Sergey Kasparov
A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
Lure Your Opponent into the Philidor Swamp
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ISBN: 978-90-5691-593-3 Contents
Explan.ation of Sf1I1bols ...... 6 Introduction...... 7
Part I The Treacherous Ending: 4.dxe5 dxeS 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 .••. 11
Chapter 1 The Principled 6.i.g5 ..••••.•..•••••.•••.••.••• 12
Chapter 2 Pressure on f7: 6.i.c4•.•••.•••••••••..••.•••...• 36
Section 1: 6 ... i.e6 ...... 37 Section 2: 6 ... �e8...... 50
Part II Flexible Development: 4.lt:Jge2••••••.•..•.•.•...... 75
Part III The Rare 4.f3 • • ...... • • . . . . • • . . • • ...... • ...... 9 5
Part IV Transposing to the Philidor: 4.tt::Jf3 ..•••...... •..•.•• 105
Chapter 1 The Surrender of the Centre (.•.exd4) on Different Moves • . • . . • • • . • . • . • . • . . • • 1 06 Section 1: 4... e5xd4 ...... 107 Section 2: 5... e5xd4 ...... 117 Section 3: The Manoeuvre ... lt:Jd7-b6...... 124 Section 4: 8... e5xd4 ...... 140
Chapter 2 Rare lines on White's 5th move ..••....•••.••.... 161
Chapter 3 Attack on the f7-Pawn • • . . . . . • • • . . • . • • . . • • . . . . • 191 Section 1: The Sacrifice 6.i.x£7 + ...... 192 Section 2: Black Plays ... a7 -aS ...... 201 Section 3: The Flexible Structure (a6, b6, c6) ...... 235 Section 4: Black Doesn't Play ... c7 -c6 ...... 286
Exercises ...... 3 0 3 Solutions to Exercises ...... 31 0
Conclusion ...... 32 3 Index ofVariations...... 32 5 Index of Players ...... 3 3 I
5 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
Explanation of Symbols
The chess board with its coordinates:
7
6
5
4 ± White stands slightly better + Black stands slightly better 3 ± White stands better 2 ::;: Black stands better +- White has a decisive advantage a b c d e f g h -+ Black has a decisive advantage = balanced position good move II excellent move 0 White to move ? bad move • Black to move ?? blunder '.it King !? interesting move 'if Queen ?! dubious move .l:t Rook -7 attack � Bishop # mate ttJ Knight corr. correspondence
6 Introduction
Hello, dear reader!
This is Sergey Kasparov, grandmaster from Belarus (not to be confused with Russia!). We may have met before - in previous books or articles.
First a couple of words about geography.This is relevant to the subtitle and an important theme of this book. Belarus is a country in Eastern Europe situated between Poland and Russia. The territory is mostly plain and covered with wilds.
Let me hasten to inform you about something I forgot to mention in my pre vious book, Steamrolling the Sicilian: the technical part of the work on this book is performed by my wife Tatiana (WIM) and the translation from Russian into English was done by my daughter Eva. Yo u may also know them, if we have met in some tournament.
The initial moves of this book's subject are as fo llows: l.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf'6 3.li:X:3 eS!?. Now please don't put the book back on the shelf! Take a few minutes and let me give you a couple of good arguments to study this opening, which looks so strange at first glance.
Firstly, 3 . ..e5 !? is applied even by chess players whose Elo is over 2600-2700
- just look at the game list at the end of the book. Secondly - well, can you name an opening where Black has no problems at all? Not? Quite. Thirdly, a well-known publishing house like New in Chess wouldn't get in volved with any senseless topics, would they? From several options, this one was chosen.
If all this doesn't satisfy you, then allow me to try and explain the essence of the 'strange' move 3 ...e5 !?. Chess is a model of war. The white and black pieces represent armies which are equal in their material supplies and placed in the same way, and opposite one another. The basic difference lies in the military leaders (the chess players) and the advantage of the firstmove. The white army is the first to strike, it seizes the initiative at least temporarily. Perhaps the author should present the facts as neutrally as possible, as if he were an anchorman with Euronews or CNN. But gradually you will realize that I mostly investigate this opening from Black's point of view. For one, because I use it myself from time to time. So I won't sail under false colours, and I will show my hand from the very beginning. Yes, I aim to convince you to play this structure with black!
7 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
Let's go back to the war model. The enemy is approaching us and we are to orga nize a defence, taking into account the peculiarities of the environment. Black's development in this opening is remindful of warfare in swampy lowlands. Do you know what a swamp is? If you are from the United States, England or Poland, I think you can. For all other readers, here is a definition, taken from Wikipedia:
A swamp is a wetland that is forested. Other names for swamps include 'bog'. 'mire' and 'muskeg'. A swamp is a mire that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material - often mosses. Water flowing out of swamps has a characteristic brown colour, which comes fr om dissolved peat tannins.
So, you see, it is difficult to wage an attack in a swampy area. Even simply wal king is dangerous there! One wrong move and you may die, getting sucked down in the bog by natural powers.
We know from Wo rld War II that the Wehrmacht, during its offensive in 1941- 4 2. practically ignored the part of the territory situated in Ukraine and Belarus which is called 'Polesye'- especially because of these barely negotiable swamps.
8 Introduction
If you look at the maps of the actions of that period, you will see that raids of the Armies Group Centre and South were directed along diverging lines. There is no 'shoulder-to-shoulder connection' between them, these two groupings were separated by up to 300 kilometers(!). During its three-year occupation, many regions of Polesye remained under the control of partisans (the resistance move ment) . They say that there were even autonomous Soviet bodies there.
Now let's return to our opening. When applying 3 ...e5, Black as it were draws the enemy fire. In fa ct, after the principled 4.dxe5dxeS 5. 'i:Vxd8+ �xd8 Black has lost his castling rights; White is on move again and he can later develop with 0-0-0+. This means that he will be about two moves ahead of his opponent. But that is exactly the catch. Yo u get the impression that Black is balancing on the precipice, and that it will suffice for White to just strike a couple of crucial blows in order to win. Alas, reality is often much more prosaic. White's pieces are being 'sucked' into several echelons of the enemy defence, as if in a swamp. His legs are growing sluggish because they get stuck in the slime. Each move is arduous for him, his breathing gets heavy and rapid. And then a thick green mass closes over his head ... A nightmare, isn't it?
Have I managed to convince you to buy the book? If yes, then hurry, for it may be the last copy on the shel£
The treacherous 'ending' I have just described, is dealt with in Part I of this book. If the white player prefers a full-blooded, complicated struggle - something like warfare in regions with good transport infrastructure (highways, railway) - then he usually chooses not to transfer to an ending, but plays 4-.ffi (Part IV) or so mething like that (Part II and III) . Especially after 4.tt:Jf3 , the fight continues in the spirit of the Philidor Defence. Here Black has to decide whether he wants to stick to central strategy or, sooner or later, to surrender the centre with ...eSx d4, gaining access to the half-open e-file.
In conclusion I'd like to mention - to those who are not acquainted with me - that I do not claim to present you with the ultimate truth. The opening under scrutiny does not so much rely on tempo-play as the Sicilian Defence, the Marshall Attack, and others. That is why in our opening, the move order is usually not so critical, with the exception of some positions. Yo u can never please everyone, so I will try to cater for the majority.And I dare guess that a great number of amateur chess players prefer to create at the board rather than swot long variations of 1 S-2 0 moves. That is why I have tried to cover the main lines and explain the plans fo r both sides, which will considerably fa ci litate your search for the right paths during the game.
9 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
If you have any remarks about the book, please send them to me, at tkasparova@ rambler.ru. Yo ur ideas may be presented in an updated later version of the book. Besides, I may be able to use them in my lessons.
If possible, please try to read the book with a more or less fresh head, when you are not too tired. Then everything will be clear and easy fo r you!
I wish you a pleasant, useful and splendid time with this book!
Sergey Kasparov, Mogilev, Belarus, january 2 0 IS
10 Part I
The Treacherous Ending
1.e4 d6 2.d4lbf6 3.ti)c3 eS 4.dxe5 dxeS 5.'W'xd8+ �xd8
In this Part we will describe all the ins and outs of the treacherous endgame described in the Introduction.
11 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
Chapter 1 The Principled 6.�g5
1.e4 d6 2.d4 ti:lf6 3.tDc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. -.xd8+ �xd86 . .tg5
We start our research with White's most principled reaction. 6.i.gS is one of the most reasonable moves. The f6 -knight is pinned; queenside castling is in the off ing. If White wishes, he can also damage the enemy pawn structure by means of ti:lc3-dSxf6 or even i.gSxf6. As a rule Black's reply is to bring the c8-bishop out to e6, fo llowed by putting the b8-knight on d7. In recent years, 6 ...c6 has also become fashionable. 6 ... .te6 White's move order is not so important now. One way or another he tries to blow up Black's centre by f2-f4. If instead White limits himself to simple deve lopment, then Black doesn't have many problems. Let me show you a couple of examples from my own practice
12 Part I-l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.lt:lc3 eS 4.dxe5 dxeS 5. 'ifxd8+ Wxd8
1 the pressure upon the light squares is Ahmad lssa unpleasant, for instance IS . .ic4+ We? Sergey Kasparov (2458) 16.tbd5+ �f8 17.tt::Jb6;!;. 15.�d3 l:lg7 Lebanon 2002 (6) IS .. Jlxg2 16. .ie4±. 16.�e4 l:la7 17.l:ld3 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.dxe5 tbd7 18J:lh3 tbf8 19.l:ld1 The second rook dxe5 5. 'ii'xd8+
13 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black right. The knight on e2 had no prospects it works, but it is not enough for any (due to the eS-pawn) and it prevented its thing real. own bishop's development. 29.axb4+ axb4+ 30. �d2 ttJc8 The total centralization of Black's monarch wouldn't bring success either: 30.. 5.¥id4 3I.tt:'lg3 with ideas like tt:'lg3- hS or tt:'lg3-e2+, pushing back the un invited guest. 31 .�e3 lbd632. lbd2 ..tg8 112-112
The following encounter took place during the first stage of the Belarus team championship. Please don't get confused by the Elo-ratings. In those 13... .bd4 14. .:.Xd4 lLlh5 1 5.l:ld2 days they were all considerably low Interesting is the creative ISJhd7+ er than today ('inflation'). Besides, �xd7 16 . .txeS with sufficient com the white pieces were led by a future pensation for the exchange. The dark Belarus champion (1997). squared bishop is very strong. This game shows that White doesn't 15... lbxg3 1 6.hxg3 have the right to play 'as he wants' in Black already has a better position. this line. Even without pawn defects, he Please note the passive fl-bishop. Don't may have problems due to Black's ad forget that White's central pawn is fixed vantage of the two bishops. on a light square. 16... f6 2 The standard push of White's doubled German Kochetkov (2385) g-pawns suggests 16... hS!? . Sergey Kasparov (2320) 17.�e2 l:lad8 18.lbd1h6 19.tbe3 ttJb6 Belarus It 1996 (4) 20 . .:.Xd8 .:.Xd8 21 .g4 :ld7 22.l:ld1 1.d4 d6 2.e4 ttJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.dxe5 .:.Xd1 + 23.�xd 1 ltJa4 24. �c1 b5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . ..tg5 ..te6 25.b3 lLlb6 26.�b2 �d6 27.ttJf1 �cs 7.0-0-0+ lbd7 8.lLlf3?! �c8 9 . ..th4 28.�c3 b4+ With the idea tt:'lf3-gS, breaking up Black's kingside pawns and gaining the bishop pair.
It looks like I'm doing my best to get a grip on all the dark squares, and indeed
14 Part I- l.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJ£6 3. ta3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'tWxd8+ Wxd8
9 ... h6 10.�g3 �d6 11.�b5 Compare this position with the one II.tt::lbs doesn't work because of ll ... tt::lxe4. in the previous diagram. Black's pawn 11...a6 12. hd7 + tillcd7 13. ttJd5 16 structure is very flexible, and there are 14.ttJd2 no strongpoints for White's knights. For tt::ld2-c4 is planned, but Black has many the sake of objectivity we should note good lines here. that it is difficult for Black to win. But 14... b5=F the fight is for two results only. 14... c6 IS.tt::lc4 �cS 16.b4 cxdS 17.exdS 29 . .:td1 i.h6 30.:Xd7+ �xd7 31.�d2 �g4+. i.c4 32.ttJd1 �d6 33.�e1 �e6 15.ttJ11 .:tea16 .ttJ1e3 �cs 34. �e2 �g5 35.b4 �d8 36. �d3 �b6 16... b7. 37.c4 �d4 38.c5+ �e7 39.h4 �6 17.ltJ15 �18 18. .:the1 40.g3 as 41 .ttJc3 a4 Now the a3-pawn is potentially weak, but will the two bishops have enough resources to overcome the adversary without the king's participation? With adequate defence it is a draw. 42.ltJcd1 �g8 43.ttJc3 �h7 44.ttJe2 �b2 45.ttJc2 �g8 46.
47 ...gxh 4?! Winning is 47... �b3! 48.tt::lbl (48.tt::ldl �xc2 49.tt::lxb2 gxh4 SO.gxh4 �xe4 SI.e3 �c2! and the knight is arrested: S2.'i!t>d2 �bl S3.tt::ldl 'i!t>fS-+) 48 ... �xc2 49.'�xc2 �d4 SO.tt::ld2 �f2
15 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
5I.hxg5+ �xg5 52/Llf3+ Wf6-+. The g-pawn perishes and the king can't leave the queenside because of the weakness on a3. 48.gxh4 .ib3 Alas, now there is only a pawn on h4 and White has enough time to protect it. 49.lLJb1 .ie6 49 ... �xc2 50.�xc2 �d4 SI.ti:Jd2 �f2 52.ti:Jf3 - do you see the difference? Earlier on there were two weaknesses: h4 and g3. The initiative is in Black's hands - 50.tbc3 .ig4 51.liJd1 .id4 52.liJde3 besides, having the two bishops is gen .if3 53.�d3 .ib2 54.lLJe1 .ig4 erally good. 55.�d2 �e6 112-112 17.lLJf5 hf5 18.exf5 .ie3!=F Well, does Black have chances of vic Not allowing the knight's transfer to tory in this 'swamp'? For me this is a the ideal blockading square e4. By the definite yes. way, it is important fo r Black to give his bishop fo r this knight so as to remain In the fo llowing game from the Baku with dissimilar pieces. Open, White, trying to avoid sharp 19. .1:lhe1 h4 20 . .if1 ?! lines, even failed to make a draw. You 20.g3. can observe the viability of the structure 20 ... .ig1 ! f7-f6-e5. In such cases Black should pay Weakening White's structure. attention to the control of the blockad 21 . .1:le4 ttJb6 22.h3 ing squares fS (if the enemy pawn stays Now one h4-pawn fixes two white on e4) or e4 (like in this game). pawns. 22 ... liJd5 3 Even stronger is 22 ...ti:lc8 !? with the Amimeza Pourramezanali (2455) 'carnivorous' desire ...ti:lc 8-d6xf5. Denis Khismatullin (2661) 23 . .1:lde1 .ih2 Baku Open 2013 (1) 23 ...ti:le 7?! 24.f4. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLJf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 24 . .1:lg4 .ig3 25 . .1:lc1 b6 26.1:84 aS dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . .ig5 .ie6 27 .c4 lLJe3-+ 7.0-0-0+ �c8 8.lLJf3 I think it is difficult to raise obstacles fo r Black without playing f2-f4 because the e5-pawn is easily defendable. 8 ... ttJbd7 9.hf6 gxf6 10.lLJh4 c6 11.�b1 tbc5 The bishop sorties ll...�b4 or ll...�cS deserve attention. 12.f3 h5 13.lLJe2 �c7 14.tbc1 .ih6 15.liJd3 l:ad816 . .ie2 llJa4
16 Part I- l.e4 d6 2.d4 lZJ£6 3. tLx3 eS 4.dxe5 dxeS 5. Yi'xd8+ <;t>xd8
The triumph of Black's strategy. The threat is 28 ...lt::J xfl and then 29 ... .l::rxd3; besides, the white fS-pawn will perish. This spells disaster fo r the firstplayer, as the pawn mass f7-f6-eS becomes mo bile. 28.Aa3 .:td4 29 . .ie2 29.lt::JxeS lt::Jxfl 30.llxfl fxeS also leaves no doubts about the result. 29 ... :Xc430. :Xc4 t2Jxc4 31 . .:tc3 tbd6 32.b4 .l:[b8 33.bxa5 bxa5+ 34. .:tb3 :Xb3+ 35.axb3 t2Jxf5 36.tLlb2 .ie1 37.tbd1 �d6 38 . .ic4 �e7 39.�c2 tbd6 40 . .h6 f5 41 .tbe3 �e6 42.tLlc4 Denis Khismatullin tLlb5 Of course, Black shouldn't trade off 4 the knights: 42 ...lt::Jxc4 43.�xc4+ with Marat Dzhumaev (2495) drawing tendencies. Denis Khismatullin (2655) 43.�d1 .ib4 44 . .ic8+ Wf6 45.tbb6 Voronezh Open 2010 (2) �g5 0-1 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.dxe5 Further resistance is futile. dxe5 5. 1!fxd8+ �xd8 6 . .ig5 .ie6 7.0-0-0+ Of course, concrete play looks more ag What can be more logical than this gressive. While the black king is in the move? centre and his rooks are disconnected 7 ... �c8 8.14 exf4 9.tbge2 .id6 (this is one of the main downsides of 10. .ixf6 gxf6 this line) White must try to open up lines and diagonals. In the following encounter the pawn chain of the same Russian player (Khismatullin) quickly falls to pieces. But this is one of the paradoxes of this strange opening. The bishop pair harmonizes with the pawns on f7, f6 , f4 . The light squared one is always located on e6 and its elimination will automatical The tripled pawns shouldn't confuse ly improve Black's pawn structure, you as the bishops 'hold them together'. after which Black's other bishop 11.tbd5 ttJd7 12.tLlexf4 c6 will be the boss on the dark-square Simple and good. Black's position is al complex. On eS it also holds Black's ready the more pleasant. central structure together. 13.t2Jxe6 Besides, the fo ot soldier on e4 is isolat I don't see any other options, but now ed, which sometimes is not good. the black pawn fo rmation is repaired.
17 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
13... fxe6 14.ttJc3 �c7 29.ltJd8 %-% Interesting was 14 ... �f4+ lS.'ltbl �eS;l;. As you see, even vapid endings can be 15.g3 .tes 16.lL'e2 ttJcs 17 . .i.g2 h5 fr aught with nuances. Khismatullin had The Russian player intends to shake real chances to win. White's foundations on the kingside by a minority attack. Frequently Black abstains from moving 18.ltJf4 l:ag8 19. .i.h3 �b6 his c-pawn as long as he can, so as to Or 19 ... �xf4+ 20.gxf4 aS . But there is maximally avoid weakenings. Let me already nothing real fo r Black. show you a master-class taken from the 20.ltJxe6 ltJxe421 .J:lhf1 aS famous tournament in Wijk aan Zee. I 21...h4!?. haven't ever participated there, but on 22.J:lf3 a4 23 . .i.f5 ltJd6 24 . .i.d3 h4 the whole, the Netherlands appeal to 25.c4
Let's see how American player Varuzhan Akobian obtained a comfortable 'good knight versus bad bishop' position in his fightwith Emil Sutovsky. The knight on eS fe els perfectly at ease between the 26 ... ltJc8? white e4-pawn (which covers it from a Correct was 26 .. /t::lbS with the fo llow frontal attack) and its own fo ot soldier ing possible variation (not forced): on e6, which secures it against side at 27.�d2 hxg3 28.hxg3 .l:thl+ 29 . .l::tfl tacks by rooks from fS or dS . �xfl+ 30.�xfl a3! 31.bxa3 l::rxg3±, or even 26 ...t2Jf7 with the idea ...tt::J gs, 5 trading the knights. After that the cS Emil Sutovsky (2655) pawn may fall and White's kingside Va ruzhan Akobian (2625) pawns are also endangered. Wijk aan Zee B 2010 (10) 27 . .i.c2hxg3 28.hxg3 J:lg4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.dxe5 28 .. Jhg3 29 . .l:lxg3 �xg3 30.t2Jd8=. dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . .i.g5 .te6 Black can't protect the b7- and aS -pawns 7.0-0-0+ �c8 8.f4 exf4 9.ltJge2 ltJbd7 simultaneously. 10.bf4 ltJg4
18 Part I - 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3. tt:Jc3e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 1!fxd8+ Wxd8
A typical manoeuvre. From here the knight is ready to jump to either f2 or eS. 11.lbd4
•
• • Black has a very pleasant position. There is no comparison between the activity of the knight and that of the bishop. However, with some accurate manoeu vring the Israeli fo rces a draw. Anyway! Emil ignores the enemy threat. 22 . .J:Lh4 h6 23 . .J:Lh5 lbc6 24. .J:Lh3 .J:Lad8 ll..�g3 was the alternative. 25 . .J:Lg3 :Xd1+ 26.hd1 gS 27.l:Lb3 11 ... �c5 l:Lb8 28.l:Lh3 l:Lh8 29.l:Lb3 bS 30 . .J:La3 I wonder what White had prepared as 31 . .J:Lc3 'iftd6 32 . .J:Ld3+ 'ifte7 33.l:Lc3 against the naive II...lLlf2. Perhaps 'iftd6 34.l:l.d3+ %-112 something like 12.lLlxe6 fx e6 13.�c4 Well, White held out. It happens in lLlxhl 14.�xe6 �d6 1S.�xd6 cxd6 chess ... 16.1:1xd6 (16.e5) 16 .. Jld8, with very unclear consequences. A similar structure (the pawn re 12.lbcb5 mains on c7) was held fo r a long time A poor decision. Better was 12..�.g3 or by Tatiana against a very promising 12.lLlxe6. Franco-Armenian player in Luxemburg. 12... .tb6 The situation looked alarming, but Moves like 12 ... �xa2 are usually not se our silicon fr iend isn't so pessimistic riously considered over the board. about it. Generally, I try to minimize 13.ttJxe6 fxe6 14.�c4 .J:Le8 the number of my wife's games in my Thus Black manages without ...c7-c6 , books. However, from time to time she even though his rooks are still discon performs rather satisfactorily. nected. 15.l:Lhf1 ? a6 6 Or at once 1S ... �e3+ 16.�xe3 (16.�bl Tigran Gharamian (2517) �xf4 17.�xf4 lLle3-+) 16... lLlxe3 Tatiana Kasparova (2217) 17.l:tf7, unclear. Kaupthing Open 2007 (1) 16.lD83 �e3+ 17.�b1 1 .e4 d6 2.d4 llJf63. lbc3eS 4.dxe5 dxeS Now this is possible, because the a3- 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6.�g5 �e6 7.0-0-0+ knight protects the bishop. CDd7 8.f4 exf4 9.tbf3 h6 10.�4 �b4 17... hf4 1 8.:Xf4 ltJge5 1 9.�e2 �dB 11.lbb5 b5 12.lbe5!? �c8 19... b5. A worthy alternative was 12 ...g5!? . Let's 20.lbc4 �e7 21.ttJxe5 ttJxeS have a look at some lines: 13.�g3 tt:lxe4
19 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black
14.�c4 All reserves join the action! If 14.tt:ld4 We7. 14... l:l.h7
analysis diagram This looks effective, but let's not fo rget analysis diagram that Black has an extra pawn and he has The rook protects the d7-knight time to consolidate while his opponent 'through the pawn'. restores the material balance: 19... �f7 A) 15.�xe6 fxe6 16.l:l.hf1 �e8 1VDxd7 20.tt:lxh7 i.xg3 2l.hxg3 �e6 with l:l.xd7 18.l:l.xd7 �xd7 19.tbxc7 l:l.d8! Main compensation. The wanderer on h7 is taining a dynamic balance. 20.l:l.d1+ �e7 facing death; 20 ... �d2+ 21..l:lxd2+ tt:lxd2 22.'.£1xd2 B3) Let me remind you that square el a6 23.�e3;!;. 21.l:l.xd8 �xd8 22.tbxe6+ is controlled by the aS-bishop: 17.Iife1? �e7 23.tLld4 tbxg3 24.hxg3 �f6 with �xel. counterplay; 13.�c4 a6 14.tbd4 B) 15.l:l.hf1 doesn't improve, viz. To me, during the game, White's 15 ... �e8 16.tbxd7 �xc4 and now: striking constellation in the centre BI) l7.llfs i.e6 I8Jle5 �d8=; seemed menacing. However, the com B2) 17.tbx:c7+ hc7 18.-ID'el £5 19.tbf6+. puter doesn't panic and gives a modest ;!; assessment. 14... .bc4 15.tillc:c4 �b4 16.c3 �c5 17.l:the1
Up to this point Tatiana has played quite logically and the position is near Tlgran Gharamlan equality. Tigran is clearly ahead in de-
20 Part I- l.e4 d6 2.d4 tlJ£6 3. tZ:x3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'iYxdB+ Wxd8 velopment (the black rooks are still 24 ...g5 . separated), but on the other hand one 25.lba5 ltJhf4 26.'iPc2 ltJg6 27.�g3 pair of minor pieces has already been .J:[d8 28 . .J:[f2 .J:[d7 29 . .J:[ef1 ttJd8 30.ttJb3 exchanged. 17... :ea I would also have played this. Direct 'computer' moves like 17 ...b5!? may be objectively stronger, but how can they be fo und by a human?! 18.e5 .bd419 .:Xd4 ttJc5?! Now it was already necessary (the position has simplified after another exchange): 19 ...b5 ! 20.tba5 tbg4 21.h3 (2 I .tbc6 l:le6) 2I...tbgxe5 2Ll::r.xd7! Wxd7 23 . ..txe5 - a rook and pawn are roughly equivalent to Even in this position Black is rather two pieces in this ending. solid. 20.�g3 30 ...c6? ! Here the Franco-Armenian player Better was 30 .. J�d5!. misses a better option: 20.b4! tba4 31.ttJc5 2I..I:ted I i. 3I.tbd4. 20 ... ttJh5! 21.�f2 31 ... :e7 I asked Tatiana: 'Why not 3I..Jid5?' Now she can't remember... If 32.tbe4 tbxeS=. 32.ltJe4 tbxe5 Alas, now square d6 is not under con trol. 33.ttJd6+ 'iPd7 34 . .J:[d1 This is the end already. Throughout the game, the a8-rook was never able to join the struggle. In the tournament hall (to tell the truth, 34 ... ttJg4 35.tbxf7+ 'iPe8 36.ttJd6+ I was rather distracted by my own game 'iPd7 37.tbxb5+ 'iPe8 38.ttJd6+ 'iPd7 at the time) it seemed to me that Tatiana 39.ttJf5+ 'iPe840 . .J:[f3 112-112 was losing without much of a fight. But However, let's be objective. Gharamian this was an optical illusion. is a very strong player, his current Elo 21 ... ttJe6 (December 2014) is 2658. Not every Now the elegant 2I...tDf4! would have at one can make a draw with black against least equalized: 22.�c2 tbce6 and both such an opponent. the rook and the g2-pawn are exposed. 22 . .J:[d2 ltJhf4 A special ending occurred in the fo l Here, instead of 23.�c2 White has a lowing duel. Well, this was not Biel or range of more useful moves. Linares, however White was one of the 23.�g3 ttJh5 24. �h4b5 strongest young Belarus players of the
21 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black time. Our average reader doesn't have weaknesses on f6 , e6, d6 are no adorn any practice in elite tournaments either, ments to Black's position. does he? 15... �c7!? So, in order to avoid the worst, the au I decided to pay things off with a pawn, thor gave a pawn. In the art of warfare to get rid of the annoying h2-bishop this is called the 'scorched earth policy'. and to establish a solid defence. Meanwhile, the flexibilityof Black's po If 15 ... l::i.e8 16.�hfl with pressure. sition is big enough and gradually (not 16.�xc7+ <;itxc7 17.be6 :aea as the result of a blunder) I took over 18.�xd7?! the initiative, pressing on the weakness I cannot exclude that 18. ..tfs would that had arisen on a3. The computer also have been nastier for Black. thinks Black is better. Fortunately, now 18... lbxd7 19.l:lhf1 l:lh7 20.l:lf5 l:lhe7 adays we have the possibility to find the 21 .l:ldf1 ?! b5 22.a3 aS truth (and write articles, books) with With the trivial idea to banish the the help of more or less objective evalu knight from c3 and capture on e4. In ations of chess engines. fa ct, the unbiased computer gives only �here. 7 23.b4?! Dmitry Surma (2280) This move suddenly proves to be fa Sergey Kasparov (2315) tal. Probably more accurate is 23.b3 b4 Belarus It 1997 (12) 24.ltJdi, when the aS-pawn is exposed. 1.d4 ltJf6 2.lbc3 d6 3.e4 e5 4.dxe5 23 ...a4 dxe5 5.'ifxd8+ <;itxd8 6.�g5 �e6 Unclear. Now the c3-knight is safe and 7.0-0-0+ lbd7 8.14 exf4 9.ltJf3 h6 secure, but next on the agenda is an un 10.bf4 �c5?! pleasant trip by its counterpart to c4.
IO.. . ..tb4. 24.�d2 11.h3 c6 12.lbd4 g5 Moving in the wrong direction, but are A risky decision. More careful is there any other options? 12 .. J:te8. 24 ... lbe5 25.�e2 l:le626. l:lf6 lbc4 13.�h2;t�b6 14.lbxe6+ fxe6 15.�c4
Obvious and unbelievable. White is gradually losing the ending in spite of Black definitely experiences problems his extra pawn! here. White's two bishops together with 27.l:lf7+ .:ae7 28. .:Xe7+ .:Xe7 29.l:lf5 his rooks are delivering a crossfire. The ttJxa3 30.l:lc5 �d6 31. �d3 lbc4 32. �d4
22 Part I-l.e4- d6 2.d4- ttJ£6 3.tlx3 e5 4-.dxeS dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8
White's apparently active pieces are absolutely impotent and cannot change anything. The passed a-pawn determines the outcome. 32 ...a3 33.l:tf5
There is some point to the move g2-g3, However, the two black bishops and the intending to fight fo r the dark squares absence of weaknesses in his camp can't and to keep the pawn structure flexible. be disregarded. The downside - dis Now you will see how a grandmaster connected rooks. from Kiev got a certain advantage play 16... .te7 17. .te2 g6 18. .tg4 c6 ing against a specialist of this system. Everything fits like clockwork. With a Under pressure, the Russian made a dark-squared bishop - pawns on light mistake in the end, after which White's squares. far-advanced pawns tore his defence to 19.l:thd1 .bg4 20.hxg4 23 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black A passed pawn and a herd of wild to have to tolerate such 'monsters' in horses are literally trampling on Black's the centre. position. 13.lLlcd5 c6 14.lLle3 �e7 28 ... This is playing with fire already. The knight runs the risk of not surviving this raid. 2o ... :Xg1 21 .:Xg1 :ha 22.:g7+ cotes 23.:g6 I wonder what Ulvi had calculated here. Maybe he missed the point 23.tLlf7? Wf8 when both pieces are subject to attack. Once again the bishops hold the broken 23 ... tillce4 24.c4 pawn structure together. More persistent is 24.fS !:lh7=F. How can White ruin the central f7-f6- 24... :h7 25. �d1 lLlf2+ e6-e5 skeleton? This is the problem. Even more efficient 2S .. .'�f8! 26.l::tg8+ The trade-off of any of the two bishops We7 27J:tg6 fS -if anything, with the will improve Black's pawn structure. idea ...tLle4-f 2-g4. Meanwhile, it is unpleasant for White 26. 24 Part I - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJ£6 3.tZx3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.'ifxd8+ Wxd8 10 Ivan Popov (2582) lldar Khairullin (2604) Ulan Ude 2009 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6.�g5 .i.e6 7.g3 This looks like a sound idea. White is going to get connected pawns in the centre instead of an isolated one. 7 ... �c8 8.f4 Or 8.0-0-0 .tcs 9.�xf6 gxf6 IO.tt::ldS tt::ld7 II.f4 (1. Popov-Khismatullin, Sanan Sjuglrov Moscow 2012) ll...c6 12.f5 �xdS 13.exd5 tt::lb6=. 8 ... �b4 9 . .i.d3 27.l:tg8+ �d7 28.tbxg4 hxg4 29.l:txg4 l:txh2 30.l:tg7+ �c8 31.b4 9 ... tbe8 l:th4 32.l:tg8+ �c7 33.c5 a6 34.f5 Creatively played, as it is not clear exf5 0-1 what the knight will do here when the white pawn gets to eS. It is not In the next game, a specialist of this easy to assess the dynamic position variation treated the opening very after 9 ...exf 4 1 O.gxf4 .txc3+ ll.bxc3 creatively, not to say defiantly, in the tt::la6. Both parties have plenty of pos Russian Higher League championship. sibilities. We can see the drawback of the pseudo 1 O.fxe5 h6 11. .i.f4 active move of the black pawn to g4. A grandmaster playing for micro It reminds one of a separation of the nuances. Ivan provokes the opponent to attacking outpost from the provisions. weaken his position. In this case there was a happy end, but But how could he not? After for instance I'd recommend the reader to be more ll..�e3 tt::lc6 12.tt::lf3 �g4 the eS-pawn cautious and not to fo rget the truism: falls. 'Pawns can't move backwards'! 11 ... g5 12.�e3 tbd7 13.tbf3 25 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Let's stop here fo r a moment. White has surely succeeded with his manoeuvres in the centre. The isolated e4-pawn might have fe lt uneasy if it faced a flexible enemy structure (for example, h7-g7-f6). But now all Black's kingside pawns are uncoordinated and weak. The fS-knight is very strong and White has substantial pressure on the f- file. 21 ... wc7 22.�e3 �d6 23.tbxd6 It was possible to intensify White's pres 13... �f8 ence on the battlefield with 23 . .l::f.ad1 Let's guess the meaning of this strange as Black can't play 23 ... .i.c5? 24 . .txc5 manoeuvre! Ildar is going to eliminate tbxcS 25.tbd4+-. the eS-pawn without making any spe 23 ... �xd6 24.hh6 tbeS 25.�c2 cial positional concessions by means of Simplification is also interesting: ... .i.g7 and ...tt:Jx eS. If by analogy with 2S . .if4 <;t>e7 26 . .ixe5 .l::f.xeS 27. .l::f.f4 . the above-mentioned line Black plays 25 ... tbf3+ 26.:Xf3! gxf3 27.e5+! 13... .i.g4 14.0-0 .i.xc3 15.bxc3 .ixf3 16Jhf3 tbxeS 17.l:.f5 , then the inclu sion of ...g7-g5 is obviously not to his benefit as after 17.. .f6 18. .i.d4 the f6 - pawn is very weak. 14.�d4 More interesting is 14.0-0-0!? .i.g7 15.h4 g4 16.tbd4 with initiative. Still, Black's kingside pawns are weak and his rooks remain disconnected. 14... �g7 15.ltld5 g4 16.tbh4 .bes 17.c3 tbef6 27... :Xe5 Maybe more precise is 17... tt:Jd6 . Cheerless is 27 ...<;t>x e5 28 . .i.f4+ <;t>ds 18.tbf4 l:te8 19.0-0 c6 20.tbxe6 :Xe6 29 . .i.b3+±. 21.tbf5± 28.�f4 tbg4 29.he5+ More accurate is 29.h3 f2+ 30.<;t>g2, but here White would have had to calculate 30 ...tbe 3+ 3I.<;t>xf2 tbxc2 32.�cl� and the knight drops. 29 ... tbxe5 30.c;Pf2 We6 31 .l:td1 fS 32.h4 cS 33.l:td2 Stronger was the disturbing check 33 . .i.b3+, when Black would have had to advance the pawn with 33 ...c4 34 . .i.c2, losing control over d4, which could later be exploited by the white rook. 26 Part I - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJ£6 3.tt::lc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.'iVxd8+ Wxd8 33 ... l:tg8 exf4 8.t!Jf3 h6 9 . .ixf4 t!Jbd7 10.tbd4 Giving Popov another chance to trans .ib4 11.tbxe 6+?! fe r his strongest piece to the desired 4th I'm not sure that this is a good idea. The rank. Spanish-Ukrainian grandmaster deter 34.l:td1? mines the pawn structure too early, and 34 . .l::!d4! (such a non-conventional trick the change is to Black's benefit. isn't easily fo und!) 34 ...cxd4 35.�b3+;!;. 11... fxe6 12. .td3 34... f4 ! The e4-pawn needs protection, but the Taking over the initiative. bishop is passively placed here. 12... .td6 In principle, the unclear 12 ... �xc3+ 13.bxc3 is also possible, spoiling White's 'hairdo' on the queenside. However, as a rule I try to keep at least one bishop against the opponent's two, so that it re mains a real option to trade them. 35.l:tg1 l:tg4 Now the pawns are traded off and it's a draw. Black could have saddled White with some problems with 35 ...f xg3+ 36Jhg3 l:td8+. 36.gxf4 :Xf4 37.l:th1 l:tg4 38 . .id1 l:tg2+ 39.�e3 f2 40.l:tf1 l:th2 41.ie2 . 13. .ie3 :Xh4 %-% Viktor logically preserves the dark squared bishop, and so keeps the tension. Here are two more examples from In addition, the chance may appear to es my own practice. Viktor Moskalenko, cape into an opposite-coloured bishops who later became a well-known chess ending, which is drawish. Black's writer, allows a somewhat straightfor position is rather pleasant after 13.�xd6 ward exchange on e6, thus making it cxd6 14.0-0-0 �e7. easier for me to choose a plan. Black ob 13... .ic5 14. .id2 27 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 24 ... tbfd7 25.�g1 lbb6 26.l:le2 lbba4 27.lbxa4 lbxa4 28.b3 Something completely different is 28.c3!? but then the enemy rook could get to d3, with unpleasant pressure along the third rank, where White's bishops are stationed. 28 ...cxb3 29.cxb3 tbc5 30.�xc5+ l:lxc5 31.l:ld2 l:lc3 32 . .id1 l:lxf1+ 33.�xf1 h5 34.�e2 h4 35.l:ld3 Black's positional advantage is evident, but what should he do next? Ideally, it would be nice for him to exchange the dark-squared bishops and then to penetrate to the key points eS, d4, d2. 23.:C.e1 l:lhf8 As earlier, the consequences of 23 ... �xc3 24.bxc3 eS are not clear. The c3-pawn looks vulnerable (... tbc5 -a4): 2S.�xc5+ .!d.xcS 26.l:r.al. If he can car ry out the a2-a4 push White will obtain Alas, the intrigue is over. Black's extra certain counterplay. I don't think the pawn plays no role after the rook ex outcome of the game is already deter change. You can only give yourself airs mined here. claiming you have gained a draw from a 24.g3 position of strength ... Still, 23 ... �e5xc3 Generally, with a light-squared bishop might have given me better winning it is reasonable to place your pawns on chances. squares of the opposite colour. 35 ... l:lxd3 36.�xd3 hxg3 37.hxg3 hg3 38.a4 �d6 39.axb5 axb5 40.�g4 %-% Things went considerably worse in the final round of an open tournament in Bethune. Me and my opponent were the leaders, as up to that moment each of us had lost just half a point. The French grandmaster played commit tedly and vigorously, while your obe dient servant... had no computer in those years. So I couldn't prepare for the game. The encounter is commented in detail, so let me leave you for a while, I Viktor Moskalenko don't want to fe el the sadness again. 28 Part I- l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:J£6 3. ttl:3 eS 4.dxe5 dxeS 5. 'ifxd8+ 'it>xd8 12 fxe6 16J:[h3!±. A vigorous rook transfer. Jean Marc Degraeve (2588) Now all the files are open fo r it, Palac Sergey Kasparov (2475) Tratar, Nova Gorica 2002. 13.tt:lxe6+fxe6 Bethune Open 2001 (7) 14.tt:le4 Substantially weaker is 14.i.c4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.dxe5 cJi;e7 1S. .l:!'.he1 l:ihf8 (1S...�xc3 16.bxc3;!;; dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . ..ig5 ..ie6 Topalovic-Fercec, Rijeka 2003) 16.�g3 6 ...c6; 6 . ./i:Jd? 7.0-0-0 c6 8.f4 i.e? lifs 17. .l::r.d6 tt:Jcs 18.l:id4 ti:Jf2 un 9.ti:Jf3 tt:Jg4 IO.t:f.d2f6 ll.fxeS fxgS 12.e6 clear, Svidler-Bologan, Novgorod 1995. rJ;c7 13.exd7 i.xd7;!;; Acs-Rogozenco, 14 ...�e7 15.c3 �a5 16.�e2 tt:lgxe5 17.tt:lc5 see Game 14. tt:lxcS 18.�xe5:t Gharamian-Elliet, see 7.f4 exf4 8.ttJf3 h6 9 . ..ixf4 ttJbd7 Game 7. 10.0-0-0 c6 12.�e2 l:[e813 .�f3 �c8?! For 10... i.b4 1I.ti:JbS;!;; see Gharamian The desire to move away fr om the T.Kasparova, Game 7. rook's X-ray can be understood. The 11.tbd4 computer suggests 13... �g4 14.h3 �xf3 1S.gxf3 , but here things are also joyless for Black. The unpleasant ti:Jd4-fS is threatened. 14.e5! Straightforward and strong. 14... ..ixd4?! This is unsatisfactory. But were there any worthy alternatives? After 14 ... ti:JdS 1S.ti:Jxd5 cxdS 16.ti:Jb3 �b6 17.i.xdS �xdS 18JhdS Black is simply a pawn down; moreover, the aS 11 ... ..ic5 rook is no adornment fo r his position. A very natural move, but after this 15.:Xd4 ltJh7 16.lbe4± game it calls fo rth some unpleasant as sociations for me. More concrete looks 11 ... �b4, disturbing the enemy and in directly attacking the e-pawn. Let's see: A) 12.lt:lxe6+ fxe6 13.�c4 13.�d3 rJ;e7 14.ti:Je2 ti:Jg4 1S. .l::tdfl �cS 16.�g3 lihf8 17.ti:Jf4 ti:JdeS 18.�e2 ti:Je3;;!; Biolek-Malaniuk, Katowice Open 1992; 13.e5 �xc3 14.bxc3 ti:JdS 1S.�d2 bS unclear, Walek-Khasangatin, Tatranske Zruby 2000. 13... �e7 14.:ht1 tt:lhS 15.a3? tt:lxf4 16.axb4 tt:leS;t Shovunov The preponderance of the centralized Eismont, Maikop tt 1998; white pieces is clear. I remember put B) 12.e5 is the most principled move: ting my hopes on the weakness of the 12... tt:lg4 12... ti:JdS doesn't equalize: f4 -bishop, which is boxed in by its own 13.ti:Jxd5 i.xdS 14.h4 i.e6 1S.ti:Jxe6+ eS-pawn. 29 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 16... 'lftc7 17.tbd6 l:e7 18.l:hd1 tLlhf8 and on the 26th move he already had to 19.�g3 as 20.h4 concede defeat. The French grandmaster pushes this pawn to hS and only then intends to 13 play .ig3-h4. Thus, I won't be able to Baadur Jobava (2678) reply ...g7-g5 . Miroljub Lazic (2459) 20 ... tLlb6? Milan Crespi Memorial 2011 (3) This is a mistake, but any continuation 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tLlf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.dxe5 is already losing. dxe5 5.'ifxd8+ 'lftxd8 6.�g5 c6 7.f4 exf4 It's interesting to 'check the documents' of the white bishop with 7 ...h6 8 . ..txf6+ gxf6. This is approximate equality - it seems we don't have to be afraid of doubled f- pawns in this opening. 8.e5 8.0-0-0+. 8 ... h6 9.�xf4 tLlfd7?! It would again be interesting to findout the bishop's intentions: 9 ...g5 IO. ..td2 21.tLlf5!+- lLJg4 II.tbf3 lLJd7 is unclear. After the fall of the g7-pawn further 10.�c4 resistance is pointless. More flexible is 10.0-0-0, leaving the 21 ... l:d7 choice of where to bring out the bishop 2I....ixf5 22.e6+ �c8 23.l::td8#. for later: 10... �e8 11...te2:t. 22.tLlxg7 l:xd4 23.l:xd4 l:d8 24.l:f4 1 0 ...'lfte8 11 .e6 1-0 Also a good idea. Simple and strong. A good game by Degraeve. 11...fxe6 12.�xe6 tLlb6 13.hc8 tl::lxc8 14.0-0-0 Now it is time to get acquainted with Black has no weaknesses, but compare other ideas fo r Black on the 6th move, the activity of the pieces. White actual instead of the natural 6 ... ..te6. ly has 2-3 extra tempi. And don't fo rget 6 ...c6 is an interesting plan. It saves a that the black monarch has already lost tempo on the bishop's development, re his castling rights. strains the enemy knight, and creates an escape square fo r the king. How should White react? Baadur Jobava acted sharply in the fo l lowing game, attacking the centre at once by f2-f4. The Elo-favourite didn't meet an adequate rebuff, although Ser bian grandmaster Miroljub Lazic had some possibilities. As a result he ended up significantly behind in development, 30 Part I - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJf6 3. l0:3 eS 4.dxe5 dxeS S. 'ifxd8 + Wxd8 14... tt:lb6 15. tt:lf3 ltJSd7 16. tbe4 �7 ination on the dark squares with 17.c4 actions over the entire board made It was more accurate to bring in the last White's task extremely difficult. It reserves with 17. .l::rhel. ended on the ... 27th move! 17... :ea A better option was the bishop sortie 14 17... �b4. allowing the king's rook to Peter Acs (2601) move to the centre and taking under Dorian Rogozenco (2522) control point el fo r the moment: 18.a3 Germany Bundesliga 2010/1 1 (6) l:the8. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 18.l:.he1 �b4 1 9.�d2 dxe5 5.'fi'xd8+ 'iitxd8 6.�g5 tbd7 Here again, Black could have held the 7.0-0-0 c6 8.f4 �e7 9.tt:lf3 line by making use of tactical nuances. In reply to 9.fxe5 usually fo llows 19... hd2+?! 9 ...tLlg4, eyeing f2 and eS, and Black 19... tLlf 6! (square d6 is still under con- stands at least not worse. trol of the half-dead bishop!) 20.�xb4 9 ... tbg4 tLlxe4;!;. Here this is also good. 20. 'iitxd2 tbc8 21. �c2 10.l:.d2 f6 White already has problems. 11.fxe5 fxg5 12.e6 'iitc7 13.exd7 hd7 I ii The Georgian grandmaster exerts sub stantial pressure along the files. 21 ... tt:lf6?! The lesser ofevils was 2I...l::!e7 22Jhd7 White has fa iled to equalize: two good klxd7 23.tLle5+ We8 24.tLlxd7 Wxd7 black bishops and weakened dark 25.tLlc5+ �c7;!;. squares in his camp. Everything is in fa 22.tbc5± b6 23.tbd3 tbe7 24.tbde5+ vour of the Romanian mercenary. �g8 25.tbd7 tt:lh526. l:.d4 1-0 14.�c4 �f6 15.tbd1 l:.ae8 16.l:.e1 Full domination fo r White, with mate l:r.e7 17.tt:lf2 tbxf2 18.:Xf2 g4 19.tbd2 rial equality. �e5 I don't really know what should I write Earlier on, Dorian Rogozenco had as a comment. Both sides make more or treated this structure better in a less logical moves, and Black's advan game against a strong Hungarian tage is gradually increasing. grandmaster. Two bishops and dom- 20.g3 h5 21.tt:lf1 h4 31 A CUIUling Chess Opening for Black Threatening simply 22 ...hxg3 and 23 ... .i:th3. 22.gxh4 .:.Xh423 . .1:lee2 g5 This manoeuvre also remains unpun ished, which proves the robustness of Black's position. Let's count the number Now the bishop gets a promising out of 'moves' from both sides (e2-e4, �cl post on f4 . g5, 0-0-0... ): 6-4 in White's favour, 24.l:tf7?? and he is to move. Moreover, Black is This leads to instant disaster, but, ad deprived of his castling rights. mittedly, it also saves him from pro 1 0.lL\ge2 f6 11. .i.h4�b4 12. .i.g3 tbb6 longed torment. 13. .ta2 24 ... .:.Xf7 25 . .hf7 g3 26.ltJxg3 �f4+ White's most active piece (especially 27.�d1 ..tg4 0-1 after .. .f7-f6) is his light-squared bishop. Who can say after seeing such a game 13... ..tg4 14.f3 ..thS 15. .i.f2 tb8d7 that this variation is unpromising fo r 16.h4 ..tcs 17. ..te1 h6 Black?! I recommend you to pay atten A slightly strange, weakening move. tion to the status of the competition and 17... �f7 would have led to a fu ll balance, to the Elo of the Hungarian chess player. exchanging the strong bishop on a2. 18.tbg3 .i.g6 19.h5 �h7 Yannick Pelletier can be called a spe cialist in this variation. The Swiss grandmaster fights not only for equal ization, but also tries to confuse his opponent, aspiring to more. His high Elo rating scares his adversaries, who are usually satisfied with pulling off a quick draw. 15 Va lery Atlas (2448) 20.tLlf5 Ya nnick Pelletier (2604) This was unnecessary. White definite Switzerland It 2013 (1) ly had a possibility to seize the initi 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 ative with 20J:thH. Obviously, the dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+�xd8 6 . ..tg5c6 7 . .i.c4 a2-bishop is more active than its coun �e8 8.a4 aS 9.0-0-0 lLlfd7 terpart on h7. 32 Part I-l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:J£6 3. lLx3 eS 4.dxe5 dxeS 5. �xd8+ Wxd8 20 ... .bf5 21.exf5 .te3+ 22 . ..tb1 rj;e7 11.ttJh3 .te7 12. .txe7 ..txe7 13. .te2 23.l:Lh4 l:Lhd8 24.l:Le4 .tcs 25.g3 tt::\ge5 14.l:Lhf1 ttJfB 25J�g4. More careful is 14.. Jlf8=. 25 ... .tb4 26.i.f2 .tcs 27 . .te1 i.b4 15.tt::\f4 .td7 16.tt::\b1 28 . .tf2 .tcs 112-Y2 The poorly placed knight moves to f3 (c4) to get a grip on square e5. White 16 stands more pleasantly after 16.h4. Jean Noel Riff(2505) 16... ttJfg6 17.tt::\d2 tt::\xf4 18.:Xf4 l:Laf8 Ya nnick Pelletier (2610) 19.l:Ldf1 l:Lf6 20.tt::\c4 tt::\xc4 21 . .txc4 France tt 201 0 (2) l:Lhf822. :Xf6 :Xf6 23.:Xf6 gxf6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.tt::\c3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'Wxd8+ ..txd8 6 . .tg5 c6 7.0-0-0+ 7.tt::lf3 .id6 8.0-0-0 cJi;e7 and after ...c7- c6 the king can be conveniently placed either on c7 or on e7: 9.�c4 �c7 (with this placement of the bishops all the en try squares on the d-file are controlled) IO.tt:Jh4 h6 II.tLlfS+ �xf5 12. .ixf6+ gxf6 13.exf5 �f8 14. .l:ld3 tt::ld7 (Moen-Pelletier, Eilat tt 2012) lS.tLleH. But of course, objectively it's a draw. 24.e5!? 7 ... ..tea 8.f4 ttJbd7 9.fxe5 To the point, though the position is a dead draw anyway. 24 ...fxe5 25 . .td3 h6 26 . ..td2 c5 27 . .te4 b6 28 . ..te3 �6 29.h4 i.b5 30.g4 aS The fo llowing encounter fr om the Georgian championship developed in an unusual manner. Making use of his opponent's inaccurate move order, Jobava, who is already familiar to us, strikes a tactical blow, temporarily 9 ..• tt::\g4 sacrificing the exchange. Soon a bish Geometrical play. The knight intends op vs knight ending ensued. After some to nestle on the blockading square e5. I mutual inaccuracies it turned out that can understand the desire of the French Black's position was not tenable. player not to give the pawn fo r free, and damage Black's structure instead. 17 10.e6 fxe6 Baadur Jobava (2721) Not serious is 10... tt::l f2 ll.exd7+ .ixd7 Konstantin Shanava (2589) 12. .ie3 tt::lxhl 13.tLlf3+- as the knight Tbilisi ch-GEO 2012 (1) will be lost. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.tt::\c3 e5 33 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black It's worth noting that Baadur applies 13... cxd6 14.ltJc7 b6 this set-up himself from time to time, The rook turns out to be very cramped: so he is well aware of the nuances. 14 ... .l:tb8 1S . .txa7 Wd8 16.�xb8 tt:::lxb8 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . .tg5 I7.tt:::lbs±. �d6 7.0-0-0 0d7 8.ltJf3 �es 9 . .tb5 15.ltJxa8 �d8 16.0d2 .tb7 17.ttJc4 This move seems strange but if it's made haS 18. ttJxd6 by a player whose Elo is above 2700, As a result of the exchange operation then there are deep motives hidden be White has an extra pawn. In this case hind it. We shall see ... the opposite-coloured bishops do not guarantee a draw as there are also other pieces on the board. Besides, the pawn arrangement doesn't enable a fo rtress construction. 18... �c7 19.ttJb5+ �b8 20.l:d1 .tc6 21.c4 hb5 22.cxb5 l:d823. �c2 �c7 24.a4 ltJf8 25.lb:d8 �xd8 26. �d3 �e7 27.�c4 �d6 The first offensive is stopped. The dou bled b-pawns give Black hopes fo r a successful defence. However, Jobava's 9 ... �8?! plan is to grab space on the kingside I wonder what would have fo llowed too, after which Black will findhimself in reply to 9 ...a6 . The fight might have in zugzwang one day. continued 1 o . .txd7+ tt:::lxd7 II.ti:JdS f6 28.f4! ltJg629.f5 ltJh4 30.g4?! 12. .te3 bS 13Jld3 �b7 I4J:thdl �d8 Stronger is 30.g3! as now 30... tt:::l g2 does with a certain initiative for White. not work (30 ...tt:::l f3 31.h3+- is analo 10.hd7 ttJxd7 11.ltJb5 f6 12. .te3 gous to the game) because of 3l.�d2 �e7 and the black knight dies. 30... ttJf3?! Considerably more tenacious is 30 ...tt:::l g2, after which the game's out come remains open. 31 .h3 13.lb:d6! A stunning strike. 13.tt:::lxa7? .!:1xa7 14.�xa7 doesn't work in view of 14 ...b6 and the bishop perishes. 34 Part I - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tLl£6 3. 0£3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'if xd8+ Wxd8 31 ...g6? 38 . .ie3) 38.'�d3 ti:Jf4+ 39.�c4+- (tri A mistake, Black should have pranced angulation with c3-d3-c4) . on with his knight, and not moved his 32.a5 bxa5 33 . .i.c5+ Conclusion So, what conclusion can we draw fro m our analysis? In the var i ation with 6. �gS White obtain s some initiative, but...if he tries to capitalize on his advantage, Black gets real co unterchances. The situation is asymm etrical, which allows Black to organize coun terplay. The do ubled pawns on the f-file may turn out to be not just a weakness. Furthermore, the fa ct that Black has a dark-squared bishop without an opponent is often more important than pawn structure defects. 35 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Chapter 2 Pressure on f7: 6.�c4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ll:lf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ c.fi>xd86 . .ic4 This is also a quite logical move. White instantly starts pressing on the f7 -pawn, which has been left undefended. There are only two ways to save it: by covering it with the bishop on e6 (Section 1, 6 ... �e6) or by returning the king to e8 (Section 2, 6 ...�e8) . The counter-thrust 6 ... �b4 is sporadically applied and doesn't have in dependent significance. Two examples for this line are given in the notes to Game 22 (Korneev-Kabanov). 36 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Section 1: 6 ... �e6 6 ... .te6 This is the move which suggests itself first as a reaction to White's aggression. 7 . .txe6 Do you see any other options? 7 ... fxe6 Let's compare the pros and cons of the position. Black's pawn structure has ceased to be flexible, which is usually undesirable. However, the new pawn on e6 takes under control several important light squares: fS and dS. I'd like to emphasize that there are only dark-squared bishops left on the board, and that is why this is especially important. It is difficultfor White to trade off this valuable pawn as the 'breakwater' eS is standing in front of it. It looks a bit like the battery at the entry to the Oslo fj ord - one that cannot be ignored. White can point out the weakness of the doubled pawns only with the oppo nent's collaboration. Usually, placing the knights on d3 and c4 is unpleasant fo r Black, while the white bishop exerts pressure on the diagonal al-h8. 37 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Let me open this chapter with some ex isolate the enemy outpost as much as pos amples from my own practice. sible. The intention is to cut off the provi The first game was played at the Zonal sion chain by preventing ...b7- b5. No ad tournament fo r the World Champion vantage I promised by 13.b3 c4!? 14.bxc4 ship (sounds not bad, doesn't it?). Black (14.tt:lb2 ..tb4 1S. ..td2 �hc8 16.tt:lxc4 equalized easily and could have fo rced bS 17.tt:ldl ..txd2+ 18.tt:lxd2 �c2 with a draw. But my underestimation of the counterplay) 14 ... 1:1hc8 1S.tt:lb2 ..tb4 future Moldavian grandmaster (at that 16. ..td2 tt:lb6 withinitiative. I doubt that time Alexey was considerably inferior it is pleasant to play with such a pawn in Elo) led to a deplorable result. structure (c2, c4, a2) ... 13... c4 1 4.tbf2 .ic5 18 14 .. J:lac8!?. Alexey Khruschiov (2281) 15.'ite2 Sergey Kasparov (2465) lS. .txcS+. Minsk zt 2000 (1) 15... rl.ac8 16.a5 .be3 17.�xe3 l:tc5 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 18.rl.a4 l:thc8 19.l:tha1 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . .ic4 .ie6 7 . .ixe6 fxe6 8 . .ie3 .idS 9.f3 a6 10.tbge2 �7 11.tbc1 White has a natural desire to redeploy the knight from the poor e2-square to a more active one, where it will have an impact on the further struggle. An alternative route is tt:lgl-h3-f2-d3. 11 ... lbbd7 12. tbd3 c5 What a strange concentration of rooks on closed files! The moral is that so as to maintain the status-quo Black tries to exert pressure on the advanced pawn on aS. He has the possibility to transfer his cavalry detachment from the king side. Meanwhile, the white knights lack manoeuvring space. Don't be confused by the positioning of 19... tbe820. tbfd1 tbd6 21.'itd2 g5 the pawn on a dark square, blocking its The minority attack is double-edged. own bishop. The infantryman is going Weaknesses will appear on both sides. to move to c4, thus grabbing space and The pacific 21...tt:lb8 was more careful. chasing away the enemy knight which 22.tbe3 h5 23.h4!? has just arrived in the centre. Ty pically, the Moldavian player reminds 13.a4 me that he is not going to wage a blind A preventive measure. Not being able to defence. avert ... c5-c4 effectively, White tries to 23 ... gxh4 24.l:th1 lbb8 38 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Preferring active play. The 'boring' 55.Wc4 lt.Jc6 56.�b5 ltJa7+ 57.Wb6 24 ...tLlf6 was also acceptable. lt.Jc8+ 58.Wa6 Wc6 59.lbe6+ lbe6 25.lbh4.l:h8 26.g4 lt.Jc6 60.tbxe6 tbd6 61.li:Jg5 li:Jb5 62.li:Jf7 The material balance is preserved. Nei lt.Jc7+ 63.�a7 Wb5 ther side has crossed the line. 63 ...tLJb 5+ 6H£i'b8. 27.lbh5 lbh528.gxh5 tbd4 64.tbxe5 �xb4 65.Wb6 1-0 The f3 -pawn can't be protected. 29.ltJg4 tbxf3+ 30.We3 tbd4 31.�d2 So that the reader doesn't get the im lb4b5 32.we3 pression that one side has a substan 32.tLlxb5 axb5 is unclear. tial advantage in this variation, here 32 ... tbd4 33.Wd2 li:Jf3+34. �e3 is a game where Black was success The repetition of moves would have ful. been a reasonable end to the game. But I wanted to start the Zonal tournament 19 in a more aggressive way. Such deci Daniel Hristodorescu (2253) sions are often regretted later... Sergey Kasparov (2458) 34... li:Jg5?! 35. .1:a1 li:Jgf7 36.h6 l:rc8 Den Helder 2002 (3) 37.h7 .l:h8 1.e4 d6 2.d4 li:Jf6 3.lt.Jc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ii'xd8+ Wxd8 6 . .tc4 .te6 7 . .txe6 fxe6 8.f3 Or very simply 8.tLlf3 �d6 9.h3 �e7 IO.�e3 a6 ll.a3 tLlbd7 12.0-0 b5 13.tLld2 �c5 14.�xc5+ tLlxcS 15.tLlb3?! (creative, but not dangerous for the op ponent, Zarinfam-S.Kasparov, Ahvaz 2007). For instance, 15... tt:Jxb 3 16.cxb3 �ad8 is enough for equality. 8 ... .td69.b 3 Preparing to exert piece pressure on e5. I have to retreat in all directions. Was it 9 ...a6 1 o . .Ab2 we7 11.li:Jh3 lt.Jc6 worth it to avoid the draw?! 12.li:Jf2 li:Jh5 13.tbd3 li:Jf4 38 . .l:h1 li:Je8 38 ...tt:Jgs 39.tLlxe5 lhh7 40.l:!.xh7+ tLlxh7 4l.�d4±. 39.ltJa4 li:Jf6 40.tbxf6 �xf6 41 .lt.Jc5+ The misfortune comes from the other side. I have to admit that Alexey has played well. The remainder doesn't need any comment. 41 ... we7 42.tbxb7 .l:c8 43 . .1:g1 l:rh8 44 . .1:h1 .l:c8 45.b4 cxb3 46.cxb3 li:Jh8 47.b4 .l:c3+ 48.Wd2 .l:b3 49 . .1:g1 .l:h3 50.lt.Jc5 lbh7 51.tbxa6 li:Jf7 52.lt.Jc5 A multifunctional knight manoeuvre. Wd6 53 . .1:g6 tbd8 54.Wd3 .l:e7 Firstly, it trades off its counterpart, re- 39 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black leasing the pressure in· the centre. Sec ttJd4 50.ltJg1 q.,d351 .�2 h4 52.�1 ondly, the eS-pawn wiU move to f4 , va �e3 53.�g2 tbe2 0-1 cating a perfect square for a piece. 14.tillcf4 exf4 15.0-0;;.0 �e5 16.l:[he1 In the following duel and the example � 17.tbe2 hb2+ 18.�xb2 e5 added in the notes, we can see White's 18 ... g5!? was interesting, leaving the eS 'blue dream'. The opponent plays pas square open fo r the knight, as suggested sively and doesn't prevent White from above. developing an initiative. In both games 19.l:[d7 .:ac8. 20.0.c3 l:[hd821 .l:[ed1 the eS-pawn turns out to be vulnerable. Here we have an example of the 'swamp', where you may , be dragged to the bot 20 tom. It seems like only White is fighting Sergey Kasparov (2491) fo r victory. But that is exactly the point: he Dragan Paunovic (2505) mustn't overstep the mark. San Sebastian 2006 (9) 21 ... :Xd7 22.:Xd70137 23.b4?! 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf63.0. c3 White could have maintained the initi Please don't be lazy and take note of the ative with 23.tLldS+ tLlxdS 24.exd5 hS fo llowing game. It shows some mis 2S.c4;!;. takes fo r Black and their woeful impli 23 ... �e6 cations, on the theme of how not to play Now chances are equal. in this line. 3.f3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.'ifxd8+ 24.l:[d2 b5 25.a4 c6 26.tbe2 bxa4 <1Pxd8 6.i.c4 i.e6?! In the given situa An attempt to revive the play on the tion, I suppose 6 .. .'tt>e8 is more accurate. queenside, which is suddenly success 7. i.xe6 fxe6 8.b3 The Belarussian player ful. The alternative was 26 ... c5!?. doesn't develop the knight at c3, but di 27.�a3 rects it along a more promising route. Better 27.t2:lc3 cS. 8 ...tt:lc6 9.tt:le2 i.c5 10.i.b2 a6 11.tt:lc1 27... c5 tt:ld4?! 12.tt:ld3 i.a7?! Obviously bad is Creating a remote passed pawn which, 12 ...t2:lx c2+? 13.Wd2 tLlxal 14.tLlxcS± together with the activity of Black's but more careful was 12 ...tLld7, though pieces, gives the second player the bet it doesn't equalize. 13.tt:la3 tt:ld7 14.0-0-0 ter chances. 28. �xa4 cxb4 29. �xb4 0.c6+ 30.�a3? Better was 30.'�a4. 30 ... lt::la5 When the knight gets to c4 it will dom inate. 31. �b4 0.c4 32.l:[d1 tbe3 33.l:[c1 :Xc2 34.:Xc2 tbxc2+ 35. �as tbe1 36.�xa6 tillcg2 37.�b6 tbe1 38.ltJg1 0.c2 39.q.,cs ttJd4 40.�c4 g5 41.q.,d3 h5 42.h3 q.,d6 43. q.,c4 0.c2 44. q.,d3 analysis diagram lt::la3 45.tbe2 q.,cs 46.0.c3 ttJb5 White is clearly far ahead in develop 47.tbe2 q.,b4 48.q.,d2 �c4 49.�e1 ment. The eS-pawn will fall. 14 ...c5 40 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 15.tLlc4 rj;e7 16.tLldxe5 tLlxe5 17.tLlxe5:t Tihonov-S. Kasparov, Minsk 1996. 3 ...e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ One way or another, White has gained a certain superiority. With the last move he aims for a doubling of the rooks on the a-file, after which the threat of a4xb5 becomes really dangerous. 21 ... .J:lg822.axb5 One of the basic positions in this vari In reply to 22.�bal the black rook ation. Up to this point both sides have would evade the opposition with played quite logically. 22..J:tad8 (22...�ab8 23.axb5 axbS 12... .ic5 24.�a6±) 23.axb5 axbS 24.�a6, and This move is possible, however White now 24 ...tt:Jd b8, showing the uninvited doesn't oblige by capturing as we are guest the door. not playing draughts. 22 ...axb5 23 . .J:lba1 .J:lxa2 13.lLlcd1 Paunovic decides to simplify the posi Suggesting to the enemy to spend anoth tion. The alternative was 23 ... l::rad8. er tempo with 13... �xe3 14.tt:Jxe3;;\;.The 24 . .J:lxa2 h5 25 . .J:la6 lLldb8 26 . .J:la8 knights are dreaming of attacking the lLld7 27 . .J:lxg8 41 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black White's flexible pawn structure (g3, 7 . .txe6 fxe6 8.i.e3 .td6 9.f3 �e7 f3) prevents the opponent from getting 1 o.I1Jh3 11Jbd7 11.11Jf2 .tes 12. �e2 counterplay. At the same time the white i.xe3 13. �xe3 a6 14.a4 g5 king is ready to participate in an attack No reservations due to the Elo gap. on the queenside. 15.h4 31 ... �e8 32.e4 bxe4+ 33.l2Jxe4 �d7 Attacking the pawn before Black plays 34.b5 tbda 35. �a4 11Jf7 36. �as h4 ...h7- h5, when he could respond with 37.�a6 hxg3 38.hxg3 ...g5 -g4. Disaster is near. White's king manoeu 15... gxh4 vre up the flank has added to Black's IS ... �ag8 16.hxg5 l::txgS leads to the troubles. same type of position. 38 ... .te7 39 . .te1 .td6 40 . .td2 �7 16. .:Xh4 hS 17.�2 rlhg8 18.g3 bS 41 . .tea /1Jg6 19.11Jd3 e5 It seems there are several roads to suc cess here. 42.l2Jxd6 l2Jxd6 Or 42 ...cxd6 43.b6 and the passed pawn will cost Black his knight; 42 ...�xd6 43.<.t>b7 �d7 44.tt::lc5+ is no remedy either. 43.l2Jxe5+ lbxes 44. hes 11Jc4 45.hg7 11Jd246.f4 The most efficient. Now the passed g and, eventually, b-pawns will be too much for Black. Black is fighting with strong and simple 46 ... l2Jxe4 47.g4 �e8 48 . .td4 11Jd6 means. The position favours White, but 49.i.e5 11Jc4 50.g5 �3 51 .g6 '1Jf5 how can he convert his advantage? For 52.g7 11Jh6 53.�a7 11Jg8 54.he7 1-0 example, it is difficult to increase the Now b6-b7-b8'i!Yis inevitable. pressure on the h-pawn. And there are no other black weaknesses in sight. In the next game, a Spanish grandmaster 20.rlhh1 AgeS 21.axb5 axb5 22.rlhd1 with an Elo rating of 2635 couldn't rlg8 23. �2 rlgb8 24.b3 b4 25.rldb1 cope with a strong woman player from �8 26.11Jb2 11Jd6 27.rlh1 11Jb5 Ukraine. The Elo-favourite even fo und In reply to 27 ...tt::l f6 , 28.tt::ld3 l::txal himself in a hopeless position and was 29.Ihal tt::ld7 30.l::!a7 tt::lbs 31.l::!as;t; is saved only with some help of his op unpleasant. ponent. 28.11Jc4 tbd4 More accurate is 28 ... l:txal 29.klxal 21 tt::la3. Ivan Salgado Lopez (2635) 29.l2Jxd4 exd4 30.�e2 �6?! Svetlana Cherednichenko (2293) The first more or less serious mistake Helsingor Politiken Cup 2012 (3) which, however, doesn't make a signifi 1.d4 d6 2.e4 '1Jf6 3.11Jc3 e5 4.dxe5 cant change. There is a large safety mar dxe5 5. 'it'xd8+ �xd8 6 . .te4 .te6 gin in the position. 42 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 30 .. Jhal was better. B) 39.tbf5+ �f6 40.lixc5 �xeS 31 . .:.XaB .:.XaB 32 . .:.Xh5 Aa2 4I.tbd4 lic3 42.�d2 �e5-+; C) 39J:td5 b3. 39.tt::lf5+ �6 Now a series of mutual mistakes follows (time trouble, perhaps?). 40.Ab5?! 40.-lidS. 40 ... Ae2+ 40 ...d2! 41 .�4 d2 42.Ad5 b3 43.e5+?? 33.Ah6+? 33.�dl probably wasn't winning, but still it was noticeably stronger: 33 .. J:tal+ 3Ht)d2 ligl 35.g4 (35J�h6+) 35 ...�g2+ 36.<;t>ci ligl+ 37.�b2 lig2 with the threat ...d4 -d3. 33 ... �g7! 34 . .:.Xe6 tbc5 34 ...d3 +. 35 . .:.Xe5 d3+ 36.�d2 .:.Xc2+37. �e3 Retreating is simply bad: 37. 3B ... tbc1 The next example (with the move The Ukrainian player misses a winning 6 ... �b4 mentioned in the notes) is taken chance. Correct was 38... tbc5 !. Here are from an open tournament in Voronezh some variations: (Russia). I used to study in this city, so A) 39.g4 b3-+; I try to lobby fo r the interests of the lo- 43 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black cal chess players when I can. Those who like extremes (Russia is not only Mos cow and St. Petersburg) I advise to visit Voronezh. The tournament organizer is the well-known chess writer and coach Alexander Raetsky. You can also meet him in the open tournament in Cappelle Ia Grande. Alexander performs as an arbiter there. In a red coat, on the scene - observing the games of the leaders. analysis diagram Oleg Korneev achieves an advantage A) 7.�d2 �e7 8.tbf3 lbbd7 with confident play, but once again we see that Black's set-up is hard to breach. 22 Oleg Korneev (2617) Nikolay Kabanov (2472) Voronezh Open 2013 (3) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'i!fxd8+ 'itxd86. �c4 �e6 Here are a couple of fragments on the analysis diagram topic of 6 ... �b4. This is a very rare 9.tbd5+?! (more accurate seems to continuation. Black is going to destroy be 9.0-0-0!? c6 lO.tbdS+ tbxdS (10 ... White's pawn structure. cxdS II..ixb4+) ll.exdS �xd2+ l2.tbxd2 with initiative) 9 ...tbxd 5 (see analysis diagram next column) IO.�xdS �xd2+ Il.tbxd2 c6= Sanduleac-Delchev, Albena 20ll; B) 7.�xf7 l:tf8 8.�b3 tbxe4 9.tbe2 tbxf2 lO. .l:i.fl (weaker is 10.0-0 �cS) IO ...lbg4 ll..tgS+ �e8 '·k•-, -- - ,. -� . ;r \ .· -=· : '· . -· -. � s Alexander Raetsky analysis diagram 44 Part I -The Treacherous Ending (Korneev-Torres Ventosa, Linares 2013; White has been quite successful. His or 11 .. .lbf6 12.0-0-0+ with an attack pawn chain is elastic and his bishop, even without queens) 12.0-0-0 with working on both flanks, is stronger more than enough compensation for than either of the enemy knights. On the pawn. the agenda is c2-c4, opening the c-file. 7 . ..be6 fxe6 8.f3 �d6 9.�e3 a6 Otherwise the pawn can move further. 10.lbh3 r/;e7 11.lbf2 lbbd7 12.r/;e2 19... lbhf6 20.c4 b4 lbh5 Of course, Nikolay doesn't wish to open I am not quite sure about this move. Af up the game, but here is another prob ter the natural g2-g3 the knight is doing lem. nothing here. 21.:La1 13.g3 :lhf8 2I.tbd3 is also quite nice. 21 ... a5 22.a3 a4 Not the best choice. 22 ...bxa3 was likely the lesser of evils, though after 23Jha3 a4 this is also not quite satisfactory due to 24.tbd3±. 23.axb4 axb3 23 ...:xb4 is bad because of 24.tbd3 a3 (after 24 ... .l::I.b7 25 . .l::I.xa4 the rook on b2 is protected) 25Jha3 �xa3 26.tbxb4±. 24.:Xa8 :Xa8 25.:Xb3 :la2+ 26.r/;d3 14.b3 Interesting is 14.lLlb1, transferring the knight to d2 in order to defend the f3 - pawn. This may be useful if Black dou bles his heavy artillery on the f- file. In principle, on c3 the knight is passive. 14... h6 15.lba4 Oleg is actually doing the same thing, only the knight is travelling via b2. 15... �3 16.:Lab1 bS 17.lbb2 hb2 18. .1hb2 :lfb819 .:lc1 White has a big advantage. A plus pawn, a better structure, and his bishop is stronger than either knight - just look at the 'handsome man' on f6 . 26 ... lbb6 27. hb6 Significantly stronger was 27.tbd1! as 27 .. Jhh2?! is not good because of 28.c5 lbbd7 29.c6+- and White's queenside pawns are unstoppable. 27 ...cxb6 28.�e3 :c2 29.lbd3 lbd7 30.:La3 :Xh2 31.:La7 r/;d8 32.:la8+ 45 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 1;e733. :S7 1/;d8 34.c5 bxc5 35.bxc5 78.Af8+ 1/;e7 79.Ah8 Ag1 80.Ah5 Ac2 36.:S6 we7 37.:S7 1/;d838. :S6 Ag2 81.1/;h7 1i;f8 82.:tf5+ 1/;e783.g7 1/;e739.c6 Ah2+ 84.1/;g6 Ag2+ 85.Ag5 :Xg5+ 86.1/;xgS 1/;f787. 1/;fS 1-0 From time to time the author has had to struggle against his 'own' opening with the white pieces, and I must admit that it was never easy. I did get a pleasant position against the current leader of Georgian chess. 23 Sergey Kasparov (2464) 39 ... lbc5 Baadur Jobava (2640) We can conclude that the Spanish Bad Zwesten Open 2005 (8) grandmaster hasn't realized his advan 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.dxe5 tage in the best way and here 39 ...tLlb 8! dxe5 5.'Wxd8+ 1/;xd8 6.�c4 ..ie6 could have balanced the position: 7.�xe6 fxe6 8.f3 �c5 9.tLld1 40Jh7+ �d6 4I..l::rxg7 tLlxc6=. This retreat is not often seen at such an 40.l:.a7+ 1/;d641 .tillcc5 :XeS 42.:Xg7 early stage. But in this case the bishop's :Xc6 43.Ah7 Ac2? development on cS suggests the reply It is strange fo r a good blitz player to .icl-e3 and tLldlxe3. make such a move. The h6-pawn could 9 ... 1/;e7 10. ..ie3 �b6 11.tLlh3 lbc6 have been saved by 43 ... �c3+ 44.\t>e2 12.c3 �c2+ 45.\t>fl .l:.cl+ 46.'�ig2 �c2+ A solid preventive move. Now the 47.Wh3 .l:rf2 48.�g4 l::!h2. knight fe els uneasy on c6. 44.:Xh6 12 ... :Sg8 13.tLlhf2 g5 14.hb6 axb6 Please allow me to give the rest without 15.tLle3 comment. The analysis of rook endings Strengthening his control of g4. may be something for a future book. 15... h5 16.h4 g4 1 7.1/;e2 44 ... Ag2 45.g4 �e7 46.Ah7+ 46 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 24 20 ...a4 21 .lbd2 bxa3 Sergey Kasparov (2462) · 21...b3+!? is possible, but the a4-pawn Margarita Voiska (2356) may become weak in the future. Campobasso Open 2002 (3) 22.bxa3 c5 23.�c3 lba5 24.l:b1 lt:lc6 1.d4 d6 2.e4 lbf6 3.lt:lc3 e5 4.dxe5 25.l:b7 Wd6 26 . .1:hb1 .l:hc8 dxe5 5.'irxd8+ wxd8 6.�c4 .i.e6 The white rooks have been activated 7.he6 fxe6 8.f3 �b4 along the b-file. The d3-knight is also A quite possible sally. Is it any use? It fully engaged. Now only the last re disturbs White's development a little, serves have to join the battle. but later on Black will have to spend a 27.f4 exf4 28.e5+ tempo on the bishop's return. Vacating e4 fo r the knights. 28.lLlxf4;!;. 9.lbe2 lbbd7 10.�e3 a6 11.0-0-0 we7 12.lbb1 b5 13.lbd2 �d6 13 ... .ics 14.tLlfi . 14.c4 It is not desirable to allow the advance ...c7 -c5-c4. Generally White has every reason to fightfor space on the queenside. 14... �c5 15.�xc5+ lbxc5 16.�c2 b4 28... �e7 Black mustn't capture either way: 28 ...lLlcxeS 29.lLle4+ rJi;e7 ...(29 Wc6 30.tLlxeS+ tt:Jxes 3l.�Ib6#) 30.lLlxe5+ or the very short line 28 ...tt:Jdxe5 29.lLle4#. 29.lbxc5?! 29.lLle4might have kept some initiative. 29 ... lbxe5 30.lbxd7 lbxd7 31 .lbe4 The knight is perfectly placed on cS, but White has enough compensation fo r the it isn't entirely stable there. White has pawn, but not more. enough resources to chase it away. 31 ... �da 32.ltJQ5 :as 33.lbf7+ 17.lt:lc1 More reasonable is 33.lLlxh7 with a dy 17.lLlb3. namic balance, but as my opponent was 17... 85 18.lbdb3 lbb7 in time trouble I tried to play more ag Or 18 ...tt:Jf d7 19.lLlxcS lLlxcS 20.tLld3 gressively. However, I can recall a mit lLlxd3 2l..�xd3 with initiative. The igating circumstance. It was the only pawn ending is not always satisfactory time in my chess career (I am writing for Black due to the weak a-pawn. this in March, 2014) when the counting 19.lbd3 lbd7 20.a3 was as fo llows: win=3 points, draw=l 20.c5 is interesting, but also risky as point, loss=O. So now you may under the pawn may be surrounded and de stand why I played like this. stroyed. 33 ... �e8 34.lbg5 .l:ac6� 47 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 12.tbd2 Margarita doesn't agree to a repetition Attractive is 12.b3!? tbc6 (if, by anal- of moves and I'm already standing with ogy to the game, 12 ... .id6 13.ti:Jh3 cS my fe et in the swamp. I have to get out then 14.tba3;!;; c4? {14 ...a6) lS.ti:JbS+-) urgently! 13.ti:Jh3, and later c2-c3 may fo llow. 35JI1 b4 tt:Jf6 36.�b2 h6 37.tt:Jf3?! 12... .td6 13.tbh3 c5 More stubborn was 37.ti:Jf7,intending to Now the idea becomes clear: the pawn move the c-pawn, fo r example 37 ...tbg4 is going to advance further. 38.cS with counterplay. 14.tt:Jf2 37 ... :Xc4 38.:Xc4 :Xc4 39.:Xg7 You will have guessed that opposing Ae4 40.�c2 with 14.c4 can hardly give chances for an Silently asking the Bulgarian girl to let advantage as long as the e6-pawn is safe me go in peace. ly protecting the key points fS and dS. 40 ...e5 41.tbd2 .J:I.d4 112-112 14 ...c4 15.c3 .J:I.hd8 16.�c2 b5 17.h4 ...which is what she did! Objectively 17.b4!? cxb3+ 18.axb3. White's position is bad. 17 ... tt:Jb7 18.h5 h6 19.g3 .tc5= The hS-pawn fixes two enemy pawns A Ukrainian player equalized easily simultaneously. But in this opening this when playing in the Greek club cham is not dangerous for Black. For instance, pionship. What else can I add? It was White must take into consideration that a good advertisement fo r the variation. he will have to use a strong piece fo r the protection of the outpost. 25 20 . .J:I.de1 a5?! Dmitry Svetushkin (2597) 20... .ixe3 2l..�xe3 tbcS=. Alexander Zubarev (2600) Greece tt 2012 (7) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'Wxd8+ �xd8 6 . .tc4 .te6 7.be6 fxe6 8.f3 tbc6 9 . .te3 .tb4 10.0-0-0+ �e7 11.tt:Jb1 After 9 ... �b4 this manoeuvre looks log ical. 11... tba5 Wow - where will this knight go? 48 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 21.g4? Moldavian player disliked the following Then why did he play g2-g3 ? It is line: 21...�xe3 22.Ihe3 tt:ld6 23.axb5 strange that Dmitry didn't play the a4 24Jleel a3 2S.b6i, though the com common advance against such struc puter is optimistic about White's posi tures (c4-bS-aS): 2l.a4! bxa4 22.tt:lxc4±. tion. However, we cannot rule out that the 21 ... a4 22.a3 .be3 23.:Xe3 tbc5 1!2-Y2 Conclusion Apparently, we can conclude that by playing 6 ... .te6 Black doesn't take much risk - with more or less careful play, of course. From time to time, in search of advantage White will overstep the mark and willrun into problems. 49 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Section 2: 6 ... �e8 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. Wxd8+ �xd8 6 . .tc4 �e8 This decision may seem strange. Black is initially a tempo behind, now it will be two tempi already; besides, he is deprived of his castling rights. Of course, the most powerful pieces - the queens - have left the board, but all the others still remain. Yo u might think that the black king will be vulnerable in the centre. However, af ter seeing some sample games, you will be convinced that the static (not closed, but static!) centre can't be so easily destroyed. The black monarch often cold-bloodedly goes on fo ot to his residence on g7. This corresponds with the convenient pawn structure: h6, g6. Thus, White is also morally damaged: although considerably ahead in develop ment, he is powerless to prevent the enemy from strengthening his position. 50 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Let's start with a 'peaceful' line (from White's point of view). The pawn goes to f3 , solidly consolidating in the centre, intending to take action on the queenside. When you have about +3 in Cappelle la Grande Open you are bound to face very strong opponents. The author tried to play without too much risk in the fo llowing game, and tried to build up the pressure. In the notes I give a fragment from another analysis diagram game, where your obedient servant missed a promising sacrifice. 13... .i.c7 14.tL:le3 tL:lf8 15.0-0 tL:le6 16.tL:lf5 �f8 17. .i.e3 b6 18• .1:1.fd1 hS 26 .i Sergey Kasparov (2486) Ivan lvanisevic (2542) Cappelle·la-Grande 2004 (7) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ti:lf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . ..tc4 �8 7.f3 analysis diagram 19. .i.f1 A comfortable advantage of the bishop pair could have been gained by 19.tt::ld6 cJile7 (in response to 19... �a6, good is 20.�xe6 (20.�xa6 �xa6 2I..l::f.d3;!;) 20 .. .fxe6 2l.c4!) 20.tt::lxc8+ �axc8 2I.tLld2;!;. 19... tL:le8 20• .i.f2 g6 21.tL:le3 tL:ld6 Modest, but safe. White can hardly claim to have a real advantage, but it is also difficult to lose. 7.ti:Jge2 .i.cSh6 8.f3 9 . .i.d2With the idea to gain tempi by chasing the bishop fr om the a7-gl diagonal - not exchang ing it. 9 ... tL:lbd7 10.a4 c6 11.tL:lc1 .i.d6 1 2.ll:Jd1 as 13.tL:lb3 Another nuance. The aS-pawn is under pressure. If White now also managed to trade the light squared bishops and then to transfer analysis diagram the knight to c4 .. .if, if, if... 51 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 2Vilc4?! At the risk of belittling my 17... l:hd8 18. .he6 �xe6 19.l:hd1 self in your eyes as a chess player, let :Xd1 20.:Xd1 b5 me show you a nice, not very diffi After the natural 20 ... lLJd7, 2I.lLJc4;t cult sacrifice: 22Jlxd6! �xd6 23/Dc4 is already unpleasant. In reply to 21... .1l.c7 24 . .1l.xb6 �xb6+ 25.lLJxb6 .l::f.b8 bS Black should reckon with 22.1:1d6+ 26.lLJxc8 �xc8 27.lLJxaS;t. The long �e7 23.l:lxd7+ �xd7 24.lLJb6+. range bishop + two connected passed 21 .l:a1 �d6 22.l:a3 ttJd7 23.l:d3+ pawns (in perspective) are to be pre �e6 24.axb5 cxb5 25.l:d5 l:b8 26.c4 fe rred above the rook. Also the presence The right idea. I'm trying to harass the of other pieces is to White's benefit. a-pawn. 22 ...lLlxc4 23 . .ixc4= S. Kasparov-Papa, 26 ...bxc4 27.tillc:c4 l:b428. �d3 Deizisau 2003. White could have kept a mini-initiative 7 ...c6 8.a4 as 9 . .ie3 llJbd7 10.llJge2 with 28Jld6+ rJi;e? 29.l::tc6. �c5 11.llJd1 28.. Jbc4 29. �xc4 llJb6+ 30. �c5 The well-known 'tempi-economy'. If tillc:d5 31.exd5+ �d7 you can't avoid the exchange, then the knight will at least get to the ideal e3- square quickly. 11... .be3 1 2.tillc:e3 llJc5 1 3.llJc1 The knight would have no future on e2 or c3, which is why White agrees on its exchange. 13... �e7 14.�e2 g6 15.ttJd3 tillc:d3 16. .hd3 .i.e6 17. .i.c4 It seems that White can win, as he has a plan at his disposal: d5-d6 and �c5-d5. But reality is not so rosy, otherwise the Croatian grandmaster wouldn't have consented to this ending. 32.g4 Introducing the 'subtlety' 32 ...f5 33.g5. But actually, the tempi that White keeps in stock (h2-h3-h4) turn out to have no This looks like absolute equality, but impact on the outcome. Neither is any still there are some nuances. In particu thing changed by 32.d6 fS 33.'�id5 e4 lar, if the white knight gets to c4, the 34.fxe4 fxe4 35.�xe4 52 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Eight years later, when playing in the More promising, perhaps, is IS.i.b3. same tournament, Solak managed, Here the bishop is more active and in the thanks to a few micro-nuances, to event of ...lLld7-cS it can retreat to a2. pull a less sophisticated opponent into 15... Usually after such a move Black responds with ... l::ta8-b8 and ...b7- bS, so as in reply to aSxb6 to recapture with the pawn: ...a7x b6, preserving the flex ibility of his structure. 9 ... .:b8 10.tt:1'13 .td6 11.tLI2 b5 12.axb6 axb6 13.(H)b5 14.:d1 ..tc5 15.�2 53 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Solak has managed to pull his opponent 28 into a struggle even in an ending which Sergey Kasparov (2480) seemed to be dry and drawish. Aleksa Strikovic (2533) 38.ttJc5 tillcc3 39.i.f3 l:d4 Centurion 2014 (5) White cannot protect both weaknesses, 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tt:Jf6 3.tlJc3 e5 4.dxe5 b4 and f4 , at the same time. dxe5 5.'it'xd8+ wxd8 6 . .i.c4 wea 7.f3 40.:e1? c6 8.a4 as 9.i.e3 tt:Jbd7 10.tt:Jge2 i.c5 After 40.lbe6 !hb4 the computer's as 11.ltJd1 we7 12.tlJc1 he3 13.tillce3 sessment is �. but I doubt that White can tlJc5 14.tt:Jb3 stop the two connected passed pawns. An attempt to keep the bishop on the 40 ... :Xf4 41 .'1itg2 :Xb4 42.ltJd7+ '1itc7 diagonal a2-g8. 43.:e7 Wd6 44.:Xh7 l:[b2+ 45.Wf1 14 ... tillcb3 15.hb3 g6 16.We2 ltJd7 ltJd5 46.tt:Jf8 i.c8 47.l:[h6+ wcs 17. .i.c4= 48.tt:Jg6 lbe3+ 49.'1itg1 tt:Jf5 50.l:[h5 Absolute equality. The white bishop Wb6-+ seems to be a bit worse than its coun terpart because the white pawns are fixed on light squares (a4 and e4), but Black cannot draw any real profit from this. 17... tt:Jb6 17. ..lbcs 18.�hdl �d7=. 18.l:[hd1 f6 Also not bad is 18 .. .fS. 19. .i.b3 l:[d8 A very slight inaccuracy. Now White seizes the initiative. I believe everything is clear here and 20.:Xd8 '1itxd8 21.h4 we don't need any fu rther comments. 51 .lbe5 ltJd452 . .i.g2 lbe2+53. Wf1 tt:Jf4 54.l:[h6 tillcg2 55.:Xc6+ '1itb7 56.l:[h6 lbe3+ 57.'1ite1 i.g4 58.:h7+ Wb6 0-1 Here is a fresh game - it was played during the time I was working on this book. In a round-robin tournament which took place not fa r from Pretoria (Republic of South-Africa) I applied this solid set-up again. This example may serve as a warning for Black: even in The right decision. For the moment such an innocent position he cannot Black's fo rces are concentrated on the play anything. queenside, leaving the other flank with On the next page you can see a picture out proper attention. I'm trying to ex taken in this unique country - the Re ploit this. public of South Africa. 21 ... '1ite7 22.h5 g5?! 54 Part I -The Treacherous Ending The Serbian grandmaster prefers not to Black has permanent pawn weaknesses, open up files, in order to avoid the pen which are, however, hard to get to. etration of the rook into his camp. 28 ... �e7 29 . .l:.d1 If 22 ... �e6 23.�xe6 \txe6 24.b3 with With the idea tt::lxf6. initiative. It seems that now Black is all 29.tt::lxh6?! :h8 30.tt::lg4 .l:1xhS. right as tt::le3-fS+ is not dangerous be 29... lL!f7 30. .l:.d3 �e6 31 . .l:.d1 .l:.a7 cause of the simple ... �c8xfS, but... 32 . .l:.d3 b6 33 . .l:.c3 c5 34 . .l:.d3 23.�g8! White is manoeuvring with his rook in This looks nonsensical. Why force the the hope of creating additional weak pawn to a dark square? nesses for his adversary. 23 ... h6 34 ... .l:.c7 35.tbe3 lbd6 36.g4;t Also 23 ... .tg4 H . .txh7 �xhS 2S.b3 is I was very unwilling to close the pawn slightly better for White. structure as only the queenside remains 24.b3 .i.d7 25 . .i.h7 available for active play. But the threat of counterplay with .. .f6-fS was unpleasant. 36 ... .l:.c637. �d2 .l:.c838 . .l:.d5?! An inaccuracy in slight time trou ble. Very strong was 38.tt::lfS ! tt::lxfS (if 38 ...tt::l f7 39.'�c3+- the king will move towards the b6-pawn) 39.exfS+ \te7 40.\tc3 c4 (otherwise \tc3-c4-bS will follow) 4l.bxc4+-. 38 ... c4! 39. �c3 cxb3+ 40. �xb3 .l:.c6 41 .c4 .l:.c8?! An unfortunate decision. More careful Now White's idea becomes evident. The was 41...�e7. bishop heads fo r fS , driving its counter 42.lL!f5 lbxf5 43.exf5+ �e7 44 . .l:.b5 part from the important diagonal. In this unpleasant situation Aleksa 25... ta:a. 26.if5 tal6 27.b.d7 55 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Each side has three (!) passed pawns, but the white ones are further advanced. Besides, the difference in the kings' ac tivity is huge. 53.c6+ wc7 54.l:[h7+ weB 55.f6 1-0 Most often White applies the following set-up: ti.Jf3,g5 1ii. , 0-0-0, .l::thel. So now we will fo cus on this plan. In the following game, a Russian grand master confidently coped with Black's 44 ... l:[dB?! opening problems. The most persistent was 44 ... .l::i.c6 45.c5 .l::i.xc5 46Jhb6 .!:lei (weaker is 46 ... l:rd5 29 47.<;t>c4 l:rd4+ 48.\t>bs .l:If4 49.<;t>xa5 RobertHo vhannisyan (2495) llxf3 50.'i.ta6+-) 47. .l:lb7+ c;i;>f8 lldar Khairullin (2615) 48Jlb5;:!;. Rijeka Ech 2010 (8) 45.Wc3 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 Also good is 45.c5! bxc5 46.l:lxa5 l:ld3+ dxe5 5. 'ifxdB+ ..txdB 6. �c4 weB 47.<;t>c4 .l::i.xf3 48.l::ra7+±. 7.tbf3 �d6 B.�g5 tbbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 45... l:[d4? 10.a4 h6 11.�h4 56 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Much more eventful was the fo llowing encounter, from the European cham pionship, 2011. Already on the 22th move the young Russian black player surrounded a white rook in the centre of the board. Not fo r the fa int-hearted? However, his Swiss colleague put up a good fight. His opponent made a slight mistake, and his passed pawn dashed to the queening square. After mutual mis takes, the black king was mated. analysis diagram The f7-pawn is hanging. 15... �xd 6 30 16.:xd6 tt:\e8 17.:d2 b4 18.tt:le2 tt:\c5 Joseph Gallagher (2500) 19.f3 b3 Tricky, but not sufficient. There Sanan Sjugirov (2643) are no satisfactory alternatives, though. Aix-les-Bains Ech 201 1 (4) 19 ...lt:Jxa4 doesn't work because of 1 .e4 d6 2.d4 tl:Jf63. tt:Jc3e5 4.dxe5 dxeS 20 . .if2, cutting off the knight: 20 ... .l:ib8 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6.�c4 �ea 7.tt:Jf3 21J1d8 rtle7 22 . .l::thd1+-. 20.�xb3 �d6 8.�g5 tt:Jbd7 9.0-0-0 h6 10.�h4 tt:lxb3+ 21.cxb3 �e6 22.'il The Russian player coolly parries the threats and equalizes the position. 21. 'itc2 hS 22.h4 f6 23.l:lhe1 l:le8 Not a common sight! The white rook is 24. �t2 tt:Jcs ¥2-Y2 surrounded by pawns from every quar- 57 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black ter. It was more natural fo r White to use cult to believe that Black may lose this. his other pieces here. There are no serious defects in his posi 19... tt:lf8 20.:Xe5 .l:d8!=F tion, while he still has a slight material Here it is! It turns out that the rook advantage. has to be surrendered (not for free, of 30 ... ..txd4 course), as Black's knights will soon at 30 ...h5 . tack it, and there is no retreat. White 31 .cxd4 tbd5!? must think how to get maximal com An interesting exchanging operation. pensation fo r the material loss. The Russian player intends to open 21.tt:lf3 :Xd1+ 22.tbxd1 tt:lg6::;: up files and to simplify the position, which usually favours the rook party. 32.tbxd5 32.exd5 �xe3 33.dxc6 �xc6 with initi ative fo r Black. 32 ...cxd5 33. �d2 ..tc6 34. �e3 Well, White hasn't equalized. 23.tbe3 tbxe5 24 . .be5 ..tcs 25.tbd4 �g6 Even better was 25 ... �d7. 26.c3 ..td7 34 ... .1:a8 Also good was 26 . ..Lbxe4 27.�bl fS Another possible line is 34 ...dxe4 28.f3 tbd6 29.g4 bxa4+. 35.fxe4 fS 36.�e5+ 'it>f8i. 27 . ..tb1 .l:e8 28 . ..tc7 �g7 29.axb5 35 . ..td6 .l:a4 36 . ..td3 b4 axb5 30.f3 Black has an advantage, but still no win after 36 .. J�a2 37.�a3 b4 38.�xb4 l:txb2 39.�d2. 37.exd5 .bd5 38 . ..te4 .be4 39.fxe4 b3 40.d5 f6 41 . ..tcs The Swiss grandmaster has consolidated his fo rces. The rook doesn't have any files to go to right now, but it is diffi- 58 Part I -The Treacherous Ending The manoeuvres have led to a situation An excellent educational example on where Black still has the upper hand, the topic of 'How to win with black but it looks more like a draw now. The against an opponent whose Elo is 2550 Swiss player has arranged his pawns ap in a "dry" ending' was shown by Baa propriately. Together with the bishop dur Jobava, a specialist in this opening. they have created 'no-go areas' for the enemy king. The b2-pawn is on a dark 31 square, but at this juncture this is right Samvel Ter Sahakyan (2558) because it is separated from the rest of Baadur Jobava (2713) the army and should be protected by the Lake Sevan 2011 (5) long-range dark-squared bishop. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.dxe5 41 ... .J:[c4?? dxe5 5. 1¥xd8+ 'iitxd8 6 . .tc4 'iite8 A glaring blunder. Maybe there was 7.ltJf3 .td6 8.�g5 ltJbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 time trouble, but usually after the 40th 10.a4 h6 11. .th4 'iW8 12.ttJd2 �e7 move time is added... It would have What is the idea behind this retreat? The made sense to start moving the king bishop escapes from the rook's gaze and with 4l...Wf7. relieves the d7 -knight of the obligation 42.d6! to protect its colleague. Besides, the trade Suddenly it turns out that the king and of dark-squared bishops would be desir the rook, even though they are close to able fo r Black. 12... tLlc5 is an alternative. the pawn, are unable to stop its advance. 13. .tb3 ltJc5 14. .tg3 ltJfd7 15.b2 b5 42 ... .J:[c3+ 43. 'iitd2 Likely the strongest was 43.bxc3 b2 44.d7 bl 'if 45.d8'ti' 'ifg l+. Black can still put up resistance, though. 43 ... .J:[c2+ 44.'iltd1? .:Xb245.d7 .J:[b1 + 46. 'iite2 b2 Much more accurate was 46 ... .a.el+!. 47.d8'if 47.�f8+. 47 ... .J:[e1 + 48.'iW2? Correct was 48. 59 A CUIUling Chess Opening for Black is hard to get at for White. The move f2- f3 is not fe asible because of the hanging bishop on g3. It is also difficult fo r the white bishop to get to the diagonal dl h5. 26.l:te3 .ic527. l:tc3 .id628 . .id5 rj;e7 29.b3 .ie6 30 . .be6 �xe6 31.l:te3 l:tb4 Baadur as it were entangles the oppo nent with 'palpi'. 32.l:the1 as 33 . ..td2 .ic534. l:td3 a4! 22 . .id5 f6 23.ltJb3 lillc:b3+ 24 . .bb3 He could already have fe asted on the l:tg6 25.l:td3 l:tg4=F pawns with 34 ... �bxe4, but after 35.l::rxe4 l::rxe4 36.f3 �d4 37. l:txd4 .itxd4 38.�d3 the extra pawn could have been insufficient fo r a win. White's only weakness is the h4- pawn. But the pawn on aS doesn't look good. Do you understand what I am hinting at? Both these pawns are fixed on dark squares - the colour of the bishops. 35.bxa4 :Xa4 36.l:ld8 g5 More trouble. The bishop is in danger, I do not want to boast, but I guessed while its retreat is tantamount to ruin this rook transfer. Here the rook per ing the kingside. forms a lot of functions, exerting pres 37.l:th1 l:taxe4?! sure upon e4, h4 and g3 (g2). Although The Georgian grandmaster has played surrounded by enemy forces, this piece almost perfectly so far. Now the strug gle flaresup . 37 ... klgxe4! was stronger. 38.f3! :Xg3 38 ... ktd4+!? 39 . .l:lxd4 l::t.xd4+. 39.fxe4 g4 Baadur Jobava 60 Part I -The Treacherous Ending The advantage is surely on Black's side, 32 but we shouldn't underestimate the Sergey Karjakin (2645) strength of the rooks in the ending. Luke McShane (2625) 40 . .rle8+ �7 41 . .rlh8 :Xg2+ 42.'�d3 Tiayuan 2005 (8) �g7 43 . .rlc8 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lL:!f6 3.lL:!c3 e5 4.dxe5 43Jhh5? g3-+ and White has to give dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ c;itxd8 6 . .i.c4 �e8 up a rook fo r the pawn. 7.ttJf3 �d6 8.�g5 lL:!bd79. 0-0-0 43... �b6 This is one of the most fr equently Please play through the rest of the moves seen positions. Perhaps we can call it yourself. I also need a break sometimes. a tabiya. The main thing is: Black came out of the opening with promising counter play and gradually increased his advan tage. We thank Jobava fo r an instructive master-class. 44 . .rla1 .rlh2 45 . .rlaa8 :Xh446 . .rlg8+ 46.�c4. 46 ... � 47 . .rlgf8+ c;f;>e6 48 . .rlae8+ c;f;>d7 49 . .rld8+ �c6 50.:Xf6+ �b7 51 . .rlg8 �d4 52 . .rlh6 .rlh3+ 53.�e2 .rlh2+ 54.�d3 �f2 55 . .rlg7 g3 56.�e2 h4 57. �3 �b6 58 . .rlhg6 :Xc259. �g4 9 ...a6 10.a4 .l:!.h2 60.�5 �d4 61.�e6 .rlf2 62 . .l:!.g4 Clearly White isn't eager to allow ... b7- .rlf463 . .rl4g6:Xe4 64. �d5 .rlf465. l:h7 b5. .i.b6 66.�xe5 .rla4 67.�d5 .rlb4 1 o ... h6 11. .i.h4 b6 12 . .rlhe1 .i.b7 68. c;ite5 .i.f2c;itd5 69. .rld4+ 70. �e5 13. �b1 .rlb814 .h3 g6 J:tb4 71.�d5 .rlb1 72 . .rlgg7 .l:!.d1+ A subtle move, but I don't understand 73.�e6 �b6 74 . .rlg4 .rld4 75 . .rlg8 c6 its use. Maybe the king will go to g7. 76 . .l:!.h5 .l:!.d5 77 . .l:!.h7 .rld1 78 . .rlb8+ 15.�b3 �8 16.ttJd2 c;f;>c579. l:tg8 .l:.d480. �e5 �c4 81.�f5 The knight will be parked on c4, with c5 82 . .l:!.g6 c;itd5 0-1 real threats to d6 and eS already. Is there anyone left who still doubts that 16... g5 17.�g3 b5 Black can play fo r three results in this Luke McShane makes well-timed pawn line? moves, taking squares from the oppo nent. In the fo llowing encounter White was 18.axb5 axb5 19.lL:!f1 also subject to pressure, even though The computer isn't keen on this move, his name was Karjakin. But, adhering to but what can we suggest instead? Here some unknown principle, Luke didn't the knight at least heads (or pretends to capture on c3, whereas this exchange head) for the weakened square fS . and the spoilt white structure promised 19... �b4 him considerable positional dividends. Rather good is the simple 19... tbc5 20.f3 As things went, the situation gradually tbxb3 2l.cxb3 tbhS=. equalized. 20.f3 c5 61 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 25 . .ie1 h5 26.h4 gxh4 27 . .ixh4 c4 27 ... .ixc3 28.bxc3 tbb6;!;;. 28 . .ie1 f5 29.d6 h4 29... .ixc3. 30.tbed5 .ixd5 31.tillcd5 As a result, the knight, instead of dying on c3, becomes active. Can this really be auspicious for Black? 31 ... .ixe1 32.:texe1 f4 33.tbe7+ �6 34.tbd5+ �g5 35.b3 :th636. t2Jc3 �5 37.tbe4 h3 38.gxh3 :Xh3 A sharp position has arisen, and it is Finally Black takes over the initiative. In Black who is showing the aggression. the future ... �xf3 and ...�xe4 may be 21 . .id5?! threatened, creating connected passed The computer's recommendation is pawns. amusing: 2I.tbe3 c4 22 . .ia2 .ixc3 39.:tf1 cxb3 40.cxb3 23.bxc3 and here Houdini's verdict is ;!;;, But how can a man dare to play a po sition with such a bishop?! Of course, Black has many weaknesses now, but who can guarantee that the Count of Monte Cristo (a2) will ever be released? 21 ... tillcd5 22.exd5 f6 A bit more accurate was 22.. . .ixc3 23.bxc3 f6 . 23.tbe3 23.�e3. 23 ... �7 24.:te2 40 ... :td8 In principle, the problematic 40 ... �xf3 could have worked already: 4l..t'Ixf3 �xe4 with sufficient compensation. 41 .t2Jc3 b4 42.tbd5 :tdh8 43.�c2 :th2+ 44.:td2 :Xd2+ 45.�xd2 l2Jc5 46.tillcb4 tillcb3+ 47.�c3 0d4 48.�c4 �e6 49.d7 �xd7 50.�d5 :th5 51 .0d3 �e7 52.tillcf4 exf4+ 112-112 From time to time Black prefers a 24 ... �g6 sharper pawn advance of his g-pawn For some reason, known only to the to the modest ...g7 -g6. This advance has English player himself, he keeps ig its pros and cons. It weakens point fS , noring the possibility to spoil the en but contributes to the knight's penetra emy structure with 24 ... .ixc3! 25.bxc3 tion to f4 and generally grabs space. In �hd8+. the next game, from the well-known 62 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Aeroflot Open, a Russian grandmas Jumping to the centre was better: ter even gradually took over the initi 2S.tLldS! i.xdS 26.exd5 bS (unsatisfac ative playing against a member of the tory is 26 ...ctJxg2 27.�xa6 (or 27.d6!?± Armenian team, Karen Asrian, who, at once) ... unfortunately, leftthis world early. Still, White didn't really risk losing and it all ended in a draw. 33 Karen Asrian (2634) Dmitry Bocharov (2602) Moscow Aeroflot Open 2007 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxda+ ..txda 6 . .te4 ..tea 7.tbf3 .td6 a . .tg5 tbbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 10.a4 h6 11. .th4 b6 12. .1:lhe1 .tb7 analysis diagram 13.h3 g5 14. .tg3 '1te7 15. .1:le2 .l:lhea ...with the intention to tear the remain 16.tbh2 der of Black's queenside pawn structure Starting the planned knight manoeuvre. to pieces by means of dS-d6. Please Its arrival on fS seems to spell disaster note how the fS-knight is dominating) for Black. 27.axb5 axbS 28:.ifl;t. 16... .1:lada 17.tbf1 tbc5 1a.f3 tbh5 25 ... .te7 26 . .tf1 h5 27.g3 tbg6 19. .tf2 tbf4 20 . .1:led2 White has preserved the flexibility of No, no, the notation is correct - this is the pawn structure, but only tempo not a blunder. The g2-pawn is poisoned. rarily: ... h5-h4 is inevitable, making the 20... tbce6 dark squares vulnerable. Not 20 ...tbxg2? 2l..�xc5 .ixcS 22Jhg2 . 2a . .te4 21 .tbe3 .tb422 .tbf5+ '1tfa 28.h4?! gxh4 29.gxh4 tbe6 and Black After all the knight has reached the stands at least not worse. commanding height fS . Let's see how 2a ... h4 29.gxh4 tbxh4 30.tbxh4 gx Black copes with it. h4= 31 .tbc3 .tea32 . .tf1 tbe6 33.tbd5 23.:Xda :Xda 24.:Xda+ tbxda .tg5+ 34.'1td1 .tb7 35.e3a5 36.tbe3 25.tba2 tbt4 37.tbf5 .tea aa . .txh4 .txh4 63 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 39.l2Jxh4 l2Jxh3 40.lbg2 lbg5 41 . ..te2 i.d7 42.b3 i.e6 43.wc2 we7 44.lbe3 li:lh345.b4 lbg1 46 . ..td1 47.�6 li:ld5+ .bd5 48.exd5 I suppose it's clear to everyone that the initiative is already in Black's hands (bad bishop). Nevertheless, it is hard ly probable that the Russian player will gain something real. 48 ... we7 49. Wd3 �d6 50. wc4 f5 51 . �b5 wxd5 52.bxa5 bxa5 53. �xa5 e4 54.fxe4+ fxe4 55.�b5 e3 56.a5 e2 13. tt::ld5 f6 57 . .be2 l2Jxe2 58.a6 l2Jxc3+ 59.�b4 Quite justifiable was 13 ...c6 14.tLle3 li:la2+60. wa3 tt::lc3 61 . �b4 112-112 1lc7 1S.h4 tt::lxg3 16.fxg3 unclear. 14.llhe1 tt::lc5 15.a5 Alexander Morozevich poses problems It is always advisable to put pressure on to Black in the next game. However, he the enemy and grab space. On the agen can do that in any opening. I don't have da is b2-b4. the heart to criticize his opponent. A 15... .tg4 16.lle3 rl.f8 17.b4 tt::ld7 18.h3 200-point Elo difference and the white .txf3 19. .:.Xf3 li:lf4 20.llc3! colour... One way or another, the Rus sian player acquired the advantage with the bishop pair, with a flexible struc ture and a space advantage thanks to his advanced a-pawn. At some point the Elo-favourite played not optimally, and the struggle dragged on. 34 Alexander Morozevich (2739) Bator Sambuev (2524) 20 .. .l:tb8 Tromse FIDE World Cup 2013 (1) Disastrous was 20 ...tt::l xg2? 21.tLlxc7+ 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt::lf6 3.tt::lc3 e5 4.dxe5 1lxc7 22..�e6+- with a crushing de dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ wxd8 6.i.c4 wea fe at. The centralized knight should have 7.li:lf3 ..td6 a . ..tg5 li:lbd7 9.0-o-o a6 been annihilated: 20 ...tt::l xdS 21..�.xdS 1 O.a4 h6 11.i.h4 g5 We7 with the idea ...c7-c6 , because Straightforwardly played. 22 . .1i.xb7 is not dangerous on account 12.i.g3 li:lh5 of 22 .. J!ab8 23 . .1i.xa6 .l::txb4 with com In such cases I usually say: 'Well, can pensation. did at least.' The knight may intend to 21 . .bf4 exf4 22.l2Jxc7+! go to f4 , as the capture on g3 is stra Morozevich is so strong that I have to tegically risky. The reason is that the carefully select the places for exclama light squares will be weakened and the tion marks, as most of these moves are d6-bishop will remain passive. taken fo r granted by such strong players. 64 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 22 ... .ixc7 23 . .ie6 25. 'iftxb2 lL\e5 26 . .:tc3 This idea is working again: it is impos 26 . .r:f.d6! rJile7 . 27.ib3 would have led sible to protect the two pieces simulta to a win, due to the awful threat of neously. 27 . .r:f.e6+, and the f6 -pawn perishes. 23 ... .ie5 24 . .:tcd3! 26 ... 'ifte7 27 . .id5 .:tfd8 28 . .:tc7+ .:td7 Weaker is 24.�xd7+ rJile7. 29.:.Xd7+ 'iftxd730.c4 Now Black has to decide how he wants 30 . .ixb7+ rJilc7 31.�xa6 .l:.xb4+. to give back the piece. In this case he 30 ... 'iftc731 . 'iftc3 cannot put his hopes on the drawish Alexander has thrown away part of his tendencies of the opposite-coloured advantage and the intrigue is still alive. bishops. 31 ... .:td8 32 . .:tb1 I myself once had such fe ars when play ing against Sambuev with opposite coloured bishops, but here both sides only had a single rook each, and the pawn configuration was different. Sambuev-S. Kasparov, Montreal 2009 (8), went 39Jhb7 32 ...h5 32 ... .r:f.a8!? preventing b4-bS, for in- stance 33.bS axbS 34.�xbS (34.cxbS l:r.xaS) 34... lt:Jc6 . 33.b5 The rest is clear. 33 ... :ba 34.'iftd4 0d7 35.c5 axb5 analysis diagram 36.:.Xb5 g4 37.h4 lL\e538 . .:tb6f3 39.g3 39 ....l::f. e7 40.�xc6 l:lxb7 4l.�xb7 fS ti::d7 40 . .:tb5lL\e5 41 . .:tb60d7 42 . .:te6 42 .rJilf3 ri;;e7 43 . .ids hS=. :.as 43.c6 bxc6 44.:.Xc6+ 'iftd8 45.a6 .:ta7 46 . .:e6 .:tc7 47. .ic6 .:ta7 48 . .:td6 The activity of the white rooks + poten :.Xa6 49.:.Xd7+ 'iftc850 . .ib7+ 1-0 tial weakness of the pawns on b7 and a6 (fixed on light squares) give White I will now present a large-scale battle good chances of success. However, this from the World Cup with additional would have been the lesser of evils fo r comments by grandmaster Alexander Black. Finkel. I believe it is interesting to com 24 ... .ib2+? pare our opinions. The Canadian grandmaster prefers to Azmaiparashvili played not very typi keep the knight, which is even worse. cally, and quite creatively. He applied Most tenacious was 24... lt:Jcs 2S.bxc5 the manoeuvre ...lt:Jd7-b 6, putting the r:J;;e7 26.�fS±; if 24 .. .'>t>e7 2S.�fS !. knight in front of the pawn, but thus 65 A Cwming Chess Opening for Black chasing off the enemy bishop. Then the 11. .te2 Georgian grandmaster sacrificed the c7- ll..�.b3. pawn. Later, with many pieces still on 11 ... �e7 the board, he started a striking king ma ll...�e6 12.tLlb5 (12.�xf6 gxf6 13.tt::lh4 noeuvre with ...�e 7-f6-g6-h7 with the a6 14.tt::lf5 .ib4=) 12... tt::lx e4 13.�d3 king in front of its own pawns. tt::lcs 14.tt::lxd6+ cxd6 15. .ib5+ �d7 Evgeny still had some initiative, but not 16 . .txd7+ tt::lbxd7 17.lhd6 f6 18.IDldl=. more. Hardly did he lose his vigilance, 12. .tg3 tiJbd7 13. .tc4 tiJb6 14. .ie2 when his opponent took over the initi tiJbd7 ative by means of a sharp counterblow. Aha, we can conclude that the main The Russian player defended stubborn purpose of the manoeuvre ...tt::l d7-b6 is ly, but nothing could save him now. to drive the enemy bishop away. 15.ttJd2 .ib4!? 16.f4!? 35 16.tLld5+ tt::lxd5 17.exd5 h5 18.h4 f5 Evgeny Bareev (2702) 19.tt::lf3;!;. Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2673) 16... .ixc3 Shenyang 2000 (1) The best, and also the most principled 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tlJf6 3.tbc3 e5!? 4.dxe5 move. dxe5 5. •xd8+ �xd8 6 . ..ic4 �e8 17.bxc3 lbc5!? 'During the last couple of years this 17... exf 4 18.�xf4 tt::le8 19.e5 tt::lc5 move has replaced 6 ... .ie6, which was 20 . .l:ihfl tt::le6 2l..�.e3b6;!;. the main reply. Black has a slightly pas 18. ..if3 exf4 19.hf4 ..ie6!? sive, but very solid position and it's not so easy fo r White to prove that his opening advantage is not temporary' (Finkel). 7. tlJf3 .idS 8 . ..ig5 8.i.e3 a6 9.a4 i.d7 IO.tt::lgs .l:tf8 II.tt::lds tt::lxd5 n . .txd5 c6 13.i.b3 h6 14.0-0-0 i.c7 15.tLlf3;!;; 8.0-0 a6 9.a4 tt::lc6 IO.tt::lgs tt::ld8 II.tt::lds tt::lxd5 n . .ixd5 f6 13.tLlf3 �e6 14.�xe6 tt::lxe6 ISJidl We7=. 8 ... ttJbd79. 0-0-0 h6 10. ..ih4 tlJb6 Resolutely played. Black gives up the c7-pa wn, gaining counterplay along the opened c-file fo r it. 20.hc7 .:aca21 . .ia5 2I..ig3 tt::la4. 21 ... tiJfd7 It was also interesting to try to get to e5 with tempo: 21...tLlg4!? (threaten ing 2L.tt::lf2) 22 . .ixg4 �xg4 23.tLlf3 lihe8=. 22.tlJb3 b6 23. ..ib4 �6 66 Part I -The Treacherous Ending Frankly, it's rare fo r me to see a com mander-in-chief marching in front of his army with a board fu ll of pieces. 24.Ahf1 �g6 25.�e2 lbe5 With compensation. I guess this is dynamic equality. It is difficult to chase the white rook from the 8th rank. 37 . .ih5 Obviously intending to redeploy the bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal. 37.c4 was To tell you the truth, Black's posi the alternative. tion seems more pleasant to me due 37 ... :es to White's weakened pawn structure. 37.. Jicd7 38.�f8 (38.l:lxd7 l:lxd7 Nevertheless, the computer prefers 39.tLlxcS l::tdS+) 38.. J� d5 (38 ... .l::!el+ White - due to the extra pawn ... 39. 67 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 46 ... i.f7 47. ..txf7 �xf7. Also not bad is the aggressive ll...bS 47.tbe4 �f7 48.f6+ IL�.b3 .l:lb8 13 . ..tg3 ttJhS 14.tt:Jh4 g6 48.tbxc5 �c7 49 . ..txf7 �xf7 SO.�d2 IS.tbds �f8 16.f3 aS 17.a3 tbcS;!:;. The �g3+. d6-bishop 'glues together' the pawns on 48 ... citfB 49 . .b:f7 Against one of the strongest players of Western Europe, Jules Moussard ob tained a solid position. But two wasted tempi ( .. Jla8-a7-a8) caused a lag in de velopment. The Elo-favourite opened up the c-file in his favour and won. Black fe els rather safe. If you imagine a 36 pawn on d6, then his structure would Arkadij Naiditsch (2698) be strong. However I still don't under Jules Moussard (2402) stand why the rook is better placed on Saint-Quentin 2012 (3) a7 than on a8. 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tt:Jf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.dxe5 17.tt:Jd2 cwt,(f7 18.f3 b5 19.�f1 ttJc5 dxe5 5.1i'xd8+ �xd8 6.�c4 �e8 20.�12 :ta8 7.lLlf3 �d6 8.�g5 tt:Jbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 Here we are. 10.l:the1 h6 11.�h4 tt:Jh5 Meanwhile, the fact that the waste of a couple of tempi does not really hurt Black proves the large reliability margin of his position! 21.c4! Arkadij starts to play concretely. There are no alternatives in sight. 21 ...bxc 4?! 2l...b4 doesn't maintain the blockade: 22.tbe4 tbxe4 23 . .l:lxe4 aS 24.cS;!;. It was the least of evils, though. 68 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 22.tillcc4 .td7 23.l:l.e3 This didn't lead to disaster, but after B.Wbl. the opening of the a- and b-files, Black 23 ... �b5 24.l:l.c3 .hc4 seized the initiative and kept it. Was this necessary? White's light squared bishop will be stronger than the knight. 25.l:l.xc4 li::Jb7 26.l:l.d2 l:l.hb8 27.l:l.dc2 37 �e7 28.�d3 lbd8 29.�e1 aS Ta mir Nabaty (2566) Ivan lvanisevic (2644) Skopje 2013 (5) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 li::Jf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ �xd8 6 . .tc4 �e8 7.li::Jf3 .td6 8.�g5 li::Jbd7 9.0-0-0 a6 10.h3 As a rule, White tries to prevent the ex pansion ...b7- bS. Let's see what happens if he ignores it. 10... b5 11.�b3 h6 12.�h4 �8 13.l:l.he1 l:l.b8 14.a4 g6 15.axb5 axb5 White has made obvious progress. The 16.lbd5 �g7 17.c3 l:l.e8 pawns on aS and c7 are weak (White has the potential blow l:txc7+). His bishop can be established on fS with pressure on the enemy defences. There is also an opening of the h-file in the offing (h3-h4). 30.l:l.a4 30.b3±. 30... li::Jb7 31 .�15 �c5 32.l:l.ac4 .td6 33.h4 a4 34.l:l.xc7+! Believe it or not, I hadn't guessed these last moves. However, it could have It looks like Black has easily solved all been guessed by any reader who read his opening problems. The king has the above. The moves h3-h4 and .llxc7 fo und a proper shelter and even his strongly suggest themselves ... rooks are already developed. 34... .txc7 35.l:l.xc7+ �e8 36.hxg5 18. �c2 tillcd5 hxg5 37.�b4 l:l.a638. l:l.h7 �d8 1-0 18 ... tLlhS!?. Should White prevent Black's aggres 19. .hd5 b4 20.lbd2 bxc3 21 .bxc3 sion on the queenside? I dare say yes, he lbc5 22.lbc4 �d7 should (a2-a4). For one thing, gaining With the idea ... .ia4+. The opening of space is desirable. the queenside files is not to the benefit of the white king. Or 22 ... i.f8 23.i.c6 In the fo llowing example, the Israeli .ie6 unclear. white player ignored the ...b7-bS push. 23.tillcd6 cxd6 24.l:l.b1 g5 25 . .tg3 69 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black The king wants to burst into the enemy camp, but 49 ... Black put up a sturdy defence in the next game, from the Serbian team champion ship. Branko Damljanovic handled the set-up ...c7-c6 , ... �d6-c7 expertly. The damage to the pawn structure and the triumphant appearance of the knight on 25 ...f5 fS (in front of the doubled pawns) was I like solid moves, but 25 ... �e6 leads practically ignored by Black. only to equality: 26.�xe6 !txbl 27.l::rxbl fxe6 28.f3. 38 26.f3 fxe4 27.fxe4 .b4+28. The Serbian grandmaster hurries to move the bishop from the d-file be fo re White castles 0-0-0. Let's find out Competent play by the Israeli grand whether this is any good. master has saved him from trouble, the 9.0-0-0 �c7 position is approximately equal. This set-up is quite flexible. The entry 32 ... tba4 33. 70 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 12... t!Jd7 13.a3 Branko's idea was likely not to allow The computer opts for the intrusion the knight's passage to the blockading with 13.tLld6+, but it is not clear square e4. what is gained by this. For example, 19.c3 lt:\b620. 39 Parimarjan Negi (2615) 17.tbe2 Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2625) Damljanovic doesn't have any problems Sestao tt 2010 (3) anymore. After the superior 17.tLlxa4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lt:\f6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.dxe5 .!:1xa4 18.c3 the simple exchange dxe5 5.'1rxd8+ 71 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black play. 29.a5 ttJa8 30.ttJed5 Also good is 30.ti:Jc2 .txf2+ 3I.Ilxf2 .l:tcS 32..r:f.fd2 tbf6 33.tbe3±. 33 ..Jha 5? doesn't work in view of 34.tbxc4. 30 ... i.xf2+ 31. l:lxf2 l:lc5 32.ttJe3 tLlf6 33.l:lfd2 �e7 analysis diagram ... and Black's position is more active. 15.i.a2 c5 16.tLle2! The knight goes to fS , which is quite unpleasant as ...g7 -g6 will results in the loss of the h6-pawn. 16 ... l:lfc8 17.ttJg3 �e8 18.ttJf5 i.f8 19.c4! A crucial moment. 34.h4 The sudden cen tral blow 34.f4! would have been power ful. I assure you that I am not so smart that I can see all the tactical nuances. I'm just analysing with the computer: 34... exf 4 (34 ... Ilxa5 35.fxe5 IheS 36.tbxc4+ threatening e4-e5 and .!::f.d7+) 35.tbxc4 Ihc4 36 . .itxc4 �c4 37.e5+-. 34 ... l:lxa5 35.i.xc4 ttJb6 36.i.b3 :ac5 (Milliet Bocharov, Jakarta 2012) 37.�t2;!; a . .. :ta 9.t4 ttJcs Risky is 9 ...exf 4 IO.eS �xeS 11.0-0. analysis diagram With the absence of pawns on the e-file 19... bxc4 This move, destroying Black's the black king fe els insecure. structure, looks provocative. However, 1 O.ti:Jb5 19... b4 doesn't equalize either. 20.i.xc4 tLlb6 21 . ..ta2 l:lc6 22.tLlf2 22..l:tfc lt. 22 ...ttJfd7 23.tLld1 I suppose the idea of this move is clear? Yes, the knight is going to move along the route ti:Jf2-dl c3-d5. 23... h5 24.i.f2 The French girl is playing quite well. Her knights intend to occupy the light squares, which have been weakened by the opponent. 24 ... c4 25.ttJc3g6 26.ttJe3 i.c5 27.l:lad1 l:lac8 28.a4 28 . .!::f.d2. 28 ... i.d4? A mistake. A picturesque position. White tries to Black should have stopped the enemy undermine the enemy defence by cav advance by 28 ...a5, with acceptable alry raids. He doesn't succeed, though. 72 Part I -The Treacherous Ending 1 o ... h6 11.ttJxd6+ cxd6 12.ltJf3 ttJxe4! 15.0-0 ltJf6 16. .tb3 ttJxf3+ 17.gxf3 d5 18. .te3 'itf7 19.�d4 A principled and strong decision. White will have compensation fo r the pawn, Clearly the Indian grandmaster has but not more. achieved a pleasant position. The bishop 13.�d5 f5 14.fxe5 ttJxe5 on d4 is a fe ast for the eye. However, to The mirror move 14 ...lbb 4!? is interest restore the material balance, sooner or ing, fo r example 15. .tb3 .te6! 16. .td2 later White will have to exchange one of (doubtful is 16.�xe6 lbxc2+ 17.�e2 the bishops for a knight. tt::lxal and it will be difficult to catch 19... l:.e8 20.a4 .te6 21.a5 a6 22.l:.fe1 the stray knight) 16 ...tt:Jxd2 17.�xd2 l:.ac8 23.l:.e5 �d7 24.l:.ae1 :Xes .ixb3 18.axb3 tt::lc6=. 25 . .:.Xe5 112-112 Conclusion With the move 6 ... �e8 Black is spoiling fo r a fight , more so than with the 'dry' alternative 6 ....t e6. Strong chess play ers have the possibility to outplay less experienced colleagues here. I can't see a clear plan fo r White to gain an advantage. With reasonable play from both sides White holds some ini tiative, but not more. Howeve r, let me finish like an amateur doctor: 'Every person is an individual and I can 't say for sure how the medicine will catch on!' With such statements it seem s that everyone can be a doctor... or a chess writer. 73 Part II Flexible Development 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tiJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.lt:Jge2 In this Part we will consider the development of White's kingside knight at e2. Why here, and why not at the more active square f3 ? The thing is that on e2 the knight is placed more flexibly, as it doesn't hamper the mobility of the f-pawn. By the way (though this is my subjective opinion), it seems to be the most logical that pawns firstmove fo rward and the pieces follow them. Besides, pawns exercise the most power when they are standing shoulder to shoulder (for instance, on e4, f4) , as this way they have a fu ll grip of all the squares in front of them. I apologize to all qualifiedplayers fo r this detailed explanation of some basic prin ciples. But the majority of my audience consists of amateurs. I first took serious notice of the idea tLlge2 against the Pirc-UfimtsevDef ence dur ing my childhood. One of my favourite books was Montrea/ 1979: To urnament of Stars. There, in the second round, the then World Champion produced an excellent example of how to play this line, and the book fe atured his own comments to the game. Before you consider more modern games, I recommend you to get acquaint ed with this masterpiece. In this game the black bishop was developed to g7, which diffe rs slightly from Black's usual central strategy, but ... after the moves l.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.tLlge2 Black can also fianchetto the bishop. Please study also the second game (Nisipeanu-lvanisevic) thoroughly. After that I will present an example from the author's own practice. The principal difference with the game Karpov-Timman is the position of the white knight on f3 instead of e2. But soon the outlines become similar to this elite encounter. 75 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 40 'i!Yxd4 13.lbxd4 and White's position is Anatoly Karpov (2705) slightly better as the d6-pawn is weak) Jan Timman (2625) 12 ...lbg4 (this move wasn't mentioned Montreal 1979 (2) in the book) 13.hxg4 jlxd4=. So I will show you one of my favour 11. ..te3 'ifc7 ite masterpieces, performed by two Black fails to include the poorly placed great chess players. Karpov's way of a6-knight into the game. playing highly appealed to me, which A) ll...exd4 J2.jlxd4 (12.lbxd4?! resulted in a paradox. In the titanic lbcs 13. .if4 lbhs) n ...lbcs I3.e5! Karpov-Kasparov struggle I supported lbh7 14.exd6 'iYxd6 IS.jlxg7 (IS.b4 Garry, my fe llow countryman and lba6 16.b5 cxbS 17.lbxb5±) IS.Jixdl namesake, while I preferred his oppo 16.�axdl �xg7 17.b4 lba6 18.b5±; nent's chess style. B) I suppose ll...�h7!? 12.'iVd2 exd4 Here I have been guided by the com 13.1txd4 (13.lbxd4 lbcs 14.f3 dS?! ments of the 12th World Champion, IS.lbxc6;l;) is more precise: 13 ...lbc5 while I have added my own notes. and now White shouldn't play 14.e5? 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tt:lc3 g6 4.g3 ..tg7 dxeS Is.jlxcS 'iYxd2. 4 ...c5?! is no good due to S.dxcS 'iYaS 12. 'ifd2 �h7 13. .J:I.ad1 ..td7 6.cxd6 lbxe4? 7.'iVd5+-. 13 ... jle6 14.g4 .l::tad8 IS.f4 .ic4 16.fxe5 s . ..tg2 o-o 6.ti:lge2 es 7.0-0 tt:la6 dxeS 17.dS;l;. 14.g4 .J:I.ada15 .tt:lg3 .tea 16.f4 Anatoly Evgenyevich takes a sceptical view of this move. With my own expe The computer does not think it's a dra rience in this system, I also cannot un ma, but Black is clearly uneasy in the derstand the knight's placement on the face of White's total consolidation. edge of the board in front of its own 16... b5 17.a3 b4 18.axb4 tt:lxb4 pawn. 19.tt:lce2!? 8 . .J:I.e1 c6 9.h3 The World Champion is going to fo rce White's flexible pawn structure on the the black knight back to the 'stable' on kingside narrows down the adversary's a6 by means of c2-c3. possibilities ( ... .ig4,... lbg4) . 19... exd 4 9 ... .J:I.e8 1 0 . ..tgS h6 19... c5 is no remedy: 20.fxe5 dxeS (20 ... Better is IO ... 'iVb6 II.l:i.bl exd4 12.lbxd4 cxd4 2l.exf6 dxe3 22.'iVxb4+-) 2l.dS;i;. (perhaps more precise is 12.'iYxd4 20.tt:lxd4 as 21 .c3 tt:la6 76 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tiJ£63 .lD:3 eS 4. lt:Jge2 26.l:la1! The computer ms1sts on 26.g5! tt::lg8 27.f5+-. but I definitelyprefer the 'stifling' strategy. Not out of sadistic inclinations, but because it involves less risk. 26 ... tbc7 26 ...'ifxb2? 27.�ebl+-. 27.l:lxa5 l:ldd7 28.b4 tbe629 . ..te3 In reply to 29.'ifd2 the fo olhardy 29 ... dS!? could have followed, for example 30.e5 tt::le4 31.tt::lxe4 dxe4 32.tt::ld4 c5. 22.'ifc2 This is also unsatisfactory for Black, but A preventive measure against ...tt::l a6-c5, at least it complicates the struggle. which can now be met by b2-b4, chas 29 ...c5 30.f5 tbda 31 .b5 ing back the unlucky knight again. The Usually in this type of structure the straightforward 22.tt::lxc6! doesn't look move f4 -f5 weakens White's control bad either, for example 22 ...'ifxc6 23.e5 of the point e5, but as the case stands, dS 24.exf6 �xf6 25.�xdS;l;. Black's pieces are so 'stalemated' that 22... �d7?! 23.tbf3 he has to effectively exploit this weak 23.g5! was strong: 23 ...hxg5 24.fxg5 ening. tt::lg8 2S.'iff2 and disaster strikes. The 31 ... �h8 32.�f2 fi'c7 33.l:la4 'ifb8 queen attacks f7 and threatens a deadly 34.c4+- check on h4: 25 ... �c8 26.tt::lgf5! gxfS A spectacular sight - hardly inferior to 27.exf5+-. But Anatoly Evgenyevich is flashyattac ks. used to playing in another manner. He prefers to stifle the opponent. 23 ... l:le7 24 . ..tf2± 34 ... l:la7 35.l:lxa7 l:lxa7 36.e5 dxe5 37. tbxe5 l:la238 . ..txcs 1-0 24 ... �e8? However, black players needn't worry. Aggravates his problems, which are al They should just correct the mistakes of ready fo rmidable. the fo rmer leader of Dutch chess. At the 25.fi'd3! fi'b7 2008 Olympiad, Serbian grandmaster 25 ...tt::l b8 26.e5 tt::lds 27.exd6 .I:f.xel+ Ivan Ivanisevic played much more effec 28.tt::lxel ifxd6 29.c4+-. tively and took over the initiative. 77 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 41 IS.lbbS=. Here the knight is considera Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (2684) bly more active than on bl or e2. Ivan lvanisevic (2658) 14.dxe5?! Dresden ol 2008 (8) Interesting is 14.g5!? lbe8 IS.dxcS 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.ttJc3e5 4.lbge2c6 tbxcS 16.axb4 axb4 17.'i!fd2, fo rcing 5.g3 g6 the advanced pawn on b4 to declare its Transitioning into a 'normal' Pirc intentions. UfimtsevDef ence. 14... ttJxe5 6.�g2 �g7 7.0-0 0-0 8.h3 b5 9.a3 The knight aims fo r c4 and it is highly �b7 1 0.�e3 undesirable to allow it there. As usual, releasing the tension in the 15.g5 ttJfd716 .b3 centre leads to approximate equality: 16.'ifxd6 lbc4+. IO.dxeS dxeS II.'ifxd8 �xd8. I wonder 16... 16 why White's position should be better A questionable decision. Weakening the here. Earlier on he had a preponderance king's position wasn't necessary as there in the centre (e4- and d4-pawns against were worthy alternatives. Rather good, eS-pawn), but not anymore. for instance, is 16 ...lbc6 17Jh2 'ilfe7;!;;. 10... ttJbd7 11.g4 a5 12.lbg3 17.gxf6 Before playing g4-g5, Liviu-Dieter takes Or 17.axb4 axb4 18.nxa8 i.xa8 hS under control, where otherwise the 19.lbf4= pointing at the drawbacks of enemy knight could go. the move .. .f7-f6. 17... ttJxf6 12... b4 More accurate is 12 ...exd4, with the 18.axb4 forced variation 13.i.xd4 (it seems Tactical skirmishes would result that the bishops' opposition on the al in absolutely unclear positions, fo r h8 diagonal favours White - however, example 18.f4!? lbf7 19.e5 ..ixg2 Black can drive the bishop away:) 13... 20.exf6 ..ixf6 2l.�xg2 ..ixal 22.'li'xal. b4 14.axb4 (14.lbce2 cS IS. ..ie3 'ife7;!;;) 18... axb4 19.l:tc1 ?! 14 ...axb4 15.�xa8 i.xa8 16.lbbl cS Liviu-Dieter plays too subtly. The simple 17. ..ie3 'ife7;!;;. 19. .l:txa8 is more reasonable, fo r exam 13. ttJce2 c5 ple 19... ..ixa8 20.lbf4. Now in reply to 13 ...exd4 White may 19... 'ife7 20.ttJf4 ttJf7 capture with the knight: 14.lbxd4 cS The e4-pawn is already fe eling the heat. 78 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lZJ£6 3. 0.c3 e5 4. tt:Jge2 21.l:le1 seeing this position (with white!) on In reply to the thematic 21.f3, the un their top board. pleasant 2l...dS may fo llow. 31 .l:.e2 21 ... l:lae8 22.i.d2 tbd7 23.tal5 'ifh4 There was a possibility to cut the com 24. 'ifg4 'ifxg425.hx g4 munication lines along the f- file with 31.tLlfS!?, but after 31...l:t3xfS 32.exfS lL:lxe3+ 33.fxe3 �xfS 34.e4 l:txgS+ the chances are still on Black's side. He has two pawns for the exchange, and be sides, the bishop pair is worth a lot. 31 ... ltJxe3+ 32.ltJxe3 32.fxe3!?. 32 ... ..id433. ltJg4 l:l3f4 34.f3 �g7 34 .. Jhf3 3S.tLlf6+ l::t3xf6 36.gxf6 hS+ (36 .. J:lxf6). 35.ttJh2d5 ?! 36.e5? If White managed to put pawns on gS White could have revealed the short and f4 , everything would be fine. The comings of Black's previous move by Serbian grandmaster duly interferes means of 36.exdS i.xdS 37.l:te7+ l:t4f7 with this plan. 38. .l::rxf7+ .txf7 (38 ... �xf7 39.lLle2). 25 ... ttJfe5 26.g5 ttJf3+ The position is about equal now, though Even stronger is 26 .. /L:lg4! 27.ClJc7 the two bishops are still alive. (White mustn't move the pawn: 27.f4? 36 ... i.c8 37.l:lee1 .td4+ 28.'1t>fl (28.Whl .tf2-+) Vacating square e2 for the knight. 28 ...lLlh2+ 29.We2 .txdS-+) 27... l::i.e7 37 ... l:lh4 28.lL:ldS .l::t.ef7 29. .th3 lL:ldeS+ and 37 ... �c3!? 38Jle3 .l:lh4+. White is absolutely crushed. 38.e6 l:le8 39.ltJe2 l:lxe6 40.ltJxd4 27.i.xf3 l:lxf3 28.�g2 l:lef8 29.i.e3 l:lxd4 41.l:lxd4 l:lxe1 42.l:lxd5 l:le2+ ttJeS 30.l:lcd1 43. �g3 l:lxc2-+ 30.Wh3!?. 30 ... ltJg4 The (probable) time scramble has fin ished, and White's position remains un enviable. He has to set his hopes on the I can just imagine the state of mind of drawish tendencies of rook endings. the Romanian team members when 44.ttJg4 �7 79 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Better was 44 ... �e6. 45.l:le5 l:lc3 4S ... �e6. 46.tbf6? The lesser of evils was 46.�f2. when the rook is still eyeing the cS-pawn, so that in case of .. Jhb3 White can reply with �xeS. 46... .i.b7-+ 47.tbd7 l:lxf3+ 48.�g4 l:lxb3 49.tbxc5 .i.f3+ 50.�4 l:lc3 51.lt.Ja4 .:&352. tbb6 .i.c653. tbc4 l:lf3+ 54.�g4 l:ld3 55.l:lc5 l:ld4+ 56.�g3 6 ... ttJbd7 .i.d5 57.tee3 �6 58.l:lb5 0-1 What is the problem? you may ask. Black can play 6 ...dS now, too. True, but then Now I will show you a fragment from 7.c4 is possible, resulting in Griinfeld an open tournament in Calcutta, India. schemes. Black will have to be ready fo r During the last decade or so we can a dull, symmetrical struggle. And those associate the Indian Chess Federation who play Indian structures will hardly with high-level play, even between the be glad with such a prospect. lesser-known representatives. 7 .e4 e5 8. tbc3 Only now. Now, instead of a King's In 42 dian we get a Pirc-Ufimtsev Defence. Sergey Kasparov (2546) There is a principal difference: the Kantholi Rathnakaran (2395) white pawn remains on c2 instead of Calicut Open 2007 (1 0) c4. This is not to every black player's As in the elite encounter above, the liking. For instance, he may normally counter-fianchetto on g7 was made, but reply to l.e4 with l...eS only. there is a difference. In this case the 8 ...c6 9.a4 l:[e8 10.h3 a5 11. .i.e3 'ifc7 white knight was developed at f3 . Of 12.... d2 course, putting this piece on e2 is more flexible, but alas, we don't always have that possibility. These things also de pend on what the opponent does! How ever, White's plans here are analogical to the ideas of Anatoly Karpov, which is not surprising as in such structures I was always guided by them. 1.tbf3 ttJf6 2.d4 g6 3.g3 .i.g7 4 . .i.g2 0-0 5.0-0 d6 6.l:le1 The sense of this early involvement of the rook is that e2-e4 is prepared. After How should Black continue? 6.tt:lc3 White must take 6 ...dS into con 12... exd 4 sideration, when I am not sure that the The surrender of the centre, all oth c2-pawn is happy. er things being equal, favours White. 80 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 CiJ£63. tZX3 e5 4. l4Je2 Developing Black's last minor piece 17. ..tf2;;!; seems reasonable. However, in reply to The inclusion of 17.tbb5!? is sound too. 12 ...b6 there may follow 13.d5, closing 17... ltJc6 18.1%ad1 lt:\d4 19.g4 ..td7 off the bishop: 13... cxd5 14.tbb5 'iib8 White should always watch out for the 15.exd5, which is not downright terri counterblow in the centre (especially ble, but the weakening of the points b5 after his knight has retreated to h2), but and c6 is unpleasant. it doesn't work here: 19... d5? 20.exd5 13.hd4 tbxd5 2L�.xd5 �xd5 22Jhe8+. The bishop faces its counterpart on the 20.tt:\f3 diagonal al-h8. Black can kick it with Right, of course, as capturing on d4 ...c6-c5 but this will lead to negative with the bishop is bad . consequences, as we will soon see. 20 ... ttJxf3+ 21.hf3 .ic6 13... tiJeS1 4.tt:\h2 Please note (if your Elo-rating exceeds 2300, skip this remark) that such . 'strange' moves do have their meaning. At the moment White owns more space (due to the e4-pawn) and it is favoura ble fo r him to keep more pieces on the board. By means of f2-f4 I was going to banish the black knight from the centre and to extend my influence area, with the intention to bring the wanderer from h2 back to life afterwards. White is dizzied by the multitude of 14... .ie6 nice continuations: Similar is 14 ...tbc4 15."iVcl �e6 16.b3. 22.g5 15.b3 l%ad8 16.f4 cs Is there anything more logical? White drives the knight off before he occupies square d5. The computer, however, pre fers other moves: 22.tLlb5!? or 22.'iid3!?. 22 ... ttJh5 23.lt:\d5 hdS 24.exd5 The simple threat is 25.�xh5, destroying the enemy pawn structure. 24 ...h6 A radical decision. Now the knight from e5 will go to c6, but the chronic weaken ing of the light squares will tell. I suppose we both didn't see 16... �c8!? here. How ever, then White's position is also better after 17."iYf2;!; (17.fxe5? "iVxe5-+). 81 A CUJming Chess Opening for Black 25.gxh6 Better was 32 . .l:i.e7. I can't say this is a bad move, but 32 ... �g5 33 . .l:[h1 �g7 34 . .:Xh5 �g6 Houdini suggests a stronger one. The 3S . .l:[hh1 WfS 36 . .l:[de1 .l:[g8 37 . .l:[hg1 powerful 25.f5! would have crushed .l:[h8 38. .l:[h1 .l:[g8 39. .l:[hf1 .l:[h8 the residence of the black king and 40.�e2+ �e4 41 . .:Xf7+- caused him great problems: 25 ...hxg5 (25 ... �e5 26.�xh5 gxhS 27 . .ih4!±, but this is too sophisticated fo r me. Besides, the position that arose in the game was similar) 26.�xh5 gxhS 27.'iVxg5 and Black has no satisfactory defence against the threat f5 -f6: 27 ...f6 28.'ifxh5+-. 25 ... .ixh6 26.bh5 gxh5 27 . .ih4 'ii'd7? The thrifty 27... :c8 was more stubborn, but after 28.'ifg2+ �h7 29.it'f3± the pawn on hS will fa ll, with dire conse The position is still technically won. quences (for example, .ih4-g5). 41 ... b6 28 . .bd8 .:Xd8 4l...�xd5 42.l:i.f5+. 42. �d1 + �d4 43 . .l:[f3 43.l:rf5. 43 ...c4 ! 44 . .l:[g1 �e4 45 . .l:[c3 45.l:.ffl �e3 (45 ...cx b3? 46 . .l::txg5 b2 47.�d2+-) 46.k:rg4+ (46.�el .l:':th3 47.bxc4) 46 ...�xd5 47Jhc4±. 45 ...cxb3 46 . .:Xb3 .ie3 47 . .l:[e1 .l:[h3 29.'ife2 Not bad, but it makes the realization of White's advantage more difficult. There were a lot of cold-blooded win ning continuations, such as 29.'ifxa5, 29.1i'c3, or 29.'ife3. 29... •xh3 30. 1i'g2+ 'ifxg2+31 . �xg2 bf4 The bishop is pinned from two sides, I won't be offended if you don't play the but it is not clear how White can profit game through till the end. The opening from this. part was interesting, and of reasonable 48. .:Xb6.l:[h2 49 . .:Xe3+ �xe3 50. �c1 quality. You needn't repeat the further 50.l:rxd6 �hi#. mistakes of the author. 50 ... .l:[h4 51.�b2 32.�3 Better was 5IJlxd6 �d4 52.l:ra6±. 82 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. ltJc3 e5 4. �e2 51 ... :Xa4 52.�b3 l:th4 53.:Xd6 Please note that after the move ...b5 - �d4 54.l:td8 �c5 55.l:ta8 �xd5 b4 and the exchange of pawns on eS, 56.:Xa5+ 112-112 the knight is clumsy on e2, Genzling My handling of the ending left much to Nisipeanu, France tt 2011; be desired. Frankly, I don't remember B) IO.f4 0-0 ll.�h2 �e8 12.�e3 exactly if it was time trouble. A pity, �f8 13.fxe5 dxeS 14.d5 cxdS (14 ... a6 as this was the last round and the last is not the most accurate. There may be chance to gain prizes. no need for this move) IS.tt:'lxdS tt:'lxdS 16.exd5 tt:'lf6 with initiative. In this Spanish team championship game, Arkadij Naiditsch exerted pres sure on the black defensive lines throughout the game. However, Black's position is solid. On the 60th move (in time trouble?) a mistake occurred, and the Georgian grandmaster even won. 43 Arkadij Naiditsch (2712) Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2636) analysis diagram Spain tt 2011/12 (4) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf63.tb c3 e5 4.tbge2 c6 The passed d-pawn is under pres 5.g3 j.e7 6.i.g2 b5 sure, and ...h5 -h4 will be unpleasant, White ignored this threat, so why not Naiditsch-Mladenov, Deizisau 2012. expand? Furthermore, on the kingside 8.d5 White is usually the attacking side. 7.0-0 lLlbd7 The unsophisticated 7 ...b4 is also good, viz. 8.dxe5 dxeS 9.�xd8+ �xd8 IO.tt:'ldl=. Or 7 ... �b7 8.h3 hS 9.a3 tt:'lbd7 and now: A) IO.�e3 aS ll.b3 b4 12.axb4 axb4 13.tt:'la4 0-0 14.dxe5 dxeS=. 8 ... 'ifc7 A) 8 ... cxd5 9.tt:'lxds tt:'lxds lO.'i!VxdS �8=; B) As a rule I prefer 8 ... �b7 in such situations, as from this square the bish op exerts pressure on the e4- and dS pawns, while after the exchange d5xc6, �b7xc6 holds off the c3-knight. If it analysis diagram jumps to d5, Black will capture it and 83 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black White will have a pawn on dS, fo r ex ample 9 . .l::!.e 1 0-0 1 O.dxc6 �xc6 1I.tLldS tbxdS 12.exdS �b7=. 17... a4 ?! A doubtful decision at this critical junc ture. As you will understand, it is not analysis diagram wise to allow the creation of a white Now Black has full scope for aggression 'avalanche' with b4-c4-dS, but maybe on the kingside ( .. .f7-fS, ... �e7-f6). there was some tactical reason fo r this 9.dxc6 'ifxc6 10.:e1 move? Natural and sound was 17.. .fS, With IO.lbd4! White could have under according to the rule: 'play on the side ' lined the vulnerability of the hyper-ac where you are stronger . tive queen, for example 10... exd4 1l.eS 18.b4 tbd7 19.tbd4! exd4 20.:Xe7;t dS 12.exf6 tbxf6 13.'i!Yxd4;;!;. 'WdB21 . .:te4 'Wb6 Or 2l...�xdS 22.l::txd4 �xg2 23S¥i>xg2 tbes 24.'i!Ye2 (White will hardly be sat isfied with a draw after 24.�f4 'i!Yb6 2SJhd6 (2S.f3 'fibS=) 2S ...'i!Yxb4 26.�xeS 'i!Yxa3 27.�xg7= with perpet ual check eventually) 24 .. .'ti'c7 2S.'i!Ye4;;!;;. 22.c4 The bishop protects the dS-pawn after 22.�h4 �fe8 23.'ifal. The queen makes a switch to the corner, and Black cannot protect the a4- and d4-pawns simulta analysis diagram neously. can't see what dissuaded Naiditsch from playing this. 10... �b7 11.tbd5 ttJxd5 12.exd5 'ifc7= 13.a4 bxa4 13 ...b4 suggested itself, but there are also nuances: 14.�d2 aS 1S.c3 bxc3 16.tbxc3 and the knight's penetration on bS will be very unpleasant. 14.:Xa4 o-o 15.b3 as 16.i.d2 tbcs 17.l:a3 84 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:Jf63. ltJc3 e5 4. lt:Jge2 22 ...dxc3 23.�xc3 tt:le5 24.:Xa4 �xd5 25.lhe5 hg2 26.J:[ea5 Better is 26.l:!.e7. 26 ... lha5 27.bxa5 'ifc6 28.'ii'g4 'ii'xc3 29.'iii>xg2 'ii'c6+ A critical moment. Mikheil Mchedlishvili 30.f3? I don't understand why this should be better than 30.'iVe4, as the second rank is weakened. However, this was a team tournament, and it cannot be ruled out that Arkadij had to take a risk. After the 'normal' 30.'ife4 dS 31.'i¥d4 Ila8 32.�b4;!; White stands better, but it looks like a draw. 30 ... 'ii'c2+= 31 .'iii>h3 h5 35 ... 'ii'c5 36.a6 :as37. 'ii'a3 To provide his king with an escape Stronger was 37.'i¥b3, introducing mo square with tempo. 32.'ifxh5 is impos tifs like 37... d5 38.a7 Iixa7 39.'ifb8+. sible as it loses the rook. 37 ... 'ii'b6 38.a7 d5 39. 'ii'a5 'ii'b3 Also acceptable was 31...'ifdl 32.a6 'iYfl+ 40.'ifa4 'ii'b6 41.'it'a5 'it'b3 42.'it'a3 33.�h4 'i¥e2 34.f4 (34.�h3 'iffl+=) 'it'b643. 'it'a6 'it'b3 34... 'ifxh2+ 3S.'ifh3 'ifeZ= and with Please note that the queen exchange such a vulnerable enemy king, Black isn't is still contra-indicated for Black: likely to lose. If things threaten to go 43 ...�xa6 44 . .l::i.xa6 Wf8 4S.Wf2+-, as wrong he will finda perpetual check. the king goes to d4 and Black's central 32. 'ife4 'ii'c8+ 33.'iti>g2 J:[e8 34. 'ifd3 pawn will perish. 'ifc1 ?! 44.'it'e2 'it'b6 45.J:[a6 'it'c5 34.. Jle3!? would have equalized elegant 4S ...'ifb7 ! 46.�a2 d4 looks equal be ly, viz. 3S.'ifxe3 'ifc2+ 36.�h3 'ifxa4=. cause the passed d-pawn will distract 35.J:[a2± the enemy and therefore its counterpart Now the white king can heave a sigh of on a7 will be eliminated. relief and the passed a-pawn is ready to 46. 'it'b2 'it'c7 47. 'iVd4 'ifc2+ 48. 'ii'f2 continue its march. 'ifc4 49. 'it'a2 'it'c7 50. 'it'a4 'it'b7 85 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black After some protracted manoeuvring the A flexible set-up which enablesBlack to chances are still more or less equal. move any pawn when needed. 51.:S5 Wfb2+ 52. �h3 Wi'b6 53.l:a6 1 O.d5 cxd5 11.exd5 0-0= 12. ..te3 Wfb7 54.:S5 Wfb6 55.:S6 'ffb7 12.f4!?. 56.'ffa3 d4 57.�g2 d3 58.�2 d2 12... :e8 13.Wi'd2 �b7 14.a5 b5 See the note to the 45th move. In my opinion this queenside structure 59.�e2?? favours Black. The early ...a7 -a6 serves, I fully understand the German player. among others, to be able to play ... b6-bS It's disappointing to have to agree to a in reply to a4-a5. And here White has draw, but sometimes precisely because fo rced this move himself- to what use? of this we lose! S9.l:rd6=. Now the outpost on bS can't be attacked 59 ...:ds 60.:d6 'We7+ 61.� :Xd6 by a2-a4, and the fa r-advanced aS-pawn 62.a8Wf+ �h7 63. 'ifc5d1 WV 0-1 itself needs constant care. A dramatic finish. 15. tba2 :cs 16. lbb4 White's idea becomes more clear. The So White may ignore the move ...b7- knight has occupied the blockading b5, but in the following encounter the square and is eyeing c6. However, all this preventive a2-a4 was played. Later on is not dangerous because the b7-bishop the white pawn advanced to aS, which controls the knight (dS, c6, a6). seems doubtful to me in this case. Black 16... tbc5 17.b3 attained an excellent position - please 17.tbc3 'ifd7 ISJ:tadl=. don't be confused by the final result: it 17... tbfe4 18.'ffd1 f5 was a rapid game. With an initiative. All quite logical: each side attacks on the flank where it 44 is strongest. David Howell (2611) 19.c4 bxc4 20.bxc4 h4 21 .g4? Stewart Haslinger (2543) Too sharp. White's kingside position Halifax rapid 2010 (6) was not so bad that he should stoop 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tlJf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbge2 c6 to such radical measures. Better was 5.a4 lbbd7 2l.tbc6 'it'c7 22.tbxe7+ .!:he7 23.'ifc2 S ...hS!? 6.f3 il..e7 7.�e3 'it'c7 8.'it'd2 with roughly equal chances. b6 9.tbcl �b7 IO.tbb3 0-0= Sax 21 ...fxg4 22.hxg4 'ifd7=23.�h2 �g5 Movsesian, Sibenik 2012. The pawn is still inedible: 23 ...'ifxg4 6.h3 h5 7.g3 �e7 8.�g2 b6 9.0-0 a6 24.f3+-. 86 Part II - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ£6 3.lLJc3 e5 4. t2Jge2 24.:S3 The rest is not so interesting. The h4- Better was 24.t2Jc2. and e4-pawns are marked fo r death, 24 ... J:t18 25.13 .be3 26.lhe3 and White's position is technically won. 31 ... tbxg5 32.1xg5 'ilxg5 33.J:th3 Better was 33Jhf8+ l::txf8 34.Ilh3+-. 33 ... J:txf1 34.i.x11 'ife5+ 35.<;i;>h1 g5 36.tbc3 lhc637. tbd5?! 37J:te3 dS 38.cxdS l:tf6 39.�g2+-. 37 ... J:tc8 38. 'ifc3 J:tb8 With compensation. 39. •xeS dxe5 40.tbc3 J:tb3 41 .J:te3 4I.t2JdS!?. Now Black gets counterplay. 26 ... tbg5?! 41 ...g4 Let's not be too critical, as the time con 42.�e2 g3 43.<;i;>g2 tba4?? trol of this game was not classical. The 43 ...t2Je6=. pawn sacrificewas a more powerful op 44.tbd5?! tion: 26 ...t2Jg3 27.t2Jxg3 hxg3+ 28.<;t>xg3 44.c5+- tbxcS4S .�c4+ Wg7 46.�xb3 'iVf7with an initiative. The weakness of t2Jxb3 47.l:txe4. the black complex (f4) becomes clear. 44 ... J:tb2 45.lhe4 tbc5 46.lhe5 tbd3 27. 'ife1 'ifd8?! 47.J:te3 tbc1 48.l!Jf4 <;i;>f749. <;i;>h3�6? Indirectly protecting the h4-pawn, Better was 49 ...t2Jxe2 SO.t2Jxe2 l:tc2 which is now inviolable because of SI.t2Jf4 (S I.l::te4 Wf6=) Sl...lhc4 28 ...t2Jxf3 +. However, 27 ...e4! ? seems S2.t2Jg2 l:tcs S3J:ta3;!;;. to be more adequate, attacking the base SO.i-13+- J:th2+ 51 .<;i;>g4 tba2 52.c5 f3 , while the black queen is still moni l!Jb4 53.c6 tbxc654. J:te6+ 45 Arkadij Naiditsch (2706) Nikolay Ninov (2518) Serbia 11 2011/12 (2) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 t!Jf63. tbc3 e5 4.tbge2 c6 5.h3 b5 S ... �e7. 6.a3 t!Jbd7 .g47 87 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 17... c4? ! Strategically unfavourable. Black re lieves the tension from the d4-pawn, the c4-pawn itself will be subjected to pressure and the bishop on bS is blocked by its own pawn. The less er evil was 17... �xfl 18.�xfl �aS 19.'i¥b3 tbc7. 18.lLlb2 lbab6 19.�e3± �e7 The reckless 19... h5!? might have fright ened the enemy, but does not really And I like it too! The pawn gets to g4 in solve Black's problems: 20.tbxh5 g6 one move, saving a tempo. 21.tbg3 �h6 22.�xh6 �xh6 23.dxe5 7 ... lLlb68.� g2 aS 9.0-0 b4 dxeS 24.'ifd6+- with an extra pawn The modest 9 ... �e7 is not bad, fo r and a positional advantage. example lO.dxeS (IO.tbg3) IO... dxeS 20.1i'a1 d5?! ll.�xd8+ .ixd8 12 . .l:f.dl=. 10.axb4 axb4 11.:Xa8 lbxa8 Of course the knight is passive on this square. 12.lba4 .b6 13.l:te1 c5 14.c3 Perhaps more reasonable was 14.�g5 .ibs (14 ...cxd4 IS.tbxd4! exd4 16.e5+-) IS.b3;t;. 14.dxc5 is not dangerous, viz. 14... dxc5 1S.'ii'xd8+ Wxd8 with an acceptable position for Black. 14... lbd7 15.lbg3 bxc3 16.bxc3 �b5 Optimistically played, taking into ac 17.�f1 count that Black's king is still in the centre. 20 ...0-0 was better. 21 .lLlf5 0-0 22."ira5 �c6 23.dxe5 Black's centre is falling to pieces, as a result of his impulsive 20th move. 23 ... �g5 24.f4 �h4 25.l:td1 dxe4 26.hb6 "it'b8 26 ...'ifxb 6+ 27.'ifxb6 tbxb6 28.tbxh4+-. 27.lbxc4 Black resigned. I have the impression that this was an It looks as if White is better. The light easy victory for Arkadij. squared bishops can be traded and Black's dark-squared bishop on f8 is bad An essentially different queenside set due to the structure (eS, d6, cS). up was applied in the following game 88 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tL:l£6 3. 0d e5 4. l2Jge2 between a Peruvian and a Spanish mas on b4. How can White chase it away? ter. The move a2-a4 was mirrored with In case he prepares this with c2-c3, the ...a7- a5, and the black knight cheerfully b2-bishop will be displeased. galloped to the weakened square b4. 15.lbb1 ! The opening resulted in a quite favour able position fo r Black, but later on the difference in class told (perdone me, por favor). 46 Julio Granda Zuniga (2614) Jose Cuenca Jimenez (2450) La Roda Open 2010 (4) 1.d4 d6 2.e4 ltJf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.lbge2 �e7 5.g3 0-0 5 ... i.g4 6.dxe5 (6.i.g2!? c6 7.h3 i.e6 A subtle manoeuvre! The very experi 8.i.e3 and the bishop's move to g4 has enced white player plans the knight's been in vain) 6 ...dxe 5 (6 . ./t::lxe4 7.tt::lxe4 transfer to square c4. After that several �f3 8.�g1 i.xe4 9.e6 fxe6 IO.tt::lf4 =) of Black's pawns and pieces will fe el 7.'iVxd8+ i.xd8 8.i.g2 c6 9.h3 �e6= uneasy (e 5, d6, b6, aS). Xiong-Zherebukh, Richardson 2013. 15... d5?! 6.�g2 c6 7.a4 a5 The modest move 15 ...�e6 is more appropriate, continuing development and taking point c4 under control. Now 16.dxe5 dxeS 17.�xe5? is not dan gerous because of 17... tt::l xe4+ and the eS-bishop drops. 16.exd5 cxd5 Black had an amusing option in 16 ... e4!, for example: 17.dxc6 i.xh3! 18.cxb7 (18.�xh3! e3 19.'ifcl (19. fxe3 tt::le4 20.'ifc1 tt::la2+ is mate to the queen) 19 ...tt::l a2 20.cxb7 "i!Vxb7 2I.i.g2 A bit stronger than 7 ...b6. Now the 'ii'c7 22.'iVxe3 lhe3 23.fxe3 .l::le8=) knight will be directed along the route 18... I:rad8 with compensation. b8-a6-b4 so as to burden some major 17.dxe5 lbe4 18.he4 dxe4 19.ltJf4 white piece (for instance, the queen) �f5 with the protection of the c2-pawn. Not 19... i.xe5? 20 . .!::1xe4 and White a.o-o lba6 9.b3 lbb4 1 o.�b2 :ea wins. 11.'ifd2 �f8 12.:fe1 g6 13.:Sd1 20.ltJa3;;!;:Sd8 21 .ife3 'ifb6 14.h3 �g7= A poor decision. Stronger was 21.'iVc1± With all the black pieces mobilized, and the knight strives to jump to c4 White isn't any better. Partly this can with tempo. be blamed on the troublesome knight 21 ... 'ifxe3 22.fxe3 :Xd1 23.:Xd1 89 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 23 ... he5?! The rook is arrested in the centre of the The h3-pawn would be quite tasty, board. fo r instance: 23 ...g5 24.tt::lhs �xh3 2S.tt::lxg7 Wxg7 26.e6+ f6 27.�d7+ The Chinese mercenary Ni Hua played �g6 28.�xb7 l:t.xe6 and Black has his an instructive game in the Russian club own trumps. championship of 2010. Black sacrificed 24.he5 :Xes 25.l:[d8+ �g7 26.t2Jc4 a pawn, but his compensation was in tbc6 27.l:[d2 :cs?! sufficient and soon he lost another one. 27.. J�e7. 28.g4 �c8 29.tbd6± 47 Ni Hua (2665) Stanislav Novikov (2550) Dagomys tt 2010 (1) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.ltJge2 �e7 5.g3 0-0 6.�g2 c6 7.a4 ltJbd7 8.0-0 b6 If ...b7-b5 is not allowed, then it makes sense to at least set up the queenside pawns flexibly and to develop the bish op to b7. 9.h3 �b7 10.g4 g6 11.ltJg3 tbe8 We can see the significant superiority of This looks a bit artificial; ll...exd4. the centralized knight over the bishop. 12. ..th6 ltJg7 13.f4 29 ... ltJb4 30.c4 b6 31 .�2 Actually, there are no satisfactory con tinuations anymore fo r Black. 31 ...h5? 3I...tt::ld3+ 32.tt::lxd3 exd3 33.l:t.xd3 !:tc6±. 32.ltJxe4+- :es 33.tbd6 �e6 34.gxh5 gxh5 35.h4 3S.tt::le8+!?. 35 ... lba6? 36.ltJd3 1-0 90 Part II - I.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.lLlc3 eS 4. tbge2 It looks as if White stands better, but 24.lt:Jh5! Houdini doesn't think so. Perhaps the Threatening to strike on f6 with pawn has to be captured, otherwise check(!). Black must always take f4 -fS into 24 ... 'ifxe1 account. Downright bad is 24 .. .'f�'g5 2S.tbhxf6+ 13... exf4 14.hf4 cS �h8 26.h4 'ifh6 27.'i¥c3+-. A crucial decision. The restrained 25.li.Jhxf6+ �g7 26.:Sxe1 l:[f7 27.l:[f2 14... tbe6 was more careful: 1S.�h6 Better was 27.h4 h6 28.h5 tbgs 29.hxg6 �e8 and Black's position is remindful «t>xg6 30.l::rdl �c8 31.c3±. of a spring. 27 ... l:[df8 28.l:[ef1 �c6 15.dxc5 28 ...a5!? . lS.dS is interesting, trying to limit the 29.b3 g7-knight (points e6, fS , hS) and the No matter how passive the bishop on g2 b7 -bishop at the same time. But there is is, two extra pawns is a serious matter, a negative: the weakening of point eS. and it should be enough for victory. 15... lbxc5 16.lt:Jb5 29 ...b5 30.a5 16.tbge2!? - the knight is passive if it 30.axb5. stays on g3. 30 ... b4 16... lt:Jge6 17.hd6 a6 18.he7 30... h6 3l.h4 b4;!;;. 'ifxe7 19.lt:Jc3 Wrong is 19.'i¥d6?? 'ifh4-+ and both knights are under attack. 19... 'ifh420. �h2;;!; The Chinese player is gradually build ing up his advantage. His extra pawn provides him with a substantial edge. 20 ... :Sd821 .lt:Jd5 lt:Jd7 22. 'ife1 Reasonable: the absent dark-squared bishop is replaced by the queen. 22 ... lt:Je5 Threatening to take on g4. 31 .h4?! 23.citg1 16? The fo llowing 'surgical intervention' was A blunder. Better was 23 .. J:k8. interesting: 31.lDxh7! «t>xh7 (the com puter suggests 3l....l:f.xf2 32Jhf2 l:txf2 33.«t>xf2 �xh7 34.tbxb4, but playing with a piece down is rather depressing, since the eS- and e6-knights are real 'beasts') 32.�xf7+ tbxf7 33.tbxb4±. 31 ... �b5 32.l:[d1 :Xf6 33.lbxf6 :Xf6 34.l:[d6 Better was 34.g5 �xf2 3S.«t>xf2 �f8±. Black's position is still solid, but the resource �g2-h3(fl) is very unpleasant fo r him. 91 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 34 ... lbf2 35.wxf2 �6 36 . .i.f1 we7 48 37 . .J:l.b6 lbxg4+ 38.�e1 .i.xf1 39.�xf1 Peter Svidler (2731) 0£7 40.lbb4 Ivan Salgado Lopez (2595) With a struggle on two flanks, a rook Khanty-Mansiysk ol 2010 (11) and two pawns are stronger than two 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ll:lf6 3.0£3 e5 4.ll:lge2 knights. ll:lbd75.g3 .i.e7 40 ... wd6 On S ...c6 Magnus Carlsen played 6 . .ig2 , It was better to go to d7 at once. Unfor not afraid of the threat ...b7-b5 . If he tunately 40 ...tt::l e3+ couldn't be played isn't, maybe this move is really not dan due to 41.'iiie2 tt::lxc2 42.�c4+-. gerous? But there is also a counter-argu 41 . .J:lb6+ �d7 42. We2 0e5 43. �e3 h6 ment: in the following game the Nor 43 ...tt::l c6!?. wegian didn't obtain any advantage: 6 ... 44.�4+- b5 7. a3 J.e7 8.0-0 0-0 9.h3 aS 10.g4 J.a6 With initiative. So far all the moves have been logical, he intends to play ...b5 -b4. 11.lt:lg3 The 'bayonet counter attack' with ll.b4 is unconvincing due to II...tt::lb6 12.tt::lg3 tt::lc4;;!;;. The knight is perfectly placed here. 11...b4 1Vt:lce2 bxa3 13J:I.xa3 d5 14.l:[e3 The complica tions are unclear after 14.exd5 .ixa3 1S.dxc6 .ie7 16.cxd7 �a7 17. .ic6 with compensation. 14 ...dxe4 with equality in Carlsen-Radjabov, Biel 2007. The rest is logical, and needs no further 6 . .i.g2 c6 7.a4 b6 8.0-0 a6 9.h3 h5!? comment. I would also play this, as I wouldn't 44 ... 0£6 45.b4 0e6+ 46.�g3 0£7 allow the restraining g3-g4 etc. The 47.�4 0e6+ 48.c;ite3 0£7 49.c4 0e5 weakening does not seem to be too sig 50. �d4 0£6+ 51 . �c3 g5 52.h5 g4 nificant. 53.b5 axb5 54.cxb5 0e5 55.lbh6 10.�e3 �b7 11.0£1 0-0 12.ll:ld3 'Wc7 lbxb5+ 56.�b4 tbcl6 57 . .J:l.h7+ �e6 13.f4 b5 58.a6 lbxe459.a7 0£6+ 60.�c4 lbxa7 13 ... �ae8!? would have preserved equal 61.lba7 g3 62.h6 ltJQ563 . .J:l.g7 ity. Black resigned. I kindly ask you to pay special attention to the last example, keeping in mind the title and subtitle of this book. It is dangerous for White to overestimate his chances - a space advantage does not guarantee success. In this highly important last-round game, Russian grandmaster Peter Svidler played too optimistically and suffered a loss. 92 Part II - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. tbc3 eS 4. tl:ge2 14.lt:Jf2?! Embarking on the wrong path. 14.axb5 cxb5 15.'i!Vd2=. 14... .J:.fe8 Opening the centre is also good, aiming to play on the queenside: 14 ...exd 4!? 15.�xd4 c5 16.�d3 b4;t. 15.g4?! Peter is trying to extract the maximum out of the position, even more than there is in it. He has the white pieces, it's a team tournament, there's a 130 Elo Seeing Svidler's position here, his team difference. members must have been satisfied: a Adequate was, for instance, 15.axb5 far-advanced protected passed pawn in axb5 16. .l:Ixa8 �xa8 17.ti:Je2, which is the centre, providing a lasting edge. But about equal. this impression is deceptive: Black has 15... hxg4 16.hxg4 b4 17.0e2 exd4 sound counterplay. 18. 'ifxd4c5 19. 'ifd3 25 ... lt:Jd5 25 .. .<�:Jc4!?. 26.lt:Jf4 Greed is inappropriate when your king is not guarded: 26.�xe4? 'iVeS 27.�xd5 'iYxdS with a powerful attack. 26 ...c4 27.lt:Jxd5 .J:.xd5 28.i.f4 Better was 28.'fi'el. 28 ... 'it'b6+29. �h2? Finally the Spanish player has managed to expand on the queenside, and now he will do so in the centre. 19... d5 19 ... c4!? is also promising, fo r example 20.�d2 ti:Jcs 2I.ti:Jg3 �f8;;!;. Usually such rash pawn moves result in a weakening of the d4-square, but how can e4 otherwise be protected? This is a serious mistake. I dare assume 20.e5 0e4 21.lt:Jxe4?! that it seemed to Peter that there were Better is 2l.g5. no threats on the h-file. After all, how 21 ...dxe4= 22. 'ird1 can the black rook fly over the monarch The thing is that the pawn mustn't be to h8?! However, the modest 29.�e3 taken: 22.�xe4? c4 23.�d4 �c5-+. would have been correct, upholding the 22 ... .J:.ad8 23.'ifc1 f6 24.e6 lt:Jb625 .f5 front line, fo r example 29 ... �c5 30.1:1el. 93 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 29 ...g5!- + 30.fxg6 32 . .txg5 fxg5 33 . .:r.ts .td6+ 34. �f2 I can't see any acceptable continuation e3+ 35. �g1 .txg2 36. �xg2 'We4+ for White here: 30.�e3 'il'd6+ 3I.<;t>gi And White resigned. 'il'g3-+ and the queen is attacking almost everything simultaneously; It seems that the sporting result of 30 . .ig3 <;t>g7-+ with the very danger this game was of great importance. I ous threat 3I...l:th8+, and so on. am not quite sure about the nuances, 30 ... 'Wxe631 . �g3 .:r.gs but according to the table this loss Effective and sufficient. The simple led to a draw in the match and Russia 3l...�c8 was even stronger, for example taking second place, with the slightest 32.�h3 <;t>g? with the already familiar gap between them and the winner, idea .. .lle8-h8xh3. Ukraine. Conclusion If Black plays passively in the variation with 4. tbge2, he may be gradually strangled. However, he can make use of the coun terplay opportunities on the queenside and can often stop the en emy offensive on the ki ngside by me ans of .. . h7 -hS . 94 Part Ill The Rare 4.f3 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 es 4.f3 So, what should we do if White flatly refuses our invitation to shift to a 'boring' ending (4.dxe5 dxeS S.V!Nxd8+ �xd8) by playing 4.f3 ? To my mind, it is more reasonable to play f2-f3 on the 3rd move, after which, for instance, a transposition into the Samisch Variation of the Old-Indian Defence . ( c2-c4) is possible. It is seldom played on the 4th move by strong players. The simple 4 ...exd4 looks not bad from Black's point of view.White has to re capture with the queen (his other pieces haven't been developed yet) . In response, Black may attack this super-strong warrior of the opponent with the knight: S ... tLlc6. White has to pin with 6.�b5, agreeing on the exchange of the bishop fo r the knight in the near fu ture. 95 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black In the first game of this chapter, from a 17.f4 ifg6 18.l:tdgl l:tfe8 with unclear Hungarian tournament, the Ukrainian consequences) 16.�f4 .l:rb8 17.'if'd2 a4 grandmaster Vladimir Malaniuk didn't with counterplay, Rasik-Nun, Czechia manage to raise problems for his oppo 2013. nent, but why should Black necessarily 8 ...Ae7 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.lbge2 lLld7 have to win?! Interesting is IO... b5 !? so as in case of the exchange on d5 to lure the white 49 e-pawn there. Martin Borriss (2340) 11.lLld5 bd5 12.'ifxd5! Vladimir Malaniuk (2500) See the previous remark. Kecskemet 1991 (6) 12... c6 13. 'ifb3 'if c 7 1 4.lLJd4j; 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf63. lLlc3 e5 4.f3 exd4 This surrender of the centre is the first preference of the computer. 5. 'ifxd4 lLlc6 6 . ..tb5 ..td7 Up to here everything has been logical. Black develops, attacking the queen at the same time. 7 . ..txc6 bc6 a . ..te3 Or 8.�g5 �e7 9.0-0-0 0-0 (opposite castling is the harbinger of swift pawn attacks) 10.g4 aS ll.h4 b5. Now the d6-pawn is weak, which de termines White's advantage. 14... :te8 15.lLlt5 ..tta 16.:td2 16.h4. 16... lLle5 Vladimir decided not to protect the pawn (all the more as this is highly problematic), but to organize counter play during the time which White will spend on the conquest of the fo ot sol dier on d6. Well, in times of war some analysis diagram times one unit is sacrificed as a bait... Black is already prepared to fo rce the 16 ... .l:.ad8!?. c3-knight back, while White has certain 17J:thd1 b5 chances because of the bishop on g5, An alternative was 17... .!:tad8!? 18.�g5 but is this the right place fo r it? 12.tbge2 .l:.d7 19.\t>bl b5. b4 13.tbd5 tbxd5 14.exd5 i.d7 (it is 18.lLlxd6 bd6 19.:Xd6 lLlc4 20J:td7 impossible to make a fe ast of the pawn: 'ifxh221 . Wt'c3lLlxe3 22. 'ifxe3 'ifxg2 14... �xg5+?! 15.hxg5 'iYxg5+? 16.f4+ The Ukrainian grandmaster is even and the piece drops) 15.tbg3 f6 (here one pawn up! However, the activity a man with a robust nervous system of White's pieces compensates fo r this might try 15... i.xg5+ 16.hxg5 ifxgS+ slight deficit. 96 Part III - I .e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJf6 3. tbc3 eS 4.f3 23.l:tg1 'ifh224. l:txg7+ analysis diagram A tactical operation which secures the ll.exd5 cxd5 12.tLlxd5 tbxd5 13.'iYxd5 draw. jf_h4+ J4.jf_f2? jf_a6. 24 ... wxg7 25.'Wg5+ 50 Pavel Vavra (2393) Jiri Stocek (2514) Pardubice Open 2000 (8) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tlJf6 3.tlJc3 e5 4.f3 exd4 5. 'Wxd4tlJc6 6. �b5 �e7 7.�g5 7.ke3 0-0 (attacking the central ized queen, thus saving a tempo. The c8-bishop can go out not only to d7) 15.e5 tlJh716 .%3 8 . .txc6 (8.'i¥d2) 8 ...bxc6 9 . .l',;ldl and 16.ti:Jfs!? .tfs 17.f4 g6 18.lihgl. now: 16... �f8 A) 9 ... �e6 10.tbge2 d5= R. Miiller The outpost on e5 is attacked, and it is Zagorskis, Schwabisch Gmiind 1995; unfavourable to protect it by means of B) Probably a bit more accurate is f3 -f4 because then the g4-pawn drops; 9 ...�e8 and now IO.tLlge2 (10.�f4 jf_a6 16... .th4!?. ll.�a4 'iYc8 12.�xc6 .tb7 13.'iYa4 17.�d4 tlJg5 18. 'iff2 tbe6 19.�e3 f6 dS;l;) lO... dS;l; with a confrontation on A bit more accurate is 19... kb4 20 . .l:id3 the e-file, for example: f6 =. 97 A Cu!Uling Chess Opening for Black 20.exf6 'ifxf621 .f4 .tb422. Ad3 .txc3 25 ... ltJe4 26. 'ifg1 'ifg5+ 27.Ae3 23.:Xc3 27.�bl tt:Jxc3+ 28.bxc3 l:tbs+. Alas, 27.�e3 doesn't work due to 27 ...tt:Jxc3 28.�xgS ltJe2+. I don't like the sight of the weak dark squares d4 and cS. Black's doubled pawns are no adornment to his posi tion either, while there is also a passive 27 ... :Xd4?! bishop on d7. Houdini doesn't agree Jiri is also straying from the right path. with the author, though. The sharp 27 ...cS! would have won: 23 ... Ab4 24.f5 28.ltJxcS (28.h4 'iVf4-+) 28 .. Jhd4 The normal continuation is 24.a3 lla4, 29.ltJxd7 tt:Jf6-+. keeping a dynamic balance. 28.tlJxd4 tbd629. ltJe6 .txe6 30.h4 24 ... lbg5 25 ..td 4? 30.�bi;;!;. A poor decision. Pavel is gradually 30 ... 'iff4 31.�b1 losing the thread of the game. The fight continues ... In Pardubice, despite the perfect organ 31 ... .td732 .:S3? ization, it is usually very hot inside the ... but not fo r long. After 32 . .l::txe8+ playing venue. Some participants (your �xe8 33.'iVdi Black would still have obedient servant, fo r example) would had to demonstrate some technique. walk 'to the ice' between moves in search 32 ... tbc4 33.Ac3 of coolness (the main tournament took If 33Jha6 ltJxb2-+ with a lethal at place in the ice hall, which was called tack. 'Arena'). But with little time left on the 33 ... Ab8 34.b3 tbd2+ 35.�b2 'ifes clock you cannot walk 100 meters and Better was 3S ...d4 . 100 meters back, and so the quality of 36. �a3 tbc4+ 0-1 your play inevitably deteriorates. 36 ...'iVxc3 is a fo rced mate in 6. However, you shouldn't let this com ment put you of£ Our family has played The modest queen retreat from the in Pardubice fo r S-6 times, spending centre doesn't promise any dividends part of holidays there, and I think we for Whit�, as was creatively demon will do it again. I recommend you to strated by one of the best chess players visit the Pardubice Open on your own of the fo rmer USSR in the next game. at least once, and draw your own con Black advanced ...d6-dS instantly, elim clusions. inating the opponent's e4-pawn. The 2S.'ifg2!?. pawn structure became symmetrical, 98 Part III - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ£6 3. ltJc3 e5 4.£3 and in terms of development White After 15.1:txe5 �xc3 16. .i.xc3 .txfl is certainly not ahead here. 17. .l::tg5 it seems that White has seized the initiative, but this is an optical il lusion: 17... h6! 18.l:rxg7 lbhS 19.�g4 fS 51 is unclear. Sergey Beshukov (2405) Gennady Kuzmin (2580) Krasnodar Open 1998 (8) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.f3 exd4 5. 'ifxd4 lbc6 6. 1i'f2 Sergey prefers not to pin with �bS - perhaps he is unwilling to part with the bishop. 6 ...d5! analysis diagram One rook has problems on the g-file, the other runs the risk of suffocation after ... �xg2. 15... l:l.d7 16.lLlf4 l:l.hd8 17.:Xe5 bc3 A curious situation, not often seen in practice. This is likely to be the downside of the queen's retreat from its central po sition. Black strikes this counterblow immediately, balancing the position. 7.-tgS Or 7.exd5 lbxdS 8 . .i.d2 tbxc3 9 . .txc3 �b4=. 7 ... .tb48.e xd5 'it'xdS9 . .id2 Both parties could mutually spoil each other's structure with 9 . .txf6 'ti'e6+ IO.'ife2 gxf6 11.0-0-0 �xc3 12.bxc3 18.bxc3 .td7=. 18. .txc3 .l::tdl#. 9 ... 1We5+ 10.'it'e2 .te6 11.a3 .tas 18... .txf1 19.l:l.xf1 :Xd220. l:l.e7 l:l.2d7= 12.0-0-0 0-0-0 13. 'fixeS tbxeS I will leave the further attempts of the It will be clear to everybody that there experienced grandmaster without de are no signs of a white advantage. Just tailed comments. count the number of developed pieces 21.:Xd7 :Xd7 22.l:l.e1 99 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black A slight plus fo r Black all the time, not the most attractive fo r it? For example, more. 6.'ird2 'iras 7.g4 h6 8.h4 a6 9.l:lli2 �e7 27 •. .ti:::JJ7 28.�d2 lbf8 29.�c3 lbg6 IO.tt::lge2 dS (exploiting the fact that g4-g5 30.g3 lbf8 31. �b4 lbe6 32.f4 lbd4 is not dangerous because of the h2-rook's 33. �c3 lbf3 34.h4 c5 35.lbf2 f5 vulnerability after ...h6xg5) II.tt::lg3 ?! 36.�d3 lbd4 37.c3 lbe6 38.lbd1 g6 (Il .exdS tt::lxdS 12.0-0-0 i.b4 13.'iVd3 39.�e3 lbg740. �3 lbh541 .g4 lbf6 tt::l7b6=) ll...dxe4 (II...i.b4+) 12.tt::lcxe4 4l...fxg4+ 42.Wxg4 tt::lf6 + 43.<;t>gs 52 Simen Agdestein (2572) Stanislav Krylov (2290) Vads0 2002 (2) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.f3 e5 4.lbc3 lbbd7 5.�e3 �e7 S ...c6 is likely to be a little more flexi ble. The f8-bishop needn't hurry to get out. Who knows which square will be Simen Agdesteln 100 Part III - I.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3. tt:Jc3 e5 4.f3 weaknesses. However, the white king wishes to exchange the bishop. If in is protected by an analogous fo rmation. stead 16.gxf6!? �xf6 17.tLle2. 8 ... b5 9.g5 tbh5 10.tbce2 tbb6 11.b3 16... �f7?! Doubtful is 11.tLlg3 because of 1l...exd4 Interesting, but this move is roasted 12.'iVxd4 tbxg3 13.hxg3 �xgS and by the computer. Simplifications White will have to prove the soundness would have led to approximate equal of his pawn sacrifice. ity: 16... �xh3 17.tLlxh3 fxgS 18.dxe5 11 ... �e6 12.�b1 .:.be h6= or 18.tLlxg5 �xgS 19.�xg5 .l:Ixf3 More logical seems to be 12... a5, utiliz 18.�xg5 exd4 19. .ixe7 'iVxe7 20.tLlf4 =. ing the rook along the a-file where it is 17.dxe5 fxe5 18.f4 tbc4 19.tbf3 already standing: 13.tLlg3 tLlf4 14.h4 a4 19. .id2. with counterplay; or 12... c5 13.d5 �d7 19... d5!? 14.tLlg3 4 tLlf unclear. 13. 'lfc1 'flc7 14.tbg3 tbxg3 An amusing idea was 14 ...tLlf 4!? 15.�xf4 (15.tLl1e2) 15... exf 4 16.'ifxf4 g6 17.h4 tLlc4 with compensation. 15.hxg3 20.bxc4?? Right was 20.-ifS! with attacking lines that are puzzling, but here and there fa vourable fo r White: 20 ...g6 2I.tbxe5! gxfS 22.exf5 �a3 (the queen is caught, but now the struggle really flares up) 23.tLlg4 The opening of the h-fileis disappoint .l::!:fe8 (gluttony is, of course, inappropri ing fo r Black, but it is not easy fo r the ate: 23 ... .ixcl 24.tLlf6+ �g7 25.llxh7#) white queen to get there. 24.�d4 (casting menacing looks at the 15... f6 ?! broken residence of the black monarch; More critical is 15... tLlc4! as this is the rea or 24.g6) 24 ... �xcl 25.:Xh7!. son why the rook had gone to b8: 16.bxc4 bxc4+ 17.�a1 c3 (threatening ... �b2 and ...'iVaS) 18.'it'a3 (18.d5 cxdS 19.exd5 ifs+) 18 ... �2 19.d5 cxdS 20.exd5 hdS 21.&d5 �b7 n.l:lbs (22.�1 .l::i:b8-+) n ... l:lxbs 23.�b5 �xbS 24.tbh3 dS 25.�xc3 d4 with compensation. 16.�h3 I would also have played this. After .. .f7- f6 the light-square complex in Black's camp is weakened and therefore White analysis diagram 101 A Cwming Chess Opening for Black A nice picture! If2S .. .'i£txh7 26.IDll+�S 64. 'iftc5 :a2 65. Wb6 'iftd6 'iftb766. 27.ttJf6+ rJi;g7 28.li:Jxe8+ Quite provocative. I am not sure he should have played this. Sebastian may wish to trade off bishops by means of ... i.e7-gS, but the opponent will easily 61 ... q;,d7? prevent this transparent idea. Correct was 6L.Jla2 62.rJi;b6 102 Part III - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:Jf6 3. ti:lc3 e5 4.£3 of the pawn to g6 provides the enemy 17.tLJf5! with a 'hook' and allows him to organ The cramped knight decides to sacrifice ize an attack with the advance h2-h4-h5. itself and Black's position collapses after Better was 9 ... b5 10.a3 exd4 I L�.xd4 a few more blows. There is no salvation. tt::leS 12.'iff2 aS with counterplay. 17... gxf5 18.exd6 .bd6 19.l:lxd6 fxg4 10.0-0-0 20 . .bb5 cxb5 21.tLld5 More accurate looks IO.dS! when Black This mustang is another problem. has to spend time on the preparation 21 ... 1!fb822. tLlf6+ Wf7 of..b7-b5. 22...�h8 23.'ifxh7+ tt::lxh7 24.llxh7#. 10... b5 11.Wb1 a5 23.tLlxe8 �xeS 24.1!fe5+ 0.ge6 Better was ll...exd4 12.'iVxd4 �f6. 25.l:lxh7 tLlxh7 26.l:lxe6+ .b:e6 12.h4 0.g7 13.h5± 27. 1!fxe6+ �d8 28 . .tb6+ 1-0 See the notes to the 9th move. A crushing defeat. Not the best way to obtain counterplay was chosen at the 1990 Olympiad by another German grandmaster. Readers from Germany, this is nothing per sonal, but the variation is so rare! On the whole, I like Germany: a civilized country with punctual people and (rel atively) quite cheap prices. Exploiting the opponent's mistakes, Murray Chandler built up an effective 13... l:le8? attack, and on the 21st move already it There was a way to slow down the was mate on the board. 'Normandy assault' by means of 13 ... exd4!? 14.�xd4 gS± aiming to send the 54 'fianchettoed' knight to e6 and keeping Murray Chandler (2560) the defence line, relying on the fragile Matthias Wahls (2525) but still fo rtifiedf4 /e5 cluster. Novi Sad ol 1990 {10) If 13 ...tt::l e6 14.d5+-. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tlJf6 3.0.c3 e5 4.f3 fl..e7 14.hxg6+- fxg6 15. 1!fh2tlJf8 16.dxe5 5.fl..e3 0-0 6. 1!fd2 c6 7.0.ge2 b5 8.a3 1!fc7 tLlbd79.g4 tLlb6 1 O.t1Jg3 exd4 11. .b:d4 103 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 11 ...d5 In reply to a flank attack - a counter blow in the centre. However, this looks suspicious to me because of 12.0-0-0 especially, and the vis-a-vis of the dl rook with the queen on d8 is unpleas ant. More interesting is ll...a5!?, taking into account that the white king can go nowhere but to the queenside, for in stance 12.lt:Jf5 �xf5 13.gxf5 b4 with counterplay. This blow suggested itself, but it is un 12.0-0-0 dxe4 13. tt::lcxe4 tbxe4 favourable here. 18.l:txd8+ would have 14. tbxe4 ..te6 led to victory: 18.. J1 xd8 19.lt:Jf6++ More careful is 14 ...li'c7 15.i.d3 �d8, and there is no satisfactory defence, when it seems that there are no promis even though there are two bishops at ing blows like �xg7 or �xh7+ (after a hand and there are no pawn weaknesses: knight move). 19.. ::.ti>h8 (19 ...gxf 6 20.gxf6) 20.�d3. In other respects Black is all right - he 18... Conclusion With the mov e 4.f3 White is spoiling fo r a fight, but we can not call it extremely dangerous. Black has reasons to hope fo r equality, either with the 'unloading' by 4 ...exd4 5. 'ifxd4 ltJc6, or by maintaining the centre and organizing counter play on the queenside. Let me remind you that it is not so easy for White to 'fas ten' on the opponent's pawns on thekings ide , as allBlack's pawns are still on the 7th rank there. 104 Part IV Transposing to the Philidor 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.tt:Jf3 With this natural knight development White transposes to the regular Philidor Defence. 105 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Chapter 1 The Surrender of the Centre ( ...exd 4) on Different Moves In this chapter we will consider different modifications of one plan. As for me, I don't think this is an optimal line, and maybe it isn't. However, while working on the book I got fa miliar with a number of nuances and I can now see certain reasons for practising it. So, besides the 'central strategy' (pawn remains at eS), Black also has the option to 'surrender the centre' ( ...exd4 ). This release of tension can be carried out at dif fe rent moments; we will analyse all these options to get a more or less full notion of the types of position. Black's general idea is to bring the rook out on the now half-opened e-file, to take the bishop to f8 , and to manoeuvre with his knights, exerting pressure on the enemy pieces and the e4-pawn. 106 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJ£6 3. lLx3 eS 4. ltJ£3 Section 1: 4 ...ex d4 In this firstSecti on we look at the immediate capture on move 4. 107 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black At the tournament in Las Palmas, 1993, say: 'You are breathing my air'. If he a specialist of our opening managed manages to develop the bishop at g7, to trade off a pair of knights rather everything will be in perfect order. The quickly, which is usually wholesome knight from f6 can manoeuvre (... tt:Jf 6- for Black as he is always lacking space. g4, ...t2Jf 6-e4) . But then Zurab made several pawn 14.h3 c6 moves, and I have the impression that I can't understand why the computer Michael Adams crafty enticed him, as doesn't like 14 ...g6 1S.'i¥d3 i.g7. if persuading him, to weaken his pawn 15.'irf3 c5?! structure. After another excessively A responsible decision. A change of aggressive thrust (2S ...g5) it was already the pawn structure would sooner impossible to 'get out of the web'. be to White's benefit. Interesting is lS ...tt:JxdS !? 16.i.xd5 cxdS 17.'i¥xd5 55 'f:Wc7 and the bishop pair compensates Michael Adams (2630) for the isolated d-pawn. Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2655) 16.lt:Jb5 Las Palmas 1993 (5) 16.t2JfS!?. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.lt:Jf3 16... a6 1 7.lbc3 b6 exd4 5.lt:Jxd4 i.e7 6.i.e2 This is directed against the fixing move White can also place the bishop more a4-a5. A flexible pawn chain on the actively with 6.i.d3, but it may get queenside will always keep White wait under fire there, fo r example 6 ... 0-0 ing fo r ...b6- b5. Black may experience a 7.0-0 �e8 8.h3 c6 9 . .!d.el tt:Jbd7 IO.tt:Jfs slight discomfort if White exerts pres (IO. .tf4 tt:Jes ll.a3 i.f8=) IO... �f8 sure on the a6-pawn along the fl-a6 di II..tgs tt:Jes 12.tt:Je3 bS=, Gashimov agonal. 17... g6!? is an alternative. Berg, Gibraltar 2009. 18.i.d3 g6 19.i.f4 6 ...0-0 1.0-0 :ea a.:e1 h6 9.a4 .if8 Michael aims at the key d6-pawn, also 10. .ic4 hampering the fianchettowith ...�g7. The bishop's transfer to c4 has been 19... lt:Jh5 made with the loss of a tempo. 19 ... .l:!a7 20..!:he8 tbxe8 21.'i¥e3;!;;. By 1 o ...lbc6 11. i.e3 tt:Jb4 12.tt:Jd5 tt:Jbxd5 the way, because of...b7-b6, the rook 13.exd5 i.d7= has to keep watch over the a6-pawn. 20 . .id2 tt:Jf6 21.:Xe8 tt:Jxea 22.:e1 .ig723. i.f4 A pair of knights have been exchanged, which is good for Black. As they 108 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 3. tiJc3 e5 4. ttJ£3 While I take a short break (I have to 34 . .txd6 tt:JxdS 35.c4 ti:Jb4 36.�xfS answer a phone call), please think: how leads to complete domination. The rook would you play here? and the dark-squared bishop will safely 23 ... .bc3!? guard the queening square of the en Creative. 'Old-Indians' value this bishop emy pawn (?1). and the passed h- and highly as a rule, but were there better g-pawns will provide the victory. alternatives? After the 'normal' 23 .. .fS 34 ... lbxd5 35 . ..txd6 24.'fi'g3 'fi'f6 2S.h4 White stands better. 35.�e4 �c6;;!;. 24.bxc3 'iff6 25. 'ifg3 35 ... ..tf7 36.c4 lbf6 37.l:tb1 tbe8 Unattractive is 2S.�xh6?! 'iYxf3 26.gxf3 37 ...lbd7 38.�xd7 �d8 39.�xb6 l::txd7 �xa4. 40Jha6 �xc4 4l.�c6+-. 25 ...g5? 38 . ..te5+- This looks logical. Black has lost his dark squared bishop and now puts his pawns on dark squares, thus surrounding the enemy. But according to the law of com municating vessels, there is also another side to the coin. Better was the modest 2S...�h7!?, intending 26.h4 �fS . 26.�d2 26.h4 �xf4. 26 ... lbg727.f4± With all due respect for the passed a-pawn, the outcome is undisputed. 38 ... a5 39.:Xb6 a4 40 . ..te4 l:ta7 41 .l:th6 'it.18 42.�d5 �xd5 43.cxd5 :t97 44 . ..tb2 White could have finishedoff even more quickly with 44.d6! �xeS 45.�h8+ �g7 46.d7 �xh8 47.d8'fi'+-. 44 ... l:te2 45.d6 Also winning. Here is a drawback to the expansion 45 ... l:td2 46 . ..ta3 �g7 47.l:th4 lbxd6 with ...g6 -gS, Adams 'hooks' Black's 48.hc5 lbf5 49.:Xa4 :Xc2 50.�f2 outpost. Taking into account the fact that the 27 ... lbh5 queening square (h8) is of the bishop's Totally poor is 27 ...gxf 4 28.�xf4+ colour, there are no chances of escape. and the important d6-pawn falls. 50 ... l:tc1 + 51.�h2 :c2 52.l:tf4 �g6 28.fxg5 hxg5 29. 'ifxg5+ 53.g4 tbe3 54. �g3 lbf1+ 55. �g2 Also good was 29.�xgS tt:Jxg3 30.�xf6 tbe3+ 56. 'it.13 lbd5 57. l:tf5 l:tc3+ �xa4 3l.�f2 lt:Jhs 32..te7±. 58. �g2 l:td3 59.l:tf3 l:td2 60. �g3 lbf6 29... 'ifxg5 30. .bg5 .ba4 31.l:te4 61.l:te3 l:ta2 62. 'it.13 l:ta4 63.l:td3 'it.17 .tea 32.�e7 f5 33.l:te1 lbf434. �xf5 64 . ..td4 lbd5 65.�e3 �e6 66.h4 �e5 109 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 67.�g5 .:as 68.h5 l:lg8 69.�c1 �e6 A) 9.exdS;!;;; 70.�b2 l:l18+ 71 .�g3 l:l11 72.l:l13 B) 9.0,xc7 d4 10.0,xa8 0,xe4;!;;; l:lg1+ 73.�h4 l:lh1+ 74.�g5 �e7 C) 9.�xc7 'fie? lO.eS 0,c6 with 75.h6 1-0 counterplay; D) 9.0-0-0 �aS lO.exdS a6 11.(jjd4 At the Ukrainian team championship, 0,e4 12.'ire3 0,xc3 13.bxc3;!;;. Gevorg Harutiunian played a little slow 8.0-0-0 tLlbd7 ly in a position with opposite castling, 8 ... a6; stronger is 8 ...0,c6 , joining the which allowed his opponent Moiseenko struggle fo r the centre at once. to carry out a swift and destructive attack. 9.13 tbe5 10.�b1 c6 On the 20th move already capitulation 10... a6 . would have been appropriate. Does that 11.h4 'ilc7 scare you? Well, I didn't advise you to play An interesting try to restrain White is ...e5xd4, so please direct your complaints ll...hS!?. not to me, but to the variation. 12.g4 b5 13.g5 ttJ1d7 14.'ilg2 b4 15.tLlce2 tLlb6 16.h5 56 Alexander Moiseenko (2679) Gevorg Harutiunian (2449) Alushta tt 2011 (2) 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tLl16 3.tLlc3 e5 4.ttJ13 exd4 5.tLlxd4 i..e7 r d call this the basic position of this variation, although in life everything is relative. In any case, White has a choice here. There are several satisfactory con tinuations. 6.�14 0-0 7. 'Wd2 Both players are hurrying to be the first to attack, but White is considera bly ahead. His two pawns are already on the 5th rank and are ready to come into contact with the bodyguards of the black monarch. 16... c5 17.ttJ15 h15?! Are there any acceptable alternatives? I am not sure, fo r instance 17... �f8 18.g6 fx g6 (18 ... �xf5 19.exf5 h6 20.f6±) 19.hxg6 h6 20.0,eg3+- and on the next move there will be a devastating piece 7 ... l:le8 sacrifice on h6. A bit cooperative, but 7 ...d5?! is doubt 18.ex15 tLlbc4 ful: 8/bdbS c6? 9/1Jc7 and it's time to More tenacious, though also insuffi resign. cient, was 18... d5 19.g6 �f6 20.gxh7+ 8 ... �b4 is the only move, and now: ' 110 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.0d eS 4. lLJ£3 19.lbc1 .i.f8 20.g6+- 57 Sipke Ernst (2558) Anish Giri (2696) Amsterdam ch·NED 2012 (2) 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tt:lf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 exd4 5.tbxd4 .i.e7 S ...dS?! is rash and it doesn't equalize - otherwise it would be too easy for Black: 6.e5 (also good is 6.�g5 dxe4 7.tbxe4;t) 6 ...tt:Je4 7.ltJxe4 dxe4 8.�c4 (8.c3;t) 8 ... �c5 9.i.e3;t, Tiviakov- Strikovic, Torres Vedras 2011. The light-square complex is exposed, 6.h3 0-0 7.g4?! which, in the absence of the bishop of that colour, may have a negative impact on the health of the black king. 20 ... 'iVe7 21.h6 Nice, isn't it? We can see with a naked eye that Black's attack is lagging behind. 21 ...fxg6 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.be5 tbe3 23 . ..tt:Jxe5 24.f4+-. 24.hd6 'iff6 25.hf8 tbxg226.hx g7 Another picturesque sight. There is nothing left to comment on; all roads lead to Rome. Courageous, at least. It looks impres 26 ... lbf8 27.gxf8'if+ c,ltxf8 28.hg2 sive, however the white king is still in :ea 29.f4 c4 ao.:h7 c,itgS31 .:dd7 the centre while White's development Black resigned. hasn't been completed yet. 7.�f4. So as not to upset you too much, I will 7 ... d5! now present to you a masterpiece: an In reply to a flank attack - a counter almost perfect performance by Anish blow in the centre! Giri. 8.e5 tt:lfd7 9.ttJxd5 ttJxeS 10. .i.g2 .i.cS The Dutch grandmaster (in fact both 11. .i.f4 players in this game represent the Now it was more accurate to evacuate Netherlands) didn't allow any pawn the monarch with 11.0-0!?. weakening and came up with the tough 11... c6 12.be5 :ea counter-blow ...d6 -d5. After some in We can already see some discomfort accuracies by his opponent, Anish ob with White. His opponent can gain the tained the bishop pair and soon steered bishop pair. the game to its logical outcome. On the 13.tt:lf3?! 25th move already it was all over. A More careful, though not leading to beautiful sample where Black won with full equality, was 13.tLle3 l:heS 14.c3; out hardly shedding any blood. or 13.0-0 l:h:eS 14.ltJb3, when the two 111 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black bishops and the absence of weaknesses in Too many threats. However, it is a bit his position give Black the better chances. early to resign in such a position. Maybe 13... tai7=F Ernst exceeded his time-limit? How easily did Anish manage to get an advantage with black! True, he got some In the fo llowing encounter both parties essential help from his opponent. castled kingside. After that the play on 14.tbe3 ltJxe5 15.ltJxe5 'ifa5+ 16. 'ifd2 both sides was far from faultless. Having 1rxd2+ 17.ciftxd2 :Xes 18.tbc4 l:.e7 obtained quite a sound position out of 19.f4 �e6 20.tbe5 the opening, RaufMamedov didn't dare 20.Wc3!?. embark on a promising exchange sac 20 ... .1:1.d8+ 21.tal3 �c4 rifice at a key moment. Black's chances would have been at least not worse. As it went, he had to defend an ending two (!) pawns down. Nevertheless, he coped admirably with this task, taking into ac count the Elo-rating of his adversary. 58 Ivan Salgado Lopez (2626) Rauf Mamedov (2660) Moscow Aeroflot Open 2011 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ll:lf6 tbc3 3. e5 4.ll:lf3 22.i.f1 ? exd4 5.lbxd4 �e7 6.g3 0-0 Correct was 22Jbd1 �e3+ 23.�c3 The simplifying 6.Jbc6 is quite accept �xd3 24Jhd3 �xd3+ 2S.�xd3 able: 7.CiJx.c6 bxc6 8.�g2 0-0 9.0-0 .Ub8= �xf4+ with an extra pawn fo r Black, Perunovic-Jovanovic, Dunaharaszti 2012. but drawing tendencies because of the On the whole, any exchange makes the opposite-coloured bishops. life of the cramped side easier. 22 ... .te3+ 23. ciftc3 i.d524 . .1:1.h2c5 ! 7.�g2 :ea a.o-o .tta 9.�f4 As soon as the pawn chases away the knight, and the f4 -pawn fa lls in the presence of the two bishops, it will be a catastrophe fo r White. 25.l:l.e1 .l:l.de8 0-1 9 ...a6 In my opm10n, it would have been reasonable to construct a 'breakwater' against the g2-bishop and the knight by 112 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tbf6 3. tiJc3 eS 4. tbf3 means of 9 ...c6. This weakens the d6- Some small problems are emerging. pawn a bit, but the bishop is on f8, .not How to protect e4? f2-f3 is aesthetically on g7. not acceptable, and in reply to tbg3, 10.'iVd2 lLlbd7 11.:Sd1 tbe5 12.b3 ...h5 -h4 will fo llow. The preventive 12.h3!? is more accurate, 19.'iVxb4 .txe4 20.tbc6 'Wc8 controlling the square g4. The following line is amusing: 12... h6 20 ... .txc6!? 2I..txc6 .l::txe3! 22.fxe3 Interesting was the principled sortie tbxgS withcom pensation. 12....tg4!? 13.f3 (13.lldel .td7) 13 ... kd7 21.'Wc4 and it's hardly pleasant fo r the white 2l.kxe4 dS 22.'i¥d2 dxe4i. bishop to be hampered by the f3-pawn. 21 ... .bg222. 22 ...a5? I don't know why, but Rauf doesn't wish to sacrifice the exchange: 22 ... .l::txe3!? 23.fxe3 lbxgS 24.!ihl 'iVfs 25.�dfl 'i!Vd7 with compensation. He may have been withheld by the passivity of the f8-bishop(?). 17. .ie3?! 23.l:[d5?! This looks reasonable. The bishop 23.-tcl makes way for the infantry (f2-f4-f5), 23... :&6 24. tbed4 113 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black doesn't shrink from a role in the 'total queen, which would have been un domination'. However, such democracy pleasant. Such subtleties are often seen may boomerang one day, as there are when White plays g2(-g3)-g4 in the too many pieces on the board. 2S . .l::tb5!?. Pirc-UfimtsevDef ence. 25 ... lbe5 32 ... .:.Xe1 33 . .be1 'ife8 34.�2 lbf8 I suppose more accurate is 2S .. .f6!? 35 . .ba5 26.l::te2 (26.gxf6 tt:Jxf6 with counter play) 26 ...lt:Je5 27.lt:Jxe5 so as to capture on eS with the other pawn: 27 .. .fxe5. 26.lillce5 dxeS 27.lbf3 Black is in bad shape. White only has to hide his king, fo r example on b2 or somewhere on the kingside. 35 ... lbe636 . .i.d2 'ifd7 37 . .te3 27 ... .:tg6?? Everything has been correct up to here. Again the rook switch to the king The bishop cuts the knight short (d4-c5 side looks reasonable, but there is a and f4 -g5). trivial tactical refutation. Correct was 37 ...c6 38.'1i'e4 Wh7 39.Wg2 27 ... �d6;!;;. Every time when I write This is also not bad. The bishop takes something like 'correct was .. .' I get control of the dark squares. The advance angry with myself, as, of course, with of the a-pawn is on the agenda. a computer beside and unlimited time 39... t:a::740. '1i'd3 0d541 . .td2 'li'e6 42.a4 anyone can criticize the players. Please �7 43.a5 tt15 44. 45.a6 114 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. lLx3 eS 4. ltJ£3 most active squares. The queen is ready 54. 53 ... 'ifc1 + S3 ...tbe2+ 54.'�f>fl tbxf4 SS.a8"fi "ficl+ S6.\tf2 tLld3+ 57.�g2 tbel+ S8.'�h2 tbxf3+ 59.�xf3 �xgS-+. analysis diagram 115 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 12.exf5 (there is no way to protect the Now it is already impossible to get pawn, i.e. 12.'ii'd3 l2Jb4=F) 12 .. Jhe3= much benefit from the intrusion on d5: Macieja-Byklum, Stockholm 2010. 15.l2Jc4 lLJeS 16.l2Jxe5 dxe5 17.�xf6 8 ... .i.f8 9 . .i.f1 c5! .ixf6 18.l2Jd5 �xd5 19.'iVxd5 'ifxd5 20.exd5 e4 with approximate equality. The presence of opposite-coloured bishops may neutralize the extra pawn. 15... d5 The smooth implementation of this counterblow is the precursor of equal ity. 16.exd5 lLlxd5 17.lLlxd5 hd5 18.tbc4 .i.e6 19.c3 'ifxd1 Worse was 19... b5 20.'ifxd8 �axd8 2l.axb5 axb5 22.l2Je3;!;;. Sebastien plays it all the same - further 20.:axd1 l:[ed8 more, the computer agrees! It looks like a serious weakening of point d5, espe cially as the exchange �g5xf6 is pos sible. 10.lilb3 Wasn't IO.l2Jf3 more accurate? 1 0 ... tbc6 11. .i.g5 As predicted. 11 ...h6 12. .i.h4 Can anyone explain to me why Leonid didn't exchange the bishop fo r the knight? After 12..�xf6 'iVxf6 Let's assess this position after the re 13.l2Jd5 White actually has an extra lease of the tension in the centre. White pawn on the light-square complex, stands a little better due to the slight and the f8 -bishop can't participate weakening of the enemy queenside. in the struggle for the highly impor 21 .f3 �8 22.�2 h5 tant point d5. For example, 13... 'ifd 8 Black could have equalized with 22 ... (13 ...'iVxb2 14.l::tbl 'ifa3 (absolutely b5!? 23.l2Je3 c4=. His structure has im bad is 14 .. .'i¥xa2? IS.l::tal 'i¥b2 16.c3 proved and White's positional advan and 17.l:f.e2, capturing the queen) tage has vanished into the air. 15.l2Jc7±) 14.l2Jd2 �e6 15.l2Jc4;!;;. 23.lilb6 :Xd1 24.:Xd1 l:[dS 25.:Xd8+ 12... a6 13.a4 hd8 26.tbc4 h4 27 . .i.d6+ .i.e7 13.h3 .ie6 14.'ii'd2 .ie7=. 28 . .i.c7 �e8 29 . .i.f4 g5 30.�e3 13... .i.e6 1 4.lild2 .i.e7 15. .i.g3 Draw agreed. 116 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lZJ£6 3. tbc3 e5 4. lZJ£3 Section 2: 5 ...e5xd4 Here are several fragments where Black surrendered the centre after developing his knight to d7. Please, don't be lazy - don't skip these pages. Of course our time is most valuable, which is why I've tried to exclude really poor or uninteresting examples. Cheer up! Here are only three games, each of which with their own specific qualities. The moral is that in this line the black knight can't jump to c6, and so it is appropriate fo r White to capture on d4 with the queen. 117 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black In the first example both oppo nents played well enough, saving the status-quo up until the ending. Only then, perhaps in time trouble, the Dutch player committed a mistake and lost. 60 Robin van Kampen (2592) Ivan lvanisevic (2644) analysis diagram Skopje Karpos Open 2013 (9) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 11.'it'xd8?! After II.'ifxeS tLlg4 12.'i!Vf4 tbbd7 5.i.c4 exd4 6.'ifxd4 i.cs 13.l::te2 i.e6 Black has some com pensation, but it is insufficient; 14.eS;;!;;. 11 ... l:l.xd8 12.tLld5 tl:lxd5 13.. bd5 a5 14.i.e3 �f8 14.. J:h6!?=. 15.f3 and a draw was agreed in Djukic-Ivanisevic, Skopje 2013. 8 ...tt:lb6 9.i.e2 i.e6 9 ... .l::te8. 10.i.f4 It was interesting to go after the b6- knight: IO.a4 aS ll.b3 dS 12.e5 tLlfd7 13.'iff4 ;;!;;. The capture by the queen makes 10... tt:lfd7 11.1i'e3 .J:r.e8 12.tt:ld4 more sense if Black cannot reply by The Dutchman may have wished to get developing with tempo with . ..l2Jb8- the advantage of the two bishops, but c6. Besides, the white knight can be Black doesn't allow even this. useful on f3 . 12... i.c4 13. i.f3 i.f6 14.b3 6 ... ..te7 7.0-0 0-0 8 . .J:r.d1 8.l:l.e1 a6 9.a4 tl:le5 Looking at the board, I want to play 9 .. .'�Jg4, and I am happy to inform you that the computer agrees with me. What is the idea? Well, I wish to put the knight on eS and trade off some pieces. Besides, it also prevents e4-e5. However, White is still better here after I O/i:JdS tLlgeS II.tLlxeS tLlxeS IL�fl. 10.tl:lxe5 dxe5 This looks like a bluff. The magic of Ivan's Elo-rating must have played a role. Objectively 14... ..ta6 Black should have taken the pawn on Spectacular, but not equalizing, is eS. 14 ...t2JdS !? IS.tLlxdS i.xdS 16.c4 i.c6 118 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ£63.0c 3 e5 4. tt:Jf3 17.CiJxc6 bxc6, and with the bishop pair White's chances are to be rated a little higher. 15.'fid2 15.a4!?. 15... tbe5 16.�e2 .be2 17.tbdxe2 tLlbd7 18.f3 ttJg6 19. .ie3 .ie5 20.l:tf1 ttJf6 21 . .l:ad1 c6 22. 'fid3'ife7 23 .�g5 d5 42.c4 b5 43.l:tcc1 43.c5!?. 43 ... bxc4 44.bxc4 l:td6 45.cxd5 :Xd5 46.:Xc8+ 'ii'xc8 47. 'iib3 l:tb548. 'fie3 tLlf5 49. 'fie4 tbd6 50. 'ifd3 'ifb7 51.l:td2 l:tb1?! Sl ...g6!? . 52 . .ic5!?;t tbe8 53. 'iVe3 f6 54.l:td8 'iVf7 55.�d4 With a claim on full equalization. Don't It was possible to saddle the opponent be confused, this is not a blunder, with certain problems by means of everything has been calculated. ss.'ii'e4!? .l::rb8 56Jhb8 �xb8 57.'ii'c6 24.exd5 'fic5+25. 'iith1?! with initiative. Better was 25.�e3 'ife7 (25 ... �xh2+ 55 ... l:tb8 56.:Xb8 .txb8 57.'ifb3= 26.�f2 'ife7 27.g3 (27.dxc6) 27 ...ti:Jes 'iVxb358.axb3 28.1i'd4i) 26 . .l::f.fe l (26.dxc6? �xc3 27.tLlxc3 'i!Vxe3+) 26 ...cxd5 27.�f2 'iYc7, with a more or less balanced po sition; the isolated pawn is not so im portant, as Black can, fo r instance, press along the c-file. 25 ... ttJxd526. ttJxd5cxd5 27 . .ie3 'fic7 28 . .ig1 .l:ac8 29.c3 l:tcd8 30.l:tfe1 a6 31 .ttJd4 3l.g3!?. 31 ... tLlf4 32. 'ifd2 h5 33. �f2 tLlg6 An equal ending has arisen. I dare say 34.g3 .if6 35.h4 ttJe7 36.'iitg2 that the white h4-pawn, fixed on the l:tc8 37.l:tc1 'ifd7 38. 'iVd3 l:tc7 square of the bishop's colour, should 39.l:tc2 :ec8 40.l:td1 .te5 cause some discomfort fo r White. 41 .ttJe2 l:tc6 58 ... �7 59.tLlc3 'iite6 60.g4 �e5 I can see you getting impatient: why no I wouldn't have guessed it. The bishops comments? Because nothing special is are traded off and the black king is happening! hyper-active now. 119 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 61.heS �xeS 62.gxhS ltJd6 63.�2 far as the time-trouble stuff - it hap aS pens in the games of World Champions too. Borki Predojevic put up vehement resistance, raising many obstacles, and managed to hold the draw. 61 Borki Predojevic (261 6) Denis Kadric (2460) Sarajevo Sosna Open 2013 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 eS 4.tbf3 lbbd7 s . .tc4 exd4 6. 'ifxd4 .te7 7 . .tgs 0-0 8.0-0-0 tbg4 64.�e2?! Houdini offers a study-like idea here: 64.b4!. Nonsense? Well, let's continue the fo rced line: 64... axb4 6S.tba2 b3 66.tbcl b2 67.tbd3+ and the pawn per ishes. Two chess players with an Elo-rating of around 2600 didn't notice this, I sup pose maybe only a cheater could have fo und it. Sometimes opponents with an Elo-rating of 2100-2200 demonstrate such computer-like play. I don't want A reasonable exchange operation. Black to mention any names, but if they read tries to eliminate two pairs of pieces, these lines, let them be ashamed. which will give him a lot of extra space. 64 ... tbfS6S. tbe4 ltJd4+66. �d3 lbxb3=F Also not bad was 8 ...h6 9.�h4 tbb6. 67.tbf2 fS 68.�c3 tbcS 69.�c4 ltJd7 9.he7 'ifxe7 10.h3 70.ltJd3+ �d6 71 .f4? tbf6 IO.tbdS 'ifd8 II.<;t>bi;!;. 7l...a4 72.'�b4 <;t>ds-+. 10... tbgeS 11 . .tb3 tbb6 12.'1tb1 as 72.h6 gxh6 73.tbeS '1te6?! 13.a3 .td7 14..1:lhe1 ?! 73 ...tbg4-+. Better was 14.tbd2 with the idea f2-f4. 74.tbc6 tbhS 7S.ltJd4+ �6 76.tbe2 tbg7 77.�bS tbe6 78.'1txaS '1tg6 79.�bS �hS 80.�c4 �g4 81.'1tc3 tbxf482 .ltJd4 tbg2 0-1 Please take note of Black's action in the following fragment. I liked Denis Kadric' manoeuvres very much. He was not daunted by the high Elo-rating of his adversary and by the colour of his own army. A very good game. As 120 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 llJ£6 3. 0d e5 4. llJ£3 14... .bh3 34 ... .J:le7 .35 .J:ld1 'ife5 36. 'ifc2 11fd6 Principled and strong. Stronger was 36 ...<;£;>f7 !?+. 15.ttJxe5 dxe5 16.ttJd5 ttJxd5 17.exd5 37.l:tg1 .J:lg7 . 38.1:1.e1 + rl.e739 . .J:lg1 Wf7 11ff6! 18.:Xe5 40.l:lf1+ wg7 41.11ft2 'iii>h7 42.wa2 18.'iVe4 doesn't provide an advan 'ifc5 tage either: 18... a4 19.�c4 (19.�xa4?! Black tries to persuade his opponent .txg2=F) 19 ... .td7 20.�xe5 �xeS to exchange the queens, offering him 2I..l::f.xe5 .l:tfe8=. various pawns, even the one on the 18 ... ..bg2 19.f4 .th3 h-file earlier on. But understandably Kadric fights cold-bloodedly and Black's Predojevic is not willing to part with chances are no worse here. his most aggressive piece. 20.c4 .tf5+ 21. wa1 43. 'ifh4 b5 44 . .J:lf4 a4 45. 'iff6? 2I..tc2!?. This negligence could have cost him the 21 ...b6 game. It was already possible to seize the initi ative with 21...h5 22.�gl h4. 22 . .ta4 :Sd8 23 . .J:lh1 g6 24.11fe3 'iii>g7 25 . .J:lg1 .td7 Black will regret losing this bishop. Maybe a better option was to prepare the advance of the passed h-pawn. At tractive was 25 ...h6 , not allowing the rook on g5. 26 . ..bd7 :Xd7 27 . .J:lh1 .J:lfd8 28.11fh3 h5 29.11fg3 Wf8 30.f5 .J:le8 45 ... 'ife3 Very strong was 45 ...b4! 46.axb4 'ir'xb4-+ and suddenly it turns out that the white king is less safe than its black colleague. 46 . .J:lf3 11fe4?! Right was 46 ...'iVc5 47.�c3 bxc4 48.'iVf8 'i!Vd6 49.Ihc4 g5 with a winning advantage to Black. 47 . .J:lc3bxc4 48. 'ifc6 l:le5? This is likely to be a blunder, otherwise The position gradually simplifies and how could we explain that Black gives becomes technical. up a pawn with check? 31 .:Xe8+ coii>xe8 32.fxg6 fxg6 33.11fh3 The preventive move 48 ...�h 6+ was 1iff5 more accurate. Was this necessary? 33 ...�d8 . 49.11fxc7+ 'iii>h6 50.d6 .J:ld5 34.11fc3 51.:Xc4?? 34.'i!Vxf5 gxfS 35 . .l::txh5 �f7 36.�h3 SI.'ifc8!?. �e7+. 51 ... 'ife6-+ 52. 'iii>a1 121 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black this does make some sense, because it is difficult for the adversary to grasp the situation and to eliminate all the threats. But in this given case Berkes had enough time and played perfect ly. On the 23rd move it was already all over. 62 Adam Horvath (2531) Ferenc Berkes (2677) 52 ... 'ti'xd6 Gyula ch-HUN 2013 (7) The precise S2 .. .I�dl+ would have won: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 S3 . .l::tcl �xd6-+ or S3.�a2 l:td4 S4.d7 ttJbd7 5 . .ic4 exd4 6. 'ifxd4 �e7 l::txc4-+. 7.hf7+?! 53. 'ti'c8 .l:ld1 + 54. 'it>a2 'ifd5 55. 'iff8+ Wow, this is creative, taking into ac �h7 56. 'ife7+ 'it>h6 'iff8+57. 'it>h7 count that it was a classical time-con 58.'ife7+ 'it>g8 59.'ife8+ Wg7 trol game. 60.'ifxa4 7 ... 'ii;>xf7 8. ltJQ5+ 'it>e8 60.�e7+ 'iif7 61.'iixf7+ �xf7 62.!ha4 The only reply, but sufficient. It can be gS-+. easily fo und by elimination: 8 ...�g8 9.'i!Vc4++-; 8 ...�f8 9.ti:Je6++-; 8 ...�g6 9.f4 ti:Jcs lO.fS+ �xfS ll.exfS+ �xfs 12.b4+-. 9.0.e6 c5 The only move. 10.'fi'd1 10.ti:Jxg7+? �f7-+. 10... 'ifb6 11.ltJxg7+ Wf7 12.ltJf5 �f8 60 ... .1:lc1 ? Now it's a draw. Black could still have won with 60 ...h4. 61 .'ti'a7+ 'it>g8 112-112 It is not advisable to evade the perpetual check: 6l...�h6?? 62.'ife3+. For dessert, especially fo r danger seekers, I suggest the fo llowing game It is not easy to give a clear assessment with the unexpected sacrifice �c4xf7?!. of this position. Two pawns fo r the In principle, in a game with a short bishop + an attack on the exposed king time-control (blitz, or even rapid) represent certain compensation. 122 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. 0c3eS 4. tb£3 13.0-0 l:tg8 14.f4 20 ... ltJxd5 21.cxd5 'ifxd5 Or 14.tbd5 �c6 15.h4 l:!g6 16.h5 �g4 Yes, this works - it is unfavourable for 17.f3 Jlg8=F. White to accept the sacrifice. 14... 'ifc6 15.tbd5 b5!+ 22 . .tb2 Ferenc is playing very strongly, and one 22.exd5 �xel+ 23.'it>f2 �fl+ 24.<;t>e3 gets the impression that he was pre tbf6-+. pared fo r the dubious sacrifice on f7. 22 ... 'Wd323. 'ifa4 tt:lb6 0-1 16.b3 .tb7 17.c4 bxc4 18.bxc4 :eo 19.l:te1 .ta620. 'ifc2 Or 20.�d3 tbxd5, and any pawn cap ture is bad. White stands absolutely hopeless. Only one pawn for a bishop, and furthermore all Black's pieces have taken up efficient positions. 123 A Culiiiing Chess Opening for Black Section 3: The Manoeuvre ... tbd7-b6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tt:lc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 tLlbd75. i.c4 i.e7 6.0-0 tt:lb6 Let's try to find out what the use of this strange move is. Earlier it seemed to me that in such structures the knight has nothing to do at b6. Besides, it performed an important function on d7 - protecting the central eS-pawn. Anyway, the white bishop has to retreat now, and most frequently it goes to e2. 124 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 eS 4.tt:Jf3 In the team championship of Montenegro in 2011, the very expe rienced player Branko Damljanovic had quite good play after the opening (he was Black) and could even have hoped fo r something more than equal ity, but didn't manage it. In a rather complicated, computer-like fight, full of tactics, both players made mistakes but the last one was committed by Branko. 63 15... l!Jfd5! 1 6.lbce2 Aleksandar Kovacevic (2568) 16.exd5 doesn't promise anything Branko Damljanovic (2607) special after 16 .. Jhel+ (distracting Tivat tt 2011 (3) the queen from d4) 17.'iVxel �xd4+ 1.e4 d6 2.d4 l!Jf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.l!Jf3 18.<.t>hl cS. l!Jbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 l!Jb6 16... l!Jb4 17.'ifd2 d5 The bishop is asked to declare itself. More modest was 17... 'iVc 7!? 18. .i:;[adl 7.�e2 (White can win a pawn with 18.�xb4 The most fr equent retreat. axb4 19.'iVxb4 tLld7 with compensation 7 ...exd4 8.lbxd4 0-0 9.a4 thanks to the very strong g7-bishop on White in his turn wants the plans of the the weakened long diagonal) 18... tLld7. enemy knight to be clarified. In general, 18.e5 f6 19.c3 tba6 20.exf6 the placement of the knight at b6 looks An alternative is the gambit-like 20.e6 strange and can be explained only by �xe6 2l.tLlxe6 .l::t.xe6 22.tLld4 l:hel+ an advance of Black's c- and/or d-pawn. 23 . .i:;[xel tLlc7 24.'iVf2 and White keeps 9 ...a5 1 0.f4 initiative, but not more. Was this necessary? 20 ... 'ifxf6 21.:ad1 �f8 22.bf8 :Xf8 10... :es lO ...dS!? ll.eS tLle4 12.tLlxe4 (12..�e3!?) 12... dxe4 IH�;>hl f6 =. 11.�f3 �f8 12.:e1 c6 This move is quite logical. The pawn restrains three of White's light pieces at once. It will hardly be necessary to advance it to cS because (after ...c7-c5) point bS will be a weakness. 13.b3 g6 14 . .b3 �g7 Or 14 ...ti:Jb d7 with the idea .. .'iVd8-b6, ...tLld7 -c5. 23.c4 15.h3?! It is strategically risky to weaken the This allows a liquidation which favours whole dark-square complex (d4, c3, Black. More careful was IS.'iVd2;!;as now cS, b4) if you have only a light-squared the al-rook defends its colleague on el. bishop. 23.'iVe3!?;!;. 125 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 23 ... tt::lb4 24.f5?! dxc4 25.fxg6 'ifxg6 tt:lxe4 3l..l:!xd7 .a.xf4 32.tLlxf4 tLlf6 2S ...hx g6!?. 33.'iVc4+ �h8 34.�xb7±. 26.tt::lf4 'ifh6= 30 ... .Uf7 31 . .:Xf7 tbxf7 32.tbde2 tbe5= Even stronger is 26 .. .'iVgS!. 33.�e4 �ea 34. 'ifcs tbd7? 27 . .Ue4 �d7 Correct was 34 ... 'i:Yf6 with inhuman 27 ...c3 !? suggested itself, as the queen lines like 3S.l:rd6 tLld7 36.'ifc4+ .tf7 cannot leave the diagonal h6-cl: 28.'iVe3 37 . .txh7+ �h8 unclear. c2 29.l:kl cS with initiative. The move 35.'iff2?! ...c6-cS is shady from a positional point 3S.'i:Ve7 'iVg7 36.'i:Vh4±. of view, but it has a concrete tactical 35 ... tt::lf6 36.tbg3 point. The bishop strives to jump to fS . 27 ...cS at once is also good. 28.bxc4 36 ... 'ifgS?? The players must have been in time trouble fo r a while already; 36 ...'ifg7. 28 ... tbxc4?! 37.�b1 ? Better was 28 ...tt:lxa4 29.tt:lde2 .tfs White would have been winning with (there is a natural desire to put the a move that is natural in time trouble: knight on the blockading square with 37.tLle6 'iVh4 38J:[fl+-. But Kovacevic 29... tLlcS , but Houdini flatly objects: must have missed the only right reac 30 . .l::t.eS tt:lba6 31..l::t.hS with attack. tion to the predictable reply 37 ...'i:Ye S: Almost the entire white army is con here 38 . .l::t.el! would have finished the centrated on the kingside against the struggle, with the threat of a discovery exposed black king) 30J:!:e7 .l::rae8 by the bishop, fo r instance 38... 'i:Yxe6 31.l::txb7 tLlcS (only now!) unclear. 39 . .txh7+. 29. 'ifc1 tbd6 30 . .Ue7?! 37 ... �f7 38.tt::lf5 tZ:lfdS 39 . .Ud4 'iff6 Please don't be too critical of the quali 40.tbxd5 .hdS?? ty of the game. In such crazy positions 'He laughs best who laughs last'. Alas, only a computer doesn't commit mis on the last move before the time control takes. Judge fo r yourselves: there are (?) Branko makes a mistake which is ir few pawns on the board, but the pieces recoverable. Now there are many ways are involved in a kind of 'Brownian to victory for White. motion'. Is it realistic to want to calcu 40 ...tLlxd S was equal. late everything? There was an option to 41 .tLle7+ 'ifxe742 . .Ug4+ 'ifg7 seriously embarrass Black in 30.tt:lde6! 42 ...'�h8 43.'iib2++-. 126 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:J£63.lt:x 3 e5 4-. tt:J£3 43. 'iffS 'ffxg4 44. 'ffxg4+ �8 4S . .bh7 Also reasonable was IS.'iYf3 tt::lcxe4 rt;e746 .h4 bS 47.hS Wd6 48.h6 bxa4 16.tt::lxe4 l:lxe4 I7Jhe4 tt::lxe4 18.'�'xe4 49 . .ifS rt;es SO.h7 a3 S1 . .tc8 1-0 dS 19. .i.xd5 'ilfxdS 20.'i!fxd5 cxdS. White stands better because of the iso Black can try to fight fo r a win even lated dS-pawn, but everything is still in quite simple positions. Playing this within limits. opening still doesn't deprive Black of 1S... dxes 1 6.:Xes :Xes 17. .bes the 'right' to take over the initiative. In tt::lfd7 18.tt::lf3 'ife7 19. .id4 tt::le6 the next game, Ukrainian grandmaster 20.'ifd2?! Baklan made skilful use of the prepon Strange. The Indian grandmaster derance of the bishop over the knight just abandons the bishop! Better was and gained the victory with the help of 20.tt::le4 tt::lxd4 2I.'i!Vxd4, intending tt::lgs some micro-nuances. with attack on the f7-pawn: 2l...c5 (21... h6? doesn't help due to 22J�el with the 64 same frightful idea) 22.'i!Vd3i. Sahaj Grover (249S) 20... tt::lxd4 21. 'ifxd4 ttJcS 22.l:e1 Vladimir Baklan (2602) .ie6 23.tt::le4 .txc4 24. 'ifxc4 tt::lxe4 Reykjavik Open 2011 (7) 2S.:Xe4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt::lf6 3.tt::\c3 es 4.tt::lf3 tt::lbd7 s . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 tt::lb6 7 . .ie2 exd4 8.tt::lxd4 0-0 9.a4 as 10.l:e1 This is more flexible than f2-f4. 10... l:Le8 I O ...tt::J fd 7!?. 11 . .tf4 c6 12. .tf1 .tt8 13.h3 tt::lbd7 The Moor has done his duty, let him go. 14. .ic4 This looks like absolute equality, White must simply be watchful of the dark squared enemy bishop in the ending. There it is superior to the knight since it can operate on two flanks. 2S ... 'ifb426. tt::leS 'ffxc4 27.tt::lxc4 f6 In situations like this I tell my students: 'There is no non-sense in this move'. Yes, pawns usually should be put on This was my thought too: if the bishop squares not of the bishop's colour, but can return here, then what was the use this pawn is still not fixed, and it can of ...tt::l d7-b6 ? move further. 14... ttJcs 28.rt;f1 rt;l7 29.'1fole2 bS 30.tt::ld2 fS 14.. .'iVb 6!?. See the note to the 27th move. 1S.eS 31.l:d4 rt;e6 32.tt::lb3 gS 127 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black I dare assume that the Indian player made the 41st move in order not to ex ceed the time-limit, as sometimes the notation may be wrong. But such an action bears risk because the opponent can think everything over and reveal the defects of such rashness. Right was 41.lt:Jc3 �xa3 42.lt:Jxa4=. 41 ... �e5!+ 42.lhc4 Very bad was 42.lt:Jxc8 �xd4 43.lt:Jb6 �c3-+. 33.l:r.d1 ?! 42 ... l:r.b8! 43.ttJc8 Bearing in mind what I just said about Most tenacious was 43.lt:Jf7+ �f6 pawn placement, it was possible to fix 44.lt:Jxg5 �xgS 45 . .l:!xa4+, putting the gS-pawn on a dark square with his hopes on the wrong colour of the 33.g4!?. queening square. 33 ... bxa4 34.ttJd4+ '1to>f6 35.l:r.a1 43 ... �d5 44.l:r.c7 �xa3-+ 45.c4+ If White captures on a4, he will have the �d4 46.ttJa7 l:r.b1 + 47.�e2 l:r.b2+ better pawn structure. If, If, if... 35.lt:Jxc6 48. '1to>f3 i.cs 0-1 Ilc8 36.lt:Jd4 a3 37.bxa3 i1Lxa3i. 35 ...a3! In the next example, the Italian and Feel the superiority of the long-range Dutch grandmasters create a practically bishop (reaching fr om f8 to a3) over flawless game. Brunella sacrificed a the knight! pawn, banking on the superiority of his 36.bxa3 cS bishops over the black knights. This was 36... �e 8+ 37.�fl .l::!.d8 38.c3 (38.lt:Jxc6 enough for compensation, but nothing l::!.d2 39.c3 �cS 40.lt:Jd4 a4 with initia more, and the result was a logical draw. tive) 38 ...a4 =. 37.tLlb5 c4 38.l:r.d1 l:r.e8+ 39. '1to>f1 a4 65 Fixing the enemy pawn on a dark Sabino Brunello (2603) square. At the same time, the bS-knight Robin van Kampen (2601) loses its support. However, all is still London Classic Open 2013 (9) within the limits of equality. 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tLlf6 3.ttJc3 eS 4.tlJf3 40.l:r.d4 l:tc8 41 .ttJd6? ttJbd7 s.�c4 �e7 6.0-o tLlb6 7.i.e2 exd4 8.ttJxd4 0·0 9.a4 aS 10.�f4 c6 11.'ifd3 In reply to the preventive ll.ilLg3, 11... dS!? is also quite good. I think that if this move doesn't lead to the creation of an isolated pawn (dS), then it usu ally equalizes: 12.exd5 (12.e5 doesn't promise any laurels either: 12... lt:Jf d7 13.f4 lt:Jcs 14.i1Lf2 f6=) 12 ... lt:Jbxd5 13.lt:Jxd5 lt:JxdS=. 128 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ti:Jf6 3.0.::3 eS 4. ti:Jf3 as the river Meuse. White i:a his turn draws the enemy fire, as it · were, and doesn't prevent the black majority on the queenside from moving (... c6-cS ). This would weaken square bS and the white cavalry would joyfully rush there. 15.�12 f6 16.exf6 hf6 After the elimination of the outpost eS White loses all his trumps. 17.'it'd2 �d7 18.lbb3 'it'c7 19.lbc5 :aea20.tb xd7 analysis diagram At least gaining the bishop, though in Why on earth should White have any such structures this is not so essential. real advantage here? The pawn structure 20 ... tbxd7 21.:&e1 is symmetrical, and the slight lead in It seems that the Italian isn't daunted by development is gradually levelled out: the loss of a pawn. In reply to 21.�g4 14.�f3 �f6 1S.c3 t£Je7 16.l:rel tiJfs the concrete 2l....ixc3 22.'ifxc3 l::ixf4 17.tiJxfS �xfS 18.'i¥b3 'i¥c8 19.�d6 23.�xd7 'ifxd7 24.�xaS= is amusing, �e6 20.l:rxe6 and draw agreed, because but the modest 2l...tiJe6 is also not bad: with opposite-coloured bishops the fo r 22.l::iael tiJdcS=. mation of a 'splinter' on e6 doesn't play 21 ... hc3 22.'it'xc3 :Xf4 a crucial role, Bauer-Delchev, French tt He is not afraid. As fo r me, I usually try 2013. to avoid having two knights against two 11 ...d5 12.e5 0.e8 bishops, because this actually amounts With the queen on d3 the only right to an extra pawn fo r the adversary. manoeuvre is the following: 12... tiJf d7!? 23.�f3 13.b3 (13.e6? is no good, viz. 13.. .f xe6 23 . .ig3 'ifb6+. 14.t£Jxe6 tlJcS lS.tiJxd8 t£Jxd3 16.�c7 23 ... 'ifd8 t£Jxb2 17.�xb6 �xd8; or 17 ... �f6;:\;) 23 ... l::txel!? 24.l::txel �c4. 13 ...t£Jcs 14.'i¥g3 �h4 1S.'i.¥e3 t£Je6=. 24.b3 Aff825. :Xe8 :XeS26 . .ie1 13.�g3 g6 14.14 CiJg7 This is the kind of trouble I am always The Dutchman has built a well-fortified afraid of. Long-range bishops start line (e6-fS) which is as hard to cross bothering pawns from a distance. 129 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 26 ...... b6+ 27. The fo llowing example helps to evalu ate the queen's placement on the central square d4. Serbian grandmaster Indjic carries out the not quite conventional and aggressive-looking thrusts ...c7-c5 and .. .f7-f5, after which White seizes what turns out to be a long-term ini analysis diagram tiative. However, at one point the Russian Every bit counts. The bishop is acti player didn't findthe right move which vated with tempo. 13.ifd2 �c4 (it's a could have led to victory, and missed bit more precise to include 13 ...tt::l c5, a tactical counterblow. Next, a short intending ... �xc3 and ...tt::l xe4, fo r ex skirmish resulted in an ending with ample 14.�fl .tc4=) 14.b3 .ixe2 an extra pawn fo r Black, but the oppo 15.llxe2 tt::leS 16.tt::lxe5 .ixeS 17. .ixe5 site-coloured bishops soon produced a l:lxeS 18.tt::ld5 'ii'd7= Bedouin-Vachier- draw. Lagrave, France tt 2013. 9 ...a5 10.b3 d5! 11.e5 66 As usual, ll.exdS tL'lbxdS 12.�dl tt::lb4= lldar Khairullin (2651) is insipid. Aleksandar lndjic (2530) 11...lLle8 Minsk Bronstein Memorial 2014 (6) More to the point is ll... tt::l fd 7 12.tLlxd5 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.lLlc3 e5 4.lLlf3 tL'lxdS 13.'ifxd5 tL'lxeS! (did Black over lLlbd7 5 . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 lLlb6 7 . .te2 look this resource?) 14.'ifxe5 .if6=. exd4 8 ....xd4 12.�d3 c5 Better was 12 ... c6. 13.... f4 f5 Why not? The black knight can't go to c6. 8 ...0-0 9.a4 Wow! A couple of sharp moves, but 9.�f4 .ie6 IO . .l:!adl tt::lfd 7 II..l::f.fe l �e8 Black's position is slightly worsened by 12.h3 �f6. the creation of some weaknesses. 130 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. 0c3 eS 4. lLlf3 14.lbb5 0£7 15.lbxc7 20 ... ..bg5 21.hxg5 cxd4 22. 'ifh4 Right; it is not desirable to allow the 'ifxeS knight to go to the blockading square e6. Principled but risky. The most careful 15... 'ifxc7 1 6.c3 option was not to eliminate the eS I considered blocking with 16.c4. pawn, but to use it as a cover against Houdini neither criticizes it, nor is it the monster on cl and to exert pressure keen on it. along the e-file with 22 ...iVe7 23.�xd4 16... �e6 17. 'it'g3;t ti:Jb4. 23.g6 �g8 23 ...h6 24.�xh6+-. 24.�g5 :Sea 25.:Sd1 :es 26.gxh7 hh7 Obviously, the Russian clears the way for the bishop, and a wholesale fight for the dark squares on the kingside begins. I suggest h2-h4 and �cl-gS. 17... Wh8 18.h4 d4 19.cxd4 lbd5 The combination of the .th7 with the Indjic is playing creatively. More prosaic fS-pawn is, to put it mildly, not nice fo r and maybe stronger was 19 ... �xb3!?; of Black. course not 19... cxd4? 20.lbxd4. 26 ... �f7!?. 20.lbg5 27.�d2? Here there were many attractive contin A serious mistake. Khairullin may uations: have missed the fo llowing reply. Black A) 20.dxc5!? f4 2I.iVh2 l:!ad8 would have found himself on the verge 22.�c4;t; of defeat after 27.�c4! when all lines B) I am glad to inform you that the end with the assessment 'still alive, but computer's first line is the move I men hardly': 27... iVe4 (27 ..J� ee8 28Jhd4 tioned above: 20.�g5!?. Certainly, it ti:Jf6 29J�fdl+-) 28.'tixe4 (28.l::rxd4 doesn't win, but generally an exchange 'tixh4 29Jhh4±) 28 .. .fxe4 29.l::rxd4 of the dark-squared bishops is in White's l::res 30Jhd5 l::txdS 3I...t xd5 l::rfs favour. Then the weaknesses in enemy 32..�.xe4±. camp will be more visible, fo r example 27 ... lbe3!28 .fxe3 20 .. .f4 2I.iVh2;t. The queen looks pas There are no worthy alternatives: sive here, but capturing on gS is not on 28 . .l::f.fe l �h6-+ as the diagonal cl-h6 for Black as the h7-pawn and then also is blocked! the king will be subject to a crossfire 28 ... dxe3 29.�c1 e2 30.he2 'ifxe2 (i.d3-h7, iVh2-h7). 31 J:lde1 'ifa6= 131 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Will the bishop's placement here (in stead of on e2) influence the course of the fight? Black's extra pawn is neutralized by the opposite-coloured bishops and the poor ly-placed fS-pawn (on a light square). 32.:Xe6 'ifxe633. Af3 Wg8 34.�b2 f4 7 ...exd4 8.lbxd4 0-0 9.Ae1 c6 10.h3 Reasonable, but even this is not suffi Ae8 11.a4 aS cient fo r an advantage. Perhaps Black shouldn't play the pawn 35. 'ifgs �96 36 . .-es here, for example II...tbbd7 12.a5 tbeS 36.'i¥xa5. 13 . .tf4 �d7 14. .tfl;!;. 36... 'ifxe5 37.he5 �e4 38.:Xf4 12.�f4 �f8 13.�g5?! :Xf4 39.hf4 �c2 40.�c7 bb3 Creative, but actually this leads to the 41.ha5 %-% loss of a tempo. 13.tbf3;!;. Now we will see what happens in case of 13... lt:lbd7 14.�c4 h6 15.�h4 ttJes the bishop's retreat to d3. In the fo llow The computer keeps suggesting ing Olympic encounter, up to a certain IS ...'i!Vb 6. And indeed, why not make point Black played quite logically and use of the knight's departure? For ex had an acceptable position - although I ample, 16.'i¥d2 Vi'b4. don't understand why the queen went 16.�b3 lbg6 17.�g3 lbd7 out to b6 so late. After that the struggle grew fiercer. Canadian player Eric Hansen ventured to take the b2-pawn, after which the residence of his king was subject to big pressure. Hansen couldn't cope with it and committed a decisive mistake. However, he was amnestied, and a draw was the result. 67 Gadir Guseinov (2613) Eric Hansen (2472) 18.f4 Istanbul ol 2012 (5) For a moment the diagonal c8-h3 is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lt:lf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.lt:lf3 intercepted, so maybe it's a good idea lt:lbd75.� c4 �e7 6.0-0 lt:lb6 7.�d3 to win a pawn? 18.tLlfS!? tt:lcs 19.tbxd6 132 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:Jf6 3. 0.c3 eS 4. lLlf3 jLxd6 20.'i'!Vxd6 (20.i.xd6 li:Jxb3 usually not been among the favourites 2l.cxb3 jLe6 with compensation) so far. 20 ...'i'!Vxd6 21.i.xd6 li:Jxb3 22.cxb3 jLe6 21.l:le3?! 23.b4 axb4 24.�xb4i. More promising is 21.'i¥f3 ! 'i¥b6 18... tt:Jc5 19. .b2 22.l:f.abl 'i¥d8 23.'iVhs with initia Interesting, but still not very promising, tive; the simple threat is 24.'ti'xg6. The is 19.jLxf7+!? bishop's pressure on the f7-pawn is highly unpleasant, and the rook confines Black's pieces to protecting the gate (b7) to Black's camp on the queenside. 21 ... 'ifb6 22.l:lb1 'if dB 23. 'ifh5 Almost the same as above. 23 ... 'iff6? After some thinking I decided to put a question mark here, as Hansen had a good alternative in 23 ...dS ! since the rook on e3 is not protected. For exam ple, 24.fS ti:Jh8 2S.�bel Ihe4 26.li:Jxe4 analysis diagram ti:Jxe4 with compensation. 19... <;t>xf7 20.'i¥hs ti:Jd7 (Black wants 24.f5 to play ...ti:Jf6) 2l.fS 'ifgs 22.'ti'xgS (22. 24.eS! dxeS 2S.fxeS 'ifgs 26.'ii'f3 ti:Jh8 fxg6+ 'i¥xg6 23Jlfl + ti:Jf6 24.'i¥xg6+ 27.I:tfl 'i¥g6 28.li:Je4±. <;t>xg6, and now what?) 22 ... hxgS 23.fxg6+ <;t>xg6=. Don't fo rget that Black has two bishops! 19... 1t'b6 At last! 20. analysis diagram The pressure intensifies and the knight at h8 hardly fe els comfortable. 24 ... tbh8 25.l:ld1 l:la6 26.�h4 'ife5+ 27.�g3 1t'f6 28. 133 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black ... and White wins) 34.tbc7+-. 33 ... lbf6 34.l:de1 fxe6 35.fxe6 �e7= analysis diagram ... and Black perishes: 3l...d5 32.tbc7+-; 3l...�e7 32.e5 dxeS 33.tbe4+- with 36.�c4 'mate' to the queen; 3l...g6 32.fxg6 fxe6 36.tbfs ds. 33.g7+- 31...fxe6 32.'ifxe8. 36 ... l:b6 31 ...'ifg5 32. 'ifxg5hxg5 33.e6?! I like this move, while Houdini is dis We cannot exclude that the load of re contented, suggesting 36 ... .l:ra8 instead. sponsibility shows itself again. I can 37.�d3? proudly say that in recent years in Trans 37.tbf5! dS 38.�d6! (this can be missed caucasian states chess has become very in time-trouble) 38 ...�xd6 (38 ...tbg6 popular. This sport is cheap, and it con 39.�d3;!;;) 39.tbxd6±. tributes to the development of the in 37... d5 38.�c7 �c5! tellect. That is why even though these The dark-squared diagonal is exposed. countries are small, their teams, Georgia 39.hb6 �xb6 40.lbce2 c5! 41 .c3 (especially the women), Armenia and cxd4 42.lbxd4 Azerbaijan are usually among the favour ites at Olympiads. So each half-point has considerable importance for these teams. Maybe that is why in this game White opts for good, solid continuations. Still, White could have won with 33.tbe6! dS (33 .. .fxe6 34.exd6 tDf6 3S.fxe6 ... 42 ... lbe4 The charm of a high Elo-rating? How ever, I would also go for simplification here. More precise was 42 ... �c5, when White would still have to work for a draw. Two pieces are stronger than the analysis diagram rook as White doesn't have an outside 134 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. ti:x3eS 4. tb£3 passed pawn and his e-pawn may be surrounded and destroyed. 43 . .be4 dxe4 44.:Xe4 ltjg6 45.lbb5 .tc5 46.tbc7 l:.e7 112-112 Judging by my database, in 2013 an in teresting idea for Black was thought up by Serbian grandmaster Robert Markus. I saw Robert for the first timeduring a tournament in Subotica. He was a little boy then, while today he is a successful professional with an Elo-rating of above 8.l:.e1 2600. 8.a4 aS 9.�e3 c6 10.tt:\e2 The knight With the centre not closed, 7 ...tbf 6-d7 rushes to the kingside, which has been looks a bit artificial. I apply this move abandoned by the black cavalry. The myself sometimes in the Benko Gam moves go into opposite directions. 10 ... bit when the structure is fixed: white exd4 Right, otherwise White main pawns on e4-d5, black pawns on e7- tains his strong central duo e4+d4 d6-c5. However, let's analyse an in with ll.c3. 11.�xd4?! This seems to structive encounter of Markus with an give away a piece; II.tbexd4!?. 11 ...0-0 elite Israeli grandmaster. Strangely, both players missed ll...cS! The black knights are redeployed to 12.�xg7 .l::r.g8 13.�c3 c4. eS and cS. Ilya (who, by the way, was born in our country, Belarus) reasona bly avoids exchanges, thus fo rcing Black to manoeuvre in small spaces. Black was subjected to strong pressure, but he coped with the task. Is the plan with... tbf 6-d7 sound? I don't want to give an ambiguous answer - time will tell. I'll just note that playing with black against an adversary with an Elo-rating of 2660 you will probably have difficulties in any opening! analysis diagram Because of the unconventional place 68 ment of the knight on e2, the bishop llya Smirin (2659) can't escape. I don't see White having Robert Markus (2605) sufficientcomp ensation fo r the piece. Skopje Karpos Open 2013 (5) 12.tt:\g3 �f6 13.c3 tt:\eS 14.tt:\xeS dxes 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 1S.�e3 �e6= Nemeth-Markus, Nagyka ttJbd7 5 . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 lbb6 7 . .td3 nizsa 2013. ttJfd7!? 8 ...0-0 9 . .tf1 Perhaps this manoeuvre can be patented 9.�e3 c6 10.h3 l:teB 11.a4 as 12.�11 �fB by Markus. The computer is constantly advising to 135 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black take on d4: 12... exd 4!? 13.'iVxd4 tLlcS. 18. .ig3tbe5 19.lbd4 g5 13.d5!? Interesting. With a pawn on b7 This is like extinguishing a fire with this does not seem very appropriate. But petrol. 19... �d7!?. in this case, the manoeuvre .. J:tf8-e8 20.:e3 and ... .te7-f8 will have less value be 20.f4 gxf4 2l.�xf4 with initiative. cause these pieces will be relatively pas 20 ... h5 21.he5!? sive now. 13 ... /iJfS 14.:ta3 cxd5 15.exd5 Ilya intends to get a grip on the light Or 15.tLlxd5 tLlbxdS 16.exd5;!;.15 ... ..td7 squares, especially on fS . For such a 16. ..txb6 •xb6 17.:tb3;!; good cause he is even ready to exchange the bishop. Now White has an extra pawn on the light-square complex (the f8-bishop doesn't participate). 21 ... dxe5 22.:f3 'ifg6 23 . .ic4 tbe6 23 ...exd4 24.�xf7+ 'ifxf7 25.tlxf7 Wxf7 26.1i'xg5! dxc3. analysis diagram White clearly has some pressure on the queenside, besides the f8-bishop is a bit passive. 9 ...c6 1 o.a4 as 11 . .ie3 exd4 12. 'ifxd4 tDcs 13. .J:ad1 :ea 14.h3 �fa analysis diagram Black could have regrouped his knights with 14 ...tLlb d7!? 15.�c4 (15.e5 d5=) Curious - for the queen Black has a 15... tLlf8 , planning to put a piece on e6. rook, two bishops and a knight! But he 15.b3 h6 16.11fd2 ltJbd7 17.�f4 1i'f6 cannot defend himself: 27.1i'xh5+ As often happens in Old-Indian con structions, the d6-pawn is maintained by means of tactical nuances. For in stance, now the c3-knight is hanging. 136 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.li:Jc3 e5 4. tLlf3 26.0.e2 More optimal is 26.�g3. Here are some variations: 26 ...g4 (26 ... .ih6 27.'ifd7±) 27.hxg4 �cS (27 ...h4 28.�h3 'ifxg4;;l;) 28.�h2 (28.gxhS 'ifxg3-+) 28 ...hxg4 29.'ife2 �f7 30.'i!Yxg4 'ifxg4 3l.�xg4 �xf2 (threatening ...�h8+ ) 32.g3 with initiative. 26 ... �e7 26 ... �b4 doesn't promise Black any joy: 27.'i¥e3 �ed8 28.�xd8+ l:r.xd8 29.g4 h4 30.'ifb6 �d7 31..l:td3 'ife8 32.tLlci!±. 36.'ife2?! Here the queen + knight are stronger Correct was 36.l:tf4 l:tf7 37.'i¥b8+ �f8 than the queen + bishop. 38.�xf8+ �xf8 39.'ifeS;;l; and Black 27.'ifc3 g4 28.l:tfd3 'ifxe4 faces an unpleasant struggle for a draw. Preparing to at least go down with his 36 ... l:tf5= 37.g4 hxg3+ 38.tl:lxg3 l:tf7 head held high! 28 ...'ifgS !?. 39.l:tg4? 29.ltJg3 1Wg6 30.hxg4 h4 31.tl:lh5 An obvious blunder in time-trouble Also good is 31.tLlfl 'ifxg4 32.'ifxeS±. (39.�g2) . 31 ... 'ifxg432. 1Wxe5± l:tad8 39 ... l:txf2+ 40.�h3 l:txe2 41 .l:txg6+ Wf7 42.tl:lxe2 cotxg6 43.�g4 �d6=F 44.Wf3 �5 45.cote3 .ie5 112-112 Sooner or later White will put his knight on e4, with an impenetrable fortress. And what if the bishop goes to b3, from where it controls the b6-knight? In that case the manoeuvre ...tLlf 6-d7-cS makes even more sense because the knight will attack the bishop. An instructive game on this theme was played in the 33.�h2?! picturesque town of Benasque. 33.tLlf6+!? �xf6 34.'ifxf6 looks nice. In the summer there are many chess Maybe the Israeli didn't like 34 ...'ifxd l+ competitions in Spain and organizers (34 .. J:tds 35Jld4±) 3S.l:hdl l:txdl + often 'connect' these so as to make it 36.�h2 l:1d7, but here White is the only easier for fo reign players who come one playing for victory, as the enemy from far away to participate in several king is unsafe. Whether there will be events. Once our family was moving enough resources to win is another from one event to another with a spe question. cial chess bus together with the Indian Also possible was 33.tLlf4 'ifxdl+ delegation and other colleagues. 34.�xdl l::txdl+ 3S.�h2 �d6 36.'ifgS+ From Catalonian Sort to Benasque �f8 37.'ifxh4±. (Aragon) the bus moves to a height of 33 ... l:txd3 34.l:txd3 l:tf8 35.l:td4 'ifg6 1140 metres above sea level. The land- 137 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black scape is beautiful. However, sometimes game, until finally his opponent made you may prefer to avert your gaze from a fatal mistake. a yawning abyss right outside the win dow. For this purpose, the bus does 69 have a TV on board. But then the Indian Vladimir Baklan (2630) girls inserted a tape with a film called Aleksa Strikovic (2512) 'P-2' (Parking-2). The plot was as fol Benasque Open 2008 (10) lows. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 The parking guard is a handsome ma ttJbd7 5.�c4 i.e7 6.0-0 ltJb67. i.b3 niac. In a Santa Claus costume he drags Does it make sense to give up a bishop? a young blonde to the parking lot. 7.'ifd3 exd4 8.tLlxd4 0-0 We won't find Candles, romance... he wants some out because in the following game thing. Not what you think, however. Alexander Delchev didn't capture: He intends to dismember the girl and 8 ...tLlxc4 9.1i'xc4 0-0 I don't under eat her, but at one point she takes a fo rk stand, what didn't the Bulgarian like and stabs it into his back. That's what about it? This looks like approximate women are like! Always deceptive. The equality. The fewer pieces - the more film was fu ll of screaming and shout space. 9 . .ib3;t Vachier-Lagrave-Delchev, ing, rivers of blood, brains spilling out, France tt 2013. and so on. The only way to escape was 7 ...exd4 8.'ibd4 to look out the window. The passengers 8.tt::Jxd4 cS 9.tt::Jde2 (insipid, but were happy to reach the first sanitary necessary, since 9.tt::Jfs �xfS IO.exfS stop. Their faces were greenish ... c4 I L�a4+ tt::Jxa4 12.tt::Jxa4 0-0 is all right fo r Black) 9 ...c4 ! IO.�a4+ tt::Jxa4 OK, let's return to chess. Ukrainian II.tt::Jxa4 tt::Jxe4 12.'iVd4 tt::Jf6 13.'i:Yxc4 grandmaster Vladimir Baklan allowed 0-0. Black's two bishops and harmo the knight to capture on b3, which nious development compensate for damaged White's pawn structure. the isolated pawn, Zherebukh-Bauer, Vladimir pressed against Black's de France tt 2013. fensive fortifications during the entire 8 ...0-0 9.a4 a5 10.h3 ttJfd7 11.i.e3 138 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4. tLlf3 ttJc5 12.1i'd1 ttJxb3 13.cxb3 the weak pawns on b2 and b3, and the strong e6-bishop roughly compensate fo r this. 22 ... 1We7 There seems to be nothing horribly wrong with 22 ... �d8!? 23.ti:lc7 1:tb6 24.ti:lds l::ra6 2S.'iVbs llb8. 23.ttJxd6 h6 24.tbf5 �xf5 25.:Xf5 :es 26.1Wd5 A long-winded dance of major pieces begins. Vladimir takes a certain strategic risk. White's weakened pawn structure may eventually have an impact on the result. 13... 4Jd7 1 4.1Wc2 0e5?! Interesting is 14... b6!? lS.ti:ldS ti:lcS 16.e5 �b7, unclear. 15.ttJxe5 dxe5 16.:ad1;!; �d6 Bad is 16 .. .'iVe8 on account of 17.ti:ldS and material loss is inevitable. 17.f4 17.ti:lbS!?. 17... exf4 18.bf4 :a6 19. 139 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Section 4: 8 ...e5xd4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf63.l!J c3 e5 4.tLlf3 lbbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:te1 c6 8.a4 exd4 This later surrender of the centre is quite often played. In short, Black's plan is as fo llows: the knights are placed on g6 and f6 , the bishops - on f8 and d7, the rook usually goes to e8. From time to time the bishop retreats to the centre (... i.e7- d8) and afterwards, depending on the circumstances, there may be the tempting prospect of moving it to b6 or aS. On the queenside Black organizes counterplay with his pieces or with the move ...b7- b5, and the pawns will move fo rward if the adversary allows it. An alternative is the activation of the queen with ... 'ifd8-a5, manoeuvring on the queenside and kingside to demoralize the enemy. Let's analyse some model games. 140 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. 0.c3eS 4. tb£3 Sometimes White prefers to take on d4 with the queen. Denis Khismatullin, a specialist of our opening, was modestly developing and waiting until the oppo nent made an unpromising trade-off of bishop fo r knight. Then he 'lured' his adversary into a doubtful exchange sac rifice and won, though with some dif ficulty. analysis diagram 70 Israel Caspi (2425) ... and Black is winning) 14 ...tDxc4 Denis Khismatullin (2655) IS.'ifxc4 'ifc7+. Rijeka Ech 2010 (2) 10... Wc7 11.h3 lbg6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lt::lf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.lt::lf3 More accurate seems to be: 11 ...ttlf d7!? lt::lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Ae1 c6 12 . .i.e3 .i.f6 13.1Vd2 ttlxf3+ 14. .i.xf3 aS 8.a4 15 . .l:l.ad1 .i.es 16.b3 tLlcS 17.ttle2 .l:l.ea One of the basic positions - a tabiya. 18.g4!? Better 18.tDf4. 18... h5 19.gxh5 Black is at a crossroads. 19.�g2!?. 19 ... .i.xh3 20.ttlf4 1!Vc8! 8 ... exd4 9. 'ffxd4 21.ttld3?? A gross blunder. The follow ing fo rced variation leads to an equal ending: 2I.h6 tbxe4 22.�xe4 'ifg4+ 23.�h2 �xf4+ 24 . .txf4 .l:!xe4 . 25.l:!gl 'ifxf4+ 26.�xf4 l:!xf4 27.l:!xg7+ �h8 28.�xh3 �xf2=. This looks logical, but it is played con siderably less frequently. 9 . . . lbe5 Is this possible?! I thought White was controlling square eS. 10.�e2 analysis diagram The principled continuations are not 21 ...ttlxe4! 22.1!Vc1 On 22 . .txe4 promising: IO.tDxeS?! dxeS ll.�xeS? 'ib'g4+ 23.�hl 'ib'xe4+ wins at once. (II .�xd8 l:lxd8=) II...t2Jg4 12.�f4 22 ... ttlc3 Better 22 .. .'ii'fs . 23.ttlxe5 �d6 13.e5 tbxeS 14.l:idl (14. .l::f.xe5 dxeS 23 ...t2Jxd l-+. 24 . .l:l.d3 e4 25 . .l:l.xc3 'ifc7 15.�xf7+ 'lt>h8... exf3-+ 141 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black initiative. He has no weaknesses, and the d6-pawn and both bishops are no adornments to Black's position. 21 . .b:c5?! bxc5 22.f4 tbd7 23.l:e3 analysis diagram Amusingly, this is the end of the notation in the database and the result of the game Solodovnichenko-Paunovic, Pamplona 20ll, is given as 1/2-V2! But especially for Houdini prefers Black already. you, dear reader, I have asked Yury, who 23 ...d5?! played with white, on Facebook. Indeed Stronger was 23 ...tLlf 6, intending to it was not a mistake. Around the 80th drive back the enemy knight by means move a draw was agreed. of ...g7 -g6. For example, 24.tLlg3 c4!=F 12. .ie3 b6 13.:Sd1 .ib7 14.'ifc4 and the next move will almost certainly :Sc8 1 5.'ifb3 be ...d6 -d5: 2S . .ixc4? dS. lS.aS bS 16.'i!Vb3 .ia8=. 23 ...tLlb 6+ was also possible. 15... tbd7 24.exd5 :Xe3 25.d6?! The computer suggests the radical 15... 2S.tLlxe3 'ifxf4 26.tLlc4cxdS 27.tLlxd5=. cS, but then the weaknesses dS, bS are too evident to play this without any concrete benefit. 16. tbd4 l:fe8 17. .ic4 tbgeS 18. .if1 18.tLlf5!?. 18... .if8 19.ttJf5 ttJc5 20.'ifa2 as analysis diagram The blockade on the light squares is convenient fo r White. 25 ... 'ifb626 . .ic4 Better was 26.tLlxe3. 26... :Xc3!? 27.bxc3 �h8+ What do you think about this position? White's compensation fo r the piece is I believe that White definitely has the not sufficient. 142 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 lD::33. e5 4. ltJ£3 28.l:.b1 'ira729. hf7 tt:lf6 For a long time the fo llowing encoun The insertion of 29 ...c4 +!? is more pre ter between a Polish girl and Mikhail cise: 30.'�h l tLlf6. Kobalia, a strong Russian grandmaster 30. 'ireS .l:.d8 31 .tt:le7? and trainer, was equal. Not until deep 3I.'ifes c4+ 32.�h2 cS 33.�e6 .tc6+. in the ending did the Russian manage 31 ... C4+-+ 32. �h1 .b8 33 . .ih5 to 'torture' his opponent. 'ird7?! 33 ...'iff 2-+; of course not 33 ...tLlxhS 71 34.'ifg8#. Jolanta Zawadzka (2386) 34. 'irxd7 tt:lxd7 35 . .if3+ Mikhail Kobalia (2672) Aix·les·Bains Ech 2011 (1) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.lLlc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 tt:lbd7 ..tc45 . ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:.e1 c6 8.a4 exd4 9.'irxd4 'irc7 10.a5 I leave the rest without comments as we have long left the opening. 35 ... tt:lc5 36 . ..txc6 tt:le4 37.l:.b5 tt:lxd6 38.:Xa5 .ib7 39 . .ixb7 tt:lxb7 Mikhail allowed this move - he may 40.l:.a7 ..txe7 41 .:Xb7 .idS 42.g3 have considered it not dangerous. Prob :as 43.l:.d7 .ita 44.l:.c7 .l:.xa4 ably, but now the opportunity appears 45.�g2 �g8 46.�f3 .idS 47.l:.d7 fo r Black to carry out ...b7-bS after ..ta3 48.l:.b7 �f8 49.�e4 .ie7 ... �a8-b8. With the pawn on a4 this 50.l:.c7 .if6 51 .�d5 .ixc3 52.l:.xc4 would have been virtually impossible. .l:.a3 53. �e6 .l:.a6+ 54. �f5 .if6 55.h4 IO.h3 is the other move. .l:.a5+ 56. �e6 .l:.a6+ 57. �f5 .l:.a3 10... tt:le5 11.tt:lxe5 dxe5 12.'ire3 ..tb4 58.�g4 �f7 59.h5 h6 60 . .1:.e4 l:rc3 Now White must attend to the safety of 61.l:.e2 .ie7 62.�h3 �e8 63.�g4 the a-pawn. �d7 64.l:.d2+ �e6 65.l:.e2+ �f6 13.a6 b5 14. .ib3 :ea 15. .id2 .ita 66.�h3 .ib4 67.�g4 ..td6 68.l:.d2 16. .l:!.ed1 tt:ld7 .ib8 69.l:.e2 ..tc7 70.l:.d2 .l:.e3 16... b4!? 17.tLla2 cS 18.c3 c4 19.�a4 71 . .1:.d3 .l:.e2 72 . .1:.c3 .idS 73.�f3 �d8 20.cxb4 ]lxa6 unclear. .l:.h2 74.l:.c6+ �f7 75.�g4 .if6 17.tt:le2 lt:x:5 18. ..ta5 'ii'b8 19. ..tb4 tt:lxb3 76.c4 .l:.a2 77. �f3 .rla3+ 78. �g2 .l:.c3 The desire was natural to eliminate this 79.�h3 �e7 80.�g4 .id4 81 . .1:.c7+ animal, which was casting voracious �d6 82.l:.b7 ..tf2 83.c5+ �c6 84.l:.f7 glances at the f7-pawn. Greed was inap .l:.xg3+ 85. �f5 ..txc5 86. �e4 �d6 propriate here: 19... tLlxa6 and now we 87. �f5 ..td4 0-1 have some fo rced variations: 20.l'ha6cS 143 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black (20 ... �xa6? 2l.�xf7+ <;t>xf7 22.'t!Vb3+ 34.l:lc5 Wg6 23.�d7+- with a lethal attack) White could have kept the balance with 2I...txf7+ Wxf7 22.'t!Vb3+ c4 (the only 34.'ifcs 'iff6 3S.'ife3=. move) 23.'ft!Vf3+ Wg8 unclear; White 34... 'ife6 35. 'ifc3?! has the initiative. The Polish woman loses the thread of 20. 'irxb3 .te6 21. 'ifa3 the game. More precise was 35.'t!Va3 .l::f.el 36.'ft!Vc3 l::ie2 37.Wg2 't!Vxa6 38.�fl b4 39.'ifc4=, but frankly speaking, in probable time-trouble, allowing the rook to penetrate to the 2nd rank is un pleasant. 35 ... 1ha6=F36. 'ife3 'ifb737. 'ife2 As a result of some slight inaccuracies Black now has an extra pawn. 37 ... l:lc1 38.'ifxb5 'ifxbS 39.:Xb5 :Xc2 40. �g1 �g6=F 21 ... .txb4 Also interesting was 2l...c5!? 22.�xc5 (22.�a5 b4 23.'ft!Vd3 'ft!Vc8+) 22 ...b4 23.'ft!Ve3 �xeS 24.'ifxc5 l::ic8 2S.'t!Va5 l::ixc2 with initiative. 22.'ifxb4 'irb6 23.l:ld6 rlad8 24.ltJc3 h6 Logical, and correct, was 24 .. J:hd6 25.'ft!Vxd6 f6 +. The bishop is a bit stronger than the knight and the a6- pawn is permanently weak. From here on, Mikhail technically real 25.ltJd5! ized his material advantage: Not killing, but it equalizes the chances. 41 .rla5 l:lc7 42.l:le5 fS 43.g4 fxg4 25... 'ifb8 26.:Xc6 bdS 27.exd5 44.hxg4 l:lc4 45. �g2 l:lb4 46.b3 e3 :XdS 28.l:le1 l:led8 29.h3 l:ld1 47.:Xe3 :Xg4+ 48.�3 l:lb4 49.�g3 30.:Xd1 lbd1+ 31.Wh2 e4+ 32.g3 aS 50.l:lc3 l:lbS 51.f3 �5 52.l:lc7 gS 'ifeS33. l:lc8+ �h7 53.l:lc4 hS 54.rla4 �es 55.�2 'iftdS 56.'1tg3 �c6 57.l:lc4+ l:lcS 58.l:le4 '1tb5 59.�2 l:lfS 60.�3 h4 61.l:lg4 h3 62. �2 h2 63. �g2 :Xf3 64. �xh2 :Xb365. �g2 a4 0-1 However, usually White takes on d4 with the knight. Then, after 9.(l2Jxd4) lL:JeS White has to decide where to re treat the bishop. I will make a division into two lines. 144 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. 0c3 e5 4. tb£3 A) The bishop remains on the 11... �d7 12.f4 l4J6 1 3.� 'ifa5 14.'ifd3 diagonal a2-g8 In analogical structures (though the The highest division of the Russian white bishop is usually on g2) I like to team championship fe atures many elite put the queen precisely on this square. players. Once I had the opportunity to Here, the strongest piece as it were para watch this impressive tableau. lyzes the opposing army. With the bish On that occasion, fo ur years ago a well op on a2 the queen manoeuvre pursues known Italian player didn't obtain any another aim. The simple 'ifd3-c4 may thing special in the game given below. be annoying for Black as it sets up a long Black could even have taken over the range battery along the diagonal a2-g8. initiative. But in a complicated position, 14... �d8 . Russian grandmaster Bocharov lost the A multifunctional move. Square e7 is thread of the game and the fightwas over. vacated for the rook. If necessary, the bishop can go out to the promising di 72 agonal a7-gl. Fabiano Caruana (2716) 15.�d2 Dmitry Bocharov (2595) The bishop lies in ambush, suggesting Olginka It 2011 (1) the black queen to move. Not good 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tLlf3 is IS.tLlfS? .txfS 16.exf5 tLlh4=F or tLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 15.'tlfc4 l:i.e7. And thrilling lines are 8.l:r.e1 exd4 9.tbxd4 tbe5 not for team matches, especially on the Let's see how an elite chess player treats leaders' tables: 15.b4!? 'ifxb4 16.1:1abl this line with white. 'iras I7.l:hb7 .tb6 18. .l:!bl, intending 10.h2 .ta2xf7+, 'it>xf7, tLlxc6. 15... 'ifh5 16 .f5 Such moves, weakening the eS-square, are usually made by either very weak or very strong players. The downside is obvious, but there is a logic to the move as well. In particular, preconditions for an assault on the black king are created, and square f4 can be used fo r a knight or other pieces. 16... tbe5 1 7.1i'g3 �b6 1 8.�e3 From here the bishop is permanently making the opponent nervous, exert ing pressure on f7. Besides, square dS is controlled, which reduces the mobility of the infantryman on d6. 10... :ea 11.h3 A preventive measure before he starts the offensive. Just to be safe, White takes away square g4 from the enemy pieces. 145 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 18... d5! A hand-to-hand fight sets in. A timely blow in the centre. The chances 24... tbf3+ 25. 'ifxf3 exf3 26. .bh6 are equal. Up to this point everything has been 19. .i.f2 'ifh6 20 . .i.e3 'ifh5 21 . .l:ad1 logical. dxe4 22.tbce2 26 ...fxe6 More accurate was 26 ... �g3. White has an extra pawn but 'everything that moves' is ready to be captured (�h6, tt::le6, �el), and Black threatens 27 .. .f2+. In a word - unclear. 27.fxe6 .i.c8 28 . .ig5fx g2? Again, more resistant was 28 ... �g3 29.e7+ tt::ldS, giving up a knight and a pawn as payment for the elimination of the monster on a2. The moment of truth. The Russian player 29.e7+ ..th8 has placed his pieces harmoniously, and 29... tt::l d5 doesn't help to alleviate the he has an extra pawn. He just has to play pressure: 30.tt::lbs (there are also many a few more first choices of Houdini and other winning continuations) 30 ... .iaS the initiative will be in his hands. 31.tt::ld6+-. 22 ... .i.c7 30 . ..txg2 tbd5 31 . .bd5 cxd5 32.tbb5 Stronger was 22 ...h6 !, preparing ground .i.b833. :Xd5 b6 34.l:tf1 for the queen on gS. However, such com Black resigned. puter nuances are hardly noticed in prac tice. There could fo llow: 23.'iff2 (bad is 23.lbf4 'i!VgS, fo rcing the exchange of queens, otherwise ... �b6xd4 and then ...tt::l e5-f3+) 23...�xd4 24.tt::lxd4 cS 2S.tt::lb5 .ixbS 26.axb5. The queen on hS is strongly restricted in its movements. Who would dare go in for such a po sition? But the computer doesn't worry and suggests the cold-blooded 26 ...b6+ . 23.tbf4 'ifh624. tbfe6 The a8-rook was never able to join the fight. Both players acted not very soundly in the following example. Besides its value fo r this opening book, the game may raise your self-esteem. Chess is a com plicated game and even highly experi enced professionals with Elo-ratings of 2600-2650 make many mistakes. 146 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tLlf6 3. 0.c3 eS 4. tLlf3 this exchange White's hopes for an ad vantage vanish, for example 17.'i!Vd3 (17.iLf4?! �b6) 17... 'i:Vxd3 18.cxd3 aS=. 15... �e6 16.�e3 tillcf3+ 17.'ifxf3 '1Vb4 Dmitry Bocharov 73 A cosy spot fo r the queen. On the Evgeny Vorobiov (2592) whole, this piece does a great job, Denis Khismatullin (2667) bringing uneasiness into the enemy Kavala Open 2010 (8) camp (pressure on b3, e4, b2, protec 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.tbf3 tion of the d6-pawn). tbbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 18. .txe6 .J:lxe6 19. .id2 �5 20.'ti'd3 8 . .J:le1 exd4 9.tbxd4 tbe5 10.�a2 .J:le8 .J:lae821 . .J:le2 'ifb6 11.h3 .td7 12.�f4 Also possible is 2l...'i:Vxb2, but Khis Evgeny prefers moving the bishop to matullin doesn't wish to provide the and fro to the f2-f4 push, which is not opponent with counterplay: 22J�bl very convincing. �a3 23Jhb7. 22 . .J:lb1 12... 'ti'a5 13. .ib3 .id8 14. .id2 'ifc5 In this case the queen can't escape to 22 ... tbd7 the kingside, however there is much to Grandmasterly subtleties. Stronger was do fo r her on the queenside. the natural 22...�xc3 23.iLxc3 tt::lxe4+ 15.tbf3 and Black has a healthy extra pawn. I Harassing the queen is unpromising: don't see any compensation. 1S.�e3 tt::lc4 16.�xc4 �xc4. After 23.b3 147 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 23 . .te3 'ii'b4 24.'ii'dl keeps the mate A) Tempting but insufficient is rial balance. For instance, in reply to 29.hxg4? 'fi'xg4 30.f5 .l:i.h6 3I.fxe6 24 ...'ii' c4 (with the idea ... .ixc3 and .l::rxh2+ 3H�ixh2 .ixc3 33.�xc3 ...tbxe4), 25 . .l::f.d2 may follow, reminding 'fi'xe2 34.e7 �hS+ (but not 34 ...'fi'xe4 Black of the weakness of the d6-pawn. 35 . .l:lel+-) 355.tgi f6 -+. This is the 23 ... tbe524. 'ii'e3 'ifd825. 'ii'f4 point. Now the queen controls square e8 and the monarch is ready to elimi nate the passed e7-pawn (... �g8- f7); B) 29. .iel 'ii'hs 30.Yi!¥g3 (or 30.hxg4 �xg4-+ with the same motifs, like ... l:tg6-h6) is unclear. But was all this necessary? See the note to the 22nd move. 29.gxf3 .J:I.g3 30.f5 Also good was 30 . .iel l:leg6 3I..l::f.g2 ! .l:rxg2 32.'i¥xg2 �hS 33 . .ig3 .ixc3 34.f5;\;. 25 ... .J:I.g6 30 ... .J:I.e8?? It should be noted that the players often 30.. Jhh3 3I.fxe6;\;. did not make the best move. This might be explained by the relaxing nature of the surroundings. Summer, the Aegean Sea ... Much stronger was 25 ...d5! as captur ing is bad: 26.exd5 t2Jg6-+ and after 26 . .l::f.dl d4 27.tDa2 .tc?+ the pawn has moved from d6 to d4, cramping the enemy. Black's pieces are positioned al most ideally. 26. 148 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 tbc33. e5 4. ttJ£3 Next, another creative sample from the would mean to doom the queen to per Russian team competition. In recent dition. In case of the exchange on f2, years it has been held in different re eliminating a dangerous opponent, sorts at the Caucasian Black Sea coast. how should Black protect d6? These are holiday resorts, but the at 20 ...d5 mosphere at the tournament is quite 20 ... .tc7 2I.tLlf4 'ilh6 22..�.e3±; 'active', I would even say - fighting. 20 ... .txf2+ 21.'iixf2±. Skilfully, Dmitry Frolyanov literally 21 . .bb6 axb6 22.exd5 hf5 23.d6 tears the defence of one of the opening's l:d724. li:\d4 ..te4? experts to pieces. Of course, a gross More stubborn resistance was offered blunder on the finalmove played a ma by 24 ...'ifg6 2S.tLlxfS 'iixfS 26.'iff2 jor role, but Black's position was unsat "ii'xf2+ 27.�xf2;!;. isfactory anyway. 25.l:d2 A quiet move which drives the oppo 74 nent into the corner. Now the threats Dmitry Frolyanov (2610) are 26.tt:lxe4, 26 . .l:!d2-e2. It was still too Dmitry Bocharov (2595) early for 2S.tt:lxe4 tt:lxe4 as the dl-rook Olginka tt 2011 (5) was under attack by the queen. After 1.e4 d6 2.d4 li:\f6 3.li:\c3 e5 4.li:\f3 the text, Black resigned. li:\bd7 5 . ..tc4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 a . .:e1 exd4 9.li:\xd4 li:\e5 10. ..ta2 .:ea To conclude this theme, I will show you 11.h3 1i'a5 12.f4 the bishop's retreat to b3 in a perfor Not messing about. mance by the best chess player of our 12... li:\g6 13.'ifd3 .td8 14. ..td2 'ifh5 country (in recent years). Black's inter 15.f5 li:\e5 16. 'ifg3 .tb6 17. .te3 .td7 ests were defended (rather successfully) 18. .tf2 by my old acquaintance, grandmaster Ramil Khasangatin from Kazan. For your information: Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan, one of the biggest Russian regions. Chess is quite popular there. So, in the opening Sergei missed an op portunity to strike a blow in the centre, after which the initiative was firmly seized by Black. Ramil won a pawn and in the ending the Belarusian had to dis play all his defensive skills to save the game. 18... l:te7 I believe the correct defence is connected 75 with the move 18... h6 !? with the already Sergei Zhigalko (2671) familiar idea ...'ifhS -gS. Ramil Khasangatin (2508) 19. .:Sd1 .:aea 20.li:\de2 Cappelle Ia Grande Open 2011 (2) What should the dark-squared bishop 1.e4 d6 2.d4 li:\f6 3.li:\c3 e5 4.li:\f3 do? A retreat to c7, to protect the pawn, li:\bd7 5 . ..tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 149 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 8 . .J:le1 exd4 9.ltJxd4 ttJe5 10.�b3 l:[e8 11.f4 Black equalized confidently in an other encounter: ll.h3 �d7 12.�e3 'iVas 13.'iVd2 'iWM (with the poorly concealed intention to play . ..lt:JeS-c4) 14.'iWe2 �f8 lS. .l:ladl h6 16.lt:Ja2 'iWas 17.lLlc3=, Kobalia-Bocharov, Moscow 2011. 11 ... ttJg6 12.a5 20 ...c5 The computer votes for 20 ...dS! because in reply to 2l.eS unpleasant is 2I...lt:Je4 and White will have to give up an ex change to avoid the worst: 22.lhe4 dxe4 23.lt:Jgs �e8;!;.There is certain compen sation, but the presence of Black's rook on the open a-file is alarming for White. 21 . .ic4 .ic6 22.ttJg5 d5! A timely counterblow. The usually With the idea of playing aS-a6, cutting peaceable Ramil reminds his opponent the ground from under the fe et of the that he can also bare his teeth. c6-pawn. Black has to take care of this 23.exd5 bd5 24.bd5 ltJxd525. 'iff3 threat. .J:ld8 12... 'irc7 Why should White stand better here? Self-blocking with 12 ...a6 seems not so Black is not even inferior in terms of nice. space. The only blots in his position are 13. 'irt3 .ita 14. .id2 �d7 15.h3 the cS- and b4-pawns being placed on b5 16.axb6 axb6 17. .J:lxa8 .J:lxa8 dark squares (the bishop's colour). 18.'irg3 26.f5 ttJe5 27. 'ire2 ltJc6! I wonder why Sergei rejected the prin Obviously intending to get to d4. cipled 18.g4 bS 19.gS lt:Je8 20.h4, with 28.c3 ttJf6 29.ttJf2 'ifd7 30.ttJfe4 ltJxe4 an evident initiative. 31 .ltJxe4 'ifxf5=F 18... b5 18... l::r e8=. 19.ttJf3? The breakthrough 19.eS!? is promising as, fo r instance, after 19... dxeS 20.fxeS �e8? can't be played due to the blow / 2l..�.xf7+! �xf7 22.e6+ and the queen drops. 19... b4! 20.ltJd1 150 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:J£6 3.0c3 e5 4. tt:Jf3 The outcome of the opening is cata 44 ... tbc6 strophic fo r White. He is simply a pawn I can't make a conclusive assessment, down. but it seems that Black's resources 32 . .tg5 l:(d5 won't be enough fo r a victory in the Pinning with 32 ... :ge8? is useless be bishop ending, partly because of the cause of 33/Llf6+ �xf6 (or 33 ...gxf6 poorly-placed pawn on b4: 44 ...tt:lxf3 34.�xe8 fxgS 3S.'ifxc6±) 34.�xe8 45.gxf3 (or 45.Wxf3 'lt>d4 46.We2 gS 'iYxgS 35.�xc6i. 47.�d2) 45 ...g5 46.�d2 �e7 47.�e3 33.1i'b5 'i!fd7 34 . .i.f4 hS 48.�b6. The bishop controls square A good idea, reducing the tension. d4, and if it is chased away (... �e7-c5), 34 ... Ad1 35. 'i!fe2 :Xe1+ 36. 1i'xe1 it will go, for instance, to d8. 'i!fe6 37 . ..tg3 f5! 38.tbd2 'i!fxe1+ 45. 'tifd3 .te7 46 . ..td2 ..tf6 47.tbe1 39.he1 ..td448. tbc2 ..tc5 49 . ..te1 g5 50 . ..td2 f4 51 . ..te1 h6 52 . ..td2 h5 53.h4?! The ending looks very unpleasant for White. Without the knights, both sides Was this necessary? Waiting passively would attempt to put their pawns on light would likely have been more stubborn. squares. As it is, things are not so clear. Because then the passed pawn will be 39 ... tbe5 on the f- file, whereas now... 39... wf7. 53... f3 ! 54.gxf3 gxh4 40.cxb4 cxb4 41 .b3 Of course, it is more difficult to stop the TheBelarussian grandmaster prefers to passed pawn on the h-file, however if put the pawn on a light square here too. White manages to give all his pieces fo r 41 ... �7 42.�1 'tife6 43.'tife2 'tifd5 the knight and b4-pawn, it will be a draw. 44.tbf3 55. 'tife2 h356. �1 tbe5 Marking time with 56 ...We6 seems to be a subtler option, though it is not clear how Black can win after the white bishop's transfer to the diagonal b8-h2: 57.�f4 WfS 58.�c7 h4 59.�h2 tt:las 60.tLlal! �d4 61.tLlc2 �c3 62.�d6. 57.hb4 tbxf3 58.hc5 'tifxc5 59.�2 h2 60.'tifg2 tbd4 61.tbxd4 'tifxd4 62 . ..ttxh2 'tifc5 63. 'tifh3 'tifb4 64. 'tifh4 'tifxb365 .c;i;>xh5 112-112 151 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black B) The bishop leaves the ble for Black: 18. .a'.xa8 .l::txa8 19.e5 tbe8 diagonal a2-g8 20.�c4 ds 2l.f5!+-. The first example is quite sad fo r the black side. The fa mous Kazakh grand master Murtas Kazhgaleev treated the opening poorly and soon faced prob lems. Despite stubborn resistance, he didn't manage to get out of this mess. 76 Daniele Vocaturo (2570) Murtas Kazhgaleev (2637) Wijk aan Zee C 2011 (3) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tlJ16 3.tbc3 e5 4. tb13 18.'ifd2 a5 tLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:le1 c6 18... 'i!Yxb2 1 9.l::tebl+-. 8.a4 exd4 9.tbxd4 tt:le5 10.�11 19.tlJb3 l:led8 20.�d3 d5 21.e5 tt:le4 Black has to run off the rails. Stepping back was totally bad. 22.tbxe4 dxe4 23.be4 a4 23 ... .txh3 24.'i!Yc3±. The advantages of this retreat are that the bishop controls some important squares for the eS-knight and it glances at bS. 10... l:le8 11.h3 �18 12.�14 �d7 13.�h2 'ifb6 24.tbc1 After the departure of the other bishop Perhaps more accurate was 24. .tgi! to the kingside, Murtas tries to terrorize 'i!Yb4 2S.'i!Yxb4 �xb4, but here the b2-pawn. However, the bluff doesn't 26.l:redl! may be missed in lengthy cal work. culations; 26 ... axb3 27. .a'.xd7±. 14.a51 'irc7 24 ... 'ifxb225. tbd3 'ird426.15 tt:le7 Gluttony leads to indigestion: 14 ...'iYx b2? The e5/f5 tandem sweeps away 15.'1Wd2 (where to retreat to?!) 15... '1Wb4 everything in its path. I6J:ta4 'i¥cs 17.tbb3+-. 27.e6 15.�h1 lbg616 .14 b5 17.axb6 "ifxb6 27.�gl!?. If 17... axb 6 had been favourable fo r 27 ... �e8 Black, this could have explained the 27 .. .fxe6? doesn't work due to 28.�e5 move 13 ...'i!Yb 6, but this line is deplora- 'i¥a7 29.f6+- with a strong attack. 152 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lDf6 3. 0c3 e5 4. l2Jf3 28.�c7 more than sufficient for victory. And An annoying move. Before playing �e5 even though there were some difficul the Italian wants to drive the rook off the ties with the realization, I leave the rest e-file. The immediate 28.�e5 couldn't without comment. It is another story be played in view of 28 .. .'�xe5-+. and theme. 28 ...c5? 'It doesn't matter, I'm dead anyway!' 28 ... ndc8 29.�e5+-. 29 . .b:a8 lha830. �e5 'ifd531 .f6 37 ... 77 Alexander Areschenko (2687) Vladimir Malaniuk (2494) Olginka It 2011 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.tLlf3 tLlbd7 5.�c4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:r.e1 c6 8.a4 exd4 9.tLlxd4 tLle5 10.�f1 :ea Vladimir Malaniuk 11.h3 tLlg6 12.g3 153 A Cwming Chess Opening for Black The situation still hasn't been clarified. White tries to control the entry squares on d-file, but doesn't put his rooks there. On the king side Black is very solid and ... passive. 25 ... :d7 26.i.f1 And here Houdini proposes to release the tension with a rook swap: 26J:tedl l:led8 27.l:lxd7 l:lxd7 and only now 28.�fl . This idea looks appealing to me. This reminds us of the game Karpov 26 ... hf1 27.'ifxf1 rl.edB28. rl.ed1 Timman, given elsewhere in this book. Areschenko also decides to simplify the 12... -tfB 13. .tg2 .td7 14.f4 'ii'c7 position. 15.�h2 :Sd8 16.tbf3 b6 17.f5 28 ...b5 29.:Xd7 :Xd7 30.axb5 cxb5 The computer isn't keen on this move. 31 .'iff2 17... ttJe5 18.tillce5 dxe5 19. 'ii'f3 .tea The computer prefers 3l.'iVxb5 �xc2+ 20.g4 32.�gl l:ld3. But who would be willing to allow the penetration of major pieces into his camp? 31 ...a5 32 . .tb6 'ifc6 33.ha5 A curious structure, which I meet in my blitz games from time to time. White's plan is quite clear: marching his king side pawns. But what should Black do? 20 ... 'OthB 21. ltJe2 .b6 22.g5 tbgB With consistent play the Elo-favourite 23.i.e3 f6 24.g6 h6 25.tbg3 has won a pawn, but the compensation turns out to be quite sufficient. 33 ... i.c5 34. 'ife1 b4! 35.h4 35.�xb4? �xb4 36.'f:Wxb4 �xc2+ may be dangerous fo r White only. If 35.c3!? b3 36.l:tcl �d3 with compen sation. 35 ... 'ifb5?! A false step, which goes unnoticed by the adversary. Better was 35 ... �a7. 154 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 3. 0.c3 e5 4. ttJ£3 16.j_d3 bS 17.axb6 axb6 I8Jha8 .l::l'.xa8 19.tLlf3 bS 36. c.ith3?! 36.c3! could have saddled Black with analysis diagram some real problems, for example 36 ...b3 (after 36 ...bxc3 37.j_xc3 White simply 20.tLle2 (missing, or underestimating, has an extra pawn) 37.j_b4 j_xb4 a strong breakthrough in the centre: 38.cxb4 1::td4 39.'�h3 �xb4 (even worse 20.eS! dxeS 21.j_xg6 fxg6 22.fxe5±) is 39 ...'iVxb4 40.�xb4 ktxb4 4I..§'.a7+ 20 ... �d8=, Orak-Markus, Bol 2011. and I don't see any protection against 11 ... �f8 12.�g5 tLlhS, �xg7, and l:th8 mate) 40 . .l::l'.a8+-. This seems to be less accurate than The white queen will gradually join the n.j_f4, but such nuances can be dis- attack, which will be terrible. cerned only with a microscope. 36 ... .:.a7 37.�d8 J:(d7 38 . .b5 .:S7 12... h6 13.�h4 tbg6 14.�g3 'ifa5 39.�d8 Ad7 40Jia8 15.ttJb3 'ifg5! Playing with fire. 40 ... 'ifb7 41 .1i'a1 �f2 42.'ifa4 ..bg3 43. c.itxg3 1Wxe444. 'ifxd7 'ife3+ 112-112 Here is a similar example where Black patiently holds the draw. 78 lbragim Khamrakulov (2496) Branko Damljanovic (2611) Pamplona Open 2011 (4) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.ttJf3 Black's unusual grouping of pieces ttJbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Ae1 c6 guards the residence of his king. 8.a4 exd4 9.tbxd4 tbe5 10.�11 J:(e8 However, White is also concerned with 11.h3 safety. It is not clear whether it makes sense 16.'ifd2 ltJh5 17.'ifxg5 hxg5 18.�h2 to play ll.aS here, allowing Black, as The pawn's shift from h6 to the g-file is usual, to carry out ...b7-bS : ll...j_fg in Black's favour. The gS outpost makes 12.h3 j_d7 13.j_e3 h6 (is this neces it difficultfo r the enemy h- and f- pawns sary? 13 ...b5 !?) 14.'iVd2 'iYc7 IS.f4 tLlg6 to pass through. 155 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 18... tbe5 19.:Sd1 g6 20.lba5 lLlf6 dxe5 38.tt::lxe5 tt::lcS 39.i.c2= (39 . .ta2 21.f3 ltJfd7 22.�g3 a6 23.lbc4 ttJxc4 f6 40.tt::lg4 tt::ld3 with counterplay) . 24 . .bc4 tbe5 38.�f2 38 . .tc2 c5 39.tt::lf2 c4 40.tt::lg4t. 38 ...c5 39.hd5 ttJxeS 39 ...c4 40.tt::lb4 .txb4 4l.cxb4 tt::lxe5 42 . .tc5+ �g7 43 . .te4 with initiative. 40.�e4 ttJxd3 41 . .bd3 c4 42.�e4 f5 43 . .i.c2 b4 44.b4 bxc3 45.bxc3 �f6 46 . ..ic5+ �g8 47.�xeS .l:.xe8+ 48.�d2 .l:.d8+ 49. �c2 .l:.d3 50. �b4 1f2-112 Here is a lively encounter from the 2013 European championship. White played A changing of the guards. Damljanovic ll.b3, which is far from optimal. How has transferred and traded off the not ever, Elo-favourite Alexander Motylev very active f6 -knight, which was limit must have decided to win by a direct ed by the pawns on f3 and e4. attack and if White had replied ade 25.�b3 b5 26.axb5 axb5 27.:S1 quately, he could have found himself �d7 28 . .l:.ed1 .l:.xa1 29 . .l:.xa1 .l:.b8 in an unenviable position. Both sides 30 . .l:.a7 .tea 31.'itf1 �g7 32.lLld1 played not in the best way, but the game �f6 33.ltJf2 .l:.d8 34.c3 �f8 35.'ite2 itself became spectacular. �e7 36.ltJd3;t Croatian grandmaster Ante Brkic I don't know what to write here. Both gradually lost all his advantage and then players are making reasonable moves. the struggle flared up. Then it was the White certainly has the initiative, but Russian who strived fo r a win, but he Black has locked himself in a fo rtress, went too far and lost the game. A quite and he has enough provisions. dramatic finish. 36 ... lLld7 37.e5 79 Ante Brkic (2575) Alexander Motylev (2669) Legnica Ech 2013 (3) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.ltJf3 lLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.J:[e1 c6 8.a4 exd4 9.ltJxd4 tbe5 10. .i.f1 l:te8 11.b3?! The Croatian grandmaster appears to plan a fianchetto, but is it good? The 37 ...d5 computer is indignant and diagnoses: The Serbian grandmaster may have 'White stands slightly worse'! Let's try been considering regaining the initia to sort this out. tive here. He could equalize with 37 ... 11 ...d5! 12.exd5 �b4! 13.�d2 156 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3.tLlc3 eS 4. tt:J£3 e3 19.fxe3 tbf6 20.tLlbS with a material and positional (two bishops) advantage) 19.tLlbS 'ife7 20.tbd6 .l:td8 21.l:tad1 tbe8 22.�xe5 'ifxeS 23.tbxf7!+-. 18... lL!c6 The most stubborn was 18... exf3 19.gxf3 tbxh2 20.�g2;t. The knight can't be captured on h2, but it is also not clear how it can get out of the trap. 19.h3 lLlh6 13... lL!fg4? 19... tbxd 4!? 20.�xd4 tLlh6. Correct was 13 ...cxd5 14.�b5 �d7 and 20.lLlxc6 bxc6 Black's position is at least not worse. The Now Black's pawn structure has wors isolated dS-pawn can't be easily blocked ened. due to White's weakened pawn struc 21.l:ad1 i.fS ture on the queenside. The c2-pawn is actually weak as it can be exposed to pressure along the c-file. Also not bad is 13 ... �g4 14.'ifcl �cS 1S.�e3 cxdS. 14.liJe4 cxd5 15. ..bb4 dxe4 16.'ird2 Or 16Jhe4 'ifh4, attacking two targets near the white king at the same time - h2 and f2 . 16... a5 17.i.c3 'ilc7 22.1!fe3 Ante tries to be careful, but this allows his opponent to resist. Very strong, and also natural, was 22.'ifd6, because the exchange would actually mean defeat for Black. He won't be able to protect his many weaknesses. If 22 .. ."ifb6+ 23.�d4; or even the sharp 22.g4. 22 ... f6 23.g4 i.g624. i.g2 Again 24.f5 suggested itself. I don't un A critical situation on move 17 already. derstand what deterred the Croatian What has Black achieved with the cav from playing this move, fo r instance alry raid ...tbf 6-g4 ? The e4-pawn may 24 ... �f7 2S.�g2+-. fa ll, and the mate attack isn't successful. 24 ...f5 ! 18.f4?! Of course, Motylev doesn't miss the With the cold-blooded 18.h3! White opportunity to set up a blockade. His could have driven Black into a bad posi problems remain, but the situation is tion. Here are some lines: 18... tbf6 (18... already not so catastrophic. 157 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 25.g5 over, the two bishops may have their More accurate was 25.�e5. say in the struggle on two flanks. 25... tbf7 26. 'ifd4 37 . ..ib6?! This pressure along the diagonal al-h8 There were many errors in this game. may have been White's intention. But Let's be happy: we are not alone! The Black has time fo r a regrouping. stars also make mistakes. More inter 26 ... tbd8 27. 'ifd7'ifxd7 28 . .lbd7 tbe6 esting was 37.b4 �b3 38.b5 �a4 The position has become acceptable fo r 39.b6 .!:lcs 40.�fl ! l:rxas (40... �c6 Black. Now Brkic has to win for the sec 41.. l::rd2i) 41 Jlxc2! �xc2 42.b7+-. ond time. 37 ... ..ih5! 38.l:td2 e3 39.l:td8+ .:Xd8 29 . ..ie5 ..if7 30.h4 40.hd8 e2 41 .Aa5 The time-trouble phase must have passed and now Black wins a piece. 41 ... eHi'+42. he1 tbxe1 43.Ah1 Reasonable, as it is desirable to save the long-range fighter. The game starts over for the third time. Now it is the Russian player who has the better chances. 43 ... tbc2 44.a5 30 ... tbc5? And here Alexander could have even equalized with 30 ...tt::l f8 ! 31.l::tc7 tt::lg6 32.l:rdl (or 32.l:rxc6 tt::lxe5 33.fxe5 .l::txe5, unclear) 32...tt::lxe5 33.fxe5 and now Black can keep chasing the unin vited guest: 33 ... l:rec8 34.l:tb7 1:1cb8=. 31.l:tc7 tba6 32.:Xc6 tbb4 33.l:tc7 l:tec8 34.l:te2 :Xc7 35.bc7 l:tc8 36. bas tbxc2 Let's have a look at this intriguing end ing. There are not many pieces left, so we won't get tired. It is not a queen end ing with endless labyrinths of checks. 44 ... tbd4?! Believe it or not, I was thinking of 44... �e2. The idea is to construct an impassable barrier fo r the white king: f3 , e3, d3, e2, el. But I was immediate ly distracted when I noticed that 45. 158 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tiJ£6 3. tt::lc3 eS4. tt:J£3 45.�2 .if7?! In the Russian Championship of 2010, Black should simply have brought on elite grandmaster Sergey Karjakin didn't fr esh forces with 4S .. .\tif8. manage to equalize in the opening with 46. '1te3 ti:Jb5 white. Khismatullin won an important 46 ...lbxb3 ?? 47.a6 and the pawn is un central pawn, but then, maybe under stoppable. the influence of the opponent's Elo-rat 47 . .ic6 tt:Jc7 48.b4 �8 49.�d4 �e7 ing, he started to retreat in all directions. 50.�c5 80 Sergey Karjakin (2760) Denis Khismatullin (2659) Moscow ch·RUS 201 0 (7) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ti:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.ti:Jf3 ti:Jbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8 . .l:[e1 exd4 9.li:Jxd4 ti:Je5 10. .ie2 50 ... ti:Je6+?? The knight is moving away from the battle scene. The situation had con siderably worsened fo r Black, but the draw could still have been achieved with the accurate SO ...tLla6 + S I. 159 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Making use of the vulnerability of the As you see, there is nothing to protect e4-pawn, Khismatullin opens a second dS with. front on the queenside. 23.h3 .:.S2 24.g4 ltJfxd525.f5 ltJc7?! 17.axb6 Was it necessary to retreat? Good was, 17.tLlxb5? �xe4+. fo r instance, 2S ...'iVc7. 17... axb6 18.:Sd1 26.�g5 h6 27.�h4 0e8?! Or 18.IDa8 'ifxa8with growing pressure Blindly switching to defence. More along the long light-squared diagonal. powerful would have been 27... 'i:Ya8 18... b5 28.�g2 tL:ledS, but, of course, it's easy This is White's problem: it is impossible for me to advise this sitting at home be to build a blockade on the supposedly hind the computer. weakened square bS because his pieces 28.b3 d5 29.bxc4 bxc4 30.hc4 .:Xc2 are overburdened with the protection 30... dxc4 3l.'iVxd8. of the e4-pawn. 31 .hd5 19.lbd5?! This jump results in a change in the central structure which favours Black. Better was 19.f5 tL:leS 20.tL:lxe5 �xeS 2l.�g5, keeping a dynamic balance. 19... .bd5 20.exd5 .:Xe1 21.:Xe . 1 c4! A multi-purpose move, cutting off the dS-pawn from the main body (c2-c4 is difficult) and limiting the fl-bishop. 22. 'ifd4 0e7� The difference in piece activity is huge, but Black hasn't gone too far yet and holds the draw. 31 ... 'lfxd5 32. 'ifxd5 lbxd5 33 . .:Xe8 f6 34.lbd4 Ac1 + 35.�h2 �7 36.Ad8 ltJb637. �g3 Ad1 38.0e6 112-¥2 Conclusion The surrender of the centre makes quite some sens e. Black can manipulate with di ffer ent plans. His knights can mo ve along th e routes ... b8-d7 -b6, .. .f6-d7 -cS ( eS) , disturbing the oppo nent. With a knight on b6 , the direct coun terblow ... d6 -d5 leads to equality. Itis desirable to have a piece, rather than an isolated pawn , on dS after the exchanges . White should even reckon with ... c7 -cS . In a wo rd, Black has no less resources than in case of the central strategy (keeping the pawn on eS). Maybe I will also start playing .. . e5xd4 in the future! 160 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. tZx3 eS 4-. ltJ£3 Chapter 2 Rare lines on White's 5th move 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.lbf3 ttJbd7 As we already know, S.�c4 is considered a 'normal' continuation. So now we will look into all the other lines. Please, don't sigh. There are not many reasonable moves and the material is not so extensive. I am not prone to overburden the reader. You may always tell me what you like and dislike in this book - please send you fe edback to [email protected]. The most widespread idea in recent years is the move 5.g2-g4 White tries to confuse the opponent with early activity on the kingside. This can be done at various moments. On occasion the pawn will move fo rward to attack the enemy knight. The gambit-style S.g4 works excellently in blitz games. An unprepared opponent can hardly comprehend all the subtleties of this idea within 3-5 minutes. And even with a classical time-control it is unpleasant when this move comes unexpectedly. To begin with, we will analyse several clashes in which Black accepts the sacri fice. Objectively this is really the strongest response. At least the computer greedily votes for the capture, as if saying: 'Let's be thankful for small mercies'. 161 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black I saw this sacrifice fo r the first time at 10.0-0-0 b5 the European team championship in Are there any alternatives? IO. ..b6 2003. The black pieces were led by the 11.�b 3 �b7 12 .li'c4;t- problems with fa mous grandmaster and FIDE person the f7-pawn over and over again. ality Zurab Azmaiparashvili. He played 11.bb5! the doubtful 9 ...li'c7, with dire conse Quite in Alexei's style. The cowardly quences. Both players performed very 1l.�b3 is weaker: 1l...a5 12.a4 b4 skilfully up to a certain moment, but 13.�xf7+ �xf7 14.'iVc4+ dS lS.tLlxdS then time trouble must have interfered. tLlxdS 16.exd5 tLlb6;t. Shirov had a beautiful position and was 11... cxb5 12.dxe5 dxe5 very close to victory, but a few mistakes 12 ...tt:Jx e5? 13.tLlxeS a6 (13 ...dxe5 spoiled everything, and Black took over 14.tLlxb5+-) 14.tLlf3±. the initiative. But that was still not the 13.lbxb5 'Wa5 14.'ifc4 end. Zurab looked to be winning, but The only move. he also missed his chance. 14... J:tb8 Only a dilettante would criticize these The only move. slight errors with today's time-controls. 15.a4 You have probably fe lt yourself how The pseudo-active 1S.tLlc7+ achieves difficult it is to play with little time. nothing: 1S .. S�d8 16.tLldS tLle8+ and Anyway, this large-scale fight won't there is no mate to be seen, while Black leave you untouched. has an extra piece. 15... 'ii'b4! 1 6.lbxe5! Both sides make the best moves in this 81 complicated position. Alexei Shirov (2737) 16.. .'ifxc4 17.lbxc4 Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2693) Plovdiv Ech 2003 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.tLlf3 tLlbd75.g4 lbxg46.J:t g1 tLlgf6 7.�c4 With the idea 8.tLlgS. Another option is 7.�e3. 7 ...h6 8.�e3 c6 This looks reasonable, Black tries to control as many central squares as pos sible. In fact, his task is to finish his development painlessly. Then the extra pawn will tell later - in the ending, fo r Remarkably, even without the queens instance. White has sound compensation. But this 9.'ifd3 'ifc7?! is not so surprising when we compare As we will see, this is an inaccuracy. the activity of the pieces. And White Better is 9 ...b5 at once, and that's why it also has two pawns ... is more often played (please note: this 17... 86 phrase always means 'in recent games The only move. of strong chess players'). 18.tLlbd6+ 162 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tiJ£6 3. tLlc3 eS 4. tiJ£3 Unconvincing is 18.tLlc7+ Wd8 19.i.f4 1:1b4 20.tLleS �xc7 2I.tLlxf7+ \t>b7 22.tLlxh8, unclear. 18... .hd6 19.tbxd6+ eMS 20.f4 .ib7 21.e5 ltjeS? An unconventional situation! Four pawns against a knight is a signifi cant advantage, but here the opposite coloured bishops play an important role. As you see, White's kingside pawns The firstmista ke, although I can under are hemmed in on the diagonal c8-h3. stand the black player's desire to place 30.c5!? his pieces more solidly so that they 30... �g7 31. 163 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 40 ...'�>g4! ?. 52.bf6 41.axb6 .td5 42.a5 .:as 43. cJtd4 .tc6 A titanic clash. Maybe the draw was jus 44 . .tb4 In a game from the Montenegro team championship, both sides played quite logically. In the ending Black even tried to obtain something more than a draw, but he didn't succeed. 82 A highly intriguing pos1t1on. It looks Jovan Todorovic (241 0) like Black's pieces are successfully Dragan Solak (2567) placed and he is winning. For instance, Cetinje tt 2010 (2) his king can go to the queenside and re 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.lbf3 place the rook there. But let's not fo rget lbbd7 5.g4 lbxg4 6 . .:g1 lbgf6 7 . .tc4 that the material is approximately equal h6 8.�e3 c6 (4 pawns against a rook), and White's One of the basic positions in this var counterarguments shouldn't be under iation. estimated. 45.e6! Shirov finds an excellent resource. The brave pawn sacrifices itself to create space (eS) fo r the monarch's entry. 45 ...f6 If 4S .. .fxe6 46.'it>eS with counterplay. The king penetrates to d6, which is dangerous for Black. 46.f5+? 46.'�c4!? �fS 47.e7 with counterplay. 46 ... 164 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 t2Jf6 3 .l2Jc3 e5 4. t2Jf3 I would have had to analyse it myself: as to get comfortable development. In 10 ...�xf7 11.dxe5 dxeS 12.lt:lxe5+ This 'normal' variations with a material bal is the idea of 10.�xf7+: the knight is ance this may be more problematic. inedible because of 13.'ifxd8. 12 ...lt:lxe5 14. .bf7 b4 And still he captures it!! The computer More flexible looks 14 ...l2Jc5 , leaving prefers 12... �g8 , but this is more rarely the pawn on b5 for a while. The threat played, fo r example 13.l2Jxc6 (13.t2Jg6 (... b5 -b4) itself is often more unpleas 'ife8;;!;;, Voicu-Kirillova, Kharkov 2006) ant than its execution, because the ad 13 ...'ifc7 14.'ifxb5 �b7 unclear. The versary needs to consider it every time: position is very special. There are those 15.'fi'fl 'ifc7 (15 ...b4 16.t2Je2 '.itb8 with who like playing it with white, others counterplay) 16.t2Jb3 t2Jxb3+ 17.�xb3 prefer black here. And then there are (B.Vuckovic-Markus, Cetinje tt 2010) also those who try to avoid such hand 17... .l::rxdl+ 18.'ifxd1 �b8=. to-hand fightsaltogether. 13.1!i'xd8 lt:lf3+ 15.tLlb3 .bd3 16.tLlxa5 .b6 17.tLlb1 14.�d1 lt:lxg1 15.1i'c7+ �e7 16.�c5 J:l.e8 17.l2Jxc6 bxc3 18.�g6 cxb2+ 19.�xb2 Here also we have an unconventional, unclear. complicated, unclear position. Black has many pieces for the queen - rook, bishop and knight - but White has more pawns (c6 and b5 are weak), Plenca-Z. Jovanovic, Pula 2011. 10... 'ifa5 1 1 .0-0-0 .b6 The bishop is lying in ambush. The trans parent threat is ...b5 -b4. If the queen re treats, White may lose the e4-pawn. 12.dxe5 dxe5 13. ttJd2 Such manoeuvres can be seen in grand master games from time to time. A rather loose position, at least from the 13... 0-0-0 black side. Now 13... b4?! doesn't bring Black any 17... c.itc7 1 8.ttJd2 g5 1 9.f3 thing due to 14.l2Jc4 'ifc7 15.l2Ja4. Three pawn islands against five. White stands better. Not 19.�xa7? c5-+. 19... -tcs Correct. This bishop was bad, as Black's pawns have been fixedon dark squares. 20 . .bc5 tLlxc5 21.ttJdc4 lhd1+ 22.lhd1 .bc4 23.tLlxc4 l:r.f8 23 ...t2Jf d7!?=. 24.tLlxe5? A crucial mistake, after which Black gains the upper hand. More apt was 24.�g6 l2Jfd7 25.�f5 . Here the bishop This is one of Black's advantages. On is perfectly placed, and White enjoys a occasion he may return the pawn so pleasant initiative. 165 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 24 ... tbfd7 25.tbxd7 tbxd726 . .te6 h6 8 . .te3 c6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10. t!fd3 If 26.�h5 �f4 27.�g4 tbes with ini b5!? 11.i.b3 tiative. Or, as we know, ILtxf7+ �xf7 26 ... tbe5 27.i.f5 tbxf3 28J:td7+ �b6 12.t2Jxe5+ �g8 13.tbxc6 �c7 14.�xb5 29 . .l:.d6h5 30. .l:.h6?! .ib7;!;. 30.h3!?. 11...... a5 12.0-0-0 ..ta6 13.tbe2 30 ...h4 31 . .l:.g6 3Lh3 t2Jd4 32 . .ig4 nf2=F. Now let's consider another knight ma 31 ... .l:.d8?! noeuvre. For 13.t2Jd2 see the previous Stronger was the simple 3l...tbxh2 game. 32.�xg5 t2Jf3=F. 13... c5 32.h3 .l:.d2 33.i.g4 .l:.f2 34. .bf3 White has sacrificed the g-pawn, but 34.�dl=. who is attacking who here?! 34 ... .:.Xf3 35 . .l:.xg5 .:.Xh3 36 . .l:.h5 .l:.h2 13 ...b4 14.�c4. 37.a3 aS 38.axb4 axb4 39.b3 h3 14.c4 bxc4 40.<�b2 .l:.h1 41 .e5 �c5 42.e6+ �d6 Also good enough is 14 ...b4. I wish I 43 . .l:.h6 �e7 44.�a2 l:lh2 45. 166 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 lt:J£6tt:Jc3 3. e5 4. lt:J£3 32 ... .:tc7 More accurate was 32 ...tbf 4 33.tbfd4 (33 .tbxg5? �c7-+) 33 ..J1 ds+. 33. Events developed in an extraordinary manner in an encounter between the leader of German chess and a Czech grandmaster. Naiditsch played c2xb3, We are deep in the ending already - which seems not typical fo r our open it's getting boring. Let's minimize the ing. Black had a rather sound position, fu rther comments. The main thing is but then he unwisely opened up the clear: in the opening Black got an ex centre, while his king was still there. tra pawn, and he hasn't lost anything in On the 19th move his position was al return for it. ready hopeless. The Elo-favourite just 167 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black needed to make a couple of not so dif tacks everything in sight (h2, e4, d4) , ficult moves to end the game. However, thus demoralizing the enemy. he didn't, and the struggle continued. 11.a4 exd4 12. tbxd4 tbc5 13.1!ff3 There seems to have been time trouble tbxb3 throughout the game, and in the end ing Peter got a chance to win, but also missed it. 84 Arkadij Naiditsch (2690) Petr Neuman (2435) Deizisau Open 2010 (9) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 tbbd7 5.g4 tbxg4 6.l:lg1 tbgf6 7.�c4 h6 8.�e3 c6 9.�b3 The bishop steps back in advance. 14.cxb3?! Such moves are played by either very weak or very strong players. The defects in White's pawn chain are considerable. We can only assume that Arkadij didn't like 14.tt::lxb3 either. But why? White's position is objectively worse in any case. He is a pawn down, it is not clear where he should castle (thanks to a2- a4) , and finally the adversary has two bishops at his disposal. 14... .i.e6 9 ... 1!fa5 Gluttony is not advisable, as it leads to Also nice is 9 ...b5 I O.dxeS dxeS ll.a3 complications: 14... 'i!ib 6 IS. ..te3 cS 'iVc7;;!;. 16.tt::lfs �xfS 17.'ifxf5 'iVxb3 18.tt::lbs 10. .i.d2 'ifxb2 I9J�dl unclear. Continuing development seems to be 15.0-0-0 1!fd7 16.1!fe3 d5? more sound: IO.'iVd3 exd4 ll.. �xd4 A bit risky, as his king still lingers in the tt::lcs 12. .ixc5 'iixcS 13.0-0-0 with centre. 16 .. J:k8!?; or maybe 16... a6 was compensation. For instance, 13... �g4 ?? reasonable, fo llowed by ...0-0-0. can't be played in view of 14.e5 and 17.exd5 tbxd5 18.tbxd5 'Wxd5?! White wins After 18... cxdS;;!; the position would 10... 1!fc7 have been dangerous, but still defensi I also admire such 'tacking' manoeu ble. vres. Not 9 ...'iVc7 at once, but first lure 19.tbxe6 1!fxe6?? the bishop to a passive position and then With his last 3-4 moves Peter has wors retreat. Black could also have opened ened his position (an unfounded open the centre with IO ...exd 4!? II.tLlxd4 ing of the centre) and he should have 'ifes, when the hyperactive queen at- paid fo r it. 168 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 lLl£6 0d3. e5 4. tLlf3 20.'1fd3+- 20.l:rgel+-. 20 ... l:[d8 31 ...b5 Moving his own passed pawn would have led to a draw: 3l...e3 32..�.c3l:tfl + 21.1!fc3? 33.<.t>c2 e2 34 . .l::[h8 ei'if3S.� xei �xei It was the last round. On the final day 36.l:td8+ <.t>c7 37.h7 i.d4! 38.l:txd4 of this tournament (or so it was the l:lhl=. several times when we participated), 32 . .J:[h8 l:[f1+ 33. 169 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Despite an almost perfect organiza 8 ...c6 tion, the participants still suffe r from It's also possible to attack the bishop chess overload. For amateurs, I suppose, without changing the pawn structure: playing in Deizisau is very instructive. 8 ... lLlb6 9.�b3 �e6 9 ... �g4!? IO.'ifd3 Tatiana, my wife, told me that in the h6. 10.1!i'd3 g6 11.lLld4 �xb3 12.axb3 last minutes of the final round there lLlh5 It is not clear why the Russian were a lot of spectators at this table. You didn't continue his development with could hardly push your way through ... 12 ... �g7 13.�g5 �e7 when, as usual, however, they let relatives pass. And I there is no fu ll compensation fo r the remember boiling my brains on this fi pawn. 13.l:l.a5 Such creative manoeuvres nal day against grandmasters Gustafsson appeal to me, but Houdini is not keen and Epishin. on the move and prefers 13.�g5. 13 ... 41 . .J:lc7+ Wd8 42.h8'if+ .J:lxh8 43 . .J:lc1 c5 14.1!i'b5+ 14.tbf3!?. 14... lLld7 Not good .J:lh3 44 . .J:le1 .J:lxb3 Y2-Y2 was 14... �d7 1S.�xb6! cxd4 16.�xd4 A happy end. with initiative. 15.�g5 1S.tbde2 �g7 16Jla3 0-0 with initiative. 15... �e7 Does it make sense fo r Black to concede 16.�xe7 'ifxe7 Even stronger was the the centre by means of ...e5x d4 ? It's dif computer-like 16... Wx e7! ficult to give an unambiguous answer, and I am no advocate of doing so. It's better to examine. In the following game from the Serbian team champi onship (2013) Black faced big problems, but got off with a scare. 85 Dusan Popovic (2568) Dragan Paunovic (2503) Kragujevac It 2013 (3) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 analysis diagram lbbd7 5.g4 tbxg4 6 .J:lg. 1 tbgf6 7.�c4 17.tbf3 a6 18.�a4 l:re8-+. 17.lLlde2 exd4 8.'ifxd4 17.�xb7 �b8-+. 17... b6 1 8.lLld5 8.tbxd4 a6 9.i.f4 tbb6=. 8.tbg5?? tbes 9.�xd4 h6-+. analysis diagram 170 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3. tt:Jc3 e5 4. tt:J£3 This incorrect attack should have led to White's loss. 18... 1!Vd 8 After the princi pled 18... 'iVxe4! 19.tbc7+ 171 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black lations you could miss 21...g6 22.'i¥e5; Black's main problem is the weakness mate on c7 is threatened and the h8- of the 7th rank. It's impossible to guard rook is hanging. all the squares at the same time. There 20 ... lilld2 21. fi'h5?! is no counterplay, actually, due to the 2I.'i¥g2 tt::lxdl (21....l:thxf8 22 . .!:f.d2+-) invulnerability of White's king. 22..�d6 g6 (22...tt::le3 23.'i¥xg7+-) 27 ... ltJd6 28.lDc3? 23.l::rxdl±. Simple brute fo rce would have finished 21 ... :hxf8 22.:Xg7 the struggle quickly: 28 . .l:tc7+ Wb8 29.'ib'e7 !:f.df8 30.l:tg7+- Everybody, to the 7th rank! 28 ... 'ifa529. l:td1 l:th5 29... !:f.ff8 !?. 30. 'ifg6 'iff5?? 31. 'ifg1 ? Again, penetration into the 'underground headquarters' of the black monarch would have brought victory: 3I.l:!xd6! .l:txd6 32.�e8+ �d8 33.'ib'e7+-. 31 ... 'ifc5 32. 'ifg4 'it'f5 33. fi'g1 'ifc5 34. 'ifg4 fi'f5 35. 'ifg1 %-% 22 ... l:td8?? If 22 ...tt::l xdl 23.'ib'e5+-. Right was, for Sometimes White doesn't bring the example, 22 ...'ib'bs . bishop out to c4, and there is a point 23.l:te1? to this: the bishop is not subject to at Letting Black off the hook. The natural tacks by the black pawns. The following line was winning (which is easy for me clash from the 2013 Scottish Champi to say, meanwhile it could have been onship could have been finished quick time trouble already): 23 . .l::f.xd8+ .l::f.xd8 ly and effectively, but unexpectedly the 24.Wbl. There is no adequate protection strong English grandmaster didn't find against �h5-f7 fo llowed by mate. the optimal solution. Black continued 23 ... l:tf5 24. 'ifh4'ifa5 25.l:t eg1 'ifd5? balancing on the edge of the precipice, This looks logical: centralization with a but Jones let him off the hook again. In mate threat (... 'ib'dS -dl+). But probably the end, it was like that saying in fo ot better was 25 ...h5 !?. ball: 'If you don't kick the ball, it will be 26.dtb1 lbe4 27. 'ifxh7+- kicked into your goal!' 86 Gawain Jones (2643) Aleksa Strikovic (2504) Helensburgh ch-SCO 2013 (4) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.lDc3 e5 4.lbf3 lbbd75.g4 lbxg46 . .l:.g1 lbgf6 7 . ..te3 The Englishman prefers the quick de velopment of his queenside. Well, this is reasonable. 172 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6ltJc3 3. e5 4. tt:J£3 7 ...c6 8. 1i'd2 bS!? 12.1i'e1 12.'ife2 cxbS 13.tbxe5 tbxeS 14.l:txd8+ �xd8 15.'irxb5+-. 12... cxb5 This aggression is well-motivated. Black combines 'work with pleasure'. He de velops (the bishop will go out to b7) 13.hb5? and frightens the adversary with an as This also looks strong, but it allows the sault on his king's residence, which is opponent to continue resistance. White still under construction. More modest could have finished the fight with was 8 .. .'iVe7 9.0-0-0 g6 lO.tbgS h6 13.tbxe5 �d6 14.l:lxd6! tbxd6 lS. .igS! ll.tDf3 �g7 (Giri-Driessens, Nether winning. Everything falls apart at the lands tt 2012/13) 12.dxe5 dxeS 13.a4 seams: the e-file, the diagonal h4-d8 ... with compensation. 13... �d6 14.tbxe5 hes 15.:Xd7 9.0-0-0 �b7 1i'xd7 16.hd7+ �xd7 Interesting is 9 ...b4! ?. Here are a few op tions: lO.lDbl (irrational positions result after lO.dxeS dxeS ll..ic4 (cynically ignoring the attack on his knight) 11... bxc3 12.'ii'xc3 tbxe4 13. .ixf7+ �xf7 14.'ifxc6 with unclear consequences) 10... tbxe4 ll.'ifxb4 l:tb8 12.'ifel dS un clear. 10.dxe5 dxeS? The lesser of evils was lO... tbxe S l l .tDxeS dxeS 12.tbxb5 'ifxd2+ 13Jhd2 tbxe4 14.tbc7+ �e7 15.tbxa8 tbxd2 16.<;t>xd2 As you see, Black's material compensa .ixa8 17.�xa7;t. The ending is worse tion fo r the queen and pawn is more fo r Black due to his lag in development than sufficient (rook, bishop and and White's passed a-pawn. knight). The problem is, however, that 11.tbxb5! his pieces (the rooks) are underdevel The right decision. White's attack is rath oped and the king has no safe shelter. er strong, he can afford such a sacrifice. 17.1i'a5 11... tbxe4 Unclear. Black loses instantly after ll...cxbS 17... l:lhe8 18.l:ld1+ �c8 19.1i'b5 tt:lf6 12 . .ixb5 .ic8 13.tbxe5 l:tb8 14.tbc6+-. 20.�g5? 173 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Very strong was 20.'iVc4+ �b8 There is an alternative line fo r Black, 21J�d3+- or 2L�.f4 �xf4+ 22.'iVxf4+ though more seldom played. He refuses �c8 23.'ifc4+ �b8 24.'ifxf7+-. As the offer, preferring not to open g-file. long as the rook is on a8, Black's posi But this hardly solves the problem, as tion cannot come to life. White can move the pawn to gS all the 20 ... .1:.e6 21.'ifc5+ �c6 22.f4 lbd7! same - same consequences, as the g-file It's unbelievable, but the fight flares up is opened anyway but with balanced once again. material now. 23.:Xd7 ..bb2+ 24.�xb2 �xd7 25.'ifd4+.l:.d6 26.'ifxg7 �d5 27.'ifd4?! 87 27.a4;t. Boban Bogosavljevic (2549) 27 ... .1:.b8+ 28.�c1?? Dusan Popovic (2558) Banja Koviljaca 2013 (4) 1.d4 d6 2.e4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 ltJbd75.g4 h6 My God, now White even loses! While around the 19th move his advantage was winning. So, even the great make incredible mistakes fr om time to time. 6.g5 hxg5 7.lbxg5 exd4 8. 'ifxd4 tbe5 28.�c3 lieS+ 29.�b2 l:txc2+! (the same Such moves seem provocative to me. motif as in the game) 30.�xc2 �b3+ The knight is unstable here, and the 3l.�d3 (this is the principal differ natural f2-f4 will fo llow sooner or ence. The king protects the queen, and later. the rook perishes) 3l...�xa2 32.�f6, The multi-functional 8 ...c6!? seems and the ending with opposite-coloured more cautious. Beside restricting the bishops is drawish. opponent (squares dS, bS), it allows the 28 ... .1:.b1+! queen to jump to b6 or aS. Luring the king to a light square. 9.�e2 29.�xb1 In the following game, the Polish 29.�d2 �xa2-+. player Dariusz Swiercz reacted in 29 ... ..ixa2+ 30. �xa2 :Xd4 31. 'itb3 stantly with 9.f4 lt:lh7! 9 ...tt::l c6 10.�c4 �6 32.c3 .l:.e4 33.c4 f6 34 . .th4 .l:.xf4 'i:Ve7 ll.�e2;t.10 . ..te2 1 O.fxeS tt::lxgs;t. 35.�g3 .l:.g4 36.�b4 f5 37.�f2 a6 0-1 10... lt:lxg5 11.fxg5 ..te6 12.h4 ..te7 13.'tfg1 An absolutely illogical outcome, tak c6. Black has no weaknesses, and he ing into account how things were right has a knight permanently installed on after the opening. eS. 174 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£63. lLlc3 e5 4. ttJ£3 24.hxg6 �xh2 2S.gxf7±. 22 ... i.xh2 23.•xh2 ..te624.lLl e4 ._.f5 25.lLld6+ J:r.xd6 26 .... xd6 -.xg5+ 27.�b1 J:l.d8 28.-.b4 lLlf4 analysis diagram 14.i.f4?! 14.�e3!?. 14 ... lLlg6 15.i.g3 •as The consistent IS ... 'i:Vb6!? is good, analysis diagram glancing at gl and b2, fo r example 16.'i:Vxb6 axb6i and the aS-rook joins White's bishop pair entirely compen the play at once. 16.a3 d5 Vitaly Kunin sates fo r the pawn. Chances are equal, is playing forcibly but not optimal but here suddenly 29.i.e3?? was played ly. Better was 16 ...'i:Vb 6. 17.exd5 i.xd5 (29.i.f3=), and White could resign after 18.J:I.h2 i.c5 19.i.f2 i.b4?! More careful 29... lt:lxe2 30.i.xg5 J:r.xd1+ in Swiercz is 19... i.d6 20.0-0-0 i.xh2 21.'iVxh2 Kunin, Budva Ech 2009. i.e6, which is unclear. However, here 9 ... lbh7 the equilibrium is dynamic too. I won Or 9 ... i.e7!? IO.f4 lLJc6 II.'ti'c4 ..ie6 der if Black's extra exchange is worth 12.tt:Jxe6 fxe6 13 . ..ie3 (13.'i:Vxe6? lLJd4 the worry of the king remaining in the 14.'iVc4 tt:Jxc2+) 13 ...dS�. centre. 20.i.d4! 10.lbxh7 lb:h7 11.�f4 c6 12.0-0-0 12.�xeS?! dxeS 13.'iVxeS+ '1i'e7 with an excellent dark-squared bishop that has no counterpart. 12... �e6 13.lbb5! analysis diagram 20 ... ..td6 21.h5 0-0-0 In this game both players are definitely not squeamish about their material. 22.0-0-0? Actually forcing the enemy to capture the rook. Elegant. He doesn't even take anything, The simple 22.i.xg7 was good: 22 ... i.e6 he just offers the knight. (22 ... l:the8 23 . ..if6+-) 23.�xh8 .l::f.xh8 13... cxb5 14.be5 a6 175 A CUJming Chess Opening for Black Utterly bad is 14 ...dx e5?? lS . .txbS+ 34.bxc3 l:le4+ 35. 176 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tLl£6 3. 0.c3 e5 4. tLl£3 It looks like White intends to carry 17.exd5 out the breakthrough g4-gS later, with After 17.'iYxdS 0-0 18.�h3 tLlb6= more 'comfort'. White's bishop and knight are unable 6 ... c6 7 . .ie3b5 8.a3 ..ib7?! to get to the desired dS-square, while I'm not sure about this move. It is more Black is generally ready for an offensive flexible for the bishop to remain on the on the queenside. c8-h3 diagonal, fo r example 8 .. .'iVc7!? 11... 0-0 18.e4 ta:s 9.h4 tLlb6 IO.gS hxgS ll.hxgS tLlg4. 9.h4 h5 1 O.g5 It wasn't necessary to provide the ene my knight with a strongpoint: lO.gxhS!? aS ll.dxeS dxeS 12.tLlgS;!;. 1 0 ... tbg4 11.d5 liJxe3 12. fxe3 g6 19.ltJxe5? I can't understand what Lavrik expected, as the opponent now has more than one way to get an advantage. A normal fight would have ensued after 19.�e2 l::tb8 20.tLld2 b4 2I.l::tg3=. I think this was played not to fianchet 19... dxe5 20.d6 'ifc8=F to the bishop to g7, as it would have no Threatening 21...tLlcS-b3+. However, prospects here, but rather as a preventive 20 ...tLlxe4 2l.dxe7 'iVxe7=F was also measure against gS-g6, which would good. make Black's light squares vulnerable. 21. 'ifc3 .idS22 . .ih3 13.'ifd2 The only move. 13.dxc6 doesn't win a pawn, here is a 22 ... tZ:le6 23. 'ifxeS 1Wc5 24. 'ifxeS rough line: 13... i.xc6 14.i.xbS i.xbS liJxc525.e5 .ib626Jl gf1 :Sd827.d7 lS.tLlxbS 'iVb6 (attacking e3 and bS) tZ:le4 16.'iVd3 a6 17.tLlc3 �xb2 18.l:1bl 'iVxa3 19.tLldS 'tics unclear. 13... a6 14.dxc6 ..ixc6 15.0-0-0 ..ie7 16.lbd5 bd5 Now how should White capture? As a rule in such positions it is more rea sonable to take with a piece, so that the weakness on d6 and the opened diag onal a2-g8 (for White's light-squared bishop) remain. But here things are not that clear. 177 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Two pawns don't counterbalance a Black secures the hS-square for the tbf6 knight, besides White now commits and hopes to create counterplay with another inaccuracy. the move .. .f7-f5 later. 5 ...exd4 6.ltlxd4 28.:13?? ltlc5?! 6 ...h6 !?. 7.f3?! Considerably More stubborn resistance could have tougher is 7.g5 tbfd7 (7... tbf xe4 8.'ife2) been put up with 28 . .l:tdel tbf2 29.e6 8.�e3t. 7... ltlx g4!? An amusing blow. tbxh3 30.e7 ,l;Ixd7 3l.exf8'iV+ �xf8 8.fxg4 'W'h4+ 9.�e2 Better was 9.�d2 32 . .l:lf3+. 'it'gS+ IO.�e2 �xg4+ II.lDf3, unclear. 28 ... �12-+ 29.e6 .hh4 30.:d4 9 ... �xg4+ 10.ltlf3 f5 The position is dif hg5+ 0-1 ficult to assess. In Russian we have a proverb fo r such cases: 'You need a bot The move S ... g6 was the response of tle of vodka to sort it out.' However, a an expert to White's aggression in the humourist has said about the Russians: fo llowing encounter (with notes by 'There are only two reasons why they grandmaster Khuzman and the author), drink: joy or sorrow.' (10 ... �e7 with which turned out quite spectacular. compensation) 11.exf5 0-0-0 12.�g2 Black fa iled to equalize in the opening 'W'h5 13.�11 d5 14.h3 �xf5 15.ltld4;t, and in order to avoid the worst he sacri Dubov-Pardo Simon, Gibraltar 2014. ficed an exchange. Then Lastin did not 6.g5 play very confidently and the Georgian Dubious is 6.�c4 lbb6 7.�b3 �xg4 grandmaster Azmaiparashvili managed 8.dxe5 tbfd7! 9.�gl (9.exd6 'iff6-+) to build up a flexible defence-line all 9 ... �xf3 IO.�xf3 tbxeSt. over the board, without opening any 6 ...ttJh5 7.� e3 �g7 8. 'ifd20-0 9.0-0-0 files. Moreover, a bit later Zurab started 15?! his own attack, which, however, turned out to be insufficient fo r victory. 89 Alexander Lastin (2622) Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2679) Tr ipoli Wch k.o. 2004 (2) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ16 3.lDc3 e5 4.ttJ13 ttJbd7 5.g4 g6!? If this move had not been played by Azmaiparashvili, I would have written: 'What is this? He's exposing his king .. .'. But here I will confinemys elf to the ex clamation: 'Interesting!' 9 ...lLJb 6!? IO.�e2 �g4 II..l:Ihgl lLJc4, trading off some pieces. 1 O.ex15 :X15 11.dxe5 Also not bad is ll..�e2 'ii'f8 12.tbh4 l::!f4 13.�xf4 tbxf4 14.l:Ihelt. 178 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3 .lt:Jc3 eS 4. tt:J£3 11 ... tbxe5 Black may have an automatic desire ll...l:txf3 12.'ii'd5+. to cluster his formation more closely 12.tbxe5 ..txe5 13. ..tc4+ �h8 with ...�h 8-h7-maybe even h6. But the 14.�b1± g6-pawn is weakened. More moderate was 2S ...'ii' c7, but with the pawn on h7, White has the potential resource h2- h4-h5 at his disposal, after appropri ate preparation. So everything is not so clear. 26.c3 .l:lf8 27. 'ifc2 .l:lf6 28.h3 'iff7 29 . ..te4 �g7 30 . .1:lg1 �h6 By golly - I guessed the king would be going here! Well, such ideas are not so difficult to find.Many of you must have seen it too. Objectively, Black stands worse. His 31. 'ifd2 ..ti>g7. 32.1:lf3 'ifc4 33 . ..tc2 b5 king is not sufficiently secured, while 34.axb5 cxb5 35 . .1:le1 b4 there is still no counterplay. 14... ..td7 15. .1:lhe1 ..tc6 Better 1S... 'ii' f8 . 16. ..te6 .l:lf3 17.i.g4 :Xe3! 17... lbg7 18/t:Jds �xdS 19.'ii'xd5 l:tf8 20.h4+-. 18. 'ifxe3liJf4 19. ..tf3 'ifxg520 .tbd5?! 20.�xc6 bxc6 21.'ii'e4±. 20 ... hd5 21.hd5 c6 22 . ..th1 'iff6 36.cxb4 axb4 37 . ..tb3 'ifc6. 38.1:lfe3 'ilea 39 . .1:lc1 39.'ii'xb4!?. 39 ... 'iff5+ 40 . ..tc2 'ife6 41 . ..tb3 'iff5+ 42.�a2?! Better 42.�c2. 42 ... tbe6?! Interesting is 42... d5 , opening up the 6th rank for the rook (... l::t f6 -a6+). Now the compensation for the material 43 . .1:lc8 'iff4?! damage is almost adequate. Where can 43 ... �f4 44.�xe6 �xe3 4SJ1c7+ 'it>h8 the white rooks break through? Should 46.l:tc8+= would have led to a draw. he really move his queenside pawns? 44.'ifc2 23. 'ifb3 'ifg724 . .1:le3as 25.a4 h5?! 44.�xe6 llxe6 45Jlc7+ with initiative. Interesting, I had guessed this (accord 44 ... ttJc5 45 . ..td5 ing to the computer) doubtful move. 4S.'ii'c4;!;. 179 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 45 ... 'ifd4 46 . .:tc7+ �h6 47 . .i.g8 b3+! 6S .. Jha3+ 66.Wxa3 (66.bxa3 'iVai+ Or 47... l:!'.f8 48J:th7+ �gS 49 . .tc4 67.Wb3 'ifc3+ 68.�a2 'ifc4+ 69.�bl Wh4!? unclear. 'ifb3+ 70.�cl �xa3+-+) 66 ...'i¥d 3+ 67.Wa2 dS;;!;. 66.'ifxd5 lbd5 67.1lg3 g5 68.fxg5 :Xg5 �-% A similar structure arose in the fo llow ing duel from the 2013 Croatian team championship. A black knight was again comfortably established on hS. Then, however, Jovanovic allowed an objec tionable exchange on hS and could have faced big problems. But White's perfor 48.hb3 tba6 mance was also far from ideal and as a Interesting is 48 .. .lt::lxb3, and in reply to result Saric was near losing deep in the any capture 49 ....!:!.xf2 will follow. ending... 49 . .:tc4 lbb4+ 50.:Xb4 'fbb4 51 .:te4. 'ifa5+ 52.�b1 'ii'b6 53 . .:te2 .:r.ta 90 54 . .:te3 'ii'b7 55 . .:te1 .:tb8 56 . .:te3 Ivan Saric (2622) 'ifh1+ 57.�a2 .:ta8+ Zoran Jovanovic (2529) 57.. .'ii'fl 58 . .!:i.f3 (58.�e4 �xh3-+) Bol na Bracu tt 2013 (5) 58 .. J:ta8+ 59. .ta4 'ifg2+. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3. tbc3 e5 4. ttJf3 tbbd75 . .:tg1 Another modification. Instead of the bishop, the rook stirred, which means that kingside castling is off limits. 5 ... g6 Black hasn't put the bishop on e7 yet, so he has the right to fianchetto it. From g7 this piece can exert pressure on the queenside, where the white monarch will probably go. 6.g4 .i.g77.g5 58.h4 'ifb7 59 . .:ta3 'ii'b6 60. 'ii'd2+ 7.dxe5 dxeS (7. ..tt::lxe5!? 8.tt::lxe5 dxeS 180 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3.tbc3 e5 4. tb£3 1) It hampers the assault with h2-h4-h5; The thrust 14... tbf 4! was more appro 2) It controls point f4 , where the knight priate here: 1S.�xf4 exf4 16.'ifxf4 b4 can also move to if necessary. With the with enough compensation for the bishop on g7 this idea is even more ef pawn. fe ctive, as after a probable ...e5xf 4 re 15.dxe5 dxe5 16. i.xh5 gxh5 17. 0.e2± capture the diagonal h8-al is opened The knight is directed to g3. I really up; don't understand why the Elo-favourite 3) On the safe side, it controls point f6 , failed to win this game. Black's kingside which may come in handy if we wish is in ruins and the g7-bishop is blocked to strike the counterblow .. .f7-f5 (f6). by its own pawn on eS. 17... tt:lb6 18. 'ifa5 Usually it is very unpleasant to allow ...tbc4 with an attack on the queen and the bishop, but in this given case it is not dangerous. After 18.tbg3 tbc4 19.'ife2 tbxe3 20.'ii'xe3 �g4 2l.f3 h4 22.fxg4 hxg3 23.�xg3± White has an extra pawn and the position is nice. 18... c5 19.tbg3 1i'c6 20.lbxh5 lbc4 21.'it'c3 'Wxe4 In comparison with the previous note, 8.i.e3 0-0 9. 'ifd2 Black has now succeeded in the elimi 9 . .ie2 c6 lO.'ifd2 'ii'as ll.a3 �e8 12.0- nation of an enemy central pawn. 0-0 tbf8 13.d5 cS 14.�bl a6 with 22.hc5 i.f523. tbg3?! counterplay, Lopez Martinez-Elianov, 23.tbf6+ .txf6 24.gxf6+ �h8 2S.'iff3;;!;. Merida 2005. 23.. .'ti'g4 9 ...c6 With compensation. 9 .. .f5!? lO.exfS l::!xfS with counterplay. 24.13 1i'h325. 4Jd3 e4 10.0-0-0 'ifa5 11. The situation has become totally con fusing, and White didn't need to allow this push. It is not clear who is playing fo r a win here. 14... 'ifc7?! 26. 'ifxg7+! 181 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black The queen is regained because it has no already, with so many mistakes from retreat squares. both sides. 27... 'ffxg3 Or 27 ...'ifxh2 28.l:thl 'ifxg3 29/LlhS+ '1t>g6 30.tt::lxg3=. 28.:Xg3 exf3 29.t2Jh5+ <;ftg630 .t2Jf4+ <;ltg731 .b3 tbe3?! This leads to problems again. The bal ance could have been maintained with 3I....l:tac8 32.tt::lh5+ (32..�d4+ '1t>f8 33.bxc4 �xc4 34.:ld2 �e4=) 32... Well, now it's turn to show some crea tivity by the author. I have only one of my own games to offer here. Conclu sion: this line is rare. So, I need to think of a more or less con vincing excuse for the negative result. There are some stock explanations: 37.he3 1) I was out of fo rm More accurate was first 37.�d4+! 182 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tLl£6 tiJc33. eS 4. tLl£3 you have the possibility both to relax see, the bishop on e2 is useful, it is and to prepare for a game. But Sunday is ready to capture on h5. 11...tbg7 a day with two rounds. I would be glad to make a quick draw in the morning and to struggle against a tired adversary in the evening. Alas, not everything depends on myself. My morning op ponent was strong (-2550), young, and spoiling fo r a fight.We went all the way, I was close to winning, but the game ended in a draw. In Cappelle-la-Grande everything is conveniently organized - for instance, the restaurant is near the analysis diagram tournament hall, but still I was in tat ters, which is not surprising after 5-6 12.f4 More accurate is the preparatory hours of play. I suppose that my oppo IV�:Jg4. 12 ...tbe6? 12 .. .f5. 13.f5 13.fxe5 nent Nikita Vitiugov was also not fresh, dxe5 14.d5±. 13... tbxd4 14. ..i.xd4 exd4 but anyway he is considerably younger 15.'flxd4 tbe5 16.f6 ..i.f8 17.tbf3 ..te6 18.0- than me. 0-0 0-0-0?? 19.tbxe5 and �e2-a6+ is Up to a certain point Black had a nice threatened, Nepomniachtchi-Vorobiov, position, even after I gave up an ex Moscow 2012. change. I believe I committed a micro 7.l:[g1 inaccuracy on the 21st move. The 7.g5 hxg5 8.tbxg5 c6 9 . ..te3 tbg4! Russian player gradually increased his After this leap the Elo-favourite even chances and then a blunder on the 37th faced certain problems in the fo llow move was disastrous. ing game: 10. ..txg4 IO.tLlxf7? tLlxe3 I remember my skeptical estimation II.tLlxd8 tLlxdl-+. 10... ..txg5 11.1Wd2 of Black's defensive resources. But, as ..txe3 12.'flxe3 'flh4 13. ..i.xd7+ ..txd7 so frequently happens, the computer 14.dxe5 dxe5;!; (Khairullin-Mihajlovskij, thinks it wasn't that bad. St Petersburg 2007) 91 Nikita Vitiugov (2605) Sergey Kasparov (2458) Cappelle-la-Grande Open 2008 (4) 1.d4 lt.Jf6 2.lt.Jc3 d6 3.e4 e5 4.lt.Jf3 lt.Jbd75 . .i.e2 .i.e7 6.g4 Entirely insipid is 6.0-0 0-0 7.h3 c6 8.�e3 b5 9.a3 �b7 IO.�g5 'ifc7= Azarov-S. Kasparov, Minsk 1998. 6 ...h6 6 ...g6?! was played in a strange game Black's pawn structure is better (2 played in Moscow: 7.g5 tbh5 8.h4 c6 islands against 3) and the bishop is su 9.a3 'flc7 .10 ..te3 b6 11.tbh2 As you can perior to the knight. 183 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 7 ...c6 B.a4 The knight is going to g6, and taking It seems to me this move provides some into account the weakening of point f4 discomfort fo r the white king in case this seems reasonable. Besides, it clears of queenside castling. In the fo llowing the way for the c8-bishop. game, Moscow grandmaster Vladimir More concrete was 9 ...d5!? 10.exd5 e4 Belov managed without this weaken 1l.dxc6 bxc6 12.tbd2 'ifxh2 unclear, ing. By the way, it was precisely Belov but I tried to play solidly. with whom I played my tough morning 10.h3 ttJg6 game. 8.h4 hS (8 ...tbf8 !? 9.dxe5 tbxg4) The computer suggests the central 9.gxh5! tbxhS 10.�e3 �f6 1l.a3 �e7 counter-blow lO... dS here, but it is dif 12.�d2 tbf8 13.0-0-0 tbg6 14.dxe5 ficult to venture on such a move with dxeS 1S.tbg5 tbgf4 16.�c4 tbe6 (Belov underdeveloped pieces: 11.exd5 (11. Maletin, Sochi tt-2 2007) 17.�b1 dxeS t2Jxe4;;!;) 1l...e4 12.t2JeS cxdS=. 11.'ifd2 i.d712 .a5 ttJh7 Kingside castling is interesting, all the more so because the pawn is already on aS and, in case of White's 0-0-0, it will perish. 13.i.c4 tiJgS 14.l:lg3 Unattractive is 14.tbxg5 hxgS 1S . .ixg5? exd4. 14... ttJe6 Complications do not favour Black: 14... tbxe4? 1S.tbxe4 dS 16.tbxe5 tbxeS analysis diagram 17.dxe5 'ii'xeS (17... dxe4 18.'ird4;t) ... with a clear advantage for White. 18.�d4 'ifxe4+ 19.l:te3 'ifhl+ 20.�fl± . B ... 'ifc7 15.ttJe2 8 ...exd 4!? 9.tbxd4 (9.'it'xd4 tbf8 10.h3 tbe6=) 9 ... tbcs 10.f3 g6 (10 ... d5!? 1l.e5 tbfd7 12.f4 tbe6 13.tbxe6 fxe6 14.�d3 �h4+=) 1l.i.e3 tbh7 12.'ifd2 �h4+ 13J1g3;t, Amin-Khukhashvili, Dubai 2012. 9.i.e3 ttJfB Nikita guards the squares f4 and d4. I believe that such manoeuvres are not sufficient for gaining an advantage. We can conclude that Black has solved his opening problems successfully. 15... h5 184 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tLlc3 eS 4. tbf3 There was also the option of ceding the Up to here the author's play has been centre, but such a strategy does not agree quite logical, not mentioning some with me: 15... exd4 16.tLlexd4 (16.tLlfxd4 slight inaccuracies. �h4 17.tLlf5! �xg3 18.tLlexg3 with 21 ... tLlhf4 compensation) 16... tLlc5 17.�d3 �f6 This move is also possible, but now unclear; or 15... 0-0; 15... tLlh4. gradually the scales are turning in 16. .J:[g1 hxg4 17.hxg4 .J:[h3 18.ltJg3 White's favour. Rather good was 21...0-0-0, with full compensation for the exchange. The a7-pawn has nothing to fe ar. In fact, opening of the d-file is not an option fo r White: 22.dxe5?? (by the way, after 22.tLlh2 Black would have had to find 22 ...tLlh4! unclear) 22 ...dxe 5 23.'iVe2 4-+.tLlhf 22.ltJg1 ltJQ2+23. �1 l!Jxe3+24. 1Wxe3 a6 24 ... 0-0-0 25.dxe5 �b8 with compen sation. Black's position looks tenable. He must 25.tLlf5 �f6 26.f3 hf5 27.exf5 tLlf8 think of a way to castle queenside. Mean 28.dxe5 dxes 29.lbe2 0-0-0 30.tbg3 while, the e3-bishop is casting lustful looks at the a7-pawn. But moving it to a6 would mean a weakening of point b6. 18... lbef4 18... exd4 19.tLlxd4 tLlxd4 20.�xd4 .ixg4 2l..ixg7 tLle5 .22 .ie2=. Houdini recommends 18 ... c5!? 19.dxe5 dxe5, even assessing it as +. Maybe it is right, but I don't like the weakening of the light-square complex. 19. .tf1 hg4! Here I support the computer as I don't 30 ...e4 !? 31 .l!Jxe4 hb2 32 . .J:[b1 .td4 have any better ideas. 33. 'ii'b3 g6 34.f6 lbe6 35 . .J:[h7 20.hh3 l!Jxh3 21 . .J:[h1 I read a sorrowful note in my laptop: 'What is the use of playing the firstline, if the position is getting worse?' Yes, sometimes it can be like this. Then one must admit his opponent's strong play. This is not surprising: Nikita represents the Russian team, and his Elo-rating is now about 2750! 35 ... Wb8? 35 ... �e5. 36.c3 185 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 36.'ifxe6! fxe6 37..!hc7 �xc7 38.f7± 92 and 39.tt:Jg5. Martyn Kravtsiv (2607) 36 ... ..te3 Baadur Jobava (2696) In reply to the creative 36... ..txf6 fol Troms0 FIDE World Cup 2013 (1) lows the cynical 37.1Wxe6 (after 37.tLlxf6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.lLlc3 es 4.lLlf3 lLlgS and ...tt:Jxf3 the white king may get lLlbd75.g3 into trouble) 37 .. .fxe6 38.l:hc7 �xc7 I often play this move myself, but with 39.tt:Jxf6 llf8 40.tLle4 .l:ixf3+ 4l.�e2±. the black bishop on g7. Guided by long 37.�e2 experience, I dare conjecture that g2- g3 has more sense if White's knight has been developed at e2. You will be convinced of this after studying another chapter of this book. 5 ...c6 And here is a sample from the creativity of two beautiful ladies. Paradoxically, I have never met the Russian player, while we have played in the same tournament with Humpy twice, and not on the In dian peninsula. The first time I saw her 37 ... b7?? was in a strong round-robin tourna After 37... ..tf4 Black could still have put ment in Denmark in 2003, where she up stubborn resistance. obtained 1.5 points out of 9. The next 38. 'ifxe6! fxe6 39 . .:.Xc7 'iitxc7 40.l:l.h1 time was in a large open tournament in l:l.dS 41 .l:l.h7+ 'iitd8 42.l:l.h8+ 1-0 Luxemburg in 2007, where Koneru was On the whole, we can conclude that ahead of all the men with 7 points out the opening turned out favourable fo r of 9 ... 5 . .. �e7 6.�g2 0-0 7.0-0 a6 8.a4 b6 Black. The quality of my play was, up to 9.l:[e1 �b7 10.b3 c6 11.�b2 1!fc7 the 37th move, quite acceptable. How ever, at that moment it seemed to me that I was playing terribly, as I was ex hausted. The fianchetto with S.g3 was applied in a top-level encounter in the 2013 World Cup. It's not bad in itself, but later on Kravtsiv made the disputable move a4-a5, and the queenside struc ture changed in Black's favour. Baadur had more than sufficientcom pensation fo r the pawn. Then the opponents ex changed a few mistakes. But it was the Ukrainian player who committed the last one. Tigran Gharamian 186 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3 .tt:Jc3 eS 4. tt:J£3 analysis diagram Ty pically creating a flexible structure, It looks like Black has almost equalized. in which any pawn can advance. 11.tLlh4 The move ...b6- bS is on the agenda, and g6 12 . ..th6 lieS 13.jfd2 13.tLlf3!?. 13 ... maybe it can be pushed even further. exd4 14.jfxd4 b5 15.axb5 axb5 16.'W'd2 1Vbb1 Tatiana doesn't wait until she is tlJe5 17.b3 tlJh5 18.11t'e3 Or 18.tLlf3!? fo rced and begins the knight's transfer tLlxf3+ 19.�xf3 �xh3 20.�xhS gxhS to d2 immediately. This clears the way unclear. As my daughter says: 'Such po fo r the c-pawn and the diagonal fo r the sitions scare me.' 18 ... ..te6 19.tlJe2 c5?! dark-squared bishop. 12... b5 13.tLlbd2 19 ...�xh4 20.gxh4 fS with counter liteS 14.c4 A committal move; in future play. 20.llad1 11t'c8 21.f4!? tlJc6 22.f5;!;, the weakening of squares on the c-file Efimenko-Babula, Khanty-Mansiysk may tell. If 14.�e2 �f8 IS.axbS axbS=. 2011. 14 ... bxa4 14... exd4 1 S.tLlxd4 bxa4 9.l:.e1 i.f8 10.b3 b6 11.a5 16.bxa4 nabS 17.tLlfS=. 15.bxa4 Better The Ukrainian youth hurries to play this IS.l::ixa4. 15... exd4 16.tLlxd4 g6 17.jfc2 move, otherwise after ...c7 -c6 it will lose llab8 18. ..tc3 ..tt8 19.f4 ..tg720.tlJ 4f3 tlJc5 its sense. Why? Please see below. 21.a5 lle7 22.lle2 llbe8 23.llae1 .tea T. 11... b5 12.d5 Kosintseva-Koneru, Ulaanbaatar 2010. This is the micro-nuance. Now Black analysis diagram can't play, for instance, 12... .ib7 be Black has no problems. cause of 13.a6±, but the moral of such 6.a4 �e7 7.i.g20-0 8.0-0 :ea situations is that Black, as a rule, can Another plan was showed by Czech grand leave the bS-pawn without protection. master Vlastimil Babula: 8 .. J:lb89. l::le1 Bet 12... cxd5 13.exd5 a6 ter is 9.aS nes IO.'ife2. 9 ... b6 10.h3 a6 And the queenside has been stabilized. 187 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 14.lbd2 .tb7 15.tLlf1 ?! 23 ... tLlf3+ Better was 15.tt:lde4 'ii'c7 16.i.a3 Ilab8 The Georgian grandmaster prefers to give 17.i.b4. a pawn fo r nice compensation. 23 ...tt:la4 15 ... :C8 16 . .td2 g6 17.1i'e2 .tg7 looks very attractive, but Black has to cal 18.0e3 culate the sacrifice option 24.tt:lxb5 axbS 2S.'ifxb5 'iYd7 26.'ifxd7 tt:lxd7+. 24 . .txf3 exf3 25. 'ifxf3 tLle4 26.tLlb1 My stock idea was obviously not timely here: 26.c4? tt:lxd2 27.Ihd2 i.c3. 26 ... 'iff6 26 .. .'f!Ve7!?. Please assess the position for a couple of minutes. What are your conclusions? I certainly prefer Black's position - not because Houdini gives an evaluation of -0.44. More important is the pawn struc ture. White's c2-pawn is backward, it is difficultfor him to exploit his numerical 27.'ifg2?! superiority on the queenside. Note the White should have traded off the drawback of the move a4-a5. Now the queens: 27.'i!Vxf6 i.xf6 28.-icl. Now bS-pawn fe els perfectly comfortable and Black possesses the initiative and he can is actually limiting the enemy forces. make use of the resource .. .f7-f5-f4. 18... e4 27... 'ifb2 It would be ideal to move the f-pawn The penetration of the strongest piece too, but Baadur manages without it. into the enemy camp causes some chaos, 19. .J:[ad1 hS 20.h4 liJcS21 .tLlb1 tLlfd7 while it is not possible to catch the queen 22.lba3 tLleS 23.b4 -Black's other pieces are too active. If Martyn manages to play c2-c4 too, 28.c3 'ifa2 then the situation will improve for him. How to protect d5 now? Kravtsiv must have regretted here that he hadn't sim plified the position on the 27th move. 29. 'iff3 bdS?! Stronger was 29.. J:te 5, as the dS-pawn is dead anyway. 30.tLlxd5 'ifxdS 31. .th6 The struggle is revived. There is much more space now, which plays into White's hand, as he was hemmed in in his camp earlier. 188 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tLJf6 3. tt:Jc3 e5 4. tLJf3 93 Mladen Milenkovic (2405) Robert Markus (2629) Valjevo 2011 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJt6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.ttJf3 ltJbd7 5.h3 I'll tell you a secret. Sometimes in blitz games I try to save a tempo and for the fianchetto I move the g-pawn two squares at once. But in that case my 31 ... 'ii'c6 32 . .bg7 'lftxg7 33.l:.e3 d5 knight is placed on e2. 34.l:.ed3 l:.e5 35. 'ii'e3 'ii'f6 36. 'ii'b6? 5 ... �e7 6.�e3 c6 7.g4 Stronger was 36.Iixd5! tt:lxc3 37.'iYxeS As you see, the pawn is not sacrificed 'iYxeS 38.!heS tt:lxdl 39.ttld2+. The re and White keeps his kingside castling duced number of pieces and weak a6- rights. But will it still be good now? pawn make for a probable draw. 7 ...0-0 36 ... l:.c6 This looks provocative. It was possible to stop 8.g5 with 7 ...h6 or 7 .. .'iYaS. 8.g5 llJh59.h4 9.'itd2!? 'itc7 (9.. .f 5!? 10.gxf6 llxf6) 10.�e2 bS with counterplay. 9 ...g6 10.... d2 'ii'c7 11.0-Q-Q b5 1 2.�2 This makes sense: the knight is running away from Black's advancing infantry, and aiming fo r g3. After the exchange fo r its counterpart on hS, White's pawns will be able to harass the black king (h4-h5). 37 ....d4?? 12... ttJb6 37.'tia7+. 37 ... l:.c4-+ 38.'ii'b6 38.'tie3 tt:lxc3-+. 38 ... l:.e6 39. 'ii'a7 d4! Baadur interrupts the a7-gl diagonal. Now both the f2- and c3-pawns are at tacked and there is no satisfactory de fence already, so White resigned. In this finalexample, White didn't sacri fice the pawn but pushed it with h2-h3, With counterplay. g2-g4-g5. This didn't bring him any 13.ttJg3? thing special, and Markus obtained a A natural move, but poor for tactical better position. Then the play on both reasons. 13.'iYaS i.g4 14.ttlh2= would sides was not perfect, and deep in the have kept the status-quo. ending Black realized his advantage. 13... �g4 14. �e2 ttJc4+ 189 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black This unpleasant sortie was on the sur The knight controls the entire kingside, face, so it's strange that White allowed it. so the other black pieces and pawns 15.'ii'c3 have freedom to act on the queenside. 1S. .txc4 bxc4 (15 ... .txf3) 16.'ii'e2 31 .a3 d5-+ (16 ...�a 5). Perhaps he should have tried 31.tt:lxa5 15... ltJxe3 �d l+ 32.'ifc1 'ifxcl+ 33 . .l:lxc1 l:id6+ 15 .. .'�Jxg3 16.fxg3 d5 with initiative. when Black stands better but at least the 16.'ifxe3 tt::l14 17.c.tb1 16 number of pawns is equal. 17... c5. 31 ...a4 32.tt::lc1 c.tg7 18.dxe5 32 ...b4 33.axb4 'i:Yxb4-+. 18.tLlh2!? .te6 19.h5. 33. 'ifa7+l:.d7-+ 18 ...dx e5 19.gx16 h16 20.tt::lh2 .be2 21.ltJxe2 ..ixh4 22.tt::lg4 ..ig5 As a result of several doubtful manoeu vres Markus has lost his slight advantage. He is a pawn up but his king is unsafe. 23.tt::lg1 23.tt:lxf4!? �xf4 (23 ... .txf4 24.�h3± with the terrible threat �dl-d7) 24.'i!Yh3 .l:f.f7 evand erything is protect ed, but it doesn't fe el secure. 23 ... h5 24.tt::l13 �16 25.ltJxf6+ .:.Xf6 The rest is not interesting. You can read 26.l:.d2 and you have a board (or a monitor) in 26.a3. front of you. Please try to do something 26 ... l:.d6 27.l:.hd1 l:.ad8 28.l:.g1 for yourself now - it's an 'independent Ooh, after such manoeuvres, wasting task'. By the way, I have a university di two tempi, the outcome is not surprising. ploma as a pedagogue - not in chess, 28 ... .:.Xd229. ltJxd2 'ifd630. tt::lb3 aS but in geography. 34. 'ifa8 l:.f7 35.tt::la2 36.tt::le2 l:.h1 .:.Xf2 37.tt::lb4 tt::ld4 38.tt::ld3 l:.18 39. 'ifb7+ l:.f7 40.'ifc8l:.18 41 .'ifb7+l:.17 42. 'ifc8 tt::lf3 43.l:.d1 'fi'd7 44.'ifa8 h4 45.'ifb8 l:.f8 46. 'ii'b6 h3 47.tt::l12 'ife6 48. 'ifc7+ l:.f7 49.'ifb8 l:.d7 50.tt::ld3 h2 51 .l:.h1 l:.f7 52.tt::lc5 'ife7 53.'ifb6 �f6 54.c.ta1 g5 55.tt::ld3 g4 56. 'iff2 l:.g6 57. 'ifg3 'ii'g5 58. 'iff2g3 59. 'ifa7+ c.th860. l:.f1 g2 61 . .:.Xf3g1 'if+ 62.�a2 'fi'xa7 0-1 Conclusion With the continu ations considered in this chapter Whi te can hardly lay claim to an advantage;if they did, they would be more often played. Incidentally, the application of such radical ideas as g2-g4 suggests that in 'normal' lines White may fe el stagnation . 190 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. tt:Jc3 eS 4. ltJ£3 Chapter 3 Attack on the f7-Pawn 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.lLlc3 e5 4.lLlf3 lLlbd75 . ..ic4 In this chapter we look at the developing move S . .ic4, with which White is eyeing the weak point f7 in the black position. Can he even sacrifice on f7? 191 A CUlllling Chess Opening for Black Section 1: The Sacrifice 6. �xf7 + 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.lt:lc3 e5 4.tt:Jf3 tt:lbd75 . .ic4 .ie7 6 . .txf7+ Let's pay some attention to a quite rare, but charismatic offshoot. How frequent is it? In my 20-25 years of practice in this opening I have never faced it in a classic game. In Internet blitz games I have automatically made the 'pre-move' 6 ... �xf7, but in vain. So, I just opened my blitz database, and fo und only two games with this line. So don't worry, you may let this cup pass fr om you. But to satisfy our conscience we will consider several examples to try and understand the plans and chances for both sides. 192 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 t2:lf6 3. 0d e5 4. t2:lf3 We'll start with a quick defeat and 7 ...�f8 8.tLle6++- and 7 ...�e8 a beautiful performance by Spanish 8.tLle6+- are both too cooperative. grandmaster Marc Narciso Dublan in 8.tbe6 the Ibero-American championship, 2010. White's aggression boomeranged very soon and in the end it was his king who suffered. 94 Jorge Baules (2349) Marc Narciso Dublan (2536) Mexico City 2010 (1) 1 .d4 d6 2.e4 ttJf63.lbc 3 e5 4.tbf3 ttJbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6 . .bf7+ �xf7 7.ttJQ5+ Where should the king go? This looks unpleasant, but while White 7 ... �g8 is eating away, Black will be ahead in Strictly the only possible move. All other development and take over the initia moves lead to instant loss. It is risky to tive. put the king in front of its own army in 8 ... 'lfe8 9.tbxc7 'ifg6 10.tbxa8 open space with 7... �g6?! Under the motto 'Let my suffering be not in vain.' In case of 10.0-0 it is reasona ble for Black to be materialistic. After the modest IO.. J�b8 the two pawns are worth less than the sacrificedbishop. 1 0 ... 'lfxg2 1 1 .l:r.f1 exd4 analysis diagram 8.h4 Also good is 8.f4. 8 ... h5 9.f4 exf4? More stubborn is 9 ...'1ig 8, but who would venture to play the line IO.fS+ '.t>h6 ? The bishop lies in ambush on 12.'1Ve2? c1 and is aiming at the monarch, who And catastrophe strikes. The strongest has no retreat. This is computer play, move 12.'ifxd4 is considered below. a human player will hardly find such 12... dxc3 13.'1Vc4+ a line. ll.tLle6+ �h7 12.tLlgS± or It seems that Black stands poorly, but... n.tL:lds. 10.tbe6?! IO.tLle2±. 10... 'W'g 8 13 ...d5! 14.'ifxc8+ � 11.tbxf4+ �f7 ll...�h7+. 12.0-0 c5= The Spanish grandmaster doesn't cling was seen in the game Gazik-Szalai, to his material, and with right. He or Szekszard 1989. ganizes a counteroffensive, making use 193 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black of his significantly superior develop- Now let's make a more thorough inves- ment. tigation of this 'pacific' line. 10... l:tb8 11.... d3 In the fo llowing game, Evertsson played differently, but with a sad result: 11.f4 15.iVxc3 The greedy 1S.'iYxh8 results in defeat: IS... 'ii xe4+ 16.'.t>dl Vi'f3+ 17.'.t>el cxb2 analysis diagram 18.�xb2 �b4+-+. 15...... xe4+ 16.iVe3 A) 11 ...exd4 It's better to build a 16.�dl l:ha8-+. shelter fo r the stray king: ll... h6!? 16... 'Wxc2 12.'iYd3 '.t>h7 13.tt::l7d5 �d8 (this is The a8-knight is not long for this world, clear even without using the computer. so Black doesn't even pay attention to it. The bishop cuts off the retreat of the He's aiming at the white king. knight) 14.dxe5 dxeS IS.i.e3 b6=. 17.'ifb3 �b4+! 18.'ifxb4 tiJc5 12.'ifxd4 d5?! Intending to play ... �cS. Or 18... l:te8+ 19.�e3 tt::leS, also win 12 ...'ii f7=. 13.�e3?! 13.tLl7xdS �cS ning. White resigned. 14.'iixc5 tt::lxcS IS.tt::le7+ �f7 16.tt::lxg6 is unclear. 13 ... �c5 14.'ifd3? 14.'ird2. The Hungarian grandmaster Attila 14... dxe4-+ Evertsson-Strikovic, Dos Czebe managed to win too, although it Hermanas 2003; was more difficult for him. However, B) 11.dxe5 dxe5 The computer claims he also coordinated his pieces and se that capturing with the knight is worse. cured his king, while keeping his extra 12.f4 �cs+ 1a.�h1 h6?! I3 ...'ifhs material. 14.'ifxh5 tt::lxhS lS.fxeS tt::lxeS=. 14.fxe5 Inside the main game you will find lt:lxe5 15.�f4?! 1S. .l:txf6 'ifxf6 (1S ...gxf 6 many notes with instructive fragments 16."i¥d5+ \th7 17."ifxc5;l;) 16."i¥d5+ from other clashes. \th7 17.'ifxc5 b6 18.'ifgl with com pensation. 15... �g4 1 6.'ifd2 li:lc6 17.lt:l7d5 95 :da 18.�c7 �h7?! 18... �d7 19.tt::lxf6+ Chandrasekar Praveen Kumar (2343) 'ifxf6 20.'ifxd7 �xd7-+. 19.�xd8 Attila Czebe (2477) :xd8= Villanueva-Llanos, Buenos Aires Canberra 2012 (3) 1999. 1.d4 d6 2.tt:lf3 tt:lf6 3. tiJc3 tt:lbd7 4.e4 11...h6 1 2.lLl7d5 lLlxd5 e5 5.�c4 �e7 6.bf7+ c;fi>xf7 7.lLlg5+ The immediate bishop retreat is also �g8 8.tt:le6 'We8 9.lbxc7 'ifg6 10.0-0?! not bad: 12... �f8 , or 12... �d8. 194 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. 0d e5 4. tb£3 13.tbxd5 �d8 14.f4 'ii>h7 26.l::rxM 'i¥g6-+, threatening to give Black has organized his fo rces, and I don't mate on g2 or play 27 ...tt:lf3 +. see exactly what is threatening him. 26 ... l:lc4 27. 'ii'd2 'il'g628. tt:lf4 'ii'g4 0-1 15. ..te3b6 16.l:[f3 16.dxeS dxeS I7Jhdl .l::f.e8+. The following example is taken from 16... �b7 17.l:[g3 'ii'e8 18.dxe5 dxeS the Icelandic team championship, 2013. 19.l:[d1 The level of the players is not very high, 19.c4!?. but there is a small choice of games with 19... :ta this subject. Anyway, the key moments in this game are very instructive. 96 Einar Hjalti Jensson (2305) Halldor Palsson (2051) Reykjavik It 2013 (3) 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tLlf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tLlf3 tLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6 . .b:f7+ analysis diagram 26.�e3 Some other lines and fragments: 195 A Cwming Chess Opening for Black 13... tZ:lfg4 Threatening the deadly has a slight material preponderance, but 14 ... �h4. 14.'it'd5+ tZ:lf7 The only move. the situation is very shaky. 15.'it'c4 .th4+ 16.�d1 .te6! 17.'it'e2 14... tbxh2? 17.'tib5 �d7 18.'ife2 (18.'tic4 tbe5 There was an easy win with 14 ... �h4+ 19.'tie2 �g4-+) 18 ...tbe 3+ (better is 15. ..tg3 tbxh2-+, Montabord-Sanchez, 18 ...tbf2+) 19.�xe3 �g4-+. Of course, Gibraltar 2011. there is no mate here, but after the elim 15.0-0-0 tbxf1 16.he5!? ination of the queen Black will tear the enemy central forces to shreds, Sam. Williams-Prokopchuk, Torquay Open 2002. 17... tZ:lf2+! 17 ... tbe3+ 18.'tixe3 (far more resilient is 18.�xe3) 18... ..tg4+ 19.llf3 ..txf3+ 20.tbe2 ..tf2 2I.'ifd3 0-1 Sanchez Castilla-Gomez Ledo, Bogota 2013. 18.l:l.xf2 .txf2 and short ly after White resigned in Heidenfeld Wolpert, Johannesburg 1955, which is apparently the stem game. 16... i.e6? Also not good is 13.ife3 �h3 (0-1 There were several alternatives: 16 ... Pepe-Laketic, Porto San Giorgio 2005) dxe5 17.'iVc4+ Wf8 18."i:Yxc8+ �f7 14.ife2 tbf3+-+. 19.'iVf5+ ..tf6 20.lld7+ Wf8, and I 13... tbfg4 don't see any mate while we are threat ening with 2I...'iVg5+ with exchanges; or 16 ...h6 17.�f4 Wh7, unclear. 17.hd6+- I must confess I am too lazy to com ment on the rest of the game. Black has missed the best continuations several times already, so the end of the game has lost its value. 17... .bd6 18.'ifxd6 �7 19.tbc7 i.h3 20.e5 'ifg5+ 21. 196 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tiJ£6 3. 0.c3 eS 4. tiJ£3 97 strong nerves to embark upon such po Zhong han Ma (2401 ) sitions, Seger-Miltner, Gladenbach ch Alexander Motylev (2663) GER 1997; Wuxi It 2013 (10) B) Or 9.h4, with a poorly con 1.d4 d6 2.e4 lbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.lbf3 cealed desire to announce mate: 9 ... lbbd7 5.i.c4 i.e7 6.dxe5 hS IO.f4 exf4 II.tLle6 'tig8 12.tLlxc7 tt:Jes 13.tLl3d5? tLlxdS 14.tLlxdS 'tid8 IS.�xf4 �xh4+ 16.g3 .ig4 17.'ticl �f6 18.'tie3 l::tc8 19.'ii'f2 'tWaS+ 6 ...d xe5 From my younger days I have this as sociation: in case of a recapture with analysis diagram the pawn, the sacrifice on f7 becomes stronger. That's why it may be better to 0-1 G. Richter-Miltner, Walldorf 2006; capture with the knight, because then at C) 9.tLle6 'ii'g8 IO.tLlxc7 l:tb8 and least one piece is exchanged. Does this White's compensation doesn't look suf correspond to the facts? I think so, but ficient, Camacho-Kadric, Richardson let's check it together. 2014. 6 ...lt:lxe5 7.lt:lxe5 7.�e2 brings noth 9.tbe6 'ife8 10.tbxc7 'ifg6 11.tbxa8 ing special: 7 ...0-0 (7 .. .lbxf3+!?) 8.�f4 A) 11.0-0 l::tb8! 12.f4 �d8?! (12...h6+) tLled7 (8 ...tLlg 6!?=) 9.0-0 Prie-Paunovic, 13.fxe5 JLxc7 14.tLldS=FBuj ak-Berezjuk, Elgoibar 2007. 7... dx e5 8.1!Vxd8+ �xd8 Czechia 2008; 9.a4 c6 10.a5 �c7 11.f3 rJile7 12.b3 �e6 B) ll..�e3 �b8 12. .ixa7 (I2.'i¥d3 13.�a3+ �d6 14.�xd6+ rJilxd6 15.�xe6 b6+ Welz-Glienke, Leutersdorf 2001) I believe that Sergey didn't include 12... 'i¥xg2 13.1:1fl h6 unclear. 15.0-0-0+ in order to keep the rook on 11... 'ifxg2 1 2.l:.f1 the a-file. 15... �xe6 16.rJile2 l:l.hd8 17.g4 (Volkov-Gubaidullin, Moscow 2009) 17... ltld7= 7 . ..bf7+?! 'itxf7 8.ttJQ5+ 197 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black A familiar position, only the d4- and 98 d6-pawns are absent. In whose favour Julian Radulski (2552) is this? Houdini believes that here the Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2626) chances are about equal. In the above Plovdiv Ech 2012 (7) examples we looked at, Black captured 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ti:Jf6 3.liJc3 es 4.ti:Jf3 ...e5x d4, after which the knights started ti:Jbd75 . .i.c4 .i.e7 6.ti:Jg5 to pound on the white king. However, I don't know which mark I should put now Black does not have this possibility. here. Perhaps '!?', although after the 12... ltJc5 1 3.'ffe2 �3 14. .i.e3 'ffxf1 + right reaction by Black, his chances are 15. 'ffxf1 .i.xf1 16.�xf1 6 ...0-0 7.hf7+ 7.f4?! c6! 8.a4 exd4 9.�xd4 h6?! (9 ...d5! IO.�e2 h6 1l.h4 .tcs+) 10.ti:lxf7 l::lxf7 1I..txf7+ \t>xf7 12.e5 ti:le8 13. .te3 and Black had no problems in Al Qudaimi Al Sayed, Doha rapid 2011. Numerous exchanges have led to a level 7 ... :Xf7 s.tt:Je6 •es 9.lillcc7 ending. Now the queen cannot move to g6, but 20.lillce7 �xe7 21.Ae1 his king is safe. 21.c3 b6=. 9 ... 'ifd8 1 0.lillca8 21 ... :Xc2 22.ha7 ttJd2+ 23.�g2 �6 24 . .i.b8 e4 25.Ae2 :Xb2 26. Af4 ltJc4 27.:Xe4 Ac2 28.a4 gS 29.Ag3 hS 30.h3 V2-V2 Another modification is a sacrifice on f7 after ti:lf3-g5. I will show you a high-quality example from the European championship, 2012. Funnily enough, both players didn't see an opportunity for Black to win quickly with the effec 10... b6 tive 12 ...ti:lg4! !. And then the Georgian In my childhood, 10 ...b5 !? was stamped representative gradually outplayed his in my memory, but it seems that the opponent in a positional fight. modest...b7-b6 is more careful: lO ...bS 198 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lb£6 3. tLlc3 e5 4.lbf3 1l.dxe5 (ll .f3 �a6 12.a4 b4 13.lbbs 13.fxg4 (13.a4 .th4+ 14.g3 lbxh2!-+) "ifxa8 unclear; no good is 1I.lbxb5? 13 ... �h4+ 14.g3 'iff6-+. "ifaS+ 12.lbc3 lbxe4+) 1I...lbxe5 12.f4 13.a4 ttJh514 .ttJb5 �c8 15.0-0 .tg4 13."ifd2 lbc4 14.'i¥d3 'ifxa8=F, The game actually starts anew. Chances A.Herzog-Bezold, Austria tt 1999/00. are about equal. 11.d5?! 15... a6 16.ttJc3 tt:\f4 17.�e3 'it'b8 1l.dxe5 lbxes 12. .tf4 (12.f4 �g4 13.'ii'd2 18. .:a3a5 19.ttJb5 .ia6 lbc6 14.0-0 "ifxa8 is unclear) 12 ...lbg6 Better was 19... lbcs 20.'ifd2 �d7=. (12 ... .td7!? 13.lbxb6 'ifxb6 with ini 20.g3 tt:\g6 21.c3 'ifc8 22. 'ii'e2 h5 tiative) 13.�e3 �b7 14.lbxb6 axb6= 23.b4;!; Tu rner-Bigg, Davos 2011; 1I.lbbS may lead The Bulgarian has improved his posi to a draw: 11... a6 (11 ...lbxe4!?) 12.lbac7 tion. White's pawn structure is flexible, axbS 13.lbe6 (13.lbxbS .ia6=F) 13 ...'i¥e8 while the g6-knight is unfortunately 14.lbc7 'iff8= S.Farago-To, Budapest 2012. placed. 11 ... �a6 23 ... h4 24.l:[b3 tt:\gf8 25.c4?! 2SJ:[bb1!? lbh726 .bxa5 bxaS 27.c4;!;. 25 ... bb5 26.cxb5?! Better was 26.axb5. 26 ... axb4 27.:Xb4 ttJc5 28.:c4 tbfd7 29. �g2 'ii'e8 30.l:[b1 �d8 The bishop prevents White's castling and the queen is ready to regale herself with some horse meat on a8. 12.f3 12.lbxb6? 'i¥xb6 13.�e3 'ifxb2-+. 12... 'ifxa8 With the computer move 12... lbg4! The tables have turned. The Georgian Black could have won easily! grandmaster has built a solid defence along the d8-a5 diagonal, and he has also blocked the c-file. 31.:11 :ta 32.g4 This looks like a strategic mistake. It is well-known that knights like strong points (for instance, f4) and rooks pre fe r open files. In light of this, Houdini comes up with the right suggestion: 32.gxh4!? with the intention to em ploy the rook: 32 ...'ifhs 33.'lt>h1 'i¥xh4 analysis diagram 34. .l::f.g1=. 199 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 32 ... 'it'g633 . .td2?! alternatives. For instance, 44J�e2 'iVf4 33.'iVd2 tLlb3 34.'i¥d l tLldcS 3sJ:rb4 4S.'iVgl klc8-+with full domination. tbas 36.'iYd2=. 44 ... 'it'xd2+45.:Xd2 tbxe4 46.l:lc2 33 ... -tgs 34.�e1 :as 3S . .tf2 'it'h6 46.fxe4 Ilfl#. 36 . .:&1 h3+ 37. White has a material advantage: a rook + 3 pawns against a knight and a bishop. But Black takes control of the 49. :Xh3f3 50. Conclusion The sacrifice on f7 makes sense only in enc ounters with a short time control. If Black has en ough time , he willbe able to come up with an adequate response. Objectively, the sacri fice is half-correct andit leads to a draw at best. 200 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tLJ£6 3. tLx3 eS 4. tLJ£3 Section 2: Black Plays ...a7 -a5 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.lLlf3 lLlbd7 5.i.c4 i..e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Ae1 c6 8.a4 a5 In this section we will analyse the games where Black applies a natural idea: a mechanical stopping of the white a-pawn. Besides, the move 8 ... a5 secures squares for the black knights on c5 and b6. Yes, to me the placement of a knight on b6 also looks doubtful in these constructions. I used to implement another plan, which is why you won't see any examples of the author's creativity in this section. However, during my work on this book I gained a better understanding of this set-up, and I hope you will do so too. However, we will also look at other deployments of the knight. After ... a7 -aS it seems illogical to fianchetto the bishop on b7. Judge for yourself: the pawn structure will remind you of a bathtub, but of course it is not only a question of aesthetics. Against the pawn fo rmation e5-d6-c6-b6-a5, the move d4-d5 will expose the weaknesses on the light squares in Black's camp ( d5, c6, b5). That's why, to activate the light-squared bishop, the knight on d7 must go somewhere. 201 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black A) Knight goes to the queenside c8-bishop can go to neutralize its active After 9.h3 tt::lb6 the knight attacks the opponent on a2. well-placed bishop. A dilemma arises: 13.hc5 where to retreat? First let us look at Reasonable. Let's see whether Black's the games where the bishop steps back two bishops are enough compensation along the diagonal a2-g8. for his damaged pawn structure. In the fo llowing encounter in sunny 13... dxc5 14. 'it'e2 'it'd6 15. .l:ad1 'i!fh6 Catalonia White managed to hem the enemy pawn structure, which ensured him a certain advantage, but obviously it was not sufficient for a victory. 99 Yuniesky Quesada Perez (2604) Alvar Alonso Rosell (2540) Barcelona 2012 (1) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ll:lf6 3. tt:Jc3 e5 4.ll:lf3 ll:lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 aS I find White's position attractive. The a.:e1 c6 9.h3 ll:lb6 10.b2 ll:lfd7 c5-pawn doesn't look good. If it were on c7, the dark-squared bishop would be freer in its actions (... �e7-b4/c5). 16.ll:ld2 16.e5 looks more natural. 16... .ie6 17. tt:Jc4 Why not exchange light-squared bishops? 17.�xe6 �xe6 18.f4, with initiative. 17... ll:lxc4 And here Black could permit himself to trade the bishops, with an equal position, fo r instance 17... �xc4 18.�xc4 .l::rae8. This looks a bit strange, but the knight 18.hc4 l:ad8 19.�xe6 'it'xe6 is likely to be directed to the queenside 20. 'ife3 :Xd1 21.:Xd1 �f6 and square f6 will be occupied by the Was this necessary? 2l...�e8!?. bishop. Will I guess right again? 22. 'ifxc5 hc3 23. 'ifxc3 "ffxe4 24J:[d4 11.�e3 exd4 12.bd4 More accurate was 24.b3, aiming fo r A well-known Chinese chess player re lines like 24 ...'iVfs 25.a'.e . l �d8 26.�e5 acted differently in the fo llowing game: �f6 27.�xa5 �dl+ 28.l:I el. 12.�xd4 tt::lcs 13Jhdl �e6 14.�xe6 24... 'it'eS 25. 'it'e3 'ifxe3 26.fxe3 fxe6 15.e5 d5= with a perfect pawn As they say, 'rook endings can't be won'. centre fo r Black, Ni Hua-Danielsen, I will minimize the following com New Delhi 2011. ments, so as not to bore the reader. 12... tt:Jc5 26 ... :ba 21.:d1 ..wa 28.b3 bs The knight threatens the a4-pawn and 29.axb5 :Xb5 takes control of square e6, where the 29... cx b5!?. 202 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 lLJ£6 0.c33. e5 4. tt:lf3 30.:&7 l:.d5 31.:&6 l:.c5 32.c4 rJ;;e7 13... hg5 33.:&7+ 203 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black A move that can be missed. However, eS dS 16.'i!Vg4 'i!Ve8 17.tt::ld4 1i'f7=) when the king is not safely protected, 1S... tt::l bd7=, Sebag-Zhu Chen, Nanjing ideas like l::te(d) 1-e3-g3 are hovering in 2009. the air. 12... lbc5 20 ...gxh6 20 ... �e6 21.�xg7+- c;t>xg7 22.'iYgS+ Wh8 23.'i¥f6+ Wg8 24.l:td3+- is no remedy. 21. 'ifxh6 c4 22 . .:te3 Now all roads lead to Rome. 22 ...f6 23 . .:tg3+ 'itf7 24 . .:tg7+ �e8 Of course, 24 .. .'Jie6 2S.'fi'hS fS 26.'ifh6+ l::tf6 27.exf5+ also loses. 25.'ifxh7 Wd8 26.hc4 'ifxc4 27 . .:tgxd7+ wc8 28 . .:t7d6 Wfc7 29.'ifh6 1-0 It looks as if White gets no benefitsfr om having the bishop on b3 (instead of a2), In the fo llowing elite encounter the while Black gets the extra possibility of Bulgarian top player seemed to be not trading ...tt::l c5xb3. very successful in the opening. After 13. 'iff3 tlJxb3 14.cxb3 c2xb3 (capturing away from the centre) 14.tt::lxb3 tt::lc4. White's queenside pawns looked rather 14... .te6 bad. But gradually Veselin outplayed Also acceptable is 14 ...tt::l d7 IS.tt::lfs tt::les his Russian opponent. White began to 16.tt::lxe7+ 'ifxe7 17.'iVe2=. dominate and the quality of his play 15. .:tad1 0.d716 . 'ifg3 lbe5 was almost perfect. 16 ... l::te8!? 17.l:I.e2 �f8. 17. .:te2 101 17.tt::lfs �xfS 18.exf5 looks strong, as Veselin Topalov (2767) the fS-pawn raises obstacles fo r the Alexander Morozevich (2736) adversary, threatening on occasion to Beijing 2013 (11) move fo rward, and taking square g6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tlJf6 3.lbc3 e5 4. tlJf3 from the knight. tlJbd7 s . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 17... ttJg6 18.f4 c5 s . .:te1 as 9.h3 ttJb6 1 o . .tb3 ttJfd7 The cold-blooded 18... �c8 was better: 11. .te3 exd4 12.tlJxd4 19.f5 �h4 20.Yi'h2 tt::leS. At least here Here are some other possibilities: Black's pawns are still on d6/c6, not al 12.�xd4 tt::lcS 13.�xc5 dxcS 14.'iVe2 lowing any complications. 'i!Vd6 1S. .l::f.ad1 (15.1i'e3 'i!Vg6 (IS ...'i!Vc 7!?) 19.tlJf5 16.tt::le2 'ii'h6 17.1i'xh6i, Quesada Houdini insists on 19.tt::lxe6 fxe6 Perez-Narciso Dublan, Barcelona 2011) 20.Yi'g4 'i!Vc8 21.tt::lbs l:la6 22J:ied2± 1S .. .'ii'h6 16.tt::le5 �e6 17.�xe6 1i'xe6 with pressure. 18.tt::lf3 l::tad8= Heimann-Pelletier, 19... .txb3 Basel Open 2010; 12.'ifxd4 tt::lcS The right decision: if he has to suffer, 13 . .Uad1 �e6 14.�xe6 fxe6 1S.b3 (IS. then he should have some material for it. 204 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. tt:Jc3 eS 4. tb£3 20 . .J:ldd2 :ca The end is near. The Bulgarian crushes More sound is 20 ...b6. the enemy defences not by violent but 21 . .J:lf2 �h8 22.h4 .J:lg8 23.h5 tt:'lf8 by geometrical means. 24.tbxd6 .bd6 31 ... tt:'lf8 32.:Xb6 'ife7 33. 'iff3 tbd7 34 . .J:lb7 l:[b8 35.l:[a7 l:[gd8 36.l:[d6 'iff7 37.ttJc7 �c4 38.e6 "fke739. :Xd7 :Xd7 40.exd7 "fixd7 41 .tt:'lb5 We6 42.'ifg3 1-0 A beautiful game by Veselin Topalov. In the next game, in faraway Thailand, Sune Berg Hansen manages to obtain an advantage with white (numerous black weaknesses + unsafe king). Then he gets the option to increase it because Veselin has obtained an excellent initia of a mistake by the opponent. However, tive. His pieces cooperate perfectly. both rivals start to play irresolutely and 25.e5 finally the initiative passes to Black, After the best move, 2S.tLlbS!, Black who wins the game deep in the ending. would have been 'still alive, but hard ly'. 102 25 ...f5 Sune Berg Hansen (2603) More stubborn is 2S ...'iYe 8, though also Pieter Hopman (2365) here the picture is cheerless: 26 . .l:i.xd6 Pattaya Open 2011 (7) .txa4 27.f5±. 1.d4 d6 2.e4 tt:'lf6 3.ttJc3 es 4.tt:'lf3 26.:Xd6 tt:'lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:[e1 c6 26.tLlb5+-. a.a4 as 9.h3 %6 1 o.�d3 26 ... 'ife827.'ifh3 �e6 Not on fl , but on the same diagonal. Alexander must set his hopes on the Let's see whether this more active place 'Siegfried line' (e6-f5-d4) . If 27 ...'ffi f7 ment of the bishop will be of use. 28 . .l:i.fd2 h6 29.tLle4±. 10... exd4 11.tbxd4 dS 28 . .J:lfd2 h6 29.tt:'lb5 tbd7 30. 'iff3 b6 White is better after ll...tLlbd7 12.tLlfS 31.'ifd1+- tLlcS 13.tLlxe7+ 'ffixe7 14.�f4 i.e6 1S.'iff3;!;. The d6-pawn is a bit weak due to the absence of dark-squared bishop. 12.e5 ttJe8 12 ...tLlf d7 is preferable, hoping for 13.e6 (13.'ifhS!? g6 14.'ffif3) 13 ...tLlcS 14.exf7+ .l::!.xf7=. 13.�f4 g6 14.tt:'lf3 tt:'lg7 15.tbe2 Frankly, manoeuvring all the pieces backwards doesn't make a good im pression on me. 205 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 15... tbd7= 16.c3 24 ... .l:.f5 25.cxd5 cxd5 26.ltJg4± 16.c4 tbcS 17.cxd5 'iYxdS= won't em Stronger is 26.�e3, fo r example 26 ...b6 barrass the opponent. 27.�xc5 bxcS 28.tbc4 I:f.xel+ 29.tbxel 16... tbc5 17.�c2 �f5 'iYe7 30.tbe3±. 26... .:.Xe1 + 27. .:.Xe1 l2Jge6 28.�e3 Threatening 29.tbh6+. 28 ... .l:.f8 29.tbd4 tbe4 30.tbb5 30.tbh6+ �g7 3I.tbxe6+ 'ifxe6 32.'iYb3± would have been extremely unpleasant fo r Black. 30 ... 'ifc6 31. 'ifd3 The exchange on c6 is not auspicious fo r White from a strategic point of view as it improves Black's pawn structure. The isolated pawn on dS gets a new fr iend A logical move. I would also play it. The on c6 and this will cause the adversary exchange is favourable fo r Black for sev problems. eral reasons: he has slightly less space, 31 ... tbf4 32. 'ifd4 h5 33.tbe5 'ife6 the white bishop has spent two tempi 34.tbd3 on the transfer �fl-d3-c2, and besides, Better was 34.tbc3. almost all of Black's pawns are placed 34 ...g5?? on light squares. 18.�h6 .bc2 19.'ifxc2 f6?! More reserved was 19... �e8!? 20.tbed4 tbge6=. 20.lbed4 20.c4. 20 .. .fxe5 21.tbxe5 'ifd622 . .l:ad1 .:aea 23.tbdf3;!; �d8?! 23 ... .if6 seems to be more sound. 24.c4 A serious mistake, which is left unpun ished. Black would have certain coun terplay after 34 ...tbxd3 3S.'iYxd3 �M;l;. 35.'ife5? The unpretentious 3S . .txf4 could have led to great superiority: 3S ...gxf 4 36.tbc3 (attacking e4 and dS; 36.f3? �b6) 36 ... �f6 37.'iYxdS 'iYxdS 38.tbxd5+-. 35 ... 'ifxe5 36.tbxe5 .l:.e8 37.tbf3 tbd3 Black must always take this move into 38 . .l:.d1 account, especially when the enemy 38.�bl!?. rooks occupy central positions. 38 ... tbb4 206 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. tiX3 eS 4. tbf3 38 . ..lbxb2 39. .lixd5 tt::lxa4 40.tt::lxg5 5B.he3 .:Xe3+59. '1i;lg4 l:lg3+ 60.'ii;lt4 tt::lac3 is unclear. .te3+ 61 .'1i;le4 d2 62.ltJc3 hg5 39.ltJc3 g4 40.tal4 g3 41 .�e4 .:Xe4 63.ltJd5 0-1 42.ttJf5 gxf2+ 43.'1i;lxf2 .tf644.b3 'it>h7 45.ltJg3?! .th4! Ivan Ivanisevic led the white pieces confidently in the next game, in Swit zerland. At the right moment b2-b3 fo l lowed (interrupting the a2-bishop) and his Russian opponent had to retreat in all directions. Furthermore, he lost his cen tral pawn. Then the fightwas soon over. 103 Ivan lvanisevic (2636) Alexander Cherniaev (2469) Well, maybe the Asian heat played a Geneva Open 2011 (7) role here, but the Scandinavian grand 1.d4 d6 2.e4 ttJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ttJf3 master has lost the thread of the game. ttJbd7 5 . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:le1 c6 The initiative has gradually passed to 8.a4 a5 9.h3 'ifc7 10. .ia2 ttJb6 Black. I will flavour the rest of the en Interesting is IO... tt::l b8!? ll.�e3 tt::la6, counter with minimal comments only. heading for b4, from where the knight 46 . .tc1 .l:.e747. �3 .l:.f7+ 48 . .tf4 'itg6 will paralyze White by exerting pres 49.ltJe2 .tdB 50.g3 .tb6 51 . .l:.d2 l:le7 sure on c2. 52.g4 h4 53.ltJc3 d4 54.ttJb5 11. .te3 ttJfd7 12.'ifd2 .tf6 13.l:l.ad1;;!; 54.tt::le2 d3 SS.tt::lcl nd7 56.�e4=. exd4 54... d3 55.l:ld1? Black is not obliged to abandon the cen Right was 55.tt::la3. tre. He could play 13 ... !:i.e8, but then 55 ... l:te2?! 4.tt::lg5i will fo llow. 55 ...tt::l c2! would have won: 56.�d2 14. .txd4 ltJe5 15.ltJh2?! .l:te2 57.c;tJf4 (57.tt::lc3 tt::ld4+ 58.c;t>f4 He could have caused Black real trou �c7#) 57 ...tt::l e3 58.�xe3 l::rxe3-+. ble with 15.tt::lxe5 �xeS 16.f4 �xd4+ 56 . .td2? 17.Vi'xd4 �e6 18.�xe6 fxe6 19.'ifxd6i. 56.tbc3 .l:re857 .�d2 l;lf8+:f. Instead, IS ... dxeS?! is dubious: 16 . .2.cs 56... ttxl5 57.g5 ltJe3-+ l:rd8 (16 ... �e8 17.�d6± 16 ... �e7 17.'ife3 �xeS 18.'ifxc5+- threatening tt::lc3-bS) 17. .2.d6 'ifd7 18.'ife3+-. 15... ltJec4?! 1S ... �e6!? 16.�xe6 fxe6=. 16. 'ifc1 .txd4 17 . .:Xd4.te6 18.b3 This move looks extremely strange, as the bishop on a2 remains under grass fo r a long time. However, there is a tac tical motivation. Black loses material. 18.f4± was also strong. 207 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black tive consequences of the move ...c6-c5 (with a black pawn on aS). Irrespective of the question whether the centre is closed or not, the weakening of square bS is unpleasant fo r Black. 104 Zbynek Hracek (2628) Kacper Drozdowski (2435) Legnica Ech 2013 (7) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 l!Jf6 3.tLlc3 es 4.l!Jf3 18... tbe5 19.f4 cS l!Jbd7 S.i.c4 .i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 19... tZ:led7 20.f5±. a . .:e1 aS 9.h3 Wb6 10.d5 20.l!Jb5 'ii'e7 21.:Xd6 tLlc6 22.f5 .i.c8 More principled is lO . .te3!? �c7 22 ... .td7 23.tLlg4f6 24.c3±. ll.�d2;!; as Black will hardly be at 23.tbg4 tbd724.e 5+- tracted by 10... �xb2 ?! 1L�b3 �xc3 12. .td2 �xal 13.�xal±. 10... Wc7 . lO... tZ:lcs ll.b3 tLla6!? going to b4. 11.i.g5 h6 12.i.e3 tbb6 13. .i.ba l!Jfd7 14.lbd2 l!Jf6 15. We2 tbh7 16. .1:1ad1cS ?! Overwhelming superiority. Now White can succeed even without using the bishop on a2. 24 ... tbdxe5 25.f6 gxf6 26.tbxf6+ �h8 27 . .:e4 .i.fS 28.tbd5 Wee 29.l!Jbc7 he4 Absolutely ugly, weakening the light 29 ...tLlf3 + doesn't save Black: 30.gxf3 square complex c4/b5. The Polish mas �g8+ 3l.'iit>f2 'ti'f8 32.'iVal++-. ter must have thought that he would 30.tbxe8 hdS 31.tLlc7 i.e432. tbxa8 anyway trade off the 'bad' dark-squared :Xaa 33. Wgs hc2 34. 'iff6+ �ga bishop (... �e7-g5) and everything 35.h4 .i.g6 36.'ii'g5 hS 37.b4 1-0 would be OK. The prisoner on a2 joins the attack, de 16 ...tLlf6 17.�fl tLlfd7;!; the computer's priving the black monarch of his last advice fo r Black is just to mark time! illusions. 11.14 Better was 17.tLlbS �d8 18.f4±. The following game by Zbynek Hracek 17... i.f6 18.l!Jf3 exf4 convinced me once more of the nega- Better was 18... tLld7 19.tLlbS �b8. 208 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 3. 0d e5 4. ttJ£3 19.tbb5+- ti'd8 12.e5 is considered in other examples Also inadequate was 19... 'i¥e7 20.�xf4 below. �d7 2I.tbxd6 �xb2 22.e5+-. 12... tt:Jfxd5 13.tillc:d5 20 . .bf4 c4 21.hc4 tillc:a4 22 . .bd6 13.tbe4 lDf6 14.�f4 tbxe4 IS.�xe4 tillc:b2 23.:b1 tillc:c4 24. ti'xc4 i.e7 �f6=. 25.i.c7 ._.d7 26.l2Je5 -.ea 27.tbd6 13... tillc:d5 1 4.c3= White's cavalry attacks. Despite the ma terial equality, Black is helpless: the dif fe rence in piece activity is too great. 27 ... i.xd628. i.xd6 The rest is clear. 28 ...a4 29.tbf3 a3 30.:S1 •ds 31.i.xf8 tillc:f8 32. •b4 a2 33.c4 :as 34. •b2 ti'a5 35.:e2 •c5+ 36. •d4 •b4 37.:b2 •e7 38.:bxa2 :gs 39.�h2 tbh7 40.:S8 ._.d7 41 .'ifc5 tbf8 42.:Xc8 1-0 And what if the bishop retreats along Almost perfect symmetry. At this mo the diagonal fl-a6? ment it is not clear how Victor could have lost this game. 14.�c4 �cS In this game, Moldavian grandmaster IS.�xdS (IS.c3 �e6 16.tbxe6 fxe6 Victor Bologan refused to accept an ear 17.�e3 �xe3 18.fxe3 'tib6with initi ly equilibrium and tried to fight. Alas, ative, Berescu-Predojevic, Rijeka 2010) his opponent played skilfully to reveal IS.. .'i:Vxd S 16.�e3 .l::t.e8=. the drawbacks of Black's venturesome 14... i.f6 strategy (the move ...c6-c5 was espe Better was 14 ... �c5. cially doubtful). Shortly White had both 15.i.c4 lbb6?! a material and a positional advantage. I don't want to criticize the guru, and I can explain this move. We must un 105 derstand that Elo-favourites fightfo r the Michele Godena (2535) win no matter what colour they play. Victor Bologan (2690) But often you can't win by making the Reggio Emilia 2009/10 (9) objectively strongest moves if they are 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 simplifying and lead to a draw. That's tbbd7 5.i.c4 i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 1.:e1 c6 why even elite grandmasters (and Bolo 8.a4 aS 9.h3 tbb6 10.i.f1 gan is one of them) take risks by enter Is this any good? The bishop was very ing doubtful positions, trying to con active on a2, as it had an impact on the fuse the opponent. well-being of the black king. IS... �d7 !? 16.�xd5 cxdS 17.�e3 .l::t.e8=. 1 o ...exd4 11.tillc: d4 d5 1 2.exd5 16.i.b3;ti.d7 17 .i.e3 c5?! I dare claim that by such an exchange A weakening of the light-square com White demonstrates his peacefulness. plex. Well, returning to dS wasn't an Indeed, how could he get a better po option, was it?! sition now? 18.lbb5 i.xb5 19.axb5 209 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black As you see, the cS-pawn is subject to pressure; the f6 -bishop, unlike its colleagues, is hampered by the 'breakwater' b2/c3. Victor Bologan 19... 'ifc7 Maybe 19... a4 !? was worth trying, but The following duel, from an open event Black stands worse anyway: 20.�c2 in Wroclaw, was short but rich in con (20.�xa4?? 'iYxd l-+) 20 ...'iVxd l tent. Polish player Tomasz Warakomski 21..�.xdl (21.l:lexdl lbc4 22.�xc5 played principled moves (12.e5) lbxb2=F) and now: and fought fo r the initiative. Robert A) 2l...a3 22.l:lxa3 llxa3 23.bxa3 Markus, a specialist in our opening, �xc3 24.l:le2;!;; reciprocated. The struggle became spec B) 2I...l2Jc4 22.�xc5 �fc8 23.�a3 tacular, but the quality of play left much l:le8 24Jhe8+ .l:lxe8 2S.�f3 (2S.�xa4 to be desired. lbxa3 26Jha3 l::tel+ 27.\th2 �f8;!;;or 27 ....l:te2 28.�dl±) 2S ...b6;!;; Black is a 106 pawn down. Tomasz Warakomski (2495) 20. 'ifhS!± tDd721 .l1.ad1 a4? 22.1i'fS! Robert Markus (2615) Michele is inexorable. If the knight re Wroclaw Open 2010 (7) treats, then after �b3-c2 it will be un 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tt:lc3 eS 4.tt:lf3 clear how Black can protect h7. tt:lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:le1 22 ...axb3 c6 8.a4 as 9.h3 tt:lb6 10.�f1 exd4 22 ...lbb 6 23.�c2 g6 24.'iVxf6. 11.tbx d4 d5 12.eS 23 . .:.Xd7 'ifas 23 .. .'�'c8 24.�xc5+-. 24.'ifdS?! Excessive subtlety. Easier and stronger was 24.'iVxc5+-. 24 ... b6 2S.1i'xb3 h6 26.l:led1 l1.ae8 27.l:l7d6 .tes 28.l:lc6 l:ld8 29.l:lf1 'ifa730. 'ifc4i.b8 30... l:tb 8±. 31.b4!+- 1i'e7 32.bxcs •es 33.g3 bxcS 34. .:XeS 1-0 210 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tLl£63. 0c3 eS 4. tLl£3 White is spoiling fo r a fight, the pawn The Polish player has gradually lost the structure is asymmetrical now. Please thread and Black stands slightly better, note that I don't call this move stronger for instance 23 ... �f5=F and the two than 12.exd5, but it's more 'meaty'. bishops will have their say. 12... 0e8 24.0e2?! 12... tt:Jf d7. Better is 24.tbfxe6. 13.'irf3 ..tgS 24... ..tc8 25.tLld4 f6?! Guided by the adage 'the fewer pieces, Considerably stronger is 25 ... .ig7 26.f4 the better' as Black is slightly lacking in f6 +. space. 26.exf6 'irxf627.c 3?! 13 ...g6!? H . .ih6 tt:Jg7; 13.. .f6 H.e6i. More powerful was 27.c4, but when 14. ..tf4 you don't have a dark-squared bishop, H.tbce2 .ixcl IS.tbxcli. you automatically strive to strengthen 14... g6 1 5.l:ad1= I1Jg7 your control of the dark squares. You must have already guessed that the 27 ... ..tg7 28. tt::Jh3 l:.eS Serbian grandmaster was going to build Winning was 28 ...l hel 29.'iYxel a defensive line on e6/f5. (29. .l:txel tbxb3! 30.tbxb3 'ifxc3 3I.tbc1 The exchange of dark-squared bishops .ixh3 32.gxh3 �xf3-+) 29 ... �xh3 doesn't worsen the picture, because 30.gxh3 "iVf4-+. White cannot exploit the weakened 29.tt::Jf2? squares f6 and d6. Let me guess: Black Many mistakes from both sides. It may wishes to carry out .. .f7-f6 himself have been the second round on that day. sooner or later. Let me hazard another suggestion. The 16.b3 0e6 17.tbce2 game took place in the summer. As I would preserve the bishop rather than far as I remember, the Wroclaw tour exchange it fo r a knight... nament was organized by a couple of 17... tbxf4 18.tbxf4 'ife7 19.'Wg3 ..te6? young guys and left a good impression. This looks like a tactical oversight. One of the few negatives was the heat 19 ... .ixf4!? 20.'iVxf4 �e6. in the playing hall. And outside, it was 20.tLlf3?! also about +35! It is strange that both players missed the The fight would have continued after following line (I suppose that Warakomski 29."iYxe5 'ifxe5 30Jhe5 .ixe5, though 'believed' his opponent and didn't check Black is clearly better. it) : 20.tbfx e6 fxe6 21.'iYg4. Now I don't 29 ... l:.h5 see how the e6-pawn can be protected: 29 ..Jhe l-+. 2I...l:tae8 22.tbxe6! 'iYxe6 23."iYxg5 (I'm 30Jle3? ..th6 0-1 trying to understand what Robert meant Black threatens ... .ih6-f4 with 'mate' to here) 23 ...'iVf5 (23 ...ID"5 24.'iVd2 �e5 the queen. 25.lhe5 'ifxe5 26.'iVxa5±) 24.'i:Yd2±. And now what? The aS-pawn is under In the next game, in Amsterdam, the fire. Elo-favourite had a tough job. The ...c6- 20 ... ..th6= 21.h4 tLld722. 11Jg5 c5 push became fatal for him, too. Time 22.tbxe6!? fxe6 23.h5. fo r the old cliche: careful, pawns can't 22... tbc5 23.f3 .l:ae8 move backward! 211 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 107 Roeland Pruijssers (2461) Dimitri Reinderman (2618) Amsterdam Open 2011 (4) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ti::lf6 3.ltJc3 eS 4.ti::lf3 ti::lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:[e1 c6 8.a4 aS 9.h3 ti::lb6 1 0 . .if1 exd4 11.ti::lxd4 dS 12.e5 ti::le8 13.ltJce2 g6 14. .ih6 Or I4.lbf4 CiJg7 15.CiJd3 f6 ?! (15 ...CiJe6 16.c3 �e8=) 16.b3= Saric-Neuman, Deizisau 2013 (better is 16 . .ih6 l:le8 22... l:[eb8 17.'ik'f3;!;;). Even worse is 22 ... �xd6 23.exd6, with 14... ti::lg7 15.ti::lf4 cS?! gaping holes on h6, g7, f6 . A committal move, as we know by now. 23.l:[ad1 cxb3 24.cxb3 •da I think that 15.. J:t e8 was more careful, 24 ...CiJc8 doesn't bring any relief in view untying the g7-knight, fo r example of 25Jlxd5! .ixd5 26.'ifxd5 CiJxd6 16. .ixg7 �xg7=. 27.exd6 .if8 28.l:tcl �c8 29Jlc7+-. 25. We3 l:[a626. 'ifd4+- 16.ti::lb5 l:[e8 17.g4!? Cool! The Dutch master (today he is a With fu ll domination. When playing grandmaster) limits the g7-knight, al against the young it is dangerous to re though square e6 is still available fo r lax, even for a 2600+ grandmaster... it. 26... ..,c727. l:[c1 'ifd828. l:[c2 17... ti::le6 18.�g2 ti::lxf4 19.hf4 .ie6 More accurate was 28.�edl. 20.b3 28 ... .if8 Quite nice is 20.CiJd6 �xd6 2l.exd6±. Suddenly Reinderman had a saving 20 ...... d7 21 ....f3 c4?! chance: 28 ...ti:Jd7 !. The point is that A doubtful idea, from a strategic point in reply to 29.�xd5 �xd5 30.�xd5 of view. Now the dark-squared complex there fo llows 30 ...CiJx e5! 3l.�xe5 is weakened. (3 I .CiJf5 gxf5 32.Ihe5 l:id6 33.'ifxa5±) 2l...�eb8!?. 3I....ixd6 32 . .!:.dl 'i¥e8 33 . .ixd6 l:ld8, 22.ti::ld6:t still offering stubborn resistance. Also good is 22 . .ie3. 29.l:[ec1 212 Part IV - I.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ£6 3. lLx3 eS 4. lLlf3 There is nothing more worth com menting, Black is helpless. A colossal difference in piece activity. 29 ... .ig7 ao. 'ii'd2 :aaa 31.l:l.c7 •fa 32 . .1:1.1 c5 tt:Jd7 33.l:l.xd5 'ii'd8 34. 'ii'c3 .txd5 35.hd5 li:Jb6 36.hf7+ c.ii>h8 37. .ie6 "iff8 38. .ie3 38.tt:Jf7+. 38 ... l:l.e839. tt:Jf7+ Things were not so bright fo r the young Dutchman in the fo llowing encounter. By means of a pawn sacrifice lvanisevic grasped the initiative. However, the Roeland Pruljssers Elo-favourite couldn't derive any real benefits from this and went too far. He 11... .tg4 12. .ie2 l:l.e8 13.h3 .th5 fo und himself on the verge of defeat, 14. .tea li:Jbd7 but the end was happy fo r him ... The traditional 14... tt:Jf d7!? is likely to be more accurate, in order to enable the 108 bishop to step into the open air, fo r in Roeland Pruijssers (2484) stance 1S.'i!Yd2 �f6=. Ivan lvanisevic (2630) 15.g4 .tg6 16.g5;!; Wijk aan Zee C 2011 (2) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.lt:Jf3 li:Jbd7 5 . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:l.e1 c6 a.a4 as 9.b3 tt:Jb6 1 o . .tf1 Black has no problems after lO.i.d3 �g4 11.i.e2 tt:Jbd7 12.h3 �hS 13.i.e3 �e8 14.tt:Jd2 ..txe2 15Jhe2 dS 16.exd5. Here, White is slightly better as Black has an isolated pawn (B.Vuckovic-Markus, Vrnjacka Banja tt 2010), but Black could have equalized with 16... ..tb4!=. 10... exd4 Square d7 is occupied, so the knight 10... 'ti'c7. will have to move to the edge of the 11.'ifxd4 board. Capturing with the knight is also pos 16... tt:Jh5 17."it'd1?! sible: ll.t2Jxd4 dS 12.e5 tt:Je8 (12 ...tt:Je4 The Dutchman intends to win a knight, 13.tt:Jxe4 dxe4 14.�b2 (14Jhe4 cS+) but then Black will gain the initiative. 14 ...f5 15.exf6 i.xf6 16.c3 l:te8 17.'i!Yc2;!;;) 17.'ti'd2!?. 13.�d3 g6 14.�h6 tt:Jg7 1S.tt:Jce2 t2Jd7 17... d5! 1 8.exd5 .ib4! 19. .id2 16.f4 tt:Jcs 17.fS (Tomic-Predojevic, Sa 19.dxc6 l:txe3 (also not bad is 19... bx c6, rajevo Open 2013) 17 ...�g5 18 . ..txg5 which avoids baffling complications, "iVxgS with counterplay. and Black stands better too) 20.'ti'xd7 213 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black (20.fxe3 bxc6 2I.'i:Vd4 'i:Vc7 with com Now White's position becomes better. pensation) 20 .. Jhc3 2l.cxb7 �b8 There's no mate to be expected, where 22.'ifxd8+ �xd8 23.tbe5 tbf4 is unclear. as the passed a-pawn can distress Black. 19... ttJcS 20.dxc6 bxc6 21.tba2 Axd2 40 ... l:td8? 22.'Wxd2 11fxd2 23.lt:Dcd2 t2Jf4� 40 ...tt:Jxg2 4l.Wxg2 tbxe4 42 .tbd3�. 41 .:XgS l2Jc4 42.l2Je2?! The subtle 42..�fl! may have led to victory, as the rook penetration is not dangerous: 42 ... l::tdl? 43 . .l::igl+-. The bishop is going to jump to (or capture on) c4 with check. 42 ... lt:Dce2 43.bxc4 Ad2 White has an extra pawn, but Black's chances are better. The pawns on h3 and c2 and the e2-bishop are vulnerable. 24 . ..tf1 Aed8 2S. t2Jf3 ..te4 26. tlJeS AdS 27.f3 :XeS 28.fxe4 :XgS+ 28 ...tbc e6!?. 29.�2 t2Jd7 Afterb3x c4 White has two extra pawns, White would have had more problems but they are not more than debris. after 29 ... .I:f.e8 30.�adl g6�. 44.h4 t2Jf4 4S.aS :Xc2 46 . ..tf1 Ac1 30.l:ad1 tlJeS31 .Ad6 hS 32.Ae3 Ag6 47.Ag1 �es 48 . ..tg2 Ac2 49 . ..tf3 Ac3 He could have preserved a certain ad SO.AgS+ �d4 S1 .bhS %-112 vantage with 32 ...h4 �. 33.:Xg6fxg6 34.ttJc1 Af8 3S. r.to>g1 'iW7 Another version of the knight's deploy 36.Ac3 r.to>e637. AcS t2Jf3+ 38.r.to>h1 gS ment is as fo llows: trade on d4, then 38 ... .l:td8 withcounterplay. move it to c5. From there it can get to 39.:XaS t2Jd2?! e6 and it also exerts pressure on the Better was 39... tt:Je s. points (pawns) e4, b3, a4. 40 . ..tg2! In such cases the e6-square is often used fo r simplifications. A knight and/ or bishop moves there to be exchanged. After the fo rmation of the e6/d6/c6 structure, White usually destroys it by e4-e5. An isolated pawn appears on e6. This is something of a weakness, but how vulnerable is it? Let's try to exam ine the nuances of this line. Black's problems are demonstrated in some games by the distinguished 214 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lbf6 3. tLlc3 e5 4. lbf3 representative of the Soviet chess school, l::tb4 17.exd6 �xd6 18.b3 'iVc7 Alexander Beliavsky. There seem to be (Kokarev-Yudin, Voronezh 2012) no bad omens fo r Black, but gradually 19.�c4 �xg3 20.ifd4:t. his troubles are taking real shape: the 14.exd6 .:X14 15.dxe7 'ifxe7 16. 'ife2 isolated pawn is surrounded and then .:a1a 17.13 .:a16 18.b3 lL:!b6 19. .td3 destroyed. lbd5 20.lbe4 20.tLlxdS cxdS=. 109 20 ... lbxe4 21.he4 Alexander Kovchan (2563) Alexander Beliavsky (261 9) Aix·les-Bains Ech 2011 (3) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 l2Jf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.l2Jf3 l2Jbd7 5 . .i.c4 .i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 1 . .:e1 c6 8.a4 a5 9.h3 exd4 10.lbxd4 lbc5 11 . .tf4 .i.e6 Or II...ifb6 12.b3 �e6 13.tLlxe6 tLlxe6 14.�xd6 (14.�h2!?) 14 ... I;lad8 IS.eS �xd6 16.exd6 tLld4 17.tLle4 tLlxe4 18. .r.:f.xe4 (Macieja-Berczes, Rijeka Ech Black's position is rather solid. I don't 2010) 18... l:lxd6 with an approximate see why the guru of Soviet chess should balance. have lost this game. 12.lbxe6 21 ... 'it'c5+22. 'if12 'ifxf2+23. r,i(x12 1:[18 There was also an option to maintain Interesting is 23 ...tt:Jc 3!?. Here the knight the tension with 12.�fl!?. fe els comfortable and bothers the oppo 12... fxe6= nent as much as possible: 24.�d3 �f7=. 24. i.d3 .:416 25 . .:e5 h6 2S ... The central pawn structure has been changed in Black's favour. At the same time the f8-rook has been opened up. 13.e5 l2J1d7! Weaker is 13 ...tt:Jds 14.�xdS l:lxf4 (14... exd5 IS.tLlxdS! cxdS 16.exd6±) IS.�xe6+ 'it>h8 (IS ...tt:Jxe 6 16.exd6 �xd6 17.�xe6 l:td4 18.'i!Ye2:t) 16.g3 215 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 110 Alexei Shirov (2751) Alexander Beliavsky (2640) Germany Bundesliga 1999/00 (12) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.ttJf3 ttJbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.J:[e1 c6 8.a4 as 9.b3 exd4 10.t!Jxd4 lbc5 And here is a game from Latin Ameri ca: 10 ...tt:le5 11 . .tf1 d5 12.f4?! Better was 12.exdS �b4 13.�b2 tZ:lxdS . 14.l::f.xeS tt:Jxc3 IS.�d3 �f6 16.tt:Jf3 �g6 17.�d2 f6 18.:eel tLldS 19.c3 �cS with ap proximate equality. 12... .tb4 13. .tb2 tt:leg4?! (Contreras-Gomez Ledo, Bogota Alexander Beliavsky 2013) (13 ... .tg4!? 14.'ifcl dxe4t). 30 ... J:[f6 31.J:[exe6 :XeS 32.:Xe6 11.�b2 ,.W7 33.J:[e5 ,.W6 34.J:[h5 l:a7 35.g4 More to the point was ll.�a3 l::f.e8 12.eS b6 36.h4 J:[d7 37.g5+ hxg5 38.hxg5+ dxeS 13.�xeS with some initiative. ,.W7 39.g6+ ,.W& 40.J:[f5+ �e6 41 .J:[f8 11... :ea 12.'ifd2 �fa 13.f3 'ifb6 �d6 42.J:[c8 J:[c7 43.l:a8t!Ja2 44.�c2 14.Wh1 .id7 15.l:ad1 l:ad8 16.'1Vf4 J:[e7 45.f4 lbc1 ? �6 17.t!J xe6 be6 18. .ixe6 fxe6 4S ...tLlb4 46.�bl cS 47.l::td8+ �c7 18... .l:rxe6 doesn't equalize due to 48J�g8 tZ:lc6t. 19.tLle2t, heading fo r fS , from where it 46.J:[d8+ will exert pressure on d6 and g7. 46.fS �e2+ 47.<;itfl .l:!xc2 48.f6+-. 19.e5 0d5 46 ... �c5 46 ... �d7 47.�b8±. 47.f5+- �b4 48Jkl1 J:[e2+ 49.,.W1 :Xc250.f6 �2 51.fxg7 0g3+ 52. �1 �2+ 53.� lbc3+ 54.� t!Jxd1 55.g8'if l:[f2+ 56.�3 l:[f1 57.g7 lbc3 58. 'iff8+J:[xf8 59.gxf8'1V+ �xb3 60. 'lff3 c5 61.'1Vc6 wxc4 62.'1Vxb6 t!Jxa4 63.'ifxa5 lbc3 64.� �4 65.'1Vd8+ 0d566. 'ifh8+ �d3 67.'1Ve5 1-o Alexander Beliavsky had been confi Familiar motifs. Does Black manage to dently keeping equality against an elite avoid damage to his pawn structure? grandmaster of our time. 20.'ifd2 Alexei Shirov maintained a certain in Better was 20.tLlxdS cxdS (in this case itiative during the whole encounter, unfavourable is 20 ...ex dS? 2l.e6± with but pressure and defence balanced each domination) 2l.�g4 dxeS 22.�xeSt. other out. In such cases, as we know, a The weaknesses on e6, eS, g7 cause dis draw will be the outcome. comfort fo r Black. 216 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:J£6 3.tbc3 eS 4. tt:Jf3 20 ...d xe5 It would be desirable to insert 20 ...tbxc3 2I..txc3 dS but, alas, .tc3xa5 will fo l low. 21 . 'irg5 �e7 22. 'irg3 22.�xe5 .tf6-+. 22 ... 'ifc723. lbe4 Alexei doesn't hurry to restore the mate rial balance with 23.tbxd5. He probably considered that the eS-pawn is bother ing Black too - in particular, it blocks the bishop. 37.'iftg2 bxa4 38.bxa4 J:.c5 39.'iftg3 23 ... lt::lf4 24.lbd8 lbd825. lt::lf2 .rl.c4 40.J:.e5 c5 41 .J:.f5+ 'iftg8 42.g5 Black also has good play after 2S.'itf2 .:Xc2 43.J:.d5 J:.c4 44.J:.d8+ 'iftf7 bS 26.g3 tLldS=. 45.J:.d7+ ..wa 46.J:.d8+ ..W7 47.t4 25 ... lbg6 26. 'ifg4 .:Xa448 .l:lh8 26.tLld3?? still cannot be played due to 26 ... l::txd3 27.cxd3 .th4-+. 26 ... 'ird727. lbd3 �d6 27 ... .tb4 28.l::te4 tLlf4 29 . .txe5 tbxd3 30.cxd3 'ik'e7 3l.d4 .td6=. 28.h4 White has the initiative. Shirov tries to derive some dividends from it. The unsophisticated consumption of the eS pawn will result in simplifications: the minor pieces will all leave the board, 48... l:la1 49.h6 together with his chances of victory. 49Jhh7 �g8 SO.g6 a4. 28 ... 1!ff7 29.h5 lt::lf4 49 ...gxh6 50 . .:Xh7+ 'ifte8 .51 .:Xh6 Attacking d3 and hS. Progress. Shirov has managed to create 30.lbxf4 'ifxf4 31. 'ifxe6+ 'iff7 two connected passed pawns, but it isn't Giving up a pawn was not necessary: sufficient for victory. 31...�f8 32.'ifh3 (32..�xe5 'iVh4+) 51 ...a4 52.f5 a3 53.l:la6 c4 54.l:la8+ 32 ... .tc7=. 'iftd755.f 6 'ifte6 56.�g2 l:la2+57. �g3 32.'tlfxf7+ 'iftxf7 33.he5 he5 l:la1 58.'iftg2 rl.a2+59. 'iftg3 %-% 34 . .:Xe5 b6 35.J:.e2 Interesting was 35.'\t>gl!? hoping fo r Playing in the Bundesliga in 2012, the 3S ... .l:r.d2 36.c4 .l::td3 (36 ... c5) 37.c5 bxcS now-deceased Russian grandmaster 38.l::txc5 l::txb3 39.l::txaS;!;;. Igor Kurnosov revealed the flaws of 35 ... J:.d5 36.g4 b5= Black's development. Admittedly, his Beliavsky gives his adversary an un opponent, my old acquaintance Andrey pleasant choice: a weakness on a4 (if Maximenko, operated not very confi White doesn't react) or a potentially dently. He shouldn't have given away passed a-pawn. any material without necessity. 217 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 111 Igor Kurnosov (2660) Andrey Maximenko (2547) Germany Bundesliga 2012/13 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tLlf3 tLlbd7 5.�c4 fie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8.Ae1 a5 9.h3 exd4 10. 1i'xd4 tbc5 11.fi.f4 tbe6 More passive was Il...tLle8 12.�g3 �e6 13.tLld2 (13.�e2) 13 .. .'ifb6 14.�xe6 (14.ife3!? h6 15.b3;;!; or 14 .. .'ifxb2 ISJ:tebl+-) 14 ...fxe6 15.tLlc4 �d8 18... tLlf5?! (better is the annoying 15... ifb4 16.b3 Andrey gives away the pawn fo r nothing. eS 17.�e3 t2:le6= or 16.tLla2 ifxa4 More tenacious was 18... .&f.e8 19.exd6 17.b3 ifbS=) I6Jhdi;;!;, Ni Hua-Wang �xd6 20.tLle4 .&f.d7;;!; because 2I.ifd3? Rui, Taizhou 2012. doesn't work in view of 21...�h2+. 12.fi.xe6 he6 13.Aad1;t 19. .1:1.xd8 tbxe3 20. .1:1.xf8+ ..txf8 21.lbe3± b5 22 . ..tf1 �b4 23.b3 .l:l.d7 24.axb5 cxb5 24... �xc3 25.�xc3 cxb5 26 . .&f.c5±. 25.tbxb5 .l:l.d226 .tbc7 Even more accurate is 26J:tf3+ We7 27.c4±. 26 ... 'itf7 27 . .1:1.f3+ '1te7 28.tba6 White has the initiative because he exerts pressure on the d6-pawn. 13... tbe8 The radical 13... d5 shifts the struggle into an ending that is pleasant fo r White, for instance: 14.exd5 t2:lxd5 15.tLlxd5 ifxd5 16.'iYxd5 cxdS 17.tLld4 .l::r.a6;;!;. The isolated pawn and bad 28 ... b3? bishop on e6 don't improve Black's Too subtle. Simpler and stronger was situation. 28 .. Jhc2 29.t2:lxb4 axb4 30J:tf4 .I:lcS 14.'ife3 .l:l.c8 15.tbd4 .l:l.c7 16.tbxe6 31.l:hb4l::t xeS;;!;. fxe6 17.hd6! 29. .1:1.c3+- .l:l.d5 30. .I:I.c7+ ..tiS31 .f4 Alas, in spite of his efforts Black has The grandmaster from Lvov (Western failed to preserve the flexibility of his Ukraine) has given away two pawns pawn chain. in succession unforced, and he doesn't 17... tbxd6 18.e5 have any compensation for them. 218 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.tZx3 e5 4. tt:Jf3 31 ... h5 32.'.ti>e2 g5 33.tbb8 'ifi>e8 vantage. Martyn damages Black's pawn 33 ...gxf 4 34.tL'ld7++-. structure. 34.c4 Itd4 35.fxg5l:l.e4+ 36. 'iti>f3 l:l.xe5 16... dx e5 17. hes ttJd7 37.h4 ..id638. l:l.c8+ �7 39.ttJd7 .:tf5+ 17.. Jhd8!? 18. .!:i.adl tL'ld7 19.�g3 tL'lf8:t. 40.'iti>e3 q;e741 .g6 'iti>xd7 42.g7 'iti>xc8 18. ..tg3 'iixb2?! 43.g8'if+ 'iti>d744.g4 It is important fo r White to create a passed pawn. 44 ... hxg4 45. 'ifxg4 l:l.f1 46.h5 l:lb1 47.'it'g7+ 'iti>c6 48.h6 l:l.xb3+ 49.�e4 ..ib4 50.h7 ..tc3 51.h8'if ..bg7 52. 'ifxg7 a4 53. 'ii'a7 l:lb4 54. q;d4 e5+ 55. 'iti>xe5 l:l.xc4 56. 'it'a6+ 'ifi>c5 57.'it'a5+ 1-0 A masterpiece was created by young Ukrainian grandmaster Martyn A venturesome line. Maybe Baadur Kravtsiv. We first saw this modest guy was looking for a win, and a draw during a tournament in India, where didn't suit him. The 'normal' 18... 1If8 Martyn took first place. After that we is unpromising, though: 19.'ife2 tbcs were once staying next door to him in 20.tL'le4tL'lxe4 21 .'i¥xe4 �cS 22.'ifxe6+ Pardubice. He made no noise at all, even �h8 23.'ife2:t. So then the question though there was just a thin wall be arises: why should Black play this tween us. Kravtsiv inflicted the follow variation? ing instructive defeat to not just anyone, 19.l:lab1 'ifxc2 20.l:l.xb7 tt:Jcs but to the leader of Georgian chess. There follows a comprehensible tactic - at least for a player whose Elo-rating is 112 above 2600. Martyn Kravtsiv (2607) Baadur Jobava (2696) Tromsa FIDE World Cup 2013 (2) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.tt:Jf3 tt:Jbd7 s . ..tc4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:le1 c6 8.a4 aS 9.h3 l:le8 10.b2 exd4 11.tt:Jxd4 tt:Jcs 12.'iff3 'ii'bG 13. ..tt4 tt:Je6 14.tt:Jxe6 As the black knight was attacking two pieces simultaneously, 14.tL'lfS doesn't makes a good impression: 14 ...tL'lxf 4 1S.tL'lxe7+ .l:i.xe7 16.�xf4 'ifb4= 21.l:l.xe7! l:l.xe7 22. 'ifxc6 (16 ...�xb2 1 7.'ifxd6:t). The rook and the knight are attacked. 14... ..be6 15.he6 fxe6 16.e5 22 ... tt:Jb723. ttJd5! A standard push. In fact, this is likely The only move, but sufficientfor an ad to be the only way to fight fo r an ad- vantage. 219 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 23 ...exdS Absolutely poor is 23 ...'ifxc6 24.tt::lxe7+ Wf7 2S.tt::lxc6+-. 24.'ii'xc2 :Xe1 + 2S.�h2 The dust has settled, and now we can make an assessment after this sharp in termezzo. 3S.aS l:i:JfS 36.a6 0.e3 37. 'ii'as :as 3S. �g1 h6 39. 'ii'c3 AdS 40.a7 l:i:JfS 40 ...d2 4l.'iVxd2. 41.'ii'c7 1-0 In the next game, my fo rmer teammate in the German Bundesliga, Emanuel Berg, got nothing special out of the Formally it's about equal. Two rooks are opening. But then, almost from scratch, usually even preferred to a queen. But Emanuel started to outplay his adversary. here other factors play a role. The pres ence of pawns on the a-file is to White's 113 benefit. If they were removed from the Emanuel Berg (2604) board, the battle scene would actually Magnus Carlhammar (2318) be narrowed down to the square hl-h8- Gothenburg 2011 (2) d8-dl. But now the actions take place 1.e4 d6 2.d4 l:i:Jf6 3.1:fJc3 eS 4.1:i:Jf3 all over the board, and that makes the l:i:Jbd7 S . ..ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Ae1 c6 bishop stronger than the knight here. S.a4 aS 9.b2 exd4 10.I:i:Jxd4 l:iJcS Besides, the black king is not as solid 11. ..if4 0.e6 12.1:i:Jxe6 he6 13.be6 ly protected as his colleague is, and the fxe6 14.eS tats1S .exd6 rest of the fo rces of the Georgian player lS.tLlxdS exdS (lS ...cxdS 16.exd6 �xd6 are poorly coordinated. 17.i.e3 'ii'c7=) 16.'iVd4 dxeS 17.�xe5 2S ... �hS?! l::rf7=. More tenacious was 25 ... .l:f.e7, con 1S... I:i:Jxf4 16.dxe7 'fi'xe7 17.0.e4 :SdS trolling the 7th rank. 26.'ifd3 Wh8 27.'ifxd5±. 26.'it'c7!+- The rest is a matter of technique. 26 ... tats . .ieS27 l:i:Jf7 2S . ..ic3 Ac1 29.'ii'b7 29.�xg7++-. 29 ... AfS 30.'it'b2 :Xc3 31.'ii'xc3 AdS 32.'ii'xaS d4 33.f4 d3 34.'ii'd2 1:i:Jh6 220 Part IV - I.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. tfr3 eS 4. tb£3 This position can be objectively assessed B) Knight goes to the kingside as equal. The weakness of Black's Now let's acquaint ourselves with the isolated e-pawn is compensated fo r by pattern of the struggle when the d7- his piece play. All the more amusing it knight moves in the opposite direction. is to watch how Emanuel managed to win this. In the next game, Stelios Halkias ob 18.... c1 ._,h4 tained perfect play with the black pieces 18 ...e5!? . against a strong Russian grandmaster. 19. 'ife3 'ifg4 20.g3 tt:lh3+ 21. 114 Evgeny Naer (2665) Stelios Halkias (2580) Rijeka Ech 2010 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tlJc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 tt:lbd7 5 . .i.c4 .i.e7 6.0-0 o-o 7.a4 as 8 . .1:r.e1 c6 9.h3 h6 Depriving the white pieces of the gS 28 ... :Xa3?! square, after which the rook will go to 28 ...'ik'g4 !? (threatening 29... tt::l f4 +) e8. 29.�hl hS (29 ....l:t3f 4 30.'i:!Vxg4 l:txg4 10 . .i.a2 .l:r.e8 11. .i.e3 1fc7 12.tt:lh4 tt:lf8 31.f4 with initiative) 30. .l::i:xf3 �xf3=. If 12... �f8, there may follow 13.tt::lg6, 29.bxa3 tt:lg5?! gaining the advantage of the two Better was 29... h6 30.�bl l:rf7 31..!:i:b3 bishops for free. tt::lgS 32.tt::lxg5 hxgS;!;; with at least ma 13. 'iff3 exd4 14. .i.xd4 tt:le6 terial equality. Unattractive is 14... �e6 lS.tt::lfS �xfS 30. tt:lxg5 'ifxg5 31. 'ii'xe6+ 221 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 17... .tf8 is also possible because 23.ltJe2 i.d7 18.tDh6+ is not dangerous: 18 ...gxh6 23...l::th4. 19.'i!Yxf6 �g7;!;;. 24.tbg3 .:[h425. lt:\c4 It seems that the d6-pawn will fall, but... 25... i.e6+ Now I can guess what will happen. After the exchange of this bishop fo r a knight Black will try to play the dark squared symphony (f4, f2 , eS, b6 ...). Let's see. 26. 'ife3.:t4 27.ltJe2? A mistake, which goes unnoticed by the Greek grandmaster. 18.ltJe3 Interesting is the positional pawn sacri fice 18.e5 dxeS 19.l::radl �e6 20 . .txe6 l::i.xe6 2I.'i!Ye3 with compensation. 18... 1Ve7 19. .l:ad1 i.c7 20 ..:e2 g6 Believe it or not, but I guessed this move! It's not the best one in the com puter's view, by the way. It suggests a regrouping with 20 ... �d7 2I.l::i.ed2 l::i.ad8 and ... .td7-c8. 21 . .:ed2 �g7 Yes, exactly what I thought. Taking into 27 ... .txc4 account the fact that only Black has a It's difficult to understand why Stelios dark-squared bishop, the pawns are didn't attack the rook: 27 ...c5 28JI4d2 pushed to light squares and the king (after 28.tDxf4 gxf4-+ White still lacks moves out of the intent gaze from a2. a piece) 28 ... l::txe4 29.'i!Yd3 dS-+ with 22. .:[d4 .:[hS=F an extra pawn and an overwhelming position. By all appearances, there was no time trouble yet. 28 . .:Xc4 28.�xc4 .l::!xe4 29.l::i.xe4 'ii'xe4 30.'iVxe4 tbxe4 3I..td3+. 28... .:.Xe4 29 . .:Xe4 1Vxe4 Of course, Black is still a pawn up, but his advantage is not so substantial now. 30.'ifb3? A double attack on f7 and b7, but this is losing. Better was 30.'i!Yxe4. Another resource. The pawns on g6 and 30 ...d5 !-+ 31.tbd4 gS create prerequisites fo r Black's pres 3I.'i!Vxb7 'ii'xe2. sure on the kingside. 31 ... .:ea 32.ttJf3 222 Part IV - I.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.lLlc3 e5 4. tt:Jf3 39 ... l2Je4 40 . .l:td5 �c7 41 . 'ifd3 b6 42. 'ifc2 tlJf6 43 . .l:td1 'ifg4 44.:Z.e1 :Xe1 + 45.tbxe1 'ifh5 46.�b1 �e5 47.ttJf3 tbg4 48.�g1 �h2+ 49.'iW1 �e5 50.�g1 'ifh651 .tbxe5 "ti'h2+ Sl...tLlxeS=F. 52. �1 'ifxe5 53. "ti'c3?! An unforced weakening. Sufficient fo r approximate equality was 53.'ifd2. 53 ... 'ifxc3 54.bxc3 ltJe5 32 ... :e7 Many of us would make this solid move, indirectly protecting the b7-pawn, wouldn't we? But more fo rceful was 32 ... g4! 33.hxg4 'i¥xg4 34.'ifxb7 (34.'ifc3 �h8 3S.l:rd4 �f4-+ also somewhat computer-like play) 34 ...lLlhS ! (well, you can miss this during extensive cal culations) 3S.'ifxc7 lLlf4-+. 33.c4 33.'ifxb7 �h2+. The fight continues, as White has long 33 ... g4 34.hxg4 "ti'xg435. "ti'c3 term static weaknesses. Meanwhile, the 35.cxd5? lLlxdS-+ with the terrible c3-pawn, on a dark square, is taking threat 36... lLlf 4. control of points d4 and b4, minimiz 35 ... �b6 36.�1 d4 37."ti'a3 ing the risk of losing. 55.b2 tbd3 56.�b3 ttJc1 ?! Playing with fire. Halkias doesn't want to give up his winning intentions and goes to extremes. Better was 56 ...g5 57.�dl tt:Jes 58.�e2 fS . 37 ... c5? A blunder. Right was, for instance, 37.. J:te8-+. 38.:Xd4 1i'e6 38 ...cxd4 39.'ifxe7. 39 . .l:td2+ The pawn structure has become sym- 57.�c2 metrical, and the victory problematic. How can the knight leave this cage now?! 223 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 57 ... tba2 58.13! structure, the pawn's shift from f7 to Taking away square e4 from the knight. e6 was favourable for Black. The pawn 58 ...'itf6 59. 'itf2 ttJxc360 . .i.b3;t b5 took squares fS and (especially impor The b-pawn moves to the minefieldde tant) dS under control, and the f- file liberately, at the cost of its life, so as to was opened up fo r the rook. clear the way fo r the knight which got Please note that the horrible passivity trapped. of Black's dark-squared bishop didn't 60 ... �e5 61.�e3 tLlbl 62.�d3 �f4 play a large role due to the weakness 63.�c2 tLla3+ 64.�b2 �g3 65.�xa3 of White's b3-pawn and other factors. I �xg2 66.�dl �f2 67.�b2±. also recommend you to pay attention to 61.cxb5 c4 62.bc4 tbxa4 63.�e3 the fixation of the queenside with 30... tt:lb6 64.�d4 �e7 65 . .i.a2 �d6 c6-c5!. Then Vorobiov 'rattled off' the Unsatisfactory is 65 .. .f5 66.�c5 tLld7+ game. 67.�c6 a4 68.f4±. 66.bf7 g5 67.h2 115 67.g3 tLld7 68.f4±. Fabiano Caruana (2680) 67 ...a4 Evgeny Vorobiov (2615) Rijeka Ech 2010 (10) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tlJc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 tt:lbd7 s . ..tc4 ..te7 6.0-0 o-o 7.a4 as a . .:r.e1 c69.h3 h6 1 o.h2 .:r.ea 11. ..te3 'flc7 1 2.'ife2 The queen in a vis-a-vis with the rook on e8? But Fabiano will move this piece further. If 12.dxe5!? dxeS 13.tLlh4 tLlf8 14.'i¥f3 �e6 IS.tLlfS .ixa2 16.tLlxa2 tLle6White is better, B.Vuckovic-Halkias, Rijeka Ech 68.g4?! 2010. A poor decision. I'm not sure if it was 12 ... tt:lf8 13. 'ifc4 ..td8 winning, but more flexible was 68.g3;!;. A multifunctional move. The f7-pawn 68 ...a3 69. .i.g8 tbd7 . .i.b370 tbe5 and also the queen are protected. 71. �e4 tt:lg6 72. 'itf5 tt:lh4+ 73. �xg5 14. .l:.ad1 tbg615 .d5 l:la6 ttJxf3+ 74.�6 �c5 75.g5 Y2-Y2 Fabiano Caruana, who doesn't need an introduction, applied a characteris tic manoeuvre in the following game. The Italian developed his queen at c4, exerting pressure along the diagonal and threatening with knight jumps (to bS, fo r example). The response of the Russian player Evgeny Vorobiov was adequate, and he equalized. In this 224 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£63. 0£3 e5 4. tt:J£3 Creatively played. This manoeuvre is unconventional. After 15... l::tb8 16.�b3 l::tf8 White would have the initiative. 16. 'it'd3 �e7 17.tt:Jd2 tLlhS 18.tLle2 :t8 19.dxc6 The regrouping 19. .tc4!? l::ta8 20.'t!Vb3;t was interesting. 19... bxc6= 20.tLlf1 lLlhf421 . 'it'd2 .ie6 22.bf4 tLlxf4 Adventurous players might like 22 ... .txa2 23 . .txh6 (23 . .th2 .te6=) 23 ...gxh6 24.b3 dS 2S.'ifxh6 �b8, un- 35.exd5 clear. 3S.tbe3. 23.be6 fxe6 24.tLlxf4 :Xf4 35 ...e4 Less promising is 24 ...exf 4 2S.tbh2 3S ...exd5 36.l:lxd5 (36.cxd5 c4=F) and the knight goes to f3 , taking up a 36 ...l:.xb3 37.l:lxb3 l:lxb3 38.nxe5 favourable blocking position. Wf7=. 25.c4 36.:d1 exd5 37.:Xd5 :Xb3 38.:Xb3 2S.'t!Vc3 l::ta8 26J�e2 l:raf8 with initia :Xb3 39.g3 tive. 39.�fl!? l:tb2 40/Lle3 l:ra2 41.l:res �f7 2s ... .:.aa 2s.:e2 :ba 27 .... d3 •bs 42.tbd5 �d6 43.l::txe4 l:rxa4 44.f4=. 28.tt:Jd2 •d4 29.tLlf3 'it'xd3 30.:Xd3 39 ... :b2 C5= With the initiative. 40.tLle3 .l:.a2 41 .:es �7 42.tLld5.idS 43.:Xe4 :Xa4 44. �g2 .l:.a345.h4 :b3 In this case the move ...c6-c5 is not a mistake. The b2-pawn is weak. But there are no new weaknesses, because Gradually Caruana is being confronted the e6-pawn plays a very significantrole with more serious problems. The out in taking control of white complex. It's side passed a-pawn is very dangerous. approximately equal. The knight is limited by the black rook 31.tZ:le1 :bs 32.b3 :to 33.:b2 :tba and can't help. 34.tLlc2 d5 46.h5 Evgeny reminds Fabiano that he may 46.�fl; 46.l:le2. also have ambitious intentions. 46 ...a4 47.:e2 a3 48.f4 225 A Curuting Chess Opening for Black 48J:ta2 .ieS+. 116 48 ... J:lb2 49 . .:Xb2 axb2 50.tt:Jc3 g6! Balind Nadj Hedjesi (2376) Robert Markus (2605) Valjevo 2012 (9) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 tt:lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.J:le1 c6 8.a4 aS 9.h3 h6 10.b2 tt:lh7 There are so many things you can think up with black so as to play for a win against a lower-rated opponent. For in stance, the slightly strange manoeuvres ... .ie7 -d8, ...ttlf 6-d7, ...ttlf 6-h7. In this case the knight goes to gS to be ex White has to fight without his knight changed. In doing so, Robert intends actually, as it is bound to square bl. to have the pawn transferred from the That's why the Russian player opens a h- to the g-file and to later use it as a second front on the kingside. battering ram (. ..gS-g4 ), for example. 51.hxg6+ �xg6 52. �3 h5 53. c;i;>e4 11.tt:le2 In reply to S3.g4 Black won't exchange II...te3. the pawn, but will reply S3 ...h4 -+. 11... tt:lg5 53 ... �c7 54.tt:lb1 b5 55.tt:la3 �b4 56.tt:lb1 �e1 57.�3 S7.�dS .ixg3 S8.'1£.1xcS h4-+. 57 ... �5 58.tt:la3 �c3 59.tt:lb1 �b4-+ The bishop easily fo rces zugzwang, as the knight and the king are not allowed to just jump up and down on their squares. 60.c;i;>e3 c;i;>g4 61.�2 b5 62.tt:la3 �c3 63.tt:lb1 �b4 64.c;i;>e2 64.�g2 .iel-+. 64 ... c;i;>xg365 .f5 b5 66.f6 �d8 67.f7 12.tt:lxg5 hxg5 �e7 68.�1 �4 69.tt:Jc3 c;i;>eS70. �e2 Black is spoiling fo r a fight. The simpli �6 71 . c;i;>d3 c;i;>xf7 72. c;i;>c2 �f6 fying 12 ... i!..xgS 13 . .ixgS 'iVxgS would 73. tt:le4 �d4 0-1 have equalized. 13.�e3 And now - a master-class from the 13.c3. opening expert. Unlike Halkias, Robert 13... g6 14.1i'd3 exd4 15.bd4 tt:leS Markus moved the knight to gS through IS... ttlcS 16. .ixcS dxcS 17.'iVe3 'iVb6 h7. For a while the position was equal, 18.eS;;t. but at some point White started to 16. 'ifc3 �f6 play very creatively, and as a result he The gS-pawn performs the fu nction of found himself in a lost position in 3-4 a 'breakwater': it is responsible fo r the moves ... security of the centralized knight. 226 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£63.t2lc 3 eS 4. tbf3 17.f4 26 ... .1:l1e8 27.g4? 17.l:iadl. The ending is cheerless fo r White: 17... gx14 18.tt:lx14 27.'ifxe5 'ifxeS 28.l:Ixe . 5 .if6 29.�e2 Now the e4-pawn is isolated. .ib3+. 18... �h7 27 ... �16-+ If 18 ... c5 19 . .if2 .id7 20.'ifg3 with the The rest is clear. Black has a material initiative. and a positional superiority. 19. .1:1ad1 'ife7 20 . .1:l11 �g5 21.ttJd3 28.'ifa3 �d5 29 . .1:le2 'ifg7 30.�h2 Reasonable: the Serbian master 1xg4 31.d4 exd4 32 . .1:le12�h4 1-0 dislodges the dark mustang from its dominating height. The aggressive thrust ...g7-g5-g4 oc 21 ... tt:lxd3 22.cxd3 curred in a game from the Bosnian Interesting is nJ:txd3, trying to ma team championship in 2010. Black got noeuvre along the 3rd rank (l::rd3-f3). no benefits from it. On the contrary, he 22 ... �e6 23.�b1 obtained several weaknesses, leading to torment and ultimately, defeat. 117 ArtyomTimo 1eev (2675) Dejan Pikula (2535) Bihac tt 2010 (4) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.lbf3 lbbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .1:le1 c68.a4 a5 9.h3 h6 10.�e3 .l:le8 11.'ifd2 exd4 South-African master Ken Solomon treated this line a bit differently: l l ...�f8 How creative! I'll even place a diagram 12. .l:ladl 'iYc7 13 . .ib3 lbb8 (13 ...exd4 here. Not every chess player would dare 14.�xd4 tbeS lS.ltJh4 (of course, not to withdraw the bishop to a diagonal trading on eS. White is going to kick the crowded with pawns, in the presence knight with f2-f4) 15... .ie6 16.�xe6 of an active bishop of the opponent; .l:lxe6 17.f4.) 14.tbh4 .ie6 15.�xe6 fxe6 23 . .ixe6 fxe6 24Jhf8 l::rxf8=. 16.lbg6 lbbd7 17.tbxf8 l:ixf8 18.dxeS;t, 23 ...15 24.e5? Rozentalis-Solomon, Trieste 2013. The balance would have been main 12.'ifxd4 tained by 24.exf5 �xfS 25.l:1del 'iVd7=. 24 ...d xe5 25.�c5 Perhaps this was White's idea, but Markus sacrifices the exchange with pleasure, it seems. Also bad was 2S . .ixe5 .ie3+ 26.Whl .ids+. 25 ... 'ifc7 26 . .1:lde1 26 . .ixf8 .ie3+ 27.'�hl .!:hf8+. Please, note the difference in activity of the bishops. 227 A ClUliling Chess Opening for Black 12... ..tf8 24 ... .l:1e8 2S.gxh6 (these motifs are re Black could try to exploit the centrali mindful of the Benko Gambit, don't you zation of the white queen with 12 ...tbc5 think?) 2S ... .ih2+ 26.�fl .if4 27.'it'al 13.e5 .ie6 14.exd6 (14.exf6?! .ixf6 .txh6 with nice play fo r Black. lS."iVf4 gS 16.'iVg3 .ixc4 is unclear, 19.lt::ld4 21.lt::lce2?! Strange ... the obvious 2l.tbdS! would have led to a win, for example: 21 ... .ixdS (2l...cxd5 22.exd5+ Wh8 23.dxe6 fxe6 24. .txh6+- 21..."iYc8 22 . .ixh6+-) 22.exd5+ tbxd3 23."iYxd3+ �h8 18... g4?! 24.dxc6 bxc6 2S.tbfS+- and Black's The central counterblow 18 ... d5 was numerous weaknesses leave no chance more to the point. Here are some possi for a happy outcome fo r him. ble lines: 19.exd5 tbxdS 20.hxg5 tbxe3 21 ... lt::lxd3 22.'ifxd3 lt::lh5 23.lt::lf4 lt::lxf4 21.'1Wxe3 tbg4 22Jhd8 �xd8 23."iVcl 24 . ..txf4 ..tes 25 . ..txe5 dxe5 26.lt::lxe6 �d6 24.l:tdl (24.gxh6? is fo r aesthetes: fxe6 27. 'Wb3;t 24... .if4 2S."iYal .ih2+ 26.�fl "iYb6-+ 27.tbe4 'ifxf2+! 28.tbxf2 tbe3#) The situation has stabilized. White stands better because of Black's pawn weak nesses, but still the win isn't so clear as it analysis diagram would have been after 2l.tbdS!. 228 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ti:Jf6 3. lLx3 e5 4. ti:Jf3 27 ... ':.e7 28. 'ii'g3 J:[f8 29. 'ii'xg4 J:[f4 a fo otball field: ...ti:Jd7-f 8-g6-f4-e6-c5, Interesting is 29 .. .'iVb6!? 30J!e3 �g8 trying to confuse the opponent. And he 31.'iYhs 'i¥xb2±, but it is psychologi definitely managed to do this: the posi cally difficult to move the queen away tion became irrational and highly com fr om the exposed monarch. plicated for both sides. If 29 ... .l::r.g8 30.'iVh3 .l::reg7 31.'i¥xe6 Both players made mistakes, but �xg2+ 32. In the next game, from the Serbian team championship in 2010, the black player, quite fa miliar to us by now, ma noeuvred his knight like a fo rward on 15. �b2 229 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Admitting that the bishop won't reap 30 . .i.d3?! any laurels on a3. Stronger was 30.dxc6 tt::lce4 3I.'ti'g2 15... .i.e6 16. .i.d3 bxc6 32.f4 �xd4 33.�xd4, unclear. After other continuations Black also 30 ... tbxd5 31.ha5 doesn't have problems: 16.d5 cxdS Better 3l.�c4. 17.exd5 �d7 18.tt::lbs 'ird8= 16 . .txe6 31 .. J:ld1 ! 32.tbf4 l:txd3 .l::f.xe6 17.�a3 Ilee8=. The computer recommends 32 ...tt::l xf4 16 ... :Sd8 17.Aee1 .tea 1B.'ii'c1 tt:Jf4 33.tt::lxc6 tt::lcxd3 34.'ifxdl tt::lxf2+. 19. .i.f1 tCe620. 'ii'e3exd4 21.tbxd4 lbc5 33.cxd3 tbxf4 2l...d5!? equalizes, fo r instance 22.exd5 33 ... .txd4 34.tLlxdS cxdS 3S.�b6 tt::lxb3 tt::lgs 23.'ird3 �xel 24.�xel tLlxdS 36 . .txd4 tt::lxd4 37.'ifxd5 tt::lc6:f. (24 ... �c5 2S.�cl 'ti'b6=) 2S.tLlxdS 34.tbxc6 tbfxd3 35.tbxe5 tbxe5 .l:lxdS=. But Robert strives fo r more. 36.'ii'd5? 22. 'ii'f3 'ii'e7 23 . .i.c4 d5! A serious mistake. Now this leads to an uneven position. 24.exd5 'ii'xe1 + 25.:Xe1 :Xe1 + 26.<�h2 .i.d6+ 27.g3 .i.e5 28.tbce2 36 ... tbe4 Now Markus could have vacated square b7 fo r his bishop: 36 ...b6! 37 . .txb6 �b7 (taking up a murderous position 28 ... :e8?! on the long light-squared diagonal) Considerably stronger was 28 ...tt::l ce4! 38.'ifdl tt::lf3+-+ or 38.'ifxc5 tt::lf3+ and now even the first line of Houdini 39.�g2 �el. with its 'inhuman' variations ends in 37 . .i.c7?! tbt6 38. 'ii'd1 tbc6 39.g4 an advantage for Black: 29.tt::lxc6 (utter .i.e6 40 . .i.b6 .i.d5 41.f4 .i.e442. �g3 ly poor is 29.dxc6 �fl 30.cxb7 �xb7 tbd5 43 . .i.c5 l:.d8 44. 'ii'c1 3l.Wg2 �f2+-+) 29... tt:Jgs (29... bxc 6 30.�xeS:f; 29 ... �xb2 30.tLlxd8 tt::lgs 3I.'ire3 �xh3 32.'ti'xg5 hxgS 33.�xh3+) 30.tLlxeS (30.'ti'd3 �xb2 3I.tLlxd8 �xh3=F) 30 ...tLlxf3+ 3I.tLlxf3 �bl+. A very rare alignment of forces. 29 . .i.c3 J:b1?! 29.. J:td l=. The situation is too intricate for a human being. Both players com mit inaccuracies. 230 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lZJ£6 3. 0d e5 4-. lZJ£3 44 ... lbc3! 45. 'ifb2 ttJd4 Generally, exchanges are expedient fo r 4S .. Jid3+ 46.�h2 ti:Jbl-+ with the Black because he lacks space. idea 47.. J:td2+. 19.tbxg5 46 . ..bd4 :Xd4 47.a5 Ad3+ 48.�h2 Vuckovic had an unexpected option to Ae3 49. 'ifc1 Ae2+ 50.�g3 Ac2 avoid the trade: 19.ti:Jd2!? exd4 20.ti:Je2;!;, 51 .'ife3 ..tc6 52.b4 ltJe4+ 0-1 threatening f2-f4-f5. 19... hxg5 In the team championship of Montene Also acceptable was 19 ...�xg5 20.h4 gro, Bojan Vuckovic pressed on the ene �f6 2I.d5 cxdS 22.exd5 �g4, which is my defence fo r a long time. Interestingly, about equal. his opponent made a positional exchange 20.ltJe2 sacrifice not at the best moment, but it 20.d5. turned out to be enough fo r a draw. 20 ... ..tf6 21 .c4 g4 2l...'tic7. 119 22.hxg4 Bojan Vuckovic (2623) The computer is constantly advising the Borko Lajthajm (2496) move d4-d5 fo r White, and it may be Tivat tt 2011 (3) right. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.lbc3 es 4.tbf3 22 ... hg4 23.13 ..td7 24.d5 tbbd7 s . ..tc4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:[e1 c6 8.a4 as 9.b3 :ea 1 O.h3 h6 11 . ..tb2 'ifc7 12. ..tf1 tbf8 1 3.'ifd3 13.'ii'd2 tbg6 14Jhdl �e6 lS.'tic l �ad8 16.g3 'ii'c8 17.'�h2 ti:Jh7 (Sevian Zherebukh, Richardson 2013) 18.d5 with initiative. 13... tbg6 1 4.g3 ..te6 15. ..tg2 lS.dS �d7. 15... l:[ad816 .l:[ad1 Here, preferable was 16.d5 cxdS 17.exd5 What can we say about this position? �d7 18.ti:Jd2:t. White has a space advantage, the black 16 ... 'ifc8 1 7.'iff1 tbh7 knight is clumsily placed. However, if 17... h5 !?. Black manages to trade off his dark 18.�h2 tbgS squared bishop, his situation will im prove. 24... cxd5 25.:Xd5 ..tc6 26.Ad3 tbf8 After the elimination of the dS-pawn, which restrained Black, the knight gets access to a promising route: ti:Jg6-f8- e6-c5/d4. 27 . ..ta3 1fc7 The positional pawn sacrifice 27 ...ti:Je 6! was appropriate, so as to exchange or revive the passive bishop on f6 : 28.�h3 231 A Cwming Chess Opening for Black (28.�xd6 1d.e7 29Jhd8 'ifxd8 with The opposite-coloured bishops and compensation; 28 . .ixd6?! lt:JcS with unsafe kings on both sides level out initiative) 28 ...'ikc7 29 . .ixe6 �xe6 White's extra pawn. The drawing ten 30.�edl .igS=. dencies are large enough. 28. .l:.ed1 i..e7 29.i..h3 I:Dd7 30 . .bd7 40 . .b3 fxe4 41. 'ifd8+�h7 42. 'ifh4+ :Xd7 31.ltJc3 �g8 43.'ifd8+ �h7 44.'ifh4+ �g8 Draw agreed. For dessert, I will show you a duel which took place in the Croatian cham pionship of 2012. White conceded the bishop pair, but continued to exert pressure with a skilful pawn set-up. A convincing and instructive win. 120 White is squeezing his opponent. Ivan Sa ric (2651) 31 ...d5?! Zoran Jovanovic (2556) There was still no need fo r such radical Opatija ch-CRO 2012 (11) measures. More reserved was 3I..."itb6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.tbf3 32.cS (32.lt:Jds i.xdS 33.exdS=) tbbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .l:le1 32 ...'i:Vxb3 33.lt:Jds 'ifxa4 34.lt:Jb6 'i:Vbs c6 8.a4 aS 9.i..a2 'ifb6 10.h3 exd4 3S.lt:Jxd7 i.xd7 36.cxd6 .igS 37.�cl, 11.'ifxd4 'it'b4!? unclear. Also possible is II...'iixd4 12.tt:lxd4 �e8 32 . .be7 d4 33 . .b3 13.lt:Jfs �f8 14. .if4 lt:JeS=. Stronger was 33.i.gS dxc3 34.�xd7 12. 'ffe3 tLle5= 13.1:Dd4 .ixd7 3S.'ifd3±. Not much is promised by 13.tt:lxeS dxeS 33 ...d xc3 34.:Xc3 14.li'g3 'ikd6. Or 34.�xd7 1ixd7 3S.'i:Vd3 'i:Vb6 13... .id8 36.'ifxd7 'iff2+ 37.'�>h3 �e6 38.1d.e7 Interesting is 13 ... .ixh3! �g6 39.1i.gS 'ifxf3, unclear. 34 ... .l:.ed8 35 . .l:lcd3 'it'b6 36.i..e7 :Xd3 37.:Xd3 :Xd3 38.'ifxd3 'iff2+ 39.�h3 f5 analysis diagram 14.f4 (14.gxh3? 'ti'xd4 IS.'ikxd4 tt:lf3+) 14 ... .ic8 IS.fxeS tt:lg4 16.'ti'd3 dxeS 232 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£63 . lt::Jc3 e5 4. tt:J£3 17.tLlb3 (17.tLlf3 'ii'b6+ 18. .te3 tLlxe3 A blunder. Stubborn resistance could 19Jhe3 .tcs 20 . .l::f.el .l::f.e8 with com have been offered by 22 ... �e6 23.�g5 pensation) 17... �d8!=F. Such quiet �d8 24.�xd8 l:!:axd8t. moves may be missed in long calcula 23.�g5 tions. Saric could have played a 'dark-square 14.�d2 lLlc4 15. .bc4 1i'xc4 16.b3 symphony' with 23.�h4+- .td8 'ifc5 17.1i'd3 .:tea 18.�f4 �c7 24.�h6 gxf5 25.�xe5+ �xeS (25 ... 19. .:tad1 dxeS 26.l:Ixd8+- 25 ....l::f. xe5 26.'ii'f8#) 26.exf5+-. 23 ... .hf5 24.exf5 tbd7 25.fxg6 fxg6 26.i.e7± 1i'f527. hd6 .:.Xe3? 27 ....txd6 28.'ii'xd6 .l:rxe3 29.fxe3 'ii'es 30.�d4±. 28. 'ifxe3+- Also winning, but not as quickly as in the line mentioned above. Please note that the absence of the light squared bishop isn't so problematic for White, because the pawn structure en sures him control of the light-square complex. 19... tbd7?! 19... .td7!? 20.t2Jf3 h6. 20.l2Jf5;!;; l2Je521 . 1i'g3 g6 Unfortunately, insufficient is 21...�xf5 28 ... i.b6 29. 'iff4?! 22.exf5 tLld7 .23 .l::f.xe8+ l:txe8 29.'ii'e7! .txf2+ 30.�hl .tb6 24.�xd6±. 3l.tLle4+-. 22 . .:te3 'iith8? 29 ... 1i'xc2? 29 ... .l::te8±. 30.i.e5++- lL!xe5 31. 'ifxe5+ 'iitg8 32. 'ife6+'iit g7 Other retreats don't help: 32 ... �h8 33.'ii'f6 + �g8 34.l::td7+-. 33 . .:td7+ 'iith6 34. 1i'f6 1i'f5 35. 1i'h4+ 'ifh536. 'iff4+ g5 36 .. .'ifgs 37.l:txh7++-. 37.'ife5 .:tg8 38.lL!e4 'ife2 39.'ii'f6+ 1-0 233 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Conclusion The impression is that 8 ...a7 -aS provides Black with acceptable play, fo r three results. He has diffe rent plans at his disposal. Only one of them, from my point of view, usually leads to a slight, but co mfortable advantage fo r Whi te: the surrender of the centre , followed by trades on e6 . The arising phalanx - e6, d6 , c6 - will be smashed by White's paw n thrust e4 -eS , wh ich saddles the opponent with an isolated e-pawn. It looks as if Black will have a 'boring' fight fo r a draw there. And again, this is all just the author's subjective opinion. Yo u may have fo rmed another opinion . 234 Section 3: The Flexible Structure ( a6, b6, c6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lbf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.tt::lf3 tt::lbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .1:e1 c6 8.a4 b6 Quite often Black prefers to arrange his pawns in a highly flexibleway with d6, c6, b6, a6. Of course, this is not for the sake of beauty, although there is certainly an aesthetic component to it. The idea is that White always has to take into account the advances ...b6- b5 and ...c6- c5, and then ...d6-d5 may fo llow too. Before we continue, I remind you that not everything the author writes is the ultimate truth. We cannot exclude that certain specialists may have other opinions. Besides, new lines may appear before the moment you open this book. I am trying to be as impartial as possible and to be guided by the latest games. So, White has three basic plans at his disposal: A) Opposing with b2-b4 B) The central approach: d4-d5 C) Maintaining the tension in the centre 235 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black A) Opposing with b2-b4 A fa miliar idea, but in a slightly different This most concrete reaction also seems version. Logically, it is more favourable to be the most popular now. The first for the rook to remain on the a-file, time I faced b2-b4 in this line was in an which will be opened. encounter during a round-robin tour 9 ...a6 10.b4 nament in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. In those years this was a surprise for the I was on my way to fulfilling a grand author. master norm and fo r that purpose it was 1 o ...b5 1 1 .axb5 cxb5 necessary to win with black in the last round. From time to time one can hear rumours about 'fixed' games. However, many times I have lacked exactly half a point for an international master or grandmaster norm. The disappoint ment is terrible in such cases, but all the decisive games were fair. One of those duels I bring fo rward here fo r you, dear reader. The author got a huge advantage rather quickly, but in genious defensive play by his opponent Taking with the c-pawn also makes and the pressure of responsibility pre sense, as the c-file and the diagonal are vented a logical outcome. opened in order to exert pressure on e4. More common is ll...axbS. 121 12. ..ib3�b7 13.�b2 ..,c7 14.h3 :ace Georgy Timoshenko (2534) 15.'ii'd3 l:tfe8 16.d5 Sergey Kasparov (2452) A natural move which raises obstacles Kiev Open 2011 (11) before Black's... and White's pieces! 1.e4 d6 2.d4 t!Jf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.l!Jf3 Both light-squared bishops are limited, t!Jbd7 5 . ..ic4 ..ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:te1 c6 and the knight on c3 is also passive now. 8.a4 b6 9.l:tb1 16... t!Jb6= 1 7.tbd2 236 Part IV - I.e4 d6 2 .d4 lbf63. ti::x3 eS 4. lbf3 In 4-5 moves the evaluation has changed fr om ';!;;' to '=F'. All Black's pieces are successfully placed, whereas in the enemy camp some disharmony can be seen. 25.�f3 lba426.c4? ! This intensifies White's problems, but there are no good continuations in sight. 26 ...axb4 27 .cxb5 'fibS28 . ..ie2 ..ixe3 29.fxe3 tbc3-+ Georgy is probably preparing the move c2-c4. If he manages it, then after the exchanges on c4 the a6-pawn will be under pressure, and so will be Black's entire queenside. 17... tbh5 18.tbd1 ..ig5 19.tbe3 J:a8?! This looks artificial; 19... h6 . 20.g3 White has a certain superiority af ter the above-mentioned line: 20.c4 bxc4 2I.tLldxc4 .ixe3 22.tLlxe3 tLlf4 23.'iVflt. Obviously, the Ukrainian White's pawn structure is irreparably grandmaster supposed that c2-c4 was weakened - objectively Black is techni inevitable and tried to implement it in cally winning. the most comfortable way. 30 . ..ixc3 bxc3 31.tbc4 tbxe432. 'ii'g2 f5 20 ... ..ic8 21. �h2 ..id7 Natural and strong. Now the bishop has been activated and 33 . ..id3 tbc5 is working on two flanks. Maybe not the best; 33 ...tLlf 6!?. 22.c3 34 . ..if1 lbe4 3S.:ec1 :cs 36 . ..id3 Already not good is 22.c4 bxc4 :a4! 37 . ..,e2 tbf6 23.tLldxc4 .ibs with initiative. Even stronger was 37.. Jkxc4 38. .ixc4 22 ... 'flea 23 ..id. 1 tbf6 24. 'iff1 as� tLld2 39.id3 . .l::ta2 40.�hl e4 4I..ic4 l:la4-+. 38.:Xc3 e4 In time-trouble imperfections are una voidable. More accurate was 38 ...tLlx d5. 39.�c2 tbxd5 40.�b3! The only good move, fo rcing the op ponent to find the right decision with in the last 1-2 minutes before the time control. 40 ... tbxc3? 40 .. .'�h8. 237 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 41.tbxd6+ �8 42.1Wh5 49 . .bf7 This looks quite horrible. The lonely 49Jhc3+ .l:tc4 50Jhc4+ �b6 Sl..�.c6+ king is assaulted by almost the entire 52... .J:[b1 + 53 . ..W2 .J:[b2+ 54. 46 ... �c7 I fe lt I had to play the principled move, but I had no energy to calculate long variations: 46 ...tbx di! 47.'i!Vd5+ �c7 48.'iYc5+ �b8 49.'iYb6+ 'iYb7 SO.'iYd8+ .i.c8 SI.'iVd6+ 'iYc7 52.'iYxb4 tbxe3 53.b6 tbfl+ 54.�g2 'ifxg3+ Georgy plays skilfully and doesn't allow SS. 238 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tiJ£6 0.c33. e5 4. tiJ£3 game were struggling in deep opening Done. The pawn doesn't mind mov preparation. ing further and pushing the enemy I have to admit that Czech grandmaster knight aside. How can this aggression Petr Velicka showed superior skills in be stopped? this struggle, and he got a considerable 12.axb5 axb5 13.b4!? positional advantage. However, after that your obedient servant played cre atively and, by sacrificing a piece, made the realization stage difficult for White. Black's pawn phalanx was making Petr nervous until I restored the material balance. At the same time, a draw was agreed. 122 Petr Velicka (2472) Sergey Kasparov (2521) Well, by putting mechanical obstacles Krakow 2012 (6) in the adversary's way. The downside 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 of this move is the weakness of the lbbd7 5 . ..ic4 ..ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .l:.e1 c6 b4-pawn, upon which the e7-bishop is 8.a4 b6 greedily glancing. 13... 'ifc7 Obviously 13... dS is no good on ac count of 14.dxe5 ..txb4 1S.'ii'd3 ..txc3 16.'ii'xc3 tt:::lxe4 17.'ifxc6±. 14. ..ib3 tbb6 This looks compact and solid; the c8- rook will join the game. The pawn clash is not so clear but interesting: 14 ...c5 lS.bxcS dxcS 16.dxe5 tt:::lxeS 17.tt:::lxe5 'iVxeS 18.'ifd2 'ti'd6 19.e5 (better 19.tLldS) 19 ...'ifxd2 20 . .ixd2 A flexible move. Black intends to put all c4 with counterplay, Malakhov his queenside pawns on the 6th rank, Cuenca Jimenez, Spain tt 2009; 14 ... thus making the opponent nervous. He exd4 1S.tt:::lxd4 tt:::leS 16.f4;;!;; Ni Hua must always consider the breakthroughs Pridorozhni, Olginka tt 2011. ...b6- b5 (usually) , ...c6-c5, and ...d6-d5 . 15. 'ifd3 ..ie6 After ...b7- b6, though, the move ...a7 -a5 1S ... ..td7 16 . .l::ta6 (16.dxe5 dxeS 17. .icS will not be so good because White can ..tc8 18 . .!::f.edl ..txcS 19.bxc5 tt:::lbd7 render Black's light squares (dS, c6, bS) 20.'ti'e3;;!;; Mekhitarian-Strikovic, La La vulnerable by means of d4-dS. With the guna Open 2010) 16 ... l:f.fd8 17.'ife2 .ie8 pawn still on b7 this would be inappro 18.�eal .!::f.b7 19.dxe5 dxeS 20 . ..tcs priate. ..txcS 21.bxc5 tt:::lbd7 22.'i:Ye3;;!;; Berg-]. 9 . .b2 a6 1 0 . .te3 .l:.b8 11.h3 b5 Johansson, Kungsor ch-SWE 2009. 239 A ClUIIling Chess Opening for Black 16.be6 fxe6 17.ttJg5 A nice pawn grouping in the centre. White is only 'half-a-pawn' up (the knight is worth - 2.5 pawns). 21 . .id2 h6?! More careful was 2l...�b7. 22.tbf3 e4 23. 1fe3 l:Lb7 More stubborn was 23 ... �d8! 24.'iff4 ±, but who could play so precisely here? The position is highly unconventional. 24.l:Lxb7 1rxb725. tbh4 Better 2S.tt::ld4. 25 ... 1i'd7 26.ttJg6 .idS An important moment. Your obedient servant has played more or less opti mally so far, but now he commits an error. 17... 'ifc8?! More accurate was 17... 'itd7, keeping control of the 7th rank, for exam ple: 18.dxe5 (or 18.d5 exdS 19.�xb6 �xb6 20.exd5 h6 21.tLlge4± or 21.tLle6 l::rfb8±) 18 ...dxe 5 19.�xb6 (weaker is 19.'ifxd7 tt::lfxd7 20.tt::lxe6 �f6 21.tt::lcs .txcS 22.bxc5 tt::lc4=) 19... 'ifxd3 Can you finda mate? The computer and 20.cxd3 l:rxb6 21.l::rebl±. White retains I can't. Somehow Black has managed to a certain advantage, but all is 'within put up stubborn resistance. permissible limits'. 27.tbe2 1rf728. tbef4 tbd729. 1rg3 18.l:la7 l:Le819 .d5 lbbxd5!? More precise was 29.'iVa7 tt::les Not wishing to die a slow and agonizing 30.'i¥xf7+ Wxf7 31.tt::lxe5+ dxeS death, I try to organize some activity. 32.tLle2±. The rook goes to al, seizing 19 ...exd5 20 . .txb6 �xb6 2l.exd5 .l:ta6 the file. 22.l::txa6 'ifxa6± was Caruana-Hautot, 29 ... tbe5 Novi Sad Ech-tt 2009. 29 ...d4 !?. 20.exd5 exd5 30 . .ie3 tbxg6 Thrilling but unsatisfactory is 30... �h7 31.tt::lxe5 dxeS 32.tLle2 d4 33 . .td2 'ifc4 34.'itg4 'ifxc2 3S . .txh6 �xh6 36.�cl±. 31.'ifxg6 Also good was 31.tt::lxg6 .tf6 32.h4 (32.'ifxd6?! d4 (32 ...'ifxg 6? 33.'itxc6±) 33 . .tf4 'ifxg6 34.'itxc6±. 31 ... 'ifxg632. tbxg6 .if6 An important moment. The white rook cannot move to al. The a-fileis the only 240 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tiJ£6 3. 0c3eS 4. tiJ£3 open highway and it is advisable for h4=; it is dangerous to underestimate Black to grab it. the passed b-pawn. 33.ttJf4 d4 34 . .tc1 �7 35.�1 d5 40 ...dxe4 41.:Xd4 :Xc2 42.:Xe4 �6 43.h4 c5 44.bxc5 :Xes 45.hxg5+ hxg5 46.f3 :es 47.:Xe5 Black took too much risk in the fo llow ing clash at the Aeroflot Open. Very soon Yakov Geller obtained an over whelming position. The bishop on a6 looked quite poor, while White's rooks Reasonable. The d4-pawn prevents lorded it on the 7th rank! However, White from blocking the black pawn Bocharov's inventive defence fo rced the phalanx. enemy to make a mistake and even lose. as.:d1 :as 37 . .tb2? An inaccuracy which allows me to get off 123 with a whole skin. The precise 37.lLJe2! Yakov Geller (2544) would have preserved the advantage: Dmitry Bocharov (2605) 37... �al (37 ... �a2 38.tt:Jxd4 i.xd4 Moscow Aeroflot Open A 2011 (5) 39.�xd4 .l:txc2 40.i.e3± with a solid 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.tZ:lc3 e5 4.ttJf3 blockade on the dark squares) 38.Wel ttJbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 gS (38 ... �bl 39.�a3+-) 39.i.b2±. s.:e1 b6 9 . .ia2a6 10.h3 :b8 11. .ie3 37 ...g5 38.ttJh5 b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.b4 'ifc7 Now 38.tt:Je2 couldn't be played be Or 13... ..ib7 14.1!t'd3 h6 15 . ..ib3 exd4 In cause of the obvious 38 ...d3+ and two teresting is lS... cS!? 16.dxcS (the analog white pieces are under fire. ical 16.bxcS dxcS is unclear) 16 ...dx cS, 38 ... :S2 39.tbxf6 :Xb2 threatening. ..cS-c4 and the e4-pawn A rook and a knight are essentially is kept under fire. 16.lbxd4 lbe5 17.1!t'e2 weaker than a rook and a bishop. (Smeets-]. Johansson, Sweden tt 2010/11) and here 17 ...d5! could have equalized. 40.tbxe4 40.tt:Jg4 l:Ixc2 41.l:Ixd4 hS 42.tt:Je3 .l:tb2 analysis diagram 43.tt:JxdS cxdS 44. .l:IxdS l:Ixb4 4S . .l::txgS 24 1 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Evidently intending to capture on b4. 14.'it'd3 exd4 15.�xd4 ttJes Reasonable. The Russian makes use of the fact that the white queen is too ac tively placed. 16. 'ii'e3 ttJfd7 29.tba6! 'Swift punishment', we could say - if the game had come to its logical end. 29 ... i.xa6 29... .l:i.a8? 30.tt::lxc7 'ifxc7 3I..l::td8+. 30.l:ld7 'it'f8 31 . .1b:c7 Black regroups his pieces. The bishop Not a trace remains of the two bishops. on e7 is willing to go out to f6 , and the White is dominating. knight on eS may eventually occupy 31 ...fxe4 32. 'ifgS point c4. Actually, I also thought of this move. 17.ttJe2 �f6 18.ttJxe5 dxeS 19.i.c3 Houdini, however, suggests the even ttJb6 stronger 32.'ife3 .ic8 33.�xe4 �xf2 I think that after the appearance of a 34.'ifxe5, threatening .l::tc7xg7 with black pawn on eS the position is about a win as both rooks on f2 and b8 are equal. Why should White be better hanging. here? The pawn structure is almost 32 ... .:lea 33. l:ldd7 .l:[g6 34. 'ifhS e3 symmetrical. Despair, but what else can be done? Af 20.ttJc1 tba4 21.�b3 ttJxc3 22. 'ifxc3 ter 34... �c8 3SJH7 'i:Yg8 36.Ilf6 White i.e? 23.ttJd3 �d6 24.ttJc5 'it'e7 is also winning. Somewhere deep down, Black may be 35.fxe3 'it'xb4 planning ... .id6xc5. I wonder if this The moment of truth. was really the case. 25.l:le3 �h8 Also not bad is 25 ... �xc5 26."iVxcS "iVxcS 27.bxc5 .l::td8. 26.l:ld3 fS 27 . .1:.ad1 l:lf6? Playing with fire. Bocharov tries to ex ploit the advantage of the bishop pair - otherwise I don't see any explana tion. If 27 ... .ixc5 28.'i¥xc5 "iVxcS 29.bxc5 and White is slightly better. 28. 'ifd2 i.e? 242 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.tD::3 e5 4. tb£3 Brilliancies like 36.�xg6? don't work: In 2010, in an Olympic encounter, 36 ...hxg6 37..lhg7 �h4. the struggle developed around the ad Correct was 36.�dl!, for instance: vanced cS-pawn, which lost touch with 36... �e4 37.�d2 �c8 38. .l:rxc8+-; the rest of the infantry. The Russian or 37.. J:tf8 38.llf7 l:rf6 39.l:rxf6 gxf6. grandmaster did not play flawlessly Here the computer's verdict is 'totally (19 ...b4) and White seized a substantial winning', as the white king hides from initiative. On the 35th move the situa the �e3 check by 40.�h2, and then tion was catastrophic fo r Black, but then the decisive penetration with �d6 is suddenly amnesty was granted. threatened. 36... 'ife4 124 The only move. Manuel Leon Hoyos (2579) 37.ti'f3 'ifxf338. gxf3 Sanan Sjugirov (2627) After the trade of the queens Black can Khanty-Mansiysk ol 2010 (9) breathe again. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.tt:Jf3 38 ... �c8 39.�f7 ttJbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .l:[e1 c6 39.lle7=. 8.a4 b6 9.b2 a6 10.h3 .l:[b8 11.�e3 39 ... bd7 40.he8? b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.b4 'ifc7 14.'ifd3 40Jhd7=. ttJb615 .�b3 h6 40 ... �xe8 41 . .l:[e7 �f7 42.:Xf7 �g8 A preventive measure against swoops 43 . .l:[e7 .l:[d644. Two passed pawns have appeared. Such a pair is able to ensure the victory with Does the cS-pawn bother the enemy or out help of the king. is it a potential weakness fo r White? 47. 243 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black The Russian player tries to surround the �xd7 38.'ifxd7. Black doesn't have any cS-pawn, while his own pawn on b4 is compensation, fo r example 38... 'iff2 also potentially weak. 39.'ifd2 and ... what? 21.ttJd2 35 ... :e8 36.tbxe5 tbxe5 37. 'Wx14 2l.lbh4!?. :XeS 38. 'Wg3 1i'e7 39.l:[d5 tbc4 21 ... .b6 22.tbc4 l:[bb8 40.1i'12 l:[1e8 41 . In the Russian team championship of 2011, the Chinese mercenary Ni Hua got the advantage by exchanging his knight fo r a bishop (18.tbxe7), but then he acted extremely irresolutely, which even allowed the opponent to take over the initiative. Finally, only respect fo r 27.1i'd2 the representative of the Celestial Em Strong is 27 . .l::ta2!: the rooks are doubled pire's Elo, or maybe team interests, on the a-fileand will get to the 7th rank. urged Pridorozhni to agree on a draw 27 ... tbef6 28. 'We3 tbe8 29.13 tbe16 in a promising position. 30.ttJd6 �g8 31.l:[d2 tbh5 32.l:[ad1 tb14 33.�h2 'Wa734. tbxb5 exb5 125 A key moment. Obviously, Black is on Ni Hua (2646) the verge of defeat, because the d7- Alexey Pridorozhni (2542) knight is stuck in a nasty pin and mate Olginka tt 2011 (8) rial loss is inevitable. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ16 3. tbc3 e5 4. ttJf3 35.ttJd3? ttJbd7 5 .ie4. .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 e6 Time trouble, perhaps? Otherwise it 8.l:[e1 b6 9 . .ia2 a6 10.h3 l:[b811 . .ie3 is difficult to understand why a chess b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.b4 1i'e7 14. .ib3 player with an Elo-rating of about 2600 exd4 15.tbxd4 tbe5 rejected the simple win of a piece with Without attacking anything, this jump is 3S.l:td6 'ifc7 36.'ifd2 'ifxcS 37.l:ixd7 not so spectacular, but still quite logical. 244 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.lZ:d e5 4. tb£3 23.�xf6. 23... Wh7 24.�h1 'iVe7 25.lt:le2? 16.f4 ltJQ6 Also possible was 16. ..li:Jc4, but after 17.�xc4 bxc4 18.b5 White has the The Chinese player is operating too initiative; the c4-pawn is slightly slowly. Apparently, he planned to send discordant with the c8-bishop. the knight to hS, but Black has an in 17.lt:lf5 :ea 18.tbxe7+ :Xe7 19.f5 stant counterblow: lt:le520. �g5± 25 ...c5! 26.c3 26.bxc5 dxcS+. 26 ... g5 27.fxg6+ fxg6 28.ltJQ3:ta In reply to 28 ...g5 White had planned 29.tbfs, though it is not dangerous: 29... �d7 is unclear. 29 . ..td5 29 . .l:,la7 .l:la8 doesn't change the picture. 29 ... �c8 30 . ..txf6 :Xf6 31.c4?! Black's prospects look extremely bleak, and Houdini agrees with this. Judge for yourself: White has two bishops, and the only black one (on c8) is very limited in its actions. The d6-pawn is potentially weak, and can hardly move. On the other hand, all White's pieces are maximally active. 20 ... :ea 21. "ii'd2 Ni Hua tries to liven up the game. I More accurate seems to be 2l.�xf6 suspect it may have been time trouble, gxf6 22.�d2±, aiming, on occasion, to because this move sooner plays into harass the black king. Black's hands. Please note how crippled 21 ... ..tb7 the g3-knight is, there are hardly any 2l...�e7. squares for it to jump to. 22.:e3 h6 23.�h4 31 ... tbxc4 245 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black More logical was 3I...bxc4 32.bxc5 dxcS. Why trade off the nice blockading knight? However, this is easy for me to say than to decide over the board. 32.�xc4 bxc4 33.bxc5 dxcS 34.e5 .l:tfb6 35.l:tae1 �e6 36.t2Je4 �g7 37.tbf6 .l:tb1 38.l:tg3=F What does White actually have here? The pawns are equal, the eS-pawn is exposed, but so is the b4-pawn. White's knights have no strongpoints. 20.:Sb1 20.tbxe5 .l:!bd8 2l.�f3 �xb4=. 20... .1:tbd821 . 'iie2 liJhS Obviously Black is better here, but team Simpler was 2l...�d6 or 2l...�c7. tournaments have their own rules: 22 . .1:txd8 i..xd8 23.tillce5 liJf4 24.'ife3 draw agreed. 24.�d2 �gS; 24.�el? �d4 2S.tbxc6 �xc3 26.�xc3 tbe2+-+. Sound play was demonstrated by Ru 24 ... 'ii'b7! ben Felgaer in the following game, Ruben plays very precisely. After who managed to hold against an elite 24 ...'ii' xe3 2S.fxe3 �b6 (2S ...lbhs 26.g4 Ukrainian grandmaster. Black sacrificed tbf6 27.tbxc6+-) 26.tbxc6± Black a pawn and obtained abundant piece might have problems. play as compensation. 25.tbd3 126 Alexander Areschenko (2709) Ruben Felgaer (2586) Tromse FIDE World Cup 2013 (2) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3. tbc3eS 4. tbf3 tbbd7 5.�c4 i..e7 6.0-0 c6 7.a4 0-0 8.l:te1 b6 9.i..a2 a6 10.h3 .J:tb8 11.i..e3 bS 12.axb5 axbS 13.b4 'iic7 14. 'iid3 lbb6 14 ...exd 4!? 1S.�xd4 tbes 16.�e3 l:.b7 17.�edl±. 15.i..b3 h6 16. .1:ted1 �e6 25 ... tillcd3 Or 16... l:Id8!? - in any case I don't see More accurate is 2S ... �b6 26.tbc5 �e7 any 'contra-indications' fo r this move. with compensation. Besides, the pawn 17.be6 fxe6 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.bb6 which, after trades, inevitably ends up 'iixb6= on cS, will be weak. 246 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 liJ£6 3. 0.c3 eS 4. liJ£3 26. 'ifxd3 .tb6 27.ltJd1 'it'f7 28. 'ife2 15... b5 'ifg6 29.�h1 Black can also include the bishop in the More reasonable is 29 . .l::!.ai;;!;; with the struggle on the kingside with 15... �c8 transparent idea :i:f.al-a6. 16.�d4 gS 17.�g3 tt:lhS 18.�xe5;;!;;. 29 ... 'ift6 30 . .l:lb3 'it'd4 31.'ii'g4 'ii'e5 16. .l:le3?! 32 . .l:tf3 .l:td8 33 . .l:ld3 .l:lf8 34 . .l:lf3 .l:.d8 Better seems to be 16.'ifd4, also taking 35 . .l:td3 :ta 36.J:tt3 112-112 square b4 under control. 16... b4 != 17.ttJe2 d5 Dimitri Reinderman confidently equal This advance is usually stronger when ized against a famous Israeli grandmas the white knight has left c3. ter. First he drove the white knight from 18.exd5 cxd5 19. 'ifd4 ttJed7 c3, then he struck a blow in the centre: Dimitri supports the f6 -knight, threat ...d6-d5 . Emil tried to confuse his op ening 19 ... �c5 at the same time. A ponent, throwing almost all his troops common truth is worth remembering: at the black king and ignoring material. the knight is the best blockader, not the In a complicated position the oppo queen. nents, perhaps due to lack of time, 20 . .l:lg3..t>h7 21 .ttJf4 made mistakes here and there. The last one was made by the Dutchman. 127 Emil Sutovsky (2650) Dimitri Reinderman (2575) Rijeka Ech 2010 (9) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.lLlc3 e5 4.lLlf3 ttJbd7 5 .tc4. .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 a . .l:.e1 b6 9.h3 a6 1 o . .ta2 .tb711. ttJh4 .:ea 12.lLlf5 .ita 13.dxe5 13.�g5 h6 14.�h4 bS IS.dxeS tt:lxeS is a transposition. 13... ttJxe5 Not good is 13... dxe 5 14.'iVf3± with great pressure on Black's castled position. 14:.tg5 h6 15. .ih4 Dimitri Reinderman 24 7 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black This reminds of a fo otball-like collision After 27 . .ixf6 tbxf6 28.iff4 the Dutch (inspired by the latest World Champi man would have been fe eling uncom onship in Brazil). Many black players fortable. might have resigned here, especially 27 ... 0.e4-+ when an opponent with an Elo-rating of 2650 is sitting in front of you. 21 ... .:.es I can't criticize this move, being a 'prac titioner'. I realize how difficult it is to change your behaviour at the board. There were better moves, but this is what the computer wants to play: 2l...gS! 22..�.xgS hxgS 23Jhgs l:te4; 2I...l::te4! 22.�d2 (22..�xf6 �xd4 23.�xd4 - not 23 . .ixd8 l::txf4-+) 22 ... g6 23.lt:JxdS .ixdS 24.�xdS l:lxh4 Do you see the difference? Of course, 2S.�xa8 (2S.lt:Jxh4 lt:Jb6+) 2S ...gxfS now the rook is protected by the d7- 26 . .ic6 .!:lc4+. knight. It seems that the extra piece will 22.c3?! bring a point fo r Black, as there is no 22 . .ixf6 'f!Yxf6 23.tbe3 <;t>g8 24.l:t.f3 mate, but ... unclear. 28.cxb4 'it'd4 22 ...g6 Better was 28 ...�xb4 29. .if6 tbdxf6 22 ...bx c3!? 23.bxc3 ifc7 24 . .ixf6 tbxf6 30.�xeS tbxg3 3l.�xg3 tbe4-+ or 2S.lt:Je3 �d8+. 3l.ifxf6 ife l+ 32.<;t>h2 lt:Jfl+ 33.<;t>h1 23.�b1 ?! lt:Jd2+ 34. 248 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ£6 3. tbc3 eS 4. ttJ£3 34.�g5! opponents exchanged mistakes, but the A trick that can easily be missed. Azerbaijani player made more of them, 34 ... :Se6 35. 'ifh4'ii' xb4?! 36.�f4? leading to Black's victory. Suddenly the rook is caught in the cen tre of the board. 128 36.f4!? e3 37.fxe5 'tWxh4 38 . .ixh4 e2 Gadir Guseinov (2615) 39.nxd5 el� 40.nxd7 'fVxeS 4Lnxf7+ Pavel Elianov (2665) �h8 42 . .!:f.f8+=. Turin ol 2006 (11) 36... 'ifd6? 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.lLlf3 I suppose it was huge time trouble al lLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:te1 c6 ready, but the phase exhausting calcula 8.a4 b6 9.i.a2 a6 10.h3 l:tbB tion of long variations is over. Stronger In the same town this variation had was 36 ...�e7, which suggested itself, fo r already been applied against Gadir: instance 37. ..igS 'i¥d6 38.�f4 tbcS-+. 10 ... �b7 ll.tDh4 exd4 12.'i¥xd4 cS 37. 'ifdB l:tg6 38.be5 'ifxe5 13.'i¥dl g6 14.�h6 kle8 15.lDf3 �f8 38 ...tbxe5 39Jhds 'i¥xd8 40. .ld.xd8±. 16.1i!.xf8 lDxf8 17.lDgS l:!e7 18.'i¥f3 39. Wxd7 ..te6? �g7 19. .ld.adl± (Guseinov-Nguyen More stubborn was 39 ... .ib3!?, but who Ngoc Truongson, Turin Olympiad would move the bishop so far away 2006). Black stands considerably worse, from the main army in his last seconds? taking into account the weakness on d6. 40.'ifd6+- 11. ..tg5 ll.tDh4 exd4 12.'ii'xd4 tbcs 13.lDfs .ii!.xfS 14.exf5 dS= Vasiesiu-Badea, Bucharest 2002. 11... b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.b4 The tables have turned. 40 ... 'ifa541 .l:td4 :Xg3 42. 'ifxg3 'it'b6 43.l:td6 'ifc7 44.1i'e5 'ifc2 45.�g3 �g6 46.l:td8 1i'b3+ 47.�h4 f6 48. 'ifg3+ 'ifxg3+49. �xg3 ..tc450.h4 The same motif.But does the bishop feel ..tb351 .a5 ..tc452 .�4 1-0 good on gS in this scheme? We will see. 13... :ea In a duel at the Turin Chess Olympiad Here is a fr agment taken from an ac the bishop was brought to gS, which quaintance of mine from Siberia. It is didn't bring White anything. Ukrainian easier fo r chess players who come from grandmaster Pavel Elianov first equal wealthy Russian regions (yes, they do ized, and then seized the initiative. The exist) to travel and participate in strong 249 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black tournaments. They are sent on assign ments and don't have to spend their own money. 13...'irc7 14.Vi'd3 h6 15.�e3 exd4 16.tZ:lxd4 tZ:les 17.'ire2 .l::re8 (or 17... �d7!? 18.f4 tZ:lc4 19.�xc4 bxc4 20.'ifxc4 l::tfc 8 with certain compensation for the pawn - bishop pair, counterplay. Here, 2I..l::f.a7 'i¥d8 is not fatal) 18.f4 tZ:lg6 19.'ifd3 tZ:ld7 (19... �f8 20.�b3 �d7±) =.&r=--_.:....__.:...._____:_=.___J 20.tZ:lfs tZ:lb6 (20 ... �f8 2I.I:tadl+-) 2I.tZ:lxe7+ 'ifxe7 22 . .:tadl± Smeets- 35. 'ifxf4? Kabanov, Aix-les-Bains Ech 2011. Only a dilettante would criticize the 14J%b1 Wc7 15.tt::lh4 players here. I used to play fo r teams The white knight's departure to the edge in different European countries and of the board is as always followed by... leagues. I know the burden of responsi 15 ...exd4 16. 'it'xd4tt::l f8 17. 'ifd3�e6= bility you can fe el in team tournaments. With the liquidation of the source of I suppose that at the Olympiad this bur Black's constant concern (the a2-bishop) den is even heavier, especially in the the position becomes even. leading group. Both Ukraine and Azer 18.he6 fxe6 baijan are among the strongest squads Better was 18... tZ:lxe6 with a slight in the world. initiative fo r Black, fo r example 19.�d2 Guseinov had an opportunity to ele tZ:ld7 and the knight goes to c4. gantly fo rce a draw with 35.'ifxg7+! 19. 'ifg3 ttJBd720. tt::lf3 e5 21.tt::lh4 tt::lh5 'ifxg7 36.tZ:lxg7 Wxg7 37.�a7+ Wg8 22.'ifg4 hg5 23.'ifxg5 tt::lf4 38.�cc7, and it is impossible to avoid Pavel has completely solved his opening perpetual check along the 7th rank: problems. His pawn structure ensures 38 ...tZ:ld6 39.l::tg7+ '.t>f8 40.�xh7 Wg8 Black central control. 4I.l::rag7+ Wf8 42.lic7=. 24.tt::le2 35... g6? 24.tZ:lf5 tZ:lb6=. Right was 35 ... k:td5 36.g4 tZ:leS 37..l:tca6 24 ... tt::le6 25. We3 tt::lb6 26.tt::lf5 tt::lc4 g6 38.l::ra7 tZ:ld7+ or 35 ...e3 36.fxe3 27. 'ifd3 Abd8 28.l%a1 d5 29.l%a6 tZ:lxe3+. White is in trouble in all lines. 29.exd5 cxd5 30.�a6 'irb7=. 36.Ac7 'ifxf5 37. 'ifxf5 gxf5 38.l%aa7 29 ... 'ifb730. Aea1 'iff7 A curious line is 30 ...dxe4 3I.'ifxe4 'ifxa6 32.l:txa6 �dl+ 33.Wh2 tLld2 34.'i¥xc6 (34.tZ:le3!?) 34... tZ:lfl + 35.<.t>gl tLld2+=. 31.:Xc6 tt::lf4 32.tt::lxf4 exf4 Complicated geometry. White has an extra pawn, but the enemy has many threats: ...tZ:lc4- e5, d5xe4 ... 33. 'ifd1 dxe4 34. 'it'g4 whB 34 ...tZ:le5? 35.tZ:lh6+. 250 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tiJc3 eS 4. tLlf3 This must be a draw by analogy with the line given above, because also here, White's rooks are raging on the 7th rank. 38 ... .1:te6 39 . .1:txh7+ Ukrainian grandmaster (the scourge of European opens) Sergey Fedorchuk obtained a comfortable advantage in the fo llowing duel. However, it turned out to be a mirage once again. Objec tively, the evaluation fluctuated around 47. 251 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black c6 8.rle1 b6 9.h3 a6 10.i.a2 rlb8 11.1!fd3 Compact play, the queen as it were 'glues the white pieces together'. Now almost all squares in the centre are un der his control. 11 ...b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.b4 'flc7 14. i.g5 tbb6 If Black surrenders the centre with 14... exd4, after 1S.tbxd4 tbeS 16.�d2 White stands better. 15.bf6 hf6 16.d5 22 ... i.d8 23.1!fb7 h6 24.rla1 'ifb2 25.rla8 The rook has been activated, but the firstrank has been weakened. 25 ... 1!fc1 + 26.rJo>h2 'iff4+ 27.rJo>h1 'ifc1+ 28.tbg1 White has managed to escape from the checks, but there are not enough re sources to win. 28 ... 'fld2 29. 'fld7 i.g5 30.rlxf8+ rJo>xf8 31.b5 'flxf2 32. 'flxd6+ �g8 33. 'ifb8+ rJo>h7 34.'fixeS 'fle1 35. �h2 After the exchange on f6 White closes 'fle3 36. 'flf5+ rJo>g8ifc8+ 37. �h7 the centre, thus devaluating the dark 38. 'flf5+ �g8 39. 'flf3 1!fc5 40.1!fe2 squared bishop. Actually, in the fight i.f4+ 41 .g3 hg3+ 42.�xg3 'flxg1+ for the light squares White has an extra 43. rJ;>f3 ifh1+ 44. rJo>f2 'flh2+ 45. �e1 piece now. 1Wxh3 46. rJo>d2 'flb3 47.'fld3 16... cxd 5 16... .-td?!? 17.dxc6 li'xc6 18.tLldS tbxdS 19. .-txdS �c7 20.1:f.ec1;;!;;. 17.tbxd5 Also good was 17. .-txdS tbc4 18.i..xc4 bxc4 19.�d2±. 17 ... tbxd5 18.hd5 i.e6 19.rla5 Maybe White should have played 19. ..txe6 fxe6 20J�a6, with a certain initiative. 19... hd5 20. 'flxd5 'flxc2 21 .rlxb5 rlxb5 22. 1Wxb5 The Russian player has even won a It looks as if White is considerably bet pawn, but the fa r advanced b-pawn in ter here. He has a passed pawn, and in sures White's safety. In queen endings, addition the black bishop is quite pas often not the number of pawns is im sive. portant, but how far advanced they are. 252 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJ£6 3.0d eS 4. tt:Jf3 47 ... 'ii'b2+ 48.�e3 g5 49. 'ii'd8+ �h7 130 50.'ii'd5 'iVc3+ 51.�e2 �g7 52.1i'c6 Konstantin Landa (2632) 'ii'b2+ 53. �3 'iVb3+ 54. Wf2 'iVb2+ Sergey Kasparov (2439) 55.'1tf3 h5 56.b6 g4+ 57.�4 f6 Senden Open 2002 (5) 58.'ifc7+ �g6 59.�e3 'ifb3+ 60.�d2 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lL!f6 3.lL!c3 e5 4.lL!f3 ._.b2+ 61. 'ifild3 'ii'b3+ 62. �e2 'ii'b2+ lLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .:te1 c6 63.�e3 'ii'b3+ 112-112 8.a4 b6 9.d5 A radical solution. White makes Black's light squares vulnerable and aims at ex ploiting these weaknesses in the future. B) The central approach: d4-d5 9 ...cxd5 White's plan connected with the move Please don't be lazy and read this com d4-d5 essentially diffe rs from the one ment. This is an important moment. considered above. We don't have to dig Black cannot comfortably close the cen deep to understand its sense: tre as in reply to 9 ...c5 there may follow 10.a5!. a) A simple space grab b) The elimination of the c6-pawn, after which Black's pawn structure will look like a mouth without teeth. The weaknesses of the light squares, which were protected by the c6-pawn, will immediately tell. From my own experience, the most instructive game in this line is a duel against Konstantin Landa, a Russian grandmaster and commentator who analysis diagram is well-known to Western readers (he Right now, as long as Black still hasn't lives in Germany) . played... a7 -a6, and he cannot play ...b6- I recommend you to study the com b5 unlike with the pawn on a6. Events ments and other game fr agments given can develop as follows: 10... bxa5 (10... inside the main game. I know it doesn't a6 11.axb6 tLlxb6 12.Jte2 tbe8± T. always seem entertaining to read a mas Ernst-]. Johansson, Stockholm 1992) sive amount of small print, that's why 11.tLld2 tLlb6 12.l:!xa5 tbxc4 (12 ... �d7 I'm stressing it in this case. 13.!:f.a3 tbxc4 14.tt:lxc4 tbe8 15.f4±, During the exchanges on dS, Konstan Bruzon Batista-Campara, Cali 2001) tin gave up his bishop. He then built a 13.tbxc4 tbe8 14.f4±, Miles-Gelashvili, pawn chain on the light squares. Right Saint Vincent 2000. As you see, Black's up to the 35th move the author main pawn structure has lost its flexibility tained an acceptable position, but in and in the centre he is subject to strong time trouble the Elo-favourite managed pressure. to tilt the balance in his favour after all. 10.bd5 253 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black ant, but only if the opponent marks i.� �.. time. Meanwhile, White must always ..� iii reckon with .. .f7-f5!, Papp-Monroy, i .. Chur 2010; �i B) The immediate 15.. .f5?! has also been played: 16.exf5 i.f6The immediate !'!:, !'!:, 16 ...e4!? was applied against my old t2J t2J friend Tiviakov, fo rcing him to make a !'!:, !'!:, !'!:, !'!:, !'!:, promising exchange sacrifice: 1?. .a:xe4 1d � 'li' Jd � �xe4 18.ii'xe4 �f6 19.'i:fd5+ \t>h8 20.11b1 �e5 2l.g4!± Tiviakov-Shaw, Exactly with the bishop. Here there are England tt 2010/11. some very subtle nuances fo r both sides. 10... lbxd5 11.lbxd5 ..tb7 Or 1I...lLJf6 12.c4 (preferable seems n.tt:Jxe7+ 'ifxe7 13.�g5 h6 14.�xf6 'ifxf6 15.'i!Vd3 with initiative) 12... tt:Jxd5 13.exd5 (13.'i!Vxd5 �e6 with coun terplay) 13 ... �g4 with an initiative in ]. Polgar-Azmaiparashvili, Benidorm rapid 2003. 12.b3 tbf6 A stronger plan seems to be 12 .. J:k8!?, analysis diagram eyeing the c2-pawn. Black wants to capture on d5 to get the enemy e-pawn If even a careful chess player like on this square, which would take away Tiviakov makes such a sharp move, the frontal pressure on the d6-pawn. then, believe me, it will be good. Besides, Black could have started an of 17.:b1 e4 18.:xe4 i.xe4 19.'W'xe4;t, Acs fe nsive on kingside with ...f7-f5 , for ex Conquest, Bled ol 2002 (11). ample: 13.c4 lLJcS . 14..ta3 (14.b4 sug 15.fi'd3 ..tc6 16 . ..te3 .:tfd8 17.tbd2 gests itself, depriving the c4-pawn of •b7 18.f3 a6 a solid defence: 14 ...tDe6 15.'ifd3 �a6 16.b5 lLJcSwith counterplay) 14... .ixd5 (14 .. .lie8 15.�xc5?! bxc5 16.tDxe7+ 'ifxe7 17.lLJd2 'i!Vgs 18J:le3 .l::te6 19.tDfl .l:lf8 with initiative) 15.cxd5 f5 and Black is already better, M. Kuijf-V. Georgiev, Sitges Open 2003. 13.lbxf6+ bf6 14.c4 1i'c7 Or at once 14 ... i.e7, as this move is nec essary anyway, for instance: 15.'W'd3 and now: A) 15... 1!Vc8 16.i.a3 "W'e6 17.:ad1 :adS I intend to push ...b6- b5 in search of 18.tt:ld2 White's position is more pleas- counterplay. 254 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. tbc3 eS 4. tb£3 19.ttJf1 33 ... 'ifb734. l:tc2 hb6 35.l:tb2 Worse is 19.ltJbl?! with the same idea ltJc3-d5, because of 19... d5! 20.cxd5 �xdS 2l.exd5 e4 22.fxe4 �xal and White may not have sufficient compen sation fo r the exchange. 19... .te7 20.l:.ed1 bS 21.a5 2l.cxb5?! axbS 22.a5 dS cannot be recommended. 21 ... l:tdc8 2l...f5! looked quite good, break ing the chain g2-f3-e4: 22.ltJd2 (22. exfS e4 23.fxe4 �xe4 is unclear) 22 ... A crucial moment. Lack of time pre fx e4 23.tt:Jxe4 dS. In all the lines light vented us from finding the best moves squared bishop is revived. here. 22 . .tb6 bxc4 23.bxc4 .td7 35 ... l:tc5?! Considerably stronger was 35 ...'ifc 7! 36.axb6 "ifc 1 37.'iibl 'iV'c3 38.b7 �b8, when I doubt that White can make pro gress. The passed a-pawn will move fo rward, distracting the enemy's at tention, while he needs to control the 2nd rank and the b-pawn, for instance: 39.'i¥a2 (39 . .l::t.b3 'iYd2+ 40.�h3 aS) 39... a5 40.'iib3 'ifxb3 41..l::txb3 a4. 36.axb6 l:tc1 36... a5 37.'iYb3± (37.l:tb5? 'iia6 38.�b3 The bishop is transferred to e6 to attack 'iVxd3 39. .l!rxd3 �bS=). the c4-pawn. 37. 'ife3 l:tcS 38. 'ifa3 Wg8? 24.tbe3.te6 25 .tbd5 .tgS26.g3 hdS Under the motto: 'Better a quick death 27.cxd5 than endless torture'. 27.'ifxd5 leads to a drawn ending: 38... �f8 . 27 ...'ifxd5 28.�xd5 �e7 29.c5 dxcS 39. 'ifa4! �g7 40. 'ifc6! 'ifb8 30.�cl (30.�xe5?? �f6) 30 .. .f6 3l..�d7 40 .. Jhc6 4l.dxc6 iVxc6 42.b7 also �f8. wins for White. 27 ...g6 28. �g2 hS 29.h4 .td830. l:hlb1;t 41.b7 aS 42.'ifa6 1-0 Konstantin has definitely succeeded; The queen goes to a8. White's chances are better. However, despite my inaccuracies, a draw is still Capturing on dS with the knight is is the most probable outcome. more common. Please have a look at 30 ... 'ifd7 31.l:tc1 �g7 32.:Xc8 :XeS a good-quality example taken from a 33.l:ta2 tournament in the capital of Uzbeki 33.'ifxa6?? �xb6 34.axb6 .l!k2+ 35.'liJ>gl stan. It's difficult to findany mistakes in 'iih3-+. this nice game. 255 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 131 or 17.a5 'ifc7 18.axb6 axb6 19.g3 Evgeny Alexeev (2688) �e7=) 17.'ifd3 (17.'ifb7 .l::tb8 18.'ifc6 Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2629) with initiative - not 18.'ii'xa7? 'ifc8+) Tashkent Agzamov Memorial 2011 (6) 17 ... d5!? with counterplay, fo r example 1.e4 d6 2.d4 l!Jf6 3.l!Jc3 e5 4.l!Jf3 18.a5 d4 19.axb6 axb6 20.i.d2 tt::le6= l!Jbd7 5 . .i.c4 .i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 G. Flear-R. Mamedov, Bastia 2011. 8.l:e1 b6 9.d5 cxd5 15.b3 .bd5 16.1i'xd5 .:tfd8 17.l:e3 Which piece should capture? The knight Bad is 17.�xc5 l::txc5 and ...d6-d5 will seems to be a logical choice as usually follow on the next move. White wants to preserve the bishop. 17... lbe6 18.c4 Ags 19.l:ee1 l!Jf4 10.lbxd5 Ab7 20.1i'd1 1i'g4 Or 10... tt::l xd5 ll..�xd5 .l::rb8 and White stands slightly better. 11.b3 There is no point in taking the bishop: II.tt::lxe7+ 'f:i'xe7 and White's concerns about the e4-pawn quite compensate fo r the bishop pair. 11 ... l:c8 12.l:e2 It looks as if Black possesses the initia tive. In a blitz-game this could even be fr ightening. 21.g3 The only move. 21 ... lbe622. lbxg5 'lfxg523. Ac1 1i'g6 24.�e3 l!Jcs 25.a5 Alexei tries to keep alive the dying flame of the struggle, but his resources This strange-looking move serves to are gradually running out. protect the c2-pawn, as White plans to 25 ...bxa5 26.:Xa5 lbxe4 27 . .ba7 h5 recapture on d5 with pieces, not with 28.1i'd3f5 29.b4 'ife630. l:c1 the e-pawn. 30."iVd5 'ii'xd5 3l.cxd5 l::tc2 with coun 12... l!Jc513 .lbxf6+ .bf614 .�d5 terplay. I dare assume that White's dream in 30 ...d5 similar structures is to get a fo othold Having made this sharp move, the Geor fo r a piece (but not a pawn!) on d5, gian grandmaster must have offered a and leave the opponent with the dark draw, and Alexeev must have accepted. squared bishop. After the strongest continuation 3l.c5 14... 1i'd7 the situation is quite double-edged. All Black also has competent play after white pawns are placed on dark squares 14 ... �xd5 15.'f:i'xd5 tt::le6 16.�e3 tt::lc7 (the bishop's colour), which is in Black's (interesting is 16 ... .l:f.c3!? 17.!:f.dl 'ifc8= favour. 256 Part IV - I .e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3.tt::lc3 eS 4. tb£3 Ruben Felgaer got quite a safe position 21.�hl (21 .exd5 e4 22.tDel �c3+) 21... out of the opening playing against one d4 22.tDel �gS=F Naiditsch-Elianov, of the strongest grandmasters in the Sochi 2006. world. I don't know why his nerves 17.'ifb5 fa iled the Argentinian, but he made Why not just to take the pawn?! several pseudo-active moves, and after 17.'i!fxd6. Now what? 17... 'ifb7 18.'ifb4 that the implacable Karjakin brought (18.tDxeS?? .tlfd8-+) 18 ... l:!.fd8 19. .tlcl the win home rather quickly. lDf4 20.lle3 .l:f.c7 with sufficient com pensation for the pawn. Black is threat 132 ening ... �f6-e7 and .. .'ifb7-c8. Sergey Karjakin (2660) 17... 'ifb718 .l:lae1 Ruben Felgaer (2607) You don't often see two rooks look Cuernavaca Young Masters 2006 (4) ing at one pawn. If the d6-pawn is not 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.tt:lc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 poisoned then it's at least not tasty: tt:lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 c6 7.a4 0-0 18.�xd6?! .l:tfd8 19.�xe5 (19.l::ld2 8.l:le1 b6 9.d5 cxd5 10.tt:lxd5 �b7 'ifxe4 with initiative; 19 . ..ta3 a6 11.b3 20.�M lDf4+) I9 .. Jlcs. ll.c3 doesn't impress: II....l::rc8 12..ta2 18 ...a6 19. 'ifb4 l:lfd8 20.c4 l:ld7 tDcs 13.lDxf6+ ..txf6 14. ..tds "i¥d7= 21.l:ld1 �e7= 22. 'ife1 b5 Azarov-S. Kasparov, Osipovichi 2003. Was this necessary? Marking time with 11... l:lc8 12 . .:.e2 tt:lcs 13. tt:lxf6+ �xf6 22 ... tDcS 23 . .txc5 bxcS= was also pos 14.�d5 'ifd7 15.b3 hd5 16.'ifxd5 sible. The weaknesses on d6 and b3 Up to this point the play on either side fully compensate each other. The white can hardly be improved. knight will hardly get to dS unhindered. 16... tt:le6 23.cxb5 axb5 24.a5 tt:lf4 Or 24 ...tDcS !? 2S.b4 lDa4 26 . .l:r.e3 .tlc4. 25.l:la2i f5? Despair, while only three moves ago the position was about equal. 26.exf5 e4 Ukrainian grandmaster Pavel Elianov got a better position with black after 16 .. J�fd 8!? 17. .tldl tDe6 18.'i!Vbs (the simple tripling on the d-file is in teresting: 18.l::ted2!? lDd4 19.lDxd4 exd4 20.�fS with some initiative; or 27.a6?! 18.�xd6 lDf4-+) 18... tt:Jf 4 19. .!::i.ed2 More accurate was the insertion of 'l:i'g4 20.'iVfl (better 20.tDel) 20 ...d5! 27.'i!Ye3! lDd3 (27 ...exf3 28.'fixf4 fxg2 257 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 29.�b2±) and only now 28.a6 'iVc6 29.tbel tbxel 30.�xel 'iVxa6 31.'iYxe4±. 27 ... 'it'a8? He should have taken the pawn: 27... 'iVxa6 28.li'xe4 b4 29.'ifxf4 bxa3 30.h3±. Here Black has certain compen sation in the fo rm of his strong passed pawn on a3. 28.g3 exf3 29.gxf4 'it>h8 30.'it'e6 .l:l.dc7 Better 30... l::f.a7. 31.i.b2+- Ruben Felgaer 8 . .1:1.e1 b6 9.d5 cxd5 10.lbxd5 �b7 11.b3 .l:l.c8 12. .1:1.e2 ltJc5 13.lbxf6+ hf6 14.�d5 'ifd7 15.�3 �xd5 16. 'it'xd5 lbe6 17. 'it'b5 'ifb7 18. .1:1.ae1 a& 19. 'Wb4.l:l.fd8 20.c4 White has two extra pawns, and the Up to this point we have fo llowed the tripled pawns on the f- file don't spoil game Karjakin-Felgaer. the picture. 20 ... ttJc5 31 ... i.f8 32.a7 'We&33.f6 .l:l.a834 .'it>h1 The Russian player decides to direct the 'Wd7 35.'Wd5 .l:l.axa7 36. .1:1.xa7 .l:l.xa7 knight to the queenside, which is prob 37 . .1:1.g1 'it'e8 38.f5 1-0 ably best. 20 ... �d7 was another option. 21 . .1:1.e3 h6 22.h4 i.e723. 'Wd2 Black operated much more confident 23.g3!?. ly in an analogical variation in a game 23 ... b5 from the Russian championship, 2012. Dmitry Bocharov clearly demonstrated the resources of Black's position with a bad bishop. In such situations White's passed b-pawn may get under pressure of enemy pieces, while the backward black pawn on d6 is relatively solidly protected. 133 Mikhail Panarin (2538) Dmitry Bocharov (2600) Tiumen 2012 (11) 24.axb5 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 If White plays like in the above-men lbbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 tioned game with 24.cxb5, then after 258 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.0.c3 e5 4. tb£3 24 ... axb5 2S.a5 dS, he will rather have gxh6 34.'ifg4+ �f8 3S.'ifg7+ �e8 problems. 36.'iVg8+ �d7 37.1i'xf7, unclear. 24... axb5 25.cxb5 32.lb:d8+ lb:d8 33. 'ife2 'Wb7= Or 25.'ii'd5 bxc4 26.bxc4 'ii'b6=. 25... 'Wxb526. 'ifd5?! It looks as if White has a positional ad vantage, but in fact the opposite is true. 26 . .txc5 l::txcS 27 . .l:lc3 �xc3 28.'ifxc3 'i!Vb7=. 26 ...... b6 27.g3 In reply to 27. .txc5 follows 27.. Jhc5 and then, sooner or later, ...d6-d5. For instance, 28.'ifd3 dS with initiative - not 29/bxeS?? d4-+. 27 ... 0d7 Material is equal, and both sides' posi Manoeuvring to f6 so as to dislodge the tional merits and drawbacks also bal enemy queen from its outpost. Note ance each other. The e4- and b3-pawns that the white knight can't take square are a bit weak. dS under control in the near future. 34.'ifc4 .tta 35.tbc6 .l:ld6 36.0d4 28. 'ifd1 'Wa7=F29 . .tb2 tbf6 30 . .1:ld3 Better was 36.l::tc!. 36 ...... d7 37.c;#;>g2 37.b4!?. 37 ... .1:ld538. tbe2?! 38.tLlc2!? �cS 39.'ii'e2=. 38 ... .1:lc5 39 ....d4 .l:ld5 He could have saddled his opponent with problems by the move 39 ...'ii b7!, taking aim at the king and the pawn simultaneously, for example 40.'ifa4 l:Ic2+. 40 ....a4 'ifg4 30 ...d5 40 .. .'1ifs 4I.t2Jf4 (4I.t2Jgl �d2-+) A committal breakthrough. Geomet 4l ... .l:t.a5=. rical play was preferable: 30 ...'ifa6 !? 41 .tbg1 .l:ld1 42.lb:d1 'Wxd1 3I.'ifbl l:tb8+. Now, of course, there follows ... 31 .tbxe5 43. .b:f6 gxf6 The tactical justification of Black's sac ... damaging Black's pawn structure. rifice consists in the fo llowing line: 44 .... xe4 •xb3 3l.exd5 .tcs 32.'�g2 (32.nd2 .tM As a result of his mysterious 33.d6 .txd2 34.'ifxd2 t2Jg4+) 32 ...t2Jg4 manoeuvres, Bocharov now has to pro 33.'ife2 f6 with compensation. tect a drawish but unpleasant ending. 31 ...dxe4 We all know how unpleasant it is to Puzzling complications emerge af fightfor two results without any chanc ter 31...tLlxe4 32.t2Jg4 'iVb7 33.t2Jxh6+ es of victory. 259 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 134 Karen Asrian (2611) Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2672) Greece tt 2005 (6) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ttJf3 ttJbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:[e1 c6 8.a4 b6 9.d5 cxd5 10.tbxd5 .ib7 11.b3 .:ca 12. .:e2 tbxd5 A normal move. 13. .txd5 bd5 1 4.'ifxd5 ttJf6 15. 'ifd1 d5 45.tbe2 'We6 46. 'iff3 'We5 47.g4 .td6 The Georgian grandmaster plays ex 48.tbg3 Wh7 49.tbf5 'Wf4 50. 'Wd3 tremely straightforwardly. 'Wh2+ 51 .Wf1 .tc5 52.tbQ3+ wga 53.'Wd8+ More aggressive was 53.�f5! �h3+ 54.'�e2 �d6 55.lt::Jh5±. 53 ... .tf8 54.ttJf5 'Wh1+ The pawn can't be taken: 54 ...�h3 + 55.'�el 'ifxg4?? 56.tbxh6+. 55.We2 'We4+ 56.tbe3 wg7 With the counterblow 56 .. .£5! he could have made his life easier: 57.gxf5 'iff4 58.�f6 �c5=. 57.'ifa5 .td6 16.exd5 'Wxd5 57... 'ii' e5 58.�a8 f5 = 59.gxf5 �c5 16... e4 doesn't equalize, for example: 60.�f3 �f6. 17.tbg5 and now: 58. 'iff5 'ife659. 260 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3. lLJc3 eS 4. tt:J£3 19.c4 �d6 20.�b2 (20.cxd5 �xeS 2l.�bl �xh2+ 22.�fl=) 20 ...tt::l f4 2l.�eel �b4 22.�edl tt::le2+ 23.�fl tt::lc3 24 . .l::f.d3 tt::le4 2S . .l::radl �cS 26.:i:lf3 .l::f.cd8 with compensation, G. Kasparov-Azmaiparashvili, Crete rapid match 2003. 18... ltJc3 1 9.l:le3 Zurab Azmalparashvlll 30.h6 �xf3 3l.�xf3 gxh6 32.�e2 and White's position is slightly more pleasant. 30 ... �31.:C1 �6 32.l:le1 + �%-% 19... e4 Karen didn't see an opportunity to The non-trivial 19... tt::l dl! was strongest: strengthen his position and I suppose 20 . .l::f.d3 (20 . .l::f.el keeps the initiative indeed there isn't one. but not more: 20 ... .l:[fd8 2I.tt::lxe5 �cS 22 . .l::ta2 f6 23.tt::lf3 lld3 with compensa An instructive pressing game 'on tion) 20 ... l::rfd 8 2I.tt::lxe5 �xd3 22.tt::lxd3 points' was demonstrated by Dutch �d8 and it is not easy fo r White to grandmaster Sergey Tiviakov in the coordinate his fo rces. team championship of Portugal, 2010. 20.i.b2 .tcs 21.l:.xc3 exf3 22.l:.xf3 His opponent kept control for a long l:lcd8 23 . .tc3 time, but a specificfe ature of such posi White has a healthy extra pawn. tions is that White can torture the ene 23 ...85 my almost endlessly. He doesn't like to put the pawn on a dark square, but is there any other way 135 to stop the adversary? Sergey Tiviakov (2623) 24.l:le1 l:ld7 25.g3 f6 26.<;j(g2 ..tf7 Dragos Dumitrache (2462) 27.h4 l:lfd8 28.h5 Portugal tt 2010 (7) Maybe he should have tried 28.l::tbl !? 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.tbf3 l::td3 29.�el �dl 30.�xdl .l::f.xdl tbbd7 s . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 3l.�c3. However, if this had led to a 8.l:le1 b6 9.d5 .tb7 draw, I would have said: '28.h5 was Also possible - it's not necessary to cap worth attention!'. ture on dS. The thing is that there is no win for 1 O.dxc6 .bc6 11 . .tg5 White anyway. Sergey intends to exchange the bishop 28 ... l:ld3 29.l:lc1 �e6 30.l:le1 + for the knight and have an extra piece 261 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black in the fight for the light squares, in par 21 ...f5 22.tlJc2 i.g5 23.l%e2 � ticular the outpost on dS. 24.lbb4 l%cc825 . .:S1 a6 26.ltJd5 .:Sb8 11... 'ii'c7 27.t3 l%b72B. l%d1 :as Black didn't equalize after ll .. .llc8 Black cannot fr ee himself, fo r instance 12..�.xf6 lt:Jxf6 13.�d3 (taking squares 28 ...bS? 29.cxbS axbS 30.aS±. bS-a6 under control) 13... �c7 14.b3 29.tiJc3 we6 30.l%d5 (White is slightly better in case of If your Elo-rating is below 2400, please 14.�a6 l:lcd8 1S.�c4 �d7 16.lt:Jbs stop fo r a moment and try to find a �xbS 17.�xbS 'iYxc4 18.�xc4) 14... fr uitful idea for Black. aS (better was 14... �b7 IS.lt:Jbs 'i¥b8 16.h3 l:tcS=) IS.l:tadl, Macieja-Bebel, Wroclaw Open 2010. 12.b3 h6 13 . .bf6 tillcf6 14.ltJd5 More accurate was, perhaps, the com pact and solid 14.'i¥d3. 30 ... l%c8 More promising was 30 ... �cl! 31.g3 �a3±. The bishop is transferred to cS, or even to d4. Either way it would be considerably more active. If you found this manoeuvre yourself, it means that 14... tillcd5 15. .bd5 .bd5 1 6.'ii'xd5 you have a good fe eling for these posi 1Wc3 tions. There was also the option of the pawn 31.g3 l%c5 32.l%d3 l%c8 33. Wg2 i.c1 capture 16... �x c2, but White would The same idea, but the timing is not have obtained more than sufficient right. Now Sergey prevents the oppo compensation after 17. .l::tacl 'i¥b2 nent's attempt to revive the bishop. 18. .l::tc7, with the initiative. The queen 34. tba2 i.g5 on dS is incredibly strong. Unsatisfactory is 34 ... �a3 3S.b4 �xb4 17. .:S2 l:lfc8 18. .J:.e3 36.lt:Jxb4 �xc4 37.IIb3 aS 38.lt:Jds .!lxa4 I recognize Tiviakov's style. Strangula 39.IIxb6 l:txb6 40.lt:Jxb6±. tion without special risk, in this case by 35.lbb4 :as 36 . .:S2 h5 37. .:S1 �e7 geometrical play on the light squares. 38 . .:S2 i.g5 39 . .:S1 �e740. ltJd5 �g5 18... 'Wc6 19. 'ii'xc6 :Xc6 20.c4 g6 The 'time trouble dances' were proba 20 ..Jl b8 2I.lt:Jd2 a6 22.IId3±. bly over here. 21.tbe1 40 ...h4 41.g4 fx e4 42.fxe4 .l::tf8±. The knight moves to dS, which doesn't 41 . .:Sd1 �dB guarantee victory, but does aggravate It is not easy to venture on a pawn the enemy's discomfort. sacrifice: 41...bS 42.cxbS axbS 43.axbS 262 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. lbc3 eS 4. ltJ£3 .id8± and it is difficult to find com pensation fo r the material. 42.lbc3 e7i.. 43.l%e1 i.d8 44.l%d5 l%h7 The Romanian master has withstood the pressure of his distinguished opponent for a long time, but it is psychologically During the last 20-25 moves the situ difficultto stay alert all the time. Now a ation hasn't changed much. But now fateful mistake fo llows: White had an opportunity to liven up 52 ... l%dh7? the game. 52 ... .id8 53J�d5 l:f.f7 54.lLlxh3 l::tfl+ 45.ltJe2?! SS.'\tg2 l:Ibl±. Interesting was 4S.f4!? .if6 46.lLle2± 53.l%dd3? intending e4xf5 and lLle2-d4+. Sergey missed it too. Maybe it was again 45 ...fxe4 46.fxe4 h4 47.l%d3 h3+ (or continuous?) time trouble. 48. �h1 l%aa7 53.lbf3 :4h6 54.lLlgS++-. 48 ... .ic7! could have provided good 53... b5? counterplay, fo r example 49.l:tf3 bS 53 ... .id8. SO.cxbS axbS Sl.axbS �b8. 54. tbf3 1-0 49.l%ed1 l%ad7 SO.tbg1 fi.c7 51.g4 l:[h452 .l%g3 In the following game, one of the strongest Ukrainian chess players of modern times decided to carry out d4-d5 after ...a7 -a6, inviting ...c6-c5 . The position took on 'Old-Indian' out lines. Further on, both players made some mistakes and the advantage was changing hands. In such cases, the player who commits the last-but-one mistake, wins. 136 Zahar Efimenko (2655) Dmitry Bocharov (2590) Moscow Aeroflot Open 2010 (5) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 es 4.tbf3 Sergey Tlvlakov tbbd7 5.i.c4 fi.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l%e1 c6 263 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 8.a4 b6 9.i.g5 a6 16.Aab1 tilg8 17.i.e3 f5 9 ...h6 IO.�xf6 .ixf6 ll.dS cS 12.a5 (as ...a7 -a6 hasn't been played yet) 12 ... .ib7?! (12 ...bxa5 13/Lld2 tLlb6 14. .ibs a6 1S . .ic6 with initiative) 13. .l:i.a2 (the space grab 13.a6 .ic8 14 . .ibs± looks more to the point) 13 ... �e7 (better 13... bxaS) 14.'ife2±, N. Mamedov-Zeynalov, Baku 2012. 10.d5 It is more reasonable to play this on the 9th move. 10... c5 For · the moment, Black is ahead in IO ...cxdS II.tLlxdS �b7 12.tLlxe7+ the development of the initiative. He 'ifxe7 13.tLlh4±. threatens simply 18 .. .f4. 18.exf5 18.�g5 tLlf6 19.b4±. 18... g xf5 Better was 18... tLlxf5. 19.i.g5 Have you counted how many times the bishop has moved to and fro between cl-g5-e3-h6-e3-g5? I doubt that this loss of time is helpful fo r White. 19.. : Aa7 20.b4 11.i.f1 20 . .ixe7!? lhe7 2l.b4. Now White can get a grip on the light 20 ... hg5 21.tbxg5 f4? squares. Not ll.aS? bS. A strategic mistake, though it seems 11... tlJe8 logical to put his pawns on dark squares, The exchange of dark-squared bishops taking into account the c8-bishop. Nor would be favourable for Black, as his mal play would have followed after 21... position is cramped and the e7-bishop h6 22.tLlf3 tLlhS 23.bxc5 bxcS 24. .l:i.b8±. is passive. 22.tbce4± 12.i.e3 Then why did it go to gS? 12... g6 13.i.h6 tilg7 14. 'ifd2 tbf6 15.h3 �h8 Some of you may not be familiar with Old Indian structures, so I will explain this strange-looking king move. It va cates square g8 for the knight, which in its turn will both enable the f- pawn to move forward, and chase away the enemy bishop. 264 Part IV - I.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:J£60.c3 3. e5 4. tt:J£3 Alas, now the white knights can make use of the perfect blockading square e4 to put pressure on the enemy position. 22 ... tbf5 23.bxc5 bxc5 24 . .l:.b8 'ife7 25 . .l:.eb1 Strong was 25.lt::Je6! i.xe6 26 . .!::lxf8 �xf8 27.dxe6±. I like the idea of the bishop's trade: 25.�e2 lt::Jd4 26.i.g4±. The black knight on d4 is unsteady. At any mo ment c2-c3 may fo llow. 25 ... tbf6 26. 'ifa5?! Threatening the lethal 36 .. .f3. The beginning of a wrong plan. 36.f3 26.lt::Jxf6±. 36Jigl f3 37.<;£;>h2 fxg2 38.�e2 lt::Jf3+ 26 ... .l:.g827. 'ifb6.l:.d7 28. tbxf6 'ifxf6= 39.�xf3 'ifxf3 40.�b3 'ifxb3 4l.cxb3 29.tbe6 tbd4 .l:ib8-+. A pair of knights has been exchanged; 36 ... lbxb1 37.'ifxb1 'ifh4 38.'iff1 now Black has got more space and the .l:.a7 39 . .ib5 .l:.ca8 40.i.c6 .l:.b8 chances have equalized. 41.i.b5 �g8 42.c3 �7 43.'ife2 �6 30.ha6?! 44. 'iff1 .l:.ba8 45. �g1 c4 46.1i'd1.l:.g8 Risky play. The Ukrainian sends all his 47.hc4 'Wxh3 48 . .if1 1Wg3 49.tbd4 pieces to the queenside as if he wants .l:.b750. lbb5 .l:.xb5?! to draw fire on his own king. He could There was no point in this, though it is have kept the status-quo with 30.lt::Jxc5 easy for me to say so whereas Black may �dg7 3l.lt::Je6 (31.lt::Jd3?? lt::Jf3+ 32.'.t>hi have been in permanent time trouble. 'ifh4+-) 3I...i.xe6 32.dxe6 'ifxe6=. And the knight jumps must have made 30... 'ifg6 31.i.f1 tbf3+ 32.�h1 tbd2 him nervous. 50 ...�h3 5l.�el (5 I.lt::Jxd6 33.'ifb5 .l:ib2-+) 5l...�d7 was winning. The only move. There is no worthy al 51 .axb5 ternative as the fi -bishop has to be re Now the outcome of the game is not ab placed with something. The g2-point solutely clear again. needs protection. 51 ... 'ifg7 52.b6 'ifb7 53. 'ifb1 .l:.b8 33 ....l:.e7 34 . .l:.xc8 54.�h2 �g5 White has to give up an exchange any 54... 'ifxb 6 55.�xh7. way, as Black was threatening 34 ...lt::J xfl 35.'ifxfl .txe6-+. 34... .l:.xc8 35.i.d3? The only narrow path is 35.'iVa6! Here are some lines (though optional for Black): 35 ... l::rg8 36.'iVxd6 .l:teg7 (36 ...lt::J xfl 37.'iVxe5++-) 37.llb6 lt::Jxfl 38.lt::Jxg7 �xg7 39.g4 fxg3 40.:bs 'ti'gs 4l.:xg8+ c;£;>xg8 unclear. 35 ... 'ifh5-+ 265 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 55.c4? 25.bxc4 bxc4=) 23.l:f.ael, Kurnosov SS.'i!Ybs would have kept the intrigue: Pridorozhni, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011. 55 ... h5 (after 55 ...'i!Yxb 6?! 56.'i!Yd7 the When Black has a rook on a8, II...ltJxdS black king will fe el uneasy) 56 . ..td3 12.�xd5 doesn't work. h4+. 55 ... 1Wxb6-+ 56. 'ifxh7 'iVb7! The white queen is strongly limited in its actions and cannot give any check. 57.1Wh3 1Wc8! 58.g4 1Wh8 59.'ffxh8 rl.xh8+ so. c.tg2 :aa 61 . c.tf2 :a2+ 62.�e2 c.tf6 63. c.te1 e4 64.fxe4 c.te5 65.g5 :a3 0-1 Black played too passively in the fol lowing example on this topic. Bulgarian 12.he7 grandmaster Alexander Delchev 12.�e3!? obtained an overwhelming advantage, 12... 'Wxe7 13.�f1 g6 14.tbc4 tbc7 not meeting with serious resistance. We know the knight can also head for the kingside: 14... l:rb8 IS.'ifd2 lt:Jg7 137 I6J�abl �b7?! 17.b4 cxb4 (17... �c8 Aleksander Delchev (2622) 18.bxc5 lt:JxcS I9Jhb6±) 18 . .Uxb4±, Sebastien Cossin (2509) Caruana-Pridorozhni, Khanty-Mansiysk France It 2013 (7) 20ll. Fabiano is clearly ahead of his op 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.lLlf3 ponent here. Black's kingside play hasn't lLlbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 got off the ground yet. 8.J:le1 b6 9.�g5 a6 10.d5 15.1Wd2 c.th8 With IO.�xf6 White can hardly lay In such situations they say: 'This move claim to an advantage, fo r example is too sophisticated'. I suppose Black IO... �xf6 ll.dS cS 12.�e2 g6 13.lt:Jd2 could have saved this tempo: 15... l::t. b8 �e7 (better was 13 ... ..tgs 14.lt:Jc4 16.b3 <;£;>g7. ..td3 17 ±. lt:Jf6=) 14.�g4, Bologan-Elianov, Wijk 16. 'ifh6l:lb8 17 .:ab1 J:le8 aan Zee B 2007. Another preventive measure (?), likely 10... c5 to be directed against f2-f4. IO... cxdS II.ltJxdS �b7 12.lt:Jxe7+ 18.g3 �b7 'i!Yxe7 13.lt:Jh4±. 11.lbd2 ltJe8 II...h6 12..�.e3 lt:Je8 13.�fl (13.'iVe2 �gS 14.ltJdi±) 13... lt:Jdf6 looks a bit artificial: 14.lt:Jc4 .Ub8 IS.f4?! (15.h3!?) 15... lt:Jg4 16.�d2 exf4 17.�xf4 �f6 18.e5 (other moves are worse for White) 18... lt:Jxe5 19.lt:Jxe5 �xeS 20.�xe5 dxeS 2I..rixe5 lt:Jd6 22.'i!Yf3 �b7 (bet ter was 22 ...b5 23.b3 c4 24.axb5 axbS 266 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3. 0c3 eS 4. tt:J£3 19. .th3 White had an original manoeuvre here: 19.'ti'h4! f6 (bad is 19.. .'iVxh4 20.gxh4 and the d6-pawn perishes: 20 ...�g7 21.tLlxd6±) 20 . .ih3 .ic8 2I.tLldl with a clear advantage. 19... bs 2o.ttJas .ta8 21.b4 I believe 2I.'ti'd2 tDb6 (21...b4 22.tLldl) 22.b3± was more principled. 21 ...bxa4 ? It's more accurate to capture the other pawn first: 2l...cxb4 22Jhb4 The notation ends here. White's advan bxa4 23 . .l::[xa4 (here, as in the game, tage is great and enough fo r the win. 23.i..xd7? doesn't work due to 23 ... �xb4 24.i..xe8 'ifxe8+) 23 ...tt:Jcs 24.1:1a3 �b2 C) Maintaining the tension in with counterplay. the centre 22. bd7 'ifxd7 23.bxc5 Now we will consider all the ideas that Do you see the difference? There is no have not been described above. knight on d7, so White can now break The firstexample allows me to be proud the defensive line on cS. of some rather good-quality play. At 23... :Xb1 the tournament in Deizisau there is no Also unsatisfactory was 23 ...tt:Jbs 24.c6 time to prepare as you play two games 'ti'c7 2S.tLlxbS axbS 26.'�'d2 �g7 a day. Maybe that's why Ukrainian 27.'ti'b4±. grandmaster Vladimir Baklan did not play optimally. Please note that the trade on fS is not always good for White. 138 Vladimir Baklan (2604) Sergey Kasparov (2486) Deizisau Open 2004 (8) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 liJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.liJf3 liJbd7 5 . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .J:te1 c6 8.a4 b6 9.h3 a6 10.h2 .J:tb8 11.liJh4 analysis diagram An interesting position. The knight and bishop have no moves. However, White's steed will soon be freed from its imprisonment by means of c2 -c4, while the bishop is doomed to remain static. 24.:Xb1 dxc5 25.ttJc4 liJb5 26.lbxa4 'ifg427. lbxc5 c.tg8 28.'ife3+- 267 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black So, immediately. Is it any good? The c8- bishop hasn't left fo r the queenside yet. 11... exd4 Reasonable, as soon as the f3 -knight has left the centre. Not so convincing is 1l...g6?! 1L�h6 .!:f.e8 13.tLlf3 (after the weakening ...g7 -g6 the knight returns, with the intention to attack Black's castled position) 13 ... �f8 (it is danger ous to ignore White's threats, fo r ex ample 13 ...b5? 14.tLlg5+-) 14.tLlg5 .l:le7 (the only move; 14 ... �xh6 15.tLlxf7±) 15.�xf8 �xf8± Aveskulov-Biriukov, Kharkov 2011. 12. 'ifxd4 ta:s 13. ttJfS 13.tLlf3 doesn't bring White anything, see 13...�e6 14.�d 1 �xa2 15Jha2 �e8 17. .b:e7 :Xe7 1 8.:Xe7 16.tLld4 Vlfd7 17.'iVf3 dS! 18.exd5 cxdS=, Timofeev-Bocharov, Moscow 2008. 13... ..bfS 1 4.exf5 After 18 ... �xe7 the objective assessment is =i=, but the authority of my opponent 14... a5 had an impact on me. I would also re One of two good moves. The other one mind you once more that in Deizisau was 14 ...d5 , but Houdini slightly prefers we had two rounds a day - about 10-12 the text move. Black secures the cS playing hours a day in total. square for the knight (now there is no point in b2-b4). An unconventional structure emerged 15.-tgS .l:b7 in the following duel, played in Buenos Modest, but the most accurate according Aires. Ruben Felgaer destroyed the to the computer. Of course, also good enemy pawn structure by means of was 15... d5 with a pleasant position. ... �f6xc3. Shirov did not respond in the 16.:e2 ll:le8 best way, and the position was some Also true. Black should either trade off where around equal. However, in the the passive bishop on e7 or bring it out ending Black surrendered one line after into the open. the other until he lost. 268 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. tL:d e5 4. tb£3 139 Alexey has squandered his advantage. Alexey Shirov (2698) He has to start all over again. Ruben Felgaer (2572) 21.l:taa1 Buenos Aires 2012 (5) Doubtful is 2l.�xd6 tbxe4 22.�f4 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:Jf6 3.tt:Jc3 e5 4.lt:Jf3 (22 . .l:txe4 'Wibi++) 22 ...a5=. tt:Jbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 c6 7.a4 0-0 21 ... l:te6 8.l:te1 b6 9 . .b2 a6 10.lt:Jh4 exd4 Better 21...'tlfb8. 11.'ifxd4 tt:Jcs 12. tt:Jf3 tt:Jg4 22.e5 dxe5 23.:Xe5 :Xes 24. .ixe5 This looks reasonable. The Argentinian tt:Je6 25.l:td1 l:td8 26.:Xd8+ tt:Jxd8 intends to gain control of the eS-square. 27.'ifd3 tt:Je6 13.h3 .if6 14.'ifd1 How can Black lose this? Generally, after the exchange of the queens Black will be out of danger. However, the queens are still on the board. 28. 'ifd7 lt:Jf8 29. 'ife8 c5 30 . .if4 f6 Curious is 30 ...c4 !?, trying to build a de fe nsive line on the light squares (... �e 6). 31 . .ie3 14... .bc3?! Creatively played. We will findout what is more important: bishop pair or pawn structure. The 'normal' continuation would be 14 ...tbe5 1S.tbd4 'Wic7. 15.bxc3 tt:Jes 16.a5;t tt:Jxf3+ 17. 'ifxf3 .ie6 18.axb6 The paradoxical 18.c4!? is interesting, fo r example 18... b5 19.e5 bxc4 (19... dxe5 31 ... 'ifc7?! 20.�a3+-) 20.exd6 �dS 2l.'tlfg4±. Better was 31...�e6 32.�a8 c4= and 18... .ba2 1 9.:Xa2 'ifxb6 20 . .if4 now White cannot play 33.�c5?? 'tie l+ 20.�a3!?. 34.�h2 'WieS+. 20 ... l:tfe8= 32. 'ifa8;t 269 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 37 . .td6+ �g7 38.c4 140 Shirov fixes the enemy pawn on a dark Harriet Hunt (2402) square which can be attacked by the Sergey Kasparov (2482) bishop. Esbjerg B 2003 (B) 38 ... h5 39.h4 gxh4 40. Citi>h2 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt:lf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.tt:lf3 Black's position is a ruin, wouldn't you lbbd7 s . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .J:le1 c6 agree? It is hardly probable he can hold. 8.a4 b6 9 . .ta2 a6 1 o . .tgs l:lb8 IO ...h6 Il..th4 tLlh7 I2..ig3. When the knight is on h7, the bishop can re treat to g3. But now Black gets an ad ditional resource: 12... tt:::l g5. Trades fa vour the cramped side: 13.dxe5 tt:::lxf3+ 14.'ifxf3 dxeS IS.tLldl .if6 16.tt:::le3;;!;, Solak-Pancevski, Skopje 2012. 11.'ife2 h6 12 . .th4 tt:lh5 40 ... �g6?! More stubborn was 40 . ..lt:'lb6 4l.i.xc5 �c7+ 42.i.d6 �xc4 43.'i'e7+ �g6 44.'i'e8+ �f7 45.�xf7+ �xf7 46.<;i>h3 tt:Jds±. 41 .c;l;lh3+- 'ifc842 .�xh4 'ifc6 43.f4 wg7? 44 . .tf8+ 1-0 In the Summer of 2003, the Danish town ofEsbjerg hosted two round-robin tournaments simultaneously. In one A typical simplifying manoeuvre in po - of grandmaster level -, players with sitions like this. The white bishop has Elo-ratings of around 2600 participated, no option but to exchange. like Dreev, Sasikiran and Koneru. Your 13.he7 'ifxe7 14.g3 �h7 15.d5 c5 obedient servant took part in a parallel Who benefits from the closing of the master tournament. The winner of our centre? It is difficult to give an unam competition would earn the right to biguous answer, let's see how events play in the main GM tournament the develop. fo llowing year, with good conditions. I 16. .tc4 .J:la8 17.tt:ld1 g6 18.tt:ld2 tt:lg7 endeavoured and succeeded. Naturally, 19.Wh1 .ib7 the next year there was no tournament... This looks strange, since the bishop is When playing against Harriet Hunt I was blocked by the pawn on dS. But I planned very afraid I would lose, as I was when the breakthrough .. .f7-f5, exerting pres playing against any woman in those sure on the long light-squared diagonal. times. I can't remember which one of Slightly more accurate was 19.. .f 5, and us was more ambitious. However, we Black's fu rther moves will depend on didn't make any glaring mistakes and the opponent's reaction. events developed quite logically. 20 . .J:lb1 f5 21.f3 f4 270 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ltJ£6 3. 0.c3 eS 4. ltJ£3 put on e8, the bishop is taken via f8 to g7. First, please have a look at how you should not play. Maze made some strange moves with his queenside pawns (18 ... cS?!), which allowed White to carry out the devastating breakthrough a4-a5 and, later on, b3-b4. 141 Laurent Fressinet (2714) This is standard in 'Old-Indian' con Sebastien Maze (2573) structions. Black approaches the ene Pau ch·FRA 2012 (10) my king, while White tries to break 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 through on the queenside. lbbd7 5 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .:te1 c6 22.g4 .:tfb8 23.tbc3 l008 24.b4 'ifd8 8.a4 b6 9.b3 .ib7 1 O . .ib2 a6 11 . .id3 25.l:tb2 .ic8 26 . .:teb1 'ifc7 27.b5 .:tea 12.t002 .its 13.tbg3 9s Were there any alternatives? I have This pawn move looks logical because gathered all my fo rces on the queen the g3-knight is restrained. side, thus securing it. 27 ...85 28. .:tg1 'ti'd8 29. 'irf2 g5 30. 14.'ifd2 14.c3 'ii'c7 15.'ii'c2 �g7 (to those of you who like unconventional materi al correlations I can recommend 15... dS!? 16.dxe5 tL:lxeS 17.tLlxe5 'ii'xeS Only a pair of bishops has been 18.exd5 'ii'xel+ 19Jhe1 .l:lxel+ 20.tLlfl exchanged, but the resources fo r a cxdS?) 16.h3 �ad8 17.l:!ad1 h6=, A. struggle have already run out. Rombaldoni-Sjugirov, Chennai 2011. 14... 'ifc7 15. .:tad1 .ig7 16.c4 Most frequently White fianchettoes the Against the author, a different move was bishop on b2, redeploying the knight played: 16.h3 .l:tad8 17.'ii'c1 tLlf8 (reliev to the kingside with tLlc3-e2-g3. Black ing the tension in the centre could have adapts to this and replies ...g7 -g6, re equalized: 17... exd4 18.�xd4 tL:leS, stricting the enemy knight. The rook is and the simultaneous attack on two 271 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black pieces (f3 and d3) fo rces the exchange 28 ... tLlb7 29.b4 19.tt::lxeS dxeS 20.�b2=) 18.'ifa l (18. Please note that this move is applied dxeS dxeS 19.�c4;!;;) 18... tt::l 6d7 19.tt::lfl in almost each line. The idea is that f6 (19... tt::l e6!?) 20.tt::le3 'iiith8 2l.c4 tt::le6 the light-squared bishop was bad and (quite acceptable is 2l...exd4 22.tt::lxd4 closed in by its own pawns (e4, dS, c4). tt::lcs 23.�c2 aS) 22.dS cxdS (22 ...tt::l f4 But now it breaks into open air, actively 23.�fl tt::lcs 24.g3;!;;) 23.tt::lxdS;!;;, participating in the battle. Souleidis-S. Kasparov, Werther 2002. 29.tt::lfl !?. 16... :C.d8 29 ... �d7 30.hd7 Good enough was 16 ...exd4 17.�xd4 30.�c6 �xc6 3l.dxc6 tt::lcS 32..�xcSaS aS=, getting a grip on the dark squares. 33.'iVa3 dxcS 34.1i'xcS±. 17.h3 �c8 30... :Xd7 31. 'ifa4 tLlf6 32. .i.e3 l:tc7 17... aS!? . 33.l:tb6 as 34.'ifb5 lLld735. l:tc6 •ds 18.a5 c5 I don't know how you fe el about this, but I prefer 18 ... bS 19.cxbS cxbS 20.b4, when White has a positional advantage but all 'within permissible limits'. 19.d5 l:lf8 19... bxaS 20.�c3±. 20. .i.c3 l:tde821 .l:tb1 �h8± 36.:C.1 Black has big problems, which could have been proved, fo r instance, by the manoeuvre 36.tt::ld2. 36 ... lLldc5 37.lLle2 Wfe7 38.lLlc3 l:tfc8 Black could have livened up the play with 38... fS , but it wouldn't have solved White's advantage is clear. In the future his problems: 39.tLld2± and now .. .f5- he will threaten with b3-b4, and I don't f4 is not dangerous because the bishop see any adequate counterplay. can always exchange on cS. Meanwhile, 22.axb6 'ifxb6 23.b5 'ifa7 24.�c2 with the knight on d7, the bishop was l:te7?! ready to leap to b6. It doesn't make sense It makes no sense to criticize Sebastien to surrender the centre: 39.exfS?! gxfS severely. When there are no good 40 . .l::r.xc7 'fWxc7 41.tLlgS e4 42 . .l::r.a3;!;;. moves, you have to make bad ones. 39. 'ifb6 Wfd740. :Xc7Wfxc7 41 .hc5 24... 'iVb8 2S.b4 �b7 26.�a4±. tl:\xc5 42. 'ifxc7 :Xc7 43.lLlb5 l:td7 25.b4+- tbg8 26.bxc5 tl:\xc5 27 . .i.b6 44.l:txa5 'ifa8 28.'ifb4 White had a sudden blow here: Simple enough was 28.�xcS!? dxcS 44.tt::lxd6! a4 4S.tt::lbs±. If 44.. Jhd6 29.�a4+-. 4S . .l::f.xaS, threatening 46JhcS and 272 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 liJ£6 3. tLlc3 e5 4. tLlf3 46.�a8+ at the same time, for example auspicious for Black, who lacks space, 45 ...t2Jb7 46 . .l:Ib5 t2Jd8 47.c5±. frequently occur on this square. 44 ... �f8± 142 Csaba Balogh (2628) Aramis Alvarez Pedraza (2496) Pamplona 2010 (3) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tt::lf6 3.tZ:lc3 e5 4.tt::lf3 tt::lbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 a6 8.l:l.e1 b6 9.b3 �b7 10.�b2 c6 11. .i.d3 l:l.e8= 12.tt::le2 .i.f8 13.tt::lg3 g6 14.c3 Kenny Solomon got an acceptable po sition against a member of the Arme nian team after 14.'i¥d2 bS (14 ...exd4 We can conclude that Laurent has al 1S.t2Jxd4 tbes 16.f4 tbxd3 17.cxd3 lowed the enemy to prolong his resist �g7=) 1S.c4 (lS.axbS axbS 16 . .l:lxa8 ance. Now he has to win the game for �xa8 17.�al=) 1S ...bxa4 16 . .l::!.xa4 exd4 the second time. The ending is technical 17.�xd4 c5= T.L. Petrosian-Solomon, and boring, so, with your permission, I Dubai Open 2010. will minimize the further comments. 14... 'ifc7 15.'ifc2 �g7 16.dxe5 tt::lxe5 4s.:aa cir>g7 46.ttJd2 �e7 47.f3 �gs 48.tt::lf1 h5 49.l:l.c8 �e7 50.tt::le3 h4?! 50 ...t2Jd3 . 51 .�1 �g5 52.ttJd1 52.lLJg4!?. 52 ... ttJd3 53.tLlf2 tt::lf4 54.l:l.c6 �e7 55.ttJd1 l:l.d8 56.l:l.c7 �fa 57.:C.7 .:r.ca 58.tt::le3 l:l.b8 59.c;f;>e1 ttJd3+ 60.c;f;>d2 tZ:lc561 . clr>c2l:l.b6 62. tt::lg4:as 63 . .:Xa6 lt.Jxa6 64. tt::lf2 tZ:lc5 65.ttJd3 ttJd7 65 ...t2Jxd3 66.�xd3 Square eS is often a 'meeting point' fo r minor pieces. Trades, which are usually 273 A Culllling Chess Opening for Black Remember that this capture is strongest 36. 'ifxeS �g7 37.f6 'ifh3 with this white set-up, when the eS-knight The only move. attacks two pieces simultaneously. Then 38. 'ife8+ �h7 39. 'ife4+ �g8 White cannot evade the exchange. Other 40. 'ife8+ �h7 1-0 wise he could have retreated his knight, fo r example, to d2 with the idea f2-f4. During the manoeuvre tbc3-e2-g3 the 17.lbxe5 dxes 18.:ctd1 hS 19.tbf1 knight moves away from the centre for h4 20.h3 ttJhS 21.�e2 tbf4 22.�g4 a moment, also intercepting the rook :ctd8= on el. So Black starts operations in the Black has solved his opening problems. centre immediately, making use of this 23 . .b3 as 24.lhd8 favourable opportunity. 24.g3 tbe6 (24 ...hxg3 25.fxg3 tbe6=) In a World Cup game, our old 2S.l:rxd8 'ifxd8=. acquaintance took over the initiative in 24 ... lhd8 25 . .1:!.d1 �6 26.g3 hxg3 this way, having two bishops, but then 27.fxg3 ttJhS Nikolay Kabanov refused an 'egg today' 27 ... �d3!? 28.�d2 tbhS. and failed to catch a 'hen tomorrow'. 28.hh5 gxh5 Czech player David Navara handled the technical stage magnificently, once he had gleaned the advantage again. 143 David Navara (2722) Nikolay Kabanov (2520) Khanty·Mansiysk FIDE World Cup 201 1 (1) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 tbbd7 s.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8.J:[e1 b6 9.b3 �b7 10.�b2 a6 The pawn structure has changed, but 11.�d3 g6 12.0e2 exd4 13.�xd4 cS the assessment hasn't. It's still parity. 14.hf6 29.0e3 �c8 30.h4 �h6 31.tbf5 hfS The computer advises to sacrifice a 32.exf5 J:[dS 33.c4 J:[d4 34. 'ife2 pawn: 14 . .ib2 tbxe4 IS.�xe4 �xe4 It is not easy to protect the hS-pawn. It 16.tbc3 .ixf3 17.'ifxf3 with sufficient could become dangerous for Black, but compensation. the weakness of the white king ensures 14... �xf6 15.l:tb1 J:[e8 16.tbf4 �c3� the draw. 34 ... 'ifd7 34 ... �g4?! 35.�d6±. Most accurate seems to be 34 ...'ifd 8, when Black is even better. 35. J:[f1 J:[d2 Perhaps it was time trouble. Here, strong was 35 ... �g4! 36.Wh2 e4� as 36.'ifxe5? doesn't work due to 36 ...�d3 37.�f2 (37.�g2 l::t.e4-+) 37... Wh 7-+. 274 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 3. tL:x:3 eS 4. ttJ£3 Black is even slightly better here. He has 31 ... 1J..d4 two bishops and quite actively-placed 3I...hS!?=. pieces. 32.ttJf4 17.l:e3 Jig7 18.1J..c4 32.tLldeS Irb7 33.tLld6 .l:Ie7 34.t2lec4±. If David had managed to exchange the 32 ... ttJc3 33.l:d2 b5 34.axb5 :Xb5 light-squared bishops on dS without 35.ttJe2 changing the pawn structure, he would The Czech grandmaster fo rces the ex have the advantage. However, he cannot change of knights, after which Black is do this trouble-free. left with a rather harmless, bad (at least 18... 1J..h6 not too good) bishop (because of the Also good is 18 ..Jhe4 19.l:txe4 .txe4 cS-pawn). 20.'ifxd6 .txf3 2l.gxf3 tLleS 22.'i¥xd8+ 35 ... tbxe2 36. 275 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Losing is 49 ...�c6 50.l:Id6+ �xeS of this opening plays this, then it must 51..�f6 l:i.el+ 52.�f4 .l:!.e7 53.�g5, and make sense. Let's see. the king goes to g7. 12.'ird2 :es 13.:Sd1 50. Quite an acceptable position was obtained after the opening by the guru of Georgian chess in the 2005 Greek team championship. Suddenly a pawn sacrifice fo llowed, the meaning of which I still fail to understand. Still there was some compensation, but only with correct play by Black. However, Black is looking good, and he may new oversights led to a deserved win by create a passed a-pawn. the Polish grandmaster. 19.i.c3 In reply to the immediate 19 . .l:ial 144 Black could have either fo rced c2-c3 Bartosz Socko (2615) or exchanged the bishops (�b2-c3). Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2672) 19... �b4. Greece tt 2005 (3) 19... i.c6 20.:a1 'Wb7?! 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tLlf6 3.tLlc3 e5 4.tLlf3 Should Black really do this? Simple and tLlbd7 5.�c4 i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:[e1 c6 sound was 20 ...b4 2l.�b2 'i:Vc7. I don't 8.a4 b6 9.b3 i.b7 10.�b2 a6 11.�d3 understand why he gives up the pawn, g6 and it seems to be impossible to win it It is not clear to me why the kingside back. should be weakened, but if the expert 21.ha5 tLlcS 276 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lZJ£6 3. lt:x3 eS 4. lZJ£3 Azmaiparashvili may have intended 21 ... 33 ...b4 34.�e6. b4, but then follows 22.�c4!± threat 34. .ie6 rle8 35.rle3 ltJb8 36.hf6+ ening ti:Jf3-g5. .ig7 37.hg7+ 'it'xg7 38 . .ig4 rlf8 22 . .ic3 ..txe4 39.'ifd6 22 ... tbcxe4 23.tbxe4 tbxe4 24.�xe4 Black's troubles are horrible . .ixe4 2S.lha8 �xa8 26.tbxeS;!;;. 39 ... h5 40.rle7 'it'f6 41.'it'xf6+ :Xf6 23.:Xa8 :Xa8 24.be5 hf3 25.gxf3 42.rle8+ 145 Ivan Saric (2584) Sanan Sjugirov (2610) Chotowa Wch-jr 2010 (9) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.lbc3 e5 4.ltJf3 ltJbd7 5 . .ic4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.rle1 c6 8.a4 b6 9.b3 ..tb7 1 O.a5 The Croatian grandmaster immedi ately lashes out to the enemy on the 27 ... 'ifc7 queenside, drawing the fireupon him 27 ...tbxe4? 28.tbxe4with great pressure self (... b6- b5). along the long diagonal. 10... rlb8 11. .id3 b5 12. ..tb2 a6 28.'ifd4 Even stronger was first 28.�d5!, pin ning the f7-pawn and threatening the devastating 29.�d4. 28 ...f6 29 . ..td5+ <;PhS 30.f4 ..td6 31 .lbe4?! Bartosz allows the enemy to prolong his resistance. Correct was 31.b4 lba4 3L�al+- with the intention to bring up the knight (lbg3-e4). 31 ... lbxe4 32.:Xe4 .ic5 33. 'ifd2 ..tf8 277 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Let's examine the position. Can such a 24 ... ..td5 25.hd5 ltJxdS 26.exf7+ structure be good fo r White? The aS 'iitxf7 27. 1i'f1+ pawn may turn out weak in the future. On the other hand, the bS-pawn cannot be attacked by a2-a4. 13.ltJe2 'Wc7 14.ltJg3 g6 15.c4 exd4 16.ltJxd4 Or 16.cxb5 cxbS and the b7-bishop is opened up; 17.ltJxd4 with approximate equality. 16... bxc4 17. ..b:c4 ltJeS 18. ..tf1 l:.fe8 18... c5 !?. 19.f4 ltJed7 20.e5? A mistake. This pawn will be cut off 27 ... ttJ7f6?! and will come under crossfire. Better Stronger was 27 .. .<;t>g8 and the leaps was 20.'1ic2 �f8 2I.ltJf3 cS= when the of the white knights may scare the pressure on the e4-pawn compensates monarch, but they will not kill him: fo r the weakness on d6. 28.ltJdfS gxfS 29.ltJxfS 'iff4-+ and this 20... dx e5 21.fxe5 ..tb4=F is not the only good continuation. 28.lLlf3 .:.Xb3? A serious mistake, or maybe just a downright blunder, which changes the logical course of the game. There were also better lines, for instance 28 ...'1if4 29.�xf6 '1ixf6 30.l:ldl ltJf4+. But per haps 28 ...'1id6 was even more precise. 29. hf6 .:.Xf3 I don't see any other options. It turns out that 29 ...t2:lxf 6 can't be played be cause of the simple 30.'iYc4++- and if Material losses are inevitable. But Saric 29... Wxf 6 30.tLld4+±. seems to have thought he had sufficient 30.1Wxf3 compensation. Much stronger was 30.gxf3 ltJxf6 22.e6?! 3I.'i:Vc4+ \t>g7 32.'i¥xa6=, restoring the This would look impressive in a blitz material balance. game, but with a classic time-control... 30 ... ltJxf6 31.l:.b1 ? better was 22.ltJf3. We don't know the tournament situa 22 ... he1 23.'Wxe1 c5 tion at this moment. By all appearances, Files and diagonals are opened up, which a draw didn't suit the Croatian player is highly desirable fo r the black rooks. and he aspired to more. Meanwhile, the 24 . ..tc4 position called fo r 3I..l:tfl+. 24.exf7+ \t>xf7 2S.�c4+ li.dS (the 31 ... 1Wxa5 32.l:.f1 1i'd833. 1i'b7+ l:.e7 only move)-+. 34. 'Wxa6 'Wd4+35. �h1 �g7+ 278 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lt:J£60c3 3. eS 4. lt:Jf3 57 ... l:te1 The knight couldn't be captured be cause of the elegant stalemate trick 57 ...'i¥x fl? 58.�g5+ <;t>xgS=. The black monarch can't escape from the pur suit by the white queen - when a lady wants something it is difficultto refuse: 58 ...Wg7 59.�xg6+ Wf8 60.�g7+ 'it>e8 6I.'i!Vd7+. 5S.'ifd2+ 'ifxd2 59.lbxd2 g5 SO.lbf3 :S1 S1 .g4 hxg3+ S2. 'ittxg3 �h5 The situation has clarified. Black has S3. 'ittg2 :S2+ S4. 'ittg3 :S3 S5. 'ittg2 ended up with a healthy extra pawn �gS SS.tt:Jd4 l:[d3 S7.0.e2 �5 without any compensation. SS.lbg3+ 'ittf4 S9.lbh5+ 'itte5 70.lbg3 3S.h3 'ife5 37.l:tf3 tt:Jd5 3S. 'ifc4 0.e3 :S3 71. �2 :S4 72. �3 l:[f4+ 73. 'ittg2 39. 'ii'd3 h5 40. 'ifdS :es l:[fS74 .lbh5 l:thS 75.lbg3�4 7S.l2Je2+ 40 ... �f7!? 41.�xf7+ 'it>xf7 42.'i¥d7+ 'itte3 77.lbg3 :as 7S.lbh5 :a1 79.lbfS <;t>g8 43.'i¥c8+ Wh7 44.'i!Vb7+ �h6+. :as so.lbh5 :hs S1 .lbQ3 :ts s2.lbt1 + 41 .'ifd7+ 'ii'e7 42.'ii'd3 h4 43.'ifc3+ 'ittf4 S3.lbg3 l:thS S4.l2Je2+ �e5 �h7 44.lbf1 lbf5 S5.lbg3 l:[h4 SS.tbe2 :S4 S7.lbg3 :S3 44 . ./t::lxfl 45Jhf1+. SS.�2 l:tb3 S9.�g2 �f4 90.lbh5+ 45. 'ittg1 ?? 'itte4 91 .lbQ3+ 'itte3 92.lbh5 l:tb4 A blunder. White could have continued 93.'ittg3 l:th4 94.lbfS 'ittd4 95.lbg4 putting up stubborn resistance with �e4 9S.lbfS+ 'ittf5 97.lbg4 l:thS 4S.�f4. 9S.l2Je3+ �e4 99.lbg4 :as 100.lbhS 45 ... lbd4-+ 4S.l:te3 0.e2+ 47.:Xe2 :as 101.tDgs :gs 102.0.e1 :es 'ifxe2 103.lbcS �5 104.�3 �s 105.lba7 I leave the technical part without much .l:!.bS 1 OS.lbcS l:tb3+ 107. �g4 �es comment. 10S.lba7 �d7 109.�xg5 l:tb7 110.h4 4S.'ifxc5 l:te5 49.-..a7+ �hS 50.'ifd4 :Xa7 111.h5 �e7 112.�gS �S 113. 'ife1 51. 'iff4+ �g7 52. 'ifd4 'itth7 hS �gS 0-1 53.'itth2 l:te7 54.'ifc4 •f2 55.ti'd3 l:te25S. -..d7+ �hS 57.-..d5 Azmaiparashvili reacted to a4-a5 in an other way. However, after ...b6- b5, here a5-a6 could have fo llowed. But Black would have ample play in that case too. In this game Shirov gave his bishop the monopoly on the light squares, and gradually turned his advantage into a sound point. I advise inexperienced readers to pay attention to the problems the defending side is facing with op posite-coloured bishops. There are also other pieces on the board! 279 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 146 14.d5 tt:lxe3 IS. .l:txe3 l::tb8=) 12... l::tb8 Alexei Shirov (2726) 13.b4 'ifc7=. Black has acceptable play Zurab Azmaiparashvili (2672) in all cases. Calvia ol 2004 (5) 11.axb6 1.e4 d6 2.d4 l!Jf6 3. tbc3 e5 4. l!Jf3 Interesting is ll.a6 �c8. Black doesn't t!Jbd75. �c4 Ji.e7 6.0-0 o-o 1.:e1 manage to surround the outpost a6 Will the push 7. a4 c6 8.a5 bring any due to a blow in the centre: 12.d5 bS dividends? 8 ... l:tb8 A standard response, 13.dxc6 bxc4 14.cxd7 �xd7 IS.bxc4 with the idea to advance the b-pawn. 'iic7 and White is better, but his weak 9.'W'e2 b6 10.axb6 axb6 With the rook on nesses (c4, a6) are permanent. a8, Black would have to capture with a 11... axb6 12.�b2 'Wc7 13.'Wd2 b5 piece. 11.d5 cxd5 Black won't necessarily 13... .l::ta8. get any compensation for the pawn af 14.Ji.d3 l:[fd8 15.0.e2 ter ll...bS 12.dxc6 bxc4 13.cxd7 �xd7 It's difficult to recommend the radical 14.'ifxc4 '1ib6 IS.'iid3±. 12.exd5 ..ib7 IS.b4 tt:lb6 16.h3 tt:lc4 17.�xc4 bxc4, 13.l:ta7 'W'c7 14.lt:lb5 1Wc8 15.l:td1 IS.b3 unclear. looks unpleasant, taking into account 15... c5 16.dxe5 tbxe5 17.tbg3 �c8 that it is dangerous to capture the pawn White seizes an essential initiative af on dS: IS... �xdS (stronger is IS ...tLlxdS ter the natural 17... tt:lxf3 + 18.gxf3 �c8 I6J:tdl tt:lc7 17.tt:lxd6 �xd6 18 . .l::txd6 19.e5! tt:le8 20.exd6 �xd6 2I.'ti'gs± and with counterplay, for instance: 18... b5 the king can hardly fe el safe, being under 19.�d3 tt:le8 20 . .l:lxd7 'ifxd7 2I.tLlxeS the fire ofalmost all the enemy pieces. with very unclear play) 16.�xd5 tLlxdS 17 ... c4 doesn't equalize, viz. 18.�fl (18. 17.c4 tLlSf6 18.�a3 and Black stands bxc4 bxc4 19.�fl �xe4 20.tt:lxe4tt:lxf3+ poorly. 15 ... l:ta8 16.l:txa8 1Wxa8Sutovsky 2l.gxf3 l::t.xbl=F) 18 ... l::tdc8 19.'1ias±. Azmaiparashvili, Pune 2004. 18. �e2 tbxf3+?! 7 ...c6 8.a4 b6 9.b3 �b7 18... .!:f.e 8±. Or 9 ...a6 , transposing to basic structures. 19.Ji.xf3 Ji.e6 20.l!Jf5 10.a5 20 ... Ji.xf521 .exf5;t 10... Ab8 Alexey has become superior on the IO ...bS suggested itself, with lines like light squares after opening up the long ll.a6 (II.�d3 a6=) ll...�c8 (II...bxc4 diagonal for the f3-bishop. If there were 12.axb7 l::tb8 13.bxc4 l::!xb7 unclear) no dark-squared bishops on the board, 12.�fl (12.�d3 'ti'b6 13.�e3 tt:lg4 then after ...d6-d5 I suppose Black's po- 280 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 3. 0c3 eS 4. ttJ£3 sition wouldn't be bad. If, if, if... Here Shirov has fa iled to fo rce mate, but that this is not so wholesome. doesn't influence the result. White has 21 ...d5?! an overwhelming advantage. 21...lLle8 22.'ti'f4 .tf6 23.-txf6 lbxf6 29 ....:.ta 30 . ..ths .:ts 31.g4 24.g4±. If even such a move works (usually in the 22 . ..tes i.d623. i.xf6 gxf6 24. 'ifh6± fightfor an advantage you try to put pawns on the squares of the enemy bishop's col our), then Black is in a bad way. 31 ... .if4 32 . .:.d7 A 'par terre' position, to use a term from wrestling: absolutely passive, and Black can only defend sluggishly. His bishop fa ils to protect both the defen sive line on the kingside and his queen side pawns. Meanwhile, his rooks are glued to the f7-pawn. The presence of opposite-coloured bishops only increases Black's troubles here. 24 ... ..tf4 The Georgian grandmaster fo rces his opponent to take the f6 -pawn in the hope of clearing the dark-squared di agonal for his bishop. Instead, 24 .. J!b6 2S.l:f.adl d4 26J�e4 .tf8 27.'i!Vhs h6 28 . .l:tg4+± looks sad fo r Black. 25. 'ifxf6 .:.ds 32 ... .id6 33.h4 h6 34. �1 .ib8 2S ...'i!Vd6 26.'i!Vh4 .tes 27.'ii'g5+ �f8 35.:Sb7 28 . .l::ta7 �a8 29J�b7±. The rest of the moves may be explained There is no time fo r gluttony: by the specific characteristics of a team 25 ... .txh2+ 265Jo>fl .td6 27. .txd5+-. match. It is not desirable to lose quickly, 26.'ire7 'irxe7 27 . .:.Xe7 i.g5 28 . .:.c7 especially on first board. c4 29.:Sa7+- 35 ... d4 36 . .:.Xd4 cxb3 37.cxb3 .id6 38 . .:.Xb5 .ic7 39 . .:.d7 .:.b6 40 . .:.Xb6 ..txb641 .f6 ..tcs 42.�2 .ia3 43.f4 1-o In conclusion, I give you an epic game between your favourite (or perhaps most hated, at the end of this book) author and the 'terror of the Iberian peninsula', well-known Russian grand master Oleg Korneev. We continued to play more or less logically fo r about 100 281 A Culllling Chess Opening for Black moves. After that exhaustion can be the with counterplay, Korneev-Elianov, only excuse... Montreal 2006. 1s ...9s 17.-ihs lL!g7 18.ti'd2 :as 147 19.c4 b4 20 . ..ib3 Oleg Korneev (2565) Sergey Kasparov (2536) Sort 2007(7) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tLlf3 tLlbd7 5 . ..ic4 ..ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:e1 c6 8.a4 b6 9.h3 a6 1 o . ..ia2 .:ba 11. ..ie3 b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.tbd2 This intricate manoeuvre is probably Oleg's patent, and I was ready for it. 13... ..tb7 The Polish player Tomasz Markowski got convenient play with 13 ...exd4 20 ... 1fc7 14.�xd4 �b7 IS.i.e3 �e8 16.tbe2 The computer agrees with me here, but i.f8 17.tbg3 cS 18.c4 b4 19.i.bl g6, there was a point in exchanging at least and it was not Black who stood worse in one pair of rooks with 20 .. Jhal so as Kryvoruchko-Markowski, Ustron 2008. to reduce the potential tension on the 14.tbe2 kingside. 21.:Sd1!? Try to guess the idea of this illogical looking move! The rook leaves the open file and moves to a closed one! The idea is to save as many pieces as possible for an offensive on the kingside. Also, on the a-file Black has no entry squares yet. 21 ... ..tca 22.lL!g3 :as 23.tLlh2 •ds 24 . .:f1 ..th4 25.tLlf3 ..te726 .tbg5 ..tf6 27.:&1 tLlb6 28.c;l.!h1 •e7 29.lLlf3 There may be something I fa il to com •a7 30.:Se1 ..id7 31 .tLlh2 1fc7 prehend, but it is hardly possible to get 32.tLlg4 an advantage with such knight manoeu vres, both moving backward, when there is tension in the centre. 14... c5 15.d5 tbe8 1S... .l::f.a8!?. 16.tLlf3 I seem to have been guided by the fo llowing game: 16.c4 b4 17.tbf3 g6 I8.�h6 tbg7 I9.g4 tbf6 20.tbg3 Wh8 21..�bl tbg8 22.i.e3 .tc8 23.<;t>h2 fs 282 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£6 3. 0d e5 4. tt:J£3 Up to this moment both players have been carrying out unhurried manoeu vres, trying to provoke each other into weakening their positions. Here I decided to simplify the position by trading off a piece. 32 ... ..bg4 33.hxg4 Now White's plan could be as fo llows: g2-g3, f2-f4, g4-g5. However, with adequate opposition it will hardly bring any rewards. 33 ... tt:ld7 34.tt:le2 l:.fa8 35.g3 tbe8 52 ... l:.a1 53.:Xa1 :Xa1 54.l:.h1 :Xh1 36.�g2 'ii'd8 37.l:.h1 'ife7 38. 'ifc1 55. 41 ...h5!? The time-control has been reached, and Black tries to change the structure on the kingside. Otherwise the duel might have lasted till the fo llowing morning. 42.gxh5 White can't play 42.g5 tt:lh7 43.f4 exf4 and the e4-pawn is attacked. 42 ... tbxh5 43.tt:lh3 67 ...g5? Now another manoeuvring phase be In time trouble, a strange decision. It gins. can be explained by tiredness, as I had 43 ... tt:lf8 44.tt:lf2 tt:lh7 45.tbg4 �8 already produced about 70 moves in the 46. 'Wd2 tt:l7f6 47 . .ig5 'ifa7 48.tt:lf2 fight against the tournament favourite. �g8 49.tbd3 tt:lh7 50 . ..te3 'ife7 Even in the year before (2006), Korneev 51 .tt:lf2 tb5f6 52.l:.h2 had an Elo-rating of around 2670. It was more logical to put the queen on Obviously stronger was 67 ... exf4! the 1st rank first, preventing the pene 68.gxf4 gS, making White's dark squares tration of the enemy rooks there. vulnerable. For example, in reply to 283 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 69.fS (69.eS? gxf4+) here 69... tbe S+;;!;; 84.lillcb4!? will follow. Unlike in the game, this Done. square is vacant here. 84 ...cxb4 85 . ..bb4 ttJf8 86 . .ta3 �d4 68.f5 �f8 87.b4 ttJd7 88 . .b4 ttJb6 89.�b5 I thought that this fortress was impreg The white king and the g7-knight are nable. Indeed it is likely to be, but the keeping each other in check, while fight goes on and tired chess players the other pieces are struggling on the may make mistakes ... queenside. It looks like a dynamic 69.�g2 t:Dg7 balance. 89 ... �e3 90.�3 �d4 91.g4 Now the cavalry must rush to help the main fo rces, which is not easy, as the only mountain path (e8) is exposed to enemy fire. 91...ttJd7 92.fj;e2 �d8 93.�d3 ttJe8 94 . ..bd7 fj;xd795.c 5 c.filc796. �c4 70.�d1? Time trouble. 70 ... �e7 71.�c2 �d8 72.�b1 ttJh5 73.�d3 t:Dg7 74.�3 c.filg8 75.�g4 ttJf8 76.�e2 �7 77.ttJd3 ttJd778. ttJe1 ttJf8 79.ttJf3 ttJh780.�d1 284 Part IV - I .e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3 .lLx3 e5 4. tb£3 b6+ Wd7 10Lb7 Wc7 102.d6+! Wxb7 104.Wc4 ltJe3+ 105.Wb4 tt.Jc2+= and (102 ...tt.Jxd6 103.b8'iV+) 103 .d7+-. the king can't abandon the cS-pawn. 97 .. .tix7+98. �c4 �a6 99.�c1 100.b3 IOO.bS+!+-. 1 00 ... tilc7 1 01. �c1 t008 Avidly glancing at gS. 99.cxd6? ltJbS 100.d7 tt.Jxa3+ 10l.�b3 i.b6-+. 99 ... t008?? Closer to the kingside. I should have And in this position, which is actually played 99 ...tt.Jbs lOO.�xgS fxgS 101.f6 hopeless for Black, the peace agreement dxcS 102.bxc5 tt.Ja3+ 103 .Wb4 tt.Jc2+ was signed. A dramatic finish. Conclusion With the flexible pawn fo rmation d6 , c6, b6, a6 Black's chances are not wor se than in other lines. That is , Wh ite keeps some in i tiative, but Black's pressure on the e4-pawn and the prospect of ...b 6-b5-b4 provide counterplay. I think that currently, white players are inclining to b2-b4. Wi th this move Whi te is likely to saddle Black with the biggest pro blems. 285 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Section 4: Black Doesn't Play ...c 7 -c6 In this section we will analyse what happens if Black doesn't play an early ... c7-c6, postponing it to better times. What is the value of this nuance? As it turns out, it is for the sake of the light-squared bishop, which is fianchettoed at b7, piling up the pressure on the e4-pawn. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 lLlf6 3.liJc3 e5 4.lbf3 lLlbd75 . .ic4 .ie7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:l.e1 a6 8.a4 b6 I suppose I don't have to explain the purpose of 8.a4 ? Yes, you are right, White shouldn't allow ...b7- b5. First let's acquaint ourselves with White's instant knight jump to the centre: 9.tLldS. 286 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tb£6 3. 0.c3 e5 4. tt:Jf3 In the first round of a fa mous fe stival ing the symmetry in the centre. After sponsored by the main Russian airline 14.b4 White has a certain initiative as Aerofiot, Turkish grandmaster Dragan the knight, the rook and the c8-bishop Solak played a bit passively and soon got are clumsily placed) 14.tbd4 �b7 in a really difficultsituation. White had 15.f4 tbg6 16.tbc6 .txc6 17. .txc6 tbe7 a 'free' extra pawn and, accordingly, 18.�bS;!;. good chances of success. Why did she 11... �f6 12.c3 'ife7 13.'ifd3 l:td8 fa il to convert her advantage? In earli 14.ttJd2 ltJf8 15.ltJf1 er times I would have written some Interesting is 15.d5!?, curiously glancing thing like 'this is women's chess', but at the d8-rook, the f8-knight and the after being defeated by women a cou f6 -bishop. What are they doing there? ple of times I won't talk about gender 15... tt:Je6 inequality. Better is 15 ...exd4 16.cxd4 tbe6 17.�e3 �d7 18 . .i:tacl with initiative. 148 16.tt:Je3 ltJf4 17.'ifd1 �d7?! Nazi Paikidze (2411) 17... Vi'f8 ; 17... �g5. Dragan Solak (2613) 18.tt:Jf5! 'ife8 Moscow Aeroflot Open 2012 (1) 18... .txf5 19.exf5 and the f4 -knight 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.llJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 gets into trouble: 19 ...'iff8 20.g3 lDh3+ ttbd75. �c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:te1 a6 21. The f4 -pawn perishes without sufficient compensation, as the black bishop is re What is this? Usually exchanges bene strained by the pawn trio b2-c3-d4. fit Black here, as he lacks space. White 21 ... g6 22.ltJh6+ 'itg7 23. 'ii'xf4 'ife7 must have planned tbd5xe7, obtaining 24.ltJQ4 �g5 25. 'ifg3 h5 26.tt:Je3 the popular advantage of two bishops. he3 27.'1fxe3 9 ... tbxd5 10. .b:d5 The Georgian woman player has a IO.exdS �f6 ll.c3 �b7 12.Yi'b3 l::f.e8=. healthy extra pawn. 10... l:tb8 11.�c6 27 ...b5 Or II."i¥e2 .tf6 12.c3 aS 13.dxe5 tbxeS 27... c5 28.h3 .!:le8 29."i¥d3 bS 30.d5±. (worthy of attention is 13... dx e5, keep- 28.axb5 axb5 29.f4 b4 30.l:a7 287 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Quite nice is 30.c4, creating a phalanx sure of his Azerbaijani colleague. How on the 4th rank. ever, Black had a very solid fo rtress and 30 ... :as 31 . .l:.b7 .l:.dbS 32 . .:.Xbs .:.Xbs only in probable time trouble (it may 33.d5 just be my fib) did he commit a mistake. I wonder why the logical 33.c4!? was ig nored, fo r example 33 ... l:!e8 34.h3 'ifd7 149 35.d5 f6 36.'iVa7±. Nidjat Mamedov (2587) 33... bxc3 34. 'ifxc3+ Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2629) Better is 34.bxc3. Turkey tt 2011 (2) 34 ... 'iff6 35 . .l:.e2 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.lt:\f3 Not fa tal is 35.e5 dxe5 36.fxe5 'iVb6+ ltJbd7 5 . .ic4 i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7 . .l:.e1 a6 37.'it>hl 'tWb4(37 ...'iVxb2 38.'ifxc7). 8.a4 b6 9.lt:\d5 .ib7 35 ... 'ifxc3 36.bxc3 c6 Mikheil is playing principled moves. He Dragan decreases the number of pawns doubts the value of the bishop pair in on the board. However, 36 .. J:lbl+!? this position - as does your obedient seems to be more accurate: 37.'l£if2 �cl servant. 38. .l:Ie3 f6 and realization of the extra 10.lt:\xe7+ pawn is hardly fe asible. The computer is not keen on this, but 37.dxc6 .l:.c8 38.�2 .:.Xc6 39 . .l:.c2 then why was tbc3-d5 played? IO.c3. c.tf6 40. �e3 �e6 1 0 ... 'ifxe7 11. .id3 .l:.fe8 Now White's task is highly complicated After ...e5x d4 the e4-pawn will be un as there are no passed pawns. der heavy fire, therefore: 41. In the following Caucasian contest, Geor gian representative Mikheil Mchedlish vili, with black, parted with his bishop at once and got under long-term pres- 288 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 tt:J£60d 3. eS 4. tt:J£3 2300+ players may skip this remark, 19.f3 tbh5 20.b3 lbf4 21.lbf1 tbg6 but such a move in structures of this 22 . .i.f2 kind purports to restrain the e8-rook and the b7-bishop. 12... tbc5 Mchedlishvili exploits the fact that the bishop can't retreat now, as it protects the e4-pawn. Quite possible was 12... c6 13.c4 and now: A) 13 ...cxd5 14.cxd5 'ird8 15. .ie3 tt:Jcs 16.�g5 h6 17.�xf6 'ifxf6 18.b4 tLld7 with acceptable play; B) A bit more passive is 13... a5 14.tLlh4 g6 (this weakening of the dark White has gradually changed his ap square complex is very undesirable, proach and enjoys a stable advantage but tLlh4-f5 is too unpleasant) 15.�g5 now: two bishops and, in future, fron 'iVf8 (IS ...tt:Jcs 16.�c2 l:tac8 17J1a3 tal pressure on the d6-pawn. with initiative; IS .. .'iitg7 16.'iVf3 tLlcS 22 ... tbc523.'ifd2 .l:.ed8 24.:Sd1 tbe7 17.�c2 cxdS 18.exd5 �c8 19.'iVc3 25.tbe3 .tea 26.h4 with initiative) 16.'iVd2 with initiative, 26.�h4!?. McShane-Nevednichy, Aix-les-Bains 26 ...f6 27.g4 Ech 2011. Total chess. Is it good? How should 13. .i.g5 White break through the enemy de 13.b4 tLlxd3 14.'iVxd3 h6=. fe nces? 13... h6 14. .i.h4 27 ... h5! 28.Wh2 hxg4 29.fxg4 .i.c6 Not bad was the bland 14. .ixf6 'ifxf6 30.lbf5 tbxf5 31.gxf5 'iff7 32.'ife2 15.b4 tLlxd3 16.'iixd3 with an initiative Wf8 due to White's space advantage. 14... c6 1 5.c4 15.�xf6 'ifxf6 16.c4. 15... a5 Dangerous was IS ... gS?! because of the obvious sacrifice 16.tLlxg5 hxgS 17.�xg5. The dark-squared bishop, who has no opponent, shatters the black kingside: 17... cxd5 18.cxd5 Wg7 19. .l::r.e3 with attack. 16. .i.c2 tbcd7 Better was 16... tLla6 . Black has broken up White's pawn mass 17.dxc6 .hc6 18.l2Jd2 'ife6 and is now gathering his army in the He probably wanted to get out of the centre. pin on the h4-e7 diagonal without 32...�e8!? 33.'iie3 'ifhs. moving any pawns. 33.l:[g1 we7 34.l:[g6 18 ...tLlf8 19.tt:Jfl tt:Jg6=. Or 34.'irg4 .l::r.g8 35.'iith3 .!::ladS=. 289 A Culllling Chess Opening for Black 34 ... :ha 35. 'ifg4 :h7 both the h6- and f6 -pawns). But now Here the rook is definitely more active the bishop goes to f2 at once: 43.�£2 than on g8. White already has to show 'ifhS+ (43 ....l::!. b7 44.�e3±) 44.'iVxh5 some accuracy. His advantage has faded. kxhS 45.ihb6 l::ib7 46.�xa5 �xdl 36.:g1 �8? 47 . .!:lxdl .l::txb3 48.l::ixd6!. The first considerable mistake. The 42 ... 9;;e7 43. 'iff3 lLlf4? unemployed a-rook should have been Returning the favour. Right was moved to the kingside, fo r instance 43 ...l2Jc5 =. 36 .. Jlg8 37.h5 �f8 38.ii.e3 .ie8 with 44.hf4 exf4 45.'ifxf4± a solid position. 37.h5 .tea38 . ..th4! Now Black must always take into ac count h5-h6 or �h4xf6. The a8-rook can hardly help the king. 38 ... l:.a7 38 ...'1Wd7 is not a remedy because of the obvious sacrifice 39.i.xf6 l::ia7 (39 ... gxf6 40Jhf6+ �e7 41.'iVh4 l::ixhS 42 . .l:lf7+!+-) 40.'iVh4 �xg6 4I.fxg6 (41 ..l:lxg6) 4I....l:lh8 42...�.g5±. as . ..td1 ta:ta40. h6! If there were no rooks on the board, The Azerbaijani grandmaster doesn't Black would have a good position intend to linger as the black cavalry is (... 'iVf7- g7-g5), but the difference in approaching ( ...l2Jc5-d3 -f4) . activity between the rooks brings 40 ... :Xh6 41 .:Xh6 gxh6 Mamedov the point. 45 ... 'iff8 46. 'ife3 l:tb747 . ..tf3 Threatening 48.e5. 47... :b8 48.:g3 h5 49.'ifg 1 'ifh6 5o.:9a 'ifd2+ More tenacious was SO ...'iVf 4+ Sl.'iVg3 'ifes 52.�h3 'iYxg3+ 53.�xg3±. 51.9;;h3 'ifd3 52.'ifg3 'ifxb3 53.:g7+ 1-0 Black will either suffe r irreplaceable material loss - 53 ... ii.f7 54Jhf7+ -or he will be mated. 42 . ..tg3? A strange mistake, considering that the In the following game, Russian Elo-fa time-control has already been reached. vourite Ernesto Inarkiev had no simple Significantly stronger was 42.'iVf3 !, task in the fight against one of the lead fo rcing the knight to decide which route ers of Italian chess. Godena is quite a it shall take. The only acceptable reply is strong chess player and it is not easy to 42 ...l2Jf 4 (not good is 42 ...l2Jc5? 43.'1We3 beat him with black. At one point, the or 43.l:!.g6+- and Black cannot protect Russian player could even have been 290 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 li:Jf6 3. 0c3 eS 4. li:Jf3 Absolutely boring is Il.lDxe7+ 'iYxe7. Here Black doesn't have any problems, despite the fact that the enemy has the two bishops. The thing is that the e4- pawn isn't sufficientlysecured. Here are some possible lines: A) 12.b3 tbxe4 13.�b2 (13.�a3 lDecS 14.�ds �xdS IS.'iYxdS e4 16.lDd2 lDf6=) 13 .. J!ad8 14.'iYd3 lDdcS IS.'ite3 tbd6 16.lDxeS=; B) 12.lDd2lDcS 13 .f3 �ad8 (13 ... �c6!? 14.b3 bS with initiative) 14.'ife2= Kim-Kazhgaleev, Moscow 2010. 11... hf6 12.b3 i.e7 13.i.b2 i.b4 Michele Godena A disturbing move, enticing the pawn subjected to a crushing attack. However, to c3, where it would block the diago Michele was too slow. He withdrew his nal fo r the white bishop. pieces and was gradually outplayed. His 14.rl.e3 fo rmer activity had to make way for The rook may be useful on the 3rd rank: pawn weaknesses. �e3-d3, .l:.e3-f3 (g3, h3). 14... 'ife7 15.ltJh4 g6 150 More careful was IS... 'ifxh4 16.'ifxd7 Michele Godena (2560) �cS 17.l:Ie2 �d6, but here Black has Ernesto lnarkiev (2665) minimal chances of winning the game. Rijeka Ech 2010 (2) Possibly the Elo-favourite aspired to a 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 complicated struggle. ltJbd7 5.i.c4 i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.rl.e1 a6 16.1i'g4;!; c.th8 8.a4 b6 9.lbd5 i.b7 10.dxe5 The Italian grandmaster prefers to clarify things in the centre. Let's see if this idea yields an advantage. 10... d xe5 17.ltJf3?! Alas, Godena didn't venture on an ex citing attack. He should have made use of the mobility of his rook. Let's take a look at all the nice things that remained 11.lbxf6+ behind the scenes: 291 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 17.l:th3! .i.cS 18.l:tf1 l:tg8 19.lbf3 l:tg7 29.c3 .td6 30.lLlh2 ltJh6 31.lLlf1 f5 32 . .td5 More careful was 32.exfS tbxfS 33.g3=. The h4-pawn has been pushed in vain. White should support it. 32 ... ltJg433.e xf5 gxf5 34.b4 Better 34.c4. 34 ... The h4-pawn is cut off from the main fo rces and is bound to perish. The game is approaching a grievous end for White. 40.ttJd2 .tc6 41 . .tc2+ 292 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.0c3 e5 4. tbf3 The struggle takes a somewhat different turn in case of the apparently slightly artificial manoeuvre tLlc3-e2. And in deed, both examples are of a rather high quality: we will give examples from the Olympiad and the Germany Bundesliga. In both encounters Black got pleasant play. Moreover, the white pieces were led by more distinguished players. The highly experienced Eduardas Rozentalis didn't achieve anything against an adversary who had 220 Elo 12.�f4 �f8 13.�d3 points less. And the repeated champion 13.'ii'f3 doesn't look impressive after of chess super-power Russia, Peter 13... tLle5 (an exchange that suggests it Svidler, lost all his chances fo r victory self. Also good is 13... g6 14Jhdl .ig7 on the 23rd move already. and what does White have besides his concerns about the e4-pawn?) 14 . .ixe5 151 l:f.xeS (bad is 14 ...dxe 5 lS.tLldfS± with Eduardas Rozentalis (2611) great pressure on the kingside) 1S.'iff4 Kenneth Solomon (2394) bS 16. .ia2 'i!Vd7 (16 ...c5!? ) 17.tLlf3 Khanty·Mansiysk ol 2010 (11) l:te7=, Hess-Inarkiev, Barcelona 2010. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 Black also gets an acceptable position tbbd7 5.�c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Ae1 aS after 13.f3 tbes 14.�a2 tLlg6 lS.�gS 8.a4 b6 9.lbe2 h6= or 15.�d2 dS 16.exd5 .ixdS 17.�xe8 'ifxe8=. 13... lbe514 . tbdf5 tbg6 The computer seriously considers 14... g6, but giving away the dark-squared bishop doesn't appeal to me: lS.tLlh6+ .ixh6 16.i.xh6 dS with equality, but are you willing to hold a position with weakened dark squares when only your opponent has a dark-squared bishop? 15.1!Vd2 d5! This looks strange, but white players do apply such plans from time to time. I used to face this idea with black. Usual ly the evaluation is around equality. 9 ... �b7 10.tbg3 exd4 11.tbxd4 :ea Now the knight has left square f3 and tLlf3-g5 isn't threatened, Kenny (whom I know from several tournaments in South Africa) regroups his pieces with his soul at ease. 293 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black The African master takes over the ini 19... :Xe5 20 . .ig5 tiative. Dear reader, I won't tire you with long 16.e5 comments to each move. Trust me Black's position is more pleasant after when I say that both players are making 16.exd5 tLlxdS (16.. .'i¥xd S=F) 17.�g5 f6 the strongest moves. Don't pay attention 18.�e3 tbxe3 19.tLlxe3 tLlf4=F. to Solomon's Elo, he can play nearly 16... tbg4 flawlessly. I have seen him doing this After 16 ...tLld 7!? 17.tLlhS (17.�g5 'iVc8 during a tournament in Pretoria. 18.a5 tLldxeS 19.axb6 cxb6 20.�e3 20 ... 'ifd721 .tL\xh4 tLlxd3 2l.'iVxd3 'iVc7=F)leads to compli cations: 17... tbgxe 5 18.'i¥e3 g6 19.'iig3 tLlxd3 20.cxd3 l:tc8 2l.tLlh6+ jt_xh6 22..�xh6 l:te7 unclear. 17.tt:\h5 tL\4xe5 This looks similar to the position we considered above, but of course it is not the same. The knight is now on g6, not d7. The alternative here is 17... d4. 18. .ih6! Showy, isn't it? Each move deserves an exclamation mark. Now a dynamic balance could have been maintained by 2Lh6. 21 ... 'iVg4?! Better was 2L.h6 22.tLlf6+ gxf6 23.�xf6 l:te6 (23 ... l:tee8 24.tLlf5+-) 24.'iVf4 l:!xf6 2S.'i¥xf6 l::te8= and there is no mate to the black king. 22.tt:\f3 'ifxh5 23.tL\xe5 f6 24.�xf6 gxf6 25.tL\d7! Please note that the pawn structure is 18... tt:\h4! similar to the variation mentioned Strictly the only move. Black offers an above, however, here Black fo rfeits the exchange of the knights, which reduces bishop pair. White's attacking potentiaL Otherwise, 25 ... 'iff7 ... tLlf3+ is threatened. 2S ... �e7? 26.'i¥e3+- with numerous Not 18 ...gxh6? 19.tLlxh6+ �h8 threats to the unsafe black monarch. (19... �xh6? 20.'iVxh6 and mate is not 26.tL\xf8 :Xf827.a5! far off) 20.jt_xg6 fxg6 2Ll::!.xe5 l:te7 For Eduardas this all is elementary stuff. (threatening ...tLlh6 -f7+) 22 . .l:i.ael±. I know him personally; we even played 19.:Xe5 a match once, at a resort in Palanga. 19.�xg7 �xg7 20.tLlh6+ (20.tLlfxg7 The Lithuanian grandmaster 'squeezes' tLlef3+-+) 20 .. .'�(f8 2l.'i¥f4 tLlhf3+ the dark squares, neutralizing Black's 22.gxf3 'iVgS+ 23.'fi'xg5 tLlxf3+;t. numerical superiority on the queen- 294 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 ttJ£6 3. tbc3 e5 4. lt:Jf3 side. Besides, he fixes the enemy pawns 65.1i'a7+ �h6 66.'ifxa6 'ifxf4 on light squares. With a light-squared 67.hh5 'ifgS+ 68.�2 'ifcS+ 69.�g2 bishop, this is unpleasant for Black. 'it'gS+70. '1ta2 'ifcS+ 27 ...b5 28. 'ife3 :tea 29.'ifd4 70 ...Wxh5 7I.'iVe6=. 29.'i!Ya7!?. 71.�g2 'ifgS+ 112-112 29 ... "ife7 30.b4 'ifeS 31 .c3;!; A titanic struggle. 152 Peter Svidler (2740) Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2623) Germany Bundesliga 201 1/12 (13) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 li:'lf6 3.ttJc3 es 4.li:'lf3 li:'lbd7 s . ..tc4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:te1 a6 8.a4 b6 9.li:'le2 ..tb7 10.li:'lg3 li:'lxe4!? A quite acceptable simplification in the centre. It seems that White gets the initi ative, but everything is within bounds. White stands better, but is it fe asible to 11.li:'lxe4 dS convert this advantage into a win? A key moment. 31 ... -tca 32.h3 �g7 33.l:td1 .i.d7 12.bd5 34.f4 One of White's normal reactions. 34.'i!Yc5!?. Worthy of attention is 12.dxe5 dxc4. If 34 ... 'ifd6 35.l:tf1 :tea 36.J:le1 :tea Black is to suffe r, then in return fo r the 37.l:te3 :Xe3 38.'ifxe3 ..te6 39."ifg3+ bishop pair. 12... dx e4?! doesn't work �h8 40.'it'h4 ..tga 41 .'Wf2 ..te6 due to 13.e6 fxe6 14.tt::ld4 (14.�xe6+ 42. "ifd4 ..td7 43 . ..te2 �g7 44 . ..tf3 Wh8 15."i¥xd7 exf3 16.g3=) 14... tt::l e5 ..te6 45. '1ta2 .i.f7 46.h4 15.�a2;l;; and Black's pawn structure Better is 46.g4. has been weakened. 13.1!i'e2 bS 14.l:td1 46 ...h5 47.g3 'ife6= 48. 'Wcs "ifd7 1!i'e8 15.lbc3 lbb6 with near-equality. 49 . ..tg2 'iffS . SO..tf3 'ifd7 51.�g2 12... hd5 1 3.dxe5 'iffS 52.-.xc7 'ifc2+ 53.�h3 'iff5+ The Russian has won a pawn, but just 54.g4 hxg4+ 55.hg4 'ifd3+ 56.�g2 fo r a moment. 1i'c2+ 57.�g3 d4 With counterplay. Both players are on the ball, and the evaluation isn't far from equal. Black even manages to win a pawn, but his king is insufficiently covered and a draw results. 58. 'ifd7 'ifxc3+ 59 . ..tf3 1i'xb460.h5 More accurate was 60.'ii'g4+ �h6 61.'ii'c8 'i!Ye l+ 62.\t>g2 �g7 63.'i!Yg4+=. 60 ... "ife1 + 61.�g2 "ifd2+ 62.�g3 "ife1+ 63. �g2 'Wh4 64. 'ifxd4 bhS 64 ... �e6!?. 13... li:'lxe5! 295 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Not very difficult fo r elite players, and to agree to an exchange operation in sufficient for equality. the centre: 14.lbg5 lbc5 15.b4 lt:Jxd3 14. tbxe5 ..be4 16.'it'xd3 �c8 17.c5 bxc5 18.bxc5 The weakness of the first rank doesn't �xeS 19. .l::rxe5 'fi'f6= Bodnaruk allow the el-rook to satisfy its hunger. Khismatullin, St Petersburg 2011. 15. 'lfxd8 :Sxd8 16.i.f4 15?! 9 ... tbxd5 10.exd5 16 More precise was 16... �a8 17.a5 b5 18.lbc6 .td6, and now not 19.lbxd8? .txf4 20 . .l::r.adl .td6+ and the knight is trapped. 17.ttJc6! ..bc618 .:Xe7 llf7 19.:Xc7;t White's position is certainly more pleas ant, but the opposite-coloured bishops produce a draw. 19... :Xc720 . ..bc7 lld2 21.llc1 ..te4 The most accurate. If 2I....txa4 22.b3. 22 . ..bb6 ..bc2 23.a5 lld1+ 24.:Xd1 Draw agreed. We don't often see such a pawn struc ture (g7-f6-e5-d6-c7). In this case it In the following game from the makes sense as the light squares are Gibraltar Open White put the bishop on controlled by the c8-bishop and the op d5, which seems strange as it is instantly ponent doesn't have such a piece. eliminated by the knight. In the ensuing 11.ltJe4 creative struggle both opponents com II.'i¥d3 �e8 12.lt:Ja2 .tb7 13.c4 b5 mitted quite a few mistakes and the with counterplay. game finished with a happy end. 11... ..tb7 12.c4 c6 A bit more fo rceful is 12... c5 13.dxc6 153 .txc6 14.lt:Jg3 g6=. Stefan Kuipers (2391) 13.dxe5 tbxe5 14.ttJd4 'lfd7 Gabriel Sargissian (2683) Objectively, White's position is a bit Gibraltar Open 2012 (6) better due to the weaknesses on c6 and 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3. ttJc3 e5 4. ttJf3 e6. This could have been underlined by ttJbd7 5 . ..tc4 ..te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.lle1 a6 the modest 15.lbc3. 8.a4 b6 9.i.d5?! 15.ttJe6 Creative, but I am not sure that giving 15.lbc3!? .l::rae8 16.dxc6 lbxc6 17.lbe6 a bishop fo r a knight is auspicious for ltf7 18.lbf4 ;;!; and the d6- and b6-pawns White. More modest is 9.�d3 �b7 are no adornment to Black's position. IO.dxe5 dxe5 II.lt:Jds lt:Jxd5 (II ...lt:Jc5 15... tbxc4?! also equalizes, viz. 12.c4 (12.lbxe5 Gabriel plays creatively, otherwise how lbxd5 13.exd5 'it'xd5=) 12...lbxd5 could he win against such a solid oppo 13.exd5 lbxd3 14.'ifxd3 f6 =) 12.exd5 nent playing with black? The 'normal' �d6 13.c4 f5 . Now in the follow continuation is 15 .. .llfe8. ing game, the Elo-favourite entered 16.tbxf8 ..bf8 17. 'lfd4cxd5 18.ttJc3 an asymmetrical position, not willing More exact is 18.lbg3;;!;. 296 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tb£6 3.0£3 eS 4. tb£3 18... :ca 19.f3 The 'carnivorous' 19.t2Jxd5 could have led to interesting complications: 19 ... l2Je5 20.f4 (20.t2Jxb6?? "ifc6 2I.f3 t2Jxf3+ 22.gxf3 'ifxf3-+) 20 ..."iff7 2I.tLle3 (2I.fxe5 fxeS 22."ifxb6 'iVxdS with counterplay) 2I...tLlc4 22.t2Jxc4 1::lxc4 23.'iff2 dS unclear. 19... 0e520.b 3 28 ... .tc6? A serious error. Better was 28 ...l2Jc4 29 . .l::tc2 �f7. 29.J:[c1± The exchange of rooks can hardly be avoided now, which is favourable for White. 29... d5?? This could have led to instant loss. Kuipers plays thematically, keeping the doubled pawns (d6, dS) on the board, which hamper the black bishops. Un fo rtunately, now the Armenian player forces an opening of the centre. 20 ... ttJc6 Reminding his opponent of the fact that the queen is not the best blockader! 21.'1Vxd5+ Unpromising is 2I.'ifxb6 d4 22.l2Jd5 d3 23.l2Jf4 tLleS, unclear. 21 ... <;PhS 22 . .ib2 30.:Xd5? 22.'iVdl. 30.�xe5 fxeS 31J:tdc2 g6 (the prob 22 ...0e5 23. '1Vd2 '1Vf7 24.0e2 lem is that 3l...�c5+ is unsatisfactory 24.l2Je4. because of the simple 32.l:hc5 bxcS 24 ... '1Vxb325. ttJd4 '1Vd326.J:[ad1 33.l2Je7++-) 32Jhc6 l::txc6 33.l:hc6 After 26.'ifxd3 t2Jxd3 27.l:iebl White gxfS 34.�fl! (murderous prevention, would be the one to aspire to a draw. after which at least two black pawns 26 ... '1Vxd2 27.:Xd2 c;Pg8 will drop. 34.�xb6? �c5+) 34 ... �c5 Stronger was 27 ...d5=F. 35.a5+-. 28.tbf5 30 ... .ixd531 .:Xc8 .te6 I dare assume that the players were The knight is lost. I will leave the re short of time, as a series of mistakes mainder without notes, as the logical now follows. course of events has been broken. 297 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 32 . .:S8 hf5 33 . .ia3 lbd7 34.hf8 inaccuracies in time trouble were too t2Jxf8 35 . .J:lxa6 lbd7 36.a5 bxa5 serious. 37 . .J:lxa5 .i.e6 38.�2 �7 39.l:a7 g5 40.l:a6 lbe5 41.l:a7+ )i;>g6 42.h3 h5 154 43.l:a4 ttJd3+ 44.We3 tbf4 45.Wf2 h4 David Howell (2614) 46.l:a5 .idS47. l:a3 �5 48.l:a6 �e5 Filip Pancevski (2470) 49.l:a4 .ic6 50.l:a6 .i.d751 .l:a7 .i.e6 Plovdiv Ech 2012 (9) 52.l:a4 .idS 1.e4 d6 2.d4 tbf6 3.tbc3 e5 4.tbf3 52 .. .fS!?. tbbd7 5 . .ic4 .i.e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:le1 a6 53.l:a6 f5 54.l:lh6 �d4 55 . .1:.h8 ttJd3+ 8.a4 b6 9.b3 .ib7 1 O.d5 lbe8 56.We2 .i.c4 57.l:ld8+ �e5 58.�e3 The Macedonian player regroups his f4+ 59. wd2 tbc560. l:le8+ Wd6 61 .l:le1 forces right after the closing of the lbe6 62.Ac1 .i.d5 63.�e2 g4 64.hxg4 centre in the 'Old-Indian' manner. h3 65.Wf2 Here are some other set-ups for Black: 6S.gxh3 tbd4+ 66.�f2 tbxf3=. IO ...tbcs ll..�a3 (Il .b4 tbcd7 12.a5 65 ... hxg2 (12..�.a3 aS=) 12 ...b5 13.�b3 Iic8 6S ...h2 66.�hl;;!;. 14.h3 lLJhS IS . .ie3 h6=) ll...h6 12.h3 66.wxg2 wes 67.l:lc3 c.fi>d4 68. .:S3 l:r.e8= lO .. Jle8 11.1i'e2 'iYc8 12.l;ldl tbc5 69. Wf2 ttJd3+ 70. we2 .i.c4 tbfs 13.h3 lbg6=. 71 .l:a8 lbe5+ 72.�2 ttJd3+ 73.�e2 11.tba2 aS 12. .ib5g6 tbb2+74. �2 ttJd3+ 75.�e2 Y2 -1f2 Interesting is 12 ...tbc S, drawing enemy fire: 13.b4 axb4 14.tbxb4 lDf6. Macedonian master Filip Pancevski 13 . .ih6 tbg7 14.'ifd2 f5 15.exf5 gxf5 obtained perfect play as Black in the The two pawns on eS and fS look next game. His activity on the kingside strong. And so they are, but in this case developed easily and naturally, whereas also interesting was lS... �xfS!? because on the queenside White didn't make White can't easily exploit the blockading much progress. Unfortunately, Black's square e4, for example 16.tbc3 tbcS. 16.b4 Perhaps more accurate is 16.tbc3 tbcS 17. .l::radl;;!;,waiting for the black pawns to move and hoping to make use of the resulting weakening. 16... Af6 17.l:ab1 l:lg6 Stefan Kuipers 298 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2.d4 tiJ£6 3. 0d e5 4. tiJ£3 An attractive rook transfer, isn't it? 28.Aa3 h5 Black's position is already preferable. 28 ... k!h6. 18.�c6?! 29. 'ifd1 Ah6 30.Ag1 'ifh7 31 .lbd2 The Englishman allows an unfavourable Ag8 32.f4 h4 change of the central pawn structure. A minority attack. Up to here the Balkan This can happen in situations where a chess player has been doing everything player can't find a promising plan. The right. clock is ticking, you have to make a 33.gxh4 :Xg1+ 34.'ifxg1 :Xh4? move, but you don't see a good one ... Stronger was 34 ... ltJxf4 3S.ltJxf4 exf4=F. then you just make any move. 35.fxe5 dxe5 36.liJf3 Ag4 37. 'ifa1 After 18.bxa5 .l:txaS 19.ltJb4f4 20.�xg7 The picture has altered considerably. �xg7 Black is also better. It is not easy White attacks the eS-pawn and, after to make convenient use of the point e4, that, the enemy king too. and ...ltJd7-f 6 is on the agenda. 37 ... lbd4?? 18... .bc6 19.dxc6 liJf8 The only way was 37... 'i:Yh3, but these More logical and stronger is 19... ltJf 6=F. computer lines are hard to find for a 20.b5 liJfe6 21 . .bg7 'itxg7 22.ttJc3 mere mortal: 38.'ifxe5+ ltJg7 39.'li'e2 �f6 ltJhS 40.tt:Jes 'ifxa3 4I.ltJxg4 fxg4 More aggressive is 22 ...e4! ? 23.ltJd4 42.'ife8+ 'it>g7 43.'ifxd8 'ifcl+=. tt:Jxd4 24.'iYxd4+ �f6 2S.'iYc4 �xc3 38.lbxe5+- ttJc2 39. 'ifc3 'ifg7 26.'iYxc3+ 'iYf6 , keeping a certain initi 40.lbxg4 lbxa341 .'ifh3+ 'ifh7 ative. With the absence of minor pieces, 4l...'it>g8 42 .ltJh6+ 'it>f8 43.'li'xa3++-. it will be difficult for White to sacrifice 42. 'ifxa3 fxg443. 'ii'f8+ 1-0 something on b6 or d6 so as to activate After the queen exchange Black's po his outpost on c6. sition is hopeless. White has different 23.lbd5 �h8 24.'ith1 'ifg8 25.c4 Af8 plans at his disposal. He can carry out 26.g3 'ifg727. :b3 c4-c5, then b5-b6 and c6-c7. Or just play 'it>g2-g3xg4. Black's structure took on the usual shape in the fo llowing game by one of the strongest Russian chess players. Ian did put the pawn at c6, even though he played not very confidently. White's bishop on a2 was beautiful, while the black pawn, in my opinion, ran to b4 in vain, creating weaknesses around it. 27 ... �d8 155 Black definitelystands better. Moreover, Alexey Kislinsky (2574) he has many good continuations at his lan Nepomniachtchi (2710) disposal, fo r instance 27 ... �h6 28 . .l:r.a3 Legnica Ech 2013 (4) e4 29.t2Jxf6 'i!Vxf6 30.t2Jh4 ltJgS=F with 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3.ttJc3 e5 4.liJf3 the idea (maybe) of .. J'hh4 and ...tt:Jf3 . liJbd75.� c4 �e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Ae1 a6 299 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black In this game the ideas of..c7-c6 and ... 14 ... �c8 1S.�e3 aS 16.t2Jd2±; after the a7-a6 are intertwined. I've put the game weakening of point c4 White's advan in this section. I hope you don't mind. tage has increased. 8.a4 b6 9 . .b2 .tb7 10.h3 15. .te3 10.'ifd3 c6 We are already familiar Even stronger is 1S.'i!Vg4 �h8 16.t2Jd2±. with this idea. 1 1.tt::lh4 g6 An amusing 15... Ac5 1 6.ltJd2 tactical skirmish ensues after ll...cS The a2-bishop is exerting extremely 12.dS t2Jxe4!? 13.t2Jxe4 i.xh4 14.t2Jxd6 unpleasant pressure, but how can it be i.xf2+ 1S.�xf2 'iff6+ 16.t2Jfs g6 neutralized? White had different op 17.g4±. 12.i..h6?! It's better to return: tions to get a better position, fo r ex 12.t2Jf3 cS 13.dxeS tbxeS 14.'ii'e2;!;. ample also 16.'irf3 i.xe3 17.'i¥xe3 g6 12 ...lt::l g4! 13.1tg3 13.i.xf8 i.xh4 14.g3 18.t2Jh6+ �g7 19.l::tdl i.c8 20.t2Jxf7 �xf8 1S.'iVf3 t2Jgf6 16.dxeS tbxeS �xf7 2l..�xf7 �xf7 22.'irb3+ �g7 17.'irg2 ttJhS 18.gxh4 'iYxh4 unclear, 23.'ifxb4;!;. with sufficient compensation for Black. 16... g6 17.ltJb3 be3 18.ltJxe3 'ifc7 He controls squares g3, f4 , eS. 13... lt::l xh6 19.a5?! 14.lt::lxg6 This looks reasonable, putting a pawn on a dark square, but better was 19.'iYf3 aS 20 . .l::tadl;!;. 19... l:l.d8 20.'iff3 ltJd621 .l:l.ad1 �g7 Gradually the position has evened out. 22.'Wg3 ltJxe423. ltJf5+ �h8 24.l:l.xe4 gxf5 25.'Wg5fxe4 26.l:l.xd7 The Czech grandmaster forces a draw. 26 ... 'ifxd7 27.'Wf6+ �98 28.'ifg5+ Draw agreed. The straightforward d4-dS proved its analysis diagram vitality in the following game, played 14... i.. g5 15.lt::lxf8 wxf8 16.dxe5 lt::lxe5 in Macedonia. English International 17.J:lf1 17.f4 i.h4+. 17... i..h4 18.'iVe3 Master Adam Hunt exerts pressure on lt::lhg4 19.'ife2 i..xf2+?! 19... aS 20.f4 the lonely black a6-pawn on the queen i.a6;!;. 20.J:lxf2 lt::lxf2 21.1i'xf2;t, side. Elo-favourite Alexander Delchev Guseinov-Golod, Tashkent 2012. arranges counterplay on the opposite 1 o ...c6 1 1 .dxe5 dxe5 part of the board. It was White who was ll... tt:Jx eS!?. superior most of the time. 12.ltJh4 b5 It is also possible to bring the bishop 156 closer to the kingside: 12 ...i.c8 !? Adam Hunt (2454) 13.i.e3 aS 14.'iff3 'iYc7;!;. Alexander Delchev (2622) 13.ltJf5 b4 14.ltJb1 ltJe8?! Skopje Open 2012 (5) I suppose that Ian knows what he is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ltJf6 3.ltJc3 e5 4.ltJf3 doing, however Black's position is get ttJbd7 5 . .tc4 .te7 6.0-0 0-0 7.l:l.e1 a6 ting worse. 8.a4 b6 9.d5 300 Part IV - l.e4 d6 2 .d4 lt:J£6 3. 0£3 eS 4-. lt:J£3 The Englishman locks the centre at 18... :ea 19. 'ifd2 'ifas once. I am not sure that it is appropriate, A familiar manoeuvre; the queen goes as after d4-d5 the bishop returns from to 'take the corner'. b7 to c8 from time to time. And now 20.:Sd1 Black can save two tempi (!) on this The annoying 20.tbg5!? could have pro manoeuvre. The weakening of point vided some initiative. c6 may turn out to be not of essential 20 ... h6 21.h3 tbf6 22.tbh2 tbh5 significance. 23.ltJg4 ..tg5 24.tbe3 l:d7 9 ... Not so promising is 9 . . /bcS IO.b4 25.'ifd3 e4?! (I O.'i!Ve2) ...I O tt:Jb7 II.aS (II..ta3 aS=) 2S ...tbf 4 26.'i:Yfl .!:led8 suggested itself. Il...bxaS 12.bxaS;;!;;. However, I believe not many players 10.a5 would be willing to double rooks be IO.h3. hind their own d6-pawn. 10... b5 11.i.f1 i.b7= 26.'ifd4 26.'i:Ye2!? is likely to be more unpleas ant for Black, keeping the a6-pawn in suspense. For example, 26 ...tDf6 27.�b2 with initiative. 26 ... ..tt6 27.'ifd2 ..tes 28.i.b2 tbt6 29 . ..txes :Xes Delchev has surrounded the dS-pawn, but there are enough resources to pro tect it. 30.b4 l:d8 31. Wfd4 'ifb8 The pawn structure has changed once again (a4-a5, b6-b5) and the Bulgari an grandmaster chooses another plan accordingly. Now ...c7-c6 looks attrac tive, as the white bishop has left the di agonal a2-g8. 12.b3 :ca 13 . .b3 cs The flexible 13... c6 !? is also interesting. 14.dxc6 I4.�cl. 14... :Xc6 15.ttJd5 ltJxd5 16.exd5 32.'ifb6 I6.'i:Yxd5 'ii'c7;;!;;. If Adam had exchanged the knights, he 16... :c7 1 7.c4 bxc4 1 8.hc4 could have got a considerable advantage: The plans of both sides are clear. White 32.tDg4! tbxg4 33.hxg4±. Moreover, exerts pressure on the a6-pawn and on the pawn which appears on g4 would the queenside on the whole. Black tries have made the support of the advanced to make use of his pawn majority on the e4-pawn with .. .f7-f5 impossible. kingside. 32 ... ttJd733. 'ifd4f5 301 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Of course, the Bulgarian doesn't repeat 37... tt:Jxg4 38.hxg4 'ifc8 39.�e2 moves, but he strengthens his pawn The unsophisticated 39.a6 is also good, fo rmation in the centre. fo r instance: 39... .ta8 40.l::!d4 l:rde8 34.'irb2 41.'iYblt. 34.l:tbl !?. 39... 'ira8 34 ... tt:Jf6 Probably the players were in time trou More natural and strong was 34 ...f 4!? ble, otherwise Alexander might have 3S.l2Jg4 l:re7 36.'i!Vd4 hS 37.lLJh2 l:Ide8 ventured the promising 39 ...f 3! 40.gxf3 and Black's chances are not worse. exf3 4l..txf3 .txdS 42.l::txdS (42.l:rxeS 35.b5 axb5 36.'irxb5f4 37.tt::\g4 �xf3-+; 42."iYxdS l:txdS 43JhdS un Perhaps even more forceful was 37.l::rbl, clear) 42 .. Jhel+ 43.'it>g2 l:tal, with an fo r example: 37.. .fxe3 38.'ifxb7 exf2+ unclear position. 39.�xf2 'ifxb740Jh b7 l:rc8(40 ...t2JxdS 40.�c4 'ireS41 .�e2 'it'a8 42.�c4 41.l:!b5+-) 4l..tfl l:txdS 42.l:tal±. Draw. Conclusion I have the impression that in this lineBl ack achieves quite accep table positions with adequate counterplay. If the wo rst co mes to theworst , he can defend tenaciously, and it is highly difficultfo r White to conver t the ev aluation of ;t in to a sound point . 302 Exercises Before you start making these exercises, I must warn you. In this book I give a choice between three answers with each task. You may not only gain points, but also lose some if you come up with a clearly weak line. So please don't take these exercises lightly. There are 3 S exercises, and this magic number is comprised of: 3 2 chess pieces + 3 possible results (victory, loss, draw) . 1 2 Black to move. How would you play? Black to move. Evaluate the position. A) 18... aS A) White has a big advantage. B) 18 .. .'�Jc6 B) What a silly question. My Elo is C) 18... tt:Jf8 above 2300! C) Equality. 3 4 White to move. Black to move. A) 26.�xe5 A) What can I think of? White is two B) 26.tbxa4 pawns down, he stands hopeless! C) 26.l:tbl B) 20... �d6 C) 20 ...�f8 303 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 5 6 Black to move. White to move. A) 8 ... i.g4 A) 33.tDxeS B) 8 ...exf 4 B) 33.�al C) 8 ...h6 C) 33.cxb6 7 8 White to move. Black to move. A) 17.a4 A) l...�f6 B) 17.g4 B) l ...�h6 C) 17.�cl C) l...�d8 9 10 White to move. Black to move. Assess the position. A) 42.b6 A) White wins. B) 42.tDxd6 B) Black stands better. C) 42.f4 C) Around equality. 304 Exercises 11 12 Black to move. The last move played was IO.t2:lgxe2. A) l ...t2:lxc4 A) This move is correct and leads to a B) l...�a8 stable advantage. C) l ... tL:lbxdS B) A mistake which causes problems. C) Absolute equality is maintained. 13 14 Suggest Black's move. Suggest Black's move. A) I...'ifd8 A) 14... c5 B) I...t2:le4 B) 14... t2:le8 C) l ...'iff7 C) 14 ... .ixe2 15 16 How should Black play? Black to move. A) 20 ...g5 A) 12... b5 B) 20... g6 B) 12... t2:lc5 C) 20 ...b4 C) 12... h6 305 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 17 18 White to move, which would you prefer? Please suggest White's move. A) I.t2Jxf4 A) 14. .l::rf2 B) I.t2JdS B) 14.tDe2 C) I.t2Jc7 C) 14.�e2 19 20 White to move. Black to move. Which retreat should the A) 13.a3 knight choose? B) 13.t2Jxb5 A) IO... t2Jeg4 C) 13.a4 B) IO... t2Jc6 C) IO... t2Jfg4 21 22 Black to move. Black to move. A) 25 ... �h6 A) l...�d7 B) 25 ...t2Jxf 6 B) t...:ds C) 25 ...d4 C) l...�h4 306 Exercises 23 24 Black to move. White played 28.tbh2. How would you A) 2l...�c8 assess this move? B) 2I...tbfxe4 A) Right; it contributes to the devel C) 2I...tbcd7 opment of White's initiative. B) A mistake which will lead to problems. C) Please, don't ask me silly questions! 25 26 White to move. Black to move. A) 17.!ldl A) 10... i.d8 B) 17.h4 B) 10... exd4 C) 17.1txc5 C) lO... dS 27 28 Suggest Black's move. How should Black play? A) 19... c5 A) 3l...b5 B) 19... d5 B) 3I...tbf6 C) 19... g6 C) 3l...d5 307 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 29 30 Black to move. How should White play? A) 19... lt:Jf 4 A) 19.lt:Jc3 B) 19... �b8 B) 19.c4 C) I9.. .fs C) 19.b3 31 32 Black to move. How should White play? A) 2l...f6 A) 1S. .td2 B) 2I...i.d7 B) IS."iVc4 C) 2l...g6 C) lS.eS 33 34 Suggest White's move. White to move. A) 18.b4 A) 27.e5 B) 18.a5 B) 27Jhe2 C) 18.J::[d3 C) 27.d5 308 Exercises 35 How should White play? A) 19.tba2 B) 19.g4 C) 19.tbe2 309 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Solutions to Exercises Sundar Shyam (2507) 1 Somak Palit (2421) Kolkata Open 2014 (4) A) The right move is 18... a5 (+2), involving the rook in the fight. The game saw 19.a4 .l:l.a6 20.b3 �dB 21 .�b2 .l:l.c6=. B) Those who chose 18 .. .lbc6?? 19.Wa7+- de serve a deduction of -1. C) 18... tbf8 =0. Batuhan Dastan (241 6) 2 Branko Damljanovic (2566) Skopje Open 2014 (8) A) =0. B) =0. C) The chances are equal (+1), it is hardly possible to exploit Black's pawn weaknesses: 28 ... .1:1.d4+ 29.Wc3 hS 30.h4 l:lbd8 31.l:txd4 cxd4+ =. Warda Aulia Medina (2351) 3 Dusan Popovic (2537) Albena 2014 (3) A) After 26 . .i.xe5? (= 0) 26 ....be5 27.dxe5 .l:l.xd1+ 28.tt:lxd1 tt:lc4 29.b3 tt:ld2+ 30.�e2 tt:lxb3-+ the avalanche of black pawns decided the game. B) Correct is 26.tt:lxa4! tbxa4 27.l:!.al! bS (27 ...tbxb2 28.l:tbl tbc4 29Jhb7 unclear) 28 . .I:tcl with counterplay. If you have come so far, clock up +3 points. C) Bad is 26.l:Ibl? (=0) 26 ... tbc4-+. 310 Solutions to Exercises Vadim Moiseenko (2474) 4 Nikolay Korniushin (2357) Vladivostok 2014 (9) A) 'What? White's position is hopeless!' OK, just take 0 points and relax. Right is B) 20 ... wd6! 21.tt::lh6 �c7-+ +1. Ifyou also calculated 21.tt::ld2 tt::lxd2 22.�xd2 tt::lg7 23 . .l:f.xa7 �e6 24.�xe6 �xe6+, there is a +2 bonus. C) In the game Black played 20 ... Wf8?! 21.lbd2! lt::lxd2 22.wxd2;!;and even lost. Auzout & Maubisson (2548) 5 Maubisson & Morant (2388) London blindfold 2010 (6) A) Bad is 8 ...�g4 (=0) 9.tt::lf3;;!;;. B) Right is 8 ...exf4! (+1): 9.tLlf3 (9.e5 h6 IO.i.xf6+ gxf6 11.exf6 �cS;;!;;)... 9 c6 IO.e5 h6 11.i.M g5 12.tLlxg5 hxg5 13.�xg5 �c7 14.exf6 �h6 15.�xh6 �h6=. C) After 8 ...h6?? 9.�xf6 gxf6 IO.f5? a piece drops, please deduct -1 point. Liu Guanchu (241 2) 6 Erik Blomqvist (2492) Budapest 2014 (3) A) 33.tL:lxe5 doesn't look good (=0): 33 ... �c5 34.tL:lxg6 l:tc2 withcounterplay. B) Stronger is 33.l:la1 ! (+2) 33 ...bxc 5 34.tt::lxe5i. For the line 33 ...tt::l e7 34Jh7+ Wd8 35.cxb6 .l:txb6 36.l:ra8+ Wc7 37.l:ta5± you get a dividend of +1. C) The game saw 33.cxb6+? (=0), when after 33 ...wb7! 34.l:la1 wxb6 35.g3 fxg3 36.l:lg1 wc7 37.l:lxg3 lt::le7 38.l:lg5 Wd6 Black took the initia- tive. 311 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Thomas Casper (2395) 7 Christian Seel (2493) Germany Bundesliga 2009/10 (10) A) 17.a4 (+1) 17••• l:ta8 18.axb5 axb5 19.tbc3 l:txa1 20.l:txa1 l:tb8 21.l:ta5±. B) If you chose 17.g4?! tbf4+ 18.hf4 exf4 please subtract -1 point. C) ll..tcl =0. Sergey Kasparov (2486) 8 Severin Papa (2349) Deizisau 2003 (7) A) 80 ... Sergey Kasparov (2491) 9 Dragan Paunovic (2505) San Sebastian 2006 (9) A) There is no point in moving pawns. You won't profit from it: 42.b6?! (=0) 42 ...cx b6. B) 42.f4? =0: 42... exf 4 43.gxf4 .txf4. C) Natural and correct was · 42.tbxd6 (+2) 42 .••tbxd6 (42 ...cxd6 43.b6+-; 42 ... 312 Solutions to Exercises Vugar Gashimov (2426) 10 Sergey Kasparov (2465) Minsk zt 2000 (6) B) The pin on the knight looks terrible, but concrete lines are more important. Black stands better (+2) after 36 ... .1:lxd2. It may be too much to put an exclamation mark here as this strike lies on the surface. 37. .i.xe4+ wxe4 38.wxd2 h4=F Even more accurate is 38 ... .te3!+. 39.we2 f5 40 . .1:ld6 .i.e3-+ 36 ... �f2 37.1�:£1 .l::t.xd2 38 . .txe4+ 'iit>xe4 39. MartinMr va (2405) 11 Sergej Berezjuk (2380) Brno 1995 (6) A) The strongest move is 18... lLlx c4! (+2) 19.lLlxc4 .tbs 20.lLlb6 �xc2+ 2l.�xc2 �xc2+ 22.'it>xc2 .txe2 (bonus +1) with an obvious ad- vantage. B) 18 ...�a8 ?! is too passive: =0. C) In the game there fo llowed 18... lLlbxd 5 19.i.xd5 lLlxdS 20.'W'xd5 .i.c6 21.'W'd2 d5 with initiative: + 1. Pavel Vavra (2330) 12 Petr Spacek (2400) Czechia It 1999/00 A) 10... lLld7 ?! (=0) was played: 11.he7 'W'xe7 12.lLlg3 'W'f6 13.lLlf5 with initiative. B) IO.lLlge2 was inaccurate, as Black could have won a pawn with 10... lLlx e4! (+2) 1I..txe7 lt:Jxc3 12.�xc3 (12.�xd8 lLlxe2+-+) 12 .. .'iVxe7 13.lLld4 'ifd7+- (+2). C) =0. 313 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Pavel Vavra (2393) 13 Jiri Stocek (2514) Pardubice Open 2000 (8) A) =0. B) Queen retreats are inappropriate here as 25 ...tbe4! leads to a big advantage (+2) : 26.'ifg1 26.'ife 1 .Uxd4-+; 26.�e3 l2Jxc3 27.'ifxe8+ �xe8 28.�xf6 l2Jxa2+ 29.<>t>b1 gxf6 30.<>t>xa2 l::txg4+ +1. 26 ...1Wg 5+ 27. l:e3 (27.�e3 l2Jxc3 28.�xg5 l2Je2+-+) 27... l:xd4+ Considerably stronger is 27 ...c5 !-+. C) 25 ... 'iff7 =0; 25 ... 'ifd8 =0 Alexander Moiseenko (2707) 14 Fabiano Caruana (2791 ) Dubai Wch rapid 2014 (4) A) If you chose 14 ...c5? 1S.'ife3± please deduct one point (-1). B) The pacific 14... l2Je8 isn't worth anything: =0. C) If, like the Italian super-grandmaster, you noticed that after 14... .txe2 (14... l2Je8 =0; 14 ... cS? -1 1S.'ife3±) 15.tbxe2 .tcs 16.'iff4 lt::lxeS +2 17.'ifxe5 l:e8+ Black wins a pawn, please add +2 points. Ivan Rozum (2482) 15 Marat Dzhumaev (2549) Kazan 2013 (8) A) For the crazy 20 ...g5?? immediately sub stract -2 points. No hysterics, please, and don't blame me - blame your coach. It's not my fault that you didn't see 2l.�xd6 l2Jxd6 22.l2Jf6+ <>t>g7 23.'ifd4+-. B) After 20 ... g6? =0 Black was subject to a crushing attack: 21 . .th6 gxhS 22.g5 tbg7 (22 .. .f5 23.'ifd4 �f7 24.'iVxh4±) 23.1!i'd4+-. C) Best is 20... b4 (+1), distracting the oppo nent on the queenside. 314 Solutions to Exercises Tomas Habinak (2350) 16 Zdenek Husek (2255) Slovakia tt 1995 A) Both players probably had little understand ing of the variation. The mistake 12 ... b5? (=0) remained unpunished and the game ended in a draw after 13.'ife2 �b7 14.tl:Jc7 tt:Jxe4 15.tl:Jxe4. Winning is 15.'ifxb5 tt:'lxc3 16.�xd7 �e4+ 17. .ie3 �c4 18.�e8+ .if8 19.�e6+; or 1S... .ixe4 16. .ie3 �f3 17.�xb5 �g4 18.�d2 tt:'lf6 19J:l:ae1 h6 20J:tg1 'lWfs 2I.'i:Yb3+ Wh7 22.'i¥f7 tt:'le4+ 0-1. B) Right is 12 ...tt:'lc 5! (+2) with normal play and mutual chances. C) =0 Rudiger Seger (2340) 17 Arndt Miltner (241 0) Gladenbach ch-GER 1997 (3) A) In the game there followed 11.tl:Jxf4+?! (=0) and after 11 .. .'�f7 12.0-0 �d6!+ White regretted his mistake. B) 11.tl:Jd5 (+1) could have kept the attack going with unclear consequences. C) Also unsatisfactory is 11.tt:'lxc7 (=0) 11...tt:'le5 with initiative. Ivan Martie (2182) 18 Alexandar Danilovic (2378) Subotica jr 2000 (9) A) The narrow path in the right direc tion is 14.tlf2! Vi'gl+ (14 ... .ih4? 15.�xd5+ �e6 16.'iVxc5+-) 1S.�e2 (the only move) 1S... tt:'lx c3+ 16.bxc3it:+3 . B) I can hardly recommend 14.tt:'le2? (=0) 14 ...tt:'lb4 with attack. C) In the game White didn't find the proper continuation and played 14.'ife2? (-1) 14 ... �h4+ 15.�d2 'it'g5+ 16.�d1 tt:Jxc3+ 17.bxc3 'it'd8+ 18.�d2 �e6 19.'ii'b5 �e7-+. 315 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Gawain Jones (2509) 19 Sam Collins (2398) England It 2006/07 (7) A) 13.a3? is weak (=0) due to 13 ... .ia6+. B) Totally bad is 13.tbxb5? (-1) 13... cxb 5 14.�xb5 l:tb8-+. How could you choose this one?! C) Logical and right is 13.a4!, breaking Black's pawn chain: 13... b4 14.1!Vc4 (+2). lan Nepomniachtchi (2545) 20 Stephane Hautot (2368) Fugen tt 2006 (6) A) Doubtful is 1 O ...tt:Jeg 4?! (=0) 11.h3±. B) Correct is 10 ... lbc6 (+2) 1l.�c4 i.e6 12.tDxe6 fxe6; this is unclear as 13.'iVxe6? is not good in view of 13 ...tbd4+. C) After the optimistic 10 ...ll:\fg4? (=0) 11.h3 ll:\h6 Black could have faced problems fo llowing n.tt:Jds±. Deimante Daulyte (2355) 21 Liza Soloviova (2308) Moscow Open 2014 (2) A) The game saw the mistake 25 ... i.h6?26.i. d2! d4? (=0) (26 ... �f8) 27.i.xh6 i.xf3 (27 ...tDxh6 28.'ii'd2 tbg4 29.�f4 ti:Je3 30.'iVh6+-) 28.gxf3 ll:\xe5 29.1!Ve2;!;. B) Also bad is 25 ...tt:Jxf6? (=0) 26.exf6±. C) Right is 25 ...d4 (+2) 26.iLd2 �f8 27.i.f4 �b4=F. 316 Solutions to Exercises Samuel Franklin (2307) 22 Jacob Aagaard (251 9) England II 2013/14 (6) A) The quiet 19. .. ..td7 (= 0) and B) 19... l:td8 (= 0) maintain approximate equality. C) The aggressive 19 ... �h4! should be played, fo r example: 20 ...e3 ttld4+- (+2). Zigurds Lanka (2465) 23 Zsivko Bratanov (2467) Germany II 2010/11 (3) A) The activation of Black's unsuccessfully placed bishop looks reasonable: 21 ... �c8! (+1) 22.h3 �d7 23.�g5 .J:[b2 with counterplay B) Absolutely awkward is 2l...lbfxe4?? (-2) 22.lbxe4 lbxe4 23. .l::rxe4+-. I hope you didn't choose this option! C) 2l...lbcd7 is not very timely here; = 0 . Neil Stewart (2300) 24 Rafael Fridman (2482) Germany II 2011 (9) A) = 0 . B) 28.ttlh2? (+2) leads to material losses (28. b4!?): 28 ... �d4 29. .J:[e2 f5-+. C) Smart alecks who have chosen this option, please return 1 point (-1). 317 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Carlos Ernesto Burgos Figueroa (2301) 25 Jose Francisco Cuenca Jimenez (2493) Malaga Open 2011 (4) A) Approximate equality could have been maintained by 17.J:ld1 (+1). B) Unattractive is 17.h4?!, fo r instance: 17... tLle6 18.g3? tLlf4!-+ (=0). C) 17 . .i.xc5?! is not the best move (=0) as it allows Black to blast the centre: 17... J:lxc5 18.1i'd3 d5 with initiative. Michal Luch (2437) 26 Vojtech Plat (2472) Grygov tt 2013 (4) A) 10... .id8?! is illogical (-1). B) The most critical move is 10... exd4 11.'ifxd4 'ifxd4 12.tLlxd4 tLlb6= (+2). C) The impulsive 10... d5? (=0) led to disaster: 11.exd5 .i.b4 12.dxc6 .i.xc3 13.cxd7 .i.xd7 1 4.dxe5 .i.xe1 15.1i'xe1 tilh5 1 6.g4+-. Attila Csonka (2387) 27 Peter Michalik (2584) Austria tt-2 2013/14 (3) A) Doubtful is 19 ...c5?! (=0), clearing the bS square fo r the white knight. B) The ambitious 19 ... d5! is the strongest move (+2): 20.exd5 cxd5 21 . .i.xe7 "irxe7 22.1i'e3 llc5!F. C) 19 ...g6 is more modest (=0). 318 Solutions to Exercises Alessandro Bove (2371) 28 Miroljub Lazic (2461) Padova Open 2013 {3) A) 3I...b5? (-1) looks totally inappropriate: 32.axb5 cxb5 33 . .tfl±. B) The careful 31 ...lLlf6 ! is right (+2) : 32..�.h4 �b6 33.�h1 d5 34.e5 �e6 unclear. C) 31 ...d5?! gives White the edge (=0): 32.exd5 �xf4 33.tLlc4 l':txel+ 34.1':txe1 l':txel+ 35 . .txe1 tLlxc2 36 . .tf2t. Nastasia Ziaziulkina (2350) 29 Eva Moser (2434) Warsaw Ech-tt w 2013 {5) A) Bad is 19... tLlf4? (=0) 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.h4 tLlh7 22.tLlxe5+-. B) The lesser of evils is 19 ... :b8;1; (+1). C) When Eva played the pseudo-active 19 ...f5? (=0), she first lost a pawn, and then the game: 20.exf5 :xf5 21.lLlxe5! dxe5 22.�xe6+ lLlxe6 23.'ifxg6 :f6 24.'ifg3+- +2. Sergey Grigoriants (2574) 30 Giorgi Bagaturov (2408) Yerevan Ech 2014 {5) A) Bad is 19.tLlc3? (=0) because of the simple 19... tLlxa4. B) A cardinal spanner in the enemy's works is 19.c4! (+2) 19... lLld7? (19... tLlxa4 20."iVc2 b5 (20 ... 1':txf3 21.gxf3 tLlb6 22."iVc3±) 21.tLleg5+-) 20.lLleg5!+-. C) After 19.b3?! (=0) Black organizes counter play with 19 ...c4. 319 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Pouria Darini (2540) 31 Ebrahim Ahmadinia (2398) Tabriz ch-IRI 2013 (B) A) Very bad is 2l...f6?? 22.�h5+-. Subtract -2 points if you opted fo r this one. B) The most tenacious move in this joyless po sition is 21 ... -tdn (+1). C) The Iranian committed a mistake with 21 ... g6? (- 1) and was subjected to a strong attack af ter 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.l:tf1 "W'g7 24.l:tf4! l:te5 25.lDf5 (25.lt:Jxg6+). Aryan Tari (2420) 32 Darius Zagorskis (2480) Warsaw Ech-tt 2013 (B) A) The most accurate move is the careful 15.i.d2i (+I). B) In the game White could have come un der attack after the poor 15."W'c4? (=0): 15 ...d5 16.exd5 �c5 (16 ... b5! 17.axb5 axbS 18.t2Jdxb5 .tcS+ 19.'�fl .l:txel+ 20.�xel 'il'f8). C) =0. loan Cristian Chirila (2504) 33 Vasile Sanduleac (2405) Arad Open 2012 (5) A) Those who chose 18.b4? cxb4+ should de duct 2 points: -2. B) White could have carried out an effective breakthrough: 18.a5! b5 19.tbxb5! (+3) 19... axb5 20.a6 .te6 2 l...�.c6! l:tc8 n . .tb7+-. C) In the game 18.l:td3 was played; =0. 320 Solutionsto Exercises Slavisa Marinkovic (2406) 34 Branko Tadic (2517) Cetinje tt 2012 (6) A) Obviously 27.e5? is not good due to 2 7 ... �xf3 28.exf6 (28.gxf3 'iYxd4-+) 28 .. Jhel+ 29.'ifxel llcl-+ (-2). B) 27.l%ae2 would have continued the struggle; +1. C) Wrong was 27.d5? (-1) i.xd5+. Adam Horvath (2495) 35 Attila Vertetics (2409) Heviz 2012 (8) A) Of course, the most reasonable move is 19.tba2 (+2), sending the knight to the blockading square b4: 19... :aa 20.1i'c3 :ea 21.l[jb4 :xa1 22.'ifxa1±. For B) 19.g4 (=0) or C) 19.tbe2 (=0) you won't get anything, but you don't have to deduct any points either. 321 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Yo ur results Well, you have done the exercises and gained a certain amount of points. Let's try to estimate your chess level. I hope that you understand, though, that this evalua tion is relative. Above 60 points Your name is either Veselin, or Fabiano, or Hikaru. 51-60 You are a grandmaster with an Elo-rating of 2500+. I hope this book wasn't too simple fo r such an experienced chess player. 41-50 You perform at about 2350-2499 level, but your Elo-rating is gradually increasing. It is not excluded that you will become a grandmaster soon. 27-40 Either your Elo is 2200-2349, or at times you have chosen inadequate answers (with minuses) which led to deductions of points. 0-26 Your hunger fo r chess deserves praise. My advice to you is to communicate with players who are considerably stronger than you. This experience will be useful fo r you. Below O I guess you have just been turning the pages. Please leave this book alone and look around elsewhere. There are so many interesting things in life. 322 Conclusion Well, here we are, we have finishedour research of this opening. I hope you have fo und a lot of new material to study and that the time you spent was useful. Many must be glad with the book: your wife (you didn't go to the pub) , your mother (you didn't come home late) , your children (you didn't pick on them lying on the sofa with the book in your hands) . As fo r the chess component, of course I can't remember every detail either, even in a book I have written myself. At times, during tournament preparation fo r a concrete game or opponent, I get confused and experience some problems. Then Tatiana advises: 'Well, just read it in ... our book!' And you know, sometimes this works: to look at the things from the other side, as a reader. I don't lay claim to a I 00% correctness of the lines. Besides, time changes everything, and new ideas always keep appearing. However, I like the way the book was written, and I think it is quite easy to understand. OK, it would be strange if such a book didn't appeal to me. The investigated opening line l.e4 d6 2.d4 ttlf6 3.tLlc3 eS seems to be not worse than any other more or less correct scheme. White enjoys some initiative, but it is as difficult to overcome the enemy defence as it is to cross a boggy mo rass. Moreover, he runs the risk to be mired down. Before I say goodbye, I urge you to direct your remarks or wishes straight to the author at [email protected]. We will collect them all and take them into consideration for possible new editions, and also in our work on our next books. See you on fu ture pages or in the tournament halls! Nowadays I often not only play myself, but also accompany my pupils there. If you are an organizer of youth tournaments, please send us a note. 323 Index of Variations Numbers refer to pages 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ttJf6 3. ttJc3 e5 Part 1: 4.dxe5 dxe5 5. 'ifxd8+ Wxd8 6.tLlf3 ...... 13 6.�g5 �e6 7.0-0-0+ tt::ld7 ...... 13 7 ...Wc8 ...... 16 7.g3 ...... 25 7.f4 ...... 27 6 ...tt::l d7 7.0-0-0 c6 7.f4 ...... 31 6 ...c6 7.�c4 ...... 32 7.0-0-0+ ...... 33 6 ... �d6 7.0-0-0 tLld7 8.tLlf3 'lite8 9.�b5 ...... 34 325 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 6 . .ic4 6ooo�e6 7o�xe6 fxe6 8o..te3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 8ott::lf3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 39 8.f3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 39 6 .. o�b4 7o�d2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 7o�xf7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 6 .. . 7otbf3 ..td6 8o�gS tt::lbd7 900-0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 56 8 .. oc6 900-0-0 �c7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 70 8o�e3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 71 8ott::lgso 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 71 Part II: 4.tbge2 4 .. og6 Sog3 �g7 6o�g2 0-0 700-0 tt::la6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 76 7 .. oc6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78 4 .. oc6 Sog3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 83 Soh3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 86 4 .. o�e7 Sog3 0-0 6o�g2 c6 7oa4 aS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 89 7 ..ott::l bd7 800-0 b6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 90 4 ..ott::l bd7 Sog3 �e7 6o.tg2 c6 7oa4 b6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 92 326 Index ofVariations Part Ill: 4.f3 4 ...exd4 s.'ifxd4 t2:lc6 6.�b5 �d7 ...... 96 6 ...1i.e7 7.1i.e3 ...... 97 7.�g5 0-0 8.'i¥d2...... 97 6.'iff2 dS ...... 99 4 ...t2Jb d7 S.�e3 c6 ...... 100 S ... �e7 6.�d2 ...... 100 6.g4 ...... 102 4 ... �e7 S.�e3 0-0 6.'ti'd2 c6 7.t2:lge2 bS ...... 103 Part IV: 4.lt:Jf3 4 ...exd4 S.t2Jxd4 dS ...... Ill S ... �e7 6.�d3 ...... 108 6.1i.e2 ...... 108, 115 6.1i.f4 ...... 110 6.h3 0-0 7.g4 ...... Ill 6.g3 ...... 112 327 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black 4 .••ti:Jb d7 5.�c4 exd4 6.'i!Vxd4 �e7 7.0-0 ...... 118 7.�g5 0-0 8.0-0-0 ...... 120 7.�xf7+ ...... 122 5 ... �e7 6.0-0 tt::lb6 7.�e2 ...... 125 7.�d3 ...... 132 7.'iid3 ...... 138 7 . .ib3 ...... 138 6 ...0-0 7 . .tle1 c6 8.a4 exd4 9.'ifxd4 ...... 141 9.tt::lxd4...... 145 5.g4 tt::lxg4 6 . .tlg1 tt::lgf6 7.�c4 h6 ...... 162 7 ...exd4 8.'ifxd4 ...... 170 7.�e3 ...... 172 5 ...h6 6.g5 ...... 174 6 . .tlg1 ...... 176 5 ...g6 ...... 178 5 . .tlg1 g6 6.g4 ...... 180 5.�e2 �e7 6.g4 ...... 183 5.g3 �e7 ...... 186 5 ...c6 ...... 186 5.h3 �e7 6.�e3 c6 7.g4 ...... 189 5.�c4 �e7 6.�xf7+ ...... 193 6.dxe5 tt::lxe5 ...... 197 6 ...dxe 5 7.�xf7+ ...... 197 6.tt::lg5 0-0 7.�xf7+ ...... 198 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8.a5 ...... 280 328 Index ofVariations 7J:tel 7 ...c6 8.a4 8 ...a5 9.h3 lt:Jb6 ...... 202 9 ...Vi'c7 ...... 207 9 ...'i!Yb6 ...... 208 9 ...exd4 ...... 215 9 ..J� e8 ...... 219 9 ...h6 ...... 221 9.b3 lt:Jb6 ...... 213 9 ...exd4 ...... 216 9 ...h6 ...... 229 9 ... .l::f.e8 ...... 231 9 . .ta2 exd4 10.lt:Jxd4 lt:Jc5 ...... 219 9 . .ia2 'i¥b6 IO.h3 exd4 11.'i¥xd4...... 232 8 ...b6 9.l::tb1 a6 IO.b4 ...... 236 9.�a2 a6 10.h3 �b8 1 l..�e3 ...... 239 1I.lt:Jh4...... 267 IO.lt:Jh4 ...... 269 IO . .tg5...... 270 9.h3 a6 10. .ta2 ...... 247, 282 9.d5 c5 ...... 253 9 ...cxd5 ...... 253 9 ... .tb7...... 261 7 ...a6 8.a4 b6 9.lt:Jd5 ...... 287 9.tLle2...... 293 9.�d3 ...... 296 9.�d5 ...... 296 9.b3 ...... 298 9 . .ta2...... 300 9.d5 ...... 300 329 Index of Players Numbers refer to pages A Bezold 199 Degraeve 29 Acs 29, 31, 254 Bigg 199 Delchev 44, 129, 138, 266, Adams 108 Biolek 29 300 Agdestein 100 Biriukov 268 Djukic 118 Akobian 18 Bocharov 63, 72, 145, 149, Driessens 173 Alexeev 256 150, 176, 241 , 258, 263, Drozdowski 208 Alonso Rosell 202 268 Dubov 178 AI Qudaimi 198 Bodnaruk 296 Dumitrache 261 AI Sayed 198 Bogosavljevic 174 Dzhumaev 17 Alvarez Pedraza 273 Bologan 29, 209, 266 Am in 184 Borriss 96 E Areschenko 153, 246 Brkic 156 Efimenko 187, 263 Asrian 63, 260 Brunello 128 Eismont 29 Atlas 32 Bruzon Batista 53, 253 Elianov 181 , 249, 257, 266, Aveskulov 268 Bujak 197 282 Azarov 183, 257 Burg 171 Elliet 29 Azmaiparashvili Byklum 116 Ernst,S. Ill 66, 108, 162, 178, 254, 260, Ernst,T. 253 261, 276, 280 c Evertsson 194 Camacho 197 B Campora 253 F Babula 187 Cao 229 Farago,S. 199 Bade a 249 Carlhammar 220 Fedorchuk 251 Bajarani 24 Carlsen 92 Felgaer 246, 257, 269 Baklan 127, 138, 267 Caruana l45, 224, 240, 266 Fercec 29 Balogh 273 Caspi 141 Flear 256 Bareev 66 Chandler 103 Fressinet 271 Bauer 129, 138 Cherednichenko 42 Frolyanov 149 Baules 193 Cherniaev 207 Bebel 262 Conquest 254 G Bedouin 130 Contreras 216 Gagunashvili 23 Beliavsky 215, 216 Cossin 266 Gallagher 57 Belov 184 Cuenca Jimenez 89, 239 Gashimov 108 Berczes 215 Czebe 194 Gazik 193 Berescu 209 Gelashvili 253 Berezjuk 197 D Geller 241 Berg 108, 220, 239 Damljanovic 70, 125, 155 Genzling 83 Berkes 122 Danielsen 202 Georgiev 254 Beshukov 99 Dann 166 Gerzhoy 68 33 1 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black Gharamian 19, 20, 29, 186 Johansson 239, 241, 253 Kuzmin 99 Giri 111, 173 Jones 172 Glienke 197 Jovanovic 112, 165, 180, 232 L Godena 209, 291 Lajthajm 231 Golod 300 K Laketic 196 Gomez Ledo 196, 216 Kabanov44, 203, 250, 251, Landa 253 Granda Zuniga 89 274 Las tin 178 Grover 127 Kadric 120, 197 Lavrik 176 Gubaidullin 197 Kan 198 Lazic 30 Guseinov 132, 249, 300 Karjakin 61, 159, 257 Leon Hoyos 243 Karpov 76 Li Chao 166 H Kasparov 13, 14, 22, 27, 29, Llanos 194 Halkias 221, 224 38, 39, 40, 41 , 46, 47, 51, Lopez Martinez 181 Handke 57 52, 54, 80, 183, 236, 239, Hansen,E. 132 253, 257, 267, 270, 272, 282 M Hansen,S.B. 205 Kasparova 19, 29 Macieja 116, 215, 262 Harutiunian 110 Kasparov,G. 261 Malakhov 239 Haslinger 86 Kazhgaleev 152, 291 Malaniuk 29, 96, 153, 166, Hautot 240 Khairullin25, 56, 130, 183 180 Heidenfeld 196 Khamrakulov ISS Male tin 184 Heimann 204 Khasangatin 29, 149 Mamedov,N. 264, 288 Herzog 199 Khismatullin 16, 17, 23, 25, Mamedov,R. 112, 256 Hess 293 141, 147, 159, 276, 296 Marjanovic 229 Hjalti Jensson 195 Khruschiov 38 Markowski 282 Hopman 205 Khukhashvili 184 Markus 135, ISS, 165, 189, Horvath,A. 122 Kim 291 210, 213, 226, 229 Horvath,Cs. 102 Kirillova 165 Maximenko 218 Hovhannisyan 56 Kislinsky 299 Maze 115, 271 Howell 86, 298 Kobalia 143, ISO Mchedlishvili 71, 83, 198, Hracek 57, 208 Kochetkov 14 256, 288, 295 Hristodorescu 39 Kokarev 215 McShane 61, 289 Hunt,A. 300 Koneru 187 Mekhitarian 239 Hunt,H. 270 Korneev 44, 45 , 282 Mihajlovskij 183 Kosintseva 187 Milenkovic 189 Kovacevic 125 Miles 253 Inarkiev 291, 293 Kovchan 215 Milliet 72 Indjic 13, 130 Kravtsiv 186, 219 Miltner 197 lordachescu 70 Kritz 115 Miton 276 Iss a 13 Krylov 100 Mladenov 83 lvanisevic 51, 69, 78, 118, Kryvoruchko 282 Moen 33 207, 213 Kuijf 254 Moiseenko 110 Kuipers 296 Monroy 254 J Kunin 175 Montabord 196 Jobava30, 33, 46, 59, 186, 219 Kurnosov 218, 266 Morozevich 64, 204 332 Index of Players Moskalenko 27 Pepe 196 Sevian 231 Motylev 156, 197 Perunovic 112 Shanava 33 Moussard 68 Petrosian 273 Shaw 254 Movsesian 86 Pikula 227 Shirov 162, 216, 269, 280 Muller 97 Plenca 165 Shovunov 29 Polgar 254 Siebrecht 102 N Popov 25 Sjugirov 24, 57, 243 , 271, Nabaty 69 Popovic 170, 174 277 Nadj Hedjesi 226 Pourramezanali 16 Smeets 241 , 250 Naer 221 Praveen Kumar 194 Smirin 135 Naiditsch 68, 83, 87, 168, Predojevic 13, 68, 120, 209, Socko 276 257 213, 229 Solak 53, 164, 270, 287 Narciso Dublan 193, 204 Pridorozhni 239, 244, 266 Solodovnichenko 142 Navar a 274 Prie 197 Solomon 227, 273, 293 Neelotpal 276 Prokopchuk 196 Souleidis 272 Negi 71 Pruijssers 212, 213 Stocek 97 Nemeth 135 Strikovic 54, 111, 138, 172, Nepomniachtchi 183, 299 Q 194, 239 Neuman 168, 212 Quesada Perez53, 202, 204 Surma 22 Nevednichy 289 Sutovsky 18, 247, 280 Nguyen Ngoc Truongson R Svetushkin 48 249 Radjabov 92 Svidler 29, 92, 295 Ni Hua 90, 202, 203, 218, Radulski 198 Swiercz 175 239, 244 Rasik 96 Szalai 193 Ninov 87 Rathnakaran 80 Nisipeanu 78, 83 Reinderman 212, 247 T Novikov 90 Richter 197 Ter Sahakyan 59 Nun 96 Riff 33 Tihonov 41 Riumin 198 Timman 76 0 Rogozenco 29, 31 Timofeev 227, 268 Orak 155 Rombaldoni 271 Timoshenko 236 Rozentalis 227, 293 Tiviakov 111, 254, 261 p To 199 Padeiro 53 s Todorovic 164 Paikidze 287 Salgado Lopez 42 , 92, 112 Tomczak 180 Palac 29 Sambuev 64 Tomic 213 Palsson 195 Sanchez 196 Topalov 204 Panarin 258 Sanchez Castillo 196 Topalovic 29 Pancevski 270, 298 Sanduleac 44 Torres Ventosa 45 Papa 52 Sargissian 296 Tratar 29 Papp 254 Saric 180, 212, 232, 276, 277 Tu rner 199 Pardo Simon 178 Sax 86 Paunovic 40, 142, 170, 197 Sebag 204 v Pelletier 32, 33, 166, 204 Seger 197 Vachier-Lagrave 130, 138 333 A Cunning Chess Opening for Black van Kampen 118, 128 w y Vasiesiu 249 Wahls 103 Yudin 215 Vavra 97 Walek 29 Velicka 239 Wang Rui 218 z Villanueva 194 Warakomski 210 Zagorskis 97 Vitiugov 183 Welz 197 Zarinfam 39 Vocaturo 152 Williams 196 Zawadzka 143 Voicu 165 Wolpert 196 Zeynalov 264 Voiska 47 Wyss 23 Zherebukh 89, 138, 231 Volkov 197 Zhigalko 149 Vorobiov 147, 171, 183, 224 Zhonghan Ma 197 Vuckovic l65, 213, 224, 231 X Zhu Chen 204 Vysochin 23 Xiong 89 Zubarev 48 334