 2 0 07. 7 .. .lt:lxd5 8 . .ixd5 It is inferior for White to opt
9. 0 - 0 9.h3 �e6 10.he6 fxe6 = Black has exchanged his opponent's ac tive bishop and has a slight lead in development. Black has also opened the f-file, but has ended up with doubled pawns on the e file, A. Kogan - Eljanov, Helsingor 2008. 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 (Here it 181
Chapter 15 would be inferior for White to play 10.li:Jxd4 tt:lxd4 ll.cxd4 .tb4+ 12 . .id2 .txd2+ 13.Wfxd2 Wlh4 ! t and Black seizes the initiative, thanks to the weakness of his op ponent' s centre pawns.) 10 . . . i.b6 ! ? 1 1 . 0-0 tt:lb4 12 . .tb3 .tg4 1 3 . .te3 ttlc6� White has obtained a beautiful pawn-centre, but Black is exerting powerful pressure on it. 9 . . . 1U6 1 0 . .ie3 After 10.b4 .tb6 ll.a4 aS 12 .b5 tt:le7 13 . .ia2 tt:lg6t Black is threat ening a rather unpleasant pin and his knight is headed for the excel lent f4-outpost. 1 0 tt:le7 11 ..ib3 Or ll.ttld2 tt:lxd5 12 .exd5, Roy Chowdhury - Grover, Le Touquet 2009, 12 . . . .tb6+ and Black has very good prospects on the king. • .
182
side, while White has no active ideas anywhere. ll . . . .ig4 �
Black is threatening to play tt:lg6-h4 and White cannot avoid being saddled with doubled f pawns. Subsequently, White will have to try to prove that his light squared bishop is superior to Black's knight.
Chapter 16
l.e4 e5 2 . �f3 �c6 3.i.c4 i.c5 4. 0 - 0 �f6 Giuoco Piano
White's main move in the dia gram position is 5.d3, which we shall analyze in the next chapter, while here we shall take a look at some gambit possibilities. 5.d4 This gambit was often tried during the 19th century, but then Black found adequate ways of countering it and it went out of fashion. In 2 009, however, GM Sergey Movsesian played it against GM Michael Adams. His victory again brought attention towards this aggressive scheme and many players decided to fol low his example. White has another gambit pos sibility here - 5.b4 hb4 6.d4?! (It is better to transpose to the Ev-
ans Gambit with 6.c3 .ia5 - see Chapter 13) 6 . . . exd4 7.e5 (The play is forced after 7.c3 dxc3 8.e5 dS 9 . .ib5 tt:le4 10.V9a4 0 -0 ! 11. hc6 c2 12 .hd5 �xdS 13.�xb4 cxbl� 14J'%xbl b6-+ and Black should realize his extra pawn without any problems, Bulgarini Torres - Badolati, Email 2 0 05.) 7 ... d5 8.a3 (the absence of the b2pawn is important in the varia tions 8.exf6 dxc4 9.fxg7 E:g8 10. .igS .ie7+, or 8 .-ibS tt:le4 9 .tt:lxd4 .id7+) 8 . . . -icS 9 .exf6 dxc4 10.fxg7 E:g8+ and Black has excellent chances of winning with his extra central pawn. 5 . . .hd4 6.tt:lxd4 c!Llxd4
7.f4 183
Chapter 16 White exploits the somewhat unstable position of Black's knight on d4 and opens the f-file, hoping that this, together with his advantage of the two bishops, will provide him with attacking pros pects. After 7.c3?! tLle6 8.f4 d6 9.fS tLlcS 10.tLld2 c6+ White will have problems protecting his e4-pawn, Chelushkina - Abramovic, Obre novac 2 00S. After 7.i.e3 tLle6 8.tLlc3 d6 9.f3 0-0+ White's two bishops do not fully compensate for the lost pawn, since Black has no weak nesses in his camp. White can try to transpose moves with 7.i.gS d6 8.f4 (8. tLlc3 ? ! c6 9.f4 i.e6 10.i.xe6 tLlxe6 1 1.fxeS dxeS 12 . .b:f6 gxf6+ Black's extra pawn looks weak, but White's e4-pawn also needs protection.) 8 . . . i.g4
only captured several pawns but also leads in development, Viel wock - Stauss, Ueberlingen 2000.) 9 . . . .b:d1 10 .i.xd8 gxd8 11. c3 (It is less accurate for White to play u.gxd1 tLlxc2 12.tLlc3 tLlxa1 13.gxa1 exf4+ and Black has too many pawns, Perez Garcia - Ar eas, Lorca 2006.) ll . . . i.e2 12.cxd4 i.xc4 13.gc1 i.a6 14.gxc7 exd4 1S. tLla3, Langheld - Profitlich, Email 2 009. Of course, Black could try to realize his extra pawn, but at the very least he can force a draw by playing 1S . . . gd7 16.gc8 + gd8 = 7 . . d6 After 7 . . . �e7? 8.fxeS �xeS 9. i.f4 '?;YeS 10 . .b:f7+ 'it>xt7 ll.i.e3± White regains his piece and re tains his lead in development and pressure on the f-file.
9.i.xf6 (But not 9.�d2? tLlxe4 ! Now if 10.i.xf7+ 'it>d7 11.hd8 tLlxd2 12 .tLlxd2 tLlxc2 13.gac1 tLld4 14.i.h4 tLle2+ 1S.'it>h1 tLlxc1 16. gxc1 ghf8+, in addition to a rook, Black wins a third pawn for two minor pieces, while if 10 .�e1 tLlxgS ll.fxgS 0-0-+ he has not
8.fxe5 There is no doubt that White must continue very aggressively in order to create play. Slow con tinuations such as 8.tLlc3 ? ! .ie6+ or 8.c3 tLlc6 9.fS h6+ would enable Black to consolidate his position simply and effortlessly.
184
.
l.e4 e5 2. liJ.f3 liJ c6 3 . .ic4 1J.c5 4. 0 - 0 liJf6 5.d4 hd4
8 . . dxe5 9 . .ig5 It is less energetic for White to continue with 9.c3? ! .ig4 10.1Mfa4+ (10 .'
9 . . . We7 ! This is Black's most ambitious move (9 . . . 'h1 i.e6 11.i.xe6 (11.liJa3?! 0 - 0 - 0 12 .c3 , Heyne - Feher, Iasi 2011, 12 . . . liJb5+ Black disrupts his opponent's queenside pawn structure; 11 . .id3 0-0-0 12 .'
the extra pawn, Steinitz - City Liverpool, corr. 1893) 11 . . . 1Mfxe6 12.i.xf6 gxf6 13.c3 liJbS 14.WI'e2 liJd6 15.liJd2 l'=1g8 16.l'=1f3, Da Silva Filho - Weber, corr. 1998. Here, after the natural response 16 . . . 0-0-0+, Black retains a slight edge. He has an extra pawn and after the transfer of his knight to the d6-square he will tie down the opponent's forces to the protec tion of the e4-pawn. 10.l'=1f2 - This move is a bit too slow. 10 . . . Wfc5 11.i.xf6 gxf6 1 2. 'h1 i.g4+ Windhausen - Zitz mann, Email 2006) 12 . . . b5 13 . .idS c6 14.c3 liJe6 15.i.xe6 i.xe6+ Claridge - Lueddeckens, Email 2006. 10.liJc3 - White's knight is misplaced on this square. 10 . . . i.e6 11.i.xe6 fxe6 12.liJa4 0-0-0+ Black has completed his develop ment and strengthened his centre, Lipecki - Kern, Email 2010. 10.i.xf6 gxf6 11.'it>h1 (11.c3 liJe6 - see 10.c3 ; in response to 11. liJc3, Black can continue with 1 1 . . . i.e6, making use of the Circum stance that his f6-pawn is protect ed, unlike in the variation in which his queen is on f6. After for example: 12 .liJd5 i.xdS 13 .i.xd5 0-0-0+ Black has an extra pawn, despite its being weak.) 11 . . . l'=1g8 12.c3 i.g4 13.'?tfa4+ i.d7 14.'?tfd1 liJe6+ - Black leads in develop ment, Petsetidi - Markantonaki, Ermioni 2 006. 10.c3 185
Chapter 16 was previously considered the main line.
10 ... ltle6! (The game men tioned at the beginning of the chapter, Movsesian - Adams, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 09, continued here with 10 . . . .ie6 ll.ltla3 ltlc6 12.@h1gg and Black had failed to evacuate his king away from the centre, so White had excellent compensation for the pawn.) 11 . .ixf6 (or ll . .ixe6? .ixe6 12 .@h1 �d7 13.�e2 o-o-m= Black is will ing to give back his extra pawn. He leads in development and has occupied the only open file, Zelcic - G.Giorgadze, San Sebastian 1991.) ll . . . gxf6 12.ltla3 (in reply to 1 2 .ltld2, Lanzani - Arlandi, Ce senatico 1986, it is good for Black to play aggressively with 12 . . . h5 13.@h1 tt:lf4+) 12 . . . tt:lf4 13.@h1, Stanila - Badiu, Sovata 2002, 13 . . .h5+ - This pawn move en sures that his bishop can go g4 and is also ready to advance, forti fying the position of Black's knight and preying on his oppo nent's nerves . . . 10.tt:la3 �g8 ! - This fantastic resource (a "mysterious rook move", to use Nimzowitsch's ter minology . . . ) enables Black to fight for the advantage in this particu lar variation of the gambit, which 186
11.�e1 i.e6+ ll . .ixf6 gxf6 12.@h1 i.d7+ ll.@h1 a6 12.c3 tt:le6 13 . .ixf6 gxf6 14.�e1 .id7 15.�d1 0-0-0+ Bodnaruk - Kosteniuk, Moscow 2010. Black retains the extra pawn in all cases, completes development and obtains excel lent play on the open g- and d files. 11.�d3 - This is clearly the best move for White. ll . . . i.d7 1 2. �g3 (12.�e3 tt:l e 6 13 . .ixf6 gxf6 14. �ad1 b6 15.tt:lb5 0-0-0+ Black's attack on the g-file is very danger ous, Stefanov - Janosi, Email 2 0 08) 12 . . . �c5 13.@h1 0-0-0 14. .ixfl �gf8 15.i.xf6 (15 ..id5 c6 16. .ixf6 �xf6 17.�xf6 gxf6 18 .i.b3 tt:lxb3 19.axb3 �d4 2 0 . tt:lc4 i.e6t Black maintains an enduring ini tiative thanks to his control of the only open file and the superiority of his bishop over the enemy knight, Tucci - Lounek, Email 2009) 15 . . . gxf6 16.i.h5 @b8 17. �ad1 �b6 18.c3 ltle6+ - Black's knight will go either to c5, exert ing pressure against the weak en emy e4-pawn, or to the f4-square,
l.e4 e5 2. t:tJj3 t:tJc6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4. 0 - 0 t:tJj6 5.d4 hd4 supporting the attack along the g-file, Tamburro - Antonov, Email 2010.
The diagram position was reached in the game Just - Paet zold, Email 2 0 07. By playing 15 ttJe6 16.'1Wxf6 '!Wxf6 17.gxf6 gds 18 .he6 he6 19.gf2 e7= Black has successfully solved the problem of equalizing and can now even fight for the advantage, since his bishop is slightly more active than White's knight. •..
10 ttJe6 ll . .ix£6 gxf6 12. '!Wf3 ttJf4 White will regain his pawn, but he must weaken his kingside. 13.g3 ggs 14.h1 .tg4 15. '!Wf2 .•.
•
187
Chapter 17
l.e4 e5 2 . tt:\f3 tt:\ c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4. 0 - 0 tt:\f6 5.d3 0 - 0 Giuoco Piano
since he can counter this with 9 ... he3 10.fxe3 hc4 ll.lLlxc4 b5 12. lLlcd2 a5= and he exerts pressure on the queenside, equalizing com pletely.
White has several reasonable moves in the diagrammed posi tion. Some of them have already been analyzed, for example: 6. lLlc3 h6, has been dealt with in Chapter 15, 6.i.b3 h6 ! ?, or 6. lLlbd2 d6 - in Chapter 14. The main line with 6.c3 d5 is analyzed in Chap ter 20 (via the move order 4.c3 tLlf6 5.d3 0-0 6. 0-0 d5) . All White's other sensible moves will be dealt with here: A) 6.i.g5, B) 6.h3 and C) 6.1!el. For 6.i.e3 he3 7.fxe3 d6 8. lLlc3 i.e6 - see Chapter 14; for 6. a4 a6 ! ? 7.c3 d5 8.exd5 l2Jxd5 9.!'1e1 i.g4 - see Chapter 20. Black should not be afraid of 6.a3 d6 7. b4 i.b6 8.i.e3 i.e6 9.lLlbd2, M. Petrov - Arnaudov, Albena 2011, 188
A) 6.i.g5 A15 usual, this pin is not dan gerous for Black if he can go back to the e7-square with his bishop. 6 . . . h6 7.i.h4 It is inferior for White to opt for 7.hf6 �xf6+ - after the trans fer of the knight to g6, Black will have excellent attacking pros pects and White will have prob lems neutralizing the activity of his opponent's dark-squared bishop. 7 . . . i.e7
l.e4 e5 2. li:Jj3 li:J c6 3. ic4 ic5 4. 0 - 0 li:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 8.�c3 In answer to 8.c3, the simplest route to equality for Black is 8 . . . tt:lhS 9.he7 W!xe7= and his knight will go to the f4-square, providing him with counter-play. 8 . .ig3 d6 9.c3 (Even after the more accurate line : 9.h3 tt:laS 10. ibS c6 ll.ia4 bS 12 .ib3 ltlxb3 13.axb3, Balsai - Koti, Hungary 2003, 13 . . . V!Jc7f2 Black is ready for a fight on both sides of the board.) 9 ... tt:la5 10.tt:lbd2 ltlxc4 ll.tt:lxc4 tt:lhSt - Black will exchange his opponent's remaining bishop and advance f7-f5, if necessary, creat ing attacking chances, Dorado Martin - Gallach Perez, Email 2006. 8.i.b3 d6 9.h3 tt:laS 10.i.a4 cS ll.ltlc3 i.e6 12.tt:lh2 a6+ Black will inevitably gain the advantage of the two bishops, while White will be unable to exploit the weakness of the dS-square, Torre - Tim man, Moscow 1994. 8.d4 - Black is well prepared for the opening of the central files. 8 . . . exd4 9 J'!e1, Roganovic - Acs, Hungary 2010. After 9 ... d5 10. i.xf6 .ixf6 ll.exdS tt:le7+ he opens the position completely and his two strong bishops give him the better prospects. 8.ltlbd2 d6 9.a4 (Or 9.c3 tt:lhS"fZ and after 9 .h3 �aS 10 .c3, Izbinski - Grabarczyk, Krynica 1997, Black obtains a very good game by exchanging the enemy bishop: 10 ... tt:lxc4 11.ltlxc4 i.e6 12.tt:le3 c6f2) 9 . . . tt:lh5f2 - The dark-squared bishops are exchanged and
Black's knight is headed for the f4-square, in addition, the pawn advance f7-f5 figures in his future plans. It is also important that White cannot play lO.tt:lxeS? ltlxeS ll.he7 V!Jxe7 12.Vfixh5 i.g4-+ since he loses his queen. 8 ... d6 9.h3 �a5
1 0 . .tb5 10 .i.b3, Sermek - Gostisa, Bled 2002, 10 . . . a6 1l.�e1 bS"fZ when Black has neutralized the opponent's light-squared bishop and made his position secure. 1 0 . . . c6 n . .ta4 b5 12 . .tb3 �xb3 13.axb3, Goergens - Kle schtschow, Germany 2 0 0 2 .
Black has several good moves 189
Chapter 17 here, but we recommend 13 ftc7� Black gives eS-pawn fur ther support and is able to com fortably develop his pieces close to the centre. After completing his development, he can start active play on both sides of the board, as well as in the centre.
••.
B) 6.h3 d6
7.a4 h6 8.c3 a6 9.b4 i.a7 10. @h1 (lO.bS? White is trying to in crease his space advantage on the queenside, but he loses a pawn: lO . . . axbS 11.axbS hf2 + 12.1!xf2 1!xa1 13.i.b2 E:xbl+) 10 . . . ll:\e7 11. ll:\bd2 ll:\g6 12 .i.b3 i.e6� - White has maintained his space advan tage on the queenside, but has not achieved anything real, while Black is well prepared for an of fensive on the kingside, Zubarev - Stefansson, Las Vegas 1999. 7 .te6 This is Black's simplest route to equality, although he has a good alternative here in 7 . . . ll:\aS ! ? •••
7.c3 7.i.gS h6 8.i.h4 (8 . .txf6 Wxf6+) 8 . . . gS 9 . .ig3 (White's position be comes very difficult after the dan gerous move 9.ll:\xgS? hxgS 10. i.xgS, Fedorov - Khruschiov, St. Petersburg 2001. Black must re act accurately, though . . . After 10 . . . @h7! White loses after 1l.ll:\c3 1!g8 12 .h4 i.g4 13 .ftc1 ftd7 14.i.xf6 i.f3- + and Black forces mate, but even with the more precise line 11.h4 1!g8 12 .i.xt7 1!g7 13.i.c4 Wf8+ White is helpless against his opponent's coming attack.) 9 . . . ll:\hS 10.i.h2 ll:\f4� Black's king is exposed, but White is unable to exploit this because Black's pieces are very active. 190
8 . .b:e6 For 8 .ll:\bd2 aS - see Chapter 19. After S .igS? ! i.xc4 9.dxc4 h6+ White will have to play ixf6, after which Black's dark-squared bish op will remain without an oppo nent, enabling him to dominate the dark squares. White loses af ter 10.ih4? gS ll.ll:\xgS hxgS 12 . .ixgS aS ! 13. @h2 fte7 14.f4 exf4 1S.E:xf4 WeS-+ His attack has reached a dead end, he is a piece
l.e4 eS 2. EDj3 EDc6 3. i.c4 i.cS 4. 0 - 0 EDJ6 5.d3 0 - 0 down and his queenside i s unde veloped. After 8 . .ib3 a5 9 . .ic2 , Black obtains an excellent position with the move 9 . . . d5= 8 . . .fxe6
9.eb3 Black should not be afraid of 9.b4 .ib6 10.EDbd2 a6 ll.EDc4 .ia7= White has no active possi bilities with which to create prob lems for his opponent. White should avoid 9.d4 i.b6 10.dxe5 EDxe5 11.EDxe5 dxe5 12.'1Wxd8 �axd8 13.EDd2 �d3+, when he has isolated Black's doubled pawns on the e-file, but has failed to complete his development, so his e4- and f2- pawns are vulnerable. 9 ti'c8 l O .EDg5 ges ll . .ie3 .ixe3 12.fxe3 h6 13.EDf3 b6= Both sides have problems finding any active ideas in this position, Hemmer - Gach, corr. 1994.
fxe6 =, 7.EDc3 .ie6 8.i.xe6 fxe6= , o r 7.i.e3 i.xe3 8.fxe3 11:Je7= and in all cases the alteration to the pawn structure is in Black's favour. 7.i.g5 h6 8 ..ih4 (8.i.xf6?! exf6+) 8 . . .g5 9.i.g3 (If 9.EDxg5? hxg5 10 . .txgs mh7! 11.ef3 mg6 1 2. .ih4 �g8+ Black easily parries his opponent's hasty attack.) 9 ... EDa5? Black weakens his castled posi tion but gains the advantage of the two bishops, which provides him with sufficient counterplay. 7 a6! ? Black has a n apparently good alternative in 7 . . . .ie6 ! ? 8.he6 fxe6 9.b4 .ib6 10.11:Jbd2 (10.EDg5? De Beer - Roelfse, Tromsoe 2 009, 10 ... hf2 + n.mxf2 EDxe4-+) 10 . . . a 6 ll.EDc4 .ia7= • • •
.•.
C) 6.gel d6 (diagram) 7.c3 White does not achieve much in the variations 7.h3 .ie6 8.i.xe6 191
Chapter 17 8 . .ib3 This accurate move is the most popular for White at this point. 8.b4 - This pawn-advance is pointless, since Black was pre pared to retreat his bishop to a7 in any case. Now, unlike in the vari ation with 7 . . . .ie6, the bishop can go to a7 in one move: 8 . . . .ia7 9 . .igS h6 10 . .ih4 gS 11 . .ig3 (After 11.lt:lxg5? hxgS 12 . .ixg5 .ig4 13. 'Wd2 'it>h7+ - Black leads in devel opment and is ready to use his ex tra piece in the attack) 11 . . . lt>g7� 8.lt:lbd2 - This is a harmless move, which fails to create any problems for Black: 8 . . . .ie6 9.a4 .ia7 10 . .ib3 h6 11.lt:lc4 bS 12.lt:le3, Fries Nielsen - Brinck Claussen, Tarnby 1983 and with 12 . . . 'Wd7=, Black connects his rooks and is ready to deploy them in the cen tre. 8 . .ig5 h6 9 . .ih4 gS 10.lt:lxg5 ! ? (In the only game with this line, White played 10 . .ig3, Rodriguez Vila - Sarin, Buenos Aires 2010, but after 10 ... .ia7 11.lt:lbd2 g4 1 2 .lt:lh4 lt:lh5� Black had an excel lent position.) 10 . . . hxg5 11 . .ixgsgg
White has some compensation for the piece, but not enough. 11 . . . 192
.ig4 12 .'Wd2 'it>h7 13 .d4 .ia7 14.\t>h1 (White loses after the apparently attractive line 14.f4 exd4 15.'it>h1 lt>g7 16.'Wf2 l'l:h8 17.'Wg3 'Wd7- + , o r 16.e5 lt:lhS 17 . .ixd8 lt:lg3 ! - +) 14 . . . l'l:g8 15.f4 l'l:xgS 16.fxg5 lt:lhS 17.l'l:fl lt>g7 18.l'l:xf7+ lt>g6 19.'Wd3 'WxgSt The position is completely unbalanced and neither king is safe. In fact, Black's monarch is completely exposed. On the other hand, he can activate his queen side pieces much more easily and this factor enables him to face the future with optimism. 8 . .ie6 . .
9.�bd2 9 . .ic2 - White retreats his bishop from its active position and this provides Black with the opportunity to fight for the centre with 9 . . . d5 10.'We2 l'l:e8 11.h3 h6� Ganguly - Fressinet, Dresden 2008. 9.h3 .ixb3 10.axb3 (in re sponse to 10.'Wxb3, Kaidanov A.Ivanov, USA 1994, it looks at tractive for Black to centralize his pieces in standard fashion with 10 . . . 'Wd7 11.lt:lbd2 l'l:fe8 12.lt:lfl
l.e4 e5 2. 0f3 ti:J c6 3. �c4 �c5 4. 0 - 0 ti:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 h6=) 1 0 . . .d 5 11.�e2 h 6 12.ti:lbd2 !'1e8 = Black's forces are ideally placed and he has no problems whatsoever, Boskovic - Sargis sian, Rijeka 2010. After 9 .�g5 h6 10 .�h4, Van der Wiel - Huebner, Wijk aan Zee 1986, Black can evade the rather unpleasant pin by playing 10 . . . �a7 ll.ti:lbd2 �e7! 12 .h3 hb3 13. �xb3 !'1ab8 14.a4 �e6= 9 . . . h:b3 1 0 .ti:!xb3 After 10.axb3 aS= , Black se cures the wonderful cS-square for his bishop and from there it is ac tive on both sides of the board. White does not achieve much with 10.�xb3, Kudrin - Brooks, Chicago 1988. Black should coun ter this with 10 . . . �d7 ll.ti:lf1 h6 12 ..ie3 .b:e3 13.ti:lxe3 b6= and continue with !'1fe8, preventing
d3-d4, and then put his knight on g6. 1 0 . . . .ia7 ll . .lg5 h6 12 . .lh4 ges ! 13.tt:!bd2 ge6 =
This rook manoeuvre has ena bled Black to neutralize the pin. He equalizes completely with the subsequent transfer of his knight to the g6-square. Huebner Smyslov, Velden 1983.
193
Chapter 18
l.e4 e5 2 . �f3 �c6 3 .i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 Giuoco Piano
This is the main line for White in the Giuoco Piano. 4 . �f6 5.d4 This ancient move was played more than four hundred years ago and was analyzed in the manu scripts of the Italian masters Greco and Polerio. The contemporary treatment of the Italian Game for White is based on the move 5.d3 and we shall analyze this in the following chapters. It is rather dubious for White to play 5.0-0?! li:)xe4 (diagram) 6.b4? dS 7 . .ib3 .ixf2 + ! 8.l'!xf2 li:)xf2 9. 1!ixf2 e4-+ - White's king is completely exposed and his pieces are isolated on the . .
194
queenside, Karker - Bang, corr. 1971. White can regain his pawn with 6 . .id5 li:)f6 7 . .ixc6 dxc6 8 . li:)xeS 0-0 9.d4 .ie7 1Q.li:)d2 cS+, but in return Black obtains the advantage of the two bishops and opens files in the centre, Em. Lasker - Walker, New York 1894. Interesting complications arise after 6.d4 dS 7.li:)xe5 li:)xe5 8 . .ib3. In the game Kupreichik - V. Smirnov, Minsk 1976, Black con tinued with 8 . . . .ib6 9.dxe5 �h4 10 .�e1 .ie6 ll . .ie3 0-0= and equalized, but he could have re tained an edge with the more en ergetic line: 8 . . . 0-0 9.f3 li:)f6 10. dxcS .ifS+ ; White's cS-pawn needs protection, while Black's minor pieces will soon attack the weak d3-square in White's camp.
l . e4 e5 2. lt:Jj3
5.�e2 - White's queen often stands worse on this square than on dl. 5 . . . d6
6.h3 0-0 7.d3 �e6 8.�b3, Poz gaj - Plenca, Sibenik 2010. Black has completed his development and can begin active play on the queenside with the move 8 . . . a5= 6.b4 - White cannot benefit from the extra space on the queenside when his queen is on e2 : 6 . . . �b6 7. 0-0 (7.h3? ! 0-0 8.0-0 ltJe7 9.d3 ltJg6 10 .�e3 c6 ll.ltJbd2 ltJh5t Black's knight comes to the f4-square with tem po and he obtains good attacking chances, Coudari - Lantos, Mon treal 1966; after 7.a4 aS 8.b5 ltJe7 9.d4, Black can gain a slight edge with the temporary pawn sacrifice - 9 . . . exd4 10.cxd4 d5 ll.exd5 o-m= - he is ahead in develop ment and will inevitably regain the d5-pawn. Later he will exert pressure against his opponent's d4-pawn.) 7 . . . 0-0 8.d3 ltJe7 9.a4 c6 10.a5 �c7 11.�g5, Martucci Zielinski, Email 2006, and here, with the most natural move 11 . . . ltJg6?, Black obtains excellent counterplay based on possible oc cupation of the f4-square and
lt:J c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.c3 ltJf6
preparation of the d6-d5 break. 6.d3 a6 7.ltJbd2 (7.�b3 �e7= Black should be in no hurry to castle before his opponent; other wise, he must reckon with the possible �g5-pin; it is premature for White to play 7 . .ig5 ? ! h6 8. �h4 g5 9.�g3 �a7 10.ltJbd2 �e7 ll.a4 .id7 12 .b4 ltJh5+, since Black ends up with the advantage of the two bishops.) 7 . . . 0-0 8.ltJfl (after 8.�b3 �a7 9.h3 .ie6 10 .�c2 h6= Black completes his development and equalizes easily, Zepeda - Pi arnpuu, Turin 2 006) 8 . . . h6 9.h3 .ie6 10.�b3, Paleologu - Schoen, Cappelle la Grande 2006, and now it is possible for Black to con tinue with 10 . . . d5= , followed by �d7, l%ad8, l%fe8. 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 a6 8 . .ig5 (It is slightly preferable for White to opt for 8.1%d1 .ia7 9.�b3 ltJe7! ? 10.d4 ltJg6 = , but even then, owing to the weakness of his f2-pawn, he is unable to exploit the "X-ray" of the enemy queen by his rook, Feygin - Fleck, Essen 2002.) 8 . . . h 6 9 .ih4 �a7. This i s a n impor tant move. Now Black's bishop need not fear either d3-d4 or b2b4. A possible continuation is 10 . .ib3 (After 10.ltJbd2 ltJ a5=, Black exchanges his opponent's most dangerous piece.) 10 . . . g5 ll . .ig3 (Black should not be afraid of ll.ltJxg5 hxg5 12 .hg5 @g7 13. @h1 l%h8+ since White is not well enough-developed to venture such aggressive play.) ll . . . ltJh5t Black's king is exposed but White cannot exploit this, because .
195
Chapter 18 Black's forces dominate the king side. S.b4 ! ? .ie7! ? Black wants to advance d7-dS in one move. The move S . . . .ib6, with the same pur pose, is less appropriate because Black needs to be able to control the gS-square.
For 6.d3 0-0 - see Chapter 19; for 6 .'\1tfb3 0-0 7.d3 aS! - see Chapter 19. 6.�e2 0-0 7.0-0 (White can not win a pawn for free, because if 7.bS lLlaS S.lLlxeS lt:lxc4, after 9. �xc4 a6 10.bxa6 :gxa6+, or 9 . lt:lxc4 lt:lxe4+, Black's lead i n de velopment is overwhelming.) 7 . . . a 6 8.d3 (8.:ge1? ! dS ! 9.exdS lLlxdS and here it is very dangerous for White to play 10.lLlxeS because of 10 . . . lLlf4 11.�f3 lLlxeS 12 .:gxeS .id6 13.:ge1 �h4� and White's unde veloped queenside pieces are un able to assist in the protection of his king, while if lO . .ixdS �xdS 11.lLlxeS, Reed - Eldridge, Email 2011, Black can play 11 . . . lLlxeS 12. �xeS �xeS 13.:gxeS .id6 14.:ge1 aS 1S.bxaS :gxasgg and he obtains ex cellent compensation for the pawn with his two powerful bish ops and superior development.) 196
S ... dS 9.exdS lLlxdS= - Black has a wonderful position, since White cannot win a pawn with 10.lLlxeS lLlxeS 11. �xeS, because with 11 . . . lt:lxb4t Black regains i t immedi ately, retaining a lead in develop ment. 6.d4 exd4 7.eS (In answer to 7.bS, Black's most precise re sponse seems to be 7 . . . dS ! Now, in the variation S.exdS lLlaS 9 . .ie2 0-0 10.cxd4 a6 11.bxa6 b6+ Black easily regains both his sacrificed pawns and maintains a stable ad vantage, thanks to his better pawn structure, while if S.hdS lLlaS 9 . �a4 lLlxdS lO.exdS b6 11.�xd4 0-0 12.0-0 .ib7gg his lead in de velopment provides him with ex cellent compensation for the pawn.) 7 . . . lt:le4 S.bS lLlaS 9 . .id3 lt:lxc3 10.lilxc3 dxc3
11.0-0 (In response to 11.�c2, Black's most convincing response appears to be 11 . . . dS 12.exd6 cxd6 13.0-0 .if6 14.:ge1+ .ie6+ and White is unable to trap the enemy king in the centre, while if 11.�a4 it is good for Black to play simply 11 . . . c6 12 .�g4 0-0 13.i.h6 g6 14. hf8 hf8+ and his two pawns for the exchange, supported by his
l.e4 e5 2. l:iJj3 l:iJ c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.c3 l:iJf6 5.d4 ed powerful bishops, make his position preferable.) ll . . . dS 12.1!9c2 (12 .exd6 cxd6+) 12 ... c5 13.bxc6 l:iJxc6 14.%!ixc3 o-m= White has seized space on the kingside, but his compensation for the pawn is insufficient, because Black has no problems with the comfortable development of his pieces, Everts son - Eriksson, Ronneby 1998. 5 . . . exd4
In the diagram position White generally chooses either A) 6.e5 or B) 6.cxd4. It is premature to play 6.i.g5 h6 7.hf6 (After 7.�h4 gS 8.i.g3 l:iJxe4 9 . 0-0 dS lO .�bS, Biela Murawski, Sielpa 2004, Black can continue with 10 . . . 0-0 ll.cxd4 �b6+, holding on to the extra pawn while remaining with very active pieces.) 7 . . .%!ixf6 8.e5, Uru sov - Petrov, St. Petersburg 1853. Here the active move 8 ... %!if4+ presents White with difficult problems. His c3-pawn is hanging and capturing on d4 would sim plify the position in Black's fa vour.
6.b4 i.b6
After 7.b5 dS ! 8.exd5 %!le7+ 9.\!;>fl l:iJaS 10.�a3 �cS ll.hcS %!!xeS 12 .�d3 %!ixd5 13.cxd4 0-0+ Black leads in development and exerts pressure against the weak d4-pawn. In answer to 7.e5 it seems very good to play 7 . . . d5 ! ? 8.exf6 dxc4 9.fxg7 %!fe7+ 10.\!;>fl l'!g8 11 .b5 l:iJd8 12.l:iJxd4 �f6+; White loses his g7pawn and Black's king, unlike White's monarch, has a safe ref uge on the queenside. 6.0-0?! This pawn-sacrifice is not justified. 6 . . . l:iJxe4
7.l'!e1 dS 8.i.g5 f6 9.cxd4 �e7 10.�h4 dxc4 ll.l'!xe4 �fS 12.l'!e1 0-0+ - Black has won a pawn and gained the advantage of the two bishops.
197
Chapter 18 7.�d5 ttJf6 8J'!e1+ �e7 9.ttJxd4 ttJxd4 10.\Wxd4 0-0+ - Black has a solid extra pawn, Enrique - Ma tras, Rio de Janeiro 2001. In the variation 7.�e2 dS 8. cxd4 ttJxd4 9.ttJxd4 hd4 10.ttJc3 hc3 11.bxc3 �e6+ Black already has two extra pawns but he should not forget to evacuate his king from the centre, Keres - Raud, Tallinn 1935. After 7.b4 �b6 8.b5 ttJe7 9.cxd4 dS 10.�b3 �g4+ Black has the initiative as well as an extra pawn, Anderssen - Riemann, Breslau 1876. 7.cxd4 - This is the best move for White, but it is still inade quate. 7 . . . d5 8.dxc5 (After 8.�b5 �d6 9.ttJe5 0-0 10.ttJxc6 bxc6 11. hc6 hh2 + 12.\!?xh2 \Wd6+ 13.g3 \Wxc6-+ Black has won a pawn and weakened the light squares on his opponent's kingside, Sun day - Korneev, Velden 1993) 8 . . . dxc4
9.�e1?! \We7 10.ttJc3, Pashiki an - Sargissian, Yerevan 2003, and here Black can continue with lO . . . �fS+, comfortably developing his pieces and keeping the extra pawn. 198
9.\Wxd8+ l!?xd8 10J'!d1+ (10. ttJgS ttJxgS 11.�xg5+ f6 12J'!d1 + �d7 13.�f4 ttJb4 14.ttJc3 ttJd3+ The presence of bishops of oppo site colours on the board provides White with good chances of sav ing the game, V.Okhotnik - An. Kovacs, Eger 1990 ; 10.�e3 �e6 11.ttJd4 ttJxd4 12 .hd4 l!?d7 13J'!e1 ttJf6 14.ttJa3 \!?c6+ - White is likely to regain his pawn, but Black has a stable advantage in this end game thanks to his more active king, Engelbert - Neffe, Germany 1994) 10 . . . �d7 11.tLlg5 (11.�e3 l!?c8+) 11 . . . ttJxg5 12 .hg5+ l!?c8 13. ttJa3 �e6+. Black's king is closer to the centre than White's and the pawn on cS is a target, rather than a fighting unit which cramps the opponent, Ninov - Marholev, La Fere 2008. 9 .\We2 \Wd3 10J'!e1 fS 11.ttJc3 (11.ttJbd2 0-0 12.tLlxe4 fxe4 - see 11.tLlc3; it is no improvement for White to play 12.ttJxc4 ttJxcS+ with unavoidable simplification into an endgame with an extra pawn for Black, or 12.�xd3 cxd3 13. ltlxe4 fxe4 14.l'!xe4 �fS+ and his far-advanced passed pawn on d3 provides Black with slightly the better prospects.) 11 . . . 0-0 12. ttJxe4 (after 12 .\Wxd3 cxd3 13.ttJd5, Borm - Oei, Hilversum 1984, White will inevitably regain his pawn, but Black can continue with 13 . . . b6! 14.ttJxc7 l'!b8 15.cxb6 l'!xb6't and he completes his de velopment, retaining the initia tive thanks to his powerful passed pawn in the centre.) 12 . . . fxe4 13.
l.e4 e5 2. 0J3 lt:l c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.c3 lt:Jf6 5.d4 ed �xe4 .if5 14.�h4 (14.�xd3 cxd3+) 14 .. J'!ae8+ Black has the better development, T.L.Petrosian Grischuk, Internet 2004.
A) 6.e5 White seizes space. 6 d5 ..•
7.�b5 White is fighting aggressively for the dark squares in the centre. It is less active for him to play 7 . .ib3 lt:Je4 8.cxd4 .ib4+ 9 . .id2 (after 9.lt:Jbd2 .ig4+ White cannot shake off the rather unpleasant pins without making positional concessions) 9 . . . lt:Jxd2 10.lt:lbxd2 .ig4 ! (Black must play aggres sively, because after the indiffer ent reply 10 . . . 0-0 ll.h3± White maintains his space advantage for free.) ll.�a4 hf3 ! N 12.�xf3 .ixd2 + 13 . ..t>xd2 �h4 14 . .ixc6+ bxc6 15.�e3 cS ! 16.dxc5 (The end game is equal after 16.g3 cxd4 17.gxh4 dxe3+ 18.fxe3 0-0-0=) 16 . . J'!b8 17.b3 o-ogg White's king is stuck in the centre and this pro vides Black with excellent attack ing chances.
7 . .ie2 - This move is much better than its reputation. 7 . . . lt:Je4 (It is less reliable for Black to play 7 . . . d3 8 .exf6 dxe2 9 .�xe2 + @f8 10 . .ig5 gxf6 ll . .ih6+ @g8 12.0-0 .if8 13.�d2gg, because his rook is stuck in the corner and his pawn structure is in ruins. White can look to the future with optimism.) 8.cxd4 .ib6 9 . 0-0 (after 9.lt:lc3 0-0 10 . .ie3, Schlechter - Reti, Baden 1914, Black can eliminate White's eS-pawn which is cramp ing his position with 10 .. .f6 11. exf6 lt:Jxf6 =) 9 ... 0-0 10.lt:lc3 .ie6 11.�e3 f6 1 2 .exf6 (after 12.�b3 lt:Jxc3 13.bxc3 fxeS 14.dxe5, in the game M .Socko - Pogonina, Plov div 2010, Black obtained a very good position by playing 14 . . . .ixe3 15.fxe3 lt:JaS 16.�a3 b6= , but it would have been even stronger for him to keep the f-file open with 14 . . . �e7+) 12 . . . �xf6 13 . .id3 lt:lxc3 14.bxc3 .ig4 15 . .ie2 l'!ae8= Rebeggiani - G.Gonzales, Email 2000. 7 . . �e4 8.cxd4 8.lt:Jxd4? ! 0-0 9 . .ixc6 (9. lt:Jxc6? bxc6 10 . .ixc6 .ixf2 + n . ..t>fl .ia6-+) 9 . . . bxc6 10.0-0 f6+ White considerably lags in development and must play very accurately to avoid losing quickly, Ayyad Aleksandrov, Abu Dhabi 2009. 8 . .ixc6 bxc6 9.cxd4 .ie7t Black cannot be prevented from playing c6-c5, getting rid of his weak pawn and maintaining powerful pressure with his two bishops and powerfully centralized knight. 8 . . . .ib6 .
199
Chapter 18
9.�c3 White should avoid 9.a4 aS 10 .hc6+ bxc6 11.i.e3, V.Svesh nikov - Samolins, Riga 2006 (in response to 11.�c2 , Pekin - H. Yildiz, Izmir 2002, it is good for Black to play 11 . . . c5+, getting rid of his weak pawn and activating his bishop), since after 11 . . . i.a6+ he can keep the enemy king stranded in the centre. After 9 .�c2 Black can prevent his pawns being doubled on the c file by playing 9 . . . i.d7 10 .hc6 i.xc6 11. 0-0 (11.lLlc3 0-0 12 . .ie3 fS 13.0-0 f4 14.i.c1 �d7? Black's bishops are not very active yet, but he has seized space on the kingside and White will have problems coping with the power ful enemy knight on e4, Szewczyk - Borawski, Lazy 2010) 11 . . . 0-0 12 ..ie3 i.d7 13.a4 c6? Bestian Liss, Haifa 1989. 9.i.xc6+ bxc6 10.0-0 (10.lLlc3 i.g4 - see 9.lLlc3 ; 10.i.e3 0-0 see 9 . .ie3 ; it is too passive for White to opt for 10.lLlbd2? ! cS+; in the variation 10.Ytfc2 cS 11.dxc5 i.xcS 12.0-0 0-0? Black gets rid of his weak pawn on c6 and ob200
tains good counterplay, thanks to his powerful knight and the ad vantage of the bishop pair.) 10 . . . c S 11.i.e3 (In the variation 1 1 . dxc5 lLlxc5 12.lLlc3 c 6 13.b4 lLle6? White has difficulty in attacking his opponent's weak c6-pawn ef fectively, while Black's knight is well placed on e6, from where it controls the important gS- and d4- squares, and his dS-pawn might become a dangerous passed pawn later.) 1l...cxd4 1 2 .lLlxd4 cS 13.lLlb5 0-0+ - Black has solved all his problems and thanks to his mobile central pawns and the powerful unopposed light squared bishop, Black's position is preferable. 9.i.e3 0-0
For 10.lLlc3 i.g4 - see 9.lLlc3 ; 10.0-0 .ig4 - see 9.0-0. 10.hc6 bxc6 11.�c2 (11.0-0 c5 - see 9.0-0; 11.lLlbd2? ! - after this move Black is able to shed his weak c6-pawn. 11 . . . c5+ Doghri G.Giorgadze, Manila 1992) 11 . . . .ia6 12 .�xc6 l!b8 13.Vtfa4 �csgg Black has completed his develop ment and has more than enough compensation for the pawn, be cause White's king is stranded in
J.e4 e5 2. (jjj3 (jj c6 3. !i.. c4 !i.. c5 4.c3 l:jjf6 5.d4 ed the centre, Makovsky - Szalai, Email 2001. 10.\!;Yc2 .td7 ll.i.xc6 (it is pref erable for White to play 11.(jj c3 .tf5 - see 9.(jj c 3) ll . . . .txc6 12. (jj b d2 \!;Yd7t Black has no weak nesses in his position and he can gradually activate his bishops, Hjertenes - Abrantes, corr. 1988. 9.0-0 0-0
For 1Q.{jj c3 i.g4 - see 9.(jj c3. After 10J�e1 i.g4 ll.i.xc6 bxc6 12.(jj b d2, Petrova - Vlckova, Czech Republic 2008, Black can play 12 . . . (jj g 5+ and he either wins the d4-pawn or breaches White's castled position. 10.\!;Ya4 !i..g4 ll.i.xc6 bxc6 12. (jj b d2 (jj x d2 13.(jj x d2 f6+ - Black's bishops are active and White's d4-pawn is weak, Bock - Van den Doel, Germany 2004. 10.i.xc6 bxc6 11 .\!;Yc2 (in an swer to 11.(jj c 3, or ll.i.e3, Black obtains a good position with the standard reply ll . . . c5?) ll . . . c5 12.dxc5, Okorn - Sedonja, Posto jna 2008, his knight will be no less active and secure on e6 than on e4, so with 12 . . . (jj xcS+ he can transfer it to this great square, gaining an edge.
10 .i.e3 i.g4 ll.i.e2 f6 12.exf6 \!;Yxf6 13.(jj c3 !1ad8= - Black has completed the development of his forces and has no problems at all, Paoli - Bernstein, Amsterdam 1954. 9.h3 i.d7! ? 10.i.a4 (White pre sents his opponent with impor tant tempi with 10 .i.d3?! (jj b 4 ! 11. i.e2 c5 12 .i.e3 cxd4 13.(jj xd4 (jj c 6 14. 0-0 (jj x e5 15.\!;Yb3 (jj c4 16.i.xc4 dxc4 17.\!;Yxc4 0-0+ - Black has completed his development and his pieces will become extremely active in this position with an open centre, Vachier Lagrave Eljanov, Wijk aan Zee 20 07) 10 . . . f6 !
After 11.(jj c3 0-0 12.0-0 fxe5 13.dxe5 i.e6? White needs to play accurately, because after the in different line: 14.i.e3 i.xe3 15. fxe3 (jj g5 16.i.xc6 bxc6 17.{jj d4 Black can respond aggressively with 17 . . . {jj xh3 + ! 18 .gxh3 \!;Yg5+ 19.�h2 (19.�h1? .txh3-+) 19 . . . \!;Yxe5+ 20.�g2 !1xf1 2 1.\!;Yxf1 !1f8 22 .\!;Ye1 i.xh3+ ! 23.�xh3 :1'1{6 24. (jj c e2 !1h6+ 25.�g2 !1h2 + 26.�g1 \!;Yh5+ White loses either a rook, or queen for rook, and in both cases Black's connected passed pawns 201
Chapter 18 on the kingside provide him with the better prospects. It might ap pear more precise for White to play 14.i.b3 but then Black again has a tactical resource at his dis posal : 14 . . . lt:Jxf2 ! 15Jlxf2 lt:JxeS 16. i.xdS i.xdS 17.�xd5+ �xdS 18. lt:JxdS i.xf2 + 19.1!lxf2 l:!f7 2 0.1!le2 lt:Jxf3 21.gxf3 l:!af8 2 2 .f4 l:!e8+ 23. l!lf3 !!d7 24.lt:Je3 l:!d3 = and this al most forced variation leads to an endgame in which Black's pieces are much more active, but he will still find it difficult to breach White's defences. After 11.0-0 0-0 12 .i.b3 i.e6 13.lt:Jc3, Januszewski - Zielinski, Ostroda 2 009, it would be sensi ble for Black to remove his king from the dangerous diagonal and after 13 . . . \!?h8 14.exf6 �xf6 15.lt:Jxd5 i.xdS 16.i.xd5 lt:Jxf2 17. l:!xf2 lt:Jxd4 18.\!?h1 lt:Jf5� his com pensation for the piece should be sufficient for a draw, for example: 19.i.g5 (White loses after 19.l:!fl? lt:Jg3+ 20.I!lh2 �d6-+ ; in the vari ation 19.i.xb7 lt:Jg3+ 20.I!lh2 !!ad8 21 .l:!d2 �f4= White cannot avoid the perpetual check) 19 . . . �d6 2 0 .i.xb7 !:labS 21.�xd6 cxd6 2 2 . l:! d 2 l:!xb7= White will find i t dif ficult to prove that the isolated d6-pawn is weak, because Black's piece-activity provides compen sation. 9. . . 0 - 0 (diagram) 1 0 .i.e3 After 10.i.xc6 bxc6 11.i.e3 (11. �c2? ! - this just loses time - 11 . . . i.f5 12 .�e2 cS+ Leks - K. Pelletier, 202
Chalkidiki 2003; White fails to create any problems for his oppo nent with 11.0-0 cS+! and Black has excellent counterplay, since his dark-squared bishops comes to life.) and Black now has the pleasant choice between the quiet move 11 . . . i.g4 - see 10.i.e3 - and the somewhat risky line: 11 . . . lt:Jxc3 ! ? 12 .bxc3 i.a6oo. White's king is stranded in the centre, but Black's dark-squared bishop is very passive here. 10 .h3 - White prevents his f3knight from being pinned, but loses an important tempo. 10 .. .f6 11.0-0 (11.i.xc6? ! bxc6 12 .i.e3 lt:Jxc3 13.bxc3 i.a6t - White's king is stuck in the centre and this pro vides Black with excellent attack ing chances, Alzate Londono Vittorino, Neiva 20 05) 11.. .fxe5 12.lt:Jxe4 (12.dxe5 i.e6 13.i.e3 d4 14.lt:Jxe4 dxe3+ Black's bishops are extremely active, Horbach P.Schneider, Email 2 003) 12 . . . dxe4 13.lt:Jg5 exd4 14.�b3+ l!lh8 15.i.xc6 bxc6 16.lt:Jf7+ l:!xf7 17. V9xf7 i.a6 18.l:!e1 i.d3+ Black's powerful pawn-mass in the centre more than compensates for the
l.e4 e5 2. 1:D.f.3 I:D c6 3. 1lc4 i.c5 4.c3 I:Df6 5.d4 ed sacrificed exchange, Nozdrachev - Granovski, Obninsk 2009. 10.0-0 i.g4
izing the activity of his opponent's Dadello, pieces, Sweety Chalkidiki 2 0 07. 1 0 .ig4 • ••
After 11.h3 hf3 12.gxf3 I:Dg5 13.hc6 bxc6 14.�g2 I:De6+ White's d4-pawn is weak and his king is not well protected, so Black's position is preferable, Lyubimtsev - Ant. Petrov, St. Pe tersburg 2 000. In reply to 11.1:De2 , Biro Veroci, Hungary 1995, it looks very attractive for Black to try 11 . . . hf3 12.gxf3 I:Dg5 13.�g2 I:D e 6 14. hc6 bxc6t followed by c6-c5. After 11.1:Da4 f6t Black can bring his rook into play, respond ing to 12 .1:Dxb6, Al Rufei - Ciuk syte, Elista 1998, with the natural move 12 . . . axb6+ 11.hc6 bxc6 12 .h3 (12.i.e3 I:Dxc3 13.bxc3 f6+ White has prob lems with his kingside; 12 .�d3 i.f5 13.�e3 c5+ - His weak d4pawn is exchanged, but his e5pawn is weak and Black's dark squared bishop is becoming very active, Pallardo Lozoya - Amin, Oropesa del Mar 2000) 12 . . . .bf3 13 .�xf3 hd4 14.1:Dxe4 dxe4 15. �xe4 �d5 16.�xd5 cxd5t White will have great problems neutral-
ll.Y«c2 11.�a4 I:De7 12 .i.d3 (After 12. h3? ! hf3 13.gxf3 I:Dxc3 14.bxc3, Sarakauskiene - Makropoulou, Plovdiv 2008, Black can play 14 . . . I:Df5+ emphasizing the weakness of his opponent's kingside) 12 .. .f5 13.exf6 I:Dxf6 14.1:De5 i.f5 15.i.e2 I:Dg6 16.0-0 c6 17.1:Dxg6 hg6t Black has no weaknesses and his pieces are easily activated, while White's d4-pawn needs protec tion, Macieja - Malaniuk, Wro claw 2011. 11.hc6 bxc6 12.�a4 (after 12. �c2 c5 13.dxc5 1:Dxc5+, the change in the pawn structure is in Black's favour; it is more accurate for White to play 12 .h3 hf3 13.gxf3 I:Dxc3 14.bxc3 �d7 15.f4 i.a5 16. �d3 f6t when Black has a power ful initiative on the kingside, but White's position is solid, and after 17J!b1 fxe5 18 .fxe5 :B:f3 19.�d2 :B:af8 2 0 .�a6 .ib6 21.:B:bg1 :B:xf2 + 2 2 .hf2 :B:xf2 + 23.�e1 :B:f3 24.�d2 203
Chapter 18 Elf2 + 25. 'i!?e1 Elf3= both sides have nothing better than to acquiesce to the draw, Vinchev - Friis, Email 2009) 12 .. .f6 13.�xc6 (White has failed to evacuate his king, so opening the centre with 13.tt:\xe4 dxe4 14.tt:\d2 fxe5+ is in Black's favour.) 13 . . . tt:\xc3 14.bxc3 hf3 15.gxf3 fxe5 16.dxe5 .ixe3 17.fxe3 Elxf3 18.'i!?e2 , Macieja - De la Paz Perdomo, Merida 2 005, af ter 18 . . . Elf8 19.Elafl Ele8+ Black re tains an edge owing to the oppo nent's exposed king and his many weaknesses. 11.0-0 f6 12.exf6 (12 . .ie2? ! fxe5 13.dxe5 he3 14.fxe3 tt:\xc3 15.bxc3 'i!?h8t White's centre pawns are weak, Cardelli - Mahl ing, Email 2010) 12 . . . tt:\xf6 13 . .ie2 �d6 14.h3 (14.Elc1 Elae8 15.a3 tt:\e7 16.tt:\e5 he2 17.tt:\xe2 tt:\f5+ Krug - Schlesinger, Wiesbaden 199 0 ; after 14.tt:\b5 �d7 15.tt:\c3 Elae8 16.tt:\a4 .ih5 17.tt:\xb6 axb6 18.h3 �d6 19.�b3 tt:\e4t Black's pieces are very active and in particular White must consider the possible exchange sacrifice on the f3square on every move, Niewold Wingo, Email 2008) 14 . . . .ih5= Black will prepare to plant his knight on e4 by playing Elae8, Carrettoni - Van Damme, Email 2010. 11.�b3 hf3 1 2 .gxf3 tt:\g5 13. 0-0-0 (This move is more logical than 13 .hc6 bxc6 14.�d1, Vega - Otero Acosta, Cuba 2000 and after 14 . . . tt:\h3 ! 15.f4 �h4 16.�f3 Elae8 17.�g3 �h5 18.tt:\e2 f6+ Black is able to exert strong pres2 04
sure against White's centre) 13 . . . tt:\xf3 14.�xd5 �xd5 (Here Black can play the greedy 14 . . . tt:\cxd4 ! ? 15.�e4 c 6 16 . .ic4 Ei:e8 17.hd4 tt:\xd4 18.tt:\a4 c5 19.f4 �e7oo and although White has some com pensation for the pawn it is diffi cult to assess whether it is enough.) 15.tt:\xd5 hd4 16.hc6 he3+ 17.fxe3 bxc6 18.tt:\e7+ 'i!?h8 19.tt:\xc6 Elae8 20.Eld5 a6 21.h3 Ele6 2 2 .tt:\d8 Elee8= l l.h3 .ih5 (The position is rather unclear after l l . . . .ixf3 ! ? 12. gxf3 tt:\xc3 13.bxc3 tt:\e7 14.f4 Elc8 15.0-0 c5oo White has the advan tage of the two bishops and a beautiful centre, but his king lacks protection and his centre pawns might turn out to be weak.)
12 .g4? .ig6 13.tt:\e2 f6+ White has weakened his kingside with out obtaining anything in return, Blatny - Beckemeier, Germany 1996. 12.0-0, Loewenthal - Staun ton, London 1853, 12 . . . tt:\xd4 ! ? (It looks like a good alternative for Black to try 12 . . .f6 ! ? 13.exf6 tt:\xc3 14.bxc3 �xf6 15 . .ie2 Elae8 16.�c2 h6 17.Elfe1 a6 18.tt:\d2 he2 19. Elxe2 �f5=) 13.hd4 hf3 14.gxf3
l.e4 e5 2. tiJj3 tiJc6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 tiJf6 5.d4 ed WigS+ 1S.'i!th1 WffS 16.fxe4 (There is also a perpetual check after 16.hb6 �xh3+ 17.'i!tg1 tiJg3 ! 18. fxg3 Wfxg3= , but White can even lose if he plays 16.tiJxe4? dxe4 17. l!tg2 �ad8-+) 16 . . . Wfxh3+ 17.'i!tg1 hd4 18.Wfxd4 �g4= 12 .hc6 bxc6 13.0-0 ! (this is stronger than 13.Wfa4 f6 14.exf6, Caposciutti - Pantaleoni, corr. 1990, because after 14 . . . hf3 1S. gxf3 tiJxc3 16.bxc3 Wfxf6+ White's king has nowhere to hide) 13 .. .f6 ! - the opening of the f-file pro vides Black with more than suffi cient counterplay, for example: 14.g4 tiJxc3 1S.bxc3 .ig6 16.exf6 Wfxf6 17.tiJeS �ae8
and lively after 18.f4 i.e4 19.'i!th2 Wfd6 20.�c1 cS 2l.Wfa4 hS 2 2 .gS cxd4 23.cxd4 aS 24.a3 �d8 2S.�c6 Wfe7?. White's knight is very pow erful in the centre, but Black's bishop on e4 is also a wonderful piece. ll . . . .if5 It is too risky for Black to opt for ll . . . i.xf3? ! 12.gxf3 tiJgS 13. hc6 bxc6 14. 0-0-0 tiJxf3 1S. Wfe2 tiJh4 16.�hg1� when White has excellent attacking prospects, Ni Hua - Marin, Reggio Emilia 2008, but there is a very good al ternative for Black in ll . . . tiJxc3 ! ?
There is a draw by perpetual check after 18.tiJd7 Wfh4 19.tiJxf8 fue3 20.tiJxg6 �g3+ 2l.fxg3 Wfxg3= After 18.Wfd2 �xeS 19.dxeS Wfh4 2 0.'i!tg2 (20.hb6? �f3-+) 20 . . . .ie4+ 21.f3 hf3+ 2 2 .�xf3 (22.'i!th2 hg4 23.�xf8+ l!txf8 24. �fl + l!tg8+ Black has more enough pawns for the exchange) 22 . . . �xf3 23.'i!txf3 Wfxh3+ 24.'i!te2 Wfxg4+ 2S.'i!te1 Wfg3= Neither side has any reason the avoid the repetition of moves. The struggle is very interesting
12.'Ml3 12 .�a4 tiJe7 13.tiJh4 (13.0-0 a6 14 ..ie2 tiJc6 1S.Wfb3 tiJxc3 16. bxc3 h6 17.tiJd2 Wfd7 18.h3 f6= ) 13 . . .f6 ! 14.tiJxe4 he4 1S.exf6 �xf6+ Vera Gonzalez Quevedo Lukacs, Havana 1986. 12 .hc6 bxc6 13.tiJxe4 (13.Wfa4 cS 14.dxcS hcS 1S.tiJxe4 he3 16.tiJg3 i.d7 17.�aS i.b6 18.�xdS Wfe8+ Black's bishops are ex tremely active, which more than compensates the sacrificed pawn, Strzemiecki - Rutkowski, War20S
Chapter 18 saw 2010) 13 ... dxe4 14J'!dl (14. tt:lgl c5 15.dxc5 .ta5+ 16. \t>fl �d5 17.\Wb3 \Wc6 18.tt:le2 �a6 19.h3 .td7+ - Black's pieces are very ac tive, J.Andersen - Ludwig, Email. 20 04) 14 . . . exf3 15.�xf5 fxg2 16. :!:!gl �d5 17.�g4 (17.�g5?! .ta5+ 18 . .td2 , Eggleston - Haslinger, Hawick 2004, after 18 . . . g6+ Black neutralizes all his opponent's threats on the kingside) 17 .. .f5 ! t - Black seized the initiative i n the game Kashtanov - Lugovoi, St. Petersburg 2002. 12 ... �a5 13.�b4 White loses after the greedy 13.�xd5? �e7! 14.tt:lxe4 i.e6 15. tt:lf6+ gxf6 16.�e4 �b4+ 17.lt:Jd2 \Wxb5- + Bukojemski - A.Ga vrilov, Cracow 2011. After 13.�a4 tt:Jxc3 14.bxc3 c6 15 ..te2 .ic7+ Black cannot be pre vented from advancing with b7b5 and then deploying his knight in the c4-outpost. 13 c6 14 .ie2 For 14 . .id3 tt:Jc4 15 . .ixc4 .ia5 see 14.i.e2. 14 ... �c4 15 . .ixc4 .ia5 16. �b3 dxc4 17.�xc4 �b6 18 .icl • .•
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18 c5 After 18 . . . tt:Jxc3 19.bxc3 .ie6 2 0.�d3 i.f5= Black can force a threefold repetition of the posi tion, because if White's queen abandons the fl-a6 diagonal Black will seize it with his queen, keep ing the enemy king stranded in the centre. 19. 0 - 0 It is inferior for White to opt for the risky line 19.d5 tt:Jxc3 20. bxc3 �g6 2 1.tt:lh4 .id3 22 .tt:Jxg6 .ixc4 23.tt:Je7+ 'it>h8 24 . .id2 .idS+ when Black regains his pawn and maintains a stable advantage, thanks to his superior develop ment and better pawn structure. 19 �xc3 2 0 .bxc3 cxd4 21.�xd4 i:!ac8 22.�e2 .id7= Black regains his pawn, retaining an excellent position, Merrow Kamanel Zamora, Email 2010. •••
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B) 6.cxd4 This is a natural move. White occupies the centre with tempo. This line was played as early as in the 16th century in Greco's games. 6 .ib4+ • • •
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l.e4 e5 2. 1:iJ.f3 l:iJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 l:iJf6 5.d4 ed White's main attempts to claim an edge in this position are based on the moves Bl) 7 .td2 and B2) 7.1:iJc3. 7.'i!?fl d5 8.exd5 l:iJxd5 9.1:iJc3 (The alternatives for White are worse: 9.a3 i.e? 10.1:iJc3 l:iJxc3 11. bxc3 0-0+; 9.W'b3 l:iJa5+; 9.i.g5 i.e? 10 .i.xe7 l:iJcxe7+; 9.W'e2+ i.e6 10.a3 i.e7+ and in all the cases White has lost several important tempi.) 9 . . . i.e6 ! 10 .W'b3 (Black need not fear 10 .i.xd5 i.xd5 11. W'e2 + i.e7+ or 10 .W'd3 i.e7+; an in teresting fight flares up with 10. l:iJxd5 hd5 11.W'b3 i.xc4+ 12. W'xc4 0-0 13.d5 i.a5 14.i.f4 l:iJe7 15J=!:d1 l:iJg6 16.i.g3 l"le8? when White's position in the centre is better, but he has problems bring ing his rook on h1 into play.) 10 . . . l:iJa5 11.W'a4+ i.d7 12 .i.b5, Casillas Pellat - Norgaard, Mexico 1995, 12 ... i.xb5+ (Black has a good al ternative here in 12 . . . i.xc3 !?) 13. W'xb5+ c6 14.W'e2+ W'e7 15.W'd3 0-0 16.i.d2 !'1ae8?. Black's knight on a5 is out of play, but his other pieces are very active and after, for example, 17.g3 W'd7 18.'i!?g2 i.xc3 19.i.xc3 l:iJf4+ 20.gxf4 W'g4+ 21. 'i!?fl W'h3+ 2 2 .'i!?g1 W'g4= it can end in perpetual check. 7.1:iJbd2 - This move has been played only rarely; nevertheless, it is quite playable. 7 ... 1:iJxe4 (diagram) 8.W'e2? d5+ 8.d5 l:iJe7 9.0-0 (9.a3 - This loses an important tempo for White - 9 . . . hd2 + 10 .i.xd2 d6 11. W'e2 l:iJxd2 12.W'xd2 0-0+ Kartse•
va - Broeker, Wolfsberg 2 0 04) 9 . . . 1:iJxd2 lO.I:iJxd2 (After 10.i.xd2 i.xd2 White cannot gain any ad vantage with 11.W'xd2 d6 12.!'1fe1 0-0= because Black completes his development without any problems, although it will not be easy for him to exploit his extra pawn; if instead 11.d6 cxd6 12.W'xd2 d5 ! 13.i.xd5 0-0 ! = when Black will need to give back his extra pawn to complete his devel opment, Ponkratov - Al.Aleksan drov, St. Petersburg 2011; instead of Black's last move, it might seem very attractive to play 13 . . . 1:iJxd5? but in that case White can win spectacularly with 14.!'1fe1+ ! l:iJe7 15.!'1xe7+ ! l!?xe7 16.W'g5+ f6 17. W'xg7+ 'i!?d6 18.1:iJd4 ! +- and it be comes clear that despite his extra rook Black is helpless against the attack by his opponent's perfectly coordinated pieces) 10 . . . 0-0
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Chapter 18 ll.a3N (11.lt:le4 ? ! d6 12 .W/a4 i.c5 13.lt:\xc5 dxc5 14.i.g5 Wd6 15. l'!fe1 lt.Jg6+ - Black has preserved his extra pawn and the change in the pawn structure is in Black's favour, since he can organize an offensive on the queenside, Kriv odedov - Moiseyenko, Yuzhny 20 09.) ll . . . i.a5 12 .b4 (A drawish endgame arises almost by force after 12 .d6 cxd6 13.lt:le4 d5 14. hd5 lt:\xd5 15.W/xd5 d6 16.i.g5 i.e6 17.hd8 hd5 18.lt:lf6+ gxf6 19.ha5 i.c4= - Black will almost certainly be unable to realise his extra pawn, but it compensates adequately for his kingside weak nesses.) 12 . . . i.b6 13.d6 cxd6 14. lt:\e4 d5 15.hd5 lt:\xd5 16.Wxd5 d6 17.i.f4 i.e6 18.Wxb7 d5 19.lt:lc5 i'k8 20 .l'!ac1 W/f6 2 1.g3 l'!fe8= White's pieces are a bit more active, but Black has a passed pawn in the centre and still has his bishop pair. 8 . 0-0 lt:\xd2
White's pieces are active, but it is unlikely that he has any advan tage here because Black has an extra pawn and a potentially pow erful bishop. 9.hd2 hd2 10.W/xd2 (10. lt:\xd2 0-0 ll.d5 lt:\e7+; White los es a tempo after 10.We2 + , Rich terova - Blechova, Havirov 2008, because Black can play 10 ... lt:\e7 ll.W/xd2 d5 12 . .id3 0-0+, com pleting his development and gain ing the better prospects) 10 . . . lt:le7 ll.d5 (after ll.l'!ac1 d5 12 .i.d3 c6 13.l'!fe1 0-0 14.W/c2 lt:\g6+ White's compensation for the pawn is in sufficient, Fister - Gurmen, Email 2010) ll . . . d6 12.l'!fe1 0-0 13.l'!ac1 (If 13.W/a5? ! lt:\g6 14.l'!ac1 c5+ Black no longer has a backward c pawn, Ait Chaouche - N.Maiorov, Lille 2011) 13 . . . l'!e8 14 . .id3 h6 15. i.e4 i.d7+ - White will find it dif ficult to exploit his space advan tage, since Black's pieces are de ployed quite harmoniously and although his c7-pawn is backward he is a pawn up, Bojovic - Castel lano, Email 2 006.
Bl) 7 .ld2 .
After 9J'1e1+ lt:\e7 10.i.xd2 hd2 ll.Wxd2 d5 ! (11. . . 0-0 12 .W/g5 d5 - see 11.. .d5) 12 .W/g5 (White has no advantage after 12 .i.d3 0-0 = , o r 12 .hd5 Wxd5 13J':1e5 W/d6 14. l'!ae1 0-0 15J:1xe7 i.e6=) 12 . . . 0-0 13J:1xe7 dxc4 14.l'!ae1 i.d7= all 208
l.e4 e5 2. /:jj.fJ /:jj c6 3. fi.c4 fi.c5 4.c3 l:jjf6 5.d4 ed This is a very solid move. White has occupied the centre and hopes to be able to continue the game without sacrificing any thing. 7. . . hd2 + 8.�bxd2 d5 After this move White's two beautiful centre pawns turn into one isolated pawn. 9.exd5 �xd5
1 0 .�b3 This is the main line for White and for a long time it was consid ered that he could create some problems for Black with it. 10 .�c2 0-0 - see 10 .�b3 /:jj a5 11.�a4+ /:jj c 6 12 .�c2. After 10.�e2+ i.e6 11.0-0 0-0= Black has no problems at all. He has excellent development and exerts pressure against the enemy d4-pawn. 10./:jj e S /:jj xe5 11.dxe5 0-0 12. 0-0 /:jj f4f! Black can activate his forces very quickly, Karpatchev Korneev, Arco 2003. In the variation 10 .i.b5 �e7+ 11.�e2 �xe2+ 12.�xe2 !d7+ only White can have problems. His d4pawn needs protection and after
the simplification Black can ex ploit his opponent's weaknesses much more easily. 10.0-0 0-0
11.�b3 /:jj a5 12.�c2 /:jj xc4 13. /:jj xc4 i.e6t, or 13.�xc4 i.e6t, or 11./:jj e4 fi.g4t Stanley - Rousseau, New Orleans 1845, and in all cas es Black has no problems at all, having blockaded his opponent's isolated pawn. After 11.h3 /:jj b 6t White is faced with an unpleasant choice - either to give up his powerful bishop for the enemy knight, or to remain a pawn down, Machan Sergienko, Nachod 2011. In the variation 11. /:jj b3 i.g4 12 .h3 i.h5 13J:k1 /:jj f4t Black has good attacking prospects, Vila Gazquez - O.Korneev, Solsones 2004. 11.:1%c1 (jj b 6 12 .i.b3 a5 13.a4 /:jj d5 14.:1%e1 !e6 15.h3 (15.i.c4 /:jj cb4= ; 15./:jj e 4 i.g4 16./:jj c3 /:jj f4 17.h3 i.h5 =) 15 . . . /:jj cb4 16./:jj e 4 /:jj f4 17.he6 /:jj x e6 18./:jj cS /:jj xc5 19.:1%xc5 b6= White dominates the e-file, but he will difficulty in ex ploiting this effectively, while his d4-pawn is weak, Lebedev - Fil ipchenko, Email 2009. 209
Chapter 18 11.tt:'le5 tt:'lxd4 12.tt:'lb3 (12.tt:'le4? tt:'lf4+) 12 . . . tt:'lxb3 13.i.xd5. The threat of i.xf7 + followed by '?t/h5 looks very dangerous, but Black can counter this with 13 . . . '?tff6 ! 14.'?t/xb3 (14 ..bf7+ E:xf7 15.'?t/xb3 '?t/xe5 - see 14.'?t/b3) 14 . . . '?t/xe5 15. i.xf7 + (It is inferior for White to play 15.E:fe1 '?tff6 16.E:e3 c6 17.i.f3 E:b8+ Pribe - Robles Sanchez, Hessen 2 003, or 15.E:ae1 '?t/f6 16. E:e3 c6 17.i.f3 E:b8+ Antoszkiewicz - Haupold, corr. 1979 and in both lines Black ends up with a solid extra pawn.) 15 . . . E:xf7 16.E:ae1 (It is slightly inferior for White to opt for 16.E:fe1 i.e6 17.E:xe5 i.xb3 18. axb3 E:d8 = when he must play very accurately to prevent his op ponent from exploiting the weak ness of his doubled pawns. How ever, the position is still within the bounds of equality, Deretic Mejak, corr. 1980 .) 16 . . . i.e6 17. Wfxe6 '?t/xe6 18.E:xe6 E:d8 = - Black has forced a transition into a dead-drawn endgame. 1 0 . . . �a5! The move has dealt a serious blow to the fans of this variation for White. ll.Wa4+ The other retreats of his queen would enable Black to capture the powerful bishop on c4, solving all his problems. ll . . �c6 (diagram) 12.J.b5 The overwhelming majority of games reaching this position have .
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ended in a draw here by threefold repetition: 12.Wfb3 tt:'la5 13.'?t/a4+ tt:'lc6 14.'?t/b3 tt:'la5 15.'?t/a4+ tt:'lc6= After 12 .'?tfc2 0-0 13.0-0 tt:'lb6=, or 12 .'?t/b5 tt:'lb6 13.0-0 (13.d5?! a6+ White loses his d5-pawn) 13 . . . 0 - 0 = Andreikin - Romanov, Yerevan 2 007, he either loses his d4-pawn, or must give up his strong bishop for Black's knight. 12 .tt:'le5 0-0 13.tt:'lxc6 (It is no better for White to play 13 .i.xd5 tt:'lxe5 and here after 14.dxe5 '?t/xd5+ his e5-pawn is a liability and Black's bishop is stronger than the enemy knight, Boyd V.Szabo, Email 2007, while after 14.i.e4 tt:'lg4 15.0-0 c6= Black has no problems either; after the transfer of his bishop to d5, he will fight for the initiative, Be lanoff - Schuster, Email 2 009.) 13 ... '?t/e8+ 14.\t>f1 (White's king will be in danger in the centre af ter 14.1t>d1 tt:'lb6 15.'?t/b5 bxc6 16. '?tieS tt:'lxc4 17.tt:'lxc4 i.e6+ Reberc - Kolaric, Postojna 2008.) 14 . . . tt:'lb6 15.'?t/b5 bxc6 16.Wfc5 tt:'lxc4 17.tt:'lxc4, Hatting - Herman, corr. 1985, and after 17 . . . i.a6+ Black
l.e4 e5 2. tiJf3 tiJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 CiJf6 5.d4 ed targets the enemy knight and will try to exploit his lead in develop ment. In the endgame arising after 12.1Mia3 �e7+ 13.�xe7+ CiJcxe7= Black has no problems, because without the queens on the board White can scarcely gain the initia tive and the weakness of his iso lated pawn will hurt him even more now that the position has simplified. 12 . . . .id7
13. 0 - 0 It is inferior to play 13.�b3 �e7+ 14.ci!;>fl i.e6+ - White has lost his castling rights and his rook on h1 will find it difficult to come into play any time soon, Mi ettinen - Buzas, Email 2009. 14.l!!ifel After 14.�b3 a6 15.ha6 gxa6 16.�xd5 i.e6 17.�c5 ga4 18.gfe1 CiJxd4= Black regains his pawn and White is forced to play very precisely, since his knight is po tentially weaker than the enemy bishop, Laine - Salonen, Email 2010. 14 a6
15 . .ifl 15.hc6?! hc6+ - Black's bishop has found a working diag onal and cooperates with his knight, which is headed for the wonderful f4-square, Goncalves Cerqueira Filho, corr. 1995. 15.i.d3 CiJcb4 16.�b3 CiJxd3 17. �xd3 f6 ! t White's knights have no stable squares in the centre, so Black can begin to attack the weak d4-pawn. 15 . . . .ie6= - Black has no weak spots in his position, but the board is still full of pieces and Black will not find it easy to prove that the enemy d4-pawn is weak, Laine - Pesonen, Email 2 010. B2) 7.CiJc3
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211
Chapter 18 This sharp move was recom mended and analyzed quite deep ly more than 400 years ago by Greco. 7 .ti�xe4 8. 0 - 0 In a few games White has tried s :rge2? d5 9.0-0 hc3 10.bxc3 o-m=, but Black completes his de velopment, remaining with a sol id extra pawn. White cannot even equalize with the aggressive line 8.d5 lLlxc3 9.bxc3 hc3+ 10 .i.d2 hd2 + 11. �xd2 lLle7 12.0-0 (It would be better to continue 12.d6! cxd6 13.0-0 d5 14.hd5 0-0+ and Black would need to give back one of his extra pawns to complete his development.) 12 . . . d6 13.:1Ue 1 O-m= Villing - Horn, Baden 2002. After s:rgb3 0-0 9 . 0 - 0 hc3 10 .bxc3 d5 ! ? 11..id3 (ll.hd5? lLla5- +) ll . . . b6+ Black has a solid extra pawn, Letay - Nyland, Bu dapest 2008. 8 ... .ixc3 ••
9.d5 ! 9.bxc3 d5
212
10.i.b5 0 - 0 11.1Mfc2 (ll.hc6?! bxc6+ - His extra pawn is not a telling factor yet, before Black has advanced c6-c5, but his pieces are much more active.) ll . . . i.f5 12. i.d3 l'%e8+ - White has the advan tage of the two bishops, but this does not fully compensate for the lost pawn, Zuriel - Sarquis, Coro nel Suarez 2004. 10.i.a3 dxc4 ll.l'%e1 f5 12 .lLld2 .ie6 13.lLlxe4 fxe4 14.1'%xe4, Chek hover - Pogrebissky, Kiev 1940 and after 14 ... �d7! 15.d5 0-0-0 16.1'%xe6 �xd5+ Black evacuates his king from the danger zone and remains with an extra pawn. 10 .1'%e1 0-0 ll . .id3 (11.1Mfc2 i.f5 12 .i.d3 l'%e8 13.1'%b1 b6 - see 10 . .id3) ll . . . lLlxc3 12 .1Mfc2 lLle4 13. he4 dxe4 14.1Mfxe4, Pons Martos - Clanchet Olle, Martorell 1997, and now Black should transfer his knight to d5 by playing 14 . . . lLlb4 ! + 10 .i.d3 0 - 0 11.�c2 l'%e8 12.1'%b1 b6! 13.1'%e1 i.f5 14.i.f4 (14.i.g5?! lLlxg5 15.1'%xe8+ 1Mfxe8 16.lLlxg5 i.g6+ The simplification is in Black's favour, Vetter - Heil mann, Email 2 004) 14 . . . .ig6+ Black has won a pawn and should
l.e4 e5 2. tqf3 ltJ c6 3. 1J.c4 1J.c5 4.c3 ltJf6 5.d4 ed now try to simplify the position, Silva - Jensen, Email 20 04. 9 . ttle5 This is not the most popular move for Black, but it is complete ly reliable. .•
1 0 .Yfe2 10 .bxc3 tt::l xc4 lUl:el (after 11. Yld4 0-0, every possible capture transposes to the main variation - see 10.Yie2) ll...tt::l c d6 1 2 .tt::l d 2 0-0 13.tt::l x e4 tt::l xe4 14J'l:xe4 d6+ There are bishops of opposite colours on the board and White's pieces are very active, so Black will find it very difficult to realize his extra pawn, Geroni mi - Van Wely, Ajaccio (blitz) 2007. 10.1J.b3 ? ! d6 ll.bxc3 .ig4 12. :Bel fS ! 13 . .if4 (It is too risky for White to play 13.h3 ix:f3 14.gxf3, Barnes - Meisel, USA 1972 , since Black can respond with 14 . . . 0 -0 ! 1S.fxe4 Ylh4 16.1"ie3 fxe4 with a strong attack, because the major ity of White's pieces are out of play on the queenside, for exam ple : 17.1"ig3 :Bf3 18.:Bxf3 tt::l xf3+ 19.
@g2 E:f8 2 0 .i.e3 E:f6 2 1.W/hl E:g6+ 2 2 .@fl E:gl+ 23.Yixg1 tt::l xg1 24. @xgl Ylxh3+ - White has parried the direct threats against his king, but Black's h-pawn will soon start to advance.) 13 . . . 0-0 14.he5 dxeS 15.W/d3 .hf3 16.Yixf3 W/d6+ and Black has an extra centre pawn, Lukyanov - Ponkratov, Belgorod 2009. White has not yet tried the move 10 . .ie2 , when Black must find the far-from-obvious re sponse 10 . . . tt::l xf2 ! ll.i"ixf2 tt::l xf3+ 12 .hf3 1J.e5 13.Yie1 d6 14.1J.f4 0-0 15.he5 E:e8 16.E:e2 dxeS 17.E:xe5 .id7+ ending up with a solid extra pawn. 1 0 0 - 0 ll.bxc3 ll.tt::l xeS? heS 12.Yixe4 E:e8 13. Yld3 (13.Yic2 d6 14.i.d3 g6 15.f4 .id4+ 16.@h1 Ylf6 17.f5 fJ.x£5-+) 13 . . . Yif6 14.f4 .id4+ 1S.@h1 d6-+ Black should win easily with an extra pawn and superior develop ment, Wuppinger - Hasenoehrl, Hallein 1988. ll.W/xe4 tt::l xf3+ 12 .Yixf3 .ieS 13.:Be1 d6+ - Black completes his development, retaining the extra pawn. ll .ttlxc4 12. Ylxc4 After 12 .Yixe4? ! tt::l d 6 13.W/c2 b6 14.E:e1 .ib7 15.c4 Ylf6 16 . .ib2 �f4 17.E:ac1 f6+ Black has devel oped harmoniously and neutral ized the activity of the enemy bishop, retaining the extra pawn, F.Perruchoud - Zednik, Email 2008. 12 . . . �d6 .••
••
2 13
Chapter 18 Budva 2009.) 24 . . . 'it>d8 25.a3 Ei:a2 2 6.tt:ld6 'it>e7 27.tt:lf5+ 'it>d8= Neither side can avoid the repeti tion of the position. 13 . . . ti'f6
13.ti'd3 13 .ti'g4? b6 14.i.g5 f6 15.i.h6, Chorba - Bezkorovainaya, Niko laev 2 0 07, and with 15 . . .'�e7+ Black parries his opponent's pre mature attack. White cannot create any prob lems for his opponent with the line 13.'\Wd4 tt:lf5 14.'\Wd3 d6 15. i.g5 f6 16.i.d2 ti'e8+ and the transfer of Black's queen to the g6-square neutralizes his oppo nent's activity, Berezjuk - Sosna, Vsetin 1997. The position is equal after 13. Wf4 b6 14.i.a3 i.b7 15.c4 Ei:e8 16. Ei:fe1 ti'f6 (16.i.xd6? ! cxd6 17.'\Wxd6 Ei:c8 18.Ei:fc1 h6 19.tt:ld4, Leite Parkes Navea, Email 2008, and with 19 . . . i.a6t Black seizes the initiative, emphasizing the weak ness of White's pawns.) 17.'\Wxf6 gxf6 18.i.xd6 cxd6 19.tt:ld4 i.a6 20.Ei:xe8+ Ei:xe8 2 1.tt:lf5 Ei:e2 2 2 . tt:lxd6 (22 .Ei:c1 'it>f8 23.tt:lxd6 'it>e7 - see 2 2 . tt:lxd6) 22 . . . 'it>f8 23.Ei:cl 'it>e7 24.tt:lf5+ (After the inaccu rate 24.'it>f1? Ei:e5 25.f4 Ei:xd5 26. tt:lc8+ 'it>d8 27.tt:lxa7 Ei:c5+ Black wins a pawn with excellent win ning chances, Anicic - Godena, 2 14
14.gel White needs to play very accu rately here. 14.i.a3?! b6 15.Ei:fe1 (In the endgame after 15.'\Wd4 ti'xd4 16. tt:lxd4 i.a6 17.i.xd6 cxd6 18.Ei:fe1 g6+ Black's bishop gains scope, emphasizing the weakness of his opponent's d5-pawn, Guizar Wilson, Email 2008; with the variation 15.i.xd6 Wxd6 16.tt:lg5 ti'g6 17.'\Wxg6 hxg6+ White fails to weaken Black's pawn structure, Kravchenko - Otroshenko, Kiev 2000.) 15 . . . i.b7 16.Ei:e5 (if 16.tt:le5 Ei:fe8 17.tt:lxd7 ti'g6 18 .ti'xg6 hxg6+ White loses his d5-pawn and he must look after his knight, since Black threatens t7-f6.) 16 . . . Ei:fe8 17.i.xd6 Wxd6+ Verde - Kurkows ki, Toronto 2008. 14.i.g5? ! '\Wf5 15.'\Wxf5 (15.'1Wd2 tt:le4 16.'1Wc2 d6+ - Black has re tained his extra pawn and seized the initiative, Molina Munoz -
l.e4 e5 2. liJfJ li'Jc6 3. :ic4 :ic5 4.c3 li'Jf6 5.d4 ed Sundararajan, Internet 2004; 15. �d4 li'Je4 16.i.h4 c5 17.�d3 li'Jg3 ! 18.�xf5 li'Jxf5+ Black has solved all his problems by the exchange of queens, Vetter - Berger, Email 2004) 15 .. .lijxf5 16Jl:fel (The ac tive line 16.g4 f6 17.i.f4 li'Je7 18.c4 d6+ would merely lead to the ap pearance of additional weakness es in White's camp, Kornilovich Ar.Sobolev, St. Petersburg 1997.) 16 ... h5 17.h3 (17.i.e7 E1e8 18.i.a3 fuel+ 19.fuel b6+ Watson - Grott, Email 2 008) 17 . . .f6 18.i.d2 b6+ and Black completes his develop ment, with excellent prospects of realizing his extra pawn, Mergard - Schultheiss, Email 2009. 14 . . .b6 15 . .ig5 �f5
16.Wxf5 White must enter an endgame;
otherwise, after 16.�d4 i.a6 17. i.e7 E1fe8 18.i.xd6 cxd6t Black's extra pawn is not very important yet, but his pieces are very active, Brown - Reilly, Email 2006. 16.�xf5 17.g4 f6 18 . .if4 �d6 19.hd6 cxd6 2 0 .�d4 In response to 20.E1e7, Loren zana - Schandorff, Dresden 2008, Black can activate his bish op, highlighting the weakness of his opponent's pawns with the move 2 0 . . . i.a6t 2 0 . . . .ib7=
In this position, in the game Gashimov - Dominguez Perez, Nice 2010, the players agreed to a draw, although Black was by no means obliged to offer it, since the onus is now on White to play ac curately.
2 15
Chapter 19
l.e4 e5 2 .ti�f3 � c6 3.ic4 ic5 4.c3 �f6 5.d3 0 - 0 Giuoco Piano
and he has no compensation for that. After 6.h3 dS 7.exd5 li:JxdS 8. BgS, Lesnic - Marczuk, Kerner 2007 (here it is better for White to play 8.0-0 - see Chapter 20), Black can continue with 8 . . .f6 9. i.e3 i.xe3 10.fxe3 i.e6 11.0-0 li:JaS+ and he exchanges his oppo nent's active bishop, ending up with a stable advantage. White's main move in the dia gram position is of course 6.0-0. We shall analyze this in the next chapter. Here we shall deal with White's alternatives and our anal yses will focus on the moves: A) 6.b4, B) 6.�d2, C) 6.-*.b3 and D) 6.i.g5. For 6 .'?;Ve2 dS 7.exd5 li:JxdS 8.0-0 i.g4 - see Chapter 2 0 . After 6 . .ie3 i.xe3 7.fxe3 li:JaSt Black seizes the initiative, ex changing his knight for his oppo nent's active bishop, exploiting the fact that it would be bad for White to play 8.li:Jxe5? �e7+ and Black regains his pawn, gaining a huge lead in development. It is no better for White to opt for 8.i.b5? ! d S 9.exd5 '?;VxdS 10.li:Ja3 e 4 11. dxe4 �xe4+ - his e3-pawn is weak 216
A) 6.b4 i.e7! Black's bishop is better placed here than on b6, since it supports the preparation of the pawn-ad vance d7-d5 in one move by cov ering the important gS-square.
7.ti'b3 This is the most insidious
l.e4 e5 2. 0,j3 11J c6 3. :ic4 :ic5 4.c3 11Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 move for White and it forces his opponent to find the only reply. This is more than sufficient for Black, though . . . 7.0-0 d S 8.exd5 0Jxd5 - see Chapter 2 0 . 7.b5?! - White wins a pawn with this move, but falls consider ably behind in development. 7 . . . 0Ja5 8.0Jxe5 0Jxc4 9.0Jxc4 d S 10. 0Jcd2 (10.exd5 \WxdS 11.0-0 :ifS 12 .0Je3 \Wxd3+ Black has regained the pawn, completed his develop ment and obtained the advantage of the two bishops.) 10.dxe4 11. 0Jxe4 (in response to 11.dxe4, it is again very good for Black to play 11 . . . a6 12.bxa6 l:!xa6+) 11 . . . a6+ Black has completed his develop ment and now begins an attack on White's vulnerable queenside pawns, Vysochin - Godena, Inter net 2 0 08. 7.:ib3 a6 (Black prevents his opponent from capturing the e5pawn.) 8.:ig5 h6 9.:ixf6 :ixf6 10. 0Jbd2 d6= - Black has not man aged to advance with d7-d5, but White has had to exchange his bishop for the enemy knight to prevent this, Reefat - Grover, Dhaka 2009. After 7.0Jbd2 dS 8.:ib3 , Berto ni - Terreni, Vitinia 1998, it is once again reasonable for Black to fix the enemy pawn on b4 by play ing 8 . . . a6 9.0-0 :ie6= 7 a5! After the natural line : 7 ... d6 8.a4! aS 9.b5 0Jb8 10.0-0t White's battery along the a2-g8 diagonal provides him with an enduring
initiative, Bologan - Kraidman, Gausdal 1991. 8.b5 a4 9.Yfc2 0Ja5 1 0 . 0Jxe5 It is too risky to capture the a4pawn, because after 10.Yfxa4 dS 11. exd5 0Jxd5+ White falls catastroph ically behind in development. White cannot equalize with 10. 0Jbd2 dS 11.exd5 0Jxd5 12 .:ixd5 \Wxd5 13.c4 \Wd6 14.0Je4 \Wg6 15. 0-0 f6+ since Black's two bishops and solid centre provide him with a stable edge, Mergard - S.Muel ler, Email 2 009.
10 d5 ll.exd5 .i.f5 ! (This move is even stronger than 11 . . . 0Jxd5 1 2 . 0 - 0 :if6 13.l:!e1 l:!e8 14.f4 0Jxc4 15.dxc4 0Jb6+ Martinez Godena, Bratto 20 07) 12.Yfdl J.d6 13.f4 0Jxc4 14.dxc4 0Je4+ Black is two pawns down, but White will find it difficult to com plete his development without in curring even greater material losses. ..•
.•.
B) 6.�bd2 a5! ? With this move Black prevents his opponent from seizing further space on the queenside. 2 17
Chapter 19 After 6 . . . d5 7.exd5 tt:lxdS 8. tt:le4 ! ? White's knight occupies the e4-outpost with tempo and af ter this the pin on his knight on f3 is less dangerous, in view of the possible manoeuvre h3, i.hS, tt:lg3.
7. 0 - 0 In response to 7.tt:lf1, Black has the powerful riposte 7 . . . d5+ 7.h3 d6 8.ttlf1 (8.0-0 i.e6 see 7.0-0) 8 . . . i.e6 9.i.b3 dS 10. exdS hdSt - Black is clearly ahead in development and this becomes quite clear after the ex change of bishops, or even if White avoids it, Koubek - Korsa, Czech Republic 2006. 7.i.b3 d6 8.tt:lfl (8.0-0 - see 7.0-0; following 8.h3, Pelekh Serik, Evpatoria 2 005, the sim plest way for Black to neutralize his opponent's dangerous bishop is with the move 8 . . . i.e6=) 8 . . . b5 9.a4 b4 10.tt:lg3 i.e6 11.0-0 l!b8 12 .he6 fxe6= - White has seized space on the queenside and forced the exchange on e6. This has ena bled Black to activate his rook and cover the fS-square, Baisaev - S. Kuzin, Dagomys 2009. 218
7 . . . d6 Black's bishop will inevitably come to e6 and this will solve all his problems, because the pres sure of White's light-squared bishop against Black's kingside will be thus removed.
8.h3 8.l!e1 i.e6 9.i.b3, Situru Bouchaud, New York 1994, (It is no better for White to opt for 9. he6 fxe6 10.�b3 �e8, since now he loses his queen after 11.�xb7?? i.b6-+, while if ll.a4 tt:lhSt Black creates very dangerous threats on the kingside.) 9 . . . hb3 10.axb3 dS= and despite the fact that Black advanced d7-d5 in two moves, he has no problems at all, because he has succeeded in neu tralizing the pressure of White's light-squared bishop. 8.i.b3 i.e6 9.i.c2 (In response to 9.a4, Black equalizes easily with 9 . . . d5 10.�c2 h6= - He ends up with a slight space advantage and his bishop has the excellent e6-square.) 9 . . . h6 10 .h3 dS ll.i.a4 dxe4 12.dxe4, De Ia Paz Perdomo - Rodriguez Sorribes, Barbera del
l.e4 e5 2. Ci'Jj3 Ci'J c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.c3 Ci'Jj6 5.d3 0 - 0 Valles 2004. Black's e5-pawn needs protection, but after 12 . . . Wfd6 13 .Wfe2 Ci'Jh5? not only he has defended it securely, but he now obtains excellent counter play thanks to the threats of Ci'Jg3 and Ci'Jf4. 8 ... i.e6 9.gel After 9.a4, Slawinski - Ha raldsson, Email 2007, 9 . . . h6 10. Wfb3 �d7 ll.he6 fxe6 12.Ci'Jc4 Ci'Jh5 = , or 9.he6 fxe6 10.a4 Wfe8 ll .Ci'Jb3 i.b6= Ticleanu - Voicules cu, Email 2007, Black's kingside counterplay is very strong.
9 . . . �d7 l O .tl:l fl .ixc4 11. dxc4 �e6 12.�d3 Ci'Jh5 t - It is extremely difficult for White to prevent Black's pawn advance f7f5, opening of the f-file for his rooks, Schaack - Zuyev, Hanau 2008. C) 6.i.b3 This is a standard idea for White. He protects his bishop against the threat of Ci'Ja5, and if Black plays d7-d5, White will have more options, other than just ex changing or retreating the bishop.
6
d5
••.
7.Ci'Jbd2 For 7.exd5 Ci'Jxd5 8.0-0 �f5 ! see Chapter 2 0 . 7.�e2 aS
After 8.0-0 a4 9.i.c2 Eie8t, Black has forced his opponent's bishop off the active a2-g8 diago nal and Black now has a much more active position, having gained extra space on the queen side, Herzog - M.Szabo, Email 2008. 8.�g5 - This pin can easily be neutralized : 8 . . . dxe4 9.dxe4 h6 10.�h4 a4 ll.i.c4 (11.�c2 , Guada muro - Gomez Ledo, Balaguer 2011, 1l.. .Wfd6! 12 .Ci'Jbd2 Ci'Jh5t) ll . . . Wfd6 ! 12.Ci'Jbd2 Ci'Jh5t - Black forces his opponent to defend, 219
Chapter 19 Kobalia - Lysyj , Khanty-Mansi ysk 2011. 8.i.a4 l'!b8 9.0-0 (It is inferior for White to play the greedy 9. hc6 bxc6 10 .tt:lxe5 since after 10 . . .'�e8 11.d4 i.d6 12 .exd5 tt:lxd5+ he lags considerably in develop ment and his light-squared bish op, which could have covered the f1-a6 diagonal, has disappeared from the board. In the variation 9.i.g5 b5 ! 10.exd5 bxa4 11.dxc6 �d5 12 .hf6 gxf6 13.0-0 �xc6+ Black has the better prospects, since he has two very active bish ops and open files for his rooks, as compensation for his seriously weakened pawn-structure.) 9 . . . b5 10 .i.c2 (It is better for White to try a line which not yet been test ed in practice: 10.exd5 tt:Jxd5 11. hb5 ! l'!xb5 12 .d4 l'!b8 13.dxc5 �e7 14.l'!e1 �xeS, and here not 15.tt:lxe5? l'!e8-+ when Black wins a piece, but 15.b3 15 . . . l'!e8t with good chances for equality for White.) 10 . . . d4 11.h3 �d6 12.cxd4 hd4+ The weakness of the d4square provides Black with better chances, Herzog - Uifelean, Email 2008. 8.a4 i.e6 (The game is much more complex after 8 . . . d4 ! ? 9. 0-0 h6 10.tt:lbd2 �e7oo Radjabov - Shirov, Baku 2009.) 9.i.c2 dxe4 (9 . . . h6 ! ? 10.0-0 d4 11 .h3 l'!e8oo Hou - Naiditsch, Khanty-Mansi ysk 2 009) 10.dxe4 h6 11.h3 �e7 12 .tt:lbd2 l'!ad8= and in this sym metrical position, Black has the better development, but he will find it difficult to exploit this ef220
fectively, since White has no weaknesses in his camp, Mame dov - Cheparinov, Moscow 2011. 7 . .ie6 . .
8.�e2 8 .i.c2? ! - White avoids the ex change of his bishop, but gives Black a tempo for the develop ment of his initiative. 8 . . . dxe4 9.dxe4 (It is better for White to play here 9.tt:lxe4 tt:Jxe4 10.dxe4 i.c4t, but his king will be stuck in the centre for some time to come, so his h1-rook will be out of action for a while.) 9 . . . tt:lg4 10.0-0 i.xf2 + 11.l'!xf2 tt:le3 12 .�e2 tt:Jxc2 13.l'!b1 i.xa2+ Black's knight on c2 will undoubtedly be lost, but, he will obtain a rook and three pawns in return for his two minor piec es, Herman - Hess, Ledyards 2006. 8.0-0 dxe4 9.dxe4 hb3 10. axb3 (10.�xb3 a6= Black pre vents - 11.�xb7? tt:la5-+) 10 . . . �d3 11.b4 .ib6 12.tt:le1 �b5 13.tt:lc2 (13.�c2 a5 =) 13 ... �d3= His queen is very actively placed on d3 and if White tries to oust it from there with his knight he will have to ac-
l.e4 eS 2. 11Jj3 11J c6 3. §J.c4 §J.cS 4.c3 11Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 quiesce to a draw by repetition. 8 dxe4 9.dxe4 9 .11Jxe4 11Jxe4 10.�xe4 �d7 11. he6 �xe6= Black's pieces are a bit more active, but he will have difficulty exploiting this. 9 ti'e7 1 0 . 0 - 0 10.h3 h6 11.11Jf1 l'!ad8= Jedras - Muszynski, Chelm 2010. 10 .b:b3 ll.axb3 •••
D) 6.i.g5 Black can easily parry this pin when his pawn has not been moved to d6. 6 h6 7.i.h4 •••
•••
•••
7 i.e7! This is a typical idea ! 8.�bd2 In response to 8.�b3, Black can solve all his problems in standard fashion with 8 . . . 11Jh5 9.he7 �xe7= and his knight will go to the f4-square. 8.0-0 d6 9.h3 (9.11Jbd2 l:iJhS see 8.11Jbd2) 9 . . . 11Jh5 10.�g3 11Jxg3 ll.fxg3 l:iJaS+ Black's bishops are stronger than the enemy knights, Zocchia - Bokros, Email 2009. 8.i.g3 d6 9 .h3 l:iJaS 10.11Jbd2 11Jxc4 11.11Jxc4, Verdu Vazquez Garijo Martinez, Valencia 2009, ll ... �e6 12.11Je3 aSt - Black seizes space on the queenside, making use of the fact that White's bishop on g3 is cut off from the action. 8 d6 9.i.g3 In answer to 9.11Jf1 l:iJaS ! ? 10. �bS, Kisonova - Chorvat, Slova kia 1998, Black's most energetic response is lO . . . dS 11.�e2 (It is .••
ll a5! ?N Black's bishop should retain the possibility of retreating to f8 in some lines, so he makes it dif ficult for White to advance with b3-b4. The game Radjabov - Carlsen, Nice 2 0 09, continued ll . . . a6 12. b4 §J.a7 13.11Jc4 �e6 14.11J a5 l:iJxaS 15.l'!xa5t - White managed to iso late the enemy dark-squared bishop from the action on the kingside. 12.ti'b5 i.b6 13.11Jc4 �xe4 14.�xb6 cxb6 15.i.e3 �d6 16. ti'xb6 f6+t White has captured his opponent's dark-squared bishop, but in return Black has obtained a superiority in the cen tre. •••
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221
Chapter 19 inferior for White to release his pressure on the eS-pawn : 11. ltl3d2 ? ! i.e6+) ll . . . c6 12 .i.a4 dxe4 13.dxe4 bS 14.i.c2 ltlhS 15.i.g3 i.f6+. Black is threatening to play ltlf4, either immediately or after preparation, while if now 16 . .b:e5 i.xeS 17.4:lxe5 ltlf4 18.Wif3 WigS 19. g3 ltlh3 20.4:ld3 i.g4 2 1.W/g2 ltlc4+ he keeps White's king stranded in the centre and obtains excellent attacking chances at the cost of only a pawn. 9.0-0 ltlhS 10 .i.g3 (White los es after the greedy 10.4:lxe5? ltlxeS ll . .b:e7 W/xe7 12.W/xh5 i.g4-+ and his queen is lost, Chen - Sprin gelkamp, Bagneux 2001; 10.i.xe7 V9xe7=) 10 . . . 4:lxg3 ll.hxg3 i.f6= Black's bishop frees the e7-square for the knight manoeuvre ltlc6-e7g6, Thorhallsson - Godena, Saint Vincent 2 005. 9.a4 ltlhS 10.i.g3, Tate Sanchez Jerez, Benidorm 2 009, and here Black can play 10 ... 4Jxg3 ll.hxg3 i.f6= , followed by trans ferring his knight to the g6square, solving all his problems. 9 .i.b3 ltlhS 10.i.g3 (White does not achieve much with 10. he7 W/xe7 ll.ltlc4 ltlf4 12.ltle3 W/f6= Kosintseva - Lahno, Chis inau 2 005.) 10 . . . 4Ja5N (The care less move 10 . . . 'it>h8 enables White to win a pawn: ll.ltlxeS ! ltlxeS 12. i.xeS dxeS 13.W/xh5 W/xd3 14.Wxe5;!; Tiviakov - Narayanan, Bhubane swar 2009.) ll.i.c2 c5 12.0-0 J.e6= Black's position is at least equal. His pieces are ideally placed and he is ready for a fight in the centre. 222
9 4:la5 The attractive-looking 9 . . . ltlhS? loses a pawn for Black after lO.ltlxeS ltlxg3 ll.ltlxc6 bxc6 12. hxg3;!;. He has the bishop pair but this is not sufficient to compen sate for the missing pawn. 1 0 .J.b5 �h5 ll.d4 �xg3 12.hxg3 exd4 It is logical for Black to open the game, since he has two strong bishops. 13.�xd4 Here it is inferior for White to opt for 13.cxd4 eSt since it is ad vantageous for Black to open the position for his bishop pair. If White plays d4-d5 there arises a Benoni pawn-structure in which Black's powerful dark-squared bishop has no opponent, giving him the better prospects. 13 . . . a6 14.J.d3 c5 15.�c2, Tiviakov - Naiditsch, Sibenik 2010. • • •
Black can now play 15 . . . d5 16.exd5 YlYxd5= and he equalizes completely. His powerful bishops compensate for the unfavourable position of his pawn on cS.
Chapter 2 0
l.e4 e 5 2 . �f3 � c 6 3 . .ic4 ic5 4.c3 �f6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 Giuoco Piano
6 . . . d5 ! ? Black's main reply i n the dia gram position is 6 . . . d6. That is also a good move. However, we recommend advancing the d pawn one square further, because with this Black immediately ob tains a slight advantage in the centre and a clear target for attack - White's d3-pawn. The drawback of the move 6 . . . d S i s that for Black t o maintain his advantage in the centre he needs to coordinate his pieces, which requires very precise play. 7.exd5 This move is forced. 7 . . . ttlxd5
Now White's main attempts to fight for an edge are connected with A) 8.b4 and B) s.gel. If 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 (9.l2Jxd4? l2Jb6+) 9 . . . i.e7= Black's bishop is redeployed to the f6-square, from where it not only attacks the iso lated pawn, but assists in the de fence of his king. 8.l2Jg5 - White is trying to or ganize an attack against the ene my king, just using the forces he has already developed. 8 . . . h6 9. l2Je4 (in the variation 9.�f3 hxgS lO.i.xdS g4 ll.�e4 i.fS ! ? - or 11 . . . �d6 = - 12.�xf5 �xdS 13J!dl �ad8 14.�xg4 fS� Black obtains excellent compensation for the pawn, owing to the weakness of 223
Chapter 2 0 White's d3-pawn and his undevel oped queenside) 9 ...!J.e7= (Black loses a pawn after 9 . . . !J.b6? 10. hh6 ! ± and White's bishop is ta boo, since capturing on dS fails to a fork on f6.) 10.ltlbd2 , Iftime M.Szabo, Buzias 2002, and here Black can play 10 . . . lt:Ja5+, either gaining the advantage of the two bishops or banishing the enemy bishop to a4, after which he can win the d3-pawn with lt:Jf4. 8.!J.b3 ifS 9.!J.g5, Cunha Koziel, Email 2008, (it is slightly preferable for White to opt for 9 .ltlxe5 lt:JxeS 10.d4 lt:Jb4 ! 11.dxc5 lt:Jbd3= , but Black's piece-activity is quite threatening) 9 . . . !J.e7 10. he7 lt:Jdxe7+ - Black has com pleted his development and will go on to attack the d3-pawn. 8.�e2 !J.g4 9.b4 (Black does not need to fear 9.h3 !J.hS 10 .g4? ! !J.g6 11.ltlxe5 lt:JxeS 12.�xe5 c6+ when White has won a pawn but lags considerably behind in devel opment and his king is in danger.) 9 . . . !J.b6 10.a4 a6 11.h3, Morozov - Bascetta, Email 2009, Black should maintain the pin with 11 . . . !J.hS?, since h e need not fear the loss of his pawn, because White's king would then be exposed. 8.!J.g5 f6 9.d4N. This is a prin cipled move for White. (After 9. !J.h4?! <;!;>h8t, Black has moved his king off the dangerous diagonal and now seizes the initiative, thanks to his superior develop ment and dominance in the cen tre, Borisov - Popvasilev, Sofia 2 011; if 9 . .ie3 he3 10.fxe3 .ie6 224
11.�e2 , Fluvia Poyatos - Camp UltraChess, Calella 1999, then af ter 11 . . . lt:Ja5= Black either ex changes his knight for the enemy bishop, or dislodges the enemy bishop from the dangerous a2-g8 diagonal ; if White avoids the ex change of his bishop, Black's pawns on b7 and c7 will join in the action.) 9 . . . exd4 10.cxd4 !J.b6 11. lt:Jc3 !J.e6 12J'1e1 !J.fl= Black has succeeded in keeping control of the dS-square, so his position is perfectly playable. 8.lt:Jbd2 ltlb6
9.!J.b5 i.d6 10.lt:Je4 (10.Eie1 !J.g4 - see variation B) 10 . . . !J.g4 11.h3 (11.Eie1 Eie8 12 .h3 ihS - see varia tion B) 11 . . . !J.h5 12.ltlg3 !J.g6 13. Eie1, Bronstein - Plachetka, Kiro vakan 1978. Here Black should support his eS-pawn with the move 13 . . . Eie8 = , not fearing the doubling of his pawns on the queenside, since in that case the power of Black's light-squared bishop would be increased con siderably. In response to 9.ltle4, Hofae cker - Zumbuelt, Germany 1991, Black should allow the exchange of his bishop and after 9 . . . lt:Jxc4
l.e4 e5 2. t:lJ.f3 t:lJ c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 t:lJf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed t:lJxd5 10.CiJxc5 CiJd6= the weakness of White's d3-pawn might become an important factor. After 9.b4 White wins a pawn: 9 . . . ie7 10.b5 CiJaS ll.CiJxe5 tt:laxc4 12.CiJdxc4 CiJxc4 13.CiJxc4, Bauer Bacrot, Belfort 2010 (13.dxc4 �xd1 14J:!xd1 .ie6t and White will have serious problems with the protection of his c4-pawn, while the position is open and Black's bishops are very powerful), but after Black plays 13 . . . a6 14.bxa6 Elxa6 15.Ele1 .ie6� and he obtains more than sufficient compensa tion for the pawn owing to his ac tive pieces and White's weak queenside pawns. 8.h3 CiJb6
9.b4?! - This move only weak ens his queenside, Kurmann Brkic, Budva 2 009 and after 9 . . . CiJxc4 10.bxc5 t:lJ4a5 11.Ele1 f6+ White's problems with the protec tion of his pawns become clear. 9.ig5 �d6 ! 10 .b4? ! tt:lxc4 11. bxc5 �g6 12.dxc4 e4 13 .ie3 exf3 14.�xf3 CiJe5 15.�g3 �xg3 16.fxg3 CiJxc4+ - Black has regained his pawn and has an edge thanks to the many weak pawns in his op ponent's camp, although the pres-
ence of bishops of opposite col ours on the board increases White's chances of a successful defence, I.Saric - Brunello, Sze ged 2 007. 9 ..ib3 .if5 10 ..ic2 Ele8 11.�e2 (In answer to ll . .ie3? Black ob tains a better pawn structure and a considerable in development with ll . . . he3 12 .fxe3 hd3 ! 13. �xd3 �xd3 14.hd3 e4+; if ll.CiJg5 ig6 12.CiJe4 .ie7 13 .CiJbd2, Neved nichy - Roganovic, Novi Sad 2009, Black can seize the initia tive by playing 13 .. .f5 14.CiJg3 �d7t when he controls the fourth rank completely and has no prob lems with finding good squares for his pieces) ll . . . CiJd5 12 .Ele1 �d7 13.�f1 Elad8+ - Black has completed his development and retains an edge thanks to his extra space, E.Alekseev - Kazhgaleyev, Tashkent 2011. 9 . .ib5 .id6 (Here it is also pos sible for Black to play 9 . . . f6 ! ? 10.a4 a 6 ll.hc6 bxc6oo and his two strong bishops, plus the weakness of White's d3-pawn, provide Black with an excellent game, but the neglect of his pawn structure might not be to every body's liking . . . ) 10.Ele1 (10.CiJbd2 id7=) 10 . . . CiJe7 (diagram) ll.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 (Black has no problems after 12.CiJxd4 tt:lf5 13.tt:lxf5 .ix£5= when he easily completes his development, L.Va jda - Fressinet, Bastia 2010.) 12 . . . .if5 13.CiJc3 c 6 14.if1 t:tJbd5= Black has securely occupied the 225
Chapter 2 0
dS-square and has the more ac tive pieces, E.Alekseev - Shirov, Foros 2008. ll.lt:lxeS - White wins a pawn, but presents his opponent with the advantage of the two bishops, Guido - Godena, Bratto 2005. ll ... c6 ! ? (We believe that this move is more precise than ll . . . a6, as played in the game.) 12 . .ia4 lt:lxa4 13.�xa4 E:e8gg
and it is easy to see that Black has enough compensation for the pawn : 14.d4? ! - This move looks at tractive, but is not White's best. After 14 . . . lt:lg6 15.lt:lf3 E:xel + 16. lt:lxel hh3 ! 17.gxh3 (otherwise Black will have a very strong at tack in addition to his two bish ops, in a position with material equality) 17 . . . �h4 18.�dl E:e8� his attack is already decisive and 226
even after White's most tenacious defence 19 . .ie3 �xh3 2 0 .�f3 �h2 + 2l.�fl lt:lh4 2 2 .�dl E:xe3 ! 2 2 .fxe3 lt:lfS-+ Black regains the sacrificed material with interest; the position is equal after 14. lt:ld2 bS lS.�dl (or 15.�c2 ifS 16.lt:ldf3 heS 17.lt:lxe5 f6 18.lt:lf3 hd3= ) lS ... heS 16.E:xe5 �xd3 17.a4 a6= ; or 14.lt:lf3 ifS 15.if4 ix£4 16.�xf4 �xd3= and in both cases Black regains his pawn but White completes his develop ment.
A) 8.b4 The main benefit of this move is that it wins a pawn, but its basic drawback is that White lags in de velopment and now weakens an other pawn, on c3. 8 . . . i.e7
9.b5 This is his most consistent continuation. 9 .ib3?! a6 10 .ic2 ifS ll.ie3 �d7+ White has great problems with the protection of his pawns on d3 and c3 , Tairova - Samokhi na, Urgup 2004.
l.e4 e5 2. liJj3 liJc6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 liJf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed liJxd5 9.�b3? ! liJb6 10J'%e1 liJxc4 11. dxc4 f6 12 .c5+ l!lh8+ - Black has strengthened his position in the centre and obtained the advan tage of the two bishops, Rjanova - Ponkratov, Moscow 2010. 9.h3 .if6 10.liJfd2 (in reply to 10 .1Mfb3, Black can gain the bishop pair by playing 10 . . . liJb6+) 10 . . . liJb6 ll . .ibS (ll.liJe4 liJxc4 12.dxc4 .ie7+) ll . . . .id7 12.liJe4 a6 13.hc6 hc6+ - without his light-squared bishop White is unlikely to pre serve his d3-pawn, Djurhuus S.Arkhipov, Gausdal 1991. 9J'%e1 .if6
he4 18.dxe4 c6 19.i.b2 f6 2 0.e5 cxbS+ and White is unable to ex ploit the long diagonal; 10.i.a3 �e8 11.liJbd2 bS 12.hd5 (In reply to 12 . .ib3, Smirin - De lorme, Rijeka, 2010, it looks very attractive for Black to bring his aS-rook into action with the move 12 ... a5!+) 12 ...1Mfxd5 13.liJe4 .ie7 14. i.b2 aS 15.a4, Ponkratov - I.Khai rullin, Zvenigorod 2008 and here it is very good to play 1S . . . axb4 16.axb5 �xa1 17.1Mfxa1 1Mfxb5 18.c4 1Mfa6+ As a result of the exchanges, Black's passed b4-pawn might be come very dangerous, particularly if the position is further simplified. 9 liJa5 • • •
After 10.�b3 liJb6 11 . .ie3 liJxc4 12.dxc4, Gassanov - Aliyev, Baku 20 07, it seems good for Black to activate his queen with 12 . . . �d3+ 10.b5 liJaS ll . .ia3 (ll.liJxeS liJxc4 12.dxc4 liJb6 13.�xd8 �xd8 14 ..if4, Kuczynski - Panczyk, Wroslaw 1987, 14 . . . g5 ! 1S . .ig3 .ie6+ - Black prevents the normal development of White's queen side.) ll . . . �e8 12 .hd5 1Mfxd5 13.c4 1Mfd8 14.liJc3, Areshchenko - Slo bodjan, Munich 2010. Here Black can win the exchange with 14 . . . e4! 1S.liJxe4 (this is the only move) 1S . . ..ixa1 16.1Mfxa1 .ifS 17.1Mfc3
1 0 .ixd5 It is no better for White to opt for 10.liJxe5 liJxc4. .
227
Chapter 2 0 Now, after ll.dxc4 tt:lb6 12 . .ia3 ha3 13.�xd8 l!xd8 14.tt:lxa3 tt:la4 15J'l:ac1 f6 16.tt:lf3 .ig4 17.tt:ld4 tt:lxc3 18.l!xc3 l!xd4+, Ruan Lufei - A.Kosteniuk, Antakya 2010, Black gained a small but stable advantage, since the bishop is stronger than the enemy knight in a position with an open centre. In response to ll.tt:lxc4, Ficco - Godena, Lugano 2007, it is very good to continue with ll . . . a6! 12. bxa6 l!xa6+ and Black's bishop pair, combined with the weakness of White's queenside pawns, more than compensate for Black's sac rificed pawn. 1 0 , . .'rgxd5 ll.c4 �d7!
This excellent move is far from obvious. Black blocks the access of his bishop to the f5-square, but in some variations he will exert pressure on White's d3-pawn with the move l!d8 and when he advances a7-a6 or c7-c6, he will win an important tempo, since his opponent's b5-pawn will need protection. 12 . .id2 The only defect of Black's posi228
tion i s the passive position o f his knight on the edge of the board. White is trying to exploit this. 12.tt:lc3. Black might make use of the fact that his e5-pawn is un touchable at the moment and bring back his knight closer to the centre with 12 . . . c6 13.bxc6 (13. tt:lxe5? �d4- +) 13 ... tt:lxc6 14.tt:ld5 b6= and although White has com pleted his development, but Black has no problems whatsoever. 12 . . . e4 13 . .ixa5 After 13.dxe4 tt:lxc4+, Black's knight easily gets back into play. 13 . . . exf3 14.�xf3 a6
15 ..ic3 We shall take a look at White's alternatives: 15.bxa6 l!xa6 16 . .ic3 l!d8 17.d4 (17.l!e1 c5 18.tt:ld2 l!d6 19.tt:le4 l!xd3+ Black regains his pawn and retains his advantage of the two bishops.) 17 . . . b5 18.tt:ld2 l!f6 19. �e3 l!e6 2 0.�f3 .ia6 ! 21 .d5 l!g6 2 2 .cxb5 hb5 23.l!fe1 .if8+ White loses his d5-pawn and the one on a2 is more of a weakness than an outside passed pawn; 15.b6 cxb6 16 . .ixb6 (after 16.
l.e4 e5 2. tiJ.fJ ti:J c6 3. i.c4 i.cS 4.c3 ti:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed ti:Jxd5 i.c3 �c6 17.ti:Jd2 �xf3 18.t?Jxf3 �fS+ White's queenside pawns are much weaker than Black's) 16 . . .i.f6 17. d4 hd4 18.:E'!dl (It is obviously an improvement for White to play 18 .hd4 �xd4 19.ti:Ja3 �cS+ but Black's bishop is clearly superior to White's knight on the edge of the board, and his position is more compact.) 18 . . . ha1 19J:!xd7 hd7 2 0 .�xb7 (20.ti:Ja3 i.c6 21. �b3 E:fe8+) 20 . . . E:ae8 2 1.i.e3 E:b8 2 2 .�e4 E:fe8 23.�c2 i.a4 24.�cl i.b2 25.�el E:bd8-+ Andriasian - A.Mastrovasilis, Rijeka 2010; White can maintain equality with a line which has not been played yet: 15.a4N axbS 16.axb5 E:d8
White still has some difficul ties to overcome, for example: White loses the exchange after 17.E:dl? i.b4+; after 17.�e3 i.f6 ! (This is bet ter than 17 . . . i.b4 18.hb4 E:xal 19.i.c3 E:xb1 20.E:xbl �xd3= when White has regained the exchange and the most likely result is a draw.) 18.E:a3 i.b2 19.E:a2 .id4 20 .�d2 i.cS+ Black will inevitably regain his pawn and will have the edge thanks to his strong bishops ; 17.ti:Jd2 ! i.f6 (The game is rath-
er unclear after 17 . . . �xd3 18.hc7 E:xal l9.E:xal �xd2 20.i.xd8 �xd8 21.E:a8 g6oo; if Black could move his pieces off the back rank with out losing material, he would have excellent winning prospects. However, it is difficult to see how he can manage this without allow ing White to obtain a passed pawn.) 18.E:a3 �f5 19.d4 �xf3 2 0 . t?Jxf3 h S 2 1.h3 b 6 22 .i.b4 E:xa3 23 .ha3 hd4= The position has been transformed into an end game with bishops of opposite colours and most likely a draw. 15 axb5 16.cxb5 �xb5 17. �g3 . . •
17. . . �g5 ! Black releases the pressure against the d3-pawn, but avoids weakening his kingside and in fact now plans an offensive against the enemy monarch. 18.�xc7 ga6 From this square the rook can be redeployed in the centre or on the kingside, and it also supports a possible i.d6. 19 . .id2 �f6 20 . .ic3 �h4 21.�g3 229
Chapter 2 0
2 1 . . . %Yxg3 ! This is stronger than 2 1 . . .Yfh6 2 2 .%Ye3 i.g5 23.f4 i.d8 24.tt:ld2oo when White has completed his development and kept his extra pawn, Macieja - Fressinet, Wat tenscheid 2011. 22.hxg3 b5+ Black has more than enough compensation for the pawn, despite the exchange of queens. His bishops are very strongl, while White will have problems protecting his pawns on d3 and a2. Furthermore, after the exchange of queens White will find it difficult to organize any ac tive counterplay. B) s.gel This is the main line. White has already opened the e-file, so it is logical use it to exert some pres sure on Black's e5-pawn. 8 . . . .ig4 (diagram) 9.h3 White should force Black's bish op to the h5-square, from where it cannot return to the centre. After 9.tt:lbd2 and Black's best reply 9 ... tt:lb6! it generally amounts 230
to a transposition of moves. 10. .ib5 (10.tt:le4 tt:lxc4 ll.tt:lxc5 tt:ld6 12 .h3 .ih5 - see 9.h3 .ih5 10. tt:lbd 2 ; 10.b4 .ie7 ll.h3 .ih5 - see 9 .h3) 10 ... .id6 ll.tt:le4 (ll.h3 .ih5 - see 9.h3 ; ll.hc6 bxc6 12 .h3 .ih5 - see 9.h3) ll . . . Eie8 12 .h3 .ih5 - see 9.h3. White has a good alternative here in the form of the less popu lar move 9.a4 ! ? played in Krivo kapic - Nestorovic, Subotica 2010. The idea behind this insidi ous move is to push the pawn to a5 and deprive Black's knight of the b6-square and at the same time ensure the safety of White's own light-squared bishop. Black's best response seems to be 9 . . . a6 10.a5 (10.tt:lbd2 tt:lb6 ll.h3 .ih5 see 9 .h3) 10 . . . �h8 ll.h3 .ih5 see 9 .h3. In several games White has played 9.b4? tt:ldxb4 ! 10.cxb4 hf3 ll.Yfxf3 i.d4+, but he re mains the exchange down. After 9.Yfe2 Eie8 10 .h3 Black's most reliable reply seems to be 10 . . . .ie6 ! ? ll.Yfc2 .ib6 12.tt:lg5 i.f5= 9 . . . .ih5
l.e4 eS 2. 0,j3 'Ll c6 3. 1ic4 ticS 4.c3 'Llf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 dS 7.ed ttJxdS Souleidis - Ragger, Germany 2007; it is too risky for White to opt for 14.1i.g5 �b6 15.l'!e2 cxd5 16 . .ie3 �a6 17.l'!d2 f5� Smola - Wiewio ra, Kolobrzeg 2008) 14 . . . cxd5 15. �f3 1i.c7� and Black's kingside at tack procedes effortlessly, Stjazh kina - Arnaudov, Varna 2010.
Bl) 1 0 .b4 .ib6 Bl) 1 0 .b4 B2) 1 0 .a4 B3) 1 0 .�bd2 10.g4 .ig6 ll.'Llxe5 (11.b4 .ib6 - see 10.b4) ll . . . tt:Jxe5 12J%xe5 c6 13 .hd5 (If 13.d4? fi.d6 White loses after 14.l'!e1 �h4 15.�f3 l'!ae8-+ since compared with the Marshall attack his kingside is ir reparably weakened, while after 14.1i.g5 f6 15.1i.h4, Maslak - Vasta, Dos Hermanas 2004, 15 . . . he5 16.dxe5 �b6-+ Black wins the ex change and retains the better de velopment; or 13.�f3 �c7 14.l'!e1 l'!ae8+ and Black has more than enough compensation for the pawn, because White's queenside is undeveloped and his kingside is very weak.) 13 . . .1i.d6 (Black ob tained excellent compensation in the game Glidzhain - Ponkratov, Moscow 2010, with 13 . . . cxd5 ! ? 14. �f3 Wfc7 15.l'!xd5 l'!ae8�, but he was two pawns down neverthe less . . . ) 14.l'!e1 (after 14.l'!g5 cxd5 15.�f3 f5 ! 16.gxf5 fi.e7 17.f6 hf6 18.�xd5+ l'!t7 19.�xd8+ l'!xd8 20 . l'!xg6 hxg6+ White is an exchange down in an endgame and his queenside is still undeveloped,
ll.b5 11.hd5? - White cannot win a piece like this, because after 11 . . . �xd5 12.c4 h f3 13.gxf3 �d4-+ he cannot protect his rook. It would be too aggressive for him to weaken his kingside with ll.g4? ! .ig6 12.a4 (12 .hd5?! �xd5 13.c4 �xd3 14.c5 lt:lxb4 15. cxb6 lt:lc2+ Black obtains a rook and several pawns for two minor pieces.) 12 . . . a6 13.a5 (13.lt:lxe5 �f6+ Black regains his pawn and White's kingside weaknesses will be hurting him even more after the opening of the e-file.) 13 . . . 1i.a7 14.lt:lxe5, Kubasky - Speisser, Email 2006. Here Black can play 14 . . . lt:lxe5 15.l'!xe5 c6+, gaining more than enough compensation 231
Chapter 2 0 for the exchange, owing to his lead in development and the weakened position of White's king. After ll.a4 a6 1 2 J''!:a2 (12.l"!:a3 f6 13.lt:lbd2 .tf7 14.a5 .ta7 15.ll'le4 �d7 16.�b3 l"!:fd8= it is difficult for both sides to improve their po sitions.) 12 .. .f6 13.ll'lbd2 �h8 14. l"!:c2, Vasiukov - Opl, Dresden 2006, Black should deploy his major pieces in the centre and the best way to begin this is to play 14 ... �d7= ll . . . ll'la5 12.gxe5 12 .g4?! - White has weakened his queenside with his previous move and now he is doing just the same with his kingside. 12 . . . .tg6 13.ll'lxe5 (if 13J�xe5? ll'lf4 14.hf4 ll'lxc4+ Black regains his pawn and quickly activates all his piec es; or 13.hd5 �xd5 14.ll'lxe5 l"!:fe8 15.d4 cS+ White might fail to de velop altogether.) 13 . . . ll'lxc4 14. dxc4 �h4 ! -+ Black's forces are tremendously active and White is almost helpless against his oppo nent's attack, for example : 15.�f3 (15.cxd5? �g3+ 16.�h1 �xh3+ 17. �g1 �g3+ 18.�hU.xf2-+) 15 ... l"!:ae8! 16 . .ta3 (16.cxd5 f6+) 16 .. .f6 17. .ixf8 ll'lf4 18.�xf4 fxe5-+ and Black's threats on the f-file are decisive. 12 . . . ll'lf6N (diagram) 13 . .tb3 13.ll'la3 hf3 14.�xf3 .td4 ! 15. cxd4 (after 15.l"!:e2 hc3 16.l"!:b1 l"!:e8 17.l"!:xe8+ �xe8 18.ll'lc2 h6= Black will easily eliminate White's ad vantage of the two bishops) 15 . . . �xd4 16.l"!:e1 �xa1 17 . .ld2 �b2 18. haS �xa3 19.hc7 l"!:ae8 20.l"!:f1 232
�cS 21.�g3 ll'le4! 22.dxe4 �xc4 23 ..td6 �xbS 24.i.xf8 EMS= Black will create an outside passed pawn on the queenside and this will guarantee him at least a draw. Black has the same tactical re source even if White protects his bishop on c4 in another way: 13. ll'lbd2 hf3 14.�xf3 .ld4 ! 15.l"!:e2 hc3 16.l"!:b1 l"!:e8 17.ll'le4 ll'lxc4 18. ll'lxc3 fue2 19.�xe2 ll'lb6= The sim plification of the position is in Black's favour, because the more pieces he manages to exchange, the weak er White's d3-pawn will become. 13 . . . ll'lxb3 14.axb3 ges 15. gxe8+ �xeS 16.g4 White's bS-pawn is hanging and he has no other defence against 16 . . . .txf3 .
l.e4 e5 2. l:C,j3 I:C, c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.c3 I:C,f6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed l:i',xd.S 16 0,xg4! ? This is the most precise move for Black, although he can also play 16 . . . �g6. 17.hxg4 ixg4 18 . .if4 (after 18.0,bd2 \WxbS ! 19J:�a4 'IWhS 20. \We2 \Wg6 21.<;t>hl \Wh5+ 2 2 .<;t>g1 \Wg6= the most logical outcome of the game would be a draw by rep etition) 18 J�d8 19.�bd2 gxd3 2 0 .Wfel ti'xel+ 21.
.•
simplification, because all his pieces are in play, while White's queenside is undeveloped and his king is insufficiently protected, Silva - Jelic, Email 2 0 0 2 . n ... whs ! A complicated position has arisen, one which has not yet been analyzed thoroughly, so we shall deal with it at some length.
B2) 1 0 .a4!?
This move is played with the same idea as 9.a4, which is to en sure the safety of White's strong light-squared bishop. 10 a6 11.a5 ll .l:i',bd2 l:i',b6 - see 10.I:i',bd2 . ll.g4? ! �g6 12./:i)xeS l:i',xeS 13. EixeS c6 14.hd5 cxdS 15.\Wf3 ti'c7 16.Eixd5 Eiad8 17.Eixd8 Eixd8 18.d4 hd4+ Black's prospects are pref erable, despite the considerable • . •
12.�bd2 This is the most natural devel oping move for White. He loses after the hasty 12. \Wb3? � 13.gxf3 \Wh4 ! 14.d4 exd4 15.hd5 Eiae8 16.'1Wd1 dxc3 17.�e3 he3 18.Eixe3 Eixe3 19 .fxe3 cxb2 2 0 .Eia2 Eid8-+ Black regains his piece and ends up with extra pawns and an attack. The position is double-edged after 12 .d4 exd4 13.cxd4 �b4 14. �d2 hd2 15.0,bxd2 /:i)f4? when White has seized space on the queenside but his d4-pawn needs protection and his king might come under attack. A very complicated struggle arises after 12 .b4 �a7 13.b5 axbS 233
Chapter 2 0 14.hb5 f6 15.i.a3 l:'le8 16.a6 �c8+± Black has the better posi tion in the centre and eyes the kingside, but White has made some progress on the queenside. 12 .g4 - White wants to in crease his pressure on the queen side. 12 . . . i.g6 13.�b3 e4 ! 14.dxe4 lt::l e5 ! 15.lt::l xe5 �h4 ! � . Black has begun an attack after several very strong moves and the difficulty of White's defence can be best il lustrated by the following varia tions : 16.lt::l d3 (16.�c2? l:'lae8 17. hd5 �g3+ 18.\!i>fl �xh3+ 19.'i!i>e2 l:'lxe5- + White's queenside forces cannot come into play.) 16 . . . �g3+ 17. \!i>fl �xh3+ 18.'i!i>e2 (18.'i!i>g1? �xg4-+) 18 ...he4 19.'i!i>d2 (White loses by force after 19.lt::l xc5 lt::l f4+ 2 0 .hf4 �xg4+ 21.'i!i>e3 �f3+ 2 2 . 'i!i> d 2 �xf4+ 23.l:'le3 �xf2 + 24.l:'le2 �f4+ 25.\!i>e1 �g3+ 26.\!i>fl i.f5-+) 19 ... hd3 20 .hd3 lt::l f4 21.i.f5 lt::l g 2 2 2 .l:'le2 �f3 23.�c4 lt::l f4 24. b4 l:'lad8+ 25.\!i>c2 lt::l x e2 2 6.�xc5 lt::l x c1 27. \!i>xc1 c6+ and the materi al is approximately equal, but Black's prospects are better, since all his pieces are active, while White's king is unsafe and his pawns on g4 and particularly on f2 are quite vulnerable. 12 f5 13.li�fl After 13.d4 exd4 14.lt::l b 3 �d6 15.�d3 l:'lae8+ the opening of the e-file is in Black's favour, because he is the better-developed side. 13 e4! 14.dxe4 .ixf3! 15. Y«xd5 White loses quickly after 15. �xf3 fxe4-+ , or 15.gxf3 �h4-+
15 ht'2 + ! 16.'i!i>xf2 �h4+ 17.�g1 It is inferior for White to con tinue with 17.g3 �xh3 18.'i!i>xf3 fxe4+ 19.'i!i>e2 �g4+ 2 0.'i!i>d2 l:'lad8 2 1.�xd8 l:'lxd8+ 2 2.'i!i>c2 lt::l e 5+ with an approximate material balance on the board, but Black's pieces are much more active than their white counterparts, while White's king has no safe refuge. 17 exe1 18.gxf3 gadS 19. �c5 gd6 2 0 .exf5 c!Lle5 •••
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21.ee3 The attempt to solve his prob lems tactically by playing 21. i.h6 leads after 2 1 . . .lt::l xf3+ 2 2 .'i!i>h1 �e8 23 . .if4 �e4 24.�e3 �c6 25. �e2 lt::l d 2+ 2 6.�g2 lt::l xc4 27 . .ixd6
l.e4 e5 2JiJj3 11Jc6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 11Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed l:iJxdS �xd6+ to material equality, but White's position is worse, since his king is completely exposed. 21 gdl 22.'ffx el �el 23. �f2 (The attempt to play for a win with 23.b3 11Jxc4 24.bxc4 gds 25.l'!b1 l'!dd1 26.l'!xb7 fuf1+ 27. 'i!lg2 l'!g1+ 28.'i!lf2 l'!gf1+ 29.'i!lg3 l'!g1+ 30.'i!lh4 h6+ does not pro vide White with sufficient com pensation for the exchange.) 23 �c1 24.gxcl �xc4 25.gdl �g8 26.b4 �d6 27.11Je3 �xf5 28. �xf5 gxf5 29.gd7 M7 3 0 .gd8+ gf8= The position is drawish, ir respective of whether White ex changes the rooks or not. •••
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d3-pawn, while his bishop has an excellent square on a7.) 1 2 . . . 11Jxc4 13.11Jxc5 11Jd6 14.d4 (after 14.g4 i.g6 15.11Jxe5 l:iJxeS 16.l'!xe5 b6 17. 11Jb3 11Jc4 18.l'!e1 �xd3t Black's pieces are considerably more ac tive) 14 . . . exd4 15.g4 i.g6 16.cxd4 l'!e8? White's knight has a great outpost on cS, but his d4-pawn is potentially weak; Black should therefore try to bring about ex changes.
B3a) 11.11Je4 �xc4 12.�xc5 �d6 13.g4 .tg6
B3) t o .tobd2 �b6
B3a) 11.�e4 B3b) 11 .tb5 B3c) 11.b4 •
The position is equal after 11. a4 a6 12.11Je4 (It is inferior for White to play 12.a5 11Jxc4 13.11Jxc4 f6+ when, having strengthened his centre Black stands ready to exert pressure against the enemy
14.�xe5 This is White's most consist ent move. In reply to 14.�a4, it is good for Black to play 14 . . . l'!e8 ! - he consolidates his position in the centre, ignoring his opponent's queenside threats. Now after 15.11Jxb7 11Jxb7 16.�xc6 l'!e6 17. �xb7 l'!b6 18.�xa8 �xa8 19.11Jxe5 f6 20.11Jxg6 hxg6+ Black ends up with a slight material advan tage . 14 ..tg5 �c8 15.11Jh4, Corte Redol:fi, Buenos Aires 1955 (it is 235
Chapter 2 0 preferable for White to opt for 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 b6 - see 14. d4) and after 15 .. .f6 16.li:lxg6 hxg6 17 . .ie3 b6 18.ltle4 �d7+ Black is ready to attack the enemy d3pawn. 14.d4 exd4 15 . .ig5 (15.cxd4?! b6 16.�a4 ltlxd4 17.�xd4 bxcS 18. �xeS �f6 19J�e3 ltle4 2 0 .�xc7 :Bfd8+ White's king is vulnerable and he has considerable problems with the development of his queenside.) 15 . . . �c8 16.ltlxd4 (16. cxd4 b6 17.ltle5 ltlxeS 18.dxe5 bxcS 19.exd6 cxd6= It will not be easy for Black to exploit the weak ness of White's king and after the exchange of queens the position will become a dead draw.) 16 . . . lt'lxd4 17.�xd4 b 6 18 .ltlb3 :Be8= Tzermiadianos - Markidis, Kal lithea 2009. 14 lt'lxe5 15.gxe5 b6
In answer to 16.ltlb3, Black can play for a win with the help of the move 16 .. .f5 ! ?�. Sarthou Naiditsch, France 2010, or ensure the safety of his king by playing 16 . . . ltlc4 17.:Be1 �xd3 18.�xd3 .ixd3= 16 �c8 ! 17 .ie7 bxc5 18. .bf8 �xf8 19.�c5 ltle4 2 o .gas After 20.:Be5 lt'lcS 2 1.d4 ltld3 22 .:Be3 lt'lxb2 23.�e2 :Bb8 24.c4 h6 25.h4 �d6 26.h5 .id3 27.:Bxd3 lt'lxd3 28.�xd3 �f4= Black re gains his pawn and White must play very accurately to maintain the balance. ••.
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2 0 ttlc5 21.d4? ! (White is trying to play for a win. Instead, it would be preferable for White to continue with 2 1.f4 .ixd3 22.b4 ltlb7t, with some initiative for Black in view of the fact that White's king is completely ex posed.) 21 ttld3 22.�£3 :Be8 23.gxa7 .ie4 24.�g3 (24.�e3 fS! 25.f3 f4 26.�d2 .ig6 27.:Bfl �e7- + ; 27.:Bxc7 :Be3-+) 24 f5 25. �xc7 (After 25.gxf5 .txfS it is bad for White to play 26.:Bxc7 :Be6-+ , or 26.�xc7 .ixh3 27.�c4+ •••
16 .ig5 It would be too risky for White to play16.ltla6? ! , because the transfer of the knight from that square to the kingside would take too long. 16 .. .f5 17.d4 �h4 18.�f1 :Bac8--+ •
236
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l.e4 eS 2. li:Jj3 li:J c6 3. i.c4 i.cS 4.c3 li:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed li:JxdS a:e6- + , and Black's attack is deci sive in both cases.) 25 fxg4 26.ti'c4+ lt>h8 27.ti'f7 ti'xf7 28. gxf7 gxh3 29.gdl lt>g8 3 0 .gc7 h5 31.b4 h4-+ Despite the ex change of the queens Black's at tack is crushing, White's king is incarcerated and he has no satis factory defence against the threat of 32 . . . .ig2 . •••
B3b) ll.J.b5 White tries to attack the ene my eS-pawn. ll J.d6
After 12 .i.xc6 bxc6 13.li:Je4 (13. g4 i.g6 14.tt:lxe5 heS 15J!xe5 �xd3 16.�f3 �d6+ the weakness of Black's queenside will only be a factor in the endgame, but at the moment White's queenside is un developed and his king is weak, Gremmer - Leisebein, Email 1999) 13 .. .f5 14.ltlg3 i.xf3 15.ti'xf3 �d7? Kofidis - Dervishi, Katerini 1993. 12 ges • • .
••.
12.li:Je4 The transfer of the knight to g3 enables him to get rid of the un pleasant pin without weakening the position of his king. For 12.li:Jfl a:es 13.li:Jg3 i.g6 see 12.li:Je4. 12.a4 a6 13.i.xc6 bxc6 14.tt:le4 fS 15.li:Jg3 .ix£3 16.ti'xf3 �d7? White is unable to exploit the weakness of his opponent's queenside pawns, but Black's ad vantage in the centre is over whelming, Guido - Brunella, Bratto 2 007.
13.tt:lg3 This is the natural completion of White's knight-manoeuvre. In reply to 13.ig5?! f6 14.i.e3, Burtasova - Ir.Semenova, Sochi 2004, it is useful for Black to eliminate his opponent's light squared bishop with 14 . . . a6 15. i.xc6 bxc6? If 13.a4 a6 14.hc6 bxc6 15.a5 (after 15.i.d2 li:JdS 16.li:Jg3 i.g6? Black obtains excellent counter play, thanks to his strong light squared which now has no oppo nent, Kusturin - Kasperski, corr. 1998) 15 . . . li:Jd7 16.a:a4, Kalugin E.Alekseev, Olginka 2011 (in re sponse to 16.i.e3 Black can im237
Chapter 2 0 prove his position i n the centre by playing 16 . . . c5 17.g4 .ig6 18.lt:Jfd2 E:b8 19.lt:Jc4 i.f8?), and after 16 . . . f6? Black bolsters his eS-pawn and enables his bishop to retreat to f7, where it is better placed than on g6. 13 . . . .ig6 14.a4 There is no advantage for White in simplifying the position with 14 . .igS �d7 1S.lt:Jh4 a6 16 . .ixc6 �xc6 17. lt:Jxg6 hxg6= Hase - Amado, Buenos Aires 1983. 14 ... a6 15.hc6 bxc6 16.a5 lt:Jd7 17.�e4 h6 18.�a4 18.d4 exd4 19.lt:Jxd6 cxd6 20. lt:Jxd4 Wff c 7= Wallinger - Colucci, corr. 1990.
18 ... c5= Black has consolidat ed his position in the centre, and it is now difficult for either side to make any progress in this posi tion without making positional concessions, Lazic - Gligoric, Kladovo 1990.
B3c) ll.b4 .ie7!N Black's bishop is better placed here than on d6, since it does not 238
impede the pressure of the major pieces against White's d3-pawn.
12 .g4 We shall examine White's al ternatives: after 12 .bS lt:JaS 13.E:xeS .ig6 14.E:e1 E:e8 1S.lt:JeS i.f6 16.lt:Jxg6 hc3 ! 17.E:xe8+ �xeS 18.E:b1 hxg6, Black is not worse, since at any moment he can exchange his terribly misplaced knight on aS for White's strong bishop. For ex ample: 19 .�c2 lt:Jaxc4 20.dxc4 .ixd2 2 1 . .ixd2 �e2 2 2 .E:c1 lt:Jxc4 23.i.b4 �xc2 24.E:xc2 lt:Jb6 2S. E:xc7 lt:JdS 26.E:c4 lt:Jxb4 27.E:xb4 E:d8 28.E:c4 E:d7= with complete equality; 12 .�b3 .if6 13 . .ib2 (13.-ibS aS ! ? 14 . .ixc6 bxc6 1S.lt:JxeS E:e8 16.d4 axb4 17.�xb4 cS ! 18.�xcS lt:Jd7 19.�c4 heS 20.dxeS lt:JxeS 2 1.�d4 Wfff6� Black's piece activity more than compensates for his sacrificed pawn.) 13 . . . aS 14.a3 axb4 1S.axb4 lt:Jxc4 16.�xc4 �d7 17.g4 (17.bS?! lt:JaS+ White's queenside pawns are an easy tar get for Black's attack.) 17 . . . .ig6 18.lt:Je4 i.e7? White's pieces are
l.e4 e5 2. l'Dj3 l'D c6 3. �c4 �c5 4.c3 l'Df6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed l'Dxd5 more active, but Black has no weaknesses in his camp and has two strong bishops; in the variation 12.a4 a6 13. �a3 (after 13 .�b3?! l'Dxc4 14.�xc4 :!'!e8 15.l'Dxe5 ix:b4 ! 16.d4 l'DxeS 17.�xb4 l'Dd3 18.1'!xe8+ �xe8 19. �xb7 �e1+ 20.@h2 :!'!e8t Black obtains good attacking chances) 13 . . . l'Dxc4 14.l'Dxc4 f6 15.b5 l'Db8 16.he7 �xe7= and the position is simplified. 12 .�e2 - White is preparing d3-d4. 12 . . . l'Dxc4 13.l'Dxc4 f6 14.b5 l'Db8 15.d4 a6!
White has managed to cramp his opponent a little, but the posi tion will inevitably be opened up, when the power of Black's bish ops will increase considerably. 16.�e4 axb5 17.�xb7 :!'!a4 18. l'Db2 (18.�xb5 �d7 19.�xd7 ltlxd7 2 0.ltlb2 :!'!a3 21.l'Dd1 :!'!a5= - Black will inevitably regain the a2pawn) 18 ... 1'!a3 19.dxe5 :!'!xc3= The threat of M3 promises Black good prospects for the future. 16.1'!b1 axb5 17.1'!xb5 �d7 18. :!'!xb7 �c6 19.1'!b2 l'Dd7 2 0 .l'Dcd2 (after 2 0.dxe5 hf3 21.gxf3 ltlxe5 22.ltlxe5 fxe5� - Black has excel lent compensation for the pawn
thanks to the many weak pawns in White's camp.) 20 .. .'1Wxc3 21. �e4 i.f7= 16.bxa6 l'Dxa6 17.g4 i.f7 18. dxe5 ltlc5� White's king is ex posed and his queenside pawns are weak; if we factor in Black's bishop pair, this all adds up to ex cellent compensation for the pawn. 16.l'De3 - This is White's most aggressive option. 16 . . . exd4
17.l'Df5 (17.cxd4?! axb5 18. �xb5 .hf3 19.gxf3 l'Dc6 2 0 .l'Dc2 �c8t - White's king is endan gered and might come under at tack) 17 . . . �d6 18.�c4+ (18.bxa6 l'Dxa6 19.�c4+ @h8 20.l'D3xd4 l'Dc5 2 1 .ltlxd6 cxd6 22 .ltlb5 i.f7 23.�g4 �e8= White is unable to create pressure against the ene my d6-pawn) 18 . . .�f7 19.�xd4 axb5 2 0.�g4 g6 21.ltl3d4 h5 (this is the most concrete reply) 2 2 . ltlh6+ @h7 23.l'Dxf7 :!'!xf7 24.�f3 l'Dc6 25.l'Dxb5 l'De5 26.�d5 c6 ! ? 27.�xd6 cxb5 28.�xd8 :!'!xd8 29. �e3 @g7= The pawn-weaknesses of both sides cancel each other out. 12 .lg6 13.b5 c!Oa5 14.c!Oxe5 .lf6 •••
239
Chapter 2 0
15.�xg6 After 15.i.a3 i.xe5 16J'!xe5 l'!e8 17.l'!xe8+ �xeS 18.i.c5 �bxc4 19. dxc4 l'!d8 20.�e1 f6 2 1.�xe8+ i.xe8 2 2 .i.e3 b6= White's extra pawn is irrelevant. Next move Black plans to advance c7-c5, fix ing the weakness and restricting the enemy bishop. 15 . . . hxg6 16.�e4 In the variation 16.�c2 l'!e8 17.i.a3 �d7 18.l'!ad1 c6 19.bxc6 �xc6= Black regains his pawn. 16.i.b2 �d7 17.�e4 (after 17. �c2 �axc4 18.tt:lxc4 �xb5+ White's bishop is bad and his d3-pawn is weak.) 17 . . . tt:lbxc4 18.dxc4 �xd1 19.l'!axd1 tt:lxc4 20.tt:lxf6+ gxf6 21. .ic1 a6 2 2 .a4 axb5 23.axb5 l'!fe8= The endgame is by no means worse for Black. 16 . . . �axc4 17.dxc4 �xc4 18 . .if4 After 18.�b3 tt:ld6 19.tt:lxd6 cxd6 2 0.i.d2 l'!c8= the pawns on d6 and c3 are equally weak. After 18.�f3 a6= Black opens the a-file and brings his rook into play.
240
18 ... .ie5 The careless move 18 . . . a6? ! leads to a loss of a pawn for Black after 19.bxa6 l'!xa6 20.�xd8 l'!xd8 2 1.hc7 l'!d5 2 2 . a4:t 19.�e2 19.�f3 f5 20.l'!ad1 fxe4 21.�xe4 E:xf4 2 2 . E:xd8+ E:xd8 23.�xg6 E:d6 24.�e8+ E:f8 25.�e7 E:fl= 19 . . . .ixf4 2 0 .�xc4 c6 21. gadl (21.bxc6 l:k8= ) 21 . . . �c7 22.bxc6 gac8=
White's king is exposed, so he must head for an endgame in which the activity of his rooks will be fully matched by the power of Black's bishop.
Index of Variations
Part 1. l.e4 e5
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Chapter 1 l.e4 e5 various 2 .d4 exd4 3.1!Nxd4 tt:lc6 .
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Chapter 2 l.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 exf4 various . . . 18 4.tt:lf3 tt:lf6 various .. 20 A) 5 . .ib5? ! c6 22 B ) 5 . .ic4 tt:lxd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 .
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Chapter 3 l.e4 e 5 2.tt:lc3 �f6 A) 3.f4 d5 various Al) 4.fxe5 tt:lxe4 A2) 4.cxd5 tt:lxd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B) 3 .g3 d5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chapter 4 l.e4 e5 2 .lc4 �c6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A) 3.c3 tt:lf6 B) 3.d3 tt:lf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C) 3. tt:lc3 tt:lf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 51 52 . 53 . 56
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Part 1. l.e4 e5 2.�:f3 �c6
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Chapter 5 l.e4 e5 2.�:f3 �c6 various . 66 A) 3.d3 tt:lf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 . . . . . 70 B) 3.c3 d5 4 . .ib5 dxe4 . 70 Bl) 4.1!Na4 f6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 B2) .
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Chapter 6 l.e4 e5 2.�f3 �c6 3.�c3 �f6 various . . 4.d4 exd4 5.tt:ld5 .
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241
Index of Variations Chapter 7 1.e4 e5 2 . c!Of3 c!Oc6 3.c!Oc3 c!Of6 4.g3 d5 S.exdS lt:JxdS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Chapter 8 1.e4 e5 2.c!Of3 c!Oc6 3.lt:Jc3 lt:Jf6 4 .ib5 .ib4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 5 . 0-0 0-0 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 A) 6 . .ixc6 dxc6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 B) 6.d3 d6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 B1) 7 . .ixc6 bxc6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 B2) 7.lt:Je2 lt:Je7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 B3) 7 . .ig5 lt:Je7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 •
Chapter 9 1.e4 e5 2 . lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3.d4 exd4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 A) 4.c3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 B) 4 . .ic4 .icS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Chapter 10 1.e4 e5 2.lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c!Oxd4 c!Of6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 S.lt:Jxc6 bxc6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 A) 6.lt:Jc3 .ib4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 B) 6.lt:Jd2 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 C) 6 ..id3 dS various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 7.e5 lt:Jg4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 C1) C2) 7.exd5 cxdS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Chapter 11 1.e4 e5 2.lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3.d4 exd4 4.lt:Jxd4 c!Of6 5.c!Oxc6 bxc6 6.e5 YlVe7 7.YlVe2 c!Od5 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 8.b3 aS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Chapter 12 1.e4 e5 2.c!Of3 c!Oc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c!Oxd4 c!Of6 5.c!Oxc6 bxc6 6.e5 We7 7.ti'e2 c!Od5 8.c4 .ia6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 A) 9.lt:Jd2 g6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 B) 9.b3 g6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 B1) 10 . .ib2 .ig7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 B2) 10.f4 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Chapter 13 1.e4 e5 2 . c!Of3 c!Oc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4.b4 .ixb4 5.c3 .ia5 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 6.d4 exd4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 •
242
Index of Variations A)
7.0-0 tt:lge7 various ... . . . 160 8.cxd4 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 1 8.tt:lg5 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 7.�b3 �e7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 .
A1) A2) B)
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Chapter 14 1.e4 e5 2.tt:lfJ tt:lc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 4.d3 tt:lf6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 S.ib3 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 •
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Chapter 15 l.e4 e5 2 .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4.c!Dc3 .!Df6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 S.d3 h6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 A) 6. 0-0 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 B) 6.tt:ld5 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 •
•
Chapter 16 l.e4 e5 2 .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4. 0 - 0 c!Df6 S .b4 ixb4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 S.d4 ixd4 6.tt:lxd4 tt:lxd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 •
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Chapter 17 1.e4 e5 2 . .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4. 0 - 0 .!Df6 5.d3 0 - 0 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 A) 6.ig5 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 6.h3 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 B) 6.l:%e1 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 C) •
Chapter 18 1.e4 e5 2.c!DfJ c!Dc6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 .!Df6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 S .d4 exd4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 6.e5 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 A) 6.cxd4 ib4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 B) B1) 7.i.d2 ixd2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 B2) 7.tt:lc3 tt:lxe4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Chapter 19 1.e4 e5 2 .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 .!Df6 5.d3 0 - 0 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 A) 6.b4 !J.e7 216 B) 6.tt:lbd2 aS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 17 6.!J.b3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 C) D) 6.!J.g5 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 •
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243
Index of Variations Chapter 2 0 l.e4 e5 2.�f3 �c6 3.i.c4 .ic5 4.c3 �f6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.exd5 �xd5 various 223 8.b4 i.e7 226 A) B ) 8.!1el .ig4 9.h3 .ih5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 0 Bl) 10.b4 .ib6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 1 B2) 10.a4 a6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 B3) 10.tt:lbd2 tt:lb6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 .
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