New ideas in the Sveshnikov Sicilian

New Ideas ίn the Sveshnikov Sicilian Valery Neverov and Peter Marusenko Trαnslαted by Sαrαh

Β. Τ.

J. Young

Batsford Ltd, London

First published 1 996 © Valery Neverov and Peter Marusenko ISBN Ο 7134 7809 8 Βήtish

Library CataIoguing-in-Publication Data. cataIogue record for this book is available from the Βήtish Library.

Α

ΑΙΙ ήghts reserved. Νο part of this book may be reproduced, by any means, without Ρήοr permission of the publisher.

Ί'ypeset

by John Νυηη and Ρήnted ίη Great Βήtain by Redwood Books, Τrοwbήdge, Wilts for the publishers, Β. Τ. Batsford Ltd, 4 Fitzhardinge Street, London WIH ΟΑΗ

Α

BATSFORD CHESS ΒΟΟΚ Mark Dvoretsky, John Νυηη, Ιοη Speelman General Adviser: Raymond Keene ΟΒΕ

Editorίal Pαnel:

Commissioning Editor: Graham Burgess

Contents List of symbols Introduction Parι

1 2 3 4

4 5

One: Classical Sveshnikov with 9 tZ:Jd5

9... J.e7 10 J.xf6 9... J.e7 10 J.xf6: 12...:b8 9...J.e7 10 tZ:Jxe7 9...'iWa5+

12 29 40 44

Parι Ί\νο: Classical Sveshnikov with 9 J.xf6 gf 10 tZ:Jd5

5 6 7 8 9

10 ... J.g7 11 J.d3 1O...J.g7 without 11 J.d3 (with fianchetto) 1O...J.g7 without 11 J.d3 (without fianchetto) 1O... f5 11 J.d3 10... f5 11 ~xb5

Parι

10 11 12 13 14

54 63 79 85 106

Three: Other lines

C1assical Sveshnikov with 9 tZ:Jabl Bird Larsen Variation: 8... J.e6 7 tZ:Jd5 7 a4 Deviatίons for White οη move 6

Index of Variatίons

111 116

122 132 138 142

Symbols + ++ #

Check Double Check Mate Goodmoνe

!! 1 11 !1 11 ;t

:f

±

+ +-+ = 1-0 0-1 1/2-1/2

Ch OL Ζ ΙΖ

Ct (n)

(D)

Excellent moνe Badmoνe Seήοus blunder Interesting moνe Dubious moνe Small adνantage to White Small adνantage to Black Big adνantage Ιο White Big adνantage Ιο Black Decisiνe adνantage to White Decisiνe adνantage to Black Eνen position Whitewins Black wins Draw Championship Olympiad Zonal InterzonaI Candidates eνent nth match game Diagram follows

Introduction The Sicilian Sveshnikov is one of the most popular defences ίη contemporary chess practice. Its theory is developing rapidly. Since the ,publication of Sveshnikov's book The Siciliαn Pelikαn, many hundreds of games have been played, greatly enriching the theory of this variation. Our book is about these games and the conclusions ιο be drawn from them. Before sending the reader forth through the labyrinth of the many variations of this system, we would like ιο talk about the common thread ίη them. Ί\vo factors appear ιο be fundamental ιο the system: Black's gaping hole οη d5 and White's slight lack of development. Ιι is ηο joke to say that the white g l-knight makes four ΟΓ five moves at the very outset - as if the knight has promised his queen he wi11 make as many moves as possible, and is ηοι allowed Ιο do otherwise. Thus the main battle takes shape. Which, then, is stronger: White's static SUΡeήοήtΥ ΟΓ Black's dynamic advantages? This controversy has been going οη for a 10ng time ίη chess history.

Tarrasch was clearly ίη favour of White. His opponent was the great chess player and philosopher Lasker. His use of what was ιο later become known as the Pelikan Sicilian stemmed from his deep understanding of chess strategy. This is what B.Weinstein, the author of The Thinker, the bri11iant work οη the second World Champion, said of the conflict: "Pressure οη weak points! Doesn't that remind you of stress testing under a heavy 10ad? Testing ιο destruction! Βυι if the construction is solid ίι wi11 resist, and the attack wi11 fail". Another route - the dynamic one - is also possible; gather a11 one's forces ίη the decisive area (even at the cost of weaknesses ίη other places) and then inflict a blow, acting quickly and energetica11y, so that the opposition cannot make use of these weaknesses. Thus, Lasker's strategy was based effectively οη ideas which were much more wide-ranging and fruitful than the basic ΡήηcίΡΙes of pressure οη weak points, ideas of superior mobility, space and ammunition, and an advantage ίη strength.

6 Introduction

Ιι has long been well known that the basic strategy ίη chess lίes ίη the struggle ΙΟ control the key squares, and, ίη the first place, the central squares. as the pieces which are arranged οη them are the most active. And although ίη the course οί the game the objectives οί attack might change more than once, the fight for the e4-, d4-, e5- and d5squares carrίes οη practically permanently. Το show the reader graphically the essence οί the conflict, we have chosen a basically old game, and ίη the years that have passed since the game was first played. the theoretical assessments ofindividual νarί­ ations have changed, butthe ideas have remained. The game which you will now examine has been commented οη more than once, but previously ηοΙ all the evaluations have seemed justified Ιο us. So, the reader will judge who is right.

Karpov - Dolιnatov Amsterdam 1980

1 e4 2 lbf3

c5

3 d4

lbc6 cd

4 lbxd4 5 lbc3

e5 (D)

lbf6

Isn't ίι strange that this is one οί the most popuIar continuations οί the Sicilίan Defence? What attracts

W Black Ιο leaving d5 so weak? The fact is that from the very first moves the conflicts οί the position are heightened. and both sides face difficult strategic problems. Indeed the move ... e5 has clear positional advantages: the d4-knight is driven from its central position, and White has less freedom οί movement ίη the centre. and οη the kingside.

6 lbdb5 7 J.g5 8 lba3

d6 a6 b5

9 lbd5 So one white knight sits proudly οη d5. but the other occupies a sad position οη a3. This is another advantage οί ... e5. and at the same time is a reference Ροίηι for Black ίη similar situations; ίι is important that at least one οί the knights is hemmedin.

9 10 J.xf6

11 c3

J.e7 J.xf6

Introduction 7 This move prepares lίk2 followed by a4. The battle for d5 is already ίη full swing: ηο sooner is the f6-knight removed, than White tήes Ιο eliminate the b5-pawn and give the light-squared bishop an active position οη c4. The most pressing problems for Black are Ιο finish his development, and find better squares for his pieces, especially his bishops ( ... ~g5, ... ~e6), and thanks Ιο his e5-pawn he need ηοΙ fear an assault by the white pawns. 11 ... ο-ο 12 lbc2 :b8 Directed against a4. 13 ~e2 ~g5 14 ο-ο ~e6 (D)

the b5-pawn prevents the enemy bishop from landing οη c4, and when the opportunity aήses, ...a5 is possible, stopping lbc2-b4). After Black has dealt a blow Ιο the e4 pawn with ... f5, the white centre turns ουΙ Ιο be suποuηded from the flanks. 15 'iVd3 Prepaήng a place for a rook (which one depends οη the circumstances) οη dl Ιο support the central knight. This means that Black must distract ίι with other problems. Threats along the f-file, created by doubling rooks, serve this aim well. Such is the strategic outlίne of the battle, and moreover the d5-square itself can be practically ignored by Black, with his pieces more or less flowing round ίι Ιι remains for the game to be shaped definitely. If 15•••f5 then 16 ~f3 (threatening after ef and ~e4 ιο replace the pawn οη its battle station, as the bishop οη e4 will be more actively placed than οη c4) 16 ... g6 17 :fdl 'iVd7 18 lbcb4 lbxb4 19 lbxb4, and White is οη top. Ιη the event of 15...a5 16 :fdl

W Note that Black is already at full strength ΙΟ fight for d5. The white knight, placed οη this square, is cut off from the remaining light pieces (the g5 bishop controls e3,

..th8 (with the idea of 20... lbe7) 20 :d2lbe7 21 1Iadl the black bishop lags behind. Βυι he does have at his disposal the interesting idea 15•• J:ιb7!? Then ίι is dangerous for White to

'iWd717'iWg3h618h4~d819lbce3

8 Introduction

play 16 :fd1 f5 17 J.f3 :bt7 18 ef (it's already better for the rook Ιο go ίηΙο reverse gear with 18 :f1) 18 ... J.xf5 19 _e2 J.h4! with powerful threats (20 ......g5, 20 ... e4) showing that f2 is insufficiently defended. If White puts the other rookondl-16':adl-thenBlack maycontinue 16... a5,and 17lΩde3 is ηο good because of 17 ... J.xa2, whilst ίη the event of 17 lDa3 b4 18 lDc4 bc 19 bc lΔe7 or 17 J.f3 'it'c8!? fol1owed by ... g6 and ... f5, Black has good counterchances. Besides, 15 ...:b7 frees b8 for the knight, e.g. 16lΔcb4lΔb8!? with the idea of ...lDd7-c5 and then ...f5 (although the simple 16 ... lΔxM is also reasonable). 15 "iWd7 Α quite acceptable decision, although it seems less significant than 15••':b7. 16 'ifg3 Here the queen does not get ίη the way of her own pieces, and meanwhile is not susceptible to any attack. Besides, she is attacking the opposition's dark-squared bishop, which is placed οη an important diagonal (exerting control over e3!). 16•..J.h6 is impossible here because of 17 lΔf6+. 16 Ι6!? (D) Black is seeking the possibility of leaving his bishop οη the cl-h6 diagonal, insofar as his next move

17 ... J.h6 followed by ... f6-f5 is still possible. Βυι 16••...td8 doesn't 100k bad either (from this position the bishop aims at both flanks). 16••• h6 is worse, as weakening g6 makes play Iinked with carrying out ... f7-f5 more difficult.

W 17 :fd1 a5? Why ηοΙ 17•••J.h6? Maybe Dolmatov, when he played his 16th move, calculated the following varίation: 18lΔcb4lΔxb4 19lΔxM

a5 20 lΔa6 :c8 (20...:b6 21lDc5) 21 'it'd3 J.c4 22 'ifxd6 'ii"xd6, and then, having discovered the intervening check 23 J.xc4+, avoided this line. Ιη νώη! ΒΥ continuing 23 ...:xc4 24 :xd6 :xe4, we can see that only White will have difficulties. If instead of 20 lΔa6 he had chosen 20 lΔd5. then after 20 ... f5 Black has good counterplay (as we will see later on, such a correlaιίοη of the Iight pieces, that is two

lntroduction 9

bishops against koight aod bishop, is quite favourable for Black). Dolmatov's move exposes the seήοus weakness of the light squares, especially ίο combinatioo with ... f7f6. lDa7 18 lDa3! If 18 ...b4, then 19lDc4. 19 h3! (D)

• 8 •• 8 11 8'iV8 •• • ~.t.~ •• ~ •••"'tΔ~ ~ ~

-· -.--" •• .

%::i

8 ~8Δ8.:8

~ ~Δ ~ " ~ • Δ~~ ~.~~"Δ. Y,~ ~ U • ~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ Β

After two precise moves the fol10wing part of the game takes 00 a technical character for Karpov. White's plan coosists of the fol10wing elements: 1) exchanging the lesser pieces (light-squared bishop and knight); 2) opeoiog a file 00 the queeoside and invadiog with the knight ίηΙο the enemy camp; 3) prepariog aod carrying ουΙ ao attack agaiost the king. How can Black defeod himself? Passive defeoce will spell his doom quickest of all. Therefore he must

use aoy possibility ιο change the character of the struggle, for example, at this ροίοι a pawo sacήfice was possible: 19•••g6 20 ..tg4 f5 21 ..txf5 (ίη the eveot of 21 ef gf and 22 ..te2 then 22 ... 'ilg7 with the idea of 23 ... f4, aod if 22 ..txf5 then 22 ... 1Σχf5 23lDe3 'ilg7 with a double-edged game) 21 ... gf22 'ilxg5+ Φh8 with some compeosatioo. Dolmatov missed this possibility. 19 ••• Φh8 20 ..tg4 1Σfc8 20•••g6 is better. 'ilxe6 21 ..txe6 1ΣcS? 22 'ifd3 Now the rook cannot help defeod his king. From now 00 Karpov virtuously prevents all his attempts Ιο get ίοΙο the game. 22•••g6 would have been more persisteot. 23 lDc2 g6 24 b4! ab 25 lDcxb4 It is instructive Ιο observe the realization of ao advaotage. Here White also had at his disposal the continuatioo 25 cb with the idea after a2-a4 of gaioiog an 'extra' passed pawn. Βυι this opens the cfile, which Black controls at the momeot. However, ίι does οοΙ give the oppositioo aoy couoterplay; one must open precisely the file which can be seized. 1Σb7 25 26 a4! ba

10

lntroducti~n

27 ':xa4 Now Black has an unhappy choice; patiently await his fate, or sharpen the game, and although at the risk of hastening a sorry denouement, Dolmatov chooses the second path. 27 f5 ~c8 28 ':a6 29 ':a8 Φg7 30 'ίi'e2 fe Or 30 ... ~e7 31 ~xe7 ~xe7 32 ~d5.

31 32 33 34 35 36 37

'ίi'xe4

'ίi'f5

'iWe2 c4

':Ι7

.:π

~h4 ~e7

':a6

'iWd7

'ίi'e4 ~xd5

~xd5 ~e7 (D)

bad dark-squared bishop, and the insecure positίon of the king. 38 ':fa1 ~Ι8 If 38 ... iif5, then 39 'ii'e2 ~h4 40 g3 ~xg3 (if 40 ... 'ίi'xh3, then ηοΙ 41 gh 'it'xh4, and Black has succeeded ίη sharpening the posiιίοη, but 41 ':a7! ~d8 42 ':xf7+ ΦΧf7 43 ':a7+ 'itf8/e8 44 'iff3 'ίi'f5 44 'ίi'b3 winning) 41 fg 'ifxh3 42 ':1a3, and White is vίctοήοus. 39 'ίi'e2 ':c6 40 ':6a3! ':c5 41 ':f3 ΒΥ exchanging this piece, which is important for the opposition, White again underlines the helplessness of the rook οη c5. 41 ':ΧΙ3 42 'ίi'xΙ3 ilf7 43 'ίi'g4! The third part of the plan remains; a direct attack οη the king. The kingside pawns will move forward for this. The black rook was stopped beforehand, and ίη retum for its freedom ίι must become the next weakness. h5 43 ':c8 44 'ίi'e4 44 ... Φh7 does ηοΙ save Black because of 45 ':a3 ~g7 46 g4 hg 47 hg ':c8 48 ':h3+ Φg8 49 g5!. 'ίi'Ι5 45 ':a3 46 ':a7+ Φh6 47 'ίi'e3+ g5 48 'iWe2! ':b8 000

W picturesque position! Now ίι remains οηlΥ to prepare an attack οη Black's weaknesses, of which there are plenty; the d6 pawn, the Α

Introduction 11

49 50 51 52

g4! hg Φg2

JIxb7

53.f3 54 .f6+ 55 .f7+

hg 'ifbl+ JIb7 'ii'xb7

"'c8

Φh7

1-0

Of course, although the above game is typical, ίι far from exhausts all of the many clashes of strategic ideas brought ουΙ by players of the Sveshnikov. We should add that this system wages war οη all new adherents. It forms part of the permanent opening reperιoire of Grandmasters Alexei

Shirov, Vladimir Κramnik, John Chandler, Ketevan Arakhamia as well as many other prominent and rank and file chessplayers. Ιη the book we will examine 31 main and hundreds of subsidiary games. Insofar as the move order ίη the Sveshnikov can be either 1 e4 c5 2lbf3lbc6 3 d4 cd 4lbxd4lbf6 5lbc3 e5 6lbb5 d67 .i.g5, or 1 e4 c5 2lbf3 e6 3 d4 cd 4 lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 lbc6 6 lbb5 d6 7 .i.f4 e5 8 .i.g5, then the move numbers ίη both the main game and the subsidiary games are taken from the first move order given above. Νυηη, ΜuπaΥ

1 9....i.e710 i..xf6 Ιη

this system White actively fights for control οί d5. He gives υρ his light-squared bishop ίη retum for his opponent's knight and fights Ιο ρυι his own knight οη d5. Ιη the event of an exchange White is prepared Ιο replace ίι with other pieces. Black's counterplay is most often linked with the thematic move ... f7-f5 and activity οη the kingside and ίη the centre. Β

Game 1 Zapata - Shίrov Mαnίlα 1992 1 e4 c5 2liJf3liJc6 3 d4 cd 4liJxd4 liJf6 5 liJc3 e5 6 liJdb5 d6 7 .i.g5 a6 8ltJa3 b5 9ltJd5 .i.e7 10 .i.xf6 .i.xf6 11 c3 (D) One οί the standard positions arising ίη the Sveshnikov. Ηυη­ dreds οί games have been played ίη ίι ίη recent years. The continuations 11 c4 and 11 g3 will be examined ίη the notes ιο Game 3. 11 .i.b7 Ιη this variation Black tries to position his pieces more usefully before he castles. 12 liJc2

The game Ljubojevic-Illescas, Linares 1992 featured the novelty 12 'ί!fg4, but after the continuation 12 ... 0-0 13liJc2liJb8! 14 t1dl (14 ο-ο-ο!?) 14 ... liJd7?! (14 ... .i.g5 =) 15 .i.e2?! (15 liJce3! ;1;) 15 ... .i.g5 Black had equalized . Beliavsky-Shirov, Linares 1994, developed otherwise: 12 .i.d3liJb8 13 liJc2 liJd7 14 a4 ba 15 t1xa4 .i.g5 16 ο-ο ο-ο 17 t1a2 a5 18 .i.c4 liJb6 19liJxb6 if'xb6 20 'i!t'd3 t1ac8 21 t1dl t1fd8 22 b3 g6 23 t1dal t1c5 with an edge ιο White. liJb8!? 12 ••• 13 a4! Three altematives deserve looking at: a) 13 c4 is certainly worth testing: 13 ... 0-0 14 cb ab 15 .i.e2liJd7

9... ~e710b.f6 13 16 ο-ο tDc5 17 ~f3 ~g5 with an equal position, Brodsky-Rogozenko, Nikolaev Ζ 1993. b) 13 g3: bl) 13••• ~g5!? 14 h4 ~h6 15 g4 ~f4 16 tDxf4 ef 17 [3 tDc6 18 'iί'd2 'iί'f6 19 0-0-0 ':d8 20 g5 'iί'e5 21 tDel? (21 tDd4!?;t) 21 ... d5 22 tDd3 de! with a very complex game ίη which Black has the chances, J.Polgar-Illescas, Dos Hermanas 1994. b2) 13•••tDd7 14 h4 ο-ο 15 tDce3 g6, and then Zso.Polgar-Ochoa, Las Palmas 1994 featured 16 h5. After 16 ... ~g5 17 hg fg 18 ~g2 tDf6 19 'iί'd3 ~xe3 20 tDxe3 'iJJe7 21 ο-ο ~c6 22 a4 Wg7 23 ab ab 24 tDc2 White would have achieved an advantage. c) 13 tDce3 tDd7 (D) is another possibility:

W cl) 14 ~d3 ο-ο 15 ο-ο ~g5 16 ~e2 ~xe3 17 tDxe3 tDc5 18 ':fdl

g6 with an equal position, Ν.Fήed­ ήch-Κrasenkον, Berlin 1990. c2) 14 tDf5 ο-ο 15 tDxd6 ~xd5 16 'iί'xd5 (or 16 ed tDb6 17 tDe4 tDxd5 =) 16 ... 'iί'c7 (16 ... 'iί'b6? 17 tDxf7!; 16 ... tDb6!? 17 'iί'd3 g6, and unexpected problems with the knight aήse for Whίte) 17 ':d 1 (17 tDxf7? tDb6) 17 ...tDb6 (17 ...tDc5!? 18 tDxf7 'iνxf7 19 'iί'xc5 ~h4! 20 'iνd5 ~xf2+ 21 We2 ~b6 with a complex game) 18 'iί'b7 'iJJc5, and Black receives an advantage ίη development and more active pieces for the sacrificed pawn, Μοπis­ Κrasenkov, Αndοπa 1991. c3) 14 g3 ο-ο 15 h4! and now: c31) 15•••tDcs 16 ~d3 g6 17 ~c2 a5 18 a3 ~g7 19 h5 ~c8 20 hg fg 21 'iί'e2 ;t Anand-Kramnik, Monaco 1994. c32) 15•••g6, and two routes have been tested: c321) 16 ~h3 ~g7 17 h5 tDf6 18 hg hg 19 'iί'd3 tDxd5 20 tDxd5 ~h6 21 ':dl Wg7 22 ~g2 ':c8 23 tDe3 ~xe3 24 'Wxe3 ':h8 25 ':xh8 Wxh8 26 ~h3 ':c4 27 f3 Φg7 = Anand-Nunn, Monaco 1994. c322) 16 'iWg4 ~g7 17 h5 tDf6 (17 ... f5 doesn't work because of 18 'iί'h3 tDf6 19 hg hg 20 ef! gf 21 'iί'xf5 tDxd5 22 'iie6+) 18 tDxf6+ 'iJJxf6 19 ':dl ~c8 (19 ....:ac8 20 ~g2 ':fd8 21 ο-ο ':c5 22 ':d3 ~h6 23 ':fd 1 ~xe3 24 ':xe3 ~c8 25 'iί'e2 ~e6 with equality in the game

14 9... J.e7 1(} J.xj6 Mortensen-Nunn, Vej1e 1994) 20 .e2 .te6 21 ~d5 (21 ':xd6 'ile7 and ....txa2) 21 .....g5 22 hg hg, and now: 23 Vd3 ':a7 24 a3 f5 25 W'e3 W'xe3+ 26 ~xe3 ':d7 27 .tg2 (27 .th3 is a better move) 27 .. .'j;n = Stήpunsky-Κrasenkov, Pardubice ορ 1993, or 23 ια7!? J.c4 24 W'f3 ':a7 25 R.xc4 bc (25 ....:.xc7 26 .td5 ;1;;) 261l1d5 ':b7 27 ':d2 ;1;;. 13 ••• ba 14 ~ce3 ~d7 It is not expedient to support the pawn by means ο! 14•••J.c6 because ο! 15 ~f5 ο-ο 16 .tc4!, and seήοus difficulties arise for Black. However, 14•••0-0 deserves attention, for example 15 ':xa4 ~d7 16 W'g4 ~c5 17 ':a2 .tg5 18 J.c4 .txe3 19 fe h5 20 W'xh5 ~xe4 21 ο-ο ':c8 22 .tb3 .txd5 23 .txd5 ~f6 24 ':xf6 ; Klovans-Kalinichev, Mtinster 1993. 15 1Wxa4 0-0 16 ':dl .tg5 17 W'c2 ~σ Another plan was also quite possib1e: 17•••.txe3 18 ~xe3 ~f6 (or 18 ... ~c5 19 .td3 a5 and the position is unc1ear) 19 .td3 .c7 20 ο-ο ':fd8 with an approximate1y 1eve1 game. 18 lbf5! Other continuations are worse: a) 18~? .ιc6 19 b3 ':b8 +. b) 18 J.d3 ic6 19 ':al J.xe3 20 ~xe3 W'h4 21 ο-ο .txe4 22

.txe4 1i'xe4 and White on1y has sufficient compensation for equa1ity. 18 g6(D)

W 19 b4! For the time being Zapata is active1y fighting for an advantage. The timid 19 ~g3 on1y 1eads to equalίty, whi1st interesting complications arise after 19 h4 gf (not 19 ....tf4? 20 Μ! ±) 20 hg J.xd5 (B1ack shou1d avoid 20 ... lbxe4 21 ~f6+! ~xf6 22 1i'xf5.te4 23 "xf6 ±) 21 ':xd5 lbxe4 22 .td3 1i'xg5 23 .txe4 fe 24 .xe4 f5, for examp1e, 25 .c4 e8 29 30 J.c4 ':c2 (D)

31 32 33 34 35 36 37

'ii'xh7 'ii'g8+ tΔb6+ tΔxc4

':al

.:a3 tΔe3

':xc4 Φd7 Φe7

"ifc5 'ii'd4 J.cl 1-0

This little masterpiece will υη­ doubtedly end υρ ίη all the chess manuals. However ίι can ίη ηο way have any pretensions towards being a refutatίon of the opening νarί­ atίon. The game is an illustratίon of how important it is Ιο notice the opening nuances and know how Ιο make use of them. Shirov got away with the knight's positίon οη b7 against Zapata, but Kasparov made full use of the unhappy positίon of that piece. Α more prevalent continuatίon for Black οη his 11 th move is Ιο castle. However, Shirov nevertbeless retums Ιο his favοuήte bishop move Ιο b7. ΑΙΙ his pieces interact magnificently with each other. Game3

Tiviakov - Shirov Oαkham 1992 1 e4 c5 2 tΔf3 tΔc6 3 d4 cd 4 tΔxd4 tΔΙ6 5 tΔc3 e5 6 tΔdb5 d6 7 J.g5 a6 8 tΔB3 b5 9 tΔd5 J.e7 10 J.xf6 J.xf6

llc3

20 9... J.e7 10 J.xf6

The most popular continuation. making use of this factor is ηοΙ so Otherwise: easy. a) Froloν's attempt to breathe a) 12 fΔXΙ6+ gf (D) and now: new life ίηΙο 11 c4 deserνes attenιίοη. After 11 •••b4 12lbc2: al) 12•••a5 13 lbxf6+ 'ii'xf6 14 J.e2 ο-ο 15 ο-ο 1:Σd8 16 'ii'd2 J.e6 17 b3 1:Σab8 (17 ... 'fIe7 is more precise) 18 1:Σfd 1 1:Σd7 19 'ii'e3 and White has a small positional adνan­ tage. Frolov- Yakoνich, Moscow 1991. a2) Things tumed out better for Black ίη the game Froloν-Ikon­ nikov, Schwabisch Gmϋnd 1994: W 12••• 1:Σb8 13 J.e2 ο-ο 14 ο-ο J.g5 al) 13 fΔc2: 15 J.g4 J.e6 16 b3 'ii'd7 17 h3 g6 18 a3 f5 19 ef gf 20 J.h5 ba 21 all) 13••• J.b7 14 J.d3 f5!? 15 ef J.χg2161:ΣgΙ J.b717 a4, butnow 1:Σχa3 'it>h8 22 'iVd3 a5 23 1:ΣdΙ 'fIg7 ίη Brodsky-Osipoν, USSR 1991, 24 'ife2 1:Σg8. b) Ljubojeνic's attempt Ιο deWhite managed Ιο achieνe an adνelop the bishop οη g2 was ηοΙ parνantage after 17•••'δ'b6?! 18 ab ab ticularly successful. After 11 g3 19 1:Σxa8+ J.xa8 20 fΔe3, but Black shonld haνe continued 17•••ba 18 ο-ο 12 J.g2 J.g5 13 ο-ο fΔe7 14 1:Σχa4 d5 with an unclear game. fΔxe7 'Wixe7 15 c3 1:Σb8 16 fΔc2 a5 a12) Black tested 13••• d5 ίη the 17 1:ΣeΙ J.e6 18 fΔe3 J.xe3 19 1:Σχe3 1:Σfc8 20 'iVd2 1:Σb6 21 J.f1 h6 game Berset-Shabaloν, Saint Marιίη 1993, but after 14 a4 ba 15 fΔe3 22 a4 J.c4 23 ab J.xf1 24 1:Σχf1 1:Σχb5 the game was leνel, Ljubode 16 'ii'xa4+ 'Wid7 17 J.b5 ab 18 'ii'xa8+ he had ηο compensation jeνic-Illescas, Linares (3) 1993. for the loss of the exchange. 11 ••• ο-ο a2) The game Κriνets-Mikhe­ The standard knight manoeuvre vic. Bled 1994, deνeloped thus: 13 11••• fΔe7 is also possible, although 'ilf3 f5 14 ef J.xf5 15 J.d3 J.e6 16 ίη this case one reaches a position ο-ο ο-ο 17 J.c2 f5 18 J.b3 'ili'd7 19 from the νariation 10 fΔxe7 fΔxe7 11 J.xf6 gf ίη which White has :Ladl J.xb3 20 ab and White had somewhat the better chances. gained a move (c2-c3). However,

9... i..e7 10.t.xf6 21

a3) The Latvian player Lanka uses the move 13 .t.e2 quite successfully, for example, 13 ... .t.b7 14 .t.f3 f5 15 ef d5 16 g3 lbxf5 17 lbc2 and now 17......d618 a4 ba 19 1:txa4 a5 20 ο-ο ο-ο 21 'ikd2 ;t Lanka-Chevalίer, France 1990, or 17••.0-018 ο-ο a5 19 .t.g2 'iWd6 20 1:tel .t.c6 21 'it'h5 ± Lanka-Muse, Germany 1994. b) Ιη some case White aνoids exchanging οη f6, Ρrefeπίηg ίη­ stead 12lbc2 (D):

':c8 =Acharia-Ripatbin, Calcutta 1994. b22) 13•••.t.e614 'it'c6+Φe715 lbe3 'ίWc8 16 'tiib6 ':b8 17 'tiia5 'ii'd7 18 1:tdl ± Lopez-Berset, Geneνa 1994. 12 lbc2 i..b7 (D)

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bl) 12••..t.b7 13lbce3 .t.g5 14 lbxe7 i..xe7 15 lbd5 ο-ο 16 i..e2 ':c8 17 ο-ο ':c5 18 b4 1:tc8 19 a4 i..xd5 20 'ii'xd5 ':xc3 21 ab ab 22 1:ta7 ;t Kholmov-Horak, Pardubice 1994. b2) 12••• lbxdS 13 "'xdS with two possibilities for Black: b21) 13•••1:tb8 14lbb4 i..b7 15 'ikd3 ο-ο 16 i..e2 .t.g5 17 lbd5 f5 18 .t.f3 g6 19 ο-ο Φh8 201:tadl

W

13 i..e2 L.Levitt-Volodin, corr 1991/2 continued 13 g3!? lbb8 14 i..g2 lbd7 15 ο-ο .t.g5 16 f4!? ef 17 gf .t.h6 18lbce3 g6 19 'ii'g4 i..g7 20 1:tad 1, and White' s pieces occupied magnificent positions. The continuation 13 a4 occuπed ίnΜaliakin-Gagaήn, USSR 1991, Ιο Black's adνantage: 13 ... ba 14 ':xa4 lbb8! 15 i..c4 lbd7 16 ο-ο lbc5 17 ':a2 lbxe4 18 'ikf3 lbd2 (theonlymoνe; 18 ... lbc5? 19b4e4 20 lbxf6+ loses) 19lbxf6+ 'Wxf6 20 'ikxb7 lbxc4 21 1:txa6? ':ab8. Maliakin could haνe maintained the balance by means of 21 b3!

22 9... j.e7 1 Ο j.xJ6

lbd2 (21 ...1:ιfb8 22 1:ιχa6! +-) 22 1:ιdl 1:ιab8 23 'ii'd5lbxb3 241:ιχa6. (Typesetter'sNote: 24 ...1:ιfd8 keeps the extra pawn, e.g. 25 1Ixd6 1:ιχd6 26 'Wxd6 1fxd6 27 1:ιχd6lbd4! 28 lbellbe2+, etc.). 13 1t'g4 deserves attention, for example, 13 ..•~g5 141:ιdl j.c8 15 'ii'e2 f5 16 h4 ~h6 17 ef j.xf5 18 g4 j.xc2 19 "ii'xc2 g6 20 g5 ;!; Mortensen-Κharlov, Copenhagen 1993. Αη original pawn sacrifice occurred ίη Berelovich-Chemiaev, Sochi 1993. After 13 h4 lbe7 14 lbxf6+ gf 15 j.d3 Wh8 16 lbe3 Black should have played 16 ... f5!, and if 17 ef, then the cold-blooded 17 ... f6 with the idea of continuing ... d6-d5. Black is better despite his small material deficit. 13 j.g5 14 ο-ο lbb8 (D)

c5, where ίι will have an active influence over the centre. 15 "'d3 Attempts Ιο move play to the queenside immediately will not be successful for White: 15 a4 ba 16 1:ιχa4lbd7 17 b4lbb6 :f. 15 j.g41:ιa7 is also possible: a) 16 a4 ba 17 :xa4 lbd7 18 j.xd7 'Wxd7 19lbcb4 a5! (l9 ... f5 20 ef 'Wxf5 21 'We2 a5 22 'Wxb5 j.xd5 23 lbxd5 +-) 20 'Wal 'Wb5 with chances for both sides (L.Levitt). b) 16"'d3lbd717 ~xd7'Wxd7 181:ιadl (18 c4?! bc 19 'Wxc4 :c8 with the idea of j.xd5) 18 ... a5 (18 ... g6!?) 19 'ii'g3 "'d8! 20 lbce3 g6 21lbf5 with an unclear game, Ν ovik-Chekhov, Leningrad 1991. However, 21 c4! would have given White an advantage. 15 lbd7 16 1:ιfdΙ lbc5 g6 17 "'f3 18 lbce3 Wh8 Α necessary preparatory move. The huπίed 18•.,f5? doesn't work because of 19 ef gf 20 lbxf5 e4? 21 lbde7+! j.xe7 22 1IIg4+ Wf7 (22 ... j.g5 23 1:ιχd6 +-) 23 'Wg7+ Φe8 24 j.h5+ Wd7 25 1:ιχd6+ and White is winning. 19 j.f1 1:ιθ7!? Agaίn the premature 19.••f5?! 20 ef gf 21 lbxf5 ~c8 22 g4 gives ηο compensation for the lost pawn.

9... R.e7 10 i.x.f6 23

Now this move already threatens, for example, 20 g3 f5! 21 ef gf 22 tbxf5 e4 23 'iί'g4 ftxf5 24 'ilfxf5 R.c8, and the queen has unexpectedly fallen into a trap. 20 b4 (D)

Β

20 ... tbe6?! 20... ltJa4 21 c4 tbb2 was better, after whίch it would not be easy for White to maίntaίn the ba1ance. He gets a diffιcult ρositίon after: a) 22 ZΙd2 tbxc4 23 tbxc4 bc 24 :Ιdd1 R.xd5 25 :Ιχd5 :Ιc7. b) 22 ftdc1f5! 23 cb fe 24 'iWxe4 ab 25 R.xb5 R.xd5 26 'ilfxd5 ftaf7. c) 22 :ΙdbΙ tbxc4 and now: c 1) 23 tbxc4 R.xd5 24 tbxd6 'ilfxd6 25 ZΙd1. c2) 23 R.xc4 bc 24 tbxc4 R.xd5 25 ed e4! 26 'ii'xe4 R.f6 27 ll1b2 ':e8. d) Therefore the οηlΥ acceptable possibilίty was to continue 22 ':el!, after which 22 ... ll1xc4 23

R.xc4 bc 24 ll1xc4 R.xd5 25 ed f5 26 ll1a5 would have led to a complex ρosition with roughly even chances. ba 21 a4 22 ':xa4 f5 23 ':a5 Αη interestίng variation arises after 23 ':dal R.f4 24 ef gf 25 R.xa6? .:xa6 26 ':xa6 R.xe3 27 fe ll1g5 28 'ilfdlll1h3+!! and now: a) 29 gh ':g8+ 30 Φh1 (30 Φfl will be examined below) 30 .. : .g5 31 'ii'f3 'ii'xe3!! -+. b) 29 Φη 'fί'h4 30 gh (30 ft6a2 R.a6+ and 30 'ilfd2 R.xd5 win for Black) 30 ....:g8 31 ':6a2 (31 'ii'f3 R.xa6+ 32 ':xa6 'iί'c4+ 33 'ii'e2 'ti'xd5 -+) 31 .. :.e4! -+. Instead of the text move, 23 R.c4 was also ρossible, strengthening the important d5-square. R.h4! 23 Shirov unambiguously demonstrates his aggressive intentions οη the kίngside. 24 ef gf tbf4 (D) 25 ll1xf5 Α cήtica1 posίtion.

26 tbxh4? underestimated the danger posed by Black's threats. He should have continued 26 'ii'e3! ':xf5 27 'ilfxa7 tbh3+! (not 27 ... R.xd5? 28 g3 +-) 28 gh 'ilfg8+ (28 ... R.xf2+? 29 'ifxf2 ':xf2 30 ΦΧf2 +-) 29 R.g2 (29 Φh1 ? R.xf2) Tίviakov has

24 9... i.e7 10 J.xj6

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29 ...%Σg5 30 'ii'xb7 %Σχg2+ 31 ΦhΙ i.xf2 32 'ίi'b8! "ίWxb8 33 h8 17 ο-ο [5 18 ef .txf5 19 lbce3 .tg6 20 1Σd 1 e4 21 .tf1 lbe5 22 1Σd2 with a small but solid advantage Ιο White, while Shmuter, against Cherniaev at Sochi 1993, Ρrefeπed 15 b4, but Black equalized easily: 15 ... a5 16 .tc4 .td7 17 '::'a3 .te6 18 1Σb3 ..tί>h8 19 ο-ο 'ίWd7 20 'ίWd3 1/2-1/2. After 14•••.tb7 15 .tc4lba5 16 .ta2 .tc6, Zagrebelny-Beshukov, Alushta 1994, tested the continuation 17 '::'a3 .tb5 18 lbde3 (the preliminary 18 h4! is better, and then 18 ... .th6 19 lbce3 .txe3 20 lbxe3 '::'c8 21 [3 ;t Ljubojevic-Salον, Barcelona 1989) 18 ... 1Σc8 19 b4 .txe3 20 lbxe3 lbc4 21 .txc4 .txc4 22lbxc4 1Σχc4 23 'ii'd5 'iνc8 1/2-1/2. Κiselev-Novik, St. Petersburg 1994, featured the interesting 17 '::'b4!? lbb7 18 h4! .th6 19 g4 .tf4 20 lbxf4 ef 21 f3lbc5 22 1Σd4 "i/e7 23 'iνd2 .ta4! 24 lbal 1Σab8 with an unclear game. 1Σb8 15 .tc4 16 b3 With this move White strengthens the position of his bishop as well as defending his b-pawn. 16 ••• .te6 (D)

26 9 ... ~e7 Ι Ο J.xj6

Α tense struggle arose after 16••• e6 23 l2)e3 %Σd7 24 Φe2 f5, and ίπ spite of White's extra pawn ίπ the endgame, Black has the advantage, Anand-Κramnik, Moscow 1994. ο-ο 15 "ilf3 15..•f4 16 g3 h5 17 gf ~g4 18 'ilg2 ~h6 19 f3 ~d7 20 fe de 21 1i'f2 ~e6 22 l2)b4 %Σg8 οccuπed ίη Konguval-Antonio, Calcutta ορ 1994. 16 l2)e3 Puttίng a knight οη d5 again is ηο good: 16l2)b4 a5 17 l2)d5 ~e6 18l2)e3 (forced) 18 ... f4 19l2)n f5 20 l2)d2 d5, and the centre sweeps away a11 obstacles. Ι4 16 17 l2)d5 ~e6 18 g4 (D) 18 ~e2?! is worse: 18 ... ~xd5 19 ed f5 20 g4 fg 21 hg e4 221i'h5 h6 23 ο-ο-ο? b4 24 c4 b3 25 ab a5 26 g4 a4 =F Qi-Vyzhmanavin, Beijing 1991. Of course, he should have continued 23 g4!? or 23 0-0 why castle ίηΙο the attack? 18 b4! Ιπ the game Dolmatov-Ma.Tseitιiη, Beersheba 1991, Black did ηοΙ have time Ιο exρose the possibilities of his pieces. He tried one of the possible ideas but executed ίι

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After 20 ed e4!? 21 .i.xe4.i.xb2 22 :ΙbΙ .i.e5 23 c5! 'ifb5 24 c6 .i.c3+ 25 ~d 1 :Ιfe8 the game ίη­ tensifies, whίch Dolmatov was apparently trying ιο avoid by makίng the precautίonary move 18 g4.

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weakly: 18•••:t'e8?! (18 ... :Ιae8!? 19 ~fl f5 20 gf :Ιχf5 is possible, but 18 ... f5? immediately is wrong due to 19 gf:Ιχf5 20 ~7+! +-) 19 ~fl :Ιac8 20 a3! :Ιc5 21 :Ιd 1 ~f8 22.i.bl a5 23 g5 'ίi'd7? (23 ....i.xd5 24 ed b4 25 ab ab 28 .i.xh7 with a complex game) 24 :ΙgΙ .i.xd5 25 ed e4 26 .i.xe4 b4 27 ab ab 28 .i.xh7 bc 29 bc :Ιχc3 30 :Ιd3 :Ιc4 31 h4 and now White has a clear advantage. 19 c4 19 :ΙbΙ and 19 ~fl are interesting, preserving the knight οη d5, as ίη both cases its exchange opens the route bl-h7 straίght Ιο the black kίng. True, Black could have gained counterplay οη the bfile after 19... bc. 19 cb is wrong because of 19....i.xd5, as is 19lί)xb4 because of 19... a5. 19 .i.xd5! Just ίη tίme! 20 cd (D)

Β

20 Otherwise, after g4-g5 the bishop will be excluded from the game. 21 g5 .i.d8 22 .i.fi!? ~h8?! It would have been better first 10 move the rook to c8. 23 h4?! Dolmatov misses his chance ιο play a pawn sacήfice: 23 .i.h3 :Ιg8 (of course, ίι is very dangerous 10 take ίι immediately: 23 ....i.xg5 24 .i.f5 followed by 'ίi'f3-h5, :thl-gl, :ΙaΙ-cΙ and a decisive attack) 24 :ΙgΙ :Ιχg5 25 :Ιχg5 .i.xg5 26.i.f5 and the initίatίve is οη White's side. 23 •• :Ιc8 0

58 10... j,g711 j,d3

Topalov does not let such possibilίties go by a second time. Now the initiative pas ses to him. 24 j,h3 1Σc2 25 j,f5 j,b6 26 1Σh2(D)

It's already Ιοο late Ιο play 27 ...1Σχb2 28 1Σc 1 1Σχa2 29 1Σc6! j,c5 30 'ifh5 b3 31 'ilh6 'ifg7 32 1Σc7 'ilxh6 33 gh and White has at least a perpetual check. (Typesette r's note: ίη this lίne 31 ...1Σf7 appears Ιο win for Black.) 28 ~gl 1Σg8 29 ~hl 'fic7 30 :gl :cl 31 :hg2 1ΣχgΙ+ 32 xgl fg 33 'fih5 g4! Of course, Black will ηοΙ allow the h-file Ιο be opened up, and the position is level. 1/1-111

Β

14 c4 quickly leads Ιο a lively game and a skirmish ίη the centre. Immense complications frequently arise οη the board. Ιη this encounter, White tumed ουΙ Ιο be very well prepared from the opening, but then 10st the thread of events and suffered a defeat.

26 ... Ι6?! Why not 26...:xb2? Black probably did ηοΙ want Ιο give υρ the cfile, which, ίη combination with 'iff3-h5 and the opening of the gfile after the unavoidable ... f7-f6, could have had decisive significance. But as regards the initiative, Black οη the queenside tums ουΙ Ιο be the more important, and his ρο­ sition is quite defensively sound. After 27 1ΣcΙ 1Σχa2 the b-pawn becomes dangerous, threatening ίη particular 28 ...b3, when 29 'ifxb3 fails ίη view of 29 ... j,xf2+. The real threat οη the kingside after 28 'ifh5 f6 is ηοΙ visible. 27 ~η j,d8

Ι.

Game 12 Gurevich - Dlescas

BielIZ 1993 1 e4 c5 2 ffi 1Ωc6 3 d4 cd 4lbxd4 lbf6 5 1Ωc3 e5 6 lbdb5 d6 7 j,p a6 8 lba3 b5 9 j,xf6 gf 10 lbd5 j,g7 11 j,d3lbe7 12lbxe7 'ilxe7 13 ο-ο ο-ο 14 c4 (D)

1O... ~g 7 11.i..d3 59

Β Ιη Sveshnikov ρositions with doubled f-pawns, White sooneror later runs ίηto the problem οί the c-pawn. Indeed the knight οη a3 most frequently enters the struggle via c2. Therefore a choice arίses as ιο whether Ιο move the c-pawn one square or two. c2-c3 looks slίghtly more solίd. Ιη the event οί c2-c4 White is gaίning time, but it also has an essential disadvantage: exchanging the more central c-pawn for its black colleague οη the b-file ίη many cases opens the way for the black infantryman οη d6. Ιη­ deed Black himselftrίes (when the white pawn is οη c3) Ιο divert this pawn from the centre with ... b5-b4. Ιη this case, White, foregoing static considerations, tήes Ιο bring the knight ίηΙο the fray more quickly and attack the lίght squares. 14 ••• Ι5 15 Other continuations are:

"'f3

a) 15 "'e2 ~b7 16 1ΣadΙ 1Σad8! 17 f3 fe 18 fe ί5 (this is Black's fυndamental idea; clearίng the way for the central pawns by exchanging the ΡeήΡheral b- and f-pawns) 19 tΩc2 bc (a sound idea, but ίη­ exactly executed; 19... fe 20 ~xe4 1Σxfl 211Σxfl bc is better) 20 ~xc4 d5 21 ed 'iWc5+ 22 ΦhΙ Φh8 23 tΩe3 ί4 24 tΩg4 ~xd5 25 tΩxe5 ~xg2+ 26 Φχg2 1/2-!J2 TnnoshenkoGagarίn, Bucharest 1993. b) 15 ef?! e4 16 ί6 (iί 16 1Σfel, then the simple 16... ~xί5 with the idea οί 17 ...1Σfe8; ίη this situation yet another disadvantage οί c2-c4 is evident - after ...e5-e4 the g7bishop gaίns additional strength) 16...~xί617 1ΣeΙ d5! 18cd~xb2 19 ~xe4 "'xa3 20 1Σe3 'ifd621 ~xh7+ ΦΧh7 22 "'c2+ "'g6! 23 "'xb2 1Σg8 24 1Σg3 "'e4, and having repulsed the attacks, Black retaίns his extra mateήal, Van der Wiel-Nunn, Wijk aan Zee 1992; 17 ... d5! has a witty idea - ίι closes the hl-a8 diagonal and opens υρ another, a3-f8, for the queen. c) 15 1ΣeΙ fe 16 ~xe4 1Σb8 17 cb ab 18 'iWd3 ί5 19 ~d5+ Φh8 20 tΩxb5 e4 21 "'b3 ~e5!? (21 ......e5 23 a4 ~d7 24 1Σe2 ± Nunn-Kosten, Leeds 1990) 22 a4 ~d7 23 1ΣacΙ "'e8 24 ~c4 1iΊι5 :j: Kosten-Chandler, Hastings 1990/1. We will follow this interesting game Ιο the end: 25 h3? (25 g3) 25 ......g6 26

60 10... Ji.g711 .id3

Ji.d5 :g8! 27 g3 (27 Ji.xg8 :xg8 28 g3 f4 +) 27 ... t:.g7 28 :c7 ifh5 29 :ecl 'ίWxh3 30 :lc3 (nothing is gained by 30 ttJxd6 :xg3+ 31 fg Ji.d4+ -+) 30 ... f4 31 :xd7 fg 32

:f7 (D)

Β

32...'ii'hl +! 33 Φxhι g2+ 34 ΦgΙ JLh2+ 0-1. Chandler's bήΙΙίant onslaught shows the many ways of attacking the king. d) 15 'ii'h5 is quite a popular continuation, e.g. 15...:b8 16 ef e4 17 :ael JLb7 and now: dl) 18 b3 bc 19 bc Φh8 20 ttJbl?! (20 1Dc2!?) 20 ...:g8? (Black should play 20 ... JLe5! 21 JLc2 :bc8 22 ttJd2 d5 23 :bl JLa8 with an unclear game) 21 g3 :be8 22 ttJd2 JLc3 23 :xe4 JLxe4 24 ttJxe4 JLf6 25 'ii'h6 with good compensaιίοη for the exchange, DvoirysIkonnikov, USSR 1991. d2) 18 ttJc2 bc 19 JLxc4 d5 20 JLxd5 JLxd5 21 f6 ifxf6 22 'ί!kxd5

:xb2 23 lbe3 'ί!ke6 24 a4 ifxd5 25 ttJxd5 f5 26 g4 :b7 = Short-Illescas, Linares 1992. d3) 18 ifg4 :fe8 19 Ι3 h5 20 'iνxh5 JLd4+ 21 ΦhΙ ef 22 gf 'iνxel and then: d31) 23 Ι6!? 'iνxf1+ 24 JLxf1 JLxf6 25 ttJc2 JLg7! 26 JLd3 :e5 27 'iνg4 :be8 28 cb ab 29 ttJd4 :e3 30 JLxb5? (30 h8 20 ':'adl ~e7 21 ':'d2 e4 (21 ... ~xd5 22 ~xd5 ~xd5 23 ':'xd5 l1xc3 24 ':'fdl l1c6 25 ':'xe5 ±) 22 l1fdl ~e5 23 ~f4!? ~f7 24 'iWh6 ':'c6 25 ~e6 ~xe6 26 'iWxe6 'iί"e8 27 ~c4 ':'f6! 28 ~xd6 ':'xe6 29 ~xe8 'it>g8! 30 l1d8 Φf7 31 111d7 ':'g6? 32 ~fl, and Geller achieved a permanent advantage. True, 31 ... ':'xc3 32 ~d6+ 'it>g6 33 ~h3 ':'c6 would have allowed Arakhamia Ιο maintain the balance, but even after this she would have had to defend with a seήes of forced moves.

1O... .i.g 7 without 11 .i.d3 - White jίanchettoes 65

The preliminary 15...:b8 was seen ίη the game ShamkovichMaguiera, Las Vegas 1994, which continued 16 .i.g2 f5 17 'iVh5! b4 18 ο-ο bc 19 bc 'iVd7 20 f4! 'iVa7 (20...1tb5!?) 21 ΦhΙ 'iVc5 221tadl 1tb2 23 fe! de 24 1txf5! .i.xf5 25 lDxf5 'iVf2 26 lbde7+ lDxe7 27 lDxe7+ ~h8 28 lDg6+ ~g8 29 .i.d5+, and White won. :b8 16 .i.g2 17 ο-ο lDxd5 Salov would probably have been better off allowing White the possibilίty of exchanging knights himself: 17...f5 18 lDxe7+ 'ilxe7 19 lDd5 'ii'd7 (this continuation is more exact than 19 ... 'iVf7 20 lDb4 ':b6 21 a4 with a small advantage to White) 20 'ii'd2 with chances for both sides. 18 .i.xd5! (D)

Β Α

very ΡήηcίΡΙed move, the aim of which is ιο maίntain a knight οη

d5 against Black's dark-squared bishop. 18 ... ~h8 19 a4 .i.h6! Black, of course, is betteroff exchanging his passive bishop. 20 ab ab? Black's οηlΥ chance of ηοι falling ίηΙο a difficult situation was a swift exchange οη e3, for example, 20....i.xe3 21 fe .i.xd5 (or 21 ... ab 22 ':a6 ':b6 23 ':a7 ;1;) 22 'iVxd5 ':xb5 23 'iYd2 a5 With a defensible position. 21 lDc2! (D) We think the reader can understand why Adams rapidly removes his knίght from attack.

66 IO... ~g7 without 11 J.d3 - White fianchettoes

23 ... J.g5 J.d8 24 tLJb4 Salov wishes ιο play ....:.b8-b6, ίη order Ιο exchange the a6-rook or force ίι ίηΙο a less actίve positίon. Alas, his idea was ηοΙ fated Ιο be carrίed ουΙ

25 J.e4! (D)

win because of 27 ... J.g4) 27 ... fe 28 ':'xb8 ':'xb8 29 ':'xe4 with an extrapawn. Ι5 26 ... The only move. If the bishop retreats Ιο d8, then 27 'ifh5 is decisive, and if 26 ...J.a7 or 26 ...J.c5, then 27 tLJf6!. 27 tLJxb6 'ilfd8 (D)

Β

Whίte's

threats arise unexpectedly from every quarter, and apart from anything else, the black kίng could also be ίη danger. 25 J.b6! The planned 25•• ..:r.b6 does ηοΙ work because of 26 'ii'h5 f6 27 'ii'h6 ':'f7 (27 ....:.g8 28 ':'xb6 J.xb6 29 'ii'xf6+) 28 ':'xb6 J.xb6 29 J.xh7!, and White wins. 26 tLJd5 Probably the most exact. Also possible: 26 'ffh5 f5 27 ':'xb6 (but ηοΙ 28 'ίWxh3?? J.xf2+ 28 ~xf2 fe+ 29 ~g2 JΣf2+, and Black is already winnίng; 27 J.c6 does ηοΙ

W

28 tLJd7 Again Adams had a choice. The contίnuatίon 28 'iVh5 J.g4 29 'iVh6 ':'f6 30 'i'h4 fe 31 'ii'xg4 (31 ':'a7 is worse: 31 ... J.f5 32 tDd5 ':'e6 with an unclear game) 30....:.xb6 31 ':'a7 would also have led Ιο a clear advantage for Whίte. 28 'ilfxd7 29 ':'xd6 'ilfe7 30 ':'d7 'ilfg5 31 J.c2 There's absolutely ηο ροίηΙ ίη giving Black counterchances after 31 J.g2 J.xg2 32 Φχg2 f4.

10... ~g7 without 11 ~d3 - Whitefiαnchettoes 67

31 •••

e4?

18

ο-ο

a5 (D)

Leading Ιο a forced loss, and although 31 ...:be8 is better, after 32 f4 few chances for salvatίon remaίn for Black. 32 'tWd4+ -'Ι6 33 'tWa7 -'h6

34 35 36 37

:al 'tWd4+ :aa7 cd

b4 _Ι6

'tWxd4 1-0

Ιη the next game Black quickly manages Ιο exchange the knight, and moreover, ίη distinctίon from the previous game, Whίte is forced Ιο stήke agaίnst the d5-knίght. This is a model of how Black should play agaίnst indecisive actίon by hίs opponent.

Game 14

Arakhamia - Nunn London 1993 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cd 4lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 e5 6 lbdb5 d6 7 ~g5 a6 8 lba3 b5 9 ~xΙ6 gf 10 lbd5 ~g7 11 c3 Ι5 12 ef ~xΙ5 13 lbc2 ~oo 14 lbce3 lbe7 15 g3 15 ..• lbxd5 Now White has the additίonal possibilίty of hitting d5 with the bishop, whίch is ίη ΡήηcίΡΙe desirable. 16 lbxd5 ο-ο 17 ~g2 :b8

W Α distinctive picture of this variation. White's problems are Ιο bήηg pressure οη the d6-pawn and create active play οη the kingside; the black pieces are ready Ιο attack the weak queenside pawns, but ίη this case can also show aggression against the white kίng. This preordaίns a tense struggle over the whole board. 19 'ii'd2 Τοο indecisive. Ιη a way ίι assists the attack οη the d6 pawn and impedes the move ...b5-b4, but ίη fact ίι tums ουΙ that there is ηο tίme for an effectίve attack οη the pawn, and indeed d2 is not a very happy posίtίon for the queen. a) 19 Wh5 is a much more energetic continuation, e.g. 19... ~h8 20 :adl f5 21 :d2 (D) with the possibίlitίes:

a1) 21 ••if7 (best) and now:

δll

/0... 1.117 wiIhouIl1 j,43 - Whitefiαnchettoes

Β

all) 22 'tWh3 'i'd7 (it's interesting Ιο note that the game Arakhamia-Nunn, Hastings 1993/4, went οη 22 ... ~g6, and here the players agreed a draw) 23 ':fdl ':bd8 24 'ifh4 'ii'e6 25 tLJe3! (25 tLJc7 'iixa2 26lbxb5 d5 27 'iie7 ~h5 28 ~xd5 ~xdl 29 ~xa2 ':xd2 30 ί4 =Dochev-Rogozenko, Plovdiv 1992) 25 ...1Wg6 (25 ... e4 26 ':d5 ±) 26 J.h3 f4. Here, ίη Szekely-Rogozenko, Εfοήe 1993, Szekely naively used his opponent's recommendation, published ίη Informαtor 54, and played 27 J.f5, but after 27 .. :Wh5 he certainly could not avoid a mateήaΙΙοss. Now Rogozenko recommends 26 'ilie7, but who knows whether or not the trusting reader is awaiting a standard dirty tήck? Ιη anycase, after 26 ... J.f6!? (26...f4 27 Ixd6 ':xd6 28 ':xd6 'iWbl + 29 ':dl 'iWxb2 30 tLJf5 ±) 27 'iWb7 (27 'iWc7 ί4 28 tLJd5 J.xd5 29 ':xd5 e4 gives Black a dangerous

initiative) 27 ...J.g5 28 'ifxb5 ί4 the game is far from clear. a12) Kotronias chose 22 'ifdl against Illescas, Κhalkidhiki 1992. After 22 .. :ίi'd7 23 a3?! e4! 24tLJf4? (24 ':el =) 24 ... J.e5 Black seized the initiative. White should have continued 23 ί4 (a standard move fixing Black's central pawns), for example, 23 ... e4 24 'ithl b4 25 c4 a4 26 tLJe3 %:ιbd8 27 'iie2 'iVc8 28 h3 'i'c5 29 g4 with an advantage to White, Schafer-Loew, Germany 1994. The manoeuvre 'i'dl-h5, ':al-dl-d2 and then 'iWh5-dl is very interesting. a13) The continuation 22 'ilie2 was tested ίη Kozakov-Rogozenko, 1993, which went: 22 ... 'iie8 23 tLJe3?! (23 a3 e4! was better, with the idea οί ... J.g7 -h6, ...J.f7h5) 23 ...J.xa2 24 ':al ~b3 25 ':xa5? (25 ':xd6!? a4 +) 25 ... f4 26 tLJf1 +. a2) Instead 21 ...'ilid7 is worse after 22 :rdl. Here are two examples οη this theme: a21) 22...'ilif7 23 'ilih4! e4 24 lbf4 J.e5 25 ':xd6 J.xd6 26 ':xd6 ':fe8 27 g4, and White, at the Ρήce οί a small mateήalΙοss, has ήΡped apart his opponent's mighty pawn centre, Geller-Fedorowicz, New York 1990. a22) 22...':g8 23 tLJe3 J.f8 24 ~d5 f4 25 ~xe6 'iWxe6 26 tLJf5, and by now White has seized the

1O... i.g 7 without 11 i.d3 - White fiαnchettoes 69

commanding heights, Κroppa-Shu­ raev, Alushta 1994. b) We should add that 19 a3 is too sluggish, forinstance 19 ... f5 20 'iί'd2 ~h8 21 1Ifdl e4 22 f3 i.xd5 23 'iί'xd5 ef 24 i.xf3 i.e5, and Black's chances are somewhat better, Kova~evic-Κramnik, USSRYugoslavia 1991. 19 Ι5 20 1Iadl 'i1i'h8 (D)

22 "'g5 "'f7 23 1Id2 e4 24 1Iedl Α tardy retum Ιο the cοπect plan, but time has already slipped by, and Black has deployed his forces harmoniously. Now Arakhamia faces a diffιcult fight for equality. 24 i.e5 25 'iWe3 "'g7 b4(D) 26 ~hl

W 21 1Ifel Again a move which from general consideratίons seems to 10se a tempo; the real place for the rook is οη the d-file. There's nothing more dangerous ίη the Sveshnikov than playing with general considerations ίη mind. Concrete thinking and purposefulness are demanded from the players, and Dr. Νυηη demonstrates precisely these qualitίes ίη this very game. 21 "'d7 000

W Preparations for the attack are over. The tίme has aπίved for decisive actίon. 27 Ι4? Of course, ίι is ηοΙ easy Ιο cope with Black's pressure, but now the white king might be ίη danger. The English Grandmaster's bishop pair becomes quite savage. 27 ef 28 i.xf3 bc 29 lΩxc3

70 10... Ag7 without 11 ~3 - White fiαnchettoes

%9 bc: ίι ηο good because of 29 ... AxdS 30 :xd5 Ι4 31 gf .i.xf4 321Wd4 j,eS, winning. 29 Ι4! (D) Α very telling blow, destroying White's bastions. 000

two knights, which led Ιο a more tense situation. The similarity with Game 14 lies ίη the fact that White here again plays somewhat indecisively, and Black makes excellent use ofthis. Game 15 Short - Kramnίk Novgorod 1994 1 e4 c5 2lLJf3lLJc6 3 d4 cd 4lLJxd4 lLJf6 5 lLJc3 e5 6 lLJdb5 d6 7 .i.g5 a6 8 lLJa3 b5 9 .i.xf6 gf 10 lLJd5 .i.g7 11 c3 Ι5 12 ef .i.xf5 13 lLJc2 13 .i.e6 (D)

.*. _ ••••• • •••• .t.. • •

W 30 gf .i.xf4 31 1Wxe6 .i.xd2 32 .i.e4 .i.xc3 33 bc Black has aπ extra exchaπge as well as aπ attack. :be8 33 34 'ii'd5 :e5 35 1Wd3 'fIe7 36 .i.d5 :el+ 37 :xel 'fIxel+ 38 Φg2 :12+ 39 ~h3 'fIeS :e2 40 .i.g2 0-1 Ιη contrast Ιο the previous game, Black this time decides to keep the

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W Arriving ίη the world chess elite, Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik is an ardent admirer ofthe Sveshnikov, aπd because of this, one can judge the development of the system as a whole from the variations he chooses to use. Kramnik has introduced many new ideas, often

10... J.g7without 11 J.d3- Whitejianchettoes 71 eχpeήmentίng. Βυι along with thίs,

despite serious home analysis, he has Ιο be ready for the unexpected, and eνen for disappointment. And ίη such (alas, unaνoidable) circumstances, one must use the aίd of old, tested contίnuatίons. So, ίη this νery toumament, Iνanchuk managed Ιο demonstrate the insufficiencies of 13 ... lDe7, haνing placed the moνe ίη questίon under some doubt (we hope this is temporary - see Game 18). And Κramnίk retums to the path of 'official' theory. Precisely thίs unίνer­ sal approach ιο opening problems distinguishes the strongest chessplayers ίη the world. 14 g3 0-0 If 14••.J.xd5 15 "xd5 lΔe7, then after 16 "b7! ο-ο (16 .....c8 17 'ifxc8 :xc8 18 a4! ±) 17 J.g2 d5 18 :dl (180-01 'iid6) 18 ...:b8 19 "xa6 :a8 20 'tWb7! (20 1fxb5 1! :b8 21 "c5 :xb2 22lDe3 d4 with an unclear game) 20...:b8 21 W'a7 :a8 22 "c5 Whίte is a pawn up. 15 J.~ a5 Beshukoν-Vasilίeνich, Alushta 1994, ended ίη a dίsastrous attempt by Black ιο begin to play oνer the whole board (by ...b5-b4, ... f7-f5, ... e5-e4), without first preparing himself: 15•••:b8 16 lΔce3 f5 17 ο-ο 'ifd7 18 f4 b41 19 "a4 e411 20 'ifxc6! 1-0. 16 ο-ο :b8 (D)

W

17 :el?! Α stereotyped moνe, which loses tίme. Ιη the future Short will return to the normal plan of doublίng rooks οη the d-file, but Black manages Ιο bring about the positίoη he has ίη mind. 17 Ίi1ι5 was better: 17 .....d7 (17 ... b41 18lΔce3 with the idea of :al-dl, lΔe3-c4 ±) 18 :adl f5 19 lΔce3 (19 :d2 e4 20 :fdllΔe5 21 lΔce3lΔg6 22 a4! 1 ba 23lΔc4 J.e5 and despite the extra tempo ίη comparison with the game, the position is dίfficult to assess ίη anyone's faνour) 19... e4 (l9 ... f4? 20 J.e4) 20 lΔf4! with the idea of J.g2-h3, attacking the f5-pawn, after which definite difficultίes might arise for Black. 17 "d7

18 "'h5 19 :adl

Ι5

e4 Black carήes οη hίs fundamental role with the central pawns,

72 10... .i..g7 without 11 .i..d3 - Whitefiαnchettoes

whilst play with ....:ta8-b8 and ... a6-a5 serves precautionary aίms: hίηdeήηg the breakthrough a2-a4 and the appearance of the white knίght οη b4 _For a long tίme Black did ηοΙ manage Ιο do this, but now he usually manages Ιο prepare play ίη the centre. 20 lLιce3 tLleS 21 .:te2 tLlg6! .i..eS! (D) 22 .:ted2

White has ηοι yet done anything which might lead him Ιο defeat, and that therefore there is still enough ίη his position Ιο maίntaίn the balance. White should possibly have played 23 .i..h3!? or even 23 ΦhΙ!? and ... waίt! As regards the assessment of the position, the dynamic strength of the black pieces counterbalances White's structural supeήοήty. 23 a4?! Maybe the former World Championship contender Short realizes that ίη the Sveshnίkov ίι is difficult Ιο seek common sense, and therefore strives for the initiative ηο matterwhat. Furthermore, waiting passively is ηοι ίη Short's character. Ιη any case, White's 23rd move is ηοΙ so much interesting, but ήsky.

W Every move by Black is underlίned by one aim; the creation of a mighty central grouping of pieces and preparation of an attack. The pressure of the struggle is intensifying all the time. Αι this Ροίηι White cannot find a use for his beautifully distributed pieces; normal ideas are ηο longer sufficient, and finding a way Ιο defuse the situation is ηοι at all easy. Nevertheless, from common sense one might come to the conclusion that

ba

23 24 tLlc4

"fIf7! (D)

W

1o. .. JLg7 without 11 iLd3 - White Jiαnchettoes 73

The d5-knight is rooted ΙΟ the spot. 25 'i'gS If ίι is consistent Ιο try Ιο ρυι ίηιο practice the idea of the move 23 a4, then one should contίnue 25 lbxe5 de 26 'iί'g5 ~h8 27 c4 with some compensation for the pawn. Another route, involving exerting pressure οη the d6 pawn leads one οη a wίld goose chase after 25 JLn Ψιfg7! 26lbde3 f4. 25 ~h8 26 ~hl :g8 27 'iί'e3 "'g7 28 JLn :bf8 (D) Black has completely seized the inίtίatίve. The attack is ηο! far over the hίlls.

have won. Therefore, Whίte's next move should be directed agaίnst 30... JLg4. 29 1:ιe8! Ιη spite of his time trouble, Kramnik still understands the situatίon whίch has arίsen. Now he once more creates the threat of ... f5-f4. 30 ~6 If 30 lbdb6, then 30 ... JLxc4 31 JLxc4 (31 lbxc4) 31 ... f4 32 'iWxe4 JLxc3. 30 ••• lbf4! (D) With the move 30 'i'b6 White has averted Black's breakthrough 30...f4, which would be met by 31 lbxe5 de 32 lbc7. Βυι the knίght invades οη f4 with ηο less effect.

W

W 31 lbxf4? 31lbc7 is a more stubbom defence: 31..J:te7 (31 ...lbxe2 32lbxe8 'ii'g4 33 lbxe5 de 34 'ife3 doesn't work) 32lbxe6 :xe6 33 lbxe5 de

29 JLe2 Ιη the event of 29lbdb6 f4 30

'ifxe4 JLg4! 31 JLe2 JLf5 32 'ifc6 fg 33 fg JLxg3! 34 hg 'ifh6+ 35 Φg1 lbf4 36 'iff3 JLe4 Black would

74 1O... ~g? without 11 JLd3 - White ftαnchettoes 34 "'e3 (34 1Wxa5 lbxe2 35 1Σχe2 "'g4 36 1ΣdeΙ f4 is dangerous for White). ~xI4 31 000 321Σd4 d5 White gives back the exchange ίη the hope of diminishing his ορ­ ponent's pressure. 33 1ΣΧ:d5 If 33 lLΊe3, then 33 ....te5 (or 33 ... ~c7) wίth the idea of 34 ... f4 and 35 ... e3, and White faces insurmountable problems. 33 ~xd5 34 1ΣΧ:d5 ~c7 35 'ii'c6 Ι4 Κramnik persistently caπies ουΙ his plan, which is typical of the variation. Regrouping his forces at the rear has brought him success. 36 lLΊd6 1Σe6 37 .tc4 'fie7 38 1ΣeS Α fιnal stunt ίη time trouble. 38 1ΣΧ:d6 39 1Σχe7 1Σχc6 40 .txg8 'ίtxg8 41 1Σχe4 a3 0-1 Now we will examine the variation ίη which White prepares to fιanchetto his bishop οη move 11 (11 g3). The game often ίη this case 1eads into vaήatiοns we have a1ready examined, but sometimes has independent signifιcance.

Game 16 Savon - Agamanaliev

Moscow 1991 1 e4 c5 200lLΊc6 3 d4 cd 4lLΊxd4 lLΊΙ6 5 lLΊc3 eS 6 lLΊdb5 d6 7 ~g5 a6 8 lLΊa3 bS 9 .txf6 gf 10 lLΊd5 .tg7

11 g3 (D)

Β

The idea is to develop the bishop the 10ng diagona1, as the knight οη a3 might be ουΙ of the game for a 10ng time. 11 000 fS 12 ef (D) 12 ~g2 is also possib1e, for examp1e, 12000fe 13 .txe4 .te6! and now: a) 14 lLΊΙ6+ ~xf6 15 ~xc6+ 'ίte7 16 .txa8 'fixa8 17 1Σgl! (17 f31 h5! 18 "e2 h4 190-0-0 "c6! 20 'ild2 hg 21 hg 1ΣxhΙ 22 :xhl 'ikxf3 =F Solomon-Spasov, Νονί Sad OL 1990) 17 ... h5 18 c3 ~g4 19 οηΙο

1O... J.g 7 without 11 J.d3 - White fiαnchettoes 75

'ffd3 J.f3 20 llX2 and Black has compensation for the sacrificed exchange. b) Romero, playing against Sa10ν at Wijk aan Zee 1992, did ηοΙ accept the sacήfice: 14 1fh5 IΣc8 15 c3lbe7 16 IΣdl IΣc5!? 17lbb4 1fb6 18 1fg5! Φf8 19 1fe3 h5 20 lbd3 (20 lbxa6 is a tempting idea, intending 20.. :fixa6 21 1Wxc5 dc 28 IΣd8#; however the mate does ηοΙ work because of 20 ... J.h6, but 21 ο-ο deserves attention) 20 ...IΣc6 21 J.xc6 1fxc6 22 f3 J.h6 23 1ff2 a5 24 ο-ο Μ, and again Black's activity is worth the exchange. c) Matters turned ουΙ better for White ίη Tolnai-Ikonnikov, Budapest 1991: 14 c3 ο-ο 15 0-OIΣb8 16 lbc2 'ifd7 17 .tg2 f5 18 IΣel Φh8 19 'ifd2 e4 20 lbf4 d5 21lbd4 J.g8 22 IΣadl a5 23 J.f1 b4, and Tolnai proved ΙΟ be the better prepared for the ensuing comp1ications.

Β

12 J.xf5 Here the pawn sacήfice is very interesting: 12•••e4!? 13 c3lbe5 14 'ifh5 and now 14••.00+ 15 Φe2 J.b7 16 IΣdl ο-ο! 17 .th3 IΣb8 gave Black a good game ίη AlzateOchoa, Bayamo 1984. Arakhamia' s attempt ιο improve with 14••..tb7 did ηοι lead ιο any benefits: 15 IΣdl b4 16 lbc4lbf3+ 17 Φe2 bc 18 f6 J.xf6 19 lbxf6+ 1fxf6 20 lbxd6+ Φf8 21 bc IΣb8 221fc5 Φg8 23 lbxb7 +- Madl-Arakhamia, Belgrade 1994. 13 .tg2 IΣc8? Now Savon rea1izes his plan without obstacle, by occupying d5. 13•••e4 14 c3 lbe5 15 ο-ο .tg4 16 1Wd2lbf3+ 17 J.xf3 .txf3 18lbc2 leads ιο a complex game. Black demonstrated model play ίη Savon-Kharlov, Alushta 1992: 13.•..te6 (allowing the exchange sacrifice examined above) 14 c3 ο-ο 15lbc2 a5! 16 ο-ο Φh8 17 a4 IΣb8 18 lba3 ba 19 lbc4 IΣb5 20 IΣxa4 f5 21 'iWd2 .txd5 22 J.xd5 lbe7 23 .tg2 (if 23 lbe3, then the reply 23 ....th6 is very unpleasant) 23 ... d5 24lba3 IΣb8 25 c4 d4 26 lbb5 e4 27 IΣa5 d3. Ιη the graphic expression of Grandmaster Savon, 'the cart has begun rol1ing downhill'. Black has an undoubted advantage. 14 c3

lΔe7

15 lbc2

lbxd5

76 1O... ~g7 without 11 ~d3 - White jianchettoes 16 ~:xd5 Black's biggest misfortune is his totallack of counterplay. 16 I:1c5 (D)

22 lΩxd5 23 I:1fdl

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17 lΩe3 ~e6 18 ο-ο ο-ο 19 a4 Α typical blow, which can be seen more than once ίη the pages of this book. 19 'it'b6 Aiming Ιο exchange the g7bishop for the knight fails after 19ooo~h6? 20 ~xe6 fe 21 'ti'g4+. 20 ab ab 21 ifd3 ~xd5 If Black had played 21ooo~h6, then 22 b4 I:1c7 23 lΩf5 ~xf5 24 'it'xf5 would have made 24...I:1xc3 impossible because of 25 ~e4. Even the presence of opposite-coloured bishops would οηlΥ serve ΙΟ strengthen White's attacking 000

possibilίties.

typical position, ίη which the d5-knight is clearly SUΡeήοr to the g7-bishop. 24 lΩb4 24 lΩe3 is weaker: 24 ... f4 25 lΩf5 (25 ifxd6? fe 26 'iVxc5 ef+) 25 ... e4 (or 25 ... d5) 26lΩxd6 ed 27 lΩxb7 I:1d5 with compensation. Ι:1Ι6 24 25 I:1a6 ~Ι8 26 I:1c6 26 I:1dal! is more exact. ifr7 26 Or 26oo.I:1xc6 27 ifd5+ rj;g7 28 lΩxc6, again favοuήηg White. dc 27 I:1xc5 Black is saved from the weakness οη d6, but is ηοΙ far from difficulties. The knight οη d5 will dominate. 28 lΩd5 I:1d6 29 b3! (D) 000

10... j.g7 without 11 j.d3 - Whitefiαnchettoes 77

Β

W

Of course, the knight must be supported by the pawn from c4. 29 ••• e4 30 Wd2 Wh5 Black would be glad Ιο play 30...c4 himself, but ίι does not work: 31 bc bc 32 'ii'd4 ':'c6 33 ':'a1, and White is winning. 31 c4 Wf3 32 ':'81! h6 If 32••:"xb3, then White must seek retribution against the black kίng: 33 1IIg5+ ':'g6 34 lΔe7+ j.xe7 35111xe7. 33 ':'88 'ifd3 Once again taking the pawn, 33•••'ii'xb3, does ηοΙ work because

37 1ΙΙ7 generous reply. 37•••'ii'xb3 was a more stubborn defence: 38 'ii'xf5 1If7 (the endgame arising after 38 ..."f3+ 39 .xf3 ef+ 40 ~xf3 is 10st for Black) 39 'ilxe4 b4, although after 40 ':'e5 things are nevertheless pretty bad for

of34lΔe7+.

34 'ii'f4 'ii'd1+ 35 ~g2 %Σxd5 1i'xd5 (D) 36 cd 37 ':'e8 Α mistake ίη tίme trouble. 37 'iWb8 e3+ 38 f3 11f7 39 1Ixb5 was simpler.

Α

Agamanalίev.

38 "'e5 "'h5 ~g7 39 'iWd5+ And here exchanging queens after 39•••'ii'f7 40 ':'b5 is hopeless forBlack. 40 ':'e5 .f3+ ~g6 41 Φg1 Φg5 42 'δ'e6+ ~g4 43 h4+ Φh3 44 'ii'g6+ 'iWxf5 45 1Wxf5+ j.d6 46 .:.xr5 j.f8 47 ':'d5 b4 48 ':'eS j.g7 49 ':'xe4 1-0 50 ~

78 JO... J.~7without 11 J.d3 - White.fianchettoes

Conclυsion Ιη

the variations ίη which White employs a lάng's fianchetto and transfers the a3 knight to the centre, Black experiences ηο particular difficulties. Decisive and very purposeful play is demanded from both sides, and moves made οη the

basis of so-called 'general considerations' are often mistakes. Most frequently of all White' s attenttion moves Ιο the centre, and Black's hopes lie οη the flanks (either as an attack οη the king or as a blow Ιο White's pawn chain by means of ... b5-b4).

7 10.....tg7 without ll.i.d3White does not fίanchetto The games ίη this chapter are closely bound υρ with the duels οί the previous chapter. However, at some point White prefers not to fianchetto hίs bishop. Game17 Beliavsky Debrecen Echt 1992 Adaιns -

1 e4 cS 2 ffi tα6 3 d4 cd 4lhxd4 lhf6 5 l2Jc3 e5 6 lΩdb5 d6 7 .i.g5 a6 8lha3 b5 9 .i.xf6 gf 10 ~5 .i.g7

llc3

Ι5

12 ef .i.xf5 13 l2Jc2 ο-ο 14 lhce3 .i.e6 15 .i.d3 Ι5 16 'ifh5 e4 17 .i.c2 ~7 18 .i.b3 (D) 18 ••• lhxd5 Α novelty. Previously one saw 18...Cίth819lΩf4 .i.xb3 20 ab 1i'd7 21 :ld 1 :lf6 22 'ife2 :lb8 23 ο-ο :lh6 24 f3! lhg6 25 lhxg6+ :lxg6 26 ί4 .i.h6 27 b4 with a big advantage to White, Ghίnda-Boersma, Lucerne 1985. Note that White

Β

threatens to play 19lhxe7+ 'ifxe7 20 lhxf5, and neither 18 ...'ifd7 nor 18 ...:lc8 offers a defence to this threat. 19 lhxd5 19 .i.xd5!? .i.xd5 20 lhxd5 a5 21 ο-ο b4 22 f3 bc 23 bc e3 24 ί4 deserves attentίon, with good prospects for Whίte. 19 ... a5 20 lhf4 .i.xb3 21 ab 'fie7 b4 22 ο-ο Α standard plan. Black begins a mίnority attack, which notίceably heightens hίs bishop's inf1uence. 'fie5 23 cb 24 'fig5

80 10... J.ι:7 without 11 J.d3 - White does notfiαnchetto After 24 ~h3 the attempt Ιο encroach οη the enemy camp by means of 24oooab? 25 ':'xa8 ':',xa8 26 ~g5 h6 27 .f7+ ~h8 28 .b7 .e8 29 ~Ώ+ Φg8 30 ~xd6 +- is ηοΙ successful, but sacήficίηg two pawns with 24000f4! 25 .xe5 J.xe5 26 ba ':'fb8 27 ~g5 e3 would gίve Black better chances. 24 00. ab 25 :adl ':'a2 26 tDh5 Ι4 (D)

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~ ~Δ~"'ί:I< ,,~ ~ , ~ ~!?

W 27 'iί'g4? The desire Ιο achίeve victory ηο matter what the cost ίη thίs case dίd Adams ηο favours. He should have resigned hίmself to the fact that the positίon was level. After 27 'iί'xg7+ .xg7 28 ~xg7 Φχg7 29 ':'xd6 %txb2 30 %td4 f3 31 g3 %txb3 32 %txe4 %tb8 a drawn four rooks ending would have aήsen. 27 ':'a7! 28 %t(1 'it'f5

29 'it'xf5 :ΧΙ5 30 ~xg7 ~g7 Now White must apply his not insignificant forces ίη order to maintain the equίlίbήum. 31 %tc4 d5 32 %txb4 ':'c7 (D)

•••••• • -. - . .Ι

•••

Β

• ~.ΙΒΖΒ .Ι~ ~~ ΒΔΒ Β • u • u"Δ~ u • • Β:= R

•

W 33 ':'dl?! Such passive tactίcs could have led White into serious unpleasantness. He should have quickly provoked a cήsίs: 33 g4! fg (or 33 ....:.g5 34 f3 ':'c2 35 h4 ':'g6 36 g5 h6 37 %tb7+ =) 34 hg %tc2 35 %td4 Φf6 36 f3! Φe5 (36...ef 37 g4! =) 37 %tfdl %txf3 38 %txd5+ Φe6 39 ':'5d2 ':'xg3+ 40 Φfl, with good chances to save the game. 33 000 %tc2 34 %tbd4 ~Ι6 35 h3 Φe6 36 ':'bl ~e5 37 ':'bdl ~e6 38 %tbl (D)

1o. .. J.g7 without 11 J.d3 - White does notfiαnchetto 81

••_••• •Β

•

• _ • •

_ •

ΒΑ

.ι_l.. ~A. _ ~''',v •

_Δ_ u~Z. •

•

• .=!!.. ~._".

~d

ΒΔ ~Δ. u • ~

~

Β

38 ... Φd6?! And Black lets slip a generous reply. He should have played more decisively: 38...f3! 39 gf (if 39 g4, then 39....fl.g5 40 b4 h5, winning) 39 ....fl.xf3 40 .fl.bdl .fl.f5 41 .fl.4d2 .fl.xd2 42 .fl.xd2 .fl.f3 43 Φg2 .fl.xb3 -+. 39 b4 e3 Beliavsky's last chance for success lay ίη the move 39 ... f3. Now with exact play Adams achieves a peacefuloutcome. 40 fe fe .:.rn 41 .fl.d3 42 .fl.xe3 .fl.xg2+ 43 ΦhΙ .fl.xb2 44 .fl.dl .fl.g5 45 .fl.d4 .fl.e5 46 .fl.g3! .fl.el+ 47 .fl.gl .fl.e4 48 .fl.xe4 de 49 .fl.g4 Φe5 50 ΦgΙ .fl.xb4 .fl.b7 51 .fl.h4

52 Φα 53 Φe2 54 Φrι

Φd4

.fl.b2+ 1/2_1/2

Ιη the next game (iη which we sha11 discuss some move-order nuances) Κramnik hoped to achieve a comfortable game by making use of 13 ... lbe7, but a nasty surpήse awaited him...

Game 18 Ivanchuk - Kramnik Novgorod 1994 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cd 4lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 e5 6 lbdb5 d6 7 J.g5 a6 8lba3 b5 9 J.xf6 gf 10 lbd5 Ι5 11 ef J.xf5 12 c3 12 ... J.g7 13 lbc2 lbe7 (D) As regards the nuances of the position, the most precise move ίη our ορίηίοη is 13...0-0, and if 14 g3, then 14 ... J.e4. There remains 14lbce3 and then g2-g3, and other plans which are less popular at the present time. 14 J.d3! White may try 14 lbxe7, for example, 14...Φxe7 (14 ....xe7 15 .f3) 15 lbb4 Φf8 16 .f3 .c8 17 .d5 'iWb8 18 J.d3 J.d7 19.f3 a5 20 J.e4 .fl.a7 21 J.d5 f5 22lbc6 1-0 Adams-SandstrDm, London 1993. Black played better ίη Adams-Shirov, Khalkidhiki 1993: 14•..hc2

82 10... J.g 7 without 11 J.d3 - White does notfiαnchetto

(Typesetter's note: It ίδ worth mentioning that 14...e4 is bad after 15 ~e7 'ifxe7 16 J.xb5+ axb5 17 'ifd5 and White wins a pawn.) 15 J.xf5 ~e7 15...~f6 is ηοι proιnising, as it allows White to consolidate conclusively his hold οη f5, which has ηο less (if ηοΙ more) significance than d5, as it ίδ closer Ιο the enemy kίng.

W 15 'ifxc2 'ilxe7 16 J.e2 (16 a4 ο-ο!) 16...0-0 17 ο-ο d5 18 :fdl :fd8 19 1fb3 'iIc5 20 a4 ba 21 :xa4 a5 22 g3, and White had οηlΥ a ιninίmal advantage. Before this game White usually reacted to Black's transpositίon (13 ... ~e7 instead of 13 ...J.e6) by means of the standard 14 lLJce3, which led to a normal poδίtίoη from this varίatίon: 14...J.e6 15 g3 ~xd5 16 ~xd5 ο-ο 17 J.g2. Of course, this narrows down his possibilίtίes. After 13 ...J.e6 White can for the tίme being manage without 14 ~3 and straίght away develop his kίngside with g2-g3 and J.f1g2. Ivanchuk finds a tactίcal route and seeιninglyplaces Black's 14th move ίη doubt. 14 ~xd5?! Ofcourse,ifI4••.J.e6?!, then 15 J.e4, and white controls the central lίght squares.

16 'ifg4 ο-ο 17 :dl d5 18 ω Αη unexpected questίon arίses: how should Black caπy οη? There is the simple threat of 19 J.e4, and 18..Jla7 solves not a single problem ίη view of 19 ο-ο followed by :d l-d2 and :f1-dl. Therefore the following queen sacrifice ίδ practί­ cally forced. d4 18 ... 19 J.e4 Threatenίng the terrible 20 ~f5. 19 de 20 :xd8 ef+ :axd8 21 Wxf2 22 1fe2 Ι5 (D) Black seems to havecompensaιίοη, but Ivanchuk precisely and boldly plays to extίnguish the ίη­ itiatίve, and is left with a big material advantage. Now for Κram­ nik there remaίns οηlΥ the hope of a ιnistake by his opponent ίη the complίcatίons, and if he hadn't

lO... ~g7without 11 ~d3 - White does notfiαnchetto 83

decided upoo the sacήfice theo he would have eoded υρ ίο a strategically worse positioo with 00 prospects. ΒΥ cootiouiog iostead 22••Jιd6 23 ':dl ':fd8 24 ':xd6 ':xd6, he could have saved the queeoside, but oot the game.

•..• .••• ... ••• • •• • ••• • ~.~

~

~.

•

~

-

8)

. . . .:

~.~ ~'~ ~.~ m ~ ~,," ~ ~ Δ~ ~ ~.~Δ?r:.':;; U _ ~

,!';

W 23 ~b7! ':d7 After 23•••lbg6 Black is deΡήved of couoterplay 00 the d-file, for example 24 ':d 1 lbf4 25 1Iic2 aod his positioo becomes absolutely hopeless. 24 ~xB6 ':fd8 25 'iVxb5 ':d2+ 26 ~g3 e4 (D) Black is oot helped by 26...lbg6 27 ':f1, e.g. 27 •••lbf4 28 ':xf4 ef+ 29 ~h3 with the idea of ~a6-b7f3, or 27•••e4 28 1Iib3+! ~h8 29 :Xf5 ~e5+ 30 ':xe5lbxe5 31 'iie6

+-. 27 ':el!

lbg6

W Why oot cootinue 27••..:8d3+? White cao reply 28 \Wxd3! ed (or 28 ... ~e5+ 29 h8 19 :'fdl! (19 a3?! 'iid8! 20lΔxf4?ef21 i.xe6fe 22 :'xc6 f3 23 g3 :'xb3 -+ ErnstTimoshchenko, Tbilisi 1988; 19 lΔbc3 f5 20 %:tfdl :'be8? 21 %:td3 fe 22lΔxe4 i.f5 23 lΔdf6! i.xf6 {or 23 ... i.g6 24 'ίWxg6 i.xf6 25 %:th3 +-} 24 'iί'xf5 lΔd4 25 'ίi'h5 'iί'd8 26 :'h3 %:te7 27 i.d3 ± MarecekSturk, cοπ 1990) 19 ... lΔd4 (both the planned 19 ... f5 20 lΔxf4! ef 21 i.xe6 lΔd4 22 i.xf5 lΔxf5 23 lΔd2!, and 19... 'ikxa2 20 lΔbc3 'ίi'b2 23 lΔa4 'ifa2 22lΔdc3 'iί'a3 23 lΔbl with the idea of 24 i.xe6 and 25 %:txc6 are bad; a question suggests itself - why play 17 ... 'ika5, since one cannot take the a2pawn, and ίt moves the knight away more quickly from a31) 20 lΔbc3 f5?! (20 ... f3!? is a standard blow with the knight οη d4) 21 tΔe7! i.xc4 22lΔg6+ Φg8 23 tΔe7+ Φh8 24 bc %:tf6 25 lΔxf5 lΔxf5 26 ef%:tg8? 27lΔe4:h6 28lΔxd6! 1-0 Vavarin-Cherniaev, Moscow 1992. b) 18 lΔc2?! 'ikxa2!? 19 'ikdl 'it'a5 20 %:tal 'ίi'c5 21 %:txa6 Φh8 22 lΔellΔd4 23lΔd3 (White plays ιοο many knight moves) 23 ... 'ifc8 24 %:txd6 f3! with a powerful attack for Black, Todorovic-Timoshchenko, Pula 1988. c) 18 i.d3!? lΔb4 (ίη the amusing Κoch-Κasparov, Evry sim 1988, the World Champion continued 18 ... lΔd4 19 lΔc2 lΔb5 20 tΔe7+

98 10...j5 11 J..d3 ~h8 21l2Jc6 'ί'ixa2 22l2J2b4 'ii'xb3 23 l2Jxb8 :x.b8 24l2Jxa6 'iί'xd3 25

l2Jxb8 and after 26 ... l2Jd4 he later confused his opponent and won, but had Ιο give υρ Ιοο much material for the initiative) 19l2Jc4 1t'd8 (19 ... W'xa2 20 l2Jxb4 :xb4 21 :al 'iWxb3 22 :a3 ±) 20 l2Jxb4 :xb4 21 :fdl :b7 (the interesting brief skirmish after 21 ... a5!? 22 J..e2 a4 23lDxd6 ab 24 ab J..xb3 25 :d3 J..e6 26 l2Jxf7 J..xf7 27 :xd8 J..xh5 28 :xf8+ J..xf8 29 J..xh5 :xe41ed Ιο a complete exhaustion of forces ίη Liss-Cesarsky, Tel Ανίν 1991) 22 J..e2 :d7 23 J..g4 (23 g3!?) 23 ... f5 24 J..f3 with a small advantage Ιο White, C.Horvath-Nosko Koivisto, Haifa 1989. Therefore, following 17 ... 'ii'a5, White has the better prospects after both 18l2Jbl and 18 J..d3!? It is characteήstic for White, ηοΙ paying any attention Ιο the small 10ss οη the queenside, ιο try Ιο create threats against the king via the centre. The appearance οη the kingside of perhaps one piece Ιο aid the queen is often enough for an unstoppable attack - indeed the lίght squares ίη the black camp are ηοΙ adequately defended. We return Ιο the main line after 17.....d7 (D): 18 'ifh4 Ιη this position as well, several continuations have been tested:

.·••.,.•-•••• •••• •• •• ., •• •

~ .ί.. .~. ."'l.J~.,,~ _\Ulι ..ι.Δ.

~Δ.

Δ& & • •

•

α

•

.:=

~(~ΔP!'~ /.!'< %!'
e2, and after 20 .. .'iixd6? White executes a beautifuI mate with the king: 21 ':d5+ ~c4 22 ~B - mate! lbd4+ 19 'it>e2 20 ':xd4 ed 21 'iWd5+ Φb6 22 lbxc8+ 'iWxc8 23 'iWxd4+ Smagin has two extra pawns, and he steers the game preciseIy ιο victory. ~a5 23 24 ~f3 Ι5 25 g3 ':d8 26 b4+ ~a4 27 'ii'b6 fe+ Α

Bird-Lαrsen Vαrίαtion: 8".~e6

28 Wg2

Wxb4

Otherwise Black is mated, but this loses the bishop. He could haνe taken his final bow by now.

29 30 31 32 33

'iWxh6 ~e2

:bl+ :b3 :a3+

'iWc3 :d2 WaS 'ii'c2 Wb4

34 'ii'xa6 35 :b3+ 36 :xbS+

121

:xe2 Wc5 1-0

Conclusion Although the Bird-Larsen Variation is ηοΙ considered defectiνe, all the same Black quite often runs ίηΙο difficulties ίη practice.

12 711Jd5 In this varίatίon White avoids the sharpest of contίnuatίons ίη favour of a clearer strategic route. However thίs does ηοΙ by any means signify avoiding a battle. Υου will see the kίnd of storms that can rage ίη this 'quiet' varίation by lookίng at the following entertaining encounter. Game28 Yudasin - Kramnίk Wijk aan Zee Ct (1) 1994

1 e4 c5 2lbf3lbc6 3 d4 cd 4lbxd4 lbf6 5 ω e5 6lbdb5 d6 7 lbd5 lbxd5 8 ed lbe7 (D)

W 9 a4

9 c3 is more exact, since after 9 ••.a6? White can reply 10 "'a4. If 9,..lbg6, then 10 _a4 .i.d7 11 .c4 .i.xb5 (11 ... ':c8 is answered by 12 "'b4!) 12 _xb5+ "'d7 13 a4! a6 14 "'xd7+ ~xd7, and by bypassing the complex variations whίch are characteήstίc of the Sveshnί­ kov, White gains a better endίng (he has the bishop pair and a queenside pawn majοήty). 9,..lbt5 keeps d6 defended, and after 10 a4 a positίon aήses from the game we are investίgatίng. ΒΥ using thίs move order, White practically forces the knight Ιο occupy f5, where ίι is ηοΙ very comfortably placed, as ίι hinders the advance ... f7-f5. Therefore the knight contίnues Ιο follow the route f5-h4-g6, but this loses time. White may a1so try 9 c4, for example, 9 ...lbf5 10 ~d3 .i.e7 11 ο-ο ο-ο 12 ~hl a6 13 lbc3lbh4 14 (4 (5 15 'iνc2! e4 16 .i.e2 g5 17 fg?! (17 g3!) 17 ....i.xg5 18 b4 .i.f6 19 .i.h6 ':f7 20 ':adllbg6 = MainkaSakaev, Dortmund 1991. 9 lbf5 For the reasons shown above, 9,..lbg6 is more promising, but Κramnik has decided Ιο follow a

7lΔd5 123

lίttle-used

plan with ... g7-g6 and

....i.f8-g7. 10 c3 g6 10••..i.e7 is more prevalent, for example,l1 .td30-0 12 ο-ο lillι4 13 Ι4 8614 ~ (D) and then:

Β

Β

a) 14•••ef (straightforward but ηοΙ necessaήly best) 15 .txf'4 ~ 16 .txg6! (White has gained nothίηι after 16 .tg3 .th4! 17 .txh4 lDxh4 18 lDc4 aS 19 1fd2 b6 20 :f4lDg6 21.txg6 hg 221fe3 g5! 23 1Z.d4 .ta6 24 1Ig3 .txc4 25 :xc4, and Black is already somewhat better, Rodήgυez-Κramnik, Guarapuava 1991) 16•••hg 17lDc4 (D)andnow: al) 17•••.tf5 18 1%el 1%c8 19 1Irb3 .td3 20 lDb6 is unpIeasant for Black: 2O••.:c7 21 1Z.adl .tf5 (ΜatυΙοvίό-Ν .Νίk(!evίό, YugosIaVΊa 1992) and here too 221fb4 WΊth the idea of 23 :xe7 would have given White a decisive advantage;

the clever 20•••.tc2 is met by an interesting tactical refυtation: 21 lDxc8 .txb3 22 lDxe7+ Wh7 23 1Z.e3 1Ib6 24 aS 1Ic5 25 Whl 1Ixe3 26.txe3 1Z.e8 27.tg5 f6 28 1Z.el fg 291Z.e3 g4 30 Wgl ±. a2) 17••••c7!? 18 b3 (l81rb3?! 1Irc5+ 19Whl11rxd5 2O:adl.c6 21 lDxd6 .th3! 22 1%d2 .txd6 23 .txd6 .te6, and the position of the whίte king isn't hopefυl, ApicellaGagaήn, Bucharest 1993) 18....tf5 19 aS.te4 201Z.el f5 21 1Id21%ae8 22 Ldl 1fd8, and the threat of the pawn storm by ... g6-g5-g4, ...1Z.f8f7, and ...h7-h5looks very dangerous, as ίη Ye Jiangchuan-Novik, Moscow 1992. ΑΙΙ the same 23 h3 leads ιο an interestίng, doubleedgedgame. b) 14...f5 15lDc4lDg6 16 g3!1 (16 aS is ηο good: 16...lDxf4! 17 .txf4 ef 18 Lf4 g6 19 1%n .td7 20 lDb61Z.b8 21 lDxd7 1fxd7 22 .a4 .c7 23 1%ael .tf6 24 1Z.e6

124 7lΔd5 :bc8 25 ~hl ~e5, and Black has all the chances Ιο develop a strong attack οη the enemy kίng, moreover the presence of opposite-coloured bishops favours the attacker ίη such situations) 16... ef (16 ... ~d7 17 ~e3 b5 18 ab ab 19 :xa8 'ii'xa8 20 lΔb6 'ii'b7 21 lΔxd7 1Wxd7 22 'it'b3 :b8 23 fe ± Ι. Kuznetsov-Tolstikh, Russia 1992) 17 gf ~d7 18 a5 ~b5 19 lΔb6 ~xd3 20 'it'xd3 :b8 21 ~d2 'ilc7 22 b4 :be8 23 :ael :f7 24 c4, and the pawn majority οη the queenside, as well as his control over e6, predetermines White's solid advantage. Now we return Ιο the main line after 1O ... g6 (D):

then after 14."b6? 15 a5! (intending a5-a6) 15 ... a6 16 ab :b8?! 17 lΔa3! :xb6 18 'ii'a4! lΔe7 19l1)c4 :b5 20 lΔa5 :b6 21 'ifa2 ~f5 22 ~f1 ~c8 23 ~d2 lΔf5 24 Μ, having made all the moves which are standard ίη similar positions, he could count οη victory. Of course, 14... b6 is a terrible mistake. Κram­ nίk suggests 14_..i.d7 15 'ifb4. ~f8, or even 14••. ~Ι8 immediately, but Black's difficulties, ίη the first place ίη organizing counterplay, are striking. As a result of the unhappy position of the knight οη f5 and the excellent placing of his whitecounterparton b5 (if ... a7-a6, then lΔb5-a3-c4-b6) Black will have a passive, if stable, positίon for a long time. Not without reason has Kramnik's trainer, Tseshkovsky, called this variation a blind alley. 11 ~g7

12

W 11 ~e2 the next chance he got, Υυ­ dasin-Κramnik, Wijk aan Zee Ct (3) 1994, White significantly improved his play: 11 ~d3! ~g7 12 ο-ο ο-ο 13 'it'b3!? :e8 14 :el and Ιη

ο-ο

ο-ο

13 1i'b3!? :e8 14 ifb4 e4 Ιι would have been possible Ιο hold οη by waiting tactics: 14".h5 (14...~d7 15 g4leads Ιο a complί­ cated game) 15 a5 ~d7 16 lΔa3 WΙc7 17 lΔc4 followed by :bl, ~d3, b3, ~a3, and the time for action by Black might ηοΙ even come. Therefore he uses his very first ορ­ portunity Ιο cross the line of demarcation.

7lΔd5 125

15 -'.f4 Here 15 a5!? aIso deserves attention. 15 -'.e5 16 -'.xe5 1Σχe5 17 1ΣadΙ (D)

Β

17 ••• lbh4?! Α very boId, but suspect decision. 17...a5! 18 'ifa3 (18 'iVc4 -'.d7 and ... -'.xb5) 18 ...h5 followed by .. :ile7 and ... -'.d7 was more reIiabIe. 18 ΦhΙ 18 'ii'xd6 is ηο good; 18 ...'iVg5 19 g3 -'.h3 20 1ΣfeΙ lbg2 21 1Ση lbf4 22 1ΣfeΙlbχe2+ 23 1Σxe2 -'.g4 with materiaI gaίns. UncIear consequences follow 18lbxd6 a5! 19 'ilc5 'ii'g5 (19 ... ~h3!?; 19... b6 20 'ilc6 ~d7 21 'ilb7 1Σb8 22 'ila7 1Σa8 =) 20 g3 ~g4 - White must avoid 21 gh?? ~f3+ 22 hg 1Σχg5#. 18 'ii'g5 19 1ΣgΙ -'.g4 (D)

W 20 -'.xg4 20 1ΣdeΙ -'.xe2 21 1Σχe2 a5 22 'ilxd6 1Σd8 followed by ...1Σdχd5 was scarceIy any better. 20 ••• '6'xg4 21 1ΣdeΙ As before, it is ηο good to take οη d6: 21lbxd6lbf3!, or 21 '6'xd6 'ilh5!, threatening lbxg2 and hίη­ deήηg 22lbd4 - the pawn οη d5 is hangίng.

21 '6'f4 (D) Here good pIay by both sides wouId have Ied fιttingIy to a peacefuI resuIt: 21 •••lbf3! 22 gf 'ilxf3+ 231Σg2e3! 24 fe (24 '6'g4ef251Σf1 1Σel 26 'iVc4 1Σae8 27lbd4 1Σχη+ 28 'ilxfl 1ΣeΙ 29lbxf3 1Σχη+, and BIack wins) 24...1Σg5 25 1ΣgΙ :xg2 26 1Σχg2 'ildl+ with a perpetua1 check. The text move is lίnked with a fantastic idea, whίch, it is true, has a refutation. AIas, Yudasin passed it by.

126 7lJJd5

.8 • 8.8 8'8 8'8. 8 • • •• 8~8Δ_ • ~ ~. ~ Δ_

8

~ u

Ο

[8 ~' _ _

W'))

8

•• ~ u ~Δ~ ~ u

•• •

•

..

~'>~ ~ , '&'

W 22 .xd6?? Perhaps one should also supply an exclamation mark for the coauthorship of such a beautiful piece of work. After 22lLJxd6, Κramnik had intended Ιο play 22••Jlh5, threatening 23 ...1Wxh2+, and if 23 %lxe4, then 23 ... lLJf3. However,just here a shattering blow awaits him: 24 %le8+! %lxe8 25 'iVxf4 winning. He would have been forced Ιο seek salvation after 22•••a5 23 'i'd4 (after 23 .xb7 %lf8 Black keeps the initiative, but 23 %lxe4 %lxe4 24 'ifxe4 'ifxd6 25 'ifxh4 'ifxd5 26 b4! is quite possible, with a small advantage for White) 23 ... %lh5 (with the threat of 24... 'it'xh2+ fo11owed by 25 ...lLJf5#) 24 %lxe4 .xd6 25 %lgel!? %lf8 26 %lxh4 %lxh4 27 'ifxh4 'ifxd5 28 'it'd4 'it'xd4 29 cd %lc8. 22 lLJf5! 23 'ilc1 e3! 24 %lxe3

H24fe, then 24 ...lLJg3+ 25 hxg3 %lh5#. Βυι now this idea is embodied ίη another situation. 'ilxe3! 24 •.• 25 lLJd6 Yudasin did ηοΙ wish Ιο allow Black Ιο fulfil his plan after 25 fe lLJg3+ 26 hg %lh5#. However, his position is hopeless all the same. %le7! 25 26 lLJxf5 gf 27 1Wd6 'ileS 28 1Wb4 %lae8 29 'iVh4 Ι6 30 h3 'ilxdS 0-1 One does ηοΙ often see at such a high level the incarnation of such grandiose ideas. Game29 Yυdasin - Κharlov

USSR Ch 1991

m

1 e4 c5 2 lLJc6 3 d4 cd 4lLJxd4 lLJf6 5 lLJc3 e5 6 lLJdbS d6 7 lLJds lLJxdS 8 ed lLJb8 9 c4 Estonian Grandmaster 011 had an interesting idea: 9 .te3!? This is how ίι worked ουΙ ίη his game against Chemiaev, London 1994: 9 ....te7 10 'ild2 a6 I1lLJa3lLJd7 12 lLJc4 ο-ο 13 a4 b6 14 .te2 (14 f3 f5 15 .tf2 a5 =F Oll-Κramnik, Moscow 1992) 14 ... f5 15 g3 .tb7!? (15 ...%lb8!? 16 ο-ο lLJf61eads Ιο an

7lΔd5 127

W 10 .te2 White may try two altemative ideas: a) 10 .te3 86 l1lίk3 ο-ο 12 'tWcU fS 13 f3lΩd7 (D):

al) 14 .td3?! b6 15 ο-ο g5 16 b4 e4 (here is the problem with 14 .td3 - if the bishop is οη e2, such a breakthrough can be met by the standard f3-f4) 17 fe f4 18 .td4 .tf6 19 .txf6 'tWxf6 with good compensation for the pawn, thanks to Black's possession ofthe strong e5 square, ι.ΚUΖnetsοv-Gοlodaev, USSR 1991. a2) 14.te2 .th4+ 15 g3 .tf6 16 ο-ο b6 17 b4 f4!1 18.tf2 fg 19 hg .tg5 20 .c2 is better, with the idea of strengthening the centre after ~g2, .td3, and lΩe4. b) White's plan consists of preparing the advance c4-c5, and a question therefore arises as to why can't he carry it out immediately: 10 c5 ο-ο 11.te2 (11 cd is worse: 11. ...txd6 12lΩxd6 .xd6 13 .te2 .tfS 14 ο-ο .te4, and here the passed pawn οη d5 becomes a weakness) and now (D):

w

Β

unclear game) 160-0 f4 17 gf .e8 18 fe de 19 ~hl :d8 20 f3 .h5 21 :adl ~h8 22 .txb6!! lCJxb6 23 lΩxb6 :d6 24 'tWe3 :f4 25 :f2 :h6 26lΩc4! 1-0. 9 .te7 (D)

128 7lΔd5

bl) 11 .••a6?! 12 cd .txd6 13 lbxd6 'ii'xd6 14 ο-ο (I.Kuznetsoν­ Apostoikh, Russia 1992) and now, thanks ιο the extra tempo, White can seize the ίnitίatίνe: 14....tf5 15 'iί'b3 or 14...1Σd8 15 .tg5 f6 16 .te3 ±. b2) 11 ....Lf5 12 ο-ο dc!? 13 d6 .tf6 14lbc7 lbc6 15 lbxa8 'ίWxa8 with good counterplay for the sacήficed exchange. b3) 11 ...lΔa6!? leaves White behίnd ίη deνelopment.

Thus, 10 c5 looks premature. 10 a6 11 lbc3 ο-ο 12 ο-ο f5 Black is afraid of the auangement .tcl-e3 and f2-f3, and therefore plays 12 ... f5 straight away, so that if 13 .te3 he can reply 13 ...f4. Ιη our ορίηίοη, the idea of exchanging the dark-squared bishop doesn 't look bad: 12...lbd7 13 .te3 .tg5!? - exactly now, when White has not had tίme to hίde the bishop οη f2 after playjng f2-f3. Whίte has two plans ίη the positίoη after 12... f5 (D): 1) pay ηο attention to Black's counterplay, and try ρersistently to develop a queenside initίatiνe, ίη­ volνing 13 a3. 13 1ΣbΙ Ι?, or 13 a4; 2) immediately take precautions: 13 f40r 13 f3 followed by .tcl-e3. SoonerorlaterWhίtemust defend his king, and, as fans of

W precautionary actίνity reason, isn't better to do this straight away? 13 a3 Let us examine the other possibilities, the first two of which represent, like the text, the plan of ίgηοήng Black's play: a) 13 1ΣbΙ!? lbd7 14 b4 e4 15 .te3.tf6 16 .td4 .te5 17 c5 'iί'f6 18 .txe5lbxe5 (18 ...'ifxe5 19lba4) 19 c6! lbf3+ 20 gf 'ii'xc3 21 1Wc 1 (21 1Σb3 'ii'e5 22 fe fe 23 a4 with an unclear game) 21 ...'ii'f6 22 f4 iί'h4 (22 ... bc 23 dc d5 24 1ΣfdΙ .te625 ~e3 ± or 25 'iί'c5 ±) 23 ..thl?! (23 1Σb3!? 1Σf6 24 a4! 1Σh6 25 h3 1Σg6+ 26 ~h2 ±) 23 ...1Σf6 24 'ii'e3 1Σh6 25 'iί'g3 'ii'xg3 26 fg bc 27 .tc4 c5 28 bc dc 29 1ΣfcΙ, and Whίte has good compensatίon for the sacrificed pawn, as ίη Ye Jiangchuan-Chekhoν, Beijing 1991. b) 13a4lbd7(13 ... a5?! 14c5!? dc 15lbb5 .td6 16 f4 e4 17 b3 with the rough plan of .tb2, .tc4, ΦhΙ ίι

7liJd5 129

and g4) 14 a5 i.f6 15 b4 (15 f3 Ι?) 15 ... e4 16 :a3 i.e5 17 f4 ef 18 gf? (18 :xf3:j:) 18 ... i.xh2+! 19 'it>xh2 'iWh4+ 20 'it>gl (20 'it>g2? .:tf6 -+) 20...'it'g3+ (20...:f621 :f2+-) 21 'it>hl :f6! 22 'i'el 'ifh3+ 23 ΦgΙ f4! 24 "ιd3lί)e5 with a decisive attack. This variation shows the dangers that lie ίη wait for White ίη the event of thoughtless play. c) 13 Ι4 "ιf6 (13 ... liJd7 14 'it>hl "ιf6 15 'ifc2 ef 16 "ιΧf4 "ιe5 !? 17 .i.d3 g6 18 :ael "ιχf4 19 :xf4 liJe5 20 liJe2 'ilί'g5! 21 :ffι"ιd7 22 liJf4 :ae8, and thanks Ιο his strong e5-knight Black is better, InkiovTzermiadianos, Κhania 1993) 14 g3!? liJd7 15 'iWc2 (or 15 'it>hl Ι?) 15 ... ef 16 gf i.d4+!? 17 'it>hlliJc5 18 "ιf3 "ιd7! 19 :bl! b5!? (also 19 ... a5!? deserves serious study) 20 b4liJe4 21liJxe4 fe 22 "ιχe4 bc 23 'iWxc4 'i'f6 24 :dl :ae8 25 'it'xd4 :xe4 26 'ifxe4 "ιf5 27 'iVd4 "ιΧbΙ 28 'ii'xf6, and very sharp playin Yudasin-Κramnik, Wijkaan Zee Ct (7) 1994 led Ιο a peaceful conclusion. 13

liJd7

14 b4 e4 15 "ιe3 "ιΙ6 16 "ιd4 "ιe5 17 "ιχe5 liJxe5 (D) The position recalls that ίη the game given above, Ye JiangchuanChekhov, with the οηlΥ difference that instead of the active 13 :bl,

W the passive 13 a3 has been played, which stops White from playing c5-c6 ίη comfort. If one were Ιο describe the scheme of the battle ίη the game ίι would look something lίke this: White's play has led him Ιο a dead end, and so as ηοΙ Ιο find himself under the threat of a direct attack οη his king, he decides with the assistance of a pawn sacήfice (c5-c6) ιο open υρ the queenside. But nothing can stop the central black pawns now, and behind them Black's pieces will reach the king a11 the same. 18 'iWd4 "ιd7 19 c5 'iVf6 20 :fdl :fc8! The a6 pawn must be defended ίη case of c5-c6. 21 :acl?! White must already think about saving the game. Το this end the best chance was 21 c6, for example, 21 ... bc 22 dc :xc6 23 liJd5

130 7lΔd5

'ilf7 24 llJb6 (24 b5 I:tc2) 24 ...l:te8 25lί)xd7 'ilxd7 26 b5 :tc2 27 'ild5+ ~h8 28 l:ta2 :'xa2 29 'ilxa2 ab 30 • d5 with fair drawing chances. I:tc7 21 22 h3 'ile7!? (D)

••.....-_••••-• •• 000

~. ~ ι ~ .Αι ~ ι.

~.~ ~

~'~v%

~.~

~ι

~Δ-Ι~.~ u ,.. ~

u~ ~Ι~. _ ~ ~ ~

~.W;! ~

~ ~.

~.~ ~Δ

~~~Δ.

~:~.~ ~ ~

~ ~

W 23 ~? White is now utterly lost; losing time in this way was inadmissible, a11 the more so as the king is ίη a worse position οη f1 than gl. He should have played 23 c6. True, the text move does contain a trap, threatening 24 cd 'ilxd6 25 llJxe4 fe 26 I:txc7 'ilxc7 27 d6, when Black cannot play 27 ....c2the bishop οη e2 is defended. But Black is οη the alert. 23 l:te8! 24 c6 24llJbl does not work here - a capture οη c5 was threatened. 24 bc 25 dc I:txc6 (D) 000

000

• -••••

-

.Ζ

~.

•~ .t.~

~ ~~ ι ~.~.1.

•

~

~

•

•

•

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8 ••

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~.~

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~

•

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~.W;! ~~.W;! ~ Δ ~

~

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a:.φ.

w 26 27 28 29

llJd5 I:txc6

νΙ7

llJxc6

'ii'b6 Ι4! ~xa6 29 ~c4 gives nothing because of 29 .. .'~h8 followed by 30...llJe5. 29 'ii'h5! Now Black's play resembles the work of a bulldozer, as he sweeps away everything ίη his path. 30 I:tcl f3 (D) 000

7CΔd5 131

The decisive eποr. 31 :xc6 also 10ses: 31. .. fg+ 32 '1txg2 j.xh3+ 33 ~h2 j.g4+ 34 ci>gl j.f3 with an inevitable mate, but 31 'A'e3 would have allowed more stubborn resistance. 31 fg+ 32 ~ιl "g5 33 :xc6 "'xf4 34 :c3 "'d2 35 :g3 e3 The second pawn makes its presence felt. 36 :xe3 "'cl+

37 '1txg2 38 Ι3 0-1

j.c6+ :xe3

Conclusion the vaήatίοη with 7 tZΊd5, ίη spite of the externally tranqui1 canvas, complications frequently aήse which are ηο less sharp than ίη other variations of the system. At present, it seems to us that 8 ...tZΊb8 is the more dependable continuation, although 8 ...tZΊe7 also allows hopes for a playable game. Ιη

137a4 This variation also leads Ιο a game which is rich ίη content, and is founded οη a solίd positional basis. Game30 Rublevsky - Κharlov Podolsk 1992

1 e4 cS 2lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cd 4lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 e5 6 lbdbS d6 7 a4 a6 8 lba3 (D)

__

• .. - Α..... A~tω.~

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~

Β'Β _ _Β'.' _ ι.~~

•

~

W~

Β Β Β ΔΒ ΒΔΒ Β ~ ~

~

~ ~ %''''''Δ~~

•

uRΔ uR

•

~+~1i'~ j.8 .:

"

Ιη

8

~

Β

this situation there are two ΡήηcίΡaΙΙΥ different possibilities. With 8 ... J.e6, Black tries Ιο bring his pieces ίηΙο the battle quickly: ... %:tc8, ... lbd4, creating pressure 00 the c-file. Alternative cootinuations:

a) Black has tried by the mechanical means of 8••• h6 Ιο hinder a ρίη οη the knight, but after 9 iιc4 iιe6 10 ο-ο %:tc8 11 %:tellbb4 12 b3 iιe7 13 .ib2 ο-ο 14 'iWe2 'ii'c7 15 h3 %:tfe8 16 %:tad 1 'ii'c5 17 %:td2 Φh7 18 %:ted 1 (Radulov-Neckaf, Vratsa 1975) White firmly seized the ίο­ itiative. b) 8....ie7 solves the problem of developing the kίngside. b1) Ιι would seem that Black then also makes 9 .igS difficult, although after 9 ...lbxe4 1Ο lbxe4 (10 .ixe7lbxc3 11 .ixd8lbxdl =) 10... .ixg5 Illbxd6+ ~e7 12&4 .ie6 13 'iWf3! lbd4 14 'iWxb7+ 'i/ί'd7 15 'iWxd7+ (15 'i/ί'e4 f5 16 'i/ί'd3 .if6 with the initiative ίη return for the sacrificed pawn) 15 ... Φχd7 16 iιd3 iιe7 (Langier-Κramnik, Guarapuava 1991) White can sacrifice his knight for the initiative: 17 lbxf7 .ixf7 18 lbxe5+ Φe8 (or 18 .. .';tιe6 19 f4 ±) 19 0-0-0. Βυι 8...iιe7 has a more profound idea, which the following variation after 9 .ig5 illustrates: 9._0-0!? 10 .ixf6 (the capture is now necessary, ίη view of 10 ... lbxe4 being threatened ίη earnest) 1O...iιxf6 11 iιc4 .ig5 12 ο-ο Φh8 13lbd5 f5! (with

7 α4 133 the bishop οη e6 and the king οη g8 this move is ηο good because of lΩb6!) 14 ef (14 f3 is answered by 14....*.e6, when 15 lΩb6?? is impossible because of 15 ... "i'xb6+) 14....*.xf5 followed by ...e4 and ... lΩe5. The bishop has landed οη f5 ίη one move. The fight for an extra tempo and better distribution of pieces is ίη general characteήstic ofthe minor variations of the Sveshnikov, and ίη this case the prophylactic move 7 a4 gives Black too much freedom of movement and a large choice. b2) Line 'a' demonstrated a very promising arrangement of the white pieces, which is probably also possible after 8....*.e7, for example, 9 .*.c4 ο-ο 10 ο-ο .*.e6 11 1Iel (11 b3lΩxe4) 11••..:c8 (D) and now:

move had ηοΙ been seen) 13lΩxc4 lΩa5! 14lΩxa5 'ifxa5 15 .*.d2 'ifc7! (a queen sacήfice is also possible: 15 ...1Ixc3 16 1Ie3 1Ixe3 17 .*.xa5 1Ixe4 with some compensation), and Black is ΟΚ. This means that the plan with b3 is ηοι beneficial. b22) White could try 12 lΩd5 .*.xd5!? 13 ed lΩb8 14.*.f1 (planning ΙΟ arrange the white forces thus: .*.e3, lΩc4 and a5, 1Ia4-b4 or lΩb6, c4, b4) 14...1Ic5! 15 c4 b6! (15 ... a5!? 16.*.e3lΩfd7!? 17 .*.xc5 lΩxc5 with the idea of ... lΩba6. ... f5, ....*.f6) 16 b4 1Ic8 with a further battle for the dark squares by means of ... lΩfd7 and ... a5. From this ίι is clear that Black's opportunities are much richer without the passive ... h6. .*.e6 (D) 8

W

W b21) 12 b3 .*.xc4! (it's surprising that until this ροίηι this simple

9 .*.c4 The continuation 9lΩc4? is ηοΙ justified; ίη Korchnoi-Morovic,

134 7 α4 Santίago (5) 1991 Black contίnued 9 ...:c81O~e3lDd4?! (1O ... lDb4! is stronger: 1 Ι lDb6 :c6 12lDbd5 .a5 13lDxf6+ gf 14 ~d3 d5 =1=) 11 ~xd4 ~xc4 12 ~xc4 :Xc4 13 ~e3 with equality.

9 ...

:c8

Due Ιο the precarious position of the king Black cannot immediately solve his problems and seize the initiative by means of a standard tήck from simίlar positions: 9...~e710 ο-ο (D) and now:

Β

a) 10••• ~xc4 11 lDxc4 lDxe4? 12lDxe4 d5 131!fg4! g614:dl f5 15 'Wg3 fe 16~e3 d4 (16... 0-017 lDb6 d4 18 lΩxa8 'δ'χa8 19 ~h6 :f5 20 'ikg4 :h5 21 ~d2 :h4 22 'ii'e6+ 'iPh8 23 :el and g3 ±) 17 lDxe5 ~d6 18 fuc6 ~xg3 19lDxd8 de 20 fg :xd8 21 :xd8+ ~xd8 22 :el Φd7 23 :xe3 with a winning rook ending for White, RublevskySveshnikov, USSR Ch 1991.

b) 10•••lDxe4 is also dangerous straight away because of 11 ~xe6 lDxc3 12 ~xf7+ ~f7 13 bc d5 14 "'f3+ ~f6 15 :bl with a strong attack, or gaining a better ending after 11 lDxe4 d5 12 ~b3 de 13 ~xe6 _xdl (l3 ... fe 14 _h5+ g6 151!fg4) 14~xf7+~xf715:xdl. c) 10...:cs 11 ~ι5 0-0 12 ~xf6 ~xf6 13 lDd5 ~g5 14 c3 ;t Rublevsky-Chekhov, USSR Ch 1991. 10 ~ι5 ~e7 11 ~XΙ6 ~xΙ6 12 lDd5 ο-ο 13 ο-ο ~ι5 14 c3 ~h8 (D) Ιη our ορίηίοη Black has ηοΙ conducted the opening very accurately. Some doubt exists as Ιο the expediency of the plan with ... ~e6 and ...:c8. Nevertheless, one of the key ρο­ sitions of the entire variatίon has arisen, and understanding ίι is very important for playing simίlar positions, which as a whole are typical of the Sveshnikov. After 14•••lDe7 15 _b3 ~xd5 (15 ...lDxd516edand 17_xb7) 16 ~xdS lDxdS 171!fxdS 1!fc7 18 :fdl :fd8 19 lDc2 an ideal cοπelatίοn of pieces, with possession of dS, arises for White, which gives him a big advantage; furthermore, Black is forced ιο watch passively as Whiιe reinforces, and counterplay with ... f5 is at this Ροίηι Ιοο laιe.

7α4

Clearly Black should avoid such positions by every means possible.

W

15 ~B2 If 15 'ife2, then 15•••~b8!? is not bad, with the plan of transferήng the knight to c5, whilst also keeping an eye οη the a4-pawn and preparing ... f5. Recently thίs manoeuvre ίη the Sicilίan Defence (the Boleslavsky System, for ίη­ stance) has become very popular, and is longer called into doubt (for losing time?), as moving the knίght Ιο c5 and ΡressuήΖίng e4 is Ιοο good an idea. Οη the other hand, 15•••~e7 scarcely allows Black Ιο hope for equality after 16 ~xe7 'ifxe7 17 1ΣadΙ 1Σfd8 (the moves ... Φh8 and ... 1Σfd8 don't fit together well) 18 ~xe6 fe 19 c4, with a slίght advantage for White, although Black has quite a solίd position.

15 •••

~e7

135

Here, 15•••~b8 is ηο good because of 16 ~c4, but the continuation ίη the game is quite sufficient for equalίty, as the bishop οη a2 is not best placed. In general Black has to follow the nuances constantly, and, depending οη White's continuation, vary his game. For example, why exactly did Black play 14...Φh8? Evidently to prepare ... f5. But the time for this plan has not yet arrived, ίη that 15••.f5 is met by 16 ~b6! gaίnίng mateήal. It is possible that this blow will not be carried out, but it does not mean that we should hurry to condemn the king move as an eποr. The threat was created all the same, and White was forced to deal with it somehow. True, alongside 14 ... Φh8, 14•••~b8, with the idea of bήngίng the knight to c5, deserved attention.

16 ~xe7

"'xe7

17 ~α Ι5?! Everything is already prepared for the blow, but it was possible to play the stronger 17••• ~xa2 18 1Σχa2 f5 19 ef 1Σχf5 20 ~b4 e4 :ι:. From thίs we can conclude that 15 ~a2 is weaker than the previously seen 15 'ifb2. 18 ~xe6 "'xe6

19 ef

Jbf5

20 .e~ "'f71! (D) 20••.1Σff8 is more precise, with the idea of ...d5.

136 7 α4

W 21 lbe3! ~xe3 Νοι 21 •••:'f6?? losing a piece ιο 22 'i!ί'g4, whίle after 21 ••':f4 22 :'adl :'xa4 23 :'xd6 White maintains a small advantage. 22 fe! h6?! 22•• + is better: 23 :'xf1 "d7 24 'i!ί'f3 h6 with defensive chances. 23 1i'g4! :'f8?? Black's previous move was ίη­ exact, but did ηοΙ yet have grave consequences, but just created additional defensive complications. Therefore, after 23.. + 24 :Xf1 'iWe8 White would be left with οηlΥ a slightly more pleasant position. The text, allowing a transfer Ιο a pawn ending via a rook ending, gives Whίte a decisive advantage. 24 :'xf5 1i'xf5 25 'ii'xf5 :'ΧΙ5 26 :'f1! (D) 26 ... :'f6 Clearly, Black cannot leave the f-file for an invasion by the white

.:.xn

.:.xn

Β

rook. There remain two possibilί­ ties of moving ίηΙο a pawn ending. Let us examine them: a) 26.. J:ιxf1+ 27 ι;t>xf1 ι;t>g8 (moving Ιο the left does ηοΙ help the king either: 27 .. .rJ;;h7 28 ι;t>e2 ι;t>g6 {or 28 ... b4 29 c4 ι;t>g6 30 'iti>d2 ι;t>f5 31 ι;t>c3 ι;t>e5 32 a5 and Black is ίη zugzwang} 29 ι;t>d3 ιj;;f5 30 a5 +-) 28 ι;t>e2 ι;t>f7 29 ι;t>d3 d5 (after 29 ... ι;t>e6 30 Φc4 both 30 ... d5+ 31 c5 and 30... b6 31 e410se) 30 e4 ι;t>e6 31 a5! d6 32 b4 ιj;;e6 33 ed+ ι;t>xd5 34 c4+ ι;t>d6 35 ι;t>e4 ι;t>e6 36 b5 f2 ι;t>g7 30 ι;t>f3 g5 31 a5! f6 (31 ... Φg6 32 ι;t>g4 and then h2-h4) 32 h4 ι;t>e5 33 hg hg 34 ι;t>g4 ι;t>xe4 35 ~xg5 e4 37 'i1i>f6 f5 and Whίte wins.

7α4

27 :xf6 28 e4! 29 ab

gf

b5 ab

30 ~f2

~ι'

31 ~e2

h5

31 ...~g6 32 g4 +-.

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

ςpf3!

~g6

g4!

h4 h3

~e3 lίPf3 ~g3 Φxh3 ~g3 ~

lίPf7 ~e6

d5 de 1·0

Α very tense game, ίη which Black did not use all his opportunities, while White shone ίη technical accomplίshments and played the endgame virtuously.

137

Conclusion The move 7 a4 does ηοι cause Black any special trouble; thanks ιο the extra tempo he has good development and a large choice of plans, and he simply does ηοι need to force events ( ...ιt1f6xe4 is very often premature and fails to equalise). But adherents of quiet positional play (whilst indeed many variatίons ίη the Sveshnikov are quite sharp) can boldly be advised to play ίι as White; the precautίon­ ary move a2-a4 deprives Black of his actίvity οη the queenside ( ...b7b5), and if he succeeds ίη holding onto d5 with little 10ss of blood, then he can expect a definite advantage.

14 White plays 6 ~f5 Ιη this final chapter we will examine a deviation for White from the maίn vaήatίοn ίη the very early stages of the battle. 6 lLIf5 is the one that deserves most attention.

Game 31 Akopian - YakoVΊch Rostov on Don 1992

1 e4 c5 2lL1f3lLJc6 3 d4 cd 4lL1xd4 lDf6 5 lL!c3 e5

6 lLIfS (D)

variation choose this move? Ιη the first place, he could have seen the unnecessarily extravagant waste of four tempi only to transfer the knight Ιο a3. But ίη the second place, Akopian may have prepared something new... dS! 6 ΟηΙΥ this advance allows Black Ιο gaίn a level game. 7 ed ~xΙS 8 dc bc Exchanging queens is somewhat weaker: 8ooo'ifxdl+ 9 lLIxdl bc 10 lLIe3 ~e6 11 lLIc4lL1d7 12 ~e3 f6 13 0-0-0 ~c5 14lL1a5 with a minimal advantage to White. 9 'iff3 9 'ifxd8+ ]hd8 is ηοΙ dangerous for Black, for example, 10 ~e3 :'b8 11 0-0-0 ~b4 12 ~c4 a5 13 f3 ο-ο 14lL1a4 e4! with a level game. 'ίWd7 9 9ooo'ifc8 is ηο good, as ίι allows White to seize the initίative firm1y: 10 ~a6! 'ίWxa6 11 'ίWxf5 ~d6 12 ~h6! lLId5 13lDe4 Jl.e7 14 Jl.xg7. e4 (D) 10 ~gS After 10ooo~b4 11 ~xf6 gf 12 Jl.d3 ~xc3+ 13 bc Jl.xd3 14 cd 'ίWe6 15 ο-ο ο-ο 16 :'ael 'itth8 17 :'e4 f5 (Sax-Fedorowicz, Dubai OL 000

Β

6 lLIf5 is Bronstein's move, which ίη all theoretical reference works is saίd ηοΙ Ιο lead Ιο an advantage. The questίon then is why did a grandmaster who is experienced ίη the finer points of the

White plαys 6lLJj5 139

1986), 18 :c4 would give White the better chances. Besides that, ίη this situation 10••ie7 suggests itself.

'W'xe6+ J.xe6 16 J.d2 to a position from the next note.

Β

W 11 'ii'e2 J.e7 12 :dl Winning a pawn by means of 12 J.x:f6 J.xf6 13 lΩxe4 ο-ο! 14 lΩxf6+ gf 15 'ii'd2 :fe8+ 16 Wdl 'fie7 led to a long-term initiative for Black ίη Τsatuήan-Μarkauss, cοπ 1988-9. 12 ... 'ii'e6!? 13 .c4 :b8! 13...0-014 'W'xe6 i.xe6 15lLJxe4 lLJxe4 16 J.xe7 :fe8 17 f3! :xe7 18 fe i.d5 19 i.d3 i.xe4 20 Φf2 leads ΙΟ an ending that is somewhat worse for Black. 14 'ii'xe6? (D) Akopian, evidently, had ηοι foreseen Yakovich's reply. Otherwise he would have chosen 14 b3, which may lead after 14 ...J.b4 15

14 fe And here is a surpήse, but ίι is not White who has sprung ίι, but Black! Possibly Akopian was basing his play οη the game Parutenko-Markauss, COΠ. 1988-9, which continued 14••ixe6 15 b3 i.b416 i.d2 ο-ο 17 i.e2 :fd8 ;. One might suggest that the Armenian Grandmaster wished Ιο fight for an advantage by means of 17lLJa4. 15 b3 15lΩa4? loses ιο 15 ... e3. 15 lLJd5 16 i.xe7 Φχe7 17 lLJa4 Of course, White's idea was ηοΙ Ιο improve Black's pawn structure. After 17 lLJxd5, 17 ... ed or even 17 ... cd would give Black an unquestionable advantage. e3(D) 17 •••

140 White plays 6liJj5 Black is promised ηο real advantage after 17...lUb4 18 c3! liJc2+ 19 ~d2 e3+ 20 ~c 1 :hd8 (20 ...ef 21 :d2) 21 J.e2!.

W

18 c4! White must defend very carefully. Trying ιο bring the bishop into the struggle would have had unpleasantconsequences: 18 J.d3 ef+ 19 'iPxf2 :hf8 20 'iPg3liJe3 21 :d2J.xd3. 18 ... ef+ 19 'iPxf2 liJb4 20 J.e2! Again Akopian defends cleverly. Neither 20 liJc5 :hd8 21 J.e2 liJxa2 22 %Σal :d2 23 :hdl :xe2+ 24 'iPxe2liJc3+ 25 'iPelliJxdl, nor 20 liJc3 :hf8 21 ~e3 liJxa2! was any good. 20 ... liJxa2 21 :al liJb4 (D) 21 ...:hf8 was also possible, but ίι would not have led ιο a decisive

advantage either: 22 J.f3 liJb4 23 liJc5 a6 24 :hdl (24liJxa6? liJd3+) 24...e5 25 'iPg3.

W 22 liJc5 a6 23 :hdl! White falls into a dangerous ρο­ sition after 23liJxa6 liJxa6 24 %Σxa6 :xb3 25 :xc6 :b2 26