Hi, my name is Peter Svidler and I've recorded a series of videos for chess24 dedicated to my favourite opening,

the Grnfeld Defence.

I picked it up as a young kid who was obviously hugely impressed by Kasparov's treatment of the opening in those
years. The children who were just beginning to play chess back then were greatly influenced by the clash between
Karpov and Kasparov. Most of us picked a side, and I picked Kasparov - he was perhaps my earliest idol and I based
my repertoire mainly on his openings. A lot of time has passed since then, obviously, and I think I've contributed
quite a bit to the opening myself.
In this series of videos I'll try to pass on my years of experience and some of my knowledge to you, the viewers. I'll
try to explain why I think the Grnfeld is a very good opening for those of you who are striving to get double-edged
positions with a lot of counterchances. These days in almost any opening White can get a risk-free position - and
the same applies to the Grnfeld, of course - but in many cases you'll have the chance to assume the initiative and
start playing for a win.
The Grnfeld is a sharp, double-edged and very interesting opening in which play often becomes very nonstandard. These videos will have a very wide range, obviously, as I'll try to cover pretty much the entire opening.
1.

d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5

21... xg4 Over the course of this eBook you'll see positions like this one, which occurs in a video on the 3.f3
variation...
18... a3 ...or this one - which is maybe even crazier than the previous example. This appears in a certain line of
the 7.Be3 variation. It's a very interesting looking position because it's not that easy to figure out whose move it is.
Seemingly the side to start first just wins on the spot, but that isn't in fact the case.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6. xc4 OO 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 10. g5 c6 11. e3 a5 12.d1 b6 13. h4 h6 14. ge4 ac4 15. h5
f5 The Grnfeld in general, even if you discount curious positions like the first two I've shown you, tends to lead to
very unbalanced positions like the one you can see here, which can appear in a Qb3 line where Black very, very
early on starts an incredibly double-edged and sharp fight. The position becomes very unbalanced and interesting
for those of you who are searching for a dynamic opening.
14... e6 Positions like this one, which can arise from 7.Bc4, are also very typical - a position where Black first
gives up control of the centre and then starts fighting for it tooth and nail. Play becomes very, very sharp.
7... g7 Obviously over the course of the eBook there will be novelties - some of which are more important than
others - and some of them I'm very proud of, like the one I'll show you here. This is a position after move 7 in the
Bg5 line where I found an idea which hasn't been played before and which I think is extremely interesting.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. g2 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. f3 g7 Of course no opening, including the Grnfeld,
can be covered without every now and then encountering a position like this one where you can't really hope for
much with Black apart from equalising with precise play, but I will try and steer away from these positions and
whenever possible I'll try to show you ways of reaching complex and double-edged positions with Black. I hope you
enjoy this eBook!

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3

4.e3 Bg7 5.Bd2
4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3
4.e3 Bg7 5.Qb3

4.Nf3
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. cxd5 xd5 6. g5This strange line exists in two versions. The one
with the knight on g1 is actually a serious alternative and is covered elsewhere, whereas this one really deserves
only a very brief mention.
6... c5 7. c1 xc3 8. bxc3 a5 9. d2 Pretty much forced. If White is now allowed to play e4 he'll have a
very decent position. It also seems as though Black has problems castling because the e7-pawn is hanging, but he
has a very strong plan in this position which solves both problems.
9... f5 Stopping e4 dead in its tracks.
10. e3 d7 and it turns out there's really very little White can do against the plan of Nf6-e4. A blitz game
between Rychagov and Grischuk in 2004 continued
11. e2 f6 12. O-O e4 13. b2 and despite Black losing the right to castle he's at the very least perfectly
fine. After a pretty much forced sequence of moves
13... xg5 14. b5+ f8 15. xg5 f6 16. f3 g7 Black was ready to connect the rooks, with one going
to c8 and the other to d8. Black has very comfortable play here. Rychagov-Grischuk, Moscow 2004

4.e3 Bg7 5.Bd2

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. e3 g7 5. d2 This has been played on a couple of occasions by the
Belarussian GM Alexey Aleksandrov.
5... O-O 6. c1 An unambitious try, and in fact if White wants to at least pretend he's fighting for an advantage
he'll get a very double-edged position that should suit any Black player.
6... c5 As usual Black breaks in the centre at the first opportunity.
7. dxc5 a6 8. xd5
8. cxd5 xc5 White's pieces are completely misplaced here and the fact that the bishop is on d2 makes it
even harder for White to protect the pawn on d5. 9. c4 f5 10. ge2 d3 11. b3 a6 12. O-O c8
Cusi-Yermolinsky, Chicago 2003
8... e4 Avoiding the exchange of knights for now and attacking the b2-pawn. White pretty much has to play
9. f3 xd2 10. xd2 e6 11. c3 This position was reached in a couple of games by Aleksandrov, one against
Ivanchuk and one against Mikkelsen a couple of years later. Vassily played
11... a5 which is a very natural and decent move.
11... h4+ in the second game was also a pretty decent choice. In general the c5-pawn will fall and the
pawn on f3 ensures Black lasting compensation almost regardless of what he does. This position is very

comfortable for Black and sacrificing a pawn like this shouldn't alarm any Grnfeld players. This is a line
you're very unlikely to encounter, but if you do end up in a position like this you should feel confident
Black has excellent compensation. 12. g3 f6 13. d3 d8 14. e2 xc5 15.b1 AleksandrovMikkelsen, Vladimir 2008 15... a5=/
12. a3 d8 13. c2 d7 14. f2 ac8 15. e2 xc5 16. b4 e717. h4 c7 18. h5 d5 AleksandrovIvanchuk, Chalkidiki 2002

4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. e3 g7 5. f3 O-O 6. e2 A sideline that became very fashionable in 2012
mainly and almost solely due to the efforts of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. I myself lost a game to him in the Tashkent
Grand Prix.
6. b4 This has been played on a regular basis for many, many years, but simply put, after 6... c6 Black
gets an incredible version of the Schlechter Slav (a lot of people are also now playing the classical
Schlechter itself, so an awareness of how little White has in this type of structure has led people to
realise they can't play b4 as early as this and still hope for an advantage). In general, White needs to
finish his development on the kingside before playing b4, as the pawn on b4 here makes Black's play very
comfortable and straightforward. 7. b2 a5Levon Aronian once played this line against me in Linares,
and this was my choice. Although I'm not sure it's stronger than 7... Bg4 I thought it was a more concrete
approach and I always look for ways to get concrete counterplay in the Grnfeld. I think there's some
merit in what I did. ( 7...g4 would be the classical Slav approach, to be followed up by trading off the
bishop and playing Nbd7, e6, or maybe dxc4 and e5 in some positions. It is indeed very comfortable for
Black. ) 8. b5 a4
a) White can accept the pawn sacrifice with 9. bxc6 bxc6 10. xa4but
after 10... a5+ 11. c3 Black has very decent compensation for the pawn. 11... a6 Trading
the bishops isn't forced, but this is the simplest way to proceed, and illustrates how Black gets
very good counterplay here even if there are no direct threats.
( 11... a6 12.d2 b8 13. e5 b6 14. b1 f5 15. d3 xd3 16. c5 c717. xd3 e4
18. c2 e5 19. O-O+/= Malaniuk-Iordachescu, Galatzi
2007 ) 12. cxd5 xf1 13. xf1 cxd5 White now needs to waste some time to get the king to
safety and after, for instance, 14.g3 bd7 15. g2 fc8 16. c1 b6 Black has fantastic
compensation for the pawn because the bishop on b2 is a sorry sight and the c4-square is a
constant source of worry for White. Generally speaking, he has a very passive position whereas
Black can consider playing e6 and maybe getting the bishop into play by playing Bf8 and Bb4
later on.
b) 9. a3 cxb5 10. cxb5 g4 11. b4 bd7 12. e2 ( 12. xa4e5! 13. e2 e8 14. dxe5 x
e5 15. c5 xf3+ 16. gxf3 h3Akobian-Perelshteyn, Stillwater
2007 ) 12... xf3 13. xf3 b6=
c) 9. c1 9... a5
c1) 10. d3 g4 I finally switched back to the classical plan.
(10... dxc4 11. xc4 cxb5 12. xb5 a3 13. a1 c6 14. OOe6 15. d2 fc8 16. b3 b6 17. c5 ) 11. h3 xf3 12.xf3 But here I got a
little bit carried away. Jet lag had its say, as this took place in the years when Linares
followed Morelia and the double jet lag did strange things to people in the second leg
of the tournament.

c11) I played 12... e5 and what's even stranger is that Levon didn't take that
pawn. After 13. dxe5 ( 13. cxd5 exd4 14.exd4 e8+ 15. f1 cxd5 16. g3 1/2
Aronian-Svidler, Morelia/Linares
2007 ) 13... fd7 14. cxd5 xe5 15. e2xd3+ 16. xd3 cxb5 17. OO b4 18. d1 I believe White is better because his central passer will
outweigh my strange passers on the queenside.
c12) 12... cxb5 would have been much better, forcing White to take with the
pawn. After 13. cxb5 bd7 14. O-O e6 (or the immediate 14... b6 there's
a clear target on c4 for the knight and Black should be doing very well here. )
c2) 10. d2 changes little. 10... a3 11. a1 f5 Preparing to play Ne4 in some
positions, while there's also the obvious plan of Nbd7-b6 to put some pressure on the
c4-pawn. I think Black is very comfortable here and shouldn't be
suffering. 12. bxc6 bxc6 13.d3 xd3 14. xd3 a6 ( 14... a6 15. e2 bd7 16. c
xd5cxd5 17. xa6 xa6 18. e2 e6 19. d2 b8 20. b1 c821. hc1 ac6 22.
b3 f8 23. f3+/= Tomashevsky) -Zinchenko, Saratov 7th N. Aratovsky Mem
2007 ) 15. O-O b4 16.e2 d7 17. b1 e6
6... c5 The most direct approach.
My play in that game was frankly a long way from exemplary. I started by playing 6... e6 which is already a
concession of sorts because it means I'm not fighting for direct equality (for reasons unexplained) and I got a
slightly passive position. I then miscalculated and was for all intents and purposes lost by move 20. Not my most
glorious hour. 7. O-O b6 8. b4dxc4 9. xc4 b7 10. a4 bd7 11. a3 e8 12. e2 My move here was a fatal
miscalculation: 12... c5? (A few weeks later Anish Giri improved on my
play: 12... d5 13. xd5 exd5 14. d3 c6 15. ac1a6 , and Black was solid but passive in Mamedyarov-Giri,
Beijing SportAccord Rapid 2012 ) 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. bxc5 f8 (I missed that14... g4 is met with devastating
effect by 15. d4! ) 15. b5 c816. fd1 xc5 17. e5 Mamedyarov-Svidler, Tashkent FIDE GP 2012
7. dxc5 Here Black has a choice.
7... dxc4 The most forceful way of fighting for immediate and complete equality, and I think it suffices.
7... a6 deserves a brief mention. It was played by Gelfand against Mamedyarov at the London Grand
Prix. 8. cxd5 xc5 9. O-O If you recall we had a similar position in the line with Bd2 and Rc1, but of
course in this line White has made much more useful moves - Be2 and 0-0 - so here Black has no
guarantee of equality. Gelfand played 9... a6 ( 9...f5 ) 10. a4 f5 and eventually drew the game
after opening up the centre for his bishops, but this is at least a line in which you can see how White
might be
better. 11. h4 d7 12. a3 c8 13. a5 ce4 14.d2 xd2 15. xd2 e6 16. f3 exd5 17. xd5 x
d5 18. xd5c6=/ Mamedyarov-Gelfand, London 1st FIDE GP 2012
7... a5 8. O-O ( 8. cxd5 An additional option for
White. 8... xd5 9.xd5 xc3+ 10. d2 d8 11. xd8+ xd8 12. xc3 I don't believe White is
better here, but at least he gets very interesting compensation for the queen. The position is extremely
non-standard, which I think will appeal to a lot of people bored and tired with the correct official
theory.12... c7 13. b4 a5 14. e5 c6 15. b5 xc5 16. OO e6 17.fc1 a3 18. c3 a4 19. a3 d7 20. d4 d5 21. b1=/Sumets-Le Quang Liem,
Fujairah Masters 2012 ) 8... dxc4 9. d4transposes to 7...dxc4 8.0-0 Qa5.

8. O-O Here Black has a choice between two perfectly decent moves.
8. xd8 xd8 9. xc4 bd7
a) 10. g5 e5 11. e2 h6 12. f3 ( 12. ge4 xe4 13. xe4f5=/ ) 12... ed7 13. c6
bxc6=
b) 10. c6 10... bxc6 11. O-O b6=
8... a6 This move is also fine and has the additional bonus of perhaps giving White the opportunity to win a
pawn somewhere, but allowing fantastic counterplay.
8... a5
a) On some occasions White tried 9. xc4 xc5 10. b3 Even Laurent Fressinet once played
this with White, but after 10... c6 11.e4 g4 you get an absolutely unbelievable version of
the Bf4 Grnfeld. In general Black has to pay good money to get a position as good as this in
that line. If anyone's fighting for an advantage here it's Black, so I think this really was a one-off
occurrence. 12. e3 a513. h3 ad8 14. e2 xf3 15. xf3 d7 ( 15... d4= ) 16.fd1 e6
17. e2 1/2 Fressinet-Dorfman, Belfort 2010 17... c5=/+
b) 9. d4 The only way to continue. 9... e6 It's better to start with this move. (In a recent
game between Sasikiran and Gupta Black played 9... c6 10. xc4 e6 but after 11. b5 he
failed to achieve immediate equality and went on to lose the
game. 11...xb5 12. xb5 d5 13. a4 db4 14. a3 c2 15. b1 ad816. d2 e5 17.
c3 xf3+ 18. gxf3 a6 19. e2 b3 20. xg7xg7 21. c3 f5 22. bc1 d2 23. d1 fd8 24
. b1+Sasikiran-Gupta, New Delhi AICF-AAI Cup 2012 )
b1) 10. xc4 gives Black a choice between 10... fd7 , perhaps even trying to play for
an advantage, and ( 10... c6 11. h4g4= where Black has no problems. )
b2) 10. g5 is better, and after 10... c6 11. h4 d7 White has a
choice. 12. d2 ( 12. xc4 is an immediate draw
after 12...e5 13. d4 c6= ) 12... h6 13. ge4 xe4 14. xe4 a415. c3 e6
A very double-edged position where I think Black is fine.
9. d4 This is what Mamedyarov played against Anish Giri in Beijing.
9. c6 c7 ( 9... b6 10. cxb7 xb7 11. xc4 c5 12. e2ad8=/ ) 10. a4 ( 10. cxb7 xb7 11. a
4 ac8 and Black should already be thinking about an advantage because White has no comfortable way
of developing his queenside, and if 12. d2 Black simply plays 12... c5 13. xc4 a6=/ and once
again Black has terrific compensation for the pawn because White's queenside is horribly undeveloped
and Black has fantastic play on the long diagonal and the c- and dfiles. ) 10... c5 ( 10... xc6 11. xc6 bxc6 12. xc4 c5 13.e5 b7 14. d1 fe4 15. f4 d6 16.
e2 fd8 17. d2 ) 11.xc4 ( 11. cxb7 is pretty much impossible because
of 11... xa4 12.bxa8=Q xc3 13. bxc3 f5=/+ Black had an extra rook for a couple of moves but the
queen on a8 is lost and Black is even better here because the pawn on c3 will be a target. The knight is
coming to either e4 or d5. )11... xc6= Black has completely equalised, at the very least.
9... c7 10. xc4 xc5 11. h4 e6 12. xe6 xe6 13. e4 fd8Black was perfectly fine.
14. e3 A normal move.

As it was a blitz game Shakh continued in a very aggressive manner with14. e5 d5 15. e4 xe5 and did
eventually win the game, although that was nothing to do with the opening. Black's just a pawn up here.
Mamedyarov-Giri, Beijing SportAccord Blitz 2012
14... a5 Black's position is perfectly comfortable here and shouldn't be a cause for concern for anyone playing
Black.

4.e3 Bg7 5.Qb3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. e3 g7 5. b3 This line is slightly more serious than 5.Bd2.
5... e6 More ambitious than 5... c6. As usual Black wants to preserve the option of playing c5 at some point later
in the game.
6. a3 The whole point behind 5.Qb3, trying to stop Black from castling. Here, however, Black has a very
concrete plan. He can play
6... a5 7.f3 c6! It's important to start with this much more precise move.
In my game against Vassily Ivanchuk at the 2011 Tal Memorial I started with 7... c6 believing there was
no time to waste before moving the knight to b4 and castling, but after 8. d2 b4 9. a4+ (a very
important intermediate move) 9... d7 10. b3 White is ready to play a3, driving the knight away, and
here Black might actually have some problems. 10... c5 (I chose 10... dxc4 11. xc4 c6 but
after 12. a3bd5 White is clearly slightly better. He'll take on c6 and Black will be forced to ruin his
pawn structure by recapturing with the pawn. 13.e5 O-O 14. xc6 bxc6 15. c2 Ivanchuk-Svidler,
Moscow Tal Mem 2011 ) 11. dxc5 c6 12. cxd5! I believe this is stronger than ( 12. a3a6 and the
position was quite playable for Black in Andreikin-Fedoseev, Moscow 11th Aeroflot op A
2012 ) 12... exd5 ( 12... bxd513. b5+/= A lot of trades are likely to follow, which is obviously good
news for White with his extra pawn. ) 13. d4 O-O 14. a3 a6 15.xa6 xa6 16. OO d7 17. xc6 bxc6 18. a4 , and Black will still have to prove he has full compensation for the pawn.
8. b3
The point of Black's move can be seen from 8. e2 dxc4 I was actually lucky enough to get this on the
board in the World Blitz Championship in 2012 against Andreikin. White is obviously now in a lot of
difficulties as he can't recapture on c4 without losing a piece on the
spot. 9. b3 ( 9. xc4b5+ ) 9... b5 10. b2 b4 11. a4 c3 , and I was already winning in AndreikinSvidler, Astana World Blitz Final 2012
8. c5 This is one option for dealing with the threat of dxc4. 8... O-O 9.e2 bd7 10. O-O b6 It's quite
clear that compared, for instance, to some Slav lines in which White plays c5 Black's pieces are very welldeveloped. In general, Black aims to put the bishop on the long diagonal in the Slav but has to waste time
doing it, whereas here it's on g7 on move 4. Black has excellent counterplay on the queenside, so I think
most people would prefer to be Black in this position.
8... a6 Preparing to put the knight on b4 and castle comfortably.

9. d2
If White plays 9. c5 here, as Viktor Korchnoi did on a number of occasions, then after 9... d7 I think
most people would prefer Black's position because Black has play on pretty much every part of the board.
He can try playing e5, which is frankly almost impossible to stop. Loek van Wely went for a plan of
expansion on the kingside first with g5 and h5. In some cases Black can also play on the
queenside. 10. xa6 xa6 11.a4 g5 ( 11... O-O 12. b2 e7 13. OO e8 14. ac1 f8! 15.a1 b5 Korchnoi-Kurnosov, Cheliabinsk 2007 ) 12. OO g4 13. e1h5 14. d3 g5 15. b2 e5 16. e4 g6 17. xe5 xe5 18. dxe5xe4 19. d2 h4 Korch
noi-Van Wely, Istanbul 2000
9. e2 e4 An important resource in many of these positions. White can almost never take on e4
because in many cases there are no good squares for the knight. 10. a4 ( 10. xe4 dxe4 11. d2 Black
can start to break in the centre here by playing c5, or maybe f5 first in this particular position. Black is
very comfortable. ) 10... b4 11. b2 c5 12. O-OOO 13. d1 cxd4 14. exd4 dxc4 15. bxc4 d7 Korchnoi-Krasenkow, Lvov 2000
9... e4! It's better to start with this move.
After 9... b4 10. b2 Black will be driven back at some point, so you don't win that much
time. 10... O-O 11. a3 a6 12. e2 b6 13. O-Ob7 14. fd1 e7 15. a4 d7 16. ac1 and White
had a slight pull in Ibragimov-Roiz, ICC 2003
10. b2
10. xe4 dxe4 11. g1 c5
10... O-O 11. d1 xd2 and Black gets a very decent version of something resembling the Moscow Variation of
the Slav.
In general I believe 5.Qb3 briefly became popular in 2011 due to the game Ivanchuk won against me, but what
Black has to do against it has already been shown. So I think the days of the sudden popularity of this line are
over.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.cxd5

5.Na4
4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.a3
7.Bg5
7.Qa4+

4.e3 Bg7 5.cxd5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. e3 g7 5. cxd5 xd5 6. xd5xd5 7. e2 This was briefly very fashionable
around 2010, but it's hard to believe it can cause Black too many problems:
7... O-O 8. c3 In this position Black has a variety of options. All of them are perfectly sound, but you still have
to pick one.
8... d8 The most concrete option and the one I recommend for the purposes of this series.
8... d6 is very solid, and has been played by a lot of people, myself included: 9. e2 c6 10. OO d7 11. c2 A very natural move that Kramnik played against me in Monaco 2010.
( 11. e4 c7 12. b3 , preparing Ba3 and thus preventing e7-e5, at least for the time being, makes
some sense, but Black still gets a very safe
game: 12... d8 13.c2 b6 14. b2 f5 15. g4 xe4 16. xe4 e6 Postny-Giri, France
2010 ) 11... e5 12. dxe5 xe5 13. e4 White retains some modicum of pressure. 13... f6 14. e3 After
the following semi-forced sequence14... g4 15. xg4 xg4 16. h3 d7 17. ad1 e7 18. d4 I still
had to solve a few problems to make a draw in Kramnik-Svidler, Nice 2010
8... a5 is a slightly different set-up, aimed at early breaks in the centre. To prevent that White has to
play 9. d2 after which I couldn't find direct equality for Black. His position is fine, but I think White
retains some hopes of an advantage. 9... c6 10. c4 ( 10. e4 b6 11. c3d7 12. c4 c5 was
immediately equal: 13. c1 cxd4 14. xd4xd4 15. xd4 xd4 16. exd4 d8 17. b3 b6 in ErdosNepomniachtchi, Warsaw EU-ch Rapid 2011 ) 10... d7 11. O-O d8 , and now White should
play 12. e2 ( 12. b3 b6 13. f3 b7 14.fd1 e6 15. ac1 e7 Narciso Dublan-Hamdouchi, La
Massana
2010 )12... e5 13. d5 b6 14. fd1 cxd5 15. xd5 xd5 16. e1 e617. xd5 xd5 18. e4+/=
9. e2 c5 The difference between this position and the position with the queen on d6 is quite clearly the fact
that White doesn't have Ne4, and therefore c5 has to be met by d5, opening up the long diagonal for the bishop on
g7 - always a welcome sight for any Grnfeld player.
9... c6 10. O-O e5 11. dxe5 xe5 12. e4 gives White some hopes of an
edge: 12... e7 ( 12... xd1 13. xd1 e6 14. f4 c7 15. e3d7 16. ac1 b6 17. f2 f6 18.
h3 h5 19. f3 fd8 20. e5e8 21. b3 was quite nice for White in Gelfand-Aronian, Nice
2010 ) 13.e3 e8 14. c2 b6 15. ad1 a6 16. d4 b4 , and
now 17.a4! ( 17. b1 xd4 18. xd4 e6 19. a3 c5 20. d2 c6 21.b5 ec8 22. xc6 xc6 was
OK in Fressinet-Kurnosov, Pamplona
2010 ) 17... xd4 18. xd4 a5 ( 18... c5 19. d2 b7 20. d7 c621. xe7 xa4 22. c7!+/= ) 19. a
3 would have given Black some problems to solve.

10. d5 e6 11. e4 exd5 12. exd5 b6 A very forceful option.

12... b6 13. O-O a6 , as recommended by Boris Avrukh, is a very decent idea and very reminiscent of
the positions that arise from the Qb3-line we'll mention later.
13. O-O b7 White already has to decide what to do with the pawn on d5.
14. f3 The main move, of course, protecting the pawn.
14. b3 d7 15. e3 d4 This makes a lot of sense. White now pretty much has to allow Bxe3, as he
lacks a sensible alternative. Play might continue 16. ad1 ( 16. ae1 xe3 17. fxe3 Zivanic-Kritz,
Brownsville 2010 17... e7 18. e4 e5 ) 16... xe3 17. fxe3 e7 Perhaps more precise than playing
Ne5 immediately, as once the pawn is on e4 White no longer has the option of playing Ne4 later in the
game. 18. e4 e5Structurally Black is perfectly fine here. He only needs to transfer the bishop from the
b7-square, where it's currently doing very little, to d7 in order to be absolutely comfortable.
Hrant Melkumyan played 14. f4 in this position against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, just giving up the
pawn. 14... xc3 15. bxc3 xd5 16.xd5 xd5 17. fd1 b7 After the sacrifice is accepted and the
bishop retreats White clearly has compensation for the pawn. However, although sufficient for a draw I
don't think it's any more than that. In the absence of knights and queens the weakness of the dark squares
around the black king shouldn't be so telling. Black has no need to feel unduly
worried. 18. d6 ( 18. c4 e8 19. f3 c6 20. d7 e7 21. ad1ae8=/ ) 18... c6 19. g5 ae
8 20. f3 e6 21. xe6 fxe6 22.g4 f7 23. d1 c8 24. d6 e7 25. c4 Melkumyan-Vachier
Lagrave, BL 2012
14... d7 This has been seen in a couple of games by GM Kudrin.
15. e1
15. d6 xf3 16. xf3 f6 17. d5 e5 ( 17... d4 is imprecise, as after 18. d1 Black is forced to
take on d5. 18... xd5 19. xd5ae8 20. e7+ h8 21. b1 Benjamin-Kudrin, Saint Louis
2010 ) 18.d1 ae8= Generally speaking, in Grnfeld endgames if the pawn on d6 is safely blockaded by
the knight and Black develops all his pieces naturally he should be doing very well, as he is here.
15... e5 16. e2 c4 Now Black always has the option of playing Nd3, or keeping it in reserve.
Kudrin started some adventurous play on the kingside with 16... f5 but I don't think that was
necessary. 17. f4 g5 18. xe5 xe5 19. c4Lenderman-Kudrin, Saint Louis 2010.
17. f4 e8 18. d2 d7 19. ad1 ac8 Black's position is very comfortable and he can face the future
with optimism.

4.e3 Bg7 5.Na4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. a4 This line was popular in the 90s but has almost disappeared
from grandmaster practice since Black figured out what to do about it. The recommendation given in Avrukh's book
is eminently sensible.
5. d2 is a very serious move that will be covered separately.

5... g7 6. e4 b6 7. e3 O-O This is obviously the most natural way for Black to respond to 5.Na4
8. f3 g4 9. c5 The main move in this position.
9. e2 c6 10. d5 e5 Black is doing very well in this position because he already has decent
counterplay against the white centre. The forcing line is good for Black 11. xe5 ( 11. xb6 axb6 12. xe5 xe2 13.xe2 xe5 14. OO d7 15. a3 e6 16. ad1 fe8= Legky-Mikhalevski, Montreal
2003 ) 11... xe2 12. xe2 xa4 13. f4 and now a very important move 13... f6! with f5 to follow after
any of White's retreats. 14. f3 ( 14. c4 f5 15. c2 b6 ) 14... f5 It turns out Black is doing very
well in these complications. For instance, 15. d6fxe4 16. c4+ e6 and the game should end in a
perpetual with best play from both
sides. 17. g5 xb2 18. xe6+ h8 19. d7 d3+ 20.e2 xf4+ 21. xf4 xf4 22. f7+ xf7
23. xf7 g5 24. e8+f8 25. xa8 xg2+=
9... c6 Of course Black didn't play all this only to defend the pawn on b7.
10. xb7 b8 , and play becomes very sharp and forced:
11. a6
11. c5 offers White nothing. 11... xf3 12. gxf3 Black now has a forced draw. (After 12. xf3 Black is
even better. 12... xd4 13. d1c4! A very nice tactical shot, creating the huge threat
of 14. xd4b4+ when White is probably already in some difficulties. ) 12... d813. d5 e6 and White
has nothing better than repeating moves. 14. a6b7 15. c5 b8=
11... e5 Immediately attacking the centre.
12. d5
If 12. dxe5 xe5 13. O-O Black has an excellent position after 13...c8 , creating the very important
threat of Bxf3 and Qh3. 14. f4Transferring the bishop to g3. 14... xf3 15. gxf3 b8 An important
move that frees up the d8-square for the black rooks. 16. c5 h3 Black is doing extremely well here.
12... b4 13. c5 In this position Black has a forced sequence that leads to a very comfortable position for him
13... 6xd5 14. exd5 White's only chance to fight for any kind of advantage.
14. b7 xe3 15. fxe3
a) 15... a6 Of course it's very difficult to resist such a fantastic-looking move when you're
playing the position for the first time at the board, but objectively this is inferior to
15...Bxf3. 16. xa8 xc5 17.d5 xb2 ( 17... c6 18. xc6 h6 19. e2 d6 20. d5 xe4
as in Kiss-Gara, Hungary 2008, is less
convincing: 21. xe4 b4+ 22.f2 xe4 23. ac1 ) 18. O-O h6=/
b) xf3! As correctly pointed out by Avrukh. 16. gxf3 d8 17. b3f8
b1) 18. xb4 a5 might even be slightly better for
Black 19. b5 (19. b3 a7=/+ ) 19... xc5 20. xc5 xb7 21. xe5ab8=/+

b2) 18. xa8 18... xc5 19. d5 xd5 White has a couple of positions to choose
from, but neither of them offer him any
advantage. 20. exd5 ( 20. xb8 xb8 21. exd5 xb2 and Black clearly has a lot of
compensation for the
exchange. 22. e4 f2+23. d1 e3= ) 20... xb3 21. axb3 xe3= and once again
White's structure is in complete ruins whereas from b6 the bishop will cover all Black's
weaknesses on the queenside. It's quite clear Black can have no problems here.
14... e4 15. xe4 White should take on e4 because
15. O-O xa6 16. xa6 c8 is fine for Black. Play might
continue 17.xc7 xc7 18. h3 xf3 19. gxf3 ae8=/ and Black has wonderful compensation for the
single pawn he had to sacrifice.
It's also important to know that 15. b7 leads to a worse position for White
after 15... d3+! 16. xd3 xb7=/+ and Black will win back material very soon.
15... xa6
15... xf3 16. gxf3 xa6 17. O-O xb2 18. a4+/=
16. O-O e8 Some precision is required from Black here. For instance,
16... xb2 would be a mistake because of 17. d4! xf3 18.xg7!+/= and now Black is left with a
knight on a6 against a knight on e4, which quite clearly isn't a very good situation to be in.
17. g3 The knight really has no good squares apart from the g3-square, and here some precision is once again
required. Black should start with
17... xf3
The immediate 17... xb2 runs into 18. a4! xf3 19. gxf3 and the knight on a6 is once more in
trouble.
17... b5 18. h3 xf3 19. xf3 ad8 ( 19... b4 20. fd1 ad8 )20. fd1 xb2 21. ac1 xa2 22.
e4
18. xf3
If 18. gxf3 Black of course plays 18... b5 preventing Qa4 and beginning to round up the pawn on d5. He
should be doing extremely well here.
18... xb2 19. ad1 and in this position I believe it's important to make one last precise move
19. e4 e5=
19... b4 Black needs to make sure the knight on g3 doesn't enter the fray, so Qb4 is aimed at cutting the knight
off from the e4-square. As long as the knight is stuck on g3 Black has no difficulties here.
20. b1 a4 21. fc1 ab8=

4.cxd5 5.e4 7.Ba3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 The main move.
5... xc3 6. bxc3 g7 We'll cover three moves in this position, 7.Ba3, 7.Bg5 and 7.Qa4+.
7. a3 This was somewhat popular in the late-90s and at the beginning of the new millennium, mainly due to the
efforts of Vadim Milov, but people got to grips with it and the line has almost completely disappeared from
grandmaster practice.
7... d7 It's important to start attacking the somewhat awkward bishop on a3 immediately.
8. f3
If White tries to save on 8.Nf3 by playing something like 8. b3 c5 9.d1
O-O 10. e2 a5 11. f3 Black has the very strong move 11...f6! attacking the white centre. Black is
very comfortable here. 12.xc5 xe4 13. b4 ( 13. xe7 e8 14. b4 c7 ) 13... b6
8... c5 White has a choice of whether to include 9.Bc4 here.
9. b3 The attempt to save on the move.
White generally plays 9. c4 cxd4 10. b3 (If White tries to save on Qb3 here and instead castles you
should take the second pawn - 10. O-Odxc3 because 11. xf7+ xf7 12. g5+ e8 is no threat to Black
at all, and in fact White is almost lost here. 13. e6 b6 14. xg7+f7 ) 10... O-O 11. cxd4 b6 This
position has been seen in many games. 12. e2 is the main move in this position.
(If 12. O-O then 12...xc4 13. xc4 g4 is quite obviously very comfortable for
Black. )12... e6 13. b4 c8! An important move after which I believe only Black can be better. He
has no need to waste any time defending the e7-pawn because his counterplay against the white centre is
very strong.
a) 14. xe7 xe7 The simplest approach.
( 14... c4 ) 15. xe7fe8 16. d6 c4 17. e5 xe2 It's very difficult for White to get his
king to safety. ( 17... f6 can also be played first, and it's only Black who can be
better. ) 18. xe2 c4 19. d3 ( 19. b4 a5 20.d2 f6=/+ ) 19... b2+ 20. e2 c4=
b) 14. O-O In my game against Vadim Milov I went
for 14... c4 15.fe1 xe2 16. xe2 c4 and once again Black is very comfortable. I even
went on to win the game against Milov in the 2001 World Championship, although that had a lot
to do with the fact that Vadim had to play for a win after losing the first game of a knockout
match.17. d1 d6=/+ Milov-Svidler, Moscow FIDE WCh 2001
9... O-O Black generally aims to play b5 as soon as possible is Bc4 is omitted e.g.
10. e2
10. d3 b8 11. O-O b5 and once again the bishop on a3 is left looking somewhat stupid.
10. d1 c7 11. d3 b5! 12. xb5 b8 13. c4 a5
10. c4 cxd4 11. cxd4 b6

10... c7 11. O-O b8 12. e5 e6 13. d2 b5

13... b6 14. c4 a6 15. fe1 xc4 16. xc4 fd8 17. b5+/=Papaioannou-Krase
14. e4 b7 15. xc5 xc5 16. xc5 xe5! 17. xf8 xh2+ 18.h1 xf8=/ Avrukh

4.cxd5 5.e4 7.Bg5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6. bxc3g7 7. g5 A more recent and serious move,
but here as well Black has managed to figure out a way to proceed after initially somewhat struggling with this
strange-looking idea.
7... c5 8. c1 O-O And in this position White has a choice between playing d5 immediately or starting with Nf3.
9. f3 The more critical line.
9. d5 If White starts with this move Black has a very pleasant choice.
a) 9... d6 is a very viable alternative if you don't want to enter the forcing lines after 9...f5
(those tend to end in forced draws). It carries the immediate threat of Qe5, winning the central
pawn.
a1) 10. d2 d7 ( 10... f5 11. c4 )
a11) 11. f3 e6 12. e2 exd5 13. O-O ( 13. exd5 f6 )13... b6
a12) 11. c4 11... e6

a2) 10. f3 d7 11. d3 e6

a3) 10. d3

a31) 10... d7 11. f3 ( 11. e2 f5 12. exf5 e5 13. OOxd3 14. xd3 xf5 15. e3 xd5 16. xd5+ xd5 17.f4 d8 Housi
eaux-Vachier Lagrave, Port Marly French Cup Final
2011 18. xc5 e5 19. e2 e6 ) 11... e6 Black gets a lot of counterplay
because it's very difficult for White to keep the centre stable while his king is
still on e1. 12. dxe6 xe6
a32) 10... e6 11. c4 exd5 12. exd5 ( 12. cxd5 f5 13. f3fxe4 14. fxe4 d7 )
12... b5

b) 9... f5 10. c4 h8 is considered fine by theory and I think it is indeed fine for Black.
b1) 11. exf5

b11) 11... xf5 12. e2 a5 13. f3 ( 13. xe7 a3 ) 13...xc3+ 14. d

2 ( 14. f1 d7 15. xe7 ) 14... f6 15.h6 d8
16. O-O d7 17. g4 b5 18. gxf5 bxc4 19. xc4c7

b12) xf5 12. f3 d7 13. e2 ( 13. b3 e5 14. xe5xe5+ 15. e3

b5 ) 13... f6 14. c4 e4
b2) 11. e2 h6 ( 11... b5 12. xb5 fxe4 13. xe4 f5 14.f3 Krasenkow-Lavendelis,
Warsaw EU-ch Rapid 2010 )
b3) 11. e2 11... fxe4 12. g3 Black has a choice. 12... f5leads to a fine position
for Black. ( 12... d7 leads to a very decent and complex
position. 13. xe4 b6 ) 13. e2 ( 13.OO d7 14. d6 f6 15. h6 g7= ) 13... d7 14. xe4 h615. h4 g5 16. g3 b6 1
7. d1 a4 Lysyj-Sutovsky, Sochi RUS-tch 2008
( 17... xc4 18. xc4 b5 19. e2 xe4 20. xe4xc3+ 21. f1 d7=/+ )
9... g4 10. d5 This is the position from which I lost my first round game against Tomi Nyback in the 2009 World
Cup, but then in the rapids I was already able to demonstrate what I believe to be the correct set-up. Black starts
by playing
10... d6 In general this is a very important move in this line because the queen is extremely comfortable here
and it also frees up the e7-pawn so you can play e6 later on in the game, if required.
11. e2 This is of course the main move.
11. b3 is possible here, and although the move isn't particularly critical I want to show you a very nice
position for the sake of pure aesthetics.11... xf3 12. gxf3 ( 12. xb7 isn't a good move because of the
very strong 12... xe4 13. xa8 xd5 14. xa7 d7 ) 12... b6 And now if White goes for
( 12... d7 ) 13. f4 ( 13. e3 f5 14. h4 d7 15. h5e5 16. e2 f4 17. d2 g5 ) 13... h6 14. e5 c7
a) A small point, or actually an important point, is that 15. h4 runs into 15... xe5 and
after 16. fxe5 xe5+ 17. e2 Black will play either 17... f4 (or 17... e4 winning the
bishop on h4.)

b) 15. g2 and in this position Black has the very beautiful move 15...c6! after which White
has no equality. This is the move I wanted to show you because it's not every day you get to play
Nb8-c6 with a white pawn on d5 to such devastating effect.
11. d2 d7 12. e2 xf3 13. gxf3 ( 13. xf3 ) 13... f5
11. h3 xf3 12. xf3 d7 13. e2 f5
11... d7 12. O-O Black once again has a choice.
12. h3 Tomi's choice in our rapid game. 12... xf3 13. xf3 b5 Black demonstrates his main idea, b5. If
White now does nothing Black will play c4, put the knight on c5 and get a lot of play on the queenside. So
White generally plays 14. c4 bxc4 This is more concrete than ( 14... b4 which is also fine and eventually
enabled me to draw the game. 15. O-O a5 16.g4 d4 17. e1 e5 Nyback-Svidler, Khanty Mansiysk
2009) 15. xc4e5 ( 15... d4 is also fine for
Black.) 16. a4 ( 16. c1 xf3+ 17.xf3 f5= ) 16... f5

12... f5 Trying to exploit the fact that the bishop is still alive on g4.

12... xf3 13. xf3 b5 Despite being a whole tempo down compared to the line above I believe this is
fine for Black. White still needs to play 14.c4 and after
( 14. e2 c4 ) 14... bxc4 ( 14... b4 15. e3 ) 15. xc4d4 Black should have very comfortable play.

13. h3 Pretty much forced.

13. d2 runs into the very, very strong 13... xe2 14. xe2 h6 and now
after 15. c4 a6 16. xe7 e5 the pin along the a6-f1 diagonal wins Black some
material. 17. xf8 xf8
13. exf5 xf5 14. e3 e5=/+ clearly isn't an attractive proposition for White.
13... xf3 14. xf3 e5! Now Black has no problems whatsoever.
14... f4 15. g4 e5 16. e6+ h8 17. g3! fxg3 18. f4+/=
15. g3 Almost forced, as f4 is quite a serious positional threat. Black could continue on or just equalise on the spot
by trading everything.
15... xf3+ 16. xf3 fxe4 17. xe4 f5 18. xe7 xd5 19.xd5+ xd5= With e7 and d5 gone the game is
likely to end in a draw soon.

4.cxd5 5.e4 7.Qa4+

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6. bxc3g7 7. a4+ This has been a resurgent line
against the Grnfeld recently, and one played by a number of very strong players. I encountered it in one of the
most important games of my career, from a purely sporting perspective, in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup
against Ruslan Ponomariov.
7... d7 The strongest move, leaving White the choice of whether to play 8.Nf3 or try to postpone it and develop
the knight to e2.
I played 7... d7 for some reason believing that White had to play Qb3, after which c5 gives Black a lot
of counterplay. Instead, of course, 8.a3 followed, and after 8... c6 9. f3 e5 Ruslan
played 10. e3which led to an extremely non-standard position. That eventually worked in my favour as
I won the game to progress to the World Cup final. (Objectively, however, this doesn't quite equalise for
Black, and after let's say the simple 10. d5 e7 11. c4 I prefer White's
position.; 10.g5 f6 11. e3 ) 10... exd4 11. cxd4 e7 12. xe7+ xe7 13.b1 ( 13. c1 ) 13... O-OO 14. c4 f5 15. g5 fxe4 16. f7 f5Ponomariov-Svidler, Khanty-Mansiysk World Cup 2011
8. f3 Currently the main line.
8. e3
OO 9. d1 ( 9. c1 c5 10. f3 c7 11. h3 a6 12. a3b5! 13. xb5 axb5 14. xa8 b7 15. a3 xe4
16. O-O b7=/ )9... c5 10. d3 Aiming to play Ne2 later. In general Black's counterplay in this variation
is connected with expansion on the queenside via a6 and b5, but in this particular position I think it's
better to do something else. Let me illustrate why. ( 10. f3 a6 11. d3 b5 12. a3 )

a) If Black plays 10... a6 it's important to start with 11. a3 because otherwise b5 will come in
a single tempo, as Bxb5 runs into Nb6, and White loses a piece.
( 11. e2 b5 12. a3 b7= ) 11... c7 12.e2 This position is still quite playable for Black,
but I think it's important that the knight is on e2 and not f3, a factor which is to White's benefit.
(If White plays 12. f3 in this position Black has very thematic counterplay starting
with 12... b5! If White accepts the exchange sacrifice
with 13. xb5 axb5 14. xa8 b7 15. a3xe4 Black gets a lot of counterplay based on the
fact that the knight on f3 is quite badly misplaced. For instance, 16. O-O b7 here and the
knight might have to go to e1, which is a very ugly square. Generally speaking, Black has a lot of
positional counterplay for the exchange, whereas with a knight on e2 this whole line is less
attractive and Black will have to play) 12... b8 wasting an additional tempo before he can
play b5. This is still very playable for Black, but it's a concession, so I think it's stronger to start
with 10...
Nb6. 13.OO ( 13. f4 e6 14. d5 e5 ) 13... e6 14. f4 b5 15. f5 exf5 16.f4 c6 17. xb8 fxe4 1
8. d5 b6 19. xe4 xb8=/ Goldin-Mikhalevski
b) 10... b6 11. a3 cxd4 12. cxd4 d6 Also a very thematic motif in this line, as played by
Ivanchuk against Milov. In the endgame after13. xd6 exd6 14. e2 f5 Black's position was very
comfortable. I think this is the correct way to proceed if White tries to save on the 8.Nf3
move. 15. OO fxe4 16. xe4 g4 17. f3 ae8 18. c3f5 19. f2 xe4 20. xe4 d5= MilovIvanchuk, Warsaw 2005
8... O-O 9. e2 By process of elimination.
9. e3 c5 10. d1 transposes.
Once again, if White plays something like 9. g5 c5 10. c1 Black launches the typical
counterplay. 10... a6! 11. a3 ( 11. h3 b5 12.a3 b6 13. d3 b7 14. OO fe8 15. e3 ac8 ) 11..
. c7 The pawn on e7 doesn't need to be
protected. 12. d3 b5!= ( 12... e5 ) 13.xb5 ( 13. xe7 e8 14. h4 b7=/+ Black has excellent
compensation for the sacrificed pawn.; 13. O-O b7 ) 13... axb5 14.xa8 b7 15. a3 xe4 16. OO b7=/ and the same compensation we saw in the previous line is again extremely strong for Black. I
think he's very comfortable here.
9... c5 10. O-O Alexander Morozevich has recently played a few interesting games in this position.
10. b1 b6 11. a3 cxd4 12. cxd4 g4 13. d5 f5
10... b6 My suggested way of dealing with this line. It's somewhat minimalistic, in that Black is going for a
position which isn't particularly ambitious in terms of playing for a win, but at least your king is safe and you don't
run the risk of getting mated.
10... a6 In the Tashkent Grand Prix Dominguez played 11. a3 In the Tashkent Grand Prix Dominguez
played In the Tashkent Grand Prix Dominguez playedIn the Tashkent Grand Prix Dominguez playedIn the
Tashkent Grand Prix Dominguez played 11... c7 against Morozevich, which isn't ideal, as
after 12. g5 you have to waste a tempo defending the e7-pawn. 12... e8 13. ad1 b8 14. d5 Black
was already facing quite serious problems and went on to lose the game very
quickly. 14...e6 15. dxe6 xe6 16. h4 Morozevich-Dominguez Perez, Tashkent FIDE GP 2012
10... c7

a) 11. b1 a6 ( 11... b6 12. e5 b7 13. g5 f6 14. exf6 xf615. b3+ h8 16. fe1 ad8 ShipovNakamura, ICC
2002 ) 12.a3 b5 ( 12... b8 13. g5 f6 14. d3 b5 15. c1 b6 16.f4 d8 17. h3 b7 18. e3+
/= Aseev-Shipov, Russia 2002 )
b) 11. g5 11... f6 ( 11... a6 12. e5 e6 13. a3 e8 14. d2h6 15. e3 b6 16. e4 f8 17. b2
b7 18. d3+/= Milov-Avrukh, Andorra
2001 ) 12. d5! ( 12. d3 g4 13. e5 e6 14.e3 fd8 ) 12... h6 13. d2 ( 13. h4 f4 ) 13...
d8
b1) 14. fd1 d7 15. c2 e6! 16. c4 ( 16. d6 a5 ) 16...exd5 17. exd5 e4! 18. xe4 e8
19. h4 xe2 20. xh6xa1 21. xa1 d6
b2) 14. c2! 14... b6 15. a4+/= e6 16. d6 xd6 17. f4+/=
Much more critical is 10... cxd4 11. cxd4 c5 as played by Levon Aronian against Morozevich in the Beijing
SportAccord tournament. I think Black is fine in the lines that follow, but I don't really want to get into the
position too deeply as I see no particular reason for Black to enter it. He has no hope of getting an advantage and
in general has to be very precise not to run into some serious trouble.
a) Here White doesn't, of course, play 12. c2 which after 12... e6gives Black a very comfortable
position.( 12... g4 13. e5 e6 ) 13.e3 ( 13. b2 xd4 14. xd4 xd4 15. fd1 e5 16. xd4exd4
17. b2 ) 13... xd4 14. xd4 ( 14. xd4 xd4 15. ad1e5 16. xd4 exd4 17. b2 e6 18. xb7
b6 Miton-Ivanchuk, La Habana 2007) 14... xd4 15. ad1 e5 16. xe5 b6 is great for Black.
b) 12. dxc5 Black's task is very tricky:
b1) 12... xa1 13. e5 requires a lot of attention from Black:
( 13.h6 g7 ; 13. f4 c3 ) 13... c7 ( 13... c3 14. h6 a515. h4+ ) 14. f4! ( 14.
f4 c3 15. c1 a5 ) 14... c3 , and the machine insists Black will survive, but it's very
difficult to recommend for anyone. What follows are some sample lines - I make no claims that
this is exhaustive analysis. I just wanted to illustrate the problems Black faces here:
( 14... f6 15. c4+ e616. h6 xe5 17. xf8 xf8 18. d1 , and Black will be suffering for a
while because his queenside is very hard to develop.18... b5 19. xb5 b8 20. c4+/= )
b11) 15. h6 f6 16. c4+ e6=/+
b12) 15. c4
b121) 15... f5 16. g4 c2 17. e3 b4 18. h6 g5 19.xg5 h8 20. f6
+ ( 20. b3 xb3 21. f6+ exf6 22.xf6+ g8= ) 20... exf6 21. xf6+ g8
22. e6 g6 23.h4 xc5 24. exf7+ xf7 25. xg6 hxg6 26. xg6+f8=
b122) e6 16. e3 ( 16. d1 f6 17. e3 xe5 18. xe5xe5 19. xe5 fxe5
20. h6 e8 21. b5 f7= )
b1221) 16... b5 17. xb5 a5 ( 17... b8 18. a4 a619. c4 b4
20. h6 xc5 21. g5 f5 22. xe6+xe6 23. xe6 xe5 24. xf
8 xf8= ) 18. a4 a6 19.e2 ( 19. h6 f6 20. c6 b8 21. exf6 x
f6 22.g5 xg5 23. xg5 c7 24. e4=/ ) 19... a7 ( 19...b7
20. g5! g7 21. d1! ) 20. d2 xd2 21.xd2 xa4 22. f3
b7! 23. xb7 xb7=

b1222) 16... a5 17. h6 f6 18. exf6 xf6 19. e3 (19. g5

xg5 20. xg5 c3 21. h4 d7 22.e4=/ ) 19... d7 20. g5
xg5 21. xg5=/
b13) 15. e3 15... a5 ( 15... a5 16. h6+ f6 17. exf6exf6 18. c4+ f
7 19. g5 fxg5 20. b2+ ) 16. h6 f617. exf6 xf6 18. g5 xg5 19. c
4+ e6 20. xg5=/c3 21. h4 d7 22. e4 ae8 ( 22... b5 23. cxb6 axb6
24. b3 ac8 25. e3=/ ) 23. e2 f5 24. b2 b4 25.c1=/
b2) 12... d7 13. b4 Perhaps even stronger than ( 13. a3 , which was played by
Morozevich: 13... xa1 14. e5 , and after the following forced
sequence: 14... c6 15. f4 xf3 16. xf3d4 17. g3! c3 18. xb7 b4 19. f3
ad8 20. c6 a5 21.a3 b6 22. xe7 fe8 (Morozevich-Aronian, Beijing
SportAccord Rapid 2012) Black should survive after both 22.Qg5 Qb2, as in the game,
or 23. a3 xe5!= , and the bishop is badly misplaced on
b7 ) 13... xa1 14. h6 h8 ( 14... g7? 15.xg7 xg7 16. d1 c7 17. d4+ )
15. xf8 xf8 16.xb7 e8 17. e5 ( 17. c4 c6 18. c7 e6 19. e1 d7=/is
fine for Black ) 17... c6 18. b3 c8 19. e3+/= , and Black will have to work very
hard for the draw,
e.g. 19... a8 20. c1c6 21. a3 ( 21. e1 d5 22. f4 xa2 23. f3 xf3 24.xf
3+/= ) 21... e6 22. e1 c7 ( 22... e4 23. xe4 xe424. f3 ; 22... d5 23. f4 )
23. f4+/=
11. a3 cxd4 12. cxd4 g4 13. g5
If 13. e3 Black can just take on f3 and d4. 13... xf3 14. xf3 xd415. ad1 e5=
13... xf3
13... d6 14. xe7 xa3 15. xa3 xf3 16. xf3 xd4 17. ac1fc8 18. fd1 e5 19. g4+/=
14. xf3 xd4 15. xe7 White has to take with the queen, after which Black simply defends the b-pawn.
15. ad1 e5 16. xe7 fe8 17. h4 c3 18. xc3 xc3 19.d3 g7 20. c1 ac8 21. xc8
xc8 22. d1 c4= A. Smirnov-Vorobiov, St Petersburg 2003
15. xe7 c4 is very comfortable for Black. He has a lot of counterplay, in many lines connected to
Nd2. 16. b4 a5 17. b5 fc8 18. ad1d2 19. e2 xe4=
15... ab8 16. ad1
16. ab1 fe8 17. a3 c4 18. a4 e5 19. b5 e6=
16... a4 I looked at this position quite carefully and I believe it should be very holdable for Black. Strategically
speaking, if White could somehow transfer his bishop from f3 to b3 in one move then Black's position would be very
difficult and maybe even lost, but with the bishop doing little on f3 and the other pieces awkwardly placed, I don't
think it's even particularly problematic for Black. So I believe this is a more prudent and practical solution than the
whole mess starting with 10...cxd4 11.cxd4 Nc5.
17. f4 fe8 18. c7 c4 19. d7 xd7 20. xd7 e5 21. h6g7 22. g5 a6 23. c1 b5=

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 and other sixth moves
6.cxd5
5.Qa4+ Bd7 6.Qb3 dxc4 7.Qxc4 0-0 8.e4
8.Bf4

5.e3 6.Bd3
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. e3 O-O 6. d3 This move isn't very strong or critical.
6. d2 here, as in most cases when Bd2 allows c5, isn't a problem for Black. 6... c5 7. dxc5 a6 A very
standard reaction. 8. cxd5 xc5 9.c4 a6
a) 10. b4 allows 10... ce4 and after, for instance, 11. c1 b5 12.b3 b7 13. O-O d6 it's
Black who can perhaps entertain some thoughts of an advantage because the pawn on d5 is
doomed. Black has also managed to fix a pawn on b4, which might become weak in some
endgames. 14. c2 ( 14. xe4 xe4 15. c2 xd5 16. fd1xb3 17. xb3 ac8 KovacevicRuck, Neum
2003 ) 14... xd2 15.xd2 xb4 16. e4 ac8 17. e5 g4 18. e1 f4 19. e2 e420. g3
xe1 21. fxe1 xc1 22. xc1 d8=/+ Gurevich-Rohde, San Francisco 1987
b) 10. a4 Absolutely necessary. 10... b6 is an alternative I'd like to offer you to 10...Bf5.
( 10... f5 11. O-O c8 12. e2 fe4 is covered very well by Avrukh, and indeed Black has no
problems.) 11.b4 ( 11. O-O b7 12. b4 ce4 13. c1 would transpose; 11. e2is the one move with
separate value, but it's just not very good, as after 11... b7 12. e4 b5!=/+ White's construction begins to
collapse and the a-file will be a source of worry. For
instance, 13. axb5 axb514. xa8 xa8 15. xb5 a1+ is something White has no comfortable way of
dealing with. The centre will start to fall
apart.)11... ce4 12. c1 b7 ( 12... xd2 13. xd2 d6 14. b5 b415. d3 axb5 16. xb5 b7 17
. O-O fd8= ) 13. O-O c8 ( 13...d6 14. b3 ac8 15. fd1 c7 16. e1 fc8 17. e2+/= )
b1) 14. e2 If White tries this Black's simplest way to proceed
is14... xd2 15. xd2 b5 ( 15... d6 16. b5 a5 17. e4 d7=/18. f4 d4+ 19. h1 b4 20.
f3 c5 ) 16. axb5 axb5 17.xb5 xd5= The pawn on b4 will eventually fall. Black
obviously has great compensation in the form of the two bishops and isn't worse here.
b2) 14. xe4 14... xe4 15. e2 b2 An important move, forcing the rook away from the cfile.
( 15... b5 16. axb5 axb5 17.xb5 xd5 18. c4 f5 19. d3 d7=/ ) 16. cd1 ( 16.c2 ru
ns into 16... b5 ) 16... c3 Black just wins back the material,
e.g. 17. xa6 xd5 18. xb7 Forced. ( 18. xc3xc3 is a huge fork after which White is even
worse.) 18... xb719. e1 The only way to preserve the pawn on b4, but
after 19...xe1 20. xe1 c3 21. a1 e4= the b4-pawn is again under attack and a draw is
just around the corner.
6... c5 7. O-O
7. dxc5 dxc4 8. xc4 xd1+ 9. xd1 bd7 is obviously good for Black.

7... cxd4 8. exd4 c6 9. h3 Basically the only thing you need to know about this position is that it normally
appears from the Schlecter Slav with White to move, and even in that case it's considered quite playable for Black.
With Black to move there are obviously no problems, and perhaps the most natural solution is to play
9... dxc4 10. xc4 a5 11. d3 e6 when Black has very rich piece play and isn't suffering in the slightest.

5.e3 6.cxd5
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. e3 O-O 6. cxd5xd5 7. c4 This line does have to be taken
seriously, and has gained popularity in recent years.
7... xc3 This is the more Grnfeld-like approach that I want to recommend here.
7... b6 is Black's normal response, and also what Avrukh recommends. There's nothing wrong
with 8. b3 c5 9. O-O cxd4 10. exd4 c6 and Black should probably equalise if he's precise.
8. bxc3 c5 9. O-O I'd like to discuss this position in more general terms. What White would ideally like to
accomplish is to force Black to take on d4 as early as possible. The bishop from c1 can then go to a3 and put
pressure on the e7-pawn as well as simply having a very nice diagonal to operate on. One rook will go to c1 while
the other comes to b1, putting a lot of pressure on the queenside before Black has any counterplay in the centre.
In order to avoid that Black generally tries not to take on d4, so I want to suggest two possible approaches.
9... c6 This has always been known about as a possible idea but is considered slightly weak because of 10.Ba3.
9... c7 is the classical approach. 10. e2
a) 10... b6 is the move that pretty much everyone plays in this position, but I think it's slightly
less accurate as it allows 11. e4 Once again the only plan that makes any sense for White - and
one that's quite ambitious - is this move followed by developing the bishop to either e3 or g5
(ideally g5, but normally it'll have to go to e3 first because the centre will come under attack).
( 11. a3 b7 12.ab1 d7 13. fc1 e5 14. b5 e4 15. b3 d5 16. c4xc4 17. xc4
ac8 Sjugirov-Kamsky, Moscow Aeroflot Rapid 2013)
a1) 11... c6 12. e3 ( 12. d1 )
a11) 12... g4 13. ac1 a5 ( 13... fd8 ) 14. b5 ( 14.d3 ad8 15. h3
xf3 16. xf3 e5 17. d5 b7 Asefi-Sasikiran, Esfahan 2005 )
a111) 14... ad8 15. fd1
a112) 14... f5 15. h3 fxe4 16. hxg4 exf3 17. gxf3 cxd4 (17... c4
18. f4! ) 18. cxd4 d6 19. g2+/=
a113) 14... fd8 15. fd1 ac8 16. h3 d7 17. a6+/=
a12) 12... b7 13. ac1 e6 14. h4
a2) 11... cxd4 12. cxd4 g4 13. e3 xf3 14. gxf3 c6 15.fd1+/=
a3) 11... g4 12. e3 xf3 13. gxf3 c6 14. fd1 fd8 (14... a5 15. b5 e6
16. dxc5 bxc5 17. d7 e5 18. ad1 )15. ac1

a4) 11... b7 12. d1 c6 13. g5

b) c6 I think starting with this move is more precise.
b1) 11. a3 b6 ( 11... a5 12. d3 b6 13. ac1 d8 14. e4g4 15. h3 xf3 16. x
f3 d7 17. d5 1/2 I. Sokolov-Lalic, Sibenik
2012 ) 12. ac1 b7 13. fd1 ac8 14. a6 a5 15.dxc5 bxc5 16. b1 fd8
17. xd8+ xd8 18. xb7 xb7 19.a6 b6! Prohaszka-Kurnosov, Zurich Masters
2011
b2) 11. d1! is, I think, the best move for White. 11... b6 12. e4
b21) 12... cxd4 immediately is not so
good. 13. cxd4 g4 14.e5 ( 14. e3 e5 transposes ) 14... e6 ( 14... xf3 15.
gxf3xd4 16. xd4 xe5 17. b2 xd4 18. xd4 fd8 19.e5 c5 20.
e1 ) 15. e3 xf3 16. gxf3 e7 17. ac1This is a bit awkward for Black
since he has no comfortable squares for the queen.
b22) g4 is the better approach. White now has a choice between 13.e5 or
13.Be3.
b221) 13. e5 xf3 14. gxf3 Taking with the pawn is forced.
( 14. xf3 is impossible because of 14... cxd4 15. cxd4xe5! ,
winning
material.) 14... e6 15. e3 ( 15. g5 h616. h4 cxd4 17. cxd4 xd
4 18. xd4 xe5 ) 15... e7This position should explain why we
didn't take on d4 earlier - without the pawns on c5 and c3 White
could now play Rc1, hitting the black queen. Black would have to
start looking for a good square for the queen, but there aren't really
any which are ideal. With the pawns that problem doesn't exist and I
think this is quite comfortable for Black.
b222) 13. e3 If you allow White to play Rac1 and finish
development it might become quite unpleasant, so you have to be
very
energetic. 13... cxd4 ( 13... ad8 14. ac1 ) 14.cxd4 e5 Forcing
White's next move. 15. d5 d4 16. xd4exd4 This is generally very
risky strategically for Black, because if White gets the pawn centre
rolling he'll have a huge advantage. However, Black bases his play on
the fact that after 17. ac1 he can reply 17... f4 , and after the
probable 18. h3 xf3 19. xf3 xf3 20. gxf3 and, for
instance, 20... ac8 , the black bishop will come to e5 (at the
moment f4 is impossible because of ...Bh6). Once the bishop is on e5
White's whole centre is blockaded and the game should be equal.
10. a3 b6 Almost forced, as if Black takes on d4 then 9...Nc6 wouldn't have been a very good move. In this
position Black would be fine except for the fact that White can actually take on c5.
10... cxd4 11. cxd4 b6 ( 11... f5 12. c1 c8 13. b5 e4 14.e2 a6 15. d3 d5 16. xe4 xe4
17. c5+/= Landa-Hillarp Persson, Copenhagen
2010 ) 12. c1 b7 13. e2 c8 14. fd1 c715. e5+/= Gajewski-Smith, Stockholm 2012

11. dxc5 This position requires some finesse, as this is an actual pawn sacrifice and Black needs to be quite
precise. However, after
11... c7 I think I've managed to make this work for Black.
12. d4 is by far the best move.
12. e2 can lead White into a very nice trap, as after 12... bxc5 13.d5 e6 14. e4 (Pekarek-Hawelko,
Zakopane 1980) Black has 14...a5! 15. xc6 b8=/+
12... b7
12... d7 was played in a game between two grandmasters, but is somewhat
weaker. 13. d5 ad8 14. cxb6 axb6 Kunte-Gupta, Aurangabad 2011 15. e2+/=
13. d5 The most critical reply.
13. e2 a5 14. cxb6 axb6 15. c2 fc8 16. fd1 f6=/
13. b5 c8 14. e2 d8=/
13... bxc5 Black needs to start with this move.
13... fd8 14. xf7+ xf7 15. b3++
13... ad8 was my initial idea for Black and I was happy with it until I realised that once the rook leaves
the a8-square 14. cxb6! is actually quite strong. ( 14. f3 bxc5 15. xc5 tranposes) 14... axb6 15. f3 I
wasn't able to equalise in this position, so I went back to the drawing
board. 15... a8 16. b5 b8 17. e2 c8 18. fd1 e5 19.xb7 xb7 20. b4+/=
14. xc5 ad8 Only now.
15. f3 Clearly the best move here.
15. xc6 xc6 is obviously a very nice position for Black, as he gets a lot of play on the queenside and
the bishops are also very strong.
15... a5 16. b4
16. xb7 xc5 is an immediate draw because the pawn on c3 falls.
16... c4 17. xb7 xb7 Black gets a very typical and I think perfectly fine position where he has more than
enough compensation for the pawn. The pawn on c3 is very safely blockaded by the fantastic knight on c4 and the
bishop on b4 is extremely misplaced and will get hit by a5 in almost all variations. Of course a pawn is still a pawn
and I had to check this position quite carefully to make sure I'm not just recommending you an endgame a pawn
down with no real play, but I think I can safely say that Black is ok. After the most likely move,
18. b1 both the immediate
18... c7 or
18... c8=/ are fine for Black, as far as I could ascertain.

19. a4
19. e2 c8 20. b5 d7 21. a4 a5 22. fd1 e6 23. a7 c724. b5 cc8=
19... f6 , and Black has excellent play for the sacrificed pawn.

5.Qa4+ 8.e4
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. a4+ This is an interesting variation which has been tried on a
number of occasions recently. One of the main proponents of the line is Ivan Sokolov, who played it against me
more than once.
5... d7 6. b3 dxc4 7. xc4
7. xb7 is, as usual, not very good after 7... c6
7... O-O 8. e4 is worse than in the normal Qb3 lines, as Black has the very important additional option of
8. g5 e6 9. b5 d7 10. b3 ( 10. xb7 c6 ) 10... c5 11.d1 a5
8... b5! and he's just fine.
9. xb5 The main move for White.
9. b3 c5 10. dxc5 ( 10. xb5 xb5 11. xb5 xe4 12. O-Ocxd4=/+ Rustemov-Shomoev, Moscow
Aeroflot op 2003 ) 10... a6! gives Black a lot of counterplay for the pawn and in some lines it might
even become very dangerous for
White. 11. e5 ( 11. e3 g4 ) 11... g412. xb5 xc5 13. c4 xb5 14. xc5 a6 15. h3 c8 16.
d5 (16. xa7 a5 17. hxg4 xc3 18. d2 b5 19. xa6 xa6 20.xc3 f6 ) 16... xe5! 17. xe5
b6 18. f4 f6 19. f3 fd8

9... xe4 10. xc7

10. xc7 c6 11. xa8 really can't be recommended for White, as11... a5+ is extremely
strong. 12. d2 xd2 13. xd2 xd4

10... c6 11. d3 b4 is the old theory in this position and is considered to be - and probably is - absolutely
fine.
11... f6 is my suggested alternative, leading to forced lines where the pawn on d4 seems to be
doomed. In contrast to the old line Black tends to get very lively endgames with a lot of pieces on the
board. 12. O-O ( 12.xd8 fxd8 13. O-O b4 14. e2 c2 15. b1 f5 )
a) 12... a6 13. xd8 fxd8 14. c3 g4 15. e2 ab8 16.xa6 xf3 17. gxf3 xd4
b) 12... xc7 13. xc7 ac8 14. b5 ( 14. a6 g4 ) 14... b415. e2 c2 16. b1 d5 1
7. d2 xb5 18. xb5 xd4 19.xd4 xd4=
c) 12... xd4 13. fxd4 xb5 14. xd8 fxd8 15. xb5 xd4=

12. xe4 xb5 13. xd8 axd8 14. d2 d3+ and Black gets very good compensation for the pawn. In many
cases he'll win the pawn back immediately. This should be a draw, though in most cases White gets a slight plus
with which he could at least hope to torture Black for a little bit.
14... f5 ?! 15. xf5 ! 15... xf5 16. xb4+/= Giorgadze-Khalifman, BL 1997
14... d3 ? 15. xb4 xe4 16. xe7 fe8 17. xd8 xf3+ 18.d2 h6+ 19. c3 xg2 20. hg1
15. xd3 xd3 16. c3 e4= 17. e2!N
17. d1 xf3 18. gxf3 d5 19. e2 fd8 20. d2 xd4 ( 20... e621. hd1 h5= GiorgadzeStohl,Senec 1998. ) 21. hd1 e5 22. f4 =
17... xf3+ 18. xf3 xd4 19. xd4 xd4 20. hd1+/= Atalik-Gustafsson, Kallithea 2003
20... b4 21. b3 a5 22. e3 a4 23. d3 fb8

5.Qa4+ 8.Bf4
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. a4+ d7 6. b3dxc4 7. xc4 O-O 8. f4 is the most critical
move, and gives Black a lot of options. Both ...Be6 and ...Bf5, just ignoring the fact that the pawn on c7 is
hanging, are very possible.
8... c6 is, I think, the way to play here, and the move I've normally made in this position.
8... c6 is also quite playable, aiming for some kind of quiet positional play after, for
instance, 9. d1 xf3 10. gxf3 c6 Black will follow up with ...e6 and get a very stable position with
decent chances, but I wanted to recommend something else.
9. e4 a5 This is a move recently played by Morozevich, but one I'd found earlier myself with my team when
preparing for the London Candidates Tournament. This is an interesting and attractive option for Black because in
many cases White actually has to be somewhat precise not to end up in strategically risky positions.
9... b5 used to be considered almost mandatory here. 10. b3 a5 11.d2 was what people used to
play. ( 11. e5 Then they started to realise that 11.Bd2 wasn't forced and this move is instead possible,
with 11...e6 followed by 12. c2 This position is much harder for Black to equalise. I wouldn't say it's
impossible, but I think it's potentially quite risky..)
10. b4 This is what Etienne Bacrot played against Alexander Morozevich in the Thessaloniki Grand Prix.
10. d3 also transposes to what we wanted to get in the old lines: 10...b5
a) 11. c5 a6 12. a3 ( 12. xe7 b4 ) 12... xa3 13. bxa3 c5
b) 11. b3 11... c5 and Black is doing very well here. No particular details are needed as it's
quite clear that after, for instance, 12. dxc5a6 something has gone a bit wrong for White
because all of his pieces are suddenly under attack.
10. e5 is another option, but Black benefits from the fact that the pawn is still on b7 - in general, there's no reason
to play ...b5 in these structures unless you get some immediate benefits from it.

a) 10... b5 11. b3 transposes to lines we are trying to avoid.

b) 10... e6 11. exf6 xc4 12. fxg7 d8 13. xc4
b1) 13... b4 14. b3 c5 15. d2 ( 15. OO c4 16. a4 xb217. fc1 c6
18. xc6 bxc6 19. a4 b4 20. c5 c3 ) 15...c4 ( 15... cxd4 16. d5 d6
17. OO c6 18. f4+/= c5 19.c7 a5 20. xa8 xb3 21. axb3 xa8 22
. fd1+/= ) 16.a4 ( 16. d5 b5 17. c3 a6 18. a4 c6= ) 16... d7
17. O-O ( 17. b3 ) 17... b6 18. a3 d6 19. c2 xg7 20.ae1+/=
b2) c5 14. OO ( 14. d5 b4+ ; 14. dxc5 b4 ) 14... cxd415. e5! dxc3 ( 1
5... e6 16. b4! xb4 17. e4 c6 18.h6+ ) 16. xf7 xg7 17. h6+ f
6 18. xd8 xd8 19.ae1+/= e5 20. e3
c) 10... d5 11. d2 a6 Perhaps the simplest option in this complex position.
( 11... e6 )
c1) 12. xd5 xd5 13. xd5 cxd5 14. d3 ac8 ( 14... b815. c1 c6 )
15. OO c7= ( 15... b8 ) 16. b4 ( 16.ac1 e6 17. g3 f6= ) 16... fe8
17. ac1 h6 18. c3g4
c2) 12. b3 12... b6 13. xd5 cxd5 14. xb6 axb6 In this endgame the
knight will now return via b8 to c6 and Black can either go for the standard
play on the queenside with ...Na5, ...b5, ...Nc4, or he can also just play ...f6,
trade off the e-pawn and get a perfectly safe, equal
position. 15. a3 ( 15. d3 g4 ; 15. h3 f6 )15... b8 16. d3 c6 17. h3 f6
( 17... fc8= )
10. d2 here is met by 10... b5
a) 11. e2 b4 12. d1 c5 13. e5 d5 14. e4 e6 15. dxc5a6
b) 11. d3 b4 12. d1 ( 12. e2 c5 13. a3 b5 14. b1 cxd415. fxd4 c6=/+ ) 12... c5 13. d5 e6 Bla
ck is maybe already better. 14. e3 exd5 15. exd5 e8 16. e2 h5! is a somewhat odd-looking but
perhaps even stronger move, creating the huge threat of Nf4, which isn't that easy to counter. ...Bxb2 is
also an immediate threat and Black may already be better as it's very difficult for White to meet both of
those threats adequately. ( 16... g4 This move of Sutovsky's wasn't a mistake, as such, as Black was fine
even then. Rasmussen-Sutovsky, Porto Carras 2011 ) 17. c4 ( 17. c4 b5 )17... a6=/+
c) 11. c5 a6 12. e5 b6 ( 12... b4 13. b1 ) 13. f4 ( 13.e2 c5 ) 13... ad8 14. e2 ( 14. a4
e5! 15. dxe5 g4=/+ ) 14...c5=/+
d) 11. b3 and we've transposed to the position we wanted to get where ...b4 is good. 11... b4 Black
used to get a very decent position. For instance, an important game in this position was played between
myself and Ivan Sokolov in one of the Bundesligas. 12. a4 xe4 13.xb4 c7 14. d3 e6
d1) 15. d1 d5 16. O-O c5! A very nice aesthetic move to make, putting the pawn in harm's
way immediately. Regardless of how White recaptures on c5 the knight on b8 comes into play
with great effect via the c6-square. ( 16... d6 could be met by 17.e1 , preventing the black
knight from coming to d7 straightaway.) 17. xc5 xc5 18. xc5 c6 I was even slightly
better in the game here, although it wasn't enough to win. This was thought to be extremely
comfortable for Black and the whole line wasn't considered particularly
dangerous. 19. e1 xf3 20. xf3 xd421. xd4 xd4 I. Sokolov-Svidler, BL 2004

d2) 15. c2 15... d6 16. O-O d5 The bishop comes to d5 with tempo as it hits the knight on
f3. 17. e5 d7 Black gets very decent counterplay. 18. f4 ac8
10... d8 In this position it's important to note that the bishop on d7 has an important role to play. Something
needs to be done immediately to counter the threat of ...a5.
11. a4 is a possible approach, and was the one adopted by Etienne.
11. e2 is a normal move, but
after 11... a5 12. b5 ( 12. bxa5 xa513. OO b5 14. d3 b4 15. b1 c5 16. bd2 cxd4 17. xd4 c6
18. 2b3 b6 19. xc6 xc6 20. e3 b8 21. f3 h5 Gonzalez-Swiercz, Istanbul
2012 ) 12... cxb5 White can't take with the knight because the e4-pawn is hanging and he can't take with
the queen because the bishop has been driven to d7.
11. e5 is another option.
a) 11... e6 12. exf6 ( 12. d3 d5 13. xd5 xd5 14. e2a5=/+ ) 12... xc4 13. fxg7 xg7
14. xc4 a6 15. a3 c7 16.O-O+/=
b) 11... b5 This is the best reaction, I think. 12. b3 ( 12. e2 d513. xd5 cxd5 White is somewhat
over-exposed on the queenside and his pawns are likely to come under sustained pressure. Black is at
least not worse. ) 12... e6 This is a rare position in which I'm quite happy for Black to give up all the
minor pieces for the queen.
b1) 13. b2 d5 14. d2 d7 ( 14... a5 15. bxa5 xa5 16.xd5 xd5 17. xa5 xa5+
18. d2 xd2+ 19. xd2a6=/ ) 15. g5 c7
b2) 13. exf6 13... xb3 14. fxg7 xg7 15. axb3 This never appeals to me, in general, as I'm a
firm believer in three minor pieces being stronger than a queen, but in this particular position
there's the very strong manoeuvre 15... c8! After, for
instance,16. e2 ( 16. d2 a6 17. e4 e6 18. g5 xb3 19. xa6h6! ) 16... a6 it
turns out to be very awkward for White to protect the b4-pawn, and it pretty much has to be
abandoned. 17.O-O ( 17. a2 e6 is very, very awkward for White to face. b3 is hanging and
the bishop on e2 is now pinned, so it's difficult for White to castle..) 17... xb4=/+
11. d1 a5 12. a3 e6 13. d3 axb4 14. axb4 a6
11... g4! is my suggested improvement, and was what I'd prepared before the Candidates Tournament in
London. I was therefore watching the game between Bacrot and Morozevich with great interest as I wanted to see
if Alexander came to the same conclusions. Seemingly not, but here's my "version of events" from this moment on.
11... a5 12. b5 cxb5 13. axb5+/=
11... b5 12. axb5 cxb5 13. xb5
11... e6 was Morozevich's move, but I don't think it was the best in this instance. 12. d3
a) 12... a5 13. b5 c5 ( 13... cxb5 14. axb5 ; 13... bd7 14. e2h5 15. e3 c5 16. d5 g4
After a lot of events in which the evaluation changed on a number of occasions this game was
eventually drawn. 17. c1 xf3 18. xf3 e5 19. d1 xf3+ 20. xf3 b621. g4 f6 22. OO d7 23. h3 h5 Bacrot-Morozevich, Thessaloniki GP 2013 ) 14. d5

b) 12... g4 13. e2 ( 13. e5 a5 14. b5 c5 15. h3 cxd4 16.xg4 dxc3 17. xf6+ xf6 18. e5 g7 19.
xc3 d7 20. d1c8 ) 13... fd7 14. e5! a6 15. b5 b4 16. b1 c5 17. O-O
c) a6 13. b1 h5 14. e3 f5 15. g5 fxe4 16. d2 d5 17.xd5 xd5 18. c2+/= I. SokolovHowell, London 2009
12. d1 is perhaps the most critical reply, and here some precision is required from Black. I want to offer you a
very concrete solution.
12. e5 is the normal reaction for White to ...Bg4, but while the queen is still on c4 it's just not very
feasible because White's pieces get attacked on every move and Black is very
comfortable: 12... e6 13. d3 fd7
12. e2 is another standard reaction, but once again the fact that the queen is on c4 gives Black
additional tempi. He plays 12... fd7! ,threatening to take on f3 and play ...Nb6, winning the d4-pawn.
a) 13. d1 is met by a very strong and simple
solution: 13... xf3 14.xf3 e5 15. dxe5 ( 15. e3 exd4 16. xd4 b6! 17. d3a6=/+ ) 15..
. e7 Once again the pawn on e5 will be won back on the next move and the fact that the
pawns aren't on a2 and b2, where they'd be far away from Black's pieces and would support the
knight on c3, means that Black will have constant targets to aim his play against and will be very
comfortable. 16. b3 ( 16. OO xe5 17. b3xf3+ 18. gxf3 d7 ; 16. e6 xe6! ) 16... xe5
17. e2 a618. a2 ( 18. xa6 bxa6 19. OO ab8 20. a2 c5=/+ ) 18... c519. xa6 ( 19. b5
c4! 20. c2 c5=/+ ) 19... bxa6 20. bxc5ab8 21. g3 xc5 22. OO bd8= 23. c3 xd1
24. xd1e8=
b) 13. e5 b6 14. d3 a6
c) 13. O-O xf3 14. xf3 b6 15. b3 xd4
d) 13. e3 is very adequately met by 13... a5
d1) 14. OO xf3 15. xf3 b6 16. b3 axb4 17. xb4 ( 17.e2 ) 17... a6
18. b3 xd4
d11) 19. ad1 e5 20. a5 ( 20. e2 c5 21. c2 e6 )20... d7 21. xb7 ac5
22. xc6 c8 23. b5 xc3 24.xc5 xc5 25. xd7 xa5
d12) 19. xd4 19... xd4 20. e2 b4 21. fb1 xb3 22.xb3 d7 23. xb7
ac5 24. c7 fd8 25. xc6 xa4 26.xa4 xa4=
d2) 14. b5 14... b6
d21) 15. b3 xf3 16. xf3 xd4 17. d1 e5 ( 17... c5 18.e5 ) 18. bxc6 bxc6!=/+
d22) 15. d3 15... c5 White's centre is attacked and it's quite difficult for him to keep
everything under control. 16. e5 ( 16.d1 is most easily met by trading off
everything: 16... xf317. xf3 cxd4 18. xd4 xd4 19. xd4 xd4 20. xd48d7
=/+ The second knight is heading to c5 and the pawn on a4 is potentially quite a big
problem for White. He has structural issues which will somehow have to be
resolved.) 16... 8d7 17.dxc5 ( 17. e4 f5! ) 17... xf3 18. gxf3 xe5 19. xd8 (19.
c2 d5 20. OOO xe3 21. fxe3 e8 22. d5 c823. b6 c7 '=' 24. d5 c8 25
. b6 c7= ) 19... fxd820. cxb6 ( 20. OO ec4 21. cxb6 xe3 22. fxe3 xc3

23.a2 ac8=/+ ) 20... d3+ 21. xd3 xd3= 22. e2 xc323. ac1 xc1 ( 23...
ac8 24. xc3 xc3 25. d1 ) 24.xc1 e5 25. f4 d6=
12... a6 This gives White two obvious choices.
12... a5 13. b5 cxb5
a) 14. xb5 c6 15. e5 ( 15. xb7 xf3 16. gxf3 xd4 17. b5h5 ) 15... h5
16. e3 b4 17. c1 ( 17. e2 c8 18. c1b6 ) 17... c8 18. h3 xf3 19. gxf3 c6!=/+
b) 14. axb5 14... xf3 15. gxf3

b1) 15... a4 16. e5 ( 16. xa4 h5 17. e3 a5+ 18. c3d7 19. d2 fc8 20. d3
d8=/ ; 16. e2 a3 17. OO e618. d5 e5 19. g5 bd7 20. d6 b6 ) 16... h5
17. e3d7=/+
b2) 15... bd7 16. c7! c8 17. b6+/=
b3) e6 16. a4 ( 16. d5 ) 16... bd7 17. c7 xc7 18. xc7fc8 19. b6 e8 20. b5 b8
21. d5
13. e2
13. b3 xf3 Only now. 14. gxf3 h5 15. e3 c7 The knight has managed to get to c7 without being
captured on a6, which is obviously quite important. It's now aiming for the e6-square where it will attack
the pawn on d4 and also eye the very important f4-square. Black has very decent counterplay and can
even entertain some hopes of fighting for an advantage.
a) 16. b5 e6 ( 16... cxb5 ) 17. d5 ( 17. e2 a5+ ) 17... cxd518. xd5 a5+ 19. d2
( 19. d2 ad8 20. g2 f6 21. O-Oxd5 22. exd5 c5 23. a3 d7= ) 19... d8
a1) 20. b4 d4 21. xd4 ( 21. c4 e6=/+ ) 21... xd4 22.xe7 c8=/+
a2) 20. e3 20... a5+ 21. d2 d8=
b) 16. e2 a5! 17. g3 ( 17. b5 cxb5 18. axb5 a4 19. c4e6=/+ ) 17... xg3 18. hxg3 axb4 19. xb4
d6 20. b3 b521. axb5 ( 21. f4 d7 22. axb5 xb5 23. xb5 cxb5= ) 21...xb5 22. xb5 a3
23. c4 cxb5 24. xb5 xe3+ 25. fxe3xg3+ 26. e2 g2+ 27. d3 xd4 28. exd4 ( 28. xd4 d8
+29. c3 c8+ 30. d4 e5+ 31. d5 d8+ 32. c6 c2+ 33.b7 c8+ 34. b6 b8+ 35. c5 a7+
36. b4 b8 ) 28...xf3+ 29. d2 f4+=
c) 16. f4 16... e6 17. g2 ( 17. h4 f5 ) 17... h4 18. e2 h6

13... c8! A very strong idea. This move looks slightly mysterious, but its point soon becomes apparent.
14. O-O
14. b3 suddenly allows Black to play 14... xe4! 15. xe4 f5 16.e3 xb4 and the combined
threats of Nc2 and Nd5 mean that White will lose some material and Black is on top.
14... e6 Black's second idea in this position.
14... xe4 15. xe4 f5 16. c5! xf4 17. xb7+/=

15. d5 cxd5 Now with the queen on c8 White is forced to enter an endgame.
16. exd5
16. xc8 axc8 17. xd5 ( 17. exd5 g4=/+ ) 17... xd5 18. exd5xb4 19. d6 exd6 20. xd6 fe8
21. b5 c6=/+
16... xc4 17. xc4 g4 Once again this is a position where White would feel quite comfortable with pawns on
a2 and b2, but with pawns on a4 and b4 he constantly has to pay attention to all the stuff hanging on the
queenside.
18. d6 e6 19. xa6
19. a2 fd8 20. b3 b8!=/+
19... bxa6 Black clearly can't have any problems at all.
20. c1 fd8 21. fd1 ab8 22. b5
22. d7 b7
22... axb5 23. xb5 d5 24. g3 d7=

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Nb6 6.e3

6.Nf3
6.Bg5
6.Bf4

5.Bd2 Nb6 6.e3

We're going to look at the 5.Bd2 Grnfeld, a line which has become increasingly popular in recent years. Pretty
much everyone in top-flight chess has tried it at least once with White, myself included.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. d2 b6 A less fashionable move right now. It used to be
played quite a lot when I started off as a Grnfeld player but then attention switched to 5...Bg7. Nevertheless, I
think Black is fine after this move and I'll attempt to give you an overview of what Black should do against all of
White's four options.
5... g7 is the main line by far. It's been extensively covered in practice and also in the Avrukh book on
the Grnfeld, so I thought I'd show you something else. It helps to have a wider appreciation of Black's
possibilities in various positions.
6. e3 g7 7. f4 This is something I played against Boris Gelfand in the London Candidates in 2013. I can't really
claim any credit as it was shown to me half an hour before the game by my team, and in particular Nikita Vitiugov,
whose idea it was. I was much better and almost winning by move 15 against Boris but I quite honestly thought,
and I think I even said in the press conference after the game, that I didn't expect to see this ever again because
it's quite clear that you can't play like this against the Grnfeld...
When I started working on my video for chess24 I thought ok, I need to work out what's going on after 6. Bf4 and
6.Bg5, because surely it'll take me about 20 minutes to refute the stupid 6.e3, 7.f4. I also honestly didn't think it
would ever be played in any kind of top-level game, but by the time of the video it had already been played 5
times, including in my game and a game between Wang Hao and Grischuk in the Beijing Grand Prix, so it seems the
line is blooming!
In fact, there have been new developments in the short time between recording the video and finishing these
notes. The most surprising part is that I'm also not sure what to recommend against it. I'll give you an overview of
Black's options, but honestly I wasn't able to kill it and that fills me with mixed feelings. Firstly, I'm supposed to
give you answers about what to do against everything in the Grnfeld and here I am flat out saying that I don't
have the answer to this particular conundrum. On the other hand, it's something that came out of a team I was in
charge of and I feel a certain sense of pride. I introduced it into the world and it's now living a life of its own and
seems to be doing fine.
So I'll give you some pointers, but none of the stuff I'll be showing equalises completely, in my eyes - maybe I'm
just biased towards this line!
7. f3 O-O 8. c1 transposes to 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.Rc1.
7... O-O I think Black almost has to castle here.
7... 8d7 is a very interesting new attempt shown by Alexander Morozevich. 8. f3 c5 9. d5N f5 The
only idea that could justify the previous two moves, otherwise White assumes total control in the center.
White has to be very energetic now.
a) The stem game went 10. b3 O-O 11. d1

a1) 11... h8 12. a4 c4 13. xc4 c5 14. b4 xc4 15.xc4 b6 16. OO a6 17. b5 e4 18
. b4 c8 19. b3d7 20. fd4 , and White was better in Tomashevsky-Morozevich, Tromso
World Cup rapid 2013
a2) If Black wants to play c5-c4 he should do it right
away: 11...c4 12. a3 ( 12. xc4 c5 13. b5 d7 14. b4 xc4 15.xc4 c8 16. OO
b6 ) 12... f6 13. e2 d6 14. a5d7 15. e5 ac8 16. f3 c5 17. a3 c7
18. a5=
a3) f6! is my recommendation, and after 12. a3 Black now has a very strong interposition:
( 12. d6+ e6 13. c1 fd5 is very good for Black.) 12... e6! 13. xc5 ( 13. dxe6 e7 is once
again excellent for Black.) 13... exd5 , and only White has reasons to worry here.
b) 10. g5 10... f6 11. b5+ ( 11. b3 O-O! is wrong.) 11...f8 , and the pawn on d5 will be taken
but White has very good long-term compensation: 12. O-O
b1) 12... a6 13. e2 fxd5 ( 13... bxd5 14. c2 ) 14. c1h6 15. f3 c7 16. xd5
xd5 17. e5! xe5 18. fxe5
b2) fxd5
b21) 13. c1 is much less
precise: 13... c4! 14. b3 ( 14. d1h6 15. xd5 xd5 16. f3 e6 17. xc4 b6=/+ )
14...h6 15. f3 cxb3 16. axb3 e6 17. e4 with unclear play.
b22) 13. e1!
b221) 13... e6 14. d1 e7 15. e4
b222) 13... g8 14. d1 h6 15. f3 a6 16. e2 e6 17.xd5 xd5 ( 17...
xd5 18. e5 h7 19. f3 ) 18.c3 xa2 19. xg7 xg7 20. c3+ h7
21. xc5
b223) 13... c4 14. d1 h6 15. xd5 xd5 16. a5! b617. c6
b224) 13... h6 14. f3 d7 15. e2 c6 16. d1 e817. xd5 xd5
( 17... xd5 18. c3 xa2 19. e5 d520. g3 xe5 21. xe5 )
18. e5 xe5 19. fxe5 g720. f3 , and White has obvious play against the
weakened black king, but after the possible 20... e6 21. e4 e7 the outcome
is completely unclear.
7... c5 8. dxc5 6d7 straight away is an option, but after 9. e4 I don't think Black has anything better
than ( 9. a4 e5 is good for Black.)9... xb2 10. b1 g7 11. f3 and here Black has to castle so that
after 11... O-O 12. c4 we've transposed to the 7...0-0 main line.
7... e6 is possible, but generally speaking I don't like developing the bishop to e6. I'm not particularly
impressed by this idea and think White can deal with it quite
comfortably. 8. f3 OO 9. e2 ( 9. c1 c5 10.dxc5 c4 11. b3 xd2 12. xd2 c6 13. b5 a5 14.
xc6 bxc615. d4 ad8 16. ce2 xd2+ 17. xd2 d5 18. hg1 fe8 19.c3 Rusev-Grover, Golden
Sands 2013)
a) 9... 8d7 10. e4 g4 11. e5 c5 12. d5+/=

b) 9... c5? 10. dxc5 c4 ( 10... 6d7 11. b4 ) 11. g5! xc3 12.xc3 xe3 13. xd8 xd8
14. f2 d5 15. xe6 fxe6 16.d2+/=
c) 9... a6 10. xa6 bxa6 11. e4 d7 12. O-O c5 13. c3d5
8. f3 c5 I think this has to be the main move here.
8... g4 was what Boris played against me, but after 9. h3 xf3 10.xf3 he made a horrendous
mistake. 10... 8d7 Much better than Gelfand's move. ( 10... c6? 11. h4 left me close to winning in
Svidler-Gelfand, London 2013. It looks ridiculous to claim that after 11 moves, but this is really an
incredibly dangerous position for Black.) 11. h4Although this is clearly an improved version of the game
Black still has reasons to worry. (But not 11. a4 c5 12. a5 cxd4 13. exd4 c8 14.a6 d6 15. axb7 b8 )
8... 8d7 deserves a brief mention. I think White needs to respond 9.e4! , improving the white structure
as soon as possible given that the pawn on d4 isn't under attack.( 9. e2 is too
tepid: 9... c5 10. d5xc3 11. xc3 f6 ; 9. e4 f6 10. d3 xe4 11. xe4 c4 12.c1 e6 13.
g5 d5 14. b3 b5! 15. xb5 c6 16. c5 xb2 17.c3 c4 18. d3 d6 19. O-O f5 was fine for
Black in Tomashevsky-Morozevich, Tromso World Cup 2013) 9... b8 This looks very odd, but I think it's
Black's best move in the position. However, after
( 9... c5 10.d5 ) 10. e3 g4 11. e2 c6 12. d5 White gets a fantastic version of the 3.f3 or the Bd2
0-0 lines. Generally speaking, you don't get a position as nice as this in those lines so this can't be
recommended
either.12... xf3 13. gxf3 a5 14. d4 d6 ( 14... xd4 15. xd4 e6 16.b4 ) 15. xg7 xg7
16. d4+ f6 17. e5 fxe5 18. fxe5 c6 19.xb6+
8... a5 has been played in a number of games, including by Grischuk: 9.e2 A much more critical
reply.( 9. c1 was Wang Hao's response. 9...a6 10. a4 xa4 11. xa4 b6 12. c6 a7 justified
Black's play completely in Wang Hao-Grischuk, Beijing GP 2013) 9... a6 10. e4Hitting the pawn on a5
and also stopping ...c5 for now. To be honest, I'm not sure Black equalises here, so I can't really
recommend this line in good conscience. 10... d5 11. f2 a4 12. OO c5 13. e4 d8 14. dxc5d7 15. c6 dc5 16. e5 bxc6 17. e3+/= White was clearly ahead in
Bernadskiy-Gupta, Albena 2013
8... a6 9. xa6 Forced, as ...c5 was now a serious threat. ( 9. e4d5 10. f2 c5 11. e4 d6 is
decent for Black.) 9... bxa6 10. c1By far the strongest move. Surprisingly for me I wasn't able to
completely equalise this position although it's interesting and gives Black decent chances for
counterplay.( 10. O-O allows Black to play 10... c5 and after11. dxc5 c4 I think Black has fantastic
compensation for the
pawn. 12.e2 e6 13. ab1 c8 14. fd1 xc5 15. e1 d6 ; 10. b3 c511. dxc5 d5=/ )
a) 10... f5 11. b3 c8 12. e4 g4 13. e3 xf3 14. gxf3 e615. O-O d7 16. e2+/=
b) 10... b7 11. c2! ( 11. e2 c8 12. OO d6 ) 11... c5 (11... c8 12. e4 ) 12. dxc5
d7 13. e4 ( 13. b4 a5 14. a3axb4 15. axb4 a5 16. e2 xf3 17. gxf3 axb4 18. xb4 c7=/;
13. a4 c8 14. O-O e5 15. c3+/= ) 13... xb2 14. xb2xe4 15. c6+/=
c) 10... c5 11. dxc5 c4
c1) 12. c2 f5 ( 12... e5 13. b3 xd2 14. xd2 exf4 15.xd8 xd8 16. exf4 b7 1
7. a4 ac8 18. f2 c6=/ ) 13.e4 g4 14. d5 xd2 15. xd2 e6 16. c4+/=

c2) 12. c2 12... g4 13. f2 ( 13. e2 xd2 14. xd2c8= ; 13. OO c8=/ )
13... c8 14. e2 xd2 15. xd2a5 16. d5 xc5 17. xa6 xf3 18. xf3 xb
2 19. b1e6 20. bxb2 exd5 21. d3 , and White retains a small plus.
9. dxc5 6d7
9... d5 10. b3 e6 11. c4
10. e4 This move is untried as of right now (mid-September 2013), but I like it better than the two that were
already played.
10. a4 b6 ( 10... e5 Black has to have decent play here because it's very hard for me to believe that
you can discoordinate your pieces to this extent and still claim any kind of an advantage with
White. 11. c4exf4 12. OO a6 13. xa6 bxa6 14. exf4 b7 15. c1 ) 11. cxb6 (11. c1 xc5 12. x
c5 bxc5 13. b3 a6 14. a3 b6 15. c2Rabrenovic-Boskovic, Kragujevac 2013 15... e6=/+ ) 11... xb6
a) 12. c3 a6=/ ( 12... a6 13. e2 c5 14. O-O e6=/ )
b) 12. c1 12... xa4 13. xa4 xb2 14. b1 g7 ( 14... f615. e4 ) 15. e2 d7
16. a3 f5 17. b5 a6 18. b3 c6=
10. b4 was tried in another exciting World Cup game, but Black should be fine here: 10... a5 11. a3
a) It's not so precise to play 11... axb4 12. axb4 xa1 13. xa1 e5, which allowed, 14. e4 ,
when Black needs to be careful:
( 14.c4 exf4 15. exf4 b6= ) 14... b6 ( 14... exf4 15. c3 e8!should still hold for Black, but I
can understand why Wesley didn't go for this - it's not easy to play like that when seeing this
position for the first time at the board.) 15. c4 ( 15. c3 ) 15... bxc5? (The machine says
Black still holds after 15... exf4 16. c3 xc3+ 17.xc3 b7 , but it's clear Black's life is far
from easy.) 16. fg5
exf4 17. c3 xc3+ 18. xc3 e7 19. xf7 xf7 20. OO a621. b5 xb5 22. xf7+ xf7
23. d6! , and Black was very lucky to eventually hold in Ipatov-So, Tromso World Cup 2013
b) e5! Houdini 12. c4 exf4 13. exf4 c6 14. b1 (14. OO
axb4 15. axb4 xa1 16. xa1 xb4= ) 14... axb4 15. axb4e8+ 16. e2 f6 17. OO f5 18.
g5 d5

10... xb2 I think this has to be played

.
11. b1 g7

11... f6 12. eg5 ( 12. xf6+ xf6 13. c2 c7 ) 12... a3 13.c2 , and Black lacks coordination.
12. c4 a6! I finally settled on this move.
12... c7 13. b3 xc5 14. xc5 xc5 15. g5 e6 16. b4
12... f6 is probably the most obvious move in this position, but after13. xf6+ xf6 White has
( 13... exf6 14. O-O e7 15. d4+/= ) 14.c2 A surprising alternative to 14.0-0.
( 14. OO c7 15. e2 d716. fc1 xc5 17. d5=/ ) 14... c7 15. h4! Ridiculous as it might look at
first glance this is actually a very serious attempt to give immediate mate and one which can't be refuted
that easily, so I wasn't really satisfied with 12...Nf6.

13. xa6 bxa6 At least this way we're definitely not getting mated. In this position play could continue:
14. c1 A somewhat counterintuitive move as you're giving the bishop the b7-square, but otherwise Black could
start an immediate attack on the c5-pawn. Rc1 prevents that.
14... b8 I quite like this move for Black.
14... f6 15. xf6+ xf6 16. O-O b8 17. c3+/=
15. O-O
15. c3 xd1+ 16. xd1 f5 17. xg7 xg7=
15. f2 c6

15... d5

15... c6 16. a4
16. f2 c6 17. a4
17. c3 xd1 18. fxd1 b8=
17... b8 18. c3 xc3 19. xc3 b2! It seems to me Black should hold here, but it's a reasonably close run
thing because if White had an extra tempo he could start creating serious inconveniences for Black in a line like
this.
I have mixed feelings that I can't really provide you with immediate equality against 6.e3 and 7.f4. On the one
hand I'm quite proud that this idea is so tenacious but on the other hand as a Grnfeld player I'm somewhat
puzzled that something as alien and frankly ugly-looking as this cannot be immediately refuted. Such is life,
though!
In general I think 5...Nb6 is doing very well right now. Once again the only problem that I can see is 6.e3, 7.f4 and
I suspect the only reason I can't find immediate equality against it is that I'm very biased towards this line
emotionally. Perhaps something will present itself to more detached researchers!
20. c2 xc2 21. xc2 e6=

5.Bd2 Nb6 6.Nf3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. d2 b6 6. f3The point of this move is first to develop the
knight and then put the rook on c1. Only after that will White perhaps play Bg5. Generally speaking, Black aims to
play ...Bg7 and ...c5 more or less straightaway against most of White's moves. By putting the knight on f3 and the
rook on c1 first White attempts to prepare for that eventuality as well as he possibly can.
6... g7
6... c6 straightaway has been tried, forcing White to play 7. f4 and then after 7... g7 play 8. e3 On
the one hand Black has perhaps prevented White from playing the most aggressive setup, but on the
other hand putting the knight on c6 obviously makes playing ...c5 much harder, something I'm not in
favour of.

7. c1 c6!
7... O-O was Shirov's move against Morozevich. 8. g5 h6 9. h4 g510. g3 c5 The most thematic
break. 11. d5 The game soon became very sharply poised - it's not that this is unplayable for Black, but
7...Nc6 is a simpler and more forcing solution. 11... e6 ( 11... xc3+ is a very solid choice if Black
wants to avoid the mayhem of 11...e6. 12. xc3xd5 13. xc5 f6 ) 12. d6 d5 13. h4 led to a very
sharp and unclear battle in Morozevich-Shirov, Pamplona 2006.
8. e3 Pretty much forced.
8. f4 allows 8... xd4 9. xd4 e5 when Black is just fine. 10. cb5
OO 11. g3 c6 12. xc6 bxc6 13. xd8 xd8 14. c3 d5 15.e4 b4 De Jong-Sasikiran, Kemer 2007
8... O-O 9. b5 The most critical move.
9. e2 e5 10. dxe5 xe5=
9... e5 This is what we play against almost any 9th move by White.
9... g4 is a rare but decent
move: 10. h3 ( 10. xc6 bxc6 11. e2d5 ) 10... xf3 11. xf3 e5 12. d5 ( 12. xc6 bxc6 13. OO
exd4 14. exd4 xd4 15. f4 d5= Zhou Weiqi-Zhou Jianchao, Hefei
2011) 12... e7 13. e4 a6 14. e2 c6 15. O-O cxd5 16. xd5bxd5 17. exd5 f5=
10. xc6 exd4 11. xd4 bxc6 12. ce2 The main move for White, trying to put additional pressure on the c6pawn and control the f1-a6-diagonal so that castling becomes easier. Black has tried a number of moves in this
position.
12... d5! The easiest way to equalise.
12... a6 was played by Viktorija Cmilyte in a game against Karpov, but is less
precise: 13. b4 xe2 14. xe2 xb2 15. xd8 fxd8 16.xc6 d5 17. a5 ab8 ( 17... e5 18.
c1 ab8 19. b3+/=Karpov-Cmilyte, Marianske Lazne 2008) 18. O-O e5 19. c5 , and White will
press for a while.
12... g5 was Kurnosov's move against
Dreev. 13. OO c5 14. f3e7 15. c2 ( 15. c3 d8 16. e1 h6! 17. e5 d6 18. b3a6 DreevKurnosov, Dresden 2007) 15... c4 16. g3 b7 17. e4fe8 18. fe1 ad8 19. c3+/=
13. O-O
13. f4 xa2 Black is fine
here. 14. a1 c4 15. b3 c5 16. c1d6 17. xc6 d7 ( 17... b7 18. b4 xd1+ 19. xd1 fe8
20.e7+ h8 21. xc7 ab8 ; 17... a5 18. xa5 ) 18. b4 xd1+ 19.xd1 fe8=/+

13... c5 14. f4 d6

14... xa2 can lead to a very nice trap you shouldn't fall into: 15.xc5 xb2? 16. d3 Surprisingly the
queen is caught. 16... a2 17.a5 c4 It seems as though everything is fine, but.. . 18. b2+ This is
a very beautiful position. It has no particular theoretical value, but aesthetically it's very nice to see the
queen on c4 with pretty much all the board and diagonals empty - but still it has no moves!

15. b5 d7 16. xc5 d8 17. xc7 b7 Black is fine here.

18. xa8 xa8 19. b3 xd2 20. c7 d7 21. xd7 xd7=Marcelin-Sasikiran, France 2008

5.Bd2 Nb6 6.Bg5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. d2 b6 6. g5g7 7. e3 c5 A forcing solution which I think
equalises on the spot.
7... O-O
a) 8. c1 is less studied and a bit trickier. 8... h6 9. h4 g5 10.g3 c5 This is also quite a wellknown position which I think is fine for
Black. 11. f3 ( 11. dxc5 xc3+ 12. xc3 xd1+ 13. xd1a4 14. c2 f5 15. d2 c6 16
. e2 xc5 17. f3 e6 was great for Black in Eljanov-Sutovsky, Sochi
2005) 11... c6 ( 11...cxd4 12. xd4 c6 13. xc6 xd1+ 14. xd1 bxc6 15. e2PostnyBobras, Dresden 2007 15... e6 16. b3 d5 17. h4 a5 ) 12.d5 The safer option for Black is
a1) 12... b4 13. d6 leads to a very messy position in which I would probably prefer to
be White:
a11) 13... exd6 14. a3! ( 14. xd6 f5 15. xf8 xf8 16.a3 d8 17. d2
c6=/ ) 14... c6 15. xd6+/=
a12) 13... e6 14. a3 ( 14. dxe7 xe7 15. d6 f6=/ )14... 4d5 15. xd
5 xd5 16. xc5 e6 17. h4 g4 18.d4 Safin-Greenfeld, Calicut 2007
a2) 12... xc3+ 13. xc3 xd5 14. xd5 xd5 15. xc5 f616. b5 d7 ( 16...
e4 17. c4 xg3 18. hxg3 e6 19. c5xa2 20. xg5+/= ) 17. O-O Black should
hold after both
a21) 17... ac8 and 18. xc6 and( 18. fc1 e4 ) 18...xc6 ( 18... xc6 1
9. d4 e4 20. xc6 xc6 21. xc6bxc6 22. c7 c8 23. a5 ) 19. a5
a6 20. d4 c4 and
a22) 17... e4 18. d5 e8 19. c1 f6 20. dd1 xg3 21.hxg3 c8
b) 8. f3 This is the old theory. 8... h6 9. h4 c5 10. dxc5 6d7 I myself played this position in
the late 90s. I think it's fine, and according to recent theory this is quite harmless and very
playable.
(10... g5 11. g3 xc3+ 12. bxc3 xd1+ 13. xd1 6d7 14. h4g4 15. e5 xe5 16. xe5
e6 17. f4 h5 18. b1 xa2 19.xb7 c6 20. e4+/= Fridman-Bobras, BL 2008)
b1) 11. e2
b11) 11... g5 12. g3 xc5 13. h4
b111) 13... xc3+ 14. bxc3 xd1+ 15. xd1 e4 16.hxg5 hxg5 17.
e5 f6 18. d3 c5 Schweda-Stohl, Austria
2007 19. h7+! g7 ( 19... f7 20. d4 ba6 21.xg5+ fxg5
22. h6 ) 20. d4 e6 21. c2+/=

b112) g4 14. d4 c6 15. xc6 xd1+ 16. xd1 bxc617. c4 f5

18. f3 gxf3 19. gxf3 fd8 20. e2 h5 21.hg1+/= Nyzhnyk-Gupta,
Groningen op A 2010
b12) c6 12. d4 xc5 ( 12... g5 13. xc6 bxc6 14. g3xc5 15. c2 a
6 16. xa6 xa6 17. O-O b4 I. Sokolov-Leko, Dortmund
1999 18. e4+/= ) 13. xc6 bxc6 14. O-Og5 15. g3 f5= DreevMamedyarov, Gothenburg 2005
b2) 11. c1
b21) 11... c6 12. b5 xc5 13. OO g5 14. g3 e6 (14... f5 15. d5!
Giri-Gupta, Wijk aan Zee 2009) 15. xc6bxc6 16. d4 d7+/= DreevSutovsky, Sochi 2005
b22) 11... g5 12. g3 xc5 13. d4 c6 14. xc6 bxc6 (14... xd1+?
15. xd1!+ )
b221) 15. e2 f5 16. OO d3 ( 16... a5 17. d5! )17. xd3
xd3 18. e1
b222) 15. c2 15... a5
b2221) 16. a3 e6 17. b4 xa3 18. bxc5 fd8
19.e2 b3 20. b1 e6=
b2222) 16. h4 a4!
b22221) 17. hxg5 f5 18. e4 fb8!
19. c7 xc720. xa4 e5 21. gxh6
xe4 22. c3 xc3+ ( 22...d5+ 23. xe
5 xe5 24. b3 ) 23. xc3 xc3+
24.bxc3 b2
b22222) 17. d3 g4 18. OO xc3
19. bxc3 e6=
b22223) 17. e2
b222231) 17... f5 18. e4 e6
19. hxg5 xc3 (19... hxg5? 20. e5! fd8
21. xa4+ ; 19...fb8? 20. xb8
xb8 21. OO ) 20. bxc3 hxg5
21. h5
b222232) 17... g4 18. OO xc3
19. bxc3 e6 20.c4 ad8 21. fd1 f5
! 22. e4 e6=
b2223) 16. e2 16... a4 17. OO ( 17. h4 transpo
ses to
16.h4.) 17... xc3 18. bxc3 f5 19. b3 ad8 ,
and Black was fine in Markus-Navara, Turin 2006.

8. dxc5 xc3+ 9. bxc3 xd1+ 10. xd1 6d7 This is a very typical looking endgame which you'll encounter in
many lines. Black has given up the bishop and is currently a pawn down, but on the other hand he's completely
ruined White's structure on the queenside and if the pawn on c5 is won back Black is normally fine. It's also
important to note that in this position with the bishop on g5 Black has an additional tempo to play f7-f6.
11. b5 The main line.
11. d5 f6 12. h4 ( 12. h6 a6 ) 12... a6 The simplest way for Black to
proceed. 13. c6 ( 13. xa6 bxa6 This isn't dangerous at all for Black because ...Bb7 is a huge
threat. 14. c6 e5 15. xe5 fxe5 16.f3 e4 17. e5 b8 18. OO b5 19. g3 f8 20. c4 c5
21.b1 f5 22. b8 d8 ) 13... bxc6 14. a5 ac5 15. f3 b7 16.a3 b6 17. d4 d7 , and
Black is fine.
11. e2 xc5 12. d4 d7 13. f3 f6 14. h6 c6=
11... c6 12. d5 f6 13. h4
13. f4 runs into a very strong response: 13... e6 14. d6 People have been making inferior moves in
this position which has been seen in a couple of high-level games.
a) 14... e5 15. g3 e7 16. d5 a6 17. a4 b5 ( 17... d8! ) 18.cxb6 b7 19. xd7+! xd7
20. f4+/= Turov-Krasenkow, Dagomys 2008
b) 14... e7 15. xc6 e5 16. xe5! ( 16. d6 exf4 17. xd7xd7 18. exf4 ac8 ChuprikovDvoirys, Belgorod 2008) 16... fxe517. d6 xc5 18. d5+/=
c) 14... xc5! This is a big
improvement. 15. xc6 bxc6 16. xc6+e7 17. xa8 d3+=/+ Black is at least not worse
because White can't give up the f2-pawn without heavy material losses, and after something
like 18. e2 Black can play 18... a6 and win one of the bishops back with a continuing
initiative. Black may already be better.
13... a6 First driving the bishop to a4.
14. a4 de5 After, for instance
15. e2
15. xe5 fxe5 16. f3 d7=/+
15... e6 16. d2 c8 Black is ready to play ...Kf7, ... Na5 and collect on c5. As usual in an endgame like this
once the pawn on c5 falls it becomes completely obvious that Black cannot be worse.

5.Bd2 Nb6 6.Bf4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. d2 b6 6. f4This move is trickier for Black to face than Bg5.
6... g7 7. e3 O-O White has two playable options here - Rc1 or Nf3.
7... c5 8. dxc5 xc3+ 9. bxc3 xd1+ 10. xd1 6d7 In contrast to the 6.Bg5 lines the bishop is on f4
here, which gives White additional possibilities.

a) 11. xb8 is possible straightaway, but Black should simply take with the
rook. 11... xb8! ( 11... xb8 left White better: 12. f3O-O 13. d4+/= Nyzhnyk-Negi,
Hoogeveen 2010) 12. b5 e6 13.f3 e7 Black should be
fine. 14. xd7 xd7 15. e5 c6 16.O-O hc8=
b) White could simply ignore the pawn on c5 and play something like11. h4 xc5 12. h5 ,
which perhaps isn't such a stupid idea, but it's completely untested and I also don't think it's
going to be the refutation of Black's setup.
c) 11. b5 The main
move. 11... a6 ( 11... c6 12. f3 xc5 13.e5 d7 14. d5 xe5 15. xe5 f6 16. xc5
fxe5 17. xe5xb5 18. xb5 O-O-O 19. e2 Arutinian-Kanarek, Rijeka 2010 )12. a4
c1) 12... f6 was played by Morozevich, but I think that was a mistake as White does
get some advantage after 13. xb8 xb814. e2 The game
continued 14... e6 15. d4 e7 16. b3 This is the point of White's play. With a
knight on b3 it's very difficult for Black to untangle himself and collect on c5. Black
was
suffering.16... f5 17. d4 ( 17. c4 ) 17... f6 18. a5 e4 19. c4e5 20. f3 f6
21. b4 e6 22. c4 hc8 23. O-O d7 24. c6bxc6 25. xb8 xb8 26. b1+/= Wang
Yue-Morozevich, Wijk aan Zee 2009
c2) c6! Attacking the pawn on c5 straightaway. 13. c7 is the other additional
possibility the bishop on f4 gives White. ( 13. d5is fine for Black,
e.g. 13... f6 14. xc6+ bxc6 15. d4 d7 16.f3 xc5= ) 13... OO 14. b6 xb6
15. cxb6 e5 is fine for Black as it's impossible to hold the pawn on b6 comfortably.
Black, with an advantage in development, has no problems
here. 16. f3c4 17. b3 ( 17. b1 f5 18. b4 fc8 19. b3 d6=MuzychukBok, Wijk aan Zee 2010 ) 17... xb6=
8. f3
8. c1 c5 9. dxc5 xc3+ 10. bxc3 ( 10. xc3 would of course be met
by 10... xd1+ 11. xd1 a4 which will never be any good for White.)
a) 10... xd1+ 11. xd1 6d7 is quite a dangerous endgame for Black.
a1) 12. b5 c6 13. f3 ( 13. d5 f6 14. d1 e4 15. e2xc5 16. O-O DreevPonomariov, Moscow 2007 ) 13... xc5 14.d4 e5 15. xc6 exf4 16. e7+ g7 Dao
Thien Hai-Gyorkos, Budapest 1993
a2) 12. h6 12... e8 13. e2! ( 13. b5 a6 14. a4 c6 15.f3 xc5 16. xc6
bxc6 17. d4 e5= Dreev-Shirov, Moscow 2007 ) 13... xc5 14. f4 The position of
this knight is quite unpleasant for Black due to the threat of Nd5. There's no immediate
equality. 14... e6 ( 14... c6 15. d5 ) 15. xe6 xe6 16.e2+/=
b) 10... 6d7 It's better to play this first without exchanging queens.
b1) 11. h4 xc5 12. h5 ( 12. f3 f5 ) 12... xd1+ 13.xd1 e6 14. hxg6 hxg6
b2) 11. f3 can also be played first. 11... xc5 is perhaps not entirely accurate, but
Black can play

( 11... c6 instead.) 12.h6 ( 12. d4 e6 ) 12... xd1+ 13. xd1 e8 14. d4

d7=
b3) 11. b5 Black has a choice. 11... xc5 ( 11... a5 ; 11...c6 is
possible.) 12. h6 It seems as though an exchange is about to be lost, but
after 12... a5 the complications work out fine for Black. He should hold
comfortably. 13. d4 ( 13. xf8 xb5 14.d8 c6 15. e8 d4 16. xb5 xb5 17
. xe7 d3+ 18.d2 xf2=/+ ) 13... e6 14. b4 xb4 15. cxb4 d8 16.f3
( 16. e2 c6 17. a3 e5 18. c3 f6 19. f3 f7 20.f4 xf4 21. exf4= )
16... a5=
b4) 11. h6 11... e8
b41) 12. d4 runs into 12... e5 13. c4 a6 14. d1 f6
b42) 12. f3 c6 13. b5 xc5 14. OO xd1 15. fxd1a6 16. xc6 bxc6 1
7. d4 d7=
b43) 12. b5 would be met by 12... c6 and once again Black is ready to
start collecting. 13. f3 xc5 14. OO ( 14. e2f5 15. OO d3=/+ ) 14... g4=
b44) 12. c4 This is perhaps the critical line. 12... c6 Black is once again
ok. ( 12... xc5 Black has to careful as after 13.d4+/= he's slightly worse
here..) 13. f3 xc5 14. e2 ( 14.d4 a5=/+ ) 14... e6 15. OO
( 15. b5 a6+ ) 15...xc4 16. xc4 b6 17. fd1 c7 18. g5 e5
8... c5
8... g4 is a possible but somewhat passive alternative: 9. h3 xf310. xf3 c6 Black is preparing
...Nd7 and ...e5 and aiming for Schlecter-type
structures. 11. e2 ( 11. h4 ) 11... 8d7 12. OO e5 13. dxe5xe5 14. e4 Rodshtein-Roiz, MaalotTarshiha 2008
9. dxc5 6d7
9... xc3+ leads to an endgame which is slightly risky for
Black. 10.bxc3 xd1+ 11. xd1 6d7 ( 11... a4 12. h6 ) 12. g5 ( 12.h6 e8 13. b5 a6 14.
a4 c6 15. d4 xc5 16. xc6 bxc617. O-O a5 18. c4= 1/2 Sargissian-Li Chao, Khanty-Mansiysk
2009 ) 12...e8 13. b5 a6 14. a4
a) 14... c6 15. d5 e6 ( 15... f6 16. h4 e6 17. d6 xc5 18.xc6 bxc6 19. d2 g5
20. g3+/= ) 16. d6 xc5 17. xc6bxc6 18. d2+/=
b) f6 15. h4 ( 15. h6 c6 16. b3+ e6 17. d4 xc5 18.c2 Khalifman-Kojovic, Budva
2009 ) 15... c6 16. d5+/=
9... xd1+ 10. xd1 ( 10. xd1 a4 ) 10... xc3+ 11. bxc3 a4?12. h6!+
10. d5 Play now becomes very forced and you need to know the theory as it's easy to go wrong. If you don't go
wrong, however, and you know what you're doing, I think it's pretty much a forced draw.

10. c4 , just giving up the pawn on c5, leaves Black very comfortable
e.g. 10... xc5 11. e2 c6 12. O-O e6 13. g5 xc4 14. xc4d3 Gajewski-Melkumyan, Kavala
2009
10. c1 c6 11. b5 xc5 12. O-O f5 13. e2 d3 14. xd3xd3= Korchnoi-Spassky, St.
Petersburg 1999
10... xc5
10... e5 11. g3 or even ( 11. g5 is incredibly dangerous for
Black. )11... c6 12. h4! ( 12. c1 f6 13. xf6+ xf6 14. d3 e4 15.xe4 xb2 16. OO Malakhov-Ponomario )
10... xb2 is also very dangerous. 11. c7 e8 ( 11... c3+? 12.e2 ) 12. b1 g7 13. b5 Things
don't work out the way Black would like in this position, so this isn't recommended. 13... c6
a) 14. OO xc5 ( 14... f6 15. xf6+ xf6 16. a4! d7 17.xb7 c8 18. b1 a5 19. x
d7 xb7 20. xb7 xb7 21. c6c5 22. c1+/= ) 15. c1 ( 15. c2 e6 16. e5 d7 17.
xg7xg7 18. fd1 ) 15... a6 ( 15... e6 16. xc6!+ ) 16. xc6bxc6 17. xe7+ xe7 18. d
6 e6 ( 18... b7 19. xc5 e820. d4+/= ) 19. xc5+/=
b) 14. d4 xd4! ( 14... e6 15. c3 xc5 16. d6 e5 17. xc6bxc6 18. e2 e4 19. OO xc3
20. xc5 e6 21. c2 f6 22.xf8 xf8 23. c4 Dreev-Lalic, Sibenik
2007 ) 15. exd4 f6 16.e3 ( 16. c3 f5 17. b2 d7 18. e5 ad8 ) 16... d7 17.e5
g4=
c) 14. g3 14... d8 15. c7 b8 16. O-O de5 17. d5
11. c1 White generally plays this move.
11. c7 d7 12. c1 e4 13. xb8 xb8 14. c7 d8 15. xe7+h8 16. xd8 xd8=/+
11. c7 xb2! 12. c1 xc1 13. xc1 e4 14. d2 xd2+ 15.xd2 xd2 16. xd2 e5! 17. g5
( 17. xe5 c6 ) 17... e6 18.xa8 c8=
11... ba6
11... bd7 12. c7 e8 13. g3 d8 14. h4+/=
12. b4 e4 Other moves don't really equalise.
12... e6 13. e5 xe5 14. xe5 d6 15. xa6 xe5 16. c4d8 17. OO+/= b5 18. xe7+ f8
19. f3! xe7 20. xa8 bxc421. xc4 d7 22. xa7+/=
12... e6 13. xe7+ xe7 14. d6 is quite unpleasant for
Black. 14...f6 15. bxc5 b4 16. xf8 xf8 17. c4 d8 18. d4 xa2 19.xa2 xa2 20. O-O
12... e6 13. e7+ xe7 14. d6 d7 15. bxc5+/=
13. xa6 bxa6 14. c7 d7 Black is now ready to play ...e6 against almost any move.
14... h8 15. O-O e6 16. xe7 xd1 17. xd1 c3 18. d2xa2 19. c6

15. g5
15. d3 is the other critical move
here. 15... e6 16. xe4 exd5 17.xd5 b5 18. xd8 fxd8 19. e5 f8 20. a3 d5! Keeping the
knight rooted to f3. This is the last moment when you need to show some precision. ( 20... d3 21. OO xa3 22. fc1+/= ; 20... a5immediately runs into 21. d4 when White actually retains some
pressure. 21... e8 22. bxa5 d5 23. f4 xa5 24. c2 )
a) 21. b2 a5 22. bxa5 d6 23. c2 b8 24. d2 c4 25. c1xa3 26. xd5 xd5 27. OO
b4 28. d1 b5
b) 21. h4
b1) 21... xe5 22. xe5 d6 23. c5 xc5 24. bxc5 c8 25.c6 ( 25. d2 xc5
26. f3 c6 ) 25... f6 26. f3 xc6 27.O-O=
b2) a5
c) 21. d4 21... a5 Now Black has perfectly decent play for the pawn as the white king is stuck
on e1 and the rook on h1 can take no part in the
game. 22. c5 axb4 ( 22... d3 23. xf8 xa3 24. d2xf8 25. bxa5 a2+ 26. c2 xa5
27. d4 a6 28. hc1= ) 23.xf8 ( 23. axb4 a5 24. xf8 axb4 ) 23... xf8 24. axb4 a5
25.bxa5 xa5 26. c1 a2 27. d4 d3=
15. O-O e6 16. e7+ xe7 17. xd7
a) 17... xb4 18. c6 c3 19. e5 xe5 20. xe5 e2+ ( 20...b5 21. xf7 ) 21. h1
ab8! 22. g3! ( 22. d7 b1! )
b) xd7 18. xd7 c3 19. a3 fd8=
15... e6 16. xe4 exd5 17. xd5 b5 This position has been seen in a number of high-level games.
17... e6 18. xd8 fxd8 19. e2 xa2 20. hc1 d5 21. f3+/=
18. xd8
18. d6 Gupta was fine in a game against Grandelius
after 18... c8!19. xc8 xc8 20. xf8 g4 Hitting all kinds of weak
squares. 21.d2 xg2 ( 21... xe4 22. xg7 xg2 23. d4 xh1+ 24. d2= )22. g3 xf8 It's quite
obvious that Black has fantastic compensation for the exchange because White can barely
move. 23. a3 a5 24. bxa5 h5Grandelius-Gupta, Wijk aan Zee 2010
18... fxd8 Once again there's a choice.
19. f3
19. d6 f8 20. xb5 axb5
a) 21. a3 d3 ( 21... a5 22. e2 axb4 23. axb4 xb4 24. b7d6= ) 22. e2 xa3 23. d1
xb4 24. dd7 a2+ 25. f3e1 26. xf7 xf2+ 27. g4 c3 28. xh7

b) 21. e2 Bacrot offered a draw here in the World Cup as Black can simply play 21...a5.
Bacrot-Robson, Khanty-Mansiysk FIDE WC 201121... a5 The queenside is about to get completely
annihilated. 22.c2 ( 22. e5 axb4 23. c2 ) 22... xb4 23. hc1=
19. a4 xa4 20. O-O b5 21. fc1 b2=
19... ac8 20. f2 xc7 21. xc7 c8 Unfortunately for White 22.Rc1 runs into 22...Be5 so you can't fight for
the c-file and have to retreat with the bishop.
22. f4 c2+ 23. g3 f5! Playing this move immediately is my recommended improvement in this position.
23... e2 24. a4 saw Dreev retain some pressure as
White: 24... f5 25.d6 f8 26. e4 fxe4 27. xe4 xb4 28. h4 Dreev-Karavade, Reykjavik 2010
23... xa2 24. c1 h6 25. h4 ( 25. d6 g5! ) 25... d3 26. c8+h7 27. c7 f1 ( 27... g8 28. d
6 a5 29. xa7 xe4 30. fxe4d2 31. e7 e5+ 32. f3 axb4 33. xb4 ) 28. h2+/=
24. d6 c3 With the knight occupying the d-file and the black rook not vacating the c-file there's no way for
White to activate the h1-rook in time and the pawn on b4 is about to fall.
25. a3
25. d1 e2 26. b1 d3=
25... b2 Once again a draw is not very far away here.
26. e4
26. xb5 axb5 27. d1 xa3 28. d7 xb4 29. xa7=
26... fxe4 27. xe4 xa3 28. d6
28. b1 c6= ( 28... b2 29. c1 )
28... b2=

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bb5+
7.Nf3 c5 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.0-0
9.d5
8.h3
4.Nf3 Bg7 5.h4

7.Bb5+
We're now going to look at the Grnfeld sidelines in which White gives a bishop check on b5. There will also be a
minor mention for a move Kramnik used to make in the early millennium but which has now gone completely out
of fashion - I'll be showing you why. There's also going to be a bonus track because I realised I'd left out an
interesting new sideline which I think is fine for Black and definitely deserves a special mention.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6. bxc3g7 7. b5+ White can give this bishop check
either here or after 7.Nf3 c5. Both moves are interesting and require some precision in reply.
7... c6 I think this is the best and most critical move.
7... d7 and
7... d7 are nevertheless also both perfectly reasonable moves for Black.
8. a4 In this position I'll be showing material which has been covered quite well, as usual, by Boris Avrukh in his
book because, to be honest, the one idea I had which differs quite significantly from that book is fairly suspect.
8... O-O The main line.
8... b5 was my idea. I'll show you it anyway to give you an overview of what I thought was interesting in
this position over the course of the many years during which I was debating what to do
here. 9. b3 b7 Trying to get an unbalanced position in which Black aims for a delayed central break
with ...c6-c5. 10. e2 O-O ( 10... c5 is premature here, I think. )11. O-O ( 11. h4 White has the option of
playing this immediately, which is hardly surprising given Black has completely abandoned the kingside
and White hasn't yet castled - why not just attempt to give mate
straightaway? 11... c5 12. h5 xe4 13. f3 I wouldn't say Black is lost but he's in a lot of danger because
hxg6 and Bh6 are coming very soon and Black will have to play very, very carefully not to get mated
quickly. So 8...b5 cannot really be recommended.) 11... e6 12. a3 e8 This leads to a very unbalanced
position. Black wants to play ...c5 right away while the pawn on e4 is
hanging. 13. e5 ( 13. f4 c5 ; 13. d3 d7 14.ad1 c7 ) 13... d7 Black again wants to play ...c5 next
move. This has the potential to be strategically dangerous but on the other hand if it works out for Black
he might actually be playing for a win because the position is so
unbalanced. 14. d6 ( 14. f4 c5 15. dxc5 c8 ) 14... c5Black has achieved the double-edged position all
Grnfeld players are aiming for.
9. e2 c5 This position is covered very well in Avrukh's book. I'll include the main ideas that could occur.
10. O-O

10. d5 isn't very threatening as it runs into 10... e6! , immediately undermining the white
centre. 11. OO ( 11. e3 is more than adequately met by 11... a5 ) 11... exd5 12. exd5 d7 The
potential knight jumps are very difficult for White to completely control. Play might
continue: 13. e3 a5 14. b3 e5 15. c4 Otherwise Black will play this
himself. 15... f5 16. f4 Trying to control the d3-square. 16...b5 A very harmonious way of playing
immediately on the queenside. (16... g4 is Avrukh's suggestion and I'm not criticising
it. ) 17. cxb5xb5 Black is fine. He wants to play ...c4 and ...Nd3 and has a lot of play in the centre.
( 17... c4 is also ok, though I prefer 17...Qxb5.)
10... c6 11. e3
11. d5 a5 Once again this is ok for Black, although after 12. g5 you have to be quite energetic and
immediately start with 12... f5 , as Boris Avrukh correctly points out in his book. 13. c2 c4 Black has
good counterplay.
11... a5 This move is a recurring theme in this line as the bishop on a4 fails to control the c4-square, which can
therefore constantly be used as a base for Black's operations.
12. b1 Also a well-known move.
12. d5 b6 gives Black fantastic counterplay because once again after 13.d3 Black will immediately start
hitting the white centre with 13... e6The fact that the knight on a5 is unopposed and is constantly
looking at the c4-square makes it very difficult for White to retain his centre safely.
( 13... d7 ) 14. d6 d7 15. c2 c6 16. f4 d7! was very good for Black in Dyballa-Petzold, Germany
2009.
12. dxc5 This used to be the main move in this position. 12... c7 This is the better choice. Black doesn't
try to win the c5-pawn back immediately but instead prepares to play for compensation. ( 12... c4 This
has been played by, among others, Garry Kasparov. 13. xd8 xd8 14. g5d7 15. b3 a5 This
endgame used to be considered completely equal but then Avrukh showed that White can improve on the
old Kasparov games and that this position is far from an immediate draw.)13. b3 was played in a recent
game between Cheparinov and Caruana. (13. f4 The knight shouldn't, of course, be allowed to reach
d5, so Black plays 13... e6 , and after, for instance, 14. d3 , as in Shariazdanov-Dvoirys, Black
replies 14... b6 aiming for typical Grnfeld play against the ruined structure on the queenside. Black is
fine.) 13... g4 14. f3d7 This position is very similar to the ...Bd7 line in the classical Bc4 Grnfeld.
You'll recognise this kind of structure immediately if you've seen my videos on that. Black aims to slowly
coordinate his pieces and take on c5, which is what happened in the
game: 15. b1 e6 16. d1 fd8 17.h1 e8 18. b2 f8 19. f4 Black is already completely prepared
to take on c5 so White needs to mount some kind of an offensive on the kingside. Otherwise he'll run into
difficulties. 19... xc5 20. d4 f8Cheparinov-Caruana, Reykjavik op 2012
12... c4 13. g5 c7 A few options have been tried by White here. Once again, you'll see a recurring motif: if
the knight on c4 is attacked it has a very comfortable position on a3.
14. c1 This is following one of Boris Avrukh's own games with White.
14. b3 a3 15. c1 c4 16. c2 b5 Black doesn't even need to hurry after the
possible 17. d2 b7 18. f3 e5 , settling the situation in the centre. Black won't be taking on c2 any
time soon because he wants to play ...a5 and ...b4 and the knight on a3 is very useful to stop either of
the white rooks from coming to b1. It's a very interesting and unclear position.

14. d3 has been tried in a number of games and is once again met
by14... a3 15. b2 a5 16. d1 Here Boris correctly shows that Black doesn't need to waste any time
defending e7 because he has the very strong move 16... b6! , aiming to play ...Ba6, when Black gets a lot
of counterplay against the somewhat misplaced white pieces.
14... b6 15. b5 ...Ba6 had been a serious positional threat.
15... d6 16. d3 Avrukh's opponent Mark Tseitlin here played
16... f6 17. h4 e5 A lot of readers won't know the name but Tseitlin is a player who was very, very famous in
the old Soviet times and had almost superhuman status. There were fantastic stories about him in the St.
Petersburg chess circles but I don't think he was very well-known in the West. Since emigrating to Israel he's taught
the Grnfeld to a lot of young people including Boris Avrukh himself and been instrumental in creating a new wave
of Grnfeld players. Almost every single young Israeli player of the past 15 years has played the Grnfeld at one
time or another and most of them looked at the opening with the help of Mark Tseitlin. In this game Boris decided
he would occupy the d5-square with the knight and played
18. dxe5
18. g3 is what Boris should have played instead, but after the possible18... e7 Black is quite
comfortable. This is the kind of very unclear and double-edged position that I think black players should
welcome with open arms.
18... fxe5 19. c4 , but it turned out that after
19... e6 20. c3 f7 21. d5 xd5 22. cxd5 f6 23. g3 e7!the knight on d6 more than adequately
blockades all of White's potential advances in the centre. The black passed pawns on the queenside are a more
important factor and Boris eventually lost this game.

7.Nf3 c5 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.0-0

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6. bxc3g7 7. f3 c5 8. b5+ This was played by
Vishy Anand in the 2012 World Championship match, which is a stamp of quality, but Black is fine if he knows what
he's doing.
8... c6 The most critical and correct move.
9. O-O This is the old theory and is completely safe for Black.
9... cxd4 The main reply.
9... O-O can also be played first. 10. e3 White's most likely response. (10. d5 can be met
by 10... xc3 as played recently by Wesley So. 11.h6 d4 12. xd4 xd4 13. xf8 xf8 The
monster on d4 obviously gives more than adequate compensation for the sacrificed exchange. Black was
doing very well. 14. b1 a6 15. e2 b5 16. h1 e5Gerzhoy-So, Montreal COQ Inv.
2012; 10. a3 cxd4 11. xc6 bxc6 12.cxd4 g4 13. c5 a5 was also fine in Zhu Chen-Erdos, Gibraltar
Masters 2012 )
a) 10... g4 is an additional option here and those who have played it include Alexander
Khalifman. Black attempts to avoid the main line which leads to an almost forced draw.

a1) The point of postponing the trade on d4 is clear

from 11. xc6bxc6 12. c1 a5 13. e2 fd8 14. fd1 xf3 15. gxf3cxd4 16. cxd4
xd4!=/+ , and Black was already better in M. Ivanov-Khalifman, Minsk op 2012
a2) 11. dxc5 c7 ( 11... xc3 12. c1 g7 13. a4 c7 14.d4 xd4 15. xd4
xd4 16. xd4 fd8 17. e3 e6=Ikonnikov-Roiz, Gibraltar Masters
2011 ) 12. xc6 xc6 13. c2xf3 14. gxf3 Xu Jun-Wang Yue, Ningbo CHN-tch
2011 14... b6=
a3) 11. d5! I think this is the most critical move. 11... e5 12.e2 , and White
perhaps retains some
pressure. 12... xf3+ 13.xf3 xf3 14. xf3 xc3 15. ab1 b6 16. xc5
b) 10... cxd4 This transposes back to the main line.
10. cxd4 O-O 11. e3 g4 12. xc6 bxc6 13. c1 a5
13... xf3 14. xf3 xd4 15. fd1 e5 16. xc6 is a stable and risk-free plus for White.
14. xc6
14. h3 xf3 15. xf3 xa2 ( 15... fd8 ) 16. xc6 a5
14. d2 is more or less a forced draw, as has been known for many years. Black will play 14... xd2 and
after 15. xd2 fd8 16. b3 a5all the pieces get traded off and a draw is imminent.
14... xa2 15. c7 a5 It's also been known for many years that the very fast-running a-pawn far outweighs the
pawn Black has to sacrifice in the centre. Black is just fine here.
16. xe7 a4 17. b7 a3 18. b1 fb8 19. a1 b2 20. h3
20... e6! Even stronger than
20... xf3 21. xf3 xd4 1/2 Lugovoi-Svidler, St Petersburg 1995

7.Nf3 c5 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.d5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6. bxc3g7 7. f3 c5 8. b5+ c6 9. d5 The only
critical move for White.
9... a5 10. b1 xc3+ Precise.
10... a6 was played by Boris Gelfand against Vishy Anand in their match, but after 11. xc6+ bxc6 12. OO
a) 12... O-O 13. dxc6 e6 ( 13... d8 14. b3 e6 15. b7 ) 14.f4+/=
b) xa2
b1) 13. b2 was Vishy's choice. 13... a5 14. d6 a7!

b11) 15. g5 exd6 16. xd6 d7 17. xc6 ( 17. b8 OO) 17... c7
18. xc7 xc7 19. f4 ( 19. e5 O-O ) 19... b7, and Black was even
slightly better in Anand-Gelfand, Moscow WCh match 2012
b12) 15. f4! 15... d7 16. b8 O-O 17. dxe7 xe7 18.d6 d7 19. e5=/
b2) 13. g5 would have been a much more challenging move, based on a nifty
tactical trick. 13... cxd5 Forced. ( 13... h6 is the most obvious move in the position,
but after 14. dxc6 hxg5 Black finds he's fallen into a beautiful
trap: 15. b8 After 15... xb816. c7+ the pawn is suddenly
queening.) 14. a1 c4 15. a4xc3 16. xd5 Although I wouldn't go as far as to
say Black is lost he's in a lot of danger and the position isn't really ideal from his
perspective.
11. d2 a6 Only now, and I think Black makes a pretty much forced draw.
12. xc6+ The main move.
12. a4 is met by 12... b5 and Black is fine. 13. dxc6 bxa4 ( 13...xd2+ 14. xd2 xa4 15. O-O xe4 ,
as in Martic-Brkic, Bol op 2011, is also playable, but the text move is more forcing.)
a) 14. O-O would be met by 14... xd2 15. xd2 e6! , stopping Nc4. Black has absolutely no
problems.
a1) 16. c2 c8 ( 16... O-O 17. c4 xc4 18. xc4 ac8 ) 17.f4 c4
a2) 16. b7 16... OO 17. f3 c4 18. e1 ac8 19. d2xd2 20. xd2 xa2 21.
a1 e6 22. c7=
b) 14. c1
12. d3 d4 13. xd4 cxd4 14. c2 ( 14. xc3 dxc3 15. O-Oxa2 ) 14... e6=
12... bxc6 13. dxc6 Black has to show some precision, but his position is fine.
13. O-O first allows 13... xd2 14. xd2 when the easiest way to proceed is 14... cxd5 ( 14... O-O is also
possible and not particularly bad for Black.) 15. b3 d8! Stopping Qxd5, and after e.g. 16. xc5OO Black is doing very well. 17. exd5 f5=
13... e6! It's important to postpone castling and, generally speaking, to wait for White to castle first.
13... O-O 14. O-O xd2 15. xd2 xd2 16. xd2 e6 17. fc1+/=
13... xd2+ 14. xd2 a4 15. O-O xc6 16. h6
14. c1
14. O-O will be met by 14... xd2 15. xd2 xd2 16. xd2 O-O-O=
14. xc3 xc3+ 15. d2 There are many ways to equalise here for Black but the most forcing one is
perhaps 15... c4 , attacking the pawn on e4. 16. g5 f6 17. c1 xa2= White has nothing better
than 18.c2 b1+ 19. c1 a2=

14... xd2+ 15. xd2 It's time for one final finesse:
15... b4! Black hits the pawn on e4 and if White swaps off queens on b4 the weak pawn on c5 turns into a
potential passer on b4, which is obviously not a problem for Black.
15... xd2+ doesn't equalise completely: 16. xd2 O-O-O 17. e3 c418. d4+/=
15... a4 16. O-O xc6 17. h6
16. O-O xd2 Only here.
17. xd2 O-O-O! Black castles long, not short. He'll collect the pawn on c6 in a couple of moves and the game
will be completely drawn. That was already seen in Sasikiran-Grischuk, Eilat 17th ECC 2012
17... xa2 18. xc5 O-O-O 19. c2 e6 20. b1+/=

7.Nf3 c5 8.h3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6. bxc3g7 7. f3 c5 8. h3 As promised I'll briefly

mention this option for White. It's been played by Kramnik once or twice but has since gone completely out of
fashion.
8... O-O Black is really perfectly fine in every line here because White has no way of justifying the tempo he's
wasted on 8.h3.
9. e2 Kramnik's move and the only sensible option in this position.
9. e3 can be met by 9... a5 10. d2 c6 and you get a fantastic version of the Be3
line. 11. d1 Forced, and now the most comfortable way for Black to proceed is just to play 11... b6 ,
then wait for White to castle and switch to an endgame where Black's pieces are perfectly placed and
there's a lot of counterplay on the queenside.
9... cxd4 10. cxd4 c6 11. e3 f5! You just need to know you can play this move.
12. exf5
12. c4+ h8 13. e5 was seen in one of Artem Timofeev's games. Black can
continue: 13... f4 14. c1 b5 Immediately starting to gain space on the
queenside. 15. b3 a5 16. OO b7 Black is doing very well as he has such complete control of the
light squares.
12... a5+ 13. d2 xf5 Your next two moves here as Black will be ...Be6 and ...Bd5, and once the bishop
lands on d5 it will be completely obvious that only White can be worse. I think the line with 8.h3 is completely
closed by now

5.h4
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. h4 A little bonus track. This somewhat bizarre move has already
been played at a very, very high level - a couple of times by Alexander Morozevich and also famously by Grischuk
against Magnus Carlsen in the London Candidates. It's actually a very serious move, and if Black doesn't play 5...c6
here but more "Romantic" moves allowing White freedom of play on the kingside Black could potentially be in a lot
of danger. I'm not recommending any of those at all even though they don't, of course, really lose.
5... c6 This was Carlsen's surprising choice.
5... dxc4 6. e4
a) 6... c5 7. d5 b5 8. h5 OO ( 8... b4 9. h6 f8 10. e5 bxc3 11.exf6 exf6 12. xc4 cxb2 13. xb
2 d6 14. e2+ e7 15.xe7+ xe7 16. O-O Fridman-Jens, Netherlands
2013) 9. hxg6fxg6 ( 9... hxg6 10. h6 transposes to Mamedyarov-Kamsky, Tromso World Cup
2013.) 10. e5 g4 11. d6 e6! ( 11... b7 12. g5 c613. dxe7 xd1+ 14. xd1 f5
15. xb5! gxe5 16. d6 xf3+17. gxf3 e5+ 18. e3 a6 19. e8=Q+ axe8 20. xe8
xe8 21.d6+ Gareev-Robson, Saint Louis 2013.) 12. xh7
a1) 12... xh7 13. g5+ g8 14. xg4 f5 15. e3 c6 16.h4 xe5 17. OOO
d7 18. ce4 f7! ( 18... a5? 19.h7+ f8 20. xc5 xg5 21. xg5 xa2
22. d4!+ Vitiugov-Ragger, Tromso World Cup 2013)
a2) c6! 13. xg7+ xg7 14. g5 d7 ( 14... b6 15. d7b7 16. d2 ) 15. e4
cxe5 16. xe5 xe5 17. xc5c6 18. d4 f5 19. e3 g8 20. OOO d7 21. g4
( 21.b1 c8 Morozevich-Ponomariov, Riga ACP 2013) 21... f3 22.g2!
b) OO 7. h5 c5 8. hxg6 hxg6 9. d5 b5 10. h6 xh6 11. xh6b4 12. a4 g7 ( 12... xe4 ;
12... a5 ) 13. h4+/=Mamedyarov-Kamsky, Tromso World Cup 2013
5... h6 6. f4 dxc4 7. e4 c5 8. d5 b5 9. e5 h5 10. h2 g4 11.e2 d7 12. d2 xe2 13. xe2 b4
14. a4 c3 15. c4 O-O 16.O-O cxb2 17. axb2 f5 Matlakov-Mamedyarov, Tromso World Cup 2013
6. cxd5 The most critical move, which was played by Morozevich against Giri in the Sport Accord tournament in
Beijing.
6. g5
a) 6... O-O 7. xf6 xf6 8. h5 f5 9. e3+/= I think Carlsen was in a lot of trouble here. At one
point, according to the post-match press conference, he was going for a line that was losing by
force. That gives you an idea of just how dangerous his position
was. 9... e6 10. hxg6 (10. e5 ) 10... xg6 11. d3 d7 12. e2 e5 13. xg6 hxg614. dxe5
xe5 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. d1+/= Grischuk-Carlsen, London 2013
b) dxc4 A very sensible option for Black as it's very difficult for White to justify the sacrificed
pawn. It's not going to be easy to win it back and Black is ready for the potential attacks on the
kingside - after all, the king isn't even on g8 yet. I'd be very interested to know what Grischuk's
plan was against this move as in general I think Black is just fine.
b1) 7. h5 xh5 8. e4 b5

b2) 7. e3 even gives Black a choice. 7... e6 ( 7... b5 ) 8. d2d5 Creating the
important threat of
...h6. 9. xc4 ( 9. h5 h610. h4 g5 11. g3 OO=/+ ) 9... xc3 10. bxc3 xc4
11.xc4 d5=/+ Once again Black emerges with an extra pawn and obviously
shouldn't be doing that badly.
b3) 7. a4 O-O 8. e4 e6 9. h5 xh5
b4) 7. xf6

b41) 7... xf6 8. e4 b5 9. h5 ( 9. a4 b4 10. a2 e6=/+ )9... g4 10. e5

g7 11. h6 f8
b42) exf6 8. e3 e6 9. d2 b5
b5) 7. e4 7... b5 8. e5 ( 8. e2 g4 ) 8... d5 This is clearly a pretty decent version
of the Slav
Gambit. 9. h5 ( 9. e4 f6! )9... h6 10. d2 g5 11. a4 xc3 12. bxc3 e6=/+
6... cxd5 7. f4 c6 8. e3 Once again Morozevich is aiming for the positions he made very popular in the
Exchange Slav. Those used to be considered a complete draw but now, mainly due to his original efforts,
everybody plays them and Black has to be very careful.
8... O-O 9. e5
9. e2 g4 10. O-O e6 is pretty much completely
equal: 11. c1c8 12. b3 e7 13. d2 xe2 14. xe2 fd8= Melkumyan-Erdos, Berlin 2013
9... xe5 This proposed improvement might look a bit cynical to some of you, but otherwise I think you might not
equalise.
9... b6 This was Anish Giri's somewhat imprecise move against
Morozevich. 10. b3! xb3 11. axb3 b4 ( 11... f5 12. xc6 bxc613. b4+/= ) 12. d2 h5 13. d3 c
6 14. f3+/= Morozevich-Giri, Beijing 2012
9... f5
10. xe5
10. dxe5 e4 11. xe4 dxe4 12. c4=
10... e4 Swapping off as many pieces as possible.
11. xg7 xc3 12. bxc3 xg7 13. h5 If White allows Black to play this himself then I simply don't see why Black
should be worse.
13. d3 h5 14. b3=
13... f5
13... a5 14. d2 f5 15. c4+/=

14. e2 d6! Black is aiming to play ...Rac8, ...Rc7 and ...Rfc8. In some positions he'd also be happy to play
...e7-e5 if an opportunity arises to do so without material loss.
14... c8 15. g4 e6 16. c1 ( 16. d2 d7 17. f3 c7 )
15. g4 is how the game might continue, and after
15... d7 16. f4 ac8 17. c1 c7 it looks as though White has made some advances on the kingside and will
mount an impressive attack any day now. As a matter of fact, though, it's very difficult to swing any pieces over to
the h-file apart from the one rook which is already there. The pawn on c3 is a constant nagging worry which will
require a lot of attention. The queen will normally be stuck somewhere on d2, from which point it will be very
difficult to transfer it to anywhere attacking.
So I think in general Black should be fine here and we've covered all you need to know about the two Bb5+
variations and 5.h4. The latter is a very interesting and trendy recent addition to White's repertoire. I expect we'll
see more of it in future but the somewhat pragmatic approach - going for symmetrical positions - should be safe
enough and enable Black to equalise reasonably comfortably.

This will be a slight detour from the normal fare of my Grnfeld series. Most of the videos I'm making will be
purely theoretical and very theory heavy, or at least I hope they will be, but here I want to show you a couple of
my junior games. First of all, because they're very memorable, but secondly because I think they show at least
glimpses of why I like this opening so much and why I stuck with it despite on occasions losing a lot of painful
games and in general suffering at the hands of strong players. The games were played in the early 1990s in the
World Juniors, one in 92 and the other in 94. Some theory will be mixed in but I mainly just want to show you the
state of play in the early 90s and try and instil in you some of the fondness for the opening that I already had in
those years.
Ioannis Papaioannou 0:1 Peter Svidler
World Juniors U16Duisburg, Germany, 1992
So let's begin with the game I played in 92. It was the last round of the World U16 Juniors, and there was a 3-way
tie for first place between myself, Daniel Fridman, who now represents Germany, and Ronen Har-Zvi, an Israeli
who many of you will know as a commentator on ICC. It was clear I needed to win because they were likely to do
the same. In the final analysis even a win didn't prove enough for the title, but I'm still very happy with the way I
played. I was paired with the Greek chess player Ioannis Papaioannou, who also became a strong grandmaster.
Obviously I was Black:
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 This was my signature move in those years. I can't lay claim to having
been the first one ever to play it, but judging by the way they would proceed most people before me played it
with the idea of blundering a pawn and losing, whereas I wanted to get compensation and a double-edged position
I could play for a win perhaps, eventually. People would just take the pawn, and I think they still should, but after
5. xf6 xf6 6. cxd5 c6 the more sophisticated lines starting with e.g. 7.Rc1 or 7.e4 were completely unknown
back then.
7. dxc6 People played this automatically and only then started to think, reasoning that if you didn't take the pawn
now it might run away.
7... xd4 8. cxb7 xb7 This position is frankly a luxury you can't get for love or money nowadays, but in those
years I think my first three or four games in the Bg7 variation got to here, with good results.
9. b3 Ioannis chose this move.
9. e3 was played against me in a later junior game in a tournament in St. Petersburg in 1993 by Valery
Popov, who also became a strong grandmaster. 9... xc3+ 10. bxc3 a5 11. c2 Somewhat more
circumspect. After ( 11. d4 O-O 12. b4 Black can just play 12...c7 and the knight is about to enter
the fray, let's say via a6 and c5. White has only developed a single piece, and even that's a source of
constant worry, so he's clearly not better here.) 11... O-O 12. e2 It's important to see that after
( 12. b1? Black doesn't need to play the bishop anywhere yet, because 12... c8! is very strong,
waiting for 13.e2 and only then,
perhaps, 13... d5=/+ ) 12... d7 13. b1 ( 13.d4 ac8 14. c1 f6 ) 13... c5 14. f3 ab8! A
move I'm quite proud of. It's purely prophylactic, waiting for the knight to determine where it's going.
( 14... fd8 15. d4 e5 16. b3 ; 14... d5 is a move Black clearly wants to make, but if he starts
with it White will reply 15. f4 and now the threat of Rb5 means Black needs to start reworking his plans
somewhat. I wasn't keen on that.) 15. d4 ( 15.f2 d5 ) 15... d5 Only now, and at the very least
Black will win back the a-pawn with quite a bit of pressure. I eventually won this game.
9... c7 We'd reached a position I already had on the board back in 91 against Colin Crouch at the Lloyds Bank
Masters in London.

10. e3 g7 11. b5+ Frankly sub-optimal, as there's no reason for White to waste a tempo on this. I think
Ioannis' play was influenced by the fact he was understandably nervous, just as I was. It was the last round of the
World Juniors, which was my first and probably his first as well.
11. f3 This is much better than 11.Bb5+, and
after 11... OO 12. e2d7 13. OO ab8 14. a3 e5 Black has wonderful compensation for the
pawn. 15. ac1 ( 15. d4 is another try for White, but Black can reply with the very
strong 15... a8 creating the idea of Qb7, and after the possible 16. fc1 b7 17. f1 fc8=/ Black
has fantastic compensation for the pawn and at the very least isn't worse.) 15... xf316. gxf3 b7 and
the game soon ended in a perpetual on the
kingside:17. f4 f3+ 18. xf3 xf3 19. xe7 xb2 20. e4 xa2 21. f6+h8 22. d7 g4+
Crouch-Svidler, London 1991
11... c6 12. f3 O-O 13. O-O e5 This is clearly a much improved version of the game against Crouch because
the bishop on b5 is completely misplaced and will probably have to be drawn back to e2 at the cost of a tempo.
14. xe5 xe5 15. e4 A move that can only be explained by his desire to offer me something which might tempt
me to equalise immediately, but I wasn't really interested. I wanted to keep the pressure on.
15. e2 is probably the best move here, but after 15... ab8 16. a3a5 Black certainly isn't worse,
although I think White should hold. 17.fd1 c6=/
15... ab8 This is what I went for.
16. a4 c5 Black doesn't need to try and win back material immediately as by now it's clear that some material
will be won back at some point.
17. e2 a8 18. ab1 fd8 Black just develops naturally and it's very difficult for White to withstand the
pressure, especially if in his desire to simplify and make his life at least a little bit easier he does what my
opponent did.
19. c4 a5 20. a6 xa6 21. xa6 Black is finally ready to start winning back some material, and soon I was
completely winning. The game didn't win me the title - Ronen became World Champion on tiebreaks - but it
reinforced my belief that the Grnfeld is a very good fighting opening which gives your opponents a lot of scope to
go wrong. It generally leads to unbalanced and interesting positions where you can express yourself.
21... d2 22. fc1 xc3 23. bxc3 xb1 24. xb1 xe4 25. e1d5 26. f1 e6 27. c1 f8 28. a4
a2 29. b5 b3 30. h3xa4 31. f1 b3 32. c4 a5 33. d3 d2 34. f1 a4 35. a1d1 36. xd1
xd1 37. c5 e8
0-1

Giorgi Kacheishvili 0:1 Peter Svidler

World Juniors U18Szeged, Hungary, 1994
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. d2 In 1994 in round 7 of the U18s I played the then Georgian
and now American chess player Giorgi Kacheishvili. The sideline he employed here is very important today, and a
lot of very strong players have played it. Dreev has been its major proponent over the course of the last decade
and a half. Vishy Anand also won a very nice game against me, so this is a very serious subline of the Grnfeld. I'm
not even going to attempt to cover the theory here, but I think the game I played against Giorgi is very instructive
and also covers one subline quite sufficiently. I also want to point out that although in those years there was

obviously some theory on this line I knew none of it. My reaction was, "ok, this is some move, I have no idea what
I'm supposed to do here, so let's just make natural moves. This can't be the refutation of my favourite opening, so
let's just play chess." In many cases over the course of my career that kind of approach has brought me better
results than the times when I've sat at the board tortuously trying to remember what my notebooks and then later
files said about something. An uncluttered mind is sometimes a very powerful thing.
5... g7 6. e4 b6 7. e3 O-O The main way of replying to 5.Bd2, and in this position White has a variety of
good moves. Perhaps the most critical and most popular here is the somewhat counter-intuitive 8.Bb5. 8.h3 is
another very important alternative which Vishy used to great effect in the game he won against me at the Tal
Memorial. Of course there's also 8.Nf3, or the move played in the game.
8. e2 Black once again has more than one idea here, but I believe what I did effectively puts an end to this
subline (though it doesn't stop White returning to the lines with Nf3).
8... c6 9. d5
9. f3 is probably the best move in this position, transposing to the normal Nf3
theory. 9... g4 10. d5 xf3 11. gxf3 a5 ( 11... e5 It's important to know that this move is imprecise
here, since 12. b3actually gives White a decent shot at an opening advantage.) 12. d4d6! Theory
shows that Black has absolutely nothing to fear and is fine in all lines here. 13. xg7 xg7
a) 14. c1 f6! ( 14... c6 is much less precise, as after 15. d2! the knight on a5 is in
trouble.)
a1) 15. b1 xb2 16. c2 b4+ 17. d2 f6=/+ ( 17... c618. a1+ g8 19. a3
a4 20. d1 b5 21. e2 a4 22.d1 b5 1/2 Ivanchuk-Brkic, Kusadasi 2006)
a2) 15. a4 15... xa4 16. xa4 xb2 17. xc7 fc8 18.xa5 b6 19. xc8 bxa5
20. xa8 b1+ 21. d1 b4+ 22.f1 b7 23. d8 b6 24. a8 b7=
Sieciechowicz-Matlakov, Chotowa 2010
b) 14. d2 14... f6 15. b3 ( 15. f4 ac4 16. xc4 xc4 17.e2 b6 18. e3 c4=
I.Sokolov-Shirov, Las Vegas FIDE WCh 1999)15... fd8! /\
Nc6( 15... c6 16. d1 cxd5 17. exd5 ad8 18. e4xd5 19. xf6 xd2 20. h5+! Zhao XueKosintseva, Sochi
2009)16. c1 e6 17. b5 c6 18. xc7 ac8 19. e8+ xe8 20.dxc6 xc6 21. xc6 bxc6
Arlandi-Konopka, Baden 1999
9... e5 10. d4 This looks very sensible because White is aiming to play f4 next move, trade off the darksquared bishops and then develop naturally. His pieces will be more harmonious because the knight on b6 is
somewhat misplaced and White is dominant in the centre. This is actually a very principled way of dealing with
Black's setup, but unfortunately it runs into quite serious turbulence.
10... c5 I'm very proud to say I was the first to play this move, which I believe is now the definitive response to
this line.
11. xc5
11. xe5 is also possible, and you could argue it's no worse than 11.Bxc5, but giving up the dark-squared
bishop like that is no-one's idea of fun.
11... ec4 It transpires that defending the b2-pawn won't be at all easy.

11... bc4 12. b3 b6 13. d4

12. xc4 This move looks very strong at first glance.
12. xb6 xb6 13. xc4 xb2

12. b3 is what White should perhaps play, and after 12... xb2 13.c1 White at least attempts to hold
his queenside together without giving up either of his bishops. ( 13. xb2 a4+ )
a) 13... xc3+ The move I suggested in my notes to this game for the Informant. 14. xc3 2a4 I went
on to say that Black is slightly better here, which goes to show that in 94 my understanding of the static
structures in the Grnfeld was somewhat deficient, because after 15. d4 Black is definitely not better
and there have even been some games starting from this position which White won convincingly. I'm not
saying White has a definite advantage here, but it's very playable and would pose him no
problems. 15... xc5 16. xc5 d717. f3 a4 18. c1 ( 18. c4 b5 19. c2 Palo-Jerez Perez,
Andorra
2004) 18... a5+ 19. d2 xd2+ 20. xd2 fc8 21. e5e8 22. g4 d8 23. e3+/= HuebnerSolozhenki, FIN-tch 2012
b) 13... d7! Ignoring the fact that the knight is hanging on b2. 14.f3 1/2 Gleizerov-Ganguly, Abu
Dhabi 2005 ( 14. xb2 The point is that after the forcing
sequence 14... a4 15. a3 xc5 16. xc5c8 17. a3 c7 the knight on c3 is lost. Black is once
again very much ahead.) 14... c8 15. d4 xd4 16. xd4 2c4

12... xc4 13. b3

13. e2 xb2 transposes to 13.Qb3.

13... xb2! The point of my entire play.
14. xb2 c7 It transpires that White is unable to hang on to the material. The piece will be won back with a lot
of compensation.
15. b4 The correct move. Trying to hold on to more material with
15. a3 b6 16. b4 a5 17. c1 runs into 17... axb4! 18. xa8 and taking on c3 with pretty much
anything. Black will have an advantage because White is so undeveloped and uncoordinated.
15... a5 16. ge2 axb4 17. xb4 And in this position "the past me" made a very good move:
17... g4
17... d6 18. xd6 exd6 19. O-O f5 20. ae1 d7 21. b1 fxe422. xe4 xa2= ChernuschevichJansa, France 2003
18. f3 Pretty much forced.
18... d7 The point is simply to weaken an additional diagonal and create more potential entry points into
White's position.
19. O-O b5=/ I don't think Black is better here - at least not yet - but it's definitely much easier and more
enjoyable for him to play. The game bore out that assessment.

20. h1? A very natural and human move by Giorgi, trying to get the king away from potential checks.
20. xe7 fe8 21. b4 f8 22. d6 ( 22. b3 b4 23. d1 a3 24.b1 b5+ ) 22... xd6 23. b3
xh2+ 24. h1 e5=/+
20. ab1!
a) 20... e5 21. h1 fb8 22. d4 ( 22. xe7 d6 23. h4 b424. e5 bxc3 1/2 DoettlingJaracz, Bad Wiessee
2000 25. exd6 xb126. xb1 c2 27. c1 xd6 28. xc2 xd5 29. d4 e6 30.xd5 xd5
31. c1 h5= ) 22... a5 23. xa5 xa5 24. ce2xa2 25. f4 xd4 26. xd4 a4 27. fd1
c4=
b) fc8 21. xb5 xb5 22. xb5 xa2=/
20... d6=/+ Once again nice play by the young me, because I'm sure in those years it was difficult for me to
trade queens in a position where I'm still a pawn down and could perhaps be tempted by some more Romantic
continuation. This is the correct approach, however, and the endgame is very, very good for Black.
21. xd6
21. ab1 xb4 22. xb4 fc8 23. xb5 xb5 24. xb5 xa2 25.g1 h6! 26. f4 cc2
21... exd6 The following sequence is now almost forced.
22. ab1 fb8 23. b4 You can't allow b4.
23... a3 24.c1
24. b3 b4 25. xa3 ( 25. fb1 xb3 26. xb3 c8 ) 25... bxa326. b1 b2+

24... c8 Shifting the rook from b4 and opening the a-file.

25. b3
25. xb5 xc1+ 26. xc1 e3!+
25... xb3 26. axb3 a8! 27. b1

27. b4!= This is the move I think White should have played. Strictly speaking, he probably isn't worse yet,
but he isn't better either and Black has more options. At some point he could try to open more diagonals
by playing f5, and in general this position remains much easier and more comfortable for Black to play.
Giorgi instead started to go quite badly wrong from here onwards and allowed b4 at a very inopportune
moment. Soon all my pieces were roaming free, so to speak, in White's position. The game didn't last
until the first time control and was instrumental in my winning the 1994 World Championship in Szeged.
So of course I had a lot of reasons to remember it fondly regardless, but recently I also had a very
peculiar and pleasant experience.

I was playing in the Gibraltar Masters and after one of the rounds a man came up to me and said, "Hi, you don't
know me, but do you remember a game you won against the Bd2 Grnfeld where your bishops were so strong that
you won an endgame a pawn down?" I said, "Yeah, I remember it well, it was a nice game," and he replied, "You
know that prompted me to pick up the Grnfeld!" I'm sure people like Kasparov hear that all the time. For
instance, I clearly picked up the Grnfeld because Kasparov was the major Grnfeld player of his age and I was
basing my opening repertoire on his games. But for me it was a very rare occurrence to hear somebody say that my
games and my choices somehow influenced his choices in life. I remember that conversation and it was a very
pleasant compliment to hear.
Anyway, those are the two games I wanted to show. I hope they're a) somewhat instructive chess-wise, and b)
convey a sense of how I view the Grnfeld as an opening, what made it so attractive to me and why I've been a
Grnfeld player for the past 20 years or so.
27... a3 28. d1 a2 29. f4 b4 30. d3 e2 31. g3 b5 32.xb4 e1+ 33. g2 d4 34. c2 e2+
0-1

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.e3
8.Nf3
3.g3 c6 4.Bg2

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.e3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. g3 The point of this move order is that White manages to prevent
Black from playing the symmetrical systems against g3 that start with the move c7-c6 and then d5. In those
systems Black recaptures on d5 with the pawn, keeping the structure very solid. That's always been the most
fireproof way for Black to deal with the g3 systems and is currently doing very well, so White players are
understandably trying to avoid it. However, the position of the knight on c3 gives Black additional opportunities.
5... g7 6. g2 xc3 7. bxc3 c5 In this position White has a choice between 8.Nf3 and 8.e3.
8. e3 a5 This is more ambitious than 8...0-0 and I think a stronger option. Black aims for immediate equality,
and White now once again has a choice.
8... O-O has no particular drawbacks. 9. e2 c6 10. O-O a5 In this structure Black aims to play Rd8,
the queen is normally very safe on a5, or later a6, and Black tries to play on the light squares or go for an
e5-break at an opportune moment. The position is very playable.
a) 11. b3 d8 ( 11... g4 12. f4 e5 13. h3 f5 14. g4 c815. dxe5 xe5 16. d5 e6 ;
11... a6 12. f4 e5 13. d5e6 ) 12. a4 ( 12. f4 e5! ; 12. d5 e6 13. g2 a6 14. f4
e5 ; 12. e1 cxd4 13. exd4 xd4! ) 12... g4 13. f3 ( 13. f4e5 ; 13. a2 e6 14. d5 c4
15. b5 xd5 16. xd5 xd5 17.xb7 b6!=/+ ) 13... d7 14. a3 b6 ( 14... cxd4 15. cxd4
ab8 16. fd1 e6 ) 15. f4 ac8 16. d5 Lieb-Malisauskas, 1996
16... g4! 17. f2 xe2 18. xe2 xc3=/+
b) 11. a4 11... d8 12. b1 a6 and Black is
fine: 13. f4 cxd414. cxd4 f5 15. b5 ac8 Marszalek-Jaracz, Polanica Zdroj 2005
9. e2 This has the disadvantage of allowing 9...cxd4.
9. d2 keeps the cxd4 option open for White, but after 9... O-O 10.e2 c6 11. O-O a6 Black's idea
becomes apparent. The bishop on d2 is completely misplaced - it really has no business being there - and
in general it's quite difficult for White to find suitable posts for his pieces. A possible plan for White is
now 12. c1 but after 12... d7 ( 12... cxd413. cxd4 e5 14. d5 e4 15. b3+/= ) 13. b3 b6 it becomes
clear that the knight on b3 is only a slight improvement over the knight on e2. 14.a4 ( 14. dxc5 will be
met by 14... ac8 and Black gets very typical Grnfeld compensation for the pawn. He's perfectly fine
here, as the whole structure on the queenside is now a target for attack and White's pieces are still
misplaced.) 14... ac8 15. a5 xa5 , and after massive simplifications on the queenside a draw is the
most likely outcome. 16.e1 b5 17. xa5 bxa5=
9... cxd4 10. exd4 O-O 11. O-O c6 Black has managed to force White to take on d4 with the e-pawn. I think
that should be very beneficial for Black because in general White wants to take with the c3-pawn, opening up the
c-file and the c3-square for the knight on e2. Black is very comfortable. Two high profile games continued
12. b3 d8 13. d5 e5 Black is ready to play e.g. Bd7 next move and is just fine here.
14. g5

14. d4 d7 15. g5 c5 16. fe1 h6 17. e3 c7 18. f4 g519. xe5 xe5 20. ac1 ac8
21. f3 f6 Mamedyarov-Grischuk, Almaty IV World Blitz 2008

14... e8

14... c5 is another safe way to meet 14.Bg5.

15. d4 d7 16. ab1 b6 17. f4 ac8 18. xe5 xe5 19. c6xc3=/+ Georgiev-Kramnik, Belgrade 1997

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Nf3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. g3 g7 6. g2xc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. f3 cxd4 This is my
proposed solution in this line.
8... c6 is what most people play here, which is a fine move in itself, but after 9.0-0 it allows White a
position I would recommend trying to avoid.
a) 9. e3 is not what White plays 8.Nf3 for. 9... O-O 10. O-O a5
a1) 11. b2 d8 ( 11... e6 12. d5 fd8 Miton-Volokitin, Bermuda
2003) 12. e2 ( 12. b3 e6 13. a3 c7 14. g5c4 15. fd1 a5 16. e4 b6
17. d2 Pasalic-Mikhalevski, Chicago 2004 17... ac8= )
a11) 12... e6 13. fd1 cxd4 14. xd4 ( 14. cxd4 ac8 15.d2 a4 )
14... d7= Arnett-Yermolinsky, New York 1998
a12) 12... e5 13. xe5 xe5 14. dxe5 xe5 15. c4 xb2 (15... d2
16. xd2 xd2 17. xe5=/ Kotsur-Bologan, Moscow
2004) 16. xb2 e6 17. e5 d2=
a2) 11. d2 c7 12. c2 a5 13. fc1 d8 14. e1 e6=/+Doss-Shulman, Dallas
2000
a3) 11. b3 11... b8 ( 11... c7 12. a3 b6 13. dxc5b8=/ Ljubojevic-Topalov,
Monaco 1997; 11... b6 12. d2 d713. b2 ac8= Arutinian-Kacheishvili, Tbilisi 66th
GEO-ch 2007)
a31) 12. d5 xc3 ( 12... e5 13. xe5 xe5 14. d2 b5 15.f4 g7 16. e4
e6=/+ Navara-Bologan, Mainz 14th Ordix op 2007)
a32) 12. d2 12... d7 13. a3 b6 14. fd1 fc8 15. f1cxd4 16. cxd4
g4 Filippov-Bologan, Vladivostok 1995

b) 9. O-O 9... cxd4 ( 9... O-O is not the

best: 10. d5 a5 11.f4 f5 12. c1 e4 13. c4 b2 14. h3 xc1 15. xc1 xf316. exf3 b5
17. cxb5 xd5 18. h6 Potkin-Belov, Dagomys RUS-tch 2010) 10. xd4 , and now Black has a
choice. 10... a5 I played this against Vladimir Potkin as I decided I didn't want to defend the endgame
after 10... Nxd4, but I think this position is quite dangerous for Black. White has a number of options here
which are potentially very, very unpleasant and make it hard to recommend.

( 10... xd411. cxd4 xd4 , accepting the pawn sac, is now considered more or less a forced draw, but
it's one that Black, not White, will clearly have to make, and in general after 12. b1 White will enjoy a
slight pull with absolutely zero risk. Although this is of course a very viable option, it's not my
recommendation.)
b1) 11. g5 OO ( 11... h6 12. e3 OO 13. c1 h7 14.d1 ) 12. a4 d7 13. b4 e8
14. ad1 c8
b2) 11. a4+ 11... d7 12. a3 c8 13. d1 b6 and here I was already fine in PotkinSvidler, Bundesliga
2011 14. b4 xb415. cxb4 a4 16. d3 c6 17. e3 xd4 18. xd4 xd4 19.xd4 c7 ,
but the whole approach seems a bit risky to me.
9. cxd4 The normal move.
9. xd4 O-O 10. O-O c7!
a) 11. b1 xc3 12. b5 a5 13. d2 xa2 The simplest move. (13... d8 leads to
problems. 14. e3 a5 15. e1 c6 16. xa5xa5 17. c7 f5 18. xa8 xb1 19. xb1
xa8 20. xb7Aronian-Grischuk, Noyon 2005) 14. b4 ( 14. c7 illustrates the point of 13...
Qxa2, as it's met by 14... d8 and after the bishop on d2 is lost only Black can be
better.) 14... f5 This results in the total annihilation of everything on the board and a quick
draw. 15. xb7xb1 16. xb1 xb1 17. xb1 d7=
b) 11. b3 11... c6 The following almost forced line once again leaves the board almost
empty 12. xc6 bxc6 13. f4 a5 14.xc6 e6= 15. b4 xb4 16. cxb4 xa1 17. xa8 c3=Bol
ogan-Svidler, Astana Blitz 2012
9... c6 10. O-O Once again inviting Black to take on d4.
10. e3 O-O 11. O-O e6 is very nice for
Black: 12. e2 ( 12. a4 a613. d2 d5= ; 12. d2 d5= ) 12... c8
10... O-O Black once again declines the invitation.
10... xd4 11. xd4 xd4 12. b1 O-O 13. e3 Aronian-Radjabov, 2009
11. b1 White continues to insist.
11. f4 xd4 12. xd4 xd4 13. c1 xd1 14. fxd1 e6=
11. g5 xd4 12. xd4 xd4=
11. e3 here, abandoning the idea of sacrificing the d4-pawn, leaves Black perfectly fine
after 11... e6 His plan is quite transparent. He wants to put the bishop on d5, the rook on c8 and the
queen will go to either d7 or a5. In general, if Black manages to neutralise the potentially very strong
bishop on g2 he should be fine in this structure.
11... b6 This is the move I propose here. I played it against Ruslan Ponomariov in the European Club
Championship in 2011, and I think it gives Black an interesting position with definite potential for counterplay.
11... xd4 transposes to the endgame I described above.

12. d5 The main move and the one Ruslan played against me.
12. e5 xe5 13. xa8 shows the tactical justification for 11...b6, as Black now has the incredibly
strong move 13... f5=/+ hitting the rook on b1 and threatening Qxa8 and then Bh3. Black regains
material with interest and is already better.
12. g5 b7 13. d5 a5 14. e4 h6 15. f3 then either 15... e6 or the less concrete ( 15... c8 lead to
very double-edged positions which should be very playable for
Black. 16. b2 xb2 17. xb2 d6 ) 16.a3 e8 17. d6 d7 ( 17... c4 18. d7 xa3 19. dxe8=Q+
xe8 20. b3 c4=/ )
12. d2 b7 13. e3 a5 14. xb7 xb7 15. a3 d7=
12. a3 is a quiet move Black can meet with 12... e6 because a pawn is no longer hanging on b7. He
again wants to play something like Rc8 and Qd7, when Black should be very
comfortable. 13. c1 c8 ( 13... d514. e3 d7 15. e1+/= ) 14. e3 xa2 ( 14... d7 15. g5+/= )
15.g5 ( 15. e2 e6 16. g5 d5 17. b5 xg2 18. xg2 e8= )15... a5 16. xc8 xc8 17. x
e7 e8 18. b4 c4 19. e1 f520. f3 b5
12. e3 gives Black additional possibilities, for instance playing 12... f5 first.
12... f5 This is Black's point. You don't want to allow e2-e4 without putting up some resistance. The rook is now
hanging so White has a choice.
13. b5
13. b2 This isn't an exchange sacrifice Black should even seriously contemplate. I personally prefer
a) 13... e5 14. xe5 ( 14. d4 d3 ) 14... xe5 15. e4 d7The machine insists Black is very
much alive and well in the position after this additional trade, but I'm not sure Black needs to
trade off the knights. 16. b1 c8
b) 13... a5 is what Ruslan played here. 14. d4 d7 15. d3 (15. b1 may be the best
White has, which would transpose to the game between myself and
Ruslan.) 15... c8 16. b1 ( 16. c2xc2 17. xc2 c7 18. a3 c8 ) 16... c7 17. b5
xb5 18.xb5 c4=
13. b3 a5 14. b4 White's plan here is to transfer the knight to c6. If he succeeds it would give him a
big advantage, but I don't think it's very likely to happen. 14... c8 15. d4 d6 Entering a forcing
line. 16.a3 xd4 ( 16... d7 17. d3 c7 18. c6 xc6 19. dxc6+/= ) 17.xd4 c4 Black
successfully trades off a lot of material. 18. xc4xc4 19. xc4 xa3 This position is equal. Black
hangs on with forced lines, making this very playable for
Black. 20. e4 d7 ( 20... c8 21.b5 g4 22. h3 a6 23. xb6 e2 24. e1 xa2 25. b4+/= ) 21.c
7 a4 22. e5 c8 23. b7 c5=
13... a5
13... a6 is of course possible here, but I was worried White would play14. b2 and after 14... e5 or
( 14... a5 the pawn on b6 might be hanging in some lines. I didn't want to weaken my queenside for no
particular reason.)
14. d4 d7 15. b1

15. c6 doesn't work here as the pawn will be surrounded and eaten.
15... c8 Black has rich counterplay because it's difficult for White to come up with any concrete plans, while
Black has a lot of squares along the c-file he can use as shuttle points for his pieces - c5, c4 and even c3 in some
cases.
16. b2
16. f4 is natural, but I believe Black's play is somewhat easier after16... c4 17. e3 c8 He has very
clear and well-defined plans. Next move he'll probably continue with Qc5, the second rook will come to
c8 and Black's occupation of the only open file gives him very comfortable play.
16... c7 Planning to put the queen on c4 and apply some pressure on the queenside.
17. a3 , and here I missed a very nice shot at an advantage.
17. c1 is of course met by 17... d6 and the queen is ready to come to b4, which is also unappealing
for White.
17... c3! would have given Black an excellent game.
17... e5 is what I played, and after 18. f3 the game was soon drawn. Ponomariov-Svidler, Rogaska
Slatina 27th ECC 2011
18. b3 I couldn't quite make this work for Black because White now wants to play either Rc1 or Bb2, leading to
beneficial trades e.g. Black might even have to recapture on a5 with the pawn because the queen will be driven
away from c3.
18. b2 is of course met by 18... c4 and it's just a waste of a tempo, which wasn't what Ruslan
planned.
18... c4 19. xe7 e3! This is the very beautiful shot I missed. Black wins back a lot of material with a
fantastic position. I looked at the position after
19... fe8 20. d6 for a while but couldn't find any direct counterplay. It's somewhat risky to give away
the e7-pawn for absolutely nothing.

4.Bg2

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. g2
4. f3 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. c3 g7 7. e5 , trying to save a tempo on Bg2, doesn't get White
anywhere: 7... fd7 8. f4 xe5 9. fxe5
OO 10. g2 e6 11. OO ( 11. e4 dxe4 12. xe4 b6=/+ ) 11...c6 12. e3 f6 13. exf6 exf6 , and Black
is perfectly fine.
4... d5 5. b3 This is just a mistake, first of all because in this position with Bg7 and 0-0 Black can transpose to a
line covered later where Black is doing quite well, but also because White is somewhat underdeveloped while
Black still has all his options open.

5. a4 A serious option, which Gabi Sargissian played against me in the same European Club
Championship where the game against Ruslan Ponomariov was played.
a) 5... fd7 is the best move in the position, which has been known about for quite a while, but
slipped my mind. In this position Nb6 is a huge threat.
a1) 6. c2 The main move, trying at least somehow to justify playing Qa4 on the
previous move. Here the most precise way of playing is 6... dxc4 ( 6... g7 could be
played first, but then after7. f3 dxc4 8. xc4 b6 White can play 9. c2 because
you really don't want to take on d4 and give up your pride and joy, the dark-squared
bishop.) 7. xc4 b6 Now White pretty much has to play 8. d3 as after 8. Qc2 Black
will of course take on d4 and simply be a pawn up. But
after 8... g7 9. f3 OO 10. O-Oa6 the queen is completely misplaced on d3. Black
is ready to start counterplay with c5 here and, in general, I think Black stands very
well.
a2) 6. cxd5 Black may even be able to claim a slight advantage here.
After 6... b6 7. b3 cxd5 8. f3 g7 9. O-O c6 10.d1 O-O it's clear that Black
is already better developed. The bishop will come to f5 and Black has a lot of very
obvious strengthening moves like Qd7 and Rc8, whereas White is already somewhat
pinned down to the defence of the d4-pawn. The position is probably still equal, but if
anyone is better here it's Black.
b) 5... dxc4 is what actually happened in my game against Sargissian.6. xc4 e6 7. a4 And
only now 7... bd7 8. f3 b6 9. d1Unfortunately I really did go on to lose the game.
Sargissian-Svidler, Rogaska Slatina 27th ECC 2011.
c) 5... bd7 is the move I showed immediately in the video, and after6. cxd5 b6 7. b3 I said
that "the b8-knight is somewhat misplaced on b6 and in general belongs on c6, if at all possible.
I couldn't achieve full equality here and went on to lose the game."
5. f3 g7 6. O-O O-O Apart from the three main moves - 7. b3, 7.Qb3 and 7.cxd5 - White has the
option of playing 7. bd2 This has the advantage of not allowing any forced theory, but the knight is
quite badly misplaced on d2 and has no particular future there. A very harmonious way for Black to
develop was pointed out, no doubt correctly, by Boris Avrukh in his book. 7... f5 ( 7... a5 is how many
people immediately react to the knight coming to d2, with a4 to follow, but that's not really
necessary.) 8. b3 e4 9. b2 If you give White an additional move he'll play Nh4, forcing Nxd2 Qxd2,
and White will at least have a harmonious position with some plans, although I wouldn't really term that
an opening advantage. 9... a5 A strong and important move, pinning White down. The knight on d2 is
stuck. You don't want to play Nxd4 because after Bxd4 Black is very comfortable. The bishop shouldn't be
allowed to come to e4 so cheaply in this kind of structure. One attempt by White to solve his problems
is 10. a3 d7 11. b4 but after 11... d8 it becomes clear that although Black has seemingly wasted two
tempi on Qa5 and Qd8 White's expansion on the queenside has only created potential problems. For
instance, he almost never wants to take on d5 because the c4-square will be weak for the rest of the
game. If White plays something like 12.b3 , which looks very natural, Black has a very nice idea. He can
play12... b6 creating the threat of dxc4 and Be6, winning material. White will feel very tempted to
play 13. c5 and then just 13... d7 Once again, Black has seemingly lost a couple of tempi but now that
the centre has been stabilised he'll have very easy play connected with the e7-e5 break, whereas White's
initiative on the queenside is still in its very early stages. I think Black is already very comfortable here.
5... dxc4 6. bxc4 e5 putting White's centre under immediate pressure. This really isn't advisable for White.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 c6 5.Bg2 d5 6.cxd5

6.Qb3
6.b3

6.cxd5
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4. g3 c6 5. g2 d5 6. cxd5
6. e5 e4 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 is too fancy to be
good: 8... dxc49. xc4 d6 10. e5 ( 10. xd6 exd6 11. d5 d7 12. c3c5 ) 10... e6 11. c2
d7 12. f4 xe5 13. dxe5 b6+ 14.h1 f5=/+ Inarkiev-Bosiocic, Rijeka 2010
6... cxd5 7.e5
7. c3 e4 A recurrent theme in these lines. Black aims to trade off the c3-knight as early as possible,
preventing White from establishing knights on c3 and e5. The moment one of the knights moves you play
Ne4 - which makes it very easy to memorise. 8. b3 is a very important subline here. It featured in a
number of interesting games recently, with Hikaru Nakamura using it to beat Vladimir Kramnik at the
2012 Olympiad in Istanbul. ( 8. xe4 dxe4 9. e5 should be met with 9... d7which is followed by very
typical annihilation in the centre: 10. xd7xd7 11. xe4 xd4 12. xd4 xd4 leading to a position
that Black will quite comfortably hold. For instance, after 13. O-O he might even consider
playing 13... h3 and castling long in order to safeguard the only target for White's initiative, his weak
b7-pawn.; 8. e5xc3 9. bxc3 transposes.) 8... xc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. d2 e6 11.e4 Attempting to force
some favourable exchanges in the centre, but Black replied 11... c6
a) 12. a3 was played by Erwin L'ami in a recent game played in the final rounds of the Rilton
Cup in Stockholm against Ilya Smirin. 12...e8 13. O-O a5 14. d1 dxe4 Under favourable
circumstances this exchange is something Black should actively encourage, and here it seems to
refute L'Ami's idea.( 14... b6 allowed L'Ami to go on to win a fine attacking
game: 15. e5 a6 16. e1 c8 17. e3 d718. h4 L'Ami-Smirin, Stockholm XLII Rilton Cup
2013) 15. xe4c4 It's very important the bishop is on a3 so Black gains this important
tempo. 16. c1 d7 I think this is very comfortable for Black and he may easily go on to be
better if White allows Bc6. 17.b3 ( 17. g5 f6 18. f4 c6 ; 17. c5 allows White to and try
win the pawn on b7, but Black will have fantastic positional compensation based on the horrible
bishop on c1.) 17... a5 The easiest response. 18. b4 Other moves are even
weaker. 18... f819. b1 c6 20. g5 e7= Black is very comfortable here.
b) 12. exd5 a5 It transpires that White can't keep the pawn.
c) 12. O-O 12... a5 13. d1 c7 14. f3 , and now I suggest14... d7 One point of this
move is that Black aims in many cases to take on e4 and play Bc6. If Black manages to get his
bishop to c6 while White has failed to accomplish anything in the meantime Black will be doing
very well. The main point, however, is to play Rfc8 in one tempo. ( 14... b6 was played by
Kramnik, and after 15. a3 d816. e5 Hikaru managed to win the game, though to claim he
was better out of the opening would be a slight overstatement. He wasn't, but he still got a
playable position. 16... a6 17. fe1 ac8 18.b4 h6 Nakamura-Kramnik, Istanbul 2012)
c1) 15. exd5 exd5 16. b3 ( 16. xd5 xc3 is clearly
unattractive) 16... xb3 17. axb3 fc8 18. d2 e6= and Black is just fine.

c2) 15. a3 15... fc8 and it's important the rook attacks the c3-pawn in one tempo.
White already has to be slightly careful in this position and should probably
capture. 16. exd5 ( 16. e3dxe4 17. xe4 c6=/+ ) 16... exd5 17. xd5 Black has a
choice. 17... xc3 is perhaps simpler. ( 17... c6 is the forcing
option: 18. d6 xd6 19. xd6 xg2 20. xg2 xc3 21.b4 d3 22. xa5 b6 ,
winning the piece back with an endgame that Black should
hold. 23. f3 bxa5 24. fd1 xd125. xd1 ) 18. xd7 xa3 19. d5 f8 Black's
next move is Rd8, driving the pieces away, and I think it will very soon end in complete
equality. 20. ac1 d8 21. b5 c6=
7. O-O O-O
a) 8. e5
a1) 8... e4 After 9. d2 the one thing you shouldn't do is play9... xd2 ( 9... f5 is
fine for Black: 10. b3 c6 11.xc6 bxc6 12. xe4 xe4 13. xe4 dxe4 and
although the mass exchanges have left Black with a somewhat strange pawn structure
his far superior bishop on g7 ensures that isn't really felt.; 9... d7 is another
option.) 10. xd2 d7 because that allows 11. c3 and this is the one position where
White actually has some pull.
a2) g4 is an additional option for Black in this move
order. 9. f4( 9. xg4 xg4 10. c3 c6 ) 9... xe5 10. fxe5 c6 11.c3 e6 and
Black is very comfortable.
a21) 12. h1 d7 13. e4 g4 14. e6 xd1 15. exd7g4 16. g5 f6 17. e3
e5 ( 17... dxe4 18. xe4xd7 19. c5 c8= )
a22) 12. e3 12... f6=
b) 8. c3 8... e4 Once again very comfortable for Black. If White
plays 9. xe4 dxe4 10. e5 Black has a
choice.( 10. g5 xd411. xe4 c6= ) 10... d7 The simplest: ( 10... d5 is a well-known
and decent move
here.) 11. xd7 ( 11. xe4 xe5 12.dxe5 h3 13. e1 xd1 14. xd1 xe5= ) 11... xd7
( 11...xd7 12. xe4 h3 13. xb7 b8 14. g2 xg2 15. xg2xd4 ) 12. xe4 xd4= B
lack is fine.
7... e4
7... O-O is somewhat naive. After 8. c3 e6 9. O-O White gets the tabiya of the g3 cxd5 cxd5 variation.
This has been discussed in very high level games over a long period of time, including in a number of
Kasparov-Karpov games. Generally speaking, Black is doing quite well here but the character of play isn't
to everybody's taste. White gets quite a bit of pressure after 9... fd7 10. f4 ( 10. f3 is the latest
trend in this position. It looks somewhat counterintuitive, but has a point. Black needs to be precise
here.)
8. c3

8. OO OO 9. d2 f5 ( 9... xd2 10. xd2 d7 11. c3!+/=; 9... d7 ) 10. b3 c6 11. xc6
bxc6 12. xe4 xe4 13.xe4 dxe4 14. d1 b8 15. c2 ( 15. a4 b5 16. xa7d5 ) 15... b5!
16. e3 d5=
8. d2 d7 9. xe4 dxe4 10. xd7 xd7 11. xe4 xd4 12.xd4 xd4 13. O-O h3=
8... xc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. O-O We've come to the central position of this whole line.
10... c6 This is a move I've played on a number of occasions with very decent results, but I just thought it was
kind of boring. I wanted to show you something else... but nothing else works!
10... d7 This is the move I wanted to recommend to you, but instead I'd like to share a slight
disappointment. This move isn't very well-known in this variation and I thought it was an improvement on
all the theory starting with 10...Nc6, but with great regret I had to shelve the idea. 11.xd7 White
should take, as allowing Nf6 just isn't a good idea.( 11.d3 f6= ) 11... xd7 If Black is allowed to play
b6 and follow it up with Ba6 he may even be slightly better, so White
plays 12. b3 d813. e4 dxe4 ( 13... b6 14. xd5 xd5 15. exd5 b7 16. e1d7 17. a4+/= )
14. xe4
a) 14... e6 15. g2+/=
b) 14... e5 15. d5 ( 15. g5 e8 ; 15. e1 exd4 16. g5f8 17. ad1 e6 18. cxd4 xb3
19. axb3 ) 15... c7 ( 15...f5 16. d3 ; 15... b6 16. g5 e8 17. d6 b8 18. e7b7 19.
xb7 xb7 20. f4 ; 15... f8 ) 16. a3 f8 17.xf8 xf8 18. c4 g7 19. ab1 b8
20. c3+/=
c) c7 I thought this just equalised, but then I discovered White has the very
strong 15. d5! This looks odd, but is quite unpleasant to meet. ( 15. f4 e5= )
c1) 15... xd5 16. xd5 h3 17. e1 xc3 18. g5
c2) 15... e6 16. f4 Only now, and e5 is impossible as the pawn on f7 will be hanging
after everything is exchanged. 16... a5 17.g2 e5 18. g5 I couldn't find equality
for Black in this position.
c21) 18... d6 19. e7 ( 19. dxe5 xe5 20. ae1+/= )
c22) 18... e8
c221) 19. d5 e6 20. xe6 fxe6 21. e3 b6 22.dxe5 ( 22. ac1
exd4 23. cxd4 d5 24. xd5 exd525. c7+/= ) 22... xe5
23. ac1+/=
c222) 19. fe1 19... h6 20. e3 exd4 21. xd4 e622. xb7
ad8 23. xg7 xg7 24. b4+/=
c3) 15... h3 White even has a choice here.
c31) 16. e1 e5 ( 16... e6 17. f4 ) 17. c4 ( 17. dxe5xe5
18. b2 e8 19. c4 xb2 20. xb2 ac8 21.xe8+ xe8
22. xb7 e5 23. xf7+ h8 24. f1xf1= ) 17... e8 18. b1
exd4 ( 18... ab8 19. dxe5xe5 20. e3!+/= ) 19. d1! b6
20. xa8 xa8 21. f3c8 22. e7 f5 23. b5+/=

c32) 16. xf7+ 16... h8 17. e6 ( 17. e1 c6 18. d5f6

19. e6 xe6 20. xe6 xc3= ) 17... xe6 ( 17...xf1
18. f4! and there's no equality for
Black.) 18. xe6xc3 19. b1 b6 20. b2 c7 21. fe1+/=
11. xc6 bxc6 12. a4 To my great surprise this was played against me in successive rounds of the 2011 World
Cup, first by a young Vietnamese player and then by Fabiano Caruana, as a serious attempt to fight for an
advantage.
12. a3 a6 13. e1 e8 14. e4 e6 is how the old theory starts. In most cases the bishops will
summarily be exchanged in this position on the f8- and f1-squares. In general, only slight precision is
required of Black to hold. It's somewhat unspectacular and less than adventurous, but very sound.
a) 15. h4 c4 16. e5 b8 17. d2 f8 18. xf8 xf8 19.f1 xf1 20. xf1 h5 ( 20... c5
21. h5 Tregubov-Yandemirov, Maikop 1998)
b) 15. e5 15... f8 16. xf8 xf8 17. h4 g7 18. b1 e719. f1 xf1 20. xf1 eb8
21. d2 b6= Ragger-Miroshnichenko, Austria 2010
12... b6 13. f4
13. e4
a) 13... a6 14. b4 dxe4 15. xe4 e6 This isn't very precise because in the position
after 16. f4 fe8 17. fe1 ac8 18.g2 c4 19. a3 c5 Fabiano was short of time and
repeated moves. 20. f1 ( 20. b7 If he's played this I'm not entirely sure Black has full
equality.) 20... d5 21. g2 c4 22. f1 d523. g2 Caruana-Svidler, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011
b) a6 14. e1 e6 15. f4 d3!= An important move, preventing the rook from getting to b1.
Black is just fine here.
13... a6 14. b4 f5 15. fe1 fe8 16. e4 xe4 17. xe4dxe4 18. xe4 e6 19. a4 ad8
19... b6 After this move I was slightly worse, although the game was eventually
drawn. 20. b1+/= Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son-Svidler, Khanty-Mansiysk FIDE World Cup 2011
20. b1 f8
20... d5 is apparently sensible, but shows the slight danger in the position, since it runs
into 21. e7 and Black has serious problems to solve.
21. b3 c5 22. dxc5 xc5= Black should equalise without too much trouble as it's very difficult for me to
believe that Black can be seriously worse in this position.

6.Qb3
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4. g3 c6 5. g2 d5 6. b3O-O 7. c3 This is best met by
7... b6 8. O-O d8 , and now White has a very wide choice (at least seven reasonably good moves), but I
believe Black is fine in every line:
9. c5
9. xb6 isn't really a problem for Black, as after 9... axb6 10. cxd5xd5 11. xd5 xd5 12. d1 his
position is comfortable almost regardless of what he does, although I think
( 12. e3 d8 13. d2 c514. c3 c6 15. e5 xd4 16. exd4 cxd4 17. b4 xe5 18.xe7 e8
19. b4 e6 20. fe1 f6 1/2 Kavalek-Ogaard, Manila 1975) 12... f5 is a very sensible move here,
trying to stop e4. If I was Black in this position I'd already be wondering whether I was better.
( 12... b5 13. e4 e6 14. a3 b3 15. e1 a4 16.f1 ba5 17. d2 a8 18. c3 c5 19. b5
4a7 20.ac1+/= Rogozenko-Donche)
9. cxd5 xb3 10. axb3 xd5 11. g5 f8! Covering the only possible weakness - e7. Ever since the
game between Peter Heine Nielsen and Teimour Radjabov it's been known that this is very nice for
Black. 12.fc1 e6 13. d2 h6 14. e3 d7 15. e1 xc3 16. xc3 g517. d3 f5 18. c5 xc5
19. xc5 g6 20. c3 e6 21. b4a6 22. ca5 with a draw in Nielsen-Radjabov, Tripoli FIDE WCh KO 2004
9. f4 dxc4 10. xc4
a) 10... xb2 is a possible but very dangerous move that I played in a blitz game against
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. White gets a lot of
compensation. 11. ab1 a3 12. g5 e6 13. c7! ( 13. e4 is bad, and
after 13... b5 14. d3 b4 15. b3 a6 I had a great game in Vachier Lagrave-Svidler, Moscow
5' 2010) 13... e8 14.ce4 , and White has compensation for the pawn.
b) e6 Black has simple equality
after 11. d3 a6 12. c2 c513. a4 b5 14. xc5 xc5 15. dxc5 ac8 , AlekseevRadjabov, Astrakhan 2010
9. a3 This would be a very interesting idea if Black allowed c4-c5, with a big spatial advantage for
White, but he of course just plays 9... dxc4 10. xe7
a) 10... e8 is a perfectly sensible move,
and 11. d6 ( 11. a3a6 ) 11... f5 12. f4 a6 13. h3 b4 14. g4 bd5 15.d2 e4 16.
xd5 cxd5 17. f4 e6 led to an edge for Black in Burmakin-Midoux, 2006
b) 10... f5? 11. a4
c) a6 This is my idea here, and I'm keeping to the tradition of letting you know what I have
written in my notes.
c1) 11. e5 e6 12. e3 e8 13. a3 b4 is
fine: 14. a4( 14. d2 xa3 15. bxa3 d5 16. e4 b6 ) 14... xa415. xa4
ad8 16. d2 d5

c2) 11. a4 c7 12. xc7 xc7 13. f4 e6 14. e5 b515. c3 b4 , and Black gets
a lot of counterplay on the queenside: the bishop will come to a6, the rook to c8 and
Black will play c5. I'm not worried about Black's prospects at
all. 16. b1b7 17. a3 c5 18. dxc5 b3 19. bd2 ac8
c3) 11. d1 11... e8 12. a3 f5 13. e5 b4 This is very strong.
After 14. xb4 xb4 the pawn on c4 will probably be lost, but at the very least Black
will have a repetition with Nc2-b4 on every
move. 15. e3 c2 16. b1 ad8 17. xc4 , and Black has a choice between the
immediate draw and the more
ambitious 17... b5 ( 17... b4= ) 18. a5 b4 19. e2 xd420. xd4 xb1
21. axc6 d7 22. xb4 a5=/+
9. h3 This is a useful pass move in this position, but Black has a very concrete way of
replying. 9... dxc4 ( 9... xb3 10. axb3 a6 is also possible) 10. xc4 e6 11. d3
a) 11... a6 I couldn't find complete equality
here. 12. e4 e8 (12... b4 13. e2 ) 13. d1 d6 14. b3 c5 15. e3 ac8
b) 11... d5 looks sensible, but after 12. g5! there are some questions to
answer. 12... a6 ( 12... a6 13. d2 d7 14. e4xc3 15. bxc3 f6 16. h6 b6 )
13. e4+/=
c) a6 is an idea I very much like here. 12. c2 White needs to keep the queens on the
board. 12... c5! 13. dxc5 c6 I think you'll recognise this as a structure that's seen in a lot of
positions in the Qb3 Grnfeld. Here, as there, Black has fantastic compensation. At the cost of a
single pawn he's opened up the whole board for his bishops, while the c5-pawn will most likely
drop off in the immediate
future. 14.e3 ( 14. f4 d5 15. xd5 xd5 16. e4 c4 17. xc4xc4 18. fe1 b4=/ )
14... d5 15. d2 xc3 16. xc3c4 17. ac1 xc5 18. xg7 xc2 19. xc2 xg7 20. a3
d5=
9. d1
a) 9... xb3 10. axb3 f5 11. e1 a6 ( 11... e6? 12. h3! )12. a4
a1) 12... h6 13. f4 e4 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. f3! ( 15. b5?d7+ ) 15... xc3
16. bxc3 g5 17. d2 e5 18. e3+/=Portisch-Hort, Tilburg 1979
a2) e4 13. e3+/=
b) 9... a6 is a move it's important not to play. I once did against Ernesto Inarkiev, and White
replies 10. xb6 axb6 11. a4 and suddenly Black has tactical problems.
c) f5 is Black's normal response, threatening to take on b3 and play Bc2, winning a pawn.
c1) 10. xb6 axb6 11. cxd5 xd5 12. xd5 xd5 ( 12...cxd5 13. f4 c8 14. e5
e6 15. f3 c6 16. xc6 bxc617. d2 f6 18. e4 e5 19. e3 Jankovic-Muslic, CRO
2001) 13.h4 xd4 14. e3 d6

c2) 10. e1 In a FIDE Grand Prix event, once more against Ernesto, I played 10... dxc4 which I
think is a decent move.( 10...e6 is very solid and fine for
Black. 11. c5 xb3 12. axb3bd7 13. b4 a6= Anic-Nataf, Vichy FRA-ch Pool A
2000) 11.xc4 a6 12. e4 White's only logical continuation. 12... e6! (12... g4? was a
serious mistake. I thought it was interesting to draw the bishop to f3 and only then play
Be6. 13. f3 e6 14.d5! White was better in Inarkiev-Svidler, Astrakhan FIDE GP 2010, as it
transpires that after 14... cxd5 15. exd5 Black seriously misses the tempo he would win by
playing Bg4 and hitting the rook on d1.) 13. a4 ( 13. d5 cxd5 14. exd5 g4 , and as I
mentioned, the fact that White needs to take a tempo to deal with the threat to his rook leaves
Black very comfortable.) 13... g4There's a subtle difference between this position and the
position with the queen on c4, but Black is fine here, as the following analysis shows:
c21) 14. f3 e5!
c22) 14. f3 c7 ( 14... h3 15. e5 g4 )
c221) 15. e5 xf3 16. xf3 fd5 17. c4 e6 18.e4 b4 19. c2 ac8
20. e3 f5 21. c3 ( 21.eg5 xe3 22. fxe3 xg5 23. xg5 h6 )
21... f4

c222) 15. xg4 xg4 16. f3 ( 16. h3 xd4 17.xd4 xd4 18. hxg4 xf2+
19. f1 xe1 20. xe1g1++ ) 16... e5 17. g5 xb2!
c223) 15. c4 e6 16. e3 ( 16. xg4 xg4 17.e2 f6 18. e5 d5= )
16... xf3 17. xf3 g4 18.e2 xe3 19. fxe3 c5

c224) 15. a3 15... xf3 ( 15... xd4 16. e3 e5 17.xd4 exd4 18. a4
a6 19. e5 h3 20. g2 xg221. xg2 g4 22. f3 f8 23. b3 c5 )
16. xf3b5 17. xb5 xb5 18. e1 e5! 19. g5 ( 19. dxe5d3 ) 19... h6
20. xf6 xf6=
c23) 14. f3
c231) 14... b4 15. h3 ( 15. c2 xf3 16. xf3xd4 17. e3 xd1+
18. xd1 c4 19. g2 e6= )15... xa4 16. xa4 e6 17. c3 ( 17. g5
c8 18.c3 b4 19. f3 e8 20. b1 e6= ) 17... b4 18.e1+/=
c232) 14... e5! 15. dxe5
c2321) 15... d7 16. g5 e8 17. d2 xe5 (17... xf3 18. xf3
xe5 19. e2 c5 20. c2 )18. xe5 xe5 19. e3 b4
20. xb4 xb4 21.a3+/=
c2322) xd1+ 16. xd1 d7
c23221) 17. h3 xf3 18. xf3 ( 18. xf3 xe519. e2
d8 20. b3 c5 21. xb6 axb6= )18... xe5 19. e2
c7 20. e3 b4 21. f1e6=

c23222) 17. c2 17... xe5 18. e3 ( 18. xe5 xe5

19. e3 d4= ) 18... a5 19. xe5xe5 20. h3
( 20. f4 c7 )
20... e6 21. f4c7 22. a3 b6 23. e2 xe3+ 24. xe3
b6 25. xb6 axb6 26. e5 c5 27. d1 f6=
9... xb3 10. axb3 a6 11. f4 In this position Black has a lot of counterplay based around playing e5.
11. h3 d7 12. f4 f8 13. a4 f5 14. fa1 e6 15. e3e4 16. g4 xf4 17. exf4 xf3 18. xf3
c7 19. f5=/+ 1/2 Tregubov-Vorobiov, Moscow Aeroflot op 2004
11... d7 12. fd1
12. a3 e8 13. h3 f5 14. c1 e5=/+ A.Petrosian-Lamprecht, Germany 1994
12... e8 Making the threat of e5 very real.
12... e5 is important not to play immediately, as I did against Aronian in the World Team
Championship. 13. xe5 xe5 14. xe5 xe5 15.dxe5 In this position I realised that Nxc5 isn't quite
right, so I played15... f5 first, but after 16. a5 c2 17. d4 xb3 18. f4+/= I barely managed to
draw. It's not very comfortable for Black.
13. e4 dxe4 14. xe4 b4 This position has seen serious discussion in grandmaster practice. I played it myself
against Konstantin Sakaev and was fine, while it's also occurred in some of Gata Kamsky's games. Black is generally
doing ok, as can be seen from the following analysis.
15. d2
15. c3 f6 16. e5 e6 17. d2 ed8 18. c4 bd5 19.a3 h5 20. da1 a6= Bocharov-Kamsky,
Khanty Mansiysk 2005
15. g5 h6 16. d2 d5 ( 16... c2 17. a4 f5 18. c3 e519. dxe5 xe5 20. xe5 xe5 21. b4
Tregubov-Vachier-Lagrave, Paris 2007)
15... d5 16. c3 7f6 17. e5 e6 18. c4 ed8 19. e2
19. g5 b4 ( 19... h6 20. xf6 xf6 21. a5 ab8 22.xc6 ) 20. a4 fd5 21. xe7 xe7
22. xb4 xd4 23.xb7 xc5=
19... f5 would be even better.
19... d7 20. a5 e8 ( 20... f5 ) 21. f3 ad8 ( 21... h5 )22. e1 b8 23. c4 b6 24. b4
( 24. a3 db7 25. cxb6 axb626. e5 c7= was equal in Sakaev-Svidler, Moscow RUS-ch Super Final
2007) 24... xb4 ( 24... c7 25. e5 bxc5 26. bxc5 xb2 27.a6 ) 25. xb6 axb6 26. xb4
20. c3 b4 21. a4 c2 22. a5 xd4 23. xb7 g4=/+

6.b3
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4. g3 c6 5. g2 d5 6. b3 O-O7. O-O There are of course many slow possibilities
available to Black in this position like a7-a5, Bf5, Nbd7 or Ne4, but I feel it's better to treat this position forcefully.
7. b2 doesn't change anything, since after 7... dxc4 8. bxc4 c5White can't
play 9. d5 e6 10. c3 exd5 11. xd5 due to 11...xd5 12. xg7 and the beautiful shot 12... e3! , and
Black is just better.
7... dxc4 A very forcing line.
8. bxc4 c5 Immediately attacking the white centre.
9. b2 The main move here.
9. e3 c6 10. b2 b6 gives Black a lot of play against the white centre. This is very similar to lines
we'll discuss later, but if anything I think it's more comfortable for
Black. 11. c1 ( 11. e2 cxd4 12.exd4 g4 13. d5 xf3 14. xf3 d4= ) 11... cxd4 12. xd4d7=
9... b6
9... cxd4 10. xd4 b6 is also possible immediately, but I think this is somewhat less precise.
10. b3 This position contains quite a few pitfalls for Black.
10. c1 is met by the
simple 10... cxd4 ( 10... e4 11. e3 c6 12.e5 d6 13. xc6 bxc6 14. d2 f5 15. b3 cxd4 16. c5
c7 17. e4 h6 18. xd4 e5 19. c3 e6 20. h3 f6= Drasko-N.Nikolic) 11. xd4 c6 and the c1square isn't ideal for the queen and Black can safely simplify in the
centre. 12. xc6 bxc6 13. d2e6 14. b1 a6 15. a3 fe8 16. b3 d7= Goldin-Yandemirov,
Elista 1995
10... e4
10... fd7 looks like a decent move, but it runs into the very strong 11.c3! In general, you shouldn't
allow any position where White gets the knight to d5, from where it can completely dominate the
position.
11. e3 It's time to cement the centre somewhat.
11. c3 xc3 12. xc3 cxd4 13. xb6 axb6 14. xd4 c6=/+
11... c6 Threatening Na5 with problems for White, so he has little choice.
11... d6 12. c3 e6 13. a4 d8 14. fc1 b5 15. xc5xc4 16. c2 Burmakin-Anisimov,
Pardubice Skanska op 2004
11... cxd4 12. xd4 a6 ( 12... xb3 13. axb3 c6 14. xg7xg7 15. d4+/= ) 13. xg7 xg7
14. d4 c5 15. b2 f616. c3 e6 17. a3 bd7 18. ab1 a6 19. fd1+/= Nielsen-El Kher, Aarhus
1999
12. e5

12. d1 a5 13. xb6 axb6 14. a3 e6 15. ac1 d6=/+

12. c3 is a possible try, but Black has a variety of options. I quite like the move 12... f5 here.
( 12... xb3 13. axb3 f5 ) 13. xb6 (13. d5 xb3 14. axb3 e6 15. f4 cxd4 16. exd4
fd8 17.fd1 c5!=/+ ) 13... axb6 14. d5 e6 15. xb6 a6 16. d7d8 17. de5 xe5
18. xe5 b6 19. a3 cxd4 20. xe4xe4 21. e7 e8 22. c5 dxe3 23. xb6 e2 24. fe1
xe525. xe2 xa1 26. xe4 a8=
12. xb6 axb6 13. a3 g4

12... d6 A very good square for the knight, attacking the pawn on c4 and cementing Black's whole structure.
12... xe5 13. dxe5! ( 13. xb6 axb6 14. dxe5 d6N 15. d2a4 ) 13... d6 14. d2+/=

13. xc6 The main move here.

13. d2 It's important to start with 13... cxd4 ( 13... e6? allows White the forced
variation 14. xc6 bxc6 15. dxc5 xc5 16. d4and White wins some material. Something to
avoid. 16... a5 17.xc6 c7 18. xg7 xg7 19. c3+ g8 20. a5 ab8 21.fc1 fc8 22. e5
h3 23. ab3 b4 24. c5 b7 25. f3Giri-Nielsen, Amsterdam 5th NH 2010) 14. exd4 e6 and Black is
fine. This was seen, for instance, in a game between Dmitry Jakovenko and myself some years ago.
( 14... f5 )
a) 15. fe1 a5 16. xb6 axb6 17. d5 f5 18. ac1 fc819. f1 e6 20. d4 exd5 21. cxd5
xc1 22. xc1 b5=
b) 15. xc6 bxc6 16. xc6 ( 16. xb6 axb6 17. xc6 fe8 )16... xc6 17. d5 fb8!=/+
c) 15. fc1 15... fc8 16. xb6 ( 16. c5 xb3 17. cxb6 a418. bxa7 xa7 19. dc4 xc4
20. xc4 d8 21. xc6 bxc622. xc6 xc6 23. xc6 xd4 24. xd4 xd4 25. c3 g5=Zhou
Weiqi-Ding Liren, Danzhou 1st GM 2010) 16... axb6 17. f4
c1) 17... a4 was a way to play
on: 18. d5 xe5 19. fxe5d7 20. exd6 ( 20. f1 f5 ) 20... xb2 21. dxe7 a3=/+
c2) xe5 , and a draw was agreed in Jakovenko-Svidler, Sochi 17th RUS-tch 2010
13... bxc6 14. dxc5
14. xb6 axb6 15. xc6 a7=/ ( 15... xc4=/ )
14... xc5 15. xg7 xg7 16. d2 This is Boris Avrukh's recommendation in his book on the white repertoire
against the Grnfeld, and as with everything else Boris does this has gained quite a cult following. I myself faced
this in a game against Viktor Laznicka at the Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad, where I had serious problems. In general I
had to analyse this position carefully, as I realised that people do intend to play it with a view to getting an
opening advantage. But after
16... e6 Black is fine.
17. fc1 The main move.

17. a4 can just be met

by 17... fc8 18. fc1 ( 18. ab1 xc419. fc1 b6 20. a6 d6 21. e4 e5= ) 18... ab8
a) 19. a3 b2
b) 19. ab1 xb1 20. xb1 a5 ( 20... xc4 21. c2 ) 21. a3e5
c) 19. b3 19... e5 and Black is fine due to counterplay against the c4pawn. 20. xa7 xc4 21. a5 a8 22. xc6 xa7 23.xe5 xa2=
17... ab8 18. d3 The main line, but since Avrukh's books on the Grnfeld for Black were published White has
realised he has little here.
18. c3+ is the move attention has shifted to. 18... g8
a) 19. f3 fc8 ( 19... xc4 20. xc4 xc4 21. d4 ) 20.e5 xe5 21. xe5 c5 22. d5 h3
23. c6 ( 23. ab1xb1 24. xb1 g7 ) 23... b7 24. ab1 cc7 25. xb7xb7 26. e4 b2=
b) 19. ab1 was played by Laurent Fressinet in a recent rapid game against Loek Van Wely. Black has a
variety of responses, but I quite like the simple 19... xb1 ( 19... fc8 20. b3 a5 21. cb1a8 , as
in Fressinet-Van Wely, Bastia 2012, is not entirely satisfactory, but is also very solid.) 20. xb1 c8 It
seems a bit strange just to give up the b-file, but there aren't actually any real entry points, and in order
to start any kind of play at all White has to play something like 21. f1 but after 21... f6 Black has a very
safe position. There are no weaknesses and it's hard for White to come up with a plan. The only way
White can shift Black's pieces from their very convenient posts is to play 22. b3 but Black can simply
respond 22...a3 23. c5 b5 24. d2 g7 , and should hold quite comfortably
here: 25. c1 ( 25. d4 xd4 26. exd4 xa2= )25... a4 ( 25... c7 26. xb5 cxb5 27. d4 ;
25... xb3 26.axb3 xb3 27. xb5 xb5 28. d7 f8 29. xe7+ f7 30.d6 a5= ) 26. a5 c7 27.
g2 a3 and it's unclear whose pieces are more misplaced.
c) 19. b3 19... xc4 20. a5 ( 20. e5 b5 21. c5 b422. xc6 b5 23. c3 xb3= PertGriffiths, Sheffield 2011)20... b4=
18... fc8 This is my recommendation - a convenient solution that doesn't require the memorisation of the long,
computer-like lines that follow 18...Qe5!
18... fd8 19. c3+ g8 20. b3 xc4 21. xc4 xc4 ( 21...xc4 22. a5 ) 22. d4 e5 23. f4
d3 24. xe6 fxe6 25.xc6 b2 26. xe6 f8 gives Black good drawing chances, but there's no need
for it.
18... e5! is a very forcing improvement that I came up with after analysing my game vs Laznicka
deeply. Play is very sharp and in some cases Black gives up the a7-pawn or even both the a7- and c6pawns. He gets a lot of piece activity in return, however, and I believe Black holds in the ensuing
complications:
a) 19. f4 f5
a1) 20. c3+ f6 21. c5 ( 21. xf6+ exf6 22. c5 f5 23.xc6 xe3 24. b3 f5
25. d4 b2= ) 21... xc3 22.xc3 b5 23. cc1 a3 24. xc6 b2 25. f3 c2
26.ab1 xb1 27. xb1 c8=
a2) 20. a3 f6 21. c5 b2 ( 21... b5= ) 22. xb2+xb2 23. cxd6 xd2 24. dxe7
e8 25. xc6 xe7 26. a4d7=

a3) 20. d4+ 20... f6 21. xf6+ exf6 22. c5 f5 23.xc6 xe3 24. b3 f5
25. h1 c2 26. ab1 b4 27.a1 c2=
b) 19. xc6 fc8 20. d5 xd5 21. cxd5 b5 22. xc8xd5 23. c3 xc8
24. xe5+ xe5=
c) 19. c5 19... b5 20. b3 ( 20. xc6 fd8 ) 20... fd8 21.e4 b2!
c1) 22. h4 d5 23. xe7 e8 24. d7 bd8 25. b7xg2 26. xg2 xe3=/+
c2) 22. h4 c3 23. e1 e2+ ( 23... d5 ) 24. f1c3 25. g1=
c3) 22. h3 22... a5 ( 22... d5 23. xe7 e8 24. h4 ) 23.c2 f6 24. xa5 a3
25. a4 b2 26. f4 dd2 27.xf6+ xf6 28. xc6 f5! , preparing to cut off the
rook on a1. 29. g4 ( 29. c3 b1 ) 29... b1!
c31) 30. d4 e5 31. f3 ( 31. c6 xf2 ) 31... dc2 32.d1 xf2=
c32) 30. h1 30... dc2 31. d1 xc5=
19. b3 b4! As correctly recommended by Boris Avrukh.
19... a3 is the move I immediately went wrong with against Laznicka, and after 20. c5 b5 I thought
Black was just fine, but instead White has the incredibly strong 21. e4! and once the queen gets to e5
Black actually runs into quite serious problems.The queen on e5 is a powerful piece that controls the
entire board. White gets play everywhere, both on the kingside and the queenside. Laznicka-Svidler,
Khanty-Mansiysk 39th Olympiad 2010.
20. d4+
20. c5 b5 is now no longer a problem, as the queen on b4 covers all the squares by which the white
queen could try to get to e5. Black has more than enough counterplay.
20... g8
20... f6? 21. xa7 b7 22. c5 xc4 23. d4
21. xa7 xc4 22. c5 f6 Optically White seems to be better because of the outside passer and the
apparent pressure on the queenside, but Black is in fact comfortable here. White has no way of improving
his position without giving up some trumps. Black is ready, for instance, to play Kf7 next move and
carefully prepare to simplify on the queenside. If White plays the logical
23. c2 , aiming to double on the c-file, Black can force equality with
23... xc5! 24. xc5 a3 25. c3 b1+ 26. xb1 xb1 27.c2 (otherwise the pawn on a2 will fall)
27... a3 28. d2 c4 and the a2-pawn is safely blockaded while Black is ready to improve his position further.
Although White's position once again looks very nice there's no way to pose Black any particular problems. Black is
fine here.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Rc1

5.Nf3

5.Rc1
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f4 g7 5. c1 To be honest, you're unlikely to face this move very often, but
it's a fun and instructive line to look at. It's a rare occurrence in modern theory that as early as move five Black
has an option that leads to unclear and double-edged positions. I'm talking, of course, about
5... h5 , which should be mandatory for anyone playing Black here, and something to welcome with open arms.
6. d2 The main move, giving Black a choice of whether to start with 6...c5 or 6...dxc4. Both will likely lead to
the same position, although c5 at least gives White a choice.
White has two and a half options. The half is 6. e3 , a really odd-looking move once played by Ivan Sokolov, but
after 6... dxc4 7. a4+Black's simplest response would have been 7... c6 8. f3 (of course 8.d5 xc3+ isn't an
option) 8... O-O 9. xc4 e6 10. c5 d6=/+Black is clearly fine. His pieces are better and more harmoniously
developed while the bishop on f1 will still need quite some time to join the fray.
6. g5 h6
a) 7. d2 is better than 7.Bh4, but Black, as well as being able to play in the same way as after
6.Bd2, has an additional option. After7... dxc4 8. e3 apart from the move c7-c5, which should
be fine, Black can also just hang on to the pawn with 8... e6 9. f3 c6 As Ng5 is no longer
possible with the pawn on h6 White will have to allow the black pawn to remain on
c4. 10. e4 f5 Perhaps even stronger than the natural-looking ( 10... d5 11. c2 b5 PinterPopovic, Thess ol
1988 12. c5 xf3 13. gxf3 d7 14. xd7 xd7 15.b3+/= ) 11. c5 (If 11. g3 Black
manages to trade off the knight on h5, which must count as an achievement given the knight
was doing little there. 11... xg3 12. hxg3 b5 Of course the position after the
possible 13. b3 cxb3 14. xb3 isn't completely clear. White has decent compensation for the
pawn due to Black's weakened queenside and the undeveloped knight on b8. The position is still
full of life, but in general I think it would be wrong for Black to avoid lines like this in the
Grnfeld - it's not often you get such unclear and lively positions.) 11... b6 Playing this move
first gains Black tempi. Only after 12. a4 does Black follow up with 12... b5
b) 7. h4 is the most consistent and popular move here. 7... c5 8.e3 ( 8. dxc5 d4 is very
dangerous without a bishop on d2 to control the e1-a5 diagonal.) 8... cxd4
b1) 9. xd5 c6 10. exd4 e6 A saner and better choice for Black, who is probably
already slightly better as the white centre is in a lot of trouble here.
(I played 10... xd4 and I want to show you what happened, not because of its
theoretical importance but because of the position after Black's 19th
move. 11. d2 g5 A long sequence follows where the players attack the opponent's
pieces rather than defending their own. 12. e2 f6 13. f3b6 And now a series of
captures: 14. xf6+ exf6 15. xd8+xd8 16. g3 a5+ 17. f1 f5 18. d6 e6 19.
e5O-O-O=/+ It's rare that Black manages to castle queenside on move 19 in a
Grnfeld. A fun position to look at. Black is slightly better here although I eventually
almost lost the game. It was drawn after a lot of adventures. I. Sokolov-Svidler, Wijk
aan Zee 2004) 11.f3 O-O

b2) 9. exd4
b21) 9... dxc4 A slight mistake. 10. f3 (After 10. d5! O-O11. xc4 the
position is quite unclear and White is at least fine.)
10... O-O 11. xc4 g4 12. O-O c6 13. d5d4=/+ Dzagnidze-Svidler,
Gibraltar Masters 2012
b22) 9... c6 10. f3 ( 10. cxd5 xd4 ; 10. xd5 e6transposes to
9.Nxd5.) 10... g4 11. cxd5 xd4 12. e2clearly favours Black, (so White
plays 12. a4+ and after 12...d7 13. d1 Black can take an immediate
repetition or play13... f5 , when I believe he's better. The bishop on h4 is
about to be traded off for one of the knights, giving Black the two bishops, a
better structure and the better chances. Paunovic-Krnic, Brezovica 1988)
6... dxc4
6... c5
a) 7. cxd5= cxd4 8. b5 a6
b) 7. e3 cxd4 8. exd4 dxc4 - 6...dxc4 ( 8... c6 9. cxd5 xd410. ge2 )
c) 7. dxc5 7... d4
c1) 8. e4 a5! ( 8... O-O )
c2) 8. d5 e6 9. b4 OO 10. f3 ( 10. g3 a5 11. d3e5 12. g2 e7 ) 10... a5 (
10... e5 ) 11. d3 c6=/ /\ e5-e4
c3) 8. a4 The best square for the knight, and the move White should play if he's in an
adventurous mood. This leads to very, very interesting positions in which Black has
ample compensation for the pawn. 8... f6 (After let's
say 8... OO 9. g3 e5 10. g2f6=/ the position is very double-edged and interesting
to look at. I encourage you to do so simply because I think you'll have fun, although you
can avoid these lines by starting with
6...dxc4.) 9.g3 d7 10. b4 e4 11. f3 xd2 12. xd2 c6 13. f3d3 14. exd3 h
6 15. b1 d7 16. c3 e6+ 17. e4xe4 18. dxe4 xe4+ 19. e2 c6 20. d3
xd3 21.xd3 O-O-O 22. e4+/= Komarov-Mikhalevski, Kiev 1995
7. e3 c5 8. xc4 The only serious move in this position.
8. d5
a) 8... e6 A pitfall that needs to be avoided, because after 9.a4+! you pretty much have to
play 9... d7 and after 10. xc4 I was no longer able to find equality for
Black. 10... b6 11. b4
O-O (11... cxb4 12. b5 ) 12. bxc5 bxc5 13. xc5
b) 8... O-O+/= 9. xc4
c) 8... d7 9. xc4 b6 10. f3

d) a6= A simple approach. 9. a4 ( 9. xc4 b5 leads to a very unclear position that Black should
welcome with open
arms. 10. e2f6 11. e4 OO ; 9. a4+? b5 10. xb5 d7 11. xc4b6 ) 9... e6 10. xc4
( 10. e4 exd5 11. exd5 OO ) 10...exd5 11. xd5 ( 11. xd5 OO 12. f3 f6 13. c4 c6
Black is obviously doing excellently
here.) 11... OO 12. c3 ( 12.f3 e6 13. e4 b5 ) 12... e6 Black is ready to undermine
White's entire setup with b7-b5 or Nf6 in some positions. At the very least Black is no worse
here.
8. dxc5 is well met by 8... d7 and after the possible 9. a4 O-O 10.xc4 e5 Black gets a classical
pawn sacrifice which is very typical of many lines in the Grnfeld where Black sacrifices the c-pawn for
open diagonals and a lead in development. As usual in those positions, Black is fine here and shouldn't be
at all worried about the prospect of being a pawn down for a while. 11. d5 e6 Schlosser-Groszpeter,
Munich 1989
8... cxd4 9. exd4 The main position of the whole Rc1 line.
9... xd4=/ is an additional possibility I want to propose for Black. After all, if you're offered a whole pawn why
not at least consider taking it?
9... O-O The reasonably sane choice.
a) 10. f3 xd4= ( 10... g4 11. d5 d7 12. O-O )
b) 10. e3 c6 11. f3 g4
c) 10. d5 10... d7 11. f3 a6! The thematic break.
c1) 12. a3 b5 13. a2 b6 14. O-O b7 15. g5 f6=/+
c2) 12. e3 The main move, in response to which it's better not to immediately
commit to b5 but to play 12... hf6! waiting for13. O-O ( 13. a4= once again runs
into 13... b5! 14. axb5b6 Black has fantastic compensation for the pawn and is likely
to win it back in the immediate future. ) 13... b5 14. b3 b715. e1 (If White could
get his knight from f3 to c6 he'd have a large advantage, but it's impossible here.
If 15. d4 Black has15... b4 and the pawn on d5 is lost. 16. c6 doesn't
help. 16...xc6 17. dxc6 bxc3 18. cxd7 cxb2 ) 15... c8 We've reached a very
double-edged unclear position which should be welcomed by any Grnfeld player.
Black's ideas include Nc5 and b4.(15... e8 )
c3) 12. O-O b5 13. b3 c5
c4) 12. a4= is well met by 12... b5 13. axb5 b6 and the entire queenside is about to
be liquidated, with complete equality. 14. b3axb5
9... xd4
10. b5 The move White will probably play, creating the threat of Nc7+. You can castle here.
10... b6 The most adventurous move in this position.

10... O-O 11. c7 (Given the problems in the 11.Nc7 line White is likely to play 11. xd4 and
after 11... xd4 White will of course have ample compensation for the sacrificed pawn, but on the other
hand Black is currently better developed and by the time White has finished his development I think Black
should have been able to coordinate his position - developing the knight to c6 and the bishop to e6 or g4.
Black should be fine here.) 11... xf2+! A very nice geometrical
tactic. 12.xf2 ( 12. f1 xc7 13. xf7+ xf7 14. xc7 b6+ The rook on c7 drops off with
discovered check and Black is just completely winning.) 12... xc7 13. xf7+ xf7+ and it's check so
the queen can't be taken.
11. b3
If White does something slow like 11. f3 c6 12. O-O O-O I believe Black may well already be better. He'll drive
the knight back by playing a6 and start to get his pieces into good positions - plus he is, after all, a pawn up. So
White needs to hurry. 13. e2 a6 14. c3 g4 15.d5 d4 16. h6 e6 17. e3 xf3 18. xf3 g7=/+
11... O-O 12. h6 c6 Giving up the exchange on the spot is preferable.
Black should avoid playing 12... g7 because that allows White to demonstrate his main idea with 13. c3 forcing
Black to play the undesirable 13... e5 14. f3 c6 15. O-O The white rooks are now ready to join the battle on
the d- and e-files, with Rd1 in particular threatening to plant the knight on d6. White has tremendous
compensation for the pawn.
13. xf8 xf8 14. f3 f4 15. O-O e6 Black has excellent compensation for the exchange and is doing very
well here. I sincerely recommend this position to anyone who wants slightly more exciting play after 8...cxd4
9.exd4.

5.Nf3
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f4 g7 5. f3 O-O 6. c1 dxc4 The main line.
7. e4
7. e3
a) My initial proposal was to play 7... bd7 8. xc4 c5 This position could have been reached
in a game between Nakamura and Ivanchuk in the 2011 Tal Memorial, so I'm clearly not the only
one who thought this might be playable for Black. Unfortunately the fact checkers found out
that after 9. O-O cxd4 White has the somewhat alien-looking 10.Nb5.
a1) 10. exd4 b6 11. b3
a11) 11... g4 12. h3 xf3 13. xf3 xd4 ( 13... d714. d5+/= ) 14. e3
h4 15. xb7
a12) bd5
a121) 12. d2
a1211) 12... xf4 13. xf4 b6 14. d5 ( 14. e5b7
15. d5 xd5 16. xd5 xd5 17. fd1 e6 )14... b7 15.
fd1 c8 16. e5 d7 17. xf7xf7 18. d6 f6

a1212) e6
a12121) 13. h6 xc3 ( 13... c8
14. xg7xg7 15. fe1 xc3
16. bxc3 c4 17. xc4xc4 18. e5
c8 19. c4 ) 14. bxc3 d5
15.xg7 xg7 16. xd5 xd5 17. c4
d6 18.fe1 e6=
a12122) 13. e5 13... h6 14. fe1 1/21/2 Portisch, F-Adorjan,A, Budapest
1970
a122) 12. g5 12... xc3 13. bxc3 b6 14. e1 b715. e5 ( 15. c4 e4
16. f4 e6 17. c2 f6 ) 15...c8 16. d3 d6 17. h4 e6 18. g3 e7
a2) 10. b5! And after 10... dxe3 there's the even more alien-looking 11. g5 and here the
machine suddenly starts going red and claiming White is winning. It's not immediately obvious
why, but generally speaking when it starts to say it's winning it probably is, so this line isn't
particularly playable.
b) 7... e6 This move is recommended by most sources, including Avrukh's excellent book on the
Grnfeld, and after the forcing
sequence 8. g5 d5 9. e4 h6 10. exd5 hxg5 11. xg5 xd512. xc4 b6 13. b3 c6 Black is
currently doing very well in this well-known theoretical position. I by no means want to say that the
conclusions reached by Avrukh are wrong, but I think your opponents will expect this of you so it's worth
being aware of other options.
c) c5! is my recommendation. 8. xc4 cxd4 9. xd4 This line has a somewhat mixed reputation for
Black, as on the one hand it's extremely solid, but on the other hand, due mainly to the efforts of
Grandmaster Alexey Dreev, Black has been suffering a little in the positions
after 9... d7 ( 9... bd7 10. g3 b6 11. b3g4 12. f3 d7 13. OO h5 14. h4 e8 15. a4 c8
16.a5 c4 17. xc4 xc4 18. b3 xd4 19. exd4 xd4 20.f2 e6 Dreev-Azmaiparashvili, Pula
1999)
c1) 10. O-O If 10... c6 then
after 11. b3 c8 ( 11... a512. e2 c8 13. f3 b5 14. e2 b4 15. d5 xb3 16.axb3 x
d5 17. xd5 b6 Dreev-Krasenkow, Dos Hermanas 2001) 12. h3 a6 13. e2 it's very important
that Black is just in time to play 13... a5 trading off a pair of knights. The moment pieces
start coming off the board in this line it's quite clear that White can't hope for a
lot. 14. e5 1/2 Malakhov-Caruana, Rogaska Slatina 27th ECC 2011
c2) 10. b3 It's important to start with this very precise move.
c21) 10... b6 11. O-O a6 I played this in an exciting game against Joel Lautier in
2001. I was attempting to avoid the normal positions with the knight on c5. This line
can't be recommended, however.
c211) 12. e5 fd8 13. f3 c6 14. e4 d7 15. h4ad8 16. h5 b4!
( 16... b4 17. hxg6 hxg6 18. f4a5 19. g5 xe4 20. a4 a7 21. ac5
d5Lautier-Svidler, Biel 2001)
c212) 12. e4!+/= and Black doesn't equalise.

c22) 10... c6 11. c5

c221) 11... c8 The normal move, but
after 12. xd8 (12. OO d7 13. 5e4 de5 14. e2 1/2 Dreev-Smirin, Sarajevo
2001) 12... xd8 13. c7 this led to a small but very stable advantage for White in a
recent game between Dreev and Kurnosov. 13... f8 14. OO d7 15. b3de5 16. b5 f5 ( 16... e6 17. c5 ac8 18.xe5 xe5
19. xe6 fxe6 20. e4 Dreev-Kurnosov, Apatity Russian Rapid GP Final
2011) 17. c5 ac8 18.xe5 xe5 19. d5 ( 19. xb7 b4= ) 19... e6 20.c3
( 20. xc6 exd5= ) 20... b8 21. xb7 c7 22.a5 fc8 23. f3 g5 24. b3 xc3
25. bxc3 xc3 26.xc3 xc3 27. e4 g6 28. d1 c6=
c222) f5 An important improvement that I think changes the current assessment of
this line as one giving White a stable advantage. The machine insists Black is doing well
after both White's options.
c2221) 12. xd8 fxd8 (not, of course 12... xd8which is very passive and
hardly the point of the previous play) 13. xb7 dc8 and Black has
wonderful compensation for the pawn because White's position is somewhat
unstable. He'll have to look for posts for all his minor pieces, while the black
knights can jump to h5, b4 or e4. 14. O-O ( 14. b3 h5
15. OO xc3 16. xc3b4 17. a1 xf4 18. exf4 g7 ) 14... b4 15.b3
e4 16. xe4 xe4 17. a5 xa2 18. cd1c3=
c2222) 12. OO 12... c8 13. e2 b6 14. 5a4a5 15. fd1 a6 16. b3
fd8 17. h3 xd1+ 18.xd1 d8=
7... c5
Official theory recommends going for 7... g4 8. xc4 h5 9. e3xf3 10. gxf3 e5 and once again I
fully believe that Black is fine here. The positions starting with 11. dxe5 usually lead to quite unexciting
endgames in which White will be pretending for a while that he has some pull. Generally speaking, those
endgames are objectively equal, but why give White the satisfaction when there's a different choice
available?
8. dxc5 a5 9. e5 h5
The old theory here is 9... d8 10. d2 g4 and for many years this was supposed to be quite good for
Black, but then people realised that after 11. xc4 xc5 12. e4 something like 12... b6 would be
met by 13. xf7+ xf7 14. xc8 xc8 15. fg5+ and Black is close to completely lost.
10. e3 The main move.
10. d2 xc5 ( 10... e6 is also an
option. 11. e4 a6 12.c2 c6 13. eg5 xe5 14. xe5 xe5 15. xe6 xe6 16.xc4 c6
17. OO f4= ) 11. e3 a5 Black needs to display a degree of precision after both of White's possible
moves here, but he should be fine in both
cases. 12. xc4 ( 12. d5 xd5 13. xd5c6 14. xc4 g4= ) 12... c6 13. OO xe5 14. xe5
xe515. e1 f6 16. d2 b8! 17. g3 ( 17. xe7 d6!=/+ /\ Ng4)17... g4

10... d8 11. d2 I think this line is even more attractive for Black, because in many cases he gets a lot of
counterplay and real chances of an advantage.

11... xe5
11... c6 12. g4 xe5 13. gxh5 g4 14. e2 d3+ 15. f1xe2+ 16. xe2 xc1 17. xc1 xa2

12. xc4 c6 13. b3

If White plays passively with 13. O-O I already prefer Black's position.
a) 13... f4
b) 13... b4 14. d5 xb2 15. b1 ( 15. b3 ) 15... a316. b3 a5 17. c1
c) 13... c7 14. d5 ( 14. h3 f6 The simplest response, and Black has achieved a perfect
Grnfeld setup. The pawn on c5 means the knight is very comfortable on c6. The bishop will
come to f5 and, generally speaking, I would much rather be Black in this
position. 15.b3 a5 ) 14... xh2+ ( 14... b8 White's activity is just optical while Black is a
pawn up) 15. h1 b8
13... d4 A very interesting continuation, forcing White to take.
13... f4
13... e6 14. f3 f4 Dreev-Zvjaginsev
14. xd4
14. xf7+ g7 is completely inadvisable, and 15. c4 even loses after15... b5 16. cxb6 a6
14... xd4 15. f3 Almost forced, to which Black can reply with the very interesting and ambitious
15... e4+ 16. f1! xc4! 17. xc4
17. xe5 f4
17... e6 Here I believe Black is at least no worse.
18. e4 The best square for the queen.
18... xc3 And now Black is fine after either recapture.
19. bxc3
19. xc3 xa2 , with a lot of play and the queenside about to collapse. White is completely
uncoordinated here.
19... xc5=/ Once again Black quite clearly has fantastic compensation for the exchange, which should be at
least enough for equality and possibly even more. Black has nothing to fear in a position like this.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.cxd5

6.Rc1
6.Nf3

6.cxd5
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f4 g7 5. e3 O-O 6. cxd5xd5 7. xd5 xd5 8. xc7 Old theory that's
long since been known to be harmless for Black.
8... a6 It's inadvisable to keep the queens on by retreating the bishop here, while the following move leads to
an endgame almost by force.
9. xa6 xg2
9... bxa6 10. f3 b7 11. e5 xe5 12. xe5 xg2 13. f3xf3 14. xf3 b8 15. b3 b7 16. e2
a5 17. hc1 fc8 18.e5 a6+ 19. d2 a4 20. d7 Dreev-Svidler, playchess.com 2004
10. f3 xf3 11. xf3 bxa6 Here White has half an extra pawn because the pawns on a7 and a6 aren't ideal,
but on the other hand Black has the bishops and potential activity. In general, if the position opens up Black
shouldn't suffer at all here - and according to the current state of theory the position is going to be opened.
12. g1
12. c1
a) 12... b7 13. e2 f6 ( 13... ac8 14. hd1 f6 15. d5 f516. b4 b2 17. c5 a5 18. xa5
c3! Vallejo Pons-Mikhalevski, Calvia
2007) 14. c5 e6 15. hc1 f7 16. g3d8 17. c7 dd7 18. xd7 xd7 19. c7 xc7
20. xc7g5 21. d2 f8 22. f3 h5 Gonda-Navara
b) f6 13. g1 transposes to 12.Rg1. ( 13. e2 runs into 13...g4 14. hg1 h5 This is
surprisingly awkward to deal with and shouldn't be allowed by
White.; 13. c5 f7 14. d5 f8 15.d2 b7 16. OO c8 17. e4 e5 18. d6 d7 19. c4 xe4
Sambuev-Kurnosov, Voronezh 2004)
12... f6 13. c1 f7
13... b7 14. e2 ac8 15. gd1 f7 16. a5 ff8 17. c5e5 18. dc1 exd4 19. xd4 xc5
20. xc5 c8 1/2 Wang Yue-Jakovenko, Nanjing 2009
14. e2 d7 Now Black has the additional idea of Bb5+ in many lines, while his main idea is of course ...e5,
which he'll play against almost any move in this position. That opens the position and when Black's bishops start
playing to their full potential it becomes obvious that Black has no problems whatsoever.
15. c3
15. d2 e5 16. d5 b5+ 17. f3 f5 18. b3 e4+ 19. g2 b220. c2 d3 21. c6 b5 22. c2 d3
23. c6 1/2 Radjabov-Ivanchuk, Morelia/Linares 2006

15... e5 16. d6 d8 17. c5 b5+ 18. d2 f5 19. c1 exd420. xd4 f4 21. g5 fxe3 22. fxe3 e7
Postny-Tseitlin, Haifa 2010

6.Rc1
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f4 g7 5. e3 O-O 6. c1 A serious alternative to 6.Nf3.
6... e6 is the move I'm recommending here. This also isn't a novelty and has been tried in a number of recent
high-level games, most notably in a game between Magnus Carlsen and the Chinese grandmaster Wang Yue.
6... dxc4 7. xc4 bd7 8. f3! This is the problem with this setup for Black, and transposes to a line we
gave earlier. (After Nakamura's 8.b5 here against Ivanchuk the game immediately assumed very
strange proportions. Black was fine in a very interesting fight and eventually even
won. 8... c6 9. c7 e8 10. c3 e5 Nakamura-Ivanchuk, Moscow 6th Tal Mem
2011 11. d6 exd4 12. xf8 dxc3 13. xg7cxb2 14. b1 xg7 15. f3 b5 16. e2 c5 17. xb2 a4
18.d2 ) 8... c5 9. O-O cxd4 10. b5! dxe3 11. g5 and White wins.
The main line here starts 6... c5 7. dxc5 e6 and Black is currently doing reasonably well, but as usual I
decided to look for something else which is playable but doesn't involve a lot of forced theory and/or
slightly passive positions, although that isn't always avoidable.
7. b3
7. c5 c6
a) 8. d3 g4 Magnus immediately grabs the opportunity to put the bishop somewhere other
than e6.( 8... b6 9. b4 a5 is another plan.) 9. c2 ( 9. ge2 bd7 ) 9... fd7 Strong and
original.10. xb8 (If 10. h3 then Black can already play 10... e5! ) 10...xb8! It's very rare to
see a knight on b8 that didn't start there. The point of this move only becomes obvious a couple
of moves later. (10... xb8 11. h3 e6= ) 11. h3 c8 12. f4 Trying to stop the break in the
centre. 12... b6 13. a4 e5! But the break comes anyway. Magnus had fantastic compensation
for the pawn and was somewhat unlucky not to win the game.
b) 8. h3 is a move I was mildly worried about, trying to restrict the bishop and get a favourable
version of some kind of Slav, but I finally spotted improvements for Black in the play that
follows. 8... b6 9.b4
b1) 9... e4 10. f3 ( 10. d3 a5 11. a4 d7 12. f3 b513. fxe4 bxa4 14. b5 dxe4
15. xe4 cxb5 16. f3 xa2 17.e2 c4 18. xc4 bxc4 19. xc4 a7 Jumabayev
-So, Istanbul 40th Olympiad
2012) 10... a5 11. a4 d7? ( 11... b512. b6 a7 13. a4 axb4 14. axb5 c3
15. b3 cxb5 )12. b5! bxc5? ( 12... cxb5 13. xb5 bxc5 14. dxc5 ) 13.bxc6 g5
14. xg5 xg5 15. xg5 f6 16. xc5 d6 17.b5+ 1-0 Timoscenko-Michalik,
Banska Stiavnica 2006
b2) a5 Initially I thought Black's position was dubious here, but after
b21) 10. a3 Black just swaps everything
with 10... axb4 11.axb4 bxc5 12. bxc5 and then has the important
resource 12...a3 Black is first to seize the initiative on the queenside. Qa5
will follow, then perhaps Ne4 or Na6-

b4.( 12... e4 13. d3f5 14. ge2 d7 15. OO e5 16. h2 xc3

17. xc3exd4 18. xd4 xd3 19. xd3 Wohl-Deepan Chakkravarthy,
Nagpur
2008 19... e5!= ) 13. b1 ( 13. d3 a5 14.e2 a6 15. xa6 xa6
16. OO a8=/+ ) 13... a5+14. d2 xd2+ 15. xd2 a2+ 16. e1 bd7

b22) It's also important to know that after 10. b5 bxc5 11.dxc5
b221) Black has the strong 11... a4 and White already needs to tread
very carefully, as can be seen in the line
b2211) 12. b6 bd7 13. ce2 ( 13. xa4 White is
seemingly just a pawn up for nothing very much here, but
after 13... a5! he no longer has equality as there's no
adequate defence against the very strong threat of Qa8.
The whole edifice is about to collapse
completely.) 13...e4 14. d4 c8
b2212) 12. f3 12... cxb5 13. xb5 e4 14. c7d7

b222) h5 12. h2 ( 12. xb8 xb8 13. f3 xc3+14. xc3 cxb5

Retera-Langheinrich, Netherlands 2006)
b23) 10. cxb6 The main move. 10... xb6 ( 10... axb4 11.a4 is
unsatisfactory for Black as the pawn on b6 will be protected by Bc7, leaving
White with a huge trump on the queenside.) 11. b5 There have already been
games that reached this position. Black failed to equalise comfortably, but I'm
offering an improvement. 11... a4 12. d3 White generally wants to develop
his knight not to f3, but e2, connecting the
knights. 12... cxb5 13. xb5 a6! An important move which poses White
some concrete problems.
( 13... f5 14. e2a5+ 15. ec3 xd3 16. xd3 c8 17. OO bd7
18.c2+/= Ortiz Suarez-Krysa, Mar del Plata 7th Americas Conti 2012)
b231) 14. e2 runs
into 14... a5+ forcing 15. bc3 (15. d2? b4 ) 15... b4
16. b1 a3 A very important milestone for Black, as it means the
knight on b4 can't be challenged and driven away. This is a very
unclear position in which I believe Black has nothing to
fear. 17. OO fc8

b232) 14. a3 14... e4 15. e2 a5+ 16. f1 This huge concession

is almost forced, and after the immediate16... d7 the position is
once again very unclear and I think Black should be very happy
playing it.
7. f3! will be covered separately.
7... c5 Black goes for the central break.

7... b6 8. f3 c5 9. dxc5 ( 9. d1 dxc4 10. xc4 xc4 11.xc4 cxd4 12. xd4 c8 13. e2 c6=
Bhat-Kudrin, Tulsa
2008;9. cxd5 xd5 10. xd5 xd5 11. c4 xf3! 12. gxf3 c6 )9... bd7 10. c6 ( 10. cxb6 c5
11. b4 axb6=/ ) 10... c511. d1 ( 11. c7 c8 12. b4 dxc4 13. xc4 h5 ; 11. b4c8 )
11... dxc4 12. xd8 fxd8 13. d4 d5 14. xe6xe6 15. xd5 xd5 16. xc4 xb2 VainermanSerebro, USSR 1987
8. xb7 is the main move here.
It's important to know that in a number of recent games White tried 8.f3 c6 9. dxc5 but Black is very
comfortable here if he makes one correct move 9... e4! ( 9... c8 10. xb7 dxc4 11. g5 ) 10.xb7 ( 10. e2 xc3 11. bxc3 dxc4 12. xb7 d5
13. a6a5 14. xc4 xc3+ 15. e2 e5 16. e4 xe4 17. xa5 xa5Borges Mateos-Herrera, Matanzas
1997) 10... xc3+ 11. bxc3 c8White's queenside pawns are about to fall one after another, so Black is
fine.
8... b6
8... cxd4 9. exd4 b6 was a famous accident in a game between Aronian and Nepomniachtchi, because
after 10. xa8 Black suddenly realised that after 10... c6 11. c5 Qxb2 doesn't threaten Qxc1, so Black
is just lost.
9. xb6 axb6 10. f3 dxc4
Here I played 10... c6 against Malakhov, which was imprecise because after the very forcing
line 11. dxc5 bxc5 12. cxd5 xd5 13. xd5xd5 14. xc5 e6 15. c4 xc4 16. xc4 xa2 17. OO
a518. c5 b7 19. c7 xb2 20. g4 I realised that although nothing remains on the queenside White
is actually quite a long way from equality because the knight on b7 is such a horrible piece. I did manage
to draw the game, but I wouldn't recommend the experience to anyone. Malakhov-Svidler, 2011
11. dxc5 bxc5
11... d5 is also possible in this position, but I believe it's unnecessary.
12. g5 d5 Black is perfectly fine here. For instance,
13. xd5
13. d1 c6 ( 13... e6 Kohlweyer-Bobras, BL
2011) 14. xc4bd7! 15. OO b6 16. e2 fd5 Matlakov-Kovchan, St Petersburg 2011
13... xd5 14. xc4 xf4 15. exf4 xb2 16. c2 f6 17.O-O c6= Ding Liren-Le Quang Liem, Manila 2010

6.Nf3
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f4 g7 5. e3 O-O 6. f3c5 7. dxc5 a5 The normal move here, and the
one I'll concentrate on.
Another serious alternative is the recently introduced 7... e4 which might save you some time and
trouble studying the main
line. 8. c1d7 9. cxd5 a5 10. d4 ( 10. d2 dxc5 11. cxe4 xe412. f3 xd2 13. xd2 xa2

Shahade-Shankland, Fremont NCal Intl. 2012) 10... xc3 11. bxc3 xc5 12. c4 d7 ( 12... e5 is
imprecise, because after 13. dxe6 xe6 14. xe6 xe6 15. xe6xc3+ 16. f1 fxe6 Black is slightly
worse. White's king will be much safer the moment it reaches the h2-square, and he has a more stable
pawn structure. 17. b3 a6+ 18. g1 f6 19. h3+/= Gustafsson-Safarli, Porto Carras 2011) 13. O-O
a) 13... ac8 was the theoretical move for a
while. 14. b3 ( 14.e2 a4 15. b3 b6 16. d4 c5 17. b3 xc3 18.d3 a5 PotapovKurnosov, Rijeka 2010)
b) a4 is better and it seems to me that Black equalises on the spot because of the strong
threat of Rc8. 14. b3 b6 15. b5 xd416. xd7 g7 , and this is just a draw.
( 16... f6 17. c7xd5= ) 17. b5 ( 17. c7 xd5= ) 17... a6 18. e2 xd5=SanikidzeGupta, Istanbul 40th Olympiad 2012.
8. c1 dxc4 9. xc4 The reason I recommended 5...0-0 and not 5...c5 is that in this position we've managed to
force the white knight to f3, thereby completely excluding the huge theoretical line in which White develops the
knight to e2. That line, just as most of the Grnfeld nowadays, stands very well for Black, but your memory comes
under a real strain and I felt that if we could somehow triangulate White away from that it would be to our
benefit. So this is the move order I'm proposing. Here Black should start with
9... xc5
It's important to note that 9... c6 10. O-O xc5 runs into 11. b5and Black isn't entirely comfortable
here.
10. b3
It's been known for a long time that 10. b5 is very well met by 10...e6 and Black has no problems.
a) If 11. c7 xc4 White has to be careful not to run into
difficulties. 12. xa8 ( 12. d2 b5 13. b3 e5 ) 12... a5+
b) 11. xe6 11... xb5 12. b3 c6 is also perfectly fine for Black.
10. b3 c6 11. b5 e6 12. c7 xc4 13. xc4 a5+ 14.e2 ac8
10... c6 11. O-O a5 This is the main position of the whole Bf4 variation. It's been very heavily discussed in
serious practice and was, for instance, one of the important theoretical points of discussion in the Karpov Kasparov matches. In this position the main move for White is
12. h3
If White starts with 12. e2 Black has 12... h5 13. g5 g4 which equalises on the spot.
After 14. h4 Black has a choice between 14...b4= , pretty much forcing Qc4 and immediate equality,
and the more ambitious ( 14... g5 , which after 15. g3 xg3 16. hxg3 and the very precise 16... h6 may
even be slightly more pleasant for Black. He has the bishop pair in an open position and no real
weaknesses to speak of.)
12... f5 13. e2
13. g5 e5 14. g3 ad8 15. xf7+ xf7 16. b3 f8

13... e4 14. g4 This move, introduced by Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a game against me, is now the absolute main
line. Black needs to be careful.
14. xe4 is a minor move, but one I still managed to lose to in a very painful game against Levon
Aronian. 14... xe4 15. fd1 h5 16.c2 ( 16. d7 doesn't accomplish much as Rxb7 threatens
nothing due to Nd4, so Black should just play something like 16... ac8 here, and he's
fine.) 16... xf3 is better. (Here my dislike of trading bishops for non-bishops played a bad trick on me,
and I played 16... xc2 which is still okish for Black but not the most precise way of
continuing. 17.xc2 b5 18. a4 b4 19. e1 e5 20. g3 fd8 21. d3e7 22. c5 d6 23. b4
ad8 24. b5 d5 25. c2 e4 26.f4 1-0 Aronian-Svidler, Moscow 6th Tal
2011) 17. xf3 xf3 18.gxf3 and Black should play 18... fd8 with zero problems.
14. d5 For many years this was the only serious move in this position.14... e5 Here there are three
moves for White.
a) Very old theory starts with the move 15. h2 and now the following strange sequence is
almost forced (it becomes more outlandish by the move) 15... e6 16. fd1 fd8 17. c4f6 18. e4 ac8 19. g5 d4 20. e7+ f8 21. xe6+
xe7 22. xd8 xc4 23. xc4 e8!= This precise move has been known about for quite a
while now. After the near-forced (In this position the obvious-looking 23... xd8 just loses
to 24. b4 and the whole position collapses because the pawn on e5 can't be
protected.24... c7 obviously loses
to 25. xd4+ ) 24. xf7 b5 25. d5e2+ 26. h1 xc1 27. xc1 d2 Black isn't particularly
active so his extra queen isn't really felt and the game should end in a draw. Black is running no
risk of losing here. 28. c8 xf2 29. g1f1= Kramnik-Kamsky, Moscow 2008
b) Another old line is 15. xc6 , which was played by Karpov against Kasparov all those years
ago. Nowadays it's only used as a surprise weapon as it doesn't really offer any chances of an
advantage against a prepared player. 15... bxc6 16. e7+ h8 17. xc6 The main move. (It's
important to know that after 17. xe5 xe5 18. xc6Black has the very important
shot 18... h2+ The king can't take because of Qc7+, so 19. xh2 d2 and White has a choice
between playing an endgame where he's clearly not better or giving up the b2-pawn when he
also can't really hope for any
advantage. 20. b5xb2 21. d4 d2 22. d1 xb3 23. axb3 e6= ; You should also be
aware that 17. xe5 xe5 18. xc6 runs into 18... d2and after 19. xe5+ f6 White loses
additional material.) 17...b6 18. cxe5 ( 18. fxe5 f6 ) 18... e6 Immediately neutralising
the very important bishop on b3. This has also been played at the top level recently and is
known to be fine for
Black. 19. xe6xe6 20. c2 f5 21. a4 g5 ( 21... a6 22. d1 ad8 23.xd8 xd8
24. d4 e8 25. a5 c8 26. d5 c5=Brunello-Svidler, Khanty Mansiysk 2010) 22. h2
b1) 22... e8 23. c6 ( 23. a5 b8 24. c4 b5 25.xa7 g4 26. d4 d5
27. b7 d7 28. b5 f4 29. f5g3 30. fxg3 xf5 31. xf5 fxg3 Iljushin-Belov, Sochi
2006)23... c8 24. fd4 f4 25. exf4 gxf4 Kosyrev-Sakaev, chessassistantclub.com 2004
b2) g4 23. hxg4 fxg4 24. xe4 gxf3 This position is reached by force and is known to
be fine for Black. 25. c4 ae8 26.xe6 xe6 27. xf3 a6 Riazantsev-Eljanov,
Biel 2004

c) 15. g5 A curious line from the Peter Heine Nielsen laboratory. For a number of years this
was considered a bad move because of 15...xg5 16. xg5 d8 but in this position White has
an interesting attacking possibility with 17. h4 (after 17. f3 e4 Black is indeed already
better) 17... h6 18. g4 d7 19. e4 xh4 20. f3 h821. f2 Peter Heine's new idea. (The old
way of playing was 21.g2 f5 22. h1 d8 when White may have enough compensation for
equality, but no more.) 21... f5 22. h2 d8 The difference now is that the king is on g1 so
White can play 23. xh6+ xh6 24.h2 This was first played by Viktorija Cmilyte against
Kateryna Lagno. 24... g7 25. xc6 Another rook is thrown onto the fire.25... fxe4 (In that
game Black reacted in a poor fashion with 25...f4 , was soon in a lot of trouble and only saved
the game by a minor miracle.) 26. xe5+ h7 27. f6+ xf6 28. xf6 e8This position is
fine for Black as he has play of his own. White has to respond 29. g5 d2 This move leads to a
very spectacular forced draw. ( 29... c8 Nielsen-Nyback, BL 2012 30. fxe4! ; Black can play
the very prosaic 29... xg5 30. xg5 g7 , forcing 31. f5and an ending that is maybe even
slightly better for Black, although objectively it should be a
draw.) 30. gxh6 xe3+ 31. f1 xh632. h2+ g7 33. xg6+! xg6 34. d6+ with a
perpetual. Jobava-Areshchenko, Burgas Black Sea 2012
14... xc3 15. bxc3 d7 16. fd1 ad8 17. d5 a3
In the stem game against Kasimdzhanov I played 17... b6 here, which could have been a bit
problematic for me if Rustam had remembered his analysis, because after 18. b1
a) 18... c8 the very weird but efficient move 19. g5 just wins on the spot, as there's no
defence against both Bxf7 and Bc2. The queen will have to go to a6 and Black will have a
completely lost endgame. (19. b5 a6 20. c4 a3 21. 5b3 c5 was a draw by repetition
in Kasimdzhanov-Svidler, Donostia 2009.)
b) e6 19. dd1
18. cd1 e6
18... c8 19. e4
19. xd8 xd8 20. b5 This position has been subjected to fairly heavy theoretical discussion recently and I
think that by now people have figured out what to do.
20... xb3 21. axb3 a6 The more forceful path to a draw here.
In some games Black even played 21... xc3 showing a complete disregard for White's
initiative. 22. d7 ( 22. h6 g7 23. xg7xg7 24. d7 e6 25. xb7 c8 26. g2 Gundavaa-Le
Quang Liem, Zaozhuang Asian Nations Cup
2012) 22... b4 23. d5 c6 24.g5 a5 25. xa5 xa5 26. xe7+/= Matlakov-Nilsson, Rogaska
Slatina 27th ECC 2011
22. b6 e6 Here White has a choice.
23. c4 The main move in this position, trying to win the b7-pawn for nothing.
If 23. xb7 Black simply captures on f4 and c3 - 23... xf4 24. exf4xc3 and experiences no problems
whatsoever. 25. g2 b4 26.d7 xb7 ( 26... b8 27. c7 e8 28. c6+/= ) 27. xb7 e628. c7 (
28. h4 h6 29. e5 xe5 30. fxe5 g5= ) 28... b2 29.g5 h6 30. e4 d8

If 23. e5 it's important not to play Qc5 immediately but instead start
with 23... xe5 24. xe5 c5 25. xc5 Evgeny Tomashevsky offered me a draw here. If you look at the
position on your own for a minute it'll become obvious why - the white knight's position on e5 gives Black
additional tempi in a lot of lines and the queenside is likely to get exchanged off in a matter of
seconds. 25... xc5 26. b4 e4 27.d7 1/2 Tomashevsky-Svidler, Moscow RUS-ch 2010
( 27. c4 c8 28.c5 a5 29. d4 c3 30. d7 axb4 31. d3 e5 32. xb7 e4= )
23... a5 A very forcing reply.
24. xb7 b2 The best and cleanest solution, creating the incredibly potent threat of a5-a4, when the pawn
would become very strong.
Emil Sutovsky played 24... c5 here against Mamedyarov, which might also be enough for equality, and
that game did end in a
draw. 25. xe7xb3 26. d5 d3 27. g3 a4 28. d8 h6 29. e5 b1+ 30.g2 e1+ MamedyarovSutovsky, Turkey WTCh
2010 31. h2 xd832. xd8+ h7 33. d5 a3 34. d7= a2 ( 34... g8= ) 35. e5xe5+ 36. xe5
b8 37. xf7+ h8 38. f6+ g8 39. xg6+h8 40. xh6+ g8 41. g6+ h8 42. f6+ g8 43. f4
b744. c6 f3+ 45. g3 g7
25. b5 Forced.
25. e4 xb3 26. b1 c3 27. e5 xe5 28. xe5 a4
25. c5 a4
25... e2 26. d5 c2 It turns out White is unable to hang on to the b3-pawn.
27. d3
If 27. d3 then 27... xd3 28. xd3 c5
27... b1+ 28. g2 c5 29. d1 xb3 In this position the passer on the a-file is so potentially dangerous that
White can't utilise his somewhat more active pieces. In most lines the game ends in a draw by force.
30. e5 xe5 31. xe5 a4=

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Bf4
8.Qa4

5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Bf4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 The Qb3 line has been a constant source of worry and excitement over the course
of my career. I've had a lot of fun facing it against some very strong opposition, and I hope that here I can convey
some of the enjoyment I get from analysing and playing it. The emphasis will be on getting fresh and interesting
positions, and in general on aiming to have some fun. These days it isn't always possible to get positions that can
adequately be described as fun when you're playing Black against competent opposition, but you can at least try.
4. f3 The normal starting move.
4. b3 dxc4 5. xc4 e6 (If Black plays the standard 5... g7 6.e4 O-O White has the option of
replying 7. e2 a6 8. f4 and while this position is holdable for Black and not at all bad I honestly don't
believe any fun is to be had, so I'm not going to recommend it.) 6.b5+ Almost forced. 6... d7
a) White can take the pawn with 7. xb7 but the position that arises almost by force
after 7... c6 ( 7... c6 8. b3 xd4 9. e3e5 10. f3 a5 11. d4 ) 8. e3 b8 9. a6
b4 10.e2 c5 is not something you should be worried about if you're a budding Grnfeld
player. For a single pawn Black gets fantastic compensation. Whenever possible White should be
encouraged to take pawns like this against the
Grnfeld. 11. f3 cxd4 12. xd4 g713. a3 c6 14. d1 xd4 15. exd4 c6=/
b) 7. b3 7... c5
b1) 8. d5 b5 Switching to Volga/Benko Gambit-like play. 9.xb5 a6 This is quite a
historical line, as it occurred in a game between two very strong players, Smyslov and
Ragozin, back in 1943. After a 70-year break it was seen in a game between Khairullin
and Kovalenko. 10. c3 b8 11. d1 a5 Black clearly has good compensation for
the pawn. 12. f3 I believe this is White's best move in the position, which is illustrative
of just how precarious his situation is. This isn't usually something you'd think of doing
when you're so far behind in development. ( 12. f3Khairullin-Kovalenko, Moscow
Aeroflot op A 2011 12... g7=/+ )12... g7 13. e4 O-O=/ White seems to be doing
quite well in this very unclear position - in the sense that he isn't worse and has an
extra pawn, which must count for something - but I'm not sure a lot of people will be
attracted to the idea of giving Black this much freedom this early in a game.
b2) 8. dxc5 was played by Magnus Carlsen against Vassily Ivanchuk, so this is a move to
expect. I wanted to try and find something new and fresh to do in this line.
b21) 8... g7 9. e4 c6 ( 9... OO 10. e5 g4 11. f4a5 12. h3 h6 13. e3
f5 14. f2+/= ; 9... c6might be a decent idea here. As so often in the
Grnfeld, it's good to attack the e4-pawn as early as
possible. 10. c4bd7 11. f3 OO 12. e2 b5 13. xb5 xe4=/ ) 10.f3
a5 11. c4 O-O 12. O-O xc5 13. e3 h5 14.e2 White retains some
pressure, but it's obviously not the end of the world for
Black. 14... a5 15. fd1+/= Carlsen-Ivanchuk, Linares 2009

b22) 8... a6 This is the move I came up with. 9. a3 White has to try and
hang on to the pawn. ( 9. xb7? xc5 10.b4 e5 This position speaks for
itself.) 9... c8 ( 9...c8 10. b4 c7 11. e4 g7 12. f3 OO 13. e3 a5
14.b5 h5 15. b1 ) 10. b4 It seems White has managed to hold on to the
pawn and it's unclear where Black's compensation lies, as the knight on a6 is
very awkwardly placed, but it can simply retreat. 10... b8 When I came up
with this I decided I had to include it as it's such a quirky little idea. The point
is obviously to play a5 next move against pretty much anything, undermining
White's structure on the queenside and getting some compensation. White has
three major options.
b221) White can attempt to get a lot by
playing 11. b1 a512. xa5 b6 ( 12... xa5 13. bxa5 isn't good for
Black as the pawn is hanging on b7.) 13. a3 bxc5 If Black manages
to open files and diagonals on the queenside, as he will after
14.bxc5 and 14.Nf3, it's clear he'll have at least enough
compensation for equality.
b2211) So White will probably stick to his guns with 14.b5 ,
trying to keep the position closed, but now
after14... f5 White has to make another awkward move
like15. b2 and after 15... bd7 White's pieces are so
obviously misplaced that Black should be happy to play this
position any day of the week. 16. f3 c4 17. a7e6=/+
b2212) 14. bxc5 e5 15. e3 ( 15. e3 xc5 16. b3
OO ) 15... g4 16. e4 xe3 17. xe3 xc5 18.xc5
a5+ 19. d2 xc5=/
b2213) 14. f3 14... cxb4 15. xb4 g7 16. e4O-O
b222) 11. xa7 is inadvisable, because after the almost
forced 11... c6 12. a3 a8 13. b2 g7 Black gets fantastic
play for a couple of pawns. He has an edge in development and
threats like Nd5 and Ne4 are very difficult to meet.
b223) 11. e3 a5 12. xa5 ( 12. bxa5 a6 ) 12...xa5 13. bxa5
xc5 14. d2 xa5 15. b1 a7 16.e4 e6 17. f3 c6 18. b5
g7 19. xc6+ xc620. OO OO 21. b3 g4 22. fb1 xc3
23. xc3xa2=
b224) 11. b3 g7 12. b2 e6 13. c2 a5 14. a3axb4 15. axb4
c6 Once again Black has fantastic compensation for the
pawn. 16. d1 c7=/
b225) 11. f3 is the move most sane people will play as
White. 11... a5 12. xa5 ( 12. b5 e5 13. a4 xb5 )12... xa5
13. bxa5 xc5 14. d2 xa5 15. b1c6 (If White had played
11.e3 instead of 11.Nf3 Black could just play 15... a7 here, but in
this position White has 16. e3 winning the pawn, with a much
better position.) 16. d4 fd7 Connecting the knights and
preparing to deploy the bishop on
g7.( 16... g7 17. xc6xc6 18. xb7 OO 19. e3+/= ) 17. xc6

bxc6 18. g3g7 19. g2 O-O= The most likely scenario in this
position is that White will have to give up the pawn on a2 in
exchange for the bishop on g7, i.e. Black will take on c3 and a2 in
the near future, after which White will have some kind of "moral"
advantage as Black will have to spend some time getting his pieces
out of the corner. In general, however, Black will probably give up
the c6-pawn in exchange for completing his development and/or
exchanging off one of White's bishops. A draw will then be by far the
most likely result. I know I promised fun, and this isn't exactly fun,
but as I said, fun isn't always possible against competent opposition.
I still think this line is original enough, interesting enough and,
frankly, good enough to be featured as a possible approach for
Black.
4... g7 5. b3 dxc4 6. xc4 O-O 7. e4 This is the starting point of the classical Qb3 variation. Black has a
variety of options. A few recent publications, including Avrukh's books on the Grnfeld, suggest Nc6 for Black here.
That's a very interesting and worthy move, which I by no means consider wrong in this position, but my personal
preference has always been for
7... a6 This is how I was taught to play. I briefly dabbled in 7...Na6 at some point, with reasonable but nonspectacular results, and then went back to 7...a6, which is the move I feel most comfortable with. Obviously it
hasn't been all sweetness and light, and at some point I'm planning to do a short video entitled something like "four
months in the life of a top Grnfeld professional", featuring me losing three games in a row over the course of four
months to World Champions back in 1999. First I lost to Kasparov, then Anand and then Karpov. So that will be a
fun video to make! Those games were in many ways instructive, starting with my perhaps picking a wrong line to
reply to Qb3 on each separate occasion, considering the opposition. In this position White has two main choices,
8.Be2 and 8.e5. The sidelines here aren't particularly threatening, but it still pays to know what's what in them.
One is
8. f4 which has by now completely disappeared from serious grandmaster practice, although there was a slight
recurrence in 2009. Black responds very naturally, giving up the c7-pawn immediately.
8... b5 9. xc7 xc7 10. xc7 b7 Attacking the white centre. In order not to end up worse White
should play
11. d3 , when Black wins the pawn back immediately.
11. e5 d5 12. xd5 ( 12. a5 f4 13. O-O-O h3 ) 12...xd5 White will have to be very careful here
if he wants to equalise, and I'm not even sure how exactly he should proceed. I suspect Black may already
be slightly better. 13. e2 (Some "chess-related trivia" is that in a fairly recent game White
played 13. a3 and after 13... c6 14.d1 fc8 15. b6 ab8 16. c5 xf3 17. gxf3 xe5 Black was
already better in Yanayt-Yermolinsky, Agoura Hills 2007, although Alex Yermolinsky managed to lose the
game by blundering something huge in time trouble. This little tactic occurs a lot in this type of position
and is somewhat instructive, but the game wouldn't really have attracted my attention all that much if
not for the fact that the white player in this game was Evgeny Yanayt, who is better known as "oogee" at
PokerStars and "FishosaurusREX" at Full Tilt Poker. He's perhaps one of the Top 5 at 2-7 Triple Draw.
Apparently he also plays Qb3 in the
Grnfeld.) 13... c8 14. a5 ( 14. b6 c2 15. b3 c6 16.d1 c3 17. OO b8 18. c5 d8
19. b6 b8 20. c5 b421. e1 Dreev-Neverov, Uzhgorod
1987 21... e6=/ ) 14... c6 15.c3 ab8 , preparing additional advances on the queenside, is very
decent for Black. 16. a3 a5=/+ Antoshin-Kalinichev, Moscow 1982.
11... b4 12. a4 xe4 13. O-O f6 The knight retreats to avoid coming under attack on e4.

14. ac1 was Leko's move in a rapid match against Anand.

14. e5 even allowed me to play iIn an old game of mine White played14... c6 In an old game of mine
White played. After 15. c5 fc8 Black was very comfortable and I went on to win the
game. 16. xc6xc6 17. e5 b5= Dyachkov-Svidler, Maikop RUS-tch 1998
14... bd7 15. e5 fc8 16. fe1 e6 Once again Black is very comfortable and has no problems whatsoever.
17. b6 xb6 18. xb6 d5 19. a5 h6= Leko-Anand, Miskolc (m) 2009

5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Qa4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 O-O 7. e4 a6 8. a4 is a more serious attempt
by White than 8.Bf4, and has been played in a number of reasonably high-level games. The move I am
recommending is
8... c5 This is a very thematic break which will occur in a lot of these positions. Here, as in most cases, it's very
good.
In the 2009 European Team Championship I had this position against Teimour Radjabov 8... c6 Teimour
took the bait and played 9. d5 and after (Unfortunately White doesn't have to play 9.d5 here and can just
reply 9. e2 , after which I couldn't find any direct equality for Black, so I'm not recommending
this.) 9... a7 Black is actually doing very well because the pawn on d5 is a target and the knight is by
no means badly-placed on a7. In many cases it will go to b5, and c6 is an immediate threat.
9. dxc5 d7 10. a3 The only serious move in this position.
10. c2 is met by 10... a5 and Black is already doing very well. It's hard to parry the threat of Nxe4.
At the very least the pawn on c5 is about to fall. 11. e3? xe4
10. b3 c6 This is also very standard, targetting the pawn on e4.

a) 11. b4 bd7 12. e2 a5 13. c4 a4 14. O-O a5 15.e3 ( 15. e5 xf3= ) 15... g4=
b) 11. e5 fd7 12. e6 xc5 13. exf7+ xf7 14. c4 xf315. gxf3 bd7
c) 11. c4 is pretty much the only move that makes any sense here.11... bd7 ( 11... b5 is
simple and good, transposing to 10.Qc4)
c1) 12. e5 h5 13. e6 xf3 ( 13... fxe6 14. e2 xf3 15.xf3 e5 16. xe6+ h8
17. OO xf3+ 18. gxf3 xf319. e3 ) 14. exd7 ( 14. gxf3 e5 ) 14... c6=/+
c2) 12. e2
c21) 12... c7
c211) 13. e3 b5 14. cxb6 xb6 15. c5 ( 15. b4ab8 ) 15...
bd7 16. c4 b6=

c212) 13. OO 13... b5 14. xb5 axb5 15. xb5xe4 16. e3

dxc5 17. fc1 b6 18. a4+/=
c22) 12... a5 13. b4 c7 14. b1 b5 15. d3 b7 (15... fd8 16. c2
b7 17. d3+/= ) 16. d2 fd8 17.e3+/=
c23) 12... b5! gives Black decent
play. 13. cxb6 xb6 14.e3 xb2 15. b1 a3 16. b3 d6 17. e5 xe5
18.xe5 xe5 19. xc6 ac8 20. xa6 xc3=
10. c4 is met by the necessary but
strong 10... b5 ( 10... a5 11.d2 ) 11. xb5 (After 11. b3 Black has a choice between taking on f1
and 11... c6 , which are both fine.) 11... axb5 12. xb5xe4 This is obviously fantastic for Black,
because by the time White has finished his development something will have fallen on the queenside and
Black will be very comfortable. 13. e3 c6=/+
10. b4 c6 11. a3 Neither of Black's alternatives to this move is very good.
( 11. b6 xb6 12. cxb6 b4 ; 11. xb7 especially leads to a very picturesque position for Black
after 11... b8 12.xa6 b4 13. e2 a5 Black is a whole queenside down, so to speak, but if I got
this position in a game I'd feel I was already close to winning. Even if not entirely correct this is the stuff
dreams are made of for a Black player.) 11... a5 A very strong move, securing the b4-square for the
knight. 12. c4 (If White plays 12. e3 b4 13. O-O-O you might conclude he has a slight death wish.
After 13... c7 I tried to find a way not to lose with White, but it isn't easy and it's difficult to imagine
anyone playing like this. It's risky and obviously unprofitable to be aiming for positions like this with
White in the
Grnfeld. 14. b3g4 15. a3 xe3 16. fxe3 xc3 17. bxc3 a6 ) 12... b4 13.b3 Forced, and
after 13... c6 Black is doing extremely well.
( 13...b5 14. cxb6 xb6 15. OO a4 16. d1 c7 17. e2 a3=/ ) 14.e5 ( 14. OO xe4 15. xe4
xe4 16. g5 d5 17. a3 xc418. xc4 c6=/+ ) 14... xe4 15. xc6 (After 15. xf7 Black has the
strong 15... d4 and 16. e3 loses to the very nice geometrical
motif 16... c2+!+ 17. xc2 xc4 ) 15... xc3+ 16. bxc3 xc617. xb7 ( 17. OO c7 18. h6 xc5
19. b5 a7=/+ ) 17...c8 18. xc8 fxc8 19. e3 ab8=
10... c6 Attacking the central pawn. Gyimesi-Sedlak
11. d2 bd7 This makes sense.
11... a5 Grischuk played this against Wang Hao in the 2012 London Grand Prix, somewhat missing, I
believe, White's reply. 12. f3 A very important idea, freeing up the d2-knight to go to
c4. 12... fd7 13. c4! d414. e3 xe3 15. xe3 e6 16. h4 The move Wang Hao perhaps should
have made. ( 16. f2 e7 17. b5 Wang Hao-Grischuk, London GP 2012) 16... e7 17. O-O-O This is
very unclear, but White may enjoy a slight
pull. 17... xc5 ( 17... xc5 18. b1+/= ) 18.xc5 xc5 19. h5 bd7
12. e2
The point is that 12. f3 can now be met by 12... e5 , preventing White from settling a knight on
c4. 13. c4 xc4 14. xc4 d4 15.e2 d7 The pawn on c5 is about to fall and the position should be
equal. 16. g5 fe8 17. d1 xc5 18. xc5 xc5 19. f2 (19. d5 xd5 20. xd5 e6 )
12... c7!

12... e6 13. O-O e7 was a sensible approach in Gordon-Hawkins, North Shields 99th GBR-ch 2012, but
here White missed an opportunity to sacrifice the exchange with 14. b4! , and if Black accepts the
sacrifice then after 14... xe4 15. dxe4 xe4 16. xe4 xa1 17. d1!White has a lot of play for the
exchange. I'm not claiming he's much better, but it's at least an interesting improvement over White's
play in the game. 17... e5 18. g5 f6 19. h6 fd8 20. f4 c7 21.c3 h8 22. a3=/
13. O-O fd8 Now Black wants to play Bb5, attacking White's whole structure and perhaps winning the pawn on
c5, whereas White has very few constructive ideas as he's tied down to the defence of the e4-pawn. The one idea
he does have,
14. f4 , with e5 to follow, runs into a very interesting tactic.
14... xc5!
14... b5 15. e5 xe2 16. xe2 d5 17. e4+/=
15. e5 Now the machine very calmly proceeds to play
After 15. xc5 xe4 Black is already better due to the huge threat of Bd4+ against any move.

15... d3 16. xd3

16. exf6 b6+ 17. h1 f2++

16... xd3 17. exf6 xf6 and to my surprise it claims Black is better despite being a whole piece down and not
having any direct threats for a while. You can check for yourself why that is, but I'm convinced the assessment is
correct.
18. f3 xf3 19. gxf3 d7!

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Be2 b5 9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Be6 11.Qc2 Nbd7
12.b4/e5/Ng5/c6
12.Be3

8.Be2 b5 9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Be6 11.Qc2 Nbd7 12.b4/e5/Ng5/c6

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 O-O 7. e4 a6 8. e2 This has been the subject
of a number of very high-level theoretical discussions.
8... b5 9. b3 Black has a number of options in this position. Nc6 and Bb7 are playable, but the main and by far
the most popular move is
9... c5 A thematic break that will feature in almost all the positions starting with a6.
10. dxc5 An only move.
10... e6 For a number of years Bb7 was almost the only serious move here for Black, and as far as I'm aware it's
still very playable, but for at least partly selfish reasons I want to recommend something else. Over a number of
years I had an ongoing theoretical discussion with the Ukrainian/American grandmaster Alexander Onischuk. I kept
playing him in various tournaments, mainly with Black, and he kept on playing the Qb3 Grnfeld against me. In
general I tended to do well, but I was usually the one chasing the game because he'd surprise me with something in
the opening. I'd have to solve problems at the board, and usually did that sufficiently well, but the whole
experience started to grow somewhat tiresome. Whilst preparing for yet another game with Black against him in
Foros I thought I should maybe try and find something new, which is when I spotted the idea behind this move
(only my next move was actually a novelty).
11. c2 bd7 People would previously automatically play Nc6 or Qc7 first, when White can expect to apply
some real pressure, which is why I came up with the idea of this move. In the stem game against Onischuk I was
almost lost, but that didn't stop me from developing the line further and it's since featured in a lot of very high
profile games, including some in Candidates Matches. This has now become the central line of the whole Grnfeld
with Qb3 and Be2.
12. b4 was played against me by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Despite spending a lot of time, by my standards,
analysing this position over the course of a number of years I never really looked seriously at b4 because I thought
it was too weird a move to devote any time to. When Shakh played it at the board I regretted that, but I quite like
my solution.
12. e5 has to be considered in almost any position where it's possible, but in this particular case it's
really not a very good move, because after12... d5 everything is hanging for White and it's clear Black
is doing fine.
12. g5 isn't very good either, because after the fairly forced
sequence12... xc5 13. e3 c8 14. xc5 ( 14. d1 a5 15. xe6xe6 16. OO b4 17. a4 xa4
18. xa4 xe4 19. xa6 a820. b5 d6 21. c6 a5= ) 14... xc5 15. xe6 fxe6 Black is already
slightly better because of the huge threat of b4, and after 16.b3 Black has the powerful 16... e5 The
pawn on e4 will most likely drop as there's no convenient way to defend it.
12. c6 is a more serious move. I was surprised that it took a while for this move to be played in serious
practice, as any move which forces Black to take back his previous move must be an interesting
possibility. 12...b8

a) 13. e5 g4 A much more adventurous solution ( 13... d5 is also

fine) 14. e4 ( 14. e4 d5 15. c7 c6 ) 14... b4Attacking White's position from all sides.
a1) 15. a4 is adequately met
by 15... a5 ( 15... f5 16. c7xe4 17. cxd8=Q xd8 18. g5 f5 19. f4 c6
20. f3f6 21. h3 h6 22. exf6 exf6 23. c4+ f7 ) 16. d4xa4 17. xe6 xf2
a2) After 15. c7 xc7 16. xa8 bxc3 Black is doing very
well.17. OO c6 18. xa6 cxe5
a3) 15. d4 The main line. 15... bxc3 16. xe6 White would be very happy if not for
the tactical detail that in the position after16... cxb2 17. xb2 a5+ 18. f1 Black
has the shot 18...xf2 19. xf2 fxe6+ 20. f3 xc6 21. xc6 d2+ and Black wins
back the bishop and is at least fine.
b) 13. O-O xc6 14. xb5 xe4! A beautiful geometrical solution that made me very happy
when I first spotted it during preparation for my game against Onischuk. Black already had one
knight hanging and now hangs another, but the point is that no matter which knight White
captures Black will play Bd5 and recapture on b5, with excellent compensation.
( 14... b4 There's also nothing wrong with this move. After 15. a4 Black would
continue 15... xa2 16. bd4xc1 17. fxc1 d7 18. c2 b6 19. e5 fc8 20. c4d5
21. e4+/= Hernandez Carmenates-Mekhitarian, Sao Paulo
2009) 15. xe4 ( 15. xc6 d5 16. c2 axb5 17. xb5 d618. e2 b8 At the very least
Black will win back something on the queenside, and I think most people would prefer to be
Black here.; 15.d1 d5 ) 15... d5 16. e3 axb5 17. xb5 b8=/
c) 13. xb5 axb5 14. c7 c8 15. cxb8=Q xc2 16. xb5xe4 17. O-O fd8
d) 13. g5 The main move, after which Black has to be precise. 13...xc6 14. xe6 fxe6 For a
while this position only existed in my notes - and in everybody else's notes as well, I expect and nobody would play this with either colour, but by now there have been a number of
reasonably high-level games.
d1) 15. e3 d4 16. d1 xe2 17. xe2 a5! It's much stronger to start with this
move, when Black is doing very well.
(17... b4 18. a4 a5 19. c5 b3+ 20. d2 xd2+ 21.xd2 ac8 22. f3 fd8+
23. e1 d7 24. xb3 xb225. d1= Buhmann-Le Quang Liem, Khanty Mansiysk
2010) 18.OO ( 18. d2 b4 19. d1 ad8 ) 18... b4 19. d1xe4 20. c4 d5
21. xb4 d6=
d2) 15. xb5 More critical. 15... c8 16. c3
d21) People automatically play 16... d4 here, because it seems to be where
the knight should
go. 17. d3 d7 18.OO c5 19. d1 ( 19. h3 xe2+ 20. xe2 d3
21.xd3 xd3 22. e3 xb2 23. ad1 c2= Volkov-Areshchenko, Plovdiv
13th EICC
2012) 19... xe2+ 20. xe2d3 21. e1 xe2 22. xe2 d3 23. f1
xb2 24.xb2 xc3= Meier-Le Quang Liem, Dortmund 39th GM 2011

d22) b4 is also possible here, almost forcing White to

play17. b1 (otherwise Nxe4 comes into serious
consideration)17... g4! Black is fine in the lines that
follow. 18. OO ( 18.xg4 loses
to 18... d3+ ) 18... xf2 19. e3 fd3 (19... d4 20. xf2 xf2
21. xf2 xf2+ 22. xf2d4+ 23. f1 f8+ 24. f3 c4+= 25. e2 c2
) 20.xf8+ xf8 21. h1 ( 21. xd3 xd3 ; 21. a3 h6! )21... g7 22. a3
( 22. g4 c6 23. a3 xb2 24. axb4xc3 25. c2 d3 26. f2 d8
27. f1 f6 28. e5d3 29. d2 xe5 30. c5 c7 31. f3 xc5 32.bxc5
xc5= ) 22... xb2 23. axb4 xc3 24. g1 d3=
12... a5 13. b1
13. c6? axb4 14. xb5 b3+
13... axb4 14. xb4 xc5 15. O-O All Black's moves so far have been very natural, but if he doesn't do
something energetic here the b5-pawn is going to fall and he'll have serious problems. After pausing to think I
came up with the very neat tactical solution
15... c8 This creates a very unpleasant X-ray along the c-file.
16. d4 cxe4 17. xe4

17. xe6 xc3 is clearly very good for Black.

17... xc2 After taking some time to think Shakh played
18. xc2
It transpires that after 18. xf6+ xf6 19. xc2 xa2 White's minor pieces are incredibly misplaced.
After 20. d3 (or 20. d1 c4 )20... d8 he's unable to keep all of his material.
18... xe4 19. xe4 f5 20. xe7 xc2 21. xb5xa2 and there was nothing left on the board and the
game was soon drawn.
22. e2 b3 23. xa2 xa2 1/2 Mamedyarov-Svidler, Astrakhan GP 2010

8.Be2 b5 9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Be6 11.Qc2 Nbd7 12.Be3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 OO 7. e4 a6 8. e2 b5 9. b3 c5 10. dxc5
e6 11.c2 bd7 12. e3 White's only option that poses Black any real problems.
12... c8
12... g4 13. d4 de5 14. xe5 xe5 15. d1 a5 16. OOfd8 17. d5 ( 17. b3 xd4 18. xd4
c6 Ezat-Sutovsky, Bursa 7th WTCh 2010)
12... b4 13. a4 a5 14. O-O xe4 15. c6

12... c8 13. c1 xc5 14. b1 c4 ( 14... g4 15. d5xd5 16. xc5 ) 15. d2 ( 15. b3 xe2 1
6. xe2 e6 17.xb5 Zuger-Komljenovic, Zagreb
1986 17... b7 18. c3 ac8=/ )15... cd7 16. xc4 bxc4 17. OO e5 18. h3 b7 19. b3 cxb3
20. f4 c6 21. xb3 xb3 22. axb3
13. d1 The critical line.
13. b4 xe4
13. c6 is another option for White. 13... xc6 14. d4 d6 15.xe6 ( 15. O-O g4 16. xg4 xg4 ;
It's possible to postpone 15.Nxe6 for a while, but in a very instructive game from the US Championship a
few years ago Nakamura played 15. d1 against Gata Kamsky. Gata's play was, I think,
exemplary. 15... g4 16. xg4xg4 17. f3 e5 Creating the huge threat of Nc4 and showing that the
bishop doesn't yet have to go anywhere. 18. f2 c4 19. c6xc3+ A nice finesse, spoiling White's
pawn structure. 20. bxc3 c7 I would go as far as to say that Black is slightly better here, although the
game was drawn. Nakamura-Kamsky, Saint Louis USA-ch 2009) 15...xe6
a) 16. f3 I dislike this move. Although I understand the desire to protect the e4-pawn, f3 is a
very weakening move and loses a tempo in a position where tempi are very important.
After 16... a5 17. O-Oc8 Black is already doing very well due to his piece activity and plans
that include Nb6-c4 and Nb6-d5. Now that the pawn is on f3 the bishop on e3 is hanging in a lot
of lines.
( 17... b4 18. d1 b6 19. f2fd7 20. d3 b8 21. h1 a4 22. f4 e5 23. d1b5
24. xa4 xd3 25. b3 d6 26. a5+/= Wojtaszek-Piorun, Warsaw POL-ch
2010) 18. fd1 ( 18. b1 b6 19. a3bd5 ) 18... b6 19. b3 fd7 20. d5 xd5 21. exd5
xe3 22. xe3 xb2 23. ab1 a3 24. f1 b6 25. d4c2 26. d1 c4 Braun-Bobras,
BL 08-09 2008
b) 16. O-O 16... b8! Much stronger than 16...Qc8. Black will respond to almost any next two
moves by White with Rc8 and Nb6, and if the knight manages to land on c4 Black will have
excellent play while White will have his hands full just keeping everything under control. (Tigran
Petrosian took the bait here in the 2009 European Team Championship with 16... c8 , winning
the e4-pawn. This is why people might choose to play 16.f3, but
after 17. ac1 xe4 18.xe4 xc2 19. xc2 xe4 it's clear it would have been better not to
accept the sacrifice. Only White is playing for a win in this endgame. The black queenside is
potentially very weak and the bishops on e3 and f3 will be a huge threat. White will also have
control of both the c- and dfiles. 20. d1 f6 21. f3 e6 22.g3 h5 23. h3 e4 24. g2 f5 25. d7 f6 26. b3 g7+/=
Tomashevsky-Petrosian, Novi Sad 17th EU-tch 2009)
13... b4
It would be very nice to be able to play 13... a5 but unfortunately after 14. a3 no matter how hard I
tried I couldn't make this position work for
Black. 14... b4 ( 14... g4 15. d4 xc5 16. b4 ) 15.axb4 xb4 16. c6 xc6 ( 16... b3 17. d4!+ )
17. d4 d618. xe6 ( 18. O-O g4 ) 18... xe6 ( 18... xd1+ 19. xd1fxe6 20. O-O ) 19. O-O+/=
13... g4 14. b4 xe3 15. fxe3
14. d5 The main line.

Onischuk played 14. a4 against me, although this isn't currently considered to be a huge problem for
Black. 14... a5 15. O-O ( 15. b3g4 equalises comfortably for
Black. 16. d4 xd4 17. xd4xc5 18. xc5 xc5= ) 15... xe4 Black wins back the pawn.
a) 16. xe4 xa4 17. g5 xc5
a1) It's important to note that 18. xc5 is no problem because
after 18... xc5 19. xe6 Black has
( 19. h4 xg5 20.xg5 xa2 ) 19... e5 when he's at least fine.

a2) 18. h4 18... h6 19. xe6 xe6 20. c4 Here Morozevich clearly had very nice
compensation for the pawn in a game against Kasimdzhanov, but after the
correct 20... f6 21.e4 g7 22. xe6 fxe6 23. xe6 c6 although White has some
pull it's only temporary. Black should be able to equalise with careful play.
Kasimdzhanov did indeed hold the
draw. 24. h3 h525. b3 fd8 26. c1 b7 27. e6 xc1 28. xc1 d629. c4 a5
30. h3 d7= Morozevich-Kasimdzhanov, Eilat 17th ECC 2012
b) 16. c6 16... d6 17. b3!
b1) 17... f5
b11) 18. c1 e4 19. d4 ( 19. cxd7 xc1 20. xc1d8 21. b6 f5 )
19... xd4 20. xd4 xc6 21.e1
b12) 18. d3 18... g4 ( 18... xd3 19. xd3 b5 20.c1 ) 19. e2=
b2) Here I committed a less than obvious blunder with 17... d5?thinking I had a very
nice position, but he replied with the very strong 18. xd5 xd5 19. c1 and I was in
a lot of trouble and objectively lost at some point in the game, although ultimately I
won. Onischuk-Svidler, Foros 2008.
b3) c7! 18. d4 ( 18. d4 ) 18... xd4 19. xd4 ( 19.xd4 fc8 20. d2 xc6 )
19... f5 20. c1 e4=
14... xd5 15. exd5 xc5 16. O-O This position has been a hot topic of discussion over the past four years or so.
Black has tried many different moves.
16. xc5 d7 is clearly good for Black.
16... ce4 My recommendation.
17. d3! The main line.
17. a4 By far the worst square for the queen, as Black can just play17... xd5! 18. xa6 c5 In
general, if Black manages to trade off the d5-pawn for the b4-pawn, or especially for the a6-pawn, he
has a very good position, because the bishop on g7 starts to come into play and White has almost no
active plans. 19. b5 xa6 20. xd5 c7 21.xd8 xb5=
17. b3 d6 It's important to play this move first, when it's very difficult for White to achieve anything.
(If you start with 17... c5White has 18. c4+/= and Black already has to be very careful.)

a) 18. d4 c5 ( 18... a5 19. fd1 c5 20. c2 e6 21.c4 xc4 22. xc4 c7 23. d2
d8 24. f4 c5 25.d4 xd4 26. xd4 ) 19. c4 fd8 20. fd1 a5= 21. g3a4 22. b3
c5 23. c4 a4=
b) 18. g3 At least attempting to play Bf4. 18... c5 ( 18... a5 19.f4 ) 19. xb4 Almost
forced.( 19. c4 a4 ) 19... xd5 20.h4 ( 20. a3 e6 ) 20... c6 Aiming for the important
a4-square.
( 20... e6 21. c4 d8 22. g5 b6 23. xd5 exd5 24.xd5 e6 25. d2 e4 26. e2 f5
27. b3 ) 21. d4 fd8Structurally you could argue that White is slightly better, but after
careful checking I think this position is very holdable for Black and he should be able to draw
reasonably comfortably.
17. b1 was played against me by Karjakin in the 2012 Russian Team Championship. That was a
somewhat bizarre experience, first of all because Sergey normally plays 1.e4 against me, so this was just
about the first game in a number of years where I played the Grnfeld without revising this line. I half
expect people to play Qb3 against me all the time, but generally not people who don't play 1.d4... So I
got to this position with a less than 100% fresh memory of what's what. That's not the most bizarre thing,
however, which was that not three metres away from our board, on the first board of a different match,
Morozevich and Caruana reached the same position at precisely the same time we did. That's always a bit
awkward because it becomes something of a game of chicken. There's a huge temptation for people to
wait for the other game to move one ply further and see what's going on there. It was slightly better for
me, as I clearly remembered the first move of the variation, which was 17... d6! After some delay this
move was also made by Caruana against Morozevich.
a) 18. e5 f5
b) 18. fe1 A strange thing happened here. As I couldn't remember what my notes said I started
to think what they might say, and I had a complete visual hallucination.
b1) I thought I'd "remembered" what my notes said and played 18...a5 , in the
absolute certainty that after 19. d4 xd5 20.f3 Black could play 20...Nfe4. I had a
"memory" in my notes of a position where Black had knights on d6 and e4 and a heavy
piece on d5, with the same pins, and the evaluation was "Black is fine". I probably
looked so convincing that Sergey believed me and didn't go for the line, whereas
Morozevich did.
( 20. b5 e4 21. xd6xb1 22. xb1 exd6 23. xa6 c7+/= Karjakin-Svidler,
Sochi 13th RUS-tch 2012) 20... e5 ( 20... fe4 is met by 21. g4!and the huge
threat of Bxc8 and Ne6 means that Black is close to
lost.) 21. c6 xc6 22. xc6 g4 This position is quite bad for Black but Caruana is
very good at defending and eventually drew the game, although it took him about eight
hours, by my reckoning.23. g3 h5 24. h4 xe3 25. xe3+/= Morozevich-Caruana,
Sochi 13th RUS-tch 2012
b2) 18... f5! Karjakin and Caruana both correctly surmised that this is much better,
and is what my notes actually said. Black is fine in the play that follows, as the pawn
on d5 is
doomed. 19. g5 (19. d2 xd5 20. xa6 c7= ; 19. xa6 xe3 20. xe3c5= )
19... c5=

c) 18. xa6 is the move Black is most prepared for. After 18...a8 19. e2 a5 this position
is much easier for Black to play, because if
e.g. 20. d4 xa2 21. f3 d7 22. c6 fe8=Black should be able to equalise reasonably
comfortably because it's very likely the b-pawns will be exchanged and the beautiful knight on
c6 will have little to do.
17... d6 This pawn sacrifice is the main line of the whole variation.
The first time I got this position on the board I played the very imprecise17... a5 and after 18. e5 I
only managed to save the game due to some trickery and imprecise play by
White. 18... c7 19. f4+/=Sandipan-Svidler, BL 2010
17... c5 18. c4+/=
17... d6 18. e5 f5
a) 19. g5 d6 20. f4 h5 ( 20... d7 )
b) 19. f4 19... c5 20. c6 ( 20. f3 h4 21. c6 d7 22.e3 xf3+ 23. gxf3+/=
) 20... xd5 21. xb4 xd3 22.xd3 a5 23. a6+/=
18. xa6 The only sensible move.
18... c2 The most direct approach.
19. d4
After 19. c1 Black replies 19... c5! with a lot of play. He has the threat of Nxf2 and is already doing
quite well here. 20. b5 c8 21.xc5 2xc5 22. e5 xd5 23. a6 e8=
19... c5 Forcing White to trade queens.
20. xd6 exd6 21. b5
21. fe1 a8
21... fe4 For a while this position only featured in my notes, but then during the 2012 Russian Championship
Superfinal Dmitry Jakovenko played it against me. Probably to the slight surprise of the people watching on the
internet and live in the playing hall we reached this position about five minutes after the start of the round.
22. e1 d2 23. xg7 xg7! Surprisingly this is a better way to play. I say surprisingly, as in this line the pawn
isn't won back at all.
Somewhat unfortunately I did manage to remember what my notes said in this position and
played 23... xd1 and after 24. xf8 xf8 25.f3 xd5 instead of Bc4 Rf5=, as I clearly remembered
my notes said, Dmitry played 26. c6! d3 27. a1! and although the machine insists this is just a dead
equal position I'm somewhat less convinced, because it says 0.00 and then simplifies into endgames
where White has an outside passer on the a-file and a bishop against a knight. If that's a draw then chess
really is a draw everywhere. It might be, but it's no fun to check at the board. Jakovenko-Svidler, Moscow
65th RUS-ch Superfinal 2012
24. d3 The point of White's previous play.

24... c2! 25. c1

25. f3 b8! 26. a6 ( 26. fxe4 xb5 27. f2 xf2 28. xf2a5= ) 26... d2 27. f2 xf3+ 28. gxf3
xf2 29. xf2xa6=
25... xc1 26. xc1
26. xc1 b8 27. d3 ( 27. c6 b3! ) 27... xd3 28. xd3b5 29. f3 ( 29. a1 c5 30. xc5 xc5
31. a4 bxa3 32. bxa3xd5 33. a4 a5= ) 29... c5 30. d1 xd3 31. xd3 f6 32.b3 a5
33. xb4 xa2= 34. f1 e5 ( 34... a1+ 35. e2g1 36. f2 d1 37. e3 xd5 38. d4 h5= )
35. b7 h536. xf7 xb2=
26... xd3 27. xd3 c5 This solution came as a surprise to me, as Black just exchanges everything and
liquidates into an endgame a pawn down. It does seem to be a draw, however. The main idea is
28. c4
28. f1 a8 29. c4 c8 transposes
28... c8 29. f1
29. c2 a4 30. b3 xc2 31. xc2 xb2 32. f1 transposes to 29.Kf1
29. b1 a4 30. b5 a8 31. c6 a5 32. a3 bxa3 33. bxa3c3 34. a1 xd5 35. xd5 xd5
36. a4 a5 37. f1 f6=
29. b3 a8 30. f4 xb3 31. axb3 a5 32. d1 f6 33. f2h5 34. f3 f5 35. g3 a2 36. d2
a1=
29... d3 30. c2 xb2 31. b3 xc2 32. xc2 c4 It's very important to start with this move.
33. e2 f6 34. f4 b6 35. b3 Once the bishop has been forced on to b3 it's pretty much impossible for
White to attack Black's only weakness, the pawn on b4. This position should be a draw. I must apologise again. I
promised you fun, but instead of fun I keep on showing you slightly worse endgames. Unfortunately in main line
theory you sometimes have to go for positions you know are drawn even if they're somewhat less than exciting.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.e5 b5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.Be3
10.h4
10.Ng5
10.Be2
10.e6

8.e5 b5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.Be3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 O-O 7. e4 a6 8. e5 The most principled and
sharpest move.
8... b5 9. b3 fd7 In this position White has five moves that are worth mentioning.
10. e3 This is an old move that was the main line for a while until Black figured out that after
10... c5 11. e6 you can play
11... cxd4 12. exf7+
If 12. exd7 then after 12... xd7 13. d1 e5 Black has tremendous compensation for the piece with his
dominant central pawns.
In the 1997 World Championship in Groningen Vladimir Epishin played 12.xd4 against
me. 12... c5 13. exf7+ xf7 14. d1 (I think objectively White has to play 14. d5 , but Vladimir had
lost the first game of a knockout match and was obliged to play for a win, so he tried to keep pieces on
the board.)
a) 14... a7 may be even stronger, with the huge threat of Rd7, and Black is already fighting
for an advantage. 15. f3 ( 15. c6xc6 16. xd8+ xd8 17. xc5 c7 KozulAzmaiparashvili, Elista 1998) 15... d7 16. c2 e6 , and White will have to be careful.
b) 14... b7 is the move I chose when I was first faced with this
position. 15. c1 ( 15. dxb5 bd7! with excellent play for the pawn) 15... d6 , and Black
was very comfortable in Epishin-Svidler, Groningen 1997
12... xf7 13. xd4
13. xd4 c5 14. d5 xd5 15. xd5 bd7 16. d1 b7 17.c7 c8 18. de6 ( 18. ce6 e5 )
18... xb2=/+
13... xd4 14. xd4 Black has a very pleasant choice.
14... b7! Perhaps the best move, keeping all the options open.
14... c5 15. d5 xd5 16. xd5 bd7 17. b4 b7 18. c3e5= Piket-Timman, Rotterdam 1997
15. e6 b6=/+ Nc5 will follow, exchanging off White's remaining active piece. Black is doing very well.

8.e5 b5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.h4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 OO 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 10. h4
This is a more critical move that has also now disappeared from practice.
10... c5 11. e6 c4
It's not such a good idea to play 11... cxd4 as after 12. exf7+ h8 13.h5 you might get mated on the spot.
12. d1 It's important to start with this move to force Black to waste a tempo on
12... b6
If Black plays 12... fxe6 White has the very strong 13. a4
13. exf7+ xf7 The following sequence is pretty much forced as White needs to justify pushing his h-pawn.
14. h5 c6 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. e3 There's a lot of theory here.
16... d5 This is my proposed solution - a relatively fresh move that has been played a number of times in
grandmaster practice and has a pretty bad reputation, but I think that's entirely undeserved.
16... f5 I'm very proud of this move, which I came up with over the board during a game against
Vishy. 17. g5 f6 18. g4 e6 19.ce4 d5! This is the idea behind 16...Bf5 - Black doesn't intend to
fight for the exchange, and now his bishop occupies the wonderful d5square. 20. d2 ( 20. f3 e5 21. dxe5 xe5 22. e2 xe4 23.xe4 e6 24. g5 c7 25. c2 d8
26. d1 d5 0-1 Kasimdzhanov-Khalifman, Wijk aan Zee 2002)
a) 20... e5 21. dxe5 xe5 22. OOO c6 ( 22... c8 23.xb6 d3+ 24. xd3 cxd3+ 25. b1
xb6 26. xd3 xe427. xe4 xd3+ 28. xd3 Gmuer-Kund, ICCF
2005) 23. xb6d3+ 24. xd3 cxd3+ 25. b1 xb6 26. xd3 d8 27. f3d4 28. b3 Hauf
e-Mukherjee, corr 2003
b) I got a bit carried away here: 20... d6 21. f3! , and with the queen about to get to h2
White's setup is suddenly very
potent. 21...xe4 22. fxe4 d7 23. h2 f8 24. e5 d7 25. e6!+Anand-Svidler, Linares
1999
c) 20... d7
c1) Perhaps White needs to bite the bullet and play 21. OOO b4
22. c5 ( 22. h4 c3 23. bxc3 bxc3 24. xc3 a4 25.a3 c8=/ ) 22... c7
23. h3 c3 24. bxc3 bxc3 25.xc3 , and the knight on c5 shields the king while White
is ready to start his own attack on the kingside.
c2) 21. g2 21... a5 With an incredibly messy position.
17. a4 It makes sense for White to get the a1-rook into play with this move.

White can start with 17. h6 immediately, but I don't think that changes
much. 17... g4 ( 17... xh6 18. xh6 f4 19. g3 f8 20. h4h3 21. c2 g7 22. d2 xf3
23. h6+ f7 24. xf8+xf8 25. xh3 xh3 26. h8+ g7 27. xa8 b4=/ ; 17...f6 ) 18. xg7
( 18. e2 f4 ) 18... xg7 19. d2 f4 20.g5 f5

17... b8 18. axb5 axb5 19. h6 Black has a number of very attractive new ideas: the move I like most is
another novelty,

19... f6N This creates the very unpleasant threat of Rh7, after which White's whole idea will be on the point of
collapse. Black has a better situation in the centre and if he also takes control of the h-file it's not at all clear
what White is doing.
19... g4 is the move Ftacnik played against Babula, and after 20.xg7 he replied 20... xf3 and
entered an endgame he failed to hold. (Black could instead simply have played 20... xg7 with a very
unclear position.) 21. h8+ xg7 22. xd8 xd1 23. xb8 Babula-Ftacnik, Moravia Team Ch 1997.
19... f5N is a novelty the machine comes up with after some thought, showing
that 20. xg7 ( 20. g5 db4 ) 20... xg7
a) 21. e2 f4 ( 21... db4 22. f1 c2 23. d2 )
b) 21. d2 db4 22. h6 c2+ 23. d1 xa1
c) 21. e5 21... cb4 22. c1 f4 23. d2 g5 24. f3 fd3+25. xd3 cxd3

20. e5 This is quite bad news for White.

20. e2 h7! 21. d2 f5 22. f1 db4 23. xb5 d3

20. g5 xg5 21. xg5 db4

20... xe5 21. dxe5 db4 If he has nothing better than this position the whole line is pretty much unplayable.
Black already has direct threats, so White should probably play
22. xd8+ but after
22... xd8 it's very clear where Black's pieces belong (the knight on e6, the bishop on f5), while White will still
have to prove that the position of any of his pieces makes sense. I like Black here and in general I think 16... Nd5
is a very convincing solution to the 10.h4 problem.
23. O-O-O
23. d1 f5 24. h4 e6 , and Black has an edge.
23... dc6 24. e3 f5 25. b3 d3 26. e6 f6=/+

8.e5 b5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.Ng5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 O-O 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 Certainly
the most unexplored move and the one resulting in the most exciting play is
10. g5 This was introduced into grandmaster practice a couple of years ago by Magnus Carlsen, which is always
a sign that a move is very interesting.
10... c6 strikes me as the most interesting move here. Black aims to restrict White's options.
Black has generally played 10... b6 11. e3 c6 12. d1 a5This position is very unclear and I don't
see any reason for Black to go for this.
( 12... h6 13. ge4 b4 14. a4 ; 12... f5 13. e2 a5 14.b4 ac4 15. OO f6 16. f3 xe3 17. fxe3 fxe5 18. dxe5e8 19. c5+/= Carlsen-Dominguez Perez, Wijk aan Zee
2010; 12...g4 13. f3 f5 14. ge4 a5 15. c2 b4 16. e2 d5 17.f2 c5 18. g4 b3 19. axb3 b4
20. xc5 xe4 21. fxe4 b822. c1+/= Moiseenko-Volokitin, Kiev 81st UKR-ch
2012) 13. c2 (13. b4 bc4 14. c1 b7 15. ce4 h6 16. c5 hxg5 17.xb7 xb7 18. xc4 bxc4
19. xb7 c5= Korobov-Gupta, New Delhi AICF-AAI Cup 2012)
11. e3 The only good move.
After 11. xf7 xf7 12. e6 Black sacrifices the exchange with 12...xd4 13. exf7+ f8 14. d1 and
after the possible 14... c5 15.e3 b7 16. c1 d6 I think it's quite clear to anyone that Black is
dominating the board and the exchange is a very small price to pay for compensation like this.
If 11. e6 Black has the very nice reply 11... a5! and after 12.xd8 xb3 13. axb3 xd8 Black is
ready to break in the centre. 14.xb5 ( White is just worse after 14. xb5 b7! as both the pawn on g2
and the bishop on b5 are hanging. White's centre will collapse after e.g. 15. f1 c5 ) 14... c6 Driving the
knight back. 15. c3 c5 For a single pawn Black has a position with a huge lead in development and a
very strong initiative against the white centre. 16. d5 ( 16. g5cxd4 17. d5 b7 ) 16... b7

After 11. e6 xd4 12. exf7+ h8 Black hasn't even had to sacrifice anything to get a brilliant position.
11. d5 looks interesting at first glance, but it runs into the very strong11... db8! Suddenly the pawn
on d4 is in a lot of trouble and I think Black is already better.
11... a5 12. d1 The white queen being forced to this square is a big advantage over the 10...Nb6 lines.
In a recent game White failed to appreciate the difference between this and the lines starting with 10...Nb6 and
went wrong with 12. c2 when Black was able to play 12... c5! It's now impossible to play 13. e6 as after
( 13. dxc5 xe5 14. d1 f5 15. xd8 xc2 16. d2f5=/+ Bai-Negi, CHN-tch 2012
2012) 13... cxd4 14. exf7+ xf7 it turns out that the fork is inescapable and White loses material. 15.xf7 xf7
12... b6 In this position Black's play is clear. He wants to play Nc4, and most importantly f6. If the centre is
blown apart Black's lead in development may become a decisive factor so to justify the previous play I think White
has to play his following move.
12... h6 13. ge4 b7 ( 13... b4 14. a4+/= ) 14. b4 ( 14. e6fxe6 15. g4 e8 16. xe6+ h8 17. a3
d8 18. b4 c6 19.d1 f6 20. d5 xe4 21. xe4 e5+/= ) 14... c6 ( 14... c415. xc4 bxc4
16. e2+/= ) 15. b3 ( 15. a3 f5! ) 15... e6 ( 15...a5 16. xb5 axb4 17. xc6 xc6 18. xb4+/= )
a) 16. e2 a5 17. xb5 axb4 18. xc6 xc6 19. xb4h4!

b) 16. a3 f5 ( 16... a5 17. b1 axb4 18. axb4 ) 17. exf6 xf618. OOO ( 18. c5 xd4 )
18... xe4 19. xe6+ h7 20.xe4 d6
c) 16. b1 e7 ( 16... f5 17. exf6 xf6 18. c5 ) 17. e2f5 18. O-O+/=

d) 16. d1 16... e7 17. a3 fd8 ( 17... f5 18. exf6 xf6 19.c5 ) 18. e2 a5
13. h4 Here I can offer you a choice.
13. b3 f6=/+
13... h6 This is my alternative.
For those who like material and don't mind defending positions that look scary for a while,
there's 13... f6 and now once again, to justify the preceding play, White almost has to go
for 14. xh7 xh7 15. d3(if 15. h5 h8 16. hxg6+ xg6 17. d3+ f7+ White runs out of checks
and this really isn't very attractive for him.) 15... h8 16. h5g8 The machine says this is perfectly
fine for Black, and it may well be so, but for someone like me who is, generally speaking, much more
content giving away material than accepting sacrifices, this isn't ideal.
14. ge4 ac4 Black is ready to play f5, and in general White has very little time to waste since he's somewhat
behind in development and his centre is about to become vulnerable.
15. h5 Forced, after which Black again has a choice. For sane people there's
15. c1 b4 16. a4 d5
15. b3 xe3 16. fxe3 f6

15... g5 , and the huge threat of f5 forces White's next move.

15... xe3 16. fxe3 f5 17. c5+/=
For people who don't particularly like sanity and would like a little crazy in their lives
there's 15... f5 16. exf6 ( 16. c5 xb2 17. c2 2c418. d1 f4 19. c1 f5 20. b3 g5=/+ )
16... exf6 White can choose between two positions. 17. xc4+ is perhaps the stronger move, getting rid
of the unproductive bishop on f1. (after 17. hxg6 xe3 18.fxe3 e7 Black is planning to play f5-f4
against pretty much anything.) 17... xc4 18. hxg6 xe3 19. fxe3 f5 20. c5 f4 This is the position
Black is aiming for in this line. It looks truly weird and isn't a pawn structure you see every day. For now
Black is a pawn down, but White's central pawn structure has come under direct attack and if Black
manages to open up the diagonals and get his bishops into play I think he has very real chances of an
advantage here. In general, this is a very fresh and interesting way of dealing with 10.Ng5. It should have
excellent shock value, as your opponent won't be expecting you to be so free with your kingside pawns. I
was very pleased when I came up with this idea. At the time it was almost a novelty, while now there
have already been some games, which makes it somewhat less exciting, but I still think Ng5 Nc6 is a very
decent way to play and I heartily recommend it to anyone. 21.b3+ h8

16. xg5 After the pretty much forced

16... xe3 17. fxe3 hxg5 18. h6 xe5 19. dxe5 xd1+ 20.xd1 and
20... f5 , preventing the white bishop from getting to the ideal d3-square unchallenged, this endgame looks
slightly scary but I checked it and think the most likely outcome is a draw.

21. d3 xd3 22. xd3 ad8

22... h7 23. e2 ad8 24. xd8 xd8 25. e4 g6 26.c5+/=
22... c4 23. d7 xe3 24. e2 xg2
23. e2
23. xd8 xd8 24. e4 c4
23... c4=

8.e5 b5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.Be2

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 OO 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 10. e2 A
new-fangled way of handling this position, which was revived if not invented by Alexander Morozevich in his game
against me in the last round of the 2011 Russian Championship Superfinal.
10... c5 11. e6 fxe6 This was my own reaction, and I think it's perfectly adequate.
It's possible to play 11... cxd4 12. exf7+ ( 12. exd7 xd7 13. e4b7 14. d3 c8 leads to a position
where Black has a lot of compensation for the
piece: 15. OO xe4! 16. xe4 c5 17. d5e6 18. xd8 fxd8 19. c2 d3 20. b3 e4=/ )
12... h8 13.e4 Black does run the risk of getting mated here, but on the other hand, if he doesn't get
mated he has a potentially very nice central majority. 13... c6 I think this is the best move, although
the position is extremely unclear (and very interesting to analyse). (One pitfall
is 13...e5 14. xe5 xe5 15. h4 b7 which Ray Robson played in the 2012 US Championship, thinking
that the knight on e4 was hanging and Bd5 would follow next move. He was sadly mistaken on both
counts. After 16. h5 xe4 17. f3! Lenderman-Robson, St. Louis 2012, he realised
that 17... xf3 18. hxg6 is mate and the only other choice is to lose material, so it was a bit of an
opening
catastrophe.) 14. h4 h6 (14... de5 15. h5 f5 16. eg5 ) 15. h5 g5 16. xg5 de5 17.f4 f5 18.
xe5 xe5 Shabalov-Gupta, Philadelphia 40th World op 2012
12. xe6+ h8 13. dxc5
Something like 13. d5 cxd4 14. xa8 dxc3 is clearly acceptable for Black.
13... e5 was my choice and is still my recommendation. I want to base this series around my own games where
possible.
13... xc5 14. e3 b4 is a line that gives Black very interesting counterplay and has already been
pointed out in a number of sources. 15.xc5 bxc3 16. bxc3 d7 17. a3 f6=/
14. d5

14. b3 d3+ ( 14... b7 15. xe5 xe5 16. OO+/= ; 14...xf3+ 15. xf3 xf3 16. gxf3 c6
17. e3 e5 18. d5xd5 19. xd5 xf3+ 20. d1 b7 21. xe7 e4 22. c6xb2 23. c7 xa1 24.
e2 e5 25. c8=Q+ xc8 26. xc8xh2= ) 15. xd3 xd3 16. e3 c6 17. d1 f5 Black has the
huge threat of Be6, and in general in positions like this one, where Black gets free play and both of his
bishops are very active, his compensation for the single pawn is clearly more than
sufficient. 18. d5 ( 18. d5f6 19. O-O e6 ) 18... xd5 19. xd5 xb2=
14... xd5 15. xd5 xf3+! is what I should have played.
I was one move from safety but started to go completely crazy - five moves later I could pretty much
resign. 15... b7 16. c7 xf3+ 17.gxf3! Taking with the pawn makes a huge difference.
16. xf3
16. gxf3 can simply be met by 16... c6=/ and the knight is about to land on d4, the c1-bishop is stuck
defending the b2-pawn, the other black bishop might come to f5 or even h3 in some lines, and in general
it's obvious this position is fine for Black.
16... b7 Only now, and in this position there's really nothing better for White than
17. c7 xf3 18. gxf3 and it makes a huge difference that there are no light-squared bishops on the board,
because after
18... a7 19. e6 Black can just play
19... xf3= and a number of grandmaster games in which this position occurred were all drawn. Black is perfectly
safe here. The knight will come to c6, cementing the black queenside, the entrance points along the d-file are
completely covered and in general I don't see any reason why Black should be worse.

8.e5 b5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.e6

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 OO 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 10. e6
The classical move in this position.
10... fxe6 This line was considered completely void until 1999 when people started playing
11. e3 against me. First Kasparov played it in Wijk aan Zee, then Karpov in Dos Hermanas.
Official theory pre-1999 used to be 11. xe6+ h8 12. g5 ( 12.e4 b6 13. h4 c6 It's
been known for a number of years that Black is fine here. For instance, Kamsky demonstrated a very nice
double exchange sacrifice against Karpov: 14. d3 xf3 15. gxf3 xd4 16.e4 f5 with wonderful
compensation in the World Championship match in Elista. 17. e3 c5 Karpov-Kamsky, Elista
1996) 12... f613. f7+ xf7 14. xf7 c6 The queen is stuck on f7 and Black has wonderful
compensation for the exchange.
11... f6
It's curious that I chose 11... b6 against Kasparov, when White replies12. h4 with a kingside attack.
Kasparov is reasonably well-respected as an attacking player...

12. a4 My 11...Nf6 against Karpov encouraged him to respond with this move, playing for small advantages on the
queenside. Karpov is a reasonably well-known positional player... I lost both games, but I don't want to go into too
much detail. As I said, I'm planning to make a small video out of the three games I lost to World Champions in
quick succession (the other loss was against Anand).
12... b4 This is my recommendation in this line
rather than the 12... bxa4 I played against Karpov.
13. xb4 Forced.
13... c6 When I first started looking at this position I was under the misguided impression that Black might even
be better here. I think that's a huge overstatement, as Black isn't really fighting for an advantage against precise
play, but I still believe Black is perfectly fine. The best move here is
14. a3
14. c5 d6 15. c4 b8 In this position White has to negotiate some pitfalls. 16. O-O (Onischuk
played 16. g5? against me, and after16... xc5 17. dxc5 g4!=/+ it turned out the hanging pawn on e6
isn't an issue and Black is already much better. I was very disappointed not to win that
game.) 16... xb2 Black is a pawn up here, and although he's not yet better I still managed to win in a
Bundesliga game against Zoltan Gyimesi some years
back. 17. ab1 xc5 18. dxc5c2 19. fc1 xc1+ 20. xc1 d8 21. g5 d5=/+ Gyimesi-Svidler, BL
2002
14... d6 15. c4 b4! is much better.
It's important not to play 15... b8 on autopilot, as 16. O-O leads to positions that are better for White,
as can be seen, for instance, from a game of mine against Kramnik at one of the Tal Memorial blitz
tournaments. 16... xa3 17. bxa3 d8 ( 17... h8 18. h3 a5 19.a2 c5 20. dxc5 d5 21. xd5 exd5
22. ab1 xb1 23. xb1c4 24. d4 f5 Miton-Swiercz, Warsaw 9th Amplico Life EU-ch Rapid
2009 25. b7 ) 18. ac1 a5 19. a2 c6 20. f4 b721. fe1 d5 22. d2+/= Kramnik-Svidler,
Moscow Tal 5' 2009
16. b3 Compared to White's other option of Rc1 this at least wins the e6-pawn.
16. c1 b7
16. O-O White could ignore Nc2 and play 16... c2 White could ignore Nc2 and play 17. xd6 exd6 after
which Black's structure is actually better than White's - the pawn on a4 is ugly. Black has no problems
whatsoever here.
16... b7! 17. xe6+
17. g5 can lead to a very beautiful variation that I want to show you for purely aesthetic
reasons: 17... xg2 18. xe6 xh1 19. f4 It seems as though there's no good square for the queen and
White's about to start collecting material with checks, but here Black has a sequence of beautiful
intermediate moves. 19... d3+! 20. xd3 d5 Suddenly all of Black's problems along the a2-g8
diagonal have been solved and he may even be
better. 21. xd5 xd5 22. xd5 xd5 23. g3 fc8 24.c4 c6=/+

17... h8 18. O-O xf3 19. gxf3 ab8 Black is perfectly comfortable in this position as he's eliminated his bad
pieces. The pawn on e6 was unimportant and he's rid himself of the potentially bad bishop on c8. White's structure
on the kingside has been spoiled and Black is ready for some forcing compensation. Play might continue
19... c6
20. c4 Otherwise the bishop might get stuck on e6.
20... c6 21. d5
21. e2 fd5 22. xd5 xd5 23. c4 d7 24. fc1 b4=/+
21... a8 Black will win back the pawn on d5 in a matter of moves, by which time White will have been able to
regroup somewhat and the position will be very close to complete equality.
22. d1 fd8 23. e2 fxd5 24. ac1 xe3 25. fxe3 c6=

As I mentioned when recording my videos about the 5.Qb3 Grnfeld I thought it might be interesting to make a
kind of "infotainment" video. What follows is somewhat less chess-heavy than the other material in this eBook, but
I'd like to tell you about the three games I played in 1999 in pretty much the same line of the Grnfeld against
three World Champions - the reigning World Champion, the ex-World Champion and the future World Champion and in general to tell you a little bit about how my 1999 went. I know it was a long time ago and has no particular
relevance but, as they say, it's my series and why not! I think the chess content is quite interesting as all three
games are remarkable in their own way.
1998 went quite well for me - I did ok. I finished fine in my first ever Linares, tied for first in the Russian
Championship (as was my norm in those years, if not now - I was very consistent in the Russian Championships) and
I got quite a lot of top-level invitations because I was the new kid on the scene and people were interested in
seeing me play in the top events.

Garry Kasparov 1:0 Peter Svidler

Wijk aan Zee30.01.1999
The first top event I had to prepare for was Wijk aan Zee in January. I went there with very high hopes and
thought this was my chance to shine! I should play well because I could remember playing well pretty much
throughout 98. Wijk was the first tournament to establish a pattern which was something I was completely unused
to in those years but came to recognise and accept as my own in future years i.e. out of the 13 rounds in Wijk I
won one, lost one and made 11 draws. Towards the second half of the tournament I was playing pretty much
kamikaze chess with Black because I was going more than slightly mad with all the drawing I was doing. Yet even
when I played lines I knew were almost losing by force I'd still somehow make a draw. And that drove me even
more mad. The one game I won was against my current chess24 colleague Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who was playing
perhaps his first major tournament and felt that he also needed to play for a win in every single game. In the game
against me he overpressed in a position where the normal result would have been yet another draw...
And I lost to Garry Kasparov, which is of course perfectly fine and normal - there's no shame in losing to Kasparov and it was quite a remarkable game. I remember not feeling even remotely disappointed afterwards because I felt
I was beaten by someone at the top of his game and someone who had shown a very interesting opening idea in a
line I felt I knew quite well. So all in all, this particular game gave me no great cause for alarm.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 As a small sidenote... it's perhaps not the most obvious choice to play the Grnfeld
as Black against Kasparov because he has some ideas about the opening, to put it mildly, but first of all, in those
years - it's still true even now - but in those years in particular I didn't have that wide an opening repertoire, and
secondly, I thought, "wouldn't it be interesting to find out what will happen to me if I play the Grnfeld against
Kasparov?" A feeling not of invincibility, as such, but one of wondering - I knew this wasn't going to be a walk in
the park but I was very interested to see what he would show if I did it. And he did show something...
4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6. xc4 O-O 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9.b3 fd7 This was a very topical line in those years
as well. I had some experience with it and felt I was reasonably well-prepared.
10. e6 I knew this move, which had always been considered completely harmless, so what was his plan?

10... fxe6 11. e3 At this point in time this was a novelty. I sank into thought and could immediately see that my
choice was pretty clear cut. I could play 11...Nf6, to which White would reply 12.a4, completely demolishing my
queenside structure and leaving me to defend a position in which for a meagre pawn I'd have a very passive
position with unclear prospects. Or I could play 11...Nb6, to which he'd more than likely reply 12.h4 and I'd have to
work very hard not to get mated. Remember I was playing Kasparov, who is universally accepted to be one of the
better dynamic attacking players in the history of chess. So from the practical point of view I think 11...Nf6 was a
somewhat better idea, but once again I was very curious to see what exactly would befall me if I played 11...Nb6
against Kasparov... So I did!
11... b6 12. h4 c6 Black obviously needs to create some kind of counterplay or he'll get mated for absolutely
nothing.
13. h5 xf3 Other options for Black really aren't worth mentioning.
13... xd4 14. xd4 xd4 15. d1 ( 15. hxg6 xe3 16. gxh7+h8 17. fxe3 d6 18. e4 e5 )
15... c5 16. hxg6 hxg6 17.c2+ Black is already almost lost here.
14. gxf3 xd4 15. d1! At this point I realised - not that it surprised me greatly - just how difficult my task was,
because I thought my reaction was the most principled one and that this was how Black should react to a new
idea: tackling it head-on. But after 15.Rd1 I realised that this was perhaps something my opponent was expecting
and prepared for and that my position was very, very risky.
15... c5 Pretty much forced.
15... xf3+? 16. e2 d4+ 17. xd4 xd4 18. hxg6+
16. xd4
16. hxg6 xf3+ 17. e2 d4+
16... cxd4 17. hxg6 h6 I thought this was a reasonable idea as I don't want to be opening files on the kingside. For
a second here I felt mildly optimistic because I thought that on my next move I'd play ...Nd5 and he'd have to
either take the knight - when I'd have some kind of a pawn fist in the center I could at least play behind - or if he
didn't take I'd be blocking off some of the avenues for his attack and I'd again have something to base my position
on. The knight on d5 would be a very strong piece.
17... hxg6 has actually been played since, but White has two incredibly strong moves in reply:
a) 18. c2 e8 ( 18... f8 is almost
forced. 19. xg6 f5 20.e8+ f8 21. xf8+ xf8 22. e2+/= If this endgame isn't lost it's
pretty close to it.) 19. d3 White will probably give
mate. 19...b7 ( 19... dxc3 20. xg6 f8 21. h7+ h8 22. e4+g8 23. xa8 xa8
24. h7+ f7 25. bxc3 b6 26. g1d7 27. d4 h8 28. h4+ ) 20. xg6 b8 21. e2!
( 21.e4 f4 22. e2 d5 Lima-Guimaraes, Araruama 2010) 21...xf3 22. h4
b) 18. g1! 18... d5 ( 18... e8 19. e2 f7 20. xd4+ )19. xd5 ( 19. e2 e5 20. f4
f5 ) 19... exd5 20. xg6+/=
18. h5! Kasparov played this after a little thought. This is when I finally figured out that this probably wasn't
going to be my day. Now that ...Nd5 is impossible White will be free to develop his initiative if I do nothing and I
also don't really have any useful moves apart from ...Qe8. I remember Kasparov being very proud of this move
after the game, which should tell you something.

18. g2 c4 19. f4 a7+/=

18. f4 d6 19. g2 a7 20. h4
18. h4 Shabalov decided to "improve" on Kasparov's play in 2010 and also won quite convincingly,
though I think 18.Rh5 is
stronger: 18...d5 19. hxd4 xd4 20. xd4 b7 21. h3 d6 22. e4+/=Shabalov-Kaufman, Irvine
2010
18... e8
18... c7 19. e2 d6 20. xd4! xd4 21. h4 e5+ 22.e4 xf2+ 23. xf2+
18... h8 19. e2 e5 20. f7 g8 21. xe7+
18... a7 19. e2 c4 20. xd4 ! 20... xd4 ( 20... d7 21.c6 ) 21. xc4 bxc4 22. e3
19. e2 xg6 20. h1 Here I realised that I was in a lot of trouble because I was more or less forced to take the
pawn on g6, which I was very much counting on using as a kind of human shield for the remainder of the game. It
was blockading one of the avenues along which I'm getting mated later on and the pawn on d4 is also now falling
which makes White's attacking task much easier. I'll go through the remainder of the game reasonably fast because
I think by this point Black's position is beyond repair.
20... h8
20... f7 21. xd4 e5 22. c6 xb3 23. axb3 Taleb-Khachiyan, Abu Dhabi 2000
21. g1 f7
21... f6 22. xd4 b7 23. dg4 d5 24. d3
21... h5 22. f4 d5 23. g3 f7 24. g2
22. xd4 d5 Once again, if Black could just play ...Bd7, ...Rf8 and maybe one more move he'd be doing ok-ish,
but that isn't going to happen.
23. d3 d7
23... e5 24. xb5 ( 24. c6 ) 24... b7 25. a3 f4 26. e3+
24. e4 White is just in time to install his pieces in the proper positions.
24... c8
24... g8 25. d3 f6 26. g6
25. d3 Threatening mate-in-one.
25... f6
25... g8 26. g6 f6 27. h4

26. h4 You can see how all White's pieces are just "clicking" into place. I think Kasparov's play throughout most if
not all of this game is exemplary.
26... c5 Trying to establish some sort of defence along the fifth rank.
26... d5 27. g6 f4 28. g4 f6 29. g3
27. e2! Another excellent move because now the knight is sometimes going to f4
27... d5 Not really a particularly good move, but I think nothing really helps Black here.
27... e5 would be met by 28. c3!+ with the knight perhaps then going to e4. Black is just stuck
watching White improve his position and give mate.
28. g6 f8 You can't allow Rxh6+.
28... e8 29. xh6+!
29. e4 Once again threatening Rxh6+ and Qh7#.
29... f7 30. d2! A very nice finishing touch. Now Rdg1 or Rdh1 are coming with devastating effect.
30... f6 31. e3 Here I resigned. I've been criticised for this particular resignation because people felt it was a
bit premature, but in this position I think I was perfectly justified in stopping the clocks. You'll see the same
decision in the second game and there I really could and maybe should have continued. Anyway, I was quite happy
with this game because I felt that I'd been deservedly beaten by a legend and it wasn't really through my own bad
play. I was playing someone who was better prepared and in general a better player than I am.
1-0

Viswanathan Anand 1:0 Peter Svidler

Linares27.02.1999
I went back home and thought I repaired the line, so when I went to Linares in February I was more than happy to
repeat it because I now knew what to do.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 O-O 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 I got the
same position as against Kasparov in Round 6 against Vishy Anand. I have to say I started quite well in Linares. In
Round 1 I almost beat Kasparov with Black. I felt confident that the tournament was going well and by Round 5 I
was on +1 and, if anything, I felt I could have had more points. Then I lost against Vishy and also lost the three
games that followed, which didn't really improve my mood at all. This game was the beginning of what was by far
the longest series of losses in my career. We reached this position reasonably fast and here Vishy went for
10. h4 , giving me a bit of a break from the 10.e6 line.
10... c5 11. e6 c4 12. d1 The correct move, but in his notes to the game Vishy said he hadn't concentrated on
this particular line very much, so he wasn't as booked up as he might have been in some other positions.

12... b6 13. exf7+ xf7 14. h5 c6 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. e3This is the "tabiya" of the 10.h4 line. I'd like to
remind you that I covered this quite extensively in my 5.Qb3 chapters and in this position, apart from the move I
made in this game and the most obvious move in the position - 16...Bg4, Black has a very interesting idea with
16...Nd5. I think that's very sensible and it's highly recommended that you look at it. In this game I started to think
and came up with
16... f5 Maybe this isn't the best move in the position but it's certainly very playable.
17. g5 Otherwise it's not clear what he's doing.
17... f6
17... xd4 is also very playable, but I was consumed by the idea of the 17...Rf6
line. 18. xf7 xf7 19. c1 e5 20. g4 e6 21. g2a7=/
18. g4 e6! 19. ce4
19. g2 d5 20. xd5 xd5=/+
19... d5 It very much appealed to my aesthetic sense just to leave the rook on f6 en prise and occupy the allimportant d5-square.
20. d2 I think Vishy's move is correct.
20. xf6+ is of course unattractive - 20... exf6 21. f3 d7 and Black is in total control. ( 21... a4 )
20. f3 was tried immediately here by Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a later game, but
after 20... e5! 21. dxe5 xe5 he was perhaps already worse against Khalifman in a game he didn't
manage to draw. 22. e2 xe423. xe4 e6 24. g5 c7 25. c2 d8 26. d1 d5KasimdzhanovKhalifman, Wijk aan Zee 2002
20... d6? I got very carried away here. Sometimes during a game I have a feeling that I normally treasure and
generally trust - it rarely lets me down - of being completely in control, of knowing what's what and what the
correct move is. In my particular case when I feel like that I think it's likely that some kind of left-field solution
will come to mind.
Here the move I made on the board appealed to that sense so much because I felt it was a rare case of a move
where the rook goes from one square where it's attacked to another square on which it's also attacked. I also
thought it was a decent move in general because I'm trying to capture on d4, which is a very sensible idea.
Unfortunately it has tactical problems, as you'll soon see.
20... d7! is the move Black should play instead. I've tried many times in my life to analyse the position
after 21. g2 but always stopped short. I don't really see how you can analyse such a complete mess.
( 21. f3xf3! ) 21... a5 The fact that this is the first line of the machine (or at least of my machine), to
which White replies 22. a3 , is just too much for me in my current state. Since this position really isn't
very critical to our story I'll leave it at that.
21. f3! This is what I'd missed. The threat of Qh2 is just incredibly powerful. Now Black is in a lot of trouble, and I
was unable to save the game. It's very important that the rook is no longer on f6 as otherwise Black would be able
to play ...Rxf3 in this position and he'd be doing well. Now that's impossible and Black is under a severe attack.
The remainder of the game is a very instructive attack by Vishy.
21... xe4 I could see no other choice.

21... xd4? 22. xd4 xe4 23. xg7 xd2 24. e5+
22. fxe4 d7
22... xd4 loses pretty much by force. A very nice variation, for instance,
is: 23. xd4! xd4 ( 23... xd4 24. h2 ) 24. f2! ( 24.h2 d6 ) 24... f8 ( 24... f6 loses on the
spot to 25. h8+!+Quite beautiful!) 25. h4 f6 26. e2!+
23. h2 f8
23... b6 24. xc4+ bxc4 25. h7+ f8 26. O-O f6 27. xg6g8 28. f7+ h8 29. f3
24. e5! The attack develops very naturally.
24... d7
24... xd4 25. f2 a5+ 26. e2+
25. e6! a5+ I was very proud to have found this geometrical idea.
25... xe6 is met
by 26. xc4! bxc4 ( 26... a5+ 27. d2 xd2+28. xd2 xd4+ 29. e3 bxc4 30. h7+ f7
31. af1++ ) 27.h7+ Wherever the king goes the check on the f-file just wins on the spot
e.g. 27... f7 28. O-O+
26. d2 xe5! A very beautiful move which unfortunately doesn't help because White doesn't take anything.
26... b6 27. xg7+
27. e2! c3 Forced.
27... b6 28. xf8+
28. xc3 This isn't very good.
28. bxc3! was instead almost completely winning. 28... f7 29. xg7xg7 30. O-O+
28... b4 29. xg7 When looking at this position I realised I had my chance to enter the history books here and
now and thought I had to grab it with both hands - a decision which will probably get me laughed out of the room
in most polite company, but I just thought I had to do it because when would my next chance come?
29... bxc3? Vishy looked at me somewhat quizzically because this isn't a particularly good move.
29... f7! I saw perfectly well that I could play this move, which almost forces 30. d2 xg7 but I
honestly didn't believe I would save the game.
30. h8+ f7 Before he could react I looked up and said, "Vishy, please castle". He was somewhat surprised but
then he smiled and did castle. The point of this dialogue was that I was very worried he might choose not to do
that and instead play 31.Rf1+.

31. O-O Both moves win on the spot, but the whole point of my playing 29...bxc3 was that I wanted at least one of
my games - and probably this will end up being that one game in my entire life - to end with castles and check on
move 31. In general castling on move 31 is a very infrequent occurrence and castling with check and winning the
game with the move is going to be even rarer, so I thought this was something I absolutely should have on my
resume. So instead of continuing the game by playing 29...Nf7 I did that. Perhaps it was somewhat muddled
thinking if you consider yourself a chess professional, but such was my decision. I finished Linares tied for dead
last, although I almost rescued the tournament. After losing four in a row I won the next game and then had a
completely winning position against Veselin Topalov which I eventually lost to finish on -3.

1-0

Anatoly Karpov 1:0 Peter Svidler

Dos Hermanas09.04.1999
In that already somewhat depressed state - I think Linares was my first ever last place in a tournament and was
kind of a new experience for me - I went to play the Dos Hermanas tournament in April. That also didn't go
according to plan and one of the reasons it didn't go according to plan was this game against Karpov.
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. f3 g7 5. b3 dxc4 6.xc4 OO 7. e4 a6 8. e5 b5 9. b3 fd7 10. e6
Karpov returned to this move, which I was very ready for.
10... fxe6 11. e3 f6 I blitzed out this move.
11... b6 I think this move, which I played against Kasparov, is problematic for Black and there's no
equality, but from a purely practical point of view getting the position I was about to get against Karpov
in particular also wasn't a very brilliant idea. It's notable how I chose exactly the wrong positions against
perhaps all three players. I chose an incredibly messy position by design against Vishy, who I have to say
is very, very good in messy positions. I chose to try and withstand a direct attack against Kasparov and I
chose a slightly worse endgame against Karpov. Well played me!
12. a4 I was prepared for this. My coach Andrey Lukin and I had looked at the position and I thought I knew
everything I needed to know.
12... bxa4
12... b4 is a perfectly legitimate move in this position, as I pointed out in the 5.Qb3 chapters, and
perhaps better in terms of simplicity of play
13. xa4 c6 14. c4
14. xa6? xa6 15. xe6+ h8 16. xc6 c8! is very good for Black.
14... b8 15. xe6+ h8 16. c4 xe6
16... b4 17. g5 c2+ 18. d1 xe3+ 19. fxe3
16... d6 17. g5
17. xe6 d6 This whole line was blitzed out by both myself and Karpov. Of course White isn't going to take on
d6.

18. g5
18. xd6 cxd6 19. xa6 b4
18... xb2 19. O-O!
19. f7+ is premature as White needs to finish development
first. 19...xf7 20. xf7 e5! ( 20... b4 21. OO ) 21. c1 d8 ( 21...c2 22. a3 d7 23. xd7
xd7 ) 22. c4 c2
19... d8 I'm not quite sure why I played this, expertly heading for a slightly worse endgame against perhaps the
most dangerous player of positions where he has an advantage and no risk. It's too long ago for me to remember
whether I forgot something or I'd just missed 19.0-0 in my analysis at home, though that's kind of hard to believe as
it's the most obvious move in the position.
19... c2 is the best move. I want to show you a particular line which I found when I was preparing to
make my video for chess24. It has no particular relevance but it ends in a position which I want to show
you since this is, as I said, meant to be more infotainment than just purely
informative. 20. c4 a5 21. c5 These moves are quite forced.21... b7! A more critical move.
( 21... xe6 22. xe6 c8 23.b1 d7 24. xa5 xc3 25. xa6 f8+/= , and Black should hold but
couldn't claim to have equalised completely in Sasikiran-Bacrot, Lausanne
2001) 22. f7+ xf7 23. xf7 xc5 24. dxc5 e5 (24... d8 allows White to catch the rook
with 25. b3! as 25... d3loses to 26. d1 ; 24... d3 straightaway also loses
to 25. d1 )25. d1 h5 26. d4 ( 26. e4 xe4 followed by 27. h6 is an attempt to give immediate
mate and seems to be succeeding for a second, but then you find 27... e8! and realise that Black is
maybe even a little better. There's no mate and White's back rank is also quite weak.) 26... f4 In this
position I had very long analysis trying to prove this position is a draw, which may not be the case, but I
want to show you a particular line which I think is very interesting geometrically.
( 26...g5 27. xe7 d2 28. h3+/= ) 27. xe7
a) 27... c6 28. h3 c1 ( 28... d2 29. xd2 xd2 30. xf6c1+ 31. d1 xd1+ 32. h2
xf6 33. xf6+ h7 34.xc6+ ) 29. e5 xd1+ 30. xd1 g5 31. e3
b) d2 28. d8+ h7 29. g3 e4 This is the move I wanted to show you as it's very appealing
from an aesthetic point of view.( 29...xd1+ is probably objectively the strongest move for
Black. 30.xd1 f3 31. xf6 Forced. 31... xf6 32. xc7 e5 Black does have decent
drawing chances but it's quite dificult to prove it's an absolute draw.) 30. xe4 This is the
reason I started this whole thing. ( 30. xd2 leads to a bishop endgame that White is probably
winning after 30... e1+ 31. g2 xd2 32. xf6 xd8 33.xd8 xc3 34. xc7 I'm not
recommending you play this way with
Black.) 30... xd1+ 31. g2 xe4 32. xc7 xd4 33. c6 It seems as though White is winning
here, but... 33... d2 34. f3xf2 35. b7 g4 36. c7 xh2+ 37. e4 (all of this is actually
quite forced) 37... c2 38. c8=Q xc8 39. xc8 g4= This is the position I wanted to show
you because I think not everybody knows that even if White somehow manages to exchange the
pawn on g3 for Black's three remaining pawns - which I don't think he will - if the black knight
gets to e5 then the setup with the king on h7, the bishop on g7 and the knight on e5 is a draw
against the queen. This is a little-known nugget of a fact which I quite like and the whole reason
I went through this very long and not particularly theoretically interesting line. I thought it
might be interesting to some of you to learn that this is actually a fortress which in some rare
cases you can actually aim for.
20. h3 d7 21. xd7 Karpov very happily took.

21... xd7 22. xa6+/= This endgame is very difficult to annotate so I'll just give you the next 15 moves or so.
You can marvel at how without doing very much Karpov just constantly improved his position and waited for my
inaccuracies. By the first time control I was almost, or perhaps completely, lost.
22... b6
22... c5 23. a4
23. h4 Advancing on the kingside and gaining some space.
23... c2 24. ce4 h6 25. f3 c6 To begin with it seems as though Black isn't really doing all that badly
because the weaknesses are somewhat covered and the rook on c2 is active. That's the first thing that White does
something about.
26. aa1 b4
26... d8 27. ac1 xc1 28. xc1 xd4 29. xd4 xd4 30.xh6+/=
27. fc1 Exchanging Black's one active piece.
27... xc1+
27... 6d5 28. d2 h7+/=
28. xc1 4d5 29. c5 f6 30. d2 Very quietly keeping the pressure on. White just improves his position
step by step.
30... d6 Perhaps aiming to play ...Nd7.
31. b7 White doesn't allow that.
31... f6
31... d7 32. e5 xe5 33. dxe5
31... e6 would allow the attractive idea of 32. d8 and Nc6.
32. e5 The second knight comes in.
32... h7 33. g3! Bit by bit White is improving his position and it becomes very, very difficult to breathe.
33... f8 Trying to activate at least one piece.
34. c5 a8 35. c2 Very quietly White prevents the rook from getting to the second rank.
35... d8
35... a1+ is tempting but I realised that after 36. g2 d1 37.f3+/= the king would just come over
to e2 and drive the rook away. I would just be wasting another two tempi achieving absolutely nothing.
36. g2 xe5 Perhaps in some mild time trouble I could tolerate it no longer and started exchanging pieces.

37. dxe5 d7 38. xd7!

38. e6 also looks quite dangerous for Black, but Karpov's approach is even more
classical. 38... c8 39. f3 c5 40. e4 c7 41. xc7xc7+/=
38... xd7 39. c6 Fixing the entire black structure. The black knight now has absolutely no constructive
moves, the rook on d7 is stuck protecting c7 and e7 and there's a constant threat of h4-h5, destroying the black
kingside. I think here is as good a time as any to stop because the position is perhaps already lost and obviously I
wasn't able to save it.
This concludes the overview of the three 5.Qb3 games I lost to exceptional players in 1999. As you can perhaps
glean from this chapter 1999 wasn't a particularly good year for me. By the end of it I was out of the Top 20 and
out of the 2700 club and I think it took me the best part of two years to recover from that half-a-year stretch. But
I did eventually recover and I didn't stop playing the Grnfeld. I never really blamed the Grnfeld for any of this
and, in general, I don't think I even played particularly badly. I just encountered very strong players who played
very well.
I wanted to show you these games as an amusing anecdotal story about half a year in the life of a Grnfeld player to give you an idea of the opening when you're playing against strong players and what can happen to you if you're
not very precise. I'm not sure what you'll think of this format but I thought I'd try it once and see what the reaction
is.
1-0

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2
Qxa2 12.0-0 Bg4 13.d5
13.Be3

8.Rb1 and 13.d5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. f3 c5 8. b1 This line was
immensely popular in the mid to late-90s and the start of the new millennium, due mainly to the efforts of
Alexander Khalifman and Boris Gelfand, who worked on it both together and separately and really moved the
theory forward. Alexander Chernin perhaps also deserves a mention as a player who did a lot for the popularity of
this line.
8... O-O By far the most important move.
9. e2 This line has been a source of worry for me over a number of years because, as you may already have
surmised from my videos, I tend to look for replies to White's ideas in the Grnfeld which aren't very theory-heavy
and don't involve memorising long lines just to make a draw. That's not always possible, however, and in particular
in the 8.Rb1 line if Black wants to get a position which is "interesting" or non-standard he's very likely to end up
playing something substandard where he runs the risk of being worse after the opening. Of course that didn't stop
me on many occasions playing both the very playable 9...Nc6 and also 9...b6.
9... cxd4 Objectively Black should bite the bullet and follow the main line with this move. It could also be added
that in the past 20 years the deeper the analysis went the clearer the situation became, and by now playing this
line with Black doesn't require memorising quite as much as it once did. Black is actually reasonably comfortable in
the main lines.
9... b6 10. O-O b7 leads to unclear positions after both 11. d3(and the interesting recent pawn
sacrifice 11. d5 Those positions are playable but potentially dangerous for Black.)
10. cxd4 a5+ 11. d2 The main move.
11. d2 xd2+ 12. xd2 b6 has been known to be fine for Black for a number of years. You can
separate this line into two different structures - those in which White tries to refrain from playing d4-d5,
and those where White plays d5 as early as possible.
a) If White does something slow like 13. e3 you could consider starting with 13... e6 , because
in general fixing the pawns on e4 and d4 is a decent idea, and after the
possible 14. d3 b7 15. e2c6 16. hc1 fd8 it's quite clear that this is a very favourable
version of the classical Grnfeld ending for Black. He's already attacking the white centre and,
in general, White is much better off in positions like this if his knight is on e2 not f3. This line is
simply comfortable for Black. ( 16... fc8 17. c4 1/2 Dao Thien Hai-Sasikiran, Esfahan
2005) 17. c4 f5

b) 13. d5 In general the moment the white d-pawn crosses this threshold Black should try to put
the knight on c5. 13... a6 14.e3 f5 Black is already fighting for the initiative and this
sequence of only two moves shows Black's main ideas very succintly. In order to stop the knight
coming to c5 White responds with Be3, and then the bishop immediately comes under fire from
Black's f5-f4. Kasparov was soon even better here as Black, although that had a lot to do with
the play of his opponent, Gerald
Hertneck. 15. c4 ( 15. e5 f4 16.d4 f5 17. c1 b4 18. c4 d3+ 19. d2 xc1
20.xc1 fc8 21. d6+ f8+ Hertneck-Kasparov, Munich 1994) 15...h8 16. e5 f4
c) 13. c1 b7 14. d5 ( 14. d3 d8 15. c7 d7 16.xd7 xd7 17. e2 c8= is clearly
fine for
Black.) 14... a615. g5 fc8 16. OO f8 17. e5 h6 18. h4 g5 19. g3xc1 ( 19... c5 )
20. xc1 c5 Pavlovic-Mikhalchishin, Trnava II 1988
d) 13. O-O The main line. 13... b7 14. d5 ( 14. d3 e6 15.fc1 c6 16. e3 fd8 is once again very
nice for Black.) 14...a6 White has a minor choice here.
d1) 15. fe1 xe2 16. xe2
d11) Black might consider starting with 16... c8 , as White's general idea is to attack
the e-pawn next with 17. g5 , trying to make Black's life at least slightly
uncomfortable. After the rook move Black can now simply reply
( 17. b4 c7 18. e5a6 ) 17... f8 and his position is fine, at the very
least. 18.e5 h6 19. f4 Koch-Bakalarz, Germany 1991 19... c4!
d12) a6 is also a reasonable move.

d121) 17. e3 fe8 ( 17... f5 18. g5 fxe4 19.xe4 f5 20. xe7 xd5
21. e3 f8 22. b7c5 23. xc5 xc5 24. h4 ad8= LputianTseshkovsky, Kiev SU-ch 1986) 18. d4 xd4 19. xd4 e6 20. dxe61/2
Khalifman-Tseshkovsky, Minsk 1985
d122) 17. g5 17... fe8 18. d1 e6 19. dxe6 1/2 Krasenkow-Gavrikov,
Budapest 1989
d2) 15. xa6 15... xa6 The following sequence is almost forced, as allowing Nc5 isn't
appealing for White 16. e3 f5 17.e5 f4 18. c1 ad8 19. d1 c7 20. d6 exd6 21. exd6e6! This
endgame is very safe for Black and he has nothing to worry about. In the Grnfeld in
general the passer on d6 either wins pretty much straight away, especially when White
has bishops against bishop and knight, or it's safely blockaded and not a major concern
for Black. (The old approach here was 21... f5 , aiming to play Nd5 next move, but
that runs into 22. g4!+/= and Black can't play 22... fxg3 because of 23. g5 with
serious tactical
problems.) 22. b2 c5 ( 22... f5 23. xg7 xg7 24.d2 c5 25. e1 f6 26. h4
Ernst-Nijboer, Dieren 2002) 23.xg7 xg7 24. b4 f5=
11... xa2 12. O-O Black has a variety of possible moves here. I played 12...b6 against Vassily Ivanchuk in one of
the Linares tournaments many, many years ago. Black also has the option of 12...Qe6, or there's the weird move
that I believe Suat Atalik once played, 12...Na6. There's also 12...a5, which leads to crazy positions, but the main
and safest move has been known for a while now to be
12... g4 , when White has two major options, 13.d5 or 13.Bg5.

13. d5 In most cases when this move is made without gaining a tempo - i.e. without a knight on c6 - it benefits
Black, firstly because it gives Black a target for breaks in the centre and secondly because the queen on a2
immediately feels completely secure. It can no longer be attacked as the g7-bishop controls all the squares on the
long diagonal. Here in particular, after
13... d7! 14. xb7 fb8 in order to keep control of the b-file, at least for a while, White sometimes plays
15. c7
15. b1 xb1 16. fxb1 xb7 17. xb7 c5= was equal in a game played by my coach: S. IvanovLukin, Russia 1992
15... c8 16. b1
16. xc8+ xc8 17. h3 xf3 18. xf3 e5=
16... xb1 17. xc8+ xc8 18. xb1 but Black experiences no problems whatsoever after either move here.
18... c5
18... c2=
19. h3 d7 20. e5 f5=

8.Rb1 and 13.Be3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. f3 c5 8. b1 OO 9. e2 cxd4
10. cxd4 a5+11. d2 xa2 12. O-O g4 13. e3
White could try 13. xb7 , but after 13... xf3 14. xf3 xd4Black is fine. 15. b4 ( 15. e5 is simply
met by 15... a6 and Black is ready to attack the pawn on
e5. 16. xe7 ad8= ) 15... c6 ( 15...d8 is also a very viable
alternative ) 16. xe7 fe8 ( 16...ab8 17. c7 xe7 18. xd4 e6 19. xa7 c6 20. c5fc8+/=
Wojtaszek-Krasenkow, Lubniewice 2005 ) 17. g5 b6! A very strong move, creating the positional idea
of Nd4. I checked this and think Black is very comfortable
here. 18. e5 ( 18. d5 xd5 19.exd5 d4 20. d6 e5 21. e7 xf3+ 22. gxf3 d8 23. xd8 FiguraSchmidt, Police
2007) 18... d4 19. d7 xf3+ 20. xf3e6 21. fd1 f5 22. xf5 gxf5 23. f6 ac8 24. 7d3 f4
25. g4=
13... c6 Developing while also attacking the white centre.
14. d5 is almost forced. There was a lot of old theory starting with 14...Ne5, but there's no need to go into that
here.
14. xb7 ab8 15. xb8 xb8 16. h3 xf3 17. xf3 d8 Black wants a target to attack in the centre
so he uses this move to force18. d5 e5 Black already wants to play
e6. 19. c1 ( 19. g5f6= ) 19... c4 Correctly keeping the queen boxed in on
c1. 20.g5 e8 21. e1 e6 An old game between Khalifman and Stohl was completely equal here and

soon finished in a draw. ( 21... a5 ) 22.e2 b3 23. dxe6 xe6 24. c2 d6 25. c6 h5 26. e3 1/2
Khalifman-Stohl, BL 1997
14... a5 15. g5 Black tried a variety of moves in this position in the 90s.
15. b4 makes no sense whatsoever without the inclusion of Bg5 and h6 first. 15... b6 Adequately
protecting against Ra4. 16. g5 ( 16. e5 is simply met by 16... xf3 17. xf3 xe5 and White really
needs to be taking a pawn on h6. Without that this is completely
pointless. ) 16...a3 17. xe7 fe8 18. d6 b7 19. e5 xf3 20. xf3xe5!+ ( 20... xd6
21. a4 c5 22. exd6 xd6 23. a6 )
15. e1 b6

15. c5 will of course be met by 15... b6 , transposing to the main line.

15... b6! was a major breakthrough. Black realised he can simply ignore the threat of Bxe7 and get a very safe
position.
15... a3 is very strongly met by 16. d2
I believe I played 15... xf3 16. xf3 a3 here against Kramnik once, but that's also less than ideal.
16. xe7 This is what White should play.
16. e1 c3 Correctly played by Ian Nepomniachtchi against Li Chao in the World Team Championship
in Ningbo. ( 16... h6 ) 17. d2
a) 17... xe2 is a comfortable way for Black to
equalise. 18. xe2f6 ( 18... f6 19. h6 ) 19. xf6 exf6 20. b3 a4= Li Chao2Nepomniachtchi, Ningbo 8th WChT 2011
b) d7! is more amitious, after which it's hard for White to untangle himself. If Black assumes control of
the c-file he'll simply be better, so White should probably play 18. a6 A sample line showing Black's
ideas very clearly is: 18... e6 19. c1 Trying to drive back the bishop.
( 19. d6 f6 20. h6 a4 21. c1 c2 22. xf8 xf8) 19... g7 20. d6 h6 21. e7 fc8! 22. xc8
xc8 23.d1 c2 , and despite being a pawn down I believe it's Black who's playing for a win. White is
completely discoordinated, the bishop on e7 is far from the action and the moment the black pawns on
the queenside start to roll it will be very dangerous for White. I'd very much like to get this position as
Black. 24. e2 c6 25. c1xc1 26. xc1 b5=/+
16. h3 xf3 17. xf3
a) 17... fe8 18. d6 exd6 19. e5 dxe5 ( 19... xe5 20. xa8xg5 21. xd6+/= ; 19... xe5
20. d5 a3 21. xa8 xa822. d5 ) 20. d5 a3 21. xa8 xa8 22. d5 f8
23.fc1+/=
b) a3 This is very comfortable for Black with the pawn on b6.
b1) 18. e2 d6 19. fc1 fc8 20. a6 xc1+ 21. xc1h6 22. d2 ( 22. e3 b3
23. c6 b4 ) 22... b3 23.c6 d8 ( 23... b8 24. e3 d4 25. c4 xf3+
26.gxf3 ) 24. e3 d4 25. c4 xf3+ 26. gxf3 d7 27. g2e6 28. dxe6 xe6
29. c7=

b2) 18. d2 18... d6 The most straightforward way to proceed.

( 18... c3 19. f4 ) 19. b4 e5 A very simple plan for Black here is to play Nb7-c5
against almost any two moves by White, and the moment the knight reaches c5 and
closes the c-file Black will clearly be very
comfortable. 20. d3 ( 20. g4 b7=/+ ;20. c1 b7 21. c6 c5=/+ ; 20. d6?
fd8 ; 20. a4b7 21. fc1 c5 22. xc5 bxc5 23. xc5 fb8= ) 20...b7
21. fc1 c5= ( 21... d6 22. c6 f5 23. exf5 xf524. xf5 xf5 25. d6 d4
26. dxe7 xf3+ 27. gxf3 fe828. c7 a5 29. a3 d4= ) 22. a3 g5= ( 22... a5
23.c3 d6 24. xg7 xg7 25. e5 ; 22... xe4 23. xe4xe4 24. xe7 xd5= )
16... fe8 17. d6 Almost forced.
17... c6 Here it transpires that Black is prepared to give up the exchange in order to swap off all of White's
bishops, and Black seems to be very comfortable in the ensuing positions. When White realised that he started to
look for ways to avoid playing 18.Bb5.
18. b5 Almost forced.
Etienne Bacrot played 18. c1 against me in the 2010 French Team Championship. 18... xe2 (That very
clever move is based on the idea that 18... xe7 runs into the strong 19. c4 a4 20. g5 and Black
has tactical problems. ) 19. xc6 ec8 (It's important to note that19... ac8 runs into 20. d7 and Black
has to resign, which isn't ideal. )
a) In the game Etienne played 20. d5 e6 21. b7 cb8 22.c6 c8 23. a4 He felt obliged to
play for a win, as his board was important for the result of the match. (I believe if this had been a game
played in a normal tournament and not a team tournament Etienne would have played 23. b7= because
objectively White simply isn't better.) 23... c2 24. xc2 xc2 25. e5 d7 A very precise move,
removing the bishop from all kinds of Nd4 jumps, after which I was already better and was ultimately
very disappointed not to win that interesting game. It involved crazy complications towards the first time
control, but generally speaking Black's pawns are simply faster and more dangerous than White's safelyblockaded pawns. 26.e1 c4 27. f4 b5 28. b2 a5 Bacrot-Svidler, Marseilles 2010
29. c2 xc2 30. xc2 b4 31. d4 a4
b) 20. b7 This is what White has to start with if he wants to play on, but
after 20... cb8 21. d5 e6 22. d1 xd1 23.fxd1 b7 24. bc1 d7 25. c7 ab8 26. e5 a5 Bl
ack clearly has his own trumps in this position, while his blockade of the d-pawn is very convincing and
will take a while for White to dismantle. The black pawns on the a and b-files are very dangerous, so at
the very least Black is no worse here - I checked this position in some
detail. 27.f6 a4 28. d4 xf6 ( 28... b5 29. xg7 xg7 30. e6 fxe631. c6 ) 29. exf6 b5 30. f3
( 30. c2 b4 31. xb4 a3 32.a2 f8 33. h3 e8= )
b1) 30... b4 31. e5 e8 32. xb7 ( 32. e7 a3 ) 32...xb7 33. d7 xd7 34. xd7 h5
35. c5 a7 36. a1 a337. f1 a2 38. h3 c7 39. b3 c2 40. e1 b2 41.d2 b3
42. xb3 xb3 43. xa2 b6=
b2) 30... a3 31. e5 e8 32. xb7 xb7 33. d7 xd7 34.xd7 h6 35. c5 c7=
18... xe7 19. h3 The main move.
Here Gelfand played 19. xe8 xe8 20. dxe7 against Loek Van Wely in Wijk aan Zee, to which Loek
replied with the very precise 20... a321. e1 (If White simply allows Black to take on e7 and keep both
bishops then I believe Black will be playing for a win, so Boris replied 21.h3 after which Loek exchanged
everything off with 21... xf3 22.xf3 xf3 23. gxf3 xe7 With such a kingside structure White

obviously has no hope of an advantage and the game was soon agreed a
draw. 24. fd1 e5 25. f1 g7 26. e2 1/2 Gelfand-Van Wely, WaZ
2006 ) 21... xf3 22. xf3 xf3 23. gxf3 xe7 24. f4 d4=
19... xf3 20. xf3 e6
20... ec8 21. dxe7 e6 22. e8=Q+ xe8 23. xe8 xe8 24.fd1
21. xe8 xe8 22. dxe7 I reached this position against Yury Shulman in the same World Team Championship in
Ningbo 2011. Here I began to think. I remembered there was a game starting in this position where the bishop
somehow reached c5. I looked for alternatives and came up with an idea I'm quite proud of
22... xe7
It seemed to me that after 22... xe7 the best move was 23. fd1 and after the almost forced
( 23. fe1 was, as I discovered when I got back to my room, the way the game between Gelfand and
Shirov progressed, and after 23... d4 the position was incredibly unclear and Shirov eventually went on
to win a brilliant
game. 24. bd1 e5 25. d3a5 26. d1 c5 27. e2 e6 28. g3 d6 29. g2 xd3 30.xd3 a4
Gelfand-Shirov, Odessa Pivdenny Bank Cup
2007 ) 23...xe4 24. xe4 ( 24. d8+ f8 25. xe4 xe4 26. d7 a5 27.xb6 a4 28. f1 a3= )
24... xe4 25. d7 it's very likely that White will win back one of the pawns on the queenside. By that
time Black will probably have put the bishop on c5, so he won't be completely helpless, but I felt that
defending a position like that for seven hours wouldn't be an ideal use of my
time. 25... d4 26. xa7 e2 27.f1 g7+/=
23. fd1 Played immediately, which confirmed my assessment of what Yury's plan was.
23... f8! After this move Black is absolutely ready to take on e4 if White does nothing. After sinking into quite
deep thought Yury ended up playing
24. d4 , resigning himself to the fact that he had no advantage.
By nothing here I mean something
like 24. bc1 xe4 25. xe4xe4 26. c7 ( 26. c6 c5 27. d7 f4 ) 26... a5=/+
24... e6 25. b3 xb3 26. xb3 c5 Shulman switched to defence with
27. a4 a5= and in this position it's quite obvious that Black can be no worse. If he could somehow rapidly swing
the king over to c6 he'd even be much better, but White is in time to stop that plan. At some point I allowed Yury
to return the exchange and the game was drawn. Shulman-Svidler, World Team Ch, 2011.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2
Qxa2 12.0-0 Bg4 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4
14.Be3

8.Rb1 and 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. f3 c5 8. b1 OO 9. e2 cxd4
10. cxd4 a5+11. d2 xa2 12. O-O g4 13. g5 This attack on the e7-pawn isn't yet a genuine attack.
13... h6 14. h4 This used to give White very interesting and non-standard positions, but in the main line Black
has found a very concrete solution to his problems.
14. xe7 isn't a serious option. After 14... e8 15. xb7 Black has a choice between the
comfortable 15... d7 (or 15... c6 which was fine for Black in Kramnik-Kasparov many years back. This
line has completely disappeared from grandmaster practice. )
14... g5! 15. g3 c6 16. d5 ad8 Immediately starting counterplay against the white centre. In practice
White has only played 17.Qe1 and 17.Rxb7, but I want to cover the other moves as well.
17. xb7 The main move. For a number of years it was considered problematic for Black until a game between
Kramnik and Anand at the Tal Memorial in 2009.
17. d3? f5

17. e1= xf3 18. xf3

a) After 18... e5 Black should draw with relative
ease. 19. xb7 (19. e2 c2 20. f4 gxf4 21. xf4 g6 22. c1 b2 ; 19.h5=/ )
19... e6 20. xe5 xe5 21. dxe6 xe6 22. xa7a8=
b) d4 19. xb7 Here both 19...e6 and 19... f5 have been shown to be quite adequate for
Black.
( 19. g4 a6 20. c7 a8 21.f4 ) 19... f5 ( 19... e6 20. dxe6 xe6 21. xa7 f5 22. exf5
xf3+ 23. gxf3 xf5 24. e7 f7 25. e1+/= ) 20. exf5xf3+ 21. gxf3 xd5 22. xa7 de8
23. a5 xf3 24.e6+ h8 25. e1 f6=
17. h3= is lukewarm, to say the least.
After 17... xf3 18. xf3 e619. xb7 ( 19. c7 d7 20. d6 e5 ) 19... e5= we get a very typical
position in which Black doesn't even attempt to hang on to the b7-pawn. Instead he attacks the white
centre and tries to force White to trade one of the bishops for the knight on e5. Black once again has no
problems.
17. e1= involves a very beautiful idea.
a) After 17... c3 White will play 18. xg5 and 18... xe1 is met by ( 18... xe2 is impossible
because of 19. xe2 , hitting the queen on a2.) 19. xg4 giving White a very serious initiative
on the kingside.

b) 17... xf3 is therefore what Black should play, when after 18.xf3 e6 White has the additional option
of 19. e2 ( 19. xb7e5= ; 19. d6 e5 20. e2 a3 21. d2 d7=/+ ) 19...a5 ( 19... a6 ,
trying to keep everything under control, runs into 20. d2 e5 21. e2 and it turns out that holding on
to the b7-pawn is more difficult than Black originally thought. ) 20. d2Taking control of the d4square. 20... e5 21. xb7 It initially seems as though White has made some progress here. The rook is
obviously much better on d2 than f1, the d5-pawn is very well-protected and White is ready to develop
some sort of initiative, but Black has a very concrete solution that starts
with 21... c4 22.c2 (If 22. e2 the knight simply returns: 22... e5= Note this would be impossible
if Black had started with 21...exd5. ) 22...exd5 23. exd5 fe8 Creating the huge threat of Re1+. Black
has a lot of counterplay and White just isn't better at all.
b1) 24. c1 g4
b11) 25. h4 b2 ( 25... gxf3 26. xd8 xd8 27. xf3d6 ) 26. xd8 xd8
27. e2 gxf3 28. xf3 xd5 29.xd5 xd5 30. xa7=
b12) 25. xg4 xd5 26. f1 d2
b13) 25. c7 a6!=/+

b14) 25. e2 25... xd5 26. c2 d6=

b2) 24. e2 24... xe2 25. xe2 d2 26. h5 a1+ 27.d1 xd1+ 28. xd1 xd5 29. h5
a5=
17... e6
17... f5 18. h3!
18. c7
After 18. d6 the simplest way to proceed is 18... xf3 19. xf3a6= , preparing to play Ne5 next
move, and once again the pawn on d6 will be unsustainable and the game will soon end in complete
equality. 20.c7 e5 21. d7 b6=
18... xf3! Vishy's huge improvement, which solves all Black's problems.
18... d7 19. b5 is just bad for Black, which is why the whole line was considered dubious.
18... exd5 19. xd8 dxe4 20. e7 e8 21. c5 d8 22. b3xb3 23. xb3 d5 24. a3 exf3
25. xf3 xf3 26. xf3Chernin-Horvath, Hungary 1992
19. xf3
19. gxf3 d4 is clearly unattractive for White.
19... d7 This is played only now, and the absence of the Bb5 move means that Black gets additional time to
attack White's somewhat entangled pieces. Kramnik played
20. dxc6 The queen sacrifice looks very promising, but Black is just in time.

20. b1 xb1 21. fxb1 c8! This move equalises on the spot. (It's important not to make the mistake
Bykhovsky made with 21... exd5when he got into some
trouble. 22. g4 f5 23. xf5 e7 24.exd5+ Gareev-Bykhovsky, Berkeley Intl. op
2011 ) 22. dxc6 ( 22. d6f8= ; or 22. g3 xb7 23. xb7 d4 when Black's activity clearly
compensates for the passed pawn on d5. ) 22... dxc7= is just a draw.
20... xd1 21. xd1 c2 22. d6 g4 Very precise - Black manages to take on c6 and liquidate into a drawn
position.
23. xg4 xc6 24. c7 b6 25. d7
25. e5 d8 26. h5 f8 27. xf7+ h8=/+
25... d8 26. c7 xd7 27. xb6 xd1+ 28. xd1 axb6 29.f1 1/ 2 Kramnik-Anand, Moscow Tal Mem 2009

8.Rb1 and 13.Bg5 h6 14.Be3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. f3 c5 8. b1 OO 9. e2 cxd4
10. cxd4 a5+11. d2 xa2 12. O-O g4 13. g5 h6 14. e3 c6 15. d5
15. xb7 ab8 16. xb8 xb8 17. h3 xf3 (Black might consider
playing 17... d7 18. d5 e5 19. f4 b2 and once again the fact that White can win the pawn on h6
is less important than the potentially huge passed pawn on the afile. ) 18. xf3 d8 19. d5e5 20. c1 It would now be less advisable to play 20...Nc4 (the move
previously recommended in a similar position), as the pawn on h6 is hanging, but Black can simply
play 20... a5= , ignoring the pawn on h6 as the passer on the a-file is a more important
factor. 21. c7 e8 22.f4 In the game Arun Prasad-Negi, Nagpur 2008, Black played 22...Qb2 and
held, although it's also possible to play 22... xf3+ 23. gxf3 b3=, which perhaps holds even more
comfortably.
15... a5
15... xf3
a) 16. xf3 e5 17. xb7 a5! 18. xe7 ( 18. c5 a4 19.xe7 fb8 20. xb8+ xb8 21. d6
e6 22. xa4 xf3+ 23.gxf3 h3 24. a5 xf3 25. d5 g4+ Van Wely-Svidler, Biel
2000 26. h1 f4!=/+ ) 18... a4 19. d4 xf3+ 20. gxf3xd4 21. xd4 a3 22. d6 e2
Kramnik-Svidler, Zurich 2001
b) 16. gxf3 16... d4 ( 16... a5 17. d2!+/= ) 17. d3 a318. f4 d6 19. xb7 fb8
20. b1 f3+ 21. g2 h4+ 22.h1 g5 23. g1 gxf4 24. c5! e5 25. d4 xb7 26.xb7
xd4 27. xa8+ h7 28. b1+/= Krasenkow-Svidler, Polanica Zdroj 2000
16. c5 The main move.
16. h3 xf3 17. xf3 c4=
16. b4

a) If Black plays 16... b6 White

has 17. e5 xf3 18. xf3 xe5( 18... ac8 19. d6! ) 19. d6 The fact that the pawn on h6 is
hanging makes this position much less comfortable for Black than in the Be3 line, and some
precision is required. I spent some time looking for a solution that would be completely
satisfactory.
a1) It's possible to give up the exchange with 19... xd6 20.a4 b2 21. xa8 which
isn't too bad for
Black. 21... xa822. f3 c8 23. xh6 c4 24. xc4 xc4 25. g3 b5 26.h4 h7
27. c1 f6 28. c6 f5=/+ Giddins-Baquero, Amsterdam 2005
a2) 19... a3 20. b1 xd6 21. g4 ( 21. d5 xb4 22.xg6+ h8 23. xh6+
g8= ) 21... g7 22. xa8 ( 22.d5 f5 23. h4 h5 24. d1 e5 )
a3) 19... e6 20. xa8 xd6 was the idea I came up with, 21.d5 xh2+ Forced.
( 21... xb4 is met by 22. xe5 xa823. xh6 and Black loses
material. ) 22. h1 xb4 23. xh2If the pawn was back on g7 I'd be quite happy to
recommend this for Black as he does, after all, have four pawns for the piece, but with
a pawn on g6 he runs a serious risk of coming under a menacing attack on the
kingside. 23... e6 24. e4
b) xf3 is therefore my suggestion. 17. xf3 ( 17. gxf3 b6 ) 17...c4 18. d4
b1) 18... d2 is the normal theoretical move. It's supposed to lead to positions that
are completely equal, and perhaps they
are. 19.b2 xf3+ 20. xf3 a6 21. xg7 xg7 22. c3+ g823. d2 ( 23. c7
d6 24. xb7 xc7 25. xc7 a5= )23... h7 ( 23... h5 24. f4 ) 24. b4 f6
25. xb7 e5=
b2) xd4N is how I propose fine-tuning that idea. 19. xd4 b5This makes it much
harder for White to get a position with any kind of initiative.
b21) 20. a1 c2 (Of course it's important not to blunder a piece
with 20... d2 21. xc4 ) 21. e5 ab8 Creating the huge threat of a5, with a very
double-edged position.
b22) 20. e5 d2
b23) If White plays 20. h4 Black is now ready to play 20...d2 , exchanging some more
pieces. 21. a1 xf3+ 22.gxf3 e2 23. g2 a5 24. b2 c4=/+
b24) 20. xb5 This is White's most natural reaction, but after20... fb8= Black is first
with some very serious counterplay. He wants to occupy the b-file and then play Nd2,
and perhaps Rb1 if White allows him. In general Black experiences no problems
whatsoever and this may be a cleaner solution than the official theory. White is left
with an unattractive position with no initiative.
16... b6 17. xe7 fe8 18. d6 c6 19. b5 Forced. Compared to the positions with a black pawn on h7 White
has even less scope for play here.
19. c1 isn't an option, since after 19... xe7 20. c4 a5 White doesn't have Ng5 and Black is just
better.

19... xe7 20. h3

20. xe8 xe8 21. dxe7 a3 22. e1 (The fact that the pawn is on h6 means that after 22. h3 Black
could even consider playing 22...e6=/ As Ng5 is impossible Black gets to keep both bishops, which
could be
beneficial. ) 22... xe7 23. h3 e6 24. a4 ( 24. d4xh3 25. gxh3 g5+ 26. h1 d8 ) 24... d7
25. a6 d826. e3 ( 26. e5 ) 26... c7 27. d3 c8=/ Bunzmann-Van Wely, BL 2001
20... xf3 21. xf3 ec8
21... e6 22. xe8 xe8 23. dxe7 xe7 24. fd1 f8
22. dxe7 e6 23. e8=Q+ xe8 24. xe8 xe8 This position is very similar to those covered previously, with
the fact that the pawn is on h6 changing precious little. Black is extremely comfortable and has nothing to fear.
25. fe1
25. fd1 f8!
25... f8! 26. e5 a5 27. e4 c5 28. f4 xe5 29. xf7e4 30. xe4 1/2 Sundararajan-Gupta,
Visakhapatnam 2006

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.e3

5.Nf3

4.Bg5 Bg7 5.e3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 This is the move I'm going to be recommending and for me it's a
welcome return to what was perhaps my first serious contribution to opening theory back in the early 90s. I'm
recommending it not only for sentimental reasons, but also because while preparing for this series I found a very
fresh and interesting new idea in the only line which is currently thought to pose Black any problems. It's very
difficult nowadays to find such an idea as early as move 7 in any kind of main line opening, so I was very eager to
feature it here.
For the past 6-8 years I've almost exclusively replied 4... e4 That move is perfectly fine and objectively Black is
comfortable, but the reason I'm not recommending it is because it involves a lot of very complicated transpositions
and difficult theory. It can lead to problems unless Black is very precise. For instance, despite 4.Bg5 being the
Grnfeld line I've perhaps spent the most hours of my career on I still mix up move orders in practice and keep on
getting positions I shouldn't be getting.
5. e3 A rare move that isn't very good at all. It's generally enough to know that you should respond with
5... c5 6. dxc5 a5 , and Black is absolutely equal in every single line here. In my game against Moskalenko he
played
7. xf6
7. cxd5 e4+
7. a4+ xa4 8. xa4 e4 9. f4 d7

7. d2 dxc4 8. xc4 xc5 ( 8... bd7 9. c1 OO 10. f3xc5 11. OO e6 12. xe6 xe6= Moskalen
ko-Adorjan, Alushta 1994; 8... O-O 9. xf6 exf6 10. e4 xd2+ 11. xd2 d7 12.b3 f5
13. O-O-O a5 14. a4 e5=/ Jobava-Belov, playchess.com 2005 ) 9. xf6 xf6
a) 10. c1
a1) 10... O-O 11. d5
a2) 10... xc4 11. d5 g4 12. h3 f5 13. c7+ ( 13. g4d7 14. c7+ d8
15. xa8 xd2+ 16. xd2 c6 )13... f8 14. xa8 g7 15. f3 d7 ( 15... c6
16. O-Oh5 17. c7 xh3 18. d5 f5 19. b5+/= ) 16. O-Oc6=/
a3) c6 11. e4 e5 12. xf6+ xf6=
b) 10. d5 10... d6 11. xf6+ xf6 12. e2= Sharif-Rowson Liechtenstein 1996
7. c1 dxc4 8. xc4 Here castling is interesting for Black and 8...Nbd7 is fine, but you can also simply
play 8... xc5 and Black has no problems.
7... xf6 8. c1 Instead there's absolutely nothing wrong with the simple

8... dxc4
In those years, and probably still today, I was reluctant to win back material if I could continue playing in
an exciting, Romantic style, so I went for 8... a6 9. cxd5 xc5 but
after 10. b5+! ( 10. d3xc3+! 11. bxc3 xa2 12. b5+ d7 13. d4? xb5 14. xc5a6 )
10... f8 11. e2 I was slightly worse in Moskalenko-Svidler, 1993
9. xc4 O-O 10. f3 xc5
10... d7
11. e2 c6= and Black is fine.

4.Bg5 Bg7 5.Nf3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 5. f3 This is a much more serious option. When I was growing up as
a Grnfeld player I was very attached to the idea of playing Bg7 with the intention of never playing Ne4 in any
line, but here it's pretty much forced.
5... e4 White has three main options here.
In this position I used to play 5... c5 The problem with this move, and the reason it can't be
recommended, is that White can play 6. dxc5 (If White does something like 6. xf6 xf6 7. cxd5 then
after 7...b6 the position is quite unclear. I'm not sure Black gets full equality in every single line, but
this was fine for me as I would at least get some kind of fresh non-theoretical battle where Black is doing
ok. ) 6... a57. cxd5! and at some point it dawned on me that what we're getting is a transposition to
the Bf4
Grnfeld. 7... xd5 ( 7... e4 8. d2xc3 9. bxc3 xc3 10. c1+/= ) 8. xd5 xc3+ 9. d2 The
bishop returns to d2 from g5 and not f4, but that really isn't much of a difference, and in this position
Black is in trouble. 9... e6 (For many years now it's been well-known that 9... xd2+ leads to a
horrible position after the forced 10. xd2 xc5 11. c1 f5 12. d4d7 13. h6 and Black will
find it very hard to finish his development.) 10. xb7 xd2+ 11. xd2 O-O
a) 12. xa8 d8 13. b4 ( 13. d1 d5 ) 13... xb4 14.d1 xd2 15. xd2 b1+ 16. d1
b4+=
b) 12. b4 This is quite an exciting position and was considered reasonably ok for Black when I
was growing up, but it's since been determined that Black doesn't equalise, or even come
close. 12...a4 ( 12... a3 13. xa8 d8 14. e4+ ) 13. e3
b1) 13... d8
b11) 14. c4 is not so clear.
b111) 14... c6 is
wrong: 15. xe6 fxe6 16. b5 a5 17.xe7 xd2 ( 17... xb5
18. xe6+ g7 19. e7+g8 20. e4 Grigore-Rogozenko,
Odorheiu Secuiesc
1992 )18. xe6+ g7 19. e7+ g8 20. xd2 f8 21. f4c4+
22. d3 b2+ 23. e2+ Grigore-Odeev, Romania 1994

b112) 14... xc4! 15. xc4 d7 16. OO ab8 17.e4 xb4 18. c6
f6 19. a3 xe4 20. axb4 xb4 , and Black should hold.
b12) 14. a3! 14... c2 15. d1 d5 ( 15... b3 16. e2c3 17. OO xd1
18. xd1 d7 19. f1 f6 20.xe7 xd1 21. xd1 e8 22. xa7 1-0
Giese, R-Mueller, Porz op
1993 ) 16. xe7 c6 17. f6 b3 18.e2 a4 19. b5 ( 19. a1 a5 20. b5
xc5 21. bxc6xd1 22. xd1 xc6 23. f3 Van Wely-Hjelmaas, EU-chJ U20
Arnhem
1989; 19. h4! ) 19... a5 20. b3 xd1+ 21.xd1 d3 22. d4 Akhmeto
v-Turov, Moscow 2005
b2) d7 14. a3 fd8 ( 14... a5 15. b5 c2 16. xd7xd7 17. OO xd2 18. ad1
c3 19. xd7 xa3 20. c6fb8 21. xb8+ xb8 22. c7 f8 23. d8 c3 24. c8=Q
xc8 25. xc8 xc8 26. bxa5+ Avrukh-Kalod, Menorca
1996;14... ad8 15. a6 c2 16. d3 xd3 17. xd3 xc518. c2 ; 14... c2
15. e4 ) 15. a6 c2 16. d3a4 ( 16... xd3 17. xd3 xc5 18. c2+/= )
17. c3 a5 , and now White has a pleasant choice:
b21) 18. b5 xc5 19. xc5 ac8 20. e5 c2 ( 20...d5? 21. e4+ )
21. d1 d5 22. a1 cd8 23. e2xd2 24. O-O a4+/= ( 24... f6+/= )
b22) 18. c1 18... axb4 19. axb4 f6 20. c4 ( 20. e4ab8 21. d3 xb4
22. O-O bd4 23. c2 c6 24.f3 c4 25. e5 xc3 26. xc6 LukacsLiptay, Hungary 2002 ) 20... xc4 21. xc4 d5 Black has some drawing
chances, but this definitely can't be recommended: 22. b1
(22. OO Ftacnik 22... xb4 23. xb4 xb4 24. e4c6+/= ; 22. c6 ac8
23. OO xb4 24. f3 xc4 25.xc4 f6 26. e4 f4 27. g3 e6 28. fc1+/=
Simon-Atakisi, ICCF Email
2004 ) 22... a2 ( 22... ab8 23. OOxb4 24. d3 ) 23. xa2 ( 23. c6
xe3 Van Wely-Kamsky,
1995 ) 23... xa2 24. f3 b8 ( 24... xb4 25. O-O )25. O-O xb4+/=
6. h4
6. f4 is a well-known line. The following moves (the move order may vary) will probably appear on the
board. 6... xc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. e3O-O 9. cxd5 cxd4 10. cxd4 xd5 11. e2 c6 12. O-O f5 This small
tabiya of the Bg5 line has been known about for many years and has been tried and tested by very strong
players. It's currently considered completely safe for Black. 13. a4 ( 13. h4 , trying to cause Black
some discomfort and improve the position of the white pieces, is best met by 13... c8! , and the strong
threat of g6-g5 means White will most likely have to bring the knight back to f3. ) 13... a5! I spent a
while considering Rac8 here but finally settled on starting with this move.
a) 14. xa5 This move is easy to deal with if Black isn't worried by the prospect of trading off
all four rooks and playing a somewhat passive but very safe
endgame. 14... xa5 15. ac1 ( 15. fc1ac8 16. d2 xc1+ 17. xc1 c8 transposes )
15... ac816. d2 This was seen in two games between myself and Pavel Eljanov.

a1) I played 16... c6 both times. 17. g4 e6 18. a3 fd8 19.f3 d5 20. g2! An
improvement by Pavel in our later blitz game, after which I had to solve some
problems to fully equalise. (In the first game he played 20. xd5 xd5 21. e4? ,
which looks aesthetically pleasing, but unfortunately runs into 21... xd4when Black
wins material. I went on to win the game as well. Eljanov-Svidler, Nalchik FIDE GP
2009 ) 20... xf3+ 21. xf3f6 22. g3 e6 23. c4 f8 24. a4 b4 25. fc1 EljanovSvidler, Moscow VI WCh Blitz 2010.
a2) 16... xc1! is the best approach. 17. xc1 c8 18.xc8+ xc8 19. c7 c6 and
the endgame should be easy for Black to hold. He has no weaknesses and too much
material has been exchanged for White to hope for much of an advantage.
b) 14. b3 14... b4 15. fc1
b1) It's important to know that after 15... ac8 White has 16.c4! xb3 More or less
forced. (After something like 16... a6White has the very important tactical
trick 17. xf7+ xf7 18.xc6 , which wins a pawn. ) 17. axb3 a6 18. d5 This
position is probably still defendable, and I held it against V.Milov in Biel 2000, but
Black really has no reason to go anywhere near this.
b2) xb3 16. axb3 a6! The latest finesse, which was played by Morozevich against
Radjabov and solves all Black's problems.
( 16...fc8 17. c4 a6 18. d5+/= ) 17. c5 ( 17. c4 is now met very strongly
by 17... b4 and the bishop doesn't get to d5.; The point of this move order is that
if 17. xa6 Black has 17...xd4! 18. xd4 xd4 19. exd4 xa6= and a draw will
very soon be agreed due to the limited material
remaining. ) 17...ac8 18. ac1 b4 19. e5 xc5 20. xc5 c8 21.f3 b6
22. xc8+ xc8 And Black was once again perfectly comfortable in RadjabovMorozevich, Moscow 7th Tal Mem Drawing of Lots 2' 2012
6. cxd5 xg5 7. xg5 e6 8. d2 ( 8. a4+ c6 9. dxc6 xc6 10.f3 d7=/ ) 8... h6! This is very
comfortable for Black. (Some heavy theory starts with 8... exd5 9. e3+ f8 10. f4 f6 11. h4 Black
may be fine even here, but I never felt there was any need for this.)
a) 9. h3 exd5
a1) 10. e3+ f8 11. f4 c5 12. dxc5 d4 13. d2
a11) Black used to play 13... c6 after which the position is very unclear,
although even here Black has good play for the
pawn. 14. b5! ( 14. e4 g5 15. d3 d5 16. d6e6 17. g1 e5
Kuzubov-Eljanov, Moscow
2005 ) 14...b6 15. g3 a6 16. a4 bxc5 17. g2 c8 18. O-OMarkosTukmakov, Czechia 2009
a12) a6 14. e3 is an improvement, and after both Black's responses he has
a very comfortable position and experiences no
difficulties. 14... f5 ( 14... xc5 15. OOO f5 16.exd4 e4 17. xe4
xe4 18. d3 xd4=/+ Volkov-Dvoirys, Omsk
1996) 15. exd4 xd4 16. xa6 bxa6 17.OOO xc5 18. d5 xd5 19. fxd5
c8 20. he1h5=/+ Damaso-Avrukh, Albufeira Algarve 1999

a2) 10. f4 10... O-O It's important to note that Black doesn't waste any time
defending the d5-pawn, and if 11. g3 Black has the very strong
( 11. e3 c5 12. dxc5 d4 A recurring theme in this structure - Black should always be
happy to sacrifice this pawn, most often temporarily, in order to open up the position
for his g7-bishop. Black is fine
here. 13. d1 c6 14. b5 dxe3 15.fxe3 g5=/ ) 11... e8! and
after 12. g2 c6 it transpires that the d5-pawn can't be protected and will be
exchanged for the d4-pawn. After that Black is better due to having the bishop pair in
a completely open structure.
b) 9. f3 is what White should objectively play, with 9... exd5 10.e3 O-O and something
like 11. e2 following. This is a Carlsbad structure in which Black should be perfectly fine. He'll
follow up with c6 and in some cases a5 to hold back White's advance on the queenside. The b8knight generally develops towards d7 and f6. It often makes sense for Black to play Re8 and then
swing the bishop over from g7 to d6, a square from which it can cover the queenside and also
support an attack on the kingside if White gets too carried away pushing his queenside minority.
6... xc3 7. bxc3 dxc4 This is where Black gains a lot by having forced White to include Nf3 Bg7. Rather than
going for the pawn sacrifice most people play
8. a4+
If White plays 8. e3 Black can respond 8... b5! , and after 9. a4 c6White can't win the rook by axb5, cxb5
and Qf3. That means this is a genuine pawn sacrifice, and hence not to everybody's taste. Play might
continue 10. e2 O-O 11. d2 a6
a) 12. O-O c7 This natural move was played by Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a game against
Gurevich. (Something to avoid here is12... f5? 13. f4 e6 and it's quite clear that wasting a
whole tempo can't be best play for Black, although even this isn't completely
horrible. ) 13. f4 d7 14. f5 ( 14. xe7 e8 is clearly bad for White ) 14... f6 and Gurevich
very soon ran into some serious problems. In general, if Black manages to get his pieces out of
the corner on the queenside he'll be a reasonably healthy pawn up and playing for a
win. 15. e4 gxf5 16. xf6 exf6 17. e1 e8Gurevich-Kasimdzhanov, Konya TUR-tch 2011
b) 12. f3 The main theoretical move in this position.

b1) It's possible to play 12... b7 , planning to meet 13. e4with 13... e8 and
after 14. c5 Black will play ( 14. OO or) or 14... c8 or and follow it with Nd7 next
move. White's pieces will gradually be driven back. Black is a pawn up, which isn't
something to be sneezed at.
b2) 12... a7 The normal response. 13. O-O This is a well-known position with a
number of possible moves. 13... f5! The move I like best and one which carries the
stamp of approval of having been playing by Garry Kasparov himself (in a simul in
1997).( 13... b614. b1 e6 15. a2 c7 16. fb1 e8 17. a3=/ Wang YueGao Rui, China
2010; 13... d7 14. b1 c7 15. e4dd8 16. b4 f5 17. c5 de8 18. fd1 f6
19. xf6xf6 , and now, in Beliavsky-Kamsky, Belgrade 1991, White should have
played 20. e4=/ ; Boris Gulko many years ago played13... h6 , in some lines preparing
an advance with g5 and
f5. 14.c1 f5 15. b2 d3 16. fd1 b6 17. e4 xe4 18.xe4 g5 19. g3
d7=/+ Lengyel-Gulko, Sombor 1974)

b21) 14. e1 d3 15. b3 f5 16. d2 White has nothing better, and

Black is already equal. ( 16. c5 runs
into 16...d7 ) 16... d3 17. g4 c7 18. b3 cxb3 19. xd3 c5SorinKasparov, Buenos Aires 1997
b22) 14. e4 is an attempt by White to prevent Bd3, but after14... c8 Black
will meet pretty much any move by White with c5, when the white centre will
come under direct attack. That was demonstrated by Jean-Philippe Karr in a
game against Aleksander Delchev. He played very nicely, up to a point, and
had a huge advantage with
Black. 15. b1 c5 16. axb5 b7 17.xc4 cxd4 18. e5 xb5 19. d3
d7=/+ Delchev-Karr, France 2010
8... d7
8... d7 9. e3 ( 9. xc4 c5 10. e3 a5 ) 9... OO 10. a3 c511. xc4 c7 12. b5 ( 12. c1 e5 ;
12. xe7 e8 13. xc5xc5 14. dxc5 g4 15. d4 ac8 16. b3 e7 17. h3 d7 18.OO xc5
19. d5 xc3 20. xb7 xd4 21. exd4 xd4=Korobkov-Vorobiov, Serpukhov
2008) 12... f6 13. g3 b6 14.d3 f5 15. xf5 gxf5 16. OO e4 17. ab1 c6 18. e5b6 19. c4
xe5 20. xe5 e6 21. bc1 fd8 22. b2 f6 23.d3 cxd4 24. exd4 ac8 25. b4+/= Ki.GeorgievMelkumyan, Benasque 2009
9. xc4 White wins back the pawn, but after
9... b6 the queen comes under direct attack in many lines, and for a number of years now this has been known to
be very comfortable for Black.
10. e3 The main move.
10. g3 c5 11. e5 xe5 12. xe5 a6 13. b3 O-O , and although the idea of giving up the darksquared bishop is quite traumatic for any Grnfeld player you gain so much time in this particular case
that you shouldn't hesitate.
10... a6 11. b3 xf1 12. xf1 The other capture is possible, but in the vast majority of cases that will just
transpose to the same line.
12... O-O 13. e2 c5 14. hd1 is the somewhat more critical attempt here.
14. dxc5 is very well met by 14... a6 15. hd1 c7 ( 15... b7should be avoided, as
after 16. c6 xc6 17. xe7 fe8 18. a3xc3 19. xc3 xc3 20. ac1 b4 21. b2 f8 22. d4
c5 23. g4+/= Magnus Carlsen got a small but pleasant endgame advantage against Pavel Eljanov and
went on to win. ) 16. cxb6 axb6It's well-known that Black has fantastic compensation for the pawn
here.17. g3 (If White overreaches and tries too hard to preserve his material advantage he might run
into quite serious problems very early on, as shown in a game between Joel Lautier and Vassily
Ivanchuk: 17.a4 c5 18. b4 a5 19. g3 e5 20. d2 fa8 21. c4xa4 Lautier-Ivanchuk, Terrassa
1991) 17... c6 18. f1 c5 19.d5 xd5 20. xd5 xc3 21. c1 f6= Bosboom LanchavaGustafsson, Amsterdam Lost Boys op 2001
14... c6 15. dxc5 f5
15... c8 16. ab1 bxc5 17. c4 It's somewhat problematic for Black to get full equality, although his
position isn't that bad. 17... a518. a4+/= ( 18. b5 c6 19. c4 b8 20. xb8 1/2 FressinetVachier Lagrave, Pau 2008 )

16. d5
16. d5 c2+ 17. f1 fd8 18. b3 Forced. 18... xb3 19.axb3 bxc5 and the endgame is completely
equal.
16. cxb6 axb6 is a very typical position for this line where Black gets a lot of counterplay against the
white queenside and the somewhat misplaced king on e2. Black is fine here.
16... e4 A wonderful square for the queen.
17. cxb6 axb6 Once again Black has terrific compensation for the pawn because White's position is incredibly
discoordinated and Black has a lot of play against the targets on the queenside.

imm1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.cxd5 c6 7.e3/dxc6/Rc1
7.e4 0-0
7...cxd5
7...Qb6
7...Bg7

4.Bg5 Bg7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.cxd5 c6 7.Rc1 and other moves

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 5. xf6 xf6 6.cxd5 This is White's only way of fighting for an
advantage, and it was a big challenge to find something to recommend. Official theory, as it currently stands,
doesn't promise Black full equality here. That discourages a lot of players from entering this line, and not without
reason, but I've found a couple of new ideas I want to share with you.
6. xd5 g7 7. e3 c5 is clearly good for
Black: 8. a4+ c6 9.dxc5 ( 9. d1 cxd4 10. exd4 OO 11. f3 g4 )

a) 9... e6 10. b6 f6 ( 10... axb6 11. xa8 xb2 12. d1c3+ 13. e2+ ; 10... b8
11. xc8 xc8 12. d1 e7 )11. b1+/=
b) 9... xb2 10. d1 d7 11. b1 g7 12. xb7 b8 13.xb8 xb8 14. b3 OO 15. f3
e6 16. f4 c7=/

6... c6
6... c5 is a move people have started to play due to the problems Black is experiencing after 6...c6. It's a
very interesting line, sacrificing a second pawn for development and to prevent White from playing e4 as
he can after 6... c6. I encourage you to have a look at it, although I'm not sure it equalises for Black and
it's not my recommendation.
7. c1 For a while White had reasonable success playing this move.
7. e3 doesn't trouble Black. 7... cxd5 8. b5+ f8 ( 8... d7?blunders away the central pawn
after 9. xd7+ xd7 10. f3! ) 9.ge2 g7 This is a very nice Slav-like position for Black. He wants
to play e6 and in many cases the bishop will be better off on d6 (via e7). The knight on b8 can choose
between d7-f6 and c6-a5. Black is very comfortable
here. 10. b3 ( 10. f4 e6 11. OO a6 12. e2 d613. d3 d7 14. b3 b6 15. f4 b7
16. e5+/= Goldin-Svidler, SPb mem Petroff
1994 ) 10... e6 11. OO a6 12. d3 c6 13.ac1 ( 13. a4 e5 ) 13... a5 ( 13... e7 14. a4 a5
Nakamura-McShane, playchess.com 2004 ) 14. d1 d7=
7. dxc6 xd4 8. cxb7 xb7 is covered in my Early Games chapter, and is quite frankly something you're
quite unlikely ever to meet at the board. White has nothing here.
a) 9. a4+ c6 10. e3 b6 11. b5 xc3+ 12. bxc3 a6 13.d3 b2 14. b1 xc3+ 15. e2
d8= Lyrberg-Kreiman, Medellin WChJ B20 1996

b) 9. f3 xc3+ 10. bxc3 a5 11. b3 OO 12. e3 xf3 13.gxf3 d7 14. b4 f5 15. e2

ab8 16. e4 xe4 17.fxe4 b2=/+ Orlinkov-Najer, Moscow-ch 1996
c) 9. c1 OO 10. e3 xc3+ 11. xc3 a5 12. b3 d5 13.a3 xa3 14. bxa3 d7 15. f3
ab8 16. d3 b2=Ferenc-Sakalauskas, MK Cafe Cup Open 1999
d) 9. e3 xc3+ 10. bxc3 a5
d1) 11. d4 O-O 12. b4 c7 13. f3 ( 13. c1 a6 14.a3 c5 ) 13... a6=/
d2) 11. b3 d7 ( 11... O-O 12. xb7 xc3+ 13. e2c2+ 14. f3 f5+= ) 12. f3
d3) 11. c2 11... O-O 12. e2 ( 12. b1 c8! ) 12...d7=/+ Popov-Svidler, 1993
e) 9. b3
e1) Even 9... xc3+ is possible, although I can't see why you would want to give the
bishop up so easily: 10. bxc3 ( 10. xc3
OO 11. f3 d7 12. d1 c8 13. b4 b6 14. xb6xb6=/ ) 10... c7 11. f3
d7 12. e3 xf3 13. gxf3
OO 14. e2 ab8 15. a3 b6 16. OO g5 17. a5 ( 17.xe7 h6 18. h4 e6!
19. a3 xe3 20. fxe3 g3+= )17... c5=/ Korniushin-Yandemirov, RUS-Cup 1997
e2) 9... b6 10. e3 f6 ( 10... xb3 11. axb3 f6 12.f3 OO 13. c4+/= )
11. b5+ f8 12. f3 a6 13. OOc5 14. a3 g7 15. e2 ( 15. ac1 ab8=/ )
15...ab8 16. d4 hd8 17. fd1 a8 18. ab1 e4
e3) 9... c7 10. e3 g7
e31) I won one of the most important games of my junior career in this
line: 11. b5+ c6 12. f3 ( 12. ge2 OO 13.OO e5 14. ac1 a6 15. a4
ab8 ) 12... OO 13.OO e5 14. xe5 xe5 15. e4 ab8 16. a4 c5
17.e2 a8 18. ab1 fd8 , and Black was already better in
Papaioannou-Svidler, Duisburg WChJ B16 1992
e32) 11. f3 11... O-O 12. e2 d7 13. O-O ab8 14.a3 e5 , and once
again Black has wonderful play for the
pawn: 15. ac1 xf3 16. gxf3 b7 17. f4 f3+ 18.xf3 xf3 19. xe7
xb2 20. e4 xa2 21. f6+h8 22. d7 g4+ 1/2 Crouch-Svidler,
London Lloyds 1991
7... O-O
7... b6 doesn't quite fit the
bill: 8. e3 xb2 9. c4 OO ( 9...b4 10. b3 xb3 11. xb3 OO 12. f3 d8 13. OO f814. e4
f5 15. eg5 xg5 16. dxc6 xc6 17. xg5 f6 18.e6+ xe6 19. xe6 d6+/= Mchedlishvili-Najer,
Saint Vincent
2005 ) 10. ge2 b4 11. b3 a5 12. OO g7 13. f4 d714. e4 h6 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. d3 b8
17. c3 h5 18.b3 Iljin-Nepomniachtchi, Cheboksary RUS-chj B20 2006
7... cxd5 is of course met by 8. xd5 and the bishop on c8 will be hanging.
8. dxc6 Later Black realised that he can play

8. e4 g7! transposes to 7.e4

8... xd4 , completely solving the problems in this line.
8... xd4 9. c7 xc3+ 10. xc3 xd1+ 11. xd1 c6 should be fine for Black, as the pawn on c7
obviously isn't long for this world, but I think White derives much more pleasure from playing this position
than Black. The resulting endgames are slightly better for White, who has some pressure and is taking
absolutely no risks. White has even won some games at a reasonably high
level. 12. e4 ( 12. g3 e6 13. g2ac8 14. xc6 bxc6 15. f3 xc7 16. c1 b8 17. b3 a5 18.g5
f5 19. c4 b4= Dreev-Sakaev, Tripoli
2004 ) 12... d7 (12... g4+ 13. e2 xe2+ 14. xe2 fc8 15. f3 xc7 16.d1 cc8 17. d7
ab8 18. b3 a5 19. b5 b6 20. xa7AzmaiparashviliSutovsky) 13. f3 fc8 14. b5 xc7 15. d2 f6( 15... d8 16. e3 cc8 17. hc1 f8 18. xc6
xc6 19.xc6 xc6 20. d4 e8 21. xc6 c8 22. g4 bxc6 23. c5+/=Kacheishvili-Atakisi, Turin ol
2006; 15... a6 16. a4 cc8 17. hc1b5 18. b3 e6 19. e5 f8 20. c2 a5 21. d3 xc3 22.xc3
c6 23. e4 Jobava-Miton, Skanderborg
2005; 15... cc8 16.hc1 d8 17. e3+/= ) 16. hc1 e5 17. e1 d8 18. d3e8 19. e3 e7
20. f3 d4 21. a3 g7 22. xc6 xc6 23.b4 b5 24. c7 xc7 25. xc7+ d7 26. c5 a6=Kachei
shvili-Deng Kong Liang, Las Vegas op 2006
9. xd4 xd4 10. cxb7
After 10. c7 Black may already be better. 10... c6 11. f3 b6 12.e3 (White can't hold on to the pawn
with 12. d5 as that runs
into12... a5+ 13. d1 e6 14. b4 xb4 15. xb4 xb4 16. e3d7=/+ ) 12... xc7 Black has won back
the pawn and has bishops against knights. 13. b5 e5 14. d4 d8 15. O-O b6=/+ Wang YueBerkes, Taiyuan GM Schev 2006
10. f3 xc3+ 11. xc3 xc6= Ivanchuk-Dominguez Perez, Havana 2010
10... xb7 11. f3
11. e3 f6 12. f3 transposes ( 12. f3 gives Black fantastic compensation. He has play along the long
diagonals and the c- and d-files for his
rooks. 12... d7 13. b5 e5 14. h3 fd8 15. f4ac8 16. O-O a6 17. e2 d2=/ )
11... f6 12. e3
12. g3 d7 13. g2 ab8 14. a4 fc8 ( 14... b6 15.xb6 xb2 16. c2 xf3 17. xf3 xb6=
Jumabayev-Ganguly, Guangzhou 16th Asian Games tt 2010 ) 15. xc8+ xc8 16. d2b6=/+
12... d7
12... d8 13. e2 a6 14. OO b4 15. a3 d3 16. xd3xd3 17. fd1 xd1+ 18. xd1 xc3
19. bxc3 c8 20. c1xf3 21. gxf3 c4=/ Vuckovic-Mekhitarian, Moscow 2011
13. b5 The only serious move.

13. e2 ab8 is already an immediate draw as White can't hang on to the

material. 14. a4 ( 14. OO xf3 15. xf3 xb2 16. d5xa2 17. xe7+ h8= ; 14. c2 xf3
15. xf3 xb2 16.xb2 xc3+ 17. d2 b8=/+ ) 14... b6 15. xb6 axb6 16. b3a8 17. a4 d5
18. c4 fc8 19. e2 xc4+ 20. xc4 1/2 Brunello-Erdos, Sibenik Mitropa Cup 2012
13... fd8!
13... c5 is strongly met by 14. c4 ac8 15. b3 d7 16. a4and White actually manages to hang on
to his extra material. Although Black will always have some drawing chances in a position like this it can't
be recommended. 16... c6 17. a6 b7 18. c4 c6 19. e2xa4 20. bxa4 c5 21. b3 e4
22. d4 fd8 23. xc8xc8 24. f3+/= Moiseenko-Vachier Lagrave, Plovdiv 2010
13... e5 14. xe5 xe5 15. O-O fd8 16. f4+/=
14. O-O
14. e2 ab8 15. xd7 xd7 16. hd1 xd1 17. xd1 xb218. xb2 xf3+ 19. xf3 xb2=
14... xf3
14... ab8 15. fd1
15. gxf3 ab8 This position has by now been shown to be an immediate draw.
15... e5 16. f4+/=
16. a4 The only critical move.
16. xd7 xd7 17. c2 db7 Winning back the pawn. 18. b1xc3= Akobian-Le Quang Liem,
Gibraltar Masters 2012
16. b3 xc3 17. xd7 d2 18. c7 An only move. 18... a5 19.c5 Once again an only move, or else
White loses material. 19... b420. b5 ( 20. d5 d6 isn't a particularly good
idea. ) 20... xb521. xb5 d2 22. a4=
16... e5 is advisable.
16... c5 17. e4 ( 17. fd1 a6= ) 17... xe4 18. fxe4 a6 19.xa6 xb2 20. c4
17. g2 d3 18. xd3 xd3 19. c2 b4= Here the completely compromised structure on the queenside
ensures that White has no winning chances whatsoever.

7.e4 0-0
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 5. xf6 xf6 6.cxd5 c6 7. e4 This poses Black serious problems.
7... O-O Currently the main line in this position.
8. e5

8. ge2 simply looks wrong - it's not a very good square for the
knight.8... cxd5 9. exd5 ( 9. xd5 g7 10. d2 c6 11. d1 g4 12.f3 e6 13. dc3 c4 14. b3
a6 15. e5 c8 16. a3 b6 17.b4 fd8=/ ) 9... d7=/
8. f3 isn't a problem for Black:
a) 8... g4
a1) 9. b3 xf3 10. gxf3 ( 10. xb7 xd4 ) 10... xd4 11.xb7 d7 12. dxc6 e5
13. O-O-O b8=/+
a2) 9. e5 9... g7 10. b3
b) 8... cxd5
b1) 9. xd5 g7
b11) 10. c1 c6 11. b5 a5+ 12. c3 ( 12. b4xb5 13. a4 a6
14. c7 b6 15. xa8 xb4+ 16.d2 g4 17. c7 xa4=/+ ) 12... xd4
13. xd4d8
b12) 10. c3 10... g4 11. d5 a5 ( 11... b6 12. b3xb3 13. axb3+/= )
12. c1 c8 13. d2 d7=/
b2) 9. e5 9... g7
b21) 10. d3 c6 11. h3 ( 11. h4 g4 ) 11... b6 12.xd5 a5+ 13. c3
d8
b22) 10. h3 10... c6 11. e2

b221) 11... b6 12. d2 e6 13. O-O ac8

b222) 11... f6 12. exf6 exf6 ( 12... xf6 13. OO f514. c1 e6
15. d2 e4 16. e3 xf3 17. xe6+g7 18. xf3 xd4
19. xd5 xf3+ 20. xf3 g521. xb7+ f7 ) 13. OO e6
14. e1 f7 15.b3 d7=
b223) f5 12. O-O e4 13. d2 xf3 14. xf3 e6
8... g7 9. c4 In order to win material back Black has to play
9. dxc6 xc6 10. ge2 f5=/
9... b5
9... cxd5 10. xd5 c6 11. ge2
9... b6 10. d2
10. b3
10. d3

a) 10... a6
a1) 11. f3 cxd5 12. O-O c6 13. h3 f6
a2) 11. b3 c5 12. dxc5 d7 13. c6 ( 13. e2 xe5 14.b4 a5 15. e4 c7
16. xb5 xc5 17. e3 b8 )13... xe5 14. e4 e6 15. d1 exd5 16. xd5 c7
17.ge2 xc6=/+
a3) 11. h4 11... cxd5 ( 11... c5 12. dxc5 d7 13. f4 xc514. c2 ) 12. h5 c6
13. ge2 g4 14. f3 ( 14. d2 c8) 14... e6 15. d2 b6 16. c2
b) b4 11. ce2 xd5 12. c2 xg2 13. g3 d5 14. 1e2a6 15. e4 c4 16. d2 d8
Vovk-Astaneh Lopez, London e2e4 Diamond Jubilee Premier 2012
10... b4
10... a5 11. a3! After this move (or 11. a4 play often becomes very sharp, but in general White is
currently very happy to go for this. Practice shows that he has somewhat better chances and I think the
character of the ensuing play also very much suits
White. 11... b4 12.ce2 cxd5 13. h4 a6 14. h5 c6 15. hxg6 fxg6 16. c1 d717. e3 e6 18. h3 h6
19. e3 ac8 20. f3 f7 21. h3e7 22. g4 g5 Pantsulaia-Gopal, Khanty-Mansiysk 39th olm
2010 )11... a6 12. f3 b4 13. axb4 axb4 14. e4 cxd5 15. c5 e616. c2 b6 17. d3 b7
18. xa8 xa8 19. h4 c6 20. h5b5 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. g5 GuptaDas, Kochi IND-tch 2011
11. a4
11. ce2 cxd5 12. h4 is very ambitious, but quite unclear:
a) 12... h6 13. f4 e6 14. f3 ( 14. c1 b6 15. f3 c616. a4 e7 17. h5 a6 18. hxg6 fxg6
9. d2 ad8 20.c5 Kazhgaleyev-Laylo, Manila 6th Prospero A Pichay Cup
2010 )14... d7 15. c2 a6 16. d3 xd3 17. xd3 e7 18.OO fc8 19. ac1 d8 20. a6 h7
21. g3 b6 22. b3+/=Rodshtein-Khusnutdinov, Moscow 9th Aeroflot op A 2010
b) 12... c6 13. h5 e6 14. f3 a6 15. f4 c8 16. hxg6hxg6 17. c2 b3 18. axb3 b6 19. e2 xe2
20. xe2b4 21. d3 c7=/ Bukavshin-Matlakov, Moscow Open E 2011
c) 12... h5 13. f4 e6 14. c2 c6 15. h3 a5 Pashikian-Edouard, Khanty-Mansiysk 39th olm 2010

11... cxd5 12. e2 c6 13. c5 e6 14. c1 a5 15. OO b616. f4 d8 17. a4 a6 18. e1 b5

19. xb5 xb5 20.g4 ac8 21. h4 Zhou Weiqi-Gao Rui, Shenzhan CHN-tch 2010

7.e4 cxd5
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 5. xf6 xf6 6.cxd5 c6 7. e4 cxd5 , as played in a game between
Vovk and Tregubov, was my first attempt at reviving this line, but it doesn't quite work:
8. b5+ is much stronger than 8.Nxd5.

After 8. xd5 g7 9. b5+ I believe Black has good compensation.

a) It's important not to play 9... d7 because 10. c1! is very strong.
a1) 10... c6 11. e2 O-O 12. c4
a2) 10... xb5 11. c7+ f8 12. xb5 a6 ( 12... c6 13.d5 ) 13. c7 a7 14. f3
e6 ( 14... c6 15. d5 xc716. dxc6 bxc6 17. d2 ) 15. b3 c6 16. d5! xc7
17.dxc6 bxc6 18. O-O+/= Gretarsson-Olafsson, Gentofte 1999
a3) 10... c6 11. e2
a4) 10... O-O 11. xd7 xd7 ( 11... xd7 12. c7+ ) 12.f3
b) 9... c6 10. e2 O-O
b1) 11. xc6 bxc6 12. dc3 b8
b11) 13. b1 a6 14. OO e5 ( 14... c5 15. a4 d3 16.bd1 xe2
17. xe2 xb2 18. dxc5 c7 19. c1+/=Gretarsson-Littlewood, Birmingham
2000 ) 15. d5 cxd5 16.exd5 e4!=/
b12) 13. d2 13... c5 ( 13... a5 14. OO d8 15. fd1g4 16. f3 e6
17. b3 b4 18. a4 c4 Wunnink-Lahaye, Amsterdam
2004 ) 14. d5 a6=/
b2) 11. O-O b8! 12. b1 g4 13. f3 e6 14. xc6 bxc615. dc3 b6
b3) 11. c1!
b31) 11... a5+ can be met by the strong 12. d2! (A typical tactic for this
position is 12. dc3 xd4 13. xd4 d8 and the knight on d4 is lost, with
an advantage for Black. ) 12...xb5 13. c7 and I couldn't make this work
for Black. The knight on a8 escapes and White ends up in positions where he's
an exchange up and can at least hope for some
advantage. 13...h5 14. xa8 g4
b311) 15. c7 xe2 16. xe2 a5+ 17. f1 ( 17.d2 xc7 18. d5
d8 ) 17... xc7 18. d5 f4=/+
b312) 15. c5 15... h4 16. c7 xe2 17. xe2xd4 Black has
an attractive position, but it's not quite enough to compensate for
the exchange:
b3121) 18. d3 e6 19. OO d8 20. b5 ( 20. b4c6 )
20... a6 21. a3 g4 ( 21... c6 22. e2d4 23. e3
h6 24. d3 ) 22. h1 ( 22. c2h4!= ) 22... c6
23. f3 xf3 24. gxf3 xb2 25.c2 d2 26. b1 d4
27. xd4 xd4 28. g2b5 29. a4+/=

b3122) 18. e3 18... c6 19. c4 xb2 ( 19...f6 20. b3

a1+ 21. c1 xa2 22. OO a5 23.d5 e6 24. f4 h6
25. a1 b5 26. ad1a6+/= ) 20. OO d8 21. d5 e6
22. c3+/=
b32) 11... e6 12. xc6 bxc6 13. b4 b6 14. b3+/=
b33) 11... e6 12. xc6 bxc6 13. b4
b34) 11... b8 A very strong move, threatening to play
e6. 12.d2 Once again restoring the idea of Nb4 in the positions
following e6.
( 12. a4 e5 13. dxe5 xe5 14. d1 a6 15.d3 e6=/ 16. ec3
b5 ; If Black doesn't react to the threat then after
e.g. 12. OO e6 13. xc6 bxc6 the point of Rb8 is clear - White
doesn't have Nb4, which would otherwise almost be
winning.) 12... xd4! ( 12... e6 13. xc6 bxc614. b4 )
13. xd4 e6 Another point of 11... Rb8 now becomes clear - Nc7
doesn't hit the rook. 14. c4 exd5 15.xd5
b341) 15... b6 16. b3 ( 16. d1 g4 17. f3 e6 )
16... e6 17. OO xd5 18. exd5 bd8 19. fd1fe8
20. g3 e7 21. a5 xb2 22. xb2 xb2 23.b1
b342) f6! Here Black should hold as White won't be in
time to finish his development while Black will be able to
create some serious counterplay after, for instance,
b3421) 16. d1 e6! ( 16... g4 17. f3 e6
18.xe6 fxe6 19. b3 bd8 20. c2 xd1+
21.xd1 xb2 22. O-O with a small edge for
White ) 17.OO ( 17. xe6 fxe6 18. b3 bd8 )
17... xd5 18. exd5 fd8
b3422) 16. f3
b34221) 16... xb2 17. xb2 xb2
18. c7e6 ( 18... f6 19. e2 d8
20. xf7 xf721. e5 ) 19. xe6
fxe6 20. O-O ( 20. e2fc8 ) 20... f7
( 20... fc8 21. d7 ) 21. c2f6=
b34222) g4 17. c3 ( 17. g5 bd8
18. OOh6 19. h3 xb2 20. xb2
xb2 21. b1 e522. xb7 d7= )
17... xf3 18. xf3 xb2 19.xb2
xb2 20. b3 fc8 21. OO c2
22.xb7 d4 23. d5 xb3 24. xb3
e2 25.d5 g7=
b3423) 16. b5 16... d7 17. c3 a6
18. e2fc8=/

8... d7 9. xd7+ xd7 In this position White has two possibilities, both of which are quite unpleasant for
Black.
10. xd5!
10. exd5
a) 10... OO 11. f3 a6 12. b3 ab8 ( 12... fd8 13. OO) 13. OO fd8 14. ac1
( 14. fe1 c7 15. e5 d6 16.c4 d7 17. d6 exd6 18. e4 Vovk-Tregubov, Lviv 8th
Vasylyshyn Mem GM
2011 18... xd4 19. ad1 d5 20. xd4e7= ) 14... c7 15. e5 xe5 16. dxe5 xd5
17. fd1 e618. e4+/=
b) a6 Stronger than Tregubov's 10...0-0. Black needs to be forceful and has no time to
waste. 11. f3
b1) 11... c7 12. b3 OOO ( 12... OO 13. e5 d6 14.OO fd8 15. xb7 xd5
16. c6 xc3 17. bxc3 dc818. d5 f8 19. ad1 xc3 20. a4 f6 21. a5+/= )
13. e5xe5 14. dxe5 xd5 15. d1 e6 16. O-O b8 17. d4c6 18. fd1
b2) b4
b21) 12. e5 xe5 13. dxe5 d8 14. O-O Black faces some problems as he's
behind in development.
After 14... xd5 (14... OO 15. f3 xd5 16. ad1 e6 ) 15. xd5 xd5
White has the somewhat
unpleasant 16. a4+ b5 17. xa7xe5 ( 17... OO 18. xe7 fe8 19. b4
xe5 20.fe1 ) 18. fe1 g5 19. b4
b211) 19... OO 20. xe7 xe7 21. xe7 d2 22.f1 c8 23. e2
cc2 ( 23... xe2 24. xe2 c2+) 24. xd2 xd2+/=
b212) 19... e6 20. a4 bxa4 21. xa4+ f8 ( 21... e722. b5 b8
23. a7+ ) 22. b5 g7 23. b6
b213) f8 20. ac1 e6 ( 20... g7 21. xe7 xe7 22.xe7 d2
23. g3 xa2 24. cc7 f8 25. b7 ) 21.c5+ xc5 22. xc5
d2 23. a1 e7 24. xb5a8 25. a5 xa5 26. bxa5 d5
27. a6 a5 , and Black should hold.

b22) 12. b3 is a more ambitious option. 12... d3+ 13.d2 (Not the
vegetarian 13. f1 f4 14. e5 xe5 15.dxe5 OO=/ ) 13... f4
( 13... xf2 is just bad because of14. hf1 g4 15. h3 h6 16. g4 and
despite material being equal Black is in a lot of trouble due to his horrible
knight on
h6. 16... g7 17. e5 xe5 18. dxe5 OO 19. c2 )14. g3 h3 15. b5
Very precise, and after this move I was unable to find complete equality for
Black. (If White plays 15.hf1 and allows 15... g5 I believe Black might
have enough compensation here. 16. xg5 xg5+ 17. f4 f6 18. e3
OO 19. fd1 ac8 20. f2 h5=/ ) 15... xb5 16.xb5 OOO 17. c3
( 17. xa7+ b8 18. b5 xd519. c3 f5 20. e3 g5 21. hf1 d8
22. ad1 g4 23.e1 h5=/ ) 17... xf2 18. hf1 g4 ( 18... h3 19.e5
hf8 20. e2 h5 21. ad1+/= ) 19. h3 h6 20. g4g7 21. fe1 he8
( 21... f5 22. xe7 f8 23. e2fxg4 24. hxg4 xg4 25. e5 ) 22. ac1
b8 23. d3d7+/= ( 23... f6? 24. b5! )
10... g7 11. f3! The only way to fight for an advantage.
11. f3 c6=
11... O-O Forced.
11... xd4 12. d1 c6 13. e2+ simply drops material.
11... c6 12. e2+/=
12. d1
12. e2 e6
a) 13. dc3 c6 ( 13... xd4 14. O-O-O c6 15. b1 ) 14.d5 exd5 15. xd5 f5=
b) 13. f6+ 13... xf6 14. xf6 b5 15. f3 c8 16. OOc2 17. f4 c6 18. e3 xb2 19. d5 exd5
20. xd5 ( 20.exd5 a5 ) 20... d4=
12... e6 13. f6+
13. c3 xd4= ( 13... c6 )
13... xf6 14. xf6 b5 15. d2 I had some hope of finding equality here for a while, but in the end I settled
on the evaluation that Black doesn't fully equalise, so it can't really be recommended.
15... d7
15... a5 16. e2 ( 16. a3 d7 17. f3 b6=/ ) 16... d7 17.f4 ( 17. e7 b6 ) 17... xa2
18. O-O+/=
16. f3
16. f4 e5 17. g5 f6 18. e3 exd4 19. xd4 c5
16... a5

16... ac8 17. e2

a) 17... b6 18. b3 a5 19. d3 f5 20. h4 ( 20. exf5 exf5 21.O-O d5=/ )
b) a5 18. a3 fd8 19. b4 a4 20. h4 h5 21. O-O e5 22.g3 c4 23. d3
17. e2
17. a3 b6
17... xa2 18. O-O ac8
18... b6 19. e5 d5 20. g3 ac8 21. e4 c6 22. h4+/=
19. e5 d5 20. e3
20. xd5 exd5 21. c3 b6 22. f4 f5=
20... b6 21. c3 b3 22. h6 d5 23. e4

7.e4 Qb6
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 5. xf6 xf6 6.cxd5 c6 7. e4 b6 8. e5
White can postpone e5, but that's less dangerous for
Black: 8. ge2xb2 9. b1 a3 10. g3 ( 10. d2 OO 11. g3 d8 12. g2e5 13. OO d7 14. f4
exd4 15. xd4 cxd5 16. xd5 g7 17.b5 c5+ 18. h1 b6 Gretarsson-Kalod, Pardubice
1999 19.fc1! f8 20. c7+/= ) 10... O-O ( 10... g4 11. g2 ) 11. g2
a) 11... e5 12. dxe6 xe6 13. e5 e7 14. O-O ( 14. xb7b4 15. d3 c8 1/2 Bhat-Shivaji,
Berkeley Masters
2005 16.xb4 xb4 17. OO a6 18. e3 xe2 19. xe2 ) 14...a6 15. f4 ( 15. d5 cxd5
16. xd5 xd5 17. xd5 c6 18.f4+/= ) 15... c4 ( 15... f5 16. e4 xe4 17. xe4 )
16.e1
b) 11... g7 12. d2 ( 12. OO ) 12... a5 ( 12... cxd5 13.xd5 c6 14. OO ) 13. e5 d8
14. f4 cxd5 15. xd5 c6 16. e3 f6 17. c3 fxe5 18. dxe5 g5 19. O-O MchedlishviliSasikiran, Vlissingen 2004
c) cxd5 12. xd5
c1) 12... c6 13. xf6+ ( 13. d2 ) 13... exf6 14. d2 ( 14.OO xa2 15. a1 b2
16. d3 b4 17. fb1 d6 )14... g4 15. b3 d6 16. f3+/=
c2) g7 13. OO c6 14. d2 e5 ( 14... g4 15. f3 c816. fc1 d8 17. b3 d6
18. f4+/= )
c21) 15. b3 a5 16. xa5 xa5 17. b5 b6 ( 17...c6 18. dxe5 xe5
19. f4 g4 20. c1 d4+ 21.h1+/= ) 18. c7 b8 19. dxe5 d7=

c22) 15. dxe5 15... xe5 16. fc1 ( 16. f4 c4 17. c2e3 18. xe3
xe3+ 19. f2 ) 16... f3+ 17. xf3xf3 18. e7+ h8 19. xc8 axc8
20. xc8 xc821. xb7+/=
8... xb2 9. ge2
9. c1 is another interesting
idea: 9... xc1+ 10. xc1 g7 11.d3 ( 11. c4 OO 12. f4 cxd5 13. xd5 c6 14. f3 h6 15.g3
d8 16. f2 f5 17. e3 Kazhgaleyev-Le Quang Liem, Khanty-Mansiysk 39th olm
2010 ) 11... OO 12. ge2 d8 13. OO f8 14.e4 cxd5 15. xd5 c6 16. fd1 h6 17. b1 b8
Tihonov-Zhigalko, Minsk 2004
9... g7 10. g3 The material balance has been restored and Black has the bishop pair against a bishop and knight.
It hardly looks like the end of the world for Black, but the more I looked at this position the less I liked it, because
the bishop on g7 is now completely out of play. It's very difficult to challenge the pawn on e5 and, in general,
White just develops naturally with Rb1 and Bg2, giving him a pleasant edge and decent pressure.
10. b1 a3 11. d2 ( 11. g3 cxd5 12. xd5? f3 ) 11... O-O12. g3
10... O-O 11. b1 a3 12. g2
12. d2 f6 13. exf6 xf6 14. g2 a6 15. OO f5 16. e4d7 17. dxc6 bxc6
18. bc1+/= Chernyshov-Oral, Pardubice 1999
12... cxd5
12... f6 13. e6 cxd5 14. xd5 c6 15. O-O
13. xd5
13. xd5 c6 14. O-O d8 15. c1 a6 16. e3 f5 17.b5 e6 18. f3 h5+/= Tomilin-Vorobiov, St
Petersburg 2003
13... c6 14. O-O b8
14... xa2 15. a1 ( 15. c7 ) 15... b2 ( 15... c4 16. a4b5 17. c7 ) 16. ec3 e6 17. a2+
14... g4 15. xb7 ab8 16. c7 ( 16. xb8 xb8 17. dc3xe2 18. xe2 b4 19. e6 xa2
20. exf7+ xf7 21. d5 e6 22.dxe6 xe6 23. f4 f7 Eljanov-Kurnosov, AUT-tch 2009 )
15. e3!+/=
15. ec3
a) 15... e6 16. d2 fd8 17. b3 a6 ( 17... a5 18.b5 a3 19. fb1+/= ) 18. d1 d7
19. b2 Sokolov-Ristic, Neum 2002
b) d8
b1) 16. b3 a5 17. b5 ( 17. d2 b5 ) 17... a3 18.d2 e6 ( 18... a6 19. b6 e6 20. f6+
xf6 21. exf6xd4 22. f4 c5=/+ ) 19. f6+ xf6 20. exf6 xd4 21.d5 xd5
22. xd5 exd5 23. xd4 e6 24. h4 b6 25. h5c8=/+

b2) 16. d2
b21) 16... e6 17. b5 ( 17. f6+ xf6 18. exf6 xd4 19.b5 ) 17... f8 18. f6+
xf6 19. exf6 a6 20. c3 (20. xc6 bxc6 21. c3 xb1 22. xb1 e5 ) 20...xd4
21. e3 b6 22. fd1 f5 23. xd8 xd8 24.e5+/=
b22) 16... f5 17. b3 a5 18. c1 a6 19. h4 b520.b2+/=

7.e4 Bg7
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. g5 g7 5. xf6 xf6 6.cxd5 c6 7. e4 g7 I was stuck without a proper
recommendation for Black until it dawned on me that this move hasn't yet been played in this position and might
be very interesting. The point is that Black steps away from a possible tempo White might gain from playing e5 or
Nxd5 after Black takes on d5. Black is aiming for a variety of positions where he doesn't even attempt to win the
pawn back. He does, however, get a lot of positional compensation due to his very strong bishops and play against
the white centre and queenside. If you don't like positions where you're behind in material you perhaps won't be as
excited about this as I am, but I honestly believe this is very, very playable for Black, and it also has serious
surprise value. White has four main moves in this position.
8. dxc6 The main move.
8. c4 cxd5 ( 8... O-O transposes to the lines we're trying to
avoid. 9.ge2 cxd5 10. xd5 e6 11. b3 c6 12. d5 exd5 13. xd5 ;8... b6 9. ge2 xb2 10. OO
O-O 11. e5 b4 12. d3 a513. b1+/= ) 9. b5+ This is very similar to 7...cxd5, but the bishop on g7
gives Black extra options: (f 9. exd5 can be met by 9... O-O 10.ge2 d7 and Black once again gets
fantastic compensation for the pawn. After the possible 11. O-O f6 Black wants to play b6 and Bb7.
Even if the pawn on d5 doesn't drop in the immediate future White will be completely tied down to its
protection. I think Black is just fine
here.12. a4 b6 13. a5 bxa5 14. a4 e8 15. b3 d6 16. xa5d7=/ )
a) 9... d7 isn't completely
satisfactory. 10. xd7+ xd7 11.exd5 OO ( 11... a6 12. f3 b4 13. e5+/= ) 12. f3
e6=/
b) 9... d7 10. xd5 a6
b1) 11. e2 b6
b2) 11. a4 b5 12. c2 b6 and Black has fantastic compensation for the pawn.
( 12... b7 13. c3 O-O 14. f3b6 ) 13. xb6 xb6 14. e2 O-O=/
b3) 11. xd7+ is the main move. 11... xd7 12. e2 This is one of the many positions
where Black won't win the pawn back, but after the possible 12... O-O 13. OO c6 14. dc3 b5 he gets a lot of play on the queenside and in the centre. Black of
course wants to expand on the queenside by playing b4, and
if 15. a3 then15... a5=/ before playing b4. If White feels obliged to play 16. d5the
bishop on g7 will become an absolute monster, and in both structure and spirit the
position will resemble my game against Kacheishvili that you may have seen in my
Early Games chapter. Black has no need to worry about this position.
( 16. d3 b4 17.b5 d7 18. a4 fd8 19. fd1 ab8= ) 16... d7 17.d2 b6 18.
fc1 e5 ( 18... b4 19. axb4 axb4 20. d1xa1 21. xa1 c8 22. e3 b3=/ )

19. e3 ( 19. d1f5 20. exf5 xf5 21. e3 f7 22. c2 af8 23. f1 b424. axb4
axb4 25. f3 b5=/ ) 19... xe3 20. fxe3 b4 21.axb4 axb4 22. d1 g7 23. d4
fc8 24. f3 d6=
8. f3 O-O , and here White has a number of options.
( 8... cxd5 9.b5+ d7 10. xd7+ xd7 11. exd5 )
a) White can try to keep the pawn on d5 with 9. b3 but after 9...cxd5 10. exd5 d7 there's a
lot of concrete play against the white centre.
a1) 11. d3 If 11... b6 12. O-O e6 13. dxe6 xe6 Black has a lot of
compensation. 14.a3 (After 14. b4 Black has the very strong idea of 14...d5 and
if 15. xb7 xc3 16. bxc3 d5 after taking on f3 Black will have good play against
White's weakened kingside. The pawns on c3 and d4 will also come under constant
attack. There are very few comfortable squares for the white
queen. ) 14... g4 15.e4 xf3! 16. xf3 c4=/ with Nd2 to follow. This is quite
comfortable for Black.
a2) 11. a4 11... a5 12. d3 b6 leads to similar play to that in the above
line. 13. OO e6 14. ac1 ( 14. dxe6 xe6 15.b5 xd4= ) 14... xd5 15. xd5
xd5 16. xd5 exd517. c7 e6 18. xb7 fb8 19. xb8+ xb8 20. b5c8=
b) 9. c4 g4 10. O-O cxd5 11. exd5 ( 11. xd5 c6 gives Black excellent compensation for
the pawn. 12. e5 b6 13. xc6bxc6=/ ) 11... xf3 Capturing on f3 and d4 is the simplest
approach. 12. xf3 xd4 , and Black has nothing to fear. He'll soon finish development, and
with opposite-coloured bishops the structure is quite safe. 13. ad1 e5 14. d6 c6=
c) 9. e2 cxd5 10. exd5 d7 11. OO b6 12. b3 e6 13.dxe6 xe6 14. b4 d5 15. xb7
a5! 16. c6 ( 16. xd5xd5 17. b5 b8=/+ ; 16. fe1 b8 17. c6 xb2=/ )16... c8
17. a4 xc3 18. bxc3 xc3=/
d) 9. dxc6 9... xc6 10. d5 e5 This is a recurring structure in this line. White is a pawn up,
but the bishop on g7 is extremely strong and Black gets a lot of play on the queenside. It's also
not so easy for White to finish development in this particular position.
d1) If 11. xe5 xe5 12. e2 then 12... d6 is very strong and Black gets a lot of
counterplay after White's replies. ( 12... f513. O-O b6=/ )
d11) 13. h3 may invite Black to play f5 in some lines, as well as allowing
Black's typical play on the
queenside: 13... b5 14. a3d7 15. OO fc8 ( 15... f6 ) 16. c1 a6=/
d12) 13. g3 13... h3 ( 13... b4 14. d2 h3=/ ) 14.f1 d7 15. f4
xc3+ 16. bxc3 ac8 17. c1 a3 18.d2 e6 19. f2 exd5 20. exd5 b5

d2) 11. e2 is perhaps a better option for White, but after 11...xf3+ 12. xf3 the
bishop will be completely misplaced on f3, where it really has no
future. 12... d6 ( 12... b6 13. d2d7 14. OO ac8 15. ac1 ) 13. OO d7
Black gets fantastic counterplay. He's planning Rc8, a6 and b5 and in general he gets a
lot of play on the queenside. After the
possible 14. e2 (14. e2 a6 15. d2 ac8 16. ac1 b5 17. f4 e5!=/ ; 14.g4
xg4 15. xg4 xc3 16. bxc3 ac8= )

d21) 14... a6 15. g4 ( 15. ac1 ac8 16. e3 b5 17.e2 b4 18. d1 e6

19. xc8 xc8 20. d2 a5 21.e3 e5= ) 15... xg4 16. xg4 xc3
17. bxc3 ac818. fb1 b5 19. a4 bxa4 20. xa4 xc3 21. g3 f5 22.e2
c5=
d22) 14... ac8 15. ac1 ( 15. fc1 c5 16. c2 fc817. ac1 b5=/ )
15... a6 White's only reasonable idea is 16.g4 , attempting to exchange one
of the bishops, but Black has a very good response
with 16... xg4 17. xg4 c4=/ After the second rook comes to c8 Black
will have tremendous pressure against White's entire position. At the very
least Black is no worse.
8. c1 is perhaps White's least critical option. 8... O-O 9. f3 ( 9.dxc6 xc6 10. d5 d4 leads to a
position that's very similar to the main line, but I'm not sure the tempo has been well-spent on Rc1, so
this isn't particularly threatening for
Black. ) 9... cxd5 10. exd5 (if 10.xd5 c6 11. b5 a5+ 12. c3 we finally get to play the wonderful
tactic I already described - 12... xd4 13. xd4 d8 )10... d7 Aiming to play Nb6 or b6. In general
Black gets fantastic compensation for the pawn in positions like this. ( 10... g4 is also
possible ) 11. d3 (If White wants to hang on to the pawn he should play something
like 11. c4 b6 12. b3 but after 12... g4 it turns out that while the pawn on d5 is now protected
the d4-pawn will probably fall because White won't, of course, want to take on f3 with the g2pawn. ) 11... b6 12. e4 g4 13. O-O c8 14. h3 xf3 15.xf3 c4 16. e2 xd4 17. fe1 c8=
8... xc6
8... xd4 9. cxb7 xb7 10. b5+ c6 11. ge2 is no longer any good for Black.
8... xd4 9. xd4 xd4 10. d5
9. d5 b6 An important inclusion, as this move poses White additional questions.
10. b1
It's important to know that White can't
play 10. dxc6 because 10...xb2 11. d5 xa1 12. c7+ f8 13. xa1 is just fine for
Black.13... xa1 14. xa8 c3+ 15. d1 a5! The knight on a8 won't return, so Black may already
even be slightly better. 16. b5 bxc6 17.xc6 g7 18. e5 d8+ 19. e2 a6+
10. d2 d4

a) 11. a4 is simply met by 11... d6 and after 12. e2 xe213. xe2 d7 14. c3 OO 15. O-O ac8 this is again a version of lines we've looked at before. Black is fine and will
either launch play connected to a6 and b5 or start play in the centre connected with e6 and
exd5 very soon. 16. ac1 a6 , and once again Black has very good
compensation: 17. a3 ( 17. f4 e5 ; 17. g3 b5 18. a3 c7 19.a2 fc8 20. xc7 xc7 21. b4
a5 22. d3 c4 23. f3c7 24. c1 h3=/ ) 17... c7 18. c2 fc8 19. fc1 e620. dxe6
( 20. g3 exd5 21. xd5 xc2 22. xc2 xc2 23.xc2 e5 24. b4 b2= ) 20... xe6
( 20... xd2 21. exf7+f8 22. xd2 h6 23. cd1 xd2 24. xd2 e6 25. f4xf7 26. g3
d7 27. xd7 xd7 28. f2 ) 21. g3 h5 22.d3 d6=/
b) 11. d1 O-O 12. ge2 e5! ( 12... xe2 13. xe2 e6 14.O-O exd5 15. exd5 )
b1) 13. dxe6 xe6! ( 13... xe6=/ ) 14. xd4 fd8 15.ce2 c4=/+

b2) 13. c1
b21) 13... d8 14. c4 ( 14. d3 h4 ) 14... h4 15.d3 ( 15. OO f3+
16. gxf3 h6 17. c2 f4 18.fe1 h3 19. d3 xh2+= ) 15... g4
16. 1e2 b5 17.xb5 xe2 18. xe2 xb5 19. xb5 xe4 20. f3e3
21. b3 ( 21. d3 g5 ) 21... c5=/
b22) 13... h5 14. d3 h7 15. O-O h6 16. e1xb2
c) 11. ge2 The more natural
move. 11... OO ( 11... e5 12.xd4 exd4 13. a4 d6 14. b5+ ; 11... xe2
12. xe2O-O 13. O-O d7 )
c1) 12. d1 is met by the very strong 12... e5
c11) After 13. c1 Black has two ambitious
moves. 13... d8(Another geometric possibility is to
play 13... h5 14. d3h7 and it turns out White has no convenient
way of dealing with the threat of Bh6. Once again, Black gets
fantastic compensation for the pawn. ) 14. c4 h4 when Black has
serious play against the white king. For
instance, 15. OOf3+ 16. gxf3 h6 and White is lucky he has a
draw here.
c12) 13. dxe6 would be fine
after 13... xe6 (but 13...xe6 14. xd4 fd8 is even stronger
and Black is already better, as White's whole edifice is on the point
of collapse.)
c2) 12. xd4 12... xd4 13. d1 Driving the bishop
back. 13...g7 14. e2 ( 14. d3 d7 15. OO ac8 16. h1 a517. c1
e6 18. e2 exd5 19. exd5 fe8=/ )
c21) 14... f5 15. exf5 ( 15. OO fxe4 16. xe4 xb2 17.c4 xd2
18. xd2 h8 ) 15... xf5 16. OO ac8 17.f3 e5 18. fe1
d6+/=
c22) 14... d7 15. O-O ac8 Here we get a position that's already
become typical for our analysis, although White is somewhat more
harmoniously placed. It's time to discuss plans. Despite White's
position looking very nice the only serious plan he has to improve his
lot here is somehow to prepare and play f4 and e5. On the other
hand, if he does manage to do that he'll have a huge advantage,
because Black's whole play centres around the bishop on g7. If that
bishop is shut out of the game Black will suffer greatly. 16. h1 is
therefore the most critical move, and Black has to respond forcefully
to avoid getting into serious trouble.
c221) 16... c5 17. f4 xc3 18. bxc3 fc8 19. c4
c222) 16... b4 17. a3+/=

c223) 16... a5 17. c1 b5 18. a3 b4 ( 18... e6 19. d6)

19. a2
c224) 16... e6 17. f4
c225) 16... fd8 17. f4 e5 18. f5
c226) 16... c5 is the move Black should start with, driving
the rook from d1 to c1. 17. c1 b4 Creating the threat
of Bxc3 and Qxe4, and forcing White to waste a tempo
on 18.f3 ( 18. a3 xc3 19. bxc3 xe4 20. fe1 e5 )
c2261) 18... d4 19. xd4 xd4 20. fd1 e5
21.g3 g5 22. g2 a6 23. f1 b5 24. f4 gxf4
25. gxf4d4 26. f3+/=
c2262) 18... fd8 19. fd1 ( 19. a3 d4
20. xd4xd4 21. g3 h5 22. g2 e6 23. fd1
e3 24.b1+/= )
c2263) 18... c7 19. a3 d4 20. d3 fc8
21. f4
c2264) 18... e6! This is a very important source of
counterplay for Black. If he manages to take on d5
and put the bishop
on 19. a3 ( 19. fd1 exd5 20. a3 a5 21.xd5
xd5 22. xd5 xc1 23. xc1 e6 24.c2
xd5 25. exd5 d8 26. c4 c8 27. d6c6= )
19... d6 20. f4 The critical move. (If White does
something quiet like 20. fd1 Black will be fine
after forcing
simplifications. 20... exd5 21. xd5 a4
22. xc8 xc8 23. c1 xc1+ 24. xc1 c6= )
20... e5 This is why it was so important to move
the white rook to c1, and is the point of all the
preceding play. It may be something of an
achievement for White to have closed down the
bishop on g7, at least for now, but exf4 is a huge
threat. 21. g3 Almost forced. ( 21. f5 is impossible
because White loses material
after 21... gxf522. exf5 h6 ) 21... fe8 Putting
additional pressure on the white centre. After, for
instance, 22. f3 a6 it's very hard for White to
make much progress. It's almost never possible to
play f5, while Black has a lot of ideas for
improving his position. In many cases he'll play b5,
and he can also put the rook on c4, where it
exerts additional pressure against the central
pawns on the 4th rank. In many positions Black
could consider playing f7-f5, which will most
likely result in the complete liquidation of all the
pawns on the e and f-files. In combination with

Black's wonderful bishops that should give him

complete equality.
(22... exf4 23. gxf4 xc3 24. bxc3 xa3 25. e5
)23. g2 b5 ( 23... f5 24. exf5 xf5 25. fxe5
xe526. ce1 ) 24. d3 f5=/
10... d4 11. d3 O-O 12. ge2 This is an attempt by White to get a slightly different setup with the bishop on
d3.
12... d7 Consistent with the previous play.
12... xe2 13. xe2
12... f5 is an interesting alternative for Black, giving him concrete play against the white centre, but I
think it's a bit premature and I don't like the idea of breaking up the pawn structure.
a) 13. exf5 xf5 14. O-O d7 ( 14... e3 15. a4!+/= ) 15.h1 ad8 16. d2
a1) 16... h6 17. f4 ( 17. c2 a6 )
a2) e6 17. xf5 xf5 18. g3 ff8 ( 18... f7 19. d6c6 20. ge4 ) 19. d6 c6
20. bd1 ( 20. ge4 b4= )20... xc3 21. bxc3 b5 22. f3 xf1 23. xf1 f5
24.e3 b5
b) 13. OO 13... fxe4 14. xe4 g4 15. d2 ad8=/ ( 15...xe2+ 16. xe2 f5
17. f3+/= )
13. xd4
13. O-O ac8 14. d2 xe2+ 15. xe2 e6 16. c3 a5 17.fd1 fe8=/
13... xd4 14. O-O ac8
14... e6 15. c2 fd8 16. a4+/=
14... a6 15. e2 e5 16. h1 ac8 17. f4 b8 18. d2+/=
15. d2
15. e2 g7 16. h1 e6 17. c3 a5=
15... c7 In this position the only serious play for White is on the kingside.
15... e6 16. fd1 a6 ( 16... a5 17. b5 ) 17. bc1 fd8 18.f1+/=
15... a6 16. h1 ( 16. bc1 c7 ; 16. fd1 f6 ) 16... e6 (16... e5 17. bc1 c7 18. c2 fc8
19. fc1 ; 16... c7 17.f4 fc8 18. e5 ) 17. f4 c5 18. dxe6 ( 18. e2 ) 18... fxe6 19.e2+/=
16. h1 Again the critical move.

The machine likes 16. f4 for a while, because it creates the threat of d5-d6 followed by Nd5 in some
positions. 16... f6 Securing a different outpost so the bishop can switch to e5 if it's forced to move. Black
will just continue with his play - Rfc8, Kg7, perhaps a6, whereas the queen on f4 is really a bit of a sore
thumb and does little unless Black immediately blunders some
tactics.( 16... fc8 17. d6! ) 17. fc1 fc8 18. c2g7 19. d2 a6 20. bc1 d6 21. g3 b5 22. a3 h5
( 22... e623. e2 b6 24. g4 ) 23. f1 a7=/
16... fc8 17. f4 a5 Necessary precision.
18. f5 Trying to come up with some direct threats on the kingside. Black needs to simplify, and after the following
forced sequence
18... xc3 19. bxc3 xc3 20. xc3 xc3 21. xb7 xd3 22.xd7 gxf5 23. exf5 Black ends up with a rook
endgame where he's a pawn down. It's not always such a great idea to recommend a rook endgame a pawn down,
so I spent some time checking and I'm pretty sure that in most cases this is a forced draw. As in all the previous
examples, Black holds reasonably comfortably and I'm happy to recommend this group of positions to you. I think
Black gets fantastic compensation for the pawn, and as this is all absolutely fresh there should be a decent
element of surprise
23. xa7 fxe4 24. xe7 a8 25. h3 xa2 26. xe4 ( 26.fxf7 g3= ) 26... g3 27. g4+ xg4
28. hxg4 d2 29. f5d4=
23... c2
23... a5 24. a4 ( 24. xe7 xd5 25. f6 h5 26. h3 ) 24... c2
24. a4
24. xe7 xa2 25. f6 h6=
24... a5 25. xe7 xd5 26. f6 h6 27. h3 g5 28. d1 cxg229. h4 5g4 30. h5 h8 31. d8+ g8
32. xg8+ xg8 33.e5 g4 34. xa5 f4 35. g2
35. a6 h4+ 36. g2 xh5=
35... xf6 36. b5 f4 37. a5 va4=

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Be3 c5 8.Qd2
8.Rc1
8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Bd2
9.Nd2

7.Be3 c5 8.Qd2
We're now going to look at 7.Be3 in the Grnfeld, a line which for a long time was living a very quiet life away
from the spotlight. That all changed in 2000, when Vladimir Kramnik used it to beat Garry Kasparov in Game 2 of
their World Championship match in London. From that moment on its popularity completely exploded, with
constant developments. That was mainly due to the efforts of Kramnik himself, but of course you shouldn't forget
people like Khenkin and Dautov, who developed the theory of the line for many years before Kramnik gave it
"celebrity status". Over the years it's caused a great deal of headaches for me personally, and as a Grnfeld player
I've never particularly liked the positions you get with Black. Therefore it's one of the lines I've analysed the most,
and it actually has the somewhat strange distinction of being the only line of any opening I've ever written an
article about in a chess magazine. That was published in 2002 in Schach magazine, and to this date remains my
only involvement with official chess theory in published form. That's all about to change, obviously, with the
chess24 project, but up until now that was my one claim to theoretical fame. Anyway, 7.Be3 is a very serious line
and it will take us some time to get through all the possibilities White can employ... so let's get started!
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 Black responds in the usual
manner, and now White already has a variety of options.
8. d2 Not a particularly threatening line. This move and also 8.Rc1 are attempts to triangulate Black into
unfavourable move orders i.e. to get him to choose something he wouldn't normally have chosen against 7.Be3.
8... cxd4 9. cxd4 c6 The most natural recommendation and by now the established norm.
10. d1 O-O 11. f3 The main line.
11. e2 e5 This is a forcing solution which I was very happy to finally get to play on the board, because
it was one of the first positions I saw when looking at the Grnfeld with my coach Andrei Lukin all the
way back in the mid-90s. 12. d5 d4 13. f3 This is the idea of 11.Be2. ( 13.xd4 exd4 , with the rook
coming to e8 with great force, isn't particularly favourable for
White. ) 13... xe2 14. xe2 a5+ 15.d2 a4 A very important and nice move to make.
( 15... xa2 It's important to note that this isn't particularly pleasant for Black, as after16. O-O the white
rooks will come to a1 and b1 and the queen will have to waste a lot of time getting back to home base.
White will have fantastic compensation for the pawn. ) 16. O-O b6 Black has a lot of pressure on the
white queenside and the black queen is extremely well-placed to add some pressure along the fourth
rank - the pawn on e4 will be a source of worry for White. The bishop will come out to a6 and one of the
rooks will occupy the c-file. Somewhere around this point a draw was agreed in a game between yours
truly and Boris Gelfand in one of the Euro Cups in 2009. If anyone's better it's probably Black, but I just
felt that in a team tournament a draw with Black on first board is always a nice outcome because it
makes the rest of the team play in a more relaxed fashion.

11. d5 White can try this if he wants to avoid 11.Nf3 Bg4. 11... a5!12. xa5 Otherwise ...Bc3 is
obviously a huge threat. 12... xa5 13.d2 b6 Black gets a very favourable version of the endgame
you're about to see a lot of - this type of structure constantly appears on the board in this line.
11... g4 A very natural response.
12. e2 c8 13. O-O a5 In this position Black is fine regardless of which of the two endgames White chooses.
14. xa5
14. h3 was played by Vishy Anand, but after 14... xf3 15. xf3xd2 16. xd2 a5 Magnus Carlsen
was absolutely fine as Black. 17.e5 c4 18. d3 xe3 19. fxe3 c7 20. e4 fc8= Anand-Carlsen,
Moscow 6th Tal Memorial 2011
14... xa5 15. c1 xf3 16. xf3 c4 17. e5 b5 It's better to play this first, completing all the preparations
before taking on e3. The bishop really isn't going anywhere.
17... xe3 is a move I played myself in one of the Monaco tournaments against Vassily Ivanchuk, but
after 18. fxe3 h6 19. f2 b5 20.e2 e6 21. b7 c4 22. xc4 bxc4 White can play 23. a6! and
Black will actually have to suffer a little. ( 23. e4 b8 24. b1xb1 , and the game was drawn in
Ivanchuk-Svidler, Nice Amber Blind 2010 ) 23... b8 24. xc4 b2+ 25. f3 ( 25. d3 is less
clear:25... xg2 26. d5 g5 27. d6 xe5 28. d7 g5 29. d4 f530. b1 g7 31. b8 f2 32. d3
xh2 Volkov-Zinchenko, Rethymnon
2010 ) 25... c2 26. b3 c3 27. e1 g5 28. g3h5 29. h4 h6 30. e4+/= , and Black will have to
defend for a while, although a drawn outcome is still favourite.
18. fd1
18. d5 xe3 19. fxe3 h6 20. f2 e6 21. b7 c4 wins Black an important tempo.
18... e6 Black can even wait for another move like this. Generally speaking, in this position the knight on e4 is
really no worse than any of the bishops, so you don't need to rush to exchange it. This endgame is very safe for
Black.

8.Rc1
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. c1 This is a very
fashionable and serious move and Black has to be precise so as not to land in lines he doesn't want to play.
8... a5 9. d2 cxd4
9... O-O 10. f3 d8 11. d5 Black has ended up stuck in a very topical line with a lot of possibilities for
both sides. This isn't something I want to recommend because I think it's potentially very dangerous for
Black.
9... c6 is completely wrong because 10. d5 is possible - the main point of 8.Rc1 is that White wants to
have the option of playing d5 the moment Black plays ...Nc6.
10. cxd4 xd2+ 11. xd2 The modern and critical way of handling this position.
11. xd2 An important additional option for White. 11... O-O

a) 12. f3 c6 will transpose to the lines arising after 8.Nf3.

b) 12. d3 perhaps has some separate value. 12... c6 13. e2d8 14. c4 If Black proceeds
carefully and doesn't force matters I think he'll be very close to complete equality, but there's
also a forcing solution: 14... e6
b1) 15. d5 e5 16. c7 f5! is fine for Black, as he blows up the white centre and
starts immediate counterplay against the somewhat over-extended white pawns on d5
and e4. 17. f4 ( 17.f3 xd3 18. xd3 xd5! 19. exd5 xd5+ 20. c2 e5 21.c3
a5!=/+ ) 17... f7 18. xe7 f6 19. xb7 g5 20.xf7 xf7 21. e6 db8

b2) 15. a4 15... d7 White either has to allow an exchange of the light-squared
bishop or repeat moves. 16. b1 e5 17.b5 c6! This return is very strong and now
the threat of a6 means that after 18. d3 e5 19. b5 c6 White will once again
have a choice of either repeating moves or playing something
like 20. f3 a6 21. xc6 after which it's quite clear that Black cannot be
worse. 21... xc6 22. a5 e6 23. c5 d7 Black was doing well here in MelkumyanNielsen, Plovdiv 2010
c) 12. b5 12... c6 This is once again perfectly comfortable for
Black. 13. f3 ( 13. e2 d8 14. xc6 bxc6 , and the white centre is under
attack.; 13. xc6 bxc6 14. xc6 is impossible because of 14... b7 ) 13... f5 It's been known
for many years that this is perfectly satisfactory for Black.
11... O-O 12. f3 e6
12... g4 13. e3 is also possible, but to my mind these endgames are unsafe and as things stand now I
wouldn't recommend them.
13. h4 Black was supposed to be completely safe in this line until Vladimir Kramnik - who else? - came up with this
new approach, which sparked another revival of the Be3 variation just when White had been getting a bit stuck in
the other main lines. Play becomes very sharp.
13. b5 is another move that's been played by Kramnik.
a) 13... c6 was played in a couple of high-profile games:
a1) In 2013 Kramnik tried a somewhat different
approach: 14.e3 d8 15. xc6 bxc6 16. e5 b7 17. f3 , and now
after 17... ac8! ( 17... xe5 18. dxe5 d3 19. f2ad8 20. g5 8d7 21. h4 it
was highly unpleasant for Black in Kramnik-Areshchenko, Tromso World Cup
2013 ) 18. d3 ( 18.c5 f6 19. d3 e5=/+ ) 18... xd4 19. xd4 xd4 20.c5
White has obvious compensation for the pawn, but Black should be perfectly fine.
a2) 14. xc6 14... bxc6 15. O-O a6 16. fe1 Kramnik enjoyed a safe advantage and
was pressing for the entire game, although he didn't manage to
win. 16... b5 17. b4 fd8 18.c5 a5 19. h4 a4 20. c3 f6 21. e5 fxe5 22. xe5
d523. f4 Kramnik-Mamedyarov, Tal Memorial, Moscow 2010
b) 13... d7 I think this is the best option. 14. xd7 The critical move. ( 14. c4 is met
by 14... c6 , when Black starts play against the white centre immediately and is just
fine. 15. d5 exd516. exd5 a4 17. O-O d7 ) 14... xd7

b1) 15. c7 f6 16. e5 d5 17. xb7 fb8=/ 18. xb8+xb8 19. O-O b2 It's
quite clear that Black has fantastic compensation for the pawn, and this has actually
already been played: 20. a4 f8 21. a5 b4 The monster knight on d5 gives Black
ample play, Stocek-Votava, CZE-tch 2012
b2) 15. e3 fc8 ( 15... f6 16. d2 ) 16. e2 b5=
b3) 15. e2 White aims for a slight advantage, but here again Black has a forcing
option which I think solves all of his problems.
b31) 15... f5 16. c7 fxe4 17. g5
b32) 15... fc8 16. a4 b6 ( 16... e5 17. d5 c5 18.c4 b3 19. xc8+
xc8 20. b1 ; 16... f5 17. e5 h618. a5 b5 19. axb6 xb6 20. xc8+ xc8
21. a1 c722. a6 f8 23. d5! exd5 24. e3+/= ) 17. xc8+ xc8
18. b1+/=
b33) 15... f6 16. d3 g4! Attacking the f2pawn. 17.hf1 ( 17. e2 would of course be met by Black returning
with 17... f6 ) 17... ad8 Creating the important threat of ...Ne5+. White's
pawn centre comes under a direct attack and if18. e2 Black once again
plays 18... f6 and White has a choice between playing Kd3 and accepting
the repetition or 19.g5 when Black has the simple 19... d7= White's
options are again Kd3, with a repetition, or taking on f6, when Black is no
worse.
13. c4 was tried by Kramnik in an epic game against Caruana, but I found a very comfortable
improvement for
Black: 13... c6 14. d5exd5 15. xd5 e8! ( 15... h6 16. OO e8 17. b1 e7 18.fc1 e6 19. xe6
fxe6 20. f1 left White with a lasting plus in Kramnik-Caruana, Dortmund
2013 ) 16. OO ( 16. g5 e7 17. O-Oh6 18. f3 e6 is at least fine for
Black. ) 16... e6 17. b1 (17. g5 xd5 18. exd5 e5 ) 17... xd5! The easiest option.
(17... ad8 18. xe6 xe6 19. xb7 xe4 20. xf7! ) 18. exd5d4! 19. xd4 xd4 20. xb7 ed8
21. e1 xd5=
13... c6 14. e5 d8 Hitting the pawn on d4. This rook shuffle solves the immediate problems.
14... d7 15. b1 Attacking the b7-pawn and forcing Black to make another small concession on his
next move. 15... b6 16. h5 e7 17.hxg6 fxg6 ( 17... hxg6 In this position White has all kinds of plans
connected with simply giving mate, such as Ng5 and Rb3-h3. ) 18. c4ac8 19. b3 Structurally Black's
position is very suspect and Anish Giri wasn't able to hold it in Kramnik-Giri, Dortmund 2011.
14... h6 This is the most natural move and the reaction Black employs to h4 in almost any position, but
here it runs into 15. h5 g5 16. xg5hxg5 17. h6 This piece sacrifice is incredibly dangerous and Black is in
a lot of trouble. 17... h8 18. h7+ g7 19. xg5 g6 20. f4 f5 21.e2+
15. g5 e8
15... d5 is a very intriguing alternative:
a) 16. e3 a5 17. c4 d7

a1) 18. b1 b5! 19. b3 ( 19. xb5 xb5 20. xb5 xe521. xd7 xd7= )
19... a6 20. d2 a5 21. d1 c4
a2) 18. O-O 18... a3 19. b3 a5

b) 16. c4 16... d7 17. e3 ( 17. b5 d5 18. xc6 bxc619. xc6 a5=/ ) 17... c7
18. d3 ( 18. h5 d7 19. b3ac8 20. g5 a5 ) 18... d7 19. e2 ( 19. h5 ac8
20.b1 e7 21. g5 f5 22. e2 c6 ) 19... ac8 20. b1e7 Diermair-Grandelius,
Reykjavik Open 2013
16. e3 h6 The point of the rook manoeuvre from f8 to e8 becomes clear in this position, as the 17.h5 piece
sacrifice no longer works
.
17. d3 White is forced to switch to positional play.
17. h5 g5 18. xg5 hxg5 19. h6 f8! A very important additional resource. The king is also able to go to
h8, and this setup is much better for Black than the other way around. 20. xg5 e7 White doesn't
have enough for the sacrificed piece so Black is doing very well.
17... d7 18. b1 Black was already threatening to play ...Nb4. Black has a couple of options in this position.
18... ab8 The move I like best, and something that's already been played at the very highest level by Fabiano
Caruana against Teimour Radjabov in Wijk aan Zee.
18... a5 isn't losing, but it's not very safe because White gets an initiative in the following
line: 19. d2 ( 19. d2 b6 20. xa5 bxa521. e2 ab8 22. d2 b4 ) 19... c6 20. e4 c4
21. e2d5 22. hc1 ec8 23. f6+ xf6 24. exf6 h5 Jankovic-Gupta, Kavala Open A 2012

18... b6 was played against me by the young Indian grandmaster Negi.19. e2 ( 19. d2 is also a
decent idea. ) 19... c8 Once again Black aims to transfer the bishop onto the long diagonal.
( 19... e7 20.d2 d5 21. e4 ec8 22. d2 a4 23. bc1 f8 24. g4was somewhat better for
White in Li Shilong-L'Ami, Golden Sands 1st Grand Europe Open 2012 ) 20. hc1 b7 21. d2 I tried to
achieve one of the main aims for White in this position - transfering the knight from f3 to
e4. 21... ed8 22. c4 ac8 23. a4 I had to waste this additional tempo to prevent ...Ba6. On the
one hand I managed to get the knight all the way to e4, but on the other hand the rook on a4 is
constantly under threat of getting caught. Eventually the game was drawn, but in general I think 18...b6
allows White some additional freedoms. 23... f8 24. g4 c7 25. e4 a5 Black's counterplay is just in
time. 26. d2 c6 27. e3 a5 28. d2 c6 And a draw was agreed in Svidler-Negi, Gibraltar Masters
2012
19. d2
19. e2 ed8 20. hc1 b6 , and it's hard for White to make much progress since any knight move will
be met by 21...Be8, and the d4-pawn is under attack. ( 20... f8 )
19... e7 The most natural way to proceed for Black. Without b7-b6 the bishop will be very solid on c6.
19... ed8 is also a very decent move: 20. e4 xd4 21. xd4c6 22. d6 xd6 23. exd6 xd4=/
20. e4 c6 21. g4 Very logical, cutting the knight off from the f5-square.

21... ed8 22. e2 d5 23. hc1 f8 Black is just in time with his counterplay on the queenside. He wants to
play ...Nb4 if circumstances allow.
24. d2 b6 25. e3 d5 26. d2 b6 27. e3 And Radjabov-Caruana, Wijk aan Zee A 2012, was drawn by
threefold repetition. In general, these endgames are quite sharp and obviously require some attention because if
White manages to get an attack rolling on the kingside it will be quite unpleasant for Black. Nevertheless, with
precise play it should be ok for Black to go for this, which is how I propose you handle this particular variation.

8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Bd2

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 The main move in this
position.
8... a5
8... c6 is a decent back-up choice. The game might continue: 9. c1
a) 9... cxd4 is wrong,
though: 10. cxd4 a5+ 11. d2 xa2 12.d5 e5 13. xe5 xe5 14. b5+ d7 15. g4!
( 15. e2a6 16. xd7+ xd7 17. g4+ d8 18. g5 f6 19. e3 a420. OO e8 21. c3
Seirawan-Mecking, Sao Paulo 1992 ) 15...e6 16. xd7+ xd7 17. g5! , and Black is in a lot of
trouble.17... b2 ( 17... f6 18. h6 ) 18. OO h6 19. e3 b6 20.f3 e8 21. c3 d6 22. dxe6 xe6 23. fd1 xc3 24.xc3 e7
25. f4
b) a5 10. d5 ( 10. d2 cxd4 11. cxd4 xd2+ 12. xd2 O-Ois yet another transposition to
8.Nf3. ) 10... e5 11. xe5 xe512. d2 O-O 13. f4 g7 14. c4 xd2+ 15. xd2 b6 , and the
endgame
after 16. e2 e5! 17. hf1N ( 17. g4 exf4 18. xf4e8 19. d3 d7= ) 17... f5 18. fxe5
xe5 seems quite playable for Black,
e.g. 19. h6 e8 20. d3 fxe4 21. xe4g7 22. xg7 xg7 23. ce1 d7= GrischukGanguly, Dresden Olympiad 2008
8... g4 is a move I've played myself on a number of occasions, but White currently has a very
unpleasant reply: 9. c1 I'm not quite sure how to equalise, which is why I'm not recommending 8...Bg4
and one of the reasons Black is stuck playing the main line in the Be3 Grnfeld.
9. d2 O-O 10. e2 This line was made popular some time ago by Viktor Korchnoi, but I think by now Black has
worked out how to deal with it.
10... g4 11. O-O
11. b3 is more than adequately met by 11... cxd4 12. cxd4 b6=/+and White is already in some
trouble. His pawn centre is about to collapse. Volodin-Nyback, 2012
11... d8 The more critical line.

11... e6 immediately also comes into consideration as 11...Rd8 allows an interesting pawn
sacrifice. 12. a4 cxd4 ( 12... c6 13. b1 cxd4 14.cxd4 d8 15. g5 d7 16. d5 exd5 17. exd5 xf3
18. xf3d4 19. b4 xf3+ 20. xf3 fe8 21. h4 ac8= Stocek-Borisek, Kallithea
2008 ) 13. cxd4 d8 14. g5 d6 15. b1xf3 16. xf3 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 18. xb7 c6
19. d1 (19. c7 ac8 20. xc8 xc8 21. c1 e7= Korchnoi-Ruck, Leipzig
2002) 19... ac8 20. d7 b6 21. f6 a5 22. g3 c4=Eljanov-Macieja, Moscow 2002
12. d5 Pretty much the only critical move.
12. b1 gives Black a very favourable version of the classical Rb1
variation. 12... cxd4 13. cxd4 xa2 14. d5 d7 15. xb7 c516. b4 a5= Roiz-Avrukh, Netanya 2009
12. g5 Since a game between Korchnoi and Smirin it's been known that12... xe2 13. xe2 a6! is
very strong. 14. xa6 ( 14. f3 , attacking the f7-pawn, is the move White would very much like to
make, but it runs into the strong 14... f6! The queen on a6 is covering the all-important e6-square,
forcing the knight all the way back. 15. h3Black now just wins a pawn for not very much
with 15... cxd4 16. cxd4xd4 ) 14... xa6 15. d5 c4=/+ Black was already better in Korchnoi-Smirin,
Bled Olympiad 2002
12. a4 xf3 ( 12... e6 13. h3 xf3 14. xf3 c6 15. b1c7 16. d5 e5 17. f4 xf3+ 18. xf3
d7 19. g5 e8+/=Shipov-Ganguly, Guelph
2005 ) 13. xf3 cxd4 14. cxd4 a6 15. d5xa1 16. xa1 d7=/
12... xc3 Black has to accept this pawn sacrifice, and I think it's stronger to accept it like this rather than by
first taking on f3.
12... xf3 13. xf3 xc3 14. xc3 xc3 15. b1 ( 15. c1a5 16. e5 c6 17. e1 d4 Ikonniko
v-Voekler, Katowice
1991 )15... b6 16. e5 a6 ( 16... c6 17. d6! ac8 18. xc6 xc6 19.dxe7! ) 17. d6 ab8!
( 17... xe5 18. xa8 xa8 19. f3+/=Korchnoi-Balinov, Leipzig 2002 )
a) 18. a4 b4 19. dxe7 e8 20. xa7 ( 20. a3 d3 ) 20...xe5 21. fe1 f6 22. c7
c2=
b) 18. e2 18... c4 ( 18... b4 19. fd1! exd6 20. b3!c2= ) 19. dxe7 e8 20. fc1 d3
21. d1 xe2 22. xe2bc8=
13. xc3 xc3 14. c1 a3 White obviously has to play very energetically here. He's a pawn down and needs
to prove he has something in return.
14... a5 15. g5 xe2 16. xe2 h6 17. f3 d7 18. e5 f819. fd1 ac8 20. c4 b5 21. h4 c4
22. e6 fxe6 23. xh6c3 24. d4 Girya-Khotenashvili, Gaziantep EU-chw 2012
15. g5 The best move in this position, trying to start the f-pawn running up the board.
15. e5 xe2 16. xe2 d7
15... xe2 16. xe2 h6 Played precisely in order to keep the pawn on f2 for as long as possible. If you allow f4
and then e5 or f5 next White will get a big initiative on the kingside.
17. f3 d7 Black is ready to consolidate, so White has to be very fast.

18. e5 b6 19. e6 f5 20. e5 h7 This looks a bit worrying for Black, but on the other hand the pawn on d5 is
about to fall, and after the possible
21. h4 xd5 22. h5 g5 23. fe1 , creating the huge threat of Qc2, Black only has to make one more precise
move:
23... c4 Now that the queen on a3 joins the defence by protecting the pawn on e7 Black shouldn't have much to
fear. After e.g.
24. c2 f8 25. g6 f6 Black can perhaps start thinking about playing for a win. In general, this kind of pawn
sacrifice needs to be taken very seriously, but in this particular case Black is fine.

8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Nd2

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 This
move has been known about for a while, but it's become more popular in the last three or four years due to the
efforts of Levon Aronian. Black has many options.
9... d7 I think this is the strongest move and it's the one I want to concentrate on.
9... d7 is quite playable and something I've tried myself in this position.
a) 10. c1 xa2 11. e2 OO 12. OO a5 13. d5 b5 14.c4 b4 15. f4 c7 16. e5 a5 17. e4 ( 17. a1
b7 18. e4f6 19. e6 f5 ) 17... a4 18. a1 a3 19. a2=/ Lima-Svidler, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011
b) 10. c2 10... OO 11. e2 f6 12. OO g4 13. f4 cxd414. cxd4 e5 15. c4 c7 16. g3 b5 17. h3
h6 ( 17...xf2 18. xf2 bxc4 19. xc4 b7 20. d3+/= Laznicka-Kulaots, Gibraltar Masters
2012 ) 18. e3 xc2 19. xc2 exd420. ad1 ( 20. xb5 d3 21. xd3 xa1 22. xa1 d8= )20... b7
21. f3 ac8 22. xd4 a6=
9... cxd4 isn't entirely accurate: 10. c4
a) 10... dxe3 is a very beautiful positional sacrifice, but objectively it's not enough for
equality: 11. xa5 xc3+ 12. e2 xa5 13.xe3 OO 14. b5 a6 15. a4 b5 16. d5! a7
17. b3
a1) 17... b6+ 18. e2 d7 19. g5 c6 20. h4 fd8 21.ad1 ( 21. hd1 d4+
22. f1 ) 21... d4+ 22. xd4xd4 23. f3+/= Berkes-Baramidze, BL 2013
a2) g4 18. g5 b6+ 19. f4 e6 20. xe6 fxe6+ 21.g3 c6 22. h3 d4
23. hd1 c7 24. ac1+ Aronian-Sutovsky, Ningbo WChT 2011
b) d8 11. cxd4 OO 12. c1! ( 12. b1 f5 13. exf5 xf5 14.xb7 c6 15. d5 c3+ 16. d2
d4 17. e3 a5 18.xc3 xc3+ 19. d2 a1+ 20. d1 c3+ 21. d2 a1+ 22.d1= Avr
ukh-Kovchan, Mulhouse FRA-tch
2011 ) 12... f5 13. b3h8 14. e5 xe5 15. dxe5 c6 16. c3 ( 16. d1 a5+17. d2
b6 18. c4 fxe4 19. O-O xb3 20. axb3 g4Babula-Hoffmann, BL
2012 ) 16... e6 17. exf5 gxf5 18. e2d5 19. f3 xa2 20. O-O f4 21. c5=/

9... O-O 10. e2 xc3 11. c1 a3 12. xc5 xa2 13. O-O is very
unclear: 13... c6 ( 13... a6 14. c2 a5 15. b1 d816. fc1 b6 17. a1 b4 18. b2 f5 19. g3
e5 20. dxe5 d321. xd3 xd3 22. xb6 fxe4 23. a2+ h8 24. d6+Laznicka-Navara, Novy Bor m
2011 ) 14. c4 a5 15. d5 e5 16.a4 c7 17. f4 b5 18. b4 ( 18. a3 c4 19. c2 e6 20.xc4
bxc4 21. xc4 d8 22. d4 exd5 23. exd5 b7=Kasimdzhanov-Navara, Wijk aan Zee B
2009 ) 18... a5 19. xb5 d720. b3+/=
10. b1 An important move, not only attacking the b7-pawn but also preparing to meet 10...Ba4 by capturing the
bishop.
10. b3 cxd4 11. cxd4 c6=/+
10. e2 a4 11. c1 cxd4 12. xd4 xd4 13. cxd4 c6=/+Black is putting a lot of pressure on the
white centre and may already be better here.
10... xc3! This move has already been played, but I'm recommending it in connection to a slightly different idea
from the one that's been shown in practice.
10... a4
a) 11. c1 cxd4 12. xd4 xd4 ( 12... OO 13. xb7 ) 13.cxd4 c6 14. b2 e5 15. d5 d4
16. d3 O-O 17. O-O c218. c4 c7 19. xc2 xc4 20. d1 b6=
b) 11. xa4+ 11... xa4 12. b5+ xb5 13. xb5 b6 This endgame may be holdable for Black,
but it's not much fun and I don't want to recommend yet another boring, slightly worse
endgame. I have something else in mind.
b1) 14. e2 cxd4 15. cxd4 c6 16. d5 ( 16. f3 e6 17.c1 c8 18. a4 OO= )
16... d4+ 17. xd4 xd4 18.c1 d7=
b2) 14. dxc5 14... xc3 15. e2 xd2 16. xd2 d7 17.c1+/= ( 17. c6 f8 was
too hasty in Melkumyan-Khalifman, Moscow 11th Aeroflot op A 2012 )
10... b6 11. c4 cxd4 12. cxd4 c6 13. O-O O-O 14. b5!
10... cxd4 11. c4 ( 11. cxd4 c6 ) 11... c7 12. cxd4 b5 13.d2 c6 14. b3
11. dxc5 Almost forced.
11. c1 a3 12. xc5 a6 is very unclear because Black is quite well-developed and White will still
have to settle on a square for the rook.
11... a6 This is my proposal, and I think a stronger move. Black immediately starts concrete play against the
c5-pawn. White can meet this in three different ways.
11... c6 was played by Grandelius against Fressinet in one of the last rounds of the 2013 Bundesliga.
Black equalised quite comfortably, but I'm not sure he would be as happy against very precise
play. 12. b5 O-O13. O-O
a) 13... d8 14. a4!

b) 13... d4 14. c1 b4 15. c4 xb5 16. a4 a5 ( 16...a6 17. xd4 d7 18. b3 f6

19. e5 h5 20. h6 g721. xg7 xg7 22. d2+/= ) 17. b3 ( 17. xd4 d7 18.b3 c7 )
17... c7 ( 17... a6 18. xd4 d7 19. h6 e520. c3 fe8 21. a5 ) 18. xd4 d7
( 18... xe4 19. h6) 19. f3+/=
c) 13... a5 14. a4 ( 14. b3 xb5 15. xb5 xb5 16.xb5 b6= ) 14... d7 15. xc6
( 15. c4 c7 16. xc6bxc6 17. e2 ab8= ) 15... bxc6 16. b7 xc5 17. b3xb3
18. xb3 e6 19. g3
d) d7 14. xc6! ( 14. b3 f6 15. c4 xb5 16. xb5c6 17. a4 b6 18. cxb6 xc4
19. xd7 axb6 20. xe7 xa421. xb6 xe4 22. xe4 1/2 Fressinet-Grandelius, BL
2013 )14... bxc6 15. b3 a5 16. c4 xa2 ( 16... c7 17. g3+/= )17. b4 fb8
( 17... ab8 18. a4 b3 19. xb3 xb3 20.xa7+/= ) 18. xb8+ xb8 19. xd7
xc4 20. xc6+/=
12. b5 Black has a few options.
12. c4 is probably the least critical choice for White. 12... c6 13.O-O O-O 14. e2 c7 Black is very
harmoniously developed - the bishop on c6 can't really be touched and the knight on c7 covers both the
d5 and b5-squares. Black's pawn on b7 is therefore very safe and I think Black has very decent
play. 15. f3 ad8 16. fc1 a3=
12. xa6 bxa6 13. c1 Trying to push the c-pawn. ( 13. O-O If White allows something
like 13... b5 14. e1 O-O= then Black is clearly fine because the bishops control the entire board. One
will eventually be very well-positioned on c6 while the other is a monster on g7. ) 13...f6 Stopping the
c-pawn. 14. f3 Once again creating the direct threat of Bd4. 14... e6 Black is again ready to play
...Bc6 next move.15. d5 xd5 16. exd5 b5 Despite optically having a very dangerous pawn pair on c5
and d5 White really has nothing at all here. Black is ready to castle queenside yet again and the pawn on
d5 will come under attack. The game might continue 17. d4 ( 17. c6 O-O-O= )17... xd4 The cleanest
solution. ( 17... d3 is also possible. 18. f3d8 ) 18. xd4 g8 After, for
instance, 19. e5 OOO 20. d6ge8 Black is ready to blockade the white passed pawn on c5, or d6 if
White decides to recapture on d6 with the pawn. In this position I think Black is completely safe and has
nothing at all to worry about. 21. d2f6 22. g3 d7=
12... xb5 My preferred move.
12... d8 13. O-O O-O 14. e2+/=
13. xb5 d4 Once again, this is a very concrete way of dealing with the situation. Black keeps up the attack on
the c5-pawn.
14. b3 Almost forced.
14... O-O-O! The safest way for Black to proceed. I have to admit I quite like lines in the Grnfeld Defence where
Black castles long. They're not so frequent and every time I get to do that in the Grnfeld I feel some excitement.
It's like a badge of honour - you found a position where you can castle queenside in the Grnfeld!
14... c1+ , accepting the exchange sacrifice, is also possible. 15.e2 xh1 16. xd4 O-O 17. b2
14... xb3 15. xb3 xe3 16. fxe3 b8=
15. e2 xb3 16. xb3 c3! One last precise move. This isn't forced, but I think it's the best way to proceed
because it captures the rook on b5 and ...Nc7 is a huge threat.

17. f4 e5 18. g5 c7 19. xd8 xd8 20. a4 xb5 21.axb5= Black is completely fine.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Be3 c5 8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Qd2 Nc6 10.Rc1
10.Rb1 cxd4 and 10...0-0
10...a6 11.Rc1 Bg4
11...f5 12.d5
12.e5
12.Bd3

9.Qd2 Nc6 10.Rc1

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 We're
now going to concentrate on this position, which features a large number of forcing and very important lines.
Black has a clear choice.
9... c6 The safer move for Black, after which White has two major options, 10.Rc1 and 10.Rb1.
9... O-O is possible, when play would continue 10. c1 d8 11. d5 e6 12. g5 This is a very well-known
position which has been debated at the highest level for a number of years. There have been a lot of
recent developments and, as things stand right now, I'm not quite sure Black equalises.
10. c1 This is the somewhat more classical approach, which was seen in a lot of Kramnik games from the early
2000s. It was recently revived when Kramnik beat me by introducing an important novelty in the London
Candidates 2013.
10... cxd4 11. cxd4 xd2+ 12. xd2 O-O 13. d5
13. b5 f5! poses no problems at all for Black, as has been known for a long while. For
instance: 14. exf5 xf5 15. xc6 ( 15. e2 e616. c4 xc4+ 17. xc4 ad8 18. b1 d7 )
15... bxc6 16.xc6 ab8 Black has a lot of play for the single pawn he had to
sacrifice. 17. a1 ( 17. c3 e4 18. c7 fc8= ) 17... b7 (17... b2+ 18. e1 h3 19. h4
g4=/ ) 18. c5 e4 19.g5 ( 19. e1 d8 20. f3 f5 21. g4 b2+ 22. c2 e6=/+ )19... xg2
20. g1 f3 21. g3 h1=
13... d8 14. c2 This is the more important move, and what Kramnik played against me.
14. e1 This move used to be the gold standard, and Kramnik played it to great effect in a number of
games. This was a very important position in the early years of this millennium and in fact remains - until
the chess24 project - my one involvement with official chess theory. More than ten years ago I wrote an
article for the German chess magazine Schach, which mainly dealt with this particular position. I
remember I was very happy when some of my suggestions began cropping up in high-profile games.
Theory has moved on since then and what I'm going to recommend for Black is something that wasn't
featured prominently in my article, but was popularised by Emil Sutovsky and Michal
Krasenkow. 14... a5 15.g5 d7 16. d3 f5! I think this completely puts an end to the old 14.Ke1
line, because White has no good options here. ( 16... dc8 used to be the old main line.)

a) 17. d2 dc8 18. e2 e6 Black gets a much improved version of 16...Rdc8 17.Ke2 e6, with
the inclusion of Nd2 and ...f5. That's of course greatly in his favour, as no-one in his right mind
would have played Nd2 if Black had started with
...Rdc8. 19. e3 ( 19. h4exd5 20. exd5 e8+ 21. f3 e5=/+ Markos-Sutovsky, Bled
2002) 19... fxe4 20. xe4 b5+ 21. f3 exd5 22. xd5+ h8=Ftacnik-Sutovsky, 2002
b) 17. xe7 e8 18. d6 fxe4 19. xe4 c6 20. g5 leaves Black with a good
choice. 20... h6 ( 20... f8 is less adventurous, and
after 21. xf8 xf8 22. f3 h6 23. c5 hxg5 24. xa5ad8= the game is very likely to end in a
completely drawn rook endgame.) 21. xg6 hxg5 22. xe8 xe8 This position is very
unclear. 23. f3 f7
c) 17. e5 The main move. 17... e8 Attacking the d5-pawn. 18. d6The pawn has to
advance. 18... dc8! Black is very comfortable in this position whatever White does.
c1) 19. d2 exd6 20. exd6 f8 The pawn on d6 is a huge target and practice has
shown that Black is at least doing fine
here.21. e7 ( 21. f4 d8 22. he1 f7 23. g5 xd6 24.xd6 xd6 25. xf7
xf7 26. c7+ f6 27. xh7 c628. f4 ad8 29. e3 b4 30. ee7 xd3+
31. e2d2+ 32. e1 c2+ 33. f1 f8+ Ki. Georgiev-Krasenkow, Rethymnon
2003 ) 21... xe7 22. dxe7 g7 ( 22... b5 23.e5 g7 24. f4 a6 25. c3 xc3
26. xc3 a7=/+ Wang Jue-Yang Kaiqi, Qinhuangdao 1st op
2011 ) 23. g5 c6 24.xc6 xc6 25. e1 c8 26. e6+ f6 27. f8 h6=BanikasBelov, Kavala 2004
c2) 19. dxe7 19... h6 20. d2 xc1+ 21. xc1 c8 22.e2 c6 Black gets his
material back and is very
comfortable.23. e3 xe5 ( 23... xe7 24. xa7 d5= ) 24. xe5xe5 25. xh6
f7 26. h4 xe7 27. h5 gxh5 28. xf5c5=
14... a5 This standard response is what Black should play. Very sharp play ensues.
14... e5 I tried for half an hour to remember what my notes said, failed miserably, and played this
move in London. It's not very critical. Although I still almost equalised, against Vlad "almost" isn't quite
enough. In the end I wasn't able to make a draw and this game started my opponent on his way to a
fantastic score in the Candidates - one that was almost enough to qualify him for a World Championship
match.
15. g5 f8!
15... d7 has already been played in some games.
a) 16. xe7 does in fact allow Black to equalise
after 16... e8 17.b4 ( 17. d6 c6 18. b5 xe7 19. xd7 ed8 ) 17...ac8+ 18. b1
xc1+ 19. xc1 c4! A very beautiful move, and if White doesn't take the knight Black gets a
lot of play against the king.
a1) 20. d3 c8! 21. b1 b5!=/+ 22. a4 ( 22. d1 b2+) 22... a3+ 23. a2
xd3 24. xa3 xe4
a2) 20. g5 h6 21. f4 xg5 22. fxg5 xe4 23. d3 d424. c2 b6=/+

a3) 20. xc4 20... xe4 21. d2 h6 Black wins all the material back and is just
fine. 22. b2 xd2 23. xd2 xc4=
b) 16. b1! Black's life isn't so simple after this move.
16. f4 Black needs to be very precise here and either have a lot of knowledge or a lot of courage. The fact that
the rook can't go to f8 will make it very vulnerable, and you'll actually have to give it up on many occasions.
16. b1
a) 16... b5 is also possible and a pretty decent
idea. 17. f4 ( 17.c7 d7 18. f4 a6 19. d3 c4 20. xc4 bxc4 21. xc4b7+ 22. c1 d7=/ )
17... c4 18. xc4 bxc4 19. xc4a6=/
b) b6 This is quite safe for Black. In general, Black wants to transfer the knight from a5 to c5, and if he
manages that he'll be fine, so White needs to try and stop it.
b1) 17. d3 b7
b2) 17. b5 d7 18. xd7 xd7 19. hd1 b5 20. d2b7
b3) 17. f4 b7 18. b5 ( 18. e5 g5 19. g3 f5=/+ )18... c5!= 19. xc5 bxc5
20. c6 a6=
b4) 17. c7 17... d7 18. c2 ( 18. xd7 xd7 19. a6c8= ) 18... d8 I think Black has
enough counterplay because White either has to repeat moves or allow some kind of positive
restructuring of Black's
pieces. 19. b5 ( 19. d3 b7 ; 19.f4 f5! 20. d3 b7! 21. c7 d7 22. b5 fxe4
23.xd7 xd7 24. g5 c5=/ ) 19... a6 20. e2 b7 21.e3 c5
16... b6! 17. c7
17. d3 b7 18. c7 d7 19. e5 c5 20. b5 d8 21.c6 xe5 22. xe5 ( 22. xa8 f4
23. ce1 xe4=/+ ) 22...b8 23. f3 a6
17... d7 18. d1 Bb5 seems to be a huge threat, but Black can just ignore it altogether.
18. b1? simply can't be played here, because 18... xd5! more or less wins on the
spot. 19. exd5 f5+ 20. c2 xc2+ 21. xc2c8 Black emerges a pawn up in a better position.
18. g3 f5! 19. g5 ( 19. b5 d8 20. d3 fxe4 21. xe4b7=/+ ) 19... fxe4 20. e6+ f7 21. c7
b8 22. e2 ( 22.b1 d8!=/+ ) 22... b7 23. b1 b5!
18... b7
18... f5 19. b5 b2 20. c2 fxe4 21. xd7 xd7 22. xb2exf3 23. gxf3 c8 24. f4 c4 25. b4
a5 26. b1 c5=/
19. b5 c5! It turns out White wins an entire exchange in this position, but that's not enough to give him any
advantage at all. Black is fine.
20. g3 Black even has a choice.

20. xd7 is possible, but after 20... xd7 White has to be careful not to be worse. 21. e2 Trying to at
least connect the rooks. ( 21. e5a4+ 22. e2 runs into the very strong 22... h6 , when White no
longer has any good ideas. The pawn on e4 is hanging, the rook on c1 is hanging and ...Bb5+ will drive the
king back to unpleasant squares like d1. White may already be
worse. 23. c3 b5+ ; 21. e5 xe522. xe5 d3= ) 21... h6 Yet again the most forceful way of
handling this position. ( 21... xe4 is possible, aiming for positional
compensation. 22. e5 b5+ 23. e3 c5=/ ) 22. xc5 ...Bb5+ was a huge threat, so objectively I
think returning the exchange like this is the best option. ( 22. b1 would be met by 22... xe4 and
White is in a lot of trouble - all kinds of forks are threatened. ) 22... bxc5 23.b1 a6! Securing the
important b5-square for the second bishop, and with the bishops controlling the whole board Black simply
can't be worse.24. b6 b5+ 25. e1 c8=
20. f4 can be met by 20... d8 and there are now additional forks on d3 in some lines.
If 21. xc5 bxc5 22. c6 the position of the bishop on f4 means that Black can even play 22... e5! If
White takes on e5 Black has an additional square on b8 for the rook, while ( 22... a6= ) 23.xa8 exf4 is
just fine for Black.
20. c6 xc7 21. xa8 a6=/+ leaves Black doing very well because of the huge threat of ...Rc8,
forcing the bishop to c6, when the pawn on e4 will finally fall. Black has fantastic play and is perhaps
already better.
20... h6 A more human move that I'm at least suggesting as an alternative.
20... d8 is a line the machine suggests is perfectly
fine. 21. c6 ( 21.xc5 bxc5 22. c6 d7 23. xa8 xa8 24. d2 b5= ) 21...a6 22. xa8 xa8
23. e1 ( 23. d2 d8 24. f3 f5 25. e1b5!= A recurring theme in this position - Black is in no hurry
to win the material back and instead calmly improves his pieces. There's not much White can
do: 26. e3 a4+ 27. e1 b5=/ ; 23. e5 d824. d6 exd6 25. exd6 b5!=/ ) 23... b5 The
machine's move - apparently Black isn't worse as White is so completely discoordinated. Nevertheless,
this looked a bit alien to me when I found it. 24. d2h6=/
a) 25. f4 d3 26. c7 xf4=/ ( 26... xe1 27. xe1 e8= )
b) 25. c3 25... g7 26. a3 ( 26. e5 d8 ) 26... a4! 27.ee3 d4 28. eb3 c5=
21. xc5 Once again the most practical approach for White is to start (preemptively!) returning material.
21. c2 d8 22. c6 d7 23. xa8 xa8 Black has the huge threat of ...Ba4 and the pawn on e4 is
hanging. I think White already has to pay attention not to be worse
here. 24. d4 a4 25. f3 d8 26.e2 xc2 27. xc2 f5 28. d4 e8 29. c6 d7=
21. xd7 xd7 22. xc5 bxc5 23. c2 f5= Yet again the simplest way for Black to proceed, hitting the
white centre. The draw is the overwhelming favourite here.
21... bxc5 22. c6 b7 23. xb7 xb7 24. e5 e6 Starting to undermine the white centre immediately.
25. d7+ e8 26. xc5 c8= This tactical finesse means Black is just fine.

10.Rb1 cxd4 and 10...0-0

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 c6 10.
b1 I consider this the most problematic move for Black.
10... cxd4
10... O-O is also possible. 11. b5 cxd4 12. xa5 dxe3 13. xe3xa5 I once played this myself against
Rustem Dautov, one of the godfathers of the Be3 line. I made a reasonably comfortable draw, but I'm no
longer sure Black actually equalises here so I can't really recommend this.
11. cxd4 xd2+
11... O-O doesn't promise full equality either:
a) 12. xa5 xa5
a1) 13. e2 b6 14. d2 d8 15. d5? e6 16. xa5 bxa5 17.c4 exd5 18. xd5
a6+ Bosiocic-Volokitin, AUT-tch 2013
a2) 13. d2 b6 14. h3 ( 14. b5 g4 15. b4 a6 16. a4xf3 17. gxf3 xd4
18. xe7 Khenkin-Stohl, Kaskady
200218... fc8=/+ ; 14. xa5 bxa5 15. c4 g4 16. e5 xe517. dxe5 ac8
18. d5 c5 19. O-O e6 20. b3 e2 21.fe1 b5 22. f4 d8=/+ Sedlak-Sutovsky,
Aix-les-Bains
2011)14... b7 15. b4 d8 16. b5 d6 17. c6 b7 18.xb7 xb7
19. O-O xd4 20. xe7 e8 21. xd4 xe722. f3 c5= Seirawan-Cseshkovsky,
Yugoslavia 1992
a3) 13. d3 13... g4 transposes to 12.Bd3.
( 13... b6 14.e2 b7 15. hc1 fc8 16. d5 f5 ; 13... d7 14. e2fc8
15. hc1+/= )
b) 12. d3 12... g4 ( 12... xd2+ 13. xd2 e6 14. hc1d8 15. e5 f6 16. e2 fxe5
17. dxe5 xe5 18. xe5 xe519. e4 b8 20. c5 d6 21. a5 a6 22. b6 d7 23.h4+/=
Kozul-Polajzer, Ptuj
1989 ) 13. xa5 xa5 14. OO ( 14.d2 ) 14... fc8 ( 14... fd8 15. d5 e6 16. g5 f6
17. d2b6 18. xa5 bxa5 19. d4 ; 14... xf3 15. gxf3 e6 16.fd1 fd8 17. f1 ac8
18. d5+/= ) 15. fc1 ( 15. d5 c3
16. fd1 a6 17. b6 ac8 18. h3 xf3 19. gxf3 e5 ) 15...xc1+ 16. xc1 c8 17. xc8+
xc8 18. d5 b6 19. d4+/=
12. xd2 O-O This was played against me by Jon Ludvig Hammer in Stavanger 2013. I was even worse by move 17
because I completely misplayed it.
13. d5
13. d3 d8 14. d5 a5 transposes.

13. b5 f5 14. exf5 xf5 15. d3 ad8 16. xb7 xd4 17.xd4 xd4 18. xf5 xf5 19. hb1 f7
20. e2 xe3 21.xe3 e5+ 22. f4 e2 23. 1b2 d4+ 24. f3 xb2 25.xb2 a4 Oral-Babula,
CZE 1994
13... d8 14. d3 a5 15. e2! The most natural move in the position. After this I don't think Black
completely equalises in any of the lines, so this also isn't something I can recommend.
I immediately went wrong: 15. g5 f6 16. f4 b6
a) 17. c7 d7 18. hc1? h6+ 19. e2 xc1 20. xc1 e6!=/+
b) 17. b5 b7! ( 17... e5 18. e3 d7 19. hc1 xb5 20.xb5 b7 21. e2 d6= SvidlerHammer, Stavanger 2013 ) 18.e2 f5=/+
c) 17. hc1 e6
d) 17. e2 17... f5 ( 17... b7 ) 18. exf5 gxf5 ( 18... xf519. xf5 gxf5 20. hd1+/= )
19. hd1 xd5 ( 19... e5 ) 20.c4 xc4 21. xd5 a6

15. f4 b6 16. hc1 f5 17. c7 fxe4 18. xe4 b7 19. b5dc8 20. d7 ( 20. xe7 e8 21. xe8+
xe8 22. d3 d8=) 20... d8=
15... f5
15... e6 16. g5! f6 ( 16... e8 17. d6 ) 17. d2 b6 18. xa5bxa5 19. d4 ( 19. c4 exd5
20. xd5+ h8 21. xa8 a6+22. e1 xa8+/= )
15... b6
a) 16. g5 f5! has been known to be quite good for Black since Damljanovic-Kozul, Yugoslavia
1989
b) 16. hc1 e6 17. g5 f6 18. d2 exd5
b1) 19. xa5 dxe4 20. xe4 ( 20. c4+ h8 ) 20... a6+
b2) 19. exd5 19... xd5 20. e4 a6+ 21. d1 xd2+ 22.xd2 d8=/
c) 16. d4! 16... f5 ( 16... e6 17. c6 xc6 18. dxc6 xd319. xd3 a6+ 20. c2 c8
21. hc1 c4 22. d2 xc623. e1+/= Sakaev-Hoffmann, Groningen
1991 ) 17. e6 ( 17. f3fxe4 18. fxe4 g4+ 19. d2 e6 20. xe6 xe6 21. dxe6d6 22. e2
xe6 23. bc1 e5 24. g3 g7+/= Volzhin-Urban, Katowice
1992; 17. c6 xc6 18. dxc6 ) 17... fxe4 18.xe4 a6+ 19. f3 d7 20. hd1 f6
21. bc1+/=
16. hc1
16. g5 fxe4 17. xe4 b6 18. hc1 a6+ 19. e1 ac8 20.e6+/=
16... b6

16... fxe4 17. xe4 f5 18. xf5 gxf5 19. b5 b6

a) 20. c7 f6 ( 20... dc8 21. xe7 c2+ 22. f1 xa223. d6 ) 21. d4+/=
b) 20. h4 20... f8 Sherbakov-Yandemirov, USSR 1991
( 20... a621. xb6 xd5 22. c5 xc5 23. xc5 c8 24. xe7 e825. xf5 OvsejevitschAlexeev, Alushta
2000 ) 21. g5!+/= ( 21.f4 b7 22. c7 d6 23. xd6 exd6+/= ; 21. d6 e6 22.g5 f6
23. xf6 xf6 24. c7 d8 25. xa7 xd6 26.f3 c6+/= Sherbakov,R )
17. c7
17. g5 is, as usual in this line, a very worthy alternative.
17... fxe4 18. xe4 a6+
18... b7 19. xe7 xd5 ( 19... f8 20. c7 xd5 21. xd5xd5 22. b4 ) 20. e8+ ( 20. xd5+
xd5 21. c1+/= ) 20...f7 ( 20... xe8 21. xd5+ f8 22. xa8 xa8 23. g5 g824. c1+/= )
21. xd8 ( 21. xd5+ xe8 22. xa8 xa8 23.c1 d8 24. g5 ) 21... xd8 22. g5+ e7
( 22... g8 23.xd5+ xd5 24. c1 e5 25. f4 ) 23. xd5 xd5 24.xh7+/= Korchnoi-Brunner,
Bern 1996
19. e1 b7 20. bc1
20. xe7 xd5 21. e8+ f7 22. xd8 xd8 23. g5+ e724. xd5 xd5 25. xh7 h5=
20... f6
20... xd5 21. xd5+ xd5 22. xe7 f8 23. e4 d6 ( 23...ad8 24. g5 ) 24. e2 b7=
21. g5 xd5 22. h4 b5 23. xa7 c4 24. d1 xe4 1/2 Tukmakov-Romanishin, URS-ch49 Frunze 1981

10.Rb1 a6 11.Rc1 Bg4

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 c6 10.
b1 a6Protecting against Rb5.
11. c1 g4 This is recommended by Boris Avrukh in his excellent book on the Grnfeld, when the following
line is very likely to take place:
11... cxd4 12. cxd4 xd2+ 13. xd2 e6 ( 13... O-O 14. d5 d815. e1 illustrates the idea behind
White's strange rook shuffle with 11.Rc1. 15... a5 is now completely impossible because 16. b6 wins a
piece. ) 14. d5 ( 14. d3 O-O 15. c4 d7 16. hc1 fd8 17.g5 f6 18. e3 e8 19. e2 ac8
1/2 Karjakin-Nepomniachtchi, Moscow ch-RSCU Final m
2011 ) 14... exd5 15. exd5 e7 16. c4g4 ( 16... OO 17. c5 h6+ 18. c3 xc1 19. xc1 e8 20.e1 1-0 Holzke-Ftacnik, BL 11-12
2012; 16... f5 17. c5 h6+18. c3 xc1 19. xc1 f6 20. e1+ d7 21. e6 b5 22. b3 a5
23. g4+ Aronian-Nepomniachtchi, Moscow 2010 )
12. d5 d8 13. e2 The only move that can cause Black any problems.

13. d3 Black can completely ignore the fact that the knight is en prise and
play 13... OO 14. OO xf3 15. gxf3 e6 ( 15... e5 16. e2f5 17. f4 g4 18. e5 xe3 19. fxe3+/= )
16. dxc6 ( 16. c4 b417. b1 c8 18. b3 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. a3 a4 21. axb4xb3 22. bxc5 exd5
23. b1 a3 24. exd5 xc5= ) 16... c4 This position is known to be good for
Black. 17. cxb7 xd3 18. b2 b819. b1 ( 19. a7 g5+ 20. h1 e5 21. xb8 xb8 22. g1
h5= ) 19... xc3 20. b6 xb6 21. xb6 d4 22. xd4xd4 23. c1 f8 24. g2 e7
25. g3 d7=
13. h4 O-O 14. h3 c8 15. e2 e6 16. O-O exd5 17. exd5 c418. fd1 e5 19. f3 d3=/+ KhenkinFernandez Garcia, Las Palmas 1994
13... O-O 14. O-O
14. b2 xf3 15. xf3 d4 16. d1 b5 17. d2 d6 18.c2 c4 Ehlvest-Rytshagov, Tallinn 1998
14... xf3 15. xf3 e6 This is what Avrukh and others have been suggesting, and currently this position is
assessed as completely fine for Black, but as a matter of fact after the very precise
16. e2! , stopping Black's main objective of playing ...Ne5 and putting the pawn on c4, I think this position is far
from completely equal. Black's life could become quite difficult.
16. fd1 exd5 17. exd5 e5 18. d6 c4
16... d7
16... exd5 17. exd5 e7 18. c4 xd2 ( 18... c7 19. f4 e520. xe5 xe5 21. fe1 c7 22. d3
c8 23. h4 de8 24.h5 ) 19. xd2 f5 ( 19... fe8 20. fe1 f5 21. d3 xe1+22. xe1 d6
23. a4 ) 20. d3 d6 21. e3 b6 22. a4 a5 23.b1 b8 24. b3+/=
16... e7 17. c4 xd2 18. xd2 c6 19. e3 d4 20. d3+/=
17. fe1 exd5 18. exd5 fd8 19. g5!+/=
19. c4 xd2 20. xd2 d4 21. d1 c8 22. a4 b5 23. cxb5axb5 24. axb5 xd5 25. b6 f8 26. c3
b8 27. b1 d6 28.b7 d7 29. xd4 cxd4 30. f3+/= Bosiocic-Erdos, Sibenik Mitropa Cup 2012

10.Rb1 a6 11.Rc1 f5 12.d5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 c6 10.
b1 a6 11.c1 f5 This move leads to very unclear and incredibly unbalanced positions where Black requires a
lot of precision, but nonetheless I think they're very playable and I'll try to provide a complete overview of this
position so you can feel comfortable playing it. White has a lot of options, the main two of which are 12.e5 and
12.Bd3, but let's first look at other moves.
12. d5

12. exf5 is another option for White. 12... xf5 13. dxc5 Black has a choice between two decent moves.
( 13. d5 O-O-O 14. e2 e6 15.d6 d7 16. O-O f8 17. f4 xd6 18. xd6 hd8=/+ )
a) 13... e6 is very possible, attacking the a2-pawn straightaway.
a1) 14. d4 d8 ( 14... xd4 15. cxd4 xa2 16. xa2xa2 17. c4 xc4 18. xc4
OOO 19. f4+/= ; 14... xd415. cxd4 xd2+ 16. xd2 xa2 17. c3+/= ) 15. xc6
bxc6 16. c2 OO 17. e2 d4 ( 17... xa2 18. xa2xa2 19. xa6+/= ) 18. xd4
xd4 19. O-O df4=
a2) 14. g5 d8 15. c2 d5=/+
a3) 14. b2 14... O-O
a31) 15. e2 xa2 16. xb7 d5 17. c4 ab8 18. d7fd8 19. g4
( 19. h3 f7 ) 19... f7 20. e4 ( 20.h4 b2+ ) 20... a5 ( 20... b2
21. O-O! xc1 22.xc1=/ ; 20... b2
21. O-O xe2 22. xc6+/= ) 21. c6b3
22. O-O xe2 23. c7 xc1 24. cxb8=Q xb8 25.xc1 d8=
a32) 15. a3! 15... ad8 ( 15... xf3 16. gxf3 d5 17.e2 e5
18. OO xf3+ 19. xf3 xf3 20. b3+ h821. e6 ) 16. e2 d4
17. xd4 xd4 18. xd4xd4
a321) 19. OO a4 20. ce1 ( 20. xb7 xc5transposes. )
20... xa3 21. f3 b3 22. e2 f6 23.e5 xc3=
a322) 19. xb7 19... xc5 20. OO a4 21. xa6xa3 22. e2
xc3 23. xc3 xc3 24. xe7 f6 , and Black will hold.
b) 13... a3! The more forcing option. 14. c4 Perhaps the most critical move, but Black's
response is the same as after 14.Be2. ( 14.e2 The most obvious move for White, but Black is
ready to meet it
with 14... d8 15. d4 xd4 16. cxd4 xd4! 17. xd4xd4 18. xd4 xc1+ ) 14... d8
15. d4 xd4 16. cxd4xd4 , and I think Black
holds. 17. xd4 xd4 18. xd4xc1+ 19. e2 xh1 20. xh8+ d7
12. dxc5 has also been seen in a number of grandmaster games. 12...fxe4 13. d4 ( 13. g5 f5=/+ )
a) 13... e5 14. e2 d3+ 15. xd3 exd3 16. O-O
a1) 16... e5 17. xd3! xa2 ( 17... OO 18. c4+ ; 17...exd4 18. e4+ f8 19. f3+
f5 20. cxd4 ) 18. e4O-O 19. f3 f7 20. g5 f5 21. a4 e7 22. fd1
a2) O-O 17. fd1!+/=
b) 13... d7 14. e2 By far the most critical move.
( 14. c4e5 ; 14. b3 a4! ; 14. b1 O-O-O ; 14. xc6 xc6 15.c4 d8= )
b1) 14... O-O 15. O-O+/= ad8 16. b2!

b2) 14... O-O-O is what used to be played here, but after 15.b3!
( 15. OO xd4! 16. xd4 xd4 17. xd4 c6 18.e5 c7= ; 15. d1 xd4
16. cxd4 xd2+ 17. xd2c6= ) 15... c7 ( 15... a4 is also
possible. 16. OO+/= Giri-Kanarek ) 16. c2 e5 Ding-Zhao Zingchao
( 16... e5 17.xe4 ) 17. O-O d3 18. b1 Black's position is quite dangerous. This
can't be recommended.
b3) 14... d8! I think this is best for Black.
b31) 15. b3 a4

b32) 15. d1 O-O ( 15... xc5 16. e6 xe6 17.xc5 )

b33) 15. h4 e6
b34) 15. xc6 xc6 16. b2 d4!=
b35) 15. O-O 15... xd4 16. xd4 g4! A very important
finesse. 17. xg4 xd4 Black holds quite comfortably because he gets a
position with opposite-coloured bishops where the somewhat inferior
structure is compensated by White's weaknesses on a2 and f2.
( 17... xd4? 18. b2 )
b351) 18. e2 xc5 19. xe4 O-O=
b352) 18. fd1
b3521) 18... xc5 19. d7+ f8 20. f4+ ( 20.h6+ f7
21. f4+ g7 ) 20... g7 21. e5+h6 22. h1
( 22. d5 b6 ) 22... b6=
b3522) e3 19. d7+ ( 19. fxe3 xc5 ) 19... xd720. fxe3
xe3+ 21. xe3 xd1+ 22. xd1 c7=
b353) 18. g5 xc5=
b354) 18. b2 xc5 19. xb7 O-O 20. xe4 d2

b355) 18. c6 18... bxc6 19. e2 f6 20. xe4 d621. fd1 e5=
22. c4 b5 23. f4 xd1+ 24.xd1 O-O
12... fxe4 13. g5
13. dxc6 exf3 14. gxf3 bxc6 15. c4 h3!

13... e5 14. xe4

14. c4 xd2+ 15. xd2 f5 16. xc5 h6

14... c4 These lines involve a lot of very beautiful variations and we're following a fantastic game played by
Malakhatko and Sutovsky a few years ago.
15. f4

15. d6 f5 16. c5 c8

15. g5 f5 16. f4 h6 17. fxe5 hxg5 18. xc4 xe5

15. g3 O-O 16. f4 ( 16. e2 d8 ) 16... d3+ 17. xd3cxd3 18. xd3 d8 19. O-O xd5=/+
15. e2 f5

a) 16. g3 d3+ 17. xd3 xd3+

b) 16. c5 c8 17. e6 ( 17. f4 d3+ ) 17... xe6 18.dxe6 d8 19. b2 b5 20. OO d3
21. xd3 xd3
c) 16. f3 16... OOO! 17. c5 b6 18. f4 ( 18. g4 d3 19. f4bxc5 20. fxe5 xd5 ) 18... g4
19. xg4 xg4 20. h3 f521. g4 bxc5 22. gxf5 gxf5 23. O-O e6 24. d6 hg8 25. h2f8

15... f5 16. c5! White's best move.

16. f2 O-O-O! 17. fxe5 xd5 18. d4 White seemingly has everything under control and probably
thought that was the case until he saw Emil's reply: 18... h5 Now the huge threat of ...Bh6 changes the
evaluation completely. There's no defence and White's entire position just collapses. White was already
almost lost here in Malakhatko-Sutovsky, 2009.
16. fxe5 xe4 17. xc4 is very good for Black:
( 17. d6 exd6 18.exd6 d5 ) 17... f8! ( 17... c7 ) 18. d6 or( 18. f1 xf1+19. xf1 xe5
20. b3 c8 ; 18. d4 xg2 19. g1 f3 )18... d8! ( 18... exd6 19. exd6 OOO ) 19. d4 exd6
20. e3d5
16... g4! (c) Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
16... O-O-O? 17. fxe5+
16... d3+ is the move I was ready to recommend to you and I fully believe White is fine after it, but
then I spoke to my old friend and colleague Rustam Kasimdzhanov who suggested I would be foolish not to
show you the fantastic 16...Ng4!
17. d4 Once again, this line is the product of Rustam's imagination not mine and I'm very indebted to him for
showing it to me first. Now you're seeing it courtesy of him.
17. xb7 b5 18. c5 c8
17... xd4 18. xd4 And now despite the fact that the rook on h8 is hanging with check Black plays
18... a3 This position is a draw.
19. xh8+
19. d1 is possible, but would only be played by a spoilsport, as the subsequent play becomes somewhat
boring: 19... f6 20. xc4 c8After the
possible 21. d3 xd3 22. xd3 b5 23. b3 c1+ 24.d1 xc3+= we end up in an equal endgame
which obviously isn't the reason I was showing you this.

19... f7 20. xh7+ f8 White is a whole rook up but he's not better at all because ...Qxc1+ is such a huge
threat that White should in fact give an immediate perpetual.
21. h8+
21. e6+ e8 22. h8+ d7 might not even give White a draw as the king escapes all the checks.
...Qxc1+ is a threat of such immense proportions that Black is already playing for a win.
21... f7=

10.Rb1 a6 11.Rc1 f5 12.e5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 c6 10.
b1 a6 11.c1 f5 12. e5 I think Black should be able to make a more or less forced draw after this move.
12... f4 Sacrificing a pawn to start immediate pressure against the white centre.
12... b5 is a very adventurous move once played by Michal Krasenkow. It's not so easy to refute, but I still
think it's not quite sound.
13. xf4 g4 Practice currently says that White is better in this position, but I think Black's play in a very critical
game can be improved upon.
14. e2 Other moves aren't threatening at all.
14. b2 is met by 14... xf3! 15. gxf3 ( 15. xb7 b8+ ) 15...xd4 16. xb7 O-O and Black is
already fighting for the initiative. 17.c4+ h8 18. O-O ab8 19. e4 xf3+ 20. xf3 h6
14. d5 xf3 15. gxf3 xe5 Black is perfectly
comfortable. 16. e3a3! ( 16... c7 17. e2 OOO ) 17. e2 ( 17. c2 xf3+18. xf3 a4
19. d3 OO 20. c4 h6 ; 17. d1 xf3+! 18.xf3 xc3+ 19. e2 OO 20. e3 xa2++ )
17... OO 18. O-Of7 19. c2 a4=/+
14. g5 cxd4 ( 14... h6 15. e4 cxd4 16. cxd4 xd2+ 17. xd2xd4 18. f4 g5 19. c7 f8 )
15. cxd4 xd2+ 16. xd2xd4 17. c4 h6 18. e3 ( 18. e4 b5 ) 18... d8 19. xd4xd4=
14. e3 xf3 15. xf3 cxd4 16. c4 f8! 17. e4 xf4 18.xf4 xe5 19. e2 d3 20. f3 xf3+
21. xf3 d2++
14. e3 d8 ( 14... xf3 15. gxf3 d8 16. f4+/= ) 15. e2O-O

14... d8!

14... O-O is less precise:

a) 15. d5 xf3 16. xf3 xe5=
b) 15. OO cxd4 16. c4+ ( 16. cxd4 xd2 17. xd2 xf3 18.xf3 xd4= ) 16... h8
17. xd4 ( 17. g5 xe5 18. xe5xe5 19. f7+ xf7 20. xf7 dxc3=/+ ) 17... xe5
18. b3d3 19. xd3 xf4=

c) 15. dxc5! 15... xc5 ( 15... ad8 16. e3 b4 17. c4+d5 18. OO+/= ) 16. OO ad8
17. e3 xe3 18. fxe3 b5 (18... e6 19. b1 b5 20. c4+/= ) 19. c4+/=
15. g5 The main move, and really the only move that creates any problems for Black.
15. h6 xh6 16. xh6 cxd4 17. O-O d3 18. d1 xf3 19.xf3 xe5=/+
15. d5 xf3 16. xf3 xe5 17. xe5 xe5 , and Black is fine.
15. OO cxd4 16. cxd4 ( 16. h3 xf3 17. xf3 d3 18. xc6+bxc6= ) 16... xd2 17. xd2 xf3 18. xf3
xd4 19. d1xe5 20. e1 f6 21. b4 d7=/+
15. h3 can be met by 15... xf3 16. xf3 and besides 16...cxd4 you can and perhaps should start
with 16... O-O 17. xc6 bxc6 , maintaining the pressure in the centre for now.
a) 18. OO cxd4 19. cxd4 xd2 20. xd2 xd4 21. g5 ( 21.e3 a4 22. f4 xa2 23. xc6
a5 ) 21... xe5 22. xc6f6 23. h6 a8=

b) 18. g3 Trying to support the bishop and keep Black from breaking through. 18... f5 Black
can afford this extra tempo on a waiting move. He now wants to play ...Bxe5.
( 18... cxd4 19. cxd4 xd2+20. xd2 xd4 21. f4 e4+ 22. d1+/= ) 19. O-O cxd4 Only
now. 20. cxd4 xd2 21. xd2 xe5= This is an immediate draw.
15. g5 f8 , and Black is ready to start collecting.
15. d1
a) 15... O-O 16. O-O cxd4 17. cxd4 a4! ( 17... xd2 18.xd2+/= )

b) xf3 16. xf3 xe5 17. xe5 xe5 18. O-O cxd4 19.cxd4 xd2 20. xd2 xd4=
15... f5 This is my recommendation. The white centre is about to collapse as there's really no comfortable way
to protect it.
15... xe2 was played in the one game that reached this position. 16.xe2
a) 16... xd4? 17. c4
b) 16... h6 17. e6 xd4 18. c4 Black is a very long way from equality.
c) 16... cxd4
c1) 17. O-O d3 18. e4 ( 18. b2 d5! ) 18... d5
c2) 17. e6 17... d3

c21) 18. d2 f7 19. xd8+ xd8 20. e6+ ( 20. OOxe5=/ ) 20... xe6
21. O-O f7 22. fe1 d5=/
c22) 18. e4 18... f7 ( 18... xe5 19. xd8 ) 19.xd8+ xd8 20. e6+
g8 21. O-O d2 22. b1 xc3 (22... xc3 23. e3+/= ) 23. fd1

d) f8 A very interesting and strong idea, as otherwise Black is in trouble. I'd even describe
this as a "witty" way to solve Black's problems. It looks as though you're allowing a super fork.
d1) 17. e6 is met
by 17... xf4! 18. xf4 ( 18. xg7+f7 ) 18... h6 19. g3 cxd4 20. O-O dxc3 ,
and in this position the pawn on c3 is actually quite strong because it will be supported
by the knight on d4. Black is perfectly fine, which I think is what the black player was
hoping for.
d2) 17. d2! A much better option than the obvious fork on e6, and one played by
Salem against Daulyte in the Dubai Open in 2011. I failed to find equality here for
Black.
d21) 17... cxd4 18. e6 d3 19. e3 Black will be an exchange down and this
is far from
equal. 19... xe5 ( 19...f7 20. xf8 xf8 21. f4 xa2 22. OO e6
23. cd1 )20. OO d7 21. xf8 xf8 22. h3 d6 23. xh7xa2
24. cd1 c4 25. h1 , and White was better in Salem-Daulyte, Dubai 13th
op 2011
d22) 17... xa2 18. xh7 h8 19. g5 (There's no need
for 19. f6+ exf6 20. exf6+ f7 21. fxg7 he8 22. e3xe2+ 23. xe2
cxd4 24. cxd4 xd4+ 25. f1 f5 26.g5 d7 27. g4 xg7= ) 19... cxd4
20. f4 The bishop on g7 is such a horrible piece that White is much better
here. 20...h6 ( 20... dxc3 21. xc3 xe2+ 22. xe2+/= ) 21. f3dxc3
( 21... f7 22. g3 d3 23. e4 f5 24. xf5 gxf525. e3 ) 22. xc3+/=
16. e6 White's one option of note apart from playing Nf3 Bg4 with a repetition.
16. d5 xe5=
16... cxd4 17. cxd4 xd2+ 18. xd2 h6! The last important move. Black is fine here because the white
centre is about to collapse. Both d4 and e6 fall in most variations and a draw is by far the most likely result.
19. h4
19. f7 xd2+ 20. xd2 xd4+
19. e3 xg5 20. xg5 h6 21. e3 xd4
19... xd4 20. c7
20. a5 b8
20... O-O 21. xe7 xe6 22. xe6 xd2+ 23. xd2 xe6+ 24.e3 fe8= and a draw isn't far away.

10.Rb1 a6 11.Rc1 f5 12.Bd3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. e3 c5 8. f3 a5 9. d2 c6 10.
b1 a6 11.c1 f5 12. d3 The most critical move, and currently perhaps Black's biggest problem in the whole
11...f5 variation.
12... cxd4 13. xd4
13. cxd4 xd2+ 14. xd2 f8! is
fine: 15. exf5 xf5 16. c5 (16. g5 xd4 17. xh7 h8 18. xf5 gxf5 19. g5 d8 )16... d8
17. xa6 xd4 ( 17... bxa6 18. xc6 e4 19. xa6xf3 20. gxf3 xf3 21. a4 h3 22. c2+/= )
18. xd4 bxa619. c3 xd4+ ( 19... f7 ) 20. xd4 d7 21. f3 f6=Jussupow-Kasparov, Reykjavik
1988
13... e5 My recommendation.
13... O-O is Black's normal response. 14. xc6 ( 14. O-O xd4 )14... bxc6
a) 15. OO fxe4 ( 15... e6 16. exf5 xf5 17. c4+ h8 18.d4 e5 19. e3 fd8 20. e2+/=
Rodshtein-Sutovsky, Natanya Richard Riordan GM Rapid 2009 ) 16. xe4 e6 17. xc6
a1) 17... ac8 18. d7+/=
a2) 17... fd8 18. e2 ( 18. e1 ac8 19. b7 c4 20.xc8 xc8 21. h3 xf1
22. xf1 xc3 23. xc3 xc324. c4+ g7 25. a4 e5= ) 18... ac8 19. b7
c4 20.g4 c7 21. fd1 xd1+ 22. xd1 xa2 23. h3 f7 24.xa6 xc3=
a3) ad8
a31) 18. e2 c8 ( 18... xa2 19. xa2 xa2 20. c4e6 21. a4 d3 )
19. b7 ( 19. b6 xa2 ) 19... c420. b2 ( 20. g4 c7 21. fd1 xa2
22. e4 f7= )20... c7 21. fd1 xa2 22. b6 e5 23. e4 b3
24. g3 b8 25. a5 b5=
a32) 18. b2 c8=
a33) 18. c2 18... c4=/
b) 15. c4+ It's important for White to occupy this
diagonal. 15...h8 16. exf5! xf5 17. OO ad8 18. e2+/= I think this position is very far
from equal. It's playable, and I'm not claiming White has a decisive advantage, but it's very, very
uncomfortable for Black as his king will forever be weaker than the white king and he also has
structural problems.
14. O-O
14. exf5 xd3+ 15. xd3 xf5 16. xf5 ( 16. c4 c8 17.b3 d3 ) 16... xf5=
14... xd3 My proposed improvement.

14... O-O isn't entirely

satisfactory: 15. exf5 ( 15. c2 fxe4 16.xe4 c4 17. c2 xe3 18. fxe3 e5= Matlakov-Negi,
Chotowa
2010 ) 15... xd3 16. xd3 xf5 17. c4+ f7 ( 17... h8 18.xf5 xf5 19. b4 ) 18. b3 c7
( 18... e4 19. fd1 ) 19.xf5 gxf5 20. fd1+/=
14... f4? was played in a famous game between Grischuk and Kovchan.15. xf4 xd3 16. xd3 e5 It
seems as though Black is winning a piece, but in fact after 17. b3 xa2 18. fd1! it turned out that
Black is in a lot of trouble and Alexander won a very nice game. Grischuk-Kovchan, Sochi RUS-tch 2010
15. xd3 e5 This is a very critical position which isn't particularly easy for Black to play. I have to say it's quite
risky, but I think it's very playable and I've spent a number of hours making sure this is something Black can do.
16. b3 The main move.
16. exf5 exd4 doesn't work. 17. xd4 O-O

16. f3 f4 ( 16... O-O 17. c4+ h8 18. g5 ) 17. c4 The only critical move White can
try. 17... b5! ( 17... fxe3 can't be played: 18.g5 f8 19. fxe3+ ) 18. c7 d7 19. b6 OO Although
this looks scary I'm quite comfortable that Black should hold this endgame.
(19... xc7 20. xc7 OO 21. xe5 xe5 22. xe5 e8 23.c4 xe4= ) 20. fd1 ( 20. c4+ f7= ;
20. c4 xc7 21.xc7 e8 22. fd1 g4 23. c5 ac8 24. d6 f8 25. b1xd6 26. cxd6 ed8 27.
d5 xf3 28. gxf3 b5 29. bd1 d730. xe5 f7 31. d4 c6 32. a4 bxa4 33. xa4 dxd6 34.ea5
g7 ) 20... xc7 21. xc7 g4 ( 21... b5 ) 22. c4 f7!23. d6 d7 24. c5 ad8 25. d5 e6
26. d2 g4 27. b2b5=
16... c7 17. d5 By far the main move.
17. c5 is another critical approach, trying to stop Black from
castling.17... e6 18. d6 ( 18. c4 d8 19. e3 f4 20. c3 b6 21.a3 f7 22. c5 c8= ) 18... c6
This seems to hold for Black.
(18... OOO 19. xc7 xd3 20. c5 c4 21. xd3 xc7+/= ;18... c4 19. d2 OOO 20. fd1 b6
21. b1
f8 22.xe5! xd2 23. xd2 e6 24. xc4 ) 19. c4 ( 19. a5 b520. xb5+ axb5 21. xb7 c4
22. fe1 a7 23. c5 f4 24.a3 f7= ) 19... d8 20. c5 xe4
a) 21. xe4 fxe4 22. a5 ( 22. fe1 f7 23. xe4 he8 )22... b5!= This endgame should be
ok for Black.
b) 21. c3 21... f7 22. fe1 a4 23. xe5 xe5 24.xe5 ( 24. xe5 he8= ) 24... he8
We've arrived at this position by force. 25. c6 White's only serious try, but
after 25...xb3 26. c7+ Black can play the
important 26... f8! ( 26...g8 27. xe8+ xe8 28. cxb7 is very strong for White. The
difference is that after 28... b4 , threatening mate-in-2 with ...Re1+, White has the additional
move 29. c8 , which is quite strong. 29... f7 30. h3 f8 31. d1 )
b1) 27. xe8+ xe8 28. d6+ ( 28. cxb7 b4 29. h3 d530. xh7 xb7 31. h8+
f7 32. c7+ e7 33. h7+= )28... g7 29. cxb7 e4 30. c7+ g8 31. h3 d5
32. f3e3+ 33. h2 xb7 34. xb7 e5+=

b2) 27. axb3 27... xc6 28. xh7 xe1+ 29. xe1 e8= I think this is completely
equal.
17. c4 OO 18. d5+ f7 19. c5 f4 20. d2 f3! ( 20... g421. h3 ad8 22. xf7+ xf7 23. a5 c8
24. xb7 xb7 25.hxg4 c5 26. d8 f7=/ ) 21. g3 h3 22. fd1 b5=
17... f7 White has two move orders to get the same position, either starting with 18.f3 or 18.Nc5.
18. f3
18. c5 O-O ( 18... f4 ) 19. c4 transposes ( 19. b1? xd5 20.exd5 f4 21. c1 d8=/+ )
18. c4 O-O 19. c5 f4 transposes
18. d6 Once again preventing short
castling. 18... e6 19. b4 (19. c7 OO 20. fd1 f7= ) 19... f4 This manoeuvre equalises
immediately. 20. b6 f3 Creating a huge threat on the kingside. After21. gxf3 f6 22. fd1 h3 the
threats are so strong that White has to give an immediate perpetual with checks on a4 and
c4: 23. a4+f7 24. c4+ ( 24. d7+ g8 25. c4+ e6 26. d5 h6 ) 24...e8=
18. c5 is another option.
a) 18... a5 19. d3! d7 ( 19... e6? 20. fd1 ) 20. e2
b) 18... e6 is how Black should meet
it. 19. d6 d7 ( 19...c8 20. exf5 gxf5 21. a5 f8 22. xb7 xd6 23. xd6+e7
24. xf7+ xf7 25. d6 e4+/= ) 20. b6 ( 20. xd7+xd7 21. a5 b5 22. cd1 e6
23. b7 f7 ) 20... c6Chasing away the white queen. Black of course wants to liquidate into
any kind of endgame because his bishops will ensure he's doing ok. 21.b4 White avoids the
exchange. ( 21. xc6+ bxc6 22. a5 f7 )21... xb3 22. axb3 a5 Forcing the queen even
further
away. 23.a3 ( 23. a4 f7= ) 23... b6 24. d6 ( 24. e7 a7 25.h4 xe4 26. d6 f7
27. d8 e8= ) 24... fxe4 Black is ready to play ...Kf7 and finish his development. I think he's
very safe
here. 25. c4 ( 25. cd1 f7 26. b4 hc8 27. bxa5 bxa5 28.c4 xc4 29. xe5 xe5 30. d7+
g8 31. e7 c7! 32.xh7+ f8 33. e7+ g8= ) 25... f7 26. c5 bxc5 27. xc5hc8=
18... O-O Necessary.
18... e6 is risky because after 19. d6 d8 20. b4 White is better.
19. c5 Black has an obvious problem. He'd be perfectly fine if he could somehow include the bishop on c8 in the
game, but that's currently impossible. This position therefore posed a bit of a problem for me, but I finally settled
on
19... f6 ...Rd8 is an obvious threat, and White has two options.
19... xd5 20. exd5 b6 21. a4 b5 22. b6+/=
19... fxe4 20. fxe4 xd5 21. exd5 xf1+ 22. xf1
a) 22... b6 23. a4 b5 24. b6 b8 25. c4+/=

b) 22... b5 23. d6 ( 23. c4 f8 ) 23... f5 24. h3 h5 25. g5f7 26. d1 f6 27. xf6 xf6
28. h4
c) f8 23. a4 ( 23. c4 b5 ) 23... b5 24. b6 b8 25. c4bxc4 26. xc4 f5 27. e2+/=
20. fd1
20. b1 is also possible, creating an immediate threat to the b7-pawn.
a) 20... d8 21. xf7+ xf7 22. exf5 ( 22. xb7 d3 23.f2 xc3 24. d6+ g8 25. b6
g7 26. xc8 cxc8= )22... gxf5 23. b6+/=
b) 20... f4 21. f2 xd5 22. exd5 b5 23. a4 f5 24. a1fd8 ( 24... fc8 25. fd1 f7
26. g4+/= ) 25. fd1 f7 transposes
c) 20... xd5 21. exd5 b5 The reason for including ...Bf6 and Rb1 is as follows: first of all,
White would very much like to have the option of playing c3-c4, when the rook would be more
useful on c1 than b1. Secondly, after, let's say, 22. a4 d8 23. fd1 Black has an additional
important idea which I think is the best in the position: 23...f4 24. f2 f5 Hitting the rook on
b1. Black is ok however White responds.
c1) 25. e4 xe4 26. fxe4 dc8 I think this holds by force, although it looks quite
tricky. 27. axb5 axb5 28. e1 c4 Black has enough play to
equalise. 29. xb5 xe4 30. b6 d8 31.b7 a2 32. b8 ee2 33. xd8+ g7
34. d7+ ( 34.f1 xg2 35. d7+ h6 36. a7 ac2 37. f7 xh2 38.g1 cg2+
39. f1 c2= ) 34... h6 35. d2 exd2 36.xd2 xd2 37. f1 e4 38. c4 e3
39. d6 f2+ 40. e1xg2 41. f7 g1+ 42. e2 g2+=
c2) 25. a1 25... h5 Trying to stop the important positional idea of g4.
( 25... e7? 26. d6! ; 25... f7 26. g4 fxg3 27.hxg3+/= ) 26. e4 xe4 27. fxe4
ac8=
20... d8
20... f4 21. f2 d8 22. xd8+ ( 22. b3 xd1+ 23. xd1xb3 24. axb3 b5 25. b4 a5 26. bxa5 xa5
27. e1 a2= )22... xd8 23. xd8+ g7 With the centre completely secured I suspect White will be
better after the pawns on e5 and f4 fall, as they probably will.
21. xd8+
21. xf7+ xf7 22. xd8 xd8 23. exf5 gxf5 24. d1 b6 25.b1 a7=
21... xd8 22. xd8+ g7 Clearly this looks a bit worrying for Black as he's a little tied up and the rook on a8
isn't yet included in the play. Once again, however, I checked this quite seriously and I'm convinced you can play
like this with Black.
23. d5 Perhaps White's most straightforward approach. You can't really maintain the pin along the eighth rank so
White goes after the e5-pawn.

23. exf5 gxf5 24. d3 c7 25. d5 g8 26. xe5 d7 27.d4 e8 28. ce1 xe5 29. xe5 c4
30. b4 f7 31. a3=
23. cd1 xa2 24. f2 c2 25. f1 f4 26. d3 e6 27.xa8 xd3 28. e8 d7 29. a8 b5
30. h4 b3 31. e8a5 32. e7+ f6 33. c7 a4 34. c5 c4 35. a1 b5=
23. c4 b6 24. d7 e7 25. xb6 b7 26. b8 xb8 27. xb8fxe4 28. fxe4 xe4 29. e3 a3
30. e1 xa2 31. f2xc4=
23... fxe4
23... f4 24. f2 h6 25. cd1 c7 26. d3 e6 27. c5d7 28. xe5 d8 29. h4 f8 30. f2
24. fxe4 b6 25. d3 e6! 26. d6
26. xe5 c7 27. d2 g8 White has won the e5-pawn but the bishop on e6 is important for cutting
the most important squares off from the knight on e5. Black isn't going to get mated here and the
position is quite unclear. 28. d4 b5 29. f1 d8 ( 29... f8 ) 30. df2?b4

26... e7 Driving the rook away from the d-file.

26... e8 27. xe5 b7 28. d4 g8 29. e1 ( 29. f1xe4 30. d7= ) 29... b5 30. h3
27. xb6 g8 Black is now ready to start driving White's pieces away. If White does nothing Black will, for
instance, play ...Bc4 and the knight will have to go somewhere.
28. xe5 Black would now be in quite a bit of trouble if not for the fact that there's an immediate draw:
28... h3! Hitting the knight on e5.
29. d4 The only way to comfortably protect the knight.
29... g5 30. c2 xg2 31. xg2 c1+ 32. f2 f8+ 33.g3 f4+ 34. h3 h6+= Black has found a
perpetual and makes a draw.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e3 0-0
7...Nc6

7...0-0
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 This move has become exceedingly popular in recent years. It's been played in a World
Championship match and numerous elite level tournaments. I've played it with White myself a couple of times, and
obviously I've faced it with Black. You're very likely to run into it if you play the Grnfeld with Black these days so I
think it's extremely important that you know what you're doing. I'll attempt to guide you through some of the
positions you need to know.
3... d5 As this is a Grnfeld series I thought we should stick with the tried and tested method of playing ...d5 at
the first opportunity, although Black has a variety of less obvious choices.
3... c5 was played by Gelfand in his World Championship match against Anand and leads to King's
Indian/Benoni structures.
3... c6 is another option and a move I've played at least once. It leads to very interesting and
unbalanced positions which can be a lot of fun to look at, but I decided not to choose this as the
proposed solution to f2-f3.
3... e5 is an oddball variation that was tried by Leko against Kramnik many years ago.
3... e6 is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's creation, which he twice used against chess players from St.
Petersburg - once against Nikita Vitiugov in the decisive last-round game of the Gibraltar Masters and
once against me in the Alekhine Memorial. He scored 1.5/2 but I'm not sure the move is as good as the
results suggest, so I'm not going to be recommending it either, although it's an interesting move that's
also a lot of fun to look at.
4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 This is basically the point of playing 3.f3 - White forces Black to play ...d5 before the knight
appears on c3, so in this position there's no knight trade and the knight has to go back to b6.
5... b6 6. c3 g7 7. e3 O-O The main move at this fork in the road.
8. f4 This is an interesting sideline that I want to cover here. The move White should generally play, 8.Qd2, is
covered in 3.f3 Grnfeld: Part 2 .
8. a4 a5 are moves that have been included in some games, but I don't want to waste any time on this as
it's quite clearly anti-positional. Once the knight from b8 lands on b4 White will deeply regret what he's
done.
8. c1 is another possible waiting
move. 8... c6 9. d5 e5 10.d4 c6 11. f4 g4 12. xg7 xg7 13. e2 White has developed in a very
typical manner - exchanging the dark-squared bishops as soon as possible, driving the knight away and
hoping for some advantage in the centre, or to take on c6 with a better pawn structure on the queenside.
In this particular position, however, Black has the very important resource13... e5! , indirectly
protecting the knight on g4 due to 14. xg4h4+ Black is just fine. This has been known about for a
number of years so I'm not really covering any new ground here, but it's important to have some general
idea of what's going on in these minor sidelines.

8... c6 9. d5
9. f3 g4 10. d5 a5 11. d4 xf3 12. gxf3 e6
9... a5 10. d4 This is a very well-known position.
10... g4 A treasured memory of mine. I ran into this idea many, many years ago and haven't encountered the
position since - in fact I'm very unlikely to encounter it in general - so I'd very much like to share it with you even
though I think 10...e5 is a more practical solution. The reason I'm including this is that as well as giving general
opening advice I thought that in this series I might try to explain why I'm so fascinated by the Grnfeld and why I
keep on playing it year in, year out. This is one of the lines that still brings a smile to my face when I stumble
across this file in my Grnfeld database.
10... e5 is the "classical" option, and something Boris Avrukh recommends in his book. I believe it leads to
a more or less forced draw.
a) 11. fxe5 c6! 12. d6 ( 12. f3 cxd5 13. c5 c6=/ ) 12...ac4 13. f3 g4 14. xc4
xc4 15. b3 xf3 16. gxf3xe5 17. O-O-O xd6 Ward-Howell, Gibraltar 2004
b) 11. xe5 11... xe5 12. fxe5 h4+ 13. g3 e7
b1) 14. f3 g4
b2) 14. b3 xe5 15. c1 f5 ( 15... e7 16. g2 f5 17.ge2 fxe4 18. d4 g4
19. xe4 xe4 20. xe4Dokhoian-Krasenkow, Minsk
1986 ) 16. f3 e7 17. e5 d8
b3) 14. d4 14... d8! ( 14... c5 15. d6! cxd4 16. dxe7e8 17. d5 xd5 18. exd5
xe7 19. b4 ) 15. b4
b31) 15... c6 16. c5 g5 17. f3 h5 18. e2xe5 19. OO h3
( 19... xf3+ 20. xf3 e5 21.b5 h3 Naslund-Horvath, Budapest
2008 22. fc1! ) 20.h4 g5 21. f4 bd7 22. f2 h5 Botez-Gara,
Mexico City UNAM w Gp C 2012
b32) ac4!
b321) 16. xc4 xb4 17. f3 xc4 18. e3 e8!Avrukh
( 18... c6 19. c1 g4 20. d2 b4 21. OO
cxd5 22. exd5 xd5 23. xd5 xd5 24. e4 Mamedyarov-Shirov,
Baku rapid
2009 ) 19. c1 ( 19. d1g4 20. e6 xf3 21. exf7+ xf7 22. xf3
+ g7 23.f1 d7 ; 19. e6 fxe6 20. e5 b4 21. g4 f8
22. b1 e7 23. d4 e5 24. xe5 xe5 25. xe5h3=/+ )
19... d7 20. b1 ( 20. h6 xe5! ) 20...a6! ( 20... b4+
21. bd2 xe5 22. xe5 xe5 23.xc7 ) 21. c3 b6! 22. c6
d3

b322) 16. f3 16... g4 17. xc4 xf3 18. OOxb4 19. e6

( 19. xf3 xc4 20. e3 d7 21. f4f8 22. b1 ae8 23. b5
a6 24. c3 xa2 25.a3 xe5 Moskalenko-Konguvel, Barcelona
2004 ) 19...fxe6 20. xf3 xc4 21. f6 exd5 22. e6+ h8
23.f6+=

11. d3 The lines arising after this move are the reason I went off on this whole tangent.
11. f3? , with a position that can also be reached if White starts with 10.Nf3 and only plays 11.Bd4
after 10...Bg4, is no good for White, as Black can play 11... xf3 12. gxf3
a) 12... e5 13. fxe5 c8! is an interesting but completely unnecessary alternative:
a1) 14. a4 c6 15. xb6 ( 15. d6 d7 16. b4 xe5 17.bxa5 xd6=/ ) 15... axb6
16. b4 cxd5 17. bxa5 dxe4 18.g2 ( 18. h4 exf3 19. xb6 e7 20. f2 xe5 21. b1
e4 ) 18... e7 19. e2 b4+ 20. d2 a4 21. e3xa5+ 22. f1 fd8
a2) 14. d2 c5 15. f2 xe5 16. f4 bc4 17. xc4 xc418. e2 xc3+ 19. bxc3 b5
20. a4 a6
a3) 14. c2 14... c5 15. f2 xe5 16. h3 f6 17. OOOac4 ( 17... c7 18. b5
bc4 ) 18. xc8 xb2 19.xb2 c4+ 20. b3 a5+ 21. b2 c4+=
b) e6! Once again, Black has the very important threat of Qh4+ and is probably already better
here.
11. e2 This is White's second major option. It's important for Black to start with 11... e5 straightaway.
There are almost no lines where Black can avoid playing e5 altogether, but here it's important not to take
on e2 first. ( 11... xe2 12. gxe2 e5 In this case White has the option of playing 13. dxe6 because the
bishop on d4 is now
protected. ) 12. fxe5( 12. xe5 xe2 13. xe2 xe5 14. fxe5 h4+ 15. g3 e7 16.f3 ac4= )
12... xe2 Only now, and after, for
instance, 13.gxe2 ( 13. xe2 h4+ 14. g3 e7 15. f3 ac4= ) 13...ac4 it's quite clear that Black's
situation has improved in comparison to the normal lines, because the knight on e2 is horribly misplaced it really has to be on f3.
11... e5! 12. fxe5
12. xb6? axb6 13. b4 b3
12. xe5 is better for White, objectively speaking. 12... xe5 13.fxe5 ac4 14. d4 ( 14. g3 After
this move Black has the very strong reply 14... g5 , threatening mate-in-one. White can defend against
the threat with 15. d1 but now 15... f5! is extremely strong. Black is probably already better in the
ensuing complications. ) 14... c515. xc5 xe5=/ The open c-file, advantage in development and
general piece activity should compensate Black for the single pawn he had to sacrifice.
12... ac4 13. g3 This position is the reason I decided to show this whole line. It seems as though Black is in a
lot of trouble. The bishop on g4 is hanging and White is only one move away from completely consolidating and
just being a pawn up.
13. h3 is probably the move White should play, objectively speaking. Black will
reply 13... h4+ 14. g3 h5 15. g2 d7 and although the position is still very unclear it's probably
around equality. But this line would be boring...
13... c5 14. xc5
14. f2 xe5

14... xe5 15. xg4 xb2 Black is a whole piece down, but in fact White's queenside is about to collapse and
White has problems equalising.
16. c1
16. h3 straightaway is most easily met by 16... xc3+ ( 16... c817. b4 is less
clear. ) 17. xc3 6a4 18. d4 xc5 and we've arrived at another picturesque position. White has a
choice of two knights that he can seemingly take for free, but
after 19. xc5 ( 19. xb2h4+ ) 19... h4+ 20. d2 xe4 Black has a lot of activity and is doing well
because White's king is so completely unsafe. All these lines are a good example of what Black can hope
for if White is a little imprecise in the more ambitious lines of the Grnfeld.
16... c8
16... e8
17. xf8
17. f3 h5 18. h3 xc5 19. xe5 g5

17. b4 e8 ( 17... 6a4 18. xf8 xf8 19. e2 xc3 20.f3 h5 21. h3 c7 )
17... xf8 and after, for instance,
18. f3
18. f3 xc3+
18. e2 h6 19. c2 xc3
18... xc3+ 19. xc3 b4 White will lose an entire rook on the c3-square, leaving him almost lost.
20. e2 2a4 21. a3 a5 22. d2 xc3 23. xc3 a4

7...Nc6
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 b6 6. c3g7 7. e3 c6 This is a move I played myself
against Fabiano Caruana in one of the Grand Prix tournaments. It's an important alternative for Black, and
although I'm not recommending it for this particular series I've included some notes on the move.
8. d5 The most obvious reply.
8. b5 is, however, perhaps the most advisable move, as it gives White more flexibility in the upcoming
play. 8... OO ( 8... d7 9. ge2a5 10. xd7+ xd7 11. b3 c6 12. d2+/= ) 9. ge2 a5 10.b3 e5
( 10... a6 11. d3 c6 12. c2 e6 13. O-O e7 14. c1e5 15. d5 d4 16. d1+/= KhismatullinYandemirov, Voronezh 2006 )

a) 11. d5 c6 12. dxc6 xc6 ( 12... bxc6 13. d3 h4+ 14.f2 e7 15. c2 b7 16. d1 e6
17. OO fd8 18. e3f8 19. ad1 c5 20. c1+/= ) 13. xc6 ( 13. xd8 xd814. f2
d4 15. hd1 e6 16. d3 ac8 17. b5 xb518. xb5 f6= ; 13. c5 h4+ 14. g3 h5
15. xf8 xf816. xc6 bxc6 17. d3 h3=/ ) 13... bxc6 14. xd8 xd815. f2 f8 16.
hd1 a6=
b) 11. dxe5
b1) 11... h4+ 12. f2 ( 12. g3 e7 13. f4 h3 14. c2fd8 15. f2 a6 16. d3
c6=/ Bakker-Gutman, Dresden
2007 ) 12... e7 13. f4 d8 14. c2 a6 15. d3 c6 16.a3
b2) 11... xe5 12. OO ( 12. c5 h4+ 13. g3 h5 14.xf8 xf3 15. d2 xf8 ;
12. f4 g7 13. c5 ) 12...e7 ( 12... a6 13. d3 c6 14. f4 g7 15. e5+/= )
13.e1 a6 ( 13... d8 14. d1 xd1 15. xd1 a6 16. d3c6 17. f2 g7
18. c1 e6 19. f4 d8 20. b1 d421. xd4 xd4 22. xd4 xd4 23. f5 Boch
arov-Timofeev, Khanty-Mansijsk Russia Cup Final
2012 ) 14. d3 c6 15. d1d6 16. f2 e5 17. b1 e6 18. h3 f6 19. f4 ed7
20.d4 f7 21. ce2 c5 22. f3 c4 23. fd4 Bocharov-Timofeev, Khanty-Mansijsk
Russia Cup Final 2012
8... e5 9. d4
9. f4 g4
a) 10. b5+ d7 11. d4 ( 11. xg4 xc3+ 12. bxc3 xb513. d4 f8 14. a4 xa4 15. d1
b6 16. f3 d6 17.e5 d7 18. f2 c6 19. g7 g8 20. d4 c4 Gupta-Zhu Chen,
Gibraltar Masters
2012 ) 11... xd4 12. xd4 OO 13.e2 f6 ( 13... e5 14. fxe5 h4+ 15. g3 ; 13... c6 14. dxc6
bxc6 ) 14. a4 a5 15. f3 c6 16. ge2 cxd5 17. e5 e4 18.xd5 xd5 19. xd5 c6 20. d4
a6 21. c1 f5 22.exf6 ( 22. O-O b6 23. xb6 xb6 24. d4 d8 25. fd1xb2 1/2
Khismatullin-Yandemirov, Sochi 2006 ) 22... xf6=
b) 10. d4 10... f6 ( 10... xd4 11. xd4 OO tr) 11. b5+d7 12. xd7+ xd7 13. f3
OO 14. OO c6 15. dxc6xc6 16. e1 fd8 17. c1 ac8 18. e5 fd7 19. h4
f8+/= Gelfand-Timofeev, Eilat 17th ECC 2012
9... O-O 10. f4 g4 11. xg7
11. f3 f6 ( 11... xd4 12. xd4 e6 13. h3 f6 14. OOO
exd5 15. exd5 d6 16. g4 d8 ) 12. d2 ( 12. h3 e6 ) 12...e6 13. dxe6 xe6 14. OOO c5 15. e5
xd2+ 16. xd2 fd817. d3 g4 18. xg7 xg7 19. e1 c4 20. h3 f6 21.ed1 e8 22. c2+/
= Anand-Caruana, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 5th Masters 2012
11. h3 e5! 12. xb6 h4+ 13. g3 ( 13. d2 axb6 ) 13...xg3+ 14. d2 axb6 15. hxg4 exf4

11... xg7 12. d4+

12. f3 c6 ( 12... e6 ) 13. d4+ f6 14. dxc6 xd4 15. xd4bxc6 16. e2 c5 17. b3 c4 18. a5 e6
19. O-O-O ac8 20.f3 fd7 Dreev-Smirin, Biel 2002
12. e2 f6 13. f3 c6 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. O-O+/=

12... g8 transposes.
12... f6 13. OOO c6N ( 13... e6 14. f3 exd5 15. e5=/ ) 14.h3 ( 14. dxc6 xd4 15. xd4 bxc6
16. f3 b7 17. d2 ad818. d3+/= ) 14... c7 ( 14... cxd5 15. g4 c7! 16. exd5 g8 17.g2
d8 ) 15. e5 xe5 16. fxe5 fd7 17. f3 Mamedyarov-Kamsky, Nalchik FIDE GP 2009
12... f6 13. f3 ( 13. h3 e5 14. d2 h6 15. fxe5 fxe5 16.f3 f7 ) 13... e5
a) 14. d2 exf4 15. xf4 e7 16. h3 e5 17. OOO d7 18.b1 ae8 19. d4 a6
20. e2 d6 Savchenko-Yandemirov, Sochi 2006 ( 20... c8 21. g4! )
b) 14. fxe5? fxe5 15. xe5 c5+
c) 14. dxe6 14... e7 15. h3 ( 15. f5 d8 16. d5 xd5 17.exd5 gxf5 18. O-O-O c6 GoganovYandemirov, Kazan 34th R. Nezhmetdinov Cup
2012 ) 15... d8 16. g1 h6 17. e2xe6 18. f2 f7 19. O-O c6+/=
13. e2 c6 14. xg4 xg4 15. h3
15. f5
a) 15... e5 16. f2 gxf5 ( 16... cxd5 17. h3 d4 18. hxg4 dxc319. bxc3 c4 ) 17. h3 ( 17. exf5
g5 18. dxc6 bxc6 19. f3g7 ) 17... h5 18. exf5 f6 19. dxc6 ( 19. g4 e8! ) 19...bxc6
b) 15... cxd5 16. h3 e5 17. f2 transposes.
c) gxf5 16. h3 h5 17. exf5 f6 ( 17... e5 18. f2 f6 transposes) 18. h4 f7 19. dxc6 bxc6
20. ge2
15... d7 16. f3 cxd5 17. exd5 e6= Caruana-Svidler, Tashkent FIDE GP 2012

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Qd6 10.h4/e5/d5/f4
10.Kb1
10.Nb5

7...0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Qd6 10.h4 & other moves

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 b6 6. c3g7 7. e3 O-O 8. d2 c6 This is the move I
want to cover here, as it's something I've been doing exclusively in this position. I've never played 8...e5 in my life
so I thought I should stick to stuff I'm more comfortable doing myself.
8... e5 is the other major option. 9. d5 c6 10. h4 This has been played in a variety of high-level games
and was seen, for instance, in the Anand-Gelfand match. It's a very interesting position and one that's a
lot of fun to analyse.
9. O-O-O d6 This is by far the most topical move in this position, and something I've encountered with both
colours. I had this position with White against Fabiano Caruana and with Black against Wang Hao in Stavanger in
2013. White has a variety of options.
9... f5 To be honest with you, my original intention was to recommend this move, which I've been playing
for a number of years. I even began that video, but then I ran into some very serious chess problems
equalising after 10. e5 , so the idea had to be scrapped. Perhaps some day I'll film a video explaining why
I think this line is a bit of a problem for Black, but for now we'll concentrate on the alternative.
10. h4 The two main moves in this position, 10.Kb1 and 10.Nb5 , will be covered later, but this is quite a serious
possibility. In general, the whole point of the 3.f3 line is to castle long and try and give mate, which distinguishes
it from the normal Grnfeld fare where White is perhaps more concerned with positional advancement.
10. d5 e5 drives the black pieces towards the squares they want to occupy. The computer even
suggests playing 11. b3 here, which is a good indication that something has gone badly
wrong. 11... f5 ( 11... a3+12. b2 xb2+ 13. xb2 f5 )
10. f4 isn't particularly good either. 10... g4 11. f3 fd8 12. d5Otherwise the centre is about to
fall. 12... xc3 is probably the most practical solution, and Black's response is the same regardless of
how White takes. 13. xc3 ( 13. bxc3 e6 ) 13... e6 Once again the white centre is under immediate
attack and Black is doing fine. 14. c4xc4 15. xc4 exd5 16. xd5 e7
10. e5 b4 is completely counterproductive for White, as it drives the queen directly to the squares it
wants to occupy. Nc4 will now be a constant threat, as will Rd8, and the bishop has a fantastic square on
f5.
10... d8 After this move White has to pay attention to the centre.
11. b5
11. d5 e5 is once again not particularly attractive for
White. 12.f2 ( 12. b5 d7 13. c2 c6 14. xa7 xa7 15. xb6xa2 ) 12... c6 13. dxc6 c7
11... d7 12. h5 a6 13. c3 We're following a game Grischuk and Mamedyarov played in 2010.

13. h6 axb5 14. xg7 d6! 15. hxg6 ( 15. h6 xa2 16. hxg6xg6 ) 15... xg6+
13... xd4 The much more practical decision.
13... xd4 was the move played by Mamedyarov, which after 14. hxg6 fxg6 15. g4 led to an incredibly
crazy position which I think is objectively quite ok for Black, but requires a lot of knowledge and precise
"computer-like" play.
a) 15... c6 16. f2 ( 16. h2 h5 17. gxh5 a4 18. d3e6 ) 16... e6 17. xd8+ xd8
18. e2 f7 19. h4 h620. xe7 d7 21. xd7 xd7 Grischuk-Mamedyarov, Moscow 2010
b) 15... e5 16. h2
14. hxg6
14. xd4 xd4 15. f4 f6 16. xd8+ xd8 17. xc7 d7 is safe for Black both here and after the
inclusion of 18. hxg6 fxg6
14... fxg6 15. d5 The critical move in this position. Black can reply in a variety of ways.
15. xd4 xd4 16. f4 f6 ( 16... f8 17. xc7 b4 18. a3c5 19. b1 e6 ) 17. xd8+ xd8
18. xc7 d7 , and Black is fine.
15... xd5
15... xe3 is the one "wrong" solution: 16. xe3 e8 At the moment the Nxc7 fork is impossible
because of the queen check on d8 after exchanging rooks on d1, but if White finds 17. e2! Black's
position is somewhat dangerous, because now Nxc7 is a huge threat, and
after 17...xd5 18. exd5 b4 19. b3 White gets a lot of initiative on the kingside after driving the
knight away from b4. 19... a5 20. a3 a621. h3 xh3 22. xh3+/=
15... g7 is a very decent alternative for Black, although time constraints mean I'm not going to go into
any detail about it here.
16. c4 The point of the previous play.
16. xd4 is a somewhat naive move which runs into 16... b6! and Black is just perfectly
fine. 17. e3 e5=/+
16... e6 The most practical solution.
16... xe3 17. xe3 e6 ( 17... b4 18. exd5 f5 19. b3+/= )18. exd5 a5 is fine for Black, but
after 19. d3 exd5 and the somewhat strange-looking 20. e4! I think White has enough compensation
for the pawns he had to sacrifice:
a) 20... f7 21. xd5! xd5 22. xd5 c6! ( 22... xd5?23. e8+ g7 24. e7+
f7 25. xh7++ )
b) 20... d4 21. g5 c6 22. g4 e7 23. h3=/
16... g7 also allows unnecessary complications: 17. h3 ( 17. exd5e5 18. b3 a5 is very good for
Black. ) 17... e6 18. exd5 e7 19.f4

17. xd4 b6 18. xb6 Forced.

18... e7! Perhaps even stronger than just exchanging queens, as after
19. e3 xd1+ 20. xd1 cxb6 Black has a safer king and is currently a pawn up. White can regain the pawn at
the cost of tempi by playing
21. xb6 but after
21... e5 Black gets his pieces to good squares and is doing perfectly fine.

10.Kb1
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 b6 6. c3g7 7. e3 O-O 8. d2 c6 9. O-OO d6 10. b1 One of the two main moves in this position.
10... d8 11. b5 The variations here are extremely tricky and extremely tactical.
11. d5 b4!
11... d7 12. d5 It's already possible for Black to go wrong here.
12... a6! A necessary move, after which White has three options.
12... e5 13. c2 c6 14. xa7 White was already quite a bit better here in a game between
Viswanathan Anand and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.14... xa7 15. xb6 a8 16. e2 e8 17. c3 AnandMamedyarov, Ajaccio 2011
13. c3 The main move.
13. dxc6 is the least critical move, and leads to a more or less immediate
draw. 13... xd2 14. xd2 xd2 15. xd2 axb5 16. cxb7 ( 16.xb5 bxc6 17. xc6 b8 18. b3 c4
19. c2 b6 ) 16...xb7 17. xb5 f5! Attacking the centre immediately.
( 17... d8 18.c1 d4 19. b3 xe4 20. e2 e5 21. a4 c6 22. d3 c5 23.d1+/= ) 18. exf5 d5 Th
e a2-pawn is hanging and the queenside is very much under attack. In a couple of games that reached this
position White immediately bailed out.
a) 19. fxg6 xa2 20. gxh7+ h8 21. c3 ( 21. c1 a5 )21... xc3 22. bxc3 xg2 23. h4 c6=
b) 19. b3 gxf5

c) 19. e2 19... xa2+ 20. c2 gxf5 and the position is of course completely
equal. 21. c3 ( 21. b3 c5 22. e3 c4 23. xb6xb3+ 24. d2 b8 25. b1 e6 26. e3 a2
So-Lou Yiping, Ho Chi Minh City Asia Cont-ch
2012 ) 21... c4 22. xc4+ xc423. d4 e3+ 24. d3 xg2 25. xf5 f4+ 26. c4 xc3
27. bxc3 f7 28. e1 g6 Vitiugov-Giri, Reggio Emilia 54th GM 2011

13. a3 A more critical attempt. The reason the knight retreats to this square and not c3 is to prevent
Black from using the c4-square as a base for both of his knights, but unfortunately here White runs into
tactical interference: 13... e8! A very thematic reply. In this position White has a choice between Qc1
and Qe1. ( 13... e5 14. h3 )
a) 14. c1 a4! 15. dxc6 Two moves are possible for Black. ( 15.d2 is simply met
by 15... b4 and Black is ready to start attacking the white centre and the queenside. He's
already doing very well
here. 16. c4 c5 17. dxc6 a5 ) 15... xb2 ( 15... xd116. xd1 xb2 is also fine, as can be
seen in the 14.Qe1 line. ) 16.xd8 xd8 17. c2 b5! White is ok after either 18.Bc1 or
18.Nc4.18. c1 ( 18. c4 g7 19. a5 c3+ 20. c1 d6 ) 18...xc1

a1) 19. xc1 e6 White is the one who has to worry, and worry quite seriously, about
surviving the next 5-10 moves, because Black's attack on the queenside is very strong
and White is very poorly prepared for
it. 20. e2 d3+ 21. c2 d8 22. f4 c323. d3 ( 23. xe6 d1!+ ) 23... b4!
24. xe6 ( 24. a1e5+ ) 24... fxe6 25. e1 xd3 26. xd3 xd3+ 27.c2 c3+
28. b2 d4
a2) 19. xc1 19... d6 20. d3 xc6+ 21. c2 e6 , and Black is better.

b) 14. e1
b1) 14... a7 15. h4 b5 is a very thematic idea, in this case leading to equality
after 16. xb5 axb5 17. h5 c4 18. xc4bxc4 19. e2 ( 19. hxg6 a4 ; 19. d4 a4
20. a3 c3+ )19... xb2! ( 19... a4 20. c3 xc3 21. xc3 xa2+ 22.c2 is less
clear. ) 20. xb2 xa2+! 21. xa2 a4+ 22.b1 b3+ 23. c1 a3+=
b2) 14... a4! Black's response is the same as after
Qc1. 15.dxc6 xd1+ 16. xd1 xb2 17. c2 bxc6 Opening the bfile. 18. c4 b8=/+ 19. c1 For now it seems as though Black's threats have been
parried, but after a quiet move like 19... c5Black has a tremendous attack for very
little material - he already has two pawns for a piece. This is frankly inadvisable for
White.
13... e8 White once again has a choice between Qe1 or Qc1, as Black obviously wants to play ...e6 and hit the
white centre straightaway.
13... e5 A very interesting idea of Areshchenko's. 14. d4
a) 14... d6 15. f2! f5 16. e2 ( 16. h3 fxe4 17. fxe4 f818. f3 d7 19. e2+/= )
16... fxe4
17. fxe4 g4 18. xg4xg4 19. f3 xd4 20. xd4 f8 21. h3 xf3 22. gxf3c5 23. hd1
c4 24. a1
b) c5 A pawn sacrifice. 15. xc5 ec4 This is a very complex position where Black gets a lot of
play for his pawn. Time constraints meant I couldn't cover this position in the video, but you'll
find my notes
below. 16. c1 ( 16. xc4 xc4 17. c1 c7 18. d4 e519. f2 b5 20. b3 d6 21. e3 f5
22. c1 e7 , and Black was soon better: 23. b6 fxe4 24. xe4 f5 25. e3 a5=/+EljanovAreshchenko, Kiev 81st UKR-ch 2012 )

b1) 16... c7 It's possible to continue in a similar vein to the Eljanov-Areshchenko

game: 17. d4 xd4 ( 17... e5 18. f2 )18. xd4 c5 19. ge2 d7 ( 19... e5
20. a4! ) 20. h4 (20. a1 ) 20... e5=/
b2) 16... xb2
b21) 17. xb6 xd1 18. xd1 e6! is quite ok for Black.
b211) 19. c7 xc7 20. xc7 d7 21. d6 e5 22.e3 ( 22. f2
xd6 23. xd6 xd6 ) 22... xd6 23.xd6 ( 23. b6 c7
24. xc7 xc7 25. h3 d726. d3 d8 ) 23... xd6 24. e2
d7 25. c1a4 with an unclear endgame.
b212) 19. e3 d6!= 20. xd8 b4+ 21. c2 d7 22.c7 c3+
( 22... c8 23. d1 e5 24. d3 xc725. b1 c5=/ )
23. b1 a1+ 24. c2 c3+=
b213) 19. xd8 19... xd8 20. c4 d7 21. dxe6fxe6 22. b3 a5 ,
and despite being a whole piece down Black has excellent
compensation.
b22) 17. xb2 17... a4 18. xa4 xb2 19. xb2 c7with a very sharp and u
nbalanced position which is quite difficult to assess.
13... a5 14. d4 ( 14. b3 d6 )
a) 14... bc4 15. xc4! ( 15. f2? e5 16. c5 b6 17. b4c5 18. xa5 xa5=/+ GustafssonMekhitarian, Reykjavik
2011 )15... xc4 16. c1 ( 16. d3 e5 17. c5 b5 ) 16... xd4 (16... e5 17. dxe6 xe6
18. xg7 xd1 19. xd1 xg7 20.d4+ f6 21. d5 ) 17. xd4 b5 18. ge2 b7 ( 18... d6
19. h4 h5 20. g4 hxg4 21. h5 gxf3 22. hxg6 f6 ) 19. b3 ( 19.h4 e5 20. dd1 b4 21. a4 b5
22. h5 ) 19... d6 20. h4h5 21. g4 hxg4 22. h5
b) 14... e5 15. c5 has been played in a number of games. ( 15.f2 straightaway may be
better rather than prompting Black to play
...b6.) 15... bc4 16. c1 b6 17. f2 d6 18. h4 b4 19.g4 f5 20. g5 fxe4 21. xe4 f5
22. d3 xd5 23. xc4xc4 24. xd5 xe4+ 25. fxe4 a3+ 26. a1 xe4 27.d2 xh1
28. bxa3 f8 Mamedyarov-Volokitin
14. c1
14. e1 has been played by Levon Aronian, which is a mark of quality straightaway, and requires quite
a lot of precision from Black, although I think he's fine.
a) 14... a7 , with the idea of playing ... Nb5 later, is thematic in all of these kinds of
situations, but in this particular position I think White is better:
a1) 15. f4 b5! 16. xb5 axb5 17. xc7 c4 18. xc4bxc4 19. e2 xb2
20. xb2 b5+ 21. c1 ( 21. a1xa2+ 22. xa2 b3+= ) 21... xa2 22. c3 d7
leads to a draw: 23. f4 xc7 24. d6 exd6 25. d5 c5 26. f6+f8 27. d5=

a2) 15. h4! 15... b5 16. xb5 axb5 17. h5! ( 17. xb6cxb6 18. h5 e6=/+ ) 17... c4
and now, for instance, 18. hxg6fxg6 ( 18... hxg6 19. c1 c6 20. h4 ) 19. d4 I
think Black's attack on the queenside simply isn't fast enough to cause White too many
problems, so this isn't particularly recommended.19... xd4 20. xd4 e5 21. d1
b) 14... a5 15. h4 leads to very sharp and messy positions which I don't believe Black needs to enter
here.
c) 14... e5 The play here is very forcing. 15. e2 Preparing for the ...e6 break, as Black has very few
other sensible ideas in this position. 15... e6 16. xb6 cxb6 17. f4 White has taken away both the c4 and
g4-squares from the knight, and Black needs to react energetically:
c1) 17... d7 was played by Fabiano Caruana against Levon Aronian, and
after 18. dxe6 xe6 White missed a very strong move.
c11) 19. f3 could have been met by 19... xc3! , accepting the double pawn
sacrifice
( 19... e8? 20. h4 f6 21.g5 f8 22. c4 g7 23. g3 xg5 24. fxg5 e6
25.d5 xd5 26. xd5 Aronian-Caruana, Moscow Tal Memorial
2012 ) 20. xc3 xe4+ 21. d3 xf4 I feel Black should be fine
here. 22. hf1 f8 23. c2 c5
c12) 19. f3!+/= White is better
c2) 17... exd5! This isn't a novelty as it's already been played by Kateryna Lahno against Zhao
Xue in a Women's Grand Prix. 18.fxe5 Accepting the sacrifice is necessary if White wants to fight
for an advantage. ( 18. xd5 g4 Black was already doing very well in that
game. 19. f3 e6 20. e2 xd5 21. exd5 e3 22.d3 c4 Zhao Xue-Lahno Jermuk FIDE
WGP 2012 ) 18... dxe419. xd8 xd8=/ White now needs to play the very precise 20.d1 ,
quickly transferring the bishop to c2, from where it will cover the queenside quite sufficiently.
Otherwise the position would be very uncomfortable for White, and I can understand why the
Chinese player didn't go for the sacrifice if she hadn't seen Bd1. Now Black actually needs to be
quite careful. 20... e6 It's important to start with this move. ( 20... xe5 doesn't seem to
equalise after 21. xe4 f5 22. f3 d5 23. c2+/= )
c21) 21. xe4 c8! Black gets his counterplay in as soon as possible and creates the
huge threat of ...Qd3+ 22. c3d3+ 23. a1 ( 23. c2 xa2+ White is already in
trouble
here. 24. xa2 xc2 ) 23... xe5 24. ge2 b5 25.c1 d4 26. b3 b4 27. xe6
bxc3 28. xc8 cxb2+29. b1 bxc1=Q+ 30. xc1 , and here the machine suggests Black
might even be slightly better after the surreal 30... h5 , but for humans knowing
30...Qa1+ is a draw should be enough :D
c22) 21. c2 21... xe5 Only now does Black take on e5. I think he's fine, as you can
see in the analysis below.
c221) 22. xe4? d5
c222) 22. xe4 xc3 23. bxc3 d7 24. f3 a4 25.e2 e8 26. d3 c4
27. d2 b5+ 28. c2xd3+ 29. xd3 e2+ 30. d2 a4+ 31. b1
( 31.c1 xg2 ) 31... xg2
c223) 22. xe4 22... xc3 23. bxc3 g5=/ ( 23...d2=/ )

14... a5 Black's plan is once again quite obvious in this position. Although in some situations the knight will
come to c4 you mainly want to challenge the white centre with ...e6. White of course wants to stop that.
14... e5 is similar to the previous lines. 15. e2 ( 15. h4 e6 16. h5exd5 17. hxg6 fxg6 is good for
Black.; 15. d4 e6 16. f4 g4 )15... e6 ( 15... ec4 16. d4 e5 17. c5+/= ) 16. xb6 cxb6 17.f4 h6
( 17... d7 18. dxe6 xe6 19. f3+/= ) 18. g4 ( 18. d6b5 19. a3 f6 20. h4 f7 21. h5 ) 18... exd5
19. g5 g7 20.fxe5 dxe4 21. xd8 xd8 22. d1! , but here White is a bit more coordinated and
there's no immediate equality for
Black: 22... d4 23.c2 xe5 24. xe4 f5 25. c2 xe4 26. xe4 xe4+ 27.xe4 e8 28. g3
h6 ( 28... e1+ 29. c2 a1 30. 1e2xa2 31. c3+/= ) 29. gxh6 xh6 30. f3 e3 31. f1+/=
15. f4 The main move that Black has to concern himself with. This creates an unpleasant threat to the c7-pawn
which can't be met by any attractive-looking moves.
15. xb6? cxb6 16. b4 seems to be a way for White to win a piece in two moves, but the position
after 16... e6! 17. bxa5 exd5 is probably already better for Black. The king on b1 is completely unsafe
and Black gets a lot of play for the piece. 18. xd5 e6+
15. h4 e6
a) 16. g5 f6 17. d2 ( 17. f4 f7 ) 17... ac4 18. xc4xc4 19. f4 b5!
b) 16. f4 16... e7 17. g5 f6 18. e3 exd5 19. xb6cxb6 20. xd5 f7 21. h5 e6= was
fine for Black in Rodshtein-Bok, Biel 2012
15... d7 This is the move Black has to play. It looks a bit ugly but it'll work out in the end.
16. h6 The normal move.
16. g3 It's important to note that you have to be prepared to sacrifice material in this line with Black,
because in a lot of cases that's the only way to avoid landing in trouble. For instance, here Black needs to
play16... c6! 17. h3 cxd5 18. xd7 xd7=/ and the compensation for the exchange is at least enough
for equality.
16... h8 17. ge2
17. h4 c6 18. h5 cxd5 19. hxg6 fxg6=/+
17... c6 White now has time to play
18. f4 , preventing Black from opening the centre because taking on d5 will see White land a huge knight on
that square. Black instead has a very interesting and important resource:
18... d6! This somewhat strange-looking move actually has a very sensible explanation - Black wants to play
...Bd7 and then ...Rc8, bringing his last two pieces into play.
18... d8 19. e2 is less clear.
19. b3 This move looks a bit ugly, but the queen needs some means of getting away from c1 when a rook lands on
c8. This secures the e3-square for the queen as it prevents a knight coming to c4.
19. h4 d7 20. h5 c8 21. hxg6 fxg6

19. e3 d8 20. g5 ac4 21. xc4 xc4 22. e2 xc3 23.bxc3 e5

19... d7 20. e2 c8 21. e3 In this position Black is finally ready to start simplifications:
21... cxd5 22. cxd5 xd5 23. xd5 e6 24. d3 xd5 25.exd5 e6= Black will be in time to completely
annihilate the pawn centre and should be fine.

10.Nb5
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 b6 6. c3g7 7. e3 O-O 8. d2 c6 9. O-OO d6 10. b5 d7 11.f4 This was played against me in the Stavanger tournament by Wang Hao. It was a bit
of a disaster for me as, just as many top chess players are prone to do these days, I pretty much forgot the first
move of my opening preparation as I didn't expect to see this line. I had a complete blackout.
11. b1 d8 transposes to 10.Kb1.
11. h4 d8 transposes.
11. a3 e5 12. d5 d4
a) 13. f4 c5! 14. fxe5 e7

b) 13. b1 c6 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. a5 c5! ( 15... b8 16. e2c5 17. xd4 cxd4 18. d2 b7
19. d3 e6 ; 15... b7 16.e2 b8 17. d2 d5 18. exd5 f5+ 19. a1 c2 20.c3
cxd5 21. xd4 fc8 22. c4 Ivanchuk-Sutovsky, Ningbo
2011 ) 16. e2 ( 16. xc5 b8 ) 16... e7 17. xd4 exd4 18.d2 e6
c) 13. e2 13... c5 ( 13... c6 ) 14. b1 d6 15. c3 a6
11. h6 I played this against Fabiano Caruana myself. It's an interesting try, but by now it's pretty much
closed because of the following line: 11...xh6 12. xh6 a6 13. c3 xd4 Black has once again won
the central pawn. 14. f4
a) 14... c5 gives White additional options after 15. h4 , saving on the Nf3 move. Black will still
have some problems to solve. ( 15. f3f6 transposes )
a1) 15... f6 16. h5
a11) 16... e8
a111) 17. hxg6 xg6 18. h2 g4 19. f5 g5+ ( 19...g7 20. e2
xe2+ 21. gxe2 ) 20. b1 f7 21.d3 g7 22. c7 c4
23. xb7 d8 24. b3xb3 25. xd8+ f7 26. xc4+ e6
27. axb3 e7 28.h3 Grover-Konguvel, Kolkata 2012
a112) 17. d3! 17... g5 18. fxg5 f7 19. ge2 ( 19.f3 )
a12) g4 17. f3 ( 17. hxg6 xg6 18. h2 transposes )

a121) 17... d8 18. xd4 xd4 ( 18... cxd4 19.e2+ ) 19. e2

g3 20. f3 xd1+ 21. xd1 e622. hxg6 xg6 23. h4+/= g7
24. f2 c4 25.xc5 d6 26. b1+/=
a122) 17... g5 18. fxg5 xf3 19. gxf6 g5+ 20. xg5+xg5
21. fxe7 e8 22. d6 d7 23. d5 , and White came out ahead:
a1221) 23... f7 24. f6+/= fe5 ( 24... b5 25.h3
fe5 26. g3+ h8 27. e6 ; 24... g5 25.f5 )
25. e6 b5 26. e2 b7 27. h6 g6 28.h5 xd5
29. exd5 xe7 30. xg6 xe6 31.dxe6 hxg6 32. exd7
d8 33. d1 h7 34. a4xh6 35. a5
a1222) 23... xe4 24. e6 g5 25. e3 b5 26.h6 b7
27. h5 Hammer-Erdos, Porto Rio Hotel 2012
a2) 15... c7 16. f3
a3) 15... c6 16. f3 ( 16. h5 g4 17. hxg6 xg6 18.d3 f5 ) 16... f6
( 16... g4 17. g5 ) 17. e5 ( 17. h5 )17... g7 18. xg7+ xg7 19. xd4
cxd4 20. xd4 e621. e2 ac8 22. b1 fd8 ( 22... c4 23. d5 xd5
24. xd5 e3 25. d7 c2 26. f3 f2 27. xb7 a5 28.c1 xf4
29. xe7 xh4 30. a3 Mamedyarov-Petrosian, Antalya
2004) 23. hd1 xd4 24. xd4 c7=
b) f6! It's important to start with this move.
b1) 15. h4 e5 16. f3 ( 16. h5 g7 17. hxg6 hxg6 18. h4e6 ) 16... g7
( 16... e7 17. h5 g5 18. xd4 exd4 19.xd4 e6 20. d3 ad8 21. fxg5
xd3 22. xd3 fxg523. e5 f5 24. e4 xe4 25. xe4 f2 26. d1 c5+
27. b1 xb2+ 28. a1 xa2+ 29. xa2 c4+= ) 17.xg7+ xg7
18. xd4 exd4 19. xd4 e6 , and Black is fine.
b2) 15. f3
b21) 15... c5 16. h4 e8
b211) 17. h5 g4 18. xd4 cxd4 19. hxg6 ( 19. xd4gxh5
20. e2 xe2 21. xe2 g6 22. xh5 ac8+23. c3
xh5 24. xh5 f7= ) 19... xg6 20. xd4ac8 21. f5
xh6+ 22. xh6 fd8 Jones-Aronian, London 2012
b212) 17. xd4 17... cxd4 18. xd4 g4 19. f5 , and
White retains some pressure.
b22) 15... e5 After this move play becomes very forcing and in
general Black is just fine. 16. fxe5 This is what I played against
Caruana. ( 16. h4 is fine for Black after both Qe7
and 16...g7 ) 16... fxe5 17. xe5 d6 18. f3 ( 18. c4 c5
19. e3 xc4 20. xc4+ xc4 21. xd4 c5 22. b1e6 )
18... c5 In this position if Black is allowed to finish development by
playing either Bg4 or Be6 his fantastic knight on d4 will ensure that

he's maybe even better, so White has to continue with very forcing
play: 19. g5 e7 20. d5xd5 21. c4 This is a slight trap.
b221) 21... g7 is the most obvious move, but
after 22.h4! h8 White won't take on d5 but will instead
start with23. hf1 , which has already been seen in a
game between Sanikidze and Negi. Although this position
isn't yet all that bad for Black it's completely unnecessary
for him to allow all
this.23... e6 ( 23... g4 24. xd5 xd1 25. f7+ g8
26. xd1+ ) 24. xd5 xd5 ( 24... g8! ) 25. exd5
xf1 26. xf1 Sanikidze-Negi, Baden-Baden Classic op
2013
b222) 21... h8! This forces White to take with the
pawn.22. exd5 ( 22. xd5 runs into 22... g7 and
after 23.h4 Black has the very important
resource 23... f4 , driving the queen all the way back to
e1, when Black is probably already better.) 22... g7 Only
now, forcing the queen trade. 23. xg7+ xg7 24. d6 This
position was reached in my game against
Fabiano. 24... b5 ( 24... f5was Caruana's somewhat
inexplicable and imprecise move which even gave me some
hopes of winning the game, though I failed to find a very
strange-looking resource at one point and the game still
ended in a draw. This shouldn't be
repeated. 25. b4 b6 26. he1+/= Svidler-Caruana,
Thessaloniki GP 2013 ) 25. d5 a7= 26. he1 f5
b2221) 27. e7+ xe7 28. dxe7 e2+ Starting with this
move is a very important finesse. ( 28... e5 runs into the
very strong 29. e6 when it seems as though White is just
winning, as after 29... e2+ White has the d2-square for
the king. ) 29. d2 doesn't work as ( 29.c2 Moving the
king to a light square doesn't help
either.29... e5 30. e6 Black can simply take, and
after30... xe6 31. e8=Q f5+ he regains the queen on e8
and is completely
winning. ) 29... xd5+ 30. xe2e5+ wins the pawn on
e7 with check.
b2222) 27. e6+ As the alternatives fail White is forced to
enter a completely drawn rook
ending. 27... xe6 28.xe6 xe6 29. xe6 d7= When I
was preparing for the game against Caruana I had to check
that White has equality here, because it looks as though
the d6-pawn might be in some danger, but White really
isn't risking very much - though neither is he fighting for an
advantage.
11... e6 Black has to play this move, hitting the pawns on a2 and e4.
12. c3

12. d5? xe4 13. dxc6 f5 14. d3 xc6+ is simply bad for White.

12... c4

12... d8 is less precise: 13. f3 c4 14. e2

a) 14... 6a5 15. f2 f6 16. g3 b6 ( 16... g4 17. h3xf3 18. xf3 b6 19. b3 ;
16... c6 17. b3 a3 18. b2a6 19. e5 b5 20. c1 g4 21. g2 d7 22. xb5 axb5 23.h3
+/= ) 17. e5 xe5 18. dxe5 xd1+ 19. xd1 c6 20.c2 e6 21. b5 xb5 22. xb5+/=
b) xe3 15. xe3
b1) 15... a5
b11) 16. b1 b6
b111) 17. d5 d6 18. c3 ( 18. e1 c6 19. h4e6 20. c4 xd5
21. xd5 e6 22. xc6 xc6 23.he1 b5= ) 18... c6 19. c4 g4
20. e5 ( 20.e5 d7 21. e3 xf3 22. gxf3 xd4 23. d5 c6 24.xd4 e6 )
20... xd1 21. xf7 xf7 22. e5 xd5 23.xd1 e6 24. xd5 xd5=/+
b112) 17. e1 17... c6 ( 17... c5 18. dxc5 xd1+ 19.xd1 xc5 20. d8+
f8 21. g5 e6 22. b5 c623. xc6 bxc6 24. e5 ) 18. f5 gxf5 19. d3
b12) 16. d5 16... b6 17. xb6 cxb6 18. d2 xc3 19.bxc3 d7 20. d3 ac8
21. b2 c5
b2) b4
b21) 16. b3 b6 17. a3 c6 18. a4 a5 19. d5 b8 (19... b5 ) 20. c5
xc5+ 21. xc5 c6 22. c4 b6 23.dxc6 xd1+ 24. xd1 xc6 25. d5 g4
= Mamedyarov-Negi, Gibraltar Masters 2012
b22) 16. b1! 16... b5 transposes to Wang Hao-Svidler, Stavanger 2013,
covered below.
13. e2 6a5 This is the correct move and leads to a lot of interesting and sharp tactical variations. I could
include more computer-generated variations, as they're extremely important in positions like this which can't
really be analysed effectively without the machine. However, in my experience understanding purely computergenerated lines is completely impossible unless you produce them on your own with the machine. There's no logic
to it, and unless you participate in the creation of those variations it's impossible to memorise them or understand
why things happen the way they happen. I suggest you watch the video, study this text and then if some positions
catch your fancy and you're not quite sure why the lines say what they say check them by yourself, because that's
the only way you can understand what's what in a position as complex and crazy as this one. You'll see why I
describe it as crazy in a moment!
13... xe3 is the move I played automatically against Wang Hao. 14.xe3 b4 15. b1
a) 15... c5 16. d5 b6 17. a3
b) 15... d8 was my choice 16. f3 I had my first disappointment here.

b1) 16... c5 was my original plan. 17. d5 xc3 A very nice geometrical idea.
After 18. bxc3 Black can take on d5 with both the rook and knight and Black is just
fine. I was very happy about this until I realised that White can instead play
( 18. c4 A very beautiful move that I wanted to show you purely for its aesthetic
value. Black is, to put it mildly, in a lot of trouble here. So I had to scrap this idea. )
b2) 16... b5 was the second choice I settled on, and also an ambitious idea. It pretty
much loses, and I did lose the game in a very painful fashion, but there was a beautiful
idea behind it. 17.a3 The main move. ( 17. xb5 b8 would of course give Black a lot
of play on the queenside ) 17... a5 was my plan. Of course if Black is allowed to play
Qb3 he'll have a huge attack, so ( 17...a6 An unfortunate necessity, to which Wang
Hao responded 18.xb5 This is a position that's very painful even to look at. I didn't
manage to save it despite trying my best for the next 40 or so
moves. 18... b6 19. e5+ Wang Hao-Svidler, Stavanger
2013.) 18. d5 xc3 19. axb4 This capture completely eluded me at first, and once
again Black can just resign because of ( 19. c4 is of course no longer possible after
16...b5, which was one of the reasons behind my move. ) 19... axb4 20. dxe6 a1+ For
a moment I was happy about this, but unfortunately White can simply
play 21. c2 and Black has to resign. ( 21. xa1 xd1+ 22.a2 xe6+ is a very
beautiful mating variation. )
c) c6 would still have made it possible to get a reasonably playable
position. 16. e1 prevents ...Nd5, but Black has gained an important tempo and can play ...a5
or ...b5 as if nothing much has happened. ( 16. a3 d5 ; 16. f3 is well met by 16... d5 and
Black has at least managed to solve one of the bigger problems of his position by exchanging off
the knight on b4. Otherwise it would soon get
hit. 17. xd5 cxd5 18. e5 d7 19. d3 ac8 ) 16...d8 17. f3 d6 18. a3 ( 18. d1 g4
19. e2 ) 18... a619. e5 f5+ 20. d3 d7 , and Black is alive.
14. f3 c5 The first important fork in the road.
14... b5 15. b3! ( 15. f2 b4 16. d5 b7 ) 15... xe3 16.xe3 is good for White.
15. e5 was played by Sergey Karjakin in his game against Anish Giri.
15. f2 is a very important option for White, keeping the bishop alive and hoping to do something in the
centre later on. White will also now have the threat of b3 in many positions as Black no longer has the
option of ...Nxe3. 15... b5! After this move play becomes very tactical and there are a lot of lines where
Black just leaves stuff hanging and goes for the throat. I'll give you an outline of what's going on, and as
long as you're not worried about sacrificing one, two, three or it doesn't really matter how many pieces
you should be fine here!
a) 16. d5
a1) 16... cxd4 17. xd4 ( 17. xd4 b7 ) 17... d7 18.b3
a2) b7! is the move to play, completely ignoring the threat of
Nc7. 17. b3 ( 17. c7 is met
by 17... d6 18. xa8 xf4+ )17... xd5 18. exd5 xd5 19. bxc4 bxc4 In this
position the weakness of the king on c1 far outweighs the sacrificed piece. This is at
least fine for Black, and probably
more. 20. dxc5 ( 20. e5ab8 21. f3 e6 ) 20... b7 21. d4 ab8

b) 16. b3 a3 dxc5 is currently impossible because the c3-knight would be hanging, so White
plays 17. d5 but Black once again leaves everything hanging and plays 17... c4!
b1) 18. b4 Black has many good choices here, but the one I like most is 18... b7! just
completely forgetting about the knight on a5. 19. bxa5 c3! Gaining more space on the
kingside before doing anything forced. White is in a lot of danger and Black is already a
little better.
b2) 18. e1? cxb3 19. axb3 ( 19. xa5 b7 and once again White is a piece up but
once the c-file is opened play becomes very easy for Black and his attack develops very
naturally. White has to be extremely careful not to lose on the
spot. ) 19... xb3+ 20.b2 c4+ 21. xb3 b7
b3) 18. c7 c6 is quite obviously unattractive for White.

b4) 18. b2 This is perhaps the best of three unappealing options for
White. 18... xe4 19. xa3 xd5 20. xa5 cxb3 It might be possible for White to
hang on for a draw here, but he's not going to enjoy this position either.
b41) 21. xb5 b2+ 22. xb2 f5 23. d3 fc8+ 24.d1 a5 25. e3
( 25. b3 c6 ) 25... a4 26. a3ab8
b42) 21. axb3 21... xb3 22. d2 f5 23. xb5 c2+24. e1 c3+
25. d2 fc8=/+

c) 16. b1! The sanest and perhaps the safest move for White. 16...d8 ( 16... a6 is a
decent alternative. ) 17. d5 ( 17. dxc5b7 is quite obviously
unattractive. ) 17... b6 18. c2 b8We've reached a very strange-looking position where
Black currently has no direct threats, but White has none either, and I think generally speaking
it's quite clear that Black started first and will be able to develop some sort of attack on the
queenside reasonably soon. So I would much rather be Black than White here.
15... cxd4
15... f6 16. d5 b6 17. e6 b4 18. e1 xe3 19. xe3 c420. xc4 xc4 21. c2
16. xd4 This was Karjakin's move and is the safer option.
16. xd4 leads to a very sharp position where I think Black is fine. 16...b5
a) 17. b4 would simply be met byb 17... b7! 18. bxa5 ac8which seems to be very strong,
going for the throat straightaway.
b) 17. b3 b4 Once again - pieces only go forwards in this
line! 18.b5 ( 18. e4 a3 ) 18... d7! 19. c7 ( 19. bxc4 is a line in which I want to show
you what happens. 19... fc8 20. g5f5 21. c5 Otherwise the queenside will just completely
collapse.21... a6 22. e6 axb5 23. exd7 xd4 24. dxc8=Q+ xc8 Black is a whole rook down, but
after 25. e4 xf4+ 26. c2 g7 his attack on the dark squares is so strong that I think he
might actually be better. ) 19... c6 20. xa8 e3+ 21. b2 Objectively speaking this line is
slightly saner for White. The position is
unclear.21... xd1+ 22. xd1 d8 23. d2 ( 23. d3 g4 ) 23...xa8 24. c5 c6
25. e3 a5

c) 17. c5 The best move for White, giving Black a choice. 17...h6 ( 17... b7 Black can
also start with this move straightaway.18. d4 c8 19. xe7 e8 20. b4 It seems as though
White has everything under control but Black now plays 20... h6 and suddenly the central
pawns are starting to
fall. ) 18. b1 ( 18.d5 b7 19. xe7+ h8 ) 18... b7 19. d4 ( 19. b3xf4 20. bxc4
fc8 21. e3 f5+ 22. a1 xc4 ) 19...c8 20. xe7 e8 21. b4 xf4 22. e6 fxe6
23. dxb5 This is an extremely unclear position in which I think Black's chances are at least not
worse.
( 23. b3 e3 ) 23... a6 24. d6 xd6 25.xd6 xd6 26. xd6 c5 27. d2 ac8
28. e2 xg229. d1 b7 30. xa6 h3
16... a6! is an important improvement over
16... b6 as played by Anish Giri. 17. f5! xe3 18. xe3 c6 19.ed5 ( 19. b1 ) 19... d8 Anish
equalised quite
comfortably. 20.g3 ( 20. h3 ; 20. g4 e6 21. h3 c8 22. b1 a5 23. b5xb5 24. xb5 fe8
25. hf1 f8= ; 20. f6+ White isn't of course going to take the queen by playing this move, as
after 20... exf621. xd8 xd8 the compensation is just too strong. ) 20... e6 21.b1 I think this is
an important waiting move.
( 21. h4 c8 22. h5a5 23. b1 fd8 24. g2 d7 ; 21. g2 c8 22. b1 a5Karjakin-Giri, Wijk
aan Zee 2013 ) 21... a5 ( 21... a6 22. h4 a523. h5 fd8 24. g2 d7 ) 22. b5+/= An important
resource for White, which wouldn't be an option after Karjakin's 21. Bg2. If Black takes White will
recapture with the bishop and retain some pressure.
17. f2 The main move, keeping the bishop alive.
17. c2? f5 18. b3 ( 18. f2 fd8 ) 18... ac8 19. bxc4xc4 20. d4 ( 20. d4 b5+ )
20... fd8+
17. d5 is met by the quite futuristic-looking 17... d8! 18. c7 And now Black really needs to be able
to show what he's doing...
( 18. c6xc6 19. xc4 xc4+ 20. xc4 g4 21. d2 ac8=/+ ; 18.xe7+ is completely
bad. 18... h8! 19. xc8 axc8 20. b1b6+ ) 18... g4 ...and this is it! Black already had a
queen and a rook en prise and he replies by putting one more piece under attack. 19.xg4 Black doesn't
play ...Nxe3 straightaway here, but first 19...ac8! It seems, once again, that Black is fine. It's very
difficult to understand why things happen the way they do here, but I still think finding lines like these is
very pleasing, even if you do it with the help of the machine - which most probably is what you'll need to
do when analysing a position like this. 20. c2 ( 20. b1 b6 ) 20... c6
17... d8 I think this is the strongest move. The position is too complex to cover in any great detail, but I want
to show you the main line, which I find extremely beautiful.
17... b5 was supposed to be my original recommendation in this position.
a) 18. b1 d8 19. g3 ( 19. g4 b7 20. g1 g5! ) 19... b720. g1 b4 21. cb5 ac8
22. b3 d5
b) 18. g1 d8 19. g4 b7 20. cxb5 ( 20. dxb5 b3+ 21.c2 bd2 ) 20... ac8
c) 18. h4 e8!

d) 18. b3 18... xb3+! Surprisingly, in about 5-6 moves this leads to a very strange, unbalanced
endgame where Black has a rook and a pawn against two minor pieces. I think that endgame is
holdable for Black, but it's not much
fun. 19. axb3 ( 19. xb3 g4! 20. c2ac8 ) 19... a1+ ( 19... a3+ 20. c2 ) 20. c2
b2+ 21.d3 d8! 22. xb2 ( 22. bxc4 bxc4+ 23. xc4 a3!+ ) 22...xb2+ 23. c2
( 23. e3 b4 24. e2 bxc3 25. c1 f6 )23... xd1 24. xd1 a6 25. c3 ( 25. e2 b7
26. f3ac8+ 27. b2 xf3 28. xf3 d3 29. e1 a5 ; 25. g1f6 ) 25... b7 ( 25... f6
26. d3 fxe5 27. c6 d7 28.xe5 xe5 29. fxe5 b7 30. d1 c7 31. b4 xg2
32.c5+/= ) 26. g1 e6 ( 26... ac8 27. b4 f6 28. e6 e4+ 29.b3 d5+ 30. xd5 xd5
31. c5+/= ) 27. e2 ac8 28.d3 ( 28. b2 h6 29. g3 f8 ) 28... f6 29. exf6 xf6
30.g4 c6 31. e4 e5 32. f3 g7 33. fxe5 xe5
18. g4 This isn't an attacking move as such, but White is preparing to play Bg2. He also takes control of the f5square to prevent ...Bf5 in some lines.
18. f3 h6! 19. b1 ( 19. d5 xd5 20. xd5 g4! ) 19...b6 20. b3 b4

18. b4 is an attempt by White to win a piece straightaway, but

after18... b3+! 19. axb3 a3+ 20. c2 b2+ 21. d3 the bishop comes to f5 with great
effect: 21... f5+ 22. xc4 ac8++
18... g5! Black responds by immediately hitting the white centre. Once again there's a lot that can happen here.
18... b5 allows White to play 19. g2 with tempo. 19... b7 20.xb7 xb7 21. e4
19. b4 This main line is the most beautiful and alien-looking of all the lines in this position. It turns out this move
wins both knights.
19. b3 xg4 20. xg4 xb3+ 21. c2 xd4+ 22. xd4 a3+23. d2 ( 23. b3 b6+ 24. b4 xf2
25. xa3
ac8 ) 23...b6
19. c2
a) 19... xd1+ 20. xd1 gxf4 is also possible, e.g.
a1) 21. d8+ f8 22. b3 b5 23. d4 ( 23. bxc4 b7 ) 23...b7 24. g1 c6
25. xf4 4xe5 26. g3 ( 26. xb5d3+ ) 26... g6=/+
a2) 21. b3
a21) 21... xe5 22. d5 ( 22. d4 )
a22) 21... e6 22. d5 ( 22. bxc4 c6 ; 22. b4 ) 22...xe5 23. xe7+
f8 24. f5 c6 25. a4 d8=
b) e6 20. f5 c6 21. g1 xb2 22. xb2 ( 22. xd8+xd8 23. xb2 c4+ 24. c1
xe5 ) 22... c4 23. e4xe4 24. xd8+ xd8 25. xe4 xe5+ 26. a3 d5 27.g3
c4+ 28. xc4 xc4 29. b4 xa2=/
19... gxf4 20. bxa5 xa5 Everything is left hanging.
21. xc4 xg4 Black is currently two pieces down but he's threatening the rook on d1 and ...Rac8 is also a huge
threat.

22. d3 ac8 23. b3 f5 Once again hitting the rook, and giving White a choice.
24. f3 This is the line I wanted to show you, because I think it's beautiful and extremely pleasing to the eye.
24. d2 xd3 25. xd3
a) 25... xe5 is the machine's recommendation in this position, and
then 26. g1+ ( 26. xh7+ h8+ ) 26... g7 Self-pinning the bishop. Black has a rook and
four pawns for three minor pieces, and the machine says everything is fine. I spent quite some
time just staring at this position without trying to make any moves, attempting to understand
anything at all. I completely failed so I can't really recommend this to you.
b) xe5 is the much more human solution. 26. b5 More or less forced for White, after which
we get an endgame: 26... xd4 27.xe5 xd3+ 28. xd3 xe5 29. d5 Unfortunately Black
isn't better because of this very important move, hitting the e7-square. After 29... f8 White
has 30. xa7 but Black is never worse here and will at the very least make a comfortable
draw. 30... e6=
24... e4 25. b2 xe5
25... xf3 26. xf3 is quite obviously wrong as it allows White some semblance of control.
26. xe4 Everything was hanging for White so he has to play this move and start destroying at least some of the
enemy combatants.
26... xd4 27. xd4 xd4+ 28. c3 It looks as though White has managed to consolidate, and he's currently a
rook and a piece up, but...
28. a3 xe4 29. g1 ( 29. d3 e5+ ) 29... c5

28... e4 Quietly hitting the rook on f3 and setting up pins along both long diagonals.
29. d1 Forced, if White doesn't want to be worse.
29... b4+ 30. b3 Strictly the only move.
30... e4= And this seems to be a forced draw. Once again, I'm not claiming to have given you an entire picture
of all the crazy complications which can happen in this line, but I think it creates a pretty decent overview of what
you should be aiming for when playing with the black pieces. I hope you've enjoyed looking at these lines - I
definitely enjoyed finding them and presenting them to you.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4
10...Bd7 11.Rc1
11.Rb1

10...Bg4
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 I'm now going to cover the Bc4
Grnfeld, a line which has been universally popular over the course of the existence of the Grnfeld Defence. The
play here is very interesting and I've always enjoyed looking at this line even if I haven't always enjoyed the results
of my analysis. This time I want to do something slightly different. Although there will be quite a lot of actual
theory I want to give you an idea of how my views on the line have evolved and how my attitude towards certain
positions and how to correctly deal with them has changed.
7... c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 All of this is quite forced.
9... O-O
9... cxd4 10. cxd4 a5+ 11. d2 d8 This is quite a fancy line that I've tried once or twice against
decent opposition. It looks a bit odd, frankly, but the point is that if White doesn't want an immediate
repetition - and normally he doesn't - he has to play 12.Bc3.
a) 12. d5 e5 13. c3 OO ( 13... d7 14. b3 c8 15.c1 b6 16. a4 OO 17. xd7
xd7 18. xg7 xg7 19.O-O f6 Topalov-Mamedyarov, Heraklion
2007 ) 14. b3 b6 15.f4 d7 ( 15... g4 16. d4 a5+ 17. d2 xd2+ 18.xd2 e5 19. h3
! Kramnik-Svidler, Dortmund
1998 ) 16. xg7xg7 17. c1 d8 18. c4 e5 19. a1 f6 20. c3 exf4 21.xf4 e5
22. c7+ h8 23. f1 d7 24. e6 dc8 25.xf6 xc7 26. f8+ xf8 27. xe5+ Peter
Heine Nielsen-McShane, Copenhagen 2003
b) 12. c3 Putting the dark-squared bishop on an unaccustomed diagonal. Play becomes very
non-standard and fresh, but I don't think this fully equalises, so I'm not recommending
it. 12... O-O 13. O-O (13. d2 d7 14. h4 c8 15. b3 h5 16. f3 e6 17. d1e7 RadjabovSvidler, Plovdiv
2003 ) 13... g4 ( 13... d7 14.b1 b6 15. d2 c8 16. bc1 e6 17. h3 c7 18. b3 c8
19. d5 exd5 20. xg7 xg7 21. exd5 e5 22. d6 Le Quang Liem-Mamedyarov, Khanty-Mansiysk
2013 ) 14. f3 d7 15. b1 (15. d2 a6 16. a4 c8 17. fc1 b5 18. axb5 axb5 19. xb5xd4=
Van Wely-Mamedyarov, Hoogeveen
2007 ) 15... c7 16.d2 a6 17. b3 b5 18. h1 b6 19. f4 ac8 20. f5 b4 21.a1
a5 Beliavsky-Svidler, Madrid 1998

10. O-O The main position of the Bc4 line, and one in which Black has a variety of choices.

10. h4 I recommend meeting this advance with 10... a5 11. f1 b612. h5 a6 Grandmaster Ioannis
Nikolaidis has played a number of games here with the white pieces, and I believe they sufficiently cover
everything that's going on in the
position. 13. xa6 xa6 14. hxg6hxg6 15. g1 ( 15. f3 cxd4 16. cxd4 ac8 17. f2 b4 18.b1 c4
Murey-Dvoirys, Cappelle la Grande
1999 ) 15... fd8 16.d2 a4 17. h6 h8 18. f8! ( 18. e3? cxd4 19. h3 dxc320. d2 e5
21. h7+ f8 22. xc3 c2 23. f4 xd2Nikolaidis-Ivanchuk, Peristeri
2010 ) 18... f6! 19. h6 cxd4 The play that follows is almost
forced: 20. f4 dxc3 21. e5 xe5 22. fxe5xe5 23. xe7 d1+ 24. xd1 xd1+ 25. f2 d4+ , with a
draw in Nikolaidis-Banikas, Vrahati 60th Greek Championship 2010
10. c1 This is a more serious alternative to
10.00. 10... cxd4 11.cxd4 a5+ 12. f1 ( 12. d2 h5 13. d5 e5 14. b3 xc415. xc4 g4
16. g3 b6 is fine. ) 12... a3! This was an important discovery for Black. He wants to play ...Na5,
attacking the pride and joy of White's position - the bishop on c4. ( 12... d7 , and then for
instance 13. h4 , used to be where the theory of this line would exclusively start. This position is very
sharp and very unclear, and I think it appealed to white players a lot because the course of the game is
very different to the normal Grnfeld fare. )
a) 13. d2 is the start of a very beautiful line I want to show
you.13... d8 14. d5 e5 15. b5 Seemingly creating the very strong threat of Bc5, but Black
can just play 15... a6 as after 16. c5 he has 16... f3! I think each of us would like to be able
to make a move like this on the board once in our career! 17. xe7 ( 17. gxf3is met
by 17... h3+ and Black gets all his material back with interest, so this line isn't very
critical. ) 17... xe4 18. xd8h3 ( 18... axb5 )
b) 13. h4 reveals the other point behind 12...Qa3. Black now has the very
strong 13... g4 as 14. f3? is impossible due to the hanging bishop: 14... xe3
c) 13. c3 White's normal response. 13... d6 14. h4 Black should simply meet this
with 14... h5 ( 14... d8 is a move I played against Morozevich in the Astana World Blitz
Championship, but after 15. h5 I "failed to control the vehicle" and lost a very pretty
miniature. ) 15.f3 d8 16. d5 ( 16. f2 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 18. xd4xd4 19. xd4
xd4 20. e3 d8= ) 16... e5! 17. g5f6 The play is very complex here, but I believe
Black should be fine.
10... g4! Black can, and by now I think should, play this first rather than 10...Bd7.
10... a5 11. d3 b6 I'm proud to say I was the original inventor of this line, mainly due to absolutely
murderous jetlag. This was a game I played against Veselin Topalov in the Morelia/Linares tournament,
split between Mexico and Spain. It was the Linares leg, so you can imagine that it wasn't even the first
jetlag but the second, and it was absolutely unbearable. I couldn't sleep at all and felt completely
exhausted, so the idea of preparing for games just didn't appeal to me. I'd turn up at the board and then
tell myself, "ok, this is a position where I have to find a move - let's find something." So when Topalov
played the Classical Grnfeld against me, as he'd done on a number of previous occasions, I thought, "ok,
he probably has something prepared against the lines I played in all those previous encounters, so let's
create something new". That's why I played 10...Na5 and then 11...b6, with the idea of
continuing12. c1 e5 Since that game this line has exploded to become one of the main variations in the
Grnfeld. There have been many crucial developments, it was played in the World Championship match
between Topalov and Anand as well as in a number of very high level games outside the World
Championship cycle, but I left it altogether after that first game. I thought, "ok, I created this and it now
has a life of its own, but it's not much fun for me to join the "clicking party" when everybody's doing it."
So it's now living an absolutely separate life without me.

10... b6 I played this against Magnus Carlsen in the 2011 Tal Memorial, and I still believe it's very
playable. 11. dxc5 c7 12. d4 The reason I'm not recommending this line, or going into any detail, is
that after this move I believe Black holds, but what he holds is one of a number of endgames a pawn
down (White even has a choice). Frankly, the idea of holding an endgame a pawn down, even if you do
truly believe it's holdable, isn't to everybody's taste. It's ok to do it every now and again, especially in a
game where you're not favourite to win to begin with, as was the case in my game against Carlsen
(against him a passive position a pawn down also isn't an ideal solution, but there you go!), but in a
normal game going for an endgame like this isn't everybody's cup of tea. ( 12. f4Carlsen was soon fighting
for equality after this move, although the game was eventually
drawn. 12... bxc5 13. b1 d8 14. a4 a515. d5 d7 16. a3 ac8 17. f5 e6 18. f4 e5
19. fxe6fxe6 20. b3 xb3 21. axb3 f8 Carlsen-Svidler, Moscow Tal Memorial
2011 ) 12... e5 13. b5 b8 ( 13... c6 14. d5xb5 15. b1 a5 16. xa8 a6 17. cxb6 axb6
18. xb6xc3 19. d5 xf1 20. xf1 e6=/ Peralta-Alsina Leal, Barcelona
2011 ) 14. e2 ( 14. d5 g4 15. g3 xe3 16. fxe3 a6 17.xf7+ h8 18. d4 bxc5 19. d5 xf1+
20. xf1 cxd4 21.b1 a7 22. f7 e6! 23. xe6 dxc3 24. xa8 xe3+=Vachier Lagrave-Gelfand,
Tromso World Cup 2013 )
a) 14... a6 15. a3 bxc5 ( 15... b5 16. c2 c6 17. d4b7 18. f3 d8 19. c1 xd4
20. cxd4 xd4 21. xd4xd4 22. c6 c8 23. c5 d2 24. f2 a7 Kulaots-So, Khanty
Mansiysk
2010 ) 16. xc5 c7 17. d4 d8 18. c1g4 19. xg4 xg4 20. e3 ab8 21. xg7
xg7 22. c2bc8=/+ Bacrot-Vachier Lagrave, Biel 2013
b) 14... bxc5 15. f4 ( 15. b1 a6 16. d4 c7 17. b3 d818. c2 c4 19. c5 d3
20. xd3 cxd3 21. xd3 xc3 22.xc3 xc3 23. c4 d7 Ganguly-Giri, Spanish Team
Championship
2012 ) 15... g4 16. xc5 a6 17. a3 c7 18.d4 e5 19. fxe5 xe5 20. c1 g4 21. xg4
xg4 22.f4 xf4 23. xf4 e5=/ Aronian-Grischuk, Kazan Candidates 2011
11. f3 d7 Only now. I was of course aware of this possibility for a number of years, or in fact pretty much for
the entirety of my Grnfeld career, but it always seemed to me that this was just a waste of a tempo - why would
you force White to make the move f2-f3, which he generally likes to make in this kind of structure? f3 supports the
centre and it just seemed somewhat illogical to me to be forcing White into a move which really doesn't seem to
have any drawbacks. However, I think it was to my detriment that I never carefully considered the implications of
forcing White to play f3. I'll try to explain why that move makes quite a large difference in some lines, but I'll do it
by first concentrating on 10...Bd7 and showing you how the understanding of this line developed over the years.
11... a5 leads to very forcing and well-researched lines after both 12.xf7+ and
( 12. d3 cxd4 13. cxd4 e6 14. d5 xa1 15. xa1This position has been the subject of very high level
theoretical discussions for "donkey's years". I believe it's currently supposed to be a draw, but it never
really appealed to me that much because frankly, unless White makes a huge mistake somewhere, there's
never any suggestion that Black might be better. White always has enough compensation for some kind of
equality or, simply put, a draw. The idea of having to memorise 35-40 move lines to make a forced draw and god forbid you forget something or go mildly wrong in your preparation and simply die without
making a move of your own at the board - has never been my idea of fun. So I won't be recommending
this line to you, although just for general knowledge you might like to browse through the high level
games played in this line over the past ten years. There are a lot of very beautiful variations. )

10...Bd7 11.Rc1
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO
10. O-O d7 This is the move I've generally made in this position, and the move I almost, but not quite,
recommend making. What I mean by "almost, but not quite" is that as I said above, Black can, and by now perhaps
should, play 10...Bg4 first.
11. c1 This is the move people would just automatically play here when I started playing this position with
Black. This is how you were brought up, so to speak - you develop the bishop to e3 in this line and then put the
rook on c1, supporting the bishop on c4 in case Black takes on d4. In general, it just looks very natural and
harmonious, so why not?
11. h4 b5 12. xb5 ( 12. d3 cxd4 13. cxd4 b4 14. b1 g415. f3 e6 16. a3 c6 ) 12... xd4
13. xd7 xe2+ 14. xe2xd7 15. c4 fd8=
11. d2 c8 12. ac1 transposes.
11... c8 12. f4 This move, played by Alexander Beliavsky in a game against Sedlak, is the only one with any kind
of separate meaning in this position.
12. d2 White players would also play this on the same general grounds - this is how you complete your
development in this line. However, in this particular position Black responds with 12... a5 , already
threatening ...cxd4 and liquidating into a very good endgame.
a) 13. d5 occurred in one of the very first games I played in this line, in a junior tournament
more than 20 years ago. 13... e5 14. b3 I want to draw your attention to an important
motif, which is that in this line you almost never want to play ...c5-c4. Instead you generally
want to try and put the knight on c4, so here Black plays 14... a6The threat of ...Nc4 creates
immediate problems for White. He has to find squares for all his pieces and may be forced to
part with one of his bishops. With a knight on c4 it will also be much easier for Black to play for
the ...e6 break, because the bishop on b3 is somewhat neutralised. Finally, it's important to
note that if you manage to force White to play c4 himself in a position like this then b5 will
become a huge factor and Black will get tremendous counterplay.
a1) 15. c4 b5 16. h6 bxc4 ( 16... xh6 17. xh6 bxc4 18.c2 b8 19. h3 b2
20. g3 a3 21. h2 f6 22. f4f7 23. h4 c3 24. f2 a4 25. e2 e3
26. xa4xe2 Golovlev-Areshchenko, Alushta Ukrainian Championship
2008) 17. xg7 xg7 18. c2 d3 19. b1 b8 20. fd1g8 21. c3 xb1
22. xb1 b4 23. h3 a5 24. d1xa2 25. xa2 xc3 Komljenovic-Vorobiov,
Cappelle la Grande 2003
a2) 15. g5 15... e6 16. dxe6 xe6 17. d5 xd5 18.exd5 fe8 19. g3 d3
20. b1 c4 21. a4 c5 22. d6xd6 23. xb7 d5 Georgiev-Ftacnik, Bled 2002
b) 13. b2 This is possible, and what Michael Prusikin played against me. 13... b6 After this
move I believe Black is already quite comfortable and I even managed to win the game I
mentioned. 14. f4e6 15. fd1 ( 15. g3 cxd4 16. cxd4 c7 17. e5 fc8 18.d2 b4 19. e4
xc4 20. xc4 xc4 21. d6 c7 22.xb4 d5 Kaminik-Mikhalevski, Givatayim
2004 ) 15... fd8 16.dxc5 f8 17. b5 xc5 18. xc5 bxc5 19. b1 e8Prusikin-Svidler,
Bundesliga 2002

12... g4 The correct move.

12... cxd4 is a forcing alternative for Black. After 13. cxd4 g4 14.d5 he has the very nice geometrical
move 14... d4 , which after 15.xd4 xe2 16. xe2 xd4+ leads to simplifications... but not
equality. This is the kind of position you want to avoid, because although Black has managed to exchange
quite a lot of pieces those that remain on the board clearly favour White. The bishop will be very strong
on b3 and White will have a serious initiative both in the centre and potentially on the kingside. This just
isn't equal and can't be recommended at all. 17.h1 a5 18. e5 fd8 19. b3 g7 20. cd1
13. d5 a5 14. d3 e6 Black immediately breaks in the centre.
14... c4 15. b1 e5 ( 15... e6 16. h3 xe2 17. xe2 exd5 18.fd1 d4 19. cxd4 ) 16. h3 xe2 17. xe2
b6 18. f5 b7 19. g4g5 20. h4 f6 21. hxg5 fxg5 22. g2 h6 23. h1 f6 24. h5d6 25. ch1 Tikkane
n-Novotny, Ceska Trebova RC Sport op 2008
15. h3 The main move.
15. c4 b5 As a general rule if you play ...e6 in this system, attacking the d5-pawn, and White replies with
c4, it's almost always necessary to play ...b5 straightaway. You can't allow White to keep his beautiful
centre for any longer than absolutely necessary. That also holds true here. White might
continue: 16. h3 bxc4 17. hxg4 cxd3 18. xd3 exd5 19.xd5 xd5 20. exd5 fd8 21. fd1
a) 21... c4 22. xa7 d6 ( 22... c3 23. b6 ) 23. c3
b) b7 You could perhaps argue that White has a slight advantage, but Black's defensive
resources should be more than enough to make a draw.
15... xe2 16. xe2 exd5 17. exd5
17. xd5 is best met by 17... xd5 18. exd5 fe8 19. f2 If White could make one more move he
would probably be better, but Black is just in time to play the very strong 19... e4 , creating the threat
of ...Rce8 and also with the idea of ...Nc4. If White drives the e4-rook away it will go to a4, which is
obviously a very good square for it. Black has enough counterplay.
17... e8 18. d2
18. f3 d6 19. f2
a) 19... cd8 20. b5 e4 21. c2 f5 ( 21... xf4 22. g3xf3 23. xd6 xc3 24. d2
xc1+ 25. xc1 d4+ 26.h1 xd6 27. e1 b6 28. e7 xd5 29. xa7 g7 30.xb6
c3+/= ) 22. d3 e7 23. c4 ( 23. d1 c4 24. f1 b625. d2 f6 26. g3 de8 BeliavskySedlak, Murska Sobota SLO-tch 2008 ) 23... b6 ( 23... d4 24. g4 ) 24. g4 fxg4 25. hxg4
b) c4 20. d2 e4 21. g3 b5 22. e3 xe3 23. xe3 e824. f3 b7 25. f2 ( 25. f2 ;
25. g2 c5 26. xc5xc5 27. d6 d8 28. d7 f8 ) 25... c5 26. e1 xe1+ 27.xe1
f8 28. d6 xd6 29. e8+ f8 30. xb5 d3
18... d6 It's very important Black doesn't allow d5-d6.
18... e7 19. f3 e4 20. f5
19. f5 If Black had been given free rein here he might have considered playing ...f5 himself, boxing in both of
White's bishops.

19... e5
19... e5 20. cd1
20. f3 I believe Black can force equality after both 20...Rcd8 and 20...c4. I'll give you some sample lines - these
aren't completely forced, but it's important that Black plays very forcefully. White has a potentially unpleasant
initiative, so you need to be very concrete.
20... cd8
20... c4 21. d1 xc3 22. xc3 xc3 23. d6 cd8 24. d7e7 25. xa7 The bishop on c3 is hanging
and Bb6 is a big idea, but Black can calmly reply 25... c6 , intending to meet Bb6 with ...Bd4+. He has
easy equality here.
21. fxg6 hxg6 22. d1
22. c4 would give Black the very important resource 22... c6 , when the knight triumphantly returns to
the action.
22... xc3 23. xc3 xc3 24. xc5 xe2 25. xc3 e5= Black is just in time to attack the central pawn on
d5. White will find defending it awkward so the most likely result is a draw.

10...Bd7 11.Rb1
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3
OO 10. O-O d7 11.b1 This is the main move, and one you're very likely to face if you play the ...Bd7 systems.
11... c7 I think Black has to play this, after which White has at the very least seven possible moves.
11... a6 was what I used to play here for a number of years. The move has a lot of merits, but also two
major drawbacks. 12. d5 The more important one for me is that this move is a huge problem.
( 12. dxc5leads to very concrete play where I'm not sure Black gets full equality, although personally I
don't mind giving away material. ) 12... e5 13.b3 This position is very unpleasant. As I said before, it's
normally not to Black's benefit to play ...c5-c4, so he tries to avoid it here, but
after13... c7 14. f4 g4 15. c1 it transpires that in order not to be driven off the board completely
after h3 and d5 Black still has to play15... c4 , and you end up with a position like the one after, for
instance,16. c2 e6 17. h3 f6 18. dxe6 xe6 19. d4 I think you have to try and avoid positions like
this at all costs in this system. White will have a tremendous attack on the kingside in most cases, and it
will be very, very fast. There's not a lot of counterplay for Black so White can develop his initiative on
the kingside completely unimpeded. 19... ad8 20.e3 fe8 21. f3 c8 Eljanov-Belov, bereg.ru
Internet 2003 22.f5!
12. f4 This used to if not worry me, then at least bug me in the old days.
12. d2
a) 12... a6 13. dxc5
a1) 13... a5 14. d5 e6 ( 14... b5 15. d4 e6 16.xg7 xg7 17. c4 ) 15. f4
xc5 16. xb7 xb7 17.xd7

a2) e5 14. d5+/=

b) ad8
b1) 13. f4 e5 14. g5 ( 14. g3 cxd4 15. cxd4 xd4 )14... exd4 15. xd8 xd8
16. cxd4 xd4 17. xd4 xd418. g5 c6
b2) 13. d3 This is the main and correct move for White here, but it transposes to
12.Bd3, which we'll cover later.
b3) 13. h6 This move would make a lot of sense for White positionally, but it runs
afoul of some tactics. 13... xh6 14.xh6 cxd4 15. cxd4 g4 A very strong move,
creating the huge threat of
...Nxd4. 16. f4 ( 16. d5 e5 ) 16... xd4 17.fc1 ( 17. xg6 runs into the
tremendously strong resource 17...d6 , when White loses
material. ) 17... e5 18. xb7 xe4
12. dxc5 is simply met
by 12... a5 ( 12... fd8 13. d4 e8 14.b5 c8 15. c1 e5 16. d5 c6 17. d1 a6=/ Fores
tier-Karavade, Arinsal 2009 )
a) 13. b5 xb5 ( 13... fd8 14. a4 ) 14. xb5 c4 15.d4 ( 15. d3 xe3 16. xe3
fc8=/ ) 15... e5 16. d3a6 17. b4 a3 18. b3 exd4 19. xa3 dxc3 20. xc3xc5
21. d5 f5 Georgiev-Predojevic, Zlatibor SCG-tch 2006
b) 13. d3 13... fd8 It's important to note that compared to the 11...a6 line Black is very far
ahead here because he made the very useful move ...Qc7 instead of ...a6, and ...a6 frankly has
negative value. In this position with a pawn on a6 on each and every move Black would have to
calculate the idea of c6 followed by Bb6, when White generally wins material. I believe this
position should be quite safe for Black because he has the very simple plan of ...e6, ...Bf8 and
...Bxc5, which is surprisingly difficult to counter. So this line also isn't very critical.
b1) 14. d4 e6 ( 14... e5 15. b3 b5 16. xb5 xd117. fxd1 Kouatly-Ftacnik,
Lyon 1988 )
b2) 14. c2 14... e6 ( 14... e6 15. f4 ) 15. d4 f8 16.g5 ( 16. b5 xb5
17. xb5 a6 18. bb1 xc5 19.g5 e7 ) 16... dc8
12. c1 This was played in a very high-level game between Korobov and Areshchenko some years back.
a) 12... cxd4! 13. cxd4 ac8 14. d3+/=
b) 12... a6 13. f4 ( 13. dxc5 e5 14. d5 ab8 Preparing to play ...e6 and drive the white
pieces back. 15. f4 g4 16. d4b5 Black had terrific play for the pawn in this position. None
of this is particularly forced, but I just wanted to show you what good chess players thought
about this position. 17. xb5 axb5 18. e5h6 19. g3 fd8 20. b3 b4 Korobov-Areshchenko,
Aarhus 2005 ) 13... e5 ( 13... c8 ) 14. dxe5 xe5 15. d5

c) 12... ac8 This is also

possible. 13. d1 ( 13. b3 cxd4 14.cxd4 a5 15. a3 xb3 16. xb3 b6 ; 13. a3 )
13... cxd414. cxd4 a6 Black plans to expand on the queenside. Generally speaking, this position
shouldn't be overly problematic for Black. White's play is too vague to create too much
uncertainty for Black.
(14... a5 15. d3 xc1 16. dxc1 ) 15. f4 b5 16. b3b8 ( 16... a5 17. b2 fd8
18. h3 ) 17. d2 fd8 18.e2
12. f4 This idea isn't particularly threatening and is by far the easiest move to face. Black simply
plays 12... cxd4 13. cxd4 xd4 14.xf7+ White's normal move. ( 14. xd4 doesn't win a piece, because
after 14... xc4 15. xg7 xg7 16. xd7 Black
has 16... xe2 )14... xf7 15. xd4 e5 ( 15... g4 16. xg7 xg7 17. d4d7 18. f5+ xf5
19. exf5 xd1 20. fxd1 b6 21. fxg6 )
a) 16. fxe5 xf1+ 17. xf1 e6 ( 17... xe5 18. xe5 xe519. xb7 ) 18. f4 xa2
19. c1 f7
b) 16. xe5 16... xe5 17. fxe5 xf1+ 18. xf1 c6 Black attacks both of the e-pawns and
should be
fine. 19. f6 e8 20.e6 e7 21. xe7 xe7 22. d4 xe4 23. e1 d5 24. a4f8
( 24... g7 25. g4 f6 26. g5+ ) 25. f2 c7=
12... ac8 This is my recommendation, and I think it gives Black interesting new possibilities that may mean
12.Nf4 just wasted a tempo. The point of this move is that by playing Nf4 White has "announced" he
wants to play Nd5.
12... ad8 13. d5 c8 14. b5 fe8 15. g5 cxd4 16. cxd4h6 17. xc6 xc6 18. xe7+
xe7 19. xe7 xd4 20. b3xe4=/ Citak-Kurnosov, Istanbul 2005
12... c8 This was what you were supposed to play, and what I played against Beliavsky in
Gibraltar. 13. e2 b8 I made a number of moves along the eighth rank because frankly there
aren't too many other moves available for Black.
( 13... d8 14. d5 a5 15. c4 b6 16. c1 e517. dxe6 fxe6 18. h4 c6 19. h5 e5 Riazantsev
-Areshchenko, Sochi 2006 ) 14. d2 d8 15. fc1 e8 16. d5 White finally decided to settle
the structure. 16... b6 Once again, it's important to note that the knight should vacate the c6square only when completely forced to do so. You don't want to let White play c4, and at the
moment c4 would allow ...Nd4, which of course isn't White's idea. The game went on to become
very sharp and in the end I even won it, but in general I'm not entirely convinced by this Aikido
approach to chess - i.e. trying to use your opponent's strength against him and not doing
anything in the centre or attempting any active play until White shows his hand. That's a
possible approach, of course, but I'm not convinced it's good
here. 17. b2 a518. a3 e5 19. dxe6 fxe6 20. g4 f7 21. a4 d6 22. h4e8
23. c2 c4=/+ Beliavsky-Svidler, Gibraltar 2009
13. d5
13. b5 cxd4 14. cxd4 a6 15. e2 b5 16. d5 d8 17. a4bxa4=
13... d8 14. xb7 a5 Hitting both the rook and the bishop, and now ...e6 is a threat for Black. The second
part of this mini-series will be dedicated to 12.Bf4 and 12.Bd3. Those are very serious moves and have given me a
lot of trouble over the years, so they require a lot of attention. Don't miss

14... cxd4 15. b5 dxe3 16. xd7 exf2+ 17. xf2 xd7 18.f6+ xf6 19. xd7 xc3=

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bd7 11.Rb1 Qc7
12.Bf4 Qc8 13.Bb3
13.Rc1 a6 14.Qd2 b5 15.Bb3
15.Bd3
13.d5
12.Bd3 Rad8
12...Rfd8
10...Bg4

12.Bf4 Qc8 13.Bb3 & 13.dxc5

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO 10. O-O d7 11.b1 c7 As I said in Part 1, the two main moves Black has to face here are 12.Bf4 and
12.Bd3, and I'll try to cover them in quite some detail. I'll also attempt to explain why starting with 10...Bg4 11.f3
Bd7 is very beneficial for Black. The differences are much more pronounced and clearer in the 12.Bd3 line, but
we'll start by looking at 12.Bf4.
12. f4 c8 White has two major moves in this position, 13.Rc1 and 13.d5.
12... e5 This isn't a bad idea in general, but in this particular case after 13.Bg3 White will be better.
a) 13. dxe5 xe5 ( 13... xe5 14. xe5 xe5 15. d5 c616. c4+/= ) 14. xe5
( 14. d5+/= ) 14... xe5 15. f4 g7 16.d5 c6 17. c4 ab8 18. f3 b5 Bick-Mikhailuk,
Philadelphia 31st World Open 2003
b) 13. g3 You'll notice that Black plays ...e5 a lot in this line of the Grnfeld, but almost
exclusively after ...Na5 and Bd3 are included. It's very important not to allow White control of
the d5-square, while here the bishop will land on d5 in the near future, with a very nice position
for White.
b1) 13... b6
b11) 14. d5 a5 15. d6 b7 16. d5 c6 17. f4
b12) 14. d5
b121) 14... ad8 15. dxe5 ( 15. dxc5 bxc5 ) 15...xe5
16. f4 ( 16. c4 e6 17. c2 ) 16... g4 17.d2 c4 ( 17... f6 )
b122) cxd4 15. cxd4 ac8 16. b3 d8 17. dxe5 ( 17.bc1 g5!
18. dxe5 d4 19. xf7+ h8 20. xd4xc1 21. c4 )
17... xe5

b1221) 18. a3 c4 19. xa7 ( 19. xc4 xc4 20.xa7

xe4 21. fd1 xe2 22. xd7 xa2 ) 19...d2 20. d6
e8
b1222) 18. f4 18... c6 19. fd1 e7+/=
b13) 14. dxc5! 14... bxc5 15. d3 ( 15. d2 e6 16.xe6
fxe6+/= ; 15. f4 g4 16. f5 ad8 , with the idea of
...Na5. ) 15... ab8 16. xb8! ( 16. e3 xb1 17. xb1b8
18. d1 a5 19. d5 b5= ) 16... xb8 17. f4
b2) 13... cxd4 14. cxd4 xd4 15. xd4 exd4 ( 15... ac816. fc1 )
16. xc7 fc8 17. xb7 c6 18. d5
b3) 13... ad8 14. d5 ( 14. h4! c8 15. d5 a5 16. d6b8 17. d5 )
14... cxd4 ( 14... e6 15. xe6 fxe6 16.b3 cxd4 17. xd4 xd4 18. cxd4
xd4 19. f3 b6 20.xe6+ f7 21. xf7++/= ; 14... g4 15. f3 e6
16. xe6fxe6 17. b3 cxd4 18. xd4 ) 15. cxd4 a5 16. dxe5xe5
17. b3 ( 17. h4 b8 ) 17... b5 ( 17... b6 18.fc1 c8 19. xc8 xc8
20. xe5 xe5 21. f4 c5+ 22.f1 f6 23. xf7+ g7 24. e6 Thorfinnss
on-Sutovsky, Caleta
2005 ) 18. fc1 c4 19. b4 xb4 20. xb4 a5 21.b3 c8 22. b7 c5
Palliser-Greenfeld, Isle of Man Monarch Open 2006
13. b3 This is an extremely rare move to which Black has a reasonably pleasant choice of how to respond.
13. dxc5
a) 13... a5 14. b5 This is White's plan behind 13.dxc5, and the first occurrence of a line admittedly a minor one - in which it's obvious why it was better to include 10...Bg4 11. f3. In
that case ...Qxc5 would now be with check, and Black would win material on the spot.
a1) 14... xb5 15. xb5
a11) 15... d8 16. a4 ( 16. b1 ) 16... c6 17. fb1d7 18. b3 d8
19. e3 c6 20. f3 e5 21. c4+/=
a12) b6
a2) 14... d8
a21) 15. xd7 xd7 ( 15... xd7 16. a4 c6 17.fd1 ) 16. xd7
xd7 17. b5 ( 17. fd1 ad8 18.xd7 xd7 19. g4 ) 17... c4 18. fb1
ad8
a22) 15. a4+/=

a3) 14... e6 15. a4 ( 15. d4 g4! 16. f3 e5 ) 15... a616. xa5 axb5 17. xb5
xa2 18. b2 e6 19. xb7c4 20. e1+/=
a4) 14... g4 15. e3
a41) 15... a6 16. d3 d8 17. c2 xe2 18. xe2 e619. b2

a42) 15... d8 16. a4 ( 16. c2 ) 16... c7 ( 16... a617. xa5 axb5

18. xb5 ) 17. f4 a6 18. d3 e6 19. f3( 19. h3 )
a43) c7 16. a4 ( 16. f3 fd8 17. d4 d7 18. a4 )
b) 13... e5 14. xe5 ( 14. d5 b8 15. b3 xc5 16.e3 a5 17. f4 g4 18. d4 e6 )
14... xe5 15. d5
b1) 15... c7 16. xb7 ( 16. f4 e6 17. xe5 xe5 18.fxe5 xc4 19. fe1 a6 )
16... xh2+ 17. h1 e6 18.xc7 xd5 19. xd5 xc7 20. xa8 xa8 21. b1
b2) e6 16. xe5 xc4 17. b2 ( 17. fe1 xa2 18.b2 c4 19. d4 )
c) a6 14. d4 ( 14. e3 a5 15. d3 d8 ) 14... e5
13. d3 d8 14. fc1 a5 This has been played quite recently, but it already seems as though White
has somewhat misplaced his pieces. He faces the unpleasant choice of whether to exchange his pride and
joy - the bishop on c4 - for a knight or a bishop. 15. b5 a6 16. xd7xd7 17. g3 ac8= KollyAvrukh, Biel 2002
13... a5 Black could consider alternatives like 13...Rd8 and 13...b6 here - there are a lot of waiting moves - but
I wanted to mention this idea because it's just so weird, and in general I like weird ideas!
13... cxd4 14. cxd4 e5 ( 14... xd4 15. xd4 e5 16. d5+/= )15. dxe5 xe5+/= It's important to note
that here, as in many similar positions, this forced sequence doesn't quite equalise for Black. While
opening up the long diagonal for the bishop can't be a bad idea in general it's very important to make a
subtle distinction between positions in which Black is well-coordinated and therefore fine in this
structure, and positions in which he'll come under some immediate fire due to the poor position of his
pieces. In this particular case after both 16. d2 and the somewhat faster ( 16. c1 , with the idea
of 16... c6 17. d4d8 18. xc6 , Black isn't equal at all because he's not in time to get his pieces to
the proper squares. )
14. c2 c4 Trying to trade off White's bishop straightaway by playing ...Na3.
15. c1 White attempts to prevent that.

15... b6

15. d3 a3 16. b2 ( 16. b3? a4 ) 16... c4 17. c2 b5

15... e5 16. d3!
15... cxd4 16. cxd4 e5 17. d3!+/=
15... b5 16. b3 ( 16. d3 ) 16... cxd4 17. cxd4 c6 18. d5f6

16. d3 a6! Black creates a self-pin, and this is the move I wanted to show you. I'm not sure all this is the
best way to react to 13.Bb3, but I wanted to mention this quirky little idea for the sake of pure curiosity. For a
split second Black is now somewhat passive, but he wants to put the queen on a4, while White can't really attack
the knight on c4 with any of his pieces. Once the queen lands on a4 Black will have serious counterplay both in the
centre and on the queenside.

13.Rc1 a6 14.Qd2 b5 15.Bb3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO 10. O-O d7 11.b1 c7 12. f4 c8 13. c1 One of White's two major options. The other, 13.d5, will be
covered later.
13... a6 This is Black's normal response, and at least as of today it seems to be holding.
13... d8
a) 14. h3 b5 15. xb5 xd4=
b) 14. b3 e6 15. a3 b5 ( 15... a6 16. dxc5 e5 17. xe5xe5 18. d4 c7 19. h3 ac8
Hamrakulova-Kiran, Tashkent Asian-chj G18
2007 ) 16. xb5 xd4 17. xd4 cxd4 18. cxd4b7 19. d3 c6 ( 19... xd4 20. c7 b6
21. b1xf2+ 22. f1 d4 23. b4 ) 20. d5 ( 20. b1 d7 21. d5exd5 22. e5 d4 ) 20... exd5
21. e5 d4 22. a6 d7=
c) 14. d2 b5 15. xb5 xd4 16. xd7 xe2+ 17. xe2xd7= Kozlov-Kurnosov, Saratov 7th
N.Aratovsky Mem 2007
d) 14. d5 14... e5 15. xe5 xe5 16. f4 g7
d1) 17. g3 b5 18. d3 c4 19. b1 a5 20. h1 c5 21.f3 e8 ( 21... b4 22. e5 b3
23. e4 b6 24. d6 exd6 25.xd6 b2 26. cd1 ab8 27. f5 c6 28. f4 c7 )
22.cd1 a3 23. e5 b4 24. e4 ab8 25. f5 xe5 26. fxg6hxg6 27. h3 b6
28. g5 g7 Krush-Kudrin, Stillwater US Championship 2007
d2) 17. b3 17... b8
d21) 18. d6 e6 19. d3 ( 19. e5 b5 ) 19... b5 20. a3 (20. c2 c6 21. e5 f6
22. a3 fxe5 23. fxe5 xe5 24.xc5 d5 ) 20... b6 21. e5 f6
d22) 18. a4 18... b6 19. e5 e8 20. g3 a6 21. cd1 b5Rodshtein-Huzman,
Ashdod 2004
13... e5
13... a5 14. d3 b5 15. d2 b7 16. h6 b6 17. xg7xg7 18. h4 h6 19. h5 g5 20. f4 f6 21. e5 Lia
ng Chong-Ni Hua, Beijing Chinese Championship 2008
13... d8 This very fresh idea was played by Areshchenko against Bacrot in the analagous position with
a pawn on f3, and is discussed in the notes to 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bg4.
14. d2
14. d5 a5 15. d3 e5 16. e3 c4 ( 16... f5 17. c4 f4 18. d2b6 19. xa5 bxa5 20. f3 c7 21. c2
d6 22. a4 c8 23.b1 ) 17. b1 b5 18. f4 b7

14. a3 b5 15. d5 e6 16. a2 e5 17. xe5 xe5 18. dxe5 c419. f4 g4 20. f2 d8 21. e1 xe2
22. xe2 c5 23. a4a3 24. c2 f8 Vaisser-Vachier Lagrave, Aix-les-Bains French Championship 2007
14... b5 White now has a choice. He can play either 15.Bd3 or 15.Bd5/15.Bb3. Those last two moves basically lead
to the same position, so it's not so much a choice between them as a question of whether to spend an additional
move to "shorten your time trouble".
15. b3 This move, or 15.Bd5, is much sharper and more interesting.
15. d5 e6 ( 15... d8 16. h6 h8 17. g5 a7 18. e3e8 19. h4 a5 20. f4 e6 21. b3 f6
22. h6 c7 23. e5xb3 24. axb3 c6 25. h5 g5 26. d3 Gordon-Howell, 4NCL 2008 )16. b3 c4
I think this is Black's best options. 17. c2 e5 18. h6c7 Transposing to the lines after 15.Bb3.
15... e5 16. h6 c4 17. xg7
17. c2 f6 ( 17... xh6 18. xh6 exd4 19. cxd4 ) 18. xg7xg7 19. f4 c7 20. h3 ad8 21. fxe5 fxe5
22. g5 d6 23.d5 e7 24. h1 g8 25. g1 f6 26. f3 ( 26. f3 de8 27.h4 h5 ) 26... a5
27. cf1 b4 E.Atalik-Lahno, Kallithea 13th ECC final w 2008
17... xg7 18. c2 c7 This is a very sharp and unclear position, but in general I think Black is doing reasonably
ok. In a game I played in the Gibraltar Masters in 2009 David Berczes of Hungary immediately went for the throat
with
19. f4 exd4 20. cxd4
20. xd4 ad8 21. f5 f6
20... g4 I have to say this looked incredibly scary to me during the game.
21. d5
21. f5 And it is very scary, because White can play something like this.21... xe2 22. f6+ White tries to
give mate immediately. There seemingly isn't a mate, but it has to be checked very carefully before you
embark on this. It isn't just my hunch that this is playable, though - I did check this position pretty
carefully. 22... h8 23. h6 g8 24. f4g5 25. e5 d3
21... xe2 22. xe2 d4 23. f2 xc2 24. xc2 ac8
24... f6
25. d4+
25. e5 c5 26. d6
25... f6 26. e2
26. g3
26... c5 Berczes-Svidler, Gibraltar 7th Masters 2009

13.Rc1 a6 14.Qd2 b5 15.Bd3

1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO
10. O-O d7 11.b1 c7 12. f4 c8 13. c1 a6 14. d2 b5 15. d3 I don't think this is a critical line, but
it was played by Loek van Wely against me in a Wijk aan Zee tournament some years back. It's really a very
traumatic memory for me, because this game was played in Round 12 of 13. After 11 rounds I was +3 and half a
point behind the leaders. Generally I do very, very poorly in Wijk and score something around 50%, so this was my
one shot at doing ok. In the last two rounds I had Black against Loek and White against a very young Sergey
Karjakin. I thought that was quite promising because Loek never shies away from principled battles - I don't think
he's ever played for less than a full point against me - and therefore we generally get some double-edged and
interesting position where pretty much anything can happen. Then in the last round I was playing the "young buck",
who was clearly potentially a very good player but was still just a boy, so I thought I'd maybe do ok. Obviously I
scored zero points out of those two games, so that was my one shot at Wijk redemption done with.
15... b7 This was my move, and it's the correct one.
15... e5
a) 16. h6
a1) 16... c7 17. xg7 xg7 18. d5 ( 18. dxc5 a5 19. c4fd8 20. e3 bxc4 21. xc4 xc4
22. xc4 b5 23.c3 a5 24. fc1 ac8 25. g3 xa2 26. g5 ) 18...e7 19. c4
( 19. f4 f6 ) 19... b4 20. f4 f6+/=
a2) xh6 17. xh6 cxd4 ( 17... exd4 18. cxd4 c4 19. b1 ;17... d8 18. f4 c4 19. b1 exd4
20. f5 f6 21. e5 xe522. cxd4 g7 23. f4 fe8 24. f6 f8 25. c3 ad8 26.cd1 c8
27. h4 b4 28. h5 d3 29. xd3 cxd3 30.xd3 f5 31. g3 h8 32. h4 Dahale-Konguvel,
New Delhi 6th Parsvnath op
2008 ) 18. cxd4 exd4 19. xd4 ( 19. f4 ;19. f4 e8 20. f5 f6 21. f4 g5 22. d5 f7 23. h4 )
19... d8 20. f3 f6 21. c5 ac8
b) 16. e3
b1) 16... c4 17. b1 f5 ( 17... exd4 18. cxd4 d8 19. d5e5 20. f4 g4 21. d4 )
18. d5 ( 18. f4 exd4 19. cxd4fxe4 20. xe4 f5 ) 18... e7 19. d6 ( 19. f4 exf4
20.xf4 fxe4 21. xe4 f5 ) 19... c6 20. f4 e8 21. g3
b2) 16... exd4 17. cxd4 cxd4 18. xd4 ( 18. xd4 xd4 19.xd4 e8 20. b3 e7
21. c5 fd8 ) 18... b7 19.b3
b21) 19... ad8 20. c5 a8 21. f4
b22) 19... e5 20. c5 c6 21. e2 ( 21. f4 xd3 22.xd3 d6 23. e5
d5 24. c5 b7 )
b221) 21... ad8 22. fd1 ( 22. a5 ) 22... g4 23.xd8 xe2 24. d6
b222) 21... g4 22. xg4 xg4 23. d7 xe4 24.xf8 xf8

b223) 21... e6 22. xe6 xe6 23. d5 ac8 24.fd1 c4 ( 24... xd5
25. exd5 xc1 26. xc1d8 27. f4 c4 28. xc4 bxc4 29. xc4 xd5
30.c8+ f8 31. f5 ) 25. c5 xd5 26. xd5 fe8 27.xc4 bxc4
28. xc4 e5=
b23) e6 20. c5 e7 21. f4 fd8 22. e5 d5 23.fe1 f6 24. e6 f5 25. a4 d4
16. h6
16. dxc5 e5 17. fd1 fd8 18. c2 a7 19. xe5 xe5 20.e3 c7 21. f4 g7 22. e5 ac8
23. d5 g4
16... b6! This is the best move in this position. What you shouldn't do is what I did - open the c-file - because
the rook will come to c5 in many lines.
16... xh6 I immediately went very badly wrong and got mated by move 25, which is quite difficult to
imagine in this position, but anything is possible if you really want it! 17. xh6 cxd4 18. cxd4 Van WelySvidler, Wijk aan Zee 2007 18... ac8
a) 19. h4 a7 ( 19... b6 20. c5 g4 21. f4 ) 20. h5xd4 21. f4 xc1 22. xc1 c8
23. d1
b) 19. g5 19... b6
b1) 20. d5 f6 21. d2 e5 22. c2 g7 23. d4 c4 24.fd1 fc8 25. h3 g5
( 25... xh3 26. e3 )
b2) 20. fd1 20... fd8 21. h3 ( 21. f4 xd4 22. xb5xe4 23. xa6 b8
24. d5 e6 25. xe7+ xe7 26.xd8+ xd8 27. xe7 d2= ) 21... g7
( 21... xd4 22.xd4 xd4 23. xb5 ; 21... f6 22. h6 ) 22. f4 f6 23.h5+ g8
24. h6 gxh5 25. e5 xd4 26. xh7+ f8 27.h8+ f7 28. xh5+ e6 29. g4+
xe5 30. e1+ d631. f4+ e5 32. xf6+ e6 33. xe5+ e7
17. xg7 xg7 There isn't too much you need to know here - rather you should understand a few things.
18. b2N After this move White is planning to play d5 and c4.
18. e3 cxd4 19. cxd4 e5 ( 19... ac8 20. c5 e5 21. fc1xd4 22. xd4 exd4 23. xd4+ g8
Mercadal Benejam-Banet, ICCF 2007)
18. c2 fd8 19. f4 ( 19. g5 cxd4 20. cxd4 f6 ) 19... cxd420. cxd4 f6 21. fd1 ac8 22. b3 a5
( 22... xd4 23. xd4e5 24. xc8 ; 22... e5 23. dxe5 xe5 24. c3 c6 25. d5xd5 26. xd5 )
23. e5 ( 23. d5 b4 24. c3 e6 ) 23... a4 24.c2 b4 25. b1 d5 26. f3 xc1 27. xc1 e6
18. d5 e5 19. h1 e6

a) 20. c4 bxc4 ( 20... exd5 21. cxd5 c4 22. b1 b4 23. f4g4 ) 21. xc4 b4 ( 21... xc4
22. xc4 )
b) 20. f4 xd3 21. xd3 exd5

c) 20. f4 20... xd3 21. xd3 exd5 22. exd5 c4 ( 22... d623. c4 ) 23. e5 ad8

18. f4 cxd4 19. cxd4 f6! This can also be played immediately on move 18. Black is now once again ready
either to play ...e5 himself, or to meet 20.d5 with 20...Ne5.
a) 20. fd1 xd4
a1) 21. xd4 e5 ( 21... xd4 22. f1 ) 22. g3 exd4 23.c7 a7
a2) 21. c7 21... xe2+ 22. xe2 xc7 23. xc7 e8 24.f3 f7
b) 20. d5 20... e5 Black has a very comfortable position. 21. c2ac8
18... ab8 A very clever little move, planning to meet d5 both immediately, and after 19.Kh1 e5 20.d5, by
playing ...c4.
18... g4 19. f3 ( 19. d5 e5 )
18... fd8 19. h1 ( 19. c4 ab8 20. d5 e6 21. xc6 xc622. d5 exd5 23. exd5 a8 24. c4+ f6 )
19... ab8 20. f4 g421. d5
19. h1
19. f4 g4 20. h1 xe2 21. dxc5 ( 21. xe2 cxd4 ) 21...xc5 22. xe2 bd8
19. e5 g4 20. f3 ( 20. e4 xe2 21. xe2 cxd4 22. xc6xc6 23. cxd4 d5 ) 20... cxd4 21. cxd4
xe5
19. b1 e5 20. d5 e7 21. c4 d6 22. c3 ( 22. cxb5 axb5 23.f4 f6 ) 22... b4 23. d2 f6 24. f4 a5
19... e5 20. d5
20. dxe5 xe5 21. c4 f6
20... c4 21. b1
21. xc4 bxc4 makes the point of 18...Rab8 clear - the queen isn't hanging on b6.
21... e7
21... a5 22. f4 f6 23. fxe5 fxe5 24. b4 xf1+ 25. xf1e8 26. a4 b7
22. f4 f6 23. b4 be8 24. fxe5 fxe5 25. xf8 xf8 26. f1+g7=

13.d5
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO 10. O-O d7 11.b1 c7 12. f4 c8 13. d5 This is the first occurrence of a structure which has to be
discussed at some length. It's one White will get if he wants in the Bc4 Grnfeld, so you have to be prepared for it
as Black.
13... a5

13... e5 is also possible, but I always preferred

13...Na5. 14. xe5xe5 15. f4 g7 16. e5 b8 ( 16... a6 17. a4 c7 18. a5Farago-Karavade, Budapest
2005 ) 17. a4 c7 ( 17... h8 18. g3c7 19. e4 f5 20. e1 b6 21. b2 f6 22. d6 exd6 23.xd6
xd6 24. xd6 fxe5 25. fxe5 Wallis-Karavade, Kuala Lumpur
2006 ) 18. a1! h8 19. g3 a6 20. a5 b5 21. d3 f6Harikrishna-Berkes, Paks Marx Mem 2007
14. d3 e5 Black needs to start fighting back for the centre.
15. d2 I believe this is the best move. White's threat of c4 is quite serious.
15. g3
a) 15... c4 16. c2 b6 ( 16... f5 17. f4 exf4 18. xf4 fxe4 19.xe4 c5+ 20. h1 ae8
21. g3 xc3 22. d6 g7 23.d5+ h8 24. e4 d4 25. g5 Krush-Harika, Beijing 1st
WMSG Rapid Pairs
2008 25... xd1 26. bxd1 h6 ) 17. d2 (17. h3 b7 18. f4 exf4 19. xf4 c5+ 20. h1
ae8 21.d4 e5 22. h6 g7 Antic-Mikhalevski, Sydney op
2007 ) 17...b7 18. f4 f6 19. h1 d6 20. g1 d8 21. fxe5 fxe5 22.f3= Sakaev-Avrukh,
Izmir 2004
b) f5 16. f4 fxe4 17. xe4 c4 18. d3 d6 19. fxe5 xe420. xe4 f5 21. c4 xb1
22. d6+ h8 23. xb1 f5 24.e1 xe5 25. d4 xd4+ 26. cxd4 ae8 Carlsen-Navara,
Wijk aan Zee A 2007
15. e3 This is of course a natural and possible
move. 15... f5 ( 15...c4 16. c2 b5 17. f4 f6 18. g3 h6 19. d2 exf4 20. xf4xf4 21. xf4 e8
22. e1 e5 23. e2 b7 24. d4 ae825. f3 d6 26. h4 e7 27. h1 Leitao-Mekhitarian,
Americana Festival de Xadrez 2007 ) 16. exf5 ( 16. f3 An amazing number of very strong players, including
household names, have played f2-f3 either in this position or in very similar positions. It's a concept I
want to put on the board and explain in some detail, because I think it's very important to this
line. 16... f4 17. f2 c4 18. c2 b5 To say that Black's already winning would perhaps be an
overstatement, but not a huge one. The knight on e2 and the bishop on c2 not only don't have any moves
currently, they're very unlikely to have any moves in any kind of distant future. Therefore Black is
completely free to secure the queenside, transfer the knight to d6 via b7, and then just start a pawn
march on the kingside. White is singularly ill-equipped to deal with that because he basically has only two
ranks to operate on and none of his pieces have any future. This is a dream position for Black, and I'm
really surprised at how many times Black gets it, even in high-level
games. 19.a4 a6 20. a1 e8 21. h1 Wells-Rodriguez Lopez, Liverpool 4th EU-ch 2008 ) 16... gxf5
a) 17. g5 b6 18. c1 e8 19. g3 e4 ( 19... b7 20.e2! a4 21. d2 d6 22. f4 e4
23. h5 h8 24. h6g6 25. xf8 xf8 26. h1 Bernasek-Borisek, Szeged Mitropa Cup
2007 ) 20. b1 c4

b) 17. f3 This move is more normal here. 17... b6 This is a typical position which is very difficult
to assess. In general, I think you need to get some experience with this structure so you develop
a feel for it. My understanding is that Black should be fine in most cases, getting at least a very
playable position.
( 17... c4 18. c2 f4 19. f2 b620. g3 f5 21. gxf4 d7 22. e4 ae8 23. g3 h3 24. f5
b7 25. h1 d6 26. g1 h8 27. h5 xf5 28. xf5xf5 29. xg7 xg7 WerleMamedov, Plovdiv IX EU-ch 2008 )
b1) 18. g3? f4

b2) 18. g4 Jan Werle decided to "cut the knot" straightaway by playing this move
against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and trying to open up lines on the kingside.
b21) 18... b7 19. gxf5 d6 20. g3 xf5 21. xf5xf5 22. c4 ( 22. b2
c4 23. e4 ) 22... xd3 23.xd3 h3 24. e4 f6 25. f2 af8
26. bf1
b22) 18... f4 Cutting off the knight on e2 is a very common theme
here. 19. f2 h5 An interesting idea, trying to secure the f5-square for the
bishop. Vachier-Lagrave went on to win a very nice game.
( 19... c4 20. e4 b7 Even here we end up in a situation where if the
white knight had been on d2 instead of e2 Black could just resign because his
position would be strategically hopeless. With the knight on e2, however, I
think Black stands quite well because he's ready to transfer his knight over to
d6 and the bishop on e4 will be very difficult to sustain. In general, this is
very double-edged and playable for
Black. )20. gxh5 c4 21. c2 f5 22. h6 xh6 23. h1 xc2 24.xc2 f5
25. g1+ h7 Werle-Vachier Lagrave, Bundesliga 08-09 2008
b3) 18. g5 e8
b4) 18. e1 18... b7 19. h4
b41) 19... d8 20. g5 f6 21. xf6 ( 21. f4 e4 22.c2 d6 23. g3
e8
) 21... xf6 22. xf6 xf6 23.c4 d6 24. c3+/=
b42) d6 A precise move. Black will aim to play ...Qd8 and then drive some
of White's pieces back. White will try to get something going on the kingside
along the lines of Ng3-h5, which obviously shouldn't be allowed
unimpeded. 20. g3 d8 21.g5 ( 21. h3 e4 ) 21... f6 22. f4 e4
23. e2 ( 23.h5 xg5 24. fxg5 exd3 25. f6+ xf6 26. gxf6 e4 )
23... e8 24. h5 h6=
15... c4
15... f5 16. exf5 xf5 ( 16... gxf5 17. c4 b6 18. xa5 bxa5 19.c2 b8 20. xb8 xb8 21. a4 c8
22. d6 e6 ) 17. xf5gxf5 ( 17... xf5 18. e3 b6 19. g3 ) 18. a4 b6 19. c4 b720. c3+/=
16. c2 b6
16... f5 17. exf5 xf5 18. g3 xc2 19. xc2 c5 20. g5xd5 21. fd1 e6 22. e4+/=
16... b5 This has been played by serious players, and it's not a bad
move.17. f4 f6 ( 17... c5+ 18. h1 exf4 19. xf4 ae8 20. d2b7 21. d4 d6 22. fe1 f6
Igla-Lahno, Kallithea 13th ECC final w 2008 ) 18. g3 ( 18. e3 b7 19. d2 d6 20. h1 f5
Kobalia-Areshchenko, Isle of Man Monarch op 2006 )
a) 18... c5+ 19. h1 h6 20. fxe5 xd2 21. xd2 fxe5 22.g5 f2 23. f5 f8 24. bc1!
xf5 25. exf5 b7 26. h4xc2 ( 26... xf1+ 27. xf1 d6 28. h5 ; 26... e4 27. xf2xf2
28. fxg6 f4 ) 27. xc2 d6

b) 18... b7 19. f5 d6 20. e3 h8 21. a4 a6 22. h4 gxf523. xf5 xf5 24. exf5 g8
25. g4
17. f4 This is the obvious move, but Black's idea is to meet it with
17... c5+
17... f6 18. g3 ( 18. e3 b7 19. f5 d6 20. g3 e8 21.h4 d7 22. e2 c8 23. bd1 b5 24. a3
e7 25. g4 gxf526. exf5 h8 27. h1 g8 28. f3 f8 29. h2 g7 30.d2 c7 Berczes-Bartel,
Plovdiv IX EU-ch
2008 ) 18... c5+ 19.h1 exf4 20. xf4 b7 21. a4 ae8 22. d2 f7 23. h4 g424. h5 ShirovAreshchenko, Foros Aerosvit GM 2006
18. h1 exf4 19. xf4 If White could now play Nd4 he'd have a huge edge, but Black is just in time to prevent
that.
19. h3 g5
19. xf4 ae8 This really isn't ideal for White. In general, the knight belongs not on f4, but
d4. 20. f3 b7 21. e3 e7 22. d4d6 23. xg7 xg7 24. g3 h8 25. be1 e5=
19... g4 20. h3 xe2 21. xe2 xc3 White has obvious compensation for the pawn, but in general Black has
achieved something here and if he manages to withstand the impending attack on the kingside he'll be a pawn up
and doing ok.
22. a4 f6 23. b5 e7 24. d6 e6 25. d1 c6

12.Bd3 Rad8
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO 10. O-O d7 11.b1 c7 12. d3 This is perhaps the central and most critical line of the whole ...Bd7
variation. It's also the line in which the difference between 10...Bd7 and 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bd7 is most pronounced.
I'll try to explain what Black should do here after starting with 10...Bg4, but I'll do it in a slightly roundabout way. I
want to explain my thought processes in this position with a pawn on f2, because I had to play and prepare for this
position on a number of occasions against strong players. Obviously a rook has to go to d8 here, as otherwise it's
not clear what Black's previous play was all about.
12... ad8 This looks like the more natural move, but for me 13.Qc1 was a very serious problem.
12... a6
a) 13. f4
b) 13. f4 e5 14. g3 ( 14. dxe5 e6 15. d2 b5 ) 14... b515. h1 ae8 16. c2 a7
17. d5 ( 17. dxe5 xe5 18.xe5 xe5 19. f4 ee8 ) 17... a5 18. a4 f5 19. axb5 axb5
( 19... f4? 20. b6 b8 21. h4 h6 22. f3+/= ) 20. f3 c4=/+Begunov-Svidler, St Petersburg
1994

c) 13. dxc5 fd8 14. f4 e6 15. a3 d7 ( 15... c4 16. d4xd3 17. xd3 e5 18. fxe5 xe5
19. e2 ) 16. c2 ( 16. f5c4 17. d4 xd3 18. xd3 e5 ) 16... ad8 17. fd1
h6=/ /\ Ne5
d) 13. d2! 13... b5 ( 13... ad8 14. h6 xh6 15. xh6g4 16. f3 c8 17. d5 e5 18. e3
1-0 Khenkin-Mogranzini, Reggio Emilia 49th Intl. 2007 )
d1) 14. h6 xh6 ( 14... e5 15. xg7 xg7 16. d5 c4 17.c2 a5 18. f4 f6 19. fxe5
fxe5 20. g5 d6 21. h4 h622. g3 b7 Yevseev-Klimov, St Petersburg
2005 ) 15. xh6cxd4 16. cxd4 b6 17. d5 e5 18. d2 f5 19. bd1ad8 EljanovAreshchenko, Sochi Russian Team Championship 2006
d2) 14. f4
d21) 14... ad8 15. d5 a5 16. f5! PH.Nielsen-Ganguly, Tripoli 2004
d22) 14... cxd4 15. cxd4 a5 ( 15... e6 ) 16. d5 xd2 17.xd2 d4
18. f2+/=
d23) 14... e6 15. dxc5 ad8 16. c2
d24) 14... f5 15. dxc5 ( 15. exf5 c4 16. e4 xf5 17.g3 ; 15. d5 fxe4
16. xe4 a5 17. d6 xd6 18. xa8xd2 19. xd2 xa8 ) 15... ad8
16. a4 bxa4 17.a2+ h8 18. exf5+/=
13. c1 White aims to put the queen on a3, where it will put a lot of pressure on the black queenside.
13. f4 e5 ( 13... c8 14. d5 e5 15. xe5 xe5 16. f4 g717. c4 e6 18. f5 exf5 19. exf5 b5 ShirovSvidler, Wijk aan Zee A
2007 ) 14. g3 ( 14. g5 exd4 15. cxd4 xd4 16. xd8 xd817. xd4 xd4 18. c4 b5 19. d5 c6
) 14... cxd4 15. cxd4d6 16. d5 ( 16. xb7 xd4 17. h4 c6 ) 16... b4 17. d2( 17. c4 c8
18. b3 a5 19. a3 b5 20. axb4 a4 ) 17... xd318. xd3 b5 19. f4 f5 20. fxe5 xe5 21. xe5 xe5
22. c3fxe4
13. d5 e5 14. c4 e6 ( 14... g4 15. f4 e5 16. xe5 xe517. g3 b6 18. e2 h5 19. f4 g7 Van
Hecke- Livshits, Vlissingen 2005 )
13. d2 c8 14. fc1 d6 15. d5 e5 16. f4 ( 16. c4 e6 17.c3 xd3 18. xd3 b6 19. g5 de8
20. b5 d7 21. d2exd5 22. exd5 a6 23. c3 g4 24. h3 xc4 25. xb6 d4 26.d6 e6 27. e3
xd2 28. xd2 b8 29. cb1 xb6 30.xb6 Beliavsky-Vachier Lagrave, Paks VI G. Marx Mem
2008 ) 16... f517. c4 b6 18. xe5 xe5 19. f4 xf4 20. xf4 xf4 21. xf4fxe4 22. xg6 hxg6
23. xe4 e6 24. e1 g7 Pinter-Antal, Hungarian Championship 07-08 2007
13. c2 b6 14. fd1 a5 15. b2 c4 16. c2 e5 17. h3 fe818. d2 c6 19. bd1 b7 20. b1
e7 21. dxe5 xd2 22.xd2 xe5 Sargissian-Vachier Lagrave, Paks VI G. Marx Mem 2008
13. h3
13... d6 Ideally you'd like to solve all your problems tactically with this move, which leads to a long forced
sequence:

13... c8 14. d1 e5 ( 14... cxd4 15. cxd4 a5 16. b5 ) 15.d5 ( 15. dxc5 e6 16. c4 f5 17. g5 d7
18. c3 ) 15... a516. c4 b6 17. c3 f5 18. exf5 gxf5 19. g5+/= Tarnopolsky-Mikhalevski, Ashdod 3rd
Festival 2006
13... cxd4 14. cxd4
a) 14... d6 15. d1 ( 15. d5 e5 ) 15... xd4 16. xd4xd4 17. xd4 xd4 18. b5
xd1+ 19. xd1 xb5+/=
b) c8 15. a3+/=
13... e5 14. d5 ( 14. dxc5 e6 ) 14... a5
a) 15. g3 c4 ( 15... f5 16. exf5 gxf5 17. g5 ) 16. c2 b617. f4 exf4 18. xf4 e5 19. e2
b7
b) 15. f4 f5 16. exf5 xf5 17. xf5 xf5 18. g3 ff8 19.c4 exf4 20. xf4 d4+ 21. h1
e5
c) 15. c4 15... f5 16. exf5 gxf5 17. f3 b6 18. g5 de8 19.g3 isn't a very good version of this
structure.
13... e6 14. f4
a) 14... e5 15. d5 ( 15. xe5 xe5 16. f4 d6 17. b5a6 Graf-Bobras, Dresden
2006 ) 15... xf4 16. xf4 e5 17.c4+/=
b) c8 15. d5 e5 16. xe5 ( 16. c2 d7 17. h6 xh618. xh6 b6 19. g3 a6 20. h3
a5 21. f4 xc3 Antic-Mikhalevski, Las Vegas Masters
2006 ) 16... xe5 17. c4 d7 18.f4 g7 19. e5+/=
14. d1
14. d5 e5

14. xb7 c8 15. b1 cxd4 16. cxd4 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 18.c4 e6 19. xd4 xc4 20. d1
xa2 21. b5 f6=
14... cxd4 15. cxd4 xd4
15... b4 16. c4+/=
15... c8 16. b2 ( 16. d2 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 18. f1xe3 19. xe3 c7= ; 16. f4 e5 17. dxe5
xe5 18. e3c6 ) 16... b6 ( 16... a5 17. f4 ) 17. a6 cd8 18. bc1
16. xd4 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 With the pawn on f2 - as Black didn't play 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bd7 - this isn't check
so White can play
18. b5 xd1+ 19. xd1 xb5+/= Black is a queen down, although he clearly has excellent drawing chances as
his queenside will be very secure with the bishop on c6. If his pawns were on e6 and g7 rather than e7 and g6 I
think this would be a reasonably easy draw, but with the pawns where they are going for this position never really
appealed to me. I felt that if White managed to develop something on the kingside it would become very
unpleasant.

12.Bd3 Rfd8
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO 10. O-O d7 11.b1 c7 12. d3 fd8 The move I've normally played.
13. d2! I think this is the best move for White in this position, and in fact if it wasn't for this I'd be reasonably
satisfied with 12...Rfd8. Somewhat surprisingly, considering how much time I spent analysing this position and
fine-tuning my approach, I somehow managed to almost completely ignore this move until it was played against
me by Hikaru Nakamura. Then I realised that none of my options were really satisfactory.
13. f4 e5 14. g3 ( 14. g5 exd4 15. xd8 xd8 16. cxd4xd4 ) 14... cxd4 15. cxd4 d6
( 15... ac8 16. d5 a5 17. f3c4 18. f2 h6 19. xc4 xc4 20. xb7 a4 21. e1 b522. g3
a4 23. d1 a6 24. xa7 xf1 25. xf1 b5Vitiugov-Timofeev, Sochi Russian Team Championship
2008 ) 16. d5b4 17. c4 ( 17. d2 xd3 18. xd3 b5 ) 17... ac8 18.c1 b5 19. b3 a5
13. c1 Combatting this move is why I chose 12...Rfd8, because here Black is ready to play 13...Rac8.
a) 13... a6 14. a3 cxd4 15. cxd4 b5 ( 15... dc8 16. d5a5 17. c5 xa3 18. xa3 e5
19. xb7 ; 15... a5 16.xa5 xa5 17. b6+/= ) 16. d5 ( 16. fc1 dc8 17. c5a5 )
16... e5 ( 16... a5 17. xa5 xa5 18. b6+ ) 17.fc1 b8 18. f4 ( 18. c2 c4
19. xe7 xe3 20. fxe3 )18... xd3 19. xd3+/=
b) 13... cxd4 14. cxd4 d6 15. d1 e5 ( 15... xd4 16.xd4 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 18. b5
xd1+ 19. xd1 xb5)
b1) 16. dxe5 xe5 17. c4 e7 ( 17... xd1+ 18. xd1xc4 19. g5 ) 18. d5
c6 19. c5 h4 20. f4 xf421. xf4 b6 22. e3 ac8
b2) 16. c5 xc5 17. dxc5 a5 18. g5+/= ( 18. d2 b619. xa5 bxa5 20. c4
f8 )
b3) 16. d5 b4 17. a3 f8
b4) 16. g5 16... dc8 17. c5 xc5 18. dxc5 c7 19.c3+/=
c) 13... ac8
c1) 14. a3 cxd4 15. cxd4 a5 It's quite clear that Black's rooks are well-placed for
this particular line. The rook on c8 means that Black is already fighting for the c-file,
which is what he very much has to do in order to
equalise. 16. xa5 xa5 17. d2 c418. xc4 xc4 19. xb7 a4 20. g5 f8
( 20... f6 21.f4 ) 21. fb1 e8 22. 1b2 xd4 23. xd4 xd4 24.f3 f6 25. e3
d1+ 26. f2 a6 27. c5 c1 28. a3dc8=
c2) 14. b2 b5! ( 14... cxd4 15. cxd4 ) 15. xb5 b8=
c3) 14. d1
c31) 14... cxd4 15. cxd4
c311) 15... d6

c3111) 16. e5 b8 ( 16... c7 17. b2 ) 17. b2

c3112) 16. b2
c312) 15... e6 16. d5 exd5 17. exd5
c313) a5 16. b2 ( 16. d2 a4 ; 16. d2 xd217. xd2 a5
) 16... e6 17. a3 d7 18. b5 a2 (18... a6 19. xa5 xa5
20. d5 ; 18... xb5 19. xb5a6 20. xc6 ) 19. bc1 xb5
20. xb5 a6 21. xc6xc6 22. xc6 bxc6 23. c1+/=
c32) 14... a5 15. b5 xa2 16. xc5 b6 17. b5a5 18. b2+/=
c33) 14... e8 15. b2 cxd4 16. cxd4 a5 17. e5+/=
c34) 14... a6 15. a3 ( 15. d5 e5 16. c4 b5 ; 15. dxc5e5=/ ) 15... cxd4
( 15... b5 16. xc5 ; 15... a5 16.xc5 xc5 17. dxc5+/= ) 16. cxd4 a5
17. xa5 xa518. d5 c4! 19. xb7 ( 19. g5 b2 ; 19. xc4 xc4
20. d6 a4 21. dxe7 e8 22. d8 c7 23. xe8+xe8 24. f4 xe7
25. d5 xe4 26. xb7 f5= ) 19...b2 20. d2 xd3 21. xd3 b5
22. d2 e6
c341) 23. g3 exd5 24. exd5 h5 ( 24... xe2 25. xe2xd5 26. c2
+/= ) 25. f4 c1+ 26. g2 c3 27.e2 d1 28. c2 e5
c342) 23. h4 exd5 24. exd5 h5 25. b6 ( 25. g5xe2 26. xe2
xd5 ) 25... f8
c343) 23. dxe6
c3431) 23... xd2 24. exf7+ h8 25. xd2 xe226. e5
( 26. e7 b5 )
c3432) 23... fxe6 24. c7 b8 25. f4 e5 26.c5 xf4
27. xf4 xd2 28. xd2 d8 29. c2d3 30. c1
xe4=
13. b3 e8 14. xb7 xb7 15. xb7 cxd4 16. cxd4 xd4=
13. h3 Topalov played this against me in a tournament in China some years ago. Black has to be very,
very concrete, because White is now ready to play f4 next move.
a) 13... e8 14. d5 e5 15. c4 e6 ( 15... a6 16. c1 ab817. f4 d7 18. c2 b6 19. e2
a4 20. e5 b5 21. c3Porper-Mikhalevski, Edmonton Canadian Open
2009 ) 16. f4 ab817. e2 d6 18. c2 a6 19. b5 f8 20. a4+/= Topalov-Svidler,
Nanjing 2008

b) 13... e6! The best move in the position, and one that's already been played in a high-level
grandmaster game. 14. g5 ( 14. e5 e7 15.g5 c6 16. d2 d7 ) 14... cxd4! Black should
play this immediately. This is a very thematic exchange sacrifice which you'll see in a lot of
positions here.
( 14... e8 15. c1 cxd4 16. cxd4d6 17. xb7 ab8 18. xb8 xb8 19. c5 xc5
20. dxc5 h6 21. e3 Le Quang Liem-Sasikiran, Moscow Open A
2010 ) 15.xd8 xd8 16. cxd4 xd4 17. xd4 xd4 Black has given up the exchange simply to
control the dark squares, and the bishop on d4 and to a certain extent the other bishop on c6
will be monsters. Black will have very nice compensation for the exchange.
b1) 18. e2 a6 19. h1 c6 20. f4 a7=/
b2) 18. c1 e5 19. xb7 ( 19. h1 c6 20. f4 a5 )19... b6 20. a6 b5
21. xb5 xb5 22. h1 a6=
b3) 18. c2 18... e5 ( 18... xc2 19. xc2 c6 20.fd1 e5 21. g3 a5 22. g2 g7
23. f3 b5 24. b3 a4 25.d5 xd5 26. exd5 xd5 27. f4 c5 28. fxe5 xe5
29.bc1 xc1 30. xc1 b4 31. c4 b3 32. xa4 bxa2= ) 19.xb7 b6 20. b1
d6 21. e5 ( 21. f1 c6!= ) 21...d5 22. 1xb6 axb6 23. c7 e8 24. b5 d1+
25.h2 d2 26. b8 f4+ 27. g1 d1+ 28. f1 a4 29.d8 xd8
30. xd8 g7=
13. f4 This move allows Black a very interesting tactical solution:
a) 13... cxd4 14. cxd4 g4 15. d5 d4 16. h3 xe2 17.xe2 xe2+ 18. xe2+/=
b) 13... e6
b1) 14. f5 exf5 15. exf5 cxd4 16. cxd4 d6 ( 16... xf5 17.xf5 gxf5 18. xf5 ;
16... e8 17. d2 e7 18. f4c6 19. fxg6 hxg6 20. fc1 d5 GrandeliusHermansson, Reykjavik 23rd Open
2008 ) 17. fxg6 hxg6 18. xb7 e6 (18... xd4 19. c4 e6 20. xe6 xe6
21. xd4 xd4+22. xd4 e3+ 23. h1 xd4 24. b1+/= ) 19. d2 xd420. f4
c8 21. bb1 f5
b2) 14. e1 14... e8 15. f2 cxd4 16. cxd4 xd4 ( 16...e7 17. f5 exf5 18. exf5
ac8 ) 17. xd4 c3 18. xe6 (18. b3 xd4 19. a6 xe4 20. xb7 c6
21. xa8xa8 ) 18... fxe6 19. b3 c7 20. c1 ( 20. f5 exf5 21.exf5 f7 ; 20. e5 )
20... c6 21. e5 g5 22. b1 ( 22. e4gxf4 23. xf4 xe4 24. xc7 d1+ 25. f1
xf1+ 26.xf1 f8 27. g3 xe5 ) 22... f8 23. c2 h8 24.f1
c) 13... g4 14. d5 e6!
c1) 15. c4
c11) 15... d4 16. d2 xe2 17. xe2 b5
c111) 18. d3 exd5 ( 18... ab8 19. h1 exd5 20.cxd5 c4
21. bc1 e7 22. e5 f3 23. xf3 xd5 )19. cxd5 c4
20. bc1 e7 21. b1
c112) 18. h1

c12) b4 16. h3 exd5 17. cxd5 xd3 18. xd3 ( 18.hxg4 c4 ) 18... c4
19. c2 xe2 20. xe2 f5 ( 20... c321. d3 c2 22. bc1 ac8 23. f2
c3 24. d2 a325. e2 ) 21. b5 ( 21. e5 xd5 ) 21... fxe4 22. c5d6
23. xc4 b6 24. b5 ac8 25. a4 d7=
c2) 15. dxc6 15... c4 Analysis of this position shows that Black's compensation will be
fine even with the pawn on b7, where it will survive for a
while. 16. cxb7 ( 16. a4 cxd3 17. xb7 dxe218. xc7 d1 19. xd1 exd1=Q+
20. xd1 xd1 21. b7c8 22. c7 e2 23. e5 f6 24. exf6 xf6 ) 16... ab8
c21) 17. e1

c211) 17... cxd3 18. d4 xd4 ( 18... xb7 19. xb7xb7

20. h4 xd4 21. cxd4 xe4 22. d8+ f823. d2 ) 19. xd4
xb7 20. d2 e2 21. fc1db8 22. xb7 xb7 23. f6 b6+
c212) xd3 18. c1 xc3 19. h3 d1 20. e5 ( 20.d2 c2 )
20... a3 21. xd1 xe3 22. f3 c3!=/+
c22) 17. d4 17... cxd3 18. xd3 xb7 ( 18... e5 19.fxe5 xe5 20. xe5
xe5 21. d4 ) 19. xb7 xb720. e5 f5=/
13. d5 e5 14. c4 ( 14. f4 ) 14... e6 15. f4 b6 16. e2 h6 17.c1 h7 18. d3 exd5
19. cxd5 f5 Lahner-Meszaros, Frydek Mistek CZE 2005

13... ac8 This is perhaps what I should have played, but Black still runs into problems.

13... a6 I eventually played this after spending quite a lot of time here. This is an "all-purpose" move
aimed specifically at meeting 14.d5 Ne5 15.c4 with the ...b5 break, but Hikaru responded
correctly: 14. f4! e6 If Black allows White to play d5 he'll just get steamrolled. 15. dxc5 a5 I eventually
won a very nice game which I'm quite proud of because it showed a lot of interesting Grnfeld subthemes in the later stages, and in general a victory with Black against a very strong player is something to
cherish. Objectively, however, this position just isn't very good for Black. After both Hikaru's move and
the much simpler 16...Bd4 Black is just worse, so this can't be recommended.
a) 16. d4 e5 17. fxe5 xe5 18. f2 ( 18. b2 ac8 19.b4 xc5 20. xc5 xc5 21. e2
c6 22. b6 xb6 23.xb6 c6!=/ Nakamura-Svidler, Moscow Tal Memorial
2011 ) 18...e8 ( 18... e7 19. h4 e8 20. bd1 ac8+/= ) 19. c2 (19. h4 ) 19... ac8
20. e2 /\ Bd4 and Nf4-d5
b) 16. d4! , preparing a direct attack on the
kingside 16... f8 (16... b5 17. xb5 axb5 18. xb5 c4 19. d3 a3 20.b3 f8+/= )
17. f6 xc5+ 18. d4 dc8 19. h1
13... e8 14. fc1 e6 15. g5 ( 15. h6 h8 16. g5 d617. xb7 cxd4 18. cxd4 xd4 19. xd4
xd4 20. e7 g7 21.xg7 xg7 22. f1 xe4 23. xa7 Sundararajan-Sasikiran, Kolkata 3rd Open
2008 ) 15... d7 16. f4 cxd4 17. cxd4 xd4+ 18.xd4 xd4 19. f6=/
13... cxd4 14. cxd4 a5 was my initial idea here in my game against Nakamura, but then I realised that
after 15. xa5 xa5 , and then the immediate 16. d5 , or Rfd1 and then d5, with Bd2 also an option,
this just isn't equal for Black.
14. d5

14. f4? e5 15. g3 cxd4 16. cxd4 xd4 17. xd4 c3

14. f4 e6 15. f5 ( 15. b2 a5 16. dxc5 f8 17. d4 xc5 18.g3 xd4+ 19. cxd4 c3 ) 15... exf5
16. exf5 cxd4 17. cxd4d6 ( 17... xf5 18. xf5 gxf5 19. xf5 d7 20. g5 )
a) 18. xb7 xd4 19. fxg6 hxg6 20. xa7 e8
b) 18. fxg6 hxg6 19. c4 e6 20. xe6 ( 20. d5 xd5 21.xd5 xd5 22. xd5 xd5
23. xb7 f5 ) 20... xe6= 21.xb7? a5 22. bxf7 c4 23. h6 xd2 24. xg7+ h8
25. f4 f8!+
c) 18. f4 18... xd4+ 19. xd4 xd4+ 20. e3 d6 21.xb7 e5 22. fxg6 hxg6 23. e4
xd2 24. xd2 c6 25.xc6 xd2 26. a4 c4 27. b3 e4
14. h6 xh6 ( 14... cxd4 15. xg7 xg7 16. cxd4 ) 15. xh6cxd4 16. cxd4 d6 17. b5 ( 17. fd1
xd4 18. xd4 xd419. b5 ) 17... xd4 ( 17... a6 ) 18. xd4 xd4 19. bd1xb5 20. xd4 xd4
21. e1 c2 22. f4 d6
14... e5 15. c4+/= Although this isn't tragic in itself I think both black rooks are misplaced. Black's major sources
of counterplay are the e6/f5 and also the a6/b5 breaks, for which the rook on d8 and especially the rook on c8 are
doing absolutely nothing. The rook on c8 would actually be better off on a8, because if the a-file gets opened it
would become very active there.

10...Bg4
1. d4 f6 2. c4 g6 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 xc3 6.bxc3 g7 7. c4 c5 8. e2 c6 9. e3 OO 10. O-O g4 Let's finish by summarising some of the differences if Black correctly starts with this move rather
than 10...Bd7.
11. f3 d7 12. b1 c7 13. d3
13. f4 c8 14. c1 ( 14. dxc5? is a mistake because 14... a515. b5 xc5+ comes with
check. ) 14... d8 This is a very fresh idea Areshchenko played against Bacrot. It seems to be a very
strange idea, as Black's last three moves have succeeded in transferring the queen from d8 to d8 at the
apparent loss of three tempi. However, the white bishop isn't really ideally placed on f4. If White plays
14.Be3 we transpose back to something we discussed in Part 1. Black will simply play 14...Rc8 and be
very happy with his development. If White plays 15. d2 , as Bacrot did, then 15... cxd4 16. cxd4 a5 is
quite a good justification of Black's previous
play. 17. xa5 xa5 18. d3 fc8 19. b1 a620. fc1 xc1+ 21. xc1 c8 22. c7 c6 23. b6
e6 Bacrot-Areshchenko, Bundesliga 2012.
13... ad8 14. c1

14. d2 White is almost forced to play another move like this one. Play might
continue: 14... c8 15. fc1 In this position it's quite clear that Black has made the correct choice with
his rooks, because the bishop is comfortable on c8, the rooks are where they should be and Black can just
play, for instance, 15... b6 White needs to show he has a plan here because Black is harmoniously
developed and will continue to improve his position. White is somewhat stuck for ideas, and this alone
should lead anyone who wants to play this line to start with 10...Bg4. ( 15... d6 is also possible and has
been played in a number of games in a position where the white pawn is on f2. With the pawn on f3
White is perhaps slightly more comfortable, but even here this move is interesting for Black. It almost
forces White to play 16. d5 , and after 16... e5 Black will start undermining the white centre, with
both ...e6 and ...f5 possible in the immediate
future. 17. c4 b6 18. b3 f5 19. f4fxe4 20. xe4 e6 21. g3 exd5 22. xd5+ e6 Cvitan-Bosiocic,
Sibenik 2011; 15... e6 16. f4 e7 17. g5 f6 18. xf6 xf619. b5 cxd4 20. xc6 bxc6 21. cxd4
a6 Sanchez Ibern-Bacallao Alonso, Barbera del Valles XXXIX Open 2011)
14... cxd4 15. cxd4 d6 Here, after the inclusion of 10...Bg4 11.f3, this move solves all Black's problems.
16. d5 White is forced to play this advance.
16. d1 is no longer an option, because after 16... xd4 17. xd4xd4 18. xd4 Black
plays 18... xd4+ with check.
16... b4 This move, or
16... e5 will give Black excellent counterplay. It's very clear that in this line you should therefore start
with 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bd7.

1.c4 g6 2.Nf3
2.e4 e5 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6

1.c4 g6 2.Nf3
In this series I also want to give you an idea of what to do when people aren't ready to play ball and try not to play
the Grnfeld against you. In this case we're dealing with people who play 1.c4.
1. c4 There's obviously nothing wrong with all the usual replies to this move. I've been a 1...e5 player all my life
and nothing should discourage you from playing the classical lines after 1.c4, but I want to give you an idea of a
different approach to this position.
1... g6 This is a bit of a "left-field" reply. It aims, first of all, to confuse White somewhat and make him play
positions he isn't as accustomed to as he is to the normal positions English Opening players are looking for.
Moreover, in many cases this leads to unclear and interesting positions that are fun to look at. The main lines arise
after 2.e4 e5 and now either 3.Nf3 or 3.d4, but we first need to cover all the other bases. Obviously there are
many moves White can make in this position.
2. f3 This is White's main alternative to 2.e4.
2. d4 is the easiest move for our purposes. We of course simply reply with 2... f6 and we're back where
we started in the Grnfeld positions.
2. c3 c5 is very nice for Black. White has "triangulated" himself out of the comfort zone because he can
no longer get the proper English positions. 3. f3 ( 3. g3 , switching to playing the 3.g3 English Opening,
is of course an option, but we've already achieved a minor victory here as this line isn't a source of worry
for Black. ) 3... g7 4.d4 ( 4. e3 f6 5. d4 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 Once again Black gets a fantastic version of
the positions he's normally aiming for. ) 4... cxd4 5.xd4 c6 White has no time to play e4 and establish
the Maroczy Bind.
2... g7 3. g3 This move has some separate value.
3. d4 f6 once again transposes back to the Grnfeld.
3. c3 c5 4. d4 cxd4 5. xd4 c6 is clearly good for Black because White has to choose between the
rather sad-looking 6.e3 or 6. c2 , which allows 6... xc3+ 7. bxc3 a5 , and Black is already fighting
for an advantage.
3... c5 4. g2 c6 With the knight still on g8 White can't get the comfortable Maroczy positions he's probably
aiming for.
5. c3 The only ambitious approach White can try in this position.
5. O-O can be met by 5... e6 6. c3 ge7 and Black is extremely comfortable in this kind of position
where he'll be able to play ...d5 in one tempo. In general this is perfectly safe for Black.
5... e6 6. d4 cxd4 7. b5 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 This is now the main move and is quite comfortable for Black.

8... a5+ was supposed to be very nice for Black and was considered the refutation of White's idea until
in a game against Emil Sutovsky in 2012 Hracek played 9.Nd2.
a) 9. d2 xb5 10. dxc6 e7! ( 10... b6 11. b3 f6 12.xd4 h5 13. a4 xc6 14. xc6+
bxc6 15. b1+/=Savchenko-Bocharov, Olginka RUS-tch
2011 ) 11. xd4 b6 12.OO ( 12. b3 xc6 13. O-O O-O Grachev-Reshetnikov, Taganrog 64th
RUS-ch HL
2011 ) 12... OO 13. cxb7 xb7 14. xb7 xb715. b3 fd8 16. f4 d5 17. f3 a5 18. c5
b5 19.d3 b4=/ Gelfand-Anand, Zuerich Chess Challenge Pairings 5' 2013
b) 9. d2 9... xb5 10. dxc6 e7 11. a4! Black actually runs into some serious problems, and
this changed the evaluation of a line which for many years was considered very safe for Black.
( 11. cxb7 This automatic capture would pose Black no
problems. ) 11... b4 ( 11...b6 12. c4 b4+ 13. d2 xc4 14. cxb7 xb7 15. xb7b8
16. c1 a2 17. a6 xb2 18. b5+ xb5 19. axb5xb5 20. b1 c6 21. O-O
O-O 22. b4+/= Hracek-Sutovsky, Eilat 17th ECC 2012; 11... a6 12. b4! ) 12. b3!
b1) 12... xc6 13. a3 a5 14. OO f8 15. c4 d8 16.d6! ( 16. b4 xb4 17. a5
a6 18. d6 xd6 19. xd4O-O 20. xd6 e7 Mikhalevski-Lenderman, Las Vegas
2013)16... xd6 17. xc6+ bxc6 ( 17... e7 18. xd4 ) 18.xd4+/=
b2) bxc6 13. a3 b7 14. c4 OO 15. OO c7 16. c1 (16. d6 d7 17. e5
a6 ) 16... a6 17. a5!+/=
9. fxd4 This is the only potential problem Black faces in this position. My attempts to equalise immediately
failed, so Black first needs to finish his development.
9. bxd4 ge7 is quite harmless. 10. O-O O-O Black has a very simple plan. He wants to play ...Re8 and
then ...Nf5, immediately beginning a fight for the d4-square. For
instance: 11. e3 e8 12.c1 ( 12. d2 f5 13. xf5= was fine for Black in Huzman-Avrukh, ISR-tch
2012 ) 12... f5 13. xc6 bxc6 14. d4 xd4 ( 14...a6 Bologan played this in the same European Club
Cup and still drew, although I think he suffered a
little. 15. e1 xd4 16. xd4 xd417. xd4 xe2 18. xc6 c4 Malakhov-Bologan, Eilat 17th ECC
2012 ) 15. xd4 b6 This is perfectly playable for Black because 16.xc6 would be met
by 16... xb2 17. c2 f5 and the rook on c2 is a bit stuck.
9. O-O is the latest try by the Master himself, but even here White didn't get very
far: 9... ge7 10. f4 O-O 11. c7 b8 12. b5 a813. d2 g4 14. bxd4 b6 15. e3 The game
went
a) 15... xd4 , and now White would have retained some pressure
after 16. xd4 ( 16. xd4 xd4 17. xd4 c6 18. b3ad8 was fine for
Black: 19. ac1 fe8 20. fe1 b4 21. h3e6 22. d4 xa2 23. xb6 KramnikAreshchenko, Tromso World Cup 2013) 16... a6 17. a4+/=
b) 15... a6 16. fd1 fe8 , and Black should be fine: 17. h3xf3 18. xf3 e5=
9... f6
9... a6 doesn't equalise
fully: 10. xc6 bxc6 11. d4 e7 12. OOc5 13. b3 ( 13. f3 ) 13... c4 14. d4 OO 15. g5 d7
16.d2+/=

9... ge7
a) 10. f4 O-O 11. O-O a6 12. xc6 bxc6 13. c3 ( 13. d6e6 )
b) 10. O-O 10... O-O 11. e3 isn't particularly attractive because Black will have additional
problems. It's much harder for him to play in the same vein with the white knight on b5 rather
than f3.
10. O-O O-O 11. e3 Black needs to be precise and act fast in this position.
11... g4 Peter Leko played like this against Boris Gelfand and I think he was correct to do so.
11... a6 is also quite interesting:
a) 12. c3 allows White to settle when I think he will be a little better. I don't particularly like
this position, although
after 12... g413. xd5 ( 13. xc6 bxc6 14. c5 e8 ) 13... xe3 14.xc6 xd1
15. xd8 xf2 16. xf7 xf7 17. xf2 xf218. xf2 e6 Black should hold.
b) 12. xc6 12... bxc6 13. c3 ( 13. d4 c5 14. b3 c4 15.d4 e8 ) 13... b8 14. b3 e8
is quite ok for Black: 15.d4 f8 16. e1 f5 , and Black's active pieces compensate for his
somewhat compromised structure.
12. f4 Once again Black needs to be quite fast.
12... a6 I discussed this with Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who is also an expert here, and we think this move is a very
good idea for Black.
12... xd4 13. xd4 b6 14. b3 xb2 15. b1 g7 16.xd5 Although Leko drew eventually this
position isn't much fun for Black and I don't want to recommend
it. 16... f6 17. d6 f5 18.bc1 e4 Gelfand-Leko, Tashkent GP 2012
13. xc6 bxc6 14. d4 The most natural reply for White is of course to attack the hanging pawns immediately.
14. c3 a5

14... g5 Driving back White's pieces. This is Rustam's idea and I quite like it.
15. c1 Forced.
15. xc6 f6 just loses a piece.
15... f6 16. f3 The critical move.
16. e3 can be met by, for instance, 16... e8 and visually it's quite obvious why Black is doing what he's
doing. He's driven the bishop away from its beautiful post on f4 and the pawn on e3 is also locking in the
bishop and making it hard to reactivate. Black has a very free position and his weakness on the kingside
isn't particularly felt.
16... h6 Once again White immediately needs to start proving to Black that ...g5 is an important weakening, so
17. h4 Otherwise Black would just be comfortable.

17... e8 I like the idea of just giving up the g5-pawn.

17... gxh4 is also possible.
18. hxg5 hxg5 19. xg5
19. xg5 xb2 isn't very good for White because both the rook on a1 and the pawn on e2 are hanging.
19... b8 20. f3 a5 In this position Black is a pawn down with no immediate threats, but on the other hand
it's very, very hard for White to develop his pieces in any kind of harmonious manner - I think Black has excellent
compensation for the pawn. So this is an interesting proposed improvement on the Gelfand-Leko game if you're
feeling a bit adventurous and have nothing against the idea of sacrificing some material for free piece play.

1.c4 g6 2.e4 e5 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6

1. c4 g6 2. e4 By far the most critical attempt for White and one that requires quite a bit of precision from Black.
2... e5 Black should play this so as not to land in some unpleasant Maroczy Bind positions. White has two main
moves here, 3.d4 and 3.Nf3. Let's look at 3.Nf3 first.
3. f3 g7 4. d4 exd4 5. xd4 Black once again has a choice, this time between 5...Nf6 and 5...Nc6.
5... c6 The most obvious move in the position and one I made myself in a game against Bu Xiangzhi in the
Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad in 2010.
6. e3 The main move for White.
6. xc6 bxc6 is quite comfortable for Black because he has a very natural plan.
a) 7. e2 lets Black demonstrate his plan: 7... d6 8. O-O e7 9.c3 O-O If allowed Black's next
moves will be ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...Nd4. If all of that actually happens Black will have a very
comfortable position and perhaps even some
pressure. 10. g5 ( 10.e3 c5 11. d2 b8 12. b3 c6 13. ad1 d4 Lalith-Areshchenko,
Gurgon
2009 ) 10... h6 11. h4 ( 11. e3 f5 12.d2 h7 13. ad1 fxe4 14. xe4 f5 15. f4 d4
16.d3 c5 17. g3 h4 18. e3 b7 Dudukin-Kornev, Vladimir
2004 ) 11... g5 12. g3 g6 13. g4 b8 14. xc8 xc8 15.d2 e6 Pushkov-Trapl,
Dresden EUR-tch Seniors 2010
b) 7. c3 7... d6 8. c5 ( 8. e3 f6 9. e2 O-O 10. O-Oe8 ) 8... f6 Since White is also
undeveloped it's very hard for him to do much about the potential weaknesses in the
centre. 9. c4 ( 9.cxd6 cxd6 10. e2 O-O 11. O-O e8 Black is the first to begin active play
and I think he's at least very comfortable
here. 12. f3b8 13. b1 a6 14. e1 d7=/+ Kolev-Rashkovsky, Groningen 1990 )
9... O-O 10. O-O g4 11. cxd6 cxd6 12. f4 e5 13.e2 e6 14. c1 f5= I.Ivanov-Hawkes,
Los Angeles 1982
6... f6 Necessary unless you want to find yourself in well-known Maroczy-type positions which aren't so pleasant
for Black.
7. xc6 Pretty much forced.

7... dxc6 8. c3 e7 An interesting attempt by Black to get an unbalanced and somewhat assymetric position
with active piece play. The first game I saw starting from this position was the game between Loek van Wely and
Vassily Ivanchuk in the Foros tournament in the late 2000s.
9. e2 This move played by Bu Xiangzhi against me is, I think, a more judicious approach for White.
9. d3 was Van Wely's
move. 9... f6 10. h3 ( 10. OO g4 11.f4 OO 12. h3 e5 13. e2 e6=/+ ; 10. f3 OO 11. OO d7
12. c2 e5 13. e2 e6 14. b3 g5 ) 10... d7 11. O-O O-O12. c2 e5 An even more ambitious
approach. ( 12... c5 deserves a lot of attention. ) 13. e2 g5 A very attractive idea which you might
be familiar with from Benoni structures. Black secures a nice outpost on e5 for his knight. The game was
very unclear and I can't really claim that Black is already better, but when faced with this fresh approach
Loek started to go quite badly wrong and lost very
quickly. 14. ad1 ( 14.f4 gxf4 15. xf4 e6 ) 14... e6 15. b3 fe8 , with very unclear play, Van
Wely-Ivanchuk, Foros 3rd Aerosvit 2008
9. d2 f5! 10. exf5 ( 10. f3 f6 11. d3 fxe4 12. xe4 xe413. xe4 e6 14. OOO OO 15. c2 f5
= ) 10... xf5 11.O-O-O f6 12. d3 d8 13. e2 xd3 14. xd3 xd3 15.xd3 g4 16. d4
O-O Tratar-Cicak, Campillos IX Malaga op 2006

9... f6 White could now try to keep his edge by playing

10. f3 Strictly speaking I think this is a better move. White doesn't allow Black freedom to jump with his knight.
10. c2 was played against me, and after 10... O-O 11. O-O g4 12.xg4 xg4 13. ac1 ad8= I was
already very comfortable. I still managed to create some problems for myself later on, but the game was
eventually drawn. Bu Xiangzhi-Svidler, Khanty-Mansiysk 39th Olympiad 2010
10... O-O 11. O-O e6 12. c2 d7
12... h5
13. ad1 White's position is perhaps slightly to be preferred - Black hasn't achieved full equality just yet - but it's
still very playable for Black. There's nothing particularly wrong with his position and he can play on the queenside
with e.g. ...a5 and ...Nc5, or he can try to break up the centre straightaway by playing ...f5 immediately.
13... f5

1.c4 g6 2.e4 e5 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 exc4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Bd3

6.Nc3 0-0 7.Be3
7.Be2
1.c4 g6 2.e4 e5 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5
4.Nf3

3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 exc4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Bd3

1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. f3 g7 4. d4 exd4 5. xd4 f6 I think this is the best and most ambitious move here
for Black and it's the one I want to recommend. Black's main idea is not to switch to the classical King's Indians but
to play ...d5 in one move, saving an all-important tempo on ...d7-d6. I think it actually works and Black manages
to achieve that aim quite successfully in all variations, although there are quite a lot of similar-looking but
different and important lines which require our attention. White's two main moves now are obviously 6.Bd3 and
6.Nc3.
6. d3
6. e5 deserves only a brief side note, as 6... e4 7. e2 c5 really is inadvisable for White. The pawn
on e5 is quite clearly a weakness not a strength. It will require a lot of attention just not to lose it here.
6... O-O 7. O-O c6 A very natural move.
7... d5 is possible straightaway, and regardless with which pawn White captures on d5 Black will follow
up with ...c6 and ...cxd5. Black can force the matters even more by starting
with 8. cxd5 ( 8. exd5 c6 9. g5cxd5 10. c3 transposes to the main line. ) 8... c6 9. c3 transposes yet
again and has the added bonus of avoiding White's additional option of 7...c6 8.e5, although as I explain
below that isn't a very dangerous line.
8. c3
8. e5 e8 This is a very normal position for this kind of line. By trying to save on ...d6 Black in many
positions of course allows White to play e5, meaning that the knight has to leave f6. The pawn on e5 is
then immediately exchanged. For instance, after 9. f3 d6 the pawn will be traded off soon and, in
general, the structure where Black has a pawn on c6 against a pawn on c4 with no more pawns in the
centre is quite comfortable for
Black. 10. g5 d7 11. f4 dxe5 12. xe5 xe513. xe5 d6 14. e1 f6
8... d5 White now has a choice.
9. exd5 The more positional approach.
9. cxd5 cxd5
a) 10. exd5 xd5 11. e4 xc3 12. bxc3 a5 13. b3 ( 13.b1 xa2 14. e3 c4 15. f3 c6 16.
xc6 bxc6 17.xc6 g4 Vokac-Gross, Bratislava
1991 ) 13... d7 14. a3xa3 15. xa3 e8 16. fe1 f8 1/2-1/2 Petrosian-Adorjan, Sochi 1977

b) 10. e5 leads to very forcing play. 10... g4 11. f4

b1) 11... f6 is a somewhat cheeky move, considering just how undeveloped Black is, but it's
actually still quite
playable. 12. f5 (12. e2 fxe5 13. db5 a6 14. xd5+ xd5 15. xd5axb5 16. e7+ h8
17. xc8 xh2 18. xh2 xc8 19. f5gxf5 20. xf5 c6 21. f7 e4= ; 12. exf6 xf6
13. db5
a6 14. h3 b6+ 15. h1 f6 16. a4 d8 17. bc3c6=/+ ; 12. h3 fxe5 ) 12... fxe5
13. xg4 e4 14. e3exd3 15. g3 c6
b2) c6 A more solid approach. 12. xc6 Forced. 12... bxc6White now has to do something
about the big threat of ...Qb6+, after which Black aims to play ...f6, exchange off the e5-pawn
and so lengthen the diagonal for the g7-bishop. After the
possible 13.a4 ( 13. e2 e8 14. h3 h6 15. f2 f6 16. a4 fxe517. fxe5 f8 18. d4 f7
19. f4 h4 20. ae1 g5 21.e3 xe5=/+ ) 13... f6 14. h3 h6 15. exf6 xf6 16. e3anoth
er typical idea for Black is to play 16... f5 If the light-squared bishops come off the h6-knight
will have a very nice outpost on f5. In general I think Black is at least very comfortable
here. 17.c5 fe8 18. f2 xd3 19. xd3 f5=/+
9... cxd5 10. g5 h6 It's important to drive the bishop away from g5 before committing to some kind of structure
in the centre.
10... dxc4 11. xc4 h6 12. h4 a6 13. b3 bd7 14. c2c5 15. ad1 b6 16. c4 g4 17. d2 g5
18. g3+/=Uhlmann-Jansa, Linz 2000
11. e3 White hopes at some point to win a tempo by hitting the h6-pawn with Qd2, but Black can play very
forcefully here.
11. f4 doesn't make much sense because the bishop is doing little there. 11... c6
a) 12. xc6 bxc6 13. e1 ( 13. cxd5 xd5 14. xd5 xd5 )13... e6
b) 12. db5 12... g4!
11. h4 is met by 11... c6 12. xc6 Pretty much forced. 12...bxc6 13. cxd5 cxd5 In this position with
an isolani on d5 it would be nice for White to have a potential plan of playing Qd2 and then Bh6, but once
Black has driven the bishop to h4 that's no longer an option for White. In general Black should be very
comfortable in this structure because he has good dynamic play behind the isolated pawn. 14. e1b8=
11... dxc4 12. xc4 g4 Exchanging off the bishop.
13. db5 The only ambitious move for White, but after
13... xd1
13... e5 14. xd8 ( 14. h3 xe3 15. fxe3 e7 16. d5 g517. bc7 xh3 18. f3 f5 19. xa8
c6 20. ac7 h4=/ )14... xh2+ 15. h1 xd8 16. xa7+/=
14. axd1 xe3 15. fxe3 c6 16. d6 e5 the position after all the trades is quite safe for Black. I checked
it for a bit because it looks as though White has some pressure, but in fact after, let's say,
17. d5 b8= Black is just fine here. Play might continue:

18. ce4 e6 19. xe6 fxe6 20. h3 bd8 21. b3 xf1+ 22.xf1 b6 23. e2 f8=

3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 exc4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Be3

1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. f3 g7 4. d4 exd4 5. xd4 f6 6.c3 The most critical move.
6... O-O White once again has a variety of options - the critical ones are 7.Be2 and 7.Be3.
7. e3
7. g5 was once played by Viktor Korchnoi, but it's a very dubious idea. After 7... e8 8. f3 h6 the
white bishop actually went back to e3: 9.e3 d6 Creating the threat of ...Ng4 and potentially ...Bg4 in
some positions. I think David Navara was already better here. Korchnoi-Navara, Prague 2003
7. d3 c6
a) 8. f4 d5 9. exd5 ( 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. db5 dxe4 ) 9...e8+
b) 8. O-O 8... d5 transposes to the line we saw after 6.Bd3.
7. g3 is possible but I don't think it's very good because in general in the g3 King's Indian White needs
some "peace and quiet" before engaging with Black in the centre. With a pawn already on e4 and the
pawn on d4 already exchanged 7... c6 will force White to waste some tempi solving immediate tactical
problems.
7... c6 Somewhat more precise than 7...Re8. Black's aim is to play ...d5 with the rook still on f8.
7... e8 is the most natural move in the position, but allows a little trick. 8. d3! White switches back
to this line, and Black now has a somewhat unpleasant choice. ( 8. f3 c6 9. c5 b6 would just transpose.)
a) 8... d6 9. f3N After this move Black doesn't succeed in getting the kind of positions he
generally tries to get in this line.
( 9. d2 g410. g5 ) 9... c6 ( 9... c6 10. OO d5 11. cxd5 xd5 12.xd5 cxd5 13. c1
c6 14. xc6 bxc6 15. d2 dxe4 16.xe4 xd2 17. xd2 a6= ) 10. d2
b) 8... c6 9. O-O
b1) 9... d6 10. d2! ( 10. h3 g4 11. hxg4 xd4 ; 10. f3g4 ; 10. xc6 bxc6 )
10... g4 11. g5 and Black doesn't get the concessions he's looking for.
b2) g4 10. xg4 xd4 11. d1 d6 12. d2 e6 13.ad1 a5 14. c2 b6 15. b3
b7+/= Cu.Hansen-Nielsen, Middelfart 2003
c) 8... c6 This position has gained some "notoriety" in recent years. White has additional options
compared to the normal state of affairs.9. O-O d5 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. b5 This is the move I'm
talking about. The fact that the rook is on e8 and the pawn has managed to stay on f2 makes
White's position much more stable. Black also needs to solve immediate tactical
problems. 11... f8 Pretty much forced.12. exd5 xd5 13. xd5 xd5

c1) 14. a4 a6 15. e2 d7 16. c1 f6 17. c4 d8 18.f3 xd1 19. fxd1 d7

20. a5 fc8 21. e5 e6=
c2) 14. a4 was played by Evgeny Tomashevsky against Emil Sutovsky, and
after 14... d7 he replied with the spectacular 15.c6! This position is very
interesting, very unclear and a lot of fun to look at. 15... e6 16. fe1 ( 16. ad1 is
probably an
improvement.) 16... a6 ( 16... bxc6 17. xc6 b8 18. xa7f5 19. xb8 xb8
20. e4 g5 21. ab1 d7 22. b4d4 23. bd1 f6 24. e2 b6 25. b3 g4
26. f3e6 27. c2 c8 Tomashevsky-Sutovsky, Ohrid
2009 ) 17.ac1 ( 17. d4 d6= ) 17... bxc6 ( 17... axb5 18. xa8bxc6 19. xc6 e4
) 18. xc6 b8 19. a7 f5=/+
c3) 14. c1! I believe this is even stronger that 14.Qa4, creating the very unpleasant
threat of Bc4. 14... xa2 Black at least tries to suffer for some material, as otherwise
his position is just very unattractive. 15. c4 xb2 16. d3 The queen is in trouble
and Rb1 is now a big
threat. 16... b4 ( 16... a6 17. b1 c518. xb2 xd3 19. xd3 xd4 20. xd4
d8 21. b4a5 22. a4 d7 23. a3 ) 17. xf7+ A huge
blow. 17...xf7 ( 17... xf7 18. xc8+ is quite clearly
unattractive. 18...f8 19. b1+ ) 18. c4 It turns out that Black has no particularly
good squares for the queen. 18... b2 The best move in the position.
( 18... e7 19. b3!+ Black is already lost because his king can't get back into its
corner in time.; 18... b619. f3 The queen will once again land on d5 with check,
which will be lethal.; 18... d6 19. b3+ ) 19. e4 Black barely manages to survive
by starting to give up his extra material: 19...g8 20. xc8 c6 The most likely
scenario is that Black will lose the entire queenside and will have to defend a
somewhat unpleasant 3 vs 2 pawn endgame on the
kingside. 21. xa8xa8 22. xc6 bxc6 23. xc6 b8+/=
8. e5 No real problem for Black.
8. d3 d5= is also an attractive version of something we've seen before.
8. b3 e8=/+
8. c5 This is perhaps the only option that has separate value here, but Black can play 8... e8 forcing
White to play 9. f3 and now Black has a very typical breakthrough on the
queenside: 9... b6=/+ 10. b3 bxc5Black's easiest option. 11. xc5 d5 Commencing an attack on the e4pawn. This is very comfortable for
Black. 12. e2 bd7 13. d4dxe4 14. fxe4 xe4 15. xe4 xe4 16. xg7 a6 17. c1xg7 Krasenk
ow-Sutovsky, Reykjavik 2003
8... e8 The usual response to e5.
9. f3 d6 I think Black is perfectly fine here.
10. e2 a5 11. exd6 xd6 12. O-O
12. xd6 xc3+ is also fine for Black.
12... f5 This is a very attractive position for Black.

13. d2 c7 14. c1 a6 15. f4 b6=

3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 exc4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Be2

1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. f3 g7 4. d4 exd4 5. xd4 f6 6.c3 O-O 7. e2 The main option in this position.
7... e8 8. f3 c6 White has a wide choice of moves, the most important of which are 9.Nb3 and 9.Nc2.
9. c2
9. O-O d5= is just very comfortable for Black.
9. c5 is once again met by the strong 9... b6 and after, for
instance,10. b3 bxc5 11. xc5 d6 12. d3 d5=/+ Black may already be better and in any case I quite
like this position.
9. b3
a) 9... d5 is possible immediately: 10. cxd5 cxd5
a1) 11. g5 h6 12. xf6 xf6 13. xd5 ( 13. xd5 c614. OO e6 15. c5 d4
16. xd4 xd4+ 17. xd4xd4+ 18. h1 ac8 19. b5 ed8 20. d5 xd5
21.exd5 xd5 Lalith-Konguvel, Chennai 45th IND-ch
2008 ) 13...xb2 14. OO c6 15. b5 e6 16. f2 e5 17. c1xd5
18. xd5 Lalith-Kasparov, Balaguer op 2008
a2) 11. exd5 11... a6 12. g5 b4 13. d2 b6 14.a4 d6 15. OO xd5
16. fd1 b6 Nyback-Navara, Bled 2002
b) a5 I think it's even stronger to start with this move.
b1) 10. c5 a4 11. d2 b5! ( 11... h5 12. g3 b5 ) 12. cxb6d5 , and Black has a very
dangerous initiative: 13. xa4 h5 (13... bd7 ) 14. g3 f4!
b2) 10. a3 d5!
b3) 10. O-O a4 11. c5 a3=/+ is a whole other raft of problems for White, so not very
attractive.
b4) 10. a4 Forced. 10... d5 Black is very comfortable if White accepts the pawn
sacrifice.
b41) 11. exd5 cxd5 12. O-O White at least tries to limit the damage.
( 12. cxd5 b6 Black's usual response, and with the pawns on a5 and a4
White has more problems than usual because in many lines the knight on b3
will be hanging - Black clearly has excellent compensation for the sacrificed
pawn. ) 12...e6 13. c5 c6=/+ This is a typical structure that arises in
many lines of the Classical King's Indian, but in this particular case it's clear
that Black is miles ahead of the usual situation where he has to fight for the
d4-square. White will have a lot of trouble controlling that square here and
Black may already be better.

b42) 11. cxd5 11... cxd5 12. g5 ( 12. xd5 xd5 13.xd5 xd5 14. exd5
a6 Even this endgame is good for Black because the pawn on d5 won't
survive very
long. ) 12...h6 13. xf6 xf6 14. xd5 xb2 15. OO c6= Once again fine
for Black.
9. g5 has some separate value.
a) 9... h6 is less convincing: 10. h4 d5 11. cxd5 ( 11. exd5cxd5 12. O-O c6= Petursson-Sax,
Buenos Aires Olympiad 1978 )
a1) 11... cxd5 12. xd5! ( 12. exd5 g5 13. f2 xd5 14.db5 e6 15. OO
c6 David-Adorjan, Zalaegerszeg 1991 )
a2) 11... g5 12. g3 cxd5 13. db5 a6
a21) 14. exd5 h5 15. f2 f4 16. OO f5 17. c4 (17. d2 c8
18. fe1 b4 M.Gurevich-Jansa, Forchheim
2000 ) 17... c8 18. d4 d7 19. c6+/= Nicholson-McNab, corr 200
a22) 14. d6!
b) 9... a5 10. d2 ( 10. e3 d5 11. b3 d8 12. cxd5xd5 Popov-Khalifman, St Petersburg
1998 ) 10... d5 11. b3b6 12. e3 d8 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. exd5 Biriukov-Stepanov Tula 2010
c) 9... b6 The most natural reply, hitting the knight on d4. 10.b3 d5 It's important to note
that Black has to be prepared to play ...d5 in almost any position here, regardless of how many
pieces seemingly control the square. Black should never be worried about playing positions
where he's just a pawn down for seemingly nothing concrete yet. For instance, in this position
after 11. cxd5 cxd5
c1) 12. exd5 Alexander Khalifman played this against Codenotti at the European
Individual Championship in 2011. 12... a6 Once again a very typical move - Black
aims to play ...Nb4 or perhaps in some positions ...Nc7, playing against the d5-pawn.
The queen on b6 also ensures that White is unable to castle
comfortably. 13.h4 Aiming to play Bf2 and at least castle. 13... g4 Black could
even try this if he's feeling a bit more adventurous. ( 13...b4 led to a
draw: 14. f2 c7 15. O-O Black will simply win back the pawn by taking with a
knight on d5. 1/2 Khalifman-Codenotti, Aix-les-Bains 2011 ) 14. fxg4 White is forced to
accept the sacrifice, and after 14... xg4 15. f1 xe2 16. xe2e8 Black gets
very rich play for the sacrificed material. 17. f2b5 18. d4 xb2=/
c2) 12. xf6 is simply met by Black taking with the
queen. 12...xf6 13. xd5 ( 13. xd5 c6 Black has fantastic compensation due to
his control of the dark squares. ) 13...xb2= Black is also doing very well here.
9... d5 Black's response is the same.
10. cxd5 cxd5 11. xd5 The main move.
11. O-O dxe4 12. xd8 xd8 13. fxe4 e8 14. b5 a6=/+Greenfeld-Leko, Budapest 1996

11. g5 h6 It won't surprise you to hear that this is once again Black's
reaction. 12. xf6 xf6 13. xd5 e6 We're following a game played by Gross and Stohl in the very
remote past - all the way back in 1991. 14. b5 c6 Black has fantastic play along the dark squares.
(14... d7 15. O-O a6 16. d3 e5=/ ) 15. d1 is better for White. ( 15. O-O d4!=/+ Here Black
was perhaps already better in Gross-Stohl, Rimavska Sobota
1991 ) 15... a6 ( 15... e7 16. OOc7 17. f4 a6 18. c5+/= ) 16. b6 ed8 Black gets a lot of play on
the dark squares and can never be worse in a position like
this. 17.f2 ( 17. OO d4 18. xd4 xd4+ ) 17... d4 18. e3e7=/
11. exd5 b6 White is very uncomfortable with his king in the centre. If12. d4 then the simplest way
to proceed is 12... bd7 , and after 13.xb6 xb6 the pawn on d5 is about to be lost and Black is
slightly better. 14. e3 d8=
11... xd5 12. xd5 c7 An even more ambitious try.
12... xd5 13. exd5 a6 is also possible, as I think Black gets enough counterplay in the
endgame. 14. f2 f5 15. e3 d4 16. d1b6 17. b5 b4! 18. xe8 xe8 19. g3 xe3
20. xe3xe3 21. ac1
13. c4 c6 14. O-O e6 15. a4 a6 Black gets fantastic compensation for the pawn because his bishops are
hitting the white queenside hard and it's very tough for White to somehow finish his development. This is a very
nice position for Black to aim for.

3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5

1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. d4 Certainly White's best move in this position. Black has to be very precise because White is
threatening complete domination in the centre. A lot of finesse is required from Black so as not to let that happen.
3... f6 4. dxe5
4. c3 exd4 5. xd4 The inclusion of ...Nf6 and Nc3 means that Black can now drive the white queen
away from the centre with 5... c6 , and after 6. d1 g7 , Black gets a very comfortable version of
the King's Indian.
( 6... b4 ) 7. d3 OO 8. f3 d6 9. OO e5 10. e2xf3+ 11. xf3 e6 12. e2 d7
13. e3 Malakhov-Salgado Lopez, Plovdiv 13th EU-ch 2012
4... xe4 There are a lot of very sharp positions here but in general I think Black is doing very well.
5. d5
5. d3 gives Black a choice.
a) 5... b4+ 6. f1 ( 6. d2 d5 7. exd6 xd2 8. xd2xd6 ) 6... d5 ( 6... c5 7. f3+/= )
7. exd6 f6 A very strong move.
( 7... xd6? 8. a3 c5 9. e1+ e7 10. c3 ) 8. dxc7xc7 Black has at least enough
compensation for the pawn due to the somewhat suspect position of the king on f1 and the open
centre. 9.h6 f8 10. d2 e6 11. xf8 xf8 12. c3 g7 13.f3 d8 14. bd2 c6=/
b) 5... c5 6. f3 d6=

5. f3 c5 6. d5 f5 is very strong for Black, as 7. exf6 xf2+ 8.e2 xf6 9. e5+ f7=/+ is just
bad for White. The bishop on f2 is protected by the fork on g4.
5... f5
5... b4+ is also possible: 6. d2 f5
a) 7. exf6 xf6 8. d3 OO 9. e2 e8 10. a3 f8 11.gf3 d6 ( 11... d5 12. cxd5 f5
13. c4 Polugaevsky-Adorjan, Sochi 1976 13... xd5 )
b) 7. f3 c6 8. d3 b6
c) 7. a3 7... c6 ( 7... a6 8. axb4 xb4 9. a5 c2+ 10.d1 b6 11. a4 xa1 12. xe4 fxe4
13. xa1 OO 14.e3 ) 8. d3 a5 9. f3 c5 10. d4 d6 11. f3 xd4 12.xd4 dxe5
13. e3 f6 14. b4 c7 15. b2 O-O 16.e2=/
6. c3
6. exf6 xf6 is very comfortable for Black due to his lead in
development. 7. d1 b4+ 8. c3 e7+ 9. e3 c5 10. d2d6 11. f3 OO 12. e2 xe3 13. fxe3
bd7 14. O-O c5
6... c6 I like this adventurous approach here.
6... b4 is also ok for Black. 7. e2 c6 8. d3 d6

7. d3 a6 Offering a pawn sacrifice.

8. f3 The safer approach for White.

8. xe4 Accepting the sacrifice gives Black a lot of

play: 8... fxe4 9.xe4 b4+ 10. d2 ( 10. d1 c5 11. e2 d5 12. exd6+e6 is very strong for Black
because for the price of two pawns he manages to completely open up the centre. The white king should
feel very draughty. ) 10... xd2+ 11. xd2 O-O 12. f3 d6 Black again gets a lot of play against the
white king and is doing excellently. 13.d4 f4 14. xd6 b6 15. d1 f5 16. e1 c5

8... ac5 9. c2 xc3 10. bxc3

10. xc3 is very inadvisable because of 10... e4 with ...Qa5+ to follow.

10... d6 11. g5 e7 12. h6 e6 Here it's just important to remember that Black can also castle queenside,
so he doesn't have to worry about the bishop on h6.
13. d1 c7 Black is ready to castle queenside and if anyone's better it's Black.

3.d4 Nf6 4.Nf3

1. c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. d4 f6 4. f3 I think White needs to respond like this.
4... exd4

4... b4+ is a move I once played against Vassily Ivanchuk, but my opponent soon got an almost winning
position because after 5. c3 ( 5.d2 may actually be the most unpleasant reply from the black player's
perspective as he'll be forced to play some kind of passive position with no winning chances. That would
be very much against the spirit of everything I'm trying to show you. ) 5... exd4 6. a3 I replied with the
very timid 6... e7 ( 6... xc3+ 7. bxc3 O-O may be better for White, but the game will become very,
very sharp. )
5. e5 Black can get a boring and slightly worse position by playing
5... e4 Play becomes very forced for a while.
5... b4+ 6. d2 xd2+ 7. xd2
a) 7... e4 8. xd4 g5 9. xg5 xg5 10. f4 c6 11. d2( 11. f2 d8 12. c3 OO
13. OO-O d6 14. c5 ) 11... d812. c3 Miles A-Adorjan A/Hastings 1976
b) e7 8. e2 h5 ( 8... g4 9. xd4 h5 10. c3 c6 11.d2 gxe5 12. xe5 xe5
13. d5+ ) 9. xd4 c6 10.e3 d6 11. exd6 ( 11. c3 dxe5 12. d5 b4
13. xe7Stohl-Navara, CZE-tch 2002 ) 11... cxd6 12. c3+/=
6. xd4 b4+ 7. bd2
7. c3 isn't dangerous at all: 7... xc3 8. bxc3 c6 9. e3 e7The one thing you need to remember
here is that castling too early will run into the very dangerous h2-h4h5. 10. e2 ( 10. h4 d6 11. h5xe5 12. xe5 dxe5 13. hxg6 fxg6 14. xe5 O-O ) 10... d6 Black should
be doing quite comfortably because the moment the e5-pawn is exchanged he'll have a lot more freedom
to choose a plan. For instance: (10... O-O 11. h4 ) 11. exd6 ( 11. O-O O-O ) 11... xd6 is obviously
already very nice for Black. 12. d4 xd4 13. cxd4 O-O=
7... g5
7... xd2 8. xd2 c6 9. f4+/= is playable and perhaps not so bad for Black, but not much
fun. 9... xd2+ 10. xd2 e7 11. O-O-Ob6 12. d3 b7 13. e4 O-O-O 14. he1 Suba-Kamsky,
Brasov ROU-tch 2011
8. e2 The main move.
8. xg5 is
possible. 8... xg5 9. f4 ( 9. a3 c6 10. e4 xd2+11. xd2 xe5 12. xe5+ xe5 13. c3 OO
14. O-O-O d6 )9... c6 10. f2 e7 The position becomes very sharp and double-edged, but generally
speaking that shouldn't worry the black player at all.11. a3 c5 12. g3
a) 12... d4 13. e4! ( 13. c3 d6 ) 13... c2+ 14. d1xa1 15. b4=/
b) d6 13. e4 O-O 14. xc5 dxc5 15. d3 d4 16. O-O f5Black has good play.
8. a3 was played by Hikaru Nakamura against me at the Thessaloniki Grand Prix, but it's not a particularly
good move because after 8...xf3+ 9. gxf3 c6 10. e3 it's very strong to return all the way with the
bishop: 10... f8! Much better than
10...Be7. 11. b4 ( 11. e4g7 12. f6+ f8 13. f4 xf6 14. exf6 xf6 15. d2 e6 16.c3=/ )
11... g7 12. b2 O-O 13. f4 d6 14. O-O-O dxe5 15.fxe5 h4=/+ I was already better here in the game.
White could have played a bit better in the previous moves and hope for equality, but no more.
Nakamura-Svidler, Thessaloniki GP 2013

8... c6 9. e3 xf3+ 10. xf3 O-O 11. O-O e8 This position is currently considered very safe for Black.
12. d5! Volokitin pointed out this move in his own annotations for Chess Informant to a recent game he played
against Vitiugov in the Bundesliga. This is a very critical attempt you need to be aware of because otherwise you
might end up in a lot of trouble. I spent some time trying to refine Volokitin's analysis of this position because it's
not quite clear how to equalise with Black, but I think I finally worked out a very precise move order which ends in
an endgame which although slightly better for White should be quite holdable.
12. xc6 was the move Vitiugov played against Volokitin, and he even went on to lose with
White. 12... dxc6 If you could teleport the knight from d2 to f6 White would be winning but the fact that
the pawn on e5 is constantly hanging makes that impossible. The game continued: 13. f3( 13. h3 might
be played to prevent the natural ...Bg4, but Black instead transfers his bishop to
g7. 13... f8 14. f3 e7 15. e1 g7Black is fine because the pawn on e5 is a constant source of
worry as, potentially, is the pawn on c4 in any kind of
endgame. 16. c3 h6 17.f4 g5 18. h2 f5 19. d2 ad8 20. e4? xe4 21.xe4 f5! ) 13... g4
a) 14. b3 a5 15. g5 c8 16. f6 White has seemingly achieved something, but
after 16... e7 it turns out that Black is very comfortable attacking the pawn either on e5 or f6
if Black allows the
trade. 17. xe7 ( 17. fe1 xf6 18. exf6 f5 ) 17...xe7 18. fe1 a4 19. c3 xf3
0. xf3 e6=/+ Black went on to win in Vitiugov-Volokitin, BL 2012
b) 14. g5 f5 15. g4? xg4 16. c5 h6! 17. e4 xe5 18.f4 xe4 19. xe4 h3!
20. xb4 d5 21. f3 xf1 22.xf1 xf3+ 23. g1 e8+
c) 14. d2 An attempt to improve on the game. 14... a5 Forcing White's next
move. 15. a3 f8 Black is very comfortable and the game could
continue: 16. c3 e7 17. h3 ( 17. g5 h6 18.h4 also isn't particularly threatening for
Black. 18... e6 19. f4 a4 ) 17... xf3 18. xf3 e6 19. e4 a4= In potential endgames
Black might even be better.
12... d6
12... xe5 13. e4 c6 is Black's most obvious reaction, but just loses to 14. f4 , so you can't play this
way.
13. e4 xe5 Once again Black has to be very careful.
13... dxe5 14. g5 f8 15. xh7+ just wins on the spot, because15... xh7 runs
into 16. h6+ g8 17. xg6+
14. g3 Opening up the bishop on c1.
14... d4 Absolutely the only move, as otherwise Black is in a lot of trouble. There's a huge threat of ...Ne2+, so
White plays
15. d3 , winning a tempo.
15... c6 I think Black has to play this move.
15... e6

a) 16. f4 h5 ( 16... xe4 17. xe4 c6 18. xe6 xe6 19.e3 f5 20. d4+/= ) 17. a3
( 17. d2 c5 ; 17. g3 c5+18. e3 h4 ) 17... a5 ( 17... c5 18. e2 a5 19. g5
e6 20. e3 ) 18. g3 b6+ 19. e3
b) 16. a3 16... c5 17. d2 It seems as though Black isn't doing that badly, but the more I
looked at this position the less I understood how to equalise.
( 17. b4 d4 18. a2 c5 19. e3 e7= ) 17...b6 18. ad1 ( 18. c3 c6! ) 18... h4
( 18... c6 19. xe6xe6 20. f3 ; 18... d4 19. c3 c5 20. de1 e6 21. f4xd5 22. cxd5
xd5 23. xd4 cxd4 24. f5 ; 18... d7 19.xb7 b8 20. d5 e7 21. c3 f4 22. f3
f5 23. g4!xd5 24. gxf5 xf5 25. fe1 xc3 26. xc3 h4 27. d5g7 28. c3+ h6
29. xb6 axb6 30. f3+/= ) 19. c3 ( 19.g3 e7 20. fe1 c6 21. xe6 xe6 22. b4 f5
23. xd6xd6 24. xd6 xe1+ 25. xe1 d4 26. xf5 gxf5 27. b3a5= ) 19... f4
( 19... f5 20. g3 e7 21. b4 ) 20. g3 xd321. gxh4 f5 22. g3+/=
16. xf7+
16. xd4 cxd5 17. cxd5 is fine for Black after the very important 17...e7=
16... xf7 17. xd4 The bishop is completely misplaced on b4 in this position, so you have to be very careful.
17... f5
17... e7 18. g3 g8 19. f4 e6 20. ad1+/=
18. g3 f6
18... c5 19. c3 h4 20. e3 ae8 ( 20... xe3 21. fxe3g8 22. xf5 gxf5 23. f3 ae8
24. af1+/= ) 21. xc5 dxc522. ad1 f4 23. b3+/=
19. e3 g8 The most precise move. Black still wants to play ...Bc5 and take on e3, but he's "unpinning himself
in advance", preparing for the potential opening of the f-file after ...Bxf3 fxe3.
19... e7 20. d1 g8 is also possible and not that bad for Black.
(20... ae8 21. xf5 xf5 22. a3 c5 23. b4 ) 21. a3 c5 22.d2 xe3 23. fxe3 e5 24. xf5 gxf5
25. f3 f8 26. af1f6 Black should hold, although White will press for a while without risk.
20. f4 e6 21. xf6 xf6 22. a3 c5 23. b4 d4 24. ad1This forces Black to play
24... c5 Something of a concession, but on the other hand a lot of pieces have already come off and I think the
endgame that arises after
25. xf5 gxf5 should be quite holdable for Black. For instance,
26. fe1 f7 27. d3 The threat of Rh3 is somewhat unpleasant but can be met by
27... h5 28. h3 h8 White retains some pressure but with accurate defence I think Black should hold this
endgame reasonably comfortably. This concludes our overview of 1.c4 g6. Once again I want to point out that
there's no real necessity for Black to go into any of this, as 1.c4 e5 is a perfectly natural way to play chess, as is
1.c4 c5. If you have one or perhaps both of those moves in your repertoire already there's absolutely no reason for
you to suddenly stop making them, but I think I've provided you with an additional option which might be a good
surprise weapon. It's somewhat challenging for the white player because it leads to positions which aren't as wellknown and may come as a surprise to some of your opponents.

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.g3

5.Nc3
5.Bg2

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.g3

1. f3 Perhaps the most popular Anti-Grnfeld system in existence, and something you definitely need to have some kind
of repertoire against. As a Grnfeld player you'll be seeing a lot of it, and in fact I've faced it so much over the course of
my career that I even started playing it with White, with reasonable success. A few disclaimers: I think from an objective
viewpoint perhaps the best move in this position is 1...c5, but not all of you out there are Sicilian players and
recommending you learn a whole new opening against 1.e4 is a bit tricky. So keep in mind that 1...c5 is a very decent
option which might leave you a wider choice later on, but if you're not a Sicilian player it's not for you. I also quite like
1...g6, but that's because I'm a Pirc player. If you don't play the Pirc or the Modern Defence then 1.Nf3 g6 runs into 2.e4
and then you're in a bit of trouble. Once again you're stuck playing an opening you don't know - and perhaps an even
trickier opening than the Sicilian - so that's also a bit of a problem.
1... f6 I'll stick with this move, which is the one I normally make in this position.
2. c4 c5 People who play 1.Nf3 won't be completely unprepared for this move, but it's a slightly different approach which
might interest some of you.
2... g6 This is the main move I've played here and the move normally expected from Grnfeld
players. 3. c3 d5 First and foremost, it's much easier for White to prepare because the onus is on him to
choose a setup. He can play 4.Qa4+ straightaway, he can play 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qa4+ and there are other things
you have to consider. Generally speaking, whilst I don't have anything against this move order in principle I
thought I'd show you something else.
3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4 Another disclaimer. There's very little doubt in my mind that from an objective, "scientific" point of
view the best way for Black to proceed here is 4...Nc6 5.Nc3 e6. That's a "proper" English Opening where I think Black is
currently doing quite well. There's no reason for you not to play that if you already play the English. I, on the other hand,
have never played that position with either colour and have almost no idea what's going on. I thought I'd therefore stick to
things I have some clue about, or some oddball things which I very much like finding as a black player - small, unpopular
lines where you can surprise your opponent.
4... g6 This is just such a move, as long as you're not against having some adventure in your life...
5. g3 For a second I was very happy when preparing this series because I thought White almost has to play this move.
5... g7 And this is familiar ground for me.
5... d5 is tempting, but in fact after 6. g2
a) 6... e5 7. f3 b4+ ( 7... d4 8. O-O c6 9. e3 , and Black has landed in a poor version of the
Reti. ) 8. bd2 e4 9. d4O-O 10. c2 e7 11. OO e6 12. b3 c6 13. b2 dxc4 14.bxc4 b6 15. b1 a6 16. xf6 xf6 17. xe4 Giri-Bologan,
Biel 45th GM 2012
b) dxc4 7. a4+ I couldn't find any direct equality for Black, so I'm not recommending this approach
to you. 7... bd7 8. O-O g7 9.d1 O-O 10. c3 With serious pressure.
( 10. xc4 b6 11.c2 fd5 12. b3 e5 13. b5 e6 14. e4 c7 15. xd8axd8 16. c2 xb5
17. g5 d4 18. d1 f6 19. d2d7 20. c3 c4 21. c1 c8 Romanov-Nepomniachtchi, Legnica
2013 )

6. g2 O-O 7. c3 Necessary, if White wants to avoid an immediate draw. This is what you should be preparing for in
this position if you're playing Black. There's been one major trendsetter in top openings for the past 15 years or so
7. O-O d5= is a well-known brick wall. 8. cxd5 Pretty much
forced. 8...xd5 9. b5 ( 9. c3 xc3 10. bxc3 transposes to positions I discussed elsewhere in this series.
This is also completely harmless for Black. ) 9... e6 10. d4 c8!= Black is just
fine. 11. c3 xc312. bxc3 c7
7... c7 8. b3 d5 This isn't at all new, and I played this position myself against Alexander Grischuk.
9. db5 Kramnik's move.
9. O-O dxc4 10. cb5 d8 11. bxc4 a6 12. c3 g4 13. e3e5! A much stronger move. ( 13... c6 was what I
expected, and had been well-known for many years. ) 14. e2 bc6 My main concern here was equalising,
although eventually I even won the game. Svidler-Grischuk, Astana World Rapid Final 2012
9... a5 10. d2 dxc4 11. bxc4 d8 All very natural.
11... a6 12. d5 d8
a) 13. bc7 xd5 14. xa8 ( 14. xd5 e6 15. c3 d7 )14... c3 15. b3 e4 16. xe4
( 16. d1 xd2 17. b4f5 18. xd2 d7 ) 16... xa1 17. b6 ( 17. h6 a5+ )17... d7
18. xc8 c5 19. b1 xe4 20. xe4 xc8 21.O-O f6 22. b1+/=
b) 13. bc3
12. O-O a6
12... c6 13. d5! xd5 14. cxd5 a6 15. c3 ( 15. dxc6 axb516. cxb7 xb7 17. xb7 a7= ) 15... a5
16. c1 c4 17.f4 d7 18. d6 xd6 19. d5
13. a3 It seems as if Black is doing quite well because he has a more natural pawn structure and no immediate
weaknesses. The knight on a3 also looks a bit suspect. On the other hand, Black has something of a weakness on b7 and
the bishop on g2 is extremely strong. Black needs to be very precise, and I'm proposing not one but two potential
improvements on Radjabov's play.
13... c6 A very natural move.
13... f5 I think this appealed to Radjabov because it stops the rook appearing on b1 straightaway. It seems a
natural enough move, but after14. c2 c6 15. e3 the bishop comes under attack and Vladimir got some pull
which he eventually converted into a whole point, although Teimour could have defended
better. 15... d7 16. xf5 xf5 17.b1+/= Kramnik-Radjabov, London Candidates 2013
13... bd7 is also playable, trying to put the knight on c5 rather than c6 and play ...Be6, with quite natural
development. Play could
continue:14. c1 ( 14. c2 b6! 15. e3 g4 16. c1 xe3 17. xe3xc4 18. c5 xd1 19. fxd1 b2
20. d2 xc3 21. xc3a4 22. c4 xc5 23. xc5 b6 24. c7 b8 25. xe7 e6= ;14. b1 c5
15. e3 a5 16. d5 xa3 17. xe7+ h8 18.d6 fd7 ; 14. e1 is quite a strange move favoured by
the machine. 14... c5 15. e3 a5 16. c2 The point of the previous play - White is once again preparing
Nd5, which has to be parried with16... e8! I think Black is doing fine here as
well. 17. d5 xe1 18.xf6+ exf6 19. axe1 e4 20. b4 f5 21. d5 e6 22. c7xc4=/ ) 14... c5
15. e3 ( 15. d5 f5 ) 15... a5 16.c2 e6 17. e1 fc8 Defending against the threat of
Nd5. 18.d5 xe1 19. xf6+ ( 19. fxe1 xd5 20. cxd5 ce4 ; 19.xe7+ is impossible because
of 19... f8 This is a well-known theme from the Dragon. ) 19... xf6 20. fxe1 a5 Not forced, but I think
this is the most precise way of playing, preparing for the potential Bxc5 and Bxb7, and in general pushing the
pawn towards where it needs to be. I think Black is fine. 21. f3 c7 22. a3 d8 23. b5 cc8=

14. b1 More or less the only try.

14. c2 is met by 14... e6 15. e3 g4 and Black is the first to start concrete play, aiming at White's
weaknesses. If anything Black may already be slightly better.
14... d6 This is the move I eventually settled on.
14... a5 15. c2 d8
14... e6 15. xb7 a5 This was my first idea, trying to equalise on the spot, but it leads to quite a strange
position. 16. b1 ( 16. b4c8= ) 16... c8 17. c5! A very strong move, driving the rook towards the slightly
unpleasant c5-square. 17... xc5 ( 17... d7 18. d5 )18. a4 h5 It turns out you have to play this move.
Although the machine insists there's nothing wrong with it and Black is still fine I don't really want to
recommend this.
( 18... c8 19. b6 c5 20. e1c6 21. a4 forces 21... d5 22. c3!+/= ) 19. c2 d6 ( 19...f5 20. e4
xe4 21. xa5 xg3 22. xd8 xc2 23. hxg3xb1 24. xe7 e8 25. xb1 xe7 26. c4+/= ) 20. b4
e5This is a very picturesque position which is a lot of fun to look at, but I wanted to find something more
human. 21. fe1 ( 21. c5 c8 22.fc1 d5 ) 21... g4 22. c3 d6 23. xg7 xg7 24. c3+f6
25. b6 c8 26. xc8 xc8 27. xd6 exd6 28. d1d7 29. b6 e6=
15. c2 There's not really any other move.
15... d8 16. e3
16. d5 e6 17. f4 c5 Although establishing a knight on d5 is one of White's most important ideas in this
whole line, in this particular case after 18. ce3 d7 Black is well-placed to meet it. The queen on c5 is very
important and can't really be attacked by a piece once the knight lands on e3. Black is ready to play ...Rad8 and
then perhaps ...Nh5 in some positions, attacking the bishop on f4. I think this is fine for
Black.19. a4 d4 20. fe1 ad8
16... xd1
16... g4 17. xd6 xd6 18. e4 xe3 19. xe3 d8 20.c5 a7 21. fd1 d4 22. xb7 xe2+ 23. f1
d4 24.g2 e6 25. xc8 xc8 26. b7 c7 27. d6 a8 28. b6+/=
17. fxd1
17. bxd1 f5 18. d4 xd4 19. xd4 ac8=
17... f5 Once again, I analysed this position for some time. It is potentially slightly dangeorus for Black because the
pawn on b7 is constantly hanging.
17... xd1+ 18. xd1 e6 19. d5+/=
18. dc1 Black needs to be concrete, but he's fine after
18. xd8+ xd8 19. c1 c8 20. c5 f8 21. d4 d7 22.d5 xd5 23. xd5 c7=
18... g4!
18... ab8 19. d5+/=
19. xb7 a5
19... xc3 20. xc6 ac8 21. f3 xc4 22. b6+/=
20. d5 xe3 21. xe7+ f8 22. xe3 xb7 23. 7xf5ab8! 24. xg7

24. xb7 b2!

24. c5 gxf5 25. c6 bc8! 26. c7 d7 27. xb7 dxc7 28. xc7xc7 29. xa6 f4 30. gxf4 h6=
24... c5! 25. gf5 gxf5 26. xf5 d2 27. f3 a5!
27... xa2 28. d1
28. g2 a4 , and with total control of the open files Black is at the very least not worse.
29. a3 b3 30. a1 c3

5.Nc3
1. f3 f6 2. c4 c5 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4 g6 5. c3! The second most obvious move for White in this position, and the
most critical.
5... d5 My intended reply, but White has a very dangerous move:
6. f4! When I stumbled upon this bit of theory I became very doubtful about the whole idea of recommending this to
you, but eventually I thought, "people are still playing this with Black, so they must have something". I think this is an
interesting sideline which can be played with sufficient preparation.
6. cxd5 is a pedestrian move, and after 6... xd5 7. db5 xc3 8.xd8+ xd8 9. xc3 g7 I believe Black is
just fine.
a) 10. f4 xc3+ White allowed this capture, spoiling the pawn structure on the queenside, in a
couple of games where Vadim Zvjaginsev had Black. He won one game and was better in the other, so
this isn't a threat to
Black. 11. bxc3 f6 ( 11... c6 12. OOOe8 13. e4 e6 14. b2 f6 15. b5 c8 16. e3 f7
17.a4 a5 Bukavshin-Zvjaginsev, Moscow Aeroflot Rapid qual
2013 )12. OOO e8 13. e4 e6 14. b2 f7 15. b5 c8 16.d4 c6 Lintchevski-Zvjaginsev, St
Petersburg Chigorin Mem Rapid 2012
b) 10. d2 10... e6 Played by Nikita Vitiugov against Laurence Fressinet in the Alekhine Memorial.
It's worth noting that Vitiugov's second for that tournament was Zvjaginsev, so I'm pretty sure he knew
what he was doing. 11. g3 c6 12. g2 e8 13. O-O-O Played against me by Le Quang Liem. I
immediately started making mistakes, but the position is quite safe: ( 13. O-O f5 The king will be very
safe on f7 and the rooks will get connected.
After 14. a4 f7 15.xc6 bxc6 16. c3 xc3 17. xc3 ab8 Nikita equalised quite comfortably
because he's just in time to start counterplay against the b2-pawn. The weakness on c6 will not be a
huge problem. 18. a4c5= Fressinet-Vitiugov,N Alekhine Mem 2013 )
b1) 13... c8 14. b1 f5? ( 14... f6 , with the idea
of 15.d5 f7 16. f4 f5+ 17. e4 g4 18. f3 d7 , would still
hold. ) 15. d5! d7 16. h4 , and Black was really struggling in Le Quang Liem-Svidler,
Tromso World Cup 2013
b2) 13... d8! 14. b1 f5=
6. g5 g7 7. xf6 xf6 8. cxd5 ( 8. xd5 g7 9. b5a6=/ ) 8... b6
a) 9. e3 xb2 10. c1 ( 10. c1 xc1+ 11. xc1 O-O 12.e2 d8 13. O-O d7 ) 10... O-O

b) 9. b3 This transposes to a 4.Bg5 Grnfeld, which won't be very attractive to 1.Nf3 players trying
to avoid the main Grnfelds by not playing 1.d4.
b1) 9... a5 is possible, but White keeps an edge with accurate
play: 10. e3 ( 10. d2 xb2 11. b1 xc3 12. c1 a313. xc8+ d7 ; 10. b1 f5
11. c1 a4 12. d2xb2 13. de4 xe4 14. xe4 b4+ 15. d2 O-O Michel YunisShipov, Dos Hermanas 2004 )
b11) 10... OO 11. b1 a4 ( 11... d8 12. d2 ) 12.d2 a3 13. bxa3 a5
14. ce4 xd5
b12) 10... a4
b121) 11. d4 xb2 12. b5+ d7 ( 12... d7 13.c1 xc1+
14. xc1 OO 15. xa4 a5 16. c3xd4 17. exd4 d8 18. a4 b6
19. O-O d7 20. d6Riazantsev-Turov, Ubeda
2001 ) 13. c1 xc1+ 14. xc1O-O 15. d2 xb5 16. dxb5 a5
b122) 11. b5+! 11... d7 12. d4+/=
b2) 9... O-O
b21) 10. e3 d8 11. e2 c6 ( 11... a6 12. O-O c713. f3 e6=/ )
12. OO e6 13. d2 e7=/
b22) 10. c1 a5 11. d2 a4 ( 11... xb2 12. a4 d413. e3 a7 14. b3+/= )
12. de4 g7 13. d2 f5=/( 13... a5 14. e3 d8=/ )
b23) 10. e4 a5 11. a4 d7 12. e2 c8 13. O-O a6=/
b24) 10. d2 10... d8 ( 10... a5 ; 10... f5 ) 11. e4 (11. e3 c6 ) 11... a5
b241) 12. d1 a4 13. d4 c6 ( 13... a3 14. b3c6=/ ) 14. db5
g4 15. c1 ( 15. e2 xe2 16.xe2 a3!= ) 15... d4 ( 15... e5
16. e2 ) 16.xd4 xd4=/
b242) 12. e3 12... d7! ( 12... xe3+ 13. fxe3 a4 14.d4+/= )
13. d1 ( 13. xb6 xb6=/ ) 13... xe3+14. fxe3 h4+ ( 14... a4
15. d4 ) 15. d2 ( 15. g3g5 16. d2 b6 ) 15... e6 16. d4
( 16. dxe6e5+ 17. c2 xe6 18. e2 dc8 19. b1 g5 )
16... b6=/
6... g7! Forced.
6... c6 7. db5 e5 8. g5+
7. db5 O-O Some kind of disclaimer is once again required. If you're against positions where you have to sacrifice
material for no immediate threats but instead aiming for general mayhem, then perhaps this isn't for you. I think it's quite
playable, however, and I wouldn't mind playing it once or twice myself if given the chance, so I'm not recommending you
something I completely distrust. It's an interesting sideline, especially against someone who's not very well-prepared with
White.
8. cxd5

8. e3 is a solid move which allows less craziness. 8... a5 Strictly the only move, but nevertheless a very
decent one. Play could continue: 9.a3 ( 9. a4 1/2 Turov-Vocaturo, Eforie Nord op
2010; 9. cxd5 a6 10.c7 e4 is very sharp, but I think Black is
fine. ) 9... e4! ( 9...dxc4 10. xc4 e4 11. OO a6 12. c7 xc3 13. bxc3 e5 14.xa8 exf4 15. b3+/= ) 10. b4 d8 11. xd5 ( 11. xe4 dxe412. c1
c6 White isn't well-developed enough to pose many problems so I think Black's position is quite playable and
much better than it looks.13. c7 xd1+ 14. xd1 g4 Black's pieces start coming
out. 15.e2 xe2 16. xe2 ad8= ) 11... e6 12. f3 exd5 13. fxe4dxe4 14. c7 g5! 15. xd8 xd8 16. xg5
d7 17. xa8xa1 18. e2 c3+ 19. f2 c6=
8. c7? h5 just isn't very good for White.
8. c1 d7!
a) 9. c7 h5 10. xa8 xf4 11. cxd5 e6 12. d6 c6 13.e4 a5 ( 13... b5 14. c7 b4=/ ;
13... e5 ) 14. g3 b5 15.a3 ( 15. gxf4 b4! ) 15... b4 16. axb4 xb4 17. f3 xa8 18.gxf4 d8
19. f2 xd6
b) 9. e3 9... xb5 10. cxb5 ( 10. xb5? a5+ ) 10... e6
8... a6
8... h5 9. g5 ( 9. c7 d7 10. e4 a6 11. xb8 axb5 ) 9...a6 10. d4 h6 11. e3 f6 12. b3+/= Black
will need to prove he has enough for the pawn.
9. c7 a7 I know this looks slightly strange, but on the other hand there's now a large onus on White to play very
precisely. If he doesn't he might run into trouble.
9... h5? 10. xa8 xf4 11. d2 h5 12. e3 d7 13. e2hf6 14. d6 exd6 15. xd6
10. d6 The main move.
10. c1 is met by 10... b5 and Black can already look to the future with quiet hope. White pretty much has to
play 11. d6 exd6 12. xd6h5 and the pieces start jumping around. I think Black is at least not worse.
10. e8 xe8 11. xb8 a8 12. e5 b6 Black is already threatening ...Ng4, the pawn on b2 is hanging and
I think Black should be able to equalise quite comfortably. 13. b3 xb3 14. axb3 d8 15.d1 f5=
10. e3 h5!
10... b5 The following line is pretty much forced for White:
11. dxe7
11. c1 exd6 12. xd6 h5! 13. d1 d7
11... xe7 12. d6
12. d6? simply runs into 12... d8 13. xf8 xf8 14. 7d5xd5 Black is an exchange down - I understand
that - but he's so far ahead in development that I'm fairly sure none of you should be concerned about playing a
position like this. I think Black is at least not
worse. 15.xd5 ( 15. xd5 e6 16. c3 c8! 17. c1 d7 18. c2c7 ) 15... e6 16. d2 d7
17. c1 c7 18. d2 c8 19.d1 xc3 20. d8+ f8 21. bxc3 xc3+ 22. d2 a3

12... xd6 13. xd6 b4

13... d8 14. e7 d7 15. xf6 xf6 ( 15... axc7 16. xg7xg7 17. a3 White has to stop
...b4. 17... c6 18. e3 a5 I looked at this position for quite some time. Black is active, but on the other hand
before you sacrifice a whole pawn for some kind of positional advantage you have to make sure you're not losing
on the spot. I believe in this case Black is fine and should have enough for equality, although of course not more
than equality. ) 16. 7d5 xc3+ 17. xc3ac7=/
14. 3d5
14. xf8 bxc3! 15. xg7 xg7

14... d8 15. f4 xd5 16. d1 e6 17. e4 xb2 18. xd5c6=

5.Bg2
1. f3 f6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. g2
5. c3 g6 transposes to the main line.
5. d4 isn't particularly good, because after 5... cxd4 6. xd4 Black can just
play 6... e5 7. b5 a5+ 8. 1c3 xc3 9. xc3 c610. g2 e6 and it's obvious that Black's pieces are
coming out comfortably and he can have no real problems. 11. O-O d8 12. d2a6
5... c6 6. d4
6. O-O e5 Black gets a very favourable version of the English
Opening.7. c3 ( 7. d3 e7 8. c3 e6 ) 7... e6! An additional option that's not normally available and
leaves Black incredibly comfortable. Normally in the equivalent position he has to play Nd5-c7. If Black isn't
forced to play that it can only be to his benefit.
6. c3 g6 transposes to the main line.
6... cxd4
6... f6 is a decent alternative:
a) 7. OO cxd4 8. a4 d7 ( 8... d7 9. xd4 b6 10.xc6 xc6 11. xc6+ xc6 12. xc6+
bxc6 13. d2+/=Cheparinov-Navara, Sochi 2008 ) 9. e3 d3 10. d1 e5 11. c3e7 , and Black is ok,
e.g. 12. xd3 xd3 13. xe5 d6 14.xc6 O-O 15. xe7+ xe7=/+
b) 7. a4 7... d7 8. dxc5 e5 9. c3 xc5 10. OO or
( 10.g5 h6 11. xf6 xf6 12. OO OO transposes to 10.0-0. )
b1) 10... O-O 11. g5
b11) 11... e7 12. fd1 d4 13. c4 c8 14. d3f5 15. d2 ( 15. e4! g4 16. xe5
xd1 17. xd1e6 18. b1 a5 19. xf6 xf6 20. d7 xc3 21.xf8 xf8 22. bxc3
b6 , and Black should hold. ) 15...xf3+ 16. xf3 xd2 17. xd2 b6= DorfmanMikhalchishin, Lviv 1984
b12) h6 12. xf6 ( 12. e4 xf2+! 13. xf2 hxg5 )12... xf6 13. e4 e7=
b2) 10... h6 11. d2 O-O 12. de4 xe4 13. xe4 e614. d1 Andersson-Portisch, Reggio Emilia
1985 14... c7 15.e3 ( 15. d5 ad8! ) 15... f5

7. xd4 db4 8. xc6 xd1+ 9. xd1 xc6 10. c3

10. xc6+ bxc6 11. e3 e5 12. c3 ( 12. d2 e6 13. c2b4 14. hd1 a5 15. a3 e7 16. b3
OO Ftacnik-Farago, Hastings
1982 ) 12... b4 13. d2 e6 14. hc1 OO 15. a3e7 16. a4 fb8 17. c5 g5+ 18. e3 e7= StohlTimman, BL 2000
10... d7
10... f5 11. e3 g6 12. xc6+ bxc6 13. c1 g7 14. f3 O-ORee-Miles, Wijk aan Zee 1978
11. e3 g6
11... e6 12. c1 e7 13. c2 O-O 14. hd1 fd8 15. b1+/=Keres-Korchnoi, Moscow 1963
11... OOO 12. e1 ( 12. c1 g6 13. d1 g7 14. xc6xc6 15. xa7 xc3 16. bxc3 xd1+ 17. xd1
d8+ 18. e1d5=/ Milos-Morovic Fernandez, Santiago
1989; 12. c2 e5 13.ad1 d4+ 14. b1 c5 15. e4 e7 16. f4+/= Kengis-Hegeler, Gausdal 1991)
a) 12... e5 13. c1 b8 14. f4 f5! ( 14... d6 15. b5 b4+16. f2 a6 17. c3+/= ) 15. fxe5
( 15. f2 e4 16. hd1 g6= )15... xe5 16. f4 e8 17. d1 c6 Kramnik-Kasparov, Frankfurt
2000
b) 12... g6 13. c1 g7 14. f4 ( 14. b5 b8 15. f4+e5= ) 14... b8 15. c5 d4=
11... c8 12. c1 g6 13. f4 g7 14. e1 O-O 15. f2 e6 (15... e5 16. hd1 e6 17. b5+/= SmirinAlterman, Dresden zt
1998; 15... fd8 16. hd1 e8 17. xc6 xc6 18. xa7xd1 19. xd1 xc3 20. bxc3 a8 21. c5+/= )
16. hd1fe8 17. d5 f5 18. c5 e6 19. c3 e5 Andersson-Farago, Rome 1986

11... e5 12. c1 OOO 13. c2 f5+ 14. e4 xe4+ 15.xe4 e7 16. hd1 xd1 17. xd1 d8= Andersson
-De La Villa, Szirak izt 1987
12. c1
12. c2 f5+ 13. b3 c8 14. xc6+ xc6 15. xa7 e6+16. b4 g7=/ Miles-Alburt, Long Beach
ch-US 1989
12... g7 We've been following Magnus Carlsen's game against Veselin Topalov from the Norway Tournament in 2013.
White perhaps has some slight pull but it's not really anything significant and even Magnus couldn't squeeze water out of
this particular stone. I think this is reasonably safe for Black and shouldn't worry anybody.
13. c2
13. f4 OO 14. e1 e5 15. f2 exf4 16. gxf4 e6 17. b3ad8 18. e4 d4 19. c5 xe3+ 20. xe3 fe8
21. f2Andersson-Leko, Ter Apel 1996 21... d4=
13... c8 14. hd1 a5 15. d4 f5+ 16. e4 xd4 17. xd4e6 18. b3 f6 19. f4 f7= Carlsen-Topalov,
Stavanger 2013

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 and other 5th moves
5.g3 g6 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.Qa4
7.h4
7.0-0

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4

1. f3 f6 2. c4 c5 3. c3 The main move for White.
3... d5 A more classical approach, with fewer pawns sacrificed by move 7!
3... g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. xd4 d5 transposes to the line a pawn down I showed before. If you think that's fun then
the option is still on the table.
4. cxd5 xd5 5. e4 This is the old main theory.
5. a4+ is totally
empty: 5... c6 6. e5 c7 ( 6... b4! 7. a3c2+ 8. xc2 xe5 9. b4 ) 7. xc6 ( 7. xd5 xe5 8. b6
b8 ) 7... xc3 8. dxc3 d7=
5. d4 xc3 6. bxc3 g6 leads to a Grnfeld-type position where White tries to use the fact that the pawn can go
to e3, with a secure pawn centre, to play on the queenside. Generally speaking, Black should try to refrain from
trading on d4 because then White's pressure along the b and c-files becomes a serious factor, but as long as the
pawns are on c5 and c3 Black should be fine. 7. e3 ( 7. f4 g7 8. e3 a5 9. d2 O-O) 7... g7
a) 8. d3 O-O 9. O-O
a1) 9... c6 10. a3 b6 11. e4 b7 12. dxc5 c7 13.d4 xd4 ( 13... bxc5 14. xc5
1-0 Anand,V (2779)-Krasenkow,M (2651), Calatrava
2007 ) 14. xb7 e2+ 15.xe2 xb7 16. cxb6 ( 16. ab1 xc3 17. cxb6 axb6 18.c5
f6 19. xb6 1/2 Filippov, V (2605)-Leko,P (2701), Batumi
1999 ) 16... axb6 17. b4 fc8 18. ac1+/=
a2) c7
a21) 10. b1
a211) 10... b6 11. e2 d8 12. e4 ( 12. d1 b713. e4 cxd4
14. cxd4 c6 15. d5 d4 16. xd4xd4 17. c4 Ribli-Tal, Reykjavik
1988 ) 12... a6! (12... c6 13. d5 f5 14. dxc6 fxe4 15. c4+ ;
12...b7 13. xb7 xb7 14. dxc5 xc3 15. e4+/= ) 13.c4 c6 14. d5
f5 15. d3 e5! 16. e4 d4 17. xd4cxd4 18. g5 f8
19. fc1+/= Karpov-Kasparov, Seville 1987
a212) d7 11. e4 e5 12. a3 d8 13. b3 exd4 14.cxd4 cxd4 15. fc1
f4 16. c4 1/2 Karpov,A (2720)-Timman,J (2640), Amsterdam 1985
a22) 10. e2 d8 11. d1 b6 12. b2 ( 12. a3 b713. ac1 c6 14. d2
d7 15. b3 cxd4 16. cxd4 e617. c4 a5 18. b5 a4 19. d2 d5 20. f3 1-0
Razuvaev,Y-Topakian,R, Biel
1994 ) 12... c6 13. ac1b7 14. e4 e6 15. e3 ( 15. h4 ac8 16. h5 f4
17.hxg6 hxg6 18. b1 a5 19. e1 g4 1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V-Topalov,V, Wijk aan

Zee
1998 20. cd1 cxd4 21. cxd4 c422. c1 b5 23. g3 e8 24. g2 f5 25. g5 1/2
Kramnik,V (2790)-Topalov,V (2740), Wijk aan Zee 1998 )
a221) 15... d7N 16. h4 h6 ( 16... ad8 17. h5+/= ) 17.a3 ad8
a2211) 18. dxc5 bxc5
a22111) 19. xc5? e5! 20. xe5 ( 20. d4?xd3
21. xd3 e5+ ) 20... xe5 21. b1xe4 22. xe4
xc5
a22112) 19. e2=

a2212) 18. h5 18... g5 19. e5 e7! Filippov-Lautier,

Rethymnon 2003
a222) 15... ac8 16. h4 h6 17. e2 e7 18. h5 g5 19.a3 f8
20. dxc5 f6 21. e5 f4 Portisch-Kasparov, Madrid 1988
a23) 10. a4 c6 11. a3 b6 12. b1 ( 12. dxc5 bxc5 13.b1 b8 14. xb8
xb8 15. b3 e6 16. c4 xc417. xc4 d7 1/2 Salov,V (2675)-Ivanchuk,V
(2730), Amsterdam
1996 ) 12... d8 13. e2 a5 14. dxc5 bxc515. fd1 d7 16. b5 a6 17. xd7
xd7 18. xd7xd7 Korchnoi-Sax, Wijk aan Zee 1991
a24) 10. a3 10... d7 11. e2 b6 12. e4 b7 13.fd1 fd8 14. ab1 ac8
15. e3 f6 16. b2 e617. h3 c6 18. d2 a4 19. a3 a6 Portisch-Tal, 1975
b) 8. e2 OO 9. OO b6 10. a4 c6 ( 10... b7 11. a5 c712. b3 e6 13. b2 d7 14. a6 c6
15. c4 cxd4 16. exd4ac8 17. fd1 fd8 1/2 Beliavsky,A (2640)-Sakaev,K (2629), Herceg Novi
2000 ) 11. a3 f5 12. d2 c7 13. e4 d7 14.b3 ad8 15. c2 b8 16. dxc5 xa4 17. cxb6
xb6Bareev-Lautier, Ubeda 1997
c) 8. b5+
c1) 8... d7 is also possible:
c11) 9. a4 a5!
c111) 10. xd7+ xd7 11. d2 OO 12. OO e5 13.c2 ( 13. e4 exd4
14. cxd4 a6 Timman-Krasenkow, Amsterdam
2004 ) 13... a6 14. d5 e4! 15. xe4 f6Polugaevsky-Vaganian,
Moscow URS-ch 1983
c112) 10. b3 10... cxd4 11. exd4 OO 12. OO c7 (12... e6 13. a3
a6 14. e2 c6 15. e3 d5 1/2 Petrosian-Smejkal, Rio de Janeiro
1979 ) 13. e1 e6 14.g5 c6 Anand-Leko, Linares 1999
c12) 9. b1 xb5 10. xb5 b6 11. OO d7 12. e4 OO13. g5 h6 14. h4
c7 Piket-Van Wely, Monaco 2000
c13) 9. b3 OO 10. OO c7 11. a3 e6 12. d5g4 13. e2 d7 14. h3 xf3
15. xf3 ab8 16.b2 b5 17. fd1 c4 18. c2 c5=/+ Karpov-Topalov, Monaco
1998

c14) 9. d3 9... OO ( 9... c6 10. OO OO 11. b1d7 12. e4 e6 13. e2 a6

14. e3 b5 15. bd1 c7Kramnik-Navara, Prague 2008 ) 10. OO c6 11. b1 c712. h3 fd8 13. e2 e8 14. a3 b6 15. fc1 ac8
16. a6 b8 17. d2 a5 18. b3 xb3 19. axb3c6 Karpov-Leko, Polanica
Zdroj 1998
c2) 8... d7 9. O-O O-O 10. a4 Or the immediate
( 10. e2a6 11. d3 e5 12. b1 a5 13. c2 b5 14. a4 b8 15.axb5 axb5 1/2 Portisch,L
(2610)-Miles,A ( 2610), Bugojno 1986 )
c21) 10... b6 11. a5 b7 12. a6 ( 12. axb6 axb6 has been seen in a number of
high-level games, but it's completely harmless for
Black. ) 12... e4 13. b2 c8 14. e2 e615. c4 c7
c22) 10... c7
c221) 11. e4 f6 12. e1 d8 13. a3 ( 13. h3 b614. g5 b7
15. d3 h6 16. d2 ac8 17. a5 e6 )13... b6
c2211) 14. b3 e6 15. a5 b7 16. e5 h5 ( 16...d5 17. a6
+/= Timman-Svidler, Wijk aan Zee 2004 ) 17.g5 f4

c2212) 14. d3 14... b7 15. d2 e6 16. h3ac8 KorchnoiKamsky, Tilburg 1991

c222) 11. a3 11... b6 12. a5 b7 has been seen in two of my own
games, stretching across almost a quarter of a
century: 13. e2 ( 13. a4 f6 14. a6 d5 15. fe1e4 16. ac1
ad8 17. d3 f5 18. c4 c6 19. c2e6 Frolov-Svidler, Leningrad
1990 ) 13... f6 14. a6c6 ( 14... e4 ) 15. xc6 xc6 16. e5 c7
17.f3
c2221) 17... fc8 18. ab1 e6 19. fc1 e8 20.c4
( 20. d3 d7 ) 20... f8! Bologan-Svidler, Tromso WCup
2013
c2222) e6 18. ab1 ac8 19. fc1 fd8 is perhaps a more
harmonious set-up, with Ne8-d6 to follow.
5. e3 is an interesting move, but only in connection with 7.h4.
a) 5... g6 was played by Magnus, but I suspect he was purposely trying to provoke his opponent to
play sharper: 6. b5+ ( 6. b3 is a very promising move
here. ) 6... d7 7. b3 xc3 8. e5 e69. bxc3 xb5 10. xb5+ d7 11. b1 b6 12. c4 ( 12. d4
d6 ) 12... d6 13. xd7 ( 13. b2 xe5 14. xe5 a6 15.b2 xe5 16. xe5 OO ) 13... xd7
14. a4 O-O-O 15. a5xb5 16. xb5 c7 was eventually drawn in Andreikin-Carlsen, Moscow Tal 2013
b) 5... c6 is a decent choice.
b1) 6. d4 e6 ( 6... cxd4 7. exd4 g6 transposes to another fashionable
line: 8. b3 xc3 9. c4 d5 10. xd5 e6 ) 7.d3 leads to Nimzo-QGD positions.

b2) 6. b5 6... e6 White has to choose between QGD-type structures after 7.d4
and 7. e5 d7 8. xc6 xc6 9. xc6bxc6 10. b3 ( 10. a4 d7 11. b3 b4 12. OO e7
13.a3 Polugaevsky-Andersson, Biel
1990 13... a5 ) 10... xc311. dxc3 xd1+ 12. xd1 OOO 13. c2 e7 14. e4 h5
15. e3 g6 16. ad1 b7 17. d3 c4! 18. bxc4 c5 , and Black held in Kramnik-Anand,
Monaco 20th Amber Blind 2011
c) 5... xc3 6. bxc3 g6 , and if White wants to avoid transposing into positions discussed in notes to
5.d4 he should try 7.h4!?
c1) Some high-level games after 7. b5+ continued
c11) 7... d7 8. a4 ( 8. b3 c6 9. a3 b6 10. b1g7 11. d4 OO 12. OO a5
13. a4 f5 14. bc1c7 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. fd1 fd8 Speelman-Sasikiran,
Gibraltar Masters
2011 ) 8... g7 9. OO OO 10. a3c7! ( 10... b6 11. d4 a6 12. e2 c6
13. c2 c714. dxc5+/= Bareev-Kasparov, Cannes rapid
2001 ) 11. d4xb5 12. axb5 d7 , and Black is ready to play either a6 or a5, with
good play.
c12) 7... d7 8. a4 g7 9. a5 OO 10. OO f6 11. d4f5 12. b3 c8 13. b2
e4 14. e2 c7 15. c4cxd4 16. exd4 fd8 Gelfand-Van Wely, Moscow 2004
c2) 7. d4 g7 transposes.
c3) 7. h4 7... g7 8. h5 c6 9. c4 ( 9. b1 c7 10.d4 cxd4 11. cxd4 OO 12. hxg6 hxg6
13. c2 e6 Popov-Vorobiov, Tomsk
2006 ) 9... a6 10. d4 b5 ( 10... e5 11. hxg6hxg6 12. xh8+ xh8 13. b3 e7 14. a3
exd4 15.cxd4 xd4 16. xd4 xd4 17. d1 Lerner-Sideif Sade, Frunze 1979 ) 11. b3 ,
and Black's position feels a bit insecure.
5... b4 6. c4
6. b5+ has for many years been known to be a draw after 6... 8c67. d4 cxd4 8. a3 dxc3 There's a lot of
theory here but nobody plays this line any more with the white pieces because Black has finally learned how to
make a draw.
6... d3+ 7. e2 f4+ 8. f1 d3 This very funny looking move was played by Fabiano Caruana against Dmitry
Jakovenko. As things stand right now this seems to be quite possible, and if this move is possible it closes down the entire
line. This has to be the way players with Black will keep playing.
8... e6 is possible, and nowadays White usually replies with 9. b4 This is an extremely exciting position which
is a lot of fun to analyse. 9... g6 (9... cxb4 10. e2=/ ) 10. xe6 xe6 11. bxc5 g7 12. d4 is a very
interesting position I might cover at some point in the future, but the most trendy reply here is 8...Nd3.
9. e2
9. b3 e6
a) 10. b5+ d7! 11. xb7 c6
a1) 12. xd3 b8 13. a6 b4 14. c4 ( 14. xa7 a815. b7 xd3 ) 14... xd3
15. xd3? b5
a2) 12. b5 12... b8 13. c7 xc1 14. xd8+ xd8 15.xc1 a5=/+
b) 10. a4 b4=/+

c) 10. b5+ 10... c6 11. a4 b4 12. a3 a5 13. e2a6 14. c3 e7 15. d3 OO 16. e3 d8
17. c1 f6 , with excellent play for Black in Jakovenko-Caruana, Sochi 20th RUS-tch 2013
9... xc1 10. xc1 e6 A sharp, unclear position - Black will obviously be fine if he finishes development, so White needs
to be very energetic. Play may continue
11. h4
11. b5+
a) 11... d7 12. d4 ( 12. g3 a6 13. xd7+ xd7 14. d4 cxd415. d5 d3! 16. e3 exd5 17. exd5+
e7 18. d6 c6 19.dxe7 xe7= ) 12... cxd4 13. xd4 a6 , and the
beautiful 14.d5 ( 14. xd7+ xd7= ) 14... d6 15. e5 runs into the no less
stunning 15... xe5! 16. xe5 OO 17. c7 xb5+ 18.dxb5 c6 19. g3 b8! ( 19... c8
20. e8 xe8 21.d6 ) 20. c3 c8=/+
b) d7 12. e5 a6 13. d3 b5 14. e4 b8 15. g3 e7 16.g2 O-O 17. hd1 b6
11. d4 cxd4 12. b5 ( 12. b5+ d7 13. xd4 a6 transposes to 11.Bb5 Bd7. ) 12... c6 13. d5 d3!

11... a6 12. e5 c6 13. h5 h6

13... b5 14. d3 b7 15. h6 g6 16. e4

14. h3 b5 15. d3 b7 16. e4 , with very sharp play in Sutovsky-Nepomniachtchi, Poikovsky 2013.

5.g3 g6 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.Qa4

1. f3 f6 2. c4 c5 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. g3 The main move for players with White nowadays.
5... g6 There are a lot of move orders here and I'll try to cover more or less everything on moves 6, 7 and 8 to give you a
complete picture of what's what - what you should be aiming for and what you should be avoiding.
6. g2 The main move.
6. d4 g7 7. g2 xc3 8. bxc3 cxd4 9. cxd4 c6 10. O-O O-Otransposes to 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5
Nxd5 5.g3 ( Ponomariov-Svidler, 2011), which I covered elsewhere in this series.
6. h4 is met by 6... h6 Generally speaking, I'm suggesting you play ...h6 against h4 in every single case. I'm not
sure this "weakening" of the black kingside can be exploited, and in fact there are many cases, as you'll see later
on, where the inclusion of h4 h6 gives Black an additional stabilising option in the centre of playing ...Bc8-e6,
because Ng5 is no longer a possibility for White. ( 6... c6 7. h5 g7 8. g2 )
a) 7. b3 b4 8. e5 e6 9. a4+ 8c6 10. g2 g7Aiming for some sacrifices and
compensation. This move and 10...Qa5 are both fine for Black.
( 10... a5 11. xc6 xa4 12. xa4c2+ 13. f1 xa1 14. b3 g7 15. a5 ) 11. xc6 xc6
12. xc6+ bxc6 13. xc6+ f8 14. xc5 d4=/
b) 7. g2 is pretty much obligatory for White, and after 7... c6that transposes to the main line.
c) 7. a4+ 7... c6 8. e5 ( 8. g2 g7 9. h5 g5 10. e5xe5 11. xd5 d7 ) 8... xc3 9. dxc3
d5 10. xc6 d7You'll see this position in a slightly different version with pawns on h2 and h7 in
6.Qa4+ as well. This is well-known to be completely harmless for
Black. 11. e4 xc6 12. xc6 xc6 13. f3

6. a4+ c6 7. e5 is adequately met by 7... xc3 8. dxc3 d59. xc6 d7=

6. b3 is, as usual, met by 6... b4! It's useful to form some sort of patterns here for the various replies to
queen jumps on the queenside. Qb3, for instance, is almost always met by ...Nb4.
a) 7. e5 is met
by 7... e6 8. a4+ 8c6 9. a3 ( 9. g2a5 ) 9... c2+ 10. xc2 xe5 11. g2 g7 12. xb7
b8 13. g2 O-O=/
b) 7. g2 g7 8. O-O O-O 9. d3 e6 10. d1 8c6 , and Black is doing fine.
c) 7. a3 4c6 8. d3 g7 9. g2 O-O 10. O-O a5 11. d1bc6
d) 7. e4 7... g7 It's obviously very important not to allow Qc3, so Black happily sacrifices the c5pawn. ( 7... b6 8. g2 e6 9. c3f6 10. a3 d5 11. c2 d7 12. d4 Polugaevsky-Furman, USSR
1971 ) 8. xc5 a5 Black has fantastic play for the pawn.
d1) 9. c4 was seen in an old game between Miles and
Korchnoi.9... f5 ( 9... 8a6 10. xa6 xa6=/ would have been very strong. Black has
fantastic play for a single
pawn. ) 10. e4 g411. h3 8a6 12. hxg4 xc5 13. xc5 xc5 14. b5+ f815. e2
xe4= Korchnoi-Miles, Tilburg 1986
d2) 9. a3 9... 8c6 The simplest way to proceed. ( 9... 4c6 is also quite
playable. 10. c4 b5 11. h4 b4 12. d3 a6 13.g2 d7 14. OO c8 15. de1 c5
16. c2 b3 17.b1 c5=/ Polugaevsky-Bronstein, SU-ch 1971 ) 10. c4 O-OBlack has
fantastic play for the pawn and shouldn't be at all worried.
( 10... b5 11. e4 f5 12. b1 d5 13. b4 d8 14. b2e5 15. g2+ Kuligowski-Schmidt,
Warsaw
1978 ) 11. g2 ( 11.b1 f5 12. axb4 xb4 13. e4 ac8+ ) 11... b5 12. b3f5 13. e4
g4 14. O-O xf3 15. xf3 a6 16. xa6d4 17. d1 xa6=/ Forintos-Bukic,
Ljubljana 1981
6... c6 It's important to start with this move, after which White once again has a wide range of options.
6... g7 is unpleasant for Black as it allows White the option of 7.g5! xc3 ( 7... e6 8. ge4 The c5-pawn is
hanging, so Black has to defend it somehow. 8... b6 Black would be fine if he was in time to play ...Nc6 but
unfortunately 9. d4 is an important blow here. I can't really recommend this position to anyone playing Black as
it's quite
dangerous.)8. dxc3 xd1+ 9. xd1 OO 10. e3 c4 11. e1 h6 12. e4d7 13. f4 ( 13. a4 c6 14. f1 d7
15. d2 fc8 16. a5 b517. axb6 axb6 18. xa8 xa8 19. xa8 xa8 20. xc4 a2Sargissian-Sutovsky,
Antwerp
2009 ) 13... c6 14. f2 d7 15. a4fc8 16. hd1 f5 17. d2 f6 18. h3 b6 19. f3 ab8 20.d4+/= Sarg
issian-Howell, Antwerp 2009
7. a4
7. b3 db4 Once again this is the response to the queen coming to b3.
( 7... e6 8. OO g7 9. d3 OO 10. b5 b6 11. c4 xc312. bxc3 a5 13. a4 xc3 14. h6 xa1
15. xa1 c6 16.xf8 xf8 17. f4=/ )

a) 8. a3 can be met by 8... a5 , with the aim of putting the other knight on c6. For
instance: 9. d1 ( 9. a4+ d7 10. d1bc6 11. d3 g7 12. e3 c4 ) 9... bc6 Black is just one
move away from completing his development, when the weakness on b3 may be more telling than the
somewhat weird-looking knights on c6 and
a5.10. b4 cxb4 11. axb4 xb4 12. a4+ bc6 ( 12... ac6 13.a3 ) 13. e5 g7 14. xc6 xc6
15. xc6+ bxc6 16.xc6+ d7 17. e4 O-O 18. O-O f5=/+ Panno-Kavalek, Biel 1977
b) 8. O-O 8... g7 9. d3
b1) 9... OO 10. e3 b6 11. d1 ( 11. a3 a5 12. d1bc6 ) 11... b7 12. c1 c8
13. a4 a5 14. a3 c615. d1 d5=/+ Djuric-Langeweg, Formia 1994
b2) e6 10. d1 OO 11. g5 ( 11. e3 b6 12. d2 c813. h6 f6 14. fd1 xh6
15. xh6 d4 16. h3 d7 17.h2 fd8 18. h4 e8 19. d2 f7 20. e4 g7Uhlmann
,W-Schmidt, Halle 1976 ) 11... d5 ( 11... d7 12.e3 ) 12. ge4 xe4 13. xe4 e6=
7. d4 The problem with this is that we now have a knight on c6, and after 7... g7 8. O-O we have a choice to
make.
a) 8... O-O 9. xd5 xd5 10. e3+/=
b) 8... xc3 is the most natural move, but after 9. bxc3 cxd4White won't take with the pawn but the
knight: 10. xd4 This pretty much forces Black to go for the position
after 10... xd4 11. cxd4xd4 12. b1 This is considered to be a draw and probably is a draw, but
it's a draw which Black will have to make with a series of precise moves. He won't have any chances
for counterplay whatsoever, so this isn't particularly to my liking. 12... O-O 13. e3 c4 14.d5
b1) 14... c7 15. b3 e5 16. fd1 ( 16. f4 f6 17.xb7 xb7 18. xb7 e6 19. a4
ad8 20. xa7 a8=Skatchkov-Vokarev, Sochi 20th RUS-tch 2013 )
b2) a6 15. b3 ( 15. d3 xd3 16. exd3 d8 17. xb7xb7 18. xb7 f6 19. xa7
xa7 20. xa7 a8Smirnov-Giri, Sochi 13th RUS-tch
2012 ) 15... xe2 16. c5e6 17. xe6 xe6 18. xe6 fxe6 19. xb7
b21) 19... f5 20. c7 d5 21. e1 ( 21. xe7 d2 22.a4 d4= )
b22) a6 20. fb1 fc8 21. xe7 c2 22. d1 xa2 23.dd7 b2 24. bc7
e5 25. d6 xd6 26. xd6f8= Erdos-Jovanovic, HUN-tch 2012
c) 8... cxd4 This is an interesting alternative and my proposed solution here. 9. xd4 xd4
c1) 10. xd5 e6 ( 10... O-O 11. e3 e5 ) 11. g2 The piece on d5 has to go back.
( 11. e3 f5 is clearly good for Black. )11... O-O transposes.
c2) 10. xd5 It doesn't really matter with which piece White takes. 10... e6!
c21) 11. e3 f5 is likewise good for
Black. 12. b4 xd113. fxd1 xe3 14. fxe3 xb2 15. ab1 c3 16. a6a5
17. dc1 ( 17. xb7 xb7 18. xb7 O-O ) 17...O-O 18. c7 b8 19. a6 a8=
c22) 11. c3 11... O-O I think Black should equalise quite comfortably with
accurate play.

c221) 12. e3 e5 is very good for Black. He wants to develop the bishop
on c8 somewhere towards the e6-square.13. b3 This prevents 13...Be6
immediately, but it's fine for Black to waste one more tempo on
preparing it. ( 13. c1would be met by 13... e6 straightaway,
and 14. xb7wouldn't be very good because
of 14... b8 ) 13... b8 14.c1 g4 Provoking h3. 15. h3 e6 I think
Black is quite fine here because the knight on d4 is very hard to drive
away. In general, I like Black's harmonious setup.
c222) 12. e3 c6 Black is fine. The "half a tempo" White has isn't
significant and I think the position is just completely
equal. 13. b3 a5 14. b4 b6! 15. xb6 axb6 16.d1 xc3
17. bxc3 b3=
c223) 12. d2! This is the one move that gave me some trouble, but I
finally settled on a move order which I think pretty much equalises.
c2231) 12... d7 13. e3
c22311) 13... b5 14. xb7 b8 15. g2+/=
c22312) 13... c6 14. e4 e7 15. c1 ( 15.b3
f5 16. c3 fd8 17. ad1 e8 )
c22313) f5 14. b3
c2232) 12... b6 13. e3 c6 14. a4 b5 15.b3 xb3
16. axb3 d8 17. c3 b8 18.fd1+/=
c2233) 12... e7
c22331) 13. c1 can be met by sacrificing the pawn
on
b7: 13... d7 14. xb7 ( 14. g5 c5 ) 14...ab8
15. g2 fc8 This position is quite obviously very
decent for Black.
c22332) 13. e3 13... c6 14. b3 d8 15. fd1
d7 ( 15... a5 is premature because
of 16. b5 )16. ac1 e8 ( 16... a5 would be a
blunder because 17. d5 is almost
winning.; 16... ab8 17.e4 e8 18. c3 xd1+
19. xd1 d8 20.c1 xc3 21. xc3 e5 22. h4 )
17. e4 b6 Black is now ready to start swapping
down and the position after the
possible 18. c3 xd1+ 19. xd1 d8 is perfectly
fine for Black. He has no weaknesses and the
somewhat inferior bishop on e8 compared to the
bishop on g2 shouldn't be that much of a factor in a
position with very few pieces left on the board and
no real structural
weaknesses. 20. c1 a5 21. c2 c622. xg7
xg7 23. c3+ e5 24. f4 f6 25. a3exf4 26. gxf4 e6
27. g5 e7=

7. g5 is perhaps the worst of White's options and can be met by 7...e6 After 8. ge4 the obvious difference is
that the pawn on c5 isn't hanging and you can play 8... f5 9. xd5 exd5 10. c3 e6 I think Black may
already be better because of his huge spatial advantage.
7... g7 8. c4
8. O-O O-O transposes to a later line.
8. g5 can be met by 8... e6 9. ge4 b6 10. b5 O-O Once again the pawn on c5 is just abandoned because
White wastes too much time trying to collect it.
a) 11. xc5? f5 ( 11... d4=/ ) 12. d6 d4 13. O-O c2 14.b1 d4+
b) 11. xc5 11... d4=/ 12. d3 e7 13. b3 ( 13. b4d8=/ ) 13... e5 We're
following a game played between Lputian and Timman in Wijk aan Zee 2000. Once again
Black has fantastic play for only a single pawn. Generally speaking, in this line you shouldn't
worry too much about having to sacrifice the c-pawn for 3 or 4 tempi because you get a lot
of compensation. 14. OO ( 14. xd4 exd415. d5 xd5 16. xd5 h3=/ ) 14... e6
( 14... f5 ) 15.b1 fc8=/+ Lputian-Timman, Wijk aan Zee 2000
8... db4 9. O-O a5 The most precise move, creating the huge threat of ...Be6.
9... b6
10. e4
10. a3 e6 11. b5 xb5 12. xb5 a6 13. d3 c8
10... O-O Regardless of how White takes the pawn Black will get fantastic play against the white queenside because his
bishops will be attacking the pawns on a2 and b2.
11. xc5
11. xc5 b6 12. b3 h5 13. d3 e6 14. e4 ac8 15. d2a5
11... xc5 12. xc5 b6 13. e4 e6 14. c3
14. fg5 xa2
14... ac8 , and Black has fantastic compensation for the pawn.
15. d3
15. g5 f5 16. d3 d4 17. ge4 ( 17. h1 xc3 18. bxc3xe2 ) 17... g4 18. f3 e6 19. d2 dc2
20. ac1 d4+ 21.h1 e3
15... c2 16. b1 6b4 17. a4
17. g5 xa2 18. e4 fe8
17... a2 18. d2
18. e4 xc1 19. bxc1 ( 19. fxc1 a2 ) 19... xb2
18... xc3 19. bxc3 xc3 20. xc3 xc3=/+

7.h4
1. f3 f6 2. c4 c5 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. g3 g6 6. g2c6 7. h4 Once again Black responds
7... h6! In this position we can finally have a detailed look at what's going on if White tries to exploit the potential
weakness on the kingside. Let's have a look at some of White's options.
8. O-O This is the most principled reply.
8. d3 g7 9. d2 Once again we see a position in which it's possible to play 9... e6! because Ng5 isn't an
option. Black is planning to play something like ...Rc8 and then perhaps ...b6 and ...Qd7. Once he's done
stabilising his position in the centre he'll decide whether he wants to castle short or play with his king in the
centre. For White the move h4 is also a worry if he wants to castle kingside, so this also isn't a huge problem for
Black. 10. c1 ( 10. OO b6 ) 10... c8 ( 10... b6 11. a3 d7 12.a4 c8 13. OO OO 14. xd5 xd5 15. b4
e5 16. xd7xd7 17. bxc5 xc5 18. b4= Loginov-Biriukov, St Petersburg
2007) 11. xd5 xd5 12. c3 OO 13. a3 d4 14. OO d7 15. b4d5 16. e4 c6 17. bxc5 a4 18. d2 b3
19. b2 xc1 20.xg7 xd3 21. a1 fe8 22. xh6 e5 23. e3 f6 Larsen-Sosonko, Tilburg 1979
8. b3 e6 9. O-O g7
8. h5 g5 9. O-O g7 10. xd5 xd5 11. d3 ( 11. d4 cxd4 12.xg5 c5 13. e4 xh5 Black is just a pawn up
for not very much, so this is quite obviously good for him. ) 11... d6 It's possible to go after the h5-pawn
straightaway, but I think this move is more judicious. (11... g4 12. g5 f5 ) 12. e3
a) 12... b6 13. d4
b) 12... O-O 13. c1 d4 ( 13... b6 14. d4 ) 14. xd4 cxd415. d2 b4
c) b8 Preparing b6 and, if necessary, ...Bb7. Once Black has made all of his preparations he'll
probably castle, although he could also continue playing with the king in the centre. The pawn on h5
will potentially be a weakness for the remainder of the
game. 13. a4 (13. d2 b6 ) 13... d7 14. a3 b6 15. fd1 c8 16. d4cxd4 17. xd6 exd6
18. xd4 xd4 19. xd4 xd4 20.xd4 c2 21. xd6 e7 22. ad1 e6=
8... g7 9. xd5
9. d4 cxd4 10. xd4 xd4 11. xd5 O-O It's unclear whether h4 or h6 is the more damaging - the c8-bishop
now has a very promising future on g4. 12. e3 f5 13. f4 b6
9. d3 e6
9. a4 e6!
9... xd5 10. d3 O-O I think this is best, facing the dangers "head-on".
10... d6 11. e3 b8 12. d2 b6 13. f4 e5 14. c4Matjushin-Biriukov, St Petersburg 2002
10... d7 11. e3 c8 12. d4
11. e3 Now the difference becomes obvious. With a pawn on h6 White is threatening Qc1 with a double blow, which has
to be addressed.
11... h5 In this position the variations do become very sharp, but I think Black is doing well and I'm happy
recommending this to you. White has two main options here. Actually, since recording the video I had a chance to try this
out in practice - in the 2nd game of my World Cup match vs Radjabov.

12. c1 Complete mayhem begins if White plays this move. This position actually required some thought because play
becomes very sharp.
12. c1 b6 13. h2 d7 14. f3 e5 15. xh6 It seems as though White has made some progress by
exchanging the h6-pawn for the b2-pawn after 15... xh6 16. xh6 xb2 , which on the face of it has to be
good for White, but in fact if you imagine Black returning the queen to g7 and then playing something like
...Rad8, and then ...Nd4, you'll realise that structurally the pawn on h6 is not such a huge deal, whereas Black is
quite ready to dominate in the centre and will probably be better in every single endgame. This is a very
unclear position that I'm quite happy recommending for Black.
12... b6 13. d4 The main move.
13. g5 seems like an attractive knight jump that threatens the knight on c6 and also some kind of trap for the
queen on h5, but it runs into the very strong 13... g4 and now once again White has more hanging than Black.
...Bxe2 is a huge threat and also the knight on g5 will eventually hang, so this is fine for Black.
13. b4 xb4
13... d8!
13... b7 14. dxc5 xb2 15. b1
14. d2 Unpinning the d-pawn and also threatening the knight on c6.
14... cxd4 A very beautiful continuation.
15. f4 Otherwise Black is clearly doing ok. Up to this point we were both playing very fast, but my next move took
Teimour by surprise.
15... d3! It seems as though Black is about to lose a piece on c6, but in fact he gets a lot of counterplay. I checked this
position quite carefully because it does look a bit strange and dangerous for Black. I needed to be careful I'm not just
recommending something that loses by force. In fact I'm fairly sure Black is not worse anywhere at all here and in many
cases he'll start playing for a win if White is not very precise.
15... e5 16. xh6 ( 16. xc6 b8 17. xh6 xh6 ; 16. f3f5 17. xc6 b8 18. e4 f6 ) 16... d3
( 16... xh6 17.xc6 b8 18. e4+/= ; 16... xh6 17. e4! f5 18. xc6e6 19. d6 ) 17. exd3 xd1
18. cxd1 xh6 19. xc6b8 20. c4 f6+/=
16. e1!
16. exd3 g4 17. a4 d4! 18. xa8 e2+ 19. h2 xc1=/+
16. e3 xd1 17. fxd1 g4! 18. xc6 ( 18. f1 e2 19. xc6ac8 ) 18... xd1 19. xd1 ( 19. xa8
c2 ) 19... ac8 20.b7 c2=/+

16. a4 d4 17. xa8 xe2+ ( 17... d7 18. xa7 xe2+ 19.h2 xf4 ) 18. h2 ( 18. g2 d7 19. c6
xc6+ 20. xc6d4 21. c8+ f8 22. e8 xf4+ 23. gxf4 g4+= ) 18... g419. c6 ( 19. xa7 g5 )
19... g5 20. e3 gxh4 21. g2 d4!

16... d4 17. xa8 g4

17... xe2+ This move was also possible, but I liked the text move
better. 18. g2 ( 18. h2 g4 ; 18. xe2 dxe2 19. e1 g420. e4 xb2 21. c2 d4=/ ) 18... g4
19. f3 xf3+ 20.xf3 xf4+ 21. gxf4 g4+ 22. h1 h3+ 23. h2 ( 23. g1= )23... d2 24. g1 xh4
25. c2 xf4 26. f3 h5=/
18. f3

18. e4 xe2+ 19. xe2 dxe2 20. e1 xb2

18... dxe2 19. a4 xa8 20. fxg4 xg4 21. g2 b5 This leads to an immediate draw, but my move, 21...Rd8, is also
quite good. The game was eventually drawn after an intense fight.
22. b4
22. a3 e5 23. f3 exf4 24. xd4 xd4 25. f3 xf3+ 26.xf3 fxg3=
22... e5 23. e3 f8 24. c3 f5 25. f2 b4 26. c6 d827. e4 xh4+ 28. g1 f3+ 29. g2 h4+=

7.0-0
1. f3 f6 2. c4 c5 3. c3 d5 4. cxd5 xd5 5. g3 g6 6. g2c6 7. O-O White's main move.
7... g7 8. a4 This worried me for a while.
8. b3 c7 The simplest response. Generally speaking c7 is a very decent square for the knight. 9. d3 O-O
a) 10. e4 b6
b) 10. c4 b6 11. h4 Ng5 is a big threat in this position, but it's very adequately met
by 11... d7 ( 11... b7 12. h6 b8 13.g5 d4 ) 12. h6 can be met by 12... g4 , starting to
swap off pieces. I think Black is doing quite well.
c) 10. e3 10... b6 The knight on c7 protects the rook on a8 so there are no tactical jumps with the
f3-knight. Black is very comfortable. 11. ac1
c1) 11... e6 12. g5 ed4 13. xd4 ( 13. d1 b7 14.f3 d7 15. a3 fd8 16. xd4
xd4 17. xd4 xg2 18.xg2 xd4 19. d2 a5 Reshevsky-Kirov, Nice
1974 ) 13...xd4 14. a3 d7=/
c2) e6 12. a4 d4 13. xd4 cxd4 14. e4 a5
8. g5 e6 9. ge4 b6
a) 10. d3 OO 11. g5 f6 12. d2 de7 ( 12... b7 13. a3d7 14. c1 ad8 15. xd5 exd5
16. c3 d4= Speelman-Van der Wiel, Plovdiv
1983 ) 13. a3 f5 14. g5 h6 15. h3 b7 16.b4 cxb4 17. axb4 d7 18. a4 fd8 19. f4 g5
20. h5h8 21. h3 d4 22. d1 xg2 23. xg2 ac8 Smyslov-Miles, Tilburg 1977
b) 10. xd5 exd5 11. a4 d7 12. c3 d4 13. d1 c6
c) 10. a4
c1) 10... b7 11. xd5 exd5 12. c3 OO 13. xd5 ( 13.xd5 d4 14. c3 b5 15. d1
xg2 16. xg2 b4Alfredsson-Wikman, cr
2000 ) 13... xc3 14. xc6 xc6 15.xc6 g7 16. d3 e8 17. e1 d4=/
c2) 10... d7 11. d6+ ( 11. xd5 exd5 12. c3 e7 13.f4 c6 14. b4 OO 15. bxc5
d4 Timman-Polugaevsky, Breda
1979 ) 11... e7 12. de4 e8 13. d3 f8 14. g5 f6 15.d2 ce7 16. c4 c6 17. a3
h6 /\ f5, Bauer-Vachier Lagrave, Chartres 2005

8. d4 transposes.
8. xd5 xd5 9. d3 O-O 10. e3 This is all theory that's been known about for many decades.
a) 10... xb2 11. b1 g7 12. a4 d7 13. g5!+/= A very important trick, after which I'm not
sure Black is entirely equal. ( 13.xc5 was played by Kramnik against Grischuk in a blitz tournament,
and after 13... b6 14. e3 d4 Black was
fine. 15. d1 b716. xd4 xg2 17. xg2 xd4= Kramnik-Grischuk, Moscow 2012)
b) 10... d7! The simplest way to proceed with
Black. 11. d4d6 12. xc6 xc6 13. xc6 xc6 14. c1 e6 This is a very well-known position
in which White for many years has tried claiming some kind of moral advantage. By now, however, I
think it's universally accepted that White doesn't really have anything. 15.xc5 xa2 16. b5 b6=
8... O-O!
8... b6 I used to play this as I was so worried about 8...0-0 9.Qc4. 9.b5 d7 Although this isn't tragic for
Black I don't quite like it because the knight doesn't really belong on d7 and you have to work quite hard here
not to be worse. I later realised this is uncalled for.
9. c4
9. b5 b6 is perfectly fine for Black. 10. xb6 xb6 11. d3 c412. dxc4 xc4 , and Black was already slightly
ahead in Ljubojevic-Ivanchuk, Monaco 1993
9... xc3
9... db4 10. xc5 b6 11. g5
10. dxc3
10. bxc3 b6 11. g5 d7=
10... b6! It turns out Black is completely fine.
10... b6 11. g5 c7 ( 11... b7 It seems as though Black has everything under control, but this is a very wellknown trap that I once fell into in a blitz game. White plays 12. e6! fxe6 13. xc6 and suddenly Black is
completely lost. ) 12. h4 h6 13. f3 g5 14.xg5 hxg5 15. xg5 f5 16. e4 g6 17. f4 f6 18. e6 1/2
Hertneck-Miles, Dortmund 1986
11. g5 This was the move that used to worry me.
11. h4 allows Black to seize the d-file with 11... d8 , and as the game between Vitiugov and Gao Rui in the
Russian-China match showed Black is just very comfortable. Generally speaking, you shouldn't be worried if
you're Black here because White's setup looks a bit artificial and Black is very safe.
( 11... e8 12. b1 e5 13. xe5 xe5 14.b4 cxb4 15. e3 a6 16. xb4 b8 Uhlmann-Smejkal,
Trencianske Teplice
1979 ) 12. e1 d7 13. b1 h5 14. g5e5 15. f4 c6 ( 15... f6 ) 16. xe5 xe5 17. c4
e8=( 17... f8 18. xc6 xc6 19. bd1 f6 20. e4 ac8 21.d5 b6 22. ed1+/= Vitiugov-Gao Rui,
CHN-tch 2012 )
11... h6! A nifty little trick I want to share with you.
11... f5 12. e4 fc8 ( 12... a5 13. xc5 xe4 14. xb6axb6 15. xe4 b3 16. b1+/= ) 13. xc5
d4 14. xb6xe2+ 15. h1 axb6 16. e3

11... e5 12. h4 h6 was the kind of position I'd tried to equalise for many
years. 13. f3 ( 13. e4 g5 ) 13... g5 14. e4 Black has to prove that the weakening on the queenside doesn't
really matter in this position. Perhaps it doesn't, and I think I had some analysis that showed that Black can
survive with precise play, but then I realised that none of this is absolutely
necessary. 14... f5 ( 14... xf3+ 15. xf3 ) 15.a4 is playable for Black, but 11...h6 is much easier.
12. e4 It seems like the c5-pawn is gone, but now...
12... e6 13. xc5 f5! and it turns out White is absolutely forced to play
14. xb6 axb6 15. d2 and Black just wins the pawn back straightaway.
15... xa2 At the very least Black is no worse.
16. xa2 xa2 17. e4 e6= So I think we've covered all the move orders White can aim for after 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5
5.g3 and I think this should allow you to play this position with a certain degree of confidence.

I hope youve enjoyed my series of videos and eBook on the Grnfeld Defence.
Ive put a lot of effort into this project, trying to make it as informative and
entertaining as possible.
Clearly the things Ive shown will be put to the test and over the course of time
some of them will perhaps be refuted or cast into some doubt. I want to ensure
you, though, that we checked all of these things very carefully, and at the time
of production I stand by every single line Im giving.
Once again, I hope youve enjoyed this presentation. This has been Peter Svidler
for chess24.