(Reprocessed with Scan Tailor, 2019-12-22)
Keep It Simpie: 1 . d4
C hristof Sielecki
Keep It Simple: 1.d4
A Solid and Stra ightforward Chess Ope n i ng Reperto i re for Wh ite
New I n Chess 2019
© 201 9 N ew I n Chess
Publi shed by N ew In Chess, Alkmaar, The N etherlands
www. newi nch es s .corn
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Cover design: Vol ken Beck
Su pervis ion: Peter Boel
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I S B N : 978-90-569 1 -867-5
Contents
ExP-lan ation of sxm bol s
Preface
B u i l d i ng a i .da..ua2erto i re
Part I Black's classical/sy,mmetrical set-ues: 1.d�_Q5 2. � f3
I ntrod uction
ChaP-ter 1 Anti-Ch i gori n : 2 . . . 'd c 6
ChaP-ter 2 Rare l i nes: 2 . . . c 5
ChaP-ter 3 The Ta rrasch Defence: 2 . . . CS-3-� e6
ChaP-ter � G ru nfeld Reversed - Black takes on d4 without 5 . .. 'd c6: 2 .. . 'd f6
3�gll5-.4.:....©.
. _g2 cxda.. 5&.Q
ChaP-ter 5 G ru nfeld Reversed - Black takes on dA with 5 . . . 'd c6: 2 . . . 'd f6 3�g3.£5
. _g2 cx d4_5 . o - o 'd c6
A.:...j;:
ChaP-ter 6 G ru n feld Reversed - Black does not take on d4,;,_4... 'd c6 SQ:Q
ChaP-ter 7. Catala n - I ntroduction and s ideli nes: 2 . . . 'd f6 3:g3 e6
ChaP-ter 8 Catalan - C losed Va riation : 4..:....;J_J. g;?._;JJ._£ 7_5.0-0 o-o 6.cA
ChaP-ter 9 Catalan - OP-en Variati on : 6 . . . dxc4
ChaP-ter 10 B l ack stoP-s c2 -�: 2 ... 'd f6 3:g3 e6 4.:....� _g2 b5
ChaP-ter 11 . . . � _J5 set-uP-s - I ntroduction and earlx deviations: 2 . . . 'd f6 3:g3-� .
fs
ChaP.ter 12 . . . }J._J5 set- uP-s - M a i n l i ne: �.:.... � _g2 c6 5.� e6 6. 'd c3
ChaP.ter 13_. . �-M set-uP-s - I ntrod uction and early, d eviations: 2 . . 'd f6 3 gJ_J;.
.
_
.
�
gi1,
ChaP.ter 1�_. _. � _g4 set-UP-S - M ai n l i ne: � j;: g2 c6 5 .�.
.:...
_
Part II Black's ... g]_:g6 based set·UP.S: 1.d� � ffi 2. � f3_gfU�l3
I ntrod uction
. _g2 o-o 5.0-0 d 6 6. b3..�5
ChaP.ter 15 King's I nd i a n : 3.:.:..:.... � ..s7-4.:...j;:
ChaP.ter 16 King's I nd ia n : other 6th moves
ChaP.ter 17. G ru nfeld s ideli nes: 3 . . d 5
.
ChaP.ter 18 G runfeld: �.:...�-g��-g7_ 5.o-o o-o 6.cA, dx�
ChaP.ter 19 G ru nfeld: 6 . . . c6
ChaP.ter 20 Black i nvites a Benoni: 3.:..:..:.f5
ChaP.ter 21 M ove orders with l .. .g6: i .d�_g§.
Part Ill Blade's flexible set-uP.s: 1.d� � f6 2. � f3�:13
I ntrod uction
ChaP.ter 22 Queen's I nd i an - I ntroducti on and s ideli nes: 2 .. b6 and 2 ... e6 3:g3 b6
.
ChaP.ter 23,_Queen 's I n dian - M a i n l i ne: } .. b6 �.:....� _gL§;..J27_5.o-o j;:..£7. 6.� o-o
ChaP.ter 2� The extended fianchetto 3 . . b5
.
ChaP.ter 25-3.:..:.5.:.f - I ntrod uctio n and sideli nes
_
ChaP.ter 26
J.
.
. c5 - M a i n li nes: A..:....� _g2 cxd4_5. 'd xdA 'd c6 6.o-o V!!! b6 and 6 . . .
ChaP.ter 2 7. Move orders with l. e 6 : i .d4 e6
. .
Part IV BlackJs share and offbeat defences
I ntrod uction
ChaP.ter 28 Beno n i s idel i nes: i .da...f 5 and L d4 'D f6 2. 'd (3...fS
ChaP.ter 29 Anti-Benko: l .dA 'll f6 2. 'd f3...fS.J .dsJ25
ChaP.ter 30 Sch m id Beno n i : 1 .dA 'll f6 2. 'll fus.J.ds_g§
ChaP.ter 31 Dutch Defence - C lassical and ra re l i nes: 1 .daJS
ChaP.ter 32 Dutch Defence - Stonewa l l : i .d4J5 2. '21 f3 'll f6 3�g3 e6 4.:....� _g2 d s
ChaP.ter 33 Dutch Defence
-
Len i n grad: i .daJs 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3:g3_g2
ChaP.ter 3f!I. Old I ndian and Wade Defence: i .d4 d 6
ChaP.ter 35 Odds and end s - l .d4 oth ers
I ndex of na mes
Bibl iogra P- h Y.
Author's biogrnP-hY.
Explanation of symbols
The chessboard
with its coordinates:
8
7
6
s
4
3
2
I
a
b
c
d
�
King
J!!
Q ueen
g
Roo k
Bishop
e
f
g
h
Kn ight
Wh ite stands s l ightly better
Black stands sl ightly better
Wh ite stands better
Black stands better
+­
Wh ite has a decisive advantage
-+
Black has a decisive adva ntage
balanced pos ition
good move
!!
excel lent move
�
bad move
??
bl under
!�
interesti ng move
�!
du bious move
Preface
Welcome to Keep it Simple: 1.d4 I
Keep it Simple: 1.e4
was released i n 20 1 8. Right after the release, people a sked me if
a s i m i lar book for l .d4 was a future project, and h ere it i s ! Thi s book outl i nes a
com plete repertoi re fo r Wh ite based on i .d4.
Before we d i scuss some poi nts of th e repertoi re, I 'd l i ke to explai n the ' Keep It Sim­
ple' approach. Most o pen ing boo ks n owadays have reached enormou s complexity,
often com pri s i ng of several volu mes, tota l l i ng 1 000+ pages. Th i s depth of a na lys i s
i s usefu l fo r very strong players, but not s o m uch for amateu r players. I felt that it
must be possible to 1Keep It S i m ple' i n stead, bei ng more practica l than scientific i n
the choices. White does not get an adva ntage a nyway agai nst the main l i ne de­
fences-for exam ple the d rawi ng percentage in top level correspondence chess
speaks for itself.
My main ' K I S ' guidel i nes are:
·The chosen l i nes are si mple to learn ;
· I t m ust b e pos s i ble to fi nd you r way i f you forget yo u r l i nes;
·Choose l i nes that may not be most critical , but u ncomfo rtable for the oppo­
nent.
Com p i l ing th e reperto i re accord i ng to these gu idel i nes has led to a very classical,
sound and rel iable repertoi re. You wi l l get good endgames freq uently, or pos itions
with long-term assets l i ke the bi shop pair. You won't get u n sound ga mbits or tricky
l i nes that can be refuted - all l i n es are playa ble u p to a very h igh l evel. I n fact, most
of the repertoire has been played by top players, at least occa sion a l ly or i n q u icker
ti me controls.
The l i nes chosen share many com mon themes and ideas and a re therefore easy
to learn as a whole. You wi l l see many concepts m u lti ple ti mes, which makes it
easier to learn the m . The repertoi re a l so i nc l udes many new dangerous ideas that
will su rprise you r oppon ents early on.
I 'd l i ke to address one poi nt a bout the term 'Simple'. There are some l i n es i n th e
book that are n ot s i m ple i n the sense that there i s no complexity i n the play. Some­
times the o n ly way to pose problems i s to enter com plex pl ay, and it i s part of
ches s i m provement to accept challenges at l ea st i n some l i nes. It i s i m portant to
em phasize that o u r repertoi re ch oi ces wi ll often get opponents out of th eir main­
stream theoretical knowledge and therefore we enter more com plex situations with
a head sta rt, bei ng on our home tu rf.
Com pared to
Keep It Simple: 1. e4,
I m ade one change i n the structure of the book.
The 1 .e4 version i ncluded 30 com plete ga mes to s h owcase typical m i dd legame
ideas and plans. For the 1 .d4-version, I decided i n stead to conti n ue many l in es
deeper than it would be strictly necessary for open ing study pu rposes on ly. Thi s
deeper look gives you th e necessa ry i n sight o n how to proceed after th e i n itial
ope n i ng moves . There a re some variati ons easily goi ng beyond move 20. Th i s does
not mean that you need to learn a l l these moves by heart, but havi ng seen the key
ideas u nfold after the fi rst moves is val uable and wi l l add to you r a rsena l of m id­
dlega m e plans. I also decided to cover some sideli nes in more detai l , when I felt
th at the play is particu larly i nstructive in the m .
The fi n a l i mportant point I need to mention i s that
Keep It Simple: 1.d4
oped fi rst as a n on l i ne, interactive book on the platform
was devel­
. chessable.com. On
www
the website, you can learn the moves based on text and videos . Th i s product was
released in J une 201 g . The book you are now read i ng has the same content, only
adj u sted to fit the fo rmat better. Based on th e feed back of Chessable u sers , I have
added some l i nes that were played ri ght after the release or that I s i m ply fo rgot i n i­
tia l ly - havi n g h undreds of readers before the book goes i n print i s excel l ent qual ity
assurance!
So j u st one more thi ng. Always remember: ' Keep It S i m ple for you , make it d ifficult
for your opponents !'
Christof Sielecki
Dinslaken, Germany
October 2019
Building a 1.d4 repertoire
Wh at's the m a i n d ifference between bu i lding an open i n g repertoi re based on 1 .e4
and one based on i .d4 ?
There a re mostly two key poi nts. The fi rst one i s the topic of •move orders'. I n a
repertoi re sta rti ng with i . d4, move orders a nd transpositions are of para mou nt
i m portance, wh i le th ese concepts a re less domi nant in 1 .e4-based repertoi res. I
guess it i s best to expla i n th i s poi nt with an exam ple. If yo u sta rt with 1 .e4, right
after B l ack's reply on move one, you most of the time know what open ing you wi l l
play. I f they choose 1 . . c51 it i s a Sici l ian and i t won 't transpose to a Caro-Kan n a ny
.
more. I f th ey play 1 . . . e5, you know that you won 't play a French Defence. This a l so
means that you r options aga i n st Black's defences h ave very l ittle dependence on
one another. For exa m ple: you d i s l i ke you r choice aga i n st the French and want to
change you r l in es . Th i s has n o relevance for th e rest of yo u r repertoi re, as th ere are
no or very few connections between you r l i nes.
Now, com pare this to th e i .d4 u n iverse. After i .d4, Black might play the i m­
men sely popular flexi ble move 1 . . . 'd f6. N ow, co ntra ry to, fo r exam ple, i .e4 e6, you
don't know yet what ope n i ng you are goi ng to pl ay. Black might i ntend to play
. . . g7-g6 n ext, or . . . e7-e61 or even . . . d7-d5, wh ich he cou ld have done a l ready on
move one. He m ight i ntend to play the moves ... e7-e61 . . . d7-d 5 and . . . 'd f6, but he
has va riou s move orders to do so. Sta rti ng with 1 . . . d5, 1 .. e6 or 1 ... 'd f6 is a l l
.
poss i ble and perfectly sound. Yo ur m ove selection early on, even on move two, i s
relevant for many d ifferent openi ngs th at m ay a rise. Every choice needs to fit, m a k­
i ng s u re th at you get •yo u r' l i nes a nd that yo u a re not bei ng tricked i nto someth ing
you did n ot want to play i n the fi rst place. Of cou rse, th i s works both ways: choos­
i ng you r move orders correctly might l ead you r opponent into u n kn own territory,
givi ng you a n advantage.
Let's d i scuss the second d ifference between 1 .e4-ba sed and 1 .d4-based repertoires.
The character of the play i s often slower at the very begi n n i ng, wh ich gives added
flexibil ity to both sides. There a re exceptions, of cou rse, but there a re many open­
i ngs th at don't l ead to an early confrontation with i n th e 1 .d4- u niverse, but rather
have the cha racter of a ' set-u p' that featu res a slower development of the action. It
i s not uncom mon th at the fi rst exchanges only h appen after some moves, while
early captu res are very usual i n i .e4 l i nes. Due to th i s less forced natu re of the play,
you need to look at more bl ack options i n the i n itial moves . Th i s i s the main rea­
son why th i s book h as more pages than the i .e4 version.
N ow let's tal k a bout some specifi c li nes. If we go back to move one after i .d4, it is
clear that we al ready have opened u p the bi shop on cl. But what a bout th e bi shop
on f1 � The bishop developm ent on fi i s actual ly the most i mportant deci sion that
Wh ite h as to take i n the next moves. You may play the e-pawn soon and develop it
on the starti ng diagonal, or yo u may play an early g2-g3 and fi anchetto the bi shop.
My i n itia l concept was to go for the fi rst a pproach and play main l i nes i n the
Queen's G a mbit and Ki ng's I nd i a n , for exam ple. H owever, I needed to stop these
plans rather q u ickly. The move orders were very tricky and goi ng for a more m a i n
l i n e a pproach a l so i nvites m a ny sharper openings, l i ke th e Ben ko G a mbit or the
M odern Benon i . Th en I checked the idea of playi n g with a ki ngside fi anchetto. This
approach i s used in one of the most popular and famous d4-repertoi res created by
G M Boris Avrukh. Avrukh 's repertoi re has four vol u mes, tota l l i n g more than 1 500
pages . Th i s a l ready suggests th at the fia nch etto approach i s rath er com plex as wel l .
A closer i nspection, however, led to the concept fo r
Keep it Simple: 1.d4.
I n oticed
th at many l i nes are com plex for one reason : the early move c2-c4, which is usually
played on move hNo. Bl ack has m a ny option s based on the c4-pawn to steer the
game into his territory, fo r example l ines l i ke the Queen's Gam bit Accepted or th e
Catalan with 1 .d4 d s 2.c4 e6 3. 'd f3 'Ll f6 4.g3 dx4. What if we j ust don't play c2-4
early on, but rather delay th i s move u nti l we play it 'on our terms' ? I wondered if it
is possi ble to basica l ly play the sequence of L d4, 2. 'Ll f3, J.g3, 4. � g2, 5.CH:> and i n
most cases 6.c4, pretty much regard l ess of Bl ack's moves? I had seen some im­
pressive games by Kra m n i k with thi s approach, and he knows what he i s doing! If
th i s cou ld be the standard set-up, it wou ld be much easier to handle the ea rly move
orders . I n th i s case, you wou ld on ly need to learn the exceptions, i n stead of com­
pletely different approaches to each and every defence B lack m ay pl ay. Th i s idea
fasci nated me and I wondered what d rawbacks th i s approach m ight h ave ?
My con clu sion after a thorough analys i s is: Black has some i deas to exploit o u r
move order, but none of them put us i n a ny danger. Bl ack gets close to eq uality or
equal izes with best play i n some l i nes, but th i s shou ld not discou rage us too
m uch. The i m portant poi nt to real ize i s : we a re playi n g a sl ightly offbeat move
order. Black might have seen some idea against our move order, but he won't be a
specialist! I f we know exactly what to do and h ave some new ideas to pose prob­
lems, it does not m atter at a l l that the more m a i n strea m move order is 'su pposed
to be better'. We want to fight on our ground. Not on the ground the opponent
chooses.
I 'd l i ke to emphasize th at th i s repertoi re does not consist solely of s idel i nes. I a m
coveri n g main l i nes i n t h e Catal an, G ru nfeld and t h e Dutch, fo r exa mple. We wi l l
also reach very well-tested main-l ine ground i n th e Tarrasch Defence o f th e
Queen 's G a m bit (by tra n s pos ition) or the Queen 's I ndian. This i s very usefu l
knowledge that wi l l benefit you a lot i n the l ong ru n , as you l earn com mon ly-played
stru ctu res and strategies th at wi l l i m prove you r overal l understa n d i n g of closed
open i ngs . Th is way it is m uch easier to later expand your repertoi re or replace
some parts of it. Contra ry to a pure s idel i ne repertoi re (th i n k of the Col le System
for example) , you learn concepts close to m a i n- l i ne openi ngs th at wi l l be very valu­
able in th e long term. The l i nes may easi l y fit i nto other move orders if you des i re
to do so l ater. You are not 'stuck' i n some th eoretical backwater that yo u need to
com pletely abandon at some point beca use you want to broaden you r chess knowl­
edge and get more variety in you r m idd l egames.
A fi nal poi nt that can be val u able i n the long ru n : ou r standard set-up i nvolves a
q u ick kingside fia nchetto after we have started with
i
.
d4. The l i nes analysed i n the
book a re an excellent fou ndation to add 1 . 'd f3 to you r repertoi re at a later stage, a s
there are many pos s i ble tra n s position s to l i nes already covered here. I n m y own
practice, I have frequently reached l i nes featu red i n the book via move orders l i ke
i . '21 f3 d s 2.g3 'd f6 3- �. g2 c6 4.d4 j;; fs 5.4 or
i . 'd f3
'd f6 2.g3 g6 J.b3, which wi l l
very often tra nspose to o u r Anti-Ki ng's I n dian approach. The m a i n added option
th at you wo uld need to check is 1. 'd f3 c5, after wh ich there is no overlap to K I S
i .d4.
PART I
Black's classical/symmetrical set-ups:
i.d4 ds 2. �f3
lntrodudion and overview 1.d4 ds
l
Part I dea l s with B l ack's set-ups i nvolving the early move . . . d 7-d5, playi ng i n clas­
si ca l fashion. I am presenti ng these l i nes sta rti n g with the most com mon move
order of i .d4 d s, but of course Bl ack m ay a l so choose move orders l i ke i .d4 'd f6
2 . 'll f3 ds or i .d4 e6 2. '.21 f3 'll f6 3-g3 d s. Our tas k aga i n st these move orders i s not
d ifficu lt, as we wil l play 2. 'll f3 and 3- g3 anyway u n less we m ust react to a s pecific
l i ne, l i ke i .d4 c5 or i .d4 'll f6 2 . '.21 f3 c5, wh ich req u i res a non-fianchetto a pproach.
Th i s is d i scu ssed in the ' B u i l d i n g a i .d4 repertoi re' part at the start of the boo k.
With 1 . . . d 5 Black signal s h i s i ntention to play aga i n st the Queen's Gambit. He has a
very wide range of possi ble variati ons to choose from i n case of 2.c4, but as men­
tioned i n the i ntrod u ctory text we won 't com ply.
I need to emphasize that on a conceptual l evel playi ng c2-4 at some poi nt i s al­
most mandatory. We need to increase the press u re on Black's centre and c2-c4 i s
the reasonable way to d o it. Our repertoi re con cept i s to sti l l play c2-c4, but do it
later. As a ru l e of th u m b for our reperto i re, keep in m i n d : aga i n st . . . d7-d 5- based set­
ups we want to play c2-c4. Our ap proach i s only a bout delayi ng the move unti l we
play it on our terms.
2.�f3
As expected , we play 2. 'd f]. Th i s prevents some l i nes s pecific to 2.c4, i n particular
the Q ueen 's G a m bit Accepted . It i s not so easy to play aga i n st thi s open i ng and
B lack often chooses his l ine of defence , kn owi ng it better than we do. You don 't
face the QGA frequently, so often yo u w i l l not be a s wel l prepared a s you r oppo­
nent. The QGA is off the table in our repertoi re. Another i m portant reason fo r
delayi ng c2-c4 are cases related to l ater captu res on c4, i n partic u l a r i n the Slav De­
fence and th e Cata l a n . Before we have a look at the chapters, I 'd l i ke to d i scuss one
particular move order ch oice.
After 2 . "21 f6, my recommendation is to play ].g]. With th i s m ove, we are sticki ng
.
.
to the repertoi re concept of delayi ng c2-c4. Th i s parti cu lar move order deci sion i s
probably the most controversial one i n the whole repertoi re. Let's loo k a t th e pros
and con s com pared to the main l i ne move J.c4. After J.c4, Black has a wide choice.
H e ca n play a Slav with J. .. c6. It is possi ble to play g3-based set- u ps agai nst thi s
openi ng, but it i s a com plicated affa i r. After J.C4 c 6 4.g3, B lack m i ght take on c4,
with an unclear ga mbit, for exam ple. White may play l i nes l i ke 4. � c2 and 4. mb3,
but these don't featu re ki ngside fianchettos a l l of the time. Black may also play the
QGA aga i n with J.C4 dx4, which req u i res us to learn qu ite a bit of theo ry. There a re
also no reason able l i nes i n the QGA i n wh ich White plays with a fi anchetto. On the
contrary, th ere are l i n es with White getting an I Q P, which is very u n usual for our
repertoi re. Don 't get me wron g: I am not sayi ng that th i s is bad for White, but you
need to be much more versatile in term of structures agai nst th i s l i ne. Of cou rse,
B lack may play J.C4 e6 and afte r 4.g3 he h as a wider ra nge of l i nes aga i n st the Cata­
lan com pared to our m ove order. We are tal ki n g about 4. . . g b4+ and, most i m por­
ta ntly, 4. . . dx4, which req u i res an enormous effort to study. Aga i nst this l i n e,
5. 'Ma4+ i s a ' Keep it S i m ple' sol ution, but I thi n k Black eq ualizes too effortlessly. It
is l i kely that a player who plays 4 ... dxc4 knows these l i nes and I found noth i n g
there to play fo r. S o 5. :B. g2 mu st b e the c ritical m ove, b u t now Bl ack has more than
half a dozen l i nes that are playable and need to be stud ied . In particular, 5 ... a6 and
5 ... 'd c6 are tricky to handle. So we see that {obviou sly) 3.c4 is not a bad m ove, but
it al lows lots of complexity with Black choos i n g the l i ne. Now, with 3.g3 we stay on
ou r territory.
What a re the d rawbacks of 3.g3 ? There a re three arguments agai nst this move
order. The fi rst one i s the most aggress ive idea J . c5. Black j ust handles the game
.
l i ke a G runfeld with reversed colours and attacks the centre. As expla i ned before,
we h ave c2-c4 on the agenda, so it i s only n atu ral that Black plays the same pawn
break. I agree that J . . c5 is a good choice for Black, but he needs to know it wel l .
These l i nes a re di scussed i n Chapters 4 to 6 .
The seco nd argu ment i s that Black i s very sol id i n t h e . . . c7-c6 set-ups that are us u­
a l ly combi ned with . . Ji. fs or . . 'Ji, g4. Th i s m ight be true, but sol id does not mean it
.
.
is easy to pl ay. I am confident that our l i nes wi l l pose p roblems that are not easy to
solve for B l ack. I n most cases, he wil l have to figure it out over the boa rd , wh ich
wi l l prove to be difficu lt i n many s ituations. Chapters
ll
to 1 4 cover these l i nes.
There is a thi rd approach aga i n st our early g2-g3: to play a q u i ck . . . b7-b5, stopping
c2-4 fo r the moment. Th i s set- u p i s recom mended i n some i mportant books, so
we need to check it. I believe that th i s approach i s actua l ly tricky for Bl ack to handle
and Wh ite has good chances to press fo r an advantage. Th e ... b7-b5 set-u p i s exam­
i ned i n Chapter 10.
After l i sting these l i nes, I 'd sti l l l i ke to n ote that most players below master level
wi l l res pond to 3-83 in s i m i lar s pi rit to their response to 3.c4. They won 't have any
special reply ready, but rath er stick to a set-up they know a nyway. It is most l i kely
fo r a Slav pl ayer to play 3 . . . c6 and for a Queen's Gambit Decl ined pl ayer to go
3- e6.
..
N ow, let's have a loo k at th e various moves and the chapters that cover them .
ChaP-ter 1: 2 �c6
...
Black i s hoping for 3.c4, tra n spos i ng i nto a C h i gori n Defence that most of the time
a ri ses after 1 .d4 d s 2.c4 'Ll c6 3- 'd f3- As usual in o u r repertoi re, we delay the c2-4
move and play 3-g3 fi rst. Th i s l i n e gives Wh ite good chances to ga i n an advantage,
in parti c u l a r against the more a m b itious 3
. ..
Ji. g4. The pos itions m ight get a b it
•
mu rky, but we a re better for s u re. The Anti-Chigorin i s covered in Chapter 1 .
ChaP-ter 2: 2
...
c5
Th i s i s a rare move, but an i m portant one for us to check. N ow, J.g3 i s not very
convi ncing (please see the d ed i cated chapter for deta i ls) , which on ly leaves 3.c4.
After 3.4, Black most of the ti me plays 3 . . . e6, which i s the Tarrasch Defence. The
Tarra sch is covered in Chapter 3, wh i le Chapter 2 conta i n s offbeat tries for Black
l i ke 3 ... cxd4 and 3 . . . dx4.
Th i s i s the Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit.
suggest playing the m a i n
l i n e 4.cxd 5 exd 5 5.g3 agai nst it, wh ich featu res a fi anchetto set-up and keeping th i s
i n l i ne with o u r repertoi re concept. Th i s i s the m a i n l i ne aga i n st the Ta rrasch ,
pro m i s i n g Wh ite a s light adva ntage. The Tarrasch is a n i m po rta nt open i ng to study
becau se you m ight get it on the board via lots of move orders. For exam ple, yo u
frequently see Black starting with a n early . . . e7-e6, . ,� e1 and .
.
.
..
o-o,
only to later
play . . . c7-c5 and we tra nspose to the com mon Tarrasch I Q P structu re. The Ta rrasch
is covered in Chapter 3-
The 3 . . . c5 l i ne i s one of Black's most act ive respo nses to our preferred move order.
H e i s bas ica l ly stati ng: 1You fa i l ed to play you r c-pawn , so I a m goi ng to do it!'
The game wi l l now resemble the G ru nfeld Defence with colo u rs reversed , but there
i s a twi st. Let's com pare with the Gru nfeld after l . d4 'd f6 2.c4 g6 3. 'd c3 ds. After
4.cxd5 'd xd5 5.e4, Black is able to play 5 . . 'd xc3 6.bxc3 and attack the centre quickly
.
with . . . c7-c5. I n our l i ne with reversed colours, B lack has not played . . 'D c6 yet. Th i s
.
i s a s ign ificant d i fference, beca use it i s not d es i rable to retreat t h e knight to a pas­
sive sq uare l i ke b6 for Black or b3 in our ca se with reversed colou rs.
Therefore, it i s very i m portant to avoid 5 . 'LJ xd4 e5 6. 'd b3, a s this i s exactly the sce­
nario descri bed a bove. We need to retreat to a less than ideal square and B lack
man ages to play the e-pawn to es in one move. By castl i ng fi rst, we ask Black abo ut
his i ntentions. The most popu l a r move for Black here i s actu a l ly 5 . 'LJ c6, l ead i n g to
.
.
the attractive proper reversed Gru nfeld l i nes after 6. 'd xd4 es 7. 'd xc6 bxc6 8.c4.
Th i s is the move most pl ayers wou ld choose if they don't know theory from here,
a s it is the most natu ral move. Th i s is covered in Ch apter 5.
Wh at's critica l then � Th eoreticians recommend sophi sticated moves l i ke 5 . . . h 6 or
5 . . Ji. d7. I agree that these moves are fine and Black has good chances to eq ual ize
.
with th em. However my poi nt i s : fi rstly, it i s very u n l i kely to get these l i nes on the
boa rd , un less you regu la rly play master-level pl ayers that a re heavily prepared . Sec­
ondly, the a ri s i n g positions m ight offer B l ack equal chances, but we are sti l l on ou r
territory and wi l l know th e d eta i l s m uch better. You a re sti l l able to outplay weaker
opponents and h ave a sound position aga i n st stronger ones. I have played th i s
move order with J.g3 i n many bl itz games a n d the sop h isticated l ines never ap­
peared , a s fa r as I can remem ber. At the cl u b l evel, you will get l i nes with . . 'LJ c6
.
{Chapter 5) most frequently, and these are fun to play for Wh ite.
Th i s i s the most freq uently-met set-up at the c l u b l evel, as
. . .
'd c6 i s a very n atu ral
move. H owever, the analysi s i n Chapter 5 shows th at Black does not h ave a n easy
game at a l l . I n the Grunfeld structures , a tem po matters m uch more and White has
excel l ent chances of getti ng an advantage.
Black may decide to not ca ptu re on d4, but rather keep the tens ion i n the centre
with moves l i ke 5 . . JJ. f5, 5 . . . JJ. g4 or most i m portantly 5 . . . e6. The most i mportant
.
part of th i s cha pter is 5 . . . e6 6.c4 dx4, after wh ich I suggest the active move 7 . 'd e5.
Th i s l i ne wi l l net you m a ny wi n s, as it i s very tricky for Black to play aga i n st it.
ChaP-ter z: 2 � f6 3:13 e6
...
F i rst of a l l , it i s probably usefu l to defi ne wh at the 'Catalan' actually is. Th e Catalan
i nvolves the moves d2-d4, c2-c4 and g2-g3 on th e white s ide, wh i le Black plays
. . . d 7-d 5, . . . e7-e6, . . . 'd f6 and em phasizes the devel opment of the ki ngs ide with
moves l'k
1 e
. ..
'7'
�.
•
e? an d . . o-o.
.
An early combination of the moves . . . e7-e6 and . . . c7-c5 i n stead would l ead to the
Reversed G ru nfeld (Ch a pters 4-6) or even the Tarrasch (Cha pter 3) . A way to even
transpose out of Pa rt I of th e book i s an early . . . b7-b6, wh ich leads to Chapter 22 o r
2 3 o n the Q ueen 's I n d i a n . I t sou nds complicated at fi rst, but you wi l l j u st play the
normal system moves of castli ng and c2-4 i n any case.
N ow, with 4. J;, g2, we are delaying the move c2-4 a nd avoid many com plex l i nes
i n the process, most n ota bly 4.c4 dxc4, which requ i res a significant effort to l ea rn .
Aga i n , please n ote that we are only delayi ng c2-4 for move order reasons - thi s
move i s fi rmly o n o u r agend a . N ow Black has many possible set- u ps . The good
news i s that we a re go ing to play o-o and c2-c4 next aga i n st a l l of th em, u n less they
stop us by playi ng . . . b7-b5 (Cha pter 10) . Ch apter 7 deals with the si del i nes that
B lack may play, mostly i nvolving an early . . :Ji. d6, . . . 'd bd7 and . . . c7-c6.
.
i.
With 6 . . . c6 or 6 . 'll bd7, Bl ack chooses the Closed Catalan, avoiding the capture on
. .
C4· The captu re on C4 lead s to the Open Catalan, wh ich is d i scu ssed in C ha pter 9 .
The Closed Catalan i s very frequently seen a t the c l u b level, becau se Black often
does not have a s pecific preparation for the Catalan, but wi l l rather play what they
had i ntended to play against a conventional Queen's Gam bit. The good news for
us is that the Closed Catalan is a d ifficult l i ne to play for Black. M any obvio u s a p­
proaches l ead to very una ppea l i n g positions for Black and even the best l i nes from
Black's poi nt of view are a lot easier for White to hand le.
l l l
After 6 . dx4, we h ave reached the main l i ne of the Catalan at the profes sional
. .
level. Black captu res the pawn, bei ng ready to return it at a proper moment. I sug­
gest playing White's m a i n reply 7. � c2, wh ich wi l l regai n the pawn quickly i n al­
most all cases. Black has reasonable chances to eq u a l i ze, but it i s not easy to do
and there are many ways for B l ack to go wrong.
l l l
Th i s i s one of Black's ideas to exploit o u r a pproach of delayi ng c2-4. With the
early . .. b7-b5, Bl ack stops c2-4 for the moment and gai n s space on the q ueen side.
Th i s set-up has been recom mended in some popul a r books and s hou ld be taken
seriou sly. It is not a line somebody wou l d j u st thi n k of over the boa rd, but rather
the prod uct of home preparation, most l i kely helped by the repertoi re books. We
therefore should have somethi ng prepa red, and I bel ieve that Black's game i s not
easy to conduct after my recommendation of playi ng a q u ick a2-a4.
Com b i n i n g . . . d7-d5 and . . . ,JJ. f5 i s a very popular set- u p fo r B l ack. One point to take
note of is that Black has many move orders to enter a . . . ;, f5 set-up. For exam ple, it
i s very com mon for Black to sta rt with
J.
.
. c6, followed by
. ..
•r£. f5. They also m ay play
i .d4 ds 2. 'd f3 c6 and . . 1J. fs next. Aga i n st th i s l i ne, we need to a lter our move order
.
s l i ghtly and avoid the early o-o, but s h ould play c2-c4 one move ea rlier tha n usual.
Please see Chapter 1 1 for d eta i l s on this s u btle point.
Black's most popular set- u p con nected with . Ji, fs i s the pawn triangle with c6/d5/
. .
e6, wh ich leads to the main l i ne of the
...
}J. fs-com plex. Here, Black's m a i n moves
a re 6 . . . Ji, e?, 6 . . . h6 or 6 . . . ·'21 bd7. Th ey are an swered with the same seq uence of
moves: 7. � b3
•1.
b6 8.c5 "'xb3 9.axbJ. Th i s q ueen less middlegame leads to a fasci­
nating struggle. Th i s structu re is the rea son why om itti ng castl i ng makes sense. I
bel ieve th at s u perior knowledge of these positions wi l l pose Black some problems
that a re not easy to solve. Plea se see Chapter 1 2 for more deta i l s .
Th i s i s a very natural development scheme fo r Black and so mewh at s i m i lar i n na­
tu re to
� fs set-ups at fi rst sight. B lack may play an early
. . . •
move orders. S i m i l a r to the
. ..
� g4 with various
... •
$;. fs set-ups, Black often plays a n ea rly . . . c7-c6 and
on ly then develops the b i shop, for exam ple, J c6 and
..
. . .
JJ. g4 next i s a com mon
.
move order.
We use the same general approach a s aga i nst the ea rly
. . .
JJ. fs set-ups, playi ng
c2-4 before castli ng. The most com mon and natu ral m ove sequence of i .d4 ds
2. 'll f3 'd f6 3.g3 }i, g4 4. �. g2 c6 5.c4 i s d i scussed i n the next chapter, wh i le Chapter
1 3 d i scu sses less frequently seen move orders and idea s by Black.
Th i s i s the most com mon ly-seen scen ario after a n early .. §1. S4 by Black. Black
.
combi nes . . . � g4 with an early . . 'd f6, . . . c7-c6 and most of the time . . . e7-e6 soon
.
after. Th is is aga i n com pa rable to the main l ine of the . Ji, fs set-up. A difference
..
compared to
.
. � fs, however, i s the versati l i ty of the middlegames. Th e
.
. . . :Ji. fs-com plex i s a l l abo ut playing a n early � b3, wh i l e the . .. �. g4- l i nes have some
more variety. I thi n k th at Bl ack has a solid pos ition, but there are sti l l many pitfa l l s
a n d ideas that we can try. A s u rprisi ngly d a n gero u s a pproach is to take o n d 5 i n
many l i nes - please see Chapter 1 4 fo r more i nformation .
Black starts with 1.d4 ds, but it transposes out of Part A
I 'd l i ke to mention some less com m on move o rders that sta rt with l .d4 d s, but
actually transpose i nto other parts of the book.
Ld4 ds 2. 'd f3 g6? ! - th i s is a n i m preci se move that should be exploited by J.c4.
Th i s l i ne i s covered i n Chapter 2 1 via a different move order.
l .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 '21 f6 J,g3 g6 - th i s wi l l transpose i nto one of th e G ru nfeld Chapters
(1 7-1 9) .
1 .d4 d s 2 . 'd f3 e 6 J,g3 fs or 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 c6 3.g3 e6 4. j;; g2 fs - th i s tra nsposes i nto
a D utch Stonewa l l (Chapter 32) .
l .d4 d s 2. -i'.J f3 'd f6 3.g3 b6 - this wi l l very l i kely tra n s pose to the Queen's I nd ia n
after a seq uence l i ke 4. j;; g2 j;; b 7 5.0-0 e6 6.c4 ,1;. e7 7.cxd5 exd 5 8 . 'd c 3 o-o 9. d es
'
wh ich i s covered i n Chapter 23-
,
CHAPTER 1
Anti-Chigorin: 2
...
�cG
1.d4 ds 2. �f3 �c6
Thi s move sign a l s Black's i ntention to play a Ch i gorin Defence to the Queen's
Gambit. We w i l l not oblige and play 3-g3, wh ich l eads to an i nterest i n g and at ti mes
rather sharp fight if Bl ack gets aggres sive ea rly on.
3·13
Thi s fits perfectly with our general repertoi re a pproach and happen s to be an
excel l ent move, rega rdless of general concept con s i derations. After J.g3, Black u su­
ally plays either J. . $; g4 or 3 . . . �. fs, covered u nder A and B below. Someti mes,
.
B lack d ecides to play J. .. d f6 fi rst. After 4. ;Ji, g2, Black has a choice of possible
'
transposition s: i f he plays 4 . . �. g4 or 4
. .
...
�. fs, we wi l l tra n s pose i nto l i nes A or B.
•
After 4 ... e6, we reach a l i ne that i s covered i n Chapter 7 on Cata l a n sideli nes vi a
1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 'LJ f6 J.g3 e6 4 . r£, g2 'd c6.
.
A) 3 . A g4
.
.
Th i s l i ne often lead s to sharp play. Black q u ite freq uently elects to castle q ueen side,
a n uncommon sight i n i .d4 d s open i ngs.
4. A 12
N ow, Black most of the time pl ays for q ueens ide castl i n g with 4 . . . � d 7 ( l i n e Al ) . I n­
stead 4. . . e6 (A2) , 4 . . 'd f6 (A3) and 4. . �. xf3 (A4) are calmer options, usually lead­
.
. .
i ng to an ed ge (or more) for White.
Al ) 4••• ff d7
Th i s i s the most popu l a r move for B l ack. It i s the most princi pled one, goi ng for
...o-o-o and, on a very good d ay, checkm ate Wh ite i n caveman style with . . . h5-h4,
. . � h3 etc. It is advi sable to study th i s l i ne ca refu l ly, beca use Black's attacking i d ea
.
m i ght be crude, but it i s also very dangerous if you a re careless. Fortunately, White
i s a lot q u i cker if you play the aggressive ideas s uggested i n this repertoi re.
5.0-0
Th i s i s the most aggressive move, preparing to play c2-c4 next. Th e l i nes wi l l be
messy most of the ti me, but they are good for White. I bel i eve th i s whole com plex
i s a case of 'fight fi re with fi re'. Black i nitiated h and-to-hand combat, but we a re
well-eq u i pped for the ens u i ng com pl icati ons.
Al l) 5
...
0-0-0
6.C4
Th i s i s according to our basic set-u p actually, but it i s not so obvious th at it i ndeed
works here. Black has some pressure on the d-fi l e after q ueen side castl i ng. As we
wi l l see, White opts for aggress ive cou ntermea s u res against Black's attacki ng
ideas.
An 1) 6 dxC4
...
Th i s was the move that I was afra id of before I had a c l oser loo k at it. After some
deeper a n alys i s , I am s u re th at Wh ite is s u bsta ntially better here as wel l . But one
th i n g i s clea r: it is not an i ntu itive so l ution, so it's not easy to co me up with it over
the board . Fortun ately, the most critica l po int is right now, on move
remember the key idea, the rest is possi ble to work out over the board .
1· � bd2
7.
O nce you
Th i s i s s u rprisi ngly strong. I don't see a ful ly sati sfactory sol ution for Black aga i n st
it. We need to check some l i nes to better u nderstand th e benefits of 7. 'Ll bd2.
7 �xd4
••.
By fa r the most l i kely move to be played .
1 ) Th e d i rect central cou nterstri ke 7 . . . e5 fa i l s to i m press: 8.dxe5 :ii, xf3 9 .exf3 'Ll xe5
10.f4 'd c6 1 1 . 'l!':¥ a4, with a strong attack for White;
2) 7 .. .f6 covers th e es-sq uare and prepares the pawn push: 8. '21 xc4 es g. � a4 e4
{9 . . . exd4 10.b4 {don 't waste a ny time with s low moves !) 1 0 . ...�. xb4 1 1 . � bi , and we
open the b-file aga i n st Black's ki ng) 1 0.d5 {the next blow, forcing the black q ueen
to d s)
lO .
. .
� xd 5 1 i . '2l e3 �e6 1 2 . '2l xg4 exf3 l J ,� xf3 B. d4 1 4. � b3 � xb3 1 5.axb3
.�. d6 1 6. 'd e3- Black i s s u bstantially worse, but man aged to avoid i m med iate d efeat
in Petenyi-Tari, Antalya 20 1 7.
8.�xd4 ffxd4 9· t! 34
We are j u st playi ng for the attack on Black's ki ng. Defend i ng aga i n st our on s l a ught
i s not easy at all.
9···C3
Th i s fa i ls, but not to s i m ple means.
1) g . . j;; d] 1 0. � C2 .�. bs
.
i s met by a very attractive refutation : 1 1 .a4 j), a6 1 2 . b4 (a great move!} 1 2 . . . � xa 1
l J b5. Th e bishop on a6 won 't g o anywhere. Th i s mea n s that w e have effectively
only s acrificed an exchange for a m u rderous attack. I ' l l show a n ice l i n e to i l l u strate
the possi bi l ities: 1 3 . . . � xb5 1 4.axb5 � a5 1 5. 'd xc4 fgxb5 1 6 �J4.
.
•
Th i s looks a bit l i ke some game from the i gth centu ry. Black never got around to
develop his ki ngside and i s com pletely l ost. Some more move s ? 1 6 . . . i! d4 i 7. 'd es
'd h 6 1 8. g cl c6 i g . 'El xc6, and White cra shes th rough ;
2 ) g . 'd f6 io .e3 '@'c5 i 1 .b4 (aga i n thi s move. We a re open i ng up the position very
. .
q u ickly aga i nst Black's ki ng} 1 1 . . . cxb3 1 2 . 'll xb3 � b6 1 3- .�. b2, and Black won 't s u r­
vive th i s attack.
1 0. � C4 A xe2
H ave we go n e too far? No, th i s pos ition i s actually a l ready wi n n i ng with prec i se
play!
1 1 . - b5
The ki l ler move.
1 1 ...
XC4 1 2.
xb7+ rn d7 1 3.b3 �d3 1 4. A �
d6
Black need s to cover c6.
1 5. A a3
20. g d3
b6 16. g fd1 + A xd1 1 7. g xd1+ ltle6 18. g xd8
xb7 19. Axb7 � h6
'
'
Wh ite wi l l wi n a l l the q ueen side pawns a nd the game. This i s a very long l ine and it
is good to know it, but it's not strictly n ecessa ry. I n the l i nes after 5.0-0 o-o-o 6.c4
dxc4 7. 'd bd2, Wh ite has a very dangerous attack and th i s attack wi l l be much eas­
ier to cond uct than it i s for Black to d efend. If you forget some d eta i l of th i s anal­
ysi s , it wo n't mean that you wi l l lose the game. Black has a m uch harder task to
solve - yo u need to keep i n mind th at he does n ot know the l i nes befo rehand. I f h e
d i d , h e wou l d n 't h ave entered them i n the fi rst pl ace!
A112) 6...e6
l l l
7.c5
Th i s move has never been pl ayed i n
Megabase 2019,
but it i s strong and gives
Wh ite a dangerous attack. The i dea i s to play b2-b4 next, even as a pawn sacrifice.
We don't h ave a ny game examples, so I wi l l examine some sensi ble looki ng moves.
7... h5
Th i s i s probably the most l i kely move to be played.
1 ) 7 . . . f6 (Black covers es and prepares futu re . . . e6-e5 or . . . g7-g5 advances) 8.b4
{don't wa ste time with preparing th i s move. We wi l l get an excellent position after
B lack ta kes - a n d he has l ittl e choice) 8 . . . '2i xb4 9 . '2i c3 'd e] 10. B. b1 '2i bc6 l l . � a4
(thi s flows very natural ly. J ust getting pieces near the black king i s a good plan)
1 1 . . . � b8 1 2. B. b3 gs (th i s i s not best, but it shows how cl ose Black i s to disaster)
1 3. '2i xg5 fxg5 14. j;; xg5 ·�· a8 1 5. B. fb1 ;;; b8 1 6 .e4. White has a wi n n i ng attack. We
have A LL the pieces i n the attack, which i s i m possible to with stand. There a re many
attractive l i nes to fi n i s h the game from here, one bei ng the followi ng: 1 6 ... dxe4
1 7 . JJ. xe7 j;; xe7 1 8. g xe4. N ow, 1 9 . B. xb7 is the d eadly threat. Black has no defence
aga i n st it;
2) 7 . . . :£. e1. I dou bt th at this move wi l l be pl ayed by a human player, but it i s sug­
.
gested by the engines. It i s d i rected aga i n st the b2-b4 idea. 8. g e3 (you should
avoid 8.b4 j;; xf3 9.exf3 'd xd4! , showi ng th e idea of 7 . . JJ. e1) 8 . . :£. f6 9 . 'd bd2 {th i s
.
.
.
slower approach o f su ppo rti ng the centre i s enough fo r some adva ntage. Black
can't avoid b2-b4 in the long run anyway)
g . . 'd ge7
.
lo.h3 � xf3 1 1 . '.E.Jxf3 'd fs
1 2 . � d2, and White is fi n a l ly ready fo r the b2-b4 idea. Black n eeded to lose a lot of
ti me to prevent the qu ick b2-b4, and d i d n 't get an attack goi n g i n th e fi rst place.
Wh ite's b2-b4-b5 wi l l be on the board soon and B l ack has no c l ea r cou nterplay.
Of co urse Wh ite now plays
8.b4 Axf3
More or less forced. We were th reate n i n g b4-bS and '21 es.
9.exf3
Th i s move and 9 . JJ. xf3 are of about equ a l strength.
9
..
. � xb4
Black wa nts a pawn for h i s m i sery - very u nd erstandable.
After 9 . . e5 1 0. � a4, Wh ite is j u st far too quick with th e attack. The relatively best
.
l ine th at I can see for Black i s sti l l terri ble for h i m : lo . . . @ b8 l i .dxe5 'o xe5 1 2. '&xd7
'd xd7 1 3
.
r£. b2. Black i s a l most lost fro m a strategic poi nt of view. We have strong
•
bishops, m uch more space and natural plans l i ke 'd b1 -d2-b3-d4.
1 0. � c3 � c6 1 1 .
a4
O u r plan i s the s i m ple � b1 and � b5.
11 e5 1 2. g b1
•••
Sti l l th i s move! I don't see how Black saves h i m self. I ' l l show two attractive l i nes,
but won 't present a l l pos s i bl e moves. I f you h ave some free time, it's fu n to look at
more of these l i nes!
1 2... ia xd4
1 2 . . . exd4. I did not have th e patience to wait, but I guess th i s i s probably ' mate i n x'
territory ! I am s u re it wi n s q u ickly at least: l 3- � b5 b6 1 4. cxb6 axb6 l 5. '& a6+ ·�· b8
1 6 . �. f4 (th reatening 1 7. B. xb6#!) 1 6 . . . �. d 6 1 7. }J. h3, and it's goi ng to be over soo n !
.
.
I n fact, now m y engine sh ows ' M ate i n l ]', which seem s l i ke a lot of moves, given
how bad Black's position looks .
1 3 . ftxa7 ftc6 1 4. A h3+ ia e6 1 5. A gs A e7 1 6. it) � dx� 1 7. A xe6+ ftxe6 1 8. fta8+
md7 19. g fd1 + m e& 20. Bxd8+ A xd8 21 . g xd8#
I got a bit carried away with th i s l i ne, but it's fun ! Th i s whole con cept with b2-b4
looks great for Wh ite and makes the whole l ine look very d u b i ous fo r Black.
A1 2) 5 ... A h3
The only serious alternative to . .o-o-o, and pro bably the better move. We sti ll get a
.
comfortable advantage, though.
6.C4 A :xg2 7. mx12 e6 8.
-
a4 � ffi
8 . . 0-0-0 9.c5. Please take note of this idea. We a re prepa ring a q u ick b2-b4-b5 to
.
get a dangerous attack. We play i n a very s i m i la r way aga i n st 5 . . 0-0-0 6.c4 e6 with
.
7.c5!.
9 . �C3
A e7 10. A gs
Wh ite i s s l ightly better h ere. We have more space and Bl ack i s sti l l not fu l ly organized.
A good plan i s to go .§. fd 1 next, i ntend i ng 'd es.
Ai3) 5... h5
If Black has these kind of plans, he usually castles q ueenside fi rst. Sti l l , I 'd l i ke to
know what to do aga i n st the caveman approach.
6.C4
Stri ke i n the centre and play c2-c4 aga i n st d s - the usual reci pe. I ' l l show some
l i nes that feature key motifs .
6...e6 7 . � C3
N ote th at 7 . � a4 does n ot work, d u e to 7 . . g xf3 8 . �, xf3 '.21 xd4. This i s possi ble be­
.
.
cau se B l ack has not castled yet and a7 is sti l l d efended.
7 . 0-0-0
.
.
B lack has the alternative 7. . . dxc4.
8.bl There are some oth er good moves, such as 8. � a4 or 8. 'd es. But the most ag­
gressive move i s most fitting to the •fight fi re with fi re' attitud e you need to d i s play
aga i n st early attacks such a s 5 . . . h5. After 8.b3, B lack has some moves avail able, but
no satisfactory one: 8 . .. Ji. xf3 (l et's have a look at th i s try to grab the d4-pawn)
.
9 �. xf3 'r:lxd4 10 �. xb7 B. b8 1 1 �. g2 cxb3 1 2.axbl Wh ite has enormous press u re
. •
. •
. •
on the q ueenside now and a clear adva ntage. I a m stopping here, because there i s
n o clear m a i n l i n e from here and you need to cut i t at some point. We are a pawn
down, but u se you r engines to explore a bit more if you have dou bts about the
com pensati on, as it wi l l be helpfu l to better understa nd the dynam ics of these
position s.
8. fta4 m b8
1 ) 8 . . . 'd ge7 9 . 'd es (aga i n th is move i s very strong, probably even already win n i ng)
9 . 'd xe5 10. 'i?Mxa7 'll 5c6 1 1 . � a8+ 'd b8 12. 'd bs 'll ec6 1 3- �.f4, and Wh ite has a fan­
. .
tastic attack that shou ld win q u ickly;
2) 8 . . . dx4 9 . 'd es (we h ave seen this ki l l i n g idea before) 9 . . 'd xe5 1 0. � xa7 � xd4
.
1 1 . j;; xb7+ '�·d7 1 2. � xd4+. J ust one q u ick way to end the game after Black has blun­
dered with 8 . . . dxc4.
9.ocd5 exd5
l
l
l
1 0. � xd5
A n i ce s hot!
1 0...
xd5
1 0 . ...�. xf3 l l . ,�.xf3 '. 2J e5 1 2. �xd7 '.d xf3+ l J.exf3 B. xd 7 14. '2lc3 _gxd4 1 5. ,�,f4 . White
keeps a strong i n itiative even after the q ueen trade.
1 1 . � es
Th i s wins i m med i ately fo r Wh ite.
Th i s i s a rather u n pri ncipled move, but sti l l a move you m ight meet aga i n st players
who j u st play without any particular opening preparation.
5.0-0 �f6
When ever Black com bines an early . . �. g4 and
.
.
. .
. 'll f6 in the Ch igori n-style l i nes,
yo u need to con s ider the reply :21 es. As we wi l l see, this motif is a key i n the fol­
lowi ng I i nes.
The alternative 5 . .. h 5 doesn 't qu ite fit with 4. . . e6, but it is i m porta nt to not play
ti m id ly aga i n st thi s early aggression. 6.c4 (always go for c2-c4, i ncreasing the pres­
sure on the centre) 6 . . . dxc4 7. � a4 � d7 8. 'd CJ. I 'd l i ke to show one very i mportant
idea for these . . o-o-o li nes: 8 . 0-0-0.
.
. .
l
l
l
Th i s move loses i m med iately. 9 . 'd es 'll xe5 10. �xa7, and Wh ite wins q u ickly. The
key l i ne is 10 . . 'd c6 11.
.
�
a8+ 'll b8 1 2. ,�. xb7 m ate!
6.C4
As usual: the d s-pawn n eeds to be attacked with c2-c4.
A21) 6 .. � e7
.
Black antici pates a possible 1i, gs, but neglects the control of the es-sq uare.
7· -t'} es
As mentioned: a key idea fo r Wh ite.
7. A hs 8. -t'} c3 o-o 9.cxd5 -t'} xd5
..
After 9 .. . exd 5 10. 'd xc6 bxc6 1 1 . � a4, B l ack i s aga i n sufferi n g with h i s pawn wea knesses.
1 o. � xc6 bxc6
1 1 . � 84
B lack is stuck with dou bled c-pawns and has no compensation fo r th i s structu ra l
deficit.
A22) 6... � d6 7. � c3 o-o 8.cxd5
Wh ite gets some advantage by concrete pl ay.
1 ) 8 . . 'd xd5 9.h3 ,1'. h s 10.e4. Wh ite b u i l d s u p a nice pawn centre and Bl ack has l ittle
.
cou nterpl ay;
2) 8 . . . exd 5
g.
j;; gs � e] (the d s-pawn was u nder pressure, so th i s pin h ad to be bro­
ken) 10. 'll es. Wh ite has a comforta ble advantage and wi ll damage Black's structu re
with 'd xc6.
A3) 4••• � ffi
Th i s pos ition i s reached surpri s i n gly often, given that White has s i m ple mea n s to
gai n a su bsta ntial advantage.
5. � e5 A fs
Here, Black may a l so play 5 . . . e6, but h e i s i n trouble after 6.c4. The re i s no adequate a ntidote to th e s i m ple '@' a4 idea. I 'd l i ke to mention that 6. -2l xg4 'd xg4 7.e4
i s also a lot better fo r Wh ite.
6.C4 e6 7. ft34
And Wh ite i s a lot better.
A4) 4··· A xf3 5. A xf3 � f6
Th i s approach was suggested by S i mon Wi l l ia m s i n h i s
Chigori n . Black's idea is to get in a q u ick . . . e7-e5.
Chessbase DVD
o n the
6.C4
The most active move. I th i n k Black i s fi n e after someth ing slow l ike 6.o-o es.
6. e5
..
The c ritical m ove, and i n the spi rit of the Chigo ri n .
1 ) 6 . . . dxc4 7. 'd c 3 � d7 (instead, 7 . . . e6 8 . j;; xc6+ bxc6 9 . wg a4 i s also better fo r
Wh ite) 8 . d 5 'd es 9 �, g2 e6 10 �. f4 'd g6 l i .dxe6, and White opens u p the position
.
•
.
•
for th e bi shop pai r;
2) 6 . . . e6 7. 'd c3, and now the captu re on C4 lead s to l i ne l above.
7.cxd5 � xd4 8. J\ g2 J\ b4+ 9. � c3
H ere, 9 . ,:£, d2 ,:£, xd2+ 10. "21 xd2 'd xd5 1 1 .e3 is a l so fi ne and l eads to a n ed ge.
9··· � xd5
10 . .\\ d2
Th i s pawn sacrifice i s only tem pora ry.
1 0... c6 1 1 . � xd5 A xd2+ 1 2.
xd2 cxd5 13.e3 � e6 14. A xd5
Wh ite i s s l ightly better afte r the capture on f3, but th i s stil l looks a lot more rel i a ble
for B l ack than the l i nes with 0-0-0.
a) 3... A fs
l l. l
Com pared to 3 . �; g4, th i s i s the more con servative a pproach by B lack. A typical
. .
idea is to follow u p with . . . 'd b4, tryi ng to m i s place the wh ite kn ight on aJ
4. $\ g2
e1 ) 4... � b4 5. � a3 e6 6.o-o h6
B lack has the alternative 6 . . . .�. e]. 7. "21 es (we play i n the same way after 6 . . . h 6 .
Wh ite's i dea i s t o kick th e kn ight with c2-c3 and force i t to a6) 7 . . . f6 8 . 'd f3. I n h i s
N ew I n Chess Yearbook 128 Su rvey, G M Gonda recommends 8.g4, but I a m not
convi nced a bout th i s l i ne. After the s i m p l e retreat, I am h appy with White's posi­
tio n , a s . . . f7-f6 is not a useful move for Black. We may try to play for e2-e4 ( 'll d2
first) or harass the bishop with 'd h4.
7. � e5
Looki ng at the c6-sq u a re. We'd l i ke to play c2-c3 and fo rce the a n noyi n g kn ight to
a6.
7... � f6 8.C3 � a6 9.
b3
c8 1 0.C4
Wh ite enjoys a n ice i n iti ative on the queen s ide. };. f4 and g ac1 a re u sefu l moves to
conti n ue with.
82) 4...e6 5.0-0 tO b4
U s u a l ly, B lack starts with 4
. . .
'd b4, rathe r than goi n g 4 e6 fi rst. White may try to
. . .
exploit that, b ut it i s u nclear if th i s i s better tha n j u st tra nsposi ng with 6. 'd a3
-
I
recommend the tra n s pos iton.
6. -t) a3
And t h i s position we have exa m ined via the 4 . ' .d b4 move order.
.
.
e3) 4. -t) f6 5.0-0 e6
..
B lack did not bother with the kn i ght sortie . . :21 b4, but now we have a n easy game
.
with standard moves.
6.C4
e31 ) 6 §J. e1 7. -t) C3 o-o 8. -t) es
...
B lack i s u nder some press u re here, and Wh ite has easy moves to fol low u p with .
N ote that you don't need to take o n c6 qu ickly 'k f4 and B. c1 are usefu l moves to
.
play fi rst.
832) 6... dXC4
•
l l
l l l
7. � bd2
I l i ke th i s s i m ple sol ution . We rega i n the pawn with a nice central advantage. Black
can 't hold the c4-pawn or grab the d4-pawn , as we wi l l see.
7. b5
..
A terri ble move, but l et's check why trying to h old on to the pawn fa i l s .
After 7 . . 'd xd4 8 . 'd xd4 � xd4 9 . ;ii. xb7 � b 8
.
a n d real i stic cha nces of a qu ick win .
8.34 a6 9. � h4
And Bl ack is lost on move 9 .
1 0 . §i.
c6+, Wh ite h a s a h uge adva ntage
Conclusion
O u r overa l l a pproach to play g2-g3 fi rst a n d opt for a later c2-c4 pawn push is an
excel l ent and very dangerous l i ne aga i n st B lack's attem pt to reach a C h i gori n
Queens's G a mbit. Th e l i nes with
to them.
. . .
:£. g4 wi l l get rather sharp, so pay extra attention
.
CHAPTER 2
Rare lines: 2 c5
...
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 c5
Th i s i s an i nteresting move order for Black that I h ave played myself as a s u rprise
weapon. It is not played very freq uently, but is very relevant for our repertoi re, as
the usual g2-g3-ba sed rec i pe is so mewhat problematic to play.
3·C4
I recommend playing the main l i ne aga i n st 2 . . . c5 and avoi d i n g 3-83- I tried to make
it wo rk, but there is one specific l i ne that made me decide aga i n st it. I need to
emphasize that I don't th i n k Black i s better after ].g3, but it is not a l i ne that I l i ke to
recom m end i n a repertoi re l i ke th i s .
Let's briefly check: the only problem l i ne i s ].g3 cxd4 4. g g2 � a5+! - p l ease also
com pare with 1 .d4 ds 2. 'd f3 g6 J.C4 'd f6 4.cxd 5 iJ. g7 5. � a4+ !, wh ich i s pa rt of our
reperto i re fo r Wh ite (see Chapter 2 1 ) . N ow after 4 ... � a5+ ! , we need to sacrifice a
pawn . I checked 5.c3 and 5. g d2 '!¥& b6 6.c]. I n both cases, I th i n k White has enough
for the pawn , but I am not very keen on reco m m en d i n g centra l pawn sacrifices.
Giving away a central pawn is a very critical d eci sion and not for everyone.
G iven th at 3-C4 is actu a l ly not th at much of an effo rt to study, and s l i ghtly better for
Wh ite, I decided to go for th i s approach. I bel ieve it is actua l ly s i m pler i n th i s case
to play the m a i n l i ne, a s you don't place th e burden of any early pawn sacrifice on
yo urself. Th at bei ng said, feel free to explore the gam b it l i n es mentioned: they are
fu n to analyse.
N ow after J.c4, Black most of the ti me plays 3 . . . e61 which lead s to the Tarra sch De­
fence. Th i s i s covered i n Chapter J. We need to check Black's alternatives on move
th ree. Black may ta ke the pawn on d4 or c41 which i s covered under A and B.
A) 3 . cxd4 4.cxd5
.
.
Al) 4· ·· � f6
Th i s position may also ari se via the less co mmon move order i .d4 d s 2 . 'd f3 c 5 3-C4
'd f6 4.cxd 5 cxd4.
5 · f) xd4
H ere, 5. �xd4 � xd 5 6. 'd c3 � xd4 7. 'd xd4 i s the most freq uently-played l i ne. As
mentioned before, I h ave played th i s 2 . . . c5 va ri ation once as Black and d i d not feel
too scared of th i s approach. One add itional issue fo r Wh ite is that Black has th ree
different l in es on move seven - 7 . . . a6, 7 r£. d 7 and 7 . . . e5 - and each one req u i res a
.. •
unique reply by White. I felt that 5. 'LJ xd4 i s also q uite d angerous and easier to han­
d le.
5 ··· f) xd5
Black may also play 5 . . . �xd 5 6. 'd c3 � a s 7. 'd b]. Th i s trans poses to Ld4 ds 2. 'a f3
C5 3-C4 cxd4 4.cxd5 � xd 5 5· 'LJ C3 � as 6. 'LJ xd4 'd f6 7. 'll b3.
6.�
Al l ) 6. 'il f6 7. A b5+ A d7 8. 8e2
..
We a i m fo r swift development, trying to exp loit the open fi les q u i ckly.
8 . e5
..
A rad ical attempt, but weaken i ng the l i ght squ a res i s ri s ky.
1 ) 8 . a6 9 . � xd7+ � xd7 1 o. 'd b3 e6 1 l.O-o. We wi 1 1 cont i n ue with moves I i ke 'd c3,
. .
.�. f4 and putting the rooks on th e open fi les. Black does not have an ea sy defensive
ta sk. N ote that . . . a7-a6 has weakened some crucial squares, i n pa rticular b6 of
cou rse;
2) 8 . � b6
.
.
g.
:£. xd7+ 'd bxd7 10. 'd b3. We wi l l gai n time with ji, e3 and enjoy a u se­
•
ful i nitiative on the q ueenside.
9. � f5
Th i s m u st be critical . I nstead, 9 . 'd f3 was played by Anish G i ri aga i n st Peter Svid ler
i n 20 1 7, but fs looks l i ke a m uch more tem pting s q uare.
9...g6 1 0. � h6
An odd square, but th i s knight i s extremely annoyi ng fo r Black. We are i n uncharted
waters, and there a re many l i nes possi ble. I 'll show one that i s i nteresting:
1 0 . . . �a 5+ l 1 . 'd c3 g xb5 1 2 . '!Ylxb5+ 't¥Mxb5 1 J 'd xb5 \d a6 1 4.f3, and Black has some
problems dea l i ng with the active knights.
A1 2)
6... it) b4
Th i s looks a bit more active for Black, rather than j u st retreati n g to f6, but Wh ite re­
ta i n s a comfortable edge here. Please note that B l ack is th reatening to ta ke on d4,
so you can't j u st play 'any move'.
7· A bs+ A d1
7 . . . 'd 8c6 8.o-o es. Bl ack accepts a structural weakness, but there was no great
sol ution ava i lable (th e pos ition after 8 .. . ;Ji, d7 9. -2\ f3 i s also qu ite u n comforta ble fo r
Black. The kn ights a re sta n d i ng o n each other's toes a n d d evelopm ent i s bad) .
9.
'.2l xc6 bxc6
10.
Ji. a4, and White has an excel lent long-term ta rget on c6.
8. A C4
Avo i d i ng fu rther trades. Tem pting the bi shop to d 7 mostly took care of the ... �xd4
th reat.
8. .. it) 8c6 9. it) xc6 it) xc6 1 o.o-o e6 1 1 . � C3 A e1 12. A e3
And Wh ite enjoys a n ice advantage. We have more space and some options: play­
i ng on the open fi les i s a s i m p l e idea, wh i l e goi ng for fa-f4 and playing on the ki ng­
side seems even more d angerous.
A2) 4••• - xd5
Th i s looks a bit naive, but it i s not that bad for Bl ack. M a medyarov pl ayed it i n
some rapid games, so you ca n 't j ust refute i t ea s i ly.
5 · � c3
as 6. � xd4 � ffi 7.13
Th i s i s the most cha l lengi ng move. The bi shop wi l l be wel l-placed on the long
d i agon a l . We need to acknowledge that Black lost some ti me with the q ueen , but
the stru ctu re i s enti rely sym metrical . We need to prove that the more-active pieces
mean someth i ng and pl ay very concretely.
7. e5 8. � b3 Bc7 9· A g5
..
Th i s i s the most aggress ive move, tryi ng to wea ken the d 5-sq uare by captu ring on
f6. There i s a l so the s i m ple idea of playing ,g cl soon, op posi n g th e bl ack q u een .
9
.
. A b4
.
l l i
B lack at l east makes s u re there i s no knight com i ng to d 5 soon.
1 0. � xffi
Avrukh recom mended playing 10. � cl here, but taking on f6 seems more powerfu l
to me.
1 0 A xC3+
•..
B lack wants to avoid 1 0 gxf6 1 1 . B cl .
. . .
1 1 .bxc3 gxf6 1 2. ftd2
Stockfi sh assesses th i s position as about eq ual, but I don't ever see Bl ack getti ng a
safe king. O ne sample l i n e goes as follows:
12 . "c6
.
.
Th i s i s probably not the optimal defence, but otherwise Wh ite has easy moves l ike
.�. g2, o-o and then we'l l see where Black i ntends to pl ace the king.
13. g d1
M ate on d8!
13 . .0-0
.
14. 1l g1
It i s i m po rtant to keep i n m i nd that .;;. g 1 i s not a concession here at all. ,;£. g2 m ight
be a u sefu l tem po a nd g3-g4, i nten d i n g .;;. g3, looks even sca ri er.
B) 3 .dXC4
..
Th i s position a l so freq uently arises via the Queen's Gambit Accepted : L d4 d s 2.c4
dxc4 3- 'lJ f3 c 5.
4.e4
Wh ite has some decent altern atives at t h i s point, i n partic u l a r 4.d5. Thi s is rather
complicated tho ugh , a nd not clearly superior to 4.e41 which i s qu ite easy to play.
4...cxd4 5.
xd4
xd4 6. � xd4
l
Wh ite tries to prove th at the s u perior d evelopment co u nts fo r somethi ng. I bel ieve
that Wh ite i nd eed reta i n s a s l ight advantage.
a1 ) 6 . A d7 7. A xC4 � c6 8. A e3
..
N ow our bas ic set-up i s to play with fa-f3 and '21 d2 (ai m i ng for 'd C4 or '21 b3-C5
later) , keeping th e king in th e centre with � fa or � e2. We h ave some space adva n­
tage and cha nces to press o n th e q u een side.
8. �f6 9.f3 e6 1 0. � xc6 A xc6 1 1 . � d2
..
A typical l ine. Wh ite i ntend s to conti nue with 'd bJ or Si, e2 followed by 'd c4 and
has an easy, comfortable game.
B2) 6 ...a6 7. A xC4 es
A rather rad ical approach that weakens d s and keeps the a2-g8 d i agonal wide open.
It i s better to play . . . e7-e6, which would lead to s i m i la r positions as after 6
i n stead o f 6 . . . a 6 .
. . .
Ji. d 7
•
.l
8. � b3
I n stead , 8. 'd f3 a l so seems to be a bit better for Wh ite, but I th i n k it i s more l ogical
to stay close to the main battleground on the q u eenside. I also l i ke to keep the op­
tion of coveri ng e4 with fa-f3, making the centre very stable.
8... � f6 g. � c3 A b4 1 0. A d2
The best reply, not m i nd i ng B l ack's idea of grabbing e4.
10
•••
A xC3 1 1 . A xC3 � x� 1 2. A xes
And we rega i n the pawn with a nice edge d u e to the bi shop pair.
Conclusion
The rare l i nes J dxc4 and 3 cxd4 are not terri ble for Black, but White i s able to
..
. . .
mai nta i n at least a s m a l l adva ntage or some i n itiative.
CHAPTER 3
The Tarrasch Defence: 2 . c5 3.c4 eG
.
.
1 .d4 ds 2. �f3 c5 3·C4 e6
Th i s i s the most pop u l a r move at th i s poi nt, tra n s posing to the Tarrasch Defence
of the Queen's Gam bit. We don't m i nd th i s tra nsposition as the Ta rrasch can be
reached via m u lti ple move orders of o u r repertoi re, for exa mple i .d4 ds 2. '21 f3 '.21 f6
3-83 e6 4 �, g2 c 5
.
•
4.cxd5 exd5 5.13
5.0-0 'd
c6 6.c4 .�, e] 7.cxd 5 exd5.
The fi anchetto i s the m a i n l i ne aga i n st the Ta rrasch Defen ce. It i s i m portant to
understa nd that the Tarrasch i s more of a set- u p rather th a n a concrete stri ng of
moves.
Black's
set-up
co nsists
of
the
moves
. . . d7-d 5/ . . . c7-c5/ . . . e7-e6/ . . . 'd f6/ . . . 'd c6/ . . . :B. e7 and . . .o-o. The parti cular move order
is rather flexible - we wi l l see transpos itions to the Tarrasch from many chapters .
The usual pawn structu re that we wi l l reach i s a black I sol ated Queen Pawn
( I Q P) . Bl ack enjoys easy development, but the pawn i s a long-term l i a b i l ity. The
IQP wi l l ari se after Wh ite takes on c5 or B lack trades on d4. These two scenarios
share the same struct u re, but req u i re a s l i ghtly d ifferent approach. N ow, Black
mostly plays 5 ... 'd c6, but we also need to check a d iffe rent move order sta rti ng
with 5 . . . 'd f6, i n wh ich Black delays . . . 'll c6 for a wh i le. Th i s scenario mostly occu rs
when th e Tarrasch i s reached via tra n s position, for example after 1 .d4 d 5 2. 'd f3
'd f6 3.g3 e6 4. §i. g2 � e7 5.0-0 o-o 6.4 c5 7 .cxd 5 cxd 5.
Li ne A covers th e mostly-pl ayed version of th e Tarrasch with an early 'd c6, wh i l e
l i ne B shows the altern ative a n d less popul a r version without 'd c6.
A) 5 'fi c6 6. A g2 'fi f6
...
6 . . . c4 i s a n a m bitious idea that i s u sed i n some Ta rrasch l i nes, tryi ng to gai n space
on the q ueenside. Th i s is a prematu re vers ion: 7.0-0 � b4 ( B lack may a l so play
7 . . . 'd f6 : 8. 'd e5 (a key idea to remem ber. Aga i n st a n early . . . c5-4, it is prom i s i ng to
pressure the black pawn s with 'll e5 and b2-b3) 8 . . 1J, e7
.
g. 'd xc6
bxc6 1 0 . b3 cxb3
(B lack needs to accept an i nferior pawn structure) l l .axb3, with a comfortable game
for Wh ite. 1', a3 will trade the bishop, exposing th e d ark-sq uare weaknesses, i n par­
ticular c5, even more) .
7 . . JJ. b4 l ooks a bit odd, but Bl ack antici pates 'd c3 and i nten d s to captu re on c3 at
.
the right moment. As we will see, this will n ever material ize with the right respon se.
8.b3 (Wh ite may a l so play 8. 'a c3 h ere, wh ich a lso leads to some advantage. Th e
l i nes a re somewhat tricky, though. O u r choice i s eas i er to learn and sti l l good fo r
Wh ite) 8 . . . cxb3 (B lack ca n 't support t h e pawn o n c4 and has to take. Th e resu lting
structu re is at least sl ightly better for Wh ite, as Bl ack has the potential weakness on
d s and Wh ite has useful pressure on the open fi les as wel l)
9 . W¥xb3 'd
ge7 10. 'd c3
o-o 1 1 . );. a3 (tryi ng to trade th i s bishop m akes sen se, a s the dark sq u a res i n Black's
camp a re rather weak)
l 1. .
.
a5 1 2 . ;;;. fcl . We h ave good pressure on the q u een side i n
th i s position. A n idea to take note o f i s playi ng e2-e3 to relocate the f3-kn ight. I t
wou ld b e n i ce o n d 3 or f4, for exam ple.
7.0-0
Al ) 7... /J. e7
The main move by a m i le, but Black has tried many i nferior moves . I t's not
necessary to cover all of the m , but it i s u sefu l to know some ideas. I n my expe­
rience, it happens q uite often th at B l ack plays i nto the Tarrasch by accident, i n par­
ticular aga i n st our choice of move order. People who play L d4 d s 2.4 e6 3- :2) c3 c5
go for the Tarrasch i ntenti onally, but many pl ayers, in pa rticular at club level, play
. . . c7-c5 i n combination with . . . d 7-d5 without rea l izing wh at they wi l l get on the
boa rd . They wi l l often play a s u s pect l i ne that can be p u n i shed severely, so it's
worth checki ng out some of these deviations.
8.dxc5 A xes
I am not s u re wh at the motivation behi n d 8 . . . o-o is, to be ho nest. Bl ack i s i n trouble after the obvious
9 '£. e3,
.
•
and we keep the pawn !
1 1 . � xd4. I see no com pensation for Black.
9·83
g . . 'Q g4
.
10. :Ji, d4 'd xd4
Th i s l i n e has become very popu lar i n recent years . Wh ite plans a n expa n sion on the
q ueenside with b2-b4, forc i n g a com m itment by the c5-bishop. It is very i m po rta nt
to understand that Wh ite is not a i mi ng for 'd bd2-b3-d4, but rath er wa nts to use the
kn i ght on c3 to attack the weakness on ds. An additiona l poi nt is that g gs is sti ll
possi ble, so you don't h ave to play .'Ji. b2 i n all cases . Wh ite has ach i eved excellent
res u lts with this a pproac h , so it was a natu ral candidate for th i s repertoi re. An
added bon u s is that Black's best reply is not obviou s at a l l . Routi ne moves q u ickly
lead to very comfo rtable positions for Wh ite.
Al l ) 9··· � �
Th i s enjoys the best theoretical reputation, but i s n ot a n obvious move at a l l .
1 0. � fcfa
I th i n k th i s straightfo rward move i s best. Wh ite ch a l l enges the i ntruder i m mediately
and sta rts forcing play. After the altern ative 1 0. b4 g e] 1 1 . g b2 g f6, we see one
idea of . . . 'd e4: the relocation of the bi shop. White might stil l be a bit better i n th i s
l i ne, but I prefer the d i rect sol ution .
1 0 fs
•..
Th i s looks l i ke Black's best bet.
1 ) 1 0 . . . 'd xd2 1 1 . 'd xd2 (1 i . W!'xd2 isn't bad either, but 1 1 . 'd xd 2 has an i nteresting
point I 'd l i ke to show) 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 2. b4 (12. 'll b3 j;, b6 1 3. JJ. xd 5 iJ. h 3 gives Bl ack good
com pensation and s h ould be avoided) 1 2 . JJ. b6 ( 1 2 . . . j;, d4 1 3- g a2. We don't m i nd
.
.
th i s m ove at all. It p repares JJ. b2, and the rook might be l i fted to d2 later) 1 3- 'd b3
� f6 1 4. g a2.
Th i s is the point I mentio ned . A set-u p with � d2 and j;, b2 is h i gh ly desirable and
prepared with th i s elegant move. Wh ite has a n noying p ressure aga i nst the I QP;
2)
lo ...
j;, f5 1 1 . 'd xe4 JJ. xe4 1 2 . JJ. xe4 dxe4 1 J. gc2. i o . . . JJ, f5 allowed this seq uence,
givi ng Black a wea k pawn on e4. Wh ite is better now, for exa mple i n the following
l i ne: i 3 . . . !¥Me7 1 4. 'll c3 e3 1 5. �. xe3 JJ. xe3 1 6 . '2l d 5, and Wh ite wins a pawn, because
Black can't take on fa n ow. 1 6 . . . i, xfa+ i 7. 1! xfa .
N ow the q u een h as no good square. I f the queen moves on the d-fi le, B. d1 is going
to be devastati ng, and 17 ... � e5 1 8. B. f5 doesn 't h e l p either.
1 1 . � X�
I d i dn't fi nd anythi ng too clear after the more com plicated l i nes start i n g with
1 1 . 'll bJ The issue with 1 1 . 'd b3 is the line 1 1 . . . � b6 1 2. 'd c3
j;; e6 1 3- 'd a4 d4!, which
seem s satisfactory for B l ack. Fortunately, the captu re on e4 l eads to a small advan­
tage i n my opi n ion.
11 dx�
• ••
The move l 1 . . .fxe4 i s too am bitious: 1 2. b4 ,�, b6 1 3. 'd c3 ,�, e6 1 4. 'd a4. We wi l l get
the i m portant bi shop on b6, secu ri ng some advantage.
12.
xd8+ 'i) xd8 13. 'i) c3 A e6 14.14
A key part ofWhite's play. We should attack the pawn ch a i n i m med i ately.
14.. g6 1 5.gxfs gxf5 1 6. * f4
.
'
'
I t h i n k Wh ite i s slightly better here. We h ave more active pos s i b i l ities, for exam ple
on the queen side based on moves l i ke 'd bs, B. cl and b2-b4. Another i dea worth
noting is playi ng '�· h 1 and conti n u i n g with fa-f3 next. That opens the l ong d i agon al
and gets u s c l oser to attacking the fs- pawn , which i s more exposed than the e2pawn . Black has many possible moves now, so I 'd l i ke to stop at th i s poi nt. It is a n
i nteresting position to explore further, together with a h uman or s i l ico n partner.
A12) 9. .0-0 i o.b4
.
1 0 $\ b6
••.
The more active bishop post. Com pared to th e l i ne with the ea rly . . . a7-a6 and
. .
. ;;. a], Black i s savi ng a tem po, but the bi shop is fa r more exposed on b6, in pa r­
ticular to 'd a4 ideas. The 'd a4 plan i s yet anoth er argument i n favour of playi ng
the bl -kn ight to c3.
B lack m ay also p l ay 10
. . .
§i. e1, wh ich looks a bit pass ive. We'll get a n ice advantage
without any problems: 1 1 . 'a c3 (aga i n , play th i s fi rst! 1 1 . .� b2 would al low . . . 'd e4
and
. . .
� f6. Th i s i s not the end of the world, but I 'd rather keep Black's pieces pas­
sive) l l .. . � e6 1 2. � b2 .S. c8 1 3. g c1 �d 7 14.e3 g fd8 1 5. 'a e2.
We keep d4 n i cely controlled and h ave 'Q f4 next - a very comfortable position for
Wh ite.
1 1 . � c3
Playin g th i s fi rst keeps the ;t, gs option.
1 1 h6
. ••
1 1 . . .§. e8 1 2. ,£, gs (Black ignored the p i n , so we are happy to play th i s) 1 2 . . ,£, e6
.
.
1 3-bs (we need to play th i s fi rst. 1 J. j;; xf6 � xf6 14. '21 xd 5 g xd 5 i 5. �xd5 leads
nowhere, d ue to 1 5 . . . .§. xe2) i3 . '21 as i4.e3 (secu ri ng the e-pawn ) . N ow, B l ack can't
.
.
prevent the seq u ence starting with Q xf6 and he i s i n trouble.
1 2. A b2 g e8 13. -t') 84 JJ. c7 14. ll c1
With an excel lent position for Wh ite. Black i s passively pl aced and we have m u lti ple ideas to increase the p ress u re, such as 'd c5 or 'i!!t c2 to prepare � fd 1 .
A13) 9 . a6 1 0.b4 JJ. a7 1 1 . -i') C3
..
l l i
As mentioned , we want to attack the I Q P d i rectly. It is best to play the knight now,
i n stead of Ji. b2, and sti l l h ave the option to pin with 1i, gs. I n fact, B l ack need s to
react to th i s th reat.
11 d4
•••
1 ) l l .. o-o 1 2. §1. gs. Black ignored Wh ite's idea and is in grave trouble now. Wh ite
.
th reatens to take on f6 and d s, wi n n ing the central pawn . 1 2 . . . d4 l J. 'd e4. Black's
kingside wi l l be s h attered now, giving White a clea r advantage;
2) 1 1 . . . h6 1 2. �. b2 (eventual ly, the b i shop settles on b2, but only after h aving pro­
voked the move . . . h7-h6) 12 . .
.
0-0
l J.e3 (n ow, the idea is to play 'll e2 next, followed
by 'a f4) 1 3-. . d4 (th i s princi pled move needs to be checked, of cou rse. After
1 3 . j;: fs 14. 'd e2, Wh ite has a n i ce advantage. 'd f4, � b3 and a rook to d1 are easy
.
.
fol low-u p moves) 1 4. 'd xd4 'd xd4 l 5.exd4 .�. xd4 1 6 .
,•,
d2. White i s better here, be­
cause B l ack is not able to d evelop the c8-bishop easi ly.
1 2. 'fi a4 o-o 13. � b2
.l
Wh ite i s better as the d4-pawn i s rather weak after a potential 'd c5.
A14) 9 a5
. ..
Stopping b2-b4 once and for a l l , but wea kening the q ueenside beyond repa i r. Wh ite
i s better now with more th an one l i ne, but the one I s uggest seems very con­
vinci ng.
10. f!C2 � b6
After th e move 1 0 . . �. e], we get the fo l l owi ng:
.
.
l l . B. d 1 o-o
1 2. 21 CJ. I know it
sou nds harsh, but t h i s is close to a wi n ni ng pos ition . White threatens e2-e4 al­
ready, and n either I nor the engi nes see a way for Black to mai ntain a playa ble posi­
tion.
n . � gs
B lack has huge problems to keep ds. Let's check o ne l i ne.
n .. h6 1 2. Axf6 ftxffi 13. � c3 A e6 14. ftb3 ffd8
.
Sad , but it was a dou ble attack on b6 and ds.
1 5. � � g a6 1 6. g fd1
With a l a rge advantage for White.
A.2) 7 cxd4
. ..
Th i s capture i s premature, but a rather common occu rrence.
8. � xd4
Th i s position or the one after 8
. .
.
:�. e]
9 . 'd c 3
often a ri ses fro m d ifferent move or­
ders, e.g. L d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 e6 }g3 c5 4. g g2 cxd4 5.0-0 'd c6 6. 'd xd4 d s 7.c4 g e]
8.cxd5 exd 5
9.
'd e}
A21 ) 8 JJ. e7 9· � c3 O·O
...
i o. A e3
Con s idered to be best here. White a l so scores wel l with alternatives li ke 10 . b3. Th e
move to avo id i s 10. fi. gs, as thi s gives B l ack the opportun ity to play 1 0 . . . . h6, after
which he has noth ing better than retu rn i n g to e3, givi ng Black th e usefu l . . . h 7-h 6
move.
To com pare, we should have a brief look at the l i ne 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 c5 J.C4 e6 4.cxd 5
exd 5 5.g3 'D c6 6. fi. g2 'Ll f6 7.0-0 fi. e] 8. 'D c3 ( I recommend dxc5 here)
which is the trad iti onal main l i ne of the Tarrasch . H ere,
9. .
.
o-o 9 . �
gs,
cxd4 10. 'd xd4 h 6
1 1 . � e3 i s Bl ack's best reply. The ea rly capture o n d 4 bas ica l ly mea n s that Black i s
playi ng th i s mai n l i ne, but without the usefu l move . . . h7-h6. Th i s seems l i ke a
rather m inor poi nt at fi rst, but closer i n spection shows that the conseq u ences are
severe. One i mportant poi nt i s that . . . h7-h6 prevents a later j;; gs, p i n n i ng the
kn i ght. Th i s could be releva nt i n particular after a ... g e8/ ... � f8 seq uen ce, wh ich is
very com mon. Now, why does White play
9.
�. e3, a n gling for
9
.
9.
J;. gs i n the main l i n e then ? Why not
. . . cxd4 1 0. 'd xd4 ? The issue i s 9 . . . 4! , which gives Black a d e­
cent game.
Back to the pos ition on the board. The b i shop move to e3 covers the d4-kn ight and
helps to control the blockade sq uare. I s uggest aiming for a set-up with B. c1 / � b3
and B. fd 1 i n m ost cases, putti ng i m med iate pressu re on Bl ack's I Q P. Black now
usually plays a com bination of th e moves . . . g e8, . . . �. f8 and . . . �. e6/g4, . . . � d7. I f
.
yo u remem ber th e general set-up with g c 1 / � b3/ g fd 1 , you should b e fi ne. There
i s one s ituation where � a4 i s even stronger, and we need to look at some s a m ple
l i nes.
10 ji e8
•••
1 ) lO . . � e6 1 1 . g c1 'gd7 1 2. � b3 JJ. h3 1 3. B. fd 1 (the standard set-u p has been com­
.
pleted) 1 3 . . . g xg2 i 4. � xg2.
Th i s i s one of th e positions where Black wou l d love to have . . . h7-h6 a l ready played
- j;; gs is an i m portant idea now, i ncreasing the pressure on the I QP;
2) 10 . . . 1J. S4 (against early . . . .©, g4 sorties, I recommend always playi ng h2-h3,
which turns out to be u seful) 1 1 .h 3 j;; e6 1 2. B. c1 '!id7 l J. �· h2. The engines even
prefer l J.g4, but the si m ple king move is fi ne. One idea that I 'd l i ke to show is the
fol lowing: 1 3 . . . B. fe8 14.f4 B. ac8 1 5. � fa.
The idea i s to take on e6 and continue with e2-e4, open ing u p th e position fo r the
bishop pair.
1 1 . Ji c1
Th i s u n iversally-usefu l move should be played fi rst before a ny other com m itment.
11
• ••
Am
An alternative i s 1 1 . . . j;; e6 1 2. � b3 � d7 ( 1 2 . . . 'd a s 1 3- � C2 'd C4 1 4. ,©, gs i s one l i ne
where JJ. gs comes i n handy. We play E. fd 1 next, with enormou s pressure on the
I Q P. Another i m portant idea is to play '21 f5 at the ri ght moment) 1 3- B. fd l . Aga i n , we
have usefu l pres s u re aga i n st the I Q P.
1 2. fta4
Here, this move is even stronger than the u sual � bl
1 2... � d7
Th i s move i s Black's resou rce aga i n st � a4 i n the pos ition with the extra move
. . . h 7-h6. Here, it fa i l s com p l etely d ue to a tactic. If . . 'JJ, d7 does not work, Bl ack i s
.
short of a good reply.
1 3. � xd5 � xd5 1 4. A xd5
Wh ite j u st grabbed a pawn . The only move worth checking now i s i4 . . . 'll e1, but it
fa i l s m i serably.
1 4... � e7
1 5. A xf7+ m xfJ 1 6.
b3+ m g6
After 1 6 . . . '� f6 1 7 . .;;. fd 1 , Wh ite's attack i s d ead ly, with '21 bs being the i m m ed i ate
th reat.
17. � e6 A xe6 1 8.
xe6+
H ere's the d ifference of the h-pawn ! B lack does not h ave . '� h7 and gets check­
.
.
mated .
1 8 ... m hs 19.
·
fJ+ m g4 20.
f3+ � h3 21 .
·
hs#
It i s not com pletely i m possi ble to get that i n a game - fi ngers crossed !
A22) 8.. A cs
.
Th i s looks more active than 8 . . ;Ji, e], but it has mu lti ple d rawbacks.
.
9. � xc6 bxc6 10. 8C2
Th i s i s the most d i rect way to tackle 8 . � c5. Black can't move the bi shop aga i n as
. .
c6 is u nprotected .
10 ftb6 11. � c3
•..
We are th reatening 1 2 . '21 a4 now.
11 /J. e1 12.e4
•••
With an excel l ent position for White. Note th at B lack ca n 't play 1 2 . . . d4 n ow: 1 3. -21 a4
� bs 14. B. d 1 , and d4 d rops because of 14 . . . c5 l 5.e5. Yes, it's a strong bi shop on g2 !
A23) 8 ... ft b6 9. � xc6
It looks l i ke we are helping Black with fixi ng the I Q P struct u re, but the res u lting
c6/d5 form atio n i s sti l l weak and wi l l be attacked q uickly.
9. . bxc6 1o. � c3 IJ. e1
.
l l i
l
1 1 .�
Th i s i s even stronger than 1 1 . '21 a4, a s pl ayed i n the classic game Rubi nstei n-Salwe,
Lodz 1 908. This is one of the games every player should study - R u b i n stei n ex­
ploited the black pawn and square weaknesses s uperbly.
1 1 dx� 12. � xe4
• ••
Wh ite i s better d u e to the su perior pawn structu re. Moves l i ke Y!M c2 and ,�, e3 are
effective fol low-ups.
A3) 7 . A e6
..
B lack delays the d evelopment of the kingside. The poi nt to remem ber about th i s
a pproach is to not take o n c5 if Black i s a b l e to recapture with the bi shop from f8,
savi ng a tempo o n the usual ;Ji. f8-e]Xc5 seq uence. I n other word s,
. . .
:Ji. e7 is the
move that sign al s we should ta ke on c5.
8. � C3
A31) 8 h6
...
Taking the waiti ng game to the extreme. Thi s is a q u ite rare l i ne, but it is relevant to
our normal approach of taki ng on c5 and playi ng a2-a3 and b2-b4 next. Th i s posi­
tion may a l so arise after 7 . . . h 6 8. 'll c3 §1. e6.
9.a3 g c8
Sti l l playi ng the tempo game with the bis hop on f8 .
The 9 . c 4 adva nce does n ot wo rk wel l here: 10.b3 cxb3 1 1 . � xb3- N ow, t h e pressure
. .
on b7 and d s i s very serious. Black actu ally has no reasonable move to d efen d b7.
1 0. � e3 C4
It was tough to sti l l wa it - c5 was attacked.
n . � es
I n stead, 1 L b3 'd as! i s a l ot worse.
l i.
N ow Wh ite i s clearly better, as we have m u lti ple ideas that a re tough to defend
aga i n st. The tactical idea is 'd xc4, fo l l owed by d4-d5. Th i s opens up the ga me very
favoura bly for the bi shops. Another dangerous plan is based on h2-h 3/fa-f4 and
g3-g4, attacking on the ki ngside.
A32) 8.. Ji c8
.
B lack keeps waiti ng. After 8 . . . �. e?, we ta ke on c5, getting a good version of th e
.
m a i n l i ne.
9. A gs
Th i s i s very awkwa rd to meet fo r Black.
9... A e1
An other move for B lack i s 9 . h6, but after 1 0. g xf6 � xf6 l l .e4, Black wi l l wonder i f
..
delaying th e ki ngside developm ent paid off.
1 0.dxc5 O·O
1 0 . . �. xc5 1 1 . !Ji, xf6 �xf6 1 2. <.21 xd5 � xb2
.
.
l J.
'll gs, with a stron g attack for White.
1 1 . Ii c1
And Wh ite i s a lot better, as Black does not get th e pawn back.
11
• ••
A xes 12. A xf6 '8.xf6 13. � xd5
The .�. c5 i s hanging, preventing Black from grabbing on b2.
B) 5 � f6
.••
B lack delays . . 'd c 6 and prioritizes kingside devel opment. Th i s l ine h a s little i nde­
.
pendent val ue, because the natural move . . 'd c6 wi l l be pl ayed very often for a
.
transposition . We need to exa m i ne one particu lar l i ne where it m atters :
6. A g2 A e1 7 .o-o o-o 8.dxcs A xcs
9.a3
Th i s position occu rs fa r less frequently than the version with
. . .
'd c6
bei n g played
i n stead of . . . o-o. It is obvi ous ly q u ite transpos itional, for exa m ple, after the most
popu lar move
9.
.
. 'd c6, we transpose d i rectly. The only move th at should be
checked i n more d eta i l i s 9
other vers ion .
9··· 'i) �
. . .
'21 e4, as this i s q uite su bstantially d i fferent from the
g . . 'd
.
c6 10.b4 transposes to l i ne A.
1 0. 'i) fcl2
We are goi ng fo r the same approach a s i n the other version of th i s l i ne with . 'd c6
. .
played instead of castl i n g ki ngside.
a1 ) 1 0...
e1 1 1 . 'i) xe4 dxe4 1 2. 'i) c3 g d8
H ere, Black may a l so play 1 2 . . .f5.
1 3- ,� gS (a nice shot, givi ng Wh ite a s i zeable advantage) 1 3 ... � f7 (1 3 . . �' xfa+
.
1 4. � xfa � xg5 1 5. � d5+ � h8 1 6. '2i xe4 ends in a d i sa ster for Bl ack) 14. B. ci .
Wh ite's h uge development lead i s worrisome fo r B l ack. We th reaten 1 5. '2i d 5 and
1 5. 'd xe4.
13. 1'a4
The more obvi ous 13. � c2 has been p layed i n a gra ndmaster ga me, but after 1 3 . . . f5
1 4.g4! ?, White need s to enter some com p l icatio ns that I did not want to play into.
1 3. � a4 i s easier to hand le.
13 ... e3
Th i s i s better tha n 1 3- . .f5. Then, we play 14. ;;!;; g5 (th i s idea aga i n ! It is a bit different
to th e ea rlier o ne, though) 14 . . . g xfa+ 1 5. � xfa �xg5 1 6. �c4+ � h 8 1 7. � afl . Com­
pared to the other ;;!;; g5 l i n e, we don 't have the i m med iate 'd xe4, but the rook
move th reatens th e capture due to the back- rank m ate. Black does not h ave a fu l ly
satisfactory reply now.
1 4. A xe3 A xe3 1 5.fxe3 ffxe3+ 1 6. itl h1 � c6 1 7. g ad1
Wh ite enjoys a sl ight advantage, d ue to h i s better piece activity. I wou ld be happy
to p lay th i s position . If you 'd l i ke to fight fo r even more, I 'd l i ke to point you to
l 3- �c2, which is more pri nci pled, b ut I d i d not want to go beyond move 20, i n pa r­
ticu lar not for a si del i ne.
82) 1 0. f5
..
Th i s i s a lot worse com pared to the other vers ion .
1 1 . � b3
Th i s l i ne now gai n s some strength . The poi nt wi l l become c l ear shortly.
11
. ••
A b6 12. � C3 � xc3
1 2 . . . ;b; e6 1 3- 'd a4. Here is th e difference between . . . o-o and . . 'd c6. With . . . 'd c6
.
being played , B l ack h as the move ... d 5-d4!, which i s not possi ble now. Now Black
i s i n trou ble - we ga i n control over d4 and l i kely wi l l be able to ta ke on b6, netti ng
the bis hop pa i r.
13.bxC3 A e6 1 4.a4
l i
Wh ite i s a lot better i n th i s pos ition. We have idea s of playing a4-a5 a nd 'd c5, .�. a3
or j u st pi l i ng up on ds with � d 3 and � d l .
a3) 1 0... A fs 1 1 . � x� Ax� 12. A x� dx� 13. � C3
This s i m pl e sequence after
10
. . .
'f:l fs nets some adva ntage. H ow does Bl ack save
the e4-paw n ?
a4) 1 0. . . � xd2 1 1 . � xd2 � c6 12.b4
We have trans posed to l i ne A aga i n .
Conclusion
The Ta rrasch Defence does not equal ize for Bl ack if we are preci se. Wh ite has use­
ful pressu re, most of the ti me in a nti-IQP positions. It is i m po rtant to study the
Tarra sch, becau se you wi l l rather freq uently get it on the board from other move or­
ders. Qu ite often, Black trans poses i nto t h i s open i ng without a ny concrete kn owl­
edge, a fact that we shou l d expl oit as best a s possi ble.
CHAPTER 4
Griinfeld Reversed - Black takes on d4 without .. . fl cG:
2 . . ilfG 3.gJ c5 4 . ft g2 cxd4 5 . 0-0
.
.
1 .d4 d S 2 tD f3 tD f6 3· 13 c5 4· j\ g2 cxd4 5.0-0
·
l l l l
Th i s and the two su bseq uent chapters deal with th e Reversed G ru nfeld . After the
i n itial moves 1 .d4 d5 2. '21 f3 '21 f6 }g31 the move ). .. c5 is probably the most active
and a m b itious l i ne ava i l able to Black at th is poi nt. The ga me n ow q u ite frequently
ta kes the shape of a Gru nfeld Defence with reversed colours. I am usu a l ly q u ite
sceptical of 'colo urs reversed' ope n i n gs, a s the extra tempo often does not matter
th at m uch. I n this particular case, however, the s ituation is d ifferent. The G ru nfeld
is a very con crete, tem po-sensitive open i ng and the extra tem po matters a lot. The
Reversed G ru nfeld scores excellently for Wh ite, a l so d ue to th e fact that black play­
ers usually only have a vague idea about the theoretical d eta i l s .
I need to mention that the starting moves of the Reversed G ru nfeld a re qu ite
s i m i l a r to the Ta rrasch Defence from Chapter 3- I n the Tarra sch, Black also pl ays
the moves . . . d7-d 5 and . . . c7-c51 but the move order m atters here. Chapter 3 exam­
i nes i .d4 ds 2. '21 f3 c5 3.c4 e6, after wh ich we are able to ta ke on ds and create a
u s u a l ly favou ra ble I Q P s ituatio n, typical of the Ta rrasch. I n the Reversed G ru nfeld,
Black plays ... c7-c5 and then captu res on d4 before White i s able to play c2-c4. The
most com mon exa m ple is i .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 'd f6 J.g3 c5 4. ;b; g2 cxd4, th e move order
exami ned in th i s chapter.
1 .d4 d5 2. � f3 � ffi
Black may a l so start with 2 . . .e 6 and 3 . . .c 5 and delay . . 'd f6 fo r a few moves, but th is
.
knight development is very natu ral and it makes l ittle sense to avo id it. We con ­
ti nue with o u r normal devel opment sch eme of the ki ngside fia nch etto and Black
wi l l pl ay . . 'd f6 at some po int to transpose.
.
3·13 cs
The d efi n i n g move of thi s chapter. Black attacks our d4-pawn , wh ich i s the most
aggressive o ption ava i lable to h i m . Black often combines . . . c7-c5 with . . . e7-e6, so it
is no su rprise that 3 . .. e6 fi rst and a later . . . c7-c5 is met frequently. I d ecided to
cover these set-ups via 3. . . c5 as wel l . There i s no i ndependent val ue i n goi ng 3 . . . e6
fi rst if Black has ... c7-c5 i n mind.
4. A p
I 'd l i ke to mention that 4.c4 i s an i nteresting alternative here. Thi s pos ition has
been mostly reached by a completely d ifferent move order: i .c4 c5 2. 'd f3 '21 f6 ].g3
d s 4.d4. Black should eq ualize with 4. . . dxc4, but stil l this l i n e i s something to
check if you l i ke to vary you r pl ay. Now, after 4. }J. g2, Black has two main a p­
proaches : to take on d4 or keep the tension fo r the mom ent.
4...cxd4
Th i s particu l a r move order i s i m po rta nt to study. One key element of the Reversed
G ru nfeld concept is that the kn ight on d4 wou ld l i ke to ca ptu re on c6 after bei ng
attacked by . . . e7-e5. The best sample l i ne fo r th i s concept i s 4. . . cxd4
6. \d xd4 e5 7. '21 xc6 bxc6 8.c4, as exa m i ned in Chapter
5.
5.0-0 '.d c6
Here, Bl ack takes before
placi ng a kn i ght on c6. Therefore, White has to worry about being h it by . . . e7-e5
and then bei ng fo rced to retreat u nder u nfavo u rable ci rcum stances.
We a l so need to exa m i n e the move 4. .. e6 (th i s position may have ari sen via d i f­
ferent move orders, l i ke i .d4 '2i f6 2. '2i f3 e6 3.g3 c5 4. � g2 d 5) · We p lay the normal
5.0-0. Now, Bl ack w i l l most l i kely play 5 ... cxd4, which tra n s poses to 4 ... cxd4
5.0-0
e6 ( l i ne A below) . Another option is 5 . . . 'd c6, wh ich transposes to Chapter 6 after
our standard move 6.c4. Black has one i ndepen dent option: 5 . . . � e] will not trans­
pose el sewhe re i n th i s cha pter. 6.c4 dxc4.
Th i s i s a rare l ine and not th at great for B lack, but I always l i ke to check what to do
if they d ecide to take on C4· How do you get the pawn back? In the fa r more pop­
ular pos itio n with . . 'd c6 bei ng played i n stead of . �. e1 (Cha pter 6) , we have 'LJ es
.
.
..
.
ava i l a ble. H ere, thi s m a kes l ittle sense, so we need somet h i ng else.
7. �a4+ ( I also l i ke 7.dxc5 here. Th i s is a l ready a good option with . . . 'd c6 played in­
stead of .. � e1, and here . � f8-e7xc5 takes two moves to regai n the pawn. Sti l l ,
.
.
. .
j u st checking on a4 wi l l regai n the pawn with a good game) 7 j;; d7 (after 7
...
8.
�'
x4 o-o g.
. ..
'd bd7
g d 1 , we tra n s pose into Chapter 9 , where th i s position i s reached via
i .d4 d5 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3-g3 e6 4. � g2 �. e7 5.0-0
o-o
6.c4 dxc4 7. WJ c2 'd bd7 8. � XC4
c5 9 . B. d 1 ) 8. W!Jxc4 �. c6 (th i s looks l i ke Bl ack's best bet to develop the bishop, but
it has a con crete problem) 9.dxc5 (now, B lack has to worry about getti ng the pawn
back) 9 . . 'd bd7 10 � e3 (please avoid th e prematu re l o . b4 a s, when l 1 .a3 i s not
.
. •
pos s i ble and l 1 . b5 Jl d s a l so fa i l s) 1 0 . . . ,;;. c8 1 1 . 'd c3 b6 1 2 . g fd 1
o-o
1 3. ,;;. acl , and
Black now ca n't avoid . . . bxc5 a nymore, givi ng u s the m uch better pawn structu re.
5.0-0
Th i s i s very i mportant. We should avoid 5. 'd xd4 es, wh ich gives Bl ack a good
game. We will see that 5.0-0 e6 6. ·'21 xd4 es i s a respecta ble l i ne fo r Black, and los­
i ng a fu l l tem po on this is a bad idea. It is a l so i nteresti ng to com pare o u r a pproach to the l i n e i .d4 d5 2. 'd f3 g6?! 3-C4 'd f6 4.cxd5, wh ich i s pa rt of our reper­
toi re (Chapter 21 ) . H ere, Black lacks the crucial tem po to castl e, as 4. . . � g7 i s hit
by 5. � a4+, and 4 .. o '2l xd 5 5.e4 i s excellent for Wh ite, as the black kn ight needs to
retreat to the pass ive b6-square. N ow at th i s point, rather often Black pl ays the
most natural move 5 . . 'll c6 (Chapter 5) , after wh ich 6. 'll xd4 i s the comfortable
.
reply. More c u n n i n g a re Black's tries to delay the knight move.
A) 5 e6 6. � xd4
...
After B lack has played . . . e7-e6, it gets a bit more attractive to take on d4. Yes, Black
m i ght kick the knight to the b3-square, but it i s a ti me-cons u m ing affa i r with fi rst
. . . e7-e6 and then . . . e6-e5, los i n g a tem po. Please note th at this pos ition m ay arise
from vario u s move orders, fo r i n stance, via i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 e6 J.g3 c5 4. g g2 cxd4
5.0-0 d 5 6. 'd xd4 or 1 .d4 e6 2. 'd f3 c5 J.g3 cxd4 4. 'd xd4 'd f6 5 Ji. g2 d5 6.o-o .
.
•
Ai) 6 e5 7· 'fi b3
...
Black has b u i lt u p a nice centre, but lacks development. We need to put pres s u re
on the black pawn centre and idea l ly destroy it. We wi l l conti n ue with c2-4 i n most
cases, attacki ng the ds-pawn i m med iately. There i s one li ne where piece press u re i s
even more effective. Let's check the deta i l s.
Al l ) 7 . A e6 8.C4
. .
Attacki ng the centre with the pawn makes the most sense to me. I need to mention
that 8. 'd c3 is also frequently pl ayed and is an i nteresti ng alternative.
8 . . � c6 9.cxd5 � xd5
.
Another move for Black is 9 . �. xd 5.
..
1 0. g
.
h3 (I l i ke th i s u n conventional move. We avoid the trade and plan to attack the
d s-bishop with 'll c3 next. Th at bei ng said, the s i m ple
Wh ite as wel l - the d s-square is a bit weak)
10 . . . ;Ji
e]
1 0 . 'd c3
11.
is s l i ghtly better for
'll c3 ;Ji c4 1 2. g g2. We are
s l i ghtly better here. The g2-bi shop helps to b u i l d play o n the q ueen side with moves
l i ke Ji. e3 a nd WJ c2 to come.
1 0. � 1d2
O u r idea i s to play 'd e4 and th reaten 'LJ c5 a nd/or 'd gs.
10 A e1
•..
The most obvious and freq uently-played move. B lack m ay also play the rare, but
a mbitious 10 . . . �c7, goi ng for a n early
...
� d8: 1 1 . 'd e4 � d 8 1 2. 'd gs (you may also
play 12. � d2, i ntending .§. cl and 'd c5 later. The kn ight j u m p leads to a fa scinati ng
q ueen sacrifice) 1 2 . . 'd e3 1 3. 'd xe6 fxe6 14. �xd8+ �xd8 1 5. �. xeJ.
.
Stockfi sh eval uates t h i s position a s equal. I wou l d prefer White here, despite th e
materia l d eficit. We h ave excellent pieces, a re ahead i n d evelopment and wi l l very
l i kely win one or m ore pawn s as the press u re mo unts after the rooks arrive on c1
and d l . I actua l ly bel ieve White is risking very little here, but if you feel uncomfortab l e with th i s position, there is 1 2 . 'JJ, d2 for more conventional play.
1 1 . 'i) � b6
The alternative 1 1 . . . '@ b6 1 2. 'd gs is also q uite annoyi ng for Black: 1 2 . . . �. xg5 1 3- g xg5
.
h6 1 4. ,JJ, xd5 g xd 5 1 5. � xd5 hxg5 1 6. ,;;. fd 1 , and Bl ack's wea kened pawn structu re i s
not easy to handle.
12. 'i) C3
Th i s i s more of a challenge than 1 2. 'd g 5 .�, xg5 1 3 . �. xg5 f6, when Black eq ualizes
.
q u ite comfortably.
12 . 'i) db4
..
13.a3
Th i s i nitiates a forced seq uence1 lead i ng to a n interesti ng endgame. The fo l l owing
l i nes are a bit d eeper than u s u a l fo r th i s book1 but th ere are only few alternatives
along the way and yo u need to d ri l l a bit to get a clearer verd ict.
13...
xd1 1 4. 1! xd1 A xb3 1 s.axb4 1! c8
Forced after 1 3.aJ.
1 6. A h3
I checked some altern atives h ere, but th is is the most testi ng it seems.
16 ... A xd1 1 7. A xes A b3 1 8. A b7 md7 19.bs � as 20. A ds A xds
I n the game Cosm a- H oo It, Herson i ssos 201 7, 20
. . .
�, c2 2 1 . g xf7 was played . Prob­
•
a bly, B lack m iscalcu lated some l i n e after 20 . $; xd 5 and d iscarded the move. Thi s,
. .
however, i s j u st l ost.
21 . � xd5
Black now should eq u a l ize with 2 1 . . Ji, d 6. I am stoppi ng at th i s poi nt, bei ng be­
.
yo nd move 20. Black may equal ize at the end, but it is not an easy tas k to master,
i n particular over the board .
A1 2) 7••• � c6
8. A gs
Th i s move i s even stronge r than 8.c4. Th e reason i s that after 7 . 'l.l c6, Black has
. .
fo rfeited the opti on to rei nforce the knight on f6 with
...
'd bd7. This i s a key differ­
ence to 7 . �, e 6 8 . �, gs '.d bd7!, for example. N ow, th e pressure on d s i s mountin g
. .
.
.
quickly - th e c6-kn i ght is not con nected to the defence o f th i s pawn a t a l l .
8... A e6 9 . � C3
B lack i s u nable to defend d s anymore a n d need s t o advance i n the centre.
9
..
.d4 1 0. �� A e7 1 1 . A xffi gxf6
An altern ative for B l ack is
11
. . .
�, xf6 1 2. 'd bc5 (the knight i s not m is placed on b3 a l l
.
of th e time!) 1 2 . . . g c8 1 3- 'd xf6+ �xf6 1 4.cJ. Black i s u nder severe pressure. Our
m i nor pieces are excellent a ssets.
12. � ec5 A c8 1 3. g cl
Stockfi sh s uggests thi s new move, prepa ri ng to recaptu re with the rook after a fu­
tu re c2-c3 pawn move. The i m med iate c2-c3 i s also pro m i s i n g fo r Wh ite.
A1 3) 7... A e7 8.C4 d4
8 . . . dxc4 9 . .'Nxd8+ .�. xd8 1 0. '.21 3d2, with an excel lent pos ition fo r Wh ite. The g2bi shop i s a monster and the kn ight on C4 wi l l be very a n noyi ng for Black as wel l .
N ote the wea k square/pawn on d 6 and es.
9.e3
Attacking the centre q u ickly i s best here. N ow, B lack either loses d4 or need s to ad­
vance the pawn aga i n.
9... d3
After 9 . 'd c6
. .
1 0 . •'£. xc6+,
I see no reason not to grab th e central pawn. Yes , we give
up the strong bi shop, however it is not some u n i m portant fl a n k pawn, but th e dpawn we wi n .
1 0 . . . bxc6 1 1 .exd4
exd4
1 2 . lh%' xd4.
I don't see suffi cient com pensation
for the pawn. O u r d evelopment is fi ne and the weakened l ight squares around the
king are not goi ng to be rel evant anyti me soon.
10. 'i) c3
B l ack's main problem i s that the d-pawn i s i n danger of bei ng cut off from the rest
of the camp. After ideas l i ke e3-e4 and '.d d s, th e pawn is a l most i nd efen s i ble.
'll d2/ 'll d s and � b3 i s another way to corral th e lone soldier on dJ.
10. s\ g4
..
The most i nteresti ng try.
11. A f3 hs 1 2.� 'i) c6 1 3. .\\ xg4 �
l
l
1 4. � ds
Wh ite enjoys a nice adva ntage, as both d3 and g4 are weak. There a re pro m i s i ng
alternatives here and on move 1 3; it's tough to choose the best one.
A2) 6 � c6
••.
Th i s i s q u ite inconsistent, but sti l l freq uently played .
7·C4
The standard move to attack the centre. Now, th ere are some possible tra nspos itions to the Ta rrasch, for exa m ple after the freq uently-pl ayed 7 . . j), e] 8. 'd c3
.
9 .cxd 5 exd 5 1 0 �. e3. Th i s i s a pro m i s i ng l i ne for White.
.
.
o-o
A21 ) 7 . A cs 8. � b3
.
.
The a lternative 8. 'd xc6 bxc6
9 . '!¥M c2
i s a l so q u ite prom i s i ng. We need to know
8. 'll b3 anyway, though . The reason i s that there are other move orders. H ere i s a n
exa m ple: Ld4 'd f6 2 . ll f3 e 6 3-83 c5 4 . �. g 2 ll c6
'
'
5.0-0
cxd4 6 . 'd xd4 g c5 7. ll b3
'
� b6 8.c4 ds, with a tra nsposition !
8 � b6
...
8 . . g e1
.
9.
'll c3 dxc4
mai n move.
1 0. �xd8
g xd8
11.
'd d2 leads to the same position a s after the
Th i s is a lot better tha n taki ng o n d s, a s Wh ite i ncreases the pressu re on ds without
al lowing . . �. e6 to protect ds.
.
9.
..
.
dxc4
B lack may also play 9 . d4 1 0. 'd bs es (otherwi se, d4 wou l d d rop) 1 1 . C S .�. c7
.
.
1 2. j;; gs. Th i s looks very bad for Black - the pawn structure wil l suffer serious dam­
age soon.
10. !txd8+ A xd8 11. f} d2 f} a5
Otherwi se, we'd get the pawn back with a d ream Cata lan position .
1 2.b4
Conti n u i ng with the powerfu l play. Bl ack i s u nder h uge press u re after the fol lowi ng
forced seq uence.
1 2... cxb3 13.axb3 o-o 1 4. j\ a3 g e8 1 5. f} b5
Wh ite has a great position fo r j u st one pawn.
Th i s pawn d eficit wi l l only be tem pora ry - the press u re on the q ueenside i s j ust too
much to sta nd .
A22) 7 . - b6 8. � xc6
.
.
The more tactica l ly-focu sed 8. 'd bs i s good too, but the pos ition type after 'd xc6 i s
very co mmon a n d you should know how to handle it.
8... bxc6 9.cxd5 cxd5
9 . exd5 10. 'd c3 tra n s poses i nto a very pro m i s i ng l i n e of the Ta rrasch Defence,
.
.
exami ned via l .d4 ds 2. '21 f3 c5 3.4 e6 4.cxd5 exd 5 5.g3 21 c6 6 . �. g2 'Q f6 7.0-0 cxd4
'.
8. 'Q xd4 � b6
g . 'Q xc6
bxc6
1 0 . 21 c3
i n Chapter 3.
.
1 0. � c3
Wh ite now has two dangerous ideas. One is to play e2-e4, the other i s to play .�. e3,
fo l lowed by a2-a4 and 'll bs. Bl ack can't stop both of White's options.
1 0 s\ b7 1 1 . s\ e3
•..
a6 12.a4
Wh ite has a dange rous i nitiative, with 'll bs to come.
A3) 6 . A e7
.
.
Th i s i s s u rprisingly popu l a r at th i s point, but q u ite clearly i ncon s i stent with Bl ack's
earlier moves. N ow, White reaches a very comfortable Catalan or Tarrasch type of
pos ition.
7·C4 o-o 8.cxd5 � xd5
8 . . exd 5 9. 'd c3 lead s to a favourable l i ne of the Ta rrasch. Black has captu red on d4
.
too early.
9· ' b3
Th i s i s not th e on ly move to keep a n ice adva ntage, but it is q u ite n atu ral . We i ntend to go � d 1 next and enjoy the great bishop on g2.
B) 5 h6
...
A clever idea. Black plays a wa iting move that actu a l ly turns out to be useful after
6. 'd xd4 es 7. '21 b3 'd c6, as the an noying pin � gs is prevented. Aga i n , it i s useful to
com pare with i .d4 g6 2 . '2l f3 d s 3.c4 ·2i f6 4.cxd 5 'd xd 5 5.e4 '2l b6 (Cha pter 2 1 ) ,
when 6 . h 3 i s a key idea.
6.b3
We have some c u n n i ng wa iti n g moves avai lable as well ! N ow, it i s not obvi ous
what Black's best choice is, and we don 't have many game sam ples to check. I 'd
l i ke to mention that 6 . J4 f4 i s a fi ne alternative waiti ng move.
6... � c6
Black i s playi ng the kn i ght to c6 after a l l .
After 6 . . . e6, I a m briefly showi ng the fol lowi ng l i ne to h igh l ight a n i m po rta nt idea
for Wh ite: 7. � b2 � c5 8. 'd xd4 o-o 9 .4 dxc4 lo. bx4.
l l
l
Th i s i s the idea I was h i nting at. White should not be afra id of the isolated c-pawn .
We h ave excellently-pl aced bi shops and open l ines, givi ng pl enty of com pen sation
for th e struct u ral deficit.
7· � xd4 es 8. � xc6 bxc6 9·C4
And we have reached the typical reversed G ru nfeld structure with the i n sertion of
. . . h7-h6 and b2-bJ
9 . A e6 1 0. A b2
..
I slightly prefer Wh ite here, as Bl ack needs to take care of the es-pawn and the natu ral move 1 0
. . .
'JJ. d 6 i s not great.
•
1 0... j\ d6 1 1 . 'i) c3
N ow, d s i s s i m ply hangi ng and there is no ideal sol ution fo r Black.
11
• ••
A e7 12. I! c1 o-o
Th i s i s a m i stake, but it i s usefu l to see how q u ickly Black may get i nto trouble i n
these structu res .
1 1
With an excel lent position for Wh ite.
C)
5
.
. g6 6. 'i) xd4 A v
.
7. � b3
Th i s i s not the most obvious move, and certa i n ly not th e on ly pl aya ble one. I n fact,
Wh ite has a wide range of option s to choose from at th i s particu l ar poi nt. Let's
con sider the moves:
1 ) There i s also 7.c4, attacking the centre with the c-pawn. The mai n reason I did
not choose this l in e i s th at Black u s u a l ly replies 7
. . .
0-0 ,
lead ing to a sym metrical
position after 8.cxd 5 'd xd5. Wh ite can try to play for a n advantage in this l i ne, but
th i s often req u i res very deep l i nes up to the endgame. The open natu re of th e posi­
tion l eads to many trades and you need to be very precise to exploit the extra
tem po;
2) The other option is 7. 'd c3, which is s i m i lar in natu re to 7. 'd b3. Both moves try
to put piece pressure on the centre. The concrete issue with 7. 'll c3 i s the l i n e 7 . . . e5
8. 'll b3 d4, wh ich seems fi n e for Black.
The move 7. 'd b3, my recom men-d ation, actua l ly p repares 'd c3 next, stopping the
adva nce of th e d-pawn . N ote that th i s set-up with kn i ghts is wel l known in the Fianchetto G ru nfeld: i .d4 'd f6 2.c4 g6 3. 'd f3 g g7 4.g3 ds 5.cxd5 'll xd5 6. Ji: g2 'd b6
is a pop u l ar line. We are a tem po up of cou rse.
c1) 7 . � c6 8. � c3 e6 9·�
..
Certai n ly the most pri nci pled move. However, I 'd l i ke to mention th at th i s push i s
often del ayed i n s i m i la r positions with reversed colo u rs . One way to delay i t i s to
push the a-pawn , which i s not a plan I 'd cons ider to be particu larly obvious. Th i s
idea is actu a l ly q u ite l i ked by th e engi nes, so feel free to explore 9 .a4! ? a s a n i nter­
esting a ltern ative. One pecul i ar poi nt i s that after a seq uence l i ke 9 .a4 o-o 10.a5, it
i s not so obvious what B l ack's next move i s if he wants to keep the option of
. . . d 5-d4 alive agai n st a futu re e2-e4 by White. Thi s is q uite i nteresti ng, but I don't
see an issue with the more strai ghtforward main s uggesti on.
9
..
.d4
Th i s i s con s i stent, but Black may a l so play 9 . . . 0-0, which after 1 0.exd 5 l ead s to a
position we h ave checked via th e move order with cast l i n g fi rst on move seven .
10. � 84
A kn i ght on the ri m i s d i m ! Wel l , this one i s no problem at a l l , as we wi l l see.
1 o... o-o 1 1 .C3
C1 1 ) 1 1 ...e5 1 2.cxd4 exd4 1 3. g el
I n the annotations to th e N a ka m ura-Anand game, G M Alex Yermoli n s ky mentioned
th i s pos itio n and regarded it a s •too am bitious' for B l ack, b ut did not provide a ny
further analysi s. I act u a l ly u nd erstand why he stopped here, as Black now has many
moves, and th ere i s no obvious main l i ne. I wi l l pick a conti n uation that seems rea­
sonable to me, b ut let's tal k about ideas for a moment. Wh ite faces th e pas sed d­
pawn, but th i s wi l l usua lly be sto pped by 'd a4-CS-dJ Wh ite wou l d l i ke to push the
e-pawn forwa rd and proba bly needs to play fa-f4 to su ppo rt it. Th is, however, weakens the dark squares, in parti cular e3 - so watch out for . 'd f6-g4-e3 ideas.
. .
13 . 1l e8
.
.
As mentioned, there are many a lternatives, but th i s i s logical, stoppi ng th e e-pawn .
1 4.h3
Wh ite prepares fa-f4 with out havin g to worry abo ut . . 'd f6-g4-eJ
.
1 4 .s\ e6
...
Th i s i s not the most intu itive move, but it i s strong, as it fights agai nst fa-f4 by
s u btle means.
1 5. � ac5
Please avoid i 5.f4, as i 5 . . . d 3 i s very problematic. We shou ld blockade th e pawn
fi rst, and only later go for fa-f4 if a ppropriate.
I am end i n g the l i ne at th i s poi nt, a s it i s a l ready q u ite deep. We have now reached
an interesting and sh arp position with about equal chances.
C1 2) 1 1 ...dxc3
Th i s i s the move that was played i n the two games th at reached th i s position, but I
th i n k it is too accom mod ati ng and gives White a pleasant pul l .
12. � xc3 es
Black need s to do someth i ng aga i n st Wh ite's possible expa n s ion with fa-f4 and
e4-es, and p repares to d evelop the bishop on c8.
13. A e3 A 14 14.f3 A e6 1 5. � c5
·
e1 1 6. � xe6
xe6
17. g f2
Th i s i m p roves o n 1 7. � d2 of N aka m u ra-Anand, London 201 7. White i ntends to play
� f1 and .�, h3, a l so clearing d l for the a l -rook. White i s s l i ghtly better, d u e to the
bishop pai r.
c2) 7 0-0
...
B lack castles fi rst, wh ich i s a s u bstantial diffe rence to 7 'a c6. Now, Black i s not
. . .
able to push the d-pawn fo rward after Wh ite's e2-e4 break in the centre.
8. � C3 e6 9·�
C21) 9 . dxe4
.
.
Black may also ta ke with the kn ight, lead i ng to the same l i ne.
10. � x� � x� 1 1 .
xd8 g xd8 12. A xe4
Wh ite i s sl ightly better here, which i s also confi rmed by the excellent s core Megabase 2019
shows 7 wi ns and 4 d raws, and no losses fo r White. Let's look at
some more moves to show some ideas.
12 ... � c6 1 3.C3 es
1 4. A p
Th i s i s the clever engine suggestion, i mproving on the moves played so far. The
main poi nt is that after the more obvious move 1 4. �. e3, Black has 14 . . 'Ji. e6, i n ­
.
tend i ng . �. d 5 next. N ow after 1 4. JJ. g2, th i s reply i s not possible.
. .
.
1 4... A m
Th i s move covers the c5-square.
1) 14 .. .f5 1 5. g g5 (after . . . f7-f5, thi s is a n attractive tem po move) 1 5 . . . 8 e8 1 6 . .;: fd 1 ,
a n d Wh ite i s better, with useful press u re o n the q ueenside a n d the d-fi l e u nder
control;
2) 1 4
. . .
:£, e6 1 5. 'll c5. Now, Bl ack has n o good reply, a s 1 5 . . . ,JJ. d s is not possible, due
•
to 1 6. 'll xb7. Now, we see the d ifference: the bishop on g2 i s protected, com pared
to the seq u ence 14. $;; e3 ,:£, e6 1 5. 'll c5 ,JJ, d 5, when the piece on e4 is attacked .
1 5. A gs ll e8 16. 11 fd1
Aga i n , Wh ite i s more comfortable, exerti ng an noyi ng press u re.
C22) 9· ·· � c6
Th i s i s a rarely-played move, but it i s not bad at a l l . It i s i m porta nt to check, becau se it looks l i ke a basic oversight by B lack . . . but it is not.
1 0.exds exds 1 1 . A 1s
B lack d i d not bl under d s , as the l i ne 1 1 . 'd xd5 'd xd 5 1 2 g xd5 'd b4 1 J ,� e4 .�. h3
.
shows. Please avoid th i s, as it gives Black great compensation fo r the pawn .
1 1 h6 1 2. A e3
. ••
Aga i n , a pawn gra b l i ke
1 2.
,� xf6 � xf6 lJ � xd 5 'JJ, f5 gives Black too m uch play.
N ow, � d2 wi l l come with a u seful tempo. Wh ite s hould be s l i ghtly better here.
o) 5 ... A d 1
Yet a nother waiti ng move, antici pati ng the ca ptu re on d4.
6. � xd4
We don 't have s u ch a u s eful waiti ng move ava i l a bl e now. After someth i ng l i ke 6.b3
'd c6 7. 'll xd4 es 8. 'd xc6
� xc6 ! , we reach a structu re where the bi shop is useful on
c6 and b2-b3 looks s low. The s i m ple captu re on d4 i s fine here.
01) 6 . e5 7. � b3 A c6
.
.
Th i s i s con s i stent with th e earl ier moves, but it seems that 7
'Ji. e 6 i s stronger.
... •
Th i s move wou l d take u s to the l i ne 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 'd f6 ].g3 c5 4. � g2 cxd4
e6 6. 'd xd4 es 7. 'd b3 JJ. e6 8.4. Please see this move order for d eta i l s .
5 .0-0
8.C4
J u st th e same rec i pe as after 7. . :�; e6.
.
01 1) 8...d4 9.e3 d3 1 0.�
A strong idea, isolating the dJ-pawn from the rest of Black's ca mp. After a futu re
·21 bi -c3-d 5, the pawn i s basica l ly lost.
10 ... � x� 1 1 . 1! e1 �ffi 12. 1I xe5+ A e7 13. A gs o-o 14. 1I e3
And Wh ite wins the adventu rou s d-pawn .
01 2) s.. A e1
.
B lack i s keepi ng the ten s ion. I show th i s l i ne mostly to d i scuss the i n structive posi­
tion after move
1 2.
9.cxds A xds 1 0. � c3 A xg2 1 1 . ftxd8+ A xd8 12. mxg2
Th i s pos ition l ooks rather equal at fi rst, but closer i n s pectio n shows th at Wh ite has
a p u l l . Note th at the d s-sq uare i s weakened and m ight be an excel lent post for a
kn i ght. White is also able to get to the crucial open fi les somewhat q uicker than
Black does. Wh ite has easy moves l i ke Si. gs/ g e3 and access to the open fi les for
the rooks w h i le Bl ack has to find a good d efensive set-up.
02) 6 � c6
. . .
Th i s i s not very consistent, a nd bad fo r B l ack.
7·C4
021) 7 . e5 8. � xc6 l\ xc6 9.cxd5 � xd5
..
I know it sou nds h a rs h , but
9.
.
. ,J;, xd5 gets Black i nto an al most lost position:
1 0. � a4+ �d7 l l . �xd7+ � xd 7 1 2. g_ d 1 ·�· e6 1 3 . .�. h3+ ·�· e7 1 4. 'll c3. Black i s badly
coord inated and h i s king is vu lnerable. Wh ite is clearly better.
1 0. "b3
Wh ite i s m uch better here, with 1 1 . g_ d 1 bei ng th e m a i n th reat. Black i s i n trouble to
stay i n the game.
022) 7 . . dxc4 8. � xc6 A xc6 g. A xc6+ bxc6 10. "C2
.
With a great structural advantage for White. Note that we won 't ta ke on c4 with the
q ueen, but rather with the knight.
1 0.. e6 1 1 . � d2 A e1 12. � XC4
.
And B l ack wi l l suffer with h i s ete rnally weak q ueenside pawn s .
Conclusion
B lack has good chances of eq ual izi ng i n some l i nes of th i s chapter, but he needs to
know the deta i l s wel l to get th ere. It i s i m porta nt to note that these l i nes a re not
very common at club level at all, as some moves for Black a re not very natura l . I ad­
vi se focu s i ng on learning the . . . e7-e6 l i nes (A a bove) fi rst, as they arise most often
and frequently via other move orders, for exam ple, after 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 e6 J.g3 c5.
CHAPTER 5
Griinfeld Reversed - Black takes on d4 with ... �cG:
2 ... �JG 3.gJ c5 4 . .ltg2 cxd4 5.0-0 �cG
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 � ffi 3.13 cs 4. JJ. 12 cxd4 5.0-0 � c6
After 5.0-0, Blac k has th e choice to delay . . ''.21 c6 or play t h i s natu ra l move. Chapter
.
4 covers Black's attem pts to play without . . -iJ c6 and al so i nc l udes a detai led d i s.
cussion of the moves u p to th i s poi nt.
Th i s position i s a l so very frequently reach ed via the move order 1 .d4 d s 2. 'll f3 'll f6
J.g3 c5 4. j), g2 'd c6 5.0-0 cxd4 6. LJ xd4.
'
6 . e5
.
.
After the less con s i stent 6 . . . e6
7.4,
we reach a position we exam i n e via i .d4 d 5
2 . '21 f3 'd f6 J.g3 c 5 4 . � g2 cxd4 5.0-0 e 6 6 . 'd xd4 'd c 6 7.4 (Chapter 4) .
7. � xc6 bxc6 8.C4
The sta rti n g position of th e Reversed G ru nfeld main line. Com pa red to the proper
G ru nfeld l i n e i .d4 'd f6 2.c4 g6 3. 'll c3 d s 4.cxd 5 'Ll xd 5 5.e4 'd xc3 6. bxc3 � g7
7. 'd f3 c5, we have the extra move o-o, which i s u n ivers a l ly u sefu l . The n atu re of the
position, with the i mmed iate struggle in the centre, suggests that a usefu l extra
tem po m ight change the eval uation sign ifica ntly compared to the regular G ru nfeld.
Concrete analysis confi rms thi s assu m ption : B lack i n fact needs to be very preci se
to avoid i m m ediate problems, facing moves l i ke � gs, 'd c3 and � a4 to press u rize
the pawn centre. B l ack has tried a ra nge of moves i n th i s starti ng position, ba sically
the same moves that White has ava i lable i n the G ru nfeld. However, the extra
tem po i s so s i gn ificant that many of those moves actually land Black i n trou ble
q u i ckly. One i m portant poi nt is that B l ack m i ght reach th i s position without a ny
specific knowledge, and th i s i s almost a s u re reci pe for d i saster.
A) 8 A e6
...
Looking at the alternatives s u ggests that th i s i s the most chal lenging move. We are
better a s wel l after 8
. . .
JJ. e6, but it req u i res more precision to prove it.
•
9.ffa4
Wh ite also has 9 . 'd c3, which wi l l often l ead to the same main l i n e that we reach
after 9 . � a4. There i s j ust a small d ifference: after 9. � a4, we more or l ess force
. . . � d 7, wh en lO. 'll c3 � c8 is the main line. N ow, after 9 . 'd c3 B. c8!, io. '@' a4 does
not work, d ue to lO ... d4!.
We cou ld i n stead trade on ds with 10.cxd 5 cxd5 1 i . ™' a4+ ™'d7 1 2. � xd7+ �· xd7,
transposing to the main line aga i n . Now, after fi rst 9 . '@' a4 � d7 10. 'll c3 B. c8, I
recommend trad ing on d s, but th i s i s not a forced move and Wh ite has a n
interestin g alternative that I wi l l only brieAy show.
I n s u mmary,
9···
9 . � a4
fi rst doesn't have a d rawback, but gives an extra opti on.
d1 1 0. � C3
1 0 g cs
•..
Th i s i s more or l ess forced .
1 ) 1 0 . . . B. d8 1 1 . ;Ji; gs .r£. e] 1 2. � xf6 .r£. xf6 13. � fd 1 , and White wi ns the ds-pawn with
a great pos ition a s wel l ;
2 ) 1 0 . . � b8. Black h as . . . .:;. b4
.
m
m i nd, but i t fa i l s to address Wh ite's m a i n
i ntention: 1 i .cxd 5 cxd 5 1 2. � xd7+ � xd7 1 3- � di ( i n th e mai n l i ne 1 0 . . .§. c8, we get
.
th i s position with th e rook on c8 i n stead , which is a h uge d ifference) 1 3- · · j), c5
{Black d rops d s, tryi n g to be a s active a s possi bl e in the endgame; 13 ... d4 1 4.e3
.�. c5 1 5. '2l a4, and B lack loses the pawn after a l l) 1 4. 'd xd5 'd xd 5 1 5. ,J4 xd 5 l! hd8
(now we see the m a i n d iffe rence with h aving the rook on c8. Black is n ot a ble to
ta ke on d s) 1 6. JJ. C4+ � e1 1 7 . � xd8 � xd8 18. i. d3, and Wh ite reta i n s the extra
pawn with good chances for conversion i n the endgame.
1 1 .cxd5
It was actu a l ly q u ite d ifficult to decide what to recommend here, a s there i s an
i nteresting alternative to th e endgame. I a l so l i ke the move 1 1 . �. gs, wh ich leads to a
.
complicated position with queens on the boa rd. Black's task i s not easy at a l l after
1 1 . 'JJ, gs, given that he very l i kely needs to fi gu re it out over the board. H ere i s a
q u ick overview a s a starti ng poi nt for you r own analys i s : Black needs to go
l l . . . d4,
after wh ich 1 2. l! a d 1 i s the most critical. N ow, many moves get Bl ack i nto serious
trouble, for exa mple, 1 2 . . . � b7 1 J .� xf6 gxf6 1 4. 'd ds i s good fo r Wh ite, as i s
1 2 . . . � c 7 1 3- 'd d 5. The best fo r Black seems to b e 1 2 . . JJ. e1, after which 1 3.e3
.
o-o
1 4 �. xf6 o r 1 4.exd4 a re i nteresti ng and easier for White to play. So 1 1 . §;. gs is a fi n e
.
•
move, b u t you wi l l see that t h e endgame after th e main move 1 i .cxd 5 is n o picnic
fo r Black eith er.
1 1 cxd5 1 2. t!xd7+ m xd7 1 3. g dl
. ••
-· �-
-·�
l l
--��
13 � cs
...
The on ly move, but not an easy deci sion for Bl ack - un less you know it beforehand, of course. With 1 3 .. 'Jj. c5, Black sacrifices the d s-pawn , correctly a rgu i ng that
.
the active pieces wi l l compensate fo r the materia l loss. We don't need to accept
th i s challenge, though . We h ave a much better move avai lable that sti l l sets serious
problems.
1) 1 J. . . d4 doesn 't work, but has been played freq uently, even by a GM i n 20 1 8: 1 4.e3
.� g4 (14 . . . � c5 1 5.exd4 j;: xd4 1 6 . '2l b5, and White wi n s) i 5.f3 � e8 i 6.exd4 exd4
1 7.fxg4 (of cou rse, not 1 7. � xd4? j;: c5) 1 7 . . . dxc3
1 8. B. ei+, and White is win n i ng aga i n . Th e bi shops on th e wide open board wi l l be
dead ly for the black ki ng;
2) l J . . ,;;. c5 1 4. Ji. gs, and we wi n the d 5-pawn , u n less Black goes for Stein itz' king:
.
1 4. . . �' c6 1 5. :#, e3 g c4 1 6 . .;;. ac1 , and Wh ite wi n s . Black h as n o answer to the th reats
of b2-b3 and 'r1xd5;
3) l J . . . 00 c6 is far too ris ky a nd i s p u n is hed by s i m ple means: 1 4 �. g5 e4 1 5. g ac1
. •
�, b7 (th i s was forced after 1 3 . . . '�' c6) l 6.f3. A usefu l idea to remem ber. Wh ite acti­
vates the bi shop and brea ks down Black's central pawns.
1 4. � 84
Th i s i s the testing m ove, but what h appens if th e pawn gets taken ? After 14. 'd xd5
,J;, xd 5 1 5 . .�. xd 5 � xd 5 1 6 . .:; xd 5 ·� e6 1 7. B. d2 � hd8 1 8. � f1 9. b6, Bl ack i s th reat­
ening . .. .:; xc1 + , wh ich forces l 9. B. xd 8 .:; xd8, and now Wh ite has no good way to
convert the pawn . Please n ote th at this co ncept is very tough to d evelop over the
board for p layers on th e black side. Thi s is why many strong players d id not play
l 3.
. .
� c5, givi ng u p the pawn . I 'd l i ke to add that 14. 9. gs lead s nowhere after
,
1 4. . 'i'J g4 ·I ·
.
N ow, back to 1 4. 'd a4. I am not s u re what Black's best reply i s actual ly. Wh ite has a
pu ll everywhere, so let's have a l ook at some pos s i bi lities.
Ai) 14 ... h6
Th i s was pl ayed in the latest classical time control game that reached t h i s position.
B lack covers gs and plans to retreat the b i shop comfortably next.
1 5. � xc5+
We happily grab the b i shop pai r.
1 5 ... 1I xc5
1 6.f4
Th i s i s the i mprovement on th e ga me Karsay-Neukirchner, Germa ny tt j r 20 18,
which featured the move 1 6. ,�. d2. Th i s i s not a bad move at a l l and keeps a slight
edge, but the f-pawn push i s stronger.
An) 16 ...� 17. h3
We'd l i ke to play g3-g4 next, threaten i ng to tra p the e6-bish op.
17 li C2
...
An alternative fo r Black cou ld be 1 7 . . . h 5 to stop g3-g4: 1 8. j;; e3 g c 2 (1 8 . . � c7
.
l 9.
,i£. d4 is a d isastrous position for Black. We push the q ueen side pawns, s u p­
ported by the fantastic bishops: e2-e3, and ,�. f1 i s com i n g soon) 1 9. ,i£. xa7 B. xe2
20. � d4, and Bl ack won 't have much fu n here, fighti ng agai nst the pawn s .
l l
1 8.g4 itle7 1 9. A e3
N ow I don 't see a ful ly sati sfactory solution for Black. Taking on e2 and b2 does
not work, and playi ng 1 9 . . . a5 seems to be the rel atively best move.
1 9...a5
An alternative for Black i s 1 9 . .a. xe2 (Black m i ght a l so take the b-pawn fi rst; it lead s
. .
to the same position) : 20 . .�. c5+ ·�· d 8 2 1 . .�. xa7 � xb2 22.a4, and Wh ite has a win­
n i ng positi on here al ready, a s th e a-pawn is j ust too strong.
20. 1i ac1
It's move 20 and I n eed to cut at some poi nt. White is better here, based on the
better pieces and the potential passer on the q ueen s ide. B ut wait, what happens if
B lack snatches a pawn now?
20... 1i xb2
The other option 1 s 20 . . . � xe2 2 1 . � c5+ � d8 22.f5 .Ji. d 7 23- � d4, and the black
rook is tra pped !
21 . 1i q+ itld6
,,
22. g a7
And Wh ite has a w i n n i n g attack. I f you a re u ns u re about assessments l i ke that, ana­
lyse a bit you rself, then ask the com puter for assistan ce. It helps a lot to under­
sta nd th e positions better if you put i n some analys i s work you rself.
A12) 16 ...exf4 17. s\ xf4
Wh ite th reatens both e2-e4 and ,�, eJ and 1 s better. We should check the active
reply
17
... B
c2.
1 7 ... g C2 1 8.e.&1 I! xb2 1 9.exd5 A fs 20. A es I! e2 21 . Axf6 gxf6 22. I! fi
We are wi n n ing f6 with a large endga m e advantage.
22... 1i e5
Th i s saves the pawn , but . . .
23. 1i xf5 1i xf5 24. .\\ h3
N ot a good day at the offi ce for the black rook.
A2) 14 .. j\ d6
B lack keeps the bishop, but a forced l i ne leads to a l a rge adva ntage for White now.
1 5. j\ g5 1i C2
B lack can try to save the pawn with l 5 . . . d4, but th i s leads to other problems: 1 6.e3
dxe3 (otherwi se, we'd si m ply win d4) 1 7 . �. xe3, and Black has no reasona ble reply
.
now. The a7-pawn is attacked and :d c5 i s an additiona l n u isance, fo r exam ple after
the fo l l owi ng: 1 7 . . . B. c7 1 8. 'l} c5+ � e]
l g. -21
b], and Black loses materi a l .
1 6. .\\ xf6 gxf6 17. A xds
And aga i n we pocket the d s-pawn .
1 7 ... 1i xe2
A m i sta ke, but it i s tough to spot what i s wrong with it.
After 1 7 . . . � e7 18 . �. e4 (aga i n � e4, u si n g the idea of trapping the rook) 1 8 . . . .;;. C4
.
(18 . . . .;;. xe2
adva ntage.
l g . �. d 3,
.
and the rook i s trapped)
l g. '.d c3,
Wh ite has a comforta ble
i
i
i
1 8. A �
Wow, th i s is an easy move to m i ss! The bishop ca n 't be taken, d ue to 1 9. '21 c5+ and
we th reaten to trap the rook with 19 �, d J Black i s completely lost!
.
•
18 .. A C4 1 9. g ac1 A xa2 20. A f3
.
And it i s trapped!
A3) 14 me7
...
Black fi n a l ly wants to leave the d-fi l e, but the c u re i s even worse than th e d isease i n
th i s case.
And B l ack can 't avoid retu rn ing to the d-fi l e now - ouch !
1 6... g c2 17 . .\\ a3+ itl d7 1 8.e4 d4
l
1 9.f4
With a clear adva ntage fo r Wh ite.
"4) 14... � e7
It's understa ndable that B l ack wa nts to keep t h i s piece.
1 5 . .\\ g5
tZJ,
1 5 . � g8
..
Th i s i s an i nventive d efence, but it i s very slow. We were th reate n i ng to s i m ply ta ke
on f6 and d s, wi n n ing a pawn - so it's a case of what else?
1) i 5 . B. c2 l 6. g xf6 $t xf6 1 7. � xd 5 $t xd 5 1 8. B. xd 5+ � e6 1 9.e4, with a n extra pawn
. .
and B. as to come;
2)
l 5 . . . d4
1 6.e3 h6 1 7. exd4 hxg5 1 8.dxe5+ '�' e8 1 9.exf6 � xf6 20 . � d s, and aga i n
Wh ite keeps t h e extra pawn .
1 6. A e3 d4 1 7. A d2
Wh ite wants to play e2-e3 n ext.
17 ... � h6 1 8.e3 � fs
i l l
B l ack's idea beh i nd 1 7 . '.21 h6.
. .
1 9. A C3
I ' l l stop at thi s poi nt. Black sti l l has a hard t i me protecting the d-pawn and White
has persi stent pressure.
a) 8... A e7
1 1
Th i s looks l i ke a norma l developing move, but it does not rel ate to the press u re on
ds and a l ready leads to severe problems for Black.
9- � C3
Bl ) 9· ·· A e6 1 0. A gs e4
After 10
. . .
'2l g8 follows 1 1 .cxds cxd 5 1 2 . � a4+ � d7 1 J. �xd7+ �· xd7 1 4. j;; e3 'd f6
1 5. ;;;, fd 1 , and B lack loses the d5-pawn .
11.
-
214 O·O 12. g adl
Wh ite exerts enormous pres s u re on the black centre. The concrete th reat is to trade
on f6 and win the e-pawn with 1 4 JJ. xe4.
.
•
1 2...
e8
13.e3
You a l ready have the option to go fo r a clear endgame advantage with 1 J .�. xf6
J;. xf6 1 4.cxd 5 cxd 5 1 5. Wfxe8 ,;;. fxe8 1 6. '.d xd 5, but I wonder what B l ack's move i s
after th i s wa iti ng move? We j u st i ntend to go for th e endgame, including the usefu l
extra move e2-eJ
82) 9 d4
...
A wel l-known idea in the G ru nfeld, but it is not s ufficient here.
1 0. A xc6+ � d7 1 1 . A xa8 ftxa8
Black has given u p some m aterial, but i nten ds to get th e exchange back with
. . . ;�� h l
1 2. it} ds
I t i s i m portant to play actively, not m i nding to retu rn a pawn.
1 2... ii} xd5 1 3.cxd5 ftxd5 14. ftb3 fta8 1 5. A d2
Th i s i s a good so l ution . Black now may wi n back the exchange, but the res u lting
position i s terrible fo r h i m.
1 5 . .\\ h3 1 6. ftb5+ �HB 17.f3 A xfi 1 8. itlxfi
.
.
B lack is lost here. The es-pawn i s attacked , and � a 1 -c1 -c7 wi l l lead to a decisive at­
tack.
83) 9··· �
Th i s move is al ready an ad m i ssion of fa i l u re i n a strategic sense (the d4-squ a re ! ) ,
b u t th e concrete issues a re even more serious.
1 0.
b3
There are other fine moves as wel l , but th i s i s particu l a rly strong.
1 0 A e6 1 1 . g d1
•..
N ow, the re i s press u re on e4 as wel l , d ue to the pin on the d-fi le.
The a-pawn is attacked, but 'd bs and g d4 ideas a re very a n noying as wel l . Bl ack
has no sati sfactory reply a nymore.
C) 8 h6
. ..
B lack decides to stop the annoyi ng pin once and for a l l . Sti l l , th i s i s not exactly a
developi ng move and leads to a clear adva ntage for White.
9. � C3 A e6 1 0. n-34
Cl) 1 0 A d7
...
Th i s i s more testi ng than the more natural . . . � d].
1 1 .cxd5 cxd5 12.
a6 A c8
1 2 . . . ;b; e6 l 3- '.d bs, th reaten i n g 14. � c6+, fo l l owed by 'Ll c7+ . After a fu rther .�, e3, we
m i ght j u st wi n the a]-pawn. Black i s i n severe tro u ble.
13. - d3 �
1 3 . . ;b; e6 1 4 . .;;. d 1 , and the d s-pawn drops.
.
1 4.
C2
O u r next move wi l l be
E
d l , th reatening 'd xe4. There a re ideas of .�. e3 and 'd bs a s
wel l . B lack wi l l h ave a hard t i m e keeping material equal ity.
c2) 1 0 Wd7 1 1 .cxd5 cxd5 12.
•••
xd7+ i1Ixd7
1 3. g dl
It i s useful to com pare th i s position with th e one after 8 . . �. e6
.
.
g. � a4
'1¥M d7 10. 'll c3
.;;. c8 1 1 .cxd s cxd 5 1 2. �xd7+ � xd 7 l J. .;;. d l . Here, . . . h 7-h6 i s clearly the less usefu l
move, ren dering the pawn sacrifice i n suffi cient.
13 mc6
...
I found 1 1 games with th i s move in
with a convi nci ng 1 00% score
Megabase 201 9 ,
for Wh ite. The pawn sacrifice does not work now: 1 3 . . � c5 1 4. 'd xd 5 'd xd 5 1 5. � xd 5
.
,;;, ad8 (with the a8-rook on c8 al ready, i n stead of . . . h7-h6, Black would be able to
ta ke on d 5) 1 6. g xe6+ ·� xe6 1 7. ,J4 d2. White i s a pawn u p and Black has no
com pensation .
1 4. A e3
And g c1 i s com i ng next. B l ack i s helpless agai n st the th reats mounting up.
o) 8 . g b8
.
.
I n the proper G ru nfeld, 8. g bl i s a sharp and am bitiou s move. It i s therefore no
s u rpri se that it has been employed here as wel l . Closer i n s pection, however, shows
that Black has some problem s.
9. A gs
Th i s i s an i m portant poi nt to remember! Th e oth er sta ndard moves lead to noth ing
special.
9 . � a4
can be an swered with . :lJ, d7, and
.
.
9 . 'd c3
d4 shows one poi nt of
B l ack's rook move to b8. The latter l i n e i s not 100% clear, but anyway
g.
:B. gs i s
stronger. The m a i n i s s u e for Black i s that taking on b 2 now does not work out too
wel l .
Dl ) 9••• 1i xb2
M uch to my su rpri se, the database shows that su per-G M David N avara played i nto
th i s as B lack i n a 201 7 c l a ssical ti me co ntrol game.
1 0.cxd5
Th i s i s better th an 10. 'll c3 � a5!, as pl ayed in the N avara game. 10. g xf6 fi rst and
cxd 5 on the next move amou nts to the same as my s uggestion.
1 0... cxd5 11 . .s\ xf6
l l l
Dn) 1 1 . gxf6 12. A xds
.
.
J u st as after 1 1 . � xf61 here
. .
1 2. '.d c3
is a very worthy alternat ive. I prefe r the recap­
tu re on d s, though. We have a great position after this s i m ple move, without any
material deficit or other risk.
1 2 fJ. e]
•••
The only sti ll somewh at playable move accord ing to the engi nes, but it sti l l does
not solve Bl ack's problems.
1 3.
Cl
A great move! It attacks th e rook, frees u p d i for � fi -d i and eyes the i m portant
sq uares e3 and, more i m portantly, h6.
13 ... ffxds
An other option that Black may play i s i3··· � b6 i 4. B. d i � d 6 i s. 'd c3 o-o i 6. � eJ
B lack need s a hero ic defence here to stay i n the game.
1 4.�xc8+ � d8 1 5. � C3
1 6.
e6
cs
And aga i n Black i s on the ropes .
01 2) 1 1 . · xf6 12. A xds
..
I also a n a lysed 1 2. 'd c3, which i s very dangerous as wel l . After 1 2 . . . d4, Wh ite has
the engi ne move 1 3- � c1 ! , l ead i n g to a strong attack. However, I thi n k that taking
with the bi shop i s easier to play. Note that we a l so have the idea .�, b3 in some
l i nes, trapping th e rook on b2. 'd c3-e4 i s a useful tem po i n m a ny l i nes. One pos­
si ble continuation is the followi ng:
12 j\ d7 13. � c3 A e7
• ••
With a trapped rook on b2 and ideas of ',£1 e4 or 'd ds, Wh ite is close to wi n n ing a l­
ready.
02) 9 . . A e1
.
Th i s i s bad, d u e to a fo rced l i ne.
1 0. A xffi A xffi 1 1 .cxd5 cxd5 12. A xd5 g xb2
After 1 2 o-o 1 3- .�. b3, Wh ite keeps the pawn . B l ack has s l ight com pensation with
. . .
the bis hop pa i r, but I don't th i n k it is enough.
13.
·
a4+ A d7
1 4. ftxa7
From here, you have a si m pl e p l a n : promote the a-pawn !
03) 9... A e6 1 0. � C3
B l ack's set- u p does not add u p at a l l . We are s i m ply th reate n i ng to take o n f6 and
win d s. I see no reasonable way fo r B l ack to contin ue.
1 0 e4 1 1 . '5a4 ftd7
••.
Th i s position was reached i n a bl itz game between two very strong players. I n th i s
game, Chepa ri nov pl ayed 1 2. j;; xf6 and h i s opponent Le Q uang Liem s u rvived.
The re i s a m uch stronger move, but it i s not someth i n g you fi nd i n a bl itz ga me.
1 2.a3
Wh ite stops . . g b4 and wi l l put a roo k on d 1 next.
.
1 2... li xb2 1 3. A xf6 gxf6
1 4. g fd1
N ow, the main th reats are
1 5.
'd xe4 and i 5. g xe4, which are j ust devastati ng.
E) 8 . . A b7
.
B lack tries to support d s from b7, but the bi shop is very passive and the press u re
on Black's centre i s mounti n g q u ickly.
9.
·
a4 O' d7 1 0. A gs A e7 1 1 . 'l) C3
B lack i s a l ready faci ng the th reat to the d s-pawn . I t seems best to advance, b ut
there is no good sol ution anymore.
11 ...d4 1 2. g fch o-o
1 3.e3
B lack has h uge problems with the d-pawn and wi l l most l i kely lose it. Note that
Wh ite has ideas l i ke ,©, xf6 followed by 'd e4 and C4-c5, i ncreasing the pressure.
Conclusion
Wh ite has excel lent chances to emerge from the Reversed G ru nfeld with . 'll c6
. .
with a n adva ntage. Even if Bl ack is very knowledgeab l e, he wi l l have a very hard
ti me aga i nst the presented l i nes. Any second-rate play wi l l l ead to severe trou ble for
B l ack.
CHAPTER 6
Griinfeld Reversed - Black does not take on d4: 2. . €JfG 3.g3 c5
4 ft g2 � c6 5.0-0
.
. .
1 .d4 ds 2. f) f3 f) f6 3.13 cs 4· j\ g2 f) c6 5.0-0
B lack often captu res on d4 i n th i s pos ition, lead ing to the previous chapter. But
the re are other optio ns that keep the ten sion, most i m portantly the move 5 . . . e6,
which covers the c5-pawn . In th i s cha pter, we wi l l exa m i ne these altern atives fo r
B l ack. It spl its i nto fo u r segments:
A) Black plays 5 . . . e6 - 6.c4:
A1) 6 . .. dxc4 - th i s is by far th e main l i n e of this chapter;
A2} 6
. . .
'JJ. e? - after 7.cxd 5, this leads to the Tarrasch or Semi-Ta rrasch .
•
B) Black plays 5 . . JJ. g4 - a n a m b itious move that leads to s h arp play;
.
C) Black plays 5 . Ji. f5 - a natu ral move, but it does not eq ualize.
..
Of these four l i nes, the only theoretica l ly ful ly-sou nd l i ne is l i ne A1 1 but ou r reply
forces Bl ack to play very preci sely. Let's check A to C one by one.
A) 5 e6 6.C4
...
l l
B lack now has an i mportant choice to make. H e can keep th e tensio n with 6 . . }i, e7
.
or take one of the pawn s. After 6 . . . cxd4 7. 'd xd4, we reach a favo u rable pos ition
th at we exa m i ne via the move order 1 .d4 ds
2.
'd f3 'd f6 J.g3 c5 4. �. g2 cxd4 i n
.
Chapter 4.
Al) 6 dXC4
...
Wh ite has an amazingly wide cho ice of i nteresti ng l i nes here. I am recommen d i n g
7. 'd es, beca use i t i s - i n m y opi n ion - easy t o play and it contains so me traps that
wi l l m a ke it a h eavy score r, i n pa rticular at c l u b level . Excellent alternatives are
7. � a4, 7. 'd a3 and 7.dxc5. The move 7.dxc5 leads to endgames that force Black to
be precise to hold a d raw. Th i s wou l d a l so fit wel l with th e ' Keep it S i m ple' concept, but you wi l l see that 7. 'd es is a l so s i m ple, j ust in a d i fferent way. The knight
j u m p plays for utmost piece activity at the cost of a pawn, if Black knows/fi nds the
best reply. You wi l l see th at it i s a lot s i m pler for Wh ite to play, a s we have standard
moves to b u i ld up the i n iti ative, while B l ack needs to d efend prec i sely. Sti l l , 7.dxc5
is an excellent a lternative if you love endgames.
I�
7. � e5
Al l ) 7••• /t d7
Th i s i s by far the best move, but it i s only played i n about half of the games if you
look at all level s of play. If you only look at games with a b l ack rati ng below 2200, it
shows a different pictu re. Wh ite sco res close to 80% with 7. 'll es, beca use most
players choose
7
. .
. 'd xe5, getti ng them into i m med iate tro u b le.
8. � a3
I l i ke this best, but 8. 'll xc4 i s an i nteresti ng altern ative.
8... cxd4
Black may a l so play 8 . � c8.
. .
l l
Th i s i s rare a nd qu ite bad, but the refutation i s not obvious at all! 9 . 'd exc4 looks
odd , but Wh ite has the s i m ple idea of playing 'd bs and deliveri ng a dead ly check
on d 6. Black has no good reply a nymore and w i l l be clearly worse: 9 . 'll xd4 (at
. .
least stopping 'd bs, but it's not m uch fu n either) 10 �. xb7 � b8 1 1 . ;B, g2, and White
.
•
i s a lot better, with ;B, f4 or ;B, e3 to come.
9. � ax:C4
And we have reached the position type th at I mentioned in the annotation to
7. 'd es. White i s a pawn down, but we h ave very good, active pieces . What I l i ke
a bout thi s l i ne: Wh ite has a standard set-up for the n ext moves. U n less Bl ack's play
requ i res a partic u l a r reaction, we wi l l play ;Ji, f4, � b3 and put the rooks on cl and
dl. Usually, thi s press ure i s enough to wi n the pawn back - at least. I feel White is
ri ski ng very l ittl e with the pawn sacrifice and it i s rather s i m ple to pl ay. After
9. 'd
axc4, Black's main moves are 9 . . . ;Ji, e7 and 9 . . . ,©. c5, preparing to ca stle.
A1 1 1 ) 9... A e7
1 0. "b3
As u s u a l , White has a good a lternative i n
1 0 . j;; f4,
if you l i ke to add more variety to
yo ur repertoi re.
A1 1 1 a) 1 0 ff c8
•.•
The most l i kely move to occu r i n a practical game. Black a lso has 1 0 . . . Yl!i c7, but thi s
i s less l i kely to b e played by someone who tries to fi nd the best sol ution over the
board .
1 1 . A f4 o-o 1 2. g ac1
The typical play based on .�. f4 a nd � ac1 i s very logica l . We i ncrease the pres s u re
on the c-fi le and aga i n st the c6-knight.
1 2 1i d8
•••
1 2 . . . 'll d s wi l l m ost l i kely tra nspose to 1 2 . . B. d8 on the next move, but th ere is an
.
i ndependent pos s i b i l ity that is worth looki ng at: 1 3- � fd 1 'll xf4 (of cou rse, 1 3 . . . B. d8
wou l d be the tra n s position back to 1 2 . . B. d8) i 4.gxf4. Thi s is a structu re that ari ses
.
q u ite freq uently i n this l i ne. The doubled pawn i s n ot all that weak and h e l ps to
s up po rt the knight on es. Wh ite wi ll now very l i kely win a pawn back: i 4 . . . B. d8
1 5. }J. xc6 (it is possible to keep the ten s i o n , but rega i n i ng the pawn is fine here)
1 5 . .. .�. xc6 1 6. '2l a 5 � d 5 l ]. 'll axc6 bxc6 1 8. 'E:! xc6 � d7 1 9. � 4. We h ave restored
the m aterial bal ance. I 'd sti l l p refer Wh ite h ere, but th e engi ne shows an eq ual
eva l u ation. I t defi n itely makes sense to expl ore a position l i ke th i s even more, b ut I
don't want to extend thi s a na lysis beyond move 20.
1 3. 11 fd1 � d5 14. � xc6
Here, Wh ite also has 14. � xd 5 exd 5 1 5. 'd as, which leads to enormous com pli­
cations. I cou ld not qu ite make it work, but it i s very interesti ng to analyse. I n stead ,
I recomm end rega i n i n g th e pawn with th e s i m ple captu re on c6.
1 4. A xc6 1 5. A es
..
Wh ite i s rega i n i ng th e pawn on d4 and keeps the slightly more active pos ition.
Black is proba bly fine with precise pl ay, but we h ave th e easier job with the more
active pieces.
Al n b) 1 0...
q
Th i s move i s probably stronger th an 1 0 . . . � c8, but it i s not played as often. We' l l
see why right after the natural reply.
1 1 . A f4
Wh ite is obviou s ly th reate n i ng various kn ight d i scoveries, wh ich wi l l persuade
many black players to avoid
1 0 . . . � c7.
B lack has only one way to deal with the
th reats .
11
• ••
� hs
B lack need s to a l l ow the d i scovery with this move or 1 1 . . . 'd d s. They both lead to
the same pos ition after l l . . . '21 d 5 1 2. 'd xc6 'll xf4 1 3. 'd xe7. The move
l l . ..
'd d 5 al lows
1 2 . $), xd 5, but I co uldn't find an adva ntage, so j ust handl ing it identically to 1 1 . . 'd h s
.
i s the best option .
1 2. � xc6 � xf4 1 3. � xe7 � Xg2
When d ec id i ng on 10 . . . WN c7, B lack needed to know or fo resee that the ensu i n g
compl ications a re sati sfactory.
1 4. g fd1
N ot exactly the most obvious move! Wh ite has some i nteresti ng moves h ere. I
checked 1 4. � ac1 and 14. B. fc1 ; both a re possible and pose some problems fo r
B l ack. H owever, the more subtle 1 4 . 1! fd 1 i mmed iately poses a q uestion that is very
easy to get wrong.
1 4.
..
.
c5
Th i s seems to be the only sati sfactory move! 1 4. . . �' xe7 leads to trou ble fo r B lack:
1 5. � b4+ ·�· f6 (1 5 . . . ·�· d& 1 6. � xd4 wi ns i m m ediately fo r White, with � ad 1 being the
most menaci ng th reat) 1 6 . .§. xd4. Defending th i s position is goi n g to be terrible for
Black. It is not lost by force, but one m i s step wi l l be fatal:
1) 16 . . . .� c6 1 7. � c3 ·�' e7 18. '2l e5 (a n ice shot!) 18 ... � hc8 1 9 . B. c4, and we w i l l take
on c6 and win the piece back with a n ice edge. Black's ki ng i s stil l u n safe and the
pawn structu re is a l so problematic after the capture on c6;
2) 1 6 . . . B. hd8 1 7. 'lJ d6 .�. c6
l
1 8. B. a d i . The main po i nt to be aware of: j u st play l i ke you are N OT a piece down .
Currently, the kn ight on g2 i s tra pped and B lack faces a tough d efence. The kn ight
wi l l most l i kely d rop i n the com plications. One idea i s to play e2-e4 and cut it off
from the defend i ng bishop.
1 5. ftxb7
Th i s lead s to com pli cated play that i s h a rd to eva l uate. H owever, I need to mention
that White also has 1 5. g xd4, wh ich basical ly fo rces a d raw! Th i s may come i n
handy i f you play a m uch stronger opponent a n d are happy with a peacefu l res u lt.
The m a i n poi nt is 15 . . . � xd4 1 6. g d 1 �c5 1 7. g xd 7 ·�· xd7 18. �xb7+ � c7 1 9 . '.d e5+
�· d 6 20. -21 xf7+ � e] 2 , . 'd es+, with a forced d raw.
1 5 ... �xe7 1 6. g acl
The i ntruder on g2 i s not goi n g to escape. N ow, B lack has more than one m ove
and we are a l ready rather deep o n move 1 6. I ' l l show some more moves fo r a sen­
si ble l i ne.
22.lixh7
It's eq ual accord i ng to the engi n es, but I 'd sti l l rather be Wh ite, havi ng the safer
king.
An 2) 9 . A cs
.
.
Th i s looks a bit more 'active' th an 9 . � e], a s it lends add itional cover to the d4. .
pawn . The bishop i s unprotected, though , and q uite often we can use th is to play
moves l i ke � bs or 'll d3 with tem po .
1 0.
-
b3
The fi rst move of the standard set- u p with � b3/ f). f4/ B. ac1 / B. ad i . N ow, Black
need s to decide what to do about the b]-pawn . The best l i ne for Black is probably
either 10 ... o-o 1 1 . g f4 � c8 or 10 ... � c8
11.
�.f4 o-o,
lead ing to the same position.
An2a) 1 0 0-0
••.
Th i s i s probably best, but i s not an easy move to m a ke if you need to find it over
the board . Black recognizes th at 1 1 . � xb7 i s not such a big th reat, so castling i s
possi ble.
1 1 . A f4
I ncreasing the pressure i n stead of prem atu rely rega i n ing the pawn . I 'd l i ke to mention that it is not bad to take on b7, but it is not too prom i s i ng after l 1 . � xb7 'l he5
1 2 . ·'21 xe5 ,;: b8 1 3- �f3 'll ds. The position is about eq u a l .
1 1 '8c8
• ••
Black may also return the pawn with l 1 . . . ,;: c8: 1 2. �xb7 (it's time to take the pawn
now. Aga i nst a slow move l i ke 1 2. ,;: ac1 , Black has 12 . . . b6, wh ich s aves th e b-pawn
and covers the c5-bishop for further con solidation) 1 2 . . . 'd xe5 1 3. 'd xe5 .;: b8 (compared to the earl ier
l l . � xb7,
we now have the extra move ji, f4, but of cou rse, b2 i s
hanging, d u e to that extra move) 1 4. � f3 ( 1 4. � a 6 ? ? ji, bs! , a n d 14. � xb8 does not
seem to be that prom i s i ng either) 1 4. . . B. xb2
l 5. ,:; fc1 . We a re a l ready on move l 5 and B lack now has more than one sensi ble
move. I don't wa nt to go much d eeper, but let's look at the move that wa s played in
the G M game Sasikiran-Bacrot, M oscow 20 10: 1 5 . . . � d6. Sas i ki ran played 1 6. 'a c4,
which was not bad at a l l either. Tak i ng on f7 leads to crazy com pl icatio ns, of which
I 'd l i ke to show one enterta i n i n g line: 1 6. 'd xf7 ,:; xf7 l ]. �. xd 6 �. b5 1 8 l4 c5 � xe2
. •
1 9. � a3 B. d2 20. Ji. b4 � d3 2i . � a5, and Wh ite is win n i ng now, s u rprisi ngly!
Agai n st a q ueen m ove on the back ran k, Wh ite has B. e1 and �. f1 next, trapping the
rook! 21 . . . )¥gxa5 lead s to mate! 22. ,:; c8+ <@'d 8 2J. B. xd8+ 'd e8 24. ,:; xe8+ B. f8
2 5. B. xf8#. What a n i ce job by the white rook. Th i s long l i ne was mostly given due
to entertai n ment val ue, and you don't n eed to know a l l th i s by hea rt. White has
good com pen sation fo r the pawn i n a l l l i nes after 1 5. B. fc1 , and ana lys i ng every pos­
s i ble black reply aga i n st it is n ot practica l .
1 2. Il ac1
1 2 ... � ds
Th i s i s by fa r the best move.
1 ) 1 2 . . . b6 looks bad at fi rst sight, and even worse after a closer look: 1 3- 'd d 6 Wl c7
1 4. 'd dxf], and White i s wi n n i ng q uickly;
2) 1 2 . . . :;: d8 i s also punis hed q uickly: 1 3- 'r1 xf7 ·�' xf7 14. ;;t xc6 $i;; xc6 1 5. 'd e5+ ·�· g8
l 6.
:;: xc5, with a great pos ition fo r Wh ite;
3) If B lack plays a s low move l i ke 12 . . . h6, we have the a l ready fa m i liar 'd d3 idea:
1 3. 'b d3 �. e7 14. '2l d 6 $i;; xd 6 1 5. ;;t xd 6 l! e8
l l
l 6.
:;: fd 1 . We wi l l play 'd es next a nd wi n back the d4-pawn later, enjoying a s iza ble
adva ntage.
1 3. � d3 � xf4
Th i s move makes a lot of sense: Black avoids the 'd d 6 i nvasion and gets the bish­
op p a i r.
B l ack's alternative 1 3 . . . J4 e7 l ooks worse than ta king on f4, but it does not seem to
be terribly bad for Black. White has good com pensation, but it i s not m uch more
th an that: 14. 'd d 6 .�. xd6 1 5. g xd 6 B. d8 1 6. � aJ. Th i s i s not the only move to keep
the p ressure u p, but I l i ke it most h ere. The q ueen is coveri ng the d 6-bishop, and
J4 c5 i s a n idea, attacki ng the d4-pawn . Alternatives l i ke 16 . .§. Jd1 or th e creative
l 6.g4
a re i nteresti ng as wel l .
1 4.gxf4
We are fine with th e dou bled pawn . It wi l l support the knight on es, which is more
i m portant th a n th e s m a l l struct u ra l deficit.
1 4 A e1
...
1 5. � ce5
Wh ite i s a l ready applying severe press u re to c6, and it m ay well i ncrease after, say,
,;: c4 and g fc1 .
1 5 ... g b8
A c l ever move, antici pati ng the possi ble seq uence. After a slow move l i ke 1 5 . . . � c7
1 6. 'd xd7 (you may a lso keep the ten s ion with 1 6 . .;: c4, keepi ng more pieces on the
boa rd , a s happened in a G M game. I 'd l i ke to show a common way to get the pawn
back i n stead) 1 6 . . . !Y&xd7 1 7. � xc6 bxc6 1 8. 'd e5 Wi c7 1 9 . 'd xc6 we have regai ned the
pawn and sti l l have th e easier play here, in my opinion. The kn ight on c6 is very
a n noying for B l ack.
1 6. g e2
A l i ne l i ke 1 6. 'd xd7 '!Wxd7
l ]. �a4
B. bc8 1 8. B. fd 1 wil l a lways wi n th e pawn back
some moves later, but keepi ng the ten sion is a good alternative. Wh ite has far too
much pressure to allow B l ack to 'convert' the extra pawn . Both s ides now have
some options on each move, so I ' l l stick to one sensi ble sample l i n e.
1 6... g d8 17. g fc1 h6 1 8. � xc6 A xc6
And aga i n , Wh ite wi l l easily wi n the pawn back and keep some n aggi ng pressure.
An2b) 1 0...
c8
Th i s i s the most l i kely move if B l ack has to play thi s position over th e board .
1 1 . A f4 � ds
Th i s move has a flaw, based on the vu lnerable bishop. Black should play 1 1 . . . o-o
i n stead, tra n s pos i ng to
1 0 . . . o-o 1 1 .
.r£. f4 � c8.
1 2. � d3
The tem po on the b i s hop i s very i m portant, as we th reaten 'd d 6+ as wel l .
1 2 §J. e7
•••
H ere, Black m ay a l so play 1 2 . . . 'd xf4. After l J 'd xc5 'd xe2+ 14. '!t' h 1 (we th reaten
1 5. 'd d 6+, and at the same time th e kn i ght on e2 has no way out) 14 . . . 0-0 1 5. 'd xd 7
� xd 7
l l
1 6. '@d3, we wi n the knight with a l a rge advantage.
13. f} d6+ §J. xd6 14. §J. xd6
••
And Wh ite has a very dangerous attack aga i n st the uncastled black ki ng.
An2c) 10 g b8
••.
Th i s i s a h uge m i stake, but it has occu rred i n bl itz ga mes of m i ne.
1 1 . A f4
Th i s i s rather emba rrassi ng. B lack has no good reply to the th reat to the b8-rook.
A1 1 3) 9 'i) xe5
. ..
Black tries to relieve some press u re by tradi ng.
1 o. ti) xe5
b6
The o n ly move to j u stify th e trade on es. Wh ite was attacki ng both d4 and b7, and
on ly the q ueen move addresses both th reats .
1 1 . � xd7
Th i s i s played most of th e ti me. Wh ite nets the b i shop pa i r and has a con crete fol­
low-up on the next move.
11
• ••
� xd7 12. �84
Th i s i s the m a i n idea behind taking on d]. White pins the d 1-knight, making it d iffi­
cult for B l ack to castle.
1 2 g d8
•••
The alternative 1 2 . . . � b4 retu rns the pawn and lead s to a one-si ded endgame:
1 3- � xb4 .Ji, xb4 14. B. d 1 ;, c5 1 5. � xb7 B. b8
16 �. a6. Th i s i s goi ng to be an u natt ractive defens ive task fo r B l ack. We h ave the
.
•
bis hops, a 2 to 1 m aj ority on the q ueenside and play a ga i n st the d4-pawn . Ideas l i ke
b2-b3 and §;. b2 next come to m i n d .
1 3. g dl
Th i s new, but rather natu ral , move has been suggested by Stockfish. It i s actu a l ly
not that easy to d eterm i n e the best choices here, a s many l i nes offer p rom i s i ng
play. Th e bi shop pai r and active pieces give Wh ite long-term com pensation.
13 A cs
...
H ere, Black may a l so play
l ]. .
.
e5.
'
'
Th i s looks d ubious, as it does not speed up development and weaken s the l ight
squares even more. N ow, 14.e3 i s j ust one good l i n e among many, fo r in stance,
1 4 � d2 i s also strong. I 'II show one principl ed l i ne now, i nvolving B l ack grabbing
. •
material: 14 . . . g c5 1 5.exd4 g xd4 1 6 . � e3 � xe3 (otherwi se, we'd get d4 back, with
an o ngoi ng i n iti ative) 1 7 .fxe3 � xe3+ 1 8. �· h1 It! e1 1 9. � h4+. I ' l l stop h ere. Wh ite
has a n excellent attack fo r the materi al deficit. The engines manage to defend
Black's pos ition, but it's terrible to play over the board .
1 4· A gs !J. e1
Another pos s i b i l ity i s 14 . . .f6 i 5 �. d 2 . After Bl ack has played . . . f7-f6, h i s king safety
.
.
i s severely com pro m i sed. We wi l l a lways have good play fo r the pawn here. 1 5 . . . d3
i 6.e3 �xb2 (th i s i s the most pri nci pled conti n u ation after i 4 . . f6) 1 7. � e4. Th ree
.
pawns a re now attacked , which mea n s B lack is not a b l e to defen d all of the m . We
keep a plea sa nt i n iti ative.
1 5. A xe7 mxe7 1 6. g xd4
1 6. � a3+ i s a fi n e altern ative.
16 ... 'ftxb2
17. g dd1
Th i s i s an i m po rta nt move and not at all obvious. White retreats from the centra l
post, but prepa res � ab1 n ow.
17 ... � c5 18. �xa7 g xd1 + 19. g xd1
And Wh ite sti ll has an annoyi ng i n itiative after rega i n i n g th e pawn.
A1 14) 9· · · g c8
Th i s n atura l move i s th e th i rd most popular after the bi shop moves to c5 and e].
1 0.
b3
We play � b3 against th e bi shop moves as wel l , so th i s i s easy to remem ber.
1 o.. � xe5 1 1 . � xe5 A c6
.
Th i s i s p l ayed here al most exclusively, b ut lead s to a pleasant game for White.
The move 1 1 . . ;Ji, d6 seems to be stronger than 1 1 . . . ,�, c6, but stil l gives Wh ite a p u l l :
.
1 2 . j), f4 ,r£. c6 (th i s has to be pl ayed . White w a s threaten i ng 'd xf7, s o it makes
sen se) 1 3- g, fd 1 !/i, xg2 i 4. ·�' xg2
tage.
o-o
i 5. � xd4, and White sti l l has a naggi ng advan­
1 2. �xc6 bxc6 13. g d1 c5 14.e3 j\ d6 1 5.exd4 c4
Th i s i s th e poi nt of Bl ack's set-up. With the pawn on c4, the kn ight gets a potential
outpost o n d s.
1 6.
bs +
d1
17.a4
Wh ite i s better, i ntendi ng 1 8. ,'£, d2 and
rather vul nerable.
A1 2) 7... � xe5
i 9.
.§. ac1 next. The c4-pawn proves to be
Th i s move is the most freq uently-pl ayed one below G M level - and it is bad ! Th i s
s i m ple fact i s a h u ge incentive to play 7 . '21 e s - it wi l l j u st net yo u many easy points.
Let's see why it i s so bad.
8.dxe5
Black now trades q u een s most of th e ti me, but the i m med iate . . . 'd d s and . . . 'd d 7
are a l so played. A com mon theme o f a l l these l i nes is that Black struggles to get
the queen s i d e d eveloped . The g2-bishop is j u st a fantastic piece! An additional
problem i s th e pawn on es, wh ich takes away i m portant squares fo r Black and sup­
ports a l ater kn i ght j u m p to d 6. Wh ite frequently plays 'd a3 to regai n the pawn, but
also to pl ace the knight on the attractive ut-square, i ncreasing the pres s u re on the
q ueenside. Black's score in t h i s l i ne is about 20% - it is not only obj ectively bad ,
but it's a lso extremely tough for B lack to avoid a q u ick defeat.
A1 21 ) 8.. . ftxd1 9. g xd1 � d7
An alternative fo r Black i s 9 . . . 'd d s.
10. 'd c3. It i s more common to play 'd a3 i n these l i nes, but here 10. 'd c3 i s good fo r
con crete reasons. Let's conti n u e the l i ne, a s it i s rath er forced : 1 0 . . c[I xc3
.
l l . bxc3
� e? 1 2 . g b1 g b8 1 3. �. c6+ (th i s is i mportant to remember. Black now loses
castl i ng rights) 1 3 . . ·�· f8 14. :#. e3 (th reaten i n g to take on c5, pl ayi ng for the weak
.
back rank} 1 4 ... g5 1 5. h4 h 6 1 6.h5 ·i:t/ g7 1 7. :/J. b5. I conti n ued the l i ne a b it longer to
s how th i s idea. We get the pawn back and keep th e overwhel m i ng pos ition. B l ack
sti l l l acks coord i n ation.
1 0. � a3
l o.f4 i s not bad e ither, but a s i n some othe r l i nes, we don't need to protect the
es-pawn .
10... � xe5
After 10 . . . g e]
l l . 'd xc4,
we get back the pawn and it is j ust a fantastical ly one-sided
affa i r: 1 1 . . � b8 (1 1 . 0-0 1 2 �. xb7 j;; xb7 1 3. � xd7, and Wh ite should wi n easi ly)
.
. .
.
•
1 2 .a4, and aga i n Wh ite has a h uge adva ntage.
1 1 . A f4 f6 12. A xes fxe5 13. � XC4 A e7
14. g ac1
Black is completely passive i n this position. We wi l l win back es fi rst and then keep
up the pressure o n a l l the ta rgets, l i ke c5, b7 and e6.
A1 22) 8.. . ti) d5
9· it) a3 C3
B lack tries to at least keep the extra pawn for h is sufferi ng.
1 0.bxc3 ti) xC3 1 1 .
C2 ti) d5 1 2. g d1
Wh ite threatens e2-e4, but the q ueen moves to b6, a s and c7 a l l ru n i nto kn i ght
J u m ps .
1 2... A d7 1 3. A xds
I was a bit sceptical at first - i s it real ly worth givi ng u p the bishop for a pawn ? I n
fact, th e concrete l i nes suggest th at the tactics work perfectly for Wh ite.
13 ...exd5 14. l! xds
The idea i s to play '8 a3-c4-d 6 next. Bl ack has h uge problems with h is king in the
centre. J u st p l ayi ng for ca stl i ng is unsuccessfu l .
1 4... /J. e7 1 5. � c4 o-o
1 6.
'
d2
And Wh ite wins the u n l ucky bishop o n d7.
A123) 8 � d7
...
9. � a3
M any players play 9.f4 i n stead, but we don't need to protect the pawn , a s we wil l
see.
9··· � xe5
Th i s fai l s, but i s certai n ly critical. Bl ack's position becomes co m pletely unacceptable if he al lows us to ta ke on C4 to restore material equal ity.
With 9 . � e7, Black j ust retu rns the pawn, al lowi ng Wh ite a fanta stic ga me with out
. .
any material sacrificed : 10. 'd xc4 o-o l 1 . � c2 (playi ng fo r the d 6-square i s an obvi­
ous plan) l 1 . .. � c7 1 2 . B. d1 B. b8 ( 1 2 . . . 'd xes l 3. :J;: f4 f6 14 �. e4 h6
.
•
1 5. � cJ By now, Black certai n ly regrets some choices i n the open i n g!) 1 3.a4 b6
1 4. 'd d 6 {th i s i s no fu n fo r B l ack. H e s houldn't touch the e5-pawn n ow) 1 4
. . .
'21 xe5
1 5. 'd bs, and the q ueen i s tra pped.
1 0.
xd8+ mxd8 1 1 . g d1 +
l l . 1i. f4 i s strong a s wel l . One word of advice about th i s type of gam bit play: don't
worry too m uch about perhaps not bei ng able to fi nd th e 100% perfect l i nes. You
have a huge i n itiative and the defence wi ll be a lot harder for Black to conduct. J u st
try to find the best moves , but don't be a perfection ist and burn time - pl ayi ng
good moves q ui ckly i s better than playi n g perfect moves slowly, only to b l u nder in
ti me trou ble.
11
• ••
itl e7
After l l . . . '�' e8 1 2. JJ. f4, we tra nspose to 8 . . . � xd 1 9 . � xd 1 '2l d 7 lO. 'd a3 '21 xe5
, 1 . � f4.
1 2. � e3 � d7
And B l ack wi l l fa l l apart quickly.
A1 3) 7••• � xd4
l
l
Th i s i s the second tra p we have set with 7. 'LJ es. Th i s move i s even worse th an
7 . '� xe5.
. .
8.e3
And B l ack cou ld resign with a clear conscien ce. After a kn ight move a rook i s lost!
8... � f5 9.
xd8+ �xd8 1 0. � xf]+
Yes, you can wi n q uickly with this reperto i re !
A14) 7· ·· � d5
Th i s i s rare, but at l ea st better than 7 . . . ·21 xe5 and 7 . . :21 xd4. White sti l l gets a
.
pro m i s i n g position, though . Th e fol lowi ng l i ne is rath er long, but forced and easy
to reca l l .
8. �xc6 bxc6 9. � a3 A a6 1 0.'8a4 ftb6 1 1 .dxc5 A xc5 12. � xc4 '8b5 1 3.Rxb5 cxb5
1 4. � es
With a comfortable adva ntage for Wh ite. The black q ueenside i s weakened and we
have easy moves l i ke
S
d1 , �� d2 and ,;;, acl ava i lable to keep up th e pressure.
A2) 6 .. A e7 7.cxd5
.
N ow, 7 . exd5 8.dxc5 transposes to the Tarrasch {Chapter 3) , but Black m ay a l so
.
.
ta ke with th e kn ight.
7··· � xd5
Th i s position and the com para ble one after 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd fJ '.d f6 3.g3 e6 4 rJJ. g2 .�. e?
. •
5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 c5 7.cxd5 '2l xd 5 a re u sually a ssoci ated with the term Sem i-Ta rrasch .
H owever, the p roper Semi-Ta rrasch i s reached after
i
.
d4 d s 2.c4 e6 3. 'll fJ 'd f6
4. 'd c3 c5, after wh ich 5.cxd 5 'd xd5 is the d efi n i n g move of the ope n i ng. I n thi s
'pure' S em i-Tarrasch, the re i s a wh ite kn ight o n c3, wh ich i s q u ickly traded fo r th e
d s-kn ight, s i m pl ifyi ng the position and getti ng Bl ack closer to equ a l ity. N ot havi ng
a kn ight on c3 makes a substanti al d ifference. In the position we have reached in
our repertoi re, Black i s not even close to eq uality.
8.dxc5
Th i s i s a lot stronger than the frequently-played 8. 'll c3.
8 � xc5
...
8 .. . o-o 9.a3 � xc5 1 0 . 'iM' c2 leads to th e same position .
9.a3 o-o
The move 9 . a5 weakens the queen side and leads to a n even worse version of the
. .
main l i ne fo r B lack: 1 0. lf/H c2 A e?
1 1 . B. d 1 , and we have moves l i ke e2-e41 'll c3 and
not su rvive th i s position for very long.
1 0.
C2
.�.f4 com i n g.
B lack wi l l probab ly
A usefu l tem po on th e bi shop. Now, we a l so see why 9 .a3 was a usefu l move. We
will play e2-e4 soon, kicki ng the knight away from the central post. The move a2-a3
was need ed to cover the b4-square.
1 0 A e1
...
B lack m ay also play 1 0 . . . Wle7. Th i s move s i gn a l s Bl ack's intention to place the
bishop on b6. With the bishop on b6, our idea to play e2-e4 beco mes a bit less at­
tractive. Black might play . . . e6-e5 and use the bi shop on the now weakened d4square. The move a2-a3 had an add itional idea, though : l 1 . b4 .JJ. b6 1 2 . r1. b2 .JJ, d 7
.
1 3- 'd b d 2 � ac8 1 4. � b3, a n d Wh ite has a comfortable edge. We have 'd c4 next, fol­
lowed by � ac1 and � fd 1 . B l ack has l ittle space and needs to take care of the wea k­
ened d 6-square.
1 1 . Jl d1 /J. d7 12.� � b6
13. f} C3
Wh ite's play i s very s i m ple to conduct. We intend to play e4-e5, .�. f4 and
'd bi -c3-e4 (b5) -d6. Bl ack h as little to show i n return.
B) 5 . A 14
..
Th i s i s one of the more a m bitious tries, and one where the extra tem po makes a
d i fference i n Wh ite's favou r.
6.C4
O u r typical move, blasti ng open the centre and freeing the bishop on g2. 6. d es i s
'
also possible, but I th i n k that Black i s q u ite al right after 6 . . . cxd4 7 . 'd xg4 'a X g4 8.e3
'd f6. After o u r choice, Black has to solve more problems and wi l l often end u p i n
severe trouble i f fu rther i naccu rac i es creep i n .
B1) 6 . cxd4 7. iO xd4
.
.
H ere, Wh ite has a more conservative alternative with 7.cxd 5 g xf3 8. g xf3 'd xd 5
9. E¥eff b3
'd b6 io.a4. I th i n k th at White i s s l i ghtly better i n this l i ne, but 7. 'd xd4 lead s
to fasc i nati ng p lay and is extremely d angerous fo r Black.
7.. f) xd4 8. , xd4 A xe2
.
B lack had to go fo r the pawn on e2, as there wa s no sensi ble alternative.
9.cxd5
Amazi ng! White 1 s able to sacrifice the exchange fo r excel lent play. Let's check
some l i n es .
9... A xn i o. A xn
1 0 a6
•..
Basica l ly the only move. Black n eeds to cover bs.
We need to check why th e move 10 ... � xd 5 fa i l s : 1 1 . � a4+ 'Ll d7 1 2. 'd c3 � f5 1 3- fi. e3
(Black i s hel pless aga i nst th i s attack) 1 3- .. a6 1 4. g, d 1 B. d 8 1 5 . �. g2. On top of every­
.
th i n g, Wh ite i s th reate n i n g 1 6 . j;: b6 - Black i s lost.
1 1 . � c3 g6
Th i s i s the best try fo r Black.
1 ) l 1 . . . e5 (Black desperately tries to develop h i s ki ngs ide) 1 2. � xe5+ � e7 1 3. � f4
(th i s i s very strong. Even after the q ueen trade, White has excel lent com pensation)
1 3 . . . � xe5 14. g xe5 .� cs 1 5 . .'b; h 3 o-o 1 6.d6. Th e s i m ple idea i s to play .�. xf6 and
d6-d7, with a h uge pawn on d?;
2) 1 1 ... e6 a l so fails directly: 1 2. � a4+ bs 1 J. 'd xb5 axb5 14 . .'b; xb5+ � e7 1 5.d6+ 00 xd 6
1 6. �. f4+ e s 1 7. W!r d4+ '21 d s 18. � d i a n d we a re i n ' Mate i n x' territory al ready.
I
1 2.
a4+ � d7 13.d6 e6 1 4. � �
Wh ite h a s a n extremely dangerous attack. Stockfish now sees only one defence fo r
Black: covering g s aga i n st j;; gs th reats.
1 4... h6
1 5. ftd4
B lack now has to move the rook, granti ng Wh ite a last i n g attack. There i s s i m ply no
coord ination i n B lack's camp. I am stopping at th i s po int, but of course you m ight
use this position as the sta rti ng poi nt of you r own analysis and practicing yo u r gen­
eral attacki ng pl ay.
B2) 6 . A xf3
..
Th i s looks tem pti ng, but is a l ready bad fo r B l ack.
7· A xf3
821) 7 ... cxd4 8. ftb3
8.cxd5 21 xd 5
'.
'8 c6 5.0-0
9. '& b3
wou ld trans pose to the l i ne i .d4 d s 2. 21 f3 'LJ f6 ].g3 c5 4. ,£, g2
'.
.�, g4 6.c4 cxd4 7.cxd 5 j;; xf3 8 . �. xf3
.
'8 xd5 9 . � b3, someth i n g I men­
tioned in the context of l i ne B1 a bove. This is better for White as wel l, but I thi n k
the i m med i ate 8 . � b3 i s even m ore pro m i s i ng.
8 ..e6
.
Basical ly forced . Now, we enter a pro m i s i ng endgame.
9.ftxb7 ftc8 1 0. ftxc8+ 1i xc8
1 1 . � d2
Wh ite i s better here. We wi l l conti nue with l! d 1 , i ntending to take on d s and follow
up with 'd bJ. The d4-pawn i s a l i a bi l ity and we have the bishops as a long term
asset.
B22) 7. � xd4
..
1 1
l l
8. A g2
We s i m ply preserve the bi shop and threaten to take on d s with the pawn . There is
no good sol ution for B l ack a nymore.
8. e6
..
Wh ite has a h u ge advantage after 8 . . . dxc4 9 . � xb7 � b8 10. � g2. There a re prob­
lems on the l i ght sq uares, with ideas l i ke e2-e3, fol lowed by W!! a4+/ :lJ, c6+ - on top
of a l l th is, we have the bis hops and C4 i s term i na l ly weak.
9· � C3
We wi l l a lways be able to get the pawn back with a n ice advantage by j u st playi ng
e2-e3 on the next moves . I n some cases, there a re even more pro m i s i n g idea s.
H ere's a sample l i ne:
9. . A e1 1 0.cxd5 � xd5 1 1 . � xd5 exd5
.
1 2.b4
Wh ite h as a huge i n itiative here with a great bi shop pai r. Th e pawn on d s wi l l d rop
soon.
83) 6 . dXC4
.
.
Th i s has never been played acco rdi ng to my data base, but it is worth checki ng why
it i s bad.
That's th e probl em ! B l ack has no good reply now.
7... $\ d7 8. 'i) a3 cxd4 9. 'i) axC4 e6 1 0. A f4
And Wh ite has a h uge i n itiative. We are actu a l ly a fu l l tempo u p on the l i ne i .d4 d 5
2 . 'd f3 'd f6 J.g3 c5 4 �. g2 'd c6 5.0-0 e6 6.c4 dxc4 7. '21 es � d7 8. 'd a3 cxd4
.
g. '21 axc4,
•
wh ich i s dangerous fo r B lack anyway. A fu l l extra tem po for us can easi ly
tu rn danger i nto d i saster.
c) 5 ... A fs
' .t.
Systems for Wh ite aga i nst the G runfeld with � f4 h ave a solid reputation. Aga i n ,
o n e tem po i s a s u bsta ntial difference a s we wi l l see.
6.C4
Our standard move is very strong here. Black now has no good sol ution .
6...dXC4
B l ack may a l so play 6 . . . e6 7.cxd 5 exd 5 8. '.d c3, after wh ich we have reach ed a Ta r­
rasch type of pawn structu re with a m i spl aced black bi shop on f5. It i s vul nerable
on fs and serves n o particular role. White 1 s comfortably better with standard
moves l i ke fi. gs to fo l l ow.
7. � e5
I t h i n k th i s i s s i m pler to handle than th e altern atives. 7 . �, e3 or 7. � a4 a re a l so bet­
.
ter for White, but req u i re more study or lead to some u n u s u a l po sitions. 7. 'd es i s
j u st a o ne-sided advantage for Wh ite.
7 ... g cg
We checked 7 . . . �, d7 8. "21 a3 via 5 . . . g g4 6.c4 dxc4 7. 'd es .�, d7 (I i ne B) .
.
8. 'i) xc6 bxc6 9.dxc5
Wh ite has the better pawn struct u re, and it i s easy to pl ay. One sam ple l i n e runs as
fo l lows:
9... ftxd1 1 0. g xd1 es 1 1 . 'i) d2 C3 1 2.bxC3 A xes
13. f} C4
And Bl ack is un der pressu re. It's a l ready difficult to defend the pawn s .
Conclusion
B l ack's path to a reasonable game in thi s cha pter is narrow. M any l i nes that look
natural are risky or down right bad fo r Black, which wi ll result i n excellent positions
out of the opening aga i n st players who are n ot prepa red excepti ona l ly wel l . I f Black
knows or finds the best defence ( l i ne An above) , it i s sti l l a n i nteresti ng game with
Wh ite h aving very good compensation for the pawn .
CHAPTER 7
Catalan - Introduction and sidelines: 2 . €JfG 3.g3 eG
.
.
1 .d4 ds 2. �f3 �ffi 3.13 e6
The Catalan chapters a re about a l l set-ups where B l ack plays . . . d7-d 5 and then
prio ritizes ki ngside development with . . -d f6, . . . e7-e61
.
• • •
��; e] (d 6) and castl i ng.
Our play aga i n st t h i s black set-up is very straightforwa rd : we wi l l play ou r standard
moves 1 .d4, 2. 'd f3, J.g3, 4. ,Ji, g2, 5.0-0 and 6.c4, almost no matter what specific
move order B lack chooses. I need to mention that th e in itial moves 1 .d4 ds 2. 'd f3
'd f6 3.g3 e6 lead to pos itions exa m i ned i n the Catalan chapters most of the ti me,
but a q u ick . . . c7-c5 by Black wil l tra n s pose i nto chapters on the Reversed G runfeld
or the Tarrasch. Th ere are two other noteworthy options. Black may play a q u i ck
. . . b7-b5, stopping our c2-c4 break. Please refer to Chapter 1 0 for deta i l s. Final ly, the
th i rd possible tra n sposition ha ppens in case of a q u ick . . . b7-b6, wh ich leads to the
Queen's I ndian and is dealt with i n Chapter 23. I need to emphas ize that these
transpositions a re actua l ly not very common at c l u b level , a s most pl ayers j u st opt
for the same moves that they would play if we pl ayed a regular Queen's G a m bit or
Catalan move order with c2-C4 played o n m ove 2 or 3-
1 .d4 ds 2. �f3 � «>
Black someti mes sta rts with 2 . . . e 6 and delays . . . 'd f6 . There are some possible rea­
sons for this, the most co mmon bei ng th e idea to sti l l bei ng a ble to play the f-pawn
for a Stonewal l formation. Other possi bi l ities a re l i nes l i ke i .d4 ds 2. 'a f3 e6 3-C4 c6
4. 'd c3 dxc4 or i .d4 ds 2. 'd f3 e6 3-C4 a6. Th ese l i nes are rather tricky for Wh ite to
handle. We a re not bothered at a l l by these ideas, and are able to play our sta ndard
set-u p. U ltimately, we wi l l transpose into the main l i n e Catalan or a d ifferent chap­
ter, fo r exa m ple after . . .f7-f5 on move 3 or 4 we wi l l transpose into the Dutch
Stonewal l (Chapter 32) .
3·13 e6
4. A 12
H ere, 4.c4 would be the m a i n sta rting position of th e Cata lan via the more
common move order 1 .d4 d s 2.C4 e6 3. 'd f3 'd f6 4.g3. This move order allows 4 . . .
dxc4, lead ing to very intricate a n d sharp pl ay, where B l ack gets to select among
many possible l i nes after 5. §1. gi. Of cou rse, White is fi ne in these l i nes, but it re­
q u i res a lot of memorization to do that. The second annoying option i s 4. . . Ji. b4+ ,
which is less theory-heavy th an 4 . . . dxc4, but sti l l good to avo id fo r s i m pl icity reasons.
After ou r main move 4. j;: g2 Bl ack's main and most l i kely best option i s to play
,
4. . . ©, e7 and 5 . . . 0-0 (see Chapters 8 and 9) to castle q u ickly. There are some alter­
.
natives to th i s a pproach, most i m portantly the set-up with .. §;. d6, usually pai red
.
with the moves . . . 'd bd7 and . . . c7-c6. Th i s set- u p i s exam i ned via the 4 . . . §;. d 6 move
order. We a l so look at some odd ities l i ke 4. . 'd c6 and 4. . . c6 5.0-0 'll bd7, i ntend ing
.
to snatch the c-pawn after 6.c4. Note that 4. . 'd bd7 is p u rely tra n s position a l , as a
.
later bi shop move wou ld l ead u s to 4. . Ji, e7 or 4 . . §;. d 6. Spea ki ng of tra n spo.
.
s itions: if Bl ack plays 4 . . . b5, 4. . b6 or 4. . . c5, we castl e and transpose out of the
.
Catalan chapters.
A) 4· ·· A d6
A set- u p with . . . ,©, d 6 i s Black's m a i n a lternative to going with . . . ,©, e?. These . . . :JJ, d 6
set-ups a re also often started with 4. . . c6 or 4. . 'd bd7, u lti m ately com bining a l l
.
moves ( . . . c7-c6, . .. . '21 bd7, .... JJ. d6) . I wi l l exa m i ne a l l . . . §;. d 6 based positions sta rting with 4. . . .©, d 6.
5.0-0
Agai n st the . . . §;. d 6 set-up, our a pproach i nvolves the m oves c2-c4, d c3, 'd d2 and
'
ulti m ately e2-e4. Thi s early e2-e4 push, s u pported by the kn i ghts, i s a very effect ive
way to meet . . � d 6 . I n most l i nes, we wi l l captu re on e4 with a kn ight and attack
.
the bi shop on d6, which gai n s a usefu l tempo. An i mportant poi nt to note: you
need to be awa re of a s m a l l move o rder pitfa l l to avo i d . Let's h ave a l ook.
Al) 5 0-0 6.C4 c6
...
I always l i ke to check what happen s if Black ta kes: 6 . . . dxc4 7. 'd fd2. Wh ite is a l so
better after more o bvious moves l i ke 7. 'd es or 7. d bd2, but thi s is a clever move,
'
stopping a ny . . . b7-b5 ideas and j u st rega i n i ng the pawn with a good game. Always
compare th e guys on g2 a nd c8!
7. � c3
Playin g 7. '.d fd2 fi rst i s not a m i stake, but taki ng on c4 i s rather welcome after
7. 'U c3, so there is no reason to stop it.
7... � bd7
After 7 . . . dxc4 8. 'd d2, we regai n the pawn easi ly: 8 . . . e5 (Black has no way to keep
the pawn and at least frees u p the bi shop on c8; 8 . . . b5
exd4 1 0. '!¥M xd4 §1. c7
1 1 . '!¥M h41
9.
'll xb5 - ouch!)
9.
'd xc4
and Wh ite has an excellent game . .§. d 1 i s a u sefu l
tem po a n d B l ack h a s a h a rd t i m e to defend aga i n st j), g s ideas.
8. � d2
Wh ite scores a devastati ng 8o% from th i s position i n
Megabase 201 9 !
It i s not a
s u rprise that Wh ite i s better, but the actual ga mes show how difficult B l ack's posi­
tion is to play in a practical game. The bi shop on c8 is j u st a bad piece and wi l l
often e n d u p being the mai n reaso n fo r B l ack's demise.
A1 1 ) 8 ... g e8 9.� dxe4 1 o. � dx� � xe4
1 ) 1 0 . :Ji. e] 1 1 '£. f4 'd xe4 1 2. 'd xe4 i s a different route to th e same position;
..
.
•
2) 10 ... ,�, c7 1 1 . .'£. e3 es 1 2.d5 (a key idea for Wh ite. The d-pawn is goi ng to be very
strong) 1 2 . . . cxds l 3-cxd 5 Ji. b6 1 4.d6 'd xe4 1 5. 'd xe4, and Wh ite is m uch better here.
The d-pawn is a n uisance for B lack and Wh ite's play is easy to cond uct. We wi l l
play B. c1 , � d2, maybe b2-b4 and d c5 depending o n what B lack does.
'
1 1 . � x� /J. e7 1 2. /J. f4 �ffi 1 3 . � C3
Agai n th i s move, avo i d i ng trades.
1 3 /J. d6
•.•
,
1 4. A es
A strong move! Wh ite i s keeping the tension a nd tries to tem pt Black i nto captu ring
on es. Black can't afford to take, a s th i s gives Wh ite a pawn o n es, s u pporting the
fantastic outpost on d 6. B ut what should Black play? He is basical ly j ust s itti ng i n a
very pas sive pos ition, wh i le we h ave ea sy moves to i m prove, l i ke � e2 and centra l­
izi ng rooks.
A12) 8 . e5
..
Wh ite has too m uch press u re on th e centre for t h i s move to work. We win an
i m portant central pawn now.
9.dxe5 J\ xe5
After the a lternative 9 . . 'a xes 1 0.cxd5 cxd 5 1 1 . 'u xd 5, Wh ite i s a pawn u p and Black
.
has no com pen sation at a l l .
1 0.cxd5 J\ xc3
1 1 .dxc6
The o n ly i m po rta nt move to remem ber. Th is zwischenzug sec u res a clear advantage.
11
• ••
A xd2 1 2.cxd7 J\ xd7 13. J\ xd2
Aga i n , Wh ite is a centra l pawn u p, with the bishop pair as wel l .
A13) 8.. A e7
.
A sad retreat! but th i s i s one of the better d efences.
9·� dx� 1 0. � dx� � x� 1 1 . �x�
A131) 1 1 ... � f6 12. � c3
You should avoid trades if you have more space. Th i s ru l e of th u m b works wel l
most of the ti me, a n d t h i s i s no exception .
1 2... . b6
Th i s l ooks l i ke th e most i nteresti n g try. B l ack i ntends to put some press u re on the
d-pawn.
13.a3
I l i ke this move a lot. We prepare g e3 this way.
13 .. 1i d8
.
14. A e3
Wh ite has a comfortable adva ntage . . . j u st co m pare the bishops! Black can not take
on b2 now.
And the q ueen i s trap ped ! We needed a2-a3 to take away squares for the q ueen.
Ai32) 1 1 e5
•••
,ttJ
B lack tries to free u p the c8-bi shop th i s way, but we have a powerfu l reply.
1 2.d5
Wh ite esta bli shes s strong pa ssed pawn and threatens d s-d 6 i m medi ately. Th is
th reat l i m its Black's option s q uite con sidera bly.
1 2 fs
•••
Th i s i s better th an th e capture o n ds: 1 2 . . . cxd 5 l J.cxd 5. Taking with the q ueen a l so
leads to a n ice adva ntage. After the pawn reca ptu re, the next moves are more or
less forced : l J. . .fs (we were sti l l th reate n i ng ds-d6. B lack has no other move to han­
dle th i s idea) i 4.d6 fxe4 i 5.dxe7 Wlixe7 i 6. )¥g d s+ � h8
1 ]. �xe4, a nd we have a clear advantage, with th e better pawn structu re and the
bi shop pai r.
13. � C3
H ere, 1 J.d6 does not pro m i se that much, com pared to the vers ion without cpawns. The difference: we don't have the crucial check on ds.
We certai n ly have the better chances: more active pieces/better development/
d-pawn count for somethi ng. Sti l l , th i s i s a rather com p l icated position and not as
on e-sided a s many others in the . . :B. d6-complex.
.
A2) 5··· � bd7 6.C4 c6
7· � fd2J
Th i s is the i m portant moment I mentioned ! You need to avoid 7. 'd c3, as B l ack
m ight m uddy the waters with 7 . dxc4!. M ost B l ack players are not aware of th i s
. . .
possibil ity and j u st play 7 . .0-0 , after wh ich 8. 'u d2 leads to t h e position we a re
.
a i m i n g fo r. By playi ng
7. 'd fd2 !
fi rst, we alter the move order i n o u r favou r.
7.. 0-0
.
There i s noth ing better avai lable for B lack.
8. � C3
And we reach the m a i n position of our anti- � d 6 recipe. Th i s position i s exa m i ned
via the move order 1 .d4 d 5 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3-g3 e6 4. j;: g2 � d6 5.0-0
a bove.
B) 4••• f} c6
o-o
i n l i ne Al
Th i s i s q u ite rare at th i s point and somewhat odd , a s u sually you don't want to
block you r c-pawn in double Queen's Pawn openings, i n particular not if . . . e7-e6 i s
a l ready o n the boa rd .
5.0-0
Our stand ard move order is not a su rpri s i n g choice, but I need to mention that
here it is crucial to not play 5.c4 fi rst, as then B lack may play 5 . . . dxc4 and a l l of a
sudden we have tra n s posed to a l i ne of the Catalan that we i ntend to avo id with our
specific move o rder, namely i .d4 d s 2.4 e 6 3- 'd f3 'd f6 4.g3 dxc4 5. g g2 'd c6. Of
cou rse, this l i ne is not bad for Wh ite, but it req u i res a lot of knowled ge to play wel l
and most i m portantly: B l ack sho uld not get away with h i s stra nge . . . 'd c6 move so
easily!
Bl ) 5 . /J. e7 6.C4 dxC4
..
Agai n st s l ow moves, we h ave the usual set- u p to prepare e2-e4 with moves l i ke
'd bd2, a2-a3 a nd � c2. You may also play a qu ick b2-b3 to go
7. if 84 o-o 8. RxC4 'ft'd5
:Ji, b2 and cover c4.
9·
·
a4
The only point to remem ber! Do n't trade on ds, but keep the q ueen s on the board
and occupy the centre next. N atura l moves l i ke 'd c3 and a later e2-e4 give White a
stable advantage.
e2) 5. s\ d6 6.C4 dxC4
..
After 6 . . o-o 7. 'd bd2, we j ust cover the pawn and aim fo r e2-e4 next, with moves
.
l i ke a2-a3 and
·'
c2 a s prepa ratio n fi rst.
' ' '
7. � bd2 b5
Th i s fa i l s , not q u ite u nexpected ly. If B lack pl ays a s low move, we j u st rega i n the
pawn with a n excel lent game.
8. � e5 � xd4 9. � dxc4
A n i ce poi nt.
9... bXC4 1 0. . xd4
And B l ac k should not see move 20 from here.
C) 4...c6 5.0-0 � bd7
B lack delays the development of th e kingside, angling for a specific l i ne.
'
Th i s i s th e idea beh ind th i s move order: B l ack j u st grabs the pawn ! Fortu nately,
th i s i s not a great l i ne for Black, but we need to know what to do. Of cou rse, B lack
may also develop the bi shop i n stead and transpose to l i nes that we exa m i ne via
..
..
4· . �. e7 or 4 . ;It d 6.
7· �
Th i s i s i m portant to remem ber. Th i s move either enabl es u s to get the pawn back
comfortably or provokes fu rther weaknesses , should B l ack decide to try to hold on
to h i s booty.
C1 ) 7... a5 8. fte2 bs
Th i s i s too ri s ky fo r Black, but it i s the only chal lenging move.
After 8 . -21 b6
. .
g.
"21 bd2 'a fd 5 1 0 . 'a xc4 'll b4 1 1 . � b3 -2i xc4 1 2. � xc4, White enjoys a
comforta ble adva ntage. Bl ack has not solved the c8-bishop issue and a later e2-e4
wi l l esta b l i sh a n ice centre for White.
9. � es
The most powerfu l move am ongst some p ro m i s i ng l i n es .
9... � xe5 1 0.dxe5 � d5 1 1 .axb5 cxb5 1 2. � c3
Th i s position i s fo rced after 9 . 'd es. N ow, Black i s i n some tro u b le. The engi nes
recommend retu rning the pawn now, but White is obviously better then.
1 2... � b4
1 2 . . . � b6 (the engi ne's d efen ce) 1 3- '.2l xd 5 exd 5 1 4. .�. xd 5, and White is m uch better.
13. f:Yd2
Th i s i s a strong move! Bl ack falls apart now.
13 ... - xd2 1 4. A xd2 g b8 1 5. 1i xa5 A d7 16. Ii fa1
Wh ite's attack is a l ready wi n n ing with prec i se play.
c2) 7... A, e7 8. � bd2
Wh ite wi l l get the pawn back with a pleasant adva ntage. Black has no particular
compensation for the d readfu l c8-bishop and lack of central control. Wh ite will
eas i ly get e2-e4 i n soon.
8... b5
Wel l , th i s way Black keeps the pawn fo r the moment, but it does not work.
9.axb 5 cxb5 1 o. 'i) es 'i) ds 1 1 . 'i) c6
CJ 12. 'i) xe7 m xe7
13.b3
With a wi n ni ng attack for Wh ite. One interesti ng vari ation that may h appen i s
l ]. . . c 3 14.e4! cxd2 l 5. � xd2 'd 5f6 1 6. � a 3+ � e8 1 7.e5 '.d d s 1 8. � g5, with a strong
attack. N ote th at l ].e4 i s a strong move as wel l . B l ack's 'centra l ized ' ki ng will never
fi n d a safe place aga i n .
C3) 7 ... b5
Th i s i s by fa r too greedy, and swiftly p u n ished.
8.axb5 cxb5 9· � es � ds 1 o. � c3
We are th reatening on bs and d s. Black i s i n rea l d anger of losing the gam e q u ickly
now.
1 0... � xe5 1 1 .dxe5 �xc3
Th i s loses i m med i ately. Black needed to retu rn the pawn i n stead, but adm ittedly
th i s i s not a n attractive prospect either.
1 2.
xd8+ �xd8 1 3.bxc3 g b8
.t. l i
1 4. li xa7
And Wh ite has a winn i n g attack.
Conclusion
Wh ite enjoys an advantage i n a l l Catalan s idelines. The most i m po rta nt idea to
remem ber is how to fight the . 'Ji, d6 set-ups by movi ng the f3-kn ight to d2. This
. .
gives Wh ite a very pleasant game aga i n st this q u ite popu lar set-up.
CHAPTER &
Catalan - Closed Variation:
2 . . €Jf6 3.gJ e6 4. A g2 it e] 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4
.
1 .d4 ds 2. tD f3 '[) ffi 3. 13 e6 4. 5\ 12 §J. e7
Th i s i s the most com mon choice at th i s poi nt. Black's alternatives , for exa mple
4 . i, d 6 , are d i scu ssed i n the previous cha pter.
. .
.
5.0-0
We are head i ng for the m a i n l i ne of th e Cata l a n after
5.0-0 o-o
6.c4, but the
i m mediate 5.4 i s a l so possible and m i ght be an i nteresting l ater addition to you r
repertoi re. After 5.c4, t h e captu re with 5 . . . dx4 i s less attractive for Black com pared
to 4.c4 dxc4. The bi shop o n e] i s not particula rly usefu l for the more conc rete play
i n itiated with the capture. After 5.c4, Black w i l l most l i kely play 5 . . . 0-0, after which
6.o-o lead s to our main l i ne. You don't need to tra n s pose, but may a l so vary with
6. 'll c3 or 6. 'i!!! c2, wh ich are interesti ng sidel i nes. So keep th i s move order in m i n d
i f yo u seek options i n t h e futu re.
Now, Black us ually j u st castles after our move 5.0-0 , but there are some ways to
transpose out of this chapter. They could play 5 . . . b5 to trans pose i nto Chapter 1 0,
5 . . . b6 would lead to th e Queen's I nd i an (Chapter 23) and 5 . . . c5 wou l d tra n s pose
into a Reversed G runfeld or Tarrasch.
5 0-0 6.c4
...
Th i s position i s the starti ng poi nt of the Catalan main l i ne. The next move by Bl ack
defi nes the fu rther cou rse of the game. The main l i ne and very l i kely the best move
i s 6 . dxc4. Black's idea is to ta ke the pawn, but usually n ot to gai n any m ateri a l .
. .
Wh ite wi l l regai n t h e pawn, but it takes s o m e time, and Black intends to u s e this
ti me to complete development. Th i s is cal led the Open Variation and wi l l be exa m­
i ned i n the n ext chapter.
I need to emphasize that 6 dx4 m i ght be the best m ove, but you wi l l a l so en­
. . .
cou nter the Cl osed Catalan a lot. The Closed Catalan usua l ly starts with 6 . 'D bd7
. .
or 6 .... c6, and signals Black's i ntention to bolster the centre and later play . . . b7-b6
and develop the bishop to b7 or a6. Th i s set-up is very popular at cl u b level , mostly
becau se the Catalan i s not stud ied m uch at th at level and often players j u st react i n
the same m a n n e r a s th ey wou ld have aga i n st a classical Queen's G a mbit approach
by Wh ite. For exam ple, th ey have stu d ied l i nes l i ke i .d4 ds 2.c4 e6 3. 'll c3 'll f6
4. Ji. gs i. e1 5.e3
o-o
6. 'd f3 'll bd7 and j u st play the same moves aga i n st the Cata­
l a n . The good news for u s i s that the Closed Catalan i s objectively s l i ghtly better fo r
Wh ite - i f Black knows what h e i s doing! Any second-rate move by Black, however,
wi ll give us a great pos ition, a s we will exa m i n e shortly.
Other o ptions by Bl ack on move six, l i ke 6 . . . b6 or 6 . . . c5, wi l l tra n s pose to other
cha pters . I 'd l i ke to n ote that these moves are rather popular at c l u b level and
studyi n g th e chapters on the Queen's I nd i an or Tarrasch fo r those options wi l l re­
s u lt in many promi s i n g positions.
I have s p l it the coverage of the C losed Catalan i nto two section s: there i s the
move order 6 ... c6, looking at l i nes wh ere Black opts to develop his b8-kn ight to a6
- the other, far more com mon set-up, i nvolves . . . 'd bd7 and i s exa m i n ed via the
6 . . . '21 bd7 move o rder. Our set-up wi l l be qu ite s i m i l a r aga i n st both options.
Closed Catalan without
6...c6
...
� bd7
Black goes for the C losed Catalan, avoid i ng 6 . . . dxc4. What i s the idea beh i n d
. . . c7-c6 ? Wel l , B lack would l i ke to solve h i s problem o f the passive c8-bishop.
There are two basic ways to do that. The fi rst one is to try to play . . . e6-e5 a nd use
the bis hop on the sta rti ng d i agon a l . Th i s plan does not look very real i stic at all, as
Wh ite controls es rel i ably. Th i s leaves the other opti on to try to develop the bishop
to b7 or a6. What a bout 6 . . . b6 then ? Th i s wi l l q u ickly tra n spose to th e Queen's I n­
dian after 7.cxd 5 exd 5 8. 'd c3 Ji. b7 9 . 'd es - and th i s i s defi n itely more comfortable
fo r White (see Chapter
23
for d etails) . N ow, we a re getti ng closer to the point of
. . . c7-c6. Black antici pates a pos s i bl e trade on ds and wants to be ready to recaptu re
with the c-pawn , avoid i ng the no n-sym m etrical central formations that u s ua l ly l ead
to hangi ng pawns , as it i s com monplace in the Queen's I ndian m a i n l i ne.
7· l!C2
Wh ite's standard set-up in the Closed Cata lan i s 'll bd2/ � c2 and e2-e4, tryi n g to
open the centre favoura bly. Why is 'll bd2 preferred to 'd c3-based play? The m a i n
reason i s th at t h e c-pawn need s additional cover. With t h e knight on c3, B lack may
capture on c4 at an opportune moment o r play a q u ick . . . b7-b6 and . . . g a6, increas­
ing the press u re on 4 - even in case White has pl ayed b2-b3 for add itional cover.
So we have esta b l i shed that 'll bd2 and � c2 s hould be played - n ow the question
you probably have antici pated al ready: which move fi rst? There is a difference between 6 . . . c6 and 6 . . 'll bd7 in th at regard. Here, aga i n st 6 . . . c6, after 7. Wlc2 Black
.
m i ght play 7 ... dxc4, which tra n s poses to Ld4 ds 2. 'd f3 'll f6 3.g3 e6 4. g g2 �. e7
5.0-0
o-o
6.c4 dx4 7. Yf!Jc2 c6. If you want to avoid that possibil ity, you m ight as
well play 7. 'd bd2 here, as it has no d rawback.
7... b6
Black avoids 7 . . 'll bd7, wh ich i s actually the most freq uently-played move. Th i s l i ne
.
i s exam i ned via 6 . . 'll bd 7 below i n the segment on the Closed Cata l a n with
.
. . . 'd bd7.
8. � bd2 j\ b7
Black's i ntended set-u p i s . . :B. b7 and
.
. .
. 'd a6. After 8 . . 'd bd7 9 .e4, we tran spose
.
into the C losed Cata lan with ... 'd bd 7, wh ich i s covered via 6 ... 'd bd7. An
i ndepen dent option to check i s 8 . . � a6.
.
9. 'd es. The most n atu ra l way to prepare e2-e4 i s to play 9 . b3, but after 9 . . 'd bd7
.
i o.e4, B lack has tricked us i nto a l i ne that is not part of our repertoi re. The l i ne I
a m referri ng to i s th e fol lowi ng: i .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 'D f6 J.g3 e6 4. j;; g2 ,r'J;. e] 5.0-0 o-o
6.c4 'll bd7 7. 'f!i c2 c6 8. 'd bd2 b6 9 .e4 � a6. N ow, I recom mend i o.e5 instead of
i o . b3, wh ich is exactly what we woul d get after 9.b3 here. Fortu nately, 9. 'd es i s a
good option i n stead.
9 ... 'll fd7 { Black wa nts to get rid of th e knight i m med i ately. This i s pl ayed most of
the ti me) 10. 'll d3 {th i s i s a strong move, a nd i n structive. Black i s n ow stuck a bit
with h i s q ueen side development) 1 0 . . . 'd f6 (th i s i s s low, but how else can the traf­
fic jam on the q ueen side be solved ?) 1 1 . B. d i 'd bd7 1 2.e4, and we h ave reach ed a
fai rly normal position type for the Closed Catalan . White is better d u e to h i s space
adva ntage.
9.� of) a6
The poi nt of Black's move order. The kn ight i s a bit more active o n a6 th a n o n d 7
and, more i m porta ntly, t h e d ]-sq uare i s sti l l avai lable fo r th e f6-knight. For compar­
i son : after 9 . . . 'd bd7 10.e5, Black need s to retreat to th e less d es i rable e8-square.
A freq uently seen move i s
9.
.
. dxe4, but after 10. 'd xe4, Black usually pl ays
1 0 . 'd bd7 or 10 . '.d xe4 1 1 . � xe4 '.d d7, which is covered via th e Cl osed Catalan
. .
. .
move order sta rti ng with 6 . 'll bd7. Th ese l i nes a re excel lent for Wh ite and fre­
. .
q uently seen, i n pa rticular at the non-professional l evel .
The move 9 . . c 5 looks a bit prematu re, b u t i t i s not terri ble fo r Black. We are a b l e to
.
keep a n i ce edge after 10 .exd 5 exd 5 1 1 .dxc5 .�. xc5 1 2. 'd b3 §i. e] 1 J. 'll fd4, with a nice
position. We have u sefu l pressure o n d s and 'll fs i s always a tasty pros pect.
1
1
1 0.a3
Very i m portant to remember. Th i s i s a slow, but necessary move. We n eed to re­
strict th e kn ight and a l so prepare the seq uence we are a bout to exa m i ne after B l ack­
's only challen gi ng reply.
1 0 c5
••.
1 ) Th e altern ative
1 0 . . . dxc4
is n ice fo r Wh ite and q u ite easy to h a nd le: 1 1 . 'd xc4 c5
1 2.e5 'd ds 1 3.dxc5 'E:\ xc5 14. b4 'Ll d 7 1 5. Ji, b2. A logica l and al most fo rced seq uence
after 1 1 . . . c5. Wh ite has excellent cha nces, based o n the s u bstantial s pace adva n ­
tage. One key i dea i n the future may b e to play for the d 6-square . .. or even the
c6-square with a b4-bS + 'a fJ-d4-c6 m anoeuvre;
2) 10 . . B. c8 1 L b4 c5 1 2.dxc5 bxc5 l J. bs also looks pro m i s i ng for White. Let's check
.
a possi ble l i ne: 13 .. '21 b8 1 4.exd 5 exd5 1 5. 'LJ h4, with a usefu l i n iti ative for Wh ite.
.
1 1 .exd5
It i s i m portant to remem ber thi s seq uence, lead ing to a good game fo r White.
Other l i nes don't pro m i se much.
1 1 ...exd5 12.dxc5 ia xc5
Black i s happy to get the kn ight into the game, but White's pieces are sti l l more active and better coordi nated after the next moves.
Wh ite i s s l ightly better here, based on the more active pieces . It i s a com plicated
pos ition, th ough. I ' l l show some more moves to i l l u strate an i mportant idea.
1 5...
CJ
Th i s i s certa i n ly sen s i ble. B lack protects the bi shop to a l l ow . . . dxc4.
1 6. g acl dxC4 17.
'
XC4
xc4 1 8. 'i) dxC4 A xg2 19. mxg2
l
I n th i s type of pos ition, Black i s always suffering somewhat because of the weak
c6-sq uare and White's idea to play -2\ c4-e3-f5.
Closed Catalan with
6 � bd7
...
...
� bd7
Black i s goi ng for the Closed Catalan with thi s move, at least in the vast m ajority of
cases. I have d i scu ssed some basic concepts of th is line in the notes to 6 . . . c6 let's look at some specifics of the move order.
7. �C2
Our set- u p i nvolves �c2 and 'd bd2, so aga i n the q uestion to a nswer i s: what to
play fi rst? Aga i n st 6 . . . c6, the difference i s m i nor, but h ere the q ueen move i s more
prec i se. The reason i s that Black i s not com m itted to . . . c7-c6 yet, and moves l i ke
7 . . . b6 and 7 . . . c5 ga in i n strength agai nst the more passive knight placement on d2.
So, as a ru l e of th umb you cou ld u se: play
.'!. c2
fi rst and '21 bd2 on the next move.
A) 7 c6 8. � bd2
...
Wh ite i s p l a n n i n g to play e2-e4, making s u bstantial progress i n the centre. Black
can't stop e2-e4 anymore and need s to decide how to handle th i s move. The theo­
retical statu s is fa i rly clear in one aspect: a l l l i nes in wh ich Black takes on e4 are
excel l ent for White, and someti mes lead to a n overwhel m i n g advantage q u ickly.
Th i s i s very relevant, a s taking on e4 i s by far th e most popular reaction at c l u b
level ! Yo u wi l l get those hugely favourable l i nes o n the board very freq uently.
B lack's best reaction to e2-e4 i s to keep the ten sion and try to i n iti ate some co un­
terplay on th e q u eens ide. In those l i nes, we wi l l often advance th e e-pawn, lead i ng
to a centra l pawn structu re q u ite s i m i l a r to a Fren ch Defen ce. Th i s i s a l so better fo r
Wh ite, b u t not as hopelessly b a d as th e early . . . d 5xe4 l i nes.
Al l i n all, th e Closed Catalan i s one of the l i nes that yo u are h a ppy to face. Wh ite is
objectively better, even after best play by Black. And ' best play' is not a l l that obvi­
ous, so Black often finds h i mself i n h uge trou ble q u ickly.
Al) 8 ... b6
9·�
The most i m portant part i n g of the ways i n the Closed Cata lan. The most popular
move at n on-professional level s i s 9 . . . dxe4, which gives Wh ite an excel lent game. I
th i n k one reason for its popularity i s that it i s difficult to keep the tens ion, and thi s
i n particu l a r appl ies to l es s experien ced pl ayers. They take the pawn, j u st beca use
they want clarity and maybe hope that trading a pawn makes it s i m pler to pl ay. The
opposite is actually true, as Black is in seriou s danger after
9 . . . dxe4.
moves for Black are the ones that keep the ten s ion, n amely 9 . . . �. b7 and
The best
9.
. .
$;; a6.
Black a l so has the option to take on c4, which is actu-al ly q u ite reaso nable, a s we
wi l l see.
Al l ) 9· ·· A b1
1 0.e5 � e8 1 1 .cxd5 cxd5
An alternative may be 1 1 . . exd 5.
.
A rare, but i nteresti ng choice for B l ack, trying to play . . . c6-c5 and . . . '21 e8-c7-e6 to
put pres s u re on d4.
1 2 . 'Q b i . The d2-kn i ght is clearly m i splace here, boxin g in the bishop on cl . The
usual way to play for Wh ite is to regro u p the knight via f1 to eJ. The retreati ng move
1 2 . '21 bi i s suggested by both LeelaZero and Komodo and it looks l i ke a fi ne idea. I
have a soft spot for regrouping kn ights via the i r origi nal squ a res - th i n k a bout the
Breyer Ruy Lopez - so it was too tem pting to not recommend. Of cou rse, it looks
s low, but Black need s some time to regroup as wel l : 1 2 . . . '.d c7 { 1 2 . . . c5 1 3- �. e3 'd c7
wi l l lead to the same pos ition) 1 J. 'd c3 '21 e6 14 �. e3 c5 1 5. � adl .
. •
£
£ 1
Th i s sequence fee l s very n atu ra l , but a closer look shows that Black i s under h eavy
pressu re. O u r centre i s stable, d u e to '}i. e3 bei ng played. The next steps fo r White
are moves l i ke h2-h4, g fe1 and � f5. B lack of cou rse has to also watch out for the
s i m ple dxc5, attacking the d s-pawn.
1 2. Il e1 Il c8 1 3.
dl
There i s noth i n g wrong with the m a i n l i n e
l J. � a4,
but i n my opi n i on it makes
sense to keep th e queen closer to the ki ngside, where the long-term play is goi ng to
ta ke place. Wh ite's main strategy i n th i s pos ition i s to b u i l d u p an attack on the
kingside, wh ile fending off B l ack's cou nterpl ay on the c-fi l e and q u een side. There is
a n obvious s i m i larity to a French structu re, but it i s very i m portant to note that
B lack has very passive pieces for th i s pawn formation . It i s almost i mpos s i b l e for
B lack to play .. .f7-f6, for exa m p l e, getting rid of th e strong pawn on es that cuts the
boa rd i n two halves . Let's have a loo k at some l i nes:
13...
q
Th i s i s by fa r the most popu lar and obvi ous move, looki ng at the c2-sq uare.
With the altern ative 1 3 ... §1. a6, Black tries to activate the bish op.
The i m po rtant word is 'tries', beca use a closer look revea l s that it is j ust pl aced on
an em pty d i agon a l . Th i s i s actua l ly a com mon phenomenon: bi shops on a3/a6 a re
often great if they stop castl i ng, but after th e king i s castled, they poi nt i nto th i n a i r.
14. 'd f1 (thi s kn ight i s headi ng to M later and i s often excel lently placed on e3, cov­
eri ng the c2-squ a re) 14 . . . '21 b8 1 5.h4 'll c6 1 6.a3.
l
N ow, Black's play on the q ueenside comes to a standsti l l . We wi ll get a dangerous
attack by con centrating pieces on the kingside. The attacking ideas are actu ally
qu ite s i m i l a r to l i n es of the Ki ng's I nd i an Attack, which features the same wh ite
fo rm ation on the ki ngs ide. One i m portant idea is to play ,'JJ, h3 and 'd gs, even fo l ­
lowed u p by � h 5. We'd love to provoke a pawn move o n Black's kingside to get a
clearer target.
1 4. � bl
I l i ke strong retreati ng moves with th e kn ights ! This move has been played by Boris
G elfa nd, one of the great Catalan experts. The i dea is to regroup the kn ight to c3,
pl ugging the c-fi le. At the same time, it prevents ... � c2.
1 4. b5
..
Th i s was played in both games that reached th i s position . I don 't see any c l ea r i m ­
provement o n it.
The move 14 . . . � c2 i s a h uge m i stake: 1 5. � xc2 B. xc2 1 6. 'd c3 (the rook on c3 i s
trapped !) 1 6 . ,©, b4 1 7. B. e3, and 1 8. 'd e 1 ! wi l l seal the fate o f the roo k.
.
.
1 5. A fi
Th i s bi shop i s ideal on d 3, so White sta rts this repositioning right away. I th i n k it i s
q u ite fun ny that we have only one piece o n the t h i rd rank and sti l l Bl ack's position
1s worse.
1 5 . b4 1 6.a3
.
.
Th i s is even stronger than Gelfand's 1 6 . �. dJ. After 1 6 . � d3, Black sti l l had
.
.
16 ... � b6, goi ng for . . . �. a6.
.
N ow after 1 6 .a3, it i s not clea r to me how Black orga n izes the defen ce. Wh ite in­
tend s to play a set-up l i ke j;; d3, h2-h4, .�. f4, 'll bd2 and 'd gs, with a cru s h i ng
attack. The engi nes give Wh ite a clear advantage and don't recommend a nyth i n g
good for Black either.
A12) 9...dxe4
As mentioned a bove, th i s i s pl ayed very often, but i s excel lent for Wh ite.
1 0. � X�
B lack now chooses between taking on e4 or developing with 1 0 . . . j;; b]. Both moves
lead to very s i m i lar position s or m ight even transpose.
A1 21 ) 1 0 A b1 1 1 . � xf6+ � xf6
•••
An other option fo r Black m ay be 1 1 . . . g xf6 1 2 . B. d 1 (the rook i s best on the d-file,
fighti ng agai nst ... c6-c5 and ... e6-e5) 1 2 ... '&e7 1 J. g f4 B. fd8 14.h4 ( 'll g5 i s a usefu l
idea now) 1 4. .. h 6
i 5. g el . N ow that the queen i s on e], this move makes a lot of sen se. It's hard to
give Black some advice here. H e can't play . . . e6-e5 or . . . c6-c5, and Wh ite may sti l l
j u st i m p rove step by step with g ad 1 o r try for a set-u p with pawn s o n a3, b4 a n d
c5. i 5 . . . c 5 i 6. d 5 {I j ust wanted to show why i 5 . . . c 5 fa i led) .
1 2. ll d1
c8
13.c5
A key move i n these structu res, ki l li ng off th e b?-bishop. Black controls d 5, but a
kn i ght on this square i s actually not that powerfu l . It has no ta rgets at a l l , which i s
not the ca se fo r o u r kn i ght com i n g to es.
13 ... 1! d8 1 4. s\ f4
Th i s i s not the only good move here. I al so like i 4 . �, gs, wh ich scores excellently as
.
wel l .
14... � d5 1 5. s\ g5
q
1 6. A xe7
xe7 1 7. 1! ac1
l l i
Wh ite has a fantastic position h ere. The kn i ght wi l l be very strong on es and we are
spoilt for choice on what to do next. Black wi l l q uite often play . . . b6-b5, after which
we reach a struct u re that we exa m i ned in the l i ne with the early ... b7-b5: i .d4 d s
2 . 'LJ f3 'LJ f6 3.g3 e6 4 . � g2 g e] 5.0-0 0-0 6 .c4 'LJ bd7 7 . Y!!i c2 c6 8 . 'd bd2 b s 9 .c5 a s
i o.e4 dxe4. Often the focu s wi l l b e on th e kin gside, with h2-h4 co m i n g. We have
m u lti ple i deas to b u i ld up on the kingsi de, for exam ple, with � e4 to create a fu r­
ther weakening and then go from there. N ote that we also have a m uch better
structure i n any endgame, a s the bishop on b7 rem a i n s a h u ge pro blem.
A122) 10 f} x� 1 1 .
•••
·
xe4 � b7
l
l
1 2. 1l d1
Wh ite h as more than one pro m i s i ng move here, but 1 2. � d l i s the most effective
one it seem s . White's main goal at the moment i s to prevent Black from playin g
. . . c6-c5 altogeth er o r make th i s move very u nattractive. The pawn o n c6 restricts
Black's bi shop, making the whole black position pa ssive.
1 2...
c8
Th i s i s better than the more obvious 1 2 'I!!! c7, as it avoids getting attacked with
. . .
JJ. f4 i m med i ately. The most often played move actually is 12 . . . '21 f6, after wh ich
1} �c2 transposes into a position we cover via 10
'JJ. b7 1 1 . 't hf6+ '21 xf6 1 2 . B. d l .
... •
1 5.c5. Th i s i s textbook play i n the Closed Catalan. Wh ite loves to get th i s advance i n
a n d here i t i s possible d ue to some neat tact ics : 1 5 . . . � e7 (1 5 . . . bxc5 1 6.dxc5 'll xc5
1 7 . � b4 WJ e7 1 8. B. ac1 , and we win the kn ight) 1 6. B. acl . Black's pos ition i s very
tough to defend. The b7-bishop is terri ble forever, and we h ave easy moves to increase the p ressure. N ext on the agenda i s 'd es and pawn advances on the q ueen­
s i de.
i3.ne2
Th i s is the most conservative move, lead ing to a small, but sta ble advantage. The
alternative
1 3.
};.f4 is a lot sharper, as after
1 3-
:J. f4 c5 14. ds .§. e8 1 5. � c2 exd 5
1 6.cxd 5, you get a com plicated middlegame with the d-pawn being the most i m por­
ta nt factor. Th i s line i s also good for White and th erefore a good option if you l i ke a
sharper game.
i3 ... g es
Th i s covers th e bishop and prepa res . . . c6-c5. D i rectly playi ng
tion :
l 3-
. .
c5 is not an op­
1 4.d5. Here, we see why 1 3. �e2 was played : it prevented 1 3- . . c5.
1 4. A gs
A strong move, aga i n d i rected aga i n st . . . c6-c5.
14... A f8
Th i s i s the best defence.
1) 1 4 . j;; xg5 1 5. E hg5, and we are threaten i ng both � h 5 and 'cl gs-e4-d6, wh ich
. .
gives Wh ite a l a rge advantage;
2) 14 . . . c5 1 5 . JJ. xe7 B. xe7
.
l l l
l 6.d 5.
Th i s i s very dangerous for Black. Our main idea is to play '21 gs and/or .Ji. h3
soon, fo r example, in the followi ng l i ne: 1 6 ... B. e8
1 7.
'll gs 21 f8 1 8. � h s, and Black i s
under serious pressure. N ote that 'll gs-e4-d 6 i s a n option fo r White a s wel l .
1 5. 'i) e5 'i) xe5
M ore or less forced, and an i m portant mom ent, as now the d-fi le i s open ed .
1 6.dxe5 c5 17.h4 h6
Black need s to play th i s sooner or later to fight for the d-fi l e.
1 8. � f4
'
' '
'
'
Th i s position may look harmless for Black at fi rst, but Wh ite has a n a n noyi n g p u l l
with zero r i s k here. We wi l l play h4-h5, fixi n g more o f Black's pawns o n d a rk
sq u ares, and gain more space later on the kingside. A set-up with pawns on es, f4,
g4 and h s i s idea l i n the endgame.
Th i s type of pos ition is wel l known from the Caro-Ka n n actual ly, with the game
Gel ler- Hort, Skopje i 9 68, serving a s a classic exa m ple. Th ere a re dozens more, but
th i s i s a good one to look at if you'd l i ke to learn more about this structu re. I a l so
point out th e m uch sharper alternative 1 3- j;; f4 if you a re more at home i n th i s kind
of pl ay.
A13) 9 . dXC4
.
.
Th i s i s not the most logical move ever i n my opinion, but the engine shows th at it
is playable for Black. We sti l l have some advantage, but th i s l i ne is not wo rse than
g. .
.
;b; b7 or g . :ii, a6.
.
.
1 0. � XC4 A b7 1 1 . 1I d1 c5
The idea of the whole
9
.
. . dxc4 operation. Black need s to free u p his bishop and
now the time i s exactly right. H e ca n't wait any lon ger, a s looki n g at different
moves suggests, for exam ple, 1 1 . . g, c8 1 2. 'd fe5 c5 1 3.d5. The d-pawn is a huge
.
problem for Black i n thi s position.
1 2.e5 'i\ d5
13.W�
I th i n k th i s move i s da ngerous for Black, pa rticularly i n a practica l game. Th e idea
is to swi ng the q ueen to M. starting an attack on the king.
13 . m h&
..
A good prophylactic move. An a lternative m ay be
need s to react to the �. h 6-idea} 1 4. . . � h8
1 5.
1 3- .
.
� c8 1 4. � g4 (Black now
J;, gs, and the knight on c4 i s ready to
j u m p to d 6, with a very good ga me for White.
1 4.h4
Th i s move prepares 'd gs ideas.
1 4... h6 1 5.
'
14
I am goi ng to stop here, conclud i n g th at Wh ite has pressure b u i ld i ng up agai nst
the black king.
A14) 9 A a6
...
1 0.e5
Th i s i s a good alternative to the m a i n l i ne 1 0. bJ. This main l i ne is fi ne for Wh ite,
but it req u i res lots of memorization, in parti c u l a r th e pos ition s after l O. b3 B. c8
1 1 . B. d 1 c5 are very sh arp. Wh ite i s better i n these com p l icatio ns, but we also get a
comfortable position after l o.e5 with m uch less effort. N ote that we a l so play l O.e5
after 9 . . ;Ji. b7, which is an additional argument in favour of ch oosi n g thi s approach.
.
1 0... � e8 1 1 . li e1
Wh ite need s to remove the rook from the scope of the a6-bish op.
A141 ) 1 1
•••
g c8 1 2.cxd5 cxd5 13.
b3
Th i s i s not a n easy choice, but White i s better with a l l q ueen moves here, as the
lack of space and cou nterplay is j u st a permanent i ssue for Black. � b3 prevents
. . �'. d 3, even though you co uld argue that this i s not a th reat at a l l .
.
1 3 ...
q 14. ia fi
·
C2 1 5.
xC2 g xC2 1 6. ia e3 g c6 1 7. A d2
I�
Wh ite i s better due to h i s space advantage. Black has no cou nterplay aga i n st d4,
which makes it easy to regroup.
A142) 1 1 ... ia q
Th i s move was played by you rs truly i n a game aga i n st I M Van der Stricht, i n the
Dutch League in 201 0. At the ti me, I had put some effo rt i nto the Closed Cata lan
for Black, try i n g to get a more compl icated position than in the mai n l in es of the
Open Catalan (the next chapter) . I q u ickly d ropped that i dea, seei n g that it is an u p­
h i l l struggle. My opponent pl ayed i 2.b3 i n th i s game, which is a fi ne move. I
recommend playi n g differently, mostly to be more i n l i ne with the other l i nes that
we get after g . 1i, b7.
.
.
1 2.cxd5
We always take on d s i n com parable l i nes, so why not here a s wel l ?
12 cxd5
...
Black may also take with the knight with 1 2 . 'd xd5. Thi s leads to a d ifferent struc­
. .
tu re than usual, but it i s good fo r White: 1 3- 'd e4 (we are goi n g for Ji. g5 or 'd gs
ideas) 1 3 . '2l b4 14.
. .
N
b3 c5 1 5. j;; d2 'd c6 1 6. j;; c3. Wh ite m u st be better here, by j ust
having the far more active pieces .
13.h4
I am stopping here, because th i s position type is basical ly th e same as after
g
. . .
'JJ, b7 10.e5 'd e8. Please have a l ook at th is l i n e for more on how to proceed
further.
A2) 8 g e&
. ..
Th i s bad m ove has been played h u nd reds of ti mes i n
MegaBase 2019.
Why i s i t so
bad � Let's see.
9 ·�
N ow, we al ready see th e problem. Black has n o reasonable move to keep the tension and has to take, because the move . . . :;: e8 has taken away the poss i ble retreat
square e8 from the knight.
9. .dx� 10. � xe4 � xe4 1 1 .
.
x�
And we have reached th e favourable scenario descri bed earl ier.
11
•••
� ffi 12.
e2
H ow i s Black go ing to free his position?
12 . c5
.
.
Black does not want to sit and wait, but open i n g u p the position fa i l s qu ite bad ly.
The alternative 1 2 . . . �c7 does not work either: 1 3 'Ji. f4 .�. d 6 1 4 . �. xd 6 i@'xd 6
.
•
.
1 5.c5. Th i s idea i s very i m po rta nt. Advancing the c-pawn looks controversi a l , as the
d s-square is given up and the wh ite d-pawn becomes a 'backward ' pawn. Th i s i s
not releva nt, however. We have gai n ed the option of playi ng '.d f3-e5-c4-d6 i n some
cases, and made s u re that the c8-bishop never gets active.
Th i s structure with th e wh ite pawn on c5 would be good for Black if the two m i nor
pieces were off the board . Th en, Black cou ld actu ally pile up on d4, but with the
m i nors on the boa rd , h e i s never able to put any pressure on that pawn . 15 ... Wl c7
1 6. 'Ll e5 leads to a clear advantage for Wh ite, as descri bed i n the notes to move 1 5.
13. g dl cxd4 1 4. 'i) xd4
b6 1 5. A e3 A c5 1 6. � bs A xe3
.l
17.
x�
And Wh ite i s a l ready wi n n i ng h ere, enteri ng with the kn ight decisively.
A3) 8...
c7 9·� dx� 10. 'i) x� 'i)x�
The move
l O . . . e5
i s the only rea son why 8 . . . �c7 i s worth looking at.
N ow, only one l i ne refutes Black's idea convi nci ngly:
1 1 . 'd xe5 'd xe5
1 2 . :/i. f4 (th is i s
the poi nt th at is eas i ly m i s sed ) 1 2 . . £) fd7 l J.dxe5 'd xe5 14. B. fe1 , with a clear advan­
.
'.
tage for Wh ite. We have ideas l i ke � c3 or c4-c5, threate n i ng '21 d6. The pin on the
knight i s j u st terri ble to handle for Bl ack.
11.
x� 'i) f6 1 2.
e2
And we have reached the favoura ble scena rio freq uently seen i n this l i ne. Please
have a look at the l i ne with 8 . . b6 9.e4 dxe4 10. '.d xe4 for more on this i m portant
.
structu re.
A4) 8 b5
...
l l
An i nteresti ng choice by Black. It i s good for Wh ite, but we need to play in the right
way, otherwi se B l ack's i dea works wel l .
9.c5
Th i s i s the main point to remem ber. Don't play 9 . b3, wh ich gives Black good play
after 9 . . . bxc4 10. bxc4 §i. a6.
After goi ng c4-c5, we are sti l l a i m i n g for e2-e4, but we need to watch out for Black's
cou nterpunch . . . e6-e5. Let's have a loo k.
A41 ) 9 . a5 1 0.e4 dx� 1 1 . -il xe4 -il xe4 1 2. ftxe4 -ilf6 13. °ftC2
.
.
Please avoid
l J. �xc6,
as after
1 3.
.
. �� d7, we need to play 14. � b6, which helps
B lack a l ot.
13 . . oil ds 1 4. g el � f6 1 5. h4
.
The q ueens ide i s closed, and therefore our main battleground wi l l be the ki ngside.
We wi l l develop a strong i n itiative with moves l i ke ·d es and .�. e4. Note that the
knight on d 5 looks strong, but does not actually do all th at m uch.
A42) 9 . . ft CJ 1 0.� es
.
The only critical move, but it fa l l s short. 1 0 . . . dxe4 1 1 . 'd xe4 i s very s i m i lar to 8 . . . b5
9.c5 as 10 .e4 dxe4
1 1 . 'd xe4.
.1
'
l
l. '
1 1 .exd5 � xd5 12. g el exd4 1 3. � xd4
Wh ite i s j u st m u ch better eq ui pped for the fight with an open centre. The Cata lan
bishop is i m mensely strong. Black can take on c5, but this does not solve h i s prob­
lem s :
13 . . . � xcs
The alternative
13
.. . 'd xc5 fa i l s i m mediately:
'
1 4. 'g, xe7 11!1xe7 1 5. 'd xc6 �d 6 1 6 . g xd 5, and Wh ite wi ns dec i sive materi a l .
1 4. � 2b3
Wh ite has enough pressure on the weak pawns to always regai n one with a great
position .
14...
b6 15. � xc5 � xc5 1 6. A d2
With th e idea to play g acl next, wi n n i ng the pawn on c6. We w i l l be a lot better i n
the res u lting position . The rem a i n i n g q ueenside pawns o n bs a n d a ] are sti l l weak,
and we have the active pieces to attack them.
A43) 9...e5 10. � xe5 � xe5 1 1 .dxe5 � d7 12. � '3
We see that Bl ack's operation has fa i led. Ta king on c5 does not work now.
1 2 . A xes
.
.
O r taki ng with the knight: 1 2 . . '.21 xc5 1 J. j;; e3 '.21 e6 1 4. @ xc61 and Wh ite wins.
.
1 3.e6 fxe6 1 4. � g5
And Wh ite wins.
B) 7 c5
. ..
Th i s i s a m i sti med attem pt to open up the position .
8.cxd5
a1 ) 8 ... � xds 9. g d1
B lack has a hard ti me developing now.
9. b6 1 o.a3 A b7 1 1 .e4 � 5f6
..
1 2. � C3
And White has excel lent chances. Black sti l l lacks space and we have many ideas,
l i ke pushing d4-d5.
82) 8 .. exd5
.
9· � C3
Th i s i s why i t pays off to not play the kn i ght to d 2 earl ier. White exerts much more
press u re on d 5 with the kn i ght on
CJ.
9... b6 1 0. g d1 � b7 1 1 .dxc5 bxc5 12. � h4
Th i s is a very typical move that is worth rememberi ng. Wh ite u n masks th e g2bi shop, attacking ds. At the same time, the knight is h ead ing toward the j u icy fs­
sq u a re. Bl ack is a l ready on the ropes o n move 1 2 .
C) 7... b6 8.cxd5 exd5
We have a l ready checked 8 . . 'lJ xd5 9.a3 .�, b7 1 0 . B. d 1 via the move order l .d4 d s
.
2 . 'a f3 'd f6 3.g3 e6 4 �. g2 �� e? 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 'll bd7 7. Wi. c2 c5 8.cxd 5 'd xd 5 g . � d 1
.
•
b6 10.a3 ( l i n e B 1 above) .
l
i l l
l
9.tlc6
There i s nothi ng wrong with g. 'd c3, of cou rse. I see no reason to avoid
9 . Wi. c6
though, as Wh ite i s a l ot better with a forced l i ne.
9. !l b8
..
9.
. .
$i, a6 1 0 . 'd c3 is awfu l for B lack a s wel l . We have easy moves l i ke ,� f4, B. d i and
� a4 if needed. It wi l l be difficult for Bl ack to not lose a pawn sho rtly, as there i s
j u st too m uch press u re o n h i s position.
1 0. A f4
B lack now loses a pawn , but gai n s some tem porary activity.
1 0... A b7 1 1 .
·
xq
xc7 12. A xq I! bc8 13. A f4 I! C2
Boris Avru kh assesses th i s pos ition a s reasonable for Black, but the com pensation
i s clearly i nsufficient after th e best reply by Wh ite:
1 4. g el
Th i s i s very stro ng.
After 14 . . . !! xb2
1 5.
� c7, Black i s lost al ready. Wh ite's active rook i s m uch more of a
menace than Black's i nvader on bi.
1 4 � xe2
. . .
1 5. B.
c7 !! b8 1 6 >21 bd2, and again Bl ack i s lost, a s there are too many
loose ends. N ote th at the rook on e2 i s very short of squares.
15. � c3 ji xb2
1 6. � es
And aga i n , Wh ite i s clearly better. How i s Black goi n g to hold the d s-pawn ?
o) 7 � �
...
B lack i ntends to tra n s pose i nto a Stonewa l l struct u re with . . .f7-f5 next.
8. � C3
Th i s i s better th a n 8. 'tl bd2, a s it puts add ition al press u re on ds. This way we stop
.. .f7-f5 a ltogether, and force Black to l ose ti me with the knight aga i n .
8... � xc3
The alternative move 8 . . . f5 does n ot work: 9.cxd5 'd xc3 10 .dxe6. Th i s i s the issue.
Th i s i ntermed iate move gives us a clear advantage.
9.ffXC3
It's tough to say if 9 . bxc3 or 9 . W xc3 i s stro nger. I n any case, we have a d i sti nct
adva ntage. Bl ack has lost ti me and is n owhere nea r solvi ng the problem of the pas­
sive c8-bishop.
Conclusion
The Cl osed Catalan i s an i m portant part of our repertoi re, because it w i l l a ppear
freq uently in you r games, in particular agai nst c l u b-level players. Most of the ti me,
yo u wi l l reach the very favourable . . . dxe4 structu res, but even aga i n st the more re­
spectable l i n es, White has a prom i s i ng game.
CHAPTER 9
Catalan - Open Variation: 2. . €Jf6 3.gJ eG 4 . ft g2 .ft e] 5. 0-0
G.c4 dxc4
.
.
o-o
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 � ffi 3.13 e6 4. 5\ 12 A e1 5.0-0 o-o 6.C4 dxc4
As mentioned before, t h i s i s the main and very l i kely best l i ne for Bl ack i n the Cata­
lan.
7•
C2
Wh ite wou l d l i ke to regai n the pawn , of cou rse. Th ere are two main moves to try
th at: 7. 'd es and 7. Y!!i C2, the move I a m recommendi ng. I also looked at 7. d es i n
'
some deta i l , but felt th at 7 . W!1 c 2 i s t h e l i n e that i s most s u ita ble for th e s p i rit o f this
reperto i re. After 7. d e s , best for Black i s 7 . . 'll c6!, after wh ich White either gives u p
'
.
his 'pride and joy'-bi shop o n g2 with 8 . j), xc6 o r goes fo r 8 . 'd xc6 bxc6 9 . 'll a3. This
l in e is fashionable of l ate, but I felt that it does not fit well with the other repertoi re
choices . Th i s l i ne may be an interesti ng addition to you r repertoi re at a later stage but be warned: it i s i nteresting, but anything but s i m ple!
N ow, after 7. Y!M c2 we wi l l look at seven (!) moves, which sounds sca ry at fi rst. I
need to emphasize th at th e O pen Catalan i s a very i m portant part of a g3-based
reperto i re and therefore the coverage i s rather d eta i led . You don't need to study
every single move of every l i ne in one go, but you should probably get an overview
fi rst and later study everyth ing move-by-move. Aga i n st seco nd rate li nes l i ke 7 . . . c5,
7 . . 'd bd7 or 7 ... Ji. d7, j ust natu ral moves suffice. I have sorted th e moves i n order
.
of u rgency to study: look at A fi rst, B next, and so on.
A) 7 a6
...
The main l i ne by a h u ge margi n , but you wi l l face other moves for s u re, i n particular at clu b l evel. With 7 . . . a6, Black antici pates 8. � xc4 and i ntends to play 8 . . b5
.
g. W!1 c2 g b7 aga i n st th i s natural option.
8. 84
Th i s l i n e cu rrently seem s to be the most testing for Black. Wh ite h as a l so played
the s i m ple recaptu re with 8. Y!Mxc4, wh ich i s an swered by 8 . . b5 g . � c2 .Ji. b1. H ere,
.
Wh ite has a wide choice, and I checked
1 0 :1. d2
.
•
and
1 0 . Ji,
gs as potentia l candi­
d ates for th i s repertoi re. I f you l i ke to va ry you r play, I can recom mend 10. §J. d2 a s
lead i ng to t h e most compl icated positions and
l i nes i n all of chess .
1 0 . Si,
1 0 . Ji, g s
a s o n e o f t h e most solid
gs i s the kind of l i n e that s h ould win some games and
never lose u nder normal circ u m stances. H owever, the eq ual izing l i nes are 'very
equ a l ' and I cou l d n 't fi n d any i m p rovements . Therefore, the 8 . a4 l i n e i s my recom­
mendation . If yo u l i ke to vary you r pl ay, go for 10. ,:1. d2, and
play s u per-sol id aga i n st a strong pl ayer.
Al) 8 j\ d7
...
1 0. ,'Ji. gs
if you l i ke to
9·
XC4
A c6
Black has activated h i s problem piece, but sti l l has n ot solved a l l h i s open ing issues yet.
1 0. A gs
First of all, we need to d iscuss why 1 0 . 'tl c3 is to be avoided. After th e strong reply
10 b5, White wi l l regret h i s natural-looking knight move.
...
The main moves i n th i s pos ition a re the two bi shop moves to gS and f4. I con sider
them to be of a bout eq ual val ue, so the choice com es down to other factors than
j u st the qual ity of th e move. My main reason for suggesting 1 0 . Ji. gs i s that 1 0 . Ji. f4
was a l ready covered i n Bori s Avru kh's 201 5 book on the Catalan , and I 'd l i ke to
present a l ine that has not yet been covered as extens ively. An added benefit for
yo u is that you can ea s i ly add 1 0. g f4 at a later stage, u s i ng Avru kh's analysis as a
sta rti ng poi nt.
N ow, back to 10. 'JJ, gs. The idea of th i s move i s to fight for the e4-square and i deally
set u p a fu l l centre with d4 and e4. O ne straightforwa rd idea to realize th i s plan is
to take o n f6 and play e2-e4 next. Th i s req u i res a move l i ke 'd c3 or _g, el fi rst, of
cou rse, to lend additional cover to e4. Let's explore some pos s i bi lities from th i s
i m portant starting position.
An) 1 0 A ds
• . •
l l l
lZJI
1 1 . ' C2
We are now th reate n i n g to ta ke on f6 and play e2-e4 next, so Black's reply i s almost
forced.
11
• ••
A� 12.
Cl
We are ready now to play 'll c3 next, asking the bi shop on e4 a bout its intenti on s .
I n most cases, Black wil l eventually take o n f3, lead i n g to a position type th at w e a re
fa m i l i a r with from other s u bvariations of 1 0 . j;; gs.
12 h6
••.
The only frequently-pl ayed alternative to 1 2 . . . h 6 i s 1 2 . . . 'd c6. B lack tries for cou n­
terplay on the b4-sq uare: 1 3.e3 'd b4 1 4. 'd c3 JJ, c6 1 5. B. d 1 (now, Wh ite i s ready to
ta ke on f6 and play e2-e4 next) 1 5 . . . h 6 1 6. g xf6 ,JJ. xf6 1 7.e4. Thi s looks l i ke a rather
sta ndard position for th i s l i ne. One plan to con sider next i s to play h2-h41 �f4,
and l ater try to expa nd on the ki n gside.
13. A xf6 A xf6
1 4. li d1
I prefer t h i s move to the more usual 1 4. 'd c3. I thi n k that by playin g 14. B. d 1 , we wi l l
get a s l i ghtly more favourable vers ion of th e
�. xf3 position type.
... •
1 4...a5
Black is free i n g up a6 for th e knight, as usual in th i s l i n e.
15. � bd2 A xf3 16. A xf3 c6 1 7. � C4
Com pared to other versions of th i s structure, we h ave al ready i m proved the kn ight.
I discuss the ideas for both sides in th e notes to l i n e A1 21 below.
A1 2) 1 0... � bd7
Black 'connects' the kn i ghts , al lowi ng a recapture on f6 with a kn ight.
1 1 . � c3 h6
1 ) Bl ack may play 1 1 . .. g c8 to protect the c-pawn after a futu re
. . .
'Ll e4, 'd xe4
. . . � xe4 seq uence: 1 2. � d3 ( I l i ke th i s move. It stops 1 2 . . 'Ll e4 and su pports a l ater
.
e2-e4) 1 2 . . ll. b4 (Black stops e2-e4 aga i n) 1 3- � fe1 (now, White wi ll manage e2-e4
.
.
shortly, with a small advantage, due to h i s n ice central contro l , for exam ple, after
the fol lowing sequence) 1 3 . . . h6 14. � xf6 '.d xf6
l 5.e4.
And we h ave realized th e strategic goa l to set up the pawn duo i n the centre;
2) 1 1 . . 'd e4 is a strategica l ly d es i rable move (trade pieces when havi n g less space) ,
.
but there is a d i rect problem : 1 2. ;J. xe7 �xe7 1 3- 'd xe4 � xe4 1 4. � xc7, and this
i mportant pawn d rops.
12. Axf6 'i)xf6 13. g fel
Sticki ng with the gen eral plan to play e2-e4.
13 A ds
•.•
1 3- · · 'll e4 does not stop e2-e4 i n the long ru n , a s we wi l l see: 14. 'd es 'd d2 (th e
careless move 1 4 .. 'd xc3 leads to a terri ble pos ition for Black: 1 5 JJ. xc6 'd xe2+
.
. •
1 6. � xe2 bxc6 1 7. '2l xc6 � d7 18.d5, and Wh ite i s already win n i ng) 1 5. � d 3 �. xg2
1 6. ·� xg2 'd bJ
1 1
1 7 . � ad 1 . White i s better here as wel l . Black's knight 1 s offs ide, and Wh ite wi l l
esta b l i s h a strong centre.
14.
d3
I n stead, 1 4. 'a xd5 exd 5! establi shes a pawn on d s and th us makes e2-e4 i m poss i b l e
for Wh ite. N ow, Wh ite i s th reate n i n g e2-e4, l i m iting Black's choices.
A1 21 ) 1 4... A xf3
Th i s i s the rad ical sol ution, leading to a position type that we wi l l encou nter more
than once i n th e 1 0. ,©, gs com plex.
1 5. Axf3 c6 1 6.e3 as 17. · C2
••
Th i s position type a rises q u ite often i n th e a2-a4/ .� gs l in es of th e Catalan. The
opposite-coloured bishops don't necessarily mean that th e d raw probab i l ity is in­
creased . In fact, some of White's ideas are based on pl ay on the l i ght squares, the
colou r com plex that Bl ack's bishop can 't defend.
What are White's idea s ? One is to i m prove the knight on CJ. It i s usefu l to red i rect
it to c4 o r d3, looki ng at i m portant squares l i ke c5 and e s, or th e pawn on as. O n c3,
it i s not doing a l l that m uch. A long-term plan for Wh ite is to sta rt play on the king­
s i de. Black has weakened h i m self s l i ghtly with . . . h7-h6, wh ich i s hel pfu l for a g3-g4g5 based attack. Th i s is only poss i ble after d ue prepa ration, of course. This
kin gside idea may also be com bi ned with transferri n g the bishop to the b 1 - h7 d i ag­
onal.
It need s to be emphasized that Bl ack i s mostly waiting i n the meanti me. H e has
few active plans, mostly because there is no reasonable pawn play ava i lable. I t
makes l ittle sense t o move t h e b-pawn or t h e c-pawn, obviously. Bl ack could th i n k
of goi ng . . . e6-e5 at some poi nt, but t h i s m i ght backfi re as wel l . After . . . e6-e5, the
l i ght squares are weakened, and Wh ite's bi shop might fi nd a u sefu l post on the
a2-g8 d i agon a l , putting pressure on f?. It is a l so d ifficult in the . . . e6-e5 dxe5 sce­
nario for Black to ever move his majority. The pawns on c6 and b7 are targets for
the wh ite bi shops, whi l e after White plays b2-b3, the black bi shop can't attack any
pawn . All those poi nts sou n d l i ke m i no r i ssues, but it a l l adds up to a s ituation i n
wh ich Wh ite can try little th i ngs without taki ng any ri sks .
A122) 14... c5
It defi n itely makes sense to get th e c-pawn i nvolved, so this move need s to be con­
side red. The play gets q u ite tactica l now.
15.� A b3
Th i s odd move seems to be best, but I wou l d n 't expect th i s to ha ppen i n a ga me
aga i n st a h u m a n player. That bei ng said, Wh ite sti l l has the ea sier game now.
1 ) l 5 . . . cxd4 does not solve Black's proble m s : 1 6. 'll xd 5 exd 5 1 7.exd 5 (the alternative
1 7.e5 i s a l so prom isi ng, but this s i m p l e a pproach i s very annoying for Black)
1 7 . . 'll xd 5 18. �xd4. We want to play 'll es next, u s i n g the strong bishop. Bl ack has
.
a hard ti me to defend aga i n st th i s ;
2) 1 5 . . . � c6 1 6.d5 exd 5 1 7.exd 5 JJ, e8 { 1 7 . . . '2l xd 5 1 8. 'd xd 5 � xd 5 i 9 . .;;. xe7 1l!Jxe7
20. 'iM'xd 5 shows why 1 6.d5 was tactica l ly j u stifi ed) 1 8. 'll es. White has a n excel l ent
position, based on the da ngerous d-pawn .
1 6. � b1 C4
l
l
17.
e3
We i ntend to play 'd bd2 n ext, asking the bi shop about its future plans. Wh ite is
sti l l s l ightly better.
A13) 1 0. a5
..
l
Wh ite's a2-a4 move wea kened the b4-square, and B l ack i ntend s to use th i s sq uare
for the kn ight. Th i s looks l i ke a logical plan, but we wi l l see that the knight i s actu­
ally not that effectively placed on b4.
1 1 . � c3 � a6 12. � xffi
B l ack's play d i d not add ress the centre a l l that m uch, so we a re happily goi ng fo r
the fu l l pawn centre.
12 ... � xf6 13.e4 � b4 1 4. g fd1
H ow do we place the rooks correctly? Th i s i s often a tricky problem and m ight cost
a lot of time to d eterm i n e - and then you sti ll often get it wrong! H ere, .:;. fd 1 is the
best move, as the fol lowi ng l i ne shows.
1 4 b6
...
B lack has m u ltiple ideas with thi s move. It creates an escape square o n b7 for the
bishop and s upports a futu re . . . c7-c5.
With 14 . . . g6, B l ack frees up the retreat square on g?. This move also weakens the
dark squares a round the king, so the reply makes a lot of sense: 1 5.h4 ,�, g? 1 6.h5
b6 1 7. hxg6 hxg6 1 8 . 'd h2. A strong move! White's ideal set- u p wou ld be 'D g4/e4-e5
and 'd e4, u ltimately getting a kn ight to f6 ! B l ack is u nder some serious p ress u re.
l
l
1 5. � el
A very nice idea, showi ng why .§. fd 1 was the right rook move. What i s Wh ite's idea ?
H ave a look at th e next moves.
15 ... A b7 1 6.e5 � Xg2 17. mxg2 A e7 1 8.d5
Wh ite has man aged to successfully fight for the d s-sq uare and develops a dangerous i n iti ative i n the centre. Also keep the regrouping ·'21 e1 -f3-d4-c6 i n m i n d - it
wou l d probably be too mu ch to h a n d l e fo r B l ack.
A14) 10 ... h6
B lack i m med i ately fo rces the action .
1 1 . A xf6 A xf6 12. � C3 A xf3
The i dea of B l ack's move order a n d the only pri nci pled move. Otherwise, we wou ld
play the intended e2-e4 and most l i kely get a n i m proved vers ion of one of the other
l i n es on move 10.
13. A xf3 c6 14.e3 as
B lack wants to get in
1 5.b4 axb4 1 6.
17.a5
. . .
'a b8-a6-b4, but we a re not goi n g to al low it.
xb4 g a7
Wh ite has annoyi ng pressure on the q ueenside. Black i s q u ite so l id , but it i s a
game of two res ults. We e ither gri nd Black down or he w i l l grovel successfu l ly fo r a
d raw.
A2) 8 � c6
...
Th i s looks odd and should be favourable for White.
9. liXC4 ·d5
With 9 . 'd b4
. .
10.
� d2 as, Bl ack has the idea of esta b l i s h i ng the outpost on b4. It
looks qu ite reason able, but we stil l have a n ice centra l adva ntage ( Black may a l so
play 1 0 . . . b5 1 1 . � bJ It's a lways good to be aware of the . . . b7-b5 trick. We can't cap­
tu re1 but IJ& b3 is better for Wh ite. Black's q ueenside is j u st too weak) : 1 1 . .§. dl b6
{the only way I can see to develop th e problem b i shop) 1 2 �. xb4 .�. xb4 1 3- 'd es,
.
•
and Wh ite enjoys a co mforta ble edge. The wea knesses on the q ueen s ide, l i ke c6,
are a headache fo r Black.
1 0. � bd2 g d8 1 1 .e3
A21 ) 1 1 ... ftxc4 12. � XC4
B lack accepted th e transition i nto t h i s q ueenless m iddlegame, wh ich is m uch eas­
ier for White to play. Black sti l l has difficulties with the c8-bishop and is confi ned
to rather pass ive defence. Wh ite has m u lti p l e plans to p u rs u e. We can play for
b2-b4 (not easy to rea l i ze) or a later expa n sion in the centre o r on the ki ngside. I ' l l
show a sample l i ne to i l l ustrate these concepts.
1 2... � d7 13. � fes � xes 14. � xes � ds 1 5. A d2 as
B lack has managed to stop b2-b4.
1 6. g fc1 A e8
.t. .t.
17.b3
Wh ite wi l l go for 'd es-d 3-c5 n ext, wh ich i s an add itional i d ea n ot yet mentioned. I n
the long ru n , push i ng e3-e4 i s o n the agenda, given that d4 i s not getting weak. You
have ti m e to prepare those actions carefu l ly - Black i s confi ned to waiting anyway.
A22) 1 1 ...
hS
Black avoids the bleak endgame, but the queen i s not wel l placed on hs.
1 2.h3
Th i s is not th e only good move, but probably th e strongest. By getting g3-g4 i nto
the picture, White prevents Blac k's central break.
12 'i) ds
•••
The move 12 . . . e5 is desirable, but fa i l s to concrete pl ay: l J.g4 � g6 14. 'd xe5, and
we win a central pawn .
1 4. 'i) b3
We have a s u bsta ntial advantage i n the centre, and I don't see any cou nterplay fo r
B l ack.
A3) 8 .. c5
.
'
'
Black tries to open up the centre for con crete play. There a re some s i m i l a rities to
7. � c2 c5, but a l so one i m porta nt d i fference, which makes th i s l i n e slightly more
attractive fo r Black com pared to th e vers ion without the a-pawn moves.
9.dxc5 A xes
9
. . .
'll c6 10. 'd bd2
:J;, xc5 1 1 . 'd xc4 lead s to the same position as after our main
move 9 . . }i. xc5 10. 'd bd2 'd c6 1 1 . 'd XC4.
.
1 0. � bd2
We play i n the same way a s we do i n the vers ion without the a-pawn moves bei ng
played . Taking on c4 with th e kn ight i s a very attractive pros pect.
A31) 10 � c6
•.•
The most popular move and the one I 'd mostly expect to meet at non-professional
level s.
11. � xC4 fte7 12. � fes
We j u st play i n the same fashion as after we do without . . . a7-a6 and a2-a4 i n se rted .
1 2 � xes 13. � xes � ds
.••
B l ack tries to use the weakened b4-sq uare, an idea that is i m pos si ble i n the other
version of th i s l i ne.
i.
1 6. ' b3
Wh ite keeps some naggi ng pres s u re on the q ueenside. I t's i m porta nt to check if
i 6 :�; c6 i s playable now. It is not:
. . .
1 6... A c6 17 .e4 tfJ q 1 8.e5 A c5 1 9. j\ xc6 bxc6 20.
Wh ite has a clear advantage.
A32) 10 ... b5
C4
l
Th i s move only beca me somewhat fashio nable since 20 1 6 1 and for exa m ple was
not mention ed at a l l in Boris Avrukh's Catalan book, written i n 201 5.
1 1 .axb5
I have a l so checked 1 1 . 'd gs � a? {h ere, we see why a2-a4/ . . . a7-a6 makes a d iffer­
ence com pared to 8.a4 c5 9.dxc5 �. xc5 10. 'd bd2, wh en
1 1 >21 gS) 12. 'd d e4 'd xe4
l J.
after
l J. .
.
.
.
b5?? fails, d u e to
'd xe4. Th i s i s a n i nteresting option , becau s e now Black
needs to know/fi nd l 3 . � d4! . I n stead, 13
.
lO . .
. . .
� b6 is ri sky beca use of 1 4. 'd gs. Now,
� d4!, I could not fi n d an advantage, but 1 4. 'd gs g6 l 5.axb5 axb5 1 6. � xa7
,JJ. xa7 1 7. b3 will win the pawn back, a nd th i s position is i m poss i b l e to lose with a l l
the pawn s bei ng on the ki ngs ide. I n fact, Wh ite i s sti l l a bit more active, and it's
rather Blac k who need s to be carefu l . I 'd only expect strong pl ayers to go i nto th i s
l i n e i n the fi rst pl ace, s o having th i s super-safe option i s not bad . The l i ne I suggest
i n stead wi n s a pawn for White, but is not so easy to pl ay.
11
• ••
� b7 1 2.bxa6 � xa6 13. � XC4
It's good to be a pawn up, but Black has adeq uate com pen s ation.
1 3 ... � b4 1 4. 1l xa8 Wxa8
I�
B l ack i s very active here, and it i s clear th at the extra pawn won 't move anyti me
soon . On the other hand, it is h a rd to i magi ne that anyth ing worse than needing to
return th e pawn wi ll happen . Black has some moves now th at make sense. I 'l l s how
one reasonable looking l i ne.
15 ... �� 1 6. '8a3 Bxa3 17.bxa3 � a2 18. s\ e3 � ac3 1 9. g e1 A xe3 20. � xe3 g ag
21 . � C2
And it's d iffi cu lt to make much headway, but B l ack i s j ust playi ng fo r a d raw a n d
never more th a n that.
"4) 8 . � bd7
..
l
9· f} bd2
The only po i nt you need to remember i s that
g . �xc4
bs! i s to be avoided . As
. . . b7-b5 is now i m poss i b le1 we wi l l get the pawn back with a n ice advantage.
9.
..
c5 10. f} xC4 cxd4 1 1 . 1I d1
We s hould be ha ppy here, a s this i s al ready a model Cata lan d i saster for Black i n
the making. Let's check a l i n e to i l l u strate fu rther.
1 1 ... A c5 1 2. � xd4
e] 1 3. � b3 A a7 1 4. A e3 A xe3 1 5. � xe3
The d 6-sq u a re i s an excel lent target for a kn ight, and Black has no way to free him­
self. Pos itions l i ke th i s are th e Catalan equivalent to what happens if Black loses
th ree tempi i n a Sici l ian main l i ne: it's not goi n g to be pretty, j u st i n a d ifferent way.
As) 8 b6
...
A very rare move. With out the inclu sion of 7 . . . a6 8.a41 the move 'd es i s playable,
but Bl ack's exchange s acrifice 8 . . . � xd4 gives suffi cient com pen sation . H ere, th i s
sacrifice does not work s o wel l .
9. � e5 g a7
As mentioned , the i dea 9 . . . � xd4 i s d u bious:
10
.
�. xa8 �xe5
•
1 1 . � xc4.
The poi nt is
that the i ncl usion of the moves 7 a 6 8.a4 severely restricts B lack's options. For
. . .
example, the move
. . .
g a6 is no longer possible.
1 o. g dl A b7 1 1 .�
With a sizable advantage for White - having a perfect pawn centre is usefu l .
B) 7 b5
. ..
Th i s line was extremely rare u nti l the early 2010s, wh en it was d i scovered th at Black
gets good play for the excha n ge after 8.a4 b4
g. 'a es
'&xd4. Nowadays, White has
worked out the best reply and obta i n s a strong i n itiative in the better-explored
l i nes. A new concept for Bl ack was presented in a very recent game by M agnus
Carlsen agai nst D i ng Li ren, lead i ng to fasci n ati ng play:
8.2l4 b4
The move 8 . . . c6 i s met by a wel l-known refutation: 9.axb5 cxb5
10. 'd gs ( B l ack has no way to block the d i agonal and loses the exchange) 1 0 . . . h 6
1 1 . J;; xa8 hxg5 1 2 �. xg5 �xd4 1 J. ;& e3, and we wi l l pick up the a]-pawn as wel l for a
.
•
dec i sive materi al advantage.
9. � fd2
Th i s has been establ is hed to be the best l i ne aga i n st 7 . . b5.
.
81) 9...c6
The most freq uently-pl ayed move, wh ich essentia l ly wi ns a pawn .
1 0. � xc4
There i s no other way, a s 1 0.e3 b3 l l . �xc4 j;; a6 m u st be avoided. On th e othe r
hand, we are happy to sacrifice the pawn for excellent compensation.
1 0...
xd4 1 1 . g d1
c5 12. � e3
hs
The move 12 . . . �f5 is worse th an 12 . . . � h5 and gives Wh ite a l arge advantage after
the q ueen trade: 1 3- � xf5 exf5 1 4. 'll a 5 :Ji, e6 1 5. "21 d2 � c8
1 6. � acl . There i s tremendous pressure on Bl ack's position. N ote that we don't
need to take the c-pawn at the first opportu n ity, but rather we wa nt to build u p even
more with 'll d2-c4-e5 or 'Ll d2-b3-c5, for example.
13. f} bd2 f} 14
B l ack's best move, at least trad i ng one piece to reduce th e press u re a bit.
13
. . .
� a6 1 4 �. f3
.
•
'd g4 1 5
.
�. xg4 (we have a concrete idea i n m i nd , otherwise giving
•
up the strong b i shop would be a stra n ge deci si on)
15.
. .
1¥Mxg4 1 6 .f3 � g6 17. 'd e4.
That's th e idea. Now, Black is com p l etely paralyzed on the q ueenside. The next
step i s to play B. acl a n d cover th e queen , so that movi ng the e4-kn i ght becomes
possi ble.
1 4. �f3 � xe3 1 5. � xe3 as
l l l
1 6. � C4
Wh ite has very good com pensatio n fo r the pawn. We are goi ng to play moves l i ke
.;;. ac1 and 'd fe5 next, i ncreasi n g the pressure on Black's undevelo ped and weak­
ened queenside.
82) 9... � d5
B lack blocks the di agonal with the k n i ght and returns th e pawn.
1 0. � XC4 c5
B lack tries to get rid of the backward pawn.
1 1 .dxc5
N ow, we have a s plit i nto the new move 1 1 . ;Ji, a6 and the s i m ple reca ptu re, wh ich
.
.
is better for Wh ite.
821) 11
•••
A a6
Th i s new idea was i ntrod uced by World Cham pion M agnus Carlsen aga i n st Ding
Li ren in the Zagreb GCT i n J uly 20 1 9.
1 2. � e3 � d7 1 3. � xd5 exd5 14.c6
Th i s i s stronger than 1 4. j;; xd 5, after which 14 . . . .;;. c8 1 5.c6 ·d es wi l l eventually wi n
the c6-pawn with active play for Black.
1 4... g cg 1 5. A f4 � c5
Ding U ren had used
50
m i n utes u p to this poi nt, wh i le Carlsen was sti l l blitzing,
clearly sti l l relying on h i s preparation. Black's i dea i s to activate the pieces a s much
a s possible and pick u p the c-pawn l ater. Overal l , th i s is a fasci nating l i ne to ana­
lyse and great preparation by the World Cham pion. F i n d i ng the best way over the
board for White i s extremely d iffi cult.
1 6. g dl
Th i s i s the engi ne's improvement o n Ding Liren's move 1 6 .c7, wh i ch u ltimately re­
tu rned the c-pawn. It seems that White retai n s a s m a l l advantage n ow i n an i nter­
esti ng position.
1 6... d4 1 7.h4
A s u rpris ing move, but it makes sense u pon closer i nspection. White would l i ke to
play 'tl d2, but the i m medi ate 1 7 �. f3 ru n s i nto a remarkable l ine: 1 7 . . . "21 e6 1 8 . j;; es
. •
d3!
l 9.exd3
.�. d6 ( Black is fighti ng for control over the d4-square) 20.d4 .JJ. xe5
2 1 .dxe5 'd d4 22. W e4 'd xf3+ 23- W xf3 �g5, and Black is fi ne.
17 ... h6
Th i s puts the ... g7-g5 idea back on the map. Two alternatives don't convi nce.
1) 17 . . . d3 18.exd 3 $;; xd3 1 9. W c l . N ow, 1 9 . . . 'd b3 leads nowhere after 20. � e3- Wh ite
picks u p the bishop on d3 and keeps the fantastic c6-pawn for a huge advantage;
2) 17 . . . 'd e6 is n o problem, co m pared to 1 7 . §1. f3 a bove. After 1 8. §1. es d3 l 9.exd3
,JJ. d6 20.d4
,JJ. xe5 21 .dxe5 'd d4, Black has no fork on the bishop on f3 and 22. 'i¥M d2
is possible n ow, with a large advantage. Th i s obvi ously can be analysed fu rther, but
it's a l ready a very deep line.
1 8. A f3 g es
1 ) 1 8 . . . g5 1 9. hxg5 hxg5 20. 'Ji, xg5 i s s i mple;
2) 18 ... d3 l 9.exd3 � xd 3 20 . � d2 'd b3 2L �xd3 W xd3 22 . B. xd3 'd xal 23- B. d 7 i s not
as s i m ple, b ut sti l l very good for White.
1 9. � d2 d3 20.exd3 A xd3 21 . ft cl A f8 22. g el
You can sti l l conti n u e fro m here, but yo u need to make a cut. This whole l i ne with
1 1 . . . §1. a6 is a new way of playi ng a n d is worth analys ing more if you face very wel l
prepared opponents.
822) 1 1
•.•
� xcs
Th i s i s comforta bly better for White.
1 2.� � b6
l
13. � cd2
A very strong move. Now, Black has no s ati sfactory reply. I ' l l show two sample
l i n es :
13 . . . � a6
lJ
. .
Si. e7 14.a5 '.2l 6d7 1 5.e5, and White wi n s .
1 4. � b3
Th i s i s going to be a l ong vari ation from here, but it i s rather forced.
1 4... fte7 1 5.a5 � d7 1 6.e5 g b8 1 7. � 1 d2 � xe5 1 8. � e4 A d6 1 9. I! d1 A q 20. A g5
f6 21 . J\ e3
And aga i n , Wh ite i s clearly better.
83) 9... b3
B l ack tries to solve h i s tas k with d i rect, tactical means. It i s a playable l i ne, but
Wh ite's edge after th e following seq uence i s i nd i s puta ble.
1 0. !!xc4 J\ a6 1 1 . ftxb3 c6
Th i s i s Black's idea: he wi l l wi n a pawn back as both d4 and e2 are attacked .
i 2. � e4
Th i s gives White a comfortable adva ntage.
e31 ) 12 ... � xe2
Th i s i s rel atively best at th i s poi nt.
i3. g e1 � a6 i4. � xf6+ �xf6 i 5. � e3
Black is sti l l sufferi ng, d ue to the wea k pawn o n c6. We wil l conti nue with moves
l i ke 'd bl -c3-e4 and have comfo rtable play. We need to check wh at h appens if Black
grabs on d4, though.
1 5 ... A xd4 1 6. g dl
b6 17.
xb6 A xb6
1 8. � a3
We wi l l play B. ac1 and 'cJ c4 next. Black's kn ight on b8 i s a sad piece.
a32) 12...
·
xd4
Th i s captu re i s the worst optio n for Black.
13. � xf6+ A xf6 14. � C3
B lack has h uge problems with development of the q ueen side now. I ' l l show you
one i m p ressive l in e suggested by LeelaZero.
1 4...
·
c4 1 5. g a3 S\ e1 1 6. g dl
Wh ite gives up the exchange, but in return co mpletely freezes B l ack's q ueen side.
16 ... � xa3 1 7.
xa3
H ow does Black ever move the kn ight?
17 ...e5 18.' e1
With the brutal th reat of 1 9. � d8.
18 . . fte6 19.
.
xe6 fxe6
Wh ite i s win n i n g here. Bl ack i s paralysed and wi l l d rop material sho rtly.
a33) 12 ... 'i) x� 13. A xe4 A xe2
B l ack m ay a l so play
l ]. .
.
�xd4 14. '2i c3 wn b 6 1 5. � c2, but it gives Wh ite a huge
adva ntage, as Black is wea k on the q ueen side and Wh ite's moves l i ke .�, e3 come
with tem po.
1 4. g el A a6 1 5. 'i) c3
xd4 1 6. 'i) b5
And Wh ite enjoys a h uge advantage aga i n .
C) 7.. b6
.
Th i s i s one the fresh est and, looking at the cu rrent state of theory, best defences i n
the Catalan fo r Black. It was i nvented by Ivan Bukavs h i n , o n e o f the most promis­
i ng Russian j u nior pl ayers at the ti me, who tragica l ly died at the age of only 20
years. The most obvious idea aga i n st it i s 8. 'd es, but Black obta i n s sufficient com­
pensation after 8 . . . � xd4. Th e nat u ral move 8. �xc4 seems too lame, so we need to
be more cunn i ng to pose problem s .
8. A gs
Th i s seems to be the m ost dangerous move at th e moment.
c1) 8 ti') d5 9. A xe7 ftxe7
...
1 0. 1! c1
At the time of writi ng, th i s move is yet untested . Th i s i s a s u rprise, a s it i s a top
choice of th e engi nes. White has tried many other moves here, but cou l d not fi n d a
convi ncing path to an advantage. My main reaso ning behi n d 10. g cl i s that you
wi l l only get th i s position on the board aga i n st someone wh o specifically prepared
the li ne. Aga i nst someone so well-prepared, I 'd l i ke to play a rel atively early new
move to (hopefu l ly) m a ke h i m th i n k.
Why 1 0. B. c1 ? It i s a waiti ng move, a s ki ng the c8-bishop about its dest i nation . After
10. � xc4, Black has the usefu l tem po 1 0 . g a 6 and after 10. 'd bd2, th e s i m ple
. .
1 0 . . ;J;, b7 i s O K for Black.
.
Cn ) 10 b5
•..
The most princi pled move, I gues s .
1 1 .b3
One of the few real gam bits i n our repertoire. Wh ite reta i n s very good compen­
sation for the sacrifi ced pawn .
1 1 ... cxb3 12.axb3
The pressure on the open fi les makes it d ifficult for Black to orga nize h i s position.
Th i s has never been played over the board , so we need to rely on some sensi ble­
looki ng sample li nes, not on game exam ples.
Let's have a look at the most natura l move in my opi n i on.
1 2... � b7 1 3. � e5 c6 14. � C3 � b4 1 5. !!d2 as
1 6. � e4
Th i s i s j u st a sample for the type of position you wi l l get. Wh ite has good pressure
for th e pawn, but it i s h a rd to eva l uate if White i s better. I 'd rather play Wh ite, but
Stockfi sh calls it equal. I think th is 10. B. cl poses some fresh problems and is
worth trying out.
c12) 10 A a6 1 1 . � bd2 � d7
...
Th i s looks more reasonable than i 1 . b5. After i 1 . b5, B l ack keeps th e pawn , but
. .
Wh ite wil l get excellent com pensation :
i 2 . b3 and now:
.
.
1 ) 1 2 . . . c3 1 3. 'd e4 b4 1 4.a} Black's q ueen s ide construction b4/c3 now fa l l s apart,
leavi ng behind m ore wea knesses on a] and c7;
2) 12 . . . cxb3
1 Jaxb} Wh ite has great play, using a l l the weak squares. 'd es or the manoeuvre
'd d2-e4-c5 co mes to m i nd .
1 2. � XC4 c5 i3.
84 A b1 i4. � fes � xes
1 5.dxes
Th i s i s the i m portant poi nt, givi ng us the great square for the knight on d 6. Th i s is
not easy fo r Black to defend.
c13) 10 .. A b7 1 1 .
.
·
xut
N ow, we a re able to take with the q ueen i n a
. . .
r£. b7 set-up, exerting some pressu re
.
on the c-fi le q u ickly.
11
• ••
g c& 12. 't\ C3 c5 13.dxc5 g xc5 1 4 't\ xd5 � xd5
1 5.
f4
We are a bit q u icker on the c-fi le, givi ng u s a small advantage.
c2) 8 A a6
...
Th i s i s l es s flexi ble th an 8 . . 'd d s, and lead s to a s m a l l advantage fo r Wh ite.
.
9. � bd2 � d5
The alternative 9 . . b5 falls short for Black: 10.a4. N ow, 1 0 . c6 does not work, and
.
.
.
Wh ite wi l l regai n the pawn with an adva ntage: 1 1 .axb5 cxb5 1 2. g xf6 g xf6 1 3. 'd el ,
and Wh ite wi ns!
1 0. A xe7
xe7 11. � XC4
B lack needs to p l ay . . . c7-c5 soon, otherwise it m ight happen that he i s stuck with
the backwa rd c-pawn forever.
1 1 ... c5 12. 1l ac1 1l c8
l
13.
l
d2
I th i n k White h as a s m a l l adva ntage after th i s new move. Bl ack sti l l stru ggles a bit
to orga nize h i s forces. I ' l l show two sample l i nes.
13 ... � d7
After 1 3 . . . 'd c6 i 4.dxc5 bxc5 1 5. b3, Wh ite has th e better pawn structure here and
certa i n ly at least a s m a l l adva ntage.
1 4.b3 g d8 15.e4 � 5ffi 16.e5 � e8
Passive, but Black needs to cover d6.
17.�e3
Wh ite has a u seful i n itiative, based on the more active pieces and the vul nerabil ity
of th e c6-sq u a re. Th i s makes it d ifficult fo r Bl ack to capture on d4.
c3) s A b7
...
l
Th i s i s the move we prevented with 8. '}i. gs.
9. A xf6 A xf6 10. � gs
And Wh ite wi ns the hou se.
D) 7 c5
...
8.dxcs A xcs 9. � bd2
There i s noth i n g wrong with 9 . � xc4, but c4 i s an excel lent post for the kn ight, so
th i s makes a lot of sense.
9. . � c6 1 0 . � xc4
.
01 ) 1 0...
eJ 1 1 . � fes
Wh ite i s stopping the e-pawn, keeping the c8-bishop pass ive.
1 1 . . � xe5 12. � xe5
.
A Cata l a n d ream position - Black i s stu ck with the bad c8-bishop, and Wh ite has
easy moves to strengthen the position.
1 2...
c7
Th i s i s not th e only move, but it i s the most popular one. It is not real ly necessary
to check a variety of moves h ere, as the strategic outl i ne i s basica l ly th e same. We
wi l l restrict th e c8-bishop and go fo r a set-up with B. acl and � fd 1 later, al most no
matter what B lack does.
1 6. g fd1
Th i s i s j u st a typ ical sample l i n e to i l l ustrate a com mon development of the pl ay. If
yo u employ the Cata lan regu larly, you wi ll get th ese types of position qu ite fre­
q uently. Black's s ituation here is probably even worse than it looks at fi rst s ight.
H ow is he ever goi ng to develop ?
02) 1 0... � b4
Th i s i s a ra re move, but it dem ands some precision fro m the wh ite side.
n. ftb1 bs 1 2. � gs
Th i s i s a key move to remem ber. White probably a l so retai ns a sl ight pull with
other choices, but th i s sets the most probl ems.
1 2... � bds 1 3. A e3
A very u sefu l tem po move.
13 ... A xe3 14. � xe3 h6
14 . . '21 xe3 i 5.fxe3, and White wi n s ! All of a sudden, 1 6. g xf6 is the wi n n i n g th reat.
.
15. � xd5 exd5
1 6. � f3
Wh ite has reached a favourable a nti- I Q P position. Bl ack has some add itional wea knesses o n th e queen s ide i n add ition to the d-pawn .
E) 7 c6
...
Th i s move recently gai n ed some popu la rity after it was successfu l ly employed by
Sergey Karjakin i n the Candidates To u rna ment, Berl i n 201 8, to win aga i n st Levon
Aron i a n . We wi l l actually follow Aroni a n for some moves a n d then i m prove on h i s
play.
8.
XC4
I also looked at 8.a4, but ultimately decided to go fo r 8. � xc4. The m a i n reason i s
th at I analysed the l i nes below i n 201 6 wh i l e com pi l i ng m y Engl i sh repertoi re for
Chess24/Chessable, which leads to the same positions after 1 .c4 e6 2 .g3 ds 3- §1. g2
'd f6 4. 'd f3 dxc4 5. � a4+ c6 6.
1'1
XC4 bs 7. '& b3 etc.
8 b5 9.1'b3
...
I a lways l i ked th e q ueen on b3 i n th ese l ines. After Y!!! c2, qu ite often a later . g c8
.
.
proves to be an noyi ng.
9 j\ b7
...
B lack's idea i s to play a set-up with . . . 'd bd7/ . . . a7-a6 and u lti m ately . . . c6-c5 to neu­
tralize White's g2-bi shop.
1 0. li d1
It i s i mportant to get the move o rder right. We need .S. d i and '.d es next, i m med i ­
ately opening up th e bi shop t o i ncrease t h e pressure o n the q ueen side.
El) 1 0 . � bd7
..
1 1 . � es � xe5 12.dxe5 � d7 13. � c3
Th i s i s the deviation fro m the Aronian-Ka rj a k i n game. Aron ian pl ayed
l J . � f4,
which i s actu a l ly not bad e ither. Wh ite's idea i s to play '.d c3-e4-d 6 as soon as pos­
si ble.
1 3...
q
14. A f4 g fd8
Th i s move has been played i n a l l three gam es that reached t h i s position. As we wi l l
see, it i s not enough to give Black a d ecent game.
Taking the pawn o n es is bad , and not on ly for one reason . i 4 . . '.d xe5
.
l
1 5 JJ. xe5 (White also has the very strong move 1 5. � ac1 , increasing the pressure.
. •
Th i s i s also clearly better for Wh ite, but wi n n i n g material is more straightforward)
15 . .. �xe5 1 6. g d7 � c8 1 7 . g xe7 � d6 1 8. � xc6 .;;. bg 1 9. ii a3 �xc6 20. � xa7. A
pretty remarkable seq uence th at u lti mately netted u s a pawn . The l ong d iagonal can
always be closed by fa-f3, should B l ack try to set up a battery there: 20 . . JJ. b7 2 1 .f].
.
Black has no cou nterplay here.
1 5.
C2
We a re th reate n i ng 1 6. '2i xb5 now.
1 5 a6
...
.
Accord i ng to M i h a i l M a ri n , t h i s i s better th an i 5 . . . ™' b6, but he did not provide any
further analys i s . Th i s i s odd, a s Bl ack is i n trou ble after the natu ra l reply 1 6 . 'd e4 c5
1] JJ. gs (this i s excel lent for White) 1 7
. •
JJ. xg5 (sad, but probably rel atively best)
... •
1 8. '2l xg5 'd f8 i 9 . j;: xb7 �xb7 20. �xc5, with a clean extra pawn, a s a l ready seen i n
two G M-level ga mes.
I�
1 6. � e4
I don't see a good defence for Black now.
1 6. c5
..
1 ) 1 6 . . 'a xe5 1 7 . 'll c5 ,�, xc5 1 8. � xc5 looks terri ble for B lack as wel l ;
.
2) 1 6 . . . h 6 1 ]. 'll d 6 i s a l so a l ot better for Wh ite.
l l
ltLJ
1 7. � f6+
Th i s i s the poi nt, leadi ng to a great position fo r Wh ite.
17 .. A xffi 1 8.exf6 es 1 9.
.
fs
1 9 g6
...
i 9 . :�� xg2 20. E xd7 � xd 7 2 1 .
.
.
20. · 1s m hs 21 . A xb7
xb7
gs g6 22 . � h 6 lead s to mate!
22. A xe5
Wh ite i s c l ose to wi n n i ng here.
E2) 1 0... . b6
Th i s is ra re co mpa red to 1 0 . 'd bd7. It i s i n deed more logical to play the knight fi rst
. .
and only later decide wh at to do with the q ueen .
1 1 . A e3
Of cou rse, we wou ld l i ke to prevent . . . c6-c5 if pos s i ble. Con necti ng the bi shop with
th i s squ a re makes a lot of sense.
11
• ••
� bd7 1 2. � C3 g ad8
The natural -looking move 1 2 . . . a 6 i s a m i sta ke - 1 3- 'd es and unfortunately there are
now j ust two options for Bl ack:
1) N ow, managing . . . c6-c5 u n der favourable circumstances is no longer pos s i ble:
lJ .. c5 1 4. 'd xd7 'd xd7 1 5.d5. Th i s is excel lent for White. Black certai n ly d oes not
want to take on d s n ow, but a l l owing White to p lay dxe6 i s also terrible;
2) l J . B. ad8 1 4. 'd xd7 'd xd7
.
.l
1 5. 'd e4 and we h ave stopped . . . c6-c5, which mea n s that Black's open ing concept
has failed . H is b?-bishop wi l l end u p being a bad piece.
13.84 b4 1 4.a5 n'a6 1 5. 'i) 84
I prefer White i n th i s i nteresti ng position. We a re clam ping down on the c5-square,
trying to prevent th i s freei n g move.
1 5 ... Wxe2
Th i s captu re has to be ch ecked , of cou rse.
1 6. ll e1 n'b5 17. 'i) c5 'i) xc5 1 8.dxc5
The th reat is 1 9 . ,£, fl , win n i n g the q ueen.
1 8. . A a8 1 9. A fi ffb8 20. A f4
.
Wh ite m u st be better h ere, based on the bi shop on a8.
F) 7••• 'i) bd7
Th i s i s q u ite frequ ently seen at club l evel , but it d oes n ot solve Black's ope n i ng
problems.
8. - XC4 c5
After 8 . . a6, now 9 . � c2 i s an i m porta nt move! I n stead, 9.a4 d oes not hel p due to
.
9 b5! 1 and 9 . � d l bs i s q u ite reasona ble fo r Black. After 9 . '@c2, however, Black
. . .
has noth i n g better than 9 . . . c5 10 . .§. d l , wh ich trans poses to 8 . . . c5.
9. g d1 a6 1 0.- C2
Wh ite avoids . . . b7-b5, hitt i n g with tem po. U ns u rpri s i ngly, B lack has scored terri bly
from here. I ' l l j u st show one exam ple that featu red a n ice tactic.
1 0...cxd4 1 1 . � xd4 A cs 12. � c3
·
e1 13.h3
A good move, prepari ng SJ. e3 without havi ng to wo rry a bout
. . .
'd g4.
13 ... Il d8 1 4. j\ e3
Wh ite w i l l play g, ac1 next, often followed by 'd a4. Black sti l l h as no clear way of
coord i n ati n g h i s q ueen side d evelopment.
14 ... � f8
Th i s position was reached i n a master game.
N ow, it's White to play and wi n ! Wh ite m i ssed it in the game unfortun ately.
1 5. � c6
A n i ce s hot!
1 5 ... g xd1 + 1 6. � xd1 bxc6 1 7. A xes
q
1 8. A xfB mxfB 19. �cs+ m g& 20.
xc6
Wh ite wi n s a crucial pawn and shou l d wi n th e endgame.
c) 7... s\ d7
l
An i nferior l i ne for Black. One way to eva l uate th i s move is to com pa re it to 7 . . . a6
8.a4 ,�, d], a seq uence i n wh ich ... a7-a6 i s more usefu l th an a2-a4, a s we wi l l see.
8.
XC4 A c6 9· � C3
Th i s move i s not pos s i ble after 7 . . . a6 8.a4 .�. d7 9 . �XC4 ,�. c6 10. 'll c3, a s 1 0 . . . b5! i s
a tactical blow that White should not allow.
9. � �
..
O r 9 . . . 'd bd7 10. B. e 1 'll e4 1 1 . �d3 "21 xc3 1 2. bxc3, lead i n g to the same pos ition as
after 9 . 'd e4.
. .
1 0.
d3 � XC3 1 1 .bXC3 � d7
1 2. ll e1
It i s i m porta nt to avoid 1 2.e4? 'd c5! . I had the position after 1 2. ,g el on the board i n
the ga me Sielecki-G . Kovacs, Rogas ka Slati na 20 1 1 , and was better d u e to the better
centra l contro l .
Conclusion
Th i s is the main l i n e of th e Catalan for a reason. If Black plays perfectly, he wi l l get
equal play or very close to it. Wh ite sti ll h as a p u l l i n many l i nes a ga i n st no n-perfect
(the more usual i n stance) play, b ut risks very little i n the proces s . Th i s i s an i m por­
ta nt con s i deration: what can go wrong if I fo rget th e theory or make a small m i s­
ta ke? A very sou nd and solid open i ng l i ke the Catalan i s not goi ng to fa l l apart due
to a s m a l l s l i p, which more frequently h appens i n riskier l i nes.
CHAPTER 1 0
Black stops c2-c4:
2 1lf6 3·'3 e6 4. A g2 bs
...
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 � ffi 3. 13 e6 4. A 12 bs
Th i s chapter features attempts by Black to stop the move c2-c4 by pl ayi ng . . . b7-b5.
Th i s idea is rath er d u bious if Wh ite is not yet com m itted to a g2-g3 set- u p, but we
wi l l usua l ly h ave pl ayed g2-g3 on the th ird move in o u r repertoi re, after wh ich
. . . b7-b5 becomes a more seriou s option. I decided to cover a l l the . . . b7-b5 set-ups
i n a ded icated chapter, as they don't q u ite fit anywhere else and are a rather prin­
ci pled choice agai n st our preferred move order.
1 .d4 d5 2. � f3 � ffi
Black may a l so play 2 . . .e 6 and after 3.g3 play . . . b7-b5. Sti l l , i t makes l ittle sense for
Black to delay ... 'd f6 fo rever, so this wi l l ulti mately transpose. We wi l l play our
sta ndard moves anyway, and a2-a4 next, as we do i n the chapter's m a i n l i ne.
3·13
Th i s i s our preferred move order. We'd l i ke to play a Catalan, but wa nt to avoid the
early com pl ications after the captu re on c4, in particu l a r after 3.c4 e6 4.g3 dxc4.
Del ayi ng c2-c4 someti mes pro mpts Black to go . . . b7-b5, clamping down on the c4sq u a re. H e can do that right now, on move th ree, or wait a bit and go for . . . b7-b5
on move four or five. Th i s sou nds com pl icated , but in fact it is not that d ifficu lt.
We wi l l com plete our set-up with ki ngside castl i ng and then attack the bs­
formati on with a2-a4, bas ically no matter what B l ack d id i n addition to . . . b7-b5.
Black m ight have played . . . e7-e6 and . . . j), e?, or . . . e7-e6 and . . . j;; b7, or some oth er
comb i n ation of moves . O u r play wi l l be th e same and various move orders wi l l sti l l
lead to th e same positions. Let's have a look at some of th ese move orders.
3 e6
...
M ost of th e t ime, Black pl ays J .. e6 fi rst and only later goes . . . b7-b5. Th e early 3 . . . b5
is possi b l e and wi l l tra n s pose to the other move o rder. Bl ack can h a rd ly play without . . . e7-e6 soon. A typical way to transpose is 3 . . . b5 4 Ji. g2 e6 or 3 . . . b5 4 Ji. g2
.
•
. •
,�, b7 5.0-0 e6.
4. $\ g2 b5
B l ack sometimes pl ays 4 . . . ;;. e? fi rst and opts fo r 5 . . . b5 only after 5.0-0, wh ich
reaches the m a i n l i n e j ust with a switch of moves 4 and 5. The same th i n g i s possi ble with 4 . . .. 'd bd7 fi rst and 5 . . . b5 next.
5.0-0
We have completed our sta ndard set-up. N ow, Black has a choice between some
logi ca l moves, l i ke 5 ... ,�, e? or 5 ... 'Ji. b?. Our a pproach is ba sically the same agai nst
a l l of the m : we need to get c2-c4 i n , so we need to play th e sequence 6 . a4 b4 7.c4.
We need to check a l l the options now, but I wi l l focus on the l i nes that have been
recommended for Black in two books by Q u a l ity Chess. The . . . b7-b5 l i nes were fi rst
covered by Boris Avru kh i n
Ntirl i s in
Playing 1 . d4 ds
Beating 1.d4 sidelines
(20 1 2) and later by N i kolaos
(20 1 7) . The . . . b7-b5 l i nes are most l i kely to be played by
booked-up opponents - and they wi l l have those books for s u re.
A) 5··· A b7
Th i s i s Avrukh 's and N ti rl is' mai n recommendation. They both cover a second op­
tion that we wi l l exam i ne a s wel l .
6.34 b4 7 ·C4 c5
Th i s i s the move suggested by both Avrukh and Nti rl i s . I agree that it i s better than
the alternatives here, but d isagree with the as sessment that Black i s com pletely fi ne
after 7 . . . c5. Let's have a look at the i nferior altern atives.
1) 7 ... bxc3 8. 'Ll xc3. Th is i s the worst version of th i s structure, com pared to the o nes
with . . . 'Ji. e? o r .. 'd bd7 pl ayed i n stead of . . . 'Ji. b?. We play i n the u s ual way and are
.
.
.
better: 8 . . . �. e? (after 8 . . 'll bd7 9 'Ji. f4 a 6 1 0.a5, Black i s i n d anger of bei ng stuck
.
.
. •
with the pawn on c7. 1 0 . . . c5 1 1 . 'd a4 C4 1 2 . b3, and Black i s i n trou ble, faci n g the
q u ick wh ite attack on the q ueen s ide. He h as n 't even castled yet) 9 . 1J. f4 o-o 10. � b3
� c8 1 1 . � fci .
We have gai ned a la rge advantage with s i m ple moves . 'rJ bs and 'd es a re co m i n g
q u i ckly;
2) 7 . . . dxc4 is rare, b ut it has an i nteresti ng poi nt: 8. 'd bd2 c3 (after 8
.. .
©. d5 9. � c2,
•
we get the pawn back easi ly) 9 . bxc3 bxc]. Now, th e s i m ple 10. 'd C4 is fi ne, as the
c3-pawn wi l l fa l l eventually, but there is th e fascin ati ng move 10. � b3, wh ich gives
Wh ite h uge com pen sation after 1 0 . .. cxd2 1 i . �xb7 dxc1 � 1 2 . .§. fxc1 'd bd7 1 3. '21 es.
The engi nes basica l ly give Wh ite a close to wi n n ing advantage a l ready, but it i s
obviously not trivial to prove.
8. A gs
The two authors analyse mostly 8. 'd bd2, but I don't u nderstand why I s h ould play
th i s slowly. Wh ite i s some tem pi u p, beca use Black has pl ayed a ton of pawn
moves and has a slightly u n stable centre. White is better after 8. !£. gs, and it i s j ust
a q uestion of h ow much:
8. � bd7
..
Th i s seems to be best.
1 ) 8 .. )4 e? 9.dxc5 o-o 1 0 . 'd bd2 'd bd7 (o r 10 . . . � xc5 1 1 .cxd5 )4 xd 5 1 2.e4, and White
.
wi n s with e4-eS next) l l .c6 (an i m portant nua nce, m isplacing the black bis hop)
1 1 . . . � xc6 1 2. 'd d4 .� b7 1 3.cxd5 'd xd 5 14. j;; xe7 #!J xe7 1 5. 'd 2b].
Wh ite has a p u l l here. The b4-pawn is a l i ability, but more i m porta ntly White has
'a a s ideas th at are very annoying to meet;
2) 8 . . dxc4 9 . 'l:i bd2. I don't th i n k that Black should open th e pos ition h i mself and
.
give Wh ite even more development. White i s better h ere: 9 ... c3 l O . bxc3 bxc3 l l . � b3
94 ds 12. #!J xcJ. Black is in trouble and i n danger of los i n g a m i n i atu re.
9. � es A e7 1 0.cxd5
H ere, 1 0. 'd xd 7 is also poss i ble and s l i ghtly better for Wh ite.
10 ... A xds
B lack m ay a l so take with the pawn : 10 . . . exd 5 1 1 . 'd xd7 'll xd7 12 JJ. xe7 Y!Exe7 1 3- 'd di
.
o-o
•
(1 3 ... c4 1 4. 'd x4, we d i d n 't j u st a l low . . . c5-c4!) 14. g el .§. fd 8 1 5.e4.
l l
Wh ite i s better here, u s i ng the opposition of rook and queen on the e-fi le n icely.
l l . j;; xd 5 '.E:Jx d 5 1 2. '21 c6 � b6 1 J. 'll xe7 '2l xe7 1 4.dxc5
Please avoid 14. j), xe7 '� xe7. Th i s is no problem at all for Black, whose king is q u ite
safe i n the centre.
1 4... �xc5
1 4. . . '.21 xc5 l 5. '.21 d2, and the knight com i ng to c4 wi l l be h uge for White.
1 5. A e3
ds 1 6. � d2 0-0 17. � b3
Wh ite i s s l ightly better h ere. It does not look l i ke much, but a closer look shows
that B l ack's q ueen s i de i s sti l l vul nerable. With fa-f3, .rk. fa and e2-e4, we wi l l control
the i m portant d s-square and l i mit the bl ack kn ights. I don't wa nt to go a ny deeper,
but if you wa nt to learn more, play thi s pos ition out aga i n st engines with both
colours. Th i s wi l l certai n ly be very i nstructive.
B) 5...c5
B lack's most active-looking move. It wi l l often trans pose to the Avru kh/ Ntirlis l i ne
a n a lysed via the 5 . . . �. b7 move order.
.
6.34 b4 7 ·C4
O u r standard res pon se against a l l Black set-ups with . . . d7-d 5 a nd . . . b7-b5.
a1 ) 7 A b7 s. A 1s
...
And we have in deed trans posed to the Avrukh/ Ntirl i s l i ne 5 . . �. b7 6.a4 b4 7.c4 c5
.
.
8. j), gs (A a bove) .
82) 7 . bxc3
.
.
Th i s i s actual ly the most popular move here, but I thi n k it i s risky for Bl ack. Wh ite
has a h uge l ead i n development and easy moves l i ke §i. f4, 'd bs, '@ b3 and ,;;, cl to
develop a strong i niti ative.
8. � xc3
821) 8 � c6 9. A f4 a6
...
B lack is beh i n d i n developm ent by about three to fo u r tem p i - th i s won't work out
well .
1 0.dxc5 A xes 1 1 . 1l c1
I don't see a decent way to defend agai nst the th reat of 1 2 . 'd xd 5.
822) s . A b7 9. A f4 � a6
..
1 ) 9 . . . 'd c6 10. 'd b5 B. c8 1 i . B. c 1 ( I don't see a good defen ce) 1 1 . . . 4 (after 1 1 . . . a 6
1 2 .dxc5 axb5 1 J.axb5, Black gets com p l etely destroyed by the pawn d uo) 1 2 .b3
(Wh ite ope n s u p the position with deci s ive effect) 1 2 ... a6 l J. bxc4 axb5 1 4.axb5 'd e1
l 5.c5.
Chess can be a rea l ly fu n game to play - at l east if yo u are Wh ite here!
2)
g. .
.
a6 has never been played , but seems relatively best. White stil l has a large
adva ntage: 10. � b3 ;©. c6 1 1 .dxc5 j;; xc5 1 2. 'lJ es o-o 1 3- ,;;. fd i .
Wh ite i s aim i n g fo r e2-e4, open i n g th e pos ition wh i l e Bl ack i s sti l l d i sorgan ized .
1 0.
b3
b6 1 1 . � b5 A c6 12. g fc1 C4 13 ·
dl A xb5 14.axb5 · xb5 1 5. � d2
Wh ite i s th reatening ·:E:i xc4, am ongst others.
15 ... g c8 1 6.� A e7 1 7.b3 C3 1 8. A fi
And Wh ite wi ns q u i c kly.
c) 5 . � bd7
..
l
l
6.a4 b4 7 ·C4 bxc3 8. � XC3
N ow, 8 . ,©. a6 gives th i s position a n i ndependent fl avo u r. I decided to cover the
..
pos itions after 8
8 � a6
...
. . .
�. e? or 8 . ,©, b7 via other move orders.
•
..
Th i s l i ne i s covered i n Avru kh's book, so we better have someth ing ready h ere.
Black a l so frequently plays the moves 8
. . .
Ji. e] or 8 g b]. Both a re answered with
•
..
.
the natural move 9 . 1i, f4 and a re covered via the move order 5 . . ,'b; e]/5 . g b].
.
..
9· f} e5
Avru kh makes a case fo r 9 . �. f4 c6. The knight j u m p to e5 has n ot yet been played
.
i n to urna ment chess, but i s a suggestion of the engi nes. Black needs to react very
precisely to stay i n the game.
9 c5
...
Th i s i s best for Black, but n ot a n easy deci sion to make.
1 ) 9 . . -iJ xe5 l O.dxe5:
.
1 .1 ) Now 10 ... ti) d7 is met with a brutal refutation:
1 1 . 'i'.J xd 5 exd5 1 2. @ xd 5
5
b8 1 3-e6 fxe6 14. JV xe6+ :�: e] 1 5. � xa6. A good day at the
office;
1 .2) 10 ... ti) g4 1 1 .
·
d4 hs 12.h3 c5 1 3.
f4 ii) h6 14. ti) b5, and White has a very strong
attack against Black's discombobulated position.
2) 9 . . :�: d6 lO. }�, f4 0-o l l . -2J c 6 @ e8 1 2 . :�: xd 6 cxd 6 13.b4 :�: c4 1 4. b5.
.
And Wh ite i s a lot better on the queen side. N ote the idea of playi ng � d 1 -b1 -b4.
1 0. A gs
The a lternative 10. 'd b s i s a lso dangerous fo r Black. Black's overa l l issues are h i s
lack of development and the wea k squares l i ke c6. I thi n k Bl ack h a s a to ugh tas k
ahead i n a practical game.
1 0 g cs
•..
1 0 . . . cxd4 i s probably n ot a good idea, as it gives the wh ite q ueen a n easy way to
j u m p into action: 1 1 . 'll xd7 � xd 7 1 2 �. xf6 gxf6
. •
l J. � xd4
.�. g] 14.
never h ave a safe king now, beca use the normal move 1 4 . . . 0-0 fa i l s.
1" g4.
Bl ack wi l l
1 5. 'd xd 5.
Ouch !
1 1 . � b5 h6 12. � f4
Wh ite has many interesting poss i b i l ities i n these l i nes. Here, 1 2. 'd xd7 � xd7
13 r£. xf6 gxf6 1 4. � c1 i s fu n to exp l ore as wel l . After 1 2 . !J;; f4, Black h as no obviou s
.
•
way to keep th e a]- pawn .
1 2 ... � xe5 13.dxe5 � d7 14. � xa7 1l a8 1 5. � b5
Stockfi sh sti l l t h i n ks Black i s okay here, but I don't see many Black pl ayers going
i nto th i s with m uch enth usia s m .
6.� b4 7 ·C4 bxc3 8. � XC3
01 ) 8 . o-o
.
.
Th i s l i n e i s featu red i n Ntirlis' book. It is certai nly one of th e better options for
B lack with i n the ... b7-b5 com plex.
9. A f4 as
Th i s move, wh ich had not yet been seen i n practice, was Ntirlis' suggestion i n h i s
book. S u bsequently, i t h as been tried i n a classical time control game of 201 9 .
Let's also check two reasonable-looking alternatives:
1)
g.
.
. c6 l o .as (I th i n k White is a l so better after 10. 'd es or 10. g C l , but th i s plan i s
tem pti ng. We open a route fo r the q ueen to a4, and i n so me cases m ight even be
able to play a later b2-b4 for a bind on th e c5-square) 10 . � a6 1 1 . 'd es 'iM' c8
. .
1 2 . � a4. With B. fc 1 com i n g next, we have good play aga i n st the wea ken ed queen­
si de;
2) 9
. . .
'21 bd7 (Black ignores Wh ite's 'Ll bs ideas and gets punis hed i m mediately)
1 0. 'd b5 '21 e8 1 1 . .;: c1 c5 1 2.dxc5 i, xc5 1 3. 'd e5 (Wh ite has a h uge advantage on the
q ueenside) 1 3 . . . 'd xe5 14. � xe5 YJ!d e? 1 5.e4. Bl ack is fa l l i ng apart al ready.
1 0. g el
Ntirl i s does not exa m i n e thi s, but focuses on 1 0. 'd bs i n stead, wh ich lead s to
equal ity.
1 0. c6
..
l
1 1 . ll e1
I n th e game G u kesh-Howel l , G i b ra ltar 20 1 g , the I n d i a n prod i gy playing White went
for 1 1 . '21 es. Th i s does not lead to m uch, as Bl ack has . 'd fd7 soon to trade off the
. .
centralized kn ight.
1 1 . B. el obviously prepares e2-e4.
11
• ••
ia a6
Th i s looks sensi ble, a i m i ng for b4.
I have a l so a n a lysed 1 1 . . . � a6 1 2.e4 B. a? (or 1 2 . . o'E:l bd7 1 J.exd5 cxd 5 14. 'd bs, with
some press u re for Wh ite. We have good chances on th e weakened q ueen side
squares, and g fl i s com i ng soon to make u se of th is bi shop a ga i n) l J.exd5 ct) xd 5
1 4. '21 xd5 cxd 5 1 5. B. eJ.
A very i nteresti ng position that rem inded me a lot of some of the ga mes between
Al ph aZero and Stockfi sh. Wh ite's queen side structure is not idea l , but we have at­
tacking chances on the ki ngside! h2-h4 and g3-g4 may be com i ng q u i ckly, and the
rook i s ready to join via th e th i rd ran k. LeelaZero gives Wh ite a clear advantage,
wh i l e Stockfi sh t h i n ks it i s abo ut equ a l . I th i n k it i s easier to play Wh ite.
12.� tt\ b4 1 3. tt\ e5 A a6 14.exd5 cxd5
What a bout 1 4. . . exd5 ?
l
Th i s i s a b l u nd er, su rprisi ngly: 1 5. 'd a2. Easy to m iss! N ow, Black i s fa l l i ng apa rt im­
med iately.
1 5. A fi
And here I prefer White, a n assessment that LeelaZero supports. We h ave th e useful outpost on bs and are more active. I th i n k that the l! e1 and e2-e4 plan is an
interesting way to play aga i n st Nti rl i s ' 9 a5 move.
. . .
02) 8 f) bd7
...
Th i s position may a l so be reached via B lack playi ng . . 'd bd7 fi rst and then . j;; e1,
.
of cou rse.
.
.
9. A f4
Black need s to react to Wh ite's 10. 'Ll b s th reat now.
9. c6
..
Th i s looks l i ke the best option, but Wh ite i s sti l l a bit better.
1 ) 9 . . a 6 10.a5 (th i s i s often a good reply aga i n st . . . a 7-a6. Wh ite i s prepa ring 'Ll a4
.
now, trying to stop . . . c7-c5 com p l etely) 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 . '@' c2 c5 ( j u st before Wh ite man­
ages to play 1 2. 'Ll a4 and fix the weak pawn on the c-fi l e) 1 2. 'Ll a4 c4
1 3- '.21 d2. Black i s under press u re here, faci ng the th reat of 1 4. 'Ll xc4;
2) 9 . . 'd h 5 1 0. � d2 'Ll hf6 (Black offers a repetitio n, but we don't com ply) 1 1 . '@' c2
.
and n ow:
2.1 ) 11
•••
A b7
1 2. b4 (a n ice shot! Wh ite stops . . . c7-c5) 1 2 . . . ;k; xb4 1 3- B. fb1 .�. xc3 14. g xc3 � c8
1 5. :JJ. b4, and Wh ite has excel lent compensatio n fo r the pawn;
2.2) 1 1 . .. c5 1 2.dxc5 .�, xc5 1 J.b4 (agai n th i s move, u s i ng the lead in d evelopment)
1 3 . . . ;k; xb4 1 4. 'll b5 ;k; c5 1 5. ;k; f4 o-o 1 6. 'd c7 B. b8 1 7. 'd xd 5, and Wh ite win s.
1 0.a5 A a6 1 1 .
�
We a re activati ng the q ueen and preparing b2-b4 at the same time.
11
•••
Ii c8 12. Ii fc1 o-o 13.b4
Wh ite has the better chances h ere. We have a usefu l ta rget on c6 and j u st more ac­
tive i dea s than Black, d ue to the advantage in s pace.
Conclusion
Playing an early . . . b7-b5 is a pri ncipled a pproach by Bl ack. Stopping c2-c4 for the
moment is a serious accomplishment, but it comes with a price tag. Black is be­
h i n d i n development and often the q ueenside is weakened. I th i n k White gets a
good game and often a very da ngerous i n itiative that i s tough to defen d a ga i n st i n a
practical game. The . . . b7-b5 l i ne was featu red i n i m portant books, so you m i ght en­
cou nter it more freq uently than you expect at fi rst.
CHAPTER 1 1
... ./tfs set-ups - Introduction and early deviations: 2... £JfG 3.g3
./tfs
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 � ffi 3.13 A fs
Th i s chapter i s about black set-ups i nvolvi ng . . . d 7-d5 and . . . �, fs, usually com bi ned
.
with the pawn moves . . . c7-c6 and . . . e7-e6. You wi l l encounter th i s set- u p q u ite fre­
q uently if you r oppon ent's main d efence to i .d4 is th e Slav Defence: i .d4 d s 2.c4
c6. Slav pl ayers a re very accu stom ed to the tri a ngle pawn s i n the centre ds/c6 and
e6 and prefer to develop the bi shop outside of the pawn chai n , either to fs or g4. I
decided to exa m i ne the S l av style set-ups i n separate chapters, as o u r reply aga i n st
. . . §1. fs i s q uite d ifferent to
. . .
�. g4.
•
H ow do we h a n d l e the . �. fs l i nes? When I analysed th e . . JJ, fs set-up, it qu ickly
. .
.
.
emerged that White h as two princi pled ideas in it. One of these i nvo lves playin g fo r
the pawn push e2-e4, prepared b y c2-4, 'd c 3 a n d 'd f3-d2. A possi ble l i n e with t h i s
a pproach is i .d4 d s 2. ·iJ f3 'd f6 J.g3 c6 4 . g g2 .�. fs 5.0-0 e6 6.c4 h6 7 . 'd c3 'd bd7
8. 'd d2 and e2-e4 next. This whole concept certa i n ly has some logic, but the resu lt­
i ng positions are not that dangerous fo r Black i n my opinion. Black can often trade
pieces on e4 and s i m pl ifies the position. This whole approach is very solid for
Wh ite, but I found th e second principled plan to be m uch more i nteresti n g.
The second plan and the one that I chose for t h i s boo k i nvolves Wh ite playing
an early c2-4 and � b3, attacki ng the undefended b]-pawn. Now, th e most com­
mon reaction for Black is to play . 'tl!i b6, creati ng a vi s-a-vi s situation of the q u eens
. .
on b3 and b6. We wi ll play the pawn to c5, forcing a com mitment. N ow, it seems to
be most reliable for Black to trade on b3, creati ng a com plex q ueen les s mid­
d lega me. Th i s position type i s genera l ly considered to be s ati sfactory fo r Black, but
I th i n k I have found enough ideas to pose some p roblems. I need to emphasize
th at there a re many ways for Black to avoid th i s queenless m i ddlegame, and these
are usua l ly not that great for Black - there are many, not very o bviou s, pitfalls. I f
they know t h e best l i ne and play i nto t h e q u een trade, w e are goi ng to know t h e i ns
and outs a l ot better and wi l l make the i r l i fe as h a rd as possi ble.
Now, about concrete moves and move order: we play ou r usual set-up with the
kingside fian chetto and a later c2-c4, but there is one ve ry im porta nt tv.rist that I 'd
l i ke to mention right at the start of the chapter. We are delayi ng o-o i n th i s l i ne, and
goi ng for a quicker c2-c4/ -:'...! c3/ Yfi. b3 seq uence. I w i l l d i scuss the reason i n g beh i nd
th i s move ord er once we reach the specific positions.
1 .d4 d5 2. � f3 �ffi
The kn ight move i s the most popular move if Black has a . . . :1, fs or a S l av-style set­
.
up i n m i n d . Someti mes, B lack plays 2 . . . c6 fi rst or even deve lops the bi shop to fs
ri ght away.
A) 2 ... c6. Black plays ... q-c6, aimin g for a Slav Defence to the Queen's Gambit after
the most common reply 3.c4. Most Slav players start with 2 ... � f6 and on ly after
3.c4 reply with 3 ... c6. The main reason why they might play 2. .c6 on the second
.
move is to play i nto a sideline like 2.. c6 3.c4 dxc4 or they prefer a triang le set-up
.
with 3 ...e6. As usual, we don't play alon g, but follow our concept of developin g the
kingside first (no o-o, as mentioned i n the introdudion on move one) and only later
play C2-c4. I n this particular move order with 2 ...c6, Black sometimes tries to delay
... � ffi i n favou r of queenside development. Still, it wi ll almost always transpose
i nto lines that we examine via ... � f6. After all, ... � f6 is a very natu ral move and
deviating often means playing artificial moves for no good reason . We'll look at one
line that avoids ... � f6: 3.13 A f5 4. * g2 e6
We need to play 5.c4 fi rst, i n stead of castl i n g. Please see the m a i n l i ne 1 .d4 d s
2 . 'a f3 'd f6 }g3 c 6 4 'Ji. g2 j;), fs 5.c4 for the d etails on this move o rder twi st.
. •
5 . . :Ji. xb1 is a bad move, but it is a ca se where it m akes a difference i f B lack has
.
played .. e7-e6 or ... 'a f6, a s i n the main l i n e. Of cou rse, 5 ... 'd f6 or a seq uence l i ke
5 . .. '2i d 7 6. (.2i c3 'd gf6 7. � b3 tra n s poses to the m a i n l i ne {5 . . . dxc4 6. 'd e5 rega i n s
the pawn comfortably) . 6. ;;: x b 1 � as+ 7. j;), d2 �xa2. Very greedy play! It does not
work at a l l , keeping my fa ith in th e va l ue of developi ng pieces i ntact. 8.c5. There are
some oth er good moves ava i l able, but this is strong and th e only move that you
need to remem ber. Th e q ueen is cut off and we h ave many ways to develop th e
i n itiative. One i nteresti ng l i ne i s a s fol l ows : 8 . . . b6 9 . b4 � a 6 1 0 . b5 cxb5
1 i .e4 {very n ice! White opens u p the d ia gonal with decisive effect)
and Black i s com pletely lost. N ote that ,©, f1 is a th reat as wel l ! ;
B) 2 A fs .
•••
n.
. dxe4 1 2. \d es,
.
Black prioritizes the development of the c8-bishop, u sually a i mi n g fo r a set-up
based o n . . . c7-c6 and . . . e7-e6 i n the style of the Slav Defence. Th i s i s a q u ite viable
s i de l i ne that h as been played by some strong players as a su rpri se wea pon or in
rapid ti me controls.
J.g3. I recommend th i s very pragmatic approach. After 3.g3, we wi l l tra nspose to
set-ups that are part of our repertoi re anyway. This mea ns th at 2 . . . :Ji. fs req u i res no
add itional study at all, a s we don't attem pt to refute Black's s idel i ne. In fact, White
has no cru s h i ng reply aga i n st 2
f£. f5. The main l i n e fo r Wh ite at this stage i s to
... •
play J.c4, after wh ich 3 . . . e6 4. 'll c3 'll f6 i s the most popular conti n uati on . From
here, th ere are m ulti ple com pl icated l i nes that a re com pletely d i fferent from our
usual set- u ps. These sti l l on ly give a s l ight edge, so i n my opin ion it makes l ittle
sense to d evote a lot of ti me to th i s rare l i ne. Let's j ust stick to our gu n s a n d play
the standard set-up. There are m u ltiple tra n s positions from here. Any . . . c7-c6 or
... 'd f6 leads to th e m a i n l i n e of th is cha pter, wh i l e .. 'Ll c6 i s also pos s i ble and
.
exami ned in the chapter a bout th e Anti-Ch igorin {Chapter 1 ) .
I f Black i ntends to play . �. fs, h e now has a choice between playi ng a n early
.
.
. . . c7-c6 (the most popu l a r and rel iable) or trying to omit th i s move.
A) 3 A rs
. ..
Let's exa m i n e the scenario of Black avoid i n g . . . c7-c6 fi rst.
4. A 12
N ow, Black's m a i n way of avoiding . . . c7-c6 early on i s to play 4. .. e6. I f Black plays
4. . . c6 or a l i ne l i ke 4. . . h6 5.c4 c6, we wi l l tra n s pose i nto B below and most l i kely
enter a mai n l i ne in the next cha pter.
Al) 4 e6
. ..
S·C4
N ow, 5 . . . c6 i s the main move by a m i le, but a q u ick look at th e others can't hurt:
5... A e1
5 . . 'd bd7 6. Y!lJ b3 {the routi ne 6 . 'd c3 wou ld al low Black to transpose to the main
.
l i n e with 6 . . . c6. In th is particu l a r case, it i s a lot stronger to play the queen fi rst, as
B lack does not even have . . 'd c6 ava i lable a s a tactical defence of the b]-pawn}
.
6 . . . � c8 7. :EJ c3 c6 8. 'd h4, with a very favourable tra n s pos ition to th e l ine i .d4 d s
2 . -1) f3 'd f6 J.g3 c 6 4. ,�. g2 §i. fs 5.c4 e 6 6 . :21 c 3 'd bd7 7. 'i!!! b 3
'Wt c8 ? !
8 . 'd h4.
6. -t) C3 o-o
6 . . . c6 7. 'i!!! b3 m ay tran spose to the m a i n l i ne. Castl i ng i s less precise.
7. -t) h4
Th i s move is often worth con sideri ng if Black has not played . . . h7-h6 and we already have developed the b i -kn ight to CJ Th i s i s i m po rtant, as otherwise the an­
swer . . . 'Ji, e4 i s an noyi ng, i ntend i ng to take on b1 after fa-f3.
7... A �
At least provoki ng the weaken i ng move fa-f3, but thi s move has a n upside a s wel l .
8.f3 s\ g6 g . -t) xg6 hxg6 1 0.cxd5 exd5 1 1 .� c5 12.e5 -t) fd7
l l
13.f4
With a n excel lent positi o n for Wh ite. I t i s i nteresting to com pare thi s l i n e to the
mai n l i ne, starting with i .d4 ds 2 . 'd f3 'd f6 3.g3 c6 4. � g2 � fs 5.c4 e6 6. 'd c3 � e7.
The d ifference to the move order exa m i n ed here is th at B lack h as played . . . c7-c6 i nstead of castling. I f we try the same 'd h4 idea now, it conti n u es 7. 'd h4 ::JJ. e4 8.f3
,�, g6
9 . 'd xg6
hxg6, and now 1 0.cxd 5 is a n swered by 10 . . . cxd 5!, h igh l i ghti ng the d if­
ference. Thi s reply defangs 7. 'd h4 in the m a i n l i ne a nd shows why a n early . . . c7-c6
is a very sensi ble choice for Black.
A.2) 4 h6
...
Th i s i s a bit early, but th i s move i s a regular pa rt of Black's set-up and wi l l usually
transpose to a main l i ne if he follows u p with . . . c7-c6 quickly.
We'll check a l i n e where Black avoids th is.
S·C4 e6 6. � c3 � e7
Th i s i s rare, as Black basica l ly ignores the 'ffi b3 idea. U s ua l ly, th ey play 6 . . . c6,
al lowi ng . . . � b6 fo r the typica l q ueen vs q ueen situati on.
7· Wlb3
N ow, Black has a problem with defending both b7 and ds.
7... � c6 8.o-o
You should avoid taking on b7, a s 8. 11xb7 '.21 b4 9.0-0 B. b8 leads to a perpetual on
the queen and a draw.
8... II b8 9.cxd5 exd5
.t. • .t.
.t.
10. A f4
Wh ite i s sl ightly better here, due to the pressure o n Black's q ueenside.
B) 3 ..c6
.
Black u s u a l ly com bi nes
. . .
Ji. fs with both . . . c7-c6 and . . . e7-e61 com pleti ng th e pawn
•
triangle i n th e centre. Most S lav players start with . . . c7-c6 fi rst, and th en develop
the bi shop to fs. Usually, it amou nts to th e same th ing if they begin with 3-· · Ji. fs, as
a l ater . . . . c7-c6 is very natural a nyway. I decided to make
J. .. c6
the m a i n move
order, and for 3 - · · §1. fs to focus on possi ble ways to omit . . . c7-c6 (A above) .
4. s\ g2
I recommend delaying/om itti ng castl i ng, and playing a q u icker c2-c4. The m a i n
l i n e we are about to exa m i ne i s 4. ,Ji, g 2 ;Ji, fs 5.c4. I 'd l i ke to point out that you m ay
also play the ' hyper-accelerated ' 4.c2-c4 i m med iately. This position usually a ri ses
from the proper Slav move order Ld4 ds 2.c4 c6 3- '21 f3 '.d f6 4.g3 and has been
played q u ite freq uently in recent grandmaster practice. This even q u icker c2-c4 has
some points, most notably i n l i nes l i ke 4 . . . �. fs 5. 'll c3 e6 6>21 h4 or 6. � b3 � b6
.
7.c5, when 7 ... � a 6 i s ful ly prevented , d u e to 8.e4. So, what's the catch? Black may
ta ke on C4, of cou rse. After 4 . . . dxc4, there i s no way to rega i n the pawn and it i s a
true gambit. This is fu lly playable for White, but a l so very com plicated and com­
m ittal. I felt that th i s does not fit too wel l with the spi rit of th i s repertoi re. However,
th i s move o rder m i ght be a welcome addition to you r repertoi re at a later stage. It
obviously shares m a ny themes with th e l i nes presented here, and therefore is cer­
ta i n ly easier to add th a n somethi ng enti rely different i n natu re.
4 ... s\ f5
H ere, Black m ay sti l l tran spose to oth er chapters, of cou rse, with m oves l i ke 4. . . e6,
4. . . �. g4 or even 4 . . . g6. Bes ides the obvious 4 . . . §i. f5, there i s one more move that i s
.
relevant to .. ,Ji, fs set-ups.
.
Black someti mes plays 4. . . h6 fi rst. It has l ittle i ndependent val ue, a s . . . � fs wil l
happen o n the next move al most a l l of the time: 5.4 dx4 (th i s i s rather i l logica l ,
b u t I always l i ke to check how t o hand le t h e pawn grabs. Th e main option for Black
is to play 5 . . ©. fs, of cou rse) 6. 'd es j;; e6
.
.
7. 'd a3, and we wi l l get the pawn back comfortably. As a general ru le, you never
have to worry a bout the capture if you regai n the pawn eas i ly. Th i s i s not j u st m ate­
ri al eq uality, but an advantage for Wh ite. Black has traded the d-pawn for the c­
pawn and does n ot get any compensation for th i s strategic concess ion. If you com­
pare this to the Classical S l av main l i n e 1 .d4 ds 2.4 c6 3- 'd f3 'd f6 4. 'd c3 dx4 5.a4
.�, fs 6.e3 e6 7 . �, xc4, you wi ll recognize that Wh ite needed to weaken the q u een s ide
.
with a2-a4 to get the pawn back. Th ese weaknesses a re the com pen sation for the
central d i sadvantage - h ere, we d id not need to m a ke a ny concession l i ke that.
5 ·C4
As mentioned before, I recom mend playing this i n stead of castl i ng fi rst. Of cou rse,
5.0-0 is not a m i stake, but i n my opinion it i s less precise than 5.c4 if you i ntend to
fol low up with the i@' b3 plan. As di scussed in the i ntroduction, I thi n k th i s is the
most dangerous a pproach ava i l able. So, why is 5.c4 more p recise? Th ere a re two
main poi nts.
The fi rst one i s best explai ned with a sample move seq uence. Let's say you play
5.0-0 e6 6.c4 'd bd7 7. 'd c3 h 6 8. � b3 � b6 9.c5. Now, Black does not n eed to take,
but a l so has 9 . . . � a6. Th i s i s a reasonable way to pl ay, i ntendi ng . . . b7-b6 soon. I
was n ot able to fi nd a n advantage aga i n st t h i s idea. N ow, let's check what ha ppens
if we omit castli ng: 5. c4 e6 6. 'd c3 '2l bd7 7. � b3 � b6 8.c5. N ow, 8 . . . � a 6 is not a
good idea, beca use of the tricky retreat 9 . ,r£, f1 ! , threaten i ng e2-e4. Th i s i s not only
strong, but also very easy to miss by Black. So th i s way, we set a l ittl e trap and
avoi d a n otherwi se a n noyi ng li ne.
The second poi nt of 5.4 i n stead of castl i ng fi rst is the q ueenless m idd legame after
the trade on b3, for exam ple, after 5.c4 e6 6. 'd c3 'd bd7 7. � b3 � b6 8.c5 � xb3
9.axb3. I n th is position type, it is favo u rable to sti l l have the king on e l . Fi rst of a l l,
'd c3 i s more rel evant for the q ueen side play (b3-b4-b5) th a n
o-o ,
and we are s l ight­
ly fa ster on that s ide of the boa rd . Ad d itionally, Wh ite has the plan of playing a set­
up with h 2-h3 and g3-g4, which i s a l so more powerful with th e king sti l l on el .
These poi nts wi l l become clearer once you study the l i n es featu ri ng thi s structu re
i n the next chapter.
5 e6
•..
The most logical move and by far the m a i n one.
1 ) 5 . . . dx4.
l l i
As usual, we need to check the pawn grab. I t is usefu l to com pare th is to a l i ne I
mentioned i n the comments to 4. :b; g2. There i s the related I i ne 1 .d4 d 5 2.4 c6
3- 'd f3 'd f6 4.g3 dxc4, wh ich I regard as critica l . H ere, B lack has n ot com m itted the
bishop to f5, wh ich makes a huge difference. Black's captu re only m akes real sense
if he either keeps the pawn for good or forces some concession by Wh ite to regai n
the pawn. N ow, . . . 'Ji. fs does not help at a l l i n keepi n g the pawn, as . . . �. f5 a nd
. . . b7-b5 do n ot go wel l together. The move . . . b7-b5 weakens the l ight squares on the
q ueenside enormously, squares th at the bi shop cou ld cover from b7 - but it i s on
f5. That being said, we need to be precise now, since the best reply i s not so
obvious:
6. 'd bd 2 i s even stronger than the more u sual 6. 'd es, wh ich is a l so enough for an
adva ntage. N ow, the on ly critical moves are the ones trying to h old the pawn. If
B lack plays someth i ng non-forc i n g, we s i m ply take on c4, with a comforta ble
adva ntage i n the form of the central pawn m ajority:
l .1) 6 . . . b5 (critical , but it fails m i serably) 7.a4 (now, th e threats of axb5 and 'd es are
a lready i m possible to address. Engi nes al ready asses s th i s as clea rly wi n n i ng fo r
Wh ite, remarkably) 7 . . . � as. Relatively best accord i n g to the engi nes. At least it
stops the i m med i ate 8.axb5. Let's check an enterta i n i n g s am ple l i ne: 8.o-o e6
g. 'd e5 � a 6 l O.e4 (here, the s pectacu l a r lO.axb5 also wins by fo rce, but th i s i s sim­
pler and i n structive) 1 0 . . � g6
.
l
1 i .d5. Thi s central breakt h rough i s dead ly for B l ack;
1 .2) After the altern ative m ove 6 . . . � e6, we wi l l get th e pawn back: 7. 'd gs (Black
can't al low 'r he6 a nd need s to move the bi shop aga i n , givi ng u p the protection of
4) 7 . �xd4 8. 'd xe6 fxe6
.
.
9 . � c2
bs
i o.a4 and Black's position i s in rui n s .
2) 5 . JJ. x b 1 6 . � x b 1 � as+ 7. j), d2
. .
·� xa2
(I a m not s u re i f a nybody wi l l ever dare to
snatch th at pawn , but it's n ot bad to be prepared . There i s a s i m i lar l i ne starting
with 2 ... c6 Jg3 §i. f5 4. §i. g2 e6 5.4 §i. xb1 - both vers ions a re far too ris ky for Bl ack)
8.c5 (there a re other good option s l i ke 8. � al or 8. 'd es, but thi s move works
both versions o f the pawn grab) 8 . . . b6 9 . b4 � a 6 i o . b 5 cxb5
in
l l .e4. This works, even with a kn ight on f6: 1 1 . . dxe4 1 2. ,'Ji, f1 . Th e poi nt. B l ack won 't
.
s u rvive this attack - a wel l-deserved rout!
The starting poi nt of the m a i n . . g fs set-ups. I n the next chapter, we wi ll exa m i n e
.
t h e main moves 6 . 'll bd7, 6
. .
. . .
�. e] and 6 . . . h 6 . Besides these li nes of about equal
•
val ue, Black has a l so pl ayed two i nferior l i nes that I want to briefly show here.
Bl) 6. A d6
..
Th i s i s a bit naive, but we can 't refute it right away. I am using 'na ive', beca use
placi ng the bi shop on the diagonal b8-h2 agai nst a fianchetto set-up u s u a l ly makes
l ittle sen se. We' l l see one d rawback right away.
7.
b3
b6 8.c5 " xb3 9.axb3 A q
It i s better to play 9
. ..
;JJ. e], head i n g towa rds a main l i n e a tem po down.
1 0.b4 a6 1 1 .b5 it) bd7 1 2.b6 A d&
l 1
l
l
l. 1
I.
13. A f4
Th i s whole l i ne is not very relevant theoretical ly, but it has good co m ica l val ue.
B lack i s com pletely bu sted on the q u een s ide, wa iti ng for 'd f3-d2-b3-a5 or a sacri­
fice on a6 or c6.
82) 6...dXC4
Th i s capture i s bad ly ti med. We regai n the pawn easi ly, with a n ice central advan­
tage.
7. � es � bd7 8. � xC4
The trade of c-pawn vs d-pawn i s favo u rable fo r us. We have ga i ned a central superiority without havi ng to make any concessions.
Conclusion
With i n the . . . �. fs-set-up, the main l i ne i n Chapter 12 i s by far the most freq uently­
.
played l i n e for a rea son . The early deviations fo r Black are a l l good for Wh ite, but it
is usefu l to have seen some deta i l s. You should in particular look at l i nes with
. . . dxc4 to be confident that you either rega i n the pawn or obtai n good com pen­
sation.
CHAPTER 1 2
... ./tfs set-ups - Main line: 2... €JfG 3.g3 Afs 4. A g2 cG 5.c4 eG
G. €Jc3
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 � ffi 3. 13 A fs 4· A 12 c6 S·C4 e6 6. � c3
Please refer to the previous chapter for some general i nformati on about the
. . .
��� f5
set-ups and possi ble deviations u p to th i s poi nt.
Bl ack now h as three m a i n moves of about eq ual strength : 6 . . :�'. e], 6 . . . h 6 and
.
6 . '2l bd7. It m ight not seem l i ke a big difference, but the deta i l s are ve ry i m portant
.
.
here. B l ack players wi l l usually only h ave some genera l ideas about th i s l i ne, wh i l e
studyi ng th e subtle poi nts w i l l give you good ch ances to pose Black serious prob­
lems th at he has not expected . I n eed to mention that some poi nts apply to a l l
th ree moves. We wi l l play 7. � b3, a n d the best reply fo r Black i s 7 . . . � b6 8.c5 � xb3
9. axb3- Devi ating from th i s seq uence is worse for Black and the way to pu n i sh
these devi ation s i s also somewhat s i m ilar. I ' l l poi nt out th e differen ces, of cou rse.
The endgame after 9 .axb3 i s very i nteresti ng to study. Its th ree vers ions are
somewhat transposition a l , but o ne i m portant d i stinction i s the placement of the
b8- kn ight. Th e endgame with the knight com i n g to a6 is sharper and more con­
crete, whi le the pl acement on d 7 l eads to a q u i eter ga me. I 'd l i ke to emphasize
aga i n that studyi ng the endgame i s i m portant, becau se it wil l a ppea r freq uently as
the m oves lead i ng to it a re so natu ra l .
I decided to structu re th is chapter a b i t differently. I wi l l not check the th ree
moves one-by-one, but rath er split the chapter i nto 3 scenarios:
·Fi rst Scenario: after 7. � b3 Black avoids 7 . . . � b6;
·Second Scenari o: after 7. � b3, Black plays 7 . . . ·� b6 and avoi d s th e trade o n
b3;
·Thi rd Scen ario: the endgame.
Let's check these th ree ways th at the game may unfold .
First Scenario: after 7. tfb3 Black avoids 7 ff b6
...
A) 6 � bd7
...
Th i s is the most popular move here.
7.
b3
Wh ite has a n i nteresti ng a lternative i n 7. 'd h4 here. As mentioned, this idea i s
worth checki ng i f Black h a s omitted . . . h 7-h 6 a n d the knight i s o n c 3 a l ready. I was
not able to fi nd a ny tan gi ble advantage, so I decided to stick to the usual reci pe
with 7. 'i¥M b3. The idea 'd h4 wi l l sti l l be i m portant i n some l i nes, though.
7... 'ec8 8. � h4
Al) 8. A � 9. � x�
..
It i s i m portant to avoid 9.f3 dxc4 10. �x4 §;. d s, and B lack is better off than after
the correct move.
9. . � xe4
.
After 9 . . . dxe4 1 0. � c2, we' l l win the e4-pawn .
1 0. � f4
Th i s i s stronger than 10.0-0 . We a re i m med iately th reaten i ng to take o n d s.
1 0 A e1
•..
B l ack's altern ative 10 . . . g5 l eads to a favo u rable pawn structu re tran sformation:
1 1 . j;; xe4 gxf4 i 2.cxd5 cxd 5 1 3- g d 3, and Black has a dam aged pawn struct u re.
1 1 .cxd5 cxd5
l l . . .exd 5 1 2. 'd fs is a l ready deci sive - Bl ack has no good reply anymore.
1 2. � f3
With a comfortable bishop pair advantage. I n stead, 1 2 . B. c l �d8 1 3- «Ji. c7 '&c8
1 4. ,Ji. xe4 dxe4 1 5.0-0 i s a very i nteresting attempt to a i m for more. Black wou l d
need to fi nd 1 5 . 'd c 5 here, l eading to favourable com plications after 1 6 . .§. xc5 ,Ji, xc5
.
.
1 7 . � b5+ -e¥fd7 18. � xc5 B. c8 1 9. � e5. A good choice here on move 1 2 .
A2) 8. j\ g6
..
Th i s a l ready leads to very serio us problems.
9.cxd5
Th i s capture often gai n s i n strength after Black has com m itted the kn ight to d]. An
open c-fi le i s m uch to ugh er to defend with a kn i ght o n d1.
9 . exd5
.
.
B lack may a l so play 9 . . . cxd 5 10. '21 xg6 h xg6
1 1 . j;; f4 and th e '21 bs/ B. c1 th reats are dead ly - White i s wi n n i ng.
1 0. A f4
The s i m ple plan of o-o and .;;. fc1 is very d iffi c u lt to defend aga i n st, a s i s shown by
the fol lowi ng seq uence: 1 0
. . .
j), e1 1 1 .0-0 o-o
1 2 . g fc1
�d7 1 5.a5 'll c4 1 6.e4, with a h uge i n itiative for Wh ite.
e) 6 . A e7 7. � b3
.
.
c8 8. f} h4
'21 b6 1 } '21 xg6 hxg6 14.a4
Black does not have . g h 7, so grabbing the b i sh op pai r is a good option.
. .
8.. a �
.
After 8 . . . �. g6 9 . 'd xg6 hxg6 10. g f4, Wh ite has a lon g-term edge with the bishop
.
pai r. N ote that i n the s i m i l a r pos ition with the kn ight on d7 i n stead of . g e?, the
.
.
capture on ds i s strong, wh i l e here thi s l ead s nowhere. After 10 .cxd 5 cxd5!1 Black is
fi ne, beca use he sti l l has ... 'd c6 avai lable. Please compare th i s with line A above.
9· � xe4 � x� 1 0. � f3
We h ave netted the bi shop pa i r and a re better long-term. Of cou rse, Bl ack i s not
goi ng to fa l l apart soon, but it i s very comfortab l e to know that the bishop pa i r wi l l
be usefu l i n a n open pos ition - and pos itions tend to get more open, not th e other
way a rou nd!
C) 6...h6 7· ffb3 ffc8 8. A f4
A key idea of . . . h7-h6 i s of course to free u p a retreat square for the f5-bishop. Th i s
i s a d iffe rence to 6 . . . 'a bd7 a n d 6 . . � e?, when :[i h 4 is an i m portant resou rce. Here
.
we are sl ightly better with s i m ple development.
8.. � bd7 9.0-0 j\ e1 1 o. g acl
.
N ow, Black need s to worry about the .§. c1 vs � c8 s ituation. Taking on d s m ight
become a rel evant threat.
10 ... dxC4 1 1 · ftxC4 � b6 12. ffb3 � bd5
13. A d2
Such a position is a lways s l i ghtly better for Wh ite. Black has traded the d-pawn fo r
the c-pawn a n d given Wh ite a centra l edge without clear com pensation, l i ke a weak
sq uare on b4, fo r exa mple. Th i s i s the scenario i n the Classical S l av: i .d4 d s 2.c4
c6 3- 'a f3 'd f6 4. '.21 c3 dxc4 5.a4 � fs.
Second Scenario: after 7.
A) 6 0 bd7 7•
...
·
b3 Black plays 7...
lb6 and avoids the trade on b3
b3 �b6
Th i s is the best reply, but it is not always played. Yo u wi l l also meet the passive
{and bad) 7 . � c8 freq uently. Th i s i s the fi rst scena rio i n th i s chapter.
. .
8.c5
N ow, Bl ack's best option i s to enter the endgame w ith trad i n g on bJ. The second
scenario sees Black avoid i ng the trade.
Al ) 8... ftq
N ot everybody is keen on trad i n g q ueens, but we are goi ng to be better after th i s
move.
9. � h4
Black has no retreat for the b i shop. Th ere i s little difference between the 6 . � e]
. .
and 6 . . '21 bd7 versions i n th i s case - we' l l get to the same po sition i n most cases .
.
9... A g6 1 o. A f4 ft c8 1 1 . � xg6 hxg6 1 2.0-0 IJ. e]
13.
C2
We wi l l con soli date the q ueen side with b2-b4 and a2-a3, trying to b u i l d up even
more s pace later. fa-f3 and e2-e4 is a l ong-term plan to play for.
A2) 8...
a6
N ot a good idea, but even some G M s have stum bled i nto it. Th e i ssue with
8...
a6 is not th at obvious!
9. A n l
Retreati ng moves a re a lways tough to s pot. N ow e2-e4, wi n n ing the bi shop, i s the
bruta l th reat.
9. A �
..
Th i s i s the best defence and keeps B l ack i n the game.
1) 9 . . . '21 e4 1 0.e3 bs 1 1 . '21 h4. We will get the bishop pair and enjoy a sizeable space
adva ntage. The pawn on bs is sticking out and should be attacked with a2-a4 at the
ri ght moment. I ' l l continue with a plausi ble sequence of moves: 1 1 . . . '@' b7 (l eavi ng
the awkward f1 -a6 d i agonal) 1 2.f3 'd xc3 l 3.bxc3 � g6 1 4. 'd xg6 h xg6 l 5.e4, with a
great position for Wh ite;
2) 9 . b5 10. '21 h4 '@ b7 1 1 . 'd xf5 exf5 12 . �. g2, and Wh ite is better here. A plan to go
.
.
.
for i s fa-f3 and e2-e4, trying to break open the long d i agonal and play aga i n st the
black q ueenside.
1 0. ia x� ia x�
After 10 . . . dxe4 1 1 . '21 d2, the e4-pawn i s very wea k n ow and wi l l d rop.
1 1 . ia d2 fta5 12 .s\ g2
.
Please avoid 1 2. � xb7 � b8 1 3- � xc6 .�. xc5!, and Black i s attacking a l l of a sudden.
1 2... ia xd2 1 3. A xd2 Wc7
l l
l l l
1 4.0-0
We have a comfortable adva ntage with the bishops and the space, but Black i s sti l l
q u ite solid . Th i s i s the best Black can get after erring with 8 � a6 - not a n easy
. . .
task, given that you don 't play i nto th i s wi l l i ngly as Black and need to fi nd th e sol u­
tion over the board .
e) 6. A e7 7.
..
Bl ) 8...
b3
c7 9. A f4
b6 8.c5
c8 1 0. � h4
Black has no retreat for the bi shop. Th ere i s l ittle difference between the 6 . . :li, e?
.
and 6 .. 'd bd7 versions in th i s case - we' l l get to the same position i n most cases.
.
1 0 s\ g6 1 1 . � xg6 hxg6 12.0-0 � bd7 13.
•..
-
C2
We wi l l con sol idate the queen side with b2-b4 and a2-a3, tryi ng to gai n even more
space later. fa-f3 and e2-e4 is a long-term plan to play for. Th i s position may also
occur via the 6 . . . 'd bd7 move order.
a2) 8 - a6
...
Th i s i s bad for Black, but the refutation i s not obvio us.
The ki nd of move that you wa nt to play i n over-the-boa rd chess and check you r
opponent's faci al expressions. A l l of a sudden, e2-e4 i s a serious th reat.
9. A �
..
g . . '21 e4 lO.e3 b s 1 1 . '.2! xb5. Th i s tactic works i n the 6 . . . h 6 and 6 . . ;�: e] versions of
.
.
th i s l i ne, because 9, xb5 i s a check!
1 0. � x� � x� 1 1 . � d2 � xd2 12. A xd2 b6 13.�
b7 14.exd5 exd5
1 5. A h3
With a clear advantage for Wh ite, due to a l l the static advantages (s pace, bi shops)
and the lead i n development, which i s very rel eva nt with an open central fi le. Please
note that th i s l i n e works the same with 6 . . . h 6 pl ayed i n stead of 6 . . 'Ji. e]. With
.
6 . 'll bd7, B l ack has
. .
C) 6 ... h6 7.
Cl) 8...
l l . .. W:Y a5
as an add itiona l option.
b3 : b6 8.c5
q
Com pared to the 6 .. �. e] and 6 . 'd bd7 vers ions, Bl ack has c reated a retreat square
.
.
on h7, defu s i ng 'd h4.
9. j\ f4
c8
. .
1 0. � d2
Th i s idea i s s u rpri singly stro ng. The plan i s to push e2-e4.
1 0 � bd7
••.
i o . «21 hs 1 1 "�' es (we n eed to keep the e2-e4 idea a l ive. Don't go to e3, stoppi ng
.
yo ur own attacking plan) 1 1 . :i) d7 i 2 .e4, with a stro ng i n itiative. B l ack i s i n huge
. .
trou ble.
1 1 .� dx� 1 2. A x�
Th i s i s the creative poi nt! We don't m i nd givi ng u p th i s bishop, because we need
knights to exploit the weak d 6-square. Th i s position is tough to defend for Black.
12 ... � xe4 1 3. � dxe4 A xe4 1 4. � x�
We wi 1 1 get to d 6 now with great effect.
1 4... §;. e7 1 5. � d6+ /J. xd6 1 6. Axd6
B lack m ight get the knight to ds, but h i s king wi l l never be s afe.
c2) 8. Ba6
..
The worst option at th i s poi nt, but the refutatio n i s easy to m i ss.
9. §Ui
Ouch ! Wh ite i s th reatening to play e2-e4, wi n n i n g a piece. Black i s clea rly worse
now.
9. A �
..
Th i s i s relatively best, but sti l l not sufficient to get a reasonable game.
1) 9 . b5 l o . a4 � a5 1 1 . .�. d2, and Black is in terri ble shape h ere too;
.
.
2) g . . 'tl e4 i o.e3 bs 1 1 . 'tl xb5. Thi s tactic works i n the 6 . . . h 6 and 6 . . . �. e? versions of
.
th i s l i ne, because :J;, xb5 i s a check!
1 0. ti) x� ti) x� 1 1 . ti) d2
Agai n st 1 1 .e3, B lack sti l l h ad 1 1 . . � a5+ to stay i n the game. Now, t h i s move is a rea l
.
th reat.
1 1 ... ti) xd2 12. A xd2 b6
B lack need s a squ a re for the q u een ASAP!
1 3.�
,
b7 1 4.exd5 exd5
1 5. j\ h3
With a clear advantage. Please note th e s i m i l a rity to l i n e B above.
Thi rd Scenario: the end game
A) 6... � bd7 7. ftb3 ftb6 8.c5 8xb3 9.axb3
We have reached th e previously m entioned endgame. There are th ree versions of
the endgame, depend i ng on Black's sixth move. Here, Black has a l ready com mitted
to the knight pl acement on d], which means th e endgame wi l l be less sharp and
based on concrete l i n es, compared to th e other versions where Black might play a
q u i ck . . 'd a6. Let's have a l ook at how play develops with the knight on d7.
.
9... a6
B lack plays this move al most a l l th e ti me. N ot ju st here on move 9, but also most
of the time at a later stage. Black wants to make the roo k on a8 mobile and is afra id
that White may play b2-b4 and even b4-bS qu ickly. By goi ng 9 . . a6 now, he makes
.
s u re that the b4-bS push is prevented after 9 . . . a6 10.b4 ,g c8.
The alternative 9 . . 'Ji. e] i s n ot as frequently seen as th e early 9 .. a6. Black does not
.
.
fear the q u ick b2-b4-b5 push, and we wi l l see that it i s i ndeed not that much of a
problem. Th i s position may also arise from 6 . g e] and 9 . . '.d bd7, of cou rse. i o . b4
. .
0-0
.
1 1 .h3. A very i m porta nt moment. Wh ite should not play b4-b5 here, even though
th i s is often perceived as a threat by Black - see the cautious 9 . . . a6/10 . . . � c8 l i ne.
After 1 i . b5 cxb5 1 2. 'd xb5 a6 l J. 'Ll c3 b6, Bl ack is fi ne. The idea of h 2-h3 is to play
g2-M n ext and conti nue with JJ. f4. I ' l l stop here, a s the strategy i s basica l ly th e
same as after 9 . . . a6. H ere, Black has n ot played . . . a7-a6, but it is not m uch of a d if­
ference - q u ite often Black m i ght play . . . a7-a6 soon anyway.
10.b4 g c8
Black stops a ny b4-b5 ideas. As we have seen in the 9 . . j;; e1 l i ne, th i s b4-b5 idea i s
.
not even o n o u r agenda.
1 1 .h3
H ere, you may a l so play 1 1 . 'd h4, but it i s essenti al to understand the general plan
of h 2-h3 and g3-g4. Th i s plan is relevant for all vers ions of the endga m e with
. . . 'd bd7,
a nd may also a ppea r from other m ove o rders. We a re dea l i ng with va rious
set-ups here, rather than concrete move orders.
11 ... h6
B l ack wi l l play th is move at some poi nt, getti ng the h]-sq uare for the bi shop.
1 2.14 A h1 13. A f4
After h2-h3 and g3-g4 h ave been pl ayed , we have gai n ed th i s co nven ient place fo r
t h e bishop. It has a safe retreat now, if necessary. The pawn expa nsion i s a l so use­
ful for later play on the kingside, as we wi l l see.
13 . A e1
..
A
A
� ,,
1 4. � d2
Th i s move fi n a l ly reveals what Wh ite should do on the q ueen side. He sta rts a
kn i ght tou r to as, u ltimately eyeing the b]-pawn. Th i s position i s s l i ghtly better fo r
Wh ite, because Black has l e s s space and very few active ideas. O f cou rse, h e i s
so l i d ly pl aced, but i t is not m uch fu n to j u st s i t a n d wa it. White a l s o has the idea of
expa nd i ng i n th e centre later. Let's exa m i n e some poss ible conti nuation s to i l l us­
trate.
14 . .0-0 1 5. � b3 A ds
.
B lack need s to react to the 'd as idea .
1 6. A d6 Ii e8 17.f4
Wh ite stops . . . e6-e5 and gai n s even more s pace.
17 ... A e7 1 8. A xe7 1! xe7 1 9.e3
I prefer Wh ite h ere, being a h uge bel iever i n s pace. I f Bl ack does not show some
clear idea, we wil l play §J. f3 and h 3-h4. Th i s whole l i ne also shows the poi nt of
delaying cast l i n g and playing c2-c4 on move 5. Th is ki ngside expa n sion does not
work after Wh ite has castled.
7. ftb3 "b6 8.c5 Bxb3 9.axb3
J u st as in the 6 . . . h 6 l i ne, Black now has the choice to go for a pas s ive approach
with . . . a 7-a6 and . . . ·21 bd7, or 9 . . . 'd a6 for more concrete pl ay.
9... � a6
B lack may a l so play 9 . . 0-0 (9 . . 'd bd7 10.b4 wou l d i m med iately transpose i nto the
.
.
s low endgame type covered via the 6 . . . '21 bd7 move order) , which keeps options
ope n : 10.h3 (this fits i nto th e slow set- u ps with
. .
. ·21 bd7. N ote that 1 0 . b4 'a a6 is
somethi ng I 'd rather avoid. It's not terri ble fo r White, but nets no benefits either.
After 1 0 .h3, we wi l l tra n s pose to a .. '.d bd7 set-up most l i kely) 1 0 . . '21 a 6 (a delayed
.
.
.
. . 'd a6 usually does not work a l l that wel l . Th i s case i s no exception . M ost of the
ti me Black pl ays 10 ... '21 bd7 here, transposing i nto the s low endgame type covered
via the 6 . . 'd bd7 move order. Yet another way to get to th i s scen ario wou ld be
.
1 0 . . . h6 1 i .g4 g h 7 1 2 �. f4 '21 bd7 l ). b4. Th ere are various move orders possible,
.
.
but we have the same set-u p aga i n st the slow approaches: play h2-h3 and g3-g4,
fo l lowed by � f4. Later, 'd f3-d2-b3 i s a key idea) 1 1 . 'a es 'd b4 1 2 .0-0 (the idea of
.
.
.�. d2 and B. a4 i s d ifficult to meet) 1 2 . . . a 5 i 3. 1'. d2 h 6
i 4. � a4. The th reat i s 'd a2 now, u ltimately getti ng at the as-pawn . I don't see how
Black keeps the pawn, wh ich means he i s i n trou ble.
1 0. g 34
I recom m end playing th i s move a ga i n st both g . d a 6 l i nes, namely the one exam­
.. '
i ned here with 6 ... � e?, and the one with 6 ... h6. We stop . . 'Ll b4 and have the long­
.
term plan of castl i ng ki ngside and u lti mately getting b3-b4-b5 played . I t is also an
idea to s idel i ne the knight with ;Ji. f4, taking away th e c7-sq u a re. I have a lso checked
1 0. 'd es, i nten d i n g to a n swer 10 . . 'd b4 with 1 1 . .;;. a4. Th i s i s not bad at a l l, but I
.
cou l d n 't fi nd a n adva ntage for White and I felt th at 1 0. B. a4 sets more problems.
Bl) 10 � d7
•••
A good move, preventi n g 'll es.
1 1 .h4
After 1 1 . � f4 f6! , B l ack i s right i n time for . . . e6-e5 and . . . g7-g5 ideas. Now, the posi­
tion is very com pl ex and i nteresti n g. I ' l l analyse some possi ble l i nes to show the
key concepts.
811) 11 f6 1 2.0-0
•••
Agai n , 1 2. ,� f4 es! i s bad for Wh ite.
1 2 e5
•••
We can always handle 1 2
. . .
g c2 by sacrificing the pawn : 1 3 �. d2 .�. xb3 1 4. � a3 .�. c2
.
.
1 5. ,;;, fai . The b2-b4-b5 idea gives u s excel l ent com pen sation, a s u s u a l .
13.b4
We need to sta b i l ize c5.
13 . � C2
..
The conservative move for Black here i s 1 J . . . 'd c]: i 4.dxe5 fice5 1 5.e4 dxe4
l l
1 6. ·:.21 gs. H ere I 'd rather be Wh ite, but B lack i s certai n ly sol i d ly pl aced.
1 4. g xa6 bxa6 1 5. A e3
Wh ite has enough play for the excha nge here. I wa s rea l ly stun ned by how often
these sacrifices work. Qu ite clearly, th i s i s a l ready very deep analysi s and you need
to cut it at some poi nt. I defin itely recom mend explori ng these positions a bit more
on you r own . They m ight not a ppea r on the board often , but they m a ke very i nter­
esti ng study materia l . Let's have a look at a reasonable l i ne for Black to show some
ideas.
1 5 ... A� 1 6. g a1 o-o-o 1 7. A h3
Th i s looks more interesti ng tha n taking the weak a6-pawn .
17 .. � b1 1 8. � d2 A g6 1 9.f4 e4 20.fs A e8
.
21 . � f4
Wh ite has eno ugh com pen sation here. This i s j ust one l i ne after the exchange
sacrifi ce - there are m a ny interesting altern atives along the way.
812) 1 1 ...e5 12.b4
Th i s covers c5 and m akes dxe5 possi ble. B l ack need s to take care of th e es-pawn.
1 2 � C2
...
Th i s i s a m i sta ke, but certai n ly a tem pting move. 1 2 . . . f6 l J.dxe5 fxe5 1 4.e4 dxe4
1 5. 'd gs looks slightly better for Wh ite. We get control over th e e4-sq uare.
1 3. g xa6 bxa6 1 4.dxe5
Wh ite i s i n great shape here, with 1 5. 'd d4 bei ng the i m m ed i ate th reat.
e13) 1 1 . h6 1 2. A f4
.
.
We exa m i ne th i s position via the move order with 6 . . . h 6 .
a14) 1 1 0-0
. . .
Th i s is a slow approach . I th i n k Black should pri oritize .. .f7-f6 ideas and keep op­
tio n s open for the king.
1 2. j\ f4 f6
N ote that Black th reatens . . . e6-e5 now, so we need to go for the fol lowing a m azing
idea.
l i
I f B lack does not play th i s princi pled move, we manage � d2 next, fu rther pre­
pari ng g_ fa 1 a nd b4-b5.
i 4, g xa6
A remarkable concept. Let's see why we have enough play for the exchange here.
i4... bxa6 i 5. A h3 dlf7 i 6. m d2 A� i7. g a,
B lack now can't a l low 1 8. g_ xa6 to happen and needs to go with the fol lowi ng.
,
1... A xi3 , 8.exf3 ia b8 , 9. A fi
We wi l l wi n th e a-pawn and have enough com pen sation for the exchange. The
c-pawn 1 s always goi ng to be dangerous for Bl ack, due to b4-b S breakth rough
ideas.
82) 1 0 0-0
.•.
1 1 . � es
B lack fa i led to prevent th i s move, so we go ahead and play it. 1 1 . .�. f4 i s a good
alternative here.
11
• ••
� b8
A drastic measure, and I doubt m a ny human players wo uld go fo r it. Sti l l , the
alternative i s worse: 1 1 . .§. fc8 (we were th reate n i n g 1 2 . 'd xc6, so some cover of c6
. .
is need ed) 12. � f4 h 6 1 3.f3 � h7 1 4. '�· d2. Now we are threate n i ng .§. h a 1 , so
1 4 . . 'd b8 is necessary after a l l . We are somewhat better with e2-e4 next, ga i n i n g
.
more s pace. Com pa red to 1 1 . . 'll b8, Black h a s lost some ti me.
.
12.f3
We are s l i ghtly better here, with e2-e4 and b3-b4 com ing fo r a good space advan­
tage.
B3) 10 A C2
...
One great point of 10. � a4 is that th i s reply looks very tem pti ng, but lead s nowhere
at best.
1 1 .0·0
We i gnore the th reat to the pawn. We wi ll see that Black should not ta ke the pawn ,
but I don't th i n k many pl ayers wi l l go 1 0 . . r£. c2 and th en, after 1 1 .0-0, a l l of a sud­
.
.
den decide not to captu re. We have to check both scena rios, of course.
11
• ••
A xb3
If Bl ack now refu ses to take with a move l i ke that, we j ust conti nue with usefu l
moves that we would play if he hadn't played . . . 'Ji, c2 i n the fi rst place: 1 1 . .. h 6 12.h4
o-o 1 3- :JJ. f4, and now we are ready fo r � c1 a nd force the issue. I don't see many
players goi ng for 10
1 2. ll a3
a31 ) 12... A C2
. . .
'Ji c2 and then refu s i ng to take the pawn .
13. A f4
Our plan i s very straightforward . J ust play � fa 1 and b2-b4 next.
13 . 'i) d7
..
Th i s i s sen s i ble. It covers es aga i n st 21 es ideas and prepares . f7 f6
'
13
. . .
.
.
-
.
'd b4 i s a huge m i sta ke, a s th e knight has no way back: 1 4 B. fa 1 a 6 1 5. 'll e l , and
Black i s i n huge trou ble.
14. g fa1 ffi
.
1 5.b4
Th i s i s the key poi nt. We are very q u i ck on the q u eens ide after Black has lost time
with th e pawn grab.
1 5 . .15
.
1 5 . '.21 xb4 1 6. g xa7 g xa7 1 7. B. xa7, and we wi l l win b7 as wel l , having a clear and al. .
most wi n n i ng advantage.
1 6. � e1 A g6 17. A d2 � db8
Going to u ltra-pass ive mode, but it i s the most res i l ient defence. One i m portant
piece of practica l advice is to s i m ply ignore the fact that you are a pawn down .
Wh ite does not need to rush anyth i ng here, beca use Blac k i s com pletely stuck on
the q ueen s ide. Wh ite has a n u m be r of ideas here, I ' l l s how one of th em :
1 8.h4 gxh4 1 9.gxh4 !! gs 20. m h2
With g h 3 and '.21 e1 -g2-f4 next.
a32) 12 ... A c4
I 'd rather expect 1 2 . ,JJ. c2, but th i s has some merit. The bishop m ight be usefu l i n
. .
defending the q ueen side from b s or a6.
1 3. � es
Our i ntention i s to play 14. 'll xc4 and then 1 5 B. a4, gett i n g the pawn back with a
.
huge advantage.
13 . � b5
..
After 1 3 0-0 14. 'd xc4 dxc4 1 5. � a4, Wh ite is m uch better, enjoyi ng the bishop pa i r
. . .
i n a n open pos ition.
1 4. � xb5
Th i s i s a bit easier to handle than 14. ;;. f4, which is a l so very prom i s i ng.
1 4...cxb5 1 5. g as
N ow, the th reat i s c5-c6, wh ich i s far more serious than ta king on b5.
15 ... � CJ
B lack may a l so play 1 5 . . �. d8 1 6. � xb5 b6
.
.
1 7 . 'Ji, f4. Wh ite i s wi n n i n g here al ready. The com i ng g_ a 1 wi l l be devastati ng.
.
1 6. A f4
The bishop i s ta king a i m at the kn ight, th reaten ing to take on f]. Wh ite has great
com pensation for the pawn n ow, a nd you cou ld easily analyse this a lot deeper. I 'll
show two sensi ble l i nes to i l l ustrate the key i deas for White:
1 6 � hs
•..
Black m ay a l so play 1 6 . . ,JJ, d8 1 7 . B. cl a6 1 8. g_ aa1 (th reatening .�. c1 -d2-a 5 and c5-c6
.
next, s i m ilar to the 1 6 . . . '.21 hs l i ne) i 8 . . . a5 1 9 . 'Ji, fi . Th i s bi shop w i l l be a i m ed at the
.
new weakness on bs. A set- u p with .�. d2/e2-e3 and later fa-f3 and g3-g4 i s very
pro m i s i n g. Bl ack's extra pawn i s worth less and we have m u ltiple ideas to i m prove
our pos ition.
17. S\ d2 a6 1 8. g aa1
The rook has done its job on as.
18 ... �f6 19. A as 1! c8 20.c6 bxc6 21 . g fc1
And I can easily i m agine that Black wi ll lose c6, a6 and fi nally bs to the wh ite press u re.
C) 6 ... h6 7.
·
b3
·
b6 8.c5
xb3 9.axb3
We have reached the endgame with the early . . . h7-h6. H ere, the most com mon
move is 9 . . 'd a6, which is the more active way for Black to pl ay t h i s formation. I
.
th i n k that most of the time th i s move i s played because Black i s trying to figure it
out over the board and recognizes th at it i s i m poss i b l e to stop b3-b4-b5 by mea n s
o f . . . a7-a6. I n fact, b3-b4-b5 i s not a problem all o f t h e ti me, and 9 . . . a6 or 9 . . . � e?
are sti l l playable and wil l l i kely tra n s pose to the slow endgame that we exa m i ne via
the 6 . . 'd bd7 move order.
.
9 'fi a6
...
1 ) 9 . . . a6 (very rare, but actually not that bad) 1 0 . b4 }4 e? (the only good move! After
1 0 . . . 'd bd7 1 1 .b5!, we get the favo u rable scenario exa m i ned via 9 . . 'd bd7 io.b4 a6
.
1 1 .b5)
1 1 .hJ. Rem arkably, 1 1 .b5 cxb5 1 2. 'l::i xb5 o-o i s perfectly O K for Bl ack. I f a d raw wins
yo u l ife-changing money you can play l J. 'll c7 ;;; a] 14. 'll bs and retire. There i s no
way to get an advantage though.
After the s low l 1 .h 3, we w i l l very li kely transpose to the . . 'd bd7 co m plex soon. Our
.
plan is g3-g4, j), f4 and 'll f3-d2-b3-a5 in a ny case;
2) 9 . .. 'd bd 7. I t is tough to tel l them apart, I know. But t h i s is the only version that
is good for Wh ite - i n the other cases, we want to play b3-b4, but b4-b5 nets noth i ng. Let's check why th i s particular case i s favourable for us: lO.b4 a6 ( 1 0 . . . ,JJ. e]
l l . b5 o-o 1 2. bxc6 bxc6 1 3. � a6 is horri bly wrong fo r Black, as a] and c6 are
term i n a l wea knesses) 1 L b5 cxb5 1 2. '2� xb5 (with the bishop on e1 al ready, i n stead of
having pl ayed . . . h 7-h6 or . . 'D bd7, Black cou ld castl e. Here, he needs to move the
.
rook) 12 . . � c8 1 3. 'd c3 Ji. e1 14.0-0 o-o
.
l
1 5. b4 with a n excellent position fo r White. Black's q ueenside i s weak, and we have
many ideas to attack on th i s side of the board. A set- u p with h2-h3/ �. e3/ B. fc1 and
a later b4-bS comes to m i nd;
3) 9
. . .
A e1. Aga i n , a very rare move, but it sets an i nteresti ng move order task: 1 0.h3
(we don 't wa nt to castle, as th i s does not fit with the slow set-ups featu ri ng h2-h3/
g3-g4 and :B. f4 agai nst . 'd bd7 formations. I n fact, we wil l very l i kely transpose to
. .
s uch a s l ow fo rmation now, a s we wi l l see) 1 0 ... 'd a6 (thi s move order of . . Ji. e?
.
and ... h7-h6 fi rst, and only th en . . 'D a6, is too slow. . . 'd a 6 has some annoyance
.
.
val ue, becau se it m ay th reaten a q u ick . 'D b4, but h ere we are able to fend it off
. .
easi ly. Better for B l ack wou ld be to tra n s pose i nto the slow endgame with 10 . . . a6
l i .g4
,©. h7 1 2 . � f4 'd bd7 1 3 - b4. Th e slow endgames with . . . 'D bd7 are exam i ned via
6 . . 'd bd7)
.
l l . g4
g h 7 1 2. g f4 'd b4
1 3. g a4. Th e knight tou r d id n 't net much. Th is 1s a m uch worse version of the
.
. 'D a6 li nes on move 9.
.
l O. Ji 84
I recom mend playing th i s move aga i nst both 9
. . .
'd a6 l i nes, th e one exa m i n ed here
with 6 . . . h6 and the o ne with 6 . . . Si. e]. We stop . . 'd b4 and have the long-term plan
.
of castl i ng kingside and u lti mately getti ng b3-b4-b5 played . It is a l so a n idea to
sidel i ne the knight with g f4, taking away the c7-sq ua re. I have a l so checked
10. 'd es, i nten d i n g to an swer 1 0 . 'd b4 with 1 1 . .§. a4. Th i s i s not bad at a l l , but I
. .
cou ldn't fi nd a n adva ntage for White and I felt that 1 0 . .§. a4 sets more problems.
Cl l ) 1 0 � d7
...
Black prevents 'd es and adds su pport for a later . . . e6-e5.
1 1 . h4
Th i s i s absol utely necessary here. B l ack was th reate n i n g . . . g7-g5, controll i n g f4 and
prevent i n g our key m ove :JJ, f4.
1 1 ... A e7
Th i s position could also be reached via the 6 . . . ');, e? move order.
After 1 1 . . .f6 i 2. h 5, we get a very com plex pos itio n. As usual, the main q uestion i s
what ha ppens after 1 2 . . . e5 ? The con servative 1 J. 1i. d 2 i s fi n e here. The engines a l so
suggest the wild i 3. 'd h4 .� c2 14. 'd xd 5! ?, but I d idn't want to extend the l i ne be­
yo nd move 20. The idea of 1 3. 1J, d2 is to j u st hold the centre with e2-e3 and play for
'd h4 and ,r£, h3 ideas. Black's set-up has weakened th e l i ght sq uares, so this makes
a lot of sense.
1 2. A f4 f6 13.b4
N ow, Black needs to play th e most challenging move, othe rwi se we j ust m anage to
play b4-b5 and a re much better.
13 ... A C2
.l
.l .l
� .ll
,,
1 4. 1I xa6
A rec u rring theme i n th ese l i nes. Wh ite aga i n obta i n s i nteresti ng com pensation for
the exchange.
14... bxa6 1 5.h5
Th i s is an i m portant move, sec u ri ng the f4-sq uare for the bishop. Wh ite's idea is to
pick u p the a6-pawn later and put pressure on the rem a i n i ng pawn s on the q u een­
s ide. There a re many possi bl e l i nes now, I 'd l i ke to explore two:
1 ) 1 5 . . . � f5 1 6. '� d2 j;; g4 (B lack tries to play
1 8 . 'll xe4.
�. xf3 and . . . e6-e5) 1 7 .e4 dxe4
... •
I.
I.
I.
,I.
�
I. I.
I.
�
Wh ite has enough com pen sation here, a s there a re so many weak s pots i n Black's
cam p. A wh ite piece com i ng to d6 wi l l be very powerfu l ;
2 ) 1 5 . . . a 5 . Black decides to j u st jettison the a-pawn , a s i t i s s o weak anyway. This
way, the a-file rem a i n s closed : 1 6 .b5 cxb5 1 7. g h 3 �' f7 1 8 . 02l xd 5, a nd aga i n we have
enough play for the exchange.
c12) 1 0 ... A C2 1 1 .o-o A xb3 12. g a3 A C2
The move 1 2 . . . ,�, 4 i s playable i n the 6 . . . ,©, e1 version, but not here: 1 3. b3 .�, bs
1 4. 'd xb5 cxb5
1
1
1
1
1 5. � a5. If Black had pl ayed 6 . . . Ji. e] (instead of 6 . . . h 6) , he wou l d h ave had . . . Ji. d8.
Without th i s option, he is in h uge trou ble: 1 5 . . . 'd c7 1 6. ,JJ. f4 ·�· d& 1 7 . 'd e5, and Black
will lose a pawn, leavi ng him with a clear disadvantage.
13. A d2
Th i s i s a difference to the 6 . . . g e] version of th i s l i ne.
l J.
§1. f4 wou ld run right i nto a
q u i ck . 'a d7 a nd . . . g7-g5.
. .
13 � d7
•.•
Black antici pates 'd e5. Black m ay also ignore th e 'd e5 idea:
l J. . .
j;; e] 1 4. 'a e5. Th e
th reat i s 1 5. 'd xc6. Black needs to retreat now, but the res u lti ng position i s m uch
better for Wh ite: 1 4 . . . d b8 1 5. f;. c l ,�, h7 1 6 . .;; b3, and we wi n the b-pawn.
'
1 4. g fa1
Wh ite now has the i dea of playi ng b2-b4-b5, but also the more pedestrian e2-e3 and
,�, fi . White i s better h ere. One possi ble l i ne ru n s as fo l l ows:
14 ...g5 1 5.b4 � g'] 1 6.b5 cxb5
17. � xb5
We have g c3 and 'd d6 next, with enormous pressure.
Conclusion
Black's best bet in the main l i ne i s the endgame after th e trade on bJ. The l i nes
after . 'd a6 are fascinating to study and contai n many s u rpri s i ng ideas. I am aware
.
.
that the play in th i s chapter is n ot s i m ple in the true mea n i n g of th e word, but I
wou ld l i ke to emphas ize th at h avi ng stud i ed the ideas, you have a huge head start
over you r oppon ent, who very l i kely has never stud ied th i s system at a l l .
CHAPTER 13
... ./tg4 set-ups - Introduction and early deviations: 2 ... €Jf6 3.g3
./tg4
1 .d4 ds 2. � f3 � ffi 3.13 l\ g4
Th i s cha pter i s a bout blac k set-u ps i nvolvi ng . . . d7-d5 and . . }d. g4, usually com bi ned
.
with the pawn moves . . . c7-c6 and . . . e7-e6 . You wi l l encou nter th i s set- u p q u ite fre­
q uently if you r opponent's main defence to 1 .d4 is the S lav Defence (i .d4 d 5 2.c4
c6) . Slav pl ayers are very accu sto med to the tria ngle of pawns i n the centre (d 5, c6
and e6) and prefer to d evelop th e bi shop outs ide of the pawn ch a i n , either to fs or
g4. I decided to exa m i ne the S lav style set-up in two sepa rate chapters, a s our reply
aga i n st
. . .
�. fs i s q u ite different to th e o ne aga i n st
•
H ow do we h a ndle the
. . .
. ..
�. g4.
•
�. g4 l i nes? We are a i m i n g for the fa m i l i a r set- u p with
•
the early ki ngs ide fia nchetto and a delayed c2-c4. Qu ite s i m i lar to the . . �. fs cha p­
.
.
ter, I recom m end playing c2-c4 before ca stl i ng kingside. One reason for th i s deci­
sion is that after a later h2-h3, Black m i ght d rop back to fs, a scena rio i n which I
prefer to not h ave castled. For more on th at, please see th e . . ,�, fs cha pter. So, un­
.
less Black plays someth i ng stra nge that need s and warrants a special reply, we wi l l
play Ld4, 2. 'l::i f3, 3-g3, 4 . J;; g2, 5.c4 a n d 6 . h 3 next, asking th e bishop about its i nten­
tions. Most of the ti me, Black keeps it on the board and retreats to h s. In th e major­
ity of cases, we wi ll play exactly these s ix fi rst m oves.
There are actu a l ly very few oth er cases, as Black has the same m i nd set that we
h ave: a i m i ng fo r a set- u p that con s i sts of moves l i ke 1. .. d 5, 2 ... i:i f6 , 3- .. c6,
4. . . . g S4. 5 . . . . e6 and 6 .... 'd bd7, with some twi sts about th e move order. In fact, the
next chapter wi l l deal with the exact position that occu rs after both si des have completed th e i r set-up: Ld4 ds 2. 'll f3 'd f6 3.g3 c6 4. g g2 g g4 5.c4 e 6 6 . h 3 ,�. hs 7.0-0
'll bd7. I n th is chapter, we wi l l d i scuss sidel i nes and early move orders that Black
m i ght try.
One i mportant point to note is that . . �. g4-based set-ups h ave a wider range of
.
.
pawn structures and ideas, com pared to the . . . �. fs S l av-style l i nes. The . . . �. fs l i nes
.
.
a re a l l about the � b3/� b6 standoff l i nes and the frequently-a ris i ng q ueen l es s
m iddlegame positions. I n th i s chapter, we wi ll see many d ifferent ideas, depend i ng
on s pecific move orders . One exa mple: it i s a key idea for Wh ite to trade on d s i n
many l i nes. After the trade, B l ack m ay reca ptu re with the e-pawn or c-pawn, wh ich
leads the game to co m pletely d ifferent paths and gives it a lot more variety com­
pared to . . ;b; fs set- u ps. Let's check some deta i l s .
.
1 .d4 d s 2 . � f3
N ow, Black most o f the t i m e only plays
. . .
;Ji, g4 after h e h a s played . 'd f6 and
. .
... c7-c6 fi rst, but there are other options. Bl ack m ay play the prem atu re 2
. . .
Ji. g4 (A) ,
•
sta rt with 2 . . . c6 and delay . . 'tJ f6 i n favour of 3 . . g B4 (B) or play 2 . . '.2! f6 (C) fi rst.
.
A) 2 J\ g4
•••
.
.
Th i s i s a rare and q uite questiona ble li ne. We need to check it briefly, mostly be­
cau se our standard g2-g3-based approach does not make m uch sen se now.
3. � e5
Agai n st our routi ne move J.g3, Black m i ght take on fJ. These doubled pawns a re
not terri bly weak, but our pawn struct u re loses some flexibil ity. On a gen eral note:
it is fine to h ave a standard set-up, but you should stil l try to refute bad l i n es .
3- 'd es is j ust a stronger move th an 3-g3.
3 ... � f5
After the move 3- · · j;; h s, Black i s a l ready i n danger of losing q u ickly: 4.g4 j;; g6 5. h4
{White now th reatens to trap the bishop with h4-hS and fa-f3) 5 . . . e6 6. A g2 (6. h 5
);, e4 7.f3 f6 i s less convincing) . I don't see a playable l i ne fo r Black now. O n e pos­
s i ble l i ne is as fol lows : 6 . . ,'JJ, d6 7.h5 §1. e4 8.f3 f6
.
the king to move)
g
.
g. '21 f7
(a very n ice shot, getti ng
. . @ xfy io.fxe4 dxe4
1 1 . � xe4. Please note that the move . ,'JJ, g3+ i s no problem at a l l fo r White, here or
.
.
on th e previous move. We play 00 f1 and wi l l pick u p a crucial tem po on the bishop
on g3, most l i kely with 'Md} White has a h uge advantage, a nd Black's position is
difficult to defend.
Putti ng some i m medi ate press u re on the centre m akes a lot of sense here. The next
moves are played a lmost a l l of the ti me, as there are few sensi ble alternatives fo r
B l ack.
...
4 ffi S· � f3 e6 6. � C3 c6
'
,, ,
'
It i s i nteresti ng to com pare th is pos ition to the one after t .d4 d s 2 . 'd f3 SJ. fs J.C4 e6
4. 'd c3 c6 . Black has a n extra move . . .f7-f6, but th i s is a very un appea l i ng move. It
ta kes away the natura l square for the knight and weakens the pawn struct u re fo r l it­
tle benefit.
7.13
Th i s fits wel l with our genera l development concept and m a kes a lot of sense here
a s wel l . A standard plan to fol low now i s to p repare e2-e4, exposing the weakness
on e6 in the long run . Therefore, the next moves wi l l be g g2, o-o and moves l i ke
� e l or '.d d2, followed by e2-e4.
B) 2 .. c6
.
B lack pl ays . .. c7-c6, a i ming at a S l av Defence to the Queen's Gambit after the most
common reply 3.c4. Most S l av players sta rt with 2 . . . '.d f6 and only after 3.4 reply
with . . . c7-c6. The m a i n reason why they m ight play 2 . . . c6 on the second move i s to
play i nto a sidel i n e li ke 2 .... c6 3-C4 dxc4 or they prefer a triangle set- u p with 3 . . . e6.
As usual, we don 't play along, but fol low our concept of developi ng the kingside
fi rst and only later play c2-c4. In th i s particular move order w ith 2 ... c6, Black some­
ti mes tries to delay . . . 'd f6 i n favour of queen s ide development. Sti l l , it wi l l al most
always trans pose i nto li nes that we exa m i n e via . . . 'a f6. After a l l , . . . 'a f6 is a very
natural move and deviating often means playi ng a rtificial m oves for no good reason.
3.13
A 14
3 . . . 'll f6 i s of cou rse a l so possi ble, and very l i kely w i l l tra nspose to the m a i n l i ne
exami ned via the m a i n move order i .d4 ds 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3-g3 c6 4. JJ. g2 fi. g4 5 .c4
{Chapter 1 4) .
4· A 12 ia d7
Queen s ide fi rst. Th i s happen s most of the ti me, but of cou rse Bl ack m ay d evelop
with . . 'd f6 as wel l , which would tra n s pose to our m a i n l ine. Th ere is a l so 4. . . e61
.
.
but after 5.c4, Black wi l l play either 5 . 'd f6 or 5 . 'd d 7, tra n s posing e ither i nto the
. .
. .
mai n l i n e aga i n or 4 'd d7, the move exa m i ned here. J ust remember our order of
...
moves to play c2-c4 on move 5 and a l l i s fi ne.
S ·C4
I 'd l i ke to point out th at at this j u n cture that Wh ite has a very respectable altern ative i n 5. 'd bd2, i ntend i ng to castle and play B. el a nd e2-e4 n ext. Th i s l i ne wou ld
also have worked wel l i n the ' Keep it S i m ple' context, but sticking to the usual
recipe of playi ng c2-c4 agai nst . . . d 7-d 5 based set-ups has obvious merit a s wel l .
5 e6
•..
Black delays . . . 'll gf6, avoiding the tra n s position to the m a i n l i n e via 5 . . 'd gf6 6.h3
.
(Chapter 1 4) .
The captu re s hou l d always be checked: 5 . . . dx4 6. 'll bd2 'd b6 7.0-0 'a f6 8. 'i!!! c2.
The standard way of hand l i ng the capture on c4. Th i s is exa m i n ed via the move
order l .d4 ds 2. 'LJ f3 'LJ f6 J.g3 ;;t g4 4. ii, g2 'd bd7 5.c4 dx4 6. 'd bd2 'd b6 7.0-0 c6
8. 'i!!! c2
(line C1 below) .
6.h3 A hs
1 ) 6 . . . � fs 7. ·'a c3. After the unusual . ©. fs, we basica l ly get a . .. �. fs l i ne with the
. .
.
extra move h2-h3;
2) 6 ... g xf3 7. ii, xf3 dx4 (Black usua l ly plays 7 . . 'll gf6 h ere, after which we j u st cas­
.
tle, tra n s posing to Chapter 1 4) 8. 'd d2 (th e usual way to get the pawn back)
8 . . . 'd b6
9.e3 'LJ f6
1 0. � c2. Th is set-up with W¥ c2 i s seen frequently after Black plays . . . dx4. We will
get the pawn back, with some advantage.
7.0-0 /J. e7
Th i s is a clever move o rder that i s designed to avoid the l i ne 7 . . . 'll gf6 8.cxd 5 exd 5
9. '& b3 � b6 lO. �e3+, which i s covered i n Chapter 14. If Wh ite tries the same idea
now, it is not as good: 7. . . §i. e7 8.cxd 5 exd5 9 . ™' b3 � b6 lO. W¥ e3 'd f8 ! , and ... 'll e6
i s fi n e for Black.
1) 7 ... dxc4 8. 'll bd2 'll b6 g. � c2 (the standard proced u re after the pawn grab on
c4} g ... � g6 l O.e4 'd f6 l 1 . .§. d i . We wi l l get the pawn back or obta i n excel l ent
compensation;
2) 7
. .
.
�. d 6 8 . 'd c3 'd gf6
g. � b3
(th i s idea i s particu larly tem pting aga i n st . §i. d 6
. .
set-ups. T h e c4-c5 p u s h wi l l gain an i mportant tem po) 9 . . . � b6 l O .c5 W¥xb3 1 1 . axb3
,J).., c7
1 2. b4. Thi s is a nice version of a fami liar structu re. We a re i m m ediately th reate n i n g
b4-b5, which i s tough to prevent.
8.cxd5 exd5 9. ii) C3
As mentioned,
g . � b3
i s not very effective beca u se of g
.
. �·
.
b6 10. �e3 Elf8!, and
. . . 'd e6!
wi l l solve the problems .
9... A xf3
Th i s is the most sol id choice a t t h i s poi nt, avoiding a n y 'd es ideas. I f Black plays
the natural g
. . .
'd gf6,
we aga i n tra nspose to Chapter 1 4.
10. A xf3 � gf6
Black i s about eq ual here. H i s stru cture i s fu nda menta l ly sol i d, but h e has given up
the bishop pa i r.
1 1 . g b1 a5 12.a3 O·O
13. 1'C2
A typical seq uence. White has more active ideas, but B l ack is sol i d. One i mportant
poi nt is that Wh ite wou l d li ke to ma nage b2-b4, fo l l owed by b4-b5, the wel l-known
m i n ority attack. What we wa nt to avoid i s a situ ation where B lack man ages to an­
swer b2-b4 with . . . b7-b5, fo l l owed by a kn i ght tou r to c4. Therefore White should
be patient a bout b2-b4 and prepare it s lowly. Of cou rse, there is a l so e2-e4, open­
ing u p the position for the bishop pa i r, but accepti ng a n I Q P. Th i s m ight be an op­
tion, d epending on the piece placem ent. If we have enough control over d5 i n the
I Q P structu re, it is very wel l worth con s ideri ng.
c) 2 � f6 3.13 A 14
M ost of the time Bl ack plays 3 . . c6 fi rst, but d eveloping the bishop i s a natu ra l
•••
.
move a s well and w i l l often tra n s pose. We will check some attem pts by Black to
avoid or delay . . . c7-c6.
4. s\ g2 � bd7
If Black wants to avoi d . . . c7-c6, he wi l l most l i kely play this move or 4. . . e6 a nd th en
5 . . . ·ci bd7. After 4 . . . e6, we wi l l j ust play 5.c4 as usual, and then 5 . . . c6 leads to C ha p­
ter 1 4 aga i n . 5 . . . 'll bd7 i s covered via 4 . . . 'll bd7 5.4 e6. It's rather easy for Wh ite, a s
yo u j u st need to play t h e same m oves every time.
S ·C4
N ow, 5 . . . c6 looks very logical and wo u l d sti l l tra ns pose to th e next chapter, but we
need to check two i nd epen dent options:
C1 ) 5 ...e6 6.
b3
Black fa i led to play . . . c7-c6, prepari ng . . . � b6 i n reply to the typical q ueen move.
N ow he needs to play a more passive defence.
1) 6 . . . �c8 7. '2l e5. Black is in severe trou ble a l ready. How does he defend h i s d s­
pawn n ow? It seems there i s j u st one move: 7 . . . c6 8. 'D xg4 'd xg4 9 .cxd 5 exd5
10. g f4. Thi s position i s worse for B l ack than it looks . The com i ng 'd c3 and B. c1
wi l l be very awkward - and we h ave th e bishops a l ready as a long-term asset;
2) 6 . . . B. b8 7. 'd c3 dx4 (7 . . . c6 i s even wo rse th a n taki ng: 8.cxd 5 exd5 (othe r
reca ptu res have th e same issue, of cou rse) g . �, f4, and the black q ueens ide col­
.
lapses) 8. � xc4. Wh ite is sl ightly better, as usual in the . . . dxc4 scenarios where
B lack has no pa rticular com pensation for havi ng a centra l d i sadvantage.
C2) 5. dxC4 6. � bd2 � b6 7.0-0 c6
..
8.
C2
Th i s is the way to play aga i n st th e early captures. We are making s u re of getti ng the
pawn back.
8...e6 9. g dl A e1 10.h3
The more cautiou s 10. 'd xc4 i s possible, but after 1 0 . . . g f5! 1 1 . 'i¥M b3 'd xc4 1 2. � xc4
.�. e4, Black man ages a usefu l regroupi ng. I th i n k Wh ite sti l l has a pu l l , but 10.h3
seem s more testing.
1 0. . A hs 1 1 .� o-o 1 2.14 A g6 1 3. � es
.
And Wh ite has some i n itiative. N ote that Bl ack ca n't take on d4.
1 3...
xd4 14. � dXC4 - -C5
1 5.b4 ' b5
B lack can't captu re the pawn : 1 5 . . . �xb4 1 6 . � aJ That was the idea of playi ng
b2-b4.
1 6. 84 fta6 17. it) xg6 hxg6 1 8. it) es � xb4 1 9.a5
And Wh ite i s a l ready wi n n i ng.
Conclusion
The l i nes based on . ;� g4 a re a sol id choice for Black i n genera l . Th i s chapter cov­
. .
ers some of the earlier deviati ons that are a mixed bag. Some are u n sou nd! but
some are very reasona ble (line B) . As usual, I recom mend looking at l i nes with
. . . dxc4 - it's good to know what to do if they j u st sn atch the pawn .
CHAPTER 14
... .ft g4 set-ups - Main line:
2 . €Jf6 3.gJ Jt g4 4. Jt g2 c6 5.c4
.
.
1 .d4 d5 2. � f3 � ffi 3·13 l\ g4 4· � 12 c6 S·C4
As mentioned i n the previous chapter, our preferred move order is to play th i s be­
fore castl i n g kings ide.
Before we look at the two main moves, we shou ld briefly check 5 . . dxc4. Th is
.
version of the pawn capture is rather easy to handle, becau se Black has no
reasonable way to try to keep the c-pawn . After 6 . 'd bd2 bs, 7. 'd e s i s very bad for
Black, because the bi shop on g4 does n ot help at all to defend the q ueen side. N ow,
Black ca n sti l l try 7 . . . j;; d7, but after 8.a4, Black has n o good reply to the th reat of
axb5. Thi s means that after 6. 'd bd21 we wi l l j ust rega i n the pawn with a good game,
d u e to the centra l pawn advantage.
Now, the m a i n moves after 5.4 are 5 . . . e6 {A) a nd 5 . . . 'd bd7 { B) .
A) 5 . e6 6.h3
..
It i s i m portant to play th i s move for more than one reason. Th e main one i s that
after the usual reply of . . r£. h s, thi s bishop may eas i ly get sideli ned in some l i nes.
.
.
Also note th at the main line i nvolving the later '@ d 1 -b3-e3+ idea only works with the
bishop on h s. Of cou rse, Bl ack m ay a l so take on f3 or retreat to fs, after which we
reach a . J;. fs-based l i ne with the extra move h2-hJ.
. .
6... � hs
An altern ative for Black i s 6 . . j;; xf3 7 . �. xf3 'd bd 7 8.o-o. Now, the only pri nci pled
.
.
move fo r Black i s to take on c4. Of course, he may also play someth i ng slow and
j u st hold the centre, but th i s should always be a sl ight pu l l fo r Wh ite. Let's have a
look at those two scena rios.
1) 8 .. g d6 9 . 'd d2 0-0
.
10. $t g2 ( I l i ke to d elay playi ng e2-e4 fo r a more opportune moment. The bishop is
better on g2, becau se of a potential ... e6-e5 push. After ... e6-e5 dxe5 'd xe5, the bi sh­
op i s attacked , which i s u ncomforta ble} . N ow, I 'd contin u e s lowly with moves l i ke
e2-e3 and 'gg c 2, a nd perhaps b2-b3 and $t b2. You can always open the position for
the bishops later;
2} 8 . . dxc4 g >E:I d2 (ou r u s u al approach, but g. V!!! c2 'lJ b6 10 . .§. d1 is a good a lter­
.
native} g . 'd b6 1 0.e]. We wil l get the pawn back with � c2 and 'd xc4. One l i ne i s
.
.
i nteresti n g, though : 1 0 . . . 'd fd 5 (B lack i ntends t o play . . . c4-c3} 1 1 . 'ft!! c2 'd b4
1 2 . � b1 , and, we' l l get the pawn back eventua l ly after a2-a3 and � c2 next.
7.0-0
Al ) 7••• � bd7
Th i s is the most popular move by far.
8.cxd5
Th i s capture has a lot more venom than you 'd th i n k at fi rst. Th e key poi nt i s th at
8 . . . exd 5
g. � b3
A1 1) 8 ...exd5 9.
lead s to interesti ng play for Wh ite, as we wi l l see.
b3
b6
The most natu ral and popu l a r move. An a ltern ative is
g.
.
. 'd b6 10. '.d es. i o.a4 i s
strong a s wel l , but centra lizing i m med i ately is very powerfu l . Wh ite gets a strong
i n itiative, mostly d ue to th e idea of playi n g fa-f4 and g3-M· Black's sidel ined bish­
op i s his most serious problem :
1 ) 1 0 . . . � d 6 l i .f4 (we a re j u st th reate n i ng g3-g4 and f4-f5, win n i ng the offside bish­
op on h 5) l 1 .. .h 6 l 2. 'll c3 .�. g6 l 3. 'll xg6 fxg6 l 4.e4, with a decis ive attack fo r Wh ite;
2) With 10 . . . 'd fd 7, Black tries to free up some space for the bish op, but we have a
straightfo rward reply: l i .e4. We s hould open up th e centre aga i n st the uncastled
king. N ow, th e on ly chal l engi ng l i n e i s the followi ng: l l . . 'll xe5 12.dxe5 g e2 l J ,;;_ e1
.
�. c4 1 4. '!¥M c2 d4 (th i s keeps the centre closed for the moment) 1 5. b3 :b; a 6
l 6 . .;;. d 1 . Bl ack i s u n der pressure here, due t o the bad ly pl aced pieces on b6 and a6.
We wi l l play a2-a4-a5 next and have the eas ie r game, i n my opi n ion.
1 0.
e3+
Th i s idea sti l l comes as a su rprise to many players. White i s goi ng for very concrete
play.
1 0 /J. e7 1 1 . � h4
••.
N ow, LJ f5 wi l l be extremely a n noyi ng, basica l ly forc i n g Black's next reply.
'
11
• ••
/J. g6 12. � c3
d8
M ost popu l a r and best. Black prepares castl i ng. 1 2 '�· fg lead s to the same struc­
. . .
tu re a s th e main move 1 2 . . . � d8, but with Bl ack bei ng l ess orga n ized :
l J.
'd xg6+
hxg6 1 4. � d3 B. e8 1 5. ,;;, b l , and White i s better h ere. We can start queen side play
q u i ckly, wh i l e Black is not organ ized to generate a ny cou nterplay. Compare th is to
1 2 . . � d8 to see the diffe rence.
.
1 3. � xg6 hxg6 14.
d3 o-o
1 5.h4
Th i s is an interesting idea that wa s recently played by the c reative Russian G M
G rigoriy Opari n . Wh ite's idea i s to play ,�, f3, ·� g2 and .;;. h l next, tryi ng to open the
h-fi le! Th i s looks pri m itive at fi rst, but try defend i ng aga i nst it . . . it's n ot harm l ess at
a l l . Th i s i s my recom mendatio n, but you may also want to explore a n idea l i ke
1 5. ,g b1 , leading to s lower play on the q u eens ide. Compared to the l ine 1 2 . . . � f8,
Black i s better placed to deal with th is plan, a s there a re ideas to a n swer a later
b2-b4 with . . . b7-b5. In any case, th is is a sol id alternative. Sti l l , I advi se trying the
Oparin plan - it's dangerous. N ote that Black does not h ave many act ive ideas h im­
self. Play o n the fla n k should be countered i n the centre, but ... c6-c5 i s tough to
play aga i n st the u nopposed g2-bishop.
A12) 8 cxd5 9. � C3
...
Wh ite enjoys some i n itiative i n thi s pawn structure, based on ideas with '@ b3 and
'd e5.
9. A e1
..
With th e altern ative 9 . . . JJ. d6, Black prevents 'd es, but '@ b3 i s sti l l possible:
l O. � b3 � b6 l l . � xb6 '2l xb6 1 2. '2l e5, and we h ave managed 'li es after all. White
develops some i n itiative now with moves l i ke g3-g4, g f4 and B. fc i . I n some cases,
a2-a4-a5 is also on the cards. Let's check a possible l i n e: 12 . . B. c8 1 J .� f4 ( 1 Jg4
.
JJ. g6 14. 1', f4 is a l so fine. After 1 J 9J. f4, we are th reaten ing 14.g4 JJ. g6 1 5. '21 xg6, wi n­
n i ng a piece) 13 . . . fl. b8 (secu ri ng the bishop aga i n st th e menti oned th reat) 14. B. fc1
.
�· e7
1 5. b3. Wh ite has a comfortable pull i n thi s position. With g3-g4, we a re always able
to get th e bi shop pai r, and open i ng the centre with e2-e4 co uld be a n idea a s wel l .
1 0. � e5
The kn ight central ization prepares a ki ngs ide expansion with gJ-g4 and possi bly
fa-f4, pl ayi ng against the bi shop on h s.
1 0 0-0
•..
B lack m ay also play 1 0
. . .
�. g6. I faced th i s move i n a n i mportant league game. Th i s
game was actually played some weeks before th i s chapter was written, and I d i d not
play i n the best possi ble way. 1 1 . 'd xg6 (th i s was my move, but 1 1 . � b3 also m a kes
a lot of sense. I th i n k both moves are of about equ a l value)
l l . . . hxg6
i 2.e4. Th i s i s an i m provement on my move 12 . �. f4. The bi shop m ove is not bad,
.
but the central break i s more powerfu l . My opponent in the ga me, FM Bodo
Schm idt, managed to hold the game after some sufferi ng a nd m i sta kes on my part:
i 2 . . . dxe4 i 3. 'd xe4 d d 5 i 4. '@ b3 1¥91 b6 i 5. � xb6 'd 7xb6 i 6. '2i c5. Th i s i s the move
'
that I did not con s ider during the ga me. White has a good , active game here, with
some advantage.
1 1 . 14 A g6 12.f4
A powerfu l move, gai n i ng lots of s pace and tryi ng to pressu rize th e exposed bishop
on g6.
12 . g cs
.
.
A try to i m prove on G ledura- Keym er, Wijk aan Zee 20 1 9, i n which 1 2 . . � d 6 was
.
played : l 3- � b3 'll b6 1 4.a4 g c8 l 5.f5 (1 5.a5 was fi ne as wel l ) l 5 . . . exf5 l 6.gxf5 ,1'. h s
I
1 7 . ,1'. gs, and White had some advantage and later won the game. Wh ite has enor­
mous press u re on the d s-pawn .
13.f5
Th i s l eads to sh arp and original pl ay.
13 . exfs 14.gxf5 A hs
..
1 5.
d3
Th i s i s a very i nteresti ng position. White's idea i s to b u i l d u p with :ii f4, tt h2, � g1
and start to play on the g-fi le. I 'd prefer Wh ite, but it is certai n ly com p l icated .
A13) 8 . A xf3 9.dxe6
.
.
J u st don't autom atica l ly recaptu re! White wi ns a pawn with this zwi schenzug.
9... A xg2 1 0.exd7+
·
xd7 1 1 . iflxg2
And we are a pawn up.
A2) 7••• /J. e7
Th i s only beca me popular after it was esta b l ished that 7
. . .
\2l bd7 8.cxd5 1 s a n
i nteresti n g option for Wh ite.
8. � C3
Here, ta king on d s i s not pro m i si ng, a s after 8.cxd 5 cxd5! Bl ack sti l l has c 6 ava i l a b l e
for h i s kn ight.
A21 ) 8. . . o-o 9. m'b3
Wh ite has some inte resti ng moves here. The altern atives 9 . 'd es and 9.g4 g g6
10. 'd es are worth explori ng as wel l .
9...
b6 1 0. � es g ds
Th i s move prepa res . . 'd bd7.
.
The normal-looking move 10 . . 'd bd7 fa i l s ! l l .g4 ,�, g6 1 2.g5, and we wi n m ateria l ,
.
q u ite su rprisingly.
1 1 .g4 A g6 12.cs
I suggest th i s move, playi ng in th e spi rit of th e early . . � f5 l ines. Wh ite may also
.
play 1 2. 'd xg6 hxg6 1 3- � d 1 , wh ich gives a small p u l l as wel l .
1 2...
xb3 1 3.axb3 <i) bd7 14. <i) xg6 hxg6
l
We have reached a com plex q ueen less middlegame/endgame. I 'd prefer Wh ite, but
Black is solid of course, with out any serious weaknesses.
A22) 8 . f) bd7
.
.
l l
9.cxd5
Th i s move becomes more attractive after . '21 bd7.
. .
9...exd5
9 . cxd 5 10. 'LJ es i s a tran sposition to 1 .d4 d s 2. '21 f3 'd f6 3-g3 c6 4. .©. g2 .©. g4 5·C4
. .
e6 6.h3 Ji. h s 7.0-0 'LJ bd7 8.cxd5 cxd 5
g . 'd c3
Ji. e7 10. '21 es.
1 0. ia es
Th i s kn ight hop i s not easy at all fo r B lack to handle. We are threatening to squash
the bis hop on h s with fa-f4 and g3-S4·
10 s\ g6
•..
Th i s was pl ayed by G M Elshan M oradiabadi, the strongest player who got i nto th i s
position.
An other option i s 10 ... '21 xe5 1 1 .dxe5 'd d 7 1 2.f4 fs.
Th i s i s not a happy move, but the alternatives are no better. After 1 3- $). e3, the posi­
tion looks dreadfu l for Black. We have the strong pawn on es a nd cha nces to
pressurize the q ueens ide.
1 1 .f4 A e4
B lack makes s u re th at th e bi shop i s not getting trapped, but he i s sti l l a lot worse
after the com i ng fo rced sequence.
1 2. 'i)x� 'i) xe4 13 . .\\ xe4 dxe4 14. ftb3 o-o
The relatively best d efence, compared to 14 . -2) xe5 1 5.dxe5 � b6+ 1 6 . � e3- Th i s i s
. .
excel l ent for Wh ite. The e4-pawn i s wea k and we a re mu ch faster o n the d-fi l e.
1 5. ftxb7 'i) xes 16.dxes A cs+ 1 7. � 12
Th i s i s a bit better th an 1 7. � h2, as played in the ga me Gauri-M orad i abad i , G reens­
boro 20 1 8. White i s clearly better with the extra materi a l , but there i s one inter­
esting move to check now.
1 7 ... '8d5
B lack covers c6 and centra l izes th e q ueen .
1 8. : b3
Th i s i s very strong. B l ack needs the q ueen for any cou nterplay, but now it i s hard
fo r h i m to avo id the trade.
1 8...
xb3 1 9.axb3 l! ab8 20. l! a4
A n ice move to get rid of the e4-pawn , after wh ich it wi l l be easy to convert the
adva ntage.
a) 5 ... � bd7
l
Th i s move has l ittle i ndependent val ue and often tra n s poses to 5 . . . e6. The only
interesting l i ne i s related to the pawn capture on c4.
6.h3
Th i s follows our usual move order approach to play c2-c4 before castl i n g and then
play h2-h3 fi rst. In th is pa rticular case, Black has the opti on of taki n g on f3 and c4,
and we won 't get the pawn back eas i ly. I thi n k that we have good com pensation
and therefore s hould n ot avoid this, but rather encou rage Black to grab the pawn .
Stil l , I 'd l i ke to mention that 6.cxd5 i s not bad here either. This captu re gai ns i n
strength after Black h a s com mitted to the knight o n d7 a n d there m ight be a
transposition to l i ne A above. I l i ke my suggestion of 6.h3, but th i s i s a val i d a lter­
native.
6•. • A xf3
Th i s i s the option I menti oned o n move five. Th e most common move however i s
6 . . � h s, wh ich l eads to l i n e A i n th i s chapter after 7.0-0 e6 8.cxd 5.
.
7. Axf3 dxC4
The natu ral 7 . . . e6 8.o-o i s covered via 5 . . . e6 fi rst ( l i n e A above) . Th i s version of the
pawn grab is a bit different to other scenarios, because B lack i s a bl e to play . . . e7-e5
i n one move.
8. � d2
We have seen this a pproach i n other l in es . 8.o-o i s also poss i ble, but this very l i kely transposes , as after 8 . . . e5, 9. 'll d2! is the best move, leadi ng to 8. 'Q d2 es 9 .0-0! .
After 8.o-o, Bl ack m ay a l s o play 8 . . . 'Q b6, after which 9 .a4 leads to good compen­
sation. The 8.o-o move order is a good altern ative if you rather want to play i nto
th i s l i ne i n stead of 8. 'd d2 'd b6. Al l i n a l l, we h ave good play, i n my opinion, and
some options to choose from . I am go ing to s how some key l i nes, but it is a good
idea to explore fu rther on you r own if you are i nterested . It wi l l be beneficial not
j u st for you r open ing pl ay, but it wi l l a l so help you to understa nd dynamic posi­
tio n s better i n genera l .
81) 8 e5
...
The most l i kely move i n my opin ion .
9.0·0
Th i s position has been tested i n practical play i n some games. Th ese games had a
diffe rent move o rder though . H ave a look: 1 . 'Q f3 d s 2.g3 c6 3- ;b; g2 .�, g4 4.0-0 'd d7
5.d4 'd bd7 6.h3 .�. xf3 7 . �. xf3 es 8.c4 dxc4 9 . 'd d2 - remarka b l e!
.
9...exd4 1 0. � XC4 � b6
Th i s looks very n atu ra l and was pl ayed i n the majority of th e ga mes.
An other option is 10 . . . g c5 (B lack is clingi n g on to the pawn) 1 1 . b4 (the most pow­
erfu l move. Th i s i s how you need to play to keep the i n itiative) 1 1 . . . � xb4 1 2. B. b 1
Wi e7 {Black ca n 't allow B. xb7, which would leave Black's q ueens ide com p letely
shattered)
l
1 3. �xd4, and White has excel lent compensatio n for th e pawn h ere. Please note
that Black i s unable to move a ny of the pawns on the q ueen s ide eas i ly, as there i s
s o much press u re o n th em.
11.
b3
We are putting some pressu re on the q ueens ide and preparing .S. d 1 to target the d­
pawn . N ote th at 'll as is also possi ble i n some l i nes, and therefore it makes sense
fo r Black to trade on c4.
11
• ••
� XC4 1 2.
XC4 D b6 1 3. li d1 li d&
1 4. A f4
Th i s i m proves on the game Sychev-Popov, Moscow 20 1 8. The idea i s to play g es
and get th e pawn back. Wh ite is at least s l i ghtly better here.
82) 8 . � b6
.
.
B lack covers the pawn and attacks our d4-pawn.
9.e3
N ow, Bl ack needs to act forcefu l ly, as otherwi se we wi l l get the pawn back, with the
idea of playi ng 'i!!! c2 and 'd xc4.
9...e5 1 0.dxe5 � fd7
1 1 .e6
It i s very i mportant to retu rn this pawn on our term s. Black's pawn structu re need s
to be dam aged fi rst.
1 1 fxe6 12.o-o � e5 13. A e2
• ••
We are targeting the c4-pawn with th i s move, of cou rse. Wh ite is a pawn down , but
B lack has given up the l i ght-squared bishop and given us good play o n th i s colour
complex. Note that we h ave the idea of pl ayi ng fa-f4 and 'd xc4 next. On a general
note: th i s i s not a risky pawn sacrifi ce at a l l , as Black's pawn structure is weak long­
term and we h ave the bis hop pai r. There i s no need to look for a quick kn ockout
' beca use we are a pawn down '. J u st play the position and don't count pawn s.
1 3...
ds
Black lends add itional cover to the pawn.
1 4.f4
The most d i rect choice.
1 5. � XC4
And we get the pawn back with a good game.
Conclusion
Wh ite has good chances to c l a i m a s m a l l advantage i n the strategic l i n es exam i ned
i n l i ne A above. I t wa s s u rpri s i n g to me that trading on d s carries so m uch poi son.
Line B i s a less explored and m uch sharper alternative. I th i n k th at Wh ite has a dan­
gerous i n iti ative, b ut the play is more dynamic th an usual, and it pays off to study it
to be ready.
PART I I
Black's .17-g 6 based set-ups:
. .
i .d4 �f6 2. •tH3 g6 3.g3
I ntrodudion and overview
1 .d4 � fb
B lack stays flexi ble with 1 . . 'd f6 and wi l l only revea l more i nformation a bout h i s
.
set-up o n move two, wh en he wil l com m it to a pawn move. Part I I dea l s with Black­
's set- u ps i nvolving . . . g7-g6 . We wi l l a l so exa m i ne the move order 1 . .. g6, which
m i ght transpose after a later . . . 'd f6 or l ead to some independent l i nes.
2. � f3 g6
B lack i s going fo r a kingside fianchetto. N ow we know a l ittle bit more about h i s
i ntentions, b ut h e h a s not yet com m itted to a pawn set-u p i n the centre.
3·13
On the next moves, Black wi l l u s u a l ly play either with . . . d7-d6, . . . d 7-d5 or with
. . . c7-c5. Al l of these concepts have ded icated chapters.
M ove orders are not that com plicated in these l i nes. There are some rules of
th u m b to guide you.
We complete ou r ki ngs ide castl i n g with 2 . 'd f3, ].g3, 4. §i. g2 and 5.0-0, un less Black
plays ... c7-c5, after wh ich we should take th e pawn on c5 (Chapter 20) .
I f Black plays . . . d7-d6, we don't play c2-c4, b ut go for b2-b3 and :JJ. b2 to fi ght
. . . e7-e5 (Chapter 15 and 1 6) .
I f Bl ack plays . . . d7-d5, we a i m to play c2-c4 after castl i ng to attack d 5, s i m i l a r to the
play i n Part I (Chapter 1 7-1 9) .
The dou ble fianchetto set-up, sta rti ng with 6.b3, i s a n excel lent choice for our
repertoi re. We a re skippi ng huge amounts of theory, com pa red to 6.c4, and play a
poi sonous l i ne th at wi l l catch many opponents u n awa res . One very i m portant
poi nt that I l i ke to emphasize: the King's I nd ia n is a very popul a r opening on c l u b
level. Most players choosing this open i ng want to play aggressive ches s , attacking
the white king i n closed centre s ituations with a later .. .f7-f5 and ... g6-g5-pawn
storm . The pri m e exam ple of thi s type of play i s the m a i n l ine Classica l King's I n­
dian after 1 .d4 d f6 2.c4 g6 3- 'd c3 :b; g] 4.e4 d 6 5. 'd f3 0-0 6. :b; e2 es 7.0-0 'd c6
'
8.d5 'd e] 9 . 'd el 'd d 7 1 0. J4 e3 fs 1 1 .f3 f4 1 2. � fa gs. We a re not goi ng to play alon g
and give Black th i s type of scena rio.
In Chapter 1 5, we d i scu ss the reply 6 . e5, after wh ich we wi l l capture on es. Th i s
.
.
l i n e offers White good cha nces fo r at least a sl ight p u l l i n a s itu ation that many
B lack players wi l l n ot feel at home.
Black has a wide range of moves after 6.b3. The most challenging one i s 6 . . . c5, but
yo u wi l l also encou nter set-ups with . . . c7-c6 and . . . 'd bd7 freq uently. I n most l i nes,
Wh ite maintai ns at least a small adva ntage or enjoys good control over the game,
keepi ng Black's active a m bitions at bay.
Black plays i nto a sym metrica l formation, com b i n i ng . . . d7-d 5 and . . . g7-g6. This
combination of moves i s typical of the G ru nfeld, but we have not pl ayed c2-c4 yet.
As m entioned severa l ti mes throughout th e book: whenever Black plays a pawn to
d s, it i s strategical ly desi rable to attack th i s central pawn with th e move c2-c4. After
J . d5, the same pri nci ple appl ies, but s i m i la r to other l i nes we don't need to ru sh
.
th i s pawn move. Chapter 17 d i scusses early deviations by Bl ack and s ideli nes after
i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3 -83 d 5 4 'Ji. g2 � g? 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4.
. •
After h avi ng com pleted the kingside castl i ng, we fi na l ly play the move c2-c4. Th i s
l i n e i s classified as a G ru nfeld Defence now, usually arising fro m move orders l i ke
1 .d4 'll f6 2.c4 g6 3- 'd f3 JJ. g7 4.g3 o-o 5 . ;;. g2 d s 6.o-o. After 6.c4, Bl ack has two
mainl i nes, the more dynamic 6 . . . dxc4 and th e Slav-style 6 . . . c6. Chapter 1 8 d i s­
cusses the captu re on c4.
Th i s sol id set- u p with . . . c7-c6 i s a tough nut to crack, but I sti ll man aged to com­
pile some i nteresti ng ideas for Wh ite, wh i ch are d iscu ssed in Ch apter 1 g .
ChaP-ter 20: 3 c5
...
Th i s i s a n interesting moment to play . . . c7-c5. Com pared to i .d4 c5 or i .d4 'd f6
2 . 'Ll f3 c5, we are al ready com m itted to th e move g2-g3, wh ich i s n ot very attractive
in a Benoni struct u re. We therefo re need a d ifferent sol ution than 4.d5. I suggest
playi ng 4.dxc5, which w i l l come as a su rprise for your opponent on move 4! Thi s
l i n e i s basica l ly unexplored and th is book i s the fi rst publication to d i scuss it, a s far
a s I know. With 4.dxc5, we w i l l reach a com pletely diffe rent position to the one
Black i ntended to p lay. He wi l l need to so lve problems early on, a s there is no •the­
ory' that he m i ght know. I thi n k these l i nes a re fascinatin g to study and play. Please
see Chapter 20 fo r more on th i s dangerous new idea.
ChaP-ter 21 : 1 .d4_g§
Agai n st 1 . . . g6, I suggest playi ng our usual move 2. 'd f3. S i m i lar to the s ituation after
i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3.g3, Black has to d ecide on h i s central pawn formation . The
l i nes after . . . d7-d 6, . . . d7-d 5 or . . . c7-c5 n ext a re s i m i lar to the chapters above and
often transpose, beca use . . 'd f6 i s a very natural move for Bl ack. Sti l l , there a re
.
some i ndependent options to d i scuss i n thi s cha pter.
CHAPTER 1 5
King's Indian:
3... Ito 4. A g2 o-o 5.0-0 d6 6.b3 es
.
Th i s chapter deals with blac k set-ups i n the spi rit of the King's I nd i a n Defence. The
K i n g's I nd i a n i nvolves an ea rly ki ngside fia nchetto by Black, usually acco m pan ied
with the move . . . d7-d6, prepa ring fu rther action i n the centre with . . . e7-e5 or
. . . c7-c5. For this book, I h ave d ecided to devote a sepa rate ch apter to the . . . c7-c5
approaches, so th i s chapter featu res oth er ways for Black to conti n ue. I n the vast
majority of cases, . . . e7-e5 wi l l be the set-up that yo u wi l l face. Speaking about a set­
up . . . what are we goi n g to play?
Wel l , the fi rst moves wi l l be easy - we a re go ing to fi a nchetto on the ki ngs ide
and then decide how to contin ue. The position you u s u a l ly reach aga i n st King's I nd i an players wi l l be the one after 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 J.g3 J;. g? 4. Ji. g2
o-o
5.0-0 d 6.
N ow, Wh ite's most popular move i s 6.C4, wh ich leads to a m a i n-l i ne Fianchetto
Ki ng's I nd i a n . Th i s i s of cou rse perfectly accepta ble for Wh ite, but I am sti l l recom­
mend i n g a different move. I suggest playi ng the move 6. b3, wh ich has enjoyed
some popularity i n recent years after Kra m n i k employed it with i m pressive resu lts.
The l i n e 6.b3 i s an excel lent weapon for a n u m ber of reasons. The most i m po rta nt
one i s that it i s sti l l not particularly wel l known , and th erefore Bl ack q uite often an­
swers with sch ematic moves - an approach that will backfi re badly most of the
ti me. I have employed th i s l i n e aga i n st th e King's I nd i an on m u ltiple occasions and
my experi ence is overwhelmi ngly positive. I n eed to mention that it has a l so been
employed by many former and cu rrent club- and teamm ates of m i ne. Some of the
ana lyti ca l efforts th at I was i nvolved in over the years actually d i d not end up in my
games, but in the games of my friends.
I need to mention one general point a bout the Ki ng's I n d i a n . This open ing de­
rives a l ot of its popularity from the s pectacular games that often occur in th e Clas­
s ical Kin g's I nd ia n main l i ne. Th is line arises after Ld4 'd f6 2.C4 g6 J. 'd c3 � g?
4.e4 d 6 5. ,l) f3 o-o 6. � e2 es 7.0-0 'll c6 8 . d 5 'd e]. I n th i s va riation, the closed cen­
tre often leads to uncompro m i s i ng play, featu ri ng a pawn storm on White's king
after a later .. :EJ d 7, ... f7-f5-f4, . . . g6-g5 etc. Very often, aggressive players are at­
.
tracted by th e prospect of reach i n g t h i s type of position . A very strong poi nt about
ou r choice of l i ne agai nst the Ki ng's I nd ia n is that it is as far away from th i s sce­
nario as possi ble. Our king wi ll be very safe with the gua rd i a n bishop on g2, and
the centre wi l l usu a l ly be opened early, so there are no 'who gets there fi rst' attack­
ing games on the cards. We enjoy excel lent control, and the sol id ity of our position
wi l l fru strate many Ki ng's I ndian d evotees.
1 .d4 �ffi 2. �f3 g6
M ost Ki ng's I n dian players opt for th i s move, but 2 . . . d6 fi rst and a later . . . g7-g6 wi l l
transpose to o u r m a i n l i ne. Oth er set- u ps with . . . d7-d 6 a re d i scu ssed i n Chapter 34.
3.13
N ow and on the next moves, Black of cou rse may tra n spose o ut of this chapter by
goi ng . . . d 7-d5 or . . . c7-c5, covered i n later chapters. After 3.g3, there i s also the rare
move 3 . . . b6 for the dou ble fi anch etto. I have covered the do uble fi anchetto set-up
i n Chapter 22 .
3.
.
. A 11 4. A 12 o-o 5.0-0 d6
B lack i s fi n a l ly comm itti ng to the King's I nd i a n formation. I 'd l i ke to mention a l ittle
move order twi st. Black may also play 5 ... c6, after which 6 . b3 wi l l either be an­
swered with 6 . . . d 6 - staying i n the King's I ndian - or by 6 . . . d5, transposing to a
G ru nfeld.
6.b3
I n my m i nd , this system is one of the reasons for choos i n g the move order i .d4
'd f6 2. 2l f3 over a mai n-l i n e approach versus the King's I nd ia n . It has more than a
d rop of poison and the best l in es for Black are not very m uch i n the spi rit of most
King's I ndian fans. That bei ng said, B l ack has many possi ble option s now. I n th i s
chapter, we wi l l cover 6 . . . e5, wh i l e Chapter 1 6 contains a l l t h e alternatives for B l ack.
6 ...e5 7.dxe5
A) 7 ... dxe5
B lack j ust recaptu res on es. Th i s l i ne has always enjoyed a good theoretical repu­
tation, but Kra m n i k has shown some new idea s fo r Wh ite i n recent years. These
d i scoveries brought th e whole 6 . b3 l i n e back on the map. On a very general note:
the move 7 . dxe5 is n ot very po pular on the cl u b/amateu r level, as most Ki ng's I n­
.
.
dian players try to play aggres sively and wa nt to avoid a q ueen trade.
8. � a3
Al) 8...
xd1 9. g xd1 g e8 1 0.C4
I am sticking with Kra m n i k's move, wh ich i s not a bad general approach wh i l e prepari ng a ny ope n i ng. But 10. 'd c3 a lso scores wel l and i s a reasonable way to vary
your play.
10 �
•••
An a lternative i s 1 0 . . . '21 c6. I am sceptica l a bout th i s move. I n the m a i n l i ne, Black
manages to play . . . c7-c6, coveri n g the d s-square. Th i s is not go ing to be possible
here, a s we wil l see: 1 1 . 'd c3 e4 (Black more or less has to play th i s move. Aga i n st
anything s low, we p l ay 'd e1 a nyway, with '21 e1 -c2-e3-d5 or ll d3 next) 1 2. 'd e1 � fs
'
1 } '21 c2. Wh ite has the s i m ple, but strong idea of playing E ac1 and '21 ds. Black
also has to worry about '21 e3 and '21 bs, wh ile the e4-pawn need s permanent piece
protection. Wh ite is better here. 1 3 . '21 g4 is met by a powerfu l reply: 1 4. '21 ds g xa 1
.
.
1 5. � xa1 (now B lack can't keep the material, a s both 'd xc7 and h2-h3 are th reats)
15
. ..
� ac8 1 6.h3 'D ge5 1 7. '21 f6+ '�· g7 1 8 E:l xe8+ � xe8 1 9 . '21 e3, with an over­
. '
whel m i ng advantage for Wh ite. The bishop pai r is devastating and e4 i s very weak.
1 1 . � d4
A1 1) 1 1 c6
•••
That was the choice of Vocatu ro i n the stem game aga i nst Kra m n i k at the 201 6
Baku Olym piad.
1 2. � C3 � a6
An a lternative for Black i s 1 2 'd bd7.
...
l i
l
H ere, the •creative' move 1 Jg4 i s s uggested by Leel aZero and I l i ke the idea a lot!
Of cou rse, you m ay also play somethi ng slow l i ke l J g ac1 , with a typical small
edge. The g-pawn move i s j u st a lot more powerfu l !
1 ) 1 3 . . 'll XS4 14. 'd xe4 and 'd d 6 i s the idea, of cou rse;
.
2) 1 J .. h6 14.h3 'll f8 1 5.e3, and we have th e plan to corral th e e4-pawn . The g4- pawn
hel ps a lot, preventing . . Ji. fs;
.
3) 1 3 . . . e3 14.f3 'd f8 1 5. B. d3, and we have successfu l ly i sol ated the e-pawn , with a
nice advantage.
1 3.e3
Kra m n i k sto ps the e-pawn . As we have seen, the advance to e3 i s not an issue i n
most cases. However, Kra m n i k i ntend s to dou ble o n the d-fi le next a n d does not
want to face . . . e4-e3 with a rook on d2.
13 ... h5
Th i s seems better tha n Vocatu ro's move. 1 3 . . . J.:. g4 was played in the Kra m n i k­
Vocatu ro game: 1 4 . .§. d2 g ad8 1 5.h3 � c8 1 6. g ad l . Wh ite has two threats now: a
strategic one i n g3-g4 and a tactica l one. It i s i m pos si ble to stop both. 1 6 . . . h 5
1 7 . );. e] (a n ice shot by Kra m n i k) 1 7 . . . ;;;. xd4 (1 7 . . . B. xe7 18. 't hc6 wins i m med i ately)
i 8. B. xd4 .S. xe7 i 9 . .S. d8+ 'll e8 20. 't he4, a nd White had a h u ge advantage. The
whole game is worth studying, but you need to cut at some poi nt.
1 4.h3 'i) q
1 5. g d2
Wh ite i s s l i ghtly better. We have the more active pieces and have more options to
i m prove. It i s easier to play on the q u eenside, fo r exam ple. Black has no active plan
th at I can see, but h e i s certa i n ly qu ite sol idly placed .
Ai2) 1 1 e3
•..
l l. l
1 2.f3
Please avoid l 2.f4 'd g4, wh ich i s i rritati ng. After 1 2.f3, White i s j ust sl ightly better,
but B lack needs to play the right move now.
1 2 a5
•••
Th i s i s the best move, but it was not played by any of the four G M s who had th i s
on t h e board. 1 2
. . .
'LJ a6 1 3. 'd c3 c6 14 .S. a c 1 h s 1 5. ,;: d 3 , a n d w e a re sta rting to corral
.
the weak pawn on e3, enjoyi ng some advantage.
13. f} C3 f} a6
Black's set- u p is d i rected aga i n st 14. ,;: d3, which i s now defused by 14 . 'd b4.
. .
1 4. g ac1 c6 1 5. A d6
With the idea of pl ayi ng '21 c3-a4-b6 next. Wh ite has the easier game here, but Black
i s putting up a m uch better d efence th an without . . . a7-a5 bei ng pl ayed.
A13) 11
••.
� g4
B l ack tries to solve h i s ope n i n g problems tactical ly. I a m actually s u rprised th at
th i s move i s not tried more often , a s it leads to com plicated pl ay. There i s no way
to dodge the mess, but Black's ga me wi l l be hanging by a th read th e whole ti me.
1 2. � C3 e3
13. f} d5
Only th i s works ! It gets very messy now, but even i n a tactical mess, you should
ta ke i nto accou nt that we have all pieces in play, and Bl ack not so many. The en­
gines find some m i racle sol utions for Black, but this i s n ot very releva nt for prac­
tical pl ay. Sti l l , l et's h ave a look at some of the m i racles.
13 ...exf2+
After the lame move 1 3 . 'll a6, we a re better without any problems: 1 4.fxe3 'll xe3
.
.
1 5. 'd xe3 .§. xe3 1 6. � acl � e8 1 7. b4 � f8 1 8.c5, with a usefu l in itiative o n the q ueen­
side.
1 4. mfl f} xh2+
Th i s i s the h u man choice. Adm ittedly, the whole l i ne with 1 1 . . 'd g4 and lJ 'll ds i s
.
very co mputer- l i ke a nyway, but you n eed to establish that Wh ite i s O K here.
The move 14 . . . c5 is what Stockfis h wants to play: 1 5. � xc5 '.d d7 (Black i s givi ng u p
the c-pawn fo r a tem po) 1 6 � d6 'd df6 1 7. 'll e?+ ·� h8 1 8. � d3 'd xh2+ 1 9 . � xfa.
. •
N ow, the engine fi nd s a way to save itself with a fanta stic resou rce: 1 9 . . . �. h3 (wow!
.
What a move!) 20. g xh 3 'd e4+ 2 1 . 00 g2 i:i xd6 22. '2l d 5 .� xd4 23 . .:;;. e1 .� cs
24. '�!i xh2, and B lack has eq ual ized after some o utl andish play!
1 5 . mxn � M+ 16. m gi
I t i s sti l l mes sy, but here White seems to have good com pensation fo r the pawn.
I ' l l show two l i nes to i l lu strate my poi nt:
1 6... � a6
Another possible l i n e i s 1 6 . Ji. es 1 7 . 'd e]+ B. xe7 1 8. � xe7 'd e3
. .
i l l
1 9. c.2i f3 (a great move po i nted out by the engi nes) 1 9
l
. . .
'2i xd 1 20. g xd 1 'd c6
2 1 . '2l xe5 2l xe7 22 . .;; d8+ � g7 23- � fa. B lack has no way to unta n gle the queenside
a n d i s in trouble.
l
23.b4
And Wh ite has a strong i n itiative fo r the pawn.
A2) 8 g e&
...
Wh ite i s better after th i s natural move with a rather fo rcing l i ne, which s u rpri sed
me q u ite a bit.
9.Wxd8 ji xd8 1 0. � C3
The d evel opment advantage reaches alarm i n g proportio ns. Black need s to quickly
s u ppo rt the es-pawn .
10... � c6
Black m ay also play 1 0 . . . e4 l l . � ad 1 (yet a nother tem po move) 1 1 . . . 1! e8 1 2. 'd d2
(1 2. 'd gs i s also better for Wh ite. After 1 2 . g fs 1 3- d gxe4 'd xe4 14. '21 xe4 'd c6, we
. .
'
h ave won a pawn, but Black gets some play with . . '21 d4. 1 2. 'd d2 lead s to easier
.
play fo r White) 12 . g fs 1 3- h3 (after 1 3. 'd cxe4, we tra nspose to th e l i ne mentioned
. .
via 1 2. 'd gs. Wh ite i s fi n e there, b ut it i s com p l icated) l 3- · · h S
s uggest 1 4. 'd c4 i n stead o f grabbing the wea k e4-pawn . We th reaten '21 b s and
'd e3, with a n i ce advantage.
11. ll ad1 A fs
Black's best defence, attacking c2.
1 2. tl) h4 A d1
After 1 2 . . . � xc2 1 3- g_ Cl ,Jl, f5 14. '2l xf5 gxf5 1 5. ,�, xc6 bxc6 1 6 . .§. c2, Bl ack's pawn
structure i s perman ently wrecked , giving Wh ite an advantage.
1 3. g d2
Th i s pos ition i s very awkwa rd for Black to defend. Wh ite has annoyi ng ideas and
B lack is co ndem ned to a passive sit-and-wait defence. Let's conti n ue th i s l i ne fo r a
few moves.
1 3 . A e8 14. g fc:h Ii xd2 1 5. Ii xd2 a6
..
1 6. � f3
I wa nted to show thi s idea. Wh ite now i ntend s to play 'd f3-e 1 -d3, a i m i n g fo r es and
c5. I am not s u re h ow Black should defend aga i n st this concept. Wa iti ng does not
hel p, as the fol lowing seq uence shows.
16... h6 17. � el b6 18. � d3 g d& 19. A c1
And now, .�. xc6 and 'd xe5 i s on the cards. H ow does Bl ack defend the e-pawn
now? I don't see how he stops �; xc6 and '21 xe5.
a) 7··· � g4
The idea to play . . . e7-e5 and a n swer dxe5 with . . . 'd g4 (or .. '.d d7) i s very co mmon
.
i n the double fi anchetto set-up. I n fact , it is seen via various move orders, fo r
example 6.b3 'd bd7 7 . r£. b 2 e s 8.dxe5 'd g4 or 6.b3 'd c6 7. j;; b 2 es 8.dxe5 'd g4. A
.
closer examination shows that Wh ite shou ld be better aga i n st a l l l i nes of that type
- but we need to be precise to prove it.
8. � b2
The m ost obvious move now 1 s probably 8 . . 'd xe5. However, we also need to
.
check 8
. . .
'd c6 and 8 . . 'd d].
.
I should mention agai n that Bl ack often starts with 6 . 'd bd7 or 6 . 'd c6, and after
. .
.
.
7. }J. b2 es 8.dxe5 'd g4, these positions a re reached via a different move order.
Bl ) 8. � c6
..
9. f:Jc1
Again th is move, preparing a qu ick B. d 1 after a possi ble d-pawn captu re on es.
9. � gxe5
..
Playi n g here 9 . . dxe5 i s probably the worst version of . . . dxe5 ava i lable fo r Black, as
.
the fol lowing line shows: 10.h3 'd h6 1 1 . B. d1 (B lack has no fu l ly sati sfactory an swer
to this move) 1 1 . . . Ji. d7 (1 1 . � e8 is a lso better for Wh ite: 1 2 . 'll c3 with the obvious
..
,
i ntention of playi ng 'll ds. We don't need to worry about the e-pawn p u s h i ng for­
ward: 1 2 . . . e4
l J.
serious th reats)
'll gs e3 14.f4, and Black i s i n h uge trou ble, a s 'll d s and 'll bs are
1 2 . '21 c3, and aga i n 'd d s wi l l be very annoyi ng for Black. I n the long ru n , we may
con sider pushing the c- and b-pawn up the board.
1 0. � xe5
Th i s i s more preci se than the i m medi ate l o.c4, a s Black wou ld have 1 0 . '2l xf3+
. .
l 1 . � xf3 'd d4 i n that case.
10 � xe5
•..
l O.
.
. dxe5 1 1 . B. d1 (yet a nother version of th i s structu re) 1 1 . ,©, d7 1 2. ,Ji, xc6 (White i s
. .
a l s o better after other no rmal moves, such a s 1 2. 'd c3, for i n stance. M aybe th i s i s
even better i n engine term s, but I wanted to show th i s idea . The resu lting position
i s tru ly depres s i ng for Black) 1 2 . . . bxc6 1 3- 'LJ c3 � c8 1 4. 'd e4 g fs
1 5. � e3. We have fo l l owed the game Sva n e-S mi ri n , Hersonissos 20 1 7. Wh ite has a
s i gn ifica nt advantage that he converted quickly into the ful l poi nt. Black has too
many weaknesses to defend. It i s amazing to see a legendary King's I nd i a n player
l i ke l lya S m i ri n los i ng aga i n st the double fianchetto without a fight.
1 1 .c4
We h ave reached a very favo u rable position type now. I laid out some po i nts about
it in the com ments on a s i m i l a r position that is reached after 6 . b3 es 7.dxe5 'd g4
8. j;; b2 'd xe5 g. � cl 'd bd7 ( l i ne 832 below) .
1 1 . g e8
..
The move 1 1
. . .
JJ. g4 u lti mately l eads to even more problems, as h2-h3 is a usefu l
•
tem po for White later. 1 2. 'd c3 B. b8 l J,h3 � e6 (the tactica l shot i 3 . � xe2 i s
.
.
flawed . After 14. 'd xe2 'd d3 1 5. '@' d2 'd xb2 1 6. 'd c3, the b2-knight is trapped) 14.f4
'll c6
1 5. '� h2. Wh ite's idea i s to play e2-e4 n ext. The king move i s u sefu l and we have
ti me to i m prove our pieces, as B lack is stuck with a passive position. He wi l l prob­
ably play . . . f7-f5 soon, but after o u r eventual reply e2-e4, the ga me opens up in our
favour, given that Black's ki ng i s weak and we control the i m portant ds-square.
1 2. � C3 g b8 1 3.
d2 a6
1 4. 1l ad1
Su rprisi ngly, t h i s position was reached in the ga me M a medov-McShane, Batum i
2018. U s ual ly, strong G M s are awa re of the dangers of these structu res , but some­
how Luke McShane was on the bl ack side of th i s position . Let's fol low th i s game
for some more moves.
14 ... A e6
H ere i s the reason ing beh i nd 1 4. g, ad 1 : 1 4. . . b5 1 5.c5, and the d- pawn will be lost.
1 5.f4 � 14 16.h3 �f6 17.e4 b5 18.c5
M amedov pl ayed 1 8.f5 i n stead, which i s l ess convincing. Wh ite was sti l l better, but
he l ater lost th e plot and u lti mately the game as wel l . White i n fact has many good
options here, but I l i ke 1 8.c5 best.
18 ... dxc5 1 9.
f.2
e1 20.14 b4 21 . � 34 C4 22.fs
And Wh ite wi ns.
a2) 8 ... � xe5
9•
Cl
Th i s move i s a key idea i n the dxe5 . . 'd S4 seq uences . We cover the bishop on b2.
.
N ow, Black u s u a l ly plays 9 . . 'd bc6 or 9 . '.d bd71 lead i ng to pos itio ns that we cover
.
. .
via 8 . . . ".£1 c6 or 8 . . 'd bd7.
. .
9. . � xf3+ 1 0. A xf3 A xb2
.
Th i s seq uence i s an i ndependent option, but th e resu lting type of position i s very
wel l known to us and d i scussed via 8
. . .
'd d7 or 8
. . .
'd c6.
1 1 . · xb2
After the com i ng c2-c4 a nd 'd c3, Wh ite has a comfortable advantage.
B3) 8 . � d7
..
9.fic1
Wh ite has some choices in thi s position, and it i s difficult to eva l uate the pros and
con s of each move. I n stead of 9 . � c l , the move
g. � d2,
i nten d i ng g . . . 'd gxe5 1 0.c4,
looks a bit more natu ra l . H owever, there is a d rawback in 9 . . . dxe5. With the q ueen
on c 1 , we are able to play a qu ick .2: d l , applyi ng an noying press u re on the d-file.
Th i s is not as eas i ly possi ble with the q ueen on d2. The thi rd option is 9 .c4, wh ich
I l i ke the least. Of cou rse,
g
.
. 'd gxe5 10. 'fill d2 wou ld be fi n e, but after 9 . . . dxe5, the
.
move c2-c4 is not u sefu l at a l l . Remem ber that the trade dxe5 . . . dxe5 is less attrac­
tive with a pawn on C4·
831) 9.. dxe5 10.h3 � h6 1 1 . li d1 f6 12.Lt
.
As u s u a l , we should avoid playin g a pawn to c4. The qu ick a-pawn push i s an interesti ng idea, but 1 2. 0 c3 with a l ater set- u p of a2-a4 and 'd f3-d2-c4 i s fine a s wel l .
12 ... �f7 13.a5 a6
14. � fd2
Wh ite has a s i m ple, but an noyi ng plan. We wi l l play 'd c4 and 'd c3, i ntend i ng '21 d s.
Th i s i s d ifficult to stop, a s . . . c7-c6 wi l l cover ds, but weaken the d6-sq uare enor­
mously. Black has to solve serious problem s .
a32) 9 ... � gxe5 1 0.C4 � xf3+ 1 1 . A xf3
Th i s type o f position i s very comfortable to play fo r Wh ite. We complete the set- u p
with a later 'd c3,
�r
d2 and B. ad i . Bl ack has no active play, wh i le we will play 'd d s
and ask B lack how h e wa nts to deal with th i s an noyi ng piece. I t i s very d ifficult to
ever play . . . c7-c6, a s it wea ken s the d6-pawn too much . Taking the knight on d 5
with a piece i s a l so problem atic, a s after cxd 5, the half open c-fi le wi l l be useful fo r
Wh ite. Another freq uently-seen idea i s t o play ei-e4 and fa-f4, attacking on the
kingside. Th i s particular position was reached 10 times in
Megabase 2019
a nd
Wh ite scored 9 . 5 poi nts - not too shabby. Let's check a typical conti n uatio n .
1 1 a5 1 2. 'D c3 'D c5 13. 'D ds A e6 14. A X1J mxg7 1 5.
•••
c3+ f6 16.a3
Wh ite i s comforta bly better and i s able to press with l ittle risk.
84) 8. dxe5?
..
Th i s is j u st a m i stake.
9.h3
And B l ack loses the i m portant central pawn.
c) 7. . iD fd7
.
8. � gs
There i s nothi ng wrong with playi ng the schematic 8. JJ. b2 here. It may transpose to
other li nes, for i n sta nce after 8
. . .
'd c6 9 � c1 . Afte r 8 dxe5, Black gets a s l ightly
.
. . .
more favourable version of the dxe5 . . . dxe5 structu re, as we don't get B. d1 pl ayed
qu ickly. Sti l l , I 'd prefer White after 9 . '21 fd2. So why l ook at 8. :J;, gs i n the fi rst pl ace ?
I th i n k that 8. g gs i s objectively stronger and it sets some pitfa l l s that Black may
fa l l i nto.
8...
e8 9 · � C3
l l l
l
l
Th i s i s the poi nt: we want to play a q u ick 'll d s, u s i ng our development advantage.
9 dxe5
...
The only move basical ly, but B lack needs to either know the com i ng exchange
sacrifice or devi se it over the board , so it is not an easy move to make. 9 . 'o xe5 i s
. .
wrong here. It i s o n e o f the pitfa l l s I mentioned .
lO. 'd d 5 (now, 'd xc7 and i:i f6+ i s a terrible double th reat) 1 0 . . . 'd xf]+ l l .exf3 � e5
12. � d2 {} a6 1 3.f4 � d4 14. � xd4 .©. xd4
1 5. � ad 1 . That was the game Wen Yang-Vogt, H a noi 2018. Bl ack, a 2402 rated G M ,
res igned here. There i s n o way to stop 1 6 . 'a e]+, 1 7 . '21 xc8 and 1 8. ;;il xb7.
1 o. 'i) ds 'i) a6 1 1 . /J. e1
To use a poker term: this is ca l l i ng B l ack's semi-bl uff. H e's got some co m pen­
sation fo r the excha nge, but I don't thi n k it is fu l ly suffi cient. That bei ng said,
1 1 . 'a e]+ '� h8 1 2. 'd xc8 B. xc8 1 J.e4 i s a worthy a lternative that i s comfortably better
for Wh ite. Note th at � e2, E ad 1 and ,Ji. h3 a re s i m pl e moves to exert pressu re. So if
yo u want a s i m pler ga me, th i s i s a fine way to pl ay.
1 1 c6 1 2. /J. xf8
. •.
xf8 13. 'i) C3
The engi ne's i m provement on the previou s ly-played 13. 'd e3- Now, I think that
B lack needs to start concrete play. I f we get e2-e4 played to prevent Bl ack's . . . e5-e4,
I don 't bel i eve Bl ack has enough com pensation at a l l . The Kin g's I nd i a n bishop
need s to be active for Black to j ustify the sacrifi ce.
13 ... ffb4
Otherwise, we get i n e2-e4.
1 4. � a4
Th i s i s why Black's sacrifice makes some sense: the knight need s to go to the edge
of the board. H owever, the con crete tactics work i n our favour.
Slow moves don't help, but th i s does n ot solve the problems either.
1 7. � xc6 bxa4 1 8. A x� � b6 1 9.
d8+ A f8 20.b4 A b7 21 .
fO
With a clear advantage for Wh ite. Black's pieces a re j u st too uncoord i n ated . Th i s is
an extremely long l i ne and n ot exactly s i m ple! I need to em phas ize that 1 1 . 'd e]+ is
i ndeed a s i m pl e way to pl ay, but I felt the l i nes after the pri ncipled 1 1 . .�. e7 a re i nter­
esti ng to analyse. If you expect you r opponent to play i nto th i s l i ne, it is an o ption
to study it in depth . If you are su rprised by th i s l i ne and don't remem ber it fu l ly,
j u st play 1 1 . '21 e]+. You have a very conven ient ch oice at th is poi nt, depending on
the situati on.
1 6.b4
A great idea, leading to a sizeable advantage for White.
16 . · xa4 17. � gs
..
N ow, Black is forced to play 1 7 . e4, as we are th reatening §i. xc6 and also
. .
'd gs-e4-c3 i n some l i nes, trapping the q ueen !
17 ...� 18. A x� A xa1 19.
xa1
� xb4
After 1 9 . � b8 20 . Q xc6, White i s wi n n i ng. The nicest l ine i s th e fo l l owing: 20 . . . h 6
. .
2 1 . 'll xf7 � xf7 22 JJ. d s+ � e] 23- .�. bJ, a nd we tra p the q ueen .
.
•
20.axb4 'ftxal 21 . g xal
We have reached a very favourable endgame. Black is very pass ive and needs to de­
fend the q ueen side weaknesses.
As mentioned at the end of C 1 a bove, t h i s i s a fasci n ati ng l i n e, but you h ave a s i m­
pler earl ier solution if th i s i s prefera ble.
Conclusion
The move 6 . . e5 may lead to an early queen trade, but we are sti l l a b l e to pose some
.
problems i n a position that many King's I ndian fa n s wi l l not fancy that much. Black
often chooses a knight move after 7.dxe5, but these l i nes are a l l favo u ra ble for
Wh ite and i m po rta nt to study: you wi l l encounter them very freq uently.
CHAPTER 1 6
King's Indian:
other 6th moves
A) 6 c5
...
Black plays th i s adva nce at precisely th e moment when we ca n't an swer with mov­
ing our d-pawn, as t h i s wou ld al low a d i scovery by the f6-knight. I th i n k th i s i s one
of the best repl ies Black has ava i lable agai nst ou r b3-system , but it i s not goi n g to
be enough for the second player to j u st know the move and make thi ngs up fro m
here - we are sti l l able to set some problems that a re not goi ng to be eas i ly solved
over the board.
7. A b2
7 . c4 i s a lso a fine move of a bout equal va l ue.
Al) 7 . cxd4 8. � xd4 ds
..
U n dou bted ly the best and most chal lenging move.
B lack someti mes pl ays a s low move l i ke 8 . a6, trying to prepare a set- u p with Y!!i c]:
..
9.c4 (we need th i s pawn on c4 to control th e vital squares on bs and in particular
d s) 9 ... Y!!i c7 10. 'd c3 'll c6 1 1 . B. cl 'll xd4 (with 1 1 . . . e6, Black does not stop 'd ds !
1 2 . 'll ds, a standard idea that yo u wi l l get on th e board i n some shape or form, 1 2 . . .
exd 5 1 3-Cxd 5, with a clear advantage fo r White) 1 2. � xd4 !ii, e6
1 3- <.21 a4. This very d i rect approach , a i m i n g to push the c-pawn , i s suggested by Ko­
modo and wa s pl ayed by Alexey D reev, admittedly i n a bl itz ga me. Dreev i s an o ut­
standing open i n g expert and h i s choices are a lways wo rth noti ng. That bei ng said,
Wh ite i s also comfortably better after a move l i ke l J. Wf d2.
9·C4
As usual, a pawn on d s should be attacked with c2-c4.
9 e5
...
With 9 . e5, Black avoids a rem a rkable tra nsposition . By pl ayi ng 9 dxc4 lO.bxc4,
.
.
. . .
he cou ld h ave tra nsposed to a different chapter - s u rpris ingly, th i s position
freq uently arises from the Grunfeld! Th e move order via the G runfeld i s Ld4 'd f6
2. '21 f3 g6 3.g3 d s 4. ;b; g2 � g7 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 c6 7.b3 dxc4 8 . bx4 c5 9 . � b2 cxd4
10. 'd xd4. I decided to cover th is position i n Chapter 1 9 , so please see th ere fo r de­
ta i l s . I 'd l i ke to mention th at h ere, i n the Ki ng's I nd i an move order, the move
10. 'd a3 i s possible after 9 . . . dxc41 and qu ite interesti ng, so thi s i s a possi ble a lter­
native to explore. I thi n k that lO. bxc4 poses more problems and i s part of o u r
reperto i re anyway, so th i s choice i s understandable. Sti l l , i t i s good to h ave alter­
nate routes to explore i f des i red.
'
' '
A1 1) 1 1 ...dXC4 1 2. � d2
I prefer this pawn sacrifice i n stead of i 2. bxc4. After th e captu re I d i s l i ked i 2 . . . e3,
which i s a better vers ion of th i s idea com pared to 1 1 . .. e3. It is not worse for Wh ite,
but I felt 1 2 . 'll d2 is j u st s i m pler to play, des pite i nvolving a pawn sacrifice.
i2 cxb3
...
Taking the pawn see m s best to me, but strong pl ayers on the bl ack side have pre­
ferred other moves:
1) i2 ... c3 ( B l ack retu rns the pawn for tempi) 1 J. ;b; xc3 °2l d5 ( Kotronias reco m m ends
i3 . . . 'i!!f e7 here, but after i 4. W c1 ! I prefer Wh ite. The q ueen i s on cl to a l low the idea
.�. b2-a3, defusing . '21 d s th i s way) i 4 �. b2:
.
.
.
•
1 . 1 ) i4 . . . e3 1 5. 'll c4 (it is i mportant to have th i s resou rce ava i lable) i 5 . . . exfa+
1 6. g xfa (Wh ite's structure i s not idea l , but look at the pieces !) 1 6 . . 'll b6
.
1 7 .eJ. A key novelty, i m p roving on the exi sti ng games. Th i s move i s very strong and
not obvious at a l l . Wh ite covers the knight on d4, enabling ,J4 aJ. Engi nes a l ready
claim a win n i ng advantage for Wh ite, but let's check a pos s i bl e h u man seq uence of
moves: 1 7 'd xc4 i 8. bxc4 'd d7 1 g . � a3 :;;, e8
. . .
20. B. xf]. A n ice shot, giving White a wi n ni ng attack. Th e rook ca n 't be taken and
Wh ite th reaten s 21. g xg7+ ! and j;; b2, getting th e black king i nto a deadly crossfire
of the bi shops;
1 .2} 1 4 .. .f5 1 5. '21 c4. I prefer Wh ite, as Black's pos ition fee l s somewhat overex­
tended. N ote that fa-f3 at the right moment i s a key idea, open i ng u p the bishop on
g2 aga i n .
2) 1 2 . . . e3
l J.
l J.
'd xc4 exfa+ 1 4. g xfa (we have seen a s i m ilar position after 1 2 . . . c3
.�. xc3 'd d 5 1 4. JJ. b2 e3 1 5. 'd C4 exfa 1 6. g xfa. Wh ite has excel lent activity for th e
structu ral defi cit on the ki ngsi de} 1 4 . . 'll g4 {Black need s to i n itiate concrete play.
.
After some s l ow move, ideas l i ke 'll bs are very annoying to face) 1 5 . .§. f4 'd es (the
move 1 5 . . . h 5 was played i n the gam e H a u srath-Polzi n , Germany B undesliga 20 1 0/
1 1 . With 1 6. �c2, we prepare � d l n ext and keep the press u re on . Wh ite i s su bstan­
tia l ly better. My former tea m mate played 1 6. 'll bs i n stead , allowi ng a q ueen trade)
1 6. ,©, a3 'd xc4 (after 1 6 . . B e8 1 7. 'd d6, Black is collapsing q u i ckly) 1 7. bx4 � h 6
.
1 8 . B f3 B. e8
1 9. 'd bs, and aga i n White has a h uge i n itiative.
13.
xb3
Wh ite has good com pensation for the pawn . H i s pieces are a l l active and we have
s i m ple moves to follow u p with . Rooks to cl and d i , 'LJ c4, �. a3 a l l suggest them­
selves. Th is whole l in e i s rath er fres h , and th u s th i s position was only reached
twice i n my database. I wi l l briefly check th ese examples and a n add itional th i rd
move that m ade sen se to me.
13 'fi c6
...
A very princi pled a pp roach, i m med iately tryi ng to get of th e strong kn i ght on d4.
1) The move 1 3 . . . 'a a6 m a kes a lot of sense in my view, tryin g to secure an outpost
on c5. I 'd l i ke to show one s am ple line: 1 4. � fd 1 'i!!! e7 1 5. � a3 '21 c5 1 6. 'i!!! c2 b6
1 7 . 'd 2b3 'LJ fd7
1 8. B. ac1 . White wi l l get the pawn back and reta i n a n active pos iti on. The engi nes
eval u ate it as equ a l , wh ich seems reaso nable.
I wou ldn't worry too m uch a bout s uch a scenario. White's play is easy and Black
has to defend, and very l i kely he wi l l have to do thi s with a time d i sadvantage;
2)
l J.
.
. � e8 14. B. fd l . Th is is more powerfu l than 14.e3, as played in the stem game
Pantsulaia- l lj i u s henok, St Petersburg bl itz 20 18. I decided to stop the analysi s here,
as Black has some possi ble moves and Wh ite's play is q uite s i m ple as outl i ned be­
fore.
1 4. � xc6
1 4.e3 i s a l so possi ble, keeping more pi eces on the boa rd . Wh ite has com pensation
for th e pawn , but no advantage.
14 ... 1'xd2 1 5. � e7+ m h8 1 6. � xc8 g axc8 17.e3 fld3 18. g fd1 ftxb3 1 9.axb3
Wh ite was slightly better i n M alakhov-Ami n , Zagreb 20 1 8 . The e4-pawn wi l l d rop
and Black's rema i n i n g pawn s on the a- and b-fi les are weak. B l ack s hould hold , but
it's a one-sided affair.
Ai2) 1 1 e3
•.•
Th i s i s very rarely played and probably for good reason. We sti l l need to exa m i ne it
carefu l ly, because the arising pos itions a re very non-standard . They are good for
us, but tricky to h a ndle over the board without prior study.
1 2.fxe3 � g4
Th i s i s Bl ack's idea. Wh ite's structu re i s seriously weakened and i m med iately at­
tacked . We have an extra pawn for the moment though . The fol lowi ng moves are
not very i ntu itive, and it took me a whi l e to understa nd why the engin es give White
a rather large advantage.
13.
el l
Th i s i s not obvious at a l l , but �cl i s stronger th an §' d2. The reason i s the l i ne
1 J � d2 dx4 14.h3 'd e5 1 5. 'll c3 'd bc6, wh en Black uses the u n protected q ueen on
d2 to develop. Th i s l ine is a l so prom i s i ng, by the way, but l J � C l is more con­
vi nci ng.
13 ... dXC4
After 1 3 . . . � e?, we have the strong m ove 1 4. '.d c3. N ow, BI ack i s faci ng the th reat
'd (x} d 5 and i s fo rced to take on e3: 1 4 . �xe3+ 1 5. �xe3 '21 xe3 1 6 . 'll xd 5 (th i s is now
. .
mandatory, but a l so adva ntageous for Wh ite} 1 6 . . 'll xf1 1 7. '21 e?+ � h8 1 8. � xfl .
.
And Wh ite has a s izea ble advantage. We wi l l get the b]-pawn, and two pawn s plus
the bishop pa i r are more than enough for the exchange.
1 4.h3 � es 1 5. � d2
As m entioned before, the best moves a re n ot i ntu itive i n th i s l i ne. Wh ite returns the
pawn, restoring the material bala nce.
1 5 ...cxb3
I f Black does not take the pawn , we may get th e fo l l owing l i n e: 1 5 . 'd bc6 1 6. 'o xc6
. .
bxc6 1 7. 'D XC4 V!!! c7 1 8. 'd d2. Aga i n , a n ice move. White plans to p lay g3-g4 and
'd e4, using the open f-fi l e to th e advantage.
1 6.axb3
Th i s i s a position that puzzled me for a bit. I love tidy structures , but h ere Wh ite's
pawn s are a mess and we are not m aterial u p . Sti l l , th e engi nes love Wh ite and
claim a sizeable advantage. It is obvious that Wh ite has very good act ivity, but I
was scepti ca l . After some analysi ng, I h ave to agree with the engi ne's assessment:
Wh ite i s better, because Black's development i ssues pers ist. We are al ready rath er
deep down the rabbit h ole, but I 'd l i ke to show some moves to i l l ustrate the pl ay. I
a m aware that this type of positi o n i s not what you usually want from a K I S reper­
toi re, but sometimes there i s j u st no other option if the best reply to a du bious
move is bas ica l ly forced .
1 6 li e8
...
Wh ite has '!¥M c3 and 'd e4 after 1 6 . . . '.d bc6 1 7 . 'd xc6 bxc6 1 8 . � d4, and Black i s u nder
severe pressure.
17. � � � bc6
i 8.
c5
And Wh ite has a great i n iti ative. The idea i s to i ncrease the pressure with g, d 1 next.
A2) 7 � c6
...
Th i s move 1 s played su rpri s i n gly often. White enjoys a good gam e with s i m ple
moves now.
8.d5
I a m not a h uge fan of playi ng Benoni structu res with a bi shop on g2, but th i s ad­
vance is j u st too tem pti ng. Black l oses time with the knight and wi l l often end up
with th at piece being out of play on the queen s ide.
8 � as
...
Black tries to play in the spirit of the l i n e Ld4 'd f6 2.c4 g6 ].g3 � g] 4 �. g2 o-o
. •
5. 'd f3 d6 6.o-o c5 7. 'd c3 'd c6 8.d5 'd as, but th ere i s a key difference. Our
bl -kn ight i s not yet com m itted and wi l l be usefu l on the d2-sq uare, reliably cov­
eri ng the c4-pawn .
With the alternative 8
. ..
21 b4 9·C4 bs, Black tries to m ake so me sense of the kn ight
'
on b4, getti ng in . . . b7-b5 without a ny fu rth er preparation moves. 1 0.a3 '21 a 6
1 1 . '21 bd2 g b8 1 2. � c 3 i s the typical set-up to employ aga i n st th i s l i n e. We move
out of the b-fi l e and keep the c4-pawn s u p ported by the kn i ght. The usual plan to
fo l low up with is e2-e4, often the q ueen is placed on c2. The advantage in space
gives Wh ite a comfortable game.
An alternative fo r Black is
g
.
. j), fs, eyeing the c2-square, but our reply renders the
.
idea d u bious: 10 .a3 '21 a6 (10 . . . 'd c2 starts a journey with no return ticket, so Black
wi sely retreats) 1 1 ,.:EJ bd2 'i¥M d 7 1 2. � el .�. h3
1 3.e4, and aga i n we enjoy a good gam e due to the s pace advantage and the u n l u cky
kn i ght on a6. Bl ack also needs to worry a bout a qu ick e2-e4-e5 adva nce by White.
9·C4 a6 1 o. � bd2 b5
1 1 .�
Wh ite h as scored a bout 80% from this pos ition i n
Megabase 201 9 .
I a m not s u r­
pri sed , a s White i s a lot better i n the centre and the as-knight i s j ust a bad piece.
H owever, there is one i nteresti ng l i n e to check:
11 . e6
..
Th i s i s rarely seen, but it has an i nteresting point.
The usual move here, 1 1
. . .
B. b8, leads to h uge trouble for Black: 1 2.e5 (th i s is even
stronger th a n th e more restrai ned 1 2 . j;; c3) 1 2 . . 'd g4
.
1) 1 3 . . . bxC4 14.exd 6 (the i m porta nt
zwischenzug
l J. g e1
to rem em ber) 14 . . . exd 6 1 5. j;; xg7
�· xg7 1 6. bxc4, and Black i s i n terri ble shape here. Wh ite's mai n idea i s to com bine
the moves W!, c2/c1 to c3 and 'll e4;
2) l J. .. 'd xe5 14. '2l xe5 � xe5 1 5. $;: xe5 dxe5 1 6. B. xe5 bxc4 1 7 . )¥gc2 {of cou rse, 1 7. bx4
i s better for Wh ite as wel l , but I wa nted to show thi s i nteresti ng engi ne s u ggestion .
It i s not a com mon ly-seen idea) 1 7 . . . cxb3 1 8.axbJ.
Wh ite has excel lent play for the pawn and wi l l very l i kely regai n the m aterial soon,
whi l e keeping a strong i n itiative. Black has j u st too many weak s pots to cover at the
same time.
1 2.
C2
I recommend playing a strengthen ing move i n stead of d i rectly trying to refute
B l ack's p l ay with 1 2.dxe6 j;; xe6 1 3. 'Ll gs .�. d 7 i4.e5 dxe5 1 5. ,Ji, xa8 �xa8, wh ich a n
engi ne m i ght l i ke for Wh ite, b u t i s u n s u itable for practi cal p lay. Black gets good
com pensation fo r the excha nge. One idea I 'd l i ke to point out i s to play b3-b4 at
some point. For i l l ustrative pu rposes, let's assume Black plays the e-pawn aga i n.
1 2 e5
•••
1 3.b4 cxb4 14.c5
With exce l l ent play for White on the q ueenside.
B) 6...c6
Th i s move u s ua l ly i nd icates that Black i ntends to play the q ueen on one of the n ext
moves. One idea m i ght be . . . Y!l!, c7, to support a l ater . . . e7-e5 or even play a
.
. . � d8-a 5-h5 switch to the kingside.
7. A b2
N ow, B l ack u s u a l ly plays the moves . . . i.l bd7 and . . . � c7 next, prepa ri ng . . . e7-e5.
There is a n i nd ependent option in 7 . . . Y!l!, a5, and fi n a l ly 7 . . . a5 8.c4 is covered via
6 a5.
. . .
Bl ) 7 � bd7
...
8. ll e1
Wh ite often plays 8. 'll bd2 here i n stead, but the rook move i s a bit more a ggressive,
as we wi ll see. Someti mes, it is possi bl e to ma nage a qu ick e2-e4-e5-pawn push .
Bl l ) 8...
c7
Th i s i s better than 8 . . . B. e8. Black makes s u re to be a b l e to a nswer 9.e4 with 9 . . . e5,
stopping the wh ite e-pawn.
9.� e5
l l
l
l l
1 0.dxes
I decided to reco m mend thi s s i m pl e a pproach, but here White has a rath er wide
choice of good l i n es . Yo u m ay also play 10. 'LJ bd2, keepi ng th e tens ion, or even
1 0.c4. Pl ayi ng the c-pawn is not very com mon in the anti- KI D l i nes of o u r reper­
toi re, but here it m a kes some sense. Black has a l ready com m i tted to an old­
fashioned set-u p with . . . c7-c6/ . . 'd bd7 and ... 'fl1 c7, wh ich makes a tra n s position to
.
a sta ndard fianchetto King's I ndian pos ition q u ite attractive. I t's good to h ave op­
tio n s and here is a pos ition where you can easi l y vary you r play.
1 0... � xes
Th i s reca ptu re i s better than
l O.
.
. dxe5, it seems: l l . a4 J;. e8 1 2.a5. We have the u se­
fu l knight outpost on c4 and a comfortable adva ntage.
The a l m ost autom atic reaction l l . a 5 i n th i s pa rticular pos ition i s bad: 1 2 �. a3 � e8
. .
.
•
1 J .�. d 6 fg d8
l
l
l
l
1 4. 'd a} Black i s i n grave trou ble. How can Black u ntangle th i s awkward position ?
1 1 . it) bd2 A 14 12.h3 it) fd7
A n ice tactical idea. Now, we wi l l trade so me pieces, but Black sti l l does not eq uali ze compl etely.
13. g b1 'i)xf3+ 14. 'i) xf3 A xb2 1 5. g xb2 A xf3 1 6.
xf3
Wh ite sti l l has a pull with play aga i n st d 6 and i deas with h3-h4 aga i nst Black's
weakened kingside.
e1 2) 8. 1l e8
..
Th i s rath er n ormal-looking move i s actu a l ly i m preci se, which shows a benefit of
playi ng 8. g el i n stead of 8. 'd bd2.
9.� e5
Th i s has a tactical flaw, which renders the move 8 . B. e8 dubious.
.
.
An alternative i s 9 . . Wt c7 10 .e5 dxe5 1 Ldxe5 'd d s 1 2.4 'd 5b6
.
1 3. � e2. Wh ite enjoys a l a rge advantage in space, and Black has n o particu l a r
com pensation for th i s deficit. It looks a lot l i ke a n Alekh ine Defence gone wrong.
Wh ite has m any promi si n g ideas here, but I 'd feel d rawn to play h2-h4-h5 soon if
possi ble.
1 o.clxe5 dxe5
1 0 . . 'd xe5
.
ll.
'd xe5 dxe5 1 2 . '8i' xd8 g xd 8 1 3 'JJ. xe5 i s an even s i m p l er way to an extra
.
•
pawn for us.
1 1 . � xe5
A wel l-known motive, but it i s a bit trickier here th an usual.
11
• ••
� x�
A l ittle tactical skirmish, but it does not work for Black. Another move i s 1 1 . . . '21 g4
(a n ice desperado, but we h ave a refutation) 1 2. 'd xc6 bxc6 13. ,�, xg7 'd xfa 14. � xfa
'i:t· xg7 1 5. �d4+, and Wh ite emerges with a n extra pawn after the com pl icati ons .
1 2. 'l) xf7 m xf7 13. A x11 'l) xf2 14. g xe8
xe8
1 5.md4
Th i s i s the star move th at gives Wh ite the adva ntage!
1 5...
el + 16. A fl c5 17. 'i) a3
And that's it! Th i s wh ole sequence is basically i m possible to fi nd over the board,
so l earn i n g th is l i ne by heart makes a lot of sense.
B2) 7... fta5
B lack i nten d s to switch the q ueen to the kings ide q u ickly, copying an idea from the
fi a nchetto Ki ng's I nd ian main l i n e. I n this l i ne, Wh ite has pl ayed c2-c4 and 'd c3 i n­
stead of b2-b3 a n d 'Ji b2, wh ich i s q u ite a substa ntial difference.
8. � bd2 ft h5 9.e4
Wh ite may al so try to play 9 . B. e1 , avoiding the pin with . . �. g4. We wi ll see, how­
.
.
ever, that we don't need to worry abo ut . . . .�. g4 a l l th at m uch.
B21) 9 j\ g4 1 0. Ii e1 � bd7
...
1 1 . , e2
It i s very i m portant to remem ber thi s idea. The queen goes to f1 to u n p i n and chal­
lenge the bishop with h2-h3 soon.
1 1 e5 1 2.
• ••
-
fl
Wh ite i s ready for h2-h3 now.
1 2...exd4 13. � xd4 c5 1 4. � e2
Th i s i s a clea r i m p rovement over 14. '2l 4f3 of the stem game Efimenko­
M a medyarov, Porto Carras 20 18.
1 4... � x� 15. � x� A xb2 1 6. ji ad1
Wh ite wil l win both d 6 and b7 and enjoys a clear advantage.
B2.2)
g
.
. A h3 1 0. g el � xg2
.
An other option i s 1 0 . '.21 bd7 1 1 �. xh3 (there a re other ways to keep a n ed ge, but
.
.
.
•
th i s is a fo rced way to a n ice advantage) 1 1 . . . � xh3 1 2. '21 g5 � h 5 (Black ca n 't avoid
the q ueen trade) 1 3- � xh 5 'Ll xh 5
1 4.e5. Wh ite i s in good shape here - the kn ight on hs i s j u st too much of a l iabil ity
for Bl ack.
1 1 . mxg2 Ras
B l ack wi l l h ave to return at some poi nt, but h ere this move lead s to severe trou ble.
1 2.es dxes 13. � C4
q
14.dxes � ds 1 5.e6
B lack i s m uch worse here. Note that we have a quick h2-h4-h5 a s wel l .
c) 6 � c6
...
7· j\ b2 es
The consi stent move after 6 . . . 'd c6. Now, we wi l l tra nspose to the l i ne 6 . b3 es i n
most cases.
8.dxes � d7
M ost often Black plays 8 . . 'd g4 here, wh ich after 9 . t& c1 tra nsposes to l i nes
.
covered via 6 . . . e5 7.dxe5 'd g4 8. 94 b2 'd c6 9 . � c1 i n Chapter 1 5.
9• ' Cl
A recu rri ng idea. We cover the bishop and force a d eci s ion about the es-pawn .
I nterestingly, we can only get th i s precise pos ition via the 6.b3 'd c6 7. � b2 es 8.dx­
e5 'd d7
g . w c1
move order, but not after 6 . b3 es 7.dxe5 d fd7, a s 8. J;. gs! i s a strong
'
option th at we shou ld u se (see Chapter 15 for deta i l s ) .
9 dxe5
...
After g . . 'd dxe5 1 0. 'd xe5, we get a position covered via 6.b3 es 7.dxe5 'd g4 8. $;; b2
.
'd c6
g. 1'
c1 'd gxe5 10. 'd xe5.
1 0. g dl
An other poi nt of 9 . � c l , q u ickly getting the rook on the open fi le.
1 0 g eg 1 1 . � c3
••.
Th i s is a strong move, i ntend i n g to q u i ckly play '.2! ds. A lot worse, a s u s u a l , i s th e
poi ntl ess move 1 i .c4. Here, 1 1 . . . e4 i s fine for Black. As mentioned several times i n
th i s book, i t i s not very desirable t o have a pawn o n c4 once the d-file i s opened
after a dxe5 dxe5 sequence.
1 1 e4
•••
The on ly critical move. Agai nst s l ow moves, we play 1 2. '.2! ds. 1 1 . . 'd d4 is refuted by
.
1 2 . 'd xd4 exd4 l J. ·d e4 c5 1 4.c3, and Black fa l l s apart.
1 2. � 15 fs
After 1 2 .. e3 1 3.f4, Black's pawn push has accompli shed l ittle.
.
13.f3 h6 14. � h3 exf3
15.exf3
B lack's position i s tough to play. He sti l l lacks coord i nation and the king's safety i s
com p romised by . .f7-f5 and . h7-h6.
.
o) 6. � bd7
..
. .
I. I. I.
Th i s move i s very popu lar, i n particular at the club l evel . After our natu ral reply,
there is q uite a wid e choice for B l ack.
7. A b2
N ow, the most interesting move fo r Black i s the preparatory move 7 . g, e8. Th i s i s
. .
not a pop ular move, but some Ki ng's I ndian experts have taken i t u p . Most of the
time, you wi l l face other moves, often tran s po s i ng to favourable l i nes covered via
other move ord ers.
Let's have a look at B lack's less critical options. Most of th e ti me, B l ack wi l l play
7 . . . e5, which after 8.dxe5 'll g4
g. � cl
tra n s poses to l i nes exa m i ned via 6 . . . e5 7.dxe5
i n Chapter 1 5. N ote that i n this seq uence, 8 . . . dxe5 g . <l.l xe5 'd g4 10. 'd d3 is j u st a n
extra pawn for Wh ite. Another frequently-seen option i s t h e slow 7 . . . c 6 , wh ich we
cover via 6 . . . c6. Th ere is only some i nd ependent val u e i n 7 . . B. e8 and 7 . . c5, wh ich
.
is comforta ble for us.
01 ) 7 g e&
...
8. g el es
The slow 8 . . . c6 i s aga i n covered via the 6 . . . c6 move order.
9.dxe5
.
01 1 ) 9··· � 14
1 0.
d2
I know this i s tough to remem ber. We play � cl i n those s ituations all the ti me, but
here we don 't! Th ere are two reasons fo r that, so let's check the deta i l s .
1 0 dxes
•..
B lack co uld a l so take with th e knight: 10
. . .
'd dxe5. We know that the l i nes with a
kn i ght recaptu re on es are good for Wh ite, but there i s a very i m portant tactical
twi st here. The i n sertion of B. el a nd . B. e8 m ay al low na sty tricks that we need to
.
.
avoid: l 1 .c4 'd xf3+ 1 2. � xf3 'd es.
H ere's where you can spot one d i ffe rence that the rook moves make i f the q ueen
was on cl . With the q ueen on c l , Black wou ld th reaten ... 'd d3! here, wh ich Wh ite
has no good reply to.
1 3. �. h l . Wa it . . . why to h l ? Again, the rooks on el and e8 m a ke a d ifference. After
1 3. �. g2, Bl ack has th e stu n n i n g 1 J. . . 'd d3! 14. 1J, xg7 'd xel .
After 1 3- :B. h l , Black should play a developing move, but th i s on ly lead s to a type of
gam e that we know i s favourable for White. Please see th e l i n es with 6.b3 es 7.dxe5
'd g4 for deta i l s . The tactical stri ke 1 3 . . 'd d3 fa i ls: 14. :B. xg7 'd xe1 1 5. � b2. If we had
.
moved th e bi shop to g2 i n stead, Black wou ld have a way out n ow by s i m ply taking
the bishop. Here, the u n l ucky knight i s trapped, and Wh ite i s wi n n in g.
1 1 .�
Let's tal k a bout th e second point of � d2 i nstead of "i!!! c l . U sual ly, without g el and
... B. e8 i n serted , I recommend � cl . In thi s s ituation, we get to play g d 1 q u ickly,
with annoying pressure on the d-fi l e. H ere, we would be a tem po down , as we need
two rook moves to get to d i , wh i le Black has the u sefu l move . . . g e8 incl uded.
Therefore, 1 1 .e4 looks more sensi ble. Wh ite i s s l ightly better in these positions, as
we have more options to play on the d-fi le and Bl ack's g4-knight wi l l lose even
more ti me. I found no games with th i s particu lar position , so let's look at some
sample moves.
1 1 c6 1 2. 84 f6
...
l l
l
13.a5
We secure the good s pot on c4 for the kn i ght and are slightly better.
012) 9 dxe5
...
Th i s move i s rarely played , pro ba bly because Black is afraid of 10. 'd xe5, which
actually does not work!
1 0.e4
You need to avoid 10. '21 xe5 'd M l 1 . 'd d3 � xb2 1 2 . 'd xb2 '1¥if6, which agai n show­
cases the sign ificance o f B. e1 and � e8 bei ng played.
1 0...
e1
N ow, es i s attacked for real , so Black needs to cover it.
11.
e2
We have a small pull i n th i s a l m ost sym metrical position. The press ure on es gives
us a l ittl e someth i ng. I ' l l show some sample l i nes.
11
• ••
� cs
Another possible l i n e i s 1 1 . .. b6 1 2 �. a3 'll c5 13. 'd c3, with the i ntention of 'd a4 and
.
•
a small adva ntage.
1 2. A a3 c6
.l l
1 3. � bd2
Th i s i s a l so slightly better for Wh ite. The p i n i s annoyi ng for Bl ack.
02) 7 c5
...
8.C4
I n a structure with . . . cxd4, it makes a lot of sense to play c2-c4 and 'll c3, control­
l i n g the d s-square. Aga i n st earlier ... c7-c5 pu shes (see the Benoni chapter on
these) , I recom mend captu ri ng on c5, i n itiati ng co ncrete pl ay, as Black needs to
s pend some ti me to rega in the pawn . Here, c5 is safely covered , so taking on c5
does not bri n g White m uch.
8... g b8
Or 8 . . . a 6 fi rst and then g . . . B. b8.
Black may also p l ay 8 . . . cxd4
g.
'll xd4. This pawn struct u re with a knight on d7 and
four m inor pieces on the board i s q u ite favourable for Wh ite. Black lacks s pace and
ideas for counterplay. Most of the ti me, ... a7-a6/ . . . .:; b8/ . . 9J. d 7 i s played to prepare
.
. . . b7-b5: g . . . '21 c5 10. 'Ll c3 � b8 1 1 . � d2 � d7 1 2. B. ac1 a6
lJ
'd ds. A com mon idea i n th i s structu re. We p l ace the knight on d s and ask Black
how to handle this a n noying piece. Going ... e7-e6 weakens th e d 6- pawn, taking on
ds is a nswered by cxd 5, getti ng even more space and better prospects on the c-fi le.
lJ bS i4 . .:;, fd 1 bxc4 i 5. 'Ll xf6+ � xf6 1 6 . B. xc4 This wh ole seq uence is not forced,
. .
.
of co u rse, but shows typical pl ay. The rook i s wel l placed on cl for a potential open
c-fi le and now is able to recapture on c4. White i s better here, d ue to the
weaknesses on Black's q ueenside.
9. -t) C3 a6
1 0.a4
B lack wanted to play . . . b7-b5, so we s i m ply stop it. Of cou rse, weaken ing b4 and
the b3-pawn is not ideal, but stopping the opponent's m a i n/on ly idea is more
i m portant.
That bei ng said, some strong players have opted for 10.dxc5 '.d xc5 1 1 . 'd d4, basi­
cally reaching the favourable structu re after 7 ... c5 8.c4 cxd4 9 . 'd xd4 'd c5, but
losing a lot of time i n th e process. Th i s i s a decent a lternative, but I th i n k 1 0.a4 is a
stronger m ove.
10 b6
...
1 0 . . . cxd4 1 1 . "21 xd4 '21 c5 1 2. b4 (an i nteresti ng idea that I wanted to show) 1 2 .. >21 e6
1 3- 'll b3 (ou r idea is to p lay '21 d s, often com bi ned with a4-aS) 1 3 . . . b6 (Black stops
a4-as) 1 4. '&d2 as. Th i s fa i l s , but it needs to be checked, a s 1 5. b5 '21 d7 is OK for
Black. H ere, the m ove 1 5. 'll ds i s strong, but grabbing the pawn i s th e clearest solu­
tion :
, 6. 'd bs, and the a s-pawn d rops.
11.
C2 A b7 1 2.ds
N ow, the b]-bishop i s m i s placed . Black need s to get some play goi n g, oth erwise
Wh ite wi l l j u st bu i ld up more s pace and prepare a central breakthrough with e2-e4e5 in the long ru n .
1 2 b5
•••
13. � d2
Wh ite shou ld avoid i 3.axb5 axb5 i4. 'd xb5 .�, xd 5, wh ich al lows Black to solve the
bishop problem. 14. 'd d2 wou ld be fi ne a s wel l , but I suggest not open ing the a-file,
a s the open fi le wou ld p robably lead to rook trades in the long ru n . With t h i s h uge
adva ntage i n s pace, keeping materi al on is very i m portant.
13 ... bXC4
An alternative i s l } .. b4 1 4. d d l . No trades after 14. 'd ce4, please. N ow, we i ntend
'
to play e2-e4, 'll e3, fa-f4 etcetera, with a comforta b l e adva ntage.
1 4.bxC4 .\\ c8
Wh ite's idea i s to get a set-up with e2-e4, 'd c3-d 1 -e3 and � C). Pu s h i ng the pawn to
a s m i ght also be usefu l , restrict i n g Black even more. Black has very few active
ideas, wh i l e we conti nue to expa nd i n the centre and on the kingside.
E) 6 a5
...
l
l
Pus h i ng th e rook pawn s aga i n st fianchetto set-u ps has gai ned a lot of ground i n
modern ches s . Th i s does not only apply t o playi ng the h-pawn agai nst the kingside
after castl i ng, but is a l so freq uently seen on the q ueens ide. The key po int to
remem ber for White i s to not an swer thi s with 7.a4, as the i n sertion of the a-pawn
moves favours B lack q u ite significa ntly. O ne of the m a ny exa m pl es i s a l i ne l i ke
7 . . . e5 8.dxe5 'd M 9 . g b2 '21 c6 10. �c1 '21 gxe5 1 1 . 'Ll xe5 'd xe5, when you wou ld l i ke
to play c2-c4 and 'Ll c3 next, wh ich i s a lot l ess attractive with the q ueen side weak­
ened so m u ch (b3 and b4) . There a re actually many more cases, but thi s a l one
wou l d be enough to discou rage me from playi ng a2-a4.
7. A b2 34
B lack may a l so play 7 . . . c6 fl rst, after which 8.c4 a4 9 . b4 leads to the same l i ne.
8.C4
We rarely play th is move, but I see no good alternative agai nst th e early . . . a7-a5 l i ne.
I arrived at th i s conclu sion by a process of el i m i nation. We need to d evelop the
kn i ght on b l soon. This i s d ifficult to do without havi ng a pawn on c4. Agai nst
8. 'Ll bd2 ?, Black has 8 . . . a3 9 . ©, c3 'll d s. Therefo re, no 8. 'Ll bd2 then . . . 8. 'd c3 does
.
not fit i nto any reasonable set-up, so it's 8.c4. With 8.c4, we take control over ds,
therefore prepa ring th e knight development. I 'd l i ke to mention that we frequently
play th e move 9 . b4, for exam ple, after 8.c4 c6, we play 9.b4. Th i s prom pted m e to
i nvestigate 8.b4 a s wel l . It is not a bad move, but Black has 8 . . . d 5 9 .a3 bs for a com­
plete q ueenside sh utdown . We avoid th i s scenario by goi ng 8.c4 fi rst.
El) 8 axb3 9.axb3 Il xa1 1 0. A xa1
...
B lack s i m p l ifies on the a-fi le, wh ich i s th e most prom i s i ng strategy after the early a­
pawn push.
1 0 c6 1 1 . � bd2 � a6
•..
1 2. � C3
B l ack has so me moves now, and it i s not rewa rdi n g to a nalyse such a • non-contact'
position. Wh ite's gen eral plan i s to expand on the q ueen side or i n the centre. We
h ave some more possibi l ities i n that rega rd, but Black i s rather sol id. Please note
th at � a l and B. b 1 / .;;. cl i s a good way to coord i n ate. Qu ite freq uently, B l ack wi l l
play . . .d6-d5, wh ich makes the ga me look a lot l i ke the sym m etrical G runfeld, starting with 1 .d4 'd f6 2 . 'Ll f3 g6 3- � g2 d s 4 JJ. g2 ,fl;,. g] 5.0-0
. •
o-o
6.c4 c6 7.b3 (Chapter
1 9) .
E2) 8 c6
...
I th i n k th at it is more precise for Black to ta ke on b3 fi rst.
9.b4
We are gai ni ng some usefu l space on the q ueen s ide, and try to isolate the a4-pawn
to later attack it, for i n stance, with a later a2-a3 and 'll c3 set-up.
9 � e6
...
9 . d 5 l O.c5 leads to the same structure.
.
.
1 0. � fc:J2
A good way to set u p the pieces . We keep th e option of playi ng the a2-a3 and 'd c3
idea.
1 0... d5 1 1 .c5 bs
B lack wi l l probably not be able to play without th is move i n the l ong ru n . After a
later a2-a3 and '.d c3, the a4-pawn need s protection anyway.
1 2.cxb6 Wxb6 13.a3
Wh ite enjoys a s l ight adva ntage. The a4-pawn i s sti l l a l i a bi l ity, and c5/c6 are more
exploita ble weakn es ses th a n th e c4-square.
E3) 8 . . � bd7 9.b4
.
Aga in th i s move, after Black has avoided trad ing on bJ.
9...e5
We need to check th i s d i rect move. Agai nst s low moves, the plan with a2-a3 and
'd c3 i s critical and good fo r Wh ite.
1 0.dxe5 � g4 1 1 . ftC2
We know t h i s dxe5 . . . 'd g4 idea from l i nes l i ke 6.b3 es 7.dxe5 :[i g4, when we play
8. � c l . Here, we have the very comfortable move 1 1 . � c2, l eading to a clear advan­
tage.
F) 6... b5
Wow, th i s looks odd ! But I need to i nclude it, becau se j u st d ays befo re these l i nes
were w ritten, it was played by M agn u s Carlsen aga i n st G eo rg M eier at the G re n ke
C hess Classics 20 1 9. It is a n extremely ra re move and wi l l very l i kely not occur a l l
that often, even after M agn us played it.
7. � bd2
M eier played 7. ,�, b2, 8. 'll bd2 and 9.c4, but LeelaZero's suggestion of skipping
.�, b2 makes a lot of sen se. Here's a sample l i ne:
7. A b7 8.C4 bxc4 9.bxC4
..
And here, havi ng n ot played ,:£, b2 i s usefu l . We have i deas l i ke B. b l and � a41 with
play on the open b-fi le.
Conclusion
B l ack has many alternatives at move 6. I advise studyi ng l in es with
. . .
'd bd7 and
... c7-c6 with some priority, a s they are pl ayed often at club level. The move 6 ... c5 is
the theoretical ly most critical one, but its main path leads to the main l i ne of Chap­
ter 1 9 on the G ru nfeld, a s urpri s i ng transposition.
CHAPTER 17
Griinfeld sidelines: 3 d5
...
Th i s i s th e fi rst chapter that deals with Bl ack playing a combi nation of th e moves
. . . g7-g6 and . . . d7-d5. Thi s seems very reasonable, after a l l we are doing the same
th i n g by playing d2-d4 and g2-g3 early on! The l i nes d iscu ssed in th i s chapter a re
class ified as a Gru nfeld Defence and they often arise vi a a d ifferent move order. For
exa m p l e, 1 .d4 'd f6 2.c4 g6 3- 'd f3 .�, g] 4.g3 o-o 5 . � g2 ds 6.o-o i s a way to reach
.
the position we d i scuss i n a later main l ine cha pter. I n our repertoi re, a . . . g7-g6/ . . .
d1-d5 set-up may arise v i a variou s move orders. The most com mon one i s 1 .d4
'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 J.g3, and now Black may play 3 . . . d5 or delay it after 9. g2 ;Ji, g? and
o-o o-o. Th i s sym metrical scen ario also a ri ses after i .d4 ds 2. 'll f3 'd f6 J.g3 g6. A
th i rd pos s i bl e move order i s i .d4 g6 2. 'a f3 9, g? J,g3 d s, which i s slightly different,
becau se Black m i ght choose to develop the kn ight to a different square i n stead of
the more natural f6-sq uare. These G runfel d-l i ke l i nes start i n g with 1 . . g6 a re d i s­
.
cussed i n Chapter 20.
One i mportant general point to mention is th at we always play c2-c4 to attack
the d s-pawn . I n most cases, we wi l l play it on move 6 after we have played the stan­
dard moves of i .d4, 2. 'd f3, J.g3, 4. ;& g2 and 5.0-0, but there i s one i m porta nt poi nt
to remember. I f Black plays . . . c7-c6 early on, it i s advisable to prepare c2-c4 with
b2-b3. Aga i n st an un prepa red c2-c4, Black m ight a n swer by grabbing and keeping
the c4-pawn. Th i s point i s d iscu ssed i n d eta i l l ater.
4· A 12 A 11
Very n atu ra l , and played al most always. 4 . . . c6 i s a clever move order if Black intend s to play with ... c7-c6 anyway: 5.0-0 .�. g]
6.b3 (this i s i mportant for our repertoi re concept. After 6.4 dxc41 we reach a n un­
clear gam bit position that i s not pa rt of our repertoi re) 6 ... o-o 7.c4 and we have
tran s posed to Chapter
1 9.
5.0-0
N ow, Black castles most of the ti me, but Black has i nteresting altern atives. We al­
ready know that after 5 . . c61 we should prepare c2-4 fi rst with 6. b].
.
A) 5••• � bd7
I was not awa re of t h i s move before sta rti ng this p roject. It i s a sophi sti cated idea,
wh ich is d i rected aga i n st Wh ite's plan of c2-4.
6.C4
I decided to recom mend thi s move after a l l . The a lternatives d id not convi nce m e
all that much. If yo u try to prepare c2-4 with 6. b3, Black h a s 6 . . .c 5 . S i m i l arly,
6. 'd bd2
o-o
7.4 c5 does not lead to m uch either. Some strong players have tri ed
6.a4, wh ich i s a n i nteresting altern ative.
6 ... dXC4
Th i s i s the princi pled move. Black i ntends to protect the c4-pawn with 'd b6.
Although 6 . . . c6 i s not a logical fol low-u p to 5 . . 'd bd7, th is move shou ld be
.
checked . It i s usefu l not j ust fo r the concrete li ne, but a lso for the general u nd erstanding of 1 . d4-positions.
7 . b3 wou ld transpose to Chapter
1 g,
but the exch ange on ds i s a lot stronger. The
reason is that Black has already com mitted to the kn ight on d], wh i l e Wh ite sti l l
has 'd c3 and a later J4 f4 and � b 3 ava i lable.
Black has a hard time d efend ing the opened c-fi le. Here's a sam ple l i ne to i l l u strate
Black's troubles: 7.cxd 5 cxd 5 8. 'd c3 o-o
clear advantage)
g ..
.
a6 10. � b3 e6
g.
f£. f4 (9. f9' b3 i s also strong and leads to a
•
1 1 . i! fc 1 ,
and Wh ite has a fanta stic position that
wi l l be very tough to hold for Black.
7· � bd2 � b6 8.�
We don't play many ga m bits in our repertoi re, but th i s is o ne of them. I bel i eve that
we have to go th i s way to play a m bitiously. If you a bsolutely don't wa nt to sacrifice
the pawn, there stil l is 8. 'd xc4 'd x4 9. '@' a4+ c6 10. �xc4, but Black eq u a l izes i n
th i s variation , someth ing that i s n ot easy to accompl i sh i n the recom men ded l i ne.
8 .c6 9·
..
C2 0-0 1 o.a4 as
B lack can h a rd ly avoid th is move. If we manage a4-as, the pawn on c4 wi l l d rop,
givi ng Wh ite a great centra l advantage.
1 1 .b3
Th i s move m akes the pawn sacrifice perm anent, but o u r com pen sation i s not i n
doubt.
11 ... cxb3 12. � xb3
Wh ite has very good play for the pawn. We h ave a great pawn centre a nd easy
development. The a s-pawn is a usefu l ta rget, and B lack has no clear way to free the
position. I th i n k that even a very conservative player wou ld be ha ppy to take White
i n t h i s position.
B) 5...c5
A rare move, but it i s usefu l to check it briefly.
6.dxc5
Th i s i s best a nd s i m i l a r i n spirit to Chapter 20.
In most cases, we wi ll tran s pose to the l i ne i .d4 'll f6 2. 'd f3 g6 }g3 ds 4 Ji. g2 9J. g]
.
5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 c5 (C21 below) .
6... � a6
H ere, 6 . .
.
o-o
7.c4 tra n s poses to l i ne (21 .
7·C4 � xc5
7 . . 0-0 8. 'a c3 aga i n tra nsposes to C2 1 .
.
•
1 1.
8. � C3
B l ack has no good reply now, and he probably has to take on c4. I ' l l show one
sample l i ne:
8... dxc4 9· t!xd8+ mxd8 10. � e3 � fe4 1 1 . g fd1 + me8 12. � b5
Wh ite has a d ecisive attack al ready.
c) 5 . 0-0
..
The most natu ral move and by far th e main choice for Black.
6.C4
We have reached the most i m portant j u ncture i n th e G ru nfeld chapters. H ere,
B lack has two main l i nes, namely th e sol id Sl av-style move 6 . . . c6 (Ch apter 1 9) and
the more dynamic 6 ... dxc4 (Chapter 18) .
B l ack has some other option s that we wi l l check now.
C1 ) 6 c5
...
l
I n some ways , th i s i s the most princi pled move! B lack tries to clear the centre and
trade down to equal ize.
7.dxc5 dxC4
The alternative 7 . . '.d a6 i s s l ightly worse th an the sym metrical 7 . . . dx4. We need to
.
be precise to prove it, though: 8. 'd c3 dxc4 9 . � a4 ( I a l so checked 9.c6, but Black
seems to hold after
edge)
g
. .
g
...
'Q b4. After the q ueen move, Wh ite reta i n s a comfortable
. 'd xc5 10. 'ffi x c4. Black has cleared the centre. Without a ny pawn pl ay, it's
a l l about piece a ctivity and coord ination. We wi l l see that Wh ite i s better eq u i pped
for that fight. 10 . . . b6 1 1 . .a. d 1 �e8 (the tactical solution 1 1 . . . :b; a 6 is no solution
actual ly! After 1 2. :;; xd8 � x4 1 3. g xa8 :;; xa8
1 4. 'd d2, Wh ite wins deci sive m aterial) 1 2. :b; e3. White d evelops with tem po. Black's
position i s not much fu n to play. I 'd l i ke to show some more moves for a n i nteresting try by Black: 1 2 . . . :b; b7 l 3- .�. xc5 ;;; c8 14. � a4 � xa4 1 5. 'd xa4 bxc5 1 6. ;;; ac1 ,
and Black wi l l suffer fo r the rest of the game. The c-pawn i s the obvious p roblem .
8. 'i) a3
Th i s pos ition often arises from a d i fferent move order: i .d4 'Q f6 2. 'd f3 g6 J.g3 d s
4 JJ. g 2 Yi, g ? 5.0-0 o-o 6.C4 dxc4 7 . 'Q a 3 c 5 8.dxc5.
.
•
8. C3
..
Th i s i s Black's best bet at eq ualizing. The resu lting positions wi l l be so mewhat d ry,
but they are also com pletely one-sided. Wh ite often plays for a win i n a risk-free
situation .
A n altern ative i s 8 . . . 'fili xd 1 g. ;;;, xd 1 , but com pared to 8 . . . c 3 , th i s seem s i nferior.
Wh ite i s bas ica l ly two tem pi up i n a sym metrical position, and Wh ite has a m uch
eas i er tas k to win c4 than Black has to grab c5. 9 .. c3 (after g . 'd e4 1 0 . 'Q xc4 'd xc5
.
. .
1 1 . :JJ, e3 '.d ba6 1 2. 'd d4, B lack i s u nder heavy pressure i n a sym metrical pawn posi­
tion. It is not at all easy to orga nize the black camp, and therefore Wh ite i s better)
10. 'd bs cxb2 i 1 JJ. xb2 ·21 a 6
.
•
1 2 . J;; a3, and aga i n Wh ite retai n s serious pressure. After th e com i n g 'd fd4, it wil l be
tough for Black to develop the queenside at a l l .
9. � b5 � a6
The m a i n move and the best one. Ta king o n b2 i n stead gives Wh ite too much
development: 9 . . cxb2 lo. g xb2 J;; d7 1 1 . � b3 .�. c6 1 2 . B. fd 1 i¥lc8 1 3- B ac1 , and
.
Wh ite had th e i n iti ative in Kra m n i k-Topa lov, London 201 6. Kra m n i k conve rted h i s
nice position i nto a w i n i n 28 moves.
10. � xc3 � xcs
B lack has managed to clear the centre of pawns and w i l l be close to equ a l ity. We
are sti l l able to set some problems, though .
1 1 . A e3
Any s m a l l advantage m ust be based on the development advantage, so we need to
develop with tem po.
11
• ••
�fe4 12. � x� � x� 1 3. A d4
We a re trad ing Black's best p i ece.
en) 13 ... A xd4
Th i s i s the most popular and best move i n th i s position.
1 4.
xd4
xd4 1 5. � xd4 � d6 1 6. g acl
We a re fo l l owi ng one of Kra m n i k's gri nd i ng m asterpieces agai n st Wei Yi , played i n
Wij k a a n Zee 20 18.
16 ... g ds 1 7.f4 mm 1 8. m& A 14 1 9.h3 A d1
20. g c7
Th i s i s my/the engi ne's suggested i m provement on Kra m n i k's 20.e4, after which
Wei Yi could have played 20 . 'd bs! to free h i mself. H e did not take th is oppor­
. .
tu n ity and was ground down later i n i n struct ive fashion.
20... g ac8 21 . g fc1 hs 22.b4
Wh ite reta i n s a naggi ng pu l l, intendi ng e2-e4-e5 later. It i s i m po rtant to have th e
ri ght attitude about l i nes l i ke that. Black is p l aying for a sym metrica l structu re, pret­
ty m uch accepti ng that he i s not goi ng to win the ga me u n less Wh ite b l u nders. We
are p l aying for two res u lts and t h i s is a welcome scenario. You wi l l win some
games against weaker pl ayers (who u s u a l ly do not even know/play a l i ne l i ke th at) ,
and if a stro nger player goes for it, make h i m suffer as m u ch as possible.
c1 2) 1 3 ... A fs
Th i s i s a bit more am bitious th an taking on d4, but l es s rel iable. Th e knight on e4
i s not a sta ble piece, a s we wi l l see.
1 4. g el fta5
We need to act n ow, otherwise . . . � fd8 wi l l be an noyi ng.
1 5. j\ xgJ mxg] 1 6.ftd4+ � ffi
1 6 . . � g8 1 7.g4. Ouch! B lack i s losing a piece.
.
17. fte3
Th i s i s a strong move, cleari ng the d4-sq uare for the knight and attacking e].
17 ... ftxa2
We should check this d i rect sol utio n.
Agai n st slow moves, Wh ite is j u st s l ightly better with moves l i ke a2-a3, b2-b4 and
'Ll d4.
1 8. � d4 A d7 1 9. A xb7 g ab8 20. g al '8C4 21 . g xa7
Wh ite has won a pawn i n the com pl icati ons.
c1 3) 13 . . � gs
.
Th i s fl ashy move does not equal ize.
1 4. $\ x17 � xf3+ 1 5. � xf3 rn xg7 1 6.
b3
We are clearly more active i n this sym metrical position.
16 ... f!c7 17. g acl
'
es
1 8.h4
Th i s i m p roves on th e 20 1 8 PRO Chess League ra pid game Meier-Vid it, where
1 8. � c3 wa s played . 1 8.h4 i s a strong move, a s it makes a possible . . ii, h3 tem po
.
move a lot less attractive. Black has no u s efu l move now.
c2) 6 'i) c6
. ..
A rare move, but i t does not seem to be bad.
7· 'i) a3
We j u st accept a pos si ble transpos ition to a main l i ne with th i s somewhat oddlooki ng move. Covering the c4-pawn from a3 is preferable to 'd d2, a s we keep the
i mportant opti on to play 'd es.
7 A rs
...
A possi ble move to avoid a transposition, but it does not convince. Black's best
choice is to p l ay 7 . . . dx4, after which 8. 'd xc4 tra n s poses to the l i ne 6.c4 dxc4
7. 'll a3 'd c6 8>2l xc4.
Black may a l so play 7 . . a5, a wa itin g move, esta b l i s h i ng s u pport for a futu re kn i ght
.
j u m p to b4: 8.cxd5 'll xd 5
9. 'll bs. A strong move! We use the weakened bs-square and have ideas with e2-e4
and j;; f4 next. White i s comforta bly better.
8. � es
Th i s i s one reason why 7. 'd a3 makes sense. The d-pawn remai n s protected now,
compared to a s itu ation with a kn i ght on d 2 .
8. � e6 9.e3
..
Wh ite bol sters th e centre and i ntends a set- u p with � e2 a nd B. d i . It's good to
know that 9 . 'd xc6 bxc6 looks excel lent at fi rst s ight, but these pawn weaknesses
a re not easy to exploit, d ue to the wrong position of the kn ight on a3 for this stru c­
tu re. Keeping the ten sion for the moment i s better.
9 . dXC4
.
.
The most G ru nfeld-l i ke solution i n th i s position, goi n g fo r activity.
1 o. � xc6 bxc6
1 1 . 1 C2
I n a d uel of two Russ i a n hopefuls for World Cham pion s h i p titles between Gory­
ach kina and Artemiev, played in S kopje 20 1 7, Wh ite chose 1 1 . � e2, which was also
good for a n advantage. The engines s u ggest 1 1 . !Wc21 which makes even more
sense to me. We will w i n at least one of the c-pawns and the structu re on th e bl ack
q ueenside rem a i n s weak.
Conclusion
The theo retica l ly most challenging l i ne in t h i s chapter is C 1 1 after which we need to
be preci se to retai n a small p u l l . Other sideli nes a re not convincing for Black, but
we s h ould be aware of the early . . . c7-c6 ideas (play b2-b3 fi rst, then c2-4) and
h ave a look at the rare, but tricky l i ne A .
CHAPTER 1 8
Griinfeld:
3. . . d5 4. it g2 .It g] 5.0-0
o-o
6.c4 dxc4
1 .d4 � f6 2. � f3 g6 3.g3 ds 4. A g2 A 17 5.0-0 o-o 6.C4 dxC4
Black i s not able to hold th is pawn . We wi l l win it back q u ickly. Bl ack's m a i n idea
with th e capture is to open up the position and attack th e d4-pawn either with piece
press u re ( . . . ".2! c6) or with a q u ick . . . c7-c5.
7. � a3
The way to get the pawn back safely. H ere, Wh ite has no other decent alternative,
so let's play the wel l-esta b l i sh ed main l i ne. N ow, Bl ack has a fu ndamental choice
regard ing the ca ptu red pawn . H e can either let Wh ite ta ke on c4 o r push the pawn
to c3, provoking bxc3.
A) 7· · ·C3 8.bxc3 c5
Black has retu rned the pawn on c3 and now attacks our central pawn . One key idea
fo r Black is to u se the wea kened c4-sq uare. I n many l i n es after the trad itiona l main
move 9 .e3, B lack plays idea s l i ke . 'd f6-d 5-b6 and . . 'd as to make use of th i s
. .
.
sq u are. I am recommend i ng a more recent idea that looks to be prom i s i n g for
Wh ite.
9. 1l e1
Th i s i s fashiona ble at the moment, and for good reason . Wh ite i ntends to play
e2-e4 i n one move and occu py the centre with th e idea l pawn duo.
9. 'i) c6
..
The most straightforward and most popu l a r move. The kn ight i s clearly pl aced best
on c6, and th erefore it is played fi rst.
l)
g..
.
� a 5. BI ack i s tern pted to q u ickly play the rook to d8, but th i s does n ot work
out a l l that wel l : i o. g b2 B. d 8 1 i .e4 'd c6
1 2 . � bl Wh ite is j u st better here, with a huge centre and easy play ahead. We h ave
d c4 com i ng, and p u s h i ng the d-pawn is on th e agenda as wel l ;
'
2 ) 9 . . . 'd d s 1 0 . � b2 'd c 6 1 i .e4. I decided to cover th i s l i n e via the move order
9 . . '21 c6 10. j;; b2 '21 ds 1 i .e4.
.
10. A b2
Al ) 1 0... . b6
Th i s l ooks n at u ral and i s the most pop u l a r move by fa r.
1 1 . � C4
a6 12. � cd2
Wh ite has a l so tried 1 2. 'd ce5 and th i s i s i nd eed a fine alternative. I prefer 1 2. d cd 2
'
though . It i s more cons i stent with the plan to i n sta l l a broad centre.
12 g d8
•••
B lack has tried the pawn sacrifice 1 2 . . . e5, but it i s not fu l ly correct: 1 3- 'a xes 'tJ xe5
1 4.dxe5 'd g4 1 5>2i e4 (th i s cou nterattack i s th e right recipe a ga i n st 1 2 . . . e5. Please
avoid the greedy 1 5.f4 'd e3, wh ich i s awfu l for Wh ite) 1 5 . . . 'd xe5 1 6. 'd xc5. I don 't
see enough com pensation for a pawn. Note that the knight often has a usefu l post
on d4 here ( 'd c5-b3-d4) .
13.�
We h ave accompli shed our strategic goa l , and Wh ite i s s l ightly better i n my opin­
ion. Th i s i s maybe a l so a m atter of preference: a class ical pl ayer l i kes to h ave a
class ical pawn centre. The wh ole l i n e with 9 . B. el i s sti l l rather fres h , and therefore
we don't h ave many game exa m ples to rely on. I ' l l s h ow some moves of a recent
game:
13 . � g4 1 4. ftb3 e6
..
15.a4
Th i s i s LeelaZero's suggested i m provement on 1 5. j), f1 , a s played i n H a ri a-Howell,
London 20 1 8. H a ria's move was good enough to d raw aga i n st the 250 points rati ng
favou rite.
15 ...
·
b6 1 6.
a3
Th i s is the idea of 1 5.a4. White avoids the q ueen trade and now has 'd c4 ideas
aga i n . As mentioned before, I prefer Wh ite d u e to h i s central adva ntage.
A2) 1 0 � ds 1 1 .�
•••
M am edyarov played l l . �c2 at the Candidates 201 8 aga i nst G ri sch u k. Th i s move
also seems fi ne, but I l i ke th e more straightforward central pawn push.
11
• ••
'i) b6
1 2. Il b1
Th i s i s a u sefu l move. I t covers b2 and allows Wh ite to play d4-d 5 and c3-c4 next.
1 2... cxd4
B lack shou ld d efi n itely i nsert this trade, a s we wi ll see.
12 . . ;b: g4 l J.d5 'd es 14.c4. N ow, the move 1 2. ,;: bi m akes perfect sense! White a l ­
.
ready enjoys a s u bsta ntial advantage. It i s pro bably best fo r Black to trade now, but
the res u lti ng position is no fu n for h i m : 1 4 . . -:.21 xf3+ 1 5. ,�, xf3 g xf3 1 6. � xf3 ;� xb2
.
1 7 . ,g xb2. We enjoy a n i ce central s pace adva ntage, and the awkward pos ition of the
b6-knight does not hel p Black either.
13.cxd4 $\ g4 14.d5 $\ xb2 1 5. g xb2 'i) e5
Th i s i s better for B l ack than th e com parable pos itio n with c-pawns on the board.
He has some cou nterplay on the open file at least.
1 6.
b3 <t) xf]+ 1 7. A xi3 A xi3 1 8. Wxf3 g cs 1 9.h4
20. it) b5
d6
We have been fol lowi ng the ga me G i ri-G ra ndel i u s , Doh a 20 1 4. H ere, G i ri played
20. � g2, but after 20 . . . � e5 2 1 . � e2 fs, Bl ack h ad eno ugh cou nte rplay. The engi nes
suggest 20. '21 bs i n stead, p reventi ng this idea.
20...
es 21 .
e2
N ow a] i s attacked, so Black has no time to play the . . .f7-f5 break.
A3) 1 0.. A f5
.
l
Th i s looks l i ke a normal move, but I dou bt th at many Black players who go for it
anticipate Wh ite's n ice reply:
i 1 .d5 � as
The only move Black has ever pl ayed here. We need to check the captu res on ds,
though . I t l ooks s i l ly to run i nto the fork, but it takes some precision to actua l ly
prove Wh ite's advantage.
1) 1 1 .. . � xd 5 1 2. � xd 5 'd xd5 l J.e4 'd d b4.
l l
l
Th i s m ight be i rritati ng if you haven 't checked it beforehand. 14.exf5 'd d 3 1 5. � ab1
(1 5.fxg6 i s a l so possible, but rather com plicated) 1 5 ... 'd xe1 1 6 . 'd xe1 gxf5 1 7. 'd d3.
We wi l l win c5, and have a s ubstanti a l advantage;
2) 1 1 .. . 'd xd5 1 2.e4 ,rb; xe4 1 J. B. xe4 'd xcJ. Black gets 3 pawns for the piece in this
line. The fo l l owing moves are rather forced: 14. :JJ. xc3 �. xc3 1 5 . .B bl � xd 1 + 1 6 . .B xd 1
.;;. ad8
17. � bi . I wanted to show this move. Wh ite should keep pi eces o n the board and
press u rize the bl ack pawns . I know th at many players a re afra id to play with a piece
aga i n st a pawn mass, but here White's j ob is not that d ifficu lt. The pawns are not
far advanced and i m mobi le. If you feel u n s u re a bout s uch a s ituation, it is a good
idea to practice the position against an engi ne. Play it with b l ack fi rst, then try to
learn from th e engi ne's play and take th e wh ite s ide to p ractice.
1 2.C4 a6 13. � d2
Wh ite has a great position here. We are much better i n the centre, and the as-kn ight
i s offs ide.
1
1
•
1 4. A C3
I j u st wanted to s how th i s slow m ove. Please don't play i 4.e4 and get hit with
i4 . '21 xe4!. Black can't prevent e2-e4 anyway, so we j u st need to prepare it cor­
..
rectly.
B) 7• • • � c6
B lack opts for a very hypermodern a pproach of playing against the oppo nent's
pawn centre with pieces. Th i s l i ne was q u ite pop u l a r about 20 years ago, when I
played it with black aga i n st the late chess l egend Tony M i les i n G roni ngen i 997.
U nfortu nately, I lost the game score and it i s not i n the public databases. I only
remember that I lost q u ite badly, but M iles was very friendly i n th e later analysi s.
The idea of the l i ne i s best u nderstood after the next moves .
8. � XC4 A e6 9.b3
l
a1 ) 9 A ds
...
Th i s i s the fi rst part of Bl ack's concept. H e control s the l ight squares i n the centre
for the moment. The second element i s the push of the a-pawn, tryi ng to n i bble at
the b3-pawn . When I pl ayed th is l i ne with black, I q u ite often man aged to get a sce­
nario with . . . a7-a5-a4, fol lowed by bxa4 by Wh ite. Then , Black has the idea of play­
i ng . . . g a6 and . . . � a8, which I was q u ite attracted to. Nowadays, White has found
ways to com pletely avoid th i s scenario, and the whole con cept looks a lot l ess ap­
pea l i ng.
1 0. A b2 as
l
1 1 . -t) e3
I l i ke this idea a lot. Wh ite manages to p revent/defuse one of Black's key ideas, the
a-pawn push to a4.
1 1 ... A � 12.a3
N ow, we a re always a ble to an swer . . . a 5-a4 with b3-b4, and Bl ack's operation has
j u st created a wea k pawn on a4. One rec u rri ng idea i s to later reposition the kn ight
on e3 with '21 e3-c4-d2 a nd u ltimately m anage to play e2-e4 or, more l i kely, force
B lack to ta ke on f3 to give u p the bi shop pai r.
Bl l ) 1 2 °8c8
...
Th i s i s the most popu l a r move, c l ea ri ng the d8-sq u a re for the rook.
13. -t) C4 g d8 1 4.e3
We need th is move to stabil ize the centre.
1 5. ll c1
Black was th reatening . . . a5-a4, so we need to protect the kn ight with this u sefu l
move. O u r general plan i s to p repa re e3-e4 next, for exam ple, with � c2 a nd � e l .
1 5 ... � �
Stoppi ng th e e-pawn , but th e pieces o n e4 and d s are not stable i n th e long ru n .
1 6.
·
C2 �e6 1 7. g fd1 f5 1 8. � el
Wh ite has 'll d3 and fa-f3 i n store, pushing th e pieces back.
81 2) 12 � d5
•.•
l
,l
Th i s more or less ignores the idea of regrouping the e3- kn ight.
13. f} C4 f} b6 14. f} cd2 A ds 1 5.e3
The i m mediate 1 5.e4 g e6 i s prematu re. Black has too much press u re o n d4. After
1 5.e3, White can s lowly build u p to advance e3-e4 later. B lack pro bably has to play
. . .f7-f5 soon to stop the adva nce. Here's a possi ble l i ne:
15 ...fs 1 6. g el e6 1 7.
·
e2
·
e1
1 8. � C4
Wh ite is better here. Black certa i n ly does not wa nt to take on c4, but allowing the
capture on b6 is also probl ematic. Another idea for Wh ite is to play B. fd 1 and
'd f3-e1 -d 3-c5 next.
a13) 12 .. A h6 13. � C4
.
That was the p l a n anyway.
1 3 A ds
...
1 4. � ccJ2
Th i s i s a strong novelty, s u ggested by LeelaZero. I t offers a pawn , but ta king i t i s fa r
too ris ky fo r Black.
1 4. . � �
.
Th i s i s much wiser than grabbing the pawn : 1 4. . . �. xd2 1 5. � xd2 ;;t xb3 1 6. � h6.
Th i s i s al ready i ndefensi ble for Black. Wh ite's attack i s too stro ng, a s i l l u strated by
two sample l i nes:
1) 1 6 ... 'a g4 1 7. � h4 f5 1 8.d5 ;;t xd 5 1 9.e4 �. xe4 20. '2i g5 h s 2i . � ad 1 �e8 22.f3, and
Wh ite win s ! ;
2) 1 6 . . . :b: d 5 1 7. 'u g5 }J. xg2
1 8.d5 (the attacking trio of � h 6 , 'd gs and ;;ll b2 i s d evastating) 1 8 . e5 1 9 .dxe6 fxe6
.
.
20. 'd xh7 :b: e4 2 1 . 'll gs, and Wh ite i s wi n n i n g, as there are j ust too many th reats.
1 5.e3 � xd2 1 6.
xd2
We don't want to trade the bi shop j ust yet. Black sti l l ca n 't take the b3-pawn .
1 6...e6
Taking on b3 i s a h uge m i stake: 1 6 . . . :b: xb3
1 7.d5 j;; xd 5 1 8. B. a d 1 e6 1 9. 1·'M c3, and White wi ns q uickly.
17.
C2 fs
B lack can 't avoid th i s weake n i ng move i n the long ru n .
1 8. 1l ac1
After we h ave p rovo ked . . .f7-f5, we may prepare '21 d2 or
'i'.l e1
next, movi ng the
kn i ght to the sq uare c4 or c5.
82) 9 . a5
..
B lack m ay also play th is move fi rst, i nstead of g . . j;; ds. It has little i ndependent
.
val ue, as we wi l l see.
10. A b2 �
Black's idea i s to avo i d , amongst others, the 'd e3 l i n es that we i ntend to play.
Fortun ately, the q uick 10 . . . a4 has a con crete Aaw. Black should play 10 .. � d s,
.
transposing to the main branch of the 6 . . . dxc4/7
. . .
'21 c6 l i ne.
1 1 . � gs Ads
We need to check 1 1
. . .
'£. x4. If you need to captu re, yo u are bas ica l ly ad m itti ng that
•
the open i n g was a fai l u re. We j u st need to exa m i n e if Black has a ny concrete cou nterplay to i rritate u s : 1 2 . bx4 a3
l J.
.'£. c3 'll d 7 (Black prepa res . . . e7-e5 a nd . . . 'd b6)
1 4. '21 f3 (we are with drawi ng fro m the u n stable g5-squ a re and protect the centre)
1 6. '21 d2, with a large adva ntage for White. We have many static advantages: more
space, the bishop pair and a u sefu l target on a].
1 2.� A xC4 1 3.bxC4
B lack provoked e2-e4 fi rst to try to weaken the d4-pawn . White i s sti l l clea rly better,
though.
13... h6 14. � h3 � d7
1 5. jl b1
Wh ite i s a l so better with other moves, but t h i s makes a lot of sense. The rook i s
fi n e o n the h alf-o pen fi le, and t h e bishop i s protected. White i s better with his h uge
centre and the b i shop pair.
To s u m u p the l i ne with 6 . . . dxc4 and 7 . '.21 c6: it is a n interesting a pproach by
.
.
Black, but with carefu l p lay, White seem s to be at least slightly better i n B 1 , whi l e
B 2 seems even riskier fo r Bl ack.
c) 7 f} a6
...
8. � XC4 c5
B lack tries to c l ear the centre of pawns and eq ualize th is way. O u r concept aga i n st
th i s l i n e i s to not take on c5, but rath er keep the tension. Black does not want to
ta ke on d4, activating our knight. Therefo re, we wi l l enter a contest of who has th e
better strengthen ing moves. This wil l be Wh ite, as we have more space and more
options.
9.b3
Cl ) 9··· A f5
B lack plans to put the bi shop on e s, tryi ng to neutralize our fi anchetto bishop.
i o. A b2 A � n . g el g c8 1 2. Rd2 b6 i3. g fch
Th i s l i ne i s a good exa m ple of my ea rl ier statement that Wh ite has the higher­
qual ity i m provement moves. We have a l ready centra l ized our rooks, and ideas l i ke
� f4 and 'll h 3 a re a n noyi ng for B l ack.
c2) g . Ae6 i o. A b2 A ds
..
1 ) l O . . � c8 wi l l u sually tra n s pose to the l i ne l O . . ,�. d 5 1 1 . B. c1 � c8. 1 1 . � cl j;: d 5
.
.
and we have tra nsposed ;
2) 1 0 . . ,JJ. xc4 (Black plays fo r a pawn structu re with th i s capture, but it does not
.
solve a l l of h is problems) l 1 . bxc4 cxd4 1 2. 'd xd4 'd c5 (Black has man aged to i so­
late and blockade th e c-pawn. Th i s l ooks l i ke a substa ntial ach ievement, but there
i s a problem with th is set-u p. This wi l l become clearer after some more sen s i b l e
moves) 1 J. � c2 � c8 14. B. a b1 'd fd7
1 5. � fd l . The i ssue with Black's position i s th e pass ive n atu re of th i s set-up. Black
need s to keep the kn i ght on c5 to cover b1. I f you can't m ove the kn ight on c5, you
wi l l never get a ny press u re on c4. Black wou ld l i ke to play . . . b7-b6 to make the
kn i ght mobi le, but thi s obviously weakens c6 and al lows a knight j u m p to c6.
Wh ite o n the other hand has ways to i m prove. Th ere is .�. a3, for exam ple, putting
more pressure on the q ueenside.
All thi ngs con sid ered , I am happy with White's chances here.
1 1 . ll c1 ll c8 12.dxc5 � xc5 13. � e3
The start of an excellent regrouping.
1 4. A h3
G a i n i ng a tem po on the roo k.
14...e6 1 5. � d2
And fi nally, we are able to move th e kn ight without al lowi ng the trad e.
15 ... A f5 1 6. A 12
Wh ite has a n ice advantage here. We have sidel i ned the bishop on fs and have
good p ros pects o n th e q u een side.
D) 7 . c5
..
Th i s move i s cu rrently i n fas hion. Black's main idea i s to clear the centre and trade
pieces to get closer to eq uality.
8.dxc5
Th i s leads to a very s l ight advantage fo r White. I d ecided to cover this pos ition via
a d ifferent move order: l . d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 ).g3 ds 4. � g2 � g] 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 c5
7.dxc5 dxc4 8. 'd a). Please see th i s move order in Chapter 17 for detai led coverage
of th is l i ne.
E) 7 ... c6
This move is too passive and allows White an easy game with some advantage.
8. � XC4 j\ e6 9•
'
C2
There i s noth i ng wrong a bout 9 . b3 either, but I prefer th i s move. Our idea i s to play
for a q u ick e2-e4, and contro l l i n g e4 is more i m portant for that plan than iianchet­
toi n g on the q ueen s i de.
9 . � bd7 1 0. g d1 t[) b6
.
.
.l l
n . � cd2
l
We manage e2-e4 next and a re better. It's a fu l l centre with a l l fo u r m i nor pieces on
the board , wh ich makes Black's tas k q u ite awkward . Such a structu re is not that
pro m i s i n g with ju st one or two m i nor pieces l eft, but Black lacks s pace with a l l of
them on th e board .
Conclusion
I am happy with Wh ite's chances in thi s l i ne. 7 . . 'd c6 looks favourable for White if
.
we play precisely. 7 . . c3, 7 . c5 and 7 .. 'd a6 a re reasonable for Black, but I think
.
. .
.
Wh ite has good chances for a s m a l l edge i n pos itions that a re comforta b l e to play.
CHAPTER 1 9
Griinfeld:
3. . d5 4. it g2 .It g] 5.0-0
.
o-o
6.c4 c6
1 .d4 � f6 2. � f3 g6 3.g3 ds 4. A g2 A 11 5.0-0 o-o 6.C4 c6
Th i s i s Black's solid choice, stabi l izi ng the d-pawn.
7. b3
A natural move, lend i ng support to the pawn and preparing to fianchetto the bish­
op. Wh ite has a wide ra n ge of option s i n th i s pos ition , but our whole repertoi re
a pproach bas ica l ly com m its us to play 7. b3. There are m ulti ple reasons for th i s ,
mostly clever move orders b y Black l i ke 1 .d4 'd f6 2 . 'd f3 g 6 J.g3 .� g7 4. g g2
o-o
5.0-0 c6, when our repertoi re concept demands 6 . b3, when 6 . . . d5 7.c4 l eads to the
l i n e exa m i ned here.
After 7. b3, Black has two fu ndamenta l ly different choices. The most critical one i s
7 . . . dxc4 8.bxc4 c5, which rad ically changes the structu re a n d l eads to com plicated
and i nteresting pl ay. The second a pproach i s hold i ng the centre and playi ng moves
l i ke . . . 'll e4, . . . Ji. fs and m aybe . . . a7-a 5 at some poi nt. Th i s con cept is very sol id for
Black and l i m its Wh ite's edge to a m i n i m u m if Black plays perfectly.
I 'd l i ke to make one general rem a rk about thi s s low strategy. Black q u ite often plays
. . . 'd e4, lead ing to a trade of knights on CJ. Th i s is usually combi ned with
. . . g c8-f5-e4. In such a scenario, it is beneficial for White if Black has pl ayed
. . . a7-a 5. With . . . a7-a5 on the board , it i s , for exam ple, a bit more difficult for Black to
play . . . c7-c5 (th e bs-weakness) or play a seq uence l i ke . . . dxc4 bxc4 e s (the weak­
ened b-fi le) . Th i s seems m i nor, but deta i ls matter i n such a s low pos ition .
A) 7 . dxC4 8.bxC4 c5 9. A b2 cxd4
.
.
With 9 . . � b6, Black delays the capture on d4 and gai n s some add itional optio n s if
.
we res pond with 1 0 . Y!!! b3.
I suggest playing a different move, though: 10. �cl (th i s move more or less fo rces
Black to take on d4, wh ich tra n s poses to 9 . . cxd4 10 o'll xd4 � b6 1 1 . � c1) :
.
1 ) 1 0 . . . cxd4 1 1 o 'll xd4 (an d we h ave tra n s posed to 9 . . . cxd4 10. 'll xd4 � b6 1 1 . � c1 ) ;
2) 1 0 . . . '21 e4 i s the only somewhat reasonable way to avoid 1 0 . . . cxd4, wh ich seems
very natura l i n the fi rst place. After 1 0 . . 'Ll e4, Wh ite gai n s a n i ce advantage: 1 1 .e3
.
'd c6
12. ·'21 es (the i m porta nt move to remem ber. We attack the u n stable knight on e4)
1 2 . . . 'Ll d6 1 3- 'd xc6 (the i mmedi ate 1 3. 'd d2 i s also better fo r Wh ite) 1 3 . . . bxc6
1 4. 'd d2 (Wh ite now threatens JJ. a3 and '21 b3, playin g for the c-pawn fork) 1 4 ... 'Ll fs
1 5. JJ. aJ (we in itiate a forced l i ne that i s good for White) 1 5 . . . cxd4 1 6. e4 'd h 6
1 7 . JJ. xe7 B. e8 1 8. 1W a3, and Wh ite is m uch better. B l ack i s bad ly coord i n ated, and i n
particu lar s uffers from the offside kni ght.
1 0. � xd4
Th i s position may a l so be reached via a d ifferent move order. Amazi ngly, we can
get here via i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3.g3 g g] 4. g g2
8. 'd xd4 d s 9 .c4 dxc4 lO. bxc4.
o-o
5.0-0 d6 6 . b3 c5 7 �. b2 cxd4
.
.
I am very gratefu l that both move orders take 10
moves, so the move counts are id entical for both starts!
Back to the position itself: it's very i nteresti ng a nd un balanced. We h ave the i so­
lated pawn , but open l i nes and active pieces. N ote that the g2-bishop is very
strong, and Black has no obvious way to develop the q ueen si de. Now, Bl ack's m a i n
l i n e by far i s 1 0 � b 6 , but you wi l l also meet others over the board. The only other
. . .
challenging move is probably 10 . . 'd c6, as we wi l l see. It is i m portant to recognize
.
the d ifference between a l l the pos s i b l e kn ight moves, in particular between
10 . 'd bd7 and 10 . '2l fd7. Let's check th e deta i l s .
. .
. .
Al ) 1 0 'ftb6
•..
11.
Cl
The m a i n l i n e at th i s poi nt i s 1 1 . � bJ Thi s move i s i nteresting a s wel l , but I decided
to recom mend the other q ueen move. I th i n k the res ulti ng positions are somewhat
eas i er to hand le and often pro m i se Wh ite a p u l l without a ny risk take n . Black now
mainly has the choice between playi ng 1 1
. . .
'd c6 i m med iately, accepting a s m a l l
pawn structu re damage, or prepa ring t h i s move with 1 1 . . . � d 7.
Al l ) 11
•..
A d7
Th i s i s more a m b itious than 1 1 . . ':2:i c6. B lack does not accept a ny structural damage
.
and wa nts to d evelop with 12 . 'd c6 next.
.
.
Black has com pleted h i s set-up, but we sti l l have some ideas to try.
1 4. A C3
Th i s move clears the b-fi le and allows � a 3 i n some l i nes. You' l l find 3 games with
th i s position in
Megabase 2019.
B l ack has tried i4 'd xd4 and 14 .
. . .
. .
�
a6, but both
moves don't eq ualize in my opinion. LeelaZero suggests 14 . . � c7, and this seems
.
better to me. We' l l check a l l th ree moves .
Th i s more con servative move i s suggested by the engines.
1 5.
a3
After 1 4. � c7, I cou ld not fi nd a n advantage for White, but the re i s certa i n ly lots of
. .
play left. I ' l l show one l i ne that feels logical:
1 5 . . g fd8 1 6. g fc1 b6
.
17.c5
I don't see a better move, but Black m ay equ a l i ze fu l ly now. Let's make a s m a l l
exercise o u t of th i s position: how exactly does Bl ack make i t o.oo ? C a n yo u fi nd it?
It's not that obvious i n my opi nion:�
I a m n ot unhap py with this analysis resu lt: if Black p l ays such a n excel lent defence,
equal ity i s certai n ly acceptable in a mai n l i n e open i n g. ;r (the a n swer by the way i s
1 7 . . . '@ b8)
A1 1 2) 14 ... ffa6 1 5.84
Th i s i m p roves on 1 5. � b2, which was played i n two games. One key idea of the
move is to prevent Black from p l ayi ng . . . b7-b5 after taking on d4, as it i s possi ble
after 1 5. � b2 'd xd4 1 6 .exd4 bs.
15 . . � es
.
Black attacks the c4-pawn for d i rect play. Aga i n st a slow move, we'd p l ay 1 6 . � b2
next, with some pressu re.
1 6.ffb1 b6
17. g el
And now, Black can't ta ke on c4, and Wh ite sti l l has play on the q ueenside. Let's
check why the capture i s not pos s i ble:
17... � xc4 18. JUi � xd2 19. A xa6 � xb1 20. .\\ xc8 g xc8 21 . g axb1 .\\ xa4 22. A b2
And Wh ite has a clear advantage i n th e endgame. We wi l l enter with a rook on the
seventh ra n k, with decisive effect.
A1 1 3) 14... � xd4 1 5.exd4 A f5 16. g el
The move 1 6. Wt' a3 was played i n M amedyarov- Radjabov, Shamkir 201 8. Black man­
aged to eq ual ize after 16 . . . :�; d]. After the im provement 1 6. g e 1 , th i s i s not so easy
to do.
16 . tt) d]
..
Accord i ng to the engi nes, this i s the only move to equ a l i ze, but Wh ite sti l l has
i nteresting option s.
17.g4
B lack a l l owed 1 7. � xe7, and it i ndeed seem s O K for Bl ack. i 7.g4! ? lead s to i nter­
esti ng complication s.
17 ... A xg4 1 8. g b1
f6 1 9. g xb7
I 'd sti l l rather be Wh ite here, but the s ituation i s not that clear obvi ously. Stil l , we
can con c l ude that the game rem a i n s i nteresti ng after 14 . . 'll xd4, and it's rather
.
Wh ite who calls the shots.
A12) 11
••.
� c6
1 2. � xc6 bxc6 13. � d2
Wh ite's advantage here i s s m a l l , but it i s clear that we sti l l have a l ittle someth i n g.
The c6-pawn i s weaker th a n the 4-pawn , and we have tem po-ga i n i n g ideas l i ke
'll b3, � d4 or B. b 1 . Black has tried about every move here that m a kes any sense.
Let's check some ideas:
A121) 13
• ••
Ji d8
Th i s was pl ayed by Wesley So in one of the most recent games with th i s l i ne, i n an
on line PRO Chess League game aga i n st Vidit i n 20 1 8 .
1 4. g b1
Th i s seems stronge r th an Vid it's 1 4. 'll b3.
1 4...
C]
1 4 . .. � a6 1 5. � C3- We h ave seen th i s idea already. White 1 s goi ng for the
.;;. b1-b3-a3-rook l ift and b u i l d s up some pressure.
I�
1 5. A c3
N ow, � a3 i s the point, ta rgeting e7 and i ntend i ng .r£. as. Wh ite retai n s a s l ight pu l l
here without any risk involved.
A1 22) 1 3... A e6
14. A q
The engi n es s u ggest t h i s novelty. I l i ke it a lot, i nten d i n g to play the q ueen to the
a n noying a3-sq uare.
14...
·
a6 1 5. g b1
Very n ice! Wh ite now has � b1-b3-a3 i n store, which i s awkward to meet.
A1 23) 13 A f5
...
Controlling b1 d efi n itely m a kes a lot of sense.
1 4. � b3 li ac8 1 5.� l\ e6
1 6. li b1
I n th e game D i ng U ren-Caruana, Wij k aan Zee 201 5, Wh ite p l ayed 1 6.e5 instead.
1 6. � b1 i s the computer i mprovement, which poses more problems. You could
eas i ly continue the analysis u p to move 30, but th i s is a bit too deep. I ' l l show
some moves and th en cut it. If you have some time to spend, it's i nteresti ng to
a n a lyse a bit here, and it i s hel pfu l for you r overall assessment of com pl icated
positions.
16... ffb4 17. � d.4 ftxc4
The move 1 7 . . . ,�. xc4 clearly fa i l s tactical ly: 1 8. 'd fs (a n i ce shot!) 1 8 . . . gxf5 1 9. ,�. xf6
� d 6 20. §i. xe7 fi!Jxe7 2 1 . � xc4, and Wh ite has a clear advantage.
1 8.e5 � g4 1 9. � xc6
And Wh ite i s better here as wel l .
A2) 1 0 � bd7
•••
Th i s move and 10 . . . 'd a6 are q u ite s i m i lar and wi l l often tra n s pose to the same
pos ition. B l ack's idea i s to blockade the i sol ated c-pawn , but this is eas ier said than
done.
1 1 . � d2
Th i s i s the right square. The knight need s to connect to b3 and later c5. I f we man­
age to prevent the blockade, Black's strategy has fai led m i sera bly.
11
. ••
� cs 1 2. � 2b3 � fd7
1 3.
'
Cl
Th i s is a very strong move! White prepares g d l and covers bi. The q ueen i s al so
right on a dark sq uare and ready to h e l p on bi, c3 or a3 later.
1 3 ... ' b6 14. Il d1 g dg 15. � b5
Black i s u nder terri ble pressure and clearly worse.
A3) lO � a6 1 1 . � d2 � d7
...
Of cou rse, Black may also play 1 1 . . . 'd c5, wh ich i s covered via 1 0 . 'd bd7 1 1 . 'd di
. .
'd c5.
1 2. � 2b3 � des 1 3.e3
Th i s move p repares 'Ji a3, fi ghti ng for the blockade square c5.
13 ... A d7 1 4. A a3 g c& 1 5. g c1
Aga i n , Wh ite has a n noy i n g press u re on Black's q ueen s ide.
A4) 1 0 � g4
. ••
An interesting move. B l ack opens u p th e g]-bishop and i ntend s to p l ay the S4kn i ght to es most of the time.
1 1 .e3
Th i s i s a n i mportant move. With 10 . . 'cl g4, B l ack attacked the d4-kn i ght, and we
.
defi n itely need to be able to move o u r q ueen and develop th e knight on b1 . Th ere i s
n o other way: d 4 needs to be p rotected .
11
• ••
� es
After Black plays 1 1 . .. 'll a6, the move 1 2 . �. a3 keeps the a6-kn ight side l i ned. We fol­
.
low u p with standard moves l i ke � b3 and ,g d1 next.
1 2. !!b3 !!b6
After the l i ne 1 2 . . '.21 bc6 lJ '.21 xc6 'a xc6 14. � xg7 tt xg7 1 5. 'd c3, Wh ite's position is
.
preferable aga i n . The bis hop o n g2 and the lead i n development are s ignificant as­
sets.
13. � C3
Wh ite th reatens both 'll d s and 'a a4 for a c l ea r advantage. Black i s fa r away from
organizing a ny defence.
AS) 10 . � fd7
.
.
Th i s i s i n some way s i m i l a r to 1 0 . 'd g4, as it opens u p the g]-bis hop. There is a
.
.
key difference, though . . . The d4-kn ight i s not attacked. Therefore, we are able to
clear the d i -sq uare for the rook q u ickly.
11.
C2
Please avoid 1 1 . � b3?? 'll c5!, and B l ack wi ns!
11
. •.
� a6 12. 1i d1 Bb6 1 3. � bs
One way to maintai n the advantage. The idea is to play 'd b1 -c3-d5 n ext.
13 ... � xb2 14.
xb2 � dc5 1 5. � 1 c3
Wh ite has a strong i n itiative aga i n . The idea of pl aying 'd ds is hard to stop with out
any con cession.
A6) 1 0... � c6
I n some way, the most princi pled move! Th e strong pres s u re on the d i agonal
makes it d ifficult to d evelop, but Black does it a nyway. The res u lting position s are
margi nally better for White, but Bl ack hopes to hold a d raw with precise play. I t's a
'two res u lts' play - we eith er win or draw.
1 1 . � xc6 bxc6 1 2. � d2
1 2 . � xc6 B. b8
i 3.
Ji, es � h 3 lead s to a dead pos ition after some tactics. I t's not
necessary yet to p u l l the plug on the game, and we keep an risk-free edge with
1 2 . 'd d2.
1 2...
c7
1 2 . . . :b; g4 was pl ayed by G ru nfeld gu ru Peter Svidler i n 201 8. Black gives up c6 and
plays for activity. 1 3- .©. xc6 g c8 i4. � f3 .©. xf3 i 5.exf3 � d 3 1 6. g c l g fd8 1 7 . 'd b3.
The engi nes' i mprovement on Shan kland-Svidler, H oogeveen 201 8. Wh ite j ust
seems to be clearly better, wh ich i s a bit puzzli ng. Wh at did Svid ler have in m i n d
here? I don't th i n k he devised 1 2 . . :b; g4 over the board, b u t what d id he prepa re
.
here? I n a ny case, I a m happy to take White i n th i s li ne!
1 3. � f3
I suggest pl ayi ng th i s novelty, i n stead of th e tested 1 3 . � a4. After th e queen move,
B lack managed to hold in th ree to p-level games, so why not try so methi ng else?
The idea of 13. 'll f3 i s to play o n the dark squares with ;& es and 'd d4/e5 i n some
l i n es .
We don't h ave a ny game samples, so I ' l l check two l i nes that make sense t o me.
1 3 ... � e6
An interesting idea after l J . ;b; fs i s i 4.c5. Th i s seems to preserve some advantage:
.
i4 . . � b7 1 5. g e5 g fd8 1 6. � b3, and Wh ite m a i nta i n s a pu l l . N ote that we have
.
'll gs ideas if the black q ueen moves away.
1 4. ifa4 c5 1 5. � es ffd7
1 6.
b5
B lack sti l l has to solve some problems here. I a m stoppi n g at this point, as the l i ne
i s a l ready q u ite deep.
10
. . .
'd c6 is one of those l i nes played by profession a l s to com pletely ki l l th e game
off by trad ing everyth i n g. It i s not a l i ne you wi l l face often (if at all), and havi ng a n
idea l i ke 1 3. 'd f3 u p you r sleeve is more th an enough.
a) 7 A rs
...
B lack goes for a n atural d evelopi ng move. I n our theoretical overview, this move
has l i ttle independ ent significance, as Bl ack very often fo l l ows u p with . 'd e4, and
. .
I cover these set-ups via the 7 . . 'd e4 move o rder.
.
s. A b2
After th i s natural m ove, most conti n uations tra n s pose. It i s easy for us, a s we wi ll
play e2-e3 and � e2 anyway, u n l es s Black plays . . . a 7-a5, wh ich should be answered
by 'Ll c3. As mentioned i n th e a n notation to move 7, it i s hel pfu l to only a l low the
kn i ght trade on c3 after . . . a7-a5 is played . H aving th i s in m i n d , seq uences l i ke 8 . . a5
.
g.
'd c3, 8 . . 'd e4 9.e3 or 8 . . . 'd bd7 9.e3 'd e4 10. � e2 are easy to pl ay. I n stead of
.
these tran s positions, we wi l l check two alternatives for Black:
8... '8c8
Th i s i s a move that does not transpose to l i n es covered el sewhere. B l ack i ntends to
play . . �. h3 obvious ly.
.
.
An alternative i s 8 . . � b6. A rare move, th reaten i n g to take on
.
4·
I decided to in­
clude it mostly d ue to the i n structive a n swer: 9 . d es {th i s make a lot of sense.
'
9. 'd bd2 is rather passive. Now, we sti l l retai n the option of playi ng s� b 1 -c3-a4)
9 . . . 'll bd7 10. 'll c3 � fd8 1 1 . 'd xd7 � xd7 1 2. 'll a4. This i s a sample line to show the
idea. The knight has more prospects h ere tha n on d2, giving Wh ite a small edge.
9· � C3
Some players have tried 9 . .§. el , i ntend ing to an swer 9 . . j;; h3 with 1 0 . .�. h i . I a m a
.
bit sceptical about th i s slow set- u p and suggest a s i m pler a pproach.
9... A h3 1 0. li c1 Axg2 1 1 . mx12 e6
1 2.
C2
After the com i ng e2-e4, we wi l l be s l i ghtly better, d u e to the s pace advanta ge.
c) 7... � bd7
Th i s i s rarely played at profess ional level, becau se B lack i s b l ocki n g the c8-bi shop
fo r no good reason .
There i s the rule of th u m b that after a n early
. . .
'd bd7 i n S lav struct u res, the ex­
change on d s gai n s strength . H ere, 8.cxd 5 cxd 5 9 . 'll c3 i s pos s i ble, but not as good
as i n some other cases, beca use we have the pawn on b3 al ready. Wh ite wou ld l i ke
to have � b3 availa ble, but this option i s gone. For com parison , l et's look at the
fol low i ng: 7. � b3 'd bd7 ? 8.cxd 5 cxd 5 9 . 'Ll c3. H ere, White is clearly better, with th e
i m med i ate pressure on the d s-pawn .
I reco mmen d playi ng 8 . �. b2. As explai ned , 8.cxd 5 i s not a clearly better move and
.
there i s a n additional reason : after 8. :J;, b2, Black's best optio n is 8 . . . 'd e4, after
which 9 .e3 transposes to 7 . . . 'd e4 8. JJ. b2 'd d7 9 .e3. Th i s is actu a l ly not very l i kely
to happen - if Black wanted to put the knight to e4, he cou ld have done that one
move earlier. M a ny opponents wi l l play a slow move l i ke 8 ... � e8, which gives
Wh ite a su bstantial advantage.
8 1! e8
...
A waiting move, and a bad o ne. Aga i nst this and s i m i lar moves l i ke 8 . . e6 or 8 . . b6,
.
.
we wi l l prepare the move e2-e4 with 'd bd2 and , c2, qu ite s i m i la r to th e Closed
Cata lan (replace . . . g7-g6 and . . . �. g7 with . . . e7-e6 and . . . :ii. e7 and it's identica l !) .
9. � bd2 e6 1 0.
C2 b6 1 1 .� dx� 1 2. � x� �xe4 1 3. ; x�
Wh ite has a comfortable advantage i n th i s position. We have more space, and the
ideas are i ndeed q u ite com parable to the Closed Catalan structu res .
D) 7 .. a5
.
N owadays, u s i n g the flank pawn s aga i n st a fi anchetto i s very com m on place. Black
sta rts with this idea right away, before com m itting any other piece.
8. � C3
I t m akes some sen se to stop Bl ack's idea for the ti me being.
Therefore, we play 8. 'd c3 fi rst i nstead of 8 1'. b2.
. •
8... � e4
A very logical choice. Black activates the kn i ght, opens u p the g?-bishop and, by
trad ing on c3 l ater, al lows . . . a5-a4. Someti mes, Black plays 8 . . . 1'. f5 fi rst, but after
.
9 �. b2, 9 . . 'd e4 is the usual fol low-u p.
.
•
.
9. A b2
N ow, B lack has two reasonable moves : ta king on c3 or . . . .�. f5.
01 ) 9... A fs 10. ia es
Th i s is better th a n the more standard 10 .e3, which i s s l i ghtly better for White a s
wel l .
10 ia xC3 1 1 . A xC3
•••
N ow, we see a benefit of the early 'd es. Wh ite has some pressu re on d s, h i nderi ng
the natural ... 'd d 7 devel opment.
11 . .. � e6
B lack covers ds a nd prepa res . 'd d 7 next. It i s met with a powerfu l reply that i s
. .
worth rememberi ng.
1 2. � d3
Very nice! Wh ite ign ores the th reat to c4 and has 'd c5 and '.d f4 in mind.
1 2... dXC4 1 3. � CS
.
c8
B lack can 't al low a dou b led pawn on e6, so th i s i s forced basical ly.
1 4. � xe6 . xe6 1 5.d5 cxd5 16. )\ xg] mxg7 1 7.bxC4
Wh ite has an excell ent ga me here, with cxd5 com i ng next. Bl ack has h uge p roblems
on th e q ueenside/b-fi l e as wel l . We need to check wh at happens if Black takes on
C4·
1 7 ...dxC4 1 8. A xb7 g a7 19. ftd4+
And Wh ite wi n s the rook.
02)
g
...
'i) xc3 1 o. j\ XC3
As mentioned i n th e i ntroduction to th i s part of the repertoi re about the move 7. b3,
I regard this position type (trade on c3 and . . . a7-a5 pl ayed) as s l ightly better for
Wh ite. Let's explore some l i nes to show typical ideas. In genera l , it is to ugh to a na­
lyse positions l i ke th i s m ove-by-move, as there is a wide choice for both sides.
1 0 � d7
••.
Black d i rects the second kn i ght towa rd s e4.
1 ) I am sceptical of th e pawn push 1 0 . . . b5. It ga i n s some s pace, but also weaken s
the q ueen s i d e a n d c-fi l e con si derably: 1 1 .cxd5 cxd 5 1 2 . � cl b4 1 3- ;b; d 2 (th i s i s m u ch
better th an going to b2. The bishop i s best on f4)
l J. ..
�. b7 1 4. J;; f4
.
'd c6
1 5. � d2. Wh ite has a very comfortable advantage i n th i s position. Note that Wh ite
also has ideas l i ke .�. h6 and h2-h4-h5, combi n i ng play on both fla n ks ;
2) 1 0 a 4 l l .e3 axb3 1 2 .axb3 g xal 1 3- � xal . Wh ite i s slightly better here aga i n . We
. . .
h ave options l ike !¥ia71 a nd i n general more possible ideas for i m provement on the
q ueenside. We m ight p lay b3-b4-b5, ta ke on ds or m anoeuvre with pieces, such a s
'a f3-e5-d3-c5, fo r i n stance. Black h a s n o active poss i b i l ities a n d needs to defen d
th i s only s l i ghtly worse position.
1 1 .e3 � f6 1 2. � es � �
13. A e1
I wanted to poi nt out t h i s idea. Thi s move looks awkward at fi rst, but a future fa-f3
gives thi s piece a fresh pers pective. I ' l l show one l i ne to i l l u strate th is idea.
13 ... !td6 14.f3 f}f6 1 5. g el c5 1 6.g4
With a nice adva ntage for Wh ite, mostly d ue to h i s extra s pace and centra l control.
E) 7 f} e4
. . .
Th i s is a key el ement of Bl ack's play and i s often p layed right away on move 7. I n
some cases, Black sta rts with 7 . �. f5 o r 7 . . . 'd d 7, playing . 'd e4 next. I cover a l l
. .
.
these cases via t h e 7 . . 'd e4 move order.
.
. .
8. � b2
l
l
l
El) 8 ... � f5
8 . . a5 i s an swered by
.
g.
'.21 c3, which is covered via the early 7 . . . a 5 move order.
9.e3
We should wait with '.21 c3 u nti l Black has played . . . a 7-a5.
Ell) 9••• � d7 1 0.
e2
We should wait with '.21 c3 u nti l Black plays . . . a7-a5.
10 a5
. ••
Black does not h ave a ny u n iversally u sefu l moves anymore, so h e pl ays . . . a7-a5
after a l l .
An alternative cou ld b e 1 0 . . . � a 5. Bl ack prevents 'd c 3 fo r th e moment and con­
nects the rooks: 1 1 . g cl � ac8 1 2 . 'Ll c3 (th ere is no other way to develop after
...
·'
as, but the resulting position is noth i n g to com plain a bout) 1 2
. . .
'd xc3
1 3- g xc3.
The re are some pos s i bi lities for both sides from here. I ' l l s how a good set-u p fo r
Wh ite: 1 3 . . . � b6 1 4. � d l (the rooks are best on cl and d l , so w e start th is regroup­
i ng) 1 4 . g fd8 1 5. B. ac1 'i{g a 6
. .
1 6. 'd e l . White i s slightly more act ive, and the idea 'd ei-d3-f4 can be q u ite a n noy­
ing for Black.
1 1 . � c3
Accord i ng to the general recipe to play 'd c3 on ly after . . . a7-a5.
11
. ••
� xc3 12. A xC3 A e4
After 1 2 . . a4, I recom m end goi n g fo r concrete pl ay. Of co urse, you m ay a l so keep
.
the tension, but I th i n k taking on ds i s prom i s i ng.
a pawn , but
Wh ite's position l ooks too unharmonious to me i n th i s line. You may explore for
yo urself, but for thi s repertoi re 1 4. � b5 looks fi n e. We exert risk-free press u re with
th i s move) 14 . . . � b6 1 5. � xd 5 J4 e6 1 6. � e4 axb3 1 7.axb3 � xb3 1 8. J4 as. The b-pawn
i s a u sefu l target, and o u r pieces are more active. Bl ack's g1-bi shop is biti ng on
granite, wh i l e taking on ds freed up our fi anchetto bi shop.
13. g fc1
A good square for the rook. It covers the bishop on c3 and frees up fl fo r a potential 1J, fl later.
13 . e6
..
H ere, 1 3 . . . a4 i s even more m i sti med than one move earl ier: 1 4. cxd 5 cxd 5 1 5. � b5
(th i s i s very awkward for Black to meet) 1 5 . . . axb3 1 6.axb3 B. xa1 1 7. � xa1 ( I don't see
how Black defends the b6-pawn i n a sati sfactory way) 1 7 . . . b6
1 8. �; b2 . The bishop wi l l be great on a} White has an overwhe l m i ng position .
14. A fi A xf3 1 5. D xf3
You wi l l reach th i s pos ition type freq uently after 7 . b3 if Black chooses not to ta ke
on C4 and holds the centre. Black's pos ition is q u ite solid. H e has a dark-squared
bi shop, and al most a l l pawn s are on l i ght squares, which m a kes a harmonious i m­
pression. The downsi de of Black's game i s its passive natu re. Black does n ot h ave
any active plan available and will mostly wait and hope fo r cou nterchances if White
overpresses. We should try to play a very slow game, improvi ng the pos ition step
by step. One plan I 'd l i ke to poi nt out is to play a2-a4 fi rst, then conti nue to open
the q ueen side with b3-b4 next. Th i s should be p repared with moves l i ke � ab1 and
�dl.
Some general advice about the s low l i nes after 7. b3: studyi ng some com plete
games is helpfu l to better u nd erstand the pla n s for both sides. I bel ieve White has
more options and easier pl ay, but Black can s u rely put up a resi l ient defence.
E12) 9 a5 10. � C3
...
Accord ing to the general rule of th u m b: d c3 only after . . . a 7-a5.
'
1 0 � XC3 1 1 . A xC3 A� 12. �e2
••.
Th i s i s a good position to exam ine regard i n g the . . . a7-a5 move and the ti m i n g of
'd CJ. Here, with . . . a7-a5 bei ng pl ayed , it is l es s attractive for Black to take on C4, a s
it opens the b-fi le aga i nst th e backward pawn. It i s i m portant to u nderstand that
Wh ite idea l ly wants to avoid th e trade of b i shops on g2 and e4, fu rth er s i m pl ifying
the position. The way to do th i s is to play the g-bishop to h 3 or f1 and only then
play 'll d2 or 'd e1 .
1 2 84
• ••
Black may also play 1 2 . . . 'd d 7 here, which after 1 3 . � fc1 tran sposes to the move
order 7.b3 'll e4 8 . .J4 b2 .� fs 9 .e3 'll d7 1 0. � e2 as 1 1 . 'd C3 'll XC3 1 2 � XC3 .�. e4
. •
l J. :;; fci . Qu ite clearly, nobody l ea rn s all the possible sequ ences by heart. It i s most
i mportant to get a feel fo r the piece pl acement i n the fi rst pl ace.
i
l
l
,l,
l,
�
l
13. A h3
I recom mend this move, fu l ly aware that Black m ay get very close to eq ual ity if he
finds the right reply. If you 'd l i ke to avoid 13 '£. h3 c5, you m ay a l so pl ay a less com­
.
•
mittal move l i ke 1 3. � fc1 .
13 ... c5
Th i s seems to be the only move that gets Black cl ose to eq ual ity.
1 3 . � xf3 i s more l i kely to occur i n a practical ga me. After 14. � xf3 e6 1 5. � fb 1 ,
. .
Wh ite retai n s a s m a l l, but perma nent edge, d u e to the bi shop pa i r and more op­
tio n s to change the pawn structure. Th i s is an i m po rta nt factor to take i nto ac­
cou nt. It is not that easy for Black to play . . . c6-c5 or . . . e7-e5, as th is would weaken
ds q uite a bit, a pawn th at our bishop can ea s i ly put u nder pres s u re.
1 4. li fd1 � c6
1 5. g ac1
The trades i n the centre wi l l s i m pl ify th e pos ition a lot, getti n g Black close to eq ual­
ity. The move i 3 c5 has never been played i n my database, not even by G M s, so I
. . .
a m wi l l i ng to accept t h i s rough ly eq ual position if someone i ndeed manages to fi nd
it. We are better if Black plays a more sta ndard move in stead, which i s far more
l i kely.
E2) 8 A e6
...
B lack puts some pres s u re o n the c4-pawn . N ow, a ro uti n e move l i ke 9. �c2 would
be fine, but the best move is considerably stro nger.
9. � bd2 � xd2
The pri nci pled move, but not the best choice. Black should probably play 9 . . f5,
.
which gets u s into a D utch structure that i s q u ite fa m i l ia r to us. We use t h i s
b2-b3/ ,�, b2/ 'd bd2 set-up against the Len i ngrad Dutch as wel l .
1 0.
xd2
That's th e real poi nt of g . 'a bd2. Now, Bl ack s hould not take on C4·
1 o dxC4 1 1 . � g5
...
c8
The move l 1 . .. cxb3 i s not playa ble i n my opinion: 1 2. 'd xe6 fxe6 (I'm rath er shocked
th at a strategic gen i u s l i ke Levon Aronian had th is on the board as Bl ack. H e is already i n d i re straits, sufferi ng fro m th i s terri ble pawn structu re) 1 3. � b4 � d 7
1 4. � xb). Wh ite i s a lot better and i n a h igher sen se proba bly win n i ng. N ote that
after a later e2-e4-e5 and fa-f4, Black's bishop is boxed in fo rever - and this is not
the only problem he has .
1 2. � xe6 ftxe6 1 3.bxc4
XC4
.\
.\
.\
1 4.d5
The excel lent poi nt of the whole l i ne.
1 4... A xb2 1 5.
xb2
Wh ite i s clearly better here. Let's see the proof with two key l i nes. I n both of them,
Wh ite win s the pawn back with interest:
15 ... ' b5
1 5 . . . � a6 1 6 . E. fb1 g d8 1 7. � xb7 �xb7 1 8. E. xb7 cxd 5 1 9 . g xe7, and White wi l l wi n
d s and/or a7 soon.
1 6. g fb1
xb2 1 7. g xb2 cxd5 1 8. j\ xd5 � d7 1 9. g xb7
And Wh ite i s clea rly better i n thi s endgame, wi n n i n g a pawn soon.
E3) 8 � d7
. . .
B lack i ntends to tran sfer the b8-kn ight to f6, but there i s a flaw i n th i s idea. The
kn i ghts a re standing on each other's toes, as l ong as Wh ite does not play 'll c3.
9.e3 � dffi
As u sual after 9 . a5, we are more i ncli ned to play 'd CJ. There are good alternatives,
. .
but it's good to have a general ru l e of th u m b. After 10. 'd c3, we wi l l tra n s pose to
positions exa m i ned via 7 . a 5.
. .
1 0. � es
Wh ite should avoid 10. 'd c3, a l l owing Black to trade. I t i s m u ch better to central ize
with ·:.21 es and prepare to play fa-f3 at the ri ght moment.
10 A e6 1 1 . !!e2
•..
Amazingly, Black has scored zero percent out of the n i ne ga mes i n my database.
Th i s is certai n ly a bit m uch but Wh ite defi n itely has an edge.
1 1 a5 12. 'i) a3
.••
An interesti ng choice by Boris Gelfand. Wh ite a l so had other promi si n g options,
l i ke 1 2.a4, for i n stan ce.
12 ...a4 1 3.f3 'i) d6 1 4.c5 'i) f5
1 5.b4
Wh ite had a comfortable adva ntage i n Gelfand- Korobov, Poi kovs ky 20 1 8 .
Conclusion
I n l i ne A, B l ack reaches eq ual ity with perfect play, but as usual thi s is not th at easy
to do, in particular without deep preparation by Bl ack. We are sti l l a b l e to mai ntain
a p u l l i n many l i nes that have been played by very strong players, a nd ris k very l ittl e
whi l e d oi ng s o . Li ne B i s enti rely different i n natu re, as Black accepts a very s l i ghtly
worse position i n a s l ow game, q u ite u ntypical of the G ru nfeld.
CHAPTER 20
Black in vites a Benoni: 3 c5
...
Th i s chapter is about black set-ups i nvolving . . . c7-c5 after both s ides have al ready
comm itted to a ki ngside fianchetto. Due to our repertoi re approach of a n early ' .21 f3
and g2-g3, it happen s th at Black pl ays . . . c7-c5 right after we h ave a l ready com m itted
to a kingside fianchetto. Th i s funda menta l ly cha nges the assessm ent of the ad­
vance d4-d S as a res ponse. For exa mple, after i .d4 ' ,21 f6 2. '.21 f3 g6 }g3 c5 4.d5,
Black has the option of playing 4 . . . b5, after which we get i nto problems su pporti ng
the pawn. It is u sefu l to com pa re th i s to i .d4 'd f6 2. '21 f3 c5 3.d5 bs. The add itional
moves g2-g3 and ... g7-g6 clea rly favour Bl ack. His move is u n ivers a l ly u seful, wh i l e
we don't real ly need the bishop on g 2 badly. Wh ite's most com mon approach
aga i n st these m ove orders is to play a q u ick c2-4 and a l l ow Black to take on d4,
for exa m ple, l .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 J.g3 c5 4.c4. Th i s is a fi ne l i ne for White, but I d is­
covered a very i nterestin g alternative i n 4.dxc5, which leads to a very 'non-Benon i '
structure. I n my m i nd, th i s l i ne sets B lack some problems that are not easy to solve
over the board. I need to emphasize that this l i ne i s based solely on fres h analys i s
and h a s never been covered i n a book, s o Bl ack players a re u n l i kely to know a ny­
th i n g a bout it, but rather have to figure it o ut on the i r own.
I 'd also l i ke to poi nt you to Chapter 2 1 , wh ich , amongst others, d i scu sses i .d4
g6 2. 'd f3 ji, g7 3.g3 c5, wh ich i s s i m i l a r i n natu re a n d will often transpose i nto the
fo l lowing l i nes.
1 .d4 � f6 2. �f3 g6 3.g3
Black may play . . . c7-c5 o n move th ree, fo u r, or five. Besides the i m med iate J. . . c5,
there a l so is J. . . �. g] 4. �. g2 c5 a n d 3 . . . . �. g] 4 �. g2 o-o 5.0-0 c5. I n a l l cases, I
.
.
.
.
•
recommend ta king on c5. As we will see, . . . c7-c5 on moves th ree a n d fo u r are very
s i m i l ar, due to the fact that Black's best reply i s . . . � a 5+ in both cases . I n the ver­
sion on move five, Black does not have a check a nymore, which changes the s itu­
ation d ra stical ly. Th i s l i ne is actual ly q u ite dubious for Black, wh ich sparked my
i nterest i n the capture o n c5 i n th e fi rst place. Th en, I checked the earlier dxc5 l i nes
and found many i nteresti ng ideas, wh ich l ed to the reperto i re recom men dation of
'always ta ke on c5 i f . . . g7-g6 a nd g2-g3 are a l ready pl ayed'.
We' l l fi rst check the . . . c7-c5 push on move 3 and then d i scuss th e differences to
the later . . . c7-c5 move.
Black plays ... c7-c5 on move 3
3 . .c5 4.dxc5 ft as+
.
Th i s i s by far the most popul a r move. B l ack makes sure to regai n the pawn .
The move 4. . 'd a 6 here is worse th an one move later, where the res u lti ng position
.
is j u st so mewhat better fo r White: 5 . �. e3
.
1) 5 . . . � c7 6. � d4 ,!J. g7
7. 'd c3, and B lack is j u st a pawn down with no compensation to show for it;
2) 5 . 1Wa 5+ 6.c3, and White wi l l keep the c5-pawn easi ly;
. .
3) 5 . � g] 6.a3 (we n eed b2-b4 to cover the pawn) 6 .o-o (or 6 . Y!!i c7 7. b4 'd g4
. .
. .
. .
8. 1l, d4 es 9 . � b2. Th i s l i ne shows one reason why 6.a3 is stronger than 6.c3)
7. :JJ. d4. B lack is not gett i n g the pawn back a nymore, and he need s to try to play
. . . d7-d6 or . . . b7-b6 soon to get th e bi shop out. I ' l l show you one line the engi ne
suggests: 7 ... '2J c7 8. ,J;, g2 'd e6 9 .c3 Wlc7 i o . b4 f;. d8 l l . 'd bd2 b6 i2. J;. e5 d6
i 3.cxd 6 exd 6 i 4. ,J;, d4. This is not forced at a l l , but j ust a l i n e to i ll u strate the play. I
don't th i n k B lack gets enough play for the pawn , even though th e engi ne displays
some compensation.
5 · f) fd2
It looks odd, I know! B ut hang on, it makes perfect sense j u st th ree moves later.
The kn ight wil l ga i n a u sefu l tem po on the q ueen on c5, and by moving this kn ight,
we also open up the long d i agonal fo r the bishop on g2 .
5···
xcs
Black may play 5 . JJ. g] fi rst, but after 6. 'd c3 fgxc5 7. �. g2, we reach the m a i n l i ne
. .
of th e cha pter a nyway.
6. A p A f7
7· � c3
Th i s position i s very i m portant, a s it m ay arise from various move orders. Fi rst
exa m ple: l .d4 'Ll f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3-g3 C5 4.dxc5
ill as+
5· 'd fd2 �XC5 6. g g2 � g7 7. 'd Cl
Second exam ple: Ld4 'LJ f6 2 . 'd f3 g6 3.g3 j;; g7 4. Ji. g2 cs 5.dxcs � as+ 6. 'd fd2
.
� xcs 7. 'd c3. Th i rd exa m ple: 1 .d4 g6 2. 'd f3 :A. g7 3-g3 cs 4.dxcs � as+ s. '2i fd2 'd f6
6. 'd c3 � xcs 7. j;; g2. I need to emphasize th at th is whole l i n e i s com p l etely u nex­
plored prior to this book. There i s j u st ON E game i n the database that reached th i s
position, so you r opponent wi l l know n o theory here, a s there i s (or was) none!
N ow, what is th e idea of Wh ite's odd set-up? We wi l l see that it is rather versati le,
depending on B l ack's choice now. One peculiar point is th at we have not yet cas­
tled kin gside, wh ich allows us to play h2-h4- h s in some l i n es, goi n g for a q u ick
mating attack. This may sou n d s urpri s i n g at t h i s moment, but you wil l see how
eas i ly B lack may get i nto precarious situati ons i n th is l i n e. Let's look at moves to
make th i ngs clearer.
A) 7 0-0 8. f} b3
...
Al) 8 ftq
...
Th i s i s the most stable a n d safe square fo r th e queen, and the most l i kely move to
be played . We need to guess, as there are basica l ly no games to base o u r analysis
on.
9· j\ g5
Wh ite i s aga i n setti ng u p th e idea to take on f6 and play 'll d s. B l ack could retreat
the q ueen to d8 now, wh ich we h ave covered a l ready via 8 . . . � b6 9 . j;; gs � d8.
9 � c6
...
With 9 . d6, Black ign ores Wh ite's idea com p l etely: 1 0 �. xf6 j;; xf6 1 1 . 'll d s, with a
. .
clear advantage for Wh ite.
. •
1 0. '@d2
I a l so ch ecked l o. g xf6 g xf6 l l . '.d d 5 � e5 1 2. 'd xf6 W xf6. H ere, 1 3.c3 is not the
most aggressive conti n uation, but defi n itely not bad for Wh ite. If you l i ke a s low
game with a s m a l l p u l l , th i s i s n ot a bad option. After the more aggress ive 10. � d2,
Black m ight aga i n j u st retreat the q u een, tra nspos i n g to 8 . . . ™' b6 9 . JJ. g5 � d8
10. W d2 'd c6, after which both 1 1 h4 and 1 1 . .�. h 6 are fine. We wi l l check two addi­
.
tional i ndependent ideas:
1 0 � g4
•..
Th i s i s Stockfi s h 's suggestion, but I doubt th at a h u man would ever play it. Black
moves the kn ight to avoid any � xf6 ideas, and 'd f6-g4-e5-4 is an active idea. And
one t h i ng is a l so certai n : we are not playin g 0-0-0 now, beca use fa is eyed by the
kn i ght as wel l !
An alternative may be
l O. .
.
a 5.
A somewh at radical option, but it i s a com mon idea i n the Sicil ian, a n d th i s posi­
tion certa i n ly has a Sici lian flavour. l 1 . a4 '21 b4 {thi s i s the idea: Black has provoked
the weaken i ng of b4 to put a knight there and i ncrease control of the d s-square)
1 2 . B. c1 {th i s prepa res 'd b5 a n d c2-c31 expe l l i n g the i ntruder on b4) 12 . . . d6 1 3. d b5
'
� d8 1 4.c3 'd c6 1 5.0-0. I prefer Wh ite here. White has a u sefu l space advantage,
a n d Bl ack has weaknesses on the q ueen side. One idea that comes to m i n d is to
play B. fd 1 and c3-c4-c5 next.
1 1 . � ds , d8 12.c3
I l i ke thi s restra i ni ng a pproach aga i n st the bis hop on g?.
1 2. . d6 13.h3 � ges 14. g d1 � C4
.
1 5.
Cl
I s l ightly prefer White i n thi s position. The kn ight on d s is sti l l very a n noyi ng, and it
is not clea r how Black wi ll get rid of it without some concession. One idea for
Wh ite i s to play o-o and 'd d4 soon, tryi ng to play b2-bJ.
A2) 8...
hS
Placi ng the q u een on h s aga i n st a kingside fianchetto i s someti mes reasonable, but
it does not wo rk wel l here. Wh ite has not castled, which al lows the strong reply. .
.
9.h3
The q u een has j u st very few squares left on the fifth rank.
9 . it) c6 1 0. A f4
..
And now we a re th reatening g3-g4, leavi ng Black short of a sati sfactory reply.
A3) 8
...
·
b6 9• j\ g5
.
d8
Black decides to move away from the g xf6/ 'd d s ideas. Please note that this pos i­
tion may a l so occur after 8 . . . Vl!i c7 9 . g gs � d8.
1 ) 9 . . h 6 10. � e3 � d8 1 i . � d2 � h 7
.
1 2.h4 (Wh ite h a s built a dangerous attack with s i m pl e means) 1 2 . 'd S4 1 3- .�. d4,
.
.
and White is a lot better after the trade of the b ishops. We h ave h4-h5 com i ng, and
our king will be perfectly safe after castl ing q ueen side;
2)
g
. . .
'd c6
10. g xf6 .� xf6
1 1 . 'd d s
(th i s i s a key idea of Wh ite's set-up. Black's development i s
not easily com pleted , and h e a lways n eeds to watch out fo r th is seq uence) 1 1 . .
.
�.'
d8
1 2 . '21 xf6+ exf6 (Black's pawn structu re is fata lly wea kened, givi ng Wh ite a h uge
adva ntage)
1 3. �d6.
The most powerfu l move, but Wh ite i s better w ith many oth ers
as wel l . The structural defects of Black's position are beyond repa i r.
10.
d2
Wh ite i s j u st i n time to prevent . . . h7-h6 and prepare � h6. Black's pos ition i s not at
all easy to play. On the next move, White has a fu n d amental choice. Pus h i n g h2-h4
i s obvious ly the most aggressive move, but not the on ly playable option. I f the
coming com pl ications are too sharp fo r you r taste, you m ay play 1 1 . j;; h 6 a nd go for
kingside ca stl i ng after trading on g?. After a later e2-e4, i ntend i ng to play 'd ds,
yo u' l l get a more strategic and slower game. I recom mend 1 L h4, beca u se it wi l l
pose more di rect problems for Black, who wi l l most l i kely need to solve i t over th e
board.
A31) 1 0 d6
...
1 1 . h4
As mentioned, you m ay a lso play 1 1 �. h 6 for a more conservative game.
.
•
A31 1) 1 1
...
f} c6 1 2. A xf6
I a l so looked at 1 2. h 5 '2l xh5 1 3. � f3 '21 f6 1 4. ,�. h6. After this forced seq uence, Bl ack
needs to play the only move 14 .. g h8, an exchange sacrifice wel l known from the
.
Sici lian D ra gon. After 1 5 . .�. xf8 � xf8, Black retai ns enough com pensation and h i s
position seem s to be fai rly easy to play. I wanted to recommend th i s a t fi rst, but I
th i n k the captu re on f6 i s m ore dangerous for Black.
12
...
Axf6 13.hs
We h ave ach i eved a lot with th e advan ce of the h-pawn . At a su itable moment, we
m ight take on g6 and open the h-fi le. One i m portant poi nt is that we had to give u p
o u r dark-sq uared bish op, wh ich makes the f6-bis hop a strong defender. Sti l l , Wh ite
has good attacki ng chances, as we wi ll see. I looked at some poss i bi l ities for Black
now:
13 a5
...
1) 13
. . .
�. e6 i s too passive, a s the fol lowi ng l i n e shows: 1 4.0-0-0 � c8 1 5. hxg6 hxg6
•
1 6. � h 6 � e8 l ]. 'd c5, and Black i s fa l l i ng apart q uickly;
2) 1 3 . . . $; f5 i s better th an 1 3 . . ,J;. e6, positi o n i ng the bishop aga i n st the white king
.
after q ueenside castl i ng. Wh ite sti l l gets a dangerous attack: 1 4.0-0-0 B. c8 1 5.e4
.�. e6 (or 1 5 . . �. g4 l 6.f3 g e6 1 7. hxg6 fxg6 1 8.f4, which leads to the same position)
.
l 6.hxg6
fxg6
.
1 7.f4. We a re a l ready rather deep, but let's look at one sample l i n e. The engi nes be­
l i eve Wh ite is better, but it i s com pl icated : 1 7 . . . 'd b4 1 8. 00 bi W!1 c7 1 9.f5 gxf5 20.a3
'd c6 2 1 . 'll d s JJ. xd 5 22. �xd 5+ � h8 23- �xf5, a nd here Wh ite's attack has crashed
th rough.
l
1 4.hxg6 hxg6
1 4 . . . ficg6 seems worse than 14 . . . hxg6: 1 5.0-0-0 a4 (th i s i s th e princi pled move, but
it does not work, d ue to a tactica l s hot) l 6. '21 c5 (Wh ite's attack is very strong now.
The worst piece, the knight on b3, joi n i ng the party, often means the begi n ni ng of
the end) 1 6 . . . dxcs 1 7. � h 6. Wh ite th reatens m ate, and th e b l ack q u een is attacked too much to handle.
1 5.� A e6 16.0-0-0 A xb3
Black shou l d probably ta ke the kn i ght on b3, otherwise it cou ld give problems.
l 6. .
.
B. c8 1 7. 'd c5 (an i m portant tactical shot!) 17
. . .
JJ. fs 18.g4
•
.JJ. xg4 l g . '21 xb7
·
d7
20. 'd c5 � d8 2 1 . '!¥M h6 .S. e8 22. ,�,£3 (White's attack i s a l ready too strong, but this
sets a neat trap) 22 . . . ,� xf3 23. '2l e6 fxe6 24. W xg6+ �f8 25. g, dg1 , and it's m ate in
th ree!
17.cxb3 Ii c8
1 8. m b1
Wh ite's attack seems more dangerous here. White's king i s a lot safer tha n Blac k's .
A312) 1 1 h5
•••
Th i s move i s met with a n i ngenious reply.
1 2. /t xffi /t xffi 13.g4
A n i ce s hot! N ow, Black eith er needs to s acrifice material or wi l l face a m u rderou s
attack.
13 /t x14
...
Th i s gives up m aterial, but it seems better than l J. . . hxg4: 1 4. h 5 gs 1 5.0-0-0 'd c6
1 6. '.21 e4. I ' l l stop here, conclud i n g that White has excel lent chances. You need to
cut it somewhere, i n particular if you a nalys i s a l i ne that i s basically vi rgi n territory
from move 4.
- I
iI
1 8.0-0-0
B l ack has some compensati on for the exchange. The dark-squared bis hop i s stro ng
and helps to protect the ki ng. I 'd rather be White here, but it is messy. You need to
ta ke i nto account th at you wi ll most l i kely reach it with a h uge time advantage on
the clock, as B l ack has been on h i s own for q u ite a wh i le al ready.
Sti l l , if such a position feel s too random, you may t h i n k abo ut em ployi ng 1 1 . j;; h 6
i n stead - it's good to have option s accord i ng to taste, opponent and setti ng of the
game.
A32) 10 . � c6
.
.
1 1 .h4
As mentioned before, a l ess bruta l approach with 1 1 . .1£. h 6 i s also viable. Going for
the th roat i s very tem pti ng, tho u gh ! B l ack n ow has th e choice of stopping the hpawn or playi ng 1 1 . . .. d6, wh ich we h ave covered via 10 .. d6 1 1 . h4 'd c6. In th i s case,
.
1 2 . � xf6 and h4-h5 next is dangerous for Bl ack.
11 ... h5 12. j\ xf6
Sticki ng with the caveman approach. We a re ta king some strategic risks to expose
the black king.
1 2... �xf6 13.g4 hxg4 1 4.h5 gs 1 5. � �
There i s a s i m i l a r position i n o u r repertoi re, with . . . d7-d 6 being pl ayed i n stead of
. . . -,0 c6. Here, B l ack's defence i s a bit easier, a s he has the fol lowi ng move.
1 5 ... e6
Th i s l i ne is very unclea r to me. We have attacki ng chances , but I co uld n ot find a
defi n ite adva ntage. I ' l l show you my main l ine:
1 6. � xf6+ ftxf6 1 7.h6
I ntendi ng to play g h s next.
17 ...d5 1 8. g h5 m h8 1 9.o-o-o g g8 20.h7 g 17
21 .�
And the game remains very com pl icated . I th i n k we ca n concl ude that 1 1 . h4 after
1 0 . . 'd c6 is dangerous for Black, but not better for Wh ite i n this l i ne. I wou ld
.
choose between 1 1 .h4 a nd 1 1 . �. h 6 accord ing to the circumsta n ces of the game. If
yo u h ave al ready a h uge ti m e advantage by m ove 1 1 and you feel you r opponent
does n ot l i ke to defend in a messy pos ition , go h2-h4 ! If you see better chances of
outplayi ng you r oppon ent i n a slow game, 1 1 . $). h 6 i s you r move.
B) 7 . . d6
.
Th i s i s a clever move, antici pati ng the seq uence of 8. 'd b3 1l1N c7 9 . :JJ. gs. I n this case,
Black now has 9 'd bd7 to connect the kn ights.
...
8. 'i) b3
.
q
Th i s looks l i ke the most reasonable move. The queen 1 s exposed elsewhere:
8 .. �hs
.
g.hJ The q ueen i s j ust bad ly placed on h s. A future .�, f4 would even th reaten
g3-g4, al most trapping the q ueen.
9. A gs 0 bd7
The idea of d elaying castling a n d playing 7 . . d6 fi rst. N ow,
.
.
10
.
�, xf6 i s harm less, a s
•
Black s i m ply recaptu res with the kn ight. I analysed s o m e possi ble plans now, a s
Wh ite has a rather wide choice.
10. 0 b5
At the en d , I d eci ded to recommend th e kn ight hop to bs, lead i ng us to pos itions
that a re q u ite com pa rable to other parts of the repertoi re. I also checked the idea of
playi ng i n S ici l ian style with e2-e4 or delayi ng any central pawn com mitments a nd
sta rt with a2-a4, ga i n i n g some ground on the q ueen s ide. U lti m ately, I went for 'd b s
becau se t h e later c2-c4 leads u s to more fa m il i a r structures, b u t feel free to explore
the other mentioned ideas - they are a l l playa ble and i nteresti ng.
1 0...
b8
1 ) 1 0 . . . � b6 looks more active tha n 1 0 . .. 'gg b8, but the queen i s exposed on b6: l l .C4
o-o 1 2 . � e3 �d8
l
1 3.0-0. I wanted to show t h i s l i n e mostly to demonstrate that you should not gra b
on a] ! After 1 3. 'd xa7? 'd g4! and 1 3- � xa7 ? ! 'd es, you wi l l regret you r greed q u ickly.
After castli ng, I 'd s l ightly prefer Wh ite, due to the s pace advantage a n d a possi ble
later 'Ll b s-c3-d5, wh ich i s always a n noyi ng for Black;
2) I a m not s u re if a nybody wou l d dare to play 1 0 . . . � c4, but it p revents c2-c4 ! We
h ave a n excellent reply though : l 1 . � dJ. This fo rces the queen trade, and leads to a
very n i ce position for Wh ite: 1 1 . . . � xd3 1 2.cxd3 (we are m uch better-equ i pped to
play on the c-fi le. Black's defence i s not easy at all) 1 2 . . . o-o
l 5. g fc1 .
l J.O-o
a6 14. 'Ll c7 g b8
Black is i n trouble here. Wh ite has easy moves to i ncrease the pressure,
and it's a l l defence for the second player.
1 1 . C4 o-o 12.0-0
We have reached a com mon pawn structu re, but with a slightly u nusual pi ece
placement. The bishop on gs and the kn i ght on bs are a bit off, but th e queen on b8
and the knight on d7 don't look wel l placed either. White wi l l retreat the bs-kn i ght
to c3 to con nect it to th e d s-sq uare. I gen eral ly prefer Wh ite i n these pawn struc­
tu res, but it seems to be roughly equal here.
Black plays ... c7-c5 on move 4
3 . A g7 4· A 12 cs
..
Let's check the delayed versions of . . . c7-c5.
Th i s wi l l mostly tra nspose to the same position s as 3- · · cS if Bl ack responds with
the natural . . . � a s+ to regain the pawn . In case of . . 'd a6, there is a difference to
.
3 . . . cs - l et's have a look at con crete moves.
5.dxc5 � a6
Th i s attempt to rega i n the pawn i s down right bad after i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3.g3 cs
4.dxcs 'd a 6 5 . � e3, wh en Black i s j u st a pawn down for nothi ng. Here, S··· 'd a6 i s
.
sti l l not great, but not a s dubious a s one move earl ier. The most obvious move,
however, is S · · · � as+. After 6. 'd fd2, we reach a pos itio n that we exam i n e via the
move order i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3-g3 cs 4.dxc5 � as+ S· 'd fd 2 g g7 6. };. g2.
6. A e3 ffq 7· � C3
Wh ite wou ld l i ke to cover the pawn with 7. � d4, but thi s i s refuted by 7 . . 'd h s! .
.
Th i s reply i s not pos s i ble i n the com parable l i ne with 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3.g3 c 5
4.dxcs '.d a6 S· � e 3 � c7 6. � d4, and now 6 . . . 'd h s obviou s ly fa i l s , a n d White keeps
the pawn after 6 . 9J. g7 7. 'd c3.
.
.
7 � xc5
...
Wh ite was now ready to play � d4 aga i n , so B lack needs to ta ke the pawn.
8.o-o
8 f) e6
...
Th i s covers the d4-square and removes the kn ight from its u n stable pos ition (compare with 8 . . . o-o 9. ·'21 bs) .
1 ) 8 . . o-o 9 . 'll bs tra n sposes to the worst version of . . . c7-c5, the one on move five.
.
In concrete moves, th i s reads l .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 ).g3 j), g7 4. J4 g2 o-o 5.0-0 c5
6.dxc5 'd a6 7. � e3 V!!! c7 8. ·'2l c3 'd xc5 9 . 'll b5. Wh ite has a great game in th i s vari­
ation;
2) 8 . . . d 6 9. �. d4 (a strong move, th reatening both 10. 'd d s i m med iately and
1 o. ;;t xf6 fol lowed by 1 1 . 'd d 5) 9 . . 'd cd7.
.
More or less the only move to add ress White's idea.
1 0.a4 (a tough cal l ! H ere, 10. '21 bs � b8 1 i .c4 or 10. 'd ds )¥gd8 1 i .c4 a re n i ce for
Wh ite a s well . Pu s h i n g the a-pawn is q u ite a n noyi ng though, a s Black does n ot
have many constru ctive moves after he has castled) 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 .a5. I a m not s u re
what Black's next move is. The engi nes recommend 1 1 . . a6, but after 1 2 . 'd a4,
.
Wh ite's bind on the q ueen s i de i s annoyi ng for Black. A good open i ng res u lt, a n d
we even h a d good alternatives on move 10.
9. � b5
There a re interesting altern atives available, like 9 .a4. The knight j u m p i s a s i mple
so l ution to get an at least s l ightly better m i d d l egame.
9•••
b8 10.C4 O·O 1 1 . � c3
And Wh ite has th e better chances, based on a l ater -:.21 d 5 i dea . The kn i ght on e6 i s
certa i n ly not ideal .
Black plays
...
c7-c5 on move 5
3 A g1 4. A 12 o-o 5.0-0 cs
...
Playing 5 . . . c5 at th i s particu lar moment i s j u st d u bious, it seems! Let's see why ex­
actly:
6.dxc5
Wel l , yo u certai n ly expected that. N ow, Black need s to find a way to get the pawn
back. It i s not j u st th e issue of bei ng a pawn down, but a l so of development. If th e
c5-pawn stays on the boa rd , n eith er the b- n or the d -pawn can move easi ly.
A) 6 � a6 7· A e3
...
q
1 ) 7 . 'd e4
..
8. � d 5. This i s the d i rect refutation of 7 . 'd e4. Surpris i ngly, it was only pl ayed once
..
out of 20 ga mes in
Megabase 2019.
8
�. xb2 (th i s fails, but what i s Bl ack supposed
... .
to do? Return to f6 ?) 9 . '!'?M xe4 � xa l l o.c3 The po i nt! Now, Black i s already i n grave
danger, as not only the bishop i s trapped on a 1 , but the black king i s devoid of any
defenders. Let's check a sam ple l in e: l O . . . d6 l l .cxd 6 � xd 6 12 l£. d4 (prepa ring
.
•
'a bd2 to attack the bishop o n al and �e4-e3-h 6 to attack the king) 12 . . . 'll c5
l 3. � e3
'll e6 14. "'E:l bd2 'r:lxd4 l 5. 'd xd4 � xc3 l 6. �xc3, and Wh ite has a large, prob­
ably decisive adva ntage;
2) 7 . '!'?M as
.
.
8.a3 a nd Black's operation ' Rega i n c5-pawn' has fai led m iserably.
8. � C3
8 . � d4 leaves b2 hanging after 8 . . . 'd e8 o r 8 . . . '2l h 5. We need to prepare �d4, forc­
i ng Black to take on c5.
8. � xcs 9. � b5
..
N ow, Black's best defence sti l l leads to a large advantage for Wh ite. Let's check the
q ueen moves one by one.
9·· · ftas
Th i s looks odd, but it is playab l e.
1 ) g . . � c6 i s probably the worst of the q ueen moves : i o.a4 'd g4 (Wh ite was th reat­
.
ening 1 1 . '2l e5) i i . J;. d4 ,JJ. xd4 i 2 . '2l ncd4 � b6 i 3. b4 'd a 6 (after 1 J. . . '2l e6, Black's
position does not i m prove: i 4.a5 � d 8 1 5. 'd xe6 &e6 1 6. � d4, and it's over) 1 4. � d2
d6
'
1 5. c4. Wh ite had an overwhelm i n g position
m
'
Meier- Bacrot Pro Chess League
Rapid 201 7;
2)
g. .
.
� b6 1 0.a4 'd g4 ( Black needs to do someth i n g q u ickly to counter the th reat
of b2-b4) 1 1 . ,JJ, d4 g xd4 1 2 . � xd4 d6 i 3. b4:
2 . 1 ) 1 3 . . '21 a6 1 4.c3, and aga i n Wh ite i s m uch better. The pressu re o n the q ueenside
.
and the offside knight on a6 are tough to handle fo r B l ack;
2.2) 1 3 . 'd xa4 i 4.c4 � xd4 1 5. '21 fxd4 es.
. .
Th i s position was reached i n a game between two strong G M s : Vakh i dov-Kovalev,
Baku O lympiad 201 6. N ow, 1 6. 'd b3 i s m uch s i m pler tha n 1 6. 'd c7, a s played i n the
game: 1 6 . . d b6 1 7. 'd xd 6. The black q ueen side is fa l l i n g a pa rt, givi ng Wh ite a win­
.
'
ning pos iti on.
1 0. A xes
·
xb5 1 1 . A xe7 1I e8 12. A a3
·
xe2 1 3.
xe2 1I xe2
1 4. g ad1
A n i ce move ! N ow, c2 is tactica l ly covered , and Black faces a thankless task of de­
fend i ng th i s endgame.
1 4... g XC2
Let's check why th i s fa i l s .
1 5. � d4 g C4 1 6.b3 g c7 1 7. A d6 g c3 1 8. � bs 1i c2 19. � q g b8 20. � ds 1i a8
21 . � e7+ i!l h8 22. g el
Wh ite has some altern ative wi n s , but th i s i s enough to net deci sive material.
B) 6...
as 7. A e3 � 14
The only i nteresti ng try. Otherwise, we wi l l j u st keep the pawn easily with a2-a3 and
b2-b4.
8. A d4 es 9. A C3
xcs 1 0.h3 � h6 1 1 .�
Th i s forced seq uence after 8 �. d4 has n etted Wh ite a n ice advantage. B l ack's piece
.
•
placement is unfo rtu nate, i n particular in view of the weaknesses on the d-fi le.
11 .. � c6
.
12.
ds
Th i s i s the engi ne i m provem ent on a G M game between Roman i s h i n and
V. Sergeev, Ord zhonikidze 200 1 . Roman ish i n wa s better with 12. ,�. d2, but the
q ueen move is a lot more powerfu l . I don't see a good conti nu ation fo r B l ack now.
Conclusion
The idea of playi ng dxc5 is a com pletely new a pproach. Black needs to solve new
problems over the board and faces an origi nal con cept th at i s not easy to figure
out. White reta i n s excellent practical cha nces i n my opinion.
CHAPTER 21
Move orders with 1 . g6: 1.d4 g6
..
1 .d4 g6
B l ack sometimes starts with 1 . g6, stayi ng flexible and keepi ng th e l ong d i agonal
. .
open after 2 . �, g]. Th i s a l l ows some i nd ependent l i n es i n addition to j u st playing
. .
. . .
'd f6
.
later, wh ich wou ld tra n s pose into the previous chapters starting with
1 . . . . ·'.21 f6 and 2 . . . g6.
2. � f3
We stay true to our approach with 2. 'd f3 and 3.gJ. However, I need to mention that
after both
1. .
.
g6 and l . . . d6, I thi n k th at you should also con si der to play 2.e4, tra n s­
posi n g i nto a Pi rc/ M odern / Ph i lidor. Those ope n i ngs are not terri ble fo r Black, of
cou rse, but White enj oys a comfortable ga me and h as a wide ra nge of l i nes ava i l­
able. I have covered some fi ne suggestion s i n
Keep It Simple: 1 . e4,
so please check
the re if you are inte rested in expa nding you r repertoi re beyond the typical i .d4 positions. N ow, after 2. 'd f3 and J.g3, Black has various ways to tran spose away from
th i s chapter. For exa m ple, if they play . . .f7-f5, it is goi ng to be a Dutch Defence. If
they play . 'Ll f6, we head to the fi rst chapters of th is part of th e book.
. .
With i n th is chapter, the l i nes s pl it as fo l l ows:
A) 2 . . . d 5 ? ! is a q u estionable move order that we should p u n i sh with J.c4!;
B) 2 . . . � g7 J.g3:
B 1 ) J. .. d 5 often leads to a Gru nfeld after a later . . . 'd f6, but we h ave a look at Bl ack's
offbeat tries;
B2) J. .. d6. Black plays in Ki ng's I ndian style, but postpones or omits . . 'd f6 ;
.
B3) 3 . . . c5. B lack plays i n the s pi rit of Chapter i g , but without . .. 'd f6 .
A) 2 d5
...
A rare and d u bious l i ne/move order that we shou ld try to exploit. Black tries to
combine . . . g7-g6 and . . . d7-d5 i n the spi rit of the G ru nfeld , but th e ti m i ng is wrong.
You wi l l also someti mes reach th i s pos ition via i .d4 ds 2. 'il f3 g6. I f Black i ntends
to get to a G ru nfeld after i .d4 g6, the way to go i s 2 . 'd f3 � g? 3-g3 ds, only playi n g
. . . d7-d5 after g2-g3 i s already o n the board. Th i s i s exa m i ned i n l i ne B o f th i s cha p­
ter.
3·C4
There is nothi n g 'wrong' with playi ng 3-g3, wh ich wi l l l i kely transpose into pos i tio n s from Cha pters 1 7- 1 9. H owever, th is i s a case where 3-C4 i s a lot stron ger a n d
should be preferred . It does n ot req u i re m uch memorization and l ea d s to a rather
on e-sided advantage for White. Let's check some l i nes to u nd ersta nd why 3-C4 i s
better fo r Wh ite.
Ai) 3 . c6
..
B lack su pports th e centre i n Slav style, but White has a s i m ple yet effective reply.
4.cxd5 cxd5 5. f} C3 A v 6. A f4 f} c6 7.e3
We s i mply play the Exchange S lav after Bl ack has com mitted to the bi shop on g].
The fianchetto is not a good set-u p for Bl ack here, because the b i sh op i s j u st look­
i ng at a wel l-defended d4-pawn a nd i s often missed a s a n i m portant defender of
the queenside. Let's explore a sam ple conti nuation.
7 f} f6 8.h3
...
Th i s is useful in many ways. It provides a good square on h2 for the bishop a n d
prevents
. . .
j;; g4.
8 . o-o 9. A e2 !f b6
..
1 0.a3
Th i s i s the i dea I wa nted to sh ow. It i s useful to know th i s tactical defence of th e
b2-pawn. The pawn i s now poisoned , and at the same time, we prepare ideas l i ke
b2-b4 and 'd a4 with tem po. Wh ite i s comfortably better.
1 0. �xb2n 1 1 . � 84
..
The q u een is trapped, and White wi n s .
A2) 3 'i) f6
...
B lack tries to tra n s pose i nto a regular G runfeld, for exa m ple, after 4 . 'Ll c 3 }J. g7, but
there is a problem with th i s particular move order.
4.cxd5 � xd5
Black may also play 4. . . §;. g?.
A c l ever idea, hoping for 5. 'd c3 'd xd 5 with a d i rect G runfeld tran sposition, but
5. �a4+ i s th e problem and i s i mportant to remem ber! Now, Wh ite i s m uch better
i n a l l li nes.
We keep the pawn in li nes l i ke 5 . . ;b; d7 6. � b3 or 5 . . . '.d bd7 6. 'd C3- White's moves
.
are a l l easy to pl ay. After 5 . . . c6 6.dxc6, Black does not h ave com pensation for the
pawn either. Fi nal ly, Black may play 5 . . . � f8, but after th at, normal development
suffices to be clearly better. Black's position is a mess with the king on f8.
5·� f} b6 6.h3
Th i s i s th e seco nd i m portant move to remem ber! It 1 s very u sefu l to prevent
6 . $1,
(;·., 4
g .
. .
6.. A r;J 7. f} c3 o-o 8. A e3
.
Wh ite has an excel lent control of the central squares i n t h i s position. O ne problem
fo r Black is that th e typical G runfeld move . . . c7-c5 i s safely prevented.
8... f} c6 9.
d2 fs
Th i s i s the only approach worth looki ng at, as it at least poses a concrete q uestion
that needs a correct reply.
1 0.e5
Th i s i s by fa r the best move, keep i ng a su bstantial adva ntage. Th i s way, we make
both black bishops l ook bad . One s i m ple but very dangero u s idea i s to push
h3-h4-h5 next.
A3) 3 . dXC4 4·�
..
We wi l l get the pawn back ea s i ly and enjoy the excellent centre.
4.. /J. f;l 5. /J. XC4 �f6 6. � C3 0-0
.
N ote that B l ack never was able to play . . �. g4, due to .�. xf7+ tactics.
.
.
7. es
There i s noth ing wrong about 7.0-0, but this idea i s worth noting.
7. � e8
..
8.h4
With a strong attack for Wh ite.
B) 2 A 17
•.•
H ere, 2 d5 i s bad ly ti med and we can ta ke advantage of it. After 3.c4, White i s bet. . .
ter, a s d i scussed i n l i ne A above.
81) 3 d5 4· A 12
...
I n the majority of cases, Black plays
. . .
'.21 f6 soon - for i n stance now - and we trans­
pose i nto o ne of the G ru nfeld cha pters. There are some rarer ideas worth ch ecki ng
out bri efly.
81 1) 4 c6
...
5.0-0 � d7
Th i s i s a rather obscu re move o rder by Black, but there are some poi nts to it. Usual ly, Black pl ays the natu ra l 5 . . . 'd f6 here, after wh ich 6 . b3 leads to the m a i n l i n e.
6. � bd2
When ever B lack has played . . . c7-c6 al ready, the push c2-4 need s to be ca refu l ly
con sidered . H ere, 6.c4 dxc4 leads to rather unclear play that I don't l i ke to cover,
given that the pos ition i s so ra re. Usua l ly i n those early . . . c7-c6 l i nes, we prepare
c2-c4 with b2-b3 fi rst. I n this particu l a r case, h owever, Black has th e a n noying 6.b3
es! ava i l a bl e. This leaves th e knight move to prepare c2-c4.
6. it\ gf6 7.c4 O·O 8.b3
..
We have reached a fa i rly standard position for these l i n es, and it will very l i kely
transpose to a l i ne covered via the m a i n l i ne move order, for exa m ple, after the very
sen s i bl e next moves.
8 .. it\ e4 9. � b2
.
And we h ave indeed tra n s posed to a position u s ua l ly reached via 1 .d4 'll f6 2. '.d f3
g6 J.g3 d s 4. g g2 .�. g7 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 c6 7.b3 '.d bd7 8. ;;ll b2 'd e4 9. 'tJ bd2.
812) 4... e6
A ra re move, but it i s not that bad . B l ack i nten d s to play the kn ight to e7, keeping
the bis hop's d iagon al open.
5.0-0 � e1 6.C4 � bc6
B lack tries to put some piece pres s u re o n White's centre. It i s not easy to play
. . . c7-c5 anyway, given how the pieces a re positioned . Black m ay a l so play 6 . .
.
o-o
fi rst, after wh ich 7. � c2 'd bc6 8.e3 leads to th e same pos ition.
7.e3
The d-pawn needs some s u p port. Th i s looks pass ive at fi rst, locki ng i n the bishop
with the pawn . A cl oser look, however, reveals that the bishop h ad no bright future
on gs or f4 anyway. It i s better placed on b2 or i n some cases a3.
7.. 0-0 8. ftC2 b6 9. g d1 A b7
.
1 0.b3
Wh ite has a s l ight adva ntage i n this position . B l ack has less space and no clear
pawn b reak to change that. We sti l l have usefu l moves, such as ;�; a3, 'd bd2 or
'£) c3 and E acl . Let's check a d i rect way for B l ack to free h i s position.
1 0... � b4 1 1 .
·
e2 c5 1 2. A b2 dxC4 13.bxc4 cxd4 14.exd4 � f5 15.d5
Wh ite had a strong i n iti ative with this textbook central pawn b reak in G i riKas im dzhanov, Ros malen ra pid 20 14. O bvious ly, you could a n a lyse this position
fu rther, but th i s is an extremely ra re l i ne.
813) 4· ·· � h6
An other rare l i ne, but it has a sen si ble idea. Bl ack i ntends to place the kn ight on fs,
putti ng some pressure on d4 i n case Wh ite plays c2-c4.
5.o-o � r5
6.c3
One of the very rare cases where I advocate playing c2-c3 i n our repertoi re. The
more standard-looking 6.c4 is answered by 6 . . . dxc4, a nd I don't see a convi nci ng
conti n uati on for Wh ite. With c2-c3, Wh ite prepares to play e2-e4, a logical plan
after B l ack h as neglected control of this square.
6 ... o-o 7. it) bd2 ii) d6 8. g el
I actually had th i s pos ition on the board once - with b l ack! I wa nted to s u rprise my
lower-rated opponent with the . . 'd h6 set-up, but a l ready regretted my cho ice h ere.
.
I ' l l show some l i nes th at I con s idered and what I played i n the end.
8... b6
The m ove I played , but it also leads to a comforta ble game for Wh ite.
The move 8 . . f5 stops e2-e4, but sti l l leaves an odd i m pression. We wi l l play j u st
.
l i ke we do against the Ston ewa ll Dutch. Here's a sample li ne: 9. d e s e6 10. 'd df3
'
'd d7
1 1 . Q f4. White i s better i n t h i s position . Note that th e set- u p with . . . g7-g6 may i nvite
h-pawn push es i n some l i nes. This i s rarely an option i n th e standard Stonewal l ,
where the pawn i s o n g?.
I co nsidered 8 . . �. fs, but it does not stop e2-e4 for long: 9 . 'd h4 }J. e6 i o.e4 dxe4
.
.
1 1 . 'tl xe4 '.d xe4 1 2 . �, xe4 c6 1 3- 'tl g2. This is an i nteresti ng move, i nten d i n g '.d f4 to
.
play aga i n st the bi shop on e6. White i s s l i ghtly better here at l ea st, becau se B l ack is
not able to play ... e7-e5 or ... c6-c5 easily.
9·� clx� 1 0. � X� � X�
At th i s moment, you wonder why you pl ayed . . -21 g8-h6-f5-d 6 i n the fi rst pl ace.
.
1 1 . g x� � b7 1 2. g el � d] 1 3. A gs � ffi
14.
e2
My opponent, Eti enne Baud u i n , played
1 4.
fortable advantage. It's a tough call, but
'd es here, wh ich a l so gave Wh ite a com­
1 4 . � e2
seems even stron ger. It keeps
more pieces on the boa rd and probably exerts more pressure. We play B. ad 1 next
and sti l l may play 'd es later to exploit the weak c6-sq uare.
B2) 3 d6 + A 12
...
N ow, B l ack wi l l often j u st play 4 . . . 'd f6 to tran spose back i nto Ki ng's I nd ian main
l i n es starting with 1. .. 'd f6 .
An i nd ependent option for Black i s to play 4 . . . e5 i m med i ately o r prepare the move
with 4. . . '.d d7.
821) 4 e5
. ..
Th i s i s d u bious, d u e to the trades on es and d8.
5.dxe5 dxe5 6.
·
xd8+ � xd8 7. -t'} C3
B l ack has variou s systems based on a q u i ck ... d 7-d 6 and . . . e7-e5 ava ilable, al lowi ng
a trade on es and the q ueen exchange. O ne wel l-known, s i m i la r l i ne is 1 .d4 g6 2.c4
�. g] J.e4 d 6 4. 'll c3 es 5 .dxe5 dxe5 6. �xd8+ � xd8. Th i s has a reasonable repu­
tation fo r Black. Another l i ne goes 1 . d4 d 6 2.c4 es 3.dxe5 dxe5 4. 1!¥!'xd8+ ·�· xd8,
which i s regarded as fi ne fo r B l ack. Now, why i s 4 . . . e5 h ere regarded as d u bious?
The reason is th at Wh ite has not com m itted any pawns on c4 and/or e4, wh ich
means these sq uares are open to wh ite pieces , i n partic u l a r knights. With pawns on
c4 and e4, the l ight-squ ared bi shop looks a bit sus pect, wh ich is not the case in
our given position
7. c6 8.o-o f6
..
9. � e1
Wh ite has more th an one good l i ne ava i lable, but I l i ke th is i d ea. Wh ite prepares a
q u ick fa-f4, applyi ng pressure on the es-pawn . Note that 'd d3 wi l l i ncrease this
press u re, and 'd e4 i s a n i m portant option a s wel l . Wh ite enjoys a s i zea ble advan­
tage.
B22) 4••• � d7
B lack prepares to play . . . e7-e5 on the n ext move, avoid i ng th e d rawbacks of the
i m med i ate 4 . . . e5.
5.0-0 es 6.dxes
The trade gai n s i n strength if White does not have pawn s on c4 and/or e4. H ere,
we keep a n i ce ed ge.
6...dxe5
The move 6
. . .
'd xe5 i s very uncom mon, but usefu l to check to unde rsta nd one idea:
7. 'd xe5 ,r£. xe5 8. '21 c3 (of cou rse, 8.c4 or 8.e4 is fi ne a s well) 8 . . . 'd e] 9 .e4 $i, g]
10. � gs. Th i s i s a strong move, having 'd d s and §1 d2 i n mind. Wh ite i s i n good
shape, beca use B lack no counterplay and s uffers from lack of space i n the centre.
After trad i ng the bi shop on g], we have chances to attack with fa-f4.
7. � c3
Th i s i s very i m porta nt! Don't play c2-C4 after the trade, but rath er route a knight to
th i s i m portant square.
7... � gffi
Th i s i s better than putting the kn i ght on e], but I sti l l prefer Wh ite i n this l i ne.
7 ... 'd e]
8 � d3 Th i s i s a very strong move! It i s reco mmended by the engines, and was
.
.
played in 20 18 by the accompli shed theoretici a n and author G M M i khalevski .
8 . o-o g. � d l (th is i s the poi nt of � d 3. White i s p i l i ng u p on the kn i ght on d 7,
. .
i ntending ,�. h3! at the right moment. Black is a l ready i n some da nger) 9 . .. 'd c6 (ad­
dressi n g the ,�. h3 idea by coveri ng the queen, but White is better nevertheless)
10. g gs � e8
1 1 . � eJ.
We are th reate n i ng 12. 'd ds. Black does not h ave a good anti­
dote to this idea, and we are comfortably better.
8. � d2
The mentioned set-up - the kn ight i s wel l-placed on c4.
8.. o-o 9.a4
.
The i m med iate
g.
'.d c4 runs i nto g . . . 'd b6.
9... 1i e8 1 0.a5
We have some usefu l pressure on the q ueenside. Th e i m m ediate threat i s a s-a6.
N ote h ow i m portant it is to not have no pawn s on C4/e4.
1 0... a6 1 1 . � C4 fte7
1 2.b3
With the idea of playi ng l J. g aJ. Note that i n stead 1 2.e4, plan n i ng 1 3- 'd ds, was
strong a s wel l .
83) 3 c5
...
Th i s i s an i nteresti ng approach from B l ack's perspective. Now, some natu ra l
moves don't prom ise a nyth i ng at a l l - i n particular, 4.c4 cxd4 5. 'd xd4 '21 c6 i s very
satisfactory for B l ack as White does n ot want to ta ke or retreat. Th e same issue
a rises after 4. � g2 cxd4 5. 'd xd4 'd c6, but here, 6. '21 xc6 i s a bit less of a conces­
sion. Some players go 4.c3 here, but th i s is not much in l i ne with the rest of the
reperto i re.
U lti mately, I d i scovered th at the dxc5 option of C hapter 20 is a l so fi ne aga i n st this
move order!
a31 ) 4. - as+ 5· � fd2
..
.
xcs
5 'd f6 6. d c3 wou ld a l ready transpose to the more sta ndard move order 1 .d4 'd f6
. . .
'.
2 . 'll f3 g6 3-g3 c5 4.dxc5 � as+ 5. 'd fd2 .�. g] 6. 'd C3-
6. j\ g2 d6
One ra re way to not transpose to the l i nes starting with 1
solution agai nst th is move:
7- � �
I t looks a b i t u n usual to j u m p to the centre, but hang on.
• . .
'll f6. We h ave a creative
7...
b6 8. � bC3
The knights a re actua l ly q u ite a n u i sance for Black. Th e natural development with
. . . 'd f6 is i m pos s i ble, but if you don't play . . . 'd f6 now, what do you play?
8... � c6
As mentioned , 8 . 'd f6 9 . 'd xf6+ J;. xf6 10. 'd ds i s a d i saster for Black.
. .
9· � d5 fNd8 1 0.C4
Wh ite retai n s annoying press u re, as Black sti l l h as no natu ral way to develop th e
kin gside.
I don 't thi n k th i s i s very l i kely to happen, but we need to check it.
Com pared to the l i ne Ld4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6 3.g3 c5 4.dxc5 'll a6, the main difference i s
that 5. 'Ji. e 3 is i m possi ble n ow, s o Black wi l l get the pawn back.
5. A 12
There i s no way to h a ng on to th e pawn , but th i s i s not necessary at a l l . As we wil l
see, White retai n s a sl ight p u l l with s i m ple moves.
5... � xc5 6.o-o � f6 7.c4 o-o 8. � C3
The kn i ght i s actua l ly not that usefu l on c5. One d rawback i s that d4 i s rea d i ly ava i l ­
a b l e fo r Wh ite's kn ight.
8 . d6
..
We shou ld also have a brief look at 8 . . . b6.
After
g.
'd d4 .Ji. b7 10. g xb7 '21 xb7 i i .e4 � c8 i 2.b3, we h ave reached a comfortable
M aroczy B i nd structu re. A typical set-up with fa-f3/ ,:'£. e3/ .B. c 1 /� d2 gives B lack very
l ittle to play for. U lti m ately, 'd ds wi l l be an noying fo r Bl ack, a s the kn ight i s hard to
expel with . . . e7-e6, and taking it gives Wh ite even more space with a pawn on d s.
9. � d4 A d1 10.b3 ii c8 n . A b2
Wh ite has reach ed a comfortable positio n with good contro l . As usual, placi ng a
kn i ght on ds i s a standard plan. I ' l l show one l i n e to i l l u strate th i s idea:
11 a6 12.
• ••
d2
q
1 3. g ac1 l?Nb8 14. � ds � xd5 1 5.cxd5
And Wh ite i s at l east s l i ghtly better. The d s-pawn establ i shes a space adva ntage
and sec u res the knight on d4. I n s i m i l a r pos itions, I have often pl ayed i n th e centre
with e2-e4 and fa -f4, after due p reparation , of cou rse.
Conclusion
The move l . . g6 wi l l often tra n s pose to other chapters after a later
.
. .
. 'd f6. The
i ndependent l ines a re comforta ble fo r White, as demon strated a bove. It i s i m por­
ta nt to know l i ne B3, angl ing fo r a tra n s position to Chapter 20.
PART I l l
Black's flexi ble set-u ps:
i .d4 � f6 2 . <t) f3 e6 3 . g3
I ntrodudion and overview
One of the most po pular repl i es to 1 .d4 i s th e seq uence 1 . . . 'd f6 2.c4 e6, sti ll keep­
i ng many options open for Black. One cornerstone of this particular ap proach i s
the N i mzo- l ndian after J 'd c 3 ,'Ji, b4, which i s often com bi ned with ope n in gs l i ke
the Queen's I ndian after J 'o f3 b6 or the Bogo- l ndian 3 . . �. b4+. If B lack i ntends to
.
.
play th ese open i ngs, he wi ll usua lly answer Ld4 'o f6 2. 'l1 f3 with 2 . . . e6. After our
un s u rpri s i ng reply }g3, Black has so me option s . Queen's I n dian players wi l l u s u­
ally play 3 . . . b6, wh i le you a l so encou nter 3 . . . c5 a nd J . . b5, wh ich stop the pawn
push to C4 i n its tracks. I have coi ned th i s part of th e book 'flexi ble set-u ps',
becau se Black usually i s rather flexi ble i n his central pawn formatio ns. This i n par­
ticular appl ies to the d-pawn , which i s often not played at a l l or its position i s only
determ i ned at a later stage.
M ove ord ers are q u ite stra ightforward in th i s part of the book. We com p lete
castl i ng
fi rst
and
then
play
c2-c4
next
if a l lowed,
so
rather
often
i .d4/2 . 'd f3/].g3/4 . .�. g2/5.o-o wi l l be the fi rst moves . As we saw i n Parts I and 1 1 ,
a n early . . . c7-c5 needs ou r attention . We have delayed the move c2-c4, s o adva nci ng the d-pawn is not an option. Aga i n st . . .c7-c5 on move 3, we wi l l al low the capture on d4, wh ile aga i n st comb i natio n s of . .. b7-b6/ . . . .�. b7 and then . . . c7-c5, taking
on c5 i s my suggestion.
Th i s pa rt of the book a l so i ncl udes the reply 1 . . . e6, which i s mostly a transpo­
sitional too l to other chapters in the book, but there are some points related to a n
early . . . c7-c5 that are worth discussi ng.
ChaP-ter 22: 2 b6 and 3 b6
...
...
Th i s chapter i s about bl ack set- u ps based on an early . . . b7-b6, usually preceded by
playi ng . 'd f6 a nd/or ... e7-e6 fi rst. These set-ups are associated with the Queen 's
. .
I nd ian, which has the traditional move order 1 .d4 'd f6 2.4 e6 3. 'd f3 b6. Our reper­
toi re a pproach of fia nchettoing fi rst and only later playi ng c2-c4 i f des i red , has
some i nteresting poi nts a ga i n st Queen 's I ndian set-ups.
One key difference is that Black's absol ute main l i ne i n the proper Q ueen 's I n d ia n
i s not on a nymore. i .d4 'd f6 2.c4 e 6 3. 'd f3 b6 4.g3 J;. a 6 i s t h e pri nci pled l i ne fo r
Black, and i n our move order, there is no pawn on c4 to attack! Let's have a look at
th i s seq uence to i l l u strate: 1 .d4 'd f6 2 . 'Ll f3 e6 ].g3 b6 4. };, g2 - com pared to the
main l i ne Queen's I n d ia n with the early move c2-c41 we have pl ayed Ji. g2 i n stead
of c2-c4.
Black, therefore, n eed s to play differently, and u s u a l ly goes for the more passive
. . . §1. b7 l i nes. After 4 . . �. b], I suggest playi ng 5.0-0, accord i ng to our general con­
.
cept of delayi ng c2-c4, which severely cuts B l ack's options. Th i s move order has a
small d rawback, which wi l l be d i scussed i n deta i l later.
Spea ki ng of move orders: B lack m ay a l so play . . . b7-b6 on the very fi rst move, or
comb i n e ... b7-b6 with ... g7-g6, go ing fo r a double fianchetto. These systems a re
covered i n thi s chapter as wel l .
Chapter 23 covers the main l in e of the Queen's I n d i a n . We have com pleted our
sta ndard set-up a nd pl ayed c2-c4 and 'D c3 to p l ay d4-dS next, play in g agai nst the
bishop on b]. Black us ually addresses th i s idea by pl ayi ng ... d7-d5 or the more flexi ble kn ight j u m p . . 'D e4. The fi rst option is long-known to be comforta ble for
.
Wh ite, wh i l e the l atter has a deserved ly solid reputation. Sti l l , I thi n k we are able to
retai n a s light advantage and pose some interesting new problems. Key ideas i n
these l i nes were provided by LeelaZero and i nvolve a surpri s i n g early u s e o f the h ­
pawn .
Th i s i s not the most com monly seen l i ne, but it i s a sensible choice for Black. With
the early . . . b7-b5, the pawn push to C4 is stop ped for the moment. With best play,
Black has good chances to equal ize, but of cou rse we a re goi n g to check if Black
knows the ins and outs of h i s set-up. He won't get it on the board all that often, so
his knowledge might be s ketchy. To be perfectly honest: I have played this l i ne with
Black, only knowing that you play 3 b5 and m aybe . . . c7-c5 l ater, but I wou ld not
. . .
have been ready to fight the suggestions i n this book properly over the board.
Please check Chapter 24 for analysis of the extended fi anchetto.
I n th i s chapter, we exa m i ne a set-up for Black that i nvolves playi ng . . . c7-c5 after a
preparatory . . . e7-e6
After 3 . . . c5, advancing the d-pawn does not work at a l l and captu ri ng makes l ittle
sense as wel l, as B l ack ea s i ly recaptu res o n c5. For com parison, the m a i n reason
th at i .d4 'LJ f6 2. 'LJ f3 g6 J.g3 c5 4.dxc5 (Chapter 20) is i nteresting i s that Black
needs to s pend ti me to recover th e pawn . So that leaves the option of j u st letti ng
Black take on d4.
We employ a s i m i lar approach in the line i .d4 ds 2. 'll f3 'll f6 3.g3 c5 4. j;; g2
(Chapters 4-6) , and th ere are some tra n s positions i nto that l i ne if Black decides to
play a later . . . d 7-d 5. If Black avoids . . . d7-d5, the more com mon scenario, the pos i­
tio n s m ay even become s i m i l a r to a sym metrica l E ngl ish Opening or Hedgehog
set-up. In general, these l i nes are not bad for Black, but they req u i re precise play. I f
B l ack's knowledge is only s u perficial, it m a y cost h i m dearly.
Please read Chapter 25 for more i nformation .
... and 6 .. .\\ cs
.
Chapter 26 explores the m a i n co ntin u ation s i n the i .d4 'd f6 2. «21 f3 e6 3.g3 c5 vari­
ation that involve a n early press u re on th e d4-knight with the moves 6 . . � b6 or
.
6 $; c5. These l i nes l ead to i nteresti ng play and are fi ne for Black if h e knows what
. . .
he i s doing. As usual, we won 't make it easy for h i m , and many natura l-looki ng
l i nes are n ot sati sfactory for Black at all. Please see Chapter 26 for a n a lysi s of th ese
critical l i n es .
The move 1 . . . e6 has very l ittle i n dependent value and wi l l transpose to other chap­
ters of the book most of the time. Chapter
1 .d4 e6
2.
27
mostly deals with the specific l i ne
'd f3 c5, wh ich I cover a bit more extensively than perh aps strictly neces­
sary. I th i n k these li nes are fasci nating to study and hel pful to understand gJ-type
positions better.
CHAPTER 22
Queen 's Indian - Introduction and sidelines: 2 bG and 3 bG
• • •
1 .d4 t[) ffi 2. � f3 A) 2 e6 3. 13 b6 / B) 2 b6
•••
A) 2 e6 3.13 b6 4. � g2 � b7 5.0-0
•••
•••
. . .
Th i s is the usual choice i n ou r repertoi re approach . With o n ly very few exceptions,
we com plete ki ngside castl i n g fi rst and on ly then play c2-4 on move 6. I am stick­
i ng to th i s a pproach, but th ere i s an argu ment to playi ng 5.c4 h ere. Going 5.4 has
one main adva ntage: after 5.4, the reply 5 ... c5 can be a n swered with 6.d5, which is
compl icated, but good for White. After our move 5.0-0, the reply 5 ... c5 i s entirely
different, beca use we don't have 6.d5 now and need to play a more modest set-up.
So why do I recommend 5.0-0 the n ? There a re m u lti ple reasons:
1) It i s more i n l i n e with o u r genera l approach;
2) 5·C4 c5 6.d5 i s com plicated and not ea sily learned; and
3) The most i m portant one: after 5.4, Black may also play 5 . . . ;Ji, b4+, which i s a lot
to learn i n add ition. A to ugh cal l ! Let's have a look how it conti n ues from here.
Ai) 5... c5
Th i s i s th e argu ment agai nst the move order with 5.0-0. As mentioned in the notes
to 5.0-0, th i s move gai ns i n strength compared to 5.c4 c51 when 6 . d 5 is poss ible.
6.dxcs
Th i s move has been pl ayed mu lti ple ti mes by German chess legend Robe rt H u bner, who q u ite often employs our repertoi re approach of Ld4/2. 'd f3/J. g3- It lead s
to positions that a re certai n ly close to eq ual ity fo r Bl ack, but sti l l interesti ng to play
fo r Wh ite. N ow, the two recaptu res are a bout eq u a l ly popul a r.
A1 1) 6 ... bxc5
Th i s i s Bl ack's more am bitiou s cho ice, as it wi l l l ead to a pos ition type without
many excha nges.
7·C4
The next moves a re very natu ra l for both s ides and al most a lways played.
7 A e1 8. f} C3 o-o 9. A f4 d6
...
l
J u st l i ke after 6
rk, xc5, there i s a s i m i lar l i n e from the main l i ne Queen 's I nd i a n
... •
with a n early .. rk, a6: 1 .d4 'll f6 2.c4 e6 3 _.:21 f3 b6 4.g3 .rk, a6 5. � a4 .rk, b7 6. ;b; g2 c5
.
.
7.dxc5 bxc5 8.o-o ;b; e? 9 . 'd c3 o-o 10. JJ. f4. We are one tem po down on this l i ne,
lacki ng the move � a4. Th i s is not a big deal at a l l , as goi n g � b3 i s a com mon idea
anyway, and thi s way we will actually transpose i nto th e
�'
a4 Queen's I nd i an. The
gen eral a ssessment of the dxc5 bxc5 structure is that Black has good equalizi ng
chances. I agree, but the pos itions sti l l tick i m portant boxes for me: they are sol id
and sou nd aga i n st good opponents and offe r chances to outplay weaker ones.
1 0.
b3
c8
1 ) 1 0 . . . '@ b6 1 1 . � xb6 axb6 i 2 . .B. fd 1 (we wi l l p i le u p on the d-pawn fi rst a nd then
con sider the next steps) 12 . . . g d8 1 J g d2 'Ll c6 1 4. B. ad1 'd e8 1 5. bJ It is goi ng to
be a s low ga me with s u btle ma noeuvres. I ' l l show some more moves of the most
recent G M game from h ere: 1 5 . . . h6 1 6.g4 .B. d 7 1 7 . '2i b5 g ad8 i 8 1i. g3 .1i. a8 1 9. h4,
.
•
and Wh ite h ad good pressure in Sargiss ia n-Arenci bia Rod riguez, S harjah blitz
2018. Black's set- u p i s very sol i d, but not very active;
2) 10 . . . � c6 (this looks a bit odd and u n harmonious} 1 1 . g ad 1 a6 1 2 . g fe1 Y1!i. c7
i 3.e4. Black faces the th reat of e4-e5 and is worse.
1 1 . 11 fch g ds 12. g d2
Again, we wi l l pile u p on the d-fi le.
12 .. � c6 1 3. 11 ad1 � e8 14 A gs
.
Th i s i s an i m portant idea worth kn owi ng! It looks cou nter-i ntu itive to trade the pas­
sive b i shop on e], but B lack actua l ly should th i n k twice about taking on gs.
1 4 .f6
..
Taking o n gs looks good fo r Black, but i n stead i s very good fo r Wh ite: 1 4 . . . �. xg5
.
1 5. 'd xg5. The e?-bis hop looks l i ke a pass ive piece, but it i s one of th e cases of ' bad
bis hops protect good pawn s', as G M M i hai S u ba fa mou sly said about s i m i l a r
situatio ns. Without the bishop, d 6 i s a lot more vul nerable to 'd bs and/or '21 e4
ideas: 1 5 . . . B. b8 1 6. � c2 g6 1 7. '2l ge4, and Black clearly regrets th e trade now and
suffers on the dark sq uares.
1 5. A e3 g b8 1 6. fta4
B l ack's position i s solid, but stil l rather passive. I 'd rather be Wh ite here, even
though Black's set-u p i s certa i n ly hard to crack.
A12) 6 A xc5 7 ·C4- o-o 8. � c3
. ..
1
1
One in centive to choose 6.dxc5 i s th i s position type. I feel it i s a basically risk-free
way fo r White to play and sti ll ask some questi ons that Black needs to a n swer cor­
rectly. It i s i nteresting to compare this position to the fol lowi ng l i ne: i .d4 s� f6 2.c4
e6 3- 'd f3 b6 4.g3 ,©. a 6 5. � a4 ,©. b7 6 . .:b; g2 c5 7.dxc5 ,©, xc5 8.o-o o-o 9 . 'd c3. Com­
pared to this l i ne, we are down a tem po, the � a4 move. Th i s, h owever, is n ot
harmfu l at all, but rather the opposite. Let's h ave a look at some possi b l e contin­
uations.
8 d5
. ..
Th i s is the most d irect attem pt to equal ize.
1 ) 8 . . . '21 c6. I n th i s position type, the kn ight i s u s u a l ly not perfectly pl aced on c6. It
blocks his own bishop and has no particu l a r active role. 9 . b3 ( I bel i eve White i s
also a b i t better after other moves, s uch a s 9 . g g s o r g .aJ. I always l i ke to play
b2-b3, because it lends protection to
4.
The c-fi le i s half-open, so that wi l l m atter.
H ere, we see a case where the q ueen i s better on d 1 than o n a4. You wou ld n't play
b2-b3 with the q ueen on a4, trapping itself) g . g_ c8 10. j;; b2 .�. e1 ( Black i s setti ng
. .
up a Hedgehog with the kn ight on c6, which is not idea l . Sti l l I don't see anyth i ng
better for h i m, the knight on c6 i s j u st a bit mi splaced) 1 1 . .B. cl d 6 1 2. � d2.
Wh ite i s a bit better i n this position. We exert some press u re on d6, and m ay in­
crease it with ideas l i ke JJ. a3 or 'd f3-g5-e4. As m entioned, Black's Hed gehog
fo rm ation i s not ideal , but sti l l rather sol id;
2) 8 . 'd e4. Th i s idea i s freq uently seen in th e Queen's I nd ia n, most notably i n the
.
.
main l i ne with Ld4 'll f6 2. 'll f3 e6 J.g3 b6 4 � g2 ;;t b7 5.0-0 §i. e] 6.c4 o-o 7. 'll c3
. •
'll e4. I n th e given position, it is a bad idea, beca use Black's los s of ti m e is more of
a problem in this more open position: 9 . � c2 'd xc3 lO. � xc3 d s l l . E d 1 , and White
i s q u ickly able to put some p ressure on th e d-file, with a co mfortable advantage;
3) 8 . . §i. e] is a very u sual move with the q ueen on a41 as
.
. . .
'll b8-a 6-c5 comes with a
tem po. H ere, it i s less pointed , a s there i s no tem po gai n , and the q ueen wi l l h ave a
better s pot tha n a4 a nyway. 9 . );. f4 'd a 6 10. g cl d c5 1 1 . JJ. d6 � xd 6 12. �xd 6
'
d ce4 l J. 'd xe4 'll xe4 i 4. � d4, a n d Wh ite had u sefu l press u re i n the game Sargis­
'
s ian- N ava ra, H uaian bl itz 201 6. A fu n side note: th i s game took a curious move
order to our pos ition - i .d4 'd f6 2.4 e6 3- 'd c3 g b4 4. 'll f3 b6 5. );. d2 � b7 6.g3 c5
7.dxc5 $;; xc5 8. J;. g2 o-o 9 .0-0 � e7 i o. � f4 'd a6 1 1 . B. c1 'd c5 1 2 . .�. d6 g xd 6
1 J. �xd6 'll ce4 i4. 'd xe4 -2l xe4 i 5. �d4. A nice tra n s position !
9.cxd5
Th i s plays fo r a sma l l , com pl etely risk-free advantage. You m ay a l so play 9 . 'll es,
which sets more concrete pro blem s . After th i s move, Black's best bet is the not so
obvious 9 . . 'd e4, after which I fo u nd nothing great for Wh ite. Sti l l , this is not a bad
.
option if you don't want to s i m pl ify as in the main recom mendation . Note that s i m plification does not m e a n it is harmless: i n
d raws/Z ERO losses with 9.cxd5 !
9... � xd5 10. � xd5
Megabase 2019,
White scored 1 2 win s/4
1 0 A xds
•..
An altern ative is taking with th e q ueen with 10 . . . l¥?ixd5 , which is the less popular of
the recaptu res . White has a s m a l l , but naggi ng edge i n a sym metrical pos ition n ow.
I ' l l show one sa mple l ine: 1 1 . � f4 21 d7 1 2. '21 e1 ygtxd 1 1 3- ,;: xd 1 .� xg2 14. @ xg2 'll f6
'
1 5. 'a d3 ,'JJ. e7 1 6 . .§. c1 B. fc8 1 7 . .;: fd 1 @ f8 1 8 . @ f3- Wh ite has an annoying p u l l here.
Black has a problem with the c6-square, and White i s more active i n genera l . It i s
also easier for White to expan d o n the ki ngside, with moves l i ke g3-M a n d e2-e4
coming to grab more space.
1 1 . � g5
Th i s i nteresti ng move is a novelty.
1 1 h6
• ••
1 1 . . . g xg2
1 2 . � c2 (this is the key point of 021 gs) 1 2 . . . g6 1 3- � xg2 � d5+ 14.f3. White wi l l have
usefu l tem pi with 'll e4, .�. h 6 and .§. d 1 , with a n advantage.
1 2. � e4 /J. e7 1 3. A f4
Again, Wh ite i s a l ittle b it better, due to h i s more active pieces a nd the c6wea kness. We h ave the option of playing � a4 and centra l i zi ng the rooks next.
N ow, the flexi ble 6 . . o-o i s the m a i n move by a m i le, but there are some sidel ines.
.
The move 6 . d 5 has no independent va l ue, as 7.cxd 5 exd5 8. 'd c3 o-o 9 . 'd es tra ns..
poses to 6 . . o-o 7. 'd c3 ds 8.cxd5 exd 5 9 . d es. For the m a i n l i n e 6 . . o-o 7. 'd c3,
.
'
.
please refer to Chapter 23 for d eta i l s.
6 c5
...
Th i s is a bad move, but you need to know why. I a m s u rprised that Wh ite d i d n 't ex­
ploit Black's m i stake i n m ore than half of the games i n my d atabase.
1 ) 6 . . . d6 i s a passive move that we can exploit:
7.d5 (th i s is an opportun ity that you should n ot m iss. Wh ite gets a nice advantage
i n space with th i s move) 7 . . . exd5 ( B l ack may also play 7 . . . e5, which after the n atu ral
moves 8. '.d c3 o-o 9.e4 leads to a position we exa m i ne via 6.c4 o-o 7. 'd c3 d6 8.d5
es 9.e4) 8. :E::i h4 (h ead i ng fo r fs and setting u p th e pin on the long di agon a l . Black
has no good way to keep h i s pawn ) 8 ... c6 9 . 'd fs o-o l o.cxd 5 cxd 5 1 1 . 'd cJ We wi l l
w i n the d s-pawn back with some advantage. Black's pawn formation is perman ently
dam aged;
2) 6 ... c6 is q u ite reasona ble actu a l ly. Black sto ps any d4-d5 ideas and intends to
play . . . d 7-d5 h i mself next. Com pared to th e i m mediate 6 . . . d 5, he wil l be able to an­
swer cxd 5 with the symmetrical ... cxd 5, avoid i n g the hangi ng pawn s . You probably
have al ready n oticed that . . . d 7-d 5 next looks a lot l i ke a different open i ng: the
Closed li ne of the Catalan ! You may play 7. 'll c3 here. After 7 . . . d 5, you h ave the
choice between 8. d es or 8. 'll d2. I n particular, 8. 'LJ d2 looks qu ite good for Wh ite.
'
H owever I recommend the econom ical 7. Wt c2, because Black has n oth i n g better
th an goi ng for a Closed Catalan now. After 7 . . . d5 8. 'd bd2 o-o 9.e4, we h ave
reached Chapter 8.
7.d5
Of course! If you are able to play thi s move, you should do so.
7... exd5
8. � h4
Th i s i s the poi nt th at i s probably u n known to many players on th e wh ite s ide. We
exploit the p i n on th e long d i agonal and d i rect the kn ight towards the j u icy f5square. I t i s i m portant to note the d ifference to 6 . . o-o 7.d5 exd 5 8. 'd h4, when
.
B l ack's only good move is 8 . . c6 to keep the extra pawn.
.
8 . o-o 9.cxd5 d6 1 0. �fs 1i e8 1 1 . � xe7+
.
.
A Modern Benoni without a da rk-sq uared bi shop i s a bleak p ros pect for B l ack. G et­
ti ng th e bi shop pa i r i n a non-sym metrical pawn structu re i s not bad either, so j ust
ta ke it.
1 1 Wxe7 12. � c3
• ••
I n the long run, Wh ite will play for e2-e4 and fa-f4, and prepare a central break­
th rough. Black has no active ideas, so we m ight a s wel l prepare th i s idea carefully.
A3) 5 ... d5 6.C4
You may also reach th i s position via i .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 '.d f6 3-g3 e6
4. ,JJ. g2
b6 5.0-0
,JJ. b7 6.4.
6...dXC4
Th i s i s a ra re l i ne, but it i s q u ite playable fo r Bl ack. We can on ly count on a sma l l
adva ntage i f Black plays well . U sual ly, Black plays moves such a s 6 . . . 'd bd7 or
6 . . !Ji. e1, after which 7.cxd 5 exd 5 8. 21 c3 o-o 9. 'll es is a favourable l i ne covered via
.
'.
i .d4 'll f6 2. 'll f3 e6 3-g3 b6 4. ,JJ. g2 g b7 5.0-0 .�. e? 6.c4 o-o 7. 'll c3 d5 8.cxd 5 exd5
9. 'll e5 (see Chapter 23) .
7· ft34+ � bd7
8. � e5
The other i nteresti ng move that I l i ke 1 s 8. g gs, but the kn i ght move 1 s more
straightfo rward .
&••• A x12 9. m xp
N ow, B lack needs to worry about the c6-sq uare.
9. c5
..
The best move, but on ly pl ayed i n a s m a l l percentage of the games.
1) 9 . a 6 {hoping fo r . . . b6-b 5, but we have a strong reply:) 10. � c6 (very strong! We
. .
block the c-pawn fi rst and only th en take on c4) 1 0 . . '£. e7 { 1 0 . . . b5 i s too greedy.
.
.
Then l 1 .a4 i s very strong. Black i s fa l l ing apart on th e q ueen s ide now) 1 1 . 'd xc4. We
h ave a comfortable pos ition here, pressing o n th e queen s ide a nd the c-fi le later;
2) 9 . . . §1. d6 is the most popular move, but again we keep a n i ce edge o n the q ueen­
s i de: 10. 'd xc4 o-o 1 1 . '1¥M c6 .J!! e7 1 2. 'd c3, and Black aga i n does not ma nage to free
h i m s elf from the bind on th e q u een s ide.
1 0.dxc5 A xes 1 1 . 1l d1
It i s understa ndable that Black i s scared about th i s position a nd therefore avoids
9 . . . c5. A closer look s hows that Wh ite only has a s m a l l advantage.
1 1 ...
c7 1 2. � xd7 � xd7 13. � c3
·
b7+ 14.f3 a6
B lack need s to break the pin on the knight.
1 5.
XC4 O·O 16. � e4
With a s m a l l advantage for White. We a re q u icker on the open fi les.
B) 2 ... b6
M ost pl ayers aim ing fo r a Queen's I nd i an play 2 . . e6 fi rst, and only after 3.c4 (or
.
our Jg3) opt for 3 . . . b6. What is the difference in playi ng 2 . b6 ? Wel l , Bl ack m ight
.
.
want to fia nchetto both bi shops, skipping the move . . . e7-e6 for the mo ment. As far
a s I can see, this 2 . . . b6 m ove order does not h ave a su bstantial d rawback for Black.
It is not a big dea l from our pers pective, as we are able to play our sta ndard set-up
of fi a nchettoing on the ki ngside fi rst.
3·13
The move that i s i n accorda nce with our repertoi re a pproach . I 'd l i ke to mention
th at J. §i. g5 a l so seems very reasonable to me. With � g5, you go for a Torre set-u p
{the p roper Torre goes 1 .d4 'll f6 2. 'll f3 e 6 J. :Jl. g5) , with Black a l ready comm itted to
. . . b7-b6, which i s not idea l . Th i s i s a good a ltern ative if you l i ke to vary you r play.
3 . � b7 4. §t g2
..
N ow, 4 . . . e6 wou l d transpose to l i n e A a bove or the next cha pter, but Bl ack has tried
other a pproaches, usually based on . . . g7-g6 set-ups.
Bi) 4 g6
...
B lack goes for a double fi anchetto. This i s qu ite an interesti ng l i ne for Black that
has ga i ned some momentum i n recent years, usually starting with different move
orders . O ne exam ple: our m a i n l i ne pos ition may arise fro m 1 . 'd f3 "21 f6 2.c4 b6
J.g3 §i. b7 4. };, g2 g6 5.0-0 g g] 6.d4 o-o 7. 'd c3.
5.0-0
It is i nterestin g to note th at th i s position may also occur via 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 g6
J.g3 b6 4. j), g2 .�. b7 5.0-0.
5 . A 11
..
B lack may also play 5 . . . c5 here, wh ich after 6.dxc5 bxc5 7 . .S. e1 , tra n s poses to a posi­
tion covered vi a 4 ... c5.
6.C4
B lack now castles a l m ost a l l of the ti me, but we a lso need to check two alternatives
{see B 1 2 and B 1 3) :
en ) 6. o-o 7. � C3
..
Th i s i s ou r u s ua l approach i n the Queen's I ndian, goi ng fo r th is natu ral developing
move after we have com pleted ou r standard set-up of ki ngside castl ing and d2-d4
and c2-4. I 'd l i ke to mention that 7.d5 a l so looks pro m i s i ng to me, but h aving a
s i m ple recipe aga i n st a n offbeat l i n e m a kes sense to me. After 7.d5 'd e4! �, it gets
too m u rky for my taste. Th i s i s the kind of l i n e yo u can s pecifical ly p repa re for if
yo u know you r oppon ent i s going to play it. As a general a pproach, it is not
econom ical , given that you ' l l face th i s l i ne so rarely.
7• • . � �
1 ) 7 . . . d6. Remarka bly, th i s strategic m i sta ke i s encou ntered q u ite freq uently.
8.d5 (making the b1-bi shop look s i l ly) 8 . . 'd bd7 9 . 'd d4, and Wh ite is j ust better
.
with h i s extra s pace and th e bad b?-bishop. After some preparatory moves, we can
play fo r fu rther expansion with th e pawn s i n th e centre and possi bly with b2-b4 a s
well ;
2 ) 7 . . . d 5 . Bl ack m ixes at l east two to th ree diffe rent o peni ngs with thi s move. I n any
case, we have a s i m ple, but p rom i s i n g reply: 8.cxd5 '.21 xd 5 9 . -21 xd 5 .�. xd5 10. � c2.
We have easy moves s uch as � f4 and rooks to cl and d1 com i ng. Black is stuck
with a weak c-pawn .
8. � x� A xe4 9. A e3
Our approach i s to trade the g]-bishop with � d 2 and g h 6 , and then expand slow­
ly on th e queen side and in the centre, if possible. B l ack's pos ition i s solid, but we' l l
have more options to i m prove our position.
9 . c5
..
An alternative m ay be 9 . . d6 1 0. � d2 'd d7 1 1 . g h 6 'd f6 1 2. ,Jl xg7 ·� xg7 1 3. b3. This
.
is very s i m i la r to 9 ... c5. Black wi l l often play th i s move anyway n ow and tra n spose.
1 0. '8d2 d6 n . A h6 � d7 12. A xr:7 m xr:7 1 3.b3
Th i s i s p rotecting the pawn as a prophylactic meas ure, anticipating . . . B. c8 or
. . . � c7 by B lack. We also need to keep in m i nd that d4-dS is a n interesti ng idea.
After the i m med iate 1 3.d5, B lack has l 3- .. b5, but we have moves that make the idea
d4-dS more powerfu l . I ' l l show one l i n e to i l l ustrate:
13 ... � f6 14. g ac1
c7 15.d5
Th i s vers ion of the d4-dS push is more dangerous fo r B lack, as we have antici pated
cou nterplay with . . . b7-b5.
1 5...b5 1 6. A h3
Th i s i s a key move fo r Wh ite. We are now th reatening 1 7 . 'd h4, which shows th at a
centralized bishop ca n be bad ly placed .
1 6... � xf3 1 7.exf3 bxC4 1 8.bxC4
H ere Wh ite has the easier game. We can ta rget the e]-pawn and someti mes g3-g4g5 hel ps to develop a n i n itiative. Note how b2-b3 and g ac1 hel ped i n preparation
of d4-d 5. Th e rook on cl is usefu l in antici pation of a later . . g a8-b8-b4 play and
.
also a l lows g c1 -c3-eJ.
812) 6 ...e6
Th i s i s ra re at th i s partic u l a r poi nt1 actu al ly1 but the res u lting positions may a l so
occu r via other move o rders, such as i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 e6 J.g3 b6 4. ;Ji, g2 .�. b7 5.0-0
g6 6.c4 g g7.
7. � c3 � e4
7 . . . 0-0.
If Black allows u s to play d4-ds, we s hould do so: 8 . d 5 exd 5 9.cxd 5 B. e8 10. 'll d4
{an i m portant move! Black was th reaten ing to play 10 . . . 'd e4, with desi ra ble trades
for Black. With 10. 'd d4, we control th e e4-square) 10 . . . 'd a6 1 1 . 'll db5, and Wh ite
has some adva ntage here. I 'd l i ke to poi nt out one idea worth knowin g. If you play
1 1 . � f4 i n stead, Black may a nswer 1 1 . . 'll h s, and after 1 2. ,.;t e3, go for a n exchange
.
sacrifice with 1 2 . . . � xe3! ?. Thi s s acrifice i s an idea you s hould be aware of. Black
gets good p l ay on the d a rk squares , control over squares such as es, and the bishop pair. Th i s i s often eno ugh in a p ractical game. With 1 1 . 'll d b5, we i ntend to play
,JJ. f4 later, as i n th e fo l l owi ng l i n e: 1 1 . . . 'd c5 1 2. ,JJ. f4 d 6 1 J.b4, with a su bstantial
adva ntage. Black has problems, i n particu lar with the badly placed b]-bishop and
the c-fi le pressure on the backwa rd pawn .
8. � xe4
I n th e double fi anchetto l i n es, I recom mend taking the kn i ght on e4. The fol lowi ng
play is s i m ple to conduct and comforta ble for Wh ite.
8. A x� 9. A gs
..
The general idea for Wh ite i s to play a l ater � d2 and Ji, h 6, trad i ng off Black's good
bishop. I n the res ulti ng pos itions, Wh ite has an easier job to play for s pace and i s
therefore s l i ghtly better.
9···
c8
Another pos s i ble l i ne i s 9 . .f6 10 �. e3 o-o 1 1 . '@'d2 'll c6 1 2. B. fd 1 (please avoid
.
. •
1 2 . j;; h6 j;; xh 6 1 3. W¥ xh6 ,Ji. xf3 14. j;; xf3 'd xd4, and B lack is better!) 12 . . . 'll e?
13 �. h6. White has at least a small advantage. We have more options h ere to play
.
•
on the q ueen side and i n the centre. One later idea to take n ote of i s to move the g2bishop away to fl or h3, and only then play 'Ll d2 and e2-e4, expa nding wh i le avoid­
i ng further trades.
1 0.
d2 h6 1 1 . A e3 d6 12. g ac1
B lack can't castle kingside easily, a s the h 6-pawn i s u nder attack. Wh ite i s sl ightly
better here, with long-term prospects on the quee n s ide. One idea i s to play for a
b2-b4 and C4-c5 break.
813) 6 c5
...
7.d5
The move 7. 'd c3 a l l of a sudden tra n s poses i nto a sym metri ca l Engl ish, often
reached via a move order such as 1 .c4 c5 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3- 'd c3 b6 4.g3 j;; b7 5 Ji. g2 g6
.
6.o-o o-o 7.d4. Adva nci ng the pawn is stronger and leads to an advantage.
•
7 b5
...
The point of Black's play. Th e type of Beno n i after 7 . . . 0-0 8. 'd c3 d6 9 . e4 is very
good for White. A set-u p with . . . b7-b6 and . . �. b7 m a kes little sense fo r B lack and
.
.
does not oppose Wh ite's plan of long-term central expan sion .
8.d6
I l i ke th i s move a lot. Bl ack wanted to get a Benko-type game and n ow thi s idea i s
not pos sible. Wh ite i s better, due to Black's central wea knesses.
8 bXC4 9· � a3 0·0 1 0. � XC4
...
And Wh ite i s better. Th e d6-pawn i s very a n noying for Black.
82) 4 . c5
.
.
These early . . . c7-c5 moves a re played with the intention of making use of White's
move order. We have not played c2-c4, and th erefore we can't an swer . . . c7-c5 with
the adva nce d4-d51 as Black wa s very q u ick in contro l l i ng th i s square.
5.dxc5
I advise playi ng in the same fash ion after Ld4 '21 f6 2. 'd f3 e6 J.g3 b6 4 �. g2 .�. b7
.
•
5.0-0 c5 6.dxc5. We m ight transpose into th i s l i ne if Black pl ays . . . e7-e6 next.
5 ... bxc5 6.o-o g6
By fa r the most popular move i n th i s pos ition, even though 6 . . . e6 i s a fi n e alter­
native to tra nspose i nto more regular Queen's I ndian structures. After 6 . . . e6, we
play 7.c4 to transpose to Ld4 'LJ f6 2. 'd f3 e6 3-g3 b6 4. ,©. g2 :b: b7 5.0-0 c5 6.dxc5
bxc5 7.c4 (An a bove) . Th at bei ng said, it makes sense from Black's pers pective to
play . . . g7-g6, though, con sidering h i s move o rder of delayin g . . . e7-e6 from the start.
7. 1i e1
Th i s move is very rare, but a lso very strong! Wh ite i ntends to play e2-e4 n ext, even
though t h i s square i s covered twice.
7··· A t:1
Black m ay also play 7 . . . d5. Of cou rse, th i s i s a l ready strategical ly d u bious, but we
a re able to play very powerfu l ly now.
l
8.e4 {pawn b reakth rou gh s on protected sq uares a re often very strong, and th i s no
exception) . 8 . . . 'd xe4 9.c4. Th e followi ng l i n e is long, but rather forced: 9 . . � g]
.
1 o.cxd5 g xd 5 1 1 . '21 gs 'd f6 1 2. 'd c3 ,©. xg2 1 3. W!'xd8+ ,�, xd8 14. � xg2 .S. f8 1 5. ,©. e3Wh ite is clearly better. We wi l l get the c5-pawn and keep a h u ge i n itiative aga i n st
Black's vu l n erable ki ng and weak pawns .
8.�
8...o-o
Black can't take on e4 and thus n eed s to al low e4-e5.
1) 8 . . . 'd xe4 9 . 'd gs (a terri b le pin on th e long diagonal) 9 . . . f5 10. 'd d2 o-o 1 1 . 'd dxe4
fxe4 1 2 . 'd xe4. Black's position i s even worse tha n it looks at fi rst sight. There are
the i m m ediate ideas of l J. 'd f6+ a nd 1 3- 'd xc5, but also h2-h4-h5. There i s no ade­
q uate reply to all of the m ;
2 ) 8 . . . � xe4 9 . 8 xe4 'd xe4
1 0 . � d5,
9.e5 � e8
Pass ive, but the only stable squ a re.
with a large advantage fo r White.
Wh ite has a very pleasant position. The es-pawn i s a n u i sance fo r Black, and the
q u ick h4-hS sta rts a d angerous i n itiative on the kings ide.
Conclusion
The Q ueen 's I ndian has a sol id reputation for Black. With o u r m ove order of a de­
layed c2-c4, we prevent some good l i nes for Black ( . . . � a6 set-u ps) , but al low the
early . . . c7-c5 {line A) . Black is fi ne in th is l i ne, but I a m happy with th i s trade-off. I
th i n k th at th e positions i n l i ne A a re sti l l i nterestin g to play and sound against
strong opposition. The double fianchetto l i n es (l i ne B) are sti l l rather unexplored ,
but not bad for Black. We can only count on a s m a l l plus aga i n st th i s set-up if
B lack pl ays wel l . A general idea th at you need to play attention to is the push d4-d S
to b l u nt the b1-bi shop, a s showcased i n some d i agrams i n this chapter.
CHAPTER 23
Queen's Indian - Main line:
3... b6 4 . .ft g2 .ft b7 5. 0-0 .ft e] 6. c4 o-o 7. � c3
1 .d4 � f6 2. � f3 e6 3. 13 b6 4. A g2 A b7 5.0-0 A e1 6.c4 o-o
7. � q
Th i s i s the tried and tested main l i ne, but White has some i nteresting options to
choose from at t h i s poi nt. The main alternatives are th e soph i sticated 7. � el and
the Pol ugaevs ky/ Kasparov/Alph aZero gam bit move 7.d5. We have seen the d4-d5
idea before, fo r i n sta nce, after 6.c4 d 6 7.d5. Here, 7.d 5 exd 5 8. '8 h4 c6 9 .cxd 5 '21 xd 5
i s possible fo r B lack and leads to com plex play i n which White has good attacking
chances at the cost of a pawn. You should defi n itely study the Al phaZero games in
th i s l i ne, as they a re a mong the best chess ga mes ever played ! I looked at these
l i nes and I felt that they don't q u ite fit i nto th i s repertoire, due to com plexity that is
not q u ite necessary at th i s point. In some cases, you N E E D to play a sha rper move
to pose problems, but here classical play is poss i ble, and poi sonous enough.
Back to ou r move: we devel op the kn ight to its most natu ra l square and fi ght for
control over e4 and ds. Black now need s to worry a bout the advance d4-d s, which
wou l d make the b7-bi shop l ook a bit sad . The two main moves address exactly this
idea.
Th i s move h as the best reputati on. It does not p hys ica l ly stop d4-d5, l i ke 7 ... d 5
does, but makes i t un attractive. After 8 . d 5 'd xc3, w e get a weak dou bled pawn a n d
after 8 . 'd xe4 .r£. xe4 9.d5, th i s advance i s not very effective, a s the bi shop i s actively
placed on e4.
8.
C2
N owadays, 8. JJ. d2 i s more po pular, but there i s n oth i n g wrong with th is m ove.
bel ieve that some new ideas, mostly suggested by LeelaZero, may set Black unex­
pected p roblems.
8. � xc3
..
Th i s i s more or less forced , but sti ll you ' l l meet the oth er moves qu ite regularly.
8 . . .f5.
It i s a rather com mon scenario to see Queen 's I ndian struct u res with a l ater . . . f7-f5,
lead i ng to a Dutch-style ga me. I n th i s particular case, however, it does not work
wel l . 9. 'd es is the move to remem ber. Black does not have enough control over e4
and is in trou ble:
1) 9 . . 'd d6 10. � xb7 'd xb7 1 i .e4 (a h uge strategic accom p l i s h ment, occupying the
.
centre with out a ny concessions) 1 1 . . 'll d 6 1 2.exf5 'd xf5 l 3- � e4, with a s ignificant
.
adva ntage for White;
2)
9
. .
. d 5. Bl ack i s declari n g strategic ban kruptcy with th i s move, weake n i n g h i s
position beyond repair. l O.cxd5 exd 5 1 1 . g f4 (d i rectly ta ki n g a i m at c7) . Let's look at
a pos s i b l e l i ne that shows Wh ite's general p l a n : 1 1
. . .
�. f6 1 2. B. ad1 c6 l } :r he4 fxe4
•
1 4.f} B lack is not able to defend aga i n st th i s central brea kth rough, for i n stance,
after th e fo l l owin g moves: 14 . . . exf3 1 5. 'll xf3 '21 d7 1 6.e4 dxe4 1 7. 'll es, and Bl ack is
fa l l i n g apart after the com i n g � xe4.
9.ffXC3
B lack now mostly chooses between set-ups with . . . c7-c5 or . . .f7-f5. I n my m i nd, a
. . . c5- ba sed set- u p i s sou nder, but . . .f7-f5 sti l l enjoys su bsta ntial popularity.
Ai) 9. .c5
.
Th i s is the best set- u p i n my opi n ion. Black sta kes some claim i n the centre, and i n
many cases prepares a later kn ight development to c6. Th ere i s a range of pawn
stru ctures that m ay arise from here. B l ack can keep the ten s i on i n th e centre or take
on d4, sometimes lead i ng to a Hedgeh og set-up. Let's h ave a look at some l i nes
and d iscuss deta i l s once they a re on the board .
1 0. li d1
I l i ke th i s move the most, putti n g th e rook opposite the q ueen i m mediately. N ow,
i o.
.
. d6, keepi n g the ten s i on , seems best.
An) io . d6 n .b3
..
Here, 1 1 . � d 3 is not as effective a s agai nst 10 . . 'Ji. f6 (see A1 2) , because Black has
.
the option of answeri ng dxc5 with ... dxc5.
11
• ••
A to 12. A 1>2
Th i s i s a natu ral sequence of moves after Black has chosen 9 . c5. It i s no su rpri se
. .
that it occu rred i n dozens of games. I wi l l explore some conti n uations from h ere,
pointi ng out i nteresti ng idea s for Wh ite.
A1 1 1 ) 12...
e1
l
Th i s i s by fa r the most popul a r move for B l ack at th i s poi nt.
13.h4
Aga i n , th i s fresh idea. It gai ns in strength after Black h as played . . . W!! e7, becau se
after a futu re 'd f3-h2-g4, the f6-bishop has no retreat squares.
13 � c6
•.•
Th i s looks very n atural and i s q uite l i kely to happen i n a practical game. An alternative may be 1 J . . cxd4 1 4. 'a xd4 j;; xg2 1 5. '�' xg2 � b7+ (th i s is not that great for
Black, but you need to be alert next move) 1 6. W!J f3 � xf3+ 1 7. exf). Please don 't p l ay
1 7. �· xf3 es!, and after a kn ight move, . . . e5-e4+ is pai nfu l . After the correct 1 7.exf3,
we a re j u st better, based on the weak d-pawn and Black's u ndeveloped kn ight on
b8.
'
' ' '
'
'
� I
We keep the ten sion and prepare 'd f3-h2-g4 th i s way.
1 4 li ad8
...
1 ) 14 . . . cxd4 1 5.exd4 d s 1 6.cxd5 exd 5 1 7 . 'd h2 is q u ite com parable to the l i ne start i n g
with 1 4. .. ;;, ad8. Wh ite has a n n oying ideas o f 'd g4 a n d 'd h 2-f1 -e3, a nd enjoys a
nice i n itiative;
2) 14 ... e5 is a critical move, but I th i n k White has i nteresti ng play here as wel l :
1 5. '@ d2 e4 (B lack has to p u s h the pawn basical ly. Aga i n st something slow, w e have
a comfortable choice of playi ng d4-d5 or taking on c5/e5 to open the d-fi le, depending on Bl ack's choice) 1 6 . 'd g5 ;;il xg5 1 7.hxg5. N ow, Black has a hard task. Wh at to
play n ow? Wh ite i s th reatening both 1 8.d5 ( i ntend i ng � c3) and 1 8.dxc5. 1 7 . . 'd d8 i s
.
by far th e best accord i ng to th e engines - n ot exactly easy t o fi nd. Sti l l , Wh ite has a
pull here: 18.dxc5 dxc5 1 9.a4 � xg5 (not the on ly m ove, but the one that seems
most critical) 20 .a5. White has very good com pen sati on here, and you cou ld cer­
ta i n ly explore more, but you need to cut the analys i s at some poi nt. I th i n k that it i s
clear that t h i s whole line i s tricky for Black t o handle.
1 5• � h2 hs
A d ra stic meas ure, but the altern ative shows that al lowi ng 'a g4 i s not fu n either:
1 5 . .. cxd4 1 6.exd4 d s 1 7.cxd 5 exd 5 18. 'd g4, and Black i s i n trou ble. We have � f3
ideas, and the knight will often be excel lently pl aced on e3, eyei ng the d s-pawn and
the fs-square.
1 6. ' d2 g feg
B lack may a lso p lay i 6 . . . cxd4 i 7.exd4 d s i 8.cxd 5 exd 5 i g . � f4. We have seen this
structure before. Wh ite i s better, mostly due to th e 'll h2-f1 -e3 idea.
17.d5 A xb2 1 8.
xb2 exd5 19. A xd5
Wh ite is sl ightly better here, given th at there are weaknesses on d s and d 6. The
kn i ght on h2 looks bad at the moment, but it can q u ickly i m prove to f3 and
possi bly gs soo n . Please note that . . . h7-h5 i s a serious weake n i ng of Bl ack's ki ng­
si de, which makes a n idea such as '.21 h2-f3-g5 m uch more attractive.
A1 1 2) 12...
c7
l l l
13.h4
Do you see a pattern here? Agai n , thi s new and sti l l u nexplored move is an i nter­
esting twist. We need to look at some moves to see the ben efits of th i s idea .
13 ... � d7
B lack i s keeping the long d ia gonal open and gets the knight closer to th e k i n gside.
The move . . 'd f8 looks l i ke a good way to cover h7 without weakening the king, but
.
th i s is a rather passive a pproach .
The move 1 3 . . . 'd c 6 looks more obviou s than 1 3 . . 'd d7, b u t i t seems less reliable:
.
1 4.e3 B. ad8
1 5. 'd h2 (the second point of h2-h4. The kn ight eyes the g4-square, and at the same
time, the diagonal for the bi shop on g2 i s open ed) 15 ... h 5 1 6. � d2, and now d4-d S
i s an idea . Th is position i s very i nteresti ng and tough to play fo r Black. Lee laZero
l i kes White here, and I agree. One idea that I 'd l i ke to s how i s the fo l l owing: 1 6 . . .
cxd4 1 7.exd4. After t h e trade, 'd h 2-f1 -e3 i s a way t o i m prove t h e kn ight. Playing the
early h2-h4 sets Black fres h problems.
1 4.ffa
Th i s is a bit better here than 14. 'i!!! d 3, beca use it keeps the bi shop on b2 protected.
1 4.. h6
.
B lack prevents 'd gs com p l etely. If 14 . . � fd8 (going for . . 'd f8, but Wh ite retai n s
.
.
good pressure) 1 5. '2l g5 'd f8 1 6 . .�. xb7 � xb7 1 7. '2l e4, with an noyi ng press u re for
Wh ite.
1 5. g d2
Wh ite a l so has 1 5.e4 here, grabbing more space. I suggest dou bl i ng on the d-fi le,
anticipati ng a fo l lowi ng . . . cxd4. Bl ack has an swered ou r h 2-h4 idea preci sely with
. . . 'd d7 and . . . h7-h6, and has a sol id position . I 'd sti l l rath er be White, but B l ack is
not in bad shape either.
A1 1 3) 12 .. � c6
.
Th i s move order i s i m precise and lead s to a naggi ng adva ntage fo r Wh ite.
1 3. '5d2
Stepping out of the long d i agonal and th reatening to push the d-pawn to d s .
1 3 ... fte7 1 4.d5 exd5 1 5. A xf6 t!xf6
l l
1 6.
xd5
And Wh ite enjoys a permanent edge, based on the weaknesses on the d-fi le.
A1 14) 12 ... � d7 13. ' C2 iW c7 14.h4
And we have tra nsposed to 12 . . . iWc7 1 J. h4 'd d 7 14. llM! c2.
A1 2) 1 0. JU6
..
Th i s move is less rel i a ble than 1 0 . . . d 6. Our reply wi l l h igh light the d rawback of th e
text move i m med i ately.
1 1 . 8d3
As mentioned in some other s i m i lar l i nes, t h i s needs to be checked whenever the
b?-bishop is u n protected . We are th reaten i ng
A1 21 ) 1 1
••.
1 2.
'U gs now.
� c6
B lack need s to do someth i ng a bout the u n protected b]-bi shop.
1 2.dxc5 bxc5
13.h4
Su rprisi ngly, the move 1 3. �xd7 i s not th at clear after 1 ]. .. f« b6. We wi l l see that
playi ng h2-h4 i s an intrigu ing idea i n t h i s l i ne. It lead s to interesti ng play here, getti ng 'd gs back on the map.
13 ... h6
B lack shou ld probably stop 'd gs.
1 3 . . . � b6 1 4. 'd gs � xg5 i 5.hxg5, and a l l of sudden we h ave ideas on th e ki ngside.
M oves l i ke .r£. e4 and ·�· g2 q uickly make good use of the h -fi le.
1 4. A f4
·
b6
Black m ay a l so play 14 . . . d 5 1 5.cxd5 exd 5 1 6. � xd 5 (we are accepting the chal lenge}
1 6 . . . � xd 5 1 7 . � xd 5 'D d4 (Black's poi nt, but th e resu lti ng position i s m uch easier
for Wh ite to pl ay} 1 8. 'd xd4 ;;t xd5 1 9 �. xd5 B. ad8
.
•
20. 'D e6 (the great poi nt!} 20 . . fxe6 21 . g xe6+ � h8 22. � cl , and White has good
.
play for the lost exchan ge.
1 5.g4
I suggest this enterprising move, but you may a l so play someth i n g slower, such as
1 5 'Ji. d 6 B. fe8 1 6.aJ. After th e more aggressive 1 5.S4, White has good play on the
. •
kingside, getting in g4-g5 next.
Ai22) 1 1 d5
•••
The other move to take care of the u n stable bis hop on b].
1 2.cxd5 exd5 1 3.dxc5 bxcs
1 4.h4
Aga in this idea! Th e Al engi nes love to use the h-pawn, and I have to agree that it is
an u nder-appreci ated weapon that shou ld be u sed more often. We a re plan n i ng
'� gs, of cou rse.
14 ... h6 1 5.g4
The great po i nt! g4-gS i s a serious th reat, and ta king on h4 i s good fo r Wh ite.
15 ... A xh4 1 6. ftb5 A a6 17.
xc5 A xe2 1 8. 1! xd5
B lack is under heavy pressu re and wi l l have a h a rd job defend i ng th is pos iti on. The
recu rri ng theme of h2-h4 is very rem a rkable.
Ai3) 10 cxd4
•.•
B lack goes fo r a pos ition s i m i l a r to th e Hed gehog.
1 1 . � xd4 j\ Xg2 12. d:1Xg2
c8
B l ack need s to prepare . . . 'd c6 and leaves the d-file.
1 3.b3
Wh ite i s somewhat better here, d u e to the pawn structu re. The black d-pawn i s a
weakness and there i s l ittle that Black can do about it. There are some possi bl e
conti n u ations here, b u t i t mostly loo ks s i m i l a r to the fol lowi ng l i ne.
1 3 ... � c6 14. A b2 � xd4 1 5. · xd4 A f6 16.
d2 A xb2 1 7.
1 9. g d4
And we a re p i l i ng u p on the d-pawn, with some advantage.
A2) 9 . f5
.
.
·
xb2
c6+ 1 8. �g1 d6
1 0. Ji d1
Wh ite shou ld start with thi s move, th reate n i ng d4-d5 at the right moment. Th i s
wou l d make the b]-bi shop passive.
1 0 A f6 1 1 .b4
•..
Black has stopped d4-dS fo r the moment, but we are al ready set to grab the i n itia­
tive o n the q ueenside. I prefer Wh ite here, but Black's com pact position is q u ite re­
s i l ient. I ' l l show some l i nes th at showcase typical pl ay:
A21) 1 1 a5 12.b5 d6 13.
•.•
e3
Getting out of the diagonal with a gai n of tem po.
13...
e1 14. j\ a3 � d7 15, g ac1
We a re playi ng for c4-c5, ope n i ng u p the position.
15 ... g ad8 1 6. ti) e5
A n ice tactical shot, leading to a n adva ntage for Wh ite.
1 6... * x12 1 7. �lxg2 * xe5 18.dxe5 ti) c5 1 9.exd6 cxd6 20. g d2
And Wh ite i s clea rly better, ta rgeting the weaknesses on d 6 and e6.
A22) 11 c5 1 2.bxc5 bxc5 1 3. * a3 ti) a6 1 4. g ab1 A e4
•••
1 5. g b5
Wh ite has made co nsiderable progres s on the queen side and is better.
A23) 1 1 . .d6
.
B lack need s to develop the kn ight, but . . . d7-d6 wea ken s the e6-sq uare. We need to
watch o ut for tactics based on th is fact.
1 2. � b2 fte7
1 2 . . o 'Ll d7 looks normal, but now the e6-pawn weakness i s very relevant! : 1 J 'd gs
.�. xg5 (after 13 . . g xg2 1 4«21 xe6 W!f e] 1 5. '.d xf8 we win decis ive m ateri a I) 1 4. �. xb7
.
.
� b8 l 5 �. c6. Black is bu sted on th e light squares after he had to give up h is essen­
.
•
tial b]-bi shop.
1 3.c5
Always keep th i s idea i n m i n d . We open u p the position wh i l e Black i s sti l l u n­
derd eveloped.
1 3 ... bxc5 14.bxc5 dxc5
1 5. A a3
And Wh ite i s a lot better aga i n .
A3) 9 d6
. ..
Black i ntends to be flexi ble, but we have a n i nteresti ng reply that i m mediately
forces a d eci s ion:
1 0.
d3
You always have to check th is move, or � c2, looking at h7. The bi shop on b] i s
u n protected, a n d th erefore 1 1 . 'd g s i s a serious th reat.
1 0 fs
••.
So B l ack had to play . . . f7-f5 after a l l .
11.
e3
Why n ot m i s place the bl ack q ueen fi rst�
1 1 ...
c8
1 2.b4
An d we reach a position very s i m ilar to 9 . .f5. I th i n k White i s better i n the . . . f7-f5
.
positions i n gene ra l . We h ave more space, and B l ack's kn ight on b8 i s sti l l at home
and i s n ot eas i ly activated .
B) 7 .. d5
.
Th i s l i ne i s more or less extinct at the professional level nowadays. White has
worked out how to reach an advantage. It i s sti l l very i m portant to have some
knowledge of the l i nes from Wh ite's point of view. The main rea son i s its po pu­
larity at the c l u b level and the freq uent tra n s pos itio ns from other openi ngs, as we
wi l l see.
8.cxd5
81) 8 ...exd5
Th i s i s the most freq uently-pl ayed move. It's a n i m portant line, a s it may occur
from variou s move orders , i n particu lar from Catalan starti ng seq uences with a n
early . . . b7-b6, e.g. i .d4 d s 2 . 'd f3 'd f6 J.g3 e 6 4 . ,©, g2 1J. e7 5.0-0 o-o 6.c4 b6 7.cxd 5
exd 5 8. 'd CJ.
9. � es
I strongly recommend this move, even though Wh ite a lso scores wel l with oth ers .
The main reason why I reco m mend it: Black now on ly has O N E move th at l i m its
the damage to man agea ble p ropo rtions. If Black does not fi nd it, h e wi l l be m uch
worse q u ickly. N ote that I u sed the verb 'find'. Th i s i s an i m portant con sideration
when playi ng aga i n st questionable l i n es . I f you r opponent knew that the l i ne he i s
playi ng i s bad , he would probably avoid i t altogether. S o often people play i nto bad
l i n es, s i m ply because they don't know any th eory at a l l , and therefore need to fi n d
a l l the moves over the board . I t doesn 't often happen that someone pl ays a rotten
l i n e and then knows a l l the i n s and outs.
Back to our l i ne. The o n ly move that i s somewhat OK for Black i s
g . . 'LJ a6.
.
We
should sti l l look at a l l of the logica l moves. Knowi ng some more a bout them wi l l
res u lt i n many nice wi n s .
Bl l ) 9••• � a6
l
Th i s i s the only move that m akes Black's set-up at l ea st playable. Wh ite i s sti ll bet­
ter, but it's a game.
1 0. � f4
We employ the standard set-up th at we have seen i n many l i nes aga i n st th is pawn
fo rmati on. Th i s set-up incl udes :JJ. f4,
'l
a4 and rooks to c1 and d i .
1 0 c5 1 1 . , a4
•..
B lack now has tried some moves , but Wh ite keeps a pull everywhere:
1 1 ...
c8
The q ueen h eads to the e6-square. Th i s i s actu a l ly a rather frequently-seen spot for
the queen i n hanging pawn s positions.
1 ) 1 1 . . � e8 1 2. � xe8 g fxe8
.
l l
1 J g fd i . We h ave strong pres s u re aga i n st Black's centre, i n particu l a r the d 5-pawn.
I deas l i ke 'd bs m ay a l so come in ha ndy;
2) l l . . . 'd c7 1 2.dxcs � xc5 1 3. � g5 looks h orrible for Black. I don't see how he wi l l
keep the d s- pawn , given th at 'LJ es-d 3-f4 and 'd c 6 are both extremely annoying to
meet.
Or if B l ack takes with th e pawn , 1 2 . . . bxc5 l J 'd c4 (a very i m portant motif I needed
to s h ow! Th i s knight move i s very strong! i4. 'a as i s a terri ble th reat now) i 3 . . . a 5
1 4. � ad 1 , and Black's centre i s fa l l i ng apart ;
3 ) l l . .. cxd4 is a concess ion. Th e resulting I Q P position is not very attractive for
B l ack, becau se his piece p l acement is rather passive: 1 2. � xd4 '21 c5 1 3- � fd i . White
has some adva ntage here. Sti l l , this seems l i ke one of the better options for Black,
compared to some rather d readfu l accidents .
1 2. g ac1 fte6 13. g fd1
And we have com p l eted th e standard set-up. I 'd l i ke to look at h.vo sam ple l i nes
from here:
13 ... g fd8
B lack m ay play the genera l ly usefu l move 1 3 . . . h61 and someti mes i s able to play
. . . g7-g5 i n tactical l i n es, based on the s l ightly u n stable kn i ght on es: 14.e4 (going
for the th roat a l ready} . White h as the better chances i n the com plications n ow: 1 4 ...
dxe4 1 5.d5 � f5 (1 5 ... 'll xd5 fa i l s to a long tactical l i ne: 1 6. '.2l xd5 .li. xd5 1 7. B. xd5
� xd 5 18 . .�. xe4, with a clear advantage for White after the d u st settles} 1 6. d 6 g d8
1 7 . 'd c6, and White's breakth rough with the d-pawn i s tough to defend fo r Bl ack.
1 4. � bs
Wh ite i s s l ightly better i n th i s position. We exert some pres s u re on B l ack's centre
and have the easier game. One idea that I 'd l i ke to poi nt out i s to play a2-a3 and
b2-b4 after capturing on c5. Th e pawn move b2-b4 i nten ds to m a ke the c- pawn
move, thus freeing up the d4-sq uare or i sol ati ng the d s-square.
Th i s wh ole l in e with 7. 'd c3 d s i s better fo r Wh ite, but the hangi ng pawns positions
a re sti l l co mpl icated . It is usefu l to study some com plete games to understand th i s
pawn structu re better. I t i s goi ng to appear i n you r games, s o b e prepared.
81 2) 9 � bd7
...
Th i s bad move is in fact the most popular o ne!
1 0.
84
A very strong reply th at you need to remem ber. We are now threatening th e s i m ple
sequ ence 1 1 . 'd xd7 �xd 7 i 2 . �xd 7 'd xd7 l J. 'd xd5, wi n n i ng the d s-pawn. H ow is
Black going to stop th i s idea? In fact, Black has no satisfactory sol ution anymore !
1 0 � xes
• . .
Th i s doesn't save Black, but he was out of good options anyway. 1 0 . 'Ll b8 i s very,
.
.
very sad . . . but the altern atives don 't convince either. N ow, the standard build-up
with .�. f4 and .§. cl i s the way to go: 1 1 . g f4 a 6 12. � ac1 bs l J. � bJ c6
1 4.e4. After . . . c7-c6, th i s pawn brea k i s eas ier to play a n d even more effective.
Wh ite has a huge adva ntage.
1 1 .dxe5 � e8 1 2. � xd5
N o need to be su btle a bout it.
12 ... l xd5 13. 1! d1 c6 14.� � CJ 1 5.exd5 cxd5
1 6. A e3
The d s-pawn will d rop soon, and that's not the on ly problem for Black, of cou rse.
813) 9. c6
..
Agai n st . . . c7-c6 set-ups, you should always cons ider pl ayi ng e2-e4, putt i n g pres­
s u re on d s.
1 0.e4 dxe4 1 1 . � x� � ds
B lack i s not able to maintai n a blockade o n d s.
1 2. � C3
We should fight for co ntrol over d s i m med iately. B l ack is i n trouble aga i n .
1 2 � f6 13.
.••
·
hs
One of many good moves. B lack is under serious pressure and has a h a rd ti me to
even d evelop fu l ly.
e14) 9 . g e8
..
Th i s m ove looks rath er normal, but has o ne d rawback. It weakens the f]-s pot, and
we have a way to use th i s d efect.
1 0.
b3 c6
Th i s i s how to m ake use of the early . . . .:;;. e8. Aga i n , we h ave strong pressure on the
d s-pawn .
11
. ••
� a6 12. 1l d1 � c7
B lack h u rries to c7 to l end add iti onal su pport to the d s-pawn .
13.34
Wh ite i ncreases the press u re with a4-a5 to come. Bl ack's pos ition after al lowi ng
e2-e4 i s very passive.
e15) g . � �
..
I guess that this knight hop prepares to play . . . f]-f6.
1 0. � x� dx� 1 1 .fJC2
The most d i rect way to play. e4 is hangi ng, a nd Black needs to attend to that.
11 f5
. ••
Taking on d4 i s a mi stake:
ops! Wh ite wins.
1 2. 11 d1 m hs
1 1 . . . �xd4 1 2. Wi xc7,
with a double attack on both bi sh­
1 3. A f4
B l ack's strategy has created many wea knesses , s uch as c7 and the l i ght squa res.
Wh ite is wel l-positioned to ta ke adva ntage of them.
816) 9 c5
...
B lack goes for the 'hanging pawns', but this 1 s more l i ke goi ng for 'dropping
pawns'. Th i s central formation i s very wea k and most l i kely d esti ned to fall apart.
1 o.dxc5 bxc5
Or if B lack takes with the bishop: 1 0 . JJ. xc5 1 1 . j), gs ft. e7
. .
l l l
1 2 . 'll d3- Th i s i s a u sefu l regrouping to remem ber. The kn ight has a good post on
f4, attacking ds once more. Th i s pawn wi l l d rop.
11.
b3
And B l ack has no way to defend b7 and th e centre. H e loses the d s-pawn at least.
a2) 8 � xds g. � xds
...
Wh ite has some prom i s i ng moves, but th i s s i m pl e approach lead s to a n ice advan­
tage.
a21) 9 � xds 1 0.
...
C2
Wh ite is clearing the d i -square fo r the rook and prepares e2-e4 at th e same time. It
tu rn s out that Black's position i s a l ready u n pleasant after 9 . . �. xd 5, even more so
.
.
th an after 9 . . exd 5.
.
10 � d7
•..
1 0 . . . c5 1 i .dxc5 .�. xc5 1 2. '2l g5 (an additional poi nt of 1 0 . '!¥M c2) 1 2 . . . g6 l 3- 'l:l e4 §i. e7
14 Ji. h6 g e8 1 5. g fd 1 , and Black is in huge trouble al ready. Wh ite's pressure i s
.
•
tough to with sta n d .
1 1 .� A b7 12. 1i d1
Wh ite has a central pawn advantage and B l ack has l ittl e to show for it.
12 ... �f6 13. � es "fte8
1 4. A e3
B lack has a backward c-pawn, wh ich i s a usefu l target for Wh ite. One key problem
i s th at playi ng ... c7-c5 is not easy, and even if B l ack m anages to play this freei ng
move, it is not clear that it helps. Wh ite u s u a l ly has d4-dS i n reply, to create a very
strong pas sed pawn .
822) 9 exd5
...
1 0. � f4
You j u st need to remem ber the natura l set-up of )J. f4, � a4 and rooks to c1 and d l
to be better. I ' l l show o n e l i ne to d i s play some ideas:
1 0... � d7 1 1 . g cl c5 1 2.
a4 g e8 13. g fd1
Th i s i s good set-up aga i n st th e hangi ng pawn structu re. We have some pressure
aga i n st the pawns.
13 ... A f6 14. A e3 a6 1 5.dxc5 � xc5
B lack may a l so ta ke with the pawn : 1 5 . . . bxc5
l l
i 6. '.d e l . This i s a useful regrouping. Wh ite's kn i ght will be well-placed on d 3 and
perhaps later on f4, i ncreasing the pressure aga i n st the black central pawn s .
1 6.
a3
Black's isolated pawn i s a permanent weakness that we can play aga i n st.
C) 7 c5
...
A completely wrong approach. N ow, Wh ite gets a very favourable Benon i structu re.
8.d5 exd5 9.cxd5 d6 1 0.�
Both black bishops are m isplaced i n this pawn structu re. Let's have a look at a pos­
s i ble fu rther co u rse of action:
1 0... � bd7 1 1 . I! e1 I! e8 12.a4 a6 1 3. <i) d2
Wh ite d i rects th e kn ight to C4 and later tries to break th rough i n the centre with
e4-e5. Black has very l i m ited cou nterplay.
o) 7... � a6
One of the better offbeat l i nes i n the Queen's I ndian, frequently played by G M
Sergei Tivia kov. White has tried q uite a wide range of l i nes, but found noth i ng bri l­
l iant aga i n st the 1kn i ght on th e ri m '. Fortunately, we sti l l h ave a s i m ple opti on th at
gives a little someth i n g.
8. � es
At fi rst, I thought th i s move can't be great. I f you have more space, you should not
trade pieces - one of the ru l es of th u m b that u sually a pply. Th is however is an
exception. After the trade o n g2, we wi l l gai n even more s pace, so it makes a lot of
sense. I 'd l i ke to mention that 8.d5 is answered by 8 . g b4! , which is reaso nable
.
.
for Black a nd tricky for Wh ite to pl ay.
8 . � Xg2
.
.
After 8 . . . d 5 9.cxd 5 exd5 1 0 'JJ. f4, we have tra n s posed to the line 7. 'd c3 d s 8.cxd5
.
•
exd 5 9 . 'd es 'll a6 10. j;; f4 (B1 1 above) .
9. itlxg2
·
c8
B lack need s to prepare . . . d7-d 6 fi rst. After the bi shop trade, the light squares (c6)
a re weak.
1 1 .f3
Wh ite has gai n ed a lot of s pace in the centre and enjoys some adva ntage. Black's
position i s solid, but also passive.
E) 7 . d6
..
Th i s i s a strategic m i stake, but sti l l rather freq uently seen at the club leve l .
8.d5
If you can advance the pawn to d s and s h ut the b7-bishop i n . . . do it!
8...e5 9·�
The pos ition now has some featu res of the O l d I nd ia n , but with a m i s placed b?­
bishop and little cou nterplay for Black. It is good to know White's best set-up, so
I ' l l show some more moves :
9 .. � bd7 1 0. � el � e8 1 1 . � d3
.
The kn ight i s best on d3. It supports q ueenside pl ay, but a l so fa-f4 at a n opportu ne
moment.
11
. ..
A gs
Th i s i s one of those moments. Black i s den ied the des i rable bis hop trade.
Conclusion
The most popu lar l in e i n th i s chapter is 7 . '.d e4, and deserved ly so. Black has a
. .
solid position i n t h i s l i ne, but the new ideas presented pose some fresh pro blem s.
The other i mportant move i s 7 d5. It is sti l l frequently played at the club l evel , and
...
the res u lting positions m ay also arise from other move orders , in particu l a r via the
sta rting moves of the Cata lan. White gets a comfortable advantage agai nst 7 d5, i n
. . .
parti cular i f B l ack conti n ues with less th a n perfect pl ay. B l ack's other options o n
move 7 give Wh ite too m uch space and some advantage with l ittle effort.
CHAPTER 24
The extended .fianchetto 3 b5
. ..
1 .d4 � f6 2. � f3 e6 3.13 b5
l
B lack pl ays . . . b7- b5 only after White has com m itted to g2-g3- N ote th at playing
. . . b7-b5 on move one or two i s best a n swered with out the fianchetto. These rare
l i nes are exa m i ned i n Cha pter 35.
4. J\ g2
I recom mend playi ng our standard moves fi rst and only then dec i d i ng what to do. I
also explored 4. jJ, gs here, wh ich i s an interesti ng alternative. Wh ite del ays ;& g2 to
retai n th e chance to play e2-e3 at some poi nt, ga i n i n g a tem po on bs. Th i s sound s
rea l ly soph i sticated, and i n fact it i s sophisticated ! Thi s i s a l so the reason why I de­
ci ded to go for a s i m pler a pproach - sti l l, 4. jJ, gs is i nteresting to check at a later
stage.
4. j\ b7
..
Very natu ra l , but i nstead 4 . . . d 5 i s a l so possible, and a com mon way to reach the
l i n e Ld4 d5 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3.g3 e6 4. � g2 bs, wh ich i s covered in Chapter
5.0-0
B lack now has a choice between th ree diffe rent paths:
1) H e can play ... d 7-d51 aga i n tra n s posing to Chapter
10;
2) There i s 5 . . . c5 (line A) , prioritizi ng q ueenside play;
3) Black often chooses 5 . . �. e1 (line B) , prepari ng castl i ng fi rst.
.
A) 5 ... c5
.
10.
Black im med i ately expa nds on the queenside. I th i n k th i s approach 1 s better for
Black compared to the s lower 5
'JJ. e].
... •
6. A gs
Again this move, acknowledging th at th is bishop has no bright future and a q u ick
q ueenside development i s usefu l . N ow I bel ieve B l ack's best i s to take on d4; it i s
a l s o th e most popular move. I need t o mention that 6 . 'll a3 i s a l so fine and i s a
worthy altern ative. I mostly opted for 6 �. g5 because it i s the same move as after
. •
5 .. Ji. e] a nd therefore easier to learn.
.
Ai) 6...cxd4
7. j\xf6
M ost people play
7. 'd xd4,
but I view the black q ueen as m i s placed on f6. The re­
s u lti ng pos ition i s not m uch for Wh ite, but I th i n k we h ave a smal l p u l l . Let's have
a look.
7. �xffi 8. � xd4 A x12 9. itlxg2 a6 1 0.C3
..
Our pawn structure i s so l id as a rock, wh i le after a2-a4, Black is regretti ng the
. . . b7-b5 pawn push a l ittl e bit. I am happy with White's cha nces here.
1 0... A cs 1 1 .
d3 o-o 12. � d2 ds
An alternative i s 1 2 . . . ,©, xd4 1 3.cxd4 'd c6 1 4. 'd f3 � d8
1 5. B. fc l .
Th i s i s a bit easier for Wh ite to p lay. N ote th at we m ay co mbine q ueen side play
with h2-h4 ideas, i nten d i n g 'd g5.
13.b4
Th i s i s a n i nteresti ng idea, setti ng a subtle trap.
13... A b6
Th i s i s what B l ack should play, avoidi ng the tra p. 1 3 . . . ,©, xd4 i s tem pt i n g, but Black
s hould probably j ust retreat. 1 4.cxd4 'll c6 (a double attack! H ave we b l u ndered a
l l
l
Wh ite has some serious com pen sation h ere. 1 7. � fc1 stopped . � c8 and renewed
.
.
the idea to play a2-a3: 1 7 . . . � d 8 ( B lack covers the a s-pawn) 18. � b3 (agai n th reat­
ening 1 9 .a3} 1 8 . . . B. b8 1 9. � c5 �d7 20. 'll e5 � b7 2 1 . B. ac1 B. fc8 22.a4 bxa4
2J. �xa4. We will win back the pawn and h ave some serious pressure. Th i s i s a
very d eep l i ne, but it was neces sary to d ri l l that d eep to prove the com pensation .
1 4.84 bx84 1 5. g xa4
B lack i s close to equal here.
A2) 6... � e7 7.dxc5 A xes 8.
d3
And we tra nspose to the l i ne 5 . . :� e7 6 . �, gs c5 7.dxc5 g xc5 8. � d3.
.
A3) 6... h6
We are ready to take on f6 anyway, so this feels a bit m i sgu ided .
7. j\xf6 �xf6 8.CJ
Su pport i n g d4. Next i s a2-a4, playing aga i n st the weak queenside.
8...
d8 9.a4 bxa4 1 o.
-
xa4
Wh ite h as a s l i ght adva ntage, a s Black has l ittle to s how fo r h i s wea knesses on the
q ueenside.
"4) 6 � a6
...
l l
Th i s has been played i n q u ite a n u m ber of games, but Wh ite has a powerfu l reply.
1· �
Th i s i s very dangerous fo r Black.
7 h6
...
After 7 . . . j;; xe4 8. 'd c3 �. b7 9 .d 5, Wh ite has a h uge attack. The main idea i s to go
'a es next, a l most no matter wh at Black plays: 9 ... b4 1 0 . 'd es (th reate n i ng the brutal
1 i .dxe6, and 1 1 . 'E:\ xf7!) 10 . . . bxc3 1 1 .dxe6 �. xg2 1 2.exd 7+ �' e7
l J.
g el .
l l l
Yes, you can get a quick m ati ng attack with i .d4, 2. 'd f3 and J.gJ.
8. Axf6
xf6 9. � es
And aga i n , Black need s to be very cautious. There a re a l ready some serious dangers l u rki ng.
9 d6
...
After 9 . . . cxd4 10. 'd xd 7, Black is in huge trou ble as wel l .
io. 'i) c6
Ouch ! B l ack proba bly d id n 't expect that move. White has a great attack.
As) 6. d5
..
Black plays i n the style of the early . . . d 7-d5/ . . . b7-b5 set-u ps. N ow, I see some i nter­
esti ng options.
7·84
I a l so exa m i ned 7. � xf6, which is a good alternat ive. After th is move, B l ack needs
to play 7 . . . gxf6, as 7 . . . Mxf6 8.e4! is too dangerous. After 7 . . . gxf6, yo u can play the
usual procedure 8.a4 b4 9.c4 agai n , and claim that ... gxf6 sticks out a bit in thi s
structure. Sti l l , I 'd l i ke to recom mend 7.a4, a s th i s i s s i m pler to handle I think.
7 b4 8.C4
...
And we have tra nsposed to the l i n e 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 'll f6 ).g3 e6 4. g g2 bs 5.0-0 j;; b7
6.a4 b4 7.c4 c5 (Chapter 1 0) , wh ich I bel ieve to be s l ightly better for Wh ite. There i s
j u st one i ssue: i t i s techn ically not the s a m e pos ition, a s Black h a s the en passant
here! I th i n k th i s i s better for Wh ite as wel l , wh ich makes th i s l i ne more strai ght­
forwa rd than 7. j;; xf6 i n my opi n ion.
8. . bxc3 9. � xc3
.
The b i shop usually belon gs to f4 i n such pos itions, but even th i s version with Q gs
seems good for Wh ite.
9 . � bd7 io. ftb3 A a6 n. � bs
..
Wh ite has a nice i n itiative with B. fc1 com i ng next.
a) 5 .. A e7
.
Black prepares castl ing fi rst and only later d ecides on the q ueens ide set-up. I th i n k
Wh ite has good chances fo r a s l i ght edge here.
6. A gs
Th i s move has more than one motivation. Fi rstly, th e bishop does not h ave a great
post anyway and i s n ot un happy a bout s i m ply trad i n g itself. M ore i m portantly,
Wh ite has a specific set- u p i n m i nd th at starts with ,� gs. We wi l l often play � d3
(tem po on bs) and 'd bd2 next, and we prefer to develop the bishop fi rst, rather
than h ave it blocked by the kn i ght. There is also a tactical idea that I wi l l show o n
the next move. N ow, 6 . o-o i s very logica l , a n d the overwhel m i ng m a i n l i ne.
. .
a1 ) 6 .o-o
..
Very natu ral play, and pri nci pled after 5 � e].
...
7.
d3 a6
l
8. ti) bd2
We a l ready had the tactic 8 Ji. xf6 Q xf6 9 . <2i g5, but after 9
.
.
. . . .
�. xg5 1 0 Ji. xb7 B. a]
•
.
•
1 1 . Q g2 ds we have not accom p l i s h ed much. It is better to d evelop fi rst and ask
B lack for a piece of i nformation: what next?
8 ... d5
B lack stops th e j;: xf6/ 'd gs idea co mpletely. Th i s i s solid, but not very active, of
cou rse. N ow, I a m u n s u re wh at's best, as I l i ke more th a n one move.
After the slow move 8 . . d 6 , the .�. xf6 ideas ga i n in strength: 9.a4 b4 10 �. xf6 .�. xf6
.
.
•
1 1 . '2l g5 .�. xg5 1 2 . j;; xb7 g a7 l 3- .�. g2 d s (certai nly not the only move, but I th i n k
Wh ite h a s a s l ight p u l l anyway) 14.e4 c6 1 5.a5. B l ack's queen s i d e i s rather weak,
and we have m ulti ple ta rgets there.
9. A xf6
I a l so l i ke the flexi ble 9 .c3 or th e pawn l ever 9.a4. The captu re o n f6 changes the
cou rse of the game q uite d rastical ly.
9... A xf6
l
1 0.b4
B lack i s now stuck with a bad b i sh op on b7. Both sides have wea k sq uares on c5
and c4, which are good kn ight outposts. Wh ite m u st be somewhat better due to
the b]-bi shop, but as mentioned , we have some i nteresti ng options on move 9 if
yo u d i s l i ke th i s approach .
82) 6 c5
...
If Black intends a quick . . . c7-c5, he should play that on move 51 i n stead of 5
7.dxc5 A xes
r£. e?.
. .. •
8.
d3
Th i s is a u sefu l tem po move, usi ng the u n protected bs-pawn.
8 a6 9·C4
. ..
Wh ite i s open i n g up the q ueen s ide, intending to exploit the weakened squares i n
the black camp.
Wh ite has a s l i ght adva ntage at l east.
83) 6... d6 7·
d3
Agai n th i s move.
7. a6 8.214 b4 9·C3 bxc3 1 0.bxC3 ti) bd7
..
Of cou rse, 1 0 . . o-o looks n atu ra l , but B l ack a lways need s to t h i n k twice about
.
cast l i ng. With 7. '&d3, Wh ite has prepared a typical shot: 1 1 . }J. xf6 g xf6
l
l
1 2 . '21 gs .�. xg5 i 3. g xb7, and Wh ite i s better. B l ack lacks the l ight-squared bis hop,
which was a key defender on the q ueenside.
1 1 . ti) bd2
Wh ite i s s l i ghtly better here as wel l . We h ave better chances on the b-fi l e and have
more options to play c3-c4 or e2-e4.
B4) 6 d5
...
7·
d3
Wh ite also has 7.a4 b4 8.c4, s i m i la r to the l i nes d iscussed via the i .d4 d s 2. 'd f3
'd f6 }83 e6 4. � g2 bs move order. H ere, we have the bishop on gs al ready, wh ich
is a d rawback. You usually need j;; f4 in th ese l i nes. 7. �d3 is a good option as wel l .
7 . a6 8.214 b4 9·C4
.
.
We know th i s idea, of cou rse. Here, there is a twist due to the q ueen on d3.
9 bXC3 1 0,
...
XC3
Th i s i s the idea. Wh ite now plans to play for control of c5 and press u re on the c­
fi l e.
1 0 a5 1 1 . � bd2 � bd7 12. � es
•..
And Wh ite i s better aga i n .
Conclusion
The extended fi anchetto i s a sou nd l i n e for Black. He sti l l needs to play with some
prec ision, as the analysi s in this chapter shows. Some rather standard-looking
l i n es (see A4) actually l ead to some trouble for B l ack. B l ack's best line seem s to be
the early . . . c7-c5 { l i n e A) , but we are sti l l able to ask some q uestions i n a low-ri s k
pos ition.
CHAPTER 25
3
...
c5 - Introduction and sidelines
1 .d4 � ffi 2. � f3 e6 3.13 c5
Th i s is a flexi ble move for Black. It is not yet clear what the i ntention i s . He might
play ... cxd4 soon, but he m ight also play ... d 7-d5 in the next m oves, even trans­
pos ing to different chapters , s uch as the ones on the Reversed G runfeld. In fact,
most strong players go th at route - we w i l l see that most of the l i nes exa m i ned i n
th i s chapter don't lead to a fu l ly sati sfactory game fo r B lack.
4. s\ g2
B lack has tried many moves at t h i s poi nt. M ost of th em later transpose to 4 . . . cxd4,
so I decid ed to rega rd 4 . . . cxd4 as the main l i ne, even though many games use d if­
ferent moves that later trans pose. Th i s a ppl ies fo r l i nes such as 4 . . . 'd c6 5.0-0 cxd4
or 4. . . a6 5.0-0 cxd4 o r the more obscu re 4 . . g e]. After 5.0-0, B l ack m ay delay the
.
capture on d4 with 5 ... 0-0, but after 6.c4, he is faci n g the th reat of the d-pawn ad­
van ce and wi l l fi na l ly take on d4. He cou ld also play 6 . .. d 5, after wh ich 7.cxd 5 l eads
us to Tarra sch territory. It sou nds com p l i cated , but it actu a l ly i s n 't. We j u st play
ou r usual moves a l l of the ti me: put pawns on d4 and c4 and ca stle ki ngside.
A) 4••• � c6
Th i s i s the most freq uently-pl ayed move for B lack, and certa i n ly natural enough.
5.0-0
After 5 .0-0, we wi l l a l most always tra n s pose el sewh ere; there are only very few inde­
pendent poss i bi l ities.
5 . B b6
..
Th i s i s an i ndependent l i ne th at we need to exa m ine. Other moves wi l l transpose,
for exa m ple, 5 . . . cxd4 6. 'll xd4 l eads to our chapter's main l i ne. B lack may also play
5 . . . d5, after wh ich 6.c4 l ead s to a Reversed G runfeld (Chapter 6) .
6.dxcs
Th i s might l ook a bit cou nter-i ntuitive. It seems that we are speed i ng up B lack's
development, but a closer look revea ls that the set-u p with . . . � b6 and . . . :a, c5 i s
rather vul nerable.
6... A xes 7·C4
Wh ite's idea i s to play 'd c3 next, th reatening 'd a4. This i s a l ready qu ite a serious
idea, so B lack needs to react to it i m mediately.
7 .. � �
.
Th i s seems to be the relatively best move.
1 ) 7 . . . '!¥M a6 (stopping 'd c3 for the moment, as the C4-pawn i s attacked) 8.b3 d s
(otherwi se, Wh ite m anages 'd c3, a n d then B lack's set-u p looks even more s i l ly)
9.cxd 5 'd xd 5 10. � b2. This position i s q u ite s i m ilar to the Sem i-Ta rrasch l i n e i .d4
ds 2. 'll f3 d f6 J.g3 c5 4. j;; g2 'll c6 5.0-0 e6 6.c4 j;; e7 7.cxd 5 'll xd 5, which is cov­
'
ered i n Chapter 6. Th i s l i ne i s d ubious for B l ack, as the black pieces will be pus hed
back from their central posts. The same appl ies here, as i l l ustrated by the followi ng
sample l i ne: 10 . . . 0-0 1 i . � c2 j;; e7 1 2.a3 .JJ. d 7 l J.e4 'd b6 1 4. 'd c3. Wh ite enj oys a
s i gn ificant s pace adva ntage. The idea of pl ayi ng ,;: el and � fl i s a n addition al
cau se of concern for Black;
2) 7 ... d5 8.cxd 5 exd 5
9.<2i CJ. Wh ite now attacks the ds-pawn and th reatens 'd a4, netti ng the bishop pai r
a n d excel lent play o n the wea k dark squares. White i s clea rly better.
8.e3 o-o 9. ti) bd2
I actu a l ly th i n k Wh ite i s better with many moves here, but d i rectly add ressi ng the
i ntruder o n e4 seems logical to me.
9 . ti) xd2
..
9 . . d 5 l O.cxd5 exd 5 1 1 . 'd xe4 dxe4 1 2. 'd gs, and White wins the e4-pawn .
.
1 0. ti) xd2 ds
Otherwi se, there i s the d anger th at B l ack will never ma nage t h i s m ove at a l l .
Amongst oth ers, 'd d2-e4-c3 is a n idea fo r Wh ite next, stopping the d-pawn.
11.
hs
Th i s is the u nconventional engine suggestion at this poi nt. It is most i m portant not
to be greedy and snatch the pawn on ds. After 1 1 .cxd 5 exd 5 1 2. $;; xd 5 .�. h3, B lack has
at least enough com pen sation for the pawn. Th e q ueen sortie to h s has m ore than
one i d ea, but a usefu l one to remember is the followi ng one:
11 d4 1 2. � b3
. ••
B lack has nothi ng better now than 1 2 . . . e5.
1 2...e5 1 3. � xc5
xc5 1 4.b3
And White has a clear advantage. N ote that after exd4 next, B lack is u nable to
reca ptu re with the pawn , a nd does not even get a passed pawn i n retu rn for the
strong wh ite bi shop pair.
B) 4•••
a5+
C heck! Black i s arguing that neither '21 bd2 nor c2-c3 are very usefu l moves fo r
Wh ite and does not m i nd provoking them. Often , h e has a q ueen placement on c7
i n m i n d , and i nd eed a kn ight on d2 i s a lot less th reaten i n g i n such a scenario.
5.c3
The obvious altern ative 5. 'd bd2 is not bad either. I need to emphasize th at I am
not very keen on playi ng a passive-looking c2-c3 i n d-pawn open ings un less I have
a very good specific reason to do so. Here, you need to add ress the check, and it
tu rns out that the pawn placement on c3 often is j ust tem porary.
5 . cxd4 6. � xd4 � c6
..
1 ) 6 . . d 5 7.0-0 .Ji. e1
.
8.c4. As u sual, a pawn on ds should be attacked with c2/3-c4 eventu a l ly. N ow th i s
structure looks very much l i ke a Cata lan: 8 . . . dxc4 9 . 'i!!! c2, a nd Wh ite gets the pawn
back with a s l i ght advantage, d u e to the Catalan bishop;
2) 6 . . . Jl, e7 7.0-0 o-o 8.4. Wh ite corrects the pawn placement on c3, i ntending
'2l c3 next. Com pared to th e l i ne i .d4 'd f6 2 . 'd f3 e 6 J.g3 c5 4. .�. g2 cxd4 5. 'd xd4
� e7 6.o-o o-o 7.41 Black has th e extra move . . . '&f a s now, but it i s not obvious that
it helps h i m . I n th e games I found in the database, Black played with . . . a7-a6 and
... 'i!!! c7, basica l ly transpos ing to the mentioned l i ne - a nd th i s l i n e i s j ust favo u rable
for White;
3) 6 . . . a6 7.0-0 W!Jc7 looks l i ke a reasonable idea fo r Bl ack, stopping the c3-4 move:
8.b3. Wh ite i n s ists on playi ng c3-4, i nte n d i n g the fol lowi ng poi nt: 8 . . . d 5 9.c4, and
we have transposed to the fol lowi ng l i n e: 1 .d4 'll f6 2. '21 f3 e6 J.g3 c5 4. �. g2 cxd4
.
5. 'd xd4 a6 6.o-o W!! c7 7.b3 d s 8.c4.
7.0-0 A e1 8.C4
Th i s is m ost i n l i ne with our repertoire approach . However, I 'd l i ke to mention that
8.e4 i s n ot bad either. I deas l i ke 'd b1 -d2-c4 a re tem pti ng, and the q ueen has a
good square on e2 a s well .
8...o-o
8 . . . 'i!!! c5
g . 'd
bs saves the c-pawn by tactical mean s .
9.b3
I n stead, 9 . '21 c3 'f!1 c5 i s less convinci ng.
9... d5 10. A b2 g d8 1 1 .cxd5 � xd5 12. � xc6 bxc6
13.
Cl
And here I 'd sti l l rather be Wh ite, as I am va l u i ng struct u re q u ite highly. Black has
good piece activity though and shou ld be objectively fi ne.
C) 4...cxd4 5. ii) xd4
You m ay a l so play 5.0-0 fi rst here. There i s no benefit of th i s move order th ough,
so s i m ply recapturing on d4 is fi ne. N ow, the most popu lar move a mongst h igher­
rated pl ayers i s actu a l ly 5 . . . d 5 which after 6.o-o transposes i nto a Reversed G ru n­
,
feld (Chapter 4) . I agree that th i s cou ld be Black's best bet here, a s most i nde­
pendent l i nes don't convi nce.
Cl) 5··· � c6
6.o-o
N ow, B lack has a choice between d i fferent approaches. H e m ay play 6 . . . W¥ b6 or
6 . . $; c5, playi ng agai nst the knight on d4. These l i nes both are reasonable for
.
Black, but sti l l give us good chances fo r a s m a l l advantage. Those two options a re
covered i n Chapter 26.
Black may also choose a somewhat i nferior H edgehog set-u p with moves l i ke
. . . a7-a6 and
. . .
g e], or angle for a tra n s position to a Reversed G ru nfeld or Ta rrasch
with a q u ick . . . d7-d 5. These transpositions are welcome, as i n the Reversed Grunfeld, delaying ... 'Ll c6 i s rega rded as more critica l . H ere, 6 ... d 5 7.c4 would be a direct transpos ition to the mentioned Chapter 5.
6 � e7
...
Black is n ot yet com m itting to a central formation with th i s move, but it seems that
most of time he is heading for a H ed gehog-style formation with th i s move. Th i s i s
a l s o possible with 6 . . . a6 fi rst, o f cou rse. I n a ny case, we wi l l play with 'Ll c 3 a n d
b2-b3 if B lack conti n ues to play s m a l l moves.
7·C4 0-0
7 . . . a 6 and 8 . . . o-o i s of co u rse a l so pos s i b l e and lead s to the same position on
move
g.
l
8. � C3
N ow, Black needs to comm it i n some way regard i n g th e pawn structure.
8... a6
Black i ntends to play a H edgehog fo rmation with thi s move. H e wou ld l i ke to play
. . . d 7-d 6 or . . . b7-b6, but to do th i s he needs to cover the kn i ght on c6 fi rst by
. . . Wi c7. This i s prepared by 8 . . a6. I n stead, Black m ay also transpose out of th i s
.
chapter o r play an i ll-advised queen sorti e.
1) 8 . . d 5 is played q u ite often , actual ly, but Black is certa i n ly not awa re that it leads
.
to a bad l i n e for h i m .
9.cxd 5 exd 5 10. §i. e3, and we have tra n s posed to a Tarrasch! Th i s is covered via the
move order 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 c5 3-C4 e6 4.cxd 5 exd 5 5.g3 'd c6 6. �. g2 'LJ f6 7.0-0 cxd4
8. ·'LJ xd4 � e? g . '£) c3 o-o
2) 8 . .
.
·1•1
1 0.
JJ. e3. Please see Chapter 3 for more coverage;
b6. There a re l i nes with early . . . '& b6 motifs, l i ke 1 .C4 c5 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3. 'd c3
'd c6 4.d4 cxd4 5. 'd xd4 e6 6.g3 � b6. Th i s is a sol i d l i ne for Black, getting q uick
cou nterplay. Here, Wh ite i s better orga n ized; it is particu larly usefu l to have pl ayed
o-o
al ready, whi l e Black's . $), e? and . o-o don't hel p with counterplay: g. 'd d b5
. .
.
.
(without castl i ng for both s ides and .JJ. g2/ . . JJ. e? bei ng played , Black has . . . 'LJ es
.
.
ideas, often followed by . 'd g4, getti ng concrete play. This is not pos si bl e here)
. .
g . . a 6 (9 . . . 'd e5 1 0 . 'd a4 � d8 1 i }J. f4 with a terri ble position for Black) 10. � e3 � a s
.
.
1 1 . '21 d6, with an excel lent position .
Let's return to the i ndependent opti on of 8 . . . a6.
9.b3
I 'd l i ke to mention th at g . � f4 i s very strong as wel l i n th i s particu l a r pos ition. I sti l l
suggest playi ng 9 . b3, becau se i t i s of s i m i l a r q ua lity a n d Black m ay choose m ove
orders l i ke i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 e6 3.g3 c5 4. � g2 cxd4 5. 'd xd4 a 6 6 .o-o � c7, when
7 . b3 is the suggested repertoire move, with a l i kely tra n s position to the l i nes exa m­
i ned here.
9...
q 1 0. A b2
N ow, we have a split between the two logica l pawn moves for Black. H e may a l so
play 1 0 . 'd xd4 1 1 . � xd4 d6 1 2. � ac1 .�. d 7 1 3- � fd 1 , wh ich trans poses to ( 1 2 below.
. .
Cn ) 1 o b6 1 1 . g c1
...
We are l i n i ng u p for 'd d s! next. Black has a hard time to defend here al ready.
11
•••
A b7
Th i s runs right i nto the standard idea that we had prepared. Th ere i s an alternative
for Black that does not convince either. After 1 1 . . . g c5 1 2. 'd xc6 dxc6 1 3. 'd a4, Bl ack
i s i n d eep trouble as wel l : l ]. . . � e7 ( 1 ]. . . .S. d8 1 4. � c2 � e7 1 5.c5 bs 1 6 . '2i b6 � b8
1 7 . �c3, and Wh ite has a n overwhel m i n g position. Black wi l l never get any active
role for the c8-bi shop) 1 4. �d4 � b8 1 5. � fd 1 c5
1 6. �f4, and Wh ite i s win n i n g a l ready, a s the black q ueenside w i l l fall apart.
Let's retu rn to the pos ition after 1 1 . .. � b1.
12. � ds
It's always very pleasant to play th i s m ove - you ' l l get it on the board eventual ly!
12...
d8
After 1 2 . . . exd 5 1 J.cxd 5, we will get th e knight back with excellent play, and the re i s
only one move now that w e s hould check briefly: l J. �. c 5 1 4. 'd fs (th i s i s even
. .
•
stronger than ta ki ng on c6) 1 4 . . 'll e8 l 5.dxc6 dxc6 1 6. B. c4, with a wi n n i ng attack
.
for Wh ite. The rook l ift plus 1l!! c2/ g e4 ideas is too much for the black king to surv1ve.
B l ack's structu re is very weak, i n particu l a r b6 and d 6 lack protection by the bish­
op. Let's check a sample l i ne.
1 4... g fd8 1 5. g fch g ac8
1 6.
e3
And you see th at b6 i s a n easy ta rget. 1 6 . � e3 al so threatens 1 7. '2i f5!, an idea th at i s
easily overlooked.
C1 2) 1 0... d6 1 1 . g el
We are prepari ng 'd ds aga i n .
11
• ••
� xd4
The alternatives a re worse. Let's have a loo k.
1) 1 1 . .. 'd es ( Black is stepping out of the 'd ds tactics and plans to d evelop with
.. §1. d 7 next) 1 2.e3 (a u sefu l move, prepa ri ng 'i!!! e2 and su pporting the knight on d4.
.
I n the long ru n , we might go fo r a kingside attack with fa-f4 and gJ-g4) . Let's fol low
a grandmaster game from th i s pos ition: 1 2
. . .
'JJ. d7 l J � e2 B. fe8 1 4. h3 .� f8 l 5.g4 h 6
•
1 6.f4 'd g6
1 7 .g5, and Wh ite a l ready had a wi n n ing attack in G randa Zun i ga- Bezold, G ermany
Bu ndesliga 201 6/ 1 7;
1 2 . '21 d s (a co mmon idea, l ead i n g to a sizable advantage for White) 1 2 . . . exd 5
(1 2 . . � d8 l J. 'd xe7+ V1H xe7 14. � a3 (one of many good l i nes after 1 2 . . . � d8. B l ack i s
.
sufferi ng with the target o n d 6 a nd n o cou nterplay whatsoever) 1 4 . � fd8 1 5. 'd c2
. .
.�. e8 1 6. '®'d2, with a h uge adva ntage for White) l J.cxd 5 'll xd5 14. ;k; xd 5, and Wh ite
i s a lot better with easy targets to attack, such a s the d 6-pawn in th e long ru n .
1 2.
xd4 A d7
Th i s s i m plifying operation seems to be relatively best for Black.
13. g fd1 g fd8 14. 84
A usefu l m ove, com b i n i n g m u ltiple ideas. We prepare to play §i, a3, and at the same
ti me make it harder for Black to play ... b7-b5 in the long run.
1 4 g ac8 1 5. A a3 A e8
...
1 6.h3
Wh ite is s l i ghtly better here, but Black's position is q u ite resi l ient. I n some games,
Wh ite conti n ued with � d 3 and B. cd 1 , putting more pressure on the d 6-pawn .
C2) 5 a6
...
Black u su a l ly a i m s for a H edgehog pos ition with th is move, i nc l u d i ng a later
. . . V!!i c7,
. . .
�. e?,
•
. . .
o-o a nd . .. d 7-d 6. There are many possi ble move orders; for exam­
ple, 5 . JJ. e? fi rst i s poss i b l e a s wel l . Black also needs to decide whether he devel­
. .
ops the b8-kn ight to c6 or tries for a 'd bd7 set-up. In many ga mes, Black actu a l ly
starts with 5 . . 'd c6 and only later pl ays moves l i ke . . 'A e?, . . . a7-a6 and . . . V!!i c7. I de.
.
ci ded to cover the non- 'd c6 set-ups via th e 5 . . . a6 move order and the . 'd c6-based
. .
ones via 5 'd c6. This means that if Black starts with 5 a 6 and later plays
. . .
. . .
we will tra n spose to 5 . . 'd c6 l i nes.
.
6.o-o
. . .
'd c6,
N ow, B l ack wi l l play th e moves
. . .
�. e?,
.
. . .
o-o a nd
. . .
W!1 c7 i n some order, wh i l e we
play c2-c4/b2-b3 and � b2, lead ing to the same pos ition on move
9.
There i s j u st
one particular move order to be aware of - it req u i res a d i rect res pon se.
C21) 6...
c7
Th i s looks l i ke the most soph i sti cated move order to reach a H edgehog. Black
stops c2-4 for the moment, a d ifference to 6 . �. e1.
. .
.
7.b3 ds
Th i s i s the special l i ne th at I refe rred to on move 6. Black contin ues to play agai n st
c2-4. Of course, B lack may a lso play 7 . . . ,©. e? and after 8.c4 o-o 9. g b2, stick to a
H edgehog type play.
8.C4
Th i s i s very i m portant to remember. Wh ite gets a very dangerous i n itiative with thi s
pawn sacrifice.
8. dx:C4 9. A b2
..
Th i s extremely natu ral move wa s a novelty at the time of writing, and was suggested by the engi nes.
9 cxb3
...
Th i s i s no fu n for B lack, but trying to catch o n with development does not help
much either. 9 . . ,JJ. e? 10. 'd d2 c3 1 1 . ,;; cl i s a n i m portant poi nt. B lack i s i n terri ble
.
shape here, n ot even h avi ng a n extra pawn for h i s wo rries.
1 0. t!xb3
Black i s stru ggl i ng h ere. White i s open ing up th e pos ition, i n particular expo s i ng
the weakened q ueen side. Here, I concl uded my origi nal analysi s, but j ust one day
before it was publ i shed on Chessable, the game Ding Li ren -Caruana was played at
Norway Chess i n Stava nger. Caruana went fo r 1 0 . . '21 c6, but after 1 1 . 'tl xc6 bxc6
.
1 2 . j;: xf6 gxf6 1 3- �c3 .�. d 7 1 4. �xf6, d i d not manage to d efend this bad position.
c22) 6 A e7 7·C4 o-o
...
7 . . . WJc7 8.b3 o-o 9 . j;: b2 l eads to the same pos ition.
i.
8.b3
Wh ite most often pl ays 8. 'd c3, but 8 . . . W!i c7 attacks c4 and req u i res either an u gly
respo nse l i ke 8. � d3 or some s harp play sacrificing th e pawn.
After 8.b3 fi rst, Wh ite is goi ng to be slightly better without any particu l a r knowl edge
of concrete li nes req u i red.
8...
c7
Black has delayed
. . .
'd c6 for a wh ile a l ready and it i s pro ba bly not very l i kely to
h appen anymo re, as . '21 bd7 seems to be B lack's preferred set-up. Stil l , B l ack
.
.
cou ld play . 'd c6 on one of the followi ng moves , wh ich leads to positions that I
.
.
have exami ned via th e 5 . . . 'll c6 move order.
9. A b2 d6 1 o. � C3 � bd7
We also should check 10 . . . � d 7 1 1 . g cl . B l ack o bviously wanted to play 1 1 . . . 'll c6
next, but. ..
12. 'll d 5. The standard tactic of this l i ne h its! In fact, th i s is a transposition to
5 .. 'll c6 aga i n ! The fu l l seq uence of moves is Ld4 'd f6 2. 'll f3 e6 3.g3 c5 4. � g2
.
cxd4 5. 'E:\ xd4 d c6 6.o-o fi. e7 7.4 o-o 8. 'd c3 a6 9 . b3 � c7 10. iJ, b2 d 6 1 1 . g cl
'
A d 7 1 2 . 'll d 5. There are cou ntless possi ble move orders, but remem beri ng ou r
standard set-up with b2-b3, .�. b2 and g cl i s a l l you need to do.
1 1 . g el
What next? B lack can't play . . . b7-b6, and rook moves l i ke . . B. b8 or . . . B d8 don't
.
hel p to d evelop the bishop on c8.
1 1 . g b8
..
It i s fu n ny to note that 1 1 . .. d e s 1 2.e3 is analysed via the 5 . . . 'd c6 move order. The
'
move o rder in q u estion is i .d4 '21 f6 2. 'd f3 e6 3-g3 c5 4. �. g2 cxd4 5. 'U xd4 'd c6
6.0-0 .f£. e7 7.c4 0-0 8. 'd C3 a6 9 . b3 WJ c7 10. g b2 d6 l 1. � Cl 'd e5 1 2.e3.
1 2.e3
Agai n st a slow move l i ke 1 1 .. B. b8, I recom mend playi ng 1 2.e3 and a i m i n g fo r a set­
.
up with a later � e2, fa-f4 and possi bly even g3-g4 to storm the k i ngside. B lack's
position i s very passive.
Conclusion
The sidel i nes of the . . . e7-e6/ . . . c7-c5 set-up a re comfortable for Wh ite to pl ay. Black­
's attem pts to play a Hedgehog position often backfi re q u ite badly, in particular
with a kn ight placed on c6. You wi l l also frequently transpose out of this chapter
after a quick . . . d 7-d5 by Black, either to a Reversed G runfeld (Chapter 4) or an i nfe­
rior version of the Tarrasch (Chapter 3) .
CHAPTER 26
3... c5 - Main lines: 4. A g2 cxd4 5. €Jxd4 ilcG G.o-o l!YbG and
G A cs
••.
1 .d4 � f6 2. � f3 e6 3 .13 c5 4. .\\ g2 cxd4 5. � xd4 � c6 6.o-o
N ow, B l ack has a choice between d ifferent a pproaches. Th e only fu l ly sou nd l i nes
a re 6 . . . � b6 and 6 . . ,£, c51 which are covered in t h i s chapter. Black's i nferior opti ons
.
on move 6 and prior are exa m i ned i n Chapter 25.
A) 6... - b6
Black puts press u re o n o u r knight, fo rcing it to retreat to b3- Th i s i s not idea l , but
we will see th at the q ueen on b6 i s not ideally placed either.
7. � b3
N ow, Black has a fu ndamental choice between pl ayi ng fo r central control with
7 . d 5 or playi ng more i n a H ed gehog style with 7 . . �. e?.
. .
.
Al) 7••• §J. e7
8.C4
Th i s i s more i n l i n e with our u sual set- u ps than 8.e4, which a l so looks pro m i s ing.
8 o-o 9. � c3 ftb4
...
Th i s m u st be th e critical move. After g . . d6 10. JJ. eJ, the black queen needs to re­
.
treat, as the •active' move seems too ri s ky:
l O. .
.
� b4 1 i . � c1 .
N ow, taking on c4 i s unattractive, which makes the whole q u een operation a bit
poi ntless. After
11.
. .
� xc4 1 2. "21 d s � a4 1 J. 'll xe7+ 'll xe7 14. � xd 6 'll fs 1 5. 'll c5 � b5
1 6. �d21 White is better, due to h i s much more active pieces .
l l l
1 0.e4
Th i s i s a novelty, m uch to my su rpri se. All games conti n ued with 10. 'a d2 i nstead.
Sacrificing th e c-pawn sets fa r more problems for B l ack. I wi l l explore th is l i ne a bit
deeper, even though you probably won 't get th i s on the board frequently. I mostly
want to convey an i m p ression of the nature of these pawn sacrifices.
M oves l i ke 10. 'd d2 are passive and should be avoided - someti mes, you need to
sacrifice a pawn to play princi pled chess.
1 0...
xc4 1 1 . g el
N ow the re are m ulti ple idea s fo r Wh ite, most i m portantly e4-eS and playi ng aga i n st
the q ueen with moves l i ke .:1, e3/ 'Ji. f4, � cl and ,�. fi .
1 1 !!b4
• ••
After 1 1 . . . d 6 1 2. }J, f1 � b4 1 3- 'll bs, White i s wi n ning al ready. The th reat i s 1 4 . :1, d2,
.
fo l lowed by 1 5. 'd c7. Thi s attacks not only th e roo k, but also has ,�. bs i n store, trap­
ping the q ueen !
1 2.e5 it\ e8 1 3 ·34
Wh ite has more than one da ngero us option here, but 1 3-a4 seems to be the most
powerfu l . The idea is to play 'd bs, preventi ng the retreat to b6. An add itional idea
i s to push the a-pawn even further to as and a6 i n some cases.
13 !fb6
...
B lack makes sure that the q ueen has some sq uares .
1 3 . . . f6 i s a logica l move, but it ignores the 'd bs idea.
i4. 'd b5 (1 5. B. e4 i s the threat!) i 4 . . . fxe5 i 5. B. e4 'd d4 1 6. 'd 3xd4 exd4 1 7. 'd xd4, and
Wh ite has excel l ent com pen sation for the pawn . I'll continue th is l i ne to i l l u strate
the play: i 7 . . . 'd f6 1 8. JJ. d2 � c5 i 9 . B. c1 � h 5 20. �xh5 'd xh5 2 1 . 'd b5. Th i s l i ne i s
not forced , but it shows the dangers B lack i s faci ng. The fi n a l position here i s close
to wi n n i n g for Wh ite a l ready - B lack won 't be able to develop i n a normal way a nymore.
1 4. A f4
Wh ite secu res the e5-pawn and prevents the black d-pawn from m ovi n g.
i 4...f6
After 1 4 . .
.
'mi d8
1 5. � cl , we are j ust ca l m ly i m provi ng ou r position. Black has a h a rd
ti me freeing h i m self. Let's check how we a n swer th e most princi pled move: 1 5 . . . d 5
1 6.exd6 j;; xd 6 1 7 �. xc6 (th i s has a concrete idea, otherwise there wou ld be no rea­
. •
son to give up th e great bi shop) 1 7 . . . bxc6 1 8. 'lJ e4 j;; c7 1 9. � xd8 .JJ. xd8
20. 'd d4. We wi n back th e pawn and sti l l keep a strong i n itiative.
1 5.exffi �xf6 1 6. � b5 � e8 1 7. li c1 a6 1 8. � c3
Wh ite has excellent play here. You need to cut off the analys i s at some poi nt, so I ' l l
stop here. I t's lots of fun to ana lyse positions l i ke that, s o you shou ld conti nue on
yo ur own . It wi ll hel p you r overal l pl ay, not j u st you r opening knowledge.
A.2) 7 ...d5
Th i s is one of the few i n sta nces wh ere a later . . . d7-d5 does not transpose to Part I
of this book. After 7 . . . d5, we need to play somewhat differently tha n usual, beca use
it i s not possible to play the des i rable c2-4 break.
8. � C3
We need to attack the d s- pawn , so it's going to be e2-e4 i n stead of c2-c4. The problem with 8.c4 i s th e fol lowi ng l i ne: 8 . . . dxc4 9 . ,©. e3 Yl!i q 10. '2l 3d2 'i1 g4 1 1 . 'd xc4
'd xe3 1 2 . 'd xeJ Here, we lack the d ark-sq uared bishop to generate some play. Black
has no problem even with playi ng a move l i ke . . . a7-a6, stoppi ng '.d bs. Th i s kind of
move wo uld be i m possible with the bi shop sti ll on the board . Fortun ately, 8. '.d c3
and l ater e2-e4 is a good a lternative way to play.
A21 ) 8 J\ b4
...
Th i s move does not stop e2-e4.
9·�
A.21 1) 9 . d4 1 0.e5
.
.
It i s i m portant to remember th is move. It i s a lot stronger tha n moving th e kn ight.
10 � xes
•..
H ere, 1 0 . . . dxc3 i s even worse than 1 0 . . 'Ll xe5: 1 1 .exf6 gxf6 1 2 . bxc3 �. xc3
.
1 } .;;. bl . White has a great position here. The engi nes a l ready cla i m it's a clea r wi n not too s u rprising if you look at ideas l i ke !Ji. a3 and §' f3. Black lacks devel opment
and coord i nation.
11. � �
d8 1 2.
e2
The s i m ple 1 2. �xd4 i s a l so better fo r Wh ite, but I th i n k 1 2 . �e2 sets more prob­
lems.
12... � c6 13. 11 dl o-o 1 4. A xc6
Wh ite goes for a concrete sol ution, but you have good alternatives, i n parti cular
1 4.c]. I l i ke th e captu re though , as th e next moves a re forced and the res u lting
position seems fa r easier fo r Wh ite to play, i n my opinion.
1 4... bxc6 1 5. g xd4 "e1 16. A gs es 1 7. Axf6 gx«; 18. g h4 A fs
The o n ly move, as B l ack needs to cover h].
1 9.a3 A d6 20. � as
An i nteresting pos ition. Wh ite has good play aga i n st the weak q u een-side, and the
black bi shop on d6 is very pass ive. B l ack's king is a l so not enti rely safe in the long
run.
A21 2) 9 ... A xc3 10.exd5
The i m portant inte rmed iate move.
10 � xd5 1 1 .bxc3 o-o
•..
B lack need s to castle before t h i s becomes perm an ently i m poss i b le, due to j;; aJ
Let's h ave a l ook at the greedy move 1 1 . 'd xc3: 1 2. W M. Taking on c3 is, fran kly
. .
spea king, i n sane! N ow Bl ack i s a l ready out of sen s i ble moves .
1 2.c4 � de7
1 3.c5
Wh ite's pawn structure i s not ideal , but our bishops are excellent. Let's check two
possible l i nes:
1) 13 . � d8 14.
. .
�· e2
es 1 5. j;; b2 f6 1 6. B. ad 1 Wlc7 1 7.f4, and a ga i n Wh ite obtai ned a
strong i n iti ative out of the openi ng;
2) l J. . � a 6 14. j;; b2 es 1 5. B. e1 f6 1 6 . f4 (very strong! B I ack i s u nder seriou s pres­
.
s u re, as the captu re on f4 is not possible) l 6 . . . exf4 1 7 . � d6 'd g6
1 8.a4! . A remarkable line! N ow, g f1 i s a terrib l e th reat that Black has no defence
aga i n st.
A22) 8. .. A e7
Com pared to 8 . . . .�. b4 above, th i s move allows an swering 9.e4 with . . . d 5-d4 un der
better c i rcu m stances .
9.� d4
An other pos s i b i lity i s tra d i n g on e4: 9 . . . dxe4 1 0. 'd xe4 'd xe4 1 1 . .�. xe4. Wh ite is
s l ightly better i n these pos itions. O u r pieces are more active, and long-term there
a re cha nces based on the m ajority on the q ueen side. Let's have a look at a logical
sequ ence from here: 1 1 . . o-o 1 2 . � e2 � d8 1 3 �. e3 � c7
.
.
•
1 4. � ad l . N ow, 1 4 . . . b6 looks very ri s ky after 1 5. i! xd8+ .�. xd8 1 6 . .£ d 1 , so B l ack
probably should play modestly with . . g d 7 and
.
. . .
�. e8. He i s solid, but White cer­
•
ta i n ly has a pul l .
1 0. ia e2
Com pared to 8 �. b4 9.e4 d4 10.e5!, here the pawn push 1 0.e5 i s bad, due to 1 0 . . .
. . .
•
dxc3 1 1 .exf6 g xf6.
1 o. e5 1 1 .c3 as
..
Th i s i s the best move, but it is very rarely played. Most of the time, Black takes on
c3 and i s at least s l i ghtly worse.
ll.
.
. dxc3 1 2 . j;; e3:
1 ) 12 . . . c2 (rel atively best) 1 3. �xc2 'd b4 14. 'i!!i c1 �a 6 1 5. '2l c3 (Wh ite is better here.
If th e black knight need s to retreat to c6, 'd ds w i l l be very a n noyin g to m eet. There­
fore, B l ack needs to resort to d i rect, tactical play) l 5 . . . ;t, e6 l 6.a3 'd d3 1 7. 'i!!i c2 o-o
1 8. g fd 1 g fd8 1 9. h 3 ( Black n ow faces th e idea of :b; f1 ) 1 9 . . . � c4 20. 'd d2 '¥!!. c 7
2 1 . 'a d b1 '2l c5
22. 'd d s. White now gets a dangerous passed pawn, enjoying a comforta ble advan­
tage;
2) 1 2 . . . � a6 1 3. 'd xc3 o-o 1 4. 'd d s (Wh ite i s a lot better here. B lack now needs to
ta ke the kn ight, but the res u lting com pl ications are not working out too wel l for
him)
14
.
. '2l xd 5 1 5.exd5 B. d8 1 6. 'd c5 � a s
.
1 7 . � cl . I ' l l stop here, concl uding that B l ack i s in trouble. As u s u a l , feel free to con­
ti nue to analyse positions l i ke this. You probably won 't get them on the boa rd ex­
actly l i ke th i s, but you wi ll i m prove you r abi lities i n the typical middlegames.
1 2.cxd4 84 1 3.dxe5 � g4
Qu ite an enterp ris i n g concept by Bl ack. I a m not su rprised that
ll.
.
. a5 i s rarely met,
as Black usually has not prepared to play i nto these l i n es, and com i ng up with th i s
idea over t h e boa rd req u i res strong i magi n ation . B lack gets good compensation for
the pawn now.
1 4. � d2 � oce5 1 5. � f3
Th i s seems better to m e than 1 5. 'll f4, wh ich has been played in th i s position. After
1 5. 'd f4 'd xfa, it's messy and not too comforta ble for Wh ite to play.
1 5 ... � xf3 + 1 6. A xf3 A cs
B lack needs to use h i s active pieces now. Aga i n st someth i n g s l ow, we h ave
'21 e2-f4-d5.
1 7.
el � es
Otherwise, 'll e2-f4-d 5 wi l l be a n noyi ng for Black.
1 8. A 12 A e6
The move 1 8 . . 'd d 3 looks attractive, but fa i l s : 1 9. � c3 'll xfa 20. '&xg7, with a large
.
adva ntage for White.
1 9. � f4
With th i s move Wh ite sacrifices th e exchange, but retai n s good play on the l i ght
squares and enjoys a fanta stic kn i ght on d s . Th i s i s probably objectively equal, but
i nteresti n g to pl ay. You may a l so explore th e alternative with 1 g . � c3 f6
20. 'd f4.
We
keep the extra pawn i n this l i ne, but B lack has some press u re for the m aterial
deficit. I 'd rath er give up th e exchange for bishop and pawn and have a position
that i s easy to pl ay, but there is some 1taste' factor i nvolved .
1 9. A C4 20. � ds
..
-
d6 21 . A f4 A xfl 22.
xfl
O·O
23.
e2
When to sto p a l i ne i n a book? I am doi ng th is here, clai m i ng that th i s position i s
a bout equal. N ote the i m portant idea of ,�, h3, i n particular after B lack h a s pl ayed
.. .f7-f6, wh ich i s very l i kely to h appen. With the strong knight on d s and the bishop
on h3, the rooks are not active at a l l , which is a key element in any exchange sacri­
fice.
e) 6 . A c5 7. � b3 A e1
..
Th i s i s a clever operation. B lack has pu shed our knight to b3, red uci ng the press u re
on c6. Thi s i s a u sefu l preparation for a q u ick . . . b7-b6 set-up.
7 ... Ji. b6 8.c4 ds has no i nd ependent val ue.
After 9 . 'd c3, we tra n s pose to a favou ra ble l i ne of the Reversed G runfeld. The move
order i n Chapter 5 is Ld4 d s 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3-g3 c5 4. � g2 cxd4 5.0-0 'd c6 6 . 'd xd4 e 6
.
7·C4 g C5 8. 'd b 3 ,JJ. b6 9 . 'd C3-
8.C4 o-o
1 ) 8 . . . b6 ( Black opts fo r q u ick play aga i n st th e c4-pawn, even d elayin g castl i n g)
g. '21 c3 JJ. a 6 (we cover 9 . . . 0-0 10. §;. f4 via the more common m ove order 8 . . . o-o
g. '21 c3 b6 10. �. f4)
10. 'd d4 (th is i s the best way to handle the th reat to th e c4-pawn. Coveri n g it with
10. '21 d2 is too passive) 10 . . . '21 xd4 ( Black has to ta ke on d4, as there is no other
good choice; the move 10 . . . g c8 fails d i rectly to 1 1 . ·'21 xc6 dxc6 12. fg a4, a nd the
black q u een side i s fall i n g a pa rt) 1 1 . � xd4 g c8 1 2 . b3 (now, th i s conven ient cover of
the 4-pawn i s poss i ble) 1 2 . . . 0-0 1 3. JJ. b2, and Wh ite has the better chances i n th is
line. The bi shop on a6 is a bit awkward , and the pawn breaks . . . b6-b5 or . . . d7-d 5 are
hard to real ize. We have some pres s u re on th e d-fi l e and m ay expand i n the centre
after due p reparation;
2) 8 . . d 5 9 . 'd CJ. After 9 . 'd c3, we again tra nspose to a good l i ne of the Reversed
.
G ru nfeld . Th e move order in Chapter 5 is i .d4 d s 2. '21 f3 '21 f6 J.g3 c5 4. �, g2 cxd4
.
5.0-0 'd c6 6. '21 xd4 e6 7
.
4
.�. c5 8. '21 b3 .�. e? 9. 'd c3.
9· � C3
After 9 . 'd c3, B lack m ay play with 9 . . b6 or 9 . . . d6, hi nting at the futu re post of th e c­
.
bishop.
B1)
g
.
. b6 1 0. A f4
.
The d a rk sq uare on d 6 i s weakened, a nd therefore g f4 and '21 bs looks attractive.
B1 1 ) 10 A b7
••.
The stronger pl ayers mostly went for thi s move.
1 1 . g Cl d6 12. � b5 � e8
13.
d2
We have followed a bl itz game Aro n i an-Carlsen, Paris 20 1 6. Wh ite has a s l ight
adva ntage h ere. We can apply some pressu re on d6, but this is not enough to ob­
ta i n anyth ing too serious. In the long run, we need to i nvolve some pawn s, for
example, for a bi-b4/c4-c5 break o r fo r ki ngside play with e2-e4 and fa-f4. These
plans a l l req u i re carefu l preparation , but yo u u s ua l ly have th is ti me - B l ack is most­
ly stayi ng flexi ble and awaits White's ideas.
a1 2) 1 0 A a6
••.
Th i s move l ooks more active than
. . .
1£. b?, but there are concrete problems with it.
•
1 1 . <i) b5
N ow, there i s no fu l ly convincing reply for B lack. 1 2. 'd c7 and 1 2 . 'tl d6 a re a n noyi ng
th reats .
1 1 d5
• ••
The active defence, com pa red to 1 1 . . . g c8. Black sacrifices an exchange, but it does
not seem to be fu l ly suffi cient. After 1 1 . B. c8 1 2. 'd d 6 .S. c7 1 J � c1 , B l ack is under
. .
press u re. H i s pieces are not coord i n ated wel l and h i s position is purely defensive.
1 2. <i) q A XC4 1 3. <i) xa8
xa8
1 4. li Cl
B lack h as a pawn fo r the exchange, but I don 't bel ieve it should be enough compen sation . One key i dea for White i s to play 'd d4 to get the offside knight into pl ay.
Th i s needs .:;;. el fi rst, to protect e2. I f White manages to trade or activate the
knight, h i s advantage wi l l be more pronoun ced.
82)
g
...
d6
1 0. � f4
Wh ite has more than one good set-up here. Even 10. 'Ll d4 i s n ot bad at all. White i s
a 'tempo down ' with th i s move, but it i s not felt a l l that much . Sti l l , I suggest play­
ing 10 r1. f4, as it a l l ows me to show the open i ng moves of a n excel lent game
.
•
played by former World Champion An atoly Karpov.
1 0... � hs
Th i s is the most popu lar move for B lack, trying to get rid of the p ressure on d6 as
q u ickly as pos s i ble.
1 1 .e3
C reative play by Karpov, i nviti ng the captu re on f4.
11
• ••
� xf4 12.exf4
N ow, the dou bled f-pawn i s more of an asset than a liabi l ity. Wh ite often can use
the idea f4-fS , trying to fight for the l i ght squares. I f Black need s to move the e6pawn, th e d s-square is a h uge outpost.
1 2... � d7 13. 'ftd2 ft b8 1 4. g fe1
N ow, the f4-fS idea gets i nto the picture.
1 4.. g6 1 5. h4 a6 1 6.h5 b5 1 7.hxg6 hxg6 1 8. � c5 dxcs 19. ftxd7 g c8
.
20. Il xe6
And Wh ite won with a great attack on the l ight sq uares i n Ka rpov-Topalov, Lin a res
1 994·
Conclusion
After 6 . . . � b6 { l i ne A) , th e play i s a bit d ifferent to other parts of the boo k, as it i s
not advi sable to play c2-4. We need to resort to e2-e4 to break i n th e centre. I nter­
esti ngly enough, th e best l i ne for Black is not widely known and leads to com pli­
cated play with chances for both sides . More po pular options fo r Black are easier
to handle for us and usua lly net a small adva ntage. Li ne B, start i n g with 6 . . �. c5,
.
.
often lead s to Hed gehog-style position s that are solid for B l ack, but a l so a bit pas­
sive for h i m .
CHAPTER 27
Move orders with 1 . e6: 1.d4 e6
..
1 .d4 e6
I n this chapter, we are exa m i n i n g the move order i .d4 e6. Th i s i s a Aexi ble move
for B l ack that would be far more popu l a r if somehow 2.e4 wou l d be an i l l egal
move. Transposi n g to the French Defence is not bad , but of cou rse we a re sticki ng
to a i .d4-themed approach .
2. � f3
N ow, there are a n u m ber of pos s i b l e transpositions and one l i n e th at we wi l l cover
i n t h i s chapter.
2 . '21 f6 3-g3 - leads to othe r chapters i n Part 1 1 1 o r Part I if Black pl ays a q u ick
.
.
. . . d 7-d 5;
2 . .. f5 3-g3 - leads to the Dutch ;
2 d 5 J.g3 - lead s to Part I ;
. ..
2 . . b 6 J.g3 - thi s i s wi l l lead to a Queens' I nd ia n o r a Dutch i n case of a quick
.
.. .f7-f5;
2 . b5 J.e4 - t h i s i s exam i ned via 1 .d4 bs i n th e 'Odds and ends' chapter;
.
.
And fi na l ly, the l i n e that we need to exa m i ne in more d eta i l .
2 c5
...
Th i s move order i s q uite rare, but i nteresti ng for B lack to play. I have employed it
myself i n some games. The main rea son why it i s not more popular is that B lack
need s to be ready to play a French (i .d4 e6 2.e4 is pos s i ble) and a Sicilian (3-e4
now i s not a bad move!) . This i s a rath er steep requ i rement that few players are
wi l l i ng to go fo r. Therefore, yo u wo n't meet it too ofte n . Anyway, it i s not a problem
for our repertoi re concept and wi ll al most a lways tran spose to l i nes exa m i ned i n
th i s cha pter v i a 1 .d4 'd f6 2 . 'd f3 e6 3-g3 c5, or to a chapter with . . . d 7-d5/ . . . c7c5-based set-u ps, s uch as the Reversed G runfeld o r Tarrasc h .
3·13 cxd4
1 ) 3 . . . d 5 4. ,Ji. g2 l eads to a Reversed G ru nfeld, but may a l so develop into a Tarrasch
Defence;
2) 3 . . . b6.
Black i nten d s to tra nspose i nto a Q ueen 's I ndian position type, usua l ly reached via
the move order 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'll f3 e6 J.g3 b6, where a later ... c7-c5 i s frequently seen.
I recom mend bei ng practical about that and just transpose i nto the Queen's I ndian. You may try to punish Black's move order, but it i s such a rare occu rrence
that i nvesting study time into it seems exces sive.
4 �. g2 (here, 4.e4 is an attem pt at refuting Black's move order. It lead s to
.
.
positions very m uch rem i n iscent of the Open Sicilian, but i n a rathe r good version
fo r Wh ite. Sti l l , th i s is very far away from our usual play, so it d id n 't feel right to go
there i n the context of this repertoi re) 4 . . . r£. b7 5.dxc5. Th i s accepts the trans po­
.
sition to the Queen's I n d i a n . Here, the engi nes suggest the brutal move 5.e4 (!) i n­
stead, offeri ng the central pawn for excellent com pensation, for i n stance, after
5 . . . ,Il, xe4 6. '.d c3 ,Il, b7 7.d5. Th i s line or the one mentioned on the previous move i s
the way to go i f you wa nt to play i n t h e most pri nci pled way;
3) 3 . . . 'l) c6 i s played q u ite frequently, but u s ua l ly j ust transposes to other l i nes, be­
cau se
. . .
'l) f6 i s such a natural move and thi s wi l l transpose i nto the more com mon
main move order of th i s set-up, a s exa m i ned i n Chapter 25.
4. ,Il. g2 and now, 4 . 'd f6 wi l l a l ready tra n s pose to the menti oned Chapter 25. Bl ack
.
.
may take fi rst on d4 and play 5 . . 'd f6, but a transposition is bas ica l ly u navoidable
.
after natu ral moves ;
4) 3 . . . b5
4. :JJ. g2 . S i m i la rly to 3 . . . b61 I recom mend j ust p layi ng con servative moves aga i nst
Black's extravagant move order. N ow, we wi ll most l i kely transpose to a d i fferent
chapter, l i ke Chapter 24 or Chapter 10. 4. . . �' b7 5 .0-0 'd f6 6. JJ, gs, with a transpo­
sition to Ch apter 24 (th i s pos ition i s usually reach ed via i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 e6 3.g3 bs
4 'Ji. g2 j), b7 5.0-0 c5 6 ©. gs} ;
. •
. •
5} 3 . . . � a 5+ looks a b it odd, but th i s check i s a decent move. Aga i n , we wi l l prob­
ably tra n s pose to a d i fferent l i ne. 4.c3 cxd4 5. 'd xd4 'd f6 6. :B, g2 i s by far the most
com mon sequence after J. .. � a5+, and this pos ition is exam i ned via i .d4 'd f6
2 . ·'a f3 e6 3.g3 c5 4 ©. g2 � a s+ 5.c3 cxd4 6. '21 xd4 i n Chapter 25.
. •
4. � xd4
I n th is particu l a r move o rder, we need to i m med iately reca pture on d4. I f we play
4. 'JJ. g2 fi rst, the move 4. . . � a5+ ! i s i rritating. After the q ueen check, we wou ld need
to sacrifice a pawn with 5.c3, but th i s is n ot ful ly tru stworthy. A com parable situation arises after 1 .d4 ds 2. 'd f3 c5 3-g3 cxd4 4. �. g2
.
1·'
as+ ! . It's n o big deal th at we
have to recaptu re i mmedi ately, but it is u sefu l to have seen these move order n uances. N ow, after 4. 'd xd4, most of the time the game tra n s poses to Chapter 25,
becau se . 'd f6 i s a very n atural move.
. .
The only i nteresti ng i ndependent l i n e is a q u ick attack on th e d4-kn ight th at we
need to check more closely.
4· · ·
b6
Th i s i s the mention ed l i ne that avoids the transposition . More often than not, B lack
i n stead plays 4 . 'd f6 to transpose d i rectly to Chapter 2 5 or 4 . . 'd c6 and . 'd f6 on
.
.
.
. .
the next move. We j ust play §;. g2 and o-o to tra n s pose.
Black may a l so play 4 . . . d5 5. J4 gi. N ow, 5 . 'd f6 wou ld transpose to the Reversed
. .
G runfeld (Ch aper 4) and it is the most com mon move. Let's look at o ne i nd ependent try: 5 . . . e5 6. 'd b3 .©, e6 (th i s is not preci se, and Black should play 6 . . 'd f6
.
i n stead to tra n s pose) 7.c4 'd f6
8. 1i, gs, and the press u re on d s becomes un bea rab l e. N ow, Black's only chance i s
the fo l l owi ng sacrifice: 8 . . .d 4 9 . g xb7 'd bd7 1 0 . �. xa8 � xa8 1 i .f3. Th i s i s i mportant.
We don't need to castle i nto the attack, but can stay i n the centre for a moment. We
wi l l organ ize with 02l 1 d2 and 'd b3-c 1 -d3 next. Wh ite i s better d u e to the extra mate­
ri a l , but some care i s req u i red.
5. A 12 A cs
Th i s idea of putting press u re on the d4-kn i ght i s u nique to the l . . . e6 m ove order.
Let's com pare. After 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'll f3 e6 J.g3 c5 4. � gi cxd4
5.
'd xd4 JJ. c5 6.o-o, the
move 6 . . . � b6 m a kes no sen se at a l l, as Wh ite has the s i m ple reply 7. 'll bJ. I am
a n a lysi ng th is l i ne a bit deeper th a n it perh aps deserves . It i s rather obscu re, but
the ensu i n g l i nes a re very i n struct ive and show the dynamic potential in these pos i­
tions. If you feel these sharp l i nes a re a bit 'too much', I ' l l point to s i m pler solu­
tions along the way.
6.e3
Bl) 6. � c6 7.0-0
..
H ere, White m ay a l so play th e conservative
7.
'd b3, wh ich after 7 . � e7 8.o-o 'll f6
.
.
9.c4 wi l l probably lead to a H edgehog struct u re with a s l ightly m i splaced knight on
c6. Wh ite i s s l i ghtly better i n th i s l i n e. H owever, the pawn sacrifice m ove 7.0-0
seem s to be stronger to me. Black's whole concept looks a bit s i l ly if you don't take
the pawn now or on one of the next moves - and taking the pawn gives Wh ite very
good com pen sation .
Bl l ) 7••• � ffi
B lack shou ld probably d ec l i n e the pawn sacrifice at th is particular mo ment.
8.C4
i l.
l i i
Wh ite conti nues to ign ore the threat to d4 and tries to b u i l d his ideal set-u p with
c2-C4 and 'd c3, threatening 'll a4. I need to m ention that th i s position after 8. c4 i s
actually wel l-known, contrary to ou r m ove order l ead i n g to it. I t i s mostly reached
via a m ove seq uence outside of our repertoi re such as l .d4 'll f6 2.C4 e6 J 'd f3 c5
4.g3 cxd4 5. 'd xd4 'd c6 6. j;; g2 '¥1! b6 7.e3 j;; c5 8.o-o.
a1 1 1 ) 8 � xd4
. ..
Black should take th e pawn now, a s after 8 . . o-o 9 . 'd c3, he won't be able to even
.
get a pawn, making the whole . . . f!f b6/ . . ji, c5 operation looking poi ntless.
.
9.exd4 A xd4 1 0. � C3 es
Th i s seems l i ke the only testi ng move.
10 . . . o-o l l . 'd a4 � d 6 1 2. g f4 es 1 J �. e3. Thi s is forced after 10 . . . o-o. White now
th reatens c4-c5, wi n n i ng the pawn back with a great position . I don't see a good
way out for Black.
1 1 . � b5 l\ c5
An alternative for Black i s 1 1 . . . o-o 1 2. 'd xd4 exd4
i 3.a4 (th i s i s the engine i mprovement on l ]. b3, which i s less convincing d ue to
i 3 . . . d5! i 4.cxd 5 g S4, givi ng Black good play) l ]. . . d 5 i4.cxd5 .�. g4 1 5.a5 � cs
1 6. �d2, and White has the adva ntage here. I m portant ideas to note are .;;. a4 and
b2-b4.
1 2.b4
I n for a pen ny, i n for a pou n d ! Th i s second pawn sacrifice gives White a very dan­
gerous attack.
12... A xb4 1 3. A e3 Acs 1 4.a4
Th i s i s strong move that needs to be remembered . The key l i ne from h ere i s the
fol lowi ng:
1 4.. A xe3 1 5. 'l) d6+ m e1 1 6. 'l) fs+ m fB 17.fxe3
.
And White converted h i s menaci ng attacki ng position to a wi n i n th e game lturri zaga Bon ell i-Ruck, Tegern see 20 1 7.
e1 1 2) 8. .o-o
.
9· 'i) C3
Taking the pawn now i s too dangerous, so Black needs to retreat.
9 . A e1
..
1 ) g . . 'll xd4 1 0 . 'd a4 � b4 1 1 .exd4, with a n awfu l position for Black;
.
2) g . . j), xd4 1 0.exd4 �xd4 1 1 . � xd4 'll xd4 1 2. §i. f4, and Black i s in huge trou ble.
.
The bishop on c8 is in danger of bei ng boxed in fo rever. The only playable move
seems to be to return the pawn : 12 . . . d5 1 3. �. es 'll c6 14. g xf6 gxf6 1 5.cxd 5. Wh ite
gets the pawn back with a h uge advantage. B l ack's structu re is destroyed .
1 0.b3
Wh ite i s comfortably better here, with .JJ. b2 and B. c1 to come. It i s n ot clear how
Black i s organ izing his position to develop the c8-bis hop.
B1 2) 7••• � xd4
A pri ncipled but very d aring d eci sion.
8.exd4 � xd4 g. � c3
B lack has a hard time defending t h i s position.
9 � e7
...
After 9 . . :k; xc3 i o . bxc3, the com ing .�. a3 will be devastati ng. Black's king is stuck i n
.
the centre and Wh ite's bi shops are amazing.
1 0. � 214
d6
1 1 . ll e1
Wh ite i s now th reaten ing 1 2 �. f4, with excel l ent com pen sation for the pawn . The
.
•
i m mediate 1 1 . �. f4 is not bad either.
82) 6 d5
...
Th i s move was pl ayed 1 n a very h i gh-level encou nter: Aronian-Ca rlsen, London
Chess Classic 201 7.
7.0-0
Aron ian tried the i nventive 7. � g4, but after the equally original reply 7 . �. f8! ?, it
. .
was not clear what 7. � g4 has accom plished after a com i ng . 'd f6 . I suggest sim­
. .
ply castl i n g.
7 � f6 8.C4
...
I also l i ke 8. 'd c3 here, but attacki ng d s with c2-c4 i s always a tem pti ng opti on.
8 dxC4
. ..
Probably th e critical move. H ow do we get the pawn back?
9. -t) d2
a6
' ' I.
B lack can't al low 'll xc4 to ha ppen so easi ly.
1 0.b4
Wel l , we don't get th e pawn back, but rather we offer a seco nd one! You may a l so
play 10. �c2 for a q u i eter ga me, but th e move l O . b4 is too i nteresting to ignore.
821) 1 0... cxb3 1 1 . -t) 2Xb3
The even more •generous' 1 1 . .�, b2 i s also interesti ng.
1 1 ... §J. e7 12.a4
Wh ite has excellent com pen sation for the pawn . Black needs to defend i n a passive
position aga i n st the active white pieces.
a22) 10... §J. xb4 1 1 . g bl §J. xd2 12. � bs
Zwi schenzug!
1 2...0-0
1 3.
·
xd2
Wh ite has great com pen sation i n thi s pos ition. 14. 'd c7 i s the im med i ate th reat,
and ��'. a3 is com i n g a s we l l .
a23) 1 o... A xd4 1 1 .exd4 C3
Otherwise, Wh ite plays a2-a4 and b4-bS with a great position.
1 2. � b1 � c6 1 3. � xc3
Wh ite has a very dangerous i n itiative. B l ack can 't take the pawn on b4 now.
13 ... � xb4 1 4.
b3 W:Yb6 1 5. g b1 � bd5 1 6.
17. � b5
And Wh ite has a decis ive attack.
·
a3 W:Ya6
Conclusion
Th i s chapter mostly cons i sts of the l i n e 1 .d4 e6 2. 'd f3 c5. I exa m i ned th i s in more
deta i l , beca use I thi n k the resu lting play, often i nvolvi ng pawn sacrifices, i s very i n­
structive to study fo r general chess purposes, not only open i ng study. I s u s pect
that you wi l l not get th i s l i ne on the boa rd frequently, and so my advice i s to study
the rough outl i n e of th i s chapter fi rst, and at a later stage look i nto th e deta i l s to
ga i n a better u nderstand i ng of the dynamics of these positi ons.
PART I V
Black's sharp and offbeat defences
I ntrodudion and overview
Th i s part of the book d ea l s with Black's non-sym metrical and most confrontation a l
openi ngs . The two main bra nches i n th i s part a re the Benoni systems, wh ich a re
a n a lysed in Chapters 28-30 . These chapters are so mewh at special i n th i s book, as
we are not able to play i n the usual man ner with a q uick kings ide fianchetto. The
other large portion in th i s part is the Dutch Defence. Aga i n st the Dutch , the king­
side fianchetto set-up i s the absol ute main li ne, so Wh ite's play will feel very fa m i l­
iar to us.
Chapters 28-30 a re about set-ups involvi ng a n early . . . c7-c5 th at i s played even be­
fore Wh ite has com m i tted to the ki ngs ide fianchetto. Th i s scenario ari ses after the
moves 1 .d4 c5 and 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 c5. Bl ack plays . . . c7-c5 before he has co mm itted
any other pawn, l i ke . . . e7-e6 or . . . g7-g6 fi rst and only th en . . . c7-c5.
Agai n st th i s very early . . . c7-c5, we should advan ce the d-pawn and enter the typical
Benon i structu re. These l i nes are either j u st better for Wh ite in case of i .d4 c5 2.d 5,
or at least d ifficult to handle for Black after 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 c5 J.d5. There is also
not m uch else avai la ble bes ides d4-d5. In particular, th ere i s no d ecent l i ne that
shares some s i m i l arities with the other repertoi re choices.
I 'd l i ke to note that these l i nes are ra re cases in thi s repertoire, and don't i nvolve a
kingside fi a nchetto. I n a Benoni structu re, one of B l ack's main ideas i s to play
. . . b7-b5, and the bishop i s m uch better placed o n its sta rti ng d i agonal to fi ght
aga i n st this.
The Benoni systems are spl it i nto th ree chapters. The two most i m portant l i n es ,
i .d4 'd f6 2 . :2) f3 c5 3 - d s bs and i .d4 s2i f6 2 . 'll f3 c 5 3 - d s g6, a re d i scussed i n the two
subsequent chapters, wh ile Chapter 28 covers l i nes starting with i .d4 c5 and i .d4
'll f6 2. 'D f3 c5 3-d 5 e6.
Playing i n Benko Gambit style. Th i s i s Bl ack's most pri ncipled reply. Wh ite 'fai l ed '
to play c2-4, and therefore . . . b7-b5 can be played without sacrifici ng a pawn. Sti l l,
th i s move does n ot speed u p d evelopment and i s rather ri s ky, a s we wi ll see. I n
Chapter 29, I present a new idea fo r White, na mely the s u rpri s i ngly dangerous
move 4.cJ Th i s move has never been analysed before in a publ ication (as far as I
know) , and wi l l pose difficult problems that you r opponents need to solve over the
boa rd .
I n th i s chapter, we exa m i n e the Sch m i d Benoni, named after th e G erman grand­
master a nd ch ief arbiter of the Spas s ky-Fi scher m atch, Loth ar Sch m i d . Black pl ays
a q uick . . . g7-g6 after the Benoni struct u re h as been set up. I h ave chosen the move
order Ld4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 c5 J.d5 g6 to cover it, but it also arises via Ld4 c5. For exam­
ple, 2.d5 'd f6 3- 'd c3 g6 4.e4 d 6 5. 'd f3 ,JJ, g] i s a way to enter th i s cha pter. The
Sch m id Beno n i has a reaso nably solid, but pa ss ive reputation. Th e a n a lysi s i n
Chapter 30 s h ows that White mai nta i n s a comfortable advantage with rel atively
s i m ple mea ns.
The Dutch Defence i s one of B lack's more daring choices. B l ack qu ickly establishes
a non-symmetrical pawn structu re, characterized by the ea rly move .. .f7-f51 most of
the time played right on move 1 . The Dutch Defence wi l l a lways lead to com pl i­
cated play and is often employed by a m bitious pl ayers goi n g for a wi n . Th i s ambi­
tiou s approach is q u ite ri sky though , a s .. .f7-f5 weakens the kin g significa ntly, and
even on the very fi rst move! I th i n k that White has good pros pects aga i n st th e
Dutch Defence, but be ready for a tough fi ght.
There a re some move order tricks for Black, based on starting with other moves,
such as l . . .e6, l . . . d6 or even l . . .d5, and only l ater playi ng . . . f7-f5. These move order
s u btleties a re not very relevant for our repertoi re, a s we wi l l fight the Dutch with
ou r standard ki ngside fi anchetto set-u p. This g3-based approach i s the trad ition al
main l i ne aga i n st the Dutch anyway, so our set-up fits perfectly. Th i s u niversal a p­
peal is particularly i m porta nt if Black employs th e move order tricks mentioned .
Let's h ave a look at the pure Dutch move order i .d4 f5. H ere, White has a wide
choice of moves besides 2.g3 or 2. 'd f3/3-g3- I have pl ayed 2. 'd c3, fo r i n stance, try­
i ng for a quick e2-e4 push. Now, 2. 'd c3 (or some other n on-g3 set-u p} m ight be a
good l i ne, but wh at about i .d4 e6 2. 'd f3 f5 ? Or i .d4 d 6 2. '.d f3 g6 3-g3 fs ? Bl ack can
eas i ly delay the . . . f7-f5 move and only enter th e Dutch after we have com m itted to
the kingside fi a nchetto. Therefore, it m akes l ittl e sense to lea rn a i .d4 fs specific
line. Better rely on the g2-g3-systems anyway, a s 1 .d4/2. 'd f3/3-g3/4. j), g2/5.o-o is a
top choice aga i n st a l l D utch l i nes.
So we know what to play... what does Black do i n the meanti me? In fact, the Dutch
Defence has th ree main bran ches that are qu ite different i n natu re.
The fi rst main l i ne for Black is the Classical Dutch. I n the Classical Dutch, Black
chooses a set-up involving . . . e7-e6 and . . . r£. e], com bined with ... d7-d 6. B l ack often
.
plays for . . . e7-e5 l ater on , ba sed on moves l i ke . . . 'd c6 or . . . 'd e4/ . . . g f6 plans. Our
set-up aga i n st the Classical wi l l be very s i m i lar to the one against the Len i ngrad.
We play aga i n st the . . . e7-e5 push and prepare to play e2-e4 in the long ru n . The
C l assical Dutch and less popular D utch s id e l i nes a re featu red i n Chapter 3i . The
other two main branches a re the Stonewal l (Chapter 32) and the Len i n grad (Ch ap­
ter 33) .
The Ston ewal l i s based on com b i n i n g . . . f7-f5 with the moves . . . e7-e6 and . . . d 7-d5.
Black sets u p a wal l i n the centre, clamping down on the e4-square. At the same
ti me, he weakens e s q u ite s ignificantly, a strategic down side that we wil l try to ex­
ploit. Agai nst the Stonewa l l , I suggest a set-up i nvolvi ng a q u ick regrouping of the
kn i ghts, focu s i ng on the hole on es. Th e Stonewal l is a tough nut to crack, but
C hapter 32 shows that White is more comforta bly placed , d ue to h i s better and
more flex i ble structure.
The most popu lar Dutch l i ne, th e Len i ngrad, features a ki ngside fianchetto. Black's
d ream objective i n th i s l i ne is to ach ieve a scenario where he ma nages to play a
later . . . d 7-d6 and . . . e7-e5, taking over the i n itiative i n the centre and on the kingside.
The Len i ngrad has some resemblance to th e King's I nd i a n , and i n fact we wi l l com­
bat th e Len i ngrad s i m i larly with an early b2-b3 and .JJ. b2, playi ng aga i nst the . . . e7-e5
plan. O u r long-term goal is to achieve the e2-e4 break in the centre, exposing
Black's weaknesses i n the centre and on th e e-fi le. The Len i n grad leads to com­
bative play a nd is exami ned in Chapter 33.
I n th i s chapter, we wi l l d i scuss two options fo r Black that sta rt with 1 . . . d 6 . The fi rst
one i s the Wad e Defence: 1 .d4 d 6 2. 'd f3 J4 g4. Black's m a i n idea i s to ta ke on f3
and create a doubled f-pawn for Wh ite. The second option i s the Old I nd ia n , based
on a quick . . . e7-e5 without fi anchettoing the king's bishop. Agai n st the O l d I ndian
set-up, we are able to em ploy our sta ndard approach of com pleti ng ki ngside
castl ing a nd conti n u i n g with c2-C4.
Every open i n g book has its 'Odds and ends' chapter - here it i s !
We' l l have a look a t s o m e rare l i nes that B lack m ay play, i nclu d i n g th e i ncorrect E n ­
gl u n d Gam bit 1 . e5 and prematu re . . . b7-b5 li nes l i ke i .d4 bs and i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3
. .
bs.
CHAPTER 2.8
Benoni sidelines:
1.d4 c5 and 1.d4 11.fG 2. €JfJ c5
1 .d4 c5/1 ... ii) f6 2. ii) f3 c5
Th i s chapter covers two move o rders. The fi rst one i s th e earl iest possi bl e Benoni
i nvitation with 1 .d4 c5 ( l i n e A) . After 2.d5, Wh ite enjoys more space and at least a
comforta ble adva ntage. B lack more freq uently chooses to play 1 .d4 '21 f6 2 . '21 f3 c5,
after which we again have to advance th e d -pawn to fi ght for an advantage. After the
pawn push 3.d 5, the most popu lar l i nes for Black are covered i n Chapters 2 9
( 3 . . . b5) a n d 30 ( 3 . . . g6) . Thi s chapter covers a thi rd option , J . . e 6, which i s dis­
cussed i n l i ne B below.
A) 1 .d4 c5
2.d5
Adva nci ng the pawn is the objectively best reply aga i n st
1 . . . c5.
We should get some
adva ntage with relatively s i m pl e means. I need to mention that it is not possi ble to
j u st react i n a schematic way accord i n g to our usual set-u p. If we play 2. 'Ll f3 cxd4
3. 'd xd4, Black wi l l play . . . d 7-d5 and . . . e7-e5 q u ickly, kicki ng our kn ight around with­
out any concessions. I n the l i n e 1 .d4 d s 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3-g3 c5 4. i. g2 cxd4 5.0-0, we
delay the recaptu re on d4 and wa it for . 'd c6. Th i s i s not possible h ere, a s 2. 'll f3
. .
cxd4 3.g3 es! is a clear refutation. So j u st go 2.d5 and be happy that Black chose to
give u s s pace for free.
N ow we need to check some options for Black. 2 . . . f5 i s very d u biou s and can be
met by d i rect, aggressive pl ay. On th e oth er h a nd, 2 . . . e5 is so l i d for Black, but
strategical ly d u bious - we get an excell ent s pace advantage. F i n a l ly, 2 . . . e6 and
2 . 'Ll f6 wi ll mostly trans pose el sewh ere, but have poi nts worth mentioning.
. .
Ai) 2 f5
...
The C l a rendon Co u rt Defence. The best th i ng abo ut it i s the fancy-sou nding name
- if you know h ow to reply. It can tu rn out to be tricky if you don 't know what to do.
3 ·�
Th i s o r 3. 'd c3 'd f6 4.e4 i s bas ica l ly th e refutation of Black's open ing con cept.
3 fxe4 4. f} C3 f} ffi 5. � ge2
•..
5. 'd h3 i s a lso excel l ent for Wh ite.
5 g6 6. f} 13
...
l
And we can stop here al ready. Wh ite i s getting the pawn back at wi l l , and a q u ick
h2-h4-h5 i s extremely dangerous for Black. N ote that Black has many wea knesses,
in particular after the i n evitable . . . d7-d 6, the e 6-sq uare and the e-fi le w i l l be prob­
lematic.
A2) 2 e5
...
The so-ca l led Old Benoni or Czech Benon i . Black i ntend s to close the centre and
then play with th e pawn advances ... b7-b5 an d/or . . . f7-f5. The m a i n problem for
B lack i s that these w i l l never h appen under favou rable c i rc u m stances if Wh ite pl ays
wel l . One i m porta nt nua nce i s that White has n ot pl ayed a pawn to c4, a squ a re
that wi l l prove very useful for a kn i ght. One key idea for B l ack i n th is structu re is to
trade h i s bad bishop with a n early . r£. f8-e7-g51 but we h ave a good a ntidote to th i s
..
.
a pproac h .
N ow, Black mostly chooses between i m m ed i ately trying to trade th e e?-bishop
(A21 ) or castl i ng fi rst (A22) .
A21) 4 /J. e7 5. � f3 a6 6.84
...
Whenever B l ack pl ays . . . a7-a6, you res pond with a2-a4. B l ack's . . . b7-b5 play need s
to be stopped .
6. . A 14
.
7.b3
I only lea rned of this idea while resea rch i ng for th i s boo k. I l i ke it a lot, as it i s d i rectly ai med a t stoppi ng/defa nging B l ack's m a i n idea of trad i ng with . . ll. e?-g5.
.
.
When ever you ca n play aga i n st or even stop you r opponent's main idea, it is often
the best th i n g to do. They m ight not know any other idea th an the m a i n one!
7... f) d7 8.h3 Axf3 9.
xf3 A g5 1 0. A b2
The poi nt of b2-b3, j ust not agreei ng to the trade and asking the gs-bishop what it
i s doing on the exposed gs-sq uare, a l l on its own . I n fact, the bishop can easily be­
come a ta rget.
10 ... 'd e7 1 1 .h4 A h6
l
,l
l
· � ·
12. A d3
i 2 .g4 f6 i s a l so better for White, but somewhat hasty. B l ack has zero counterplay i n
th i s position, and we can slowly b u i l d u p. A n ice idea i s to regrou p the knight with
'd c3-d 1 -e3, looking at key sq uares such as C4, f5 and g4.
A21 ) 4· ·· � f6
B lack sometimes castl es fi rst and only then tries to prepare
. . .
�. f8-e7-g5, com bi ned
•
with .. .f7-f5 ideas.
5 · � f] l/. e7
6. � d2
H eading towards c4. I need to emphasize th at White has many ways to be better,
and this i s not th e only a pproach that gives Wh ite an edge.
6.
..
o-o 1. I/. d3
I prefer th is square to e2. The bi shop covers e4 and i s more releva nt i n case of a
later . . . f7-f5 push.
7... � e8 8.o-o A g5 9.a4
There i s nothing wrong with the i m med i ate 9 . 'd c4 either, but I l i ke the idea of mak­
i ng some usefu l moves and seeing h ow B l ack decides on his fu rther plans.
9··· � d7 1 0.b3
We m ight play }i. b2 soon, con nected with a long-term plan to play fa-f4 later on
after due preparation ( 'd e2 , ·� h l , g2-g3, fa-f4, for exam ple) .
1 0... g6
l
Th i s i s part of Black's set-up, i ntending . . 'Q g] and . . .f7-f5, but it i s a move th at
.
wea kens the dark sq u a res. The refore, we now a re happy to trade the gs-bishop.
1 1 . � C4 A xci 1 2.
xc1
N ow fa-f4 i s a serious idea, i n particular after Bl ack has played . . . f7-f5.
1 2 .fs 13.f4
..
With an excellent pos ition for Wh ite. We are m uch better prepared fo r th e battle i n
the centre and B lack's kings ide i s weakened.
A3) 2 .e6 3 · � C3
..
I recommend playi ng th i s fi rst i n stead of Je4, so that you are able to reca ptu re on
d s with the knight. Of cou rse, 3-e4 exd 5 4.exd 5 i s fi n e fo r Wh ite, but 'd xd 5 i s a
com mon theme i n our reperto i re aga i n st s i m i l ar l i nes, for i n stance, i .d4 'Ll f6
2. 'Ll f3 c5 3.d 5 e6 4. 'll c3 exd 5 5. 'Ll xd 5 (B i n th i s chapter} . Now, we wil l very l i kely
transpose to l i n e B, as a natural seq uence l i ke 3- . . d 6 4.e4 'd f6 5. 'll f3 shows.
A4) 2 �f6 3· � c3
...
Of cou rse, 3- 'll f3 wou ld s i m ply transpose to i .d4 'd f6 2. 'll f3 c5 ].d5, but goi n g
3 - '.£l c 3 fi rst gives Black the oppo rtu n ity to go wrong i n a particular l i n e that i s
played s u rprisi ngly often .
3 e6
...
Th i s i s th e l i ne I was tal ki n g about. Aga i n st other moves l i ke 3 . . . g6, 3- . . d6 o r 3 . . . e5,
we j ust transpose to l i nes covered elsewh ere after the standard m oves 4.e4 a nd
5. 'd f3 next. One co mmon exa mple i s 3- . . d 6 4.e4 g6 5. 'd f3 � g] 6. ,©, c4, and we
have tra n sposed to Chapter 30.
4.� exd5
Th i s i s h uge m i stake, but stil l freq uently-pl ayed. B l ack shou ld play 4 . . . d6, which
transposes to a l i ne covered via 1 .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 c5 3-dS e6 4. 'd c3 d 6 (B in th i s
chapter) .
5.e5I
Su rprisi ngly, many players have routi nely recaptu red on d s i n stead . After 5.e5, B l ack
is basica l ly lost al ready.
5 . . � g8
.
1 ) 5 . d4 6.exf6 dxc3 7. �e2+, and White wins a piece;
. .
2) 5 . . . � e7 6. �e2 'a e4 7. 'd xd5 � xe5 8. c4, and it's over: Wh ite threaten s both Ji. f4
and fa-f3, win n i ng.
6.
xds
With a fantastic position for White.
B) 1
• ••
'i) f6 2. 'i) f3 c5
3.d5
J u st l i ke after i .d4 c5, there i s no d ecent alternative to th i s push that wo uld fit i nto
our repertoi re concept. The on ly other am bitious move i s J.c4, but that wou ld lead
us far away from our u sual l i nes. It happens to be that J.d5 is th e best move here,
so we shou ld go for it. Black has some options after 3.d5. The most popu lar and
i mportant ones are 3 . . . b5 and 3 . . . g6, wh ich a re covered in the su bseq uent Chapters
29 and 30. Black may also play 3 . . . d61 but this has l ittl e i ndependent val u e after
4. 'll c3, as Black needs to co m m it now to a pawn fo rmati on with 4. . . g6 (Chapter
30) , 4. .. e5 (see line A above i n th i s chapter) o r 4 . . . e6, wh ich leads to a l i ne covered
i n t h i s chapter below, starting with ]. . e6.
.
3 . e6
..
Black i s tryi ng to play i nto a M odern Beno n i after 4.c4 exd 5 5.cxd5, but we are not
comp lying.
4. � c3
I have always l i ked th i s line for Wh ite. We wi l l m a i ntai n a s m a l l advantage, and
Black won't have many active poss i b i l ities. Thi s makes the l i n e espec i a l ly effective
aga i n st Benoni players, who are usually ai m i ng fo r confrontational pl ay.
With J. . e6, Black has signal led the i ntention to take on d s, and 4 . . . exd 5 i s i nd eed
.
the most common move in th i s position. We wi l l exa m i n e th i s i n B2 below, but we
also need to check the aggressive pawn sacrifice 4. . . b5 ( B 1 ) a nd attem pts to delay
the capture on d s (B3) .
81) 4 b5
...
Th i s i s someti mes played by fans of the B l u menfeld Gambit (i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 c5
} d 5 e6 4.c4 bs) . H ere, the situation i s somewhat different and the pawn sacrifice
seem s i ncorrect.
5.dxe6 fxe6 6. � xb5 ds
An other possible l i n e is 6 . . . � a s+ 7. 'll c3 ds 8. Yi. d2 � b6
l l
9.e4. Th i s type of move i s i mportant to remember i n th is l ine. Black has wea kened
his central structure and lacks the f-pawn . We should not play passively, but rather
open up the game and try to attack Black.
7. � c3
The engin es also suggest 7.e4 'll xe4 8.c4, but th i s move i s s i m pl e and good . We
are preparing e2-e4 on the next move.
7. � c6
..
l l
s.� d4 9. � bs
B lack's pos ition i s hard to defend here. Ta king on e4 now i s very ris ky.
9. � xe4 1 0. A d3 � f6 1 1 . A f4
..
With an excellent game fo r White. Black wanted to take over the i n iti ative with
4. . . b5, but n ow he's on the defensive. Remem ber the idea to brea k with e2-e4 in the
centre, as it is a strong reply to the pawn sacrifice 4. . . b5.
82) 4...exd5 5. ia xds ia xds
An alternative for B lack may be 5 . . . d6 6.e4. I n stead, 6. SJ, gs i s a l so promi s i n g, but
we have a l ready covered the pos ition after 6.e4 via i .d4 -2J f6 2. 'd f3 c5 3-d S e6
4. 'd c3 d6 5. "21 c3 exd 5 6. 'd xd5. I 'd l i ke to keep the general approach con s i stent. O u r
a i m i s to keep ds contro l l ed by a piece, s u pported by the pawn on e4.
6.ftxds
I n th i s pos ition, Black has some des i ra ble moves such a s . . . d7-d 6, . . . �. e], . . . o-o
.
and . . . '£1 c6. He may play these in many orders , which m a kes an i n itial study of th i s
l i n e without a ny gu idan ce q u ite chal lengi ng. Thi ngs a re not that com pl icated actu­
ally, once you real ize that White j u st plays th e same set-up a lmost every time, i n­
volvi ng e2-e4 and .�. c4 next. We wi l l try to keep control over the d s- sq u a re with a
piece, keeping a structural advantage.
There a re two nota ble exception s . If B l ack plays th e i m precise move 6 . . . d6 (B2 1 }
now, we can i m m ed i ately pu n i sh h i m by playi ng 7. 'd g5. Th e second exception i s
t h e move order 6 . . . 'd c 6 7.e4 SJ, e ] (B22) , which a l lows Wh ite to play for a d i rect at­
tack on the ki ng.
821) 6 ...d6
Th i s move order i s i m preci se and can be exploited with a fo rced l i ne.
7. � g5
7.e4 wou ld transpose to a line that we have i n our repertoi re as wel l , but the knight
j u m p is d i rectly head i n g for a refutation of Black's move o rder.
1· · · W'l e7
Th i s artificial-looking move i s wel l motivated. Th e other queen moves have a tactical flaw: 7 . . . � c7 { i n stead, 7 . . . � d7 would have the same conseq uences)
8. 'll xh 7. Snatch ing a pawn based on the check on e4. The en gi nes eval uate 8 �. f4
.
even h i gher, but taking th e pawn i s enough: 8 . B. xh7
. .
g . -me4+.
•
A good job by the
kn i ght and q ueen .
8. � f4
N ow, Wh ite j u st i nten d s to pile u p on the d 6- pawn . Moves l i ke 'd e4 and o-o-o a re
on the cards.
8
...
Ae6
Wh at else?
9. � xe6 fxe6 10.
·
b3
Wh ite i s m uch better h ere. We wi l l castle q ueenside and mai nta i n an noyi ng pres­
s u re on Black's weakened central struct u re.
e22) 6 . � c6 7.e4
.
.
l
l l l
7 A e1
...
H ere, B l ack should probably rather play 7 . d6, b ut after 8. §1. C4 $), e6 9 . '& d3, Wh ite
. .
keeps a s m a l l adva ntage, mainta i n i n g control over the d s-square a nd havi ng d 6 a s
a u sefu l ta rget. B l ack has o n e d i rect eq ualizing try that m u st b e checked:
g...
'd b4
1 0. 'Mf e2 �, xc4 l l . �xc4 ds 1 2.exd 5 �xd 5 1 3. � e2+ �e6 1 4. Wfxe6+ fxe6 1 5. � d 1 , and
Wh ite keeps a n aggi ng ed ge. The e6-pawn i s weak, as are the sq uares i n front of it
{e4 and es) . Both squares wi l l be useful posts for wh ite pieces .
s. � C4 o-o
g.
·
hs
There is n oth i ng wrong with a slower approach l i ke 9 .0-0, but this q ueen position
on hs i s men aci ng for Bl ack.
I thi n k that the defence is not easy at a l l to conduct, even though White's idea i s
rather crude: go fo r h2-h4 and 'd gs! .
9. d6
..
l
1 0. h4
We a re setti ng u p 'Ll gs, a th reat that i s not at a l l easy to d efend aga i n st.
10 !!e8
•..
Th i s is the only move to properly d efend agai nst 'd gs: 10 . . h 6 1 1 . .�. xh6 gxh6
.
1 2 . � g6+ � h 8 1 3. �xh6+ ·�· g8 1 4. 'd g5, and mate is u n avoidable!
1 1 . � d2
Queen side castl i ng i s the obvious idea. The i m m ed iate 1 1 . '.21 g s fa i l s, d ue to
1 1 . . � xg5 1 2 . hxg5 �xe4+. N ow, Black i s un der heavy press u re. The engi nes don't
.
see a great solution for B lack and suggest the fol lowi ng l i n e:
11
• ••
ti) d4 12. ti) xd4 cxd4
13.0-0-0
And White i s better. We don't need to give mate to win here, as the pawn structu re
i s also very favourable for us.
a23) 6 A e1 7·�
...
Keepi ng the ga me i n l i ne with the sta ndard set-up. I n thi s particular move order,
7 'JJ. f4 i s also good for Wh ite, i ntend i ng to castle q ueen side q u ickly.
.
•
7. 0-0 8. A C4 d6
..
9.0-0
H ere, 9 . � h 5 i s not as prom i s i ng as it i s with the kn i ght on c6. B l ack wou l d have
. . . 'd b8-d7-f6 ava i l a ble to d efend the kingside here. Therefore, I s u ggest playing for
a long-term p u l l and castling kingside i n stead .
9. ii) d1 1 0.
..
d3
We should preserve the bishop and step o ut of the . . 'd b6 fork.
.
1 0 f) b6 1 1 . A b3 A g4 1 2.C3
...
Wh ite has a s l ight advantage here. Black i s not able to get rid of the wea knesses d6
and ds so easi ly. Playi ng the bishop to f4 and pl aci ng a rook on d l i s an obviou s
fol low-u p. If Black threatens to fo rk us with . . . c5-4, we shou ld con sider 'd di, for
example in th e fol lowi ng l i ne:
12 I! c8 13. � d2 A e6
•••
.t.
.t.
1 4. � C4
And aga i n , we h ave managed to prevent . . . d 6-d 5, keeping the long-term pl u ses.
83) 4 d6
. ..
B lack del ays the capture on d s.
N ow, th e most i m portant th i ng to remember i s th at in case of 5 . .. exd 5 or 5 . . . a6 6.a4
exd 5, we sti l l recapture with th e kn ight, a s e4 i s a poisoned pawn . Th e most l i kely
scenario is actu a l ly that B l ack ta kes on ds after a l l , after which � xd 5 lead s us to th e
l i n es d i scussed u nder B2 above.
Befo re we check these scenarios, we should briefly d i scuss 5 . .. }J. e? as wel l, wh ich
i s p u n i s h ed by concrete play.
e31 ) 5 .. /J. e7
.
After th i s move, White ach i eves a perm anent advantage by d i rect means.
6. JJ. b5+ � d]
6 . . . 'll bd7 does not wo rk at a l l : 7. dxe6 fxe6 8. 'll gs, and B l ack i s lost, being u nable to
defend e6.
7.dxe6
Th i s starts a forced seq uence that leads to an edge fo r Wh ite.
7... fxe6
8.es dxes 9. � xes A xbs 1 o.
Th i s was forced after 6 Ji. bs+. White i s better forever, d ue to the dam aged black
.
•
pawn formation.
832) 5...exd5 6. � xd5
N ow, Black u s u a l ly takes on ds, wh ich wi l l transpose to the earl ier capture on d s
via 1 d 4 'd f6 2 . 'i:J f3 C 5 3-dS e 6 4 · 'd C3 exd 5 5 · 'd xd5 'd xd 5 6 . � xd5.
.
6 � xe4
. ..
As mentioned , this pawn i s poi soned . Black may a l so play 6
. . .
r£. e], after wh ich
.
7 Ji. c4 leads to a position that we exa m i n e u nder B33 below with the additional
.
•
moves . . . a7-a6 and a2-a4.
7·
e2 fs
8. � g5
And Wh ite i s cras h i ng through on th e e-fi le.
833) 5 . a6
..
An i nteresti n g move order twi st, stopping an noyi ng ch ecks on bs.
6.34
As u s ua l ! j ust play a2-a4 against . . . a7-a 6 .
6 A e1
...
Of co u rse, th e natural 6 . . . exd 5 7. d xd 5 d xd5 8. �xd 5 i s also possi ble and leads to a
'
'
fa m i l i a r position type, but here the additiona l moves . . . a7-a6 and a2-a4 have been
i n serted . The play is very s i m i l a r, so I ' l l stop here - j ust go with .�. c4 next and
claim a s l ight advantage.
7. A C4
Th i s shou ld l ead to the standard position type with 'll xd5 after the fol lowi ng seq uence.
7.. exd5 8. � xd5
.
N ow, e4 i s poi so ned and can't be taken by B l ack.
8 . � x� 9.0-0
..
N ow, � el i s a h u ge th reat.
9 ... 0-0
B lack may a l so play 9 . . 'd f6 10. 'll gs o-o
.
l l l
1 1 . WS d3, and White has a d ecisive attack, for example, after the fo l l owing moves:
1 1 ... g6 1 2. B. e1 'd xd 5 1 J. �xd 5 � e8 1 4 �. f4. Black ca n't prevent � xd 6 and i s lost.
.
•
1 0. ii e1 A rs 1 1 . A d3
And Wh ite wins a pi ece.
Conclusion
Wh ite is better i n a l l the l i nes covered in th i s chapter. They a re sti l l encountered
from ti m e to time at the club level, so studying them wi l l net you m a ny excel lent
positions out of th e open ing. The relatively best l i n e for Black is to play i .d4 'd f6
2 . 'd f3 c5 J.d5 e6, but this i s a lso comfortable for White and not the type of position
a Benon i pl ayer i ntends to get.
CHAPTER 29
Anti-Benko: 1.d4 €Jf6 2. €JfJ c5 3.d5 b5
1 .d4 � f6 2. � f3 c5 3.d5 b5
l
4.c3
H ere, 4 �. gs is the overwhel m i n g main l in e. The move 4.c3 i s actually very rare,
.
and
.
Megabase 2019
o n ly has 9 games with it, com pared to more than 2000 with
4. ,k gs. I sta rted to look at 4.c3 after rea l izing that engines l i ke the move, a n d it h as
been recently pl ayed by players l i ke Ferenc Berkes and N i kola Sedl ak, two creative
open ing resea rchers.
So, wh at's the idea beh i n d 4.c3 � It's not the most obvi ous move. The idea be­
comes a l ittle clearer if we look at the m ove seq uen ce 4.e4 'll xe4 5. g xb5 � a 5+,
which loses a piece for Wh ite. With 4.c3, White actu a l ly enables th i s idea, for i nsta nce, after 4.c3 g6 5.e4 'd xe4 6. g xb5. As we wi l l see, this trade of e-pawn vs b­
pawn i s very good for White most of the ti me. Th i s i s not the only benefit of 4.c3The move i s usefu l to p repare a2-a4, as . . . b5-b4 is not as easily playa ble with a
pawn on c3.
On a very general note, it is i mportant to see that in th e m a i n l ine of 4. g g5, q uite
often Wh ite plays c2-c3 at a l ater stage, for exa m ple, after so mething l i ke 4. Ji. g5
� b6 5. g xf6 �xf6 6.c3,
the pawn i s usefu l to bl u nt a queen or more often a bi shop on the long d iagon a l . I
need to emphasize that 4.c3 i s a basica l ly u nknown idea at th is po i nt, and B l ack
players a re very u n l i kely to have a ny preparation aga i n st it. Th e co m i n g play is more
con crete and tactical than u sual i n our repertoire, but we sti ll have an eas ie r ta sk
th an our opponents, who wi l l be on thei r own from m ove 4.
A) 4···. b6
Th i s move was pl ayed by Bori s Gelfand aga i n st J ovanka Houska i n th e I sle of Man
tou rnament i n 201 8. Two notab l e points: fi rstly, H ou s ka i s the a uthor of some
excel lent books and a n open ing expert. S econd ly, Gelfand is the highest rated play­
er who faced the 4.c3 idea, and th erefore h i s response i s certa i n ly worth studyi ng.
He took more th an 1 6 m i n utes for the move, showi ng that he had to work h a rd
over the board .
5 · <t) bd2
I suggest th i s i m provement o n the mentioned game. Houska pl ayed 5.a4 b4 6.c4,
which is not i n the s p i rit of thi s line i n my opi n ion. White should keep c4 open for
the kn ights . The move 5. 'd bd2 i s very tricky for Black to handle and it wou l d have
been interesting to see how Gelfand wou l d h ave reacted.
Ai) 5 e6
...
Th i s seems to be the best. Black needs to do someth i ng q u ickly.
6.� exd5
l l l
7. es
Again, Wh ite i s getting a d angerous i nitiative.
I dou bt that a h u man wou ld play the move 7 . . 'd g8, but the reply i s i n structive:
.
8.a4 bxa4 9.4 (very n ice play, fighti ng for the central square e4) 9 . . d4
.
1 0 r£, d3.
.
•
Wh ite has excel lent play here. We castle and play B. el and 'd e4 next. How i s Bl ack
develop i n g h i s pieces ?
8.34
Again, fighting fo r the c4-square.
8. . � xd2
.
An alternative for Bl ack may be 8 . . . b4: 9 . 'd xe4 dxe4
1 0 . ·.21 gs
(here, we see a poi nt
of provoki ng . . . b5-b4. Without the moves a2-a4 and . . . b5-b4, Black now wo uld be
able to play . . � b1. Here, this is i m poss i ble because of :Ji, c4!)
.
10
. .
.
,JJ. b7
11.
.r£, c4, White wi n s)
11.
10
. . .
r£, e1 (after
•
'd xe4, and we have regai ned the pawn with a n ice
central adva ntage.
9.ftxd2
N ow d s and bs are attacked, making s u re that we wi n the pawn back with a good
position . We are much better developed, and the e-pawn i s esta b l i s h i n g a u sefu l
space advantage.
9 . � b7
..
1 0.axb5
Wh ite i s better here. Note that �f4 i s a good way to make use of the odd q u een
position on d2.
A2) 5 . � xds
.
.
Th i s m u st be a critical move: d i d we j ust blunder the d-pawn ?
6.84
A very strong reply. We a re fighti ng for control of the c4-square, and trying to play
'd C4 with a tem po o n th e black queen. B lack has a d ifficult choice n ow.
6. b4
..
I th i n k that this i s the most l i kely move to happen . It is i m possible to loo k at a l l
possi ble alternatives, but White has good chances everywhere, as far as I and the
engi nes can see.
An alternative i s 6 . 'd c7. Black retreats prophyl actical ly, anticipating e2-e4 by
..
Wh ite. I wi l l show one possible l i ne that i l l ustrates Wh ite's set-up: 7.axb5 � xb5
8.e4 �· b7 9 . $;; c4 e6 1 0.0-0 JJ. e]
1 i .e5. Wh ite has excel lent com pen sation for th e pawn. M oves l i ke g e1 , 'd e4 a re
natural fo l l ow-ups. B lack wi l l h ave a hard time d efend ing o n th e ki ngs ide.
7· � C4
c6 8. � ce5
d6
Or anoth er queen move: 8 . Y!!! b7 9.e4 'd f6
.
.
10. 'd gs. Ouch ! Th i s i s n ot a s wi n ning a s it looks at fi rst s ight, though : lO . h 6
.
.
1 1 . 'll gxfy � xe4+ 1 2. � e 2 (we a re not j u st attacki ng h8, but a l s o plan to just castle
and play j;; f3) 1 2 . . . � a6 1 J. ''ll xh 8 �xe5 1 4.cxb4 � xe2 1 5. � xe2 �xe2+ 1 6. � xe2
cxb4 1 7. 'll g6, and we h ave kept the extra material and should win i n the long run.
9·� � f6 1 0. j\ d3
Wh ite has very good com pen sation fo r the pawn . Black's defence i s very tou gh to
master.
I wi l l check two moves to show some ideas:
i)
i o. . .
Ji. b7 1 1 . 'll c4 Vl!Jc7 1 2.e5 d s and now:
.
i 3.
'd d 6+ (a n ice cou nter-punch !) 1 J . exd6 i 4.exf6, with a great attack for Wh ite
.
after the com ing o-o a nd ,;; e 1 ;
2 ) 1 0 . . 'd c 6 1 1 . 'd xc6 � xc6 i 2.cxb4 cxb4 1 3- g f4 (Wh ite's development advantage
.
reaches decis ive proportions. B. cl i s com i n g next) 1 3 . 'd xe4 (thi s does not work
. .
at all) 14. 'd d4 't¥! ds i 5. 'd bs, and th i s i s far too much to handle fo r B lack.
A3) 5 . g6
.
.
I 'd l i ke to show how bad s uch a n ormal -looking move i s . The fo l lowing l i ne i s not
completely forced , but shows some typical ideas.
6.� d6
7.a4
M ixing . . . � b6 and . . . g7-g6 d i d not t u rn out wel l .
7... b4 8. A b5+ A d1 9. � C4 · b7 1 0.es
N ow Black i s strugg l i n g not to lose i m m ed i ately. A q u ick way to end it goes l i ke
th i s : 10 . . . 'd xd 5 1 1 . 'd a5. A good job by the knight!
B) 4... g6
.I.
Th i s looks very n atu ra l , but it seems to be adva ntageous fo r Wh ite.
5·�
The d i rect idea of 4.c3: if Black leaves bs u n protected, we w i l l play e2-e4 next.
Wh ite is th reate n i n g e4-es a nd the bs-pawn , so:
5 ... � x� 6. A xb5
Black wi l l h ave problems on th e e-fi le. A reason a ble conti n uation i s :
6. � CJ 7.0-0 o-o 8 . g e1 � ffi
..
Black may also play 8 . 'd d6, but after 9 . ;b; fl ,:£. a6 (otherwi se, Wh ite may play c3-c4
. .
and lock out the c8-bis hop) 10. ,:£. g5, White has an excel lent game h ere. The pres­
s u re on e] and Black's awkward piece pl acement is obvious.
9·C4 d6
1 0. � c3
Th i s position was reached i n the game S edlak- M i l anovic, Serbia tt 201 8. Wh ite has
usefu l pres sure on the e-file, and Black lacks clea r counterplay.
C) 4 . a6
.
.
Th i s move has not been tried yet, but seeing th e other l i nes, it m a kes some sense
to check it. At least Wh ite now can't play e2-e4 stra ight away, because bs is cov­
ered.
Wh ite a rgues th at, com pared to 4. Ji. gs, th e i n s ertion of . . . a7-a6 and c2-c3 should
be more u sefu l for h i m . The li nes I checked support th i s view. We wi l l look at the
most popu l a r o ptions aga i n st 4. �. gs.
Cl ) 5···
b6
When I analysed the i .d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3 c5 J d 5 b s l i ne for my Ben ko-based repertoi re,
I came to the concl u s ion that Black should play 4 . . � b6 i n reply to the main
.
4. Jt. gs. I n serting c2-c3 and . . . a7-a6, however, makes . . . � b6 less attract ive for
B lack.
6.84
6 bxa4
...
Th i s looks ugly, but th e alternative 6 . . . b4 does n ot convince either: 7.a5 (a u seful
tem po. Thi s move i sol ates the b4-pawn and al lows � a4 i n some l in es) 7 . . . � d 6
8. j), xf6
1•1
xf6 9.e4. Black i s i n trouble here, as the fol lowi ng sample l i n e i l l ustrates:
9 d6 10. � a4+ 91. d 7
...
1 1 . � b3, and the black q ueen side is fa l l i ng a part.
7· g x34
I also looked at 7. '21 bd2, wh ich i s very d a n gerous a s well .
7 �xb2
...
l
8.�
Wh ite has a great pos ition fo r j u st a pawn . We wi l l d evelop with .�, e2 and o-o. Th e
bl-knight wi l l h ave a good position on
4.
I th i n k th at th i s i s terri bly d ifficult to han­
dle for Black, even though the trad itional engi nes don't see it as that bad . Leel aZero
l i kes Wh ite, though !
C2) 5 d6 6.84
...
H ere, we see a d i fference to the l i ne without . . . a7-a6 and c2-c3 i n serted .
6. . b4 7.cxb4 cxb4 8. j\ xf6 exf6
.
9.a5
Th i s position is strategica lly very d u bious for Black. There are m u lti ple possible
outposts l i ke b6 and c6 for White and th e b4-pawn is just weak.
c3 ) 5··· f) �
l
Th i s i s d u bious after 4 r£. gs, and the i n sertion of . . . a7-a6 and c2-c3 does not
. •
change th i s general assessment. There i s o ne l i ne I 'd l i ke to s how to point out a
d i ffe rence.
6. A h4 A b7
Without the moves . . . a7-a6 and c2-c3 pl ayed, White has th e strong move 4 r£. gs
. •
'a e4 5 . � h4
'Ji. b7 6. a4! , which basical ly refutes the line. H ere, 7.a4 is a l so O K, but
there is a better move available.
7·
d3
J u st tryin g to kick the kn i ght away, to fo l l ow u p with e2-e4 next.
7. f5
..
Otherwise we wi l l play e2-e4. 7 . . . 'd f6 8.e4 gives Wh ite a good game, bei ng j u st
much better i n the centre.
8. � bd2
Again, it's time to com pare to 4. j;; gs 'd e4 5 �, h4 g b7 6. � d 3 (6. a4! i s stronger) f5
.
.
7. 'd bd2 . I n th i s l i ne, 7 . . . 'd a6! or 7 . . . c4 8. ·� d4 'd a6! saves th e day for Bl ack.
8 C4 9 �d4
...
.
N ow, Black has nothi ng better than
9 . � xd2 1 0.
..
xd2
Wh ite i s better here. Black has weaknesses l i ke the odd-looki ng fs- pawn and bad
development.
D) 4 e6
...
5 ·�
If Black fai l s to cover bs on move 4, we will p l ay e2-e4 next, attacking the pawn.
5··· f} x�
1 ) 5 . .. fH b6 6. 'll bd2, with a tra n s position to the l i ne 4. . . � b6 5. 'd bd2 e6 6.e4. Wh ite
has promising a lternatives in 6.a4 and th e s i m pl e 6.dxe6 , but the transposition i s
enough t o know;
2) 5 . . . exd 5.
Th i s loses to a n often overl ooked idea: 6.e5. This i s m uch better than autom atica l ly
recapturi ng. Wh ite i s already wi n n i ng n ow, a s both d s and b s wi l l fal l .
6. A xbs
I th i n k th i s position i s pro m i s i ng for Wh ite. After th e co m i ng captu re on e6, Black's
centre wi l l be rather weak than strong, and th ere are potential is sues on the king­
side as wel l . We need to check a concrete l i ne to i l l u strate th i s poi nt.
6... A e] 7 .o-o A b7 8.dxe6 fxe6 9. A d3 o-o 1 o.
e2 � ffi 1 1 . � a3
Th i s i s a good square for th e knight. It makes moves l i ke . . . Wl. c7 / . . .
1•1
b6 u n attrac­
tive and has the prospect of goi ng to c4 later. We wi l l cont i n ue with ,�, f4/ ,�, gs and
.;; ad 1 , putting press u re on Black's d7- and e6- pawns.
E) 4·· · A b7 5·�
As u s u a l , we are go i ng to push e2-e4 if Black does not cover bs on move 4.
5··· 'il x� 6. A xb5 e6 7.dxe6 fxe6 8. ·e2
And we wi l l very l i kely transpose to the l i ne 4.c3 e6 5.e4.
8 . A e1 9.0-0 o-o
..
1 0. A d3
And we have tra nsposed to l i ne D above.
Conclusion
When I started the research for th i s book, I was not aware th at 4.c3 i s an opti on at
a l l . It was fasci nati ng to see h ow d angerous this new idea i s for Black. H e wi l l very
l i kely not have prepared anyth i n g agai nst th e move, as it is not covered yet i n a ny
pu bl ication. Even after some analysi s , I don't see a rel i a bl e way for Black to eq ual1 ze.
CHAPTER 30
Schmid Benoni: 1.d4 €Jj6 2. €JfJ c5 3.d5 gG
1 .d4 �f6 2. � f3 cs 3.d5 g6
4. � c3 � g]
Of co u rse, Bl ack m ay a l so play 4 . . . d6 fi rst and . ��� g7 on the next move.
. .
N ow, Black has a fu ndamental choice between the sha rper, but d u bious move
5 . . . 0-0
and the more solid1 but passive 5 . . . d 6.
A) 5 . 0-0
..
Th i s move order is played to avoid the l i ne 5 . . . d6 6. }i, bs+, b ut it has a serious fl aw.
6.e5I
We have to accept th i s i nvitation. Wh ite i s better now, but it i s q u ite sharp. I t i s
i m portant to u nderstand B l ack's idea . Aga i n st 5 . . . d61 our set- u p starts with 6. Ji. c4.
N ow 6 . ,�, c4 gets hit by 6 . . . b5! , a tactic that i s j u stifi ed by the point 7. jJ, xb5 'd xe4!,
with good play fo r Black. H ere, we have a case of need i n g to pick u p the gau ntlet.
Al ) 6 . � g4 7. � g5
.
.
A very nice sh ot. Black need s to be very precise to avoid a quick loss.
7 d6
...
1 ) 7 .. 'd h 6 leads to a n attack that Bl ack should not s u rvive: 8.h4 f6 (8 . g xe5 9 . h 5
.
. .
JJ. g7
10. 'd xh7 (no need for preparation a nymore. Black is bu sted on move 10)
l O.
.
. '�',i xh7 1 1 .hxg6+ fxg6 1 2 . � xh 6 JJ. xh 6 1 J. � d2, and we get into ' M ate in x' terri­
tory)
g.
'd ge4.
g.
'll f3 is strong as wel l . I don't see a defence fo r B lack agai nst both
moves. One sample l i n e ru n s g . . . 'd f7 l o . h 5 'd xe5 1 1 . hxg6 hxg6 1 2.f4 'll f7 l ]. � g4,
and Wh ite wi n s q u ickly;
2) 7 . . . 'd xe5
8.f4, and the knight is trapped i n th e m id d le of the board .
8.e6 � x&
The only chance fo r Black to at least sti r u p some trouble. 8 . . . f5 9.h3 '2l f6 l o.h4 i s a
d evastati ng attack, with the pawn wedge d s/e6 k i l l i ng off the wh ole black q u een side
army.
9. m x&
You m ay a l so play 9 .exf7+ B. xf7 10. 'd xf7 '21 xd 1 1 1 . 'd xd8 'd xc3 1 2. j;: c4, l ead i n g to
an advantage as wel l .
9 fxe6+ 1 o. � f3
...
And Bl ack does not have enough com pen sation.
A2) 6. . �e8
.
Th i s i s less of a cha l l enge than 6 . . . . "21 g4. White gets a strong attack with si m ple
means.
7. h4 d6
7 . h5 does not h e l p at a l l to s low down Wh ite: 8. � d3 (the engi ne a l ready cla i m s a
. .
white win with 8.g4, but this s i m ple move leaves Black short of an an swer) 8 . . . d6
9.e6. The poi nt of placi ng the bishop on dJ Black i s fa l l i n g apart on the ki ngs ide.
8.h5 j\ g4
Black may also play 8 . dxe5 g .hxg6 hxg6 (o r ta king with the f-pawn : g . . . fxg6
. .
1 0. 'd gs and Wh ite n ot only has a stro ng attack, but also an excellent outpost on e4
now. Black has a hard time defendi ng this position) 10. 9. h 6 . Wh ite's attack i s too
strong, with a qu ick � d2 and 0-0-0 com i ng.
9.hxg6 fxg6 1 0. j\ e2
Th i s is a very strong move! We are threate n i ng to play 1 1 . '.d gs, th us forcing Bl ack to
ta ke on fJ
1 o A xf3 1 1 . A xf3 A xes
...
1 2. � e4
The poi nt of 1 0 . j;; e2. N ow, Black lacks the light-squared bishop badly, with 'l) gs
and ,rk. g4 com i ng soon. Wh ite has a very strong attack that th e engi nes a l ready
eva l u ate as wi n n i ng.
B) 5 d6
...
'�
6. A ut
I ' l l explain why this i s a good m ove after both sides have castled.
6.
..
o-o
7.0-0
Let's d i scuss why putting the bishop on c4 i s usefu l . I s n 't th i s square u s u a l ly the
ta rget square fo r th e f3-knight? Yes, th i s is a bsol utely true, but th ere are other rel e­
vant poi nts. A very concrete point i s that, com pa red to th e more standard 6 'JJ. e2
.
o-o 7 .0-0
7
. .
l i ne, now 7 . . . e6 i s q uestionable. I n other set-ups based on
7.
. .
•
'd a 6 or
. a6, the bi shop a l so proves to be usefu l on c4, supporti ng d s in preparation of
the pawn push to es. We should check some concrete l i nes to i l l u strate ideas.
Th i s move i s q u ite freq uently seen i n the M odern Benon i {i magine th e cu rrent pos i­
tion without the pawns on c2 and e?) . B lack correctly sees l ittle active ideas for the
c8-bis hop and does not m i nd trad i n g it. H owever, contrary to the M odern Ben o n i
B lack has fewer possi b i l ities for counterpl ay. There i s no play on t h e half-open e­
fi le, for i n stance. I don't th i n k Bl ack can eq u a l i ze with
7.
. .
g g4, but th i s was my
relatively best l i n e for Black when I ana lysed from thei r poi nt of view.
8.h3 A xf3 9. - xf3 tt) bd7 1 0.
dl
We have pocketed the b i sh op pair, but it was rather ti me-con s u m i ng. H owever, the
issue for Bl ack is that he h as no clear play. He has a space d i sadvantage and
should try to free h i m self, but it i s not easy to do. Playi n g ... e7-e6 seems u n real­
i stic, and ... b7-b5 is not easy to get in eith er.
1 0 � e8
•..
B lack i s a i m i n g fo r . . . b7-b5.
1 1 .a4 �CJ 12. li e1 b6
B lack u s u a l ly sta rts with . . . b7-b6 fi rst, becau se after 12 . . . a6 1 3.a5, pushing th e bpawn leads to some weaknesses. 1 3 . . . b5 14.axb6 'd xb6
1 5. }J. e2, and the a-pawn rem a i n s a l i abi l ity. A good plan fo r White i s to play th e
bishop to f4 or e3, fol lowed by � d2. Th e b i shop trade via h 6 would be u sefu l , as
the g]-bi shop is certai n ly Black's best piece.
13. A gs a6
i l
1 4.
d2
With a fi n e position fo r Wh ite. Black m i ght ma nage to play . B. b8 and . .. b6-b5, but
. .
then we are a l ready o n the open a-fi le. We a l so have th e aggressive idea of pl ayin g
with fa-f4 later.
B2) 7··· � a6
Th i s set-up i s a main l i n e with the bishop on e2. I n fact, the bi shop is later rel o­
cated to c4 anyway i n th i s l i ne, so we might save a fu l l tem po.
8. 1i e1 � c7 9· A f4
We'd l i ke to push e4-e5 long term, so th i s central ization looks very harmon ious .
9 . a6 1 0.34 b6 1 1 . h3 A b7
..
1 2.
d3
I l i ke White's position a lot. We are perfectly centralized , and Black has few active
possibil ities. Bl ack a lways needs to watch out for e4-es breakt h roughs, and
Y!!1 eJ/ !/J. h 6 i s a u sefu l option a s wel l . For a model i l l u stration of Wh ite's chances,
yo u should study th e fi nal game of the Ka rpov- Kortchnoi match in 1 978. I n th i s
game, Ka rpov h a d played .'JJ. e2-4, reach i n g the position basical ly a tem po down .
When I sta rted to study 6. JJ. 4, I i m med i ately thought of that ga me. It h ighl i ghted
th at the bishop ca n prove to be very usefu l on c4.
B3) 7 a6
...
l
l
l �I
8. 84
After any . . . a7-a6 i n the Benon i , j u st play a2-a4 and stop . . . b7-b5. N ow I wi l l stop
th i s l i ne, as Bl ack wi l l pro ba bly play 8 . . . '.21 bd 7 or 8 . . 'Ji. 1>4, wh ich l eads to position
.
types reached via those moves o n move 7. Th e i n sertion of . . . a7-a6 and a2-a4
m i ght ha ppen at any time i n the Benoni set-ups.
B4) 7 e6
...
Th i s move i s pos s i b l e and q u ite good with the bishop on e2 i n stead of c4. Here it
is d u bious, as we wi l l see.
8.dxe6
The engi n es a l so love 8 �. f4 or 8. ;b; gs, and I agree that th ese moves are good.
.
•
H owever, they l ead to position s where some experience in closed Ki ng's I ndian
structures i s very u sefu l . I feel that it i s s i m pler to j u st capture on e6 a nd be better
with a con crete l i ne.
8 � xe6
...
Taking with the pawn i s not a good option: 8 . . fxe6
.
9.e5. Black's structu re is shattered now, with the e6-pawn bei ng particu la rly weak.
9. A xe6 fxe6 1 0. A f4
H ere 10 .e5 i s less convinci ng, as 10 . . . dxe5 1 1 . 'd xe5 'd d s! shows a crucial d i fference
to the position with bish ops sti l l s bei ng o n c4 and c8.
10 � e8
•••
1 ) 1 0 . . . 'd xe4 1 1 . 'd xe4 B. xf4
1 2 . 'd fg5. The central pawns are weak and a u sefu l target. Note th at th is move i s
stronger th an the i m m edi ate 1 2. � xd6, a s we basica l ly w i n a tem po compared to
th at l i n e. The tactics now work n i cely for Wh ite. One sampl e line: 1 2 . . . � e7 1 3. '@'xd6
� xd 6 14. ·'E! xd 6 JJ. xb2 1 5 . .S. a b1 ,rb; e5 1 6.g3 � b4 1 7. 'l::i xb7, and Wh ite wi l l wi n a
pawn;
2)
l o.
.
.d s
1 1 . j;; g s i s a very i mportant move to remem ber! N ow, Black ca n 't handle the pres­
sure on th e centre a nymore. The best l i ne for h i m is the fo l lowing: 1 1 . . . � d7 1 2.exd 5
'd xd5 1 3. 'd e4, and Wh ite enjoys a l ong-term strategic advantage, due to the mul­
ti ple weaknesses in Black's cam p .
1 1 . A 13
Wh ite has some usefu l pressure on the d6-pawn, with moves l i ke � d3 and E. ad1
to follow.
as) 7. � bd7 8. g el
..
Th i s is a u n iversa l ly usefu l move. Very long-term, p u s h i ng e4-es i s part of White's
a rsenal.
8 � g4
...
B lack tries to trade a knight to get more space for the pieces .
9. §Ui
With . . . 'd es, Black will attack the b i shop anyway, so we might as wel l move it away
prophyl actica I ly.
9. � ge5 1 o. � xe5 � xe5
..
1 1 .h3
I wanted to h igh l ight th i s idea. N ow the kn ight looks fine o n es, but what i s Bl ack's
next idea? You can't play . . . Ji. d], d ue to fa-f4, beca u se h2-h3 took away the crucial
g4-square fo r the kn ight. Wh ite has may usefu l moves, l i ke a2-a4 and .�. gs/ 'gg d2
for exam ple. Someti mes, Black plays with . . . f7-f5 in a structure l i ke th is, but it wea k­
ens e] and the e6-square enormou s ly.
Conclusion
The Sch m i d Benon i is sol id, but a l so rather pass ive for Black. The slow l i nes i n B
a bove don't req u i re much move-by-move knowled ge, but l i n e A i s rather provoca­
tive and should be p u n i s hed with swift attacki ng play. It pays off to learn these
l i nes, a s th e reward wi l l often be a completely wi n n i ng position out of the openi ng.
CHAPTER 31
Dutch Defence - Classical and rare lines: 1.d4 fs
1 .d4 fs
l
As mentioned , Black may a l so start with moves l i ke l . . . d6, l . . . g6, or l . . e6 and play
.
. . .f7-f5 on the next moves to trans pose i nto the Dutch . It does not bother u s at a l l ,
as
our
standard moves fi t i nto the anti-Dutch repertoi re perfectly.
2. � f3
N o s u rpri se, we play 2. -2} f3 a l m ost a l l of the time. I 'd l i ke to point out that 2.g3
wou ld also be perfectly viable to reach the l i nes th at we are goi n g to exa m i ne. It
wou ld avoid a l i ne allowed by 2. 'd f3, namely 2 . .. 'd f6 }g3 b6, but th i s is good for
Wh ite anyway. The usual argu ment i n favour of 2.g3 over 2. 'd f3 is the flexi bil ity re­
gard i ng the gi -kn ight. It m ight be wel l-placed on h3 i n some l i nes, for exa m ple, th i s
i s a d ecent option agai nst the Stonewal l . N ow, t h i s i s a l l n ice a n d good , but we
need to keep i n m i nd that B lack m ay start with 1 . . . e6/1 . . . g6/1 . . . d6/i. . . d 5 and l ater go
the D utch route. I n those cases, we are com m itted to 'd f3 a nyway, so it makes little
sense to study 2.g3 here and make your move orders more com pl icated for rela­
tively l ittle benefit.
2 . � f6
.
.
The kn ight defi n itely belongs on f6 i n the Dutch, emphasizing control over the e4sq u a re and d eveloping the kingside - keep i n m i nd that 1 . . . f5 was not exactly a
developing move! Oth er moves th an 2 . . . 'u f6 usually j u st delay the move s l ightly,
u lti mately tra nsposing back into l i nes exa m i ned via 2 . . . 'd f6 .
3·13
A) 3 e6 4. A g2 A e7
...
Black develops the bi shop fi rst, sti l l not com mitting if h e i s goi n g for a Class ical
Dutch or a Stonewa l l.
5.0-0 o-o
H ere, 5 . . . d 5 tra n s poses to th e Stonewa l l , covered via i .d4 fs 2. 'd f3 'd f6 3.g3 e6
1J g2 d 5 5.0-0 .-.
1J e] 6.c4.
4 . .-.
6.C4
6...d6
B lack goes for the Classical Dutch. As the n a me suggests, it is one of the older
l i nes in the Dutch open i ng. The Classical Dutch does not enjoy a good reputation,
but it i s not so simple to play aga i n st it. The world's l ead i n g expert on the C lassica l
Dutch, G i nger G M Si mon Williams, has used i t to defeat top pl ayers , i nc l u d i n g
World Championship cha l l enger Boris Gelfand ! I n the Classical D utch, Black is n ot
yet com m itti ng to a certa i n set-up, but i s somewhat flexi ble. One i dea for Black i s
to p l ay a q u ick . . . 'd e4, u s u a l ly fo l lowed by . . . ,©, f6, . . . d 7-d 6 and goi ng for . . . e6-e5.
An other idea is to play with . . . � d8-e8-h 5, getti ng the q ueen closer to the white
king.
My take on thi s open i n g i s : the only idea that conce rn s me i s Black pl ayi ng for
. . . e6-e5. I f we ma nage to prevent th i s plan or defu se it, we wi l l be better. Th is
sou nds l i ke we a re on the defence, but th i s i s not the case. We are deal i ng with a n
ope n i ng i n which Wh ite w i l l b e m u c h better i f 'noth i n g b a d ' happen s - w e have the
automatic plans such as goi ng for e2-e4 or expa n d i n g on the q ueenside in the long
run. I n stead of 6 . . . d 6, Black may also transpose i nto the Stonewa l l in various ways,
such as 6 ... d 5 or 6 ... c6 7. 'tl bd2 d s. Aga i n st the Stonewal l , we play 'd bd2 and d es,
'
a s a n a lysed i n Chapter 32.
With 6 . . 'd e4, Black plans to play . . Ji. f6 next, a i m ing at a later . . . d 7-d6 and . . . e6-e5.
.
.
It won 't ha ppen after our reply 7. 'd bd2 : 7 . . . ,©, f6 (here, B lack should probably play
7 . . . d 5 to tra nspose to a Stonewal l ) 8. 'd xe4 (th i s leads to a favou rable pawn struc­
tu re i m med i ately) 8 . . . fxe4
9.
'll es d s 1 0 . 'd g4 ,©, e7
11.
,�. £4, and White i s clearly bet­
ter. We control es, and Black has no com pen sation for the weaknesses. We should
a i m for a well-ti med fa-f3 b reak to open th e position.
7.b3
I reco m mend th i s flexible move. I l i ke the queenside fi anchetto against l i nes that
strive for . . . e6-e5 in genera l , such as the King's I ndian and the D utch Len i ngrad, for
exa m ple. I n the com i n g l i nes, one very i mportant deci sion wil l be th e placement of
Wh ite's bi-knight. I n th e anti-. . . e6-e5 set-ups, we often place th e kn ight on d2, l eav­
i ng the d i agonal open to keep more control over es. We will see thi s knight pl ace­
ment aga i nst the Classical as wel l , but there are a l so l i nes wh ere 'd c3 i s the better
choice. I wi l l explain th e d ifferent scenarios and the reason i ng beh i nd the knight
placement in the com i n g l i nes.
Al) 7 . ; -es
.
.
8. � b2
Al l) 8...
hS
You wil l meet th i s q ueen manoeuvre freq uently i n the Classical D utch. I n th i s par­
ticular position, you h ave more than one good move, but I 'd l i ke to show one com ­
m o n anti dote that wi l l also work i n other, s i m i l a r situations.
9.e3
Th i s i s a u sefu l move. Sometimes we have ·21 b1 -c3-e2, pl a n n i ng -21 f4.
9· · · � bd7 10. � C3 15
It looks crazy, but I found some games with th i s move. Th i s i s n ot how chess
works !
l
It wi l l take a long time until B lack h as anyt h i ng close to a th reat, wh i l e we tear down
the q u eenside. N ote that in a very s i m i l a r position, with Black h avi ng p layed . . . a7-a5
i n stead of . . . 'd bd7, we a re able to play i 2 .e4. Here, i 2.e4 i s less convi ncing, d u e to
i2 .. .f4, when l J.es is not possible.
A12) 8 a5
...
9· � C3
Why go to c3 now? The set-u p with '21 bd2 m a kes a lot of sense after the early
. . . 'd e4, but here '21 c3 i s stron ger. I checked
g . '21
bd2, but I d i s l i ked
9...
'd c6, i ntend­
i ng ... g d8 and ... e6-e5. These l i n es seem to be better for Wh ite, but it i s m u rky.
After g . '21 c3, the idea of playi ng for . . . e6-e5 with . . . '21 c6 i s prevented, due to 10.d5!.
A121 ) 9... � a6 1 0.a3
Th i s move th reatens b3-b4!, wh ich i s pos s i ble due to the u n protected rook on a8.
10 A d7
••.
Black stops b3-b4 by coveri ng the rook.
1 1 . -t) el
Regrouping the knight a nd gai n ing a tem po on b].
11 c6 1 2. -t) d3
• ••
l l
We have a nice position here, with a u sefu l advantage i n space. Playing e2-e4 is sti l l
o n the agenda, but someti mes b3-b4 i s a l so a fi ne idea. The knight i s j u st very
versati l e on dJ
A1 22) 9...
·
hs 1 0.e3
The typical antidote to . . . � h5. We stabi lize the centre and al low idea s l i ke
'l) c3-e2-f4 or 'd d2 with a tem po.
10 � a6
•••
B lack may a l so play 1 0 . g5:
. .
1 1 . '21 d2 (a strong reply to Black's crude attack) 1 1 . .. � h 6 1 2.e4. The centre cou nts
fo r somethi ng, Wh ite i s clearly better h ere. One key poi nt i s that Black's desi red
reply 1 2 . . .f4 does not work wel l : l J.e5.
a\ a\
B lack kn ight needs to retreat now, givi ng White a large advantage i n central contro l .
1 1 . � d2
h6 1 2.
e2
Wh ite i s better here, havi ng m uch better cha nces of playing i n the centre o r on the
q ueenside.
A1 23) 9· ·· � c6 1 0.d5
With a clear advantage for Wh ite, s i m i la rly to 8 . . '21 c6 9 . d 5.
.
A13) 8 � c6
...
J u st a m i stake, as it a l l ows the fol lowi ng pawn struct u re cha nge.
9.d5 � d8 1 0.dxe6 � xe6 1 1 .e3
a l
,A
j
Wh ite has a clear advantage here. Black has weaknesses and no compen sation to
show for it. O u r idea i s to exploit th e ds-sq uare with 'll b 1 -c3-d5 later.
A14) 8 � � 9· � bd2
...
The moves . . . � e8 and
. . .
'd e4 don't work wel l together. With 'd bd2 and 'll el later,
we a re s uccessfu l ly fi ghti ng the i ntru der on e4.
A2) 7 � �
...
l
l
A common plan for Black, goi ng for . . . g f6 next.
8. §t b2 It f6
Someti mes, Bl ack delays . . . � f6 with a move l i ke 8 . 'd d1. The standard i dea
. .
aga i n st . . . 'd e4 is to go 'd bd2 and 'd e1 - let's have a look:
9.
'd bd2 'd df6 10. 'd el
'!¥Ee8 1 1 . 'LJ d3 (the kn ight is excel lent on d3. It looks at es and f4 and th us makes any
. . . � h 5 j u m ps u nattractive) 1 1 . . �, d 7 1 2 .f3 'd xd2 1 3- � xd2, with a clear advantage for
.
Wh ite, who has th e central expan-sion with e2-e4 on the agenda soon.
9. � bd2 � c6
10. � el
N ow, Black has to either play . . . d 7-d5 or give u p th e post on e4.
10. � xd2
..
1 ) lO . d5 1 1 .eJ. We have trans posed to a Stonewa l l now, with Black h avi ng l ost a
. .
tem po with . . . d6-d5. This l i ne i s favoura bl e for Wh ite even without th e tem po loss,
so we can't complain;
2) The idea 1 0
. . .
'Ll c5 was recom-mended i n Simon Wi l l i a m s ' Killer Dutch book, but
Wh ite i s j u st a lot better after it:
n
.e3 a 5 l 2.f4.
i l
And Wh ite has a h u ge centre and the m uch better game.
11.
xd2
Th i s is a very comfortable position fo r Wh ite. The m a i n problem for B lack i s that
. . . e6-e5 is basica l ly i m possible now.
1 1 e5
• ••
B lack sti l l pl ayed the move i n
7
games i n my d atabase . . . and lost a l l of them!
1 2. � d5+
Push i ng the king i n the corner before the long trad i ng sequ ence. Along the next
moves, Black has some alternatives , but they are a l l even worse.
1 2 ... m h& 1 3. A xc6 bxc6 1 4.dxe5 dxes 1 5.
xd& R xd& 1 6. � d3 R e& 17.f4 e4 1 8 .\\ xf6
.
exd3 1 9. A es dxe2 20. g fe1
Wh ite i s close to wi n n i ng i n th i s endga me. Black's pawn structu re is very wea k, and
the es-bi s hop is dominating the board.
A3) 7 . a5
..
I n se rti ng this move i s q u ite popu l a r. Bl ack someti mes gets the option of playi ng a n
i rritati ng . . . a5-a4 and ga i n i n g a b i t o f ground on t h e q ueenside.
8. A b2
N ow, Black's best move seem s to be 8 . . . � e8, but after
g.
'd c3, we tra nspose to the
l i n e ]. . . � e8 8. ,JJ. b2 as 9· 'd CJ.
8 � e4
...
Th i s is a ra re l i ne, but there i s o ne i m porta nt poi nt. I f we play 9 . 'd bd2 now, Black
has the i rritati ng 9 . a4, i nten d i ng to a nswer 10.b4 with . . . a4-a3.
. .
1) 8 . . 'd a6. To be perfectly honest, I never u nderstood what the a ppea l of th i s
.
. . . a7-a5/ . . . 'd a6 set-up is. I n a ny case, I recommend i nvesting a tem po with a2-a3 to
ta ke away the b4-sq uare and make s u re th at there i s always b3-b4 aga i n st . . . a 5-a4:
9.a3 .JJ. d 7 10. 'li bd2 � b8 1 1 . � c2.
And we are ready to play e2-e4 soon. There is also th e idea Ji, c3 and b3-b4, playi ng
agai n st th e kn ight on a6. It is i nteresting to com pare th i s set-up to the one we play
aga i n st the Len i ngrad: it i s com pletely identica l ;
2) 8 . . . a4 9 . b4. If w e a re able to comforta bly reply b3-b4 to . . . a 5-a4, i t i s not a prob­
lem at a l l . The a-pawn is rather weak now than anything el se.
9. � fd2
If i n doubt, check wh at M agnus i s playing! Th i s was played by the World Champion
i n a s i m u l and it is a good move. You h ave a good alternative i n 9 .a3, which after
9 . . j;; f6 10. 'LJ bd2 i:i c6 1 1 . 'd el leads to the l i n e 7 . . 'LJ e4 8 . �. b2 .�. f6 9 . 'd bd2 '.21 c6
.
.
.
10. 'd el , with the a-pawn moves added. Th is i n sertion favo urs Black - see the long
endga me l i ne after
7.
.
. 'd e4 - but White i s sti l l better. In compari son though ,
9. 'd fd2 looks even stro nger.
9 d5
...
9 . . . 'LJ xd2 10. 'd xd2 i s how the mentioned Carlsen s i m u l game went. Wh ite is m uch
better with a l l the pl uses: development, centre, no wea knesses.
1 0. � x� fie� 1 1 . � c3
And we are goi n g to open up the pos ition next with fa-f3, u s i ng the much better
d evelopment.
B) 3 d6
...
Th i s move h as l ittle i n dependent value and wi l l u s u a l ly tran spose to a Len i ngrad or
Classical Dutch.
4. A 12 c6
The only move to stay on an i ndependent path. After the most com mon 4 . . g6, we
.
transpose i nto a Len i ngrad, wh ile after 4 . . . e6 5.0-0 j;; e] 6.4, a switch to the Clas­
s ical Dutch is a l so possible.
5.0-0
c7
B lack i s prepari ng a q u ick . . . e7-e5, but th i s idea fa l ls short.
6. � C3
I faced th i s obscure l ine i n a n i mportant game once and played this move. Checking it agai n now, I see no rea so n to switch to a d ifferent recom mendation. We are
j u st going for a q u ick e2-e4, n ot wasting any ti me o n more pawn moves.
6 e5
...
Consi stent, but terrible for Black. An alternative i s 6 . . . g6 7. B. el and we man age
e2-e4 next - or Black need s to play the com pletely i ncons i stent move . . . d 6-d5.
Black is a l ready in terri ble shape.
By th e way: the 22-year-old version of me pl ayed the overaggressive 7.e4 in the
menti oned game and only wo n after some entertai n i ng adventures. I can't resist
quoti ng the game: 1 . 'll f3 fs 2.g3 'll f6 3. ;Ji. g2 d6 4.d4 c6 5.0-0 Y!!t c7 6. 'll c3 g6 7.e4
fxe4 8. 'l:l g5 d s 9.f3 exf3 10. Y!!t xf3 );. g] 1 1 . ;J/. f4 � b6 1 2. ;;; ae1 'iM1 xd4+ 1 3. JJ. e3 'iM1 4
1 4. JJ. f4 0-0 1 5. � h 1 J;. g4 1 6. '@ fa e s 1 7. J;. xe5 'll e4 1 8. 'd cxe4 g xfa 1 9. '2\ xfa � e2
20. ;J/. xg7 � xg7 2 L b3 Y!!t x c2 22. 'll g4 J;. xg4 23 . .§. f7+ �· h 6 24.h4, and Black re­
s i gn ed i n Sielecki-Schatzle, G ermany 1 997. That was fu n , but 7. :;; e l i s the better
move.
7.dxe5 dxe5
8.�
We a re ope n i ng the position wh i le Black i s clearly beh i nd i n d evelopment and has
many weak-nesses a l ready. White i s clearly better.
8...fx�
8 . . g d6
.
g . j),
h 3 (not very obvious, but very strong!) 9 . fxe4 1 0 r£. xc8 exf3
and Black i s falling apart q u ickly.
9· <t) gs
.
.
. •
11.
g xb7,
Wh ite i s clea rly better after rega i n i ng the pawn, enjoying th e great e4-square.
C) 3 b6
...
B lack i s going fo r a mix of the Dutch and the Queen's I nd i an. Th i s set-up has a
d u bio us reputation.
4· A 12 A b7 5.0-0 e6
5 . g6 i s better than playing with 5 e6 (wh ich nevertheless is far more popu lar) :
. .
. . .
6.c4 � g7 7. 'd c3 (we basica l ly handle thi s i n the same way a s th e l i ne i .d4 'd f6
2 . 'd f3 b6 J.g3 .�. b7 4. � g2 g6) 7 . . 0-0 (or the a ltern ative 7 . . . '.d e4 8.'21 xe4 � xe4
.
l
9.
�. e3. We are goi n g for � d2 and .�. h 6 to trade Black's best piece. We have
looked at a s i m i l a r position with Black having pl ayed . . o-o in stead of . . . f]-f5, wh ich
.
i s certa i n ly the more beneficial move) 8. � f4. 8.d 5 i s al so fi ne, but I l i ke this s i m pl e
move a s wel l . The idea is t o play � d2 and j;; h6, trading o ff the i m portant g]­
bishop.
6.C4 A e1
l l
7.d5
If you can play d4-d S in a Queen's I nd ia n style structu re, you should almost always
do so. Th e bi shop on b7 is severely restricted now.
7. . 0-0
.
7 exd 5
. . .
8. 'd d4 (attacking the fs-pawn , wh ich provokes a weakening move) 8 . . g6 9 .cxd 5
.
(even s i m pler than
g.
'd c3. B l ack's pos ition i s a mess now)
g
. . .
�. xd 5 10.
.
g xd 5
'd xd5 1 1 . 'd xf5, and Wh ite a l ready h as a wi n ni ng advanta ge.
8. � es
I s uggest th i s ra re, but tricky move. The most popular move 8. 'd d4 i s not bad ei­
ther, but 8 ... c5 i s not enti rely clear to me.
8
... ·
c8
8 . d6 i s not a good idea !
. .
g.
'.d f7 (you should play 8. ll es, j u st to get th is on the boa rd once!)
'
1 0. 'll gs,
g. .
.
� c8
a nd the wea k e6-sq uare i s eyed by the busy kn ight.
9· � C3
Wh ite keeps th e d s-pawn, wh ich secu res a u sefu l space advantage and b l u nts the
bi shop on b7.
9. d6 1 0. � f3
..
Th i s s i m ple retreat i s strong. We a re a i m ing a t the wea k e6-square with 'Ll gs or
'd d4 soon.
Conclusion
The Dutch Defence i s regarded a s a ri sky open i ng, so it's no surprise that most
si del i nes are dod gy. The best option for Black in th i s chapter i s the Class ica l
Dutch, but Wh ite gets good play with the recom mended set-u p i nvolvi ng a q u ick
q ueenside fianchetto. Th i s set-u p is also used aga i n st the Len i ngrad a s d iscussed
i n C ha pter
33-
On a general note, I 'd l i ke to mentio n that you wi l l gai n a strategic
adva ntage aga i n st the Dutch very often , but B l ack usually has cha nces based on h i s
space o n the kingside. S o be alert: th e Dutch m i ght not be objectively great, but
make s u re to defend accu rately aga i n st desperate cou nterattacks.
CHAPTER 32
Dutch Defence - Stonewall:
1.d4 fs 2. €Jf3 €Jf6 3 · '3 eG 4 It g2 ds
. .
1 .d4 fs 2. � f3 � f6 3.13 e6 4. A 12 ds
B lack sets up the Stonewa l l , characterized by the pawn formation of pawn s on d s
and fs. The idea of the Stonewal l is to set up a sol id wa l l of pawn s i n the centre and
then select fu rther action based on Wh ite's set-up. Bl ack may go for ki ngside pl ay,
based on . . . ' .d e4 and later . . . g7-g51 or elect to play more sol i d ly with . . . b7-b6 and
. . . g b], later goi ng for . . . c7-c5. Our recipe aga i n st the Stonewal l i s to use the defect
of B l ack's pos itio n, n a mely the wea k e5-square. Th i s weakness i s best exploited by
kn ights, and th erefore we need to arrange the knights accordi n gly. The best set- u p
fo r t h e kn ights i s to place them on f3 and dJ, and i t i s exactly t h i s set- u p that w e are
playi ng fo r as soon as possible. After we have managed th i s fi rst step, we wi l l ad­
j u st our plans based on what Black is doi n g. We wi l l d i scuss some m ore strategic
ideas later while looking at the s pecific li nes.
5.0-0
I n the Stonewal l , Black needs to choose between two bi shop set- u ps . He may develop h is bi shop to e] or to d 6. N owadays, the . . j;; d6 l i nes are regarded a s the
.
main l i ne, but Black has tried some offbeat ideas with . . g e] lately that we should
.
exa m i ne. It i s i m portant to note that our set-up with 'd f3 and 'd d J i s desirable re­
gard less of the bis hop's pl acement on d 6 or e]. The decision about developing the
bi shop is usually made now with either 5 . . j;; d6 or 5 . . . j;; e], but B l ack may a lso
.
sta rt with 5 . . . c6 and delay it fo r a move. We wil l play c2-c4 and 'd bd2 anyway a nd
transpose once the bis hop on f8 d ecides on its square.
A) 5··· � d6
6.C4 c6
6 . . . o-o ( Black someti mes delays . . . c7-c61 but it makes no b i g d ifference for ou r setup and usually transposes q u ickly) 7. 'd bd2 'd c6. A ra re l i ne, i n stead of j u st transposing with 7 ... c6. We have looked at th i s ... 'd c6 move with the black bishop bei ng
on e?, which at least a l lowed . . . 'd e4 and . . . i; f6. Here, it makes less sense i n my
opi n ion. I n a ny case, we play in j ust the same way a s we do aga i n st the . �. e? ver­
.
sion of thi s idea : 8.a3 a s 9 . b3 'd e4 1 0. fi. b2 � d7 1 1 , g c1 i; e8 1 2. 'd el .
.
We a re h ead i n g fo r the ideal set-up with '.d d3, prepari ng the central expans ion with
fa-f3 and e2-e4.
7· � bd2
Th i s knight is headed to f3, while the f3-knight should switch to d ]. You may also
sta rt th is operation with
Al) 7. 0-0 8. � es
..
7 . '.21 es
fi rst, as it wi l l transpose i n al most a l l cases.
A1 1) 8 . b6
..
B lack may a l so play 8
. . .
'd bd7, after wh ich 9 . 'd d3 transposes to th e move order
7 . . 'd bd7 8. 'll el o-o 9 . 'd d3. I n stead of 9 . 'd d3, the move
.
Wh ite.
9. � df3
A1 1 1 ) g. . A b7 10. A g5
.
A s i m i lar idea as after . . . Yl!!. e7.
10 ... �e8
9.
'll df3 i s also fine for
U n pi n n i n g i m mediately.
1 1 . 1i c1 � e4 1 2. A f4
With the q ueen on e8, the move . . . g7-g5 i s not possi ble.
12... � a6 1 3.cxd5 exd5 14. � d3
And we reach th i s fa m i l iar pos ition type aga i n , with Black playi n g . . . c6-c5 soon . We
have the much easier game, because o u r position i s free of wea knesses .
A1 1 2) 9· ·· � �
Black prevents a possi ble p i n after, for exam ple,
9 . . . W! e7 1 0 . j;;
gs, and prepares
. . . g7-g5 against g f4.
1 0. h4
We make s u re that f4 i s our sq uare a nd the bishop wi l l be sta ble there.
1 o. A b7 1 1 . A f4 � d] 12. g Cl
..
We have looked at this position type m ulti ple ti mes . I thi n k that White i s better,
s i m ply because Bl ack has a lot of wea knesses that are tough to handle i n the long
run. The f-pawn can 't go back - ever!
1 2 c5
•••
Aga i n st th i s move we have a strong reply, showi ng an additional point of h2-h4.
13. � g5 � xg5
Th i s i s the only move and it lead s to a long, fo rced l i ne th at i s good fo r Wh ite.
14. j\ xg5
-
e8 1 5. � xd7
xd7 16.cxd5 A xd5 1 7.dxc5 A xes 18. A xd5 exd5 1 9.
b3
Black i s sufferi ng with m u lti ple weaknesses to attend . He ca n 't play .. .f5-f7, which
wou l d help.
A1 2) 8 . Fie7
..
Black rem ains Aexible with the queen side set-up and does not com mit to
j u st yet.
. . .
·'.d bd 7
9. � df3
There i s noth ing particularly wrong with
9.
'd d 3 here, but after . . � e1, we m ight get
.
i n � gs, which i s a n a n noyi ng p i n .
9. b6
..
Black can play
9 . 'd e4
. .
to stop Si. gs, and now 1 0 . h4 i s suggested by LeelaZero,
unsurprisi ngly. Th e Al engines love h-pawn moves. The move secures the dark
squares f4 and gs, which i s a n i m porta nt accom pl ish ment. 1 0 . b6 {after 1 0 . . 'd d 7
. .
1 1 . Si. f4 'LJ df6
1 2. c 5
J4 c 7 1 J b4
,t[j
.
we have a very s i m pl e plan on the q u een s ide; what does Black have?) 1 1 . �. f4 JJ. b7
1 2 . � a4. We a re putting pres sure on the c6-pawn and the whole q ueen side. Black
will go for a hangi n g pawn fo rmation with . .. c6-c5 soo n to free himself. I ' l l show
one possi ble li ne th at makes sense to me and i l l ustrates a n idea for White: 1 2 . . . c5
1 J g fd 1 'Ll a6 14. g ac 1 g fc8 1 5.cxd 5 exd 5 1 6 . '2l dJ
Th i s i s the idea I was referring to. We trade the dark-squared bishop, wh ich 1 s
favou rable fo r u s.
io. A gs
I l i ke th i s idea a lot, even more than the standard placement on f4. It i s a n ew move
at t h i s poi nt, so we need to check some possible l i nes and can't rely on game sam­
ples.
1 o A b7 1 1 . g Cl � bd7
...
The pawn structure cha nge with
ll
. .
. c5 i s a l most un avoidable i n the long ru n for
B l ack. U sual ly, h e wi l l on ly play it after the b8-knight i s d eveloped, so th is is an
early moment to do it: 12.cxd 5 exd 5 1 3.e3. I th i n k that th i s structure is favourable fo r
Wh ite i n any case, as Bl ack's pos ition j u st h a s too many weaknesses i n th e long
run. I 'd l i ke to s h ow two rem arkable l i nes that help us to u nderstand key motifs related to the JJ. gs-pin:
1)
l J. .
.
'd a6 i 4. h4.
l l
You guessed right i f you th ought 'Al idea ! '. LeelaZero's idea i s twofold: one poi nt i s
.JJ. h3, fo l l owed by � f4 a n d 'd gs. The other o n e i s to j ust push h4-h5-h6, for a
super dangerous pawn near the black ki ng. As said, you are also in a good spot
without remembering such a n i nteresti ng idea, but to me th i s i s an outsta nding
con cept;
2) Another possible l i n e is 1 3 . . 'd bd 7 14. '21 xd7 �xd7 1 5 . JJ. xf6 E xf6 1 6. 'd es (forced
.
.
after 1 3 . . . 'd bd71 and j u st excellent for Wh ite) 1 6 . . . � xe5 1 7.dxe5 E ff8
i 8. b4 (very powerful pl ay, wea ken ing the hanging pawns) i 8 . . . cxb4 i 9. � d4. White
wi l l wi n back either b4 or ds, with a l a rge adva ntage.
I_
12.b4
Wh ite is also better with the more pedestrian 1 2.cxd 5, but who wa nts to wal k if you
can run with such a cool move ava ilable�
12 g fc8
•••
Taking on b4 i s i m possible: 1 2
. . .
�. xb4 l J.cxd 5 cxd 5 14. B. c7, and Wh ite i s wi n n i ng
•
d ecisive materi a l . Th e key l i ne i s the fol lowi ng: 1 4 . . . .Ji. c8 1 5. 'a c6 '!¥M d 6 1 6 � f4 es
. •
1 7.dxe5 1Txc7 1 8. 'd xb4, and one of the knights wi l l be lost, due to the dou ble th reat
of exf6 and e6. But a slow move looks blea k as wel l .
Wh ite has a huge i nitiative on the q ueenside and i s certa i n ly much better.
A2) 7 .. f} bd7
.
B lack adds add itional cover to es, thus stopping 'Ll es. Th i s i s an add itiona l option
th at Bl ack gets due to 7. \2l bd2 i n stead of 7. 'Ll es. H owever, I don't m i nd allowing
th i s 'extra option'. We wi l l see that Wh ite has good chances.
8. fl e1
The other road to d3.
8.. o-o 9. fl d3
.
We wi l l look at some possi ble l i nes fo r Bl ack now. Our play i s rather s i m i lar i n a l l
cases : w e wi l l play '.21 f3 a n d .�, f4, a nd q u ite often we wi l l take on d s afte r . . . b7-b6
has been pl ayed .
Let's have a look at concrete moves.
A21 ) 9•••
e1 1 0.
C2 b6
Black h as pl ayed the knight to d7 early on, wh ich bas ical ly only leaves th i s d evel­
opm ent option fo r the c8-bi shop.
1 1 . � f3 A b7 1 2. A f4 A xf4 1 3. � xf4 � e4 14. g ac1 g ac8 1 5.cxd5 exd5
'
l
1 6.h4
Th i s m ove secu res f4 for the knight. Wh ite is at least slightly better here. We have
play aga i n st c6 and no weaknesses i n our cam p. B lack wil l very l i kely play. . . c6-c5 at
some poi nt, enteri ng a ha ngi ng pawns formation. This wi l l become co m pl icated ,
but keep i n m i nd th at Black has a lot of long-term weaknesses a l ready s i nce he has
played .. f7-f5.
.
A22) 9 b6
...
' '
After . . . b7-b6, th e trade on d s becomes a lot more i nteresti ng, as we open the
position to play aga i n st the weakened c-pawn . Th e trade on ds usually l eads
nowhere if Black sti l l has the pawn-cha i n b1/c6/d 5.
1 0.cxd5 exd5
l O.
.
. cxd5 gives a pos ition type that i s very one-sided for White:
'f11 e7
l ). g cl
1 1 . 'd f3
as 12. ,'Ji. f4
.�. b7 14. j;: xd 6 � xd 6 1 5. � d2.
l
A typical sequence after the sym-metrical recaptu re. Wh ite always has play on the
dark squares, and Black's weakened kingside often becomes a long-term problem.
Th i s i s a l so the reason why I wou ld avoid a queen trade i n such a position .
1 1 . � f3 A b7 1 2. A f4
e1 1 3. A xd6
·
xd6 14. � fe5
Th i s positi on wou l d al ready look better for Wh ite with the black pawn on f7 i n stead
of fs. We h ave easy targets, l i ke c6, and Black has no cou nterplay that I can see.
A23) 9·· · �� 1 0. ftC2
We need to cover c4 before "21 f3 i s possi ble.
1 0 Bf6 1 1 . � f3 gs
...
B l acks plays . . . g7-g5 j u st before .�. f4 wa s possi bl e. We wo uld sti l l l i ke to play 'd fe5,
so the next move makes perfect sense - but it involves a pawn sacrifice.
1 2.b3 g4
Th i s i s more tha n risky, but obviously critical . I f Black pl ays somethi ng slow, we' l l
play $;; b2 and 'd fe5 next.
13. � fes � xes 1 4.dxe5 A xes 1 5. � xes ftxes 16. A b2
I�
Wh ite's com pensation for the pawn i s s i m p ly fantastic. Black w i l l never get a safe
king aga i n , given th at the long d i agonal i s ru led by our bish op.
a) 5 A e7
...
Black goes for a
. ..
�. e? set-up. Thi s way of playing the Stonewal l i s cons idered to
•
be more pas sive tha n
�. d 6, but there are some recent ideas that are actua l ly q uite
... .
i nteresting for B l ack. These a re based on avoid i ng the move . . . c7-c6 and placi ng
the knight on c6, bu i ld i ng up some pres s u re on d4 with .. '.d e4 and . �. f6 . There
.
.
. .
i s one vers ion of this l i ne that we need to be particu l a rly aware of.
Let's h ave a look.
6.C4
After 6.c4, I d ecided to exa m i ne the . . . c7-c6-based set-ups via the i m med iate 6 . . . c6,
whi l e the more offbeat set-ups are analysed via 6
...
o-o.
Then there i s a third option:
Black's i m med i ate knight j u m p 6 . . . ·21 e4. This l i ne i s rather u n known yet, but very
dange rous if you are not awa re of the u nderlyi ng ideas.
e1 ) 6...o-o 7. � bd2
H ere Black's most common move 1 s
7. .
.
c6, transpos i ng to a more standard
Stonewa l l . We need to briefly check set-ups th at avoid th i s move.
e1 1) 7... � c6 8.a3
Black has stopped '.EJ es, so we need to take care abo ut developing the c1 -bishop
now.
8... a5
We wa nted to play b2-b4, of cou rse. Black can't al low th at to happen .
9.b3 � � 10. A b2
H ow do we get our ideal kn i ght set- u p n ow? B lack has made 'd es look unattractive,
so we need a d ifferent approach . The way to do it is to play e2-e3 a nd then
·21 f3-e1 -d3.
10... A d7 1 1 . g c1
Th i s i s usefu l , because Black someti mes has tricks based on . . . a5-a4, after which
we wou l d l i ke to reply with b3-b4. In th i s case, C4 m ight be hanging, so additional
protection of the c-pawn i s a good prophylactic measure.
11 ... A e8 12. � el A ffi 13.e3 A fJ 14. � d3
We h ave managed the key regroupi ng. We defi nitely would l i ke to play fa-f3 at some
poi nt, evicting the e4- kn ight. I l i ke to play th i s slowly by goi ng 'll d2-f3-e5 and vt!f e2
fi rst, and then th i n k a bout fa-f3 and e3-e4. An i m portant po int a bout the Stonewa l l
i s th at Black does n ot have a l l th at many active ideas, but it is h a rd to do noth i n g i n
ches s. Quite often, Bl ack wi l l do something that does not hel p h i m , for exa m ple,
playi ng . . . g7-g5, wh ich j ust weakens his position.
B1 2) 7 � �
...
i l l
l
I�
Th i s signals Black's i ntention to play fo r a
. .
. j), f6- and, most of the time,
. . 'd c6- based set-up. Contrary to 7 . . 'd c6, th i s move order does not stop us from
.
.
playi ng 8. 'd es.
8. 0 es
N ow, Black does not ma nage to play . 'd c6, and the play wi l l look more l i ke a stan­
. .
dard Stonewa l l , because Black wi l l play ... c7-c6 sooner or later.
8... 0 d7 9· 0 df3
N ow, we man age to con nect both kn ights to the es-square.
9 c6 i o.
...
C2 0 xes
B lack trades o n es. Agai n st other moves, retreati n g to d 3 will transpose to a l i ne
th at we have exami ned via an early . . . c7-c6 move order. An exa mple for this sce­
nario is 10 . . . 'd df6 1 1 . :2) d3, which i s covered via Ld4 fs 2. 'll f3 'll f6 3.g3 e6 4. ,Ji. g2
d s 5.0-0 g e] 6.c4 c6 ]. 'd bd2 0-0 8. d es '.2J bd7 9 · 'd d 3 'd e4 10. � C2 d df6
'
'
1 1 . 'd dJ.
1 1 . � xe5
It i s d ifficult to analyse s uch a closed pos ition move-by-move, a s both side h ave
many moves that cou ld be pl ayed i n a specific position , and th e move order i s not
very critical.
11
• ••
A d7
A com mon regroupi ng, trying to get the bi shop to h s. A good set-up for Wh ite i s
the preparation o f e2-e4 with moves l i ke b2-b3, � b2, ,;;, ad 1 , go ing for fa-f3 and
e2-e4 later.
1 2.b3 A e8 1 3. A b2 li c8 14. li ad1
And f2-f3 and e2-e4 i s the next stage. We might play t h i s slowly, a s Black has l ittle
active pl ay. The re i s nothing wrong with moves l i ke e2-e3 fi rst or playi ng c4-c5 to
grab space on th e q ueen side. The central breakt h rough i s hard to prevent by Black
anyway.
B2) 6 � e4
...
Th i s l i ne i s a specialty of the H u ngarian G M Richard Rapport. Rapport and h i s wife
J ovan a have pl ayed it n u merous ti mes with excel lent resu lts . So, what's the idea of
the early knight j u m p ? Bl ack i s d elayi ng castl ing for a reason ! Have a look at the
fol lowing l i ne: 7.b3 'd c6 8. � b2, a nd n ow 8 . .. h5!. This is in fact very dangerou s for
Wh ite, a s shown in some games.
7. � e5
Th i s i s my recommendation agai nst the Rapport l ine. Th i s move fits i nto o u r general plan s ( 'tl f3-e5-d3 and 'd b1-d2-f3} and d iscou rages ... 'tl c6 and ... h7-h5 ideas by
Black. This i s basically a l l you n eed to know i n my opinion. It's j u st good to know
th at the early . . 'd e4 needs some caution. Let's conti n u e this
.
7.
'd es l i n e for a b it.
7... � d7
Keepi ng i n l i ne with avoid i ng castl i ng.
8. A f4 gs
Th i s i s i n the spirit of Black's play, but certa i n ly ri s ky.
8 . . o-o 9. '.21 d2 looks l i ke a rather sta ndard position aga i n , s i m i l a r to the main l i ne
.
1 .d4 f5 2. <.21 f3 'd f6 J.g3 e6 4. g g2 d s 5.0-0 j;; e? 6.c4 o-o. The move j;; f4 i s played
early, but fits i nto the es-sq u a re-ba sed play.
9. A e3 o-o 1 0. tfe2
'
Wh ite i s better here, looki ng to play for e2-e4 i n the long ru n . We wi l l develop the
bl-knight, play fa-f3 and prepare th e central pawn pus h .
..
B3) 6 . c6 7. � bd2 o-o
..
7 . 'd bd7 stops 'd es, but h as
a
d raw-back: 8. 'd gs 'd f8
9. 'd df3.
B l ack's position i s
rather u n harmon ious, wh i l e o u r kn ights are very an noyi ng to play aga i n st.
8. � es
H eading straight for th e regrouping of the kn ights.
a31 ) 8 . � bd7 9. � d3
..
g.
'.d df3 is not bad either, but both black knights have e4 as their targets . Keeping
both on the boa rd makes life a b it more d ifficult for Black.
9 � � 1 0.
C2
...
We need to cover C4 before '.21 f3 i s possi ble.
10 A f6
••.
1 ) After 1 0 . 'd df6 1 1 . 'll f3 .�. d 7 1 2 . 'll fe5, Black has i ssues with the knights . Note
.
.
that after c4-c5 and fa-f3, Black's kn ight would have n o square to go to. 1 2
. . .
�. e8
•
'
� ,,
'
The bi shop i s headi n g to es. Long-term, we are of cou rse playi ng for fa-f3 and
e2-e4, after due preparation;
2) 10
. .
. 'd xd2 1 1 .
Ji. xd2 'll f6 1 2 . ;Ji, f4, and we have excel lent control over es and good
plans to choose from . I a l so l i ke the s i m ple q ueenside play here with 4-c5, b2-b4b5 etc.
1 1 . � f3
M i ssion accompl i s hed .
1 1 dxC4
• ••
Th i s i s rarely a good idea i n the Stonewal l , but here Black wins a pawn . We have
good com pen sation , but we need to check th is, of course.
1)
1 1 . . . � e8
12. �J4 g5 1 J. � c7 WJJ e7 14. 'd fe5.
Black's pl ay looks risky to me. We h ave control over es, and I don't see how . . . g7-g5
hel ped to fight the long-term plan to go fo r fa-f3 and e2-e4;
2) 1 1 . . .gS (B lack prevents g f4 or '21 f4, but weakens the position qu ite a bit)
1 2 . 'd fe5 'd d6 l J. b3. We h ave � aJ next. Th is looks bad for Black.
12. , XC4 � b6 13. ' b3
Wh ite has tried to hang on to the pawn with 1 3. � b4, but I am happily sacrificing
for th i s m uch com pensation.
We will go for fa-f3 a nd e2-e4 next, with great compen sati on. Bl ack's dark-square
weaknesses a re a heavy burden for h i m .
a32) 8 A d7
...
One of the classic Dutch ideas. Black tries to i m prove the bi shop vi a e8 and h s .
9. � df3 A e8 1 0. iJC2
H ere and one move ea rlier, Wh ite al so h ad � b3 for more concrete play, but I want
to focus on some more general ideas, l i ke co m pleti ng the kn ight regrou ping.
1 o . � � 1 1 . � d3
..
We h ave man aged o u r i ntended set-up. N ow wh at? I l i ke to play with b2-b3, .�. bi,
� ad1 and go for 'd fe5 and fa-f3 later. Let's have a look at a sensible seq uence.
1 1 ... � d7 12.b3 gs
Black refu ses to sit and wait. Often, these am bitious ideas backfi re, though .
1 3. A b2 A hs 14. � fe5 � xes 15. � xe5
Wh ite sti ll plays for fa-f3 and e2-e4, but note that we don't need to rush this. Pre­
pari ng thi s slowly i s often the best approach , as Black i s not th reate n i n g a l l that
much.
Conclusion
The Ston ewal l is one of the openings that has a fitting name. Th i s set- u p is i ndeed
tough to crack, but it also has the d rawbacks associated with a wal l of stone: it i s
not flexi ble at a l l , a n d once you establish a weak s pot, it might crum ble q u ickly. The
main revelation of th i s chapter is the strength of the kn ight set- u p on d3 and f3. If
yo u forget concrete l i n es, try to regroup the kn ights to these key squares.
CHAPTER 33
Dutch Defence
Leningrad:
1.d4 fs 2. €Jfj €Jf6 3.g3 gG
-
1 .d4 fs 2. 'il f3 'il f6 3.13 g6
1 .d4 fs 2. � f3 � f6
The Len ingrad involves the move . . . g7-g6, and someti mes Black plays th is ri ght
away. Let's exam i n e 2 . . g6.
.
Th i s position may also arise after 1 .d4 g6
2.
'd f3 fs.
With Jg3 we stick to our normal set-up. Wh ite i n fact h as a l in e to try to p u n i s h
Black's move order. Th e caveman-style move 3.h4 i s d angerou s fo r Black, b u t I
cou l d n 't find a s i m ple path to a clea r adva ntage. After Jh4, the c ritical l i ne i s
3 . . '21 f6 4. h 5 'll xh5 5. � xh 5 gxh 5 6.e4, after wh ich 6 . . . 9i. g? 7 . 'll h4 seems t o b e best.
.
Th i s Jh4 l i ne cou ld be i nteresti ng to analyse if you expect th i s exotic move order to
happen in a game th at you prepare fo r. If you face th e 1 .d4 fs
2.
'Ll f3 g6 move order
in a random game, j u st play JgJ Bl ack m ay have specifica l ly prepared for J h4,
knowi ng the crazy l i nes better th an you do.
3 . . ,iJ. g] 4. ,©, g2. N ow, Black almost always j ust pl ays 4. . . 'd f6 , tra n s pos ing to the
.
main- l i n e Len i ngrad. I 'd l i ke to show one alternative set-u p th at Black someti mes
plays .
4 . . . d 6. H ere, 4. . 'd f6 i s the most com mon move and a tra n s pos ition to the main
.
l i n e starting with 2 . . 'd f6.
.
5.0-0 'd h 6 . A bit odd, but th e kn ight wi l l su pport th e . . . e7-e5 push from f].
6.4. I n the proper Len i n grad with the kn i ght on f6 i n stead of h6, I suggest playing b2-b3 fi rst, and o n ly later goi ng for c2-c4. H ere, the i m med i ate c2-c4 and 'd c3
is very logica l - we ma nage to play e2-e4 very q u ickly n ow, rea l izing a main strate­
gic goal aga i n st the Dutch .
6 o-o 7. 'll c 3 c 6
. . .
8.e4. Wh ite i s better here. Th e problems on the e-fi le wi l l be more sign ificant th a n
t h e counterplay Black may obtain on t h e f-fi le.
3 ·13 g6
The combination of . . .f7-f5 and . . . g7-g6 i s called the Len i n grad Dutch . I t i s the most
respectable Dutch l i ne n owadays and it l eads to strategically com p l icated play. I n a
perfect world, Bl ack would ach ieve . . . d7-d6 and . . . e7-e5 for a strong pawn duo i n
the centre. Th i s i s a scenario we are able to avoid by employi ng a dou ble fi ­
an chetto, which i s qu ite s i m i la r to o u r a pproach to the King's I nd ia n .
Let's see what ha ppens:
4 · A 12 A r:J
Of cou rse, Bl ack may a l so play 4 . . d6 here or 5 . . . d 6 o n the next move. It wi ll u lti.
mately j ust transpose to the starting pos ition of the Len i ngrad main line after l .d4
fs 2. 'll f3 'd f6 J. g3 g6 4 �. g2 ;:;, g? 5.0-0 0-0 6 . b3 d6 7. ;a, b2.
.
•
5.0-0 0-0
6.b3
The q ueenside fia nchetto i s d i rected aga i n st Black's . . . e7-e5 idea. We wil l see th at it
i s d iffi cult fo r Black to play th i s move u nder acceptable c i rcu m sta nces . Most of the
time Black plays 6 . . . d 6 now, but there are some offbeat ideas th at delay or omit
... d 7-d 6 compl etely.
6...d6
1 ) 6 . . . d5 (the Len i n grad Stonewall) 7.c4 c6 8. 'd c3 (I prefer that to 8. 'd bd2. Th i s
kn i ght ultimately wants to be o n d 3 , and '21 c3-e2-f4-d3 is a fine route) 8 . . . 'll e4
g. �. b2 (th i s position m ay a l so a ri se via the move order 6 . b3
'21 e4 7. §1. b2 d s 8.4
c6 g. '21 c3) 9 . � e6 10. � c2 'd d 7 1 1 .eJ.
. .
We wi l l go for the mentioned knight tou r next, un less Black starts some concrete
play. We are wel l equ i pped for any confrontation, though . We a re wel l-developed
and centralized;
2) 6 . . . c5 7.e3 (a solid choice. We're going for a set- u p with 9J. b2 and c2-c4)
7
.
. . 'd e4
8. j), b2 {th i s pos ition i s a l so someti m es reached via 6 . 'd e4 7. §1. b2 c5 8.e3)
. .
8 'd c6 {Black exerts some pressure on Wh ite's centre, but it's not enough to
. . .
force any concessions) 9.4 e6 10. �e2.
I don't q u ite bel ieve in Black's set-up. We are going for � d1 and 'd c3 next, enjoy­
ing a central advantage.
7. A b2
l i l
Exa m i n i n g th i s theoretical com p l ex i nvolves one particular chal lenge: the flexi bil ity
of Black's move orders. I n general, I 'd l i ke to d ivide Black's a pproaches i nto two
groups: he may try fo r a q uick . . . e7-e5 after a l l , with moves l i ke . .. 'd e4/ . .. 'd c6, often
in com bi natio n with . . . '1¥Me8. The second approach i s to stay flexi ble with moves
l i ke . . . c7-c6/ . . . V!!l e8/ . . . . a7-a5/ . . . 'd a6/ . . . h 7-h6, th at may be played in any possible
order. N ow, agai nst th e q u ick counterplay ideas, we need to act with specific
repl ies , for i nstance, we should fight
. .
. 'd e4 i m m ed i ately with 'd bd2 and 'd e1
(quite s i m i l a r to the l i nes in the Classical Dutch) . If Black chooses one of the slow­
er approaches, al most regardl ess of move order, we are aim ing for a set-up with
c2-4, 'd bd2, '@' c2 and u ltimately e2-e4, rea l izing the strategic goal agai nst the
Dutch. Black has a huge ra nge of move orders in th e s l ower set-ups, but don't
worry too m uch. Goi ng for the mentioned set- u p wi l l work fi ne and only needs the
odd moment of fi ne-tu n i ng, depend i n g on what move order Black chooses. The
s low set-ups a l m ost always involve ... c7-c6, which is played o n move 7 or qu ickly
afterwards. I d ecided to exa mine a l l th e slow l in es involving . . . c7-c6 under the 7 . . . c6
move order, wh ich mea n s th at after moves l i ke 7 . . . 'd a6, 7 . . 'i1!i e8 or 7 . . . a 5, it wi ll fre­
.
quently transpose to 7 ... c6 after Black plays thi s move later.
A) 7 c6
...
The move . . . c7-c6 i s the most popu lar choice here. Black i s a i m i ng for a flexible
set-up, often i nvolving moves l i ke ... a7-a5/ . 'll a6 and ... � e8.
. .
8.C4
Al ) 8 � a6
...
B lack stays with th e slow set- u p. The knight on a 6 makes an odd i m pression, but
it's tough to suggest a better option fo r it. Often, it gets repositioned via c7 or sup­
ports q ueens ide play with . . . b7-b5. I n any case, we can a i m for o u r des i red set-u p
aga i n st th is aproach . N ote that after . . . 'll a6, B l ack i s ready to play . . 'd b4 i n re­
.
sponse to a future Y!¥f c2. Th i s i s no problem at a l l , as after a q ueen move, we are
ready to kick the kn ight back with a2-a3.
9· -t) bd2
Al l) g . Be8 1 0. ftC2 h6
..
The most popu lar move here for Black. To be perfectly honest, it seems d u bi ou s to
me. Black i s tryi ng fo r ambitious play on the ki ngside wh ile we are ready to play
e2-e4.
1 1 . � c3
It i s worth s pend i ng a tem po on coveri ng the b4-sq u are before we en gage i n central action with the e2-e4 push. This i m p rovement on the trad itional 1 i .a3 was s ug­
gested by Boris Avru kh i n h i s
behi nd it i n some moves.
11 g5 12.�
. ••
G M Repertoire
book series. We will see the reason i ng
1 2 fx�
• ••
Black wants to play 1 2 . . .f4, but it does not work: 1 3-es. N ow the knight has no rea­
sonable sq uare to go, and Wh ite is a lot better. N ote that 13.gxf4 is a serious m i s­
ta ke, d ue to the textbook reply 1 3 . . . 'd h s!, and Black gets the kn ight to the d rea m
sq u a re f4.
13. f} xe4 f} x�
After 1 3 . . . � g6 14. 'a xf6+ 'gg xf6 1 5. g ae1 , White i s better, i nten d i ng to double o n the
e-file: 1 5 . . � f5 1 6. � d2 g f7 1 7 . g e3.
' '
Wh ite i s much better here, p i l i n g u p o n the e-fi le. I n this pos ition, we see one ben ­
efit of � c3 co m pared to a2-aJ. Wh ite i s a l so th reatening d4-dS here, because the
bishop i s protected.
1 4. �x� A fs 1 5.
e3
-
d1
1 6.d5
Avrukh 's 1 6. B. ae1 is a l so better for Wh ite, but I th i n k th i s is the case w ith more
th an one contin uation h ere. I thi n k i 6.d5 makes a lot of sense.
1 6...e5
B lack m u st avoid the trade of th e bishop for the sake of k i n g security.
1 7.dxc6 bxc6 18. g ad1 g ae8 1 9. � e1
Wh ite has a very good position here. We h ave good press u re aga i n st the pawn s on
c6 and d 6, and the kn i ght on a6 is offside.
A12) 9...e5
We need to check th i s pri nci pled move, of cou rse.
1 o.dxe5 it) d]
lO .
.
. 'll g4 is less of a cha l l enge, com pa red to 10 . . . 'll d]: 1 1 . 'i!!i c2 'll xe5 (1 1 . . . dxe5 i s
d u bious. The fol lowi ng seq uence i s forced : 1 2.h3 e4 (otherwise, we j u st w i n es)
1 3 �. xg7 � xg7 14.hxg4 exf3 1 5.exf3 fxg4 1 6 . B ae 1 , and White is better here, being
.
•
better developed and havi ng the much safer king position) 1 2. B ad l .
And Wh ite m u st be s l ightly better, th a n ks to the weak d-pawn .
l
Black wants to ta ke with the d-pawn, so he avoids 1 0 . . . 'd g4. N ow, we need to be
more c u n n i n g to fight the . . . e7-e5 idea.
11. A a3
A motif that we use more than once aga i n st the . . . e7-e5 push. Now, Black more or
less m u st take with the knight on es.
A1 21 ) 1 1
•..
� xes
1 2. Il b1
Th i s is the s i m p l e sol ution to B l ack's idea of ta king on f3 and wi n ni ng the ex­
change. The l ess pedestrian one i s to play 1 2 . b4, and s i m ply ignore the th reat. As
mentioned i n th e remarks to 1 1 . . . c5 (A1 22} , the excha nge sacrifice i s always worth
con sideri ng. H ere, it i s d efi n itely playable, and endorsed by the en gi nes. It's a mat­
ter of taste to some extent - if you feel more adventu rou s, play 1 2. b4.
1 2. c5
..
Otherwi se, we'd go bJ-b4-b5.
13. g el
We prepare 'd d2-f1 -e3 th i s way. 1 2. � bi l eads to a slow game with a sl ight adva n­
tage for Wh ite. The sharper 1 2. b4 tries to pun i sh Black ha rder, b ut involves more
risk, obvious ly.
A122) 1 1 .. c5
.
Th i s has been tried , but it seems i ncorrect to me.
1 2.e6 � b6 1 3. g el
Qu ite often, you don't really need to save the roo k i n s uch a s ituation, beca use the
g]-bi shop is such a strong piece. The bi shop is not only active, but a l so a key de­
fender of th e ki ng. That bei ng said, White i s a l so better h ere without any sacrifices.
1 3 ... A xe6
1 4.h4
You may also play the more standard 14. 'd el , but I l i ke th i s i dea . 'd gs i s a n i rri­
tati ng move.
1 4 ... h6
An alternative i s 14 . . . !¥Mc7 1 5. 'll g5 .�. d7 (Black played .
. .
,1.1
c7 to prepare th i s move.
'll gs not only attacks e6, but also the b]-pawn) 1 6. 'll h3, and we get the kn i ght to
the good f4-square, looking at ds. Th i s i s the same idea th at could have been started with 14. 'd el , but h 2-h4 gives additional ideas (the obvi ous h4-h s, for exam p l e) .
1 5. � el
After having provoked . . . h7-h6, we are happily headi ng towards d 3 and possibly f4
next. After 'll d3, coveri ng f4, we also have the idea of playi ng e2-e4.
A1 3) 9••• Ji b8 10.
C2 b5
Agai n st Black's . . . b7-b5 plans, a set- u p with a2-a3 and b3-b4 is the best a ntidote.
1 1 .a3 A d7 12.b4 'i) c7 13. 1l ac1
The idea i s to take on bs wh i l e Bl ack i s u na b l e to recapture with the c-pawn . If Bl ack
has to take with a piece, the plan 'd d2-c4-a5 becomes very a n noyi ng.
13 ... 1l c8 1 4.e3
I f Black keeps the ten sion with sem i-waiting moves from here, we can con sider the
i dea of playi ng WN d3 and dou b l i ng on the c-fi le, i ncreasing the press u re. These
. . . b7-b5 positions in the Len i n grad are com plex, but easier to play for Wh ite in my
opi nion.
A2) 8...
c7 9. � bd2 g es
B lack i s l i n i ng up for . . . e7-e5 next. This i s a rare case whe re we need to devi ate from
the usual '1¥M c2 set- u p.
1 0. g el
We kn ow Black i s goi n g to play . . . e7-e5 and wi l l man age the pawn d uo on es and fs.
Th i s i s a scary pros pect and need s to be addressed . If you can't prevent it alto­
gether, the best reaction is u s u a l ly to play e2-e4 as a cou nterpunch. Here, I 'd rather
prepa re that with the rook than with the q ueen.
1 0. e5 1 1 .dxe5 dxe5 1 2.� fxe4
..
The alternat ive 1 2 . . .f4 l J.CS i s m uch better for White, with "21 c4 com i ng.
We wi l l esta b l i s h a strong kn ight on e4, with a n i ce adva ntage.
A3) 8 . a5 g. � bd2 � a6 1 0. �c2
.
.
c7
B lack is a i m i n g for . . . e7-e5, supported by . . . g e8 on the next move. Th i s l i ne stri kes
me as more logica l th an many others that B lack has tried.
1 1 .a3
Th i s i s a necessary move to prepare e2-e4. After the i m med iate l 1 .e4, we get h it by
1 1 . . . 'd b4 1 2. � bl fice4 1 3. 'Ll xe4 'd xe4 14. � xe4 .�. fs, which i s very annoyi ng.
1 1 ... li e8 1 2.� fie� 13. 'i) x� 'i) x�
An alternative fo r Bl ack i s
1 ].
.
. ,r£. fs 1 4. ·:21 xf6+ exf6 (this makes use of th e rook pl ace­
ment on e8 and i s more logical than taki ng with the bishop) 1 5. � d2.
Th i s position seems reasonable for Black if he pl ays for ideas such as .. ,r£, e4 and
.
... d 6-d5. It i s an i nteresting position to play for both sides. My m a i n hope a s White
wou l d be to exploit the smal l weaknesses that Bl ack has created , l i ke e6 and f6 .
These weaknesses a re around the ki ng, wh ich makes th em more practica l ly rel e­
vant.
1 4. �x� A fs 1 5.
e3 es 1 6.dxes dxes 1 7. it) g5
Wh ite has the better structu re i n th i s position, b ut B l ack's pieces are active. Th i s i s
probably a bout eq ual, but also i n some way a matter of taste.
I 'd rather be White, h avi ng th e m uch safer king a nd hea lthier structure, wh ile other
players might not val ue these factors so h igh ly.
A4) 8 . - e8 9. � bd2 � a6 1 0.
.
.
C2
Th i s i s j u st another way to the main l i ne of thi s ch apter a nd covered vi a the move
order 8 . . 'd a6
.
9.
'd bd2 WN e8 1 0. '!¥M c2 . Black may play . . . 'll a6 fi rst or . . . � e8 fi rst,
and it makes no d ifference for our set-up.
As) 8. . es 9.dxe5 <t) 14
.
Yet another version of th i s idea.
1 0.
Cl
Th i s more or less forces Black to take o n es with the knight.
10
...
<i) xes
B lack ca n a l so take with the pawn: 1 0 . . . dxe5 1 i . h3 e4 (otherwise, es i s d roppi ng)
1 2 . � xg7 � xg7 l } hxg4 exf3 14.exf3 fxg4 1 5. 'd d2. Thi s long l i ne i s com pletely forced
after 1 0 . . . dxe5 1 1 .hJ Now White i s better. We a re m uch better developed , and the
black king i s wide open.
1 1 . 'i) c3
1 1
And we have a freq uently-seen central pawn structu re with the d-pawn traded for
the e-pawn . Black i s sufferi ng with the weak d-pawn and no clear active prospects
to com pensate for it.
B) 7••• 'i) �
A clear signal that Black is not go ing fo r a s low approach. He wants to play for a
q u ick . . . e7-e5 push.
8. ti) bd2
We should i m med iately take action and fi ght the kn ight on e4.
8... ti) c6
B lack may a l so play 8 . . . 'd xd2
g . �xd2
'd c6
1 0. 'd e1 . There are other strong moves ava i l able, but th i s move transposes to
8 . . 'd c6 9 . 'd e1 '.21 xd2 1 0. � xd2. Th i s l i ne i s fi ne fo r Wh ite, so there is no need to
.
learn a nyth ing additional .
9. � e1
Th i s i s th e same a pproach a s u sed aga i nst the C lassical Dutch with a n early
... 'd e4.
Bl) 9••• � gS
Th i s i s the most popular and best move.
1 0.f4 � fy 1 1 . � C4 e6 1 2.e3 A d7 1 3. � d3
A good set-up for Wh ite. We are watc h i ng over the es-sq uare and will slowly pre­
pare to play e3-e4.
a2) 9 . � xd2 1 0. -xd2
..
N ow, it i s actu a l ly qu ite d ifficult fo r B lack to manage the des i red . . . e7-e5 push.
1 0...
e8
Th i s i s better than the i m med iate
10
. . .
e5, but sti l l not a sati sfactory so l ution for
Black. Wh ite ga i n s a clear advantage aga i n st
10
.
. e5:
.
l l
1 1 . j;: d s+ ·id h8 1 2. � xc6 ( B l ack's pawn structu re gets com pletely destroyed. It i s
worth giving u p the strong bi shop for t h i s acco m pl i sh ment) 1 2 . . . bxc6 1 3.dxe5 dxe5
1 4. � d 1 Wl e7 1 5. � a5.
B lack has too m a ny weaknesses i n this position .
1 1 .f4
Th i s i s not the most obviou s move, but it is a stro ng one and worth rem em beri ng.
I t i s d irected agai nst . . . e7-e5, of cou rse.
11 e5 1 2. l\ d 5+ m h8 13 .dxe5 dxe5 1 4. f} d3
• ••
H ere we see the point of 1 1 .f4. Wh ite b u i l d s up huge pressure in th e centre, forcing
the fo l l owing l i ne.
1 4...exf4 1 5. A x17+ rtlxg7 1 6. 1l xf4
Th i s position i s better for Wh ite. We are able to open u p the pos ition wh ile bei ng
better developed , and Black's king is not perfectly safe either.
B3) 9 d5 1 0. � dfj
...
B lack has changed the structu re to a Stonewal l . With 'll df3, we are on the way to
the standard 'll f3/ 'd d 3 set- u p aga i n st th i s pawn formation. Wh ite has the typical
strategic defect of th e Stonewa l l , the es-square, to exploit.
c) 7...
e8
A freq uently- seen move i n the Dutch. I n th i s particular case, Black's i ntentions a re
not yet clear. He might play for . . . e7-e5 or switch the q ueen to h s after . . . h7-h6 and
... g6-g5 next. Black m ay also play ... c7-c6 soon, goi ng for a slowish set-up that we
cover via 7 . . . c6.
8.C4
The set- u p we a i m for i nvolves c2-c4 and '21 bd2. Which one to play fi rst� My move
order recommendation i s to fi rst play c2-4, then go 'd bd2. There are plu ses and
m i n u ses for both approaches, but I l i ke to go c2-c4 fi rst. One reason is the l i ne
7. 'll bd2 'd c6, wh en pus h i ng d4-dS i s not possi ble. N ow or on the n ext moves, it is
always possible for Black to play . . . c7-c6, wh ich wi l l l ead to l i nes covered via 7 . . . c6.
C1 ) 8 .. h6
.
A s m a l l move with a big plan: . . . g6-g5, a nd . . . � h 5 for an attack on th e wh ite ki n g.
9· � bd2 gs 1 0. ftC2
I also l i ke 1 0.e3 h ere, a ntici pati n g . . . � h 5. Th is idea we a l so employ aga i n st a s i m­
i lar queen sortie i n the C lass ica l Dutch. H owever, the standard move 10. � c2 i s
fi ne here, s o I see n o pa rticular reason to compl icate thi ngs fu rth er by recom­
men d i n g somethi n g el se.
10 fth5 1 1 .e3
••.
l l. l
l l
Th i s i s d i rected aga i n st . . . f5-f4 ideas, now al lowi ng the an swer exf4.
11
•••
� a6 1 2.a3 c6 13.b4
Th i s q ueenside expa n sion i s useful and d i rected aga i n st the offs id e knight on a6.
Black sti l l has no rea l p lay o n th e ki ngside, as . . .f5-f4 does not lead to m uch .
1 3 ... � CJ 14.a4
Wh ite i s better here, d ue to the adva ntage on the q ueenside.
c2) 8 � a6
...
l
l
Black i s stayi ng flexi ble with th i s move.
9. � bd2
H ere, you can make a case for 9 . � c2 actually. After o u r move
g.
'LJ bd2, B l ack's
best seems to be . . . c7-c5, as we wi l l see. If you want to avoid th is l i ne,
g. � c2
does
th i s job q u ite wel l . Black of cou rse sti l l may play ... c7-c5, b ut bei n g able to develop
the kn ight to c3 makes a d i fference.
I am sti l l goi ng for 9. '2� bd2 for a couple of rea sons . The fi rst one is to be con s i s­
tent with oth er move orders, which m akes it easier to remem ber. The second one
i s that 9 . '@ c2 stops . . . e7-e5, but thi s i s a move that I 'd l i ke to see aga i n st
g.
'd bd2 !
So the
g . 'd bd2
move order trades a bit of q u a l ity for s i m pl icity a nd trick va l ue,
which is usefu l in particu lar aga i n st c l u b l evel opponents.
9 c5
...
Th i s seems to be Black's best try here.
1) 9 . . e5 is possi ble, but fi ne for Wh ite: 1 0.dxe5 d g4
.
l1. �
'
aJ. Remem ber th i s motif, as it wi l l happen more th an once i n our anti­
Len i n grad repertoi re. Aga i n , it i s most i m po rtant to avoid the pawn d u o on es and
fs, creati n g the d-pawn vs e-pawn stru cture agai n : 1 1
..•
'd xe5 1 2 . 'd xes � xe5 1 J. B. b1 ,
and Wh ite has a comfortable advantage, a s usual i n these pawn structu res;
2) 9 . . . � b8 1 0. Y!M c2 bs (an interestin g cou nterplay attempt on th e b-fi l e. Aga i n st
these i deas (there i s a l so . .. c7-c6 and later . . . b7-b5) , it i s i m portant to remem ber the
set-up with a2-a3 and b3-b4. It keeps the c-pawn backwa rd s and l i m its Bl ack's play
on the q ueens ide) 1 1 .a3 c6 i 2. b4.
Wh ite i s better here. We are looking at very si m i lar stru ctures via the 7 . . . c6 move
order, so please have a look there for more i nformation .
1 0.a3
Th i s i s a recent idea aga i n st the 9 . .. c5 l i ne. White i s prepari ng a later b3-b4. It i s
i m portant to avoid 10.d 5, as . . . b7-b5 gives Black good play.
C21) 1 o cxd4 1 1 . � xd4
...
Th i s position has n ot yet been tested i n games. I ' l l show some ideas to i l l u strate
possi ble l i nes of p l ay.
11
• ••
� cs
1 ) 1 1 . . . e5 1 2. 'd bs W!f e1 1 3. 'd bi . Th e kn ight i s certai nly better on c3 th a n o n d2. White
looks a bit better to me;
2) l 1 .. . 'd c7 1 2.a4 (th i s prepares 'd bs} 1 2 . . . � d8
l
1 3. 'd b l , and aga i n this move, a i m i n g for 'll c3 to i m prove this piece.
1 2. 'fi bs � e6 1 3.b4
Th i s looks good for White, with 'd bs-c3-d5 to come soon.
C22) 1 0 A d7
•••
1 1 .b4
You may a l so prepare th i s with 1 1 . B. b1 , but playing aggressively agai nst a m bitious
players often pays off ('fight fi re with fi re') .
1 1 cxb4
• ••
l l . . . cxd4
1 2. 'd xd4 was good for Wh ite i n Ruck-Dionisi, Ponteved ra 201 8.
1 2.axb4 'i) xb4 1 3. A c3
Wh ite gai n s good com pensation on the open fi l es . Let's have a look a sample l i ne:
1 3 ... 'i) a6 14.
lb1
It is u sefu l to p rovoke i4 . � b8, as we wi l l see.
. .
1 4. . g b8 1 5. g a5
.
l
l
The idea i s to play � a l and � bl next. Wh ite m ay a l so play d4-dS and j;: d4 later,
attacking th e a]-pawn. This i s one reason why i 4. Eij b 1 was a u sefu l move.
c23) 10. . g b8 1 1 .b4 cxd4
.
An alternative for Black m ay be to take the pawn on b4: l 1 . ..cxb4 1 2.axb4 'd xb4
1 3. � b3 (even stronger than 1 3. B. xa7) 1 3 . . . 'd c6 1 4. d 5 'd d8 1 5 . .:; xa7.
With a great game for Wh ite. Note that Bl ack is not able to free h i m self with 1 5 . . . b5
now. After 1 6. 'd d4, the c6-squ a re is terri bly exposed now.
1 2. � xd4
Th i s i s s i m i lar to the l i ne io.a3 cxd4.
C3) 8 e5
...
Wa it, wa sn't o u r set-up des igned to prevent th i s move? Wel l , you ca n't prevent it
enti rely, but you can prevent the pawn duo on es and fs, wh ich is the most i m por­
ta nt point.
9.dxe5 � 14 1 0.
-
ds+
There i s a tactical reason for i n serting the check, j u st hang on.
1 0 m h8 1 1 .
d2 � xe5
• . .
The move 1 1 dxe5 does not work now! i 2 . h3 'll h6
• . .
13
.
r£. xe5 {ouch !) l ]. §1. xe5 14. 'd xe5 �xe5 1 5. � xh6, and Wh ite win s ! We needed the
•
.
.
black king on h8, so that the f8-rook is now hangi ng.
1 2. 'fi e]
Th i s i s excellent fo r Wh ite. The easiest way to assess th i s position i s to co mpare it
to l i nes of the King's I nd i an double fi a nchetto th at have the same pawn structu re,
but with a pawn on f]. White i s a l ready much better i n those l i nes, a n d havi ng the
pawn on fs does not hel p. For the Ki ng's I n dian l i ne, please check: L d4 'd f6 2. 'd f3
g6 J.g3 ;k: g? 4 �. g2 o-o 5.0-0 d6 6 . b3 es 7.dxe5 'd g4 8 �. b2, after wh ich Black
.
•
often captures on es with the kn ight.
c4) 8 � c6
...
Going fo r . . . e7-e5, so we need to act q u ickly.
9.d5 � d8 1 0. � C3
. •
Th i s is i m portant! The knight is m uch better here tha n on d2, becau se we need to
con nect it with d s, a ntici pati ng Black's . . . e7-e5 push.
1 0 e5
•..
B lack sometimes delays th i s , but we h ave many good moves to play i n the mean­
time, such as '1!!! c2 and e2-e3, fo r exam ple.
1 1 .dxe6 fl xe6 1 2.
-
C2
Our idea i s to play � ad 1 and 'd d s. As usual i n the pos iti ons with an d-pawn traded
for a n e-pawn , the move 'd d s pl ays a key role. The knight i s very strong on ds, but
. . . c7-c6 i s too wea ken i n g, and ta king the knight opens the c-fi le to good effect for
Wh ite.
D) 7
...
a5
Black has more than one idea with th is move. He might adva nce the pawn fu rther
to a4, tryin g to generate some play on the a-fi le. The second idea is to gai n some
ground on the queen side to prepare . . 'd a6. In some l i nes, we are goi n g for a2-a3
.
and b3-b4 later, an idea th at is sl owed down by . . . a7-a5.
8.C4 84
Th i s i s a n independent option for Black.
Otherwise, he u s u a l ly pl ays 8 . . c6 or 8
.
7 . . . c6 move order.
9.b4 c6 1 o.a3
. . .
'd a 6 9 . 'd bd2 c6, which we cover via the
I am not convi nced by the a-pawn advance to a4. Here, the pawn i s a liabil ity, and I
don't see m uch compensation fo r th i s i ssue. N ote that 'd c3 i n stead of our usual
'd bd2 com es i nto co nsid eration here, of cou rse.
E) 7 ...e5
B lack i s p layi ng the move that we tried to prevent. But don 't worry, it is fi ne for
Wh ite.
8.dxe5 � fd7
B lack may a l so play 8 . 'd g4
. .
9. E§'c1 (not the on ly move to gai n a n advantage, but the one closest to other l i nes
that we have in the repertoi re. Now, Black needs to take on es with the kn i ght)
g. .
.
'21 xe5 (after 9 . . . dxe5 10.h3, Wh ite i s m uch better, as i n s i m i l a r situations) 10.c4,
and we h ave reached thi s favourable struct u re once aga i n . The q u een i s not ideal
on c1 , but 'll c3, � d 1 and V1:¥ c2 next are easy moves to play.
9· � C3
Th i s i s a bit uncom mon, but it i s stro ng. Black wants to ta ke on e s with the pawn ,
and we need to be ready to play e2-e4 agai nst it. I f we go
. . . dxe5, with decent pl ay.
g.
� cl h ere, Black has
9...dxe5 1 0.�
Th i s is very good for Wh ite. Black i s too m uch beh ind in d evelopment, and h i s
pawn d u o i s more wea k than anything el se.
Conclusion
The Dutch Len i ngrad i s an a m bitiou s choice by B l ack and leads to dynamic pl ay.
O u r set- u p aga i nst the Len i n grad enjoys an excel lent theo retical reputation and i s
s i m i l a r to othe r schemes i n the book. The most i m portant poi nt to remem ber i s
the d i fference between Black's s low set-ups with . . . c7-c6 a n d the more d i rect ones,
for i n stance with
. .
. 'd e4 or
. . .
'd c6. Agai n st the latter, you need to know concrete
l i nes, wh ile aga i n st the former, you will be fi ne with j u st knowin g the overa l l set- u p
with b2-b3/c2-4/ g b2/ 'd bd2 a n d Wt c2.
CHAPTER 34
Old Indian and Wade Defence: 1.d4 d6
1 .d4 d6
The move 1 d 6 i s rather flexi ble and may sti l l lead to a range of set- u ps and open­
• . .
i ngs.
Bl ack has m a ny ways to transpose to other chapters, a s a q u ick . . . f7-f5 wou ld
lead to a Dutch Defence or ... g7-g6 would transpose to a King's I nd i a n set-up. We
play 2. 'd f31 Jg3 a nd 4 �, g2 next anyway and see what Black chooses.
.
.
I n t h i s cha pter, we wi ll d i scuss two i n dependent opti ons for Bl ack. The fi rst one
i s the Wade Defence: i .d4 d6 2. 'Ll f3 };, g4. B l ack's main idea i s to take on f3 and
create a doubled f-pawn for White. The second option i s the Old I ndian, based on a
q u ick . . . e7-e5 without fi a nchettoi ng the king's bi shop. The typical moves . . . 'd bd7,
. . . e7-e51
• • •
c7-c6 and . . . �. e] m ay be pl ayed i n various orders. It i s n ot a big deal for
.
us, as we play the same standard moves every ti me. For th e Old I nd i a n , I d ecided
to choose the move order Ld4 d6 2. 'd f3 'll f6 3.g3 'll bd7 4. � g2 es 5.0-0 a s the
mai n path and wi l l poi nt out some other orders along the way. As mentioned, we
j u st play our standard set-up and don't need to worry too m uch.
2. � f3
O u r usual move, but I 'd l i ke to mention two alternative ideas. The fi rst one i s to
play 2.e41 tra n sposing into an i .e4-style po sition. I d iscu ssed this approach a bit i n
C hapter 20 on 1 .d4 g6. The second option only occu rred to m e days before I fi n­
i sh ed the writi n g of th e book. It is a n i nteresti ng idea to play 2.gJ Th i s move fits
well in our repertoi re and will often tran spose after 3. 'd f3 next, fo r exam ple after
2 .. 'd f6 3. 'll f3 or 2 . . . g6 3- 'd f3. So, what's the d ifference if it tra nsposes u s u a l ly�
.
There a re two: B lack i s not able to play th e Wad e Defence (A below) and create th e
dou bled pawn. The second one i s the move 2 . . . e5, after wh ich Wh ite's best i s goi n g
for th e trades with J dxe5 dxe5 4 . � xd8+ � xd8. After 5 . 'd c 3 a n d a q u ick fa-f4, open­
ing up the position with the better d evelopment, Wh ite is slightly better.
All i n a l l , 2.g3 l ooks l i ke an excel lent ' K I S' option , as yo u save the effort of lea rning
the Wad e Defence. I considered making 2.g3 my main suggestion, but d ecided
aga i n st it, because the positions i n the Wad e Defence a re i nteresting to study and I
d i d not want to d i scard th i s a nalysis. Another po i nt is th at 2.g3 es only req u i res
knowi ng th e s m a l l l i n e with th e q ueen trade and the plan with fa-f4, so you have
two options to choose from .
A) 2 j\ g4
•••
Th i s i s the Wade Defence. It's a sidel i ne, but it i s not bad and q uite regularly po ps
up as a s u rpri se weapon by strong pl ayers in rapid and blitz games. It is a flexi ble
defence, not yet d eterm i n ing the centra l pawn formatio n. Black may j ust play
. . . 'd bd7 and . . . e7-e5 for an Old I n d i an formation or play . . . e7-e6 and . . . d 6-d 5, goi n g
fo r a l ight-squared set-up. We shou ld b e awa re that Black may a l so play 2 . . . 'd f6
].g3 ;& S4. which i s a rel ated l i ne. Th i s fact, and of cou rse the overal l repertoi re con­
cept, s u ggests we play with g2-g31 but we need to be aware of the capture on fJ.
B l ack's early . . . i. g4 gives h i m the opportunity to ta ke on f31 dou b l i ng o u r pawns.
Th i s dou bled pawn in itself i s n ot a problem , but there i s one i m porta nt detai l to be
awa re of. After B lack ca ptu res on f3, it i s des i rable for him to build up a light­
sq u a red pawn form ation with . . . d 6-d5, often supported with . . . e7-e6 and . . . c7-c6.
Th i s fo rmation i s a tough nut to crack if we pl ay too ro uti n ely.
3 ·13
N ow, Black has the fu ndamental choice between ta king on f3 or a l lowi ng Wh ite to
play j;; g2 next, giving u p on this i dea co m pletely.
3 . � xf3
.
.
The usual choice. I f Black waits with 3. . . 'd d 7 o r 3 . . . 'd f6, we wi l l play 4. j;; g2 and
transpose to l i nes covered with the move o rder 1 .d4 d6 2 . 'd f3 'd f6 3.g3 1i, g4
:1J g2 .
4. ....
4.exf3
U n dersta n d i n g the pawn formations i s key i n th is l i ne. B lack has doubled o u r
pawns and now need s to choose a set- u p o f h i s pawn s. There are two main a p­
proaches . The fi rst one i s easy to h a ndle for us: Black plays a set- u p with a kingside
fi a nchetto. Agai nst th i s set-u p, we obta i n the better ch a n ces with a ti mely advance
d4-ds, as we wi l l see. The more cha l lengi ng idea i n my opi n ion i s Black p l ayi ng fo r
a light-sq uared pawn set- u p with . . . d 6-d5, often supported by . . . e7-e6 a nd/or
. . . c7-c6. Placing a l l the pawn s on light squares com plements n i cely with Black's
bishop and makes a sol id i m pression. The key aga i n st the l i ght-squared strategy is
early actio n. We need to i m med i ately tackle th i s idea to pose problems, so looking
at the concrete l i nes i s i m porta nt. Let's check the deta i l s .
4 d5
.. .
1 ) 4 . . . g6 5.4 §i. g] 6. 'd c3 'd f6 (a n alternative for Black may be 6 . . . e6: 7.d5 (I know
it sou nds l i ke a broken record : prevent . . . d 6-d5 by advancing you rself, if possi ble)
7 . . . exd 5 8.cxd5 'd e]
g.
SJ. hJ, and Wh ite has an excel l ent position. After getting d4-dS
in, both bi shops are strong i n thi s open position)
7.d5 (yes, aga i n this move! Stop . . . d6-d5 by playi ng th e pawn there you rself) 7 . . . 0-0
8. j;; g2 c6 9 .0-0 'll bd7 10.f4.
And Wh ite has good ch ances with the bis hop pa i r and usefu l targets, s uch as the
e?-pawn and bas ica l ly the whole black q ueensi de;
2) 4 . . . e6 5.4 c6 ( Black should play 5 . . . d5 here, trans posi n g to the 4 . . . d 5 main line)
6.d 5. We sho u l d a lways adva nce d4-d5, if possible. Th i s l ead s to a favourable open­
ing of the pos ition ;
3 ) 4. . . c6 5.c4 'd f6 {Black should play 5 . . . d 5 here, transposing to the 4. . . d 5 main
l i ne) 6.d 5. Again, taki n g th i s oppo rtu n ity. Play wi l l now l i kely tra n s pose to the
4 ... g6-based set-ups that are comfortable for us.
I thi n k this d i rect play i s necessa ry to pose problems. M any players opted for
5. };. g2 and a slow build-up, but got nowhere. It i s interesti ng to note that th i s posi­
tion is very s i m i l a r to the fo l l owin g l i ne: i .d4 ds 2. 'll f3 };. g4�! J.C4 (3- d es i s even
'
stronger} 3 . . )t. xf3 4.exfJ. Com pared to this l i ne, we have the extra move g2-g3,
.
wh ich proves to be quite u sefu l . Black's best response to 5.4 is to set u p the pawn
triangle with e6 and c6. I will show some l i nes about why deviating is i n advi sable.
5 c6
...
1 ) 5 . . e6 6. 'd c3 (now, Black shou ld com plete the triangle with 6 . . . c6 to tra n s pose
.
back to the mai n l ine. Other options don't i m pres s) 6 . . 'd f6 (the l i n e 6 . . . 'd c6
.
7.cxd5 exd5 8. g bs is better for White. The pressu re on c6 and the c-fi le is very
a n noyi ng} 7. 'M b3 ( Black has no reasonable move now} 7 . 'd c6 (the most inter­
.
.
esti ng try} 8.cxd 5 'd xd 5 9. itt x b7 'l::i xd4 10. j;: b5+ 'd xb5 1 1 . � c6+ ·�' e7 1 2. � xb5.
Wh ite is m uch better, due to the i nsec u re black ki ng. Th i s seq u ence is amazi ngly
s i mi la r to the Ca ro- Kan n l i ne 1 .e4 c6 2.d4 ds J.cxd 5 exd 5 4.c4 'd f6 5. 'd c3 'd c6
6. 'd f3 g g4 7.cxd5 'd xd5 8. � b3 J4 xf3 9 .gxf3 e6 10. �xb7 '2l xd4 i 1 . }J. b5+ 'd xb5
1 2 . � c6+ � e7 1 J. �xb5. Our vers ion is more favoura ble, of cou rse - it's good to
have a g-pawn ;
2) 5 . . 'd c6 6 . 'd c3 e6 7.cxd5 i s a d ifferent move o rder to reach l i ne 1 a bove.
.
6. � C3 e6 7·
b3
b6
The n atural a nd best move.
7 . . . '&d 7 is not a very natural move, but seeing the best reply is i nstructive: 8. j), f4, a
very con crete move! Wh ite has ideas l i ke 9 .cxd 5 cxd5 10. � xb8 .§. xb8 1 1 . j), bs. Th i s
l i m its Black's options:
1) The norm al-looki ng move 8 .. >a f6 is a h u ge m i stake: 9.cxd 5
1 .1) 9 ..exd5
.
10. g h J. Ouch ! O ne l i ne to see why g3 i s usefu l ! 1 0 . . . � e]+ 1 1 . '� fl , and f;. el 1 s a
dead ly th reat;
1 .2) 9... � xd5 1 0. � xd5 exd5 1 1 . � h3, and again this shot leads to a clear advantage.
2) 8 . . . dxc4 (Black more or l ess has to take) 9 . g xc4 (White's l ead i n d evelopment
is i mpres sive) 9 . . . -21 f6 1 0.0-0 .�, e] 1 1 . '21 e4, with the idea of playi ng 'd c5 soon.
Wh ite has a sizea ble advantage.
8. -C2
I l i ke this move best. The more standard 8.c5 is fi ne for B l ack after 8 . . . � xb3 9 .axb3
g6!, with cou nterplay aga i n st the d4-pawn. Th i s l i ne i s j ust eq u a l fo r Wh ite, but not
a bad alternat ive if you are after a q uiet game. After 8. � c2 , I th i n k Wh ite is better,
but it i s not the most usual position for o u r repertoire.
8 dXC4
...
1 ) 8 . . . � xd4 9 . g e3 � e5 1 0.0-0-0.
B l ack's play was too greedy. White has a strong i n itiative for the pawn;
2) 8 . . 'd e? 9 . g eJ. Aga i n st a s low move l i ke 8 .. 'd e?, I recommend castl i ng q ueen­
.
.
side as wel l , keeping the option of advancing th e pawns on the kingside. Th i s
comes i n handy aga i n st . . . g7-g6 i n particu lar, when h2-h4- h 5 i s the obvious an swer.
9• j\ XC4 � ffi
9.
. .
W& xd4 10. 'd e4 '21 f6 (10 . $;; b4+ i s very good for Wh ite:
. .
1 1 . � e2
moves l i ke B. d 1 a l l come with tem po) 1 1 . g e3 !Wd8 1 2.0-0.
After B. ad 1 next and f3-f4-f5 to come, Wh ite aga i n has a strong attack.
1 0. A e3
d& 1 1 .0-0-0
a nd the next
After � b1 next, we can start to gai n space o n th e ki ngside. Wh ite has some i n itia­
tive i n t h i s position.
B) 2 � f6
•••
Black m ay also start th e Old I nd ian set-up with 2
. . .
'd d ?, after which I suggest j u st
playi ng 3.g3. Th i s i s not the absol ute best move, to be honest. If you want to puni s h Bl ack to the utmost for h i s bad move order, you should play 3.e4 es 4 ©, c4, as
.
covered i n
Keep it Simple: 1.e4.
•
I stil l recom mend playi ng 3.g3 for practical rea sons,
a s learn i n g th i s whole branch of the Phi l idor seem s a bit much fo r such a rare l i ne.
For an l .e4 pl ayer, this i s more i m portant, as i .e4 es 2. 'd f3 d 6 J.d4 'd d7 i s sti l l
freq uently pl ayed, i n pa rticular at c l u b level. So my take is: play J.g3. I f you abso­
l utely know beforehand th at you wi l l face th i s odd move order, learn i n g 3.e4 is a n
option. After 3.g3, w e wil l tra n s pose to the l in es exami ned here, for exa m pl e after
J. . 'll gf6 4 . �. g2 es.
.
.
3 ·13
' ' ' '
3 � bd7
...
Black may also sta rt with 3. . . c6 and then conti n ue 4. . . 'd bd7 and . . . e7-e5. We j u st
complete ki ngside castl ing i n a ny case.
J . j), g4 4. JJ. g2 (B lack com bi nes . . JJ. g4 with an Old I n d ian pawn fo rmation. This
.
.
line i s comfortable for Wh ite, becau se most of the time we gain the bishop pa i r fo r
some adva ntage) 4 . . . c 6 (Black m ay a l s o delay t h e move . . . c7-c6 and develop the
ki n gside fi rst. It wil l u s u a l ly lead to th e same positions. After 4 . . . 'd bd7 5.0-0 es
6.c4 �. e7 7. 'd c3
o-o ,
we wi l l play 8.h3, and after 8 . . JJ. hs 9 . 'd h4 c6 10. ·'21 fs, tra ns­
.
pose to our chosen move order) 5.0-0 'd bd7 6.4 e5 7. 'd c3 j;; e7 8.h3:
1) 8 ... ;;t xf3
' I.
9.exf3 (th i s i s even better than 9 . ;;t xf3, a s we get to open the position more q u ickly)
9 . . . 0-0 10.f4 exd4 1 1 . �xd4, and White has a fantastic position here. We are better
s i m ply central izing and i ncreasing the press u re on d6. Note that at a later stage,
moving the ki ngside pawn mass i s an option as wel l (f4-f5, g3-g4-g5) ;
2) 8 . . . � h s
g.
'21 h4.
Off to f5, n etting the bis hop pai r.
9 . . . 0-0 10. 'd f5 .�. g6 1 1 . ·'21 xe7+
•1. xe7
1 2.e4. White has a nice space advantage and
the bi shop pai r on top. The g6-bishop i s also offside and not doing a l l that much.
After 1 2 . . ;;. fe8 l 3.d5 cxd 5 1 4.cxd5 'o c5 l 5.f3
.
I had a l a rge advantage i n S ielecki-Ch lechowitz, Germany tt 2005/06. B lack h ad no
play whatsoever and was later ground down on the q ueenside and c-fi le.
4. A p es
Aga i n , B l ack may a l so start with 4. c6 and then play 5 . . . e5.
. .
5.0-0
B l ack n ow most of the time pl ays fo r the set-u p with . . . .�. e7/ . . .o-o and . . . c7-c6. The
on ly oth er sign ificant idea for Black is the am bitious advance . . . e5-e4, which leads
to i nteresting play. B l ack may advance i m med iately or prepare th i s with 5 . . . c6 fi rst,
which i s more com mon.
Bl) 5 . . /J. e1 6.C4 o-o 7. � c3 c6 8.�
.
I looked at various set-ups agai nst the Old I nd i a n and eventual ly ca m e to the con­
c l u s i on that the m a i n l i n e is in fact the s i m plest to play. Wh ite is gai n ing space and
has a fu rther set-up with h 2-h3 and � e3 in m i nd , com pleting d evelopm ent. I f Bl ack
tries to play the co mmon plan with ... a 7-a6 and . . . b7-b5, we a re goi n g to stop that i n
its tracks with a2-a4 most of the ti me. It's not so easy to a nalyse th i s open i ng
move-by-move, becau se Black has so many possible move ord ers. He may play
. . . B. e8 and . . �,f8, play , ,, )¥gc7 a nd . . . a7-a 6, etc. I 'l l exa m i ne so me plau s i ble move
.
orders to i l l ustrate how it wi l l most l i kely conti n ue.
8 a6
...
Th i s i s the most pop u l a r move, and probably the most precise one fo r Black. After
the early . . . a7-a6, White should respon d with a2-a4, stoppi ng any . . . b7-b5 plans. If
Black manages . . . b7-b5 unhi ndered, he gai n s some usefu l space on the q ueens i de
and a spot for the bi shop on b].
8 . . f;. e8. Black may del ay . . . a 7-a6 for a bit with moves l i ke th i s and . . . � f8 to fo l l ow.
.
But if he waits fo r too long, we m ight be i n a position to even allow . . . b7-b5 and sti l l
be better. Let's have a l ook at thi s scenario: 9 . h 3 .rJ;. f8 (here, 9 . . . a 6 1 0 .a4 a s 1 1 . j), eJ
was a way to tra n s pose back into th e early . . . a7-a6 l i ne) 1 0. � eJ a6
1 Ld5 (of cou rse we might j u st tra nspose to 8 . . . a6 aga in by playi ng 1 1 .a4, but here
we are wel l orga n i zed to meet the . . . b7-b5 plan al ready) 1 i .. .cxd 5 1 2 .cxd 5 bs 1 J 'd d2
(th i s is the reason why we can a l low the ... b7-b5 plan. We are j u st in time to get th i s
harmonious set- u p. Now, Wh ite i s better on t h e q ueenside with si m ple means)
1 J . 'll b6
.
1 4.a4 bxa4 (after 14 . . . b4 1 5.a5, Black is ba s ica l ly lost. The b4-pawn is termi nally
wea k and wi l l drop. 1 5 ... bxc3 1 6. � xb6 i s the idea of 1 5.a5 - we win a pawn i m med i ately) 1 5>21 xa4. We a re ope n i ng u p t h e queen side a nd h ave many weaknesses to at­
tack. Wh ite has a d i sti nct advantage.
9.� a5
Th i s h igh lights a d rawback of a2-a4. Black i s freezing the q ueenside structure and
secu res control over some dark squ a res, in particu l a r b4 and later c5, after the d­
pawn is moved or captured . These weak nesses are a d rawback in Wh ite's camp,
but the most i mportant fact in th i s pos ition i s that B lack has few active prospects,
wh i l e Wh ite i s able to play fo r expansion . Let's h ave a closer look:
1 0. h3 ge& 1 1 . � e3
' '
1 1 exd4
• ••
B lack usually captu res to get the c5-squ a re for the knight.
With 1 1 . . j;; f8, Black i s keeping th e ten s ion . Now, you can do the same or play
.
1 2.d5:
1 ) After 1 2.d5 Wh ite has more space and i s better. The i ssue with th e move i s the
very closed natu re of the position after 12 . . . c5. Wh ite certa i n ly has more chances to
gen erate play with fa-f4 later, but it is goi ng to be a long struggle with lots of pa­
tience needed;
2) 1 2. i?f c2
wi c7
1 3. b3 g6 1 4. � ad1 � g] 1 5. B. fe1 .
Black i s ru n n i n g out of usefu l waiti ng moves and probably wi l l take on d4 now,
aga i n transposing to the position type exa m i ned after the earl ier captu re.
1 2. 'fixd4 'fi c5 13. ft'C2
A good s pot for the q ueen , coveri ng e4 and connecting the rooks.
13 . A fB 14. Il ad1
..
b6 1 5.b3 s\ d7 1 6.f4
Th i s i s the typical position you wi l l freq uently get i n the Old I nd i a n . Wh ite has the
better cha nces, with his space advantage and chances on the kingside. Bl ack has
the nice c5-sq uare, and th ere are weaknesses on b4 and bJ - but th ere i s more
goi ng on than j u st that. The problem for Black i s that th ere i s l ittle action that h e
can undertake. I n particular, there i s no way for Black to ever i n itiate changes i n the
pawn structure - only Wh ite i s cal l i n g the shots .
B2)
5
.
..e4 6. � fd2 ds 7 ·C4
We defi nitely need to attack Black's centre.
7...c6 8. � c3
I have covered this position via th e more com mo n move order 5 . c6 6.c4 e4
. .
7. 'd fd2
d s 8. \21 c3, which i s exa m i ned i n l i ne B3 below.
B3) 5.. c6 6.C4
.
N ow, Black may play the a m bitious advance or play m ore conservatively with
6 . . j;; e], wh ich we cover via the more com mon 5
.
. . .
JJ. e] move order.
•
6 �
•.•
An a mbitious l i ne for Bl ack that lead s to i nteresting play.
6 . . . g6 i s a very rare move order, but we need to be alert not to be tricked i nto a
King's I ndian Fianchetto main l i n e that i s not part of our repertoire: 7. 'd c3 .©. g].
N ow after 8.e4 o-o, we a re i n a m a i n l i ne King's I ndian Fianchetto system. Th is i s
not bad for Wh ite, o f cou rse, but a l so not part o f our repertoi re. 8.dxe5 (I a lso
looked at 8.d5, which i s a l so p rom i s i ng) 8 . . . dxe5
9 . �d 6
eas i ly coordi nate now) 10 . . . � g7 1 i . � d1 '¥!1e7 i 2. b3
o-o
pressure with � a3 to come. There i s 'd f3-g5-e4 as wel l .
� f8 1 0. � d2 (Black can't
l J.a4, and we have some
7. � fd2
The next moves are q u ite fo rced . We attack Black's centre, and he has l ittle cho ice
in how to d efend.
7... d5 8. �C3 � e7 9.cxd5 cxd5
l l .t.
1 0.f3
The key move to remem be r. We absol utely h ave to attack the e4-pawn to bring our
bishop and rook to l i fe. After something la me l i ke
1 0. 'd b3,
Bl ack i s fi ne, and per­
haps even better. He's got more s pace after a l l .
1 0... exf3 1 1 . 'i) xf3 o-o 1 2. 'i) h4
I l i ke th i s move, i m med i ately exploiti ng the newly-gai n ed activity for the pieces.
12
••.
� b6 13. � fs A xfs 1 4. 1! xfs
d1 1 5.
d3
I. I.
We have fo l l owed the game Li sits i n-Sh a m kovi ch, Len i ngrad i 955. White i s s l i ghtly
better here, but the pos ition remains i nteresti ng. We should keep the pressure up
on the d s-pawn . I deas l i ke §i. gs and a2-a4-a5 come to m i n d .
84)
5
...
g6
M ove order trickery! But we have a good reply to transpose i nto a l i ne we have cov­
ered i n Part 1 1 of this book:
6.dxe5 dxe5 7. � C3 A r;J 8. � d2
Th i s i s a good l i ne for Wh ite and i s covered i n Chapter 20 via i .d4 g6.
Conclusion
The Old I ndian is better for Wh ite, but it leads to a game with a l l the pieces on the
boa rd . You need to be patient to b u i l d up you r position and exploit any unti mely
activities by Black. The Wade Defence lead s to more u n balanced play, but it also
favours Wh ite. N ote that 2.g3 i s an i nteresti ng m ove order twist to avoid the Wade
if you des i re to do so .
CHAPTER 35
Odds and ends - 1.d4 others
1 .d4
Every open i n g book has its 'Odds and ends' ch apter - here it i s ! We' l l have a look
at some ra re l i nes that B l ack may pl ay.
A) 1 e5
•.•
The Engl u nd Gambit. It's i n correct, but it is usefu l to know some points.
2.dxe5 � c6
Or 2 . . . d 6 3. 'd f3 'd c6 4. ;;t gs (playi ng 'd f3 and JJ. gs fi rst i s a bit better than taking
on d 6 i m mediately) 4 . � d7 5.exd6 � xd 6 6. 'd c3. Black does not have enough play
.
.
fo r a central pawn and i s clea rly worse.
1!!1 e7
Th i s i s pl ayed most of the ti me, a i m i n g for a particular tra p: 3- . .f6
3· �f3
4.e4 (th i s i s u sefu l to kn ow. We should develop and play .r£. 4, and not grab
pawns) 4 . . . fxe5 5 r£. c4, and Wh ite i s clearly better. Black has h u ge problems to
.
•
coord i n ate and can't ever ca stle kingside.
4. A r4
We are ha ppy to cover the pawn a n d play along with the fi rst moves of the mentioned trap.
4· ··
·
b4+ 5. A d2
xb2
6. � C3
Th i s i s the i m porta nt move to know a n d the death n a i l of the Engl u nd Gam bit. The
mentioned trap is 6. �- c3 :b; b4 7 . � d2
7 ,Ji, xc3 8. �xc3
� c1
6 . . � b4 7. g b1
a3 8. g b3
. . .
.
- checkmate!
H ere, 8. ·'.d d s i s also very good for Wh ite, but a bit more com pl icated.
8...
as 9.a3 A xc3 10. A xC3 �cs 1 1 .e3
Wh ite has a h uge advantage. We will develop q u ickly with §1. d 3 and o-o, and it's
not clear how Black shou ld organize h i s position.
a) 1
• ••
� c6
The Alekh i n e's Defence of the d-pawn open i ngs. It doesn 't have a widely-accepted
na me, as far as I kn ow.
2. 'i) f3
You can make a case fo r 2 .d 5, a s i t i s probably the best move i n a scientific sen se.
The i ssue with thi s approach i s : you need to study some l i nes (Boris Avrukh has 8
pages on it i n h i s recent book) that you ' l l get once every five years. I am cutting thi s
down to a m i n i m u m by allowi ng possi ble tra n s position s to l i nes th at are good fo r
u s anyway. N ow after 2 . '21 f3, Black's best i s 2 . . . d 5, tra nspos i n g i nto Ch apter
the Anti-C higori n . We' l l check two worse alternatives.
1
on
2
. ..
d6
2 ... e6 i s odd, but I fou nd hund red s of games with th i s position i n
Megabase 2019:
3-e4 (th i s i s too good to not play. I f you feel very bad a bout enteri ng a great French
position , 3-g3 will get you back i nto somethi ng more 11 .d4- l i ke'. For i n stance, after
3- . . d5 4. };. g2 'Ll f6
5.0-0,
you 'd tra nspose i nto Chapter 7) 3 . . . d 5 4 .e 5 .
We tra n s pose i nto a French Defence with a m isplaced kn ight on c6. Black need s
the c-pawn fo r cou nterplay aga i n st the centre, and this idea i s now out of th e pic­
tu re. Agai n, if you h ave n ever pl ayed i .e4 in you r life and wa nt to avoid s uch a sce­
nario, read the note on move 3.
3.d5
There are other moves, of cou rse. White is a lso better after J.C4 or J.e4, but th i s i s
the s i m plest. You may also play J.g3, but after 3 . . . e5, I d i d not fi n d an easy path to a
clear advantage. After J.d 5, White m u st be better with s i m ple means.
J. . 'll es 4. 'd xes dxes 5.e4 'll f6 6 . j;; bs+ .JJ. d 7 7.
.
�·
e2 a6 8. j;; c4
Th at's a l l you need to know (perhaps even more than that. . . ) . White prevents Black
from eas i ly playi ng ... e7-e6 and is better.
C)
1
•••
b5
Th i s i s someti mes ca l l ed the Pol i s h Defence. It i s a d u bious open i ng and one of
the cases where we should ignore our usual g2-g3 set-ups. Black is j u st giving u s
free rei n i n the centre, s o l et's play classical chess a n d b u i ld a big pawn centre.
2.�
A b7
Black may a l so play 2 . . . a6. This is so metimes reach ed via 1 .e4 a6 2.d4 bs, wh ich
was also the move order in the famous game that Karpov lost with white aga i n st
Tony M i les. Sti l l , th is i s not a good opening, and we wi l l be better with normal
development: 3- 'd f3 .� b7 4. �. d 3 e6 5.0-0 c5 6.c3 '21 f6
l l
7. � el . You have some l eeway here a bout the specific set-up. The only thing to
remem ber i s to a nswer . . . c7-c5 with c2-c3, keeping the fu l l centre. Typical ideas
from here are a2-a4 to attack the black q ueenside and the knight tour 'd b1-d2-f1 -g3-
3. A d3
Th i s i s s i m pler th an
J . SJ, xb5,
With white, I o nce faced
wh ich i s not that convi nci ng anyway.
1 . 'd f3
b s 2.e4 ;lJ, b7
J.
;lJ, xb5 and later experienced some
un expected d ifficu lties.
3 . � f6 4. � d2 c5 S·C3 e6
..
N ow we reach a s i mi lar set- u p to the one after 1 .d4 bs 2.e4 a6 with . . .
l l
6. � gf"J
Wh ite i s better here by p l aying normal developing moves.
o) 1
•••
�ffi 2. �f3 b5
As d i scu ssed i n Chapter 23, it i s m uch more rel i a ble for Black to play . . . b7-b5 on ly if
Wh ite has com mitted a l ready to a g2-g3 set-up. Accord i n g to that logic, 2 ... b5 is a
d u bious move, and i n fact it is!
3. A gs
I 've mentioned i n the chapter on the Queen's I ndian th at i .d4 ·'21 f6 2 . 'd f3 b6 3 �. gs
.
•
is a good l i ne for Wh ite, although not si gn ificantly better than our usual ).g3 reci pe.
H ere it i s a d ifferent m atter. Wh ite is ha ppy to d evelop this bishop and play e2-e3
q u i ckly, gai n ing a usefu l tem po on the exposed bs-pawn . We h ave an easy ga me
aga i n st the weakened black queen side. Th i s approach to a l i ne l i ke 2 ... b5 is very
practica l . You wi l l face it very rarely, so a s i m ple way to attai n a comforta ble game
i s very welcome.
3.
..
� b7
1 ) 3 . . . 'd e4 4 Ji. h4. I t i s o bviou s that Black wi l l h ave a hard ti me playi ng . . . e7-e6
. •
now. We j u st play e2-e3 next and a re better;
2) J . e6 4.e4 loo ks real ly bad al ready. bs is hangi n g and e4-e5 is a th reat as wel l .
.
4. � bd2
Slow, but 4 . . . e6 wa sn't great either: 5.e4. Aga i n , we favou ra bly managed to play
e2-e4.
5 ·�
We have a nice ch oice of good l i nes. Here, 5.e3 was fine a s wel l .
5 . b4 6. A xf6 exf6
.
.
Wh ite i s better here, plan n i ng ,�. c4 and
E)
1
•••
c6
o-o
next.
Th i s has little i n dependent val ue for our repertoi re. We wi l l j u st play the usual
moves and it wi ll transpose.
2. � f3
l l.
N ow most l i kely i s 2 . . d 51 with a transpos ition to one of the . . $; fs or . . J;, g4 chap­
.
.
.
ters later. Black may a l so play some combi nation of . .. d 7-d 6, . . . 'd d 7 and . . . e7-e5
next, which l eads to the Old I ndian. I n a ny case, we j u st play our usual moves of
3-83
and 4. $; g2 and await Bl ack's further pawn moves to transpose i nto a chapter
of our repertoi re.
F) 1 b6
•••
2. 'i) f3
I recommend pl ayi ng our standard move here. H owever, the reason why
l . .. b6
is
not a regu lar guest at the top level i s 2.e4! which i s better for Wh ite. I had a l ready
,
covered i .e4 b6 in
KIS 1 .e4,
and there wa s no need to change anyth i n g in these
l i nes. So I cou ld h ave basical ly 'copy-pasted ' a l l the l i nes. I i n itia l ly i ntended to do
th is, but then rea l ized that the l i n es a re very far away from the usual set-ups i n a
i .d4-repertoi re and wou ld req u i re some effort to learn . So, j u st play 2. 'll f3 and J.g3
next. This wi l l transpose elsewhere i n the book, most l i kely to a Queen's I n d ia n
(Chapters 20 and 2 1 ) after 2 . . . � b7 ].g3 'd f6 or someti mes a Dutch (Chapter 30)
after 2 .. 'Ji. b7 3.g3 e6 4. g g2 fs.
.
.
Conclusion
The 'Odds and ends' chapter i s obviously a m ixed bag. White is better i n a l l th e
l i nes that don 't tra n s pose el sewh ere i n the book.
Index of names
(n u m bers refer to pages)
A
Am i n 20A.
An and 55-5§.
Arencibia 280
Aron i a n 1 31-1 3�. 1 5Q, 33Q, 33 7.
Artem i ev 225
Avrukh 3� , 11 3, 11 5, 1 22, 1 37.., 1 39-l4l, 390-391 , Al 5
B
Bacrot 7.5, 263
Berkes 353
Bezo ld 319
c
Carlsen 1 2k1 25, 2 1 8, 33Q , 33z, 37.3
Caruana 2AQ , 32 1
Cheparinov .§.9
C hlechowitz �P 9
Cosm a SQ
D
D i ng Li ren 1u.-1 25, 2�0, 321
Dion i s i 39.9.
D reev 201
E
Efimen ko 210
F
Fischer 3�,o
G
G a u ri 1 8 1
Gelfand 1 03, �51, 3� 368
.•
Gelle r 106
G i ri 31, 228, 269
G led u ra 1 80
Gonda 28
Goryachkina 225
G randa Z u n iga 319.
G randel i us 228
G ri schuk 228
G u kesh l.42.
H
H aria
227.
H a u s rath 203
H oolt SQ
H ort 1 0 6
H ou ska 3�
H owel l i.42.,
227.
H ubner 280
l lj i u shenok 20A
lturrizaga 33Q
K
Karjakin l 3 !-1 3Z.
Karpov 331, 3QS, .Alli
Kas i mdzhanov 2 69
Kas parov .£91
Keymer 1 80
Korobov .£51
Kortch noi 3§5
Kotronias 2Q.6.
Kovacs 1 35
Kovalev 264
Kra m n i k 1 88, 190-191, 223
L
Le Quang Liem .29.
Lisitsin A,1 2
M
M alakhov 204
M amedov 196
M amedyarov 32.,, 2 1 0, 228, �39
M arin l 3i
M cShane 19-2
M eier 218, 22�, 263
M i khalevski �7.2
M i lanovic 357.
M i les 229-23Q, A,1 6
M o radiabadi 1 8 1 - 1 82
N
N aka m u ra 55-5Q
N avara .§7., 282
Ntirl i s 137., 1 39., L42.-L43
0
Oparin 1:7.8
p
Pantsulaia 20�
Petenyi 22
Pol ugaevsky 2.91
Polzin 2..Q 3
Popov 1 83
R
Radjabov Z39
Rapport 38�
Romanishin 26�
Rubinstein 4.z.-43
Ruck 33,2, 39.9.
s
Salwe .41
Sargi s s i a n 2801 282
Sasiki ra n 7.5
Schatzle 37.A
Sch m id 3�0
Sedlak 353, 35Z
Sergeev 26a
Shamkovich .4ll
Shankland 2.42.
Sielecki 135, 37.A , AP 9.
S m i ri n 195
S o � 39
Spassky MO
Steinitz .§J.
Suba 28 1
Svane 195
Svidler 31, 2a£.
Sychev 1 8 3
T
Tari ll
Tiviakov 3Q5
Topalov 22 3, 331
v
Vakhidov 26�
Van der Stricht io8
Vidit 22a,, �39-2�0
Voc aturo 1 9Q-1 91
Vogt 19 9
w
Wei Yi 223
Wen Ya ng 19.9.
Wi l l iams 28, 368, 371
y
Yermolin sky 55
Bibliography
Com p i l i ng a complete repertoi re for Wh ite from move one i s a tough ta sk.
You defi n itely should com pare you r ideas and assess ments with th e boo ks th at
have a l ready been publi shed before. H owever, with such a wide range of Black op­
tions, it i s basical ly i m possible to check a l l books that a re on the market. I had
some books ava i l able i n my own l i brary, and of course I used them to i m prove th i s
repertoi re. H owever, I d i d not cal l my friend who own s a chess mail order business
to order every single book ever publ i s hed for Black agai nst i .d4, tryi ng to fi nd flaws
with my l i nes. Th e chosen l i nes a re fundamenta l ly sound and chosen to provide
good practical wea po n s - it i s cal led ' Keep It S i m ple' fo r a reason.
H ere i s the l i st of resou rces u sed to write the book. In fact, I looked at some
more books i n my own l i bra ry, but i n some cases the l i nes that I suggest are com­
pletely n ew or have been i gno red so far in books. Exa mples a re the S l av-style Chap­
ters 1 3 and 1 4, wh ere the ideas presented fo r Wh ite are not covered at a l l i n books
by Avrukh or Kornev.
Book resou rces
Grandmaster Repertoire 1 1 - Beating 1.d4 sidelines,
Grandmaster Repertoire 17 - The Classical Slav,
Playing 1.d4 ds - A Classical Repertoire,
The killer Dutch,
Bori s Avrukh, Qual ity Chess , 20 1 2
Boris Avru kh , Qual ity Chess, 201 4
N i kolaos Nti rl i s , Q u a l ity Chess, 201 7
S i mon Wi l l ia m s , Everyman Chess, 201 5
Kotronias on the King's Indian Vol. 1 ,
Vas s i l i os Kotron ias, Q ua lity Chess,
N ew I n Chess Yearbooks
Electron ic resources
C hessbase 1 5
M ega Data base 20 1 9 with u pd ates
Stockfi sh
10,
Komodo 1 3 and LeelaZero
20 1 5
Author's biography
I M Chri stof S ielecki i s a professional chess teacher and content creator from G er­
many. As a pl ayer he has competed i n the top leagues of Germany, the N etherlands
and Bel gi u m . The best result was wi n n i n g the Dutch tea m champion s h i p i n 20 1 2
with the tea m of Voerendaa l . I n Germ any h e has l ed h is h ome town c l u b of
D i n s l aken on the fi rst board, promoti ng from the 7th d ivison to the 2nd d ivision.
H i s best res u lts i n tou rn aments were wi n n ing the Latschach Open 20 1 3 and s ha r­
ing fi rst pl ace i n San Sebasti an 201 8, ahead of m a ny G M s .
H e i s a very active content creator. Th i s includes a Black repertoi re book on the
N i mzo- and Bogo- l n dian i n 201 5,
Keep It Simple: 1. e4
i n 201 8 and many o n l i ne
publ ications for various platforms l i ke Chessable.com, Chess2�.com and The
I nternet Chess C l u b. H e i s a l so providing l ive chess com mentary o n l i ne and on
s ite, most recently at the Berl i n Candidates tournament.