LARRY KAUFMAN A Complete, Sound
and User-friendly Chess Opening Repertoire NEW iN CHESS
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White
Eight years after his acclaimed The Chess Advantage in Black and White, grandmaster Larry Kaufman is back with a completely new repertoire book, covering the entire scope of chess openings for both White and Black, in one tome. Using the latest versions of top engines like Komodo and Houdini, the former Senior World Champion and computer expert has refined his analysis of ready-to-go and easy-to-digest lines almost to perfection. His main new conviction is that l.d4 gives White better chances of an advantage than l.e4, and he has chmged his recommendations accord ingly. Larry Kaufman has based his repertoire on sound, practical lines that do not outdate rapidly and
are
suitable for masters while accessibl-e for
amateurs. He regularly and successfully uses the openings he recom mends himself. The Kaufman Repertoirefor Black and White contains many improvements
on existing opening theory and offers a good balance between narra tive and variations.
Acclaim for The Chess Advantage in Black and White: "The author has done a very good job at presenting a playable and in teresting repertoire for both Black and White."
Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe "Simply the best comprehensive repertoire book that I have ever seen."
John Watson, The Week in Chess
Larry Kaufman
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White
A
Complete, Sound and User-friendly Chess Opening Repertoire
New In Chess 2012
© 20 12 New In Chess Published by New In Chess, Alkmaar, The Netherlands www.newinchess.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.
Cover design: Volken Beck Supervisor: Peter Boel Proofreading: Rene Olthof Production: Anton Schermer ISBN-13: 978-90 -5691-371-7
The Structure of this Book This book looks at the opening from two sides, and therefore I have decided to give two sides to it. If you just read on from the preliminary chapters after this page, you en ter the 'White section': my repertoire for the white player. To read my repertoire for the black player, you should just turn the book around and start from the beginning again!
Larry Kaufman October 20 II
Bibliography........... .... ... ... . .. ... .... .......... 6 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Material Values. .
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The Role of Computers in this Book The Repertoire for White . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IS
The Repertoire for Black ... . . ... .. . ... ...... . (in reverse) .
The Repertoire in Practice (White
It
l
Black)...... . (in reverse) 216
5
Bibliography Books 1.d4-Beat the Guerrillas!, Valeri Bronznik, New in Chess, 2011 The Ragozin Complex, Vladimir Barsky, New In Chess, 2011 The Four Knights Game, Andrey Obodchuk, New In Chess, 2011 Secrets of Opening Surprises Vo/.13, ed.Jeroen Bosch, New In Chess, 20 I I The Safest Griinfeld, A. Delchev & E. Agrest, Chess Stars, 20 I I Grandmaster Repertoire 8: The Griinfeld Defence (Volume One), Boris Avrukh, Quality Chess, 2011 Grandmaster Repertoire 9: The Griinfeld Defence (Volume Two), Boris Avrukh, Quality Chess, 20 I I Declining the Queen's Gambit, John Cox, Everyman Chess, 20 11 The Scotch Game, Dembo & Palliser, Everyman Chess, 20 I I Squeezing the Gambits, Kiril Georgiev, Chess Stars, 20 I0 The English Opening, Mihail Marin, Quality Chess, 20 I0 The Scotch Gamefor White, Vladimir Barsky, Chess Stars, 2009 The Pirc in Black and White, James Vigus, Everyman Chess, 2007 Chess Openings For White, Explained, Alburt, Dzindzichashvili, & Perelshteyn, Chess Information and Research Center, 2007 Challenging the Griinfeld, Edward Dearing, Quality Chess, 200 5 The Chess Advantage in Black and White, Larry Kaufman, Random House, 200 4
Databases Mega Database 2011, ChessBase PowerBook 20 I I , ChessBase Engines Komodo 3 Houdini 1.5 Rybka 4 Critter 1.2 Stockfish 2.1
6
Introduction This book started out to be an update of my 2003 opening repertoire book The Chess Advantage in Black and White. However I quickly concluded that so much had changed in eight years that I should just start from scratch and write a whole new book. The concept is similar to the original book, but the openings chosen are mostly different. The basic idea is to provide a complete set of openings for both colors, with some vari ety included, that will give you everything you can reasonably be expected to remem ber against all serious lines the opponent might -throw at you. I make no attempt to be encyclopedic; a reasonably full repertoire just for Black against the Queen's Gambit took grandmaster Avrukh two volwnes, so a truly encyclopedic one for both colors would take about ten. In my opinion few people can remember everything in even one book (I know I can't), so I don't see much point in trying to cover everything in a rep ertoire in multiple volwnes, except to aid correspondence players. The openings cho sen are the ones I actually play right now, and I have not kept anything 'secret' from the readers. It may cost me a game or two in the future, but I'm confident that I'll win more games from the work I did on this book than I'll lose due to opponents preparing for me with my own book, especially since I give some variety at many junctures. What has changed in eight years? In 200 3, pc programs were already roughly on a par with the hwnan World Champion, but they achieved this level by being much stronger in tactics whereas they were only at strong amateur level positionally. Now the best programs are far stronger still tactically, but vastly better positionally - maybe in the low grandmaster range, though this is very subjective. Any of the top programs can now give a pawn handicap to the strongest hwnan players, as has been demonstrated several times now. Furthermore I now use a twelve core computer whereas I only had single core back then. Finally, other software is now available that permits analysis to go on 24 hours a day using each core for a different position and putting everything in a nice tree. The bottom line is that the quality of computer analysis used in this book is several hundred rating points stronger than what I could do back in 2003. On top of all this, I myself am a stronger player now than in 2003 despite my age (64 when this book comes out), probably because of all this work I do with these super-strong en gines. This book is intended for a wide range of chess players. The basic idea is that the cho sen variations are suitable even for the strongest grandmasters, but are also fine for av erage tournament and club players. The analysis is at an extremely high level, not so much because of my own chess skills but rather because of the way in which comput ers were used, as explained in the chapter on that topic. However, the explanations of why each terminal position in a line is evaluated as it is are written for average club players, and are concise due to the amount of material being covered. If you are an av erage player I hope you will learn from these explanations more about how to evaluate 7
The Kaufman
Repertoire for Black and White
positions. If you are a grandmaster, feel free to ignore my explanations and just study the analysis; I think you will find it to be at a very high level. I am confident that this book will be helpful to many grandmasters; at least I know it was very helpful to one (your author!). One idea I have retained to some degree from the original book is my belief that you should opt for the second-best move in the opening in those cases where it is nearly as good as the best one but cuts down substantially on how much you need to learn. However, it turns out that quite often the best move is not the most often played one, primarily because the best move may have only been discovered with the aid of super-strong computer programs in the last few years. So very often we can 'have our cake and eat it too', meaning we can choose the best move and at the same time one that is not so often played or well-known. This was rarely the case eight years ago. The book is full of new moves, so-called theoretical novelties, generally marked with 'N' . This is not because I am an especially original player, but rather reflects the heavy use of computer analysis. Note that I often only consulted a database of serious master games, so perhaps some of the moves marked 'N' are not truly new if they were played by players too weak to make the database, or were played in blitz events or other events not qualifying for the database. The goal is to provide a reasonably complete repertoire for all moves you are likely to face in the opening as White or Black. Because I cover both colors, and because I of ten give alternatives so you won't be totally predictable just because you use this book, I have to limit myself at each juncture to the frequently played moves by the opponent. So you won't find analysis on how to beat the Grob ( l.g4?) or any other obviously in ferior move at any point, and I may not always point out why some seemingly good move is not played. Usually the answer is some elementary tactic; if you can't fmd it yourself ask any modern engine to solve the question for you. In most cases where you don't see a move mentioned, you can just play whatever move your engine likes and you will be fme. As for the choice of openings, the Black repertoire is mostly that of the world's high est rated player (as of this writing), Magnus Carlsen. Current and six-time Russian champion and now World Champion Candidate Peter Svidler is also a model for much of the Black openings, being the premier exponent of the Gninfeld. For White I don't follow any one particular star. Most of the choices were played by Garry Kasparov when he was active. I would particularly like to mention grandmaster Georgi Kacheishvili and his star students Grandmaster Alex Lenderman and International Master Irina Krush, as they play many of my chosen lines and were the inspiration for my primary choice against the King's Indian Defense. I also want to thank Grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvili for his very helpful analysis of a critical line in the Slav Defense. Chess is not a fair game. White starts out with a significant advantage due to moving first, and of decisive games White wins nearly two for each black win in high-level play. The goal as White is to reach a favorable position where your winning chances sub8
Introduction stantially exceed Black's winning chances. I believe that most if not all of the lines in the book do so. As Black my goal is to reach a position where Black has some winning chances and White does not have far more winning chances. So I had to reject all de fenses which were either dubious or excessively draw-seeking, as well as any (such as the Zaitsev in the Spanish) which allow an obvious draw by White. I think the chosen defenses (Breyer and Griinfeld) accomplish this goal fairly well. Naturally there is the question of what happens when both colors follow my advice. The result, as it should be, is a very small white advantage in a position which either side might win. I would also like to mention that although I did of course consult other relevant books, I primarily did this just to get more positions for my computer to analyze in depth. When the computers confirm the findings of other authors, I give their analysis; when they don't (assuming I agree), I give my own. Because of the heavy reliance on computer analysis, I don't generally take the time to look up who might have first played the moves of a sideline up to the point where I give a new move, which also saves a lot of space. I do on occasion disagree with the engines (even my own) and sub stitute my own analysis : but I generally only do so when I am fairly confident that the engines are wrong. Since this is a book about openings, I have frequently given a recommended but unplayed move as the main line while consigning the remainder of the actual game (in full or in part) to a note. In many cases the game chosen is of no real interest, it is merely chosen because the moves I consider best were played up to some point. In such cases I usually only give a few moves after the first error by 'my' side. In many other cases the game is an interesting one, and in those cases I usually give the game until the result is clear or until one side made an error that makes the remaining moves irrele vant. I should probably tell you a bit about myself, since although I am well-known in Amer ican chess circles I may not be so well-known in Europe. I learned chess at age 7 from my father (who played until the day before his death at 96), and had my first chess les son at age 8 from Harold Phillips, who had been a New York champion in 1895!! My first major accomplishment in chess was winning the American Open Championship back in 1966. In 1980 I earned the International Master title by takj,ng second and third places in international tournaments in New York. My career back then was in the stock market, I was not a chess pro. In 1986 I retired from the financial world and got in volved with computer chess; later I got back into playing and also teaching chess. In the last few years I have mostly been involved with developing computer chess programs Rybka and now Komodo. In 2008 I surprised almost everyone by winning the World Senior Championship in Germany right after reaching the required age 60 , and thus became a Grandmaster. I have three children, the oldest of whom, Raymond Kaufman, is an International Master. I'm still quite active as a player, and have so far shown no sign of the decline in playing strength normally associated with players of my age. My most recent victories are the 20 II Virginia Open Championship, the 20 II Maryland 9
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and While
blitz championship, and a tie for first (fourth on tiebreak) in the 2010 World Senior. I live in Potomac, Maryland with my wife Priscilla and my youngest daughter. I may be 'old', but I hope this book does justice to the name of the publisher, NEW in Chess! Larry Kaufman Oclober 2011
10
Material Values Throughout this book you will find positions with unbalanced material. I believe it is very important to evaluate the material situation properly before even considering the position of the pieces on the board (once tactics have been resolved), because you must know how much one side has sacrificed in return for whatever positional compensa tion the other side has obtained. Most beginners are taught that the values of the pieces (given that a pawn is I ) are: Knight 3, Bishop 3 (or perhaps 3 + or 31!.), Rook 5, Queen 9. These values are surpris ingly reliable in reduced endgames, primarily those in which at least one side has no more than one piece (plus pawns). But they are increasingly wrong as you add pieces to the board, and can give quite misleading results on a fairly full board. As this is a book on openings, not on endgames, I felt I must address this issue. Having researched this issue more than almost anyone on earth, using all kinds of com puter analysis, here are some of my conclusions: 1. There are some differences
between the best values for humans and the best val
ues for computers. In particular, the best values for computers seem to give slightly · higher values to the major pieces relative to the minor pieces than the best values for humans, and computers prefer (unpaired) bishops over knights more clearly than hu mans do.
2. The bishop pair is worth half a pawn! This rule, first given with supporting data by me in a 1999 Chess Life article, has proven to be quite reliable. Most of the top com puter programs use something close to this rule, with the clarification that this half-pawn includes any superiority assumed for single bishop over knight. It does not seem to matter very much what phase of the game you are in, although the two bish ops do gain slightly in value as the pieces come off, so the half-pawn value is a slight exaggeration in the opening. Surprisingly, it does not even matter very much whether the position is open or closed. It's just that in closed positions the knights are worth more than bishops, but having both bishops still deserves the half-pawn bonus. In other words, even in a very closed position if you have bishop and knight vs. two bish ops, you gain a lot by trading bishops. Whether you would trade a knight for one of the two bishops in a closed position is a closer call, as you are giving up the stronger piece to kill the half-pawn advantage of the pair. I think it is only a slight exaggeration to say that the main goal of the opening is to obtain the two-bishop advantage; certainly that
is the main goal for many of the lines recommended for White in this book.
II
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White 3. For human players, I think the most reliable values to use for the pieces in the middle
game are:
Piece
Value
Kni2ht
3%
Bishop (unpaired)
3%
Rook
SY.
Two Bishops
7%
Queen
10
This will give the right answers to exchange decisions almost all of the time, assuming neither side has significant positional advantages. Any reference I make in the book to a numerical material advantage is based on this table. 4. On a crowded board, the minor pieces and queen are worth a bit more relative to
rooks and pawns than the above scale indicates, and on a fairly empty board the converse is true. Some conclusions from the above table:
Two pawns are usually a bit better than the exchange, and one pawn plus the bishop pair is almost but not quite enoughfor the exchange. Two minor pieces are a bit inferior to rook and two pawns (much inferior on a fairly empty board), but if the side with the two minor pieces has the bishop pair, they are a bit superior. Two rooks are on average better than a queen (but not on a crowded board) but worse than a queen plus pawn (not on an otherwise nearly empty board). Two rooks are equal to three minor pieces without the bishop pair but inferior to same with the bishop pair. Queen is a bit stronger than rook plus minor piece plus pawn, but a bit weaker if the minor piece gives a bishop pair advantage. Queen is inferior to three minor pieces even without the bishop pair, and if the three minors include the bishop pair they are equal to queen and pawn (on a crowded board they are supe rior). This should give you a good starting point for an evaluation. The hard part is to judge whether some positional advantage(s) is (are) worth •;. pawn, half a pawn, or whatever the material gap might be. I hope that my comments in the games will help the reader to acquire or improve this skill.
12
The Role of Computers in this Book Every chess book author these days uses computers to check analysis and often to give ideas, but this book is probably unique in terms of how computers were used. Let me explain. Although I am a grandmaster, I am not as strong a player as some other recent ope ning book authors, such as grandmasters Avrukh, Delchev, Agrest, Khalifman, Ivan Sokolov and Bologan for example. However I am the only grandmaster who is also a co-creator (with programmer Don Dailey) of a super-strong chess engine, namely Ko modo (previously I was responsible for the evaluation function of Rybka 3). Komodo basically incorporates almost everything I know about chess opening and middlegame evaluation, except for certain things that were too hard to formalize. While most pro grams are optimized solely to beat other programs, we made a conscious effort with Komodo not to sacrifice reasonable evaluation in pursuit of rating points, and despite this we currently occupy the number 2 spot on the rating lists, behind only Houdini (which itself appears to use a similar evaluation function to the one I worked on for Rybka 3). Hopefully by the time you read this Komodo may be number I, but in any case I relied primarily on Komodo for this book as I trust its evaluations. Since I know everything about Komodo's evaluation, I am generally able to explain in words why it evaluates a position as '+.29' for example. I am "also generally able to identify those cases in which I should not trust Komodo's evaluation, which are usually the cases where all programs go wrong. They mostly fall into rwo categories: closed positions, where long-term plans are dominant rather than variations, and endgames, where it is often possible for a grandmaster to predict that the result will be a draw or a win, while the computer just gives a verdict of advantage. My basic method was to use the 'Aquarium' sofrware 'IdeA' mode, which allowed me to input literally hundreds of thousands of positions to be analyzed one by one. I have an eight-core computer dedicated 24 hours a day to this task, with each core ana lyzing one position for an average of IS minutes. A little arithmetic will tell you that this allows for the analysis of about S,OOO positions per week, so you can see how nearly every position in this book could have been analyzed so thoroughly. Recently I have been using a rwelve core machine for this. Except for clerical errors or cases where a line was extended without the usual full IS minute search, there should be no tactical errors other than those of sufficient subtlety to escape a IS-minute search by a pro gram that is hundreds of Elo points stronger than any human on earth. There will be positional errors due to the limits of program chess knowledge; I have done my best to catch these myself, but I am not Carlsen or Anand, and most of what I know about chess is already in Komodo. The Aquarium software performs a 'Minimax' operation on the data on request. What this does is to tell us what the evaluation of a given move would be if we assume that both sides play the best moves from that point on, as determined by the Komodo 13
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White
analysis. The resuh is that if, for example, the move I.d4 shows a 0 .18 pawn advantage after the minimax operation, it does not just mean that Komodo evaluates the position after 1 .d4 as + .18. Rather, it means that based on all the hundreds of thousands of posi tions analyzed, this is the result of perfect play as far as can be determined. Komodo might analyze to say 24 ply (12 moves) in 15 minutes, but the verdict on I.d4 is effec tively based on roughly twice as deep a search as this. So I really do have a lot of confi dence in the conclusions from this work, subject only to the caveat that in very closed openings (the French comes to mind, but that's not in this book) the engine evalua tions aren't very trustworthy as the incredible calculating power goes largely to waste. When actually writing up a line I usually kept Houdini running in the background, both to give a second opinion and to extend lines a bit deeper when I thought this nec essary. Sometimes the two programs would disagree, forcing me to decide which was right, and although I more often agreed with Komodo (as you would expect since it more closely follows my own eval) there were plenty of exceptions to this. On occasion I used the number 3 program 'Critter' or Rybka 4 for a third opinion.
14
Repertoire for White- Contents White Introduction ............ ...................... 17 Chapter
21
I ....
Chigorin et al
Chapter 2
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Black Gambits
Chapter l
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Dutch Defense
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Pirc, Modern, and Philidor
Chapter 5
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Chapter 6
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Old Indian
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Chapter 7 ........... Queen's Gambit Accepted
Chapter 8
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Queen's Gambit Declined
Chapter 9
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Slav Defense
Chapter 10
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Semi- Slav Defense
Chapter
167
II
Russian System against the Griinfeld
Chapter 12
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King's Indian Defense
Chapter
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Avoiding the Nimzo- Indian Defense
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The Kaufman Repertoire for While Chapter 14 Nimzo-Indian Defense .
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Chapter I S Starting with t2Jf3
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Index of Variations (White)
259
Index of Players. .................................. 265 .
16
White Introduction Chess Advantage (CA) I based the White repertoire on the opening move l.e4, but this time I start with l.d4, intending c4 next. This is partly because I have transitioned from using both moves to playing almost exclusively l.d4, and it is partly because I be lieve that l.d4 is by far the more practical choice for the vast majority of players. In or der to demonstrate any advantage as White after l.e4, you must play very sharply in many openings. especially the Sicilian Defense. One wrong move will likely give you m inferior or even lost game. In CA I tried to prove a white advantage against the Sicil ian with lines not based on the sharp 3.d4, but a major novelty by grandmaster Ivanchuk right after my deadline showed easy equality against the Moscow Variation (3 ..i.b5+). I also had to conclude eventually that the Spanish Exchange (recommended in CA) fails to give any advantage in the main line recommended in the Black portion of this book. So unless I wanted to give the main lines of the Najdorf and Spanish for White, which would entail a huge book and very little advantage against best play, I had to make the switch to l.d4. My own results improved dramatically once I switched to almost exclusively playing l.d4. One reason is that in most lines, if White makes a mistake he usually keeps the draw in hand, which is not so likely to be true with l.e4. But the biggest reason is that I have discovered that the vast majority of amateur players (even including masters) are simply much better prepared against l.e4 than against L.d4. In game after game against competent opposition rated in the 2000 to 2400 range I am simply much better or even winn ing by around moves 12-15. This rarely happened with l.e4. What is the goal of the closed game (playing the lines in this book starting with l.d4)? Simply put, it is to achieve one of the following advantages: ln
extra center pawn. This is the normal outcome of the Queen's Gambit De clined, the Slav, the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the Modem Benoni, the Chigorin, and the Gninfeld. 2. More space. This is the normal outcome of the King's Indian and Old Indian de fenses an d the Pirc and Modem Defenses. 3. More material (including the bishop pair). This is the normal outcome of the Benko (and other) Gambits, the Budapest, the Semi-Slav with 4... dxc4 or 5...dxc4, the Nimzo-Indian, and our line against the ...e6 Dutch. 4. Superior development. This is the normal outcome of the I .f5 Dutch and the Semi-Slav with 5...h6, though in the second case we have to sacrifice either a pawn on the bishop pair to achieve this outcome. I. An
..
believe that White should always achieve at least one of these goals, and should be able to do so without paying a 'fair' price. Generally speaking, the smallest of these achievements is an extra center pawn, so Black can be satisfied if he concedes only this
I
17
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
one advantage to White. Usually though, Black concedes some development along with the extra center pawn. After 1.d4, the main alternatives to the usual 1 ...d5 and 1 ... lbf6 are 1 ...£5, 1 ...e6, and 1...d6 (1...g6 should transpose to l...d6), in the latter two cases possibly intending 2 ...f5 against 2.c4 or 2.lbf3. The Dutch Defense (either 1 ...£5 or 2 ... £5) is surprisingly popular among amateurs, though rare at top level, with only Hikaru Nakamura playing it often. I don't think that White should fall in with Black's plans by playing the usual c4, g3, and �g2. Instead I advocate 2.�g5 against l...fS, 2.e4 against l...d6, and after 1 ...e6 to play 2.c4 fS 3.lbf3 lbf6 4.lbc3 �b4 S.�d2 (or S.'ifb3). In all cases I believe White retains his opening advantage. See Chapter 1 . After 1 ...d5 2.c4 there are a few sidelines. After 2 ...�f5 (Baltic), 3.cxd5 bb1 4.'it'a4+ should leave White up the bishop pair for nothing. After 2 ...e5 (Albin) 3.dxe5 d4 4.lbf3 lbc6 5.a3, White either keeps the pawn or else gets superior development and an extra center pawn. Against the Chigorin 2 ...lbc6, I favor 3.lbc3, which either wins a piece for three pawns, gets a large space advantage, or achieves central dominance. See Chapter 2. There are several gambits Black can try after 1 .d4 lbf6 2.c4. They include the Budapest 2 ...e5 3.dxe5 lbg4 (3...lbe4 4.a3 is the Fajarowicz) 4.�f4, the Blumenfeld 2 ...e6 3.lbf3 cS 4.d5 bS which we meet by the rare S.�f4!, and of course the popular Benko Gambit 2 ... c5 3.d5 bS 4.cxb5 a6, which we accept, based on the plan of exchanging bishops by an eventual e2 -e4, castling by hand, and playing a timely a2-a4 and ebbS. White either keeps his pawn for insufficient compensation or returns it for a positional advantage in all of these lines. The modem Benoni (2 ...c5 3.d5 e6 followed by exchanging pawns, ...d6, and ...g6) is fairly popular but seems to be very well met by the .i.f4 system I give. Black can easily get a lost game quickly, and even with perfect play White retains the advantages of an extra center pawn and more space. The Old Indian (2 ...d6 without a subsequent ...g6) we meet by 3.lbf3. If Black refuses to play ... g6 he ends up with a similar position to lines we look at Wlder the King's In dian, but with less coWlterplay. The Queen's Gambit Accepted (1 ...d5 2.c4 dxc4) is much less popular than it used to be, primarily due to 3.e4 which I recommend. I also give a simple alternative (7.dxc5) that gives a slight edge with little risk, as White gains a tempo on top of his initial ini tiative. The Queen's Gambit Declined (2 ...e6) is very popular at all levels, and it is not easy for White to get much of an edge. I recommend the Exchange Variation, though I also give 18
White Introduction m alternate
plan with llJf3, lLlc3, .if4, and l:lci in the chapter 'Avoiding the Nimzo-In Defense'. The exchange guarantees White the advantage of an extra pawn in the center, which is often the basis for a minority auack on the queenside (b2-b4-b5) aim ing to give Black an isolated or backward pawn. White can also use his extra center pawn directly by a well-prepared e2-e4. dim
lbe Slav
(2 ...c6 3.lLlf3 lLlf6 4.lLlc3 dxc4) I meet by S.a4 .tfs 6.lLle5, which either leads to a material imbalance in White's favor (bishop for three pawns or rook for four pawns!) or to the usual plus of an extra center pawn along with more space. I also give il safe way to avoid it by 4.'ifb3 or 4.'ifc2. The Chebanenko (4... a6) I meet by 5.a4 fol lowed by a king's fiancheuo. Semi-Slav (4...e6) I meet by s..tgs. aiming for the Exchange Variation against S...llJbd7, a nice lead in development and space at the price of the bishop pair after S .h6 6.hf6, or the win of a pawn (at least temporarily) after S ...dxc4 6.e4 bS 7.e5, l:be notoriously complex Botvinnik Variation. White typically ends up returning the pawn for a positional advantage, or winning the exchange but having to suffer a bit for iL I also give ways to avoid the Semi-Slav regardless of Black's move order for those not relishing such complications.
1be
..
Against the defense recommended for Black in this book, the Griinfeld, I give the Rus sim system (4.lLlf3 .tg7 S.'ifb3), which if met by the u�ually recommended lines should give White the bishop pair at little cost. The cost is somewhat higher if Black pbys my recommended Hungarian Defense to this, but still White should be for choice. 1be King's
Indian is fairly rare in top level play but not at lower levels. I give two rather against it, a very bold line popularized by grandmaster Kacheishvili in which White submits to being auacked but usually wins material on the queenside, and a safe line based on refusing to play d4-d5. Both seem to favor White as far as I can tell. rare lines
repertoire choice is to allow the Nimzo-Indian by 3.lLlc3 and to meet the pin by 4.•c2 , aiming to win the bishop pair without allowing structural damage. Black em avoid this in various ways, but aU have disadvantages. I also give lines for White if be prefers to allow the Queen's Indian (3.lLlf3 b6), against which we play 4.g3 and on the 7th move of the main line l:le l rather than the traditional 7.lLlc3. White should get il nice space advantage or the advantage of an extra center pawn, depending on whether Black refrains from ... d7 -dS.
My main
Finally I conclude the White book with a discussion of the merits of aiming for the Queen's Gambit with l.lLlf3. Those interested should also study the chapter on avoid ing the Nimzo-Indian, as there are likely transpositions. 19
Chapter 1
Chigorin et al In this chapter we consider all Black's alternative moves after l.d4 dS 2.c4 other than 2 ..e6, 2 ... c6, and 2 dxc4. By far the most important of these is the Chigorin, 2 lL!c6. In Game I we look at all the other options. namely the Marshall (2 llJf6). the Sym metrical or Austrian (2 cs). and the Baltic (2 �). They are all pretty bad. but you need to know how to meet them. .
...
•..
•..
..•
•..
After 2 tLlf6, •..
you should remember to exchange pawns l.cxdS lL!xdS and then play 4.tLlf11 rather than the more obvious but less effective 4.e4. The best Black can do is to reach a stan dard Griinfeld position a tempo down. The Symmetrical or Austrian 2 cS ..•
21
The Koufman Repenoire for White
is met by 3.adS tbf6 4.e4 tbxe4 S.chcS tbxcS 6.tbf3 e6 7.tbc3 udS 8.WxdS , when White's superior development on an open board gives him a definite advantage. The Baltic 2 �6 .•.
is met by 3.a:dS hbl 4...a4+l c6 s.lbbl WxdS 6.tbf3 tbd7 7.�d2 tbgf6 8.e3 tbb6 , when White has the pleasant choice between a modest positional edge with 9.Was or a very promising gambit with the untried 9.Wc2. Now we come to the Chigorin (2 tbc6), which gained a certain amount of popularity when top-level grandmaster Morozevich used it often in the '90s. •••
Black aims for piece play and is generally willing to surrender the bishop pair for it. I really like the reply 3.tbc3, with which I believe I have scored I00%, once beating a master in ten moves! Black has only two consistent replies. In Game 1.2 we examine 3 tbf6, against which 4.ttJf3 is generally recommended and played, but I advocate the number 2 reply, 4-.adS tbxdS S.tbf3. Black has several options here, but in every case White obtains some advantage, though the nature of this advantage varies widely. In the main line White gets a dominating center without allowing Black the kind of counterplay against it he gets in the Griinfeld. .•.
12
Chapter
I - Chigorin Defense
So next we look at 3 chc4, which we meet by 4.dS . In Game 1 .3 Black replies 4 ... lba5 , which loses a piece for three pawns to 5 .'it'a4+. In the middlegame this cow1ts as a half-pawn gain for White, but it's even better than this for White here as Black has some tactical problems to meet. So Black should prefer 4 lbeS (Game 1 .4). Now 5.lbf3 keeps a small edge safely, but our main line is the more critical S.f4. Black has three playable knight moves, all of which are met by 6.e4. After s . .�d7 and S ..lbg6 White keeps a positional advantage by simple means, bm S ...�g4 is tactical and must ' be learned. The Chigorin is not completely refuted, but I think White obtains a larger advantage than he does after the three most repmable second moves. •.•
•••
.
vo 1 3.6 (D06) D Saric,Sinisa • Miladinovic,Igor
.
Game 1.1
Kragujevac ch-SRB, 20 I I (5) 1.
d2·d4
2. c2·c4
d7·d5 .ic8-f5
The Baltic Defense. 2 ...lbf6 is one of Frank Marshall's less successful opening ideas: 3.cxd5 lL!xd5 (in the event of 3 . . . g6 4.'it'a4+ c6 5 .dxc6 lL!xc6 6.lbf3 �g7 7 .tLlc3 0-0 8.e3 �f5 9 .�e2 Black has just a little lead in development for the pawn; after 3 ... c6 4.dxc6 lL!xc6 5 .lL!f3 e5 6.e3 Black has just a tempo for the pawn) 4.llJf3 ! (after 4.e4 �f6 5.llJc3 e5 6.lL!f3 exd4 7 . 'ifxd4 •xd4 8.lbxd4 �b4 9 .f3 White has a modest edge in space) 4 ... �f5 (4 . . . g6 5 .e4 lL!b6 6.h3 �g7 7 .lbc3 0-0 8.�e3 - this is a position from the Exchange Griinfeld with �d2 where White has saved a tempo in getting his bishop to e3 in one move instead of two. This swings the evaluation from equal to a clear plus for White; 4. . . �g4 5 .tLle5; 4 ... lbf6 5.tLlc3 i.fs 6.'irb3) s .tLlbd2 lbf6 (after 5 ... i.g6 6.e4 lbb6 7.h4N Black has problems meeting this) 6.'it'b3 'tfc8 7 .e4 lL!xe4 8 .lL!xe4 he4 9 .lOgS
Analysis diagram
9 ... �g6 (9 . . . 'it'f5 ? IO.g4 'tfg6 1 1 .f3 ..tc6 1 2.d5 wins a piece) 1 o . ..tc4 e6 l l .d5 ..te7 1 2.dxe6 f6 1 3 .lL!f3 0-0 1 4.0-0 and the mighty passed pawn gives White an obvious advantage; 2 . . . c5 This symmetric variation is not very good. 3 .cxd5
l � .t 'it'• .t � l !i !i!i
•
•
���� �� � ttJ �:� � � lZJ 1::[ Analysis diagram
23
The Kaufman Rtptrtoirt for Whitt
A) 3 ...• xd5 4.lllf3 cxd4 5 .lllc 3 •as 6.lllxd4 lllf6 (6 . . . e5 7 .lllb3 'lfc7 8.�b5 7 .lllb 3 with advantage-Avrukh) (:Bronznik recommends 7. •b3 e5 8.'ifbs + in his book 1.d4 Beat the Guer rillas!) 7 ... 1fc7 8.e4N lllc6 9.�e2 e6 I 0.0-0 �e7 l l .'lfc2 0-0 1 2 ...ie3 - just compare the two queen's bishops to see White's advantage; B) 3 . . . lllf6 4.e4 lllxe4 5 .dxc5 lllx c5 (or 5 . . .•a5+ 6.�d2 lllxd2 7.1fxd2 1fxc5 8.llla 3 ..id7 9.J:Ic l 'trb6 I O.lllc4 and White has a serious lead in development) 6.lllf3 (White prevents ... e7 -e5) 6 ... e6 7.l!Jc3 exd5 8.1Wxd5 �e7 (8 . . .1Wxd5 9.lllx d5 llle 6 I O . ..ie3 Bronznik; White's development is far superior) 9.1fxd8+ ..ixd8 I O .�e3 llle6 l l .�e2N and White's large lead in development in this open position gives him an obvious plus. -
3. c4xd5
This usually leads to White's winning the bishop pair at no cost. 3.
...
An alternative is 5 .dxc6 lllxc6 6.l:lxb I
'trxd4 (after 6 ...e5 7.�d2 1fxd4 8.1fxd4 exd4 9.g3 ..ic5 I O.�g2 White has the bishops plus pressure down the long di agonal) 7.'irxd4lllxd4 8.e3 lllc6 9.lllf3 . White has a clean bishop pair advantage, but the symmetric pawn structure makes it harder to exploit than the game contin uation. 5.
...
•d8xd5
6. lLlg1 -f3
ll:lb8-d7
7. �c1-d2
ll:lg8-f6
7 . . . lll b6 8.1fc2 ti)f6 (8 . . .1fxa2 9.e4) 9.a3 (or 9.e3, transposing to 9.1Wc2 in the game) 9 . . . llle4 I O.�c3N e6 l l .e3 ..ie7 1 2 ...id3 lllxc3 1 3 .bxc3 g6 (in case of 1 3 . . . ..ixa3 1 4.c4 'ifaS+ 1 5 .�e2 �b4 1 6.J:Ihc l g6 1 7 .'trb3 ..ie7 1 8 .c5 lLldS 1 9.1Wxb7 0-0 20.�fl White will win the c6 pawn) 1 4.0-0 0-0 I S .c4 1Wd7 1 6 .a4 and White is much better, with ideas like a4-a5 followed by c4-c5 , or lLleS .
�f5xb1
8. e2-e3
ll:ld7-b6
3...lllf6 4.�f3 lLlxdS S.lllbd2 transposes to 2 . . .lllf6 above. 4.
•d1 -a4+1 c7-c6
9. •a4-a5
excellent untried gambit line is 9.11fc2N 11fxa2 I O.�d3 g6 l l .e4 �g7 1 2 .0-0 'lfe6 1 3 .J:Ia l 0-0 1 4.J:Ia3 'lfc8 I S .J:Ifa I a6 1 6 .h3. Now White has more
An
5.
24
J:la1xb1
Chapter
than adequate compensation for the pawn, namely the bishop pair, posses sion of the pawn center, better piece placement and development, and more space. 9.
...
lL!f6·e4
After 9 . . . e6 1 O.�d3 lLle4 1 l .a3 �e7 1 2.0-0 lLlxd2 1 3 .1i'xd2 0-0 1 4.e4 1i'd7 JS.:bd 1 White dominates the center, and Black's knight is not effective. Still, this appears to be Black's best way to play the line. 1 0. Wa5xd5
lL!b6xd5
I
-
Chigorin .Ddmst
Game 1.2 vo 14.9 (00 7) 0 Kazhgaleev,Mwtas • Mila.dinovic,Igor Sibenik tt, 2008 (2) 1.
d2·d4
d7·d5
2. c2·c4
lLlb8·c6
Chigorin's Defense. 3.
lL!b1 -c3
lLlg8-f6
4.
c4xd5
lLlf6xd5
5.
lL!g1 -f3
To deter ... e7 -e5.
.:1 Air �A E i i i i i i i
�
tLJ
� £3:,
ttJ £3:,£3:, £3:,£3:,£3:,£3:, a: �'iV� � 1d. 5. ... 11.
..id2·a51N
White actually played I I .i.d3 ?! ll::lxd 2 I V�xd2 e6, losing the bishop pair and most of his advantage, and went on to lose the game. 11.
_
e7·e6
ll . . b6?! 1 2.i.d3 . This is much better for White than the main line due to the weakness of c6. .
12.
..if1 -d3
1 3.
�e1·e2
lL!e4·d6
this position, White has a clean advan tage of the bishop pair plus an advantage in space. In
..ic8-g4
A) The rare 5 . . . e5 may be relatively the best move here: 6.dxe5 i.b4 7 .i.d2 ll::l x c3 8 . bxc3 i.aS 9.'ira4 0-0 I O.e3 i.d 7 l l .i.e2 'ti'e7 1 2 .0-0 and here White's inferior pawn structure gives Black some but not full compensation for the pawn; B) S ... i.fS 6.'irb3 e6 7 .e4 tl:\xc3 S.exfS ll::ld s 9.i.d2 :bs (after 9 ... 1i'd6 I O.l:lc l 0-0-0 l l .i.bS lLlde7 I 2.fxe6 11fxe6+ 1 3 .'irxe6+ fxe6 1 4 ..i.c3 White has the bishop pair and better development as well as a target on e6) I O . .i.c4 .i.b4 l l . .i.xb4lLlcxb4 12.0-0 0-0 1 3.fxe6 fxe6 1 4.l:lae I - the e6 pawn is weaker than the d4 pawn, the outpost square eS is very
25
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
useful for White, and the bishop is beuer here than a knight; C) 5 . . . tbxc3N (this novelty is probably beuer than either bishop move here) 6.bxc3 e5 7 .d5 e4 8.dxc6 1Wxd I + 9.�xd l ex£3 I O.ex£3 bxc6 l l ...ic4 ..id6 1 2.:e I + �f8 1 3 ...ie3 - White has supe rior development, and his doubled pawns are not as bad as Black's. 6. e2·e4
tlJd5xc3
After 6 . . .-ix£3 7 .gx£3 tbxc3 8.bxc3 e5 9 .d5 ltJbS I o.:b I i.cS I J .:xb7 0-0 n.:g 1 tbd7 1 3 .-igSN 'ires 1 4.:b l �h8 1 5 .i.h3 , White's pin on the knight and his bishop pair offset his poor pawn structure, so he is ahead by the strong pawn on d5. 7.
b2xc3
e7·e6
I O.tbxe5 1Wf6 I J ...ie2 b5 ( l l . . .c6 1 2 .dxc6 1Wxe5 1 3 . ..ixg4N 1Wxc 3 + l 4.'�e2 1Wxc6 1 5.1Wxc6 bxc6 1 6.:d l tbf6 1 7 ...i£3 and White has the bishops and superior piece placement; or 1 1 . ..1Wxe5 1 2.i.xg4 0-0-0 1 3 .0-0 ..icS 1 4.:b 1 :he8 1 S .:xb7 �xb7 1 6.hd7 :xd7 1 7 .1Wxd7 i.b6 1 8.c4 and Black has no defense to cS and 1Wc6+) 1 2. 1Wxb5 1Wxe5 (after 1 2 ... :bs 1 3 .1Wa4 ..ib4 1 4 . ..ixg4N ..ixc3 + 1 5 . �e2 ..ixeS 1 6.1Wxd7+ �f8 1 7 . :b t Black should re sign) 1 3 .hg4 ...xe4+ 1 4.1We2 1Wxe2+ 1 5 .he2 ..id6 1 6.:b l and White is up a pawn and the bishop pair for nothing. 8.
.J:la1 ·b1
i.f8·d6
After 8 ... :bs 9 ...a4 h£3 I O.gx£3 1Wd7 t t .i.bS :cs
7 ... e5 8.d5 tbb8 (in the event of 8 ... ..ixf3 9.1Wxf3 ltJaS I 0.1Wg3 1Wf6 l l ...igs 1Wd6 1 2.-ibS+ c6 1 3 .dxc6 bxc6 1 4.:d I 1Wc7 1 5 ...ie2 White has both the bishop pair and much beuer development) 9.1Wa4+
Analysis diagram
Analysis diagram
9 ... ltJd7 (in case of 9 ... i.d7 I 0.1Wb3 b6 l l .tbxe5 1We 7 1 2 .i.f4 f6 1 3 . tbxd7 'ti'xe4+ l 4.i.e2N 'ti'xf4 1 5 .tbxf8 �xf8 1 6.0-0 Black has no compensation for his loss of castling and boxed-in rook) 26
1 2 ... c4! N a6 1 3 . ..ia4 b5 1 4.:xb5 ! axbS 1 5.hb5 wds 1 6.hc6 •e7 1 7 .1Wbs White has overwhelming compensation for the exchange: two pawns, bishop pair, and an unstoppable passed a-pawn. In the line 8 . . . hf3 9.1Wxf3N tbaS I O.i.d3 White has the bishop pair and much superior development. The knight on the rim is dim. 9.
.J:lb1xb7
0·0
Chapter I
.i
'it'
.1 �
�l:r�
� .i. i
���
.i. ttJ � � � �'ii � � �
� 1 0.
1-0
��
�f1 -e2
1 0.1l'a4! was even stronger as it forces ... llJbS. 1 0.
...
ttJc6-a5
11.
llb7-b1
c7-c5
1 2. o-o
Wd8-e7?
After 1 2 . . . cxd4 1 3 .cxd4 llb8 l 4.1lxb8 .xb8 1 5 .h3 White is just a good center pawn up. 1 3.
0 Bareev,Evgeny • Klima,Lukas Ohrid n. 2009 (S) 1 . d2-d4
d7-d5
2. c2-c4
ttJb8-c6
3. ttJb1 -c3 4. d4-d5
d5xc4
OM
..tg4-h5
14.
ttJf3-g5
�h5xe2
1 5.
'tfd1 xe2
c5xd4
1 6.
c3xd4
h7-h6
1 7. ttJg5-f3
'fie7-c7
18.
l:la8-c8
llf1-e1
ttJc6-a5
This move loses a knight for three pawns. 5.
'tfd1 -a4+ c7-c6
6.
b2-b4
.I
·�
1 3 .e5 ! �c7 1 4.�a3 �b6 1 5 .11'a4 wins material.
Game 1..3
vo 14.8 (007)
h2-h3
1 3.
Chigorin Defcnst
I don't know if Black resigned here or the score just stopped. but anyway Black has no compensation for the center pawn.
---"---
�
-
.i. 'ii' � .i. � .i i
·���
� � 'ii � i ttJ £::, � £::, � £::, � � w � ttJ l:r 6.
...
b7·b5
6 . . . cxb3 7 .axb3 e6 8.�d2lLixb3 9.Wxb3 exd5 I O.e4 d4 l l .�c4 1l'e7 1 2 .lbce2 three pawns are not quite enough for a knight. White is much better, as the d4 pawn is weak and Black will have trouble castling. 7. 'fia4xa5
'fid8xa5
8.
b5-b4
b4xa5
9. ttJc3-d1 10. e2-e4
c6xd5 e7-e6
27
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
1 9. g2-g31N
11.
This improves over the game. Black can't keep the three pawns he needs to offset White's extra knight. The actual game wem 1 9 .a6+? �b6 20.g3 �eS 2 1 .ltJxe6 fxe6 22 ...ih3 (22.f4 kept some advan tage) 2 2 . . .[5 23 .:he l ..ic3 24.l:te2 �cS 2 5 .ltJg2 l:ld6 26.�b l l:lbS 2 7 .ltJf4 eS 28 .ltJxdS draw agreed.
ltJg1 -f3
l l .ltJe2 may be even stronger, if White plans to fianchetto the king's bishop.
1 9. ...
.ic7xa5
20. f2-f4
.
:ha-ea
21.
.if1-g2
�b7-a6
1 1 . ...
ttJg8-f6
22.
:h1-e1
f6-f5
1 2. e4xd5
e6xd5
23 . .ig2-f3
1 3. �c1-e3
White will also win the dS pawn.
Black has 2 1/z pawns for the knight: the aS pawn looks doomed but has nuisance value. White can blockade on d4 so he only has the pawn on c4 to worry about. 1 3.
...
.if8-d6
After 1 3 ... ltJe4 1 4.ltJd4 �d7 1 5 .0 ltJcS l 6 . ..if2 ltJe6 I 7 .l:lb I White is starting to consolidate his material plus. 14.
.ie3-d4
.id6-c7
1 5. ttJd1-e3
.ic8-e6
1 6. .id4xf6
g7xf6
1 7. 0-0-0
o-o-o
1 8.
�c8 b7
ttJf3-d4
-
vo 14.8 (D0 7)
Game 1.4
D Gyimcsi,Zoltan • Rabiega.R.obert Austri� Staatsliga, 2004/05 ( I 0) 1.
d2-d4
d7-d5
2. c2-c4
ttJb8-c6
3.
lLJb1-c3
d5xc4
4.
d4-d5
lL!c6-e5
5 . f2-f4
s.ttJf3 ltJxfl+ 6.exf3 eS 7 .hc4 .i.d6 8.0-0 ltJe7 9.ltJe4 0-0 I O . ..id2N is a sim ple path to a slight edge based on space. White plans l:le I , l:tc I , ..ib3 , and ltJcS .
i ttJ
�&
�
� �� �� � � 'tlVw � ttJ l::r 28
Chapter
5.
-
lLle5·d7
5 ...�g4 6.e4 e5 7 .�f.3 �c5 8.h3!N (also sttong but more complicated is 8.'tt'a4+! c6 9.hc4 �7 I O.h3 lLle3 l l .dxc6 bxc6 1 2./0xes 0-0 1 3 .he3 he3 1 4.J:ld l 'tib6 I 5 .J:lfl ..xb2 1 6 ..bf7 + lW7 I 7 .J:ld3 exg2 1 8 ...c4 �6 1 9 ...xa6 ..g3+ 20.�d l lb£4 2 1 ...c4+ whs 22.J:le I •g5 23.lDfl+ lW7 24.' ..xf7 �c5 25.Wc2, when White is up the exchange for a pawn in an otherwise balanced position) 8 ... �e3 (after 8 ...�f2 9...a4+ �d7 I O ...xc4 lLlxh l l l ...xc5 �g3 1 2.�b5 J:lc8 1 3 .d6 White gets more than enough compensa tion for the exchange) 9 .he3 he3 I O.fxe5 �7 1 l .hc4 lbg6 1 2.�b5+ �d7 1 3 ....a4 a6 1 4.hd7+ ..xd7 1 5 ...xd7+ �d7 1 6.e6+ fxe6 I 7 .dxe6+ �xe6 1 8.�5 �4 1 9 .0-0 J:la£8 20.l:tad I c6 2 1 .lbxf4+ ttJx£4 2 2.g3 lbg6 23.l:tf2 and White has the better endgame, with ideas of�4+ and l:tfd2; If 5 ...�g6 6.e4 e6 (or 6 ... e5 7.dxe6) 7.dxe6 •xd l + 8.�xd l fxe6 9.hc4 �d7 I O.lbf.3 0-0-0 l l .Wc2 White has the better pawn structure and better development. 6.
e2·e4
7. a2-a4
1 0.
-·
-
Chigorin Defense
.if8·b4
For I O ...�c5 l l .�bS+ Wf8 1 2 .dxe6N �xe6 1 3 . f5 ..xd l + 1 4.J:lxd l �b3 1 5 .J:ld2 see the comment in the note after move 1 3 ; the bishop's different location doesn't change anything. 1 1 . �c4-b5+ wea-ta 1 2.
d5xe6N
The actual game went 1 2 .d6?! ..xd6= 1 3 ...0 g6 1 4.lbe2 Wg7 1 5 .0-0 lbe7 1 6. �h I �c6 I 7 .J:lad I ..c7 1 8 .lbg3 �d7 1 9 .£5 l:thf8 20 .We3 f6 ?! 2 I .e5 �xc3 ?! 22 ...xc3 fxe5 2 3 .f6+ �h8 24.f7 and Black resigned. 1 2.
...
1 3. f4·f5
.ic8xe6 1Wd8·h4+
After 1 3 . . ...xd l + 1 4.l:txd l �b3 I S .J:ld2 Black has a severely crippled majority on the queenside and so White is almost a pawn ahead. Black's bishop pair is offset by his boxed-in rook. 14. we1 ·f1
l:la8·d8
1 5. 1Wd1 ·c2
.ie6·c8
16.
1Wh4-e7
lLlg1 ·f3
llJd7·b6
1 7. lLlc3·d5
1We7·c5
a7-a5
1 8. lLld5xb4
a5xb4 lLlg8·f6
8.
.ic1·e3
e7·e6
1 9. 1Wc2·c1
9
.ie3xb6
c7xb6
20. 1Wc1 ·f4
•
I
1 0. .if1 xc4
• i i � � � "iV t2J � w
.I i
� M 29
The Kaufman Repertoire for While
White is effectively a pawn up due to Black's tripled pawns being no better than White's two queenside pawns. 20
.
..•
•c5-c2
21 .
l:la1 -c1
l:.d8-d1 +
22.
l:lc1 xd1
•c2xd1 +
30
23. lLlf3-e1
i.c8-d7
24.
...f4-b8+
lL!f6-e8
25.
•b8xb7
.id7xb5+
26.
a4xb5
White is a healthy pawn up and should therefore be winning.
Chapter 2
Black Gambits chapter we consider various ways in which Black can offer a pawn for compen Wion against our Queen's Gambit, other than the important Benko Gambit which is c:o1;·ered in the Benoni chapter. As a rule these gambits are rather dubious, but for vari ous reasons. We start with Albin's Counter Gambit l.d4 dS 2.c4 eS?! (the unsound Englund Gam bit 1 -.eS? is also covered here) in Game 2 . 1 . In this
that after 3.cheS d4 4.lL.If3 lL.Ic6 S.d . which prevents ... i.b4+ while preparing i.b2 , Black can regain the pawn but only at the price of a clearly inferior posi llOil, and otherwise he gets very little compensation for his pawn. I am indebted to Kiril Georgiev's book Squeezing the Gambits for much of this analysis. Grandmaster Hikaru �ura used to play this gambit, but I doubt that he will do so any more. Game 2 . 2 features the even more dubious Fajarowicz Gambit, l.d4 lLlf6 2.c4 eS?! !I SttJilS
b-4- and
l.AiuS lLle471 .
� � � � � tt:J � iV w � tt:J � � �
31
The Koufman Repenoire for White
Since the idea is to check on b4, 4.a3 seems natural, and White plans to annoy the knight by 'irc2. Then 4 b6 is logical so as to render 'irc2 pointless due to . . . �b7, so White just develops with S .li)f3 and 6.li)bd2. Whether the knight exchanges or re treats, Black has next to nothing for the pawn . The Budapest Gambit (3 lLlg4 instead of the above 3 . ..lLle4?!) is a more serious variation. •••
..•
Although 4.li)f3 (recommended in Squeezing. .. and other sources) does give some ad vantage, I think White should try for more with 4.M4 lLlc6 S.lLlfl, when after 5 ...�b4+ White has the pleasant choice between 6.li)bd2, which usually wins the bishop pair, or 6.lLlc3 which I opt for here, which actually tries to retain the pawn. Black can regain it in one key line, but he doesn't equalize and may lose the pawn back again. Black will wreck White's pawn structure by 6 ...hc3+, but this costs Black the bishop pair on top of the sacrificed pawn so White doesn't mind too much. See Game 2.3. Finally we come to the Blumenfeld Gambit, which is a pretty good one if you must play a gambit as Black. In our main repertoire we simply avoid it, but I include it as it can be played against you if you start with J .ll)f3 or if you choose to allow the Queen's In dian rather than the Nimzo or if you decline the Benko by 4.li)f3, all of which are widely recommended. The standard move order is l .d4 lLlf6 2.c4e6 3.lLlfl c5 4.d5 b51?.
J: .. .t. 'ii' • .t. 1: • • • • • . ..
!:.:, !:.:,
ttJ l:.:, l:.:, l:.:, l:.:,
: tD itJW w � 32
:
Chapter 2
-
Black Garnbit.s
White can win a pawn by taking on e6 and then on bS, but Black gets nearly enough compensation in theory, probably fully enough for practical play. Most books recom mend declining by S .J.g S , but it is not completely convincing. Instead, the rare move 5�4- (J) seems to be at least as good, maybe better, and is almost unknown. The main point is that in the s . .Q.gs lines Black often plays . . . i.e7 at some point and threatens the tactical rrick ... tLlxdS. With the bishop on f4 this is not a problem. See Game 2.4. VO I S.S (DOS)
Game 2.1
0 Peralta,Fernando • Perez Candelario,Manuel Ayamonte, 2006 (S) 1.
d2-d4
d7-d5
l ...eS ? (Englund Gambit) 2.dxe5 tLlc6 3.tLlf3 and now: A) 3 ... d6 4.J.g5 1i'd7 S.exd6 and Black is down a pawn for nothing; B) 3 ... f6 4.e4 fxe S S.i.c4 and White's �dvantage is huge; C) 3 . . . tLlge 7 4.tLlc3 h6 (4 . . . tLlg6 s .Q.gs) s . .Q.f4; D) 3 ....Q.cs 4.a3 !N. White plans b4 and .i.b2 to solidify his exira pawn. Black has DO good reply. E) 3 . . . 1i'e7 4.i-f4 1i'b4+ 5 .J.d2 1Wxb2 6.l0c3 .Q.b4 7.l:lb l 1i'a3 B.ttJdSN .Q.xd2 + (after 8 . . . i.a5 9.l:lb5 i.xd2+ I 0.1i'xd2 �d8 l l .e4 White has much better devel opment and the threat of 1 2 .1i'g5 +, and, unlike Black, he can still casde) 9.1i'xd2 �d8 I O.e4 1Wxa2 (else .Q.c4 and Black doesn't even have a pawn for his wretched position) l l .l:ld I 1Wa5 1 2.c3 ttJge7 1 3 .i.e2 h6 1 4.0-0 ttJg6 I 5 .ttJd4 and with ideas like lObS or f4, White should win (on l 5 ... ttJxd4 l 6.1i'xd4 c6?, 1 7 .l:la I ! wins the queen) . .
2. c2-e4
3. d4xe5
d5-d4
4. lt:lg1 -f3
lt:lb8-c6
5.
a2-a3
I borrow heavily from Squeezing the Gam bits by Kiril Georgiev for this game, as I agree with most of his conclusions.
.I .t. ii' • .t. � .l i i i i i i � � �i � ttJ � ���� ki tt:J � 'if \t> � :g 5. ...
�g8-e7
A) S . . . aS 6.ttJbd2 J.g4 7.h3 i.xf3 8.lbxf3 i.c5 9.h4 (to meet . . . ttJge7 by hS) 9 . . . h6 l O.g3 1i'e7 l l .i.f4 - with 1i'a4 planned, White is better; B) S . . .J.g4 6.b4 and now:
e7-e5
This is the rather dubious Albin's Counter Gambit.
Analysis diagram
33
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
B 1 ) In case of 6 . . . 1i'd7 7.lLlbd2 lLlge7 8.h3 .i.e6 9.b5 lLla5 1 0.1i'a4 b6 1 l ..i.b2 cS 1 2 .bxc6 lLlexc6 1 3.lLlxd4 .i.cS 1 4.e3 0-0 1 5 .lLlxe6 1i'xe6 1 6 .l0f3 1i'g6 1 7 .1Wd I l:lad8 1 8.1i'b I Black certainly does not have enough compensation for two pawns and the bishop pair; B2) 6 . . . 1We7 7 .ttJbd2 0-0-0 8 . .i.b2 lbxeS 9.lbxe5 1Wxe5 I O.h3 .i.hS l l .g4 .i.g6 1 2 ....a4 �b8 1 3 . .i.g 2, when Black will shortly lose his d4 pawn to ttJf3 and lb(or �)xd4. C) 5 . . . .ie6 6.lbbd2 lbge7 7 .tlJb3 lLlfS 8.1i'd3 aS 9 . .if4 a4 1 O.ttJbd2 �c5 l l .tlJg5 �d7 1 2 .lLlde4 �b6 1 3 .0-0-0 h6 1 4.tlJf3 - it's hard to see any compensa tion for the pawn here. 6.
1i'd8xd4
9.
'it'd1 xd4
1 0.
..ib2xd4
t:Lle5xc4
11.
e2-e3
t:Llc4-d6
1 2.
tbb1 -d2
�c8-d7
1 3. a3-a4
14.
f7-f6
�f1 -e2
Equally good was 1 4..id3 .ie7 1 5.0-0 0-0 1 6.l:lfd 1 l:lfd8 1 7.l:lac 1 l:tac8 1 8.�c2 b6 I 9 ..ib3 +, when White's bishops are far su perior to Black's, and White has a healthy center pawn vs. Black's backward c-pawn.
b2-b4
14.
...
tbg6-e7
If 1 4 ...lLlf5 1 5.�c3 �b4 1 6 .�xb4 axb4 1 7 . 0-0 Black cannot avoid I S .l:lfb I .
6. ...
t:Lle7-g6
If 6 . . ..i.g4 7 . .ib2 tlJfS 8 .... d3 g6 9 ....e4 �xf3 I O.exf3 Black has very little for the pawn and bishop pair. 7. �c1-b2
a7-a5
If 7 ...ttJcxeS 8.ttJxe5 lLlxeS 9.e3 .i.e6 I O.bd4 t:Llxc4 l l ....c2 lbd6 1 2 .�d3 White's bishops and queen are more active than Black's, and his extra center pawn is more useful than Black's wing pawn. 8.
34
b4-b5
tbc6xe5
1 5.
o-o
tbe7-d5
1 6.
:lf1 -c1
c7-c6
17
b5xc6
�d7xc6
1 8.
..id4-c5
lLld6-f5
•
1 9. lLld2-b3
Chapter
White's majority is healthy, while Black's is crippled by the backward pawn, and White's development is much superior. 1 9.
.
..
llJd5-b4
.i.c5-b6
�c6-d7
21 . .i.b6xa5
llJb4-c6
22.
.i.a5·b6
�d7·e6
23.
llJb3-c5
�f8xc5
24.
�b6xc5
20
•
'"
25. l:tc1·b1
�e8·f7 llJc6·a5
e3-e4
llJf5-e7
27.
lLlf3·d4
�e6·d7?1
28.
l!Jd4·b5
llJe7-g6?1
29. l!Jb5·d6+
Black resigned as White wins at least a piece on top of his pawn lead.
VO 1 7.7 (AS I )
Game 2.2
D Hillarp Persson,Tiger • Romero Holmes,Alfonso Benidorm Bali, 2003 (2) 1.
d2·d4
llJg8-f6
2. c2·c4
e7·e5
3.
llJf6·e4?1
d4xe5
Black Gambits
with his choices against the Budapest and Benko Gambits.
K • • ,
K � .t. 'ii' • .t. . • • ,
� ���� n tZJ � 'i¥ \t> � tt:J J!l 4.
26.
30.
-
�
White is just a pawn and the bishop pair up with the better position. 24.
2
The Fajarowicz Gambit. 4. a2·a3
The knight's position on e4 can only be justified by ... �b4+, so we prevent it. Some of the following lines are taken from the book Squeezing the Gambits by Kiril Georgiev. I fully agree with his lines in that book against the Fajarowicz and Albin's Counter Gambits, but disagree
...
b7-b6
A) 4 ... d6 5 ...c2 �fs (5 . . . lLlc5 6.exd6 �xd6 7 .lbf3 and White is a clear pawn up; S . . . dS 6.ltJc3 ltJxc3 7 ...xc3 d4 (7 . . . dxc4 8.ltJf3) 8 ... d3N llJc6 9.llJf3 with b4 or e3 next, White should emerge a clean pawn ahead) 6.ltJc3 llJg3 7 .e4 lLlxh I 8 .exf5 dxeS 9 .�e3 lLlc6 I O.lLlf3 transposes to the next note with 6 ... �f5 ; B) 4 . . .llJc6 5.lLlf3 d6 (S . . .a S 6 ...c2) 6 ...c2 dS (on 6 ... �f5 7.lLlc3 llJg3 8.e4 lLlxh I 9 .exfS dxeS I O.�e3 lLld4 I l .'tl'e4 White will trap the knight on h I and emerge with two bishops for rook and pawn, a 1 11. pawn net plus) 7 .e3 �g4 (7 . . . �e6 8.b4) 8.cxd5 .. xdS 9.�c4 ..aS+ I O.lLlbd2 - White is winning, with superior development and an extra pawn; C) 4. . . 'tl'h4 S .g3 'tfhS 6-.�g2 ..xeS (6 . . . lLlcS 7 .llJc3 planning llJdS should win.) 7 ...c2 lLlf6 8.lLlc3 and Black has regained his pawn, but White's lead in development will reach decisive proportions. 5.
l!Jg1 -f3
�c8-b7
6.
l!Jb1 ·d2
•d8·e7
In case of 6 . . . llJcS 7 .b4 tLJe6 8.�b2 Black has nothing for the pawn. 35
The Kaufman Repcnoire for While
6 ... a5 7. 'il'c2 (7 .lLlxe4 �xe4 8.�f4 looks even better) 7 . . . lLlc5 8.b3 (it is a good general rule that if you have pawns on a3 and b2 and Black has a pawn on aS, you should play b2-b3 before he can safely play a5-a4, which 'freezes' your queenside due to the en passant rule. Qf course this applies equally to all four quadrants of the board) 8 ... lLlc6 9 .�b2 �e7 I O.e3 and Black's compensation is miniscule. 7. •d1 ·c2
25.
�c1·c2
�c8-d7
26.
b2-b4
l:le8-e5
27.
rlg1·d1
l:lh5·h7
28.
l:ld4-d5
l:lh7·e7
29.
�c2·c3
�d7·c6
30.
a3·a4
a7·a6
31 .
l:ld5xe5
l:le7xe5
lLle4xd2
8.
�c1xd2
lLlb8·c6
9.
.id2·c3
0·0·0
1 0. 0·0·0
� .1 .*- E 1 .*- l l 'i+' l l l ·�
Black has nothing for the pawn.
32.
h4·h5
g6xh5
33.
l:ld1 ·h1
a6·a5
34.
b4·b5+
�c6·c5
35.
l:.h1 xh5
d6·d5
36.
.tth5·h6
d5xc4
37.
.tth6·c6+
�c5-d5
38.
.ttc6xc7
wd5·e4
39.
.ttc7xc4+
we4·f3
rlh8-g8
40. l:lc4-f4+
Wf3·e2
•c2xh7
g7·g6
41 . wc3·d4
l:le5·c5
1 2.
... h7·h4
'ite7xh4
42. e3·e4
f5xe4
13.
lLlf3xh4
rld8-e8
43.
�d4xe4
�e2·d2
10.
...
11.
14.
lLlh4·f3
.if8·g7
44.
�e4-d4
�d2·c2
1 5.
e2-e3
tLlc6xe5
45 .
.ttf4-f6
wc2-b3
16.
lLlf3xe5
.ig7xe5
46.
l:lf6xb6
.ttc5·c4+
1 7.
�c3xe5
l:.e8xe5
47.
�d4-e5
l:lc4-c5+
18.
h2·h4
l:.g8·h8
48. �e5·f6
.ttc5·c2
1 9.
l:lh1 ·h2
rle5·h5
49. f2·f4
.ttc2·g2
20.
g2·g3
�b7-f3
50.
l:lb6·c6
.ttg2xg3
21 .
l:ld1·d4
f7·f5
51 .
b5·b6
l:lg3·g4
22.
�f1 -g2
�f3xg2
52.
cM&-e5
.ttg4·g8
23.
l:lh2xg2
rlh8·e8
53.
b6·b7
.ttg8·b8
d7-d6
54.
.ttc6-b6+
wb3xa4
24. l:lg2-g1
36
1 ·0
Chapter 2 - Black Gambits vo 1 7.2 (A5 2) D Ni.kolic,Predrag • Hector,Johnny
Game 2.3
Germany Bundesliga, 20 I 0/ I I (5) 1.
d2-d4
tLlg8-f6
2.
c2-c4
e7-e5
3.
d4xe5
lLlf6-g4
The Budapest Gambit. 6. lf.Jb1-c3
4. �c1 ·f4
4.lilf3 is often recommended lately, but 4.�4 seems to give a larger advantage.
.i ' ' '
l � .t. if � .i.
' ' ' '
This move aims to keep the gambit pawn. My computer analysis insists that it is the best move. Both knight moves score very well for White. Also good is 6.l0bd2 1We7 7 .e3 lOgxeS 8.lLlxe5 ltlxeS 9 .�e2 0-0 I 0. 0-0 �xd2 (else ltlb3) l l ....xd2 d6 1 2 .b4, when Black has little compensa tion for the bishop pair. 6.
4. ...
lLlb8-c6
4 . . . g5 5 .�g3 �g7 6.ltlf3 ltlc6 7 .lilc3 lLlgxeS 8.t!Jxe5 lLlxeS 9 .e3 d6 I O .h-4 g4 (if I O . . . h6 l l .cS �e6 1 2.cxd6 ...xd6 1 3 ...xd6 cxd6 H.hxgS hxgS 1 5 .11xh8+ .i.xh.S 1 6.l0e4 White wins a pawn) I l .h5 .i.e6 (I l . . .h6 l 2 .�h4 f6 1 3 .f-4 gxf3 1 4.gxf3 .i.e6 I S .f-4 lLlc6 1 6 .ltld5 ... d7 1 7 . .i.d3N llf8 1 8.�g6+ Wd8 1 9 .llg l White has an outposted knight and con ttol of the open g-file, and Black has lost the right to castle) l 2.h6 .i.f6 1 3 .l0d5 hds 1 4 .... xd5 c6 I S ... d2 ..,d7 1 6.0-0-0 and Black has no compensation for the lost bishop pair. 5.
lf.Jg1 -f3
�.f8·b4+
...
�b4xc3+
6 ......e7 7.1i'd5 f6 8.exf6 ltlxf6 9 ....d3 ltle4 I O.�d2 (Komodo prefers I O.g3) I O ...ltlcS l l . ...c2 (or l l ....e3 ...xe3 1 2 . .i.xe3) l l . . . d6 1 2 .ltld5 .i.xd2 + 1 3 ....xd2 ...d 7 1 4 ....e 3 + lLle7 I S.ltld-4 (or I S .b-4) I S ...c6 1 6.ltlxe7 ...xe7 1 7 ....xe7 + Wxe7 1 8.e3 and White is a clean pawn up. 7. b2xc3 8.
'ti'd8-e7
'ti'd1 -d5
E I .t. � i i i i if i i i � WI � � �� � 4J � ���� � � :g :g 8.
...
f7-f6
37
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
8 . . . '5'a3 9.:lc l f6 1 0.exf6 li:lxf6 1 1 .'5'd 1 '5'xa2 l 2 .hc7 '5'xc4 1 3 .e3 White has the bishop pair and a nice home for his bishop on d6.
14.
"'
b7·b6 �g8-h8
1 5.
J:lb1-e1
1 6.
.if4·g5
.ig4xf3
1 7.
11'd3xf3
lLJc6-e5
11'f3·b7
ttJe5xc4
�g4xf6
1 8.
1 0. 1l'd5·d3
d7·d6
1 9. 1Wb7xa7
11.
0·0
9. e5xf6 g2-g3
1We7·e5
Or 1 l . . .li:le4 l 2 . .ig2 lLJcS 1 3 .'5'e3 li:laS (after 1 3 ... li:le6 l 4.1We4 0-0 1 5 .li:lg5 li:lxgS 1 6.1Wxe7 li:lxe7 I 7 ..ixgS White keeps his extra pawn) 1 4.'5'xe7+ �xe7 I S . .igS + �e8 1 6 .lLld2 .ie6 1 7 . .ie3 lLJa4 1 8 .0-0 �d7 1 9 .c5 lLJxcS 20 ..id4 :lhg8 2 l .f4 and White has a solid bishop-pair plus. 12. .if1 ·g2
.tc8-g4
1 2 ...:le8 1 3.0-0 '5'xe2 1 4.'5'xe2 :lxe2 1 S .li:ld4 lLJxd4 1 6.cxd4 h6 1 7 .:lfe l :lc2 1 8.:lec I :lb2 1 9 .:lcb 1 :lc2 20.hb7 hb7 2 l .:Xb7 :lxc4 2 2.:lc l :lxc l + 23.hc l lLJdS 24..i.d2 with the better endgame; the rook on the 7th rank and the option of .ias should net White a pawn, though Black keeps good drawing chances; 1 2 . . . lLJe4 1 3 .0-0 lLJcS 1 4.'5'e3 .ie6 I S .lLJd4 .i.xc4 1 6.li:lxc6 1Wxe3 1 7 ..i.xe3 bxc6 1 8 . .ixc6 :labS 1 9 .:lfb l .ixe2 20 ..id 5+ �h8 2 I . .i.xc5 dxcS 2 2.:lxb8 :lxb8 23 .:le l :lb2 24 ...if3 ..ibS 2 5 .c4 .i.a4 26.:le7 :lxa2 2 7 .:lxc7 gS 28 .:lxc5 White retains his extra pawn. 1 3. 0-0 14.
�a8·e8
�a1 ·b1
Also good is 1 4-.:lfe I lLJd7 I S .lLJd4 lLJce5 1 6.'5'b l lLlb6 1 7 .a4 cS 1 8.lLJf3 li:lg6 1 9 .lLJg5 .ifs 20 .e4 tbxf4 2 l .gxf4 .ig6 2 2 .a5 li:ld7 2 3 .li:lh3 b6 24.'5'bS White's extra pawn is better than it looks, because Black also has weak pawns. 38
20.
1Wa7-a6
Better is 20.1Wxc7 ! :lc8 2 l ..ixf6 1Wxf6 22.1Wa7 lLld2 2 3 .1Wxb6 :lxc3 24.a4 and White will emerge with two good pawns for the exchange and a very strong bishop. 20.
"'
1We5·c5
21 . .ig5xf6
J:lf8xf6
22.
J:le1·d1
c7-c6
23.
J:ld1 ·d4
d6·d5?1
After 23 . . . lLJe5 24.e3 h6 2 5 .'5'e2 Black has just a litde for the pawn minus. 24. e2·e4
tlJc4-e5
25. e4xd5
1i'c5xc3
26.
�d4·d1 ?
26.1Wxb6! cxdS 2 7 .1Wb5 :lff8 28. :lf4 and White has both an extra pawn and the superior minor piece. 26.
-
c6xd5
27. J:ld1 xd5
J:le8·f8
28. •a6-e2
ttJe5·f3+
Choprer
h7-h6
29. wg1 -h1 30. l:lf1 -d1
tilf3-g5
31 .
:d5-d8
•c3-c5
32.
:d8xf8+
•csxf8
2
-
Game 2.4 Bl 3.7 {E l O) D Javakhishvili,Lela • Muzychu.k,Mariya Rijeka, 20 I 0 (9)
33.
l:ld1-d2
.Z:f6-e6
1.
d2-d4
tilg8-f6
34.
•e2-f1
•f8-e7
2.
c2-c4
e7-e6
35.
l:ld2-d1
l:e6-e2
3.
tilg1 -f3
c7·c5
36.
wh1·g1
l:le2xa2
4.
d4·d5
b7-b5
37. ...f1 -c4?1 38.
w91 -t1
.Z:a2-e2 .Z:e2-e6
39. ·c4-c8+ wha-h7?
Block Gambits
The Blumenfeld Gambit. Note that our main repertoire avoids it, but I include it in case you want to start with l .lbf3 or if you want to play 4.lbf3 against the Benko or if you want to allow the Queen's In dian rather than the Nimzo. In all of these cases you must have an antidote for the Blumenfeld. 5.
.ic1 -f41
This rare move now looks like it actually may be better rhan the standard moves 5 .�g5 or 5 .dxe6 . 40.
•ca-c2+?
40.�d5! l:f6 4 1 .�g8 +, as in the game, or 4 1 .h4 should win.
¢>h7-h8 40. 41 . ...c2-c8+ wh8-h7?
.� .. ..t tf � j_ .i i i i i i i .. i i� �
After 4 1 . ..' ..e8 42.1Wxe8+ l:xe8 43 .l:d6 White is better but Black should draw. 42. �g2-d5
.Z:e6-f6
43. �d5-g8+ wh7-g6 44.
:d1-e1
•e7-f8
45. •ca-c2+ wg6-h5 46. �g8-d5
·f8-b4
47. f2-f4
:f6-f8
48.
•c2-d1 + wh5-g6
49.
•d1 -d3+ wg6-hs
50. l:le1-b1 51 .
:b1 -b5
·b4-c5 1 ·0
5.
'"
e6xd5
A) Afrer 5 . . .bxc4 6.ltJc3 : A I ) 6 . . . d6 7 .e4 e5 8.�c l tbbd7 9.lLld2 - White wants to take on c4 with his knight, which wasn't doing much on f3 . He has a nice space advantage and will probably prepare f1-f4: A2) 6 ...... b6 7.e4 �a6 8.l:c l White plans lb-d2-c4; 39
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
A3) 6 ... i.b7 7 .e4 exdS 8 .exd5 The b7 bishop may find itself staring into a strong pawn. White has a nice space edge; A4) 6 ...'W'a5 7 .i.d2 'W'b6 8.e4 exdS 9.exd5 i.a6 I O.llJeS White will take on c4 with the knight next with a clear ad vantage. B) For S . . .'W'aS+ 6.llJc3 bxc4 see the previous note; C) S ... d6 6.dxe6 i.xe6 7 .cxb5 dS 8.e3 and Black doesn't have enough for a pawn. 6.
c4xd5
d7·d6
In the event of 6 . . ....a5+ 7 .tt:lc3 tt:le4 8.'W'c2 Black is falling way behind in de velopment. After 6 . . . i.b7 7 .d6 tt:lh5 8. 'W'c I Black will lose the right to castle. 7. e2·e4
1 3 .i.d3 0-0 1 4.0-0 aS I S Jife l tt:lb6 1 6 . :ad I i.. b 7 1 7 .b3 Black has no counterplay on the queenside and can only defend against eS. It's a bad Benoni for him) l l .tt:lxe4 'W'xe4 1 2.i.d3 'W'e7 1 3.0-0 'W'd8 1 4.i.g5 White's develop ment lead is decisive. Black is already set up for the next game! 8.
...
..if8-e7
With 8 . . . lbbd7! 9.a4 :bs Black avoids conceding the c4 square, though White is still better. That's why I prefer 8.a4! . 9.
a2-a4
b5·b4
1 0.
a4-a5
llJb8-d7
11.
h2-h3
•d8-c7
1 2.
Wd1 -c2
lLld7-f8
1 3.
llJd2-c4
lLlf8-g6
14.
..if4-h2
14.
...
a7·a6
White is better off than in the main line with S .i.gS , because after a later . . . i.e7 White often has to waste a tempo with i.f4 due to the threat of . . . .llJxdS.
lLlf6-d7
1 4 ... 0-0 I S.:d I :es 1 6 .i.d3 White is clearly better, but has no quick breakthrough. 8.
tt:lb1 -d2
Even better was 8.a4! 'W'e7 (for 8 . . . b4 9.llJbd2 i.e7 see the game) 9.i.e3 ! b4 I O .llJbd2 llJxe4?! (but also, after 1 o . . . llJbd7 1 1 . 'W'c2 g6 1 2 .h3 i.g7 40
1 5. lla1-d1
After I S . 'W'a4! 0-0 1 6. 'W'c6 1fxc6 1 7 .dxc6 lLldeS 1 8.llJfxe5 lLlxeS 1 9.lLlxe5 dxeS 20.i..xe5 White is a healthy pawn up.
Chapter 2 - Black Gambits
0-01?
1 5. ...
Or 1 S ... f6 1 6 .�e2 - Black is totally pas sive but at least White has to work for the win. 1 6.
e4-e5
1 7. i.f1 -e2
l!:ld7xe5 d6xe5
20.
Wc7-c6
.t
Wg2-g5
•d7-g4
•g5xe3
27. Wg4xh4
•e3-b3
28.
c5-c4
11d1 -d2
l!:lg6xe5
1 9. llJf3xe5
.i
...
26.
11f8-e8
1 8. .i.h2xe5 d5-d6
25.
.i � .t i i i
�� � i i i tt:J
With three pawns, better pawn structure, better placed pieces, and a safer king for the bishop, Black has an edge. 29. .i.e2-d1
21 .
Wc2-d3?
Better was 2 l .dxe7! Wxg 2 2 2 .11fl �xh3 23.llJb6 llab8 24.1i'xcS 1i'b7 2S.IIg l •xe7 26.1i'xe7 llxe7 2 7 .�xa6, when White has a piece for two pawns and a killer passed a-pawn. 22 .
...
.i.e7-h4?
He should have played 2 l ... �f6 22.d7 i.xd7 2 3 .1i'xd7 1i'xg2 24.1i'dS e4 Black has fair compensation for the piece here. 22.
d6-d7
Wb3-a2
30.
Wh4-g5
:aa-b8
31 .
llf1 -g1
g7-g6
32.
';te1 -e2
3 2 .llg4 was better. 32 .
...
llb8-b5
33.
Wg5-f6
Wa2xa5
34.
Wf6-c6
llb5-e5
35 .
Wc6xc4
e4-e3
36.
lld2-d3
e3xf2+
37.
we2xf2
lle5-f5+
38.
.i.d1 -f3
Wa5-e5
39.
Wc4-c2
We5-h2+
40.
llg1-g2
Wh2xh3
.i.c8xd7
41 . Wc2-d2 llg2-g3
a6-a5 Wh3-h2+
23.
•d3xd7
•c6xg2
42.
24.
Ah1 -f1
e5-e4
43.
llg3-g2
Wh2-e5
44.
�2-f1
We5-b5
45.
llg2-e2
lle8xe2
46.
•d2xe2
wg&-g7
47.
b2-b3
llf5-e5
25.
l!:lc4-e3?
After 2 S.tlJd6 lle7 26 .Wc6 llf8 2 7.lDf5 lle6 28.1i'xc5 Black would not have enough for the piece.
41
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
48.
We2-d2
h7-h5
49.
�1-g2
Ae5-g5+
50.
Citg2-h1
Citg7-h7
51 .
..tf3-g2
'it'b5-e5
52.
l:td3-d7
Cith7-g7
53.
l:td7-d3
Ag5-g4
54.
wh1 -g1
Ag4-h4
55.
l:td3-f3
'it'e5-d4+
56.
Wd2-f2
'it'd4xf2+
57. l:tf3xf2
Ah4-g4
With four pawns for the bishop Black is bener. . .
42
... but I think White should draw and that is what he did in the end, on move 88.
Chapter 3
Dutch Defense The Dutch Defense, l . .. f5 or I . . .d6 or l . . .e6 followed by 2 . . .f5, is a bit odd in that it does not aid development and it does expose the king a bit. However, it has one vir tue; it aims at the ideal formation of knight directly behind pawn after ... tbf6, whereas the usual early . . . tbf6 blocks the f-pawn. It is fairly popular, so we must take it seriously. My solution is to meet 1 6 ••.
by 2.i.gS. This avoids all normal Dutch lines, and takes play into paths dictated by White. Black cannot simply win the bishop by 2 . . .h6 3 .i.h4 g5 4.i.g3 f4? due to 5 .e3, threatening mate and the f4 pawn. Furthermore the move ...h6 is in general W1desir able due to the weakening of square g6. The reply 2 tbf6 is met by 3 .Lf6 when the Black king is a bit weak and the dou bled pawns are not so healthy. In general doubled pawns are weaker when (as here) the rear pawn is not on its home square. The 'Stonewall' move 2 d5 is not very logical here with the white bishop on g5, as . . . e6 is not an option and ... h6 or ...tbf6 have drawbacks as already explained. The rare move 2 c6, planning . . . 11tb6, is a serious option, which we meet by 3.l!Jd2 planning to gambit the b2 pawn. See Game 3 . I for all of these tries. Probably best is 2 g6, but this does give White ideas based on h4-h5. See Game 3 . 2 . All i n all I don't think that Black can equalize after 2.i.g5 . •••
•••
•••
•••
Probably Black should play the Dutch only on move 2. Ifhe wants to play the Leningrad Dmch he would play l. d6 first. Then 2.c4 fS or 2.l!Jf3 fS gives him what he wants. So I advocate 2.e4, transposing to the Pirc, Modern, or Philidor Defense, which I cover in a separate chapter. ..
43
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
If Black wants to play a Stonewall or Classical Dutch, he plays l ...e6 2.c+ 6 . He can also check on b4, and after we block with the bishop, he can trade bishops (3 . . . a5 is a major alternative) when we should take with the queen because with pawns on c4 and d4 a knight is much better placed on c3 than on d2. Then Black can either play it like a Dutch (4 ... f5) or like a Bogo-Indian (4 ... lLlf6) . In either case we fianchetto, content with the exchange ofBlack's beuer bishop. See Game 3 . 3 . After 2.c4 f5
we can play 3.lLlf3 lLlf6 +.lLlc3 �M S.ft3, keeping open the option of �g 5 . We aim to win the bishop pair without suffering bad pawns, just as in the 4.'ifc2 Nimzo. See Game 3 .4. Alternatively. we can play S.�d2 followed by a kingside fianchetto, reason ing that Black wiU either lose time with his bishop or will lose the bishop pair eventu ally. This is my preferred option at this time. See Game 3 . 5 . Finally we come to the English Defense, l.d+ e6 2.c+ b6.
It is related to the Dutch in that Black often plays an early . . . f7-fS . It is rather tricky, but ifWhite studies Game 3 . 6 he should be able to count on a decent advantage. We meet it by the critical 3.e4 �b7 4.�d3, after which Black can choose between 4 ...fS S.exfS 44
Chapter 3
-
Dutch Defense
hg2 ( ?) , which wins a rook but should lose the game if White plays the best lines, or 4 . . f5 5.exf5 �b4+ 6.Wfl , when Black loses a pawn for some but inadequate compensation, or 4 ... �b4+ 5 . .i.d2 �xd2+ 6 ... xd2 with a modest positional advantage for White, or 4 ... tbc6 5 .tt:le2 lbb4 6.tbbc3 when White loses the bishop pair but gets a dream position for it. .
(ASO)
Game 3.1
Here's a look at the alternatives: A) 2 . . .tbf6?! 3 .�xf6 exf6 4.e3 d5 trans poses to the game; B) 2. ..h6 3 .�h4 g5 4.e3 tbf6 5 . ..ig3 d6 6.h4
play a Stonewall if White defends against that. I don't like the Dutch Defense, espe cially on move I , but if I had to play it I would probably choose 2 . . . c6 here) 3 .tt:ld2 (I like this move because 3 .tbc3 makes the Stonewall 3 . . . d5 look decent, while 3 .tbf3 takes away the check on h5 (after e2-e3), making 3 ... h6 playable) 3 .....b6 4.e3! (of course White can de fend in various ways, but then the Stone wall is much better than in the note to move 3 ) 4. . .11'xb2 5 . ..id3 d5 6.tbe2 g6
K � .t 'it' � .t I i i i ' i � i i i � � � � 888 �8 ll tt:J 'it' w � tt:J M
' � �� 8 'i¥ 8 tt:J tt:J 8 8 8 M � 'it' �
Analysis diagram
Analysis diagram
6 . . . g4 (6 . . . 11g8 7.hxg5 hxg5 8 .tbc3 e6 9 ...d2 ..e7 1 0.0-0-0 tbc6 l l .f3 �d7 1 2 .e4 - White's development, pawn cen ter, and control of the open file give him a clear advantage) 7 .h5 ..ig7 8.tt:lc3 c6 9 . ..id3 •as I O.lZJe2 0-0 l l .tbf4 e5 1 2.dxe5 dxe5 1 3 ...ic4+ Wh7 1 4.tbe6 and White wins the bishop pair cleanly; C) 2 ...c6 (this is probably the best alter native to 2 . ..g6. The main idea is to attack the undefended b-pawn by . . ... b6, or to
7 .c4!N (the 'rule of thumb' is that if you get 3 tempi for a pawn, that's a good deal. It's hard to count tempi here, but I think White has at least the needed three, as the black queen is a liability) 7 . . . 1l'a3 8.tbf4 e6 9.h4 tbh6 I O.IIb l �g7 I J .IIb3 ..f8 1 2. 0-0 - White has tremendous compen sation for the pawn in terms of develop ment, space, and king safety, but no clear winning plan. He has ideas like h4-h5 and/or f2-f3.
HD 12.12
0 Moskalenko,Viktor • Karlsson,Lars Sitges, 2009 (8) 1.
d2·d4
2. i.c1 -g5
f7·f5 d7·d5?1
45
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
3. e2·e3
tbg8·f6
Or 3 . . . c6 4.c4 'irb6 (Black needs to move the queen to permit ... e7 -e6, but in the Stonewall the queen normally goes to the kingside. White's bishop on gS makes the Stonewall ineffective) S .'irc2 e6 6.ltJc3 ltJd7 7.�d3 lL!gf6 8.ltlge2 ltJe4 9.he4 fxe4 1 o.lL!f4 ltlf6 1 1 . 0-0 �e7 1 2 .f3 exf3 1 3 .l:lxf3 - White has much better devel opment and kingside attacking prospects. Black's bishop pair is useless here. 4. �g5xf6 5.
6. ltlb1 ·c3
0·0
7. ...d1 -b3
�b4xc3+
8.
b2xc3
d5xc4
9.
�f1 xc4+
wg8·h8
1 0.
tbg1 ·e2
White has more center pawns, better de velopment, and better pawn structure, all for free. 1 0. ...
e7xf6
c2·c4
11.
5. ...
.if8·b4+
If Black has to surrender this bishop for a knight his opening is garbage, but other wise the pressure on dS is a problem: S . . .�e6 6.ltlc3 dxc4 7 .dS �f7 8.�xc4 �d6 9 .ltJge2 0-0 I O.ltld4 ... d 7 ?! ( 1 O . . . g6?! l l .h4 'ire7 I 2 .h5 ltld7 1 3 .ltle6 l:lfe8 1 4.hxg6 hxg6 I S.'ird4 and White has a winning attack; 1 O . . . 'irc8 (relatively best) 1 1 . 0-0 ltJc6! 1 2.dxc6 �xc4 1 3 . ..f3 bxc6 1 4.lUd 1 'ird7 1 5.11ac l and White will regain his pawn with much better pawn structure and de velopment. It is unlikely that Black will retain the bishop pair for long) l l .'iff3 g6 1 2 .lLle6N lieS 1 3 .g4 _.e7 1 4.gxf5 White wins a pawn for free. 46
c7·c5
h2·h4
There is nothing wrong with 1 1 .0-0 with a clear advantage, but the text looks even better. 11.
...
c5xd4
1 2. c3xd4
g7·g6
1 3. ltle2·f4
l0b8·c6
14.
J:a1 ·c1
14.
'"
Chap1er 3
1 4 ... lba5 was necessary: 1 5 .1Wb4 lbxc4 1 6.lbc4 l:lfl 1 7 .1Wb3 �g8 1 8 .l:lc3 1Wd6 1 9 .0-0 and White is obviously better as Black can only develop at the price of a pawn. 1 5.
h4-h5
g6-g5
1 6.
ll:)f4-g6+
h7xg6
1 7.
h5xg6+
�h8-g7
1 8.
.tc4-f7
J:f8-h8
1 9. l:lh1 xh8
wg7xh8
20.
�e1 -e2
...d6-h2
21 .
'lfb3-b1
wh&-g7
22.
l:lc1 -h1
•h2xg2
23.
:lh1-h7+
wg7-ta
24.
.tf7-c4
�-ea
25. g6-g7
ltJc6-e7
26.
1-0
'lfb1-b4
Black resigned in view of mate in 7 .
Game 3.2
HD 1 2. 1 3 (A80)
o Prie,Eric • Miralles,Gilles Besancon ch-FRA
8,
2006 (3)
1.
d2-d4
f7-f5
2.
.tc1-g5
g7-g6
This is generally considered to be the best move, though I have doubts in view of the h4 attack given here. 3.
lbb1 -c3
�
ttJ ��� ���� n � w � tt:J n
3.
...
-
Du1ch Defense
d7-d5
A) A more frequent move-order is 3 . . . .ig7 4.h4 and now: A I ) 4 ... lbf6 5 .h5 lDxhS 6.e4 h6 7 ..ih4 cS 8.llJd5 1WaS + 9.c3 llJc6N I O . .ie2 lbf6 I I ..ixf6 exf6 1 2.exf5 cxd4 1 3 . .ic4 dxc3 1 4.b4 11i'd8 (not 1 4 ... lbxb4?? I S .'lfe2+ with mate in 3) I S .fxg6 and White has overwhelming compensation for a pawn; A2) 4 ... h6 s ..if4 tLlf6 6.e3 d6 7 .1Wf3 0-0 8 . .ic4+ e6 9.lbge2 - White has more active pieces and can choose to cas tle on either side with a safer king in ei ther case; A3} 4 . . . lbh6 5 .1Wd2 llJfl 6.lbf3 dS 7 .0-0-0 c6 8 ..if4 lbd7 9.h5 0-0 I O.llJgS - White has an attack at no cost; A4} 4 . . . d5 5 .e3 transposes to the game. B) After 3 . . . lbf6 4 . .ixf6 exf6 S .e3 dS 6 ..id3 c6 7.h4 hS 8.llJh3 .ie6 9.llJe2N .ifl I 0.0-0 llJd7 l l .b3 1Wc7 1 2 .a4 aS 1 3 .c4 .ib4 1 4.lbef4 White's queenside initiative, the strong knight on f4, and the black doubled pawns give White more than enough for the lost bishop pair. 4. e2-e3
.if8-g7
In case of 4 ... c6 5 .h4 .ig7 6.tLlf3 .ie6 7 . .if4 lDf6 S.hs llJxhs 9.l:lxhs gxh5 I O.lbgS .ig8 l l ....xhS+ �f8 1 2 .1Wh3N e6 1 3 .1Wg3 White has a much safer king (after castling), much better develop ment, a better pawn structure, and the Black rook on h8 is a prisoner. This adds up to being more than enough for the lost exchange; After 4 . . . lbh6 S ..if4! llJfl 6.llJb5 tLla6 7 .c4 c6 8.llJc3 ebbS 9 .cxdS cxd5 I O . .i.xb8 l:lxb8 1 1 .1Wa4+ �d7 1 2 .�bS e6 1 3 .hd7 + 1i'xd7 1 4.1Wxa7 Black doesn't have much for the pawn. 47
The Kaufman Rtptnoire for White
5.
h2-h4
5.
...
h7-h6
A) S . . . c6 6 ..i.f4 t!Jf6 7 . hS ltJxhS 8.1lxhS gxhS 9.1txhS+ Wf8 1 0.i.d3 1te8 1 1 .1Wh2 t!Jd7 1 2 .i.xfS tbf6 1 3 .hc8 lbc8 1 4.0-0-0 1ths 1 5 .tbh3 .i.h6 1 6 .tbe2 i.xf4 1 7 .tbexf4 1Wfs 1 8.lbg5 - although White is down 14 of a pawn by my count, he has much better development, a much safer king, a better pawn structure, and the plan of f2-f3 fol lowed by g2-g4 or e3-e4, which is more than enough. B) In the event of 5 ... i.e6 6.tbh3 h6 7.i.f4 c6 8.i.e5 tbf6 9.g4N fxg4 1 0 .tbf4 .i.f7 1 1 ..i.d3 llg8 1 2 ..i.xg6 White is much better. He plans 1td3 and castling queenside. C) 5 ...tbf6 6.h5 llJxhS 7 .llxhS gxh5 8.1Wxh5+ wf8 9.0-0-0
.i
.t .t.
48
So what does White have for the ex change? Development, king safety, and pawn structure offer nearly enough. The clincher is that Black cannot safely hold on to the fS pawn , as this requires ... e7 -e6, which requires .... 1We8, which requires ... c7 -c6, and by the time Black does all of these things White will bring a knight to f4 with various threats: 9 ... c6 1 0.1th3N (this deters ... tbd7 , an ticipates ...1We8, and allows the bishop to retreat to h4 if attacked) 1 o ... h6 1 1 .i.h4 1We8 1 2.t!Jge2 lba6 1 3.t!Jf4 e5 1 4.tLlh5 f4 1 S .1Wf3 llg8 1 6 .tbxf4 exf4 1 7 .1Wxf4+ 1Wf7 1 8 .1t'd6+ and mate next. Of course this was not all forced but it just illus trates White's attacking ideas. D) After 5 ... tbh6 6.lbf3 lfJf7 7 .i.f4 c6 8 .1Wd2 lbd7 9.0-0-0 eSN 1 O.dxeS lfJdxeS 1 l .Wb 1 0-0 1 2 .ltJxe5 tbxe5 1 3 .hS g5 1 4.h6 .i.f6 1 5 .hes i.xeS 1 6.f4 gxf4 1 7 .exf4 .i.f6 1 8 .lfJe2 White has a much safer king and better pawns for the bishop pair. He can attack the black king and/ or the fS pawn. 6. i.g5-f4
c7-c6
In case of 6 .. .liJf6 7.lLlf3 t!Jg4 8.lLlbSN lfJa6 9.c4 c6 1 O.lbc3 White is clearly better with the initiative on both wings. 7. ...d 1 -f3
t!Jb8-d7
7 ... .i.e6 8.i.d3 llJf6 9 .hS llJxhS 1 O.llxhS gxhS 1 1 . .Lfs .hfs 1 2.1Wxh5+ Wd7 1 3 .1Wxf5+ e6 1 4.1t'h3 1Wf8 1 5 .0-0-0 - as usual in this line, once White has recov ered a pawn for the exchange his posi tional advantages are more than enough to offset the small material deficit. 8. ...f3-g3
We8-f7
9. lLlg1 -f3
lLlg8-f6
Chapter 3
1 0.
0-0-0
•d8-e8
-
24.
h4xg5
h6xg5
25.
tlJf4-h3
g5-g4
26.
tlJh3-f4
f5xe4
27. f3xe4 28.
ltd1 -h1
29.
lth1 -h5
29.
...
Dutch Defc:nsc
'li'c8-f8?1 ·f8-g7
1 1 . �f1 -d3
I l .i.e 2, planning li:)eS , looks even beuer. 11.
...
tlJf6-e4
1 2.
�d3xe4
d5xe4
1 3.
lbf3-e5+
tlJd7xe5
14.
�f4xe5
�g7xe5
1 5. d4xe5
�c8-e6
1 6. f2-f3
e4xf3
1 7.
lta8·d8
g2xf3
18. lbc3-e2
E E� '� .t ' ' � ' � � � ftJ!j � � � ttJ n <;t> � White has the classic knight vs. ba.d bishop advantage. plus a. much safer king. 1 8.
""
ltd8xd1 +
�e6-c8??
After 29 ... :hs 30.'ifh4 •xeS 3 J .llJg6! q;,xg6 3 2.:xh8 1Wg 5+ 3 3 .Wxg5+ �xgS 34.�d2 �f4 3 S .:h7 g3 36.�e l i.d7 3 7.:xe7 i.c6 38.e5 g2 39 .q;,f2 White is up the exchange, but perhaps Black can hold. 30. �c1 -b1 ?
3 0.lbd5 wins. for example: 3o . . . :hs 3 l ... f4+ q;,es 3 2 .ltJf6+! exf6 3 3 .exf6. Also winning is 30.e6+ i.xe6 3 l .lbxe6 q;,xe6 3 2 ...c7. 30. ... 31.
b7-b6?
�b1 ·a2?
After 3 1 .e6 + ! i.xe6 3 2 .llJxe6 �xe6 3 3 .'ifc7 White has a winning auack.
1 9.
lth1 xd1
•ea-ca
31.
20.
tlJe2-f4
lth8-g8
32. e5-e6+
..ic8xe6 lth8xh5
-
21 .
a2-a3
c6-c5
33.
•g3-h4
22.
e3-e4
c5-c4
34.
'li'h4xh5+
23.
c2-c3
g6-g5
ltg8-h8??
White wins the bishop. so Black resigned. 49
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
vo 22. 1 0 (A40)
Game 3.3
0 Giri,Anish • Carlsen,Magnus Monaco rapid, 2 0 1 1 (4) 1.
d2-d4
e7-e6
2.
c2-c4
�f8-b4+
.� .. .t "i¥ • .. � .t i .t i i i i i
3. �c1 -d2
White will fianchetto his king's bishop aiming for a Dutch or Catalan with the dark-square bishops exchanged. 3.
--
i.b4xd2+
Or 3 . . . a5 4.l!Jf3 and now: A) 4 ...l!Jf6 5.g3 A 1) 5 ... b6 6.�g2 �b7 7 . 0-0 0-0 8.�f4 �e7 9.llJc3 llJe4 1 0 .llJb5 c6 (if 1 O . . . l!Ja6 1 l . ...c2 fs 1 2 .a3 �f6 1 3 .1:lfd I Wc8 1 4.h4N the bad position of the a6 knight gives White the edge) 1 1 .llJc3 llJxc3 1 2 .bxc3 d6 1 3 .J:le I l!Jd7 1 4.e4 White's huge space advantage and the weak pawn on b6 give him the edge; A2) S ... dS 6.�g2 dxc4 7 .... c2 �xd2 + 8 .... xd2 c6 9.a4 bS 1 0 .llJa3 - this is a major Catalan line slightly in White's fa vor; B) 4 . . . d6 5 .g3 ...e7 6.llJc3 llJf6 7 .�g2 eS (in case of 7 . . . 0-0 8.0-0 llJbd7 9 .a3 �xc3 I O.hc3 llJe4 1 1 .�e 1 fs 1 2.l!Jd2 lbdf6 1 3 ....c2 White's bishop pair will so
give him a plus once the knight on e 4 is gone) 8.dxe5 dxeS (so far Zhu Chen Edouard, Gibraltar 20 I I ) 9.0-0 0-0 1 O ....c2N �xc3 l l .hc3 llJc6 1 2 .1:lad l and White has a solid bishop pair plus; 3 ... c5 4.�xb4 cxb4 S.e3 (Komodo pre fers simply S .llJd2) 5 . . . l!Jf6 6.g4!? I like this suggestion of Bronzni.k. As compared to many other openings where an early g2-g4 is played, here the pawn is pro tected and Black cannot strike the center with ... c7 -cS ( 6.a3 is the simple route w an edge) . 6 . . . d5 (6 . . . h6 7 .llJf3 ! ; 6 . . . 0-0 7 .llJd2) 7.l!Jd2 h6 8.llJgf3 llJc6 9.1:lg l �d7 1 0.�d3 (Komodo) . Bronznik pre fers J O.h4 or J O ....b3. In all cases White has the initiative with a timely g4-g5 and the right to castle queenside. 3 . . .... e7 4.tbc3 lbf6 5 .... c2 seems to me (and to Komodo) to be a slightly better version for White of the Classical (... c2) Nimzo. Being able to recapture on c3 with the bishop seems more valuable than having the queen on e7 . 4.
•d1 xd2
The queen recapture is best as the knight is much better posted on c3 than on d2.
4. ...
f7-f5
we have a Dutch with the dark-squared bishops traded, which tends to favor White.
So
Chapter 3
instead 4. . . �[6 S .g3 dS (in case of 5 ... 0-0 6.�g2 d6 7 .�f3 ... e7 8.�c3 eS 9.0-0 l:le8 I O.e4 �g4 l l .�e I �c6 I V�c2 White has a meaningful space advantage for free) 6.�g2 c6, If
E .i & .i. � � i i i i i i& i ��
Analysis diagram
-
Dutch Ddcnst
must be better as his bishop is attacking dS while Black's is defending; A2) 1 2 ... c5?! 1 3 .tt:Jfl !N l:lab8 1 4.cxd5 �xdS I S .ltJxdS exdS 1 6.dxc5 and White wins a pawn. B) 7 ... �e4?! 8 .... c2 ..aS+ 9.�bd2 �d7 I 0.0-0 �xd2 l 1 .�xd2 0-0 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3.he4 l:ld8 1 4.l:lad I (why didn't White take on h 7 ?) 1 4... �f8?! I S .c5 lt:Jg6 1 6.h4. Now, after 1 6 . . . h6? Black resigned due to 1 7 .lt:Jc4 ... c7 1 8 .�xg6 in Cheparinov-Filipovic, Biel 20 1 1 ; after 1 6 . . .f5 1 7 .�c4 ...c7 1 8 .�g2 White is much better. 5.
g2-g3
now we have a Catalan with the dark squared bishops off. With so many black pawns on light squares, that should favor White. (after 6 . . . 0-0 7.�f3 �bd7 8. 0-0 dxc4 9.a4 White plans lt:la3 , to regain the pawn favorably) 7 .�f3 and now: A) 7 ... 0-0 8. 0-0 lt:lbd7 9 ....c2 (9.Rc 1 is an excellent alternative) 9 . . . b6 1 O.�c3 �b7 l l .l:lfd 1 ...e7 1 2.lt:ld2 I don't advocate the fianchetto against the Dutch in general, although it is the main line, but with the bishop exchange it is quite good. 5
.
6.
.•.
�g8-f6
it.f1-g2
0-0
7. �g1 -f3
Analysis diagram
A I ) 1 2 ... l:lfd8 1 3 .e4 l:lac8 1 4.l:lac l h6 I S .exdS (also good is I S .eS ttJeS 1 6 ....a4 aS 1 7 .cxdS cxdS 1 8 .a3 and White's space advantage is obvious) 1 5 . . . exd5 1 6.cxd5 llJxdS 1 7 .ttJxdS cxdS 1 8 ....a4 and White
d7-d6
After 7 . . . �e4 8 ....c2 d6 9.ttJc3 lt:Jxc3 1 0 ....xc3 �d7 1 1 .0-0 ...e7 1 2 .b4 eS 1 3 .dxeS dxeS 1 4.c5 White's space advan tage and superior development favor him. 8. 0-0
Wd8·e7
9.
�b1 -c3
c7-c6
1 0.
llf1 -e1
d6-d5
51
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
This is the famous Stonewall Dutch, but White has already achieved the exchange of the dark-squared bishops, which is usu ally only possible at a serious cost to White in time. White simply must be better here, with no bad minor pieces to compare to Black's bad bishop. Probably Carlsen was not happy playing ... dS here so soon afler ... d6, but otherwise e4 next is too strong. In the event of I 0 ... e5 ?! I l .e4 fxe4 1 2.ll:Jxe4 ll:Jxe4 1 3 .:Xe4 � 14.:e3 ll:Jd7 I S.dxeS ll:JxeS 1 6.ll:JxeS dxeS 1 7 ...c3 :ae8 I S.:ae I White wins a free pawn .
.i � .t ii •.
1 5.
...
c6·e5
Black has managed to free his bishop. but he is still worse due to the backward pawn on e6 and White's central majority.
.. . i+' i i ·�
' !:!:, !:!:, t2J t2J £::, !:!:, !:!:, 'flj £::, £::, � 1:!:, 1:1 a: w
11.
1 5 .'ii'b 2 ! threatening l 6 .ll:Jg5 may be even better.
e2·e3
I prefer l l .'tt'c2 ! ll:Je4 (after l l . . .ll:Jbd7 1 2 .cxd5 cxd5 1 3 .ll:JbS ll:Je4 1 4.:ac l a6 I S .ll:Jc7 :bs 1 6.:ed 1 Black cannot un tangle without bad consequences) 1 2 .e3 ll:Jd7 1 3 .ll:Je2 �h8 1 4.ll::Jf4N and White is better. Black wants to play ... b7-b6 but then cxdS forces the undesirable recap ture with the c-pawn. White has much better development and the better bishop. He can aim for ttJd3 , lLlfeS, and f3 to ex pel the knight. 11.
...
lbb8·d7
1 2.
b2·b3
b7·b6
1 6.
a2·a41N
The acrual game went 1 6.ll:JgS?! hg2 1 7 .<�xg2 eS 1 8.lbfe6 ll:Je4 1 9.ll:Jxe4 'ii'xe6 20.ll:Jg5 ?! 'tt'xc4 2 l .dxcS ll:JxcS 22.:ec l ?! 'tt'd 3 23.'tt'xd3 ll:Jxd3 24.:c7 h6 25.ll:Jf3 :a 26.:c3 :d7. With a pawn up for nothing, Black won a long endgame. 1 6.
...
17.
'lfd2-b2
tLlf6-e4 tLle4-d6
18.
:le1-d1
llf8-e8
1 9.
lla1-e1
White is clearly better, with ideas of a4-aS and pressure on e6.
Game 3.4
HD 5.9 (A84) 0 Postny,Evgeny • Gleizerov,Evgeny Zagreb. 20 I I (7)
13. tLle3·e2
i.e8·b7
1. d2-d4
e7-e6
14.
tLle2·f4
d5xe4
2. c2-e4
f7-f5
15.
b3xe4
3. tLlg1 -f3
tLlg8-f6
52
Chapter 3 - Dutch Defense 4.
lDb1 -c3
5.
11td1 -b3
�f8-b4
l have a bit more confidence in S . .id2 (see next game) , but this line also gives White something.
.i
.i � .i. if � ' ' ' '
·�
' '
'
5.
...
6 . ..tc1 -g5
After I O ... h6 l l .hf6 .xf6 1 2.11ac I .ie4 1 3 . .11fd l aS 1 4.cSN bS I S .tbeS d6 1 6.cxd6 cxd6 1 7 .tbd3 tbc6 1 8.tbf4 hg2 1 9.�xg2 lLld8 20 .•c7 White has a large advantage in space and development. 11.
e6xd5
d4-d5
ln the event of I l . . eS 1 2 .• c2N .ic8 1 3 .tbh4 g6 1 4.llae l tba6 I S .e4 fxe4 1 6.11xe4 •g7 1 7 .11ee l White has the bishop pair and better development; l l ... h6 1 2 ..ixf6 •xf6 1 3 .llJd4N exdS 1 4.cxdS lLld7 I S .IIac l - White has pres sure on a backward pawn and a potential outpost on e6. .
11td8-e7 0-0
7. g2-g3
A decent alternative is 7 .e3 b6 8 . .ie2 .ib7 9.0-0 hc3 (after 9 . . . tbc6 1 o . .ixf6 Jb£6 l l .a3 .ixc3 1 2 .•xc3 tbd8 1 3 .cS White has some queenside initiative) I 0. •xc3 h6 ( I 0 . . . d6 l l .cS .idS I 2.l%fc I again, with a white queenside initiative) I I .hf6 •xf6 1 2 .l%ac l d6 1 3 .cS bxcS 1 4.dxcS •xc3 I S .l%xc3 .ixf3 1 6 . .ixf3 dS I 7 .b4 - a bishop is better than a knight with opposite-side majorities. 7. ...
b7-b6
case of 7 ... tbc6 8.a3 .ixc3 + 9 .• xc3 d6 I O . .ig2 eS l l .dS tbd8 1 2 .0-0 li)f7 1 3 . .ie3 aS 1 4.b3 White has the bishop pair and a plan of queenside expansion, though Black does have some compensat ing kingside play. ln
8. ..tf1 -g2 9. o-o 1 0.
11tb3xc3
1 2. c4xd51N
The game went 1 2 .tbd4 cS 1 3 .llJxfS •d7 1 4 . • c2 d4 I S . .ixb7 •xb7 1 6.llJxd6 •d7 1 7 ..ixf6 •xd6 I S . .igS llJc6 (Black has fair compensation for the pawn with his space advantage and active rooks pressing on second-rank pawns) 1 9 . f3 llae8 2 0.11ae l d3 2 l ... xd3 •xd3 2 2 .exd3 l%xe l 2 3 .11xe l llJd4 24.f4 tt::lf3 + 2 S .�f2 lLlxe l 26.�xe l h 6 27 ..ih4 hS 28 .h3 g6 29.�£2 �f7 30 .�f3 lieS 3 l .g4 hxg4+ 3 2.hxg4 llh8 33 . .if2 , draw.
�c8-b7
1 2.
...
..tb7xd5
..tb4xc3
1 3.
llf1 -d1
..td5-e4
d7-d6
14.
lDf3-d4
.ie4xg2
S3
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
1 5.
�g1 xg2
d6-d5
After 1 5 . . . g6 1 6.Aac l cS 1 7 .'tfb3+ �h8 1 8 .lLle6 lLlc6 (not 1 8 ... Af7 ? 1 9 .lLld8 Af8 2 0 .'tfe6 and White wins material) 1 9.lLlxf8 Axf8 20.'tfd3 White is up the exchange for just a pawn. 1 6.
ll:Jd4xf5
•e7-e6
1 7. ll:Jf5-d4
•e6-d7
18.
J:f8xf6
�g5xf6
1 9. ll:Jd4-f3
Due to Black's lack of development, the threat of e2-e4 is hard to meet.
HD S.9 (AS S)
Game 3.5
0 Onischuk,Alexander • Ivanchuk,Vasily Reggio Emilia, 20 1 0 / 1 1 (3) 1.
d2-d4
f7-f5
2. c2-c4
'Llg8-f6
3.
llJb1 -c3
e7-e6
4.
ll:Jg1 -f3
We would reach this position by 1 .d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3 .lLlf3 lLlf6 4.llJc3. 4. ...
�f8-b4
5.
J.c1-d2
o-o
6.
g2-g3
.i � .t 'i¥ ' ' ' '
6.
54
...
.a • ·� .l
' '
•d8-e7
After 6 ... b6 7 ..ig2 .ib7 8.0-0 'tfe 7 9 .Ac 1 d6 1 0 .d5 eS 1 1 .lLlgS �c8 1 2 .'tfc2N lba6 1 3 .a3 hc3 1 4.hc3 llJcS 1 S.b4 White has a queenside initia tive and the bishops. 7.
J.f1 -g2
ll:Jf6-e4
In case of 7 . . .d6 8.0-0 aS 9.'tfc2 llJbd7 1 O.l:hcl Ab8 1 l .i.gSN hc3 1 2 .'ifxc3 h6 ( 1 2 . . . b6 1 3 .tlJeS!) 1 3 ..ixf6 llJxf6 1 4.llJh4 �h7 l S .'tfxaS White wins a pawn. 7 . . ..ixc3 8.hc3 lLle4 9.Ac l (this line is very similar to the Bogo-Indian Defense) 9 . . . d6 I 0.0-0 llJd7 l l .'tfc2 tlJdf6 1 2 .lLld2 llJxc3 1 3 .'tfxc3 eS 1 4.e4N llJxe4 1 5 .llJxe4 fxe4 1 6.i.xe4 c6 1 7 .dxe5 dxeS 1 8.Afe 1 'tff6 1 9.Ac2 - Black has no compensation for the isolated pawn. 8. 'Llc3xe4
f5xe4
9.
d7·d5
llJf3-e5
9 ... hd2+ l O.'ifxd2 dS 1 1 .0-0 lLld7 1 2.lLlg4 lLlf6 1 3 .llJxf6+ Axf6 l 4.f3 exf3 1 5 .hf3 c6 1 6.e4 and White is dearly better, with the initiative in the center and Black's bishop both bad and undeveloped. 1 0.
0-0
'Llb8-d7
11.
J.d2-f4
lL:ld7xe5
12. J.f4xe5
J.b4-d6
1 3. J.e5xd6
•e7xd6
Chapttr 3
14.
when White has the bener bishop and the plan of f2-f3 exf3 i.xf3 md then e2-e4. -
1Wd6·b6
1 5. Wb3·c3
�c8-d7
16.
1Wb6-a6
c4-c5
3.
e2·e4
More often seen is 3 .tbf3 or 3 . a3, often transposing to Queen's Indian lines, but as we are avoiding that opening we play the main line, which is probably the best move.
1 7. f2·f3
•a6xe2
3.
...
1 8.
••2·d3
4.
�f1 ·d3
l:la1·e1
Dutch Dtfcnsc
The English Defense.
Wd1·b3
1 4.llc I ,
14.
-
1 9. f3xe4
•d3xc3
20.
b2xc3
�d7·c6
21.
e4xd5
�c6xd5
..ic8-b7
.i � '+!' • .t. � E j. j_ j. j. ... . ... j. .t.
K.
j. j.
Valeri Bronznik's book 1.d4 - Beat the Guer rillas! was helpful for lhis game. 4. 22.
�g2xd5
Wilh 2 2.a4 l:lae8 23.a5 White would have some queenside initiative. 22.
"'
e6xd5
23.
l:le1·e7
:tf8xf1 +
24. wg1 xt1
:ta8·f8+
25.
Wf1·e2
:ta-f7
26.
l:le7-e8+
1h-112
Game 3.6
vo 3.5 (A40)
D Likavsky,Tomas • Bnnzmann, Dimitry Jenbach AUT 2007/08 (4) d2-d4
e7·e6
2. c2·c4
b7·b6
1.
...
f7·f5
A) 4 ... i.b4+ S .�d2 ..ixd2 + 6.1hd2 (capturing with the knight is more com mon, presumably due to fear of ... f7 -fS , but I think it is unnecessary to make the concession of developing the knight to the inferior square d2) 6 . . .f5 7 .tbc3: A I) 7 . . . tl:lh6 8.tbf3 0-0 9 .0-0±; A2) After 7 ... tbf6 8.f3 fxe4 9.fxe4 d6 I O.tl:lf3 tl:lbd7 I 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.l:lae I White has a clear lead in space and development; A3) If 7 . . fxe4 8.he4 he4 9.llJxe4 tl:lf6 1 O.tLlc3N 0-0 I l .tl:lf3 tLlc6 1 2.0-0 with more space and superior development; B) The move 4 ... tl:lc6 is fairly popular. It aims to win the bishop pair, but the price is high: s.tt:Je2 ti:Jb4 6.tDbc3 tl:lxd3 + 7.1i'xd3 d6 (7 ... g6 8.h4!) 8.0-0. .
ss
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
B32) 9 ... lL:lf6!N 1 0.d5 i.g7 l l .fS 0-0 1 2. fxe6 fxe6 1 3 ..ig5 eS 1 4.tfh3 :f7 I S .:f2 .ic8 1 6.tfg3
Analysis diagram
White has a lot of space and development for the sacrificed bishop pair: B l ) 8 . . . lL:le7 9 .d5 tfd7 I O .a4 aS l l .lL:lbS g6 1 2..�.e3!N White threatens to take on e6 and then on b6. Black can de fend by 1 2 ... e5 but then 1 3 .f4 is strong. Black is in trouble here; B2) s . . . lLlf6 9.ds i.e7 1 o.lLld4 ( I O.tfg3, recommended by Avrukh, is also quite strong) I O ... tfd7 l l .b3 0-0 l 2.11fh3 exd5 1 3.lLlxd5 :adS 1 4.11fxd7 :xd7 1 5 .lLlxe7+ :xe7 1 6. f3 . This is rec ommended by Bronznik. White has more space, a much more effective bishop, and threats of lL:lfS and lL:lbS . Of course the bishops of opposite color do give Black fair drawing chances, but the presence of knights mitigates this problem; B3) 8 ... g6 9.f4 (Komodo prefers the po sitional but untried 9. �f4, with a modest yet fairly clear edge, but also likes the text) 9 ...lL:le7 I O.fS!N ex£5 ( I O ...gxf5 l l .lL:lg3 ! regains the pawn favorably) l l .i.gS ! i.g7 (in case of 1 1 .. .fxe4 1 2.lLlxe4 there is no satisfactory answer to the threat of lLlf6+) 1 2.exf5 f6 1 3 .lLlf4! 0-0 1 4.lLle6 tfd7 1 5.lLlxf8 :xf8 1 6.i.f4 lLlxf5 - White is up just IJ.. of a pawn by my count, but also has the better position due to the smothered bishop on g7 and the control White will have ofthe only open file. 56
Analysis diagram
White has kingside pressure, and the closed position favors knights over bish ops, which compensates for Black 's bishop pair. 5.
e4xf5
.i.f8-b4+
5 . . . hg2 ?! is tempting as it wins a rook, but with correct play White wins it back with interest: 6.1t'h5+ g6 7.fxg6 i.g7 8.gxh 7 + �fS 9.i.gS lL:lf6 I O.ifh4 � I l l .lLle2 and now:
Analysis diagram
A) After 1 1 ... c5 1 2 .lLlf4 lLlc6 1 3 .lLld2 lL:lxd4 1 4.0-0-0 i.f3N 1 S .:g 1 � f7 1 6.1t'g3 i.g4 1 7.Lf6 11fxf6 1 8.11fxg4
Chaprrr 3
-
Durch Defense
�6 1 9.�g6+ We7 20.�e4 White will emerge ahead by his dangerous 7th rank
1 0. ...
e6xf5
passer;
1 1 . c4-c5
.i.d6-e7
1 2.
�g8-h8
B) 1 1 ... l!Jc6 1 2 .l!Jd2 eS ( 1 2 . . . Wf7 1 3 .l!Jf4 l!Jxd4 1 4.�g6+ Wf8 1 5 .0-0-0 .i.c6 1 6.l!Jh5 wins for White) 1 3 .0-0-0 e4 1 4 . .i.xe4 i..xe4 1 5. l!Jxe4 l:lxh 7 1 6 .•f4 �f7 1 7 . .J:ld3 and Black is help less against l:tf3 , or if 1 7 . . . 1i'e7 then 1 8 ..J:le3 . 6 . �e1 -f1
..id3xf5
1 3. c5xb6 14.
h2-h4
lbg8-f6
With this gambit Black hopes to prove that the loss of castling by White is worth a pawn, but it should not be so. 6 ... exf5 7.c5! bxcS 8.a3 c4 9 . ..ixc4 i..d6 I O.l!Jc3 l!Jf6 l l .l!Jf3 •e7 .
J: .i � � i .t i i 'if i i .t � i
So far Seirawan-Schussler, Malmo 1 9 79, which continued 1 2..�g5 Wd8 with an obvious White edge. After Komodo's 1 2.l!Jh4!N g6 1 3 .1i'b3 ..ie4 1 4.£3 ..ic6 I S . .i.gS 1i'g7 1 6 . .J:le I + �d8 1 7 .dS the bishop has no escape.
White aims to develop the rook via h3 . 14. ...
1 5.
�f5-c2
1 6.
�1-g1
...
8. a2-a3
�b4-d6
1 7.
l:lh1 -h3
9.
•d8-e8
1 0. ..ic1 -g5
White scored no less than 5 1/1 out of 6 in master and grandmaster level games from here.
..ie7-d6
1 6.b4! .J:la8 1 7 .hS tLlc6 I S.�g I was even stronger, with an attack plus an extra pawn. 16.
l[)b1 -c3
.:.a8-a5
1 4 . . . l!Jh5 I S ..i.c2 1i'f7 1 6 . .J:lh3 t!Jc6 I 7 . �g 1 ..id6 1 8 .i..e 3 is similar to the game; After 1 4 ... l!Jd5 1 5 .1i'c2 tLlxc3 1 6.bxc3 i..xf3 1 7 .gxf3 'lt'hS 1 8 .11t'e4 .J:lxa3 1 9 ..J:lxa3 i..xa3 20.Wg2 White's bishop pair offsets his bad pawns. He has ideas of .J:la I , or 1i'g4 11t'f7 hS, or .J:le I . Black can not develop his knight without losing d 7 .
o-o
7. l[)g1 -f3
a7xb6
·e8-h5
Black now has no compensation for the pawn. 17. ... 18.
tLlb8-c6
..ig5xf6?1
57
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
1 8 .b4! l:taa8 1 9 .ltJb5 , as suggested by Bronznik in his book, was best, when White is better without even counting his extra pawn. 1 8.
·-
g7xf6
1 9. ttJc3-e4?I I 9 . .i.e4
leaves Black down half a pawn with a broken structure. 1 9. 20.
-·
ttJe4-g5?1
.i.d6-f4
20.
...
'it'h5-g4?
20 ... ltJe7! would have roughly equalized 21 .
'it'd1 -d3
Now White is winning. 21 .
000
f6-f5
22.
l%a1-e1
lla5-d5
23. �c2-b3
lld5-d6
24. d4-d5
ttJc6-a5
25. �b3-a2
25 .1i'c3+ CiPg8 26.l:te7 was a faster win. 25.
...
26.
b2-b4
h7-h6?
Again, 26.1i'c3 + won more quickly. 26.
...
�h8-g8
27. b4xa5
h6xg5
28.
1 -0
h4xg5
There is no defense to 11'c3.
58
Chapter 4
Plrc, Modern, and Philidor This chapter starts with the moves l .d4 d6 2.e4, transposing to King's Pawn territory. We could instead play 2.c4, when 2...e5 is a good reply, as is the Leningrad Dutch 2...f5 , or 2.lbf3 when (aside from transposing to the King's or the Old Indian) Black em choose between 2...i..g 4 or the Leningrad Dutch again. Also, in either case Black em play . . . g6 and . . . ...ig7 without . . . tt:lf6, requiring us to learn another opening. Since I don't consider the Pirc, Modern, or Philidor as defenses to be avoided, I thought it makes more sense to switch to e4 lines. This also has the advantage of giving king 's pawn players something they can use in the White half of this book!
First we consider 2 g6 3.lLJc3 i.g7, the so-called 'Modern' Defense, though it's old enough now, so that the name seems a bit funny. •••
:1 6\ .t i¥ • .. . i i i i i .t i i
Black refrains from an early . . . lbf6, which would transpose to the Pirc. We now play 4-i.el, aiming to transpose to our anti-Pirc line. In Chess Advantage I argued against i..e 3 here on the grounds that a quick Wd2 and i..h6 is impossible, choosing a totally different line against the Modern move order. I now feel that this is unnecessary, be cause if Black refuses to play . . .lbf6, we can switch to f4 instead of Wd2, as will be ex plained iyo 4. 1 . Since n Black �is determined to avoid the Pirc, he plays 4 a6, aiming at queenside counterplay with ... b5, . . . lbbd7, ... ...ib 7 , and . . . c5. This line is called 'Ti ger's Modern', after grandmaster Tiger Hillarp-Persson who wrote a book on it by that name. •••
More usual is 2...ll'lf6 3.llJc3 and now either 3.. e5 or 3 g6. The move 3 e5 was rare when I was a kid, as White can trade pawns and queens to force Black to forfeit cas tling. .
.••
•••
59
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
i. � .t. 'ii' • .t.
i.
' ' '
' ' '
' � �
�
lLJ �� � � � � :s � � � � lLJ :S However it is now generally recognized that the right to castle is of limited value with out queens, as long as the king has a secure square in the center, c7 or e7 in the presenl case. While White is surely better, the chance of a draw is rather high and White's ad vantage is pretty small. So while I recommended that course of action in my first book, this time I opt for the main line with 4.liJf3 (now it's a Philidor Defense) 4 liJbd7 (4... exd4 5.t'Dxd4 i.e7 is also an important line, covered here) S.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 (the Hanham Defense) and now the second most common but probably best move 7.a4. The main points to remember about this line are to recapture on d4 with the queen when feasible, retreat the bishop to a2 fairly early, play h3 and lie I in some or der, then perhaps �e3 . Look for a good time to play t'Df3-h4-f5 , usually when the reply ... g6 has some problems. See Game +.2. The Pribyl Defense 3 c6 is also covered there. ••.
..•
The Pirc starts with the reply 3 g6. We again play 4.i.e3. ...
This was considered dubious in my youth as Black can kick the bishop around with 4 ... t'Dg4 S .�gS h6 6.-ih4 i.g7 7 .1i'd 2 , but it is now recognized that this helps White more than Black, so no one plays this way anymore. White's idea is: I'm not telling you which side I'll castle on yet. If Black plays the obvious 4 ..ig7, we reply S.'tidl, intend ing a quick ..ih6. Usually this is associated with the moves f3 , 0-0-0, g4, h4 etc. (as•••
60
Chapter 4 - Pirc, Modem, and Philidor
suming Black has castled) , but I am reluctant to play f3 once the bishop exchange is in evitable as it puts one more pawn on the color of my remaining bishop. Instead I rec ommend lbf3 , still with ideas of 0-0-0 and attack, but keeping open the option of c:asding kingside, primarily against an early . . . bS which can often be attacked by a4 when we castle kingside. One trick to keep in mind is the idea of answering ... i.g4 by �gS and if ... h6 then h3. In Game 4.3 Black avoids our standard attacking plans by S-e6 6.i.h6 .i.m6 7 •m6 1Wa5 (as recommended by James Vigus in his excellent book The Pirc in Black and White) , but as the game notes show this is no panacea, Black has major problems to overcome. Finally we come to the most popular move 4 c6, with the twin ideas of getting quick queenside counterplay against the expected plan of castling queenside, as well as making i.h6 much less of a threat as the bishop has not yet gone to g7. However 4 ... c6 is rather committal against kingside castling, so in this case I recommend transposing to the anti-Pirc line recommended by grandmasters Alburt, Dzindzichashvili and Perelshteyn in their book Chess Openings for White, Explained. I don't think their recom mended line is very convincing against 4. . . i.g 7, but against 4 ... c6 White has a good score in practice and the computer analysis favors White quite a bit. See Game 4.4. .
•••
Game 4.1
KF 1 3.4 (806) 0 Zelcic,Robert • Muse,Mladen Sibenik 1.
tt,
ning the US Senior with this move in the fmal round against a higher rated IM. 5 ....d2 is also strong here.
20 I 0 (8)
e2-e4
g7-g6
2. d2·d4
�f8-g7
3. lbb1 ·c3
d7·d6
4.
a7·a6
�c1·e3
5. f2·f4
5 . ...
b7·b5
In case of 5 . . . lbf6 6.lbf3 0-0 7 .e5 lbg4 S .i.g l bS 9.i.d3 i.b7 I O .... e2 cS I l .dxc5 dxe5 1 2.h3 lbf6 1 3 .fxe5 lbdS 1 4.lbxdS ... xdS I S .i.d4N it seems that White can keep his pawn. 6.
i.f1 ·d3
i.c8·b7
6 . lbd7 7 .lbf3 i.b7 transposes to me game. .
.
7. lbg1 ·f3
I like this move here. I owe my grandmas ter title to it, as I qualified for the World Senior which I won in 2008 by frrst win-
lbb8·d7
Or 7 . . . lbf6 8.e5 lbg4 9 ....e2 cS I O .dxcS dxeS l l .lbxeS lbxeS I 2.fxe5 0-0 1 3 .e6 fxe6 1 4.0-0-0 1Wa5 I S .i.d2 and there is no good answer to the threat on e6. 7 . . . b4 8.lbe2 lbf6 9.e5 lbdS I O.Wfd2N ttJd7 l l .a3 aS 1 2..�.f2 0-0 1 3 .0-0 White has a space advantage and the plan of expelling the knight by c2-c4. 61
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
8.
e4·e5
1 2. e5·e61
c7·c5
In case of 8 . . .li)h6 9.11t'e2 li)b6 I O.a4 White has more space md can play on ei ther wing. 9.
�d3-e4
.i.b7xe4
Or 9 . . .1Wc8 I O.�xb7 11t'xb7 I I .dxc5 dxe5 1 2 .11t'd5 11t'xd5 I 3 .li)xd5 l:lc8 1 4.li)b6 li)xb6 1 5 .cxb6 li)f6 1 6.fxe5 li)dS I 7 .�d4 l:lb8 1 8 .a4 bxa4 I 9 .l:lxa4 0-0 20.0-0 li)xb6 2 1 .l:lxa6 and White retains an extra pawn. 10. lt.Jc3xe4
c5·c4
If 1 O . . . li)h6 I I .dxcS tbg4 1 2 .11t'e2 dxe5 1 3 .0-0-0 11t'c7 1 4.fxe5 li)dxeS 1 5 .�d4 0-0 1 6.h3 li)xf3 1 7 .�xg7 �xg7 1 8 .hxg4 tL!eS 1 9 .gS l:lad8 20 .l:lde I and with threats on both the e- and h-files, White should win. 11.
i
tv • � .� � i i .i. i i i !J
i !J tt:J !J �
!J !J !J 'if \t> :g .. .
ttJ
!J !J �
d6·d5?
The lesser evil was l l . . .h6 J 2 .li)xf7 �x£7 1 3. f5 tL!xeS 1 4.dxe5 �xeS I S .fxg6+ �g7 1 6.0-0 �f6 1 7 .tbxf6 exf6 1 8.l:lf3 11t'e8 1 9.11t'd2 11t'xg6 20 .�f4 �h7 2 l .l:lafl �xf4 22.l:lxf4 l:lhf8 23 .11t'xd6, when White has a safer king and better pawns. 62
1 2.
...
f7xe6
1 3.
lt.Jg5xe6
1Wd8·b6?1
After 1 3 ... 11t'a5 + 1 4.�d2 b4 1 5 .�4g5 �f6 1 6 .0-0 White has a decisive advan tage in king safety. 14.
lt.Je6xg7+ �e8-f7
1 5.
tbe4·c5
White is already winning. 1 5.
...
1 6.
d4xc5
ll)d7xc5 'ttb6·c6
lt.Jf3·g5
.i
11.
Probably this wins.
1 7. �e3·d4
Perhaps even better was 1 7 .li)hS 11t'e6 1 8 .�f2 gxhS 1 9.11t'xh 5 + �f8 20.�d4 li)f6 2 1 .�xf6 11t'xf6 22 .l:lhe 1 e6 23 .l:le5 l:lgS 24.g3 l:le8 25.l:lae 1 and White is a pawn up with the likelihood of further gains. 1 7.
-
lt.Jg8·f6
g2·g4
l:lh8·g8
1 9. g4-g5
tbf6·e4
20. f4·f5
l:lg8xg7
21 . �d4xg7
Wf7xg7
1 8.
22. 1Wd1 ·d4+ �g7-g8 23. 0·0·0
g6xf5
Chapter 4 - Pirc, Modem, and Philidor
24.
Wd4xd5+ We6xd5
25.
l:td1 xd5
e7-e6
26.
l:td5-d7
27.
l:th1 -d1
28.
l:td7-d8+
39.
l:ta7xa6
f5-f4
40.
a2-a4
b5xa4
l:ta8-c8
41 .
�b4xc4
f4-f3
lt:ie4xc5
42.
�c4-d3
lt:ig5-e4
l:tc8xd8
43.
�d3-e3
f3-f2
29.
l:td1 xd8+ wg8-t7
44.
�e3-e2
30.
h2-h4
White wins a4 and the game.
Rook for knight and pawn is generally a decisive advantage with no other pieces and several pawns each. 30. ...
lt:ic5-e4
31 .
l:td8-d7+ �7-g6
32.
l:td7-e7
lt:ie4-c5
Game 4.2 KP 4. 1 1 (c 4 1 ) D Yakovenko,Dmitry • Jobava,Baadur Khanty-Mansiysk, 20 I I (3) 1.
e2-e4
2.
d2-d4
d7-d6
We would reverse the first two moves.
33.
�c1-d2
By using his king White wins easily. The actual game went 33.l:tc 7 lLJe4 34.l:tc6? (White should have corrected his error by 34.l:te7 lLJc5 3 5 .�d2) 34-. . . �hS 3 5.l:txe6 �4 36.g6 hxg6 3 7 . .:xg6 f4. White is of course still better, but he may no lon ger have a win. The game was drawn after 1 08 moves. h7-h6
33. 34.
g5xh6
wg6xh6
35.
�d2-c3
wh&-g&
36. �c3-b4 37. l:te7-a7
lt:ic5-e4
38.
lt:ie4-g5
h4-h5
�g6-f6
2.
-·
lt:ig8-f6
3.
lt:ib1 -c3
e7-e5
The 'Hanham' Defense, which used to arise from the Philidor ( l .e4 eS 2.lLJf3 d6) but now normally arises from this move order. This way Black avoids the main line 3 .d4 lLJd7 4.�c4!, after which 4 . . . c6 is as good as forced; and if 3 . . . llJf6 4.dxe 5 ! lbxe4 S.W'dS!;t. White can get a tiny edge by trading pawns and queens, as I recommended in my previous book, but both statistics and computer analysis indicate that White gets a larger advantage by keeping his space advantage with all the pieces on the board. 3 . . . lLJbd7 4.lLJf3 eS transposes to the game; 3 ... c6 (the Pribyl Defense) 4.lLJf3 �g4 (4 . . . g6 5.h3 �g7 6.�e3 transposes to our Pirc line) 5 .h3 �hS (after S . . . �xf3 6.W'xf3 e6 7 .d5! llJbd7 8.g4N White has space, the bishops, and the threat of g4-g5) 6.1i'e2 e6 7.g4 �g6 8.h4 63
The Kdufman Repenoire for White
K � ..t 'if .! * i i ..t i i i i �
Analysis diagram
Analysis diagram
8 . . . h5 (after 8 . . . h6 9.h5 .th7 I O.gS hxg5 I l .lLlxgS lLlbd7 1 2 . .te3 White will castle queenside and can win the bishop pair any time. He has a large space advantage) 9.g5 lLlfd7 I O.i.d2 i.e7 1 1 .0-0-0 dS 1 2 . .th3 lLla6 1 3 .�e l lLJb6 1 4.lLld3 lLlc4 1 5 .exd5 cxd5 1 6 .�f4 and White's threats are hard to parry.
I recommend this move, which keeps open the choice of which side to castle. Usually we'll castle queenside, unless Black plays 7 . . . a6 intending . . . c7 -cS and . . . b7-b5 . A) After 7 . . . a6 8 . 0-0 cS 9.�f3 .te6 I O.'ii'd 2 dS l l .exdS �xdS 1 2 .�xd5 'ii'x dS 1 3 .'ii'x d5 hdS 1 4.1lfd l .te4 1 5 .c3 �c6 1 6.lLld2 .tds 1 7 .�c4 .te6 1 8 .�d6 hd6 1 9 .1lxd6 White has won the bishop pair for nothing; B) 7 ... 1le8 8.'ii'd 2 .tf8 9.f3 (Black's rook and bishop manoeuvre is standard, but against queenside castling it feels a bit slow as White needs to play f3 anyway to support g4) and now: B l ) After 9 ...c6 1 0 .0-0-0 bS l l .�b i N .td7 l 2 . 1lde I White prepares the retreat lLld I as Black has planned l 2 . . . b4 I 3 .lLla 4 c5. He will proceed to attack by g4, h4, hS, and g5. Black can attack too, but as White has more space and superior devel opment his attack should triumph; B2) 9 . . . a6 I 0 . 0-0-0 bS l l . g4 b4 l 2.lLld5 �xdS 1 3 .exd5 i.b7 1 4..tc4 �d7 (so far Brkic-Iordachescu, Rijeka Ech 20 1 0) 1 5 .�e6N fxe6 1 6.dxe6 �h8 1 7 .exd7 'ii'x d7 1 8 .1lhfl and White has an advantage in space and piece activity, which should make his attack the more effective one;
4. lLlg1 ·f3
:i � 1. 'if � ..t i i i i � i �� tD tD ��� �� � jl 'tW <;t> jl 4.
·-
:i
i
� I;l
�b8-d7
In the spirit of Philidor Black supports his stronghold on e5. 4 . . .exd4 5.lLlxd4 .te7 is the so-called Antoshin Variation, which I played for a while myself a few years ago. If Black plays 5 ... g6 White plays just as if it were a Dragon, namely f3 , .te3 , 11Vd2 , 0-0-0, g4, h4, hS. Black has less counterplay here than in the Dragon. 6.i.e2 0-0 7 .i.f4. 64
Chap1er 4 - Pirc, Modem, and Pbilidor 83) 9 ...lLic6 1 0.0-0-0 lLixd4 1 1 .1i'xd4 h6 1 2.g4 lLld7 1 3 .h4 a6 1 4.g5 b5 1 5.h5 cS 1 6.1i'd2 1i'a5 1 7 .Wb 1 lLlb6 1 8.g6 b4 1 9.lLld5 hd5 20.exd5 c4 2 l .gxf7+ � (so far Negi-Moradiabadi, Ha Long City rapid 2009) 22 . .i.fl ! and the threat of i.-h3-e6+ should win. 5. �f1 ·c4
�f8-e7
&. o-o
o-o
7. a2-a4
8.
More common is 7 .J:le 1 , but I think the text is slighdy more precise as 7 ... a6 can be met by 8.a5. 7.
_
8 ... lLlg4 9.lLld5 lLldeS 1 O.lLixeS lLixe5 1 l .�e2 �h4 l 2 .f4 �g4 1 3 .1i'd 1 �xe2 1 4.1i'xe2 lLld7 1 5 .J:la3N J:le8 1 6 .J:lh3 �f6 1 7 .e5 dxe5 1 8 .fxe5 J:lxeS 1 9.lLixf6+ 1i'xf6 20.1i'd3 Wt'b6+ 2 l .�e3 J:lxe3 22.J:lxe3 lLie5 2 3 .1i'b3 1i'xb3 24.J:lxb3 b6 2 5 .J:ld l - White has a solid ex change-for-pawn lead in this endgame, which is probably enough to win.
c7-c6
A) 7 . . .a5 8.J:le 1 c6 9.h3 exd4 1 0.1i'xd4 tOeS l l .�f4 �e6 1 2 .J:lad 1 1i'b6 1 3 .he6 fxe6 1 4.e5 dxe5 1 5 .�xe5 J:lad8 1 6.W'h4 1i'b4 1 7 .�d4 - White has better pawns and more active pieces. The black king is not completely safe; 8) 7 . . . a6 8.a5 exd4 9 .1i'xd4 lLig4 I O.lLld5 lLideS 1 l .lLlxe5 lLixeS l 2.�e2N i.e6 1 3 .f4 lLic6 l 4 ....d3 J:le8 1 5 .�£3 i.£6 1 6.c3 - White's outposted knight can only be removed at the cost of the bishop pair, and White also has a nice space advantage; C) 7 ...exd4 8. 1fxd4 (it seems to be a good rule in the Hanham for White al ways to recapture on d4 with the queen)
h2-h3
h7-h6
8 . . . 1i'c7 9 .:e t b6 I O.L2 a6 1 l .lLlh4 g6 l 2 .�h6 J:le8 1 3 .li:lf3 lLifS 1 4.lLlg5 lLie6 1 5 .dxe5 dxeS 1 6.lLixe6 �xe6 1 7 .�xe6 fxe6 1 8 .1t'e2 The doubled isolated black pawns obviously give White some advan tage; 8 . . .a5 9.:e I transposes to the note to move 7 ; 8 ... b6 9.J:le 1 a6 1 0 .L2 J:lb8 l l .�e3 b5 1 2.axb5 axb5 1 3 .b4 1i'c7 1 4.�b3 lLlb6 1 5 .1i'd3 �d7 1 6.dxe5 dxe5 I 7 .�c5 - af ter this exchange White wiU have a far su perior bishop and more active pieces in general. 9.
J:lf1 -e1
K 1. '+!' :� • ... ... .. .a .t. .t. ... ... .. ... ... � �� � t2J t2J � �� �� � �� � w 9. -
J:lf8-e8
9 ... a5 1 O.�e3 J:le8 l l .�a2 (this is usu ally the best retreat square in the Hanham, because on b3 the bishop could 6S
T�e Kaufman Repertoire for While
be attacked later by . . . lLlcS) I l . . ...c7 1 2 .lLlh4 lLlf8 1 3 ...f3 .i.e6 1 4.lLlf5 .i.xa2 I S .:xa2 �h7 1 6.:aa 1 - White's power ful knight on fS and general space advan tage give him a clear superiority. 1 0.
.ic1·e3
'ii'd8·c7
11.
lLlf3·h4
d6·d5
In the event of 1 1 ... llJf8 1 2 .dxe5 dxeS 1 3 ... £3 .ie6 1 4. .i.xe6 lLlxe6 I S.lLlfs White's advantage is pretty clear due to the powerful white outposted knight, which Black cannot emulate or exchange off. 1 2.
e4xd5
13
.ic4·b3
•
lLld7·b6
Possibly even better was 1 3 .dxeS llJfxdS 1 4.hd5 llJxdS 1 S .llJxdS cxdS 1 6.lLlf3 .ifs 1 7 .-.xdS :adS 1 8.-.bs a6 1 9 .-.b6 ..c8 20.c3 , when Black has full compen sation for a pawn, with his bishop pair and White's overextended e-pawn. Un fortunately for Black, he is down two pawns!
E .i. .t. .t. t¥ � ...
.. .
�
lLlf6xd5
After 1 3 . . . lLlbxdS 1 4.dxeS lLlxc3 I S . bxc3 lLldS 1 6 ...hS .ixh4 1 7 ... xh4 :xeS 1 8 . .id4 :xe I + 1 9.:xe I .ie6 20 ...e4 :ds 2 t ..ic4 •e7 22 . .id3 lLlf6 2 3 .1t'e5 White's bishop pair and pres66
14.
a4·a51N
The actual game went 1 4.lLlf3 ? llJxc3 1 5.bxc3 e4 1 6.lLle5 lLldS 1 7 . .id2 .i.d6 1 8. :xe4 .ifs 1 9 .hd5 cxd5 20.:f4=. White eventually won this equal position in 65 moves. -
.ie7xh4
1 5. a5xb6
-.c7xb6
14.
Or 1 5 . . . lLlxb6 1 6.'tfh5 .i.d8 1 7 . .ixh6! (perhaps White missed this) I 7 . . . �e6 I S.:xe5 lLld7 1 9 .:xe6 :xe6 20 . .ixe6 fxe6 2 1 ...g4 llJf6 22 ...xe6+ and White is winning with two extra pawns for nothing. 1 6.
lLlc3xd5
c6xd5
1 7. d4xe5
1i'b6-g6
1 8. 1t'd1 xd5
.ic8xh3
1t'd5xb7
.ih3·e6
1 9.
20. :a1-a6
White has an extra pawn, a powerful pin, and he can win a7 .
ts .i ts ts ts � lb � ts ts ts ts iV a: \t> a: 1 3.
sure on the black king and on the e-file are more significant than his bad pawn structure.
Game 4.3
PU 9. 1 4- (B06) 0 Pert,Nicholas • McNab,Colin Reading, 2 0 1 1 (6) d2-d4
d7-d6
2. e2·e4
g7·g6
1.
2 . . . lLlf6 3.llJc3 g6 4 . .ie3 .ig7 is the 'Pirc' move-order to transpose to the present game. 3.
l!Jb1 -c3
The Pirc Defense.
.if8·g7
Chapter 4 - Pirc, Modem, and Philidor
4.
.i.c1-e3
5.
'it'd1 -d2
�g8-f6
I favor this when the bishop is on g7 as here, since then �h6 is more of a threat, but prefer S .h3 if Black has held back the bishop move and chosen 4 ...c6 instead. This is also the advice of James Vigus in The Pirc in Black and White, though partly for different reasons. Vigus likes S.h3 af ter 4 ... c6, to follow up sharply with f2-f4 or g2-g4, depending on Black 's next move, but those options are dou ble-edged. I am content to castle kingside now that 4 ... c6 has forfeited Black's best options against this positional line. See the next game.
.I .l � .t t¥ � ' ' ' i i .t i ' �'
I O.h3 �S l l .l0xf7 l:lxf7 1 2.g4 bS 1 3 .a3 •as 1 4.l:ld 1 tbbd7 I S .�e2 l:laf8 1 6 ....e3 - Black cannot avoid opening the h-file against his king or getting his pawn structure wrecked on hS; B) 7 ... l0bd7 8.0-0-0 •as 9.�b l bS 1 O.lOdS 1Wd8 1 1 .l0xf6+ l0xf6 I 2.�d3 and with ideas like e4-e5 and h4-h5 to work with, and the safer king. White is surely better; C) If 7 . . . bS 8.Lg7 Wxg7 9.a3 Black has a small problem. He cannot play . . . e 7 -eS yet, but if he prepares it by . . ....c7 or . . .l0bd7 White will play e4-e5. Otherwise White may improve his positi on by h2-h3 aiming to play e4-e5 at the right moment; D) After 7 ......aS 8.Lg7 �xg7 9.h3 l0bd7 I O.�e2 eS 1 1 .0-0 White's better development, greater space, and pressure against the weak d6 pawn give him the edge. 7.
5.
...
c7-c6
S ... 0-0 6.tbf3 a6 (6 ... c6 7.�h6 trans poses to the next note) 7.�h6 bS 8.Lg7 �xg7 9.�d3 �b7 I O.eS lOfd7 l l . h4 hS? ( l l .. .dxeS 1 2.hS l:lh8 1 3 .lOxeS lOxeS 1 4.dxe5 l0c6 I S .... f4 with an obvious, large advantage) 1 2 .e6 (White appears to be winning already) 1 2 . . . Lf3 ? 1 3 .gxf3 fxe6 1 4.�xg6 and Black can already resign. 6.
.ie3-h6
.ig7xh6
Or 6 ... 0-0 7 .tbf3 and now : A) 7 ... �g4 8.�xg7 �xg7 9.l0g5 h6
'it'd2xh6
.I .l � .t t¥ • ' ' ' ' ' ' ' � i "iY
7. -
'it'd8-a5
7 ... bS 8.e5 b4 9 .exf6 (perhaps even better is 9.l0ce2N lOdS 1 0.l0f3 l0a6 1 1 .l0g3 l0ac7 1 2 .�c4, after which Black h�s no compensation for his inability to castle and lack of space) 9 ... bxc3 I O.bxc3 exf6 1 1 .�d 3 •e 7 + 1 2 .l0e2 •fs 67
The Kaufman Repertoiu for White
1 3 .1l'f4N 11'e7 1 4.0-0 0-0 I S .lbg3 fS 1 6 .l:Ue I 1l'd8 1 7 .1l'h6 - White has a big lead in developmem md space. He can aim for h2-h4-h5. 7 ... e5 8 .dxe5 dxe5 9.lbf3 (White is surely already better, as ... g6 is clearly j ust a weakening move with the dark-squared bishops off. The only ques tion is whether White's edge is signifi cant) 9 ... 1l'e7 I O . .ic4 bS l l . .ib3 .ie6 1 2 .0-0 lDbd7 1 3 . .ixe6 11'xe6 1 4 .h3 b4 I 5 .lbd I lbxe4 1 6.a3 bxa3 I 7 .l:lxa3 f6 1 8 .lDe3 .
i
�
i 'if i i � i � tt:J tt:J � � � ��
White's much safer king, better develop ment, and better pawn structure are more than enough for a pawn. �f1 -d3
c6-c5
8 . . . bS 9 .lbf3 b4 I O.lbe2 .ia6 l l ..ixa6!N (or also 1 1 .0-0 .ixd3 1 2 .cxd3 lbbd7 1 3 .lbg3 l:lgS 1 4. 11'd2 and Black has problems with his king, his b4 pawn, and the danger of White playing e4-e5 at any moment) l l . . .lbxa6 (in case of l l . . ....xa6 1 2 .e5 lbe4 1 3 .... g7 l:lfS 1 4.lbg3 lbxg3 1 5 .hxg3 lbd7 1 6.lDg5 11'c4 1 7 .lbxh7 11'xd4 1 8 .lbxf8 lbxfS 1 9 .Ah8 White will emerge up the ex change for a pawn, with a winning end game) 1 2 .e5 dxe5 1 3 .dxe5 lDd7 1 4.1l'g7 68
9.
d4-d5
1 0.
tbg1 -f3
10.
-
�b8-d7
�
Analysis diagram
8.
0-0-0 1 5 . 0-0 lbc7 1 6.lbf4 md White is much better, with a safer king and threats ofa2-a3 and ...xf7 .
b7-b5
After the liquidation 1 o . c4 1 1 .hc4 11'c5 1 2 .�d3N 11'xf2+ 1 3 .�xf2 lbg4+ 1 4.¢'g3 lbxh6 1 5 .h3 0-0 1 6.%thfl White has much better development and the knight on h6 is misplaced. .
.
1 1 . o-o
Very interesting is 1 l .e S ! ?N dxeS 1 2 .�xb5 l:lbS 1 3 .�xd 7 + .i.xd7 1 4.lbxe5 Axb2 1 5 .0-0 11'xc3 1 6 ....g7 Ag8 1 7. 11'xf7 + �d8 1 8. l:lae 1 �e8 1 9 .lbc6+ hc6 20.dxc6 l:leS 2 l .Ae6. White has full compensation for the knight in pawns and king safety, although Black may be able to hold. 11.
-
c5-c4
1 2. �d3·e2
b5 b4
1 3.
11'a5·c5
tbc3-d1
-
14.
tbf3-g5
tbd7-e5
1 5.
ll:'ld1 ·e3
a7-a5
1 6.
a2-a3
%ta8-b8
1 7. a3xb4
Ab8xb4
1 8.
1l'c5-b6
Aa1 -a2
Chapter 4 - Pirc, Modem, cmd Philidor
.t.
�
E
• • • 'iV . .. . � • � .. tU .i i �
��� 1 9.
tU �� � � 1:[ �
h2·h31N
The actual game went 1 9 .l:tfa I ?! l:txb2 20.Jba5 l:tb 1 + 2 1 .-tfl ?! (2 1 .tbd I kept lhe advantage) 2 1 ...l:txa 1 22.l:txa 1 i.a6? (22 ... Wb2! 23.l:ta8 ...b7 24.l:ta4 ...bS Black has perpetual check on the rook) 23.h3 �d7 24.c3 ?! (with 24.lbf3! tbxf3 + 25.gxf3 l:tg8 26.tbg4 White wins the h-pawn and maintains a positional advan tage) 24 . . . l:tc8 2 5 .l:ta4 - White later won a pawn but could not win the endgame. I
1 9. 20. lt::le3xc4 _
I
:b4xb2 lt::le5xc4
21 . i.e2xc4
White will shorlly invade by ... g7, which should win a pawn.
PU 1 4. 1 6 (B0 7)
Game 4.4
0 Nijboer,Friso • Guidarelli,Laurent
White will gain a tempo later with f2-f3 . So White is better. 5.
h2·h3
.i .. .t. 'e' � .t. E i i i i i i i ,. , �� tU � � ��� �� l:l 'iY <;t> � tU l:l I like this move here. Black's last move was aimed against queenside castling by preparing ... bS, so White switches to kingside casding while Black has forfeited some good options against that plan. 5.
...
i.f8-g7
6.
lt::lg1 -f3
0·0
7. a2-a4
lt::lb8·d7
A) 7 ...a5 8 ..i.e2 tlJa6 9.0-0 tbb4 I O ....d2 ...c7 l l .l:tac I l:te8 1 2.l:tfd 1 eS 1 3.dxe5 dxeS 1 4.tbg5 h6 1 5.tbf3 Wh7 1 6 ..i.c5 .i.£8 1 7 .i.xfB l:txf8 1 8 ....d6 ...xd6 1 9.:Xd6 li'ld7 20.l:tcd I li'lc5 2 1 .li'lxe5 li'lxc2 22 ..ic4 Wg7 23 . .i.xf7 l:txf7 24.l:txg6+ �h7 25.l:tdd6 l:te7 26.lhh6+ Wg8 27 .l:thg6+ �h7 28.f4 l:te6 29.l:tgxe6 he6 30.f5 .i.g8 3 1 .tbd7 tbxd7 32.:Xd7 + Wh6 33.e5.
Vlissingen, 20 I 0 (9) 1.
e2-e4
2. d2·d4
d7·d6 lt::lg8·f6
lt::lb 1 -c3
g7·g6
4. i.c1·e3
c7-c6
3.
4... tbg4?! S .i.gS h6 6 ..i.h4 .i.g7 7 . ...d2. This looks like it came out of 4 ..ig5, which is a serious line, but the knight is on g4 instead of f6, which is worse as
Analysis diagram
69
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
A bishop is a bit stronger than three pawns on average, but here White has four(!) connected passed pawns, so he is better; B) 7 . . . 'flc7 8.'fld2 eS 9.dxeS dxeS I O .l:ld I liJbd7 l l .i.c4 a6 1 2 .0-0 bS 1 3 .i.a2 b4 1 4.liJe2 liJxe4 I S .'flxb4 liJdf6 1 6 .i.b6 'flb7 I 7 .aS - White has a better pawn structure, better develop ment, and pressure on f7; C) 7 ... dS S.eS liJe4 9.liJxe4 dxe4 I O.liJgS cS I l .c3 and now: C I ) I I ... 'flds 1 2.dxcS 'fixeS 1 3.i.c4 liJc6 (after 1 3 ... liJd7 1 4.0-0N liJf6 I S .f3 exf3 1 6. 'flxf3 e6 1 7 .'flfl h6 1 8.liJf3 'flc7 1 9.ltJd2, although Black has the better pawn structure, White's heavy pressure and much more active pieces give him the advantage. He plans l:lae l and b4) 1 4.'flc2 e6 I S.'flxe4 h6 1 6. f4 'flc7 1 7.ltJf3 b6 1 8.cxb6 axb6 1 9 .i.b5 i.b7 20.'flc4 Black has nothing for the pawn; C2) l l . . . ltJc6 1 2 .i-c4 cxd4 1 3 .cxd4 'flaS+ 1 4.'fld2 'flxd2+ I S.�xd2 trans poses to the next note; C3) l l . ..cxd4 1 2 .cxd4 'fldS (after 1 2. . .'fla5+ 1 3 ....d2 Wxd2+ 1 4.�xd2 liJc6 I S.�c4 h6 1 6.ltJxe4 l:ld8 1 7 .�c3 �fS 1 8 .liJg3 White is consolidating his extra pawn) 1 3 .l:lc l liJc6 1 4.b4N 'Llxb4 I S .i.c4 1i'd8 1 6.0-0 'Llc6 1 7 .1i'd2 h6 1 8.'Llxe4 and White has a huge advantage in space and development. 8. a4-a5
9.
�f1 -e2
.. . .i .t .l .l tf .. .l .l .t .l ' '
9.
,. ,
e7-e5
...
9... l:lb8 I 0.0-0 bS l l .axb6 axb6 1 2.dS i.b7 1 3.ltJd4 ltJcS 1 4.i.O e5 I S.l£lxc6 hc6 1 6.dxc6 1i'xc6 and now 1 7 .g4N is a clever indirect defense of the e4 pawn. 1 7 ...'Llcxe4 is met by chasing the other knight, and I 7 ... h6 1 8.h4 changes nothing. White has the bishop pair and Black has two weak pawns compared to White's one. 1 0.
d4xe5
ltld7xe5
I O . . . dxeS I l .i.c4 ltJhS 1 2.0-0 l£lf4 1 3.1i'd2 bS 1 4.axb6 'Llxb6 I S .i.xb6 'flxb6 1 6 .ltJa4 1i'c7 1 7 .l:lfd I i.e6 1 8.'flc3 i.xc4 1 9.'flxc4.
•d8-c7
S ... eS 9.dxeS dxe5 (in the event of 9 . . . ltJxeS I O.ltJxeS dxeS 1 1 .1i'xd8 l:lxd8 1 2 .i-c4 l£ld7 1 3 . 0-0N i.f8 1 4.l:lfd l . White has pressure on f7 , control of the open file, and the plan of ltJa4, c3 , and b4) I 0.1i'd6 'Lle8 I I .'flb4 i.f6 1 2.�c4 i.e7 1 3 .1i'a4 ( 1 3 .'flb3) 1 3 . . .ltJc5 1 4.1i'a2 'flc7 I S.0-0 ltJe6 1 6.l:lfd I ltJ8g7 70
1 7 .'Lle2N - White has much more active pieces. Black's strategy of occupying d4 or f4 has failed. White can proceed with c2-c3 and b2-b4.
Analysis diagram
Chapter 4 - Pirc, Modem, and Pbilidor
White is better due to Black 's split queenside pawns. Also White's extra knight looks more useful than Black's
• •
bishop. 1 1 . 0·0
'iV I
••
• .t. •
• • .a .. .
llJe5xf3+
1 1 . ..:es 1 2 .•d2N - White plans :fd 1 , when the pressure on d6 will hive him some advantage. 12.
�e2xf3
i.c8·e6
15.
�f4-g5
ID case of 1 2 . . . lLld7 1 3 .1Wd2 f5 1 4.exf5 lbfs 1 5 .i.g4 :fs 1 6 .�e6+ �hs 1 7 .Ld7 1Wxd7 1 8 .llfe 1 d5 1 9 . .icS .J:le8 20 . .J:lxe8+ 1Wxe8 2 1 . .J:le 1 i.e6 22.c�)e2 1Wf7 2 3 .lLld4 lle8 White trades twice on e6 and wins the a7 pawn for
White actually played 1 5 .1We3 ?!, which allowed the equalizing 1 5 . . .d5 and Black eventually drew.
free.
White is better. 1 6 ...d5 is met by 1 7 .eS, while otherwise White puts more pressure on d6 and can retreat his bishop to f4 or e3 with threats depending on Black's play.
1 3. �e3·f4
:ta8·d8
14.
•c7·c8
Wd1 ·d2
1 5.
...
1 6.
:tf1·e1
lld8·d7
71
•
Chapter 5
Benoni Defenses This chapter covers all defenses with an early ... c5. Playing this on move one (Game 5 . I ) is rather uncommon and should be inferior to l.d4 l!Jf6 2.c4 cS because it gives White the extra option of omitting c4 and using that square for a knight. After 2 ... c5 we push by 3.dS, since if we play 3 .liJf3 we are in a line of the English Opening which is at least close to equality for Black. Now Black must choose between several options. He can simply play 3 d6 followed by . . . g6, i.g7, and 0-0. The main drawback of this plan is that White can answer an eventual e6xd5 by e4xd5 rather than by c4xd5, which should give him a risk-free edge. See Game 5.2. Black can instead block things up with 3 eS (or 3 ... d6 followed by ... e5), the Czech Benoni, a[[er which White has a nice space advantage at no cost (Game 5 . 3 ) . Much more popular is 3 e6, the Modern Benoni, followed by exd5, d6 (for the Snake Benoni 5 ... .td6 see Game 5 .4), . . . g6 and . . ..tg7 . •••
•••
•••
.i � .i. if • .i. .i i i i i i i i�
We meet this by bringing out both our knights (deferring e2-e4) and playing .if4. Then the obvious 7 . . . i.g7 is questionable due to 8.1Wa4+ (Game 5.5). Black should in stead play 7 a6 8.a4 ..ig7, but we keep an edge by the in vogue plan of h3, e3, i.e 2, and 0-0, not giving Black a target on e4 (Game 5.6). White should generally avoid ex changes in this opening, as Black does not have enough space for all of his pieces. Even tually White wants to bring a knight to c4 and press on d6. If Black is forced to defend by . . ..tf8 he usually gets a passive position. White can then aim for either e4-e5 or for l%ab l and b2-b4. Finally we come to the ever-popular Benko Gambit. As a curiosity, in Kasparov's book on the ' 70s Opening Revolution, he introduces the Benko Gambit chapter with one of the early victories by Pal Benko with this opening in the ' 60s - against me! That sure makes me feel old! ••.
73
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
I � .t t¥ • .t •
I
• • • • •
�
Anyway, after the Benko 3...b5, I have usually declined the Gambit or taken it only to rerum it by answering 4 ... a6 by 5.b6. This is the course recommended in most books, such as the excellent Squeezing the Gambits by Kiril Georgiev. Unforrunately his main recommendation, 4.�f3 �b7 5.1i'c2, is based on a gambit (by White this time!) that gives White nothing if Black plays one key defense move ( l l ...�a6) , so I can't recommend it. His other line, 4.1i'c2, is objectively a bit better, but Black is very close to equality, even according to Georgiev's analysis. The line with 4.a:b5 a6 5.b6 is well met by 5 ... e6. Accepting the Benko seemed to require too high a level of play by White. What should I recommend? My problem was solved when I discovered a recent idea for White in the main ac cepted line. After the standard 4.a:b5 a6 5.b:u6 g6 6.lLlc3 ..t:u6 7.e4 hfi 8.Wxf'l d6 9.lLlf3 �g7 1 O.gl 0-0 l l.�gl tiJbd7 White normally plays 1 2.:e I or 1 2.h3 , but the new move is 12.a4!, aiming to plant a knight on bS. As far as I can tell, this gives White a real advantage in all lines; his extra pawn actually means something here! See Game 5. 7. 01 8.9 (A43)
Game 5.1
0 Gelfand,Boris • Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar Kazan, 2 0 1 1 ( 1 ) 1.
d2·d4
2.
d4·d5
c7·c5
.i � .i. 'iW · .i. � :i .l .l .l .l .l .l .l
[!J [!J [!J [!J [!J [!J [!J � ttJ � 'i'f � � ttJ :a: 74
2. ... ttJg8·f6
2 ... f5 (the Dutch Benoni) 3 .e4 fxe4 4.�c3 �f6 5 .lLlh3N g6 6.�g5 transposes back to a book position: 6 . . . �g7 7 .�gxe4 lL!xe4 8.tbxe4 d6 (8 ... 0-0 9.d6) 9.h4N and White has an attack for free. The positional 9.�e2 also favors White. After 2 . . . e5 3 .e4 d6 4.�b5 + �d7 (4 . . .�d7 5.a4 a6 6.�e2) 5 .a4 �e7 6.tbf3 lLlf6 7 .lbc3 0-0 8.0-0 tbe8 (8 . . . a6 9.�e 2) 9. lLld2 �gS I O .lL!c4 �xc l 1 1 .1i'xc l a6 1 2 .bd7 bd7 1 3 .a5N �bS 1 4.b3 �f6 1 5 .'W'e3 the knight on c4 is superior to the bishop, but if Black trades on c4 then b7 becomes very weak.
Chapter
3. tbb1 ·c3
l.c
3. '"
g7-g6
4. e2·e4
d7·d6
5.
E � .t 'if • .t E '' '' i ' �i i. i � �
It seems to be usually good to throw in this check if possible in the Benoni when c2-c4 has not been played. 5.
...
lbb8·d7
S ... i.d7 6.a4 i.g7 7 .ttJf3 0-0 8.0-0 lLla6 (if Black plays 8 . . .a6 then after 9.i.e2 the extra move . . . ..id7 is harmful to Black, laking a key square from both knights: 8 ...a6 9.i.e2 i.g4 I O.lLld2!) 9.h3 lLlc7 1 O.i.c4 a6 1 LeS dxeS 1 2 .lLlxeS bS 1 3 .axb5 i.xbS 1 4.i.xb5 and now:
E
if
E. � i i .t i i �i i. i � tt:J
Analysis diagram
-
Benoni Defenses
A) 1 4. . . axb5 I 5 Jlxa8 1Wxa8 1 6 .lLlc6 J:le8 1 7 .lLlxe7 + ! ! J:lxe7 1 8 . d6 J:ld7 1 9 .dxc7 J:lxc7 (taking the queen loses) 20.lLlxb5 and White is a safe pawn up; B) 1 4 . . . lLlxb5 I S.tiJxbS axbS 1 6.J:lxa8 1Wxa8 1 7 .ttJc6 J:le8 1 8 .'tlrf3 and White's pieces are much more active. 6.
a2·a4
7. lLlg1 -f3
i.f1 ·b5+
5
8.
.tf8-g7 a7-a6
.tb5·c4
8.i.e2 is usual and also strong. It seems that White has just wasted a tempo, but because of the extra ... lLlbd7 move Black has for feited the options of ... e7 -e6, ... lLla6, and ...i.g4, which are the three main moves in this position without the moves ...a6 a4 tbbd7 and with both sides castled. 8 ... 0-0 9.0-0 J:lb8 I O.aS bS l l .axb6 J:lxb6 1 2.lLld2 1i'c7 1 3 .J:la2 - White plans b3 and tbc4. He has more space, a target on a6, and a nice square c4 for his knight
E .t 'if • i � i i .t i i �' ' �. � � � � ttJ ttJ ��� �� 1;I 1;I .�:� <;t> E
8.
.. .
h7·h6
In case of 8 . . . 0-0 9.0-0 lLlb6 I O.i.e2 i.g4 l l .lLld2 he2 1 2 .1Wxe2 J:lb8 1 3 .aS lLla8 1 4.tlJc4 lLlc7 1 s.i.gs White can prepare e4-e5 or play lLla4 and prepare b2 -b4. His space surplus and strong knight on c4 give him the advantage. 9. 0-0
g6-g5
75
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
This is very risky, but Black was in a must win situation in this Candidates' match. 10.
�c4-e2
•d8·c7
11.
a4·a5
lLJd7·f8
1 2.
tLlf3·d2
lLJf8·g6
1 3. tLld2·c4
�c8-d7
14. tLlc4·b6
:a8·d8
11 20.3 (A56) Game 5.2 0 Berkes,Ferenc • Okhotnik,Vladimir Kazincbarcika, 20 I I ( 6)
1 5. �c1·e3
1 5. ...
e7·e5?
If 1 5 . . . 0-0 1 6.tLlxd7 11t'xd7 1 7 .:e I White has the bishop pair and the plan ofb2-b4. 16.
tlJb6xd7
White is a pawn up with the better posi tion, but agreed a draw to win the match.
1t'c7xd7
1 7. f2-f3
�e8-e7?
18.
tlJc3-a4
h6·h5
1 9.
tlJa4-b6
•d7·c7
20.
�e3xg5
�g7-h6
21 .
�g5xf6+
we7xf6
1.
d2·d4
tlJg8·f6
2.
c2·c4
c7·c5
3.
d4·d5
d7·d6
4.
tlJb1 ·c3
g7-g6
5.
e2·e4
�f8-g7
6.
h2·h3
:i :i � ..t'it' � i i ..t i ' ' �· · � � � ttJ � �� �� Xi � 'iY � � tt:J :g: I think this is the best system against this type of Benoni, playing to restrict the black queen 's bishop. 6. -
0·0
22.
g2-g3
:d8·g8
7.
tlJg1 -f3
e7·e6
23.
wg1 ·h1
Wf6-e7
8.
�f1 ·d3
e6xd5
24.
:a1 ·a3
:g8-g7
9.
e4xd5
i 'it'
� i i:
i.
i tt:J ' � .t � · �· ' � � � :g � � � � 'iY .:a w 76
' ·� � tt:J �
� � : � 'iY �
ttJ � � � 1::[
Chapter S
White has achieved the ideal formation, because Black has no sensible develop IJlellt square for his light-squared bishop. The only question is whether the rook check causes White any discomfort. The mswer appears to be 'no'. 9.
-·
1 0. �c1 ·e3
- Benoni Def�
White's rook and knight vs. Black's two bishops with all the other major pieces on the board gives White roughly the equivalent of an extra pawn; 1 O ... llJbd7 1 1 .0-0 llJhS transposes to the previous line.
Af8-e8+
1 1 . 0·0
tbd7·e5
tbf6·d7
1 2. l0f3xe5
.ig7xe5
'tWd1 -d2
l0b8·d7
A) I O ... �h6 1 1 .0-0 �xe3 1 2.fxe3 and oow:
A I ) 1 2 . . .11fe7 1 3 .e4 llJbd7 l 4.11fd2 trallSposes; A2) 1 2 . . . D.xe3 1 3 .11fd2 D.e8 1 4.11fh6 �bd7 I S .lLlgS D.e7 (else 1 6.lLlxh 7 ! � 7 1 7 .1:lxf7 ! wins) 1 6.lLlb5 'iff8 1 7 .•xf8+ Wxf8 1 8 .lLlxd6 - White has a • dedsive lead in development plus a dangerous protected passed pawn ; A3) 1 2 . . . lLlbd7 1 3 .1i'd2 11fe7 1 4.e4 �7 l S .llJbS D.f8 1 6.11fc3 �gS 1 7 .es cheS 1 8 .d6 11fd8 1 9 .llJxe5 llJxeS 20.exe5 tileS 2 1 .1:lad l a6 2 2.lilc7 llJxc7 23.dxc7 'ifd4+ 2 4.11fxd4 cxd4 2 5 .�e4 i.e6 26.�xb7 D.a7 2 7 .c811f i.xc8 28.�d5 Wg7 29.1:lxd4 and White is a pawn up with a strong passed pawn; B) I O ... llJhS 1 1 .0-0 lDd7 1 2 .11fd2 llJeS 1 3.�e2 �d7 1 4.1:lae l a6 I S .tilxeSN Le5 1 6.hh5 D.xhs 1 7.llJe4 bS 1 8 .b3 rs 1 9 .�g5 11ff8 20.lilg3 D.xg5 2 1 .11fxg5.
13. 14.
l:la1 ·e1
f7·f5
15.
..ie3-g5
.i.e5-f6
16.
l:le1 xe8+ 'tWd8xe8
1 7. �g5xf6
l0d7xf6
1 8. lL!c3-b5
.I .t ��
= � ·� . . __
.
If Black had inserted . . .a6 a4 at some ear lier point to prevent this, White would continue a4-a5, D.b I , and b2 -b4. White is better as he will control the e-file, he has more space, and d6 is backward. 1 8.
·-
'tWe8-d8?
After 1 8 . . . 11ff8 1 9 .lLlc7 D.b8 20.D.e I �d7 2 1 . .. g5 White is obviously better but no clear win is yet visible. 1 9. 'tWd2-f4
b7-b6
20.
l:lf1·e1
21 .
D.e1 xe8+ •d8xe8
22 . lL!b5-c7
Analysis diagram
l0f6-e8
'tWe8-e1 +
23. .i.d3-f1
'tWe1 -e7
24. l0c7xa8
.i.c8-b7
77
The Kaufman Repertoire for While
25. ltJ88xb6 26.
87xb6
h3-h4
While is a healthy pawn up for free. 26.
...
�b7-c8
27.
...f4-g5
wg8-f8
28.
•g5xe7+ Wfaxe7
29. f2-f4
h7-h5
30. �g1 -f2
�c8-d7
31.
�-e3
�e7-d8
32.
�e3-d2
wd8-e7
33.
�f1 -d3
fj, fj, 33.
...
fj, b6-b5?
Black should just make 'pass' moves and let White prove he can win.
49.
85·86
d5·d4
50.
b3-b4
�f3·d5
51 .
b4xe5+
wd6xe5
52.
f4-f5
wc5·b6
53.
�83-b4
1 -0
01 1 2.5 (A 5 6) 0 Ivanchu.k,Vasily • Bu Xiangzhi
Khanty-Mansiysk. 20 I I (4) 1 . d2·d4
ltJg8-f6
2. e2·c4
c7-c5
3. d4-d5 4. ltJb1 -e3
e7-e5
5. e2·e4
�f8-e7
6.
g2-g3
White aims to answer a later . . . �gS by f2 -f4. He should not allow Black to ex change his bad bishop for White's good one.
c4xb5
wc7-b6
6. ...
35.
�d2-e3
wb6-85
7. �f1 -g2
36.
�c3-b3
�d7-c8
37.
82-84
�c8-b7
38.
�d3-c4
�b7-88
39.
�b3-83
�88-b7
g2·g3
�b7-88
41 .
b5-b6
�88·b7
42.
b2·b3
�b7·88
43.
�c4-b5
�88xd5
44.
�b5-e8
W85xb6
45.
�e8xg6
�d5-f3
46. �g6xf5
d6·d5
47.
wb6-e&
�f5·d3
48. 84·85
78
�c6·d6
d7-d6
In this system Black simply concedes a space advantage. hoping to prove it isn't important. I think it is.
34.
40.
Game 5.3
ltJb8-d7
.i .i .t t¥ • ' ' � .t i i i ' .. i fj, i fj, fj, fj, tD fj, � fj, fj, fj, � � � � tD tt the fianchetto makes sense here be cause in such a closed position the bad bishop can't do much except for defending I think
Chapter
the king. I've tried putting the bishop on h3 to exchange it for Black's better bishop, but the game move scores better in practice. 7. "'
a7-a6
8.
lLJg1-e2
0-0
9.
o-o
More common is 9 .a4 here, but the game shows there is no immediate need for it. 9. '"
b7-b5?1
The Benko Gambit idea seems suspect here, as without the pressure of the dark-squared bishop on the long diagonal Black shouldn't have enough for the pawn. 9 . . . tbe8 I O.a4 g6 l ! .i.h6 lbg7 1 2 .1t'd2 tbf6 (in case of I L.fS 1 3 .f4 .if6 1 4.Aae I the opening of the center will favor White, who is much better devel oped. The backward pawn on d6 is also a liability) 1 3 .h3 �h8 1 4 . .ie3 tbg8 I S .f4 .i.f6 1 6.g4N exf4 1 7 .llJxf4 .i.h4 l 8.tbd3 f6 1 9.a5 - with ideas of tba4 and b2-b4, White is probably already winning; 9 ... Ab8 I O.a4 b6 l l ..id2 tbe8 1 2 .tbc l g6; 1 2.. .llJc7 1 3.it'e2 .if6 1 4.Ab l :es I S.tbd3N aS 1 6. .ih3 - now that Black has had to give up on ... b7 -bS (to prevent b2 -b4) , the exchange of light-squared bishops is much more desirable for White than before ... a6-a5. White will prepare f2-f4, with advantage.
10. c4xb5
5 - Benoni Defenses
a6xb5
After 1 O . . . it'aS l l .a4 c4 1 2 .b3 axbS l 3 .tbxb5 cxb3 1 4 ..id2 it'b6 1 S . .ie3 tbcs 1 6 ..i.xcS it'xcS 1 7 . it'xb3 White is up 'half a pawn' , and with the blocked center the bishop pair may not have their usual value. 11.
lLJc3xb5
1 2.
lLJe2-c3
i.c8-a6 'lfd8-b6
13. a2-a4
lLJf6-e8
14. J:lf1-e1
lLJe8-c7
15. i.g2-f1
:i
:i � � � .t .t. .t. .t. .t 'it' .t. tt:J .t. � .t. � � � ttJ � � � � � if � � <;t> White is just a pawn up for free. I wonder why Black played for this position ? White's moves were hardly surprising ones. 15 .
...
i.a6xb5?1
1 6. lLJc3xb5
lLJc7xb5
1 7. i.f1 xb5
'lfb6xb5?1
Black must have felt he would lose other wise, and hoped for some fortress draw, but in vain. 1 8. a4xb5
J:la8xa1
'lfd1 -g4
lLJd7-b6
20.
�g1 -g2
g7-g6
21 .
.ic1 -g5
J:la1 xe1
22.
.i.g5xe7
h7-h5
23.
'lfg4-f3
J:lf8-c8
1 9.
79
The Kaufman Rcpcnoire for White
24. i.e7xd6
ti:Jb6-d7
25.
l£Jd7xb6
b5-b6
26. 1rf3-b3
6. i.c1·g5
I like this move (or ti:Jf3 first} combined with e2-e3 rather than e2-e4 as it resem bles the normal Benoni line given in this book. These lines deprive Black of easy play. I prefer the move-order with 6.ltJf3 to avoid . . . �eS. If Black castles, 7 .�gS h6 8.�h4 transposes to the game. Black can try 6 . . . �c7 7 .d6 �aS, but after 8.�f4 0-0 9.e3 White looks better. 6. ...
Black resigned, in view of 26 . . . tLla8 2 7 .11t'b7 lld8 28.�e7 lle8 29.d6 �g7 30 ...c6 1lg8 3 l .d7 lld l 3 2 ...f6+ .
6 . . . �c7 7.d6 �as s.lbf3 •b6 9.1lb l tLle4 I o ...d3 fs l l .�d2 Wxd6 1 2 .tLlxe4 ..xd3 1 3 .exd3 fxe4 1 4.dxe4 �xd2+ 1 S .llJxd2 llJc6 1 6 .�c4!. 7. i.g5·h4
B l 4.4 (A60} 0 Gelfand,Boris • Gashimov,Vugar
Game 5.4
Monaco rapid, 20 I I (9) 1.
d2-d4
tLlg8-f6
2. c2-c4
c7-c5
3. d4-d5
e7-e6
4. lDb1 -c3
e&xdS
5.
�f8-d6
c4xd5
80
0·0
In the event of 7 . . . �c7 8.d6 �aS 9.e3 Wb6 (9 ... gS 1 0.�g3 llJe4? l l . ..d5+-) I O.Ilb l tLle4 l l .'tt'd 3 fS 1 2. .�e2 •xd6 1 3 .�h S+ Wf8 1 4.'1t'xd6+ lbxd6 I S .lbe2 White has splendid compensation for the pawn. 7 . . . �eS 8.lbf3 hc3 + 9.bxc3 (Black has saved a tempo compared to lines with . . . �-c7 -a5xc3 , which is why I prefer the 6.ti:Jf3 move order) 9 . . . d6 I O.ti:Jd2 0-0 l l .e4!. 8. ti:Jg1 -f3
This is called the 'Snake' Benoni as the bishop often slithers around to c7 and aS. I think it is inferior to the normal Benoni.
h7·h6
Chapter 5 - Benoni Defenses 8.
_
Df8·e8
8.. . i.c7 9.d6 i.a5 1 0.e3 ... b6 ( 1 0 . . . lL!c6 l l .�d3 lL!b4?! 1 2 . 0-0 tL!xd3 1 3 .• xd3+-) 1 1 J lb 1 lL!e4 1 2..�.d3 fuc3 1 3 .bxc3 i.xc3+ 1 4.�e2 •as 1 5 .•c2 i.b4 1 6.i.e7 :e8 1 7.lL!e5+- . 9. e2·e3 1 0. a2·a4
a7·a6 .id6-f8
Black reverts to a normal Benoni set-up. It seems that White should always meet the snake move . . . .ic7 by d5-d6! in this line, as the pin of the f6 knight makes a.ltempts to win the advanced pawn too risky for Black. Gashimov is the only top player to play the Snake, and he seems to have concluded that Black should revert to placing the bishop on g7 against this i.g S system. But then he will be two tempi behind compared to a normal Benoni. although White would prefer to have his bishop on f4 in that opening. I O ... .ic7 l l .d6 i.aS l 2 .i.c4 bS 1 3 .i.dS tLlc6 1 4.abS abS 1 5 .0-0±. 1 1 . d5-d6
Simple development with 1 1 .i.e2 should be good as weU, by analogy to the normal Benoni. De8·e6
11.
-
1 2.
.if1 ·c4
De6xd6
13.
ttd1-b3
'it'd8-e8
14.
.ih4·g3
l 4.i.xf6 :xf6 I S.lL!d5 :c6 1 6.h4! ...d8 1 7 .aS J:[a7 I S .tL!eS l:le6 1 9 .tLlf4± was perhaps even better.
.i
.i.
� � � � .i. ' � � 'iY ttJ � �
'iV
White has won the exchange for a pawn and the bishop pair, which I would call a •;. pawn gain. As he is also better devel oped, I prefer White. tlJc3·d5
lL:)f6xd5
1 7. .ic4xd5
tllc6·b4
16. 1 8.
0·0
1 9. e3·e4
.id6·f8 d7-d6
20.
h2·h3
Da8·b8
21 .
a4·a5
b7·b5
22.
a5xb6
Db8xb6
23.
.id5·c4
In the actual game White played 23 ....c3? and lost his advantage after 2 3 . . .g6 fol lowed by ... i.g7 and .. tLlxd5 , though he still won. 23.
...
ttJb4·d5
24.
•b3-c2
lL:)d5-b4
25.
•c2·e2�
It's stiU a game. but both white rooks have weak pawns to target, so the exchange should count here. BI 1 2.6 (A6 1 ) D Inarkiev,Ernesto • Gashim.ov,Vugar
Game 5.5
Baku, 2008 (4)
14 .
...
tLJb8·c6
1.
1 5.
.ig3xd6
.if8xd6
2. c2·c4
d2·d4
tlJg8·f6 e7·e6
81
The Kaufman Rtptnoire for White
3. l!Jg1 -f3
c7-c5
4. d4-d5
d7-d6
5. l!Jb1 -c3
e6xd5
6. c4xd5
g7-g6
7. ..Q.c1 -f4
..Q.f8-g7?1
8. 9d1 -a4+1
.l � .i. 'if � .E i .i. i . , �'
This move i s better than 1 l ..ie2 bS!, though even in that case White is a bit better. 11.
8.
000
.ic8-d7
8 . . .9d7 9.�xd6 9xa4 1 0.l!Jxa4 ltJxdS 1 l .e4 ltJb4 1 2 .0-0-0 l!Jxa2+ 1 3 .�b 1 l!Jb4 1 4.�c4 �f6 1 S .l!Jxc5±. 9.
9a4-b3
e2-e4
o-o
1 O . . .tbhS 1 l .�e3 a6 1 2 .e5 bS ( 1 2 . . . dxe5 1 3 .d6 9xd6 1 4.:d 1 9c6 1 5 .tbg5 0-0 1 6 ..ic4 ltJf4 1 7 .hf4 exf4 1 8 .0-0±) 1 3 .exd6±. This was Bologan-Rapport, Gibraltar 2 0 1 1 . Even stronger would have been 1 3 .a4! . 11.
82
ltlf3-d21
.if4-e3
.1 � • .t 'if .i. i '�
� �
1W ttJ � � ttJ � � � n w� n
_.d8-c7
9 . . . b5?! 1 o.�xd6 9b6 1 l .�e5 0-0 l 2 .e3 c4 1 3 .9d 1 l!Ja6 1 4.a4 b4 ( 1 4 . . . ltlc5 1 5 .axb5 �xbS 1 6 .�e2+-) 9xb5 1 6 .axb5 �xbS 1 S .ltlb5 1 7 .'ilrd4+-; 9 . . .�c8? 1 0.1i'b5+±. 1 0.
l!Jf6-h5
1 1 .. .:e8 1 2 ..ie2 a6 ( 1 2 ... b5 1 3 ..ixbS tbxe4 1 4.ltJcxe4 fS 1 5 .0-0 fxe4 1 6 .ltJc4 .if8 1 7 .:fe 1 ±) 1 3 .a4 �c8 1 4.0-0 ltlbd7 1 5.tt::lc4 .if8 1 6.-iO :b8 1 7 .IHe 1 b6 1 8 .h3:t: - it seems that this passive posi tion for Black, though clearly favoring White, is about the best he can do after 8.1i'a4 + ! . 1 2.
Already it is difficult for Black to reach a playable position.
-
1 2.
'"
f7-f5
1 2 ... l!Ja6 1 3 .�e2 fS ( 1 3 . . . :ab8 1 4.0-0 bS 1 5 .tt::l x b5 .ixb5 1 6 . .ixb5 •e7 1 7 .1i'a4 tt::lc 7 1 8 ..ic6 :xb2 1 9.:ab l :xb 1 20.:Xb I ± was Kir. Georgiev-Fier, Benasque 20 I 0. White's advantage is ob vious) 1 4.exf5 gxf5 1 5 .�xh5 f4 1 6.0-0 fxe3 1 7 . fxe3 tt::lb4 So far Grigorov B.Savchenko, Bansko 20 1 0 . Now after the simple 1 8 . .ie2 Black has no compensa tion for the pawn; 1 2 . . . �d4?! 1 3.�e2 �xe3 1 4.fxe3 tt::lg 7 1 5 .0-0 ltJa6 1 6.e5 dxe5 1 7 .ltJde4 tt::le8 1 8 .d6 1i'b6 1 9.9d5 �e6 20.'ilrxe5+ This was Brynell-Almasi, Germany Bundesliga 2005 /06.
13. e4xf5
g6xf5
1 3 . . . Lf5 H. .ie2 ll:Jf6 1 5 .h3 ll:Ja6 1 6.a3 :aes 1 7 .0-0±; White plans ll:Jc4 and .i£4. 14.
�f1 -e2
.id7-e8
1 4... f4 I S ..ixcS f3 ( 1 5 . . . ll:Ja6 1 6 . .ia3 :ae8 I 7 .ll:Jce4+-) 1 6 . .ixf3 'ifxc5 ( 1 6 .. .1hf3 1 7 .gxf3 'ifxcS 1 8 .'ifxb7 lLlf4 1 9 .'it'xa 8 +- was seen in Gavrilov K.ornev, St Petersburg 2002) 1 7.ll:Jde4 .ixc3+ 1 8 . bxc3 l:e8 1 9 . 0-0 'ifc7 20.l:ae l +- . 1 5. o-o
a7-a6
1 6.
.b3·d1
tLlh5-f6
17.
tLld2-f3
b7·b5
18.
tLlf3·g5
.ie8-f7
1 9.
�e2-d3
.-c7-c8
23.
'"
ttJd7·e5
24.
�f4xe5
d6xe5
25.
�d3-c4± lt)f6-e4
26 .
•t3-e2
27. J:la1 ·c1
J:lf8-e8 lbe4-d6
28.
�c4-b3
f5·f4
29.
J:lc1 xc5
tl'c8-b8
30. :c5-c6
J:la8-a7
31 . J:lf1 -e1
a6-a5
32.
�b3-a4
J:le8-e7
i �'
� �··� �
�� 33.
'VJJ! � � � ttJ � w
b2-b3+-
In the actual game White needlessly lost the exchange by 33 .'ifd2 ? .ie8 but still drew. After 33 .b3 White is a pawn up with the bener position.
20•
BI 1 2. 1 1 (A6 1 ) Game 5.6 0 Georgiev,Kiril • Kovacevic,Aleksandar
•d1 ·f3?1
With 20.'ifc2! .ig6 2 1 .ll:Je6+- White wins material.
Vrnjacka Banja, 20 1 0 (6) 1.
d2·d4
lLlg8-f6
.if7-g6
2. c2-c4
21 . tLlg5-e6
tLlb8-d7
3.
tD g 1 -f3
c7-c5
22.
b5-b4
4.
d4·d5
d7-d6
5.
lbb1 -c3
e6xd5
6.
c4xd5
g7-g6
7.
�c1 -f4
20.
... �e3-f4
23. lLlc3-d1 ?
2 3 .tLla4� +- was stronger, to avoid ... ll:JeS .
e7-e6
83
The Kaufman Repertoire for Wbite
.! " .t 'if • .t .l .l .i .l " .i ·� .i ttJ ttJ �� ��� � � w .i
i
.i
12.
� �
I have almost a I 00% score with this strong move. 7. ...
a7-a6
This is considered best to avoid 7 ... �g7 8.1i'a4+ as in the previous game. 8.
a2-a4
�f8-g7
9.
h2-h3
o-o
1 0.
e2-e3
This conservative move is a recent im provemenl. There is no need to rush the advance of the e-pawn to e4, it can be played af£er full preparation. 1 0.
-
11.
tLlf3-d21
tlf8-e8
This is better than I I . .ie 2 lLle4 as trades tend to favor Black in the Benoni. 11.
84
...
lLlb8-d71
Without this nice trick Black is con demned to suffer. If he is forced to answer lLlc4 by . . ..if8 he is worse. White can prepare either b2-b4 or a central advance with e3-e4 and f2-f4 . �f1 -e2
Not I 2..�xd6? lLlb6 1 3 ..ixc5 lLlfxd5 as Black has full compensation for the pawn. 1 2. ...
tLld7-e5
1 3. 0-0
lLlf6-d7
14.
'tfd1 -c2
1 4.l:.e I is also a good move. 14. ...
f7-f5
1 5. �f4-h2
b7-b6
If Black plays . . .lLlf6 first then 1 6 .a5 is a strong move. If a4-a5 is played with the knight on d7, Black can play . . . b7-b6 or . . . b7-b5 and take back on b6 with the knight.
1 6.
b2-b3
The actual game went 1 6 .l:.fe I lLlf6 1 7 .l:.ad l 'ifc7 1 8 ..ixe 5 ! ? and although the position is unclear, White went on to win. The text move was played in another game but with the bishop on g3 rather than h2, where it was vulnerable to an at tack by . . . lLlh5. With the bishop on h2 the text looks good.
Chapter
1 6.
tt)d7·f6?1
...
In case of 1 6 . . . i.b7 I 7 .tbc4 We 7 I S .:ab I i White can aim for b2-b4, e3-e4, or f2-f4 depending on Black's play. 1 7.
tt)d2·c4
tt)e5·f7
Black doesn't take on c4 as his b6 pawn would be very weak.
5 - Benoni Defenses
3.
d4·d5
b7·b5
4.
c4xb5
a7·a6
5.
b5xa6
.ic8xa6
5 . . . g6 6.tbc3 �xa6 7 .tbf3 d6 8 .e4 is a more common move order that will ulti mately transpose to the game. 6.
tt)b1 ·c3
d7·d6
7. tt)g1 ·f3
llJb8-d7
1 8.
lla1·b1
.ic8-b7
8. e2-e4
�a6xf1
1 9.
b3·b4
c5xb4
9.
�e1 xf1
g7-g6
10.
g2-g3
�f8-g7
11.
�1-g2
0-0
1 2.
a2·a41
J 9 . . . tbxd5
20.tbxd5 i.xdS 2 1 .J:lbd I hc4 n.i.xc4±. 20. llb1 xb4
lla8·c8
21 .
llb4xb6
llc8xc4
22.
llb6xb7
llc4-c5
23.
•c2·b3±
'
:t
�� ' .1 �
�
� .t .l �' '
the bishop on g3 Black would have lhe resource 23 . . . tbh5 with two threats, but as it is he has little compensation for lhe pawn.
With
Bl 27. 1 1 {ASS)
Game 5.7
D Zhou Jianchao • Wang Zili Hefei ch-CHN rapid, 20 I I (4) 1.
d2·d4
2. c2-c4
tt)g8·f6 c7-c5
This move was rare until recently, but it seems to be quite strong and is the reason I recommend accepting the Benko Gam bit. The main idea is to plant a knight on bS. 1 2.
...
•d8·a5
A) 1 2. . .Wb6 1 3 .We2 J:lfb8 1 4.�d2 Wb3 I S .J:lhb l e6 ?! (after 1 5 . . . tbb6 1 6.J:la3 Wc4 I 7 .'ti'e I White is starting to consolidate his extra pawn) 1 6.i.f4!N exdS (in case of 1 6 ... e5 1 7.�g5, with his bishop shut in Black has no compensa tion for the pawn) 1 7 .i.xd6 J:lb4 1 8 .J:la3 1i'c4 1 9.1i'xc4 dxc4 20 .tbd2 - White is effectively more than a pawn up here due to Black's doubled isolani; 85
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
B) 1 2 ... ttJg4?! 1 3 .1We2 1Wb6 1 4.lDd2 ! N Black must admit his mistake and retreat the knight to f6 ; C) 1 2 . . . :a6 1 3 .1Wc2 1Wa8 1 4.�gS :bs I S.b3 h6 l 6.�xf6 �xf6 1 7 .:ab I - with squares bS and c4 for his knights, White is better here. 1 3.
�c1·d2
•a5-a6
14.
l:lh1 ·e1
:f8-c8
1 5. llJc3·b5
.i
c5·c4
.i
• .. i i ..t i i .. . � ttJ � � i � tt:J � � � � \tt � 'ir a: a: 1 6.
1 6 . ...
•a6·b6
1 7.
h2·h3
lbd7·c5
1 8.
�b4xc5
Note that trading a bishop for a knight is only a minor concession when it is an un paired bishop. ...
1 8 . . . :xcS J 9 .lLJfd4 llJd7 20.ttJc6 �f6 2 1 .1Wd2 tDeS 2 2.c�JxeS �xeS 2 3 .:a3 and Black has some compensation with his
86
1 9. lbf3·d4
lbf6·d7
20. llJd4·c6
wg8·f8
21 .
liJd7·e5?1
l:la1·b1
In the event of 2 1 . . .1Wb6 2 2 .b3 1Wa6 23.ltlbd4 cxb3 24.aS White keeps the a-pawn and wins the b-pawn. Black's compensation is insufficient due to the mighty white knights. 22.
b2·b4
23.
•d1 xb31N
c4xb3
�d2·b4?1
1 6.�c3!N ttJcS 1 7.1Wc2 llJd3 1 8.l:le2 since the bS knight blocks the b-file and the c3 bishop neutralizes Black's bishop, Black's compensation for the pawn is minimal.
1 8.
strong bishop and queenside pressure, but White can combine attacking ideas like h2-h4 with threats on the c4 pawn, so the compensation is not enough.
White missed this winning move, playing 23 .l:lc l 1Wb6 24.lLlxeS �xeS 2 S.1Wxb3 1WaS instead, when Black retained typical 'Benko' compensation for the pawn and ultimately drew. 23.
...
lbe5xc6
24.
l:le1 ·c1
1Wc5-b6
25.
d5xc6
White is winning, because the monster pawn on c6 cannot be taken due to 26.1Wds :cc8 2 7 .ltlc7 .
Chapter 6
Old Indian The name 'Old Indian' refers to the opening l .d4 llJf6 2.c4 d6, as long as Black refrains from transposing to a King's Indian by an early ... g6. Some believe that the name 'In dian' for a defense is a reference to the Indian version of chess, in which pawns only move one square forward, never two, so an 'Indian' defense is one in which the early pawn moves are just one square. Another version of the story is that the name comes from a player named Bannerjee Moheschunder, who regularly played l . . llJf6 in India in the flrst half of the 1 9th century. Both versions may be true, as players from India back then almost always played the Indian version of the game first, even if they later switched to our form of chess. The 'Old' part of the name seems to stem from the Rus sian term staro-indiskaya, used for the set-up with . . .d6 as opposed to novo-indiskaya ( ... b6) , with which the Queen's Indian set-up was meant. .
White can respond with either 3.lLJc3 or 3 .lbf3 . They often transpose, but not always. I have chosen to recommend 3.llJO because it avoids the response 3 . . . e5 and is consis tent with our line against the King's Indian. It does forfeit the option of meeting 3 ...�f5 by 4.£3 , but that is not such a great choice anyway. In Game 6. 1 we look at the fairly unusual reply 3... .i.g4, which we meet by the natu ral 4.-.,3 , which attacks b7 while defending the knight. The usual end result of this is that White wins the bishop pair without even paying the price of doubled pawns or significant tempo loss. Verdict: a clear White plus. Next we look at 3 .. .ifs 4.llJc3 g6 (or the equivalem 3 ... g6 4.llJc3 �fS). After S.llJh4 .a.d7 6.e4 eS 7.llJO we get a normal King's Indian except that Black's bishop is on d7 in stead of c8 and he has played . . . e7 -eS a bit earlier than normal. On balance I think these differences favor White, at least in most lines; the inability to move either knight to d7 is a problem for Black. See Game 6. 2. .
87
The Koufman Repenoire for White
Finally we consider the main line 3 ...tt:Jbd7 4.tt:Jc3 eS. Note that we could also reach this position by 3 .l!Jc3 eS 4.l!Jf3 l!Jbd7, but in this case we would need to be prepared for the sharp line 4 . . . e4!?. By playing l!Jf3 first we avoid this line. White plays just as if Black were playing the King's Indian with . . . l!Jbd 7 , which of course he could transpose to by S.e4 g6. However, after S ...i..e 7 6.i..e 2 0-0 7.0-0 c6, we refrain from the King's Indian move 8.J.e3 because of 8 . . . l!Jg4, when J.gs is a blW1der. Instead we play the useful 8.1t'c2, clearing d l for the king's rook, and planning to play J.e3 only after . . . 11fc7 when ... l!Jg4 can be met by J.gS . White plays almost as if it were a King's In dian, playing to expand on the queenside. The thinking is that Black should have less coW1terplay than in the King's Indian, so White's advantage should be greater in the Old Indian. See Game 6.3.
01 1 . 1 1 (A I S)
Game 6.1
D Macieja,Bartlomiej • Slobodjan,lloman Germany Bundesliga. 20 I 0/ I I ( I I ) 1 . tlJg1 -f3
l!Jg8-f6
2.
c2-c4
d7-d6
3.
d2-d4
i..c8-g4
4.
Wd1 -b3
5.
h2-h3
s . . .J.xf3 6.11fxf3 g6 7 .J.gs .ig7 8.l!Jc3 tt:lbd7 9 .e3 eS I O . .id3N 0-0 I 1 .0-0 c6 1 2 .Aad I and again, no compensation for White's bishop pair. 6.
g2-g4
••
The doubling of White's pawns by . . . J.xf3 isn't exactly a threat, but if you can avoid it with gain of tempo, why not? .d8-c8
If 4 . . . lt:Jc6 S.dS J.xf3 6.11fxf3 l!JeS 7 .1i'b3 11fc8 8.lt:Jc3 g6 9.e4 J.g7 I O.J.e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 c6 1 2 ..ie3 tt:Jfg4 1 3 . .if4 Black has no compensation for the bishop pair. 88
i..h5-g6
7. i..f 1-g2
.i & 'if ' ' '
4. ...
i..g4-h5
7.
...
• .t .i ' ' ' ' ' & 1.
ttJb8-c6
7 ... c6 8.l!Jc3 e6 9 .l!Jh4 (nail the bishop pair!) 9 . . . J.e7 I O. .if4 ltJbd7N l t .J.g3 0-0 1 2 . 0-0 - here too, free bishops; After 7 ... h6 (saving the bishop) 8 . 0-0 l!Jbd7 9.c5 ! dxcS?! I O.ltJeS! c6 I I .ltJxg6 fxg6 1 2 .dxc5 Black's position is in ruins. 8.
d4-d5
ttJc6·d8
Chapter 6
9. lLlb1 -c3
e7-e6
10. llJf3-h4
e6-e5
-
Old Indian
After 2 l .b4! tlJa4 22 .h4 lU7 23 .a3 tlJb6 H.'irc2 White is winning, as Black can scarcely move and can hardly defend against hS or �h3. 21 .
...
22.
lLld4-c6
lLld8xc6
23.
d5xc6+
�g8-h8
24.
h4-h5
Wc8-e8??
a6-a5
After 24 ...gxh5 2S .l:lxh5 1Wfs 26.�d5 l:tb4 2 7 .'irc2 White 'only' has the bishop pair plus. 1 1 . f2-f4
Probably even better was l l .�e3! �e7 1 2.llJxg6 hxg6 1 3 .g5 llJd7 1 4.h4 llJcS l S ..i.xcS dxcS 1 6.�h3 'irb8 1 7 .llJe4 a6 1 8.'irc3 . 11.
"'
1 2. �c1 xf4 1 3. 0-0-0 14.
e2-e3
wh8xg7
27. Wc4-d4+ wg7-g8
0-0 a7-a6
16. lLlh4xg6
f7xg6 b7-b5
1 8. lLle2-d4
lLld7-c5
1 9. Wb3-c2
b5xc4
20.
lla8-b8
Wc2xc4
l:lf8-f5
�f8-e7
lLlf6-d7
g4-g5
h5-h6 h6xg7+
e5xf4
15. lLlc3-e2 1 7.
25. 26.
28.
�g2-d5+
2 8.l:txh 7 ! �xh7 29.l:th 1 + �g 8 3 0 .�d5 + l:txdS 3 l .'irxd 5 + �g7 3 2 .�e 5+ dxeS 3 3 .'irxe 5 + �g8 34 .l:th8+ �f7 3 S .l:th7 + �g8 36 .'irg7#. 28.
...
29.
Wd4xd5+ wg8-g7?1
l:tf5xd5
29 ... 'irf7 30 .'irxf7+ �xf7 3 1 .l:txh7+ White has a decisive advantage of an ex change and a pawn.
21 .
h3-h4
30.
l:th1 xh7+ �g7xh7
31 .
l:ld1 ·h1 +
32.
�f4-e5+
wh7-g7
89
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
Mate in four, as in the note to move 28. Black resigned.
01 1 .6 (A5 3 )
Game 6.2
Sarajevo, 20 I I (3) d2-d4
tbg8-f6
2. c2-c4 3.
d7-d6
llJg1 -f3
g7-g6
-·
In case of 3 . . ...ifS 4.ltJc3 c6 (4 . . . g6 trans poses to the game) S .ttJh4 ..id7 6.e4 eS 7 .ttJn ..ig4 8 ...ie2 ttJbd7 9.0-0 ..ie7 I O ...ie3 0-0 l l .h3 ..ihS I 2.lDd2; or 1 2 .d5 cS 1 3 .lDd2 ..ixe2 1 4.1ixe2 White has the good vs. bad bishop, more space, and the plan oUlb I and b2 -b4. 4. lLlb1 -c3
�c8-f5
This is an attempt to avoid normal King's Indian lines after 4 . . . ..ig7 5 .e4.
:! ..
i i i
t¥ • -t i
�� t2J
i i .. i _t
:1 i
t2J �� ���� � ���� � 5. lLlf3-h4
90
..if5-d7
"'
6. e2-e4
This prevents 3 ... e5, while 3 .lLlc3 does not. On the other hand, 3 .lDc3 allows for the option of meeting 3 . . .�f5 with 4.f3, but then 4 ... e5 is a decent answer. So I recommend the move order of this game. 3.
5.
5 . . . ..ic8 6.e4 ..ig7 7 . ..ie2 0-0 8.0-0 eS 9.ttJf3 transposes to our main King's In dian lines.
0 Prohaszka,Peter • Jobava,Baadur 1.
Also good is 5 .h3 , intending 6.g4, but this is too dissimilar to normal King's In dian lines for this repertoire.
When the knight eventually returns to f3 , we'll reach normal King's Indian posi tions with the bishop already 'developed' to d7. Is this a plus or a minus? In some lines it could help if the bishop goes to c6 or covers the a4-square, but more often it interferes with a knight move to d7, or blocks the queen. 6.
e7-e5
-·
6 . . ...ig7 7 .ttJn 0-0 8 . ..ie2 eS This is the normal King's Indian position but with the bishop on d7 instead of c8. Ironically, this extra move hurts Black in the follow ing variation: 9.dxe5 dxe5 I O.ltJxeS lDxe4 I l . ltJxe4 ..ixeS 1 2 . ..ig 5 f6 1 3 .1td5+ Wg7 1 4 .... xe5 fxeS 1 5 ...ixd8 l:[xd8 1 6.lDc5 - White has the better pawn structure and the better develop ment in this ending. 7.
l!Jh4-f3
:! ..
t¥ • -t
i i i -t i
i .. i
:1 i
i ��� t2J t2J ��� ��
�
� it' � �
a:
Chapter 6 7.
·-
ltlb8·c6
case of 7 . . . .ig7 8 . .ie2 exd4 9.tbxd4 0-0 I O . .ie3 Ae8 I l .f3 tbc6 1 2 .1i'd2 lbh5 1 3 .tbxc6 bxc6 1 4.g4 lbf6 1 5 .h4 h5 1 6.g5 tbh7 1 7 .c5 d5 1 8.0-0-0 White has beuer pawns and more space. He can ex change ofT Black's strong bishop by .id4 next. In
8.
.if1 ·e2
.if8·g7
9.
.ic1·e3
0·0
9 ... tbg4 I O.i.gS f6 l l .i.c l 0-0 1 2.d5 tbe7 1 3 .tbd2 lbh6 1 4.c5 tbf7 1 5 .1i'b3 Ab8 1 6.cxd6 cxd6 I 7 .a4 - lhe exchange of the c-pawns favors White, who can at tack d6 or aim to exchange bishops on b5. 1 0.
d4·d5
ltlc6·e7
14.
-
Old Indian
d5xc6
1 4.Ab I aS I S .a3 a4 is not so convincing for White; in this line the bishop on d7 really helps Black by making ...a4 possi ble. That's why White takes en passant. 14. ...
b7xc6
15.
a7·a5
b2·b4
i¥� :1 � .t � .t £
:!
• •
•
� � ttJ � a:
•
• • � �� ttJ � � � 'iY a: w
1 1 . ltlf3·d2
:! iV E � £ £ £ .t � £ .t £ . �· �· � � ttJ � � ttJ � � � � � tt a: 'iY <;t> This set-up wilh bishop on e3 and knight on d2 is ideal for White and normally not attainable in the standard King's Indian.
1 6.
b4·b5
The game actually went 1 6.a3 Ab8 1 7 .Ab I (with 1 7 .bS tbf6 1 8.Ab I .ie6 1 9 . .if2 lbhS 20.g3 tbf6 2 l .exf5 .ixfS 2 2 .tbde4 White keeps an edge) I 7 . . . axb4 1 8.axb4 tbf6 1 9.lbb3 .ie6 20.tba5 cS 2 1 .lbb5 fxe4 2 2 .'itxd6 'itxd6 2 3 .lbxd6 exf3 24.i.xf3 cxb4 2 5 ..ia7 e4 26.i.xb8 exf3 2 7 .Abe I fxg2 2 8 .�xg2 .ig4 29.Axe7 Axb8 30.h3 i.d7 3 l .Axf6 i.xf6 3 2 .Axd7 b3 3 3 .ltle4 �g7 34.Ab7 Axb7 3 5 .lbxb7 b2 36.tbd2 �f7 3 7 .�f3 hS 38.�e4 i.c3 39.lbb l .ib4 40.tbd8+ �f6 4 1 .tbc6 i.d6 42.c5 , draw agreed.
1 1 . ...
ltlf6·e8
1 2. 0-0
f7·f5
1 6. ...
lLle8·f6
1 3. f2·f3
c7·c5
1 7.
.id7·e6
1 3 .. .f4 1 4 . .if2 g5 I S .cS is better for White than our main King's Indian lines, because lhe knight on d2 can go to c4 anytime. Usually it is on e I and can only go to d3.
J:la1·b1
After 1 7 . . . d5 1 8.bxc6 d4 1 9 .cxd7 dxe3 20.lbb3 'itxd7 2 1 . 'itxd7 tbxd7 2 2.Afd I Afd8 2 3 .a4 White's pieces are much more positively placed, and the aS pawn is in danger. 91
Tht Kaufman Rcptnoirt for Whitt
1 8.
'tfd1 -b3
1 9.
'tfb3-a3
:a8-b8
White is better because his pressure on d6 will probably force . . . c6-cS. Such a pawn scructure ca.n only be decent for Black if he ca.n bring a knight to d4, but here this would take too many moves.
01 6. 1 2 (AS S ) Game 6.3 0 So.Wesley • Andreikin.Dmitry Biel, 20 I 0 (9) 1.
lLlg1 -f3
ll)g8-f6
2.
c2-c4
d7-d6
3.
lLlb1 -c3
e7-e5
4.
d2-d4
lLlb8-d7
We would reach this position by I .d4 tbf6 2.c4 d6 3 .tbf3 tbbd7 4.tbc3 e5.
5 ... g6 6 . ..ie2 ..ig7 7 .0-0 0-0 transposes to our King's Indian chapter. 6.
i.f1 -e2
7. 0-0
0-0 c7-c6
This Une is a rather rare choice for Black among grandmasters, as the general feel ing is that it is just an inferior King's In dian. Without the bishop on g7. it is hard to force White to advance d4-d5, and the exchange on d4 also has less point. 8.
'tfd1 -c2
In the King's Indian I would play 8 . ..ie3 here, since 8 ... tbg4 is well met by 9.i.g5, attacking the queen. Here the queen move is logical, preparing lid I which will nudge the queen off the d-file, after which i.e3 lbg4 ..igS is possible. 8. ...
a7-a6
9. l:f1 -d1
'tfd8-c7
10. i.c1-e3
:i
.t •• i 'it � .t i i i ' ' ' "' ' t::, t::, t::, t2J � ttJ t::, t::, 'fj � t::, t::, t::, � ll �
5 . e2-e4
S .i.gS is my second choice: after S . . . i.e7 6.e3 0-0 7 ....c2 c6 8.i.d3 h6 9 . ..ih4 lieS I 0.0-0 tbhs l l . ..ixe7 1Wxe7 1 2 .11ad I tbhf6 1 3 .tbd2 White is better developed in an otherwise roughly even position. He can aim to expand on the queenside. 5.
92
...
i.f8-e7
1 0. -
l:lf8-e8
In the event of I O . . . tbg4 l l .i.gS (White doesn't mind exchanging these bishops because the d6 pawn becomes a real weakness. White can also just play l t .i.d2 and if l l . . .tbgf6, 1 2 .11ac l takes advantage of the free tempo .id 2) l l ... .ixgS 1 2 .tbxg5 tbgf6 1 3 .tbf3 lieS
Chapter 6
1 4.h3 b6 I S .l:ld2 .i.b7 1 6.l:lad 1 White has pressure on d6, space, md em play on either wing. 1 1 . l:la1-c1
lbf6-g4
Or 1 l . . . .i.f8 1 2 .dS c� 1 3 .ll:\d2 .i.e7 1 4.a3 ltlf8 1 5 .b4 b6 1 6.h3 t!Jg6 1 7 .l:lb 1 .id7 1 8.l:lb3 ll:\f4 19 . .i.fl .
1 9.
-
Old Indian
d5xc6
Also strong was 1 9.1Wb3 bxc4 20.ll:\xc4 lLlxe4?! 2 I .lLlxe4 cxdS 2 2 .lLlg3 dxc4 2 3 ..ixc4. White is much better, since 2 3 ... l:lf8? loses to 24.lLlf5. 1 9.
...
�b7xc6
:! if :!
� � .i. .t. .t. .t. .t. .i. .t. & .t. .t.
� � � � l2J � � 'fi ttJ � � � l:r l:I <;t> White has more space md will double on the b-file with a queenside initiative. Black has no attack on the k.ingside. 1 2. �e3-d2
lbg4-f6
After 1 2 ... exd4 1 3 .t!Jxd4 t!JgeS 1 4.h3 ltlf6 1 5 ..if4 .if8 1 6 ..ih2 c5 1 7 .ll:\f3 ltlxf3 + 1 8 . .ixf3 .ie6 1 9 .b3 l:lad8 2 0.1Wd2 Black has no visible compensa tion for his backward d-pawn which is under heavy pressure. 1 3. h2-h3
1fc7-b8
14. �d2-e3
b7-b5
1 5. a2-a3
�c8-b7
1 6.
b2-b4
�e7-f8
1 7. d4-d5
l:le8-c8
1 8. ll:lf3-d2
�f8-e7
20. 1fc2-a2
White actually played 20 .1Wd3 lLlb6 2 I .llJdS �xdS 22 .cxd5 1Wb7 2 3 .1Wb l lLla4=, and the game ended in a draw af ter many moves. 20.
...
�e7-f8
The point of 20.tfa2 is that since a3 is now protected, 20 ... lLlb6 cm be met safely by winning the bS pawn. 21 . .C.c1 -c2
White plans to double rooks md has a dear advantage in space and pawn struc ture. If Black exchmges on c4 White will have a healthy queenside majority, while Black's central one is crippled by the backward d-pawn.
93
Chapter 7
Queen 's Gambit Accepted The 'QGA' starts with 1.d4d5 2.c4 chc4.
It is not a true gambit since White can immediately regain the pawn by 3 .11fa4+, though that is not the path to an advantage. The QGA used to be fairly popular, but it has become rather rare lately both in top level play and in amateur events. I can't re member the last time anyone played it against me. Still, it is an important defense and there are books recommending it, so it deserves its own chapter. I decided to recommend two unrelated systems for White. The first one is the Exchange Variation, which starts 3.tlJfl (or 3 .e3 first) 3 ... tlJf6 4.e3 e6 s.hc4 cS 6.0-0 a6 7.chcS (7.�b3 is probably the best alternative here) . This leads to a queen trade and a sym metric pawn structure, so the chances of a draw are higher than normal, but White gains one tempo which together with his initial tempo gives him a dear if small advan tage. There are enough pieces left for a real game, and this was Magnus Carlsen's suc cessful choice in his last game against the QGA. Basically, White hopes that by rede ploying his pieces (usually his bishop retreats to e2 and his queen's knight heads for b3 and sometimes aS) and annoying the black king (if Black keeps his king on e7) he can win the bishop pair on an open board. See Game 7 . I . Note that this line is the only choice (of my two) which can be played if you use the alternate move-order l .ll:Jf3 dS 2.d4 llJf6 3 .c4 dxc4. For those wanting a richer fight, I give the 'gambit' continuation 3.e4. White can pretty much count on getting his pawn back eventually, so it's not terribly risky, but it should still be considered a gambit. Black has three major defenses, 3 ...tlJc6 (for this and other tries see Game 7 . 2 ) , 3 ...tlJf6 4.e5 (not 4.llJc3 ? eS! when Black is already equal) 4-...tlJdS 95
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
S ..ic4 (see Game 7.3), and the traditional main line l eS 4.ll:Jflt (see Game 7.4) . In this ... eS line, remember to answer a bishop check by llJc3 if feasible or by llJbd2 if llJc3 is not feasible; blocking the check with the bishop is less promising. I think that 3.e4 gives White some real advantage in all lines (Garry Kasparov said as much in one of his recent books) , and is probably the main reason why the QGA is no longer popu lar among grandmasters. It's hard to say too much about strategy in this open variation, but quite often White aims to emerge with a superior pawn structure. .••
QG 1 2.3 (02 7)
Game 7.1
D Carlsen,Magnus • Nisipeanu,Liviu-Dieter Medias. 20 I I (5) 1 . d2-d4
d7-d5
2.
c2-c4
d5xc4
3.
e2-e3
The more popular move order, which I recommend, is 3 .tZ:lf3 lLlf6 4.e3 e6 5.hc4 cS, transposing to the game. It avoids 3 .e3 e S ! ? but allows 4 . . . .ig4. Ap parently Carlsen would rather avoid the second move, but 3 . . . eS (after 3.e3) is more common so in terms of cutting down how much you must study, 3 .llJf3 seems more practical. 3.
-·
lbg8-f6
4.
..if1 xc4
e7-e6
5.
tZ:lg1-f3
c7-c5
&.
o-o
a7-a6
7.
d4xc5
This used to be considered just a way to make a draw, but this game, and other re cent ones, show that Black has to work for a draw. The goal for White is primarily to win the bishop pair. Note that although the queens are exchanged, White gains a tempo, and all other pieces remain on the board. 7. ...
Although this forfeits castling, the king will not be too unhappy on e 7, and this reply scores better than initiating the queen exchange: 7 ... •xd I 8 .:.xd I .ixcS 9 ..ie2 (this move looks odd, but it avoids . . .bS and has ideas of llJeS and .if3 and sometimes ltJc4) 9 ... ltJbd7 (after 9 . . . 0-0 1 O.ltJbd2 :.ds 1 1 .llJeS �e7 1 2 .b3 ltJdS 1 3 ..ib2 f6 1 4.llJd3 !Dc6 1 S .a3 .id7 1 6.:.ac I White has a slight edge in piece placement and ideas like e3 -e4 and b2-b4 or tZ:lcS or tlJ-e4-c5, which should net him the bishop pair) I O.llJbd2 b6 l l .a3 .ib7 1 2.b4 �e7 1 3 . .ib2 0-0 1 4.:.ac 1 :.res 1 5.llJc4 �dS 1 6.llJce5 tL!xeS 1 7 .tZ:lxeS aS 1 8.bS :.cs 1 9 .tZ:lc6 �f8 20.:.xc5 �xeS 2 l .a4. White plans �f3 . hoping to exchange both bishops for Black's light-squared bishop and knight. If this happens, his outposted knight will be superior to Black's bishop. -
.i � .t t¥ � .t �
96
�
J:
���
·�
..if8xc5
Chapter 7 - Queen's Gambit Accepted
8.
'tl'd1 xd8+ �e8xd8
9.
.i.c4-e2
1 0.
ttJb1-d2
i •
�d8-e7
knight moves the bishop check on b4 should give White a slight edge. 1 2. ttJb3-a5
After I 2. ..b5 1 3 .llJb7 .i.b4 1 4.a3 .i.c6 1 5 .axb4 .i.xb7 1 6.llJe5 :ds 1 7 .f3 , White's bishop pair and Black's weakness on the dark squares give White the edge. His doubled isolated pawns on a closed file are not much worse than Black's backward pawn on an open file.
j_
13.
1 0.
.. .
.i.c8-d7
I O . lLJc6 l l .a3 aS 1 2 .b3 b6 1 3 . .i.b2 :d8 1 4.:fd I i.b7 I S .lLJe I :d7 1 6.llJd3 .i.d6N 1 7 .llJc4 .i.c7 I S.:dc I - White plans b4 with a nice space advantage and initiative; I O ... lLJbd7 l l .llJb3 .i.d6 I 2.lLJaS llJb6 1 3 .:d l llJbdS 1 4 ..i.d2 llJe4 I S . .i.e l fS 1 6.:ac 1 N :ds 1 7 . .i.c4 - White has a clear advantage due to ideas like .i.xd5 or .i.b3 and lLJc4 or lLJd4 and f2-f3 . while Black cannot develop his queenside; 1 o . . . :ds l l .b 3 llJc6 1 2 . .i.b2 b 6 1 3 .:fd l .i.b7 1 4.lLJe l �f8 1 5 .llJd3 .i.e7 1 6.:ac I N :ac8 I 7 .a3 and White has the edge due to the superiority of his b2 bishop to Black's b7 one. He plans b3 -b4. ..
11.
ttJd2-b3
:a8-a7
.ic5·d6
l l . . ..i.b6 1 2 ..i.d2 llJc6 1 3 .i.c3 :hd8 1 4.lLJfd2 .i.e8 1 5 .lLJc4 i.c7 1 6.i.f3N White plans llJca5 next, which should net him the bishop pair; l l . . .�a7 1 2.�d2 ti::lc6 1 3 .:fd l :hd8 1 4.i.e l i.e8 1 5 .tt:\a5 lLJd5 1 6.:ac l lLJxaS I 7 .i.xa5 :dc8 1 8 .e4 and once the
ttJa5-e4
�d7-b5
14.
b2-b3
:h8-d8
15.
.i.c1 -b2
�b5xe4
After 1 5 . . . .i.cS 1 6.:fc I lLJc6 I 7 .a3 :aa8 1 8.b4 .i.a7 1 9.a4 White wins the bishop pair anyway. 1 6.
�e2xc4
Black has no compensation for the bishop pair, which Carlsen exploits nicely to win this game. 1 6.
"'
ttJb8-c6
1 7.
:t1 -d1
:a7-a8
1 8.
h2-h3
g7-g6
1 9.
g2-g4
h7-h6
20.
.ic4-f1
:a8-c8
21 .
:a1 -c1
ti::lf6·d5
22.
h3-h4
�e7·e8?1
23.
g4-g5
h6xg5
97
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
24.
h4xg5
i.d6-e7
25.
�g1-g2
ttJd5-b6?1
26.
i.f1 -d3
tt.lc6-b4
27.
i.d3-e4
ttJb4xa2?
28.
lld1 xd8+ �e8xd8
29.
.llc1 -h1
tt.lb6-d5
30.
ll::lf3-e5
f7-f5
31 . i.e4xd5
Black resigned. The finish might have been: 3 l . . . exd5 32.11h8+ q;c7 3 3 .11h7 q;ds 3 4.i.d4 aS 3 5 .ll::l x g6 i.xg 5 36.i.b6+ q;es 3 7 ..11 h 8+ cat>d7 3 8 .ll::l e 5+, winning a rook.
Game 7.2
QG 3.7 (020)
0 Lysyj.Igor • Lintchevsky,Dmiil Taganrog, 20 I I (2)
1. d2-d4
d7-d5
2. c2-c4
d5xc4
3.
e2-e4
.i & 1. if � 1. & .i ... ... ... .t. i .t. .t.
3.
...
.
4. ttJg1 -f3
�c8-g4
4 . . . tl:lf6 5 .li:Jc3 �g4 6.i.e3 e6 7 .�xc4 i.b4 8.1l'd3 0-0 9.ll::l d 2 e5 I O.dS tLle7 l l . f3 �c8 1 2 .a3 �d6 1 3 .li:Jb5 �d7 1 4.tl:lxd6 cxd6 1 5 .a4N - White has more space, the bishop pair, and a target on d6. 5. d4-d5
ll::lc6-e5
6.
i.c1 -f4
ttJe5-g6
7.
i.f4-e3
tt.lb8-c6
After 3 ... b5 4.a4 c6 5 .axb5 cxbS 6.ll::lc 3 i.d7 7 .d5 a6 8.ll::l f3 N e6 9.i.e2 i.cs 1 0.0-0 li:Je7 l l .dxe6 fxe6 1 2 .ll::le S lla7 1 3 .i.g4 tl:lg6 1 4. tl:lxg6 hxg6 1 5 .e5 White has too much for a pawn: better 98
development, safer king. threats against e6 and g6, and the move ll::le4; If 3 . . .c5 4.d5 ! (after 4.li:Jf3 cxd4 5 .1i'xd4 'ttxd4 6.ll::l xd4 �d7 7 .�xc4 li:Jc6 8.i.e3 White keeps a slight edge but the sym metry makes a draw likely) 4 . . . li:Jf6 5 .ll::l c 3 e6 (5 . . . b5 6.i.f4 •as 7 .i.d2 b4 8.e5 bxc3 9 .i.xc3 11'a6 1 O.exf6 exf6 l l .tLlf3 �d6 1 2 .ll::ld 2 0-0 1 3 .�e2 White will regain the pawn with a clear edge in pawn structure and a passed pawn) 6.i.xc4 exdS 7 .exdS a6 8.li:Jf3 i.d6 9 . 0 - 0 . In case of 9 ...e 2 + 11'e7 1 0 . 1l'xe 7 + �xe 7 1 1 . 0 - 0 N White's passed pawn and more secure king give him the edge. The bishop is not a great blockading piece.
This looks better than i.g3 after Black plays . . . es.
Chapter
7. ...
7 - Qu«ns Gambit Accepted
t;Jg8-f6
7 ... e5 8.hc4 a6 (after 8 ... .id6 9 . .ib5 + �f8 1 0. 0-0 llJf6 1 l .llJbd2 Black has nothing to show for the loss of castling privilege) 9.0-0 llJf6 1 0.llJbd2N trans poses to the note to move 9. 8.
.if1 xc41
This is a rare but very promising gambit. Usual is the move 8.tbc3 , but the game move aims to play llJbd2 to relieve the pin. 8.
_
e7-e5
After the alternative 8 . . . ttJxe4 White plays 9.h3 !N .id7 (after 9 . . .Lf3 1 o.Wh4+ ! c6 1 l .gxf3 tbd6 1 2 .dxc6 b5 1 3 . .ixb5 llJxb5 1 4 ...xb5 WVc7 1 5 .tbc3 J:lc8 1 6.J:lc 1 •xc6 1 7 .We2 Black's lack of develop ment should be fatal) 1 0 .0-0 llJd6 1 l ..ib3 c6 1 2 .llJc3 cxd5 1 3 .llJxd5 e6 1 4.J:le 1 tlJfS 1 5 . .ig5 ttJfe7 ( 1 5 . . . .ie7 1 6.g4!) 1 6.llJc3 and White's huge devel opment lead is surely worth more than a pawn here. 9. tt:'lb1 -d2
.if8-d6
the event of 9 . . . a6 1 0.0-0!N .id6 1 l .h3 .id7 1 2 . .id3 llJhS 1 3 .J:le 1 0-0 14 ..ifl ttJhf4?! 1 5 .g3 llJxh3+ 1 6.Wh2 lt'c8 1 7 . llJc4 .ig4 1 8 .l:lc 1 WVd7 1 9 ..ixh3 Lh3 20.t0g 1 .ig4 2 1 .0 .ihs 2 2 .g4 White wins a piece for just two pawns. Of course Black did not have to play l0hf4, but against passive play White has a nice queenside initiative and a space ad vantage.
1 2.
O·ON
It seems better to simplify only if Black plays the loosening . . .a6. The actual game went 1 2.hd7 'ii'x d7 1 3 .WVxd7 lfJxd7 1 4.llJc4 fS 1 5 .llJg5 fxe4 1 6.llJxd6 cxd6 1 7 .llJxe4 llJf6 1 8 .llJxd6 ttJxdS 1 9 .J:ld I llJgf4 20.g3 llJxe3 2 1 .fxe3 llJh3 2 2 .J:lfl J:lxfl + 2 3 .f.ti>xfl l:lf8 + 24. We I White is certainly somewhat better, but Black should probably draw, and he did in the end. 1 2.
...
a7-a6
13 .
.ib5xd7
•d8xd7
14.
•a4xd7
tiJf6xd7
1 5.
l:lf1 -d1
h7-h6
1 6.
l:la1 -c1
ln
1 0.
.ic4-b5+ .ig4-d7
11.
•d1 -a4
0·0
White has more space, the better bishop, pressure against a weak pawn, and plans llJc4. 99
The Kaufman Repertoire for Whitt
QG 3.1 1 (020) Game 7.3 0 Gelfand,Boris • Ponom.ariov,Ruslan Khanty-Mansiysk, 2009 (7) 1.
d2-d4
d7-d5
2.
c2-c4
d5xc4
3.
e2-e4
lbg8-f6
4.
e4·e51
play 1i'g4 next, with huge compensation for the pawn. 8.
.i.d3-e4
8.
-
4.lLlc3 ? eS=. 4. "" 5.
5.
lbf6-d5
.i.f1 xc4
""
ll:ld5-b6
In case of 5 . . . lbc6 6.lbc3 lbb6 7 . .i.b5 .i.d7 8.lbf3 e6 9.0-0 lbb4 1 0 . .i.e2 .i.c6 1 l .a3 lLl4d5 1 2.J:le 1 N lbxc3 (else lbe4 next leaves the knight on b6 with nothing to do) 1 3 .bxc3 Wt'd7 1 4.1i'd3 .i.e7 1 5 .J:lb 1 h6 1 6.c4 0-0 1 7 ..i.e3 White has an extra center pawn and a large space ad vantage. He can play lbd2 and .i.-d I -c2 or .i.g4 and d4-d5. 6.
.i.c4·d3
ll:lb8-c6
7.
.i.c1-e3
ll:lc6-b4
7 . . . .i.e6 8 .lbc3 ... d7 9.lbge2 lLlb4 1 O ..i.e4 .i.fS 1 1 .hf5 Wt'xfS 1 2 .0-0 Wt'd7 1 3 .lbf4 e6 1 4.:c i lbc6 1 5 .lbe4 lbxa2 1 6.J:la 1 lbb4 1 7 .lbhS - when Black de fends the threatened lbf6 fork White will 1 00
f7-f5
If 8 ... lb4d5 9.lbe2 .i.g4 1 0 .0-0 Wt'd7 1 1 .lbbc3 c6 I 2.h3 .i.fs 1 3 ..i.xf5 Wt'xf5 1 4.1i'b3N ...d3 1 5 .e6 fxe6 1 6 ..i.f4 Wt'c4 1 7.lbxd5 exdS 1 8.1i'd l White has tre mendous compensation for the pawn, which is backward anyway. The differ ence in king safety is huge, and White will be up several tempi in development. 9. e5xf6
e7xf6
1 0. ll:lb1 -c3
f6-f5
11.
�e4-b1
Black has achieved his goal of a blockade of the passed pawn and easy develop ment, but the wealtening effect of ... fS is serious.
Chapter 7- Queen's Gambit Accepted 11.
-
l!Jb4·d5
bishop, weakens his king, and weakens squares e6 and e5.
After ll....i.e6 I V��f3 .i.d6 13.lLlgSN
15.
.i.d7 14.0-0 'it'f6 IS.dS 0-0-0 16.a3 ltla6 17.lLlf3 'it'£7 18.b4 White is better with a
.i.e7·f6
-
In the event of IS...'it'd6 16.a3 .i.f6
queenside attack and Black's a6 knight
I7..i.a2 �h8
misplaced;
lLlxdS 20.'it'c2, White plans to double
18.lLleS .i.e6
19 .lLlxdS
ll....i.d6 12.lLlf3 lLl4dS 13..i.gs 'it'd7
rooks on the e-flle, which will give him
14-.0-0 0-0
the advantage.
IS.l:le I h6 16..i.d2 'it'£7
17.a4 .i.e6 IS.lLlbS lLlf6 19 .aS lLlbdS 20.a6 gives White a clear advantage as he can
win the bishop pair by lLleS and his
remaining knight on bS will be strong; ll....i.e7
12.lLlD
0-0
l0g1·f3
.i.b1·d3
17.
-
W'd8·d6
18.
'tl'd1·c2
g7-g6
19.
.i.d2·h6
.i.f6·g7
20.
'tl'c2·d2
.i.c8·d7
21.
l0f3·e5
lla8-d8
�f8-e7
For 12....i.d6, see the note to last move.
a2·a3
17.
I7 ..ta2 also keeps an edge.
13.0-0 lLl4dS
transposes to the game. 12.
wg8·h8
16.
13.
0-0
0·0
22.
lle1·e2
.i.d7·c8
14.
�e3·d2
c7-c6
23.
lla1·e1
l0d5·f6
24.
.i.d3·b11
14...lLlxc3
IS.bxc3 .ie6 16.l:le I .idS
17..i.d3 lLlc4 18.hc4Lc4 19.lLleS .i-dS 20.c4 .i.e4 21..i.f4 - White has a powerful outposted knight and play on the open e-6le after expelling the bishop by f2-D, and Black's king is a tad weak. This is more than enough for the lost bishop pair. 15.
llf1·e1
White apparently missed this clever move, which would have allowed him to avoid retreat. The actual game went 24.l0f3 llde8 2S..i.f4 'it'd8 26 ..i.eS lLlg4
27. .i.xg7+
�xg7 28.h3 lLlf6
29.lleS lLlbd7 30.l:lxe8 llxe8 3l.llxe8 tlJxe8
32.dS
cxdS
(34.lLlf4
33.lLlxdS
lLldf6
kept
edge)
White has some advantage, because the
34.lLlxf6
black pawn on fS just blocks in his
34...lLlxf6 3S. 'tt'c3 .i.e6 36 . .i.c2 'tt'c8
an
I0 I
Tht Kaufman Rtptnoirt for Whitt
(36 ... �d5=) 3 7 .lLld4 �d 7 3 8.1Vb4 1Ve8 39 .lLlf3 (39 .1Vd6 kept a plus) 39 . . . �c6 40.l!Jd4 �dS 4 1 .�d3 b6 42 .l!Jb5 1Vd7 43 .1Vd4 a6 44.l!Jc3 -'.b7 ? (44 . . . b5=) 45.'ihb6 �xg2 46.�xa6 -'.xh3 47 .'ifb7 f4 48.a4 lLle8 ? 49 .'ifxd 7 + �xd 7 5 0 .�b5 �xb5 5 l .lLlxbS (the white passers are much faster than the black ones. White is win ning) S l . . . l!Jf6 52 .l!Jc7 l!Jd7 5 3 .a5 lbb8 54.a6 ltJc6 55 .b4 ttJa7 56.b5 ttJc8 5 7 .l!Jd5 �fl 58 .b6, Black resigned. 24. ...
•d2xd4 �h6-e3 �e3-c5 �c5xf8 tt:le5-d3
Game 7.4
Longeville-les-Metz, 20 I I (S)
1. 2. 3. 4.
d2-d4 c2-c4 e2-e4 tt:lg1 -f3
4.
-·
d7-d5 d5xc4 e7-e5
1Vd6xd4
H ... �xh6 25.1Vxh6 tt:lg8 26.1Vg5 1Vf6 27 .1Vd2 'ifh4 28.f4 ..f6 29.�a2 White has a much better bishop, better knights, and better rooks all for just an isolated pawn, and so stands much better.
25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
QG 4.3 (020)
Malakhatko,Vadim • Solodovnichen.ko,Yury
0
Ad8xd4 l:ld4-d8 lL!f6-d7 Ad8xf8
e5xd4
After 4 ... �b4+ 5 .lLlc3 exd4 6.l!Jxd4 lLle7 7.�xc4 l!Jbc6 8.�e3 0-0 9.a3 �xc3+ I O.bxc3 lLla5 l l .�e2 lLlg6 1 2 .0-0 White's bishop pair is more important than his split pawns, and he also has su perior development. 5. �f1 xc4
ltJb8-c6
The alternative is S ... �b4+ 6.lLlbd2 llJc6 7 . 0-0 llJf6 S .eS ltJdS 9.l!Jb3 llJb6 I O.�bS
White is up just a quarter of a pawn (ex change for pawn and bishop pair) , but he can force a rook trade, which almost al ways favors the side with an extra rook against a minor piece or two. This. plus his better piece deployment, gives White a substantial advantage. 1 02
Analysis diagram
Chapter 7 I O ...i.d7 (in the event of I 0 ... 1Wd5 l l .bc6+ 1Wxc6 1 2.ltJbxd4 1i'd5 1 3.1Wc2 .ig4 1 4.l:ld I 0-0-0 I S.i.gS l:ld7 1 6.h3 .ie6 1 7.a3 .ie7 1 8.he7 l:lxe7 1 9.a4 White has an attack and better piece posi tioning for free) 1 1 .1i'e2 0-0 1 2.l:ld l N 'ti'e8 1 3.a3 .ie7 1 4. .1d3 1Wc8 1 5.i.e4 .ig4 1 6.i.f4 l:ld8 1 7 .h3 .1hs 1 8.l:lac I 'ti'e6 1 9.i.xc6 1Wxb3 20.l:ld3 1Wa2 2 1 .bb7 l:lab8 22.l:lxc7 l:ld7 23.l:lxd7 ttJxd7 24.e6 l:lxb7 25.exd7 l:lxd7 26.g4 .ig6 27.l:lxd4 l:lxd4 28.ltJxd4 and White has won ' half a pawn'. �c8-e6
6. 0-0
After 6 ... lLlf6 7 . 'ti'b3 'ti'd7 8.i.d2 lLlg4 9.e5 'ti'fS I O . .id3 1i'e6 1 1 .h3 1i'xb3 1 2.axb3 lLlh6 1 3 . .'-e4 .id7 1 4.l:lc I 0-0-0 1 5.b4 Wb8 1 6.b5 ltJe7 1 7 .ttJxd4 ttJhfS 1 8.l:la4 White has a large lead in space and development; In case of 6 ... .'-cS 7 .11'b3N 1We7 (this line reminds me of the Evans Gambit, but in my opinion this version is better for White) S.eS i.b6 9.i.g5 lLlaS I 0. 'ti'c2 1i'c5 1 1 .1i'a4+ ltJc6 1 2.�3 'ti'f8 1 3 . .id2 lLlge7 14.lLla3 h6 15.lLlb5 i.e6 1 6.a4, White has the initiative, better develop ment, and the safer king for the pawn. 7. .ic4-b5 8. b2-b4 9. a2-a4
.i
�f8-c5 .ic5-b6
'if.
•••
.t� .t
�
��
�.i ,.,
Queens Gambit Accq>ted a7-a6
9. ..
.
In the line starting with 9 ... a5 I O.bxa5 l:lxaS 1 1 .lLlbd2 lLle7 1 2.lLlg5 1i'd7 1 3.lLlxe6 'the6 1 4.lLlc4 0-0 1 5 .ttJxaS ttJxaS l 6.�a3 c6 1 7.�e2N cS (not 1 7 ... 1i'xe4? 1 8.i.d3 1i'h4 l 9.l:lb l i.c7 20.g3 1i'f6 2 1 .1i'h5 h6 22.1Wc5 l:le8 2 3 .l:lfe 1 and White wins material) 1 8.l:lc l White· has the exchange and bishop pair for a pawn, a I '1. pawn net plus. Black's two connected passed pawns give him some compensation, but they are under attack and cannot safely ad vance, so we can conclude that White is better. 1 0. .ib5xc6+ b7xc6 1 1 . a4-a5 .ib6-a7 1 2. .ic1-b2 l!)g8-f6
In the event of 12 ... 1Wd6 1 3.llJa3 l:ld8 1 4.lLlc2 i.g4 1 5.h3 i.xf3 1 6.1i'xf3 lLle7 I 7 .l:lfd I White will regain the lost pawn, with a clear edge due to his better pawn structure. 13. .ib2xd4 14. i.d4xa7 1 5. J:lf1 xd1
.i
�
•
' '
•
l!)f6xe4 't1Vd8xd1 l:la8xa7
.i
,.,
.t
�
� ttJ
���
·�
:Stt:J�'i¥
-
ttJ � � � ��
:Stt:J
:a:
�
1 6. lbf3-d4N
1 03
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
The actual game continued 1 6.tLle5 �dS 1 7 .f3 tLlf6 1 8.tLlc3 0-0 1 9.tLlxd5 cxdS 20.tLlc6 l:tb7 2 1 .tLle7+ �h8 22.tLlxd5 lLJxdS 23.l:txd5 l:txb4 24.l:tc 1 - White regained his pawn and the game was soon drawn. 16. 1 7. 18. 1 9.
1 04
... f2·f3 lbb1 -c3 :a1-c1
�e6-d5 lbe4-d6 l:ta7·b7 �e8-d7
20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
lbd4·c2 lbc3-a4 llJa4·c5 l:td1-d2 lbc2-e3
llh8-d8 wd7-e7 l:tb7-a7 lla7-a8
Black's three ugly queenside pawns are worth just a tad more than White's two, while White's pieces are all attacking things and Black's are just defending. White is for choice.
Chapter 8
Queen's Gambit Declined In this chapter we consider lines in which Black plays an early ... d5 and ... e6, but not ... c6. The most common line may be reached either by l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 1.lLlc3 lLlf6 or by l .d4lLlf6 2.c4 e6 3.lLlc3 dS.
Here I advocate the Exchan ge Variation 4-.adS, because the alternative line 4.�g5 �e7 5.e3 0-0 6.lLlf3 h6 7 . .ih4 lLle4 (Lasker's Defense) seems to be too easy for Black, while 4.lLlf3 allows a plethora of serious defenses (4 ... .ie7 , 4 . . . .ib4, 4 . . . dxc4, 4 . . . lbbd7, 4 ... c5, 4 . . . c6) , only some of which are within our repertoire. After 4-.cxdS adS S.�gS c6 6.Wc2 �e7 7.e1 White benefits by keeping open the options of lbf3 or lLlge2 as well as 0-0 or 0-0-0. However, because we also will play the Exchange Variation against the Semi-Slav with ... lbbd7 ( l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lbf3 lbf6 4.lbc3 e6 5.�g5 lLlbd7 6.cxd5 exd5), we won 't look at lines where the knight goes to e2, since we would still have to learn all the lines with lbf3 as well. This is a slight concession , because it is likely that the lbe2 lines are a bit more favorable for White than the lbf3 ones, but the only way around it would be to tackle the Cambridge Springs Variation (6.e3 1i'a5 in the last quoted line) , and I felt that the cure would be worse than the 'disease'. First we must consider the Tarrasch Defense ( l.d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3liJc3 cS) , in which Black normally accepts an isolated d-pawn for active pieces. The judgment of theory is that Black does not get full compensation for the isolated pawn. Kasparov used this defense repeatedly in his first match with Karpov, but with poor resuhs, and he soon tired of it. It is fairly rare among grandmasters today, but still has a decent following among amateurs.
l OS
The Kaufman Rtpenoire for White
i i ��
t2J ��
:a:
����
c�:iY W � t2J :a:
I recommend a line (9.chcS hcs I O.al) which is only recently becoming popular for White. The main points to remember as White are to fianchetto the king's bishop, not to take on c5 before castling and to aim for piece exchanges (other than the fianchettoed bishop). See Game 8. 1 . Here you will also find the Schara-Von Hennig Gambit, to which I give a novel refutation. A very important move-order favored by many strong grandmasters as Black is l .d4 dS 2.c4 e6 l.tt:lcl �e7.
E � .t'i¥� � ;a i i i .! i i i i i ��
ttJ
����
��
:a:
��w�tt:J:a:
The idea is to prevent �gS for one move, hoping to induce White to play tt:lf3 before Black plays ... llJf6, after which the Exchange Variation loses its sting since an early ... .i.fs can no longer be prevented or punished. So we exchange anyway by 4.adS udS, and then play s.i.f4 c6 6.'1fc2. Now Black can achieve the development of his bishop to fS by playing ... g6 first, but the bishop on f5 can become a target for a knight on g3 since White has not played llJf3. Black can also choose to exchange bishops by ... .i.d6 but this costs a tempo and does exchange the better of Black's two bishops. Ei ther way White should keep an edge. See Game 8. 2. So now we come to the main line l tt:l£6. •..
1 06
Choprer 8
-
Quem s Gombil Dedintd
� � .t'ii'� .t � ••• ••• ·� • �� ttJ ���� �� ,g �'iYw�lt:J� We now exchange 4-.adS. Usually Black takes back with the pawn, but the knighr re capture is a serious line and after 4-.. ttJ:r.dS S.e4 ttJ:r.c3 6.b:r.c3 cS 7.t0f3 ad4 8.ad4 we reach the Semi-Tarrasch Defense. Black almost always exchanges bishops by 8 ....ib4+ 9 .id2 hd2+ 1 0.1t':r.d2 0-0, because in this line only White has attacking chances against the king, so even trades help Black. Now White will play i.c4, 0-0, and (usu ally) bring rooks to d I and e I while Black plays ...tbd7 , ... b6, and ... i.b7. So we have a batde where White has a healthy extra center pawn (which often becomes a passed pawn with a timely d4-d5) while Black has two vs. one on the queenside. The center pawn gives White attacking chances, while Black's hope is to reach an endgame where the outside passed pawn is an advantage. So the golden rule of this line is: Black seeks piece trades, White tries to avoid them. White's middlegame attacking chances to gether with the prospects of a passed center pawn give him the advantage, but the line is playable for Black. See Game 8. 3. Now we move on to 4- ..e:r.dS S .igS c6. I recommend here 6.•c2 to prevent . . .�fS rather than 6.e3 i.fS 7 .'irf3 �g6 8.�xf6 ...xf6 9 ....xf6 gxf6, since in this endgame the bishop pair is at least almost enough compensation for the bad pawns. Black's attempt to punish 6 ....c2 by 6...lt:la6 is the theme of Game 8.4, but Black is not successful. Just remember to retreat your queen to b l in response to ... tbb4 to prevent ... �fS , and in case of . . . g6 then to go to d I so as to meet ...i.fS by l::lc I . So after 6 ....c2 Black usually replies 6.. ..ie7, and after 7.el l0bd7 8.t0f3 we reach a posi tion that can also be reached by various other move orders. Now Black usually just casdes, but S ..llJhS(l) is the subject of Game 8.5 and is the line I would choose if I played the Queen's Gambit Declined as Black. Usually both sides casde queenside, and White retains at least a small plus due to his extra center pawn and better bishop. I won an important minia ture against a grandmaster on the White side of this line, which is given in the notes to Game 8.6, but as my notes show Black can reach a decent position with precise play. Finally we come to the main line 8...0-0 9..id3 Ae8, when I recommend 1 O.h3 rather than castling. White keeps open the choice of king- or queenside castling and prepares to safely retreat his bishop to f4 after either I O ...tbf8 or I O l0e4. He is willing to trade it f�r me enemy bishop but not for a mere knight. Now, depending on Black's response, White can choose between three plans. He can casde queenside, aiming at a kingside .
•
.
•
.
..•
107
The Kaufman Rcpcnoire for White
pawn attack, he can castle kingside and execute a queenside minority attack (b2-b4-b5 to give Black a backward or isolated pawn) , or he can castle kingside, play tOeS and f4 and plan a kingside auack. All three plans are shown in the notes to Game 8.6.
Game 8.1
TD 4. 1 0 (034)
Hera.Imre • Kostic,Vladimir
D
Graz, 20 1 1 (6) 1. 2. 3. 4.
c2-c4 d2-d4 ltJb1 -c3 c4xd5
e7-e& d7-d5 c7·c5 e&xd5
4... cxd4! ? is the Von Hennig-Schara Gam bit. I got very interested in it after reading Bronznik's favorable opinion of it in Beat the Guerrillas!. He considers it a com pletely correct defense, with his only sug gestion for a possible white advantage be ing the messy queen and two pawns vs. three minor pieces line given below. I must agree that this is the best of all Black gambits vs. l .d4 (except perhaps the Benko and Blumenfeld) , but I don't be lieve it is objectively fully correct. Black's compensation for the pawn in develop ment is significant, so White must play very accurately to keep an edge. I think White can do so by 1 I . ..tf4 rather than l l . ..tgs. which leads to crazy complica tions. S.1i'a4+! ..td7 6.1i'xd4 exd5 7.1i'xdS l0c6 8.l0f3 l0f6 9 ...d l ..tcs (after 9 ... 1i'b6 1 O.e3 0-0-0 l l ...td2 White ei ther keeps the pawn safely or gets an at tack for free if Black takes on b2; in case of 9 ... ..tb4 1 O . .i.d2 0-0 1 l .e3 Black's compensation looks inadequate} I O.a3 ! (usual is 1 O.e3 , but Whj.te wants to play .i.gs or .if4 once the reply ...1i'b6 is no longer effective. If Black plays ... 1i'b6 af1 08
ter the c 1 bishop develops. White may re ply e2-e3 and if ... 1i'xb2 then l0a4 traps the queen) and now: A) 1 0 ... 1i'e7
� 1::[
�
tU
. ttJ �� ��
iL'iY� iL
�
Analysis diagram
I l ..i.gS ! N ( l l ..i.f4! also favors White. 1 1 ...0-0 1 2.e3 transposes to the 1 0 ... 0-0 variation) l l ...h6 1 2 ..i.xf6 1i'xf6 1 3.l:.c l .i.b6 (after 1 3.. ..i.e7 1 4.e3 l:.d8 1 5.1i'b3 •g6 1 6 ..i.e2 White is up a clean half-pawn) 1 4.e3 0-0-0 1 5 . .i.b5 �b8 1 6.Wt'e2 and Black has very litde for the pawn; B) I 0 ... 0-0 and now: B 1 ) I I ..i.f4! avoids Bronznik 's un clear line below and leaves Black strug gling to show compensation for the pawn: B I I ) I I .. .1i'b6 1 2.e3 .i.fS 1 3 .l0d2 l:.fd8 1 4.1i'b3 Wxb3 1 5.l0xb3 .i.e7 1 6 . .i.b5 - Black has only a slightly better development for the pawn; B 1 2) I L . .i.fs 1 2.1i'xd8 l:.fxd8 1 3.e3 l:.ac8 1 4. .ie2 and Black has just a couple of tempi for the pawn with no particular way to use them;
Chapter 8- Queens Gambit Declintd
B 1 3) 1 l .. ...e7 l 2.e3 lHdS 1 3 ...c2 lLld4 1 4.lLlxd4 hd4 1 5 . .ie2 .ixc3 + 1 6. -.xc3 llacS 1 7. -.es .ie6 1 S.lld 1 llxd 1 + 1 9 . .ixd 1 -.ds 20.0-0 .ic4 2 1 .lle 1 ._d2 22 ... c3 -.xc3 23 .bxc3 and Black may regain the pawn but will still be 'down the bishop pair'. B2) 1 l . .ig5 h6 (on 1 l . . ... b 6 ? ! 1 2 .e3 ._xb 2 ? ! 1 3 . .ixf6 gxf6?! l 4. lLla4 wins) l 2 . .ih4 g S l 3 . .ig3 .. e7 1 4.e3 llfdS l 5 ...c2 g4 1 6 . .ih4 gxf3 1 7 . lLld5 lLlxdS 1 S . .ixe7 .ixe7 1 9 .gxf3 .ie6 2 0.llg 1 + ..thS 2 1 .lld 1 . Analysis by Bronznik, which Komodo confirms is best play after 1 1 . � g S . He quotes Stefan Biicker as favoring White but calls it unclear himself. White is a pawn up by my poim coum, with both sides having bad pawns and weak kings. Black has better development as compensation. I had Rybka play out this position hundreds of times using the Monte Carlo feature, and White scored almost 70%. I would say White has the better chances, but it is messy and either side could win. After, for in stance, 2 1 . . . �f6 22 . .ic4 lLle S 23 . .ie2 lLle7 24.llxdS+ llxdS 2 5 . f4 lieS 26 ...d2 lLlc4 27 . .ixc4 llxc4 28 .�e2 Komodo gives White a healthy plus, but in such unusual positions with rare material imbalances computers are not fully trustworthy. I would rather play White here, but I would prefer to avoid this by 1 1 . .if4. 5. lLlg1 -f3
liJb8-c6
After S ... lLlf6?! 6.-igS Black is already in trouble. 6. g2-g3
liJg8-f6
6 ... c4 7 . .ig2 .ib4 8.0-0 lLlge7 9.e4!
I i.'it'� �� � ��
I
� i
i.�� � t2J
�� ll fi'i¥
tD� � fi� ��
Analysis diagram
9 ... 0-0 (9 . . .dxe4 1 O.lLlxe4 0-0 1 l . ..e2 .ig4 l 2 ...xc4 .ixf3 1 3.hf3 lLlxd4 1 4. .ig2 lieS 1 S ...xb4 lLlc2 1 6 ...d6N lLlxa I 1 7 . � gS ..xd6 1 8. li)xd6 f6 1 9 .lLlxc8 llxc8 20 . .if4 lLlc2 2 1 .lld 1 bS 22.lld7 and White has a winning end game) 1 O.exdS lLlxdS 1 1 ..igS •as 1 2.lLlxdS ..xdS l 3.llc l !N. While both the c- and d-pawns are targets, White's pawn is central and passed and his devel opment is superior. 7. �f1 ·g2 a. o-o
�f8-e7 o-o
9. d4xc5
This appears to be as good as the main line, and there is much less to learn and much more chance to surprise your op ponent. The main line is 9.-igS cxd4 (9 ... c4 1 O.lLle5 .ie6) 1 O.lLlxd4 h6 1 l . .ie3 lle8. 1 09
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 9. . .
.ie7xc5
.
9 . . . d4 is a slightly questionable gambit line: I O.lLla4 �f5 l l .�f4 i.e4 1 2 .J:lc l ... d5 ( 1 2 ... h6 1 3 .a3 ( 1 3.b4 is also good) 1 3 . . .... d5 1 4.b4 J:lad8 1 5 .lLlb2 g5 1 6.�d2 lLle5 (so far Kaufman-Schneider, US Chess League, imernet 2 0 1 1 ) 1 7 .ltld 3 ! tt:lxf3 + I 8 .�xf3 i.xf3 I 9 .exf3 and White's ex tra pawn, although doubled, has real value as eventually it may be undoubled by f3 -f4, g3 -g4, f2-f3) 1 3 .... b3 ...h 5 ? (after 1 3 . . ....d7 1 4.J:lfd l i.d5 1 5 .1Vb5 J:lad8 1 6 .e3 dxe3 I 7 .�xe3 Black has lit tle for the pawn) 1 4 ....xb7 d3 1 5 .J:lfe I dxe2. So far Fridman-Halkias, Novi Sad Ech-tt 2009.
.i ·�
.i � .. t!J
ttJ t!Jt!J
l::r
.l i i i ..
'iV
1.� tbt!J i t!J � t!J 1::r �
Black has no compensation for the iso lated pawn; 1 O ... a6 1 1 .b4 .i.a7 1 2 ..i.g5 d4 1 3.ltle4 and Black's kingside will be ruined; If 1 O . . . a5 1 1 .�g5 d4 1 2 .lLlb5 h6 1 3 .J:lc l .i.b6 14 ..i.f4 J:le8 1 5 .lLld6 J:le7 1 6.1Vd3 lLld5 1 7 .tt:lxc8 J:lxc8 1 8 . .i.d2 White has the bishop pair, better pawn structure, and Black's bishop is slightly 'bad': If 1 O ....i.g4 1 l .b4 .i.e7 1 2 . .i.b2 J:le8 1 3.J:lc 1 .i.f8 1 4.h3 .i.e6 1 5 .e3N Black has no compensation for the isolani. White's pieces are all well positioned. 1 1 . b2·b4 12 .ic1-b2 •
i.c5·e7 J:la8-c8
In the event of 1 2 ...lLle4 1 3.b5 tt:la5 1 4.ltlxe4 dxe4 1 5.lLld4 llJc4 1 6.llJxe6 fxe6 1 7 .�c 1 White has the bishops and better pawns. 1 3. J:la1 ·c1
.i 'iV
.i �
.l i i i '' ... 1... • i
Analysis diagram
After 1 6.ltld2!N .i.xg2 I 7 .f�xg2 J:lac8 1 8.ltlf3 ltld5 1 9.�d2 _.f5 20.J:lxe2 Black has hardly anything to show for the two pawn deficit. 1 0. a2-a3
This once rare move is now catching on. 10.
-·
.ic8·e6
I O . . . J:le8 l l .b4 �b6 1 2 .�b2 �g4 1 3.lLla4 .i.c7 1 4.lLlc5 b6 1 5.lLld3 - all of White's minor pieces are well-placed, and 1 10
1 3 . ...
h7·h6
After 1 3 ......d7 1 4.e3 J:lfd8 1 5.lLle2 lLle4 1 6.lLlf4 a6 1 7 .1Ve2 .i.d6 1 8.lLlxe6 fxe6 1 9.lLld4 White has the bishop pair, good piece placement, and the option to wreck Black's pawns by �xe4. 14. tt:lf3-d4
l!Jc6xd4?1
Chapter 8- Quem's Gambit Declintd
If Black plays 1 4 ... .ig4 1 5.h3 .id7 1 6.g4 lle8 1 7 .e3 lLleS 1 8. We 2, the isolani on dS is doomed. 1 5. 1 6. 17. 1 8. 1 9. 20.
Wd1 xd4 ltJc3xd5 tlc1 xc8 .ig2xd5 a3xb4 tlf1-c1 1
a7·a5 .ie6xd5 Wd8xc8 a5xb4 tlf8·d8
This move first was better, so as to deprive Black of the reply 20 . . . 1ig4. The game went 20 .e4
Analysis diagram
White would have the better position and an extra pawn. 20. ... 21 . e2·e4 22. tlc1·d1
·c8-d7 .te7·f8
White is a healthy pawn to the good. QO 1 1 .3 (D3 1 ) 0
Game 8.2
Nakamura,Hikaru
• Ponomariov,Ruslan Saim Louis, 20 1 1 (6) Analysis diagram
20 ......h3 ?! (20 . . ....g4! 2 1 .n •gs 22.f4 ... g4 23 .1le 1 ...g6 24 . .ia 1 - Black does have some compensation here, due to the slightly weakened White king) 2 l .llc l ...d7 and now after 22 .1lc4!N (the game went 22.1ld 1 ?! ...a4?! 23 .�g2 �f8 24. .ic3 Wbs 25 .1ld2 llc8 26 .... e5 •b6 27 . .id4 •bs 28 . .ic3 •b6 29 . .id4 •bs 30 .... fs lids 3 l ..ixf6 .ixf6 32.1lc2 ...d7 3 3 ....xd7 ?! llxd7 34.1lc8 + We7 3 5 .1lb8 .id4 3 6.1lxb7 llxb7 3 7 . .ixb7 fS 3 8.exf5 �f6 3 9 . .ic8 .ib6 40.f4 �e7 4 l .�f3 �d6 42.h4 Wc6 43 .g4 .id4 44.g5 Wd6 45.f6 gxf6 46.g6 and Black resigned) 22 ... 1la8 23 .... c3 .if8 24.1lc7 lLlxdS 2 5 .1lxd7 lLlxc3 26 ..ixc3 b6 27 .�fl
1. d2·d4 2. c2·c4 3. ti.Jb1 ·c3
d7·d5 e7·e6 .tf8-e7
This avoids the line 3 ... lLlf6 4.cxd5 exdS s . .tgs .
Analysis diagram
after which Black cannot develop his bishop to fS easily as 5 ... c6 6 ....c2 leads II1
Tbt Kaufman Repertoire for White
to Game 4. So the text move is considered best if Black intends to put the bishop on e7 anyway. But considering this game and the notes, I think that Black should only aim for the QGD when White has already played �f3 , for example after 1 .d4 �f6 2.c4 e6 3.�£3 (to avoid the Nimzo) 3 ... dS. This is an extremely popular move-order among top players these days. If instead 3 ... �b4. 4.e3 �f6 S.a3 �xc3+ 6.bxc3 cS 7 .cxdS .xdS (7 ... exdS 8.�d3 0-0 9.�e2 b6 1 0.0-0 �a6 1 1 .£3 Ae8 1 2.�g3 �xd3 1 3 .•xd3 �c6 1 4.�b2 Ac8 1 S .J:lae 1 - this position has occurred in I 7 grandmaster-level games with White scoring 80%. Black is just defend ing while White looks for a properly timed e3-e4, perhaps augmented with �fS) 8.�£3 0-0 9.�d3 b6 10 .•e2 �b7 (after 1 o ...cxd4 1 l .cxd4 b6 1 2.�xa6 .aS + 1 3 .�d2 •xa6 1 4.•xa6 �xa6 1 S. �e2 �e4 1 6.Ahc 1 White has a more comfortable endgame with his much better king position and Black's offside knight) 1 l .e4 •hs. So far Kaufman Gulko, US Chess League 20 1 I . I played the Ulllel cessary 1 2.h3 and kept some edge until the game was drawn by repeti tion after another ten moves or so. But after 1 2.0-0!N �bd7 1 3.�f4 White is much better, with the bishop pair, central majority, the black queen uncomfortably placed, and the plan of a2-a4-aS. 4. c4xd5
I think White should choose the Ex change Variation against the QGD if his knight is not on f3 . 4. 5. �c1 -f4 _
1 12
e6xd5
5.
_
c7-c6
S ...�f6 6.e3 �f5 7 .• b3 lLlc6 8.g4!? lLlxg4 (in case of 8 ... bg4 9 .•xb7 �b4 1 0.Ac l �f5 1 l .bc7 •cs 1 2 .•xc8+ AxeS 1 3 .�eS 0-0 1 4.�xf6N �xf6 1 S. �d2 Black has only the bishop pair for the pawn. not enough) 9 .•xdS •cs 1 o .•g2 0-0 was played in Aronian Kramnik, Monaco blindfold 20 1 1 . Now I 1 .0-0-0 was the safest route to a modest advantage, based on the center pawns and g-flle play. 6. 'tWd1 -c21
�e7-d6
Alternatively, 6 ... g6 7 .e3 �fS 8 .•d2 �f6 (after 8 ... �d7 9.£3 �gf6 1 O.g4 �e6 1 1 .h4 White will castle queenside, with an attack) 9.lbge2 lLlhS (9 ... �bd7 1 O.lLlg3 �e6 1 1 .�d3 0-0 1 2.0-0 Ac8 1 3.h3 - now ... cS gives White a weak d-pawn, but passive play can be met ei ther by a minority attack or by the trans fer of the g3 knight to f4) 1 0.�eS �f6 1 1 .h3 lLlg7 1 2.g4 �c8 1 3.e4 dxe4 1 4.lbxe4 �xeS 1 S .dxeS •xd2 + 1 6.�xd2 �e7 1 7.f4 and White has the more effective pawn majority and better minor pieces. 6 ... �f6 7 .e3 �hS 8.�eS lbd7 9.�e2 lbhf6 1 o.�f4 0-0 1 1 .h3 J:le8 1 2.c�Jf3 lb£8 1 3.0-0 ( 1 3 ..i.d3 transposes to the main line of the normal Exchange Varia-
Chapter 8- Quetn's Gambit Declined
tion) 1 3 . . . tt:lg6 1 4 . ..ih2 ..id6 I S .bd6 11fxd6 1 6.i.d3 (again we have transposed to a line of the normal Exchange Varia tion) 1 6 ...1We7 1 7 . .:lab! tt:le4 1 8.b4 and White has the usual slight plus associated with the minority attack, which should ultimately leave Black with an isolated or backward pawn. 7. �f4xd6 8. e2-e3
...d8xd6 •d6-g6
In the event of 8 ... tt:le7 9 ...id3 g6 1 0.f3 tt:ld7 1 1 .tlJge2 0-0 1 2.0-0 cS 1 3 .11fd2 a6 1 4.dxc5N 1Wxc5 1 5 . .:lac I ...a7 1 6.-ib I White has superior development and better pawn structure.
Vegas 20 1 1 ) 1 3 .l2Jh3 !N tt:lh7 1 4.b5 a6 I S.bxc6 tt:lxc6 1 6.lLla4 and White is clearly better, with fewer pawn islands, better bishop, and better knights. 1 1 . f2-f3 1 2. �f1 -d3 13. l!Jg 1-e2
X
j_ i
,.,
l!Jb8-d7 l!Jg8-e7
I • ... � , , i
1 £3J £3J Cjj§lt!Jt!J £3J Cjj t!Jt!J s s <;t> White's advantage is small but dear. He has the better bishop, better development, better center, and the choice to initiate play on the queenside or in the center.
9. Wc2xg6
A decent alternative was 9.1i'b3 tt:le7 1 0.tt:lge2 tt:ld7 l l .tLlf4 11fd6 1 2 . ..id3 tt:lb6 1 3 ....c2. White should have the usual slight edge expected in this ope ning. I believe Hikaru chose the best move though. 9. ... 10. b2-b4
h7xg6 a7-a6
The winner criticized this move, but probably already White has an annoying edge. See also 1 O . . . tlJf6 1 1 .£3 gS I 2.g4 ..ie6 (so far Kacheishvili-Akobian, Las
1 3. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
... �e1 -f2 g2-g4 �-g3 a2-a4 h2-h3 �g3-f2 a4-a5 .:la1 -c1 l!Je2-g3 h3-h4 .:lh1 xh4 g4xf5 l!Jg3xf5 .:lh4-h8 l!Jc3-a4 l!Ja4-b6
g6-g5 l!Jd7-f6 �e8-d8 �c8-d7 l!Je7-c8 .:lh8-e8 l!Jc8-d6 .:le8-e7 l!Jf6-e8 g7-g6 g5xh4 f7-f5 l!Jd6xf5 g6xf5 .:la8-b8 wd8-c7 �d7-e6
1 13
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
� .I .t
.!
•• j. tt:J j. j.
£::,
£::,
a:
8. c3xd4
.l � .tt¥ • .t .! j. j. j. j. j. j.
j.
£::, � £::,8
w
30. .id3xf51
It seems that both players missed this. The game went 30.l:lf8 l:l£7 3 1 .l:lxf7+ .ix£7 32 . .ixf5 llJd6 33 .�d3 l:lh8 34.l:lg I �d8 3S.l2Ja4 l2Jc4 36.l2Jc5 l:lh2+ 3 7 .:g2 llxg2+ 38.�xg2 ri;c7 39.�xc4 dxc4 40.lLla4 �e8 4 1 .lLlc3 b6 42.e4 �b7 43.Wfl cS 44.bxc5 and Black resigned. 30. �e6xf5 31 . l2Jb6xd5+ rtJc7-d7 32. tl::ld5xe7 rtJd7xe7 33. e3-e4 �f5-g6 34. f3-f4 .ig6-f7 35. �2-e3 ""
White is obviously winning. TD
2.9 (03 5)
Game 8.3
Pashikian,Arman • Masttovasilis,Anthanasios
D
Aix-les-Bains Ech, 2 0 I I (9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
d2-d4 c2-c4 tl::l b1 -c3 c4xd5 e2-e4 b2xc3 tl::lg 1 -f3
tl::lg8-f6 e7-e6 d7-d5 tl::lf6xd5 tl::ld5xc3 c7-c5
The Semi-Tarrasch Defense. �
1 14
-
c5xd4
8. ...
�f8-b4+
Or 8 ... lt:lc6 9.�c4 bS I O .�e2 �b4+ l l .�d2 'ifaS 1 2.dS exdS 1 3 .exd5 tLle7 1 4.0-0 .txd2 1 5 .lL!xd2 0-0 1 6.�f3 lt:lfs 1 7 .lt:lb3 'ifds I S .Ilc l lt:ld6 1 9 .lt:ld4 .id7?! ( 1 9 ...l:le8 ! 20.1i'c2 and White's strong passer and space advantage give him the edge) 20.lt:le6 ! N i.xe6 2 1 .dxe6 llb8 22.1lc6 llb6 23.1i'c l 'ife7 24.exf7+ llJx£7 25.l:lc7 'iff6 26.1lxa7 and White is a healthy pawn up. 9. .tc1-d2
..Q.b4xd2+
After 9 ... 'ifaS I O.llbl bd2 + l l.'ifxd2 'ifxd2+ 1 2.�xd2 0-0 1 3 .�d3 lld8 1 4.l:lhc l l2Jc6 1 5 . �e3 White has the beuer endgame, with much beuer devel opment and a centralized king. 10. 'ifd1 xd2 1 1 . ..Q.f1-c4
0-0
Choprer 8- Quttn's Garnbir Declintd 11.
·-
b7-b6
I I ...lDd7 1 2.0-0 b6 1 3.l:tfe I .ib7 trans poses to the game; l l ...lDc6 1 2.0-0 b6 I J.Ilfe l .ib7 trans poses to note to move 1 3 . 1 2. 0-0 1 3. l:lf1 -e1
�c8-b7
is shut in, and the kingside majority helps White's attack. 1 6 ... h6 (if 1 6 ...lDc4 1 7 .1i'f4 'ife7 1 8.lDg5 g6 19 .1i'h4 hS 20.'ifg3 llae8 2 1 .1lac I b5 22.a4 a6 23.axb5 axb5 24.e6 f5 25.lDf7 1i'f6 26.ttld6 lDxd6 27. 'ifxd6 White will soon win the b- or d-pawn and keep a big advantage with his dangerous passer) 1 7 ..ic2 .ia6 1 8.l:lad l llc8 1 9.ttld4N and with ideas like e5-e6, liJfS, and 'iff4 White is better despite the pawn minus. 14. a2-a4
Usual is 1 4.1lad I , but the move chosen takes advantage of the fact that ...liJc6-a5 is now impossible. 14. ... 1 3. ...
ll:lb8-d7
1 3 ... lDc6 1 4 .d5 (this is usually prepared by 1 4.1lad 1 llc8 but I think it's better to play it now so as to avoid a later double attack ...lDb2 with the bishop on dJ) 1 4...liJa5 ( 1 4 ... exd5 1 5 ..Ld5 lDa5 1 6.1lad l .Ld5 1 7 .exd5N - this advanced passer must favor White) 1 5 ..id3 exd5 1 6.e5!.
l:la8-c8
For 1 4. . . a6 1 5 ..id3 llc8 see the note to move 1 5. 1 5. �c4-d3
e6-e5
If I S . . .'ifc7 1 6.a5 llfd8 1 7 .axb6 axb6 1 8.1i'e3, White's extra center pawn is clearly more important than Black's iso lated b-pawn. White can aim for kingside expansion; Or 1 5 ... a6 1 6.'ife2 tLlb8 1 7.l:lab l l:lc3 1 8.'ifd2 llc8 1 9.'ifb2 liJd7 20.lDd2 and the threat of ttlc4 is hard to meet. 1 6. d4-d5 17. �d3-c4
ttld7-c5
.It¥ • .t • I was very much impressed by this pawn sacrifice (by Tal) in almost the same posi tion when I was a teenager. It seems to be fully sound here. White gets a great square for his knight (d4) , Black's bishop
.. �. �
�
�
.� . •• ,
ttJ 'if ��� �
w
1 15
The Kaufman Rcpenoire for White 1 7. -
..d8-d6
After 1 7 ... f6 1 8.llJh4 1Wd7 1 9.1We2 g6 20.a5 1Wd6 2Lh3 l:tb8 22.llJf3 �g7 23 .l:teb 1 White's protected central passed pawn is much more valuable than Black's isolated b-pawn , and White's king is safer. 18. 1Wd2-b2 1 9. e4xf5
f7-f5 e5-e4
21 . lLlg5xe4 22. l0e4xd6
llJd3xb2 �b2xo4
22...l:txc4 23.llJxb7 l:tc7 24.llJd6 l:td7 25.llJbS l:txdS 26.g4 White is a (dou bled) pawn ahead in an otherwise bal anced position. 23. �d6xc8 24. l:te1 -e7 25. l:te7xa7
l:tf8xc8 ..Q.b7xd5
In the endgame, rook and two pawns are generally superior to bishop and knight. True, White has doubled pawns, but the rook on the 7th rank offsets this, so White is better.
QO 1 1.4 (036}
Game 8.4
Zhigalko.Andrey • Alaandrov,Alexey
0
Aix- 1es-Bains Ech, 20 I I (9)
20. �f3-g5N
The game actually went 20.1We5 ?! l:tcd8? (20 . . . 1Wxe5! 2 1 .llJxe5 l:txfS 22 .llJc6 .ixc6 23 .dxc6+ �f8 24.a5 l:txc6 25.axb6 axb6 26.£3=) 2 1 .1Wxd6 l:txd6 22.llJg5 bdS 23.l:tad l �d3 24.llJxe4 .ixc4 25 .llJxd6 llJxe l 26.llJxc4 llJc2 27.g4 hS 28.h3 hxg4 29.hxg4 l:te8 30.�fl �h7 3Ll:td2 l:te 1 + 32.�g2 l:tc 1 3 3.llJe5 llJe 1 + 34.�g3 l:tcS 35.f4 l:tc2 36.l:td7 l:tg2+ 3 7.�h3 and Black re signed. 20. -
d2-d4 c2-o4 lLlb1 -c3 o4xd5 .ic1 -g5
5.
_
•
lLlg8-f6 e7-e6 d7-d5 e6xd5
lLlc5-d3
After 20 .. Jlxf5 2LllJxe4 lLlxe4 22.l:txe4 .ixdS 23 .l:td 1 1Wc5 24.g4 .ixc4 25.gxf5 'tWxfS 26.1fd4 White is 11. pawn ahead by my count. His split pawns and more ex posed king offer only partial compensa tion for the material. 1 16
1. 2. 3 4. 5.
c7-c6
There is a puzzle regarding the rare move 5 ....if5 ?!. The idea is to prevent 1fc2 and so after 6.e3 c6 force White to play a line
Chapter 8- Quecns Gambit Declined
discussed in the next note. This is recom mended as a good move order for Black (if a draw is OK) by John Cox in his re cent Declining the Queen's Gambit. It was played by Nigel Short in 1 992 at Linares against Ivanchuk (they were two of the world's very best players at the time) , who replied 6.e3 thus allowing Short to get his desired variation. The mystery is this: why not 6.i.xf6!, which wins a pawn if Black takes with the queen or ruins Black's pawn structure if he takes with the pawn?
5 ...i.f5 since 1 992 confirms that 6.bf6! is indeed quite strong. 6. 1Wd1 -c21
6.e3 .ifs 7 ....£3 i.g6 8.i.xf6 •xf6 9. •xf6 gxf6 is an important line.
.1� i i
i
�� !;I
ttJ
i �
�
�� � � � ttJ �
Analysis diagram
Analysis diagram
Cox doesn't even mention this. In fact it has been played 9 times, with White scor ing 7 Vz out of 9, and the computers score it as nearly winning for White. You could argue that the same pawn structure arises in the note to move 6 anyway, but it's much worse there, for two reasons. First, king safety isn't very important without queens, but with queens the wrecked kingside should be very bad. Furthermore, the bishop pair that Black gets for it is worth a lot more without queens than with queens. I can only surmise that either the score has the moves in the wrong or der, or the players made their moves quickly without much thought. I suppose Cox just 'trusted' these great players! The fact that no grandmasters have played
The endgame should be a bit better for White, and indeed results and computers agree with this, but with the queens off the bishop pair is nearly enough compen sation for the bad pawns, which at any rate are not on half-open files and so are not easily attacked. Cox recommends this for Black, and I see no reason for White to permit this line to be played. 6.
•••
tt:lb8-a6
Of course Black can just play 6 ... i.e7 or 6 ... c6, when after 7 .e3 play will transpose to normal lines of the QGD Exchange. 7. e2-e3
Don't play the frequently played 7.a3 ?!, as there is no need to fear 7 ... llJb4 so it will likely prove to be just a tempo loss after 7 ... llJc7. 7.
-·
tt:la6-b4
7 ... llJc7 8.i.d3 llJe6 9.i.h4 �e7 1 O.lLlf3 g6 1 1.0-0 0-0. 1 17
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
�
1. 1.
j_'if
I.
I.
�·
.t.l. I. �& 1.
10. .. b1 ·d1
�
tLJ � � tt:J
�
��WI
���
�
:g� Analysis diagram
The same position can arise if the knight chooses the path ... ll:Jb8-d7-f8-e6. Usu ally this happens after ... J:le8 but it can occur just before castling. The rook will surely want to go to e8 anyway, and then Black will play ... ll:Jg7 and ...�fS. This is a main line of the QGD Exchange, see the appropriate game. 8. •c2·b1 1
h7·h6
After 8 ... a5 9.a3 ll:Ja6 1 0.�d3 �e7 1 1 . ll:Jf3 Black has wasted two tempi with his knight, while White has wasted one with his queen. If the queen later returns to c2 it will be a normal QGD Exchange with the knight on a6, but in some lines White may dispense with ..c2 since on b 1 it supports b4-b5; 8 ... g6 is the consistent move, threatening 9 ...�f5 : 9 ...d 1 �fs (9 ... a5 1 O.a3 ll:Ja6 1 l .�d3 �g7 1 2. ll:Jf3 should be worse than a normal QGD Exchange for Black since the bishop on g7 looks clearly worse than on e7 or (preferably) d6) 1 O.J:lc 1 aS l l .a3 ll:Ja6 1 2.'tfb3 �c8 1 3.ll:Jf3 and White is obviously better with all the wasted black tempi. 9. .i.. g5·h4
g7-g6
9 ...�d6 1 O.a3 ll:Ja6 1 1 .�xa6 - it's not worthwhile to give up the bishop pair just to double the a-pawns, but here Black 1 I8
also gets a backward c-pawn on a half open file, and of course White gains a tempo. White is better. 1 o ... �fs was threatened. 1 0. ...
g6·g5
1 o . . �g7 1 1 .a3 'Da6 1 2.�xa6 - again this favors White. .
1 1 . �h4·g3
.i..c8·g4
l l . . . �fS 1 2 .J:lc l ll:Je4 1 3 .a3 lbxc3 1 4.J:lxc3 'Da2 1 5 .J:ld3 �xd3 1 6.�xd3 �xa3 (else the knight is lost) 1 7 .bxa3 'tfa5 + 1 8 .'tfd2 'tfxa3 1 9.�e5 J:lf8 20.�g7 J:lg8 2 1 . .i..f6 ll:Jc3 22.ll:Je2 ll:Je4 23.�xe4 dxe4 24.0-0 J:lg6 25 .�eS, and by my count White is a quarter pawn be hind, but the huge difference in king safety plus the weakness of the e4 pawn tilts the verdict for White. 1 2. f2-f3
� ''
I. i
�
&
��
.ig4·f5
4J
:g
���
��
�� �tt:J �
1 3. l:la1 ·c1
Neither the computers nor I see any need to move the king here. Perhaps White rea soned that he wanted to play h2-h4 at some point so he didn't want to castle, so why waste time moving the rook when the king move avoids the fork and im proves the king position? Still, this seems
Chapter 8- Queen's Gambit Declined
bit contorted and I prefer the rook move, though either keeps the advantage. The game went 1 3.Wfl aS 1 4.a3 �6 1 S..i.d3 'ltd7 1 6.lL.ge2 ..ig7 1 7 .h4 g4 18.h5 0-0 1 9 ...if4 hd3 20.'1txd3 llJh7 2 l .fxg4 'ltxg4 22.llJg3 B 23.�gl llJgS H.:n :aes 25.-Lgs 'ltxgs 26.lbxf5 :xB 27.'1txf5 'ltxf5 28.lhf5lhe3 29.l:lh4 !ix7 30.l:ln lbf3 3 I .gx0 llJe6 32.llJe2.
.1
.i. i
• .! i �
�
White will have the safer king after cas ding and the option to attack on either wing. The fS -square is Black's biggest lia bility.
QO 1 1 .1 1 (03 7) D
Game 8.5
Tomashevsky,Evgeny
• Zviagintsev,Vadim Irkutsk, 20 I 0 (8}
i � :
1 . d2·d4 2. lZlg1 ·f3
We would transpose to the game by 2 .c4 e6 3 .llJc3 dS 4.cxd5 exdS S . ..igS c6. 2. 3. c2·c4 4. lZlb1 -c3 -·
AnalySis diagram
4. . c6 s ...igs llJbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 trans poses to the game. .
White is up rook for bishop, with the only compensation being that White has [WO more isolated pawns than Black. Re markably, Black somehow managed to save a draw. 1 3. 14. 1 5. 1 6. 1 7. 18. 19.
-·
'tltd1·d2 a2·a3 .i.g3·e5 lZlg1-e2 lZle2·g3 .i.f1 ·d3
Wd8-e7 a7·a5 tl:lb4·a6 i.f8·g7 0·0 i.f5·g6
5. 6. 7. 8.
c4xd5 i.c1·g5 •d1 ·c2 e2-e3
e6xd5 c7·c6 i.f8-e7
.i .t 'if • .i i i � .! i i i i � i � � tt.J � tt.J ��� � � WI :g:
��
:g:
I think this is better than the routine cas tling. Bishop trades seem to help Black in the Exchange QGD. 1 19
The Kaufman �rtoire for White 9. �g5xe7 1 0. 0-0-0
'it'd8xe7
A cautious alternative is I O.i.e2 g6
1 1 .0-0 0-0 n.:ab l lbb6 1 3.�d3 lbg7 1 4.04 a6 I S.a4N i.fS 1 6.lbd2 l:[feS 1 7 .aS lbcS I S.lba4. I'd rather play the White pieces here, though it's hard to see a winning plan. 1 0. "'
• 'if1 1 ..t 1 1 & � Cjj � � Cjj £3:, � £3:, � �� �
M
:g
tBd7-b6
Or I O ... lbhf6 l l .i.d3 lbb6 1 2.�b I �g4 1 3.l:[c l i.xf3 1 4.gxf3 .
.i.
11 &1
1 � Cjj � � � � � VJI � � l:t Analysis diagram
These are ideal doubled pawns. They both control vital center squares, and the open g-file deters Black from castling kingside. With a good bishop vs. knight and a lead in development as weD, White should al ready be better. 1 4 . . . 0-0-0 15 .1Wb3 1We6 ( 1 5 . . . Wb8 1 6.a4 White has the initiative at no cost) 1 6.a4 tOeS 1 7.lba2N (to control c4) I 7 ... �b8 I S. �a I White is much better. He need not rush the advance a4-a5 but can prepare it by doubling rooks on the c-file. 1 1 . h2-h3 1 2. �f1 ·d3 1 3. �c1-b1
1 20
;a 11 &1
i.c8-e6 g7-g6
1 3.
_
o-o-o
1 3 . . . lbg7! 1 4.g4 0-0-0 I S.lba4 lbxa4 1 6. 1Wxa4 �bS and now: A) 1 7 .l:[c J h 5 ? (after 1 7 ... �e8 ! 1 8 .:c3 lbd6 I 9 .:a3 lbc8 2 0 .:c I White has the better bishop, but not much else) 1 8.lbe5 hxg4?! 1 9.hxg4 l:[xhl 20.:xh l :cs 2 l .f4 1Wf8?! 22.1Wc2 cS ? 23.f5 gxfS 24.gxf5 cxd4 25.fxe6 �a8 26.e7 1 -0 Kaufman-Pushkov, was my last round win over a GM in the 2009 World Se nior; B) 1 7.i.e2 !N White can use d3 to transfer the rook to a3, and can use it as a retreat square after a later tOeS f6. 1 7 ... i.d7 (if 1 7 ... lbeS 1 8.l:[d3 lbd6 1 9.1b3 �c8 20.lbe5 hS 2 J .l:[c l hxg4 22.hxg4 i.d7 23 .1Wa5 White has attack ing chances and better minor pieces) I S.lbeS f6 1 9 .lbxd7 + :xd7 20.l:[d3 lbe8 2 1 .�a l lbd6 n.:a3 lbc8 23.�d3 White has a good bishop vs. knight and an extra center pawn, but only a tiny ad vantage. 14. tBc3·a4 1 5. •c2xa4 1 6. lld1 -c1
lbb&xa4
�c8-b8 f7-f6
Or 1 6 ... �g7 1 7 .:c3 i.fS 1 8.lbe5 ! f6 (in case of 1 8 ...i.xd3 + 1 9.lbxd3 lbe6 20.:a3 White has attacking chances
Chapter 8- Quem's Gombil Declined
and more center pawns) 1 9.lbxc6+ ! bxc6 20. l::tb 3 + 9r¥c7 2 1 .e4 .ixe4 22.he4 1Wxe4+ 2 3 .9r¥alllJe6 24.l::tc l lbxd4 2 5 .1Wxa7+ 9r¥d6 26.l::te 3 l::ta 8 27.Wc5 + Wc7 2 8 .l::tcc3 Wf4 29.l::te 7+ ci'd8 3 0 .l::tc e3 and Black must lose ma terial. 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20.
l::tc1 ·c3 l::th 1 ·c1 liJf3·e1 liJe1 ·c2
l::td8·d6 Ah8·c8 tt:Jh5·g7 �e6·f5
QO 1 1 . 1 2 (043)
Game 8.6
Eingorn,Vereslav • Michiels,Bart
D
Longeville-les-Metz, 20 I I (3)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
c2-c4 llJg1 ·f3 d2-d4 liJb1 ·c3 �c1-g5 c4xd5 e2·e3 •d1 ·c2 �f1 -d3
c7-c6 d7·d5 llJg8-f6 e7·e6 liJb8-d7 e6xd5 .if8-e7 0-0 l:tf8·e8
21 . �d3xf5
It makes sense w bring lhe knight to fS rather !han to allow it to reach the better square e6 where it guards cS. The actual game went 2 I .llJb4 .ixd3+ 22.l::tx d3 llJe6 23.l::ta 3 a6 24.1Wa5 l::tc 7 25.:ac3 ci'c8 26.Wa l Wds 27 .1Wa4 •d7 28.h4 9/;dS. Now 29.llJd3 would keep a serious advantage, though there is no simple winning plan. The game was eventually drawn. 21. 22. 23. 24.
llJc2·b4 liJb4-d3 llJd3-c5
tt:Jg7xf5 •e7·d7 *b8·a8
White has attacking chances, a strong knight outpost, and lhe option of e3-e4 under some circumstances.
1 0. h2·h3
The idea of this move rather than cas tling kingside is to prevent the dark-squared bishop from being ex changed for a knight. Also, White keeps open the choice of on which side to cas tle. 1 0.
·-
liJd7-f8
An ahernative is I O . . . llJe4 I l .�f4! ( I I ..ixe4 dxe4 1 2 .llJxe4 .ixg5 1 3 .lLlexg5 llJfBN White's problems with his gS knight give Black full compensa rion for the pawn) l l ...llJdf6 1 2.0-0 .if5 1 3 .llJeS llJxc3 1 4 . .ixf5 llJb5 I S ..id3N. 121
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
'ifi
:� .-. . ��� A.-. 'if�
A�.l�
� ...
•
...
.ltD
[::, � �[::, [::, F::,F::,V/1 [::,[::, :g
��
Cjj tij �[::, [::, [::,[::, � w �
Analysis diagram
Analysis diagram
White is up the bishop pair for free. 1 1 . .ig5-f4
.ic8·e6
l l ... llJg6 1 2 . ..th2 ..td6 1 3 . ..txd6 9xd6
1 8.f4 ..td7 1 9.g5 llJe4 20.llJxe4 dxe4 2 1 .9xc5 l:lxcS 22 ...tc2 llJg6 23.h4 White has better minor pieces and a kingside pawn attack . 1 2. 0·0
Analysis diagram
1 4.0-0-0 (White can also castle kingside and aim for the usual minority attack, but Black's pieces are all pointing to the kingside so that might be a tad risky) 1 4 . . . ..te6 1 5.Wb 1 l:lac8 1 6.l:lc 1 b6 1 7 .g4 cS 1 8 . ..ta6 l:lb8 1 9.llJbS 9d7 ? (in the event of 1 9 ... 9d8 20.llJe5 llJxe5 2 1 .dxeS lLle4 22.£3 llJgS 23 .l:lhfl f6 24.£4 llJe4 25 .fS ..tc8 26 . ..txc8 l:lxc8 27.e6 the monster pawn on e6 confers a dear ad vantage on White) 20 .llJe5 llJxeS 2 1 .dxeS llJe4 22.£3 llJgS 23 .l:lhfl - with llJd6 and a kingside pawn storm coming. White looks to be winning; 1 l .....td6 1 2 ...txd6 9xd6 1 3.0-0-0 ..te6 1 4.Wb l l:lac8 I S.g4 cS 1 6.dxcS 'ifxcS 1 7 .tLld4 a6 1 22
..te7·d6
After I 2...l:lc8 1 3 .a3 ..td6 1 4.hd6 9xd6 1 5 .b4 (the minority attack) I S ... llJg6 1 6.l:lfcl ..td7 1 7.'ifa4 9b8 1 8.9d 1 9d6 1 9 .l:lab I N 9e7 20.a4 llJe4 2 l ...txe4 dxe4 22.llJd2 fS 23 .llJe2 l:led8 24.bS cxbS 2S .axb5 White's protected passed d-pawn is worth more than Black's weakling on a7. and Black's bishop is slightly bad. 1 3. ..tf4xd6
i
'ifd8xd6
E .. .
.l.l.l .l.l .l'ii'A.-.
1 [::, tij �[::, Cjj [::, :, :, � [::,[::, [:[: :g a: w 14. ttJf3·e5
A quite different plan, the minority attack, is illustrated by 1 4 .l:lab I aS I S .a3
Chaprer 8 Queen's Garnbil Declined -
�8d7 1 6.:lfcl g6 17.b4 axb4 1 8.axb4 b5. Wilh this counter Black prevents the intended 1 9 .b5, which would lead to some defect in Black's pawn structure, and aims for ... �-b6-c4. White is still a tad better though. 14. ... 1 5. f2-f4 16. �e5-f3
22. l:.f1-c1 23. li)c3-e2
.i i i
:a8-c8
.� � . i i � i
f7-f6
White has a backward pawn but also the makings of a kingside attack. 1 6. ... 17. 'W'c2-f2
.i i i
� i 'i¥ i
23. ...
.i � · .t. i i i
� � tt:Jjl�tt:J � �� �� : 17. ...
:g <;;it c6-c5
Against passive play White may aim to bring a knight to f5 and/ or may prepare g2-g4 and g4-g5. 1 8. d4xc5 1 9. �d3-c2
l!ld7xc5
White has the slightly better pawn struc ture and a better bishop. 1 9. ... 20. �c2xe4 21 . li)f3-d4
�c4xe2?1
Better is 23 . . . �e6 24.�xe6 1Wxe6 2S.�d4 'tfd7 26.b3 .Q.d3 27 .'tfg3. but White's 'permanent outpost' knight is su perior to Black's bishop. 24. 25. 26. 27.
'W'f2xe2 l:.c1 xc8 'W'e2-g4 l:.a1 -d1
White's advantage is clear; all of his pieces are better than Black's. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 .
.. l:.d1 xd4 'W'g4-f5 'W'f5-a5 'W'a5xa7 .
�e6xd4 'W'd6-f8?1 g7-g6 'W'f8-f7
Black has nothing for the pawn. 31 . ... 32. �g1 -h2 33. 'W'a7-a4 34. l:.d4-d7 35. l:.d7-d6 36. :ld6xf6
'W'f7·c7 g6-g5 'W'c7-e7? 'W'e7-e6 'W'e6-e7? 1-0
1 23
Chapter 9
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is among the very best defenses to J .d4, although it can only be played when White plays tOn as one of his first four moves, otherwise Black must play the Semi-Slav or some other Slav offshoot. I propose to allow the Slav, in part because avoiding it by an early e2-e3 means having to face the Semi-Slav without the option of .i.gS or allowing Black to play ... .ifS or ... .ig4 without having to take the pawn on c4 fJISt. However I conclude the chapter by showing how White can avoid the Slav by 4.11t'c2 or 4.11t'b3 and still retain at least a small plus. This is the way to go if you don't have the time or memory for the complicated Slav lines given. After l .d4 d5 2.c4c6 3.�0 lLlf6
we play 4.�c3. The move 4.e3 usually leads to White winning the bishop pair after 4 ... .if5 5.l0c3 e6 6.l!Jh4, but White's results from this position are not impressive and computer analysis does not show any meaningful edge for White. After 4.l0c3 Black can choose between 4... e6 (see Semi-Slav chapter) , 4 ...a6 (which we meet by S.a4, planning g2-g3 and �g2, see Game 9. 1 ) , and 4...chc4, the 'real' Slav. Now S.a4 is the only promising move, since 5.e3 bS 6.a4 b4 gains time for Black that allows easy equality, while 5.e4 is a slightly dubious gambit. After 5.a4 we analyze s ...ttJa6 and S ....ig4 in Game 9.2, and S ...e6 in Game 9.3. This move is rather important as it often leads to positions from the Queen's Gambit Accepted except with Black's pawn on a7 rather than a6, which affords White some extra options. Then we come to 5...�. the 'real' Slav Defense. In my opinion only the move 6.lDe5 (planning f2-f3 and e2-e4) is promising for White. It does require some work, but the simple 6.e3 gives Black an easy game.
1 25
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
Now play splits, depending on whether Black prepares the development of his bishop by 6 ... e6 or challenges the knight by 6 ... lbbd7. After 6...e6 7.f3 .i.b4 (for 7 ... c5 , usually leading to a slightly better endgame for White, see Game 9 A) White faces a momen tous choice. The obvious 8.e4 leads to a clear edge if Black meekly_ retreats his bishop, as White regains his pawn while developing his bishop and dominates the center while leaving the g6 bishop with little to do. However Black should sacrifice the bishop on e4, ultimately leading to a battle of bishop for three pawns. Materially this is about half a pawn in White's favor, but his king is exposed and his development lagging. He can fix these problems by exchanging queens on d5, but then the three Black extra pawns are connected and two are already passed pawns. While White does make a good score in this variation, my analysis shows very little edge for White. So instead I recommend a rare variation, 8.li:lxc4- 0-0 9.Wf2, hoping to achieve e2-e4 more safely. However it turns out that Black still has a sacrifice on e4, but this time the result is that White emerges with a rook for four pawns rather than a bishop for three! Black still has the more attractive position, but I'm more willing to suffer a bit for the larger material gain in this line. See Game 9.5. Now we come to the more popular 6 li:lbd7, which White must meet by 7.li:lxc4-. Black may be happy to have forced White to recapture with the knight rather than the bishop, but here White plans to play g2-g3 and �g2, thus making a virtue of the knight's detour. White's goal is simply to reach a position with an extra pawn in the center 'for free'. Black may respond 7... li:lb6, hoping to trade knights, which we meet by B.li:leS, since a space advantage means more with more pieces on the board. Black replies B ...aS (else White will play a4-a5 at a suitable moment) and now after 9.g3 we have the simple plan of �g2, 0-0, e2-e3, 11'e2, l:ld l , and e3 -e4. White should get an edge, but it requires great precision, so study Game 9.6 carefully. Finally we come to 7 'flc7, intending ... e7-e5. AHer the nearly forced sequence 8.g3 eS 9.cheS lL:lxeS I O .i.f4- li:lfd7 l l .�g2 Black again has a major choice. •••
.•.
.
1 26
Chapter 9 - Slav Defense
The move 1 1 g5, credited to grandmaster Alexander Morozevich, is now a major branch, but after 1 V�)el White usually emerges with better pawn structure at no ap parent cost; see Game 9. 7. The traditional 1 1 ... f6 12.0-0 l!Jcs is now considered pleas ant for White, see Game 9.8. Instead the move 12 ... 0-0-0 !?, formerly thought to be just bad. is now topical, and is a line in which I have played a more or less significant role, having played it twice as Black against grandmasters and written a Yearbook article on it. See Game 9.9. •.•
Now we come to the lazy man's answer to the Slav. Play 3.l!Jf3 l!Jf6 4....c2 (Game 9. 1 0) or 4.Wb3 (Game 9. 1 1 ). I have no strong opinion on which one to choose; it comes down to what you want to avoid. Usually Black takes on c4 in either case and after s .•xc4 they transpose.
i: � .i. 'i¥ • .t. i: ' ' ' ' ' ' ' �
Now S .ig4 is the 'hip' answer. It leads to a battle ofWhite's bishop pair vs. Black's su perior pawn structure. White castles queenside and plays for attack if Black castles kingside, while Black aims for a blockade of the doubled pawns. Black has to play very precisely to avoid a serious disadvantage, and even with perfect play I prefer White. More traditional is S ... .t6 (Game 9. 1 1 ). After the routine moves 6.g3 e6 7 . .ig2 .ie7 8.0-0 lllb d7 White used to play 9.lll c 3 0-0 I O.e3 llle4 l l .'ire2, but practical results ...
1 27
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
were slightly in Black's favor. Then everyone started playing I o.:e I lLJe4 l l .... b3 ...b6 1 2.lbh4 to win the bishop pair with good results, but a path to equality was eventually found. Recently the idea of postponing ttlc3 in favor of 9 .J:ld I 0-0 I O.e3 (or vice versa) has become the main line, and this is what I recommend. Practical results are strongly in White's favor, and I don't know of an equalizing line for Black, though of course White's edge is generally modest. Basically it consists of having more center pawns and perhaps slightly beuer placed pieces, though in some lines other factors play a role. Unfortunately the above early queen development is not a cure-all. It does avoid the true Slav and works well against the Chebanenko ( ... a6) Slav and the Schlechter ( ... g6) Slav. However there is a problem if you want to use it to avoid the Semi-Slav. It works well enough in the move order given above. However, if Black chooses the move order l .d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.lbc3 c6, we have a problem. The move I recommend, 4.lbf3, allows lt:Jf6 and Black gets his Semi-Slav. If we try to avoid it by 3.lt:Jf3 lt:Jf6 4.lbc3 he still has 4 ... c6 and the Semi-Slav. You can be content to use the queen development to avoid the Slav and often but not always avoid the Semi-Slav. You can play the Catalan after 2 ... e6 3 .ttlf3 ttlf6 4.g3, but that is not in my repertoire (though I have played it). You can take up the gambit line 2 ... e6 3 .lLJc3 c6 4.e4!?, which is quite sound but may allow Black equality with perfect play. Yet another option is to play this line with 4.e4, but after 4 che4 s.lbxe4 �b4+ play 6.llJc317 (rather than the gambit line 6.�d2 ...xd4) . It's not recommended anywhere and is rarely chosen by grandmasters, but the computers love it as White usually wins the bishop pair for questionable compensation. Since this is a rare move order anyway, maybe this last suggestion is the most practical for most read ers ofthis book. •••
SL 3.1 (D I S) D
Game 9.1
Cheparinov,Ivan
• Malakhov,Vladimir Villafranca, 20 I 0 ( I )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d2·d4 c2·c4 lbg1 ·f3 lbb1 ·c3 a2·a4
d7·d5 c7·c6 lbg8-f6 a7·a6
This usually leads to a line similar to the Catalan. White should keep a slight edge. 1 28
5. ...
e7·e6
Chapla 9 - Slav Dd"msc
Alternatives are: 5 ... g6 6.�f4 �g7 7 .e3 0-0 8.a5 (this novelty prevents .. .'ifaS or ...a6-a5 while creating an outpost at b6) 8 ... lLlbd7 9.b3� (this avoids ... lLlh5) 9 ... dxc4 I O.Lc4 cS 1 l .dS�. s ... Ms 6.1i'b3 l:ta7 7 .as e6 s.1i'b6 (S.cs is also good) 8 ...1Wxb6 9 .axb6 l:ta8 1 0 .c 5 lLlbd7 1 1 .�f4�. This obvious novelty gives White a large space advantage, though winning the game will not be simple. 6. g2·g3
a6·a5
This natural move prepares ... ttJa6-b4, but 6 ... dxc4 is far more common. 6 ... c5 7.cxd5 cxd4 8.ttJxd4 ttJxdS 9.lLlc2 ltJc6 1 O.ltJxdS exdS 1 l .�g2 �e6 1 2.0-0 �cS 1 3 .b4 ttJxb4 1 4.lLlxb4 �xb4 I S.1i'd4 �e7 1 6.l:tb 1 0-0 1 7 .l:txb7 is slighdy better for White. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3.
.i.f1 ·g2 0·0 .i.c1 ·f4 lLlf3·e5 e2·e4 lLlc3xe4 .i.g2xe4;!;
.i.f8-e7 0·0 lLlb8·a6 lLJa6·b4 lLlf6xe4 d5xe4 f7·f6
1 5. ...d1 ·h5
White actually played 1 S.l:te 1 and after 1 s ...�d6 1 6.�xd6 'ifxd6 1 7 .ttJf4 with an edge which led to a win, but the text move seems stronger, wiiUling the bishop pair while keeping the positional advan tage. 15. 16. 1 7. 18. 1 9.
lbg6xe7+ .i.e4-g2 .i.f4·g5 'tfh5·e2±
f6-f5 •d8xe7 lbb4-d3 'ife7·b4
SL 3.6 (D 1 6) D
Game 9.2
Salgado Lopez,Ivan
• Alonso Rosell,Alvar El Sauzal, 20 1 0 (6)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d2·d4 lbg1 ·f3 c2·c4 lbb1 ·c3 a2·a4
d7·d5 lbg8·f6 c7·c6 d5xc4
E � .i. 'if *' .! al al
al
E
al al al al
�
'� � � 5. -
14. l!Je5·g61
llf8·f7
1 4... hxg6 1 5.hg6+-.
LtJ
tLJ
����
� 'lW � �
�
lbb8-a6
The . . . lba6 plan can be deferred a move, as in Cheparinov-D.Mastrovasilis, Aix les-Bains Ech 20 1 I , which continued s ...�fs 6.lLleS lLla6 7 .e3 lLlb4 8.Lc4 e6 9.0-0 �d6 1 O.'ife2 l!Jc2 ( 1 O ... h6 1 l .e4 1 29
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
�h7 1 2.�f4 0-0 is recommended for Black by Lakdawala, but I think White should play 1 3.�g3, next planning f2-f4 and keeping open the options of rook placement until he sees another Black move. White must be bener) l l .l:la2 tbb4 1 2.l:la l tbc2 1 3.l:lb 1 tbd5 1 4.�d2 0-0.
if
i .t i .. ttJ .t � ii � lLJ � � .. ii 'iY � � � .6l
:ti \t> Analysis diagram
Now White should continue 1 5 .l:lfc I �xeS 1 6.dxe5 lLlb6 1 7 .e4 tbd4 1 8.1i'fl tbxc4 1 9 .1i'xc4 b5 20 .axb5 cxbS 2 1 .lLlxbS lLlxbS 22.�b4 �xe4 23.1i'xe4 :le8 24.l:ld 1 'ti'c7 2S ..id2 l:lad8 26.�e3 and White is better because Black's knight cannot easily reach a good square and so is inferior to the bishop. e2-e4 .if1 xc4 g2xf3 �c1 ·e3 a4·a5 0·0 ..d1 ·b3
�c8-g4 .ig4xf3 lL!a6·b4 e7·e6 .if8-e7 0·0
White threatens 1 3. :la4. 1 2. ... 1 3. .ic4·e2
b7·b5
A good alternative was 1 3 .axb6 axb6 1 4.l:la3 bS l 5 . .ie2 tba6 1 6. :la2 lLlb4 1 7 . :lxa8 'ti'xa8 1 8.�d2 'ti'b7 1 9. :la 1 and 1 30
1 3 . ... 14. l:lf1-c1 1 5. f3·f4
a7·a6 lLlf6·d7
15. ...
c6-c5?
x• i i i
i
6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2.
White has the bishop pair edge, since his weakened kingside doesn't look relevant.
In case of 1 5 ... :lc8 1 6. :ld 1 White retains the bishop-pair edge. His strong center offsets his weakened kingside. 16. d4xc5 1 7. ll:lc3·a2
llJb4-c6
After 1 7 .1i'd l LcS 1 8.�xc5 tLlxcS 1 9.lLlxb5 'ti'xd 1 + 20.�xd 1 axbS 2 I . :lxcS :lxa5 2 2.:lxa5 tbxa5 2 3 . :lxbS White emerges with an extra pawn. 17. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 .
'"
e4·e5 lLla2-c3 •b3xb4 ll:lc3-e4
._d8xa5?1 :la8·c8 -.a5·b4 tLlc6xb4
White has the bishops and a strong passed pawn. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
-
lLle4-d6 .ie2·g4 i.g4·f3 c5·c6 f4xg5
f7·f6? l:lc8·c7 f6·f5 g7-g5 lLld7·b8 ttlb8xc6
Chapter 9 27. �f3-g2 28. llc1 xc7 29. llc7-b7
lbc6xe5? �e7xd6 lbe5-g4
E�
.t
�
.i. .t
.t � �
�
1:;1
.t .t � � ��� �
30. �e3-a71
The actual game went 30.�d2 tbcl3 3 l .�c3 b4 32.�d4 .ixh2+ 33.�1 l:ld8 34..1:lxa6 �e5 35.he5 lbdxe5 36.l:lxe6 ltJg6 37 .�c6 ltJf4 38.J:le8+ .l:lxe8 39.he8 l0h2+ 40.We l ltJf3+ 4 1 .�d l ttJxgS 42 . .1:lxb4 l!Jd3 43.J:lb8 l!Jxfl+ 44.�e l l!Jd3+ 45.�d2 t!Jes 46.�d7+ �£7 47.hfs �f6 48.�c2 h5 49.J:lf8+ �e6 50.�b3+ �d6 5 l .J:lf6+ �c5 52.J:lf5 Wd4 53.J:lf4+ l!Je4+ 54.We2 and Black re signed due to 54...l!Jd3 55.J:lxe4+. 30. ...
�d6xh2+?
Otherwise Black has too little compensa tion for the Exchange. 31 . 'itg1-h1 32. f2-f3
�h2-e5
SL 3.4 (0 1 6)
6.e3 is more popular, but it leads to lines with an isolated White d4 pawn, which although good for White are not easy to play and can turn bad. Best play according to computer analysis is 6.e3 c5 7 . ..ixc4 l!Jc6 8.0-0 cxd4 9.exd4 ..ie7 I O.J:le l ( I O.d5 exd5 I J .lLlxdS lbxd5 1 2.hd5 0-0 t 3 .�e3 �fs 1 4.J:lc t ) 1 0 ... 0-0 I J .�f4 llJb4 1 2.ltJe5 lLlfdS 1 3 . ..ig3 �d7 1 4.1i'b3 �c6 1 5 .a5 J:lc8 1 6.lLlxc6 bxc6 (so far Bocharov-Rublevsky, Sochi tt 2007) 1 7 .�eSN and Black has little com pensation for the bishop pair.
.l � .i. 'ik � .i. E .t .t .t .t .t .t .t �
.t � � ttJ ttJ � ���
�
• Sambuev,Bator Toromo, 20 1 1 (6)
1. d2-d4 2. c2-c4
d7-d5 c7-c6
l0g8-f6 d5xc4 e7-e6
6. e2-e4
Game 9.3
Krush,Irena
Slav Ddcnst
This is an important move, aiming to transpose to a Queen's Gambit Accepted line except with a pawn on a7 instead of a6 . After 5 ... �g4 6.l!Je5 ..ihS 7.f3 l!Jfd7 8.l!Jxc4 e5 9.g3 ..ib4 I O.dxe5 0-0 t t ...ih3 We7 J 2 .f4 J:ld8 1 3 .1i'c2 Black has little to show for the pawn.
�
Winning a piece.
0
3. l0b1 -c3 4. l0g1 -f3 5. a2-a4
-
6. -
��� �
:tt
..if8-b4
Or 6 ... c5 7 .d5 lbxe4 (7 ... exd5 8.e5 d4 9.hc4 lLlg4 1 0.1i'b3 1i'd7 1 1 .0-0 lLlc6 131
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
I Vt]gS llJgxeS 1 3 .lle l �d8 1 4.hf7 c4 I S .hc4 llJaS 1 6.llJe6+ 11' xe6 I 7 .he6 llJxb3 1 8 ...ixb3 dxc3 1 9.llxe5 ..id6 20 .IIe l ..id7 2 l . bxc3 �c7 22 ...ie3 White keeps an extra pawn) 8.llJxe4 exdS 9 . ..ig5 1i'a5 + I O.llJc3 J.e6 l l ...id2N - a knight is worth more than three pawns in the opening. 7. e4-e5
tbf6-d5
After 7 . . . llJe4 8 .1i'c2 1i'a5 9.1i'xe4 hc3+ I O.�d l ..ib4 l l.hc4 llJd7 1 2.11'g4 g6 1 3 ...ih6N neither side can castle, but White can 'castle by hand' with �e2 and lid I and �fl . White dom inates the center. 8.
J.c1 -d2
b7-b5
8 ... ..ixc3 9.bxc3 bS White. 9. a4xb5 10. b2xc3
1 O.llJgS favors
l l ...llJc6! 1 2.1i'hs 1i'e7 1 3 .J.e2 b4 1 4.0-0 bxc3 I S ...ie3 llJcb4 1 6 ...ixc4 ..ib7 1 7.11fc l lieS 1 8.llJe4 0-0 1 9 ...ig5 f6 20.exf6 gxf6 2 l .hd5 Lds 22.hf6 1i'e8 23.11'g4+ ...g6 24.1i'xg6+ hxg6 2S . ..ie7 llJd3 26 . .hf8 Le4 27 ...ics llJxc l 28.llxc l llb8 29 . ..ixa7 llb3 30.�fl c2 3 l .�e2 Lg2 3 2.llxc2 and White keeps an extra pawn, though a draw is to be expected due to the oppo site colored bishops. In case of l l .. . ..ib7 1 2.1i'h5 1i'e7 1 3 ...ie2 llJd7 1 4.0-0 h6 I S .tLle4 tLlf4 1 6 . ..ixf4 he4 1 7 ....g4 .idS 1 8.11fb I a6 I 9 .i.e I White has more than enough for a pawn: the bishop pair, dark square domination, and Black cannot safely cas tle. 1 2. tbg5-e4 1 3. tbe4-d6
o-o ..ic8-d7
�b4xc3 c6xb5
So for an edge pawn White has the bishop pair, an active rook on a 1 , and some threats to the rather bare Black kingside. This should be a good deal for White. 1 1 . tbf3-g5
14. h2-h4
11. -
1 32
h7-h6
1 4.1i'g4! �h8 I S ...ie2 tLlc6 1 6.0-0 llb8 1 7.-.hs f6 1 8.tLlf7 + llxf7 1 9.1i'xf7 fxeS 20.dxe5 llJxeS 2 1 .1i'h5 1i'c7 22.l:la6 ..ic8 23.llxa7 'tl'xa7 24.1i'xe5 W'c7 2 S.1i'xc7 tLlxc7 26 ...if4 llb7 27 .lla l tLldS 28 ...ie5 Wh7 29.f4 and White has tremendous compensation for the pawn, namely the bishop pair, a bad black bishop, and con trol of the open file.
Chapter 9 14. 1 5. :h1 -h3
l!Jb8-c6
f7-f5
If I S ...ltJce7 1 6.%lg3 �h7 17 .'il'g4 g6
1 8 ...te2 aS 1 9 . ..tf3 fS 20.exf6 %lxf6 2 I . ..te4 eS 22 ... h5 %lxd6 23.1i'xh6+ ¢'g8 24.dxe5 %le6 25 .-txdS ltJxdS 2 6.%lxg6+ %lxg6 27 ...xg6+ Wh8 28 ...h6+, draw by perpetual check.
.i .t.
a:
if .t � lU i ' �� ' ' � � ki � � � �
-
Slav Ddmse
Game 9.4
SL 3.1 (D I S}
Maletin,Pavel • Sakaev,Konstantin
0
St Petersburg, 2009 ( I )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
d2-d4 c2-c4 ltJg1 -f3 l!Jb1 -c3 a2-a4 g2-g3 .if1-g2 d4xc5 t£Jc3xd1
d7-d5 c7-c6 ltJg8-f6 a7-a6 e7-e6 d5xc4 c6-c5 Wd8xd 1 +
'iV � �
1 6. g2-g41N
The game actually went 1 6.ltJxb5 ltJxeS 17 .lbd6 ltJg4?! 1 8.ltJxc4 'il'c7 1 9 . ..te2 e5 ?! 20.ltJxe5 ltJxeS 2 l .dxe5 f4 22.%ld3 ltJb6 23 .c4 ..te6 24. ..tb4 hc4 25 ...td6 •f7 26.%lc3 ?! %lfe8 2 7.¢'fl %ladS 28 . ..td3 hd3+ 29.:xd3 tlJc4 30.:d4 %lc8 3 1 .'il'f3?! ltJxeS 32.'il'xf4 1i'xf4 3 3.%lxf4 %lcd8 34.-txeS %lxeS 3S.g4 aS 3 6.h5 :cs 3 7 .¢'g2 %lf8 38.%lfa4 %lc2 39.%lfl %lc5 40.%lfa l %lc2 4 1 .%lfl %lc5, draw. 1 6. 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 .
g4-g5 g5xh6 Wd1-h5 l:th3-h1 ..tf1 -g2
f5-f4 Wd8-e7 g7xh6 1fe7-h7· �g8-h8
White is better due to the threat of 22 . ..te4.
9. -
.ic8-d7
In the event of 9 ...tlJc6 (9 ... .i.xcS 1 O.tlJe3 tLlc6 uansposes, though I O.ltJeS may be even better) 1 O.lL!e3 hcS J l .ltJxc4 �e7 1 2.0-0 %ld8 ( 1 2.. . ..td7 1 3 .ltJfe5 %lacS 1 4.lL!d3�} 1 3 ..i.d2 lL!dS 1 4.ltJfe5 ..td7 I S .l£Jd3 ..td4 1 6.l:tfd l f6 1 7.e3 .i.a7 1 8.b3� White has ideas of lL!aS or ..tc l -a3. His more active bishops give him the edge. 1 0. l!Jf3-e5 1 1 . t£Je5xc4 1 2. .ic1 -e3
ttJb8-c6 .if8xc5
1 2.lL!c3 �e7 1 3.0-0 is also a bit better for White. 1 33
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 1 2. ...
�c5·b4+
1 2 ... �xe3 1 3 .lbdxe3 ci;e7 1 4.f4;;!; was played in Cheparinov-Roussel Roozmon, Khanty-Mansiysk ol 20 1 0. While will play �f2 and has a superior bishop and better placed knights. 13. tt:ld1 -c3
tt:lc6·a5
1 3 ... lbd5 1 4.�xd5 exdS 1 5.lbb6 �xc3+ 1 6.bxc3 :ds 1 7 .l!JxdS;;!; was seen in Rojicek-Baron, Olomouc 20 1 0 . The bish ops of opposite color and isolated White pawns give some but not full compensa tion for the pawn, though Black actually won the game. 14. 1 5. 1 6. 1 7.
21 . f2-f3
�c7-e5?1
This is too passive. Black should have tried 2 1 ... a5 or 2 1 ... f4 with a small white advantage. 22. e2-e4 23. f3xe4 24. .ic5-a7
f5xe4 tt:ld5·f6
After H.:c4!± White again has the strong plan of l!J-c 1 -d3. 24. ...
l:tb8-b7?
24 ... :cs 25.l:tc4;;!;. 25. l:tc1 xc6+- �e8-f7 l:th8-a8 26. .ia7-c5
tt:lc4xa5 �b4xa5 0-0 �d7-c6 �g2xc6+ b7xc6 tt:lc3-a2
White's superior pawn structure gives him the edge. Also strong is 1 7 .:fc 1 . 17. ... 18. .ie3-c5 1 9. l:ta1 -c1
tt:lf6-d5 f7-f5 l:ta8-b8 27. lLla2·c1
Finally! 27. 28. tt:lc1-b3 29. tt:lb3·a5 30. l:tc6-b6 '"
:b7-d7 l:td7-d3 l:td3-c3 1-0 Game 9.5
SL 4.3 (0 1 7) 0
20. b2-b4
20.�d4! �d7 2 1 .l:tc2 :hg8 22.l!Jc 1 ± this knight will be a monster on d3. 20. ...
1 34
.ia5-c7
Ding Liren
• Zhou Jianchao Danzhou, 20 1 0 ( ! ) 1 . d2-d4 2. c2-c4
d7-d5 c7-c6
Chapter 9 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
lLlg1-f3 lLlb1 -c3 a2-a4 lLlf3-e5 f2-f3
tLlg8-f6 d5xc4 .ic8-f5 e7-e6 .if8-b4
'if .
� ..t .t. � � 1:[
t2J
E
.t. .t. .t. '� tt:J ..t � �
� 'iV � �
.
I;t
Almost every variation given in this game ends with a piece versus multiple pawns imbalance! 8.
lL!e5xc4
8.e4 Le4 9.fxe4 lilxe4 I O.�d2 11rxd4 l l .lilxe4 11rxe4+ 1 2.11re2 �xd2+ 1 3.�xd2 1l'd5+ 1 4.Wc2 lila6 1 5.lilxc4 0-0 is a quite popular line which has scored well for White.
Slav Ddmse
Note that here White has a bishop for three pawns, whereas in the game and the notes White either gets two bishops for a knight and three pawns or else a rook for four pawns, both of which are better than a bishop for three pawns. Of course the positions must be considered, but I think that White's position in this 8.e4 variation is not better than the posi tions he gets in the game and its varia tions. 8. ..
��
-
0-0
8 ... lild5 9.�d2 1irh4+ ? I O.g3 11'xd4 l l .e4 lilxc3 1 2.bxc3 �xc3 I J.:a2 �xe4 1 4.11'c I ! L I I 5.�e2 �d3 1 6.�xd3 11rxd3 1 7 .J:lxa I - so again it's bishop for three pawns, but here White's position is vastly better than in the previous note. He should win; 8 ... �g6 9.1l'b3! aS I O.e4 11'xd4? l l .�e3 1lrd8 1 2.lilb6 lLlbd7 1 3 .lilxa8 11rxa8 1 4.�e2 and White is up rook for knight and pawn, with an otherwise equal posi tion.
Analysis diagram
But my analysis indicates that Black is close to equality, because White normally is induced to exchange queens on dS, which makes the three pawns rather im pressive after ... cxd5.
9. �e1 -f21
Unfortunately the direct push 9.e4?! is well met by 9 . . . lilxe4, which is why we must prepare it by getting out of the pin first. 1 35
The Kaufman Rqenoire for Wbite c6-c5
9. -
After 9 ... i.g6 (9 ... llJbd7 I O.e4 .ig6 transposes) I 0. e4 llJbd 7 I I .i.e 3 a 5 I 2.l%c I White has central dominance and Black's g6 bishop is out of play; In case of 9 ... b5 I O.axb5 cxb5 l l .tillc b5 llJc6 I 2.e3 1Vb8 1 3 .l%a6!N White is just a pawn up. 1 0. e2-e4
�b4xc3
In the event of I O . . . .ig6 1 I .llJa2 llJc6 1 2 .llJxb4 llJxb4 1 3 .1Vb3 ! llJxe4+ ( 1 3 ... i.xe4 1 4. fxe4 1Vxd4+ 1 5 .i.e3 1Vxe4 1 6.i.e2 :adS 1 7 .:hd 1 �c2 1 8. llac l llJxe 3 1 9. 'ihe3 llxd 1 _tQ�m 1 h.�t":' _ar:..jJ1.nrkt:.r.:krliitlA• piece is stronger than three pawns, other things being equal) 1 4.fxe4 1Vxd4+ 1 5 . .ie3 1Vxe4 1 6.�g l :fd8 I 7 .h4 •d5 1 8 .1lh3 llJc2 I 9.1lc J llJd4 2 0 .1Vd I . Two bishops for knight and three pawns is very favorable when the pawns aren't dangerous. -.
1 1 . b2xc3 1 2. f3xe4 1 3. Wf2-g1
.1 � i i
.if5xe4 �f6xe4+ �e4xc3
earlier this year and eventually lost rather badly. 14. 1 5. .ic1-a3
c5xd4 lt:lb8-c6
1 5 . . .lieS 1 6.tLld6 lle7 1 7 .tLlb5 lld7 1 8.i.b2 tLlc6 1 9.llJxc3 dxc3 20.hc3 two bishops vs. knight and three pawns is about a pawn net advantage to White. His shut-in rook can be developed by h4 and llh3 . 1 6. .ia3xf8
An excellent alternative is to postpone the capmre: 1 6.h4 •d5 1 7..�xf8 :xf8 1 8.1lh3 b6 ( 1 8 . . . e5 1 9.l%xc3 dxc3 L1r.-.li'l:.�,dlttrds-lft.rut 1drulrhlire; Y'Wbt.f: enjoys a 'half-pawn' material edge) J 9.tLlb2 1Vd6 20.tLld l and White ex changes or drives back the powerful knight on c3. 1 6. -
1 6 ... Wxf8 1 7 .h4 1Vd5 1 8.:h3 is similar to the game. 1 7. h2-h4 So we have a rook for four pawns.
.i * i i i
'if i
8
i CiJ 8 � 8 8
M
� i¥
�W M
14. 'ttd 1 -e1 1
I played the much worse queen move 1 4.1Vd3 ? against grandmaster Shankland 1 36
The rook should be worth more than the pawns, but of course if Black can get the pawns moving before White can simplify
Chapter 9 Slav Ddcnsc -
or make threats it could favor Black. My analysis suggests that White is better, but it is very hard to be certain in this crazy line! In order to attempt to confirm this judgment, I had the computer play out this position thousands of times at bullet speed using the 'Monte Carlo' Rybka fea ture. The result was a 67% score for White. For comparison, the bishop vs. 3 pawns line given in the note to move 8 yielded 57% for White. 17.
After 1 8 ...e5 1 9.1:lh3 f5 20.1:lc l 'tid6 2 1 .lLlb l lDdS 22.1:lb3 lDdb4 2 3 .lLla3 White has completed development and the extra rook should count for more than the pawns, though it's messy. 19. 'tie1·f2 20. llh1-h3
l:la8·d8 t!Jb4-d5
In case of 20 ... 'tic7 2 1 .�c4 lbc6 22.'tig3
'tixg3 2 3.l:lxg3 the black pawns are not sufficiently dangerous to offset White's extra rook.
-
1 7 ... e5!N 1 8 .1:lh3 l:l.d8 1 9.1:lc l 'tlfe7 20.1:lhxc3 ! dxc3 2 t .'tixc3.
21 . llh3-f31 Analysis diagram This
bishop vs. three pawns position is better for White than the one he gets in the 8.e4 line. Here his king is safer and he has completed development. White must be better as a bishop is superior to three average pawns in the middlegame, but ei ther side could win from here. I think this position is a critical one for both sides in the Slav Defense. 18. t!Jc4-d2
lilc6·b4
1 8 ... 1:ld8 1 9.1:lh3 lDeS 20.I:I.c l 'tlfds 2 1 .lt:'lb3, and White may pla.y lhc3 next to reach a bishop vs. three pawns middlegame in which the pawns are not imposing.
White missed this strong move, but even as he played he kept the advantage and won. The actual game continued: 2 l .l:l.d3 e5 22.l:le I ..c7 23 .lLle4 lDxa4 24.1:lg3 lLlf4 2 5 .lLlf6+ �h8 26.lDe8 l:l.xe8 2 7 .'tixf4 l:l.e7 28.'tig4 f6 29.1:la3 'tic6 3 0.1:lea l lDb6 3 1 .1:lxa7 e4 3 2 .11fh5 ? (32.1:la8+! wins) 3 2 ...h 6 3 3.1l'g6 'tlfc8 34.1:le l 'tlfc6? 3 5 .�h l ? (35.�d3 ! wins) 3 5 . . . d3? 3 6.�xd3 'tlfc3 3 7 .1:laa l fS 38.11fxf5, Black resigned. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25.
�f1·c4 llf3-d3 a4xb5 �c4xd5
f7·f5 a7-a6 b7·b5 a6xb5 11t'c5xd5
1 37
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 26. :.a1 -e1 27. lbd2xe4 28. :.d3-d1
tDc3-e4 f5xe4
9. ...
White is winning, as he will soon start to win Black's pawns.
SL 4-.5 (D I 7} Game 9.6 0 Kaufman,Larry • Sundararajan,Kidambi Orlando US Open, 20 I I ( 3 )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lbg1 -f3 lbb1 -c3 a2-a4 tlJf3-e5 tlJe5xc4 tlJc4-e5
e7-e6
After 9 ... lbfd7 I O.tlJxd7 1i'xd7 l l .e4 �3 1 2.�xh3 1i'xh3 1 3.1i'b3 %la6 1 4 . .1te3 e6 1 5 .ds itb4 1 6.dxe6 1i'xe6 1 7 .1i'xe6+ fxe6 1 8 .<11i>e 2 White has the better pawn structure and the rook on a6 is clumsy. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3. 14. 1 5.
itf1 -g2 o-o e2-e3 1i'd1 -e2 %lf1 -d1 e3-e4
.i.f8-b4 0-0 h7-h6 .i.f5-h7 1i'd8-e7
d7-d5 c7-c6 tDg8-f6 d5xc4 �c8-f5 ti)b8-d7 lDd7-b6 a7-a5
In the event of 8 ... e6 9.f3 (I think this is
better than 9.a5. 'The threat is stronger than its execution') 9 ... tlJfd7 I O.aS tlJxeS l l .axb6 tlJd7 1 2.e4 �g6 1 3.ltxa7 lbxb6 1 4.%lxb7 %ta l I S.ite2 itd6 1 6.0-0 0-0 1 7 .1i'b3 1i'h4 1 8.f4 %lxc l 1 9.g3 %lxfl + 20.�xfl 'WhS 2 l .ite2 1i'h3 22.%lxb6 Black has little for the pawn, and will soon lose a second one. 9. g2-g3
1 38
1 5. ...
:f8-d8
In case of I S ... lbfd7 1 6 .lbd3 eS 1 7 .dxeS lbxeS 1 8 .lbxe5 11fxe5 1 9 .�e3 itcs 20.%lac l Le3 2 1 .1i'xe3 lbc4 2 2.1i'd4 1i'xd4 2 3.:Xd4 ttlb6 24.b4 White has a strong queenside initiative, and his bishop can be activated in one move (ilfl ) while Black's requires three moves ( .. .'�h8, ... f7 -f6, and ... .igS).
Chapter 9 Slav Defense -
16. .i.c1 ·f4
l!Jf6·d7
1 6 ... Aac8 1 7 .liJa2 �d6 1 8.tlJc I tlJfd7 1 9.tlJcd3 White has the center and the bishop on h7 isn't happy. 1 7. l!Je5·d3
�b4-d6
1 7 ...tlJf6 1 8.tlJa2 ! tlJxa4 1 9.1i'c2 tlJb6 20.tlJaxb4 axb4 2 1 .Axa8 Axa8 22.f3 White will easily regain the pawn on b4 and will have a clear advantage with the bishop pair and better center; 1 7 .. .f6 1 8 .�e3 tlJc4 1 9 .tlJxb4 1i'xb4 20.tlJa2 1i'b3 2 1 .tlJc I 1i'b4 22.�h3 White has the bishop pair and a target on e6. 1 8. �f4xd&
.i
�
.i
-.e7xd6
�
� � � � j_ � � 'i¥ � · �
�
19. We2·e31
This is a big improvement over the actual game, which went I 9. tbe I e 5 and Black is already equal. He soon reached a win ning position, then blundered so I had the winning position, which I failed to win in time pressure when he managed to trade off my last pawn leaving me with just rook vs. knight. 1 9 .tlJe I ?! e5 20.dxe5 1i'xe5 2 1 .tlJd3 1i'e7= 2 2 .f4 tlJc5 2 3 .tlJxc5 1i'xc5+ 24.1i'f2 1i'xf2 + 2 5.�xf2 �fB 26.�fl ?! f6 2 7 . .i.d3 ..Q.gs 28.�c2 �e7 Already White must fight for the draw.
1 9.
-·
l!Jb6·c4
Black cannot achieve the key break ...e5.
20 ...1i'xd4?? 2 l .l!:Je2 wins a piece. 21. b2·b3 22. Wc1 ·e3
l!Jc4·b6
White has a clear advantage since Black cannot break with ... e5. White can play Aac I and f2-f4 and gradually expand on the kingside.
SL 4.5 (D 1 7) D
Game 9.7
Rodshtein,Muim
• Sha.nkland,Samuel Biel, 20 I I (7)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
d2-d4 c2·c4 t!Jg1 ·f3 �b1 -c3 a2-a4 l!Jf3-e5 l!Je5xc4 g2-g3 d4xe5 .i.c1 -f4 .i.f1 ·g2
d7-d5 c7·c6 l!Jg8-f6 d5xc4 .i.c8-f5 lDb8-d7 •d8-c7 e7-e5 t!Jd7xe5 l!Jf6-d7 g7·g5
1 39
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
This line was introduced at grandmaster level by Alexander Morozevich in 2000 against Garry Kasparov and has remained fairly popular since then. 1 2. l!Jc4-e3 1 3. l!Je3xf5 14. Wd1 -c2
g5xf4 0·0·0
1 6. 1 7. l:ld1 -d4
I i
�.t i � � i
II /:::;
ttJ /:::; 'V/11
:s 14. -
� tt:J i /:::; /:::; /:::; � /:::; �
1 40
1 7.e3 fxe3 1 8.lbxe3 aS 1 9.Wb l is a com puter-suggested alternative that should keep some edge thanks to White's better pawn structure and centralized knights. 17. 1 8. l:lh1·d1
a7-a5
1 8. -
l!Jd7-b6
_
l!Je5-g6
�c8-b8
After the eventual pawn trade on g 3 White will have the better pawn structure plus the slightly better piece placemenl. 1 6. l!Jc3-e4
�f8-b4
l:i
After 1 4... lbcS 1 S .O-O fxg3 1 6.hxg3 aS I 7 .l:lfd I hS 1 8.1:lxd8+ 1i'xd8 1 9 .lid I 1i'f6 20.lbe4 l!Jxe4 2 1 .1i'xe4 White has the usual superiority in piece placement and pawn structure; 1 4 . . . Wb8 I S .0-0 fxg3 1 6.hxg3 hS 1 7.1:lfc l tLlf6 1 8.e3 , aiming at tLlbS-d4; this should keep the advantage; 1 4... fxg3 I S .hxg3 �b4 1 6.0-0 (here, as in the game, White can castle queenside with a pawn-structure edge) 1 6 ... hS 1 7.1:lac l lbf6 1 8.lbe4 ltJxe4 1 9.1i'xe4 aS 20.I:lfd I . Here, as usual in this line, White has an edge in both piece place ment and pawn structure. 1 5. o-o-o
A good alternative is 1 65�>b I 1i'eS I 7 .l:ld2 �e7 1 8.lbxe7 1i'xe7 1 9 .tLle4 lbb6 20.1:lxd8+ l:lxd8 2 l .aS tLldS 22.lbcS. White has a nicely posted knight, the better pawn structure, and a strong bishop vs. knight.
If 1 8 . . . lbdeS 1 9 .l!Jfd6 1i'b6 20. Wb I hS 2 1 .1i'c l fxg3 22.hxg3 h4 23.f4 lbg4 24.fS lb6eS 2 S.gxh4 White's monster knight on d6 gives him some advantage. 1 9. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
l!Je4-c5 l:ld1 xd4 Wc2xc5 �g2-f3 ·c5·c2 l!Jf5-d6
lld8xd4 �b4xc5 l:lh8·e8 lle8-e5 1i'c7-c8
24.g4 also keeps some advantage. 24. ... 25. wc1-b1
Wc8·e6 l:le5-d5
Chapter 9 Slav Ddmst -
26. l:d4xd5 27. •c2-c5 28. lLld6-c4
lfJb6xd5 l0d5-b4
• ' '
' �
� � ttJ � �
28. ...
'if '
�� �� �
34.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
•c5·d6+ •d6-d4+ ·d4-d8+ •d8xc8+ lLlc4-d6+ lLld6xf7 �f3-e4 -'.e4-c2 h2xg3 f2-f4 lLlf7-e5+ lLle5·c4
llJg1 -f3 lLlb1 -c3 a2-a4 lLlf3-e5 lLle5xc4 g2-g3 d4xe5 �c1 -f4 -'.f1 -g2 o-o
�b8-a7 �a7·b8 ...h3-c8 �b8xc8 �c8-c7 lLlb4·a6 lLla6·c5 f4xg3 lLlg6-f8 �c7·d7 �d7·e6
With a second pawn falling, Black resigned.
• .t.
'
'
� ttJ
� �
� � ���
ttJ
�
0
Game 9.6
Shirov,Alexey
• HectorJohnny Malmo, 20 1 1 ( 1 )
1 . d2-d4 2. c2·c4
d7·d5 c7-c6
E ' '
� .i. � �
ll \t>
This was a major line in the Slav long ago. but now it is rather uncommon as White keeps a nice edge. 13. lLlc4·e3
�f5-g6
Also after 1 3 ...�e6 1 4.b4 l:d8 I S.1i'b l tlJb3 1 6.tLledS cxdS I 7. 1i'xb3 1i'c4 1 8.1i'xc4 tlJxc4 1 9 .l:fd I Lb4 20.tlJxdS �aS 2 1 .l:ac l tLleS 22 . .i.e3 a6 23 .tlJf4 l:xd I + 2 4 .l:lxd I .i.c8 2 5 ..i.dS White is obviously better, with heavy pressure on the queenside and Black unable to castle. 14. b2-b4
SL 4.5 (0 1 7)
llJg8-f6 d5xc4 -'.c8-f5 lLlb8-d7 •d8-c7 e7-e5 lLld7xe5 lLlf6-d7 f7·f6 lLld7-c5
K i i 'if
•e6-h3?
Better was 28 . . . fxg3 29.hxg3 lLlh4! 30.1i'eS+ 1i'xeS 3 1 .tlJxeS tlJxf3 32.tlJxf3 , when White keeps a small endgame edge due to his better pawn structure. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 12.
lLlc5-e6
In case of 14 ... l:ld8 I S .tlJedS cxdS 1 6.bxc5
hcs 1 7.llJxd5 1i'f7 I S.l:lc l b6 1 9 ..i.e3 !N Le3 20.l:lc7 White will win either a pawn or a queen for rook and bishop. 1 5. b4-b5 1 6. ...d1 -b3
l:a8·d8
141
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
.t .t ii .t � �
E � ..t
'iV tD � 1 6. ...
E .t .t � .t ..t
�
�
ttJ � ���� .tl � tLle6-d4
I 6 . . ..ifl I 7 .heS fxe 5 1 8. bxc6 bxc6 I 9.1:lab i ti:)d4 20 ....b7 .id6 2 l . ...a6 0-0 22.l!Jc4 - with threats of l:lb7 and e2-e3, followed by taking on c6, White is better. Black has too many isolated pawns. 1 7. Wb3-b2 1 8. lbe3-g4
..if8-c5 .ig6-h5
1 a ...l!Je6 I 9.he5 fxeS 20.bxc6 bxc6 2 1 .ti:)e4 .id4 22.Wa2 .tfl 23 .1l'a3 11'e7 24 ....xe7+ Wxe7 25.1:lac l hS 26.ti:)e3 he3 27.fxe3 was Ding Liren-Ma Qun. Hefei ch-CHN (rapid) 20 1 I . Despite the doubled isolani White is better, with much bener piece placement and the threat to take on c6. After 27 . . . .tea 2a . .ih3 White's pieces totally dominate Black's. 1 9. h2-h3 20. lbc3-e4 21. .if4xe5
o-o c6xb5 f6xe5
22. e2-e3N
This is an improvement over the actual game, which went 2 2.1:lac l b6 23.e3 l!Je6 24.axb5 l:lf5 25 .1:lfd i l:lxd 1 + 26.1:lxd 1 t!Jf8 2 7 .l:ldS l!Jd7 2a .... d2 .tea 29.l!Jd6 hd6 30.1:lxd6 hS 3 I ..id5+ wha 32 ..ie6 l:lf8 33 . .ixd7 hxg4 34.hxg4 hd7 35.l:lxd7 ...c4 36 ....d6 l:lf6 3 7.11'xe5 11fxg4 3a .... e8+ Wh7 39.l:ld4 •fs 40.I:lh4+ l:lh6 4 t .l:lxh6+ wxh6 42 .wg2 11fd3 43.g4 wh7 44.... h5+ wga 45 ....f5 ...c4 46.g5 a6 47 .bxa6 11fxa6 4a.11fd5+ Wh7 49 ....e4+ Wga SO.g6 and Black resigned. 22. "" 23. a4xb5
lbd4-e6
This is bener than the game continuation because White will place the king's rook on c l to keep the a 1 rook pressing on a 7. 23. 24. l:lf1-c1 25. lbg4xe5
.ic5-b6 Wc7-e7
White aims to exchange queens by ...a3. He is a healthy pawn up, his well-central ized knights compensating for Black's bishop pair. Moreover White may obtain two connected passers eventually, while Black's extra queenside pawn is just a tar get.
SL 4.5 (0 1 7) D
Game 9.9
Mareco,Sandro
• Toniutti,Ezio Asuncion, 20 I I ( 3 )
1 . d2-d4 2. c2-c4 3. lbg1 -f3
1 42
d7·d5 c7·c6 lbg8-f6
Chapter 9 - Slav Defense 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2.
lLlb1 ·c3 a2-a4 lLlf3·e5 lLle5xc4 g2·g3 d4xe5 .tc1 ·f4 �f1 ·g2 0·0
d5xc4 .tc8-f5 lLlb8·d7 'ti'd8·c7 e7·e5 lLld7xe5 lLlf6·d7 f7·f6 0·0·0
1
wrote an article for Yearbook 9 3 prais ing this move after Avrukh-Hector showed a major novelty for Black, and I also had two reasonable outings as Black against grandmasters. Unfortunately for Black this game and analysis refutes it. 1 3. :a1 ·c1 1
After all other moves Black gets a nearly equal game, so this line was rather critical wttil this game. As far as I can tell Black cannot reach a playable position after this, although in a couple variations the win is not 1 00% proven. 1 3. ...
lLld7·c5
Or 1 3 ... lLlb6 1 4.lt:lxb6+ 11t'xb6 1 5.lt:ld5 1i'xb2 1 6.e4 �e6 1 7 .lib 1 1i'a3 1 8.11t'c2 with a ferocious auack for only a pawn. 14. 1i'd1 -e1
a7·a5
A) On 1 4... �b8 1 5.b4 lt:lb3 (in case of 1 5 . . . lt:le6 1 6.�xe5 fxeS 1 7 .bS lt:ld4 1 8.bxc6 �b4 1 9.lt:le3 �g6 20.Wfd 1 ! bc3 2 1 .ltxc3 lLlf3+ 22.hn ltxd 1 23.ltxd 1 White has almost enough mate rial for the queen - rook, knight, and pawn - but also a crushing attack) 1 6.lt:lb5 11t'e7 1 7 .lt:lxeS fxeS 1 S.:xc6 exf4 ( 1 8 ... bxc6 1 9 ...c3 cxbS 20.be5+ ltd6 2 1 .ltd 1 ..c7 22.bd6 bd6 23.Wf3 �c8 24 ... xf5+ �d8 25 ...e5 lt:ld2 26 ... g5+ White wins decisive material); 1 9 ...c3 lieS 20.ltxc8+ bc8 2 1 .11t'xb3 a6 (2 J .....xe2?? 22 ...c3 ..e7 23.Wfd4 with mate in 8) 22.lt:ld4 White is up half a pawn with attacking chances to boot. If Black regains the pawn by 22 .....xb4 then 23 ...d3 gives a winning attack; B) Or 1 4... lt:lb3 I S .ltJbS ..b8 ( 1 5 ... 1Wf7 1 6.lt:lxa7 + �b8 1 7 .lt:lxc6+ bxc6 1 8.lt:lxe5 fxeS 1 9 .he5+ �a7 20.ltxc6 wins for White) 1 6.11t'c3 lt:lxc 1 1 7.ltxc l ltd7 1 8.lt:lxe5 fxeS 1 9.Le5 •as 20 ...a5 �cS 2 1 .hg7 ltg8 22.ltxc5 ltd 1 + 23.�fl ltxg7 24.ltxf5 and White wins; C) 1 4...g5?! 1 5.Le5 fxeS 1 6.b4 lt:lb3 1 7.lt:lb5 ..e7 (on 1 7 .....g7 1 8 ...c3 lLlxc l 19.lbxa7+ �b8 20.lt:lxc6+ bxc6 2 l .llxc 1 e4 22.ltJe5 c5 23.bxc5 ..c7 24.ltb 1 + �c8 25...b3 Ilea 26.ltJf7 Lcs 27.ltJxh8 ltxh8 28.Le4 White has three pawns for the bishop plus a crushing attack) 1 8 ...c3 lt:ld4 1 9.lt:lxd4 exd4 20 ...f3 ..e6 2 l .b5 g4 22.�3 c5 23.b6 a6 24.lLla5 ..xb3 25.lt:lxb3 �b8 26.l!Jxc5 �c8 27.l:tfd1 and White is up half a pawn, with superior de velopment and pawn strucrure. 1 5. 1 6. 1 7. 18.
ltlc3·b51 a4xb5 b2·b4 We1 xb4
c6xb5 b7·b6 a5xb4
1 43
The Kaufman Rtpenoire for White
1 8. -
i.f8·d6
After 1 8 ...i.e6 1 9 .:a t hc4 ( 1 9 ... �d7 20.lbxe5+ fxeS 2 1 .i.c6+ We7 22.i.g5+ �f7 2 3 .hd8 11'xd8 24.l:la7 + Wg8 25.l:la8 1Wd6 26.11'b I White is down by MO bishops for rook and pawn, but the h8 rook cannot be activated before White dou bles rooks on the eighth rank. White should win) 20.heS 1Wxe5 2 1 ....xc4 i.d6 22 ....f7 l:lhffi 23 ....xg7 i.bS 24.l:lfc l 1l'c7 25.i.h3+ fS 26.�6 White will surely pick up a third pawn for the knight on fS or h7 while Black cannot escape from the pin. Play might continue 26 ......d6 27 ....xh7 •d7 28 ....g6 Wc7 29.e4 •es 30 ....g5 •es 3 l .hfs Wb7 3 2.:a3 - with four connected passed pawns for a knight plus the safer king, White is surely winning ; After 1 8 ... Wd7 ? 1 9 .l:lfd l + �e8 20.l:lxd8+ Wxd8 2 1 .i.c6 �e7 22 .•c3 tLlcd7 2 3.hd7 hd7 24 ....e3 Black can not avoid fatal material loss. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.
1 44
i.f4xe5 i.g2ac6 l:lf1 ·d1 b5xc6 l0c4xb6+ l0b6-d5+ 'ifb4-a5 lLld5-b4 'ifa5-a8+
f6xe5 i.f5·d7 i.d7xc6 •c7xc6 �-c7 �c7-c8 llh8-e8 W'c6-c7
27. -
'ifc7-b8
Or 2 7 ... Wd7 28.1Wds �e7 29.t'ik6+ �f6 30.lLlxd8 l:lxd8 3 l .l:lxc5 and White wins. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
'ifa8ac6+ l:ld1 xd6 'ifc6xe8+ lLlb4·d3 lLld3xe5 l0e5·d3
•b8-c7 l:ld8xd6 wc8-b7 l:ld6-c6 :c6-b6 1 ·0
After 33 ... l:lc6 34.lbxc5+ l:lxcS 3 5 ....e4+ White can start a mating attack or trade down to a two pawn up pawn ending. SL 1 .4 (O i l )
Game 9.10
Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar • Inarkiev,Ernesto
0
Rogaska Slatina 20 1 I (6.2)
1. d2·d4 2. c2-c4 3. lLlg1 ·f3
d7·d5 c7ac6 llJg8·f6
Chapter 9 - SJov Defcose 4. 'tl'd1 -c2
Choosing between this and 4. ..b3 is dif ficult. If Black takes on c4 they transpose, but otherwise each has advantages. Basi cally 4.111>3 works better against 4... g6, since this threatens to gain a tempo by ...� with the queen on c2. On the other hand, 4.•c2 works better against 4... e6, as it supports a later e2-e4 and avoids blocking the b-pawn. I'll give the case for •c2 here, and the case for .b3 in the next game. I've played both myself; cur rmdy 4.111> 3 is more popular among top GMs, though Mamedyarov, perhaps the top exponent ofthe idea, prefers 4 .•c2. 4.
_
c 1 ) 5 ... Ms 6.111> 3 111>6 7 .e3 ti)a6 8.llJc3 1i'xb3 9.axb3 dxc4 (9 ... ttJb4 I O.lla4;t) 1 O.hc4 lLlb4 1 1 .0-0 �g7 1 2.h3 - the active rook on a 1 offsets the doubled isolated b-pawns since they are on a closed file. White enjoys more center control and better bishops: C2) 5 ... lLla6 6.e3 �fS 7 .1i'b3 lLlb4!? 8.1i'xb4 eS 9 ...xb7 llb8 I O.exc6+ �d7 1 1 .1i'a6 exf4 1 2.ti)c3N fxe3 1 3.fxe3 llxb2 1 4.c5 llc2 1 5.1i'a3 �6 1 6.1i'b3 llxc3 1 7 .•xc3 0-0 1 8.�e2 11e8 1 9.0-0 Le3+ 20.�h 1 lLle4 2 1 ..e l .
d5xc4
A) 4... e6 and now: A I ) 5.g3 leads to a main line of the Catalan. White retains a normal opening plus but this is outside of our repertoire; A2) S.�gS ti)bd7 6.e3 �e7 (after 6 .. .a5+ 7.ti)bd2 ti)e4 8.i.h4 �b4 9.a3 gS I O.�g3 g4 1 1 .1i'd l ti) gxf3 1 2.axb4 &g2 1 3 .Lg2 ..xb4 1 4.Le4 dxe4 1 5.0-0 ti)f6 1 6.�e5 llg8+ 1 7.�h 1 1i'e7 1 8.11g l White has a winning superiority in development and king safety) 7. ti)c3 0-0 8.lld 1 lle8 9.a3 a6 I O.h3 b5 1 l .c5 White has a nice space advantage. Note the tempo struggle where White wanted Black to take on c4 before moving his f1 bishop and Black avoided doing so. B) 4... a6 5.�f4 (5 .e3 is also good. In general the ... a7-a6, ... b7-b5 plan is less logical when there is no knight on c3 to chase) 5 ... dxc4 6.1i'xc4 bS 7.1i'c2 e6 8.g3 �b7 9.�g2 ti)bd7 1 o.ti)eSN and White keeps an edge as the c6 pawn will remain a target; C) 4... g6 5.�f4 and now:
Analysis diagram
.
White is up I '!. pawns by my count. Black has a nice outposted knight and some kingside play for it, but White has the better pawns. On balance I'd favor White; C3) 5 ...dxc4 6...xc4 �g7 7 .llJc3 0-0 8 .e4 bS 9 .• b3 1i'a5 1 O.�d3 .ie6 1 1 .1i'd I lidS 1 2.0-0 �g4 1 3.e5 llJh5 (af ter 1 3 ... llJd5 14.llJxd5 cxd5 1 5.llc 1 11'xa2 1 6.h3 .h£3 1 7 .'tl'xf3 1i'xb2 1 8.1i'e3 a6 1 9.llb 1 1i'a3 20.IIa 1 1i'h2 2 I .IIfb 1 ..c3 22.11c1 1i'b2 23.llab 1 1i'a3 24.1i'd2 e6 25 . .ig5 ttJd7 26.Ld8 llxd8 27.11a.1 White will emerge up the exchange for a pawn) 1 4. .ie3 ti)d7 1 5.h3 .h£3 1 6.1i'xf3 i.xeS 1 7 ....xc6N b4 1 8.dxe5 ttJxe5 1 9 ....a6 1i'xa6 20.ha6 bxc3 2 l .bxc3. With two bishops for two knights in an open endgame White is much better. 1 45
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 5. 'ttc2xc4
.tc8-g4
This formerly rare move has become popular in the last few years. 6. ll:lb1 -c3 7. e2-e4
ll:lb8-d7
9.
7. ...
.tg4xf3
7 ... e6 8 . .i.e2 .i.e7 9.0-0 0-0 I O ..i.e3 .i.hS l l .' .. b3 ..b6 1 2 ...c2 lbg4 1 3 . .i.f4 ll:lgf6 1 4.l:lfd I llac8 I S .h3 h6 So far Enkhbat-Kaufman, Arlington 20 I I , ( 1 0) . Now 1 6 . .i.e3 gives White a clear ad vantage, and I have no important im provements after move 7 . I should have stuck with the Gn1nfeld (I varied only be cause I had no time to prepare for the dangerous variation with which Enkhbat had just beaten GM Kudrin) . 8. g2xf3
e7-e5
I believe Black must choose this risky plan, or else he is just worse. 8 ... e6 9 . .i.e3 ..te7 I O . .i.e2N (also strong is I O ... b3, planning to castle queenside) I 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .0-0 l:lc8 1 2.l:lad I . White plans �h I and llg I , after which his pres sure on the g-file and mobile center offset his weakened pawn structure, so he is just up the bishop pair for nothing. 9. .tc1-e3
1 46
_
e5xd4
I believe that unless Black exchanges pawns here he is already in trouble, for example 9 ... ..i.d6?! 1 0.0-0-0 followed by: A) 1 O ... exd4?! 1 1 ...xd4 .i.es 1 2 ...b4 ..e7 1 3 ... xe7+ �xe7 1 4 . .i.h3 - the bishops are worth even more with queens off, and as Black cannot prevent f3-f4 he is in big trouble; B) I 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .�b 1 N. As usual in this line, once the pawns are exchanged White will aim for ll:l-e2-g3-f5. As Black is not prepared to exchange pawns and bring a knight to f4 quickly, White is much better here; C) 1 0 ... 1Wc7?! l l .dxe5 heS 1 2.tlJe2 tlJhS 1 3.�b l ll:lb6 1 4 ...b4 ll:lf4 1 5.a4 ll:lxe2 1 6.he2. Black cannot castle, is down the bishop pair, and is threatened with a4-aS followed by f3-f4. White is al ready winning. 10. .te3xd4 1 1 . o-o-o
..if8-d6 'ttd&-c7
After I I .. We7 1 2 .lLle2 0-0 1 3.ll:lg3 g6 1 4.l:lg I White has the bishops and the threat ofll:lfs. .
1 2. ll:lc3-e2 1 3. 'ttc4-c2
o-o
Chapter 9
!:
� /j
/j !j � Wf Cfj � �� �
� n
This prevents the plan of �e3 followed by f3-f4. In case of J 3 ... l:lfdS 1 4.�e3 lbeS J S .f4 'Lleg4 1 6.e5 �xeS 1 7 .fxeS lbxe3 I S.fxe3 •xeS 1 9 .lbc3 l:lxd l + 20 . .-xd l •xe3+ 2 1 .'tfd2 'tfxd2+ 22.'�xd2 White has a bishop for three pawns, which on average is a half pawn edge. However, in the end game pawns gain relative to pieces, so White's advantage is smaller than that here, but still non-trivial. Black can only hope to reach a draw. 1 3 ... %ladS 1 4. �b 1 llfeS (in case of J 4...lbh5 1 S.�e3 l:lfe8?! 1 6.lbg3 lbf4 1 7 .lbfS �eS 1 8.�c4, with the bishops and attacking chances White is better) I S.h4 lbhs 1 6.�3 transposes to the game.
li
.id6·e5
1 7. '"
1 8. :d1·g1
1 8.�g4!;!;. 1 8. ...
tlJh5-f4?
J 8 ... lbg6 ! 1 9.�gS �f6 20.�fS aS= . 1 9. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
ttJe2xf4 h4·h5 .ih3-f5 :g1 -g4 f2xe3 f3-f4 :h1-g1 h5xg6 l:lg4-g2 e4-e5
.i
tlJf6·h5 :a8·d8 tlJd7·f8
.i .i � · ' ' ' � � 'if � .t � � � /j � � fj � "if Cfj � �
With 1 7 .�g4! lbf4 1 8.lbxf4 �xf4 1 9 .hS White plans to double on the g-file after defending or retreating his d4 bishop. He probably can't retain the bishop pair, but keeps the initiative.
1 7 ... lbg6! =.
:ta-e8
14. h2·h4 1 5. .if1 ·h3 1 6. �c1·b1
Slav Defense
17. .id4·e3
� � 'if � � .t
1 3. '"
-
�
/j � � J: � 29. .if5xg61
.ie5xf4 lt'c7·e5 :d8-d6 .if4xe3 l:le8-d8 lt'e5-b5 g7-g6 h7xg6 lt'b5-a5 l:ld6-d2
�· ' ' �� � � a: a: ttJf8xg6
After 29 ... l:lxg2 30.�h7+ lbxh7 3 I .wrxg2+ �f8 32.wrg7+ �e7 33 ...xh7 %ld2 34.'tfh4+ �d7 3S.'tfhS Black has only partial compensation for the pawn. 1 47
Tbt Kaufman Repertoire for White 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43. 44.
45. 46. 47. 48.
48.
l:lg2xg6+ l:lg6-g8+ 9c2-b3 e3-e4 e5-e6 1tb3xb7+ 1tb7-b3 e6xf7 l:lg8xg1 a2xb3 l:lg1 -g6 l:lg6xc6 l:lc6·c4 �b1 ·c2 b3·b4 b4·b5 b2-b3 �c2-b2 �b2·a3
...
�g8-f8 �-e7 l:d8-d7 •a5-c5 l:ld7-d3 l:d3-d7 l:d7-d3 Wc5xg1 + l:d3xb3 l:ld2-d4 �e7xf7 l:d4xe4 l:e4·e1 + �-f6 �-e6 l:e1 -e3 l:le3-f3 �e6-f5
l%f3xf4?
also after 48 ... :n 49. cit>b4 :b 1 SO.:c7 :a t S I .:f7+ White looks winning. l:lc4xf4+ �a3-b4 �b4-c4 b3-b4 b5·b6 54. b4-b5
1 48
Havana 20 1 1 ( 2)
1 . d2·d4 2. c2-c4 3. ltJg1 -f3
d7·d5 c7·c6 ltJg8-f6
- � .l 1¥ • .l K i iiii i � i �� ttJ �� ���� :a: tt:J � � w �
a:
4. Wd1 ·c2
Bm
49. 50. 51 . 52. 53.
Game 9.11
SL 1 .4 (D l l )
Navara,David • Bruzon Batista,I.azaro
D
�xf4 �4-e4 �e4-e3 �e3-d2 a7xb6 1-0
4 ....b3 : A) For 4 ...a6 5 . .i.f4 dxc4 6 ....xc4, see 4 ... a6 5 ..i.f4 in the previous game; B) In case of 4 ...g6 5 .�c3 �g7 6.cxd5 cxdS 7 ...i.g5 White is better. Both black bishops will be inferior to their whit� counterparts; C) After 4 ... 'tfb6 5.�c3 'ifxb3 6.axb3 �a6 7.�f4 �f5 8.cxd5N �xd5 9.�xd5 cxd5 I O.e4 dxe4 l l .�e5 e6 I 2.�b5+ �e7 1 3 .ha6 bxa6 1 4.g4 ..i.g6 1 5.cit>e2 f6 1 6.�c6+ �e8 1 7 .:xa6 White is much better due to his vastly superior de velopment; D) 4...e6 is the only side variation that makes 4....b3 look inferior to 4 ....c2. 5.�g5 (5.g3 is a decem but suboptimal line of the Catalan) 5 ... �bd7 6.�c3 ..i.e7 (in case of 6 ... 1ta5 7.�d2 ...b6 8.e3 'ifxb3 (else 9.'ifc2) 9.axb3 a6 I O.�d3 �d6 l l .e4 White will have a free devel opment advantage) 7.e3 0-0 8.�e2
Chapter 9 Slav Dd'mst -
.i. 'if :i * � � .i. � � � � �� � � �� � lLJ � lLJ �� �� � � � � � :!
Analysis diagram
D l ) After 8 ... b6 9.0-0 �b7 l O.I:lfd l dxc4 l l .Lc4 lLldS 1 2.Le7 Wxe7 1 3 .tbxd5 exdS 1 4-.�d3 White has the better bishop and more center pawns; D2) 8 ... dxc4 9.1fxc4 lLldS 1 0.Le7 .xe7 1 1 .0-0 tbxc3 1 2.1fxc3 cS 1 3 .1:lac 1 b6 1 4-.dxcS tbxcS I S.b4 lLle4 1 6 ....e5 tbf6 1 7.a3 �d7 1 8.l0d4 and White's pieces are better placed than Black's. E) 4-...dxc4 5.'irxc4 transposes. 4. 5. •c2xc4 6. g2-g3
d5xc4 ..ic8-f5 e7-e6
6 ... g6 is rare as the bishop on f5 loses its retreat options to g6 and h7: 7.�g2 �g7 8.0-0 0-0 9.lLlc3 tbbd7 1 0.1:le l lLle4 l l .a4 aS 1 2 ...,3 l0b6 1 3.�4- an White is better due to the pressure on b6 and b7. 7. ..if1 -g2 a. o-o
�f8-e7 �b8-d7
9. e2-e3
9.tbc3 0-0 1 0.1:le l (not 1 0.1:ld 1 ?? �c2! and Black wins the exchange due to the direct threat of 1 1 ... lLlb6, trapping the queen) 1 o . . . lbe4 1 1 .1Vb3 ..,6 1 2.lLlh4 was the main line in the last few years and has scored well, but... 1 2...Lh4 1 3.gxh4 l0df6 1 4-.f3 tbxc3 1 5.bxc3 eS=; 9.l:ld 1 0-0 1 0 .e3 is a perfectly acceptable move order to reach the game. 9. ... 1 0. l:lf1 -d1 r
o-o
This position has only become popular for White since 20 1 0. The main idea is to postpone tbc3 to make ... tbe4 less effec tive. One point is that after a later tbc3 tbe4 White can play lbe 1 without smoth ering the rook. This e3/l:ld t idea is the main reason I decided to include 4.1fc2/4. ..,3 in the book. 1 o.tbc3 tbe4 1 l .W'e2 was the main line, but it is not convincing. 1 0. -
1 O ... l:lc8 1 1 .'ire2 �g6 1 2.lbc3 bS 1 3.tbe5N b4 (if 13 ...tbxe5 1 4.dxe5 tbd7 1 5.f4 'irc7 1 6.tbe4 tbcs 1 7 .tbxcS Lcs 1 8.i.d2 White plans to target the g6 bishop by �h l , e4, g4, and f5) 1 4-.lbxg6 hxg6 1 5.tbe4 with little for the bishop pair. 1 1 . tbb1 -c3
e6·e5
l l ... lLldS 1 2.'ire2 tbxc3 1 3.bxc3 �e4 1 4.lLle5 .ixg2 1 5.tLlxd7 1fxd7 1 6. �g2 l:lfd8 I 7 .e4 - White's superior center and space advantage give him a pull; After 1 1 ... 1:lad8 1 2.'ire2 eS 1 3.h3 exd4 1 4.lLlxd4 ..ig6 1 5 .e4 l:lfe8 1 6 ...if4 1Vc8 I 7 .a3 White has a minority attack on the queenside while his kingside majority 1 49
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
imprisons the g6 bishop and potentially threatens e5; I J ... lLle4 1 2.lLld2 lLlxc3 1 3 .1Wxc3 e5 1 4.d5 l:tfd8 1 5 .e4 i.g6 1 6.lLlc4 lLlf6 1 7 .�e3 �xe4 1 8.d6 �xd6 1 9 Jlxd6 D.xd6 20.he4 lLlxe4 2 1 .1i'xe5 D.ad8 22 ....xe4 and White is up lf. pawn; After I 1 ...�g6 1 2 ....e2 lLle4 1 3.lLlxe4 �xe4 1 4.lLle I i.xg2 1 5.�xg2 c5 1 6.e4 cxd4 1 7 .D.xd4 D.fd8 1 8.i.e3 i.f6 1 9 .D.c4 1i'a5 20 .lLlf3 1i'a6 2 J .Ilc2 1i'xe2 22.1lxe2 White has a slightly better end game as almost all his pieces are a bit better than their black counterparts. 1 2. e3·e4 1 3. �c1·e3
.if5·g4
1 3. ...
e5xd4
1 3 ... D.ad8 1 4.h3 �xf3 1 5 .�xf3 exd4 1 6.i.xd4 lbe5 1 7 ....e2 lLlxf3+ 1 8 ....xf3 is better for Black than the game, as White has played the unnecessary h2-h3. StiU, White is better since Black doesn't have anything great to do with the extra tempo. 14 . 15 1 6. 1 7.
•
I SO
..te3xd4 ..tg2xf3 'Wc4·e2 'We2xf3
.ig4xf3 �d7·e5 �e5xf3+ J:.a8·d8
1 8. J:.a1 -c1 1 9. a2-a3
'Wc7·a5
White has some advantage because his kingside pawn majority gives him attack ing prospects while Black's queenside majority is only useful in the endgame. 1 9. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
�g1 ·g2 h2·h4 D.c1·c2 e4·e5 �c3·e4 �d4·c3 J:.c2·d2 D.d1 xd2 b2·b3 D.d2·b2 D.b2xb7 'Wf3-g4
31 . -
D.f8·e8 h7·h6 a7·a6 �f6-h7 �h7·f8 �f8-e6 'Wa5-a4 J:.d8xd2 c6·c5 'Wa4xb3 'Wb3xa3 �e6·d4
'Wa3-a4??
Necessary was 3 1 ... lLle6 32 ....h5 ...a2 3 3.ll:Jf6+ gxf6 34.exf6 lLlf4+ 3 5 .gxf4 i.fs 36.1i'g4+ �hs 3 7.1ld7 •c4 38.�h2, when White has attacking pros pects but no simple win. 32. D.b7xe7 33. �e4-f6+
D.e8xe7 1·0
Chapter 10
Semi-51av Defense We can reach the Semi-Slav Defense as White in our repertoire by two move orders, namely l .d4 dS 2.c4 e6 3.tl::lc 3 c6 4.tl::lf3 tl::lf6 (for 4 ... dxc4, the Noteboom, see Game I 0. 1 ) or l .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.tl::lf3 tl::lf6 (3 ... e6 4.lLlc3 dxc4 is again the Noteboom while 4 ... lLlf6 is Semi-Slav) 4.tl::lc 3 e6 (4 ... dxc4 is the 'real' Slav).
' 88 ttJ
ttJ 8888 88 a: �'iVw� a: I recommend the bold continuation S.�gS, both because I believe it gives White some edge and because the main alternative, 5.e3 (the Meran Variation) is equally complex but less convincing. Now Black has three main alternatives. He can play simply S ...tl::lbd 7, hoping to reach the Cambridge Springs Variation after 6.e3 1t'aS, but we nat urally exchange pawns simply transposing to the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation, which also applies to 5 ...�e7. There are only two replies that keep the game in Semi-Slav territory. The first is the fiendishly complex Botvinnik Variation which be gins S ...chc4 6.e4 bS 7.eS h6 8.�4 gS 9.tl::l:r.gS lugS (the important alternative 9 ... lLldS is also analyzed) 1 o.hgs tl::lbd7 .
.t. t¥� 1. .i .. ' ' , ,. 8 �
ISI
The Kaufman Rtpcnoire for White
I was reluctant to recommend such a complicated line in this book, but since we only have to worry about black alternatives the amount of material is manageable. White just can't get an edge against the Semi-Slav with simple play. Here White can choose between two move orders that usually transpose, namely l l .gl or l l .w6. The first option cuts out more defenses, but the second one cuts out a rather decent one that usually wins two minor pieces for rook and pawn, so I have opted for l l.erl'6. Now after l l �b7 l l.gl c5 1 3.d5 there are several options for Black, though none are fully satisfactory; see Game 1 0.2 for these as well as I O �e7. After 1 3...'ifb6 14.�g2 0-0-0 1 5.0-0 b4 •..
..•
White again has a major choice between 16.lLla4 and the shocking 1 6.Db l . I think White gets more with the older 16.lLla•. so that is my choice. Now Black may choose 16 .'tfa6 (Game 1 0.3) or 16 'ifb5 (Game 1 0.4) . In either case White plays 1 7.a3, but after this the two diverge. The lines are very tactical, so there's not much point in talking about strategy here, but despite the mutual attacking possibilities remember that Black has sac rificed a pawn to reach this position, and White will often be able to give up this extra pawn to obtain some other type of advantage. I won't say that Black is lost in the Botvinnik , but White seems to hold a meaningful advantage in all lines with best play. .•
•••
Currently, the most frequent move in master play is S .h6, the Moscow Variation, ••
1 52
Choptcr I 0 - Sani-SJaY Ddmsc which forces White either to surrender the bishop pair or to gambit a pawn by 6.�4. The gambit is quite popular and sound, since White's compensation (better pawn strucrure, better development, safer king) is pretty obvious. It seems that White always gets his money's worth, though I'm a bit reluctant to say that the line dearly favors White. See Game I 0.5. Since it now seems that simply taking the knight suffices for at least a small edge (despite the lost bishop pair) , that's my usual choice; see Game 6. If there is a choice between a simple or a complicated route to an edge, I usually choose the simple one. Black normally fianchettoes his Icing's bishop after 6..id6 1bf6 7.e3 lt::!bd7 (the alternative development with ... i.d6 is also given in Game 1 0.6), when White simply plays i.d3 and 0-0 followed by lie I and e4. The move lie I looks unnec essary, but as explained in the notes to Game 5 it allows White to avoid having his kingside ruined by a timely ...i.g4 and ... Lf3, since ...i.g4 is now met by lle3. Black should be able to defend, but he must play very precisely and the resultant positions are not much fun for Black. SL 6. 1 S {03 1 ) 0
Game 1.0.1.
Timofeev,Artyom
• Yudin,Sergey Tomsk, 2008 (6)
1. 2. 3. 4.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lt::lb 1-c3 lt::lg 1 -f3
d7-d5 e7-e6 c7-c6
4.e4 dxe4 5.lbxe4 i.b4+ 6.lbc3 is an al ternative if you really want to avoid the Semi-Slav but don't want to play a gambit with 6.i.d2. It's rarely played by grand masters or recommended, but the com puters love it. 6 ...c5 7 .a3 i.a5 (on 7 . . . i.xc3+ 8.bxc3 tLlf6 9.lbf3 'tta 5 I O.i.d2 lbe4 l l .i.d3 lbxd2 1 2.'ttx d2 0-0 1 3 .0-0 cxd4 1 4.cxd4 'tt x d2 1 5.lbxd2 lld8 1 6.lbb3 i.d7 1 7.i.e4 lbc6 I S.IIac I , with ideas like tl:Jc5 and d4-d5 White has the more pleasant endgame) 8.i.e3 lbf6 9.lbe2 (this is rare but strong) 9 ...cxd4 I O.'ttxd4 (a decent al ternative is I O.lbxd4 lbe4?! (after I O ... hc3+ l l .bxc3 a6 1 2.i.d3 White has some attacking prospects, while his bishop pair offsets the bad pawns) I I . b4
lbxc3 1 2. •c2 .i.c7 1 3 .'ttxc3 i.e5 1 4.f4 .tf6 1 5.lld l 0-0 1 6.'ttc 2 and White has a large advantage in space and development for free) I O .....xd4 l l .lbxd4N (humans take back with the bishop to avoid ruined pawns, but the computer says 'I want the bishop pair and development! ') I l . . ..i.xc3 + 1 2.bxc3 a6 I 3.lbb3 - White plans .i.e2 and castling kingside. Komodo insists that the bishop pair, Black's bad bishop, and White's superior develop ment more than offset his bad pawns. While I disagree with Komodo's claim that White is substantially better, I would choose White if given the choice here. 4.
_
d5xc4
1 53
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
The Noteboom Variation. It leads to excit ing chess, bm I think White keeps a nice advantage. 5. a2-a4
White can also play 5.e3 bS 6.a4 .ib4, transposing to the game, but this does give Black the extra option of 6 ... b4. The move S ..igS is a decent alternative; it's a gambit and probably favors White slightly. 5. -
1 1 . b3xc4 1 2. .ic3-b2 1 3. .if1 -d3
b5-b4 ltJg8-f6 lLlb8-d7
1 3 ... 0-0 1 4.0-0 tt::lbd7 transposes to the game. 14. o-o
o-o
There are no important alternatives from move 5 to now!
�f8-b4
5 . . . lbf6 is covered in the Slav chapter. If you don't allow the Slav in your own rep ertoire you would choose the 5.e3 order here. 6. e2-e3 7. .i.c1-d2
b7-b5
.i � .t. tr' • � g ' ' . ... ' ' � .i. i � tZJ � t[j � � ���
M
'if w �
7. --
�
a7-a5
7 ... .ib7 ? 8.axb5 hc3 9.�xc3 cxbS I O.dS! lbf6 l l .dxe6 ..xd I + 1 2.l:lxd 1 .ixf3 1 3 .exf7 + �xf7 1 4.gxf3 tt::lc 6 1 5.l:ld6 - two bishops vs. two knights in this wide open position give White a nearly wirming advantage. 8. a4xb5 9. i.d2xc3 10. b2-b3
1 54
�b4xc3 c6xb5 .ic8-b7
The result is that While has won the two bishops, and has two healthy center pawns versus Black's two connected passed wing pawns. Center pawns � more important than wing pawns, but only one of the center pawns is passed so it's hard to say which pawn majority is more of an asset. On balance, I would rate them equal, so White is ahead just by his bishop pair. 1 5. lLlf3-d2
Instead 1 5.l:le 1 is more common but less convincing, I think. 1 5. -
e6-e5
After 1 5 .....c7 1 6 ..ic2 (this prevents a ' later ... a4, gets out of the way of a later ... e4, and sometimes b4 can be a good move) 1 6 ... l:lfc8 ( 1 6 ... e5 transposes to the game; 1 6 ... :fd8 I 7 .f3 eS 1 8.d5)
Chapter 1 0 - Semi-Slav Defense
1 7 .cS J:ld8 I S.l:te 1 White will gradually and e4, while Black cannot do the same for his pawns. ·
get his pawns moving by f3
1 6. �d3-c2
•d8-c7
1 6 ...exd4?! 1 7 .exd4 - White now has rwo connected passers as well, so his ad vantage is clearer. 17. d4-d5
1 7 .f4 exd4 1 8.exd4 l:tfe8 1 9 .dS is similar to the game. •c7-c5?1
1 7. ...
With 20 ... ltJeS 2 l .l:lxf4 ltJfd7 22.i..d4 Black might be able to keep the blockade. 21. e4-e51
The actual game went 2 l .J:lxf4? tlJeS 22 .1i'fl ttJfd7 23 .l:.fS f6. Now Black has equalized and eventually he won the game. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
... llf1 -e1 �b2xe5 ...d 1 -h5 lle1 xe5
ttJd7xe5 ltJf6-d7 ttJd7xe5 g7-g6
If
1 7 ... l:lfe8 1 8.�a4 l:le7 1 9.f3 ltJcS 20.�c2, White can prepare f4. Black's bishop is in prison.
.i i
.i.
.� . iii �
�
·'V)Jf !'::, i i f'::,
1 8. wg1 -h1
1 8.�a4! .J:lfc8 1 9.1i'e2 1i'e7 20.f4 exf4 2 1 .l:.xf4 ltJeS 22.�d4 White is probably winning, his bishops and center pawns are impressive. 1 8. ... 1 9. f2-f4 20. e3-e4
Wc5-e7 e5xf4
i f'::,
!'::, �
i
. � 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32.
·--
!'::, !'::, �
� ltj ... lle5xe7 �c2-f5 lle7-e5 �f5xe6 lle5xa5 lla1 xa5 lla5-a2
�b7xd5 g6xh5 wga-ta �d5-e6 f7xe6 lla8xa5 llc8-d8
Black has only two pawns for the knight.
Game 11.2
SL 7.8 (044) D
Ruck,Robert
• Gyimesi,Zoltan
Better was 20.exf4 l:.fc8 2 l .�d4 when White's powerful bishops favor him. 20. ...
i
llf8-c8?
Szeged, 2009 (2)
1. ltJg 1 -f3 2. c2-c4
li:)g8-f6 c7-c6
Tht
Kaufman Rtputoire for White 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
llJb1 -c3 d2-d4 ..ic1-g5 e2-e4 e4-e5 ..ig5-h4 llJf3xg5
1 7 .bxc3 1i'xhB 1 B.l:le l lL!de7 1 9.l:ld l 'ireS 20 ..i.f3 1i'f6 2 l .�g2 and Black is ahead by ,/• pawn, but White has supe rior development, a safer king, and the better pawn structure, so he has the edge.
d7-d5 e7-e6 d5xc4 b7-b5 h7-h6 g7-g5 h6xg5
1 0. �h4xg5
An alternative is 9 ... lLldS 1 O.lLlxf7 ( 1 0.lL!f3 •as I I. .l:lc l .i.b4 1 2 ....d2 lLld7 1 3 ..i.e2 ..i.b7 1 4.0-0 probably favors White but is rather unclear and messy) 1 O ......xh4 1 1 .llJxhB ..i.b4
i: �.t.
•
ttJ
£
· -------·-----
Analysis diagram
l 2 ....d2 ( l 2.l:lc l is just as good objec tively but much more complicated, so I reconunend 1 2.1i'd2) 1 2 ... cS 1 3.d.xcS and now: A) 1 3 ... lLld7 ?! 1 4.g3 'tth S I S . ..i.e2N ... xeS 1 6.llJg6 ..g7 {after 1 6 ... Lc3 1 7.1i'xc3 1i'e4 1 B.1i'g7!! �dB 1 9.f3 ...e3 20.c6 llJcS 2 l .c7+ �eB 22.llJeS llJd3+ 23 .llJxd3 cxd3 24.11fg6+ �e7 2 S .1i'xd3 White has a winning material advantage) 1 7.llJf4 liJxf4 1 B .gxf4 ..i.b7 1 9 . ..i.hS+ �dB 20.f3 ..idS 2 1 .0-0-0 and Black lacks compensation for the exchange; B) 1 3 ... lL!c6 ! 1 4.g3N 1i'hS I S . ..i.g2 ( I S . ..i.e2 ?! .. xeS 1 6.lLlg6 ..i.xc3 1 7 .1i'xc3 1i'e4 - White has only a draw here) 1 S . . . 1i'xe S + 1 6 .Wfl ..i.xc3 1 56
This is the famous Botvinnik Variation of the Semi-Slav, one of the most compli cated openings in chess. In this game we look at all the sidelines Black can play prior to mutual castling. 1 0. -
ttJb8-d7
In case of I O . . . ..i.e7 1 l .exf6 ..i.xf6 1 2 ...i.e3 ! (also favorable but probably less good is 1 2 .hf6 1Wxf6 1 3.g3 lL!a6 1 4 . .i.g2 .i.b7 I S.a4 0-0-0 1 6.axbS cxbS 1 7 ...i.xb7 + �xb7 1 B.lOxbS lLlb4 1 9.0-0 llJc6 20.f4 a6 2 1 .lLlc3 'lrxd4+ 22 ...xd4 l0xd4 23.h4 and White has a slight edge thanks to his passed pawn and to Black's split queenside pawns) 1 2 ... ..i.b7 1 3 .a4 a6 1 4.11'f3 lLld7 1 S . ..i.e2N l:lbB 1 6.lOe4 ..i.e7 1 7.'1rg3 White's advantage in king safety is clear. 11. e5xf6 1 2. g2-g3 1 3. d4-d5
..ic8-b7 c6-c5
Chapter I 0 - Semi-Slav Ddmse
13. -
lDd7xf6
Or
1 3 ... !0b6 1 4.i-g2 llJxd5 (after 1 4. . . b4 I S.!Oe4 11fxd5 1 6.ll::ld6+ •xd6 1 7 .hb7 llb8 1 8.i.e4 •xd l + 1 9.Axd l i.h6 20.h4 White has the better endgame, as his majority is more dangerous, and be cause with opposing majorities, a bishop is superior to a knight) 1 5.0-0 •d7 1 6.!0xd5 hdS 1 7.hd5 'tl'xdS 1 8.11'g4 Black has problems with his king. and White has the passed h-pawn in case an ending arises; 1 3 .. .'ec7 1 4.i-g2 b4 1 5.d6 ..b6 1 6.ll::le4 0-0-0 1 7.0-0 i.dS 1 8.a3 b3 1 9.�f4 ..c6 20.f3 eS 2 l .�e3 he4 22.fxe4 !Ob6
count. However he has a safer king. dan gerous pawn majority. and Black's bishop is bad, so White is surely better; If 1 3 ... i.h6 1 4.hh6 llxh6 I S ...d2 •xf6 1 6.ll::le4 •o (or 1 6 ...Wes 1 7 .�g2 i.xd5 1 8.0-0-0 llh8 1 9.ll::l g 5 �f8 20.hd5 exd5 2 l . ..xd5 ..xdS 22.1lxd5 and White will win a dean pawn) 1 7.!0d6+ �e7 1 8.lbxb7 J:lhS 1 9.d6+ �e8 20.1lg l c3 2 l .bxc3 J:le5+ 2 2..�e2 llxe2+ 23 ...xe2 'ihc3+ 24.�fl •xa l + 25.�g2 'ireS 26 .•xe5 ll::lxe5 2 7 .ll::lxc5 J:lc8 28.J:lc l lbd7 29.lbd3 llxc l 30.ll::lxc l lbb6 3 I .�f3 �d7 3 2.h4 �xd6 3 3 .g4
Analysis diagram
White has the better ending thanks to his outside passed pawn; 1 3 ... 'irb6 1 4.i.g2 0-0-0 1 5.0-0 transposes to the main line, see the next two games. 14. �f1 ·g2
Analysis diagram
23.J:lf5N bd6 24.J:lc l . White is much better, with healthier pawns and the bishop pair: 24... lLla4 25.J:lxc4! lLlxb2 26.1l'xb3 lbxc4 27 ....xc4 - materially White is just down •;. of a pawn by my
�f8-e7
After 1 4 ... i.h6 1 5.�xf6 'irxf6 1 6.0-0 0-0-0 1 7.lbxb5 a6 1 8.lbc3 exd5 1 9 .lba4 �f8 20.1le I �b8 2 l .'irc2 White is better due to his much better sheltered king and much better pawn structure. He plans b2-b3 next. 1 5. 1 6. 17. 1 8.
o-o �g5xe7 lLlc3xb5 lLlb5-a3
lLlf6xd5 we8xe7 'tfd8·b6 J:lh8·h41?
157
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
Spectacular, but not necessarily good. Af ter 1 8 ... c3 1 9.:b J cxb2 20.lt:Jc4 'tfc7 2 J .:xb2 llJb6 22.�xb7 lt:Jxc4 23 .:c2 lt:Ja3 24.ha8 llJxc2 2 S .'tfxc2 :xa8 26.:c t :cs 27.'il'c4 White is better due to his safer king. Also, if a pawn ending is reached, the outside passed pawn should win for White.
The actual game went 1 9.'tfd2 llJf4 20.lt:Jxc4 'tfa6 2 1 .:fc l :gs 22.�xb7 'il'xb7 23 .'tfd6+ �f6 24.'il'eS+ �e7 2 S .'il'd6+ �f6 26.'tfeS + �e7 2 7 .' ..xcS + �f6 28.'il'eS+ �e7 29.'il'cS + (29.lt:Je3 lt:Je2 + 30.�fl lt:Jxc l 3 J .llJfS+ �d7 3 2 .'il'd6+ �e8 3 3 .:xc l exfS 34.'tfeS+ should also end in a draw) 29 ...�f6 30.'tfeS + �e7 3 J .'tfd6+ �f6 3 2 .' ..eS+ �e7 3 3.'tfd6+ draw by repeti tion.
1 58
... •d1 -e2N f2-f4 .-e2xa6 l:lf1 -f2 �g2xd5 J:tc1 xc3 l:lf2-c2 b2-b4
lLla3-b5+ l:lc3-c7+ l:lc7-c5 J:tc2xc5 l:tc5xb5 l:tb5xb4
�d6-e7 �e7-d8 l:lc8xc5 �a6xb5 wd8-e7
White is a clean pawn ahead in this rook ending.
19. l:la1 -c1 1
1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.
28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
•b6-a6 l:la8-g8 c4-c3 �b7xa6 J:th4-h8 e6xd5 we7-d6 l:lg8-c8 c5xb4
Game 10.3
SL 7.8 (044)
Harikrishna,Pentala • Van Wely,Loek
0
Philadelphia, World Open 20 I I ( 7 )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlg1 -f3 lLlb1 -c3 .ic1-g5
d7-d5 c7-c6 lLlg8-f6 e7-e6 h7-h6
We would reach the game by transposi tion after S ...d.xc4 6.e4 bS 7 .eS h6 8.�h4. 6. .ig5-h4
We would play 6.�xf6 given this move order. 6. ... 7. e2-e4
d5xc4 b7-b5
Chapter I 0
-
Semi -Slav Defense
Usually 7 ... g5 is played first, reaching Game 1 . This is an unusual move order to reach the BoM.nnik Variation. 8. e4-e5 9. lDf3xg5 1 0. ..ih4xg5
g7-g5 h6xg5 ltlb8-d7
K '
.i. 'if � .i. � ' ' '� ' � � ' � ttJ /:}:; � :a. 1 1 . g2-g3
I prefer the 1 J .exf6 move order to avoid 1 1 ... l:lg8. 11. 1 2. ..if1 -g2 1 3. e5xf6
1 6.
-·
Wb6-a6
This is less common than 1 6 .. .'•bs but may well be the better move. At least it is less clearly favorable for White. . 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 .
a2-a3 ..ig2xd5 a3xb4 Wd1 -e2 lDa4-c3
..ib7xd5 ltld7-e5 l:ld8xd5 c5xb4
.ic8-b7 Wd8-b6 0-0-0
1 3 ... c5 1 4.d5 0-0-0 1 5.0-0 transposes to the game. 14. o-o
c6-c5
1 4... tl:Je5 1 5 .dxe5 l:lxd l 1 6.l:lfxd 1 (rook, knight and pawn are almost enough for a queen, but White also has a substantial positional advantage as Black cannot uti lize both of his bishops) 1 6 ... �c5 (Houdini calls 1 6 ... c5 1 7 .�f4 b4 1 8.tl:Je4 even but I agree with Komodo, who strongly prefers White) 1 7.tl:Je4 �d4 1 8.ltJd6+ �b8 1 9.tl:Jxf7 l:lh7 20.tlJh6 and the dangerous passed f6 pawn gives White the edge. 1 5. d4-d5 1 6. ltlc3-a4
b5-b4
21 . ...
Wa6-d6
2 l . . ....c6 22.ltJxd5 (22.�f4 bxc3 23.�xe5 looks even better for White) 2 2 ......xd5 transposes to the game; After 2 1 ... l:la5 22.l:lxa5 •xaS 23.tl:Je4 tbd3 24.b3 •es 2 S.l:ld 1 •b2 26 .... fl ! ...d4 27.tLJd2 ...xf2+ 28 ....xf2 lLlxf2 29.�xf2 l:lxh2+ 30.�f3 cxb3 3 1 .lLlxb3 White is up a knight for two pawns, and the pawns can't yet advance. Black has only fair drawing chances. 1 59
The Kaufman Rtpmoirt for White 22. li)c3xd5 23. f2-f3
•d&xd5 toe5-d3
Black has significant compensation for the exchange, as his pawn majority is more threatening and his knight outpost is very strong. Still , rooks are stronger than knighlS! 23 ... �cS+ 24.�e3 (for 24.�g2 lLld3 2S.h4 see next note) 24 ... lLld3 transposes to the game. 24. �g5-e3
A serious alternative is 24.h4! (I'm rec ommending this move because all the programs consulted give White the edge at the end, whereas there is some dis agreement on the line played in the game) 24 ...�cS+ 2 S.�g2 Wb7 26.l:tfd l l:ld8 27 .l:ld2N. Black probably doesn't have full compensation for the exchange. It is hard to see how Black can improve his position from here . 24. 25. ..i.e3xc5 2&. wg1-g2
for equality. Komodo prefers White in all cases while Houdini calls them all equal. This whole variation with 1 6 ...11ra6 de serves more investigation, as the resultant positions are too hard to evaluate even with the best computers. 27.'1re4N �b8 28.l:lad l �c7 29.l:ld2 aS 30.l:lfd l ; 27.l:lfd i :Ids 2S.h4N; 27.h4N :IdS 28.�h2. lld8-d5 27. 28. •e2-e4?1
28.h4. 28. 29. llf1-a1
wc&-b7
29. -
wb7-b8??
..i.f8-c5 •d5xc5+ llh8-d8
29 ...11rf2+ 30.Wh3 'ifd2 3 l .l:lxa7+ Wb8 32.11a8+ Wb7 3 3.l:l l a7+ �b6 34.l:la6+ Wb7 and White must take the perpetual check. But now White wins.
27. :&1-a&
There are several alternatives here, all probably better than the game move. They all lead to positions where Black has significant compensation for the ex change, but probably not quite enough 1 60
30. 31 . 32. 33. 34.
35.
36.
37. 38.
·e4-h7 :S&xa7 Wh7-g&+ lla1 xa7+ f3-f4 wg2-h3 .g8xf7 b2xc3 •nxe&
tod3-e5 •c5xa7 wb8-b7 wb7xa7 lld5-d2+ li)e5-d7 c4-c3 b4-b3 b3-b2
Chapter J 0 - Smti-Siav Ddcnse 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43.
We6·a2+ f6-f7 g3·g4 g4-g5 g5·g6
�a7-b6 �b6-c5 �c5-d6 �d6·e7 1-0
SL 7.8 (044) 0
Game 10.4
Giri,Anish
• Smeets,Jan Wijk aan Zee, 2 0 1 1 (2)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 12. 1 3. 14.
d2·d4 c2-c4 li)g1 ·f3 li)b1 -c3 .ic1-g5 e2·e4 e4-e5 .ig5·h4 li)f3xg5 .i.Mxg5 e5xf6 g2·g3 d4-d5 .if1 -g2
d7·d5 c7·c6 ll)g8·f6 e7·e6 d5xc4 b7-b5 h7-h6 g7-g5 h6xg5 ll)b8-d7 .tc8-b7 c6-c5 'Wd8·b6 o-o-o
1 4... b4 1 5.0-0 0-0-0 transposes. 1 5. o-o 1 6. li)c3-a4 1 7. a2·a3
b5-b4 ...b6-b5
1 7 ... lbe5 1 8.ll'e2 lbd3 I 9.axb4 cxb4 20. 1l'e3N exdS 2 1 .11'xa7 - considering Black's somewhat vulnerable king. it's hard to argue that Black has compensa tion for the pawn; 1 7 ...lbb8 may objectively be Black's best move here, though it isn't fully satisfactory: 1 8.axb4 cxb4 1 9.9g4 hdS 20.1Ucl lbc6 2 t ..ixds D.xds 22.l:txc4 D.xgs 23.'it'd4 b8 24.llxc6 lhg3+ 25.fxg3 ll'xc6 26.ltd l 1l'c7 27.b3. Against Kevin Wang, D.C. League 20 I I , I played the inferior 27 ....d2?! aS 28.'it'd7 .i.c5+ when Black has equalized, and the game ended in per petual check twenty moves later. After the text move White has some advantage due to Black's development problems and White's passed h-pawn, though Black has decent drawing chances.
� '
.I
.! '
if
· �
lt.J i �
� a:
� - � w
Analysis diagram
White has some advantage in piece coor dination and king safety, though Black has decent drawing chances. 18. a3xb4
c5xb4
1 8 ... d4 19.hb7+ �b7 20.lbxc5+ tbxcS 2 1 .11'0+ Wb6 22.bxc5+ .ixcs 23 ..i.d2 .i.b4 24.hb4 ll'xb4 25.lta6+ is mate in 7. 1 9. .i.g5-f4 1 7.
-·
e6xd5
.if8-h6
After 1 9 ... lbc5 ?! 20.lbxc5 .i.xcS 2 1 .h4 .i.c6 22.lte I d4 23.ll'g4+ �b7 24....g5 161
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
the threats of :es or :e7 are impossible to meet; if 1 9 ... ..ic6?! 20 ...d4 tt::lc S 2 1 .h4 tt::lxa4 22 ...xa7 Black must lose material to stop the mate. 20. �f4-d6 21 . �d6-e7 22. f6xe7
�h6·f8 �f8xe7 :da-ea
3. 4. 5. 6.
The actual game went 23 ...d4 .J:[h6 24.b3 :xe7 2S ..J:[fc l (25.h4} 25 ...tt::le 5 26.tt::lc 5 c3 27.:xa7 (27.tt::lxb7 ..xb7 28.h4} 27 ... tt::lc 6 28 ...g4+ .J:[he6 29.tt::lxe6 fxe6 30.:a4 •cs 3 J . ..g8+ �d7 3 2 ...ifl d4 3 3 . .ic4 tt::la S 34 ... b8 •c6 35.£3 tt::lxc4 36 . .J:[xb4 tt::lb 6 37 . .J:[xd4+ tt::ld S 38 ... e5 ..c7, draw agreed.
SL 6.6 (D43}
Game 10.5
Vitiugov,Ni.kita
• Korobov,Anton Khanty-Mansiysk, 20 I I (2) 1. d2-d4 2. c2-c4
1 62
d5xc4 g7-g5 b7·b5 �c8-b7
1 0. 1 1 . :a1 -d1
lDb8-d7
1 1 . ...
lDf6-h5
-·
:h8-h6 :h6·g6 :g&·f6
The pressure on dS together with the 7th rank passer give White the advantage.
0
. e2·e4 �h4-g3 �f1 ·e2 'ti'd1 ·c2 ..
This rare move is catching on now, thanks to its adoption by the current World Champion. It is the reason I'm giving this gambit continuation for White.
23. .J:[f1 -e1 1
... 'ti'd1 ·g4 'ti'g4-f5 'ti'f5·h5
lDg8-f6 e7-e6 h7-h6
This is a true gambit and is quite popular, since White's compensation is pretty ob vious. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0.
23. 24. 25. 26.
lDg1 -f3 lDb1 -c3 .ic1-g5 �g5-h4
d7·d5 c7-c6
A} l l .....b6 1 2.0-0 .ie7 (in case of 1 2 ... lLlh5 1 3 .d5 tt::lxg3 1 4.hxg3 0-0-0 I S .dxe6 fxe6 1 6.e5 cS 1 7 ...g6 ..ie7 I S . .J:[fe I a6 1 9 .a4 White has ample com pensation for the pawn with threats on both wings) 1 3 .h4 tt::lh s 1 4 . ..ih2 .J:[d8 1 5.d5 - the opening of the center while Black's king is still there should favor White. He also has play on both wings;
Chapler I 0 - Strni -Slav Dtfensc
B) If l l ...�b4 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3.tLleS tLlh7 (or 1 3 . . .tbxeS 1 4.dxe5 tbd7 1 5.f4 �c8 1 6.�h l �e7 1 7.�hS and White has a strong attack) 1 4.f4 ll:lxeS I S .fxeS ..e7 1 6.d5N White's attack is worth more than a pawn; C) On l l ... a6 l 2.tt:leSN .i.g7 1 3.h4 .. e7 1 4.hxgS hxgS 1 S .l:lxh8+ hh8 1 6 ...c l White will shortly regain the pawn while keeping all the positional advantages; D) After I 1 ...�e7 1 2.h4 g4 1 3.tZ:leS tt:lxeS 1 4.he5 0-0 I S ... cl �h7 1 6 ...f4 hS 1 7.0-0 White has way more than enough for the pawn. 1 8.f3 is coming. lZ)h5xg3
1 2. d4-d5
1 2 ... exd5 1 3 .exdS cxdS 1 4.tbxdS tbxg3 1 S.hxg3 transposes to 1 3 ... cxdS in the next note. 1 3. h2xg3
I � .t. '
� � ltJ
� � 'ii 1 3,
MO
if � .t. � �
I
' �
� ltj �
�� � a: a: w
1 3 ... cxdS !N 1 4.exdS exdS 1 S.tLlxdS �g7 1 6.tbe3 •as + 1 7.Wfl l:ld8 I S.tbfs �fa 1 9.llJ3d4 tLleS 20.tLlxg7 �xg7 2 l .lLlf5+ �f8 22.lLld6 ..b6 23.tbxb7 l:lxd 1 + 24.-.xd 1 .. xb7 25.f4 gxf4 26.l:lhS (26.gxf4 tt:ld3 27 .hd3 l:lg8 28 ...d2 cxd3 29.l:lh3 ..e4 30.l:lxd3 is another path to a slight edge based on pawn structure) 2 6 ... tbd3 27 .�xd3 cxd3 28 ...xd3 ..c6 29 ...d4 ..c4+ 30 ... xc4 bxc4 3 l .gxf4 �g7 3 2.l:lc5 l:lb8 3 3 .l:lxc4 l:lxb2 34.l:la4 l:lb7 3 S .Wfl and White has the more active rook and better pawn structure, though a draw is likely. 1 4. d5xe6 f7xe& 1 5. e4-e5 Wd8-e7 1 6. -.c2-g&+ we8-f8
1 6 ... Wd8 1 7.l:ld6 l:le8 1 8.tLld4 �xeS 1 9.l:lxe6 tbf8 20.l:lxe7 tbxg6 2 l .l:lxb7 �xd4 2 2.l:lxh6 l:le6 2 3 .l:lhh7 l:le7 24.l:lhxe7 tbxe7 2 S .tbe4 a6 26.tbxgS l:la7 27.lbe6+ Wc8 28.l:lxe7 �xfl+ 29.Wxf2 l:lxe7 30.tLld4 - bishop and knight should beat the rook in the end game with equal pawns. 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 .
lDc3-e4 liJf3xe5 l:lh1 xh& 'ifg&xh&+ 'ifh&-g&
tDd7xe5 i.g7xe5 l:lh8xh6 i.e5-g7
�f8-g7?
1 3 ..... b6? l 4.dxe6 fxe6 I S.tbxgS .i.cS 1 6. .i.hS + We7 1 7 .tLlxe6 ( 1 7 .tLlf7 l:lhf8 1 8 ...d2 was a clearer win) 1 7 ... tbeS I S.tZ:lxcS .. xeS 1 9 ..i.e2 l:laf8 20.0-0 llhg8 (so far Anand-Shirov, Leon 20 1 1 , won by White in 34 moves) 2 1 . ..c l ! l:lg6 22.b4 ..xb4 2 3 ....e3 and Black has no good defense to •xa7 ; 1 63
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 21 .
NO
c6-c5?
Also after 2 1 .....e8 22 ...xgS .. e7 23 ...g6 ..e8 24 ...g4 l:ld8 25.l:lxd8 ..xd8 26.lbg5 �c8 27 ... f4+ �g8 28 ... f7+ �h8 29 ...g6 �g8 30.�g4 li'e7 3 1 .f4 White has a decisive advan tage. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
llJe4xg5 .ie2-g4 �e1 -f1 b2xc3 �1-g1 l:td1-e1 l:te1 ·e4
6. "' 7. e2-e3
..d8xf6 llJb8-d7
7 ... g6 8.�d3 �g7 9.0-0 0-0 I O.e4 and now: A) I O ... dxc4 l l .eS ..e7 1 2.�xc4
.ib7-d5 l:ta8-e8 c4-c3 .id5·c4+ �-g8 We7·d7 1·0 Analysis diagram
Game 10.6
SL 6.9 (043)
Erdas,Viktor • Schenk,Andre
0
Germany Bundesliga, 20 I 0/ I I ( 1 2)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d2-d4 c2-c4 llJb1 -c3 llJg1 -f3 .ic1 -g5
d7-d5 e7-e6 c7-c6 llJg8-f6 h7-h6
1 2 ... b5 ( 1 2...lbd7 1 3.l:le I transposes to note to move 1 2) 1 3.�d3 lbd7 1 4.l:lc l �b7 I S.lbe4 llab8 1 6.lbd6 �a8 ?! ( 1 6 ... c5 was best, but White keeps an edge by taking the bishop and then 1 8 ... e2) 1 7.�e4 l:lb6 1 8.b4 f5? 1 9.�b l l:lbb8 20.a3 l:lfd8 2 1 ...L2 lbb6 - this was a game I won in the Atlantic Open against Christopher Wu. Now 2 2.h4 would have been best and should win; B) I O . . . dxe4 l l . lbxe4 ..d8 1 2.c5 �xd4 1 3 .lbxd4 ..xd4 1 4...c2 lbd7 I S.l:lad l ..g7 1 6.�e2 lbf6 1 7.lbxf6+ ..xf6 1 8.1ld6
6. �g5xf6
The gambit 6.�4 is not bad, but it seems White can get a small risk-free plus by capturing. 1 64
Analysis diagram
Chapter 1 0 Semi-Slav Defense -
White's domination of the open file and Black's development problems give White more than enough compensation for the pawn. 8. i.f1 ·d3 9. i.d3xc4
d5xc4 g7-g6
9 ... �d6 I 0.0-0 'ire7 (if I 0 ... 0-0 l l .lLle4 1We7 1 2.lL!xd6 'irxd6 1 3.J:lc l b6 1 4.'ire2N J:ld8 I S.J:lfd I aS 1 6.�d3 �b7 I 7 .a3 White is slightly better, as Black still has some work to do to achieve the freeing ... cS, and White will be better developed when it does happen) l l .lLle4 �c7 1 2.J:lcl 0-0 1 3.�b3 l:ld8 1 4.'irc2 lL!f8 I S.lL!eS f6 1 6.tlJf3 i.d7 1 7 .lLlcS �c8 1 8.'ire4 aS 1 9.tlJh4 �h8 20.f4 - White has more space, kingside attacking chances, and much better development for the bishop pair, a very good deal for him. .tf8-g7
1 0. o-o
i:
.t
i:
•
After 1 2...'ire7 1 3.eS l:ld8 1 4.'ire2 b6 l S.l:lac l l:lb8 1 6.�d3 ( 1 6.�a6 to kill the bishop pair is also good) 1 6 ...�b7 1 7.�e4 bS 1 8.l:led l a6 1 9.tlJb l l:ldc8 20.lL!bd2 �8 2 1 .'ire3 cS 22.�xa8 l:lxa8 23.lL!e4 cxd4 24.1Vxd4 White is better, as the threat of tlJd6 is hard to meet.
1 3 ...l:ld8 1 4.h3 tlJcS I S.'ire2 aS (so far Grigoryan-Ter Sahakyan, Martuni 20 I I ) 1 6.l:lac 1 �f8 1 7.1Ve3 �d7 1 8.a3 may be Black's best defense against this line, but White is still a bit better as he has much more space and can double rooks on ei ther the c- or d-file while Black can't do anything constructive. 14. .tc4-b3
i: .t � · �· �� �
� � � � .t ·� ·�· ·
�� ll
'iV
RW
11. l:lf1-e1 1
This formerly rare move came to the fore front when Leko achieved a clear advan tage with it against Gelfand in Miskolc (rapid) 20 I 0, though Gelfand held the draw. 11. 1 2. e3·e4
��
� Ci:J
���
0·0 e6·e5
'ii' i � CiJ ���
ii � lD
llJd7-b6
13. d4-d5
14. -
�
.i.c8-g4
Or 1 4 ... l:ld8 I S .h3 .id7 1 6.'ire2 .if'S 1 7.a4N aS 1 8.'ire3 l:la6 1 9.J:led l almost all of White's pieces are superior to their Black counterparts, and the dS square will likely become an outpost later. All this is worth more than Black's bishop pair. 1 4 ... �d7 I S.h3 l:lac8 1 6.'ire2 lUeS 1 7 .J:lad 1 .i.f8 1 8.a3 hS 1 9.J:ld3 .ih6 20 .J:led I cxdS 2 t .hdS was seen in Leko Gelfand, Miskolc 201 0. White has a strong 1 65
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
outpost, control of the open d-file, and a syrrunetrical pawn structure which favors knights over bishops, at the cost of the bishop pair. He eventually won a pawn but failed to conven his advantage to a win . 1 5. :e1 -e3
This shows the point of l:te 1 . to avoid the ruined kingside pawn structure. 1 5. ...
:f8-d8
1 5 ...c5 1 6.h3 �xf3 1 7 .:xf3 'ird6 1 8.a4 c+ 1 9.a5 cxb3 20.axb6 'irxb6 {this was Wang Hao-Fier, Khanty-Mansiysk ol 20 I 0) 2 1 .tlJa+ 'ird4 22.:xb3 'irxd I + 23 .:xd 1 b6 24.t!Jc3 - with a protected passed pawn and a knight vs. bad bishop White is clearly better. 1 6. 1 7. 18. 1 9.
•d1 -e2 h2-h3 tlJf3-h2 tlJh2-g4
..ig7-f8 ..ig4-d7 ..id7-e8 ·f6-g7
The game continued 20.:g3 �h8 2 1 .l:td l l:td6 22.l:tgd3 �d7 23 .dxc6 :xd3 24.l:txd3 �xc6 2 5 .l:tf3 �e8 26.tbf6 �c6 27.lL:Jg4 �e8? 28.lL:Jd5 ? (with 28.tt:lb5 l:tc8 29.lL:Jf6 White will win at least a pawn) 28 ... h5? 29.lL:!gf6? (with 29.lL:Jdf6! hxg4 3 0.hxg4 White wins) 29 ... �c6 30.g4 �xd5 3 1 .exd5 �d6 3 2 .gxh5 e4 3 3 .1Wxe4 gxh 5 + 34.�fl :cs 3 s.:fs 'irg6 36.h4 l:tc l + 3 7 .�e2 �f8 3 8.l:txh5+ �h6 39.'irxg6 fxg6 +O.l:txh6+ Wg7 4 1 .lL:Jg4 l:tg 1 42.f3 and Black resigned. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
... d5xc6 :a 1-d1 .-e2-c4 lLlg4-f6+ •c4xc5
;(
.l
lLlb6-d7 b7xc6 ..if8-e7 lLld7-c5 ..ie7xf6
E .i. .l
� tt:J � �
20. :e3-f3N
1 66
� M
• .l 'if .i. .l .l M � � � w
White has far more active pieces and the much better pawn structure at the price of the bishop pair. He can aim to bring his knight to c5.
Chapter 11
Russian System against the Griinfeld Since I recommend the Griinfeld for Black, choosing a line to play against it was a very difficult task for me. I finally concluded that since no line gives White a serious advan tage with best play, I should select one that gives White a serious advantage in ALMOST all lines and at least a tiny plus against perfect defense. Since my computer analysis showed this to be the case with the Russian System {4.llJf3 .ig7 S.'iVbl chc4 6.1W][c4 0-0 7.e4) my choice was made.
K � .t i¥ K • ••• •• .t • �·
The idea of this system is to achieve the same ideal center (e4 and d4) as we achieve with the Exchange Variation {4.cxd5 l!JxdS S.e4 tl:Jxc3 6.bxc3) , but without paying the price of a backward c-pawn and an isolated a-pawn. Instead, we pay the price of falling slightly behind in development, since the queen on c4 is hardly beuer than at home on d I . If White can develop and castle without any mishap, his central domination should give him the advantage. Black has to play very energetically to avoid being dearly worse, so the Russian System is an ideal weapon for the player aiming to win. Black has several sharp ideas. The Prins Variation (7 llJa6) was a favorite of Garry Kasparov. It aims to open the long diagonal by 8 ... c5 , meeting 9.d5 by 9 ... e6 and ex changing pawns. This gives White a passed but isolated pawn on dS. We meet this by 8..ie2, planning to castle and play J:ld I to support this pawn. The computers like White, believing that the pawn is more of a strength than a weakness, and also the knight on a6 is often a problem for Black. Apparently grandmaster opinion concurs, as the Prins line is rarely seen now. The Prins as weU as 7 c6 and 7...b6?1 are covered in Game 1 1 . 1 . The line 7...ltJc6, although formerly rare, is probably the most likely move you will face, as it has been recommended in every recent book on the Griinfeld. After 8�e2 �g4 9.dS M 1 0.1i'b4 h.f3 1 1.h.fl c6 12.0-0 Game I I . 2 features an important novelty for White that casts doubt on this line, and was the deciding factor in my choice of the Russian Sys••.
•••
1 67
The Kaufman Repertoire for Whitt
tern for the White repertoire. The game was played too recently to be included in either the DelchevIAgrest or the Avrukh books on the Griinfeld. I wonder if those authors would still have recommended 7 . ..Ci:Jc6 had they known about this game. Basically, White wins the bishop pair in this line, and Black's compensation is very nebulous. The traditional main line is the Smyslov Variation 7....i.g4. It is not very common anymore, probably due to the line I recommend here, namely 8.�el lLlfd7 9.ftl lLlb6 1 O.l:td 1 , when White meets 1 0 ... e6 1 l .�e 2 lLlc6 by the cute 1 2 .lbg 1 ! (shades of the Breyer) 1 2 ... i.xe2 1 3.lLlgxe2. White has central superiority for which no compensa tion is apparent, and the knight on b6 and the blocked pawn on c7 are not very pretty. Black can avoid this by exchanging his bishop for the knight on move 1 0 before play ing . . . e6, but then h2-h4, e4-e5, i.g2, and f2-f4 will give White both the bishop pair and attacking prospects. See Game 1 I . 3 . Now we come to my recommended Hungarian Variation, 7...a6. Since the attacking 8.e5 seems only to lead to equality, I advise 8.�e2 bS 9 ..,3 c51 1 0.chc5 �e61 1 1 ••c2 tbbd7 1 2.�el. Black can regain his lost pawn, but must 'pay' the bishop pair for this. He gets some but probably not full compensation in the form of White's isolated dS pawn and Black's well-placed knight on c5. Sometimes Black manages to win back the bishop pair but at the cost of space and development. See Game 1 1 .4. •
Game 11..1
GI 1 0.3 (09 7) D
Alexandrov,Alu.ey
• Rotstein,Arkad.ij Germany Bundesliga B. 1 998/99 (9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlb1 -c3 lLlg1 -f3 .d1-b3 •b3xc4 e2-e4
lLlg8-f6 g7-g6 d7-d5 �f8-g7 d5xc4 o-o lLlb8-a&
E .t 'ii' E * ii i i .t i �i �
1 68
This, the Prins Variation, was popular in the '90s when Kasparov was playing it, but now it is rather rare. The knight move permits ... c7 -cS but White usually gets a passer and the knight is out of play. After 7 ... b6?! 8 .e5 i.e6 9.exf6 .L:c4 I O.fxg7 �xg7 l l .hc4, although many programs do not agree, both Komodo and I say that White is much better. Two bishops and a knight are about equal to queen and pawn, but the presence of all other pieces favors the side with the mi nors, plus White is well ahead in develop ment. After 7 ...c6 8.�e2 bS 9.'it'b3 'it'aS I O.eS �e6 1 1 .•c2 �fs ( l l ...lLJdS 1 2.�d2 'it'b6 1 3.a4N b4 1 4.lLle4 is similar to l l . .. �fS) 1 2.�d3 i.xd3 1 3 .'it'xd3 lLldS 1 4.0-0 b4 1 5.lLle4N White is better due to the shut-in bishop on g7 and the weak pawn on c6.
Chapter I I 8. 9. 1 0. 11.
..if1 ·e2 d4·d5 0·0 e4xd5
c7·c5 e7·e6 e6xd5 .Z:lf8·e8
For I I .....ifS I 2.l:td I 11Vb6 ( I 2.. .lieS see game) 1 3 .h3 J:lfe8 I + .g+ see the next note. 12. llf1 ·d1
..ic8-f5
On 1 2...11Vb6 1 3.h3N ..ifS H.g+ ..id7 1 S . ..ie3 White has a space advantage and his passer is secure. 1 3. ..ic1·e3
-
Russian System against the Griinfdd h7·h6
14. d5·d6
After 1 4 ... l:tad8 1 5.t'Llg5 l:tfB 1 6.t'Lla4 1l'b4 1 7 .11VxM tt:lxb4 (after 1 7 . . . cxb4 1 8.J:lac 1 ..id7 1 9.t'Llc5 t'LlxcS 20 . ..ixc5 White is effectively almost a pawn ahead) 1 8.hc5 t'Llc2 1 9.J:lac l tlJd7 20.g4 t'Llxc5 2 l .t'Llxc5 t'Lld4 22.l:txd4 ..ixd+ 23 .gxf5 J:lxd6 24.tlJce4 J:ld7 25.b3, with rwo knights for a rook White should win. 15. 1 6. 17. 18. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25.
l:ld1·d2 lla1 ·d1 lDc3xe4 1i'c4-c1 ..ie2xa6 1i'c1 xc5 1i'c5xa7 ..ie3xa7 lld2xd6 lld1 xd6 ..ia7-d4
lla8·d8 lDf6·e4 lle8xe4 lle4·e6 1Wb6xa6 ..ig7-f8 1Wa6xa7 l:te6xd6 lld8xd6 ..if8xd6
�
i 1 3.
-·
j_
'it'd8·b6
If 1 3 ... tt:ie+ 1 4.d6 tt:lxc3 I S .bxc3 ..ie6 1 6.'W'bS l:tb8 ? (after 1 6 ... 11Vd7 1 7.tt:lgS ..ifs 1 8.11Vxd7 ..ixd7 1 9 . ..ic4 J:lfs 20.J:lab I J:lab8 2 I ...ixa6 bxa6 2 2.J:lxb8 J:lxb8 23 .tlJe4 White will win a pawn) 1 7 .d7 J:le7 ? 1 8 . ..ig5 f6 1 9 . ..if4 tlJc7 20.'W'xc5 White wins a piece; 1 3 ... J:lc8 1 4.a3 tlJd7 1 5.d6 J:lc6 1 6.J:ld2N - White's passer will be strong with both rooks behind it, and Black's a6 knight is out ofplay; 1 3 ... J:lxe3 1 4.fxe3 tt:lg+ 1 5 .e4 t'Lle3 1 6.'W'bs t'Llxd I I 7 .l:txd I White wins the b7 pawn since 1 7 .....ic8 1 8.d6 is aw ful for Black. -
1i ��
•
ii
j_ ttJ � � � �
Such endings with the bishop pair as compensation for a pawn are often drawn but the extra pawn has all the winning chances, so White is clearly better here. 25. 26. 27. 28.
lDf3-e1 a2-a4 �g1 ·f1
..if5·d3 ..id3·b1 wg8-f8 Wfa·e7
1 69
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
Wf1 -e2 g2-g3 �d4-g7 ii:Je1 -f3 ii:Jf3-d2 34. �g7-c3 35. b2-b3
�e7-e6 *e6-d5 h6-h5 i.b1 -a2 i.d6-c5 �d5-e6
White eventually won.
GI 1 0.2 (097) 0
Game U..2
Giri,Anish
• Swinkels,Robin Boxtel ch-NED, 2 0 1 1 (7) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
d2-d4 c2-c4 ii:Jb1 -c3 ii:Jg1 -f3 1Wd1 -b3 1Wb3xc4 e2-e4
ii:Jg8 f6 g7-g6 d7-d5 i.f8-g7 d5xc4 o-o ii:Jb8-c6 -
�f5 1 4.0-0 l:lc8 1 5.1Wb3 lLle4 1 6.lLlxe4 i.xe4 1 7 .i.f3 i.xf3 1 8. 1i'xf3 1i'd7 1 9 .l:lb 1 Black has only a little develop ment plus to offset White's extra passed pawn on dS. Or also 8 ...tbd7 9.i.e3 lLlb6 1 0.1Wc5 i.g4 l l .l:ld I 1i'd6 1 2. 0 - 0 i.xf3 ( 1 2...l:lad8 1 3 .dS lLleS 1 4.tbxe5 i.xe2 1 5 .lLlxf7 11hc5 1 6.i.xc5 l:lxd5 1 7 .lLlh6+ i.xh6 1 8 .tbxd5 i.xd 1 1 9 .l:lxd 1 �f7 20.i.xe7 %le8 2 l .i.a3 lLlxdS 22.exd5 Black has only partial compensation for the lost pawn) 1 3.gxf3 eS 1 4.lLlb5 Wxc5 1 5 .dxc5 tba4 1 6.lLlxc7 l:lad8 1 7 .i.bS tbxb2 1 8 .l:lb 1 tbd3 1 9 .tbd5 lLlf4 20.i.xc6 bxc6 2 1 .lLle7+ �h8 22.lLlxc6 %ld7 23 .tba5 and White's extra advanced passer should win the game. 9. d4-d5
.i .t if .� . i i i i i .t i �i � 'iii � � tLJ tLJ � � � � � : � w � J:r This line has been widely recommended, but I don't think it is very good. Usually Black just loses the bishop pair for noth ing. 8. �f1 -e2
i.c8-g4
ln case of 8 ...e5?! 9.d5 lLld4 I O .lLJxd4 exd4 1 1 .1Wxd4 c6 1 2.1Wc4 cxd5 1 3 .exd5 1 70
9. ...
ii:Jc6-a5
9 . . . i.xf3 1 0.gxf3 lLleS 1 1 .1i'b3 c6 1 2.f4 tbed7 1 3 .dxc6 bxc6 1 4.e5 (a safer alter native is 1 4.0-0 e5 1 5 .fxe5 lLlxeS 1 6.1i'c2 and White's damaged kingside offsets Black's damaged queenside, but White is up the bishop pair) 1 4 ... lLld5 (after 1 4 . . . l:lb8 ?! I S .exf6 l:lxb3 1 6. fxg7 l:lb4 1 7 .a3 l:lb8 1 8 . gxf81i'+ lLlxf8 1 9.0-0
Chopter I I - Russian System ogoinst the Griinfdd
Analysis diagram
White has a wiruting advantage, as Komo do confirms, though Houdini rates it even! Rybka and Houdini tend to undervalue minor pieces) 1 5.l!Jxd5 cxd5 l 6.'ti'xd5 (White's damaged kingside is Black's com pensation for a pawn and the bishop pair. It' s not enough) 1 6 ... e6 1 7 .'ti'd6 ltJb6 1 8.'ti'xd8 llaxd8 1 9.0-0 ltJdS 20.1ld I f6 2 1 .exf6 llxf6 22 . .i.e3 llff8 23 . .i.g4 Wf7 24.1lab l lbxe3 25.fxe3 - White is a solid pawn up, though the bishops of opposite color give Black good drawing chances. 10. 'ti'c4·b4
�g4xf3
1 O .. c6?? This trap catches strong players from time to time, including America's top 1 3 year old playing against me. l l .eS cS 1 2.'ti'f4 White wins a piece for just a pawn. This was Kaufman-TrofT, Arlington 20 I I and other earlier games. .
1 1 . �e2xf3
c7·c6
l l ...c5?! is a dubious pawn sac: 1 2.'ti'xc5 l!Jd7 1 3.'ti'b4 1lc8 1 4.i.e2 'ti'b6 1 S .lbb5 llc2 1 6.i.e3 ltJcS 1 7 .Wd I lbc6 I 8.dxc6 aS 1 9.'ti'a3 i.xb2 20.'ttd 3!N ttlxd3 2 1 .hb6 llxc6 22.1lb l llJf4 23.i.xa5 i.g7 24.i.d2 and White has won a piece for nothing. 12. 0·0
l 2 ... cxdS 1 3.lbxd5! (White exchanges the knights so that i.gS will be effective) 1 3 ... lbxd5 1 4.exd5 llc8 I S . .i.gS i.f6 1 6 . .i.xf6 exf6 1 7 .llfc l N (this rook, so that a bishop on e2 can be defended by Wfl later) I 7 ...'ti'b6 1 8. 'ttxb6 axb6 1 9.i.e2 Black must shed a pawn to save his knight. In view of his crippled major ity he will be down almost two pawns practically speaking. 13. 'Wb4·a4 14. .Uf1 ·d1
l!Jf6·d7
14. ...
.Uf8·d8
After 1 4 ... lbc5 1 5.'ti'c2 ttlc4 1 6.1lb l N (this improves on 1 6.i.e2 played in Kaufman-Kudrin, Seattle ch-USA 200 2, which ended in a draw) 1 6 . . .'ttb4 l 7 . .i.g5 llfe8 I B.Ildc l lbes 1 9 ..i.e2 Black has no compensation for the bishop pair. 15. g2·g31
This is an important novelty, which im proves on the lines given for White in Avrukh's Griinfeld book. 15 . ...
lla8-c8
After I S ... ltJcS 1 6.'ti'c2 l!Jc4 1 7.1lb l 'ti'b4 I 8.Wg2 1lac8 1 9 . .i.g5 �f8 20.i.g4 White has a solid bishop pair plus. 171
The .Kaufman Repenoire for White 1 6. 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 .
..if3-g4 •a4-c2 ..ic1-g5 lLlc3-a4 Wc2xa4 e4xd5
6. Wb3xc4 7. e2-e4
l!Jd7-c5 e7-e6 J:[d8-e8 l!Jc5xa4 c6xd5 l!Ja5-c4
This was the main line of the Russian Sys tem when I was a kid, but it is not so common any more.
In the event of 2 1 ...h5 22.d6 J:[fS 23 . .i.e2 �c6 24.d7 l:la8 25 .�g2 White can rea sonably expect to win the exchange by chasing or exchanging the knight. 22. d5xe6 23. l%a1 -c1
f7xe6
• .t i
:i
� � � 23.
�
'
., •
-·
il. � �
�
l!Jc4-e5??
If 23 ... 1Wc5 24.b4 ... xg5 25.l:lxc4 l:lcd8 26.1l'xa7 White has the better position and an extra pawn. 24. ..ig5-e3
1-0 Game 1:1.3
GI 1 1 .4 (099) 0
Beliavsky,Alexander
• Ftacnik,Lubom.ir Turin ol, 2006 (9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1 72
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlb1 -c3 lLlg1 -f3 .d1-b3
8. ..ic1-e3 9. ·c4-b3
l!Jf6-d7
White can also play 9.l:ld I �b6 I O ....b3 transposing, but that allows the option of 9 ...�c6, although it avoids the 9 ... c5 op tion. I consider 9. 'ti'b3 to be the more precise move order.
· � 'if • • i i i � i i .t i
'
� [::,
It It
0-0 ..ic8-g4
l!Jg8-f6 g7-g6 d7-d5 ..if8-g7 d5xc4
� � .i. 'if ttJ � tt:J �� � � � It �� � 9.
-·
lLld7-b6
If 9 ... .i.xf3 I O.gxf3 �c6 1 1 .0-0-0 �b6 1 2.d5 �e5 1 3 .�b i N l!Jxf3 1 4 . .i.e2 l!Je5 I S.f4 llJed7 1 6.h4 White has over whelming compensation for a pawn; After 9 ... cs I O.d5 tt.Ja6 I t .l!Jd2 e6 1 2 . .i.c4 exd5 1 3 .l!Jxd5N b5 1 4.1i'xb5 lbc7 1 5.tt.Jxc7 ...xc7 1 6.f3 l:lab8 1 7 .'ti'a6 l:lxb2 I S .l:lc l l:lb6 1 9.1i'a5 .i.e6 20 ..i.xe6 fxe6 2 1 .0-0 Black has three iso lated pawns to defend while White only has one. White is better. 10. l%a1 -d 1
e7-e6
I O ... .i.xf3 l l .gxf3 e6 1 2.h4 l!Jc6 1 3.e5 h5 1 4 . .i.g2 After f4 next White's bishop pair, powerful g2 bishop on the long di-
Cbapttr 1 I - Russian Systtrn against tbt Griinft.ld
agonal, and possibilities of fS give White a plus; 1 O ...lbc6 1 1 .d5 lbeS 1 2.�e2 lbxf3+ 1 3 .gxf3 �5 1 4-.l:lg 1 ! and now: A) If 1 4...'Wc8 I S.l:lg3 c6 1 6.a4 llJd7 (or 1 6 ...•c7 1 7.a5 lbc8 1 8 .•a3 and White has the initiative on both flanks) 1 7 .aS lbeS I S.Wfl cS 19.lbb5 b6 (equal, says Delchev) 20.�g5 a6 2 J .lbc3 f6 22.�e3 bS 23.f4 ..be2+ 24.lbxe2 c4 25 .•c2 lbd3 26.B gxB 27.lbf4 lbxf4 28.hf+ eS 29.dxe6 'Wxe6 30.exB 'Wc6 3 1 .£3 Wh8 3 2 .J:ld6 White is bener as Black practically plays without the g7 bishop; B) 1 4 ... 'Wd7 I S .l:lg3 c6 1 6.dxc6 'Wxc6 1 7.lbb5 J:lfc8 1 8.lbxa7 J:lxa7 1 9 .hb6 J:laa8 20.a3 and Black has insufficient compensation for the pawn. 11. 1 2. 1 3. 14.
.i.f1 -e2 ltJf3-g1 1 ltJg1 xe2 0-0
ll:Jb8-c6 .tg4xe2 •d8-e7 J:lf8-d8
Here are three alternatives: A) 1 5 . . . lbb4? 1 6.lbe4 h6 1 7 .lbcS White wins a pawn; B) 1 5 ... lba5 ?! 1 6 .•c2 lbac4 1 7.lbe4 ( 1 7.�c 1 cS 1 8.lbe4 cxd4 1 9.�gS, win ning the exchange for a pawn, is also good) 1 7 ...lbxe3 1 8.fxe3 (White benefits from opening the f-fLle while securing the d-pawn) 1 8 ... l!Jd5 1 9 .J:lf3 B 20.exf6 lbxf6 2 l .lbxf6+ Lf6 22.lbf4 - White is much better, with ideas like 'We+, h2-h4, and l:ldfl ; C) I S ... 'Wb4 1 6.'Wc2 h6 1 7.ll:le4 trans poses to the game. 1 6. 17. 18. 1 9.
ll:Jc3-e4 'Wb3-c2 •c2xc41 J:ld1-c1
'We7-b4 'Wb4-c4 ltJb6xc4
• i .i. i ii [5, � [5, ttJ
Instead, if Black plays 1 4 . . . lba5 1 5 .•b5 lbac4 1 6.�g5 •d7 1 7.'Wxd7 lbxd7 1 8.b3 lbd6 1 9 .eS ltJc8 20.d5 lbxeS 2 l .dxe6 fxe6 22.lbb5 l:lfl 23 .l:ld8+ .i.f8 2 4.lbed4 lll b 6 2 5.J:lxa8 lbxa8 26.lbxe6 lbc6 27.l:ld 1 all of White's pieces are superior to their black coun terparts. 1 5. e4-e51
h7-h6
1 5. -
�
ttJ [5, [5, [5, ��
1 9.
NO
ltJc4xb2?1
1 9 ... ll:lb6 20.lbc5 l:ldb8 (after 20 ... l:lab8 2 l .lbxb7 l:lxb7 22.l:lxc6 lbdS 23.ll:lc3 l:lxb2 24-.lbxdS l:lxdS 25.l:lxc7 l:lxa2 26.l:lb l J:ld8 27.g3 gS 28.l:lbb7 J:l£8 29.l:lxa7 l:lxa7 30.:xa7 White is a pawn up with more active pieces, though Black has drawing chances) 2 1 .ll:lxb7 tbxeS 22.lbc5 lbec4 23.lba6 l:lb7 24.b3 lbxe3 25.fxe3 eS 26.J:lxc7 l:lxc7 27 .Ci:Jxc7 l:lc8 1 73
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
28 . .Z:c I and Black has only partial com pensation for the pawn. 20. l:lc1-b1 21. l:lb1 xb7
tbb2-c4 l:l.d8-c8
In case of 2 I . .. .Z:acB 2 2 . .Z:c I lLJ4aS 23.l:b2 Ci:Je7 24.l:tbc2 Ci:JdS 2S . .id2 Ci:Jb7 26.l:b2 tt:lb6 27 .a4 l:dS 2B.l:bb I Black is under heavy queenside pressure and most of his pieces are inferior to White's. tbc4xe3
22. l:lf1 -c1
2 2 . . .lLJ6aS 23 . .l:lb5 .Z:ab8 24 . .l:lc5 .l:lb2 2S .�fl l:txa2 26 . .l:l l xc4 Ci:Jxc4 27 . .l:lxc4 l:la I + 28.lLJc I two knights are better than rook and pawn when the mher rooks are still on the board.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44.
45. 46. 47.
g6xh5 Wf8-g7 e6xf5 f5-f4 Wg7-f8 .i.a3-e7 .i.e7-g5 f4-f3 Wf8-e8 we8-d7 wd7-c8 l:l.d8xd6 1 -0
h4-h5 g4xh5 f4-f5 tbe4-g3 tbg3-f5+ tbf5xh6 tbh6-f5 l:l.b7-b1 h5-h6 h6-h7 l:l.b1 -b7+ tbf5-d6+ e5xd6
-
23. f2xe3 24. wg1 -f2 25. tbe2-f41
.i .i iMi
� 25 . 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
:a:
• j. j_ ' ' ' �� � Cjj {jj � �/�it � �
... l:lc1-b1 l:lb1 xb7 e3xf4 '1ti>f2-e3 a2-a4 we3-d3 wd3-c4 g2-g4 34. h2-h4
1 74
tbc6-e7 tbe7-d5
Aronian,Levon • Grischuk,Alexander
0
Kazan, 20 1 1 ( I )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
d2-d4 c2-c4 tbb1 -c3 tLJg1 -f3 Wd1 -b3 Wb3xc4 e2-e4
tbg8-f6 g7-g6 d7-d5 .i.f8-g7 d5xc4 0-0 a7-a6
This, the Hungarian Variation, is the best one in my opinion. 8. .i.f1 -e2 9. 'ii'c4-b3
l:l.c8-b8 l:l.b8xb7 tbd5xf4 a7-a5 c7-c6 .i.g7-f8 l:l.a8-d8 wg8-g7 .i.f8-a3 wg7-f8
Game 1.1..4
GI 1 o.s (097)
b7-b5
.i � .S. tv .� . ' i i .S. i � ... iV tt:J � � M Jl.
� �
ttJ Jl. � � � M �/�it
Chapter 1 1 9.
·-
c7-c5
In case of 9 . . . �b7 1 O.eS lbds 1 1 .0-0 cS 1 2.dxc5 lLld7 1 3 .lLlxd.S lLlxc5 1 4.lLlxe7 + •xe7 1 S .trb4 (Komodo prefers 1 S .tra3) 1 5 . . . 1:lac8 1 6.�e3 �xf3 1 7 ..i.xf3 1i'xe5 1 8.1:lad 1 lLla4 1 9.b3 lbc3 20 .1:ld2 White keeps the bishop pair on an open board. 9 ... lbc6 I O.eS �e6 I l .exf6 ( 1 1 .1i'd 1 is a safe way to avoid the fireworks if you don't like to give up your queen: 1 1 . . . lLld5 1 2 . 0 - 0 f6 ( 1 2 . . . lbxc3 1 3. bxc3 .i.d 5 1 4 ..i.e 3 was played just before the deadline in Anand-Nepo mniachtchi, Moscow 20 1 1 , which was soon drawn. Komodo suggests 1 4.h4 as an improvement with a normal white edge) 1 3 .exf6 exf6 1 4 .a4 and White keeps an edge due to Black's weak queenside) 1 1 ... �xb3 1 2 .fxg7 �xg7 1 3 .axb3 lLlxd4 1 4.lLlxd4 trxd4 1 5 .0-0 •b4 1 6.�£3 1i'xb3.
-
Russian System against the Griinfeld
be stronger than queen and pawn with the rooks on the board. 1 5 ... c6 is an untried Komodo improve ment over the greedy 1 5 ... 1i'b4, for example: 1 6 . .i.f3 l:lfc8 1 7 .l:le 1 e5 1 8.lLle4.
Analysis diagram
Komodo favors White here, whereas Houdini prefers Black, but I would rather play White. Two bishops and a knight are not quite enough for queen and two pawns, but after �e3 next White should ultimately regain a pawn and stand better. 1 0. d4xc5
Analysis diagram
Here 1 7 .lLldS or 1 7 .l:la3 favor White ac cording to Komodo, though Houdini prefers Black. I think most grandmasters would agree with my preference for White here. He will proba_bly regain two of the three pawns he is down, after which two bishops and a knight should
�c8-e6
1 O ... �b7 1 1 .e5 lLlfd7 1 2.�e3 lbxe5 (if 1 2 ... e6 1 3.0-0 lLlc6 1 4.1:lad 1 trc7 1 S.a4 b4 1 6.lLle4 White's knight will reach d6) 1 3 .1:ld 1 ( 1 3 .lbxe5 �xeS 1 4.1:ld 1 1i'c7 1 5.lLld5 �xd5 1 6.1i'xd5 lLlc6 1 7 . .i.f3 transposes) 1 3 . . . 1i'c7 1 4.lLld5 �xd5 1 S .trxd5 lLlbc6 1 6.lLlxe5 �xeS 1 7.�f3 lba5 1 8.trd7 l:lac8 1 9 .b3 �c3+ 20.�e2 1i'e5 2 I .I:ld5 1i'b8 22.1:lc l , when White has both the better position and the bishop pair. 1 1 . 'ttb3·c2
l!Jb8·d7
In the event of 1 1 ... trc7 1 2.lLld4 �c4 1 3 .�e3 �xe2 1 4 ....xe2 l:ld8 , after 1 75
The Kaufman Rtpenoire for White
1 S.f3N Black cannot regain the sacrificed pawn. In case of 1 l ...lbc6 1 2.0-0 1Wc7 1 3.h3 �b4 1 4.'Wbl 1Wxc5 1 5.a3 llk6 1 6.�e3 1l'd6 1 7 .J:ld 1 11'b8 1 8.1i'c2 1:tc8 I 9.J:lac l N White is a bit better due to the superior ity of the d I rook over the aS rook. 1 2. �c1-e3
:aa-ca
Or 1 2 ... �g4 1 3.�d4 �deS 1 4-.�xeS �xes I S .J:ld I 1Was 1 6.0-0 J:lfd8 1 7 .�dSN �xdS 1 8.exd5 and White keeps an extra pawn and the bishop pair, as 1 8 ... l:txd5 ?? is met by 1 9 .�c3 1l'd8 20.�xe5 Les 2 1 .l:r.xd5 11'xd5 22.�f3 . winning the exchange. 1 3. 14. 15. 1 6.
b5-b4 .ie6xd5 lt:ld7xc5
l:r.a1-d1 lbc3-d5 e4xd5 o-o
K 'i¥ �.--- -·--
.1 . i i .i. i
-·
�·
tains his bishop pair and hence has an edge) 1 8.1l'b l �b6 (after 1 8 . . . l0c5 1 9 .�c4 White has some advantage due to the bishop pair) 1 9 .�a6 l:ta8 20.1l'd3 1l'd6 2 1 .�xb6 ...xb6 22.�c4 l:tac8 2 3.�e5 l:tc7 24.b3 1l'd6 2 5 .1l'e3 �e8 26.f4 - White has a nice space ad vantage although Black's position is solid. 17.
9d8-d6
-
1 7 ... �ce4 1 8.11'e2 1Wc7 1 9.�b3 lbg4 20.�c l �cs 2 I ..ic4 l:tfd8 22 . .ig5 �f6 23 .hf6 �xf6 24.l:tfe l �g7 25.h3 1l'b6 26.l0e5 l:%.d6 2 7 .g4 - White has attacking prospects and a space advantage. 1 8. .ie3-d4
1 8 JUe 1 lDcd7 1 9.1l'e2 lDb6 20.�xb6 11'xb6 2 l .�b3 l:tc7 22.l0e5 - White has an edge due to ideas of�c4 and d5-d6. If 22 ...�e8, 23.l:tc I ! is strong. 18. 1 9. -.c2-e2 -
.I ' 1 6. ...
.. .
� i .t. .i. .t. ... � ·
� · ��
a6-a5
1 6 ... 1l'd6 1 7 .l:tc l 1l'b8 1 8.�c4 l:tfd8 1 9.l:tfd l lbg4 20.�g5 1l'd6 2 I .g3 �eS 22.�e2 - Black doesn't have enough for the bishop pair here. 17. .ie2-c4
An excellent alternative is I 7 .l:r.fe I N �cd7 (if instead 1 7 ... �b7 1 8.1l'd2 lbe4 1 9.1l'd3 �bcS 20.11'b l White re1 76
lt:lc5-d7
1 9.
-
lt:lf6-g4
After 1 9 ... lDh5 20.b3 hd4 2 l .�xd4 �b6 22.l0c6 e6 23.�a7 Black must sac rifice the exchange for a pawn by 23 ... l:txc4 24.bxc4 exd5, so White is better.
Chapter I J - Russian System against the Griinfeld 20. l:lf1-e1 21 . �c4-a6
J:lf8-e8
2 1 .g3 keeps the advantage. 21 . ... 22. �6-b5
J:lc8-a8
Also, 22.�b7 J:lad8 23 .�xg7 �xg7 24 ..i.c6 l!Jgf6 25.1i'b5 leaves Black all tied up. 22. 23. 24. 25.
... J:ld1 xd4 h2-h3 �b5-a4
:e:
i �'
�g7xd4 lbg4-f6 J:la8-b8 J:le8-d8
E � �' ' i "iV � , . £3:, :s
White is still better as Black has trouble unpinning. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33. 34.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43. 44.
... fla7-b7 flb7-e7 J:le1 xe7 l:le7-b7 l:lb7xc7 �d1-b3 �b3-c2 �c2-e4 ttJf3-e5 �e4xd5 l:ld4xb4 J:lb4xb6 �g1-h2 �h2-g3 b2xa3 J:lb6-b3
J:lc8-a8 J:ld8-c8 fld6xe7 ttJf6xd5 l:lc8-c7 ttJd5xc7 a5-a4 ttJc7-d5 l:la8-a5 l:la5-c5 l:lc5xd5 J:ld5xe5 l:le5-e1 + J:le1 -e2 a4-a3 l:le2xa2
26. 1i'e2xe7 In
case of 26.J:lc l l!Jc5 27 ..i.c6 �g7 28.1i'e3 White is still clearly better. 26. ... 27. �a4-d1 28. fle7-a7
lbd7-b6 J:lb8-c8
28.g3 tlJfxdS 29.1i'xd6 J:lxd6 30.�b3 :cs 3 1 .�g2 �g7 32.J:le5 J:ld8 33.l!Je I -
So White won a pawn, but the endgame looks drawn and White could not win it in th end.
177
Chapter 12
King's Indian Defense The King's Indian Defense is very popular in amateur play, but rather rare at the top, with GM Radjabov practically the only top player to rely primarily on it. This does not appear to be because of one refuting line, but rather it is because White seems to have several options that give him at least some edge. My main recommendation is a branch of the Classical (Mar del Plata) line that was developed by GM Georgi Kacheishvili and is also regularly played by his students GM Alex Lenderman and IM Irina Krush. As far as I can tell it is very nearly a refutation of the ... �c6 branch of the King's Indian, which is the main line! White allows Black a scary-looking attack, but hard analysis seems to show that White just wins material on the queenside and beats off the attack. Let's look at the moves: l.d4 lLJf6 2.c4 g6 3.lL!c3 -"g7 (3 .. d5 is the Griinfeld) 4.e4 d6 s.ttJO o-o 6 .i.e2 .
•
:l � .t 'iV :� • � ' ' i i .t i �'
Now 6 .i.g4 has a certain following, which we meet by 7.-i.el ltJfd7 8.l:cl . The black light-squared bishop is quite a valuable piece in the King's Indian, so its exchange should favor White. See Game 1 2. 1 . The move 6 ttJbd7 is an old line with some new ideas, which we meet by 7.0-0 e5 8.-i.el, postponing d4-d5 until Black plays . . . l:e8, since after d4-d5 the rook needs to be on fB to support . . . f7 -f5 . Our follow-up play is similar to the Kacheishvili line. See Game I 2 . 2. The odd-looking 6...tlJa6 is actually quite popular and could even turn out to be Black's best line. The idea is to force the White d4 pawn to move or be exchanged by ... eS, after which the excellent square cS beckons the knight. Of course this is also true of 6 ... �bd7, but 6 ... �a6 has the merit of keeping open the diagonal of the c8 bishop. ••.
•••
1 79
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
We respond 7.0-0 eS 8..ie3 lLlg4 9 .igS 'lt'e8 l O.cheS cheS l l .'it'c l , planning l:ld l and discouraging ... h6. It has the point that when Black finally plays ... fS, we trade pawns and (assuming ... gxfS) play .ih6, since the Black bishop on g7 will now be missed. See Game 1 2. 3 . After 6...es 7.0-0 exd4 (7 ... tlJbd7 and 7 ...tlJa6 transpose to Games 1 2.2 and 1 2.3) 8.ltJxd4 l:le8 9.f3 c6 White keeps a nice space advantage, though these lines are play able for Black. The move 9 ... ltJc6 is primarily an attempt to trade off a lot of minor pieces and make a draw, although Black faces an uphill struggle to achieve that goal. The other option 9 . . . c6 is far more ambitious; Black accepts a severe space disadvan tage but hopes to prove that White is overextended after I 0. �h I tlJhS I l .g4 ltJf6 1 2 . .if4. With accurate play White can gradually drive Black back and make pro�ress. See Game 1 2.4. More usual is the classical 7...lL!c6 8.dS tlJe7, but first we look at the rare but promis ing move 8 . .ie3. I give this as my 'plan B' in case the Kacheishvili plan is found to be dubious or if you just want a safer option. Black can choose between the complex but risky 8 ...lLlg4 9 .igS f6 l O..icl or the supposedly equalizing 8...l:le8. But as I show in Game 1 2.5, 9.cheS cheS 10.h3!, planning gradual queenside expansion, is not quite equal; Black will have to work to get a draw. After the usual 7... lLlc6 8.dS ltJe7, White has several options, but we are playing 9.lLlel lLld7 (for 9 . . . tlJe8 see Game 1 2.6) I O..ie3 fS l l .f3 f4 12 .if2 gS . This line had a bad reputation for White for many years due to many games in which Black won with vicious mating attacks, but I will show that this should not happen. White now plays the rare 1 3.l:lcl ( 1 3 .tlJd3 being far more common) . Now Black can choose between a crude attack based on ... l:l-f6-h6 or a more patient build-up involving ... g6-gS, . . . h7-hS, and eventually ... gS-g4. We meet 1 3 ...l:lf6 by 1 4.tlJd3 l:lh6 I S .cS, when it turns out that the simple I S ... 'lt'e8 1 6.ltJbS 'lt'hS threatening mate is met by the pawn sacrifice 1 7 .h4, after which White is winning material on the queenside while Black's attack isn't effective. See Game 6. If Black prevents the knight incursion by I S ... a6 then 1 6.c6 switches the battle to the queenside where White is better. See Game 1 2. 7 . More often Black plays 1 3 ...ltJg6. Then we play Kacheishvili's move, the rare 14-.lLlbS I. If Black prepares to attack by 14 ... lLlf6 White can now play l S.cS, which should lead to a battle of three White pawns (two being advanced passers) for a piece, which probably favors White. See Game 1 2.8. Finally we come to the appar ently best line for Black, namely 14... b6, which stops both tlJxa7 and c4-cS. We have to continue l S.M, after which we are driven back by 1 S ... a6 1 6.lLlc3. Then Black at tacks on the kingside while we break through on the queenside. You might ask what we got for the two tempi spent on tlJbS and tlJc3 ? Black spent those tempi on ... a6 and ... b6, and there is a general rule that pawn moves on your weak flank tend to make things worse for you. White is surely better, but perhaps Black can hold. See Game 1 2.9. •
•
•
1 80
Chapter I 2 Game 12.1
KI 1 9.7 (E9 1 )
Ezat,Mohamed • Guseinov,Gadir
0
Ningbo, 20 1 1 (9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 tLlb1 -c3 e2-e4 .if1 -e2 tLlg1 -f3
tlJg8-f6 g7-g6 .if8-g7 d7-d6 0-0 .ic8-g4
-
Kings Indian Defcnst
8 ...cS 9.dS tLla6 {instead 9 ... a6 transposes to the game) I 0.0-0 li:Jc7 1 1 .h3 .i.xf3 I 2..�.xf3 a6 1 3 .a4 l:le8 1 4.1Vd2 l:lb8 I S ..ie2 e6 1 6.l:lfe l exdS 1 7.exd5 1Ve7 1 8.aS 1ff8 1 9 .l:lb 1 fS 20.tLla4
This is a decent alternative to the usual 6 ... e5. The problem for Black is that this is his 'good' bishop, which is now des tined to be exchanged. Analysis diagram
7. .ic1-e3
Usually you should meet ....i.g4 by .i.e3!. It relieves the indirect pressure on d4 and there is no longer a concern about ... tLlg4. 7.
•••
tlJf6-d7
This retreat is the best way to put pressure on d4. The knight is no longer useful on f6.
.1 � � • • ' ' ' � ' i .i. i ' . '
-� ''
8. :a1 -c1
I don't recommend 8 .0-0 tLlc6 9.d5 .i.xf3 I o . .i.xf3 tLlaS l l . .ie2 Lc3 1 2.bxc3 e5. This scores fairly well for Black. The dou bled backward pawns and isolated pawn offset the bishop pair. 8. ...
White is better. Not only does he have the two bishops, but he can play b2-b4 next unless Black plays ... b7-b6 (or ... b7-b5) first, which after the trades leaves his a pawn rather weak; 8 . . . eS 9.d5 and now: A) 9 ... f5 I O.lLlgS f4 {if I O ... .i.xe2 1 1 .1Vxe2 li:JcS 1 2.exf5 gxf5 1 3 .h4!N h6 1 4.b4 f4 1 5.bxc5 hxg5 1 6 ..i.d2 gxh4 1 7 .tLle4 tLla6 1 8.cxd6 cxd6 1 9. 1Vh5 li:JcS 20.tLlg5 l:lf6 2 1 .1i'h7+ �f8 22.l:lxh4 ...e8 23 ..i.b4 White wins at least a clean pawn) l l . .i.xg4 ...xg5 1 2.i.d2 li:JcS 1 3.0-0 aS 1 4.f3 ...e7 I S.b3
a7-a6
I� I•
�
•• � .i., .t. ' ' �� '
-
� � lZJ
� ll 'if
� .�. �
�
�� � <;t>
Analysis diagram
181
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
White's monster unopposed light-squared bishop gives him a dear plus. I teach that when you have the bishop pair and the opponent's single bishop is a bad one (as here) , you have enough compensation for a pawn. So in effect White is a pawn up; B) 9 ... a5 1 0 .0-0 lLla6 l l .a3 fS 1 2.:b1 lLlacS 1 3 .b4 axb4 1 4.axb4 lLlxe4 1 5 .lLlxe4 hf3 1 6.i.xf3 fxe4 1 7 .i.g4 b6 1 8.i.e6+ �h8 1 9.'tWc2 lLlf6
.i
i
i
i:
'if
� .! i
· � � ... � .�. � � .t. � 'if ��� �
This attempt to play like the Benko Gam bit is not forced, but White keeps an an noying spatial edge otherwise, see I O ...'tt b6 l l .i.dl tLleS 1 2.tLlxe5 i.xe2 1 3 .lLlxe2 i.xeS 1 4.b3 lLld7 I 5.0-0 and White has more space with no negatives. He can try for a kingside attack. 11. 12. 13. 14.
i:
��
Analysis diagram
20.:a 1 Black's extra pawn is a doubled pawn that can never be supported by an other pawn, so very low value. In return White has the bishop pair, a monster un opposed bishop on e6, and more space. He has the plan of c4-c5 . In sum, a clear white advantage. 9. d4-d5 1 0. a2-a4
c7-c5
'if i: . � .t. .t. .! .t. .t. .t. .�. � � � .! t2J � tU � �� � � � 'iV w 1 0. ...
1 82
b7-b5
�
a4xb5 c4xb5 •d1 -c2 0-0
a6xb5 lbd7-b6 lbb8-d7
'if :a • � .t. .t. .! .t. � .t. 1 .t. �· � � .! t2J � tU �� �� � � �
14. ...
n� �g4xf3
1 4 ... :as I S.:a t •as 1 6.:xa5 'tWxaS 1 7 .i.gSN - this annoying move keeps the edge. Black's compensation for the pawn dries up if he exchanges bishops or plays passive defense here. 1 5. �e2xf3 1 6. �e3-f4
llJb6-c4 •d8-a5
.i
:� • .. i .t. .! .t. .t. .t. 'if � .t. � � �� � t2J � 'if ��� n
��
Chapter I 2 17. lLlc3-d1 1N
8. ...
The game went 1 7 ..ig5?! J:tfe8 1 8 . .ie2 ti'b4 (White probably underestimated this move) 1 9.li:ld I li:lxb2 20.J:tb I J:ta2 2 1 .li:lxb2 l:txb2 22.l:txb2 'ifxb2 23 .'ifxb2 bb2= and petered out to a draw. 17. 18. 1 9. 20.
... �f3-e2 �'4-d2 lLld1 -e3
lLld7-b6 lLlc4-e5 1Wa5-a7
Black's compensation for the pawn is fad ing. True, the White pawn structure looks bad, but White also has the bishops and the hope of a timely b4.
Game 12.2
KI 1 3.3 (E93) D
Lenderman.Alex
• Pruijssers.Roeland Amsterdam, 2 0 1 1 (8) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlb1 -c3 e2-e4 tt::lg 1 -f3 �f1 -e2
tLlg8-f6 g7-g6 i.f8-g7 d7-d6 0-0 e7-e5
6 ... li:lbd7 7.0-0 eS transposes. 1.
o-o
tt::lb8-d7
8. �c1-e3
.I .t tv i i i� i
.. . i .t i �i
i 888 ttJ � ttJ 88 �8 8 8 'if n � �
-
Kings Indian Defense
l:tf8-e8
8 ... llJg4 9.i.g5 f6 I O . .id2 li:lh6 I I .'ifc2 li:lf7 1 2 . .ie3 c6 1 3 . .J:lad l 'ife7 1 4.b4 .J:le8 I S .dS - note that White only plays dS when Black has played ... .J:le8, as then the indicated plan of .. .fS needs the rook on f8. White has more space and a queenside initiative while Black has no kingside at tack; 8 ... c6 9 .dS c5 I O.llJe I llJe8 I I .llJd3 fS I 2.exf5 gxfS 1 3 .f4 e4. This looks good for Black but the plan shown here favors White: 1 4.tbf2 .ixc3 I S .bxc3 tbdf6 1 6.h3 ¢>h8 1 7 .�h2 l:lg8 I S.l:tg I 1i'e7 1 9.g4; 8 ... exd4 9.tbxd4 tbcS I O.f3 aS l l .'ifd2 J:te8 1 2.J:tad l .id7 1 3 .J:tfe l a4 1 4. .ifl 'ifb8 1 S .tLldbS .ixbS 1 6.cxbSN tbfd7 1 7 .llJdS li:le6 1 8.J:tc I 'ifd8 1 9 . .J:led I - White has the bishop pair, more active pieces, and pressure on c7. 9. d4-d5 1 0. g2-g3 1 1 . tt::lf3-e1
lLlf6-h5 �g7-f8 lLlh5-g7
.I .t 'if .l .t • iii& i&i i i 8i 8 8 ttJ � 8 88 �8 8 'ii ttJ a: � � This regrouping is played and recom mended by the strong grandmaster Bologan, but White meets it easily here. 1 2. tt::le1 -d3
White simply does not allow .. .fS-f4 to be safely played. 1 83
The Kaufman Repertoire for White 1 2.
f7-f5
-·
1 2 ...�e7 1 3 .'tfd2 fS 1 4.f3 transposes to the game.
1 9. 20. 21 . 22.
..te2xg4 lbc3-b5 lbb5xa7 lba7-b5
�h3xg4 l:le8-f8 .:tf8-f3
1 3. f2-f3
This is the same set-up we play against the main line 7 ... tt:lc6, except here g2-g3 was inserted, which prevents .. .f4. 1 3. ... 14. 'ttd 1 -d2
�f8-e7 lbd7-f6
For 1 4... J:lf8 1 S.J:lac l ttlf6 1 6.cS , see next note. f5xe4
15. c4·c5
After I S ... J:lf8 1 6.l:lac l fxe4 1 7 .fxe4 �h3 1 8.J:lf2 hS 1 9.�fl �d7 20.cxd6 �xd6 2 1..�. g S ...e7 22 .�g2 White has more space and targets on eS and c7 for free. 1 6. f3xe4
E
.t 'i¥ 1 .t
���
�
• �� �·
� � · � tU tU � � � � � 'IV � � a: w 1 6. -
..tc8-h3
In case of 1 6 . . . liJg4 1 7 .�xg4 �xg4 1 8.ttlf2 �d7 1 9.c6 bxc6 20.dxc6 �xc6 2 l .ttlg4 Wh8 22.liJh6 •cs 23 .l:lf2 White has a very strong attack for just one pawn. 17. .:tf1-c1 1 8. c5xd6
1 84
ltjf6-g4 c7xd6
White has 'stolen' a pawn without too much risk. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32.
·-
•d2xe3 •e3-f2 l:lc1 -f1 e4xf5 lbb5xd6 ·f2-f7+ •t7-e6 �g1 -h1 lbd6-f7+ •e6-f6+
l:lf3xe3 �e7-g5 'ttd8·a5?? tt:lg7-f5 ..ig4xf5 ..if5xd3 c;t;>g8-h8 ..ig5-e3+ 'tta5·c5 wh8-g7 1-0
KI 1 5. 7 (E9 1 )
Game 12.3
Arencibia Rodriguez,Walter • Bojkov,Dejan
0
Montreal, 20 1 1 (3)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lbb1 -c3 e2-e4 l!Jg1 -f3 �f1-e2
l0g8-f6 g7-g6 �f8-g7 d7-d6 o-o
l2Jb8-a6
Chapter 12 - Kings Indian Defmsc
Black can reverse his sixth and seventh moves. The order chosen avoids the Ex change Variation. This line was quite popular a decade or so ago but is fading
1 1 .1tb3 planning 1Wa3 is an eccentric but promising new idea, but I prefer the game move.
'i!V .i . 1. 1. 1. I.
now.
7. o-o 8. �c1 -e3
e7-e5
�
.i j_ 'if 1. 1. 1. I. �
�
.. . 1. 1. 1. � 1.
ttJ �� � � :�
I. � � � ttJ � ttJ �� �� �� : 'iY � � 8.
-
�f6-g4
After 8 ...1We8 9.dxe5 dxeS I O.a3 tlJg4 l l .�gS f6 1 2.�c l tlJcS 1 3.b4 tlJe6 1 4.c5 White has a large space advantage and can use c4 for either bishop or knight. 9. �e3-g5 1 0. d4xe5
•d8-e8
I o.:e I exd4 J l .tlJdS is also promising for White, but unnecessarily complex for lhis book. 1 0. In
d6xe5
case of I O ... lbxeS l l .lbd4 tlJc6 1 2.ltJdb5 fs 1 3.exf5 hfs 1 4.1id2 1td7 I S.:ad I N tlJcS 1 6.�e3 b6 1 7 .lbds :ac8 1 8.f3 a6 1 9.lbbc3 White's superior knight outpost and more mobile pawns give him the edge. 1 1 . 'fld1-c1
�
1 1 . ...
c7-c6
1 1 .. .h6 1 2..�h4 fs 1 3 .h3 lbf6 1 4.exf5 gxfS I S.1i'e3 tlJd7 1 6.lbd5N e4 1 7 .lbd2 �h7 I S.:ab l liJdc5 1 9.:fe l 'flf7 20.b4 lbe6 2 1 .tlJxe4 fxe4 22.1i'xe4+ �h8 23.�d3 lbgS 24.1We3 �e6 2S.hg5 �xdS 26.cxd5 hxgS 2 7.b5 l:lae8 28.1Wxg5 llxe l + 29 .1lxe l 1Wxf2+ 30.c�h2 g8 3 1 .1thS 1tf4+ 3 2.�b l tfb6 3 3.1i'xh6 hh6 34.bxa6 bxa6 35 .1le6 �f4 36.1lxa6 - White is two pawns ahead, though the bishops of op posite color give Black some drawing hopes. 1 2. l:f1-d1
f7-f6
1 2 ... h6 1 3.�d2 �b7 1 4.h3 lbf6 1 5.�e3 'fle7 1 6.c5 lbc7 1 7 .'flc2N liJhS 1 8 .l:ld6 i.e6 1 9.l:ad I lbf4 20.i.fl White's domi nation of the open file gives him the edge. He can expand on the queenside or prepare the expulsion of the outposted black knight. 1 3. �g5-d2 14. h2-h3 1 5. e4xf5
f6-f5 tLlg4-f6
1 85
The Kaufman Repenoire for Whire
�xf5 22.11'xf5 1i'b6+ 23.�h2 1i'xb2 24.ltJxe4 ltJxe4 25.1i'xe4 l:lae8 26.1:lab l l:lxe4 27.1:lxb2 ltJcS 28.g3 �g7 29.1:ldd2 - White is a pawn up and has a threaten ing three to one majority. 1 9. c4·c51
1 9 ... ltJxc5? 20.�c4+ and White wins material. 1 5. -
g6xf5
l 5 . . . �xf5 1 6.�h6 �xh6 1 7.1i'xh6 e4 1 8.ltJd4 - White has the better pawn structure, better-placed pieces, and the better bishop. 1 6. �d2·h6
•c5·e5 20. l:la1·c1 21 . �e2-c4+ �c8-e6 22. l:ld1 -d71 l:lf8-f7
.i ' '
�
This turns the advanced Black kingside pawns into more ofliability than an asset. 1 6. -
e5-e4
It's hecessary to chase the knight, but it leaves Black with a bad bishop. 17. ttJf3·h4 1 8. •c1 xh6
.1g7xh6
1 8. -
•ee-e7?
1 8 ... 1i'e5 ! 1 9.f4 1i'c7 (after 1 9 ... exf3 20.ltJxf3 1i'g3 2 J .I:lfl llJc5 22.1:lad I White has better pawns, better bishop, and the file.) 20.1i'g5+ �h8 2 1 .ltJxf5 1 86
� �
� '
.br :i ' .i. � 'i¥ 1. � ttJ
a:
�
' � �
ttJ �
w
23. •h6-g5+1
This was winning. The actual game went 23.i..x e6? •xe6 24.11'g5+ �h8 25 .1:lxf7 11'xf7 26.ltJxf5 l:lg8 27 .1i'e3 1i'g6 28.ltJg3 (White is still better but not clearly winning) 28 ... 1:le8 29.1:ld l ltJb4 30.I:ld6 ltJfd5 3 1 .1i'd4+ 1i'g7 32.1i'xg7+ Wxg7 3 3.ltJcxe4 ltJxa2 34.1:ld7+ Wg6 3 5.1:lxb7 aS 3 6.1:ld7 ltJab4 3 7.1:ld6+ �f7 38.f3 a4 39.ltJf5 l:la8 40.ltJd4 l:la6 4 J .I:ld7+ �g8 42.ltJc5 (42.ltJe6 wins) 42 ... 1:la5 43.ltJce6 l:la8 44.ltJfS l:le8 45.ltJh6+ �h8 46.1:lg7 and Black re signed, as it's mate after 46 ... 1:lf8 47.1:lg8+! l:lxg8 48.ltJf7+. 23. 24. �c4xe6
¢'g8·f8 11'e5xe6
Chapter I 2 25. l:ld7xf7+ 26. �h4xf5
•e6xf7
White will win at least a pawn with a continued attack on the black king.
Game 12.4
KI 1 5.3 (E94)
Gelfand,Boris • Grischuk,Alennder
0
9. ..
-
King's Indian Defense
c7·c6
.
This is the way to play for a win as Black here. 9 ... lLic6 is Black's best bet if he wants to seek a draw by trading lots of pieces: I O . .ie3 lLihS l l ..d 2 lLif4 1 2.l:lfd I lLixd4 1 3..�.xd4 .ixd4+ 14 .•xd4 lLixe2+ 1 5.lLixe2 b6 1 6.lLic3 .ib7
Monaco blind, 20 I I (2)
1 . d2-d4
It's only a blindfold game, but the two players became the two finalists in the Candidates' matches a short time later with the winner, Gelfand, to play Anand for the World Championship in 20 1 2. 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. •
. c2-c4 �b1 -c3 e2-e4 �g1 -f3 �f1 ·e2 0-0 ..
�g8-f6 g7-g6 �f8-g7 d7-d6 0-0 e7-e5 e5xd4
If the Kacheishvili line really refutes 7 ... lLic6 this may turn out to be Black's relatively best move. White has to play well to keep his advantage in the game. 8. ti::lf3xd4 9. f2-f3
l:lf8-e8
.i � ..t 'i.V .i � i ..t i ' ' ' ' �·
Analysis diagram
1 7 .lLidS ( 1 7 .l:lac I might be a better winning try: 1 7 ...•g5 1 8 .•d2 •es 1 9.lLid5 .ixdS 20.cxd5 l:le7 2 1 .l:%c4 bS 22. l:lc6 fS 23 .exf5 •xfS 24.l:ldc I White's edge is less clear than in the end game with I 7 .tt:ldS , but a draw is far less likely here) 1 7 ... .i.xdS 1 8 .cxdS •gs 1 9.l:lac l l:le7 20 .•d2 •es (trading queens obvious gives White a favorable endgame due to the pressure on c7 , though whether that's enough to give good winning chances I don't know. Moving the queen to e5 only delays the trade) 2 1 . l:lc4 l:ld8 22 .• c3 .xc3 (Black couldn't avoid the trade any lon ger) 23.l:lxc3 aS 24.l:ldc l l:ldd7 2S .�f2 �g7 26.b3 hS 27.l:lc4 - only White can hope to win, but I would bet on a draw here. 10. �g1-h1
ti::lf6·h5
1 87
The Kaufman Repertoire for While
This move is 'hot' now. Black provokes g2-g4 hoping to prove that it is weaken ing. 1 0 ... 'Llbd7 l l ..if4 'Lle5 ( l l ... lLlhS ! ? (gambit) l 2.bd6 1Wf6 1 3.lLlb3 lbf4 1 4.cS aS I S.i.xf4N 1Wxf4 1 6.lba4 Black really has only the bishop pair for his pawn, so not enough. since he can't move his knight due to 'Llb6) 1 2.1Wd2 aS 1 3 .i.gs
22.l:lxd6 1Wxd6 23.1Wxa7 and Black has litde for the pawn. 1 3. g4-g5 14. ed1 -d2 1 5. Da 1 -d1
lLlf6-h7 lLlb8-d7 Wd8-e7
1 6. Df1 -e1 N
With more space, a pin, and pressure on d6, White is better. 1 1 . g2-g4 12. �c1 -f4
tbh5-f6
.i � .t. 'i¥ .1 � • -*- • • • •• • � · � {jj � � � � CiJ �� � � M iV Ii w 1 2. ...
h7-h5
1 2 ... 1We7 1 3.ltJc2 .if8 (so far Daniel Gurevich-Gareev, Orlando 20 I I ) 1 4.1Wd2N lLlbd7 1 5.l:lad 1 ltJeS 1 6.�e3 i.e6 1 7 .b3 lLled7 1 8.i-f4 lbeS 1 9.cS l:lad8 20.1We3 i.cs 2 l .cxd6 l:lxd6 1 88
The actual game went 1 6.1:lg 1 ?! 'LleS 1 7 .1i'e l ?! ltJf8 1 8 .1i'f2 a6 1 9 .lLlb3 i.e6=. White later got some advantage but went on to lose the game. 1 6. -
After 1 6 ... ltJhf8 1 7 . .ig3 White will con tinue to gain space with b2-b3, h2-h4, and f3-f4. 1 7. �f4-e3 1 8. f3-f4
�c8-h3
Now we see why 1 6.1:lg I was not good. In case of 1 8 ... lbg4. White needs the g 1 square for the bishop. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22.
-
�e2·f3 Wd2·f2 b2-b4 ll:ld4·e2
lbe5-d7 Da8-d8 lbd7-c5 lbc5-e6
Following the rule: with more space, avoid trades. Now White threatens either 23.ha7 or 23.1Wg3.
Chapter 1 2 - King's Indian Defense
:i i • .l 'if .l .t. � i i� i � i
�
�� ��
�� ttJ
.a
tt:J fV
� �
na 22. 23. 24. 25. 26 . 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
-·
'lff2-g3 ..Q.f3xg4 'lfg3xg4 f4-f5 .ie3-d4 •g4xg5 'lfg5-g1 :e1 -f1 :d1-d3 'lfg1 -g2 tt:le2xc3 34. tbe3-e4
f7-f6 ..Q.h3-g4 h5xg4 f6xg5 tt:le6-f8 tt:lh7-f6 t!Jf6xe4 We7-h4 ..Q.g7-e5 g6-g5 t!Je4xc3 t!Jf8-h7
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
:i .t. 'iW i i i �i
g7-g6 ..Q.f8-g7 d7-d6 0-0 e7-e5 t!Jb8-e6
i
•• i -*. i .. i
� � � . ttJ � tt:J �� � � � � 'iY :t::r \t> :ti A rather rare move, but it is the safe route to a modest advantage if you don't want the risk of the Kacheishvili line. 8.
El
e2-e4 lDb1 -e3 e2-e4 tbg1 -f3 ..Q.f1 -e2 0-0 ..Q.e1 -e3
•
�
-·
:f8-e8
This is supposed to be the equalizer here, since if9.d5 lLld4=. But it seems that White is somewhat better after taking on e 5. 8 ... exd4 9 .lLlxd4 :es 1 O.f3 transposes to move 9, note to Gelfand-Grischuk; 8 . . . lLlg4 9 . .ig5 f6 I O . .ic l (instead I O . .ih4 is also good but perhaps more double-edged) and now :
White has the advantage, with ideas like l:th3 or even sometimes taking on a7. KI 8. 1 2 (E9 7) 0
Game 12.5
Feller,Sebastian
• Grischuk,Aleunder Khanty-Mansiysk, 20 I I (2)
1 . d2-d4
tt:lg8-f6
Analysis diagram
1 89
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
A) In case of I O ... Wh8 l l .dS C!Je7 1 2.tbe I fS 1 3 ..i.xg4 fxg4 1 4 . .i.e3 C!JgB I S .a4N White has a standard queenside initiative, while the doubled pawns ruin Black's usual kingside play based on f4; B) 1 o . . .fs 1 1 .-i.gs •es 1 2.dS tbe7 1 3 .tbd2 tbf6 1 4.f3 h6 I S ..i.h4 .i.d7 1 6 . .i.f2 tbhS I 7 .cS tbf4 1 8.a4 and with ideas like aS and tbc4 White's queenside initiative is much faster than Black's kingside play; C) I O exd4 I l .tbxd4 tbxd4 (in case of 1 l . . . fS 1 2.tbxc6 bxc6 1 3 .exfS gxfS 1 4.h3 tbeS I S. f4 tbg6 1 6 ..i.f3 .i.d7 I 7 .�e3 White's far superior pawn structure gives him the advantage. He will aim to exchange off Black's best-placed piece by .i.d4) 1 2 ... xd4 .i.e6 ( 1 2 ... fS 1 3 .'iVdS+ Wh8 1 4. .i.xg4 fxg4 I S . .ie3 c6 1 6 ...d3 .i.e6 I 7 .l:lad I .ies 1 8 . .id4 'iVf6 1 9 .b3 l:lad8 20.l:ld2 - without the bishop pair Black has no compensation for this doubled pawns and slightly bad remaining bishop) 1 3 .'iVd I and now: •..
'ii' g � .i 1. .t. l. .t. l. 1. 1. 1. .1. � lZJ
�
�
�� Jl � � � l:r JA, � M �
set all of this. White may consider the plan .i.-f2-h4; C2) 1 3 . . ... d7 l 4.cS { 1 4.tbdS fS I S .exfS .i.xfS 1 6.tbxc7 'iVxc7 1 7 . .ixg4 ..xc4 1 8.-i.xfS) 1 4 ... dxcS I S ... xd7 .ixd7 1 6.l:ld l .i.e6 1 7 .ClJdS .ixdS 1 8.l:lxdS fS 1 9.h3 tbf6 2 0.l:lxcS tbxe4 2 1 .l:lxc7 b6 22 . .i.e3 .ixb2 23 .l:ld 1 .i.es 24.l:le7 .i.f6 2 S .l:lb7 and the rook on the 7th rank plus the strong bishop pair give White more than enough for a pawn; C3) 1 3 ... fS 1 4.exf5 gxf5 I S .tbdS White's better pawn structure and knight outpost give him the edge. 9. d4xe5
d6xe5
9 ... tbxeS I O.tbxe5 dxeS ( I O ... l:lxeS l l .f3 l:le8 1 2.'iVd2 .i.e6 1 3.l:lad l C!Jd7 1 4.f4 fS I S . .i.d4N White will have a safer king and either a nice square (dS) for a knight or a weak d6 pawn to attack if Black keeps the knight out by ... c6.) l l . ... xd8 l:lxd8 1 2.C!JbS
� .t. 1. .t.
.t.
� ...
� Jl Jl � � � :g � Analysis diagram
Analysis diagram
C 1 ) 1 3 ... tbe5 1 4.f4 tbc6 I S.fS �fl 1 6.b3 tbeS 1 7 ..i.e3 c6 1 8 ...d2 •as I 9 .l:lad I White has space, pressure on a weak pawn, and far superior bishops. One well-placed Black knight cannot off1 90
A) After 1 2 . . . lDe8 1 3 .lDxa7 .i.e6 l 4.tbb5 Black has too little for the pawn; B) 1 2 ... l:ld7 1 3.f3 b6 1 4.cS a6 I S.tba3 b5 1 6.lDc2 - White has much better de velopment and more space, and the plan oftbb4;
Chapter 1 2 - Kings fndian Defense
C) 1 2 ... �g4 1 3 .f3 c6 1 4.ll:Jc7 l:ac8 I S .fxg4 lbxe4 1 6. l:ad I l:xd I I 7 .l:xd I �f8 I S.ll:JdS cxdS 1 9.l:xdS f6 20.h4 �cS 2 l .�xcS ll:Jxc5 22.gS fxgS 23.hxgS e4 24.�f2 aS 2S .'.te3 Wf7 26.a3 a4 27 .Wd4 b6 28.l:d6 l:b8 29.We3 We7 30.l:c6 - White's pieces are attacking pawns while Black's are just defending. 10. h2-h31
White scores 6S% from grandmaster level games. 10. ...
here
in
.ic8-e6
I O ... h6 l l .c5 ..ie6 1 2 ....a4 ...c8 1 3.l:fd l a6 1 4.llJd5 llJhS I S.l:ld2 �d7
if I • i i .t i .t I. ii
:i
� � tt:J i
�� �
�
� � tt:J � 1:[ � � �
Analysis diagram
1 6.l:ad I !N ll:Jd4 1 7 ...aS and White has winning pressure on c7 and on the d-file. 11. l:lf1 -e1
h7-h6
In
case of I l ...l:lc8 1 2.l:lb i N a6 1 3.b4 White has a nice space advantage and a queenside initiative at no cost. 1 2. 1 3. 14. 1 5. 1 6. 17.
•d1 -c1 l:le1-d1 •c1 -c2 •c2-b3 'tfb3-c2 'tfc2-a4
�g8-h7 ...d8-c8 �c6-b4 �b4-c6 �c6-b4 �b4-c6
:i
.i if i i i -�
'iV �� t(
I. A .
� � ttJ
!
�
' c'-�
� � tt:J � �� � �
18. a2-a3
The fact that White avoided the draw de spite a considerable rating deficit suggests that he felt he had a meaningful advan tage. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21. 22. 23.
"'
'tfa4-c2 l:la1 xd1 l!Jc3-d5 'tfc2-d2 b2-b4
l:le8-d8 l:ld8xd1 + •ca-h8 �f6-e8 l:la8-d8 a7-a6
��
if i .t • .t i i ttJ i �� � � � tt:J � VJ!i � � � �
�
24. b4-b5
Perhaps better was 24.�c5N �f8 2S . ..i.xf8 ...xfS 26.bS axbS 27 .cxbS tLld4 28 .tLlxd4 exd4 29 ....xd4 �xdS 30.a4 l:ld7 3 l .exdS. This is similar to the game but with queens still on the board. I think this increases White's chances of convert ing his extra pawn. 191
The Kaufman Repenoire for While 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 .
... c4xb5 tt:Jf3xd4 .ie3xd4 •d2xd4 J:ld 1 xd4 J:ld4-d3 e4xd5
a6xb5 tl:lc6-d4 e5xd4 �g7xd4 •h8xd4 �h7-g7 i.e6xd5 b7-b6
Although White is a pawn up, Black's knight vs. bad bishop gives him good drawing chances. 32. a3-a4 33. J:ld3-e3 34. J:le3-c3 35 . .ie2-g4 36. �g1-h2 37. f2-f4 38. .ig4-f3 39. l:tc3-c6 40. g2-g4 41 . h3xg4 42. �h2-g3 43. J:lc6-c1
44.
�g7-f6 tt:le8-d6 J:ld8-e8 J:le8-e1 + J:le1 -e7 h6-h5 J:le7-d7 �-e7 h5xg4 �e7-d8 tt:ld6-c8 J:ld7-e7
...
45. g4xf5 46. J:lc1 -c6
1 92
a4-a5 �g3-f4 d5-d6 d6xe7+ a5-a6 �4-e4 �e4-d5 54. b5xc6 55. �d5-e6 56. �e6xf6
tt:Jd6xf5+ llJf5-d4 llJd4xc6 llJc6xe7 tt:Je7-c8 tt:Jc8-a7 c7-c6+ �d8-c7 tt:Ja7xc6 1f2-112
KI 2. 1 {E98)
D
Game 12.6
Krush,Irina
• Dembo,Yelena
Khanty-Mansiysk, 20 I 0 (9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
d2-d4 c2-c4 llJb1 -c3 e2-e4 tl:Jg1 -f3 .if1-e2 0-0 d4-d5 tt:Jf3-e1
tt:Jg8-f6 g7-g6 .if8-g7 d7-d6 o-o
e7-e5 tt:Jb8-c6 tt:Jc6-e7
f4-f5?1
44.Wf2 tl:Jd6 4S.g5 retains the extra pawn but probably only draws. 44.
47. 48. 49. 50. 51 . 52. 53.
g6xf5 f7-f6 ttlc8-d6
9. ...
tt:Jf6-d7
9 . . . ttle8 I O ..ie3 fs l l .f3 f4 1 2 . .if2 gs 1 3 .cS (with the knight on d7 this move requires preparation) 1 3 ... h5 1 4.cxd6 cxd6 ( 1 4 ... tl:Jxd6 I S.tt:ld3 ttlg6 1 6.a4 l:tf7 I 7 .aS - White scored four out of four in
Chapter 1 2 - Kings Indian Defense
grandmaster-level play from here. Black has trouble achieving ... g5-g4 without a knight on f6) I S.l:lc l lLig6 1 6.a4 l:lf7 1 7 .llJbS a6 1 8.llJa3 l:lb8 1 9 .ll:\c4 bS 20.llJb6 l:lxb6 2 1 .l:lxc8 Wxc8 22.�xb6 llJf6 23 .'iWc2 'iWb8 24.a5 - White has more space and the bishops. Black cannot mount a strong attack without the light squared bishop. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3.
�c1 -e3 f2-f3 �e3-f2 l:la1 -c1
f7-f5 f5-f4 g6-g5
Irina is a student of grandmaster Kacheishvili and so plays his system. 1 3. ""
l:lf8-f6
This is a dangerous attacking system, but if you study the games in this book you will do fme. 14. ttJe1 -d3 1 5. c4-c5
'tt'd8-e8?1
Black should first prevent 1 6.llJb5 by I 5 ... a6 as in the next game. 1 6. ltJc3-b5 1 7. h2-h41 1 8. g2-g4
'tt'e8-h5 ttJe7-g6
1 8.g3 fxg3 transposes.
f4xg3 l£Jg6-f4
1 9 ...ll:\xh4? 20.ltJxc7 l:lb8 2 1 .llJe6+-. Black's attack may look scary but it is harmless and White's vastly superior po sition will decide the game. 20. ttJb5xc7
'tt'h5-g6
20 ... l:lb8 2 1 .cxd6 'iWg6 22.�h I trans poses. 21 . �g1 -h1 22. c5xd6
l:la8-b8 ttJd7-f8
In case of 22 ... g4 23.l:lg l ltJf8 24.l:lc2 �d7 2 5 .�fl +- White is two pawns up and his king is safe now.
E ..t 1 i ttJ
l:lf6-h6
E ..t if 1 1 1 .. � i ��1 1 �1 tb tb � �� �� � � :S 'iY M � 15. "'
1 8. ... 1 9. �f2xg3
��
� �1 1 �� � ttJ � �
:s �
�
n
�
23. l:lf1 -g1 1
White wrongly played 23.lLie6, presum ably to prevent 23 ... 'iWxd6, but this was unnecessary: 23 .ltJe6? ltJh S ? 24.�xe5? �xe6 2 5 .dxe6 Wxe6 26.�h2 gxh4 27.llJf2 llJg3 + 28.�g l ? 'iWxd6= and Black eventually won. 23. ... •g6xd6 24. ltJd3xf4 e5xf4 25. .ig3-f2+-
White has an extra pawn, two connected central passers, and the initiative. She should win. 1 93
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
KI 2.1 {E98)
Game 12.7
� .t 'i¥ · � � .t i �· .i ' ' �· tb tb � �� �� � � � 'iY l:r \t>
Lenderman,Alex • Barcenilla,Rogelio
0
Mesa, 2009 (S)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3.
d2·d4 c2-c4 t!Jb1 -c3 e2·e4 t!Jg1 -f3 �f1-e2 0·0 d4·d5 tDf3-e1 .ic1-e3 f2-f3 .ie3-f2 l:.a1 -c1
t!Jg8-f6 g7-g6 �f8-g7 d7-d6 0-0 e7·e5 t!Jb8-c6 t!Jc6-e7 t!Jf6-d7 f7-f5 f5-f4 g6-g5
Grandmaster Lenderman is also a student ofKacheishvili and so plays this system.
.I .t 'i¥ E � ' ' ' � � .t i ' �· ' � �· � t2J �� �� � � tr � ttJ � w 1 3. ... 14. t!Je1 -d3 1 5. c4-c5
l:.f8-f6 l:.f6-h6 a7-a61
This is a wise precaution to prevent lbbS after the planned . . . 1We8. 1 6. c5-c6
b7xc6
1 6 . . . tbf8 ? 1 7.cxb7 �xb7 1 8.1i'b3 �c8 1 9.l:.fd l ±. 17. d5xc6
1 94
1 7. ...
t!Jd7-f8
In the line 1 7 ...liJxc6? 1 8.tbd5 ( 1 8.tbxf4 liJd4 1 9.tbfd5 liJfS 20.�c4 1ith8 2 1 .tbe2;1; is also good) 1 8 ...�b7 1 9 .'it'b3 tbaS 20.tbe7+ �h8 2 1 .1i'a3 cS 22 .tbf5 llf6 23.b4 cxb4 24.liJxb4 �ffi 25.l:fd I White is clearly better, with tremendous pressure in return for just a backward pawn. 1 8. llJd3-b4 1 9. �g1 -h1
•d8-e8 llJf8-e6
1 9 ... 1Wh5 20.�g I tbe6 2 l .tbcd5 is even better for White. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24.
tl:'lc3-d5 tDd5xe7 llJb4-d5 .if2-g1 .ie2-c4
wg8-h8 ..-e8xe7 ..-e7-f7 llJe6-d4 �c8-e6
.I
� ' 'if .t i � i .t E ttJ i ' �� � · � �� �� � 'iY l::r � �
25. b2-b4
In the game White played 2 5. 1Wd3. which allowed Black to get the weak
Chapter 1 2 - King's Indian Defense pawn out of danger by 2S ... a5. White still won. 25. ... :a8·b8 26. Wd1·d3;t
White is obviously better since Black has no attack and weak pawns, although the win is not yet clear.
Game 12.8
KI 1. 1 (E99) D
Sarkar,Justin
• Berg,Emanuel Gibraltar, 2 0 1 1 (4) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3.
d2·d4 c2·c4 tbb1 ·c3 e2·e4 l£Jg1 -f3 .if1·e2 0·0 d4-d5 l£Jf3·e1 f2·f3 .ic1·e3 .ie3·f2 :a1 ·c1
.i
tbg8-f6 g7-g6 .if8-g7 d7·d6 0·0 e7·e5 tbb8·c6 tbc6-e7 tbf6·d7 f7·f5 f5·f4 g6-g5 tbe7·g6
..t 'if
� � �� �
�· � � 8� 1 -· 8 lZJ 8 8 � � 8 £3:, l::r � tt:J � �
knight for lhe 'good' c8 bishop. Without this bishop Black rarely has much of an at tack, partly because he needs the option to sacrifice on h 3 in key lines. 14.
liJd7·f6?1
MO
Black's idea is to meet I S.l£Jxa7 by I S ... �d7, but White can instead play c4-c5 without having to exchange his good bishop for a knighL Better is 14 ... b6 as in the next game. 1 4 . . . a6?! I S .tt::l a7 l:lxa7 1 6.�xa7 b6 1 7 .b4 .J:lf7 1 8 .tt::ld3 tt::lf6 1 9.c5 White is up the exchange and there is no way for Black to win the bishop on a7, which should soon escape.
This at least forces White to sacrifice a piece for three pawns. After 1 5 ... .J:lf7 1 6.cxd6 cxd6 1 7 ....c2 tt::le8 1 8.tt::lxa7 �d7 1 9 ....b3 g4 20.fxg4 tt::lf6 2 1 ...ib6 •bs 2 2.tt::lb s tt::lxe4 23.tt::lf3 hg4 24.:c2 �d7 2S . .J:lfc l Black is defenseless against the plan of ..id3 and �c7. White will win a pawn while keeping his positional advantage. 1 6. c5xd6 1 7. d6xc7
a6xb5 Wd8·e8
1 7 ......d7 1 8 ....b3 Wt'f7 transposes to the next note. 1 8. Wd1 ·b3
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This rare but strong move has been popu larized by grandmaster Kacheishvili and his students. White hopes to exchange this
a7·a6
1 5. c4·c5
l::r
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The Kaufman Repenoire for White g5-g4?1
1 8. ...
1 8 ...1i'fl ! 1 9.i.xb5 lbe8 20.i.xe8 l:lxe8 2 l .lbd3 - with three pawns including two advanced passers for a piece White is OK materially, and Black can hardly launch an attack here. White should be better. 1 9. i.e2xb5 20. �b5xd7
�c8-d7 'We8xd7
I. .i. .t. ��
�· � ... ... � �� � tLl M � 21 . d5·d6+
White actually took on b7 directly, and Black managed to draw. Getting d5-d6 in first is a big improvement. 21 . "" 22. 'Wb3xb7
wga-ha
The d6 pawn is protected by the option of i.cS. White's armada of passers should win the game.
KI 2.1 (E98) D
Game 12.9
Zolotnkhin,Valery
• Pettosian,Davit Moscow, 20 I I (4)
1. 2. 3. 4.
1 96
d2·d4 c2-c4 tt:lb1 ·c3 e2·e4
tLlg8·f6 g7-g6 �f8-g7 d7·d6
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 13. 14. 1 5. 1 6.
�f1·e2 tLlg1 -f3 o-o
d4-d5 t!:lf3·e1 i.c1-e3 f2-f3 �e3-f2 l:la1 -c1 tt:lc3·b5 b2-b4 t!:lb5-c3
0·0 e7-e5 tt:lb8-c6 t!:lc6-e7 t!:lf6-d7 f7-f5 f5-f4 g6-g5 t!:le7-g6 b7-b61 a7-a6
I
.i. 'if ... � ... ... ... � · ... �� �· � ttJ �� � � n � ttJ � �
1 6. ...
h7-h5
1 6 . . . l:lfl 1 7 .lbd3 i.f8 1 8.c5 l:lb8 1 9.cxb6 cxb6 20.b5 aS (after 20 ...axb5 2 l .lbb4 White is winning) 2 1 .lba4 tt:lcS (else l:lc6} 22.lbab2 i.d7 23 .lbxc5 and after either recapture, 24.a4 followed by lbc4 is strong. 1 7. tt:le1 -d3
White actually played 1 7.c5, giving Black the option to take 'With the b-pawn and then the knight, forcing White to surrender his super-good bishop and the bishop pair to wreck the black pawn structure. While even this should favor White, I prefer not to give Black this option. In the game Black did not do this, but White adopted a ques tionable plan and lost: 1 7 .cS l:l£7 (in case of 1 7 ... bxc5 1 8.bxc5 lbxcS 1 9.bc5 dxc5
Chapter I 2
20.tba4 l:lf6 2 I .llJxcS � 22.'irb3 l:lb6 23.'irc4 �d6 24.h3 White should be better as Black's attack is not going anywhere, but it's hard to see how White breaks through on the queenside)
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Analysis diagram
1 8.cxd6 cxd6 1 9.'irb3 ?! (with 1 9.llJd3! �h6 20.l:lc2 l:lb8 2 1 .bS aS 22.llJa4 tbcS 23 .llJaxcS dxcS 24.llJb2 the knight on c4 will give White a dear advantage) 1 9 ... l:lb8 20.'il'a3 llJf6 2 1 .�xa6 l:la7 22.bS g4 and Black's kingside play may be worth the pawn here.
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20.bS g3 2 1 .hxg3 fxg3 22.�xg3 h4 23.�f2 �h6 24.l:lc2 tbhS 2S .l:le I wins a pawn, but Black has compensation.
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l:la8·b8
After 2 1 .bS axbS 22.llJc3 g3 23 .hxg3 fxg3 24.�xg3 �h6 2S.l:lc2 h4 26.�f2 llJhS 27.tbxbS 'irgS Black's attack is worth the pawn. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 .
... l:lc1 xc8 tba4xb6 l!Jb6·c41 f3xe4 l!Jd3xf4 l!Jf4xh5 l!Jh5xf4 l:lf1 xf4 �e2xg4 a2·a4
tLld7·f6 g5·g4 c7xb6
17. ... 1 8. c4·c5 1 9. c5xb6
Kings Indian Defense
20. l!Jc3·a4
20. ... 21 . �f2xb61
•
-
l:lb8xb6 Wd8xc8 Wc8·c7 l!Jf6xe4 Wc7xc4 Wc4xe4 l!Jg6·f4 l:lf8xf4 e5xf4 We4xb4
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This wins a pawn but Black should be able to draw.
1 97
Chapter 13
Avoiding the Nimzo-lndian Defense Although I chose to allow the Nimzo-Indian Defense by 3.l2Jc3 (after l .d4 l2Jf6 2.c4 e6) as my main repertoire recommendation (see next chapter) , I decided to include a chapter on how best to play if you prefer to avoid it by 3.lLJf3.
K � .t � • .t I � i i i i i i i�
I think that the consensus of top players is that 3 .l2Jf3 is slightly more promising be cause it is so difficult to get any appreciable edge against the Nimzo-Indian if Black knows his theory well. It is however less practical for amateur players, because Black has so many decent defenses he can play. So this chapter should probably be of most in terest to masters and to amateurs who already play 3.l2Jf3 and have some familiarity with all of Black's options. Fortunately this chapter needn't be too long because many of Black's options are covered elsewhere in this book (usually by transposition) . This includes the various forms of the Benoni, the Blumenfeld Gambit (see Black Gambits chapter) . the Semi-Tarrasch (see the QGD chapter) , and the Semi-Slav. The Benoni and Semi-Slav have their own chapters in this book. We start with the Bogo-Indian, named after Efim Bogoljubow, who was twice Alekhine 's challenger for the World Championship about 80 years ago. It begins with 3 �b4 check. It is fairly popular among amateurs, partly due to its being recom mended by Alburt, Dzindzichashvili and Perelshteyn in their Black repertoire book. White can reply 4.l2Jc3, but that merely transposes into a Nimzo so it makes no sense if our aim is to avoid the Nimzo! White can play 4.l2Jbd2, aiming to win either a tempo or the bishop pair by a2-a3 next. However if Black castles and retreats his bishop to e7 when it is auacked, the extra move a2-a3 White has gained is offset by the inferior placement of his knight on d2 (rather than c3) . That leaves 4 .id2, my choice for this book. These last two moves are about equally popular in high level play, and both give .••
•
1 99
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
some advantage, but I think lhe bishop block gives more. The basic idea is that if Black trades bishops, we recapture with the queen, and White has gotten in lhe (slightly) useful 'tfd2 for free while Black has exchanged his better bishop (as he has more pawns on light squares at lhe moment) . Black's reasoning is usually lhat once lhese bishops disappear he can put most of his pawns on dark squares so that his remaining bishop becomes the good one, but this costs time. Usually Black defends his bishop, eilher by 4 a5 or 4...c5 or 4 .'it'e7. White exchanges only in lhe 4 ... cS case. In most lines White fianchettoes his other bishop and generally obtains a sizable space advan tage. An important point to remember is that after 4 ..'tt'e7 S.g3 lLlc6 White should play 6.lLlc31. See Game 1 3. 1 . •.•
••
.
Now we come to the Queen's Indian {3 . .b6), lhe main independent choice here. .
White should reply 4.g3 (the main line) , after which Black must choose between lhe traditional 4 ... ..ib7 and the more 'modern' 4. . . ..ia6 (though I think the older 4 ... �b7 is regaining popularity). After 4 �b7 S.�gl �e7 (S ... cS! ? is underrated and exam ined in deplh here; I meet it by 6.dS exdS 7.tbgS! rather than lhe usual 7.tbh4) 6.0-0 0-0 I recommend the currently in-fashion 7.rlel rather than lhe obvious and standard 7.tbc3 . You will probably surprise your opponent if he is not a master, and the move has the great virtue of avoiding the rather drawish 7 .tbc3 tbe4!. The main idea is that the rook will help support e4 later, while Black may not have any equally useful move. I think that White keeps a meaningful advantage in all lines after 7 .:e I . I believe I've won every game I've played as White with it, lhough I haven't had a chance to play it against any grandmasters yet. See Game 1 3.2, which also includes coverage of the bishop check on move 4 or S. White has several options against 4 h6. He can defend the pawn in five sensible ways (three queen moves plus S.b3 or S.tbbd2) , and all have their advocates but also their drawbacks. Black's main idea in three of the five cases (S.11'a4, S.'tfc2, S.tbbd2) is to pull back the bishop to b7 and then play ... c7 -cS, because in all three positions White can no longer reply d4-dS except as a gambit. •••
•..
200
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the NimZD-lndian Defense
The main line has always been 5.b3, when Black usually checks and meets .id2 by ... i.e7, the idea being that b2-b3 is a weakening move with the bishop unable to move to b2, while on d2 the bishop is just in the way. Recently though, the other fifth moves have gained in popularity at the top, so it's hard to say what is the main line today. The move 5.1i'b3 does foil the ... c7 -cS plan, but the queen is not well placed there with Black's pawn already on b6, and the queen is a target for ...tLlc6-a5. The other queen moves are interesting; 5.1i'a4 aims for a modest positional edge and achieves it after S ....ib7 6.i.g2 cS 7.dxcS .ixcS, but I could not prove an edge against 7 ... bxcS ifBlack plays perfectly. In contrast 5.1i'c2 is usually played with the intem to play a sound gambit by meeting ... c7-c5 with d4-d5. It is reasonably tricky and surely a good practical choice, but if Black knows it well I believe the result is complete equality. I have played both of these queen moves, but I finally decided to reconunend 5.lbbd2, which I have never played, because I was unable to see how Black could obtain full equality against it, and there are a nwnber of tricky variations which can result in quick white wins. After 5.tt:lbd2 c5 6.e4 ad4 7.e5! is a very good gambit; with S ....ib7 6 ..ig2 inserted I pre fer 6... cS 7.e4 cxd4 8.0-0!. Against S �M I like going for the bishop pair by 6....a4 c5 7.al. See Game 1 3.3. I lhink White gets roughly the same advantage with S.tt:lbd2 here as he does with 7 .J:le I in the 4....ib7 line. My overall impression is that White gets more against the Queen's Indian than he does against the Nimzo, and it is only the Queen's Gam bit transpositions that make me relucta t to make 3.tt:lf3 my first choice. So now we come to 3.tLlf3 d5. ..•
:i � .t "if • .t :i iii i ii i� ttJ �� ���� :g ttJ ��w� :g 20 1
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
If you play the Catalan you have no problem, play 4.g3. But although I sometimes play the Catalan it is not my choice for this book, so we play 4.lbc3 (the Exchange Variation is harmless here as an early ...�f5 can no longer be discouraged). Now let's look at Black's replies. He can transpose to the Semi-Slav by 4... c6 or to the Semi-Tarrasch by 4 ... cS, cov ered elsewhere in this book. He can play 4... ltJbd7 with a likely transposition to the QGD Exchange Variation after S.cxdS exdS 6.�gS, now that ...�f5 is no longer legal, or to the Westphalia Variation covered in this chapter. He can pin the knight with 4... �b4, which is the Ragozin. It resembles the Nirnzo-Indian but should be a bit better for White be cause he never risks getting doubled pawns and so need not play S ....c2. He can play the complex Vienna Variation with 4 ... dxc4, my own choice in the past as Black here. Finally, and most important, he can play 4 ...�e7, aiming for either the Lasker or the Tartakower Defense to the Queen's Gambit ifWhite plays S.�gS (we don't!). In Game 1 3.4 we examine the sharp Vienna Variation, 4. chc4. After a sequence of al most forced moves we give a bishop check on move I 0, when Black must make a crucial decision. If he blocks with the bishop we get positions where White enjoys a safer king at no real cost, since both sides have a poor pawn structure. If he blocks with the knight we get a nice lead in development as well as the safer king, but at the cost of a pawn. I think that there is room for future improvements for either side in this knight-block gambit line, and I recommend that you devote some study time to this critical variation. The Vi enna Variation is rare in amateur play but fairly popular in high-level play. Now we come to the Ragozin Defense, 4. �b4. We exchange pawns and pin the knight (S.adS exdS 6.�gS) . The pawn exchange enables us to refrain from having to take the knight after ... h6 (otherwise Black gets an improved Vienna by taking on c4 after �h4) . Game I 3. S examines the consequences of 6 h6 7 .n4. Black can drive off the bishop by 7 ... gS 8.�g3 and then play 8 ... lbe4, which we meet by 9.ltJd2! . Black can then choose to win a pawn or the bishop pair, but in both cases White gets more than full compensation. Black can play 7 ... cS instead, but after 8.e3 it is usually White who benefits from the insertion of ... h6 �h4 because the bishop is more vulnerable on gS, to ...lbe4 or to a threat from the queen on aS. Instead of 6 ...h6, Black can choose 6 lLlbd7, the so-called Westphalia or Manhattan Variation. In this case after 7.e3 cS I opt for B.chcS, although 8.�e2 and 8.�d3 also keep some edge. After S.dxcS White usually wins either the bishop pair or a pawn for the bishop pair; either way it's half a pawn! In one line White must sacrifice the ex change for a pawn but gets huge positional compensation. The Westphalia is a fairly complicated line, but if White studies Game 1 3 .6 he should be able to retain a mean ingful advantage. Last, but certainly not least, we come to 4...�e7, the move you are most likely to meet. Recently White has been having a tough time proving a meaningful edge after S.�gS against the Lasker Defense (S ... h6 6.�h4 0-0 7.e3 ltJe4) while the Tarkakower (7 ... b6) is also pretty good. We avoid these by S.�f4 0-0. Recent games indicate that 6.e3 ttJbd7 brings Black pretty close to equality, so we avoid this by 6.l:tc l , which seems to place some difficulties in the way ofBiack's reaching equality. See Game 1 3. 7 . ..
..
•..
.•.
202
Chapter I 3 - Avoiding the Nimw-lndian Defense
Ql 1 .8 (E I I )
Game 13.1
Khenkin,Igor • Dgebuadze,Alenndre
0
'tfb6 1 6.ll:ldS ltJfxdS 1 7 .cxdS White has the edge, as the black knight cannot reach the blockade square d6) I O.ltJxa3.
Rome, 2 0 1 1 (8.+) 1. d2-d4 2. c2-c4 3. llJg1 -f3
�g8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4+
The Bogo-Indian, Bogo being short for Bogoljubow, a top player in the 1 920s/30s. 4. .ic1-d2
.I .l � ..t 'iV � ' ' ' ' .t. .t. .t. ,
4. ...
..
'ii'd8-e7
This is the most common reply histori cally, and is the recommendation of Dzindzi, Alburt, and Perelshteyn in their repertoire book. Lately though, 4 ... aS seems more popular in high level games. A) After 4 . . . .ixd2+ S ... xd2 0-0 (S ... dS 6.lbc3 0-0 transposes) 6.lbc3 dS 7.e3 ..e7 8.cxd5 exdS 9 . .id3 c6 I O ...c2 lbbd7 1 1 .0-0 lte8 1 2.ltab I aS 1 3.a3 White has the usual QGD minority attack with b4-bS here, with a slight edge. The exchange of the dark-squared bishops fa vors White based on the pawn structure, although in general simplification helps Black, so I would regard it as neutral; B) 4 ... cS S . .ixb4 cxb4 6.g3 0-0 7 ..ig2 d6 8.0-0 ltJc6 9.a3 bxa3 (after 9 ... l:Z.e8 I O.axb4 lbxb+ l l .lbc3 .id7 1 2.e4 eS 1 3 ...e2N .ig4 I +.dxeS dxeS I S.ltfd I
Analysis diagram
Although some strong grandmasters play this ...c5 line, Karpov considers it ridi culous, and Komodo and I can only agree. The exchange of the white a-pawn for the black c-pawn is a clear profit. In general, edge pawns are worth only about 11. of normal pawns in the middlegame. They have only half the fighting power, control ling one square instead of two, though they do have equal queening potential. After I O ... eS I l .ll:lbS a6 1 2.dxe5 dxeS 1 3 .cS White has a substantial advantage with the d6-square for his knight plus the c- vs. a-pawn difference; C) 4 ... aS S.a3 - this natural move is rather rare, but seems to be strong. S ....ixd2+ 6.W'xd2 d6 7.ll:lc3 and now:
.I .l � ..t 'iV � .t. .t. .t. .t. .t..t. .t. � [3J [3J t3J ttJ ttJ t3J 'f/J t3J t3J t3J t3J a: � � a: Analysis diagram
203
The Kaufman Rqenoire for White C l ) 7 ... 'fle7 8.e4 0-0 (in case of 8 ... eS 9.dxe5 dxeS I O.'flgS 0-0 l l .'flxeS 'fixe S 1 2 .lLlxeS l:le8 1 3 . f4 tt:lxe4 1 4.tt:lxe4 f6 1 5 .g4N fxeS 1 6.f5 White has a nice advantage due to his knight blockading Black's passed but isolated pawn, and his threatening kingside ma jority) 9.eS dxe S I O.dxeS tt:lfd7 l l .-'.d3N tt:lc6 1 2.'fle2 tt:lcS 1 3 .-'.c2 b6 1 4.0-0 -'.b7 I S .tt:le4 - White has a space advantage and the e4-square for knight or bishop; C2) 7 ... tt:lbd7 8.e3 0-0 9 . .id3 eS I 0.0-0 l:le8 l l .'flc2 h6 1 2 . .if5 ( 1 2 .1lad i !N c6 1 3 .h3 'flc7 1 4 . .if5 transposes to the game while avoiding 1 2 . . . tt:lb6) 1 2 ... c6 ( 1 2 . . . tt:lb6! ) 1 3.1lad l 'flc7 1 4.h3 tt:lf8 I S . .ixc8 l:laxc8 1 6.dxeS dxeS 1 7 .tt:ld2 llcd8 1 8.cS tt:le6 (so far Jobava-Suba, Brasov 20 I I , even tually won by White) 1 9 . b4N White plans tt:lde4, aiming for d6, and is clearly better. 5. g2-g3
tl:)b8-c6
This is played now for a specific tactical reason, to discourage 6.-'.g2. 6. lLlb1 -c31
6 . .ig2 ?! .ixd2 + 7 .tt:lbxd2 (in the event of 7.'ifxd2?! tt:le4 8.'it'c2 'flb4+ White must either forfeit castling, gambit a pawn, or allow serious damage to his pawn structure in an endgame) 7 ... d6 and here White has been tricked into hav ing to recapture on d2 with his knight rather than his queen. The knight clearly belongs on c3 here, so this is a conces sion. 6 7. �d2xc3 •
204
...
.tb4xc3 tl:)f6-e4
:i .i .t � j. j. j. j. 'iV j. j. j. � j.
��� CiJ � � �� �� � � � � � I:I 8. J:la1 -c1
8.'ifc2 is a decent alternative, but a bit drawish as it allows a quick queen ex change: 8 ... tt:lxc3 9.'flxc3 'ifb4 I O.'flxb4 tt:lxb4 1 1 .�d2. White is surely for choice, but 70% of high level games from here end in draws. 8. 9. .tf1 -g2 1 0. d4-d5 _,
0-0 d7-d6
.I .t .i � j. j. j. tf j. j. j. � j. j. � � � CiJ � � � ��� �� M a: � � 1 0.
..
.
lLlc6-d8
In the event of I O ... tt:lxc3 l l .llxc3 lLJb8 1 2.dxe6 fxe6 1 3.0-0 tt:ld7 1 4.tt:ld4 c6 1 5.e4 lLJ f6 1 6.e5 dxe5 1 7 .lLJf3 e4 1 8 .tt:lgS eS 1 9.tt:lxe4 Black has no com pensation for his isolated e-pawn. 1 1 . lLlf3-d2
I like this move, which is less common than castling or capturing on e6. The idea
Chapter J 3 - Avoiding the Nimzo-lndian Defense
is to retain the cramping dS pawn while preparing to answer ... e6-e5 by c4-cS. 1 1 . ... 12. l:lc1 xc3
� -*. 'if I �� CiJ
E.
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b7-b51?
1 3. 0-0
E .t. � E . � � 'if � � �
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'W'd1 -c2 l:lc3-e3 lLld2-b3 Wc2-d2
:a: �
b5-b4 li)d8-b7 .ic8-d7 a7-a5
This is a gambit, more of necessity than of choice. 1 7 ... lL)cS 1 8.lL)xcS dxcS 1 9 .f4, and after the eventual exchange of dS for e6, Black will have a crippled queenside majority while White will enjoy a healthy kingside one. 18. d5xe6 1 9. �g2xb7 20. lLlb3xa5
21 . l:f1 -d1
Komodo prefers 2 l .a3 bxa3 22.:txa3, immediately utilizing the extra pawn. 21. ... 22. lLla5-b3
After 1 3 ... �d7 1 4.1ic2N White has queenside dominance. 14. 1 5. 1 6. 1 7.
l:b7-b6
20. ...
li)e4xc3 l:la8-b8
1 2 ... e5 1 3 .c5 fS (on 1 3 ... dxcS, 1 4.lL)b3 regains the pawn favorably since 1 4... b6? loses to 1 S.d6} 1 4.0-0 lL)f7 1 S.1ic2 �d7 1 6.:tc 1 - while Black has some vague hopes on the kingside, White has crush ing domination of the c-file and the queenside.
��
'Thank you very much', White might say.
f7xe6 l:lb8xb7
l:lf8-f5 'W'e7-f6?
If 22 ... �e8 23.f3 cS 24.lL)c 1 Black has only minimal compensation for the pawn (more central pawns, bishop vs. knight} . 23. c4-c5
White wins a second pawn. 23. ... 24. c5xd6
E
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l:lb6-b8 c7-c5
• �� .t. � � 'iV E �
CiJ � � 25. f2-f4?
2S .W'c l ! :tcS 26.tbd2 consolidates. 205
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
... ll:Jb3-d4 tte3-e5 f4xe5 ttJd4-f3
c5-c4 Df5·d5 ttd5xe5 'Wf6xe5
Back to just one extra pawn! . 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 . 42.
... Wd2-d4 ttd1 xd4 b2xc3 ttd4·c4 ttc4xc8+ ttJf3-e5 tLle5-d3 wg1 -f2 ttJd3-c1 wf2-e3 we3-d2 Wd2xc2 ttJc1-d3
'We5-c5+ 'Wc5xd4+ c4-c3 b4xc3 ttb8-c8 �d7xc8 c3-c2 wg8-f7 �c8-a6 e6-e5 Wf7-e6 we6xd6 Wd6-e6 we6-f5
QI 7.4 {E 1 7 )
Game 13.2
K.asimdzhanov,Rustam • Parligras,Mircea
D
Konya, 20 I I (9)
1. 2. 3. 4.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlg1 -f3 g2-g3
tlJg8-f6 e7-e6 b7-b6
This is the best chance for an advantage, it is generally agreed. 4. ...
�c8-b7
After 4 . . . �b4+ 5.�d2 �xd2+ {other moves will probably transpose to 5 . . . �b4+ lines) 6.Wxd2 �a6 (for 6 . . . �b7 7.�g2 see S ... �b4+) 7 .b3 c6 8.�g2 dS 9.lbe5 llJfd7 1 O.lt:Jd3 !N dxc4 1 l .tlJb4 �b7 1 2.bxc4 White is obviously bener, with central domination and beuer development. 5. �f1 -g2
.� � 'if • .t .i .t. ..t .t. .t. ... ... ... ... � ...
43. e2-e4+ 44. lLld3xe5+ 45. llJe5-f3 46. lLlf3-d4 47. e4-e5 48. a2-a4 49. e5-e6 50. e6-e7 51 . a4-a5
206
Wf5-g4 wg4-h3 wh3-g2 Wg2xh2 �a6-c4 Wh2xg3 wg3-f4 �c4-f7 1-0
5. ...
�f8-e7
A) S ... c S ! ? is supposed to be bad be cause White can reply 6.d5 without los ing a pawn, but things are not so simple. It may be as good as the main line here: 6.d5 exdS 7.llJg5 ! (7 .lbh4 is the usual move, but it's not very clear, for exam ple: 7 . . . g6 8.lt::l c 3 �g 7 9.0-0 d6!
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nirnw-Jndian Defense
1 o . .tgs 1l'd7 ! N - this has never been played, but Black should get a rather good Benoni after l l .cxdS 0-0 (or l l ... h6=) 1 2.e4 bS)
1. �
1-
� � .t �� � � � � .. � � � � � � 'i¥ � � � � a: � Analysis diagram
� � � � ��� � � tb � 'i¥ � Analysis diagram
A I ) 7 ... tbe4 8.tbxe4 dxe4 9.tbc3 fs 1 0.0-0N .ie7 l l .f3 exf3 1 2 . .txf3 .ixf3 1 3 .Axf3 Black cannot defend fS by cas tling due to 1l'd5+; A2) 7 ... 1Wc7 8.cxd5 h6 9.tbh3 d6 1 o.tbc3 a6 1 l .a4 g6 1 2 .0-0 .tg7 1 3 .e4 0-0 1 4.f4 lbbd7 I S.tbf2 - compared to a normal Benoni, the knight on f2 seems well-placed (defending e4 and g4, not blocking the bishop) while the b7 bishop is not. Sometimes eS dxeS fS may be possible, or White can aim for b2-b4; A3) 7 ... h6 8.tbh3 and now: A3 1 ) 8 . . . 1Wc8 9.cxd5 d6 1 0.0-0 .ie7 1 l .e4 0-0 1 2 .f4 lbbd7 1 3 .lLlc3 Ae8 1 4.Ae 1 .tfs 1 s .lLlf2 a6 1 6 .a4 Ab8 1 7 . .tfl g6 1 8 . .ic4 .ig 7 1 9 . .te3 and Black's position is quite passive. White can aim for e 5 or b4 or perhaps even g4; A32) 8 ... g6 9.lLlc3 .tg7 1 o.lbf4 0-0 1 1 .0-0 lLlc6 1 2 .tbcxd5 Ab8 1 3.Ab l tbxdS 1 4.lbxd5 d6 1 5.b3 a6 1 6 . .ib2 tbeS 1 7 .1Wc I .txdS 1 8 . .txd5 1We7 1 9.Ad l hS 20.1l'c2;
This was Topalov-Wojtaszek, Porto Carras 20 I I . White is clearly better (bishop pair, pressure on d6) , though Black eventually held the draw. This was played after I had already written this section; apparently Topalov came to the same conclusion that I did about 7.llJg5 ! being better than 7.tbh4; A4) If 7 ...tbc6 8.cxd5 tbeS 9.lLlc3 .te7 I O.f4N lbg6 l l .e4 d6 1 2.0-0 White's advantage is clear; AS) 7 . . . .te7 8.llJc3 0-0 9.0-0 d6 I O .•c2 l£Jc6 l l .tbxdS g6 1 2 .•d2 Ae8 1 3 .llJc3 and White has pressure on the backward d-pawn, and will develop by b2-b3 and .tb2 ; B) s ... .tb4+ 6 . .id2:
I. � � � � � �� .. �
l. .. .t � �
Analysis diagram
B l ) 6 . . ..te7 7.llJc3 0-0 8. 0-0 d S 9.cxd5 exdS I O ..tf4 tba6 l l .llJeS i s sim207
The Kaufman Repertoire for While
ilar to 7 ...d5 in the game, but White's advantage is larger here as he has saved the now unnecessary :e I tempo; B2) 6 ......e7 7.0-0 0-0 8.�f4 �d6 9.�xd6 cxd6 I O.�c3 :cs l t .:e i !N d5 ( l l ...:xc4?! I 2.�e5 White wins rook for knight and pawn) 1 2.cxd5 �xdS 1 3.�xd5 bd5 1 4.e4 �b7 I S.dS and White has an advantage in both space and development; B3) 6 ... aS 7.0-0 0-0 8.�f4 �e7 9.tbc3 tlJe4 I O ....c2 �xc3 l l ....xc3 d6 1 2.:fe I fS 1 3 ....e3 ... d7 1 4.�gS �xgS I S .tlJxgS �xg2 1 6.�xg2 :f6 1 7 ....f3 tbc6 I S.dS exdS 1 9.cxd5 �b4 20.:ec I and the weak pawn on c7 and the weak square e6 insure White the edge; B4) 6 ... �xd2+ 7 .Wxd2 0-0 8.l2Jc3 tbe4 9 ....c2 tbxc3 I 0.1hc3 ! ( I O.�g S ! ? tbe4 l l .�xe4 �xe4 I 2 ....xe4 ...xgS 1 3 .1t'xa8 �c6 1 4.1t'b7 tbxd4 I S .:d t cS.
.i � 'it' .� . iAi iAi i i ' ·� Cjj � � � � ��� Ii CiJ �� I;r � 7. :.t1-e1
This was a rare move until recently, but it has now roughly caught up with the ob vious 7 .�c3 in high-level popularity. The point is that 7 .tbc3 tbe4 leads to ex changes which greatly improve Black's drawing chances, though White does re tain some small edge. The game move doesn't threaten e2-e4 yet, but it will help achieve this key move. It is also important in some varia tions that the rook now defends the e 2 pawn. 7. "'
Analysis diagram
White is up 3.4 pawn but here Black has enough play to draw) I O ...d6 1 1 .0-0 1t'e7 1 2.cs �ds 1 3.cxd6 cxd6 1 4.:fe 1 fS I S.l:lac l tbd7 1 6.�d2 tlJf6 1 7.1t'c7 and White's control of the open file en sures him the better endgame. 6. 0-0
208
0-0
a7-a5
Recently this seems to be the top choice of the elite. A) In the event of 7 . . . tbe4 8.tlJfd2 dS (8 . . . fS 9.dS favors White) 9.cxd5 exdS I O .tbxe4 ( I O.tbc3 tbxc3 l l .bxc3, plan ning c3-c4, is also strong) 1 O ... dxe4 1 1 .tbc3 f5 1 2.�f4 �hS 1 3 .... b3 l2Ja6 1 4 . .:lad 1 White is better, mainly due to the unfortunate position of the black knight. White can aim for a timely f2-f3 ; B) 7 ... d6 8.tbc3 tbe4 9.1t'c2 tbxc3 ? This is best without 7 .:e 1 d6 inserted, but here we see the tactical point of hav ing the rook defend e 2: (see analysis diagram next page)
Chapter I 3 - Avoiding lhe Nimzo-lndian Defense
:e: .. 'it' :e: � i .i. i A i i i i i .t.
Analysis diagram
1 o.lLlg5 lLlxe2+ 1 l .l:.xe2 hg5 1 2. .�xb7 .ixc l 1 3.�xa8 �gS 1 4.�g2 and White is up ¥. pawn for no visible compensa tion. The presence of almost all the pawns and major pieces reduces the value of the exchange, but White is still clearly better; B2) In case of 9 .. .f5 1 0.ltJd2 dS l l .ltJdxe4 fxe4 1 2 .�h3 1:£6 1 3 .�g5 l:lg6 1 4.Le7 ,..xe7 1 5.0 c5 1 6.cxd5 exdS 1 7 .fxe4 dxe4 1 8.d5 White will shortly win material; C) 7 .. .'ti'c8 8.ltJc3 ltJe4 9.ltJxe4 �xe4 1 O.dS 'tlfb7 1 1 .ltJh4 �xg2 1 2.ltJxg2 d6 1 3 .dxe6 fxe6 1 4.lLlf4 "ifc8 1 5 .'tlfc2! N c6 1 6.'tlfe4 eS 1 7 .ltJdS! �d8 1 8.l:.d 1 ltJa6 1 9.ltJc3 - White has pressure on the weak d6 pawn and Black's bishop is bad; D) If 7 ... c5 8.d5 exdS 9.ltJh4 ltJe4 I O.cxdS .hh4 l l .he4 �6 1 2.ltJc3 d6 1 3 .�4 ...e7 1 4."ifc2 h6 I S.l:.ad 1 ltJd7 1 6.�g2 a6 1 7 .ltJe4!N �eS 1 8.�c 1 f5 1 9.ltJd2 b5 20.ltJf3 White wins the bishop pair because 20 ... �6? is met by 2 1 ."ifxf5 hb2 22 ....e6+ winning a pawn; E) 7 ... ltJa6 8.ll:k3 ltJe4 9.ltJxe4 .ixe4 I O.ltJeS .ixg2 1 1 .Wxg2 c6 1 2.e4 'ti'c7 1 3.'tfg4 - White has an obvious advan tage in space and some kingside pressure; F) 7 ... d5 8.cxd5 exdS 9.lLlc3 cS 1 0.�4 tlJbd7 ( I O ... ltJa6 1 1 .dxc5 1 1 .'ti'a4 or 1 1 .ltJe5 may be stronger, but there's no
need to learn extra lines: 1 1 ...ltJxc5 trans poses to the 1 O ... ltJbd7 line) 1 l .dxc5 lLlxcS ( 1 l ...bxc5 1 2.lLlh4 ltJb6 1 3.ltJf5 wins the bishop pair with continued pres sure) 1 2.l:tc l ltJfe4 1 3.lLld4 .if6 1 4.tLlxe4 dxe4 1 5.lLlf5 tl:le6 1 6.�d6 l:le8 1 7 . .ia3 .ies 1 8.b3N and with his strong knight on f5 and pressure on e4, White is better. 8. �c1-g5
8.tl:lc3 is also good (as is 8 . .if4) , but it allows the simplifying ... tl:le4, so I prefer the text. 8. "'
d7-d6
If Black plays 8 ... h6 9 . .ixf6 .ixf6 I O.l0c3 d6 1 l .'ti'd3 g6 1 2.h4 hS 1 3 .l:.ad I .ig7 1 4.tl:lg5 White will get a free space ad vantage with e2-e4 after the bishop trade. Note how White delays e2-e4 so that Black won't have the bishop pair as com pensation for the spatial plus; If 8 ... c5 9 .tl:lc3 cxd4 I O.l0xd4N hg2 l l .Wxg2 White plans e2-e4 with a free space advantage. 9. "ifd1 -d3
�b7-e4
10. "ifd3-e3?1
White wanted to avoid the exchanges after 1 O.'ti'd2 �b7 1 1 .ltJc3 ltJe4, but it was not necessary to block the e-pawn: 1 2.tl:lxe4 Le4 1 3.'ti'e3 .ib7 1 4."ifd 3 ! tl:lc6 209
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
1 5 . .i..xe7 _.xe7 1 6 ...c3 and White is somewhat better due to his space advan tage. He can play d4-d5 or e2-e4 or l:tad I or c4-c5 next, depending on Black's reply. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
... lLlb1 -c3 ..ig5xf6 lla1 -d1 1te3-d2
.I
..ie4-b7 h7-h6 ..ie7xf6 tl:Jb8-d7
it' .1 � .t .l � .l .l .l .l i .t .l
.l £::, £::, t2J ttJ £::, £::, £::, flj t::, t::, � t::, MM �
1-
14. ...
d6-d5?1
If 1 4 ... c6 1 5 .e4 1Wc7 Black's bishop pair offsets White's space advamage. I would rather play White though.
1 8. ...f4-d2
1 8.e4! dxe4 1 9.tlJxe4. It's imeresting that grandmasters are generally reluctam to isolate their pawns like this, but Komodo insists that this is best despite the isolated pawn. I think it comes down to humans needing to rely on general principles while the computer can analyze deeply enough to see the exceptions. 1 8. ... 1 9. e2-e3
llf8-e8 lt:ld7-f8?1
The knight is needed on d7 to deter tlJe5 . After 1 9 . . ....a8 it would be hard for White to make progress, though his posi tion is still a bit better. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
l!Jf3-e51 d4xe5 e3-e4 e4xd5 •d2xe1 lld1-d4 ..-e1-d1
..if6xe5 lle8xe5 lle5-e8 lle8xe1 + W'd8-d7 lLlf8-g6
1 5. c4xd5 e6xd5 1 6. 1i'd2-f4?1
After 1 6 ...c2! �e7 1 7.e4 dxe4 1 8.tlJxe4 White is better in view ofhis planned tlJe5. 1 6. ... 17. a2-a3
it' .t .l � .l .t .I i £::,
a5-a4 :a8-a5
.1 � .l .l .t [1".
� £::, t2J ttJ £::, £::, � t::, Jl, t::, M kt �
210
White has a large space advantage. His isolated d-pawn is safe and disconnects the black army, while Black's backward c-pawn is just a target. 26. ... 27. •d1 -e2
b6-b5 l£Jg6-e7
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the NillllD-lndian Defcme 28. J:d4-e4 29. l:e4-e3
.. .i. i 'i¥
�g8-f8 ll:Je7-c8?1
40. :te7-e5??
40.l:lxf7 + ! ! �xf7 4 J .tt:lf4+ wins. 40
� ii
•
i �
:i i i �
�
t2J '
-
� � VJ/1 � � �
�
41 . liJd5-e7+
Black resigned due to 42.tt:lc6 next. Pre sumably the last three mistakes were m.il.de in time pressure. Game 13.3
QI 1 4.3 (E I S )
30.tt:le4! 'tfxd5 3 l .�f3 'tfd8 3 2.ltJC5 �xf3 33.'tfxf3 wins. �-g8 ll:Jc8-d6 ...d7-c8 Aa5-a8 j,b7xd5 tlJd6xb5 •ca-a6 Aa8·d8 •a6-a5
I
39. ...
�-g8??
40 ... tt:ld6 4 l . ...c6 White should soon win a pawn.
30. 'ite2·d3
30. 31 . ..d3-e4 32. 'We4-e7 33. �g2-f1 34. �f1 xb5 35. liJc3xd5 36. 'ite7-e4 37. ·e4-c4 38. Ae3-e1 39. J:e1·e7
...
-·
�g8-f8??
Better W.ii.S 39 . . .tt:ld6 40 ....xc7 ..xc7 4 l.l:X c 7 , when White is a solid pawn up in the endgame.
D
Rogozenco,Dorian
• Volokitin,Andrey Aix-les-Bains Ech, 20 I I (2)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d2-d4 c2-c4 'Llg1 -f3 g2-g3 'Llb1 -d2
ll:Jg8-f6 e7-e6 b7-b6 �c8-a6
.i .. 'iV � .i. :i i ii i i i .i. i i ..
Black usually ends up retreating his bishop to b7. The question is whether White's extra tempo tt:lbd2 is a plus or a minus. Of course the knight would rather be on c3, but if White fiancheuoes his queen's bishop the knight may actually be better on d2. In general with the dark squared bishops exchanged (and pawns 21 1
The Kaufman Reptnoire for White
on d4 and c4) a krught is worse on d2 than on b 1 because c3 is such a clearly better square. With the bishops on, it's not so dear. 5. .
..
.tf8-b4
A) S ... cS 6.e4! (6.�g2?! t0c6!=) 6 ... cxd4 7.e5 llJg4 8.h3 llJh6 9.�g2 llJc6 1 0.0-0 llJf5 1 1 .a3 �e7 1 2.b4 �b7 1 3.g4 llJh4 1 4.llJxh4 .txh4 1 s.llJe4 �e7 1 6.�g5
:1 :1 'it' � .t .t .t .t .t .t .t .t � .t � � � .t CiJ �
three pawns) . though Black's central pawn mass offers at least panial compen sation; B) 5 ...�b7 6.�g2: B l ) 6 ... c5 7.e4 (7.0-0 cxd4 8.llJxd4 hg2 9.�xg2 1i'c8 and while the com puter still prefers White, statistics from human GM-level games are unfavorable for White)
-� .t .t .t .t ���
,_
�� �
Cjj � CiJ
��� � 'if �
Analysis diagram Analysis diagram
1 6 ... f6 (after 1 6 ... 0-0 1 7 .he7 llJxe7 1 8.1i'xd4 llJg6 1 9.f4 White has regained the pawn with an obvious advantage in space and an initiative. Also strong is 1 9 .l:lad 1 ) 1 7 .exf6 gxf6 (so far Socko Zhigalko, Lublin 20 I I ) 1 8.�f4!N 0-0 19 .lie I . This is another very good gam bit. White will shortly play either t0d6 to win the bishop pair, or �d6 followed by c4-c5 with a bind. If Black plays the tempting ... e6-e5 then �h6 followed by llJ-g3-f5 looks strong. But without ... e6-e5 Black cannot move his knight without losing the gambit pawn. This may be the critical position of the whole llJbd2 line, as at least White doesn't get an edge for free. Play might continue 1 9 ... l:lf7 20.�d6 l:lc8 2 1 .l:lc I fS 22.gxf5 l:lxfS 23.c5 .i.f6 24.�h l �h8 1S . .i.g3 �e7 16.b5 bxcS 1 7.bxc6 hc6 18.�h2 and White is up half a pawn (knight vs. 212
B I I ) 7 ... llJxe4? 8.llJeS dS (on 8 ... llJc3 ? 9.1i'h5 g6 1 0.1i'h3 wins) 9.cxd5 exdS (9 ... llJxd2? I 0.1i'a4+ llJd7 l l .dxe6N �xg2 1 2.exd7+ �e7 1 3 ..i.xd2 �xh l 1 4.0-0-0 f6 1 5.1i'c4 wins) I O.t0xe4 dxe4 1 1 .1i'a4+ llJd7 ( l l ...�e7 1 2.dxc5 1i'd5 1 3 ..i.f4 wins) 1 2 . ..th3 .i.c8 1 3.1i'c6 l:lb8 1 4.t0xf7 and White wins; B l 2) 7 ... cxd4 8.0-0 (an alternative is 8.e5 llJe4 9.llJxe4 �xe4 I 0.1i'xd4 �xf3 l l .�xf3 llJc6 1 2.�xc6 dxc6 1 3 .1i'e4 1i'c7 1 4.�e3 i.e7 1 5.0-0-0 0-0 1 6.h4 l:lad8 I 7 .hSN - White has more space and a kingside initiative, although Black does have the nominally better bishop. However, I recommend castling on move 8 as it is not only very good objectively, but sets a very nasty trap which has caught at least six masters over 2400) 8 ... d6 9.llJxd4 llJbd7 1 O.l:le I and now: B l l ) I O ... a6 l l .a4 1i'c7 1 2.a5 i.e7 1 3 .llJ2b3 l:lc8 1 4.axb6 llJxb6 I S.llJaS
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding tht Nimzo-Indian Dtfmst
LB 1 6.b3 and White has both a space advantage and better pawn structure, with pressure on a6; B 1 2) I O .....c8 l l .a4 .ie7 1 2.a5 bxaS 1 3.l!Hb3 and White already has a close to winning advantage; B 1 3) I O .....c7 I I .tLlbS!
Analysis diagram
l l .....b8? ( l l .....c6 is necessary, but no one plays it. 1 2.tLld4 1i'c7 1 3.a4 a6 1 4.a5 transposes to the I O ...a6 line) 1 2.c5! dxcS 1 3.ltk4 (the invasion on d6 will more than justify the gambited pawn) 1 3 ... e5 1 4.f4 .ic6 I S.fxeS hbS 1 6.exf6 hc4 1 7.e5 .ie6 1 8 ...f3 c4 1 9 ...xa8 11'xa8 20.ha8 gxf6 2 I .exf6 .i.b4 22.:e2 0-0 23.� tl:lxf6 24. .ig5 - White is up lJ. pawn and has the better pawn structure; B2) 6 ... .ie7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 cS 9 . .ib2
tl:lbd7 1 5.tl:lc3 . I think this Hedgehog like position without the light-squared bishops is better for White than the nor mal Hedgehog, as Black is unlikely to be able to profitably play . . . d6-d5 or ...b6-b5 ; B22) 9 ... cxd4 I O.tl:lxd4 .ixg2 l l .�xg2 •c7 1 2.e4 d6 1 3 .f4 tl:lc6 1 4.tl:lxc6 11'xc6 I S ...f3 :fd8 1 6.:ad l :ac8 1 7 .eS tl:lg4 1 8.tl:le4 dS 1 9 .cxdS :xdS 20.:c I 1i'b7 2 1 .:xc8+ ..xeS 22.:c I ..b7 23.:c2 hS 24.h3 tLlh6 25 ..id4 - White plans to protect his king by .tf2 and then advance on the kingside; C) S ... dS shouldn't equalize, but it may keep Black's disadvantage to a minimum: 6 . .ig2 .ie7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 and now: C l ) In case of 8 ... c5 9.tLle5 !N .ib7 White is surely better, having gained a tempo in a fluid position: I O.dxcS bxcS I I .cxdS exdS 1 2.e4! tl:lxe4 1 3 .tl:lxe4 dxe4 1 4...c2 and White will regain the pawn with a superior pawn structure; C2) 8 ... tl:lbd7 9.tLleS .ib7 I O ..tb2 cS l l .cxdS exdS 1 2.tl:ldc4 :es 1 3.:c i N and White is somewhat better. His minor pieces are more active, the pin on the d-pawn is nice, and he will probably emerge with a better pawn structure. 6. Wd1 -a4
Analysis diagram
B2 1 ) 9 ... d6 I O ...c2 cxd4 I I .tLlxd4 hg2 I 2.<�>xg2 ..c7 1 3.f3 a6 1 4.tl:le4
6 ...c2 is the more usual move and also gives White something, though the game move is more concrete as the threat on the b4 bishop will win the bishop pair: 6 ... .ib7 7.i.g2 cS (in case of 7 ... .ie4 8.1i'd l 0-0 9.0-0 .ixd2 1 0.1i'xd2 d6 I I .b3 tLlbd7 1 2 . .ib2 Black has nothing for the bishop pair) 8.dxc5 hcs 9.a3 0-0 I 0.0-0 .ie7 l l .b4 d6 I 2 . .ib2 tLlbd7 1 3 .e4 ..c7 1 4.tLld4 :ac8 I S .:ac l a6 1 6.f4. 213
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
�
.i • .t � � .t .l .l .l .l .l .�. .�. .. r
� � Cjj 8 �
�
� � Cjj 1::
White has the bishop pair plus in an otherwise fairly balanced position . 9 1 0. 0·0 •
.••
� ��
rt: <;t>
Analysis diagram
This is a rather good Hedgehog for White, as Black has wasted time with ... �a6-b7 and ... �b4xc5-e7. Usually it's not easy for White to get in both b4 and f4 in the Hedgehog. Playing one of these moves sometimes just makes the cS- or eS-square more attractive for a black knight, but playing both should be good. 6. .. 7. a2·a3 8. �c1 xd2 9. �f1 -g2 .
c7-c5 ..ib4xd2+ c5xd4
9.tbxd4 is the move to play if you don't want to play a gambit. Komodo considers both moves to be about equally favorable for White. Of course it's very hard to say whether a small positional advantage for free or a large one for half a pawn is better: 9 ... �b7 I O.f3 0-0 I l .�g2 tba6 1 2.l:ld I N tbcS 1 3.'ifc2.
1 1 . ifa4·b31N
This is a Komodo novelty, planning to play this as a true gambit. The actual game went I I .'Wd 1 �xf3 1 2.�xf3 tlJc6 1 3.�f4 0-0 1 4.i.d6 l:le8 1 s.i.xc6 dxc6 1 6.'ihd4 e5 ( 16 ... ttJd5 !=) 1 7 .�xeS 'ifxd4 1 8.i.xd4 l:lxe2 1 9.l:lfe I l:lae8 20.ct;fl l:lc2 2 l .i.xf6 l:lxe I + 22.l:lxe I gxf6 23 .b3
jt_c6xf3 l0b8-c6 l:la8·c8
1 3 ... dxe3 1 4.'Wxe3 0-0 1 S.l:lad I l:lc8 1 6.i.c3 - with two splendid bishops for two knights in an open position, pressure on the d-pawn and a far more active queen, White has more than enough for the pawn. 14. e3xd4 1 5. Wf3-d3 Analysis diagram
2 14
�c6xd4
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nimzo-Indian Defense
The same comment applies here. This is a fully correct gambit. NI 27. 1 6 (D3 7)
Game 13.4
0 Leko,Peter • Naiditsch,Arkady Dortmund, 20 I 0 ( 1 0)
1. 2. 3. 4.
d2-d4 c2-c4 ttJg1 -f3 ttJb1 -c3
�g8-f6 e7-e6 d7-d5 d5xc4
.i � .i. 'iV • .i. .i i i i i i i '� ' � tD
tD � � � � � � l::r � � � � � This is the complex Vienna Variation. It is probably the best choice for Black in a must-win game. I've used it myself. once qualifying for the US Championship thanks to a win with it. 5. e2-e4
This leads to great complications, but the simple 5.e3 leads to a Queen's Gambit Accepted where White has played the suboptimal early llJc3 . 5. ...
6. ...
c7-c5
The move 6 ...h6 had a bout of popularity a couple of years ago when Kramnik took it up. but it has since faded away. After 7 .�xf6 ...xf6 8.�xc4 cS 9.e5 ...d8 I 0.0-0 cxd4 l l .llJxd+ 0-0 1 2.l:lc I N White's huge lead in development and space more than offsets the bishop pair. 6 ... b5 7 .eS 7 .a+ is also strong: 7 ... h6 8.�h4 gS 9.llJxg5 hxgS I O.�xgS llJbd7 1 I ....f3 l:lb8 1 2.exf6 �b7 1 3 ....g3 - this line resembles the Botvinnik, but Black cannot castle queenside so he should not have enough for the pawn. 7. �f1 xc4
The alternative 7 .eS is less promising in my opinion. 7. ... 8. ttJf3xd4
c5xd4
.i .i � .i. 'i¥ . i i i i i '� �
.i. � tD � tD �� � � � � I iY w �
.if8-b4
After S ... cS 6.d5 exdS 7.e5 llJfd7 8 . ..-xdS llJb6 9 ....xd8+ �xd8 1 O.llJgSN �e6 I 1 .f4 White will have more than enough for the half-pawn he will be down after taking the bishop. 6. �c1·g5
The gambit move 6.�xc4 ! ? is not bad for White, but probably only equal.
8. ...
�b4xc3+
In case of 8 ... 'il'a5 9.�d2 ..-cs 1 0.�b5+ �d7 1 1 .ltlb3 ...e7 1 2.�d3 llJc6 1 3 .0-0 0-0 1 4-.a3 �d6 1 5. �h I �eS 1 6.£4 �xc3 I 7 .�xc3 e5 1 8.f5 l:lfd8 1 9 .'ire2 it 's hard to see Black's compensation for the bishop pair. 215
The Kaufman Repenoire for While •d8-a5 9. b2xc3 10. �c4-b5+
1 0. "'
�c8-d7
This is the chicken move, usually chosen when a draw is the aim. 1 O ... lbbd7 is Black's choice if he must win. White is forced to play a gambit, though it's a pretty good one: 1 l .�xf6 9xc3 + l 2.Wfl gxf6 1 3 .h4 a6 ( 1 3 . . . 9a5 1 4.1lh3 a6 1 5.�e2 transposes) 1 4.1lh3 (White's loss of castling doesn't matter, as the rook is active on the third rank and the king can go to g 1 anytime. In return for the pawn, White has better develop ment, a safer king, and the better pawn structure. White should have the better chances, but accuracy is required as in all gambits) A) 1 4... 9b4 1 5.�e2 and now: A 1 ) 1 5 ... lbe5 1 6.1lb I 9d6 1 7 .llc3 We7 (in the event of 1 7 ... 0-0 1 8.h5 lidS 1 9.9b3 Wh8 20.J:ld l 9e7 2 1 .f4 Black's continued development problems and weaker king insure White more than enough for the pawn) 1 8.f4 lbd7 1 9.9d2 lidS 20.J:ld 1 9b6 2 l .llb3 9cs n.:c I 9d6 23 .1ld3 9b6 24.a4 and Black has no good reply to the threat of 25 .aS ; A2) 1 5 ... 0-0 1 6.11b i 9d6 1 7 .9d2 Wh8 I B .IIg3 11gB 1 9.1lbb3 llxg3 216
20.IIxg3 bS 2 I .IId3N 1Wh2 22.�f3 1Wxh4 (after 22...9e5 23.�d 1 9c5 24.lbb3 9e7 25.h5 ltJfB 26.ltJa5 �d7 27.�g l White's superior pieces and pawns are more significant than Black's extra pawn, though it's still a game) 23.e5 lbxeS 24.�xa8 ltJxd3 25.9xd3 and White's knight is worth more here than Black's three pawns, though Black may hold a draw; B) 1 4... 9a5 1 5.�e2 and now:
Analysis diagram
B I ) 1 5 ... 0-0 1 6.9c2N 9c5 1 7 .llg3+ �hS 1 8. 9d2 and White will gain more time by lie 1 . His superior development, better pawn structure, and safer king more than justify the pawn sacrificed; B2) 1 5 ... ltJe5 1 6.9b3 bS 1 7.J:ld l �d7 1 8 .1We3N - with ideas like 1Wh6 or 9f4 or ltJb3 and no secure home for the black king, White has more than enough for his pawn; B3) 1 5 . . . �e7 1 6.9c I lidS 1 7 .llc3 9e5 1 8.ltJf3 11rxe4 1 9 .9a3 + �eS 20.IId I bS 2 1 .lld4 9b I + (in case of 2 I . . .9b7 ? 22.lbd2 Black has no defense to the twin threats of lbe4 and �[3) 22.11c 1 1Wf5 23.ltJd2 llb8 24.lbe4 llb6 25 .llc7 - White will win the exchange to offset his two-pawn deficit, and his attack will continue;
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nimzo-Jndian Defense
B4) 1 5 ... llJc5 1 6.llJb3 llJxb3 I 7 .1Wxb3 b6 (if 1 7 ... 1Wc7 I S.l:ld l �d7 1 9.11t'b2 0-0-0 20.l:tc I �c6 2 l .�xa6 l:ld6 22.�e2 l:thd8 23.1Wxf6 l:td2 24.l:tb3 l:txa2 25.g3 l:tdd2 26.l:le3 White has the safer king and bener pawn structure) I S.l:tb l �b7 1 9.l:le3 l:tc8 20.�g l b5 2 l .a4 �c6 22.l:lc3 - White should at least regain his pawn with a continued attack on the weak black king. 11. 1 2. 13. 14. 15.
�g5xf6 �b5xd7+ 0-0 :a 1 -b1 ...d1 -h5
g7xf6 l!Jb8xd7 a7-a6 ••5-c7
1 8.llJf3 1Wxc3 1 9.e5 l:tg8 20.1Wxh7 We7 2 I .l:tf4 f5 22.l:td4 is another path to a small edge. 18. ... 1 9. :t1 -e1
•e5xe4 ·e4-d5
1 9 ... 1Wg6 20.f5 1Wg5 2 1 .1Wxg5 fxg5 22.fxe6 b5 23 .l:tbb 1 - White is clearly bener in this endgame. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
...h4xf6 g2-g3 ·f6-h8+ •h8-e5 :e1 xe5 �d4-b3 l:tb4xb7+ l:le5-h5 f4-f5 l:lh5-h4
l:lh8-g8 :ga-g& we8-e7 •d5xe5 l:ld8-c8 �c5-d3 we7-f8 l:lg6-g7 lbd3-f4
29.l:th6 is another way to play for the win.
15. ...
tt:ld7-c5
On 1 5 ... We7 1 6.l:lfd l l:lac8 1 7 .f4 l:lhd8 1 8.f5 ! N e5?! 1 9.llJe6 wins the exchange.
29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
... wg1 -f2 f5xe6 :h4xh7 l:lh7xb7 34. l:lb7-b6 35. :b&xa& 36. Wf2-g1
llJf4-e2+ lbe2xc3 f7xe6 l:tg7xb7 e6-e5 lbc3xa2 l:tc8-c2+
1 6. l:tb1 -b4
1 6.l:lfe 1 0-0-0 I 7 .l:te3 1We5 1 8.1We2 is also a bit bener for White. 1 6. ... 1 7. 1Wh5-h4
•c7-e5 :a8-d8
After 1 7 ... 1Wg5 1 8 ....h3 l:tg8 1 9.g3 h5 20.l:lc4 b6 2 l .f4 White has attacking chances at no cost. 1 8. f2-f4
217
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
White has won a pawn, but the reduced material and boxed-in king should be enough for Black to draw, though he failed to do so. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43.
... l:ta6-f6+ l:tf6-f2 �g1 -g2 t!Jb3-a5 t!Ja5-b7 �g2-f1 l:tf2xc2 44. h2-h3
tba2-c3
Although White is a pawn up, the low pawn count gives Black excellent drawing chances. He can realistically hope to swap his pawn for one of White's and swap the knight for the other. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51 . 52. 53.
�1 -f2 tt::l b7-d6 9;t2-g2 g3-g4+ tt::ld6-c4 tt::lc4-e5+ tt::le5-d3 �g2-f2
tt::le5-g6?
56. ...
S6 . . . ltJf7 S 7.We3 lLlgS S8 .h4 lLlf7 S9.Wxe2 ltJeS 60.gS+ �fs 6 1 .llJf3 llJg6 62.hS lLlf4+ 63 .�e3 lLlxhS draws. �-g5 �g5-f6 tt::lg6-f4 1-0
57. �e4-e3 58. t!Je1 -f3+ 59. c;te3-f2 60. h3-h4
NI 2 7.2 (038) D
Game 13.5
Wang Yue
• Tk.achiev,Vladimir Jakarta, 20 I I ( 6. 1 ) 1 . d2-d4 2. c2-c4 3. liJb1 -c3
t!Jg8-f6 e7-e6
3 .llJf3 dS 4.llJc3 �b4 is our move-order.
t!Jd4-e6 tt::le6-g5 e4-e3 �h5-g6 e3-e2 �g6-h6 tt::lg5-f7 �h6-g5 lL!f7-e5 �g5-g6 �g6-f6
�f8-b4
3. ... 4. tt::lg1 -f3
d7-d5
.i
.i � .t. 'i¥ •
���
�
��� ��
.i. £3J £3J l2J
l2J
£3J £3J £3J £3J £3J £3J 1:I � � � � l:I The Ragozin Variation. 5. c4xd5
£3J
t3J
218
S.�gS h6 6.�h4?! dxc4 is a much-improved version of the Vienna Variation for Black. So if White doesn't trade pawns on move S, he should give up the bishop pair on move 6. This line also gives White some edge, but I have fol-
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nimzo-Jndian Defense
lowed the example of most top players who play the pawn exchange on move 5 so as not to have to give up the bishop pair on move 6. 5. 6. �c1·g5 -·
e6xd5 h7·h6
B l ) 9 ... c4 I O.�e5 !N ( I O.�e2 llJe4 l l .l:lc l ttaS I 2.<�Je5 is given by Barsky in his Ragozin book as leading to a White edge, but this is much less clear after 1 2 ... 0-0 than my I O.�e5)
6 ... lbbd7 is the Westphalia Variation. which we will deal with in the next game. 7. �g5·h4
White can avoid the coming gambit by taking the knight instead, but if White wants to play this way there was no need to exchange pawns on move 5 . 7. ...
g7·g5
If Black
doesn't play this now or soon he probably shouldn't have played ... h6, be cause in key lines a later ... lbe4 attacks a bishop on g5 but not on h4. Incredibly, this move, the main one here which has been played over 200 times in high-level play, seems to be missing from Barsky's new book on the Ragozin! 7 ... c5 8.e3 :
Analysis diagram
1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .£3 and Black has no compen sation for his weakened king; B2) 9 . . .ll:Je4 I O.J:lc l ttas l l .a3 hc3+ 1 2.bxc3 ttxa3 1 3 .�d3 ll:Jxc3 1 4.ttd2 lbe4 1 5.�xe4 dxe4 1 6.lbe5 0-0 1 7 .h4 White's development and anack more than offset the two pawn deficit here; C) After 8 . . . c4 9.ll:Jd2 gS I O.�g3 �f5 I l .h4 rlg8 1 2.hxg5 hxg5 1 3.�e5 �xc3 1 4.bxc3 lbbd7 I S .�g3N Black doesn't have much for the lost bishop pair; D) If 8 ... lbc6 9.i.b5 gS I O . .ig3 llJe4 l l .dxcS lbxc3 1 2.i.xc6+ bxc6 1 3.ttd4 lbxa2+ 1 4.ll:Jd2 0-0 1 5 .l:lxa2 aS 1 6.0-0N, Black's weak king and weak pawns on aS and c6 count for more than his bishop pair. 8. �h4·g3 9. l!Jf3·d2
Analysis diagram
A) 8 ... 0-0 9.dxcS �bd7 I O.rlc I ttaS l l .llJd2 and Black is already in trouble; B) 8 ... g5 9.�g3 and now:
l!Jf6·e4 l!Je4xc3
With 9 ... ll:Jxg3 Black wins the bishop pair instead of the pawn, but White still gets too much for it: I O.hxg3 c6 I l .a3 .if8 1 2.ttc2 1 2.e3 ( 1 2.e4 also gives White a plus) 1 2 ...�e6 1 3 .e4 .ig7 219
The Kaufman Repertoire for Whitt
-� ' '
K
ii' � i ..t '
'
..t '
'
� [3J t3J 1:r
<1J � � tt:J
� � £3J
w�
1 3. �c7-d6
�
Analysis diagram
1 4.e5N 0-0 1 5 .f4 and White's huge space advantage and kingside initiative are obvi ously worm more lhan Black's bishop pair. 1 0. b2xc3 1 1 . l:la1 -c1
1 7.l:txc6! !N bxc6 1 8.'it'a4 Wcs 1 9.exd4 1i'c3 20. 1i'b3 ..a I + 2 1 .1i'd I 'it'xd4 22.1We2+ Wd8 23.�e5 ..xeS 24 ... xe5 l:te8 25 ... xe8+ 'ii'xe8 26.lbb3 , with a knight for just two pawns, White is much better. 1We7-e6
1 3 ...'it'd8 1 4.l:tb l 1Wxd6 transposes to the game. 14. l:lc1-b1 1 5. l:lb1 xb2 1 6. e2-e3
•e6xd6 �b8-c6 i.c8-f5
i.b4xc3
1 6 ... 0-0 I 7 .h4. 11.
-·
i.c3-b2
If l l . .. �a5 1 2 .e3 c6 1 3.�d3 �c7 1 4.Lc7 1Wxc7 1 5.0-0 White has a large development lead, a better bishop, and the safer king for the pawn, which is more than enough: I S ... fS 1 6.lbf3 0-0 1 7.ttJe5 1i'g7 1 8.f4 lbd7 1 9.'it'c2 ttJxeS 20.fxe5 �e6 2 1 .l:lf2. Simply 2 1 .�xf5 is not bad, but lhe text, planning to double rooks before taking the pawn, seems to give White a clearer advantage. 1 2. i.g3xc7
•d8-e7
After 1 2 ...'it'd7 1 3.l:lbl �c3 1 4.�g3 �c6 1 5.e3 1We7 1 6. l:lc l .ixd4 220
1 7. i.f1 -e2
After 1 7 .l:txb7 0-0 1 8.�e2 l:tfb8 1 9.l:tb5 l:txb5 20.�xb5 ttJb4 2 1 .0-0 ttJxa2 22.1Wf3 White's superior pawn structure gives him the edge. 1 7. ...
0-0
1 7 . . . b6 1 8.h4 0-0-0! ?N 1 9.lbb l �b8 20.lbc3 and here, since White can close the kingside and attack the queenside and the isolated d-pawn, he has the edge. 1 e. o-o
For 1 8.l:lxb7 see lhe previous note.
Chapter I 3 - Avoiding the Nimw-Indian Defense
1 8.h4! b6 1 9 .hxg5 hxgS 20.lLlf3 f6 2 l...�.d3 'iVd7 22.lLlg l ! and White will bring the knight to g3, with advantage due to Black's weak king and d-pawn. 18. 19. 20. 21 . 22.
... �e2-g4 llf1-e1 ll:ld2-f1 llb2-b3
b7-b6 .tf5·d3 ll:lc6-a5 ll:la5-c4
� iiK
i
'if
i
i
i � �� l::[ � � � � jL �
�
wg7-g6?
36. ...
In case of 36 ... tt'd7 37.'iVe l White has some advantage due to the weak dS pawn. 37. 1t'e2-e1
llc8-c7?
3 7 . . . 1ld6 38.1Vh l bS 39 .axb5 axbS 40.1lb3 'iVd7 4 I ...e 1 and Black's [WO iso lated pawns, both on the color of White's bishop, mean that White is much better. .
38. We1 -h1 22. ...
.td3xf1 ?1
This bishop is too important for the defense of the king to exchange like this. 2 2 . . .i.g6 would have equalized. I would avoid this position by 1 7 .llxb7 or by 1 8.h4. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
l:le1 xf1 �g4-e2 g2-g3 �e2-f3 l:lb3-b5 a2-a4 �f3-g2 l:lf1·e1 llb5-b3 1t'd1 -e2 lle1-c1 34. h2-h4 35. l:lb3-c3 36. wg1 -h2
f7·f5 l:la8-c8 l:lc8·c6 1t'd6-e6 l:lf8-d8 �g8-g7 l:ld8-d6 ll:lc4-a3 ll:la3-c4 l:ld6·d8 g5-g4 a7-a6 l:ld8-c8
White now wins a pawn by force, keep ing a favorable position as well. ... l:lc3xc6 �g2xd5 W'h1 xc1 Wc1xd2 a4xb5 44. wh2-g1 45. d4·d5
38. 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43.
ll:lc4-d2 l:lc7xc6 l:lc6xc1 W'e6xd5 b6-b5 a6xb5 W'd5·b7 b5-b4
'if i
i
�
'IV
�
�
�i i� � � 22 1
The Kaufman Repertoire for White 46. d5-d6
46.e4!! b3 (46 .. .fxe4 47.d6 b3 48.d7 b2 49 .... d6+ Wh7 SO .... e7+ �g6 5 l .... e6+ Wg7 5 2.d8 ... b l ... + 5 3 .Wh2 ...f7 54 ....e5+ �h7 S S .... dh8+ �g6 S6.h5) 47.exf5+ �h7 48.f6 �g6 49.h5+ �xhS SO .... d3 �gS 5 I .f7 ...xf7 52 ....xb3 and White should win. 46. 47. 48. 49.
... d6-d7 •d2xb2 d7-d8...
b4-b3 b3-b2 •b7xb2
White is a clean pawn up. Whether he wins by force from here I have no idea, but he did win - on move I 09.
Game 13.6
NI 27.9 (038) 0
Vitiugov,Nikita • Alexeev,Evgeny Suatov, 20 I I (S)
1 . d2-d4 2. c2-c4 3. lLJb1 -c3
lLJg8-f6 e7-e6
3.lLJf3 dS 4.lLJc3 �b4 is the order we would use to reach the Ragozin Variation. In this game a Nimzo-Indian transposed to the Ragozin, and later to the Westphalia (aka Manhattan Variation). The move order 4 ... lLJbd7 S.cxdS exdS 6.�g5 �b4 would transpose to the game after 6 ... tbbd7. 3. 4. 5. 6.
... lLJg1 -f3 c4xd5 .ic1-g5
.if8-b4 d7-d5 e6xd5 lLJb8-d7
This position is the starting point for the 'Westphalia Variation'. named after the 222
ship in which Rudolf Spielmann, travel ling to the New York I 9 24 tournament, showed this plan to Milan Vidmar.
7. e2-e3 8. d4xc5
c7-c5
A good alternative is 8.�e2 •as 9.0-0 �xc3 I O.bxc3 c4 l l ....c2 lLle4 1 2.:ac I tbb6 (on 1 2 ... tbxg5 1 3.tbxg5 tbf6 1 4.e4 h6 I S.lLJxf7 ! ? �xf7 1 6.e5 is a promising piece sacrifice) 1 3.�f4 0-0 1 4.tbg5. Black doesn't have much for the bishop pair, although the fairly closed nature of the position minimizes its value. The main line is 8.�d3 •as 9 ....c2 c4 1 o . .tfs 0-0 1 1 .0-o :es 1 2.tbd2 g6. Play might continue 1 3 ..ixd7 lLlxd7 1 4.e4 �xc3 1 s ....xc3 ... xc3 1 6.bxc3 f6 1 7 . .ih4 gS 1 8 . .ig3 lLlb6 1 9.f3.
Analysis diagram
This suggestion of Kramnik should en sure at least a small white edge.
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nimm-Indian Otfcnse 8.
1Wd8-a5
..•
In the event of S ... 0-0
9.�e2 'ifaS I 0.0-0 i.xc3 I I . bxc3 ltJe4 1 2 .l::tc I ltJdxcS 1 3 .i.e7 l::te8 1 4.i.xc5 1fxc5 I S .c4 dxc4 1 6.l::txc4 1fe7 1 7 .1fc2 ltJd6 1 8.l::tc 7 i.fs 1 9.1fc5, White's superior development gives him the edge. 9. D.a1 -c1
i..b4xc3+
9 . . . ltJe4 I 0 .1fxd5 ltJxc3 1 1 .bxc3 i.xc3+ 1 2.<�d 1 0-0 1 3 .i.c4 and now: A) 1 3...ltJxc5 1 4.i.e7 i.b4 I S . .i.xf8 i.e6 1 6.1fd4 D.xf8 1 7 .�xe6N (sug gested by Barsky in his Ragozin book) 1 7 ... l!Jxe6 1 8.1fc4 bS 1 9.1fc2 i.a3 20.l::tb 1 ltJcS 2 l .�e2 l!Ja4 22.�fl ltJc3 2 3 .l::ta l l::tc8 24.g3 1fc7 25.�g2 - White has untangled and Black lacks sufficient compensation for the exchange; B) 1 3 ...ltJf6 1 4.R.xf6 R.xf6 1 5 .C�e2 b5 1 6.cxb6 'ti'xdS 1 7 .i.xdS i.a6+ 1 8 . .i.c4 axb6 1 9.a4 (Barsky gives this a ' ! ') 1 9 ... g6N 20.R.xa6 l::txa6 2 l .l::tc4.
Analysis diagram
White is a healthy pawn ahead. If the queenside pawns are traded the remain ing four-to-three majority offers decent winning chances with a knight against a bishop, with or without rooks. 9 ... 0-0 1 O.a3 R.xc3+ 1 1 .l::tx c3 ltJe4 1 2.b4 l!Jxc3 1 3 .'ifa l 1fa4 1 4.'ifxc3 aS
I S .bS b6 1 6.c6 ltJcS 1 7.i.e2 .i.g4 1 8 .i.e7 ltJe4 1 9 .1t'd4 'ti'xd4 20.ltJxd4 l::tfe8 2 l ..i.h4 �xe2 2V�xe2.
i8 i8 ' tt:J � � 8 8 w8 8 8 _g Analysis diagram
Black is up 11. pawn, but the powerful protected passer on the sixth rank easily offsets this. The lack of any open files for the black rooks tilts the balance in White's favor. 1 0. b2xc3 1 1 . lLlf3-d41
0-0
1 1 . ...
'tta5xc5
Afler l l ...ltJe4 1 2.i.f4 'ifxa2 ( 1 2...J:le8 1 3 .i.e2 1 3.l::tc 2 •as (so far the game Elianov-Moiseenko, Saratov 20 1 1 , from an earlier round) 1 4.c6N bxc6 I S.l!Jxc6 ..a3 1 6.1fxd5 �b7 1 7.ifxd7 iVa i + 1 8 ....d 1 ...xd 1 + 1 9.�xd l i.xc6 20.f3 Black has just a litde development lead for 223
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
the Jl /z pawn deficit) l 3 .l:lc2 'it'a3 1 4.f3 g5 1 5.c6 bxc6 1 6.�c7 lt:lef6 1 7 .'it'c I 'it'xc l + I S .l:lxc l l:le8 1 9 .lt:lxc6 l:lxe3+ 20 .�f2 l:le8 2 1 .l:la I lLlcS 22.:la5 lLlb3 23 .:lxa7 :lxa7 24.lt:lxa7, White retains the bishop pair plus for free. 1 2. .if1 -d3 13 . .ig5-f4 14. ...d1 -h5
... 0-0 •h5·h6 •h6xf8+ lLld4-b3 .id3xe4 lLlb3-c5 lLlc5xb7 e3xf4 c3-c4
l:l.f8-e8 g7-g6 11rc5-f8 l:l.e8xf8 .ic8-f5 d5xe4 lLlb6-d5 lLld5xf4 .if5·e6
White is a pawn ahead for just minimal compensation. 23. 24. 25. 26.
2 24
"" lt:lb7-d6 l:l.f1 -d1 c4·c5
l:l.d8-d5 l:l.d5-d4
lt:lf6-e4 lLld7-b6
A decent alternative is 1 4. f3 ti::l d 6 1 5 .'ti'b3 aS 1 6 .0-0, when White has the bishop pair in an otherwise fairly bal anced position. 14 . 1 5. 1 6. 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21. 22. 23.
27. lLld6xe4 28. l:l.d1 -e1
l:f8-c8 l:l.c8·c6 l:l.a8-d8 .ie6xa2
29. l:l.c1-d1
29.f3 looks like a possible improvement. 29. 30. 31 . 32.
... l:le1 xd1 f2-f3 l:l.d1 -a1
l:l.d4xd1 wg8-g7 .ia2-e6
32.l:ld6 was another way to try to exploit the extra pawn. 32. ... 33. l:l.a1 -a5 34. g2-g4 35. g4xf5 36. lLle4-d6 37. lLld6xf5+ 38. wg1 -f2 39. lLlf5-d4 40. l:l.a5-a1 41 . l:l.a1 ·e1 42. cM2-g3
a7-a6 .ie6-c4 f7-f5 g6xf5 .ic4-b5 �g7-h8 l:lc6xc5 �h8-g8 �g8-f7 l:lc5-h5 1f2-1f2
QO 1.2 (03 7) 0
Game 13.7
Grischuk,Ale:under
• Gelfand,Boris Kazan, 20 1 1 ( 3 . 1 )
1 . d2·d4 2. c2-c4
lLlg8·f6 e7-e6
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nimm-lndian Defense 3. ti)g1 -f3 4. tDb1 -c3 5. .i.c1 -f4
d7-d5 .i.f8-e7 0-0
i: � .i. 'if i: � i i i .i. i i i ·� i �� ttJ �� ;g 6. lla1 -c1
The usual move here is 6.e3 , but recently Black has been doing OK with 6 ...ll::lbd7 rather than the older 6 ... c5. I wrote an ar ticle in Yearbook 9 2 praising the move 6.a3 , which works quite well against both 6 ... c5 and 6 ... ll::lbd7, but it's hard to prove an edge after 6 ... b6. I now believe 6.1lc I to be the best move, as it is quite useful against quiet moves like 6 ... c6 or 6 ... b6, it discourages 6 ... ll:Jbd7, and although it may not be the best move against ... c7 -cS it does appear to be good enough for some advantage. 6.
OM
c7•c5
A) 6 . . . dxc4 7.e4 cS (after 7 . . . b5 8.ll::lx b5 ll::lxe4 9 .�xc4 ll:Jd6 I 0.0-0 a6 l l .ll:Ja3 ti:lxc4 1 2.ti:lxc4 aS 1 3.1i'e2 �b7 1 4.1lfd l White's enormous lead in devel opment and better pawn structure more than offsets the bishop pair) 8.�xc4 cxd4 9.tlJxd4 a6 (or 9 ... ll:Jbd7 I O.ti:lf3 and White has a large lead in development for free) I 0.0-0N bS l l . .ie2 .i.b7 1 2 ..i.f3 lla7 1 3 . ..i.e3 b4 1 4.lDa4 liaS 1 5 .tlJb3 ll:Jbd7 1 6.ll:Jac5 ti:lxcS I 7 .lbxcS - White should win the bishop pair for free here:
B) 6 ... lbbd7 7 .cxdS exdS (Black would prefer to take with the knight here but he can't, as then c7 falls. This is why the ex change is good for White with the rook on c I but not after 6.e3 lbbd7) 8.e3 c6 9.h3.
i: .i. � i: � i i .. .i. i i i i � i � .i ttJ � ttJ � �� �� :s 'iV w � n Analysis diagram
This is almost like our normal QGD Ex change Variation, but the bishop is better on f4 than on gS. On the other hand, llc I may end up being a wasted tempo if the rook ultimately goes to b I to support a minority attack. This is far from certain though, so I think it's fair to say White's advantage is roughly comparable to what he gets in the main line of the Exchange QGD. B l ) 9 ... 1le8 I O . .i.d3 tlJf8 1 1 .0-0 tlJg6 1 2.�h2 �d6 l 3.�xd6 1i'xd6 1 4.1i'c2 lle7 I S .Ilb l �d7 l 6.b4 b6 1 7.b5 cxbS 1 8.�xb5 �c8 1 9 . .i.d3 .i.b7 20.Ilfc l tlJe4 2 1 .1i'a4 fS 22.tLlb5 1i'd8 was Giri Nakamura, Dortmund 20 I I . Now 23.1i'b3 was probably best, with a clear advantage (better pawn structure, bad Black bishop) : B2) 9 ... ll:Jb6 I O. .i.d3 �d6 l l .hd6 (White played l l .tlJeS in Ding Liren Zhou Jianchao, Qinhuangdao 20 I I , but he lost) 1 1 ... 1i'xd6 1 2.0-0. White should be better, with the better bishop and extra center pawn, but the usual minority 225
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
attack doesn't look very practical here. White may consider kingside play with tbes and f2-f4. C) 6 . . . c6 7 .e3 tbbd7 8.h3. In the Or thodox QGD, White's bishop is on gS. and after i.d3 Black plays the freeing ...dxc4 i.xc4 tbdS. With the bishop on f4 this doesn't work, so White should be better here; D) 6 ... b6?! 7.cxd5 exdS 8.e3. This type of position, with pawns on dS and b6 and all the pieces on the board, is known to favor White. If Black pms the bishop on b7 it has no prospects, bm if it goes to e6 Black must play . . . c7 -cS to justify . . .b7-b6, and usually ends up with 'hang ing' pawns.
1 0 ... a6 1 1 .0-0 b S 1 2.i.e2 .ib7 1 3.tbeS .ie7 1 4.a4 b4 I S.lbb I tbc6 1 6.tbc4 l:tad8 1 7 .lbbd2 and White is better. This knight will be happy on b3. White's bish ops are superior to Black's. 8. e2-e3 9. a2-a3
lLlb8·c6
Also favorable but rather drawish is 9.cxd5 exdS I O ..ie2 d4 l l .exd4 lbxd4 (if I l ....ixd4 I 2.tbxd4 1Wxd4 1 3.1Wxd4 llJxd4 1 4.i.e3 tbxe2 I S.�xe2 White has the better ending due to superior devel opment, bm the bishops of opposite color make a draw likely) 1 2.lLlxd4 1i'xd4 1 3 .1Wxd4 hd4 1 4.lbb5 .ib6 1 S .0-0 .i.e6 1 6.a3 and White is definitely for choice due to the planned tbd6, though the pawn symmetry gives Black excellent drawing chances. 9.
d5-d4
...
9 . . . a6 1 0.b4 .id6 1 J ..ixd6 1Wxd6 1 2 ..ie2 l:td8 I 3 .lba4N - with ideas of cS and lbb6, White is better.
7. d4xc5
.ie7xc5
7 ... dxc4 8.e3N (8.e4 1Wxd l + 9.l:txd l i.xcS I 0 .i.xc4 i.b4 was Aronian Radjabov, Porto Carras 20 I I . It is because of this last move that I recommend 8.e3) 8 ... 1Wxd l + 9.l:txd l hcS I O . .ixc4. In an otherwise nearly symmetrical position, White has a well-developed bishop on f4 while Black's is undeveloped on c8. I think White's edge here is clearer than in the similar symmetrical variation of the Queen's Gambit Accepted, which I rec ommend even though White's bishop is at home. 226
1 0. e3xd4 1 1 . b2-b4 1 2. 'it'd1 xf3
:1 .t if •• .t' £::, £::, £::, ttJ � 1 2. ...
lLlc6xd4 lLJd4xf3+
.. .
••• ·� � � £::, £::, £::, �� � .ic5-d4
1 2 . . . eS 1 3.i.g5 .i.e7 ? ! (on 1 3 . . . e4, 1 4.1Wd I .i.e7 I S . .i.e2 keeps an edge)
Chapter 1 3 - Avoiding the Nirnzo-Indian Defense
H.lld I 1i'e8 I S .i.xf6 i.xf6 1 6.i.d3 i.d8 I 7 .i.e4 llb8 I S.i.dSN White's huge lead in development more than off sets the bishop pair, especially since the only sensible development move for the c8 bishop, to e6, gives up the bishop pair. 1 2 ... i.e7 1 3 .ltd I N 1i'e8 1 4.i.c7 {to stop ... a7-a5) 1 4 ... 1i'c6 1 5 .1i'xc6 bxc6 1 6.i.e2 - White has the better pawn structure and better development. 1 3. lbc3-b5
Equally strong is 1 9.¢>e3 fxg2 20.i.xg2 lld6 2 I .llcd I , after which White has the better endgame. His development is better, his majority more dangerous, and his king position is superior. 19 20. 21. 22. 23.
•
... �f1 xg2 J:lh1 -d1 �g2xb7 �c3·b2
f3xg2 lld4-g4 .iee-e& llg4xc4+ llc4xc1
e6-e5
After 1 3 ... 1le8 1 4.i.c7 (also strong is 14.i.g5 h6 I S . .ixf6 .ixf6 1 6.i.e2) 1 4 ...1i'd7 I S.ltJxd4 1i'xc7 1 6.ltJb5 1i'e5+ 1 7 .1i'e2 1i'b8 1 8.c5 White will fianchetto his bishop and will have the superior pawn majority and a knight outpost on d6. 14. .i.f4-g5
l:lf8-e8
Or 1 4 ... e4 1 5.1l'g3 h6 1 6.1ld l hxgS 1 7.1lxd4 i.d7 1 8.i.e2 ( 1 8.h4 g4 1 9.h5 may be even stronger) 18 ... a5 1 9.0-0 axb4 20.axb4 and White is much better due to the threat on gS, the pin, the weak e4 pawn, and his strong queenside majority. 1 5. 1 6. 1 1. 1 8.
:!
.i.g5xf6 .i.f6xd8 �e1-d2 lbb5xd4
��
..t
e5-e4 e4xf3+ J:le8xd8 J:ld8xd4+
24. l:ld1 xc1
Equally good is 24.¢>xc l N l:l.b8 2S.i.c6 ¢>f8 26.1ld4 ¢>e7 27.b5. White's outside potential passed pawn gives him the advan tage, but Black has good drawing chances. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
.. wb2-c3 b4·b5 a3-a4 a4-a5 .
J:la8-d8 wg8-ts ¢>f&-e7 lld8-d6?1 we7-d8
1 9. �d2-c3
227
The Kaufman Repertoire for White 29. J:tc1-e1 N
White can be patient. His majority is ob viously much more dangerous than Black's. There is a saying that 'all rook endings are drawn', and while this isn't literally true, it warns against heading to a favorable rook ending if it's not enough to win. Botvinnik used to teach students to avoid trading down to simple endgames when ahead unless they are pretty clearly won. With two pieces each,
228
as here, the game may still be theoreti cally drawn, but the chances of the weaker side making a fatal error are higher than with only one piece each. The actual game went 29.b6?! �c8 3 0.hc8 Wxc8 3 I .Wb4+ Wb8 3 2.bxa7+ WaS 3 3.l:tc8+ Wxa7 34.l:tc7+ Wa6 35.J:txf7 J:tg6 3 6.h3 J:tg2 37.f4 J:tg3 38.f5 hS 39.h4 l:tg4+ 40.Wc5 l:txh4 4 t .l:txg7 l:tf4 42.l:tg6+ WxaS 43.l:tg5 h4 44.l:th5 h3 45.wd6 h2 46.f6+ Wb6 47.We6 J:tf2 48.£7 l:te2+ 49.Wf6 draw agreed.
Chapter 14
Nlmzo-lndian Defense The Nimzo-Indian Defense, l.d4 lt:lf6 2.c4 e6 3.lt:lc3 �b4. is widely considered to be the best all -around defense to l .d4, and the majority of top players prefer to avoid it by 3.llJf3, which allows the Queen's Indian instead. I too would rather face the Queen's Indian than the Nimzo, but I decided to recommend 3.llJc3 for one simple reason: the move 3.llJf3 allows 3 ... d5, after which my recommended Exchange Variation against the QGD is no longer promising, as Black can safely play an early ... �f5. Of course White has other options after 3.llJf3 d5, such as the Catalan (4.g3) or allowing the cur rently popular Lasker's Defense by 4.llJc3 iJ..e 7 S.iJ..g S h6 6.iJ..h4 0-0 7 .e3 llJe4 (or the Tarkakower 7 . . . b6) or playing 4.llJc3 iLe7 5 .iJ..f4. However, the 4.llJc3 option allows several other decem defenses, including the Vienna 4 ... dxc4, the Ragozin 4 ... iJ..b4 and the Semi-Tarrasch 4 ... c5. Also, 3 .l!Jf3 allows both the Bogo-Indian (3 ... �b4+) and the Blwnenfeld Gambit (3 ... c5 4.d5 b5!?) , both of which are respectable defenses. Since it is far from certain that the Nimzo-Indian is superior to the Queen's Indian, I feel that the disadvantage of having to allow and learn all these defenses outweighs any theoreti cal advantage of 3 .l!Jf3 for most players. This may not be so at high level though, so both third move choices for White are covered in this book. Personally I play 3.l!Jf3 and 3.llJc3 about equally often.
I like to think of the Nimzo as a gambit (even if no one calls it such). Black is usually willing to give up the bishop pair (i.e. half a pawn!) either to wreck White's pawn sttucrure or for a lead in development. This is typical of gambits. I recommend the Classical Variation 4.•c2, as it usually leads to winning the bishop pair for rather nebu lous compensation. For example, after the most common continuation 4 ... 0-0 5 .a3 bc3 + 6.'it'xc3, Black's compensation basically consists of one tempo, which in theory is worth y, of a pawn, less than the half pawn 'paid' for it. Of course only acrual analysis 229
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
can confirm that these rough guidelines apply to this specific position. The main idea of 4.'tfc2 is to avoid damaged pawns while keeping open the option of �g5 (or �f4) before playing e2-e3 . I think the tempo taken is worthwhile, because an eventual ... �xc3 bxc3 gives White doubled pawns, an isolated pawn, and a backward pawn; 'three strikes'.
Black has some wtusual replies, of which 4 lbc6 is the most popular, which we meet by 5.lbf3 d6 6 ..id2 (Game 1 4. 1 ) . which will win the bishop pair in a good way, bring ing a bishop to c3. A more promising reply is 4...c5, which after our 5.chc5 does have the great merit of not ceding the bishop pair. It does though lose a tempo as the bishop moves twice to take on c5, and this is enough to give White a small plus (Game 1 4.2) . The reply 4...d5 is very logical, since it indirecdy attacks the d4 pawn (after 5 ... dxc4) which White has left unprotected. So White captures on d5 , when 5 ...ad5 6 ..ig5 seems to give White a small edge, though there are some complications here so study is required (Game 1 4. 3 ) . The recapture with the queen on move 5 was revived when grandmaster Romanishin came up with the idea to meet 6.ltJf3 by 6.. 1WfS , invit ing a queen trade despite the doubled pawns. White should be better, but the doubled pawns are not bad ones so White's edge is pretty small. White can also keep the queens on and retain a slight plus with 7 .'tfd I . See Game 1 4.4. The main line is 4. 0-0. Then we nab the two bishops with 5.a3 hc3+ 6.'tfxc3. Now the gambit 6. .b5 (first played by Alvis Vitolins with the follow-up 7 ... a6, and first played by Andras Adorjan with the follow-up 7 ... c6, after extensive joint analysis with grandmaster Dzindzichashvili) is perfecdy sound but White can return the pawn with a timely �g5 for a slight edge (Game 1 4. 5 ) . The move 6 ...lbe4 is natural but after 7.'tfc2 fS 8.llJh3, planning f2-f3. e2-e3 , �e2, 0-0, and tbf2 should keep a normal bishop-pair advantage (Game 1 4.6). Instead 6 d6 is a rather popular choice among strong grand masters, but I think the reply 7.f3, taking advantage of the fact that the normal 7 ... d5 would lose a tempo. keeps the bishop-pair plus (Game 1 4. 7 ) . The most frequent move historically is 6 b6, which after 7 ..ig5 ..ib7 can be met either by 8.e3, planning tbe2, 'tfc2, and tbc3 (Game 1 4.8) when White keeps the bishops at some cost in develop•••
•
•
.
..
.
•••
.••
230
•
Chapter I 4 - Nimw-lndian Defense
ment, or by 8.0 h6 9.�4 dS I O.e3 tbbd7 l l .a:dS (Game 1 4.9), which generally leads to an endgame in which White keeps a small plus of at least bishop for knight in an open position. Finally, the move 6 ... d5, which was not even mentioned in books a cou ple of years ago, is now all the rage among the top players, but as I show in Game I 4. I 0 White seems to keep either the bishop pair or a superior pawn structure.
NI 24. 1 1 (E3 3)
Game
14.1
D
Malakhov,Vladimir • Ponomariov,Ruslan Khamy-Mansiysk, 2009 (6)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
d2-d4 c2-c4 tilb1 -c3 •d1 -c2 tilg1 -f3 .i.c1-d2 a2-a3 .i.d2xc3
tilg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 tbb8-c6 d7-d6 0-0 �b4xc3
E
.t 'i¥ E . ' ' ' ' ' ' �· '�
White must be better as he has made no concession to win the bishop pair. The bishop stands well on c3 as ...tt:le4 can only be played if Black first plays the tempo-losing ...dS. 8.
,_
Wd8-e7
If 8 . . . l:le8 9 .e3 e5 I O.dxe5 dxe5 (or I O . . . tlJxeS I 1 .tlJxe 5 dxe S l 2 .�e2 c S 1 3 .0-0 1i'e7 1 4.l:lae I b 6 1 5 .f4 .tb7 1 6.�xe 5 N tlJd7 1 7 .i.c3 �e4 1 8 .1i'c l
and Black has some bm not full com pensation for the pawn and bishop pair) 1 1 . .te2 aS 1 2 . 0 - 0 1i'e7 (if 1 2 ... i.g4 1 3 .h3 .ths 1 4.b4 White has the initiative) 1 3 .h3 a4 1 4J:lad 1 h6 1 5 .l:lfe 1 Black has nothing for the bishops; In case of 8 ... a5 9.e4 e5 1 0.dxe5 dxe5 1 1 .ll'lxe5 ll'lxe5 1 2.i.xe5 l:le8 1 3.i.xf6 1i'xf6 1 4 . .td3 .tg4 1 5 .0-0 l:lad8 1 6.l:lfe 1 N, Black has only partial com pensation for the pawn . 9. g2-g3 1 0. d4-d5
e6-e5
E .t i l l 'ifk i i i �' � � � � � 'if � 10
.
� '
.•.
e5-e4
After 1 O ...lLlb8 l l .i.g2 aS 1 2.b3 ll'lbd7 1 3 .0-0 ll'le8 1 4.e4 c6 1 5 .ll'ld2 ll'lc7 1 6.f4 White is clearly better with the bishop pair, better development, and the initia tive. 1 1 . lDf3-g5 1 2. l£Jg5xe4
tilc6-e5 tbf6xe4
23 1
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 1 3. 'irc2xe4 14. 'ire4·e3 1 5. g3xf4
.i .i. .l .l .l
� a:
�
� �
f7·f5 f5·f4 l:tf8xf4
'if
.l ��
:i if �� w�
20. e2·e41
The actual game went 20.11t'd4 g6 2 1 .e4 •f4+ 22.< �b 1 l:le8 23 .�d3 l:lxh2 24.cS 'tfes 2S ...b4 b6 26.c6 �c8 27 .�c2 Wg7 and a draw was agreed, though White is surely still better after 28.d6 . 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24.
NO
'ire5xc7 e4-e5 'irc7xe5 l:lg1·g2
l:la8·e8 'irf7-f6 'irf6xe5 l:le8xe5
White is a solid pawn up in the endgame.
1 6. 0·0·0
A good alternative was 1 6 .c5 �d7 1 7 .�xe5 dxeS 1 8.�g2 l:laf8 1 9 .0-0 when Black does have some kingside at tacking prospects, but the extra White center pawn should be the larger factor here. 1 6. ... 1 7. l:th1·g1
'tlt'e7·f1 l:tf4xf2
In the event of I 7 ... g6 1 8 .�xe5 dxeS 1 9.�g2 J:lxc4+ 20.�b1 Black regains his pawn, but after l:lc I White will have pres sure on c7 and eS. 1 8. �c3xe5 1 9. 'tlt'e3xe5
d6xe5 �c8-d7
NI 2 1 . 1 2 (E39)
Game
1.4.2
0 Grigorov,Grigor • Jaracz,Pawel Kalamaria., 2009 (8)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d2-d4 c2·c4 ll:Jb1 -c3 'ird1 -c2 d4xc5
ll:Jg8·f6 e7·e6 �f8-b4 c7·c5
:i � .i. 'if � .i: .l .l .l .l .l .l .l 6\
5.
-·
0·0
S ... tba6 6.a3 �xc3+ 7 ... xc3 tUxeS 8.f3 and now: A) S ... aS 9 .e4 d6 1 O.�e3 .. c7 1 l .l:ld 1 0-0 1 2 ....d4 tbe8 1 3 .eS lLlb3 1 4.'ird3N 232
Choprer 1 4 - Nimzo-Indian Ddmse
tOeS I S.�xcS dxcS 1 6.f4 b6 1 7 .�e2 g6 1 8.lbf3 i.b7 1 9.0-0 lllg 7 20 .•d6 •c6 2 1 .,.xc6 i.xc6 22.g4 - White has the better endgame as his king can rush to e3 while Black's knight is a problem; B) 8 . . . dS 9.cxdS b6 I O .b4 lll a4 l l .,.b3 bS 1 2.e4 a6 1 3 .i.gs h6 1 4-.i.h+ 0-0 I S.l0e2 l:le8 1 6.l:ld l exdS 1 7.l:lxdS 1tb6 1 8 .i.f2 •c7 1 9.%ld2N i.e6 20 .•c2 and Black does not have enough for a pawn and the bishop pair. After s ... hcs 6.lbf3 _.b6 7.e3 Wc7 8.b3 a6 9.i.b2 b6 I O.i.d3 i.b7 1 1 .0-0 i.e7 1 2.l0e4 d6 1 3 .l0xf6+ i.xf6 1 4.i.xf6 gxf6 1 5.lbd4 lbc6 1 6.i.e4 White has space and better pawns for free.
Christiansen, Seattle US Championship 2003) 1 2...i.b7 1 3 .0-0-0 fxe4 1 4.lbxe4 and White is better, as Black must surren der the bishop pair or face a dangerous auack by i.d3 next; B) I O ... i.b7 1 1 .0-0-0
K&
.l .i. .l
'if
••
l .i. l .l l 1
·
6. a2-a3 7. l!lg1 -f3
�b4xc5 b7-b6
If 7 ...l0c6 S.i.gS tlld4 9.l0xd4 hd4
I O.e3 •as I l .exd4 •xgS 1 2 .• d2 •xd2+ 1 3.�d2 b6 1 4.£3 i.a6 I S.a4 l:lfc8 1 6.b3, with more space and a central ized king. White has the beuer endgame. ·
8. �c1 ·f4
Analysis diagram
B I ) l l ...d6? 1 2.lObS .Lf3 ?! (in case of 1 2 ...lbf6 1 3 .i.xf6 gxf6 1 4 ..-d2 •cs I S.e4 lbd7 1 6.lllxd6 .Ld6 1 7 .•xd6 lLlcS 1 8 .Wg3+ �h8 1 9 .Wf4 l0xe4 20.i.d3 Black's king has problems and his pawn structure is bad) I 3 .exf3 i.xgS+ 1 4.hxg5 •xg S + (so far Hernandez Carmenates-Gulko, Barcelona 2008) 1 5 .•d2N •xd2+ 1 6.%lxd2 a6 1 7.%lxh5 g6 I S.:gs h6 1 9.l0c7 %la7 20.lbxe6 hxgS 2 1 .lbxf8 �xf8 22.l:lxd6 and White is a clean pawn up in the end game; B2) l l ...l0c6 1 2.e4 lbf6 1 3 .e5 lbg4 1 4.i.f4 :cs I S .�b l fs 1 6.exf6 l0xf6 I 7 .h5 - White has both the better pawn structure and beuer attacking chances. 9. l:la1-d1
8.
·-
�c8-b7
8 . . . ttJhS 9 . .i.gs i.e7 I O.h4 and now: A) I O ... f6?! l l .i.d2 fS 1 2.e4!N (in stead, I 2.e3 was seen in Kaufman-
Aside from the obvious pressure on the d-pawn and the black queen, White pre pares to retreat the bishop to c I if it is at tacked without blocking in the queen 's rook. 233
The Kaufman Repenoire for While 9. ...
llJb8-c6
In the event of 9 . . . llJhS I O.�c l llJf6 (if 1 O ... f5 1 1 .b4 �e7 1 2 .e4N fxe4 1 3.llJxe4 White has fewer pawn islands and more space) 1 l .b4 �e7 1 2.e4 llJc6 1 3 . ..ie2 White has a good Hedgehog. Black's c6 knight is supposed to be on d7. 10. b2-b4
llJf6-h5
In case of 1 O ... �e7 1 1 .e4 %lc8 1 2 . ..ie2 White is much better ofT than in typical 'Hedgehog' positions. 1 1 . �f4-c1 12. e2-e4
.tc5-e7 -.de-be
After 1 2 ... %lc8 1 3 ...ie2 'ifc7 1 4.llJbS 'ifbs 1 5 .%lxd7 %lfd8 1 6.%lxd8+ %lxd8 1 7 .0-0 llJf4 1 8.�e3 ttJxe2 + 1 9. tfxe2 Black has only the bishop pair for the pawn, which is not enough. 1 2 ...llJf6 transposes to the note after move 9.
E 'i¥ :� • i .t i .t i i i '� '
1 5. h2-h3 1 6. �c1-e3
White has a large space advantage. Black is playing a 'Hedgehog', but with the knight on c6 and rook on aS misplaced. They should be on d7 and c8 respectively. 1 6. ... 1 7. -.c2-b3
13 14. 0-0 .
234
•.
llJh5-f6 :f8-d8
lt:lf6-d7
Possibly even better was 1 7.%ld2 a6 I S.nc l , planning tfd l . 1 7. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
... llJf3-d2 f2-f4 llJd2-f3 nd1-d2 llJf3-d4 :11 -d1 f4xe5 llJd4-f3 nd1 xd2 �e2·f1 c4-c5 �e3xc5
lt:ld7-e5 lt:le5·d7 .te7-f6 lt:ld7-f8 lt:lc6-e7 lt:lf8-g6 e6-e5 d6xe5 nd8xd2 lt:lg6-f4 h7-h6 b6xc5 lt:lf4·e6
• �' ' � .t ' ' � 4J � � � <;t>
1 3. .tf1-e2
A good alternative is I 3 .%lxd7 llJf6 1 4.%ld I aS 1 S.bS llJeS 1 6.llJxeS tfxeS 1 7 .�d3 ..ic5 1 8.llJa4 and Black has some but not full compensation for the pawn.
d7-d6
30. .tc5-d6
In the actual game White turned down the win of a pawn and ultimately only drew: 30. ..ie3 ? llJc6 3 l .llJd5 �d8 3 2 . ..ic4 lLJcd4 and Black has equalized and drew.
Chapter 1 4 - Nimw-Indion Defenst 30. 31 . .ad6xe5 32. %ld2-d1 "'
·b8-e8 �f6-g5
Black has very Uttle compensation for the pawn.
NI 23. 1 3 (E3 S) 0
iVxd4 1 4.'Lle2 'irxcS I 5.0-0-0N .ie6 1 6 . .ie4 Black's king is stuck in the open center. This, plus his weak h6 pawn, give White the edge despite Black's bishop pair. 10. e2-e3
-.de-as
Game 14.3
Gagunashvili,Merab
• Klilaots,Kaido Konya tt, 20 I I (S) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 ltJb1 -c3 'ird1 -c2 c4xd5 .ac1-g5
tbg8-f6 e7-e6 i.f8-b4 d7-d5 e6xd5 c7-c5
6 ... h6 7 . .ih4 cS 8.dxc5 transposes to the game. 7. d4xc5 8. �g5-h4
h7-h6 g7-g5
8 ... lbc6 9 .e3 gS 1 O . .ig3 transposes to the next note. 9
.
.ah4-g3
9. ... ln
tbf6-e4
the event of 9 . . . lbc6 I O.e3 lbe4 1 1 ..id3 lbxg3 1 2.hxg3 d4 1 3 .exd4
1 1 . �g3-e5
l l .'Lle2 is much more common: l l .. . .ifS 1 2 ..ixb8 %lxb8 1 3 .lLJd4 gives just a tiny edge; I l .%lc 1 ! is a rare but promising gambit, for example: A) l l ... lbc6 1 2 . .id3 lbxg3 1 3 .hxg3 iVxcS 1 4.lbe2 .ie6 I S.iVd2 %ld8 1 6.a3 and White will have better pawn struc ture, a better bishop, and pressure on h6 for free after ....ixc3; B) 1 1 . . . lbd7 1 2 .lbe2 'LldxcS 1 3 .a3 .ixc3+ 1 4.llJxc3 White's advantage is clear whatever Black plays; C) l l . . . iVxa2 1 2 . .ibS + .id7 1 3 . .ixd 7 + lbxd7 1 4.lLle2 llJxc3 I S.lbxc3 'irc4 (so far Finegold Perelshteyn, Chicago 2006) 1 6 . .id6N llJxcS I 7 . .ixcS iVxcS 1 8 .0-0 0-0 1 9 .iVd3 and White is obviously better with a safer king and better pawn struc ture. Komodo confirms this but oddly Houdini thinks it's equal. 1 9.iVf5 is also good here. 235
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 11. 1 2. �f1 ·d3 •••
0·0 filb8-c6
In case of the yet untried 1 2...lbd7N 1 3 .�d4
1 8. 'W'c2-b3+1
Analysis diagram
1 3 ...lbdxc5 (after I 3 ... �xc3+ 1 4.bxc3 lbdxc5 1 5 .h4 lbxd3+ 1 6.'irxd3 g4 1 7.lbe2 �f5 1 8.'ird l White has the better bishop and safer king) 1 4.lbe2 �fs 1 5 .h4 g+ 1 6.hc5 'irxc5 1 7.0-0 g3 1 8.lbxe4 gxf2+ 1 9.lbxf2 'irxc2 20.hc2 �xc2 2 l .lbd4 lhc8 22 .lbg4 �g7 23 .:f2. White's well-posted knights and superior pawn structure more than offset the bishop pair. 1 3. �d3xe4
d5xe4
After l 3 ... lbxe5 1 4.hd5 �g4 1 5 .f3N 'irxc5 1 6.0-0-0 ..xe3+ 1 7 .�b l �h5 l 8.lbge2 �g6 1 9.�e4 ..ixe4 20.'irxe4 'irxe4+ 2 l .lbxe4 :fd8 22.f4 Black must either sacrifice a pawn or allow his kingside pawns to be split. 14. 15. 1 6. 1 7.
.ie5-d6 ltJg1 -e2 �d6xc5 0·0
�f8-e8 �b4xc5 'W'a5xc5 f7·f5
1 7 ... .ifs 1 8.lbg3 ..ig6 1 9 .:ad I - with a safer king and knight versus bad bishop White is better. 236
White actually played I S.:fd I ?! �e6 1 9.lbd4 lbxd4 20.:xd4 :ed8 2 1 .:ad l :xd4 n.:xd4 :cs 23.'ird2 �f7 H.'ird I , retaining just a small edge, which later grew to two pawns after some black errors, and yet somehow Black drew. 1 8. ...
wg&·g7
In the event of l 8 ... ..ie6 l 9.'irxb7 :ab8 20.'irc7 :ec8 2 1 .'irg3 White keeps the pawn as 2 1 ... :xb2? allows a knight fork. 1 9. l:.f1 -d1
With control of the open file, knight vs. bad bishop, and the intent to play :ds next, White is clearly better.
NI 2 3. 1 0 (E34)
Game 14.4
0 Braun,Andreas • Shytaj,Luca Deizisau, 20 I I ( 7 )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlb1 -c3 •d1 -c2 c4xd5 lLlg1 -f3
ltJg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 d7-d5 'ird8xd5 'ird5-f51
This was a novel idea of grandmaster Romanishin about twenty years ago. The
Chapter 1 4 - Nimzo-Jndian Ddcnst
line was previously considered just bad for Black. After 6 ... c5 7 . .id2 ..i.xc3 8.hc3 cxd4 9.1:ld l li:Jc6 I O.li:Jxd4 0-0 I I .f3 11'xa2 1 2.e4 lL!xd4 1 3.1:lxd4 .id7 1 4 ...i.c4 1i'a I + I S.l:ld I ...a4 1 6.b3 1i'c6 1 7 ....b2 bS 1 8 ...i.e2 White has a danger ous attack and the bishop pair for the edge pawn.
7. 'irc2xf5 This
leads to a queenless middlegame where White is slightly better but the chances of a draw are fairly high. If White wants to retain queens, I recommend 7.1l'd l cS (after 7 ... e5 8.e3 exd4 9.tbxd4 hc3+ I O.bxc3 11'a5 1 1 .11'c2 0-0 1 2 ..ie2 cS 1 3.tbb3 1i'c7 1 4.c4 b6 I S . ..i.b2 White's bishop pair is more important than his split pawns) 8.e3 and now: A) 8 ... 0-0 9 ...i.d3 •hs 1 0.0-0 li:Jc6 (so far Wang Yue-Almasi, Nakhchivan 20 I I )
7.
e6xf5
""
The doubled pawn is not so bad here, as it guards a key central square. 8. a2-a3
..ib4-d6
8 . . . .ie7 9 . .if4 c6 I O.e3
�
��
�
�
�
.t
�
�
� Cjj � � Cjj ��� �� � 'iV
.I
.t � � �
.t
.I
�
I l .a3!N ..i.aS (after l l ... ..i.xc3 1 2.bxc3 l:ld8 1 3 .liJeS White keeps a solid bishop pair plus in the endgame) I 2.tbe2 .ic7 (if 1 2.. .cxd4 1 3.lLlf4 and the black queen is in trouble) 1 3 .dxc5 lLleS 1 4.tbxe5 'irxeS 1 5 .tbg3 .. xeS 1 6 . ..i.d2 l:ld8 I 7 . .ic3 and White's superior develop ment gives him the edge; B) 8 . . . cxd4 9.exd4 0-0 (9 ... lLle4 I O . .id2 tbc6 l l ..id3 ll:lxf2 1 2 . .ixf5 ll:lxd l l 3.1:lxd l exfS 1 4.dS lLld8 1 5.tbb5 .ixd2+ 1 6.Wxd2N 0-0 1 7 .l:lhe I and White's huge lead in development, fUe control, and passed pawn are more than enough compensation for Black's extra but doubled pawn) I O ..id3 ... h5 1 1 .0-0 li:Jbd7 I 2.li:Je2 .id6 1 3 . .if4 .ixf4 1 4.li:Jxf4 11'aS I S .a3 l:ld8 1 6.1:lc l White's development lead is surely more important than the isolation of his d4 pawn, which guards important central squares.
�w
Analysis diagram
�
�
Cjj
�
�
� Cjj ��� w � br
Analysis diagram
I O ... lL!bd7 (if instead Black plays I O ....ie6 I I . .id3 tbbd7 1 2.li:Jg5 lbh5 1 3.li:Jxe6 fxe6 237
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
1 4.l!Je2 Wfl I S.�c7 �d8 1 6.�d6 �e7 1 7.he7 �e7 1 8.h3 l!Jhf6 1 9.f3, White has a good bishop vs. knight and central su perioricy) l l .�c4 ( l l .�d3 lLlb6 1 2.0-0 �e6 1 3.h3N 0-0 1 4.:fc J ) l l ...lLlb6 1 2.�2 �e6 (after 1 2 ... c!Llbd5 1 3.l!Jxd5 lLlxdS 1 4.�e5 f6 I S .�g3 �e6 1 6.h4 White is a bit better as the ... fl -f6 move has weakened Black's position. White enjoys greater mobilicy and will probably aim to play lb-e l -d3 later) 1 3.be6 fxe6 1 4.:c t lLlfdS 1 5.llJe2 - White has more space and Black has a weakness on e6. White can fight on either wing. 9. l!Jc3-b5
Another good option is 9.g3 c6 I O.�f4! �xf4 l l .gxf4. The exchange of dark squared bishops favors White, as does the g3 pawn moving to f4. Without queens, White has no concerns about the weaken ing of his king's position on the kingside: l l ...�e6 1 2.e3 lLlbd7 1 3 .:c t and White is for choice, with the eS-square for his knight and the better bishop. 9. 10. 11. 12 •
... ..Q.c1 -d2 e2-e3 ..Q.f1 -d3
..Q.c8-e6 �b8-c6 tiJf6-e4 �e8-e7
.I E ' ' ' �' ' ' � .t .t ' lZJ �� � � lZJ � ��� � l:I 13. l!Jb5-c3N
238
The actual game went 1 3.We2 ?! (loss of tempo) 1 3 . . . llJxd2 1 4.�xd2 lLlaS I S .'�e2 llJb3 and White eventually won this equal position. Also good is I 3.:c t N :he8 1 4.0-0. 1 3. ...
ltje4xc3
In case of 1 3 ...llJxd2 1 4.l!Jxd2 a6 I S.:c t White has the better pawn structure and center control, and he will kill Black's bishop pair with llJc4 or �c4 next. 14 1 5. 1 6. 17. •
..Q.d2xc3 c!Llf3-d2 D.a1 -c1 lLld2-c4
f7-f6 �e7-f7 g7-g6
.I .I ' ' ' � ' � .t .t i i '
White enjoys the better pawn structure, may win the bishop pair, and can play on either side with b2-b4 or h2-h3 aiming towards g2-g4. NI 20.4 (E32)
Game
0 I'Ami,Erwin
• Nakamura,Hikaru Wijk aan Zee, 20 1 1 (6)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 ttJb1 -c3 '1Vd1 -c2 a2-a3 11Vc2xc3
l!Jg8-f6 e7·e6 ..Q.f8-b4 0-0 ..Q.b4xc3+ b7-b5
14.5
Chopter 1 4 - Ninuo-Indian Defense
:i � .i. 'ii' •
• •
.i . • • •
·�
This is a sound gambit. White can return the pawn and keep an edge though. 7. c4xb5 8. �c1-g5
c7-c6
8.f3 is also good, but the text is safer.
14. l:lf1-c1
The text keeps an edge, but White had two promising alternatives: 1 4.1i'b4 ...b6 1 S.i.g3;!;; l 4.a4 l:lc8 1 S ....a3 b4 ( 1 S ... .ixf3 1 6.gxf3 b4 1 7 .1i'b3 also gives White a slight edge) 1 6 ....xb4 .i.xf3 1 7 .i.xf6 1i'xf6 1 8 .gxf3 l:lc6 1 9 .1i'b7 1i'xf3 20.i.e2 1i'xe2 2 1 .1i'xc6 dS 22.1i'd6 lll f6 23.l:lae 1 1i'c4 24.£3 ...xa4 25.l:lc I and White is clearly better here. Black cannot exploit the weakened white king, so White's material advantage should de cide. 14. 1 5. 'Wc3-c7 -·
8. 9. e2-e3 ·-
c6xb5 �c8-b7
9 ...h6 1 0.�4 .i.b7 1 I .l0f3 transposes; 9 ... a6 1 O.l:lc 1 .i.b7 1 l ..i.xf6 1i'xf6 1 2.1i'c7 .i.e4 1 3 .llle2 1i'e7 1 4.lL!g3 .i.c6 1 5.tbh5;!; White plans ...g3 next. 1 0. lLlg1 -f3 1 1 . �g5-h4
h7-h6 a7-a6
1 1 ... g5 1 2 ..i.g3 tbe4 1 3.1i'd3 a6 1 4.llld 2 f5 1 S.tbxe4 he4 1 6.1i'd2 t0c6 1 7 .l:lc 1 ;!;. 1 2. .if1 -d3
d7-d6
1 2 ... t0c6 1 3 .l:lc 1 l:lc8 1 4.1i'd2;!;. 13. 0-0
ttJb8-d7
'Wd8-b6
1 5 . .i.g3! still promised White a slight advantage. 15. 1 6. 'Wc7xb6
:i
:i
.i. ·� •
� M
l:lf8-c8 lLld7xb6
• •• · ·� •
� � � � tt:J ���
� �
w
1 7. liJf3-d2;t;;
� :g:
� � � � � tt:J � ��� l:t c;t>
In the actual game White played 1 7 .i.g3 ?, which lost all advantage, and Black went on to win after trading off all the rooks and then playing ... llle4. With the text White keeps the edge with his bishop pair.
239
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
NI 2o.s (E3 2)
Game
14.6
D
Kuljasevic,Davorin • Zelcic,Robert Sibenik, 20 I 0 (2) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 lLlb1 ·c3 'ifd1 ·c2 a2-a3 'ifc2xc3
lLlg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4 o-o
�b4xc3+ lLlf6-e4
This is often played when Black is not interested in a draw. White should be able to keep his bishop pair edge though. 7. 'ifc3·c2
f7·f5
Analysis diagram
28 . .i.d3 White keeps the active bishop pair and has pressure against e6 for a clear advantage. He actually lost the blitz game. Knights tend to be relatively better than bishops in blitz. 9. f2·f3 1 0. e2-e3
lLle4-f6 e6-e5
I O ... llJc6 I l . .i.e2 eS 1 2.dxe5 dxe5 trans poses to the game. 1 1 . d4xe5 12. �f1 ·e2
.i � .t t¥ .t .t .t 8. lLlg1-h3
Preparation for fl-f3, which if played at this point could have been met by 8 ......h4+. 8. ...
d7-d6
8 ... b6 9.f3 lDf6 I O.e3 �b7 l l .�e2 d6 I 2.0-0 ...e7 1 3.b4 aS 1 4.�b2 llJbd7 I S.llJf2 axb4 1 6.axb4 cS 1 7 .dxcS dxcS 1 8 .b5 l:l.fd8 1 9.l:l.fd I lt:le8 20.l:l.xa8 l:l.xa8 2 l .e4 fxe4 22.llJxe4 lt:ldf6 23.llJfl l:l.d8 24.l:l.e I 'irf7 2 S.�fl llJd6 26.llJd3 llJfS 27 .llJeS 'irc7 (so far this was Carlsen Nakamura, Oslo blitz 2009) 240
d6xe5
.i � .t .t � .t .t
� �
� 'if 1:[ ii, 12 . ...
ii, <;t> lLlb8-c6
1 2...a5 1 3.0-0 llJc6 transposes to lhe game. In case of I 2...c5 1 3 .0-0 lDc6 1 4.llJf2 aS 1 5 .b3 b6 1 6. .ib2 l:l.a7 1 7.l:l.ad l l:l.d7 1 8.l:l.xd7 1i'xd7 1 9.l:l.d l 1i'e7 20 . .ifl h6 2 I .�d3 I see no compensation for White's active bishop pair.
Chapter 1 4 - Nimzo-lndian Delmst 13. 0-0
a7-a5
1 3 ... 'ife7 1 4.b4N e4 1 S . fxe4 'ifxe4 1 6.'ifxe4 t'Dxe4 1 7 .t'Df4, and with the bishops and a knight coming to dS, White is better. 14. 15. 1 6. 17. 1 8. 19.
llf1 -d1 b2-b3 llJh3-f2 �c1-b2 ..-c2-c3 e3xf4
•d8-e7 �g8-h8 .ic8-e6 .-e7-c5 f5-f4 e5xf4
20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
.. lld1 -e1 lla1 -d1 •c3-c1 lle1 xe8+ �g1 -f1 llJf2xd3 .i.b2xf6 •c1 -b1 llJd3-b4 tbb4-d5
.
lla8-d8 llf8-e8 wh8-g8 �e6-f5 lld8xe8 .i.f5xd3+ •c5-b6 g7xf6 ... b6-d4 •d4-e5
-
White is much better with a much superior knight and much better pawn structure.
NI 20.6 (E3 2) D
Game 14.7
Maletin,Pavel
• Tomashevsk:y,Evgeny Irkutsk, 20 I 0 ( 5)
20. �e2-d3N
This was probably best. White has two very strong bishops on an open board, while Black's pin on the knight is only a temporary problem. The game actually went 20.�fl •hs 2 l .�g l 'ifcs 22.l:ld2 l:lae8 23 .-tfl �f7 24.b4 axb4 2S.axb4 'ifxb4 26.'ifxb4 t'Dxb4 2 7 .t'Dh3 lDhS 2 8 .l:ld7 t'Da6 29.t'DgS i..g 6. Now 30.l:laS would have given White more than enough for the pawn, namely the bishop pair, both black knights on the edge, and a rook on seventh rank. He played 30.cS, however, lost the edge but regained it, and eventu ally failed to win a very favorable end game.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 tbb1 -c3 •d1 -c2 a2-a3 'it'c2xc3
tbg8-f6 e7-e6 .i.f8-b4 o-o
.i.b4xc3+ d7-d6
This is among the best defenses to the 4.Wc2 line. 7. f2-f3
.i .. .i. tv ' ' '
.i �
' ' ' , , ..
24 1
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
This move makes sense here because the normal answer would be ...dS, but here it loses a tempo.
1 7 .llJe2±. 17. 18 1 9. 20. 21. •
7. ...
c7-c5
7 . . . dS 8.cxdS llJxdS 9 .'tfd3 fS I O.e4 llJf6 I l .�gS h6 I 2..�.h4!; 7 . . .'fle7 8.e4 eS 9.d5!. 8. d4xc5 9. �c1 -f4
... ..ig5xf6 Wc3xf6 llJg1 -e2 b2-b3±
..tc8xf5 Wfb6xf6 g7xf6 ..tf5-e6
d6xc5
Black has only a slight lead in develop ment to compensate for the bishop pair. 9. ...
ll:Jb8-c6
9 . . . 1i'e7 I O .l:ld l !. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3. 14.
l:la1 -d1 e2-e3 �f1 -d3 ..tf4-g5 we1 -f2
Wd8-b6 l:lf8-e8 e6-e5 ll:Jc6-d4
1 4.llJe2 h6 I S.�h4 llJfS 1 6.�xfS �xfS I 7 .e4 �e6 1 8.0-0!.
14. ...
242
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
... tDe2-c3 llh1 xd1 tDc3-b5 tDb5-d6 tDd6-e4
l:la8-d8?1 l:ld8xd1 lle8-c8 a7-a6 llc8-b8 b7-b5
e5-e4?1
1 4... llJfS I S.llJe2 h6 1 6.�xf6 'ifxf6 1 7 .�e4 llJd6 1 8.llJg3!. 1 5. �d3-b1 1 6. g2xf3 1 7. �b1 xf5
White has the much better pawn struc ture and the right piece {the knight) to exploit it .
e4xf3 ll:Jd4-f5
27. tDe4xf6+
White wins a pawn, and even the total liquidation of the queenside does not guarantee a draw for Black.
Chapter 1 4 - Nimzo-Indian Defense 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33. 34.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43. 44.
45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.
... l!Jf6-e4 b3xc4 l:ld1 ·c1 �-g3 l!Je4xc5 a3-a4 l!Jc5xa6 l!Ja6-c5 l!Jc5·e4 h2-h4 l:lc1·g1 l!Je4·f6 'itg3·f4 l:lg1 -g8+ l!Jf6·h5 e3·e4 l:lg8·h8 f3xe4 l:lh8-h7+ l:lh7·c7 l:lc7·a7 'itf4·e3 l!Jh5·f6
'itg8·g7 b5xc4 �e6xc4 l:lb8·b2+ �c4-b5 l:lb2·a2 �b5xa4 �a4·d7 .id7-c8 �c8-e6 h7-h6 g7·f8 l:la2·a6 .ie6·b3 'itf&·e7 .ib3·e6 f7·f5 f5xe4 �e6·h3 e7-f8 l:la6·b6 l:lb6·c6 �h3·e6 �e6·f5
NI 20. 1 5 (E3 2)
Game 14.8
Dreev,Alexey • Kovalyov,Anton
0
Mumbai, 20 I 0 (9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2·d4 c2·c4 l!Jb1 ·c3 1Wd1 ·c2 a2·a3 11fc2xc3
l!Jg8·f6 e7·e6 �f8-b4 0·0 �b4xc3+ b7·b6
.. .. .t 'it' .. . .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. ... ..
This was the main line until the recent surge in popularity of 6 ... d5. 7. �c1 ·g5 8. e2-e3
�c8-b7
This is the more complex option. Instead 8.f3 (next game) aims for a slightly better endgame. 8. ... 9. l!Jg1 ·e2 10. 11fc3-c2
51 . e3·f4 52. e4·e5+53. 'itf4xf5 54. h4·h5 55. 'itf5·f6 56. 'itf&·g6 57. l:la7·f1+
l:lc6xf6?1 l:lf6·b6 l:lb6-b1 l:lb1·c1 l:lc1 -f1 + l:lf1·e1 1·0
d7·d6 l!Jb8·d7 c7-c5
I O . . . h6 l l .�h4 l:le8 ?! 1 2 .lLlc3 eS?! 1 3 .d5 We7 1 4.�e2;!;. This was my game as White vs. Kayende in Washington 20 I I , which I won. 1 1 . l:la1 ·d1
This development scheme, planning lLlc3 , �e2 and 0-0, with f2-f3 included first if necessary, is rather effective. When the 243
The Kaufman Repertoire for White
knight reaches c3 , Black may take on d4 to avoid having his bishop blocked by d4-d5 , but then l:lxd4, sometimes foUowed by 'it'd2, puts pressure on the d6 pawn.
i.
if .�. . l. .t. � 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. � I. I. � £!-, � £!-, £!-, £!-, 'tfli CiJ £!-, £!-, t!-, � � � a:
1 1 . ...
After I 5 . . . dS 1 6.cxd5 exdS I 7. Wf2 �xfl I 8 .l:lhxfl c4 I 9. �g I ;t White plans iff2 and e3-e4! with a central pawn steam roller. 1 6. 'ii'd2xd4 17. 'ii'd4xd6
e6·e5 ..ia6xc4
...d8·c8
A} In case of l l ...ife7 1 2.f3 l:lac8 1 3 .lbc3 cxd4 1 4.l:lxd4 lbeS I S . .i.e2;t Black has litde compensation for the bishop pair; B) l l ......c7 1 2.lbc3 a6 1 3 .1Wd2 h6 14 . .i.h4 dS I S ..i.g3 'it'c6 1 6.cxd5 exdS 1 7 . .i.e2;t - here too Black has minimal compensation for the pair; C) l l ... l:lc8 1 2.lbc3 cxd4 1 3.l:lxd4 l:lc5 1 4..i.h4 'it'a8 I S ..i.e2 dS; 1 5 ...hg2 1 6.l:lg I .i.b7 I 7 .e4;t and with ideas of ifd2 and l:ld6 White will regain his pawn, retaining his bishop pair advantage.
18. e3·e4
1 8 . .i.xc4 ...xc4 I 9 ....b4;t, aiming for a better endgame, was a nice alternative. After the queen trade White's king would be happy on e2. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23.
.. 'ii'd6·b4 �f1 xc4 'ti'b4·d6 'ii'd6·d2 0-0;t .
lle8·e6 l:le6·c6 l:lc6xc4 llc4·c6 a7·a6
1 2. f2-f3
• 1. 1.
White defers lbc3 so as to deter .. cxd4 when he could recapture with the knight. 1 2. ...
:f8-e8
1 2 . . . h6 1 3 . .i.h4 dS 1 4.cxd5 lbxdS I 5.1Wd2 fS 1 6.dxc5 lbxcS 1 7 .tLld4 f4 1 8.exf4 tLlxf4 1 9 . .i.g3;t. 1 3. 'ti'c2·d2 14. ..ig5·h4 1 5. lbe2-c3
244
h7·h6 �b7·a6 c5xd4
I.
£!-,
..
£!-,
I.
�
£!-, � �� White's control of the d-file and his good bishop vs. knight give him some advan-
Chapter 1 4 - Nimzo-lndidll Defense
tage. Black's pressure on the c-file is less useful due to the pawn-supported knight on c3. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 .
... l:ld1 -c1 l0c3-d5 l:lc1 xc6 :tf1·c1 W'd2xd5 e4xd5 �h4-f2 l:lc1 -c7
b6-b5 :ta8-a7 l0f6xd5 -.caxc6 -.c6-d6 •d6xd5 f7-f6 :ta7-a8
3 l .l:lc6!±. 31 . ... 32. b2-b4 33. l:lc7-c6 34. d5-d6 35. �f2-b6 36. :tc6-c7+
:ta8-d8 f6-f5 l0d7-f6 �g8-f7 :td8-b8 �7-g6?
36 ...�e6 3 7 .l:le7+ �xd6 38.�c5+ �dS 39 .l:lxg7t. 37. �b6-a5±
42. g2-g4 43. f3xg4 44. f2-g3 45. �g3xg4 46. �g4-f3 47. �3-e3
h5xg4 f5xg4 f6-e6 �e6xd6 �d6-d5 1 -0
NI 20. 1 6 {E3 2)
Game
14.9
0 Onischuk,Alexander • So,Wesley Lubbock, 20 I 0 ( 6)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
d2-d4 c2·c4 ll:lb1 -c3 W'd1 -c2 a2-a3 W'c2xc3 �c1-g5 f2-f3
ll:l g8-f6
e7-e6 �f8-b4 0-0 �b4xc3+ b7-b6 �c8-b7
:! .. "iV :� • i .i. i i i i i i i .. �
By 'threatening' to play e2-e4 next, White provokes Black to head for an end ing which should be slightly better for White. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 .
:tb8-d8 :tc7xg7+ �g6xg7 �a5xd8 h6-h5 g1 -f2 �g7-f7 �d8xf6+- �7xf6 -·
8. ...
h7-h6
In case of 8 ... d6 9.e4 cS l O.dxcS bxcS J J .l:ld J llJc6 1 2 .�xf6 gxf6 1 3 .llJe2 White has a clear advantage in pawn structure, though his bad bishop gives Black some compensation. 245
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 9. �g5-h4 1 0. e2-e3
d7-d5 �b8-d7
After I O . . . lle8 I J .t[}h3 li)bd7 1 2.cxd5 exdS 1 3 ..i.e2 ...e7 1 4. .i.f2 cS I 5 .0-0 llac8 1 6.11fe I cxd4 I 7. 'irxd4 ti)cS I S.IIad l White has both the bishop pair and pressure on an isolated pawn.
1 2. �h4xd8 1 3. ..id8-h4 14 ..ih4-f2
�d5xc3 �c3-d5
•
Computers like the rare 1 4.�f2. though I think it is not as good as the normal 1 4 ..i.f2.
1 1 . c4xd5
1 I .li)h3 cS 1 2.cxd5 cxd4 1 3 .tfxd4 eS 1 4.tfd 1 bdS I S.t[}f2 .i.e6 1 6 ..i.e2 'ti'e7 1 7.0-0 - this keeps all the pieces on the board as well as the bishop pair, but prob ably gives no advantage, as Black could kill the 'pair' by ... gS and ... li)hS . The ba sic problem with li)h3 is that bmh the knight and the bishop may need the f2square.
i: t¥ �: • i .t i � i i i '� i fj, fj, fj,
)l
fj,
1 1 . ...
'iV
fj, fj,
�
fj, fj, � � � )l �f6xd5
1 1 ...exdS 1 2 ..i.d3 lieS 1 3.li)e2! An im portant trick, allowing White to get cas tled without fear of . . . llxe3? (.i.h7+). I reached this position twice as White against grandmasters (scoring 1 1/2) in my successful quest for the World Senior Championship in 2008. After 1 3 ... c5 1 4.0-0 tfe7 1 5 ..i.f2 11ac8 1 6.'ird2 White is considerably better, with the bishop pair, more center pawns, and Black's bishop shut in. 246
14. .
..
c7-c5
1 4...fS 1 S . .i.bS c6 1 6 . .i.d3 eS 1 7 .li)e2 llae8 1 8.0-0 exd4 (in case of 1 8 ...e4 1 9.fxe4 fxe4 20 ..i.c4 li)f6 2 1 .h3 .i.c8 2 2 .llac I , White is much better with the bishop pair and pressure on c6) 1 9.li)xd4N li)xe3 20 ..i.xe3 llxe3 2 1 . .i.xf5 li)f6 22 . .i.e6+ �h7 23 .�f2 lieS 24.11fe l llxe l 2 5.-i.fS + �g8 26.llxe 1 lidS 27.lle7 llxd4 28.llxb7 lld2+ 29.�g3 �f8 30 . .i.g6 lld7 3 I .llxd 7 li)xd 7 3 2 ..i.e4 - the bishop vs. knight ending with opposing pawn ma jorities is favorable to White, though Black should be able to draw. 1 5. e3-e4
lbd5-e7
1 5 . . . ti)f4 1 6 . .i.e3 li)g6 1 7.1:iJe2 fS 1 8.exf5 exfS 1 9.lld 1 N llae8 20.�f2 t[}f6 2 1 .-i.c l lidS 22.1:iJf4 li)xf4 23 ..i.xf4 llxd4 24.llxd4 cxd4 2 S . .i.bS �fl 26.11c l l:iJdS 27.�e5 - White regains the pawn and keeps a dean bishop pair edge in the endgame.
Chapter J 4 - Nimzo-Indian Defense 1 9 ...lbce5 20.0-0-0 lbcS 2 1 .i.g3 lL!g6 22.�b J Black has no compensation for the bishops.
1 6. lL!g1 ·e2
1 6.
OM
lL!d7·e5 lL!e5-c4
22. ...
:ca-c6?
l:lf8·c8
In the event of 1 6 .. Jlfd8 1 7.0-0-0 :ac8 1 8.lL!c3 cxd4 1 9.i.xd4 l!Jc5 20.i.xc5 :xd I + 2 1 .Wxd I :xeS 22.Wd2, White's king is much better posted for the end game than Black's, though the chance of a draw is quite high; 1 6 . . . i.a6 I 7 .0-0-0 lbc6 1 8 .dxc5 ( 1 8.d5N exd5 1 9.exd5 l!Ja5 20.lL!c3 is perhaps a better wiMing try, though more risky) 1 8 ... l!Jxc5 1 9.l!Jc3 bfl 20.l:lhxfl l:lfd8 2 l .�c2 �f8 22.b4 lbb7 23 .l!Jb5 - White's bishop is better than Black's knight here, and Black's knight on b7 is misplaced; After 1 6 ... f5 1 7 .exfS ltJxfS 1 8.dxc5 l!Jxc5 1 9.l!Jc3 :fd8 2o.:d t :xd l + 2 J .�xd l :ds+ 22.�c2 �f7 23.b4N lba6 24.i.e2 White keeps a solid bishop-pair plus; If 1 6 ... :ac8 1 7 .l!Jc3 cxd4 1 8.i.xd4 l:lfd8 1 9.l:ld l ltJcS 20.i.e3 l:lxd l + 2 1 .�xd l eS 22.b4 lbe6 23.�c2 l!Jc6 24.�b2, White has the usual bishop-pair plus at almost no cost, and won in Kramnik Leko, Dortmund 2006. 1 7. lL!e2-c3 1 8. ..i.f2xd4 1 9. �d4-f2
20. 0-0·0 21 . Citc1-b1 22. wb1-a2
Black tries to force tactics, and loses. He should just play something like 22 ... l:ld8 and admit that he has nothing for the lost bishop pair. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
b2-b4 b4xa5 a5-a6 �f2-d4 �d4xc3 �a2xa3 �f1 xb5 �c3-e5
lL!c4xa3 :c6xc3 �b7·c6 :a8·d8 :d8xd1 �c6-b5 :d1 xh1
c5xd4 lL!e7·c6 lL!c6·a5
247
The Kaufman Repertoire for While
Two bishops vs. rook md pawn is NOT even material; it's plus 1 '.4 pawns. But here White just wins as the a-pawn will soon queen. l:h1-b1 30. 31 . .ib5-d7? ·-
With 3 1 ..ia4! bS 3 2 ...ib3 l:tc l 33 .�b4 White wins. b6-b5?
31 . ...
After 3 1 ...l:td I 32 . ..ic8 WfB 33 .�b7 �e7 34.�xg7 hS 3 5 .�b3 White should even tually win.
7. l!Jg1 -f3 8. •c3xc4 9. .ic1 -g5
After 9 ... �b7 I O.l:td I llJbd7 1 1 .e3 ...c8 1 2.�e2 cS 1 3.0-0 Black had no compen sation for the bishop pair in Bukavshin Predojevic, Moscow 2 0 1 1 . 1 0. •c4-a4
c7-c5
Black can insert I O ... h6 1 1 ..ih4 before playing as in this game, but once his pawns are doubled on f6 the h-pawn is weaker on h6 than on h7. 11. d4xc5
32. .id7-c8
d5xc4 b7-b6 ..ic8-a6
b6xc5
Black resigned, as the a-pawn is lost. NI 20.3 (E3 2) 0
Game 14.10
Shomoev,Anton
• Andreikin,Dmitry Moscow, 20 1 1 (3)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
d2-d4 c2-c4 l!Jb1 -c3 •d1 -c2 a2-a3 .-c2xc3
tiJg8-f6 e7-e6 .if8-b4 o-o .ib4xc3+ d7-d5
x � .t t¥ i i i
x• i i i i�
i � � �
� � 1:I
���� �
� � lLJ M
This is the most popular defense to the 4....c2 line in high-level play, but this game casts some doubt on it. 248
1 2. l:a1 -c1 1
This new move introduced here is stron ger than the obvious 1 2.J:td 1 . 1 2. ...
.d8-b6
In case of 1 2 ... 1We7 1 3.g3 �b7 ( 1 3 ...h6 1 4.�xf6 1Wxf6 I S.l:tc3;) 1 4.�g2 tbbd7 1 5.0-0 h6 1 6.�f4 (after 1 6.�xf6 llJxf6 1 7.llJe5 hg2 1 8.Wxg2 1Wb7+ l 9.llJc6 1Wxb2 20.l:tc2 1Wb7 2 1 .l:txc5 llJd7 22.l:tc3 llJeS 23.l:tfc l White is better but a draw is likely) 1 6 ...e5 1 7 .�e3 l:tfb8 1 8.b4 cxb4 1 9.axb4 �dS 20.bs; Black's compensa tion for the bishop pair is minimal. 13. .ig5xf6
g7xf6
Chapter 1 4 - Nimzo-Indian Defmse 14. J:lc1 -c2 1 5. e2-e3 1 6. J:lh1 xf1
J:lf8-d8 �a6xf1 lL!b8-d7
In case of 1 6 . . . lLJc6 1 7 .�e2 lLJaS 1 8.llJd2 l%ab8 1 9.l%fc l White can attack by g2-g4 and h2-h4 or just safeguard his king and maneuver against the black weaknesses.
20. J:lf1 -d1
20.1lg 1 ! ti'b3 2 l .'it'g8+ �e7 22.Wg5+ �e8 23 .l:lgc I - White has attacking prospects and better pawns. 20. 21 . ti'g4-c4 -·
ti'b6-b5+
With 2 1 .�e I ! lLJf6 22.l%xd8+ l%xd8 23 .'tfg5 White would have won the c-pawn.
17. we1 -e2
21 . . ti'b5xc4+ 22. l%c2xc4:!: ..
White settled for 'only' a clearly superior endgame, which he went on to win eventually.
White's king is as safe as Black's, and he has no bad pawns while Black has five (!). If Black does nothing White will double on the c-flle and play �fi -g I , castling 'by hand'. 17. ... 1 8. g2-g4
f6-f5 f5xg4?1
1 8 ... lLJf6! 1 9.gxfS exfS 20 .l%g I + �f8 2 l .b4 and White still has the initiative and better pawns. 19. ti'a4xg4+ Wg8-f8
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33. 34.
35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41 . 42. 43.
44.
45.
·-
J:ld1-d2 J:ld2-c2 lL!f3-d2 b2-b3 J:lc4-h4 J:lc2-c4 J:lc4-a4 J:la4xa6 t'Lld2-c4 J:lh4-h5 f2-f3 we2-d3 f3-f4 J:lh5-h3 e3xf4 J:lh3-g3+ J:g3-h3 J:h3-g3+ l!Jc4-e3 J:g3-h3 t'Lle3-g4 J:lh3xh6+ t'Llg4-e3+
J:la8-b8 Wf8-e8 J:lb8-b6 J:ld8-b8 e6-e5 h7-h6 J:lb6-a6 J:lb8-b6 J:lb6xa6 �e8-e7 J:la6-e6 we7-f8 Wf8-g7 wg7-g6 e5xf4 J:le6-e1 wg6-f6
249
The Kaufman Repenoire for While
i ..
��
a:
i • c;t> ttJ
�
E 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51 . 52.
250
llh6-h5 �d3-d4 :th5-f5+ lt:le3xc4 'itd4-c5 'itc5-c6 h2-h4
c5-c4+ �f4-f3 Wf3·e2 lla1 -d1 + lt:lb6-d7+ f7-f6 :d1 -d3
53. �c6-c7 54. a3-a4 55. �c7xd7 56. :t5-f4 57. �d7-e6 58. h4-h5 59. 'ite6-f5 60. �5-g6 61 . 'itg6-h6 62 . ll:Jc4-a3 63. llf4xa4 64. lt:la3·c4+ 65. ll:Jc4-d6 66. 'ith6-g5 67. h5-h6 68. h6-h7 69. 'itg5-h5
a7-a5 :td3xb3 :tb3-b4 :tb4xa4 :a4-b4 a5-a4 :b4-b5+ :tb5-g5+ :tg5-c5 �e2-e3 f6-f5 �e3-e2 :tc5-c6 :tc6xd6 :td6-d1 :d1 -g1 + 1-0
Chapter 15
Starting with ttJf3 In
this chapter I consider the consequences of aiming for the Queen's Gambit with the initial move l .tb£3 . Since I'm not especially recommending it, feel free to skip this chapter, but I do think that t.llJfl is a preny decem alternative to the usual 1 .d4 if your goal is to play a Queen's Gambit. I decided to cover this order after Topalov's amazing novelty on move 5 against Kamsky in the Candidates' tournament in May 20 1 1 . After l .llJfl llJf6 2.c4- g6 3.llJc3 d5 4-.ad5 llJxd5
he played the new move 5.1i'c2, got a clear advantage, and should have won the game, thoYgh Kamsky saved a draw and won the match. Since it was far from obvi ous how Black could equalize against this move, it looked to be a major weapon against the Griinfeld and so a good argument for starting the game with I .tbf3 . A couple of months later, after I had already wrinen a fair amount about this move or der, a perfect defense to 5 .1i'c2 was finally found (see the Black section of this book) , but as there are other reasonably promising fifth moves for White, especially 5.g3 , I decided to keep this chapter anyway. I'm not convinced that White gets more out of this than he gets just by following my recommendations against the Griinfeld proper, but it may turn out to be so. In any case, l .tbf3 has some other benefits, most notably against the Queen's Indian. I won't give a complete White repertoire with 1 .tbf3 , just a summary of the most important lines to know that don't trans pose to my main repertoire. If Black does follow the above sequence through to 4 ... tbxd5 , I think White's most promising option is 5.g3. Look at Game 4. 5 of the Anti-Griinfeld Chapter in the Black book. White was always a bit better in that game even though it became very drawish. In the present chapter I give the Topalov-Kamsky game as Game 1 5. 1 , but I'm not rec onunending 5.Wc2 for White. 25 1
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
Against the auempt to play the Queen's Indian by t .ll:lf3 ll:lf6 2.c4 e6 we could just al low it by 3.d4 b6 bur that's not part of our repertoire.
So we play 3.ll:lc3, when Black often replies 3 ...cS. Now after +.g3 b6 we are heading towards the famous 'Hedgehog' defense. Game 1 5.2 shows a rather promising line for White against this popular defense. It's based on creating problems for Black before he has time to set up his Hedgehog formation. Alternatively Black can meet 3 .ll:lc3 by 3 ...i.b4, pretending it's a Nimzo-Indian. Here too we play 4....c2. On balance the fact that White has not yet played d4 appears to be a slight benefit to him; Black has less chance to use the slight lead in development he'll get after 4... 0-0 S.a3 hc3 6....xc3. See Game 1 5 .3. .
So far l .tlJf3 looks preuy good for White, but there are problems. First of all, after l ...cS, Wlless you want to switch to combating the Sicilian by 2.e4 you would play 2.c4, but then 2...tt:lc6 3.ll:lf3 eS intending ... tlJge7 is a preuy good reply. A bigger problem is that after l ... d5 2.d4 lLlf6 3.c4 e6 we can't play the Exchange variation effectively, so you must leave my repertoire with the Catalan 4.g3 or with 4.tlJc3.
· � .t t¥ • .t. :! i i i i i i i� ttJ �� ���� II ttJ � :iV \t> � II 252
Chapter 1 5
-
Starting with �{3
For my recommendations after 4.tbc3 see the chapter 'Avoiding the Nimzo-Indian De fense'. For 4... cS see the Exchange Variation chapter 4 ... c5 (Semi-Tarrasch) , and for 4... c6 see the Semi-Slav chapter.
:SO S2.4 (A I S) D
Game 15.1
Topalov,Veselin
• Ka.msky,Gata Kazan, 20 1 1 { I )
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
tbg1 ·f3 c2·c4 tbb1 ·c3 c4xd5 •d1 ·c2N
�xf3 1 4.gxf3 lidS 1 5 .1i'a4 l!Jd3 + 1 6.Ld3 :lxd3 1 7 .1i'bs :lxf3 1 8. 1i'xb7 ltJd8 1 9.1i'b4 •xeS 20.l:td l c6 2 1 .0-0 l!Je6 22.'it'd6 'it'xd6 23.:lxd6 0-0=. 6. e2-e4
l!:lg8-f6 g7-g6 d7·d5 lLlf6xd5
!:
tbd5-b6
After 6 ... l!Jxc3 7 .dxc3 0-0 8 .�e3± White is dearly better, as he will get the open file with tempo and his pieces have better squares than the opponent's; 6 ... ltJb4 7 .'it'a4+ llJ4c6 8 .d4 �d7 9.�bS a6 I O.�e3 0-0 I J .:ld I ±. 1. d2·d4 8. �c1·e3
o-o
It
is amazing that this strong and natural move had never been played before! It seems to give White some advantage in most lines. 5. -
�f8-g7
After S ... ltJb4 6.'it'a4+ ltJ8c6 7 .a3 llJdS 8.ltJe5 �d7 9 .l!Jxd7 1i'xd7 I O.e3 �g7 l l .�e2 0-0 1 2.0-0! White has the bishop pair with little compensation for Black. S ... lL!c6 6.d4 liJdb4 7 .'it'a4 �d7 S.'it'd I eS (Dorfman-Vachier-Lagrave, Caen ch-FRA 20 1 1 ) 9.dxe5N �fS I O.�gS �e7 l l .e4 �g4 1 2.�xe7 'it'xe7 1 3.a3
8. ...
�c8-g4
If Black plays 8 ... llJc6 9.d5 ltJeS I O.ltJxeS �xeS I l .f4 �g7 1 2.�e2 e6 1 3.dxe6 Le6 1 4.0-0 l:te8 I S.l:tad l !, White's kingside majority is more menacing than Black's queenside majority. 9. tbf3·e5 1 0. d4xe5
�g7xe5 tbb8·c6
253
The Kaufman Repertoire for White 11. 1 2. 1 3. 14. 1 5. 1 6. 1 7. 1 8.
h2-h3 l:a1 -d1 f2·f4 b2·b3 l:d1 xd8+ •c2-b1 e5xf6 ..if1 -e2±
..ig4-e6 'tfd8·c8 l:f8-d8 ll:lc6-b4 1i'c8xd8 f7·f5 e7xf6
� j_
�� ' ��ii � Ci:J � �� �
���
38. lLld4·e6?
38.lLJf3±. 38. ...
lL:le7-c6??
38 ... �b3 ! = . 39. •d2·d6 Wf7·e8 40. ll:le6-c7+
White has the bishop pair for free, plus better-placed pieces. 1 8. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23. 24. 25 . 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31 . 32. 33.
34.
35. 36. 37.
2.S4
... 0-0 �e3-f2 l:f1-d1 •b1 xd1 �e2-f1 g2-g3 ..if1 -g2 ll:lc3-b5 ...d1-d2 b3xc4 ltJb5-d4 •d2-c1 a2-a3 1t'c1-b2 coti>g1 -h2 1t'b2-c3 f4-f5 •c3-b2 1t'b2-d2
tlfd8-e7 ..ie6-f7 l:ta8-d8 l:td8xd1 + c7-c5 l!Jb4-c6 coti>g8-g7 h7-h5 lLlb6·c8 c5·c4 ..if7xc4 'ife7-b4 ll:lc8-e7 'ifb4-a4 b7-b6 �g7-f7 �c4-a2 'ifa4-c4 ll:lc6-e5 g6-g5
40.�d4!+-. 40. ... coti>e8-f7 41 . l!Jc7-d5?1
4 l .lLJe6 �e8 42 . ..id4! was still winning for White: 41 . ... 42. •d6xf6+ 43. •f6-e6+ 44. 'ith2-g1
45. ..ig2-f1 ??
•c4-e2 Wf7-e8 �e8-f8 •e2-d1 +
Chapter I S - Starting with <0f3
45.�h2 lLlf3+ 46.�xf3 'il'xf3 47.'il'f6+ �g8 48.'il'xg5+ Wfl 49.'il'f6+ �g8 SO.'il'e6+ �f8 S l .�g l +-. 45. ... 46. e4xd5 47. 'il'e6-f6+ 48. 'il'f6xg5+ 49. 'irg5·d8 50. -'if1 -g2 51 . �g1 -h2 52. -'if2-g1 53. �h2-h1 54. ..ig1 ·f2 55. •d8-c7+ 56. •c7-d6+ 57. •d6-c7+ 58. •c7-d6+
-'ia2xd5 lL'lc6·d4� Wf8-g8 wg8-f7= •d1 -c2 •c2-c1 + •c1-c2 ltJd4-f3+ lL'lf3·e1 •c2xf2 ..W7-f6 Wf6-f7 Wf7-f6 �-f7
EO 40. 1 (A30)
Black is aiming for the famous 'Hedge hog' formation, intending . . . a7 -a6, . . . lLlbd7, ... 0-0, ... l:lac8, and ... 1Wc7. 9. �c1-g5 I
like this move, creating immediate prob lems before Black can set up the Hedge hog. 9. ... 1 0. .Q.g5xf6
a7-a6 ..te7xf6
In the event of I O ... gxf6 I I .l:.fd I 0-0 1 2.l:lac l 'il'c7 1 3 .l!Je4 .ixe4 1 4.1Wxe4 White's advantage is obvious, with better pieces, a better pawn structure, and a safer king. 112-112
1 1 . 'ird4-f4
Game 15.2
Van Wely,Loek • Leko,Peter
0
Wijk aan Zee, 20 I 0 {9)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
l!Jg1 -f3 c2-c4 l!Jb1 -c3 g2-g3 -'if1 -g2 0-0 d2·d4 'ird1 xd4
.i � i .t '
li:Jg8·f6 e7-e6 c7-c5 b7-b6 -'ic8-b7 -'if8-e7 c5xd4 d7-d6
.i tv � .t i i i ' '�
[::; [::; :g 1 1 . ...
[::; ttJ
vw ttJ [::; [::; [::; � [::; :g \t> ..ib7xf3?1
After I 1 . ..0-0 1 2.l:Ud I �e7 1 3.l!Je4 �xe4 1 4.'il'xe4 l:.a7 1 5.lLld4 White's po sition is obviously better, with much more active pieces at the small price of one extra black pawn being in the center. The only question is how significant is White's edge, for example: 1 5 ... l:.c7 1 6 .b3 l:.c5 1 7 .a4 1Wc7 1 8 .l:.a2 d5 1 9.cxd5 l:.xd5 20.l:.ad2 l:ld6 2 l .e3 and White has much better piece placement at no cost, though Black has good draw ing chances due to the symmetry. 255
The Kaufman Rcpenoire for While 1 2. e2xf3 1 3. :lf1 -d1 14. l!:lc3-e4
:la8-a7 :la7-d7 �f6-e7
In case of 1 4 . . . .ixb2 J S.l:lab I .ia3 1 6.J:[d3 .icS 1 7 .lLlxcS dxc5 1 8.J:[xd7 lbxd7 1 9.'ttd6 'tte 7 20.1i'c6 0-0 2 1 .1i'c7 'ti'd8 22.1i'd6 lLlb8 23 .1i'xb6 'ti'xb6 H.J:[xb6± White is clearly bener with rook and bishop vs. rook and knight (considered 10 favor rook and bishop, though I have never been able to prove that this knowledge helps a computer program) and much more active pieces (after f3-f4) . 1 5. 'tff4-e3 1 6. f3-f4 1 7. l:ta1 -c1
0-0 g7-g6 b6-b5
1 8. c4xb51
In the actual game White settled for l 8.b3 bxc4 l 9.bxc4, after which his edge was modest due to the weak pawn on c4. He still won the game. 18. 1 9. 20. 21 . 22. 23.
256
.. a2-a3 l!:le4-c5 �g2-f1 l!:lc5-b3 Dd1 xc1
.
a&xb5 d6-d5 Dd7·c7 'tfd8-c8 Dc7xc1 'tfc8-b7
24. 'tfe3·d3 25. a3-a4±
b5·b4
White's passer is far more dangerous than Black's.
EO 58.7 (A 1 7)
Game 15.3
Vallejo Pons,Francisco • Almasi,Zoltan
0
Nakhchivan, 20 1 1 (6)
1. 2. 3. 4.
ltlg1 -f3 c2-c4 l!:lb1 ·c3 'ifd1 ·c2
lL:lg8-f6 e7-e6 �f8-b4
The statistics from here are a bit better for White than in the 1i'c2 Nimzo, pre sumably because Black has less chance to seek tactical compensation for the loss of the bishop pair, as here there is no pin. 4. ...
0·0
4 ... c5 is a very important option. Black avoids the loss of the bishop pair, but loses some time with his bishop, so this doesn't quite equalize either: 5 .a3 .iaS 6.e3 0-0 7 . .ie2 ltlc6 (in case of 7 . . . d5 8.0-0 dxc4 9 ..ixc4 lLlbd7 I O . .ie2N a6 l l .d4 cxd4 1 2 .lLlxd4 White is better be-
Chapter I S - Starting with <0f3
cause he can activate his dark-squared bishop easily by b2-b4 or e3-e4, while Black has problems utilizing his light squared bishop) 8.0-0 dS; 8 ... d6 9.d4 • e7 I OJld I �d7 I l .�d2 llac8 1 2.dxcSN dxcS 1 3.liJbS Ld2 1 4. .tlxd2 llcd8 I S .:tad I and with the knight headed for d6 White's advantage is apparent. 5. a2-a3 6. tt'c2xc3
7. b2-b4
.l � .t 'i¥ .i . ' ' ' ' ' ' . ''� !:::, !:::, !:::, "if
7. ...
8. 9. 1 0. 11. 1 2. 1 3.
g2-g3 �f1 -g2 a3xb4 tt'c3xa1 d2-d3 �c1-e3
�b4xc3 d7-d6
6 ... b6 7 .b4 �b7 8.�b2 d6 9.e3 lLlbd7 I O.�e2 cS 1 1 .0-0 •e7 1 2.d3 ( 1 2.d4 is also good) 1 2 ... 1lac8 1 3.bS aS 1 4.e4 dS 1 S.exdS exdS 1 6.cxdS �xdS 1 7 .l:lfe I llfe8 1 8 .lLld2 •d6 1 9.�g4 l:lcd8 20.lLlc4 - White has an obvious edge here; 6 ... c5 7.b4 b6 8.�b2 d6 9.e3 �b7 1 O.�e2 liJbd7 transposes to the previous note.
�
it's hard to see why Black gave up the bishop pair.
ttJ £::, £::, £::, £::, £::, � �� � a7-a5
7 ... e5 8.g3 lLlc6 9.�g2 �g4 I O.�b2 l:le8 l l .h3 �hS 1 2.0-0 - Black has nothing for the lost bishop pair; 7 ... b6 8.g3 �b7 9.�b2 liJbd7 I O.�g2 cS 1 1 .0-0 llc8 1 2.d3 dS 1 3 .cxdS exdS 1 4.bxc5 bxc5 1 5.e3 - as usual in this line,
e6-e5 a5xb4 J:la8xa1 J:lf8-e8 �c8-g4 tt'd8-c8
.I '
• ' ' ' �
' !:::, !:::,
Wf
.t !:::, � tt:J £3:, � !:::, � !:::, � �
14. h2-h3
This move explains why White delayed castling. 14. ... 1 5. g3-g4
�g4-e6
I S.bS ! c6 1 6.1i'b2 was the positional ap proach, keeping the bishop-pair edge. 1 5. 1 6. 1 7. 1 8. 19. 20. 21 . 22.
. b4-b5 ttJf3-g5 f2-f4 f4-f5 �e3xf4 tt'a1 -d4 b5-b6 ..
lLlb8-c6 ttJc6-e7 �e6-d7 ttJe7-g6 ttJg6-f4 e5xf4 c7-c6 tt'c8-a8
22 ... dS !=. 23. we1 -f2 24. ttJg5-e4 25. d3xe4
tt'a8-a2?1 tbf6xe4+
257
The Kaufman Repenoire for White 26. 27. 28. 29.
25. ...
'ifa2-a3?
25 ... c5! - since the d6 pawn was doomed anyway Black should have obtained com pensation for it this way: 26.1i'xd6 .i.c6 27.1i'xf4 1i'xc4 2s.:c 1 1i'b5 29.1i'd6 Wxb6 30.Wxc5 and White's extra pawn is doubled and backward, so his edge is small. 26. l:lh1 -d1
Now White just wins a pawn for noth ing.
258
... •d4xd6 �-f1 Wd6-d3
j. � .i. j. �
c6-c5 •a3-e3+ .id7-c6
� j. � �
'iV'if
�
� 29. ... 30. •d3xe3 31 . e4-e5
w
�
f7-f6?? f4xe3
Black resigned. A sample continuation might be 3 l ... .ixg2+ 3 V�xg2 :xeS 3 3.l:r.d7 h6 34.l:r.xb7 �h7 3 5.l:r.c7 l:r.e8 3 6.b7 l:r.b8 3 7 .�f3 and White wins.
Index of Variations (White) 1 .d4 d5 2.c4
-
Chigorin et al
:i • .t. 'if � A � .i i i i
i i i i
-
2...tiJf6 3 .cxdS liJxdS 4.t!Jf3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 L.cS 3 .cxdS tiJf6 4.e4 liJxe4 S.dxcS liJxcS 6.tiJf3 e6 7 .tiJc3 exdS 8 ...xd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 L .�fS 3 .cxdS �xb l 4...a4+ (Game 1 . 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 2...t!Jc6 3.tiJc3 t!Jf6 4.cxdS liJxdS S.lL:f3 (Game 1 .2) . . . 25 3...dxc4 4.dS - 4 ...liJaS (Game 1 . 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 - 4 ... liJeS (Game 1 .4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1 .d4 e5 - Englund Gambit 2.dxeS liJc6 3 .l!Jf3
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
i. Ji\ A � � 1. � .i
i i i i
� � � !'!,
i i i
i � � !'!, �
tt tZJ � 'if 'tt> � lZJ .r.t
1 .d4 d 5 2.c4 e5 - Albin's Counter Gambit 3.dxeS d4 4.liJf3 liJc6 S .a3 (Game 2 . 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 :i • .t. 'if • .t � .i
i i i
i i i
i i � � !'!, �
� � � �
.r.t tZJ � 'iV 'tt> � tZJ .r.t
259
The Kaufman Repenoi re for Whire
1 .d4 tbf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 - Fajarowicz and Budapest Gambits 3 ... ll:le4 (Fajarowicz) 4.a3 b6 (Game 2.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 3 . . .ll:lg4 (Budapest) 4.�f4 lLlc6 5.ll:lf3 �b4+ 6.ll:lc3 (Game 2.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7 !'!, !'!, !'!, !'!, !'!,
!'!, /'!,
:tt ttJ � 'if � � lLl lt
1 .d4 tbf6 2.c4 e6 3.tbf3 c5 4.d5 b5 - Blumenfeld Gambit 5.i.f4 (G.1me 2.4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
1 .d4 f5 - Dutch Defense � • -t 'if * .t • x ' ' ' ' ' ' ' !'!,
!'!, /'!, !'!, /'!, /'!, 1'!, /3, l::r ttJ � 'iW � � ttJ .l:t
2.i.g5 - 2...ll:lf6 - 2 ...h6 - 2...c6 - 2...d5 (Game 3 . 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 - 2...g6 (G.1me 3 . 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 t .d4 e6 2 .c4 f5 3.lLlf3 lLlf6 4.ll:lc3 i.b4 - 5.'tt b3 (Game 3.4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 - S.i.d2 (Game 3.5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
1 .d4 e6 2.c4 b6 - English Defense et al � • ..t 'if · ..t • x ' ' ' ' ' ' ' .t. !'!, !'!, !'!, !'!,
!'!, !'!, !'!, /'!,
l:I ttJ � YW � � ttJ :t 260
L.i.b4+ 3.i.d2 (Game 3.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. ..b6 3.e4 i.b7 4.i.d3 - 4 ... i.b4+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 4 ... ll:lc6 - 4. . . f5 S.exf5 i.b4+ (Game 3.6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SO 55 55 56
Index of Variations (White)
1.d4 d6 2.e4 - Pirc, Modern, and Philidor X � .t 'iihtf1 .t � i A A A A A A l A
•
2 ... g6 3.lLlc3 �g7 4.�e3 a6 (Game 4. 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1 2 ...lLlf6 3.lLlc3 - 3 ...c6 63 - 3 ...e5 4.lLlf3 - 4 ...exd4 5.lLlxd4 �e7 6 ..ie2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 - 4 ...lLlbd7 5 ..ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 (Game 4.2) . 63 - 3 ...g6 4.�e3 - 4 .....ig7 5.'ttd 2 (Game 4. 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 69 - 4 ...lLlg4. - 4...c6 (Game 4.4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
0
0
0
0
0 0
0
0
0
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
0
0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0
1 .d4 tLlf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 - Benoni Defenses l .d4 c5 2.d5 - 2 . . fS 74 - 2 ... e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 - 2 ...lLlf6 3.lLlc3 (Game 5 . 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 3 ...d6 (Game 5.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 3 ... e5 (Game 5.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 3 ... e6 4.lLlc3 exd5 5 .cxd5 - 5 . ...id6 (Game 5 .4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 - 5 ... d6 6.lLlf3 g6 7 ..if+ - 7 .....ig7 8.'tta4 (Game S.S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 - 7 ...a6 8.a4 (Game 5.6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 3 ...b5 (Game 5.7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 .
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0
0 0
0
0
0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
.
1 .d4 tLlf6 2.c4 d6 3.tLlf3 - Old Indian 3 ....ig4 4.'tt b 3 (Game 6. 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 3 ... g6 4.lLlc3 .ig7 (Game 6.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 3 ... lLlbd7 4.lLlc3 e5 (Game 6.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
t2J � � � � tt:J � � � � .rr
� �
l:t
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 - Queen's Gambit Accepted .i � .t 'ihir ..t � i A A A A A A l ... � !'!, �
!'!, � !'!, �
3.lLlf3 lLlf6 4.e3 e6 5.hc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7 .dxc5 (Game 7 . I ) 96 3.e4 - 3 .. b5 - 3 ...c5 - 3 ...lLlc6 (Game 7.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 - 3 ...lLlf6 4.e5 lLld5 S ...bc4 (Game 7.3) . . . . . . . . . 1 00 - 3 ... eS 4.lLlf3 (Game 7 .4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 02 .
.
.
.
. . . . .
l:!. tt:J � � � � tt:J U
26 1
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 e& 3.lbc3 - Queen's Gambit Declined & � .t 'i!htl .t � E
' ' '
' /3, /3,
/3, /3, �
lU
'
' ' '
/3, /3, /3, /3,
� �
3oooc5 (Tarrasch) 4ocxd5 4 cxd4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4oooexd5 5oll:lf3 ll:lc6 6og3 (Game 8o l ) o000000 3oooi.e7 4ocxd5 exd5 5 oi.f4 c6 6o1t'c2 (Game 802) 0 0 0 0 3oool0f6 4ocxd5 - 4oool0xd5 5 oe4 l0xc3 6obxc3 c5 (Game 803) 0 0 0 0 0 - 4oooexd5 5 o�g5 c6 6o1t'c2 - 6ooolLla6 (Game 8o4)o 0 000 0000000000000 - 6ooo..ie7 7 oe3 lLlbd7 8oll:lf3 - 8oool0h5 (Game 8o5) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 8ooo0-0 9o..id3 Ae8 I Ooh3 (Game 8o6) o 0 -
ooo
0
o
o
o o
0
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
I 08 1 09 Ill 1 14 116 119 121
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c& 3.lbf3 tlJf& - Slav Defense - 4oooa6 5oa4 (Game 90 1 ) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 28 - 4oo odxc4 5oa4 - 5 ooolLla6 (Game 9o2)o 0 0 0 1 29 - 5 ooo..ig4 - 5 oooe6 - 6oe3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 - 6oe4 (Game 903) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 - 6og3 (Game 904) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 - 5ooO..ifS 6olLle5 6 e6 7 O .ib4 8 lOxc4 0 0 9 � (Game 9o5) 1 34 - 6oooll:lbd7 7 oll:lxc4 - 7 ooolLlb6 (Game 9o6) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 38 - 7 ooo1t'c7 8og3 e5 9odxe5 ll:lxe5 I Ooi.f4 t!Jfd7 l l ...ig2 - l l o oog5 l 2ol0e3 (Game 907) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 9 - l l ooof6 1 200-0 - l 2oooll:lc5 (Game 9o8) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 38 - 1 20000-0-0 (Game 909) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 34 4o ...c2 (4o...b3) 4 .. odxc4 5 o...XC4 - 5oo.i.g4 (Game 9o 1 0) o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 l 44 - 5ooo..if5 (Game 90 1 1 ) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 48 o o
-
ooo
o
o
o
-
o
o
o
o
o o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
0
0
o
o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
0 0
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 e& 3.tlJc3 c& 4.tlJf3 - Semi-Slav Defense
4ooodxc4 (Noteboom) 5oa4 -'.b4 6oe3 b5 7 o..td2 (Game I 00 1 ) I 53 4oooll:lf6 5o..ig5 - 5ooodxc4 6oe4 b5 (Botvinnik) 7 oe5 h6 8oi.h4 g5 9oll:lxg5 - 9ooolLld5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 I 55 - 9ooohxg5 1 Oo�g5 l0bd7 1 1 .exf6 ..ib7 1 2og3 c5 1 3od5 - l 3oooll:lxf6 (Game 1 002) 0 0 0 0 0 0 o o l 58 - 1 3ooo...b6 l 4o..ig2 0-0-0 I 500-0 b4 1 6olLla4 - 1 6ooo...a6 1 7oa3 (Game 1 003) 0 0 O o 0 0 0 1 5 8 l 6 ...b5 l 7oa3 (Game 1 0.4)0 0 161 - 5oooh6 (Moscow) - 6o..ih4 dxc4 7 oe4 g5 (Game I Oo5) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 62 - 6o..ixf6 ...xf6 7oe3 ll:ld7 (Game I Oo6) o 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 64 0
-
ooo
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o o o o
0
262
Index of Variations (White)
1 .d4 l2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.l2Jc3 d5 4.l2Jf3 �g7 5. W'b3 dxc4 6.W'xc4 0·0 7.e4 - Russian System against the Grunfeld 7 ... b6 1 68 7 ...c6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 68 7 ...tl:la6 (Prins) 8.�e2 c5 9.d5 (Game I I . I ) . . . . . . . . . 1 68 7 ...tl:lc6 8.�e2 �g4 9.dS ltjaS I 0.1tb4 .Lf3 I I .Lf3 c6 1 2.0-0 (Game 1 1 . 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 0 7 ... �g4 (Smyslov) 8.�e3 tl:lfd7 9.1tb3 tl:lb6 I O.J:Id l (Game I I . 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 7 2 . . . a 7 6 (Hwtgarian) 8.�e2 b5 9.1tb3 cS I O.dxc5 �e6 1 1 .1tc2 tl:lbd7 1 2 .�e3 (Game 1 1 .4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 74 .
.i � .t 'i!f E 'i!f .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t .t. � I.
I--
I� 8 8
.u
'tiH 8 8 ttJ 4:J �
8 8 8
��
I:.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
.
1 .d4 l2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.l2Jc3 �g7 4.e4 d6 5.l2Jf3 0·0 6.�e2 - King's Indian Defense .i � .t 'if .i 'i!f .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. ..t .t. .t. � .t.
1-
6...�g4 7 .�e3 ltjfd7 8.J:Ic I (Game 1 2. 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 1 6...ltjbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.�e3 (Game 1 2.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 83 6...tl:la.6 7 .0-0 e5 8.�e3 ltjg4 9.�g5 1te8 I O.dxe5 dxe5 1 1 .1tc 1 (Game 1 2.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 84 6...e5 7.0-0 - 7 ...exd4 8.tl:lxd4 J:le8 9.f3 c6 (Game 1 2.4) . . . . . . 1 87 - 7 .. tLlc6 - 8.�e3 - 8 ... tl:lg4 9.�gs f6 1 o.�c 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 89 - 8 ... J:Ie8 9.dxe5 dxeS I O.h3 (Game 1 2.5). 1 89 - 8.d5 tl:le7 9.ltje l - 9 ...tl:le8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2 - 9... tl:ld7 I O.�e3 fS l l .f3 f4 1 2.�f2 gS 1 3.J:Ic I - I L.J:If6 1 4.ltjdJ J:lh6 I S .cS - I S...1te8 (Game 1 2.6) . . . . . . . . . . 1 92 - 1 5 ... a6 (Game 1 2.7) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 - 1 3 . . .tl:lg6 1 4.tl:lbS - 1 4...a6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 - 1 4 ... tl:lf6 (Game 1 2.8) . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 - l 4 ... b6 (Game 1 2.9) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 96 .
263
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
1 .d4 lbf6 2.c4 e6 3.lbf3 - Avoiding the Nimzo-lndian Defense E � .t '!!f * .t E ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ·� ttJ
, -,
� t:, � t:, � t:, lt ttJ � � � 1:[
3 ... .tb4+ (Bogo-Indian) 4 . .td2 - 4 ... .txd 2+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 - 4 ... c5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 - 4... a5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 - 4 ... We7 5 .g3 lDc6 6.lUc3 (Game 1 3 . 1 ) . . . . . . . . . 203 3 ... b6 (Queen's Indian) 4.g3 - 4 ... .tb4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 - 4....tb7 5 ..tg2 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7 .l:te I (Game 1 3.2) . . 206 - 4 ....L6 5 .lDbd2 - 5 ...c5 6.e4 cxd4 7.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 1 - 5 ....tb7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 1 - 5 ...d5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 1 - 5 ... .tb4 6.Wa4 c5 7 .a3 (Game 1 3.3) . . . . . . . 2 1 1 3...d5 4.lDc3 - 4 ... dxc4 5.e4 (Vienna) (Game 1 3.4) . . . . . . . . 2 1 5 - 4 ... .tb4 (Ragozin) 5.cxd5 exd5 6. .tg5 - 6 ... h6 7 ...Q.h4 (Game 1 3 .5) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 8 - 6 ...tL:lbd7 7 .e3 c 5 8.dxc5 (Game 1 3.6) . . . 222 - 4 ... .te7 5 ..tf4 0-0 6.l:tcl (Game 1 3 .7) . . . . . 224
1 .d4 lbf6 2.c4 e6 3.lbc3 �b4 4....c2 - Nimzo-lndian Defense E .i � .t 'if * ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ·� ,--
4...tL:lc6 5 .lDf3 d6 6..td2 (Game 1 4. 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 1 4... c5 5 .dxc5 (Game 1 4.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 4 ...d5 5.cxd5 - 5 ... exd5 6..tg5 (Game 1 4.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 5 - 5 ...Wxd5 6.lDf3 "iH5 (Game 1 4.4) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 6 4 ... 0-0 5.a3 .txc3+ 6.Wxc3 - 6... b5 (Game 1 4.5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 - 6... lDe4 7 .Wc2 fS 8.lDh3 (Game 1 4.6) . . . . . . . . . 240 - 6... d6 7.f3 (Game 1 4.7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 1 - 6... b6 7 . .tg5 .tb7 - 8.e3 (Game 1 4.8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 - 8.f3 h6 9 ..th4 d5 1 0.e3 lUbd7 1 1 .cxd5 (Game 1 4.9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 - 6 ... d5 (Game 1 4. 1 0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
1 .lbf3 lbf6 2.c4 - Starting with 1 .lbf3 .i � .t '¥!f * .t .i ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... � --
264
2...g6 3.lDc3 d5 4.cxd5 lDxd5 5 ."irc2 (Game 1 5 . 1 ) . . . 2 5 3 2...e6 3.lDc3 - 3...c5 4.g3 b6 (Game 1 5.2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 5 - 3 ... �b4 4.Wc2 0-0 5.a3 .txcl 6 ... xc3 (Game 1 5.3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Index of Players 1he nwnbers refer to pages. A
1 13 Akobian Alexandrov 1 1 6, 1 68 222 Alexeev Almasi 82, 2 3 7 , 256 1 29 Alonso Rosell 1 63 Anand Andreikin 92, 248 Arencibia Rodriguez 1 84 Aronian 1 1 2, 1 74, 226 143 Avrukh B
Barcenilla Bareev Baron Beliavsky Berg Berkes Bocharov Bojkov Bologan Braun Brkic Bruzon Batista Brynell Bu Xiangzhi Bukavshin Bunzmann
194 27 1 34 1 72 1 95 76 131 1 84 82 236 64 1 48 82 78 248 55
c
Carlsen 50, 96, 240 Cheparinov 1 28- 1 29, 1 34 Christiansen 233 D
Dembo Dgebuadze Ding Uren 1 34, 1 42, Dorfman
1 92 203 225 253
Dreev
243
E Eingorn Elianov Enkhbat Erdos Ezat
121 223 1 46 1 64 181
F
Feller Fier Finegold Fridman Ftacnik
1 89 82, 1 66 235 I I0 1 72
G Gagunashvili 235 Gashimov 80-8 1 Gavrilov 83 Gelfand 74, 80, 1 00, 1 65, 1 87, 224 Georgiev 82-83 Giri 50, 1 6 1 , 1 70, 225 Gleizerov 52 82, 232 Grigorov Grigoryan 1 65 Grischuk 1 74, 1 87 , 1 89, 224 Guidarelli 69 1 1 2, 2 3 3 Gulko 181 Guseinov 28, 1 55 Gyimesi H
1 10 Halkias Harikrishna 1 58 Hector 3 7 ' 1 4 1 ' 1 43 Hera 1 08 Hernandez Carmenates 2 3 3
Hillarp Persson I Inarkiev lordachescu lvanchuk
35
81, IH 64 54, 78, 1 1 7
J Jaracz 232 Javakhishvili 39 Jobava 63, 90, 204 K
Kacheishvili 1 13 Kamsky 253 Karlsson 45 Kasimdzhanov 206 Kasparov 1 40 Kaufman 1 1 0, 1 1 2, 1 20, 1 36, 1 38, 1 64, 1 7 1 , 2 3 3 , 243 Kayende 243 Kazhgaleev 25 Khenkin 203 Klima 27 Kornev 83 Korobov 1 62 Kostic 1 08 Kovacevic 83 Kovalyov 243 Kramnik 1 1 2, 247 Krush 1 3 1 1 92 ' Kudrin 171 Kiilaots 235 Kuljasevic 240 L l'Ami Leko
238 1 65, 2 1 5, 247, 255 265
The Kaufman Repenoire for White
Lenderman Likavsky Lintchevsky Lysyj
1 83, 1 94 55 98 98
M
Ma Qun Macieja Malakhatko Malakhov Maletin Mamedyarov Mareco Mastrovasilis McNab Michiels Miladinovic Miralles Moiseenko Moradiabadi Morozevich Moskalenko Muse Muzychuk,M •
1 42 88 1 02 1 28, 23 1 1 3 3, 24 1 74, 1 44 1 42 1 1 4, 1 29 66 121 23, 25 47 223 65 22, 140 45 61 39
N
Naiditsch Nakamura Navara Negi Nijboer Nikolic Nisipeanu
215 1 1 1 , 225, 238, 240 1 48 65 69 37 96
0
Okhotnik Onischuk
76 54, 245
p
Parligras Pashikian Peralta
266
206 1 14 33
235 Perelshteyn 33 Perez Candelario 66 Pert 1 96 Petrosian,D 1 00, 1 1 1 , Ponomariov 23 1 52 Postny 248 Predojevic Prie 47 Prohaszka 90 1 83 Pruijssers Pushkov 1 20 R
Rabiega Radjabov Rapport Rodshtein Rogozenco Rojicek Romero Holmes Rotstein Roussel Roozmon Rublevsky Ruck
28 226 82 1 39 21 1 1 34 35 1 68 1 34 131 1 55
s
Sakaev Salgado Lopez Sambuev Saric Sarkar Savchenko Schenk Schneider Schussler Seirawan Shankland Shirov Shomoev Short Shytaj Slobodjan
1 33 1 29 131 23 1 95 82 1 64 1 10 57 57 1 36, 1 39 1 4 1 , 1 63 248 1 17 236 88
161 92, 245 So 212 Socko 1 02 Solodovnichenko 204 Suba 1 38 Sundararajan 1 70 Swinkels Smeets
T
Ter Sahakyan Timofeev Tkachiev Tomashevsky Toniutti Topalov Troff
1 65 1 53 218 1 1 9, 24 1 1 42 207, 253 171
v
Vachier-Lagrave 253 256 Vallejo Pons Van Wely 1 58, 255 1 62, 222 Vitiugov Volokitin 21 1 w
Wang Wang Hao Wang Yue Wang Zili Wojtaszek Wu
161 1 66 2 1 8, 237 85 207 1 64
y
Yakovenko Yudin
63 1 53
z
Zelcic Zhigalko Zhou Jianchao Zolotukhin Zviagintsev
6 1 , 240 1 1 6, 2 1 2 85, 1 34, 225 1 96 1 19
