Grandmaster Repertoire 19 Beating Minor Openings By Victor Mikhalevski gs Quality Chess www.qualitychess.co.ukPreface Dear Chess Friend, would like to begin by telling you a short story of how this book was born, Some time after my previous work, Grandmaster Repertoire 13 ~ The Open Spanish, was published, I was approached by Quality Chess about writing a repertoire book on the Slav Defence, while my friend Boris ‘Avukh was considering a book on the Anti-Griinfeld. However, after a discussion berween Quality Chess, Boris and myself, we realized it would make much mote sense if Boris wrote about the Slay, which is pare of his opening repertoit, leaving me co cover the Anti-Griinfeld, which I have faced in many gaemes, The readers have alteady received Avruk’ great book on the ‘Classical Slay; whereas my Anti-Griinfeld project expanded into the book you are now holding, in your hands (or viewing on your electronic device) The Anti-Griinfeld is a serious subject requiring specialist knowledge, but the Quality Chess team and I agreed that it was too narrow a topic co fill an entire book. ‘The subject matter was therefore widened into a complete repertoire against all “Minor Openings”. For the purposes of this book, a “Minor Opening” willbe defined as any recognized opening that does not begin with 1.44 of L.e4 — notwithstanding the fat that many such openings which begin with 1.c4 or 1.25 are nor that minor at all In onder to satisfy the needs of a wider audience, I ended up covering three different systems against the chameleonic 1.263. Obviously there is my specialist subject of 1.08 2.4 g6, including the Anci-Griinfeld; but there is also 1.246 2.04 b6 to satisfy Queen's Indian players; as wel as 1..d5 for those who are willing to play the black side of a Queen's Gambic inthe event of 2.44, Considering the mulsitude of possible wanspositions to other openings (specially 1.d4 openings), it-was never going to be possible to cater for every possible repertoire preference. However, with three distinct repercoires against 1.0963, I have taken every reasonable step co ensure that the majority of readers will have an option that fits with thetr existing repertoire. I have endeavoured to consider all logical move orders and have pointed out transpositions whenever T spotied them, which I hope will simplify che reader’ task, how much time it has been worth the | have to admic that when I started working on shis project, I had no id would require. However, now the process is atan end, I have no doubt that effort. I hope that chis book will serve you well for many yeats ro come, Victor Mikhalevski Beer-Sheva, August 2016Contents Preface Key to symbols used & Bibliography Introduction Various 1st Moves Irregularities Bird's Opening L.g3 Larsen's Opening Lich &5 5 Rare 2nd Moves 6 2edand 2063 7 2.g3 06 Sidelines 8 3d4 9 S.cxd5 and 5.82 10 2,.8c3 &b4 133 12 3.Ads 1.263 ds 13 2.b3 and 2.¢3 1 2h dd 15 3.03 16 293 17 40-0 18 6Abda 34 56 83 104 116 139 165 183 203 227 238 257 275 299 319) 343 36319 20 24 22 23 24 25 26 a7 1.263 Df6 and 2...b6 2.93 2h 6.b3 6.Ac3 1.063 Bf6 and 2...g6 2.3 3.63 and 3.b4 Anti-Griinfeld 4acxd5 5.Mb3, Variation Index 388 406 421 445 462 486 507 519 549 576Key to symbols used £ Whites slightly betcer 2 avweak move Flack is slightly better R ablunder £ White is better 1 agood move F Blacks betrer % — anexcellent move + White hasa decisive advantage BR —amove worth considering + Black has a decisive advantage #8 a move of doubsful value = equality # mate B with compensation 2 with counterplay = unclear > with an attack with the initiative Bibliography Aagaard and Neivlis: Playing the French, Quality Chess 2013 ‘Aveukh: Grandmaster Repertoire 11 — Beating 1.d4 Sidelines, Quality Chess 2012 Bauer: Play te Scandinavian, Quality Chess 2010 Berg: Grandmaster Repertoire 16 ~ The French Defence Volume Three, Quality Chess 2015 Delchev: The Modern Resi, Chess Stars 2012 Delehev & Semkov: Attacking the EnglishiReti, Chess Stars 2016 Khalifman: Opening for White According to Kramnik 2, Chess Stars 2008 Kosten: The Dynamic English, Gambit 1999 Kotronias: Kotronias on the King’s Indian 1 ~ Fianchetto Stems, Quality Chess 2013 Matin: Grandmaster Repertoire 3 ~ The English Opening Valume One, Quality Chess 2009 Neisis: Playing Lf e5, Quality Chess 2016 Palliser: Beating Unusual Chess Openings, Everyman Chess 2007 Schandorff: Grandmaster Repertoire 7— The Caro-Kann, Quality Chess 2010 Electronie/Internet Resources ChessBase Magazine ChessPublishingIntroduction How does one go about constructing a repertoire against @ vast assortment of irregular opening, systems? When writing this book, I generally relied on the cule that if White does not occupy the cencte with his pawns, then Black should take the opporcunity to do so himself. I have therefore chosen to recommend active, space-gaining options for Black, without descending into over-the- top aggressiveness. “The contents of this book have becn grouped into five main sections, as summarized below. Before going into details though, I would like to say 2 litte bit abouta theme that crops up time and time again in this book. Reversed Openings Several parts of che book will see us playing 2 standard opening with reversed colours and a tempo less. Actually, if we assume that White plays somerhing other than 1.d4 or 1.e4 and Black plays «.d5 andlor ..c5, then White is almost certain to be playing some sort of recognizable Black defence with an cxcra tempo. Generally I consider this a healthy way to play with Black — although an obvious caveat is that we must avoid extremely sharp variations where che opponent's extra tempo could come with maximum impact. Instead we will play actively bue cautiously, with the aim of reaching 2 position where the extra tempo isnt so relevant. Such positions tend to be objectively equal — but its a comfortable Form of equality for Black, as he wil effectively be playing as White, often with a slight space advantage to build upon. If White plays a reversed opening which allows you to establish an ideal centre with pawns on d5 and e5, then you should almost akvays take that opportunity. However, i quite ofien happens that White will allow you to play one of these moves but not the other. For example, in this book Trecommend meeting 1.c4 with 1..€5, and 1.f4 with 1.5. Should a dedicated 1.44 player feel ‘wary about facing a Sicilian Defence with reversed colours and a tempo less? Will « L.e4 fan be uneasy playing against the Dutch Defence under the same circumstances? (There ate many other examples ofa similar theme.) 1 actually don't sce this as a problem at all. As I mentioned eater, we will be avoiding any super-sharp variations where White’ extta tempo will make a big difference, Instead, Black can simply enjoy the luxury of having a firm foothold in the centre, and he will go on co develop his, pieces on natural squares. Even if we have to play @ bit more conservatively than we would on the white side of the opening, we should still be able to reach a comfortable position, often with chances to press fora slight advantage. A strong player should possess enough ‘chess culture’ to handle positions and seruetures which lie outside of his normal repertoire Having deale wich the subject of reversed openings, | will now tell you a bit about the contents of cach of the five sections of the book. Part I ~ Various Ist Moves “This section comprises four chapters, starting with White's weind first moves and building ap to the semi-mainstream options of 1.F4, 1.g3 and 1.b3, the last of which remains a relatively ‘common occurrence even at GM level. After 1..e5 2.862 Bc6 3.€3, Ihave chosen the solid but8 Grandmaster Repertoie 19 ~ Beating Minor Openings active 3..0(6 rather than 3...d5 ~ virtually the only time in the book where I have chosen not to play both ..e5 and ..d5 when given the chance, Part 2— Let e6 “Thisis the biggest section ofthe book, spanning eight chapters and over 150 pages. As | mentioned cearlie, [recommend meeting 1.c4 with 1...e5. We will answer the popular 2.¢3 with 2...c6 in ‘order to occupy the centre with ..5. The other main move is 2,4c3, when | favour 2...8b4, Both of these recommendations have been holding up well in recent praxis and analysis, and 1 found a lor of promising new ideas for Black, Part 3 — 1.063 d5 1.883 is a nightmare subject from an author's perspective! The problem is chat there is no single ‘conect’ choice against it, as everything depends on your repertoire preferences against other first moves. For example, 1.5 isa decent move, but only ifyou are happy to revert toa Sicilian afer 2.ef. Besides, 2.c4 would lead to an English Opening where my recommendation of 1.5 has been avoided. “Anyway, in Chapters 13-18 I have covered 1..d5, which avoids transposing to an unwanted variation of the English while inviting a transposition to 2 L.d4 d5 system. ‘The two main options for this book are 2.04 d4, gaining space in the centre, and 2.83, where 2..g4! is my preference. Part 4 ~ 1.563 Bf6 and 2..b6 “The last owo sections of the book are devored to 1.2363 446, which allows Black to revert to bis preferred Indian defence after 2.d4. Chapters 19-22 cover a defensive system with 2..06 and 867, which will be suitable for Queen's Indian players. In Chapter 22, our move order allows ‘White to transpose to one of the main lines of the Queen's Indian, which traditionally arises after Ld4 816 2.04 06 3.003 b6 4.23 87 5.82 Be7 6.0-0 0-0. IF your current preference in the Queen’ Indian is to meet 4g3 with 4..!2a6 rather than 4.,.867, then I would suggest learning something abour the latter move as well, justin case someone transposes co it by playing d2-d4 av an early stage. Ie was already a huge challenge to provide three repertoires against 1.3, and tying to caer forall possible repertoire choices within the Queen's Indian would be. step t00 Fat Part 5 ~ 1.203 06 and 2...96 “This section deals with a number of set-ups, but the most theoretically critical by far is the Anti Gs T have extensive experience in this domain, and I have provided a lor of ideas which I believe will be of great value to my fellow Griinfeld practitioners. White has several other set-ups that do not involve transposing to mainstream theory with d2-d4. In such cases, I have often ‘recommended playing in the spirit of the Griinfeld with an early 5, which may sometimes be supported by ..c6. However, there are other cases where I have opted for a King’s Indian set-up with «6, where I fele it was more appropriate. Die-hard King’s Indian fans may wish to ignore sy eat ..d5 suggestions and find their own ..d6-based solutions, but [would encourage readers to be flexible in their thinking, A great example is Chaptet 24, where I have suggested ..d5 in some places and ..d6 in others, according ro what I believe works best against the particular set- up chosen by White.8 Various 1st Moves Irregularities Variation Index A) Lg4? 10 B) 1.32 13 ©) 1.a3 4 D) 1.83 d5 2.04 dat 3.Bce2 c5 4.23 De6 16 D1) 5.263 18 D2) 5.fc4! 19 B) 1.b4 05 2 El) 2.a3 21 E2) 2.8b2 Bxb4 3.2xe5 DG 24 E21) 4.c4 26 E22) 4.3 27 E23) 4.3 0-0 5.c4 d5 6.03 He8 28 E231) 7.03, 29 E232) 7.fb2 30 D) note wo move 5 £25) note 5.c4 2232) nore to 11.38, s(x iS s|ER SE RRR RMR) 7 ay aad ‘ ‘ a 3 s by 4 ‘ 3 2 3 a 2 24 HBOS 1 L wk é Thede ted abe deter 1..@d7N S.ncxdAN10 ‘Various Ist Moves ‘What better place to begin our journey than the starting position of the game of chess? He eRuare abedef gh ‘White has twenty legal moves ~ and don't worry, we are not going to analyse all of them! Obviously Led and 1.d4 are the two most populas, and readers will have their favourite defences against both of them. 1.o4 and 1.@\f3 are the other two mainstream choices, and the majority of this book is devoted to Black’ task of meeting them. 1.f4, 1.g3 and 1.63 are all fairy respectable, and they will be covered in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Before then, the present chapter will dal with five oddball alternatives: A) Ligd2, B) 1.432, ©) 1.23, D) 1.83 and B) L.b4. Moves such as 1.d3 and 1.c3 are playable and do not weaken Whites position, but 1 donit see any particular point in them, other than avoiding theory. 1.45 is a good answer in either case. A) Legit “This opening is named after the Swiss IM Hensi Grob. White does’ fight for the centre and offers Black a clear target to attack, 1 would therefore have to conclude that it is cone of the worst opening moves available. Compare, for instance, 1.a4, which basically hands the advantage of the first move to Black, but doest’t actively harm White’ position in any serious way. Lad St [ think this is the best way 10 prove the vwrongness of White’ first move 2g? White sacrifices a pawn in the hope of exploiting the weakening of the a8-hI diagonal 2.38 5 3.d3 occumred in Rivas Pastor Botsari, Stockholm 2000, when 3..h5IN would have given Black an easy advantage. 2.h3 was a pet line of IM Basman in the late 1970s and 80s. 2..e5 3.02 HSI? The most aggressive. (3..c6 is a reasonable alternative) 4.gxh5 Df 5.43 Bxh5F Black was better in Raygroki ~ Frolov, Schwaebisch Gmuend. 1994, due to his strong centre and Whites weakened kingside. 295! “This wastes additional time and allows Black to strike with ..h6 at a time of his choosing. 2.05 3.Stg2 3.d3 WO! 4 goh6 (4.003 De6 5.gehG DshOF) 4.Oxh6FChapter 1 ~ Irregulavities n Bhd h6! 4.d3 Be7 GnlagSHN 5.8xg5 (6 Gd2 Se6 is also clearly better for Black) 5.gxh6 ®xhGF In Pacher ~ Hlracek, Slovakia 2011, Black had good central control, a ead in development and the better pawn ture. Bulag’ 4.ftnd5 O6 5.d3 gs 6.05 abedefeh Gaell 7edned DeGIF Black is building 2 strong initiative, while White's development is seriously delayed. 2anfbxgt ‘Obviously there is nothing wrong with 2.06 3:h3 €5, but the text move is the most principled continuation, which aims to punish White Buch "This is che point of White's pawn sacrifice. White develops pressure on the light squares, which can be augmented by Wb3, hitting both b7 and d5. However, Black has at least two ways to get an advantage. Bat “This isthe safer option, “The sbarper continuation is 3...dxe4!? 4.fxb7 @d7 5.ftxa8, Suh is met by 5.865, intencling 6.082 Ward 7.08 De518D3 OxPBt e083 LAS 10.ta4t sed and Black is better. 5.ullfxa8 6.63 65 7.Bad fhe6 8.32 ‘Attempting to open the a-file 8.223 Hd8! isa clever indirect defence ofthe A-pavin, which leads to Black’s advantage 8.848 “The threat of SWhdt is very annoying for in either case Black has a powerful ii ‘exchange. Hee eruare 4.itb3 No better is: Accad 5 cxd5 5.8003 O16 Black cannot keep his extra pawn by means of 5..HeT?! 6.8123 06? due ro 7 ast and White wins a piece, 6b? 6.23 €6 7.8eb7 Dba? transposes.2 ‘Various Ist Moves 6..Obd7 7.3 7.442 Hb8 8.826 (8.¥ra7? loses instantly: 8.18 9B eS! 10.dxe5 eS 11.8ad Eb4—+ Vlassov — Meessen, Moscow 2009) 8..51 Whiee is in trouble, as 9.dxe5? Mc7! 10.83 (10.41c3 Qe5~+) 10,.Hxe5 gives Black a decisive advantage. 76 8.2905 Be8 “The spawn does not matter at all. For example: Re 9.2xa7 9.Mxa7 She5 10.Had 0-0 was also greae for Black in Ariston ~ §. Saunders, email 1995. The text move was White's attempted improvement, but he would have been better off looking for an improvement eight roves cals 9. Be7 10.826 Be5 Black had a huge initiative forthe szcificed pawa in Ariston ~ Laceay, email 2006, Re RU arse 46 S.exd5 “The alternative is: silsb7 Qd7 6.03 Deis “This position has occurred in a few games; Black’s chances are higher due to his better development, For example: 7.6 Be8 Black easly regains the pawn. abede 8.86 Bact 9.43 9.Ma7? is bad as after 9..Me81-+ Whites queen isin serious danger 9.88 Ssend Bue nor 5..cxd5?? 6:Bledt winning apiece 6.8ixb7 Dd7 7.23 7.844067 loses to 7...c8 of course. 7ucbe7 8.Chapter 1 ~Ieregulavties 3B Ie is worth mentioning that after 8.b3 Bc5! 9.0b4 the double attack on c5 and gé ise’ dangerous for Black, due to: By a ioe 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 abede 9.n8d78 In order to mect 10:8xe52 with 10...29f5 and che queen is trapped. HRB RUA Ee abe d 8..21h8 9.Ha6 26 10.83 Dg6 11. D0 has Black fad he beter game in Ohtake ~ Parsons, core, 2014, B) LLh3tt “This move was championed by IM Basman in the 1990s. Obviously White can‘ fight for an advantage this way, but it shouldnt be too bad. as it doesn create any weaknesses. Starting from the second move, White may start playing as if he was Black and hope thae the 13-pawn will be use. Ind 1.5 Is also reasonable; she choice is a matter of taste, 20381 Basman’s "Creepy Crawly Formati a waste of time, is jst 2.gé2! transposes to the note on 2.h3 in variation A. White's best ber would be to play a nom reversed opening, beginning with 2.d4 or 2.8)f3. ‘The h3-pawn has the porential to be useful, but Black obviously has no cause for complaints, having the freedom to effectively play as White. ne Black takes the centre and already has che better position Hee euare Bch ‘This was Basman's usual choice. BradbecAl Taking the pawn is the most ambitious approach, In order to win it back, White has to either waste a few tempos with his queen ‘or exchange the light-squared bishops, which should work in Black's Favour as we will see.M Various 1st Moves Baud4 is a perfectly good alternative, for instance: 4.435! (This looks like an improvement over 4..a5, which occured in Basman ~ Budnikow, London 1993) ‘The position starts to resemble a reversed Benoni 5.g4 Othecwise what was the point of h2-h3? Sn C6 6.8g2 ‘This position was reached in Ackley — Gordon-Brown, England 2015. Black has several playable options, but I especially like G.ANSIN 7.g5 ge7, followed by ..g6 t0 take aim ae White's kingside weaknesses. 43 AMAT! Qd7IN SDB (6illxcd DS followed by ..ke6 and White is already in twouble on the b3-squate) 5..e4 6.65 Def 7.Bxet a6F is good for Black. Annbte6 5.We2 B47 ‘A couple of Basman’s opponents went for 5..1Md5, but I prefer rapicl development over pawn-grabbing. G.Stxet fixed 7.Wxet Wgst Provoking a weakening, of the kingsid. 8.g3 slight improvement over 8..@)gf6 2s played in D. Smith ~ Pontikis, email 2004, 9.43 eT! 10.063 Def Black’s chances are slightly higher. © 103 ‘This waiting move is better than the previously considered alternatives, although White cant hope to obtain any opening advantage with i. Should you encounter it, you wall want ro head fora reversed opening which youtecon with, so the choice will depend on individual preferences. 1 will provide a few guidelines, ‘while pointing out some specific cases where 2-43 may prove useful or otherwise Lane Iud5 is another reasonable answer.Chapter 1 — Irregularities 15 White can consider playing 2.442, when the a2-a3 move is of some value, although Black. should not be worse of course. ‘The best continuation is 2...0f6 3.063 06, intending .€5, as recommended by Boris Avrukh in the first chapter of Grandmaster Repertoire 1. Alternatively, 1..g60? is a nice idea to make Whites first move look pointless, while 1.46 can't be bad either, keeping all of Black's options open, 2.04! 32! d5 leads back to variation B. 2.b4 transposes to variation E1 below. 2.ch is a somewhat logical move, but it tuansposes to the English Opening — sce variation E of Chapter 5 on page 113. I picked the rext move asthe main line inorder co emphasize some interesting points about reversed 1.e4 e5 openings with the a2-a3 move included. 2.6 Fans of the Kings Gambit may consider 2..658, although 3.tc4? leads to a reversed system where 2-33 serves the purpose of preserving the bishop. 3.3 D6 ‘Ac first I believed thar 3.45! d.exd5 ®xd5 would Jead to a good version of the reversed Scotch, as the two main lines of 5.03 and 5.htc4 both lead to positions where the extra 22-a3 move is of no use whatsoever. However, 1 then tealized thac 5.885! was a good choice, as Black is deprived of the ..€b4 move, which comes close to refuting the queen move in the version with reversed colours. True, Black can still play 5..19d6 with near-equal chances, but it feels like a small moral victory for White to have found a clear use for 2-23, 4.003 With this move, we suddenly transpose to a relatively common sideline of the Four Knights Game where White plays 4.03. The Greek author and analyst Neitis covered this very well in Playing 1.e4 e5, so I will ust give a shortened version of his analysis to show the rose important details, Black’s best antidore is: Awd! 5.b5 S.exd5 Oxd5 6.5 @xc3 7.bxc3 Sd6 is the main line of the Four Knights with reversed colourss Whites extra 22-23 move is useless 0 Black is effectively playing as White and is obviously at least equal xe 6.205 BMG 6..8g52 is a sharp alternative which can also be investigated RoR as & OS Z abedefgh 7.2B Me6 8.0-0 £d6 9.e1 0-08 9.3 10.dxe3 0-0 11.g5 Wes gave Black simple equality in Van den Berg ~ Op den Kelder, Hengelo 2005. ‘Ihe text move is an interesting pawn sacifce. 10.xe4 dxe4 11 Bxc6 bxe6 12.Bxe4 dS 13.863 Black had full compensation in Raijmaekers ~ Gerhards, cor. 2014.16 Various Ist Moves He Re euarea bede ‘This is most commonly known as the Dunst ‘Opening, although italso goes by several other names, Te has been a favourite choice of GM Andeeikin in blitz games. d5 2oe4 “This isthe only reasonable atempe vo avoid mainstream theory. This position can also be reached via the Scandinavian Defence after lef d5 2.803, 2.d4 transposesto the Veresow, which isbeyond the scope of this work. I would recommend Boris Aveukhis Grundmaster Repertoire 11 for dealing with this and other sidelines after 1.d4 und "This move is characteristic of my overall approach against iregular openings. Bleck is not satisfied with equality, and seizes space in the centre at the first available opportunity. Twill just mention in passing that 2u.dxe4 3.Axe4 gives Black an improved version of a Cato-Kann after either 3.205 or 3.047. "The point is that Black has not had to waste time putting his pawn on 6, and will often be able to gain a tempo by playing ..c5 in one move. Ifyou already play the Caro-Kann, then you may find this the more convenient optio 3,@oe2 White intends to teansfer the knight to 3. Other knight moves are hardly saisfctory for him: 3.00d5? is not 2 good idea because of 3.051 and White already has to worry about saving his knight, 4.c3 (4.03? c6-+ caps the knight) 4.406 5.8b4 Of6 and Black is better. 3.AbI f6 4.43 (he5 Dd5 is abso beter for Black) 4..e5 Black already has the upper hand due to his space advantage and the time lost by White, Hee RUDY & BucS GM Bauer recommends 3..e5 in Play the Scandinavian, but 1 prefer the text move as T want 10 develop the knight co 6 before deciding what to do next. 4Dg3 4.815 Bc6 5.08 is variation DI below. 4.3 This gives up on the idea of developing the light-squared bishop to 4, Instead White will aim for a reversed King’s Indian, 4 D6 5.43 5.F4 seems a bit premature in view of 5..e5 62283 (6.93 h5! 7,463 bd is eather annoyingChapter 1 ~ Irregularities 7 for White) 6..exf4P (6...d6 is also good) 7.@xt4 DR 8he2 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0F and 1 prefer Black, Madyaski ~ Magee, Dublin 2012. 5.5 6g? 5! 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 L abede 7.0 eT Black has a good version of a reversed King’s Indian, as he has not yet committed to 16 and can therefore threaten ub, Te should also be noted that the e2-knight is not well placed at all ~ White would much prefer to have it on of Bh4 D6 9.03 Ogee Teh abede Pe h In Renner ~ Volke, Germany 2000, Black obtained clear edge, as White's thematic plan of f2-F4 would permanently weaken the sfesquare, also considered: 4. D6 5.08 5.d3_ransposes t0 4.d3 D065. as mentioned above. 5.053 BMG GAB HS 73 bd Bez Red 2Degl €5 10.fee5 Qxe5 LI Ste? h3 12.4ixh3 Gxh3 13.gxh3 LAF with better chances for Black in Larsson — Yonusow, email 2007. Now I woul like to offer a new idea: S.chSRN Black advances his h-pawn in anticipation of £g3. Now the knight turns out to be stuck ond. 5...8f6 is a reasonable alternative. 6.43 gl 7.03 Sig7 8.cxd cxd4 9.42 05 With slightly better chances for Blick, thanks to his space advantage and the misplaced knight on e2. awe Ruare18 Various Ist Moves D6 From this position D1) 5.263 has been the ‘ost popular choice, bur D2) 5.fted! is more accurate. Practice has also seen S.Bb5 Shdl7 6.263 (6.64 hS! 7.013 h4 88e2 h3 O.geh3 Bxh3F and Black is better) 6,..96 7.0-0 and here I would like to improve Black’ play with: abedef TouhSIN As you will see, this is my favourite move against the Dunst Opening, 8.43 hé 9.82 h HR ee Uaae abede The ider of uh4 tums out to be highly ing for White. hd 6.ich is met by Guh4 7.Qe2 b3F and White has to weaken his pawn stricture on she kingsde, 6.068 ‘This has hardly ever been played, but I think it is worth investing @ tempo to prevent the 7.865 pin. 7c T only found one game with Black’s last move, which continued 7.23 {6 8.43 96 6..Ag4PN) 9.822 Ops 10.0-0 e5 and Black ‘was better in Stephan ~ Ham, cort, 2014 7.43 @)f6 doesnt seem to change much, 7D EG Bl 8.4)g5 is mer by 8...QeSF Biudhgh 9.806 9.e5 Dd5 10.c6!2 is a tvicky attempt but 10..f61 isa good answes, for instance: abedef Boh 11.82 Wd6 12.004 Hee6 13.xc5 Wre2t 14.S2xe2 e6F with a clear positional advaneage for Black. use LONA2 Bxf3 Lert 47 White has a dodgy structure and. the {3-knight is misplaced. A logical continuation 12,We2 DdeS 13.8xe5Chapter | ~ Irregularities 19 13.44b3? is met by 13...46 and the &-pawn falls 13..Adxe5 14.64 Bxe4 15.dxe4 26 HR wR Uae bedefgh nteresting position, but I dont 1as enough play for the pawn. D2) S.A Rea we “This move is mote precise, as it delays the Il idea 586 “This is a generally but I am especially interested in renewing the lS plan. 6.43 6.04 N5 7.48 oceurted in Larsson ~ Lukasova, corr. 2015. Now | ike 7..h40.N 8.03e2 and only then 8...b5! 9.863 a6 10.063 e6F with some preference for Black. 6263 hS! is our typical idea, aimed aginst the g3-knight. 705 (7.h4 Bett is beter for Black) 7...4! 8.exf6 hog 9.feg3 exf6 10.0-0 “This was Sidenko ~ Degterew, email 2008, and now I like: 8 1 6 5 4 Hee 1 = 10..461N 11.He1} EB 12.43 Wey With a comfortable position for Black. bad ‘White is ying to secure che future of his light-squared bishop. 6uh5!7.3 7.h4 occurred in Wetteting ~ Moot, cont 2007, and now after 7..g62N 8.3 Sg7 Black is better. 9.88 Bey20 Various Ist Moves Fo 8.21302 13 9:2xh3 9.43 was played in Mannhart ~ Buchnicee, corm 1999. I suggest the improvement S..a6IN 10.863 Bgs 113 LA7 with better chances for Black: 9..xh3 10.gxh3 abedetgh 10.068 11.6% We7 12.0g1 0-0-0 13.003 as 14.$a2 of 15.0-0 15.842? runs into 15..c38 16.bxc3. decd 17.Be3 Brett. 15,..8xh3 In Stephan — R, Bauer, corr 2014, Black had slightly better chances in a complicated position, HR eRuare abedefgh 6.51 ‘This has hardly ever been played, but I like the scheme of development it entails. 7.Stb3. Obviously 7.fxb5? fails to 7...Wa5t. 7oudQtb7N 8.66 B.D 6 9.0-0 e7 10.814 0-0F is also ‘good for Black, White can also try 8.04, but after 8..06 the inclusion of those pawn moves is unlikely 1o alffec the evaluation all thae dramatically. 9D 9.05? is well met by 9..h4! 10,0362 45%, Duh4 10.Be2 06 11.05 Hee k rareChapter 1 ~ Irregularities 21 11...Dh7! 12.63 Das 13.0-0 DA6E Black has an excellent position. 1) 1.b4 “This is the Sokolsky Opening. White's idea is to fianchetto the dark-squared bishop and create some pressure along the dark diagonal Compated with the Larsen Opening of Chapter 4, placing the pawn on b4 bas pros and cons, On the plus side for White, the advancing b-pawn rules out certain set-ups for Black, such a5 1..e5 followed by 2,.2e6, Howeves, the significant drawback is that the bbé-pawn can be attacked, Le ‘We will consider E1) 2.a3 and B2) 2.2262. 2.052 presents Black with an easy targee: 2n6l 3.62 (3.63 axbS 4.Stxb5 06 5.02 dF is a dream opening outcome for Black, with a strong centre and open a-file, with a weak pawn on a2 asa target) 3..axb5 4.fbxe5 (4.032! is well met by 4..€7! intending. 5.8xb5? ‘What winning a piece) 4..45 5.€3 c6F Black has the better structure and will follow up with £)bd7, developing with gain of tempo. BL) 203 “This slow move is not in che spivit of White's opening system, 2nd 3.862 £46 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 43 4.0 can be refuted with precise play: Aext4 5.Sxg7 WhAt 6.93 fag 7.2 gxh2t 8bf 8 /RA 877 a 7 5 rat 5G Ua, le 1h g yy iE ARS as) VOW eh abedef gh 8.06 An important detail. (After 8..hxglaWt? 9.dxgi Wg5 10.fxh8 White vwas allright in Zala ~ Leray, Budapest 2010) 9.A3 Wg 10.2ixf5 (10.Sxh8 fth3! 11 Bsh2 gt is deadly) 10...8g8 11.Exh22 ‘Various Ist Moves abede LL. Mg6t 12.HheS Bxes 13.Dxc5 WNT 14.1 WhseS.« Black recovered the sacifced material with « decisive advantage in Dole ~ Davis, core 2013, After 4108 Me7 5.03 OMS G.ch Black's simplest continuation i 6..c6, which ransposes to the ian line below. Alternatively, 6..dxc42 7.Bbxc4 eA 8.Ad4 0-0 is also quite reasonable. 446 5.ch 06 7.$ie2 e411 (7..0-0 was fine for Black in Alekscev ~ Sambuev, St Petersburg 2000, but the text move is more precise) 8.44 abede ft 8...dxc4! This exchange is perfectly timed after the bishop has gone to e2, as White will have to waste a tempo moving his bishop agai. 9.Bxe4 35! 10.65 €5 11.Be2 Dbd7 12.093 DeST Black gains even more time against the bishop, and enjoys some advantage. Hee RU wae abede 6.263 We7 7.3 ‘This seems like White's most interesting try. (Other moves ate easy to meet: 744 ef B.DM2 (8.e5% Dbd7F favours Black as White can’t support the knight on €5, Bulcourf ~ L, Bronstein, Buenos Aires 1992) 8...0-0 Black has a comfortable version of a reversed French Defence, HR wR Ware Fond 8,062. 0-01 ‘logical pawn sueifce 9665 9.2)g3N SIF and Black’s chances are higher due to his better development and extra space. Suexd4 exd4 10.84 looks extremely dangerous as ic opens the e-file against White’ king. A strong reply is:Chapter 1 ~ Irregularities 3 abedefgh 10..a5! 11.eS2N (11.Ste3 axb4 12.axb4 Bal 13.Bixal &xb4¥ Domingo — H. Muller, ermal 2010) Mde7 12%e3 axd4 13.axb4 Brad 14.Wsal a6 White is unable wo hang on w his extra pawn and finds himselFin an inferior position. 15.b5 (15.822! Qd5#) 15...Axc5* 9.7 10.053 Hee euare A a week abedefgh 10..b6! 11.8fe2 1 .exb6 axb6 followed by ..c5 is also better for Black, Louto ~ Smisnovs, email 2010. LiscbxeS 12:85 T2ibseS pdt followed by ..£bd7 12,,.tifxc5 13.bxc5 dxe3 14.fre3 Dbd7 HR eRUare abedefgh 15.84 15.8e1N Bb8 16.ftal Be8 also gives Black a slight edge. 15..b8 16.83 h6 16../0d5 was a reasonable alternative in Schott - Droessler, email 2009. He euRuare abecdefghm4 ‘Various Ise Moves 17.0-0 Be8 18.d4 exd4 19.exd4 DIE With some edge for Black in Schote — Lehnhoff, email 2009. 2) 2.862 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2ebtxbdt Challenge accepted! 3.BixeS “This exchange may seem to favour White, ‘who has exchanged his flank pawn for Blacks central one. However, this conclusion is ‘erroneous as White is spending a lot of rime ‘on bishop moves, enabling Black to build up a lead in development. ‘Ihe open e-file may also prove useful Before going any dubious alternative: 3.0421 G2 Black ignores the hanging pawn on 5 and ‘concentrates on rapid development. Bunexfl? seems to favour White. 4.8xg7 Whdt 5.g3. fig) 6.g? geht 7h hygl=¥ 8.tixg] Wg5 9.fxh8 and Black still has to prove his compensation for the sacrificed exchange. 3.u.d6 is a good alternative though, and 3...KGP could also be considered ther, we should check a 4.bue5 4.dbxe5 0-0 just gives White 2 stupid version of the 3.fxe5 line 4.43 a5 does not really help White: 5.fxe5 Dgh 6.003 dG 6..51") 7.exd6 Otherwise Black wins a pawn. (7.8te3 @xc3 8.2xc3 Dxe5F) 7..Hsd6 8.04 0-0F with a strong attack, 4..8p4 5.83 5.cl AGEN (5...0e3 is also good enough for advantage: 6.063 Wh4t 7.93 Wed 8.003 Dert 9tedi Oral 10x21 e6F Kulbacki — Hahn, Bast Lansing 1982) 6,403 (6.exd6? Sxd6F is even more unpleasant) 6..0-0F and Black’ initiative is extremely song. abede 5d 6.03 6.43 a5 transposes 10 4.23 above. 6.06 0-0 7.ex67t Bxf7 with a free initiative. 6 .uSteS 7.d4 de 5! 8.43 Maybe Whice should have tried taking on Sand trying to round up the knight on hl,Chapter 1 — Inregularities although his position seems dubious there 8...Me3 9.43 exd4 10.cxd4 xf 11.dxcS ak ame i Ml fi awe uns fu ealde Tbe acet eh 11..thd3 12.¢xd3 Dg 13.8g1 QaG= Van Rooijen — G. Toth, Internet 2013. UY Hwee Uare abede fog ih I considered three main options for Whit 21) 4c4, B22) 4.23 and F23) 4.88. 43 0-0 (4.452) 5.063 transposes 10 the note on 5.c3 in variation B23, Instead 5.81321 would make no sense in view of 5..te7!, by contrast with a similar position from the 4.a3 line considered below. 4,32! looks dubious as i rakes away both the ‘3-square from the queen's knight and che 25 ‘option of retreating the bishop to b2. 4..¢7 5.d4 (6He2 is too slow: 5..c5! intending 1»)66 yields Black berter chances, De Rosario ~ Alexopoulos, Dobbs Ferty 1984) 4) as abede 5..e51N Once again, this isthe most accurate. 6.013 6 7.63 d5F and Black’s chances are slightly higher. 403 a5 4.fte7 should be fine, but the bishop is actually precty well placed on a5. 5.03 dS! es important to start with this move as 5..0-0 allows 6.293! with the idea of 7.fixt6. The difference between this and the 4.¢3 line is that ..fte7 is unavailable here. 6.8 6.042! is dubious in view of 6...Bc61 7.8b2 ‘d4F, The same idea can be found in the note26 Vatious 1st Moves to Whites 5th move in vatiation E21 below. 6..0-0 7.04 7.fte2 gives Black a better version of the Iwanchuk ~ Giri game, referenced in the notes to vatiation E23 on page 28, as the dark-squared bishop is beter placed on 25. ‘The best continuation is 7.58 followed by ..Ne6, Tne 7.udff52 is a reasonable alternative but the text move is simplest, as it transposes exactly to variation 8231 on page 29. E21) duct “This is one of the most popular moves in the position, which T find rather suprising. Instead of developing his kingside pieces, White keeps making moves on the opposite side of the board. Aout ‘Nor giving White time to breathe eb 6.f0b2?! (6.cxd5!2N is bewer, butafver 6...2xe5 7: ast 06 8.Wxb4 MadS 9.8a3 eG 10.44 ed 11.Mb4 b5 12.483 a5 Black keeps the upper hand) abe de 6ud4! 7.083 cS Black's advantage was unquestionable i Sjol, Oslo 2005. 5un0-01 “This small erick enables Black co recapture on d5 with the knight without leaving the B7-pawn hanging 6. 6.3 is even worse: 6...Axd5 7.3 eI Gu @ixd5 7.03 SESE 7.58 is good alternative. This position is mentioned briefly on page 29 ~ see the note on 7oxd5 Oxd5. ‘The wext move is a tempting option against Whites chosen move order, as Black is hoping to tale advantage of the weak d3-square.Chapter 1 ~Teregularties a Hew RU are abedefgh 8.Bc2 Dd7 9.b2 6 10.0-0 We7F Black had the more comfortable position in Drieniszewski ~ Egoshin, corr. 2012, 22) 4.03 abedefgh ‘This move isnt as bad as it looks. White loses the option of £ab2 but tties ro prepare 5..xf6 followed by d5. 4vfba5! Tve decided to offer this prophylactic move, ‘which takes the bishop out ofthe forking zone, ‘White's idea would work after something like 4.D6 5.8xf5 Wel 6.0d5 Wes 7Axb4 Dubé 8.BbI! Wet 9.262! and White is more or less okay. 5.c3.d6IN 5.nfe6 was not bad in Grossmann ~ Sills, Gersnany 2007. However, [find itmore logical to avoid blocking che e-pawn in order to have the option of «.c6 in case White's knight artives on d5. 6.fig3 6.BF4 0-0 7.843 Dhd7 8.Age? NeSF with 4 comfortable position for Black. 6. Rxf6 Wxl6 7.2d5 Who! » Re ie 7k a7 a ; \ 5 iD . Ay = bg ARMA BOA fe Pie abedefgh 8.6 o6 9.24 0-0F Black was beter in De Kruif Slade, Guernsey 2012; chere isa simple plan of .d5, «uhe7, ..€47 and s0 on, 6..0-0 7.8.04 I also considered 7.£d3N Bxc3 8.dxc3 Dba7 9,02 Des 10.4 We? with a slighe superiority for Black,8 Various Ist Moves abedefgh Zuufbxc3 B.chxe3 We 9.083 Det 10.1403 ar Black had an obvious advancage in Fehr ~ Bock, com. 1994, E23) 4.063 abedef “This time White makes a sensible developing move before doing anything committal, 4. 05.04 -Ac3 can be met by che typical 5..8a5, avoiding a potential Qd5 fork. 6.03 ‘This position has been reached a few times, and I would like to offer essentially the same improvement as in variation E22 above: abedefeh 6.u.dGIN 7x65 Hx 8.2d5 Wd8 9.he2 G6 10.064 Ad? Black enjoys slightly beuer prospects thanks to his bishop pait. 5.03 Be8 “The immediate 5, 6Acd 6.fhe2 45! 7.0-0 51 8.itb2 He6 Ivanchuk ~ Giti, Leon (rapid) 2013. Blackisbeter thanks to his strong centre and casy development. Gubta5 7 fe? 7.3 6 is precy similar Tondo 8.2406 Hai 9.Dd5 Wh6 10.04 10.0-0 e6 also favours Black. 10,.€6 11.0-08 A051? also makes sense. a am ET WE abede feb 11.047, T prefer Black's chances with the «wo bishops. The last move is a clear improvement over 11..cxd52! 12. Wad, when White regained the piece witha slight positional advantage in Kuhlman ~J. Markus, Netheelancs 1998,‘Chapter 1 — Irregularities 29 6808 White has tried several moves here, and there are many possible canspositions. 1 will ‘cake E231) 7.03 and E232) 7.b2 as the two main options. 7.Bte2 5 B.cxd5 Oxd5 is similar to variation E231 below. I dont think it requires any special artencion, especially as there is quite a high probability of a direct transposition after 2-23 and «a5 at some point in the fucure. 7ocxd5 Bxd5 has occurred in a few hundred games, but I don’t think White has anything better chan 8.862, when 8..c5 leads straight to variation E232. Ic is worth mentioning that 8.f1e22 has been White's second most populat move, but itis a blunder due to: abedefgh 8.,.xeS!9.2xe5 BN and Black wins macerial as 10.04 xed is crushing. 231) 7.03 Bas 8.he2 eS) Y Y, aie HR wR Uae 8.51? “The immediate ..c6 is possible, but I generally prefer co bring the knight into play bochind the e-pawn. S.cxd5 Dxd5 10.0-0 B06 11.2 p32 11.4462 has been mote populas, but then 11...815 tansposes to variation E232 below. ce 8 Nm Ss < SS > |e a LRG! LSteG allows 12.8h4 (6 13.82 Bed 14.843 h6 15.0c3 and White was okay in Bicoon ~ So, Manila 2008,30 Various Ist Moves The text move is more accurate, as it enables Black to meet thd with ..g5, 12.Wer 12,Ba2 is met by 12.061 when Black tansfers the knight to e4 and retains the upper hand. 12.46 13.Ba2 b6 14.82 14.465 SAb7% followed by .ad8 also favours Black, as White's queenside is stuck, “This position was reached in Jimenez Ariza — Ugrinovsky, email 2012. My suggestion for Black would be: 14..0d42N 14,..Rb7N also looks promising, 15.2xd4 exdét Black controls more space and White's queenside pieces are awkwardly placed, £232) 7.862 ‘his has been Whites most popular move. ‘The eatlier note on 7.cxd5 has alteady shown why it is important for White to safeguard the bishop, HR eRUare abede oe Buen ‘White has nothing to gain by delaying this move. For example: 8.te2 @c6 (the computer suggests the immediate 8..d42N 9.exd4 We7 when Black hes a promising pawn) 9.0-0 dt fog h abede fe hk 10.2 (10.exd4 cxdd 11.43? We7! was a disaster for White in Neumann ~ Martins, cerail 2008) 10..894F 8...@xd5 9.Be2 9.865 gives Black more than one good option. 9..847 (9...21062N is an ambitious alternative, dating White to damage Black’s structure at the cost of the light-squared bishop) 10.8xd7 @xd711.0-0 76 (IL.c42N Hooks inceresting) gave Black comfortable play in Wantoch Rekowski — Morley, cor 2009,Chapter 1 ~ Irregulaities 31 9.806 10.0-0 S65 Black’ pieces are exuemely a& tactical opportunities may easly present themselves. 11.93, After 11.03 Oxc3 12due3 a5 13.8163 We7 14.ad1 Bad Black was at least equal in ‘Motley ~ Lo Nigro, corr. 2007. 11.d4 He7 12.3 haS 13.8963 Bad 14.8412! Aig 15.43, “This position was reached in Teichmann ~ Gupea, Dubai 2006. All of Black’ pieces are on excellent squares, and he could have unleashed the potential in his position with: 15..cxd4IN 16.0xd4 16,hxgd dxe3 17.f4e3 @xe3 18,8xd8 Bid 8--+ gives Black an overwhelming initiative; chere is not much White can do to defend against nfdxgh and ..AbSt, 16,..xe3! 17.Dbx06 17.fie3 fixe? 18.Axe2 Badlt 19.xd) ‘Wae3t is winning for Black. Wag ake BY Ga. ‘we sv a Bb DUE abedetan 17..Bxd 14 18.8xd 18d bxc6 19.Stxg4 xg leaves White in big trouble, as 20.hxg4? Welt 21.2h2 .Be7 would be fal for him. 18,0xd1 19.0xe7t Bxe7 20d Axel 21.8e3 &b3 With an extra pawn and a strong pair of bishops, Black should win the endgame. Lubes 12.4421 White should prefer something ese, but 1 want to draw attention to some of the tactical ‘opportunities which might otherwise be easy to overlook,22 ‘Various Ist Moves 12,8163 seems like White’ best attempe co reach an aceeptable position. A good reply is 12..181d62 (12.886 has been more populars Black isa least equal here too, but the pesiion after 13.8604 Wab3 14.fxb3 BadB 15.Bc1 Lbs 16.83 @xc3 17.Sbxc3 is drier than I would like,) 13.8604 Bad8 14,2)c3 fxc3 15.803 Be7 16BFel abedetanh This position was reached in Alm ~ Nisipeanu, Barcelona 2012, Black has more than one decent continuation, but 16,..€xe3N 17.2xc3 b6F seems simplest to me. He eruare attack on the b2-bishop Forces White to move cither his rook oF hhis queen to an awleward square. 13.802 13.Mel exdé 14@xd4 occuned in Petrochenko ~ Belenkaya, St Petersburg 2015, and now Black’ strongest continuation would have been: abede 14, .NE4IN 15.83. 16.Bld Bac8 17, Des RxcGF and the tactics work resoundingly in Black’s favour. 13..exd4 14,0xd4 He eruarie 14...Dxe3t Black finds a devastacing combination 15.f:e3 2e6! 16.2xe6 Waedt 17.21 Wes White actually resigned here in Ladeira Brizci, email 2013. ‘The continuation would have been:Chapter 1 — Irregularities 33 abede fgh 18.8hS Wra2 19.8xf7t Wet? 20.8x07 bat7—+ Black has two rooks and a pawn for the queen, and should win with accurate play Conclusion ‘The weird moves 1.g#?, 1.h32l and 1.23 are obviously nothing for Black to worry about ~ although the last cwo at feast avoid harming, ‘White position. Variation C contained some interesting examples of reversed Open Games, where I showed how to avoid certain lines where where the extra 22-a3 move may benefit White. 1,2c3 is not a bad move, and has many twanspositional possibilities. I tike Black's chances after 1..d5 2.04 dd! 3.Ace2 05, when Black secures a space advantage. My favourite move for Black is ...h5!, which underlines the unfavourable position of the knight on g3. Finally we deale with the Sokolsky. After 1b4 e523 d5, Black develops quickly and smoothly, with good chances to get an advantage. ‘the main line is 2.862 but, after Junixb4 3.8xc5 46, 1 have shown that Black’ rapid development and active piece play count for more than Whites extra central pawn,Various 1st Moves a Bird’s Opening Variation Index Lf A) 2.g3 B) 2.b3 De6 BI) 3.83 B2) 3.8b2 ©) 2.63 36 41 Cl) 3.03 &g7 CLI) 4.d4 €5 5.03 C12) 4.fe2 £5 5.0-0 Deb 6.d3 D16 C121) 7.04 C122) 7.Wel C2) 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 fo 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 cS C21) 7.63 C22) 7.3 C23) 7.3 C24) 7.Hel d4 35 37 37 41 42 43 44 46 47 47 48 49 C241) 8.04 52 C242) 8.003 BY afier 195? C241) afer 10et 242) ser 13.94 Rs 19..887IN 10.-A31N 1g 54Chapter 2 1. This move is named after Henry Bird, an Englishman who populasisied 1. in the 19th century. J must admit that my original invention was to recommend From’s Gambit, Les in an attempt to refute 1.F& (or at least force White to convert to 2 King’s Gambit) However, to my surprise I couldnt even find clear equality in any of che lines, and so T had to switch ro something more solid. Ind “This is che classical reply. Its only drawback is tha it gives tise to a reversed Dutch Defence ‘with an extra tempo for White. Nevertheless, Black is certainly not worse, and he has quite ‘good chances to take over the initiative ‘We will analyse A) 2.g3, B) 2.b3 and C) 2,063, the last of which is che main line by far. 2h dd 3.013 96 is covered later under the 2.83 move order 263, White sometimes plays this to avoid 2..hg4, which is an opsion against 2.403. Ie makes no difference to us though. 2.96 3.0821 3.283 is better, and is covered later under Bird’s Opening 35 variation Cl; and the same can be said for 3.2.67 4208. 3...ddt The most principled reaction. Avexd Now in Hromadka ~ Pokorny, Prague 1933, Black should have played: 4,.061N T want to recapture on d4 with a knight rather than waste time with the queen, The ‘optimal set-up involves a bishop on g7, with knights on e7 and 6, A likely continuation 5B De7 6.803 Dbe6 7.2 OIE Black wins back the d-pawa with a clear positional advantage. A) 2.g3 hSt ‘his aggressive move looks strong. The same idea can occur in similar positions in the Dutch with colours reversed. [ should mention that Black can also play the simple 2.963.892 £97 4.d3 2f6 when White has nothing beveer than 5.213, transposing to the later variation C12. 3.003 3.f4g2 is unlikely to have any independent value after 3..h4, Buuhd 4g?36 Various Ist Moves 4.Axh4! allows a_ powerful positional exchange sacrifice: 4..Hh4! S.gxh4 e5 ‘The threat of mate in one causes White a lor of problems Ems Wee zr} a pe abedefgh 63 Gig? Wahst 7shfl Watst 8.sbgh D6 9.WAL Wel 10.03 DeGF gave Black a hhuge initiative for the exchange in. Komora ~ Mozes, Szeged 1997) 6..8fxh4t 7.d2d2 Wea 83 Wh6 With a pawn for che exchange, plus a strong centre, easy development and a vulnerable king on 2, Black was obviously better in Schuette ~ Mozes, Berlin 1990. HR we kUare 4unDe6 “The best move, maintaining the tension on the kingside and waiting to see what White does, 5.Bxh4 5.3 from Dussol ~ Flear, Saint Afrique 2007, can be mec by 5.u.h3N 6.8F1 AMG 7.03 REST with slightly beter chances for Black. 5.3 h3 6Sf1 BHP (6.0162 7.44 25 8.c3 06 9.8103 £4 was also bewer for Black in Crook ~ E, Tate, Maryland 1989) abede teh 7.43 6 8.c3 a6! Preventing the Db5-d4 manoeuvie, 9.2e2 BeSF Once again, Blacks chances are to be preferred. Grabbing the h4-pawn is still dangerous, ehis time because of. 5.05! "ae an [a Y 6.fceSN 6.0-02 exf& 7.04 &c5t soon led to a rout in ‘Weisenburger ~Pirrot, Bad Woerishofen 2015.Chapter 2 — Bird’s Opening 37 6.uBbchd! 7.gxhd Wich4t 8.01 h3 Black has a strong initiative and should ac Teast be able to win back the material, For example: 9.43 Dxe5 10.2 fixg?t U1.ctag? West 12.2F1 Wh3t 13.2e1 BR eR Uare@ x 13,.Wh4tt 14d 14.shfl Dg 15.014 BAGF is even worse, 140g 15.81 DOP 16.8 Wee 17.WeSt Wed 18.8x03 White has avoided the immediate danger to his king, bur the weak hepawn remains a problem for him. 18..cd6 19.4 De7% ‘With a better endgame for Black B) 2.63 “y abedefegh White is going for a mix of Bird’s Opening with the Larsen, He wants to take full concrol over the central e5-square 2 DO6 Black is also determined to fight for the centre. [considered BI) 3.268 and B2) 3.62. 3.63% allows 3..e5 when Black is already better, BI) 3.06 Bg 4.03 4.2b2 transposes 10 4.843 in the notes to variation B2 below. HR eEeUare38 ‘Various Ist Moves 45! 5.fxe5 DueS 6.862 Sixt “This isthe most straightforward option. {An interesting alternative is: 6.AdxO5F 7 fiat Wht “This leads to serious complications, although I would say Black is taking the greater tsk. In any case, I will present my analysis so that you can make up your own mind. 8g SF? DAGF Sanchez Piquero — Castro Perez, Gijon 1994, 8.86 9.fxp4 Wral 10.83 Black has won an exchange but his queen is stranded, so he has to be extremely careful ~ especially after the following improvement for White: 10...f6 11.0-0 b4 12.8e2IN 12,f83f62! gefGIN (This novelty is suongest, although 12..xe3 13.261 Sf6t was also better for Black in Pero - A. Horvath, Hungary 1995) 130xd5 h5! 14.@xc7¢ (14.08? d+; 14.8h3? a3-—+ isthe idea behind Blacks previous move) 14...8d8 15.0d5 hxgd 16.0xb4 He8 and White does not have enough compensation For the two sactficed exchanges. 12,0)xd52N is interesting, but it only leads to a draw after: 12..0xd5 13.043 0-0 14.Bd5 Wrad 15.83b7 WaS 16.805 Wal 17.BAl Was. 12..c6 13.64 abede ft 13..0-01 14.3! Wflt V6.cxd5 Be! 17.0983 Sl! This clever resource is the only move which ‘enables Black to retain the balance, 1S.exfl xa 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 rgb 18.43 Or 18.dxc6 bxe6 19.d3 hd? 20.804 Bxed 21.dxe4 Bad8 and Black is okay. 18,242 19.Bed Og! 20.88xp4 £51 21. OAS Gh 2205 gxf 23.dxc6 bro6 24.WAf6F gS 25.Bhac6 “The position remains complicated but approximately balanced. 7Bexk3 D6 Black simply develops his pieces on natural squares, which seems a much easier approach than the line given in the previous note. We will follow a nice illustrative example.Chapter 2 — Bird's Opening, 39 abedefgh 8.b2 dG 9.13 06 10.We2 We7 11.0-0-0 0-0 12.021 bs! Launching an attack on the queenside. ‘The position is pretty much a diagonal mirror image of the Yogoslav Atrack versus the Dragon, but Black has a clear head start in the attacking race, 1B sgh a5 14.95 DUT 15.h4 ob Black’s attack flows easily. 16Edgl2t “This is too slow, but it is hard to offer much advice to Whites hesimply has abad position. HR wR ar © 16...axb3 17.cxb3 Dc5 17.26 is also good, 18.h5 b4 19.2xd5!2 ‘This is White’s last practical chance, Now in CChernyshoy ~ Svidles, Voronezh (rapid) 2003, Black could have crowned his excellent play up to this poine withs 8g 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 19...Wa7IN 20.Axb4 fs White’ only chance is 21 Sixc6! Dxc6 22.96 Perhaps this is what Svidler was worried about, but Black is winning with precise play. 22.n.Bxb4t 23. 23.guh74 sh 24.fixg7t dexh7 wins casi. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abede 23.008 24.dixg7t ext 25.34 doe7 But not 25...$2087? 26.Wxc6t.40 ‘Various Ist Moves 26,0816} eB —+ “The checks have run out, leaving Black two pieces up and with maving threats of his ov. B2) 3.862 a Budigate This rare continuation seems to promise Black easy pkey. 493, 42083 ean be answered by 4.8063 5.cxf3 Wd6 6.g3 0-0-0 with a comfortable position for Black, in Sikorova ~ Sammalvuo, Istanbul 2008. 43 ShS 5.g4 06 Suudhg6 is likely to transpose after 6.083 6, Instead 6.15? runs into 6..e6! intending Teh (or Thd Se7H) 78st 8.tbe2 cxf 9.axf5 0-0-O!-+ and Black launches a decisive attack, eA cy Ly. 6.063 Mp6 7.03 b5! 8g5 Dec7! 940N4 Bes 10.8gt Lorincz ~ P, Petran, Budapest 1996. ane a é ea 10... 65!N ‘This seems like an obvious improvement, leading to positional edge for Black 11d dit SaueSIt ‘A promising pavm sacrifice, 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 4, £6? is reasonable alternative. 5.f4e5 £6 6.D83N 6.th32 occurred in Kupreichik ~ Yusupo, Yerevan 1982, and now 6...5IN would have given Black a strong initiative, while White experiences problems with development. “The vext move is a bewer try, but I still ike Black’ prospects after:Chapter 2 ~ Bird's Opening. 4a 6.87 7.8842 0-0-0 8.0-0 h5 Wich a promising initiative for the sacificed pawn. © 2.883 g6 2...igd is an interesting alternative but | like the clasical approach. Uh ET, UY OD awangane =) nWEoe H abede f HR eR UA! el ee the ovo main options being C1) 3.¢3 and C2) 3.93. An unorthodox alternative is: B.cd dd ‘The most ambitious reply, although 3...c6 is also fine. 4 ba White is trying o surround and caprure che eepann, 4 Sig7 5.2002. D6 6.03 65! (6.057. bxe5 6 wasa reasonablealtemnative in Vavra ~ Bazant, Coeeh Republic 2004, bur the texe move is more aggressive, 7.5 dxe3 8.64 8.e2 exd2+ 9Abxd2 0-0 10.0-0 Ded 11.3 Bes B.dued Wadlt Isbrd! e6 10.Dbd2 Dp 11.she2. d7F Black wins back a pawn and brains better play. Wehave been following Zhdanenia ~ Schulz, ‘email 2012, and here I found a stzong idea for Black: 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 8..g51N In the style of From’ Gambit, 9uh3 9.shd3 gf 10.0g1 £6! Undermining White's centre, 11,@e2 0-0! and Black is fine 9.85 LOB gL HSE With the inivavve C1) 3.3 Bg7 Now White’ two 1 and C12) 4.Ste2. in options ate C11) 4.44 4.cf can be safely met by 4uc6 or 4.6, but there is also. the intriguing option of 4A 5.Bxdd Sixdd Gaon Wxd4 as in Staub — Krafil, Merano 2001, when the loss of Black’s dark-squared bishop is offset by ‘White's damaged pawn structure.2 Various 1st Moves C11) 4.d4 5 5.03 “This way White plays the Stonewall system of the Dutch with reversed colours and an extra tempo. Such! exd4 6.Dxd4 (or 6.cxds Dt 7.Wed4 Wad58) 6..AM6F left the -pawn looking distinctly out of place in Schell ~ Birnbaum, Karlsruhe 2003, 5.Bted exdé 6.exd Qc6 7.3 (7.0-0 is covered fon the next pages see 6.4 cxd 7.exd4 in the notes to variation C12) 7aftgd 84065 (8.0-0 is the same transposition again) 8.,.Bbxe2 9 Whxe2 6 10.0-0 ge? 11.042 065 Black has a comfortable position; the knight will go to d6 at some point, although Black does not have to hurry with it. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 '...2f6 is also perfectly reasonable 6.843, In the event of 6.fe2 h6 Black will not develop his ligh-squated bishop for 2 while, and will instead transfer his knights to d6 and £6 in order to establish firm control over the: cA-square 6..2h6 7.0-0 265 8.242 8.Bb5t doesn't make much sense as after 8..2d7 9.h3 Black answers with 9..c4fF and forces an exchange of White’ light-squared bishop. 1 think the as-yet-untested 8.Se2N is White's best continuation, Nevertheless, Black is doing fine after: 8..0-0 9.h3 SxbI? (9.8? 10.94 ‘BdB is also reasonable) 10.Hxb1 25 fen 11.Bd3 66 12.80 Od7! Black’s kaighes ave to worse than White’ bishops in this closed seructure 8..fixd3 9.Wxd3 Dd7 10.042 €6 11.DA63 This position was reached in Beaumicr ~ Gulko, St Martin 1993. Now I prefer: Hee RUare abede 11...0-ON 12.b3 Bfe8% ‘With a positional edge for Black.Chapter 2 ~ Bind’s Opening 8 C12) 4.62 eRe Ras ow abedefg ‘This move generally leads to a reversed Classical Dutch, 4nc5 5.0-0 eb 6.43 6d odd 6...(6 is a reasonable alternative. Texdd Sgt? 1 like this idea of Makogonoy, who was one of the strongest players in the world in the 1940s, Black’ light-squared bishop is not especially useful, so he prepares to exchange it for the potentially strong knight on 63. 1 6 5 4 3 2 ' eo AAO ABS Nw ae Bcd Bxf3 8.06 was played in Bohatirchuk — Makogonoy, Kiev 1938, but it seems simpler to remove the knight before it has a chance to move to 5. 9x03 06! Choosing a flexible set-up with the knight one’. 1oie3 Dge? 11.202 WG 12.63 Or 12.iKd2P hS 13.3 BS with a comfortable postion for Black. ‘This posicion was reached in Wood — 14, Now I would like to offer for your atcention: Seirawan, Seattle 199 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 12..h51N ‘Threatening to open the h-file by means of hd, while keeping the option of queenside casting, 13.h4 This prevents any Kingside attack, but now isa good moment for Black to castle shore. 13,,0-0 14.042 O65 Black has a harmonious positi simple plan of preparing a minority attack on the queenside4 Various Ist Moves 646 Now White's two main options are C121) aad ancl C122) 7-H. 7:5 0-0 B.Oxc6 bxe6 9.4.42 occurred in Hoang Nam ‘Thang ~ Tian Vinh Loc, Dong, Nai 1995, and now | like the direct: abedet gh 9..B8eB2N 10.4903 Hd7 With the idea of ..c5. Ted (11.44 a5IF is also in Black’s favour) T1..e5! 12.5 gxf5 13.exf5 046 and Black is better thanks to his good control over the White has also cried: 7.c3 0-0 8.€el (8.Abd2 WoT 9.Mel eS¥ Brun ~ Felbet, Long Island 1997) 8...He7 9.8th4 €5 10.04 “This was Just ~ Noonan, Skopje 1972, and now 10..exF4IN L1.fxf4 Wb6IF would have favoured Black. C121) 7.04 0-0 Mel “This looks like an odd follow-up to White’ last move, bu iis quite a popular approach in the Classical Dutch. 8.Ba3 06 9.005 We7 10.006 bre LAB 5 gave Black an obvious advantage in Taylor — Golod, Las Vegas 2006. 8.205 We7! (This looks more flexible chan 8.8846, which allows White co switeh plans with 9.442 under better circumstances) 9x6 brett 10.003 abede tek ‘Shisposition occurred in Navinsek—Kukovec, Ljubljana 2005, and now Black could have obtained the beter chances with 10..2d81NF intending, ..d4 at an appropriate moment.Chapter 2~ Bird’ Opening 45 8.7 9.04 9.43 was played in Palttinieri ~ Dvirnyy, Montecatini Terme 2011. Here I would like to offer 9...J2d822N with the possible follow. up: 10,fd2 b6! (The most accurate, as the immediate 10..a6 gives White a chance to play 11.25!) abedefeh 11Bel? (11.8b5 is conveniently met by 11.148 followed by ..26) 11..a6 Taking away the bS-square and chus preparing «ud. 124 dxefl 13.dxed Qd4! 14.65 @xe2t 15.Wxe2 Qd5F and che weak light squares yield Black some advantage. Sunalt Prophylaxis agains 10.03 9.nd8d8 is a reasonable alternative, 10.3 10.bd2N is well met by 10.65 incending ch, and if 11.3 Bad Black is becer Now in Gavritenkov ~ Poley, Tula 2000, Black should have continued = Uh, BAS AROS abedeffagh 10... Mb4IN 11.21 d4t ‘With the following point: Heh Uare IDexdd exd 13,2ixd4 Wes 14,Dee2 He eRuare 14,.Dgét 15.c3 Ded Black wins back the pawn and obtains a clear advantage.46 Various Ist Moves 122) 7.Wet fog h ‘This is the most popular continuation Nevertheless, despite being 2 tempo down, Black has no problem handling the transfer of the queen to hf. Taal) BABA 8.a4 leads back to the previous variation. 8.Abd2 Wie7 9.84 transposes to the note to White's 9th move below. 8.87 Other moves are possible, but it is always useful to conteol¢5, 9.803 9.@bd2 This allows Black to cause problems with: 9..2)g6! 10.b3N, 10.2g5 was played in Vreeken ~ Gresser Split 1963, bur i isn’t dangerous in view of the simple 10..hSIN 11.063 ef! 12.dxc4 dyed 13.fx04 BDA. 10.85! ‘Underlining the unfortunate position of the knight on b3. 1Lh3) L124 d4!F; 11x05 is met by 11...Ab4, both here and on the next move. 11..Dh6 12.4 abede 12...Bvb41 13.3 Oxd3! 14.8xd3 oF Regaining the piece with some advantage. uuEdB! 10.242 10.a4 26 11.842 occurred in Rhodes — Stephan, cor 2007, and now 11.d4N is similar to our main line, 10.04 ded 11 dxed Dd 12.fhd1 was played in Rotstein ~ K. Andessen, Dresden 2012, when Black could have seized the initiative with:Chapter 2 - few 12..b5IN 13.05 b4 Iexf6 (if 14.8a4 Dd5F Black is extremely active) 14...x(3H {avoiding 14...8xf6 15.2)g5) 15.2083 xt He enuare 10nd 11.D0A LQAIN is berten although Black retains the upperhand afier 11..dxc3 12,@xe3 DA5¥, LLndxe3 12,8xe3 Dd4F Black’s advantage was unquestionable in Sheembuliak ~ Arabidze, Ilichevsk 2008, 2) 3.63 Sgr 4.ttg2 This set-up means chat White is playing « Teningrad Durch with reversed colours and an extra tempo. 46 Bird’s Opening 97 ‘Another possible move order is 4.05 5.0-0 cb 6.43 DV. 5.0-0 0-0 6.43 5 ‘White has four main options: C21) 7.¢3, €22) 7.83, C23) 7.c3 and C24) 7.Wel C21) 7.63 De6 8. Wer Againse this rare line 1 would like to recommend a straightforward plan, Buu? 9.43 Sxf3 10.HRA3 05 11.8163 11.fe5 @xe5 12.82 occurred in Popehev Lajthajm, Stara Pazova 2001. Now I would like to offer 12..2e82N 13,43 Wd7 14.2 '3fe8, with the idea of 04, with roughly equal chances48 Various Ist Moves Lexl 12.exh4 Or 12.18 dd 13.exd4 DHS! 14.872 Bd 15.f4e3 £52? and Black is doing well. 12,.8d4 13,.WE2 Be8 14.94 BSI? 15.832! 15.g5?iswrongin view of 15..Ab5 16.85 14117 fa bxc3 18 fed O51 19.bxe3 ixe3-+ with decisive ehreas 15.a3 is che lesser evil, although the initiative is stillon Black's side after: 15...04! 16.axb4 cxb4 17.Hxd4 bxc3 18.3 Ong 19.44 Oh6z Followed by ..0f5. 15. B)xe2 16.Hhxc2 Bue 17.5 Dh5 18.2xd5 In Healey ~ Raoof, England 2010, Black missed a strong idex 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Gog Wa sy Scuraet 18...84409N With a powerful initiative. C22) 7,3 ‘White invites us to advance the d-pawn, so we will oblige him. bse Be dee Who! 1063 Practice has also seen 10,h3 Bc6 11g4 Be6 12.23 (or 12.65 Sed followed by .fta6 and ..c4) 12...M268 13.9eh1 Bad8 14.¥el Dd 15.1 Dar! 16.65 (16.842 cB!) 16..@xcl 17.Wrel Sed with a decisive advantage for Black in Jakubiec ~ Hera, Oberwatt 2007, 10.06 L1exd4 exd4 12.8b1Chapter 2 ~ Bird's Opening, 49 12.4! 18.83 In Hartmann ~ Egger, Bavatia 2002, Black should have played: 13 .cte6FFN ‘With a superior position; the additional h2-h3 move has caused a slight loosening of ‘White's kingsie HN B eR nare 8.05! 9.ch 9.b3 weakens the cB-square. 9.045 10.242 We7 11.Wel Dds! 1283 Brad 13.Whad ‘Geo with a slight edge for Black thanks to the holes on e3 and 3. Sankt 71 ‘With this and the following move, Black takes full advantage of the fact that the o6- square has not yet been occupied by the b8- keighe. 10.b3 fic! 11.04 Or 1LRbI Abd7 with a comfortable position, Tande3 12,802 12.fixe3 is srongly met by 12.0 p47. 12.,.bxad 12,1671? is a good alternative but the text move is simpler. 13ibxad DEG 14Bb1 b6 15.B05 Odd 16 Me3 Hast Black is better as he is about to win the a4- pawn, while the dé-knighe is excellent. It is ‘worth mentioning the following tactical point. eRe Ruare 17.De6 ‘Acceropting to avoid the los ofa pawn leeds to even greater problems for White 17...8)xe6 18.Sx06 Dd5t 19.863 DIF C23) 7.3 Nakamura has used ehis line in @ few of his bliez games. However, the real specialist isthe Icelandic GM Hientik Daniels.50 Various Ist Moves Fue 8.023 The knight is heading for €2 — a typical 'manocuve in these positions. 8.Hel dé! As a general rule, Black will play this move whenever White is ready to play eet, 9.93 Seb 10.L8d2 (or 10.82 WA72N 11.c4 Bab8 followed by ..b5) 10.8 1.e4 26 12.b4 exb 13,8xb4 12sbh1 odd 13.exd3 BESF followed by --Bac8 Black is better. 8.h3 4 9.04 (9.8e2 Qd5 10.8142 occurred in “Timoshenko — Novikov, Philadelphia 1999, and now the simple 10...e5IN leads to Black’s advantage) 9..dxe3 10.8403 b6 11.44 (or 11.823 dhe6 12.4 Me7 13.8e2 Bad with roughly equal chances) 11...AdS 12.802 abedefgh 13..Agdt 14,8d2 Wd6 15.0c2 WS Wich an obyious advantage for Black, Wenzel ~ ‘TLL, Pettosian, Dubai 2013. 82 is another attempr to prepare e2-c4, Ga Bind tl 9.Dbd2 (9.0421 is dubious in view of 9..die3 10.803 5 11.2d1? fF) 9..Ad5 10,44 WHb6 11 Skd2 Here I found an improvement over Van Rekom ~ Van Kampen, ‘Twente 2007: Rbecdefah 11..c4!2N Utilizing the position of the queen ‘on the same diagonal a the white king. Afier abedefen ‘This was M. Ivanov ~ Murzin, Belgorod 2009, and now 12..cxl4RN 130xd4 eb7 14.2)a3 e6= reaches 4 balanced position RR eR are 8.868 9.B65 Tin the event of 9.Ale2 I would like to offer 9.8BA62N, « usefill move which covers the eS-squate. Ply may continue 10.842 b5 I1.b4 cxb4 12.cxb4 4! followed by ..d5 and Black is fine.Chapter 2 ~ Bird's Opening 3 OMe b5 100c2 bé 11.4e52 (Iexb4 11.2xe6 is better, although after 11..cxb4 12,842 This is the only move that makes any sense, 35 13.81 &b7 Black reeains a slight edge) Tn xeS 12.f:e5 Ded 13.cxb4 exb4 14.44 11..b5t WH6 15.03 257 L1.ubuc6 is decent for Black but the paven sacrifice is just too tempting. 12.4)xe7 Wxe7 13.Md1 abedefgah Black is already doing well, and after the further 16.41? BbeB 17.Ael? 2h6-+ his advantage was decisive in Nakamura ~ Svidler, Moscow (blitz) 2010, Hwee Uuare Y abedefagh 9.7 : 13,8 14.88 hI} Challenging the knight Black has a serious initiative forthe pawn, 10.Waat? 24) 7.tHel ‘As played in Danielsen ~ Lauber, Germany 2001. Here [ found « nice idea for Black: HR wR Uae Ree RU are Kamsky played this a couple of times in oe 2010, and it's typical move in the Leningrad ena set-up. White is preparing ¢2-c4, so our next But not 10..flxeS 11.fre5 We? 12.8"4. row should be vbvious, abede52 Various Ist Moves Tod Preparing to take the e-pawn en passant. White sometimes plays C241) 8.e4 anyway, but the main line is C242) 8.043. 8.c3 cG has been covered on page 50 under the 7.c3 Oc6 8:Bel d4 move order. 8.24 @c6 9.03 Le6t? Black prepares a7, while the bishop is ready to come to d5 when necessary, 10.842 This position has occurred at least three times in the praxis of one of the world’s top female players, Anna Muzychuk. 10.07 11.g5 45 12.0h3 Now in ‘A. Muzychuk — Stefanova, Beijing (blice) 2012, Black could have seized the initiative by means off abedefeh 12..Ag4IN 13.04 dxc3 14.bxo3 h6 15.063 Had8 With the idea of .fe8 and ..c5. Bcf This has been a favourite line of the Uruguayan GM Rodriguez. Vila. White's idea isto prepare b2-b4, 8...A)c6 9.3 9.23 prepares the thematic transfer of the knight to €2, I would like to answer it with a new idea: 9...2e8!2N Preparing ... 10.2 a5 11,43 5 12.f05 Bixe5 13.)xe5 Bxe5 14.84 He7F Followed by ..a6 and pressure along the e-file 9.82 Black prepares these positions which allows h closer to the baclewaed pawn on e2. 10.093 eS 1.605 Bre 12.8xe5 Bred 13.88 Now in Rodriguez Vila ~ Abdalla, Sao Bernardo do Campo 2012, Black missed a 5, a thematic move for n to get abe 13..A)RSIN MA.thxe5 fbxe5 15.803 15.g4 F4 also gives Black a strong attack, 15.8847 With an extremely strong initiative due to the weakness of the dark squares. C241) B.ch ded 9.fxe3 9.Meed Dgl 10.82 Qo6 11.h3 occurred in Pareja Alvaren — Esquivias Gomez, San Sebastian 2008, Now the conrct knight retreatChapter 2~ Birds Opening 33 abedet gn 11..2hGIN Followed by ...3F5, with a slight superiority for Black. 9.0.3 Deb 10.hxed Dd 11-Bet Og 12.82 coccutsed in Sadykov ~ Mikhailova, Sukhumi 2006, and now I prefer: 3 7 6 s . ue 3 (AMG) 2]ARUR MEY 1 we caer ocunster st 12...hSIN Securing the &5-square and retaining, slighely better chances, 9.c5 can be strongly answered by the unexpected 9..AC6IN- (9.072 was also reasonable in Bkany ~ Babuls, Zlin 1998) 10.0xc6 bxc6 ‘The pressure along, the befile and the h8-al diagonal is annoying for White, for example: 11.03 (after 11.fixe3 Hb! 12.Btet ef 13.ducd HA4t? Black regains the pawn with a comfortable position) 11.88! 12.1 805! 13.2803 oft abede f zh L4.sa7 BHT 15.82 cxd3 W6cexl3 Bed 17d] Bd7 18.8xc6 Bd6? Black wins an exchange. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 in Munoz Orts - Barcelo Pujadas, Calvia 12007, but [like che idea of sending the knight towards 65, 10.1 10.4332? loses to 10..0xe3 11.hxed Salt. 10.805!2N xeS 11.fee5 Sees 12,003 47 gives White some compensation for the pawn, but Black definitely should not be worse. “This position was reached in Schmildli~ Buzeti, Hungary 2012. 1 would lke to recommend what has by now become a familiar plan for us:34 Various 1st Moves He eR Uarae a wie det th gr 10..h51N Securing the furure outpost for the knight on f. 11.43 DHE Followed by ..£e6 and ..65, with slightly beccer chances for Black. 242) 8.823 This is the most popular move, improving the knight and avoiding any committal pawn moves for the moment. L ae ni ak i Y oo os ae a _ c a c Ee 8.06 9.82 9.c3 transposes to 8Wel dé 94023 in che notes to vatiation C23. HR wR UaAr)e 9.c4 has been covered on page 52 - sce 8.04 406 9.843 in the notes to White's 8th move. 9.Bch Be6 10.b3 dS is fine for Black. An instructive mistake is: abedefeh 11.e4 Now in Reinderman — Ni Hua, Bejing (blitz) 2008, it seems that both players missed 11...2xe4INF when Black wins 2 paven for nothing. 9.43 QaSe 10.2 BS 11.€3 b5 12.fel (or 12.ch bref 13.Axc4 6 with a slight edge for Black) Gelashvili ~ Tiviakov, Saint Vincent 2000. Now I would like to recommend: ebedefgh 12..€5IN 13.04 buod 14 Axed ext 15.pef4 Dce7!F The knight is heading for #5, with an obvious advantage for Black SnnfteG 10.04 WA7 11.Dg5 Talso checked: I1.b4N exb4 12.8xb4Chapter 2 ~ Bind’s Opening. 55 abedef 12..dih3 13.205 West 14fxc6 bxc6 and Black is berter thanks to the weakness of the cSesquare. abedefgh 11.865 12.3? ‘White should have tried 12.b4, though after 12..cab4 13.Bxb4 h6 14.063 Het, followed by eS, Black is still better: 12.uhG 13.g4 ‘Now Black’ play in Johannessen ~ Bjetke, Gausdal_ 1995, can easily be improved by means of: Hee RUarea bed 1BaudbxgdtN L4hgs hxgs 15.695 Oxet 16.8h3 15 ‘With a healthy extra pawn, Conclusion Bird’ Opening is a serious system which shouldnt be underestimated. Most of the variations remind us of the Dutch Defence with reversed colours and an extra tempo for White. ‘This is not bad outcomeat all though, “True, we obviously can‘c press for an advantage in the way that we might do with the white pieces. Nevertheless, the Dutch is an opening, with certain positional deficiencies, which are not suddenly eradicated by one extra tempo, So although White is not objectively worse ‘with corzect play, we should still be happy to reach a sound, active position with the black pieces, wich reasonable practical chances to take over the initiative, as demonstrated in ‘many of the lines in this chapter.. Various Ist Moves Lg3 Variation Index 1.3, 5 A) eft 57 B) 2.06 58 ©) 2.d4t? exdd 60 CH 3.08: 60 C2) 3.ixd4 62 D) 2.2g2 d5 63 D1) 3.8 64 D2) 3.c3 65 D3) 3.d4 66 D4) 3.ch 67 D5) 3.d3 Df6 4.63 SAG? 70 DS1) 5.c4 72 D52) 5.0-0 74 D521) 6.04 74 D522) 6.Abd2 77 D523) 6.3 79 1) Alice 7.63 3) nore wo 8.03 Di afer 682 ‘yaw 8 7a, 7 6 A 6 s 5 4 ava 4 2 a 21 ARYA BS A BY g 2 EEE = 1 BASIN 6.202Chapter 3 — 1.g3 57 “This is not a bad move at all, and it can casily transpose to other openings such as the English or Reti. The only drawback of Whites first move is that it gives Black the freedom to ‘occupy the centre whichever way he wishes ‘My recommendation is: 5 T analysed four options: A) 2c, B) 2.4382, C) 2.d4¥2 and D) 2.2¢2. 2,c4 uansposes to Chapter 7. 2.d3 d5 has no real independent significance. For example: 3.48 (3.052 leads straight to variation D5) 3..8d6 White surely has nothing better than 4.ft@2, when 4...0f6 transposes to variation D5. A) eft This is a rather ill-fated attempt co transpose to a L.ef e5 system such as the Vienna or Glek Four Knights. Howeves, Black can rain Wohice's plan with Dowd SE “Taking advantage of the weakened kingside For some reason, in che majority of games Black has allowed White's move order co go npunished with 2.405, 2.806 oF 2nihe5. Buexd5 ‘3illg2i! docsnie make much sense as White wastes too much time on bishop moves. Banded 4 Bxe4 (4.0030 is che best try, but after 4...5 5.d3 exd3 6.0xd3 O16 7.03 RAGE ‘White does not have enough for the sacrificed pawn) 4,.216 5.092 cS Black already had ‘an obvious advantage in Bergmann ~ Stern, Beatin 2010, Blinds 4.003, 4.3483 occucred in Vukelic ~ Sekulovska, Skopje 2010, when 4..1HeSIN 5.03 Oi would have lee the white queen exposed 10 attacks from the black pieces. For example: abe de teh G6.Bg28 D6 7.43 D4 BHAI Belts or GAbSt 6 7.843 fig 8.Bg2 Bba7F; or 6.Bh32 Oc6 7.8xc8 Bxc8F and Black is at lease slightly better in all cass. Sond gt She 5.fiy2? from Polle - R. Klinges, Bergen 2005, loses immediately to Sell 6.2 (623 runs into 6..ex31 7-AxA5 fg? and Black wins) 6..Bd8! 703 exf3 8.0xd5 fre2—+ and Black isa piece up for nothing. 5.6 Now 5.ue4? 6.03 exf32? doesn't work in view of the intermediate 7.8b5#!+—.38 Various Ist Moves 6.23 6.13 85 7.03 WA7 8.865 00-01% is also better for Black. 6.087 7.43, This position occurred in ‘Tuominen — Pictinen, Finland 1991, I would like to offer 2 simple improvement: .0-0-0IN 8.0-0 158 th an obvious edge for Black, B) 2A HR eka e “This surprising idea was introduced ac Baden-Baden 1925 by the Czech innovator, Richard Ret, against none other than Alekhine himself! White is playing Alekhine's Defence with g2-g3 as an extra move, Nevertheless, he cam hardly hope for an opening advantage. ued “This is the most principled continuation, although there is also nothing wrong with 286, which was played by Rabinovich against Reti later in the same tournament. 3.2d6 csit 1 believe this is the most suitable choice in terms of leading to a position where g2-g3 is of little use to White. 3ud5 was played by the fourth World Champion. 443 exd3 5.Bid3?! Gucxd3 is better) 5.06 (S.ucSPN 6.003 46 7.Sg2 De6F promises Black better chances) 6.852 Most! 7.Hdo Ade 8.Arxd2 and White was ‘okay in Reti ~ Alekhine, Baden-Baden 1925. 4.2b3 4 $.2d4 eb A similar set-up with reversed colours is well known, Tes actually not such a great line for White against the Alekhine, but its an excellent choice against rhe g2-g3 version; now €2-c3 will lead to a scrious weakening of the light squares, and in some variations Black can use the g3-pawn to launch an attack with hs-hd. HR eRuareChapter 3 ~ 1.g3 59 6Dxe6 Whive has also ered 63 e5 7.8492 O46 8.0-0 ‘Now I would like to bring to your attention the natural improvement: 8..d51N 8..Dxd4 S.exdd foxdd 10.d31N (10.842 0-0 11.Bxed b6 12d4 d5F was better for Black in Wohl ~ Hamdouchi, Gibralear 2003) 10..5 L1.dxct died 12.Madt Bd7 13.Hxo4 is roughly equal 9.8xc6 bxc6 ‘We have transposed to the following recent game. 10.b3 0-01 11.bxed dc 12.03 WSF Black’s doubled pawns are not really weak, ~Kharloy, Kazan 2013. 6..dxc6 7.fg? DIG 8.63 8.0-0. occurred in Dutarbeyli - Abasov, Baku 2011, when Blacl could have launched @ direct attack: 8..h51N 9.d3! "The best try, adhering to the principle of meeting a flank assault with a counterattack it the centre. Nevertheless, after 9..cxd3 10.exd3 exd3 Mexd3 be7 12.el eG 13.8c3 hd 14.04 sbi Black’s king is safe cnough, and Black’s position is slightly better thanks to the isolated pawn on d3, ‘Once again, this surprising attack is Black’s best continuation ‘That being said, 8..cxb3 9.axb3 Bc5 10.03 0-0 11.8b2 He8 was also not bad at all for Black in Prustkin ~ Murdzia, Griesheim 2004. 943 “This is a natural reaction, preparing to meet hd with g3-g4. Nevertheless, the inclusion of these pawa moves hes helped Black to soften White’ kingside, Let's check some of Whites other ideas: 9.8b2 h4 10.bxe4 h3 LIBEL eft with more than sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn, 9.93 h4 10EbI (0Mxed? loses to 10...Bxed4 LL fixed Wad—+)60 ‘Various 1st Moves 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefg ah 10...63! Black has an extremely strong attack, for instance: U1fxe3 (or 11.dxe3WaS®) Tyg 12.bxg3 Bh1t 13.8xh1 Saba Finally, 9.823 is well met by 9...@\gd! with the following idea abedetfen 10.868 We4t 11,0-0 Wral With a material advantage. Hee RUaae 9.ncifa5t A beautiful resource! White's best reply is 10.3 Black’ idea is to meet 10,bxc4 with 10...03! 11 fre3? dG 10.0-0? is even worse due to 10..h4 11.94 Wes 12.Acd a6 with a decisive attack. 10.sexb3 11oexb3 FS 12.862 678 Black retains the upper hand thanks to the backward pawn on d2, which can easily be targeted along the open dll. OC 2dr ‘This reversed Scandinavian was another interesting invention of Richard Reti, 2uexdd Now it is worth considering the wo typical Scandinavian moves: C1) 3.063 and C2) 3.8xd4. C1) 3.08 d5, T don't see much point in trying to hold on to the extra pawn, g 4 Daxd4 O16 5.892 e7 6.0Chapter 3 — White is a tempo up on the black side of a popular line of the Scandinavian. However, this is less oF a problem than you might think. 7h ‘A natural alternative is: 7:3 5 8403 IF the b8-knight was on 6, we would have 4 popular position with colours reversed. ‘As we will soon see, there are actually some advantages that come with the knight's presence on b8. abe Buudte62N The only game in this fine continued: 8..d4 9.04? (9.DeAN was necessary, with a roughly equal position.) 9..8a6! And the a4-knight was a problem for White in Moffat ~ Manouek, Mermaid Beach 1998. 4 ‘A key poine is that 9.895 isnt dangerous because of 9...0bd7! — an important resource which yet agtin shows that being a jor all bad, 10.2¢2. 6 is fine for Black. 10,.2)g4 11. Fed In the event of 11.8xb7 Qd71 12.045 (12.808? Bha8F leads to an extremely strong attack) 12...8b8 13.8xe7t Wxe7 14.842 SgeeS Black’s chances are higher. eB 6 11,2047 12. 6! 13.c3 Who! 14.2 14.cx is strongly met by 14.4 ES ‘And Black is fn “The text move was played in was Stevic Martinovic, Sibenik 2009. 1 would like to recommend: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7.0hSRN “his sce The only practical drawback is that it might lead 0 an early 7.5 8AD3 Deb 9.3 feb 10.885 is more complicated, despite the fact that White has lost a tempo on Se1-f4-g5 moves. Nevertheless, the position is playable for both sides, and you could consider playing this way if you are unhappy with the prospect ofe ‘Various Ist Moves an early repetition. If you wish to study the position in more detail, you should search for it with reversed colours, as it has occurred many times via the Scandinavian, Bed Sahel 2 is hardly an improvement for White 8.26 ‘The loss of a tempo is no problem for Black, as White’ bishop is not really any bester on €3 than on cl 9.263 9.43? is impossible as 9.5 10.b3 dé ‘wins @ piece, which explains my previous comment. BR Rare 9512 “This seems like an appropriate reaction 10 White’ last move, 10.04 10.ch dred 11.0342 Qd5 12.xc4 Bob gives Black a comfortable position 10.88 11.803 £6 12.04 fg 13.h3.8h5 Black has no problems. C2) 3itixdé Deb “This isa pet line of WGM Chelushlkina. 4.2066 5Sig2 d52N “This seems to be the most accurate move order. Quite surprisingly, it has never been tested in tournament practice. If Black starts with 5...85 then White may be tempted to try 6.0832, although Black hhad no particular problems after 6..0-0 7.0-0 Be8 8.43 h6 9.244 d6- in Gochev Todorov, Borovets 2002. 6.3 Bes “This position has oceurzel in practice via the 5..dtc5 6.083 d5 move ordex, abede 7.03 0-0 8.0-0 h6 9.04 a5Chapter 3~ Lg 8 9..aGi? also deserves attention, keeping the b5-square under control 10.843 S65 11.)b5 Mes 12.84 HT Superior central control gave Black the better chances in Chelushkina — M. Matic, Valjevo 2011 46 ‘The stem game continued 4...8c5 5.8¢2 ge? (5...BF6 would transpose to our main Line) when Blacks knight was slightly misplaced in Reti ~ Simisch, Baden-Baden 1925, Stig? Mes 6.Oh3 6.083 0-0 7.0-0 6 (there is also nothing wrong with 7.45) 8.23 occurred in Jirovsky Seifert, Czechoslovakia 1992, when the most accurate continuation would have beens abedefgnh 8..hGINF Preventing fg5, with a nice position and easy development for Black. 60-0 7.c3 eB 8.8g5 6 9.fa06 Wi 10.084 He Re kU are “This position was reached in Aleksandrov = Shulman, Minsk 1996, T would like to recommend: g5IN he point is that Whice needs to defend £2, so the knight has to move away from the d5- square. 11.243 &b6 12.02 dor Followed by ..d7, with two bishops and a healthy position for Black D) 2.ftg2 d5 Heo kU are4 ‘Various Ise Moves The most logical. White is allowing us to occupy the centre with our pawns, and there is rho reason to decline the invitation 1 consideted five main options: D1) 3.063, D2) 3.63, D3) 3.44, Dd) 3.04 and D5) 3.43. 3.b3 5 4.0b2 B06 is covered in variation B of the next chapter D1 3.063 “This line was introduced by the grear Bent Larsen and it worked extremely well for him. Later, however, Black found good ways to deal with i Beh ‘The most nacural answer, 4d4 lB RGIN Tes importanc to leave a pawn on e4 to keep the d2-pawn fixed. 9..6xb3 W0.axb3 HS led to a quick win jn one game, bur Whites play can be wproved, L1.$032! (11.4312 was better, with 2 complicated position after 11.86 12.866 D6) 11...8b6 12.h4 Dh6 Black soon won, although the position isnt too bad for White yet, Hulak — Beliavsky, Pula 2000, 10.bxo4 1O.fta3 He7 11.BxcS WxcS 12.bx04 dred leads to a similar situation (12,..8xc4?? 13.43 exd3 14.exd3 WaGF is also irceresting) 10...dxc4 11. Wad Wd5 12.03 0-0 13.8xe5 Wes 14.203 heb 15.02 fone Just as in variation B, chasing the knight works wel. 5.Qb3 cf 6.d4 Be5 7.<3 Deb 8.Oxc6 duc 9.63 9.0-0 246 transposes to the note to Whites 66th move in variation B. HR we RU areChapter 3 ~ 1.g3 65 15..ab8! 160-0 8b2! 17.Hab1 Hibs 18.Bxb2 Bxb2? ‘And Black’s chances remain higher, thanks tw the weak pawn on d2, D2) 3.3 DG 4.d4 Now we have a reversed Gurgenidze variation of the Caro-Kann, 4..20bd7 Tye decided to choose this rare move as it hhasa simple idea behind it.I White exchanges on ¢5, Black will get easy development with chances to claim a slight edge. There is another benefit of the text move, which will become clear afew moves later in the main line below. s.AB S.dxe5 DxeS 6.063 (after 6Od2 sd 7.Bigt3 DxA3F BAB 06 9.0-0 0-0 ics White ‘wino has to fight for equality, Reschle ~ Perce, Frankfurt 2011) 6.. 23634 7.ex®3! This ‘occured in Oganian — Gukasian, Anapa 2008, and now T would like to offer the simple: ab 7.te7N 80-0 0-0 with a comfortable position for Black, ‘The text move was played in Stallet ~ Bhend, Bad Ragga 1991, I would like to improve with: HR ee Uuar.) abe d Smet 6.5 Bd6 One of the benefits of the knight on 47 is shat Black can play this way without suffering from doubled pawns, as would have been the case if Black had played 4...De6, Moreover, the c6-square is left for the black c-pawn in order to put a solid barrier in front of the g2- bishop. 7.Bxd7 7.84 can be met by: 7..8b618.a4 a5 9.0-0 Dh5 L0.thet (10.03 Defi 11 cxf 0-0 12,0d2 6 13.We2 We? 14.Bfel £6 15.8\g4 Le6F and I prefer Black) 2b zh 10..{6 11.63 xg3 12,Fxg3 Fee5 13.dxe5 BSH Black is better chanks to his stiong centre andl the vulnerable pawn on e5, while the check on 1S doesnt cause any damage. ede f66 Various Ist Moves Tooled 72 “This looks odd, but I want to prevent the g5 pin, 8.4 8.i2g5?! Deis the point of Black’s previous ‘move, bearing in mind thac 9.h3? is refuted by: 9..dOx02! 10sbxi2 WEST 11 g5-+ B.udxed 9.42 We6 10.82 £f5 11.0-0 11Bxc4 Bb4t would be annoying for White L165 12,04 a6 13.63 Hee RUare Black has a more pleasant position thanks ro bis space advantage. D3) 3.d4 He RoR uare| abedef ‘This move was yet another Reti invention. Bruen Black might also consider 3..42, when 4.c4 of reaches the English Opening — see variation B of Chapter 8. 4.Bheds D6 5.2095 5.63 She7 6.0-0 0-0 7.841 occurred in Cworovie ~ Dizdarevie, Solin 1994. Black’s play can be easly improved by means of: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 13.3! L4axbS axbS 15.Bxa8t Phas 16,¥xc3 0-0 abedefgh 7.o5IN 8.13 Be6F Black is better thanks t0 his strong centreChapcer 3 1.g3 67 Swubte7 6.213 6 7.04 T suggest meeting 7.0-0-0 with 7..h6IN (7..0-0 is also not bad: 8B Abd? [ 8. .h62] 9.h4 WOE was the stem game Reti Rubinstein, Marienbad 1925) 8.24 0-0 9.04 5 10.83 44 11.245 Oxd5 12.exd5 Bd7 8 8 [BR & ee) 7 as OR ae 6 6 yf 5 : 20h, a. 4 Beer : 2(Rae 4 1B BRO Ae 1 8.udxe4 9.1URd8t fixd8 10.Dxe4 Axed 11 fixes 0-0 12.263 Dd71 12,.8e8 doesn't win apiece because of 13.0-0-01, abedefgh 13.d6 5 14.tixg5 Wag5t 15.cib1 BF 16.28 Wd 17.3 OG 18.cxd4 c4F Black has the better pawn structure and the safer king. “The test move occurred in Krstic ~ Lukin, Zadat 2005. Here Black’ play can be improved by means oft HK ReRUare abedefgh ZouhGIN 8.S064 8.xl Axl 9.05 B07 10.0-0-0 0-0 11.64 WaS 12.13 O26 13.261 BSF and Black is doing very nicely. 13.0-0 Bc5 14.Bfel Dred 15.Bre4 O15 With some edge for Black thanks to the bishop pair. Baudet? Ive decided to go with this fine as it cakes White out of his comfort zone, Nevertheless, 3.142 is a reasonable alternative ast White's other main try is:68 Various Ist Moves 4.3 8x03 5.bxa3 5.Wa4t can be met by: @bedefeph Sut 7IN (rather than 5..c6, as occurred in Weytich — Bromann, Germany 2010, end a few other games) 6xa3 G06 7:85 ge? 8.fxch ddl 9.fixb7 Bb8 10.fig2 (or 10.ske4 0-0 11.63 £b5 12.85 Dxe? with a slight edge for Black) 10..0-O 11.c3 SoG 12.¥¥a4 dS! 13.13 Ode6 14.0h3 @b4 and Black has fine compensation for a pawn, 5.7 6.262 After 6.083 Obe6 7.8ad Bast Black was healthy pawn up in Fedorowies~ Bisguies, New York 1977. 6...Abe6 7.8had This position was reached in Conquest ~ B. Lali, Southend 2001, and now I would like to offer: TudteGIN Black gives up the eS-pawn but keeps the fone on ef and wins a few tempos. B.Lxc5 0-0 9.83 9.62 date 9...0d5! 10.3 Hb8 11.0-0 HeB 1 W3.fial b5 14. Wd Mp4 15.1 Qc5# With some initiative for Black. 4.06 5.Wxed Reb 6.2 ‘The best retreat. After 6 Bie3 £61 White's queen is misplaced, 7.3 Ae7 8.0-0 Ads 9.83 Wd7 10.Wad Abe 11.2 abedefeh 11..c5! 12.04 @e6 13.05 245% Black had the ‘edge in Artamonoy ~ Khatlov, Samara 2013. Gad @d7 7Ac3 occured in Sergey — Brener, Marianske Lazne 2008. I would like to propose: abede 7. gf61IN 8.063 fhe5 9.0-0 (9.)g5? is met by Svultxf2t! LO.dxf2 Dpét) 9..0-0 10.44 (This time 10.2g5 is answered by 10...2/5) fs hChapter 3 — L.g3 0 10,.exd4 11.2xd4 gd With a roughly equal After the text move I found a susptising new 6..2Dh6RN “The knight is heading towards dl 743 “Another intresting lin is 7.BB Baer Black sacifices a pavn forthe initiative, 8.2xe5 Db 9.3 9. Maa? falls to 9. A. 9A? $5 10.8 DBxa2 11.03 Bret 12.8kcl Bb 13.0-0 0-0 14.44 aS= and the chances are about equal 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 9. Dd5 10.862 After 10.8xd5 Wxd5 11.08 Bh3 Black prevents short casting and obtains a serious intiative for & pawn, 10..b4= ‘With a surprising repetition of moves. Zul 8. Dale ‘The simple 8...foe is also fine. 9.03, 9.Dxe5? is bad due to 9..Ad4 10.8d2 (10.8a4 Db4 11.843 LA5%; TOMA? would bea blunder in view of 10.,.fa5t-+ and Black wins apiece) abedetfgh 10.84 11.040 (11.4a3? 11...8)de2¥ Black wins the exchange. Wasi) Hee eUare 9.f6 10.2bd2 (Or 10.0-0 Se7 with a flexible position.7 ‘Various Ist Moves 10,..£t67 11.0-0 0-0 12.Be4 eB With roughly equal chances, Ds) 3.43 ‘This is the most natural move, White is playing 4 Modern Defence with an extra tempo. 3.016 Being a tempo down, Black should content himself with 2 modest plan of development, rather than going for anything too ambitious with an early £5. 4B 4.c3 846 is likely to uanspose vo one of our iain lines after a subsequent 3. 4.23 prepares b2-b4, but this plan only really makes sense when Black’ knight has gone to 6, Instead we should play 4..c6 5.063 £6, when Black already has a more pleasant version of our main line. 4.By5 also fails co present any problems, as is easy for Black to protect the cent 4807 5.03 6 6.4 dxed (6.442 is possible t00} 7.816 &xf6 (7...gxf61? is also inceresting, although theres no teal need for it) B.Dixed Se7 9.213 Sed 10.0-0 Sd7 Blacks position is more pleasant thanks to his bishop pair and extra space in che centre. 4.04 can be answered by: 4..dxcdl? (as usual, 4.4 is a reasonable alternative) 5.Watt @d7 Gicd c6 7.13 Bd6 8.2c3 0-0 9.i495 h6 10.haf6 Wat z [ak 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 abedeteh 11.Bef (11,0-0N was better leading to equal play) 11..1He7 12.@xd6 cxd6 13.0-0 Back 14.83 o6F Black had the easier game in Mackowiak~ Pracnikova, Olomouc 2010. A final alternative is 4id2 Be5 5.04 2) 5.3 0-0 6Hgf3 occurred in Garcia Turriaga ~ Ponce Lopez, Madrid 1997, Now I woul like to offer 6..He7HN 7.0-0 Bd8 with a comfortable position for Black b) 5.03 0-0 6 Me? Neb 7.0-0 FSP 83 (BAIN seems more logieal although 8.46Chapter 3 ~1.g3 n 9.a3 a5 10.63 WA 11.94 Sh7F is still nice for Black) Now in Bui Due Huy ~ Nguyen Cong Tai, Hue 2009, Black could have played 8..,8A7IN 9.2b2 2h3, with a slighe edge due to his central control. “The text move has been played several times, but itis premature due to: abedet gs Sua 60x04 Gudved Big! 7.3 Deb! (7..0xA2t 8AM 2)e3 9,8thS was less clear in Maciejewski ~ Blucha, Karvina 1992) 8.0-0 0-0 9.c3 a5F Leiser ~ Brockhaus, Hamburg 1993. 6.8304 7. foxes 7.dxe4? is rfuted by 7ou.Axt2t. 7..0-08 Alteady it s obvious that White has to fight for equaliry, Natacheev— Nyshanbayey, Anapa 2009. HR eR uaa e Sot TTve decided vo choose this flexible ser-up. 4.06 This isa more obvious move, but I was not completely happy afier 5.0-0 eT 6.4? ‘This tricky move order presents 2 problem for our repertoire. 6.deed believe 6,.0-0 is Black's best approach, but afer 7.xd5 Oxd5 8.2c3 we transpose to a major branch of the English Opening, which usually arses after Tod e5 2.003 16 3.003, 2 c6 4.93 d5. As you can see in Chapter 10, Thave chosen to recommend 2,4 for this, book: T considered the vext move in an attempt to avoid that transposition, but I couldnit find a clear path ro equality after: ar Wad 8ixdl fhe6 9.53 Bd8 10.Bxd8t 8 11.23! 11.d)g5?t is well mecby 11...2d4! 12.0xe6t FroG 13.042 Oxe2t 14.s0Fl Oxcl 15.8xcl 6 and Black is okay. 11..h6 12.Bel Ded Bezold — Hioleke, Senden 1998, Now after: 13.0d31N ®d7 14.8624 ‘Whites position is slightly bettern Various Ist Moves White’ two most obvious continuations are G.exd5 DS1) 5.c4 and D52) 5.0-0. 6.0-0 0-0 transposes to variation D521 below. 5.@bd2 doesnt have much independent value, asafter 5..0-0 6.08 (or 6.0-0) 6.406 7.0-0.we 6,403 h6!? shave transposed to variation D522, ‘White's last move applied some pressure on the d5-pawn, so itis worth preventing 5. 5.Bc3 6 6.c4 (lor 6.0-0 0-0 sce variation 6, d4l? isa sensible alternative, D523) 6..0-0 7.exd5 (7.0-0 is the same 7.9.9 0-0 8cxd5 cxd5 9.8103 dd transposition as before) 7.uced5 8.Stg5 occurred in Gyurkovics ~ Szitas, Hungary 2011, Now Black should have protected his centre wich the simple: 10.445 10.25 Be6 11. Bad Do6 12.Axd6 Wd6 is good for Black, despite the fact chat he had at with his dark-squared bishop. BuBOGIN 9.8416 (or 9.02 e7F) 9.88 19° Brest] Brads Det 19 bilo Bee 104d2 cS! An important intermediate 1O~*¥d5 11-Bd5 0 6 12.842 Be 13.8dS move. 11.00 Hd8F and Black is better. abedefgh D51) 5.c4 06 5..<142 is a reasonable alternative but T have chosen to maincain a flexible centre for now. 13..8472N 1 prefer this, although 13..!¥¢7 14.5fe1 a6 15.ad Hfe8 16.23 Wb6 17.b4 D7? also gave Black slightly better chances in Hickl ~ Kindermann, Nussloch 1996. 14 Bfel BactChaprer 3 ~ 1-g3 B Followed by ..26 and doubling rooks along the efile 6.nexd5 7.0-0 3@e7 aa Here uare abede Tuc ‘A useful move, preventing the £g5 pin, 8.03 Bed has been tested just once, &..dxe4 9.dxe4 M06 10.bd2 Hillarp Persson ~ Wells, York 2000, Now I would like to offer: aobedet en 10..8e612N 11 82.5! 12.b3 a4 13.Oxd4 Bxd4 14.BbI 0-0 15.083 Bod With roughly equal chances. 8...Dc6 9.04 9.23 0-0 10.042 she6 11.b4 BoB 12.462. b8 (12..Md7PN) 13.24 Bd7e and Black was slightly better in Hickl ~ Short, Lugano 1986. Sud Now it makes sense to take some space, as the move comes with a tempo. 10.265 1 also considered: 10.0d5N 0-0 L1.Sel Be6 12.04 abedefaeh 12,./db4 13.Dx66+ Wel6 14.03 Bo6 and Black is doing fin. Now in Lavritoy ~ Liebus, Klaipeda 2001, Black should have played: 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 I 10...B671N 11.82, Or 11.8h4 0-0 12,085 Sxl 13.exf5 Wd7 14g Back? with a good position for Black,” Various Ist Moves 11...0-0 12.2343 Sig! 13.3 B68 Black obtains a favourable reversed King’s Indian; the a3-knighe is misplaced, and the efile has already been opened. 152) 5.0-0 HR eR are “This is the most natural move, keeping all Whice’s options open. 0 lack replies in kind, From here we will focus on D521) 6.04, D522) 6.4bd2 and D523) 6.2e3, alter first checking a few sidelines 6.c3 doesn't have much independent value. Black replies with 6..c6, when I dont sce anything better for White than preparing e2-c4, which means a probable transposition to vatiation D522 below, as the bI-knight will surely go to d2 at some pi 6.g5, “This seers alittle premature, 6. Abd? 7.4 7.2 6 8x16 Dx 9.04 d4 10.03 a5 and Black was better in Lomsadze ~ Ter Sahakyan, Chotowa 2010. 7.\c3 6 8.04 6 9.fcl BeBF gave Black an improved version of the Caro-Kann line noted below in Caberas Ayala — Yadasin, Cala Galdana 1994, Tucbnchl 8.dxcd Now in Suttles~ Pritchett, Nice (ol) 1974, it would have made sense to play: 8..h6tN Challenging the bishop immediately and forcing White co reveal his intentions 9.hd2 We7 With a comfortable pos infor Black, D521) 6.04 “This is an attempt to steer the game into some sort of reversed Benoni ot King’s Indian after 6..44. ‘This would be a perfectly decent way for Black to continue, but I have instead opted for a more Hexible approach. 6. Supporting the centre just as in the earlier satiation DSI.Chapter 3 ~ 1.g3 75 Jaxd5 Tad h6 843 dxek Ire Be 10.63 We7 (10..a52N 11.We2 26 12.862 We7=) 11.8b2 Obd7 12.82 Bes 13.2ad1 2 14.Fid2 Bad 15.RF41?! occurred in Haustath Gustafsson, Germany 2011, Now I would like to recommend abedefgnh 15..b5IN Exploiting White’ inaccuracy on the previous move. 16.2e4 Oxed 17.Bxe4 xc 18.bec4 {6 Followed by ..b6 and the c&-pawn is vulnerable. 7.degs White puts pressure on che centie — an interesting move, if played in conjunction with the following improvement: Thee 8.441 Bdxe4 occurred in Ollech — Hunboff, Germany 2012, when 8. 10.433 c7 would have given Black a good position, The text move is more challenging. 8..HeTt 9.dae5 ‘After 9 Od22! exd4 10.2dxc4 BAB! 11. xd6 Whd6 Black retains an extra pawn and better chances. bbe 102 (Or 10.B)xc5 WreS 11-2 Hed 12,3 86 followed by ..A\bd7 and Black is doing fine. 10.87 11 Abd? h6 12.S0ef6 Bal 13.8204 Bn6 With comfortable play for Black. White has also tried: 7.83 4 Now isa good time for this pawn advance, as ie comes with a tempo. 8.2ah 8,Be4 Bxe4 9.dxede5!? Black strengthens the centre an prepares ..c6, 10.e1 (10.Dh4 can be answered by the simple 10...p6%) 10,206 11.8d3 fte6 12.b3 a6 13.64 14.ftd2 bs Black had 2 positional advantage in Schaefer ~ Bianco, Val Gardena 2012. In Movsziseian — Inkiov, La Rods 2004, ic ‘would have been interesting for Black to try: abedetgn 8..D262N Preparing ..c5 while making it hard for White to prepare b2-b4, as the following line demonstrates, 9.032! White should prefer 9.b3 although 9..c5 10.a3 Bb8 followed by ..b6 gives Black ‘good chances.16 Various Ist Moves 9..b5! Trapping the knight on af — but there is stil the following tactical line to consider. 10.cxb5 10Pixd4 excld 11.exb5 De7 12.bxc6 Bob is also better for Black. 11 BrxeS Axe 10...cxb5 12.fxa8 brad 13.4 abcdef gh 13 .chd7! 14.806 De5 15.85 Bx06 16.xc6 b3 17.8b1 WbsF Black is clearly better. 10..h62N 11.836 @xfGF With an edge for Black, thanks to his strong centre and bishop pai: is was Svidler’s choice, preferring wo part with his datk-squated bishop instead of allowing the Sg5 pin, Nevertheless, 8..€0c6 is a_ reasonable alternative. 9.ftg5 e7 10.d42N (10.23 h6 11.8428 Be6 12.64 a6F was excellent for Black in Sholer — Ahmad, Caico 2009) 10...e4 11.05 h6 12.864 65 13.Hd2 BeB 14.Hact DHS 15.3 OIG: 8.2521 is premature. 8...d2e6 9.21c3 Bbd7 10.81 Now in Nogueitas Santiago — Saint John 1988, Black should have gone for the simple abedefeanh 9.Bb5 D6 10.Oxd6 Hed 11d4 ef 12D 12.8% might lead to a repetition of moves after: 12..Yb4 13.5 @xd4 1433 Bxb2 15.b1 Qxe2t 16.80h1 Wa2 17.Bal Wb2~Chapter 3 ~ 1.g3 7 HR eR Uare Tse 71N 12.465 is riskier: 13.066 @fQ4 (perhaps 13..@9F472 could be considered) 14.dxe5 We 15:4 g5 16.2d2 aos 17.83 Wadd 1B.fhxd eB This was Kamsky ~ Svidles, Tashkent 2012, and now 19.f41N would have exploited the unfortunate position of the knight on g4, giving White a good initiative for a pawn, 13.8064 DhSt 14.Bxd7 14.4\xf7 We6! 15.Ae5 Oxf 16.gxf4 Bul leads toa slight edge for Black, Ly Bld? 15.842 Bac With the cenue blocked, the knights are not really any worse than the bishops, so the chances are roughly equal, D522) 6.Dbd2 abede “This isa typical way of preparing e2-e4 G6 7.08 7.c3 He8 makes little difference, as White rly follow up with ¢2-c4 in the near steer the game in a slightly different direction with 7.c4!? Be8 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.4 a5 in Shoker ~ M. Fischer, Clichy 2003. Here Black should have played: x abedefgah 9..De6IN 1.exd5 Bxd5 11.23 (or 11-De4 ShcT) M1. eT! 12.Het $05 13.Be4 AbOF and White will find ic haed co justify the weakness on d3,78 Various Ist Moves Hee RUuare Technically speaking, I would consider this position to be a Caro-Kann, as it has most commonly arisen after the opening moves L.e4 06 2.3 d5 3.Dd2 05 4DghS B46 5.g3 46 6.8g2 0-0 7.0-0. My recommendation for Black is based on Lars Schandorf?’s coverage in Grandmaster Repertoire 7, but have made a few tweaks and included some more recent practical examples. 788 Bel Dbd7 9.c3 ‘White has tried 2 bunch of alternatives on the lase few moves, but I dont think it’s necessary to analyse them as Black’s ideas remain pretty similar. The only people likely to encounter this variation on a regular basis are Caro-Kann players, who can refer to a specialist work such as Schandorffs for further details 9.7 “The immediate 9...25!? has also scored well for Black. 10.2 10.d4 leads to simplifications and easy equality after 10..exd4 11.8xd4 died (11.252 could also be considered) 12.Oxe4 Dxod 13.Bxed Bred 14.Bx04 Of6> Da Silva Filho ~ Phumoff, email 2001. 10..a5t ‘This move has a few purposes. Fiestly Black rakes some space and introduces che possibility of ..a4 to cramp White, Secondly, he discourages b2-b4 in response to ..c5. And thivdly, he prepares ..b6 and ..8a6, when the bishop will be positioned safely behind the acpawn, tad ‘White can also ignore the queenside with: LLAMA deed 12dxed eS 13.4 96 Schandouf suggested this as a novelty, and it sas subsequently ested in a game. abedef gh 14.2e3 (14.895 Be7F isa briefline which was mentioned by the Danish GM) 14...8e6 15.b3 ‘This was A. Markos — Juhasz, Miskolc 2011, and now I prefer the Bexible 15...8/8N when Black has the mote harmonious position. Hee RuareChapter 3 = Lg3 ” Mab 12.4 If White does not play chs, Black will simply play «a6 and then take aim ar che d3-square with moves like ..c5, «.dxe4, ..ad8 and so Tanexd 12..fta62N also looks fully adequate for Black. 1B.cxd4 ‘White has co recapture this way to equalize. 13.Axd42! fta6 (13.85 is also good) 14.0463 Qc5 15.cxd5 Hrelt 16.Drel Heb 17.AdE3 occurred in Posch ~ Golubovic, Oberwart 2001. Here I found an improvernent which was ovetlooked by Schandorf& abedefgh 17..He2IN 18.841 DgdF With a serious initiative for Black cine inex eet ee cree 1B..dxed 140x084 Fixed 15.Bxed Dred 16.8xe4 DE6 17.We2 Bd7~ Black was comfortably equal in Janse — Lauber, Stockbolm 2013 (17..8e6N is also absolutely fine). D523) 6.23 06 7.04 RR eR UA de® makes sense while playing against the g2-bishop, which will henceforth be restricted by its own pave 7..4442! does not seem like a good version of a reversed King’s Indian for Black. 7..2bd72 looks like a reasonable alternative ‘hough, if Black wants to maintain the central Budxed 8.Gxc4 Ded 9.dued "The knight rade does notalter the evaluation a great deal. Snubted 10h3 ShS LI le? Da6 12.841 118d 426 12.84 7 (12..14672? is also possible as 13.Hd6? suns into 13...Bad8—+) 13.83 Wed3 14.Bxd3 62 Gufeld ~ Razavaey, New York 1989. “This position was reached in Panchenko ~ Yalovich, Kursk 1987. Now I prefer:80 ‘Various Ist Moves 12,..Be7N “This seems like the best place for the queen 13Bet Bc5 14.fte3 Oe 15d BAB 16.Had ft Intending ...247. ‘The position is equal, and i might even end in an eatly draw afer: abede 17.Bh4e xd 18.005 WH 19.Oxd6 We7 20.4065 B7 = (Neither side can avoid the repetition. 8..Qa61 T find this a highly logical choice, as Black intends 10 bring the knight to an active position on ¢5, from which it may later go to £6 and possibly d4. At the same time, the cB 13 diagonal is left open for the light squared bishop. 93 “This move is often played in such positions in order co prevent any incursions to g4. Other options include: 9.Me2 h6P 10.841 (10.Bh4N is more accurate, but afier 10...8g4! 11.2083 Be6= Black experiences no problems) Here I found a significant improvement over Hickl~Boensch, Potsdam 1988: abede LO..StgiIN 11n3 xf 12.0463 Bc5= teh Followed by ..Me7, 6 and ...ad®, with a good position for Black. 9.03 Be7 10.0h4 gd 11.Wel Deb 12.h3 BhS 13.83 occurved in Tischbiereke — Wells, Germany 1998. Here 1 would like to offer: 13..HETIN 14.065 Be5 and Black is doing fine. 9.i403 We7 10.hd SheS 11.hd2 8d8 12.Mel eG 13.0242! b4 14.3 Ld6 Whice’s knight is left in an unfavourable position:Chapter 3 ~ 1.93 aL abedefgn 15.b4 b5 16,4)b2 5 17.43 Bac8 Ac this point a draw was agreed in Hicld — Luther, Lippstade 1994, bur Black stands better, eS 10.4 ringing the knight co f5 is typical plan in these positions, but on this occasion Black can just ignore it. 10,84¢2 66 11.841 Sa6 12.Yel occurred in Hick! — Femandez Romero, Seville 2006, and now I prefer: 12,.Mc72N Black put the queen on e7 in the aforementioned ganic, but I would rather not present a target for the knight coming co 6 Nowe after 13:@h4 BES 14.295 Sf8 15.Ead8 Rud8 16.84g5 Ded7 17d) b6 18.fte1 Bes Black has 2 comfortable postion. HR eR Uare® abedefgh 10,..@e6! 11.45 Bc7 12.ste3 12MIN deserved attention. However, afier 12.g6! 13.841 &d7 14Oh6+ thg7 15.13 We7! Black is better thanks to the useful options of ..26 and ...d4, 12.g6! 13.04 13.064 shg75 followed by 14.866 is aso beter for Black Here | found an improvement over Rohde ~ Browne, USA 1989. HR wR are 13.1He7INE ‘With this precise move, which will almost certainly be followed by ..248, Black obtains some advantage,82 Various Ist Moves Conclusion ‘A kkingside fanchetto is a typical feature of many openings. The only drawback of doing it at the very start of the game is that it gives Black total freedom to occupy the centre with his pawns, Black should take that opportunity and then do what is necessary to maintain the pawn centre and develop the pieces to good squares. Typical ideas include 06, 10 strengthen d5 and nulfy the g2-bishop, and 16, to prevent the f4g5 pin. In the event that White plays for e2-c4, Black may consider cither exchanging pawns on e4 or mainta the tension with ..c6. Dve avoided playing .d4 inmost of the lines, although tight consider that too, depending on how you feel about che reversed Benoni or King’s Indian positions. Ultimately, T hope 1 have demonstrated that if White doesnt fight for the centre from the very beginning, the best he can hope for is equalityVarious 1st Moves Larsen’s Opening Variation Index 1.b3 1...€5 2.8262 D6 A) 3.042 B) 3.g3 ©) 3.083 D) 3.c4 DF6 Di) 4.263 D2) 4.03 F) 3.03 DEG Bl) 4.083 2) 4.865 £46 E21) 5.xe6 E22) 5.063 E23) 5.De2 E24) 5.003 Das 6.802 a6 E241) 7.08 E242) 7.04 A) after Ges 12) note wo 623 s (7 8 ee! 3 ie 8 1d a 7 a 7k aa 7 6 | aw 6 5 [ 5 a) 3 : & 4 fo 4 3s SBA BN A RY 3 21h fs 218 2 ar $3 1 RK 1 tbe ee Tah sbedeten 6.8671N 9. 4tN 84 84 86 86 89 a1 Oo 93 95 98 99 101 B21) afer AB, 11 tbATIN84 ‘Various Ist Moves 1.b3 is among the most respectable of ‘White's inregular frse moves, White intends to put his bishop on b2 and develop an active position based on the power of that piece. 15 1.45 isalso perfectly playable, but L want t0 meet White opening head on, by establishing, barrier in the path of White’ precious bishop. 2.862 Deb We will analyse A) 3.e42!, B) 3.g3, ©) 3.03, D) 3.c4 and E) 3.63, the lst of which “This leads 10 a bizare mix of 1.ed and the Larsen, which cant be good. 3A 4.063 4.Oc3 eS 5.h3#! (5.063 transposes to the note on 5.83 below) 5..d5! Black can get a1 good game with any sensible move, such a castling, but I like the idea of opening the centre and seizing the initiative after Whice has wasted rime in he opening, 6.cxd5 @xd5 7.805 0-0 8.ftx06 bxc6 and Black was beter in Conley ~ Wygrecki, Lansing 1988. y; ‘Ye UW HR eRuare Aun Ste51 50x05? ‘This is the obvious move to consider, but it is t00 optimistic 5.83 0-0 (5. Ap is less clear due to 6.d4! cxd4 7.05) .fic4 dG gives Black a good version of the Italian Game, as the bishop is misplaced on b2. 5.8b5 Dred! 6.0-0 0-0 7.We2 BF BLbxcb dxc6 9.BxeSIN (9.0521 Led was even worse for White in Walther ~ Leisebein, email 2005) 9...8d6F and Blacks chances are higher thanks to the bishop pait Sun Bdxe5 68x05 Afier 6.44 £b6 7udxe5 One 8.fid4 Wg! White was in trouble in Zvarik — Skou, Gibraltar 2014 Now in Kukk — Vasa, Internet 2009, Black should have played: 6...We7IN 7.293 Or 7.d4 Duet ®,Chapter 4 — Larsen’s Opening 85 Hw eRuarea The double fianchetto might be good for some bliez games, but White can hardly fight for the opening advantage after giving away the centre enttely. 3nd 5 48g? D6 5.63 5.d3 Sic5 6.63 (6.063 0-0 7.03 BeB 8.0-0 occurred in Nikolayevsky - Hickman, Box Hill 2004, and now 8,.A/52N 9.Obd2 Wa7 would have given Black a solid and slightly better position) 6..<14? 7.04 a5 8.23 In Bezold — Aagaarcl, Budapest 2003, Black could have ‘gone for simple play with abedefeh 8..0-08N 9.863 h6 10. bd? Sed 11.3 B66 Black sat least not worse After the text move I would like to propose a rare but interesting continuation S.uhS!? 6.83 85 Black prepares long. casing, 7483 7.03 was played in Breederveld ~ Mare, cort. 2012, I think Black could have obtained a fine game with 7..'e7N 8,0-0 4 9,2h4 Bh? 10.8 We6tt followed by long casting, 7nd? 8.242 0-0-0 9.03 9.0g63 doesn't change Breeclerveld — Johnson, email 2010. 9. Lhd This position was reached in Gonzalez, Zamora = Mellado Teivino, Manresa 1998, and now | ‘would like to recommend:86 Various 1st Moves 9. BAGEN 10.0963 28% With the idea of 04 © 3.083 ‘This way White allows his knight to be kicked, hoping that the ...c4 advance will increase the power of the b2-bishop on the long diagonal abc Buel 4 Bdd also considered: 4.205 WeSPN 4. MIG 5.2ic4 Web is also good for Black. For instance, 6.44 exd3 7.cxd3 d5@ Ricke — Rezmyslov, Coria del Rio 2006. | found the text move as a novelty, bu then Je was actually played ina game in 2016, 5x06 S.h4 weakens the kingside, 5.86 6.24 WA8 7.c3 AMG Followed by ..d5 and Black doing well dxcb 653 6.ef2! was played in Karlsson — Wiknes, Sweden 2016, when 6..8°N. followed by -.0-0-0 would have given Black some advantage. 6.6 7 Sig? BE 82003 0-0-0 9.2e4 Bes ‘With 2 comfortable position for Black, 4.2K 4.Mxd4 5.Bxdé DFG 6.03 is covered on page 92. under variation El. The text move may lead to a different version of the ..dxe6 5.Bxc6 5.¢3 transposes to variation El SundxcG 6.03 Se7 7 shed ‘was Guenzel ~ Tabor, email 1996, and abedef gh 7 0-ON 8.0-0 BES. ‘And Black obtains a comfortable position. D) 3.04 A mix of the Larsen with the English, Emad Black develops quickly and prepares ..d5, which should lead to a reasonable version ofChapter 4 — Larsen's Opening 87 a reversed Sicilian. Whites main options are D1) 4.2c3 and D2) 4.03. 4.0 This move led to one of the most famous opening catastrophes ever to have occurred at GM level 4h SUA She5 6.006 62 is preferable, but the opening is clearly not going well for White in any case 6..cbxc6 7.03 865! ‘Underlining the weakness of the d3-square 8.2 We7 9.te2 0-0-0 10.62! 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 abede 10,..2)g4l 11. g3 HS! 12:h3? hat 13.hxg4 hag’ 14g ‘And with checkmate imminent, White resigned in Larsen ~ Spassky, Belgrade 1970. 4g32 ‘This move is also dubious in view of abe 4.5! S.cxd5 ‘Afier 5.g2 4! Blick takes space and restricts the b2- version of a reversed Benoni, for instance: 6.d3 eS 7.063 0-0 8.Obd2 h6! 9.0-0 Ge6F Lu Chan Hung — Le Thanh Vietnam 2012. 5..Wad5! 6.063 of 7.03 WaS 8.0h4 Bad! Exchanging off White’ strong bishop and leaving the knight misplaced on h4. 8 8 1 1 6 6 5 5 4 4 3GA 3 AG 2 1 Ry 2 1 abe dete nh abe def gh 14, 3h 98x03 Black could also have started with 14..fixe3! After 9.Wb1 dhxb2 10.8xb2 0-0 11.052 15.dxe ‘Bh3 12.03 xf 13.soxfl BadB Black was 15Heh1 g2 16.81 What 17.d1 gxfl BF clearly better in Adeborg ~ Carlhammar, Flsjo 1986,88 Various Ist Moves 9..Mxa3 10.202 10.S4g2? g5 traps the knight. 10..h3 11.2e3 fl 12.cexfl 0-0-08 With an obvious advantage for Black, Pjic Viatkovic, Becici 1993. D1) 4.263 ds RR erRuar.e Obiaining a good version of an Open Sicilian with reversed colours SucxdS Dud5 6.93 ‘A natural alternative is: 6.03.5? “This rare move looks quite promising. 6..Adb4 can be answered by 7.4bI! followed by a2-a3, 743 7.83 S61 8.Dixd5 Wad5 9.ld5 (or 9.Ses ‘HT! and Black is doing fine) 9...8xd5 was pleasant for Black in Breederveld — Kurgansky, email 2013, Now in Nichols ~ Luets, Internet 2012, it ‘would have been worth covering the b5- square with: 7.aGiN 8.06 Se? 9.8xd5 WhdS 10.204 Wd6 11.0-0 0-0 12.44 Bads! With the following idea: abedefank 13.dee5 Wg6 14.Mel Oa5! Black has an extremely strong initiative. can be met by che rire but powerful 6. ARES! 7.)xd5N 7.63 Ddb4t 8.04 Lett a3 oA 7Mel ef 8.4 occurred in Hrynive Masarik, email 2010, when 8...8hth4N 9.4)xd5 0-0-01 would have been good for Black. 7utBxd5 8.03 QbAtChapter 4 ~ Larsen's Opening 89 abedefgh Sifics Dd3t 10.cehl Ws 11.63 11.8Fe2 Bg? MS Black is beter thanks to the serong kaight ‘on d3 and the king on fl, He Re Ruane 6x03 7c Black is ready to moet 7.ftxe3N with: 7 BAD! 8.063 £823! (8.4 is less accurate duc to 9.h4 followed by c3 and ig2) 9.¢3 (Now 9.8922! ¢4 10.0h4 is inappropriate due 1 10..0-0F threatening ..g5) 9..g4 10.e2 0-0 11.h3 FSF Black’s advantage is beyond doub. 7.HHIG! 8g Bc5 9.03 Also after 9.OF3N e4 10.2d4 Oxd4 LL cxd4 ‘Sb4t 12.21 3 13.4 0-0 Black is better, 9A ES .0-0 also gives Black an excellent position. 10.ie2 eff Black was better in Worulo ~ Solozhenkin, Noumea 1995. D2) 4.03 d5 4.96 isa reasonable alternative if Black wants to avoid the reversed Hedgehog. ee Z awa Sucxd5 ‘After 5.202! d4 the b2-bishop is having abad day. Sunldxd5 6.03 6.83 tranaposes 0 6.c3 in the notes 10 variation D1 above, After 6,$26521 Adb4! the weakness of the d3- square isa problem for White. 7.13 4 8.20490 ‘Various Ist Moves abedet eh 8..Hg5t 9.0-02! (9:0xc6 was preferable, but Black is still betver after 9...bxe6 10.21 Wg6!) 9.8th3F Fries Nielsen — Rosman, Hamburg 2008. 6.283 04 7.04 Oxdd 8.Bixdlé 5 9.862 Qb4 10.05 Dest 11 finds Was abedefgn 12.Mb12! (12.63N is necessary, and leads 10 a roughly equal position after 12..ex63 13.863 £5 148cl W5) 12..HxbIt 13.Bxb1 fs 14,2 0-0-0 15.Bbcl_b6T Black had a positional advantage in Dimitrijevic ~ Glek, Internet 2004. Another instructive example comtined: 6.d3 fic5 7.0003 Bal 8.03? A serious mistake, The right continuation was 8.0)bd2N 0-0 9.81 (but not 9.fe2? Bxe3! 10.Fie3 Bed 11.Bel Bagh 12.cF1 DAF) 9b! 10.3 x3) 1px (Laxb4 Bh5) 11..8ixd24 12.Bhd2 Wh4t with a position of dynamic equality abede 8.dtbAt 9,81 DaaIN 1 like this new move the most, although 1 should also mention thar 9..BA61? also brought Black a serious advantage in Berkes = Navara, Gothenburg 2005. 10.43 @xc3 11 xc3 Bxc3t 12.53 12.04! 13.0044 cxf M.gxP3 BeOF Whites pawn structure is hideous,Chapter 4 ~ Larsen’s Opening, 1 Guhl 7.43 Tn the event of 7.We2 I would like to offer the extremely rare: 7.85" 8.08 Wes 9.feg6 (After 9.43 0-0 10.Obd2 Be6 White experiences some problems developing his Kingside,) 9...9g6 abedefen 10.43 £6 Black is aheady pretty comfortable, and after the weird I1.BgI2 Re6F he stood bereer in Radjabov ~ Drees, Hyderabad 2002. “The text move leads 10 a reversed Hedgehog. where White ean hardly hope for an opening. advantage, despite che extra tempo. He ReRUare udllgS2N T want co make it harder for White to finish his kingside development with tke2 and 0-0, 70-0 is the main line. 8.0 8.h4 can be met by 8..Be7 when White's ingside has been weakened. 8.,.g6 9.Abd2 0-0 10.Dek BeS Objectively the position is equal, but I like Blacks chances as it will not be easy for Whice to finish developing on the kingside, #)3.c3 White prepates to develop his bishop to b5s indirectly aacking the e5-pawn. 3D I6 3..d5 leads to a different type of game. The wo moves are equally playable, but I prefer not to allow the knight to be pinned. eee uare fgeh Whive may proceed with B1) 4,83 or E2) 4.fhb5, ede 4.c4 takes us back to variation D2, En) 4.065 White allows his knight to be chased, hoping thar the weakening of the al-h8 diagonal will rake up for the loss of time. Aue 5.2d42 Various Ist Moves ‘The alternative is: 5.Bde5 One5 6.kbxe5 d5!? 7.44 Black also gets a good game afict: 7.c4 fhd6 8.Bxd6 (or 862 Roeninger H. Wicmann, Fuerth 2015, 8..dxcdN 9.fbxch 0-0 10.F4 exf3 11.8603 Ogd! 12.93, We7 13,0-0 o6F and Black is beter) 8..8ad6 9.4)c3 ‘This was Peck ~T: Haslinger, Millfield 2003, and now the most accurate seems to be SuuddscN 10.ftxc4 £5 with some edge for Black, thanks to the weak d2-pawn, Tend 8.0xd3 8.fbxd3 shd6 was good for Black in Sises ~ ages, email 2006, Bd6 9.Stb2 Sixd6 Wrd6 was comfortable for Black in Gonzalez Rodriguez - Epishin, Dos Hermanas 1998, “The text move was played in Gonzalez Rodriguez ~ Alonso Rosell, Catabonia 2012. 1 suggest improving Black’s play by means of 9..0-ON 10.22 251? 11.0-0 a4 ‘And White is under some pressure HR eR UA)! abedefgh ind 6.Bxd4 267 7.04 0-0 8.2 8.23 b6l 9.82 267 transposes. 8.b61 8.6 did noc go so well for Black in Larsen ~ Parma, Vinkovei 1970. 9.Qc3 B67 RR UAT & 10.Se2 Tn an older game, which arrived here via a transposition, White played the dubious 10.d32, which after 10.868! 1LBd1 dba! 12.23 Shxa3 13.02 2cSF led to an extra pawn for Black in Planinec ~ Mecking, Visae 1971.Chapter 4 — Larsen’s Opening 93 10..d6 1.12 11.Bcl He8 12.d3 exd3 13.Sixd3 o5 14 fox Bxi6 15.0d5 Sxd5 16.cxd5 hG (16...g62?N) ‘was equal in Nettelbeck — Gatterer, email 2011 11..BeB 12.0-0 c5 13.8x16 Buf 14.2845 14.63 Bixc3 15.8xc3 C7 is also level 14 .txd5 15.0005 06 With an equal position 2) 4.8b5 de ‘At first it may seem strange to block the d7- pawn, but Black intends to answer £xe6 with ddxc6, when the ¢8-bishop can be developed notmaly. If White does not exchange on 6, then Black ean regroup with a plan such as D7, 6s BT, ud and G6. We will analyse E21) 5.fx06, B22) 5.23, B23) 5,2 and B24) 5.443, after checking a few minor options: 5.43. can be met by 5...e7! followed by regrouping exactly as deseribed above, The plan works especially well here, as White has to waste time t0 save his bishop from being twapped. 6.44 ef 7.842 6 8.04 eT 9.03 d5T Wlogalski ~ Song, Lille 2012. S.d@2t Blocking the b2-bishop is hardly in the spit of White’ set-up. S.ncxd4 G.exd4 0-0 7.e2 Be 8.0d2 a6 ods 9.Sbx06 dxc( was aso comfortable for Black in Olea Perez - Menendez Rey, Asturias 2000. 9...AbAt Black climinates the light-squated bishop and obtains some advantage. 1oDef Dxd3st Wadd Bbst 123 454 13.3 13.cxb duc 14.bxo Wer leaves White stuck in an annoying pin. 13.6? Neff Sepp, Tallinn 2003.94 Various 1st Moves 5.3 “This has been tested by MeShane, but it is not 10 impressive after: 5.06 6 i de 7D? ‘We have reached a version of variation E23 where White has played an unnecessary Bcd, rather than the more popular plas: of d2-d3 Followed by 22, 70-0 I also like the plan of long casting: 7ulieGHIN 8.0-0 Wie7 9.66 (9.2g3 0-0-0) 900-08 8.0-0 We7 9.64 Syd 10d Bad 11. fie Bxe5 12.0 g3 Bes Black was beter in MeShane — Jones, Germany 2012. E21) 5.ftxc6 dxe6 HR eR Aare As we will seein some of the later fines such as variation E23, Black is often willing to provoke this exchange with ..a6, 50 it hhardly seems a good idea for White to play it immediately. Nevertheless, these are some players who seem happy to define the pavn structure early, rather than giving Black the option of ..@e7. Nakamura has played this way in a couple of rapid games, and the Colombian IM Gonzalez Rodsigues has played it many times, 6.d3 ef? like this rare line, which opens the position for the black bishops. 7bd2 7adxeS Dxed 8.2c3 Whdl? is also promising for Blac, for instance: abedefgh SMES (or 9Mxe Wxes 10.06 8659) 9..8xc3 10.ftxc3 0-0F With the bishop pair in an open position, Blacks chances were preferable in Gonzalez Sanz — Narciso Dublan, La Pobla de Lillet 1999, Fn Bide 8.d4 0-0 is good for Black. Be? exd3 Yexd3 0-0 10.4 gf eS and Blacks bishop pair yields him che advantage, Gonzalez Rodrigues — Sanchez Ibem, Barcelona 2010,Chapter 4~ Larser’s Opening 95 8,.Adxed 9.Dxe4 fred 10.Hys Wer! L1.OB, 11. Wxg7? is bad due to: 11,..0-0-0 12.826 Wo6 13.Bxd8 Ses Now in Gonzalez Rodriguez. ~ Avila Jimenez, Barcelona 2011, Black should have taken the ‘opportunity to create a weakness with: HR Be RU are abedefgh 11. RbATIN 12.63 265 With excellent prospects for Black, #22) 5.063 HR eR Uare ‘This provocative move is answered by the principled: Swell 6.0d4 T once tied 6.0h4 bu got nowhere after: 6..0-0 7.0-0 (7.6 occurred in Shkuro = Moiseenko, Alushta 2008, when Black's play cin be easily improved by means of TuaIN B.te2 eS! followed by ..d5) 7udbeS! Mice trading the dark-squared bishops, Black obtains a comfortable pos B.xeS BxeS¥ V. Mikhalevski — A Ramat Aviv (rapid) 1998. 60-08 I prefer this excremely rare move over the much more common 6...2xd4, I dont see any season to tush with the exchange, as neither 4f5 nor an exchange on 6 seems dangerous for Black. Now our plan will be to prepare Bes, Hee euare 7Me2RN 7.065 eS gave White nothing in Wicklund Hansen ~ Westerinen, Helsingor 2007. In the event of 7.0-0 we can switch plans with Zudiad4 8.Sbxd We7!, White tried 9.63 in Gillani — Sadvakasov, Mallorca 2004, when Blacks most precise reply would have been:96 ‘Various Ist Moves 9.,.005IN 10.8x05 BheS 11.0c3 d5% With a slight edge for Black, Foxe 8.$0xd4 eT! Now wuheS cannot be stopped, and Black should be able to claim a slight edge due to his space advantage. 9.04 9.04 xf 10Hxf Bes LIfe Bred 12.84c3 d5F is pleasant for Black. SunfheS 10.Lxe5 WreS 11.03 d5 HK Rperuare der abe gh 12.exd5 Dxd5 13.Axd5 Wad5 14.0-0 £65 ‘The position is close v0 equal, bur White still faces some challenges due to the backward pawn. 123) 5.82 RR eR Uare abederftegh A flexible set-up. White is veady to exchange hislight-squared bishop in the hope of exeating some play on the kingside. 50-0 were is nothing wrong with the immediate 5.n6 6Sx06 dc, 6.2 White has also tried: 6.0-0 a6 7.Bxc6 ducb 8.43 We? (8.252 9.04 ‘fl? looks decent for Black too) 9.8d2 So6 10.3 Bad8 with roughly equal chances in Sasikiran ~ BH, Nielsen, Esbjerg 2003. 6 Sbac6 deeb 7.48 05! “This is more accurate than 7...8e6, as played in Nakamura — Hovhannisyan, Internet 2011 Bad 8.2d2 occurred in Guadamuro ‘Torrence ~ Nicolas Zapata, Linares 2013, and now the consistent continuation would have been 8..a4N 9.04 b5! when Black has 2 good version of the Exchange Spanish.Chapter 4 — Larsen's Opening ” abedefeh 8.04! We have already seen a similar idea in variation E21. Here it works even better, as White has committed to quite a sigid queenside formation. 9udxe4N 9.d4 Bd5 10.8d2 £5 gave Black easy play in Garofalo M. Andersen, Bareclomna 2015. 9.0xed 1084 Abt 11.03 Wedd 12,044 ade Black has the better chances chanks to his strong bishop pair. 8..cig4 was not so impressive in Grabuzova ~ Hou Yifan, Sochi 2007, although Blacl’s position is stil fine of course 9.Fyxh5 Dg6! 10.h3 Wha! Black wins back a pawn and obtains a good position, For example: 11.83 11.2)g3?! @xf2! is excellent for Black. 11. Wxh5 12.hagd Bxg4 13.8 265! Black was at east equal in Fels ~ Wydorni, email 2013. HR BRU are 6..a6 7 e2? With this move White ties to avoid going along with Black’s plan. 7.Bixc6 dxc6 8.0-0 Now [like the surprising: 8..h5! RR eR Uare Toubte7t Preparing dS as quickly as possible, without worrying about the bishop pais, 7B i logical alternative, ineending . and ...d5.98 ‘Various Ist Moves 8.085 White is ying to exploit the awkward 8.0-0 d5 gave Black an easy game in Zeh— position of the dark-squared bishop by Friedrich, email 2012. threatening 4 8... eB 9.2xe74 Ure? 10.0-0 d5 a5 Black’s pawn centre fully compensates for This weird looking move is the main line. the bishop par, for instance: “The idea is obviously to nullify the threat of cA, thus leaving both sides with ¢ temporarily. misplaced knight, Meanwhile Black intends to a chase the bishop away with ...6, which will 1 often be followed by ».b5. 67 a7 & 6.2 4 - U, ‘White anticipates the attack on his bishop i Y, and creates a positional chreat of b5. 3, “The simplest response to 6.463 is ro transpose 21 to variation E241 with 6.,.a6 7.She2 We7. BA 6.Beh a “This simple knight trade is hardly a good Lf N6 vay co Bight for an advanrage, 11...e4 also proved fully playable in Zeh — 6--xef 7-Bxe4 0-0 8.063 We7 9.0-0 Oehiler, email 2012, 12.Wel exfi 13.Fxf4 De5~ Zeh— Hahn, email 2011, 24) 5.803 abedefgh Bee 9.06 is good alternative, with the idea of Bc7 and ...d5. 10,b4 10.8d4 is suongly mee by 10..!e5! 11.g3 5 12.64 exf3 13.065 Wb? 14.2xd6 Wes 15.8xcB Haxc8 16.8%x63 d5 and Black is doing fine. 10.85 11.44Chapter 4 — Larsen's Opening 99. After 11065 WeS 12.805 Wes 13.03 5 ie’s White who has to fight for equality, Hamad ~ Gleizeroy, Amman 2008, U.wexd3 12.805 We 13.fixd3 d5 14.005, Wer With a comfortable position for Black in ‘Murey ~ Shripchenko, Pacis 2003, HR eR Uae ad This is the natural way to cover the BS: square, We will analyse E241) 7.263 followed by the more popular E242) 7.04. 7.Bch @xch 8.bxes has been tried a few times, but Whites experiment has not been successful after: 8..8e7! 9.24 (or 9.263 b6F) 9.00 10.h3 e5 abedet 11.042 (White should bave played 11.0-ON although the simple 1L..d6 gives Black a. pleasant position) 11..dixe3! 12.2xe5 (12.dxe3 Wh4t was Black's idea) 12..a7> and soon Black won in Sakaev ~ Sveshnikoy, Gausdal 1992 241) 7.063 We7 Hp ueRuare abedefgh Defending the e-pawa while forcing White's knight to reteat. 8.061 ‘White hopes that the loss of time with his aight will be outweighed by the unfortunate position of Black’s knight on a5, bishop on d6 and queen on &7, 8...0-0 9.c4lt ‘The other main option is: 9.14 exdd 10.xd4 e5! 11.2c3 De6t 12.0-0 46 13.08100 13 SR 65! LA Med ‘A clever move. White intends to take on 5, and wants to answer .dxe5 wich £a3. “The immediate 14.0xe5 die is good for Black. 14,.b42 Blackcis willing to sacrifice couple of tempos in order to provoke 22-33, thus taking away this square from the dark-squared bishop. 14,.S2ad8 isa logical alternative, Various Ist Moves Suet 9.6 and 9.”.c6 have also been played, but T consider the text move the most principled 10.8).d4 Re5 11.83 Dest This seems the most precise, as it solves the problem of the misplaced knight on a5 while challenging the strong knight on d4, re 15.8d1 After 15.23 @c6= the position is equal (but please note that 15..2)xc2? is bad as after 16.8a2s the knight is trapped on 2). ‘Now f prefer the simple: 15,.Bad8N With a comfortable position for Blacks although 15...c5!? was also quite acceptable in Jobava — Karjakin, Beijing 2012. 12,82N is ses like a logical attempt to improve over: 12.45 Me 13.4g3 b5! 14.cxb5 axb5 15.xb5 abedefet 15..fta6! 16.8206 HxaG Black had fine compensation for the sacrificed pawn in Carapinha— Kraltovsky, email 2011. a5 13.0-0 Or 13.23 48 preparing ..d5.Chapter 4 ~ Larsen’s Opening 101 1B..d5! L4cxds Obst The point of Black’s 12th move. My analysis 15.f4! exf3 16.fxf3 f51 17. Bel abe fgh -Bfe8!? 18.03 Dd3 19.0xd3 Bxd3 20,2 fixe? 21,Wxe2 Had8 22.Hacl @xd5 Black has a slight edge thanks to his better pawn structure E242) 7.04 He eruare White takes some space in the centre and vacates the c2-square, thus giving his knight a route to a brighter future, 70-0 8.2 Be8 9.43 White takes the e4-square under control and prepares 463 9.ghtt This has been played a few times, but it seams to me that White is becoming a bit 100 creative for his own good. We will follow 4 model game from Black’s perspective: 9..b5! 10.65 I also checked 10.83 ef 11.fe2N (or 11.g5 Yureseven ~ Ivanenko, Lvov 2015, TabxcftN 12gxf exf3F) LL. atbxed 12.bxe4 Se51F and Black obtains the beter chances after exchanging Whites strong darkesquared bishop. 10...Be4 11hd bxed 12.b4 12.bxe4 28 13.8b1 £b7¥ is also excellent for Black. 12.88 13.43? Alteady at a setious disadvantage, White makes a further mistake and his position soon collapses: abedefgh102 13..Fub4! 14,Oab4 Sxbét 158M Ad24 iosbp bt Black soon won in Alvates Pedaaa ~ Bruzon Batista, Bogota 2014. Another unimpressive attempt i 9.42! exd4 10.cxd 2! Opening the efile against his own king hardly seems a wise plan for White. 10.Bxd4z allowed 10...ab4F in Punzon Moraleda ~ Kester, cort. 2013, 10.fxd4N is the best ry, although 10...b5! followed by ..2b7 retains some initiative for Black. “This is @ gypical resource in this variation of the Larsen, Black develops quickly and rakes real use of the supposedly misplaced knight on a5 11.23 bxe4 V2.bxe4 b4t 13.cef1 d5HF Black soon won in Gofsheein ~ Avrukh, Israel 2008, 9.088 ‘As usual, this move should be met by the patural 9.04 10.0b4 1O.AK SPN (10...865 was also fine in Wallner ~ Pacher, Aschach 2013) 11.86; BS 12.fixcS Rre5 13.Ag3 (or 13.246 eG?) 13..d5 and Black is doing wel. 10.6 Various 1st Moves Black wants to play ..te5 followed by recapturing with the knight. LFA In this position from Zarek ~ Hiracek, Czech Republic 2002, Black should have played: Lg! Restricting the knight on hé, For example: 12,0-0 Be7? 12, .(6 followed by 13...047 is alo good. 13.¥el d6iF Black intends ..@g4 or even ..h5, auracking the knight on h4 while preparing £816 to neutralize White's prized bishop. Iucb5t “This is wy favourite move in this variation ~ although 9..f8 10.063 De6 1 1.04 BS 12.0-0 bbxod 13.bxe4 Se5 was also okay for Black in B. Kovacevie— Marzolo, Warsaw 2005.Chaprer 4 ~ Larsen's Opening 10.63 «5! Before bringing the knight back to 06, Black takes some space in the centre. 11.0-0 Bb8t 12.861 12.04 bred 13.dxe4 Mtc7 Black went on to install a knight on 44 and eventually won in De Ridder ~ Verleur, corr. 2011. RekuUare QcGN can also be considered. 13.bxe4 Be7 14.d4 exd4 15.exd4 04 16.042 45.17.65 hS2 Black is certainly noc worse in this double- ‘edged position, Indecd, in Punzon Moraleda — Ruemmele, corr, 2012, Black went on to prove the superiority of his kingside play and won convincingly 103 Conclusion Larsen’s Opening is a respectable choice, as it gives White some active possibilities without compromising his position in the way that some of the other irregular first moves do. Nevertheless, 1 like Blacks prospects after Lwe5 2adtb2. 6. In the event of 3.c4 446 Black can generally follow up with ..d5, leading to a pleasant version of 2 reversed Alesnativey, after 3.03 OF6 4.2b5, the clever 4,..6 enables Black to guard the eS-pawn while minimizing the disruption to his development. If White exchanges on 6 then ..dxc6 gives Black easy piece play, especially in conjunction with ..e4 to open lines for his bishops. Otherwise the 6 will be moved to either e7 or a5, depending ‘on how White develops. Black has several promising ways to regroup his pieces, and the analysis and practical examples indicate hae White can hope for equality ar best.lc4e5 Rare 2nd Moves Variation Index Lcd Led A) 2.g42! 105 B) 2.We2 106 ©) 2.44 107 D) 2.04 110 E) 2.a3 113, F) 2.d3, 113 1 after 3.d2 as Caza sha ak 9.26N 14.51 3.652NChapter 5 ~ Rare 2nd Moves 105 Lach 05 “There are many possible veplies vo the English Opening, but [like the idea of plantinga pawn in the centre. 2PDU6 3.63 D6 4.23 45! Black is happy t play a reversed Open, with the bad move h2-h4 on the board. Sucxd5 Qxd5 6.Me2 dG 7.003 We7 Black prepates ..c4 and postpones short casting. Whites two most popular and challenging moves are 2.g3 and 2.03, and they will be covered in Chapters 7-9 and 10-12 respectively. 23 and 22083 are reasonably important sidelines, which will be analysed in the next chapter. Before then, the current chapter will deal with an assortment of rate moves: A) gt B) 282, C) 2.44, D) 2.e4, F) 2.03 and F243, 2.b3 will almost certainly transpose to Larsenis Opening, For instance, 2...0%6 3.03 (3.8b2 6 is variation D of Chapter 4) 3..d5 4.cxd5 @xd5 5.f1b2 806 and we have reached variation D1 of Chapter 4 on page 88. 2.hé2t “This bizarre move was tested by the Dutch IM Manuel Bosboom at least four times in 1992, Ie seems to me that its main purpose is to depart from theory as soon as possible, but it’s hardly a good idea to spend a tempo ‘weakening the kingside, 8.d3 0-0 Now that the b1-h7 diagonal is closed, Black «an caste without being attacked by 5. Subd Bd7 10.Abd2 de 10.55! 11.05 a5! 12.bxa5 BxaS Black skilfully created a target on a3 and obiained a clear advantage in Bosboom Akopian, Tilburg 1992. A) 2.gh ‘With this rare move White seems 10 be aiming, for some sort of light-squared strategy’, but it is much too weakening106 251 Immediately punishing White for his ‘opening experiment. Buby ‘White has transposed to a vet Grob with L.g4 d5 2.82 5 3.c4, having avoided 2..20xg4 — but his position is still B.cxd5 leads to a loss of a pawn after the simple: 3.Uxd5 4208 Bagh 503 Was 6.DgSP (6 MO3?! Bx03 7.ex83 WHET leaves no questions; abo after 6.24g2 D6 7.05 hse White doesn't get enough for the pawn) abedetfgea 6..0hS! 7.3 WG 8.2d5 Wxb3 9.axb3 shd8™ Despite White's temporary activiey, Black should have no problem consolidating, 1h e5 S.udxodl 4,Watt 06 5.Wixed Le In variation D4 of Chapter 3, I analysed 2 similar position with the g-pawn on g3 instead of g4. Black was doing fine in that line, and ies obvious that having the paven on g4 makes things worse for White. oes 6.82 SixgiF gave Blacle « healthy extra pawn in A. Mastrovasilis ~ Landa, Internet (blitz) 2006, 6.Med can be met by 6.24712 7.43 h5! Bgth5 DgfGT and Black was clearly better in Jensen — Phillips, email 2003, 6. Bd7 7.063 7.h3 Dgl6F gave Black a clear advantage in Hons — Cermak, Brno 2009, due to the simple ideas of ..2d5 and ..h5. abe de 7uBdgfol BBxe5 DxeS 9.WxeS Dugh 10.3 8d6 11.43 DLGF L. Fischer ~ Karst, Wiesbaden 1997. B) 28a ‘An extremely rare continuation, but there is some logic behind it, asthe queen could be well placed here in a reversed Open Sicilian. I like the way my countryman deale with this system.‘Chapter 5 — Rare 2nd Moves 107 2nd Other moves are playable, but the text is a good choice as ie leads to postions where the queen is virtually useless on 2. BD BS 4.421 ‘White should have setded for the more modest 4.43, but its obvious that he has no chance of an opening advancage. Auch 5.Dg5 ‘We have wansposed to a version of the 1.44 6 2.04 €5 3.2 ef 4.2g5 65 system, where ‘White has played the useless move 5.1422! 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 .lie7! (ether here or on the previous move) have been more accurate ~ Black warns to develop his bishop to this squate anyway, so he may as well gain rime by attacking che knight. The text move is still atleast equal for Black though. 7.450 Premature, White should have prefested 7.63 or 7.3. Fuh? 8.132 ‘White is playing too ambitiously. a 8,.Dxd51 9.Dgred? 9.cxd5 Sixg5 10.Bxg5 Whg5 11fred 0-0! also favours Black, but this would have been the lesser evil for White 9..b41 10.863 d51-+ White's position soon collapsed in Schmittdiel - Psakhis, Leeuwarden 1993, C)2d4 Ree nare “This can hardly promise any advantage for ‘White ashe is likely vo waste two tempos on queen moves. aed 3rd 3.03108 This leads co a weitd reversed Scandinavian with the paven on o4, [recommend meeting icwith: tbat 4.842 Black obtains a comfortable position after 4.A\bd2N Of6 5.Axd4 0-0 6.03 45 7.03 B67 followed by «.c5. Au Sixd 2} 5.Mxd2 cS 6.03 We7 7.03 d6 7.216 8.0-0 dxe3 9.103 46 is the same thing. abe de 8.0-0 died 9.3 Now in Risdon — Tados, cor. 2011, the natural continuation would have been: 9. MEN ‘White has a degree of compensation for the sacrificed pawn, but he is fighting for equality at most. teh 3.6 4.Wd1 1h eS AWett eT 5g ‘This line has been tested a few times by the Isracli IM David Kudischewitsch. Black’s most accurate response is: Sud “The idea isto play ..2e6 and then recapeure on e7 with the queen, followed by ...46 to exploit the unfavourable posi vwhite queen 6.08 ‘fer 6.23 Set 7.807 Wee7 8.e3N Af 9.82. 0-0 White has nothing better than 10.8, transposing to the line below. GankeG 7oixe7 Wae? 8.03 O46 9.82 0-0 10.03 “This occurved in D. Nemeth — Gross, Prague 2007, and now I would like to offer: fe 10...d5!N L1.cxd5 Bb4 12.Wad Sbxd5 ‘With a slight edge for Black thanks to his better development. abedeChapter 5 ~ Rave 2nd Moves 109 4 DEG 5.B3 5.009 allows 5..d8! Gexd5 Wxd5 (or 6...2xd52) 7.Bd5 Qxd5 and Black is already bouer, Pevers ~ Schmitt, Altenkitchen 2012. S.nftb4l 6.242 “This is White's safest move, and it should be enough to give him equal chances. 6.Rg5 ‘This seems too ambitious, and Black has a choice of interesting replies. 6.udbxe3t 6.QleAP 7.fxd8 Qxe3 vas a sempring ‘queen sacrifice seen in I. Rodriguez — Ruiz Peyre, San Francisco 2000. “The critical line continues 8Hb3N Deft 9sbdl Bxt2t 10.1 shad8 U1.Mg3 Oxht 12.8sg7 eB with « complicated position, 7.bxc3 h6 s.bd221 F ehe bishop was going to go to €2, ieshould have done so on mave 6, 8.84 is preferable, but after 8..b6 9.063 B67 10.63 We7F Black is better. 8..0-09.08 In Molde ~ Roedl, Bad Nauheirn 1948, Bleck’s most accurate continuation would have been: abede 9unAeAIN 10.03 BoB 11.243 ds ‘With an obvious advancage for Black Gnd6 7.8 B65 8.03 0-0 9. 9.Be2 He8 10.0-0 a5 was also good for Black in A. Gomez ~ Remon, Holguin 1992. Suudixcd 0x3 Det UBel Oxc3 12.03 WG ‘With roughly equal chances.no Leh e5 D) 204 “This move can hardly be a good idea. Could you imagine someone phying 1ef 5 and then 2.cl? That’ exactly the position on the board. Obviously the main drawback of this set-up is che weakening of the d4-square. DnbteS T suggest dclaying the development of the king’ knight in order to preserve the option of ..£5. The bishop obviously belongs on c5, a8 control over the d4-square is key. 3.085 3.53 dG 4.fig2 06 5.4345 6.€e3 transposes 10 3.83 below. 3.3 d6 4.g3 e6 5.82 £516.43 O16 ‘White is playing the well-known Botvinnik System of the English — but Black enjoys the huge benefit of having his bishop on 5 instead of the usual g7 or €7. 7.3 “This is White's best try, albough Black recains a pleasant advantage. 7.Dge2 from Kampman — Sielecki, Netherlands 2012, can be strongly answered by 7.Dg4IN 8.0-0 fF! 9.h3 0-0! 10.hxp4 Bixgd!-+ and Blacks attack is too strong, White's play in the following game wasnlt impressive either: 7,Qh3 0-0 8.0-0 6 9Md2 fred 10.8xe4 Bred Mudved Bob 12Mh1 Wd7 130g] Bxc4 0-1 Colin Mancera - Gulko, St Martin 1992. 7.afied 8.dxe4 0-0 9.0-0 Deft Tes not easy to deal with Blacks initiative, as the following examples demonstrate, 10.843 10.h3 is strongly met by 10...2d4! incending 11 Bind4 @ixf2! 12.5ixf2 Rxd4 13.063 WEG! 14g? Buf 15x Sxh3 16.045 87 17.3 WG! and Black’s advantage is decisive. 10..0x2 11Ex2 xt 12d Set 13.hgh fix 14.8403 86 abcde 15styg2 Dbl 16:8e2 Ded 17.he2 Welt 18,90h3 WI4 19.Hig2 Bsc 20.Se3 West Twas surprised to find two games which seached this position. White did not last auch longer in ether of them:Chapter 5 ~ Rare nd Moves ut abedetge 21gs 21.ah4 6 22.81 BA 23.4 BafB 24.063 b5 0-1 Rahde ~ Caire, email 2008, DuhS 22sbh4 gSt 23.Be—5 MD 24.1 Eich2t 25.dhg3 Bxb2 26.gxhS Lh 27.¥el igs (0-1 Van Osmael ~ Lesko, corr, 2011. 3De6 4.03 4@xe52 is a blunder in view of 4...0xe5 5.44 Bb4t 4d 5.43 5.Aad “This move, fiom Shirazi ~ Shipman, New York 1983, doesn't make much sense as it can be easly ignored. Sun SIN 6.3 6.2 )xc5 dxc5 7.43 (7.exf5? is hardly a good idea in view of 7.04 8.2)g1 Sx654) 7..xed 8.0)g51 25! 9.P xed Bred W0.dxed Wd + 11sixdl Bd8t 12.842 EF and Black's aclantage is unquestionable. 6.26 6..ftb442? is also good for Black 7.Adxc5 dxc5 B.ex85 Sixf5 9.dte2 Wd6r Black has a comfortable advantage as the 3-pawn is weak, Saf “That's why Black was in no hurry to develop the g8-knight. 6g 6.Be2 Of6 7.0-0 (7.895 transposes 10 7.He2 in the note to Whites next move) 7..0-0 8.863 Dd is similar to che 7-2 line in the notes belows the position of the black pawn on h7 instead of h6 does nor change the evaluation, 6 E61 6...ge7 has been played more frequently, but there is no need to fear the following pin. 7.045 ‘This seems like the only way to challenge Black, but its not dangerous at al 7.fc2 0-0 8.0-0 was played in ‘Thomas ~ "Tomatos, Edmonton 2005, and now I suggest:m2 Leh e5 abedefgh B.HGN 9.803 DAA 10.h3 (or 10.8d2 06 L1Gdl Deft 12.803 fH 13.fxc5 dxc5t) 10. 12.. 6 11.1 Oxf 12.Sx03 abedefen £4! 13.@xc5 dxe5t Black is in full control hanks to che weakness of the d3-pawn and the 4-square, as wel asthe prospect ofa kingside attack Hwee uare 70-0 8.Dx06+ also considered 8.exf5N Sxf5 9.22 Wel7 1ODxGt xf 11.AH6 BAS 12.0-0 hs 13.e3 M8 and Black retains a slight edge. Another game continued: 8.23 fred 9.Lxf6 (Oadvelt is refuted by Qudbxf21) 9.gxl6 10.dxe4 £5 11.83 fred 12.f8x04 dd Black had excellent prospects in Kruimer - Ayrosa, cor. 2007. 8.ngef5 9.8h6 He8 10.03 hs 11.b4 ‘Also after 11.g3 We7 Black’ chances are higher 11.86 12,12? Pi 13.93 Bigs 14.862 “This position was reached in Blaine —(Chapter 5 — Rare 2nd Moves 13 Broyles, email 2007. Black has many strong continuations, but my favourite idea is: “net eo ae provoking a further weakening of White's dark squares. Black’ advantage is close to decisive B) 203 This has a similar idea co variation B with 2M, insofue as White is making a move which should be useful in a reversed Open Sicilian, So once again, Black should refrain from dS. DG 2...46 is a sensible alternative. 33 After 3.43 Black could consider, among other ideas, 3.5! with ...d5 co follow. 3.83 can be met by 3..06, with similar ideas as in our main line, Te makes sense to play a reversed Alapin, as 2-23 is unlikely to be of much use to White. 3.uc52 followed by ..d5 looks playable, alchough in that case Black would have to be mindful of playing a reversed Kan a tempo down, He eRuare 4.003 4.d4 exd S.exd4 d5 is another reversed vatiation where 42-23 is not the best way to have spent an extra cempo. 5.2d4 5 lack is playing a reputable system with reversed colours. It would be an exaggeration to claim that a2-a3 is a completely useless move, but it is certainly nor the best use of a tempo, so Black is definitely not worse. F243, “This isa rate but quite reasonable move. The B-pawn would work well in a reversed Open Sicilian, but it can also fit in with a Botvinnike or other closed set-up. 2udtbst ‘Other moves are playable, but this move seems like a good match with our repertoire choice against 2.3, 3.042 “This used to be a pet line of the Hungarian GM Istvan Csom,114 Lcd eS 3.813 eransposes to vatition B of Chapter 10, ‘White may also ty: Behd2 ded2} 4.Whedl2 QF6 5.03 0-0 6.3 Kommer- Hoogeboom, Arnkem 1996, Re aka 8 1 6 3 4 3 2 L 6..068N 7.965 I also considered 7.d4 exd4 (the solid 7.462 is also possible) 8Yrd4 d5 9.8d1 Be6 10.065 Wb6 I Lcxds @xd5 12.Oxd5 ‘Bxd5 wich equal chances. 7 BeB 8.02. d5 9.exd5 cxd5 10.d4 ef 11.De5 bd? 12.xd7 Bd 7= Despite White's exta tempo compared with the reversed 3,8D5+ Sicilian, the position remains roughly equal. Here I would like to introduce an interesting novelty, 3..0512N Before developing the knight to c6 Black seiaes some space inthe cencre, The weakening of the d5-square should not matter too much, as White's knight should be on 3 to take advantage of it. 4 4.23 a5 is likely to tanspose co one of the lines below. After 4.Bg63 Be6 5.c3 4E6 6.fe2 0-0 7.0-0 would like co poine our a small finesse: abedefeh 7 ..ta51 Avoiding the plan of b3 followed by 42-43, which would have given White a long- tern advantage of the two bishops. 8.23 d6= 4uiO6 S.thg? BeG 6.Dgh3 46 7.0-0 a5 8.Aig5 0-0 9.Alged‘Chapter 5 — Rare 2nd Moves 15 9.Aded Deb 10.03 h6 11.Dges De7= is also fine for Black. HR eR Uae abedefgh Sudhgh 10D xt Wei 11.004 We7 12.3 Wd7= roughly equal chances. Conclusion “This chapter has deale with an assortment of rate lines after 1.c4 e5. Certain options, such as 2.g@2, 2.44 and 2e4, suffer Fro drawbacks, as they either weaken White’ position o lead to a loss of time. On the other hand, 2.!e2, 2.a3 and 2.d3 are not 50 bad, as White simply makes a noncommnittal move and teats the position like a Si case, [ have avoided playing ‘Open Sicilian where the extra tempo could become significant, and have instead aimed for positions where White’s spare tempo is of litle benefit. We may therefore conclude that ‘White's chances for obtaining an advantage in any of these lines ave sir at best.1.c4 05 2.03 and 2.063 Variation Index A) 2.3 DH Al) 3.0/3 A2) 3.d4 A3) 3.23 Bb4 4.Age2 0-0 5.03 Be7 A31) 6.0g3 A32) 6.d4 exdd A321) 7.Bxd4 A322) 7.llhd4 B) 2.283 4 3.0d4 Dc6t Bl) 4.0c2 B2) 4.3 B3) 4.Axc6 dxe6 5.83 DEG B31) 6.442! B32) 6.h3 B33) 6.We2 B34) 6.3 AD) note 10 5.Bc3 130) aes 6a 8 ‘Eee 7 7h & Akh 6 6 a s 5 ‘ Pes 3 3 & 2 21 SES 1 1 f toedeten 8..Bg5IN 6.32N 117 7 118 120 123 125 125 126 128 129 130 132, 133 134 135 137 B34) after 9.43, 9.SIN,Chapter 6 ~ 2.¢3 and 2283 7 Leck eS This chapter will deal with two significant sidelines in A) 2.€3 and B) 2.083. A) 2.03 BACWE Oe Peer ret ee eer ae ae ‘This is another way for White to aim for a good version of a revetsed Open Sicilian, Unlike some of the lines from the previous chapter, the text move has the advantage of being useful in other scenarios as well ~so its not just a simple case where Black can choose some Anti-Sicilian line where White has a redundant extra move, 2M ‘We will start with this natural developer. ‘Now we will consider the sidelines Al) 3.0£3 and A2) 3.44, followed by the most popular 3) 3.03. 3.23 leads back to variation E of the previous chapter 3.b3 d5 d.exd5 Oad5 5.82 O06 transposes to the Larsen Opening, 3.3 doesr’t have much independent value either, as after 3.uftb4t we ate likely 10 transpose variation F ofthe previous chapter. AD) 3.063 A pretty rare move order. Biel Add D6 5.03 5.Axc6 dxc6 6.8c3 transposes to vat B34 at the end of the chapter. Hee euare 5.BeSI Challenging White's most active piece 6H "This seems like the most ambisious reply, but Black has enough resources to counter it. G.Ab3 fib4 7.2 xed 8.3 0-0 9.862 5 gave Black a comfortable posi Langmyhr ~ Harestad, Copenhagen 2012, a5 the knight is misplaced on b3. nin 6.Axe6 dxe6 is simile to the later v 34, but Black has played ..he5 instead of 215. Although this would not be my firse choice via the other move order, I still see no problems for Black. For example: 7.d3!? A natural attempt to exploit the aforementioned fact. 7..0xd3 8.8xd3 £26 9.0-0 dG! Followed by «0-0-0 and Black is in good shape.us 6..0-0 7.063 Bed 8.3 ‘8.AWc2 doesn’t reach the goal after: 8...b4 OMI d5! 10.cxd5 Obxd5 11.Bexe4d Axed 12.8)xe4 BF5 13,03 OMG 14.23 Oxed 15.fred Bred 16.Bxe4 What 17.93 WretT Black has regained the pawn, and his superior pawn structure gives hhim the better chances, 8...b6 9,2 267 10.862 De5 HRY Ruano abedef 11.0-0 11.2igxedtt Dxed 12,.Oxe4 Wh 13.43 6 is to0 risky for White 11..2g6 12.b4 Bd6 13.862 Be5= ck had no problems in Cardoso - Lizorkina, Internet 2011. Leh eS aR eR Ua! abedefgh Curiously, this position has often been reached as a result of White declining the Budapest Gambie with 1.44 4f6 2.c4 e5 3.03, Benen Black can also scare with 3...2b4t. Aoexdd 48xd421 is a senseless loss of time: 4.06 5.1 dS! 6.23 Be6 7.cxd5 Oxed5% and Black hhad a useful lead in development in Kurrike ~ Keres, Tartu 1935. 4nd 4uud5 is a good move, transposing to a hharmless variation of the Exchange French. You can find this analysed, from Black’s point of view, in both Playing the French and Grandmaster Repertoire 16, But justin case you prefer not to transpose to that opening, the text move gives you another good option. 5.3 Inferior is 5.Shd22! Oad2t 6,xd2 ‘Afier 6.2xd2 0-0 7.843 d5 8Be2 Deb 910-0 dscA¥ Black creates an isolated pawn and obtains the better chances, Anfinogenoy — Volkov, Moscow 2008.Chapter 6 ~ 2.03 and 208 abe 6..0-07. 888 7.d3 d5 8.We2 def 9.fxcd Heb 10.Obc3 Wd6E and once again Black has good prospects against the IQP, Hakiki ~ Sadorra, Kuala Lumpur 2007. 7.D3 Het 8.he2 U5 9.exd5 occurred in Guliev — Pribodko, Dimitrovgrad 2010. Now Black’s play can be improved by means of 9.fg4!N 10.0-0-0 fixe 11,Dgxe2 Dxd5 12.Bhe! HeGE with a slight edge for Black, forthe same reason as above. 7A? 7ud5 also favours Black. 8ud1 Now in Samiakos ~ Van Duuren, Heraklion 2008, the most accurate would have been: 119 50-0 Guktd3s a Re euare abedeft 6.0512 ‘Once again, 6..d5 would uanspose to a variation of the Exchange French where Black: is ar least equal. ‘The text move is rare, but it's an interesting option for those who wish t0 keep the game in independent territory. 7.45 In the event of 7adxe5 Black has a strong and surprising resource: 7..45! 8.cxd6 Bxd6 “Thanks to his development advantage Black is doing fine, for example: abede teh 8,,D)gSIN 9c? DxfSt 10.fxf3 HB 11.Be? 5! 12.0-0 duc$¥ ‘And once again White does not have anything to compensate for the isolated d-pawn. Ae Be ay ea 6 Zw $ «| Wea ‘| is a 1 er epere eas 9.23 Hd8 10.fe2 shxcdt IL.bxc3 We7 12.fe2 SoG 13.08 Sexcl= Black regains the pawn with 2 good position. 7.23 Sixcdt B.bxcd d5120 We have finally transposed to very rare position from the Exchange French. 9.Bed decd NO Bixc$ exd4 1H cxd4 eG 12.0-0 gd 13.Ste3 13.6 was played in Lundin — Edlund, Gothenburg 2005, when 13...25!?= would bbe my choice. abedefeh 13,..8c8N 13..€d5 was also reasonable in Lepan Sancho, Romans 1999. 14:h3 hs With approximace equality. 7nbbxeB#1N 7.ual6 gave White time for 8.ge2 in Hoi = Richtet, Copenhagen 2014, I would prefer to double Whites pawns while I have the chance. Bibxc3 dé 9.He2 Abd7 10.0-0 Bes Led 5 11.AF4 eB 12.063 Was 13.Md2 a7 He eeuare 14.Eael Dxd3 15.fxd3 Buel 16,.Bxel He8 Although the position is objectively equal, there is definitely some potential for Black to tty and exploit Whiees dodgy pawn structure. A3) 3.3 = ae Wee ‘ae a Rene This is the most popular and flexible choice. Budd This is the most logical choice for our repertoire as we will be playing the same way against 2.23, although there are a few differences. Firstly, dS is not much of a reply here because we can simply trade che knight off without having to waste time moving theChapter 6 —2.¢3 and 2.98 ma bishop again, On the other hand, White has time to bring the second knight to €2 here, before Black gecs a chance to damage Whites structte with «x3. 4Dged “The most logicel, preparing to recapeure on cB while maintaining an unblemished structure, The play is strongly reminiscent of the reversed Rossolimo variation of the Sicilia 4.d4 exd4 5.exd4 leads back to var mn A2. 4.82 leads to variation F4 of Chapter 10. 4.83 can be met by 4.806, though Black could also consider 4..a5 by analogy with jon E of Chapter 10. 40d5 This rare move advantage, 4, Bred 5.cxd5 0-0 6.23 Ged occured in the old game Von Bardeleben = Mieses, Berlin 1897. Black's best reply is 6.8RgSIN 7.073 and now the important intermediate move 7... White has two plausible responses: 2) 8.Oxc5 is met by 8. Bed 9.83 (9.3? loses 109.6143 9.64 WxeB 11) 9... Wg. b) BBM ef 9.Add Wadlf 10.texdl 06 T.Be4 b6 reaches a complicated, non- standard position with roughly equal chances doesn't promise any Gute? 7d 7.0321 €6 B8.dxoGN (8.032 loses a pawn without suffcienc compensation: 8..HaSt 9.Md2 WrdS 103 d6F Schule S. vanoy, Rethymmon 2003) 8..xc6 Black will fllow up with ..d5, with better chances shanks co his strong centee Fond 8.82 07 9.0-0 Here [found a nice ides 9..051N Getting rid of the potential weakness on ¢7. 10.43 b6 11.463 a7= Black has no problems. 4.00 5.23 Te makes sense to prod the bishop. Other moves are either less logical or don't have any independent value.12 Led e5 Ste? Tn the Rossolimo variation, White sometimes exchanges the knight on e6 and opens the centre, but we should not forget that were @ ‘tempo down compared to those positions, and so I prefer this quiet retreat Whites evo main moves are A31) 6.2)g3 and ‘A32) 6.44, Before analysing them, lets check 2 few less common options 6.g3 06 (6..d512) 7g? dS B.cxd cxd5 9.d4 ef 10.264 Ba6 11.63 (11.0-0 would have been safer) Now in Baches Garcia ~ Visser, Sitges 2003, Blacks most ambitious continuation would have beet T1.g5IN 12.02 ext 13.303 2h3 White ust Bind a vay to complete development and castle, while Blacks weakened kingside does not seem like much of a problem. Black is certainly nor worse. 6.e2 “This would be a useful move in a reversed Open Sicilian, but Black can do better with: 6.6! Prepating ..d5 followed by recapruring wich the pawn. 7d ex 8d 5 9nd ‘This was Balashov ~ J. Turner, Schwaebisch Gmuend 1996, and now I would like to recommend: 9.cxd SIN ‘Vacating the c6-square for the kaigh. 10.865! Otherwise 10.803 c6= gives Black a comfortable position. 10..26 11.S004 White is uying wo obstruct Blacks queenside development, but there is an easy fx 11.846! Now ...06 cant be stopped, while the bishop on 24 is misplaced. 6.b4 is a rare move wiich was frst played by GM Seirawan, Te decided to meet it with: 6 852 (6.u€6 also looks reasonable) 7.5 d5 B.oxd5 Oud5 9.Axd5 Wad 10.23 10,.WAGIN (10...d8 was less active in Brozhik - Moliboga, Kiev 2006) 11.12 fte6 ‘With a oughly equal position.Chapter 6 ~2.¢3 and 2.263 123, 6.3 “This seven less common than the line above. 6nd 6..c61? is also reasonable. 7.d4 was played in Zeller ~ I Farago, Boeblingen 1995, and now 7..d6N would have given Black a solid position. Toeed5 Dx abedef 8.0xd52N This is more accurate than 8.€e2, which Black can meet with 8.06! incending 9.Axd5 Bads 10.23 WAT with an ideal position 8..Hxds 9.83 Obviously reteating 0 d7 doesn't make ‘much sense with the bishop stil on ¢8, 50.» 9.16 10.082 feb Black would prefer to have the queen on d7 rather than d6; nevertheless, his position is still decent. For example 1b 112652 87 12.Yac7 Axb3F is beter for Black. 11.Be2 can be met by Ha.a6 12.0-0 £5 13.8b2 5 14,8441 4e6 with roughly equal chances, 11.06 12.0e4 Wa7 13.b4 Mads Black seems fine, for instance: abedeft gh 145 a5 15.fbx05 £5 16.43 F417 ex S16 With a promising initiative for the sacificed material ABI) 6.0)g3 06 Black’ idea is obvious ~ he wants ro rake the centre with ..d5, so White ties vo get there fi 7a exd4 S.exd124 Bade! ‘The queen turns out to be vulnerable here: 8.d5 One way or another, White's queen will come under attack. 9.fte2 Suoxd5 cxdS 10.Ste2 Deb 11H a4 (11.66? 12.0-0 Bc8 also looks good for Black) 12.exd4 @xc4F and Black will enjoy the bishop pair in an open position, Meister ~ Gajewshi, Germany 2010. 9.05 10.MAI dxcd 10.442 could also be considered. 11.Bid8 Bud8 12. fixed De6 13.04 In Noygorodskij ~ Sherbakov, Omsk/Perm 1998, Black’s best continuation would have abede ten 13..AR0GIN 14.8806 fret Black has excellent control over the centre, and White is in no position to take advantage of the isolated e-pawn, Lich eS Biud5 9.05, Ie? duch 10.304 Bbd7 11.0-0 AdG reaches a position whete the knight on 3 is misplaced, a it has les influence on the centre compared with che usual (square, 12.b3 Dbd5 15.Hel eG 14.895 Be8 15.82 Now in Bezold — Lukacs, Gyula 1997, Black should have played! abede 15..h6IN 16.842 6 With a comfortable position. Fon uufe8 10,fhe2 b6 11.b4 rect attempt to solve Black’ problems in Papaioannou — Gelfand, Plovdiv 2003. However, White could have obtained some edge with:Chapter 6~ 2.03 and 2.08 Fah 14.0 g50N decd 15.8xd8 Bxd8 16.816 pal 17-Belé Black faces a slightly unpleasane endgame due 0 his damaged pawn structure 12.44 hSt ‘Annivce way to draw attention co the knight oon g3. My analysis continues: 13.0-0 hé 14.0h5 Bxh5 15.fixh5 axb4 16.axb4 Hxat 17.Hixal BG 18.403 De7t And Black is doing fine 832) 6.d4 “This time White takes some space inthe centre ‘without committing his knight to potentially unfavourable square 125 And now we have a split between A321) 7.Bxd4 and A322) 7.Bxd, Toexdé He8 (7.852 also fine for Black) 8.23 5 Suexd5 Dad5 10.Lig? fhe 11.0-0 Des 12.83 Wad7= gave Black a comfortable game in Low ~ Yakovich, Bad Wiessee 1999, A321) 7-Bxd4 dS! When given the chance to play ..d5 in this variation, Black should nor hesitate, White has tried several moves from here, none of which leads to any advantage for him. 8.32 C5 B.ncdxcABIN 9.Bxc4 5 is also ood for Black) 9.085 dxof 10.2xe7 Wre7 11.Bxcd Hd8 12.We2 Ac6F Black’s better development was the defining feature in Bureza ~ Browne, Hastings 1972. Bexd5 Oud5 9.03 Axe} 10.bxe3 05 11.2 eG gave Black easy play in Bernei ~ S. Toth, Hungary 2009. B.D Be6 9.Add Bgé (9...8c8 would repeat of course, but why not try to exploit White's loss of time?)126 abedetfgh 10.£32 (10.Se2« is better) 10.8808! LexdS xd5 Black had the more pleasant position due to the weakening f2-£3 move in Rodgaard ~ Lakaes, Copenhagen 1987. Buddech 9.0xe4 “This position occurred in Sunye Neto — ‘Trois, Sao Luis 1981. 1 would like to offer a surprising improvement: abcde 9. BEGIN 10.0xc6 Wad 12x bxe6 Despite the doubled pawns, Black is fighting for the advantage due t his lead in development and the weakening of White’ queenside caused by b2-b4. 12.0-0 a5! Exploiting the aforementioned fact. 13.bxa5 Bras 14.04 Ded ‘With some initiative for Black. Let eS A322) 7.ixd4 abedefgh Thisis the most challenging way to seeapeure, as White prevents .d5, nc ‘Annew idea ofthe young Ukrainian GM Ilya Nyshnyk. Black is determined to play ..d5 in order t0 make the most of his developmene advantage and the exposed position of the white queen In most of the previous games Black preferred the obvious 7...¢6, but after 8.¥4d1 followed by Bf White takes fall control over the important d5-square. .2eit Obviously White should uy to prevent Black’ main idea. 8.232! transposes to 8.8hxd4! in the notes to variation AL 8..BaG! “The knight is heading for ¢5, highli the weakness of the b3-square. ing Ie 9.b40N is a principled move, when the caitical line is: 9..c5! 10.bxe5 @xcS 11.1Chapter 6 ~ 2.63 and 2.03 @fos 12.862 BAG 13.2 Oxcd 14.2203 d6 15.he2 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefeh 15. 5! 16.872 L651 17.xe5 de 18.805 a5} 19sbA Set Black's inidative fully compensates for the sacrificed pave. 95 10.861 In the event of 10.4dIN Black plays 10...5, securing the position of his knight on 5 and preparing ..d6 followed by a4 “The former move is important, as it enables Black to protect the knight on 5 after @d3 with ..0FH7, and thus ¢o Keep the o4-pawn protected White can try to prevent his plan with 11432, but in thae ease Black can switch plans with 11,.ce4 12,8xes @xed 13.0-0 5 with a good position, 10...d5! 127 “This move is possible due wo the unforeunate position ofthe rook on bl. 1.b4 fier L1.cxd5 £5! 12.b4! Black replies with 12..@xd5! (but mot 12,%xb1? 13,bxe5 threatening both 14.d6 and 14.€xb1) abede teh 13.BexdS cxd5 14.40xd5 Sexbl 15.bxe5 He8t and White’ compensation for the exchange is insufficient, oe foe Ws abcedefgh 11..De6l 12.Bxe6 Bxc6 13.cxd5 DxdS 14.8xd5 14.Be42N deserved attention, but Black is scill doing well after: 14.. 06! 15. x06 Soxfs 16.Wxd8 Baxd8 17.2b2128 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 17.405 (17...8xb22) 18.8516 Bxb1 19.Sx€8 Shd8 Blaclés position is slightly mote pleasane thanks to his control aver the defile Vfbxdl Black has clearly solved his opening problems, but can he fight for the advantage? 15.3 Mh44! 16.93 846 17.Wa2 Hes 18.862 Sixb2 ‘A draw was agreed here in Grachev — Nyzhnyk, Denizli 2013. Ie was a well-played game by Nyzhnyk, but he might have done well to play on, Here is how the play might hhave continued: 19.f8ub2 65 Fixing the weakness on 3, 20,202 WEG 14.5 Black is preparing to double rooks along the efile, Thete is also nice tactical point: 21.4 Fat 22.gxf4 Wh4t 23.081 Hee kun abedefgh 2BufheG! 24.05 Wadd 25.exd4 Ox05E ‘Due to the weak pavns on d4 and £3, White will have to suffer for a long time to hold the endgame, 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefegh ‘This move was introduced by Tartakower in 1923 and laterpicked upby Reti, Nimzowitsch, Rabinstein and even Botvinail, among many others. nedChapcer 6 ~ 2.¢3 and 2.013 129 Other moves are possible, but chasing the knight is the most principled, 3.Add Deo! Developing with tempo, and inviting an exchange on 6 which will accelerate Black's development. White's most sensible continuations are BI) 4.Bc2, B2) 4.€3 and B3) 4x6, 4.2b3 “This is similar co variation BI, but irs not such a good square for the knight, An intevesting reply is: 4052 5.44 5.a4M is exactly che move Black was trying 10 provoke. 5..2f6 6.4¢3 Now in Chelhover = Kan, Leningrad 1939, she mose accurate would have been: 6,..d5IN 7.cxd5 b4 8.43 (B.c3 is stiongly answered by 8...g4!F) 8..cxd3 9.exd3 hd6 10.895 h6 11.ithd Se7 12d4e2 © 5F and Black is better thanks to the weak pawn on d3. 5.exd3 G.exd3 G.e4? occurred in Esnault — Hinaulty France 1992, when Black overlooked 6.4 7.0342 Dt with a neardecisive advantage. 6.Wxd3 is also bexter for Black afier 6.46 7.83.45! 8.xd5 ad! 9.0.44 Oxd5 10.cxd5 Wad5 11.Axc6 Woe? G.uad 7.O3I2 O16 B.be2 e7 9.0-0 0-0 10,3 10,063 d5* gives Black easy play. 10..d5! 1L@xad Qd4 12.03 Qre2t 13.A)xed dae 14.dee4 WA3t Black has more than enough compensation for a pawn BI) 4.02 HR eR Uae ed 51 Suc 5.04032 is dubious in view off 5..dxed? 6.Dxe4 6 7.23 Now in Hebert ~ Acaik, Stratton Mountain 2000, the most accurate would have been: ape d FudieSIN 8.44 cxd3 9.exd3 WIT 10.fte2 (0-0-0 and Black i beter thanks co the weak e3-pawn, e feb130 S.nnd5 6.03 Wes 7.d4 exd3 8.Wxd3 BAG 04 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9..b4 5 was the less accurate continuation of Macieja ~ Bu Xiangzhi, Seepanakert 2005, 9.-bAt is an interesting alternative 10.2)xb4 Lost WabS L1kxbst 6 12.0xd4 Aixbe transposes to the note below. 10...8xb4 HR eR uaa e hapa S27 se abedefgh 11,62N After 11,WbSt HxbS 12.8xb5t 06 13.243 Be6 it was White who had co think of Led e5 equalizing in Thorsteinsson — Baumgarcner, cont. 2013. 11...0-0 12.463 e6 13.0-0-0 06 14.cbb1 Was 15.03 eS Black is doing well, B2) 4c3, Andel Sued BHR ‘An interesting idea, hitting the front d-pawn before White can get coordinated. AS ‘White has also tied sacrificing the pawn wit: 6.fte2!2 Wadd 7.0-0 O15 8.003 T also considered: 8.43 S&c5 9.2c3 exd3 0.ftxd3 0-0 abedefghChapter 6 ~ 2.¢3 and 2.083 131 11.Be38N (11.fg5 b6 12.813 D8 was aso fine for Black in Cardoso ~ Endean, Internet 2012) 11..Bd6 12.095 b6 13.b4! Bxb4 14.2065 Wes! 15.d4 Hd and White has nothing better than repeating the position: 16.5» abede 8.5 9.cxd5 Oxd5 10.265 10.03N @xc3 LL bxc3 Wrc3 12Bast 6 13Bseft Be7 L4EbI WHS 15.862 Mes 16.8xg6 hxg6 17-8xg7 Bh4 leaves Black with a slight edge due to his better pawn fg h 10.16 11.lad <6 12.Bedt he6 13.044 2G 14.85 0-0-0! Interestingly, from move 6, a complere role reversal now Black who sactifices 15.O)xe6 ido! 16.8485 fxe6 17 xe debs? Black had fine compensation in Cardoso — Kurgansky, core. 2010. GnfheS 7.We2 We7 8.83 8.d3N exd3 9.0074 Due? 10.sixd3 a6 Jeads to an equal endgame. is strong move was played ewice in che same tournament in 1928 by Fritz Simisch, “The database shows that 8,.€4 had been played five years earlier, by Griinfeld against “Tarcakower. en WES BS age @efegh 9.43 Of6 10.4495 0-0 11.0-0-0 In the second game White deviared with Li.dxe fied 12.0-0-0 do 13.32 Wes! 14.Soxt Hee RU aa ewe abe abede foe h 14,.B66t) 15chb1 ex 16.8 BRB 17.gx@3 Bx(GF Black had a clear positional advantage in Walter ~ Simisch, Brno 1928.132 Lech eS “The text move was played in Reti ~ Samisch, Brno 1928. In that game Black got 2 worse endgame after exchanging on d3, but a clear iprovement would have been: abc 11.d6IN 12.81 12,dxe4 fxed transposes to Walter ~ Stmisch above. 12.0871 13.142 Bd ‘And Black is doing fine, B3) 4.2)xc6 abede ‘This line was populatized in the 1980s and 90s by GM Jacob Murey, and has more recently been picked up by the young Russian GM Rakhmanoy. ‘The database also contains a few examples involving some of the great players of the past 4oudue6 Black should obviously recapture this way in order to open the diagonal of the e8-bishop, as well asthe defile for his queen, which will make it harder for White t0 advance his d-pawn, 5.3 “This natural continuation has been seen in the majority of games. “The only deviati a game of the A: swho experimented Comp Milano Pro, USA 1996. I would like to offer a slightly more accurate set-up than the tone chosen by the computer. 5..€MK6N 6.23 6 7.3 Wd7 and White has an inferior version of variation B34, as b2-b3 has deprived hhim of the #b3 resource, 5.86 ‘We now have a reversed version of a well- known Sicilian variation which occurs afier Led 5 2OB BiG 3.05 Dd5 4.03 Ducd S.dxe3 c6, Rakhmanov is probably the world’s leading expert on the black side of this system, which explains why he sometimes plays i with White as well. The positon generally remains closed for quite some time, s0 it does rot matter too much that we ace playing a tempo dovsn with reversed colours. Whice’ four main options are B31) 6.442, B32) 6.h3, B33) 6.W¥e2 and B34) 6.3, 6.0321 exd is the same as variation B31 6.g32! Fist played in 1925, this must rank as one ‘of Richard Ret least successful innovations.Chapter 6 ~ 2.03 and 2.085 GnStc5! 7g? 7.Mb3 0-0 8.bg? He8 9.0-0 occurred in ‘Comp Renaissance Sparc ~ Gulko, Boston 1993, and now I like the simple 9...8b8!NF followed by ..8f5, when the queen has nothing to do on bi. TunBtf5 8.0-0 0-0 9.8h1 So far Black had done everything sight in Reti~ Torte Repetto, Matienbad 1925. Now the most accurate continuation would have abede 9..AMA7IN 10.803 abst ‘White will haveserious problems completing his development. feh B31) 6.d42t ‘This is positionally risky and has never been tested at GM level as far as I can see. Hp eRuar.)| 133 Gend3 Zend This is the natural recapture, but the resulting seructure favours Black, as the backward d-pawn is a long-term weakness, and the d4- square may also be used as an outpost. 7Mxd3 Wad3 B.exd3 OF5 is similar, bur an even worse version for White. 708 “This atvempe to keep an extra pawn on the lkingside occurred in the game Weber ~ Richtet, Germany 1996, I would like to improve Black’s play with TnBte PN 8.83 8.Axd3 DgAt9.e2 Wed t 10.2xd1 0-0-0F and Black is better thanks to his active pieces and the various holes in White's position, 8..¥xd3 9.ftxd3 0-0-0 10.2 b4 11.Sg5 h6 11,..Axefl? is an interesting exchange sacrifice, but there is no particular need for 12.fsG6 gel 13.RAL Rdgh! 14.g3 Brod Both sides have some pawn weaknesses, but White's queenside pawns are easier to attack than Black’ kingside ones. TolheS 8.fe2 0-0 9.0-0 215 10.265 10.0e32°N is another try, but 10.204 is stl slightly bexter for Black.14 Leh eS 10.88 11.8d2 Bd 12.81 6e32N “This position occurred in the old game Fox 6.,.Be5 7.03 65 is a sensible alternative. ~ J. Mottison, Toronto 1936. Now Blacks play can be improved by means of 7adxe3 7,f%03? is too dangerous: 7...h5 8.43 4ig3 9.Fig) Bhd 10.sed2 Bes Hee euarie abedefgah 11.sbe2 0-0 12.Hel He8!F and Black is clearly beter Or 13.866 847! 14.841 Beste. 13.dheS! 7.442! is also inadvisable for White due to: With the idea of 14,.Wd4, getting rid of the 8~-exf2t 8.thxl2 pin and prepacing .. Rad, Black is obviously better, ft 7 B32) 6.43 6 “This move has been tested at least three times i by Murey. I found a fascinating new idea for Black: . 2 1 abedefgh 8...tbd! 9.44 65 10.03 We7F Black takes the ced-square under control and obtains a slight edge. Todd Lt 8nd also considered: 8.0xd1 eG 9.b3 (9.83 Birch 10.04 bs 11.442 0-0-0 12.03 Se7 and Black’s chances are slightly bettet)Chapter 6 ~ 2.¢3 and 2.083 135 12.251 13.24 fixed 14.she2 DeSF Once again, Black has won back the pawn and obtained @ nice position wich better development. 10...xd5 Lexd5 fxd? 12.dxe6 9..0-0-0 10,03 Bed 11. Ob? Be5 (11 lte7!) 12.b4 Qb3 13.Rb1 c5 14,043 Axed 15.862 67 Black regains the pawn and keeps some 8 1 6 s¥ 4 3 2 1 naan 8 7 abedefgh 6 12..0-0-01 13.exf7 fast 14.ther Bd2t E 15.dhb3 08 Bleck has fine compensation for the 4 sacrificed pawn, 2 B33) 6.fe2 2 1 8 abe os e < gh 7 8..Ab4 9.Bd2 Be6 10.045 6 10.08 Bxc3 11.fxc3 Bed 12thel also tuens 5 cout well for Black after: 4 3 |x 7 3 7k A 2 6 4727, 7 5, yf, | Bawa abedefgh 3 a 8 Ge 6.865 7.132 2 ‘“G “This flexible move is similar to Murey’s pec 1 oe ae line as analysed above, but Black obviously does not have the option of responding with 23 this time,136 Practice has also seen: 7.03 Wd? 8.h3 (8.63 0-0-0 9.43 b5 transposes) 8...15 9.63 0-0-0 10.8b2 ‘This was Murey ~ Chomet, France 2000, and now the most accurate seems to be: abedefeh 10,..52N 11.23 ceb8 12.43¢2 hé with superiority for Black. “This position was reached in Murey ~ Sax, Bagneux 1984. I chink Black should have continued: HR eR Uare 7.8KATN ‘This is @ standard developing move, and it invites transposition to the 7.¢3 line noved above. White has few possible ways to deviate from it, bur they promise nothing good for him, at Leh @5 8.03 leads straight to the 7.c3 line of course. 8.43 0-0-0! leads to similar variations: 9.263 exd3 10.ed3 Sxd3 11Mad eft 12.8xa7 Wes abede 13.chxfl (13x Weed fg hk 14.8a8t chaz 15.0-0-0+ @d5 168xb7 stb4F leads to 2 position from the main 8.g4 line with the g:pawn on g2, which doesn’t change much) 13..Wroit L4.tigl With the pawn on g& the king would have gone to g2— bur again, it doesnt make much difference to the evaluation, 14.86 15.6 brat ireedly protecting the ef-pawn due ro the potential mate on dlChapter 6 ~ 2.03 and 2.263 10.863 exd3 11exd3 fixd3!? Ic is worth mentioning that Black is noc ‘obligated to play this way, and a positional approach such as 11.,hS!? 12g5 8 ‘would also give him slightly beecer chances. Nevertheless, I will focus on the more concrete approach, 12.Wadt heft! 13.07 Weot Uji, 14.2xf1 1486f12 does not help White after: 14..UExed 15.8a8t a7 16.0-0-04 Ads 17-8ixb7 abedefeh V7eudtb4! Forcing White to sacrifice the exchange. 18.Exd5t cxd5 19.0xd5t Wxd5 2.Axd5 LAGF Black has good chances to ‘convert his material advaneage into a win, 137 14. cht 15.292 ae oI aa er pea. Vi, Ve: Ve, Age gy ia le abedef 15..2)d51 16.Bhd1 WaG 16..Axe3#? 17.fe3 dG 18.WaBt hd7 19,¥¥3b7 We6! also looks promising ~ its a matter of taste as to whether you prefer the queens on of of h 17.Bxa6 Bxe3 4% Black keeps an extra pawn going into the endgame, HR eR UaAre abede 6.85 7.863! fgh is clever move order is an attempt to interfere with Blacks plan of casting on the138 queenside, The same concept is also well known in the analogous Sicilian variation with reversed colours. In recent years, ic has been championed by Rakhmanov ~ both as Black in the Sicilian, and with Whice in che English with an extra tempo, 7.842 transposes to the note to Whites 7th move in variation B33, Fob 622 1 prefer to maintain the option of long casting, Tiuc, the pawn move slightly weakens Black’s queenside, but it should not be too A .teasonable alternative is 7.208 8.82. 847 9.b3 Ste7 10.852 0-0 11.h3 as in Rakhmanoy ~ Moiseenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013. Blacks king docsnit feel entirely safe on the kingside, but che position is sill roughly equal. 88d 1 also considered: 8.Ha4N Wa7 9.h3 h5 10.4 S67 (10..a5 11.054 is very messy) abedert 11.Gb2 (11.402 5! 12.8xd7t Oxai7F gives Black a favourable endgame) 11..a5! 12.65 (0-0-0 13.Bd1 c5% Black has a what he wanted: the queenside is closed, and so his king is perfectly safe 8.187 9.3 Led eS abedef oak SIN 9.7 wasa reasonable moyein Rakhmanov Seirawan, Berlin (blitz) 2015, but I would prefer not to commit the bishop just yer 10,8162 h4 11.13 Bh6 12.262 dG 13.244 n7 Black’s chances are by no means worse in this complicated position, He controls plenty of space, and he still enjoys a good deal of flexibility, as his king can either castle long or {g0 to 8, depending on the situation. Conclusion We have dealt with wo really interesting sidelines of the English. After 2.¢3 16 3.013 Bb4 4.2)ge2 0-0 5.a3 Me? Black is a tempo down on the reversed Rossolimo, but he still gets good chances with the simple plan of <6 followed by ..d5. In the event that White tres hard to prevent this, chen Nyzhnyk’s plan is a perfect example to follow. ‘We then looked at 2.4083, when 2.04 3.0d4 2)c6! leads to a different type of struggle, The critical continuation is 4Dxe6 deeb 5.3 FG, when Black enjoys fiee development while White pins his hopes on the benefics of his slightly betwer pawn seeucture. A long and complicated bate is likely to ensue, but Black’s chances ate certainly not worse.Lcd 05 2.g3 6 Sidelines Variation Index Lach 05 2.g3 26 A) 3.Wadzt 141 B) 3.43, 143 ©) 3.2g2 d5 4.cxd5 cxd5 145 Cl) 5.43 146 C2) 5.3 DEG 6.03 Debt 7.Dxd5 Dd4 8.2xf6t Weft 146 C21) 9.841 148 C22) 9.8d3. 149 D) 3.363 04 4.2d4 doe 152, DD) 5.438 152 D2) 5.cxd5 Wxd5 155, D21) 6.e3 155, 22) 6.4b3 157 123) 6.22! DAG 159 D231) 7.2g2 159 D232) 7.31 161 2321) 7..8hS 161 2322) 7...We6tN 162 DI) note v0 7-Best DI) after 80-01 D232) afer 7.B3t * (Bas ae 7 7 ake 6 6) Bk 5 s ‘ 5 3 3 a 2 21h ABO 1 i Ei140 Lach 65 293 ‘This used to be a relative sideline, but ic now stands alongside 2.0c3 as one of the two “big moves. ‘This shift in popularity must be at least partially due to the fact that 2.g3 was recommended in Kosten's The Dynamic Fnglish and Matin’s Grandmaster Repertoire 3, both of them extremely influential repertoire books. 2c Black has many possible se-ups, but 1 am recommending the principled plan of occupying the centre with the pawns 3.d4 is White's most challenging move, and i will be examined choroughly in the next two chapters Before then, we will deal with the following sidelines: A) 3.ad2t, B) 3.d3, C) 3.f0g2 and D) 3.063, 3.03 "This doesn't have any independent value as Black can easily transpose to the next chapter ~but he also gets afew independent options which White could have avoided with the 3.d4 move order 3..d5 4.cxd5 4.44 has been played a few times. Black’s simplest reply in terms of our repertoire 1c eS is 4.e4, which transposes to variation D of the next chapter. However, there is also 4..dxe42N if you want to take the game in au original direction. 4.ncxd5 5.84 S.uexdtt 5..e& transposes to variation A of Chapter 9, but the text move highlights the deficiency of Whites move order Badd D6 Black wil follow up with...€e6, gainingtime agsinst the queen and ensuring a comfortable position. We could carry on analysing of ‘course, but its clear that Black has a healthy position, and there is always the backup plan ‘of transposing to Chapter 9 with 5..e4, 90 it’s clear that this line is no threat ros. By the way, if White had played 3..g2 in the above line instead of 3:8c3, there would not be much point in 5..exd4, as White could simply play 6.863! to avoid losing time with the queen. (See 5.d4 in the notes to variation C below; where I recommend transposing to Chapter 9 with 5.04.) 3.63 “This was once used by Petrosian to defeat Korchnoi in theit 1971 Candidates match Despite the favourable outcome on that occasion, it is hardly & good idea for White (0 allow Black so much eontiol over the centre.Chapter 7 ~ 2.93 6 Sidelines 3.ud5 4.862 dé 4d is also fine of course, but I find the text move the most logical as ie immediately shuts in the b2-bishop. 5.0 6 6.43 Or 6.05 Sxc5 7,Axe5 AF 8.262 0-0 9.0-0 Bef and Black is doing well uc Tig? Now T would tike to improve Blacks play from LV. Petrosian ~ Korchnoi, Moscow (9) 1971, wich che nacural developing plan: abedefgn 7..c6N 8.Dbd2 OFF ‘With an excellent reversed Benoni for Black, due co che misplaced bishop on b2 A) 3d He ReRuare “The idea of this move is obvious: White anticipates ..d5, and wants to prevent Black M1 from recapturing on d5 with a pawn. ‘The same idea is sometimes seen against the 2.¢3 Si and its a bad move there as well, for exactly the same reason. may be Whites best attempt to reach an acceptable position, Ar the very least Black can play 4..dxo4, with a surprising ‘transposition to variation D4 of Chapeer 3.0 page 67. However, it looks more ambitious to play 4..d4, reaching @ strange kind of reversed Benoni with the white queen on an odd square, 4..847!N “This is the clever concept which makes Black’s previous move work 4..licd5? was completely the wrong idea in Djordjevic - Kurtovic, Yugoslavia 1991 5.tib3 Twill treat this as the main line, as ie is Whites only serious atcempe to hold on to his exira pawn, 5,8? is bad in view of 5.246 followed by 545, when Black gains even more time by chasing the white queen.a2 1h €5 5.6 Bxd6 6.43 O46 7.4g2 0-0 8.065 h6 is slightly beter for Black. 5.8h3 cxdS 6.fxd7t Wd? 7.Uxd?t Oxd7 gives Black a slightly better endgame. S.ncxd5! 6,BixdS After 6.¥ixb7 406 7.8h3 Qf6! 8.2xd7t @xd7 ie turns out thac the knight on 6 is ‘untouchable, so White has to spend more time gecing his queen out of danger. 9183! (0.Bxc6?? He8—+) 9,..fe5 10.81 abede 10,..8a5! 11.b3 He8 12.fa3 Ste? 13.0h3 0-0 14,0-0 Bfe8# White has managed to survive the opening, but Black initiative is still worth more than a pawn, 6 Be6 Black has an improved version of a reversed Morra Gambit, as the exposed whice queen enables him to develop even faster than he normally would. 7.3 “This seems like the best attempt to make sense of White’ set-up, “The alternative i: Sig? BF6 8.883 Wa5! 9.03 Add 10.81 10.B!xb7? Bd8¥ is roo dangerous for White. 10..dtb4t ‘And now, quite suprisingly, White has nothing better than: rset “The point is that the navural 11,868 runs into M.bxe3! 12duc3 Bad! 13.b3 Wae3t M4Bd2 Bert 15001 Wral—+ with a decisive material gain, 11..0-0 11, .Be8P is also promising, 12.d3 Bac8 13.S4d2 Who! Black has more than enough play for the pavn, ashe is well ahead in development and White’ king is stuck in the centre 71 The best move, avoiding the bishop exchange and insisting on winning a tempo against the queen by developing the knight to f6. 8.2e3 446 9-8b3 D4 10-81 Leb Black continues to improve his pieces with gin of timeChapter 7 ~ 2.g3 c6 Sidelines TL2F3 Oxf 12.ex63 143 12,8431 13.Ye2 13g? fhe5 14.Me2 0-D-0FF is also better for Black. 13.3 14.883 Sef Finally Black has regained his pawn while keeping 2 good position. A likely continuation abede fgh 15.0-0 Bight 16.fg2 Sng? 17.doxg2 IP Black keeps a slight edge chanks tothe weak d-pawn. abedefgh “This is occasionally wied by players looking toavoid theory, but it is obviously not the most challenging set-up as it gives Black complete freedom to occupy the centre, Brad 4d ‘Too passive to be true! 4.cu5 cxd5 5..4g2 teansposes to vatition C1 below. 4.13 deci 5,803? (5.0xe5% Hast would be embarrassing for White) 5..cd3 6.0xe5 “This may be White's best continuation, but ies hardly a serious way vo fight for an opening, advantage. Black can answer it, for example, with: 6.047 7.8xd3 abedefgh144 Lich eS 7.BdeSt 8g? Dads 9.exd3 O45 10.0-0 Be? With a good position 26 5.2g2 Bed dG 6.DghS 0-0 7.Lg2 Bes 8.0-0 occurred in Reshevsky — Portiseh, Lugano 1968. The most accurate co tobe: abe def gh 8..6PN 9.23 a5? With an edge for Black, thanks to his central control Sunftc5t Black develops actively and eyes up the f2 pawn. Guexd5 6.@b3? occurred in Nithander ~ A. Smith, Sweden 2013, when Black overlooked a powerful idea: 6..£x021IN 7tixP2 dxeét 8,042 (White should return the extra piece with 8.683, although 8..ceb3 9.Esb3 0-0F leaves Black a healthy pawn up) 8..g4t shel D3 10.8a4 abedetfenh 10..b5! The queen is trapped! ‘The only way to keep the game going is 11.Lxc6t Mxc6 12¥xbS, but after 12.86! 13.86 axb6 14.042 Bcd 15.3861 exd3-+ Whites position is virally hopeless G.nexd5 7.Bb3 2b6 8.063 Deb 9.0-0 0-0 abede 10.895 h6 11.36 Wal 12,062 BASE Whites opening was obviously not a success in Bilek ~ Portisch, Teesside 1972.Chapter 7 ~ 2.93 c6 Sidelines 145 Acad RR eR Waa! cde f “This time White develops his bishop in the hope of attacking Black’s pawn cente, Bund 4ucad5 After 4.d4 Black has the easy option of 4,.4, transposing to variation B of the next chapter but 4..dse4? may be even better 4.03? doesn’t make sense: 4..e4 5.04 dxc4 602 Black has more than one good continuation, but the following novelty is my favourite: a DEY abedefgh 6..4a62N (6...5! alo give Blick the upper hhand in Korley ~ Gulko, Ineernet 2012) 7.20xe4 46 8.852 e6F Black is beter as White cant finish development without advancing his -pavn, which will sul ina weak pawn on d3. Let’ analyse C1) 5.d3 and C2) 5.863. 5.dA is actually White's bese move, but ie has tno independent value because 5..e4 leads straight to variation B of the next chapter, 5.B6 Be6 6.0-0 246 7.43 Dge? 8.04 dd Abd? 0-0 10.Me4 eT 11.4 BeGF and Black was better in Muhtarov ~ Truskavesky, Alushta 2009, 5.232! is dubious due to the simple 5..d4 6245, Eppler ~ Kober, Gruenheide 1996, and now: 6..te6IN 7.4863 (or 7.04 Me7IF)_7...De7! 8WDST O47 9.0xe7 Sxe7F and Black is clearly bette:146 10405 Ci) 5.3 RUDI “This is too modest, and Black’s chances are slightly higher after: 5. De6 6.03 also checked: 6/0c3 Be6 7.213 dé 8.24 S5EN (6...Bb4t!2 was also good for Blacle in Kevac— Marton, Presoy 2002) abedef gh 9.Ded2 (6 10.0-0 Be7 11.Bg5 BA5= With slightly better chances for Black, thanks to his sttong cetnte, Gn fhb4t 7-Btd2 7.€\bd22t occurred in Paniego Alvarez ~ Jose Traeta, Barcelona 1996, when Black should have played: 7..c4IN 8idxed def 9.0g1 A sad! move make, bur there is nothing else. 9...\86F Black is obviously better. Tid? 04 8.Dg1 We7 also favoured Black in S. Nemeth — Brestak, Hungary 2004. 7aubteG 8.0-0 Now in Vakhidov ~ Sandipan, Raipur 2002, Black should have played the simple: abede 8... Df6N With some advamtage, thanks to the strong C2) 5.83. fogh HR eR Uae abede “This is certainly a principled move, but it is likely to transpose to another vatiation of the English which is known to favour Black.Chapter 7 ~ 2.g3 6 Sidelines Son 66 5.72 is a low-theory alternative, but 1 think Black should be happy to cranspose to the vatiation in question, 6.3 We have reached the target position, which usually arises afer 1.c4 05 2.g3 @(6 3..4g2 06 4203 d5 5.01d5 oxd5 6.43. Acs “This pawn sacrifice leads 0 strong iniative for Black 7.Bxd5 Dds 8DxiGt ‘The following alternative is muuch worse: 8.We4? Bxd5 9.8xd5 b5! 10.8617 10.06? is refuted by 10...8d7 11 Bsd7t ‘Wd? 12.83 We6 and Black wins on the spot abede feh 10.867 11.5 Det 12d Bra ‘This has been known co be good for Black since 1958. 13.8ea8 13.d4 WadS 14.fxd5 Bb8 15.de5 Le! 16.04 RB 17.h3 @c2 and Black’ extra rook ‘vas cnough to win the game in D. Byrne ~ Sherwin, New York 1958. 13.7 147 14.MeAN ‘After 14.8b3? fic6l-+ White resigned in Schreiber Dortmund 1986. ‘The text move is White’ only chance, but he is barely clinging on 14..2xf7 15.063 467 16.8 dae8 17.8b1 were Black is substantially bectet. 15.Me4 Axb3 B, Schneider, B..gxfGl is also promising For Black, but L would prefer ro avoid damaging my pawn seructace without a compelling reason to do White bas evo plausible queen moves 21) 9.84 and 22) 9.843.48 C21) 9.81 BFS 10.43, 10.4 loses to 10.,.He6l+ as fst played in Frumkin ~ Pedor, New York 2007. Hee Ruare Led e5 12.86, 12.63? is bad in view of: 12..a6! 13.exd4 {or 13.04 SpA 14.05 15! 15.fag4 fagd— and ‘Whites position is hopeless) 13..dbxd3¥ 14He2 (14.iel? exdd—+ is even worse) Wi udbadd 15.863 He? 16.6 g2 abecdefg 10,88 BFL 1L.EbI thé 12.69F1 (12.8422 is bad due to 12,,.Bxd2¥ 13.Wxd2 12 14.Ma1 0-0-+ and Whice is much too far bebind in development) 12..0-0 13.h4 Now in Gadia ~ Szmeran, Brasilia 1969, Black should have responded calmly with: and Black is beteet. Ln e5t Fast development combined with an attack ‘on f2 promises Black the upper hand, abedefgh 16..ffxe2! This exchange sacrifice leads to a huge advantage for Black thanks 10 his domination over the light squares. 17.Bxc2 Sixc2 18Me2 0-08 Philippe — Naranja, Havana (ol) 1966. White is also struggling after: 12.8xb7 %c7! 13.8g2.0-0 14.Bd2N (14.03? c2! was winning for Black in Pennings ~ Gertnets, email 2002) 14,..g4F White is under serious pressure. 12.8e3N may be the best defence, though Black retains at least a slight edge after:Chapter 7 ~ 2.g3 06 Sidelines 12,.c2 13.fbxc5 @xal 14.shb4 Der 15.83 Odd 16.f0xb7 Hc7 17.Wadt (or 17.fhed Bed 18.dxe4 H€73) 17.47 18,844 Wess 12,.0-0 13.e3 Daf 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 i V.fixcsN This is the only move to keep White in the game, 14x03? Bxe3 15.fee3 was played in Hausner = Baumbach, Leipzig 1978, when Black overlooked a winning continuation: 49 White is scl struggling due to his poor coordination and Black’s control over the e-file a ata YY a ote a — © Y e a 8 al 16.8461 Hing che b2-pawn and defending 7, thereby preparing tes a= HR eR Uae 17 Big? Ste6t 18.203 BEST Followed by ...81¢2 and Black is better. 22) 9.3. Ge A ein HR eRUare 15,..2fd8!-+ Threatening ..e4, with a decisive advantage. Vi BneS 15.063 Bh3t 16.d2gh 16.22 is answered by 16...We6! 17.£3 BFS with the idea of ..2e2, Despite his extra pawn, abedefgh “The purpose of this move is to mect 85 with ed, Deut 712 ‘A natural sacrifice of a second pawn, Black’ idea is to prevent, oat least delay, the150 development of Whites kingside, especially the knight, as shown in the note to White's next move Seudte7? is a reasonable alternative, 10.8xb7 10.0882 “This doesn't work in view of 10,65! 11. 1181 is met by 11..Ne6t intending 12.20h4 De2t (12.77) 13.hd) We?! ‘and the knight on 2 is untouchable. 1183 rons into 11...hb4t 12.8e7 eG when White must give up a piece in order to avoid having his queen trapped Ts ic6 12.8843 Black has gained the move .2td7-c6 for free, and can increase his advantage with 12,.0-0-01 13.Oxd4 Beg? 14.82 tb8 15.igh Jn Svebis ~ Langrock, Pontresina 2000, Black kept a big advantage after retreating the bishop to d5, but it would have been even stronger to play: abede teh 15..exd4IN 16.Bxg2 3 17.We4 sho! With a decisive initiative Another noteworthy game continued: 10.¢3?! Be6t 11.Bed (after 11.fxc6#N Wro8 12.cxd4 Behl 13.6bSt codB 14.s8F1 exdl4F Black is an exchange up) 11..0-0-0! A clever move, which enables Black to maintain his initiative Lich eS abede 12.41! eG! 13.45 65! 14.8406 Dxc6 15.He2 1S Black had great play for a mere pawn in M, Gurevich ~ Sveshnikow, Moscow 1992, abedefg 10...868 11.003! “This seems to be Whites best chance, although his position will remain difficult for quite some time, 11.fte4! was the dubious continuation of 1, Mueller Miskulin, Olomouc 2011. Black's play can be improved by means of:Chapter 7 ~2.g3 66 Sidelines 11..18746IN Intending to mobilize the f-pawn. 12.83 £5 13.843 AbSIF and White faces a difficule ras, 11...Hxb7 12.Dxd4 Wd6t Whites idea is based on simple tactics: Texd@ is met by 13:Mest+— and White wins che exchange. 13.83 13.263 Wad3 M4.exd3 WbSt2 and despite being two pawns down, Black's position is promising thanks to the powerful bishops and White doubled pawns ~ which are not only weak in themselves, but aso obstruct the development of the el-bishop. 13..AND6! 14.Wes 14.2b3 is met by 14..Ste6 15.04 Wa6! when Black prevents White from casting shore and sets up some unpleasant threats, MlheSt 15.Hxe5t Bas Black is temporarily three pawns down but he will win one of them back immediately, while retaining a serious initiative. 1605 fxf2} 175bfL Reb 18S gb 19.463 fixe} 20.dxe3 Heb 161 White has suffered serious structural damage, and the opposite-coloured bishops only Inctease Black’s attacking potential T will include the remaining moves of @ comespondence game where White was unable to withstand Black’ initiative. HR eRUarea abedefgh 21.thel BdG 22.Wy5t 16 23.1864 Be7 24.6 5 25.g3 He2 26.:b82 Hod 27.h3 RoR ade 2odhS! 28.8e1 28.gxh5 BPSt! wins qui 2B.ncoxg 29.h4 exh 30 Wadd g3t 31.Blxg Bc5 32.04 Bxclt ‘White resigned in Pfalz — Wicher, cont 2006,152 Lcd e5 HR wea a © White is eating the position as a reversed ‘Alapin (2.c3) Sicilian with g2-g3 as an extra tempo. His idea is to lure the pawn to e4 and then attack it with @c3 and fe2. Buwed 4,2d4 d5 “The rare D1) 5.438 deserves serious arcention in my opinion, but D2) 5.exdS has been played almost aucomatically in most games Di) 5.43 Benko introduced this against Tal in the 1962 Candidates tournament at Curacao. It has not axcracted many followers, bc is an interesting “The most accurate. Black develops a piece and protects the centre ~ what more could you ask for? 60g 6.23 “This move poses ewer problems. Gated 3 Taoxds 7.8xd3N can be met by 7..c5 8.063 4 9.Bled Big intending ...De5 and Black is fine. 1 also considered 7.cxd3N Wb6? 8.8 dé 9.Be2 Sig 10.892 (LOD Fad? cS is too dangerous for White) 10..8b4+ 11.842 Sixt 12.fxf3 05 13.0-0 fxd? 14.82 0-0 15.864 Hd8 Followed by ..a6 and Black obtains a comfortable position. WSS 2 77 abedefeh Tous 8.82 After 8.8txc2 @xd5 9.0-0 ftc5 10.883 0-0 11.8xd5 exd5 12.83 £6 Black is doing fine 8..e7 94g exd5 10ST 10,852! 0-0 11.0-0-0 oceutted in Wong ~ Lai, Hong Kong 2013, when 11...e8N 12.Bhe1 £47 would have been favourable for Black. 10..@bd7 11.0-01 In the event of the immediate 112xd5 Duds 12,Had5 b4t Black takes advantage of position ofthe white king in the ences 11..0-0 12.8)xd5 Oxd5 13.8hd5 Db6tChapter 7 “The chances are level, for instance: 14,Wxd8 BxdB 15,065 247 16.01c3 Beb= HR eR Uae Gunftbstt G.nheS has been played a fev times at GM level bur T decided to put ic aside, as I could not find clear equality after 7.863! &b4t B.ftd2 Sxd24 9.Bxd2t, as was fist seem in Benko ~ Tal, Curacao 1962. ‘Theidea behind the text moveis to lure White's bishop to d2. 7.D3t ‘The only chance to fight For the advantage. 2 his occurred in Oreshkin — Fesenko, Chelyabinsk 2008. Now I would like to bring to your attention a stiong novelty 2.g5 06 Sidelines 153 Tubb SIN Black takes advantage of the unfavourable position of the bishop on d2, 8.0b3 8.81e3 0-0 90-0 eB! Is a positional pawn sacrifice, the purpose of which is to damage White's structure. 10.623 ded Black is fine, as Li.due Ded 12.¥d2 Be8 leads to a comfortable position for him. B.ndbnf2t! 9.Biaf2 ot! “This combination would be no good if the bishop was on cl, as White could simply rerreat his king t0 gl 1o.dexe3 After 10.ftxe3 Qg4t 11.213 Black can choose between repeating the position with 11..De5t 12.982 OgAt, and playing on with 11...RIRGH! 12.24 g5, which transposes to the main line 10, gt L1sheS WAST 12.864 95 13.63 get exh Bd7! With a dangerous initiative, Tns0-O1 considered the untested 7...e3, but found that White can exploit the position of the black king in the centre: 8.8x¢3! (8.fxe3 dxc4 Sudxch tixc3t 10.bxe3 0-0 gives Black good compensation due to White's ruined structure) 8..c5 9Bladt! (9.cxd5 cxd4 10.Sxd4 xd 11fixg? Hg8 120-0 Be6 is less cleat) 9 RVbd7 UO.cxd5 cud 11 Sexd4 Sa 12.835 x6 13.0-0 White's chances are higher.154 Leh 5 8.0-01 T also checked: 8.cxdSN Dxd5t (8...18xd5 D.dxeh Bxe4 10.0-0 Bxcd U.bxc3 Oxe3 [2fixdS Orci 13.803 Bd8 14.$x67h cork 15.Bfkdl is slightly better for White.) 9.82 exd3 10.hxd3 abedeigh 10,.1a5! 11Bd2 Qxc3 12.bxe3 Se? 13.0-0 Dd7 148A O66 15.64 Dc5 16.2 Beh 17.Hab1 Bad8= With equal chances. This position was reached in Uddenfelde ~ Wahlbom, Skeleftea 1972. I would like to Introduce an interesting and strong novelty. Baue3IN ‘An important idea, sacrificing 2 pawn in order to damage White’ structure. 9.64 Soxd5 exf24 1OHL2 BS! 11.3 exd5 is good for Black, 9.fse3 dad 10.dxod Sxc3 I 1.bxc3 He8 and Black has full compensation due to White’ two paits of doubled, isolated pawns. A good plan for the next few moves will be ..a6 followed by .wc5. 9.fbne3!? sees White give up a piece for three pawns: 9..c5 10.8 xd5! @xd5 McxdS exdé 12.Bxd4 ebedefeh 12,.d¢g4! 13,h3.2h5 With mutual chances. “The text move seems like the most ambitious tuy. White hopes to surround the pawn and climinate ic under ideal circurnstances ~ but ‘we will obviously have something to say abous that. HE eeoruareaChapter 7 ~ 2.g3 6 Sidelines Suudtsok 10,dxe4 We7 Defending the pawn while preparing ..2d8, “The straightforward pawn sacrifice also looks interesting: 10..Abd7?? 11 fxe3 He8 12-262 Dypd 13. Med B18 14. er DAG 7 ABW) SHE O Ue — 15.Ab3 Axed 16.Bxe4 g6 178 Axh2 18.cbxf2 a5 With some initiative chanks to the weakened dark squares. He Reruair.)e abedefgh 11.Hds Best Black is doing well. (However, please note that 11.848 is well met by 12.Ed I with the threat of 5.) D2) S.cxd5 Had 5..cd5 Is playable, but White's exen p23 move would certainly be of some use in the 155 reversed Alapin. "The text move has been more popular and I chink ics the right choice s Cue” og abedefgh White has three reasonable mo. D21) 6.¢3, D22) 6.b3 and D23) 6.0 D21) 6.3 In the Alapin after 1.e4 cS 2.c3 Of 3.05 d5 4.d4 cxd4 5.8hxd4, the reply 5.06 yields excellent theoretical and practical results for Black. However, in the current version with reversed colours, the moves g2-g3 and c2-e3 do not combine particularly well. 6867.33 ‘This tempo-gaining move is the obvious choice. T suggest meeting 7.52 with 7..1e5! (the immediate 7...8e5 is slightly inaccurate in view of 8.d3!) when White has nothing better than transposing to our main fine with 8.0e3. 7 nlfeS 8.892 fhe White has tested numerous continuations from this position, none of which promises him any advantage. 9.43 move was played in a couple of recent GM games.156 After 9.0-0 0-0 White has nothing better than 9.43 exd3 10.Yad3, uansposing to the main line, 9.£42! We7 10,@de2 (10.0-ON is slightly better, but Black retains the upper hand after the simple 10...0-07) This position was reached in Heberla~ Semocsen, Wroclaw 2010, when Black should have played the simple; 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefen 10..0-0IN With a preferable position, for instance: 11.23 a5 12,Me2 fc8 13.h3 hSF Alter 9.8)de221 0-0 10.0-0 the most precise reply is abede 10...2d8!N (10.885 was played in Bilek — Gheorghiu, Teesside 1972, when 11 @xe4!N sbxef 12.d4= is a clever trick which enables White to fice himself) 11 8e2 8f5% Black is better thanks to his space advantage and the backward paven on d2 Led eS 9.Ab3z BbG 10.83 (10.44 exdd L1.Wxd3 0-0 12.0-0 B48 13.82 BaGF and Blac was better in Kron ~ Mitypoy, Ulan Ude 2013) 10..exf3 1 Wx Sp! abedetgnh 12MHQBN (12.84 occurred in Ngo - ‘Tran, Cao Lanh Dong ‘Thap 2006, when 12..8Xf4IN 13.gx4 DAG would. have left White with a lot of weaknesses) 12...Da6! 13.0-0 0-0 14.d4 WhSF Black is beveer due to the vulnerability of White’ central pawns. 9.2 xd 10.cxd4 Wadd 11 Axed Oxed 12.Bxe4 12.Breft Hreft 13.204 $h3! was fine for Black in De la Fuente Gonzalez — Gallardo Garcia, Madtid 2007, 12.dth3! “The most accurate, although 12...a62N is a reasonable alternative.Chapter 7 ~ 2.g3 c6 Sidelines 157 13:03 Bd? 14.963 Afier 14.42 0-0 15.813 Wd6 16.0-0-0 Sig 17.8d2 b5 18.b3 a5 White was under some pressure in Kashlyak ~ Geng, cort 2014. 14,.AWb4t 15.82 Wad 16.b3 WS 17.83 0-0 18.0-0-0 a5, With 2 comfortable position for Black. 9.exd3 10.Wad3 0-0 11.0-0 ors ae w wee abedefenh a6 isless convincing: 12.23.66 13.4 Bd8 14.8b2t Abasov — David, Bratvo 2013 (14.82? was also reasonable in A. Zhigalko C. Balogh, Warsaw 2013). T dont see a clear route to equality here. “The text move is better as White will have 10 deal with the pin along the d-file before getting a chance to complete development. 12.841 [also considered 12:8fe2 £18 13.8d1 a6 1423 gd 15.13 Bh5 with a roughly equal position 12 hb6 13.01 Sgt 14.83 £h5 15.94 B6 16,64 We7 17.43 h6= Blacks bishop may be blocked out of play with (415 ac any moment, but the rest of his pieces are more active than their white counterparts. I's a double-edged situation but I slightly prefer Black, as i's not easy for White to get properly coordinated. 122) 6.063 eh “This move is not the best way to fight for an advantage, as the knight often proves to be misplaced on 3, 7..d as been played but I prefer the text we, as I want to ensure that d2-d3 (or C4) will lead to an IQP for White 8.8g2 a5! Highlighting che unfavourable placement of the knight on b3.158 9.d4 It is hard for White ro do without this move. 9.2421 is met by 9..4e6! with the threat of 1WD6. 10.¢3 (10.43 may be the lesser evil but if thac is White’ best, he should go for the IQP steucture a move earlier rather than weakening the b4-square) 10.8851 11,82 He] 12.8d4 SLgGF Followed by ...)a6-b4 and Black is beter 9..xd3 100-02 1O.Rhed3 Wrd3 1exd3 24 12.042 fe6 is also pleasant for Black, 10.04 1.042 abedefgph 11 fte7! 12.4 0-0 13.xd3 Wedd Merd3 Leb Black has 2 good game thanks to the isolated pawn on o3. oe Re ode: Boe ee aa abedefgah Toll RN Leh e5 ‘An interesting novelty, ‘The queen is well placed on the defile, making it dificule for ‘White to advance the d-pawn. 7..WhS was played in the majority of games from this position, 80-0 8.03 transposes to 7.23 Wd8 8.892 in the notes above. Biudt ES Black develops a piece while overprotecting the e4-pawn, 92 9.03 Be7 10.82 (10.d3 exd3 1 Lexd3 a6 and Black is fine chanks to the isolated pawn on d3) TibieetaLreittiateChapter 7 ~ 2.93 c6 Sidelines 159 10..a5! Once again, Bhek threatens to crap the knight on b3. 11.c3 Wd3! 12.8hxd3 exd3 13.Qd4 Sg6= with a roughly equal endgame. 9.051 10.85 10.8441 “This strong move virtually forces the knight 10 go back. 11.263 U1.@xb7? loses to Ua7l-+ and the lenight is rapped. 11.824 avoids repeating the position but the knight is misplaced, and after 11.267 12.53 Dbd7 13.8b2 BAG 14.823 West Black is bereer. 11..8d6R Ts 1Hld8= repeats of couse, The text move is an extra option if Black is nor satisfied with draw: 12.d4 exd3 13.exd3 a4 14.Hett eds 14...e7? 15.84 leads to wouble for Black, 15.2342 Wad ‘White has some compensation for the pawn, duc to Black’s uncastled king, but itis not easy forhim to create threats. The position could be analysed farther and any resule is possible, but from a theoretical perspective we dont need to g0 any further here, as we have already seen that Black has ¢ draw in his pocket inthis ine, 23) 6.De2t abedef “This is White's best try. Essentially he has an Improved version of the previous variation, as his knight is noe stuck on b3 and can instead ‘move to the much better e3-squae. 6.26 ‘We will analyse D231) 7.8g2 followed by the more precise D232) 7.031 D231) 7.fg2 2 2 WAS, RMON A BY BAEWS 7s aiebi clatter et pian160 “This has only been played a few times in this specific position — but the game count immediately jumps 10 well over « hundred. ‘The explanation is that most games arsived here via the alternative move order of 1.c4 5 2,53 OF 3.292 06 4.263 of 5.0d4 dS 6.csd5 Wad5 7.002. In any case, the text move is slightly inaccurate as Black can continue: 7 och SE Interestingly, 7...He6!? 8.03 tansposes to variation 2322 at the end of the chapter. Although I believe I have shown that Black is doing fine there, I would recommend going for the present variation if given the choice, as Black has an easier time equalizing and even fighting for the advantage aftr the text move, 8.h3 “The alternative i: 8.83 hs! “This enables Black to solve his main problem: the weakness of the e4-pawn. 7 i 7 a 6 "Y 5 7 ay 3 f rr 2 [A BRENIG AGS wie Be ernest ar 9.De3 9.0-0 from Leer Salvesen ~ Brynell, Gausdal 2001, can be answered by 9...AgdIN 10.83, BeSt 11.Be3 (or 1.c3 fxg? 12.fig4 Wh3 13.8M 86 14Bxedf! fixed 15.Bxe4 d71F) 11..Dxe3 12dxe3 ex®3 13.exf3 0-0 with a slighe edge to Black hanks to his better pawn seructure. Leh eS 9. bg? 10.Oxg2 Ba6l 11 Wer 11..Qb42N 11.He5!? 13.Wad3 Abs 12d4 exd3 1441 Be7 15.0-0 0-0 was also slightly preferable for Black in Filip — Portisch, Palma de Mallorca 1970. The text move seeins even more accurate though 12.1 eS 13.03 Dbd5 14d Was ‘White scll has to solve the problem of the backward d-pawn, i te > |pre 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8..tligst Discouraging d2-d3. 9.3 Lao “This is the best square for the bishop as it leaves the e-le open for Black’s 1ook, which is needed to protect the ef-pawn.Chapter 7 ~ 2.g3 6 Sidelines 161 S.ndte5 has been played in some games, but I would prefer to keep that square free for the lenight. 10.263 ‘Aficr 10.d3exd3 11.Wd3 Wrd3 12.0xd3 0-0 13.0-0 Dbd7 Black obtained 2 comfortable endgame in Marangunic ~ Rogoff, Zagreb 1971, and a few subsequent games. 10...0-0 11.82 Black isin time to meet chis with: 11. eB Black reached his ideal set-up and enjoyed the better chances in Andtiasian = TL. Petiosian, Yerevan 2012. ‘The move onder below is more accurate for White precisely because it makes it hardet for Black to achieve ion, £ abcde Now 2321) 7..WhS has been the most popula but I believe the novelty 12322) 7..He6IN to be more accurate 2321) 7..1h5 “This move is an attempt co reach the ideal set up from the previous variation, but White can prevent it 8.Dedt “This strong move was introduced by the Hungarian GM Ferenc Betkes. ‘The idea is simply to open a path for the white queen to atrack the e4-pawn, Other moves give Black no problems, for instance: B.fig2 eransposes to 8.8c3 in the notes t0 variation D231 above 8.32 is a waste of time as thd is not a real chreat here. 8...8%g6! Black protects the eepawn in advance and restrains the white pawn, 9.2g2 With this move we transpose to variation D231, where it was shown that Black is doing well after 9.6. 8.d3 exd3 9.8xd3 a6 10.fig2 is best met by 10...8e7N= intending ..0-0 and ...Bd8, (10...8h3 was played in Svicller~Topalov, Flor & Fjaere 2014, bue I see no point in allow L1.SxcSt2N bxc6 12.8xa6,) HER e RUA Ae Bankes “This is Black’ latest ery but it does nor solve his opening problems. 8...0h3 is questionable duc to 9.83! b5 (or Suib6 10.Wadl xf 11Exfl#) 10.1e2 xf 11.Exflzt and White was better in Berkes — Borisek, Heraklion 2007.162 Led €5 Med 9.892" can be met by 9...ixe3! 10.dxe3 th3! with some edge for Black. BAP 0-0 10.8xe4 sed 11.Bhed poses tothe main line. abedefgh 9..0-O8N ‘After 9..fixe3 10.fue3 WeS 11.fg2 Bf 12.0-0 0-0 13.b3 @bd7 14.2b2 We6 15.8xf5! WS 16Axe4 Wy6 17.81 White had fine compensation for the exchange, and went ‘on to win a good game in Anand ~ Adams, Shamir 2015. “The text move is an attempt to improve Black’ play, but I can say I completely believe init 10.4)xe4 Oxe4 1.x 1 analysed a few possibilities from here, but ‘was unable to find fall compensation for the pawn, 12322) 7..HeGIN It took me a while to realize that Black does best to pur the queen herein order to keep the important e4-pawa well protected. Big? | found one game from this position, which aurived hete via the 7.8g2 move order. 8...Bc5 9,0-0 0-0 10.43 exd3 L1.exd3!N 1. Bd3 occurred in Notten ~ Greeskowiak, Finland 1987, and now I donit see many problems for Black after 11..18e7!= followed by ..AlaG and ..e6. “The text move is swonger and more dynamic. Despite the isolated pawn, Blacks tasle isnt easy, as hes behind in development and Whice intends to advance the pawn to dS, HRP eruare 11..Ba6t 11.848 12.d4 4e6 is the same thing.Chapter 7 ~ 2.g3 e6 Sidelines 12.4 88 13.044 Wt Black brings the queen to a better position 14.803 14el Wg6! 15,Me2 (or 15.De4 Dred 16.fbxe4 15-) 15...tb6= looks fine for Blac. abedefe,h 14a Blg6 15.2 15.fe5 gle is equal. 15.866 16.85 Dgdt "The most accurate. Minor-piece exchanges should generally favour Black, as they will dampen Whites initiative while making it easier for Black to target the IQP qb ic Hosseiirae tn 17.2)f4 Wes 18.h4 Dxed 19.fe3? 163, This is the most cttical continuation, sacrificing cwo pawns for some initatve T also checked an alternative: 19.8963 We7 20.fxe3 Se? 21.Stxe7 OxcT abede fan 22.d5 Dxd5 23.0xd5 cxd5 24.sbnd5 Beb= and Black equalizes, 19..1Bxy3 20.863 Wehd abedefgh 21.83! BAB! 22.Bafl! Wigs! “The only move to maintain the balance. 23.cbe 23.8d6 EAB gives White nothing better than 24.25, when 24...4F8= repeats 23.88164 2A.dixg7 24.593 HxeS! 25.Rixg5 Bxgi= could be analysed further, but it seems to me that Black has both the quantity of material and quality of position needed to counteract White's queen. 2h. sg 2 Badd Black can withstand the attack, for instance: Sigh 26.803 £5 27.8h1 Hee eruare ad Pgh 28.Bxgh figs 29.8h5 WES 30.WNe2 Re7 B1.Exh7t B= found no more than a draw for White. ede Lcd eS Conclusion IE White simply allows us to occupy the centee with ..d5 then we should have no problems ata. Bven when White arranges to attack the ede Siltg Bes I prefer to start by developing this piece before making any commitments on the ingside. Whites three most important options are Al) 6.04, A2) 6.059? and A3) 6.063. a8 1h eS 6.3 is extremely rare, though it was once played by Ponomatiov. 6...2ge7 Black should generally develop the knight here for the reasons described above, unless there isa good reason not (0, 7583 0-0 8.602! Ie seems that White is getting a bit too creative for his own good. 8...)g6 9.02 ext 10.ftxF4 abedefgh 10..2)xF4PN (10.87 1.4 Bee was also better for Black in Ponomariov—Mchedlishv Warsaw 2010) U.gefé Whé 12.842 He8F White may start to regret his opening choice “This is a pet line of the Latvian GM Mies, who has played it at least ten times 6 nbc 7. Me? Bd7Chapter 11 ~3.g3 Black keeps things flexible on the kingside and takes contiol of the ¢8-h3 diagonal, 8.43 8.08 fh3 (8...W61? 9.43 Dge? ansposes to our main line and also makes sense) 9.8xh3 Wh3 gave Black comfortable equality in Heemskerk ~ Pavlovie, Hilversum 2009: his next job will most likely be vo prepare ..65. 8..0g07 ‘As usual, we develop the knight here to avoid blocking the pave. 9.DE3 6 10.842 Sending the knight towards «8 is a wypical plan in these positions, 10,b3 0-0 11,Bd2 transposes to the next note, 10...0-0 11.0 f1 ‘After 11.b3 a6 12.862 (5 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.A)e4 Whe 15.h4 eG 16.83 labs Black was ready to play ..b5 and stood better inn Miezis ~ Medlvegy, Liverpool 2006. 1.aSN I believe this to be the most accurate, although 11 ..ae8 12.b3 (5 wasalso promising, for Black in Miezis ~ Hectos, Germany 2011 29 iad In the event of 12.0¢3 a4 13,845 Ba5t, followed by ..f5, the cf-pawn is becoming a sargee 12.158 13.5 Bal5 He eruare 14.23 BEE ‘White is already worse; he cannot castle as the h3-pawn will hang, and meanwhile he must worry about ..afB, A2) 6.0522 abe defgh ‘We have seen similar attempts to damage Black's pawn structure in the previous chapter. Gnfdge7!230 Just as before, Black should simply ignore it. His last move prepares ..d5, so White had beter exchange on d6 while he has the chance. Tacx cxd6 8.04 Another game continued: 8.083 0-0 9.0-0 5 10,fed FS (10,..h6P= also looks logical, sccuting the e6-squate forthe bishop) abedef an 11.8d1 We7 12.63 BfA8~ Black was doing fine in Ruckschloss ~ Berescu, Bansha Sciavnica 2006, thanks to his strong, centr. 8...0-0 9.2£3 h6! 10,0-0 ‘Now Black’ play in Vaarala ~ Adhiban, Oslo 2013, ean be improved by means of: abedefgh 10...£51N ‘With this dynamic move Black gets eady t0 climinate the e4-pawn, which will enable him Lcd e5 to play «dS and control the centre, ‘The rook: ‘on £8 also approves of the decision! 11.Wb3t Gh 12exf Oxf 13.0h4 £d3 M.Ed 14.fel d5 looks good for Black. Met "White has 2 chance to force a draw here: it’s not his only option of course, but I dont think. he has anything better. HR wR UA |@ 15.Sixh6t xh 16.86 Sog7 17. ght hs 18. HG dag7= ‘With a repetition. 53) 6.03Chapter 11 -3.g3 1 suggest meeting chis with the rare bue nonetheless highly logical moves Goh The immediate 6...te62 is strongly met by 7.2igsts, so che text move is intended to prepare it 70-0 ‘Another good example continued: 7.04 hes 8.b3 (8.Mez WA7 94h3 Dgc7 leads back to variation A1) 8..81d7 9.43 #ge7 10.82 0-0 11.81h52! a6! Preparing ...b5. 8 7 6 £ 5 OS 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 12.a4 Ba5 13.0-0 bS! 14.F4 £6 15.axb5 axbs 16.f4e5 dxeS¥ Black was on top in Miezis — Gyiimesi, Cork 2005. 7onfhe6 8.63 gc? 8.87 is equally valid and may ranepose 9.Det Wd7 10.De2 BB Led fag? 1ahag? 65 12,.0-0-08 followed by strong. 15 was also 1Beexf Now I would like to introduce 2 simple novelty to avoid a check on hi. 231 Tn the only game fiom this position Black played 13..0xf5, and after 14.8h5t WE 15.Bixt7t Bxf7= the endgame was equal in Jobava ~ Aamaiparashuill, Kallithea 2008. 14.2 14.g4 is well met by 14..5 15.8 Bd, followed by ..g6 to open the kingside. 14... Oxf, Black’s opening has clearly been a success HR wR Aare abedefegh White is following one of the classical principles of chess by capturing towards the centre232 4d 5.892 De7 Black used to prefer 5...¢6 but the text ‘move has taken over as the main line nowadays Black is developing in the most flexible way, by leaving both the c- and Epawns free co advance, We will consider four main options: BL) 6.b1, B2) 6.013, B3) 64 and BA) 6.43. 63 is occasionally seen but it doesn't threaten Black at all, 6..0-0 7.e2 @be6 8.0-0 dhe6 9.43 WA7 and Black was fine in Chiburdanictze— Levitina, Shanghai 1992. B1) 6.8b1 -s HR eR Ua ae abedefgh White more ot less forces Black to develop his knight ro 6 and thereby prevents the ..c5 set-up. However, there is price to pay in ‘moving the rook to bl so eatly in the game, 6... Dbo6 7.43 7.483 doesnt change much, and aier7..0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.d3 we convert to the main line, 2.04 “This can be viewed as an attempe ro play in the same manner as in variation B2 below, having deprived Black of the option of a w€5 setup. However, there is a concrete Led e5 drawback as the rook on b] may be attacked by Black’ light-squared bishop. 70-0 8.803 BS Black protects the b7-pawn and takes the rook off the long diagonal, chereby preparing both FS and ..6. 9.0321 9.ADEIN is beter, but then 9.05 reminds us that the rook is abedetrgh 9.6! “The pawn on of is becoming a target. White attempts a tactical solution but it leads to even greater problems: 104052! dxc5 1 1.d5 a5 12.Sbxe5 5 Forcing White to exchange his dark-squared bishop. 13 Sbxe7 Wae7® Black was clearly better in Salvador — Torre, Boracay Island 2012, thanks ¢o the numerous holes in White's position 70-0 8.283 b6 9.0-0 In this already pretty rare position, Black has a pleasant choice. Bb82 9.f6 is another sensible move, covering the g5-square in order to play ...te6 followed by 7. After 10.8el (10.042 68!2N resembles our main line) 10..8e6 11.€c2 Wa7 12el Hh3 13.8h1 Bae8 14.03 ds!Chapcer 11 ~ 3.93 the position was balanced in Laboke~ Psakhis, Ramat Aviv 2000. 1 consider the text move to be a slightly mote fiexible and precise choice. The poi the pawn is not always needed on it ‘might go to £5 in one move, asin the following example: HR ek Uarea 10.4e1 If White plays a waiting move, Black can either prepare ..Jle6 with .h6 or look to improve his position is some other way. 10...Be6 11.Bc2 WAT 12.Bel £5 Black was at least equal in Znamenacek ~ Laketic, Prague 1989. B2) 6.43, Sa 233 This logical developing move is usually connected with a d2-d4 set-up rather than cone wich d2-d3. I would like to introduce an interesting new concept: 6..e52N Black is fighting for space in the centre, while preventing any possibility of ef-c5 to swap off one of White's doubled pawns. Most games have d with either 6..be6 oF 6..0-0. The later move isa good, flexible choice, which preserves the option ‘of ..c5. White can prevent chis with 7.422, ich case7..bc6 immediately transposes to 7.263 0-0 in the notes to variation B3 below. 7.44 7.43 0-0 transposes to the note on 7.063 in variation B4, ‘The text move leade to a weitd version of a Nimzo-Indian, where both sides hhave their chances, 7aullte7 8.Btd31t A tricky move order, 8.0-0 0-0 9.8743 Qbe6 uansposes to our234 8..0-0 is playable but find 9.0g52 slightly annoying ~ this is one ofthe points of Whites previous move, 9.0-0 9.dc52 ‘Thisis another option which is only available thanks co White’ tricky move order. 9.ncdneS 10.63! ‘Avery concrete idea, exploiting the fact that Black bas no good way to protect the ¢5 pawn, abedefgh 10..0-01 However, he can sacrifice it! 11.Bixe5 b6 12.85 a6 13.84 Bd7 14.83 [also checked the following alternatives: 14.05 a5 15.823 (15.8hd WcS=) 15..b5 16.Axe5 WreS 17.YraS Bo6 18.S0F4 Wes with a nice initiative for a pawn, 14.0-0 Dd 15.Hal Daft 16.865 Beds 17.¥e2 e6 Black wins back the pawn while keeping the berter structure, although White should be able to hang on 10 equality chanks to his bishop pair. 14,406 15.05 5! 16.0-0 BAB Black has good compensation for the sacrificed pawn, thanks 10 his well-placed pieces and White’ clamaged pawn structure. 0-0 10.04 ‘Afier 10.45 @a5 11.e4 b6 122 Wz! Black has a good position. His ideas include Leh eS lad and ..8ta6 to attack the c4-pawn, as well as kingside countesplay with 1. WO..cxd4 Lexdd exd4 12.8xd4 Oxdd 13.Wxd4 De6 14.143 Leo HR eRUare 15.05 Afier 15.f03 Bac8 16.8641 2£38 the mutual pawn weaknesses on c4 and d6 make the position approximacely equal 15 .udxe5 16,3805 £6! 17.862 Tn the event of 17..2°4 BF7= the black queen is happy enough. Myf BO ahs ee abedefgh 17.0S8acB 18.8fU1 BAB lack is well coordinated and I dont see how HR eR UaeChapter 11 ~3.g3 ‘White can do anything special with the bishop palit, 0 the chances are equal. B3) 6.d4 bes “This position has often arisen via the 5...A)bo6 move order 7.06 7.ftad 0-0 813 (6 9.0-0 ransposes t0 7.85 below. 7.23 0-0 8.0-0 £6 ‘This may look a litde passive, bue it not bad at all. Black is strengthening his centre while preparing ¢0 transfer the queen 10 either £7 or h5. 9.843 Sbh8 10.843 b6 11Badl A draw was rather prematurely agreed here in Bunzmann — ingom, France 2005. A logical continuation would be: in a, 235 11.88 Preparing .h5. Black is at least ‘equal, and itis not casy to suggest a good plan for White, 12,c5# would be a mistake in view of L2abxe5 13.dxc5 d5! when the bishop on 23 is misplaced 70 8.063 b6 Black prepares to attack the weak e4-pavm, in the spirit of the Nimzo-Indian, aboder 9.0-0 £6 10,883 Das 11.05 White gets sid of his weak pawn but the cl-square remains weak. 11,)42 occurred in Filguth ~ Madeira, Cabo Frio 1984, and now I would like to offer the ‘natural improvement: 11..taGIN 12,51 We8! (bur not 12,..AxeA? 13.9831) 13.001 WE 14.8Yad B67 15. 85236 16x85 WaFS= With a comfortable position for Black. Laudtgdt2N 11..Me8 12.822! occurred in che game S. Novikov — Caruana, Dagomys 2010, when 12...dxeSIN 13.duc5 Ye6 would have given Black a promising position. However, White hhas an obvious improvement in. 12.cxd6N cxd6 13.843, when Black is doing okay but hhis queen is not so well placed on ¢8. The idea of the text move isto get a slightly better version of ths line 12.cxd6 12.tlad WeBl= gives White nothing. 12,uexd6 13.883 Be8 14.0d2 Bd7= Even though White no longer has doubled pawns, Black still has che convenient plan of doubling his rooks along the e-file, with pressure againsc the c3-pawn. 14 e5 BA) 6.d3 0-0 ; A 5 Z at ” ae ar hed 2h 1 “ewes ®e abedefgh 1 suggest delaying the development of the 4queer's knight in order to preserve the options of -.c5, «B\c6 or even ..fd7, depending on ‘Whites next move. 7.8h3 After 7.063 e5 8.0-0 @be6 9.8b1 I would like to offer a slight adjustment on Dunn Hodgson, Edinburgh 1989, with: 9...b62N 10.22 Se6 1 1.el Wd7~ 7.8b1 Bd7! Black protects the b7-pawn indirectly. 8.063 Bb8 Preparing ..b6 followed by ...£b7. 9.04 Now T would lke t ineroduce 2 novelty.Chapter 11 9..b61N Shirov was success with 9..f5 but I don't fully rustic: 10.ex/5 46 11.0-D9N (11.0 g52 Sixf5 12.0-0 a7 13.Bel h6 was good for Black in Ljubojevic~ Shiroy, Moscow [bli 1993) 11ixf5 12.0h4 hed 13.0 Shs 14.g4 eb! 15.82! (in the event of 15.gxh5 Dxh5 16.Hel DEA the threat of ..g5 means that White has nothing better than allowing a repetition after 17.Ah1 Oh3t 18.sbg2 DEAT) 15..8d7 16.85 By 17.14! Wich some initiative for White. 10.0-0 867 11.2 cS 12.fe3 Whad7= Black has a solid position and he will look to play .5 when the time is ight 751N be 8.0-0 B47 9.5 He 10.02 ‘occurred in Kosov ~ Ovetchkin, Novokuznetske 2008, when 10...ex/42N would have led to mutual chances, However, the text move seems preferable to me. 8.4 Dbe6 9.0-0 We7 10.04 Jin such positions, i is vital to prevent White from playing f4-15 followed by a kingside pawn storm. So.. 10..exfat 1. @xfs 1gxf should be mee by 11.05! — again, before White gets a chance to play £4.15 3.g3 237 himself, Black has a good position, especially considering the long-term weakness of White's pawn structure 11.85, ‘A good square forthe ks 12.3 £d7 13.63 ix ~ HR we RU are olEN This is not the only reasonable move, but ic is quite logical to challenge and possibly exchange White's one remaining knight. We hhave reached an interesting middlegame with roughly equal chances, Conclusion 3.g3 is a logical move, and 3...xc3 leads to an interesting game whichever way White recaptures. dic3 d6 Sg? De6 gives Black a rather pleasant version of a reversed Rossolimo, ashe can derive some benefit from the fact that his knighe has nor yer committed to the fS-square, 4.bxc3 is the more popular option, when I suggest the mast flexible plan of development with 4..d6 5.Shg2 De7, Black’s exact choice of set-up will depend om what White does next, but itis worth remembering that ..€5 followed by ..Abe6 is an unusual but rather promising plan which enables Black to claim a good share of space in the centre.Ras Wee ABAUAE A) iS) 1.405 3,05 Variation Index L.c4 €5 2.23 &b4 3,045 By AREA SS | abeceteh A) 4.b4 S68 240 Al) 5.a3 240 A2) 5.4b3 241 A3) 5.2b2 242 B) 4.03 Bf6 244 BI) 5.b4 244 B2) 5.d4 245 B3) 5.De2 247 © 4.63 6 5.93 d6 249 Cl) 6g3 249 C2) 6.d4 251 C3) 6.03 We7t 7.d4 exdd 8.Axd4 DIG 9.8462 0-0 10.0-0 452? LLcxd5 oxd5 253 C31) 12.63 254 C32) 12.63"2N 255 Al) ofr 9.4 13) afer 9.04 C31) afer 18. ‘ oz eS ® 7 1 ial > 6 ‘ ‘ s s & 5 4 ‘ 7 ‘ 3 3 2 2 2 2 a bede ten 18,.8hNChaprer 12 = 3.045 Lek e5 2.063 bd 3.045 This is generally considered the most critical test of Black’ ast move, BanhheS Black is now ready to take the centre by means of ..06 and .ud5 ~ that is why he was happy to lure the knight to d5. 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 239 6.0 TN 7D cf 8.044 dS 9.cxd5 0-01F Followed by ..cxd5 and Black is berter. 4.432! does nothing to stop Blackfrom catrying ‘out his plan. 4.06 (4,..8¢7N isn'ea bad move in tse, ur ic seems more logical to drive the knight back and take over the centte) 5.23 5 6.803 d4 7.De4 She7 8.93 ‘This position cccuirted in Solys ~ Vysochin, Warsaw 2009. Here I would like to offer ‘We will analyse three main moves: A) 4.b4, B) 4.¢3 and C) 4.263, 4.Mad?l is intended to discourage ..c6 followed by ..d5, as the e-pawn wil be pinned. However, placing the queen on such an odd square cannot promise White anything good. 406 5.803 Df6 6.4 Now in Benes — Svatos, Ceech Republic 2002, Black should have gone for the simple retest abedefeh 8...Mc7PN The idea is to strengthen the centre in preparation for ..f5, For example: 9.8g2 £5 10 Bed? BF (10..c51 11,0-0 Web also looks promising) 110-0 0-08 4.g3it move also fails to set any problems, 06 5.3 5.0c3 is best answered by 5..d5IN, though 5.06 was also pleasant for Black i Vassiliev ~ Grandelius, Golden Sands 2013. Sud 6.22 Gcxd5 cxd5 7.ftg2 OM gives Black easy play. “The text move is intended to meet 6. .c4 with 7.d4, when White is not doing so badly, but 4 mote convincing reply is: 6.x! 7.8g2 7.2xe52? is impossible in view of 7..8id4—+ 7 ufBDI6 8.0-0 Obd7=240 icxing he bishop isa natural and aggressive idea. hun fA BL ‘An amazing situation has arisen: Black hs, in effect, answered Lol with 1..e5 and then given White three() fice tempos, which seems like a comical waste of time, But when you Jook ae the position, it does not take long to see thatthe knight on d5 is about to be pushed back by ..c6, while the b4-pawn also requires protection. abcdef White may proceed with AI) 5.3, A) 5.83 or A3) 5.862. Leh e5 5.Hb12! was tested just once, and deservedly so. 5..c6 6.40e3 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.d3 Of6 9.Sg5? ‘This was Sargissian ~ Volkov, Rijeka 2010, and now Whites inaccurate opening play could hhave been punished by means of abedefgh S.oaSIN 1O.bxaS (108x662 gel; 10.03 axb4 Ll.axb4 De6 12.65 Db4-+ and White is in deep trouble) 10..1Wxa5 11.842 Bb4¥ Black has a serious development advantage, Al) 5.a3 £6 6.23 d5 He Re RU are 7.03 BK6 8.862 dat? 8.-.le6 was okay in Korobov ~ Moiseenko, Kiev 2013, but the text move is more ambitious. 9.Ba4Chapter 12 ~ 3.d5 2a HR eeuare 9eSIN 9.25 is less precise because of 10.c5! as in ‘Zhake-- Lupynin, cort. 2008. 10.85 10fxe5 Bxe5 1 L.bxc5 0-0 12.063 Qo? resembles a favourable reversed Benko Gambit for Black TO.bxe5 eG 11.065 25 gives Black excellent prospects: Whites extra pawn is nor doing anything and his knight is misplaced on a4. The text move is an interesting attempt to attack our pawn centre, but we have a good answer availabe 11.465 dot 12.84 12.exd 42! cxd4 13.Stxd4? loses to 13.cBe7! as Whites knight is rapped in the middle of the board 12...exf3 13-Dx83 dxe3 14.dxe3 0-0 Black has a promising initiative. A2) 5:13 06 6.3 6.2432? was played in Schuurman ~ Peek, Amsteedam 2001. 1 suggest 6.216. in order to prepare ..d5. A logical continuation is 7.0B ef 80d4 a5 9165 eS 10.862 a4 11, We? 23 12.83 0-0 13.3 d5 and Black is certainly not worse, 6. BEG 7S 7.eA is well met by 7..25, fighting for the dark squares. 85 fhe5 9.2432! abedefeh2a ‘This was Salmensuu —Timman, Koge 1997, and now 9..g4!N 10.4\d1 0-0 11.63 d6e would have been promising for Blac. 7neh 8.044 8.4.g52! is the wrong direction for the lenight. 8..d5 S.exd5 cxd5 10.93? occutred in Gross ~ Lau, Germany 1985, and now Black could have obtained a huge positional advantage by means of: 10..hGIN 11.0h3 44 124d) QoGF With total domination in the centre ‘The text_move occurred in Semeesen = Vysochin, Lvov 2010. Black has a Few playable moves, but my choice would be: abede Bahe7RN 9:03 9.065 is nothing 1 worry about: 9..0-0 Led eS 10.03 d6 11.0xe7t Bxe7 12.h3 Dbd7 13.82 e5 Followed by .fte6 and Black’ position is ‘more pleasant 9..0-0 10.St02 45 LexdS oxd5 12.b512 Otherwise Black plays ..0e6 with a comfortable game 1206 13.43 axbS 14.8x07 Wxe7 15.Qexb5 2e6 16.0-0 &d7= ‘With equal chances A3) 5.62 06 6.03, Ie an ittegular position, to say the least! Black should start by reinforcing his cential pawn, thus making ..4xb4 into areal threat 6...16 7.03 7.Hiad De7! 8.g3 dS! 9.8p2 d4¥ was better for Black in Shaked —Timman, Hoogeveen 1998. ‘Whize has also tried 7.8b3 a5 8.23 8,65 occurred in Jina ~ Johansen, corr 2000. My suggestion is: 8..\e72N 9.203 5 10.fixe7 hxe7 LL.bxe6 bxe6 12exd5 851 A dificult move co anticipate. 13.dx06 Dxc6 14,45 fixed 15.Wxc6t a7 Black's development advantage gives him serious compensation for the sacrificed pawn,Chapeer 12 = 3.045 243 abede B.naxbd 9.axb4 Exalt 10.txal a6! “The most accurate, although 10.,.€b6 11,05 4hc5 was also good for Black in Malina ~ Scrutinskaya, Hlista 2000, 115, 11.f4c3 Bb6 12.5 Oc7¥ also favours Black. LBS 12.862 4 8 1 6 s 4 3 2 1 12,..0e71N 12,..e6 occurred in Kund — Rathbone, email 2001. [ prefer to develop another piece and gain space in the centre. 13.08 d5 sexds Bxd5 15.bx06 beet 16.0)xd5 Wad5 17.8xd5 cxd ST Tou 8.4 ‘White could consider 8.cxd52N exd5 9.44 Jn order to avoid Blac’s idea in the main line below. Play may then continue 9..4 10.8463 Be6 11.8 exf3 12exf B65 13.43 do 14.Be2 @ge7 15.0-0 0-0 and the chances are roughly equal 8.051 8.082! 9.93 15 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.043 06 12.842 was slightly more pleasane for White in Kryvoruchko ~ Vysochin, Alushta 2011 9.052 ‘9.dxeS? axb4lF and White's queenside falls apart. 9.exd52 axb4! 10.04 exd 11. Wxd4 @a6iF is better for Black, 9.05 is safest, though after 9..dxe4 10.bxe6 xc6 (10,.052 is an unclear alternative) ILdseS Wadif 128xd1 Be6 Black has nothing to worry about. ab6t White appears to be under some pressure, but he can maintain dynamic equality as follows. 10.g3! exd4 11.8xd4 Od7 12.80h3 axbé A.axb4 Bxal 14 Wxal bxc5 15.bxe5 Dxe5 ‘White's queenside has disappeared but he can utilize his lead in development. 16.8c3 Bxh3 17.Axh3 De6 18.Wxc6t 27 19.8b6 Black would be in uouble if he did not have the following pair of incermediace moves,244 19 .fib4t 20.0F1 Be7t 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 21Brxe6t Pxe6 22Axd8 Bxd8 23.064 she7 24.dog? Ld “The complications have subsided and the endgame is drawish. B) 403 HER weeuare A logical continuation. White puts a barrier in fron of Black’s dark-squared bishop and prepares to chase it with d2-d4 4K ‘White has chree main options: B1) $.b4, 1B2) 5.d4 and B3) 5.02 Led eS A rare alternative is: 5.BE3 Axd5 GcxdS 6 7.Bc2 7Mast BA7N Bled We7 protects the bishop on c5, with no problems for Black 7.44 exd4 (7..Ab4}?) 8.Bxd4 0-0 was also fine for Black in Carvalho ~ Nilsson, email 1998, abedefeh 7.08TN Avoiding 7..0-D 8xc5 as occurred in Max — Tatas, engine game 2010, 8.b4 Bb6 Obviously 8..ibxd4?? 9.Madt muse be avoided. 9.ftb2.a5 10.03 O47 11.s204 Bf6 12.0-0 0-0= ngin mind chat 13.d4 can , keeping the al-h8 diagonal BI) 5.b4 Be72? HR wee unreChapter 12 3.45 ‘This move has never been tested at GM level, though it seems to be Black’ safest ber as it leads to an improved version of the 3...he7 jon, The differences are that White has already committed to €2-c3, while the b-pawn. can be used as hook. 6.Bxc72N “This untested move seems like White's most interesting tr. 6.862 gives Black two safe options: 2) 6.46 7.Oxe7 Wre? 8.44% exl4 9.Bad4 6 10.03 Bac Having swapped off Whites dark-squated bishop, Black obtained a comfortable position in Ter Minasjan — Delemarre, Germany 2001, b) added SPN 7.cxd5 6 is @ reasonable alternative. Play may continue 8.0c2 0-0 9.83 a5 10.23 PS 11.82 Del7 12.0-0 6 with roughly equal chances. 6.ixe7 Hee Rua ae 7 Lb2 0-0 B.2F3 16 9.Me2 T also checked: 9.43 a5 10.03 Qc6 11.65 Dba The knight is heading for the newly created outpost on ¢5, 12.e2 Dbd7 13.0-0 De5 Midd exdd 15.exlé| 245 if we ol bede a f b 15..8a4 An important resource, which enables Black to equalize, 16.822 @xb2 17 Bub? He8 18.843 Led Suse 10.2d4 cSt Black cakes advancage of the presence of che pawn on bf Ll.bxe5 dxe5 12,063 De6 13.0-0 De5 ‘Underlining the wealeness of the d3-square. 14.3 exf3 15.8483 Este Followed by ..b6, with equal chances. B2) 5.4 5..8xd5 6.cxd5 ‘An unosual structure arses aftr: G.dse5 06 7.04 Here I found an important improvement:246 7..0-01N 7...b6 from Schroll ~ Jovanic, Budva 2009, can be answered by 8.2)731N ef 9.0d4 with slightly better chances for White. Leh eS 13.03! Wadl t 14 fxd Se6 15.axb4 fbxe4 The positon is dynamically balanced. nm RO RU are abede 8.he2 B.A eft 9.0d4 d6 10cxt6 Uxd6 11.05 We? 12862 Bd8 13.863 05 14.03 DG! gives Black enough counterplay to compensate for White's bishop pait 8.Bb2 d6 9.cxd6 cxd6 10.03 hs 11.003 a5 12.05! dic 13.65 04 14,8d2 BAB 15.82 65 16.43 Dbd7 White has some compensation for the sacrificed pawn, but Black is by no means worse. 8.66 8...d62 is possible too. 9D bxcS 10Mxe5 cabs 8B Deb 12.B)x06 dxc6 fg h G.nexd4 7.exd4 Bb4t 8.842 Incerestingly, the strongest move in this position bas been a rare choice. 8.17 #1 9.fhed 9Me2 0-0 10.xe7 Bxc7 11.Be4 FG 12,42 d6 gives Black good prospects. 9.De2 0-0 10.fxds Wedd 11.8462 We7 12,0-0-0 oceurted in Korchnoi ~ I, Sokolov, ‘Wijk aan Zee 1993, and now Black’s play can casily be improved by means of: abede tek 12..d6IN 1343 Qd7 14.043 a6 Black certainly cant be worseChapter 123.45 a mA ene gh 90-01 10.863 T considered two other moves: 1O.dixb4 Wxbét 11.0d2 Wdo! 12.805 b6 13.8c2 Sb7 14.84 Wat 15.2 15.262 (15..8M62N is enough for equality) 16.03 M3 17.843 WLS 18.24 Hb4~ Bicbinger —Kakabadze, Germany 1997, 10)h3 Be8 11,0-0 Wre2 12.Bxe2 Bre? 13xb4 d6 14.Bfel Brelt 15.Hxel £47 162 (16.842 can be met by 16..8a6, intending 17.217 GAB! 18.txd7? desl and suddenly the rook is tapped) 16...0a6 17.S4d2 Be8 The endgame is drawish, though Black can certainly keep playing withthe weak 5-pawm as a target, 10..e8 11.dxb4 Wxbst 12.8d2 aot 13.03 bs 13, .8d62 14.0-0 Wad5? is umacceprable in view of 15.8fel and Black is in rouble. 14.46 exd6 abcdefgh 15.Hel d5 16.0e5 WH6 17.0g4 d6 18.03 Be6= és extra pawn is nothing special, but he nly not worse B3) 5.De2 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Soule ‘transposition, butwe may a options by trading knights immediacely248 G.cxd5 0-0 7.93 6 8.44 8.g2 can be met by 8.ude4, making ic harder for White t© play dl, 90-0 £5 (0.847 is also possible and may transpose) 10.b3 d7 11.862 This position occured in Vitiugov ~ Esen, Antalya 2013, and now I would like to offer: abedetfaen 11..Me7PN 121 ef! Highlighting the light-square holes in Whites camp. 13.82 fixe! Now Black is destroying a potentially dangerous knight. 14.8%e2 @e5 The knight is heading wo d3. White ean swap ic off, but after 15.dixe5 dxe5 16.fe1 Skd6 17.43 exd3 18.Uhd3 of | prefer Black Bien 9.Dxd4 “This position was reached in Azmaipatashvili ~ Bruzon Batista, Beersheba 2005, and now I found a clear improvement for Black: Lede 9.61 10.892 Wadxe6 xe6 11.xc6 bxc6 is slightly better for Black on account of che weakened light squares 10.Rbét 11Rd2 Bxd2t 12d? oS 13.02 [also considered 13.8e2 @d7 14.8e3 Ref 15.0-0 a6 16.14 Bb8 with the idea of ...b5 and Black is fine HR wea ade 13...A9E6 14.63 b5 15.b412 15.0-0 can be met by 15..a5! 16.8 Od7 with mutual chances, 15.047 16.0-0 He eeuareChapter 12 - 3.845 16.05! 17.bxe5 Oxe5 18.04 bbz With roughly equal chances, 4.08 def g ‘This is the main line. White is not worvied about having his knight chased by wed, a6 2-d4 will be a good reply. A bewer idea for Black iss 406 5.203 46 Whites chtee main replies are C1) 6.g3, C2) 6.d4 and C3) 6.63. 6.Det B66 7.521 is a dubfous concept, as Whiee is taking action having only developed 0 pieces, ZandveS 8,205 abede tes 8...f6! (White was probably counting on 8.0952, when 9cf!= would give him 249 a reasonable game) 9Oxf6+ Wxf6 10.065 (0-0F Black had a clear lead in development in Bricard ~ Taimanoy, Bad Wildbad 1990. Cl) 6.93 “This has been a pretty rare choice but i's natural move to consider. 6.6 7-82 7.64 xd 8.0xd4 is covered under the 6.44 move order ~ see 8.g3 in the notes to variation C2 below. 7.43 ‘This move seems to be intended to prevent 14, but it was nota teal threat anyway. 7.00 7.nl6l 8g? 0-0 is a perfectly valid move order Bulbg2 h6 9.0-0 ‘This position has occurred in a few games. So far Black has tested three different moves, bur Twould lke to introduce a fourth: 9..a5HN Taking a bit of space on the queenside while creating an escape square for the bishop on, a7. Although isa novelty here, it transposes to another game which we will follow for a few more moves 10.23 10.44 is almost the same as our main we, but White has lost a tempo due co250 d2d3-d4, Afier 10..exd4 11.Bxd4 ad Black can proceed in exactly the same way as we will sce below. ‘The extra ..h6 move does not seriously affect the evaluation, but ix certainly cant hurt Blac’s chances 10.8940? 10.88 and 10..f0a6 ae reasonable alternatives; the choice is a matter of taste. 11.8b1 a6 12.0124 a7 we 13.b4 axb4 4axbd BS 15.cab5 cxbS 16.03 “This was T. Nguyen ~ Hebe and now Black could have co 16...¢7N Intending ..8b6, with at least equal chances 70-0 8.0-0 is position occurred in Suslova ~ Demina, Se Petersburg 2010. I would like to offer the following new idea: He eeuarea Loh eS 8...052N Black secures position of the dark-squared bishop, jus like in the previous note odd 9.d3 h6 transposes to the 7.43 line above. Duvexdé 10,8xd4 af 10..#4e8!? is also fine, for instance 11.3 Dbd7 12,62 AG 13.63 a4 14.Bcl shed wich roughly equal chances. The text move is the most ambitious choice. Black takes some more space on the queenside, making the most of the loose position of the kenight on d4, 11.€3 a3 12.63, 12.4a4 leads to the damaging of Whites pawn structure, 12,axb2 13.9b2. a7 12808 “The immediace 12...Da6 is similar and may transpose 13.Ba4 Dab 14.Bxe5 dueS 15.02 15.4e2 can be met by 15..€0b4 16.242 B65= and Black is fine HR ew RU as & abede 15.,.S4651 16.Wxd8 Bexd8 17.Oxa3 DbakChapter 12 ~ 3.8d5 Black has a strong bind on the queenside to compensate for the missing pawn. C2) 6.44 exd4 7,Oxd4 7-86 8.Db3, “This retteat should not be too dangerous for Black. B.Bg5? is bad in view of 8..€b6! 9024 Wht 10.42 Wed 11.€3 Mads 12.Ax05 ded 13.Me2 He4F and Black isa pawn up. 8.3 and now 8..45 has been used twice by the young Russian GM Artemiev, including fone game in August 2016, shortly before the publication of this work, Nevertheless, would like to recommend a new approach: 8..bd72N 251 9.ftg? D5 10.63 0-0 11 Bb? Be8 12.0-0261? Securing the a7-square for the dark-squared bishop. 13.61a4 a7 14.Mc2 fig 15.Bad We7 Black has no problems, 8.3 0-0 9.82 45 10.cxd5 (1 also. checked 10.0-0N dxcd 11.fbxcd Abd7 12.62 Ab6 13,.Me2 We7 [but not 13..dbxd42" 14 Bd!) 142d Bd8 with equality) abedefgh 10..cxd5! Black recaptured with the knight in ‘most games. I found the text move as a novelty and played it ~ alas, unsuccessfully ~ before the book was published. The game continued logically with 11.0-0 &c6 12.8xc6 bxcb 13.3 d6 14.8b2 We7, reaching a position discussed under variation C31 8.,.8b4 9.d2 ‘White unpins the knight on c3 and prepares aad.252 9.3421 avoids doubled e-pawns but is a litle t00 slow. 9..0-0 10.885 Bbd7 11.a3 Bxc3t 12.Mxe3 This position occurred in Agrest ~ I. Sokoloy, Sweden 2000. Now I would like to introduce: 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 abedefaen 12..HeIN 13.03 eS 14.0d2 (14.2e? Dest 15.Hxe5! Deg! is also slightly beter for Black) 14..h6 15.064 g6 16.8g3 45 ‘The initiative is on Black’ side, 9.8g5 Obd7 10.82 Now Black's most accurate move is 10..0-01N 10..h6 11.h4 0-0 12.e3 was the actual move order of the game quoted just below. Howeves, White had the option of backtracking with 11.8422, which will not be possible if Black postpones ...A6 until after €2-c3 has been played. 11.3 h6 12.8h4 Leh eS We have now transposed wo the game, without allowing White the option of 42. 12.,.e8!? 12,.2¢52N also makes sense, of ..g6. 13.23 Sixc31 14,txc3 95 15.863 Ded 16.02 This position was reached in Heberla ~ 1, Sokolov, Warsaw 2013, Now I would like (0 bring to your attention: ih the idea AN LY On A a BSS we, Bigz 16..8e72N 17.2d3 Dd% 180-0 Bd7 19.Bad! c5 20.0d2 Bxg3 21.hxg3 Habs ee ae its.a complex middlegame with roughly equal chances 90-0 10.03 Sxc3 11 Linc Bed Black exchanges White's darkesquared bishop and obtains a comfortable position For example:Chapter 123.45 12,8844 2ixe3 13.803 Now I would like to improve upon Black’s play in Cyborowski ~ Vysochin, Wroclaw 2012. abedefegh 13..a52N 148d) a4 15.9d4 DaG 16.03 Acs ‘The knight is perfectly placed here. A logical 17.Se2 Deh 18.82 WaSt 19.9041 Wes "The computer calls it qual, but fora human player it’s obvious that White still has co solve the problem of his misplaced king, 253 “This is the most logical choice, preparing d2dé. 6..e7! 6.246 allows 7.14 exd4 S.exd4# with a slight edge for White. ‘The point of the tex: move is obvious: Black prevents White from recapturing on d& with the e-pawn and supports a possible ..e4 advance. 7.44 ‘This is White's usual choice. 7.Bed oft 8.Bd4 HYG 9.43 d5 does nor give hhim much: 10.0-0 0-0 I 1,cxd5 exd5= Black ‘was fine in Salvado ~ Vegjeleki cont. 2013. les a reversed Alapin Sicilian with an extra tempo for White, but the most desirable set-up for his pieces would be $d2-c3 and 4d2 rather than 3, so Black should be quite happy. Tanexdld 8.xd4 B16 9. fe? 0-0 10.0-0 ided co recommend this rate move, which was introduced by Naiditsch in 2004 bur has nor been repeated for some 1eason. Black’s idea is to ight for the initiative before White gets a chance to get fully coordinaced254 Lexd5 exd5 Now we have a final split between C31) 12.b3 and C32) 12.0b32N. C31) 12.63 Be6 Leh eS 15 .Std7 16.863 16.224 Bled 17.f2d3 Bfe8 also looks roughly cequal, and it could transpose to the main line if White plays 18.204 13.Axc6 bxc6 14.862 2d6 16...2ife8 17.Ba4 Ded 18.8x04 ROS Be y a > A a W HR eRuare abede Interestingly this position has arisen through a completely different opening, as well as the aforementioned Naidisch game, plus my own game against Bachmann. fogh 15.1 In the event of 15.88 1 would like to recommend: 15,.3812N (15.848 was also fine in M. Gurevich ~ Naiditsch, Ajaccio 2004) Whites most natural continuation is 16.c1, when 16,..847 transposes to the main line below, 15.Ba4 ed 161 occurred in Bachmann ~ Mikhalevski, Las Vegas 2016, which arvived here via the move order noted earlier on page 251 Here I decided to put my bishop on b7, which is not so bad, bur the game did noc turn out well for me. 1 should instead have preferred 16...2d7N, which transposes to the note to White's next 18..18h4IN “This strong intermediate move provokes 2 weakening of Whites kingside, albeit ar the cost ofa pawn, Afier 18..Hsed 19.258 a draw was ageeed in ‘Toran Albeto ~ Parma, Kapfenberg 1970, but Whiee stands bette 19.Sxh7t Whh7 20.93 h3 21.261Chapter 12 -3.d5 21.nftbd 22.83 B03 23.6? 23.$tb2 b4~ would repeat. Bulb Black has full compensation for the sacrificed paw thanks to the weakened light squares. C32) 12.632N abcde “Whis is the critical continuation, which Gurevich avoided when facing Black’ novelty ‘over the board, 12ihd6 13.8xd5 Dad5 14.8d5 Bd8 15.863, Talso considered: 15.8h5 6 16.8h6 eS 17.08 £f6 18.We3 abedefeh 18.,at With a promising initiative 255, 15,05 a6 16.9945 6 17.8h6 $he5! is similar to the line above; Black has ..a6 as an extra ‘move, but it will probably come to the same thing if he follows up with ..a. Hee Ruare 15 ..8e6 16.841 16.24 Be5 17.Axc6 bro6 18.Wac6 tS gives Black a strong initiative thanks to his supetior development. Its not easy for White 0 get his queenside pieces into the game. 16.85 Black puts pressure on b2, thus making it dificult for White develop his queenside. 16..g62 is another possible direction that could be investigated. 17 Bxd8t Wad256 18.842 Bxb2 19.841 We7 20.825 Axa5 21.BxaS Be6 22.861 22.SaG? is interesting, but ie is not enough to obtain an advantage: 22..0b8 23.xb7 We 24.Bel xa? 25.845 8 ep i ao hhh 7 Uh, $ SU Uh, 4 3g 4 218 1 x abedetgh unfhxdS 26.Bads WadS 27FxdS eI! Leading to a drawish rook endgame. Kw eR Uae Lich e5 22.881 23.8F1 ‘After 23.!fvb2 Baa! 24.8xb7 Was Black's active pieces provide full compensation for the pawn, 23. fa3 24.Uxb7 Wa? 25.8b2 Wrase Material is qual and the endgame is drawish. Black's passed a-pawn has the potential to be strong, but it is too far back to cause White serious problems, On the other hand, even if White somehow manages to win the a-pawn, any rook or queen endgames with four pawns versus three on the kingside should normally be drawn, which acts as 2 useful insurance policy. Conclusion “The 2..d8b4 system is a good weapon against Lach e5 2.43, as Black avoids the biggest theoretical variations without worsening his position. 3.8d5 is the most challenging response, but after 3...c5 Black is ready to take over the centre with ..c6 and dS. 4.4 281 is an amusing but strong idea which gives Black a full share of the chances, 4.c3, {6 also tus our Fine after each of White's three main responses. Finally, 4.083 is che main line, when 4..c6 5.03 U6 leads to a further branching, 6.3, We7!7.d4 exd4 8.xd4 4f6 being the critical path, Naiditsch’s 10..d52 idea seems to me to be completely okay, and the fees that most of iy analysis is original makes i all the mote appealing asa practical weapon,‘aL weea ha aed 5k + LAB d5 Lahan kine : 2M abedet eh 2.b3 and 2.¢3 Variation Index 1B Tad A) 2.63 Bg4 258 AL) 3.g3 258 A2) 3.05 260 A3) 3.03 261 B) 2.€3 Df 3.04 €6 263 Bi) 4.3 264 B2) 4.3 c5 5.62 De6 Guexd5 exdS 266 B21) 7.2b5 267 B22) 7.e2 £d6 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4 cxd4 10.)xd4 Be8 269 B21) 11.3 270 B222) 11.2d2 272 AD) after 9.03, BI) note to 11.1 B222) after 16.03 9.652N 16. 580“This chapter is the first of many chat deal with this most flexible of opening moves. T have decided to begin our coverage with the most classical of replies, whereby Black ‘occupies the centre with one of his pawns. Land This will be the nacural choice for anyone who likes to answer Ld4 with 1.5. ‘Obviously White can tanspose to that realm ‘with 2.44, but in this book we will focus on his attempts t0 avoid doing so. In this chapter we will deal with A) 2.63 and. B) 2.3. A) 23 Sigh good choice, as b2-b3 is not the move in a reversed ‘Trompowsky. “The text move makes alor more sense here than in variation B, asthe pawn on b3 prevents the pan of 3.4 followed by a quick Bb3. Whites three main replies are At) 3.g3, A2) 3.Be5 and A3) 3.c3, 3.862 6 4.05 4.93 fx®3 5.cxf3 transposes to variation Al, 1.AB d5 while 4.¢3 247 leads to variation A3. Aun Bf5 5.43 5.3 Qd7 64xd7 Wxd7 converts to yn AD. already an extremely rare position. abedef gh 5.8d7 6.xd7 (6.04 Agf6 was fine for Black in Trepennikova ~ Pals, Novosibirsk 2002. 6.8ed7 7.82 6 8.03 This transposes to a recent game. Black’ safest continuation is 8.-h6N 8...0-0-08 was equally playable but more double-edged in Rapport — Rohl Montes, ‘Tromso (ol) 2014. 9.bed Sas With equal chances. Al) 3.g3Chapter 13 = 2.b3 and 2.03 ‘This isa rather rare move ordet, Bend fBR his is not the only good move but it seems a safe choice, especially now that White does not have the option of gxf3 with the idea to play on the geile fuent3 06 5..tb2 6 6.892 26 7:te2! ‘The most accurate move order - White makes a useful move and forces Black to prevent WoSt. Ieis worth comparing che alternative: 70-0 Sig? 8.14 0-09.44 9.d3 5 10.2 McG 11.08 Bd7 12.fxg7 tthxg7 13.3 8 and Black had no problems 12.B)xed daed 13.Bxe4 Deb 14.fx06 Black will regain the pawn thanks tothe pin 259 along the di 15,8463 18.8d2 Bad8 agonal re h Was 16.BFd1 Rds 17.8% bxe6 ie3 Bd? in Perez Garcia ~ Agdestein, Gibraltar 2015. a 9..8ed Black’ idca is to exchange a pair of knights, ‘This option would obviously not be available : if the white queen was alteady on €2. 5 4 8 & 3 1 a 2 6 a 1 s abedetgh ‘ | 19Stadt cxdd 20.d4 fhel4 21.Sd4 Badd 3GA& y 22Etudd Brel 23, hdd Wiad 2|AMAY Re ‘With a drawn endgame, Bey wg abedeteh 10.042 1O.Dd2N Ord? 11.Wad2 Deb 12.04 De7 13.cf 66 1445 5 with roughly equal chances 10.8e2 occurred in I. Miloy ~S. Savchenko, Donetsk 1998, I would like 0 offer 10..c5IN 11.Bxed dued 12.Fred De 13-042 add 14.Badl Wc7 with equal chances. 10,5! 11 id2 Yast ‘A temporary pawn sacrifice 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1260 7oudDbd7 8.44 06 Baudig7? proved wo be a blunder afier 9.Bxd5%t in Goletiani ~ Cinass Thilisi 1999. 9.0-0 $467 10.44 0-0 11.042 a5 12.04 af looks HR we RUare abede fgh 18.Bf1 De8 19.e3 Hxal 20.Hxal as 21.Exa8 Waa ‘The position remained balanced in Artemiev = Leko, Moscow 2014, LAB d5, fgh “This has been played several times by the young Hungarian super-GM Rapport, Boul 5 4.03 4.d4is hardly consistent with White's seoond the position while lagging in development. 6.6 7.033 c @ x abedefg a 7..5! This pawn sactfice is possible thanks to a better development. 8.dxeS d4 9.065 Bed 10.03 26 11 @xdd 0-0-0 12.863? BSF and Whites position quickly collapsed in Dimakiling - E. Sveshnikov, Al Ain 2012. 4.ftb2 B47 5.863Chapter 13 — 2,b3 and 2.e3, “This odd move avoids uansposing to any of the lines below, but it costs him a tempo and s0 Black shouldnt have any problems. In the game quoted below, Black started with 5...3f6, bue I would prefer to transpose to it without giving White the option of bd to eliminate our bishop. 6.93 h6 7.8¢2 Def ‘We have now arrived back ar a game which continued: 8.3 £d6 9.0-0 0-0 10.0bd2 “This position has been reached several times with White to move 10.87 With equal chances in Nakamura — Lis Shanglei, Dubai (blitz) 2014. AuuldA7 5.Bxd7 5.802 €6 6.802 (6.847 Whd7 transposes to our main line) 6.,Alxe5 7x05 06 8.0-0 dG and Black is fine 5.lBxd7 6.8162 6 7.03 De7 7...046 is also possible, when 8.842 leads back to the 3.8b2 line in the note to mave 3. 8.0d2 Deb 9.03 ‘Now I would like to recommend: 261 e512 9.ng6 10.93 5 11stg? e7 12.ed a5 13.0-0 0-0 occurred in Rapport ~ Ramirez, Reykjavik 2014, and is playable as well. 10.b4 26 11.fe2 11.g32! invites 11...0-0-0 12.20g2 hS¥ wich, good prospects for Black. 1. te7 ‘With roughly equal chances A3) 3.63 Bd7 3..e5! is a lively alternative which could also be investigated. ‘The text move is a solid, dependable choice.262 4.062 Inserting 4h3 &th5 does not really change anything, 4sc6 502 5.h3 h5 doesn't have any independent value, 5.43 h6? is a useful precaution to save the lightsquared bishop from exchange, 6.@bd2 Dl 7.g3 dG 8.2g2 ‘This position occurred in Moradiabadi — Hole, Richardson 2013 Now I would like to offer: abedetfeh 8..He7BN 9.0-0 (9.03 5!) 9.a3= and HR wR Uare SnD gh6 6.0-0 ‘A high-level game continued: 6.h3 BhS 7.03 LANES 45 ‘White takes the e4-square under control and prepares g2-gé followed by hd to eliminate the light-squared bishop. Toh Prophylaxis against White’ idea, 8.Abd2 Ago! One of many possible ways to play. Black prevents any advance of the epawn and ensures that the light-squared bishop will remain safe from exchange. abede 9.Be5 Bixe5 10.fexe5 RAG YN is an_ interesting alternative, ing, Whice from bringing his bishop back to b2. 112 0-0 12.0-0 We7 13.04 a5 1482 47 15.xd6 Wad ‘With equal chances in Salov ~ Anand, Madrid 1993. Gn$td6 7.08 Delaying this move leads nowhere for White: 7.d4 0-0 B.Abd2 We7 9.Be5 Swed 10. xe2 B23 11.Bix23 Wa 12.xd7 xd] 13.04 06¢ 14.Biel Bfe8 15.82 BadB 16.8d1 We7: Black had no problems in Schmitediel - Hort, Bad Neuenahr 1989. of Slav, abe 9.Qbd2 We7 10h3 BhS 11BeS Axe? 12.Bise2 bate An interesting idea, nor allowing White 10 stabilize che centre with £2-F&, 12,.B4f48 is also roughly equal, bearing in mind that 13.8 is sill not a good idea on account of 13.4. ipter 13 = 2.b3 and 2.03 263 13.432N 13.Oxd7 Wrd7 14.08 Bed pave Black no problems in Krause ~ Van Linde, Bad Zwischenaln 2002. Bdxd2 148d? Det 15.02 DxeS 16.dxe5 Hg5= With equal chances. B) 203 ‘One of the ideas behind this move order could be to prepare c2-c4 without allowing <4 in reply. 1s hardly a challenging opening jee though, and Black has a wide variety of options. 2G ve decided to choose this flexible move, which keops a variety of options open. 2udig4? would be asking for trouble, as after 3.04 €6 4.8963 Black experiences some problems protecting the b7-pav. 3.04 3b3 can be met by 3.4 with a likely transposition to Variation AS; Brac Supporting the central pawn. White's vo main possibilities are BI) 4.23 and B2) 4.63.264 4.d4will not be considered here,asit transposes toa harmless variation of the Queen's Gambic Declined (or the Queen's Indian, if Black continues with 4..b6) BI) 4.0c3 Be7 5.b3 0-0 6.862 <5 7aexd5 7.d4 cx 8 Dad B.exdd Bob 9.%d8 b6 10.0-0 dict L1.bxct b7 1281 Bc8 13.Rel ReB gave Black good prospects against the hanging pawns in Langeweg ~ Portisch, Amsterdam 1967, as both the bishop on d3 and the knight on «3 are misplaced. 8.26 WE 2 7B abedef S.cxd5 9.0)xc6 bxo6 gave Black a solid position in Riis — Korolex, Denmark 1999. go 1.08 d5 9u.dxd5 10:0x06 bxc6 11.04 ‘White docs not have time for 11.82? on account of 11..WaSt Now in Lazic ~ Tirard, Cutro 2004, Black’s ‘easiest way to maintain the balance would have been: ebedefg hb 11QbAIN 12.804 Bd} 13.Bed1 f6 14d? gS 15.841 fu Whice is not compelled co repeat the position, but he gets no advantage from avoiding i. 7ovexd5 8.44 Deb 9.02 Bed 10.0-0 1O.dxeS Bf6 11.0d4 Bxe5 12,.2xc6 bxe6 13,0-0 Bf5 14c1 He8 15.Ha1 occurred in. Facago — Acs, Balatonlelle 2002. I would recommend the simple: abede 15..Be8RN 16.Sigd Be6 17.He2 We7= With a roughly equal postion‘Chapter 13 ~2.b3 and 2.e3 10...8f6 11.He1 A rate alternative is 11 B04 died 12.05 shxe5! 13.due5 Now I would like to recommend: abe 13..Qb4N “The knight is heading for d3. gS is less accurate because of FeQIN (14.85? BAST 15.04? Bd was a disaster for White in Blany = K. Miller, Austria 2001) 14,..8f5 15. promises White a slight edge. 14 Wel! Wigs! 15s B65! 16. Bes 17.¥xc5 43 18.843 oxd3 Black has excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn, L1.Bad figs ‘White has cried a few moves from here: 12h3 12.cixc5? xb? 13. Deb? Oecd 14.02 Bert 265 15,Hed Be5 16.043 OxfBt 17.gx03 Bh and Black won an exchange in Ananchenk = Gubernatorova, Krasnodar 1997. 12Bel od4 13.Oxd4 Bxdd 14.Bxd4 (14.BxgiN Bxb2 15.2xb2 Was 16.84 adB isalso equal) 14..fixe2 15.Blxe? Bxd4 16.exd4 and in this equal position a draw was agreed in O'Kelly de Galway ~ Parma, Beverwijk 1963. 12.803 13.8363 13.gx3N may lead to a perpetual after 13..0g5 14Oxc5 Oxh3t 15.dig2 edd! 16.find4 We5t 17.texh3 Whst= 13..cxd4 Vexd4 “This was Miles ~ Pecursson, Lone Pine 1978, and now F prefer abedefgh 14, .He8IN 15.Rel Wd6 16.5 He7 ‘With a pleasant position for Black.266 L.wcxdd 12,0x04 12Oxd4 Oxd4 13.exd4 £15 was fine for Black in Vedral — Netusil, Prague 2005, 12dued 13.0xd4 Dndd 14.fixdd fixdé 15.Wd4 15.exd4 Be6 16.%04 Sd5= Osel - Mozny, Germany 1992. HR eR wade 15,.Wad4 16.exd4 848 17.37 17-BE4IN is better, although Black reaches, a level endgame with just a few careful moves 17 .ufte6 18.63 Bd5 19.4 Sed 20.807 Bact 21 Edcl Sho 22.xc8 Bxc8= Now in Rossi ~ Sciacea, Celle Ligure 1995, Black could have safely taken the pawn: 1.DG d5 W7uudtndd 18.S04 Bd7 19.8xd7 fxd7 20.LdS So 21.Stxe6 bxc6 22.81 Bd8= White has enough compensation for ‘equality, but clearly nothing more. B2) 4.63 «5 5.b2 5.cxd5 exd5 does nothave much independent significance. 6.8b2 cb immediately transposes 10 our main line; while 6.8e2 and 65+ have been played few simes, but White almost always follows up wich £b2 in the near facut, thereby transposing to one of the lines below. 5..B06 Guexd5 6.c22 allows 6..d4! 7.exd4 xd when Black has a useful space advantage while both ‘of White’ bishops are passive. 8d5 5 9.0-0 -BaG Black was clearly better in Adamowicx - Mirzoew, Rewal 2014. 693 ‘This i not quite as bad as the line above, as the bishop will be better placed on g? in the ensuing structure. Nevertheless, Black should still go for it: 6. 7.0xd4 ond 8.0g2 €5 “The bishop on g? ison the normal square for a reversed Modern Benoni, but the one on b2 is simply misplaced.‘Chapter 13 — 2.b3 and 2.¢3 9.0-0 £46 10.42 ‘Afier 10.43 0-0 White was only slightly worse in Basso ~ Donchenko, Doha 2014, The text move isan attempt to solve Whites problems by tactical means, but it simply does not work. abedetgn 10..@xb4 11 Qixe5 fhxe5 12.Bast 12.03 WaS 13.03 d6 14.Be1t e6-+ left Black a piece up in J. Cruz ~ Alonso Rosell, Monteada 2015. 12,..€c6 13.Sxc6t bre6 14.Bel 0-0 15 Sixe5 ES White managed to win back the sactificed piece, but Black was left with a decisive ive in D. Gurevich ~ Robson 2010. 267 Whites two min options ae B21) 7.865 and B22) 7.Be2. A relatively rare aleemative is 7.d4 cxdd 8.Oxd4 bt 9.8163 We7? 9.. aS has been more commen. 10.85 a7 11.0-0 Now in Heilckinen ~Lagland, Finland 1984, the simplest continuation would have been: abedetgh 11,,0-ON 12.dixb4 Bhsb4 13.06 Or 13.Axc6 bxc6 14.S4d3 a5 with a modest edge for Black. 13..bxe6 14.2 BG Followed by ..c5, with a slightly moze pleasane position for Black, B21) 7.8b5 ‘This has been played in quite 2 lot of games, but the pin is ofitle concern to Black. HR wha re268 7rudhd6 8.0-0 8d4 This should transpose to our main line as long as Black reacts correctly with: 8..cxd4t 8..0-0 Adxc5 xc5 10.0-0 has led to impressive practical results for White, A good example continued: 10,..8g4 11.03 RB 12.cl hd6 13.h3 LHS 14.02! bs 15.Ah4! Md6 16.g3 xe? 17.Oxe2 This has been known to be better for White since Karpor — Lautier, Monte Carlo (blindfold) 2000. 9.8\xd4 £247 10,0-0 0-0 ‘We have transposed to the main line below. 8.2e5; Tis important ro m £6 can be ignored. 8,.0-01 9.2xe6 bxo6 10.fxc6 10.fe2 Be8 11,0-0 Eb8¥ gave Black the more active position in Tsimanoy ~ Kaidanov, Belgrade 1988. In Barbeau ~ Leveille, Quebec 1990, Black should have continued with: tion that the attack on 10..-b8!N Now White’ light-squared bishop is out of play. 11,823 Bp 12.82 WeB! 13.$a4 13.85 is strongly met by 13..41 4.bxe4 a6 15.8104 O65 16.Mel eG! and White is under pressure, LAB ds ‘ane a / 5 ae 2 3 A, 2a & 1 Zo Zz sbedetgt 13.805 14.81 B43! 15.2 gt ‘White’ position is perilous, as his king is stuck in the centre and his minor pieces are poorly placed. abedef 8..0-0 9.44 9.Sbxc6 bxe6 10.43 fg 11.€bd2 47 and Black was doing well in Zagorskis—Bluvshtcin, Bled (ol) 2002. 9.h3 Be 10.63 &A7 was abso pleasant for Black in Inarkiev — S. Ivanov, Moscow 2004. Dusexds 10.0 x4 10.8xc6 bec6 11.8hd4 HeB 12.Obd2 5 13.Wd3 67 was slightly better for Black in Grecescu — Golod, Plovaliv 2008. 10.247 11.23. 11Of3 He8 12.Dbd2 26 13.Be2 We7 wasChapter 13 — 2,b3 and 2.03, another opening success for Black in Korchnot = Larsen, Brussels 1987. Another example continued: 11.fte2 He8 12,833 @nd4 13.Bd4 eS 14.8d2 eo! (Black has another good option in 14...824, with an exact transposition to variation B221, except that one extra move has been played here) 15.81 We7 16.8143 Bad8 17.25 Hed 18.Med a6 19.Sbxe5 Wes abedetfgnh ‘A draw was agreed here in Winants ~ Lukacs, Wijk aan Zee 1988, as 20.fxe4 Gxb5 21.843 4c6 followed by .ud4 is equal abcdefgh 11.88 12.ce? fheS 13.Dxe6 bxe6 looks tempting but ic is not quite sufficient against accurate play from White: 4.cbxh2 Dest 15.2893! Wes 16.4 eG 17.843 65 & - x abedefgh 18.0e51 OreSt 19.0 Dest 2stlet Dxcd 21 8d? Wag? 225241 Waglt 23.Dxg1 Dott 2éshid1 @xd2 25Shxd2 Matesially Black is more than okay, bur White has the advancage thanks to his fantastic minor pieces. LA ndixeS Bxe5 15.804 15.0d3 c5= is also fine for Black. 5 16.Bxd7 Wed? 17.Bel HB equal chances, Aronian Moscow 2014 Galfand, B22) 7.fte2 a6 Hv eRuare "This is the most active square for the bishop. 8.0-0 8.d4 can be met by 8..cxd4 9.8xd4 0-0 (0...Ab4¢ is an additional option but I don't270 think its an improvement) 10.0-0 and we have wansposed co the main line 8..0-0 9.4 9.432! is too timid, Black has a pleasant choice beeween a neutral move such as 9.8, with an exxy game, and the more ambitious 9...d42 as in Goletiani ~ V. Georgiev, Chicago 2006. Sonex Black should make this exchange in order ¢0 avoid losing a tempo with his bishop after dS. 10.)xd4 Be8 HR ee UaAde ede ‘White's wo main options are B221) 11,03 and B222) 11.842. 11.Bxc6 bxe6 12.842 occured in Al Halla ~ Parlgras, Abu Dhabi 2014. My suggestion would be 12..a5!N 13.82 Sd7 when Black is at least equal, The same type of structure can aise in variation B222 below, but here Black has a slightly improved version as his a-pawn has gone straight to a5, rather than wasting time stopping on 26 1.06 d5 B221) 11.43 Dxd4 12.Wad4 Le Hee an awe as.thd2 13.8d30? is an interesting deviation which changes things slightly. I suggest 13..Sbg4#N 14.@xg4 Bag 15.h3 and now a slight change compared with the main line below: abede teh 15.ud4! An important intermediate move, WGexdé Badd 17 Radl Bxf2t 18.H0f2 xl 19.doxf2 Wc 208xd3 BadB= Black is olay in chis endgame with roole and pawn versus two minor pieces, as the tooks will be exchanged sooner or later, 13.Sg4t 13.842! ean be met by 14.Blad bsg Another game continued:Chapter 13 ~ 2.b3 and 2.03 an 14.8b5 a7 14... ¢7!9N also looks reasonable. 15.ftxd7 Hixd7 16.Bad1 Bacd bi, Pals abedefgh unpin the knight by means of view of 17...8xc3 18.83 Ded, T7HHABN is correct, but Blak is clearly out of danger. 17.05 18x05 WeS 20.exd4 Boot Black had clearly taken over in Van der Sterren.~ Van der Wiel, Wijk aan Zee 1995. 14. xg4 wfixh24? doesn't work as after 15sbeh2 Brett 16s0h3 Wes 17. Whst 18.8%—3 Dh6 TARA DFSt 20skele Black’s compensation is insufficient, Miles ~ Ljubojevic, Bugojno 1978. 19.4 Wad au aka ve. 2 15.h3 DF 1GFAL Hc8 17-Bacl Heb 18.05 18Da4 Ded 19.82 BS 20.xc6 bres 21.84 g6 is fine for Black, especially after the following strange move: abedetfah 22.h4? hS 23.83 eS! Black was better in J. Ivanov ~ Korneey, Tenerife 2001, chanks ro ‘White's misplaced queen and knight. 18...e4 19.Me2 RbS 20,Bxc6 bxe6 21. g4 6 22.0)d42t ‘White should have brought the knight back to 3, although Black is fine anyway. Afier the text move he could have obtained some advantage with 22..He7IN- 22.06 23 Med. Wd6 24.2V6 led to equal play in Brunner ~‘Timman, Biel 1995.272 23.4 Wb7 24.863 5 25.De2 ofF ‘With some initiative for Black. 8222) 11.042 Mana ‘The only drawback of this move is that the pawn may want to go to a5 following an exchange on 6. However, there is no guarantee that White will make that exchange and in the meantime, it is useful to cover the bS-square. 12.Bet 12.Be1 can be met by: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefeh 12...Oxd4N (Theres also 12...2e5 13.0483, as in Suba ~ Parligras, Iasi 2014, and now 13..Ac62N is equal) 13.Bxd4 265 14.863 Bef 15.hb2 Se6= and Black is fine. 1.8 ds After 12,283 Be4 13.Hcl Black can continue with: abedefgh 13..0MGPEN (13..8td7= was also okay in Nemir = Koch, Pore 1991) 14.0d2 Bes and White has nothing better than repeating: 15.26 Bd6= ‘An older but high-level game continued 12.G)xc6? bxe6 13 Bel Bd7 14.8063 25 15.864 a3 16.82 a4 17.Wal bd (17...He7PN) abede 18.83 We7 (18...td62N seems okay t00) 19.8xb4 Bxb4 20.03 axb3 2Laxb4 Exal 22.0xb3 Efi f 23.661 BbS 24.0d4 Bb6= ‘With a drawish endgame, Andersson —Spassly, Gothenburg 1971 12..xd4e “The simplest way to equality. If Black docs not want to allow the repetition mentioned in the next note, then 12.8478Chapter 13 ~2.b3 and 2.¢3 is a sensible way to maintain the tension, with roughly equal chances, 13.ftxd4 fa3 14.2all? An attempt to play for a win, 14.3 fab leads to a repetition: 15.el $a3= abedefgh LABS Both of Black’ bishops are extremely active 15,061 “The alternative ist 15.083 Bed 16.4! WAG? 17.8121 White should have preferred 17.Qh4N BA7 18.73 Sg5 19.25 WH 20.8414 with a roughly equal position. 17 abxb 4 18.b4 273 18.ftd7N 18..dhe62 allowed 19.8xg7! with unclear but roughly equal play in Goudtiaan — E. Danielian, Wijk aan Zee 2012. 19.ftxg7 £6! 20,81n6 @c3 21.82 21.A4 @xe2F 22. Wee? Wali 23.exf Bie? 24.Bxb4 b5 results in @ favourable endgame for Black. 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 2undled! 22.63 Oxe2f 23.Be? BOSE Black is better although White serains some practical compensation due to the weaknesses fon the kings 1S utd? Afier 15.208 16.0c3 Ded= a draw was agreed in Kogan ~ Gulko, Nova Gotiea 1997, 16.D3, In Toivola ~ Tuovinen, Helsinki 1997, the ‘most accurate continuation would have been: HR e eR nare274 16..S4e8IN 17.Sxf6 17.9832 can be met by 17..Be6! intending 18.Bxd5 (18.h3 Jb8 is also more pleasant for Black) 18..A)xd5 19.fxd5 Sxh2} 20.sexh2 Wd5 and Black is better: 17. fxs 18.Dxd5 HG Black has a lot of activity for a pawn, and White has to be careful to maintain the balance HR eR Ad! 19.F4t 19.g3 is dangerous: 19..fc2! 20.8d2 fet 21.Hacl E7ive ay ae ean 30 abedefen 21 uBod8! 22.04 $18 23.844 Be5 Winning an exchange. 24.Fxe4 Bed? 1.26 d5 19.he5 20.854 Sg 21.Hagh bede UnxeSH 22.03 22.dh1 eS is fine for Black. 22.n.Hb61 ning the piece, with equal chances. Conclusion This chapter introduced the important topic of 1.015 d5 by covering two sidelines. 2.b3 {Bg gives Black a pleasant version of a reversed “Trompowsky. Depending on White’ reaction, hhe may cither double White's pawns by eaking con £3, or simply develop with ..0d7, ..e6 and so on, with a safe and solid position. 2.e3, also tends to be connected with a queenside fianchetto, the most common continuation being 2.06 3.04 €6 4.b3 5 5.8b2 06 6.exd5exd5, which normally leads to an IQP structure afer a subsequent d2-44, The ‘ensuing positions are complex and interesting, but Black’s chances are generally not worse at all,1.AB d5 2c4 d4 Variation Index A) 3.0521 276 B) 3.g3 Deb 4.2g2 5 278 BI) 5.d3 278 B2) 5.0-0 281 ©) 3.b4 6 4.03 05 284 Cl) S.exd& 287 C2) 5405 a5 289 C21) 6.2xe5#! 289 C22) 6.804 290 C23) 6.265+ 292 C24) 6.Wadt 295 A) notetoSb4 crater 222 21) after 140-0 : (Ewe! ‘ 7k ag 2 ol ik ‘ 5 si TB 4 3 2 218 He g Beer fi 1 abodes h 9..8fe7IN 12.4341 14.045276 1.05 d5 2.04 dd You could also consider 2.06, 2..e6 of 2..dxe4, according to your preferred response to the Queen's Gambit. It would be hopelessly impractical to cover all of these options in ‘one book, but luckily the text move ean be played by anyone. caso fits perfecly with my philosophy of playing ambitiously and gaining, space when White gives us the option ro do so, While analysing this variation, I received generous help fiom my friend GM Boris Avrukh, In this chapter we will analyse A) 3.c52 B) 3.g3 and C) 3.b4. 3.€3 is the other main move, and i will be analysed in the next chapter. A) 3.052 as we abedefegh This advance is premature, 3..e5! Fast development isthe key here. 4.Bxe5 fixes 5.b4 Talso considered: S.Wadt 06 6.b4 Mb6 7.8b2 BfG 8.c3 0-0 9.Shes 9.003 He8t 10.003 Bed 11863 dred 1.6 5 12.dre3 a5 13,24 Dd5tF is good for Black. abede 9..1e7IN “The most accurate, although 9..c7!? 10.Dx67 Ba 11 Sint t Saal? 12.tbadd aSF was also better for Black in Schebler ~Turoy, Pardubice 2004. 1O.exd4 10.063 xe atse3 Sxe3! 12.fre3. b5 13.83 bud 10...Abd7 11,0-0 xe5 12.dxe5 pd 13.843 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 13Hd81 1483 Osh2! 15.8x077 hd7 16.xt74 stexf7 17 eexh2 BF Despite being 2 pawn down, Black's advantage is unquestionable, Sunte7 6.Wast In Ortmann ~ Khenkin, Bad Wiessee 2011, Black's best continuation would have been:Chapter 14 ~- 2.04 d4 6.u€61N 7.05 7th? BF 8.3 dued Oudxe3 0-0 10.03, (10.2 is strongly met by 10..b517) 10..8/5 11.Ste2 2 bd7# wich a slight edge for Black. 7G O16 8.862 fd7! is a nice indir defence of the d4-pawn. 9.¢3 (9.We2 9..0-0 10,802 abedefgh 10..Ba6! 11.a3 (I1.fixa6 bxa6 12.226 dxe3 13.f8e3 Qd5EF is also better for Black) 11.e5 12:65 Oe7 13.exd4 exdd 14.2xd4 a6 154c3 axbS 16.Me2 Be8 17.0-0 &cSF and the initiative is on Black’s side. in order to increase his development advantage. B.e3 27 Accepting the pawn would be risky: 8.bxe6 0-0! 9.862 Bxc6 10.4x06 bxe6 11.Bxdd (1.xc4 28 is also good for Black) 11...2b8 abedefgh 12.Mixd8 (12.6321 BIE is even worse) 12,,.Bxd8 13.85 Bb5 14.3 Def 15.03 Axed 16.2xc3 (16.xbS? OxbSF) 16...862 17.84 Bbxd2 18.0-0 LAF Black is better thanks 1o his bishop pair and active rooks. B.undxe3 9.dxe3 0-0 10.562 ‘Afier 10.bx06 Bxe6 11 Adxc6 bxeGF with the idea of ..2d5 White is under pressure. 10.446 11.Se2 11,042 Sd8 1281 fe6 13.03 Wds 14,Bch3 a65F is also good for Black. 11.Dbd7 120xd7 xd? 13.063 exbS 14.8xb5 Bes278 1A d5 abedefgh 15.0-0 06 16.02 Wd2! 17.xgh Wxb2 18.Bacl b5 19.Wf4 Bads? Black is better. B) 3.3 White is playing a closed Benoni with reversed colours HR wR UAar!| 3unlD06 4. “The pawn sacrifice 4.b4?? was tested just fonce, but nevertheless it deserves some attention. 4..2xb4! (I considered 4...5N 5.b5 ef, but 6.bxc6 ext .cxb7 ftxb7 8.84! Wa7 9.8sd7t had? 10.8h3t eed 11.03 seems to be marginally better for White) 5.Hadtt Bb 6.0)e5 Bd7 7.Axd7 Wad? 8.003, Now I rould like to improve upon Black’s play in Trauth ~ Dittmar, Atco 2012, with: abede fg h 8. AFIN 9,892 €510.0-0 Da Black has no real problems and White still has to justify his pawn sacrifice. 405 In this position BI) 5.43 has been the most popular choice, but I believe B2) 5.0-0 to be slightly more accurate. S.b@ is simply bad here due to 5..e4! 6.0g1 f6 7.05 (0r 7.23 25 8b5 BeSF) 7...De5 and Black was cleatly better in Jandke ~ Sprotte, Germany 1994, BI) 5.d3 Suda tleChapter 14 ~ 2.04 d4 5.06 is likely to transpose 0 variation B2 after 6.0-0. The text move isa useful extra ‘option, which I would tend to prefer againse the particular move order chosen by Whice. 6h 6.Abd2 25 7.0-0 5 8.3 eT 9.b3 0-0 10.82 (10.8161 Be8 11.el is a more typical plan, bringing the knight ro €2. After 11.85 12,Ac2 we have transposed to the 6.042 line below, as White can bring cither knight co e2, via B-el or bl-a3,) I faced the text move a couple of years ago. ‘The game continued: abede feh 10,,.25 Black develops smoothly. 11.851 h6 12:h3 eB Black had a comfortable postion and was on the way cowards threatening, ..e4 in Gao Rui ~ V. Mikhalewski, Santa Clara 2014 “The other playable move is: 62 White is intending wo develop his queen Ienight via a3 co €2 in order to support an eventual advance of the b-pawn 6..a5 7.Da3 M6 8.0-0 0-09.82 S67 10.63 eB 11 a3 245 12.Hb1 Bd7 13.b4 13Rel Bab8 14.862 hc5! 15.hal WAGE was good for Black in A, Ivanov — S. Savchenko, Petethof 2008, as he managed to prevent the advance of the b-pawn and took the important ef-square under control. 279 abe de fg h 13..axb4 14.axb4 £h3 15.b5 Qd8 16.063 Bd6 17.895 hg? 18.soxg2 “This position occurred in Trois ~ Van Riemsdi, Santos 1997, and now T would like to offer: 18..51N Intending ...e6, taking control over the «S-square with a good position. 6.85 This moves always useful to restrain a future advance of White's b-paw. 7.0-0 B15 8.943 B.e3 el (played 8..0-0, which also makes sense, but the text move is more ambitious) 9.h3 Sxf3 10.863 0-0 Ae NG abedeft areal A an a= 2h 11.a3N (11 cl?! allowed 11...dxe3! 12. hixe3? Da4F with a clear plus for Black in Baigorti Navarro — Martinez Martin, Madtid 2010) VheS 12,0Hd1 a4F Black is better thanks to280 his space advantage and the misplaced bishop on d2, LAB dS ‘This was Gdanski ~ Van Kampen, Warsaw 2013, and now I would like to offer: HR eR Uarea 0-0 9.82 “The main line. Alternatives ace pretey rare: 9.2165 The knight looks good hese, but ic doesn't support the advance of the b-pawn. SuEle8 10.63 65! a Ak aka Ss: abedetfgh 11.e4 Sef 12.43 BhS 13.1 Ad7 14.423 Ad6 15.02 DeSF Black was beer in Speelman — Nakamura, Isle of Man 2004. 9.fbxbA axb4 10.032 We? 11 Fel 11,82 occurred in Grebenkin ~ Burmakin, (Omsk/Perm 1998. I suggest meeting this move with 11...h62N, with a likely transposition to the line below after 12.Bfel 48, 11. 8d8 12.8142, oy feb abede 12...h62N A useful move, covering the g5-square and ensuring that the bishop will be happy on f5. 13.c3 dred 14.¥xe3 Og 15.We2 865! White gets no cime for h2-h3. abede 16.04 xed 17.8xc2 Badd 18.Axd4 Medd teh 19.ftxb7 Bade Black is on cop. uheS Tris also possible ro leave the bishop on b4 but T like che idea of avoiding exchanges and challenging White o find a use for the bishop on d2. 10.03 “The idea behind this move is obvious.Chapter 14 — 2.04 d4 281 10.8y5 h6 11 Si Wal 12.82 We7 13.03 a is good for Black, for instance: abedefgh Libs (or 14.03 Bd8 15.Me2 857) 14,_axb3 15.fhxb3 #d6F and Black was berter in Kivipelto ~ Kupreichik, Stockholm 2013, due to the weak pawn on the afi. (But plesse note that 15..xa3?? would lead to disaster after 16.¢51,) 10. A typical move in such positions, ensuring that a fiarure b2-b4 will weaken Whites queenside structure. 10..04 LDhAIN is messy 11.b4 11,tb4 WAG! maincains control for Black. 11.61 12.806 ‘A draw was agreed here in Cardon — Meulders, Sas van Gene 1988, but Black could have played on. 12sbxe6NE Only Black can be better, thanks to his space advantage and the backward pawn on b2. B2) 50-0 Di 5..e40 is an interesting altemative, and the reason why some players. prefer 5.43. with White, Play continues: 6.@e1 hS (6.2462! 7.3 ed3 8Oxd3 Be7 O.DSIE is good for White) 7.Bxe4 h4 8.43 Delchey and Semkov recommend this for Black, and it certainly leads to interesting play with some attacking chances for the pawn. I am not completely convinced that Black can justify the material investment, which is why [went for the text move instead, but attacking players could certainly consider this option as wel HR BR Eade 6.3 GbA! is an attempt to deflect Black’ night away from the defence of the e5- pawn. 6.04! ‘The most accurate. (White hoped for 6..xb4 7.2xe5t Qxe5 8.Hadt, although even here Black should not have any real problems) 7.Qg5 fixb4 8.Oxe4 Dred282 9.ixe4 $h3= (9...0-0P) Black obtained a comfortable position in Psakhis ~ Zhuravlioy, Sverdlovsk 1979. 6052 ‘A sensible precaution, preventing a possible 12-b4 well in advance. 703 7.3 eS 8.02 8.065 0-0 9.85 the7 10.042 was a poor choice by White in Gabriel - Rausis, Germany 1992. Black stands better and has 4 number of good options, burt I prefer the simple 10..h6N 11 £42 477 followed by cS. 8...0-0 9.03 HeB 10.fig5 6 11.6 Hhst 12.042 L.A B ds After 14.603 Wg6F Black’s position is better thanks ro his bishop pair and the vulnerability of Whites central pawns. 14 ERIE “The d3-pawn and d4-square are weak, and so Black is beter. HR eR Ua e@ 12, S007 ‘The more popular 12.4 has scored well and isa decent move, but the text is more ambitious as Black safeguards his bishop from being exchanged. 13.632N 13. Wy6 14.Bed BFS 15.fe05 Bod 16x04 Had left White under some pressure due co the weak dark squares in Schote— Hoeges, email 2009. "The text move seems like a natural choice but Black is doing well aftr: 13..dxe3 14.8x03 Tous T consider this the most solid choice, although 7uKc5!2 S.exd4 Bxd4 (or even the pawn sac 8..Qxd4P) certainly deserves actention as well B.fxe3 £e7 9.03 9.44 transposes to the next note after 9.nexd4 10.0xd4 Bxd4 11. Pac 0-0 12.003. 90-0 10.83 Ics useful for White ro cover che g4-square 10.d4 exe 11 acd Badd 12.84 12.dtxd4 c6 13.4.4 can be met by 13...g4! incending 14.13 the6 15.b3 8 with roughly equal chances. 12.06 ‘Once again, the position is roughly equal, for example: 13.Def Wd4 14 Badd eo 15.63 Det Vallejo Pons ~ Gelfand, Monte Carlo 2005,Chapter 14 ~ 2.04 d4 HR eR ade abede 1WGfS 114 xd 120xd4 Ded 13.ixd4 13.Md4 Wicd 4. bxd4 6 15.Bfel tbe 16.3 HOB 17.866 Ref 18.Mad Od7= lee {0 equal play in Tomashevsky ~ Wang Hao, Nizhnij Novgorod 2007 V3.6 Obviously Black should puta barter in the way of the g2-bishop, 4.Baf BoB 15.Bel 15.He1PN is a sensible move, but Black should be fine after a few patient moves: 1S.b8! 161 £181 17.Bxe8 Wxe8 Black hhas no need to fear an exchange on £6, as his powerful bishops would be more important 283, than his doubled pawns, 18,1b3 Bid7!= and Black is about to equalize. 15 ufhf8 16,06 868 17.05 “This occurred in Gabuzyan ~ Tomashevsky, Yerevan 2014, and now I suggest: abede 17..8472N I believe this to be the most accurate, although 17.5! could also be considered. 18.2e4t ‘This seems like the only real chance to cause problems, but Black ean maintain the balance as follows. 18..Oxc5 19.063 Dd3! 20.065 Orel 21.Hrel g6 ld a g h abedeft284 22.HdI! grfS 23.807 WAG 24.8x68 Bxbs 25,HA7 We6 26.8 g5t We6 27.Hd2 Web= ‘Whice has enough activity o compensate for the missing pawn, but not enough to claim an advantage, ©) 3.b4 White is playing a kind of reversed Benko Gambit, bue Black does noc have to puta pawn ‘on o5 and can instead build a strong centre by means of .f6 and «5. Bf 4.3 Challenging the central pawn is White's main idea. 4.B0b2 65 5.c3 transposes to 5.2262 in the notes to White’ next move in our main line. Black has nothing to fear after: 4.d3Y €5 5.a3 a5 6.05 De7 Delchev and Semkov give 6...0d7 as mote accurate, but I think the two moves are ‘equally playable, with each having its own pluses and minuses. 793 “The Bulgarian authors argue that 7.<3N is good for White but I see no problem after 7B, LAB ds 7.nc62N 7ufdd7 8.L0g2 D5 9.24 Dg6 was also roughly equal in Van der Werf ~ Burg, Wijk aan Zee 2013, “The text movelooks like the most challenging ‘option for White to face, Given the chance, Black will exchange on bS and gain access © the d5-square. Bad 8.bxc6 will be met by 8...2lexc6! so thar the other knight can go to €5 late, 8.05 9.fig2 &b4t 10.Dbd2 0-0 11.0-0 fheb= Followed by position for Black Dd7, with a comfortable 4DaB! 05 5.B2 “This has been tested by Aronian and some other strong GMs, although quite a few of she games were rapid or blitz encounters. I like the ree Semkoy: 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1Chapter 14 ~ 2.04 d4 Safa? 5.5 GibxeS fxc5 7.43 should be roughly equal but ies handy co gain 2 tempo against the b-pawn, 6.3b1 6a 5 7.g3 can be met ina few ways. I suggest 7ante6! Jaued Bgl 1 9.fg2 DF6 10.Hh3 is interesting, but I dont see any need for Black to risk having, his entre undermined) 8.3. cxb4 (even B..b5! 9.cxb5 @e7 could be considered) 9.axb4 Oxb4 when White may have enough compensation for equality in the reversed Benko, but he certainly has no advantage. 6.005 7.05 TbxcS fixcS 8.43 BAT! is a nice idea pointed out by Delchey and Semi. Play nay continue 9.e3 (or 9.8xb7 a4) 9.24 10.Me2 dxe3 11.fse3 He7 with some advantage for Black. TuoDC7 8.83 B46 9.63 66 10.2062 In Aronian ~ Topalox, Paris (rapid) 2016, Black should have played: a OS 4 abede teh 10..8b7NN 11.0-0 Had? a5 (11.06 125! is slightly annoying) looks roughly equal after 12.0-0 Be7 oF L2.bxa6 Bxa6. 11..a6 12a4 axbS 13.axb5 De7 Delchev and Semkoy catry on the analysis, bout for such a rare line F think it’ fine to stop here and say that Black has decent prospects Just be careful to avoid a move like ..e6 285, while the b7-bishop is undefended, as Oixdl4 would come as a nasty surprise, Aue abedefeh Whites two main options are C1) S.exd4 and C2) 5.c8. Before analysing them, we will consider several less common alternatives: 5.Qxe5? This piece sacrifice is something Black must always watch out for in these positions, but here it simply doesn't work: SuufkeS O.WSt che7 7.UxeSt Wn7 8.05 Ler White's compensation was insufficient in Abrahams ~"Thomas, Hastings 1951. A questionable sacrifice is: S.b2H died 6.fee3 Subd 7.05 7.43 67 hacdly helps White: 8.8/2 (or 8.d4 Saadi — Redolf, Cordoba 1968, 8..c4N 9.242 EST) 8...h6 9.Bd3 96 10.23 Shes 11.0-0 Now the improvement 1..c6N followed by ...Dd7 leaves White with no compensation (rather than 11...2e62 when 12.8d5! made things messy in Bumzmann — Raetsky, Biel 2000). nd6 7...8xe5 8 fled should be good for Black too, bbut the text move is even more convincing. 8.ftch Now in Bergmann ~ Souza, Brazil 1996, the strongest cor ‘would have been:286 B.ARESIN 9.0-0 9.83 pcre SunStd3 10.83 Bixct U1 xed Age? TImending ...945, with the makings of a positional advantage to go with the extra pawn, 5.ab a5? ‘Aiming to win control over the 5-square 6s Goexdh of 7.1e2 We7 8Agi axbé 9.8b2 DeG 10.8 brad 118403 Badd! 12.Sxd4 Brad 13.0103 Wad 14 Bed {0 a good position for Black. 6nd 32N 6..c5 is a decent alternative which was played in Schlick — Jaworski, Poland 1971, “The cext move is more ambitious. A possible continuation is: 7.Stb2 a4 8.2xe5 fee5 9.8HSt the? 10.8xe5t F7 11.03 Bom ‘With a complex, unclear position, 1.6 d5 5.83 ho! “The knight will be well placed on £7. It is important 0 do this before White plays 2-43 in onder co avoid the simple reply of exd4 followed by xh6. 6.ftb2 6.cxd2t is strongly met by the typical 6.04 72h Deo". 6.5! Gut5. 7.bxcS Be6 B.exd4 occurred in Gentilleau ~ Ryrshagox, Istanbul (ol) 2000, when 8..e4N 9,te3 Be7 10.0h4 would have led to unclear complications. 7.a3N 7exd42t was well met by the thematic 7..04 82g! (B.Le3 We7F) 8...AcGHF in A. anow ~Bakdanov, email 2001. 7405? a4 8.182.251 9.04 (9.81432 is refuted by Ded! 10.Bxe4 d3-*) 9.ukhe6F is also better for Black. TS B.exdd In the event of 8.bxc5 6 Yiexd4 exd4 10.ftd3 Sxc5 11.0-0 0-0- Black is doing fine B.cxdd B..exd4 9.bxc5 De6 also looks good for Black. 9.05 a7! 10.fte4 10.843 axbé I.axb4 Baal 12.fxal b6 is also good for Black. 10..b6! Black at least equaliaes.Chapter 14 ~ 2.c4 dé Cl) Ssexd4 eft abede This is an important resource, as we have already seen in afew of the notes above. 6.02 Talso checked the two possible knight moves: 6dh4 Wad 7.2403 03! ‘A double attack on £2 and hd. 88st 8,F4 Stsb4 9.063 WSF is also cleaely beter for Black, who is wo pawns up. 896 9.03 9.Aixg6? exf2t 10.thd! Sedt wins outright LAL Zaza canes abedef 9.3! 10.2246 Waal 11.@xh8t ded ‘White has insufficient compensation for a piece. Fo instance: 1aaast gb 287 12dedl e6F 12.247 13-Bsg8 Wael 14h Now Black's play in Reshetkov — Bogdanovich, Odessa 2010, can be improved by the simple: bedefgah 14..8yd24N 15.fte? 6 16Bd Bheba+ Black protects the bishop on f8 and wins the game. The rare 6.4)gl! may actually be the least of the evils, although Black is still doing well afer: 6. Md 7.003 xb abede BAge22N (8.Rb2 occurred in Wood — Rodford, corr. 1973, when either 8,..8c6 oF 8...0h6 would have been advantageous for Black) 8...8d8! 9.xe4 De6F Black cetains a slight edge. White's last move pins the e-pawn, but not for long:288 1.86 d5, HE Re RU are abede 8.3 Debs 8...Dh6!? isa second promising option. 9.Ba3 9sbd1 Oh6 10.23 occurred in Vokac Fiala, Prague 2012, and now Black has more than one possible improvement: abedefgh 10..Bg4IN (there is also 10..d72N 11.63 D5 12.Pred red 13.fke4 Dxd4 14.2 ge? De6! 15.44 Dd3 16.che2 BA 17.-Bgl 5! 18.45 @d4t 19.eb1 A467 and Black's advantage is indisputable) 11.¥e2 (11.433 SEF and White isin erouble) fg h 11..SteGt Black has an exellent position, ‘especially as his last move prepares to meet 12.A)xe4% with 12,..HA7 13.83 0-0-0-+ A\hG 10.262 O65 11.8b3 a5! 12.8.2 Now Blacks play from Granda Zuniga — Short, Lima 2012, can be improved by means abede 12..2\4341N 13.ftxd3 aft ‘An important intermediate move, 14.U5b4 14.83 is even worse: 14..exd3} 15.3 (or 15.2F1 a3! 16-Hel axb2 17-Hxe7t fixe? 18.Wxb2 dic2—+) 15..a3 16.stcl Wed 17.013 5 18.dxe5 fixc5 19.0-0 Dd! and Black is winning, 4nexd3t 15.Bbxe7t Bxc7 16.003 Oxe3Chapter 142.04 dé 17 fxe3 17dne3? is strongly met by 17.8bst i8sbd a3 19.Sict Med 20.AbI Baz! 21.La2 Ab2! and Black wins, 1703 18.83 Leb is leads to a clear posit al advantage. 19.65 ‘Afier 1945 2F7 20.61 BaF Whites structuse falls apa 19. ncb6 20,cxb6 exb6F Black's bishops are strongand the a2-pawn is a long-term weakness C2) 5.05 Hee euar.)e 289 This is the main Line, White vacates the cA-squace in order to create threats along the 42-8 diagonal Soua5 Black wastes no ime in undermining Whites pawn wedge. We will analyse C21) 6.Bxe5it, C22) 6.8e4, C23) 6.Ab5t and C24) 6.Badt. G.exd4? ef gives White an even worse version of variation CI above, C21) 6.BxeSt de Delchey calls this a forced draw, but Black can actually avoid it he wishes. Gufee5 7.UhSt 2d7 she7 ezansposes to ow main line after 8MxcSt alist TE Black is content with a draw, he ean easily ager it with: 8, che 9.8¢hSt! (9.FFse5F? is bad due to 9.87! 10.d8e4 HBt-+) 9..cbd7= However, we also have the option of playing oon with: B..the7!290 “This leads to complicated play, with Black ultimately emerging on top. Mike ha We, Pi, JW, YZ Les aes a aan Y abedefegh 9.MreSt e6 10.fe4 Bd7 11.65 ‘fier 11 Bxe6 Wre6 12-8hxc7F Ma? 13.8874 axb4 Moexd4 e6 15.862 B16 White did not have enough compensation in Moroni — Rambaldi, Civitanova Marche 2013, Hee RUare 1... T1..c6 was played in Van Wely ~ Kramnil Nice (rapid) 2008. “The texc move is an improvement, and has since been tested in a couple of correspondence games. 12.exdé 12.0-0 d3= with the idea of £207 is also ‘good for Black, Calio ~ Genchev, corr. 2014. 1.68 d5 12.433 can also be met by 12.43%. I also consideted 12.fxe6 Whe6 13.Bsc7t Dbd7 14.0-0 43! 15.403 sbE7F and Black is about to consolidate. 12.87 13.dixe6t x6 14.0-0 14..8451N 14..WeeS 15.dxeS enabled White co straighten out his pawn structure, when he was more or less okay in Stephan ~ Roubaud, corr 2012. The text move is more ambitious. 15.8hSt g6 16.81 2g7% Black is well on the way towards getting lly coordinated, and his extra piece should prove ‘more valuable than White's three pawns. C22) 6.fhe4 axb4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Chapter 14 ~ 2.¢4 d4 201 This leads to some sharp cactics but it all 17-Bael 2d7#) 15,.0-0 16.0xb6 exb6r tins out well for Black in the end. Black’ advantage is evident. 7nd A final possibility is: 7393 D6 8,0-0 Axes Once again, 7Mxc5% fre5 BMDSt docs o.oxdd Bxdé 10-Dxd4 Wd 11.662 WhO not work: 8.uid7! 9.Bg8 (9.WEST? Be6!—+ 13.4 Gc6 [3.dxeS 4)a5 shows why it is in White’ interests to provoke <6 by means of 6.2b5t; see variation C23 below for mote sboue chat) Now Black’s play in D. ‘Toth ~ Korpa, Hungary 2012, can be improved by means of: abedergh 14. WEIN (14.8321 B05 15.12 0-0-0-% was even worse for White in Chouati~ Puple, Internet 2004) 14...2xe4 15.Wixed Bee 9. HG! 10.8c4 Bxc5 11.0-0 @e6* and Black isa healthy pawn up. 7.8b2. occurred in Chuchelov — Schenk, Geimany 2010. The most accurate reply is Jodxe3IN Bfe3 xe5, when my analysis Povedl ‘An important move, especially considering that 7..exd4 was the only continuation mentioned by Delchey in The Modern Ret abedelt sh 8.We2 He7 9.Dg1IN 9.4 exd4 10.cxd4 Bb6 110-0 Acé This is clearly White's best chance. 12.Abd2 Dge7 13.4b3 Qa5 14.Wxb4 Oxc4 The most direct refutation of 9.44?! is to 15.04 (or 15. fixed?! dS 16.le2 BG trap the knight with: 9...g5! (The positional292 L.A d5 9..g6! also curned out well for Black after 10.03? §5!F in Lagno ~ Ponomatioy, Khanty- Mansiysk (rapid) 2013) abedefeh Tes important to add that 10.8hS} d8, 11.26% does not work on secount of 1. Hee RUare 9.06! 10.062 g6 11.3 exf3 12.33 12Yixc7t Bxe7 13.Ax63 DS 14.03 b3T also favours Black, 12..Bxe2t 12,,.R658 13.23 €c6F is aso good. 13.ixe2 B65 14.43 Deb 15.23 b3 16.042 16.8ixb3? is bad due t0 16,..0-0-0F, 16.825 17.Dxb3 xch 18.dxe4 I71 Black's initiative gives him more than ‘enough compensation for a pawn, €23) 6.2b5t I have already alluded to che fact chat this is a subdle improvement over the previous variation (see the 7.2)xe5#! line in the notes 10 variation C22 for a reminder of why the e6- sxquare is imporcant), Nevertheless, Black can still get an excellent game ihe kaows what he is doing, 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6 nse6 7.8.4 axbrd 8.0 x05? “This sacrifice ultimately proves to be unsound, bat it looks scary and was recommended by Delchev, s0[ think itis right to present it asthe main line. 8.83? is another direct attacking attempe which doesn’t reach the goal: 8.16 9.cxd4 (9.0-0 dxe3 10.fre3 of 11.044 DA7¥ is also great for Black, as 12.8)e6 can be met by 12,.@)xc51-4) Jue 10.0-0 extChapter 14 ~2.04 d4 11 Rel Be7 12.ftb2 fig? 13.45 exd5 14.Bxd5 De6-+ White failed to get any compensation for the strificed piece in Papin ~ Hlingworth, ‘Melbourne 2014. B.exd is objectively the est ery, Bue Black gets 4 comfortable game after: 8..e4 9.8e2 We? 10Agt Dd7 11.43 exd3 12.fxd3 abe d Bh 12,..061 13.exb6 (13.83 bxe5 was also good for Black in Hacker ~ Oreopoulos, ort: 2013) 13..Qxb6F and Black is bere. er Benfke51 8...h6 has achieved good results but caking the knight is stronger, HR eeuarea 9.HhSt got Delchey only considers 9.82472, which is bad due to 10BISt see7 (because the 293 G-square is not available!) 11,WxeSt ed? 12.Be6+ and White is lose co winning, 1O.HxeSt He7 11.Wxhs D6 White is the exchange anda pawn up, but his ‘queen is stuck in the comer with no obvious escape, Black’s next move will almost certainly be ...c6, followed by rapid development and threats against White's queen anor king, 12.43 12.43? eG 13.f4xe6 Wxe6 14.2262 b3! gives Black a decisive advantage. 12.0-0 Be6 13.S2xe6N (13.43? dixed 14,dxe4 7! 15.8 Sg7 16.Bxd44 S27 was winning for Black in Davis — Zelesco, Cammeray 2013) 13.6 14.43 Abd7 15.exd4 0-0-0 16.23 abede teh 16..8e7! 17.895 WEEE and Black is clearly beeter294 12,82 Be61 13.8206 13.faxd4 Abd7F does not help White. 13,..Hse6 1.083 d5 the nore on 12.0-0 above, 14.bd7 15.0-0 15.$1h6 #2t7! 16.Aiel2 He8 wins 14.g4 14 Sod 42! is met by the simple 14,./0bd7—+ followed by ..0-0-0 and ..h6, when ‘White has no way vo save his queen. 14..bd7 15.g5 Bed! 16x44 16Mad4 also fails to seve the game: 16,.0-0-0! 17.63 @dxcS 18.04 Bad 19.Bxd4 Da3t 20.che2 Wrest 16..0-0-0 17.83 Dxg5 18.0-0 .2h6 White resigned in Stella — Bertagnolli, Onrisei 2013. HR eRuare abedeig T2nkto6t 13.2042 Talso analysed: 13.Bxe6 Hhre6 4c 14,0-0 Dbd7 15.culé 0-0-0 eransposes abedefgh 15,.0-0-0 16.895 Bxc5 17g? 18 18.88 WHE White is in rouble. A possible continuation 19.xf6 Oxf 20.05 Dh5 21Hel 21.e6 WreG 22.8hsh7 docs not save the queen afier 22..87-+ followed by ..R8. 21... eG 22.87 Shg7—+ Black picks up the queen and obtains a ‘winning position 13.8bd7 Black is preparing...0-0-0 tobe followed by 6, and there is not much thae White can do about it 1403Chapter 14 ~ 2.04 dé 14.0-02N was a better try, though after 14..0-0-0 1S.exd4 8h6 16.Bsd8t exd 17.Bel @d5 Black keeps the upper hand. Lda dxed 15.fe03? 1-0! had to be tried, though Black keeps a big advantage with accurate play i Once again, Black ensures that the il remain closed before he castles, 16.Hel exf2t 17.doxf2 0-0-0! abedetgn 1x6 (BHxe6 Brest 195hA Bh6 20.8xd8t thx 21.0xb3 WhST is also excellent for Black, as the bishop on 4 is in trouble while the h2-pawn is also hanging) 1B.udhg7 19.8ad8t SecB 20.Axb3 Best! 21 Big Wha 22.6501 Bale Hee euarea 15..b3t Once again, Black keeps the afile closed. 295 16.Dc4 Dxet 17.Lxe6 Wh4t! 18.g3 Oxg3 19.Lgl Best 20.ced1 Ddxes ‘White has saved his queen but his position is wreck, and the game is soon over. abedef 21.Wes Bert 22.sbe2 Dfcds 23,8d4 WRT gh ‘White resigned in Panjwani~So, Edmonton 2014; model game from Blac’ poine of view. C24) 6.Wadt Since the sacrificial aemprs of the previous ‘two variations do not work for White, attention hhas recently shifted cowards chis move, MJ, ae book utd? 6.26! has only been played a couple of times but ic seems like another solution:296 7.b5 Bb4 8.03 @d5 S.exd4 ex 10:8xd4 Wet 11tte? Wed 12.0-0 Badd 13.0xd4 cs, ‘RPL Pere ik 4 ‘ shea Ae ee 2 1 Fe Prd pa 8 ne gis rar eReT Era 14.Qb3 (14.£b2 occurred in Demuth — So, Montpellier 2015, when 14...(40 15.204 Bxd4 16.Axd4 Be6 17.Hel wf7 would have been comfortable for Black) 14...8d6 15.863 2\ge7= Mareco — Ni Hua, Balu 2015. 7.b5 fixe 8.Le4 B.exd4 exd4 docs not present any problems. For instance: 9.24 (9.Axd4 We7'! forces the unpleasant 10.4)¢2, after which 10,..2h6? favouts Black) 9..Be7 tl (9...De7 transposes to the main line below, but the text move seems like a good way to exploit White’s decision to takeon dé prematurely) 10.ded1 46 11 Belt 2)e7 Black was better in A. Burnett ~ Ochsner, Reykjavik 2015. a We7az haa aa I, 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 i 1.06 d5 8.07 9,cx4 exdé 10.803! 10,0-0 gives Black time for 10...¢e4 11.03 447 with an excellent positios 10.8622 gs 11.Axd4 occurred in Ramivez — Edouard, Avlingeon 2015, when Black could have obtained an advantage with: abedefeh 11...€d7IN_A strong move, based on. the following tactical point: 12.2e6 She6 13.dbxe6 Gxl2t! M4dinl Oc5 15.Bigh Od3F 16.ceg1 @xb2 17-Bhag7 We4t 18.coFl BEB Black has a clear advantage, as Edoward pointed out in his annotations. HR eR Uare 10...Da6t ‘A clever defence. 11.0-0 Bb4 12.43 S651 “The position remains complicated burChapter 14— 2.64 4 roughly equal, as the following examples demonstrate, 13.8b3 T3.Hel b6 14.¥b3 Has 15,Abd2 0-0-0 16.h4 g6 was prety similar in Demuth ~ Duda, Ruzomberok 2014. White retains sufficient compensation for @ pawn, but Black is objectively not worse. Delcher and Sembov also analyse: 13.Be1 fixd3 14.803 Oxd3 15.825 Bxc3 16: Bed Wao 17.Dbd2 0-0-0 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedetgh 18.Bacl b6 19.Act Oxef 20,xe4 Here 1 found a miniscule improvement: 20...£d7 (20..2d5 21.Hxd4 WS should lead to a level endgame, as che Bulgarian authors point out) 21 Badd eS 22.88c5 bred 23.8xd7 sexd7 24,855 6 The endgame should be a draw but White has co be slightly careful as Black has the more active king. 13..Wd6 14. Dba? adl? 14,.0-0-0 was also dynamically balanced in Fraczek — Van Assche, corr. 2013. 15.8%b1 0-0-0 Both sides have their chances in this somewhat irtegular position. The following conespondence game featured accurate phy by both sides; chese is no need to memorize it, but itis worth playing through the moves 297 in order to understand che ideas and resources available to both sides. abede 16.04 £6 17.2xg6 hxy6 18.h3 15 Preventing ed, 19.06 Dbds 20.hhxc5 Bre 21.225 Bcd 22,Wel Ded5t Interestingly, Black is happy to go from being «pawn up to the exchange for a pawn down, He can afford to do so because his knights are s0 well placed and the b5-pawn is weale 8g 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 23,Be6 Wd6 24.2xd8 toxds The position remained dynamically balanced in Koegler ~ Ruefenacht, corr, 2012, and a draw was subsequently agreed on move 33:298 1.068 d5 ‘Conclusion 2.c4 is an important option, bur I believe in Black’ chances after the space-gaining 2..d4. We saw that 3.652 is well met by 3..e5!, while the reversed Benoni after 3.g3 D6 4.82 5 gives Black nice prospects. ‘The theoretically sharpest variations occur after 3.b4 f6 4.c3 €5, ‘when Black must be ready for some active tries involving c4-c5 and possibly a Oxe5 sacrifice at some point. ‘The good news is that none of these aggressive ideas work against accurate play by Black, s0 he relatively calm 6.80344 seems to be White's best bet — but I dort see any major problems for Black there either.1.08 d5 3.63 Variation Index LAB d5 2.4 d4 3.03 BAG A) 4.03 B) 4.d3 ©) 4.b4 dxe3 5.fxe3 Bxb4 Cl) 6.Mast C2) 6.d4 e5t C21) 7.Axes C22) 7.03 D) 4uexd4 Oxd4 5.xd4 Wadd DI) 6.43 D2) 6.3 66 7.43 Dhl D21) 8.Be2 22) 8.h3 123) 8.he2 124) 8.83 ds D241) 9.2xh6 D242) 9.44 note to move 4 Dat) afer gs 1242) note to 11.2 301 302 303 303 304 304 306 309 309 310 31L 311 312 316 316 317300 1.DB d5 2.04 dé 3.€3, “This isthe main line; White fights for che centre by challenging ous strong pawn. E34 analysed four main options: A) 4.03, B) 4.d3, C) 4.b4 and D) 4exd4. 4@xd4 ansposes wo variation D_ after 4Bxd4 S.exdd Wald 4.0521 has the idea to activate the Fl-bishop, but it curns out badly for White, 4.05 5.205 Bd7 6.8x06 dhxc6 7.2xe5 Now in Wronn Hess, Tiavemuende 2002, Black should have played: 8 7 6 s 4 3 2 1 abede teh 7. dMlgSIN 8.8)xc6 Wag? 9.8f1 UoGF White's ‘opening has been an utter flute 1.06 ds 4a! “This eccentric move also fails to impress 4ucStd7 5.64 5.33 e5! was better for Black in Mochring — Fridman, Senden 1999; the b7-pawn is untouchable and the queen is misplaced on b3, 5.3! 6.fse3 Gdse3 occurred in Kett ~ S. Ledges Liverpool 2008, and now 6..e6!N would have been good for Black, bearing in mind that 7.b5? is efuted by 7.16! 8.bxo6 faxc6 and Black wins aay Deka Sih ae a a ni feb 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 abede 6.05! 7345? 7.b5 was better, but after 72.47 retains the upper hand. Fna! Pethaps White had overlooked that king the b7-pawn would cost him his queen. Now he is forced to make a humiliating retreat. BMS ede Fluvia Poyatos ~ Narciso Dublan, [Bstartit 2008. Black 4gh 05 5.03 “This move order is rare and rather suspicious. “That said, 5.fhg2 dxe3 is clearly good for Black as well. SuubAt Std? Bxd2t! 7.2 7dbxd2 dred! 8.fre3 DAGF favours Black, as the pawns on d3 and e3 are weak.Chapter 153.03 301 TaSRGN 7.-1HF6! was also good for Black in Eveyngin - Kolanck, Internet 2011, but the text move seents Fike the more human choice 8.fig2 dred! 9.643 D¥ixe3 is met by 9..2g4F followed by QA and Black is bette. 9.815! 10.04 yds Black has a lear positional advantage due to the weakening of the d4-square, not to mention White's bad bishop. A) 403 Rw RU ara % abedefgh This move prepares b2-b4, but itis too slow to cause Black any problems. Suudwe3!? makes sense too: 6.dve3 Wd t 7x1 eA 8.Q02 £5 9.8b2 BA and Black’ position is to be preferred. 6B 6.52 exE3 7. bxe6 e7! 8.exb7 Sbxb7 9.83 \o6 eleatly Favours Black. Gnd 7oenels Wald abe 8.03 DM 9.862 Nov in Galkin ~ Volkow, Int 2007, Black should have played: 9. AESINE Black is better due ro che backward pawn on 42 and the weake square in Front oF i (lies) Suuthee3! 6ofixe3 6.6e32N can be met by 6.uc4% Zadxel dt SardT DA 943 LUG 10.64 66 (Black can also start with 19...0-0!%) 11.b2 0-4 followed by ..Be8 and Black ob plenty of positional compensation for 8 pawn. 6D ge7 “The knight will be perfectly placed on £5, 7.Be2 B15 8.03 g6! Preparing to attack on the dark squares, 9.0-0 Bed 10.fke3 HGF Black’ opening provecl 2 complete success in Bregadze ~ So, Lubbock 2013.302 LBB dS eS 14.2 BUT 15.862 eS looks fine for Black. Sua 5. Be2 5.03 leads back to variation A above. Suendé exdd 6g3 (6.Le2 AMG 7.0-0 es transposes to the main line below) 6..066 Black has good prospects, for instance: 7.23 a5 8.02 Wert! abe ae 9.Be2? R65 10.Hixe7t xe? 11sbd2 QA7F Tita ~ tanec, Graz 2005, gh 5... (6 6.0-0 BSI? 7.cxd4 exd4 8.203 also considered: 8.3 a5 9.fg5 ‘After 9.Dbd2 0-0 10.b3 Se7 White cannot put additional pressure on 4, and so Black is better thanks to his space advantage, 9,8fadi? 0-0 10.64 is an interesting ary, but 10..d8e8! L1.Bel Bd6! 12Dbd2 FS! 13.65 ost 1O.fh4 0-0 11.0bd2 g5! 12.853 RAGF is promising for Black, 10,186 11.@bd2 e7 ‘With a comfortable position for Black, 1-0 9.1 WG 10.2 a5 11-63 “This position was reached in Dvirnyy Schiati, Correggio 2007. Black’ play can be improved with: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 11..681N With the following idex 12.93 bStE Black cakes the initiative on the queensideChapter 15 ~ 3.03 White sacrifices a pawn in order to occupy the ‘centre with his pawns Aude ‘he principled way to deal with a gambit is to accept it S.fie3 Bxb4 White can cither throw in C1) 6.8a4t or play C2) 6.44 immediately Cl) 6.ffadt Deb 7.44 303 Black has played 7..c6 in some games, but 1 prefer to develop quickly while keeping the option of playing ..25 in a single move. 8.lfb3 B61 Delchev and Semkov give 8...e5 but slightly prefer the text move. 9BeON 9.Mxb72? loses to 9.3268 10.86 b4, 9.fia3 96! Black is going to develop his dark- squared bishop to h6 in order to put pressure on 3, 10.43 Jabs L104? Now in Amanoy — Sheo, Los Angeles 2013, Black missed a powerful idea: T1SigStON 12.45 x3 13.ge83 Ded 14. Platt 6 Black's advantage is close to decisive. 1 10.45 due tbat 11. Abd? Dg4? is obviously ‘good for Black. 1O.Dxe5 Bxe5 L.dxeS Def 12.0-0 e6F also favours Black thanks to White's awful pawn seructurs, 10..b4 ck is preparing to transfer the knight to S via 1 DxeS304 11.03 @a6 12.0xe5 Desk gives Blac an obvious positional advantage. 11...8d6 12.662 0-0 13.0-0 HeB 14.0xd7 Daxd7t Black's advantage is unquestionable, as his picces are excellent and White has numerous ‘weaknesses, especially on the datk squares. C2) 6.d4 js move has been known ever since Rubinstein incroduced it in 1924! Black sacrifices the pawn back in order to fight for the initiative, ‘We will analyse C21) 7.DxeS and C22) 7.23. LBB d5 C21) 7.Bxe5 By accepting the counter-sacrifice, White allows his king to be displaced. abcdefgh 7dlthat 8.8242 8.g3? loses to 8..Med when Black is thyeatening both hl and ..Ac2t, ‘Tagliagambe — Martinez, Milan 2006. ‘8.i2e2!2N is not disastrous, but Black rerai the upper band after 8.26 9.23 Ge6 10.03 gd 11.83 0-0-0! with a strong iniciative. 8.886 9.03 Dgét Black exchanges White's strong knight on 8, HE RueRUuareChapter 15 — 3.03 10.03 Ik is worth pointing out that 10.HadtN 2e6! 11.€dxc6 847! favours Black, Whites best chance to reach an acceptable position may be the untested: 10.2363 Bhs 11.eN 11.s%e22! occurred in Brglez - Hilkunen, Canada 1996, and now 11...Af5IN 12.04 We6F would have led to complications which strongly favour Black, abede 11.5! 122065 &d6 13.03 Delchey and Semkov point out that 13.e4 Wy6 4 Oxdot Wad 15.43 Deb 16.45 DeeS 17.h3 Orit 188K Oe5 19.83 0-0 20.8b2 HeB sees Black establish successful blockade on e5. Next he can ‘open the centre with ..f5, s0 his chances ace excellent ~ bearing in mind that White cannot castle! 13,.4a6 13.006 MdxcS b8 15.Qd6+ faxd6 WG.exd6 is a weird Tine where Black has enough compensation, but there Is no need 10 go for something as double-edged as this. 14Dxd6t 14.cf? is worse on account of 14..4F 14...Bhxd6 15.243 0-0 16.202 Delchey and Semkoy conclude their ‘excellent analysis of this variation with 16..c1d6 17.cxd4 OG 18.0202 Sp 19.203 acB 20.He1 bS!, when Black wins control 305, cover the dS-square and is definitely not worse. However, I like the following idea 16.58 Establishing an outpost on e4, while planning w complete development wi a7, .fiae8, ..Be7 and s0 on, This way, lack strengthens his position without opening lines for White’ pieces. If White tries ro block the centre with dé-d5, Black always has the undermining option of ..b5. Black definitely has the initiative 10..2x05 Laxb4N igs? “This inferior move was played in Kustar ~ Lukaes, Zalakatos 1997, when Black missed a strong idea: 11. BEGIN 12.axb4306 Tidxes Wd8t 13.cbe1 Wxd1t 14.toxd1 AigdF 15.2 0-0-4 16.0d5 Brert 17.doxe2 Oxd5 18.ced5 Hxd5F leaves Black with an extra pawn in che endgame. abede 12, gt 13.862 13.Madt cbt 14.0d5 BB 15.0¢74 chd7 16A)xa8 Web 13..Qxc4t 14thc2 dre? 15.xe2 Gt Black has an extra pawn and the better structure, and the white king is also misplzced. “The text move is White’ only chance to get a playable position, but Black keeps a significant after the following feb : 12dueS B65! xb 4 0-0-0F “This vieeually forces White to give up his queen 13.Madt 6 1B d5 15.846 15.0452 runs into: 15..Hxd5t! 16.03 Welt 17.shb3 abedefgh Todte2H! 18.oc2 rhs 19.cxd5 BdBlF with a powerful aeack. 15...Sthe8! 16,g3 We71 17.thel xd6 18.exd6 Wes! 19.843 Bd8s Materially White is just about okay, but Black clearly has che init €22) 7.03 He eRUaae ‘This is che most popular continuation, D6 8.3 ‘After 8.45 ef! 9.f42 De 10.0ne4 What 11.AP2 (11.Dg3? hls wo 11..Dg4-) Black’s play in Mucller ~ altar 2014, canChapter 15 ~3.63 bie improved by means of L1...06INF, when Black’ superior pawn structure makes the difference, B.fle2 Afb! (Delchev analyses 8..04 9.AE2 £5 in detail, but che text move is better) 9.0-0 d6 10.4c3 exd4 LLexd 0-0 12.895 h6 13.8h4 67% (13..g52N also deserves attention) Black kept an extra pawn and the better chances in Gindi ~ Baetaglini Jerusalem 2014. 8.26 8..15¥N could be considered, but there is no real need for Black to search for an improvement. 9.45 White has also tried: 9.e2 exd4 10.exd4 Be? I prefer this over 10.67, which was played in Suc Kornees, Nova Gorica 2014, 11,0-0 0-0 12.ht After 12.84 ASF Whites initiative is insufficient, 12.d5 occurred in ‘Tschann — Friedrich, Germany 2013, when 12..2a51N would have retained an edge for Black. "This position was reached in Jakel — Flea, Ancwetp 1993, and a few other games. I agree with Delchey and Semkov thet the most accurate continuation is 307 abede 12.,.2651N “The bishop is heading to g6 co shore up the ings. 13,884 13.0h4 S4g6 does not change much. 13.26! Simplest. The Bulgarian authors give 13,296 14.0052 26 15.Oxc7 BeB 16.45 |Dhs! as good for Black, but 17.dxc6 OxF 18xdS Bids 19.0d5 Bxd5 20.cxb7 BOS 21.cad5 Hxb7 22.dbxa6 leads to heavy simplificaions and a likely draw. 14.22 gor White does not have enough for the pawn. ‘Once again Black meets the d4-d5 push ‘with this dynamic response. 10Dg5 De5 11.844308 11.fte2 occurred in Lemberger ~ Patocka, corr. 2006, and is also given by Delchev and Semkow as sufficient reason to favouradifferent ‘option on move 9. However, it seems to me that Black has more than one good response: LL8BRN (thete is also 11..ed72N 12.2)gxe4 Bc5 with good prospects for Black) 12,0-0 (12.8844 FIZ 13.Acxed 6 also gives Black good play on the dark squares) 12.96 abedefgnr Now 13.Mcxe4? Axed 14Oxe4 fixed 15,844 is a small tactical wick which enables White to regain his pawn, buc after 15...8g7 16,Hxe4 0-0 Black keeps the beter chances due co his compact structure and prospects of playing on the dark squares 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 11...Dfigdt 12. Dgred 123 Pegs 13gs was seen in Bogosavljevic ~ Nikolic, Visac 2012, and here LAB ds 13..f6IN 14.Bxe4 Wag4F would have given Black an extra pawn and a clear advantage 12.Ocxed!? h6 13.08 gél is a clever idea which gives Black the advantage, For example 24 o>) abede rah 14.Axe52t Bg7! 15.862 Bue 16.82 What 17.g3 We7 Whites suuctute is overextended and he will soon find himself with a bad bishop against a strong bight B2uc5t 12.1n4t 13.8842 £5 14,h3 fied 15.hxgd Wahl 16,8xe5t Be7 17.fe2 is messy, 13.1 13.0xc5? is bad because of 13...8xc5 14.Wxc5 What 15.sed2 BART 16.skd Bahay,Chapter 15 -3.3 309 13.65 14,431 17.096 18.83 g7 19.82 0-0-+ Now Black could play either 14..€66 or White is hopelessly uncoordinated. 14..Wh4t 15.g3 Wh6 with ac lease equal chances, but he has something even stronger. D) duexd4 Ord 3 This is the main line, White clearly cannor tolerate the knight on d4 for long, so his next 7 move is obvious. 6 5 8 4 1 3 6 2 5 1 4 3 14.0b211 2/6 Foreing Whites rook to a bad square and preventing the opening of the h-file, 15.Sixh2 fred 16.0h5¢ D°7 5.Dxd4 Wadd Black is clearly bexer. Iris worth mentioning We will consider D1) 6.d3 followed by the that grabbing the e-pawn would lead to even main line of D2) 6.4¢3. greater problems for White: 6.fte2 should be met by 6..Dh6), which is 17 xed? virtually guaranteed to transpose to one ofthe “This greedy move will soon be punished. __variations below. D1) 6.43 Ohot HR oR Uae HR ekuare abedefgh310 A typical idea in this variation. ‘The knight is heading for (5 in order ro fight for the d4- square. 7.Bhe2 BES 8.242 820c3 o6 transpose to variation 923. I also considered 8.0-0N 05 9.€d2 de7 10Bet 0-0 11,463 Wa6 12.842 6 13.82 BG 14S Bad8= and Black is doing fine. 8.961 9.08 Wa61 10.22 10.d4 7 11.c5 Wd5 12.3 €5 13.dxe5 xed 1.fie3 Wc5 15.84 We is also good for Black. 10.g7 11.3 Now in Neumeier ~ A. Smith, Germany 2010, Black should have played Hwee uarae 1.06 d5 11..0-01N 12.44 12.Rel and 12.0-0 can doth be met by 12..€5, when Black obtains full control over the d-square and is clearly better 12,.b61 12...1d80F also favours Black. 130-0 8673 Black has the mote pleasane position, as the pressure on d4 is annoying for Whiec D2) 6.23 6 ‘The most logical move, covering both d5 and bS. 7.83 ‘Whicecan hardly manage without this move. 7.Bee2. Dh6 8.43 wansposes ro variation D23, 7ucW6t ‘The knight will play a pivoral role in the fight for the dé-square, and the dark squares in general Whites four most important options are D21) 8.2e2, D22) 8.h3, D23) 8.fhe2 and D24) 8.13.Chapter 15 ~ 3.03 ait After B.Axh62 gxh6 the slight damage to Black's pawn structure is outweighed by the serious weakening of Whites dark squares. 9.fte2 g8 10.8652 (White should prefer 10.g3, although 10...85 followed by ..0-0-0 is ull better for Black) 10...8°5 11.8a abedeteh We have been following Reina Bernal Korneex, Malaga 2002, and here the simple 11,..0-0-OINF would have offered Black a clear advantage. D21) 8.De2 "The idea behind this odd-looking move is «0 pput the knight on g3 in order co counter the plan of ...65. However, it seems to me that White's manocuvre is 0 time-consuming «0 be any good, M6! 9.253 Here Black as a simple improvement: RR eR Mare ISIN In the only game which reached the above position, Black played aggressively but soon went astray and got crushed: 9...0g4 10.44 ©5 11h3 O16 12.dxe5 Bb4t? 13.H2 Bed? 14,82! 0-0-0 15,8xb4 Blxb4t 16.3 Black lost a piece and resigned two moves later in Baramidze — Rapport, Austria 2010. 10.82 O)F5 11.0-0 11Oxf5 Sbxf5 12.0-0 B57 is obviously ‘more pleasant for Black. 11,,.Dag3 12.heg’ eS 13.261 a5! Preventing b2-b4. 14.863 0-08 Black enjoys full control over the d4-square, while the d3-pawn remains a. long-term weakness. D2) 8.h3 ae) "This modest-looking move holds surprisingly aggressive intentions. 8.2065 9.g82t “This is che consistent move, but the entire concept looks dubious. 9.2 is objectively a better move, but in that ‘eave White simply has an infetiot version of312 variation D23 due to the unnecessary h2-h3 9..HeS tt Without this xwischenzug, Whites idea would have been justified 10.De4 The alternative is: 10.€e2 Wre2t 11 Axe? (11 xe? allows 11.049) 11...h4 12.863 = a @bedefen 12,..h5! Damaging White’ kingside structure. I3.gah5 ExhS 14.0-0-0 g6 15.0g3 BhsF Black was better in Bashlov ~ Ovetchkin, Ufa 1999, thanks to his superior pawn structure 10...d4 1.6% ‘White continues to play aggressively, but all these pawn moves leave holes which can be exploited later in the game. 1B d5 11..Wast! 12.042 Wdat Black retains control over the d4-squave. 13.fig2 g6 14.83 Sag? 15.0-081 15.82 is a slight improvement, alchough 15...h5¥ still favours Black. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 i abedef gh 15 ah5! 16,95 0-0 17.82 E53 Black had an obvious positional advancage in Naiditsch ~ Baues, Mulhouse 201 23) 8.fe2 Bas Kanal “ee gk abedef 8.5, 8.6)? isa good alternative, as long as Black rmcets9.e3 with 9..P¥A7! followed by .. 06. stead 9..§d8 would be a mistake duc to 10.g4! when the knight is stuck on h6.)Chapter 15 ~ 3.3 9.0-0 9.9 Once again this kingside lunge looks dubious, 98nd 10.81 WAG! 113g3 Now Black has a pleasant choice abedef 11,.€58N Th? 12.004 Wh4t 13.842 Bb? 14.fc3 Wh6 15.gxhS DH 16.8—2 Dade was better for Black in Getz ~ Hammer, Sandefjord 2012. I would be tempted to try the text move though, based on the following idea: 12.803 #51 13.gxf5 xf5 14.22 gh a bed 14. Dxe3! 14.426 15.fe4 We7 16.89a4 looks unclear. 15.fxe3 Wh6 16.shd2! 25% Followed by ..0-0-0 and White is under pressure 313, IS! 9ung6 10.g4 Dg7 11-23 PEAGLN should be good enough to equalize, but I believe Black can and should play more ambitiously. Delchev and Semkoy recommend the sophisticated 9...8d82 in their recent book. This scems playable too, but { prefer the text move in conjunction with the strong, follow upon move 11. 10.g4 “This weakening move is played in order to develop the dark-squared bishop to €3. White has also tried: 10.04 fic7 11.242 Was! 11..1HD6 12.843 @d4 was also decent for Black in Suba ~ Feacnik, Warsaw 1987, but I think the queen is better on 48,34 12.64 12,83 4 is good for Black. 12.,.exf4 13.8xf4N 13.864 occurted in M. Andersen ~ Heccos, Copenhagen 2013, when Black could have obtained some advantage with 13..d4 followed by ..0-0, 13,.0-0 14.¥d2 @\d4 15.Bael 1.083 d5 1 also checked the alternative: 11...8d6 12.e4 Wg62 (12...8C7 looks better, when 13.04 e7 14.5 5 15,h3N leads to 2 double- edged situation; White's kingside has been weakened, but the knight on hd is misplaced.) Black eventually prevailed in llescas Cordoba ~Salow, Dos Hermanas 1995, but White's play improved by means of: abedetf gh 15.65 16:83 6! 17-Bdl 07% Followed by ..c5, with a positional edge for Black, IB.Bg5IN Be7 14.4 BxgS 15.fag5 Wes 16.W¥e1 Bg6 17:b4! a5 18.8a3 With aslight edge for White. 8 1 af 57 4 3 2 1 10...2h4 11.63 WA7! The idea behind this slightly suxprising retreat isto play .uh5, while the queen on d7 puts additional pressure on g4. Delchev does ‘not mention it in either his White or Black repertoire books which cover this variation 12.d4 “The most logical way to counter Black’s attack on the kingside isto open up the centre. 12.64 ex 13.8804 Be7 14.d4 0-07 Is better for Black.Chapter 15 ~3.¢3 12..4h51 13.631 “The best defence. Aficr 13.432! hag 14.hxgs &\6SE the opening, of the file proves dangerous for White. 1B .wexd4 14.Bxd dt ‘White has to trade queens in order co avoid the attack on the kings 14.dtxd4? is strongly answered by: 14..hxg4 15.fig Wer? 7 abedefgnh 16202 @e6 17.83 0-0-0 18.207 d6F Black has a strong attack; or example, 19.8156? ‘ixh2H! wins immediately. Hee Rare 315 14nd 15.dtxd4 So6 16.Be4 Dg6 ‘The queens are off and macerial is equal nevertheless, Black can still try to exploit Whites kingside weaknesses. Best play 17.631 6 Black secures the f7-square for his king 17. 84 188d is roughly equal 18.003! 18,@c5 is strongly answered by: 18,..“F4! 19.ael dof! 20.Bxc6 (20.2xb7# doesn't work because of 20,0b4 21te3 fxel 22.8ixf4 Bb4) 20.,xe6 21.83 BeBI And Black maintains some pressure. 18..0-0-01 We ate following a correspondence game, ‘where White was unable to solve his problems. 19.g5 65 20.0¢5 Hee RUuanae abede f 20.804 21 Loxté BxcSt 22.0762 96 Black eventually managed to convert his nagging initiative into a vietory in Hlavacek — Krause, Internet 2013.316 Ow 27, This is the most accurate; Black moves his «queen out of harm's way andl prepares .. 5. Hees uare White may ny D241) 9.8xh6 or D242) 9.84. D241) 9.Bxh6 grh6 xchange is slightly better here than on the previous move, but Black is still more than okay. 10.44 10.Ste2 fg7 has been played a few times but its obvious that Black is doing well againse the backward d-pawn, The text move is more challenging, as White tris to play actively on the light squares, 87 he immediate 10.28? is cresting too. ids Black answered with 11.1846 in Zyjaginsev = Granda Zuniga, Pamplona 1996, and numerous other moves have also been tied, Instead 1 would like to propose something completely new: 11..8g82N ‘The purpose of this move is to make i harder for White to develop his light-squared bishop, 12,2 By protecting the b2-pawn, White prepares to recaptuze on d5 with the knight. 12.g3 W6 13.12 BPS 14.92 cxd5 15.cxd5 (15.Bxd5H allows 15..1Hxb27) 15.844! Te makes sense for Black to exchange queens, as his king will no longer be in danger in the abede 16.Bad4 Bxc'4 17.0-0 He8 18.Bacl Bp6t Black is a slight favourite due to his strong bishop pai 12..0xd5 13.Bxd5 06 14.03 14Mish7 18 15.03 Bd7! followed byChapter 15 — 3.03 wihc6 gives Black a strong initiative for the sacrificed pawn, 14,,.HaSt 15.63 15,0-0-0 47 16,g3 fic6 17.2) eB is bette for Black. 15 .ai8d7 16.892 ‘White had better put his bishop here before Black has time to play 6, West 17.Der BF 0-0-0F leaves White in difficulties 17ilixb2. 18.Hxb2 xb2 19.861 Bes 20.8xb7 Bb8 21.042 fe7t 37 Black’s can improve his pieces with ..ig5 and ...b6. White Faces a tough battle against the bishop pai in the endgame, D242) 9.44 Bf5, Here we get a different pawn structure, but once again White will have to Face the fuure ‘without his dark-squared bishop. 10.8842 After 10.e2 g6 11.0-02! transposes ¢9 our main line) 11, xe3 13.fke3 0-0F Black was obviously better in Anic— Giorgadze, Solin 1998 10...26 ‘A cypical idea for the entire variation: the bishop will exere serious pressure along the al-h8 diagonal 11er 11.45 was played in Pakleza — Wojtaszek, Warsaw 2014, Black's most precise answer would have been: 11...xe3!N 12.8xe3 Sg7 13.c2 Wb6! 14.8d2 0-0F Black is better thanks to his powerful bishops ~ especially the one on g7. 11,0-0-0 f0g7 12.62 0-0 "This position has given Black the upper hand in a number of games. For example: 13.h4 | would like to introduce a strong novelty. abedefgh318 13..b5IN 13.0058 MadaeS a5 15.h5 Se6 16.hxg6 hhxg6 led co a victory for Black in Dzhakaew = Navara, Pardubice 2011, but 17.&bLIN would have made things «icky; bese play continues 17...2\xe3 18.tH'xe3 BacB 19.243 BucS 20.Bxg6 Hfe8! with approximate equality. 14h5 WaS! 15.cxb5 cxbS 16.ftxb5 £67 17-hxg6 hxg6t Black has a setious initiative on the ‘queenside, ab Vntg7 12.81 12,0-0-0 transposes to the previous note. 12,.,0-0 13.0-0 Hast? A decent alternative is: 13../Dxe3 14.83 (14.fe3 WeT 15.863 occurred in Rumpl — Pidl, Austria 2011, when 15..B66!N 16.We2 Ead8¥ would have been good for Black) 14,38 15.5 exd5 16.ad5 WG 17.€xb6 axb6 18Hal Se6 19.865 dd 20,Ad5 Sts 2l.cad5= A draw was soon agreed in Ramirez ~Tonashevsky, Tromso 2013. 14.d5 Dxe3 15.tixe3 Wh6! 16.82 White should have prefered 16.8xe72N Web2 17.804 cxd5 18.05 25 with approximate equality 1.083 d5 Now Blocks play in Beliavsky ~ Leitao, Khanty-Mansiysk (ol) 2010, ean be improved by means of: a berg ering ih 16.S65IN 17.283 Bad8 18.3 fel BfeS ‘With slightly better chances for Black, thenks to the strong bishop on g7 and the pressure along the al-h8 diagonal Conclusion 3.3 is a principled answer w our 2.84 system, but we have seen that 3...e6 offers Black at least equal chances. 4.b4 is an interesting gambit, but 4..dxe3 5.fce3 @xb4 offers Black excellent chances as long as he is willing to retuen the extra pawn at the right moment, with 6.44 5! being one key line. This main theoretical line of the chapter is Aaexd4 Dxdd 5.Oxdd Wadd 6.3 06 7.43, when 7...0h6! is the key move which enables Black to successfully fight for the dark squares ‘The analysis demonstrates chat Black has the easier game and White will have to play well ro secure equality.1.6 d5 23 Variation Index 1.O8 d5 2.63 2nkigd A) 3.05 B65 320 Al) 40h 320 A2) 4.2g2 322 B) 3.Ag2 Qd7 324 BI) 4.43 325 B2) 4.c e6 326 B21) 5.83 327 B22) 5.0-0 Dgfs 329 B21) 6.432 329 B22) 6.d4 330 B223) 6.b3 06 7.862 Bd6 332 B2231) 8.d4 332 B2252) 8.43 334 B23) 5.cxd5 exd5 6.0-0 Dgh6 335 B231) 7.44 336 B232) 7.d3 &c5 8.03 06 337 B2321) 9.h3 338 B2322) 9.13 340 A2) noveto Aes Boater 1.84 12231) note 9.2 8 8 2 (x) 7 i y a i 7 NWSE 6 & 6 ‘ Ab 8 5 aes) 5 5 A ‘ 4 4 3 AN a 2 2 Ams 2 218 1 wi ' 1 a sbedor gh 11.b6N Led 15..c71N320 LES 45 2.93 thes this move, as I dont believe there is ything to fear from the immediate 3.e5; id against 3.82, Black will neatly finish developing his queenside with 3.2947 before deciding what to do next. ‘We will analyse A) 3.4e5 and B) 3.fg2. The Anite isthe main line, and coverage of it will be spread over this and the following «wo chapters A)3.De5 “This early attempt to fight for the initiative iar’e dangerous for Black. After retreating the bishop, he will play ..0d7 to challenge the knight while gaining time for development. os eWES 78 1B d5 Al) 44 Da7t ‘This is the simplest way to deal with White's last move, although 4...61 is also interesting 5.0)xd7 Bhxd7 6.3963 1 also checked: 6.882 06 7.b3 (7.83 6 8.d3 Bf6 9.0-0 fBe7 10.23%! dé was good for Black in Poley ~ Rublevsley, Aalborg, 1993) abe Teh 766 (7.uSe AVN is interesting) 8.262 $e7 9.43 0-0 10.0-0 06 (10.25!) Black was solid and equal in Maletin ~ Andreikin, ‘Tomsk 2006. de Icis hardly logical for White to play: G.cxd 52 Hd5 7.Bg1 7,83 allows Black to win a pawn with Toodbxb 8.Bxb1 Waa? 9.82 o6 with a fine position (thete is also 9...06, asin Lagarde ~ ‘Arkell, Hastings 2015). abedefgh White may follow up with Al) 4.c4 or 2) 4,892. 4d4 Bd? 5.043 (5.8g2 wansposes to vatiation A2) 5.06 6.ig2 Dgf6 led to a comfortable position for Black in Romanishin ~ Bagirov, Helsinki 1992,Chapter 16 ~2.g3 321 7.7! 7ndtxb12! allowed the intermediate 8.52! Bot 9.Hadt e6 10.8xe4 with a slightly more pleasane position for White in Hodgson — Sherbakov, Leeuwarden 1994. "The text move is a natural improvement which removes the queen from a possible attack, B.hg2 06 9.44 9.43 05% favours Black, as White has lost his right to castle on the kingside, Now in Bibens — Cavril, France 2001, Black could have obtained 2 good game with: abedefgh 9.4848 “The position is clase to equal, but only Black can be better due to White's inability to castle short. Hee Rkuare Black protects the b7-pawn and pins the pawn, 7g 7.852 gives Black a favourable endgame, 7.BKbS 8.205 5 9.Stg2 (5 10.43 Now Black’s play in Salov — Dreer, Blista 1998, can be improved by means of: abe dete h 10.a6IN 11.3 axbst 12.8405. (Afer 12.0xb5 Be8 Black is slighty better thanks ro his mote compact pawn secuctute) 12...xd5 13.fixd5 6 14.23 (14 fg? she6 is annoying for White) 14..fe5 Black has a slightly more comfortable position. Tonio 7..0-0-02 is also good, for instance: 8.8823 Wed D3 6 10.tHxa7 Wo! 11.43 Se5= and Black forees a good endgame. ‘The text move seems even better though.322 8.63 B.xe4 dred 9.0-0 &f6 is also good for Black, 8..dxoh 9.We3 Bd5 10.04 £6 Black had an extra pawn and slightly better chances in Bryndin — Yagupoy, St Petersburg, 2004 A2) 4udbg? O47 5.d4 5.@xd7 Wd? 6.c4 transposes to the note on tg? in variation AL Sxl 7! thxf7 6.xdSt 6 7.Bxb7 Rbs 8.8g2 Delt reached an approximate macril balance im Joranovic ~ Salaey, Keagujrac 2009, but Black’s extra piece should be more useful shan Whites three pawns. 5.06 6.04 €67.0-0 ‘White has also tried: 7.8963 Prxe5 8.dxe5 WG 9.cxd5 9.fte3 Wxb3 10.axb3 occurred in Thiede — Appel, Germany 2006, and now I would like to offer 10..f60N 11.F4 freS 12.5 Bhat 13.83 dacd M.drcd Bho! 15.0-6 (0-0- with roughly equal chances. 9. Bxb3 10.axb3 exdS? 11 Sed £6 12.18 fies 13.f505 LAB 65, Siialuoma ~ Moryka, corr. 2006, Black should have continued: 8 7 6 se, 4 2 a 1 abedefgh 13,,.QhGN 14,0-0 g6 15.03 Sg? ‘With a good pasition, Tuc G6 “This position can arise via a few different move ordets. It should be fine for Black as the Kenight cannot stay on e5 foreves, while the bishop on g2 faces a solid pawn barter in the 8.D3 8Axd7 Wad7 9.0d2 do Black is covering the e5-square as White is planning DB-c5. 10:83 0-0 11. DAB h6= ‘Lappyzov — Derbene, Kostroma 2011 8.83 W6 9.Oxd7 Dxd7 10.0d2 Be7Chapter 16 —2.g3 LLBRbG? (Les dreds 12.8xe4 transposes to our main line) 11,..axb6 Black’ structure is healthy and he open a-fle gives him good prospects in the endgame, for instance: abede 1204 dees 13.Axch O16 14 Oxf64 xfs 15.fte3 0-0 White had to deal with pressure against the d4-pawn and along the acfile in Pieper Emden ~ Christiansen, Germany 1988, Brd5 ed5 9.83 Me7 10.843 (10.804 10-0 ‘This position has sometimes arisen with Black to move, but even without this tempo Black is perfectly fine. For example, 11.h3 16 12.94 shh7 with a slight edge for Black in ‘Aleshnia — Bubir, cor 2009,) 10..0-0 1.63 Now I would like to improve Black's play from Viladiu Martinez. ~ De la Villa Garcia, Sitges 1993, with: ‘ > ‘ 3a 3 2 1 abedef 11..@QBGIN 12.082 c5! Black prevents €2-04 and obtains a good position. an 323, abecdefgh 8.7 9.83 Wh6 10.2xd7 Axd7 Lc dxef 12.2)xef Of6! Even though this variation isnot theoretically critical, ic is stil importanc to play accurately 12,..0-0 ‘This has been a more popular choice but 1 rejected it on the basis ofthe following line: 13.404! Preparing ©d6. 13.38 Black cant win the dé-pawn with 13...8xe4 14.Stxe4 Wad4, as in Gusieli—F, Danielian, Bacunai 2012, because of 15.8xh7 IN Sxh7 16.H24! (16.8Fd1 allows the intermediate 16..0c5 17xdd @xb3 18.axb3 HfUB 19x48 Bxcl8 20.8d1 d2g6 and Black is dlose to equality) 16..<%g8 17-Badl ENG 18.Bxd7# and White is better,324 1.08 d5 14.26 Bxd6 15.Bxd6 Bf ‘This time 15..hcd 4? simply loses material 16.Bad1 W6 17.8074 15..18b3 16.axb3 M6 17.£c5 is slightly better For White 1683 1 prefer Whites position with the two bishops. (nstead 16.8e5 can be answered by 16.8463 17axb3 Dg 18.Bdl 02! 19.del @xe5 20.dee5 xb3 and the bishop cantt be trapped.) The text move leads to equality with no particular problems, ax the following lines demonstrate, 13.23 “The auempe w open the hi-a8 diagonal by means of 13,0xf54N Laxf6 14.d5_ leads to massive exchanges and eventual equality: Mucxd5 15.cxd5 Wixb3 16.0xb3 0-0 17.f003 Bsb2 18Ba2 Be5 19.dse6 fhxe6 20.f8xb7 Babs 21 Hsa7 Sxb3= 13.85 occurred in Gutman — Porper, Korbach 2007, when Black should have played: 15..0-0-O1N 14,843 (14.she3 D4!) abede fan 14..dbad4l 15.Hadd BcS 16.3 fed With good compensation for the small_ material deficit 1B ohd3IN 13...0-01? also worked fine in the following game: 14.5 xb3 15.axb3 oxd5 16.cxd5 Axd5 17. Bxd5 exdS 18.adS eG 19.fxe6 (or 19.kxb7 Hab8 20.4 Bxb3 21-Bxa7 Af6=) 19...fee6 201 @7= Gutman — Ficbig, Dortmund 2008. ‘The text move is even. simpler though. 14.Bel Wa6t= Black provokes either a favourable exchange of the lightsquated bishops or a weakening of the d5-square. B) 3g Dd7Chapter 16 ~2.¢3 Black to rule out any further 5 ideas. In the rest of this chapter we will analyse BI) 443 and B2) 4.c4, 4.0-0 is covered in the next swo chapters. 4.43 nS is vittually certain vo wanspose to ‘one ofthe main variations 4.4 is also likely to transpose elsewhere For example, 4.06 5.0-0 Ags 6.2bd2 (or 6.c4 6 with the immediate teansposition co variation B222) 6..kte7 7Bel 0-0 8.ck 06 transposes to variation C2 of the next chapter. Bi) 4.d3 Dh 5.Bbd2 5.0-0 6 tansposes to variation D of the next chapter. In this section I will focus on few rare lines where White delays casting, 5.c4 6 6,0-0 transposes to variation B221. 5.h3 h5 6.94 &g6 7.04 06 8.3 should be met by 8.06, when I dostt see anything beer than 9.042, transposing to our main line. 5.6 6.13 BhS 7.94 “This seems like the only option with any independent value. 325 7oudig6 8.Dh4 06 ‘When the knight arrives on h4 I prefer his pawn on e6 instead of ¢5, in order to cover the B-square two of Kramnik’s games, though one of them was a blitz encounter. After 9.c3 £46 10.2 in Granda Zuniga — Alonso, Buenos Aines 2012, Hike 10..2eS!N, intending t0 move the other knight away and provoke an exchange on g6. Play may continue: 11.F4 (I1.g5 @h5 12.0xg6 figs with a comforcable position for Black) abedeft zh 11..Dg8l 12.0xg6 Oxg6 13.63 Ohd and Black is doing fine326 DunBd6 10.802 Now I would like to follow Matin’: recommendation. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 10...W67! 10...le7 was the continuation of Morozevich ~ Kramnik, Moscow (blice) 2007, and Svidlec ~ Kramnik, Moscow 2011, but Marin points out ewo problems with ic. Firstly, Black releases the indirect pressure against the hé-knight; and secondly, it allows White wo castle in relative safety as the queen on ¢7 and bishop on d6 are the weong way around when J comes to creating mating threats. 11.0-0N Afier 11,863 Black went for long casting in Julia — Alonso, Montevideo 2011, but 11.aSBN 1224 QcS seems safer, with no problems at all for Black. 11,483 in Panno ~ Ricardi, Buenas Aires 1985, can be answered by 11..e52N with the idea of 12.5 followed by ..e4. Play may continue: 12.0xg6 hxg6 13.g5 Oh7 14.h4 DHFY Black intends to trensfer the knight to 6, and is doing fine, 11...0-0-0 12.861 €5 13.03 1B 5 13.051 Marin gave 13..e4 in this position bue 1 would prefer to improve the knight before ‘aking any action in the centre. One of the points of this move is 14.b4 Dae Blocking Whites queenside play, with roughly equal chances B2) 4.04 ‘White tres to attack on the queenside, 46 We will analyse B21) 5.863, B22) 5.0-0 and B23) 5.cxd5.Chapter 16-2.g3 All of 5:44 06 6.0-0 Agh6, 5.43 Dghs 6.0-0 and 5.3 QghS 6.8b2 c6 7.0-0 will be considered under the 5.0-0 move order. 5a? Dp 6.25 gives Black a choice: abedet gh 6..b52 This is the cleanest solution, as Black forces 2 draw. (If you wish to play for 2 wi then 6,..465 72x47 Wxd7 8:Bad74 dead? reaches an equal endgame with everything to play for, as in Kiroy ~ Portisch, Budapest 1975) 7.¥¥xb5 Bb8 8.86 Eb6 A draw was agreed in Vulicevic ~ Klein, New York 1995, as 0.8ad is met by 9...8b4 10.86 Bb6= and neither side can avoid the repetition B21) 5.8b3 abecdef White’ idea isto hare the black knight 0 €5, where it is slightly misplaced. 327 Ses 62 ‘Afier 6.83 06 7.0-0 16 844 ed? the ‘queen is misplaced on 3 and so Black had no problems in Pavlov ~ Vysochin, Kiev 2006, 683 6 7.d4 Ad? Beads exdS 9.0-0 ‘occured in N, Pettov ~ Haynes, Reykjavik. 2016, In che game Black manocuvred his knight via e7 to 65, but the queen is not well placed on e3 so I see no reason 1o chase it away. Instead I prefer simple development with: abede 9..Agf6N 10.83 WG 11.803 Be7= Wich approximate equality abedef gh 6.106 7.d3 DEG 8.0-0 S07 9.803 S.bAN is premature: 9..Ded7 10.3 dxe4 L1Wxof (11 dxct a5 12.65 oxb5 13.44 Bes! 14.2)xb5 6 gives Black the upper hand due to White's weakened queenside)328 LAB d5, abedefeh 11. xf3! 12.88 (12exf3 0-0F is better for Black due to White's bas! pawn structure) 12,.Be5 13.06 Ort 1483 a5! Wie some initiative for Black 9.b3 0-0 10.stb2 a5 11.@bd2 occurred in Riz — Pavasovie, Novi Sad 2009. I think Black should have played: hf? I dontt mind trading off this bishop, as it ‘enables Black to gain both space and time. 10x63 46 11.264 ‘Another game continued: 111 a5 12.2 65 13.ftg2. 0-0 14.083 7 15.€3 eff? 16.2e1 Had8” 17.cxd4 exd3 18.83 fod 19.Bxe4 Dred 20.Wad3 DeS 21.Be2 Mes 22.4183 8f6= And in this equal position a draw was agreed in Kengis— Bareev, Germany 2001. ‘The text move was played in Romanishin = Pavasovie, Bratco 2009. I would like vo improve Black’s play with: 11..h62N Securing the future of the light- squared bishop. For example: 12.Hac1 Bed7 13.3 85= Finally, 9.0bd2 was played in Kengis ~ Gabriel, Germany 2002, Here I would like to recommend: 9...2ed7IN Although White thas won a tempo with his Wb3-c2 manoeuvre, Black’ position is very solid and he should not have problems equalizingChapter 16-2.g3 Preventing b2-b4, while rendering the e2-3 break ineffective. A bref illustrative line is 1238 65 13.95 6 14.fix6 Oxf ‘With a good position for Black. B22) 5.0-0 Def abede In this section Tim going to consider all major lines for White except 6.cxd5 exd5, which transposes to variation B23. ‘The three main paths are B21) 6.d3!, B22) 6.4 and B223) 6.63, fg b 6.83 eS 7.Me2 7.We3 e7 8.44 Dod7 9.5 £h5 10.03 06 LLexdS occurred in Woll — Filippov, Ubeda 1998, when the simple 11..cxd5IN ‘would have been fine for Black. 7c6 8.63 8.43 leads back to variation B21. 329 B.Ste7 8.-.8d6!? 9.2452 0-0 was aso okay for Black in Burmakin ~ Lacrosse, Le Touquet 2006. “The text move is likely to transpose to a0 earlier variation after: 9.ftb2 0-0 10.43 This position has been covered on the previous page ~ sce the 9,b3 line in the notes to variation B21 B221) 6.438 «6 Whites clever move onder has the point of meeting 6.85% with 7.d4 Be7 8.Wb3!, when Blac obviously cant play ..b6 as the pawn is still on 7, while 8..b62 — which ‘works fine in the analogous position where an exchange has occurred on €5 ~ runs into 9.¢5 when White wins a pawn. Hee ease 7.83 Texd5 exdS 8:h3 (8.23 SheS transposes 0 vatiation B232) 8.863 9.8003 cS 10.8¢2 (10.4c3 teads to variation B2321) 10..0-0 11.¢3 He8 12.02 a5 13.83 Wer 14.82 a4 led to approximate equality in Roix. — Pavasovie, Heraklion 2007. Tobe Black does not mind allowing d3-c4 with tempo, because he will obrain 2 comfortable330 version of a Closed Catalan with his bishop actively developed on g4. ‘That said, 7.867? isa decent alternative. 8.63 8.cxd§ exdS uansposes to variation B232. 8.66 9,8? Bas 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10.cxd52N 10,63 occurred in Cvorovic — Jovanic, Solin 2005. Black should continue with the natusal 10..0-ON, and after 11.h3 xf} 12x39 b5 he is by no means worse, 10..cxd5! 10...exd5# would give Black an inferior version of variation B232, as his queen is misplaced on a6. 11.8h6 0-0 Ti thSP fs also possible although é¢ may just cranspose after 12.h3. 12.43 h5 13.g4 eG White will obtain the adv bishop pais, but Black’ pos solid, while Whites kingside has been slightly weakened and the g2-bishop is not doing much, 1.8 d5 eR eRe ae ie a 14 Bixg6 hxg6 15.042 Hac8= ‘The chances ate roughly equal, for the reasons mentioned above. B22) 6.d4 «6 We have reached something resembling « Closed! Catalan, except that Black’s bishop has been developed outside the pawn chain, which will make his task eases. 7b Histing the b7-pawn is the obvious way to snake use of the fact that the bishop is not on 8, ZAG 8.03 B.SChapter 16 ~2.g3 331 This space-gaining move isnt great, as Black will be able to undermine White centre wich 6. 8..1a6 9.03 ‘Another game continued: 9.144 b6 10.cxb6 axb6 11.Ac3 B67 12.048 0-0 Black is keeping the a8-h1 diagonal dosed, 13.exd5 exd5 14.Rfel Hfe8 Black was by no means ‘worse in Teterev ~S. Zhigalko, Minsk 2014. SuSte7 1OBel b6 LLexb6 axb6 12.04 0-0 TBexd5 Qxd5 With equal chances, Marnadze — Arana Murillo, Linares 2014. HR eR uarve B.ndhe7 9.Hlel 9.05 WaG convert to the previous note Aficr 9.84 0-0 10.8f11 MP5 11.05 Wxb3 12.axb3 Black should play: bede fan 12.6! (12..de2 is too optimistic: 13.Bdel Sisb32! 14.02 Shed 15.Axe4 dxe4 and now in Kamsky ~ Kramnik, Nice 2009, White could have obrained some advantage with 16.4 11N 2)d5 17.Bxc Dx 18.gxPl) 13.b4 a6= Black ‘was fine in Conde ~ Ort, London 1986. 90-0 105 10.04 deed 11.@xe4 xed 12.xet O46 13flel Hid8 14.83 Wsb3 15.axb3 Bb4 16.Hect 4265 and Black was fine in Koehler ~ Ritz, Germany 2002. 10..8xb3! Now 10...€a6 can be answered by I.e4! ro exploit that slightly unfortunate position of the queen on a6; that is why White put the rook on el on the previous move. LLaxb3 a6332 Black should neutralize the pressure along the afile and prevenca fature b4-bS advance. 12.b4 All this occurred in Grischuk — Moryley, Moscow (blitz) 2014, and a few other games. 1 ‘would like to recommend: abcde 12.,.R65N 13.864 13.Oh4 she? is fine for Black, 1B.uh6= Black has prevented ¢2-e4 and secured the fucure of his light-squared bishop, so the chances ate equal B223) 6.63 HR eR Ua a @ 1.008 d5 ‘White is preparing 2 double fancheto 6.06 7.ftb? BAG Black develops the bishop actively and takes the eSesquare under control. White's main options are 82231) 8.44 and 82232) 8.43. 8.01c3 0-0 9.43 (9.44 M7 gives Black a good version of a Closed Catalan with the light- squared bishop in front of the pawn chain instead of being on c8) 9..1He7 10.03 a5 11443 h5 12,82 Bis Black obtained a soli and ‘equal position in Telljohann ~ Erdos, Deizisau 2011. 8.023 0-0 9.21c2 a5 10.43 In this position Black has tried 2 number of ideas, but T would like to introduce & new ones teh 10..h6PN Safeguarding the future of the light-squared bishop, while White doesn't have any concrete ideas. Play may continue {Lcxd5 exd5 12.Bcd4 WO6 13.24 Bfe8 14.065 stb4= with equal chances ab a 1B2231) 8.d4 1 have alseady mentioned a number of times that the Catalan-style position is fine for Black when his light-squared bishop is outside theChapter 16 -2.g3, HR eR Ua e® 8,.0-09.0bd2 ‘White has also tried: 9.05 5 Black improves his control over the o4- square, 10dd2 White ides isto advance his e-pawn after preparatory f2-63. 10..1e7 11.2xd7 11.43 Bids 12.0483 fte4 Semicpinning che Si-knight, as Black would be happy to ade the light-squared bishops. 13.b4 dxed! Black obtained a comfortable position and a draw vwas agreed in Azmaiparashvili ~ Kram, Dortmund 1992, 11d? 12.63 £g6 13.04 13 .dte7l “This cold-blooded move provokes the e- 65 advance in order to exploit the resulting 333 ‘weaknesses in White's position. Borvinnik chose 13...dxe4 14.fre4 eS, bur after 15.03 he still had some problems to solve in Romanovsky — Botvinnik Leningrad 1930, 1405 14 Be2 a5 15.cxd5 cxd5 16.05 De8 17. fel e7= with roughly equal chances. 14,.@e8 15.64 “This was Recasens Sanchez ~ Latorre Lopez, corr. 2006, and now I recommend: 15..0c71N Although Blacks position may look ic has plenty of potential. For example: 16,94 6 17.8983 “This direct attacking attempe doesne achieve the goal in view of passive, 17...Sb4t 8 oe 7 6 £ 2 d, 4 AY 3 Z 2 2 1 & abedefagnh 18.5 Alter 18.flad! Be? 19.Bel Bh7 20.83 e7 Black’ apparent waiting tcc bas the point334 of meeting 21.657 with 21...f65, opening the position in his Favour 18.0305 19.py5 Sxf5 20.865 Wf5 21.8xf5 Sixd2 With some edge for Black, 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 9. dBe7 10.Be1 10.4)e5 45 transposes to the previous note 10.a3 has the point of preventing the exchange of the dark-squared bishops. I would like to recommend: 10...Bad8? (instead of the more common 10,.€5) 11 Bel Heal? 12.xe4 dred 13,042 65 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedet en 14.04 (14.83 mans into 14.5) 15.fro$ £1 with the idea to meet 16.5 with 16...Qxe5! Vedxe5? eSt 18.8h1 fag3. 19.hxg3. PD with a decisive atack) 14..2g5 15.0481 Whe ‘With some initiative for Black, Bagitov — Oll, Vilnius 1997. 1.08 d5 10.248? I prefer this over the more common 10...8a3. Met “This is the obvious move, but Black is ready to meet ie with Mundxed 12,Dxe4 Dred 13.Hxed O46 14.03 a3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 IL abedefagh 15.Wel Sixb2 16.8xb2 Sxf3 17.063 Bd6 18.8d1 Bad8 Black was comfortably equal in Dobai ~ Pinks, Gyor 1997. 182232) 8.d3 eRe kUChapter 16-23 This is the more thematic choice for Whites opening system, as he keeps theal-h8 dlagonal open for the dari-squated bishop. 800-0 9.2bd2 9.823 a5 10,A\e2 transposes to the earlier note on 8.403. SBT 10.83 10.2 a3 11.83 (after 11.Bxa3 Wesd 12Wel We7 13.44 5 Black solved his opening problems wich ease in Jorgensen — Rosell, Horsens 1978) abede ‘This was Nithander ~ M, Andersen, Vaxjo 2014, and now I prefer the direct 11 .e52N with a comfortable postion for Black. 10.05 ‘A natural move, preventing b3-b4. 10,..e5!? could also be investigated, 335 nwa Another game continued 11.h3 2h5 12.We2 h6 13.04 dues 1dxe4 g6= when she advance of the e-pawn gave White nothing in V, Szabo ~ Ovod, Oropesa de! Mar 2000. Mauh6 This is always 2 useful move to keep the light-squared bishop safe. 12.Bfel 51 13.43 Seb Black's strong centre gave him slightly better chances in Glud — Gyimesi, Porto Cartas 2011 B23) S.cxd5 exdS Be eRUare 6.0-0 6.43 Dgf6 7.0-0 and 6.2c3 06 7.0-0 Aghs 8.d3 are both covered under variation B232 below. 6.h3 dhxb3!? 72x63 c6 will almost certainly twanspose wo variation B232 afer ether 8.0-0 Def or 8.43 Dgl 9.0-0, 6.83 ght Rather than misplace che Kanighe with 6..2c5, it makes sense to develop a piece while protecting the b7-pawn indirectly. 744 TMb72 loses 10 7..AcS BIDST cbt336, 9.Hc6t Ba7—+ and che queen was trapped in Vakovie ~ Ursic, Ljubljana 2001 “The vext move stops ».Ae5 and thus makes Wxb7 a real threat 7.6 8.3 8.¢5 in Fominykh — Hasanova, Nojabrsle 2008, can be answered by 8...6622N 9.0-0 Bd6 10.043 0-0 11.25 she8 12.8¢3 c6= vwith equal chances B.uhe7 9.13 S63 9, .Re622N is equal coo. 10.8xf3 0-0 11.INe2 6 12.0-0 Be8= ‘With a roughly equal position in Almasi ~ Duda, Budapest 2014, 62D gf6 Once again, White can define the central structure with B231) 7.44 or B232) 7.43. 7.83 06 doesn't have any independent value as White will have to move his d-pawn in the near furute. THB x03 8.803 06 9.452 9.43 BS 10.83 converts to variation B232t. 9.5 10.263 10..0-0N 10..d41? also looks fine for Black: 11,8e4 xed 12.fxed OG 13.8g2 0-0 14.c3 BeB with an equal position in Wang Yue ~ Zhow ‘Weigi, China 2013, LAB ds 1.44 11.43 is the same transposition again. “The text move scems like a tricky move order, as I don't advocate exchanging on #3 in the 7.44 line below. Nevertheless, it still doesn't give Whive anything special, For cexatple Dn Bd6 12.03 a5 With roughly equal chances 1B231) 7.44 “This has occurred in quite a few games but it doesnt combine well with the kingside fanchett. Fun 8.03 Talo checked: 8.813 86 9.Be3t “This would make more sense with h2-h3 and ..£th5 included, as then Whice has the ‘option of Ob4-5, 9.ndhe7 10.63 Now 10.h3N can be answered by 10,..06!2, which was not possible after 7.h3, 10Dc3 WG LBA? Be6 (11...852N is also g00d for Black) 12,8d3 0-0 with equal chances in Alexisco — Nasi, Internet 2008, 10,,.8d8 11.23 Se6 12.4g5 x03 13.Axe6 Fac 14.403 We7 15.802 Now T would like ro improve upon Lomer—Chapter 16-2g3 Behle, Halle 2000, with: 15..e52N Black gets rid of the backward pawn and cequalizes withoue any problems. 8.861 ‘his active development of the bishop makes perfect sense, especially considering the weakening of the b8-h2 diagonal which will most likely occur after h2-h3. 9.6 9.b3 B15 10,04 eG 11,8d3 0-0 12.065 ‘occurred in Weltz~ Mitcelscaedt, Wildflecken 1988, and now the simple 12...4c7IN promises Black slightly better chances, 9. Beth 10.gxlt ing dhe knight before icean go to 5. 11.ftxf3 0-0 Only Black ean be better, Dunaington Shitoy, Gausdal 1991 18232) 7.43 5 “The bishop is usualy well placed in this type of position. White is invited to play d3-4, when his position loses much of its dynamism, 337 823 fed cant set any problems ether: 8,.0-0 9.h3 Sixf3 10.xf3 06 11.d2 We7 12.03 a5 Black had a comfortable position in Svidler — Kasimdzhanov, Tashkent 2012. 8,832 is an attempe to exploie the fact thae 1-06 hasnit been played yet, which rules out “nlb6, while che cS-square is taken by the black bishop, which prevents Black fiom plying ...e5. 8.866 9.8c3 eS 10.84b4 25 L1.Wa3 0-0 12.8495 6 abedeft 13.024 xed 14:8%xa4 Now I would like to improve upon Black’ play in Miroshnichenko = Salgado Loper, Cappelle-la-Grande 2008, with 14...e6IN followed by .e8 or uh6 and Black is doing fine.338 8d4 Bd6 9.83 (9.8c3. 6 transposes to variation B231 with an extra move played) Now in Gregory - S. Berey, Paignton 2012, Black should have phyed 8 7 6 3 4 3 2 1 9...€b61 This move would be impossible with pawns on of and ¢6, as noted on page 329. 105 eG 11.2d3 66 With roughly equal chances, abede Whites ewo main options are B2321) 9.43 and B2322) 9.1b3. Another possible continuation is: 9:¥¥c2 0-0 1O.ed due H.dxed He8 12.8°4 h6 135d We7 14.h3 Now the right decision is: 1.6 d5 abcde feb 14..ixf3! 15.3 eS 16.292 Had8 17.0h2 (17RhL was similar in W, Loeffler — Bars, email 2014, but the text move seems more Bad 18x05 Wes 19.64 Wes= ‘An almost identical position occurs in the lef line in the note to variation B2321 except thar Black’s pawn is on. h6 instead of 7, which makes no real difference. B2321) 9.h3 Bxf3 10.f.xE3 0-0 11.82 ‘White may also try: L1.e4 ded 12.dxe4 We7! The most flexible moves Black is preparing Ead8 and ...fe8, while ..2eS can be played avany moment. 13.8g2 Had® 14.%h2 White is preparing the advance of the Fpawn,Chapter 16-293 339 a abedefgh 14..8fe8 15.12 Bd4 16.464 DeS 17.Bad We5 18.05 fineS 19.64 dd 20.803 fexc3 21.Wxc3 (21.bxc3 keeps the queens on but the position remains equal aficr 21...g6=) 21,.Bixc3 22.bxc3 AB 23.05 DAS 24. Lads Bul 25.8xd5 exdS 26481 Re8! The rook endgame is equal and a draw was soon agreed in Bocharov ~ Geachey, Vladivostok 2014. 11,..Be8 12.02. 4 ded 13.dxe4 Ded L4.Stg5 6 15.6 W656 16.8§e2 occurred in Wohl ~ Zhao, North Geelong 2012, and now I would like to recommend: 16,.Bad8IN-17.oh2 b5! 18.64 Dok 19.65 We6 20.fd1 cd 21 Hxd8 Bxd8 22.Bel Bld and Black i fine. HR eR Uae 12.86 Black can also invite & transposition into the ef Hine above with 12..3e7 13.e4 deed 4.dxed Bad 15.8e2 and s0 on. 13.Dek Dre 14.dixed B46 15.92 05 16.h4 Now Black’s play in Grigoryan — Dreey, Warsaw 2013, can be improved by meaos of 16..f6IN 17.d2 a4 18.8e1 h6 19.We2 Black is at least not worse,340 B2322) 9.873 B66 10.4 “This is the consistent follow-up, forcing an exchange of the datk-squared bishop. 10.843 prevents short casting; the simplest reply is 10..f8c5 U1.b4 (L1.Ib3 leads to a repetition) 11.846 12.8963 Now in Hausrath ‘Tilla, Duesseldorf 2005, Blick should have played the obvious: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefen 12..0-O1N 13.b5 The minority attack is no problem. 13..AleS 14.82 Ge6 15.bxc6 bxc6 16.82 Bb8= (16.8805 17.ex€3 ist so cleat) Despite the slightly weak pawn on c6, the position is equal. 10...0-0 11.2)xb6 axb6 1B ds “The queen has done her job on b3, so she retreats in order to make way forthe bishop to be developed on b2. 12.43 He8 13.h3 was played in Franciskovic — Berzina, Khanty-Mansiysk (ol) 2010, and now 13..8sf3N 14.83 We7 transposes to the 12.h3 line below. 12:h3 Sixf3 13 dxf e822 I prefer this over 13..b5, despite Black’s win in Andriasian ~ Kasimdzhanoy, Dubai 2014. 13,..€c5 14 Me2 BeG 15.63 is also noc quite to my liking, 14.3 We7 Here a draw was agreed in Krysetofiale — Frdos, Warsaw 2010. A logical contin would be: = 278 abedefehChapter 16 - 2.g3 34 15.d4 ‘After 15.84 WalB che loss of tempo isn't important, as Black is likely to win i back with .c5-e6 oF ..e5-g6. 15..05 16.Ste3 d4 172d? Qe5 18.f4e2 Hes Black will double the rooks along, the e-file with an equal position, 12,88 13.63 Another instructive line ist 13el x3 V4 Sa d4 15.842 b5 (15.0051 16.092 WS also makes sense) 16.895 Ba5! 17.h4 BIS! A strong rook transfer. 18.b4 Now Black’ play in Amin ~ Shyam, Abu Dhabi 2014, can be improved by means of: abedet gh 18..Q65IN 19.fg2 eg 20.863 Weer (20...21e5= repeats the position but Black can play for more) 21.872 De3!F With a strong He enuareo Bandixt3 14.863 d4 15.b4 IS.AbIN De5 16.g2 We6- is also equal. 15.Be5 16.052 ‘This position was reached in Akopian 014. L would like to improve a Say y, Oe AW AE RR eR UDI ee abede 16...Bd5IN 17.b5 17.d2, can be met by 17..b5! 18.04 brad 19.8xa4 Bxad 20.85a4 @c7! followed by Ab5 and Black is fine, 17..cxb5 18.862 Be6 19.893 Hp eeUuare abede 19...3! 20.03 Dadl= ‘The position remains dynamically equal34, 1.883 d5 Conclusion 1.263 d5 2.g3 Sig4 may give rise roa variety of structures and positional themes. 3.0e5 25 followed by ..\d7 is pretey harmless for Black, 40 it is no surprise chat White prefers 3.82 in most games, after which 3...47 is my choice. “This chapter has mainly Focused on 4.04 €6, when the path divides according to whether ‘Whice plays 5.0-0 or teleases the tension with S.cxd5 exd5. There are many possible pawn structures and scenatios that may occur, but in {general Blacks extra space in the centre should ‘ensure that he enters the middlegame with healthy position. ‘The number of possible lines and move orders makes it practically impossible to memorize everything, so | would suggest focusing on the ideas and plans which apply co diferent variations and structures so that you can make the right choices when you encounter these lines ever the board,Variation Index LAGS d5 2.93 Bg4 3.2g2 2d7 4.0-0 A) 5.b3. B) S.ct ©) 5.d4 Dgh Cl) 6.3 C2) 6.Abd2 £6 7.Bel Be7 8.04 0-017 C21) 9.05 De8 C22) 9.¢3 h6! C221) 10.05 C222) 10.1463 D) 5.d3 gio DI) 6.23 D2) 6.63 D3) 6.h3 Bh5 D31) 7.Wel 132) 7.c4 €6 B.cxd5 exd5 D321) 9.3 D322) 9.e4t? A) pote t9 6.82 6.42 D321) after 13.8xb6 10322) after 18h 18..8eSIN 344 345 347 347 349 349 350 350 352 353 353 354 356 357 358 358 359344 LBB d5 2.93 Sig 3.itg? Qd7 4.0-0 With this move Whise Gnishes developing his kingside before revealing his plan, Suc Blacke supports his centre and prepares . Interestingly, the immediate 4.652 is risky, buc only a small number of players have reacted to it correctly. The critical line is 5.041 €4 5.De5 intending e2-c4, when Black’ centre comes under pressure; White has achieved Inuge practical scote from this position, White has four main options: A) 5.b3, B) 5.cf, C) dd and D) 5.43. 5h3. Bh5 doesn’t have much independent value. Tie, 6.44 does not transpose exactly to variation C, as White usually plays without h2-h3 there, but Black can proceed in exactly the same way as in that line. A) 5.63 Hwee uanae abedefgh White opts for a double fianchetto without committing any of his central pawns. Sue5 6b? 6.43 Dgl6 converts to vasiation D2 6.c4 from Podrielny ~ Budnikow, Germany 1.8 d5 1991, can be answered in several ways, but 1 tather like: 6..d42N 7.h3 Bb5 8.d3 Dg 9.862 Bes 10.Abd2 0-0 11.03 a5 With a comfortable position for Black. Gnokd6 7.04 7.43 Dgf6 is another transposition to variation D2, Fane 8.2 “The immediate 8.32 loses a piece afer 8...e4—+ of course. The text move prepares to challenge Black’ central pawn wedge with €2-e3, I would like to introduce a promising novelty. 8..QK6IN(Chapter 17 8...2e7 9.63 c5 was roughly equal in Paragua Psalthis, Ubeda 2001. 963 9.d3 is safer, bue after 9..0-0 10.bd2 6 Black has a comfortable game. The text move is White's main plan, bur itis strongly answered by: 9. f61 10.De1 10.2h42 gS traps the knight forinsuffciene compens 10 .8te2 The trapped compensation isn't enough. rook is and Whice’s Llexd4 Axfl 12.fxfl exd4 13.804} We7 14.Uxe7t Bxe7 15.fixd4 66 f eh 1 alternative is: 6.exf3 dud 7.003 0d6 Bel?! (White should accept that he is a pawn down and search for compensati 8.b3N, although 8...xb3 9.axb3 e6 gives Black «solid position with at least equal chances) 8.06 9.44 DIG 10.65 x03 11 bead 40-0 345 7 11...We4! 12.861 Wd3! 13.862 Bx°5F White obviously did not have enough for two pawns in Nietmann — Schischke, Wuppertal 1994, gh 6.05 This was the idea of course, with a double attack on £3 and of, 7.3 Teed This allows Black co create an isolated d-pawn, 7.Bxt3t 8.0 Whd5 9.203 ‘This occurred in Allahverdiev ~ Postny, Porto Carras 2005, and now I would like to introduce: 9..88432N Holding up the d2-d4 advance. Play may 10.8163 Hb8 11.Het 11.84 gets nowhere afier 11..a6 12.864346 dB 13.8e7 WA7 14.86 6 15.d4 De7 16.Bel We8 followed by ..d5. 11.A)e4 Wab3 12.axb3 a6 13.48 6 14.264 dB 1SBRL B16 16.85 Bxc5 17 dxcS BudIt 18Bxd1 Qd5 reaches an endgame ‘where only Black can have winning chances. 11,06 12.863 Wd7 13.d4 O16 Black is at least equal. Hee kU aro efgh 7nd DxfSt 8A ‘Another game continued: 8.ex°3 Wd? 9.cxd5 exd5 10.83 06 11,43 Be7 12.fe1 abedefgh 12...2¢6 A temporary pawn sacrifice. 13.Wixd5 Wxd5 14.@xd5 0-0-0! 15.0f4 Qd4 16Bdl Oxt3t 17.052 Dd4 18.863 8 19.Hacl gb! Black obtained a slighe edge in Vocaturo —Leniderian, Puerto Maxkryn 2009. Braces 9.184 1.AB d5 9.3 Has 10.823 bS 11.432! exd3 128d © 13.xd3 Be6e and Black was better in Mucller— Gyimesi, Germany 1999, |. Wxc4 hd would be annoying for White. 10.206 10,,.AbGEN is also possible: 11.Mxed 5 12.03 96 13.Bd1 gy 14.d6 Bes! with a roughly equsl position. 11 Wot Wd 12.43 Tdg6t “The bishop will be excellent on g?.Chapter 17 - 4.0-0 12..#9h3 doesn't make much sense: 13-d2! Des 14 13,2d2.ig7 14.983 0-0- ‘Gabuzyan — Malakhatko, Abu Dhabi 2010. 05.44 Del Hee eUar)]| We will consider C1) 6.63 and C2) 6.Abd2. 6.c4 e6 leads back to variation B222 of che previous chapter. Cl) 6.63 6 7.shb2 She7 8.0bd2 0-0 eee nara 9.04 Hel is well met by 9..a5! 10.23 (10.e4 xed 11 B)xed a4 was more pleasant for Black 347 in Peelen ~ Brenninkmeijes, Groningen 1985) and now the instructive continuation: 10..24! L1.b4 b5 Black rakes conteol over the ‘A-square and obtains a better position, 12.04 can simply be ignored with 12...b6 as in Aggelis ~ Siebrecht, Aghios Kirykos 2008. 9.3 R65 10.Bb4 10.Be5 h6! 11.04 We7 was mote pleasant for Black in Wessman ~ Yakovich, Gothenburg. 2002. “The text move was pled in Sutkovie — Turzo, Caliest 1998, and here I recommet ya 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 t abedefgh 10..Se4IN 11 x04 11.£82 is exactly what Black was aying to provoke, 11,05! 12.fied (12.94 Dg3-+ is even worse) 12..xg3 13.0hf3 deed 14.O65 Oxf 15.8xfl (5% and Black is eaaly better 11..xe4 12.03 £5348, Black has an excellent version of Stonewall, asthe ight-squared bishop has gone; moreover, the h2-h3 move has weakened Whites keingside, so it will be hard for him to remove the ef-lenighe with (2-63. aS ‘A rppical idea in this type of position. Black advances his pawn to af creating an annoying tension on the queenside, 10.03, 10.Be5 gives Black a pleasant choice berween 10,865 and 10..O)xe5 11 dxe5 Qd7, with a comfortable position in either case. 10.h3.2h5 L1.g4 Bg6 12.0h4 12.52! runs into 12..xe5 13.dxe5 Qd7 V4ce4 @c5! when Black exploits the weale dB-square, 15.exd5 exd5 M6.cxd5 exd5 17.64 $43 18.88 Now in D. Zaitsev Kilikoy, Kstovo 2007, Black should have played 18...te4IN 19.81 {or 19. xed dxed 20.¥sd8 Bhds? followed by ..Ad3 and Black is better) 19...8d5 20.84 £517 with some advantage. abedef .ad! 13.Dxg6 hxg6 14.Me2 &b4 15.861 We7 16.0324 16.Babl would have kept things roughly equal, although Black is obviously comfortable. Now in Donchenko ~ Zheliandinoy, USSR 1977, Black missed a nice positional motif LDS 5 abedef 16,,.fbxd2IN 17.Bxc2 BDF “The knight will each of, with some edge for Black. ek 10.sh6 Black prepares an escape route for the light- squared bishop, which is about to go to 6. I.Bel TL-Bel can be met in exactly the same way. 11Dh4 BH7EN (11..8hS is also okay, and a draw was agreed here in Bu Xiangzhi = Matalakov, Helsingor 2014) 12sh3.&h5 13.88 Ox6 14.Dhxf3 F5!? and Black is doing fine, TSE Black establishes control over the e4-squateChapter 17 - 4.0-0 349 Re GpcHrat tert grrh 12Be5 @xc5 13.dne5 Ded! 14.Axe4 dred 15.63 6 15,.lifxd PN 16.Bexd] Bfa8- is completely equal too. 16.2 BIB 17.844 5 18.83 In Vijayalakshmi — Zubarev, Borup 2012, the mast precise continuation would have abedefgh 18.,.WeGN 19.04 b6= ‘A draw looks inevitable. C2) 6.Bbd2 £6 7.Bel ‘White is preparing c2-c4, 7.63 is likely to transpose to variation Cl abedefgh True? 8.8 8.c3 is sometimes played, but after 8..0-0 White usually follows up with 9.e4 anyway, leading to variation C22 below. 8..0-08 B.adxe4 has been a frequent choice but | prefer to keep more tension in the position, 8..h6Y is an interesting option, preparing a retreat to h7. A possible continuation is 9:c3 (0-0, transposing to variation 222 below. ‘We will analyse C21) 9.65 followed by the more popular C22) 9.¢3. C21) 9.05 Be8 abedefgh350 10.63 Talso checked: 10.43 2h5 (10.25! makes sense t00) 11.4063 a5! A typical reaction when the knighe arrives on b3. 12.04 De7 13.842 6 With an equal position in Hahnewald ~ Porchert, Boeblingen 1998. 10.)b3 a5 Vad Here I would like vo improve upon Black’s play in Harikrishna ~ Dritnyy, Porto Rio 2014, with: abedetfgh 11..@e72N 12.ded2 b6 13.8e2 6 4.04 We 15.Hact W7 with equal chances, 10...De722 Tike this rare move. The reasoning for it can best be understood by comparing it co che main line of 10..c5 I.dxeS ®xe5 12,03, when White is ready co trade off the knight on 5. The idea of the text move is 0 go for the same plan, but to have the option of ..€7a6 at the end of the sequence, as itis useful co keep akoight on 5, 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 if 1.08 45 11443 11.Be2 can be met by 11..a52N (the immediate 11..c5 was also decent in Kuds ~ Cimicki, Internet 2012) 12.04 ¢5 with good prospects for Black, 112b3N is a possible attempt to inhibit £5, but after 11.25! 12.a4 @26 13.863 5 Black is doing well. 11.Bhs: 11.85! could also be considered. 12.0)FI 5 Black had a comfortable game in Volkmann ~ Baumegger, Austria 1996. (C22) 9.03 h6! “This is a dlever waiting move, which also ‘creates a good escape squate for the knight if White proceeds with e-e5. White’ two main tries are C221) 10.¢5 and €222) 10.863. C221) 10.65 Bh7 11,43 BhS 12.01 12h4 is « logical move which restricts the knight on h7. A good reply is: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 L abedefgh 12,,.a522N Black takes some space on the queenside, delaying ..c5 until an opportune moment. (12..<5 in Kuzubov — Carlsson, Dubai 2011, could be met by 13.¢4!N5 even here the position is roughly equal, bur T ehinkChapter 17 = 40-0 Black can do better) 13.04 He8 14.Me2 Des 15.Wfe3 e5F and I prefer Black. 12.0b3 a5 13.813 a4 14,1 Ops 15.8595 hxg5 16.21 occurred in Danielsen ~ Brunello, Skanderborg 2010, This would have been good moment for: abedefeh 16,.05IN 17.843 £5! 18.ex86 Sef 19.94 8¢7= ‘With a healthy, if somewhat itregular, position for Black, He eruare 12...Dg5!N ‘An important move. Black is not in a husry to play 5. ‘The immediate 12..c5% can be met by 13.cMIN to open the long diagonal for the g2-bishop (but not 13.g4 Sg 14.2)g3 ReBF and Black was better in Mamedov ~ Eljanov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010). 13...0b6 (13..dxe4 351 14.4514) L4exd5 Oxd5 15.03 and White is slighely becee: 13.h4 ‘After 13.5@5 hng5 14.182 05! Black takes some space and waits for the right moment to play ..c5 — in other words, as soon as c3-c4 ceases to be a good response. abedefgnh For example, if White plays 15.8c3 then 15.51 makes sense; the point is that 16.042 is met by 16..cxd4F with tempo, which prevents White from playing exd5. 13..Axf3t 14. Bx63 Vu BigGt 15.ft02 15.2 e5t is strong, as 16.04 can be met by 16...)b6! 17.cxd5 Oxd5F when the bishop on #4 comes uncler attack.352 15..05 16.803 Bxd3 17.Hixd3 W6 Black i slightly berter. €222) 10.893 We7 11.h3 11.65 Oh7 12.c4 aStis better for Black, J also checked: Lexd5 cxd5 120A S65 13.814 d6 14 9xd6 Wade LAB 65 12.¢5 occurred in Vasovski ~ Chuchelov, Ohrid 2001, when Black should have gone for ‘our thematic retreat: abede re 12,.AN7IN 13,04 BFd8 ‘This move would be impossible with the knight on 8. 14.Me3 dxc4 15.Qxc4 Ob6F and Black is beter. Tverd 13-0640 ‘This tricky move introduces the positional threat of g3-g4. Io Forster ~ Stojanovic, Switzerland 2013, the best reply would have 15.Be5 Bab8 16.04 (16.0e3 fed is equal) 16..dxe4 17x04! (17 MxeAN should be preferred, although 17..8b6 18.Wes Bis is fine for Black) 17..¥xd4 18.Bed1 WeS ‘Whites compensation for the sacrificed pawn ‘was questionable in Yandemiroy ~ Izoria, St Petersburg 2002. 1L..BhS 12.exd5 been: B87 Yi, Z (77) Pewee : ae: a W abedefga 13.ng5IN 14,0h63 14.15% exfS 15.Bxe7 Bac8¥ is. bercer for Black, as White has problems finishing development. Sig With a comfortable postion for Black.Chapter 17 ~ 4.0-0 353 HR eRUaae abedefgh ‘We have reached a popular tabiya. ‘the main line is 6.4642, and we will analyse it separately in the nexe chapter. Before then, we will deal with the three most significant alternatives, namely D1) 6.4c3, D2) 6.63 and D3) 6.43. 6.c4 €6 has been covered via the 4.cl move order ~ see variation B221 of Chapter 16 6.Hfe1 doesn’t have any independent value, a8 6..05 7.04 dxed 8.die4 Sic5 9.Obd2 0-0 reaches variation A of the next chapter. D1) 6.23 65 7.04 7.3 &hS does not change much: 8.04 died 9.dxed (9.8dxe4 is covered on page 371 ~ see ‘9,2)xe4 in the notes to variation B3 in the next chapter) 9...8c5 10.Wel 0-0 11.Oh4 Be8 (11...b58 could also be considered) abedefenh 1281 (12. Dad AB 13.863 BS 14.3 Des 15.8 Oe6 1622d1 We7? Karasev ~ Tscitin, Se Petersburg 1997) 12...0f8 13.0a4 fe? 14.085 eG and Black was slightly beeeer in ‘Neubauer — Posch, Austria 2000. dof 8.dued wed converts to the note to move 8 in nA of the next chapter. 8.5 9.MeL 9.h3 JBhS transposes to the 7.h3 line in the notes above. 9..0-0 10.03 ‘This was D, Lau ~ Chucheloy, Dortmund 1993, and now T would like to offer: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1118x683 Sxe3 12.Hke3 Ybor bur I would be tempted to delay the exchange on £3, as White may spend 4 tempo provoking it with h2-h3, 11Bxe3 EGE Blackhasslightly betterchancesin the ensuing ‘endgame, asthe knight on 3 is misplaced. D2) 6.63 e5 7b? ds Beek Ua ds @ 8.Dbd2 Bcd 0-0 9.Mbd2 He8 10.042 is dubious in View of 10,.dxed 11.dxed (11xed Oxed 12dxed We7 13.Me2 BeS was also bewer for Black in Konopka ~ Velicka, Laane Bohdanec 1999, thanks to the weakened d4-square) 11.Adc5 12.Me2 Be7 13.Had1 Wedd Black LAB d5 was better in Vaher~Nyback, Harjumaa 2010, thanks to the weakened d3- and d4-squares 8.00 9.h3 ‘9.04 is likely co transpose, as ie hard 10 see how White can benefit from not chasing the bishop. For example: 9...8e8 10.Hel a5 11.24 (White usually plays 11.43 $25, either here of on the previous move, transposing to positions covered below under the 9.h3 move ordes) Now in Vaarala = Miczoey, Fagernes 2011, a good continuation would have been: “abedefgh 11..h62N Maintaining the parallel wich the 11.¥e1 line analysed in the notes to the main line below. White will probably have 10 transpose to i by playing h2-h3 in the near future; and if he doesnt, Black’s ideas remain the same anyway. uthChapter 17 —4.0-0 10.04 White can also try delaying this move with: 10.h4 Be8 11.AS, 11,Wel occurred in Harika ~ Zaconskih, Beijing (rapid) 2011, when I prefer: 11..aSIN 12.03 (12. aff is good for Black; 12.a4 &b4! produces an annoying pin, provoking a weakening of Whites position after 13.3 $46, when Black is better) 12.5! 13.e4 Des With a comfortable position for Black, 11.88 12Mel a5! 13.3 Here I like the natural developing move: 13..34e71N 13.udig6 147Db4 was roughly equal in Lobron ~ Kramnik, Munich 1994, 14.4 Had Black is bette, for example 15. dred 16.Dixed Ded 17.dxed 17.xed ext 18. Bah DeSF 17.06 F 10 .uEe8 11,Bel “This is a hematic way to remove the pin on the f3-knight. 11Me2 a5 12.43 We7 13.Bfel ho 14.880. occurred in Ubikiva — — Allabverdiey, ‘Montanchez 1998, when Black’s play can be sproved wit: 355, abedefsn 14. g6IN 15.4 Bh? 16.8 e2 5 17.05 (or 17 1983 B.ddt 18 foxd4 exd4 19.4065 #513) 17..Ox05 1BexlS BdA!¥ Black provokes the weakening c2-c3 and obtains a slight edge. 1L.Bel a5 12.03 [2.exd5 cxd5 13.¢4 £p6 14h ad! looks promising for Black, After 12.04 I like 12..h62N 13.261 (or 13,Be2 Mb4e) 13..He7 14.003 died 15idxe4 Bad 16.065 ftb4 17.c3 S087 and Black is beter. 12.65 12...62N is interesting coo, for example: 13g Bg6 14.04 Bh7 15.06 xt Text BcS 17.8803 Wh6 18.8g3 dé 19.3 eS 20.h4 Badd? 13.212 dyed 14.dxed 857 Black obtained the upper hand in Sturua Kramnik, Moscow 1992356 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedef 11..a5 12.03 We7 13.4 Bad8 14.2h1 BS 15.2065 £68 16.64 This is the logical way wo advance White’s ingside play, but Black is well placed to meet it 16..exfail 1G.udred is less precise due to 17.xe41N (17 .dxe4 was the move order of the Kunte ~ Ponomatioy game quoted below) 17..exf4 18.214 when White is oly. Tagxt 17.S8xt4 2g6! chreatens HS, and White has trouble holding his position together. 17..dxe4 18,2)xe4 1.098 ds 18.dee4 returns to the game Kunce ~ Ponomarioy, Zagan 1997, when 18..8g61 ‘gave Black the better chances, 18 Sig 19.093 19.24 Bred! 20.dxe4 g6lF also favours Black. 19.Bdxe4 20,dxe4 £6 ‘White had some problems due to his loose ingside pawns in Berchtold — Steinkellnes, com. 2013. D3) 6.3 This time White puts the question to Blacks bishop before committing any more of bis central pawns. 6nSthS G.udbef32 is possible but T generally prefer to keap the bishop, unless White has already committed to a formation where the exchange on 3 particularly makes sense 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abede ft gh Whites two main options are D31) 7,Wel and D32) 7.04 7.Abd2 €5 cransposes 0 variation B of the next chapter.Chapter 17 - 4.0-0 357 D31) 7.et White is preparing e2-e4 while delaying the development of the queenside knight. This line usvally ransposes elsewhere, a the knight is likely to go to c4 from cither 2 oF 23, or tod. 705 8.04 A pretty rare move order is 8.3h4 Be5 9.04 (9.2c3 0-0 10.4 is the same things while 9.8.d2 transposes to variation B21 of the next chapter on page 368) 9..0-0 10.03 ded Tdxe4 We have transposed to the 7.3 line in the notes to variation DI on page 353. Bundned 9.dxe4 Se5 10.b4 The main line is 10.Obd2, and it immediately converts to variation B32 of the next chapter 10.24 is an attempt wo take some space on the queenside. Black can choose 10..0-0, when 11.823 He8 12.4cd leads to variation B23, of the next chapter 10...87 10...bxf32 is also interesting. 11.Oh4 11,82 occurred in Nguyen - Hoang, Ho Chi Minh City 2012, when I think i ‘could be worth wying: 11,..8x63N (11..a5EN rakes sense too) 12.8ixf3 Yb6 13.23 (13.3 5 14a3 is the same thing) 13..c5 14.c3 abedefeh 14.,..Me6! 15.87g2 66 The knight is perfectly placed hete, eyeing the weak c4- and a4- squates. 16,8d2 hS}! Black is doing fin. Ih a couple of preceding games Black played 11..ig6, but ic turns owt that Black can allow the exchanging of the e7-bishop. 12.8)f5 &g6IN “This is slightly more accurate than 12.8, as played in Haub ~ Hagen, Copenhagen 2013, 13.Dxe7t Wre7 14.8 DeB358 “The knight is heading cowards the weakened ceAsquate, which would not have been possible with the rook on e8. Hee euanre abedefgnh 15.Ba3 £6 16.04 BE7 17.23 Bd6~ “The eh-outpost makes up for che loss of the bishop pair, so Black is not worse 132) 7acd mons abedefgh Hun uare White is delaying the development of his {queen's knight in order to preserve the option. of Bc3. 76 8.cxd5 exd5 8..cxd5 9.4 Sg6 10.804 Se7 11.Dbd2 was not entvely to my liking. 1.06 d5 Icis worth comparing this position to variation. B2321 of Chapter 16 on page 338. In that line we answered h2-h3 with ..8xf3, because the exchange was well suited to the ..exd5 structure. Here we have already committed to lth. 50 it is fair to say that White has a slightly improved version of that variation, “That said, I believe Black is still well wichin che ‘equalizing zone, ‘White's ewo main options are D321) 9.83 and D322) 9.e4l2 D321) 9.3 Mes abodefgh 10.83 10.e8 dues I1dxed 0-0 transposes to variation D322. After 10.d4 &d6 11Qh4 0-0 12.9943 Bes 13.0g5 Black's most accurate continuation is:Chapter 17 — 4.0-0 13.H62N (13.08 was roughly equal in Vidie — Robson, Chennai 2011) 14.8¢2 8 and Black is doing well, 1 also considered: 10.We2 0-0 11.03! White is planning on transferring the queen's knighht to via e2, (1L.e$ dxed 12dxef transposes to variation 322) 11 fis 12.8503 We7 abede fran 13.De2 a5 14.892 RfeB 15.3 Ba3- Black easily equalized in Pelletier — Grachey, Ziiich 2012, 10...806 11.824 HR ee uae abede foeh Bix Fliminating the knight, which may become more important than Black’ light-squated bishop. I prefer this move over the more popular 11...0-0, 359 12.863 0-0 13.2xb6 Now I would like to recommend the Intermediate: HR ek aAA oe 13 ..8e5IN Afier 13..2xb6 14.3 in Sundararajan — Haslinger, Haarlem 2013, Black was unable to phy 14.,.2c52! on account of 15.dbxc5 bxc5 16.P¥xb7 winning a pawn. Hardly a disaster of course, and Black went on to win the game anywray, but ie seems more accurate to activate the knight. 14,82 axb6= Despite Whites bishop pait, the position is balanced. D322) 9.c4t? He Reeuare360 A care but interesting attempt to mobilize White's central majority Snudxek Wdxe4 Be5 11.83 0-0 12.2 2.S0F4 He8 13.82 transposes to the main line, 12.g4 has been played just once, but its a serious move which deserves to be considered. 12,496 13.5 Ded 14.Bx04 Bxed 15.Hel Aix 16BRES BoB 17.AF4 DEB abede The knight is heading for ¢6. ‘The position is roughly equal, but now White went wrong with 18.Bed 2, allowing 18...4b6 19.b4 $44 20Eabl Qg6F and Black was beter in Al Huvar — Andriasian, Abu Dhabi 2009. HR eR Ua aw 12...He8 13.866 ‘White prepares to complete his development with Bad 1.2 d5 13.Q)h4 is an aggressive attempe to mobilize the kingside pawns. Play continues: 13...2¢5 L4bht He3 15.8id3 Qxd3 16.6 DF 17,82 fah 17..g5! A clever idea to save Black’s bishop from being trapped. 18.fig5 AGxe4 19.Bxe4 Dxe4 20,4 Bg6 21.864 In this roughly equal position a draw was agreed in Urban ~ Kveinys, Lubniewice 2005, abede 13.@0h2 AAb4t sees Black attacking in the centre before Whites kingside attack gets off the ground, 14.h4 cS 15.3 a3 16.52 16,..Bad8IN ‘This ensures an equal endgame (After 16.047 a draw was agreed in Voirsekhovsky — Sitnikov, Tomsk 2006, but 17.61! Wxcd 18.8xc2 would have given White chances for an advantage) 17-21 We? 18.1ixe2 De6= Black is fine,‘Chapter 17 ~4.0-0 361 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 4 1 Hi abedef gh bedefgh Tift! 14.8003 Des 15.842 15 .lle7 16 ad Had 17-det 15 bea 17 Sxd8 Fad8 18.81 Bad} 19.Plt as "This move covers the d3-square but the ed pawn may become a target. I would like to highligh thar wich: 15 8fe72N 15..0g6 16.fid2?! We7 was good for Black in Fressinet ~ Andriasian, Dubai 2014, but White could have done bevrer with 16.8g51N, intending 16...6 17.926 Wat 18.80h2 followed by 19.€4, 16Hlad1 Dg6 17.831 Bad! Afier 17.382 18.gxF4 Black cannot prevent ef-¢5, 18.xd8 Had8 19.d1 Sad t 20.81 Oxf 2i.gxf Od? 22.05 DT With a slight edge to Black. also been played, 19..a6IN= (19...0f472 was also playable in Yewseev — Nazaretyan, Tyumen 2012, although ‘White could have tried to cause problems wich 20.8241N Sibé 21.80h2, preparing 2-44) The text move prepares to meet lad with .ha7s and if White cant find a way to mobilize his F pawn, I see no cause For concern. b6 18.s0h1 is occurred in Arutinian ~ Opatin, Pardubice 2012, and now I would like co recommend:362 Hee RUare 18..WeSIN ‘With the following idea: 19.84 Other moves are possible but this is clearly the critical one to consider, 19...8xd1 20.Bxd1 Degdt 21,boegé Dag “Threatening...8hS# and mate 22.651 22.052 is a losing move: 22. He6 23.15 HxeS ABA Ot 22.62 23.h2 Dgdt 24.3 O2t= Wich perpetual checks 1.6 d5 Conclusion “This chapter has deale with several set-ups afte White castles early. In some variations Black’s moves are pretty intuitive; on the other hand, there are certain cases where some specific knowledge is important, A good example is variation C2, where Black allows White’ pawns to stand on d4 and ef, and encourages farther advance with e4-e5. The plan of 16 followed by ...Ah7 is far from obvious, but the analysis shows thae it ean work beautifully. Another important concept is White's plan of meeting ..c5 with c3-c4, so you need to keep in mind the comrect timing of the .c5 move. Ac the end of the chapter we dealt with quite a challenging line in 5.d3 Dgf6 6.43 Bh5 7.ch 6 8.cxd5 exd5, when the position is considerably more dynamic than in most Rett lines. My analysis shows that Black has plenty of resources, but you need to keep a watchful «eye on White’ kingside pawn majority6.Abd2 1.AB d5 364 366 369 371 Variation Index 1.D3 d5 2.93 Led 3.22 Dd7 4.0-0 c6 5.d3 Dgh 6.Abd2 6.05 A) 7.04 B) 7:h3 &hs BI) &g4 B2) 8.4 Bc5t B21) 9.e1 B22) 9.c4 B3) 8.e4 dxed 9.dxe4 Le5 B31) 10.We2 B32) 10.Wel 0-0 B321) 11.Bh4 B322) 11.213 Rb6 12.04 a5 B3221) 13,Abd2!? B3222) 13,0fd2 B323) 11.c4 BeB B3231) 12.0h4 B3232) 12.b4 B3233) 12.04 2) note to more 9 18321) after 18.3, 373 375 376 377 377 380 382 382 383 384 33231) afer 1edt x Baw ry 17..0RDIN z re a & a |364 LAB d5 LDP d5 2.93 shes 3.892 Dd7 4.0-0 6 5.43 Dgf6 6Dbd2 eS ‘White's knight usually goes to the d2-square in this system, while Black’ last move requires 1o explanation. We will analyse A) 7.04 and B) 7.h3. In most games White plays both of these moves in the near future, and I will examine such an approach under variation B. Variation A will jusc look at any rare lines where White plays 7.04 without h2-h3. 7h This move is rare, both with and without the inclusion of h2-h3 and ...th5. I recommend, the same reply for Black in both cases: Fudd 8.042 8.h3 25 transposes to 8.c4 din the notes to variation B. ‘The text move seems too optimistic. In Othman ~ Goloshchapoy, Dubai 2014, Black could have fought for the advantage with: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedeft 8...fixb4IN 9.8b1 a5 10.93 &hd6! 11.8xb7 0-0 12,43 @e5 13.261 ‘And now any sensible retreat along the 8-h3 diagonal leads to an edge for Black. For example: 13 .ARP5 PF A) 7.4 dxo4 8.dxe4 8.Qxc4 is harmless: 8..A)x04 O.dxe4 fe7 (there is also nothing wrong with 9.85) 10.3 0-0 11 Be3 We7 12.82 eS 13.B%e5 Axed 4b Bd7 A draw was agreed here in Analadze ~ Belikov, Alushta 2072, but I prefer Black’s position. 8.85 9.Wel 9.h3 is the main line, but after 9...8h5 we transpose to variation B3, 943.5 ‘This move prevents b2-b4 and thus secures the positon of his bishop on 5: ‘That said, 9..0-0 is a reasonable alternative. 1O.Me2 0-0 11.804 11,h3 ££h5 eransposes again ~ see the 10.c3, line in the notes on page 372 11..We7 12.063 HS 13.065Chapter 18 - 6.bd2 365 ‘This was Belozerov — Zakharov, Kolontaevo 1997, and now I prefer 13.,4He82N 14.3 O68 15.85 647 With roughly equal chances 9.82 0-0 Placing the queen on e2 hasa clear drawbacks the (3-knighs is still pinned, and so ic cane {0 to hf as it does in the main lines with the queen on el 10.Be4 10.h3 &h5 converts 10 variation B31 Wad a5 1.De4 We7 12.003 (12.h3 is betes; with the usual transposition) 12...8h5 138.85 This was Vavruska — Sosna, Luhacovice 1993, and now 1 like 13...HRU8IN. Whice can hardly do without 14h3 anyway, which leads to a pleasant position for Black after 14.228 with the idea of ..Ac5, 10,,.8e7 11,Qe3 Bh5 12.05 Bfes 13.h3 ‘As you can see, this move almost always features in Whites plans at some point, and White gains nothing by delaying it On the contrary: in this particular ease, he has committed to a unnecessary eransfer of the knight to £5, abede 13 AA6B 14 Bel T42Sh402N should be preferred, though after 14.5 15.g4 Lig6 Black is doing fine. 14.85 15.42 a5 Black was better in Weiss ~ Ragget, Austria 2002 (15...2ad807 is also good). 90-0 10.4 Once again 10.h3 is the most popular, when. 10,,dth5 converts to vatiation B32, 10.818 LLLb4 11.03 Bh5 12.65 occursed in Haul — Maiorow, Sautron 2010, when 12,.f8N 13.h3 \c5 14.43h4 &e6 would have reached a pteferable position for Black. Vad We7 12.43 123 BS! 13.03 hS 14.015 8A 15.ftg5?! h6 16.442 Oc5 gave Black a slight edge in Appel — Kinder 2001 12.83 was Kozul — Burma Gorica 2003, and now I prefer 1 13.Oh4 248 followed by 14..0c5 when Black obtains a comfortable position, as the 12...te6! 12...th5 would lead to something similar to don B3233, but with 12...He7 played instead of 12...0b6, The text move highlights another drawback of White's strategy: the longer he delays h2- 3, the greater the chance thar Black will find a better square than h5 for the bishop. 13.82 b5! 14.ed2 a6 15.4)g5 08 16.82h1 6 17.@xe6 Oxe6F Black had a fine posi ‘Taimanow, Germany 2005. nin Weber —366 abedefgh 1 ARAB 11.06? 12.02 208 13.095 Bigs 14.65 8h5 looks good for Black too, Graf Wedberg, Manila (ol) 1992. 12.862 We7 13.03 bS 14.063 AhS 15.06 ast A nice counterblow, which enables Black to fight for the initiative 16.0h4 axb4 17.axb4 Exal 18.2xal bred 19.2)xc4 Ws. Black was slightly better in Badea ~ Fressinet, Bucharest 2001. B) 7.h3 Bhs 1B ds ‘One of the points of 6.€bd2 is that White is ready co recaprure on £3 with che lenighe, s0 there would be no sense whatsoever in ‘exchanging on £3 here. We will analyse BI) 8.g4, B2) 8.h4 and 1B3) 8.c4, the las of which is the most popular rove by fat, Other moves do not require much 8.Bel cS is likely to transpose to one of the later variations after 9.b4, or 9.c4 0-0 10,8h4 (the e5-pawn is untouchable as W.erdS xd5 11.Axc52? is refuted by 11...Be84) 8.c6 is a rate move which allows Black co gain space with: 8..<4! 9.03 a5 10.0h4 Se7 T1.QP5 Spb 12.g4% (12. x07 Wre7 13.063 is better, although 13..0-0 14.0b4 De5 is stil pleasant for Black) 12...xf5 13.gxf5 0-0 14.Bedt! Dred 15.dxe4 (or 15.fxe4 354) 15..a4F Black was substantially beter in Sponer~ Kveinys, Dresden 1996, BL) 8.g4 g6 9.0h4 Rd6 10.03 HR wR Uare "This is an aggressive set-up, intending 10 launch the Epawn. 10...0-01,Chapter 18 - 6.2ibd2 Afier 10...282 11.66 Q6d7 12.@el £6 13.04 dé 14.84 Be7 15.065 Bxl5 16.exh5+ Whites opening proved a total success in Caruana ~ Movsesian, Dubai 2014, 11.Oxg6 11.04 ist dangerous in view of 11..exf4 12exf4 6! 13.2)xg6 fagGE when, despite the doubled pawns, Black stands better as White's pawn advances have weakened his kingsie. LL dhxg6 12.ch Bc5 13.g5 OhS 4exd5 exdS 15.4421 “This natural move is an error. I checked two alternatives: ly met by: 15..d4! 16. 367 17d? afer 17Dxd6 Wad6 18.867 BabB 19.92 ded? Black wins back the d3- pawn and obrains a better position) 17...Be8 18Hacl Brel 1948xc1 dyed 20.fee3 e7! ‘With a double attack on g5 and d3. 15.txdSN deserves attention, with interesting play after: 15..8sg54 16.202 adbedetfgah 16..a5! Securing the position of the knighe on 5. 17. Bch Hfd8 18.53 DFG 19.8e2 eff And Black is not worse HR eR aa ow abcdefgh 15.0 @xd3 16.$ixd5 tbat? White must have either overlooked or underestimated this move, which gave Black the upper hand in Smirin ~ Firaeek Sibenile 2006.368 B2) 8.Dhd Rest HER eRUuare “This isthe best square forthe bishop. White ay proceed with B21) 9,W¥el or B22) 9.¢4, also checked: 9.203 206 10.04 10.ad 25 11.fel 0-0 12.p@? is bad in view of 12..Q)xg4 13.hxgd Bhs 14.gxh5 2464 with a strong attack, Kalogeris ~ Suarez Gomer, Chania 2014. 10,.0-0 11 8fc2 a5 12.04 Be Black is fine. Its important to mension the following tactical point: abedefgh 13g? Oxgtt “This piece sacrifice works best with the white knight on b3: if ic was stil on 2, then #3 would bea valuable defensive resource. 14.hxgd Bsh4 (5.gxh5 Df6 16.05 Dg 17. Bel 1B 45 In Paetzold ~ Rook, Internet 2013, the most efficient winning line would have been: 17..84H241N 18.92f1 BhS Intending ..L1e6, with a luge attack, B21) 9.¥et abc de White unpins the e-pawn, chus preparing eel 9..0-0 10.04 10,063 Bb6 11.c4 Be8 transposes to our main line, 10gd g6 1103 Be8 (11..052 deserves atcention) 12@xg6 hxg6 13.cf O08? (13..44IN might be even stronger) 14.863 £26 1S.xd5 exd5 16.842 Now in Almasi ~ Shisox, ‘Warsaw 2010, Black should have continued:Chapter 18 ~ 6.0bd2 369 15.8xb6 Wxb6 1683 dred 17.dxed We7 Followed by ...2e6 and Black is doing fine. 1205 13.fe3 FB 14.c2h1 Now I would like to improve Black’ play from Hil ~ Torre, Zagreb 1987, with abedefeh 16,..eGIN 17.24 a6 Wich the better position. i BTU a ib m7, Wee abedefgh Va Ble3IN 15.83 BG ‘And I prefer Black. eRe Raa e® B22) 9.04 0-0 aicbteceedivernite ctl 10.88 11,263 &b6 12.04 After 12.885 1 would like to offer the immediate: 12..h62N (12.87 also made sense in Vajda ~ Zhao, Sydney 2013) 13.fe3 AM 14.04 a5 HAS abedefgh 10.g4 IF White wants to make this move, it has to be done with the knight on 2 in order to avoid a piece sacrifice (compare the 9.4)b3 line in the notes on the previous page). abedefah370 10.exd5 Oxd5! 10,..cxd52 can be met by: L1.gAIN A precise move order, as now the piece sacifice doesn't work. (ILMb3 is less accurate as after 11.6 White cant play 12,g4? in view of 12...@xgAl 13.hxg4 Bixh4 14.gxh5 @f6—+ with 2 decisive attack, Instead, 12dkd2 was roughly equal in Polgar ~ Pellesier, Geneva 2013,) 11..8g6 12.63 $2b6 13.S8g58 And Black experiences some problems with his centre. abe d 11.24 stb6 “This position has occurted in two games of the Dutch IM Manuel Bosboom. 12.205 12.246 was the attempted improvement in Bosboom — Van Kampen, Amsterdam 2011, but Black could already have obtained some advantage by means of 12... 12.51 13.034 De7! LOB d5 Black wants to exchange the annoying knight on £5. 14.23 Heb! 15.Be Be7t Black was better in Bosboom ~ Gi san Zee 2008. 10.n8g6 L1.Dag6 gs Wijle Hwee kUuare 1295 12.83 &b6 13.82 We7= was fine for Black in I. Balogh — Amngrimsson, Arad 2013; iis hard to understand the logic in provoking Sib6. Another game continued: 12.b3 ®b6 13.95 (13.cxd52! Da) abede 13, ved! 14,dee4 QeB 15.Me3 We7 162d Hd8- Intending ..0c7, with a promising position for Black in Ubilava — Sturua, Protvino 1993,Chapter 18 — 6.2bd2 an “The text move leads co concrete play, bur White is risking more than Black 12a8DhS 13.cxd5 Teer 1a gk 13...0f41 14.04 od5 15.xc5 Dxc5 16.xF exf 174h4 ‘This was Kotow ~ Medina Garcia, Casablanca 1974, and now I would like to intzoduce: 17.8d7PN 18.Het BacB 19.b4 Deb 20,42 Was Black has a nice position with a safer king, A logical continuation is: 21.Bxc8 Bxc8 22-Hel Bxelt 23.Hxc1 dd 24.MHe8t &h7 25.8sb7 Dxe2t 26.201 £3127. Lx03 Dl= “The compurer calls it dead equal, but in a practical gume White would still have to be careful as che queen and knight have the potential to bea deadly combination, B3) 8.4 abe de fogh ‘As I mentioned entlier, this is the main line by fa 8.ndxe4 9.died ‘A much less popular alternative is: 9 Axed Dred 10.dxe4 Be? 11:Bel 11.Ble2 0-0 12.83 We7 13.Had1 occurred in N. Fries Nielsen - Aagaard, Odense 2012. 1 think Black should proceed with 13,..ad8N, intending to meet 14.c3 with372 IAB dS 14,..a5, with atleast equal chances 1..0-0 12.b3 Be8 12...8c72N could bea minor improvement, enabling the kings rook to go to d8. 13,8b2 (6 14.Dhd4 Des 15,Be3 Be 16.263 Be5 17.82.17 Black had a pleasant position in Fridean — Krivoshey, Dos Hermanas 2003, He eR uare Denke This is the best square for the bishop, as it pins the f2-pavn and avoids coming under attack from the thematie h4-£5 manoeuvre, which could be the case if it went to e7. The only negative aspect is that White can gain a tempo against the bishop on the other flank with 63, but I dont believe this t be a problem, ‘Wevill avalyse B31) 10.2 and B32) 10, Het also checked: 10.24 0-0 11.25 Queen moves ‘would transpose to one of the two main lines. 11. He 12.6e2 We7 13.c3 bS s & abedefspn Black is doing fine, and in the game the optimistic 14,g4?! $496 15.Dh4 led to a slight edge for Black after 15...18 16b4 Se7 17.085 Qe6 in Oney — Pinter, Heraklion 1997, thanks to the weakness of the F4-squate. 1043 a5 11.842, 11.24 0-0 12.82 is likely to transpose to 11.We2 after 12.88 13.84 W7. 11..0-0 12004 We7 13.04 Bf 14,0h4 De! Black is preparing «8647, uf and .db&7 — typical regrouping for this type of position, 15.d¢h2N, ‘After 15.8ig5 647 16.94 eG 17.8142 96Chapter 18 ~ 6.2bd2 the F-square was a long-term weakness in Pews ~ Sukhanitskij Internet 2011. 15.67 16.64 f= “The position zemains balanced. Another rare alternative is: 10.4)b3 &b6 11.¥We2 11.Mfet 0-0 transposes to variation B322. 373 15. hGIN 16.Bx16 Ox 17.4 "This is the critical reply, atlizing the position of the queen on 4 to prevent the bishop from moving to g6. Nevertheless, Black is fine aftr: 17.65! 18.065 Sig6 19.2 xh6t sig7 White has won a pawn but Black gets something more valuable: the open h-fle! abedef gh 11..0-0 [2.4 25 13.84 “This seems a slightly odd square for the queen, buc serves the purpose of unpinning he ly more accurate than the more common 13...e8. 14.O)h4 Bef 15.895 After 15.g4 Stg6 16.825 Of8! Black is going ro exploit the weakness ofthe F-square wich the help of ..e6, This position was reached in So K. Berg, Copenhagen 1986, T found 2 nice improvement for Black ia i GY abe defeh 20.D65¢ SxfS 21 gxf5. 21 exl5? eAlF does not help White. 21,.ths With a dangerous ive, B31) 10.82 “The main disadvantage of this move is the fact that White's knight remains pinned. He can break it with g3-g4, but this will seriously weaken the {4-square. On the plus side, the374 queen does not obstruct the fl-rook, The move was even ied by Anand 2 couple of years ago, albeit in a blitz game. 100-0 11.04 11.463 B66 converts to the 10.463 line noted above, LeBel HeB 12.41 is not in the spisit of White’s system. 12..B08 13.3 a5 14.8g5 des abede 15.Bad] We7 16.8c1 We7 17.We2 Qd7 Black was certainly not worse in V. Onischule ~ Musakaey, Khatkoy 2011 Another game continued: 11.c3 a5 12.841 HeB_(12..1c72=) 13.804 WoT 14.64 gb 15.h4 0B 16.83 Bxe3 Heb 17.83 hag6 19.96 We7 Black was doing well in 18.Dxg6 LAE ds ‘A. Onischuk ~ Ibragimoy, Lindsborg 2004; again, the F-square is a problem for White 11H We7 12.24 (12.94 86 13-Db4 occurred in Seeman ~ Laurusas, Liepaja 2014, and now 13, .BRUSIN 14.6063 B66 15.24 a5 16.8p5 008 17.Sxf6 nf would have been good for Black thanks co the outpost) 12...8f08 (12..a5%) 13,2f1 This was Marin Fernandez ~ Jirovsky, ‘Andorea 2000, and now I like: abedetfeb 13..a5HN And if Mp4 B26 15.093 O18 Black transfers the knight to e6, with the better chances. Dva5 12204 Be 13.841 We7 Legh White often plays this at some point in the We2 lines, but Black should generally be happy 10 see it, as he now gets the easy plan of 28-06 to target the weakened Fé-squate.Chapter 18 6bd2 375, 14.842? is a less committal alternative, Black should reply with a useful waiting move of his own: 14..h6 15.23 (15.g4N Sg6 16.0h4 DAI 17 Wel b6 18.83 A6d7 19.843 Bad 20.Bad! Ne6- is fine for Black) @bedetgh Now in Itkis ~ Below, Alushta 2000, Black could have exchanged the dark-squared bishops by means of 15...Ab4IN 16x64 axb4, with equal chances, as 17,Wel can be answered by 17. 14 ftg6 15.04 DEB 16.95 Another game continued: 16.83 Sxe3 17.Bixe3 De6 18.65 Bxf5 19.ext5 i ZZ abe detph Hete it is worth considering 19..d42N (19.464 was als five for Black in Daagnidee — Stefanova, Batumi 2012) 20.82 @d5- 21, fla3 O44 with equal chances, 16..2h5 17.xg6 hxg6 18.03 ‘Here I found a marginal improvement: HRY RUar)E 18...2)g32N 18,2064 19.264 ext was equal in Anand — Rages, Dubsi 2014 19.81 De6 20.3 Dh5 21-h4 Dhes Objectively the position is still about equal, but I slightly prefer the version with a knight con F4 rather than the ext structure from the game B32) 10.H4e1 HR eR Uae abedefgh ‘White is unpinning his -knight in order to play hd. Ar the same time, the queen also protects the e4-pavmn, thus fieeing up che other knight.376 1.6 d5 10..0-0 White's three main options ste B321) 11,0h4, B32) 11.0b3 and B323) 11.Bed. ad should be mecby 11.8, with likely twansposition to variation B233 after 12.84 11a is a pretty rare line, preparing b2- b4 followed by 2. M88 (11.05! also makes sense) 12.b4 £(8 13.2c4 Be7 (13..)b62) 1425h4 b5 15.Ha5 €5 wansposes to the 13.Qh4 line in he notes to variation B232 on page 383. 8321) 11.Dh4 Be8 HR wR Uare 12.83 considered a couple of other moves: 12M@h1 BAB 13.62 is premauure. 13..ex%4 1.gxf4 This occurred in Pujari ~ Neslorpal, ‘Murmbai 2011, when Black missed a strong idea: 14..00d5N ‘Threatening ...Db4, 15.03 6 Black prepares ..0e3 and thus deffects the a2-knight away from the defence of ef. 16.4063 @eSF and Black is better. 12.0585 “This doesn't make much sense due to: 12.96 ‘And now White has nothing better than retreating 10 h4, because allowing .dixf5 is in Black’ favour. 13.g42! 13.Achtt Oxf 1d.ex65 ef and Black was better in Chemuschevich — Fontaine, Besancon 2005, The text move occurred in Christiansen — Beliavsky, Brussels 1992, and now Black should have played: 13 .XlSIN 14.gxf5 .exf5 ef! 15.063 RO 14,.)h5 1 With better chances. 12.8661 Black should retain control over the a7-g1 diagonal. 13.04 a5 14.f003 Bo7 14...,1482N could also be considered.Chapter 18 ~ 6.2bd2 15.005 fg6 16.0h4 O68 17.Dxg6 hxg6 18.2xb6 Wxb6~ ‘With a promising position for Black in Seany — Raznikoy, Golden Sands 2013, 18322) 11.63 HR eR EAA © ‘This move is nor without venom, 11.806 12,04 a5 ‘Whites two main tries are B3221) 13.@bd2t? and B3222) 13.\fA2. 13.3 afd 14.8203 Seed 15.8hye3 Me7 16Bfdl BES 17.8d2 b6 18.8ad1 BAB was equal in Smejkal ~ Kuezynski, Polanica Zdtoj 1991 377 Another sensible game continued: 13.82 Sixt 14,8x3 D5 15Dxc5 xc 16.0e2 Wb6 17.03 RdB 18.Rad ho abedefepn 19.3 Sd 20.fad4 Bed 21.84 Wadd 22.81 Wodn (22...HeS!2N) White's control over the open file was balanced by Blacks superior minor piece in Ju Wenjun ~ Gieya, St Petersburg 2012 B3221) 13.Bbd20e He eR uaa abedef A dever idea. Having just provoked ..25, White brings the knight back to ef in order to play the 11.Bcf line with Black having committed to the a5 structure, which we the 11,2c4 move orden as shown later in variation B3233. 13..BeB 14.24 eS 15.22 b6 16.0h4378 Another game continued: 16.83 Ye7 17.Hh4 BB 18eh1 D6d7 19H Bes 20.4 £5 2treS Dxe5! Black trades off his useless Knight. 22.@)xe5 fieS 23.83 x63 24Hixf3 BadB 25.We2 Bd4= With roughly ‘equal chances, Efimenko ~ Ragen, Dubai 2014, 16h] We7 17.83 (17,0h4 transposes to ‘our main line below) 17..8xf3 18.f483 This position occurred in Sommerbauer ~ Banusz, Austria 2012, and now I prefer: s[X Ee) 7 A kha 6 ‘sa é 3 é & Fete Boe ig wage sib tesadeueirgel 18...8d42N 19.cog2.g6!? 20..d2 (20.h4 h5=) 20..b5! 21.Ba5 W8 22.axb5 cxb5 23.0e3 Bxb2 24.Hd1 Bd4= and Black is fine. 16.67 17.1 17.065 fig6 18.8d1 AxfS 19.0xf5 Dds is equal, ‘then 20.2¢32 was an inaccuracy in 1.06 ds ‘Vaganian ~ Fahnenschmidt, Germany 1992, allowing Black to obtain the upper hand with: 20..e41N 21 Oxd5 cxd5 22.8f4 West 17.ftg5!? isan interesting provocation. 17h 18.fe3 (18.842N 08 19.203 26d7= looks fine for Black) White's idea is that che bishop on h5 starts to feel uncomfortable The exchange of the dark-squared bishops is double-edged, as Whice is left with a ‘bad’ bishop, but on the other hand he weakens che d6-square. In Rusan — Ceteras, Deva 1998, Black should have played: abedefgh 18,.8e3N 19.Bixe3 b5 20.43 Beb8 With the possible continuation: 21.g4 £g6 22.0xg6 feg6 23.axb5 cxbS 24.031 deh7 25.Axb5 We5 26.c4 Db6« Followed by ..xe4. i7dihoe “This esembles he main line, but the differing king position changes afew of the derals,Chapter 18 ~ 6.bd2 17..SadB “The immediate 17..dtg6!? is also reasonable. 18. exff (afer 18..fbre®? 19x ext 20.864 Me8 21.0d2 cbh8 22.895 Black's idea of “xed and ...2f6 does not work as theh3-pawn is defended) 19.fxf4 87 20.65, Dd5 21.Mxg6 hxgs 22.182 g5 23.0rg5 Dxe5 24 Aixe5 Heed 25 Hael Hae8 26.Bxe5 Hxe5 27.Hel Bb8 The centralized knight on 45 plus the slight vulnerability of Whites king compensates for the bishop pait. 18.4 “This was played in the only game, bucit does not present many problems. 18.81N looks better, intending to put the queen on €2. Nevertheless, the position remains about equal after 18..f1g6 19.82 DB 20.BFL Deb 21.03 BA7 with a long ‘manoeuvring game ahead, 18..exf4 19.Bxh 19.gx8? rans into 19...€xe4! 20.fixe4 (6 and Black wins. 379 19.87 20.65 20.g4N g6 21.2 xg6 hugs 22.841 O18 is also fine for Black. 20..2d5 21.065 In Akopian - Hracek, Cap d’Agde 1996, Black could have fought for the advantage with: abedefgnh 21ufGIN 22Med6 Bxd6 23Dxd6 BeG 24.2)b5 Wb7 25.Dd4 Beet 26.06 Dest abedefgh Vf g6t? “The point of this subtle move is to put some pressure on the e4-pawn, 17..Bad82N is interesting too, 18.b3 “The value of Black’s last move can be seen after: 18.62 xed! 19.fxe4 exf4 20.Sxl4380 20.ExfS g5-+) 20..Me8 21042 sbhse ‘With the simple plan of ..Axe4 followed by .£f6, when White will not be able to take on {6 with check. 18.841 was played in Ar Minasian ~ Neclotpal, Moscow 2004, when Black could have simplified the position with: 18,.D5IN- 19.8xa5 bxad 20.804 Wa? 21.Bdxg6 hxg6 22.8e2 Wa6 23.88 Db6 24.2xb6 Wxb6- With equality. 18.f%g5 occurred in Mowsesian ~ Alavkin, St Petersburg 2007, and now 18...62N would have been a yood choice, for inst 19.8xf6 (19.42 $7 is Bxf6 20.0xg6 figS= With an equal Now in Spangenberg ~ Fiorito, Argentina 1995, Black missed a nice idea: LOB d5 18..Rd41N 19.03 eS. Black has invested 2 couple of tempos in onder to block the el-25 diagonal, thus preparing ..b5, 20.04 ‘ T also checked 20.0xg6 hxg6 21.We2 b5 22.b2 £6! Followed by ..e5 and Black is fine. 2.nbSt 2aaxbS cbs 22Axe5 Dre 23.fxe5 Wxe5 24.Dxg6 hag6 25.64 Ye6= ‘With 2 good position for Black, 183222) 13.2fd2 abcde “This isa pet line of the Croatian GM Kozul. "The knight is heading for 4Chapter 18 ~ 6.2)bd2 13.05 14.Dxc5 LxeS 15.D.04 15seh1 This move was tested just once in Kozul = Gyimesi, Sibenife 2007. 1 would like to improve Black play with 15. HRN Play may continue 16Det 16.23 Ab6 17.64 exflt 18.8xf6 Be? 19.f4g5 He8 20.ibx66 gpf6T is beter for Black, 16.F4 ex 17.geFl Bfe8 18,05 ds 19.04 Be7 20.2 £5 21.853 Bhd and Black is fine. 16. 2d7 17.2b3 2b6 18.fe3 £6 19.83 Bixe3 20.184e3 Ka is more comfortable for Black thanks to is better bishop. 16..2d7 17462 b6 18.74 8 “his leads to an improved version of the aforementioned game as Black has avoided losing time with ..}e8. Incerestingly, we have now transposed co another game of Koza, which featured the 15.4)e4 move order. 19.85 Now in Kozul ~ Handler, Austria 2013, Black could have used what should now be a fornia idea for us: 19...d40N Intending to provoke c2-c3. 20.03 [doubt that White has anything better, for instance: 20.83 7 21.fe2 bs! 381 22.8xa5 WhB 23.axb5 cebS 24.0d2 &xb2 25.321 Bxa5 26.Bxb2 @cSF 20,.dte5 21.y6 QF7 22.We2 b5 23.axb5 exbS 24.203 abede fen 24 fbx 25:8ine3 Sc4 26.21 hG 27.h4 DeS 28.1993 shire I prefer Black. 15.047 Black is preparing ..f6 in order to obtain the £7-square for his bishop. 16.8d2 b6 17.038 17.dehi £6 18.64 WeT has been covered under the 15.#¢hI line above. 17nf6 18.8 xc5 DxeS 19.83 f7 20,8fdL We7 21.861 BES382 “The position isequal and the correspondence players soon agtced a draw. 22.63 208 23.Bxd8t WedB 24.fe2 We7 25.h4 Ye-¥s Deutnley ~ Gorokhoy, corr. 2015, B323) 11.De4 BeB Black protects the eS-square, while the f8- square may be used by his minor pieces We have a final splic heoween B3231) 12,0h4, B3232) 12.b4 and B3233) 12.04. 83251) 12.04 ‘We have seen this typical move in many variations. White may follow up with any of OF, g5-g4 followed by xg6, or hl followed by £2-. 12.065 13.25 ‘While the king’ knight is playing on the kingside, the other one is creating threats on the queenside 13.03 may look wrong as both of White's nights are aiming at f5. Nevertheless, Black’ task isnt easy, and I found it necessary to improve on the few existing games with 13..a5IN, ‘The idea becomes clear afer: LAN ds abede fg h 14.4 b4l Black can afford to give up the ef- square, as Def can always be answered by +-Ab6. ISDE (IF the pawn was still on a7, White could have continued with 15.5 followed by Bed) 15..€0b6 16.4d2 Bar! 17.c3 63! 18.4 bd 7! and Black is doing fine. HR RU aa & 13.17 Vad 142963 b6 15.8632! led co Black's advantage after 15...xf3 16.0x"3 c5! 17.04 bxef 18.Mbd2 c3! 19.bxc3 cAF in Lenic Ragger, Heraklion 2004. 14,..866 15.063 a6 16.295 c5 17.05 a7 18.04 ‘A clever idea, which is intended to block the dark-squared bishop on a7. In this complex postion I found a key improvement over some high-level games:Chapter 18 - 6.2.bd2 HR we Rare 18..bxe4tN 18...ab8 was the choice of Kramnik and others, but it does nor equalize: 19.042 h6 20.83 DA 2A! Qi.gt Sig6 22.14 ext 23.BxF4 Wd? 24.059 BAS! was better for Black in Aronian — Korobov, Ohrid 2001) 2iuexf 228x661 White was bewer in Aronian ~ Kramnik, Shanghai 2010 (22.gxF4t? De6 23.e5k was also good in Movsesian — Buhmann, Germany 2009). 19.Bd2 31 20.bxe3 eft ‘The point of the novelyy. Black opens the a7-gl diagonal which White tried so hard to block. HR we euare Ai.gi Bg6 2ather Des 23Dxg6 ngs 383, 24, Drxeh Deb 25.f1d2 Bec8S Black has good positional compensation for the pawn thanks to his active pieces and the weak f4-square 1B3232) 12.b4 ‘This has been White's second-most-popular choice, but it weakens his queenside and should not be of any eoncem t0 us. 12.8468 13.2062 ‘Another game continued: 13.h4 bS!? 14.B)a5 05 15.03 We7 16.c3 Bad8 17.85 abedefgn 17.4! 18.14 a6 Black had good chances due to the misplaced knight on a5 in Markos Kuipers, Zivich 2010. 13.24 fiom S, Ernst ~ Van den Doel, Germany 2007, can be met by: 13..bSIN 14005 (I4axds cxb5 15.03 Bg6t 16.065 We? is better for Black)384 14.cbxad! 15.0b4 (or 15.Bxa4 c5 16.b5 a6) 15.651 16,b5 a6 and Black seizes the initiative 13.7 14.84 Vad bS 15.axb5 cxb5 16.003? a6 was excellent for Black in Paschall — Nguyen Huynh Minh, Budapest 2008. Ee eR Uare 14.ub5 15.8e3 a5! 16.03 Db6! 17.BbI axb4 18.axb4 Ba2 Yer again, Black obtained the upper hand in Iskandaroy ~ Bukavshin, Maribor 2012. B3233) 12.04 HR ek Uare ‘This has been the most popular choice, securing the position of the knight on 4 LAB d5 12,..Ab61 12..a5 would convert to variation B3221 Black has a playable position there too but, given the choice, I would prefer not to fix my queenside sructure at this stage ofthe game. 13.005 13.Qed2 can be met by 13..bd7 when 1 dont see anything better for White chan repeating, 13,2cxe52? is a blunder in view of 13...Bx¢3 1422xf3 Oxed and White must lose material Black should be happy to see 13.Afxe5? as well: 13...Ax04 14,8xed 14, xed! Intending 15.8xe4 St with an obvious advantageChapter 18 ~ 60bd2 13..fe7 14.0h4 14.0163 {8 15.5 DEI 16.83 £6 17.dted DeB! 18.0521 Dd6F gave Black a slight cedge in Amin ~ Ragget, Dubai 2014. 14.842 fails t pose any problems: 14...f47 15.4 F5 16,065 68 abedet gh 17.63 Bc5 18.itb4 De6 (18,.ad8h) 19.808 xf 20.6 Bad8® Black had the more cotnfortable position in Goldin — Sarkat, Ovlando 2011, 8 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 is is a pet line of che Hungarian GM Gyimesi 15.b4 Whice has also cred: 15.863 £68 16,94 6 17:3 385 Jalso considered 17.2519N eB 18.f¢3 Od6 19.0)xg6 hxg6 20.8e2 b5 21.axb6 axb6 followed by ..Ab7 and ...Ade5, with equal chances Now in Drasko ~ Krivokapic, C Black could have equalized with: 2013, abode fg h 17.4a51N Based on che following tactical pone: 18,4xg6 bxg6 19.2)xaS2t D5! ‘And Black wins back the ad-pawn with a good game, since 20.53? DbxadlF is no help avall to White 15.88 16.04 16.965 from Werle — Gyimesi, Germany 2010, can be strongly answered by 16..c5IN 17:83 RacB 18.b5 c4 and Black is fine. 16,65 17.b5 06 18.42386 Another instructive line continues: 18,itb2 6! ‘A logical improvement, freeing the FY-square forthe bishop. 18..axb5 19.axb5 8272! 20.0658 was better for White in Movsesian ~ Gyimesi, Ohrid 2001. 19.813 19.0852 is strongly met by 19..2xa4! 20.Hxa4 axb5 21.cxb5 (21.Bal b6 22.63 bxcd 23.8d2 b5 24.83 BbE and Black’s passed pawns on the quecnside ate dangerous) 21..b6 Black regained the piece with a slightly better position in A Johansen ~ Latta, corr. 2010. 19.67! 20.045 068 21.44 axb5 22.axb5 8 7 s 5 ‘ 3 2 1 a bedet gh 22...Be6! 23.freS Odd! 24.Bxd4 cad 25,b3 BI7! 26.Bxd4 eS 27.Lxc5 HacSt 28.sth2 WxeS With good positional compensation for the secrificed pawn 1.2) dS Hee uare abedef 18...£6 19.25 DeB! A logical regrouping, which solves the problem of the passive knight on d7. This time 19..@x24% doesn't quite work: 20,Hxad! (20.bxa6 b6 21.Bxa4 Bxa6 22.03 \bs 23.5 Wd7 24.Wal brad 25.8xa5 Ac6= is equal) 20..axb5 2L.cxbS b6 This was Moranda ~ Rages, Legnica 2013, abede foe h 22.81! braS 23.Bcl &f7 24.81 Pollowed by Be3 with better chances, 20.fife1 White is transferring the queen to €2, 20.8e3 @db6 leads to roughly equal chances, as the other knight is coming to d6 next.Chapter 18 — 6.bd2 387 Ree Uaae 20 .udRE7IN In the only existing game Black played 20...2d8, which is unnecessary in this position and thus a slight waste of time. 21.¥¥¢2 ©4b6 22.8c3t Sparnacini ~ Engelberg, corr. 2013. 21.Be3 “The knight is heading for 45, but. 21.046 The pressure on the bS-pawn makes a difference, Hee auare 22,82 ‘The previous comment refers to the line 22.8452 Sxd5 when White cannot reeapeure with the e-pawn. 22 Db6 23.841 96 “The position is balanced, although its obvious that a long and complex battle lies ahead. Conclusion hope have managed to prove that che system beginning with 2...e4 is a safe and reliable choice against the Reti. Ar the same time, this chapter Featured some of the most strategically ‘complicated positions in the book, so i's lear that Whites opening system should not be taken lightly. Both sides have a wide choice of options and move orders, making it an especially difficule opening to analyse. On che positive side, there area lot of recurring motifs that crop up again and again, so ie should be possible to absorb the main ideas without attempting the impossible task of memorizing, all the variations.1.48 f6 and 2...b6 2.93 Variation Index 1.D£3 Df 2.23 wb6 3.2g2 2b7 4.0-0 06 A) 5.b3 389 B) 5.d3 d5 391 BL) 6.ch 392 B2) 6.c4 393 B3) 6.03 394 B4) 6.Abd2 £67 7.04 51? 395 B41) 8.2 396 B42) 8.8el Deb 398 B421) 9.03 399 B422) 9.e5 Ad7 402 B4221) 10.04 402 B4222) 10.0f1 403 A) note w 9.4 2) after 15.01 14722) afer 21.62 TaNChapter 19 ~ 2.g3 1.203 Of6 2.93 2.cf b6 will be examined in the next three chapters. 2ub6 “This would be the typical choice for Queen's Indian players. Black gets ready to oppose the bishop on the long diagonal 3.8g2.Ab7 4.0-0 Other options, such as 4.04, 4.d3, 4.04, and 4.b3, will all wanspose sooner of later func 389 A) 5.b3 ‘The double Fanchetto may well transpose to a later chapter after a subsequent ¢2-c4. Here we will focus on White's independent possibilities. Suute7 6.8b2 0-07.43 7.4 isa version of the Queen's Indian with a delayed c2-cf, 7.c4 leads straight 10 Chapter 21 7.3 5 8.c4 transposes to variation A of Chapter 21, Jin this chapter we will consider A) 5:b3 and B) 5.43, 5.ch transposes to variation C of the next chapter 5.d4 gives Black a choice. 5.u8te7 is playable, when 6.04 may lead 10 a normal Queen’ Indian, On the other hand, 5..c5 is another reasonable move, although 6.c4 exd4 7.84 leads to a slightly different version of the Hedgehog which is not covered in this book. 8 7 % hf Cae 3 Wi, , 2 y 23 4G ae 2 fog h Fudd Having made the obvious developing moves, itis time for Black to take some space in the 8.Bbd2 8.cf cS transpores to variation C of Chapter 21 8.3 has litle independent significance 8.05 9.8e2 (9,@bd2 transpases to 9.e3 in the notes to the main line below; 9.c4 wansposes to variation C3 of Chapter 21) 9.06 Now White has nothing beteer than 10.04, transposing to the note on 10.d3 in variation A of Chapter 21, (Inscead after 10.04 d4t the390 bishop on b2 will be misplaced, as in some of the tines below.) oS 9.0 9.Be5 is not a bad move, though ic is extremely rare, T like 9,.f472, challenging the enemy kaight while keeping the option of developing our other knight to 06. For example: 10.42! (10.2xd7N is better though after 10..YWd7 11.63 Qc6 12.Me2 Had Black cannot be worse) i AEROS ie Qwaes ausietal eines This position was reached in Clyde - Ouellet Leveille, Montreal 2001, when 10...2xe5N_ 11.fxe5 g5!? would have been good for Black. 9.c3 Wb 10. He? We7 11.06 (11.04 transposes to variation C2 of Chapter 21) Now T would like to improve upon Black’ play in Nakamura ~Simonian, Intesnet (blitz) 2010, with: 1,063 Of6 and 2...b6 eh H..d4iN 12.03 €5 The position starts wo resemble a reversed King’ Indian where the bishops on b2 and b7 are both oddly placed, but White's bishop is more of a problem as itis completely shut ourof play by the d4-e5 pawn ‘wall, Moreover, the earlier b2-b3 has weakened ‘White's queenside. abedef ‘White has also tried 9.Bch He6 10.04 dd ‘Once again, Black takes some space and restriets White’ dark-squared bishop. 1165, 11,4)g5 docsnit make much sense, 11...Be8 12.03 e5% Karlsson — Browne, Gjovik 1983. 11.Be2 5! gave Black a good version of the reversed King’ Indian in Vag: Kurajica, Krk 1976. It’s not only the b2- bishop, bue also the rook and queen which are somewhat misplaced on the efile. 11.h3 e5 was also pleasant for Black in Onisehuk ~ Buchenau, St Petersburg 2012. 1185,Chapter 19 ~2.g3 12.h4 We7 13.82 b5 14.2095 3 15.33 dhc3 16.883 HOE Black had che beteer chances in Rakhmanov ~~ Ghaem Maghami, Dubai 2014. HR eR uaa e® 9.6 10.82 10.e5 Ad7 111 bS gave Black a good version of a King’ Indian Attack in Mrsevic a, Bar 2007. The dark-squated bishop usually belongs on Fi in such positions, and the b2-pawn may serve as 2 hook-on the queenside, 10...fe7 11.f8fer dé RR we RUAavra 12.638 12,4121 €5 was better for Black in Koskoska Slcipchenko, Leon 2001, as almost all of 391 White’ pieces are misplaced for the King’s Indian set-up, 1265 SdST is also good for Black, For Instance, 13.h4 transposes to the Rakhmanov —Ghaem Maghami game mentioned above. “The text move was played in Opitz email 2013. My suggestion would be: Birener 12.e SN ‘With good prospects for Black. B) 5.43 d5, ys Uy HR wR are We have reached another version of the King’ Indian Atcck, where White’ main options ate BI) 6.c4, B2) 6.e4, B3) 6.03 and B4) 6.2bd2. 6.b3 e7 7.8b2 0-0 leads back to variation A. GBel Be7 7.b3 0-0 8.862 ct 9.Bbd2 transposes to the note on 9.Be1 in variation A. 6.3 Be7 7.Abd2 5 will almost certainly ‘transpose to one of the lines beginning wit 6.8)bd2, as covered under variation B4 below. 6.AFE2 is not too scary: Gue7 7.04 0-0 8.5 BAIT 9.2 5 10.F4 Heb 11.083 b5392 £5 13.8c3 Now Black’s play in Haub hoff, Crailsheim 1999, can be improved by means of: 13..a61N 14.2xd5 Ddxe5! Intending 15.Ox05 dA 16.2xe7t Wxe7 when Black regains the material with some advantage. bas ‘isis also extremely rate, 6..a6 would be fine, but Black can also ignore the pawn with: 6.0712 71eh 7.25 0-0 8@bd2 5 De BS 10.exd5 occurred in Hemando Pertierra ~ Rausis, Lausanne 2000, Now I prefer 10...0xd52N 1B (or 11Bes a6 12.495 O47) 11..We7 12.8e2 a6 13.Bel Qc6 and Black is fine, Todos 8.202 In D'Amore ~ Vocaturo, Spoleto 2011, Black should have played: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1.263 OMG and 2...b6 8..8C8IN ‘A gppical idea, forcing the dyed structure. 9.Bxe4 9.dued 0-0 10.05 OKE7 11.063 De6E Suddved 10.dxe4 0-0 1103 65 12.84 Bob ‘With slightly better chances for Black. The ad-a4 move turns out to be useless. Re euare abedefgh | suggest meeting this move with the rare: G...dxo4t? 7.Wadt After 7.dxc4, in Teufl — Gaertner, Austria 2004, Black should have played: 7...846IN 8.03 0-0 9.Me2 h6 10.b3 Obd7 11.8b2 (11E65 5 12.864 can always be answered by 12.a6l when the ¢7-pawn is untouchable: 13,8\xc7? Be8F)Chapter 19 - 2.g3 11, 8! 12.1 a6 13.0d2 Brg? 14 shxp? Wb7T- Black has no problems equalizing, 7odbd7 8.84 Bide dG 9.803 0-0 10.065 was played in Todoreevie ~ Abramovic, Novi Sad 2000. T would like o improve Black’s play wih: abedef gh 10..67!N 11.2864 a6!= Once again, the 7- pawn turns out to be inedible. For example, 12.Bae7? WeBF, or 12.4xc7? BSF trapping the knight. Ro ena.) abedef 8..c5 9.b3 Ste7 10.8b2 0-0 11.Abd2 88 12,841 We7 13.Back 13.a3 Bfd8 was also level in Korchnoi — A. Sokolow, Clermont Ferrand 1989. “This position was reached in Grachev Mishuchkow, St Petersburg 2012. I prefer the natural: 393, Bull Developing the las piece, with a comfortable position for Biac. ‘This immediate advance doesn't promise anything good for White Gndxed 7.DF42 7.8)g5 isthe altemative, which usually leads to simplifications. 7..n6 8.xc4 @xe4 9.dxe4 (9x04 fixed 10.dxe4 Wad) 11-Bedl Bd7 12,83 0-0-0= is also harmless) 9...8xdT 10.2xd1 Qd7 Preparing long casting, L1.b3 0-0-0 12,862 Bg8 13.823 In this comfortable position for Black, a draw was agreed in Yandemiroy ~ Landa, Smolensk 1997.394 Foude6t T want to force White to take on ef right away. 7..fbd7 would allow 8.03. 8.Dxe4 Axed 9.fxe4 Wd7 10.863 ‘Another game went 10.24 k5 11.042 hd 12.fich hxg3 13.f%g3 AST 14.fhed fixed 15.A)xed anda draw was agreed in Giorgadze ~ Stean, Hastings 1979, However, Black could casily have continued with: abedefgh 15.5 16.8g2 g5F With good attacking chances. HR eR Uae felatete abedefgh 10.,.0-0-0 11.8142 £5 12.892 hS 13.h4 IBOBN Be7 14.d4 (14.b4 $67) 14.4 15.c3 6 also gives Black the better chances. 1.26 D6 and 2..b6 13.fe7 13..5P could also be considered, but I like Black’ concept inthe game. 14. et Hee eRUare! abede 14.ug51 15.Sng5 Sng 16.hg5 h4 Black had a strong atcack in Schilling ~ Schuster, email 2006, BB) 6.03 HR eRUuare ‘White prepares the e2-e4 enables him to recapture wi square night on that Gn he? 70h dred 8.295,Chapter 19 ~2.g3 395 8.Dd2 0-0 9.a4 MeB 10.dxed De6 11.64 was a rather unconvineing plan by White in TL, Petrosian ~ Severina, Abu Dhabi 2015, especially after the accurate reply: wZEE abedefeh 11..dBIN 12.5 Qd7 13.803 De5 14.Ades 44 15.812 OF5 16.9eh] hSF Black is better. ¥ 4G 3 0 ney GE ELT AAS ee ee 8...0-0 9. dgxed Axed 10.2xe4 He L1.h4 M1fte3 5 12042 Bxg2 13.9rxg2 Des was more pleasant for Black in Bliskases ‘Taimanoy, Saltsjobaden 1952, | HR eR uaa ew abe 11Bel occurred in Lisitsin — Antoshin, The text move was played in Stefinova Kosteniuk, Beijing (blitz) 2014. Once again, 1 prefer: L.cSIN Taking some space before bringing the knight c0 6 12.OFi 12.85 Wd7 13.et DeG is simile, 12.187 13.Bel Deb ‘With a good position for Black. B4) 6.Dbd2 ‘This is the most common way to prepare edel, HRB Rua e Ge Ted 7-b3 0-0 8.S4b2 c5 leads back to variation A.396 7Hel cS Beg transposes to variation B42 below. 7.Wel doesn’t make much sense as after 7..c5 8.e4 Be6 White will have to play We2 sooner cor later, which will ave him a tempo down on variation BAI below. 7.03 doesnt have any independent value after 7.15 8:8e2 6 9.03, Inarklev— Gordievsky, Kkhanty-Mansiysk 2013, when 9..0-0N 10.862 wansposes to the note on 9.¢3 in vatiation A, 7.5 looks a little premature, 7..bd7 8Oxd7 Wxd7 Sad 0-0 Ie A ele combination of moves, 10..dxe4t U1.dxe4?! ‘Now the strongest continuation is: 1.63 46 and 2.6 Many moves have been played here, but the ‘wo most important options are B41) 8.Hle2 and B42) 8.8e1. 8.c3 cf usually transposes to variation 421 afer 9.Hel. 8.e5 doesn't have any independent value, as aler 8/07 9.Hel (or 9.h4 Deb 105%e1) 9.46 we convert to variation B22. S.exd5 doesn’t make much sense as White's main plan isto play e4-e5 and build an attack oon the kingside. 8..exd5 9.Ae5 0-0 10.81 Dbd7 With equal chances in Di Lascio ~ . Shyea), Taranto 2002, Bat) 8.8e2 D6 abede teh 11,..Bad8IN (11..e52? was also more pleasant for Blackin Dumitrache— Arencibia Rodriguez, ‘Moscow 1994) 12.Bet (or 12.842 Hos! 13.3, 479) 12...05%F and Black is better. ASI Tt is worth comparing this to variation ‘M2 of Chapter 24 on page 494. Here we are playing the opposite side of the position wich a tempo less, whieh is no problem at all, ax the extia Dbd2 move takes some useful options away from White, Hee RUA Ee 93 Other options inchude: 9.le1 transposes to the note on 9.8e2 in variation B42, 9.05 7 10.04 TO. teansposes to the nore on 10.82 in vaviation B422, Now I like the rateChapter 19 ~2.g3 397 abedefgh 10,.0-01 11 Bel TcedS exd5 12.06 fre 13.xo6t sbhs 148xd5 occurred in Meyer — Ziller, Hassloch 1998, when 14..18¢7IN_ would have piven Black a strong initiative. 18! “This is one of the reasons why I like the idea of casing on the previous move. 12aexd exd5 13.c6 B16! M.exf7t Soxt7 15.Dgst i5.Mtdl hese 15.xg5 16WHSt deg8 17Rxe8t Bed 18.Bxd5t h8 19.¥xg5 F6 20.92 Bd Black is going to win back the d3-pavmn, obtaining slightly better chances. 9.7 10.e1 After 10.23 T wane to offer: L.dxe4 0-0 12,65 d7 10. .dxe42N abe Now Whites best bet seems to be 13.He1, transposing to variation B421. (13.2ic4 can be answered by che typical 13...@6! wich the idea of ..2a5, and Blace is doing well) 10uh6 L126 11.23 cransposes to the note on 9.23 in vatiation B42, In the event of the knight reteat, [like the idea of Hee Ruane abedefegh Ladd “This idea should always be kepr in when the knight has gone to fl. 12h 12.65 @d7 13.h4 bS eransposes to the note on 10.65 in variation B421398 This position was reached in Haddouche ~ Talbi, Monastir 2014, My suggestion is RR eR Uae 13.0472 14.265 208 Followed by ..g6 and Black is fine. B42) Bel De abede fen ‘We have asived ata popular position, which ‘ean also arise via different openings, such as the French Defence. White may keep things flexible with B421) 9.c3 oF take space in the centre with B422) 9.5 9.23 We? 10.82 (10.c3 wansposes co vatiation B421) 10...86 11.¢3 a5! isa sensible precaution to prevent b2-b4. A logical continuation ist 1.65 D6 and 2..b6 abedefgh T2exd5 exd5! 13-B€5 0-01 14,0 xc6 Bhics 15.006 (15:Bsxc72? loses 10 15..f8ae8) 15..Bfe8 16.e5 We7 17.0)g4 WA7 and Black was fine in Teran Alvatez ~ Illescas Cordoba, Dos Hermanas 1998. sexd5 exd5 10.44 can be safely met by 10..0-0, now chat White has given up his rain attacking plan. 11.c3 eB 12.063 of 13.€)bd2 Now I prefer: 7&7) ws abedef 13...8462N Covering the 5-square. (13..b5 DS Dxe5 15.dxe5 Qd7 16.063 D5 was also good for Black in Giffard ~ Klovans, Cappelle-la-Grande 2005) 14x08 Bre 15.001 Wa7 16.43 BeBe Black has a comfortable game, 9.2 Date 9..H¢7 is also fine, and can be used on move 11 asa means of avoiding the early repetition thar could occur in the next noteChapter 192.63 399 10.5 ‘After 10:84¢1 Black can, at che minimum, repeat the position with 10.,.21c6. 10. Px? Lexf Bel abedeteh 12.63 Hxel 13.%xe1 13.2xe1 0-0 was similar in Stjazhkina — Zhukowa, Warsaw 2001 13..0-0 Tn Weindl ~ §. Mastin, Germany 2006, Black had quite a healthy version of the material balance of roole and two pawns versus ‘810 minor pieces. 9h better chances in Ribeiro —Tllescas Cordoba, Linares 1995, 0,05 LOE ‘This was Goulenok ~ Plantet, Montigny le Bretonneux 2005, and now I recommend: 11,..0-01N ‘This is generally the right way to castle when White has alteady exchanged on d5. 12.8 Bd 13.dbxc6 Wad6 14.003 BiB Black is certainly not worse B421) 9.03 Hees abedelgh A pretty rare option. 9M? 10.exd 5, 10.05 87 11.2 teansposes to the noxe on 10.h4 in variation B422. 10.3 h6 11.65 Od7 12.Wed g5 13.hxg5 hxg5 14,g4 0-0-0 15.0f1 Hdg8 gave Black abede This flexible move avoids determining White's position in the centre. ce? 10.83 White is getting ready to advance on the ‘queenside if Blac castles on that side400 1.O83 46 and 2...b6 10.¥e2 leads back to variation BA. ‘An important game continued: 10.05 @d7 11M? b5 12/1 h6 13.4 dé? 14.842 (eexd4 cud 15.864 @cS=) 14..cee3 15.bxe3 b6 16.44 Now I would like to improve upon Black’s play in Nepomniachichi =I Popo, Jerusalem 2015, with: abede 16..a6IN I want 10 keep thee4-square available for...2a5-of. For example, 17.23 a5¥ with better chances for Black, 10h T would like to meet this move with the relatively rate 15 11.¢6 Dd7 12.2 5 (12..d6HN) 13.44 0-0 gave Black a good version oF a reversed King’ Indian in. Sofieva - C. Tonescu, Badalona 1994. Lead ond 12.05 (1284 €5.13,0x05 Dxe5 14 Rel Hd6 15.0d2 WUI7 16.83 WAG 17:Mad 0-01 18.fbxd7 Dxd3. 19.f806 xel 20.Bxb7 Od3 21fxa8 BxaB was ‘winning for Black in Loginov ~ Vitiugow, St Petersburg 2006) 12..A47 13.885 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 “This was Loginov —Yemelin, Budapest 1994, and now the simple 13..dbxp5IN 14.0xg5 6 15.003 Ae5 16.23 a5F would have given Black a sight edge. 11.7 12.84 12.8e2 6 13.b4 occurred in Kochyev — Keidinghaus, Dortmund 1991, and now J suggest. 13..b52N with a surprising transposition to the Nepomniachtchi = Popov game referred to above. 12,..n6? 13.44 “his was Reinke Kirwald, Germany 1995, and now it looks tempting to continue: abede Fgh 13.g5PN 14chgS xgS 15.Bxg5 decdChapter 19 ~2.g3 401 L6.bxc3 DexeS 17.s64 QxfSt 18.AxE 5 19..0d2 0-0-0! Black i a least equal He eRuare abede 1.ndxe4 11-dxet DA72 11...0-0 is likely o lead to the same position after 12.65 2d7 13.802. 12.2 12.05 0-0 13,8e2 transpose. abedefgh 12..0-0N 13.65 “This logical move tansposes to some existing ames 13BcAMl allows 13...8a6! when the pin is rather annoying for White. 14.05 a5 15.2{U2 BacB 16.b3 kd Followed by ...DbE-c6 and Black obtains comfortable play. 13,.2fU8 14.h4 VABA Das 15K of 16.edl Dest led to a clear advantage for Black in Ziska ~ Burmakin, Tromso 2010, Vndlae8 15.861 Now I would like to improve upon Black's play in Tibensky ~ Rigo, Marcin 2003, with 2 positional pawn sacr HR eR uate 15..c41N 16.8xc4 Or 16.8)xc4 $261 17.b4 a5 18.bras Shae and Black’s chances are better. 16.05 Black is going to exploit the weakness ofthe B-square 17.83 After 17.b4 846 18.b5 B25 19.84 67 it is difficale for White to hold all of his weaknesses. 1706 18.1404 243 19.Ba1 Lg6% Black has more than enough compensation, for che sarificed pawn.402 BA22) 9.05 Dd7 abedefgh “This isa thematic plan for White, who would like to use his extra space on the kingside co build an attack. The only problem here is that we have not yet casted ~ and actualy it is Black who will often have chances to attack on the kingside. ‘The two main options ate B4221) 10.04 and 4222) 10.061 10.He2 BSP I ike this rare move, once again delaying casting, 11.c3 WbGLN (11...€9b6 was also reasonable in Hoge~ Korth, Muensterland 2005) 12.h4 e4! 13.dxc4 (also after 13.44 b4 I prefer Black) 13..txe4 abedef gh 14.b3 cxb3 15.axb3 a5! with slightly beter chances for Black 1.063 6 and 2...b6 10.h4 We7 11.Me2 h6 12.5 12.1 transposes to variation B4222 below, 12..b5 13.03 13.0f1 bf Mc bxc3 15.bxe3 ofl? 16.44 (or 16.dxch B26) 16..1Ma5 17.e2 Ab6 18.842 Wd with some edge for Black in Sullivan = Ivanchutk, Groningen 1986. Now I would like to improve upon Black’s play in Kozhuharoy — Prohaseka, Basel 2012, with: abedetgh 13..c48N 14.44 b4 15.001 BSF Black obtains good play on the queenside, while it’s hard for White to organize much of an attack because the black king is still on 8, B4221) 10.04 Hk eR uare abede LO.udxe4l? LL.dxedChapter 19 ~ 2.63 11.Bxct 0-0 12h4 We7 13.864 Sods V4llel Dbé 15.3 Od5 16.65 occurred in ‘Armin ~ Burmakin, Cappelle-le-Grande 2010, and now I prefer: VW6..h6RN 17.842 (17.67% Dxe7 only helps Black co bring his knight to £5) 17..b5 18.025 a8 With roughly equal chances. 11...0-08N For some rexson, Black has avoided chis move in al preceding games. However, it works fine now that the centre has been opened, Its also noticeable that the white knight would be much bette placed on 3 than on d2, 12.63 We7 13.862 Bfas He Re RUA e x OC 14.He2N 403, In the only game, which arvived here via twansposition, the continuation 14.03 O18 15.We2 #7 16.h4 Bad led toa good position for Black in Zilla ~ Michenka, Ostrava 2007. 14.208 15.204 Og6 16.23 a6 17.Badl 18 18.804 Hp eruare 18.h6t= Black is not worse. However, please note that 18..gxe5%! would be wrong in view of 19.8xe5 QxeS 20.88h5 Bxd I 21.Exdt Qg6 22.0ig5 h6 23.0)xc6 Be7 24.88 Hf when White’ bishop is superior to Black’ knight, 84222) 10.0f1404 10,..8¢7 11.2 Afier 11.86 h6 12.h4 0-0-0! Black cevacuates the ling to the queenside, while the h4-pawn will be used as a hook for our attack. 13.3 Bdg8 Black has the better attacking prospects, for stance: abede 14,h5 gS! 15 hxg6 fig6 16.d4 g5 17.£e3 28 Good prophylaxis. The king is safer on the efile, 18.03 eA abedefah 19.g42 hSINT with a strong atrack on the Kingside, (19...O682 20.053 Dg6F was also better for Black in Buzbuchi ~ Eckert, Chicago. 1986.) Lh6 12.4 This has been the usual choice. It is understandable thar White wants ro hold up the ..g5 advance ~ but the troubles thar when it finally does artve, it is likely to come with preater force. LANES 46 and 2...b6 Peshaps White should prefer 12.c3, when 12,.0-0-0 13.44 g5 14.863 b8 led to roughly equal chances in Rybansky-~ Kabanov, Pardubice 2000. 12.,.0-0-0 13.0.1h2 Another good example cont 13.3 D8 A useful move, taking the king off the file and the c8-h3 diagonal. 14.55 Bdg8 15.04 abode 15..g5! 16hyg6 fig 17.44 g5 18.803 94 19.342 ASF Black’s kingside initiative gave hhim the better chances in Arzumat Stavrianakis, Rethymno 2014. abe 13.95! 14.bxg5 14,h5 was played in Madina Yadarola — ‘Tiistan, Benavidez. 2013. Now I would like to offer: 14..Bde82N Black protects theChapter 19 - 2.g3 ©6-pawn and. prepares ...f5. For example, 15.0gh 65 16.cxf6 xf5 17.4 dsc 18.dsc4 Bg7 and the weakness of the e6-pawn is compensated by the activity of Black’ pieces. La dhag5 15.D)g4 Bh5 16.03 16.441 ‘Opening the long diagonal with powerful effect. T7ocxd4 Oxd 18.Oxd4 cxd4 19.f0d2 Bdhs 20.S0xb74 Bxb7 21.032 ‘A mistake, but White was in rouble in any bedefgh 21...Oxe5!! 22.Baclt Be5t 23.Wxe5 Wks 24 xe5} bxe5 25.xe5} 267 405 ‘Amazingly, this position has been reached in two games, Hee RUDI & 26.7 26HH05t sea8 27.4H2 ah? 0-1 was the moze recent game, Bednar ~ Macko, Slovakia 2014. 26.8baB “The checks had run out, so White resigned in Movscsian ~ Delchex, Sibenik 2006, Conclusion This chapter has deale with a few different versions of the King’s Indian Attack. After posting the bishop on b7, Black can generally get a solid, harmonious position with the simple plan of 66, dS, whe7 and cS. Sometimes he will seize additional space in the centre with ..d4 and ..e5, kading to a reversed King’s Indian secucture. This is generally most cfs hen White has placed hs bishop on bb2 and/or his knight on fl. In the after 6.Abd2 e7 7.04 c5 followed by ..c6, ir is especially imporcant for Black to remain exible and delay castling until it becomes clear which side the king should go. If White blocks the centre with e4-e5, you may get a chance to castle on the qucenside and launch a devastating attack, following in the footsteps of Delchev in the model game aboveuch Variation Index 1.D£3 D6 2.04 A3.A3 B) 3.b3 £67 4.862 06 BI) 5.03 B2) 5.e3 ©) 3.3 267 4.8.92 €6 5.0-0 Be7 6.3 0-0 7.04 d6 8.23 5. Ch) 9.63 C2) 9.Bel a6 C21) 10.44 C22) 10.b3 BI) note to 7.82 ©) note ro move 9 €22) afer 13.Madlé 407 408 409 aul 412 415 417 418 419 = Ea a€ a 28 SWS Ray A ty & a abedet ge H1b5IN 11bSPNChapter 20 - 2.04 LDF BAG 2.c4 b6 “This set-up is2 nacutal fic for Queen's Indian players. We will analyse A) 30c3, B) 3.b3 and C) 3.33. 3.d4 e6 leads straight to the Queen's Indian, 3.d3 prepares e2-e4, but the move docsit seem to have any independent value and soon transposes (0 variation C. Bub? 4.c4 4.3 e6 S.ch A6 also transposes) 4.nd6 5.8C3 e6 6.g3 Se7 7g? 0-0 8.0-0 with the aforementioned transposition. 3.€3 b7 4.fte2 (444 once again leads t0 a Queen's Indian after 4.06) 4.06 5.0-0 (5.03 Se7 6.Hb2 0-0 7.0-0 comes to the same 1) 5.-Be7 6.b3 0-0 7.862 transposes 10 3.b4 is an extremely rate move, which was tested at GM level by Jesus Nogueitas. 3.867 4 tb? 06 5.03 7 6.63 0-0 7.44 This position can be reached via some other openings, including 1.b4. Black’s strongest continuation abedetgh 7... 8.b5 a6! Provoking a weakening of the b&square, 9.04 cxds 10.Dxd4 Dell 11.8 Bb4t 12.the2 Now Black's play in Viadimirov — Magerramox, Riga 1980, can be improved by means of 407 @bede fen 12...B5IN 13822 (13.82 Ba5F) 13..06F with a dear advantage for Black, A) 3.23 Ab7 He Re RUare 4Wea ‘White prepares to advance his e pawn two squares. 44 eis a eens Indian of course, 4.43 has been covered in the note on 3.3 above, 43 6 5.g2 is mentioned in the note on 5.c3 in variation C, and is likely to tanspose to Chapter 22. 4h “This has been tested just once. An interesting408, reply, in the spirit of L.b4 €5, could be: v5 “There is absolutely nothing wrong wich 4.06 5SAb1 Se7 6.03 0-0 7.44, Zujaginsev ~ Hammer, Kallithea 2008, Si Pa nee aan Buel & abedef gh ‘And now strong is: 7..d5IN= 5.Bbne5 fxb4 A possible continuation is Wa oe 27 abedef gh 6.62 0-0 7.03 Dab B-N De5 9.-He? Deed 10.Dxe4 Bxe4 11.0-0 Be7 With roughly equal chances, Ad ‘This move order doestit seem to have any independent value Aue6 5.02 5.d4 isa Queen's Indian, 5.b3 Se7 6.62 transposes to variation BI 5.867 6.0-0 0-07.63 7.44 on this or the previous move would transpose ro the Queens Indian, 1.28 Of6 and 2..b6 7 e5 8.802 ‘We have transposed to variation BI. Ane5 5.04 Now I prefer the rae: 5. De61 “Taking control over the d4-square, 6.3 6.05% Is dubious as after 6...Ah5iF the e5- pawn is getting weak, 6.06 7.2 B07 8.0-0 0-0 9.895 hb 10.84 dot Black was better in Zhukhovitsky — Krutyanski, Moscow 1964. B)3.b3Chapter 202.04 409 ‘This is a relatively rare option. White does not seem to be pushing for an opening advantage, but just to get a playable position, Sndtb7 4.b2, 4.03 e6 is likely to transpose, as che bishop will surely go to b2 in the near future, 46 ‘White’ two main options are B1) 5.8c3 and B2) 5.3, 5.g3 Me7 6.f¥g2 transposes to the noce on 5.63 in variation C. BI) 5.2c3 fhe7 6.e3 6.c42l is a questionable attempt to unbalance the game. 6,..Dxe4 7.2324 Shed 8.2xg7 g8 9.fic3 6 10.81 occurred in Markovic ~ Vukanovie, Niksic 1997, and now I prefer: 10..2c62N 11.We2 PSF Black intends co castle on the queenside, obsaining an edge thanks co the weird position ofthe white pieces nc 7oSe2 also considered: 7.d4 cxd 8. Wada? "This recapture is extremely rave, S.exd4 d5 9.943 occurred in Avrukh = Smirin, Netanya (bli) 2009, when SundacSN 10.bxc4 Do6 11.d5 (or 11.2 a512) 11..Ob4F would have given Black the upper hand. 8,.0-0 9.81 Safer is 9.fe2 46 10.841 Dbd7 11.0-0 36 12.43 We7 with roughly equal chances, ‘Wegerer ~ Othman, Dubai 2002. 9.86 10.2 a6 11 bd In Fotintos ~ Csom, Budapest 1973, Black missed a strong idea: 11..b51N “The point is revealed after: 12exb5 axb5 13Axb5 bal Mad Ded 15.82 Gast ‘With some initiative for Black, 70-0 8.0-0 d5 9.cxd5 9.44 dict? ‘This pretty rare move seems 0 be the ‘most accurate, as 9..cxd4 gives White the additional option of 10,¥8xd4t2, lo.Stxc4410 Obes exd4 LLexd DeG= leads to a comfortable position for Black, as the oe abe d 15.062! White prevents ..b5 but weakens the D&-square. 15..ng2 16.0xg2 Des? With a slight edge for Black in Hwvaman ~ Karpman, Simferopol 1991 12.ad1 If White chooses this rook for the file than he probably intends to advance his Fpawn. 12..5U8? 13.Qe1 Now I would like rw offer: 449 13..8d72N (15...2a5 occurred in Markowsli ~ Graf, Dresden 2006) 14,F4 Had8 15.g4 We have transposed to variation B1 below. BI 122e1 abedefgh White prepares a kingside offensive, which generally involves an advance of the f- and s:pawrns. The most popular move has been 12.6, but I prefer: 12.8648 natural move, intending to exert pressure along the d-file. 13.f4 847 14,g4 Had8 15.Bd1 Ab4 16.867 ‘A natural alternative is: 16.g52N Ang? 17.hag2 De8 18.88 White prepates a direct attack along, che hfe with 2h3 and Bigd-h5.450 18,..58 19.64 19.gxl6 s(6F is bewer for Black Afier 19:8h3 &f8 the h7-pawn can be protected by means of ..g6: thar’s why Black pheyed ...5 on the previous turn, 19.868 20.cxf5 exf5 21.03 cb 22.05 Had6= Black will neutralize the strong knight with De7 (..He7), with roughly equal chances 16.1837 17.43 “This position was reached in PE. Nielsen — Ochsner, Denmark 2013. [would like co offer Hee eUare 17.2eBRN 18.03 Do6 19.95 Alter 19.65 £2 Black neutralizes the pressure ‘on the kingside and obtains a good position. 19...0.d6 20.33 £512» 182) 12.8fd1 Heo Ruare 1.285 DF and 2...b6 This time White focuses on the centre rather than the kingside. 12a Black starts to prepare a future ..b5 break. Whites main decision concems the placement of the queen's took, so we will consider B21) 13.Babl and B22) 13.Bacl B21) 13.Babl White is thinking about putting pressure on the b-pawn; or atleast making it more difficult for Black to play ..bS. 13.888 14.03 14.f4a1 Hab Black would like wo prepare 5, although the short-term plan is just to safeguard the b6-pawn, 15.Bel (15.43 transposes 10 the main line) 15..2)a7! As ‘mentioned earlier, this is an important resource in these positions. 16.xb7 Exb7 17.4 Babs 18.94 65 19.95 Des abedef 20.0e4 Web 21.8g2 bxc4F Black obtained the upper band in Sunye Neto ~ Ribli, Las Palmas 1982, 14,.Habs 15.80 After 15.23, in Dvirnyy ~ Salgado Lopez, Skopje 2013, Black could have played 15..Qa7N 16.81 bS with at least equal chances.Chapter 22 - 6.03 451 15.897 Once again, the knight goes to this odd- looking square to support the advance of the bepawn. Wad 16.d4 was played in Korchnoi—Ki, Georgiev, Lugano 1986, and now the cold-blooded 16.uibSIN 17.ducS WheS 18.842 xg? 19.shrxg2 West 20.888 WrtBt 21.cbehs A= would have reached an equal ending. 16.882 occurred in Mamedov ~ Onischuke, Tromso (ol) 2014, T would like co conrect Black’ play with 16,,.8a8IN, preparing, ..b5 and keeping the o6-square available for the a7-Anight. For example: 17.Bel (17.842 can be met by 17..bS! 18.Wka6 bf 19,22 Se6! with an annoying threat of cB and ..2a8) 17..8xg2 18g? b5= ‘The text move prevents ..b5 definitively, but ‘weakens the bé-square, so, 16,.2e6 17.Bel b4 18.64 18.83 isnot challenging at all, 18...d72N (Black can repeat moves by means of 18...Bfc6 19.952 We7= but I think he can play for more) The text move is intended to provoke a weakening of the d4-square in che event of 19.c4 Black plays 19.248, vacating the d7- square for the knight (in case e4-e5 comes), with slightly better chances due to the weak Aesquare, 18...ixg2 19g? 19.dixg? DeBl? 20.048 Ad6 21.822 Des 22.04 (6 23.3 QF7 was good for Black in Drasko~ Svetushkin, Porto Cartas 2011. 19.812 Black transfers the knight to a better position. 20,Bd2 Dd6 21.04 Black has more chan one good continuation, be my Favourite452 21..0b72N Intending to transfer the knight via a5 10 6. 21,..8)08 with the idea of «87 was also good for Black in Roeder — Tiviakoy, Vlissingen 2002. 22.We2 Dast B22) 13.Bact abedefgh The previous variation showed that ici hard for White to prevent ..b5 — unless he plays 42-94, in which case Black gets an outpost on bb The text move is another way to discourage sub, asthe X-ray along, the eile may become annoying for Black, 1.8 DF and 2...b6 13...8fU8 ‘We will consider B221) 14.3 and B22) 14.44, 14.fal Bab8 15.824 occurred in Kr ‘Mista, Doha 2014, and now Black nice idea ebede teh 15.25! Vacating che e6-square for che bishop. For example, 16.44 e6 17.62 Rbe8 with a slighe edge for Black, as Whites minor pieces on the queenside are misplaced. B22) 14.43 “This line has scored well for White, but objectively it doesn’t seem to be any better than variation B21 where the rook was on bl. 14.,.Hac8 15.fta1Chapter 22 ~ 6.03 15.h3 a5 16,8e1 xg? 17.xg? occusted in Dubov ~ Dragun, Warsaw 2013, and now would like to recommend: abedefeh 17..Eb8!2N Intending ...b5, and if 18.04 Be6 the knight is heading for b4, with a promising position for Black. 15.ith3 “This move looks 100 opti 15..Aa7 16.035 16.c4 BS 17Me3 bred 18decd SxdIt 19.Bxd1 Bd8 20-He1 occurred in Alburt — Farman, Minsk 1976, when 20...€d70N would have been promising for Black (the game continued 20.,0c62 21.8d5! with complications; Black is still objectively betes, but the text move is simpler). is 16 .c8He6IN Overcprotecting the 16.05 6-pawn. 17 Bixe6 fie6 18.S3xc6t Hh8 was unclear Plaskett —I. Rogers, Blackpool 1988. 453, 17.04 bs With a comfortable position for Black, as ‘White's activity on the kingside leads nowhere, 15.0805 16.861 B68N 16.87 17-2 was agreed drawn in Buhimann ~Desboeufs, email 2004, After the texe move we have something similar to varlation B21, except thar the black knight isonas, HR eR Ua! 17.Bd2 17:2 Bxg2 18.cbxg2 occurred in Genov ~ Shalamberidze, Malaya 2013, and now 18..D5N leads to easy equality as the pawn cannot be captured, V7 nkteG 18.04 Now Black’s playin V. Milhalevski —Yartsev, Israel 2011, can be improved by means of 18...fat Vacating the o6-square and preparing to bring the a5-knight via 6 to bé. 8222) 14.04 “This time White eres to take the initiative in the centre,454 14. Da5 Black attacks the e4-pawn, which has been loosened by White's last move 15.458 ‘This leads to complications and eventual equality 15.20b1 Bac8 16,bd2 “This is a more solid alternative. 1 chinle Black’s most accurate reply is: 16...6IN L6.uStc6! is also playable, and 17b3 24 was onclear in Shulman ~ Sargissian, Wheeling 2014, 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abedefgh 17.3 17.a3 @a5! and White can't play @b3 anymore, 17.dxc5 Sxc5 18.4063 £448 is also roughly equal 1,463 06 and 2...b6 17.25! Preparing both «04 and ..a6, 18.dxe5 bue5 19Sd8} Bad 20.Hd1= foeh 1S.n.exd5 16.exd5 Dxd5 17.Bxd5 17:4? gave White no real compensation for the pawn in Durarbayli - Yu Yangyis Antalya 2013, 17..WeGINF followed by transferring the queen to €6 would have been the mose accurate way to prove Black's advantage. Vendicds 17..Bxd5_ was abo playable in Denker ~ Owens, New York 1955, but White should have answered it with 18.d4N. 18.Sfxd5 Bud5 19,e5 Bad HR wR Mare‘Chapter 22 - 6.83 20.0871 This beautiful move leads to a forced draw. 2o finds Bad5 21.Ha6 908 is good for Black 20.82 21.Mgé at? 22ieg7t bes 23.83 Md6 24.8h54 thd7 25.65 HR ER Uaao 25.nhgBN “The most forcing, although 25...d5 led to 4 quick draw after 26.thg4 eB 27.8h5t in Maack— Demchenko, email 2010. 26.Light Leb 27.634 bd7 28.Ag44= ‘With perpetual check. ©) 7.BeL HE Re Ruarea 455 “This isthe most challenging move, preparing ed Poul 765 leads, after 8.04 followed by d2-d4, 0 a version of the Hedgehog that I would rather avoid, Biexd5 ‘The following alternatives are not dangerous all: 8.0.05 Bhd 79.d4 65 10.Oxd7 (10.cxd5 Bad! 11Oxd5 exd5 12.864 BxeS 13.05 of was not worse for Black in Wirthensohn — Lim, ‘Thessaloniki [ol] 1988) 10...Wxd7 11.dxe5 bxc5 I2.cxd5 exdS 13.c4 d4 14.05 Dd5 15.8e4 "This was Miva ~ Medvegy, Austria 2006, and now I would like to recommend: abede tg h 15..BFeB2N 16.842 O66 17.S44 of 18.246 Bxd6 19.8367 Wsb7 20.cxd6 WAST Black is aad This gives Black a comfortable version of « Queens Indian after Bucdicl! 9.854 26 10:Bhxc4 BS L1.Mb3 cS I2Hd1 Abd7 13.dse5 Bac 14.2e5 Wh6t T4..dtyg? is more common but the text move is stonget 15.Qxd7 15.4)d3 is strongly met by 15...Dg4#F as in Glinz ~ Lebedes, email 2007,456 15..2xd7 16.dtxb7 Or 164xd7 Sxg2¥ and the bishop is untouchable in view of the check on 66, 16,,.xt241 17 22F1 BeS 18.8b4 Oxb7 Black’ accurate play netted him a pawn in Alatortsev ~ Levenfish, Moscow 1940. Bauexd5 9.44 9.8c2?! is dubious as it allows 9...d4! 10.b5, 5 1.86 a6 12.023 fed 13. WH DG 14.43 Bd5% when Black was better in Efimov — Stromboli, St Eufemia d’Aspromonte 2010, hanks to his space advantage “The text move transposes to a Queen’ Indian, ‘where the position would usually arise afier 1.44 6 2.04 6 3.8P3 b6 4.93 £7 (4.826 is the other main move) 5.81g2 7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Hel d5 8.exd5 exd5 9.83. Most of the time in this book, T have not analysed transpositions to well-known 1.44 ‘openings, as they are not what this book is about. However in this particular case I have made an exception, because this variation is theoretically critical and is often regarded as being slightly better for White. Moreover, many QUID playets prefer to avoid the ..d5 pawn structure, for example with 7..a6 8.23 Ded instead of 7.nd5 in the line above, In the rest of this chapter I will show you how to meet White's most popular attempts, while demonstrating what [ believe wo be a convincing route t0 equality. IucDa6 “This is the best square for the knight, as it supports the ..c5 push without obstructing, any of the other pieces, as would be the ease if the knight went to 47. Since the Queen's Indian fill ourside of the maie topic of this book, I will not analyse all of White's options buc will instead focus on his best and most popular attempts to get an advantage, 1.88 Df and 2..b6 10.884 Other moves have been tried but the text is by far the most logical and popular, as White develops his bishop to an active square while vacating the cl-square for the rook. RR we Rua! 10.65 LadxeS ‘This is the usual move, and is recommended by GM Khalifman in his popular Opening for White According 10 Kramnik repertoite series “The main alrernative is: 11.Bel Qed 1223 (1ddxe5 Daxc5 teansposes to variation C25 incidentally, Khslifm and gives 12..dtxc5 as Black’s best, but fails tw consider 13.2F14, which promises WI an edge according to my analysis) 12...e8 13dxc5 QaxcS ab 148d4 Orc 15.Bixcd S66 16.82 dy edeChapter 22 - 6.3 17-b4 Bixd4 18.Wxd4 D6 19.8448 df Blacks doing well here, as has been known since Piket ~Saloy, Wijk aan Zee 1998, 112s “This has been tried by some strong, players cover the years, bur ie a pretey rare line these days. 11. Qed! 12.Bxe4 I2.dec5 @xe3 13.bxe3 OxcS was good for Black in Ernst ~ Tomashevsky, Novi Sad 2009. 12..dxed 13.dxc5 @xc5 14.82 141 WS! 15.4)e4 BdB 16.8e2 Web and Black was fine in Timman ~ Gavrikow, Biel 1995, 14, eB! 15.Hed 1 Now in Van Wely ~ Korchnoi, Hoogeveen, 2001, Black should have played 15. EIN also considered 15...\4e6N, but itis better to leave the eG-square vacant in case the knight requires it 16.B)e4 HF 17.Bd6 Bxd6 18.Exd6 Ad 19.82 Oxf 20.8AA Wild 21 gx g6 22Siadl Hed Black equalizes easily. 11. Bxe5 I1..bxc5 would leave Black's pawns too vallnerable, so the text move is better. Ie may appeat as though the [QP will be a problem, but Black’s piece activity males up fori 497 ‘White’ eo main options are C1) 12.04 and C2) 12.8el. 12.fte5 doesn't have any independent value and transposes o variation C2 after 12... fe4 13.Bel. CI) 12.44 Wart 12,,.€fed invites @ transposition to variation C21 below, but White can deviate with 13.Axc4! Bxe4 14.Rcl as in Filippov Gashimox, Istanbul 2003, 13.Bel 13.81c2 has been played a few times bur 13,.c0Re4IN 14Bed1 Dxc3 15.8xc3_(or 15.bxc3 Qed= with ..Bac8 to follow) 15...ac8 16Hacl Hfe8 is fine for Black, despite the isolaced pawn on d5. He eRuara458 13 ,Hfac8 14.03 14.b42! in Terenkina — Akesson, Stockholm 2003, was dubious due to 14..Ale6IN when White’ position has been nezdlessly weakened, 144383 was also unimpressive in Lalith Prince, Bhiwani 2010, due to 14...2f81N 15.Be3 Deh 16.844 Bes 17.03 het and White is under some pressure 1412 can be answered by: 14..Bce4N (14...BF48! was also preity good in Yilmaz Balashow, Moscow 2012) 15.2db5 abede 15., tba! 16.03 fixe3 17.O)xc3 Oxc3 18.Bec3 xc 19.bxc3 Web= Black is fine, as the ‘weakness of the c3-pawn compensates for the isolated d-pawn. Afeer the text move Black’s most accurate continuation seems to be: HR eoRuare 1.285 Of and 2..b6 14..DfedIN 15.Dxe4 dred 16.b4 Das 17.2651 thal 18.W8icad a= ‘And Black is fine. C2) 12.Bet “This is che main line, The most popular move, and a particular favourite of the Ukrainian GM Kryvoruchko. White may respond with C21) 13.8d4 of 22) 13.he5, 13,065, “This has been known to be harmless for two decades, 13..Ae6 14.fe5 14Bte3 Bc5 15.Dbd4 WH 16.84 was scen in Pelletier ~ Werle, Germany 2002, and now the most accurate is 16..2fe8!N 17.8e2 a5 when Black is fine. 14.17 15.Dbd4 Bac8 16.luc8 Bxc8 Although there is no need to improve Black’s play, it is worth poineing out that the other recaptures are also fine for him: 16.,,tllxc8PN 17.03 a5 18.83 Bc5= 16..fixe8IIN 17.Bxe6 Wre6 18.844 Be8 19.Blad Wd7 20.847 Stxd7=Chapter 22- 6.03 abedefgh 17.83 cS 18.23 a5 19.03 He8 20.p4 In this equal position a draw was agreed in Kramnik — Hiibner, Yerevan (ol) 1996. 21) 13.0d4 HR eR uaa. abedefgah ‘This was Khalifiman’s main line in the first edition of his Kramnik-themed repertoire book. 13.4.0xe3t ‘The modern improvement over 13.26, which was considered by Khalifina, 14.Bxc3 BF6 15.He2 White is unpinning che knight on d4, 15...WAd7 16.b4 16.he3 Mfe8 (Black can also stare with 16...ac8) 17 Wel Bac8 18.31 h619.h4 Ded 459 gave Black 2 good position in Adhiban ~ Kosteniuk, Doha 2015, Ifbxdét “The simples. 17.hxd4 Qe6 18.83 4 19.8267 Wxb7 We have already seen a similar position with the inclusion of the moves 22-a3 and 8fe8 in the Piket ~ Salov game mentioned oon page 457. Black is doing fine here too, as Keyvoruchko has demonstrated in a couple of recent games, 20.842 Bac8 21Hect Bxe2 22.8xc2 Edd 23.64 73.03 WAS 24.13 h6 is equal 23 .ch6 HR eR Uare460 24.85 Dg5 25.shng5 hugs Gonzalez Vidal - Kryvorachko, Tsaghkadzor 2015. €22) 13.85, Kwek Uae This transfer of the bishop to d4 is Khalifman’s recommendation in the more recent edition of Opening for White According 10 Kramnik. 13.88 The most natural move 13,,.8e8 has also been played, but Black did not manage 10 equalize in Gelfand ~ Bacrot, Ashdod (sapid) 2015. 14.065 important resource, which must be ed carefully Harmless is 14Bd4 c65 15.23 Oat 16.Ad4 Bc8 17.143 ftc5 18.3 WAS 19.8. Bixd4 20.exd4 Orc 21.Bxc3 Bxc3 22.83 15 23.4 g6 24.8d3 ig? 25.2] He7= Tn this equal position, a draw was agreed in Lalith ~ Kryvoruchko, Al-Ain 2015, 14.03 “This move isnt dangerous for Black either 1,63 OMG and 2...b6 Vf 15.Ldd De6 16.03 18 17.8443 17-Be2 occusted in V. Popov ~ Chernyshov, Tomele 2006, when 17..Bxcl!N 18.xcl Bxd4 19.0 fed4 WHS 20.064 eB 21.8 aG= would have yielded equal chances, 17.87 Intending to double on the e-file 17..g62 also looks reasonable. 18.Redt Wie8= “The position is balanced, and two moves later a draw was agreed in Kurzuboy ~ Maiorov, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse 2009, HR eoRUaAre “This precise move should lead to equality if followed up correctly 15.b4 15Ac7? would be a blunder in view ofChaprer 226.03 15,..8xe5! 16.@xa8 e7-+ and the knight on a8 is wapped. 15..D06 16.13 ‘Tihonov ~ Maioroy, Minsk 2009. 16.,a51N “Technically this is a novelty but it’s actually ‘old news, as Khalifman analysed icin his book. 17.207 17.23 axb4 18.axb4 Hc8 is fine for Black, 17.041 ‘An important intermediace move, 18.83 18.206 axb3 19.Oxd8 Bexd8 20.axb3 Bixb4 21.Hed Ge5 22.84 Ba? is equal. 18...@xe7 19. Wal 19.F8xc7? is bad because of 19...4xb4%, 19..8xc7 86 is good for Black, who will follow up with either ..Axg3 or ..Axb4. ‘We have reached a crucial position. Hb eeuara 19...0a6t Khalifiman 19..Be6 considers and 19...2xe5. The text move is a clear only 461 improvement, which leads to an equal position as follows. 20.Mxb7 Bxb4 21.03, 21.HcTisstrongly metby: 21...21d622.8xd6 Wad6 23.8x47 Be7! Play continues with either 24 Exe] Wxe7 25.Wre7 Exe? 26.0d4 Be8, or 2A,EH4 Beb8 25.Exb4 Wxb4 26.8ind5t SHB, with a good position for Black in both cases. HR eR Uare atch tte td teedincteteh 24,Bc81 Hixc8 25.WxaS Beb 26,Bxa4 De3= Black regains the sacrificed pawn and obra an equal position. Conclusion ‘This is an important chapter, as the lines examined here are popular for White at all levels. 7.63 d5 8.3 c5 9.8b2 deed 10.bxc4 DG offers Black good chances, and in many of the lines he can strive for more than quality; the a7 resource is an especially important concept to keep in mind. 7-el is more theoretically challenging, but I believe Zod 8.ced5 exclS to be fly satisfactory for Black. It is important to know some precise theory hetes especially in the critical variation €22, as the best moves would be difficult to find over the board,4 i 7) 1.008 216 and 2.ng6 ) 2.g3 Variation Index 1.063 DfG 2.93 2.86 A) 3.b3 &g7 4.862 dS! 5.62 5 Al) 6.c4 A2) 6.0-0 0-0 A21) 7.04 22) 7.44 A23) 7.03 Deb A231) 8.d4 A232) 8.25 B) 3.842 Bg7 4.0-0 d5 5.d3 0-0 BI) 6.23 B2) 6.c4 B3) 6.c3 B4) 6.Abd2 ©) 3.04 Bg7 4.892 d5 Cl) S.cxd5 C2) 5.0-0 6 C21) 6.43 (C22) G.exd5 Al) lier 15:82 ©) note 9 move S C21) after 9.895 abedetan 15,1480 463 465 465 467 470 471 472 473 474 476 479 480 480 482 483Chapter 23 ~ 2.63 1D O16 2.g3 96 "This move will be the usual choice of Griinfeld and King’s Indian players. If White does not intend to transpose to either of those openings by playing an catly d2-d4, then his main options are A) 3.63, B) 3.2g2 and ©) 3.cf. A) 3.b3 Whites idea is to oppose Black’s dark-squared bishop with his own bishop. Srabtg7 4.8162 dst Tye decided to choose this instead of the more popular 4,.<6; although the latter move is fine of course HR eRUade 5g? 5.c4 0-0 transposes to variation A3 of the next chapter 5.d@2! “This cannot be considered as. serious option after the bishop has gone wo b2, 5.5! Ghg? GadxeS WaSt 7.Abd2 WxcS (now Black is threatening 8...2g4, which prevents normal development with 8..1g2) 8.3 In Gabacro Figueres ~ Ordonez Cabaneros, Catalonia 1996, a logical continuation would have 463 been 8...Ac62N 9.23 25 10.492 0-0 11.0-0 dB and I prefer Black. 6. Ae 7.0-0 86 8.c3 0-0 9.Abd2 Black clearly has a comfortable position and in the game he found a nice way to put White under pressure abede teh 9.nfa52? 10.8)xe4 dxed 11.842 cud 12.0xd4 Dxd4 13.4 Hes With the following nice idea: = (z Re fia! aca | a se, Za : oo 27, 78 oe a bedefeh VM Bixed 14.63 Deb 15.fxe4 BFS is also slightly bener for Black, 14g! 15 Bad Bids Alonso Alvarez — Sion 1999. Castro, Benasque SscS Whites main options are Al) 6.c4 and A2) 6.0-0,464 Al) 6c Gould 7104 7.03 Qc6 8.exd4 exd4 9.0-0 0-0 converts to variation A21. 70-0 8.6x5 8.00 is another transposition ~ see the note to White’ 8th move in vatiation A21, 8..2D06 Black supports the d4-pawn, which docs a good job of blocking the b2-bishop. The pawn ‘on c5 will no last long. 9.0-0 Dd7 10.43 Bxc5 11.D6d2 11.823 Was! 12.6d2 a4 13.063 Wh 1.203 6 and 2.96 was beuwer for Black in Thiede ~ Eller, Germany 2004. 11fb8 12.003 Has, HR eR Uae 13.fe1 Practice has also seen: 13.xe5 Bxc5 14.861 14.lled 47 15ab1 Dizdar ~ Fedorors Dubai 2003. 15...2F82N 16.365 (16.2e4 Was 17.Hxad Dxa5 18.Hfe1 EF) 16.6 17.Be4 We7 18.83 bé6 and I prefer Black. 14.b6 15.84 ‘Now Black’ play itn Schebler ~ Gunes, amir 2004, can be improved by means of abedefan 15.S€7IN 16.2)e4 Wa5 17.Wha5 Osa With roughly equal chances — although Black can certainly try to make use of his bishop pais.Chapter 23 - 2.3, 13,.8a4 14.063 14Bel We7 15.0b3 RAS 16.80d2 BRB 17Hacl 5 18.0h4 Sip4 19.h3 occurred in Tey45 ~ Tatar, Internet 2007. abedefgh Now 19...dcBIFN looks more accurate than 19,,.¢6, as it enables Black to meet 20.5? with 20... 88. 14.1867 15.82 Hee RUarea 15 .8d8IN 1¢ most flexible move, strengthening the centre and delaying the development of the light-squated bishop, 15.047 isn’t necessary; after 16.Bae1 BEB 17.63 dee3 18.fre3 62! 19.d4¢ Black came under some pressure in Kramnik ~ Svidler, Sochi 2015, and soon his position collapsed. 465 16.Hael De3! 17.03 65 18.exd4 exdé= Black is doing fine A2) 6.0-0 0-0 abcde f And now there are ree main options ‘A21) 7.04, A22) 7.d4 and A23) 7.3. ADI) 7.6 4 8.03 B.b4 isa wieky move bur 8. eB! is a good answer to prepare ..c5. A eouple of possible continuations are s|Ras WS 7 ee fa: ae ie ie é = A, «| ROA 3 A Fes, 2/8 ARSE BAG 4 abedefagah 2) 9.43 €5 10.Mbd2 exb4 11.23 Mundorf — Jens, Netherlands 2013. 11..8f822N 12.axb4 Bxb4 13.823 Bxa3 14.8x03 067 Black has a good version of the reversed Benko Gambit, b) DbxeS 5 10.43 DaG? 11Abd2 Axed466, 12.f1a3 We7 with roughly equal chances, Pever Fermandez— Dijon, ort. 2015, abedefgh 8.206 9.exd4 exdd Black should be pretty comfortable in this reversed Benoni 10.43 10dHel Be8 11.Be5 Axes 12ftses Ad7 13.Bel Qc5 14.d3 45 15.8/1 occurred in Fotintos ~ Steinfl, Chianciano 1989, when Black should have played: abeodefagh 15...e5IN With che following idea: 16.b4 WD6! 17.a3 @xd3! 18,8343 of 19,94 exd3 20.9305 Hedhe 10.058 In most of the preceding games Black preferred 10.047. 1.083 Of6 and 2...g6 11,b42N 11.023 was played in Malescusi ~ Colica, Milan 2014, when 1L...8e8N would have been best. 11Bibd2 Be8 has the idea vo meet 12.Ag5 with: 12,..0h5! 13.0ge4 (13.g63 enables Black co repeat with 13...€\€6= as 2 minimum) 13.465 14.0005 Sf8 15.24 We7F Black stands better asthe knight on 24 is misplaced, 11...Axb4 12.Axe5 BeB 13.23 Da6 14.013 he ae Wo ae Us GY AV amu es abedefgh 15,.2bd2 Or 15.h3 &xf3 16.8xf3 Bc5 17.24 Bld7 18.843 W7¥ and White’ knight is stuce on bi. RR eR UareChapter 25 ~ 2.g3 15... Bd71 16.82 dest Black is well coordinated and the d3-pawn could become a target. A22) 7.44 abede eh White plays a weied Griinfeld with reversed colours. soxd4 8.Dxd4 his position is well-known with White to move, as it occurs when Black play carly ..d6 followed by 5. GM Kottonias recommends exactly that set-up for Black in the Fianchetio Systems volume of his King’s Indian repertoire series, and demonstrates that Black is fine. In the present version, with an extra tempo, Black has reasonable chances to fight for che advantage. 8.Bxd4?l “This loses even more time for White 8.86 9.862 We7! “This move prepares ..e5 and vacates the d8- square for the rook. 10.03 10.8\c3 Bd8 11.965 transpose. 10.03 65 L.ef occurred in Pohjola Kulaots, Tallinn 2015; the mos accurate reply is 11,..248!N 12.05 @xd5T with an edge for Black. 467 10.848 10..€5 was also good! for Black in Filip ~ Geller, Stockholm 1962. 12s 11.Bel a6 12.04 dé 13.065 axbS 1d.exb5 5% gave Black the upper hand in Van Egmond ~ Van Kooten, Haarlem 1999, 11. b6 12.044 abedefan 12,.@a5! ‘A clever move! ‘The d4-knight is misplaced, and ..Qe4 ideas ace in thea. 13.Bel Ded M4.e5 €5 15.De2 Deo? ‘With an obvious advantage for Black, Kosie — Malearov, Podgorica 1993. 8..Be8!2 Black prepares ..e5 in order to meet O13 D6.5 10.De2 Qe6F led to 2 passive position for White in Vijayalakshmi — Bharathi, Panaji 2012. 9.08 He6 10.805 Wd6 11.fbx06 dues 12.04 cursed in Pethinig ~ Kavcie, Austria 2008, and now I would like to offer: a@bedefenh 12..E0b8PN 13.0.d2 265 14.B8cl Bbd8 With a slight edge for Black Ge 10 D2 10.85 d4 11.63 died 12.603 Dest was poor for White in Pohjala ~ Kokkila, Finland 2014. 10.265 26 11.85e3 d4 12.0d5 Deb 13.04 and now Black should have undermined the position of the d5-knight in Czarnecki — Dragan, Warsaw 2008, by means of: 8 1 6 3 4 3 2 1 abede teh 13..b5IN 14.025 Bb8T Preparing «bref, 1.803 6 and 2.26 10.44 11.064 11.€8 occurred in Al Huwar ~ Al Sayed, Doha 2011, when 11..cGIN 12.exd4 exd4 would have been good for Black. The tactical point is: abedetghb 13.Bxc6t! (13.Oxd4? loses to 13..Bed!-+) VBbxc6 4.Wedd h3T The serious weakening of the light squares yields Black a clear advantage. L105 12.245 Here I would like to improve upon Black's play in Panchenko ~ Kochetkov, Voronezh 1997, b, Do (a8 abede 12..Ba6RN 1343 Duds Leds Db4 15.04 a7 Black’s superior development gives him the better chances.Chapter 23 - 2.g3 A23) 7.03 “This variation has been quite a popular choice among strong playets when they are looking to avoid mainstream theory. Paulo Whites main options are A231) 8.44 and A232) 8.065. 8.04 dé leads back to vatiation A2L. 8.432! can be punished by 8..d4! when Black seizes space and restricts the b2-bishop. 9.64 (9.exd4 cxd4 is also better for Black) 9..c5F {Black might also stare with 9..2e8!) In Kholmoy-— Suetin, Sochi 1974, Black obtained a favourable reversed King’s Indian due to che :nisplaced bishop on b2. A231) 8.d4 exdt It is best to clarify the situation in the centr. Suexd4 9.Ayxd4 Dxd 10.fbxd4 ‘Aficr 10.exd4 &f5 11.042 a draw was agreed in Kholmov ~ Mohr, Belgorod 1990, but I prefer Black, 10.87 Black prepares <5. 469 11.2d2 11.F4 weakens the light squares on account oF RISE HaseS 12.062 dhe 13.2083 And now the most accurate in G. Fischer - Andersson, Bad Wiessee 2015, would have been: 13..RSINF ubth5 10.2e5, 1OiHel Be8 11.c3 occurred in Pinter ~ wie, Austria 2012, when T recommend TasdleB2N 12.Qbd2 26 13.43 h5 14.04 Be13 wie a slight edge Also after 10.023 eB I1.cf fed Black’ position was more pleasant in Westerberg Gdanski, Sweden 2016,470 10.43 Bef 11.Abd2 BB 12.Bel e6 13.81 and here Blacks play in Bartel — Nezad, Dubai 2014, can be improved by means of: 13..bSIN 14.c3 8h60F 10.88 Hach ‘his position has been reached in a few ‘games, but so far nobody has found the strongest continuation He Ro RUare Taudxe4tN 12,8)x06 LD.bxed Ore 13dee5 Wad 14.Bedl DAF leads to a clear advantage for Black. 12..bxe6 13.bxe4 W6 14.8.3 14281b32 D471 is even worse for White 1.065 Bf and 2.66 arab vieHia Mes ieeegtih 14. Det 15.Sxed Bixe4 16.Hel 265 17 Exe7 Bese Black wins back the d4-pawn and obtains a serious edge. A232) 8.He5 RR eRuaroa 8..8Dxe5 It is also worth noting that 8.847 gave Black a good game in Short ~ Kasparoy, Saint Louis (bli. 3) 2015. ISixeS Sgt Black provokes £2-£3 and prepares ..Wd7, 10.Mel 10.63 Ste6 11.Be2 (11.8c3 was played in Wockenfuss ~ Bacuml, Bad Wiessee 1998,Chapter 23 ~2.g3 an and now L1.Qe8N 12.8xg7 dxg7 would have been at least equal for Black) 11...8d7 12.43 De8 13.8xg7 Oxg7 Black’s position was slightly mote pleasant in Badea ~ Djukic Bucharest 2002, 1oel Wa7 11.43 h3 12.042 occurred in Bellon Lopez ~ F. Olafson, Las Palmas 1974 I think Black should delay exchanging bishops fora few more moves: OF e ‘fie wala 5 ws 5 ; aoe 2 ' wn abedet 12,..RacBBN 13.24 b6 14.82 fxg? 15.2 Be8 16.fxg7 Bxg7 “The position is basically equal, but Black is slightly for preference due to his extra space in the centre. 10.847 11.43 11.3 dé 12.004 Bac8F was good for Black in Felbinger ~ Garau, cort. 2012. 1182 @h3 12.43 was seen in Ivanka Budinsky — N. Gaprindashvili, Lucerne (ol) 1982, and now 12...h5IN 13.2 h4¥ looks strong, 11S, 11...n5! Jooks promising here too. 12.2 hs 13.042 fxg? Ldcbrg? Now the most ambitious continuation would be: 14.e58N Its a pleasant choice though, as M4..8f¢8 15d Bac8 16.We2 Web was also slightly beter for Black in Carlsen — Radjaboy Stavanger (blicz) 2013, 15.63 We6 Black has the upper hand thanks to his strong centre B) 3.fig2 g7 4.0-0 ‘Other moves have no independent value as the king is bound co go this way sooner or later. Hee Ruare bud 5.03 5. transpose co variation C2.an. S.dé leads to a Griinfeld with e2-c4 deferred. 5.b32! is a weird move order. Black could “obviously just steer the play back into variation A, but itis more ambitious to punish Wi eccentric play immediately with: 5...2edl 6.c3 (6.d4 5 7.862 has been covered on page 463, in the mote on 5.442 in variation A) 6,.0-0 7b? 5 8.3 DdG 9.Dbd2 De6 Black was better in Janssen ~ Giri, Boxtel 2011 -0 ites four most likely options are BL) 6.83, B2) 6.04, B3) 6.c3 and finally BA) 6b. BI) 6.03 DeGe 6.05 is a reasonable alternative, leading to a reversed Pianchetto King’s Indian. Hee eUars 7a ‘White is preventing the ..e5 advance. Ted db 802 &5 9.3 decd 10.bucd b6 U1.te2 We7 12.04 Bd8 13.841 Now I would like t0 recommend: 1B O16 and 2.06 5 1 ‘ 5 4 3 G REN, 2 mos L E car erararararin 13,.Aa52N_(13..a6 proved playable in Ivanchuk ~ Topaloy, London 2012, but the text move is more flexible) 14:h3 @d7 15.44 {67 Black is slightly better. Trutld 8.Da4 DAS 9,842 05 10.861 fow I would like «0 offer: mediate 10...h6 was played in Shoker — Efimenko, Abu Dhabi 2013, 11.93 h6 12.04 Afier 12.ict s2h7 13.ei b6 the black pawns are doing a good job of restricting White’s pieces. 14.04 ®de7 Black’s position is ‘more pleasant thanks to is space advantage. 12DChapter 23 - 2.93 ae eR Uare 13.63 13.b4 axb4 14.axb4 ef! 15.e1 dre} 17.3 (17x03? Dt) 17.0 better for Black 13ndxed 14.fixe3 Dg 15.805 HeB 16.h3 a Black is fine, 473 7.013 dA 8.04 05 9.Stg5 h6 10.sxf6 Wt 11.33 a5 12.Be1 258 Followed by ..b6, with berter chances for Black in Lyrberg ~ Babutin, Copenhagen 1999, thanks to his space advantage, Toads Oxd5 8.Dbd2 a5! 91 ad led co a comfortable position for Black in Parish ~ CCalugar, South Padve Island 2014. 7.Bilbd2 e4 and here I considered two moves: 8) 8.3 a5 9.b3 e5 10.821 We7 resulted in a miniature: 11,b4? axb4 12.axb4 Sxb4 6..D6R ‘One of many possible options. 7.893 Here are a few alternatives: 13,0xe5? White had obviously overlooked 13.402! and, seeing that he would have to lose the exchange, he resigned in Lobron — Korchnoi, Bad Kissingen 1981. Interesting, the exact same position arose in 1998 in a game between players rated in the 2100s, and in that encounter White played on and eventually won! Obviously it’s a different situation playing againse Korchnoi ~ but its still «good example showing the value of fighting on in bad positions. by) B.tfed should be met by 8..a5 and now Whites best cry seems to be: 9.2)g52N (9.c5 occurred in Murphy — Shepherd, Gatwick 2011, when 9...eSN¥ would have given Black, an easy edge) 9.fta7 10.8de4 h6 11.Dxf6t cexf6! 12.0063 He8 13.flel Ob4 14H c5=474 Toul 8.808 “This position was reached in Bauer — Lafarge, Metz 1996. White's last move was obviously directed against ..e5, but Black can get a fine position with the help ofa remarkable idea HE Re RUare abedef 8..d8eBHN 9.05 Obst “Threatening AHS, 10.895 61 11.442, 11,42 25 is similar and may transpose. 1.05 12.82 Ybd7 13.2xd7 Oxd7 “The knight will go to ¢5; Black is not worse. B3) 6.3 Black has several possible ways of meeting this move, but I think the most active is to play a reversed Fianchetto King’s Indian. HR we RU are 1.803 6 and 2.96 G5 Obviously the extra tempo will be of some value to White, so we may have 10 avoid playing too sharply, In the following sect 1 will show how to neutralize che extra tempo and reach a pleasant position 7.bd2 7Na4 DG 8HINS 8.3 df 9.cxd4 DAS! 10.842 exdé 11.Bel 16 12.23 was played in Gross ~ Zeal Cuech Republic 2003. I would tke improve Black’s play with 12,..€9b6BN 13.815 26 14.8e5 Be6= with roughly equal chances. 8..Wbst Black is preparing 9..h6 by artacking the b2-pawn. 9.242 9.642! dxe4 10.dxe4 occurred in Matikozian Kudryavtsey, Los Angeles 2012, when Black missed the strong. 10..2)g4IN. The plan is ..h6, while after 11.h3 ®geSF Black is cleanly beter as che white queen has nothing to do on hd. 9.hst Black would like to exploit position of ‘White’ queen by means of Af 10.Dbd2 10.g4?! weakens the kings H.g5 (11.32! ASF) 11...Be8F 10,07! 10.46‘Chapter 23 — 2.g3 Renewing the threat of The immediate 10..4(6 runs into 11.45! with the idea co meet 11...Oxa5# with 12,Bad OG 13.94 Dg? 14.g5 Be5 15.Bx05 Bxe5 16.fbxd5 and White is clearly beter 11,463 h6t 12.g4 A sad necessity 12,206 13.Bxl4 Bal 14x05 b6 15.063 Bagit Black is better chanks co the bishop pair Hwee uar.e 7uulBe6 8.04 8We2 b6 9.Bel Bb7 10.04 5 (10..c6) Lexd5 Dxd5 12.c4 We7 13.04 BadS was level in Arcemiev ~ Bukavshin, Voronezh 2010. Bue Blacks plan is to play ..h6 and ..e6, when the e5-pawn can be protected by ..Me7. 475 9d White has tried all kinds of moves here A few examples: 9.exd5 Bxd5 and now both 10.Bel and 10..e4 N6 11.Hel will be covered on page 478 — see 10.c3 in the notes to variation BA 9.Hfe2 BeB 10He1 dét and White's pieces have nothing to do on the e-file, Kleinman ~ Dorsch, Parsippany 1999, 9.24 HG W.exd5 Dxd5 11.Aef Se6 12:Be1 We7 13.82 Bfe8 with roughly equal chances, Rossetto ~ Hase, Montevideo 1976. 9.82 RG 10Rel eG M.exd5 Oxd5 12.804 Wc7 13.a4 Bad8- Black stabilizes his position and obtains comfortable play, Silveira Filho — Matsuura, Vitoria 2009, 9.Mad Wd72 Black is preparing a queenside fianchesco, W.exd5 @xd5 11.Hel b6 12.03 b7 abede 13,c42! (13.Ae4N Hlad8= would be bette, but Black is doing fine after bringing his rooks to the central files) 13..Ade7 1404 Had8t ‘Whites decision to weaken the d3-pawn and the d4-square wasnt justified, Movsziseian ~ Alsina Leal, Catalonia 2014, ten 9.83. exerts pressure in the centre, 50 9...d42 is an appropriate reply— this is a good46 1.203 6 and 2.96 example of a line which is equal with colours reversed, and where the missing tempo does not harm our chances much. A recent game continued: 10.cxd4 (10.2c4 De8- is similar) V0.ncxd4 11 Det DeB 12.895 We7 13.81 e6 14.83 As abedetah 14,.f6! (the less accurate 14,..8e8 had been played previously) 15.842 B17 16.b4 $08 Black was fine in Sepp — Meskovs, Viljandi 2015. HR eRUare Such6 10.8963, 1.exd5 @xd5 11.Ae4 leads 10 the 10.3, line in the notes to variation BA below. 10.23 dre? I chink this exchange makes sense alter White has weakened the lighe squares on the queenside. 11.dxe4 (Pethaps White should prefer 11.€)xe4N although 11...€xe4 12.dxe4 Wx cll 138xd1 @aS 14.83 @b3 15.Hab1 4ke6= is comfortable for Black) Sahetchian — Dai 13, 10. 7 illet, Paris 1999. 11..8eG0N 12.b4 We7 ‘We2 8{U8F Black has the better game, nd 11. Dot DeB 12.cxd4 exdé 13.242 his position was reached in Beauch Klimoy, Warsaw 2012, when a good inuation would have been: BA) 6.Dbd2 5 Here too, I am happy to play a reversed ope ning a tempo down.