Lars
Schandorff
The
Semi-Slav
Tired of bad positions? Try the main lines!
QUAUTYCHESS
u
Grandmaster Repertoire 20
The Semi-Slav
By
Lars Schandorff
Quality Chess
. q ualitychess. co. uk
www
First edition 20 1 5 by Quality Chess UK Ltd
Copyright © 20 1 5 Lars Schandorff
The Semi-Slav- Grandmaster Repertoire
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
permission of the publisher.
Paperback ISBN 978-1 -907982-94- 1
Hardcover ISBN 978-1 -907982-95-8
All sales or enquiries should be directed to Quality Chess UK Ltd,
Suite 247-248, Central Chambers, 1 1 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 6LY, UK
Phone +44 1 4 1 204 2073
e-mail: info@qualitychess.co. uk
website: www.qualitychess.co.uk
Distributed in North America by National Book Network
Distributed in Rest of the World by Quality Chess UK Ltd through
Sunrise Handicrafts, ul. Poligonowa 35A, 20-8 1 7 Lublin, Poland
Typeset by Jacob Aagaard & Colin McNab
Proofreading by Andrew Greet & John Shaw
Edited by Daniel McGowan
Cover design by www.adamsondesign.com
Cover photo by capture365.com
Printed in Estonia by Tallinna Raamatutriikikoja LLC
Contents
Key to Symbols used
Introduction and Move Order
4
5
Botvinnik
1
Introduction
Rare 9th Moves
2
Main Line - 1 6.E1b 1 !?
3
4
Main Line - 1 6.l2Ja4
10
23
31
41
Anti-Moscow
5
I ntroduction
9.ie2 ib7 - Sidelines
6
7
1 0.0-0
56
66
81
Moscow
8
Various 7th Moves
9
Main Line
96
1 08
Meran
10
11
12
13
121
1 34
1 47
1 59
Introduction
9.e4
1 3 .ltJd4 and others
Main Line 1 3.dxe6
Anti-Meran
14
Various 7th Moves
15
7.b3
7.g4!?
16
7.id3 - Introduction
17
7 .id3 - Main Line
18
1 75
1 82
1 94
205
216
Minor Lines
5 .g3
19
Exchange Variation
20
5 .1Wd3 & 5 .1Wb3
21
230
238
247
Variation I ndex
254
Key to symbols used
±
+
+-+
iii
+!
m
??
!!
!?
?!
#
White is slightly better
Black is slightly better
White is better
Black is better
White has a decisive advantage
Black has a decisive advantage
equality
with compensation
with counterplay
unclear
a weak move
a blunder
a good move
an excellent move
a move worth considering
a move of doubtful value
mate
Bibliography
Dreev: The Moscow & Anti-Moscow Variations -An Insider 's View, Chess Stars 20 1 0
Kasparov: Revolution in the 70s, Everyman Chess 2007
Kaufman: The Kaufman Repertoire for Black & White, New In Chess 20 1 2
Kornev: A Practical White Repertoire with J. d4 and 2.c4 - Volume 1, Chess Stars 20 1 3
Paulsen: Chess Developments Semi-Slav 5 Bg5, Everyman Chess 20 1 3
Sakaev: Complete Slav II, Chess Evolution 20 1 3
Schandorff: Playing J. d4 - The Queen's Gambit, Quality Chess 20 1 2
Scherbakov: The Triangle System, Everyman Chess 20 1 2
Vigorito: Play the Semi-Slav, Quality Chess 2008
Periodicals
New in Chess Yearbooks
The Week in Chess
Electronic/Internet resources
ChessBase Magazine
ChessPublishing.com
Chess24.com
Introduction and Move Order
And some people say it's just rock and roll
Oh but it gets you right down to your soul
-
Nick Cave
Do you know the feeling? I cercainly do. Suddenly you don't fancy having Black anymore. It
wasn't always like this of course: you used to have a pet opening. Right from the beginning it just
felt natural, almost like love at first sighr. You and your new favourite line were a real couple back
then, weren't you? Interesting games, good results, lots of laughs, never looking back. But that
was years ago! Be honest, these days you have lost some of the early enthusiasm. The picture has
begun to crack. The original bravery and creativity has long since been replaced by the boredom
of routinely making the same moves over and over again. And the results have declined as well.
But cheer up, friend! I think I might have the solution for you.
Ld4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.CDB ClJf6 4.ttJc3 e6
8 i.�.t�•�
-,/,
:Ii"�,,,,/,� -,�-��
'� !� !• '�
, �
� �,
�
�
: � ,� � �
3 . r;j '� ��
2 fn" nfn!n
,� /,mlm:r•i
7
6
a
b
....
c
d
e
f
g
h
The Semi-Slav! It has served me well, on and off, throughout most of my chess career. I played it
exclusively around the time I became a grandmaster, and so a lot of pleasant memories are closely
attached to it. Even now, many years later, some of the games still stand out vividly in my mind.
The Semi-Slav is one of the deepest and most complex opening concepts ever devised. At first
glance the Semi-Slav is just another sound and solid variation of the classical Queen's Gambit,
where Black apparently bolsters the important d5-pawn and secures his share of the centre. But
there is a hidden world underneath - full of Scary Monsters and Super Creeps as Bowie sings.
In its modern interpretation the Semi-Slav is truly a dynamic, fighting opening. The key to
the complications lies with the seemingly innocuous ... dxc4. This shouldn't be mistaken for a
premature surrender of the centre; in fact it is a clever initiation of activity. Black immediately
follows up with . . . b5 and takes the initiative on the queenside. The queen's bishop is developed
to b7 and - after a well-timed ... c5 - springs to life as one of the finest pieces on the board. If
6
Grandmaster Repertoire - The Semi-Slav
White does not strike back he will quickly be worse. Routine moves are not enough - White's
only chance for an advantage is to gain the initiative himself. There is no way he can avoid the
challenge and settle for a small positional plus: Black's position is not only perfectly sound, it is
also extremely flexible and ready to neutralize any quiet schemes. Many White players will be
forced out of their comfort zone - that's why they hate facing the Semi-Slav!
5.ig5
8 i.-i. � ·�
,
,,r,_,�.I"
··---, , ,%�
�
"mfmf•"
� � m� w:�
�.!i��·�
:3���,���"
�[!J_ff_®"'!l�j[j
�®%
wef� �
2 �
�J[!J%
_
�
1 �� � iV��t�mn
7
6
"
a
b
a
b
c
d
c
d
e
f
e
f
g
h
The most aggressive move, which is covered in great detail in the first part of the book. Already
Black has an important choice: he can go for the uncompromising Botvinnik Variation with
5 . . . dxc4!? - an often unpopular line that I am proud to say we fully rehabilitate in this piece of
work - or he can choose the more subtle 5 . . . h6, when it is suddenly White who has to make
a major decision. White can keep playing for the initiative with the speculative pawn sacrifice
6 . .ih4, also known as the Anti-Moscow Variation, or settle for the 'normal' Moscow with the
solid 6 ..ixf6 - which surrenders the bishop pair.
5.e3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
g
h
7
I ntroduction
The second part of the book is dedicated to this seemingly innocent move - a lifelong favourite
of the Soviet World Champion Anatoly Karpov. White stands more actively in a symmetrical
position, which is enough to develop some initiative and hope for a small positional advantage.
However, Black uses his flexibility and the dynamic factors of the opening to the maximum benefit.
5 ... tll bd7
Now Black is ready to answer the natural 6.�d3 with the thematic 6 ... dxc4 7.�xc4 b5 - the
so-called Meran Variation - when he keeps his full share of the chances in a double-edged and
demanding position.
White can try to keep more control with 6.'1Wc2 - the Anti-Meran - by keeping all options open.
In return, Black answers with 6 ...�d6 and keeps ...dxc4 in reserve for an appropriate moment.
The third and final part of the book is about all the rest: ranging from the Exchange Variation
5.cxd5, via the protection of the vulnerable c-pawn with 5.'1Wb3, to a Catalan-type set-up with
5.g3. These attempts lead to very different kinds of positions, but they do have one thing in
common - Black is absolutely fine no matter how White may try to confuse him.
All in all the Semi-Slav is the perfect choice for Black against l .d4. It is a solid, positionally
sound, and well-respected opening. Yet Black has excellent winning chances, thanks to the
opening's hidden layer - full of dynamic possibilities - where creativity and originality reign. To
put it more bluntly, the Semi-Slav is reliable on the surface, but wild at heart.
So much for the praise, now the big question is how do we get there? As you can see, the book
starts after the first four moves when the position that initiates the Semi-Slav is on the board. But
a lot of things have already happened during these four simple moves, or rather a lot of things
could have happened! Throughout the book I have chosen the Slav move order:
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
c
e
g
Here White can, for instance, play the Exchange Variation 3.cxd5 cxd5. I am sure some of
you won't be too happy to allow that, so be aware! Personally I don't mind; I am a realistic guy.
I mean, I cannot prevent White from equalizing! So if he wants to take on d5 he is welcome.
8
Grandmaster Repertoire - The Semi-Slav
Then I will just be content to have an okay game with Black, without too many problems after
only a few moves.
There is another popular Anti-Slav line that needs to be mentioned, namely:
3.c!bf3 c!bf6 4.e3
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
At first this seems pretty harmless, but in fact it is a well worked-out system full of positional
subtleties. Let's take the following natural continuation as an example:
4 ... .if5 5.c!bc3 e6 6.c!bh4
White will try to gain the pair of bishops and hope to have a slight long-term advantage. Black's
position is perfectly playable: I merely wish to point out that you should know the line exists.
Of course we could try 4 ... e6 instead of . �J5, which is in the style of the Semi-Slav, but
White is not forced to play lll c 3. He can try 5 .b3 and put the knight on d2 instead, with some
differences compared to the lines I examine in the book. Again the message is the same - Black
has nothing to fear, but you must be aware that White can play this way.
.
..
If you want to avoid this Slav discussion it is tempting to protect d5 with the e-pawn first:
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6
This makes sense, but it doesn't solve all our move-order problems. The most obvious example
arises immediately:
3.c!bc3
Now we have a dilemma, since if Black continues with 3 ... lll f6 White can play 4.j,g5 or 4.cxd5.
Suddenly we are trapped in a Queen's Gambit, which is completely different to a pure Semi-Slav.
To get where we want to go, we are more or less forced to play:
3 ...c6
But now White has the dangerous Marshall Gambit at his disposal.
I ntroduction
9
4.e4!?
Of course you can defend with Black, but it is necessary to know what you are doing if you face
a well-prepared opponent. And I haven't even mentioned White's most flexible move of all yet:
l.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.liJf3
8
7
6
5
4
a
c
e
g
h
What to do now as Black? The triangular move 3 ... c6 springs to mind, but then White can try
a move like 4.'Wc2!? or even develop flexibly with 4.e3, when Black can no longer get his light­
squared bishop our to f5. Problems, problems!
3... liJf6
And on this natural reply White has another small surprise in store:
4. g3
The Catalan! Not exactly what we set out to play. Still, none of these scenarios is in any way
catastrophic for Black, and if you have a good set-up versus the Catalan then you don't have to
worry too much about it. What is important is that each Black player finds his way of reaching the
Semi-Slav. I prefer the Slav way, because I am not too scared of the anti-systems there, and if you
have a broad opening repertoire you have many options yourself. I have seen world-class players,
like the former World Champion Vishy Anand, use the move order 1 .d4 tt'lf6 2.c4 e6, meaning
that on 3.tt'lc3 he is ready to play a Nimzo-lndian after 3 . . .i.b4. After 3.tt'lf3 he goes 3 . . . d5
4.tt'lc3 c6 and here we are; although allowing the Catalan on the way was part of the package.
There is more than one option - the important thing is to choose something that suits
you. There are many sources you can consult on the way. Boris Avrukh's excellent GM 17 The Classical Slav is especially useful if you play the Slav move order, and is from the same series
as the present book. If you want to go even further back, Avrukh also deals with sidelines after
1 .d4 d5 in GM 11 - Beating 1.d4 Sidelines.
And now I think we are ready to jump to move 5 and let the real book begin!
Lars Schandorff
Copenhagen, June 20 1 5
Botvinnik
Introduction
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tllf3 tllf6 4.tllc3 e6 5 ..ig5
5 ... clxc4
13
14
15
16
17
17
18
19
A) 6.g3?!
B) 6.e3
C) 6.a4 .ib4! 7.e4 �a5 8 ..id2 c5
Cl) 9.clxc5
C2) 9..ixc4 cxd4 10.tllxd4 0-0
C2 1) 1 1 .tllb3
C22) 1 1 .�e2
C23) 1 1 .tllc2!
noce co move 6
CI) afrer 9.dxc5
C22) afcer 17.�el
a
9 .. . liJbd7!N
b
c
d
e
f
17 ...Elxdl!N
g
h
Chapter 1
-
Hardcore will never die, but you will
- Mogwai
The Borvinnik Variation is one of the sharpest
and most analysed lines in the whole of chess
opening theory. Black immediately burns his
bridges and goes all-in, creating a complete
mess on the board. White players fear the
Borvinnik because of its complexities - you
have to memorize a lot of sharp variations
and still the resulting positions are so full of
dynamic and tactical possibilities that normal
positional judgement doesn't make sense.
On the other hand you also get the
impression that maybe Black is pushing too
hard in his eagerness to create a real dogfight.
Theoretically the Borvinnik Variation has
been discredited for some time, but recent
discoveries show that, although he is clearly
balancing on a knife edge, Black is in fact
holding his own.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llif3 tlif6 4.llic3 e6 5.igS
dxc4!
11
Introduction
6.e4
The only critical move. White takes the
centre and threatens both j,xc4 and e4-e5.
Because of the massive amount of theory in
the main line - to put it mildly - many White
players use this opportunity to chicken out
and go for a calmer game with 6.a4, which
basically just tries to win back the c-pawn. This
tends to lead to a positional game where Black
has no real problems, but the line should not
be underestimated and is covered in detail later
in this chapter.
This chapter will also cover the modest 6.e3
and the Catalan-like gambit 6.g3. These are
both too meagre to create any problems for
Black, who can obtain a good position by
simple means.
6 ... b5
The point: Black defends the c-pawn and
allows e4-e5, as he is ready with a counterattack
on White's dark-squared bishop. That means
he will be able to hold the extra c-pawn and
establish a powerful pawn structure on the
queenside.
7.e5
Consistent. White could also try 7.a4, which
is covered together with 6.a4.
7 ...h6 8.ih4 g5
The exclamation mark is for the
determination with which Black seeks to fulfil
his grand design - and for the bravery! After
5 . . . dxc4! there is no way back, but that goes
for both sides.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
12
Botvin nik
9.tll xg5!
White temporarily sacrifices a knight for two
pawns, but is sure to regain the piece because
of the pin on the fG-knight.
Sometimes White goes for 9.exfG which can
be quite a tricky line - though Black shouldn't
have too many worries if he knows how to
react. It is covered in Chapter 2.
Another option is 9 .ig3 which leads to a
well-known position that often arises from the
Anti-Moscow Gambit. It is analysed here in
Chapter 2.
9 ... hxg5 10.i.xg5 tll bd7 l l.exf6
The natural move, but in fact White is at
a big crossroads here: should he take on fG
immediately or first play g2-g3? There are pros
and cons with both moves. In our case the
difference is academic; because if Black strives
for the old main line - like we do - it will
merely be a transposition.
l l .g3 is probably slightly more accurate, and I
will use it as the main move in the rest of this
chapter.
.i � .t.�·- �� B'!l)B i B
6 �·�·� �
s'� r-��--�
��•n··
,.,.��
��-% %�.
�,
�
2 tiwri.. . . B
; �� . %�
8
7
4
3
-�--%�1mt•�
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
It gives Black the extra option l l .. El:g8!?
with the idea 12.h4 El:xg5. This leads to unclear
complications that probably favour White
after 1 3.hxg5 tlid5 1 4.gG! fxgG 1 5 .Wg4.
If Black instead proceeds with the more
normal l l . .ib7 1 2.ig2 WbG we will end up
in our main line after 1 3.exfG c5 14.d5 0-0-0
1 5.0-0.
.
.
Still, after both 1 1 .exfG or l l .g3 White has
a few options to deviate himself. They are
not dangerous for Black, I can assure you of
that! We will have a closer look at them in the
introduction to the Botvinnik main lines.
l l ...i.b7 12.g3
The bishop belongs on the long diagonal.
l 2.ie2 is too tame, but I will have a brief
look at it together with other rather obscure
alternatives to the main line.
12 ...c5 13.d5 °\Wb6 14.i.g2 0-0-0 1 5.0-0 b4
8
-�� - ��
�
7 �1.tm'ilm 'm
6
B
%r./'"""��f0
m
m
� i�
/,�·0 �
� -.
: W"/
�Jr,
"""z "//, �� .
��-r[j�
·
3� m
2
1
�...
m
��'
-��if�/,
, , %�"'",.,
fry/
=..
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
,,
Black attacks the white knight and hopes
to undermine the important d5-pawn, which
blocks the position and prevents the black
pieces, especially the queen, from any activity.
This is the real starting position of the
Botvinnik Variation! Already the tension is
high, but don't worry: we are just getting
started. It will be much more fun before we are
finished. You can get a glimpse of what I mean
when I mention that one of White's two main
moves here is the spectacular 1 6.E!:b l , simply
leaving the knight en prise. This is Chapter 3.
The most critical line, 1 6.tt:la4, is examined in
Chapter 4. Here we will take modern opening
theory to a completely new level, because the
play more or less by force ends in a drawn rook
ending!
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Let m e try co clarify a thing o r two i n
words before we proceed t o the actual theory.
In general you can say that the Botvinnik is
extremely tactical, and based on calculating
long forcing lines. Normal judgement is more
or less suspended along the way, but let's
nevertheless cake stock - or try to - of what
has happened so far: Black grabbed the white
c4-pawn as soon as he could, but as a
consequence lost two pawns on the other
wing! Then followed opposite-side castling.
Both sides are striving for the initiative with
each move and attacks and counterattacks are
in the air. Black has an open h-file cowards
the white king, but he has trouble including
more troops in the offensive. White can try to
confront the far-advanced black pawns on the
queenside and hope to open some lines, but
it is easier said than done. To cut a long story
short, an interesting fight lies ahead!
13
A) 6.g3?! b5 7.ig2 ib7 8.0-0 ie7i
Black has a dream Catalan. If we compare with
the modern Catalan 5.g3 in Chapter 1 9, we
see that here White has ventured with i.g5 for
no apparent reason.
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tlif3 tlif6 4.tlic3 e6 5.ig5
dxc4
As previously mentioned, this chapter will
focus on A) 6.g3?!, B) 6.e3 and C) 6.a4.
6.tt:le5?! b5 7.a4 i.b4+ White is a clear pawn
down here. Practice has seen 8.g3 1ltfd5 9.f3,
and now best is:
i.!iY..t�•� ��
�-�....
.... %�- - ·�
.. % ,
.. �
'
5 � !nlm--··'
,.,.%�
!�.. ,Y.�
rrr·z�, •bz�
.
.
•r %",A
� �[j •
� rlS
��'•
8
7
6
4
3
2
.
..
.
w
�m
a
b
c
. . zw.'0
w�JL-�
d
e
f
g
h
9 ... tt:l bd7!N (9 ... c5?! 10.Wf2! was not so clear
in Kuhn - Dinckel, Pinneberg 1 994), the
point being 1 0.e4? tt:lxe4 l l .fxe41!tfxe4t-+.
10 h6 1 I.ixf6 ixf6 12.axb5
1 2.e5 i.e7 1 3.tt:le4 tt:ld7 1 4.b3 was another
try, albeit an unsuccessful one: l 4 ... cxb3
1 5.1ltfxb3 0-0 1 6.l:l:fcl c5 Black was better in
Mandon - Bratanov, Le Touquet 2004.
..•
14
Bocvinnik
12 ...axb5 13.�xa8 ixa8 14.VNal tlid7
15.VNa7 0-0 16.e5 ie7
White clearly doesn't have enough for the
pawn, though he still managed to draw in
Andreikin - Shirov, Loo 20 13.
1 1...VNb6 12.ixf6
White weakens Black's pawn structure on
the kingside which at least gives some long­
term compensation.
B) 6.e3 b5 7.a4 ib4
1 2.e4 lt:'ibd7 1 3.ie2 0-0 1 4.0-0 Wc6
1 5 .Wb2 a6 1 6.E!:fel e5 1 7.d5 Wc7 1 8.Wc2 h6
1 9.ih4 Wd6 was better for Black in Jobava Jakovenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 201 1 .
12...gxf6 13.f3
1 3.E!:a2 is given by Vigorito as unclear, but
after 13 ...ic6N 14.E!:b2 We?+ Black escapes
all tricks on the b-file and White shouldn't
have enough for his pawn.
13 ... tlid7 14.ie2 0-0 1 5.0-0
So far we have been following Van der Werf
- Ushenina, Wijk aan Zee 2008, where Black
played her f8-rook to c8 and then changed her
mind and put it on g8.
8.tlid2
8.ie2 tlibd7 9.0-0 Wb6 is comfortable for
Black, as White's compensation seems unclear
to me. A recent example was 10.Wc2 ib7
l 1 .lLid2 a6 1 2.b3 cxb3 1 3.Wxb3 ie7 1 4.E!:fc l
0-0 l 5.lLide4 E!:fc8 1 6.h3 c5+ Kveinys - Bauer,
Saint Quentin 20 1 4.
8 ...ih7 9.axb5 ixc3 10.bxc3 cxb5 1 1.VNbl
l 1 .ie2 lLi bd7 1 2.E!:b l ixg2 13.E!:gl ic6+
Jobava - Svetushkin, Melilla 201 1 .
8
6
7
-�
m ��· �
�•l!,.iflBm\B�
.� -· �� �%
:�
�,��·��----�
id% '"/j,,,J�
'� '-���-�
32 .��
��•8
"".
��·itr�
�.,,,,.;�
,,,,, m
1 ��v. �.:�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ... @hSN
Preparing ... E!:g8 without any loss of tempo.
Other sensible moves are 1 5 ... a5 or 1 5 .. .f5.
White doesn't threaten anything so only Black
can be better.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
C) 6.a4
8 .i�j_�-� �.i
7
,,�-.,
,
�
�
,
,
,
/
,
6 '�t6i"
'•
'•��'·��'•
//, ,,;,
5
4
3
2
1
!11 Tm11•� '11
*!
, �. *!,
��!.
��11m; '11
�
b
w
,
,,,,,
�
-8�8
�•"""� -lrJ�ff•:t
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
15
ixa3 1 0.®'a4t lii c6 l l .'W'xa3, and now after
l 1 ...lii e4 the position is between a small plus
for White and equality.
7.e4 °1Wa5
Again my choice leads to a solid position for
Black, while leaving him with some positional
trumps. White will have some initiative,
but this should not materialize to a concrete
advantage if we play carefully.
Popular is:
7 ...ixc3t 8.bxc3 Wa5 9.e5 lii e4
A more static approach, which also seems
perfectly playable.
A standard reaction to ... dxc4 in all Slav
structures. White prevents Black from
protecting the c4-pawn with ... b5, and intends
to play e2-e4 and ixc4 with a nice position.
6...!b4!
Pinning the knight and fighting for the
e4-square.
6 ... b5 is also possible, and has been played by
Shirov, but in my opinion Black takes some
positional risks. After 7.axb5 (7.e4 'W'b6 and
Black keeps the extra pawn) 7 ... cxb5 8.lii x b5
'W'b6 Black will win the bl-pawn but will lose
the c4-pawn in return - leaving him with the
worse pawn structure.
1 0.id2
After 1 0.Ei:cl b5 l l .'W'c2 lii xg5 12.lii xg5
Wxa4 1 3.Wxa4 bxa4 1 4.ixc4 lii d7 Black
will play his king to e7 and, combined with
the moves ... a5 and ...ia6, will be able to
break with .. c5. Black should be fully equal
here, as has been shown in practice. ( 1 4 ... c5
1 5 .d5 lii d7 1 6.f4 leads to livelier play and
has been recommended as an alternative in
several sources, for example by Ikonnikov in
his series of surveys for NIC Yearbook, but
it doesn't look so clear to me that Black is
fully equal.)
1 O . . . lii xd2
If Black wants to play for all three results he
could try 1 0 ...Wd5!?, though objectively it is
likely to be good for White.
16
Bocvinnik
l l .®xd2 c5 1 2.ixc4 cxd4 1 3.cxd4 Wxd2t
1 4.'ktixd2 tt:lc6
Whice is a ciny bic beccer chanks co his excra
space. Scill, Black should be able co hold
wichouc coo much crouble.
s ..id2 c5
Ac chis poinc Whice can choose becween Cl)
9.dxc5 and che more common C2) 9 ..ixc4.
9.d5?! exd5 1 0.exd5 0-0 l l .ixc4 :B:e8t was
awkward for Whice in El Kher - Cawdery,
Szeged 1 994, especially as Whice now played
his king co fl . Whice is a bic worse even afcer
che more natural 1 2.ie2N ig4 1 3.0-0 tt:lbd7+
because of his weak d5-pawn.
10.e5
Ocherwise ... tt:lg4 becomes an annoying
ch rear.
10....ixc3
1 0 ... tt:lg4? would now be a miscake due co
l 1 .tt:le4!.
l I..ixc3 c!lid5 12..id2
1 2.Wd4 is no beccer. Afcer 1 2 ...Wxd4
1 3.ixd4 c3! Black gives back his extra pawn
co eicher cause scruccural damage or deprive
Whice of che bishop pair.
Cl) 9.dxc5
This is quire a good cry for an advancage for
Whice, bur Black has a nice way co neutralize
che pocencial pressure:
1 2 ... 0-0 1 3.:B:cl c3! 1 4.ixc3 tt:lxc3 1 5.:B:xc3
gives Whice some iniciacive.
13.�cl c3!
We have already seen chis idea of returning
che pawn under favourable circumstances.
Over che board che only move char has been
cried is 9 ... tt:lc6, bur afcer 1 0.ixc4 Wxc5
l 1 .We2 Whice has gained a loc in cerms of
coordinacion and scands a bic beccer, as in
Pelletier - Shirov, Biel 20 1 1 .
14.bxc3
1 4.ixc3 tt:lxc3 1 5.:B:xc3 Wb4 leads co
equalicy.
14....ic6
Black has a fine position.
17
Chapter 1 - Introduction
C2) 9.hc4 cxd4 10.llJxd4 0-0
12 ... .llJc6 13.0-0 ltJe5 14.llJb5
1 4.ib5 ? a6 brings White all sorts of
problems.
I4 ...We7!
1 4 ...Wxc4? favours White in the following
forcing variation: 1 5.Wxc4 lll xc4 1 6.ixb4
Ei:d8 1 7.Ei:fcl lll xb2 1 8.ie7 Ei:d7 1 9.lll xa7
Ei:xe7 20.lll xc8 Ei:e8 2 1 .lll b6 Ei:a6 22.a5± The
point is that 22 ... lt:lxe4? 23.f3 lll f6 24.lll c 5
traps the poor knight at b2 or simply wins the
exchange.
15.l"\fcl a6 16.liJ 5d4
White has a choice of several possible moves,
bur only one of them is truly critical: C21)
I l ..liJb3, C22) 1 1.We2 and C23) I l.llJc2!.
1 1 .0-0!? looks at first to be a mistake due to
l 1 . ..Wc5 with a double attack, but things are
not that simple. Here is a sample variation:
l 2.lll cb5 ixd2 l 3.Wxd2 a6 (l 3 ...Wxc4 l 4.e5)
1 4.Ei:fcl axb5 1 5.ixe6 lll xe4 1 6.We3 ixe6
1 7.Ei:xc5 lll xc5 1 8.Ei:cl lll bd7 1 9.b4 lll xa4
20.lt:lxe6 fxe6 2 1 .Wxe6t Ei:f7 22.g3= White's
active queen secures the balance.
C21) I l..liJb3 Wc7 12.We2
l 2.id3 is met by 1 2 ... lt:lc6 followed by ... lll e 5,
and 12.ie2 ixc3 simply drops a pawn.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
16...�d6!?N
Black's idea is to take the bishop (on either
c4 or d3) and continue his development with
...id7, with equal chances.
1 6 ...ixd2 17.lll xd2 Ei:d8 1 8 .lll 4f3 lll xf3t
19.lll xf3 e5 20.h3 id7 was also okay for Black
in Reyes la Rosa - Figlio, email 2009.
17.�d3 llJxd3 18.Wxd3 l"1b8!?
A prophylactic move, which anticipates the
arrival of a white knight on a5.
1 8 ...id7 19.lll f3 e5 20.lll a 5 and Black will
likely play ... l"\ab8 anyway.
18
Borvinnik
15.lll xb4 Wi'xb4 16.�fdl
1 6.j,g5 a5, with the idea of putting the
bishop on a6, as in Shulman - Potkin, Khanry­
Mansiysk 201 1 , is fine for Black.
16 ...i.b7 17.i.el
This was seen in Belous - Reshernikov,
Moscow 20 12.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
19.lll f3 e5 20.lll aS �d8
Black has a fine position.
C22) 1 1 .Wi'e2 lll bd7
Black's idea is to play his knight to e5 and
then continue with ... Ei:d8 and ... b6 - without
bothering to avoid the exchange of the bishop
on b4 for a knight after lll c2.
l 7.ll'id5?! is a punch in the air. l 7 ...Wi'xe4
( 1 7 ...Wxb2 is also possible) 1 8.li:'ixf6t gxf6 and
the queen is protected by the bishop.
Sakaev gives the following line in Complete
Slav!!: 1 7.j,g5 Ei:xd l t 1 8.Ei:xdl lll xe4 1 9.li:'ixe4
j,xe4 20.f3 h6! 2 1 .j,xh6 (Not 2 1 .j,cl ? j,g6
22.Wxe5 Wxa4 attacking both a2 and d l .)
2 1 ...gxh6 22.Wi'xe4 Wxe4 23.fxe4 Wg7+ This
seems like a correct evaluation, as the bishop
is restricted and Black will have chances to
activate his rook.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17... �xdl!N
Sakaev's novelty seems best.
1 4 ...j,d? was a more passive, and thus worse,
approach in Edouard - Inarkiev, Barcelona
20 1 0.
18.�xdl lll xe4 19.f3
1 9.lll d 5? Wxa4 is the whole idea behind
the rook exchange, as now the white bishop is
under attack.
19 ...Wi'cSt 20.@hl lll xc3 21 .i.xc3 lll g6
19
Chapter 1 - Introduction
2 1 ...lll c6 22.2"i:d7 ic8 23.2"i:d l ib7 is
proposed by Sakaev and is indeed a natural
conclusion to the line - but Black is not forced
to accept the draw. After the text move, both
... lll f4 and ...ic6 (to stop the white rook from
going to the 7th rank) are threatened, so White
must play actively.
22.gd7 .id5 23.hd5 exd5 24.g3 llif8
25.\We5 lli e6 26.'1Wxd5 '1Wxd5 27.gxd5
White has regained the pawn and, with
... 2"i:d8 coming up, the position is fizzling out.
.�� T-T
�
� i1
"'w,1 �.18'�
5-- J� r-�- 4-' 8 ��- ����� �t��-J�
3 ����U8
- . �
2 d
,
%
... -�-���
6
'/
1
%
a
,,,�
b
c
%
d
e
,,,J
f
g
h
27...£6 28.'iiig2 gds 29.gxdSt llixd8=
Of course it looks like a draw, but you can
continue if you like - or maybe you will even
be forced to play on, depending on the draw
rules for the tournament.
C23) l l .llic2! llic6
Unfortunately there is no time to save the
bishop.
12.llixb4
1 2.We2 lll e 5 1 3.ia2 2"i:d8 1 4.0-0 b6
transposes to 1 1 .We2.
12...\Wxb4 13.b3
1 3.Wb3N is a novelty analysed by Sakaev.
He believes chat after 1 3 ...Wd6 14,2"i:dl We5
1 5.f3 lll d4 1 6,Wa2 lll c2t 1 7.We2 b6 Black
achieves equal play: 1 8.b3 lll d4t 1 9.Wf2
ib7 (Sakaev stares with . . . 2"i:d8, but I will use
the ocher rook!) 20.ie3 2"i:ad8 2 1 .Wb2 lll c6
22.Wc l h6=
13 ... gds I 4.o-o
;�
�
%,, ,% ; ,., , %
� �
�
:!:,
�.��-,,,;·�
3 .�8'. :,�
.
�-�
�
�
2 - m r[j �
t3JrtJ
�� ��
.�'iw!=---�'
J�£�:1
8 t�
� t� i
im mi
1
6
'z,,,,,;�j;J'%
a
,_ _ _ __
b
c
d
e
f
g
z, ,, ,
h
14...'1We7
1 4 ... lll d?N is another novelty proposed by
Sakaev, but after 1 5.lll b 5 We? 1 6.ie3 lll de5
17.Wh5 White has some annoying pressure
which is not so easy to neutralize. Sakaev notes
chat it was important to play . . . lll d7-e5 and
cake the light-squared bishop, but I see no
need to do chis immediately. The bishop can
also be captured with ... lll a 5 and the queen
will have to go to e7 anyway, so why not put
it there now?
20
Bocvinnik
1 5.f4?! Wc5t 1 6.'kt>h l Wd4! is pleasant
for Black. A practical example continued
1 7.e5 Wxd2 1 8.Wxd2 E!:xd2 1 9.exf6 gxf6 (a
natural reaction, but 19 ... E!:d8!?N 20.E!:adl
id? might be another good idea here)
20.lll e4 E!:d8 2 1 .lll xf6t 'kt>g7 22.lll e4 lll a 5
Grover - Debashish, Korinthia 20 1 2. Black
shouldn't have any complaints about his
position.
Moving the f-pawn one square less has been
tested in a correspondence game:
l 5.f3 lll d7
1 5 ... b6N followed by ... lll a 5 is another
possible idea for Black.
1 6.ie3 lll de5 1 7.Wc2 lll xc4 1 8.bxc4 id?
1 9.c5 a6 20.E!:ab l ie8
8
7
!•� ��:a.1.1.1%.1.
!�if�
•• �
.1.a
z 'A)a,;ra··-Z�
� � �
!.� %.!. �
m ��•
3•
��iv�
,.,.,��
��
�'lf;Wfj
I�_:
� ��
� _:�
,
6
1 6.ig5 h6 1 7.ih4 g5! 1 8.ig3 (The
tempting sacrifice l 8 .ixg5 hxg5 l 9.Wxg5t
\t>h8 hardly works. After 20.e5 lll h 7 2 l .Wh5
ib7 22.lll e4 E!:g8 Black defends everything.)
l 8 ... lll h 5 Black will continue with ...ib7
and . . . lll a 5, and is more than okay.
l 6 . . . lll a5 l 7.ie3 lll d7 1 8.Ei:dl
After 1 8.lll b 5 Black seems fine with
l 8 ... lll c 5.
18 ... lll xc4 1 9.bxc4 ia6 20.lll b 5
It seems that Black is able to neutralize the
pressure.
5 �
4
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
.·
?. . . . .
h
b
a
c
d
e
d
e
f
h
g
20 ... lll e 5! 2 1 .Wc3 E!:xd l t 22.E!:xd l f6
One sample line could be:
23.c5
23.f4 lll g4=
23 . . .ixb5 24.axb5 bxc5 25.ixc5 E!:c8=
Black seems completely equal here. The rest
of the game didn't last long, so I'll show it all:
2 1 .E!:fd l lll e 5 22.Wb3 E!:xdl t 23.lll xd l E!:d8
24.lll b 2 Wf6
24 ... icGN 25.Wc3 f6, with the idea of
putting the knight on f7 if needed, is a way
to avoid the draw.
25.Wxb7 lll xf3t 26.gxf3 Wxf3 27.if2 E!:d2
Y2-Y2 Benzoni - Noble, email 2009.
From all the moves I analysed, the most
promising seems:
1 5.Wc l N b6
1 5 . . . lll d? is another idea.
1 6.f3
a
1 5 b6!N
...
b
c
f
g
h
Chapter 1 - Introduction
21
This move was recommended by lkonnikov
in his analysis for New In Chess Yearbook 1 00.
15 ... lll e 5 1 6.i.fl b6 1 7.Wc2
l 7.We2 might be a slight improvement for
White.
1 7... i.b7 1 8. f3 l'l:ac8
This is okay for Black, but he may not be
completely equal after 19.l'l:edlN. Instead,
in the only game that reached this position
in practice, White went for:
19.i.e3?!
This was Chadaev - Reshemikov, Moscow
20 1 1 , and now both lkonnikov and Sakaev
missed that Black can play:
2 1 .l'l:d8
2 1 .l'!e7 i.e6 22.l'l:xe6 fxe6 23.i.xe6t 'kt>h8
24.f4 promises nothing special for White
after 24 ... g6.
2 1 ...i.d7 22.l'!xa8 l'l:xa8 23.i.a6 l'l:f8!
23 ... 'kt>fs 24.l'!cl i.c8 25.l'l:d l i.d7 26.l"lc l =
24.l'l:cl lll e4
Threatening to play ... lll c 5.
25.c8=W i.xc8 26.i.xc8 lll c 5
Black is at least equal, and it is White who
has to solve some problems.
16 ... tll d7 17.f4 tll c5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 9 ... i.xe4!N 20.fxe4 Wc7 2 1 .i.c4 lll xc4
22.bxc4
22.lll b 5 We5 23.bxc4 lll g4 is also at least
equal for Black.
22 ... lll g4 23.g3 Wxc4
Black has a strong initiative for a small
material investment.
16.e5
1 6.lll d 5!?
A standard piece sacrifice in positions like
this. In this case it is fairly easy to neutralize.
1 6 ... exd5 1 7.exd5 Wd6 1 8.dxc6 Wxd2 1 9.c7
Wxd l 20.l'l:axd l ms
The strong passed pawn on c7 gives White
some compensation for the piece, but this is
only enough for equaliry - at best! For example:
18.tll b5 i.a6 19.�cl
22
Bocvinnik
1 9.ctJd6 i.xc4 20.bxc4 ctJb7 and the mighty
white knight is kicked back.
19 ... tll d3
1 9 ...i.xb5 20.axb5 ctJd4 also looks good, for
instance 2 1 .i.b4 1"\d7 followed by . . . 1"\c8.
20.�xd3 �hd3 21.ge3
2 1 .ctJd6 ctJd4 22.i.b4 'Wd7+
Conclusion
If White tries to avoid every theoretical
discussion with a speculative pawn sacrifice
like 6.g3 or 6.e3, Black should just protect his
newly gained asset on c4 with ... b5. Although
the positions remain unclear, White hardly has
enough for a pawn.
The 6.a4 line is a serious positional attempt
by White to maintain some control instead of
entering the complications of the Bocvinnik
main line. Black has a sound position and - if
forced - we can also play positionally!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
21 ...gds 22.tll d6 tll d4
Black has the initiative. The white knight
seems impressive, bur it is not threatening
anything.
Botvinnik
Rare 9th Moves
Variation Index
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 � f6 4.� c3 e6 S.i.gS dxc4 6.e4 bS 7.eS h6 8.i.h4
8 ...gS
A) 9.exf6!? gxh4 1 0.�eS Wfxf6
Al) 1 1 .a4
A2) 1 1 .g3
B) 9.i.g3!?
A2) afcer 16.f4
24
24
25
26
B) nore ro 13.a4
B) no re ro 1 O.tlld 2
a
b
17.. .�xe4!N
c
d
e
f
g
h
24
Borvinnik
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.l£if3 .!£if6 4. .!£ic3 e6 5.ig5
dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.i.h4 g5
White has another choice here between
Al) l l .a4 and A2) l l.g3.
l l .ie2 is well met by l l ... tll d 7! and we shall
see the same recipe in variation Al below.
1 2.tll xc6 ib7 1 3.if3 a6 Black calmly protects
his structure. Next he intends to kick the
annoying white knight back with . . .!'lc8. 1 4.0-0
!'lc8 1 5.tll e 5 ixf3 1 6.tll xf3 ie7+ Black will
castle and he still has an extra h-pawn.
Al) l l.a4
This is simply met by:
l l . ..a6
It is true that in many lines White can win
a pawn back by taking on b5, but it always
runs into a disturbing check on b4 so Black is
just fine.
A) 9.exf6!?
A gambit line that leads to tricky play. Great
accuracy is demanded from Black, but he will
have good chances to come out on top.
9 ...gxh4 10. .!lJeS
This active knight move, hitting both c6 and
f7, is the first point of the 9.exf6 line.
1 0.g3 is too slow: 1 0 . . .�b7 l l .ig2 tll d7 and
l 2.tll xh4 is well answered by l 2 ... tt:lxf6+.
10 ...\Wxf6
12.i.e2
12.axb5?! cxb5 1 3.tll x b5 axb5! 14.!'lxa8ib4t
1 5 . 'itie2 id6 gives fantastic compensation for
the exchange. A practical example continued
16.tll g4 Wf4 1 7.tll e3 ib7 1 8.!'la7 tll c6
and Black was already winning in Martic Sjugirov, Rijeka 20 1 0.
25
Chapter 2 - Rare 9th Moves
extra pawns he will end up in a very passive
position.
13.axbS
1 3.llixc6?! b4! 14.llie4 Wf5 1 5.if3 ib7
leaves the knight in trouble: 1 6.llid2 E:c8
l 7.ie4 Wg5-+ Buhmann - Cerveny,
Pardubice 2008.
13 cxbS 14.llixbS ih4t 15.llic3
1 5.@fl 0-0 1 6.llic7 E:a7 1 7.llixa6 is a
desperate combination that doesn't work.
l 7 ...ixa6 (Black could even just reply
1 7 ...ie7) 1 8.E:xa6 E:xa6 1 9.llixd7 Wd8
20.llixf8
•..
�� ·�� m•
ri:B
7 �� �LJ
�
�fi�-··�
�
�
;;,:i����·�
� � %�··
5 ��-0 ��-0 ���%
;;, �·f
·- - �� �
, , %� •
��%�
3 �� 0 ���� -�% '/,
2
t3J �
�-�����j,�
,·�•
:h
e
s
6
4
.
,
.... %
1
a
b
c
d
f
g
20 ... Wa8! 2 1 .Wc2 !'!:al t 22.id l Wxf8 and
White couldn't get out of the terrible bind in
Marzolo - Ribli, Germany 20 1 1 .
1 5 ...ixc3t 16.bxc3 llixe5 17.dxeS 'Wxe5
18.0-0 ib7+
In Baumgartner - Kloster, email 20 1 0,
White had to fight to survive.
Al) 1 1 .g3 ih7 12.ig2 llid7
8 1: m
�� ,,,,,Y,� �!"
%� m•�
0, -�
i�
4il
f.1£
�
�
-i
iE
�
�
�
5 .: � m' '�'
4 �� fD ��w
%%��;,0, ,�, - - �m
%%��r�-�- 3m
76
,,,,,
Y,
A0,W.�;;,
}..; "lifrW'
?,0, ,,,,,:m
• 0,liffi-{
?,0,�?d
�
0,�-<-- . "w1 �-��----"
�°if�
- �
��--­
2
0
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
13.°We2
1 3.llixd7 @xd7 The king is absolutely
safe here. 1 4.llixb5 h3!N (improving on the
immediate l 4 ... cxb5 as in Yurenok - C. Bellin,
Sunningdale 20 1 2) 1 5 .if3 cxb5 1 6.ixb7
ib4t 1 7.Wfl E:ab8+
13 ... llixeS 14.dxe5
26
Botvinnik
Stopping long castling seems like Black's
best option.
14 ...We7 has been more popular and is a
decent alternative: 1 5.0-0-0 ig7 1 6.f4 0-0
17. tt:J e4 ( 1 7 .l"i:d6 l"i:ad8 1 8 .l"i:hd1 l"i:xd6 1 9 .exd6
Wd8 20.tt'le4 Wa5 2 1 .<ii b l Wb6 was excellent
for Black in Bronstein - Borvinnik, Moscow
1 95 1 .) 1 7 ...l"i:ad8 1 8.tt'ld6 was Gheorghiu
- Georgescu, Romania 1 96 1 . In Semi-Slav
5 Bg5, Bryan Paulsen states that White has
compensation for his two pawns but no more,
giving .. .f6 as a way to undermine White's
d6-knight. I would agree with this assessment,
and see no reason for Black not to proceed
immediately with 1 8 .. .f6!?N. Still, I think
White's positional compensation 1s more
obvious than in our main line.
1 5.�dl �d8! 16.f4
So far we are following Rook - Simmelink,
email 201 1 , but now Paulsen's proposal seems
the most natural:
a
b
c
d
e
16... �xdlt!N 17.@xdl
1 7.Wxdl 'Wd8 is similar.
f
g
h
17...�d8t 1 8.@c2
And now instead of first exchanging on g3,
as Paulsen gives, I think that Black should
continue with:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8 ...ie7
Black must be somewhat better due to his
material advantage. 1 8 ...Wd3t!? l 9.Wxd3
cxd3t 20.'tt>xd3 <ii d7+ also makes sense if you
like endings.
B) 9.ig3!?
The bishop is rather passive here, but White
hopes to exploit the many weaknesses in
Black's camp. Be aware that 5 ... h6 6.ih4 g5
7.ig3 dxc4 8.e4 b5 9.e5 reaches this same
position.
27
Chapter 2 - Rare 9th Moves
10.c!lid2
The most flexible move: played by huge stars
such as Radjabov and Nakamura amongst
others. If White doesn't continue in this way
then Black can generate active play by pinning
and hitting the c3-knight with . . .�b4 and/or
...�a5.
20 ... Wb8!N
With excellent compensation. White is
horribly weak on the dark squares.
10 ....ih? 11..ie2
10.�e2 �b4 1 1 .Ei:cl �a5 1 2.�d2 tt:ld7 White
hasn't been able to begin any activity and Black
has firm control: 1 3.0-0 tt:l 7b6+
1 0.h4 �a5 1 1 .Ei:cl �b4
Again we see this natural idea, which in this
case neutralizes White's wing action:
1 2.hxg5 tt:lxc3 1 3.bxc3 �xc3t 1 4.tt:ld2 tt:ld7
1 4 ... tt:l a6N is also interesting.
1 5.1"i:xh6 1"i:g8
The position is messy, but Black is fine.
1 6.�e2 �b7 1 7.�h5 0-0-0 1 8.�xf7 1"i:xg5
1 9.�xe6
1 9.�h4 is also possible. 1 9 ... 1"i:xg2 20.'tt> fl
�xd2 The following long drawing line
was given by both Scherbakov and Stohl:
2 1 .�xd8 Wxd8 22.1"i:h8t 'tt> c7 23.'tt>xg2 c5t
24.©fl �xcl 25.�xe6 �c3 26.1"i:h7 �f3
27.1"i:xd7t Wb8 28.1"i:d8t 'tt> c7 29.1"i:d7t=
1 9 ... 1"i:xg3!
A standard positional exchange sacrifice.
20.fxg3
This was Dubov - Shirov, Moscow (2) 20 13,
and now I recommend:
l 1 ...tt:lxc3 1 2.bxc3 c5 now is met by 1 3.�f3.
1 1 ...tt:ld7 1 2.0-0 �b6 1 3.a4!
E D � ·7 ,l.i.B'llBiB
s
�
�
�
Bi
i
�
1
�
%
�%
5 �.�.
��,rwt1·
,;}- -%� ��j'�
�
3 � ��' - . ��
�'%1-�"" 'z ,.,,�'%1-� '"""%1''0
r� m i.. r� t::i rc0i
fg{" %-it� ,�----
6
4
..
..
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
This may not be worse for Black, but he will
certainly feel a lot of pressure. I'll provide
some lines to support this argument.
1 3 ... a6
28
Botvinnik
1 3 ... a5!? is met by 1 4.2"1c l !, when in this
case the presence of the knight on d2 helps
White. It will soon jump to e4, eyeing key
squares on c5, d6 and f6. 1 4 ...ie7 1 5.lll de4
lll xc3 1 6.lll xc3 b4 17.lll e4 was Fier Harikrishna, Montcada 2009, and already
Black's position was starting to fall apart.
14.lll de4 0-0-0 1 5.\Wd2! c5?!
This natural move allows White to play a
powerful sequence, as given in Playing J.d4
- The Queen's Gambit. Black can improve,
but I do not want to get too sidetracked.
16.axb5 axb5 17.lll xd5 ixd5 1 8 .lll c3
a tricky alternative: 1 2.h4!? \Wxd4! ( 1 2 ... lll d 7!?
followed by ... c5 also seems fine, but the text
is more ambitious) 1 3.hxg5 ib4!N ( 1 3 ... lll xc3
1 4.bxc3 \Wxc3 1 5.0-0 lll d7 1 6.lll e4 \Wa3
1 7.ih5 gave White a big initiative, and
eventually the full point, in Raijmaekers Kolodziej ski, corr. 201 2.) 14.2"1xh6 (there is
nothing better) 1 4 ... 2"1xh6 1 5.gxh6
-·�� � ��
8
1 •r,,��
�-�
·� ·
���
�-Ji,,
�-,,a
6
i r�.i..
r�%.
, �rfj•...
�%,.
%, �% ,,,
%� ��-�
3 ��-JlZJ,,, ,,_��-J��-�
t!J rf!f'
2 �S{rfj-tiitt
-rfj
i�
s
4
%
%
,,(--
''''%
a
b
, ,,,%
c
d
''''%
e
f
g
h
Now Black has two main options, but neither
of them guarantees him a comfortable game:
1 s ... tt:Jbs
18 ...ib7 1 9.d5! ig7 20.b3! Correctly trying
to open files on the queenside - White's
initiative looks promising and this has been
confirmed in practice.
l 9.lll xd5! 2"1xd5
Now White has the mmauve after both
20.2"1a8 and 20.if3 2"1xd4 2 1 .\We2, which was
Babula - Hoffmann, Germany 201 1 . Yes,
Black can defend - and long computer analysis
proves this - but White's game is much easier
and more fun. A single mistake for Black may
prove fatal and there is a long way to go before
he can put his two extra pawns to good use!
12.llide4
This may seem forced, but in fact there is
12 ... llid7
s
7
1.m m•� �if
•r� r� -,�_,, ,_Y,
6''afnfn•�
5
4
n:
i."
n
In Z@• ,
�
•nfntbn
'n
�!%""%• %w�
�
� ;�,
�o%);
Dfft7;�
, ,%-'=""%·�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
With the knight already committed on e4,
the ... c5 break is stronger and the a2-a4 push
is not as dangerous as before. With the knight
on d2 the c4-pawn is more sensitive, but here
there is no knight attacking it.
29
Chapter 2 - Rare 9th Moves
13.a4
Now we'll see the big difference compared to
the 1 1...ttJd? continuation.
White could also castle of course, but then
Black easily neutralizes the pressure. 1 3.0-0
ttJxc3! 1 4.bxc3 ( 1 4.lt:Jxc3N has never been
tried, probably because after 1 4 ...ig? Black's
. . c5 break is very strong.) 1 4 ... c5 Black is
already fine, and should be looking to gain
the upper hand: 1 5.dxc5 ixc5 1 6.if3 0-0-0
17.'1We2
8 � ·�� � �i/
7 °�l.niilnln
%;'" "'; �� �� ��-:;:.
6 -��70.
�� . . .��1�..%�'1�..%�
5 �·�
%•
�j0.�� J•%
•
·:
4
3 0.
�!
�-Jl
� ��r
t
�
��
.
� Y,
2 r:.�
. . �.,ri"fi f§
1�w
a
b
c
d
Bn�
e
f
g
h
1 7 ... ixe4!N ( 1 7 ...ia3 was seen in Shishkin Dumitrache, Baia Sprie 20 1 2, when Black went
on to win after some complications) 1 8.ixe4
ia3 Black is better because he has prevented
White from opening lines on the queenside
with the standard break a2-a4. At the same
time he has made room for his knight to come
to c5, while the plan of pushing the h-pawn is
also dangerous.
13... a5!
With the knight still on d2 the move Ei:cl
would have been strong - as was shown in the
notes to move 1 1 - but now White is the one
on the ropes.
14.0-0 b4 15.tll b l 0-0-0!
This seems like a promising alternative and
was mentioned in the ChessPub forum.
1 5 ...ia6 is more common, simply protecting
the c4-pawn. 1 6.Ei:e l ie7 1 7.lt:Jd6t ixd6
1 8.exd6 f5
8 1 �� •i•��;j
7 � /" '';·��� ��-:;:.
6 �.1·
l.1�1..t.�
..
· ·%�4)�
,..1i/
5 .. %�,%�� -%��Y,,,,.
%�
�t�%�Y,
l. t�
•..
,,%�•���
��-':;� �� -;o.. .��'0.
� ,�,�%
4
3
%
� �J�.,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
l 9.ih5t ©d8 led to a highly unclear position
in Zhak - Napalkov, corr. 20 1 1 , but Black's
chances are not worse. His plan is to put
the king to b 7, after which he can target the
sensitive d6- and d4-pawns as well as push his
own pawns on both sides of the board.
16.tll bd2
1 6.ixc4 lt:Jf4!+
30
Botvinnik
16...VNxd4i
Here is a sample variation:
17.VNc2 c3 1 8.lll b 3 VNb6 19.hxc3 lll xc3
20.lll xc3 bxc3 21.VNxc3
Conclusion
9.exf6 is not without venom, but Black rather
easily neutralizes White's initiative and remains
a pawn up in most the cases.
The 9.ig3!? variation is very important,
because it often arises via the Anti-Moscow
move order as well. After the natural 9 ...tt'ld5
1 0.tt'ld2 ib7 l l .ie2 Black has the key move
l l ...iWb6! hitting d4 and securing good play
in all lines.
22.VNB h5 23.h3 g4 24.hxg4 c5 25.VNxf7 h4
26.�h2 h3 27.gxh3 i:!xh3
Black has a dangerous attack.
Botvinnik
Main Line- 16 .�bl!?
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.�c3 e6 5.�g5 dxc4 6.e4 h5 7.e5 h6 8.�h4 g5
9.�xg5 hxg5 1 0.�xg5 �hd7 1 1 .g3 �h7 12.�g2 YMb6 13.exf6 0-0-0
14.0-0 c5 15.d5 h4 16.�hl!?
1 6 ... YMa6! 1 7.dxe6 �xg2 18.e7 �xfl
34
35
36
36
38
39
A) 19.YMd5
B) 19.©xfl �xe7! 20.fxe7 �dg8 2 1 .�e4 �xg5! 22.�xg5 �e8
B l } 23.YMe2 VMg6
Bl 1 } 24.VMe4!?
B12} 24.�e4
B2) 23.YMd5
A) nore to 27.a4
B 1 1) after 32.E:eS
B 1 1) no re to 32. .liicG!N
.
32
Borvinnik
l.d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.tlJO tlJf6 4.tlJc3 e6 S.igS
dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.eS h6 s.ih4 gS 9.tlJxgS hxgS
10.ixgS tlJ bd7
good.) 1 3.Wf3 ie7 1 4.ie2 ( 1 4.0-0-0 ctJd5
l 5 .ixe7 Wxe7 l 6.ctJe4 0-0-0 proved to be
fine for Black in Taner - Noble, corr. 201 2.)
14 ... ctJd5 1 5.ixe7 Wxe7 1 6.ctJxd5 cxd5
l 7.h5 a5 Black's queenside majority proved
to be no less potent than White's kingside
one in Brewer - Noble, corr. 20 1 3 .
1 2 ...Wb6 1 3.We3 0-0-0 1 4.0-0-0 Wa5
1 5.Wbl CL!b6 1 6.h4 b4 1 7.CL!e4 c5!
Standard by now.
1 8.f3 c3 1 9.ie2 id5
Black was winning in Zhivtsov - Borvinnik,
Moscow 1 943.
l l...ib7 12.ig2 °Wb6 13.exf6 0-0-0
l l .g3
l l .exf6 ib7
Instead of the almost universally played
1 2.g3, which will transpose to the main line,
White has occasionally tried some other
moves. Furthermore this is an excellent
opportunity to see some classical games from
the man that gave his name to this opening
variation.
l 2. Wf3
1 2.ie2 Wb6 1 3.0-0 0-0-0 1 4.h4 ( 1 4.a4
b4 l 5.ctJe4 c5! was a later demonstration by
the Patriarch in Denker - Borvinnik, USA USSR radio 1 945. White is really suffering
from the bishop's absence on the long a8h l diagonal.) 1 4...ih6 1 5.a4 ixg5 16.hxg5
b4 1 7.ctJe4 c5! 1 8.a5 Wc7 1 9.ctJg3 ctJe5+
Ragozin - Borvinnik, Moscow 1 94 1 .
1 2.h4!? CL!xf6 The most forcing option,
intending ...ie7 and . . . ctJd5. ( 1 2 ...Wb6
followed by ... 0-0-0 and . . . c5 is also
White has experimented with the artificial
looking 1 4.Wg4!? in a few games. However
Black equalizes easily by pushing . . . c5.
14 . . . c5 1 5.ixb7t Wxb7 1 6.2"i:dl Wc6 1 7.0-0
cxd4 1 8.Wxd4 ib4= Boehme - Blinchevsky,
email 20 1 0.
14...cS 1 5.dS
Opening the posmon with l 5.dxc5?!
should only help Black. 1 5...ctJxc5 1 6.We2
ixg2 1 7.Wxg2 ih6 1 8.h4 ixg5 1 9.hxg5 was
Timman - Tai, Hilversum 1 988, and now
33'
Chapter 3 - Main Line - 1 6.E:b 1 !?
after 1 9 ... :B:hg8!? Black is fine, for instance:
20.We3N :B'.d3 2 1 .Wf4 Wc6t (2 1 . ..:B'.dd8!?
with the idea ... tll d3 is also possible, but it
does invite a repetition after 22.'We3.) 22.f3 e5
23.Wf5t 'Wd7 24.Wxd7t Wxd7 25.:B:adl Wc6
26.f4 e4 With an unclear ending.
1 5... b4
almost to the end. Almost! In the words of one
of the greatest players of all time: " 1 6.:B:b 1 has
the reputation ofbeing a drawing continuation,
and 1 6.tll a4 is still at the centre of discussions."
- this was Kasparov in Revolution in the 70s.
Is chis really the case? I'd say chat top-level
correspondence games of today have actually
proved the opposite! 1 6.:B:b l is maybe the only
line chat still has some life left, while 16.tll a4
has been established as a forced draw! Enough
said, lee's enter the maze.
16...Wa6!
Getting off the dangerous b-file and
threatening to cake on c3. Now play cakes on a
forcing character.
17.dxe6 �xg2 1 8.e?
8
So here we are once more: you might as
well get used to chis position! The rest of our
Botvinnik coverage will cake off from here.
A man that deserves a special mention as
one of the pioneers of the modern Botvinnik is
the correspondence GM Aleksandr Gennadiev
Efremov. He has lost only one game - against
the German correspondence GM Wunderlich
- in a line chat seems to me to be filled with
danger. Happily after his one defeat, Efremov
tweaked his repertoire accordingly and has
continued on another unbeaten run! We will
see all the details in the following chapters.
16.gbl!?
Uhlmann's spectacular move. White simply
leaves the knight en prise because it cannot
really be taken. l 6 ... dxc3? l 7.bxc3 allows
decisive threats along the b-file, for instance
l 7 ... Wa6 1 8.:B:xb7! Wxb7 1 9.dxe6 Wb6 20.e7
and White wins. You can call the move 1 6.:B:b 1
aggressive prophylaxis! le has been analysed
�- �� � ��
�
, ,,
iy,�
� mi"D'
�
�
6 wu.
�� .
�� ,,��J �
· m , , �45 �·�� �% �
�%'"//, �
,
,
3� � m �
2 :wt1, , , ;- �di.f!
1 -�� ;� ��=" ' "
1
%
'/
%
%
,,,,,%
,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8...�xfl
Black grabs as much material as possible. le
is tempting to keep the light-squared bishop
and cry to mate White on g2, but sadly chis is
rather unrealistic!
l 8 ... .ib7?! l 9.exd8='Wt Wxd8 20.tll e2 and
White can always close the long diagonal with
f2-f3.
.
Now White has either the spectacular blow
A) 19.WdS or the critical B) 1 9 shxfl .
34
Botvin nik
1 9.exd8=Wft? Wxd8+ is problematic for White
as Black will soon emerge a piece up for
inadequate compensation.
A) 19.°Wd5
23.lll xc5?? is another mistake: 23 ...Wfb5
24.ie7 :ge8 25.Wfa8t lll b 8 26.Wfxa7 c3
27.bxc3 bxc3 28.a4 Wfc6 White resigned in
Jessen - Nilsen, Tromso 2010.
23...@c7 24.!£4 @b6 25.tlJxc4t @b5
26.lll d6t @b6
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
l 9 ... :ge8 also holds up according to
correspondence games and computer analysis,
but I prefer the text.
Beware of wrong move orders: after l 9 ...id3??
20.Wfa8t lll b8 2 1 ..if4+- White is winning!
20.fxe7 !d3!
Shirov's move is considered today to be the
complete antidote to 1 9.1Mfd5.
21.exd8=°Wt
2 1 .tt:le4 .ixb l 22.lll d6t will lead to the main
line, but there is always room for mistakes
between humans, even strong GMs. Take a
look! 22 ... Wc7 23.lll xc4?? Oops! It should
have been .if4t first and then lll xc4, because
now Black has 23 .. .f6! 24.if4t lll e 5 25.Wfxc5t
<;t>b8 and it was 0-1 already in Mchedlishvili Dvirnyy, Porto San Giorgio 20 1 3.
21...i:!xd8 22.lll e4 !xbl 23.lll d6t
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
h
Ladies and gentlemen we have a draw.
Nothing can actually change this fact, but if
White feels obliged to try and play on then he
might get punished!
27.a4
27.lll x f7? was seen in Hrubaru - Kroes,
email 20 1 0, and now Black could have played:
- ;� � -
8
1 1'�-�
� -��
� -�
if•�
�
��
..��. .%1� �
�•
5 �L
�
� ��
6
�
•. , %� �� �,
�a� �wrJ-·
2 !wfj
t
• � � %-. %m·?,Wf!f. .
4
3
,,,,,
%
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
27 ... ixa2!N This is sadly a move Vigorito
missed in his excellent book Play the Semi-Slav
when he tried to make this line playable again
Chapter 3 - Main Line - 1 6.:!! b 1 !?
for White. 28.Wd6t @a5 29.'1Wxa6t 'itixa6
30.lll xd8 @b5+ and Black is at least equal.
My computer screams that this is a draw and
I believe it, but look what happened in one
of my training games here: 3 l .h4 a5 32.h5 a4
33.h6 !g8 34.g4 c4 Black is winning!
27... bxa3 28.l£ic4t Wfxc4! 29.Wfxc4 a2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
35
1 9 ... Wc6?! 20.exd8='1Wt 'itixd8 2 1 .lll d 5 E:xh2
22.'itigl E:h8 23.E:cl!
A move missed by Paulsen in his recent
Semi-Slav book, but proposed by Sakaev
in his work. This is well-known stuff in
correspondence chess circles and is the move
that gives the 1 6.E:b 1 line new life.
23 ...id6 24.ih4 ie5 25.lll e7 '1We6
25 ...'1Wd6 was proposed by yours truly in
a ChessBase Magazine article about this
position, but unfortunately White has
26.'1Wf3! instead of going into the endgame:
26 ... 'itic7 27.lll d 5t 'itib8 28.lll e3 c3 29.:!'!dl
We6 30.bxc3 bxc3 3 1 .E:b l t lll b6 32.a4 and
White prevailed in Kiselev - Neborak, corr.
20 1 3.
26.'1Wf3 'itic7 27.E:el Wd6 28.ig5 'itib6 29.b3
c3 30.lll d 5t @a6 3 1 .lll e 3 '1Wd3 32.E:d l '1Wh7
33.ih4 lll b6 34.lll f5±
Wunderlich - Efremov, email 20 1 0.
20.fxe7 :gdg8 21.ltie4
White has to take a perpetual to avoid
disaster.
B) 19.ci>xfl
2 1 . .. c3t
This is the only move discussed by Sakaev
in his work, and Efremov has also played
this way a couple of times. He has defended
36
Borvinnik
the posmon successfully (as have other
correspondence players) but in a practical
game it looks rather scary.
22.Wgl :B:xg5 23.lll xg5 Wg6 24.bxc3 Wxg5
25.We2
White has two pawns and a strong initiative
for the piece.
8 �'%�i
� ���.. IJ)tW'�% •-
, , ,%� �� ,,,,%� ��
�;/,��,�
,, ",'%�
5 �� ��W�- -0-%���
,
�
�
� �tw�-r
2-- -%tw�,_%�•
3�
�
,
,
�� �, %���
iwr1" "%W[Jr
" - -%= -
7
6
4
2
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
3 1...lll e 5 32.Wd5 We6 33.Wxe6 fxe6 34.c7
:B:c8 35.Wg2 :B:xc7 36.:B:el lll d3 37.:B:xe6 :B:c2
38.:B:f6 :B:xa2 39.h4 a5
A draw was agreed here in Mielke - Noble,
corr. 20 1 2.
22.lll xg5 E:eS
In this position there are two lines that
deserve a special look, namely Bl) 23.'1We2
and B2) 23.'1Wd5.
Bl) 23.'1We2 '1Wg6
A double attack immediately leads us to
another branching point. White can defend
tactically with B l l) 24.'1We4!? or play
Bl2) 24.ll:Je4.
Bl 1) 24.'1We4!? E:xe7! 25.'1Wxg6 fx:g6
26.E:cl tlJb6
25 ...We5 26.Wa6t Wb8 27.Wb5t Wc7 28.cxb4
28.Wa5t Wb7 29.Wd8 lll b 6 30.cxb4 c4
3 1.:B:d 1 c3 32.h4 f5 33.Wf8 f4 ended in a
draw in Chubukin - Efremov, email 2008.
28 ...Wxe7 29.Wa5t Wb7 30.bxc5t Wa8 3 1.c6
3 1 .'1Wc3 Wf6 32.Wb3 Wc6 33.:B:dl lll e 5
34.Wd5 Wxd5 35.:B:xd5 f6 36.:B:d6 :B:h6
White failed to break through once again in
Schneider - Efremov, email 2009.
- �� � �� ��
-� � ,10, �
� !� �-- -�� ��
: %·�
� �� �
: �, ,J� ��� �� ���
�� �� �,
,.�.�wtf""%W[J
l� �-- -%if/J""
8
3
2
%
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Sakaev gave this as "clearly better for White"
but we are in fact talking about a basically
drawn position - as has been shown m
several correspondence games.
An interesting ending has arisen, which
is quite typical for the Botvinnik Variation:
White has the somewhat better pawn structure,
but the black majority on the queenside gives
enough dynamic counterplay to secure the
balance.
27 .!bO
White threatens lll d 2.
•
37
Chapter 3 - Main Line - 1 6.:1'!:b l ! ?
27.f3 \t>b7 28.'ll e4 ©c6 29.h4 aS 30.We2
a4+ was better for Black in 'Donmez' - 'Black
Dynamite', Internet 201 1 .
32 ... c;tic6!N
The easiest. Black stops Ei:bSt and threatens
to cake on a2, forcing White to defend.
27... l3d7
Black stops 'll d2.
32 ... Ei:xa2 33.8'.bSt \t>c6 34.Ei:xb4 ©cS 3S.Ei:g4
Ei:a6 36.©e2
This would not be an easy position to defend
in practice.
Instead 27 ... Ei:e4? was a mistake because of
28.Ei:el ! Ei:xe l t 29.Wxe l 'll d S 30.'ll e S c3 3 1 .b3
'lie? 32.'ll d 3 and another pawn dropped:
32 ... ©d7 33.'ll x cSt Wd6 34.'ll d3 aS 3S.<i>e2
©e6 36.'ll e 1 gS 37.'ll c2 <i>dS 38. Wd3 'll g6
39.'ll e 3t ©e6 40.h3+- Maack - Jenkinson,
corr. 20 1 3.
28.tll es
White has to act quickly otherwise Black
will simply improve his king's position.
28 ... l3d2 29.tll xc4 tll xc4 30.l3xc4 l3xb2
31.l3xc5t c;tib7
White is a pawn up but he cannot expect to
win against accurate defence.
32.l3e5
32.h4 ©b6 33.Ei:gS Ei:xa2 34.Ei:xg6t <i>cS
3S.Ei:g7 aS and Black's pawns are more
advanced, and thus more dangerous, than the
white ones. 36.hS b3 37.Ei:b7 a4 38.h6 Ei:d2
39.h7 Ei:d8=
·· i���-�� ��
;j_· - .,�
5 0. • � -�
�� �,- - �� �� Im
����=�
�,
�-�
--- ��
�� �-- - '-� · - -
�
6
4
3
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
36 ... <i>bS!N
Black stops Ei:a4 and prepares ... Ei:d6, after
which he will push his pawn and achieve a
draw.
36 ... Ei:d6? immediately is met by 37.Ei:a4!±.
36 ... Ei:a2t 37.<i>f3 Ei:a3t 38.Wg2 Ei:a6 39.h4
<i>bS 40.Ei:gSt \t>b4 4 1 .g4 Ei:d6 occurred in
one game in my database, but as you see
Black played the plan I suggested only after
deliberately improving White's position!
Seil!, it is a draw objectively. 42.hS gxhS
43.Ei:xhS aS 44.gS a4= Black's pawn provides
enough councerplay, but in Totogreko Devour, email 2009, White managed to lose
the game.
37.h4 Ei:d6=
33.l3e2
33.Ei:gS?? Ei:xa2 34.Ei:xg6t ©dS-+
33 ... l3bl t 34.l3el
34.<i>g2 aS=
34... l3b2 35.l3e2=
38
Botvinnik
B12) 24.tlie4
m9- 1: B �
s
% rrifm Wj
-�
m
%
_
_ _ m%�
-1�%
_ _ m%-_
65 �
%-
7
?,
�••,.!. �.
�
�
�
32 ,�
�
�
�
�
�/%
�J
�
t�
8 t[9 m vtt9 - - %�/�
4
1 -�- �-�-- a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
The only way to play for the advantage
according to Scherbakov on ChessPublishing,
but this is not really the case as Black has equal
chances here as well.
24...:gxe? 25.:gel @dS!
Avoiding all checks,
26...'Wg4
Black generates counterplay with his queen.
27.:ge2
27.1Mfd5 f5 28.WaSt Wc7 29.Wxa?t Wc6
and White had to give a perpetual in Dabija
- Efremov, corr. 20 1 2. Otherwise the knight
falls - if it moves then disaster comes in the
form of checkmate: 30.'ll d2 1Mfh3t 3 1.Wgl
E!:xe l t 32.'ll fl E!:xfl#
27...°Wf3!
Threatening mate in one!
28.:ge3 °Whl t 29.@e2 tlib6 30.°Wc2
30.Ei:d3t \t>e8 3 I.1Mfb5t \t>f8 32.:ge3 'll d 5
33.'ll xc5 was agreed drawn in Salvatore
- Wagner, corr. 20 12, because of the line
33...'ll xe3 34.'ll d7t E!:xd7 35.1Mfxd7 'll d 5
36.WdSt Wg7 37.1Mfg5t and perpetual.
26.°Wxc4
26,Wf3 f5 (26 ..,c3N 27.bxc3 f5 is also equal,
but the text keeps some life in the position)
27.tlid2 E!:xel t 28.Wxel We6t 29.1Mfe2 tll e 5
30.'ll xc4 'll f3t 3 1 .Wdl Wd5t 32.Wcl 'll d4
33.Wfl We6 34.b3 Wh6t was equal in Fourie
- Henri, email 20 1 1. 35.'ll e3 1Mfxh2 36.1Mfg2
1Mfxg2 37.'ll xg2 Wd7 38.\t>d2 'll c6 39.'ll e3
We6 40.'ll c4 'll d4 4 1 .Wd3 'll b 5 42.f3 'll d4
43.'ll d2 'll c6=
32.°Wf8t @c7 33.°Wc5t
With another draw in
Marcinkiewicz, email 2009.
Latronica
-
39
Chapter 3 - Main Line - 1 6.l'l:b l !?
B2) 23.Wfd5 gxe7 24.@gl
24...£6 25.tlJe4
25.lll h 3N l'l:e5 26.Wg8t ©c7 27.lll f4 Wxa2=
25.lll f3N ©c7 will transpose to the main line
after lll d 2, because Black is fine after 26.l'l:d 1
(26.h4 We6=) 26 ...Wc6!=.
26...Wfxa2 27.h4!
White is applying some pressure here, but
still Black doesn't face too many problems
holding the position.
27.l'l:d l Ei:e5 28.Wf7 Wa4 29.Ei:cl c3 30.bxc3
a5 3 1 .lll c4 l'l:e4 32.cxb4 axb4 33.lll e3 Wc6
34.h4 Ei:xe3!
The simplest way to equality.
34 ... @b6 35.Wa2 We6 36.We2 f5 with the
idea 37.h5 f4 is a way to keep playing for
the win: 38.gxf4 @c7 39.h6 Wg6t 40.©fl
Ei:d4 4 1 .Wf3 Wa6t 42.©el Wxh6 Neither
side managed to force the issue in Kuhne Pepermans, email 20 1 3.
35.fxe3 Wd6 36.Wg8
36.Wg6 b3 37.We4 lll b6 38.g4 c4 and the
pawns are very strong, so best is 39.Ei:xc4t
lll xc4 40.Wxc4t @d8 4 1 .Wxb3 Wlg3t with
a draw.
36 ... Wd3 37.Wc4 Wxc4 38.Ei:xc4 @c6
A draw was agreed in Kahl - Sadowski, corr.
2013, due to the following line:
39.Ei:cl ©b5
I would certainly be tempted to play for a
win here in an over-the-board game!
25 ... @c7 26.tlJd2
26.lll xc5 Wc6 27.Wxc6t was Zhak Efremov, email 20 10, and now after 27 ... ©xc6
28.lll xd7 l'l:xd7 29.©g2 @c5 Black has quick
counterplay which secures the draw.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
40.©f2 b3 4 1 .h5 c4 42.h6 lll f8 43.©e2 ©b4
White must be careful.
27 ... ge5 28.Wfxc4 Wfxc4 29.tlJxc4 ge8!
40
Bocvinnik
30 ... @c6 31 .gal tlib6 32.tlie3 ge7 33.tlifS
gd7 34.@e2 a5!
A clever tactical solution.
35,gdl
35.Ei:xa5 allows 35 ... tll c4 and White should
be really careful!
-. �
8 .#Iii
�. �
lilll. �
��11•.DD
:5 ��-----;
- �-�-
4 ._ _
�
3 ·- - - %- �� �ft"" ,
�
L.%
30.@fl
30.f4 tll b 6 3 1 .tll a 5 c4 32.:!:'i:cl Ei:c8 33.h5
@d7 34.h6 ©e7 35.h7 ©f7 36.h8='1W Ei:xh8
37.tll xc4 lll xc4 38.Ei:xc4 a5 39.Ei:c6 Ei:a8 Y2-Y2
Aupi Royo - Bendana Guerrero, email 2008.
30.:!:'i:al tll b 6 3 1 .tll e 3 Ei:a8 32.Ei:a5 was
agreed drawn at chis point in Antonenko Myakonikikh, corr. 20 1 3, due to 32 ... ©c6
33.@fl tll d 5 34.tll c4 (34.tll xd5?! ©xd5
allows the king to reach b3) 34 ... tll b 6= with
a repetition.
2
1
,,%
�
�
�
...·.lo"
� ,_ _ _ _"•
a
b
�
%
.,,%
c
d
e
f
g
h
35 ... tlid5 36.tlie3 a4 37.tlixd5 gxd5 38.gxd5
In Bokar - Cruzado Duenas, corr. 20 1 2, the
two correspondence GMs analysed this to a
draw and found no reason to continue, bur in
a practical game of course it is legal to try your
luck here.
38 ... @xd5 39.@d2=
Conclusion
The amazing 1 6.Ei:b l leads to hair-raising
complications, but Black is doing well after
l 9.Wi'd5 1J.xe7 when White has nothing better
than to force a draw.
1 9.@xfl leads to a more positional game if you can use such a term in the Botvinnik
Variation. After 1 9 ...1J.xe7! 20.fxe7 Ei:dg8
2 1 .tll e4 l'!xg5! 22.tll xg5 l'!e8 Black eliminates
the important e7-pawn and is able to keep the
balance.
Botvinnik
Main Line - 16 . �a4
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.CD f3 'Df6 4.CD c3 e6 5 ..ig5 dxc4 6.e4 h5 7.e5 h6 8 ..ih4 g5
9.CDxg5 hxg5 I O .ixg5 'Dbd7 1 1 .g3 .ih7 1 2 ..ig2 1/Mh6 13.exf6 0-0-0
14.0-0 c5 1 5.d5 b4 16.CDa4
•
16 ...11Mb5!
43
45
45
47
50
A) 1 7.dxe6
B) 1 7.a3 CD b8! 1 8.axb4 cxb4
Bl) 1 9 ..ie3
B2) 1 9.1/Md4
B3) 1 9.1/Mg4
B I ) note ro 22 ...lll e S!
A) note ro 25.l:'i:e2
� ,;[�.�Jf.�
R B i D ·a
6
: :��,!�
� -���-�J�w[j
'J
i B B ma' J� J
a
30...l:'i:bS!N
b
c
d
e
f
27...li:Jb?!N
g
h
B3) note ro 28.We4
42
Borvinnik
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llif3 tlif6 4.llic3 e6 s.ig5
dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 s.ih4 g5 9.llixg5 hxg5
10.Lgs llibd7 1 1 .g3 ib7 12.ig2 '11Nb6
13.exf6 0-0-0 14.0-0 c5 1 5.d5 b4 16.llia4
1 6 .. .'\Wa6
This older continuation became popular
again 3-4 years ago. The main line is:
1 7.a3 ixd5 1 8.ixd5 lll e 5!
The move which revived the whole line again
in the 90s.
1 9.axb4 E:xd5 20.We2 cxb4 2 1 .lll c3
2 1 ...Wd6!
The precise execution. Originally 2 1 ...Wc6
was played, but this gave White some
additional possibilities such as 22.if4.
The move 2 1 ...'11Nd 6 first appeared in the
correspondence game Rotella - Schachinger,
email 2009, and was adopted shortly
afterwards by the strong young American
Ray Robson. In turn the modern star of this
line - Alexei Shirov - took notice, analysed
everything, lectured about it in various
Chess Base videos and... that was that: the
Wa6-Borvinnik line was suddenly both
playable and fashionable again! Despite this,
my main line suggestion of 1 6 ...Wb5 has
much older roots and has been the choice
of many high-level correspondence players
who have basically analysed it to a draw, so
I consider it a more reliable continuation.
But we will delve a little further into the
Wa6 line to see what problems could arise
for Black:
22.lll x d5 Wxd5 23.f3 lll d 3 24.h4
24.ie3 ic5 25.ixc5 Wxc5t 26.Wg2 :!"i:d8�
24 ...ic5t 2 5.©g2 E:d8
�� �
·
�
�� �� ----Y-� ·�
. %� �� !���
���.-;-��
�� �.. . %W<�;�
��
5 �.
�
.. /,� :� �W/1 .
����,���
�� - %� �� r� �
8
7
6
4
3
2
.
%
.
�
a
<!
.
-
%
.
%
�
,.,.,
%
. .
.
.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Black has reasonable compensation for the
exchange. The position is difficult for both
sides but there is a dynamic balance, which has
been proven in several games.
It is hard for White to improve his play, but
he has an interesting early deviation: Shirov
was the first to mention it, and now Bryan
43
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6 .tll a4
Paulsen, in his book Semi-Slav 5 Bg5, has
convinced me chat l 9.tll xc5!? ixc5 20.'®e2!
should give White some practical chances for a
small advantage. Nothing is clear though and
if you are searching for an alternative to the
drawing main line, 1 6 .. .'®a6 could be a good
option.
Back in our main line, White can either play
A) 17.dxe6 or B) 17.a3.
A) 17.dxe6
1 8 ...ixfl
1 8 ... Wc6! Taking the long diagonal is a
better option. l 9.exd8=1Wt i;t>xd8 20.l':!:e l
ih l 2 1 .f3 .ixf3 22.Wc2 .id6+ Schneider Czaja, email 2003. White will never find a
safe position for his king.
1 9.exd8=1Wt
1 9.�xfl ixe7 20.fxe7 l':!:de8+
1 9.Wd5? ixe7 20.fxe7 l':!:dg8 2 1 .Wa8t Wb8
22.Wc6t Wc7 23.Wa8t tll b 8 24 ..if4 Wb7+
Krueger - Schueppen, corr. 2006.
l 9 . . . i;t>xd8
This is better for White compared with the
analogous line with 1 6.l':!:b l simply because
the c3-knight is not attacked. So the game
is equal after:
20.Wxfl !
20. i;t>xfl ?! ih6+ as in Zendrowski - Ibar,
email 2003, offers Black slighcly better
chances.
20 ...Wxa4 2 1 .Wxc4 Wc6
Now White can keep things level only with
a new idea:
8
If White continues in similar fashion to the
1 6.l':!:b 1 line and opens the centre, he risks
giving Black a big initiative.
17...ixg2 18.@xg2
1 8.e7?!
7
- �
%�-%.i).'
i".��.
.. .
%� �
1P' ����
�
"-- - :<���
�
s � r� �
�
�� ��
-----"•
0,0,•
v�
- . %�
��
�
3 � • • w�
r;�- %�0,�
0,�,_, %
2 ,�
�- - -%.�
6
4
....
0,
"-
a
..
b
c
d
e
f
g
. .. .
h
22.l':!:dl !N
22.Wxf7?! tll e 5! 23.l':!:dl t �c8 24.Wd5 lll f3 t
25.i;t>g2 Wfxd5 26.l':!:xd5 lll xg5 27.l':!:xg5
i;t>d7+ Laitinen - Sammalvuo, Helsinki
1 990.
22 ... i;t>cs 23.if4!
Stopping any ... lll e 5 ideas as well as
improving the bishop with ...id6.
23 ...We6 24.Wb5 a6 25.Wd3 l':!:g8
44
Bocvinnik
With the idea ...Ei:g6.
25 . . .ih6 is also equal bur the position is
chaotic once again.
26.'Wf3 lii b6 27.a3 Ei:g6 28.axb4 c4 29.b5
axb5 30.Ei:d6 ixd6 3 1 .Wc6t <ii d8 32.Wxb6t
\t>d7 33.Wb?t <ii e8 34.Wc6t Wd7 35.Wast
Wd8 36.Wc6t
Black cannot avoid perpetual check.
�
· ��� �� ��
,,,,
�
,
7�
lj)
'
i
"
L,%� �� ��n� ��
6 _,_�_,,,,
- � lS f�, %,
•
�-,%- //,- ,,,,,r,�
• � �� ��
� � , , ,%�&,�
�n� ��
lS r�
2 �
,, ,%� �r�,ef@r
1 ��
IBtR"" ,
it seems like White's best option as he can
practically force the draw. 27.We4 lii xel t
28.Ei:xe l Wxe4 29.Ei:xe4 c3 30.Ei:e2 We are
following 'Ludving' - 'Thamover', Internet
20 1 0, and now I propose:
8
5
4
3
"
a
,
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
18 ...Wfc6t 19.8
1 9.Wf3?? is a blunder that White has
committed several times m practice:
1 9 ...Ei:xh2t and White can resign at his leisure,
for example Aseev - Bagirov, Helsinki 1 992.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
30 ... Ei:b8!N 3 1 .h5 a5 32.axb4 (32.f4?! or
something similar is met by 32 ... c4, threatening
... cxb2 followed by ... c3, when White is in real
danger oflosing the game.) 32 ... cxb2 33.lii xb2
cxb4 34.g4 Ei:g8 35.Ei:e4 <±ic6= Black seems safe
while White still has to be a bit careful.
.
19 ..Wfxe6 20.Wfc2
With the terrible threat of Ei:ae l , otherwise
Black will find time for the strong . ..ih6!.
20 lii eS 2 Ufael i;d4 22.h4 �d6 23.a3!
If Black is not disturbed he will gain the
initiative.
•.•
23 WfdS
The prophylactic 23 ... <ii b ? and the solid
23...Ei:e8 seem like decent options as well.
•••
24.WffSt \t>c7 2s.i;e2
25.if4 was criticized by Shirov due to the
pseudo-sacrifice 25 ... Ei:xf4 26.Wxf4, and now
26...lii d 3 regains the exchange. Nevertheless
2S ... @c6!!1=
This was slightly better for Black in Nikolic
- Shirov, Wijk aan Zee 1 993, as he is ready to
play ... lii d3 and his centralization is impressive.
45
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6.tZ:la4
B) 17.a3
Bl) 19.ie3
Trying to open lines against the castled black
king.
White couldn't save the d5-pawn anyway, so
he removes the bishop from the vulnerable
g5-square to a strong centralized position.
17... tlJbS!
19 ... ixdS 20.ixdS :gxd5 21.Wfe2 tlJ c6
22,:gfcl
Again the brainchild of the Timoscenko/
Sveshnikov analyst team. Black pins the white
d-pawn and intends to just rake it!
1 8.axb4 cxb4
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Historically Bl) 19.ie3 was the first
attempt from White to gain an advantage at
chis juncture, so we ought to cover this line
first. Ocher moves are B2) 19.Wfd4 and the
universally proposed B3) 19.Wfg4.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22... c!tJeS!
After a series of successes with White in this
line in 1 98 1 , Kasparov had to face Tai in the
1 983 USSR Spartakiad (Team Championship)
and the great magician unleashed chis powerful
novelty, which essentially buried White's hopes
for seeking an advantage after 1 9.ie3.
22 ...tll a 5!?
This is perhaps not the most desirable
defence, but as I don't see anything wrong
with it theoretically I will give it as an
alternative.
23.b3
23.ixa??! \t>b7 24.tZ:lbG? c3!+ is an
instructive line given by Kasparov.
23 ...c3 24.tll xc3!
Otherwise White has nothing, but now he
gets a strong attack.
24 ...bxc3 25.Elxc3t
46
Borvinnik
24.tLlb6 c3! 25.Wxb5 �xb5 26.bxc3 i.c5
27.tLlc4 tLixc4 28.cxb4 i.xa7 29.�xc4 ms+
was seen in Burgess - Brautsch, Aarhus
1 989, where a similar endgame to our main
line occurred, but this is a better version
for Black with an extra pair of rooks on the
board.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
25 ... lt>d7 26.l.Mfc2 lLi c6!
This move improves on the old 26 ... i.d6?
27.�cl Wb7, after which 28.b4!± enabled
Kasparov to win two decisive games at the
1 98 1 USSR championship against Dorfman
and Timoscenko.
27.�cl lLid8!
With the following point:
28.�c7t <ii e8 29.�xa7 �hh5 30.b4 �hf5=
As in Klimakovs - Pellen, email 20 1 0. Black
will take the f6-pawn next and stand no worse
at all.
22 ... c3 is another move which seems dubious,
bur concrete analysis has failed to refute it.
After 23.Wxb5 �xb5 24.lLixc3 bxc3 25.�xc3
lt>d7 26.�a6 tLld8 27.�xa7t Kasparov himself
gives 27 ... lLi b7!N as best, after which my
computer doesn't see any advantage for White.
In the aforementioned game, Kasparov tried a
familiar manoeuvre:
23.b3
Intending the same piece sacrifice as above.
23.f4 lLid3 24.�xc4t Wxc4 25.�cl '\Wxcl t
26.i.xcl lLixcl 27.'\Wc4t cii b 8 28.'\Wxcl i.d6
followed by ... �c8 is a line given by Kasparov.
The white knight is offside and Black has good
play.
23.i.xa7?! lt>b7 24.i.e3
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
24 ... �d3! 25.�fl
25.f4? �xh2! 26.lt>xh2 �xe3! 27.'\Wdl and
now: 27 ... �e l !N (27 ... �d3 was also fine for
Black in Koopmans - Van der Muysenberg,
corr. 1 99 1 ) 28.'\Wh5 '\Wd5 Black has a clear
advantage.
25 ...i.d6 26.f4 tLlg4 27.'\Wxg4 �xe3+
Black was better in Goldenberg Meleghegyi, corr. 1 989, and won quickly after
a further inaccuracy by White.
23 ... c3 24.llixc3 bxc3 25.�xc3t
47
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6.llia4
25 'it> bS! 26.Wfc2 id6 27.ixa?t 'it> b7
28.b4
White has the threat of E:a5 which Tai met
with 28 . ..tt:lc6, but a stronger continuation
exists:
•..
partner, the latest edition of Stockfish equipped
with tablebases, prefers Black's position ever so
slightly.
B2) 19.Wfd4
Shirov brought this move into the public's
attention after a quick win against GM Oil in
Tilburg 1 992, but no big names made it their
pet line. It was not until recently that Sakaev
wrote in his book that he thinks this is the best
move in this position.
19 ...c!lic6!
1 9 ...E:xd5? 20.Wfxa7 tt:lc6 2 1 .llib6t Wc7
22.if4t id6 23.tt:lxd5t exd5 24.ixd6t
Wxd6 25.Wfe3 and Black didn't last long in the
aforementioned game Shirov - Oil, Tilburg
1 992.
8
7
6
5
��
, , ,Y, m: �
m
'
�
�
�
�
�
L.J �� � � n� ��
%
•
�� �
'"""�• r�� •
%
�
,,,,,%
� m�
� mif��-�
�if��-��
3 __ _ _%m im �wrJ- 2 �m �m �n-- - �� -- - %,
�
4
1
a
� � -
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
33. ic?
This position was tested in some old
correspondence games where neither side was
terribly accurate, but the evaluation should be
that Black is at least equal. My trusted analysis
..
Magnus Carlsen even tried a slightly different
version: 20.tt:lb6t!? axb6 2 1.dxc6! ixc6! (not
2 1 ...E:xd4? 22.cxb?t Wc7 23.E:a8+-) 22.ixc6
Wfxc6 23.Wfg4 Wb7! (After 23 ... ic5 24.E:a7!
things were much less clear in Carlsen - Smeets,
Wijk aan Zee 20 10, and White won a good
game.) 24.b3 c3 25.Wfe2 ih6! 26.ixh6 E:xh6
48
Botvinnik
is met now by 23 ... bxc3 24.bxc3 !h6! 25.E:fb l
(25.cxd4 !xe3 26.fxe3 c3 is good for Black)
25 ... E:dl t! 26.E:xd l !xe3 27.fxe3 'Wb2!+ and
Black has proved his superiority in a handful of
correspondence and internet games.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White is not able to generate enough threats
to counterbalance Black's trumps. An example
was 27.'Wa6t ©c7 28.E!:fd l E:hh8 29.E:xd8
E:xd8 30.'We2 E:d2 3 1 .'Wh5 c2 32.E:cl ©d6
33.'Wg4 'Wd5 34.'Wxb4t ©c6 35.'Wc3t ©d7
36.E:fl 'Wd3 and White gave up in Duvette Dabija, email 20 1 1 .
20... :Bxd4 21.cxb7t <±ib8!
2 1 ...@c?? 22.ie3 e5 23.lt:Jc3! led to a
disaster for Black in Kamsky - Kramnik, New
York 1 994. After 23 ... bxc3 24.bxc3 we would
play 24 ...!h6 if the king was on b8, but this
now fails because of the line: 25.cxd4 !xe3
26.E:fb 1 !+22.ie3 e5
23.b3!
The analogous 23.lt:Jc3 from Kamsky's game
23.E!:fe l !h6 24.f4 !xf4 (24 ... E:hd8!?N is a
less violent alternative) 25.gxf4 E:g8 26.!xd4
(26.©h l E:xg2 27.@xg2 'Wd5t 28.©gl 'Wf3
draws) 26 ... exd4 27.E:e5 'Wa6 28.©f2 'Wxf6
29.lt:Jc5 and a draw was agreed in Yeremenko
- Noble, corr. 20 1 1 , because of the line
29 ...'Wxf4t 30.©gl E:xg2t 3 1 .©xg2 'Wg4t.
23.E!:fd l ?? Oops! 23 ... E:xdl t 24.E:xdl !d6
and White resigned in Evans - Anderson, corr.
20 1 2, as the stranded knight at a4 will cause
White further problems. For instance, after
25.E:al 'Wa5 the pin is very annoying.
23...c3 24.:Bfdl
24.E:ad 1 ?! allows Black to save his rook
with 24 ... E:d6! and after 25.E:fe l a5 26.h4
E:d3 27.!e4 E:xdl 28.E:xdl !h6 29.ic5 !d2
30.!d6t @a7 3 1 .E:al c2 White had to save
himself from trouble by giving a perpetual
with: 32.!c5t ©b8 33.id6t ©a7 34.!c5t
@b8 35.ixc2 ©xb7 36.!e4t @b8 37.!d6t
@a7 38.!c5t Borstnik - Efremov, email 20 1 1 .
Once again our opening hero!
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6.lll a4
24....th6!
24 ...�d6?? is now met by 25.lll xc3 bxc3
26.i.xa?t and something nasty happens!
25.i.xd4
25.�xd4?! exd4 26.ixd4 c2 27.lll c 5 �e8
28.ifl Wfc6 29.llia6t <ii xb7 30.ig2 c l =Wft
3 1 .�xcl ixcl 32.ixc6t <iixc6 33.llixb4 t
'tt> b 5+ and although some correspondence
games have proved that White can hold the
draw with super-accurate play, this is not
pleasant for White to defend in practice.
25 ...exd4 26J�xd4
Even at this point a draw was agreed in
Napalkov - Efremov, email 20 1 0, but we need
to continue our investigation a bit further:
49
second positional queen sacrifice just in this
particular line!
28.bxc4 �d8!
This was awarded a double exclamation
mark by Sakaev, but I think one is fair! The
move becomes rather obvious as soon as you
discover White's main threat.
28 ... cl =Wft 29.�xcl ixcl 30.llic5 (30.id5 is
also better for White, and if 30...b3 3 l .llic5
White has the same threat) and now Black
cannot start collecting pawns with 30 ...�h6
because of 3 1 .llia6#.
29 ..tf3
Otherwise Black plays ...�dl t. lhe net effect
is that Black has improved his rook without a
loss of tempo.
29 ...cl=Wl't 30.�xcl i.xcl 31.llic5
3 1 .id5 is mer by 3 1 ...b3 and 32.llic5 �xd5!.
3 1 . .. �d6
27Jk4
27.f4?? Wfe2! 28.�e4 Wfd2 29.�eel was seen
in Krush - Wang, Philadelphia 201 1 , and now
Black missed the crushing 29 ...ixf4!N with
the simple point 30.gxf4 �g8.
27...Wl'xc4!
Tactical solutions like this occur again and
again in the Botvinnik - that's part of the
fascination. Come to think about it, this is the
50
Botvinnik
B3) 19.Wfg4
8
• ��
--��
,,,
�I'� , , ,Y,� ,,��
�
%�
'�
��
!�, , %�h' �
�
��
�
�
5 ��m 8 m �
� �� lJ�-r
3 • ,� �� �,
�t��,o;�, , %�r�
n� ��
2 �t��
t�
m
%
,
,
1 /� , � �-�d"" ,
1
6
"
4
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
h
This has been by far the most commonly
played move and it has been recommended
for White by both Kaufman and yours truly
in our respective repertoire works. However,
some new discoveries in correspondence
games prove chat Black draws in a critical
rook endgame - despite being a pawn down
in some lines!
19 ...ixdS 20.�fcl
White loses lots of time after 20.i.xd5 :B:xd5
2 l .i.e3 (2 l .i.f4 ll:lc6 22.:B:fcl :B:d4 23.Wf e2 Wf d5
was better for Black in Bacrot - Fier, Le Porc­
Marly 20 1 2) 2 1 ...ll:lc6 22.Elfc l . Now Black
cannot play ... Eld4 as we saw in the Fier game
above, but 22 ... lll e 5 23.'1We4 '1Wc6! is possible,
threatening ...:B:d l t. 24.Wg2 i.h6! 25.Elel
fll d3 is much better for Black; let's follow an
instructive example from this position:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
26.Ele2 i.xe3 27.:B:xe3 :B:hh5 28.�g l :B:he5
29.'1Wg2 Elxe3 30.fxe3 lll e 5 3 1 .h4 c3 Black won
in a few moves in Buj - Pappier, corr. 1 993.
20 ... tlic6 21.ixdS �xd5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22.�xc4!
22.'1Wxc4? �dl t 23.�xdl '1Wxc4 was a disaster
for White in Olund - Sanzhaev, Maribor 2012.
22.i.e3 lll e 5 23.'1We4 '1Wc6 transposes to the
line we saw above.
22 .. J�xgS 23.Wfd4!
This is White's best. Her majesty the queen
steps out of trouble and stops Black from
bringing his bishop into play via c5, while
threatening the a7-pawn in the process.
23.'1We4 i.c5! (23 ... �b??! 24.�acl '1Wd5
25.'\Wxd5 Elxd5 26.Elxc6 was better for White
in Shirov - Sjugirov, St Petersburg 20 13,
although Black managed to hold on. Don't
forget that Black is a pawn down after all!)
24.b3 ms 25.Elacl i.xf2t 26.©g2 ©b8
27.'1Wxc6 '1Wxc6t 28.Elxc6 i.d4= and Black can
feel rather safe in this endgame. 29 .El l c2 Elxf6
30.Eld2 i.e3 3 1 .Ele2 i.d4 32.Eld2 i.e3 33.Ele2
i.d4 Yz-Yz Harikrishna - Mulyar, Toronto
201 0.
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6 .lll a4
23 ... @bs 24.E:xc6
White wastes no time. Otherwise ... lll e 5 is
coming and White is in big trouble.
51
his position for real, he will allow Black the
counterplay that he needs in order to equalize
completely.
26.E:dl
Okay, for now the knight cannot be taken,
so White activates his rook and stops . . .�d6.
26.b3 �d6! 27.:B:dl :B:d8 threatens ...�c5!
and so 28.'\Mfe3 :B:c8 29.'\Mrd4 :B:d8 30.iMfe3 :B:c8
3 1 .'\Mfd4 :B:d8 was agreed drawn in Perez Sevian, Saint Louis 20 1 3.
26.. .'IWc?!
26 ... '\Mrxa4? 27.'\Mfd8t Wb7 28.:B:d7t +-
25.fx:g3
Opening the h-file here with 25.hxg3?
should not even be considered. 25 ...'\Mrxc6 will
give White major problems on h l !
25 ...iMfxc6
The material balance has been restored and
both kings are exposed, but certainly the black
one much more so. Also White's pieces seem
more active, but a closer scrutiny reveals that
it is far from this simple. Let's use the knight
to illustrate this: maybe you would think that
the knight can prove to be a useful piece if it
is regrouped via b2, but then you realize the
problem, namely that when this knight moves
it will allow the f8-bishop to enter the game
decisively on c5! This means the knight has
to remain offside on a4. So, although from a
first glance it may seem that White has decent
chances to claim an advantage, practice and
analysis shows that in fact we can call this
position a "positional draw" - in the sense
that whenever White decides to improve
This innocent-looking little retreat, which
guards against checks, is in fact the key move
for Black here; emphasizing that White
cannot really improve his position. Both h2h3 and g3-g4 are stopped and if White tries
to improve his king, say via g2, a check will
come from the long diagonal. If White stops
that by putting his queen on the long diagonal
then ...�d6 will be allowed, while any rook
move on the d-file will allow a check from
c l . Once again White's position looks nice,
but he cannot really do anything to make
progress.
27.b3
52
Botvinnik
This is an improving move, I will give that to
White, but what next?
27.Wd2 a5 28.Wd7 (28.Wd4 b3!= and the
bishop gets an extra square on b4) 28 ....ic5t
was given by Kaufman as satisfactory for Black,
Kaufman - Kevin Wang, USA 201 1 .
27.mn
This does not particularly improve White's
position, and Black could even "pass" a
move as he does in the main line by moving
his king to c8, but the fact that in many
positions the bishop won't come to c5 with
tempo may make a significant difference; so
let's call White's last move a sneaky try, and
equalize at once with:
27 ... Elh5!
With the simple idea of giving a check on f5.
28.Wd8t Wc8
33.'tt> h3 Wfl t 34.mg4 We2t
34 ...Wxf6!? once again seems okay for Black,
as in Schroeder - Tseng, corr. 20 12.
35.mgs We3t 36.mh4 Wh6t 37.'tt>g4 Wg6t
38.mf3 Wxf6t 39.me4 .id6
Now in Bross - Efremov, email 201 1 , the
two strong correspondence players called it a
day. White's king is too exposed to allow him
to play for anything here.
28.�e4
Taking the long diagonal with tempo.
29.b3
29.Eld7 Elf5t 30.'tt>g2 Elxf6 3 1 .Wxc8t (3 1 .h4
.ig7 32.Wxc8t mxc8 33.Elxa7 ms 34.ttJb6t
md8= and Black shouldn't be worried, Aberg
- Daus, email 20 1 0.) 3 1 ...'tt>xc8 32.Elxa7
md8 33.Ela8t me7 34.Ei:b8 .ih6= Black
was fine in Fleetwood - Noble, corr. 20 1 2.
Next comes ...Ei:f5 to improve the rook or
35.Ei:xb4N .ie3=.
29 ... Ei:d5! 30.Elxd5 exd5 3 1 .Wfxd5 Wa6t
32.mg2 We2t
32 ...Wxf6 may be okay for Black, but why
not try to win this pawn with check?
28.We3 mb8 29.Wd2 .ic5t= Bancevich, Agrafenin, corr. 20 1 2 .
28.Wd3 .ic5t
28 ... Ei:h5!? is also possible, as in Anderson Lumley, corr. 20 1 2.
29.ltJxc5 Wxc5t 30.'tt> fl 1Mfc3
30 ...Wf5t 3 l .Wxf5 exf5 is a less appealing
endgame.
3 1 .Wxc3t bxc3 32.h4 e5! 33.me2 c2 34.Ei:cl
md7 35.Elxc2 me6
After 35 ...Ei:b8!? I have numerous blitz games
between engines in my database which prove
53
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6.lll a4
this endgame to be a draw.
36.gc6t \t>f5 37.Wf3 e4t 38.\t>e3 gbg
39.gc5t <i>xf6 40.\t>xe4 gxb3 4 1 .ga5 gxg3
42.Wf4 gg l 43.gxa7 <i>g7
Y2-Yi Kramnik, - Anand, London 20 1 4.
After the game both the players and experts
said that there was actually no game at all,
since the players knew very well that this was a
well-known draw. Of course!
2s.Wd2 ic5t 29.<i>h l
�.T.•
� �e
%,, , %� , , ,%�
'%� �
�
�
�" '��
65 1%1!���.1.
4 ��-�� �1 � .
�
3 �, �� ��' '•
1%1 �� r� �=
2
a
29 ... gh5!N
A typical and strong move. The rook enters
the game and once again solves all problems.
29 ...Wc6t 30.Wg2 Wxg2t 3 1 .Wxg2 if8
An unfortunate retreat, but the endgame
looks like something we have seen before.
This time though I am not sure if Black
is completely out of danger. 32.lll b 2!N
(32.gcl t <i>d7 33.h4 gh6 34.lll c 5t was
drawn in Kain - Penkin, corr. 20 1 2, in view
of 34 ...ixc5 35.gxc5 gxf6 36.ga5 Wd6
37.gxa7 Wc5) 32 . . . gh6 33.gfl id6 34.lt:Jc4
ic7 35.h4 Wd7 36.Wh3 gh5 37.g4 and I
prefer White's chances.
30.lt:Jxc5
30.gcl a5 3 1 .We2 Wd6!=
30 ...gxc5 3 1 .Wxb4 gel 32.gxcl
32.Wd4 gxdl t 33.Wxd l Wc3=
32 ... Wxcl t 33.Wg2 Wb2t 34.Wh3 Wxf6=
2s... @bs
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
29.Wl'd3
29.gd4 id6!
Very thematic: Black activates his bishop
when given a chance.
29 . . . Wcl t? is too rushed. After 30.Wg2
Black doesn't have a decent way to continue
because the long diagonal is well defended.
29 ...ic5? 30.tLlxc5 Wxc5 3 l .Wg2 is probably
already winning for White as Black has no
visible counterplay.
29 ... gh5!? on the other hand looks
completely playable!
30.gc4
30.\t>g2 gh5 3 1 .h4 ge5 32.Wd3 Wc6t
33.Wh3 gd5 Y2-Y2 Tazelaar - Schwarte,
email 201 1 .
30.h4 was seen in Shimanov - I. Popov,
Loo 20 1 4, and Black is fine now after
30 ...gc8!?N or the computer-inspired
30 . . . a5!N. Beware though, 30 ... ixg3?
3 l .gxb4 t loses for Black.
30 ...Wa5 3 l .Wd3 gds
Black has escaped from White's grip.
32.@g2 ic7 33.gd4 gxd4 34.Wxd4
A draw was agreed here in Bokar - Cruzado
Duenas, corr. 20 10. A good move now would
be 34 . . . Wb5.
29 .. .ic5t
Finally!
.
54
Botvinnik
30.tlJxc5
Of course 30.cj;lfl ?! has never been tried
in this position because after 30 . . . :B:xh2, or
even 30 ...'Wc6 threatening to give a check on
h 1 , Black's counterplay is very strong. White
should seek salvation in a perpetual check or
a repetition of moves, which he can in fact get
quite easily.
On the other hand 30.Wh l ? ? is a pure
blunder; Black forces checkmate starting with
30 ... 'Wc6t.
30 ...�xc5t 31.�d4
3 1 . \ti fl ?! :B:xh2 again forces White to fight
for the draw with 32.'Wd8t 'Wc8, and it seems
that he can get it with: 33.'Wd6t cj;>a8 34.'Wd8
:B:h8 35.'Wxc8t :B:xc8 36.:B:d7 a5 37.:B:xf7 a4
38.:B:d7 a3 39.g4 1he rook ending is extremely
complicated with all these passed pawns, so let
me go a bit further to prove that it is balanced.
39 ... :B:cl t 40.We2 a2 4 1 .f7 :B:el t 42.Wxel
a l ='Wt 43.cj;>e2 'Wb2t 44.Wfl 'Wh8 45.g5
cj;>bs 46.g6 cj;>cs 47.:B:a7 Wb8 48.:B:d7 and
there is no progress for either side. Of course
this variation doesn't show all the resources for
both sides, but highlights one funny endgame
that could arise.
3 1 .cj;>g2 leads to a perpetual after 3 1 .. .'Wc6t.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
31...�d!
A key move.
32.�xc3 bxc3 33,:gc1 :gcs 34.Wfl :gc5!
78 ,,�, ,,%� �%� �
·/,�
6
'l/,
'l/,
��
, ,� �� �
!��
, ' �!f,i,11
�rt� �
: ,����
� �
3 .,.�.��
%� ,,,,,.%� %�,� ----% �
w
� -�D��JJ,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
After this move Black has already equalized,
as has been shown in several correspondence
games. The rook is strong on the fifth rank
and Black will next centralize his king. Often
it goes all the way to e5 and attacks the white
kingside pawns.
35.We3
35.We2 cj;>c7 36.Wd3 cj;>d6 37.:B:xc3 :B:xc3t
38.Wxc3 We5 was agreed drawn in Jaulneau Voss, corr. 2012. The mutual protected passed
pawns balance each other out.
35 ... Wc7 36.g4
36.Wd4 cj;>d6 37.:B:xc3 :B:f5!? (37 . . . :B:xc3 is a
draw as in the previous note) 38.b4 (38.We4
38 . . . :B:xf6 39 .:B:f3 :B:h6 40.:B:xf7 :B:xh2 4 l .:B:xa7
:B:g2= Acevedo Villalba - Efremov, corr.
20 1 2.) 38 ... a5! 39.bxa5 :B:xa5 is a draw. Here
is an example that illustrates why: 40.g4 :B:a2
4 1 .E:cs e5t 42.ltie4 m2 43.g5 E:f4t 44.We3
We6 45.:B:e8t Wf5 46.:B:e7 :B:h4 47.Wf3 Wxg5
48.:B:xf7 :B:f4t 49.cj;>e3 :B:xf6 50.:B:xf6 Y2-Y2 Hall
- Noble, email 20 1 3 .
h
36...Wd6 37.h4 We5 38.g5 i>f5
55
Chapter 4 - Main Line - 1 6.lt:la4
The black king arrives just in time and keeps
the pawns under control.
39.<i>d3
39.'it>d4 E!:c8 40.E!:xc3 e5t 4 1 .'it>d3 e4t
42.'it>d2 E!:d8t Y2-Yi Stephan - Hauenstein,
corr. 20 1 2.
Conclusion
In the Main Line Botvinnik starting with
1 6.llia4 we get to our real starting position
with the moves 16 ...Wb5 1 7.a3 lt:lb8 1 8.axb4
cxb4. Here White can try 1 9 ..ie3, but after
1 9 ....ixd5 20 . .ixd5 E!:xd5 2 1 .We2 llic6 22.E!:fcl
Black gets good play with Tal's 22 ... llie5!.
The spectacular queen sacrifice 1 9.Wd4 lt:lc6
20.dxc6!? is not enough for an advantage.
After 20 ... �xd4 2 1 .cxb?t @b8! 22 ..ie3 e5
Black defends.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
39 ...<i>g4 40.h4
40.E!:xc3 E!:d5t 4 1 .'it>e4 (4 1 .@e3 @xh4 42.g6
@g5=) 4 1...E!:f5 42.E!:c? 'it>xh4 43.E!:xa? 'it>xg5
44.E!:xf7 Y2-Y2 Legemaat - Boskovic, email
201 1 . After 44 ... E!:xfG the position is a dead
draw.
40 ... �f5 41 .�hl �f3t 42.<i>c2 <i>h5 43.b5
�f5 44.<i>xc3 �xb5 45.�al a5 46.�a4 �d5
47.�e4
Y2-Y2 Persson - Serban, corr. 20 1 2.
l 9.Wg4 is clearly White's strongest
continuation, but if Black manages to navigate
through a minefield he will achieve a draw
in a rook endgame! The line that you should
memorize goes like this: 1 9....ixd5 20.E!:fcl
llic6 2 1 ..ixd5 E!:xd5 22.E!:xc4 E!:xg5 23.Wd4
'it>b8 24.E!:xc6 E!:xg3t! 25.fxg3 Wxc6 26.E!:dl
We?! 27.b3 @c8 and Black covers everything.
Botvinnik Variation Conclusion
It has been an amazing journey through one
of the sharpest and most complicated lines
that exist in the entire opening theory of chess!
What is really remarkable is that nowhere in
this tactical maze full of original attacking ideas
and clever counter-strikes did we encounter any
serious trouble. In other words, The Botvinnik
Variation in 20 1 5 is theoretically sound and
fully playable - although I must admit that it
loses some of its charm by leading to a forced
draw in so many lines. Anyway that's mainly
White's concern: with Black we can be satisfied
with a draw.
Anti-Moscow
Introduction
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.� c3 e6 5 ..ig5 h6 6 ..ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8 .ig3 b5
9.�e5
.
9 ... �bd7!
59
59
60
61
61
64
A) 10.�xc6 w.rb6
Al) l l .�e5
A2) 1 1 .d5
B) 10.�xd7
Bl) lO ...w.rxd7
B2) 1 0 ... �xd7
Al)
note co
26 . 'tt> x h7
..
A2)
note co
l 5.axb5
BI) after 22.l"lh4
57
Chapter 5 - Introduction
Tm slowing down the tune
I never liked itfast
You want to get there soon
I want to get there last
- Leonard Cohen
The Moscow and Anti-Moscow Variation has
been at the heart of Semi-Slav theory for the
lase decade. le is more positional - and I might
add much more subtle - than the outrageous
Bocvinnik Variation examined in the previous
chapters, yet it shares some of the same
directness which at the first given moment puts
the onus on White to come up with something
concrete. Or to put it in another way: White
isn't allowed to get even a tiny positional plus
just by playing safe, natural moves.
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tll f3 tll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.igS
h6!
Black doesn't give the white bishop any time
co relax and confronts it immediately. "Show
me your documents!" as Victor Bologan puts it
in a similar position in one of his entertaining
ChessBase DVDs. You have probably already
noticed chat I give the move 5 ... h6! an
exclamation mark, just as I did with 5 ... dxc4!
The justification is simple: both are very strong
moves chat fight for both the initiative and
che positional upper hand. Personally I think
chat 5 . . . h6 is a sounder and deeper move than
5 ... dxc4 and I can hardly wait to start
examining it.
Since we are having chis little discussion,
lee me emphasize chat Black can also play
5 ... tt:'lbd7 6.e3 �a5, known as the Cambridge
Springs variation of the Queen's Gambit. Bue
here I would never add an exclamation mark
co the black moves, not chat they are bad after all it is a well-respected and absolutely
playable line - but it is not in the spirit of the
Semi-Slav! In the Semi-Slav the key move is
. . . dxc4 - as we should be well aware of by now.
OK, lee's return to 5 ... h6!.
----78 ··,;
� -.i.�·- , , ,,%.,,�-��
%,,,, % : ,__ _ __ _
� �
6
� ��
� 8� � - - -��%,
�
3 � �-� mCZJm
t:,@
�i
f
2 �
�
�
Yi, ,/
.
?,
,
,
,
/
•
�
��
!
c-� ----- -� \W!�
�
�
1 �� - I§ �� � §
%
/,,,,,,�fef""
s�
� � • m% m
4
/, , , , , %
a
b
c
d
e
�
f
g
RJ
h
6.ih4!
The critical line. White is willing to sacrifice
a pawn for active play. The alternative is
6.ilxf6, also known as the Moscow Variation.
Of course Black recaptures with his queen,
giving White a lead development and a slight
positional initiative. On the other hand, Black
is very solid and the bishop pair might be a
long-term asset. The variation is examined in
depth in the next part of the book.
6... dxc4!
Aiming for an improved Bocvinnik!
7.e4 g5
Now there is no tt:'lxg5.
s.ig3 bS
Black protects his c4-pawn. This used to be
considered good for Black, as the white pawn
sacrifice seemed a bit speculative back then.
Many games and a lot of analysis later we are
wiser. After all, Black has weakened himself
on both flanks, meaning chat although White
doesn't have a clear path to an advantage he
will have plenty of dynamic possibilities - just
consider the pawn breaks a2-a4, b2-b3 or h2h4 - which will keep his initiative alive for a
long time. Many discoveries have been found
for both sides, and these days the Anti-Moscow
Variation is considered balanced.
58
Anti-Moscow
9.ie2
The big main move, but White has tried
other moves as well:
9.tt::l e 5 turns out to be the only significant
alternative to the main line, and we will study
it shortly.
9.h4 is a popular move, but in most cases it
will transpose to other lines. Let's check out
the few extra moves we need to know: 9 ... g4
1 0.tt::l e 5 tt::l b d7! This is a good move as well as
the best way to stay within our repertoire.
Now usual is l l .ie2 ib7 and we transpose
to Chapter 6, line B on page 72.
l 1 .tt::l xd7 �xd7 1 2.ie2 ib7 And we
transpose to line B3 on page 76.
l l .tt::l xc6 �b6 is an independent line but
it is not a threat to Black, as his development
is accelerated. For example: l 2.d5 (l 2.tt::l e 5
ib7 is also fine) 1 2 ...ib7 1 3 .a4 a6 Black
is comfortable. Naturally there are some
similarities with variation A below.
miserably after 1 0 ... g4 l 1 .tt::l e 5 tt::l bd7! so it
seems that che White players no longer trust
chis continuation. Nevertheless, there are
chree continuations for us co study: 1 2.tt::l xd7,
1 2.ixg4 and 12.tt::l xg4 - see Chapter 6.
After 1 0.e5 tt::l d 5, White often plays l 1 .tt::l d2,
transposing again to che line of the Botvinnik
covered as variation B of Chapter 2.
However, 1 1 .0-0 has independent value and
is examined in Chapter 6 on page 78.
10...c!libd7 1 1.c!lie5 h5!?
My choice, which seems to be doing
excellently in correspondence games. It gives
Black a relatively easy way to play compared
to the main line of l l . . .ig7, and a major
practical benefit is that you don't have to
memorize nearly as many lines.
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.c!lif3 c!lif6 4.c!lic3 e6 5.ig5
h6 6.ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 s.ig3 b5 9.c!lie5
9.e5 reaches a position that I have covered via
the Botvinnik move order. 9 ... tt::l d 5 1 0.tt::l d2
tt::l d7 l l .ie2 reaches a line I recommended for
White in my book Playing 1.d4 - The Queen's
Gambit. The latest evidence shows that Black
is very comfortable here as we have already
seen in che Botvinnik coverage in variation B
of Chapter 2! Yeah, rimes are changing.
9...ib7 10.0-0
1 0.�c2 was recommended in The Kaufman
Repertoire for Black and White but ic doesn't
seem to offer White much hope for an
advantage after correct play. 1 0 . . . tt::l bd7!
1 1 .E:dl tt::l h 5! and now forcing play scares after
1 2.d5! but Black is doing fine as we'll see in
Chapter 6 on page 70.
1 O.h4 used to be a respectable main line, but
in the last couple of years White has scored
The standard 9 ...ib7 is answered by 1 0.h4,
and although Black probably is fine here as
well I prefer the text.
59
Chapter 5 - Introduction
A) 10.c!ll xc6 is by far White's most common
choice in this line. B) 10.c!ll xd7 is the
alternative and it is examined next.
Obviously 1 0.ie2 ib7 transposes to the big
main line of the Anti-Moscow Gambit which
usually arises via the 9.ie2 ib7 1 0.lt'le5 lt'l bd7
move order.
another
8
7
A) 10.c!ll xc6 Vffb6
We immediately have
Al) 1 1 .lll eS or A2) 1 1 .dS.
After l 7.h4 lt'l f4 1 8.hxgS hxgS l 9.g3 Black
is in a better situation compared to the game,
as he can play 1 9 ... lt'lxeS! 20.dxeS lt'lxe2. Now
White should take back on e2, and Black will
have a level game after ...Vfic7. If 2 1 ..ixb6?
lt'lxc l 22.E!:xcl E!:d3 then Black is better!
split:
Al) 1 1.lll eS .ib7
Black doesn't seem to have any problems, but
it is a difficult game for both sides. Let's follow
a well-played encounter until the end:
12.f3
12.lt'lxd7 lt'lxd7 1 3.h4 ig7 1 4.hxgS hxg5
l 5.E!:xh8t ixh8 is absolutely fine for Black.
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17 ...axbS 1 8.l:!xaS .ixa8 19.h4 lll f4 20.hxgS
hxg5 21.g3 lll xe2
2 1 . . .lt'lxeS 22.dxeS lt'lxe2 23.ixb6 lt'lxcl
24.ixd8 now doesn't work for Black. After
24 ... b4 he has some dangerous compensation,
but my PC defends easily against all the tricks
and claims an advantage for White.
22.'itixe2 b4 23.c!ll a4 VfibS 24.VfixgS l:!bS
25.l:!h7 c3t 26.'itiel
This was Volkov - Halliwell, corr. 20 1 3, and
here the two players agreed a draw. This was
because of the following line:
13.a4 a6 14..if'2 0-0 15 ..ie2 l:!fd8 16.Vficl
Planning to strike with h2-h4.
16... c!ll hS 17.axbS
26... 'itixh7
I would actually be tempted to try
26 . . .VfixeS!? 27.dxeS 'it>xh7 where there is
certainly some play left in the position; I don't
think that Black is significantly worse, if he is
worse at all!
27.VfihSt 'itigS 28.Vfixf7t 'itihS 29.VfihSt
With a perpetual check.
60
Anti-Moscow
A2) 1 1 .d5
19 ... aS is also possible: 20.<;t>c2 0-0-0 2 1 .h4
and now 2 1 ...fS! was equal in Percze - Van
Unen, email 20 1 1 .
20.bxa6 <;t>e7!
8
.i • • • ��
��,, ,,
� ���� ��
�
J
! �% , /)�?,,
.
�r"
ef
�r
�
�
'1
'1
�
ar
'
�
�
��;(. . . : L.%. . . %�
�� ��-�
43 -��
� ��j£}�[!}-J��
�'1�%[!}��
t!:i '1£'.i-�
::t ·"� ;�� "•t
7
6
s
W'
.
.
. .
2
1
12 ...a6 13.i.e2 i.xc6!
l 3 . . . �g7 is also fine for Black, but let's keep
things simple when we can.
14.dxc6 '11*fxc6 15.axb5
This move was chosen by Nakamura in his
battle against Anand in the 20 1 1 Grand Slam
final, but in correspondence chess, where this
position has been tested much more than in
over-the-board play, another move is in the
front line:
1 5.eS!? lll d 5 1 6.lll xdS '1Wxd5!
This is Black's safest choice.
1 6 ... exdS 1 7.0-0 lll c5 1 8.axbS axb5
l 9.l"lxa8t '1Wxa8 20.�f3 �g7 2 1 .�xdS '1Wc8 is
also possible. Black drew the game in Akdag
- Ljubicic, email 20 1 1 , but he seems under
a bit of pressure. Also, exchanging queens
doesn't mean that you have to immediately
agree to a draw, as the resulting ending is far
from lifeless.
1 7.'1Wxd5 exd5 1 8.axbS �b4t 1 9.<;t>dl lll c 5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
%
h
I have several games - all draws! - in my
database of correspondence games, with
che highest raced encounter being Lafarga
Santorroman - Herrel, corr. 20 1 0. Black has
confirmed char he is fine in chis position and
can of course cry to win as chere is a loc of play
left.
15 ... axb5 16.l3xa8t '11*fxa8 17.0-0
17.tll xbS?! does not yield anything after
1 7 ... �b4 t followed by castling - as noced by
Moradiabadi. Black would chen be betcer.
61
Chapter 5 - Introduction
1 8.eS
l 8.if3?!N is met strongly by l 8 ... e5!
1 9. lll d5 ig7 and Black will take on d5 next.
18 ... lll ds 19.lll xdS
1 9.if3N lll 7 b6 20.lll e4 ic5 is given as
dynamically equal by Moradiabadi and he
seems right, though in practice I'd like to take
the side with the extra pawn!
19 ...'IWxdS 20.'!Wal '1Wb7!
Sakaev gave this as a novelty, but it has since
been played in Kazoks - Destruels Moreno,
corr. 2014.
B) IO.lll xd7
White refuses to take the pawn and plays
more in line with the Anti-Moscow! Black can
recapture with the queen or the knight and
both seem absolutely fine, so I will examine
them in turn: Bl) 10 ...'1Wxd7 and B2)
10... lll xd7.
Bl) 10 ...\Wxd7 1 1 .�eS
l l .ie2 ib7 1 2.0-0 h5 once more transposes
to a major tabiya that I will examine later.
l l ...�g7 12.'\Wf.3 '1We7
20 ...ig7 2 1 .:B:dl Wc5 22.Wa8t 'i!Je7 23.'Wb7
:B:d8 24.if3 was the course of the game
Nakamura - Anand, Sao Paolo 201 1 . Black
is under a bit of pressure, but after John
Bartholomew's suggestion of 24 ...Wc8!N
25.Wxb5 'Wc7 it seems that he can hold the
balance without too much trouble.
13.h4
We are following a high-class game between
two of Asia's most promising players.
1 3.ie2 ib7 1 4.:B:dl :B:d8 1 5 .'We3 a6 is very
solid for Black:
21.�f.3 '1Wb6 22.'!Wast @e7
Black remains a pawn up and stands slightly
better. He will play ...ig7 next and finish his
development, while the king in the centre is
pretty safe for the moment.
62
Anti-Moscow
l 6.h4 (After l 6.f4N gxf4 l 7.'\Wxf4 0-0 Black
may appear to have a fragile kingside at first
sight, but he is ready to play ... c5 and White
will find it difficult to prepare an attack with
such a mess in the centre. For instance, 1 8.0-0
lll h 7! 1 9 .ixg7 Wxg7 20.h4 c5 and in all lines
Black seems fin e.) 1 6 ... l"i:g8 l 7.hxg5 at this
point in Kregelin - Lupini, corr. 20 1 3, a draw
was agreed. Indeed after 1 7 ... hxg5 Black faces
no problems with ... c5 about to happen.
13 ...l"i:gS
A typical way to respond to the pressure
on the h-file. It doesn't mean that Black has
given up hope with regards to castling though
- he intends to castle long and enjoy a sound
position. Although White didn't allow Black
to castle long in this game, Black's counterplay
was strong enough to secure the draw when
things got dangerous.
14.hxgS hxg5 1 5.Wfg3
l 5 .ie2N is simply met by l 5 . . . ib7 and
castling on the following move.
most solid is to play . . . l"i:g6 and .. ig7, while
another is to try and dislodge the bishop from
e5 with ... lll e 8 and ... f6.
%("'"'['"""�
�.1-��%� n•m.1�
�
.
: "�m*'i�.t. �
!�
,,
�
.
m:
�
.
.
�
.
�
�
•�
�� ��lS �
. . .Y,� r.�. . •
s
'
s
3 � ���� �\91
��8'•
.
!�
..
4
2
%
. %=l•�-M
a
.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17. . .cxdS 1 8.exdS .!bxd5 19.tlixb5 Wfb4
1 9 . . .'\W c5N could have been another choice,
but it is possible that Black wanted to avoid
the complications arising after 20.l"i:xd5! ixd5
2 1 .lll c7t Wd7 22.lll xd5 exd5 23.'1Wf3. We
require the help of a cold-hearted computer
to show that White doesn't have more than a
draw here.
20 . .!bd6t
20.lll c3 ie7 leads to a dynamically balanced
game. Black has an extra pawn but his king's
position is a bit uncertain.
20...ixd6 21.ixd6 Wfa4
A neutral move such as 1 7.Wb l N can be met
by 1 7 ... 0-0-0 1 8.ie2 a6 and Black is ready to
start his counterplay. He has several ideas: the
63
Chapter 5 - Introduction
22.:gh4
An imaginative way to activate the rook.
Nothing much is happening on the h-file
anyway.
22 '?Nxa2!?
This pawn was taken with a perpetual check
in mind ( ...Wal t followed by ... Wa4t) in case
things start to become more complicated than
a human can withstand.
..•
22 ... :B:c8N was certainly an alcernacive. After
23.ia3 tt:l b4 24.ixb4 Wxb4 Black will place
his bishop on d5 next. It is still an unclear
mess, but Black's chances don't appear to be
worse.
23.ia3
23.:B:xc4N needs some analysis as well.
23 ...ia6 24.:B:c5 and Black has nothing better
than to give the perpetual:
��
� i�
��a,1
��
�
!
t�% ---!�
�
- - �� �@l-�
W@
�
�
'JI)�
�
�� %i,, Y,� �� Y;it, , %�
4 �� �� �;, ,,�
3 �% �� �% ,j'jfj�
2 �� • � � 1 .,, ,%='-�-
-� i.
�
��.i.-�
w,;,��·�
��
T
�
"'�
�� 1� �,
�� �� ' ', ,
�
�
0/��4i �� �,,,�,
��n�� �%%m �r�/J�%%
3 "i!Vr
�8�
1 •-- -%=r•i�
s i, m
7
6
5
4
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
23 :gcs
Things are really heating up. Black is not able to
play ... c4-c3 next because of the annoying check
on b5, but if White gives him a spare tempo
he is ready co do it after 24 ... a6 or 24 ... ia6.
Unfortunately White is not so charitable:
..•
24.'?Nd6 :gc6 25.'?NbSt icS 26.B:xdS '?Nal t
27.'ii> c2 exd5 28.:gh6 f6
6
5
'S
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
24 ... Wal t (24 ...ixfl is met by 25.:B:dxd5!)
25.'ii> c2 Wa4t White has to agree to the
draw because after 26.Wb3? Wxb3t 27.Wxb3
ixfl 28.l'!xfl 'ii> d7+ we reach an endgame
where Black has an extra pawn. Don't forget
chat Black has a pawn more from the start
of this variation and chis pawn plus has been
preserved until now!
29 ... :gcS!
This rook might as well be taken, otherwise
White must constantly look out for ... c3.
64
Anti-Moscow
30.ixcS Wfa4t 31 .'it>cl Wfalt 32.'it>c2 Wfa4t
33. 'it>cl WTalt 34. 'it>c2
Y1-Y1 Ding - Le Quang, Saint Louis 20 1 2.
B2) 10... llJxd?
I U .i.S•- ��
s
'Jd� i)� 'i"�� Y,
" '���r����ms'
r� -'
: ��fDf�ll�%'"/;J....%� �% ���
7
6
,,,.,
� �
3- �
2
l 5.a4 0-0 ( l 5 ... b4 1 6.llib5) l 6.llixb5 llie4
1 7.:ge l :gdg 1 8.°Wcl ib7 1 9.ixc4 llixg3
20.hxg3 :gac8 2 1 .a5 'Wc6 22.ifl 'Wxc l
23.:gaxc l :gxcl 24.:gxcl ixe5 25.b4 ib8
26.llia3 'tt> f8 27.llic4 With a draw in Pierzak
- Iotov, corr. 20 1 2, though Black could have
played on. His chances with the bishop pair
are slightly superior.
w
·
'
/
�wt!l'
"" % " ";- �fldwtj
d �,=�·i
a
b
c
1 1...ih?
l l ...b4N is analysed briefly by Sakaev in his
book, reaching the conclusion of "unclear",
but I think that the text is more solid.
d
e
f
g
h
The d7-square is an excellent post for the
knight; it controls e5 and is out of reach from
any white pawns. On the downside Black's
position is a bit passive, so he must aim to
activate his pieces at a convenient moment.
1 1.h4
l l .ie2 ig7 1 2.0-0 'Wb6! applies pressure
on d4, and afrer l 3.e5 c5 l 4.dxc5 llixc5 Black
is a pawn up with a dangerous majority and is
ready to play . . .ib7. However, in the following
correspondence game White managed not to
collapse and reached a defendable endgame:
12.Wfd2
12.hxg5 forces the unusual 1 2 ... 'Wxg5 but it
turns out that it is not so bad for Black after
1 3.°Wc2 ie7. Black needs only two moves
( ...'Wg7 and ... 0-0-0) in order to claim a
better game. Note that 1 4 ... 0-0-0? will
lose to l 5 .ih4, so White first plays l 4.ih4
'Wg6 1 5.ixe7 mxe7 1 6.0-0-0. Nevertheless
after 1 6 ... b4 1 7.llia4 c5 1 8.d5 exd5 1 9.exd5
'Wxc2t 20.mxc2 md6 2 1 .ixc4 :gag8 Black
stood fine in Mikhalchuk - B. Ivanov, corr.
20 1 2.
s
IR S• � ��
wi/
. . .%�f�'
�i)� �'i"���,.,'%§,
�
5 ��-·�· -�· -�-"/i'
.fDf•
'•
-��
, , -�-""
7
6
'
%
.
4
..%
3
.
CD
. . ,;�. 0,ft/i�1 �-. . %., - %=1£� r
2
...
a
b
c
.
d
e
f
g
h
12 ... :ggs 13.hxgS hxgS
1 3 ...'Wxg5N doesn't seem bad either, and
after 1 4.if4 'Wg6 Black is ready to continue
with ... 0-0-0 and ...ig7. Still, it is more solid
Chapter 5
-
to keep the structure intact unless you are
forced to do otherwise.
14.ie2 VNa5 1 5.0-0 0-0-0
8
�-�-
1
��
- .i. Ulj)U i U
6 UiUiU -
1'iTn!•'*'•
s B � � �,r
��r?,m, , :'-,,., _���,�'
, ,��
�
4
3 "
2
1
[j 8 � '
8 f[j.��f
, ,, ,/,·j
�-,,,,/,
�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
The position is double-edged but Black
is still a pawn up - which must count for
something. In the following correspondence
game Black prevailed and I will present it
without annotations just for inspiration:
16.VNc2 lbf6 17.�fdl �h8 18.e5 llid5
19.llie4 ie7 20.a4 VNb6 2 1.a5 VNc7 22.b3
cxb3 23.VNxb3 @b8 24.a6 ic8 25.llif6
VNb6 26.VNf.3 llib4 27.VNc3 La6 28.if.3
ib7 29.VNa3 @as 30.VNb2 llid5 31.ixd5
exd5 32.VNd2 c5 33.dxc5 hc5 34.VNxg5 d4
35.�d3 ib4
White resigned in Fagerstrom - Simakhin,
corr. 20 1 2.
65
Introduction
Conclusion
On 9.lll eS a good answer is 9 ... tll b d7! If White
takes the pawn with 1 0.tll xc6 Black gets good
play with 10 . . . Wb6, and now either 1 1 .lll e S
ib7 1 2.f3 ig7 or 1 1 .dS ib7 and the knight
is in trouble.
After 1 0.tll xd7 Wxd7 1 1 .ieS ig7 1 2.Wf3 We7
1 3.h4 �g8 the position is unclear, but Black is
not worse at all.
1 0.tll xd7 lll xd7 is the more flexible recapture.
Black gets a fully playable position after l 1 .h4
ib7 1 2.Wd2 :B:g8 1 3.hxgS hxgS 1 4.ie2 WaS
followed by long castling.
Anti-Moscow
9.ie2 ih7 Sidelines
-
Variation Index
I .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.lDf3 lDf6 4.lD c3 e6 S.�gS h6 6.�h4 dxc4 7.e4 gS 8.�g3 bS
9.�e2
9 ...�b7
A) 10.�c2 lD bd7!
Al) 1 1 .lDd2!?
A2) 1 1 .:gdl
B) 1 0.h4 g4 1 1 .lDeS lD bd7!
Bl) 1 2.�xg4
B2) 12.lDxg4
B3) 12.lDxd7
C) 10.eS lD dS 1 1 .0-0
B2) after l 6.�xc4
67
67
69
72
73
74
76
78
C) nore ro ! 6.�xc4
B3) after 25 .�e3
a
1 6 . . .�d6!
b
26 . . ElgSN
c
d
.
e
f
g
h
Chapter 6
-
9 .!e2 !b7 - Sidelines
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.!g5
h6 6.ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 s.ig3 h5 9.!e2 ih7
67
to go for Black, as was shown i n the game
Johansson - Nizky, corr. 20 1 3. White had
gained a dangerous initiative and went on to
win.
10 ... g4?! l 1 .tll e 5 Wxd4? wins a pawn but is
far too risky. After 1 2.:gdl Wb6 White already
has a spectacular continuation: l 3.tll g6! fXg6
l 4.e5 With a winning attack.
Our next branching point sees us consider the
new and logical idea Al) l 1 .lll d2!?, before
moving on to the more standard A2) 1 1.�dl .
Al) l I.lll d2!?
White simply stops Black's plan of playing
... tll h 5 on the next move.
1 0.0-0 is covered in the next chapter.
A) 10.°Wc2
White slightly improves the position of his
queen and makes room for the rook to go
to d l .
1 1 .. .h5 seems attractive due to the fact that
there is no longer a knight attacking rhe
g5-pawn, but it is definitely a bit premature.
After 1 2.h4 g4 1 3.0-0t White has the plan
of playing :gfd l and a2-a4 with good pressure
for his pawn. Nevertheless, che . . . h5 idea may
68
Anti-Moscow
be valid at some point and so it shouldn't be
dismissed.
A move like l l ...a6 or 1 1 ...ie?, waiting for
1 2.0-0 before playing 12 ... h5, is maybe
sounder, but I prefer the plan of luring the
rook to d l now instead of giving White the
option of castling and putting the king's rook
on d l .
12.gdl
1 2.h4?! is met by 12 ... g4, and ... tll h 5
becomes a possibility again while the d4-pawn
still hangs.
1 2.0-0-0?! is not great either, as after l 2 ... a5
Black's position has the greater potential. He is
material up and already has some initiative on
the queenside.
1 2 ..ie7
Another point of putting the queen on b6
so early reveals itself after 1 2 ... c5!?N. It is
risky, but I am not sure if White has any way
to exploit this! After 1 3.d5 exd5 1 4.exd5 ig7
1 5.h4 ( 1 5.tll de4 tll xe4 1 6.Wxe4t ©f8 seems
fine for Black as well) 1 5 ... 0-0 l 6.hxg5 hxg5
the position is unclear, but it seems that Black
is doing fine. He has a good way of regrouping
his kingside forces with . . . :gfe8 and ... tll f8-g6.
14. gc8!?
Putting the rook in contact with the queen
down the c-file is a logical way to improve on
the following game:
..
14 . . . :gdg l 5.b3! cxb3 l 6.tll xb3 :gc8 l 7.a5 Wa7
l 8.e5 tll d 5 l 9.tll x d5 cxd5 20.Wd2 b4 2 1 .:gcl
ic6 22.Wd3 :gc7 23.Wxa6 Wxa6 24.ixa6 0-0
25.id3 :gfc8 26.:gal :ga8 Now after 27.f4!,
planning to reroute the bishop to a better place
at d2, White was already practically winning
in Johansson - A.S. Ivanov, corr. 20 1 2.
1 4 ... h5!?N is the idea I told you to have in
mind if White castles, and this time it seems to
produce an exciting, unclear game with good
chances for Black. A sample continuation is:
1 5.h4 ( 1 5.h3 g4 1 6.h4 :gc8!? will probably
transpose to 1 4 ... :gc8) 1 5 ... gxh4 1 6.ixh4
tll g 4!? 1 7.ixe? i;xe7 l 8.tll f3 :gag8?
.
13.a4 a6 14.0-0
1 5.@hlN
This move was suggested by Johansson in his
ChessPublishing notes.
1 5.b3
This standard break is not so strong here.
1 5 . . . cxb3 1 6.Wxb3N
1 6.tll xb3 can be met by 1 6 . . . h5 with a total
mess, though after l 7.h3 a draw was agreed
in Bacrot - Lenic, Italy 20 1 5. Maybe more
prudent is 1 6 ... 0-0 preparing for ... c5 with
excellent play.
69
Chapter 6 - 9 .ie2 ib 7 - Sidelines
1 6 ... 0-0!
Black finishes development and intends
to play actively with ... c5. The cl-pawn is
probably now hanging as well.
1 6 ... 1l;Vxd4? was premature: 1 7.lll c4 'Wa7
1 8 .lll d Gt With a crushing attack for White.
1 7.e5
An attempt to guard the d4-pawn, but Black
has a clever response:
l 7 ... lll e 8!
With the idea of ... lll g7-f5 . Black still has
the ... c5 break in mind and has the better
chances. 1 7 ... lll d 5 l 8.lll xd5 cxd5 1 9.axb5
axb5 20.'Wxb5 'Wxb5 2 1 .ixb5 lll b 6 cannot be
worse for Black either, but there is no reason to
let White escape with a draw!
1 7.i.xh4 lll g4 1 8.i.xe7 i>xe7 Black has a
pleasant game.
1 6.f4 h4 1 7.i.el gxf4 1 8 .Ei:xf4 h3 opens the
long diagonal and exposes the white king to all
kinds of tactics.
16...g4 17.h4
White must strive to keep the position
closed.
15 ... hS!
��
� %� %�.;/� %� � .
�.i � - �
�.
: !'!ITA
s B'i"a�a" l(t
8
...
/
8m•D8m m
4�
%?r!ef � ��
3 � '�.J
���:,mtM�%!-�
w.�r% . .
2 r�vm � r� 8 r�
..
.. . %.� ;·,·�
,
"' .. .,/,
a
b
c
d
...
.
e
f
g
h
A rypical offensive thrust from Black on the
kingside, and we will see it again and again
throughout this coverage of the Anti-Moscow.
The bishop on g3 is quite vulnerable and there
is an immediate threat of ... h4.
16.h3
White is hoping to play f2-f4 and prepares a
retreat post for the bishop on h2.
After 1 6.h4 Black can play in a similar fashion
to the note to 1 4 ... h5N above: 1 6 ... gxh4
1 8.f3
1 8.f4 is worse: 18 ... c5 1 9.d5 exd5 20.exd5
lll e 8! and Black is at least equal. We see another
point of putting the king on f8: the e8-square
becomes available for the knight!
18 ... cS 19.dS exd5 20.exdS id6 21.f4 Ei:h6!?
Again, it is Black if anyone who has the
slightly more comfortable position.
A2) 1 1 .�dl
White activates his rook and toys with the
dangerous d4-d5 break. What to do? Quiet
play isn't that comfortable, so with our next
move let's provoke the aforementioned central
70
Anti-Moscow
break! This is very cunning: we force the play
at a moment when our defensive resources are
more than capable of withstanding the assault.
The knight is on its way to the fantastic
f5-square.
The standard move 1 6.a4N could be thought
of as an alternative, but Black has a concrete
way to make it look dubious:
s
�H �· �
��.
�l.i..•i)Bi�ff
-�� 0.�� ����r.....ef�.. .%
� ��
4 ,,,- .��.
3 • •QJ,
�
2 ��1-:�tsz
.
• • •%� lti %� i
1
6
s
.
·
a
12.d5!
This is the only dangerous idea from White
and by far the most popular move played. If
Black is allowed co cake on g3, play ...j_g7 and
solidify his queenside with ... a6, then he will
definitely be well on the way to converting his
pawn advantage.
12 ... tll xg3 13.hxg3 exd5
1 3 ...'Wb6?! l 4.dxe6 fxe6 l 5 .tll x g5± was
Anand - Shirov, Leon 201 1 . As we'll see, Shirov
went back to this position in his home lab and
found the correct continuation for Black. We
are actually following his lacer praxis.
14.exd5 cxd5 15.tll xd5 .ig7
White has succeeded in blowing the centre
apart before Black has solved his king problems.
However the black bishops have really come to
life and they protect a lot of squares. Play is
highly complex, so lee's examine some sample
lines:
16.tll e3!
..
. ...
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6 . . . tll c 5! ( 1 6 ... a6 is also possible) 1 7.tll c3 The
only move that defends against the double
threat of taking on either d5 or a4. l 7 ...'We7!
Introducing the ... tll d 3t idea and winning a
valuable tempo co cake on a4 after all: 1 8.0-0
tll xa4 19.tll xa4 ( 1 9.tll x b5 0-0+ leaves Black
a pawn up) 1 9 ...j_e4! 20.'Wd2 bxa4 2 1 .j_xc4
0-0+ Black has the bishop pair and is a pawn
up.
16...�a5t!
Precision is demanded. Now White will
have some inconvenience with his own king.
1 6 ... 0-0?! doesn't improve the black king's
position; on the contrary, White is clearly
better after l 7.tll f5.
17.<i>fl
The only move.
l 7.l'l:d2?! tll f6 1 8.0-0 0-0+
17 .. J;ds 1 s.tlif5 <i>f8!
Chapter 6 - 9 .ie2 ib 7 - Sidelines
8
7
� :W.
�;:
� ��i!S'
�
�
�
�_i-lj)�'
·/,-��,a
_ ,,,
�
"----"� �� � ,,,,,��r�
5
�I.%
/,,,,,% · -� -�
� �----%�
� � �
3
� -- - -�[j";w.
2 [j ��v •��w�
B
Z"'
"
;
�
�
��-J'�
�
4
��W'�' 4�.�,
��
6
1
---- - "� !R�BM
b
a
d
c
e
f
g
h
The critical position. Black defends against
every immediate threat and he can untangle
surprisingly quickly by moving his knight.
White keeps some initiative for the pawn, but
nothing more.
71
25.i.h5 'tt>g7 Black had equalized in Fleetwood
- Zidu, corr. 201 1 .
1 9.g4 lll f6 20.:B:xd8t 1Mfxd8 2 1 .1Mfc3 'ttig8
22.a4 a6 23.axb5 axb5 24.Wb4 i.xf3 25.i.xf3
h5! secures enough counterplay. 26.'tti g l
(26.gxh5? Wd3t+) 2 6...1Mfd3 27.lll e7t i>f8
28.tt:lg6t Y2-Y2 Peschardt - Pavlicek, email
201 1 .
19... llJf6
Kaufman only analyses 19 ... lll e 5, while
Sakaev gives the text move as interesting with
no more comment.
20.if3
20.tt:lxg7 Wxg7 2 1 .lll f5t 'tt> f8+
19.llJ3d4
Keeping control over f5 seems logical.
1 9.lll xg7?!
�-�
�
�
�
�
�
�r
- -· w- - -"� ��i) ��-�r,�
'
�0. �w�
'""·- -" �• •
�-- -d"�
'- �l �•
5 "-�
a'
a�a�t;J
!8�?,a
!�
- - -"�lai•�M
8
7
6
4
3
2
1
%
�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 9 ... 'tt>xg7!N ( 1 9 ...i.xf3 worked well for Black
in the end in Amanov - Shirov, Istanbul 20 1 2,
but objectively this move is not the best.)
20.lt:Jd4 (20.Wf5 lll f6+) 20 ... lll fG 2 1 .lll f5t
'tt>f8 22.:B:xd8t 1Mf xd8+
19.:B:dG lll c 5! 20.Wdl lll e 6 The knight is
excellently placed here: 21 .tt:lxg7 'tt>xg7
22.lll d4 :B:xd6 23.lll f5t 'tt> g8 24.tt:lxdG 'W'b6
21 .\t>g1
2 1 .tt:lcG :B:xd l t 22.Wxdl 1Mfc7 is fine for
Black.
21...�b6 22.a4
22.b3 lt:Jg4! With the help of some exchanges
Black frees his position from the bind of the
white pieces, but objectively he can hardly
claim an advantage as White's compensation
lingers on: 23.i.xg4 i.xd4 24.:B:xd4 :B:xd4
72
Anti-Moscow
25.ltJxd4 ixg4 26.'!Nc3 l!Nf6 and Grammatica
- Delizia, corr. 20 1 3, soon ended in a draw. Of
course, there is some play left in the position
should you reach it in an over-the-board
game.
22 g4 23.�e2 a6 24.axb5 axb5 25.b3 cxb3
26.'!Nxb3 gd5
.•.
u.am ��
,
�
�
7 u �
� %,�lf
, j�'��,
ef""�/
�,,-,,; �� m
��
6
- -a), ��
5 ··%� .i� 'l�5�
�
4 �� � �� ,�
� ,� ,, � �
,
3
�
�
2
.� .•
fn8'•
'
%'��
8
�----
�
a
b
�M� �M
c
d
e
f
g
h
The game Hiltunen - Zakharov, email 20 1 2,
finished in a draw, but at this point I think
Black's chances can be evaluated as somewhat
higher. After all, he still has an extra passed
pawn!
B) 10.h4
With this move White attacks the weakened
black kingside. It's actually quite inconvenient
because we would prefer to have a few extra
tempos to complete our development without
being disturbed. Also, what should we
play? 1 O ... gxh4? is out of the question: after
l l .i.xh4 White is threatening 1 2.e5 and,
positionally speaking, Black is in a total mess.
The natural 1 O ... �g8 also surrenders the h-file
after l 1 . hxg5 hxg5.
Fortunately there is an active response. Black
is ready to give the pawn back and insert some
confusion into the white set-up before the
first player can dictate the play. This is a very
important sequence in the understanding of
the Anti-Moscow: basically it all comes down
to fighting for the initiative!
.
...
10 ... g4 1 1 .tll e5 tll bd7!
Better than both l l . . �g8 and l l h5, which
lose time and further weaken the kingside.
s i. U �- ��
� ,��� , , ,/,� �� V,
vl �Y//,'�
JM,�£
�
� �!
·� · � ��
7
6
,,,,,
,,,,,
�
�
�r
m-- --;�
4
� '·
. ,�8
�
� ��;"/<- -- � ��fl-- ,:�
� ?�:, � J!l;t;
5
3
2
1
- - - - - /.
8 D m �D 8 m
�� m"iim - M
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White now has a dilemma. He can take the
offered bait on g4 with either the knight or
the bishop, or he can continue to play for the
initiative with 1 2.ltJxd7. The latter is clearly
the most critical, but we will examine all three
options: Bl) 12.�xg4, B2) 12.tll xg4 and
B3) 12.tll xd7.
73
Chapter 6 - 9.ie2 ib7 - Sidelines
Bl) 12.ixg4
Here White faces problems after the following
sequence:
12 ... ltixeS 13.ixeS gg8 14.i£3 ltid7 1 5.ig3
'.Wb6!
The standard sacrifice 1 7 ... :B:xg3 1 8.fxg3
tl:Je5 also seems promising.
1 8.ihS :B:gf8 1 9.id6 '.Wxd4 20.f4 tl:J c5
2 l .ixf8 '\Wxd 1 22.:B:axd 1 :B:xf8
Another positional exchange sacrifice.
23.eS ©c7 24.'tt>g l b4 25.tl:Je2 a5 26.tl:Jg3
tl:Jd3 27.:B:d2 c5
Thanks to Black's pawn mass on the
queenside, we can say the position is in his
favour. Indeed in Ivanov - Fagerstrom, corr.
20 1 2, the game finished with Black taking the
full point.
1 6.a4
��" ��llE �
%�1.·'i)· · ·
W'}B
· .t. �
� .t. �
� I??li·�
5 �� -%�� ·%·�
4 � �%lJ�� �0;J�
3 � m ���
8
7
6
2
16.'.Wd2
1 6.0-0 0-0-0 1 7.©h l
1 7.ih2 ig7 1 8 .ihS :B:gf8 19.id6 '.Wxd4!
20.'.Wxd4 ixd4 2 1 .:B:adl e5 22.ixf8 :B:xf8
23.tl:Je2 c5+ was Cruzado Duenas - Van
der Hoeven, email 2010. Black's pawns are
worth more than the exchange.
1 7 ...ig7
1
.
J
���
. . . •%w,,,,l .r.@f; .
·{ %@!;
f� �wm � �
i
.
a
b
�dti��
.
c
d
e
f
g
h
First h2-h4 then a2-a4 - do you think you
are Larsen or what?
1 6 . . . b4 1 7.a5 '\Wa6
An important safe spot for the queen.
1 8.tl:Ja4 c5! 1 9.d5 ig7
In all these lines the dark-squared bishop is
a monster:
20.0-0 id4 2 1 .©hl 0-0-0 22.'1Wd2 exd5
23.exdS l:l:xg3! 24.fxg3 '\Wd6 25.'\Wf4 ©c7
26.l::i: a cl '\Wxf4 27.gxf4 'tt> d6 28.ie2 tl:J f6
29.ixc4 ic8 30.b3 if5 3 1 .:B:fd l :B:e8
Black went on to win in Kazantsev - Nizky,
email 20 1 0. It seems amazing, but despite
being an exchange and a pawn down in the
ending Black is clearly better! There are holes
everywhere in the white position and the white
pieces just defend, rather than do anything
constructive.
74
Anti-Moscow
16...ig7
1 6 ... 0-0-0 1 7.0-0-0 b4 1 8 .tt:le2 ia6 as in
Holmberg - Dronov, email 2007, is at least
okay for Black, with the main line continuing
1 9.'it>b l c3 20.Wc2 cxb2 2 1 .i.h5 Ei:g7.
17.0-0-0
1 7.Ei:dl 0-0-0 1 8.ih5 c5 1 9.d5 b4 leads
to another mess but Black always seems to
be comfortable in the complications, for
example 20.tt:le2 exd5 2 1 .i.xf7 Ei:gf8 22.i.xd5
tt:l f6 23.Wf4 tt:lxd5 24.Wg4t Ei:d7 25.exd5 h5
26.Wxh5 Wf6 27.Wg4 ia6 28.0-0 Wf5 and
Black managed to win in Mezera - Toropov,
corr. 2010. His strong bishop pair and
queenside pawn majority dictate the game.
1 9...c3 20.bxc3 bxc3 21.Wfc2 Wfa3t 22.@hl
�xc5 23.dxcS ia6 24.Wfh3 Wfxc5
24 ... c2t 25.Wxc2 ic4 is tempting bur
probably j ust leads to a repetition after 26.ic7
ic3 27.e5.
8 �- m • � � �
%
, , %� %� m%�
7 %,�rm
•'
6 i !l!,.,!I!� !l!!l!il
: !l!!I!!iljjjj !jjjj !I!�
��
�,d'"'
��rn� �m
j,, �
miVif
lm�,�, Jm %d"ti
��,,,,,
3
2
1
%! �
�
'
w
� @ %Mg
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
M
h
25.id6 Wfh6 26.eS 0-0-0 27.@cl c5
Y2-Y2 Even - Scherer, corr. 20 1 2. There is no
need to rake a draw over the board as anything
can still happen. For starters, White can't take
the pawn back on c3 because of the hanging
bishop.
B2) 12.�xg4
18.�a4 WfaS 19.�cS
19.W c2 c5 20 .d5 e5 is extremely comfortable
for Black, and this is verified by his huge plus
score in the database.
1 9.b3 c3 20.Wf4 i.f8! 2 1 .Ei:hel Ei:g6 22.Wc7
(22.d5 e5) 22 ...Wxc7 23.ixc7 Ei:c8 24.if4
c5 25.h5 Ei:g8= 'Aliagaly' - 'United States',
Internet 20 1 1 .
75
Chapter 6 - 9 .ie2 ib 7 - Sidelines
below with 1 2 . . . tll h 5 1 3 .i.h2 ( 1 3 .i.e5 lll xe5
1 4.lll xe5 tll f6 1 5.i.h5 E!:h7 was fine for Black
in Badolati - Scherer, email 20 1 1) 1 3 ...'®xh4
as in Prizant - Yevseev, Vladimir 2004. In this
messy position White probably holds some
advantage, but nothing is clear.
13.lll xf6t lll xf6 14.lll a4 lll xe4
The point. Unfortunately it drops the
c4-pawn.
15.ie5 ggs 16.ixc4 id6!
8
7
6
5
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
A simplifying move. This is a position where
Black has equalized easily, but White can draw
if he remembers how to do it!
17.'®h5
l 7.'®e2 i.xe5 l 8.dxe5 c5+ is given by Sakaev.
17...c5 1 8.gdl
1 8.d5 i.xe5 1 9.'®xe5 tll d6 20.b3 '®b8
2 1 .'®e3 '®c7= Scherer - Mahling, email 20 1 1 .
1 8.0-0-0N '®c7 1 9.d5 0-0-0 20.dxe6 i.xe5
2 1 .exf7 E!:xd l t 22.E!:xdl ms+ is another line
mentioned in Sakaev's book.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
Take, take and take!
e
f
g
h
22.gxd6
This has been seen in many correspondence
games and the draw seems to be rather forced.
22.E!:gl N is another cry, but Sakaev analyses
this to the draw as well: 22 ... E!:g6 23.tll c 5
if3! 24.i.xf7t! lll xf7 25.'®xg6 '®xc5 26.E!:e4t!
ixe4 27.'®xe4t 'tt> d7 28.'®xa8 '®cl t 29.'it>e2
'®xgl 30.'®xa7t=
22 ... ixhl 23.ixf7t Wfxf7 24.ge6t 'it>f8
25.Wfxh6t Wig?
Or 25 ... E!:g7 26.E!:f6.
76
Anti-Moscow
26.§'f4t §'f7 27.§'h6t
With a repetition.
,,�mW,«,,;,,�
zwil
/.�
%��t
'
'
"
"
m
,
,
6 !�· �- � · · · �
�
1 8 ... ltlb6 1 9.a3
19.'l.We3 :gxg3! Here we go again: 20.fXg3
ig7 2 1 .e5 'l.Wd7 22.ltlf2 'l.Wxd4+
1 9 ... b3 20.tt'lc3 :gxd4 2 1 .:gdl :gxdl t 22.'l.Wxdl
ig7+
Black is of course better with his fantastic
g7-bishop. We are following an interesting
correspondence game that shows how play
can unfold from here:
23.'l.Wcl ia6 24.0-0 id4 25.'l.Wd2 e5 26.©h2
ixc3 27.'l.Wxc3 lll a4 28.'l.Wa5 ib5 29.ie2
©b7 30.:gd l 'I.We? 3 1 .'l.Wd2 c3 32.bxc3 ixe2
33.'l.Wxe2 ltlxc3 34.'l.Wb2 ltlxdl 35.'l.Wxb3t Wc8
36.'l.Wxd l :gg6
Black ground out a win in Dosi - Ljubicic,
corr. 20 1 0.
��
��
2 �
tt!fd�_,,,,;m
Ji. t�'t!fd� 8 �
8 �'
14 .. J�g8 15.h3
White wants to open a new front. And
Black? He wants to keep it closed!
B3) 12.lll xd7
This is more in the spirit of the opening.
12 ... §'xd7 13.!e5 §'e7
s i. U mcm� �-
7
5
� ��'ef"j� ��'%
ljrlj •� e
: �•
%
,d""%� irfii" "%� i
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
14.0-0
White goes for rapid development. If instead
he begins to take material back Black will get
an easy game - as we have seen in several
similar cases already.
1 4.ixg4 :gg8 1 5.if3 0-0-0
Black is fine here.
16.'l.We2 lll d7 1 7.ig3 b4 1 8.ltldl
1 8.tt'la4 ia6 1 9.0-0-0 ib5 is an instructive
way to get the bishop into play. 20.'l.Wc2 e5
2 1 .d5 ©b8 22.ie2 :gc8 23.Wb l f6+
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ... b4
Aronian has tried the move order 1 5 . . . tt'ld7
1 6.ig3 b4 but it just transposes.
16.lll a4 c3 17.§'dJ
1 7.lll c5 tt'ld7 1 8.tt'lxd7 'l.Wxd7 l 9.a3 c5
20.axb4 cxd4 2 1 .'l.Wxd4 'l.Wxd4 22.ixd4 ixb4
was equal in Riedener - Serazeev, email 201 1 .
17... lll d7 18.!g3 a5 19.a3 h5
Chapter 6 - 9.ie2 ib7 - Sidelines
/
·-!.
� �
:5 ,,�,��!a,,
�� ����i
4 lS•�o!.� !o
8
3
2
1
i.
�
%� %�,,_,r,,,,<�
77
21.Wfc2 f6
�lrmif- 11-- _ _ /,__ _ _/,mruzrm
r--� �� �.- - - %w�
f� �
,,
b
a
c
d
-� �
f
e
g
h
20.!Udl
20.axb4 axb4 2 1 .ttlc5 l'!xal 22.tt:lxb7 was
an imaginative try by the Russian superstar
Grischuk, but his opponent responded
adequately:
·�.i�
�
� �� �r"r- -��
� �i!&f,��
5 � -%-rf/V,•�•A
4•
-�% ,J� t!J �%iJC§
�1 �-·&!
J
��
�
�� • �'
8
_,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
It was also tempting to strike in the centre:
22.d5N cxd5 23.exd5 ixd5
Maybe Black should prefer 23 ... exd5N
24.'®f5 '®e4 25.�xh5t '®g6 and we get a
pretty unclear ending.
24.ib5
White has many threats.
h
22 ... ttle5! 23.l'!xal tt:lxd3 24.l'!a8t 'tt d7
25.ixd3 '®f6 26.ie5? (26.e5 '®h6 27.l'!a7=)
26 ...id6! A fantastic counter-strike by
Aronian. 27.ixf6 l'!xa8 28.'tt fl l'!al t 29.'tt e2
l'!a2t 0-1 Grischuk - Aronian, Ohrid 2009.
20 . .. �g7
If you don't like defending the position after
22.d5 in the next note then this is the time to
deviate.
20 . . . l'!g6 2 1 .'®c2 l'!d8 has worked well for
Black in several correspondence games, for
instance 22.e5 ih6 with an unclear game.
24 ... l'!a7
After 24 ... 'tt f7 25.l'!xd5 exd5 26.ic6
l':M8 (26 ... l'!a6 27.ixd5t 'tt e8 28.'®d3�)
27.i.xd5t 'tt e8 28.'®f5 White has
compensation for the pawn.
25.ttlb6 '®c5 26.ttlxd7 l'!axd7 27.i.xd?t l'!xd7
28.'®g6t 'tt e7
78
Anti-Moscow
28 ... E!:f7 29.axb4 axb4 30 ..tf4 c2 3 1 .E!:xd5!
'Wxd5 32.Wfxc2�
29.axb4 'Wxb4 30.E!:a4
White has the initiative, but the position is
delicately balanced.
27...Wi°h2 28.tlib6 tlixh4 29.tlixa8 Wi'xg2t
30.@e2 Wi°f3t 31.@fl Wi'g2t
With a perpetual in Loeschnauer - Contos,
email 20 1 0.
C) 10.e5 tlid5 1 1.0-0
22 ... e5 23.dxe5 tlixe5 24.ih6 i:!g6 25.ie3
This was recently seen in Grischuk - Karjakin,
Khanry-Mansiysk 20 1 5 .
87
6
54
3
21
27.ic4
27.gxf3? 'Wh2-+
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 1...tlixc3
1 l ...lt'id7 1 2.lt'ixd5 cxd5 1 3.lt'ie l , planning
f2-f4 next, gives White a dangerous initiative
and should probably be avoided in a practical
game.
12.bxc3 c5
1 2 ... h5 is another way to play for Black, but
he has to be ready for the following dangerous
piece sacrifice: 1 3.h4 g4 14.lt'ig5 c5 1 5.f3 .te7
1 6.lt'ixf7 Wxf7 17.fxg4t This is not pleasant to
defend in practice.
13.a4
There are many computer games in my
database after 1 3.dxc5?! 'Wxd l 1 4.E!:fxd l .txc5
1 5.a4 bxa4 I 6.E!:xa4 lt'id7 but Black, with the
extra pawn, seems to be doing excellently and
scores much better.
79
Chapter 6 - 9 .ie2 ib 7 - Sidelines
s
1
� � S•� ��
�I'
� ,., . .
� , . , ,/,� ,,��
, �
.
.
T
�%j'0 .
�%J'0
W,1%j'efw
""
�� r.fl� "'r.A
��"
A r.
iA><
�
� � ,,/,� ,,, , /,� , ,, , ,/,�%' '�, , , , %� �� -�
� r� - � �
6
54
3 �.,, ,%mi�,8��
21 ,� � '·�=,,,,
&
a
b
"'O"
c
d
e
f
g
In the Grischuk - Karjakin game mentioned
earlier, play continued 1 6.axb5 d3 1 7.ixg4
a5 1 8.if3 ixf3 1 9.lt:Jxf3 Wfd5 20.1"i:a4 lt:Jd7
2 1 .Wfa2 lt:Jb6 22.1"i:xa5 1"i:xa5 23.Wfxa5 ic5
24.Wfa2 0-0 25.Wfd2 'iiih 7 26./"i:el and now
a logical improvement recommended by
Gustafsson in his analysis for Chess24 is:
h
13...a6
1 3 ... h5 is possible, but Black will again face
a tough task defending: 1 4.lt:Jxg5! ( 14.h4N
was the reason I did not like ... h5 on move 1 2,
but here after 1 4 ... g4 1 5.lt:Jg5 Wfd5 1 6.f3 cxd4
1 7.lt:Jxf7 Black has 1 7 ... 1"i:g8! 1 8.cxd4 lt:Jc6!
l 9.fxg4 hxg4! denying the bishop access to f3
and thus leaving Black better. l 4.h3 g4 l 5 .hxg4
hxg4 1 6.lt:Jh2 Wfd5 1 7.f3 cxd4 1 8.lt:Jxg4 lt:Jd7
1 9.cxd4 a6 20.Wfd2 1"i:g8 2 1 .Wff4 ie7 22.lt:Je3
Wfc6 23.ih4 lt:Jb6! looks scary, but was soon
agreed drawn in Teichmann - Andeer, corr.
201 3.) 1 4 . . .Wfxg5 1 5.if3 Wfe7 16.ih4 Wfc7
1 7 .d5 lt:Jd7 1 8.i"i:e 1 White has dangerous
compensation for the piece.
14.Wfhl
Neither 1 4.dxc5 ixc5 1 5.lt:Jd2 id5 1 6.if3
1"i:a7! as in Romanov - Narusberg, corr. 20 1 4,
nor 14.axb5 axb5 1 5.1"i:xa8 ixa8 1 6.Wfb l
ic6 1 7.i"i:dl lt:Jd7 1 8.d5 ixd5 1 9.Wfxb5 Wfb6
20.ixc4 ic6 as in Blank - Goncharenko, corr.
20 1 4, give Black any headaches.
14 ...g4 15.llih4 cxd4 16.ixc4
The critical continuation, though Black
seems to be doing fine after the practically
forced line shown in the correspondence game
below.
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
26 ... 1"i:g8N Planning to return the bishop
back to f8 if needed. (Black was also fine after
the game continuation 26 ...ie7 27.if4 1"i:g8
28.'iii h l if8 but it is clear that he has lost a
tempo. White went on to win, though this was
not due to Black's opening play.)
87
6
4
3
2
5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
16 ...WfcS 17.ie2 dxc3 1 8.axhS c2 19.Wfb3
ids 20.Wfd3 axh5 21 .E:xaS ixa8 22.E:cl b4
23.E:xc2 Wfd7 24.Wfc4 ltlc6
Black was equal in Ruefenacht - Mend!,
corr. 20 1 3.
80
Anti-Moscow
Conclusion
On 1 0.W/c2 Black should play 1 0 ... lt'id7 with
the idea . . . lt'ih5. If White prevents this by the
speculative move l l .ttJd2!? then l l ...W/b6!
attacking d4 is a good answer.
After 10.W/c2 lli bd7 1 1 .Ei:dl llih5! Black
eliminates the white bishop and gets a good
game. White can break in the centre, but
after l 2.d5 llixg3 l 3.hxg3 exd5 l 4.exd5 cxd5
1 5.llixd5 ig7 1 6.llie3 Wa5t! 1 7.Wfl E!:d8
1 8.tll f5 Wf8! Black defends.
On 1 O.h4 g4 l 1 .tll e 5 Black responds actively
and thematically with l l ...lt'i bd7! after which
White has three options.
If White takes the pawn back with 1 2.ixg4
Black gets good play after 1 2 ... tt:lxe5 1 3.ixe5
E!:g8 l 4.if3 tll d7 l 5.ig3 Wb6 followed by
castling long.
On 1 2.llixg4 Black has the forcing line
l 2 ... b4 1 3.llixf6t llixf6 1 4.llia4 llixe4 l 5 .ie5
E!:g8 l 6.ixc4 id6! which equalizes on the
spot.
White's best bet is probably 1 2.llixd7. Still,
1 2 ...W/xd7 1 3.ie5 Wfe7 looks fi n e for Black
after either l 4.ixg4 E!:g8 1 5 .�f3 0-0-0 or
1 4.0-0 E!:g8 1 5.b3 b4 1 6.llia4 c3.
Finally, 10.e5 might attract some followers
after having been used successfully by
Grischuk against Karjakin, but analysis and
correspondence games show that Black is by
no means worse here either.
Anti-Moscow
10.0-0
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Cll f3 Cll f6 4.Cll c3 e6 5 ..ig5 h6 6 ..ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5
8 ..ig3 b5 9 . .ie2 .ih7 1 0.0-0 'll bd7 l 1 .Cll e5 h5! 12.Cll xd7
1 2 ...Wfxd7
A) 1 3 .ie5 �h6 14.WIcl
Al) 14... 'll g4
A2) 14... 'll h7
A2 1) 1 5.f4
A22) 1 5.h3
A3) 1 4... �g6!
B) 13.Wfcl
83
83
84
84
85
86
89
•
note to l l .lt:Je5
A3) note to l 5 .:1'i:dl
A2 1 ) after 20.%\lg3
i!�·�,�-�­
: ,. J.,,,�.�m R R •
8
s
R .t. � R R
3 R R RtiJR
4
2
I
-j_���
��
•
. . ¥�·
·� ·.s: �·
a
b
c
d
e
f
l 9 , . .l':1ad8!N
g
h
a
b
c
d
e
1 5 . . . c5!N
f
g
h
82
Anti-Moscow
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3 . .!lJf3 .!lJf6 4. .!lJc3 e6 5.ig5
h6 6.ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.ig3 b5 9.ie2 ib7
10.0-0 .!lJbd7
This is the main position of the Anti­
Moscow Variation. White should continue
to play sound, active moves to ensure that his
compensation for the pawn won't vanish. To
that purpose the right move is l 1 .tll e 5, bur for
completeness I will also mention a couple of
other continuations:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
under control. Sakaev gives the additional line:
1 6.lll e4 0-0 17.tll d6 lll xe5 1 8 .lll xb7 lll xf3t
1 9 .ixf3 'ilJixb7+
l l .d5 is an interesting try to see if this
standard break in the centre can work at such
an early stage of the opening. Well, it shouldn't
really, as Black easily neutralizes the threats:
1 l ...cxd5 1 2.exd5 tll xd5 1 3.tll x b5 a6 14.tll d6t
( 1 4.lll bd4 ig7 1 5.ixc4 0-0 was already
somewhat more pleasant for Black in Shirov Kramnik, Frankfurt 1 996) 1 4 ...ixd6 1 5.ixd6
lll 7b6 1 6.ic5 'il!ic7 1 7.ixb6 lll xb6 1 8.'\M.ld4
rJle7 1 9 .l::!:acl This was Radjabov - Anand,
Linares 2009. Now 1 9 ...l::!: a d8!N would
have kept White struggling to show enough
compensation for the pawn.
1 1...h5!
My favourite move. Black starts chasing the
white bishop.
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
h
1 1..!lJe5
l l .'il!ic2 gives White an inferior version of
the 10.'il!ic2 variation. Black responds with
l l . tll h 5 and with no white rook on d l the
d4-d5 break loses much of its sting:
.
.
s
.iB e•�
��
i)���,,���J�,•�
7 �r�
%� ��
6 �� �� ��,
%
...
- - -%
!,}�- - %�!�����-�
: �
�%"/
3 � 0 ���
!Ift!ifiBidli��
�
2
,S{·- - %� �.,m- a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 2.d5 lll xg3 1 3.hxg3 ig7 1 4.dxe6 fxe6 1 5.e5
( 1 5.l::!: adl '1Mfe7+ Bosboom - Kramnik, Wijk
aan Zee 1 999) 1 5 ...'il!ie7 Black has everything
1 2.h3?! g4 1 3.hxg4 hxg4 1 4.lll xg4 b4
1 5 .lll xf6t was seen in Anand - Erenburg,
Rishon Le Zion 2006, bur now 1 5 ... 'il!ixf6!N
would have been powerful, with the idea to
switch the queen to the h-file.
83
Chapter 7 - 1 0.0-0
1 2.h4?! gxh4 1 3.ih2 h3 is also quite bad for
White.
l 2.d5?! cxd5N l 3.exd5 llixd5 l 4.ixh5 llixe5
l 5 .ixe5 :B:h6 gives Black a strong initiative, for
example 1 6.llixb5 Wfa5 l 7.a4 (l 7.llid4 :B:d8)
l 7 ... :B:d8.
12 '!Wxd7
We will first look at A) 13.ie5, forcing the
black rook to move to h6, before examining
the immediate B) 13.Wfcl.
•..
A) 13.ie5 :B:h6 14.Wfcl
A flexible and clever idea: White moves around
on his back rank and still manages to threaten
the g5-pawn! Sometimes he has chosen to push
the f-pawn, but then Black is well prepared to
fight back:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Back to the main line 1 4.Wfc l . Black has
several good responses and I will consider no
fewer than three! We start with Al) 14 ... ltlg4,
though there is also A2) 14 ... lll h7 and finally
my personal preference of A3) 14.. ,i;g6!.
Al) 14... lll g4 15.ixg4 hxg4 16.'!Wxg5 :B:g6
1 4.f4 g4
s .X � � ·� �
1.l.t.Ri¥8 1. a
� ·�
� ·(/'�
�.ir
' "
�
5 � · · � . ','"
a 1. 0� � · �'l.
Wi � �
1
6
4
� :�
!d··�·'·'�
- w� �=
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Keeping the position closed is Black's ball
game. 1 5 .Wfc2 c5 1 6.d5 has been played by
Radjabov, but White is probably pushing too
hard. Sakaev proposes just taking the pawn;
after 1 6 ... exd5 l 7.exd5 llixd5 White can put
a rook on the cl-file but so what? Black is okay.
14.f3 surrenders the initiative. 1 4 ... h4! 1 5.a4?!
b4 1 6.llibl llih5! with the threat of .. .f6 was
already more or less winning for Black in
Khumidze - Galliamova, Ekaterinburg 2006.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17.'!Wh4
The newest twist. White is better according
to Sakaev, bur he doesn't examine the move in
our main game.
The alternatives don't give anything: l 7.i@'e3
c5!f± or l 7.i@'f4 ie7=.
17...ie7
84
Anti-Moscow
The move not considered by Sakaev. Black is
solid in all lines.
18.°1Wh8t
1 8 .'Wh5 0-0-0 and 1 8.'Wh7 ifs 19.'Wh5
'We7 with the idea of castling next are both
fine for Black.
22.if3 l':!:xf3 23.gxf3 'Wxe4 24.fxe4 ixc5
With good positional compensation for the
exchange, Werle - Dreev, Dresden 2007.
A21) 15.f4
This leads to incredibly sharp play.
18 ...iffi 19.ig3 �h6 20.°1We5 f6 21.°1Wf4
°1Wxd4 22.°1Wxg4 ic8 23.�adl e5 24.°1We2
°1Wc5 25.�d2 ie6=
Burghoff - Zidu, corr. 20 12. Black covers
everything and will eventually catch up in
development; and then who knows? The
bishops and the queenside pawn majority
might be a factor.
A2) 14 ... ltJh7
Okay, we protect g5. Admittedly the knight
doesn't look great on h7, but it is not going to
be there forever and a pawn is a pawn!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
15 ...ie7 16.°1We3
White centralizes his queen and prepares
E!:ad l .
16.f5 exf5 l 7.exf5 was the recent game
Boehm - M. Zaitsev, Dortmund 20 14. Here
Black could just castle or try 1 7 .. .f6N l 8.ig3
h4 1 9 .if2 h3 with play on the long diagonal.
16 0-0-0 17.�adl f6 18.fxg5 fxe5 19.gxh6
exd4 20.°1Wg3
20.'Wh3 h4 is unclear.
..•
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White's main responses are A21) 1 5.f4 and
A22) 15.h3.
1 5.h4 gxh4 1 6.'We3 lLi f6! The knight is back,
and the following game White even took it
with his good bishop! 1 7.ixf6 E!:xf6 1 8.e5
E!:f5 l 9.lLie4 c5! 20.dxc5 ixe4 2 l .'Wxe4
'Wd5 (2 1 . ..l':!:c8!N is even better, as White
will have problems on the dark squares.)
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Chapter 7 - 1 0.0-0
20 d3!
A modern computer improves on the play of
an older one! This extremely complicated line
was actually tested in one of the fascinating
Man vs Machine duels. There Black chose
20 ... We8?! when White had the better game
and did well for a long time - until an
unfortunate error tipped the game in Black's
favour, Radjabov - Comp Deep Junior,
Florence 2006.
..•
85
. �
�
��
��
�
�
�
�
�
. . �Y.?�
�� ��
· - · ·� �
,, :.�,,,-o���
5 �A �� �� �i*rn
r.�
. .%�• •,,,�•ctJ�� r.�;,
3 �� �� �� ��
� � �� ,� �� :
��·r
�
6
4
a
21.hlS b4 22.llibl
22.lba4 Wd4t 23.Wf2 We5 is given as
interesting by Dreev in The Moscow & Anti­
Moscow Variations.
22... lligS 23.'WeS 'Wc7 24.'Wxc7t 'it>xc7
25.g4
After 25.ig6 Ei:h8 26.h7 ic5t 27.ii>h l ia6
28.h4 lbxh7 29.E':f7t 'it>b6 30.Ei:xh7 Ei:xh7
3 l .ixh7 id4 White is a whole rook up! 32.e5
ixb2 33.g4 ib5 34.lbd2 ixe5 35.lbf3 This
wild position ended in a draw in the following
amazing game:
b
c
d
e
�
f
g
h
35 ...if4 36.g5 c3 37.lbd4 c5 38.lbxb5 c2
39.E':el c4 40.lbd4 cl =WI 4 1 .E':xcl ixc l
42.lL'if3 'it>c5 43.lbe5 'tti d4 44.lbg4 a5 45.g6
ih6 46.lbxh6 d2 47.g7 d l =1&t 48.'tti g2
We2t 49.'it>gl Wel t 50.'tti g2 We2t Kozlov
- Filipchenko, corr. 20 1 2. Yeah, it's no fun
to have to defend against an army of passed
pawns.
A22) 1 5.h3
This is given by Sakaev as slightly better
for White, but I think I can challenge his
evaluation.
86
Anti-Moscow
15 ...f6 16..tg3
a
b
d
c
e
f
g
h
16 h4
1 6 . . .'®xd4 1 7.l:'i:dl '®c5 immediately is also
fine for Black, for example: l 8.b3 ibe7 1 9 .bxc4
a6 20.e5 f5 2 1 .h4 lll f8! 22.hxg5 l:'i:h7 23.ibf4
lll g6 24.ibe3 '®xe5 25.ibf3 l:'i:d8 26.cxb5 l:'i:xdl t
27.'®xd l '®xc3 28.l:'i:cl '®b2 29.bxa6
...
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
21.WfxdSt Wfxd8 22.gxdSt 'it>xd8 23.axh5
i.c5 24.hxc6 i.xc6 25.i.xc4 tll f8
Black held the draw in Craciuneanu A.S. Ivanov, corr. 2012.
h
A draw was agreed in Siigur-Andriuschenko,
corr. 20 1 2, because of the following line:
29 ...ibxa6 30.ibxh5 �f7 3 l .l:'i:xc6 '®xa2 32.l:'i:c7
l:'i:xh5 33.®xh5 'Wal t Black is able to defend.
17.i.h2 W/xd4 18.gdl W/b6 19.a4
White must open some lines but it is not so
easy. Black still has all eight of his pawns left!
19 ...e5 20.Wfd2
1 5.gdl
White activates the rook and puts the ball
back into Black's court.
87
Chapter 7 - 1 0. 0-0
l 5 .ixf6 �xf6 1 6.'Wxg5 won the pawn back
for White, but there was a high price to pay.
1 6 ... �g6 17.'We3 0-0-0 1 8.�adl h4 was
excellent for Black in C.Williams - Avocins,
corr. 2009.
1 6 .. .f5
1 5.f3
a
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
l 5 ... c5!N (Sherbakov's l 5 ... g4N is also logical)
1 6.a4 ( 1 6.d5 b4!+) 1 6 ... a6 1 7.dxc5 b4 1 8.lll d l
and now Black's position looks preferable after
1 8 ... g4!.
1 5.'We3 llig4 16 ..ixg4 hxg4 is similar to the
l 4 ... llig4 line. The difference is chat here we
haven't lost the g5-pawn! 1 7.�adl f6 1 8 .ig3
©f7 1 9.f3 gxf3 20.�xf3 \t>g8 2 i .'Wf2 ig7+
left Black with a pleasant position in Porper Korneev, Senden 2007.
1 5 '!We7
Dreev suggested this move in his book as a
novelty to be seriously considered, and indeed
Sakaev gives it an exclamation mark! Well it is
not exactly a novelty anymore.
..•
l 5 ... llig4
The older move is also still doing pretty well.
16.ig3
l 6 ..ixg4 hxg4 1 7. b3 cxb3 1 8 .axb3 f6,
followed by putting the king to f7 and the
pawn to a6, was given as fine for Black by
both Dreev and Sakaev.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 7.f3
l 7.h3 f4! is mentioned by both Dreev and
Sakaev. Here is a possible continuation:
1 8.hxg4 fxg3 1 9.gxh5 gxf2t 20.Wxf2 �f6t
2 1 .©gl ie700
l 7 ... lll e 3!
A nice tactical solution.
1 8.'Wxe3 f4 1 9 ..ixf4 gxf4 20.'Wxf4 0-0-0
Dreev says White is better but Sakaev likes
Black's compensation. I have to agree with
the latter, especially after having seen the
following correspondence game!
2 1 .°Wh4 .ih6 22.©hl �dg8!
Improving on 22 ....ie3 from Iljin - Pockin,
Dresden 2007.
23.ifl 'Wg7 24.'Wh3 Wb8 25.e5 c5!
This thematic break almost turns the cables.
It is clear that if anyone is better, it is Black.
26.dxc5 'Wxe5 27.�el 'Wf6 28.lll e4 ixe4
29.�xe4 'Wxb2 30.�ae l .id2 3 1 .�4e2 'Wb4
32.a3 'Wa5 33.�al c3 34.�xe6 �g5 35.c6 'Wd8
36.f4 �c5 37.�e5 �xe5 38.fxe5 �d5 39.e6
'Wxc6
Y2-Y2 Bancevich - T. Schmidt, corr. 2012.
16.a4
1 6 ..ixf6 'Wxf6 1 7.e5 'Wf4! ( 1 7 ...'Wf5
1 8.if3±) 1 8 ..ixh5 'Wxcl 1 9.�axcl �h6= is
given by Sakaev. Black will probably castle
long and in every ending his pawn majority
on the queenside might be a dangerous factor.
88
Anti-Moscow
16... a6
a
17.axb5
l 7.ixf6 is nothing, and Black responds like
.
m the previous note: 1 7 ... WxfG 1 8.eS Wf4!=
l 7.We3 didn't fare well in the only grandmaster
clash so far: l 7 ... llid7 1 8.ixhS Ei:h6
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
18... b4
1 8 ... cxb3?! 1 9.llixbS! axb5 ? 20.Ei:xa8t
ixa8 2 1 .Wc8t Wd8 22.ixbSt and wins.
Instead Black must keep the position closed, a
recurring motif in this opening.
1 9.illi a4 c3
The position is extremely unclear, but
in a few more moves it will settle down to
something more readable.
20.illi c5 i.h6 21 .Wc2 g4 22.i.xa6 ixa6
23.illi xa6 @f8 24.llic5 Ei:dS 25.:l;a4
At first sight it looks very good for White,
who has already won his pawn back and now
has his mind set on conquering the b4-pawn as
well - but a nasty surprise awaits him.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 9.g4N An improvement. (Sakaev gives
l 9.Wf3 0-0-0! 20.h3 llixe5 [20 ... b4+] 2 l .dxe5
l:l:xd l t 22.Ei:xd l ig7+ as in So - Pashikian,
Moscow 20 1 0.) 19 ... llixeS 20.dxeS ig7
(20 . . . Ei:d8 21 .Wb6 Ei:d3 22.axbS cxb5 23.Ei:xd3
cxd3 24.Ei:dl 00) 2 1 .axbS cxb5 22.llixbS ixe5
23.WbG 'itif8 24.llid6 ixd6 25.Ei:xd6 ixe4
26.Ei:aS ig6 27.ixgG Ei:xg6=
17 ...cxb5 18.b3
The point. Black can't take the second pawn:
Chapter 7
2S ... g3!
Out of nowhere Black generates a long­
term attack with this inspired pawn sacrifice
and in the following correspondence game he
prevailed. I'll give the remainder of the moves
here, although we sometimes seem to forget
this is actually an opening book!
26.hxg3 'll g4 27.'ll d3 h4 28.iMal hxg3
29.ixg3 id2 30.Wldl W!f6 31 .dS Wigs
32.ga8 gxa8 33.gxa8t @g7 34.dxe6 gxe6
3S.'ll xb4 WfhS 36.ga6
-
at the World Championship tournament in
Mexico 2007, when Kramnik sprung it on
Gelfand.
13 ... gg8 14.gd1
i. �
s i, m � -�
�
�
� 1� . �
76 •
f
��
''� '�
'
�
�
,, s T
54 ���T�'��'�,
�
��;,,,� -,, %� �m7�,�
�
3 �� :0: �� �
�_,,,,7'.�,'0.
21 l�w�J�[j•-��/''"',,---'.;��M m��-fl�Jfl
�
a
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
36 ... ge8 37.gal gh8 38.@fl Wihl t 39.'it>e2
Wlxg2 40.@d3 gd8t 41.'ll dS gxdSt 42.exdS
WfxdSt 43.@e2 ctJeS 44.ixeSt WfxeSt
4S.'it>fl e2 46.W/g4t @h7 47.Wfh3t ih6
48.gcl WidS 49.gel WibSt SO.@g2 WlgSt
S I.'it>h2 el=Wf S2.gxcl Wfxcl S3.Wfd3t
'it>g8 S4.'it>g2 Wlf4 SS.@fl iffi S6.WidS
id6 S7.Wla8t 'it>g7 S8.Wig2t @f6 S9.WidS
Wicl t 60.@e2 Wies 61.Wld3 @e6 62.@fl f5
63.Wfe2t @d7 64.Wid3 @e7 6S.@e2 'it>b6
66.'it>f3 Wies 67.Wle4 WibS 68.Wid4t 'it>e6
69.Wic3t Wies
0-1 Kurbasov - Kirsanov, corr. 20 1 2.
B) 13.Wicl
Hitting the g5-pawn and vacating dl for a
rook. The move made its international debut
89
1 0. 0-0
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
14... h4!
This forcing continuation seems to me like
the most attractive choice for Black, at least
from a practical perspective. White has lots
of chances to go wrong in the complicated
position that arises, and it is easier for Black
to avoid the draw that can be found in at least
two publications thus far: Sakaev's and Dreev's
books.
1 4 . . .i,b4
This is the main line suggested m the
aforementioned books.
1 5.Wfe3 Wfe7 1 6.h3 h4
Now both grandmasters recommend a move
introduced by Wojtaszek:
l 7.i,e5!
Wojtaszek first played this move in a German
Bundesliga encounter against Kasimdzhanov.
The former World Champion must have
been impressed, as he went on to use it
himself a month later in a game against
Motylev! l 7.i,h2?! allowed Black to obtain a
dangerous initiative after 1 7 ...i,xc3 1 8.bxc3
g4 in Kramnik - Gelfand, Mexico 2007.
90
Anti-Moscow
��� �:�-%1:,;
7 �.i.� � · �
- - Znln·
�
r
�
�
�
��ef'
---��
�� �
�W J� ��
8
6
5
: J�1:1�,-�lf
!tt-/�
- - %,
--%�- -�
,�i�!i
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
l 7 . . . tlid7!
l 7 . a6 l 8.if3!N This is where Sakaev takes
a different course from the analysis by Dreev
( l 8.a4 tlid7 l 9.ih2 lli f6 was Kasimdzhanov
- Motylev, Germany 2008, and here Dreev
gives 20.ie5=) 18 ... tlid7 19.ih2 tli f6
20.'1We2 This is Sakaev's subtle idea which
stops the g-pawn from advancing and thus
keeps an advantage for White.
1 8.ih2 tli f6 1 9.ie5=
Stopping ... g4 and forcing the draw is the
most accurate way to proceed.
.
.
15.i.e5 Wfe7
1 6.a4 b4 1 7.tlibl llixe4 1 8.'1Wxc4 0-0-0 is
unclear, but in a practical game Black's chances
can be seen as somewhat higher. After all, he
is a pawn up, as is customary in the Anti­
Moscow. It has only been tested once and, after
an incense fight with attacks on both sides, che
point was shared. Morozov - Pierzak, email
20 1 1 , continued 1 9.a5 g4 20.a6 ia8 2 1 .'1Wc2
tli f6 22.tlid2 tlid5 and the two players drew
in 33 moves, but at this point we have a mess
where Black is certainly not worse.
16. g4!?
Again forcing matters. l 6 . . . a6 has been tried
in more than a dozen correspondence games
with good results for Black, the idea being that
after protecting b5 the ... c5 break is easier to
accomplish. I prefer the text move though, as
getting ... g5-g4 in is so thematic; just compare
the Kramnik - Gelfand game cited above.
..
17.i.xf6
The computer's first choice and the only
possible refutation.
l 7.hxg4?! llixg4+ gives Black a dangerous
attack for free.
l 7.'1Wf4 �g6!? not only defends f6, but also
prepares the move ...ih6! After 1 8.hxg4
ih6 1 9.g5 ixg5 20.'1Wh2 0-0-0 Black soon
doubles rooks on the g-file and can at least
claim dynamic equality, not co mention a big
initiative!
17...Wfxf6 1 8.e5!
This seems like the only critical move. Taking
the g4-pawn is much weaker.
16.h3
Making a retreat square for the bishop on
h2. The problem is that h3 in itself is now a
target, something Black can cry to use to get a
serious initiative going on the kingside.
l 8.ixg4 0-0-0 is fine for Black alchough the
position is very complicated. A sample line
is 1 9.tlie2N ( 1 9.e5 transposes to 1 8.e5 Wh6
1 9.ixg4) 1 9 . . . �b8!? 20.'1Wc3 '1Wg5, threatening
to play .. .f5 next and put White under some
pressure. Black is certainly not worse.
91
Chapter 7 - 1 0.0-0
l 8.hxg4?! allows Black to grab the initiative
after:
,ig
,� · �.i�
,�, ?,�r.���%•_
�t'•"";i,•��
!i 'B•
�
r�l
�""
3 ����
--%� ���lw
!tt.. ";��P'�'·
"" ;g)�
}�.� ��- %m
8
7
6
s
4
2
1
%
%
,,,,}- \,,
a
b
"'
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8. , .ih6! 1 9.'1Mfc2 0-0-0 20.e5 How else is
White going to defend d4? 20 ... '\Mi'f4! The
queen is tremendously active here. Black's ideas
revolve around playing ... c5 and . . . h3 while
it is not easy to play the White side. 2 l .if3
:B:xg4! 22.ixg4 Wxg4+ From a material point
of view Black is fine (or even a bit more than
fine) with two bishops and a pawn for a rook
and a knight, but he also has aggressive ideas
against the vulnerable white king.
1 8 'l&h6
We shouldn't avoid a queen exchange - on
the contrary we should welcome it - because
it gives us a chance to get rid of some of the
annoying pressure.
•.•
ie7, when 22.b3 is met by 22 ... c5! 23.tll xc5
ixc5 24.dxc5 :B:xdl t 25.:B:xdl 'it>c?+ and, due
to the weak c5-pawn and the soon-to-be passer
on the c-file, Black's position can be seen as
more comfortable.
1 9.hxg4 'IMfxcl 20.:B:axcl 0-0-0 is once again
fine for Black. A sample line is 2 1 .'it>h2 'it>c7
22.f4 a6 23.if3 when a good plan is:
� ��
�.i
�
,
�
�
,
·
i,
�1Y,
,��,,����'%�� ��
- � %� �-�
�
�
�
J
�
� - ����·
-�
3 � �%iJ�%
��% - - ,. �.��.
- . - ��
�r� ��- .
8
7
6
5
4
%
�
2
1
b
a
c
d
e
f
�
g
h
23 ... c5! 24.d5 ixd5 25.ixd5 :B:xg4! 26.if3
:B:xdl 27.:B:xd l :B:xf4 Owing to the fact that
e5 is also likely to drop, Black cannot feel
pessimistic about his chances in this double­
edged ending.
19.'1Mfxh6 ixh6 will certainly transpose to one
of the lines seen below.
19.llie4
The knight is strongly placed here, controlling
the key c5-, d6-, and f6-squares. However,
Black still has his dark-squared bishop and
can put up a tough fight for these important
squares. Without this bishop Black would
be in dire straits positionally. Alternatives are
much easier for Black to deal with:
1 9.ixg4 is met by 19 ...Wxcl 20.:B:axcl 0-0-0
and Black is at least equal, with the two bishops
and a potentially dangerous pawn mass on the
queenside. A logical continuation is 2 1 .llie4
a
b
c
d
19 ...0-0-0 20.'l&xh6
e
f
g
h
92
Anti-Moscow
Luring the bishop to h6 is a good idea for
White. As we are going to see shortly, Black will
bring this bishop back to the f8-a3 diagonal to
control the important d6- and c5-squares.
20....txh6 21.hxg4
2 1 .ixg4 if8!? 22.a4 a6 23.if3 ie7 24.©fl
©c7 offers Black balanced chances.
21. ...ifS! 22.a4
This is my computer's first choice, though
Black has no problems.
After 22.b3 ia3! 23.bxc4 bxc4 24.E!:ab l ia6
it may seem that Black is somewhat worse,
but in reality he has everything covered: 25.g5
(25.f4 1'l:h8 26.©f2 ib5 is basically the same
as the game) 25 ... E!:hS 26.f4 @c7 27.©f2 ib5
Black is fine, and the players saw nothing
better than repeating the position with 28.lll c3
ia6 29.lll e4 ib5 30.lll c3 ia6 3 1 .lll e4 Y2-Y2
Wunderlich - Simakhin, corr. 20 1 2.
�� � i.�
87 111-r� --- --Y-� -,��
6 'llll· 'llll0"'llll�llll
54 �� -ll�· �J[j'ZJ-u� � /ll��.!dn
_, ,?,� ,., , ,?,m. %
�
�
��
a
b
c
,,,,,
d
� �� ,,,,,
%
e
f
g
'
h
22 ...a6!
We come across this motif throughout the
book: White throws in a2-a4 at an appropriate
moment and Black neutralizes it by calmly
responding with ... a6, thus keeping all
strategic options open. In this particular case
Black wants to play the freeing move ... c5
next and equalize without problems. le is even
White who muse be more careful not to end
up defending.
23.f4
Reinforcing the e5-post. White plans to
meet . . . c5 with the active lll f6 and d4-d5.
23.lll f6
This allows Black to execute another idea.
23 ... E!:hS 24.if3 h3!?
Black gets rid of his main weakness.
24 . . . c5? now is met by 25.d5.
25.lll e4
25.g3? h2t 26.©h l ie7 27.g5 c5 28.d5
ixf6 favours Black.
25 ... hxg2 26.©xg2 @c7
0
� - - v,� - �� �-�- r-��
8
/.
'
/,
-
'
' /.
, ��
��is_ J� ��
· �� �A �� �
�
5 � · � Jtl �
4 � - · �CZJ· � ­
•
��
�- %.�
� -W[j·.
%. ,� 1t1;.
7
6
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Another important strategic factor which
guarantees counterplay. Black is able to
improve his position on the queenside by
putting his king on b6 and then moving
the pawn to a5 and the bishop to a6, thus
gaining both space and activity.
27.lll c 5
27.lll g 5 1'l:d7 is fine for Black.
27 ...icS 28.axb5 cxb5 29.lll xa6t @b6 30.lll c5
ixc5 3 l .dxc5t ©xc5=
23.©h2 stops the ...h4-h3 idea but allows
another pawn move: 23 ... c5! (23 ... ©c7 is also
possible) 24.lll xc5 (24.lll f6 1'l:h8 25.d5 ih6+
and the bishop comes to f4) 24 ...ixc5 25.dxc5
E!:xd l 26.E!:xdl id5=
93
Chapter 7 - 1 0. 0-0
23.if3
The only move that stops ... c5, so Black has
to go for the other idea of improving his
king's position.
23 ... c;:t>c?!?
23 ... c5? 24.axb5 axb5 25.�a7 is nasty.
24.tt'lf6
24.tt'lc5 ixc5 (24 ...ic8=) 25.dxc5 �xdl t
26.�xd l �g5 27.�el a5= Black will activate
his bishop with ...ia6 and ... b4.
24 ... �h8 2s.c;:t>h2 c;:t>b6 26.c;:t>h3 ie7 27.g5
ixf6 28.gxf6
28.exf6? �dg8+
once again it solves all of Black's problems in
one stroke!
24.tt'lf6
24.d5 exd5 25.tt'lf6 �g6 transposes to the
game.
24.ll'ixc5 runs into a little tactic: 24 ... �xd4!
25.ll'ixb7 �xb7 26.�xd4 ic5 27.�ad l �d8
and only Black has winning chances.
25.axb5 axb5 26.�a7 looks tempting but is
unclear: 26 ... cxd4 27.if3 ixf3 28.gxf3
Z"v �,���� �
,�r
: f���'�����
'� �
--� �I. �ti.%-�L %t� �b �-if.I�
��
8
5
4
.
%' %
'
: •_JJ
� ·�
, %.,�i��
1
..
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
28 ... �xf6! 29.exf6 ic5 The black pawns are
dangerous, and after 30.�xf7 c3 the only move
94
Anti-Moscow
that keeps the balance is 3 1 .l"i:a 1 ! The computer
says it's equal and gives the following variation:
3 l ...'kt>b8 32.l"i:a5 d3t 33.Wh2 d2 34.l"i:xb5t
Wa8 35.l"i:a5t Wb8=
pawns give Black the upper hand, either with
or without the exchange sacrifice on f6: 28.f5 ?
l"i:xf6!+ o r 28.1J.xb7t? Wxb7+ o r 28.g5? 1J.xf3
29.gxf3 'tt> b7+
25 exdS
Black can also sacrifice the exchange here.
25 ... l"i:xf6!? 26.exf6 exd5 27.axb5 axb5 gives
similar play to the game. That said, there is no
need to take on f6 just yet; the possibility is not
running away.
28...ixf3 29.gxf3
..•
26.axbS axb5 27.if3 d4
•�,�, ,Y,� m
n�
,�
,,��
�
� , ,� N%
�� 0tf'
�mr
�
�
�
,
,
J
ll0:.,
�
0;.'f«
��%
%'
4 �����· -, , ,%� f,�, ,%��8 ¥,i, ,
� �1 ��
� WY�0�
£, , %� �� �(,(:'�
s
5
,
1 m � li � m
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
29 l"i:xf6! 30.exf6 b4 31.B:xf7 id6 32.B:al
c3
Yz-Yz Lukasova - Ntirlis, corr. 20 1 3. White
has nothing else than to force the draw with
33.l"i:a8t 1J.b8 34.l"i:a5 1J.d6 35.l"i:a8t.
••.
The position is very tricky, especially with
the exchange sacrifice . . . l"i:xf6 lurking in the air.
28J�a7!
This more or less forces a draw and is the
sensible choice. Otherwise White could easily
end up in major trouble:
28. Wf2 1J.e7 is fine for Black.
28.l"i:a5? looks active and threatening, but runs
into 28 ... l"i:xf6!. A funny line goes 29.exf6 1J.xf3
30.gxf3 Wb7 and the black pawns will decide
the game. After 3 l .l"i:xb5t? Wa6 and the rook
is trapped.
Other lines also see the impressive queenside
Did you notice the name of the Black player
in the interesting encounter that we just
witnessed? Ntirlis! It is Nikos Ntirlis, the
Greek opening coach, who has worked with
the Danish national team on several occasions
and also helped research a lot of the material
for the book you are holding in your hands ... I
didn't know he could play himself!
95
Chapter 7 - 1 0. 0-0
Conclusion
Anti-Moscow Conclusion
In the main line with l 1 .lt:le5 h5! l 2.lt:lxd7
Wxd7 1 3.�e5 E\h6 1 4.Wcl Black can respond
14 ... lt:lg4 1 5.�xg4 hxg4 1 6.Wxg5 Elg6. White
has regained his pawn, but Black is positionally
fine.
14 ... lt:l h7, protecting the hanging pawn on
g5, is absolutely playable although it is a little
passive.
l 4 ... Elg6! is the fighting choice! After
1 5.Eldl both 1 5 ... lt:lg4 and 1 5 ...We7 lead to
complicated play with chances for both sides.
We have visited one of the major battlefields of
contemporary opening theory and witnessed
for ourselves that there still exists a kind of
status quo: the game is dynamically balanced,
something that has been both known and
shown for a couple of years now.
White's early pawn sacrifice gives good long­
term compensation - primarily because of the
weaknesses Black has been forced to accept on
both flanks. Black will have a hard time finding
a safe spot for his king, bur the closed nature of
the position works for the second player.
White has tried all kinds of possible ways to
break through, but despite the effort of some
of the world's leading players (not to mention
a lot of computer-generated lines) no path
to an advantage has been found. It is fair to
say char the position is equal, albeit only in a
higher sense - over the board all three results
are possible of course.
In general rhe play is more slow and
positional than in the Botvinnik Variation,
but there are still some hardcore lines here
and there! Speaking about the Botvinnik, one
important feature the Anti-Moscow and the
Botvinnik have in common is the dangerous
and dynamic black pawn majority on the
queenside. This majority is often a key factor,
especially in the endgame, as we have seen
time and again.
Kramnik's interesting 1 3.Wcl can be met
by the active 1 3 ... Elg8 1 4.Eldl h4! 1 5.�e5
We7 and if 1 6.h3 then 1 6 ... g4!? gives strong
counterplay.
Moscow
Various 7th Moves
Variation Index
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llif3 lli f6 4.lli c3 e6 5.i.g5 h6! 6.i.xf6
6 ...'l&xf6
97
98
1 00
1 03
105
105
1 06
A) 7.e4
B) 7.a3!?
C) 7.'l&b3
D) 7.'l&c2
E) 7.g3 llid7 8.i.g2 dxc4 9.0-0 i.e7
El) 1 0.e3
E2} 10.llie4
B) note to 8./tJe5!
9 . . . a6!N
El) note to l 1 . 1/N e2
E2) note to 1 5.iik l
Chapter 8
-
97
Various 7th Moves
Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound ofyour own wheels drive you
crazy
- Eagles
So let's get to some proper positional chess!
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 tll f6 4.tll c3 e6 s.ig5
h6! 6.ixfG
The safe choice. Or you could also call it the
positional choice. Play will be much quieter
compared with the Ami-Moscow Variation
which we have just examined, though it won't
be without venom.
6 ...'1Wxf6
White is far ahead in development and has
a strong presence in the centre, which will be
even more visible if he gets e2-e4 in as well.
The bishop pair is a high price to pay though,
because it means that Black has a long-term
asset in his possession. His position is also
very solid and it won't be easy to overrun.
A complicated positional battle can begin!
White has tried a lot of different moves here.
First there is the direct A) 7.e4. It is desirable,
but runs into a check on b4 as we will see
shortly. That explains the preparatory move
B) 7.a3!?, which we will have a look at next.
Another interesting move that prevents ... ib4 t
is C) 7.°1Wb3, again with the idea to follow up
with e2-e4. White can also try another queen
move, the flexible D) 7.°1Wc2. Or he can go for
a kind of Catalan with E) 7.g3.
Finally in the next chapter there is the natural
7.e3, which constitutes the big main line.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8. .ib4t!
Thar's it. A most disturbing check.
.
9.tll ed2
After 9.ct;>e2 White hopes to win a tempo
and then continue with g3, .lkg2, l'!el and
castle by hand. 9 ...'Wf4 1 0.'Wd3 .lke7 1 l .g3 'We?
1 2 ..lkg2 l0d7 1 3.l'!hel showed White's plan in
action in Vokac - Dreev, Ohrid 2009, bur after
1 3 ... e5 Black was doing well as the position
opened up for the two bishops.
A) 7.e4
This move is strategically desirable.
Unfortunately there is a minor derail which I
have hinted at already in the introduction.
7... dxe4 s.tll xe4
9 ... c5!
This move solves all Black's problems.
10.a3 ixd2t 1 1 .°1Wxd2 0-0
White has deprived Black of the pair of
bishops, but he is behind in development
98
Moscow
and ... �d8 is coming, which will cause
further inconvenience.
l l ...cxd4 1 2.Wxd4 leads to a pretty equal
endgame.
22.gbl a4 23.h3 f6 24.llih2 b6 25.llifl @f7
Black prevailed in Smyslov - Gligoric, USSR
1 979.
B) 7.a3!?
12.dxc5 gds 13.Wf c2 lli a6!
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Black has excellent prospects. A classical
game continued as follows:
14.ie2
1 4.c6 e5! 1 5.cxb7 ixb7 16.'1Wc3 llic5 gives
Black amazing compensation for just a mere
pawn.
14 llixc5 15.0-0 id7 16.gacl
16.b3 is met by 1 6 ...�c6 followed by ...�e4
after which White will have to work out how
not to lose the b3-pawn.
.•.
16 ...ia4 17.Wfc3 Wfxc3 18.gxc3 ib3!
An unusual blockading move - White's
b-pawn is fixed to b2. Soon the immobile
pawn majority on the queenside will be a
liability rather than a strength.
19.gfcl a5 20.@fl ga6! 21.@el gad6+
The black pieces play; the white ones
defend.
An interesting way to prepare e2-e4, and
slightly underestimated in my opinion.
7 ... dxc4
The standard Semi-Slav response.
8.llie5!
8.e4 is met by 8 ... b5.
8.e3 b5
The same reply is best here.
9.lll e 5
Now I found an improvement over a
correspondence game:
99
Chapter 8 - Various 7th Moves
9 ... a6!N
Giving the black rook a useful square at a7
in some lines.
9 ...id6 10.lll e4 Wd8 l l .f4 0-0 1 2.ie2
ixe5 1 3 .fxe5 Wh4t 14.lll g3 lll d7 1 5.if3
ib7 was objectively okay for Black in
Eldridge - Krauss, corr. 20 1 2, but after l 6.a4
followed by :!::i:c l , 0-0 and lll e2-f4, White
had good play for the pawn. Black had to
play accurately to neutralize his positional
initiative, which is not always easy to do in a
practical game over the board.
1 0.lll e4
1 0.g3 is met by 1 0 ...id6 and now after
l 1 .lll e4 Black can play the natural l 1 ...We7.
1 0 ...Wd8!
Black has a disruptive check on a5 after say
Wf3 or '.Wh5.
l l .ie2 lll d7 12.lll xc6 Wb6 1 3 .lll e 5 lll xe5
1 4.dxe5 ib7 1 5.if3 :!:l:d8
Black is obviously on top.
8 .b5
A simple and consistent continuation.
..
8 ... c5 is usually recommended here, for
example by both Vigorito and Dreev, bur
after 9.e3 cxd4 1 0.exd4 lll d7 ( 1 0 . . . lll c6 is
better, but it is not everyone's cup of tea to
defend the position arising after l l .lll xc6
bxc6) l 1 .lll xc4 ie7 1 2.g3;!; the bishop on g2
will be leader of the pack.
9.g3 i.d6!
Black forces the play.
10 .!lixbS
White takes on the challenge.
.
1 0.f4 We7 l l .ig2 ib7 1 2.0-0 0-0= Omelka
- Macek, corr. 1 998.
1 0.ig2
Disregarding the material is interesting.
10 ...ixe5 l l .dxe5 Wxe5 1 2.f4 Wc5N
12 ... Wc7 1 3.lll x b5 Wa5t ( 1 3 ...cxb5 14.ixa8
lll c6 and maybe Black doesn't have enough
for the exchange) l 4.lll c3 0-0 was also
fine for Black in 'raphk57' - 'CoffeeOne',
Internet 20 1 4.
1 3 .lll e4 Wb6 1 4.Wd6
This looks promising at first: Black can't
castle and the white queen seems menacing
in the middle of the black position. The
problem is there is no real threat! Slowly bur
surely Black will untangle and then the extra
material can begin to tell.
E�.i.
-�- - '� �m�· �m�'ef-----��
7 -�;-- �;''""': �� r.��-�
i£� �� �� �·
� �,fB!B��
3 "�- %�•m.•r:mi
'
,� -%� m� m•f!:
s
6
;
"
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 4 ... a6 1 5.a4 :!:l:a7 1 6.Wa3 Wa5t!
16 ... b4 1 7.a5 Wb7 ( 1 7 ... bxa3 1 8.axb6 axb2
1 9.:!::i: b 1 leads to complications that favour
White) 1 8.Wa2 0-0 1 9.Wxc4 e5 opens the
position for the bishop. 20.fxe5 We7 2 1 .0-0
leads to complicated play, and shows why
1 6 ...Wa5t is better.
1 7.'tt> f2 Wb6t 1 8.e3
1 00
Moscow
1 8. 'it>e 1 b4 19 .a5 leads to the above line but
with White having lost the right to castle!
l 8 ... �d7 l 9.tt::l d6t 'it>d8
Black is in excellent shape!
87
6
5
4
3
2
1
17 .. .E�hcS!N
The text is a bit more pressing compared
with 1 7 ...�xfl 1 8.�xfl �hc8 1 9.�d2 tt::l e 5,
which was level in Grabuzova - Panush,
Moscow 1 996.
18.tlJc6t '41d6 19.ixa6 �xc6
Black has a bit of an edge and can keep on
playing.
C) 7.Wfb3
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
10...i.xe5
1 O ... cxb5 is dubious in view of l 1 .�g2.
l l.dxe5 Wfxe5 12.tiJd6t '41e7 13.tlJxc4 Wfd5
White has won the pawn back, but this move
repairs Black's pawn structure and secures a
fine ending.
14.Wfxd5 cxd5 15.tlJa5 ia6
1 5 ... tt::l d7 1 6.e3 was seen in Rapport Perunovic, Vrnjacka Banja 20 1 0, and now the
natural 1 6 ... tt::l f6N would secure equality.
16.:Ekl tlJ d7 17.e3
A deep move. The queen protects the
c4-pawn and at the same time covers the
b4-square - thereby preventing the annoying
bishop check. The plan is the same as in the
previous game; White wants to play e2-e4!
7... tlJ d7
7 ... a5 is another popular move, though after
the simple 8.e3! I think that White maintains
a slight edge.
8.e4 dxe4 9.tt::l xe4 �b4t 1 0.Wxb4 is also
possible, and after 1 0 ... axb4 l 1 .tt::l xf6t gxf6 we
reach an ending that looks rather equal, but is
full of play.
8.e4 dxe4 9.tlJxe4 Wff4
This is the simplest and most forcing line.
9 ...Wf5!? 1 0.�d3 Wa5t
101
Chapter 8 - Various 7th Moves
We should examine this decent alternative.
Now best is:
l l .ttJed2!
l l .ttJc3 can be met by l l ...g6! when 1 2.c5
ig7 1 3.ixg6 0-0! seems okay for Black,
although this is of course experimental stuff.
l l ...ie7
l l ...g6 1 2.c5 now is strong for White.
1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3.mel
l 3.ic2N E:d8 will be similar to the game
mentioned below.
1 3 ...Wc7 14.ic2 E:d8!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
12.ic2
1 2.E:adl is another approach, and was
proposed by Sakaev. After 1 2 ... exd4 1 3.llixd4
0-0 1 4.ic2 Black has to remember to play:
h
Black was okay in Yegiazarian - Asrian,
Yerevan 200 1 . He can meet 1 5 .Wd3N with
1 5 ... llifs.
IO.id3 e5
A key move: Black needs to liberate his
position.
1 1 .0-0
l l .dxe5 llixe5 1 2.llixe5 Wxe5 1 3.0-0 ie7
has been considered fine for Black since Keres
- Mikenas, Tallinn 1 965.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
l 4 ... lli f6 ( l 4 ... llic5? is met by l 5 .Wa3!) 1 5.me l
ig4 ( l 5 . . .g6 as i n Euwe - Fine, Holland
1 938, is less accurate and is considered to be
in White's favour) 1 6.f3 ic8 Black is okay
despite the loss of time. l 7.g3 Wc7 l 8.We3
id7 1 9. lli b3 E:ad8 was level in D. Fischer Ermolaev, email 20 1 2.
1 02
Moscow
1 2.Ei:fel exd4 1 3.lll g3!? was proposed by
Kasparov as best in his book Revolution in the
70s ( 1 3.lll xd4 0-0 1 4.Ei:ad l lll c 5 1 5.Wc3 Ei:d8
simply transposes to the main line) . 1 3 ... lll c 5
1 4.Wa3 lll e6
16...ig4!
A similar idea to the one we saw above. It is
paramount that Black gets this bishop out and,
furthermore, it provokes a slight weakening of
White's king's position.
17.f3 ihs 18.tll e2
This is proposed by Grivas in ChessBase
Magazine, but after Black's next move White
has no hope for an advantage.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8.Wa5 b6 19.Wa3 ifs 20.g3 Wc7 2 1 .Wc3
a5 22.lll f2 Ei:d6 23.mg2 Ei:ad8 is obviously
excellent for Black. He had no trouble at all
after 24.b3 ig6 25 .ixg6 Ei:xg6 in Persson Riccio, corr. 20 1 2.
And now l 5.c5! is given by the 1 3th World
Champion, attributing this move to Timman.
Frankly I don't see what is wrong with Black's
position after 1 5 . . . 0-0 1 6.Ei:e5 g6 17.ic4 Ei:d8
1 8.Ei:ael if8 as everything is covered. One
idea is to meet 1 9.lll e4 with 1 9 ... d3! 20.ixd3
lll d4 2 1 .lll ed2 ie6 and Black breaks free, for
instance with 22.Ei:5e4 Wf6.
12 ...exd4 13.!!fel 0-0 14.tll xd4 lll cS!
Less accurate is 1 4 ... lll f6?! 1 5.Ei:ad l , after
which l 5 ... g6 transposes to Euwe - Fine in the
note to 1 2.Ei:ad l .
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
18 .. '!Wc7!
Black has a nice position which has been
tested in a couple of engine games in my
database.
.
1 8 ...Wh4 1 9.lll 4g3 ig6 20.ixg6 fxg6 was
obviously better for White in Sargissian Malakhov, Copenhagen 2007.
19.tll 4g3N
1 9.iih l Ei:xdl 20.Ei:xdl lll xe4 2 1 .ixe4 f6
followed by . . . Ei:d8 is fine for Black.
19 .. '!Wb6! 20.iihl if6!
.
103
Chapter 8 - Various 7th Moves
This strong intermediate move is quite
annoying for White!
8.e3 b5 9.a4 i.b7
Black returns the pawn and gets his pieces
out.
10.axbS cxb5 1 1.tlJxbS i.b4t 1 2.tiJc3
1 2.lt'id2? 0-0 1 3.lt'ic7
This wins material, bur leaves the king in
danger.
1 3 ... e5! 1 4 ..ixc4
1 4.d5 E!:c8 1 5.lt'ixa8 .ixd5 1 6.E!:xa7 c3
1 7.'it>e2 lt'ia6 1 8.bxc3 E!:xc3 1 9.Wfb l Wfd6
and White is in trouble.
1 4 ... exd4 1 5.0-0-0 lt'ic6 1 6.lt'ixa8 E!:c8!
Black has a strong initiative.
1 6 ... E!:xa8 1 7.'it>b l lt'ie5 1 8 ..ia2 is much less
critical.
An interesting idea, albeit one that has been
more or less neutralized for years. White plays
a useful move before showing his cards; can
Black do the same? No, not really. If 7 ... lt'id7
then 8.e4, and we see one of the points of
White's seventh move after 8 ... dxe4 9.Wfxe4.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 7.lt'ie4
1 7.lt'if3 .ie7 1 8.E!:xd4 lt'ixd4 1 9.lt'ixd4 'it>h8
20.b3 .ixg2 2 1 .Ei:d l .ih3 22.E!:gl .ia3t
23.'it>dl E!:xa8+
1 7 ...Wfe7 1 8.lt'ig3 dxe3 1 9.lt'if5 Wff6 20.lt'ixe3
lt'ia5
20 ... lt'ie5 allows 2 1 .Ei:d4!+.
2 1 .'it>bl
2 1 .Ei:d7 lt'ixc4 22.E!:xb7 .id2t 23.@b l lt'ia3t
24.bxa3 E!:xc2 25.lt'ixc2 Wfxf2 26.E!:d7 Wfxg2
27.Ei:dl .if4+
2 1 ...lt'ixc4 22.lt'ixc4 .ixg2 23.E!:hgl .ixa8
'
24.Wfd3 .if8
Black had an excellent game in Nett Ntirlis, corr. 2014.
104
Moscow
1 8.E!:xc4 E!:xc4 19.ixc4 ixf3 20.Wxf3
20.gxf3? exd4 2 1 .'1Wxd4 lll e 5 22.ie2 lll x f3t
23.ixf3 Wxf3 24.'\Wf4 Wxf4 25.exf4 id2
26.E!:a3 E!:b5 27.h3 ixf4 28.lll c3 E!:c5 left
Black a pawn up, although he didn't manage
to convert it in Zielinski - Evstigneev, email
20 1 1 .
20 ...Wxf3 2 1 .gxf3 exd4 22.exd4 lt:l b6 23.lll xb6
E!:xb6
White's pawns are too weak to give any
serious winning chances.
24.E!:dl ctf f8 25.b3 E!:g6t 26.ctffl E!:g5 27.Ei:d3
E!:h5 28.'tt> g2 E!:g5t 29.'tt> fl E!:h5 30.'tt>g2 E!:g5t
V2-Yz Kramnik, - Leko, Miskole 2007.
Kramnik failed to find something against his
own invention.
14 ... �fcS
Practice has shown that this position is equal.
15.lll d2
It is not enough just to attack the c4-pawn,
because Black easily defends it with ... lll b6.
However any attempts to regroup and keep
some positional advantage have also proved to
be frui dess.
1 5 .lll a2 id6
l 5 ... a5! ? is risky but playable according to
my analysis: l 6.lll xb4 axb4 l 7.E!:xa8 ixa8
1 8.Wa4 ixf3 1 9.ixf3 We7 20.Wa6 Wf8 was
Scharf - Kaiser, email 2009. The position is
dynamically balanced, but Black keeps more
winning - and losing! - chances.
16.lll d2 lll b6 l 7.lll c3
l 7.if3 ixf3 l 8.lll x f3 a5 was equal in Ralls
- Kireev, email 20 1 2.
1 5.:B'.fcl a5 l 6.lll a4 E!:ab8 1 7.Wd 1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 7... e5!
Kramnik's move, which immediately kills
any hope of an advantage for White.
15 ... lll b6 16.�fcl
1 6.if3 We7, as above, is equal.
Chapter 8 - Various 7th Moves
16...'We7
1 05
7 ... l2Jd7
Whenever White is not threatening e2-e4
Black can play this useful move. He prepares to
take on c4, and then either play ... e5 or simply
keep the pawn with ... lll b 6 - while at the same
time stopping lll e5xc4.
s.ig2 dxc4
No extra points for guessing this move!
9.0-0 ie7
Timing is everything. Black needs to play
... e5 to get his light-squared bishop out and he
could have done it at once. It would have been
much riskier though and finishing kingside
development is always important!
17.h3 a5 1S.t2Jf3 'WeS!? 19.l2Je5 a4 20.ih5
�c7 21 .e4 �a5 22.if3 'Was 23.�a2 �cs
24.�dl �dS 25.l2Jg4 ixc3 26.bxc3 �b5
Although the game Serban - Ljubicic, corr.
20 1 1 , ended in a draw it is an interesting
position which is probably a bit better for
Black at this point.
E) 7.g3
White tries a kind of Catalan. Why not?
El) 10.e3 0-0 1 1.'We2
l l .lll d2
e5 equalizes at once as after lll xc4
Black plays ... exd4 followed by . . . lll b 6.
Therefore the only critical continuation is
l 2.d5, but this might be in Black's favour after
1 2 . . . lll b6 1 3 .We2 ( 1 3.dxc6?! bxc6 is pretty bad
for White) 1 3 ... E!:d8 1 4.e4 �c5 1 5 .lll xc4. So
far we are following Dreev - Potkin, Khanty­
Mansiysk 2013, where the well-known Semi­
Slav specialist is playing with the white pieces
106
Moscow
//�� .i.�� .1.m••
_ _ , v,_ ,,�,
,
_
6 Y,, , %�·�lll ��lllii�
s m lll lll lll . . .
43 � Ill�- , ,,, lll��/,'' lll�'l/. ,,, lll�A
�� �� o
iiW/1£�
2 .� �
, , %r- -�- ���L
,,%%'�
s
and hasn't been able to come up with anything
against his own pet opening. In fact he could
have faced some serious problems equalizing
after:
7
L
�
//.
��
��
?/,IW
'ff?>�
1 • P� n m �
a
1 1 ...eS 12.'Wxc4
This is a better option for White, bur it is not
particularly dangerous. The following game is
a model example of how Black should play the
position.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
20.a3 'Wf6 21 .b4 E:xdl t 22.'Wxdl E:d8
23.'Wc2 'We? 24.'We4 ie6 25.h4 E:d2
26.'Wbl tlJc4 27.tDxc4 ixc4 28.ifl ie6
29.E:dl E:xdl 30.'Wxdl a5
Suddenly White was doomed in Oms
Pallisse - Granda Zuniga, Tarragona 2006.
E2) 10.tlJe4 'Wf5 1 1 .tlJed2
l l .tt'i fd2 is considered inaccurate due to
l ...tt'i b6! ( l l ...e5?! 1 2.tt'ixc4 is pretty bad for
Black this time) 1 2.a4 'Wa5! and now ... e5 is
coming in much better conditions.
l
107
Chapter 8 - Various 7th Moves
12.tll xc4 exd4 13.tll xd4
The universal preference.
Instead, 1 3.'Wxd4 0-0 1 4.lll d 6 'We6 is
comfortably equal for Black.
13 ... '!Wf6 14.e3 0-0
Black's piece constellation is not optimal,
but he is very solid, he has kept the bishop pair,
and he can look forward to a long game with
his fair share of the chances. In fact as soon as
the black pieces have improved their positions,
and the last obstacles of development have
been overcome, he will be slightly better due
to the bishops.
1 5.gcl
I have tried the seemingly more active
l 5 .'Wh5 myself with success, bur objectively
it is nothing. I quite like an idea for Black
mentioned by Sakaev, similar to how Granda
Zuniga played in the position we saw above:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ... l:'i:e8!N 1 6.l:'i:fd l if8 This position is
already evaluated as slightly better for Black by
Sakaev.
15 ...gds
l 5 ...l:'i:e8N also seems possible.
16.'!Wh5 �f8 17.gfdl tll b6 18.tll a5 g6
19.'!We2 h5 20.h3
21.tll ab3 �f8 22.tll c5 '!Wes
Y2-Y2 Vinchev - Kalchev, corr. 2013.
Conclusion
The early 7.e4 is premature because of the
annoying check after 7 ... dxe4 8.lll xe4 ib4t.
7.a3!? - with the idea to continue with e2-e4
- is strongly met by 7 ... dxc4! followed by ... b5
with good play.
7.'Wb3 is interesting. However, after 7 ... lll d7
8.e4 dxe4 9.lll xe4 'Wf4 1 0.id3 e5 Black solves
all his positional problems. Play continues
1 1 .0-0 ie7! and the simplifying ... exd4 is in
the air.
7.'Wc2 is answered by 7 ... dxc4! 8.e3 b5
and after 9.a4 Black gives the pawn back and
equalizes completely with 9 ...ib7 10.axb5
cxb5 l 1 .lll x b5 ib4t 1 2.lll c3 0-0 1 3.ie2
lll d7 14.0-0 l:'i:fc8.
The Catalan-like 7.g3 is met by 7 ... lll d7
8.ig2 dxc4. Black will not try to hold onto the
pawn, bur instead liberate his position with a
well-rimed ... e5. In the main line 9.0-0 ie7
1 O.tll e4 'Wf5 l 1 .lll ed2 e5! Black achieves easy
equality after l 2.lll xc4 exd4 1 3.lll xd4 'Wf6
14.e3 0-0.
Moscow
Main Line
Variation Index
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.ll:if3 ll:if6 4.ll:ic3 e6 S ..igS h6 6 ..ixf6 Wfxf6 7.e3 ll:i d7 8 ..id3
8 ... dxc4 9 ..ixc4
1 10
1 10
111
111
1 12
1 13
1 14
l lS
1 16
1 16
1 17
1 18
1 18
1 19
A) 9 .id6! 10.0-0 Wfe7
Al) 1 1 .e4
A2) l l .Wfe2
A3) l l .Wfc2
A4) 1 1 .gcl
AS) l 1.ll:ie4
B) 9 ...g6 10.0-0 .ig7
Bl) l 1 .1Mf c2
B2) 1 1 .gel
B3) l l .e4
B4) 1 1 .b4
BS) 1 1 .gcl 0-0
BSl) 1 2.e4
BS2) 1 2 ..ih3
.•.
A3) after 1 2 .:l'i:ad 1
:i R.i.R ��-�
t.I i .I.A). i �.
6
Ri�iR �
AS) after 1 3.e4!
s
7
:3 R•.f�.-R RezJR
a
1 2 . . . ill fGN
R ttl��
R'ii' R ��
l!i �
1U
2
b
c
d
e
1 3 . . . bG!
f
g
h
B2) after 1 6.ill d S
109
Chapter 9 - Main Line
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llJf3 llJf6 4.llJc3 e6 5.ig5
h6 6.ixf6 'Wxf6 7.e3
The most natural continuation. We now
enter the big main line.
7... llJd7
moves the fl -bishop, Black takes on c4 and
transposes to Variation A.
8 ... g6 can lead to independent play after a
quick cxd5 as . . . g6 may not be the masc useful
move in a Carlsbad structure. One very recent
example was Carlsen - Topalov, Stavanger
20 1 5, which continued: 9 ..ie2 .ig7 (9 . . . dxc4
would transpose to line B5.) 1 0.cxd5 exd5
But this game will be remembered for Carlsen
losing on time rather rhan the opening.
8 ... dxc4 9.ixc4
8
��
A %%.�
�� �� ��if
%% .JL
a
�
"'
�
i Ulj)U A_J�,,,/,-///
, ,,,, ,�
· � �·/,
�
'�
�
�
5 �� �
� �
�- �
��
1
6
8.id3
This is the most natural move as the bishop
will have to develop at some point anyway.
8 ..ie2 makes no difference after 8 ... dxc4
9 ..ixc4, when we are back in the main line.
8.'®c2 is met by 8 ....id6! - which is the set­
up we'll examine in the main line. 9.0-0-0
'®e7 1 0.e4 ( 1 O.g4 a6 1 1 .h4 b5 l 2.c5 .ic7 like
in Muschik - Ruzele, Berlin 1 995, is fine for
Black who will also castle queenside.) 1 O ... dxc4
1 l .e5 .ic7 1 2 ..ixc4 tt:lb6 1 3 . .ib3 .id7 Black
will castle queenside with a better position,
Szmetan - Tempone, Mar de! Plata 1 998.
8.cxd5 exd5 is not a good Carlsbad structure
for White: the black knight is ready to go
to b6, letting the light-squared bishop out,
while the other black bishop can be developed
actively on d6.
8.:!l:cl is a common move, but will make no
difference after 8 ....id6!. As soon as White
,,,,,
-
-----
__
%
43 --�"-.JLD
�� m,
,,,;,( ----"�,P; U
� � r�ltJm
2 ��- - - ;- , , , %0 �%�
0��n--,r ----"w�
1 /-,9-l----��� Vi'l�
,,,,,
a
b
c
d
e
f
'""
�§
g
h
A) 9 ...id6! is the easiest defence. According
to my analysis Black equalizes in all lines and
has nothing to worry about whatsoever. Play
becomes purely positional and, due to the
relatively simple position, it is actually hard to
suggest improvements for either side along the
way. Most of the dynamics have been removed
once and for all, and further simplifications
are in the air. This sterile equality will probably
be considered dull by some, but you shouldn't
forget that the onus is on White to come up
with something.
Still, 9 ....id6 is just a little sideline in
opening theory - although I am sure that's only
because people are nor aware of its existence.
Everybody seems to play B) 9 g6. This leads
to much more complicated play and offers
White many active possibilities - but it also
.•.
1 10
Moscow
gives Black more chances to win! Therefore I
have included a guide to the ... g6 line after the
coverage of ... id6, in case some readers feel a
strong urge to go that way.
A) 9 id6! 10.0-0 V!ie7
•..
There is a plethora of alternatives at this point
but Black's general idea always remains the
same: play for ... b6, ...ib7 and meet e3-e4
with . . . e5. If White tries to exchange the good
bishop on d6 for a knight then let him do it!
White spends several moves on the operation
and the simplification helps Black to neutralize
all positional pressure quite easily. Al) l 1.e4,
Al) l l .Vfie2, A3) l l.Vfic2 and A4) 1 1.�cl
will all be covered in detail, but on principle I
regard A5) l 1 .tlie4 as the most dangerous of
the white tries.
Al) l l .e4 e5
s ,,� R£U"-R�,J, , %�,�
/,,�, , �i U'!ll
r;;�:.r%�
'" ""�• r�
7
/,
�.�-�.Wj
:4 .rr&nfft8'
R ��
3 n �m . . /,m
��m
f� . ���
1 ,d. %_,•�m. .
2
.
a
b
..
c
d
e
f
g
h
The typical counter-strike. White should not
be allowed to play e4-e5 as it leads to a space
advantage and a potential attack.
12.dxe5
Closing the centre is usually pretty harmless.
After 1 2.d5 tt'lb6 1 3.ib3 0-0 Black is
absolutely fine. The worst thing that can ever
happen to him is getting a weak pawn on c6,
but there is no way White can really exploit
this. And there is also the bishop pair - don't
forget about that! Here is a recent top-level
game to back the verdict: 1 4.:gcl ( 1 4.dxc6
bxc6 l 5.tt'lh4!? is a tricky tactical sequence,
but after 1 5 .. .'�f6 1 6.tll f5 as in Kramnik Anand, Moscow 201 1 , Black would be fine
after 1 6 ... :gd8N 17.Wf3 ib4=) 1 4 ...:gd8
1 5 .We2 id? 1 6.:gfd l :gac8 1 7.dxc6 ixc6=
1 8 .tll b 5 ib8 1 9.g3 g6 20.lll h 4 'it>g7 2 1 .tll c3
:gxdl t 22.:gxd l :gd8 23.tll g2 :gxdl t 24.Wxdl
id6 25.tll e 3 ic5 26.tt'led5 ixd5 27.tt'lxd5
lll xd5 28.ixd5 b6 29.Wf3 Wf6 30.Wxf6t
Wxf6 3 1 .'it>fl a5 32.a4 id4 33.b3 ic5 34.ic4
id4 35.id5 ic5 36.ic4 id4 Y2-Y2 Bacrot Matlakov, Bilbao 2014.
12 tlixe5 13.tlixe5 ixe5 14.Vfie2 0-0
In general in the Semi-Slav if White takes
on e5 in a similar situation - and we will meet
it again and again - he has to follow up with
f2-f4, otherwise the black bishop is too strong
on e5. So White's next is more or less forced.
In this particular position Black has a nice
tactical riposte though.
•.•
15.f4
Chapter 9
-
111
Main Line
16...ic7
Played with tempo; the threat is .. ,j,b6.
17.c;t>hl :B:ad8!
Active play by Black.
1 8.'?Nxa7 '?Nb4 19.ib3 :B:d2 20.°?Ne3 :B:fd8
21.:B:f2 :B:2d.3 22.°?Nel i.b6 23.:B:fl
Black has excellent play for the pawn. He
can retreat with 23 .. .'�e7, as in Ryvova Stoeckert, email 2008, or activate his pieces
with 23 ... :B:d2N. In both cases I prefer Black.
A2) 1 1.°?Ne2
Moving the queen to e2 or c2 and then the
rooks to cl and d 1 is something you can do in
your sleep. Unsurprisingly it gives very little.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17.i.b3N ig4 18.f3 i.d7
Everything looks fine for Black here.
A3) 1 1 .°?Nc2 0-0
1 1 ...0-0 12.:B:acl
Here 12 ... b6 1 3.e4 e5 1 4.d5! would create
some problems on the light squares.
13.tll e4 exd4
The simplest continuation.
12 ... tll f6N
A nacural reaction. Black wants to play ... e5
nexc and liberace his posicion. 1 2 ... :B:d8 1 3.a3
has been played in some games.
14.tll xd6 '?Nxd6 15.:B:fdl '?Ne7 16.tll xd4 tll e5=
Wich equality in Johnson - Wharam, email
20 1 1 . A possible continuation is:
13.e4 e5 14.dxeS he5 15.tll xeS '?Nxe5 16.h3
:B:e8
Black is fine.
1 12
Moscow
A4) 1 1 .�cl 0-0 12.l£ie4
A good positional try. This position could just
as easily occur after 1 l .tt'le4 0-0 1 2.�c l , but I
will cover it here.
Speaking about transpositions, 1 2.e4 e5 1 3.d5
tt'l b6 14.ib3 is covered in variation Al on the
note to move 1 2.
13.l£ixd6
Otherwise there is not much substance in
White's play.
13 ...Wfxd6
We have a basic position from the ...id6
line; please compare with variation AS below.
14.Wfe2 �b7
14 ... aS! ?
This interesting continuation is given by
Sakaev. Black prevents ia6 and keeps a lot
of pieces on the board.
1 5.�fd l
I f l 5.e4 ib7 1 6.e5 Vfle7 then Black is able to
play ... c5. 17.tt'ld2 c5 1 8.tt'le4 ixe4 1 9.Vflxe4
cxd4 is equal according to Sakaev.
1 5 ...ib?
1 6.id3
1 6.e4 mds l 7.�d2 Vflc7 1 8.h3 c5 1 9.d5
exd5 20.ixd5 ixd5 2 1 .�xd5 tt'l f6 was equal
in Camacho Dominguez - Ruiz-Jarabo,
corr. 20 12.
1 6 ... �ac8
1 6 ... mds 1 7.ie4 �ac8 1 8.tt'ld2 Vflb8 with
the idea of ... c5 is proposed by Sakaev.
l 7.tt'ld2
1 7.a3 �fd8 1 8 .ia6 ixa6 1 9.Vflxa6 Vflb8
20.�d2 c5= Alifanov - Petrigin, corr. 20 13.
1 7 ... mds 1 8 .tt'le4 Vflb8 19.ia6 ixa6 20.Vflxa6
e5
Okay, it's ... e5 rather than . . . c5 this time. The
result is the same though: Black equalizes.
2 1 .h3 exd4 22.�xd4 Vfic? 23.�d6 �a8 24.Vfle2
tt'le5= 25.�cd 1 �xd6 26.tt'lxd6 �d8 27.tt'lf5
tt'lg6 28.�xd8t Vflxd8 29.Vflc2 Vflf6 30.b3
Y2-Y2 Haugen - Schoen, email 20 1 2.
Chapter 9 - Main Line
1 13
1 5 .ia6
The most precise.
like that as it is too passive. The text move is
much simpler.
1 5.:§:fd l :§:fd8 1 6 ..ia6 .ixa6 1 7.'1Mrxa6 c5!= was
Moiseenko - Shirov, Saratov 20 1 1 .
However, you should always be alert. Trying to
accomplish the ... b6 and ...ib7 plan as soon as
possible would backfire: l l ...b6? 1 2.d5! exd5
1 3 ..ixd5 cxd5 1 4.'\Mi'xd5±
•
s
1
6
i.U� -� �� - -
-,Y,wr
�r�"',
�
"
'
'
'
;
�
�r,,�
ri
, ,, % • �
.""'
, , ,% • •
�
,
� � �
;:;
,,,,, �r�
;:;
,,,,, �r'l,;
: llllll Ill�llllll llllll
32 ��n�lll�"�����Ill��-�
'0 %
�}�%"'" -·��!l:S
1 m �� n M �
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
15 ... La6 16.'1Mrxa6 :gfc8
The black rooks aren't optimally placed but
this is only a small inconvenience at the present
moment. Later, a central break should level the
game without too much trouble.
A5) 1 1.tlJe4
8
7
6
5
4
12.tlJxd6 '1Mfxd6 13.e4!
1 3.Ei:cl b6 will transpose to the previous
variation.
13 b6! l 4.e5
White tries to play as directly and actively
as the position allows, so as to maximize the
pressure on Black.
•••
l 4.'1Mf e2 a5! ? Just as in the Sakaev example from
the previous line, Black must be okay.
Also 1 4 ... ib7 1 5.ia6 ixa6 1 6.'1Mrxa6 E!:fd8
is absolutely fine.
14 Wl'c?
The more precise queen retreat.
•.•
14 ...'1Mfe7 1 5.tll d2 E!:d8 ( 1 5 . . . c5 1 6.tll e4 ib7
l 7.tll d6, attacking the bishop, shows a major
difference berween ...'1Mrc7 and ...'1Mre7. 17 ... .ic6
l 8.f4±) l 6.f4 White holds some initiative.
15.tlJd2 c5!
Black immediately seeks active counterplay.
3
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 1 ...0-0
In many games Black has tried to preserve
the bishop with ...ic7, but I don't particularly
11
4
Moscow
16.:act
l 6.ltJe4 cxd4! highlights another advantage
of having the queen on c7 by hitting both c4
and e5.
16...ib7
The white knight won't get to e4 and Black
has solved his opening problems satisfactorily.
We will now follow a correspondence game.
fxe5 might be okay for Black, but on the other
hand it might not! I certainly prefer the main
line.
20.lll d6 id5 2 1.dxcS bxc5 22.YMc2
Or 22.:B'.xc5 f6!f±
17.ibS
The only critical try.
17... a6!
Black is forcing the play: it is already a good
sign that he can do this.
18.ixd7 YMxd7 19.lll c4
1 9 .dxc5 :B'.ad8 give Black great activity, for
instance: 20.ltJb3 YMa4! 2 1 .We2 i.c6 22.:B'.fe l
i.b5 23.Wc2 bxc5 24.l2ixc5 Wxa2=
23.b3
A positional pawn sacrifice.
Clinging onto the e5-pawn would be
dangerous: 23.f4 fxe5 24.fxe5 We? Black can
activate his queen on the kingside.
23 ...fx:eS 24.lll c4 YMb7 25.lll e3 :acs
The position is balanced and a draw was the
end result in Almiron - Muck, corr. 20 12.
B) 9. . g6
.
1 9 ...Wxd4N 20.Wxd4 (20.l2ixb6 We4 2 1 .f3
We3t 22 . .,gh l :B'.ad8=) 20 ... cxd4 2 1 .l2ixb6
:B'.ad8 22.f3 f6 23.:B'.fel d3 24.:B'.cdl d2 25.:B'.e2
The most popular continuation; Black
fianchettos his dark-squared bishop and sets
up a slightly passive, but very flexible, position.
Later he hopes to punch in the centre with one
of the two standard breaks - either ... e5 or
... c5. In both cases the g7-bishop could turn
out to be really well placed.
Chapter 9 - Main Line
1 15
1 0.0-0 ig?
White has a free hand. He can start direct
operations on the queenside with b2-b4 or in
the centre with e3-e4. He can also improve
his pieces, especially his heavy artillery, and
concentrate on making it hard for Black to
liberate himself. However, despite White's
having a lot of creative tries, no clear path
to an advantage has been found. We will
consider Bl) I l.'1Wc2, B2) 1 1.gel, B3) l l .e4,
B4) l l.b4 and BS) I I.gel.
Bl) 1 1.'\Wc2
This line is similar to variation B5 on page 1 1 8
except for the fact that here Black is not forced
to play his rook to d8.
17.dxe5 lll xe5 18.tll xe5 'IWxeS 19.gd2 a4!
20.ia2
After 20.�xa4 'W'xb2 (20 ... g5!?N with
the idea .. .f4 seems interesting as well)
2 1 .'W'xb2 �xb2 22.�xc6 �xa3 Black's two
bishops allowed him to draw comfortably in
Lintchevski - Potkin, Novokuznetsk 2008.
Black can even hope for more, as his passed
pawn forces White to show some accuracy.
13 ...eS
So Black strikes the other way!
14.tll g3 Wh8 1 5.gadl a5 16.a3 f5
23.'IWcl f4
1 16
Moscow
Black went on to win in Moiseenko Potkin, Yaroslavl (rapid) 2014, but perhaps
objectively better is 23 . . ..if6N, with the idea
of challenging the cl-file with ... l"i:ad8. Then the
game is balanced.
B2) 1 1.:gel 0-0 12.e4 e5!
You should always think rwice before you
allow White to play e4-e5; he might be able to
generate some serious activity on the kingside
and he can also use the influential e4-square as
he pleases.
1 8 .l"i:edl l"i:xdl t 1 9.l"i:xdl .ie6 20.lll h 2 l"i:b8
2 1 .tt::l g4 'Wb6 22.lll e3 .if8 23.l"i:d2 'Wa5
24.tt::l ed5 .ic5= A draw was soon agreed in
Satici - Bondi, corr. 20 14.
14...hS!
Again we see this active forcing line.
1 5.dxc6 bxc4 16.lll dS
Tempting, but not the best move.
1 6.cxd7!N is preferable, although after
1 6 . . . l"i:xd7 l 7.'We2 Black can again respond
with either ...'Wa6 or ....ia6.
B3) l l .e4
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Chapter 9
l 1 ...e5 12.d5 lll b6 13.i.b3 i.g4!
Now Black can always simplify by caking
on f3.
14J'kl
1 4.h3 ixf3 1 5.Wxf3 Wxf3 1 6.gxf3 r;!;e7
1 7 .dxc6 bxc6 is an endgame where the
weaknesses cancel each other out.
-
1 17
Main Line
s .i -..t� ��•m
tmr.-,Y.�
:E
% ,,,, %� �� �(''"'f""'��-�
7
: it3. �� �.'Yi�
�(AJ
!�f�
- - %m- - - - %��43 •'R R
�
�-'/, ,,, ;- , ,,,,%� �wt!!:
1 �� %� '•'=_ , , ';
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
13.aS exd4 l 4.exd4 �d8!
A multipurpose move; the rook puts pressure
on the isolated cl-pawn, but also frees the f8square for the knight. Afterwards the lighc­
squared bishop can come out and Black will
have a harmonious position.
15.�el lll f8 16.Wl'b3 i.e6=
1 4 ... 0-0 1 5.h3 ixf3 1 6.Wxf3 Wxf3 1 7.gxf3
E!:fc8 is also possible; Black shouldn't have any
real problems.
1 5.h3 i.xf3 16.Wl'xf3 Wfxf3 17.gxf3 cxd5
18.lll xd5 lll xd5 19.i.xdS �d7 20.�c3 @e7
The players were heading towards a draw in
Zakhansov - Parkin, Belgorod 20 1 0.
B4) l l .b4 0-0 12.a4 e5
From the classical school of chess: a flank
operation is met by a strike in the centre.
In fact Black could also ignore the advance
and respond with 1 2 ...'®e7 1 3 .'®b3 b6 1 4.a5
E!:b8, which has been played by Boris Gelfand
amongst others.
25 ... �d4
White resigned in Scefansson - Carlsen,
Heraklion 2007.
1 18
Moscow
BS) 1 1.�cl
1 2 ... e5 1 3.d5 lll b6 14.dxc6 leaves Black with
some structural weaknesses. Given the choice
after 14 ... bxc6 l 5 .ie2 I would take White,
although the position should be considered
completely equal.
8
76
54
3
21
13.eS Wfe7
a
1 1...0-0
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Now White can decide between B51) 12.e4
and B52) 12.ib3.
1 2.b4 '®e7 1 3.'®b3 b6 14.b5
a
B5 1) 12.e4 �dS!
Here this makes sense. The white rook on c l
doesn't contribute to the forthcoming play on
the kingside.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6 ... c5! It is all about this freeing move.
1 7.lll xc5 lll xc5 1 8.dxc5 '®c7 Now ...ixf3
followed by taking on e5 will give Black at
least an equal game: 1 9.�e3 ( 1 9.'®e2 ixf3
20.gxf3 ixe5 2 1 .'®xe5 '®xe5 22.l"i:xe5 l"i:xd3=)
1 9 ...ixf3 20.'®xf3 ixe5 2 1 .l"i:c2 ixh2t
22.\t>fl ie5 23.ixb5 l"i:ab8 24.'®e2 l"i:d5 Black
was better in Holt - So, Lubbock 20 1 3.
Chapter 9
14 ... c5! 15.d5 c!ll xe5!
This surprising sacrifice solves all Black's
problems.
16.c!ll xe5 exd5 17.c!ll f3 Wfxe2 18.Le2 d4
19.c!ll e4 d3 20 ..idl b6
The two fantastic bishops and the two extra
pawns give Black great compensation for the
piece, even without the queens.
B52) 12 ..ib3
-
Main Line
1 19
12 ...Wfe? 13.c!ll e4 b6!
This seems to be more reliable than 1 3 ... Ei:d8
1 4.'Wc2 e5 1 5.tll g3! . The idea is shown after
the main line 1 5 ... tll f8 1 6.lll xe5 i.xe5 I 7.dxe5
'Wxe5, where White can play I 8.'We2!? with
the intention of pushing f4-f5 with active play
on the kingside.
14... b5 15 ..ic2
1 5 .i.b3 a5 I 6.a4 i.a6 1 7 .Ei:el 'Wb4 leaves
Black with plenty of counterplay.
1 5 ...ib? 16..ibl 13fd8
This led to a draw in Baranowski - Welle,
email 20 1 1 .
1 6. . .e 5 is even cleaner. I n both cases the game
is just about to begin; Black should definitely
be fine and has his fair share of the chances.
1 20
Moscow
Conclusion
Moscow Conclusion
In the Moscow main line 7.e3 lll d7 8.j,d3
dxc4 9.j,xc4 Black gets full equality with
9 . . .j,d6!. White's best try is to go for the
bishop with 1 0.0-0 Vfie7 l 1 .lll e 4, but after
1 1 . .. 0-0! 1 2.lll xd6 Vfixd6 White hasn't been
able to demonstrate any kind of advantage.
The Moscow Variation is positionally balanced.
White gets smooth and easy development, but
surrenders the bishop pair. Black lacks some
space, but has just enough to regroup in a
satisfactory manner. The big discovery in the
main line is that the move ... j,d6, with the
idea of letting White exchange this great piece
for a mere knight, equalizes with ease.
The interesting . . . g6 line leads to a complex
middlegame with lots of opportunities for both
sides. In that respect it is probably better suited
if you want a fight than the clean equalizer
.. ,j,d6, but then again it is also a matter of
playing style. But beware, I have only shown
the most important lines - some might call it
the tip of the iceberg - so there still remains
some work to be done. Still, there is more than
enough information to actually start playing
the line and gain your own experience.
Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Introduction
Variation Index
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.CLJf3 CLJf6 4.CLJ c3 e6 5.e3 CLJ bd7 6 ..id3
6 ... dxc4! 7..ixc4 bS
1 22
1 24
1 24
125
128
1 29
129
130
132
A) 8 ..ib3
B) 8 .ie2 .ib7
Bl) 9.e4
B2) 9.0-0
C) 8 ..id3 .ib7 9.a3 .id6!? 10.0-0 0-0
Cl) 1 1 .CLJgS
C2) l l .b4
C3) l l.e4
C4) l l ..id2
•
B 1 ) after l 2.fxg7
A) after l 3.e4
a
b
c
d
e
1 3 ...ixf4
f
g
h
B2)
note to
1 8 . l!igS!
.
.
h
1 22
Meran
Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There
are rules.
- Walter Sobchak, The Big Lebowski
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tll f3 tll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.e3
tll bd7 6.id3
The Meran Variation: the most direct, the
most active, the fastest. White wastes no time
as he develops the bishop, prepares to castle and
then pushes e3-e4 with a great game. However,
that will only happen in a perfect world, and
in the real one Black has adequate plans of his
own. The fact chat White's bishop move invites
Black to start the typical queenside offensive
with tempo shouldn't go unnoticed:
other openings - most notably in the Queen's
Gambit Accepted where it constitutes the
modern main line. It should be treated with
care; if White is allowed to castle and then
advance e3-e4 followed by e4-e5 or d4-d5 it
could cause big problems. Fortunately Black
has a simple and effective antidote:
�.i'
s i. U .i.�•m
-,�--,
�r�
-�
6 �'���f�f•
"
�
�
�,, ��
54 ��· ��-0 �� �
7
ilJ,j
m f� m �
3 ml�""%D�m
��-lf""';� ,,,,,%�-���-�
21 ��
/�Jll� -0 ��,J��JlJ
�-� � n
b
a
c
d
f
e
g
h
8 ...b4! 9.tll e2
9.tll a4 ia6! This is the reason for playing
8 ... b4: on a6 the bishop prevents White from
castling. Of course he can try to solve this
inconvenience, but Black will nevertheless
break with ... c5 and obtain a good game. Here
is an illustrative example:
7.ixc4 b5
White has experimented with both
A) 8.i.b3 and B) 8.ie2, bur they are clearly
inferior and give Black a good game without
too many problems. That said, they do contain
some pitfalls here and there. The real Meran is
connected with the move C) 8.id3, which is
simplest and best.
A) 8.i.b3
An unusual move in the Meran, although the
bishop placement on b3 is well known from
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 0.id2 c5 1 1 .tll xc5 tll xc5 1 2.dxc5 ixc5
1 3.�cl '®b6 1 4.ic4 ib7! Black has the more
active pieces and has no interest in starting to
exchange some of chem. 1 5.Wa4t ic6 1 6.'®c2
Chapter 1 0 - Introduction
id6 1 7.id3 ib? 1 8.Wa4t rj:;e7 19.lll d4
E:hc8 Black is slightly better, and White cracks
due to the pressure: 20. rj:;e2?! llie4! 2 l .ixe4
ixe4 22.f3 id5 23.rj:;f2 a5 Now the bishops
dominate. 24.E:xc8 E:xc8 25.g3 ie5 26.lll b 3
E:c2 0-1 ]. Costa - Kramnik, Debrecen 1 992.
9 .. cS
Proposed by Sakaev.
.
9 ...ib? 1 0.0-0 id6 1 1 .lll f4 ( 1 1 .lll g3 or
1 1 .lll d2 are no better) 1 1 . .. 0-0 12.lll g 5 ixf4
1 3.exf4 c5 1 4.ie3 h6 1 5 .lll f3 E:c8 has been the
traditional main line as analysed by Vigorito.
Black is also fine all the way here.
10.0-0 ih7 1 1.tll f4
1 l .lll g3 ie7! Black benefits from the fact
that he hasn't put the bishop on d6 already. It
is better on e7 when White plays e4-e5: 1 2.E:e 1
0-0 1 3.e4 cxd4 1 4.e5 ( 1 4.llixd4 Wb6N 1 5.e5
ic5! 16.exf6 ixd4 1 7.fxg? E!:fd8+) 14 ... lll g4
1 5.if4N Wa5 1 6.ic2 ixf3 17.Wxf3 lligxe5
1 8.ixe5 llixe5 1 9.Wh5 f5 20.lll xf5 exf5
2 1 .ixf5 E:xf5 22.Wxf5 if6+
1 23
1 8 ... lll e 5! 1 9.if4 Wf6 20.ixe5 ixe5 2 1 .lll xe5
Wxe5+
12 ...�e7!
As given by Sakaev. With this move order
there is no reason to play l 2 ...ixf4 although it
is also absolutely fine for Black. After the cool
text move Black makes all sacrifices on e6 or
f7 less attractive. White's big problem is that
his previous play seems out of place if he can't
destroy the black centre.
13.e4
I can't see anything else. White has to keep
playing actively, otherwise his concept falls
apart.
16.eS
1 6.dxc5 llixe4 17.id6 llixd6 18.cxd6 Wf6+
The passed pawn on d6 is more a weakness
than a strength!
16 ... tll dS 17.ig3 :Sfcs;
Black has good play on the queenside and a
strong knight on d5.
1 24
Meran
B) 8.�e2
The more traditionally favoured move.
1 2.bxc3 id6 1 3.0-0 0-0
White usually continues with:
1 4.ig5 c5
This is proposed by Ragger.
1 4 ...Wi'c7 is also possible, with the idea of
playing ... c5 next, and if White doesn't
exchange on f6 (which will be met by
putting the king on h8 and the rook to g8)
then we play ... tt'ld7.
1 5 .E!:b l
Black can go ...Wi'c7 again, but a nice game
continued as follows:
:i� � �:I ·�
7 �.1.t.a • • • •
n � ·• n
D0, �.,, , �.,, , '
a , , %� 0,a,_, ,�n
0, �
�
8
6
8 ...�b7
White can immediately play Bl) 9.e4 or
castle first B2) 9.0-0.
Bl) 9.e4 b4 10.e5 bxc3 l l.exf6
s
4
3
��
�� �
2 8 R a .i� 8 �
0, :a: � 'ii-:S [�'7f
1
" , ,%
�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ...ie4 1 6.id3 ig6!?
1 6 ... ixd3N is also okay.
1 7.c4 cxd4 1 8.ixg6 hxg6 1 9.Wi'xd4 Wi'c7
20.ixf6 gxf6 2 1 .Wi'xf6 Wi'xc4= 22.E!:fdl
22.E!:b7N would have been met by 22 ... Wi'd5.
22.h4N is not dangerous as Black can play
22 ...Wi'f4 at the very least.
22 ... E!:ab8
Black was fine in V. Georgiev - Shulman,
Mashanrucket 2005, with White being the
one who had to rake care.
l l ... tt'lxf6
12.fxg7
The "Four Queens Variation" after
1 2 ... bxal =Wi' 1 3.gxh8=Wi' is somewhat better
for White, though it is a lot of fun to play for
both sides! Instead of char I recommend:
125
Chapter 1 0 - I ntroduction
B2) 9.0-0 ie7 10.e4
Here it comes. Black can't allow e4-e5, so
he must counterattack with . . . b4 as in the
previous analysis.
87 Jm��;��,
JW
li)m
' ��%�
'
�,�
.i. m
·�
,,�.
, , %�
-1 !11:11 ,, ill
5 �ill�!11!1!lift
43 ��:'��/�- - %�!:11��!11!11
: mtZJm
m
tI;n-% - - ----lW1 /;Wfj
2 �=- - alni=- - 6
a
b
c
d
12 ...ixg7! 13.i.xb2 c5!
A rare move.
e
f
g
h
13 ... '®aSt is more popular, but after l 4.tt:Jd2
the knight goes where it wants to go anyway.
14.0-0 0-0
�
1
b
a
d
c
e
f
g
h
10 ... b4 1 1.e5 bxc3 12.exf6 ixf6 13.bxc3 c5
The critical position. Black frees his game
with the thematic ... c6-c5 and hopes that
White can't punish him. As the following
analysis will show, White doesn't have that
many interesting options to choose from and
Black is absolutely fine - although the line
did decide a World Championship match in
White's favour.
14.dxc5
White has to play actively, another way
being:
1 4.E:b 1
Hitting the black bishop. Black should
respond by reversing the roles:
1 5.E:bl E:b8 16.i.al? ha 17.ixf3 cxd4
Black prevailed in Kantorik - Fodor,
Slovakia 20 1 2.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 26
Meran
1 4 ...ie4
White's rook is now the target. After the
exchange of the light-squared bishops Black
has an easy game.
1 5.id3 ixd3 1 6.'\Wxd3 0-0 1 7.l:!dl
l 7.if4 lt:lb6, planning ... '\Wd5 and/or ... l:!c8,
was equal in Moreira - Danenkov, email
20 1 0.
1 7 ... '\Wa5
1 7 ... cxd4!? 1 8 .cxd4 l2l b6 1 9 .ia3 l:!e8
20.ic5 '\Wd5= Gull - Hiarcs, Internet 20 1 3.
1 8.l:!b7 lt:lb6 1 9.lt:ld2 cxd4 20.lt:le4 id8
2 1 .'1Wg3 '\Wf5 22.f3 lt:lc4 23.cxd4 ib6=
With an eventual draw in Balutescu Sergeev, corr. 20 1 3 .
8 i.�r•�
�m %�-m,..
�•w·. .%��i
��m
�� ""'"� �%
�
�,,� �� ��
�%%�� �!%ii �
f#i. . !�
�1 ��8 ��0�if�:���..
n�
7 z,,,,%
6
5
4
�
,,,,�
a
.
b
c
d
e
f
%�-�,,,,%
g
h
14... l!Jxc5!
My favourite move, which may come as a
surprise ro many White players. However, I
think that Black has every reason to play for
the win in the resulting positions.
14 ...0-0 1 5.ia3 ie7 is the main line and is
also fully playable for Black. 16.'\Wd4 (After
1 6.l:!b l Black cannot play the bishop to c6
as White can hit this with lt:ld4, so he has to
instead choose 1 6 ...id5.) 1 6 ...'\Wc7 1 7.l:!ab l
Here I like the choice of the young Carlsen:
��-J·��
Z""', %�
��-*.��
'))
�
'"""�' t��'
�� , ��
� ��
8
7
.,,.,%
,..,,%
6
, . %(""', �� ��
54 ��c.
- �. - �
7;, . , .%�
�
. znttin
,;.,,��%�
�%'-� �%i'<:'l
3
.
2 f'J �
: � ��r,
� :=
�_� f[,1
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
l 7 ...ic6 l 8.'\We3 ixf3! l 9.ixf3 l:!ab8 Leading
to an instructive position: 20.c6 (20.l:!bd 1 =)
20 . . .ixa3 2 1 .cxd7 '\Wxd7+ Black won this
opposite-coloured bishop position by pushing
his pawn majority and attacking on the
kingside in Brynell - Carlsen, Gausdal 2005.
15 ..tb5t <ii f8
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Black has the better pawn structure and
his trouble with his king is hopefully only
temporary.
1 6.Wi'xd8t
If 16.ia3 '\We?+ then the black king will
eventually find a safe haven at h7, while
White's poor pawn structure remains.
16 ... i:!xd8 17..ta3
1 27
Chapter 1 0 - Introduction
� ��
��
ifji'
.i -'�
1.
W�
�• • 1. d"""!.f�� , , ,
��
��
,
,
,,,
: �.�-�--�
�
����:
3
�
!��7-r�·;,,{ --·
�: ��- ?,����"�,�
:m
8
8
1
7
6
6
5
4
2
3
2
1
....
a
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17. E:cS!
I like to keep my bishop active on f6 where,
amongst its other duties, it prevents the white
knight jumping to e5.
..
18.llid4
Kramnik's move. There are plenty of
alternatives, but there is no White advantage
in sight.
1 8.md l , threatening E1d7, is met simply by
1 8 ... Wg8 (followed by ... h6 or ... g6) and the
king will get off the 8th rank and let the h8rook into play.
18.E\ab l
Suggested by Sherbakov as best.
1 8 ... Wg8 1 9.id7 E1d8 20 . .ixc5 E1xd7 2 1 ..ixa7
Now Black has to be precise:
2 1 ...h6!
2 l . ..h5 also threatens ....ixf3, but this allows
22.E\fd l (as given by Sherbakov) and now
Black's idea of 22 ... E\xdl t 23.E\xdl .ixc3 is
met by 24.E\d8t 'tt>h7 2 5.lt:lg5t.
22 ..id4
After 22.md l N E\xd l t 23.E\xdl ixc3
24.E1d7 id5 25.a4 g5, the powerful bishop
pair ensures that Black won't have any
trouble defending and may even grab the
initiative.
22 ....ixf3 23.ixf6
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
23 ...id5N
23 ... gxf6 24.gxf3 Wg7 was Chiron Hannibal, Internet 20 1 3. This is also fine for
Black, and could be a way to play for the
win at all costs. The passed pawns should not
scare you, as with all the rooks still on the
board, they are not going anywhere.
24.E1b8t Wh7 2 5.E\xhSt Wxh8 26 ..id4 ixa2
With complete equality.
1 8 .. iigS!
1 8 ...ie7 1 9.E\fd l was seen in the rapid
playoff of the 2006 Kramnik - Topalov
World Championship match, in a game
won by Kramnik. At this point though, the
improvement l 9 ... lt:le4!N+ was suggested
by multiple sources and would have left
White defending an inferior position. Maybe
1 9.E\fb 1 !? could be tried as an improvement
for White, but Black is still fine.
.
1 28
Meran
19.gabl J.d5 20.gb2 g6 21 .gcl <ii g?i
The nightmare scenario of being left with
a bunch of weaknesses but no initiative was
realized in De Velez - Cowpar, email 2009.
C) s.J.d3
A long-time favourite of the former World
Champion Anatoly Karpov. He has played
several model games on the white side, but
Black has a lot of interesting options and it
isn't too difficult to find fresh ideas. The Meran
is characterized by a very fluid and dynamic
pawn structure with plenty of possible breaks
and counters, which makes it a positionally
demanding opening to master - which is
a major part of its fascination. The battle
for the initiative is paramount in most cases
and goes hand in hand with more positional
considerations.
move of them all. Black develops a piece and
hopes to free it a little later by the powerful
strike ... c5. In the meantime White should
advance in the centre with e3-e4 followed by
d4-d5 or e4-e5. Again it is very much about
playing for the initiative. White is somewhat
better developed and has both extra space
in the centre and potential breaks there. He
needs to hurry though, because he has no static
positional plusses - they are only temporary.
9.a3
A modest-looking move, but don't be
deceived; it is deeper than it appears. White
simultaneously prevents ... b4 from Black or at least doing so would ruin Black's pawn
structure - and toys with the idea of playing
b2-b4 himself. As always in these lines, the key
to success is connected with the break ... c5.
Here it is harder than usual to achieve in the
early stages of the game, but when it comes it
solves all Black's problems. In some lines Black
can even refrain from it altogether and still get
a perfectly viable game.
9 .e4 is covered in the next chapter, and the
main line of 9.0-0 is examined in Chapters 1 2
and 1 3.
9 ...J.d6!?
The modern move. Traditionally 9 ... b4 or
9 . . . a6 has been more popular.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
10.0-0 0-0
h
8 ...J.b7
The classical response, although also popular
is the quiet move 8 ... a6 with the idea to
play a quick ... c5. These days the modern
interpretation 8 ... J.d6!? is often seen in top
games, while even 8 ... b4 is occasionally essayed.
By the way, despite its active appearance,
8 ... b4 is actually the dullest of the possibilities,
so I won't recommend it! Personally I will stick
to 8 ... J.b7, which I regard as the purest Meran
129
Chapter 1 0 - Introduction
White's best move is probably the flexible
l l .'Wc2, but chat sends us direccly to the
Anti-Meran after l l ...Ei:c8! (see page 2 1 8 in
Chapter 1 8) .
Other options are Cl) l I.tlig5, C2) l 1.b4,
C3) l 1 .e4 and C4) 1 1.�d.2. They are pretty
harmless, but some brief coverage is still
necessary.
tlixf6 17.tlie4 tlixe4 1 8.Le4 'Wb6
White can't prevent ... c5 for long.
Cl) 1 1.tlig5
With the idea of playing lll ge4 and b2-b4 and
gaining complete control over the important
c5-square.
l l...a5
Black prevents b2-b4 and can now play ... b4
himself whenever he pleases.
12.�d2 �e7!
A nice prophylactic move. Black removes the
bishop it can be hit by a white knight landing
on e4.
C2) l l.b4
13Jkl
1 3.'Wc2 h6 14.tll ge4 l'!c8 1 5.lll xfGt lll xf6
1 6.tll e4 c5 17.lll xfGt .ixf6 (Topalov has cried
17 . . . gxf6!?) 1 8.dxc5 .ixb2 1 9 ..ih?t Wh8
20.'Wxb2 Wxh7 2 1 .l'!acl .ic6= Onischuk Jakovenko, Foros 2008.
l l ... a5!
Black shouldn't hesitate with his counterplay.
IfWhice could manage co stabilize the position
on the queenside he would be much better.
130
Meran
.
.
White must defend the important b4-pomt.
After 1 2.bxa5 8:xa5 Black is more than fine
positionaIIy.
12 ... axb4 13 .axb4 tll d5!
.
c
e ch ange m the pawn
a ravourabl
Black rorces
c
structure .
� ·­
�
t
Wffj j_ m�--%�
�;?,,�1�
t'
&
7 �%
a
J
A
"
65 Wffjm�� •t�• .- ·�
�%� m'Ji)m
��
43 lJJjJ�JI if% '" ·· ·[-";'\ •��
j,. �
,,,,,/U� /W
� /�,..(�
�•
�% A %W- - %
W,0
2
m
£
�'W"
�
�� if - �p;/� M�
8
\Uli
.i '�
&
El
*
%
1 � �
�
a
b
Q
c
d
�Cl
'7� h
g
e
14.tl!xd5 exd5
,
Okay, so we didn t manage to get the . . . c5
.
.
break in and the b 7-b><hop look' P'"'"· S<ill,
the bi<hop am emct ilie game later via c8 and
.
_
th" <mp«« ivo
th e white bishop on cl isn't
.
either. Furrhctmm«he b4-p•wn oondnu« to
.
be "<get •nd Bhok "n intensify the pressure
.
Wit ...Vffe7 and ... 8:a4. The black knight can
I':\ with confidence
c
also lo0k towards t he rnture
'
with the manoeuvre ... "l..l d7-b6-c4 m the
works· wh·1te,' onIY pmm· s mg plan is to ope n
up the position and figh t or the initiative.
�
;,
C3) l l.e4 e5
·
·
tl!f6
�
15 .e4 dxe4 16 . .s.xe4
A good alternative is 16 ...VfJc7N with equali ty.
:13
� c2
17.ic2 geS 1 8.VfJ h6 19.ib3 tll d5 20 --.
tlif6 2Lid2 i'8 H ere comes the bishop!
22.gfel
This was B attaglini - Cheparinov, Bastia
20 1 1 and now I would recommend:
,
2
1
f g h
. .
Th is IS always the standard reaction ifWh"1te
advances in the centre with e3-e4 Play n ow
.
.
·
bemg wh ether
rr
d1v1·des the b"1g dirrerence
'
.
White takes 0 n e 5 ot bv" the centre as it s
.
.
- full of tension and dynamic possibil"mes 10r
/
both sides.
e
·
12.igS
By far the most popular move
;
·
·
1 2 .dxe5 d es n,t give anything. 1 2 ...ctJxe5
1 3.ctJxe5 xe 5 14.f4 id4t 1 5.cj;>h l ixc3
131
Chapter 1 0 - Introduction
1 6.bxc3 c5! and Black has active counterplay.
After l 7.e5, the game Moiseenko - Borovikov,
Yevpatoria 2007, was agreed drawn, and
indeed 1 7 ... c4 leads to balanced play.
1 2.lll e2 is known from other Meran lines.
After 12 ... l::!: e8 1 3 .lll g3?! exd4 14.lll f5 .if8
1 5.lll 3xd4 lll c 5 White was already in big
trouble in Jorczik - Brkic, Pardubice 2008.
12 ..ic2 is another attempt to stay flexible.
1 2 .. .'\Wc7 1 3.\t>h l l::!:ad8 1 4.'\Wel l::!:fe8 and
again it is Black who makes the easiest - and
best! - moves.
s i, �� ��i. � 9�
{wil
76 �l
,� ,t
�
,-�.
5 '•%wt/ti"•%�'
,;,,,��
4 �%�
� �� :t� �� �
%, ,,,%�r0
%% ��t[j'0 �� t��,�
�-�
t[j%�
1 ,d,,,, vm'rfii""
3
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
13 ...a6!
A strong prophylactic move: Black defends
b5 before it is threatened. Apart from being a
defensive manoeuvre, the move is just as much
a prelude to the standard freeing move ... c5.
14.�cl h6 1 5.i.h4
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ..ig5 exd4 1 6.lll xd4 h6 1 7 ..ih4 was
Sasikiran - Shirov, Rhodes 20 1 3 . Now Shirov
took on h2, but the simple l 7 ....ie5N would
have given Black a fine game.
12 �eS 13.lll e2
Again we see this cunning move.
..•
1 3 ..ic2 a6 1 4.h3 h6 1 5 ..ie3 was played in
Gulko - Kaufman, Wilmington 2003. Black
should finish his development with l 5 ... '1Wc7N
which leads to a good position.
1 3.d5 probably releases the tension too
soon: 1 3 ... cxd5 1 4.exd5 h6!? (I would play
1 4 ... a6N=) 1 5 ..ixf6 lll xf6 1 6 ..ixb5 l::!: e7 With
good compensation for the pawn, M. Nguyen
- H. Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City 20 1 2.
1 6.lll fxd4 lll cS
1 6 ... c5N or 1 6 ...'\Wb6N are both strong
alternatives.
17.i.bl lll cxe4 18.lll xc6?!
1 32
Meran
Based on a miscalculation The correct
18.li:Jf5 gave some hope to survive, but Black
.
'.s of �ourse better. After the text move he is
JUSt wmning!
·
18....ixc6 19.gxc6
C4) 1 1 ..id2
8 %--- � ��•m
r
•
·
•
·
l
'l
.tR_
__m
%
�
---�
· ·
�
r� - m R
54 -����- , m -J
,
,
�N-%_
3 [����Zl�.��- - - - - -�d?- --- %�?0 �w-t �
1
6
2
1
,� ,, ·�
�
�@ [!J,
%
-,
��---- ·
��ili£·���\§' · � �� 0
:?,'�
/, , , Y,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White just develops: definitely a sensible
move, but it isn't very threatening, is it?
That said, it always pays to be alert; White is
contemplating playing b2-b4.
20.@hl
20.�xh2 li:lg4t 2 1 .�h3 li:lgxf2t 22 ..ixf2
li:lxf2t 23.Ei:xf2 Wxdl is the point.
20 ... �xdl 21.gxdl tll xf2t! 22..ixf'2 gxe2
23 ..id4 .ig3 24..bfU gxf6 25.gxf6 gaeS
26.gdfl gel 27..id3 gxfI t 28.gxfI h5
White is completely tied up and is a pawn
down. No wonder he went on to lose in Braun
- Jakovenko, Kallithea 2008, even though the
_
opposite-coloured
bishops give a slight hope
for survival.
1 1. ..a5
So we prevent it. Described like this chess
.
is very simple, but unfortunately it is not the
whole truth.
12.gcl
White continues to develop his pieces.
1 2.li:lg5 .ie7 would transpose to variation
Cl.
12... b4!
Active and strong.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
133
Chapter 1 0 - Introduction
13.axb4 axb4 14.lll e4 lll xe4 15.he4 Wfb6
Black has no problems.
16.Wfb3
Another Kiri! Georgiev game went 1 6.:ge 1
:gfd8 17.Wb3 c5 1 8.ixb7 V2-V2 K. Georgiev ­
Shirov, Kallithea 2008.
16... lll f6 17.id3 c5
The break!
18.dxcS ixc5
Conclusion
8.ib3 is strongly met by 8 ... b4!, when 9.lll a4
ia6! is already embarrassing for White. After
9.lll e2 c5 1 0.0-0 ib7 l 1 .lll f4 id6 1 2.l'Llg5
We7 Black protects himself against possible
sacrifices on e6 or f7 and simply has a good
position.
The 8.ie2 line is mainly a surprise weapon
these days. Theoretically Black is doing fine
after 8 ...ib7 9.0-0 ie7 1 0.e4 b4 l l .e5 bxc3
12.exf6 ixf6 1 3.bxc3 c5!. If White cries
the straightforward 1 4.dxc5 then he risks
ending up in a slightly inferior position after
l 4 . . . lll x c5! where Black's better pawn structure
is a long-term factor.
8 .id3 is the main move, when we play 8 ...ib7.
In the remaining part of the chapter we looked
at the significant sideline 9.a3, when 9 ...id6
1 0.0-0 0-0 reaches a final branching point.
l 1 .l'Llg5 is well met by l l . ..a5 12.id2
ie7!. Later Black manages co get ... c5 in and
equalizes without problems.
The direct l l .b4 is answered by l l ...a5!
1 2.:gb l axb4 1 3.axb5 l'Lld5! 14.lll x d5 exd5 with
an interesting middlegame chat is balanced.
After l l .e4 e5, 12.dxe5 doesn't give anything
so White usually cries 1 2.ig5, when 1 2 ... :ge8
is a good answer. Black has good coordination
and is well prepared to meet any White
offensive.
l l .id2 is harmless. After l l ...a5 1 2.:gcl
b4! 1 3.axb4 axb4 14.lll e4 lll xe4 1 5.ixe4 Wb6
Black will get ... c5 in and solve all problems.
Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
9. e4
Variation Index
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.ttlf3 ttlf6 4.ttl c3 e6 5.e3 ttl bd7 6 ..id3 dxc4 7..ixc4 b5
8 ..id3 .ib7 9.e4
9 ... b4 I O. ttl a4 c5! 1 1 .e5 ttl d5
1 35
136
138
139
140
142
143
144
145
A) 12.ttlg5?!
B) 12.ttlxc5
C) 12.0-0 cxd4
Cl) 1 3.ttlxd4 ttlxe5 14..ib5t ttl d7 1 5.E:el E:c8
CI I) 1 6.11Nh5
C I 2) 1 6.b3
C2) 13.E:el g6! 14 ..ig5 11Na5 1 5.ttlxd4 a6
C2 1) 1 6.a3
C22) 1 6..id2!?
B) note co 14.0-0
C2) note co 1 4 ..igS
C 1 ) note co 1 5 .Ele 1
a
1 9 ... h6!N
b
c
d
e
f
2 1 ...EldB!N
g
h
h
Chapter 1 1
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 S.e3
lll bd7 6.�d3 dxc4 7.�xc4 bS 8.�d3 �b7
9.e4
The most direct; White wastes no time
and immediately advances in the centre. The
threat is to continue e4-e5, so Black must seek
counterplay at once. Fortunately he can get the
important ... c5 break in by simple means:
-
1 35
9.e4
A) 12.lll gS?!
The idea is to play '1Wh5 and attack! Fortunately
the aggression is easily repelled.
12 ...�e7!
Safe and sound.
13.WihS g6! 14.Wfh6 cxd4
9 ... b4 10.lll a4 cS! 1 1 .eS lll dS
a
This is the real starting position of the classic
Wade Variation, when White is already faced
with an important decision that will determine
the course of play.
He can play actively with 1 2.0-0, hoping
that his lead in development will compensate
for the crumbling centre after the obvious
response 1 2 ... cxd4, or play the alternative
l 2.lll x c5, exchanging the offside knight first
and then trying to use the extra space provided
by the e5-pawn to gain some initiative.
Both continuations are important and they
will be covered in great detail below, but please
allow me to first have a look at the dangerous
looking move A) 12.lll gS?! before turning to
B) 12.lll xcS and C) 12.0-0.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Black cakes a pawn and politely asks White
to show some evidence of the correctness of his
overambitious play.
I S.Wig?
l 5 .lll xe6N '1Wa5! (not l 5 ... fxe6 l 6.�xg6t
hxg6 1 7.'1Wxg6t 'ktif8 1 8.�h6t l::!:xh6 1 9.'1Wxh6t
with a perpetual) 1 6.'1Wg7 ms l 7.lll xf8 �xf8
gains a tempo on the white queen, which
means that Black will capture the loose knight
on a4 and win!
1 5 .. JUB 16.lll xh? WfaS!
Here we go again. This time, though, White
can protect his knight.
17.b3 lll c3!
136
Me ran
B) 12.tlixcS
A safe alternative. Please note that 1 2.dxc5 will
lead to the same position.
12 ...tlixcS 13.d:xcS i.xc5
8 ifJ�
J
�.
�
�
�
'
.fd
j_if
.fd
'
%,,,,%� �� �� �-- - - %�
��
��m�l
·� ��i�
� -�
65 �,c0, h, %�
3•
'JIJIJl!JIJl:m��*"0""
i�il
;f,11
0
21 /:���J�WI�if
·� ��-�J��{j
-M
7
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White is being completely crushed. His so­
called offensive on the kingside has left his
queen far away from the action while Black
cleverly opens up the rest of the board. Here
are a few lines:
18.0-0
1 8.if4 ixg2-+ or 1 8. lli xc3 bxc3 1 9. 0-0
�xe5-+.
18 ... WfxeS 19.WfxeS llixe5 20.llixc3
In Szymanski - Navratil, Olomouc 20 1 1 ,
Black was on the verge of defeating a much
higher-rated opponent, but now erred with
20 ... :B:h8 allowing 2 l .ib5t. Capturing the
bishop first would have kept the win intact:
4
�
�
----·"
�
%
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
By taking on c5 White has also helped
Black to develop. This is White's last chance to
disturb the black king with an annoying check,
but the problem is it costs time.
14.0-0
14.�a4t We7 1 5.0-0 ( 1 5.ig5t f6 1 6.exf6t
gxf6 and the king finds shelter on f7, while
Black will get play down the g-file.) l 5 ... h6
Black plans ... �b6 followed by ... :B:hd8.
1 6.ia6 ixa6 l 7.�xa6 Wf8+
Chapter 1 1
1 4.lt:ig5 '.Wc7! 1 5.0-0 Ei:d8! 1 6.1.Wh5 g6 1 7.ib5t
'it>f8 1 8.'.Wf3 ( 1 8 .'.Wh6tN c;:f;>g8 l 9.lt:ie4 if8,
followed by ... h6, is equal.) 18 ...c;:!;>g? 1 9.ie3
This was Lputian - Fressinet, Internet 2004,
and now afcer:
-
137
9.e4
34.Wd2 Wal 35.Wc2 ic3 36.'.Wb l ia6 0-1
Uhlmann - Larsen, Las Palmas 1 97 1 .
14...h6
A typical move in this particular structure.
It is necessary to control the important g5square; castling would run into the standard
bishop sacrifice on h7.
15.lll d2
The most ambitious. The knight is heading
for e4 where it will attack the black bishop.
1 5.'.We2 '.Wb6 1 6.id2 c;:!;>e?!? 1 7.Ei:acl Ei:hd8=
is fine for Black. He will eventually solve the
problem with his king.
1 5.ib5t c;:!;>e? also only helps Black.
1 4.ib5t c;:!;>e? 1 5 .0-0 '.Wb6 1 6.id3 h6+ Black
is ready to continue with ... Ei:hd8 and ... c;:!;>f8
with artificial castling. His position is already
slightly for preference with the strong knight
on d5. I will include the rest of the moves
from a famous game, as it was one of the first
to show Black's positional resources in these
Meran structures.
� H.�lf••
%,, ,%- �- l8""%�
0i �w�
5 � ��-�41)/
�% ��
- ,,,,,
%m-- - �- -, , %m� %m
3 •�%i'0, ,%m�%fm�%i'0 -�%i-��
6
4
�
A %''f,0
fl�%
2 Q
fl�% 0
A %'0%
'f,N�
%'t_0
�
/?,�:
"//,
�gf"" %·�·j= " " '
a
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17.'.We2 Ei:hd8 1 8.id2 c;:!;>f8 1 9.Ei:ac l Ei:ac8
20.Ei:c2 a5 2 1 .Ei:fcl 'it>g8 22.h3 lt:ie7 23.lt:iel
id4 24.Ei:xc8 Ei:xc8 25.Ei:xc8t lt:ixc8 26.b3 lt:ie7
27.lt:if3 ic5 28.iel lt:i f5 29.@fl '.Wc6 30.ib5
We? 3 1 .id3 lt:id4 32.lt:ixd4 ixd4 33.f4 '.Wcl
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ... lll c3!
Black's most serious option according to
Krasenkow. In practice 1 5 ... 0-0 and 1 5 ...Wc?
have been played a lot, but the text move
immediately solves all problems in spectacular
fashion.
16.Wc2
Not 1 6.bxc3? '.Wxd3 17.'.Wa4t c;:!;>f8 1 8.cxb4
'.Wg6! l 9.g3 ib6 and the white king's position
is terribly weak on the light squares.
138
Meran
16...WfdS
Threatening mate in one!
17.ttif.3 gds 18.ttiel
1 8.bxc3 Wfxd3 is fine for Black. Sakaev gives
l 9.Wfxd3 :B:xd3 20.cxb4 ixb4 2 1 .:B:b l a5 22.a3
ixf3 23.axb4 ie2 24.:B:el axb4 with equality.
2 l ...:B:d7 also seems fine, but after 22.ixb5
Wfxb5 23.:B:xd7 Wfxd7 24.lt'if3 id6 25.:B:dl
id5 26.ixd6 Wfxd6 27.Wfa4t '1Mfd7 some
precision is still required.
22.WfcS
Safe and more or less forced.
22.Wfa4t Wfc6 23.Wfxa7 nets a pawn, but looks
extremely shaky after 23 ...Wf c7!.
22... l£ic6 23.l£if.3 Wfxc5 24.i.xcS i.d6
25.ie3 iie7=
C) 12.0-0
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
The prelude to a great battle. White hurries
with his development, while Black nets some
structural gains by destroying the white centre.
h
1 8...i.d4!
Black defends the knight tactically.
19.i.d2
1 9.bxc3? ixc3 and both ...ixal and ...ixel
are threatened.
12... cxd4
The principled move. Black could avoid
some of the complications with the relatively
safe 1 2 ... h6!? or l 2 . . . :B:c8!?, but if the text move
is strong, why not play it?
s
6
20.lt'if3 as in Mamedyarov - Gelfand, Moscow
2006, is well met by 20 ... a5 2 1 .a4 lt'ia7N and
Black's centralized pieces gives him an edge.
4
3
2 1 .:B:cl is coolly met by 2 1 .. .a6 and Black is
fine in this unclear position.
21. .. l£id4
S • m ��Y,
,,���-·
_i)_
f
7 �¥.
�
�
" "� � � ·····"�
19 ... ttihs 20.ixh4
The only critical move.
20 ...i.xeS 21.gdl
2 1 .ic4 lt'id4 22.Wfa4t Wfc6 23.Wfxc6t lt'ixc6
is nothing for White.
.1 n
� ��
�j0��
�
��1 �-�
5 ��,
��
CZJief
if
�
�
�, �
�
, , %� -�" �� �w" !ftiiJml"'
21 J,_��
��
�lrJW27�-J
� !J
�ifn M
�
a
b
c
d
e
f
�
g
h
White has a choice. He can take back on
d4 at once with Cl) 13.l£ixd4 and sacrifice
the e5-pawn in the process. The question is
if his initiative is worth this pawn or more.
A somewhat safer alternative is to start by
139
Chapter 1 1 - 9 .e4
protecting the e5-spot with C2) 13.E:el and
only then take on d4. This is a quieter and less
threatening approach, but probably sounder.
Cl) 13.llixd4
Energetic and straightforward. Black must
grab the offered pawn to find out what is going
on.
13 ... llixeS 14.ihSt lli d7
m �·- �.I"
i.
7 �1•�-'jJ!JjJ!J��.� ••.����'jJ!J-·
�JL B A))jJ!J
�- jJ!J��
4 .,
ctJ-m
�
m� �
,
,,
,
,
,
,
/,
�
�
3 ·� jJ!JjJ!J jJ!J?i'ifjJ!J�
� b �.�� �_ff!, ,
8
6
'
s
2
1
� �"""' ��E�_Ji
. . %� -: -%��
i�
· ��-·
7 .�j_�A))
�
s
;tJ- �� ��
�
5 ���
lt)�·�� a��������
� ��c0i-�� �� ,�
"Fr. �
fj J , %-��\WI
�
�
.
/� � '§ � § ��
6
4
-�1' ,
a
.
..
b
c
d
e
..%.
f
,;_,,, .. ,
g
h
1 6.1M.fxd5 Spectacular; the point being that
... exd5 is met by !:!:el t and White holds the
initiative, but with a few precise moves Black
gets the upper hand: 1 6 ... .id6! 1 7.Ei:e l 0-0
1 8.1M.fc4 E!:fc8 1 9 . .ig5 .ixc6 Black was just a
pawn up in Christiansen - Bareev, Biel 1 99 1 .
"
,,,,� ,,,,, -�
�\WI� Fl? �
�m
�
'§i � M �
%
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Black relies on his firm Sicilian-like structure
and his super knight on d5 to make his position
impossible to penetrate.
15.:Sel
White points the rook towards the black
monarch and increases the pressure to a
maximum without taking any concrete action.
If we breathe in slowly we realize that White
is not threatening to take on e6 immediately
so there is no reason to panic - although the
sacrifice is now constantly in the air. White
has occasionally tried some even more direct
moves, but they have all failed to impress.
1 5.1M.fg4 tll 5f6 1 6.1M.fg3 a6! 1 7.ic6 .ixc6
1 8.tll xc6 Wc8 19.tll d4 Wb7 doesn't yield
White enough compensation for a pawn.
1 5.tll c6 1M.fc7
16.tll xe6
1 6.We2 a6 is excellent for Black.
1 6 ... tll x h5 1 7.tll xd8 E!:xd8 1 8.Ei:e l t .ie7
19.tll c 5 ic8 20.ig5 f6!
20 ... tll hf6 2 1 .Ei:adl a6 22 ..ia4 left Black
completely tied up in Radjabov - Shirov,
Wijk aan Zee 2003.
2 1 ..icl
2 1 ..id2 \f;>f7 22 . .ic4t \f;>g6 23.E!:xe7 lll e 5
24.E!:xe5 fxe5 25 ..ixb4 E!:d4 26.b3 E!:hd8+
2 1 ...g5 22.tll e6 \f;>f7 23.ic4 \f;>g6 24 ..id3t
This was Vasquez Schroder - Vallejo Pons,
Tripoli 2004, and now best would have been:
140
Me ran
CU) 1 6.'WhS has been the most popular
move, but C12) 16.b3 is the modern try and
is also recommended by the engines.
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
24 . . .fS!N 25.g4 lt:Jg7 26.lt:Jxg7 'it>xg7 27.E!:xe7t
'it>f6 28.E!:e2 lt:JeS
Black is clearly for preference.
29.�xfS �xfS 30.gxfS lt:J f3t 3 l .'it>g2 lt:Jd4
32.E!:d2 i>xfS+
1 5 .. J'k8
As already mentioned, Black has to be
careful here and watch out for sacrifices on
e6. These sacrifices will gain strength when
Black develops his bishop to e7 as then a
knight on e6 will attack the queen and the
g7-pawn simultaneously. So Black is better off
developing his rook and threatening to play
... a6 next. Please notice that the immediate
. . . a6 would have been met by lt:ic6 when
- compared to the 1 5.lt:Jc6 given above the white rook already stands on e l with
devastating effect.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6.'\Wg4 lt:JSf6 l 7.'1We2 �e7 1 8.�gS �dS!
A key move that supports e6.
1 8 ... 0-0 is met by l 9.lt:Jxe6.
1 9.E!:adl 0-0 20.lt:JfS
Otherwise White cannot continue the
attack.
20 ... h6 2 1 .lt:Jxh6t?!
2 1 .lt:Jxe7t '1Wxe7 22.E!:xdS hxgS 23.E!:xgS is
fine for Black, for example after 23 ... E!:fd8!N.
2 1 ...gxh6 22.�xh6 �d6!+
Norri - Dreev, Arnhem 1 989. If 23.�xf8
lt:ixf8 then it will soon be Black with the big
attack!
CU) 16.'WhS
White tries to send his queen to the front line
in the hope of creating some irresistible threats.
The potential danger lurking on e6 has to be
respected, but it turns out Black's position is
solid enough.
17.'We2
1 7.'IWeS '\Wf6 1 8.lt:Jf3 exploits the fact that
141
Chapter 1 1 - 9.e4
Black can't exchange on e5. 18 ...ig7 1 9.ixd7t
( 1 9.W!'g3 Wfd8+; 19.Wfe2!? could be the most
tricky. Sakaev suggests 1 9 ... h6!? covering g5
with a wild game.) 1 9 ...'kt>xd7 20.Wfe2 This
has been seen several times in practice and
Black has been doing well. Maybe the simplest
solution is 20 ...Wfd8 with the idea of bringing
the king to e7.
1 7.W!'g4 ie7 1 8.ih6 a6 1 9.id3 lll 7 f6 and
White is kicked back. The following variation
is given by Sakaev: 20.Wfe2 W!'d6 2 1 .:B:adl if8
22.ig5 ig7+ Black is ready to bring his king
to safety next.
17.W!'h3
This is at least as dangerous as the more
popular move given as the main line.
1 8 ...fxe6 1 9.Wfxe6t ie7 20.ixa6 ixa6
2 l .W!'xa6 lll c 5!
2 1 ... tt:l b8 also seems fine for Black.
22.lll xc5 :B:xc5 23.ih6 Wfd7!+
Next Black plays ... 'kt>f7. The immediate
23 ... @f7? is met by 24.Wfe6t.
17 ... a6
1 7 ...W!'e7 is another solid option.
18.ixa6
After 1 8.ic4 Black can sacrifice an exchange
with 1 8 ... :B:xc4!? 1 9.Wfxc4 Wfh4 giving good
practical compensation. The stem game was a
quick draw: 20.b3 id6 2 1 .lll f3 Wfxc4 22.bxc4
lll 5f6 23.lll d4 @e7 24.ib2 :B:c8 25.:B:acl tt:le4
Y1-Y1 Illescas Cordoba - Dreev, Dos Hermanas
2005.
Black can also just play solidly with
1 8 ... :B:c7N.
1 8...ixa6 19.�xa6
8
7
6
1 7 ... a6!
17 ...ie7 1 8.ih6 followed by :B:adl is very
dangerous for Black.
17 ...ig7 and 1 7 ...W!'e7 are both met by
1 8.tt:lxe6.
1 8.lll xe6?
The critical move, but it doesn't work.
l 8.id3!? e5 l 9.ih6 is a safer way for
White, who definitely has compensation
for the pawn. After the precise 1 9 ...Wff6
20.ie4 :B:c7 2 1 .:B:ad l ixh6 22.Wfxh6 Wff4
Black gets out of the bind: 23.Wfxf4 (23.W!'g7
Wf f6) 23 ... lll xf4 24.ixb7 :B:xb7 2 5.g3 0-0!
26.tt:lc6 tt:le6 27.tt:lxe5 lll xe5 28.:B:xe5 :B:c8=
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
19 ...ig7
This variation must be learned by heart
as nothing else really works for Black, so we
shouldn't bother looking for alternatives. Here
is one example of how things can go wrong:
1 9 ... lll c 5? 20.tt:lxc5 ixc5 2 1 .lll xe6 fxe6
22.Wf xe6t tt:le7 23.ih6 Black is unlikely to
survive.
142
Meran
20.ig5 llic7!
The only move. White's initiative is repelled
and, although material equality has been
restored, Black will have some positional
advantage in most lines.
21.'1Wa5
2 1 .1M'b7 E!:b8 22.ixd8 E!:xb7 23.ixc7 E!:xc7
24.lll b 5 :§:c2 25.E!:acl E!:xcl 26.:§:xcl We7
(26 ... 0-0 has also been played and is probably
simpler) 27.b3 E!:d8 Y2-Y2 Timar - Wikman,
corr. 1 992.
the position after l 5.b3 and just thought "now
I play ... a6 and am better!" As soon as he took
the a-pawn I instantly knew it was curtains.
So, dear reader, I tell you this so you don't
worry too much about losing a game or two
when you start playing the Semi-Slav. After
all, it is a complicated opening and chess is a
difficult game; crying to memorize everything
is impossible.
2 1 .lll xe6 fxe6 22.E!:xe6t @f7 23.1Wd3 lll xe6
24.ixd8 E!:hxd8 leaves Black with plenty for
the queen.
17.E:xe6!
A nice blow; otherwise White could easily
risk being worse. In fact, even after the
impressive rook sacrifice Black is absolutely
fine if he declines it!
White is in big trouble after l 7.1Wg4 lll 5f6,
l 7.1Wh5 lll 5f6 or l 7.ib2 0-0.
17 0-0!
Saving the day!
.••
C12) 16.b3 ie7
Black should be careful. In this position the
often necessary little move 1 6 . . . a6? would
lead to a disaster: l 7.ixa6! ixa6 l 8.llixe6!
fxe6 1 9.1Wh5t g6 20.1Wxd5± This was already
horrible to defend in Malaniuk - Dastan,
Legnica 2013.
I also fell for this trap in a recent team
game. After a three-hour train journey and
expecting to face a l .e4 player I suddenly had
l 7 . . . fxe6? l 8.lll xe6 1Wa5 l 9.lll xg7t would not
be a pleasant end to the game.
1 8.llic6 ixc6 19.E:xc6 lli c7 20.ifl llie5
21.\WxdS E:f:xd8
The ending is equal.
22.E:c2 lli d5=
As in Riazantsev - Ragger, Plovdiv 20 1 2.
143
Chapter 1 1 - 9.e4
22 ...if6 23.ib2 lt:J e6 was also fine for Black
in Jaulneau - Hedlund, corr. 20 14.
C2) 13.:Bel
a
e
f
g
l 5 ...Wa5N as in our main line makes sense
too.
1 6.:!'l:cl h6 17.id2 ig7 1 8.We2 0-0 1 9.h5 g5
20.We4 lt:J5f6 2 1 .Wxd4
This was played in Korobov - Dreev, Warsaw
(blitz) 20 1 3, and now Black could have tried
a surprising piece sacrifice:
h
White protects the important e5-pawn and
is ready to take on d4 with the knight next
move. As soon as the knight moves away a path
is also cleared for the white queen to infiltrate
on the kingside, so Black should really be on
his guard.
13 g6!
Black wants to increase the pressure on e5.
...
a
14.igS
1 4.lt:Jxd4 ig7 1 5.Wg4 is now met by
l 5 ... lLixe5.
White has also tried an ultra-sharp but
somewhat extravagant move:
1 4.h4!? a6
1 4 ... h6!? is worth mentioning and is a
typical way to deal with such h4-h5 ideas.
After 1 5.h5N then simply 1 5 ... g5 leads to a
complicated game.
1 5 .ig5 Wb8
c
d
e
f
g
h
2 l ... :!'l:d8!N 22.exf6 lt:Jxf6 23.Wc4 id5 24.Wc2
b3 25.Wdl lt:Jg4
With a strong initiative. The following
truly wonderful line is one way play could
continue:
26.ie4 id4! 27.ixd5 ixf2t 28.Wh l :!'l:xd5+
Black is extremely active.
14. .WfaS 15.tlJxd4
l 5.lt:Jd2
This is met by Yevseev's powerful idea of:
1 5 ... :!'l:c8 1 6.lt:Jc4 :!'l:xc4! 1 7.ixc4 ig7�
With great play for the exchange, which
has been confirmed in some top-level
encounters.
1 8.:!'l:cl lt:Jxe5 19.ifl lt:J d7 20.a3 0-0 2 1 .id2
:!'l:b8
Black is probably already slightly better:
22.Wb3 ia8 23.:!'l:c4 lt:Je5 24.:!'l:c5 Wd8 25.axb4
d3! 26.Wdl lt:Jd7
Boris Gelfand is going for a repetition, but
he didn't need to - it was possible to play a
move like 26 ...Wd6 with excellent chances.
27.l'!c4 lt:Je5 28.l'!c5 lLi d7 29.l'!c4 lt:Je5
Y2-Y2 Mamedyarov - Gelfand, Moscow 2007.
.
1 3 ...ie7 1 4.lt:Jxd4 0-0 1 5.Wg4 and 13 ... a6
1 4.lt:Jxd4 g6 1 5.Wg4 are considered to be
slightly in White's favour.
b
1 44
Meran
20 ... B:xb7 21 .!xa6 B:c7 22.!aS
22.lll b 5 0-0! is a slightly better version of
the same exchange sacrifice for Black.
Now we reach another branching point.
C21) 16.a3 is more popular here, but GM
Alexei Kornev recommended C22) 16.!d2!?
in his book A Practical White Repertoire with
1.d4 and 2. c4.
C21) 16.a3 bxa3 17.bxa3 !g7
1s.B:b1 B:bs 19.!d2 V*fds
�� � •m ��
8
�
�
�
.,
,
,
Y
,
,
,
,
�-�""'
/,
: T,�IT,Ti
5 �-�'))
�
�
�m' '� ��
���3 ���'I�
21 m ���-� �¥�-�� �t!J �¥��
4
0,
,,,,,J�
� t�lfV��,,,,/,m ,,- - a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
20.B:xb7!?
The only way to break Black's solid and
flexible position. In a practical game it is a
good try for White, but in a theoretical sense
the move doesn't threaten Black at all.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22...V*fbS!
An idea first played by the correspondence
IM Torben Erik Carlsen, who no, is not
a relative of Magnus, and no, is not from
Scandinavia - he is from Brazil! This line
solves all of Black problems in an otherwise
slightly troublesome variation where 22 ... 0-0
has traditionally been the main line in several
sources, including Vigorito's Semi-Slav book.
The queen move forces White to take the
exchange back immediately and offers Black
easy play for a slight material deficit.
23.!xc7 V*fxc7
Black remains a pawn down but his pieces
are incredibly active and White has some
weaknesses on the dark squares, for instance
the e5- and a3-pawns.
24.!b5 0-0 25.!xd7 V*fxd7 26.lll b2 B:c8
27.lll f3 V*fb5
27 ...!fS was a later attempt at an
improvement in Reinecke - Haumann, email
2009. It is nothing serious though, White still
remains equal!
145
Chapter 1 1 - 9.e4
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
With a positional grip on the queenside. This
was Kornev's idea, but the following games
show a clear way for Black to at least equalize.
21...i!ac8 22.tlidb3
Or 22.'®e2 �a8 23.tlidb3 (23.'®xa6 tlid7
and the black pieces wake up) 23 ... tlid7
24.�xd5 �xd5 25.�c3 tlixc5 26.tlixc5 �xc3
27.bxc3 a5 with equality in Magallanes Corti, corr. 201 1 . White will end up with a
passed pawn, but the bishop is so strong that
White can't improve his position.
C22) 16.id2!? ig7 17.a3
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White shifts his attention to the queenside.
l 7.f4?! protects e5, but is too weakening. After
l 7 . . . tli7b6! White is already in deep trouble.
17... tlixe5 18.ie4 0-0 19.axb4 Wfc7 20.i!cl
'®e7 21.tlic5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22 ...ic6!
The bishop is ready to go to b5, so White is
forced to show his hand a little earlier than he
had hoped for.
146
Meran
23.tll a5
23.lll xa6 Wh4 with active play for the pawn.
The move .. .f5 is in the air with a strong
initiative.
23 ...iaS 24.�e2 tll d7
Solving all problems. The simplifications
lead to clear equality.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Conclusion
12.lll xc5 leads to exchanges and doesn't
promise any advantage. After 1 2 ... lll xc5
1 3.dxc5 .ixc5 if White gives a check then the
black king will be perfectly safe in the centre
on e7, and after 1 4.0-0 h6 the regrouping
move l 5 .lll d2 is well met by the aggressive
l 5 ... lll c 3! which leads to fine play for Black.
After 12.0-0 cxd4 the direct 1 3.lll xd4 leads to
sharp play where White has a strong initiative
for the pawn. However, the black structure is
so firm that the second player doesn't have too
much to worry about if he knows his stuff.
The line with 1 3.E!:el is more positionally
founded than 1 3.lll xd4, but also less
threatening for Black. After the precise
l 3 ... g6! the upcoming attack on e5 gives Black
adequate chances in all lines.
h
25.tll xa6 ixb2 26.ixd5 ixcl 27.ixaS
ixd2 28.�xd2 �xa8 29.tll c7 �xa5! 30.bxa5
tll c5 31.tll b 5 �a8
Y2-Y2 Gleichmann - Noble, corr. 20 1 3. The
passed pawn is under control.
Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
1 3 .�d4 and others
Variation Index
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.�c3 e6 5.e3 � bd7 6.id3 dxc4 7.ixc4 bS
s.id3 ih7 9.0-0 a6 10.e4 cS 1 1 .dS! c4 12.ic2
12 ...Wfc7
A) 13.Wfe2
B) 13.� d4 �cs
Bl) 14.W/f3
B2) 14.W/e2
B3) 14.igS
B4) 14.b4 cxb3 1 5.axh3 b4 16.�a4 � cxe4!
B41) 17.dxe6
B42) 17.ixe4
note to move
13
B)
note to
149
1 50
151
1 52
1 53
155
155
156
l 3 li:Jc5
B2) after l 5.b4
. . .
a
b
c
d
e
f
l 5 . . . exd5!!
g
h
h
1 48
Meran
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.lll £3 tll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.e3
lll bd7 6.!d3 dxc4 7.!xc4 bS 8.!d3 !b7
9.0-0
The modern playground, since White is not
achieving anything in the 9.e4 lines.
9 ... a6
Preparing ... c5 with an easy game.
10.e4 cS
8
1.m s • m ��
�
�
�-,,
76 mr
,
,
,� �� '• '�
'-�- � �
43 �8 'n�!n��n
�
mlt
lt:J
,
�
0%�0?
?ref
�
� 7� Jl!1%rBfll
21 �¥�W;
�m M �
,� �°if
5 1%
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
l l ...c4
Played with tempo and gaining
important c5-square for a piece.
the
It is possible to do without the text move
and instead continue 1 1 ...Wc7!? 1 2.dxe6
fxe6 1 3.ic2 id6 1 4.tlig5 tli f8 1 5.f4 0-0-0
with a complicated game. This line has been
advocated by the big Meran expert Dreev, so it
is worth examining if you want an alternative
to our main line. But to be honest, you don't
really need it!
12.!c2
1 2.dxe6 fxe6 transposes to the next chapter
after 1 3.ic2 Wc7.
Black can also try 1 2 ... cxd3 1 3.exd?t Wxd7
but I don't really trust it.
12 ...'.Wc?
h
Black has carried out his plan, bur he is
behind in development so White can - and
should - strike in the centre.
1 1 .dS!
This is the way to do it.
1 1 .e5 cxd4 Black destroys the white centre.
Of course he could also have made use of the
enticing d5-square with . . . tlid5, but I like the
text move more: it leads to forcing play that
ends with a nice position for Black! 1 2.tlixb5
ixf3 1 3.Wxf3 tlid5 (not 13 ...tlixe5? 1 4.Wxa8)
1 4.tlixd4 tlixe5 1 5.Wg3 tlixd3 1 6.Wxd3 ic5
and Black has good play. Objectively it is
probably equal, but from a practical standpoint
the strong knight on d5 - we can almost call
it the Semi-Slav knight, because it appears in a
lot of variations - makes Black's position easier
to play.
A flexible move. The queen is excellent on
c7, both overlooking the important d6- and
e5-squares and preparing long castling. Black
will develop the rest of his army accordingly
after noting what White is up to; the bishop
can go to c5 or d6 or even stay on f8! Maybe
the d7-knight will need the c5-square to
defend e6 or attack e4. And the king? Well, it
can also castle short!
149
Chapter 1 2 - 1 3 .lt:l d4 and others
Now the big main line starts after 1 3.dxe6 and
we will come to that in the next chapter. For
the sake of completeness, this chapter provides
an overview of the alternatives, the main ones
being A) 13.°1We2 and B) 13.�d4. The latter,
in particular, has to be taken seriously.
1 3 .lll g 5?! is premature. It is one of the main
lines after White has exchanged on e6 but here
it is simply inaccurate for the following reason:
1 3 ... h6! 14.dxe6 hxg5 1 5.exd7t lt:lxd7 1 6.h3
Now in Pogromsky - Tretyakov, Nizhny Tagil
2007, best would have been 16 ... ic5!N with
the big threat of . . . E!:xh3!. If White defends
against that, Black plays ... 0-0-0 with a big
initiative.
1 3.ig5?!
Putting a different piece on g5 is also
inaccurate:
1 3 ...id6!
Black is simply threatening to play ... h6 and
... g5!
1 4.dxe6 fxe6 1 5.ti:ld4 ti:lc5 16.f4
1 6.ixf6 gxf6 1 7.b4 ( l 7.�h5tN �f7+)
l 7 ... cxb3 l 8.ixb3 0-0-0 was much better
for Black in Kozul - Ribli, Bled 2000.
16 . . . 0-0-0! l 7.e5
This was Moskalenko - Goloshchapov,
Alushta 1 998, and now I recommend a
powerful piece sacrifice:
Black will emerge with a strong attack.
1 8.exf6
Any other move can be met by ... E!:hg8,
which threatens ... ti:le4 at some point.
18 ... gxf6 19.ih4 E!:hg8+
A) 13.°1We2 id6
This will almost certainly transpose to 14.�e2
in our main line, on page 1 60 in Chapter 1 3,
as now White has nothing better than to
exchange on e6. We will follow a high-level
game to demonstrate the dangers of failing to
do so:
8
76
1.• � · · ��
,,,,,/,--rm·
·/,- ,,,, /, •
�
' r�
;
�
�
, �
�
�
�
zr
,
T
�
�
�
5 � � � ��
�
: � �-�ef�,�
�
""';%% �-'lj ��0-�
2 rg,,81£�f'j����
·f'j 8 ��
� .n�
1
""' ' "''"�7� %%
a
b
c
d
e
,,,,/,� ,;_,,;: ,,,,
f
g
h
14.J.g5 0-0-0 15,gfdl
1 5 .E!:adl h6 1 6.ixf6 gxf6 1 7.a4 was not
much better for White in the following game:
17 ... b4 1 8.E!:d4 ic5 1 9.dxe6 fxe6 20.E!:xc4
tiJ b6 In Karpov - Illescas Cordoba, Linares
1 995, White had to give away an exchange to
survive the worst, but of course he is worse.
15 ... h6 1 6.J.h4 g5 17.J.g3 ixg3 1 8.hxg3
exd5 19.�xd5 �xd5 20.exd5 �f6 21.d6
gxd6 22,gxd6 °1Wxd6 23.gdl °1Wc5 24.b4
°1Wc7 25.a4 ge8 26.°1Wd2 'it>b8
Black now displayed fine technique to bring
the point home.
1 50
Meran
well-known game Kasparov - Kramnik, Dos
Hermanas 1 996, which was one of Kasparov's
most famous losses to his young rival - and
a truly extraordinary game it was! However,
the knight move was adopted again by Carlsen
against Shirov at Biel 201 1 , so maybe it is about
to see a resurgence in popularity? Certainly the
old analysis needs a bit of refreshing.
13 ... c!ll c5
This is theory's main recommendation.
30.i.xb7 c;tixb7 31 .°Wf6 ge6 32.°Wf5 gd6
33.gel c3 34.gcl
We have been following Avrukh - Gelfand,
Tel Aviv 1 999. Now, in his notes to the game,
Gelfand proposed an improvement:
34, .. gd5N
White is in deep trouble.
B) 13.c!ll d4
1 3 ... e5?! 1 4.llif5 g6
IM Bartholomew's suggestion from
ChessPublishing, 14 ... h5N, which also
happens to be the engines' top choice, is far
from good. White's main idea is to smash
Black's pawn structure on the queenside
with b2-b3 or a2-a4, so l 5 .j,d2! g6 l 6.llie3
and White prepares to do j ust that. Black
can delay this with l 6 ... j,c5 with the idea
to take first on e3 after b2-b3, forcing a
recapture with the f-pawn, but White has all
the time in the world to prepare his break:
17.°Wf3 j,d4 1 8.E!:fc l !±
1 5.llih6 llih5 1 6.g3!
This was the official improvement suggested
after the game Gelfand - Dreev, Tilburg
1 993, and tested later in the aforementioned
Carlsen - Shirov game in 20 1 1 .
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6 ... j,c5 l 7.°Wf3 E!:f8
Dreev has suggested 1 7 ... fG instead, but
151
Chapter 1 2 - 1 3.ltJd4 and others
this doesn't seem to change a lot. White
can continue as in the Carlsen game with
1 8.!d2.
1 8.!d2!±
Carlsen's assessment at chis point was chat
"Black is in bad shape". Indeed b2-b4! came
next with the idea of a2-a4.
Along with the rare Bl) 14.'Wf3 White has
three major options: B2) 14.'We2 is analysed
next; B3) 14.J.g5 is also critical, but if Black
knows what to do he'll have an amazing game;
and B4) 14.b4 was seen in the Kasparov Kramnik game.
Bl) 14.'Wf3
1 3 . . . 0-0-0!?
This might actually be a strong choice for
those who don't mind living a life with a
bit of risk. As GM Stohl correctly points
out in his book Instructive Modern Chess
Masterpieces (where he analysed both the
Gelfand - Dreev and Kasparov - Kramnik
games played in this line), the reply 14.dxe6?!
fails to 14 ... tll e 5!.
The only serious game in my database
continued:
14.!g5 !c5! 1 5.a3
This was Chemin - Horvath, Austria 1 993,
but it feels a bit slow (b2-b4 is not a major
concern), so Black should play:
15.1Wh3 b4 16.tlJa4
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ... h6!N
l 5 ... tlie5!? 1 6.b4 !b6N also looks promising
for Black to me.
1 6.!h4
Exchanging on f6 is clearly worse.
1 6 ... g5!? l 7.!g3 1Wb6
To be followed by ... tll h 5 when Black is
simply better!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
16 ..0-0N
Vigorito's proposal looks fine for Black.
.
1 52
Meran
l 6 ...exd5 17 .exd5 ixd5 is also playable, but is
more complex and less safe.
17.e5
1 7.dxeG ixe4 is nothing for White either.
17 ... ixe5 1 8.lLlxc5 ixd4
Vigorito puts emphasis on this move, but
it is possible that Black has also other strong
alternatives at this point.
19.lLlxh7 '1Wxh7 20.dxe6 fxe6 21 .'1Wxe6t '\Wf7
Here Vigorito's analysis stops. Black seems
better to me despite White's bishop pair. The
bishop on d4 is extremely strong and the far­
advanced pawn majority on the queenside is a
constant nuisance for White.
B2) 14.'1We2 0-0-0 15.h4
Nothing else seems critical at this point as
White has to open the position. Clearly he is
expecting l 5 ... cxb3 or maybe l 5 . . . lLid3.
16.bxc5 ixc5
A harmonious, active and fully developed
army is what Black got for his piece. Plus two
strong pawns of course!
17.ie3
l 7.lLidxb5 is perhaps not critical from a
theoretical standpoint, but in practice you
always need to check standard sacrifices such
as these. Best play seems to be: l 7 . . . axb5
l 8.lLixb5 WcG 1 9.l'!b l l'!he8 All the black pieces
are going to the party! It is time for White to
try to chicken out with a draw if it is possible
- and unfortunately it seems it is! 20.ia3
lLixe4 2 1 .ixc5 Wxc5 22.Wg4t l'!e6 23.Wxg7
(23.Wf5 l'!d7 24.Wxh7 d4 forces White to seek
a perpetual with 25.WgSt l'!d8 26.Wxf7 l'!f6
27.Wxg7 l'!d7 28.Wgst l'!fs 29.lLia7t iids
30.lLicGt Wc8) 23 ... d4 24.Wxf7 l'!e7 25.lLia7t
Wc7 26.Wf4t We5 This was eventually drawn
in Gor Petrosyan - Neapus, Internet 20 1 1 ,
though the two passers look scary for White.
l 7 ...'1We5 18.lLldxb5
Again we see chis counter-sacrifice.
The seemingly strong l 8.f4 allows l 8 ...Wxd4!
1 9.ixd4 ixd4t 20.Whl ixc3. Black has
amazing compensation for the queen as now
the a l -rook is threatened, as is the strong
advance ... d4.
1 53
Chapter 1 2 - 1 3 .tt::l d 4 and others
been tested in an email game, so let's follow
it until the end. The position is coo tense right
now co leave anyway!
37.�d4 \Wxg2t 38.'it>e3 �d5! leads co
another draw: 39.\WeSt <;tic? 40.\Wf8 �d6
4 l .\We7t <;tic6 42.\We8t=
22.if5t ci>b8 23.a4
White must desperately open some lines
cowards the black king before he is squeezed
by the mighty passed pawns.
37...Wc7 38.Wfe5t Wc8=
23 ...d3 24.Wfa2 b4
24 ...Wfa5 is also equal bur much less fun.
25.�acl b3 26.Wff2 Wfa5 27.�xc4 d2 28.�dl
g6 29.ib6 Wfa6
29 ... \Wd5 is the other option. 30.�d4 gxf5
3 1 . \Wxd2! This spoils Black's fun, bur che
position might still be drawn (3 1 .�xd5 �xd5
gives Black good compensation for the queen).
3 1 ...\Wxg2t 32.\Wxg2 �xd4 33.�xd4 �xg2
34.<;tixg2 b2 35.�b4 tt:ld5 36.�xb2 tt:lxf4t
37.<;tig3 tt:ld3 38.�b3 tt:lxe5 With strong
drawing tendencies.
B3) 14.ig5
White is completing his development with
natural, active moves. Next he will follow up
with �cl and then probably b2-b4 with a
strong positional initiative. So what is wrong
with such a strategy? The answer is it is too
slow! In a normal opening with less infighting
you could get away with just making sound
moves. In the Semi-Slav you need co be more
concrete and, most of all, you need co threaten
something. The drawback of the move �g5
is that is doesn't threaten co take on f6, since
that would just give Black the bishop pair for
free. Another consequence is that White is
neglecting his d5-pawn - ic is not char well
defended and with ... b4 and/or . . . 0-0-0 Black
can increase the pressure.
8
��
� -�
�� �
76 .:.ftsl-..r�r
,,.,
,
.
"
:
�
:
�
5
�
�
43 •�
1
•
'
•�'•
�
�
- -, ;�� ��r�----%f0,
-� �8�1----r�-��%
2 ���8"(r�-�""�%��-:S: �
�"if�
/, , , , , ,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
30.�b4 gxf5 31.ixd8 �xd8 32.exf6 \Wd3
33.Wfb6 �d7 34.Wfb5
A draw was agreed at chis point in Teverovski
- Yarkov, email 20 1 3. Ir seems char Black
cannot avoid the perpetual.
34 ... Wfc2
37.Wfe8t
35.Wfe5t
Wc8
36.Wf2
Wfc6
f
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
14 id6!
1 4 . . . 0-0-0?!
This older move can be met strongly:
1 5.b4
White is ready co open lines against che
black king with a2-a4.
•..
1 54
Meran
1 5 ... cxb3
There is nothing better.
Scoh! has suggested l 5 ... lt:lcd7 and even
claimed that White has issues co solve, but
I cannot understand what Black is supposed
to do after l 6.a4!±.
1 6.axb3 b4 l 7.lt:la4
This was seen in Hoi - Schandorff, Denmark
1 996. I won the game pretty convincingly
and if I remember correctly I felt at the time
chat I had really outplayed my opponent.
Boy, it is so easy to deceive yourselfl In fact
White is clearly better, but he failed to find
the best continuation over the board.
l 7 ... exd5 ?
This produces a n almost lost position already.
l 7 ... lt:lxa4N was the only move, but is still
looks grim for Black.
l 5 .h3 b4 is even worse than the last variation.
1 5.@h l might be best, but still l 5 ... b4! is strong.
1 5 ...h6 16..ixf6
1 6.�h4? �xf4+
16. .gxf6
.
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
h
17.b4
Probably not best but, as I said, I cannot
really recommend a decent alternative. Black
simply has a comfortable position with his
strong dark-squared bishop.
1 8.e5!N
This nice pawn sacrifice was missed by my
opponent. Now Black is on the ropes.
1 8 ...�xe5 1 9.�h4!+A neat point: White is threatening the deadly
�f5t followed by �g3.
1 7.�f3 0-0-0 1 8.b3 is met by 1 8 ... cxb3
1 9.axb3 ( 1 9.�xb3 'kt>b8 and 1 9.lt:lxb3 lt:la4 are
excellent for Black as well)
1 5.f4
It is not easy to suggest an alternative at this
point.
l 5.g3 b4 1 6.�xf6 ( 1 6.lt:la4 is met by 1 6 ... lt:lcxe4)
1 6 . . . gxfG
1 7.lt:lce2
( 1 7.lt:la4
0-0-0!)
17 ...0-0-0 and Black is better.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 9 . . .�b6! and again White is clearly worse.
1 55
Chapter 1 2 - 1 3.ll:Jd4 and others
17...Wfb6! 18.tll ce2
1 8.bxc5 i.xc5 l 9.ll:Jce2 e5 wins the piece
back with interest.
18 ... tlid7!+
26.tll xc4 WfxbS 27.tll xaS Wfxe2 28.�gl �d2
29.ibl tllxe4 30.ixe4 !xe4
0-1 Bosiocic - Ragger, Moscow 20 1 2.
B4) 14.b4
19.dxe6 fxe6 20.@hl
20.a4 e5 2 1 .a5 '1Wa7+
20...ixb4
Black has scored a pawn. Let's see the
remainder of the game just for fun.
21.a4 e5 22.tll f5 0-0-0 23.axbS aS 24.Wfcl
@bs 25.tll e3 tlic5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
14 ...cxb3
The sequence 1 4 ... ll:Jd3 1 5.i.xd3 i.xb4 is a
bit too smart for its own good and can be met
by: 1 6.tlicxb5 axb5 17.i.c2± There is no need
to re-invent the wheel here - let's stick to the
well-trodden path.
1 5.axb3 b4 16.tlia4 tlicxe4!
Taking an important central pawn and at
the same time leaving White's a4-knight out
of play. Be aware though, Black is behind in
development so he is playing with fire.
At this point White can choose either B41)
17.dxe6 or B42) 17.ixe4.
B41) 17.dxe6
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Now in Yakovich - Sorokin, Calcutta 1 99 1 ,
Black played 1 7. . .Eld8 which is given a "!" in
all sources I have consulted, but nowhere is
it mentioned that 1 8.i.xe4!N seems to give
1 56
Meran
White an advantage! So, in my opinion, Black
has to play:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
19... gheS!N
Black has the more comfortable position,
and will castle artificially by playing ... <;;t>g8
next.
B42) l 7.ixe4
A novelty prepared by Kasparov and
unleashed in the aforementioned game against
Kramnik.
17 ... t2Jxe4 1 8.dxe6 id6!
Kramnik reacts in inspired fashion.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17...id6! 18.exf7t
This is the only move played in my database.
1 8 .g3 0-0 is nothing to worry about.
1 8.i;t>h l should be met by 1 8 . . . gd8!, and not
18 . . .0-0 19.f3 which favours White somewhat.
l 8.i.xe4 tll xe4, with the point l 9.exf7t Wxf7,
also seems preferable for Black.
1 8 ...�xf7 19.g3
This was Beckhuis - Lekic, Vienna 20 1 1 ,
and now Black should have played:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
19.exf7t
Other moves are less critical:
19.i.e3 can be met simply by 1 9 ... 0-0 20.WhS
gae8.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 9.i.b2N
This is another story as now castling might
be dangerous due to e6-e7 and tll f5 tricks.
l 9 ...i.xh2t!
1 9 . . . 0-0!? is playable: 20.Whs gae8 2 1 .gac l
Wb8 22.e7 gxe7 23.tll f5 ge6 24.i.xg7
gfe8 With the threat of gg6. According to
the computers both colours claim an equal
position!
20.<;;t> h 1 0-0
Now White can try lots of things, but
1 57
Chapter 1 2 - 1 3.tlid4 and others
objectively he is che one that has to worry
about how to equalize.
2 1 .Wg4
2 1 .Wh5? is bad due to 2 1 ...if4+.
2 1 .e7 mes 22.lll f5 was given by Stohl, but
he missed Black's best reply: 22 ... if4!+
2 1 ...Wf4! 22.Wh3 lll xf2t 23.l3xf2 Wxf2
24.@xh2
Now an amazing computer move gives Black
the slightly better chances:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
21. .. ltJxg3!
This was given as the best move after the
game as it turned out that Kramnik's choice,
although it brought him a spectacular win,
did allow Kasparov an opportunity to seize the
upper hand.
24 ... h5!!
An example of what I would call aggressive
prophylaxis! The idea is that Black is simply
stopping White from both attacking and
defending with Wg4. The luft for the king is
useful as well.
24 ... l3ac8 is more human and is also fine.
2 5.Wg3
25.Wxh5?? Wxg2#
25 ...Wxg3t 26.@xg3 fxe6 27.lll xe6 ms
Due to his excellent pieces, Black has
winning chances.
19 ...Wxf7! 20.f3
Kasparov's move is forced, otherwise Black
will simply play ... 0-0.
20...Wh5!
Kramnik goes into attacking mode!
21.g3
2 1 ...0-0? 22.fxe4 Wh3
This was the game continuation and now
Kasparov should have played:
23.We2!
Instead the World Champion went down
against his future nemesis in dazzling fashion:
23.lll f3 ixg3 24.lll c5 l3xf3 25.l3xf3 Wxh2t
26.<;t>fl ic6 27.ig5 ib5t 28.lll d3 l3e8
29.l3a2 Wh l t 30.<;t>e2 l3xe4t 3 1 .<;t>d2 Wg2t
32.'tti c l Wxa2 33.l3xg3 Wal t 34.@c2 Wc3t
35.@b 1 l3d4 0- 1 Kasparov - Kramnik, Dos
Hermanas 1 996.
23 ... l3ae8
23 . . .ixg3 24.lll f5!+24.l3xf8t ixf8 25.ib2 l3xe4 26.Wc4t <;t>h8
27.Wfl+22.hxg3
22.Wel t? lll e4-+
22.l3el t? was seen in Baramidze - Braun,
Saarbruecken 2009, and here again 22 ... lll e 4!N
would have been best. Next comes ... 0-0 and
... l3ae8.
1 58
Meran
22 0-0 23.:Sa2!
A key defensive move. The forgotten rook
helps the white king by covering the important
second rank.
•••
If the white king abandons his territory then
Black intends to start pushing his pawns.
32.<i>e3 :SeSt 33.<i>d3 h5 34.<±>c4 h4
35.<i>xb4 g5 36.<i>c3 h3 37.:Sfl :Sh4
The ruthless machine evaluates this as a
draw, but in human play those little pawns
look pretty dangerous!
Conclusion
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
In the Classical Meran after 9.0-0 a6 1 0.e4 c5
1 l .d5 c4 1 2 ..ic2 Wc7 White usually takes on
e6. If he refrains from this exchange Black gets
promising play after, for instance, l 3.tll g 5?!
h6! or 1 3 ..ig5?! .id6!.
h
23 ....ixg3
23 ... l:'i:adS!?N 24.l:'i:h2 Wg6 is also possible.
A sample continuation is 25.Wc2 .ie5 26.tll e6
Wxg3t 27.l:'i:g2 l:'i:xf3 28.l:'i:xf3 Wxf3 29.tll xd8
.id4t 30.\tih2 .ie5t with a perpetual.
24J:!:g2 .ie5 25.l!Jc5 l:fadS 26..ie3 .icS
This was Noeth - Reichgeld, email 2010,
which ended in a draw at this point. All these
moves are well known as they are part of
Kramnik's notes to his game with Kasparov.
Now, White should find the following move
to equalize:
27.f4! Wxdl 28.:Sxdl .ixf4 29 ..ixf4 :Sxf4
30.:Sgd2
A draw is indeed the likely outcome;
certainly Black is not overly afraid of losing,
with White having only one pawn left. A
possible line now is:
30 ... :Sg4t 31 .<i>fl :Sf8t
After 1 3.tll d4 tll c 5 White has several choices.
1 4.Wf3 is nothing to worry about: after
1 4 . . . .id6 1 5.Wh3 b4 1 6.l!Ja4 0-0 Black is fine.
After 14.We2 0-0-0 1 5.b4 Black has the
astonishing piece sacrifice l 5 ... exd5! 1 6.bxc5
.ixc5, with two pawns and great activity as
compensation. Theoretically White can still
claim equality after the arising complications,
but over the board his task is not to be envied.
14 ..ig5 is well met by 1 4 ....id6. Since White
is not threatening to take on f6 his bishop
move to g5 seems like a strike into thin air.
After 1 5.f4 h6! Black is already reaping the
rewards.
Kasparov's 1 4.b4 leads to immense
complications after 1 4 ...cxb3 1 5.axb3 b4
1 6.tll a4 tll ce4, when White has dangerous play
for the pawn. The story continues in hardcore
fashion with l 7 ..ixe4 tll xe4 l 8.dxe6 .id6!
and Black fights for the initiative. In general
I think Black's activity makes this whole line
pretty risky for White - and remember that
even a well-prepared Kasparov went down
against Kramnik in their classic encounter.
Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Main Line 1 3. dxe6
Variation Index
I .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.liJf3 ltj f6 4.liJc3 e6 S.e3 liJ bd7 6..id3 dxc4 7..ixc4 bS
8 ..id3 .ib7 9.0-0 a6 1 0.e4 cS 1 1 .dS c4 1 2 ..ic2 �c7 13.dxe6
1 3 ... fxe6
A) 14.eS?!
B) 14.�e2 .id6 lS.liJd4 � cS 1 6.£4 eS
Bl) 17.liJfS
B2) 17.liJdxbS!?
C) 14.liJgS liJ cS 1 5.eS!
Cl) 1S ... �c6?!
C2) 1 5 ...�xeS
D) 14.liJd4 liJ cS 1 S . .ie3! eS!
Dl) 16.liJfS
D2) 16.liJf3
E) 14.liJe2!?
82) nore co 25.�g5
1 60
160
161
162
1 63
164
166
169
169
170
171
C) nore co l 5.e5!
C l ) afrer 20 ... lll xe5
a
25 ... @f7!N
b
c
d
e
f
2 1 .�e3!N
g
h
h
1 60
Meran
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tll f3 tll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.e3
tll bd7 6.id3 dxc4 7.ixc4 h5 s.id3 ih7
9.0-0 a6 10.e4 c5 1 1 .d5 c4 12.!c2 Wfc7
13.dxe6 fxe6
Having a mobile queenside majority is
always pleasant.
20.ih6?!
White cries to be a bit too smart.
20 ... gxh6 21 .:gxf6 :gafS 22.:gxm :gxm
23.ixh7 ic5!+
It turns out that White has simply destroyed
his position to win a lame pawn. We could
safely stop here, but I will show the rest of a
fun correspondence game:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
24.tll d l
After 24.�fl id4! White could hardly move
in Herb - Speelman, France 1 992.
h
The starting position of the Classical Meran.
White has tried a lot of different moves here:
the thematic A) 14.e5?! is one of the worst
lines at this point; B) 14.Wie2, C) 14.tll g5 and
D) 14.tll d4 will be examined in great detail;
and finally we will cover E) 14. tll e2, which has
received main line status recently.
24... :gf7 25.ic2 :gg7 26.g3 :gd7 27.:gcl :gd2
28.a4 if3 29.axb5 axb5 30.tll e3 id4 3 1 .h3
!xe3 32.fxe3 :gg2t 33.�hl :gxg3#
Evans - Vegjeleki, email 2007.
B) 14.Wie2
A) 14.e5?! tll xe5 1 5.tllxe5 Wfxe5 16.:gel
V!id6! 17.Wfxd6
l 7.ig5 �xd l 1 8.�axdl 'itif7+ is better for Black,
who keeps his material advantage for now.
17 ...!xd6 1 8.:gxe6t �d7 19.if5 �c7;
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White simply improves the position of his
queen.
14...id6
Control over the e5-square is paramount.
15.tll d4
161
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line l 3.dxe6
l 5.Cll g 5?!
This other way to attack the e6-pawn is weak
due to Kaidanov's strong pawn sacrifice.
1 5 ... Cll c5 1 6.f4 h6! 17.Cll f3
After l 7.Cll h 3 scill l 7 ... Cll d 3! is strong.
l 7 ... Cll d 3!
Thematic and best.
1 8.ixd3 cxd3 1 9.Wxd3 0-0 20.e5 ic5t
2 1 .�h l Cll h 5
2 1 ...Cll d 5 22.Cll xd5 ixd5 was seen in
the stem game Scherbakov - Kaidanov,
Naberezhnye Chelny 1 988. Black is safe, but
his winning chances are not chat high.
22.a4!
It seems chat White can hope to defend the
position after some exchanges; otherwise he
is doomed to a passive role.
22 ... Cll xf4 23.ixf4 Ei:xf4 24.axb5 axb5
25.Ei:xa8t ixa8 26.Wxb5
Now in Gacnik - Zemlyanov, email 20 1 1 ,
Black played 26 ... Wb6 and later exchanged
the queens, but I would prefer:
This is not a dangerous continuation, and
Black even has two ways to play:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17... 0-0
1 7 ... Cll d3!? Here is this move again! 1 8.ixd3
cxd3 19.Wxd3 ic5t 20.ie3 Now Dreev's idea
20 ... exf4! seems best: 2 1 .ixc5 Wxc5t 22.Wd4
(22.�hlN is met by 22 ... Ei:d8 and Black is fine
in the complications) 22 ...Wxd4t 23.Cll xd4
0-0-0 24.Cll e 6 Ei:d2 25.Ei:xf4 b4 26.Cll a4 Cll xe4
Here Dreev stopped with the assessment
that Black is not worse. His evaluation was
confirmed in Ilken - Priam, email 20 1 1 , which
ended in a draw a few moves lacer.
18.tlixd6 Wfxd6 19.fxeS Wfxe5 20.�fS Wfc7
21.i.gS
Now 2 1 . . .Cll fxe4 should lead to a draw, but
there is also a way to keep the game going:
15 ... tlicS 16.f4 e5
White has two options for his knight:
Bl) 17.tlifS or the sacrifice B2) 17.tlidxbS!?.
Bl) 17.tlifS
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 62
Me ran
2I..Jfae8! 22.ixf6
22.:!:!afl is met by 22 ... tt:l fd7 and White may
regret not exchanging on f6.
22 .. Jk8 23.Wl'bSt tlicd7!
The point of Black's 22nd move is revealed:
the bishop on c2 is attacked.
22... Elxf6 23.l:!xf6 gxf6
Black has held his own in several
correspondence games (the stem game is
Johansson - Felytin, email 2009) due to the
strong e5-square and the possibility to attack
via the g-file. In a practical game White may
experience serious difficulties here, as many
endgames are worse for him due to Black's
advanced queenside majority.
24.Wl'xb7
24.ia4?! ic6 25.Wa6 0-0 is somewhat
better for Black; White has lost the initiative,
and in the middlegame the piece is more useful
than the pawns. Of course there is a trick here
after 26.ixc6, which is 26 ... tt:lb8!.
B2) 17.tlidxbS!?
Karpov's famous sacrifice, which was employed
against Anand in their first game of the 1 998
World Championship. According to legend
it was analysed by several players (among
them Kramnik "with friends"} as far back as
1 99 1 (source: Kasparov, My Great Predecessors
Volume 5) .
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
24... gxc2 25.igS
Another move that loses the initiative is
25.l:!a5 which is met by 25 ... <i>f7!N 26.Wb3t
We6 27.Wxc2 Wb6t+ and ...Wxa5.
25 ...Wl'd6
Again the simplest defence.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17 ... axbS 18.tlixbS Wl'b6 19.tlixd6t Wl'xd6
20.fxeS Wl'xe5 21.gfS Wl'e7 22.Wl'xc4
White has three pawns and the initiative for
the piece. This seems rather uncomfortable for
Black, but Anand's defence in the stem game
of this line is in fact the cleanest equalizer.
25 ... l:!f8 is an attempt to keep the game alive,
but it doesn't quite manage to do that. After
26.:!:!e l Wfe6 27.e5 Wxf5 28.exf6t Wf7 29.Ele?t
Wg6 30.l:!xg7t Wh5 3 l .h3! Black was the one
that had to give the perpetual in Nordal A. Popov, email 2009.
26.Wl'ast
26.ixf6 gxf6 27.Wa8t Wb8 leads to the
same thing.
1 63
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line 1 3.dxe6
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
26 ...WbS!
In the aforementioned game Anand
miscalculated and played 26 ... c;f;>f7? but was hit
by a nasty surprise: 27.'Wxh8 'Wd4t 28.c;f;>h l
'Wxe4 29.E:f3 E:xg2 30.Wxg2 li::i e 5
8
1
6
� �iVJ
�
�
�� ����,J-, ,
�
� I.
�� a��B•r
"'it" ""�
�� �-,, , ,,
�� �� ,,,,,,,� , , ,¥,�
�� �1 r.
: ·
2 !�,�, %�-�.:�
�� �.. "
5
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
"'
h
3 1 .'Wxg7t!! (The point of Black's idea was that
after 3 1 .Ei:afl li::i xf3 32.E:xf3 'We2t he achieves
a draw.) 3 1 ...c;f;>xg7 32 ..ixf6t c;f;>g6 33 ..ixe5 In
Karpov - Anand, Lausanne ( 1 ) 1 998, White
skilfully converted his advantage.
27.WxbSt tll xb8 28.i.xf6
28.b4 is met by 28 ... tt::l bd7 and White
cannot avoid losing a couple of pawns. 28.a4
liJ bd7 is the same.
28 . .gxf6
.
a
h
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
29J�xf6
29.Ei:f2 was suggested by Karpov, but after
29 ... E:xf2 30.c;f;>xf2 li:J c6 it is difficult to believe
that the knight at e5 is worse than White's
pawns. After 3 1 .Ei:cl a draw was agreed in
Henk - Samraoui, corr. 1 997.
29 E:xb2
This endgame is easily drawn by Black.
.•.
30.a4 We7 3 1 .E:fl E:b4 32.a5 E:xe4 33.E:b2
E:e6 34.E:b7t Wf6 35.E:abl tll a6 36.E:7b6
tll c5 37.E: lb5 E:c8
A few moves down the road a draw was
agreed in Li Shilong - Robson, Moscow 2009.
C) 14.llig5 llic5
164
Meran
I 5.e5!
This is by far the most dangerous
continuation. Other moves are easy to deal
with:
Black has been pushing White back and,
with two pawns for the exchange and such
active pieces, Black was better in Lindholm Semenov, corr. 20 1 1 .
l 5.We2 was seen in the l 4.We2 section on
page 1 60. Just a small reminder: 1 5 ....id6
1 6.f4 h6 followed by the ... 'll d3 pawn sacrifice
is excellent for Black.
Now I would like to explore the tempting
intermediate move CI) I5 ..'Wc6?! in
some detail, as it contains some important
ideas, before moving on to the main line
C2) I 5 ...'Wxe5.
1 5.f4 is quite similar, for example: 1 5 ... h6
1 6.e5 ( 1 6.'ll f3 l"i:d8 followed by ... tlid3
is strong for Black) 1 6 ... 'll d3! ( 1 6 ... hxg5
1 7 ..ig6t @e7+ as in Ftacnik - Panchenko,
Sochi 1 977, is also strong but a bit less simple)
1 7 ..ixd3 0-0-0 1 8.'ll f3 l"i:xd3 19.We2 .ic5t
20.@hl So far we are following Gligoric Yusupov, Vrbas 1 980, where Black played the
logical 20 ... tlid5 with a great game. However,
even better is 20 ... tlig4!N, with the threat of
... 'll e3, after which White is totally paralysed.
.
CI) I 5 . °Wc6?!
..
Black threatens mate in one!
I6.f3
The position is very complex, but also highly
dangerous for Black. Maybe it is playable but,
then again, maybe it is not!
1 5.Wf3 h6 1 6.Wh3 is met by 1 6 ... 0-0-0! when
Black has an excellent position. Let's go a bit
further: 1 7.l"i:e 1 (l 7.'ll xe6?! 'll xe6 1 8.Wxe6t
@b8 is better for Black according to Dreev,
despite the pawn minus. This assessment is
confirmed by the statistics in my database
where White scores less than ten percent!)
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 7 ... hxg5! Grabbing the initiative. 1 8.Wxh8
.id6 1 9.Wh3 g4 20.Wh4 b4 2 1 .'ll e 2 .ixe4
22 ..ixe4 'll fxe4 23 ..ie3 'll d 3 24.l"i:edl tt:lxb2
1 6 ... tlid5?! 17.'ll xd5 Wxd5 ( 1 7 ...exd5 is met
by 1 8 .e6, and 1 7 . . . 0-0-0 with the strong
1 8 .tt:l b4!) 1 8.Wxd5 .ixd5 19 ..ixh7 leaves
White with a clear advantage according to
Shirov.
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line 1 3.dxe6
165
17.'We2!
White probably does best to refrain from
taking on h7 with either knight or bishop.
After the text move, however, I think White is
better, for example:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17...ie7
l 7 ... tlid3 l 8.�xd3 cxd3 l 9.'1Mfxd3 llixeS
20.'1Mfe2 is given as a slight improvement by
Dreev. Indeed, after 20 ... h6 2 l .'1Mfxe5 Wc5t!
22.WxcS �xc5t 23.@h l hxgS 24.ixgS �d4
Black had some compensation for the pawn,
in the form of the bishop pair, in Sokolov Shirov, Leon 1 995. Black went on to draw the
game but objectively he cannot claim equality
at this point.
18.'itihl!
A quiet, improving move which is significant
when compared to the Sokolov - Shirov game
above. It is not obvious what Black should
do now, as castling long allows a knight fork
on f7, so it makes sense to sacrifice the pawn
thematically:
18 .. � d3 19.ixd3 cxd3 20.'Wxd3 �xe5
This was the course of the game Krasenkow
- Luther, Tilburg 1 994, but now with the help
of my silicon assistant I discovered that White
holds an advantage.
.
The following sequence is forced:
21 ...�c4 22.'We2!
White prevents a queen exchange.
22...0-0 23.b3 � d6 24.'Wxe6t 'itih8 25.id2!
An important move.
25 ...ixg5 26.ixg5 �ae8 27.ie7!
The final detail.
27... �xe7 28.'Wxe7 �e8 29.'1Mfh4 'l!Mxc3 30.�acl
30.\Mff4 is also possible and might be even
better than the text move.
166
Meran
30 ... llif5 3Uhc3 llixh4 32.�fcl
This endgame is clearly better for White,
due to the terrible threat of exchanging Black's
only rook and then attacking the queenside
pawns. This is merely the start of a discussion
of course and I don't feel that I have refuted
1 5 ...'W'c6, but in any case I think that the main
line with 1 5 ...'W'xe5 is a better choice for Black.
C2) 15 ... 'W'xeS 16.�el Wl'd6
It is important to play this move, allowing the
exchange of queens, as after 16 ...'W'c7 1 7.b4!
White has a powerful initiative.
8
1
.i n � ·�
��
;
nf� %� , , �w-iy,
6 '� �1¥1 !• '•
'• ,,��.,
54 �.,..
, w;j�
3
21
f,ij
� �� ��
�� �0%�0"
�?!'If
8-Jll��%, , , Jl!J%�Jf!3
� -if�� m
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17.'W'xd6
After 17.'W'e2?! I think the most precise is
1 7 ... 'W'c6! ( 1 7 ... i.e7 allows 1 8.'W'e3! with the
idea of 'W'h3) 1 8.f3 i.e7! with the point that
after 1 9.lt'ixe6 lt'ixe6 20.'W'xe6 'W'xe6 2 1 .:i:'i:xe6
Wf7+ we have a position similar to the game
Ashley - Zso. Polgar, New York ( 1 ) 1 992, but
with White having the irrelevant (and maybe
harmful) extra f2-f3 move in. Black is for
choice in either case. She has active pieces and
a nice pawn majority on the queenside, as we
have seen so many times throughout the book.
17 ...i.xd6 18.i.e3!
Karpov's strong concept. The move initiates
a deep strategy for White although he also
gains time with each move by threatening
something concrete.
Before this line was rejuvenated by the classic
encounter Karpov - Kramnik, Linares 1 994,
White used to play the completely harmless
1 8.lt'ixe6 lt'ixe6 1 9.:i:'i:xe6t Wd7+ which is
obviously better for Black, whose strong
queenside majority is ready to roll.
8
7
6
54
3
2
1
1 8 ...0-0!
Played by Kramnik after 50 minutes of
thought!
l 8 ... lt'id3
It seems that Kramnik was thinking about
the other natural move, which he happened
to face when he employed Karpov's idea
himself.
1 9.i.xd3 cxd3 20.:i:'i:ad l ! 0-0
20 ... e5 seems like a decent try, but White
keeps his slight advantage after 2 l .:i:'i:xd3 i.e7
22.f3!? (22.f4 h6 23.fxe5 lt'ig4 seems equal)
22 ... h6 23.lt'ige4 lt'ixe4 24.lt'ixe4 i.xe4
25.fxe4 when he has the better bishop and
can penetrate more easily on the queenside.
2 1 .:i:'i:xd3 i.d5 22.lt'ixe6
22.i.d4 gives White a slight advantage
according to Dreev.
167
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line 1 3.dxe6
22.a3
This was tried by Gelfand a year after the
Karpov - Kramnik game in our main line,
but Illescas found the correct way to respond.
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
22 ... ixh2t 23.Q;>xh2 ixe6 24.E!:d6 E!:fe8
This was Kramnik - Kuczynski, Germany
1 994, and now Dreev suggests:
25.id2!:t
Kasparov calls this an "insignificant
advantage", which is backed up by a string of
draws at correspondence level. I agree that the
draw factor is very high but only White can
hope to win, so I think that Black is better
advised to follow our main line.
19.E:adl J.e7 20.J.xc5 J.xc5 21.llixe6 E:fc8
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
An interesting position. White has had the
initiative for some time, so the question is if it
will come to a halt or if he can find a way to
keep it going.
22.h3!
22.if5 E!:ab8! is nothing for White.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22 . . .ib6!
Black doesn't need to protect the b7bishop from the following tactic because
he immediately starts a counterattack, one
which Karpov's move avoids but Gelfand's
does not.
22 ... E!:ab8!? would be in keeping with our
main line and is actually a more popular
choice, but it is not as much fun as Illescas'
move.
23.lll xg7
This was White's idea.
23 ... lll g4! 24.E!:fl
24.E!:e2 is met by 24 ... E!:f8! and in turn
25.lll f5 is met by 25 ... E!:ae8!.
24 . . . E!:d8!
24 ... E!:f8 now is less accurate due to 25.lll f5.
25.lll f5 E!:xdl 26.ixdl
26.E!:xd 1 ? E!:e8!
26 ... lll x f2
26 ... lll e 5!? as in Moreira - Pfiffner, email
2005, might even be an improvement.
27.E!:xf2 E!:d8 28.i>fl ixf2 29.<;f;ixf2 E!:d2t
30.ie2 E!:xb2
White had to be careful not to end up worse
in Gelfand - Illescas Cordoba, Dos Hermanas
1 995.
168
Meran
22.lll xc5 �xc5 23.f3 is quite a poisonous
try despite its modest appearance. Here I
like 23 ...ic6 with the idea of creating quick
counterplay with the pawns by pushing ... b4.
Improving slowly with 23 ... <.tif7 24. <.tif2 �e8
25.�xe8 <.tixe8 26.h4 g6!? 27.a3 <.tie7 28.g4
is quite dangerous for Black. For example,
28 ... �e5 29.g5 lll d 5 30.lll x d5t �xd5 3 l .f4
and White went on to win in Hildebrand Mamonovas, corr. 20 1 3.
But 23 ...�b8!? with the idea 24.<.tif2 b4
25.lll a4 �a5 is also okay.
� , ,,,��·e
6 �!��ms���-j�
�� , � �
: �,,.�. ��
3 �w��
���w"����tI
.!'
2 �l�� ��c--f���
1�
a
b
24 ... �e8 25.idl ic6! which also looks a bit
better for Black. White could have equalized
with 25.g5! but of course if we are talking
about how White should equalize... ) 25 .a3
ia5 (with the threat of ... lll d 5) 26.�d6 �b6
27.�xb6 ixb6+ Black's bishop pair secured an
advantage in Bartnik - Weber, email 2008.
23 ... �xcS 24.�d6
24.�e6 b4 25.lll a4 �g5 26.g3 �h5 27.h4 was
Kramnik - Shirov, Novgorod 1 994, and now
after 27 ...if3 28.�d4 Black can try Dreev's
suggestion of 28 ... �a5!?N with an unclear
ending where Black is surely not worse.
� M �� ?�
c
d
e
f
g
h
22 ... �abS!
Korchnoi's excellent suggestion! Black wants
to play ...ia7 without fearing the lll xg7 tactic.
The rook move doesn't only protect the b7bishop, but in this structure it helps Black with
his grand strategy of pushing the queenside
pawns.
22 ...if8?! 23.g4! (23.f4 at once is also good)
23 ... h6 24.f4 was exactly what White wanted,
and in Karpov - Kramnik, Linares 1 994, his
kingside assault ended up scoring an impressive
victory for White.
23.tlixcS
White should simplify.
23.g4 if3! 24.�d2 ib4! (Vigorito suggests
24 ... �c6 25.�d4 �e8 26.�xe8t lll xe8= is also
playable, and was seen in Sargissian - lotov,
Halkidiki 2008.
24 . . . <.tif7 also makes sense.
25.tlia4 �d5
Black is obviously doing well, and it is White
who has to be careful not to end up worse.
26.�b6 �b5
26 ... a5 is another try.
1 69
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line 1 3.dxe6
27.�xb5
A draw was agreed at this point in Gelfand Shirov, Biel 1 995.
27 axbS 28.lLicS icS 29.g4 �as
Black can keep playing in this dynamically
equal position.
After DI) I6.c!Lif5 White has faced serious
difficulty recently, so I still have D2} I6.c!Lif3
as our main line, even though its popularity
has declined over the last ten years.
•..
It looks attractive I have to admit. Still the
knight is also a target itself!
D) I4.c!Lid4
a
b
c
d
e
DI) I6.c!Lif5
f
g
h
This used to be the most important
continuation of the whole Classical Meran
variation but it has since fallen into oblivion,
not undeservedly, due to a powerful exchange
sacrifice played by Kasparov himself.
I4... c!Lic5 I5.ie3!
Lautier's idea is the only critical move.
Otherwise Black usually plays ... 0-0-0
followed by ... lll d3 with an excellent game.
One decent alternative seems to be 1 5.We2,
but if Black responds with l 5 ...id6 then we
transpose to variation B on page 1 60. This is
probably best, although this move order allows
l 5 ... l"i:d8 which is also tempting.
I 5 ... e5!
Black doesn't need to take the e4-pawn and
instead should counterattack in the centre.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
I6 ...g6! I7.ig5!
This may be the only move that keeps the
balance.
After l 7.lll h6 Black should respond solidly
as the knight on h6 does virtually nothing:
17 ...ig7 1 8 .Wf3 lll e6 1 9.Wh3 Now Dreev's
suggestion of 1 9 . . . lll d4!+ has done excellently
in practice, with White scoring about 30
percent in my database.
I 7 ... c!Lifxe4 I8.c!Lixe4 c!Lixe4 I9.ixe4 ixe4
20.c!Lih6!
After theory's main recommendation of
20.if6, Black has great fun by sacrificing an
exchange with 20 ... gxf5! 2 l .ixh8 idG 22.if6
'tt> f7 + like in Evdokimov - Gustafsson, Rijeka
20 l 0, and other games.
Meran
170
17...0-0! 18.i.xcS
In his notes to the stem game of this variation,
Kasimdzhanov - Kasparov, Linares 2005,
Kasparov also looks at l 8.b4 (still - justifiably!
- untried) 1 8 ... h6 19.ixc5 hxg5 20.ixe7
'®xe7 2 1 .a3 :B:ad8 22.'®e2 g4 and Black seems
better to me, with the idea of playing ... :B:d4
next and doubling down the d-file.
18 ... hcS 19.lll e6 '?Nb6 20.lll xf8 E:xf8;
23.'®f6 can be met by 23 ... 'tt> d7! and Black can
hardly be worse.
23 ...e4
Black is fine.
02) 16.lll f3 i.e7!
There is no need for pawn-grabbing. Black
prepares ... 0-0 with an excellent position.
17.lll gS
White's only critical try.
21.'?Ne2!
2 1 .lt'id5?! is asking for too much. 2 1 ...ixd5!
22.exd5 ixf2t 23.�hl
171
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line 1 3.dxe6
This was Kasimdzhanov - Kasparov, Linares
2005, where Garry the Great famously played
23 ... e4!? and won a nice game albeit with some
help from his opponent.
A less complicated (and at least as good)
option is: 23 ...id4!?N with the idea ...Wfd6
and ... lll xd5 . Black has two good pawns for
the exchange and at least a small edge with
minimal fuss.
21. ..id4!
I stand by the opinion that this is Black's best
move despite other sources disagreeing with me.
2 1 . .. \Mle6 is what everybody recommends, but
it leads to a forced draw with best play. One
model continuation was: 22.a4 b4 23.lll d 5
lll xd5 24.Wfxc4 lll f4 25 .Wfxc5 Wlg4 26.ib3t
�f7 27.ixf7t @xf7 28.Wfc7t @g6 29.Wfd6t
@f7 30.Wfc7t 'it>g6 3 1 .WfdGt @f7 Y2-Y2
Gavrilov - Kulaots, Tallinn 2008.
22.'it>hl We6 23.a3 lll g4 24.lll d l ic8 25.h3
Wh6 26.a4 Wf4 27.g3 Wh6 28.h4 We6 and
once again Black was almost winning in
Guzikov - Shushkov, email 2007.
22...<i>hS 23.axb5 axb5 24.<i>hl b4 25.llid5
llixd5 26.exd5 ixd5 27.ie4 igs;
Hybl - Valak, email 2009. Black's winning
chances are not that high here, but he is
certainly the one that is calling the shots. He
can torture White for some time by creating
a passed pawn on the queenside and then
combine threats of pushing the pawn with
some play on the kingside, while White should
stay passive.
E) 14.llie2!?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22.a4
If White doesn't organize counterplay against
b5, Black may get time to play ...We6 and
. . . lll g4 with an excellent game on the kingside.
A move thoroughly analysed by the strong
Hungarian correspondence player Attila
Meszaros, who used it with excellent results,
but popularized by Eljanov's convincing
victory over Gelfand at Moscow 20 1 0. This
was a difficult line to analyse, but I think that I
am finally in a position to propose a strong and
consistent antidote.
22.�ael We6 23.a3 lll g4 24.lll d l �f4 2 5.h3
lll f6 26.lll c 3 Wf7 27.�dl lll h 5 28.Wfel �h4
left Black playing as a cat against a mouse in
Satosuo - Koistinen, corr. 20 12.
14 .. 0-0-0!
With the white knight having just gone
towards the other side of the board, it makes
sense for Black to put his king on the queenside.
.
172
Meran
1 4 ... e5
Gelfand's choice m the aforementioned
game.
1 5 .tll g3 ic5
Now the critical move is:
1 6.b3!
Allowing Black to put a pawn on c3.
a
1 6 ... c3
Gelfand didn't resist the temptation, bur
better seems to be 1 6 ... 0-0. Allowing White
to exchange on c4 and leaving Black a weak
pawn on c4 might not be so terrible, as later
Black can continue with ... a5 and ... ia6
and reinforce c4. This plan was tried in a
correspondence game where Black held the
draw: 1 7.bxc4 bxc4 1 8.We2 <j;>hg 1 9.E:b l
a5 20.tll g5 E:ae8 2 1 .E:dl ia6 Bennborn Carapinha, corr. 2013.
l 7.a3! b4 1 8 .tll g 5 Wc6 l 9.axb4 ixb4 20.ia3±
Eljanov - Gelfand, Moscow 2010. lhis game
really started the new trend with 14.tll e2 ... so
now it's time to finish it!
15.tll ed4
1 5.We l
This was employed by the Greek GM
Banikas.
1 5 ... ic5!
l 5 ... e5 was seen at the game Banikas Pavlidis, Greece 20 1 2, after which White
could have played l 6.id2!N with some
advantage in a complicated position.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6.b4
White has to attack Black's king and this is a
typical move.
1 6.a4 is not as strong. After 1 6 ... b4 Black is
more than fine.
1 6.id2 tll xe4 17.ia5 ib6 1 8.ixb6 Wxb6
1 9.a4 lll d c5+
1 6 ...ib6
Black is in excellent shape.
17.ib2
1 7.a4 E:hf8 1 8.ie3 tll e 5 1 9.ixb6 lll xf3t
20.gxf3 Wxb6+
1 7 ... E:hf8 1 8.tll ed4 E:fe8 1 9.ic3 g6 20.Wb l
e5 2 1 .tll e2 tll b 8 22.a4 tll c6 23.tll g3 lll d4
24.idl h5
Black was already much better in Martynov
- Rogas, corr. 20 1 4.
1 5 \Wb6
...
Chapter 1 3 - Main Line 1 3.dxe6
16.a4
16.J.e3 is met by 1 6 ...J.c5.
16 ...eS
l 6 ...J.xe4? doesn't work because of 1 7 .J.xe4
lll xe4 1 8.axb5 axb5 1 9.!'!:a8t lll b 8 20.We2+-.
17.tDfS lDxe4
Not 1 7 ...J.xe4 1 8.J.xe4 lll c5 1 9.We2 lll cxe4
20.axb5 Wxb5 2 1 .lll g 5 lll xg5 22.J.xg5±.
18.axb5
1 8.We2N and 1 8.lll g 5N both resemble
the main line, and may well transpose. The
presence of pawns on a4 and a6 is unlikely to
change anything.
1 8...axbS 19.'1We2
19.lll g 5 simply transposes to our main line
after 19 ... lll xg5 20.J.xg5 lll f6 2 1 .'We2 h6.
173
White has played directly as possible, having
opened the position and weakened the black
king. Still, the white pieces lack good entry
squares and it is not so easy to come up with
a real threat. Of course White has a lot of
compensation for his pawn, but with best play
the position is still in balance.
24.b4
24.b3N e4 25.lll e3 c3 26.b4 (26.:B:a5 J.c6)
26 ... Wh5 or 26 ...We5 and Black is fine.
24...'1Wxb4 25.l:Hbl
White can first take the retreat square away
from the queen with 25.We3N, but Black can
play 25 ... :B:d5!= with the point 26.:B:fb l Wc5.
25 ...'1Wc3
Not 25 ...Wc5? 26.:B:a5 J.c6 27.J.a4 and the
white initiative unfolds.
26.ia4
An inspired try.
26.:B:cl N :B:d2 is enough to keep the balance
(26 ... Wd2!? is a good winning try) : 27.lll d6t
c;:t>b8 28.lll x b5 :B:xe2 29.lll xc3 :B:d2=
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
19... lDdf6 20.lDgS
20.lll xe5 ? We6 wins a knight: 2 1 .lll xc4 Wxc4
(2 1 . ..Wxf5 is clearly weaker due to 22.lll a 5±)
22.Wxc4t bxc4-+
20... lDxgS 21 .ixg5 h6 22.ie3 ic5 23.hc5
23.lll xg7?? :B:dg8 24.J.xc5 Wxc5-+
23...'1Wxc5
174
Meran
Accepting the bait immediately is too
dangerous: 26 ... bxa4? 27.E:xa4 The problem is
that c4 hangs. 27 ... E:d2 28.E:xc4t Wb8 29.E:xc3
E:xe2 30.E:cb3 and the attack continues into
the ending. The best Black can get is 30 ... Wa8
3 1 .E:xb7 E:e l t 32.E:xel Wxb7 33.E:xe5± which
isn't much fun.
Conclusion
In the Classical Meran main line after 1 3.dxe6
fxe6, White shouldn't play 14.e5?! because
14 ... llixe5 1 5.llixe5 Wxe5 1 6.E:el Wd6! leads
to a good ending for Black.
After 14.We2 .id6 1 5.tlid4 llic5 1 6.f4 e5 we
meet Karpov's spectacular and surprising piece
sacrifice l 7.llidxb5!?. Still, it should only lead
to equality.
27.'IWel bxa4
This time we are forced to capture.
28.llid6t <i>d? 29.llixc4
29.llixb7 '\Wd4+
29.. J:k2 30.!l:xb?t <i>c6 31.lliaSt <i>dS
The king runs around and enjoys himself as
the centre of attention.
l 4.tlig5 lli c5 l 5.e5! brings us more or less by
force to an interesting endgame, where Black's
chances in no way inferior. The sequence
1 5 ...Wxe5 1 6.E:el Wd6 1 7.Wxd6 .ixd6
1 8 ..ie3 0-0 1 9.:B:ad l .ie7 20 ..ixc5 .ixc5
2 1 .llixe6 E:fc8 takes us to the starting point,
where Karpov's deep 22.h3 is met by the
similarly clever 22 ... E:ab8 with a complex, but
objectively equal, game.
The line l 4.tlid4 tlic5 l 5 ..ie3 has fallen on
hard times after Kasparov's strong exchange
sacrifice l 5 ... e5 1 6.llif3 .ie7 l 7.tlig5 0-0!
1 8 ..ixc5 .ixc5 1 9.tlie6 Wb6 20.tlixf8 E:xf8
with good play on the dark squares.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
32.!l:dlt
32.Wdl t We6 33.E:b6t Wf7=
32...<i>e6 33.\Wfl <i>f5 34.!l:xg? !l:g8
With a draw in Percze - Pfiffner, corr. 2012.
The interesting l 4.tlie2!? is well met by
14 ... 0-0-0! and Black has his share of the
chances.
Meran Conclusion
The Meran Variation has always been at the
heart of Semi-Slav theory. It is a flexible system
for both colours and often leads to lively and
forcing play. At the end of the day though and this is what counts - White hasn't been
able to come up with something that can
really shake the black set-up. It seems that his
initiative is of a temporary nature and as soon
as it evaporates Black is okay, because he hasn't
given any positional concessions along the way.
Anti-Meran
Various 7th Moves
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.�c3 e6 5.e3 � bd7 6.%\'c2
6 ...i.d6
176
177
179
A) 7.a3
B) 7.i.d2
C) 7.e4
A) after 1 2.�b2
B)
a
1 2 ... tll x f3tN
b
note to
c
d
9.cxb5
e
f
1 2 . . . �e7!N
g
B) after 1 0.Wb l
h
176
Anci-Meran
Don't let me hear you say life's takingyou
nowhere, angel
- David Bowie
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tiJf3 tlJf6 4.tlJc3 e6 5.e3
tiJbd7 6.'ffc2
The so-called Anti-Meran Variation; White
avoids the forcing play of a pure Meran and
simply develops his queen to a good square.
Now it is less attractive for Black to take on
c4 because the white bishop will only use one
move to recapture. The good thing about 'Wc2
- from Black's perspective that is! - is that it is
not particularly threatening. White is not ready
to castle short and launch e3-e4 in the centre
like in the Meran, which means that Black can
go on with his own development. In general
6.'Wc2 leads to a quieter, more positional game
than 6.i.d3, but there are exceptions as we will
soon see. By the way, the Anti-Meran was also
a favourite of the legendary Anatoly Karpov he could really excel in its positional subtleties.
But so can we!
realized that it wasn't easy to find anything
tangible with White. The game proved that - it
was a pretty clean draw - so I can recommend
delving deeper into the favourite line of the
Russian expert if you need an alternative to the
main line.
After 6 ...id6 play can branch out in very
different directions. In this chapter I will
examine the rare tries A) 7.a3, B) 7.id2 and
C) 7.e4.
In the next chapter I will move on to one of
the most important sidelines, the flexible 7.b3.
After that in Chapter 16 we will go berserk
with 7.g4!?, a crazy but dangerous move that
was extremely popular at a time when it seemed
White could play g2-g4 at an early stage in
virtually all openings! Finally in Chapters 1 7
and 1 8, I come to the absolute main lines that
arise after 7.ie2 or 7.id3. It will be quite a
journey, so let's go!
A) 7.a3
� � .i.�-� ��
��·� i)- ,,�--,
6 , ,��%r��%:.
//, , , ;% ,�
:3 •�!��
�?:,,,� - - %m_% �� �
m ,�J ��CZJ- �
8�w--- - %���
8
7
.
2
W0
1 ��
,,,,
a
z
, , ,,
b
�W'/,{ ,,,,%..,, ,,,,
� ?� il� .:
�0
%
-
c
d
e
f
g
h
6 ...id6
The standard move. If Black wants to leave
more theoretically trodden paths he can try
6 . . . b6!?, which is a pet move of the big Semi­
Slav connoisseur Alexei Dreev. I had the
honour of facing him in it - I was White!
- and already in the pre-game preparation, I
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
A continuation which is sporadically used
by reasonably strong grandmasters. There is
nothing really wrong with it, except the fact
that Black has two continuations leading to
dynamically equal positions.
1 77
Chapter 1 4 - Various 7th Moves
7.. 0-0 8.b4 e5!
The most direct and thematic way, but not
the only solution.
.
8 . . . a5 9.b5 c5! should also be fine for Black.
For example:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
12.ib2
1 2.lt'ixe5N ixe5 gives Black the initiative,
based on the face char 1 3.�b2 is met by
1 3 ...�f5! 1 4.Wlxf5 �xb2 1 5.:B:b l g6 1 6.Wld3
�e5.
h
1 0.cxd5 exd5 l l .ie2 b6 12.ib2 ib7 1 3.0-0
:B:c8 1 4.:B:fd l Wle7= Black had her fair share of
the chances in Dao Thien Hai - Zso. Polgar,
Muenster 1 994.
9.cxd5
9.c5?! ic7 10.ie2 :B:e8+ is the wrong way
forward for White. His offensive on the
queenside has come to a halt while Black's
pleasant space advantage on the kingside
begins to count.
9... cxd5 10.tlib5 !b8 1 1.dxe5 tlixe5
13.gxf3 a5!?f!
White's king is still in the centre, thus he is
the one who must be careful in chis position.
B) 7.id2
178
Anti-Meran
White plans 0-0-0 which is an interesting
idea. The move is often associated with Mark
Taimanov, who played this way with White on
several occasions.
worth studying
1 2.h4!
after
1 l ...c4!)
d
f
1 l ...h6
7... 0-0 8 .0-0-0
Now, with castling on opposite sides,
recommend a gambit to grab the initiative!
a
8 bS!
...
Of course there are calmer alternatives:
8 ... e5 is also adequate it seems. The main line
continues 9.cxd5 cxd5 1 0.llib5 ib8 l l .dxe5
llixe5 1 2.llixe5 ixe5 1 3.ic3 ixc3 1 4.4Jxc3
ie6 and Black is equal according to Dreev,
although it is not everybody's cup of tea to play
this IQP position. For example, after 1 5.:B:d4
:B:c8 16.id3 White went on to win in McNab
- Radovanovic, Coulsdon 2005.
8 ... c5 has the idea of ... a6 and ... b5 with a
counterattack, while the tension in the centre
doesn't allow White to build his flank attack
so easily. At least this is what seemed to be
the case, bur the following line changed my
opinion: 9.cxd5 exd5 1 0.i;t>b1 a6 l 1 .llig5!
(Probably the most well known game played
in this position was Taimanov - Botvinnik,
Moscow 1 952, where the much softer 1 1 .i.cl
was seen. Botvinnik won a masterpiece
b
c
e
g
h
This was seen in Cossin - Gustafsson,
Rogaska Slatina 20 1 0. I analysed this position
for quite some time and after 1 2 ... cxd4N I
am pretty sure that White doesn't have an
objective advantage, but the lines are quite
sharp. Ultimately I don't like having such
a knight thrown in my face, so there is no
need to go down that road in a relatively rare
continuation.
9.cxb5
The most popular choice.
9.c5 is best statistically for White according to
my database bur, after 9 ...ic7 1 0.i.d3, which
was seen in Istratescu - Kasimdzhanov, Kerner
2007, I like 1 0 ... a5!N best, followed by ...ia6
with a good game for Black.
9.e4 b4 1 0.e5 bxc3 l l .ixc3 ie7 1 2.exf6 tt:lxf6
1 3.llie5 dxc4! ( 1 3 ...ib7 1 4.c5 llid7 1 5.id3
h6 1 6.f4 gave White serious attacking chances
in Vyzmanavin - Kramnik, Moscow 1 994.)
1 4.llixc6 'i!Jic7 1 5.llixe7t 'i!Jixe7 1 6.ixc4 i.b7�
1 7.d5 tUxd5 1 8.ixd5 ixd5 1 9.:B:hel 'i!Jib7
20.:B:e3 :B:ac8 2 1 .Wbl f6+ Saric - Brkic, Pula
2008.
9.cxd5 exd5 1 0.e4
1 O.i.d3 b4 1 1 .llia4 allows Black to protect
1 79
Chapter 1 4 - Various 7th Moves
his pawn with ...ib7 bur more ambitious
is l 1 ...!l:b8!?, the following game being a
nice example: 1 2.'®xc6 '®e7 1 3.<;tibl tll e4
1 4.iel tll d f6 l S.fi:cl ifs 1 6.'®a6 E!:fc8
1 7.ic2 id7 1 8.lll cS ibS 1 9.'®aS lll xcS
20.dxcS !l:xcS 2 l .ixb4 !l:xc2 22.Elxc2 ixb4
Black was completely winning in Gohla Hentze, email 2006.
1 0 ... b4 1 1 .eS bxc3 1 2.ixc3
So far this is Honfi - Paoli, Reggio Emilia
1 962, and now, just as in the line above with
9.e4, we play:
10.@b1
10.bxc6 ixc6 1 1 .<;tibl :B'.b8+ Black followed
up with ... '®b6 and . . . !l:fc8 with great play for
the pawn in Matveeva - Gunina, Moscow
20 10.
1: � � ��•U
�
�
�r
'i
r
'•�y,•
�
�
,. . %m
,
,
C'
� • �V�
.
?{fffi
%
� • �llt �
8
7
6
: �llllllr;�ll�,,��llll/,,,,,,�llll
l��!ll�8 ��
ll
��w�VJKm
�,�
, - - :�,ef'!l
, , %�r""
,%m
3
2
8
1 -�·,f·�-�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
10 . �bS!N
A nice move by the queen! Black will play
... !l:c8 next and maybe even ... a6 to force
White to open some lines. In some cases he
can go ... cS instead, for example if White plays
his bishop to d3. All in all I prefer Black.
In practice Black has also done well with
other moves.
.
9 ib7!
9 ... cS 1 0.e4 ib7 1 1 .dxcS ixcS 12.exdS
exdS is not so clear after 1 3.if4!N.
•..
.
1 O ... !l:b8!? l 1 .h4 '®e7 1 2.lll g S !l:fc8 was
excellent for Black in Petkov - Semkov, Sofia
1 992, bur White can certainly improve on his
dubious 1 1 th move.
1 0 ... cS!? 1 1 .dxcS lll xcS 1 2.tll d4 tll ce4 was
level in Galanov - Papenin, email 2008.
C) 7.e4
White is not quite ready for such active
operations.
7 ... lbxe4 s.lbxe4 dxe4 9.�xe4
180
Anti-Meran
b
a
d
c
g
f
e
9 .ih4t!
The safest continuation.
h
...
9 ... e5 1 0.dxe5 0-0 l l .exd6! l'l:e8 1 2.\Wxe8t
Wxe8t 1 3.i.e3
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
This is a position where I'd rather be White.
He has strong positional compensation for the
queen and much the easier game. Theory is
not so generous about White's chances though,
and an evaluation of unclear can be found in
most sources. You can pretty much sum it up
by saying char White has a slight plus score in
over-the-board play, but the engines evaluate
rhe position in favour of Black!
9 ... c5 10.ig5!
Black still has some problems to solve.
I O ... ie7!
a) 1 0 ... Wa5t l l .i.d2 Wc7 is met by 1 2.ic3
tll f6 1 3.Wh4 cxd4, and now instead of
1 4.Wxd4 which was seen in Seirawan Yusupov, Toluca 1 982, 14.tll xd4! ?N should
favour White.
b) 1 0 ... tll f6 1 1 .Wh4 cxd4 1 2.0-0-0! is
quite dangerous for Black, despite what the
analysis engines tell you at first. Let me show
you why: 1 2 ... e5 1 3.id3 h6 1 4.:!'l:he l 0-0
I 5 .ixh6 gxh6 1 6.Wxh6 l'l:e8 I 7.tll g 5 ie6
1 8.ih7t tll xh7 1 9.Wxh7t ©f8 20.Wh6t
rtle7 (20 ... ©g8 2 1 .l'l:d3 Wc8 22.tll e4 Wxc4t
23.l'l:c3 ie7 24.l'l:xc4 ixc4 25.tll f6t ixf6
26.Wxf6 l'l:e6 27.Wg5t l'l:g6 28.Wxe5±)
2 1 .tll xe6 l'l:h8 22.tll xd8 l'l:xh6 23.tll xb7 and
White was simply two pawns up in Koch Prado, email 2009. An example where the
evaluation of the engines fooled Black!
I l .i.xe7 Wa5t
I 1 . ..Wxe7 1 2.0-0-0;!;
1 2.©e2
After 1 2.tll d2 Dreev gives 12 ... ©xe7
1 3.0-0-0 l'l:d8 I 4.Wxh7 tll f6 I 5 .Wxg7
l'l:xd4, which he evaluates as unclear but with
good prospects for Black.
1 2 . . . ©xe7 1 3.g3
8 ��£
��7•-• �t�J�i
� · -'!IJ�
7
. �-'�f-
6
%,,,,%
3
%
, %�
5 � �- �. �.
'• %.
,;,-��;,fl�
4
l?J'
�
!� u!n , ;,�
1 "'f '"� �-}£-�
2
,
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
The position is unusual with both kings in
the centre, but still the play is relatively calm.
Black is probably about equal, but it is not
as simple as it may look at first; something I
discovered after examining the continuation
proposed by both Dreev and Sakaev:
1 3 ...Wb6 1 4.b3 tll f6 1 5.We5 cxd4 1 6.:B:d l l'l:d8
1
Chapter 1 4 - Various 7th Moves
8
1
Black's play has mostly been correct up until
now.
1 7.tt:lxd4!
This is not examined by the great Russian
theoreticians.
17 ... 'tt> f8 1 8.i.h3 tt:ld7 1 9.1Mi'e3 tt:lcS 20.tt:Jf3
i.d7 2 1 .!l:he 1
In Parkkinen - Norrelykke, email 2008,
Black managed to draw, but it seems to me
chat in a practical game chis position might
suit White well.
10.i.d.2 i.xd2t 1 1 .�xd.2 0-0 12.0-0-0
1 2.id3 is another line, but after 1 2 ... tt:l f6
1 3.1Mfh4 e5 14.0-0-0 1Mfxd4 1 S.1Mfxd4 exd4
1 6.tt:lb3 !l:d8 1 7.ie2 tt:lg4 1 8.ixg4 ixg4
1 9.!l:xd4 !l:xd4 20.tt:lxd4 !l:d8 the position was
obviously equal in Rubinetti - Torre, Toluca
1 982. You could even argue chat Black can
claim a microscopic theoretical edge thanks to
his bishop, and so find an excuse to cry to win
the game.
12...� f6!
Black wins a tempo and plays ... b5 next with
an active game.
12 ...WaS 1 3.id3 tt:lf6 14.Wi'h4 WhS l S.WfxhS
lt:ixhS 1 6.!l:hel± White has scored amazingly
well in chis position, an example being
A. Mascrovasilis - Haznedaroglu, Antalya 200 I .
l3.'IMl'h4
1 3.WfeS bS! 14.id3 ( 1 4.cS tt:ldS, with
.. .f6 and ... aS to follow, gives Black enough
counterplay)
1 4 . . . bxc4
l 5.tt:lxc4 ia6!
1 6.i;t>bl :!':!:b8 and Black was more than fine in
Yakimenko - Goganov, St Petersburg 2009.
13 ... bS!?
The standard break.
1 3 ... eS is another good move.
14.c5
14 ...e5! 1 5.dxe5 �g4
With at least equality.
Conclusion
White's advance on the queenside with a2-a3
and b2-b4 is well answered by a break in the
centre with ... eS.
7.id2 followed by castling long leads to sharp
play. Black is more than fine if he fights for
the initiative with the promising pawn sacrifice
8 ... bS!.
White's attempt to play in the centre with 7.e4
doesn't give anything. After 7 ... tt:lxe4 8.lt:ixe4
dxe4 9.Wi'xe4 the precise 9 ... ib4t solves all
problems. Later the interesting pawn sacrifice
... bS even gives Black chances to take the full
point.
Anti-Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
7.b3
Variation Index
l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tiJf3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.e3 lll bd7 6.�c2 i.d6 7.b3
7... 0-0
1 83
1 85
1 86
1 87
1 88
1 89
1 89
191
192
192
A) 8.i.d3
B) 8.i.b2
C) 8.i.e2! b6! 9.0-0 i.b7 1 0.i.b2 �e7
Cl) 1 1.e4
C2) 1 1 .gadl gad8 12.gfel gfe8
C21) 13.�d3
C22) 13.�fl
C3) 1 1 ,gacl gac8 12,gfdl gfd8
C31) 13.�bl
C32) 13.g3
A)
noce co
1 O. li:l b5
1 3 �xd4!N
...
A)
noce co
1 5 .0-0
C22)
a
b
noce co
c
d
e
1 4.cxd5
f
1 6 . 1/9c5!N
..
g
h
h
1 83
Chapter 1 5 - 7.b3
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tlia tlif6 4.tlic3 e6 5.e3
tlibd7 6.�c2 id6 7.b3
A positional approach: White protects
the c4-pawn so he can always answer ... dxc4
with bxc4, thereby preventing the usual
Black queenside play with ... b5 and so on.
Furthermore the move prepares j,b2, which
will be a good square for the bishop.
7 ...0-0
As we are going to see, playing ... e5 is a basic
plan for Black in the 7.b3 variation, but doing
it now is not optimal due to the following line:
7 ... e5 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.liJbS j,b8 10.j,a3!
Now White has three bishop moves. A) 8.id3
and B) s.ib2 are harmless, but C) 8.ie2! is
the critical test.
A) 8.id3
This looks much more active than 8.j,e2, but
the bishop is also more vulnerable on d3 and
that matters if Black strikes immediately in the
centre - which is exactly what he does!
to win a piece with ... e4. That is why the
bishop is better off on e2 co begin with.
1 O.dxe5 liJxe5 1 1 .liJxeS (otherwise White faces
problems, for example l l .j,e2 j,g4+ as given
by Dreev) 1 1 ...j,xeS 1 2.j,b2 d4 13.exd4 Now
in Rychagov -Timofeev, Moscow 2009, White
was in charge after 1 3 ... '\Wxd4?! 1 4.0-0-0
'\Wf4t 1 5 .'tt> b l j,g4?! 1 6.f3 j,hS 1 7.liJdS!, so
Black should prefer 1 3 ...j,xd4!N followed by
...j,e6 and ... l:!ac8.
8 "\�i s� ·��
: ·� �a���
54 -�·%"'• •
U d�U 32 R�R:f
�.
��
����
�r��m�
/�- �! (/� �J!j?�jlJ%
�
1 ��
a
b
�-
� �� m M
c
d
e
f
g
h
10...ib4t
1 0 ...j,b8!? is also possible. 1 1 .dxeS liJxe5
1 2.liJxeS j,xe5 l 3.j,b2 is maybe nothing
special for White, but if he likes to play against
an IQP as I do - it is a pleasant position!
-
I l .id2 ixd2t 12.tlixd2 e4 13.ie2
8 ... e5!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Threatening ... e4.
9.cxd5 cxd5 IO.tlib5
White should probably keep the position
dosed, but it is annoying that Black threatens
1 84
Anti-Meran
13 ... a6
1 3 ... ttJ b6= and 1 3 ... ttJe8 1 4.:gcl ttJdf6N=
are both fine for Black as well.
14.tll c7
Initially the computer favours this, but it is
just as dangerous for White as for Black.
l 4.Cll c3 is safer, but after l 4 ... tli b8!?N followed
by ... ttJc6 Black is fine. It is not difficult to
imagine this knight arriving at the d3-square
via b4!
Another way to regroup the knight is
1 4 ... :ge8 1 5.0-0 tlif8 which also seems okay
for Black.
15 .. tll bs 16.:gfcl tll c6 17.1Wc5?
The wrong way to free the knight.
.
14... �a7
1 7.'ll xa6 ig4 1 8.ixg4 ttJxg4 1 9.ttJc5 was
better. Now 1 9 ... ttJ b4 20.1Wb2 b6 2 1 .a3 bxc5
22.axb4 :gxal 23.:gxa l cxd4 24.exd4 1Wb8=
was Achermann - Hauser, email 2009. Black
regains the pawn and has no problems.
1 5.0-0
1 5.:gcl 'll b 8 16.1Wc5 'll c6 1 7.'ll xa6 looks
attractive, but the cool l 7 ...id7! neatly
restores material. 1 8.ttJb4 :ga5 1 9.1Wc3 was
seen in Feldborg - Van Den Haak, corr. 2003,
but after:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17... tll d7!
l 7 ... 1Wxc7? 1 8.1Wxa7 tlid7 might seem
excellent for Black at first, as the queen seems
to have been crapped, but White has 1 9.b4
1Wd6 20.:gxc6! 1Wxc6 2 1 .ttJb3;!;.
18.1Wd6 tll db8
Chapter 1 5 - 7.b3
..
185
8 e5!
The cleanest equalizer. Instead 8 .. .'�e7 is
slow and flexible, but why not play actively?
a
b
d
c
e
f
g
9.cxd5
Otherwise Black will play .. ,e4 next. For
example: 9.ie2 e4 1 0.'Lid2 'Lib8!? A plan
recommended by Dreev. A recent game
continued: l 1 .h3 'Lia6 1 2.a3 Cjj c7 13.b4 Cjj fe8
l 4.g3 f5 l 5.h4 Cjj f6 Black had easy play in
Ruck - Bluebaum, Germany 20 1 5.
h
White will lose material.
19.'l!:!i'xd5 Wxc7 20.lll xe4 �d8 21 .Wi'hS Wl'e7
22.id3 h6 23.�d lll b4 24.lt:\g3 lll xd3
25.�xd3 lt:\c6:+
Graf- Potkin, Munich 20 13.
9... cxd5 10.ltJb5
Again 10.dxe5 Cjj xe5 is dangerous. The black
pieces are coming to life while the white king is
still stuck in the centre. 1 l .Cjj d4 ( 1 Lie2 'Lixf3t
1 2.ixf3 d4 1 3.exd4 :B:e8t 14.'Lie2 ig4!+
Kovacs - Swinkels, Rogaska Slatina 20 1 1 )
l l ...id7!+ The rooks will come to c8 and e8.
B) 8.ib2
s
7
1: -.i. �
m
��
•
.
,
� ·�
�-�
� ,,Y,
�,� .t. �c,
6 """"�
a11, """�
m
� .t. �
�
�
�� ,,��
/,,,,,,�
�
�
�
: �
�� �
�l:u'i{'�'wrs�
�
3 � �
� �:� �&���r�
2 � m"iVm
r� � rrs
1
,
��""'�m �=�u"�
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White starts by putting his bishop on the
dream square. This is a flexible move and
White can even consider castling long in
some lines. The drawback is chat it neglects
the development of the kingside and, just as
in the previous line, Black obtains excellent
counterplay with a thematic strike in the
centre.
1 1 .id ixc3t 12.lll xc3
12.Wi'xc3?! is met by 1 2 . . . Cjj e4+ when Black
has a nice initiative. 1 3.Wi'b2 ( 1 3.Wi'c7 is met by
Wi'e7 followed by ... a6) 1 3 ... a6 l 4.Cjj c3 'Lixc3
l 5 .Wi'xc3 e4 1 6.Cjj g l Cjj f6 1 7.'Lie2 id7 l 8,Cjj f4
:B:c8+ Markos - Braun, Pulvermuehle 2004.
12 ... e4 13.lll d2
1 86
Anri-Meran
C) s.ie2!
a
Black could also play 13 ... tll b 6= (with the
idea ...ig4) 1 4.h3 tll e 8 followed by . . . 1lt/g5 as
suggested by Dreev.
14.b4 tlJ c6 15.°1Wb3 °1Wd6 16.�bl id7
Black has solved all his opening problems. If
anyone is better it is him.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
The best move. The bishop is not ideally
placed on e2 but, as we saw earlier, Black
obtains good play with the standard ... e5 break
if it moves to its preferred d3-square.
8 ... b6!
With the white bishop on the modest
e2-square, Black is not in a hurry to obtain
active counterplay. Instead he completes his
development by playing ... b6 and ...ib7. Later
he can free his position with ... c5. But what
is the big difference with the bishop on e2?
Couldn't Black go ... e5 anyway? Yes, he could!
Let's see:
8 ... e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.tll b 5 ib4t ( I O ...ib8
I l .ia3) l 1 .id2 ixd2t 12.lll xd2 a6 ( 1 2 ... e4
doesn't come with tempo: 1 3 .�c l;!;) 1 3.dxe5
lll xe5 I 4.lll d4 ig4 I 5.ixg4 tll fxg4 16.0-0 �c8
I 7.1lt/f5 g6 1 8.1lt/f4 Vlie7 1 9.lll 2 f3= Dreev says
the position is equal - and whenever he says
something about the Semi-Slav you tend to
listen. The computers also claim it is equal, and
I think so too. That said, I would take White
anytime as he is the only one who can win.
Black has an IQP in a defendable position, but
he will have to sit rather passively and protect
d5 instead of searching for active operations.
I don't like to just defend if l have a choice.
1 87
Chapter 1 5 - 7.b3
9.0-0
9.e4 is premature with the king still in the
centre: 9 ... tt'lxe4 10.tt'lxe4 dxe4 l 1 .\Wxe4
ib4t! 12.id2 ixd2t 1 3.tt'lxd2 ib7= Hoang
Thanh Trang - Kadimova, Halle 1 995. Black
can put her queen on c7 and play ... c5.
.
9. .i.b7 10.i.b2
1 0.e4 isn't dangerous here either: 1 0 ... tt'lxe4
1 l .tt'lxe4 dxe4 1 2.\Wxe4 Although the black
queen isn't on e7 yet - meaning he cannot play
.. .f5 like in line C 1 below - he still solves all
problems with 1 2 ... tt'l f6 1 3.\Wh4 c5. Black is
fine and even went on to win in Seirawan Dreev, Wijk an Zee 1 996.
CI) 1 1.e4
Here we go again. This time Black is really
prepared.
1 1. .. tlixe4
1 l ...dxe4 allows the extra option of 1 2.tt'lgS.
12.tlixe4 dxe4 13.Wfxe4
1
6
5
4
3
2
� �'-,,.,,!��
�
J
it,,�
1.
1.
-'Sl
r�
.i.
�
, , , %� ,0 %%::::�f¥""'%%'"//,/,' " " %%%
�
/,
,
,
,
.r�
,,, , % • �� • �
� ,, � �
!I
!o
!lo
!Ill
�
//,/,'""\�r
0 �%%
;/,
N
� 8 � r��8�vwm�D8�
,,
,�, , �� %Rfm""
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White would love to have his e2-bishop on
d3! This means that he is often willing to lose
a tempo to get it there simply because this is
the best position for it. White has three main
plans to choose from and we will first cover
the immediate Cl) 1 1.e4. Next are two rook
moves: C2) 1 IJ�adl sees White place the
rooks on dl and el before committing to
e3-e4, or any other plan, while C3) 1 1.�acl
places the rooks on dl and c l .
�6r� •-,,v.wr
7
'!I
!1
'
'�"!I!d1'
!I
"!I ll
!I
: �!I� !olfll� llll
"
6
IO...Wfe7
8
.i - � �� - �
8
;;,,,,%
3
-�}�� -�-�,�
8 m m�r� 8 rfj
1 ?�'""�� �-f=""
2
.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
13.. fS!
An important and thematic move. The white
queen is brutally chased away from e4 and has
to abandon the pin on the c-pawn. As soon as
Black gets in ... c5 his pieces spring to life and
coordinate excellently.
14.Wfc2
14.\Wh4 \Wxh4 1 5.tt'lxh4 ie7 1 6.tt'lf3 c5
( 1 6 ... gS!?N is an interesting idea if you want
to go for a win at all costs) 17.tt'le5 tt'lxe5
( l 7 ... �ad8 cannot be bad either) 1 8.dxeS �fd8
1 9.�adl �xdl 20.�xdl �dB= Miroshnichenko
T.L. Petrosian, Dubai 20 1 2.
-
1 4.\We3 c5 1 5.�adl �ad8 ( 1 5 ... h6!?N may be
worth considering) 1 6.\Wg5 tt'l f6 l 7.\Wh4 ixf3
1 8.ixf3 cxd4 1 9.ixd4 e5 20.ib2 e4 saw
Black take the initiative in Balashov - Sjugirov,
Moscow 20 1 2.
Ami-Meran
188
14 ...c5
Black can be happy with the outcome of the
opening.
15.gfel gads 16.gadl
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
16...ie4!
With this active move Black takes the
initiative. Of course White can't respond with
l 7.Xld3 because of ...ixf3.
17.'<!Nd2
1 7.Wcl 'll f6 ( l 7 ... cxd4 as in our main line
is probably better, bur I want to show this
game anyway because of its instructive value)
l 8.dxc5 ( l 8.d5 is always something Black has
to take into consideration) 1 8 ...ixc5 1 9.'ll e 5
id6 20.ifl Wc7 2 1 .Wc3 Xlb7 22.f3 Xlc5t
23.�h l if2 24.l:hdS Elxd8 25 .Ele2 id4
26.Wel ixb2 27.Elxb2 ie4! 28.'ll g4 'll xg4
29.fxg4 We5 30.Ei'.e2 Ei'.d4 3 l .gxf5 exf5 32.Wf2
Wd6+ Kazimova - Ushenina, Konya 201 1 .
1 7...cxd4 1 S.ixd4 e5 19.ic3 ltJc5!
A strong preparatory move: Black wants to
take on f3 and play ... e4 with pressure on the
white kingside. I will give the rest of the moves
to a highly entertaining grandmaster battle:
20.VNb2 ixf3 21.ixf3 e4 22.g3 VNg5 23.h4
'<!Ng6 24.h5 '<!Ng5 25.ig2 f4!
C2) 1 1.gadl gads 12.gfel gfes
In this set-up White now has two ideas. He
can play C21) 13.id3 and e3-e4 - as always
this is the standard plan - or be a bit more
positionally sophisticated by returning the
bishop with C22) 13.ifl and then playing
g2-g3 and Xlg2; which is similar to some
Queen's Gambit lines.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it turns out not to
be easy for White to make e3-e4 work. We
already know by now that all the Xld3 plans
can be effectively met by ... e5, while if e3-e4 is
played before id3 then we simply take on e4
followed by .. .f5 and ... c5.
So in fact the ifl plan is the most interesting
and I will mainly focus on that. It shouldn't
give White anything though, and I will go
even further than that: if my analysis holds I
don't think we will see much of this 1 3.ifl in
the future!
Chapter 1 5 - 7.b3
C21) 13.!d3
As has already been mentioned, this is met by
the usual counter in the centre:
1 89
19.<i:tixh2 \West 20.ctJg3 ttJxf2 2 1.'1Wd4 ctJxdl
22.ctJxdl
White would love to exchange queens, but
22.\Wxe5 runs into 22 ... !l:xeS 23.llixd l d4+.
13 ...eS!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
14.cxd5 cxd5 15.dxe5 ctJxe5 16.ctJd4 ctJxd3
l 7.'1Wxd3 ctJ e4 18.ctJfS
1 8.llixe4 dxe4 l 9.\Wb5 ib4 20.llif5 \Wc5
2 1 .\Wxc5 bxc5+ Turov - Yakovich, Krasnoyarsk
2007. Just look at the the bishops!
22 .. .f6 23.llif2 ia6 was also quite good for
Black in Popov - Lukashevich, email 20 1 1 ,
although White held the draw.
23.�fl !cs
Black is by no means worse.
C22) 13.ifl e5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
18 ...!xh2t!
1 8 . . . Wg5 was also fine for Black in Gelfand
- Anand, Dortmund 2007, but the text is
stronger.
190
Anti-Meran
The most popular move is 1 3 ... c5 when play
usually continues 1 4.cxd5 exd5 1 5.g3 :gc8. A
complicated positional battle lies ahead with
chances for both sides.
Even 13 ... i.b4!? is possible, but after 1 4.a3
Black shouldn't play 1 4 ...ixa3 1 5.ixa3 Wxa3
1 6.cxd5 exd5 1 7.:gal Wd6 1 8.:gxa7;:1; as in
Carlsen - Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2009, where
White had strong pressure. Instead he should
prefer 14 ...i.d6! claiming chat a3 is a weakness.
14.cxd5
A tempting exchange.
1 4.e4!? is aesthetically pleasing, but the
high tension on the board quickly vanishes.
1 4 ...dxc4 1 5.ixc4 b5 1 6.i.fl a6 and Black is
fine, for instance: l 7.lll e2 g6 l 8.dxe5 lll xe5
1 9.lll xe5 i.xe5 20.i.xe5 Wxe5 2 1 .f3 c5=
Swiercz - Matlakov, Yerevan 20 14.
Taking on e5 immediately merely activates the
black pieces.
l 4.dxe5 lll xe5 l 5.lll xe5
White would like to play 1 5.lll d4 but it
weakens his pawn structure: 1 5 ... dxc4
1 6.lll f5 We6 1 7.lll xd6 :gxd6 1 8.bxc4 :gxdl
1 9.lll xd l c5+ Van Wely - Anand, Wijk aan
Zee 20 1 0.
l 5 ...ixe5 1 6.cxd5 Wc5!N
A beautiful novelty suggested by Sakaev,
with the obvious intention of taking with
the knight at d5. However, there is nothing
really wrong with l 6 ... cxd5 either.
1 7.dxc6 lll g4!
1 8.h3
1 8.i.b5 ixh2t 1 9.'it>fl ixc6 20.i.xc6 Wxc6
2 1 .Wf5 ie5 22.Wxg4 ixc3= and Black is
fine.
1 8 ... :gxd l 1 9.:gxdl
1 9.Wxd l ?? i.h2t 20.'it>h l lll xf2t-+
1 9 ... lll xe3 20.b4
20.fxe3 Wxe3t 2 1 .'it>h l (2 1 .Wf2 i.h2t)
2 1 . . .Wfg3+
20 ... lll xc2 2 1 .bxc5 ixc6 22.cxb6 axb6=
I4...e4!
An important intermediate move.
l 4 ... cxd5 l 5.dxe5 lll xe5 l 6.lll d4! is
comfortable for White: l 6 ... g6 1 7 .ib5 lll ed7
1 8.Wd2t
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5.dxc6?!
White accepts the challenge.
1 5.lll e 5 cxd5 1 6.lll b 5 :gc8 1 7.Wb l i.b8 1 8.g3
a6 l 9.lll a3 h5!+ left Black with substantially
more space in Duzhakov - Bukavshin, St
Petersburg 2014.
1 5.lll h4 ixh2t! 16.'it>xh2 lll g4t is obviously
great for Black as well. Computer analysis runs
1 7.'it>h3 lll df6 1 8 .g3 cxd5 1 9.ib5 g5 20.i.xe8
:gxe8 and White's weak king is a problem chat
won't go away. The knight is about to drop so
Chapter 1 5 - 7.b3
191
White is only a n exchange up, meaning that
Black is having all his fun more or less for free.
Even if the position is dynamically balanced it
is very difficult for White to hold it together
over the board.
15 exf3 16.cxb7
At first sight this looks good for White, but
Black has a devastating attack up his sleeve.
..•
16 ..hh2t! 17.@xh2
1 7.©h l llig4 1 8.gxf3 Wi'h4 1 9.fxg4 i.f4t
20.©g2 Wi'xg4t 2 1 .c;t>hl Wi'h5t 22.©g2 Ele6
and wins.
.
21. .. Whst 22.@g3 Wg4t 23.@h2 Wh4t
24.@gl tlJg4
With mate to follow. 0-1 Nguyen - Sadorra,
Ho Chi Minh City 20 1 5.
C3) 1 1 .gacl gac8 12.gfdl gfd8
17...Wi'd6t!
This move was a novelty when I first began
my analysis, but it has recently been played
over the board.
1 7 ... llig4t 1 8.©g3 Wi'g5 1 9.©xf3 and Black
has nothing! 1 9 ... Wi'h5 20.e4 Ele6 2 1 .©e2+­
Simantsev - Yagupov, Police 20 1 4.
18.@h3
1 8.c;t>gl llig4 leads to mate.
1 8 .g3 lll g4t 1 9.c;t>h3 Wi'e6 20.Wi'e4 lll xf2t
loses the queen.
1 8...geS!
A fantastic blow.
1 8 ...Wi'e6t 1 9.©h2 Wi'd6t is just a draw.
It is a good rule of thumb to remember to
put your rooks on the same files as White.
Moving the queen out of the way with
C31) 13.Wbl is a natural and popular move,
while C32) 13.g3 is the main alternative.
White has also tried other moves:
192
Anti-Meran
1 3 ..!d3 e5! Of course! And now that our
rook "salutes" White's queen this is even more
favourable for Black.
1 3 ..!fl c5 14.cxdS cxd4N is a novelty
suggested by the Slav expert Ragger in his
Chess24 lectures: 1 5.l'l:xd4 exd5 1 6.l"\ddl
li:le5 1 7.l&e2 ( 1 7.li:lxeS .!xe5 with the idea
... d4) l 7 ... li:lxf3t l 8.gxf3 l&e6 The position
is unclear, but the weakened position of the
white king gives Black his share of the chances.
Black takes the initiative; he is slightly better
on the queenside.
17.a4 cxb3 18.tlJd2 h5
And on the kingside!
19.tDxb3 h4 20.i.g2 hxg3 21 .hxg3 ixg3!
White had to play on a pawn down in
Chuchelov - Shirov, Germany 2009.
C32) 13.g3
C31) 13.'!Wbl a6
Always a useful move as preparation for the
... c5 break. 1 3 ... h6 and 13 . . . .!b8 are two other
plausible choices.
14 ..tfl
1 4 ..!d3 has also been tried and here
1 4 ... cSN doesn't look bad. Waiting moves like
... h6 and ....!b8N also have their merits, as
does the Kramnik plan (see below) with . . . b5.
13 .. cS
The most straightforward reply.
.
There is an interesting alternative though:
1 3 ....!b4!?
15.cxdS exd5 1 6.g3 c4!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
193
Chapter 1 5 - 7.b3
This idea is also applicable in the :!l:e 1 and :!l:d 1
lines. We want to provoke the weakening
a2-a3 move.
1 4.ifl
14.a3N id6! ( 1 4 ...ixa3?! 1 S.ixa3 '1Wxa3
1 6.:!'fal and White wins the pawn back)
l S.ifl a6 1 6.a4 cS 1 7.cxdS exdS 1 8.dxcS
bxcS is given by Ragger. White will probably
go 1 9.ig2 and after something like
1 9 ... :!l:b8, eying the b3-pawn, the position
will be unclear.
1 4 ... cS
Now that we can take on c3 at will, this
move is a bit safer.
l S.cxdS cxd4 1 6.ltJxd4 ixc3 1 7.d6
17.ixc3 ltJxdS
17 ... '1Wxd6 1 8.ixc3 lUdS 1 9.lUe2 '1Wb8 20.ig2
lUxc3 2 1 .lUxc3 ltJf6 22.:!l:xd8t
Y2-Y2 Buhmann - Erdos, Deizisau 20 1 0.
14.cxd5 exd5 15.ifl tll f8 16 ..ig2
1 6.'IWb l N with the idea 1 6 ... ltJe6 17.ih3!
looks like a more critical continuation to me.
I'd advise Black to play 17 ... :!l:e8 followed
by the unpinning ... :!l:cd8 as nothing really
dangerous has happened. The position is still
pretty closed, so Black can take his time to
improve his coordination.
17.dxc5
Otherwise White constantly had to reckon
with ... cxd4.
Of course White could move his queen
away from the range of the black rook with
1 7.'1We2N, but it wouldn't change the verdict:
the position is balanced.
17....ixc5
Black was ready to play ... d4 in Buhmann Miron, Haguenau 20 1 3.
Conclusion
7.b3 is met by 7 ... 0-0, when White has three
main tries.
8.id3 is well answered by 8 ... e5! with good
counterplay.
8.ib2 is also met strongly by the same central
thrust 8 ... eS!.
After the main move of 8.ie2! my preference
is to finish development with 8 ... b6! 9.0-0
ib7 10.ib2 "!fie7, after which White chooses
from three plans.
Playing for an early e3-e4 often backfires for
White. Black drives the white queen away from
e4 with ... ltJf6 or even ... fS and then liberates
his position with the typical break ... cS.
If White centralizes his rooks on dl and el
and then suddenly shifts gear by playing ifl
(with the idea of g2-g3 and ig2) Black still
strikes in the centre with . . . eS and solves all his
problems.
If White plays more positionally with his
rooks on cl and d l then Black puts his rooks
opposite on c8 and d8. The game is pretty
calm and Black can free his position with a
well-timed ... cS.
Anti-Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
7. g4!?
Variation Index
1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.� c3 e6 5.e3 � bd7 6.�c2 .id6 7.g4!?
7... h6!
A) 8 ..id2 dxc4 9 ..ixc4 b5
Al) lO ..id3
A2) 10 ..ie2 .ib7 l l .e4 .ie7!
A21) 12.g5
A22) 12.e5
B) 8.�gl e5! 9.cxd5 cxd5
Bl) 10.h4
B2) 10.�b5 .ib8 1 1.g5 hxg5 1 2.�xg5 e4 13 .id2 �b6
B21) 14.�cl
B22) 14.�c5
C) 8.h3
•
B l ) after 1 5 .Wd!
a
b
c
d
e
f
1 5 . ig4!N
..
g
C)
h
note r o
9.c5
C) after ! 6.Cll c 5
1 95
1 95
1 96
1 97
1 98
1 99
200
20 1
20 1
202
202
h
1 95
Chapter 1 6 - 7.g4!?
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.e3
lll bd7 6.'!Wc2 .id6 7.g4!?
of extra importance if White proceeds to castle
long. Now he can try Al) 10 .id3 or the more
popular A2) 10 .ie2.
•
•
Al) 10 .id3
•
A sharp and courageous move. So much
for all these positional considerations - now
entertaining play is guaranteed! If Black takes
on g4 White plays :E!gl with active play, while
we also see another virtue of the Anti-Meran
move 1Wc2: it prepares long casrling!
7 . .h6!
I prefer to decline the gambit. The litrle
move ... h6 prevents White's intended g4-g5,
if only for a brief moment. White has
three continuations, all of which lead to a
complicated game: A) 8 ..id2, planning to
castle long, B) 8.E:gl , which not so much
protects the g4-pawn but rather prepares
to advance it further, and finally the subtle
C) 8.h3.
.
A) 8 ..id2
1 1.E:gl E:c8 12.gS
This is the usual continuation.
A high-level game continued 1 2.a3, but after
1 2 ... c5! Black opens the position in his favour:
1 3.ctJxb5 .tb8 (now the knight is hanging)
1 4.\Wd l cxd4 1 5.exd4 llic5!? 1 6 ..te2 .txf3
1 7 ..txf3 ctJd3t 1 8.'tti e2 llixb2 1 9.1Wb3 llic4
Black has restored material equality and stands
better. It is entertaining to see a bit more:
A logical move which has been employed
occasionally by all the big names that have
employed 7.g4. Today it is considered
relatively harmless due to the typical Semi-Slav
continuation:
8 ...dxc4 9..ixc4 b5
With counterplay on the queenside - this is
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
196
Anti-Meran
20 ..ib4 '1Wd7 2 1 .ttJc3 .ixh2! Either ....id6 or
... lt:l d6 will come next, after which Black will
be able to castle, so Aronian tried: 22.g5 hxg5
23.E:xg5 ttJd2!? 24.'1Wa4 lt:lxf3 25.'1Wxd7t �xd7
26.�xf3 .id6! Black was definitely better at
this stage although White managed to hold
in Aronian - Vallejo Pons, Khanty-Mansiysk
2005 .
1 2...hxg5 13Jlxg5
1 3 .lt:lxg5 '1We7 followed by ... a6 with the idea
. . . c5 was seen in Krasenkow - Vallejo Pons,
Sanxenxo 2004, where Black was more than
comfortably placed.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
h
1 1 . e4
By far White's most popular move.
1 l .g5?! hxg5 1 2.lt:lxg5 looks threatening, but
in fact 12 ... b4 followed by ... c5 is great for
Black. A practical game continued 1 3.lt:la4 c5
1 4.E:gl when Black could have taken on h2,
but preferred the calmer:
14.lt:lxb5 .tbs+
Black had a crushing position in Bulushev Smirnov, Novokuznetsk 2007.
A2) IO.ie2 ib7
This is the real starting position of the 8 ..id2
line. Black has a flexible and harmonious
position while it is still unclear what White's
grand offensive on the kingside will lead to.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 4 ...'1We7 1 5.dxc5 lt:lxc5 1 6.lt:lxc5 .ixc5
1 7.if3 id6 Black retained some advancage
and eventually won in Romanov - Sjugirov, Sc
Petersburg 2008.
1 1 .E:gl ?! E:c8!
White cannot stop ... c5, so Black has a great
position as the following examples clearly
demonstrate:
1 2.g5
12.e4 c5! looks excellent for Black.
Chapter 1 6 - 7.g4!?
197
l 2 ... hxg5 1 3.:gxg5
1 3.tlixg5, with the typical threat of taking
on f7 and playing 'IWgGt, is met by the solid
1 3 ...'1We7.
1 3 ... b4 1 4.tlia4
1 4.tlie4 llixe4 1 5.'1Wxe4 gG 1 6.:gcl '1Wb6
l 7.h4 c5 was a bit better for Black in
Nasybullin - Lafarga Santorroman, email
2007, a high-level correspondence game
where Black prevailed.
l 4 ... c5! l 5 .tlixc5 ixc5!? l 6.dxc5 tlie4 l 7.:gxg7
Wf6 1 8.:gg4 :gxc5 1 9.'1Wa4 tlixd2 20.tlixd2
:gxh2 2 1 .:gf4 :gh I t 22.ifl '1Wxb2-+
All this looked like a demolition job in
Rajlich - Kaidanov, Gibraltar 2007.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
15.llixcS llixc:S 16.dxc:S gc8 17.Wfa4t
l 7.ixb4 tlid7! gives Black excellent
compensation for his two pawns. He is going
to casde next and most probably win a pawn
back, while the white king is hopelessly
stationed in the centre of the board.
17 !c6 18.!bS !xb5 19.WfxbSt Wfd7
.•.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 1 ...!e7!
I like this move best for practical reasons; it
cuts the number of lines we need to remember
as ... b4 and ... c5 simply come next.
l l ... c5 is also possible but a bit more
complicated.
With g2-g4 White burned his bridges and now
there is clearly no way back. He has to advance
with A21) 12.gS or A22) 12.eS.
A21) 12.gS hxg5 13.llixgS
This allows Black to obtain active counterplay.
20 ... llixd7 21.i>e2 l:'!:h4! 22.l:'!:acl l:'!:xc5
23.gxcS !xc5
1 98
Anti-Meran
Black has retained his material and has the
better structure; he simply stands better.
14.fxe7
White has chosen chopping!
24.f4
Now Black came up with a brilliant move:
The quieter 1 4.bxc3 is no problem for Black
after 1 4 ...i.xf6 (planning ... c5). 1 5.:gb l '1Mfc8
16.'\We4
8
��J.a
'¥'r�
� 'lla��-��. J. •
. . �!•i
%� � - %/.�·-�
�� ��
'�
� �-��'·�
��ref- - · % 5d-�� �-�
3 �� ���-� �
� �-- % �r�
2 �� �i.r
-----�
r.- � •tt
7
6
a
25 exf4 26.lll f3 :gh6!+
Black won this endgame in Carlsen Aronian, Linares 2009.
.•.
A22) 12.eS h4! 13.exf6 bxc3
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
l 6 ... :gb8!?N A novelty suggested by GM Ragger
in his online lectures at Chess24 ( 1 6 ... lll b 6
planning ... c5 as in Borisova - Ovod, Dagomys
2008, isn't bad either). 1 7.i.f4 c5! This is the
nice tactical point of Ragger's line. 1 8 .'IM!e3
cxd4 1 9.cxd4 i.xf3 20.:gxb8 (20.i.xb8?
i.xh l ) 20 ... tt:lxb8 and Black follows up with
castling, leaving him with the better structure,
while White wishes his g-pawn was back
on g2.
14...cxd2t 15.lll xd2
1 5.'IM!xd2 'IM!xe7 1 6.0-0 0-0 1 7.:gacl c5 was
equal in Baranowski - Andriuschenko, email
2009. This is probably White's best course, as
in our main line he faces some problems.
1 5 .. JWxe7 16 .if3 gbs
It is all about the freeing move . . . c5.
•
17.lll b3 0-0!
1 7 ...'IM!b4 t 1 8. '\Mld2 'IM!b5 was also fine for
Black in Dreev - T.L. Petrosian, Moscow
2006, but we want more!
18.0-0-0
199
Chapter 1 6 - 7.g4!?
1 8.0-0N is probably a better move, but
aside from the ... c5 break with at least equality
for Black, we might also try 1 8 ... W'fG 1 9.ig2
e5!i.
Now g4-g5 is always in the air, either directly
or after being prepared by h2-h4.
8 ... e5!
Black needs to find some counterplay and
opening the centre with the white monarch at
least two moves away from castling seems like
the most principled approach.
9.cxd5
Other tries are clearly weaker:
9.id2 e4 1 0.lll h 4 was Lenic - Pavasovic,
Ljubljana 2006, and finally we have a position
where it is safe to take the pawn: 1 0 . . .ixh2!
l l .l'!g2 ib8 1 2.0-0-0 lll b6 1 3.cxdS cxd5
14.ie2 id?+
9.b3 0-0! 1 0.ib2 e4 l l .lll d2 lll b 8! 1 2.h3 lll a6
A clever regrouping. 1 3 .a3 l'!e8 14.ie2 lll c7
1 5.0-0-0 b5 1 6.c5 if8+± Black can often play
... a5 and . . . b4.
19.ixb7 :!hb7 20.dxc5 gc?!:j:
Black is better.
9.h4?! exd4 1 0.lll xd4 lll e 5! 1 1 .gS hxg5 1 2.hxgS
lll fg4 1 3.cxd5 c5!
21.@bl tlixc5 22.gcl gfc8 23.tlixc5 gxc5
24.W'd2 �f6 25.gxc5 gxc5 26.ggl gd5
27.�e2 �f4:+
Harika - Nakamura, Gibraltar 2008.
B) 8.ggl
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
There are two key ideas to remember after
9.h4: 1 0 ... lll e 5 and meeting cxd5 with ... c5!.
1 4.ie2
1 4.W'e4 cxd4 1 5.exd4 f5 1 6.W'e2 ( 1 6.gxf6
W'xf6 17.ie3 0-0 1 8.dxe5 ixe5 1 9.0-0-0
lll xe3 20.fxe3 if5-+ !stain - Suanol, corr.
2008) 1 6 ... 0-0 1 7.dxeS ixe5-+ Carroll Zielinski, email 20 1 1 .
200
Anti-Meran
14 ... cxd4 1 5.exd4 �b6 1 6.tt:le4
This was Aleksandrov - Himanshu, Nagpur
20 1 2. Black had obtained an excellent
position against his highly rated opponent
but failed to find the best continuation:
16 ...ib4tN l 7.id2 ixd2t 1 8.�xd2 tt:lg6-+
1 2 ... hxgS 1 3.lll b 3 a6 1 4.id2 tt:lb6 1 5.a4 ie6
Black has a great position, with more space
and harmonious pieces.
9 ...cxd5
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6.a5 tt:lbd7 1 7.ie2 E:c8 1 8.0-0-0 tt:l b8+
Bocharov - Sjugirov, Budva 2009.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Now Bl) 10.h4 should not concern us at all,
but B2) 10.t!JbS is more dangerous.
Bl) 10.h4
This is too slow.
10 ...e4 1 1 .gS
This aggressive attempt
complications backfires.
at
1 1...hxgS 1 2.hxgS ex£3 13.gxf6 t!Jxf6
14.id2 �fS
Defending the g7-pawn. Black has control
of the h-file and a pleasant position.
15.Wfdl
1 5.0-0-0 tt:lg4 1 6.iel ie6 17.�bl E:h2
(threatening ... tt:lxe3) 1 8.E:d2+ White's pieces
are all tangled up.
creating
l 1 .lll d2 g5!
Fixing the white pawn on g4.
l 1 .. .tt:lb6 1 2.g5 hxg5 1 3.hxg5 lll h 7 1 4.f4
tll f8 was also reasonable for Black in Pauwels
- Bubir, email 2009.
1 2.hxg5
1 2.Ei:h l 0-0 13.hxg5 hxg5 1 4.ic4! dxc4
1 5.lll dxe4 lll xe4 16.lll xe4 ib4t 1 7.id2
ixd2t 1 8.'ttixd2 'tti g7 1 9.E:h5 E:h8 gave
White enough compensation to draw in
Noire - Lafarga, email 2009, but no more
than chat.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 5 ...ig4!N
Black protects the important f3-pawn.
20 1
Chapter 1 6 - 7.g4!?
1 5 ...ih2 1 6.E!:g5 ig4 was also fine for Black in
Cornelisse - Hillarp Persson, Guernsey 2006.
16.tiJxd5?
This combination is nicely refuted. The only
real alternative was to sacrifice an exchange on
g4, but that seems pretty desperate.
16... tiJxd5 17Jl:xg4
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
f
g
h
White now has a choice between B21)
14.�cl or B22) 14.Wfc5.
1 4.h3 a6 1 5.ia5 if5 1 6.lll c3 ih2 1 7.E!:g2
ic7 1 8.Wb3 E!:c8+ Ji. Houska - Efremov,
email 20 1 1 .
B21) 14.�cl i.d7
8
7
18 .. Wi'Mt! 19.E!:xh4 i.g3#
.
B2) lO.tiJb5
It makes sense to chase the black bishop away.
10...i.bs 1 1.g5
l l .id2 e4 1 2.g5 ( 1 2.lll h4 was tried by
Aronian in a rapid game against Topalov,
but after 1 2 ... lll b 6 Black is already better)
l 2 ... hxg5 l 3.lll xg5 transposes to the main
line. Both sides can try to deviate of course,
but to no avail.
1 1. .. hxg5 12.tlJxg5 e4 13.i.d2
White's idea is to play E!:cl .
13 ... tiJb6
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
15.Wfc5
1 5.lll c?t is not dangerous: 1 5 ...ixc?
1 6.Wxc? Wxc7 1 7.E!:xc? E!:c8 1 8.E!:xb? E!:c2+
1 5 ...i.c6 16.i.b4
1 6.ia5 E!:h6 covers d6. (The "simple"
1 6 ... lll fd?N 1 7.lll d6t ixd6 1 8.Wxd6 We?
is also okay for Black.) 1 7.h3 lll fd7= Castro
Salguero - De la Calle, corr. 20 1 3 .
202
Anti-Meran
16 a6
l 6 ... tt:lc8 l 7.�h3 llie7 1 8.llidGt �xd6
1 9.1Wxd6 1Wxd6 20.�xd6 lt:J fg8 as in Velilla
Velasco - Bokar, email 2010, also seems fine
for Black and is maybe a rad more ambitious.
.•.
14...i.fS!
An important move that prepares ... tt:J fd7.
1 5.:!3cl c!ll fd7 16.c!ll d6t i.xd6 17.Wfxd6 Wfe7
Black repels the white initiative.
8
7
6
5
4
3
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17.c!ll d6t i.xd6 1 8.Wfxd6 Wfxd6 19.i.xd6
:!3c8 20.b3 i.d? 21 .:!3c7 :!3xc7 22.i.xc? c!ll a8
23.i.eS
Black had equalized comfortably in
Jonckheere - Goncharenko, email 20 1 1 , where
a draw was agreed at this point. 23 . . . llih5
would be one way to play on - the chances are
balanced.
B22) 14.WfcS
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
18.Wff4g6 19.h4 :!3c8 20.:!3xc8t c!llxc8 21.Wfc?
lll db6 22.Wfg3 Wfd6 23.a3 f6 24.lll h3 Wfxg3
2s.fxg3 iif7 26.i.b4 lll e7 27.lll fl i.d7
Black has everything under control.
28.b3 lll c6 29.i.c3 lll c8 30.i.e2 lll d6
3 1 .'it>d2 a6 32.:!3cl lll fS 33.:!3gl lll d6 34.:!3cl
lll fS
Y2-Y2 Prohaszka - Banusz, Heviz 20 1 2.
C) 8.h3
White prevents Black from castling.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Chapter 1 6 - 7 .g4!?
203
A surpnsmg but quite clever move. After
having played g2-g4 you would expect White
to keep throwing aggressive moves at us - as
we have seen in the previous lines. But instead
we face 8.h3, with White simply protecting
g4 and securing his structure. We should
appreciate that White actually stays flexible
and can react according to our next move. So
what should we do?
8 ...a6!
We answer with a flexible move of our own!
Black has a plethora of ideas, such as ... e5 or
... c5 or ... b5, but again we wait and see what
White does.
The straightforward 8 ... e5 is the alternative, and
isn't bad, but White can create complications
in many lines. An example is GM Ivanisevic's
proposal in Chess Informant Labs: 9 .i.d2 0-0
1 0.0-0-0 e4 l 1 .lt:l h4 �e8 1 2.lt:lf5 i.f8 l 3.lt:lg3.
The analysis continues 13 ... lt:lb6 1 4.c5 lt:lbd7
1 5.ie2 b6 1 6.h4 with unclear play, which is a
fair assessment.
9 . .ie7
I prefer this square. Next we can attack the
white centre with ... b6, and if cxb6 then ... c5.
.
9 ... ic7 1 0.i.d2 e5 l l .dxe5 lt:lxe5 12.lt:lxe5
i.xe5 1 3.0-0-0 We? seems just about okay for
Black as well.
9.c5
The expected reply.
After 9.�gl Black can keep playing rhe waiting
game with: 9 ...We7 (9 ... dxc4 1 0.i.xc4N b5
l 1 .i.e2 c5 is not bad either) . After 1 0.i.d2
dxc4 1 l .i.xc4 b5 l 2.i.e2 c5 Black has excellent
play, for instance: 1 3.dxc5 lt:lxc5 1 4.b4 lt:lcd7
1 5.lt:ld4 ib7 1 6.a4 0-0 1 7.g5 hxg5 1 8.�xg5
�fc8 1 9.Wb2 bxa4 20.�xa4 lt:le5 2 1 .b5 lt:l fd7
22.f4 lt:lc5 White was already in trouble in
Sakhabeev - Alderisio, corr. 20 1 2.
9.b3 e5! We have met this quite a few times
throughout this part of the book: 1 O.i.b2
( 1 0.cxd5N cxd5 and the a6-pawn prevents
lt:lb5. l 1 .dxe5 lt:lxe5 12.lt:lxe5 i.xe5 13.ib2
i.e600 and Black is fin e.) 10 ... e4 l 1 .lt:ld2 We?
12.i.e2 b5 1 3.h4
12.lll a4
Otherwise Black is very comfortable.
12 ... lll e4
Of course nor 1 2 ... lt:lxb6? 1 3.ia5.
204
Ami-Meran
13.ia5
White protects the pawn. Obviously this
is a critical move but my engine flagged up
another option, at least initially:
1 3.dxc5N lt:ldxc5 14.ib4 lt:ld7! Black has his
share of the chances. l 5.ia5 ( l 5 .ixe7 "<!ffxe7
1 6.id3 [ 1 6.a3 l:'i:b8] 1 6 ...Wfb4t 1 7.Q;ifl lt:lxb6
1 8.Wfc6t id? 1 9.Wfxb6 Wfxa4=) 1 5 ... l:'i:b8
1 6.l:'i:cl 0-0 Black cannot win the b6-pawn
back so he j ust plays around it. l 7.ig2
( l 7."<!ffc7 can be met by "<!ffe8 followed by
...id6) 1 7 ...ib? 1 8.0-0 id6 1 9.Wfe2 f5+±
13...ib7
The position is tense. White has kept the
annoying b6-pawn, but his pieces are a bit
uncoordinated with his knight on a4 and
bishop on a5. Black's development flows more
naturally and we shouldn't forget that White
weakened his kingside by playing g2-g4 in the
beginning.
14.b4
Hoping to clarify the situation.
l 6 ... lt:ldxc5 l 7.bxc5 ixc5 was the right idea
but the wrong execution. 1 8 .dxc5 '<!fff6 1 9.'<!ffd 1
and White prevailed in Adhiban - Ragger,
Moscow 20 12.
17.bxc5 ixc5
l 7 . . . e5 is another idea.
1 8.dxc5 gxc5
With a double threat: attacking both the
white bishop and queen.
19.'Wd2 'Wf6
And a new double threat, chis time on the
rook and knight. Now there is no defence.
20.llid4 gxa5 21 .'Wxa5 'Wxd4-+
The rook on a l is hanging, but the other one
is also threatened by the check on e4.
Conclusion
14...cxd4 15.exd4 1:k8 16.llic5
7.g4 leads to lively play. After 7 ... h6 the
tempting 8.id2 often runs into trouble after
the standard 8 ...dxc4 9.ixc4 b5 1 0.ie2 ib7,
when Black most likely carries out the freeing
break ... c5 sooner or later, with excellent play.
8
7
6
5
The natural 8.l:'i:gl is well met by 8 ... e5!. Black
closes the centre with ... e4 if allowed, taking
more space and seeding for a positional game.
Sharp tries for White tend to backfire.
4
3
2
1
1 6... lliexc5!N
You often hear about taking with the wrong
rook. What about the wrong knight?
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
The subrle 8.h3 is answered by the similarly
non-committal 8 ... a6. Then if White play 9.c5
ie7 1 0.id2 Black gets good counterplay by
1 0 ... b6 l 1 .cxb6 c5. IfWhite tries to hold onto
the b6-pawn he will be very badly coordinated.
Anti-Meran
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
7.id3 - Introduction
Variation Index
I .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.e3 lll bd7 6.�c2 .!\d6 7..id3 dxc4
s .ixc4 0-0
.
9.0-0
206
207
208
210
210
212
213
213
214
A) 9 ... eS 10 ..ib3! h6!
Al) 1 1 .h3
A2) 1 1 .B:dl!
B) 9 ...bS 10 ..ie2 .ib7
Bl) l 1 .e4
B2) 1 1 .B:dl �c7 12.e4 eS
B21 ) 13 ..igS
B22) 13.dxeS
B23) 13.g3
a
b
c
d
e
1 0 h6!
...
f
B22) after 1 8Jk l
B I ) afcer l 8.h3
A) after I O .�b3!
g
h
1 8 . gxf5N
..
a
b
c
! 8 . c5N
d
..
e
f
g
h
h
206
Ami-Meran
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llif3 llif6 4.llic3 e6 5.e3
llibd7 6.�c2 i.d6 7.i.d3
White just as often plays 7.il.e2, but since we
take on c4 anyway it will merely transpose and
there is no reason to go into a long discussion
about the pros and cons of the two bishop
moves.
8.i.xc4 0-0
8 ... b5 is also a common move order, after
which the positional 9.il.e2 0-0 1 0.0-0
transpose to line B in this chapter, while the
more aggressive 9.il.d3 0-0 1 0.0-0 reaches the
following chapter.
Now A) 9 .e5 is an interesting option
I have used myself on several occasions
I will give you a short introduction to it
bonus track, before examining the main
with B) 9... b5.
..
that
and
as a
line
A) 9. . e5
.
A completely different approach. Instead of
expanding on the queenside, Black strikes in
the centre. Though sympathetic by nature I had
never really fancied the move. Then during the
20 1 2 Olympiad in Istanbul the Danish team's
opening coach Nikos N tirlis cold me and my
teammate Sune Berg Hansen about a new idea
chat the former knock-out world champion
Ponomariov had used a few months before.
We were both attracted to this suggestion,
partly because it was an easy-to-learn line chat
probably would be a good surprise weapon,
and parcly because the line was absolutely
sound! Since then we have both cried the idea
a few rimes, getting good positions from the
opening and lots of extra time on the clock as
a direct result. I will present a brief summary
here, and feel free to use it if you wane an
alternative to the main line with 9 ... b5. Just
beware: it is not a complete repertoire - you
will have to do a little work yourself. After
9 ... e5 Black is ready to play ... exd4 followed
by ... lll b 6.
IO.i.b3!
Considered best both by theory and practice.
White removes the bishop before it is hit.
9.0-0
White has two other popular moves: 1 O.h3
and 1 0.!l:d l . On 1 0.h3 we answer with 1 0 ... h6
and the play is likely to transpose. On 1 0.!l:d l
you must come up with something else as
1 0 ... h6? loses to l l .dxe5. Moving the queen
seems like an obvious idea, or maybe caking on
d4. Anyway I trust you can solve chat yourself.
After all, this is just a little extra input for
inspiration.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
207
Chapter 1 7 - 7.id3 - Introduction
1 8.if4 gac8 19.Wb3 Wxb3 20.axb3 a6
2 1 .gdcl g5 22.�g3 gxcl t 23.gxcl gc8+ This
was a classic case of the bishop pair squeezing
in Antonsen - Su.B. Hansen, Helsingor 20 1 3.
Al) 1 1.h3 ges 12.�d2
A popular way of playing, but Black is fine in
several ways.
b
a
d
c
e
f
g
h
10 ... h6!
A key move. Black's new idea is simple. He
wants to play the queen to c7, the rook to e8
and the d7-knight to f8 before exchanging
bishops with ...ie6. In order to do so, he
needs the preparatory move ... h6 to stop an
annoying ig5 or tt:'lg5.
If Black continues 10 ... exd4 l l .exd4 tt:'lb6
then White has 1 2.ig5! with a great game.
Now White can try Al) 1 1 .h3 or the more
challenging A2) 1 1.gdl!.
After l l .tt:'le4 tt:'lxe4 1 2.Wxe4 tt:'lf6 13.Wc2
exd4 1 4.exd4 tt:'ld5 Black has at least equalized
and he is ready to follow up with ...ie6 next.
1 5.ixd5 cxd5 1 6.tt:'le5 Wb6 1 7.gdl ie6 Now
Black is better:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
1 2 ... exd4 1 3.exd4 tt:'l f8 1 4.Wd3
Preventing the exchange of bishops, but the
price is high. 1 4.gadl ie6 1 5.tt:'le5 �xb3
16.Wxb3 We? 1 7.gcl was seen in I. Sokolov
- Arduman, Pula 1 997, and best would have
been to stop any tt:'lb5 ideas with l 7 ... a6N,
before continuing with ... gad8 or ... tt:'le6
with a pleasant game.
h
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
208
Ami-Meran
14 ...ie6 1 5.ic2 lll d 5 1 6.a3 lll f4 1 7.�xf4
ixf4
Black has comfortably solved all his opening
problems and is probably already slightly
better because of the bishops.
1 8.Ei:fe l 'Wc7 1 9.Ei:e2 b5f±
Moiseenko - Schandorff, Helsingor 20 1 4.
ChessPublishing suggests 1 5 ...�g4N followed
by ... E!:ae8 with fantastic compensation for the
pawn.
12 ...E!:eS
13.lll h4 J.bs 14.lll f5
1 4.f3 'Wc7 1 5.f4 lll f8 1 6.Ei:acl '1Wd6 1 7.g4 g5
1 8.lll f5 ixf5 1 9.gxf5 gxf4 20.E!:xf4 'We7f±
14 ... lll b6 15.lll g3 hg3 16.fxg3 J.e6 17.g4
1 7 .�xe6 E!:xe6 1 8 .E!:f5 ltJ bd5 1 9 .E!:afl '®d6
20.g4 E!:e7=
13.a3
White is getting ready for an IQP position,
which seems his best bet for a tiny advantage.
l 3.dxe5 lll xe5 l 4.lll d4 is also potentially
dangerous due to White's central advantage,
but Black has a nice idea: 14 . . . a6 1 5.a4!
( 1 5 .f4 lll ed7 1 6.lll f5 if8 1 7.e4 lll c 5 was great
for Black in Al Sayed - Maclakov, St Petersburg
20 1 2.)
:i B,!,ni·� �
�£�%-0 �l�z.t,��-�
••
,---� ar- � wa
��• �
5�
s
1 8.J.xc4 lll xc4 19.lll e2 lll d6 20.lll c3 E!:c8+!
Black went on to score the full point in
Gustafsson - Ponomariov, Dortmund 20 1 2.
A2) 1 1 .E!:dl! Wfc7 12.h3
The seemingly active 1 2.'Wg6?! forces
complications chat do not necessarily benefit
the white player. 1 2 ... e4 l 3.lll h4 <;t>h8 1 4.�xf7
ltJ b6 1 5 .ib3 was Swapnil - Borovikov,
Rethymno 20 1 4, and now Ragger on
7
6
%
�� -��
!.
. �z
��
3 � �m w� � �
��:�n -- · 'o ��
. ...
4
_,J'l
....
;;;,rn
%
�7� • %;;
�}�
/"''£ �MI f�
�
, .,
2
a
b
c
.
d
e
f
g
h
l 5 ... lll ed7! 1 6.a5 lll c5 This is the idea. White's
previous move was intendeded to stop the
... lll b 6-d5 manoeuvre, but the knight takes
209
Chapter 1 7 - 7.id3 - Introduction
another route. l 7.ic4 ie6! Neutralizing the
white pressure. l 8.lll xe6 lll xe6 l 9.b3 :gad8
20.i.b2 ih2t 2 1 .@hl ie5f± Selyanchin
- Mrazik, corr. 2005. If 22.f4 then simply
22 ... i.d6, when the annoying ...i.b4 is always
in the air.
� •f,lifr
��- ,,,,,,��
Waw
6
5
4
3
2
1
/,,,,,,,� "&"w�
,,,
� �� , , ,�,,
�� ��.,�, , :�
��
/ ,, f�%��� fj
�-J�%�
JL ��:�-l: , %�,
-mi·
�•
/,, , /,�ii� ,, , /,� t!;-
•
a
b
"�'• "!:tr
c
d
e
f
g
h
13... a6!
A strong prophylactic move. I once chose
to take immediately on d4 upon reaching this
position, which wasn't that bad, but afterwards
I began to prefer the more subrle approach of
the text move.
It is worth checking 1 3 ... exd4 1 4.exd4 lll f8,
when White has a) 1 5.ie3 or b) 1 5.d5!.
I think this is best.
16 ... :gad8 1 7.d5! cxd5 1 8.ixa7 happened in
Jumabayev - Schandorff, Istanbul (ol) 20 1 2,
when I should have continued 1 8 . . . :gc8N,
but White is somewhat better.
1 6 ...\Mf a5 is another improvement: 1 7.ixe6
lll xe6 1 8 .\Mfb3 \Mi'a6 1 9.d5 Again this break.
Here it makes sure that Black can never
play for a win - but fortunately neither can
White! 1 9 ... lll xd5 20.lll xd5 cxd5 2 1 .l:'!:xd5
:gad8 22.:gcd 1 ic7 23.:gxd8 :gxd8 l/2-1/z
Murdzia - Su.B. Hansen, Schwetzingen
20 1 3.
1 7.Wxb3 a6 1 8.d5 c5 1 9.a4 E1ac8
The chances are equal.
b) 1 5.d5! gives White some initiative according
to Ragger after 1 5 ... c5 1 6.lll b 5t.
14.�a2
White doesn't have any really useful moves.
l 4...exd4 l 5.exd4
1 5.lll xd4 lll c5 and Black gets his pieces our:
1 6.b4 lll ce4 1 7.lll xe4 lll xe4 1 8.f3N lll f6 1 9.e4
lll h 5f±
15... tll fS
a) 1 5.ie3 i.e6 1 6.:gacl
a
b
c
d
Now everything
comfortable equality.
e
f
works.
g
h
Black
has
210
Anti-Meran
16.ie3
l 6.d5 c5+ Here we can really appreciate the
inclusion of ... a6: there is no lll b 5.
Bl) 1 1.e4 eS
16...ie6 17.he6 tDxe6=
Borsari - M. Brunello, Porto Rio 20 1 4.
B) 9 .. bS IO.ie2
.
s
i: � .i. S
3
%%
7
6
��em
�
�
�� � -,Y,•r
'� ���
'�
�Wi'!i�,r'{
I)
�
�
�
�
�
�i�o�
��
@;1
w�'•
%
���
2
:?,'� C:.tLJ.
�'.iZ.j:
8�i'� �� 8�
,�
a
b
,��n1n:�.r
c
d
e
f
g
h
This bishop retreat is flexible and sound.
Next White will play :1l:dl , with potential
pressure along the cl-file and against the black
queen. Often White will then advance in the
centre with e3-e4 which Black will be more or
less obliged to meet with ... e5 - thus creating
dynamic tension. It turns out that Black's
pieces are well placed for tactical infighting
though, so the harder White pushes, the more
dangerous he makes it for himself!
The popular 1 0.id3 is the subject of the next
chapter.
10....tb7
Now Bl) l 1 .e4 is the most direct. As
mentioned above, starting with B2) 1 1 .gdl is
perhaps even more logical and definitely more
common.
12... tlJxeS 13.tlJd4
An important alternative is:
l 3.lll h 4
This demands a different response than the
main move.
1 3 ...icS!
In this case Black needs to be ready to chop
on f5.
1 3 ... b4 14.lll f5 bxc3 1 5.:1l:d l led to
complications that favoured White slightly
in Aronian - Shirov, Germany 20 1 2.
Instead 1 3 . . . tll eg4? achieves nothing after
l 4.h3 as, unlike the main line, there is no
loose knight on d4.
Now typical play would be:
14.tll f5 ixf5 1 5.exf5 :1l:e8 16.ig5 h6 17.ih4
tll ed7 l 8.if3
So far this is Heinke - Schubert, email 2007,
and here Black can play:
1 8 .. .'IWc?N
Followed by ... :1l:ac8, with balanced play.
13 ... tlJeg4!
Black has to fight for the initiative.
21 1
Chapter 1 7 - 7.id3 - Introduction
14.g3 ic5!
I also analysed 14 ...ixg3 1 5.hxg3 '1Wxd4
1 6.'\Wdl '\Wxdl 1 7.i:'i:xdl as well as 1 4 ...'1Wb6,
but nothing appealed to me.
15.ttif5 �es
After a pretty quiet opening, the position is
already extremely complicated.
1 6.if4
White makes an active developing move. He
should think twice before exchanging his light­
squared bishop for the annoying knight on g4:
1 6.ixg4 lll xg4 1 7.if4 '1Wb6 1 8.'1We2
1 8 .i:'i:adl i:'i:ad8 doesn't represent any kind of
problem for Black, as has been shown in a
few correspondence games in my database.
1 8 ... lll f6 1 9.e5 if8 20.ie3 c5 2 1 .exf6 '1Wxf6
s
.i � � .iE9�
, , , . %� �� .�rvf"""�
,.,
,�j_��-,; ����
�
�
� �
� .t. w,,,,,�%� U4.J�
�
4 .% "//,·�-,; �
��-�
3 � m,,� � w{j
2 t3J ft
ii6"""W!j
-�=,, ,
� ,,, ,%�, ��
7
6
s
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Despite being a full piece down, Black is fine!
His bishop on the long diagonal pointing
towards the white king is a monster.
22.g4
22.'1Wxb5 ia6 23.'1Wd7 ixfl 24.lll d 5 '1Wd8
25.'1Wxd8 i:'i:axd8 26.lll h 6t and White
escaped with a draw in Johansson - Klochan,
corr. 20 1 3.
22 ... b4 23.lll d l g6 24.lll g3 '1Wc6 25.f3 ia6
26.'1Wf2 ixfl 27.lll xfl c4
Black had the initiative and went on to win
in Sebenik - Oiermair, Bad Gleichenberg
20 1 3.
1 6...'?Mb6 17.c;t>g2 g6!
An excellent proposal by Markus Ragger.
1 7 ... lll xf2 1 8.e5 lll d7 1 9.b4 ixb4 20.�xf2
lll xe5 2 1 .lll e4 (2 1 .lll xg7 c5t was fine for Black
in Wagner - Shirov, Germany 20 1 4) 2 1 ...c5
22.'tt> fl ixe4 23.'1Wxe4 lll g6 24.'1Wd5 lt:lxf4
25.lll e?t 'tt> h 8 26.�xf4 c4 27.lll c6 White went
on to win in Giri - Shirov, Hoogeveen 20 1 4.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
18.h3
Black is fine after 1 8 .lll h 6tN lll xh6 19.ixh6
id4 planning ... a6 and ... c5, as he is after
1 8.ixg4N lll xg4 1 9.h3 gxf5 20.hxg4 fxe4
when the bishop will go to d4.
18 ...gxfSN
1 8 ... lll e S was played in two correspondence
games, but I think Black is more comfortable
after the text move.
19.hxg4 !d4
This is the simplest way to play the position.
Black makes sure he will get the important
freeing move ... c5 in.
20.gxfS .ixc3 21.bxc3
2 1 .'1Wxc3 lll xe4 22.'1Wc2 c5 23.if3 c4 24.ie3
Wa6�
21. ..cS 22.f3
212
Anti-Meran
8
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 1 ...Wfc7 12.e4
1 2.id2 mes
Preparing to strike with ... e5.
12 ... b4 1 3.lLia4 c5 1 4.:1'1acl :1'1fc8 was played
by Shirov recently and seems like a clear-cut
equalizer.
1 3.b4
1 3.:gacl threatens lt:Jxb5. 1 3 ...:1'1ac8 1 4.b4 e5
1 5.id3 h6 1 6.h3 exd4 1 7.exd4 lt:Jb6 1 8.Wfb3
a6 1 9.:1'1el :1'1cd8 20.a4 :1'1xel t 2 1 .:1'1xel ic8
and Black was at least equal in Sechuraman
- Le Quang, Subic 20 1 0.
22... tllxe4
Black has interesting compensation for
the exchange after 22 ... :!':'i:xe4 23.:!':'i:ael :!':'i:xf4!
24.gxf4 lt:Jd5 or even 24 ... c4, but it is not easy
for me to tell if chis is totally adequate or not.
23.:gael c4 24.Lc4
A counter-combination. Now the game
quickly fizzles out.
White could try 24.id l but after 24 ... lt:J f6 or
24 ... lt:Jc5 the game is unclear.
24...bxc4 25.fxe4 Wfc6 26.iih3 :gxe4
27.Wfxe4 Wfxe4 28.:gxe4 ixe4
Black has nothing to worry about in chis
rook and opposite-coloured bishop endgame.
B2) 1 1 .:gdl
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 3 ... e5
1 3 ...ixb4 1 4.lt:Jxb5±
1 4.h3 a6 1 5.a3 h6 1 6.id3 :gad8 1 7.:1'1acl exd4
1 8.exd4 lt:Jb6
Black is positionally fine. He can relocate
the bad bishop on b7 via c8 to the excellent
square e6.
1 9.:1'1el ic8 20.:1'1xe8t
20.lt:Je2 Wfb8 2 l .Wfxc6?! ixh3! and Black is
threatening ... :1'1c8.
20 ...:1'1xe8 2 1 .:1'1el :1'1xe l t 22.ixel ie6
As seen in Timoscenko - Pavasovic,
Sc Valentin 2004. Black is slightly better.
12 e5
We have reached another critical position,
with White now choosing between
B21) 13.ig5, B22) 13.dxe5 and B23) 13.g3.
•..
Chapter 1 7 - 7.id3 - Introduction
B21) 13 ..igS exd4
A typical exchange that secures the important
e5-square for a piece.
213
17.llidl ib4 18,gd4 iaS
Black is fine. The following game is a nice
example of how he can develop a long-term
initiative:
14,gxd4
White cannot recapture with 1 4.lll xd4?! due
to 1 4 ... b4.
B22) 13.dxe5 llixe5
1 5.g3
Defending against ... lll xf3t followed by
. . .ixh2t.
l 5.ixf6 gxf6 The doubled pawns are not really
weak and the black king is perfectly safe - at
least for the moment - so this is a double­
edged strategy. 1 6.g3 b4 1 7.lll d l ( l 7.lll a4 c5
was fine for Black in Manso Gil - Williamson,
email 2008) 17 ... c5 1 8.:!:'i:d2 f5 19.lll e3 ixe4
20.lll d 5 '1Wd8 was equal in Ballow - Efremov,
email 201 1 .
1 5 ...icS! 16,gd2 llifg4!
Black's tricky piece play nicely keeps the
balance. White has to tread carefully so as not
to stumble.
14...icS
214
Anti-Meran
B23) 13.g3 E:fe8
Black removes the bishop in advance and
eyes the tempting f2-square. Dangerous moves
like ... lll eg4 and ... '1Wb6 are already on the map
of potential attacking ideas.
Black improves his position before the tension
in the centre is released.
15.if4
1 5.h3 '1Wb6 1 6.ie3 l'l:ad8 17.lll f5 ixe3
1 8.lt:lxe3 g6 1 9.l'l:acl Yi-Y2 Adorjan J. Horvath, Budapest 1 99 1 .
14.dxe5
1 4.ig5 exd4 1 5.lll xd4 b4 starts a forcing
combination: 1 6.lll f5 ic5 1 7.if4 Wa5
l 8.lll a4
15 ...hd4
A small liquidation.
16.E:xd4 tlif.3t 17.ix£3 '1Nxf4
Black is fine.
18.E:cl
1 8.lll e2 °1We5 1 9.l'l:cl l'l:fe8 20.b4 (20.Wc5N
Wxc5 2 l .l'l:xc5 l'l:ad8 22.l'l:cl l'l:xd4 23.lll xd4
lll xe4 is equal according to Ragger on Chess24)
20 ... a5 2 1 .a3 axb4 22.axb4 l'l:ac8 23.Wc5
Wxc5 24.l'l:xc5 l:'!c7 25.l:'!cl ©f8 26.lll g 3 g6
27.h4 l:'!d7 28.lll e2 Y2-Y2 Figura - D. Fischer,
corr. 2009.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8 ...ixf2t! 1 9.©g2 (not 1 9.©xf2 lll xe4t and
the knight on f5 hangs) Now simplest would
probably have been 1 9 ... cSN 20.lll d6 ic6
with interesting play.
h
18 c5N
Ragger's suggested improvement over
l 8 ...Ei:ad8, which was played in Socko - Giri,
Reykjavik 20 1 3.
..•
19.E:ddl a6 20.tlie2 1Mfe5 2I.1Mfxc5 1Mfxc5
22.E:xc5 ixe4=
b
16.h3
.
Chapter 1 7 - 7 id3 - Introduction
8
1
�
�-t,.
,
•
£
-�i
�.i.�
i r�%%� ,%_�.
�
215
�
·� ,, '¥;:r
: �,��.,.:-�
��;,?;tJ"/�,, ��
��-r��t3J;t'
m tZJ
�8��-ld
_ _ %m
�
g '- '
6
,,,,,
,
!%ii
----
3
2
1
"
a
b
'
c
d
e
f
g
h
16 ...ixg3! 17.hxg4 ltixg4
With a strong attack for the piece. This has
been tested in email and computer games and
the position somehow seems to be in balance.
Over the board though it is much more fun to
attack than defend!
1 8.ie3 ltixe3 19.fxe3 �e6
Getting ready to transfer the rook to the
kingside.
24.ltixe5 Wfxe5 25.e4 b4 26.ltia4 Wfg3t
27.Wfg2 Wf e3t
White can escape the checks, but only
temporarily.
28.Wffl Wfg5t 29.'it>hl c5 30.ltixc5 �xe4
3 1..ixe4 ixe4t 32.'it>h2 Wfh5t 33.'it>g3
W/g5t 34.'it>h2 Wfh5t=
Conclusion
The old move 9 ... e5 can be a good alternative
to the modern main line 9 ... b5 if Black follows
up with 1 0.i.b3 h6!. The idea is to play ...Vffc7,
...E\e8, ... tt:l f8 and finally ...i.e6. I haven't seen
White demonstrate any advantage whatsoever
against this simple plan.
The line with i.e2 instead of i.d3 is perhaps
more positional by nature, but still play tends
to become quite sharp, because White's only
chance for an advantage is connected with
advancing his e-pawn - and Black will always
meet e4 with ... e5, when already there is
tension. Extensive analysis shows that the
game is balanced.
Anti-Meran
7.id3 Main Line
-
Variation Index
1.d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.tlJf3 tlJ f6 4.tlJc3 e6 5.e3 tlJ bd7 6.�c2 i.d6
7.i.d3 dxc4 8.i.xc4 0-0 9.0-0 bS 10.i.d3
1 0...ib7
A) 1 1 .e4
B) 1 1 .a3 �c8
Bl) 12.tlJgS c5!
Bl 1) 13.tlJxh7
B12) 13.i.xh7t
B2) 12.�dl cS!
B21) 13.ixbS
B22) 13.tlJxbS
B3) 1 2.b4 c5! 13.bxcS ixf3
B3 1) 14.gxf3
B32) 14.cxd6 tlJdS 1 5.gxf3 �gSt! 16.@hl �h5
B32 1) 17.ixh7t
B322) 17.ie2
B2) afcer 1 2.:Sd 1
1 2 . . c5!
.
B2 l ) after 1 7.1Mfe2
B32) nore ro move 1 7
217
218
218
219
220
222
222
223
224
225
226
226
228
Chapter 1 8 - 7 .!d3 - Main Line
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tll f3 tll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.e3
tll bd7 6.'!Wc2 id6 7.id3 dxc4 8.ixc4 0-0
8 ... b5 9.id3 ib7 1 0.0-0 0-0 is an
alcernative move order to reach the lines in this
chapter.
9.0-0 h5 10.id3 ih7
217
1 1...e5 12.h3
Now the simplest is:
12...a6 13.dxe5 tllxe5 14.tll xe5 ixe5 15.ie3
ge8!
Shirov's move l 5 ... c5 is interesting, but it
probably doesn't completely equalize after
1 6.ixc5 Ei:e8 1 7.Ei:adl '1Wc7 1 8.llid5 llixd5
1 9.exd5 g6 20.ie4.
1 6.�fdl
1 6.Ei:ae l ? c5 1 7.ixcS l:l:c8+
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White can play the direct A) 1 1 .e4, but B)
1 l .a3 is much more popular.
l
1 .llig5 conquers the e4-square, but l l ...h6
1 2.llige4 llixe4 1 3.llixe4 ie7 is fine for Black
nevertheless. For example, 1 4.Ei:d 1 '\Wb6 and
Black went . . . c5 next in Eljanov - Aronian,
Moscow 20 10.
A) 1 1 .e4
17.tll e2 c5! 18.ixc5 '1Wc7 19.f3 ixh2
20.'\Wxh2 '1Wxc5t 21 .'\Wd4
This position was seen in Topalov - Aronian,
Nanjing 2008, which is the only game Black
has lost in my database; all che ochers after that
were draws! In all che games White preserved
a very small edge by putting the bishop on b3
after 2 1 ...'\We7 22.ic2 and alchough this is
nothing critical, I still think that Black could
benefit from seeking a new move at chis point
- ac lease in a practical game.
218
Anti-Meran
White's chree options ac this point are
Bl) 12.tlig5, B2) 12.E:dl and B3) 1 2.b4.
Bl) 12.tlig5
A natural move. White attacks h7 and expects
to win a tempo to transfer the knight to e4,
from where it contributes to the fight for the
important c5-square. Sometimes your good
intentions are not in complete sync with reality,
and here Whice is in for a rude awakening.
� .! �
8
,r� -� ,v.w� ,
'� ��TmTS '•
� T� "� ', t�
� %'"4""
o a,
,��
�§%
�
�
�� 0�f�% %,,,
;;-��
,,, �
2 , %�ii�
�
-- ,
��
%
,J
1 �� � -� �
7
22.ic2 E:adS 23.\Wb6 E:bS 24.\Wa7 E:e7!
25.\We3 E:d7
Black gees ready to double rooks on the
d-file; che position seems equal to me.
B) l l.a3
Aimed against Black's chreat of ... b4 followed
by ... c5.
1 1 ... E:cS
�-�-
6
5
4
3
'?*/%
%""[---%�,?,;
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
12...c5!
Blasting the board open! Black simply
ignores the attack on h7 and makes this
freeing move which, by che way, also leaves b5
en prise. Such a pawn sacrifice typifies all that
dynamic chess is about. Compare the position
before and after the move ... c5 and norice che
big difference in che black army. After this
surprising move the slumbering bishop on b7
has awoken and, rogecher with its colleague on
d6, exerts some mighty firepower cowards che
enemy king. Also, the rook on c8 can suddenly
be felt by the white queen. The baccle is already
extremely intense and ic will only increase
during che following moves. Theoretically
speaking we are jusc abouc co begin. Everything
has been known since che amazing victory
by Anand over Aronian cwo years ago. Back
chen ic was impossible for White to work
219
Chapter 1 8 - 7.!d3 - Main Line
out all the complications at the board, but
these days we know that the position is still
in balance!
Of course we must examine both captures on
h7: Bl I) 13.i!lixh? and B12) 13.hl?t.
BU) 13.i!lixh7
Again this is met by a counter-attacking
move.
13... llig4!
14.£4
Aronian's choice.
1 4.h3 !h2t 1 5.�h l '®h4
Black has a lot more play than White would
like.
1 6.!e4
1 6.d5 Trying to block the bishop on b7 has
been analysed by Scherbakov and Aagaard as
leading to approximately equal play, but I'd
like to propose a move neither considered:
1 6 ...ie5!?N The idea is to next play ... llidf6
with an excellent game. If White grabs the
exchange with l 7.llixf8 2"1:xf8 then dark
clouds will soon gather above the white
king after ...llidf6, when Black's pieces are
extremely active and threatening!
.i- ��·
�
�.l�l···Y.�
, , ,% �
� �
!w�������illil
�4 ��
'0�% "'J���!%§J(.
3 � m r� � t::i
�, if� ��
%
�, , � -�� �
8
7
,,,,,%% �
�
%'.
"..,,,��'0
2
l
%,,,,%
a
' "' "
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6 ...ixe4 1 7.'®xe4 f5 1 8.'®xe6t 'tt>xh7 1 9.'®xd7
This was Iljin - Shaginjan, Astrakhan 20 1 3 .
At the minimum, Black has the idea of ...ib8 ,
forcing the king to g l , and then drawing
whenever he likes with ... ih2t again.
14 ...cxd4 1 5.exd4
Grabbing the exchange must also be critical:
1 5.llixf8N ixf8 1 6.h3
1 6.exd4 llidf6 followed by ... '®xd4t is
fantastic for Black.
1 6 ... dxc3 1 7.hxg4 '®h4!
You can find 17 ... lli f6 analysed in Aagaard's
Attack and Defence. His main line runs l 8.2"1:d 1
g6 1 9.bxc3 llixg4 20.ie4 '®h4 2 1 .ixb7
ic5 22.ixc8 ixe3t 23.'tt> fl Wfh lt 24.'tt> e2
1,Wxg2t 25.'it>d3 1Mfd5t with perpetual.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8.g5
White must prevent ... lli f6, or else the
knight coming to g4 with the queen already
at h4 will spell trouble for him.
220
Anti-Meran
1 8 ... lLicS! 19.ie2 cxb2
l 9 ... lLie4 20.if3 cxb2 also gives Black
adequate councerplay.
20.'Wxb2 g6 2 l .id2 ig7 22.'Wb 1 ixal
22 ... lLie4!? 23.iel lLig3 24.ixg3 'Wxg3
25.if3 ixal 26.ixb7 'Wxe3t 27.\t>h2 E'.c7
(27 ...ie5!? draws as well) 28.'Wxal E:xb7
29.E'.f3 'Wc5 30.E'.c3 '\Wf8 3 1 .E'.h3 'Wg7
32.'Wcl E:b8 33.'Wc7 E:a8 34.'Wb7 and with
precise play White has managed to save the
endgame.
23.'Wxa 1 lLie4 24.iel lLig3 25.ixg3 'Wxg3
26.if3 ie4
The chances seem to be equal, although I'd
like to be Black in a practical game.
17.ixg4 ixd4t 1 8.�hl tll xg4 19.tlixfS
f5 20.tlig6 Wff6 2 1.h3 Wfxg6 22.Wfe2 'WhS
23.Wfd3 ie3
0-1 Aronian - Anand, Wijk aan Zee 20 1 3 .
Bl2) 13.ixh?t
This must be the critical continuation.
13 ... �hS 14.£4!
White allows his bishop to be trapped on h7.
The alternative l 4.ie4 lll xe4 l 5.lll gxe4 ib8 is
risky. Black is threatening ...'\Wh4, and if 1 6.g3
then 1 6 ... b4 gives Black the advantage.
1 5 ...ic5!
The start of some truly amazing attacking
chess.
16.ie2
White could avoid disaster with 1 6.dxc5
lll xc5 1 7.lll xf8 lll xd3 1 8.h3 '\Wd4t 1 9.mhl
lll d f2t 20.E:xf2 although Black is of course
better: 20 ... lll xf2t 21 .mh2 lll d 3!?+ Aagaard.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6... tll de5!!
Wow! Another stunning move. This really
shows what deep computer analysis is capable
of Aronian wasn't given a chance to get back
in the game.
15.Lg<i fxg6 16.tll xb5
l 6.'Wxg6 'We8 1 7.'WhGt ( l 7.f5 'Wxg6 l 8.fxg6
mg8!+) l 7 ... �g8 1 8.'Wh3 ( 1 8 .lll x b5 ib8
transposes to the main line) 1 8 . . . a6 1 9 .id2
E'.f7 20.lll xf7 �xf7 2 1 .f5 This is probably
bad, but White's position was suspect anyway.
2 1 . ..e5 22.dxc5 ixc5 23.b4 ia7 24.a4 bxa4
25.lll xa4 'We7 26.E'.acl E:g8-+ Ferre Perez Petrigin, corr. 20 1 4.
1 6...ibs 17.Wfxg6
22 1
Chapter 1 8 - 7 .id3 - Main Line
After 1 7.lll xe6 Wb6 1 8 .lll xf8 lll xf800 White
has a rook and four(!) pawns for two pieces,
bur Black has a serious initiative and his pieces
have many good squares:
Everything is possible. A correspondence
game suggests that we are still within the
border of a draw, but I think that only higher
beings will appreciate that. For me and you
this will be a great fight where hopefully the
best (if that is me or you!) prevail.
20.�h3
Many other moves could be tried:
20.lll e2N Wh5=
b
a
c
d
e
f
20.g4N prevents ... Wh5. 20 ... ia7 2 1 .d5
exd5 22.l:l:f3 Vfie7 23.E!:h3 Wg7 24.Wxg7t
'tt>xg7 25.tll e6t ©f7 26.lll xf8 lll xf8 27.g5 d4
28.lll d l lll d 5=
h
g
1 9.We2 'tt>g7 20.d5 White gives a pawn back
to fight for the initiative. It quickly turns
our that the position is balanced despite the
unusual material. (20.dxc5N E!:xc5 2 l .a4
tll e6 22.'tt>h l Vfic6 and Black's counterplay is
evident. A sample line is 23.id2 a6 24.tll a3
tll e4 25.iel Wxa4; 20.b4N cxb4 2 1 .axb4
id5=) 20 ... lll xd5 2 1 ..id2 E!:e8 22.E!:adl
lll h7 23.e4 lll hf6 24.tll c3 ia6 25.Wf3 ixfl
26.©xfl lll xc3 27.ixc3 Wc6 28.©gl E!:xe4
29.E!:dS ixf4 30.ixf6t Wxf6 3 1 .l:l:d7t l:l:e7
32.E!:xe7t Wxe7 33.Wxf4 Wel t 34.Wfl Wd2
35.Wb l c4 36.h3 Y1-Y1 Helbich - Rodriguez
Amezqueta, corr. 20 1 3.
17 ...�eS 18.�h6t @gs 19.liJc3 a6
20 ..id2N cxd4 2 1 .exd4
With the rook coming to e l the move
2 1 ...WhS is not as good as in the main line,
although it may still be playable. Anyway
Black has a nice way to activate his dark­
squared bishop.
2 1 . ..ia7 22.l::i:a el e5! 23.fxeS ixd4t 24.©h l
ixe5 25.Wh3
ii'�--�---Y- ·
���i. ���
�
�
�
��
: Ti
a
�
�-� ��- - '�
�
�� � ,,,,,�� ',,,... ;�
�m �� �� VJB
.�
��
�-�
. . %.if��ref'· - -��-� �•
lS if8'
%
... .. � ,,,,,%�� i� �
8
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
25 ... E!:c4!
This is simplest. 25 ... Wg6 leads to a draw:
26.We6t 'kt>g7 27.l:l:xf6 (27.l:l:xe5 l:l:ce8
28.E!:xf6 lll xf6 29.Wd6 l:l:d8 30.We7t 'tt>g8
3 1 .lll f3 i.xf3 32.l'l:gS Wxg5 33.i.xg5 l'l:de8
34.ixf6 E!:xe7 35.ixe7 l'l:e8 36.i.h4 i.c6=)
27 ... lll xf6 28.Wxe5 l'l:fe8 29.Wg3 lll h 5
30.Wh4 l::i:xe l t 3 1 .Wxel l'l:e8 32.Wf2 Wf6
222
Anti-Meran
33.'tt> g l Wxf2t 34.'tt> xf2 tt'i f6=
26.if4 lll h 5 27.ixe5 Ei:xfl t 28.Ei:xfl lll xe5
29.Wf5 We7=
20 ... cxd4 21.exd4 Wfh5!
Black solves all his problems. We will follow
the correspondence game until the end:
B2) 1 2.l:!dl
Computers like this move at first, but today it
has been established that White has nothing
after the thematic:
22.Wfxh5
After 22.Wxe6t 'it>h8 White has a lot of
pawns, but his king is nervous.
22 ... ctJxh5 23.ctJxe6 l:!feS 24.f5 ctJg7
25.ctJxg? 'it>xg7
Now White has no fewer than five pawns for
the piece! Still, the pawns are under control
and the pieces are very strong.
26..igS l2Jf6 27.l:!adl �f7 28.d5 lll g4 29.g3
l:!xc3! 30.bxc3 l:!e2=
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
12 ...cS!
Here there are no problems on h7, but
b5 hangs! White can take it with either his
bishop or knight - and he has to take it,
otherwise Black just has great play for free:
B21) 13.hb5 or B22) 13.ctJxbS.
B21) 13 ..ixb5 i.xf.3
This is the justification. The white pawn
structure is weakened.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
31 .h3 .ia7t 32JM4 .ixd4t
A draw was agreed here in Boege - Eckert,
corr. 2014. Play might have continued:
33.cxd4 ctJe3 34..ixe3 l:!xe3 35.�f2 l:!xa3
36.l:!cl .ixd5 37.l:!c5 .ie4 38.g4 l:!f.3t
39.'it>e2 l:!xh3 40.gS l:!g3 41.f6
The white king keeps an eye on the a-pawn,
so Black doesn't have any realistic chances to
win.
14.gxf.3 cxd4 15.l:!xd4
l 5.exd4 tll d 5 is positionally terrible for
White.
1 5 ....ie5 16.l:!dl
After 1 6 .Ei:d3 Ei:c5 1 7.ixd? tt'ixd7 (planning
...Wg5t) 1 8.e4 f5 Black has the initiative.
1 9.f4 ixc3 20.Wdl (if 20.Ei:xc3N then
20 ...Wh4 forces the draw, but Black could also
play on with 20 . . . Ei:xc3 2 1 .Wxc3 tt'if6) 20 ... Ei:c?
2 1 .exf5 Ei:xf5 22.bxc3 We? 23.l:!b l tt'ib6 Black
was fine in Bronnikov - Eshuis, corr. 20 1 3,
despite being a pawn down.
223
Chapter 1 8 - 7 .id3 - Main Line
16.. Jk5 17.'1Ne2
1 7 .a4N tlid5 and once again Black can
follow up with ... 'Wh4, for example 1 8.f4 'Wh4
1 9.fxe5 'Wg4t 20.©fl 'Wh3t 2 1 .iie2 tlixe5
with an attack for the piece.
1 5 ... tlie5
Another key move. White can keep an extra
pawn, but Black will have tremendous activity.
16.f4
1 6.tlixd4 tlixd3 1 7.'Wxd3 tlid5 1 8.f4
'Wh4� gave Black dangerous counrerplay in
Cusicanqui - Alzola, email 2009.
1 6 ... tlixd3 17.�xd3
White should keep control of the g4-square.
l 7.'Wxd3N tlig4
Threatening ...'Wh4.
1 7 ...'Wd? planning to put the rook on e8 or
d8 is another sound idea.
1 8.h3 'Wh4! 1 9.hxg4 'Wxg4t 20.iifl
20.iih l ?? �c5 mates quickly.
8
7
6
1 8.f4 ixc3 19.bxc3 tlid5
Black's compensation is at least enough for
equality.
B22) 13.tlixb5 ixf3 14.gxf3
1 4.tlixd6 i.xdl+
14... cxd4 15.\!Ne2
5
4
3
2
.! �� ��·�
��
� , ,Y,�r�a@
,�� -�'�;,·£ ��£
• �·� �
-��
��
� '"""�
� ��
��
• if�� ifW�'if�
��
�
?.
" ;: "%�
�
�Viwt/'
,
, W,'0
�
if� �
if� • ,,,, W,'0
�
,�
�
'0
�
�,, , ?,D l��� h
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
20 ... Elc5 2 1 .'We2
If 2 1 . iie 1 then Black can choose to give
a perpetual check with 2 1 ...'Wgl t (and
if the king goes to e2 check on g4 etc.) or
play the endgame arising after 2 1 ...Elh5
22.'We2 'Wxe2t 23.©xe2 Ei:xb5 24.Ei:xd4 Ei:b6
followed by ... Ei:c8 next, which seems equal
and arises in the main line as well.
2 1 .. .'Wxe2t 22.©xe2 Elxb5
Transposing to the line mentioned above.
17... tlid5
A nice centralization. Black could also
complicate even more with: l 7 ... e5!?
224
Ami-Meran
White has a pretty bad bishop and a weak
king. These elements give Black adequate
compensation for his pawn. An example
continued:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 8.llixa?
l 8.fxe5 i.xe5 1 9 .f4 i.b8 with ... !l:e8 coming
up seems risky for White with such a weak
king. Black is at least equal.
l 8 ... Ei:c4
Threatening . . . 'i!ffc7.
1 9.b3 !'!:c3 20.llib5
20.exd4?! !l:xd3 2 1 .'i!ffxd3 exf4+
20 ... !l:xd3 2 1 .'i!ffxd3 exf4 22.exf4
22.llixd6 'i!ffxd6 23.'i!ffxd4 'i!ffe6 24.'i/ffxf4
'i!ffxb3 and due to the weak white king, Black
has adequate compensation for the pawn.
22 . . . E':e8 23.i.d2 llie4 24.!'!:el llixd2 25.E':xe8t
'i!ffxe8 26.llixd6 'i!ff el t
Y2-Y2 Scheiba - Podvoysky, corr. 2014.
27.Wg2 'i!ffe6 28.'i!ffxd2 'i!ffxd6
White's king is so weak that he cannot take
advantage of his extra pawn.
1 8.l£ixd6 "i!ffxd6 19.!'!:xd4 "i!ffe7
20."i!ff dl "i/fff6 21.id2 h6 22.h3 "i!ffg6t
23.@h2 :gc2 24.b4 :gfcg 25."i!ffgl "i!fff5 26.e4
"i!fff6 27.e5 "i!ffh4 28."i!ffg3 "i!ffxg3t 29.@xg3 g6
30.@f3 @g7 3 l.:gd3 a6 32.ie3 :gsc4
Y2-Y1 Schuster - Haugen, corr. 20 1 3.
B3) 12.b4
This obvious move stops ... c5 once and for all
and renders Black's last rook move a complete
waste of time; or does it?
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
12... cS!
No, Black plays it anyway. The rook stands
well on c8 opposite the white queen. This
factor is the deep tactical justification of
the surprising pawn thrust. Now play can
become very forcing, which is perhaps not to
everybody's liking, but this is modern opening
theory.
13.bxcS ixf3
White has his pick of bishops to capture:
B31) 14.gxf3 or B32) 14.cxd6.
225
Chapter 1 8 - 7.�d3 - Main Line
B31) 14.gxf3 tlixc5! 15.dxc5 :Sxc5
19.�xh7t!?N
1 9.Ei:fcl Ei:c8 20.ib4 Ei:xc2 2 1 .Ei:xc2 Wxc2
22.ixc2 ixb4 23.axb4 El:xc2 24.Ei:xa7 g5
25.fXg5 (25.Ei:b7 gxf4 26.exf4 Ei:c4 and Black
holds quite easily as in Miron - Czarnota,
Katowice 20 1 2.) 25 . . . Ei:c4 26.f4 Ei:xb4 Black is
safe. A nice example was:
a
16.f4
On 1 6.ib2 Black can draw immediately
with a second piece sacrifice: 1 6 . . .ixh2t!
1 7.'it>xh2 Ei:h5t 1 8.'it>g2 Ei:g5t 1 9.'if1h3
Ei:h5t 20.'it>g2 Ei:g5t 2 1 .'it>h3 Ei:h5t 22.'if1g2
Ei:g5t V2-V2 Malakhatko - Khismatullin,
St Petersburg 20 1 2.
16 ... tlid5 17.�b2 tlixc3 1 8.�xc3 Wic?
Now White has the choice to enter some
slightly better rook endgames, but in all cases
Black has sufficient resources to draw the game
without too much trouble.
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
27.'if1g2 Ei:b2t 28.'it>g3 Ei:e2 29.Ei:a3 h6! 30.h4
h5 3 l .Ei:b3 'it>g7 32. 'it>f3 Ei:h2 33. ©g3 Ei:e2
34.©f3 Ei:h2 35.©g3 Ei:e2 Yz-V2 Erdos Banusz, Heviz 20 12.
19...i>hs 20.Ei:acl Ei:c8 21 .Ei:fdl Ei:xc3
22.Wixc3 Wffxc3 23.Ei:xc3 Ei:xc3 24.Ei:xd6
i>xh7 25.:Sa6 :Sc7
This endgame is slightly annoying for Black
as he has to stay passive for some time, bur
don't worry - "all rook endgames are drawn!"
26.'it>g2 'it>g6 27.i>f.3 :Sb7 28.:Sa5
28.h4 'it>h5 29.©g3 Ei:e7 30.Ei:a5 Ei:b7 3 1 .f3
is another plan, but after 3 1 ... ©g6 32.e4
(32.©g4 f5t 33.©g3 and now it is time to get
active: 33 ... b4 34.axb4 Ei:xb4 35.Ei:xa7 Ei:b3=)
32 ... 'it>h6 33.©g4 f5t 34.©g3 'it>h5 35.©h3
©h6 36.©g2 'it>g6 37.©f2 b4 38.axb4 Ei:xb4
39.exf5t exf5 40.©g3 Ei:b7 The position is
drawn.
28 ..f5 29.:Sa6 i>f6 30.h4 :Sd7 31 .:Sa5 :Sb7
White can't make any real progress.
.
226
Ami-Meran
B32) 14.cxd6
The latest try. Since 1 4.gxf3 leads more or less
to a forced draw, it is worth investigating.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17 ... Wd?N
Proposed by Scherbakov.
1 7 ... a6 1 8.id2 tt:la4 1 9.Wb l tt:lc3 20.Wb2
tt:la4 2 1 .Wb l tt:lc3 22.Wb3 tt:lfe4 23.iel
Wf6 24.<i>hl ± Ganguly - Zherebukh,
Fujairah City 20 1 2.
1 8.id2 e5
The point of Black's 1 7th move: he is
threatening a check on g4.
1 9.f3 exd4
1 9 ... e4 20.ixc3 exd3 2 1 .Ei:f2;!;
20.e4 a6 2 1 .Ei:ae l ;!;
The position i s difficult t o judge, never
mind to play, but I think the bishops and the
dynamic pawn centre count for more.
1 6.'tt>h l '1Wh5
14... �d5
The tempting 14 ... tt:lg4?!N turns out to be
too speculative and is practically refuted by:
1 5.h3! ( 1 5.gxf3 Wh4 1 6.1Xg4 Wxg4t 1 7.<i>h l
Wf3t 1 8.@g l =) 1 5 ...ixg2 1 6.ci>xg2 Wg5
17.We2 tt:lgf6t ( 1 7 ... tt:lxe3t 1 8.@f3) 1 8.<i>h2
Ei:xc3 1 9.e4 Wh4 20.f4±
1 5.gxB '\Wg5t!
1 5 ... tt:lxc3?!
This has been played by some strong grand­
masters, but it seems inferior to the main line.
1 6.f4 tt:lf6 l 7.Wb2
1 7.i,b2 tt:la4 1 8.We2 a6 1 9.e4 tt:lxb2
20.Wxb2 tt:lh5 2 1 .e5 tt:lxf4 22.ie400
Sasikiran - Najer, Bilbao 2014.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
We have reached a complex position which
is critical for the whole variation. White can
continue with either B321) 17.ixh?tN or
B322) 17.ie2.
1 7.Ei:g l ? Ei:xc3 1 8 .We2 Ei:xd3! 1 9.Wxd3 Wxf3t
20.Ei:g2 tt:lf4 2 1 .Wfl was seen in Schreiner Wallner, Hohenems 20 1 3, and now Black
should have played: 2 1 ...tt:lxg2!N 22.Wxg2
Wdl t 23.Wgl We2-+White is completely tied
up!
B321) 17.ixh7tN
227
Chapter 1 8 - 7 .!d3 - Main Line
This hasn't been tried in practice yet, but it is a
natural move, netting a pawn.
17 ... 'it>hs 18.!e4 ltixc3
Black's activity combined with the weak
white kingside should secure at least a draw.
Still, there are some interesting complications
and anything can happen in a real game.
19.!b2
l 9.!b7?! !l:c4! followed by ... !l:b8 and/or
... tlif6 gives Black a nice initiative to work
with.
1 9.!d2 tlie5!? 20.dxe5 tlixe4 2 1 .Wxe4 !l:c4
22.!a5 !l:xe4 23.fxe4 Wf3t 24.c;tigl Wg4t= is
a draw given by Aagaard in Attack and Defence.
A fine tactical sequence of course, but Black
has something a bit simpler: 1 9 .. .f5! 20.!xc3
will transpose to our main line.
1 9.Wd3 f5 20.!b?
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
giving Black a huge initiative.
2 1 ...tlic3 22.Wel tlie4!
Here we go again!
23.!xe4 fxe4 24.!l:gl exf3
It is only White who risks being worse here.
19 ... f5! 20.!xc3 fxe4 21 .�gl
2 1 .fxe4? Wf3t 22.'it>gl !l:f6 23.e5 !l:xc3-+
21. ..Wxat 22.ggz
White cannot really hope to be better with
such a rook on g2, and Black emphasizes that
with his next move:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
22 ... ltib6!
If Black could centralize his knight and win
the pawn back on d6 he would have a fantastic
position. A sample line continues:
h
20 ... tlie4!!
A stunning resource! If White takes the
knight he allows . . . Wf3t with a perpetual,
while leaving the knight seems extremely
risky.
2 1 .Wdl
2 1 .fxe4 Wf3t 22.c;tigl Wg4t is a perpetual.
2 1 .We2?! self-pins the queen and allows
2 1 ...!l:c4 followed by ... tlixd6.
2 1 .!xe4? fxe4 22.Wxe4 !l:xf3 will be
followed by the other rook arriving on f8,
23.dS!
Opening the position up for the bishop.
Otherwise the black knight just settles on d5.
23...eS 24.Wfb3 �f6! 25.!xe5
25.Wgl Wf5!= Black first protects e5 and
then takes on d6 with the rook.
25 ... gf5 26.!g3 gxd5 27.h3 ltic4=
Black's counterplay is at least adequate in
this highly unclear position, with ideas like
. . . !l:f8-f5 or ... !l:cc5.
228
Ami-Meran
B322) 17 ..ie2
Protecting f3 seems important.
17 ... ctJxc3
19 ...eS 20..ie3 ClJxe2 2 1.Y:!.fxe2 exd4 22.gg5!?
White tries to keep some initiative going.
22.�xd4N tll e 5=
22 ...Y:!.fh6 23 ..if4 Y:!.ff6 24.gfS
We have been following a correspondence
game where Black saved himself with a smart
little sequence:
1 8.�b2N is met by 1 8 ... tll xe2 1 9.1Mfxe2 E!:c2!
and White cannot avoid the draw.
l 8.e4N e5 1 9 .�e3 E!:c4!? puts some extra
pressure on d4. Black has several options and
can still keep the draw in reserve. For example,
after 20.E!:ad l he can put his other rook to
c8 or play the by-now-familiar 20 ... tll xe2
2 l .1Mfxe2 E!:c2=.
1 8 ... gfdS
One of the ideas of this move is to regroup
the knight to g6 via f8 and hit the d6-pawn in
the process.
Another jungle of variations starts after
1 8 ... tll b6N 1 9.e4 f5 20.e5 tll bd5 2 1 .E!:g2 and
so on. Black may be okay, bur the main line
represents a safer and more solid approach.
19.e4
White threatens e4-e5.
28 ... ctJd7
Black decides to regroup.
29.B:d2 f6 30.B:xd3 @f7
Chapter 1 8
-
229
7 .id3 - Main Line
White is a pawn up but he has several
weaknesses co look after and his d6-pawn is
well blocked. Black, on the ocher hand, has a
healthy structure and an actively-placed king
chat watches out for the d6-pawn. White
might be a bit better, bur Black should be able
to hold without much difficulty.
31..ie3 ltie5 32.E:d5 ltix£3 33.ixa? @e6
34..ic5 g6 35.E:d3 ltixh4 36.f4 g5 37.f5t
@d? 38.ib4 l:l:cS 39.l:l:d5 l:l:clt 40.@h2
ltiat 4L@g2 ltie5
Conclusion
After l l .a3 E!'.c8 1 2.ttJgS Black gees active play
with the spectacular pawn sacrifice 1 2 ... cS!.
The game is still in the balance, but suddenly
White muse navigate with great care so as not
to be busted. A world-class player like Aronian
failed to do just char.
1 2.E!'.d ! is also strongly met by ... c5!. If White
takes on b5 Black ruins his pawn structure
with ...ixf3 and gees adequate compensation
for the pawn.
Even l 2.b4 is met by ... cS!. After 1 3.bxcS ixf3
1 4.gxf3 llixc5! 1 5.dxcS l'l:xcS Black regains the
piece and draws comfortably.
Perhaps l 4.cxd6 is White's best bee. Still
after 1 4 ... llidS 1 5.gxf3 'WgSt 1 6.@h l 'Wh5
Black has adequate counterplay.
Anti-Meran Conclusion
Black stands fine and indeed easily held the
draw in Glowatzky - Alexeyenko, corr. 20 1 3.
On 42.E:xbS Black answers 42 ... E!'.c2t followed
by ... h5 with strong counterplay.
So the Anci-Meran comes to an end. It has
been a hugely theoretical section and remains
a popular choice by White over the board: he
aims to maintain constant pressure without
burning any bridges. However, as the analyses
have shown, Black has no reason to complain
if he knows his scuff.
Minor Lines
5 . g3
Variation Index
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.t!Jf3 t!J f6 4.t!Jc3 e6 5.g3
5 ... dxc4!
232
233
233
235
235
235
A) 6.t!Je5
B) 6.�g2 b5!
Bl) 7.0-0
B2) 7.t!Je5! "1Mb6!
B21} 8.a4
B22) 8.0-0
A) afrer l 3.i.xe4
822) afrer l l .d5
B2 l ) afrer I I .i.e3
a
1 3 ... i.b?!N
b
c
d
e
f
l l . cxd5N
..
g
h
23 1
Chapter 1 9 - 5 .g3
Ifyou don't like what's being said, change the
conversation
- Don Draper, Mad Men
White has some interesting ways to rake the
game from the most theoretical and well­
trodden paths. They are especially popular
at club level, but also the professional player
needs to know them, because he will face these
set-ups often in open tournaments.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llif3 tlif6 4.tlic3 e6
5.cxd5 tries to transpose to the excellent
Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit
Declined. Black could of course answer
5 ... cxd5, but that would give him a pretty
passive version of the Exchange Slav. Instead
we opt for the fighting move 5 ... exd5.
Compared to a normal Exchange Variation che
difference is once again the early development
of a white knight - this time it is the one
on f3 that has come our a bit prematurely.
Black can use that little derail to get his
light-squared bishop out - something that is
normally impossible. This is covered in the
next chapter.
5.'1Mfd3 protects c4 and plans either a Catalan
with g2-g3 or maybe a strike in the centre
with e2-e4. Equally popular is 5.'!Mfb3 and che
difference is pretty academic, because in both
cases we answer with s .. dxc4. After 6.'!Mfxc4
Black can expand on the queenside in typical
Semi-Slav fashion with 6 ... b5, leading to
complex play - see Chapter 2 1 .
.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Here we are again! So far I have focused on
the sharp 5.ig5 and the more sophisticated
5 .e3. However, there are other sensible moves
available to the White player.
In this final section of the book we will
end our Semi-Slav journey by having a look
at 5.g3, 5.cxd5 and 5.'1Mf d3 (or 5.'1Mfb3) . First,
lee me give you a short introduction to che
relevance of these variations.
5.g3 is an inspired try to reach a Catalan. The
major difference is the early placement of the
knight on c3; in a normal Catalan, White stays
more flexible. But this is not so easy to exploit.
The critical idea is to cake the c4-pawn and
protect it wich ... b5 which leads to sharp play.
Lately 5 .g3 has been popular even at the cop
level, but do not fear - I have an antidote ready.
5.g3
A fashionable move that mixes the Catalan
with the Semi-Slav.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
s dxc4!
Of course we accept the challenge.
...
h
232
Minor Lines
The alternative 5 . . . 'll bd7 might transpose co
the main line below if Black is allowed to take
on c4 next, bur White can avoid chis with che
interesting move 6.Wd3!?. Ir is hardly critical,
bur there is no need co give White extra
opportunities, especially since ...dxc4 is in the
spirit of the book.
Now White can try A) 6.lll e5 immediately or
the more common B) 6.ig2.
A) 6.lll e5 Cll bd7 7.tll xc4 b5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
13...ib7!N
If White wanes to get anything out of this
position he should try:
14.Wfa4t Wfd7 1 5.Wfxa7 id6
However, this seems to be more comfortable
for Black - at least in a practical game. I will
provide some more evidence just to make sure.
8.lll d2
After 8.Cll e3 ib7 (8 ... c5?! is met by 9.d5)
9.ig2 a sensible set-up for Black is: 9 ... Wb6
10.0-0 Yle7 l l .b3 0-0 1 2.Ylb2 l'%fd8 1 3.Wc2
1'l:ac8 1 4.l'!acl Cll d 5 Black was perfectly fine in
Petkov - Andersen, Can Picaforc 20 13.
16.ixb7 !!xb7 17.WfaBt �b8 18.Wfe4 f5
19.Wfd3
The only way for White co keep the
d4-pawn, but it allows the following sequence:
19 Wfc6 20.0-0 c4 21.Wfc2
Now Black can simply castle and claim
excellent positional compensation for his
pawn, but he can also consider:
..•
8 .. c5!? 9.ig2
9.Cll xb5 ib7 is very dangerous for White.
.
9 !!b8 10.lll de4 b4 1 1 .lll xf6t lll xf6 12.lll e4
'll xe4 13.ixe4
Now in Caruana - Shirov, Arvier 20 1 0,
Black missed a nice idea:
...
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
233
Chapter 1 9 - 5.g3
2 1...�dS!?
Gaining a tempo by hitting d4. If White
protects it, say with E!:dl , then Black can
continue his original plan by putting his king
on f7 and playing ... h5 in order to force h2-h4
- or else ... h4 would be extremely dangerous
- thus forcing White to put another pawn
on the same colour as his bishop. Black can
then play something like . . . E!:hc8, when the
far-advanced queenside pawns give him an
excellent game.
Instead of trying this passive defence, White
should probably try to play a quick e2-e4 and
not concern himself with material. After all, he
is a pawn up and can give it back!
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
We immediately reach another branching
point: Bl) 7.0-0 or B2) 7.�eS!.
Bl) 7.0-0 i.b7 8.e4
8.Cll e 5 Wi'b6 transposes to line B22 below.
8 �bd7 9.e5
Quiet play gives some compensation for the
pawn, but not really enough. The text move is
a more forcing way to continue.
.•.
9 ... llidS 10.lligS!
B) 6.ig2 bS!
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
True to the spirit of our repertoire!
6 ... Cll b d7!? is a less forcing way for Black to
play. 7.0-0 (7.e4 might be slightly inaccurate
since Black can play 7 ...ib4 8.Wi'e2 b5 as in
Morrow - Oreopoulos, corr. 20 14. Black
can transpose to the main line of course if he
wants.) 7 ...ie7 8.e4 0-0 9.if4! (9.a4 allows
the well known equalizer 9 ... e5!) In this
position I think that White maintains a small
advantage after 9 ... E!:e8 1 0.a4 a5 l l .�e2 b6
1 2.:i:!fd l ia6 1 3 .Cll d 2!.
1 1 .�xe6
There is no way back.
1 1 .Wi'hS g6 1 2.Wi'h3 ie7 1 3 .Cll ge4 Wi'b6 14.j,e3
iif8 1 5.b3 cxb3 1 6.axb3 ciig7 did not give
White enough for the pawn in Harikrishna Gelfand, Beijing (rapid) 20 1 4.
l l .Cll ge4 j,e7 1 2.Wfg4 <Jif8 is similar. Later
Black will play ... g6 and ... �g7 with a safe
position.
234
Minor Lines
l l . . fx:e6 12.WfhSt
13.tll e4 Wies 14.igSt
1 4.'Wh4t? \j;; f7 and the king hides on g8.
.
s
��� R!J�0, .)&%
,�.t-�•
, , ,%� ·� ••%� ,,,,, %�
%
��
,
,
,,
,,
%
�
�
�
� , m��--mv
s �-,0'�
�
%
%
3 � �---- � %'
�
�
7/A
!a
a
OJ:a
,
�
�
,
��= ---/�%,, %
7
6
4
b
a
d
c
f
e
g
h
Black actually has a choice here:
12 <i>e7
1 2 ... g6!? 1 3.'WxgGt me7 14.ih3 ( 1 4.tt'le4
is met by 1 4 ... 'We8 and there is no ig5t to
win the h8-rook. This is the whole point of
1 2 . . . g6!?.) 1 4 ... 'We8 1 5.tt'lxd5t cxd5 1 6.'Wxe6t
mds 1 7.'Wf5 tt'lb6 1 8.if4
•.•
WWK
J-11 �i
W/j��
��
�
• •
76 �.i.·
� � � �.r
{jjf£·f · ···' � � ,
5 � i . iJ�Vi'�
�
4 �
�� • r��'0z� �
--"��-/�
�"'
�
�-r:;,.
�wJ[jfi
� �!
fj
gt ,,;,� ,•. .
·�
8
1
•
a
z
b
c
,
. .
d
z . z
e
...
f
g
,
h
Stohl evaluates chis position as slightly better
for White in ChessBase Magazine. However,
I think that the following email game casts a
doubt over chis evaluation: l 8 ... ic6! The king
goes to the b7-square via c7. 1 9.:!:!fel mc7
20.e6t Wb7 2 1 .ie5 ie7! Black had nothing
to fear in Ohl in - Boehme, email 20 1 1 ,
though of course the position is extremely
complicated.
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
14 ...hxg5 1 s.Wfxhs ci>ds
White has the initiative and most likely will
win a couple of pawns. In the main line we
reach an interesting situation with rook and
two pawns versus two minor pieces.
16.tll xgS Wl'e7!? 17.Wl'h4 <i>c7 18.ih3 ci>b6!
This is the set-up I found to be most
promising for Black.
19.a4
1 9.ixe6 allows 1 9.,,a5 20.a4 b4 and the
king hides on a7 with the d7-knight coming
to b6.
235
Chapter 1 9 - 5 .g3
19 ... �c? 20.ig2 :gbs 21.:gfcl a6
In Martinez Martin - Jorgensen, corr. 20 1 2,
the game ended in a draw, but in a practical
game I would rather be Black.
B2) 7.�e5!
The modern trend.
8
1 0.axbSN cxb5 1 l .d5 ib4! 1 2.ie3 ( 1 2.dxeG
fxe6 1 3.ie3 �aG+) 1 2 ... �aG+
7
6
10 ... �bd? 1 1 .ie3
This was Dunjic - Mirkovic, Belgrade 20 1 0,
and now I like:
5
4
3
2
1
1 0.f4 'll bd7 1 l .ie3 b4 (1 1 . . .'ll xe5!?N
1 2.fxe5 'll d 5 may even be an improvement)
12.'ll xd7 was seen in Nyzhnyk - Esen, Legnica
20 1 3. Black has such a fine position that he
can even afford to play 1 2 ... <ii xd7!?N 1 3 .'ll e4
'll xe4 1 4.ixe4 g6 with a perfectly solid game.
1 5.�c2 ia6 1 6.f5 gxf5 1 7.ixf5 Ei:d8 and the
king hides on the queenside after 1 8.ih3 f5.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
7...Wfb6!
A new try which appears to solve Black's
problems in this trendy line.
7 ... 'll d 5 8.e4! ? 'll xc3 9.bxc3 ie7 and the
position is dangerous for Black after either
10.�g4 or 1 0.a4 0-0 1 1 .0-0N ib7 1 2.�g4!.
7 ...a6 8.0-0 ib7 9.b3! seems to be giving
Black a bit of a headache lately as well.
B22) 8.0-0 ib7 9.e4
At this point White may choose B21) 8.a4 or
B22) 8.0-0.
B21) 8.a4 ib7 9.0-0 a5!
A key move. Black's idea is to play ... b4,
develop his pieces and later go ... c5, while the
c4-pawn can be defended from a6 with either
queen or bishop.
10.e4
9.a4 will transpose to the previous line, but
9.b3!? is possible. I was confronted by it in a
recent game. My opponent played it quickly,
probably not realizing that we didn't have the
well-known position that would arise after
7 . . . aG, where the pawn sacrifice is indeed very
strong. 9 ... cxb3 1 0.axb3 ie7 leaves Black with
easy play and after 1 l .e4 0-0 1 2.ie3 c5! I had
solved all problems and remained a pawn up,
A. Matthiesen - Schandorff, Denmark 20 1 5.
236
Minor Lines
10... lilxd7 1 1.d5
Instead with quiet play it would be hard to
claim full compensation for the pawn.
Black could also close the centre: 1 2 . . . e5
1 3.a4 b4 14.ie3 ic5 1 5.a5 Wa6 1 6.ixc5
ClJxc5 1 7.ClJe4 E:c8!? is given by Illingworth
on ChessPublishing who continues his line
with 1 8.f4 0-0! 1 9 .fxe5 ClJxe4 20.ixe4 c3=
although of course the whole thing looks
somewhat risky.
13.b3
White has to try to open up the position. He
could do it in different ways, but Black always
has a defence ready.
1 3.b4?! is pointed out as inaccurate by
Illingworth who gives the following informative
line: 1 3 ...ixb4 1 4.ie3 Wa6 1 5.dxe6 fxe6
1 6.Wh5t g6 1 7.i'Mxb5 ixc3! 1 8.i'Mxa6 ixa6
1 9.E:acl ib2 20.ixa8 rj;; e7 2 l .ie4 c3 Black
is on top because of the strong passed pawn.
1 3.dxe6 fxe6 14.ixb7 i'Mxb7 1 5.i'Mh5t g6
1 6.i'Me2� 0-0! ( 1 6 ...Wc6 is less accurate)
1 7.Wxe6t rj;; h s and Black is absolutely fine.
He is ready to play . . .E:ae8 next.
12.exd5
13 ... cxb3 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.ixb7 '1Wxb7
16.'1Wxb3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Chapter 1 9 - 5.g3
237
Conclusion
The popular Catalan move 5.g3 is well met
by the new concept 5 ... dxc4 6 ..ig2 b5 7.lll e 5
'W'b6! where Black simply saves the move ... a6.
The line is still new, so more practical material
is needed to draw a definitive verdict, but it
seems highly promising.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
16 0-0!
It is important that Black isn't too keen on
keeping his extra pawn.
...
17.�xe6t 'it> h8
Black has nothing to worry about and even
holds some long-term assets like his pawn
majority on the queenside.
Minor Lines
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Exchange Variation
Variation Index
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.�f3 �f6 4.�c3 e6 5.cxd5
5 ... exdS
A) 6 ..if4
B) 6 .ig5
C) 6.Wfc2 g6! 7..ig5 .ie7
Cl) 8 ..ixf6
C2) 8.e3
C3) 8.e4
239
240
241
242
242
244
•
A) after 1 3.h3
C3) note co 1 3.0-0
C3) after 1 6.:1!fe l
h
Chapter 20 - Exchange Variation
l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 tll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.cxd5
exd5
239
Not the most ambitious, but White has co
be realistic. The black bishop on f5 is simply
an excellent piece!
9 . ixd3 10.%lfxd3 lll bd7 1 1.0-0 0-0
The position is completely equal, but there is
a lot of play left. In a practical game I think I
would rather be Black. I like the e4-square and
often Black can expand on the kingside and
gain some initiative.
.
The Carlsbad pawn structure, known from
the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit.
White can develop his bishop with A)
6.if4 or B) 6.ig5, although the main line is
C) 6.%lfc2, preventing the black bishop from
coming to f5.
A) 6.if4
My trusted old ECO now gives:
6...if5 7.e3 id6
With an equal position. Let's go a bit deeper.
.
12.l:fabl
1 2.b4 b5! (with the idea of establishing a
strong knight on c4) 1 3.a4 a5! Ruining White's
dreams. 1 4.axb5 axb4 1 5.lll e2 cxb5 1 6.Wxb5
l:!xal 1 7.l:!xal l:!b8 Black was better due co his
strong passed pawn in Perdomo - Leitao, Sao
Paulo 2008.
12 ...a6!?
Black is ready for ... b5 and ... lll b6-c4.
13.h3
Waiting tactics!
1 3.Wf5 i::i:fe 8 1 4.l:!fdl E!:e7 1 5.b4 b5 1 6.lll d2
lll b6 was better for Black in Kosir - Burmakin,
Nova Gorica 20 14.
240
Minor Lines
before playing ... bS, but in the meantime he
can improve his knight's position from f6 to
d6 via e8!
The automatic 13 . . .:B:fe8 might not be best:
1 4.llid2 l:l:ad8 1 5.b4 Only now! 1 5 ... b5
1 6.mc l llib6 l 7.llib3 White had no problems
in Garcia Rodriguez - Ntirlis, corr. 2014,
though Black was not worse either.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
B) 6.ig5
b
a
c
d
f
e
h
g
Black manages to play his dream positional
move.
8.e3
8.Wb3 g5!
This is the point of the move 6 ... h6!. If Black
had gone 6 ...ifS?! immediately then 7.Wb3
would have been awkward to meet. Now
Black can break the pin.
9.ig3
9.Wxb7? gxh4 1 o.Wxa8 Wb6-+
Pinning the knight is a natural continuation.
6...h6!
This clever confrontation gives
excellent play.
Black
7.ih4
More or less forced.
Taking on f6 feels wrong. Here is a classic
example: 7.ixf6 Wxf6 8.Wb3 id6 9.e3
llid7 10.id3 We7 1 1 .0-0-0 llif6 1 2.:B:hel
ie6 1 3.Wc2 0-0-0 1 4.llie5 c;:t>b8 1 5.f4 c5
Black had taken the initiative in Lilienthal Botvinnik, Moscow 1 945, and went on to win
a famous game.
7...if5!
8
7
6
�·� ��
.I �
.l• �f ·"mi�� - •
•• � •
��
f��-"�fi __. %�_
�
4 �-�
�% , ,,,! - - %� ��-�
3 �ifm �tt:J�
2 , 8 �-- - 'D tiidli��
' f" ' "� �=��
5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
-�
h
9 ... Wb6 1 0.e3 llibd7
10 . . . llia6 has also been regarded as fine for
Black.
l l .ie2 llie4 1 2.llixe4 ixe4 1 3.0-0 Wxb3
l 4.axb3 ie7!
In Beim - Gelfand, Odessa (rapid) 2008,
Black's idea of a quick ... h5 gave him the
initiative.
241
Chapter 20 - Exchange Variation
comfortably put his queen on a6 since White's
light-squared bishop is off the board.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
9.J.d3
This invites simplification, but there is
nothing else.
9 ... J.xd3 IO.Wfxd3 J.e7 1 1.0-0 0-0 12.a3 a5
C) 6.Wfc2
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
The most challenging move. White prevents
...J.f5 for the time being.
6...g6!
Black insists!
7.J.gS
7.J.f4 J.f5 8.Wfb3 WfbG is fine for Black. After
9.tll d2 Black should continue developing with
9 ... tt'lbd7! and not fall for 9 ...'Wxd4?! 1 0.e4!
when White gets a big initiative. (Instead of
chis, after 10.'\Wxb7? '\Wxf4 l l .'Wxa8 d4 1 2.e3
'\Wc7 Black was already winning in Kharitonov
- Tukmakov, Riga 1 988.)
7...J.e7
We will examine Cl) 8.J.xf6 and C2) 8.e3
before reaching the main move C3) 8.e4.
13.J.g3 ges 14.gfel Wfb6
This was seen in Yermolinsky - Ivanchuk,
Wijk aan Zee 1 999. Black is fine, and one
of the features of the posirion is that he can
8.J.h6? to prevem castling loses valuable time
and 8 . . .J.f5 9. 'Wd2 ttJ bd7 is al ready problematic
for White: 1 0.h3 ( 1 0.e3 tt'le4N works here as
well) 1 0 ... tt'le4 1 l .tt'lxe4 dxe4 12.tll g5 tLl b6+
Adamek - Jirovsky, Czech Republic 1 993. The
knight is coming to d5.
242
Minor Lines
Cl) s .bf6 ixf6 9.e3
.
9.e4 0-0+
9,,,J,f5 10.J.d3 !xd3 1 1.VlYxd3 liJd7
8
E�
�IJ'S,S, ,,;;IJ �,,,�·
IJ
, ,V,IJ �
7 IJ�i'w�IJ�-'�
-�
6
%
AW
.,,m.l·, ,,,;IJ
,,,,,Y,� �IJ
'
•
•
: =D�A=
=
� � ��tt:J m
3
2
1
�
a
'_if_,, .,,%� �w�
llJ �.,=,, ,%
b
d
c
e
f
g
h
This position was shown to be good for
Black in lnkiov - Yusupov, Dubai (ol) 1 986,
due to the weakness of the c4-square - which is
evident after the exchange of the light-squared
bishops. Let's follow this game more closely:
12...ie7
Black regroups and looks out for the
minority attack with b2-b4-b5.
13.gabl a5 14.a3 0-0 1 5.V«c2
Or 1 5.b4 axb4 1 6.axb4 and again 1 6 ... b5!
1 7.e4 tt.'lb6 1 8 .tll e 5 E!:c8 1 9.E!:fe l E!:e8 20.Wh3
if6 2 1 .exd5 tt.'lxd5 22.tll e4 ig7 23.tll c 5
Wd6+ was good for Black in Pecorelli Garcia Antunes, Havana 1 994.
1 5 ...id6
1 5 ...Wb6!?N has the idea of 1 6.tt.'la4 Wa6 as
we have seen before.
16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 liJb6
1 8.b5 tl'i c4 19.gal
After 1 9.Ei:b3N Black can repeat if he likes
with . . . tll a 5, bur more aggressive is: l 9 .. .f5
( 1 9 ...Wc7 like in the game is also possible)
20.g3 Wd7! 2 1 .tll d 2 tll a5 22.E!:bb l f4 My
ruthless engine now defends after 23.exf4 E!:xf4
24.bxc6 bxc6 25.E!:al E!:ff8 26.E!:a4=.
19...V«c7
Planning ... E!:fc8.
20.bxc6 V«xc6!
Keeping the b-pawn which is now a passer.
Furthermore, Black might exert pressure down
the c-file.
21.e4 gxal 22,gxal tl'ib6 23.VlYb3 gcs
lnkiov - Yusupov, Dubai (ol) 1 986. Black is
for preference.
C2) 8.e3
A tame move. Play now develops along a
familiar path: Black gets his light-squared
bishop out... and it is exchanged with a totally
equal position as a result.
Chapter 20 - Exchange Variation
8
7
rushing to put the knight on the optimal
dG-square, is a bit better. Objectively the
position is equal but, as I have emphasized
a few times already, I prefer to play Black
in positions like this, as White can hardly
do anything active without weakening his
position.
6
5
4
3
2
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8 ... if5 9.id3 ixd3 1 0.Wfxd3 ltibd7!
The most precise.
1 0 ... 0-0?! 1 1 .ixfG ixfG 1 2.b4 might give
White some edge.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
243
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 1.ih6
White disturbs Black's development. Or
rather, tries to disturb it! Other moves are
harmless:
1 1 .l:!b 1 a5! There will be no minority attack!
12.ihG if8! 1 3.j,xf8 mxf8 1 4.0-0 mg?
1 5 . \Mlc2 In the instructive game Andersson Farago, Dortmund 1 978, Black played ...Wfe7
and ... l:!hc8 and only then went with the ... tt:le8d6 manoeuvre, but I chink that 1 5 ... tll e 8!N,
1 1 .0-0 0-0 closely resembles lines we have
already seen. If White doesn't exchange on fG,
reaching a position similar to Inkiov - Yusupov,
Black will play ... l:!e8 followed by ... tll e4.
1 1...ltig4
1 1 ...if8 is also possible but the text is a bit
more exciting!
12.if4
1 2.ig??! :1:i:g8 1 3.ie5 was wrongly given as
better for White by Farago in ECO, as Black
has several ways to obtain a fine position:
1 3 ... tt:lgxe5 1 4.tt:lxe5 tt:lxe5 ( 1 4 ...Wfc?!?N and
1 4 ... 'it>fS!?N may both be playable) 1 5.dxe5
We? 16.\Wd4 \WbG Black was at least equal in
Dzagnidze - Pashikian, Istanbul 2007.
244
Minor Lines
Black has secured the queenside and can
go on with an attack on the kingside. Again
this is perhaps abouc even cheorecically, bur
in a practical game Black is somewhat for
preference.
13 ... �gf6 14.o-o-m!
I like the following game a lot and this is
why I am offering it as the main line even
chough, cheoretically, White's idea of castling
queenside is not that great.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
25 ... gabS!
Black wants to play ... E&b5 and take on c5.
A successful Semi-Slav player should possess
some flair for activating the pieces, using
unorthodox means when necessary.
26.iid2 gbS 27.gcl lll c4t 28.iiel
28.bxc4 loses to 28 ... E&xc5 29.dxc5 b3t
30. cti d l dxc4.
28 ...gxcS 29.dxcS lll eS 30.�c2 lll f3t 31.iifl
lll xgS 32.h4 lll e4 33.hS lll c3 34.hxg6 hxg6
35.a4 �xcS
Black went on to win in Braun - Halkias,
Peristeri 20 1 0.
1 5.lll e5 lll xe5 16.ixe5 lll d7 17.if4 if6
l 7 a5!?N and rolling the pawns is another
idea.
...
18.g4 �a5 19.iibl gfd8
With the idea of playing ... b4 followed by
... c5.
20.g5 ig7 21 .id6 lll b6 22.ic5 b4 23.lll e2
lll c4 24.b3 lll a3t 25.iicl
Now comes a fantastic concept found by the
Greek GM Halkias:
C3) 8.e4
Chapter 20 - Exchange Variation
The critical move. Timman's idea is not that
dangerous when accurately met, but it does set
a cunning trap. The crazy thing is that maybe
Black should fall for it - on purpose!
245
1 3.WfhGt cii g8 1 4.id3 lll a6! This knight is
en route to d5 (ixa6 is met by ...Wf a5t) while
at any point the move ...Wff8 will free the g7square for the king so that the rook can move.
8 . ttJxe4!
People playing 8.e4 usually know their stuff
and what they usually know is that this move
is bad based on an old Karpov - Yusupov game
from 1 988. I think that you already suspect
the computer has found a new idea here - and
you are right!
.
.
The traditional way to play has been
8 ... dxe4, when the main line goes 9.ixf6 ixf6
1 0.Wfxe4t 'it>f8 ( 1 0 ...Wfe7 is also fine) l l .ic4
<ii g7 and Black continues with ... �e8 and
...ie6 with an equal game. This is of course
still viable.
9.ixe7 @xe7
Unfortunately we have to play this awkward
move.
9 ...Wfxe7? 10.lll x d5+- shows the point of
White's trap.
10.tlJxe4 dxe4 1 1.Wfxe4t ie6
Positionally Black is fine. He has the bener
pawn structure and future play against the
IQP. Furthermore he only has one badly­
placed piece. The big problem is of course that
it is the king! Still it is only two steps away
from heaven on g7, so the question is whether
White has something concrete.
12.ic4
Ir is difficult to imagine that someone will
ever try another move here.
1 2.id3N is met by 12. .. tll d 7 followed by
bringing the king to g7 via f8.
l 2.Wf e3N is trying to avoid the aforementioned
manoeuvre by threatening Wfh6t: 1 2 ... <ii f8
1 2 ...Wf a5t 1 3 .<ii fl !± was seen in the
aforementioned Karpov - Yusupov game.
Indeed, White's play was fantastic and it is a
game worth studying, bur from the theoretical
perspective Black can do better.
13.0-0
1 3.ixe6 iif8! is one fine point of the rook
move.
1 3.Wfh4tN
Kasparov had mentioned this, but he missed
that Black can play:
246
Minor Lines
1 3 ... ®d7!
13 ... ®f8 1 4.'\Wxd8 gxd8 1 5.�xe6 fxe6 was
White's idea. I still don't think that this is
anything special for White, but Black does
have a weakness.
1 4.lll e 5t
14.'\Wxd8t now is met by 14 ... ®xd8 and
Black avoids any kind of struccural damage.
1 4 ... 'i!?c8
l 4 ... 'iil c7 is also fine. White has to agree to
exchanges.
..
13 . �� 14.he6 �xe6 1 5.'11:lff4 �g7 16,gfel
8 .1 � �
- m
�·--� ,., . /,� f•r
'•'•'•'·l�
5 ��m��!�l5%,���('�"'�����
�� ,.,.,/,�
::· ""�
�
3 �?!%��
��
�0'-'
21 /,,�Q/�.
���l�itifj
� f� �
7
6
>
4
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 6...:gf6!N
What I like in this line is that it is Black who
is the one with the potential to push for the
advantage.
The move 1 6 ... gxel t has been tested in
practice: 17.l'l:xe l lt:Jd7 was Zilberman Polajzer, Bled 1 989. Here White has some
tricks to maintain an initiative although in
reality it is nothing serious. One of those tricks
is 1 8.lt:JgSN lt:Jf6 1 9.l'l:e6 h6 20.'\Mfe5 hxg5
2 1 .l'l:d6 '\Wc7 22.'Wxf6t but after 22 ... lt>g8
Black is okay.
17.'11:lfe5
l 7.We4 l'l:f5! An important move in the main
line as well. The idea is 1 8.'We7 lll d7 1 9.'Wxd8
gxd8 20.l'l:e7 l'l:b5 followed by ... lt:J f6-d5.
17... � d7 18.'11:lfe7 gf5!�
This move allows the knight to come to f6
(most probably after a preparatory ... l'l:b8),
when the game goes on. It is balanced, but
Black can play for the full point. After all, he
has the better pawn structure.
Conclusion
5.cxd5 exd5 6.�f4 is nothing after ...�f5. Play
might continue 7.e3 �d6 8.�xd6 'Wxd6 9.�d3
�xd3 1 0.Wxd3 lt:Jbd7 with equality.
After 6.�g5 Black solves all problems with the
smart 6 ... h6! 7.�h4 �f5! when 8.Wb3 is met
by 8 ... g5!.
After 6.Wc2 g6! 7.�g5 �e7, there are three
main branches.
8.�xf6 �xf6 9.e3 �f5 1 0.�d3 �xd3
l 1 .'\Wxd3 lt:Jd7 is level. An important motif
is that Black can often answer a quick b2-b4
with ... b5!, stopping the offensive and securing
the c4-square for a knight.
The line with 8.e3 gives nothing after the
standard response 8 ...�J5.
The critical 8.e4 is met with the surprising
8 ... lt:Jxe4! 9.�xe7 rJlxe7 1 0.lt:Jxe4 dxe4
l 1 .Wxe4t �e6 1 2.�c4 l'l:e8! and Black is fine
after 1 3.Wh4t rJld7! or 1 3.0-0 rJlf8.
Minor Lines
5 .�d3 & 5 .�h3
Variation Index
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.'ll f3 'll f6 4.'ll c3 e6 5.�d3!? dxc4 6.�xc4
6 ... b5
A) 7.�b3
B) 7.�d3 a6
B l ) 8.e4
B2) 8.�g5 c5
B2 1) 9.�xf6
B22) 9.a4
A)
no(e w
8.ig5
248
249
250
251
251
252
Bl)
note to
9.dxc5
B2 I ) after 1 4.0-0
1 4 ... ggB!N
248
Minor Lines
1 .d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.tiJf3 tiJf6 4.tiJc3 e6 S.11Nd3!?
White can also play 5 .Wb3, which will lead
to the same position if Black cakes on c4 as
I p rop ose. Therefore I will nor go into detail
about the subtle differences between putting
che queen on b3 or d3.
s dxc4
...
Of course. Black executes che classical Semi­
Slav plan with tempo and gains accive play on
the queenside. It is possible to keep the game
closed wich 5 ... tli bd7 or even 5 ... b6!? if you
prefer.
6.'lfNxc4
The early development of the white queen
reminds me of the Russian Variation of the
Gri.infeld: l .d4 lli f6 2.c4 g6 3.tt'ic3 d5 4.tt'if3
�g7 5.'Wb3 dxc4 6.Wxc4 Here in che Semi­
Slav the queen is even more vulnerable because
Black can hit it at once with the typical advance
. . . b5.
I like chis direcc approach. Black prepares to
play ... c5 as soon as possible.
Also popular - and absolutely fine - 1s
7 ... lll bd7.
8.�gS
White tries to develop actively.
8.a4 is met by 8 ... b4 and ... c5 next with a great
game.
8.g3 c5 is no problem for Black either.
8.e4 should be answered by: 8 . . . c5!N 9.dxc5
�xc5 1 0.e5 ( 1 0.a4 'Wb6!) 10 ... tt'i fd7 l l .�e2
�b7�
8 tiJbd7
.••
6 ... bS
9.gdl
Potentially pinning down the d-file.
9.e3 c5 gives White nothing.
A) 7.11Nb3 a6!?
The alternative is to advance in the centre:
9.e4 h6 1 0.�xf6 tt'ixf6 l l .e5 tt'id7 Black
is fine. Eventually he will get ... c5 in and
solve all problems. 1 2.�e2 �b7 1 3.0-0 �e7
( 1 3 ... c5!?N=) 1 4.tt'ie4 l:'!:c8 1 5.mcl 'Wb6 1 6.a4
c5 Finally. 1 7.tt'id6t �xd6 1 8.exd6 c4 1 9.Wb4
Chapter 2 1 - 5 .'1Wd3 & 5 .'1Wb3
ixf3 20.ixf3 0-0 The d6-pawn is hard to
hold.
-� � ��·�
(,'
�,, ?,�J'�
·��
��
���··
�;/"�-7.
�
�·
: �/"<'
• T�
��r�-;; �
�� ��
�J� · �� �
-�
3 �f�ll,
-%·�--��
�
2
�
7Bf
l
J
��
��:�
�
:,'R'�
-'R'�
8
-;;
v;
4
1
. ..
/�
a
....
b
r�
c
d
e
f
�
g
249
Timoscenko - Rogozenko, Berlin 1 994.
Black has more than solved his opening
problems.
B) 7.Wfd3
The queen is probably somewhat better placed
here.
h
2 1 .axbS axb5 22.l:'&aS l:'&b8 23.l:'&e l l:'&fd8 24.h3
tll f6 25.l:'&eS '1Wxd6 26.'\Wxd6 l:'&xd6 27.l:'&exbS
l:'&xb5 28.l:'&xbS l:'&xd4 Black went on to win in
Korchnoi - Ribli, Reggio Emilia 1 987.
9 Wfc7
Breaking the pin leads to easy equality.
•.•
9 ...'\Wa5!? is another good move: 1 0.id2
( 1 0.e3 c5 l l .ie2 ib7! gives Black good play,
while 1 0.g3 c5 l l .ig2 ib7 is also fine.)
10 ... '\Wb6 Black will follow up with ... c5 as in
Pelletier - Morozevich, Biel 2006.
10.g3 c5
7 . . .a6
We take the same approach.
White has tried a bunch of moves, but we will
concentrate on Bl) 8.e4 and B2) 8.i.g5.
8.a4 ib7 (8 ... b4 9.tll e4 is the difference from
the 7.'1Wb3 line) 9.ig5 tll bd7 is probably a bit
better for Black already. In practice his score
is fantastic! One recent example continued:
1 0.e3 ie7 l l ..!e2 0-0 1 2.0-0 h6 1 3.ixf6
tll xf6 1 4.l:'&fcl Wfb6 1 5.tll e S l:'&ac8 1 6.if3
l:'&fd8 17.tll e4 c5 Here it comes! 1 8.axbS axb5
1 9 .tll xf6t ixf6 20.ixb7 Wfxb7 2 1 .tll f3 cxd4
22.exd4 Wfd5+ 23.h3 l:'&xc l t 24.l:'&xcl b4
25.l:'&c4 e5 26.'1Wc2 exd4 27.Wf d3 '\Wd6 28.b3
g6 29.g3 @g7 30.©g2 l:'&d7 3 1 .h4 l:'&b7 32.l:'&c2
Wfd5 33.l:'&c4 g5 34.hxgS hxg5 35.g4 l:'&e7
36.'iii g3 l:'&e4 37.tll d2 ie5t 38.©h3 l:'&e3t 0-1
Matsenko - Potkin, St Petersburg (blitz) 20 14.
8.g3 c5 9.ig2 ib7 1 0.0-0 tll bd7
250
Minor Lines
This is harmless for Black.
1 1 .E:d 1
l l .�f4 cxd4 1 2.\¥!xd4 ic5 1 3.'Wd3 0-0
14.:!!a dl 'Wb6 1 5.a3 Elfd8 1 6.\¥fb l :gac8
1 7.h3 hG 1 8.g4 Wa7 1 9.id6 ixd6 20.:gxd6
tll b6 2 1 .:gxd8t :gxd8 22.:!!d l Wa8+ Bartel Grachev, Moscow 2009.
b
a
c
d
e
f
g
h
l l ... b4
l l . ..cxd4 1 2.tll xd4 ixg2 1 3.Wxg2 'Wb6
l 4.a4:j; is White's idea.
1 1 . . .'Wb6= is another solution.
1 2.tll a4 ie4 1 3.'Wd2 Wa5t
For example:
14.b3 c4 1 5.Wg5 Wxg5 1 6.ixg5 c3 1 7.a3 a500
Bu Xiangzhi - Wirig, Biel 201 1 .
9.e5 lll d 5 1 0.i.g5
10.dxc5 ixc5 1 l .tll xd5 'Wxd5 12.Wxd5 exd5=
1 0.�e2N is Navara's suggestion: 10 ... �b?
1 1 .0-0 tt:lb4 (l 1 ...tll xc3 1 2.\¥!xc3 tll d7=
Navara) 12.Wd2 cxd4 1 3.tll xd4 tll 8c6=
1 o ...\¥fb6 1 l .lll xd5 exd5 l 2.dxc5 �xc5 l 3.\¥!c2
tll c6
1 3 ...�g4!N may even leave Black slightly
better.
14.fi:cl ib4t 1 5.id2 tll d4 16.tll xd4 Wxd4
1 7.ixb4 'Wxb4t 1 8.'Wc3 'We4t 1 9.ie2 0-0=
Le Quang Liem - Meier, Dortmund 20 1 1 .
9 ...ixc5 10.e5
10.Wxd8t Wxd8 is assessed as equal by
Navara. Here is a recent example: l l .tll e 5
�e7 12.tll d3 id4 1 3.a4 bxa4 1 4.E:xa4 tll c6
Black had no problems in Tunik - Smimov,
Taganrog 20 1 5.
10 ... llig4 1 1.WfxdSt Wxd8 12.ig5t We8
13.0-0-0?
1 3.tll e4 ib4t 1 4.�e2= is given by Navara. I
would still rather be Black after 1 4 ...ib?.
B l ) 8.e4 c5
9.dxc5
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
17.�d4 �est 1 8.Wbl lli exf2 19.h3 llixhl
Chapter 2 1 - 5 .'@d3 & 5 .'1Wb3
20.hxg4 h5 21 .g5 g6 22.ie2 @e7 23.iel
h4 24.tll xh4 �hd8 25.�f4 tll g3 26.ixg3
�d2 27.ig4 �cc2 28.iel �xb2t 29.@cl
�dc2t 30.@dl �c4 31.�xc4 bxc4 32.a3
@d7 33.id2 �a2 34.icl ic6 35.ie2 ia4t
36.@el �al
0-1 Navara - Kramnik, Prague 2008.
25 1
10.dS ih7
B2) 8.ig5 c5
Play is intense and confrontation is in the air,
but Black has a sound position and shouldn't be
afraid of ghosts. The two main continuations
are: B21) 9.ixf6 and B22) 9.a4.
9.d5 is met with the cool 9 ...j,e700 when only
White has problems, although she managed to
hold the draw after 10.0-0-0 lll x d5 l l .j,xe7
Wixe7 1 2.lll xd5 exd5 1 3.WixdS j,b7 14.WieS f6
1 5.Wixe7t 'itixe7+ in Sachdev - Gharamian,
London 20 1 3 .
9.:B:d l j,b7 1 0.dS was successful for White in
Dreev - Frolyanov, Khancy-Mansiysk 20 1 3.
Black should play:
1 1 .e4
1 1 .0-0-0 b4 1 2.lll a4 was a bluff from
White in Grischuk - Bacrot, Porto Carras
20 1 1 . 1 2 ... j,xdSN would leave Black with a
huge advantage! ( 1 2 ... exd5N is also given as
better for Black by the engines.) The point is
1 3.e4 j,h6t! 1 4.\t>b l j,xe4! and Black wins.
1 1...tll d7 12.�dl '1Wc7
Another idea is 1 2 ... c4+± intending . . . lll c 5.
13.ie2 0-0-0 14.0-0
B21) 9.ixf6 gxf6
This is known to be good for Black, but some
recent results have given White hope!
Minor Lines
252
14 ...id6 1 5.dxe6 li:l b6 as in Le Quang Jumabayev, Zaozhuang 20 1 2, should have led
to problems for Black after: 1 6.'l.Wc2N fxe6
1 7.ixb5! axb5 1 8.li:lxb5 'l.Wb8 1 9.�xd6 �xd6
20.'l.Wxc5t White has a strong attack after
20 ... �c6 2 1 .We7 or 20 ... 'i!?d7 2 1 .Wh5.
13 ...ie7 I4.Wf3
B22) 9.a4 cxd4
9 ... b4 I O.li:le4 cxd4 1 l .li:lxd4 is the same.
IO.tll xd4
15.tll c6
White wants to see what Black's idea is.
1 5.e3 'I.Wast 1 6.©e2 ©f8 was played in the
game and produced a highly unclear position:
1 7.'l.Wf4 We5 1 8.f3 Wxf4 1 9.exf4 ©g7 20.f5
li:lc6 2 1 .fxe6 li:lxd4t 22.�xd4
1 1 .tll e4 ih7
Black doesn't need to worry about doubled
pawns on the f-file. What matters is good piece
play.
12.ixf6
1 2.li:lxf6t gxf6 1 3 .ih4 Yz-Yz Sjugirov Pridorozhni, St Petersburg 20 1 3. You don't get
much information from a result like that. The
bottom line is that Black is fine in an unclear
game after, for instance, 1 3 ... li:ld7.
12...gxf6 13.�dl
White has some pressure, but Black is solid
and even has some trumps of his own up his
sleeve.
22 ... �hd8! (22 ... fxe6 23.�d7) 23.�d7 �xd7
24.exd7 �d8 25 .©e3 Now the simplest for
Black would have been 25 ... �xd7N+.
Chapter 2 1 - 5 .'\Wd3 & 5 .'\Wb3
15 ... tlixc6 16.�xdSt �xd8
253
Conclusion
After 5 .Wb3 dxc4 6.Wxc4 b5 7.Wb3 Black
goes 7 ... a6!? planning to follow up with ... c5.
After 8.�g5 li:J bd7 9.E:d l Black moves his
queen away to c7 or a5 and prepares ... c5 with
fine play.
7.Wd3 is a trickier move to face. Still, after
7 ... a6 followed by . . . c5 Black gets a good game.
Minor Lines Conclusion
17.e3 i.b4t 1 8.tlic3 i.xc3t 19.bxc3 b2
20.Wfe4 f5 21.'!Wbl tlie5
22.E:g 1 �f3-+ was Perez - Winckel, email
1 999.
22...tlif3t 23.gxf3 Lf3 24.'\Wxb2 �dl t
25.�f2 i.xhim 26.'\Wb3 �d7 27.i.xa6 0-0
28.!e2 �c8
The white pawns are under control.
None of the minor lines can threaten the
Semi-Slav, which is perhaps not so surprising.
However, having examined them in detail I
believe that they deserve some respect. Black
shouldn't think he is better already, bur he has
every right to play for the full point from an
early stage.
Variation Index
Chapter 1
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.ig5 dxc4
A) 6.g3?! 13
B) 6.e3 14
C) 6.a4 ib4! 7.e4 'W'aS 8.id2 c5 15
Cl) 9.dxc5 16
C2) 9.ixc4 cxd4 1 0.ttJxd4 0-0 17
C2 1 ) l 1 .ttJb3 17
C22) l l .°W'e2 18
C23) l 1 .tll c 2! 19
Chapter 2
I.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 tll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.ig5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 s.ih4 g5
A) 9.exfG!? gxh4 1 0.tt:leS °W'xfG 24
A l ) l l .a4 24
A2) l l .g3 25
B) 9.ig3!? 26
Chapter 3
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tll f3 lll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.ig5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.ih4 g5 9.lll xg5 hxg5
10.ixg5 lll bd7 l l.g3 ib7 12.ig2 Wfb6 13.exf6 0-0-0 14.0-0 c5 15.d5 b4 16.E:bl!? 'ffa6!
17.dxe6 ixg2 1 8.e7 ixfl
A) 19.°W'd5 34
B) 19.'iixfl ixe7! 20.fxe7 E:dg8 2 1 .tll e4 E:xgS! 22.tll xgS E:e8 35
B l ) 23.°W'e2 1Wg6 36
Bl 1) 24.1We4!? 36
B 1 2) 24.tt:le4 38
B2) 23.1Mf d5 39
Chapter 4
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f3 lll f6 4.tll c3 e6 5.ig5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.ih4 g5 9.lll xg5 hxg5
10.ixg5 lll bd7 l l .g3 ib7 12.ig2 'ffb6 13.exf6 0-0-0 14.0-0 c5 15.d5 b4 16.lll a4 Wfb5!
A) 1 7.dxeG 43
B) 1 7.a3 tt:lb8! 1 8.axb4 cxb4 45
B 1 ) l 9.ie3 45
B2) 1 9.°W'd4 47
B3) 19.1Mfg4 50
Variation I ndex
255
Chapter 5
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llJf3 l;Jf6 4.llJc3 e6 5.ig5 h6 6.ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 s.ig3 b5 9.llJe5 llJbd7!
A) 1 0.lt:ixcG WbG 59
A l ) l 1 .lt:ie5 59
A2) l l .d5 60
B) 1 O.lt:ixd7 61
B l ) 1 0 ...Wxd7 61
B2) 1 0 . . . lt:ixd7 64
Chap ter 6
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llJf3 llJf6 4.llJc3 e6 5.ig5 h6 6.ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 s.ig3 b5 9.ie2 ib7
A) 10.Wc2 lt:ibd7! 67
A l ) l 1 .lt:id2!? 67
A2) 1 1 .i"i:dl 69
B) 1 0.h4 g4 l 1 .lt:ie5 lt:i bd7! 72
B l ) 1 2.ixg4 73
B2) 1 2.lt:ixg4 74
B3) 1 2.lt:ixd7 76
C) 1 0.e5 lt:id5 1 1 .0-0 78
Chapter ?
l.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llJf3 llJf6 4.llJc3 e6 5.ig5 h6 6.ih4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 s.ig3 b5 9.ie2 ib7
10.0-0 llJbd7 1 1.llJe5 h5! 12.llJxd7 ¥Mxd7
A) 1 3.ie5 1"i:h6 1 4.Wc l 83
A l ) 1 4 ... lt:ig4 83
A2) 1 4 ... lt:i h7 84
A2 1 ) 1 5. f4 84
A22) 1 5 .h3 85
A3) 1 4 ... i"i:gG! 86
B) 1 3.Wcl 89
Chapter 8
l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.llJf3 llJf6 4.llJc3 e6 5.ig5 h6! 6.ixf6 ¥Nxf6
A) 7.e4 97
B) 7.a3!? 98
C) 7.Wb3 JOO
D) 7.Wc2 103
E) 7.g3 lt:id7 8.ig2 dxc4 9.0-0 ie7 105
E l ) 10.e3 105
£2) 1 0.lt:ie4 106
256
Grandmaster Repertoire - The Semi-Slav
Chapter 9
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f'3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.ig5 h6 6.ixf6 'Wxf6 7.e3 lll d7 8.id3 dxc4 9.ixc4
A) 9 ...idG! 1 0.0-0 iWe7 1 10
A l ) l l .e4 1 1 0
A2) l l .'We2 1 1 1
A3) l l .'Wc2 1 1 1
A4) 1 Uk l 1 12
A5) l 1 .lll e4 1 13
B) 9 ... g6 1 0.0-0 ig7 1 14
B l ) l l .'Wc2 1 15
B2) 1 1 .E'.el 1 1 6
B3) l l .e4 1 16
B4) l l .b4 1 1 7
B 5 ) 1 1 .E'.cl 0-0 1 18
B5 1 ) 1 2.e4 118
B52) 12.i,b3 1 19
Chapter 10
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f'3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.e3 lll bd7 6.id3 dxc4! 7.ixc4 b5
A) 8.ib3 122
B) 8.ie2 i,b7 124
B l ) 9.e4 124
B2) 9.0-0 125
C) 8.id3 ib7 9.a3 id6!? 1 0.0-0 0-0 128
C l ) l 1 .lll g 5 129
C2) l l .b4 129
C3) l l .e4 130
C4) l l .id2 132
Chapter 1 1
I .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.lll f'3 lll f6 4.lll c3 e6 5.e3 lll bd7 6.id3 dxc4 7.ixc4 b5 8.id3 ib7 9.e4 b4
IO.lll a4 c5! 1 1.e5 lll d5
A) 1 2.lll g 5?! 135
B) 12.lll xc5 136
C) 12.0-0 cxd4 138
C l ) 1 3 .lll xd4 lt:lxe5 1 4.ib5t lll d7 1 5.E'.el E'.c8 139
C l 1 ) 1 6.'Wh5 140
C l 2) 1 6.b3 142
C2) 1 3.Ei:el gG! 1 4.ig5 'Wa5 1 5.lll xd4 aG 143
C2 1 ) 1 6.a3 144
C22) 1 6.id2!? 145
Variation Index
257
Chapter 12
l.d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.liJf3 tiJf6 4.liJc3 e6 S.e3 liJbd7 6.id3 dxc4 7.ixc4 bS 8.id3 ih7 9.0-0 a6
10.e4 cS 1 1.dS! c4 12.ic2 Vf!c7
A) 1 3.'1We2 149
B) l 3.l2Jd4 l2Jc5 150
B l ) 1 4.'\Wf3 151
B2) 14.'\We2 152
B3) 1 4.ig5 153
B4) 1 4.b4 cxb3 1 5.axb3 b4 16.l2Ja4 l2J cxe4! 155
B4 1 ) 1 7.dxe6 155
B42) l 7.ixe4 156
Chapter 13
l.d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.liJf3 liJf6 4.liJc3 e6 5.e3 liJbd7 6.id3 dxc4 7.ixc4 bS 8.id3 ih7 9.0-0 a6
10.e4 cS 1 1.dS c4 12.ic2 Vf!c7 13.dxe6 fxe6
A) 1 4.e5?! 160
B) 14.'\We2 id6 1 5 .ltJd4 ltJc5 1 6.f4 e5 160
B l ) 1 7.l2Jf5 1 61
B2) l 7.l2Jdxb5!? 162
C) 1 4.l2Jg5 l2Jc5 1 5 .e5! 163
C l ) 1 5 . . .'\Wc6?! 164
C2) l 5 ... '\Wxe5 166
0) l 4.l2Jd4 l2Jc5 l 5 .ie3! e5! 169
0 1 ) 1 6.l2Jf5 1 69
02) 16.l2Jf3 170
E) 1 4.l2Je2!? 171
Chapter 14
l.d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.liJf3 liJf6 4.liJc3 e6 S.e3 liJbd7 6.Vf!c2 id6
A) 7.a3 176
B) 7.id2 1 77
C) 7.e4 179
258
Grandmaster Repertoire - The Semi-Slav
Chapter 1 5
1 .d4 d 5 2.c:4 c:6 3.llif3 .!li f6 4. .!lic:3 e6 5.e3 .!libd7 6.Wfc:2 !d6 7.b3 0-0
A) 8.�d3 183
B) 8.�b2 185
C) 8.ie2! bG! 9.0-0 ib7 10.ib2 Wie7 186
C l ) l l .e4 187
C2) 1 1 .:gad l :gad8 12.me l mes 188
C2 1 ) 1 3.�d3 189
C22) 1 3 .ifl 189
C3) 1 U =lacl l§:ac8 1 2.l§:fd l l§:fd8 191
C3 1 ) 1 3 .Wib l 192
C32) 1 3.g3 192
Chapter 16
1 .d4 d5 2.c:4 c:6 3.llif3 .!lif6 4 ..!li c:3 e6 5.e3 .!libd7 6.Wfc:2 !d6 7.g4!? h6!
A) 8.id2 dxc4 9.ixc4 b5 195
A l ) 1 0.id3 195
A2) 1 0.ie2 ib7 l l .e4 ie7! 196
A2 1 ) 1 2.gS 197
A22) 1 2.eS 198
B) 8.Ei:gl e5! 9.cxd5 cxd5 199
B l ) 1 0.h4 200
B2) 1 0.tLlb5 ib8 1 1 .gS hxg5 12.lLixg5 e4 1 3.id2 tLlb6 201
B2 1 ) 1 4.Ei:c l 201
B22) 1 4.WicS 202
C) 8.h3 202
Chapter 17
1 .d4 d5 2.c:4 c:6 3.llif3 .!lif6 4 ..!li c:3 e6 5.e3 .!libd7 6.Wfc:2 !d6 7.J.d3 dxc:4 8.J.xc4 0-0 9.0-0
A) 9 . . . e5 1 0.ib3! h6! 206
A l ) l 1 .h3 201
A2) 1 1 .Ei:d 1 ! 208
B) 9 ... b5 1 0.ie2 ib7 210
B l ) l l .e4 210
B2) 1 1 .Ei:dl Wic7 1 2.e4 e5 212
B2 1 ) 1 3.igS 213
B22) 1 3.dxeS 213
B23) 1 3.g3 214
Variation Index
259
Chapter 1 8
l.d4 d 5 2.c4 c6 3.l£if3 c!£if6 4.l£ic3 e6 5.e3 c!£ibd7 6.Wfc2 id6 7.id3 dxc4 8.ixc4 0-0
9.0-0 b5 10.id3 ib7
A) l l .e4217
B) l l .a3 :gc8 218
B l ) 1 2.lLig5 c5! 218
Bl 1) 1 3.lLixh7 219
B l 2) 1 3.ixh7t 220
B2) 1 2.:gdl c5! 222
B2 1 ) 1 3.ixb5 222
B22) 1 3.lLixb5 223
B3) 1 2.b4 c5! 1 3.bxc5 ixf3 224
B3 1 ) 14.gxf3 225
B32) 14.cxd6 lLid5 1 5.gxf3 '1Wg5t! 1 6.iii h l '\Wh5 226
B32 1 ) 1 7.ixh7t 226
B322) l 7.ie2 228
Chapter 19
l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.l£if3 c!£if6 4.l£ic3 e6 5.g3 dxc4!
A) 6.lLie5 232
B) 6.ig2 b5! 233
B l ) 7.0-0 233
B2) 7.lLie5! '\Wb6! 235
B2 1 ) 8.a4 235
B22) 8.0-0 235
Chapter 20
l .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.l£if3 c!£if6 4.l£ic3 e6 5.cxd5 exd5
A) 6.if4 239
B) 6.ig5 240
C) 6.'\Wc2 g6! 7.ig5 ie7 241
C l ) 8.ixf6 242
C2) 8.e3 242
C3) 8.e4 244
260
Grandmaster Repertoire - The Semi-Slav
Chapter 21
I.d4 dS 2.c4 c6 3.c!lif3 c!Lif6 4.c!lic3 e6 S.1Mfd3!? dxc4 6.Wl'xc4 bS
A) 7.Wl'b3 248
B) 7.�d3 a6 249
B l ) 8.e4 250
B2) 8.�g5 c5 251
B2 1) 9.ixf6 251
B22) 9.a4 252
Grandmaster Preparation
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION
POSITIONAL
PLAY
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION
STRATEGIC
PLAY
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION
The Grandmaster Preparation series
Jacob Aagaard offers a comprehensive uaining program
Scoctish/Danish Grandmasrer and rrainer of Champions,
towards rhe highesr ride in chess.
Negi on 1 .e4
Parimarjan
Negi
1 .e4 vs The
nch, Caro­
& Philidor
QUAUTYCHESS
Reaction to 1 .e4 vs The French,
Caro-Kann & Philidor:
It's so good! It shows everything that you
need to produce world-class preparation.
GM Matthew Sadler, New in Chess
u
The day after the book was on sale
I won a nice game at the Olympiad
with White against a French Defence
in a topical variation, following one of
his recommendations. No, it was not
a coincidence! And yes, I am a quick
reader.
GM Anish Giri, World No.
6
QUALITYCHESS
H
POSITIOD A L
D EC I S I O n m R H l n G 1 n C H ES S
BORIS GELFADD
.. I
QUAJ../1)' CHESS
Boris Gelfand
Positional Decision Making in Chess
20 1 2 World Championship Challenger Boris Gelfand
describes his approach to positional chess, based on his
own games and those of his great hero Akiba Rubinstein.
La rs Sc h a n d o rff
The Semi-Slav
La rs S c h a n d o rff's two vo l u m es o n 1 .d4 were c e l e b rated by
revi ewers a n d g ra n d masters. G M S i m e n Agd estei n sa i d :
"I
have recen tly been reading Lars Schandorff's Playing 7 . d4
books, thinking tha t it cannot possibly get more instructive
than this." M e a n w h i l e, G M B o r i s Av r u k h's verd i ct was s i m p l e:
"Lars, I want to play your book."
Now S c h a n d o rff switc h e s s i d es a n d offers a to p - c l a ss
S e m i - S l a v reperto i re a g a i n st 1 .d4. The Semi-Slav stri kes t h e
pe rfect ba l a n c e of a m b i t i o n a n d s o u n d n ess, w h i c h h a s
m a d e i t p o p u l a r at every l eve l u p t o a n d i n c l u d i n g t h e world
c h a m p i o n s h i p. B l a c k needs to k n ow his stuff, b u t S c h a n d o rff
is t h e i d e a l g u i d e to m a ke t h e l ea r n i n g process a p l ea s u re.
Lars S c h a nd o rff is a Da n i s h g ra n d m a ster w h o i s re n ow n ed
fo r h i s deep o pe n i n g p repa rati o n .
€24.99
�
QUALITY CHESS
www.q u a l itych ess.co. u k
ISBN 978-1 -907982-94-1
9 781 907 982941
$29.95
5 2 9 9 5
II