Contents 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3

Introduction by the Editor ...... 5 Foreword ...... 7 Part 1 Early Deviations 4...c5; 4...Ba6 ...... 14 Part 2 Rare Answers on Move 5 4...Bb7 5.¤c3 ...... 36 Part 3 The Fianchetto System 4...Bb7 5.¤c3 g6 ...... 45 Part 4 Rare Sixth Moves of White 4...Bb7 5.¤c3 d5 ...... 57 Part 5 Tarrasch Structures 4...Bb7 5.¤c3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 ...... 68 Part 6 The Old Main Line 4...Bb7 5.¤c3 d5 6.cxd5 ¤xd5 7.e3 ...... 80 Part 7 The Dementiev System 4...Bb7 5.¤c3 d5 6.cxd5 ¤xd5 7.Bd2 ...... 98 Part 8 White Takes on c3 by Queen 7.Qc2 Nxc3 8.Qxc3 ...... 115 Part 9 The Main Line 7.Qc2 Be7 8.e4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 ...... 125 Part 10 Black Deviations from the Main Line 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 ...... 143 Part 11 Black Deviations from the Main Line-2 7.Qc2 c5 8.e4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Nc6; 9...Nd7 ...... 149 Part 12 Gambit Lines ...... 163 Index of Variations ...... 167 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3, 5...Ne4 and other rare moves

Foreword

The Queen’s Indian Defence 1.d4 Tigran”. Meanwhile Petrosian kept Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 was basical- playing his system, earning points ly conceived as an antidote to other and leaving the other players per- openings – White wanted to avoid plexed. the Nimzo-Indian, while Black Only in the late 70ies and early was looking for alternatives to the 80ies the attitude began to change. Queen’s Gambit. Time has not players appreciated the changed tastes much. The pin from strong points of Petrosian’s idea b4 remains unpleasant to many and started independent explora- first players, not to mention dou- tion. Thus the Dementiev system bled pawns on the c-file! (with Bd2) was born. However the For a long time the QID had the real burst of popularity came with reputation of a peaceful unambi- the successes of . tious opening where White would He not only embraced the Petrosian struggle to obtain even a slight edge. system, but he charged it with ener- The b7-bishop gave Black full con- gy. Kasparov crushed his opponents trol over the central squares, and by direct kingside attacks, making it especially e4. Besides, a possible seem natural and easy, like his vic- exchange of light-squared bishops tory over Portisch: would reduce even further White’s Kasparov-Portisch, Niksic 1983 chances of developing a real initia- XIIIIIIIIY tive in the centre. 9-+r+-trk+0 The concept of the great cham- 9zplwq-vlpzpp0 pion that White 9-zp-+p+-+0 should spend a tempo on a2-a3 to 9sn-+-+-+-0 secure the c3-knight did not receive 9-+PzP-+-+0 universal acclaim at first. Everyone 9zP-+L+N+-0 thought it was just another sign of 9-vL-+QzPPzP0 the notorious cautiousness of “Iron 9+-+R+RmK-0 xiiiiiiiiy 7 Foreword

17.d5 exd5 18.cxd5 Bxd5 Qc4 17.Bg5 Bd8 18.Rad1 Rc8 19.h4 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Rxd5 Kg8 h6 20.Bf4 Qd5 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Ne5 Rfd8 23.Qg4+ XIIIIIIIIY Kf8 24.Qf5 f6 25.Nd7+ Rxd7 9-+rvl-trk+0 26.Rxd7 Qc5 27.Qh7 Rc7 28.Qh8+ 9zp-+n+pzp-0 Kf7 29.Rd3 Nc4 30.Rfd1 Ne5 9-zp-+p+-zp0 31.Qh7+ Ke6 32.Qg8+ Kf5 33.g4+ 9+-+qzP-+-0 Kf4 34.Rd4+ Kf3 35.Qb3+ 1-0 9-+-zP-vL-zP0 A lot of time had passed before 9zP-+R+N+-0 Black reached to the conclusion 9-+-+QzPP+0 that trading light-squared bishops 9+-+R+-mK-0 would reduce the enemy’s attack- xiiiiiiiiy ing potential and would make more 21.Nh2! f5 22.Bxh6!±. room for manoeuvres. This treat- Even without bishops White’s ment was even proclaimed as the initiative can be difficult to tame. safe equalizer against the Petrosian system, but as you will see from Part The Petrosian system is very 9, Black still has plenty of problems rich in strategic ideas and different to solve in that line: pawn structures. One can face iso- Krasenkow-Cvitan lators, hanging pawns, hedgehogs, Plovdiv 2003 Gruenfeld and Benoni setups, mo- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 bile pawn centres. This variety of Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Qc2 options gives the better player fair Be7 8.e4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Bd3 c5 chances to win. It will certainly con- 11.0-0 Qc8 12.Qe2 Ba6 13.Rd1 Bxd3 tinue to attract new fans to the Pet- 14.Rxd3 Nd7 15.e5 cxd4 16.cxd4 rosian system. Alexander Beliavsky Adrian Mikhalchishin November 2008

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