Contents

Title Page and Bibliography Chapter 4. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6

with ...b6 75
Preface 5
Chapter 5. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6
Introduction 7 with ...c5 99
Chapter 1. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6 Chapter 6. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 145
11
Chapter 7. e Classical London System
Chapter 2. e Barry Attack 3.Bf4 g6 171
4.Nc3 31
Chapter 8. e Benoni Approach 181
Chapter 3. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6
4.c4 57 Index of Variations 194

Chapter 4. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6

 Fighting the London System

Chess Stars Publishing

www.chess-stars.com

Copyright © 2017 by Kiril Georgiev

Cover by Kalojan Nachev, Semko Semkov

Translation and editing by Semko Semkov

Bibliography Understanding the QGA, Alexander

Delchev and Semko Semkov, Chess Stars
2015
Books
Periodicals
e Agile London System, Alfonso Romero
Holmes and Oscar De Prado, New in Chess Chess Informant
2016 New in Chess
Winning With the Modern London System,
Nikola Sedlak, Chess Evolution 2016 Internet resources
Databases
Fighting the Anti-King’s Indians, Yelena
Dembo, Gloucester Publishers 2008 e Week In Chess
(www.theweekinchess.com)
e Safest Grünfeld, Alexander Delchev
and Evgenij Agrest, Chess Stars 2011 10 Days (www.Chessmix.com)
e Grünfeld Defence Volume One, Boris Chess Publishing
Avrukh, Quality Chess 2011 (www.chesspublishing.com)
 Preface
Are you still curious what are the best
XIIIIIIIIY
openings for White? I have an answer for 9rsnlwqkvlntr0
you: almost any normal development! At 9zppzp-zppzpp0
depth 50, modern engines evaluate most 9-+-+-+-+0
main lines as 0.00! Suppose that I want to 9+-+p+-+-0
build a repertoire against the Slav. I have
tried everything against it and I assure you
9-+-zP-vL-+0
that the Meran is 0.00. I have also tested 9+-+-+-+-0
the Botvinnik Variation. e most 9PzPP+PzPPzP0
principled lines follow a very narrow path, 9tRN+QmKLsNR0
reaching 0.00 well after move 40. e same xiiiiiiiiy
applies to the Queen’s Gambit etc. us
any strong player faces the same question It has been played by world champion
before every White game: how to throw Carlsen, Kasparov, Kramnik, So,
the opponent out of his home Nakamura... the list could go on several
preparation as early as possible without pages. e computer is almost useless if you
crossing the red line? Sharp openings mean ask it what is the best answer to it. My
more narrow paths, therefore less to favourite example is the following position:
memorise. Even a master would be able to XIIIIIIIIY
hold to a draw a super GM in the
Botvinnik.
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zplzp-+pzpp0
Lately the chess elite solves the problem 9-zp-vlpsn-+0
by adopting the following anti-computer 9+-+p+-+-0
strategy: they choose openings without
narrow paths. e more candidate-moves of
9-+-zP-+-+0
equal worth on every split, the better! 9+-zPLzP-vL-0
Nobody can memorise at home a variation 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
tree with a huge crown of branches. Even 9tR-+QmK-sNR0
better would be to nd systems where the xiiiiiiiiy
computer tends to underestimate White’s
chances. One of the most serious Would you believe that Stock sh 8 at
candidates for the title “Opening of the depth 41 offers as best the following line:
future” is the London System, more 8.Rc1!!? Ne4 9.Ne2 Nf6!!? 10.Ng1!!?,
precisely, the Accelerated London System. evaluating it at 0.00!!
It arises after 1.d4 d5 (1...Nf6) 2.Bf4.
XIIIIIIIIY
 e closed centre and virtually no threats
make such positions difficult for computer
analysis. On any turn both sides have at
least 4-5 candidate-moves of equal worth. It
is a laborious task to encompass the maze of
branches and transpositions that arise. You
could easily drown into the sea of
variations.
I have endeavoured to select several
systems for Black so you could pick out
something that suits your taste. My task
was to offer clear plans and answers in the
“Main Ideas” sections, and a tree-like
presentation in the “Step by Step” sections.
e annotated games often present back-up
lines or additional information which
would only distract you from the more
important lines.
Note that I’m not biased towards Black’s
cause. I started playing the London about
10 years ago with White and I have
hundreds of blitz and rapid games on the
ICC server at highest level (3300+ Elo).
Practical experience shows that many
Black players at some point begin testing
the London System with White, too. at
is possible because this opening counts on
understanding the plans and structures. If
you feel con dent with Black, you should
perform well with the other colour, too.
Kiril Georgiev
July 2017
 Introduction
I’ll start by de ning the terms. e
classical treatment of the London System is
the move sequence 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6
3.Bf4.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
9zppzp-zppzpp0
9-+-+-sn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tRN+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
I devote Chapter 7 to this particular
order of moves (and to 3.c3).
In the rest of the book I assume that
White delays Nf3 in favour of the more
exible and trendy approach 2.Bf4,
followed up by e3 or c3. It is called the
Accelerated London System. In most cases
the lines interweave and I try to point out
the pros and cons of the different move
orders.
I also pay attention to schemes with an
early 3.Nc3. I have not separated them in
an independent chapter, since the character
of play greatly depends on Black’s choice.
For instance, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.Nc3 is
commonly called the Jobava Attack.
I analyse in detail 3...e6 in Chapter 4,
Game 14 Sheng-So, rapid, chess.com 2017.
However, Black hasanother good answer,
3...g6, and it is covered in Chapter 2,
which deals with the Grünfeld approach.
A special case of the Jobava Attack is the
Barry Attack – 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4
g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 – Chapter 2.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqk+-tr0
9zppzp-zppvlp0
9-+-+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
In it the white knight is already on f3.
Knowing this system is indispensable if you
prefer a repertoire based on the Grünfeld
approach.
For the same reason I consider 1.d4 Nf6
2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.c4 (Chapter 3) – it is
a pure Grünfeld, but you cannot not skip
it. us the rst three chapters provide you
with everything you would need to meet
Bf4 by ...g6.
Black’s main set-up with ...g6 is shown
on the following diagram.
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-zppvlp0
9-zpn+-snp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
It is easy to play as he has a clear plan –
to trade light-squared bishops with ...Qc8
and advance on the queenside. e bishop
on g7 secures Black’s castling position
against any sharp attack White could
attempt. e Grünfeld approach is not
currently in the limelight, but it is very
solid and easy to learn.
Chapter 4 presents another rare antidote
to the London System – 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6
3.e3 e6 4.Nd2 Bd6 5.Bg3 b6 (or 5...0-0
6.Bd3 b6). Its main feature is that Black
refrains from early ...c5 in favour of the
queen’s anchetto. at neutralises
practically all the trendy plans White is
accustomed to employ. Our typical set-up
is:
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zplzp-+pzpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0
9+-+psN-+-0
9-+-zPn+-+0
9+-+LzP-vL-0
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
We have avoided both Carlsen’s Bb5 and
e3-e4 from White, and Ne5 is not of any
concern to us, as we always have ...f6 or
...f5. We do not have to worry about dxc5,
followed by c4, either.
is is my favourite way to play for a
win against the London System! It leads
to safe, but tangled positions with a lot of
pieces. White’s strategic tasks are
signi cantly more complex than in the set-
ups with ...Bf5. And White is usually
completely surprised when facing it!
Chapter 5 delves deeper in the same
direction, but this time I consider move
orders with ...c5 before ...b6. In my
opinion, they have no advantages over the
lines from Chapter 4, but they are very hot,
as all the elite plays them. My “little” trick
here is to delay ...Nc6. at effectively
sidesteps Bb5.
e forth plan against the London is too
popular to be omitted. It is based on early
...c5, followed by ...Bf5 or ...Bg4. In
Chapter 6 I focus on the move order 1.d4
d5 2.Bf4 c5. Black’s play is straightforward
and it does not require a lot of learning.
Basically, he must be acquainted with the Finally, Chapter 8 deals with 1.d4 Nf6
following two positions: 2.Bf4 c5. Of course, Black has an
XIIIIIIIIY enormous choice of other plans – such as
9r+-+kvl-tr0 the Queen’s Indian approach with ...b6
without ...d5, or the King’s Indian set-up
9zpp+-zppzpp0 with ...d6 with further ...e5. However, I
9-wqn+-sn-+0 prefer to exploit White’s moves more
9+-+p+l+-0 concretely by hitting his sore point – b2 by
9-+pzP-vL-+0 2...c5 3.e3 Qb6. In all the events this queen
9+-zP-zPN+-0 sortie hampers the enemy normal
development.
9PzPQ+-zPPzP0
9tRN+-mKL+R0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9rsnl+kvl-tr0
9zpp+pzppzpp0
and 9-wq-+-sn-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-zp-+-+-0
9r+-+kvl-tr0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9zpp+qzppzpp0 9+-+-zP-+-0
9-+n+-sn-+0 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9+-zpp+l+-0 9tRN+QmKLsNR0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+QzP-zP-+-0
After 4.Nc3 we can either capture the
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 pawn, allowing repetition of moves, or
9tR-+-mKLsNR0 demonstrate a strong determination with
xiiiiiiiiy ...4...d6.
e rst one could arise if White used You can start by picking out one of the
the classical move order with Nf3, while plans I consider, and then enrich your
the second is typical for the Accelerated arsenal with others. In all cases you should
London. In all events, Black does not be obtaining decent positions in the
experience any theoretical problems. In my opening, but you’ll play some of them more
opinion, play is more boring, compared to con dently, depending on your personal
the previously mentioned plans. style.
 Chapter 1. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6
Main Ideas
space and answer 5...h5.
Move order
e rst three chapters of this book are XIIIIIIIIY
devoted to the Grünfeld approach towards 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
the London System. I’ll consider the move 9zppzp-zppvl-0
order:
9-+-+-snp+0
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.e3 Bg7 9+-+p+-+p0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-zP-vL-zP0
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 9+-+-zP-+-0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 9PzPP+LzPP+0
9-+-+-snp+0 9tRN+QmK-sNR0
9+-+p+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zPN+-0 In my opinion, the insertion of h4 h5
9PzPP+-zPPzP0 may be in Black’s favour. In many lines
with White’s short castling, he can no
9tRN+QmKL+R0 longer fear the positional threat of g4 which
xiiiiiiiiy typically earns White more space. Our
bishop gets stable stands on f5 or g4. e
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 g6!? 4.Nf3 Bg7 real test of our set-up should be plans with
leads to the same position. long castling:
White cannot extract anything positive
from delaying 4.Nf3: 6.c3

a) 4.Nd2 Bg7 5.c3 0-0 6.Bd3 c5 7.dxc5
is dubious. Black would get an
overwhelming position after 7...Nfd7
8.Nb3 a5 9.a4 e5 10.Bg3 Qe7 11.Bb5
Nxc5 12.Qxd5 Nba6 13.Bxa6 Nxa6
14.Nf3 Be6 15.Qb5 f6 16.0-0 Rfc8μ.
b) 4.h4!? Bg7 5.Be2 is a more
challenging try. I propose not to cede any
6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 (7.Nbd2 Qb6) 7...cxd4
8.exd4 Qb6 9.Nc3 0-0.
6.f3?! c5.
6...c5 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Nbd2 Bg4!? 9.Ne5
(9.dxc5 Qc8; 9.0-0 Qb6 10.Qb3 Nc6)
9...Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Nbd7 11.0-0-0 Qb6!
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpp+nzppvl-0
9-wq-+-snp+0
9+-zppsN-+p0
9-+-zP-vL-zP0
9+-zP-zP-+-0
9PzP-sNQzPP+0
9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black’s attack is quick and natural:
12.Nxd7 (12.Ndf3 Rac8) 12...Nxd7 13.g4
Rac8 14.Kb1 hxg4 15.Qxg4 cxd4 16.cxd4
Qb5 17.Qh3 e5„.
I believe that the Grünfeld set-up is one
of the most unpleasant weapon against
the London – both psychologically and
theoretically.
It does require knowledge of the pure
Grünfeld line 5.c4 0-0 6.Nc3 c5 (covered
in Chapter 3), but on the other hand, it has
always been a sideline which brings White a
modest 45% in practice. Its theoretical
overhead is nothing in comparison to the
monstrous amount of variations you would
need to swallow before daring into the
Grünfeld Exchange System, for example.
Besides, the overall effort to master the
king’s anchetto against the London is
relatively small, as Black’s play is
surprisingly clear and easy.
ings get even better if you already have
the Grünfeld in your repertoire. en you
should consider the following move order:
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6!?. Many adepts of the
London System hate to play 3.Bf4 here
because of 3...d6, so they would have to
resort to the Barry Attack 3.Nc3, when
3...d5! immediately evens the chances. We’ll
discuss it in Chapter 2.
Black’s main set-up
White’s most popular scheme is to secure
his dark-squared bishop by playing h3 early.
en we anchetto the second bishop to
reach the following position:
4.e3 Bg7 5.h3 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.c3 b6!
8.Nbd2 Bb7 9.0-0 Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-zppvlp0
9-zpn+-snp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Note two important moments here.
1. After 7.c3, we defended our c5-pawn
with 7...b6!
2. We have clearly shown that we were
not focused on a plan with ...e5 or we
would have prepared it with ...Nfd7.
Instead, we want to keep the tension in the
centre and prepare ...e5 only if White
weakens his kingside: 10.Qb3 Nd7 11.Rfe1
Qc8 12.Rad1 e6, see Game 1 Pakleza-
Bartel, Katowice 2016.
We could meet plans with a4 by the same
...Nd7, ...e5.
Do not close the centre with ...c4 unless
you have something concrete in mind.
White saves h3
XIIIIIIIIY
White can deviate from this scenario in 9rsnlwq-trk+0
various ways. e most challenging plan is 9zpp+-zp-vlp0
to organise an attack on the h- le. His 9-+p+-zpp+0
strategic aim is to reach something like the 9+-+p+-+-0
following position:
9-+PzP-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-sN-zPNzP-0
9rsn-wq-trk+0 9PzP-+LzPP+0
9zpl+-zppvlp0 9tR-+QmK-+R0
9-zp-+-snp+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-zP0 White’s knight is active on c3 and that
forces Black to take a passive stand with
9+-zP-zP-+-0 ...e6.
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 However, if White has already
xiiiiiiiiy committed his knight to d2, ...Nh5 is a fair
option as we would have time to occupy
Although White’s attack is not too the centre with ...e5:
dangerous, I cannot deny him an initiative. XIIIIIIIIY
e key point of his idea is the early leap
Ne5. My receipt is to oppose it by playing
9r+lwq-trk+0
Nh5, but not before White had played c3 9zpp+-zp-vlp0
or Nbd2. 9-+n+-zpp+0
9+-zpp+-+n0
When to play ...Nh5 9-+-zP-+-+0
Suppose we played ...Nh5 too early,
White answered Be5 and the following
9+-zP-zPNvL-0
position has arisen: 9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
10...cxd4 11.cxd4 Nxg3 12.hxg3 e5 (or
after some preparation) 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.e4
Kh8∞.

Commonly the appropriate moment for

...Nh5 is on move 6 or later:

5.Be2 0-0! 6.Nbd2 (bingo!) 6...Nh5!

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0 9r+l+-trk+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+-+-+p+0 9-wqn+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+n0 9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zPN+-0 9+QzP-zP-+-0
9PzPPsNLzPPzP0 9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9tRN+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
7.Be5 is no longer attractive due to 9...c4=. See Game 2 Michna-Kachiani,
7...f6, so White answers 7.Bg5. at Dresden 2014.
eliminates the threat of Ne5 in view of the
fork at f6, and we can comfortably return To summarise: If White delays h3, we
to our main plan: 7...c5 8.c3 b6. play ...Nh5, and if he delays Nbd2, we play
...Qb6.
White plays Bd3 instead of Be2
We follow the same scheme as against Positional decisions
Be2 – ...c5, ...b6, ...Nc6. If White omits e following examples could help you
h3, we answer ...Nh5. In general, the in practice when you have to take
important decisions.
development Bd3 hides less venom than
Be2, since the bishop does not control h5, XIIIIIIIIY
blocks the d- le and hampers Qb3 (in view 9r+-wq-tr-+0
of the fork ...c4). 9+l+-zppmkp0
White saves Nbd2
9-zp-+-snp+0
If White leaves his queen’s knight on b1 9zpLzpp+-+-0
for too long, we could exploit that by 9P+-zP-+-+0
hitting b2: 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 c5 7.c3 Nc6 9+-zP-zP-+P0
8.Ne5 Qb6! 9.Qb3 9-zP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
White often displays activity on the
queenside. Do not stop a4 with the semi-
automatic ...a5. at would open a hole at
b5 and would deprive our pawn formation
of exibility. One possible way to exploit it

XIIIIIIIIY
is 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.c4 with the better pawn Do not trade light-squared bishops too
structure. early. is piece may be passive, but it
hampers White’s active plans with e4 or c4.
Here is another example: Furthermore, our knight would take a really
XIIIIIIIIY bad place on a6 instead of his natural stand
9-+rwq-trk+0 on c6:
9+l+nzppvlp0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-zpn+-+p+0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpLzpp+-+-0 9zp-sn-zppvlp0
9Q+-zP-vL-+0 9-zp-+-snp+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPP+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9tR-+R+-mK-0 9+-zP-zPN+P0
xiiiiiiiiy 9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
13.c4! cxd4 14.cxd5 Nc5?! 15.dxc6 Nxa4
16.cxb7 Rc7 17.Bxa4 Rxb7 18.exd4±,
xiiiiiiiiy
Spark 1.0-Hiarcs 13.2, 2011. 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.Be5 Ne6 13.c4.

Instead, it is better to counter the e plan with ...Bb7-a6 would be

enemy’s ank assault with a break in the justi ed at a later stage, when Black had
centre: consolidated and could enable the exchange
XIIIIIIIIY with Qd8-c8.
9r+lwq-trk+0 eoretical status
9zp-+nzppvlp0 is set-up has remained untouched by
9-zpn+-+p+0 the current burst of popularity of the
9+-zpp+-+-0 London System. It is difficult to nd
9P+-zP-vL-+0 meaningful theory on it. Ten years ago Prié
was quite con dent about White’s chances
9+QzP-zPN+P0 after his two wins against Boudre. He then
9-zP-sNLzPP+0 wrote for ChessPublishing.com about 3...g6:
9tR-+-mK-+R0 “Although the way to combat this set-up is
xiiiiiiiiy far from evident for the rst player, it is
reputed to be dubious for the anchettoed
Korobov-Edouard, Dubai 2014, saw side because of the dark-squared dragon
10...e5 and Black had nice compensation spitting his craving for space against the
for the pawn. heat-resistance of the c3-d4-e3 wall.“
 I like the emotion, but the bitter truth is
somewhat different. Time has passed, and
White players have come to realise that the
pride of the London System, the d3-bishop,
is also biting on granite against the heat-
resistance of the h7-g6-f7 wall. at
effectively neutralises White’s play on the
kingside while Black, as a rule, remains
more active in the centre thanks to his c5-
d5 pawns.
Sedlak in Winning With the Modern
London System, 2016, bases his White
repertoire on 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 c5
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+-+-snp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zPN+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tRN+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
7.c3 Nc6 8.Ne5 Qb6 9.Qb3, but he
does not consider 9...c4 at all.
Interestingly, Romero and De Prado in
e Agile London System, 2016, promote the
same variation, but propose 7.Nbd2 instead
of 7.c3. However, they do not even
mention the most logical answer 7...Nc6,
and 7...Qb6!? (my sign) deserved just
“8.dxc5 Qxb2 9.Be5=”.
It is indicative that both authors claim
that the early h3 is “just a waste of time”,
but completely fail (or avoid) to analyse
Black’s most principled retort to the lines
they advocate.
I encourage you to try yourself the
Grünfeld set-up. You will be surprised how
easy and natural Black’s play is.
 Chapter 1. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6
Step by Step

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 A. 5.h3; B. 5.Nbd2; C. 5.Be2; D.

XIIIIIIIIY 5.Bd3.
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
9zppzp-zpp+p0 5.Nc3 is the subject of Chapter 2.
9-+-+-snp+0 5.c4 is covered in Chapter 3.
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 5.c3 should transpose to other lines after
5...0-0.
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0 Black could also try 5...Nh5?!.
9tRN+QmKL+R0
Commonly this move offers White a
xiiiiiiiiy slight initiative after 6.Be5 f6 7.Bg3
Nxg3 8.hxg3, due to the possibility of
4.e3
pressurising the centre with c4, Qb3.
4.Nbd2 Bg7
e innocuous 5.c3 makes this plan less
ere is no point to deviate with efficient and should not cause Black
4...Nh5?! 5.Be5 f6 6.Bg3 Nxg3 7.hxg3 serious trouble. For instance: 8...e5 9.c4
c6 8.e4. (9.dxe5 fxe5 10.e4 c6 was ne for Black
in Suvrajit-Ganguly Mumbai 2003.)
5.Ne5?! 9...exd4 10.Qxd4 Nc6 11.Qxd5 Qxd5
12.cxd5 Nb4 13.Na3 Nxd5 14.Bc4
5.c4?! c5 6.dxc5 0-0 7.e3 Nbd7 is
Nb6 15.Nb5 c6 16.Nd6+ Ke7=.
pleasant for Black.
More testing is 6.Bg5! h6 7.Bh4 g5
5.e3! transposes to 5.Nbd2.
8.Ne5 Nf6 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.Nd2 Nxg3
5...Nh5! 6.Bg3 c5 7.c3 Qb6 takes over 11.hxg3 and the open h- le assures White
the initiative. of the initiative, Skoberne-Beliavsky, Bled
2016.
4...Bg7
It is very interesting to investigate A. 5.h3 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5
4...c5!?, hoping for 5.c3 Nc6. When the queen’s knight goes to d2, we
could no longer fear c4. at allows us to
postpone the attack on the centre and
 anchetto our bishop rst – 6...b6 7.c3
Bb7 8.Be2 and now it would be best to
return to our main set-up with 8...c5, as
8...Nbd7 9.0-0 Ne4 10.a4 c5 11.a5 would
give the opponent a slight initiative.
7.c3 b6!
I do not see any reason to play 7...Nc6?!
although it is as popular as 7...b6. First of
all, 8.Be2 Nd7 9.0-0 e5 10.dxe5 Ndxe5
11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Nf3 was a tad better for
White in Dominguez-Mamedyarov, Doha
2016. And second, after 8.dxc5!? a5 9.a4
Nd7 10.Nb3 e5 11.Bg5, Pomes-Lautier,
Terrassa 1991, Black still has to prove that
his centre is worth a pawn.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zp-+-zppvlp0
9-zp-+-snp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0
9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
8.a4
is move has been played recently by
Nakamura and Korobov. It aims to
discourage 8...Ba6 whereupon White
would take on a6 in one leap. Note that I
do not recommend this exchange even
after:
8.Bd3
Although the ABC book teaches us to
trade this “bad” bishop in such
positions, White would get some play
after 8...Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.0-0 Nc7,
Anikonov-Dreev, Khanty-Mansiysk
2016, 11.dxc5!? bxc5 12.Be5 Ne6
13.c4. Instead, we should adhere to
another rule, namely to put our pieces
on good places near the centre:
8...Nc6 (or 8...Bb7 9.0-0 Nc6) 9.0-0
Bb7
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-zppvlp0
9-zpn+-snp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zPLzPN+P0
9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
e “bad” b7-bishop would become
excellent should White execute his only
active plan based on e3-e4. Furthermore, it
would protect our central pawn in the event
we push ...e5 ourselves. However, I consider
this break not too wise as it would not
improve our chances in any way. It would
be better to manoeuvre in the centre and
on the queenside, keeping ...e5 in reserve
against a possible White’s expansion on the
kingside. Of course, if White presented us
with a couple of tempi like in the game
Vazquez-Stany, Roquetas de Mar 2017, we
might “concede” to push ...e5:
10.Bh2 Nd7 11.Bb5 a6 12.Be2 e5
13.dxe5 Ndxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Nf3
Nc6 16.Ne1 Ne5 17.Nf3, when 17...Nd7
would have preserved slightly the better
chances.
 A more natural approach for White is to
bring his rooks in the centre:
10.Qe2 Nd7 11.Rad1 Re8 12.Rfe1 with
a balanced game. We could chose virtually
any natural move here – 12...e6, 12...f5, or
open the centre with 12...e5 13.dxe5
Ndxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bb5 Re7=.
8.Be2 is similar, but it allows White to
play Qb3 at some point since ...c4 would
not be a fork: 8...Bb7 9.0-0 (9.Ne5 Nfd7=)
9...Nc6 10.Qb3
10.a4 transposes to the main line.
10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Nd7 12.Bxg7
Kxg7 13.f4 (13.a4 e5=) 13...Qc7=.
10...Nd7 11.Rfe1 Qc8 12.Rad1
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+-trk+0
9zpl+nzppvlp0
9-zpn+-+p+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+QzP-zPN+P0
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9+-+RtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Both sides have no weaknesses. Black
could boast with a slightly better centre due
to the active pawn on c5, but his pieces
have defensive functions. In near future
...e5 should unload the tension, but it is
not obligatory at all. In practice Black
prefers to wait – see Game 1 Pakleza-Bartel,
Katowice 2016.
8...Nc6 9.Bd3
9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.Bxe5 Nd7 11.Bxg7
Kxg7 12.Be2 Qc7 13.a5 Rb8 14.axb6 axb6
15.0-0 Bb7 16.Qc2 Ra8= occurred in the
correspondence game Hugo-Solar, 2014.
9.Be2 Nd7 10.Qb3 e5
10...Bb7 was also possible, as 11.Qxd5?!
runs into 11...cxd4 12.exd4 Nxd4
13.Qxb7 Nc2+ 14.Kf1 Nc5.
11.Qxd5 exf4 12.Qxc6 fxe3 13.fxe3 Rb8
XIIIIIIIIY
9-trlwq-trk+0
9zp-+n+pvlp0
9-zpQ+-+p+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9P+-zP-+-+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0
9-zP-sNL+P+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Objectively, Black’s compensation may
be enough just for maintaining the balance.
However, in a practical game the cost of his
mistakes is lower and the 2700 White
player Korobov lost in 32 moves against
Edouard in Dubai 2014. e game went
14.0-0 Nf6 15.Rae1 Qe7 16.Bd3 Bb7
17.Qb5÷.
More simple was 15...Bb7 16.Qb5 Bh6
17.Bc4 a6 18.Qb3 b5 19.axb5 axb5
20.Bxb5 cxd4 21.exd4 Ba6 22.c4 Bxb5
23.cxb5 Qd5= or 15...Bd7 16.Qd6 Bxa4
17.Qxd8 Rfxd8 18.Ra1 Be8 19.Rxa7
Nd5=.
9...Nd7
 is move order prevents 9...Bb7
10.Ne5 which should not be a cause of
concern for us anyway. We could choose
between 10...Nxe5 11.Bxe5 a5!? (11...Nd7)
12.0-0 e6 13.Re1 Qe7 14.Be2 Nd7=,
10...Nd7, 10...a5, and 10...e6.
10.0-0 Bb7
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+nzppvlp0
9-zpn+-+p+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9P+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zPLzPN+P0
9-zP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
11.Bg5
Nakamura opted for 11.Bh2, intending
to meet 11...e5 by 12.e4?
12.Nxe5 Ndxe5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Be2
Re8 15.Nf3= was called for.
12...dxe4!
Yu Yangyi in Doha rapid 2016, actually
answered 12...exd4 13.exd5 Nce5
14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Bxe5 16.c4
a5³, but failed to break in and the game
ended in a draw.
13.Nxe4 cxd4 14.Nd6 dxc3 15.bxc3
Na5μ.
e immediate 11.e4 dxe4 12.Bxe4 cxd4
13.Nxd4 is dubious. Besides 13...Qc8=,
Black could take over the initiative with
13...Bxd4!? 14.cxd4 Nf6 15.Bxc6 Bxc6
16.Be3 Rc8.
11...Qc7
Black is consistent – he aims to fully
equalize with ...e5. 11...f6 was more direct,
but after all, it weakens the light squares,
e.g. 12.Bh4 e5 13.a5!?∞.
Perhaps he could prepare the same idea
with ...f6 by 11...a6!? 12.Re1 f6.
12.Be2 e5 13.dxe5 Ndxe5=, Korobov-Yu
Yangyi, blitz, Doha 2016.
 
B. 5.Nbd2 0-0
5...Nh5 6.Be5 f6 7.Bg3 Nxg3 8.hxg3
is better for White. Although the queen’s
knight could have been more active on c3
instead of d2, the pressure on d5 after c4
would assure him of the initiative.
6.c3
6.Be2 Nh5 – see line C.
6.Bd3 c5 7.c3 Nc6 – see line D.
6...b6
6...Nh5 is possible, but I prefer to delay
it until the next move. 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4
Nd7
Our position will break apart after
8...Nc6?! 9.h3 f5 10.Bd3 Qd6 11.Rg1
e5 12.g4 Nf4 13.exf4 e4 14.g5 h5
15.Bc2±.
9.h3 c5 10.Qc2 Nhf6 11.Be2 b6 12.0-0
Bb7 13.b4 and White’s centre is more uid.
 6...c5 is a little shaky. Perhaps White
should play rst 7.Be2!?, intending to
capture on c5 on the next turn.
7.dxc5 was roughly balanced after
7...Bg4 8.Be2 Nbd7 9.Nb3 Rc8 10.0-0
Nxc5 11.Nxc5 Rxc5 12.Be5, Taimanov-
E.Geller, Leningrad 1971, when best
was 12...Ne4=.
7...b6
7...Nc6 is enterprising, but risky.
Nisipeanu in 2016 took the pawn:
8.dxc5 Nh5 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5
11.Bg3 Nxg3 12.hxg3, but Graf ’s
12...b6!? probably surprised him and he
quickly signed a draw after 13.Bb5?!
Qc7 14.Qc2 Rd8 15.e4.
Critical is 13.cxb6 Qxb6 14.Qb3².
7...Nbd7 8.h3 throws us out of our
main set-up in which we aim for
...Nc6+Nfd7.
7...Qb6 8.Qb3 is also not in my taste
when White has not spent a tempo on
h3. For instance, 8...Nc6 9.Qxb6 axb6
10.Bc7 practically forces 10...cxd4
11.exd4 Bf5. White will not take on b6,
but will castle and try to exploit later
Black’s split queenside pawns.
8.Ne5!?
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zp-+-zppvlp0
9-zp-+-snp+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zP-+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
White may not have anything tangible,
but at least he has gained the psychological
initiative. He occupied the e5-square and
now he will launch the h-pawn – 8...Nbd7
9.h4 or 8...Nfd7 9.h4 (9.Ndf3 Nxe5
10.Nxe5 f6 11.Nd3 Nd7) 9...Nxe5
10.Bxe5 h5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.dxc5 bxc5
13.c4.
is line explains why we should prepare
our action in the centre by 6...b6.
7.Be2
7.h3 leads us straight into line A.
7.Bd3 is popular, but the bishop looks
misplaced there. It supports neither h2-h4-
h5 nor Be2-f3. Furthermore, a possible
...c4 would be with tempo. e only
reasonable idea could be to ght for the
queenside light squares with 7...c5 (For
consistency sake, we may include 7...Nh5
8.Bg5, as against 7.Be2, and only now
8...c5.) 8.0-0 Bb7 9.Qe2 Nc6, when I do
not see a more useful move than 10.h3,
which transposes to line A.
7.a4 is hardly White’s most useful move
so early in the opening. We could follow as
in the main line – 7...Nh5
 7...a5 only creates a hole on b5 – 8.h3 Black has the bishop pair and no serious
Nbd7 9.Bb5 Bb7 10.0-0 Ne4 11.Re1 weaknesses. He has at least two promising
Nxd2 12.Qxd2 f6 13.Bg3², Prié- ways to counter-attack:
Boudre, Gap 2007.
a) 10...e5! 11.fxe5 Qe7 12.Ne3 (12.Be2
8.Bg5 c5 9.a5 Nc6 10.axb6 Qxb6 Bxg4; 12.h5 fxe5 13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.Nxe5
XIIIIIIIIY Nd7) 12...fxe5 13.Nxd5 Qf7ƒ.
9r+l+-trk+0
b) 10...c5 11.h5 cxd4 12.cxd4 Qd6,
9zp-+-zppvlp0 intending to defend g6 with the queen, e.g.
9-wqn+-+p+0 13.hxg6 hxg6 14.Bd3 Bxg4 15.Qxg4 f5
9+-zpp+-vLn0 16.Qh4 Nc6 17.Nf3 Kf7, or 13.Ne3 Nc6
9-+-zP-+-+0 14.Nf3 Bd7!? (14...e5 15.dxe5 Qb4+=)
9+-zP-zPN+-0 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Rc1 e6 17.g3 Kf7 18.Bd3
9-zP-sN-zPPzP0 Qb4+ 19.Qd2 Rh8=.
9tR-+QmKL+R0 7...Nh5!?
xiiiiiiiiy My idea is to drag the bishop to g5 and
leave it there. at deprives White of his
White is lagging behind in development
and must be careful. He still has a narrow main plan based on Ne5, which would be
forked with ...f6. us we spoil his plan of
path to equality – 11.Qb3 Qxb3 12.Nxb3
attacking with Ne5, h4.
h6 13.Bb5! Nxd4 14.cxd4 hxg5 15.Nxc5
g4 16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Rb8=. I do not like the idea of 7...Ba6 since
8.Bxa6 Nxa6 9.Qa4 Qc8 10.b4 leaves us
7.Ne5 is an attempt to execute the active
with a bad piece on a6 and no active plan.
plan Be2, h4. We should exploit the
absence of h3 with 7...Nh5! 8.h4 (what 8.Bg5
else?!) 8...Nxf4 9.exf4 f6 10.Ng4 8.Be5 f6 9.Bg3 Nxg3 10.hxg3 e6
XIIIIIIIIY (10...e5!? 11.c4 e4) 11.c4 a5 12.Rc1 Bb7
9rsnlwq-trk+0 13.0-0 c6 builds up a Stonewall-like
9zp-zp-zp-vlp0 defence line, e.g. 14.Re1 f5= or 14.cxd5
exd5 15.e4 Bh6 16.Re1 Na6 17.Bf1 dxe4
9-zp-+-zpp+0 18.Rxe4 Nb4=.
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-zPNzP0 8...c5 9.0-0 Bb7
9+-zP-+-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-zppvlp0
9-zp-+-+p+0
9+-zpp+-vLn0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zP-zPN+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black has successfully neutralised the
most dangerous plans with Ne5 and h4, e4
is also under control. White has nothing
left, but to display some activity on the
queenside with b4, a4, which will result in
closing it if we answer ...c4. For
instance:10.Bh4 Nd7 (Another decent set-
up is 10...Nc6 11.Rb1 Qd6.) 11.a4 a6
12.b4 c4 13.Qc2 Nhf6=.
C. 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0
6.Nc3 Bg4 is line C of Chapter 2.
6.Ne5 is rather pointless since after
6...Nfd7 White has nothing better than
returning to f3. However, 6...Ne4! 7.f3
Nd6 is more testing.
6.Nbd2 is best met by 6...Nh5
6...c5 7.c3 b6 (7...Nc6 8.dxc5²)
8.Ne5!?, intending h2-h4, leads to a
position I commented in line B, 6...c5.
7.Bg5
line B.
7.Be5 f6 8.Bg3 e5 9.c4
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zppzp-+-vlp0
9-+-+-zpp+0
9+-+pzp-+n0
9-+PzP-+-+0
9+-+-zPNvL-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
9...e4 (It looks more consistent to open
up the centre with 9...Nxg3 10.hxg3
exd4 11.Nxd4 c5 12.N4b3 d4 13.exd4
cxd4 14.0-0 Nc6, but our limit here is a
draw, e.g. 15.Bf3 a5 16.Bd5+ Kh8
17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Nf3 f5 19.Nbxd4 f4
20.gxf4 Rxf4 21.Ne2 Rf8 22.Qxd8
Rxd8 23.Rad1 Bg4 24.b3 Kg8 25.Ng3
a4°.) 10.Ng1 Nxg3 11.hxg3 c6 12.Nh3
g5 reminds me of the Keres Attack in
the English. e same position might
arise from line B, where Black’s “extra”
tempo of ...b6 actually compromises his
set-up due to the weakness of the c6-
square.
White lacks space, but he does not have
any weaknesses. We should play
energetically on the kingside: 13.g4 h6!
14.f3 (14.Rc1 f5) 14...f5 15.gxf5 exf3
16.gxf3 Bxf5 17.Qb3 Re8 18.Nf2 Na6
19.cxd5 cxd5 20.e4 Bg6=.
7...c5 8.c3 b6 – play has transposed to
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0 9rsnl+-trk+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+-+-snp+0 9-wq-+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zPN+-0 9+-+-zPN+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0 9PzPPsNLzPPzP0
9tRN+Q+RmK-0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
6...c5! 8.c4
We no longer fear the attack with h2-h4-
8.Rb1 Nc6 9.c3?! drops the b2-pawn
h5, but on the other hand, White preserved
owing to 9...cxd4 10.exd4 Bf5.
the possibility of playing c4, Nc3, e.g.
6...b6 7.c4 Bb7 8.Nc3. Romero mentions 8.dxc5 Qxb2 9.Be5=.
Indeed, 9...Qb4 10.c4 Qxc5 11.Nb3
6...Nh5 is dubious owing to the same Qc6 12.Rc1 Nbd7 13.Bf4 promises
reason – 7.Be5! f6 8.Bg3 Nxg3 9.hxg3 e5 White just enough compensation for the
10.c4 e4 11.Nfd2 c5 12.Nb3². pawn although Black could play this for
a win.
erefore, we should create the threat
...Qb6 in order to narrow the enemy’s 8.Qc1 puts White on the defensive after
choice. 8...Nc6 – 9.c3 Nh5.
8...cxd4 9.Nxd4 (9.exd4 Qxb2) 9...Nc6
7.c3 10.Nxc6 bxc6=, Pecorelli-Fedorowicz,
7.Nc3 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.Ne5 Bf5 is Havana 1985.
perfectly comfortable.
7...Nc6
7.Nbd2 offers us an additional possibility 7...Qb6 8.Qb3 c4 does not transposes as
– 7...Qb6 after 9.Qa3 Nc6 White has 10.b3!, which is
more useful than Dreev’s 10.Nbd2.
Note that 7...Nc6! transposes after 8.c3
Qb6 or 8.dxc5 Nh5 9.c3 d4!. Only 8.Nbd2
8.Ne5 is of independent signi cance, 8.dxc5?! surrenders the centre after
but it hardly deserves any attention – 8...Ne4 – this is the price of delaying
8...cxd4 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.exd4 Qb6. Nbd2!

8.h3 b6 9.Nbd2 Bb7 is covered in line

A.
XIIIIIIIIY
 8.Ne5 Qb6 9.Qb3 brings White
excellent results, but we have good
antidotes:
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-wqn+-snp+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+QzP-zP-+-0
9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9tRN+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
9...c4
e game Berkes-Yu Yangyi, Moscow
2017, went 9...Nxe5?! 10.Bxe5 Nd7,
when instead of 11.Bxg7 White had
11.Qxb6! axb6 12.Bc7 e5 (12...c4
13.Na3) 13.Rd1 exd4 14.cxd4 cxd4
15.exd4 Nf6 16.Nc3 Be6 17.Bxb6±.
Sedlak considers 9...Ne4. I’m not sure
why Black should spend a tempo on
provoking 10.f3 (10.Qxb6 axb6 11.Nd3
c4 12.Nb4=), but it looks enough for
equality: 10...Nf6 [10...Nd6 11.Rd1
Na5 12.Qxb6 (12.Qxd5 cxd4 13.b4
Nc6 14.exd4 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Be6
16.Qc5 Rfc8 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.Bxg7
Kxg7 19.a3 Bf5 20.Bd3 Bxd3 21.Rxd3
Ra6 22.Nd2 b5=) 12...axb6 13.Na3 g5
14.Bg3 Be6 15.Nb5 Bxe5=.]
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-wqn+-snp+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+QzP-zPP+-0
9PzP-+L+PzP0
9tRN+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
11.Qxb6 [11.Nd3 c4 12.Qxb6 axb6
13.Nb4 Bf5! 14.a3 (14.Nd2 Nxb4
15.cxb4 Nd7ƒ) 14...Nxb4 15.cxb4
Bxb1 16.Raxb1 b5=] 11...axb6 12.g4
Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Bd7=.
10.Qa3
10.Qxb6 axb6 11.Nd2 b5 12.a3 is
comfortable for Black. is pawn
structure is often met in the London
System so I devoted to it a detailed
analysis. See Game 2 Michna-Kachiani,
Dresden 2014.
10...Ne4!?
is is more challenging than 10...Nxe5
11.Bxe5 Bg4, BlackMamba 2.0-
Komodo 6, 2015, when 12.Bxf6 Bxe2
13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Re1 Bd3 15.Nd2
Rfd8 16.e4 would have been level. e
game went instead 12.Re1 Bxe2
13.Rxe2 Rfe8 14.Nd2 (14.b3 Qc6
15.Nd2 cxb3³) 14...Qc6 15.Rc1 Bf8
16.b3 Nd7 17.Qb2 Nxe5 18.dxe5
whereas 18...cxb3! 19.axb3 a5ƒ should
be pleasant for Black who has a bishop
in an asymmetric position.
 11.Nxc6 (11.f3 Nd6 12.Nxc6 bxc6) 9.Be5
11...Qxc6 (11...bxc6÷) 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Ne1?! (11.Bg3
XIIIIIIIIY Nxg3=) runs into 11...cxd4! 12.cxd4 Nf4!.
9r+l+-trk+0 9.dxc5 d4 10.cxd4 Nxf4 11.exf4 Nxd4
9zpp+-zppvlp0 12.Nc4, Arnold-Spiriev, Hungary 1989,
9-+q+-+p+0 12...Qd5! regains the pawn and the bishop
9+-+p+-+-0 pair fully compensate the split pawns after
9-+pzPnvL-+0 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Qxd4 Bxd4 15.c6 bxc6
9wQ-zP-zP-+-0 16.Rfd1 c5=.
9PzP-+LzPPzP0 9...f6 10.Bg3 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nxg3
9tRN+-+RmK-0 12.hxg3
XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9r+lwq-trk+0
It turns out that Black has enough 9zpp+-zp-vlp0
compensation for the pawn after 12.Qxe7 9-+n+-zpp+0
g5 13.Bg3 because of his space advantage. 9+-+p+-+-0
For instance:
9-+-zP-+-+0
13...f5 14.Bf3 f4 15.exf4 Rf7 16.Qd8+ 9+-+-zPNzP-0
Rf8 is a draw while 16.Qa3?? loses to 9PzP-sNLzPP+0
16...Bf8 17.b4 gxf4 18.Bh4 a5 19.Qc1 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
Qh6, or: xiiiiiiiiy
13...Bf5 14.b3 b5 15.a4 a6 16.bxc4 bxc4 It is clear that Black has solved the
17.a5 Rae8 18.Qc7 Qa8 19.Bf3 Re6 opening problems. He could quietly ditch
20.Bxe4 Bxe4 21.Rc1 Bd3. himself behind the pawns, but the bishop
pair dictates to open up the centre with
8...Nh5 12...e5!? 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.e4 Kh8÷.
is is our typical reaction when White
tries to save h3. D. 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0
After 6.Nbd2, we attack the centre with
8...b6, as in line A, is also possible, even
6...c5 7.c3 Nc6
though Black is practically a tempo down:
9.Ne5 In contrast with line C, we are not afraid
of 8.dxc5 as 8...Nfd7 threatens to fork a
Or 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.c4 Nh5 11.cxd5 piece with ...e7-e5-e4.
Nxf4 12.dxc6 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 Qb6.
8.0-0
9...Bb7 10.b4 c4 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.a4 a6
13.a5 (13.e4 dxe4) 13...b5 14.Be5 Bh6=. 8.Ne5 allows 8...Nh5.
 8.h3 b6 achieves the set-up from line A,
XIIIIIIIIY
although even better is to save ...b6 in 9r+lwq-trk+0
favour of 8...Nd7. e recent game 9zpp+-zppvlp0
Jojua-Mchedlishvili, Tbilisi 2017, lasted 9-+n+-snp+0
only 3 more moves: 9.0-0 e5 10.dxe5 9+-zpp+-+-0
Ndxe5 11.Be2 Nxf3+ ½-½. 9-+-zP-vL-+0
8...Nh5, transposing to the main line. 9+-zPLzPN+-0
6...c5 7.c3
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
XIIIIIIIIY 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
9rsnlwq-trk+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+-+-snp+0 8...Nh5
9+-zpp+-+-0 is is the easiest way to win the battle
9-+-zP-vL-+0 for the e5-square. 8...Nfd7 is not so
effective in view of 9.Bb5.
9+-zPLzPN+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 9.Bg5 Qd6
9tRN+Q+RmK-0 Two computer games nished in a draw
xiiiiiiiiy after 9...h6 10.Bh4 Qb6 11.Rb1 cxd4, but
I would not alter the pawn structure in this
7...Nc6 way since Black would remain without the
Black could exploit the placement of the plan of pushing ...e5.
bishop on d3 to gain space with 7...Qb6!? 10.dxc5
8.Qb3 c4 as White cannot answer 9.Qa3. White cannot keep the tension in the
From a theoretical standpoint, this is centre with 10.Re1 because 10...e5 11.dxe5
perhaps the best continuation. With the
Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 equalizes at once –
knight still on b1, White cannot defend the
13.Bh4 Bf6 (13...Qc7 14.e4 d4 15.cxd4
b2-pawn with Rb1 and has to trade queens.
Bxd4=) 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.e4 dxe4 16.Bxe4
e position after 9.Qxb6 axb6 10.Bc2 b5!
Qg5=.
(e trick is that 11.Na3?! would run into
11...b4! 12.cxb4 Na6 13.b5 Nb4 14.Rfc1 10...Qxc5 11.e4 dxe4!
Bd7 15.Ne5 Be6 16.h3 Rfc8 with a strong 11...Nf6 12.h3 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4
pressure on the queenside.) 11.Nbd2 Bf5 is 14.Bxe4 Be6 15.Qa4 Bc4 16.Be3 Qb5
ne for Black although a little too static to 17.Qxb5 Bxb5 18.Rfd1 was in White’s
play it for a win. favour in Beliavsky-Faibisovich, Leningrad
1967.
8.Nbd2
12.Bxe4 Nf6 (or 12...Qb6 rst) 13.Nb3
Qb6
XIIIIIIIIY
 Black has a comfortable game. After 15.Re1 Re8= or 14...bxc6 15.Re1 Re8
14.Bxc6, both captures are solid: 14...Qxc6 16.h3 Qc7=.
 Chapter 1. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6
Annotated Games
XIIIIIIIIY
1. Pakleza – Bartel 9-+r+r+-mk0
9zpq+n+-vlp0
Warsaw 17.01.2010 9-zp-+pzpp+0
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 9sn-zpp+-+-0
5.Be2 b6 6.0-0 c5 7.c3 Bb7 8.h3 d5 9-+-zP-+-+0
9.Nbd2 Nfd7 10.Qb3 Nc6 11.Rad1
XIIIIIIIIY 9zP-zP-zPNvLP0
9r+-wq-trk+0 9-zPQ+RzPP+0
9+-+R+NmK-0
9zpl+nzppvlp0
9-zpn+-+p+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-zpp+-+-0 e computer chose 21...f5 and went on
9-+-zP-vL-+0 to draw eventually. I admit that this natural
move is perhaps best, but it is difficult to
9+QzP-zPN+P0 win after it. A human player might prefer
9PzP-sNLzPP+0 21...e5 22.dxe5 fxe5 23.Red2 e4 24.N3h2
9+-+R+RmK-0 with two sharp options: 24...Nc4 25.Rxd5
xiiiiiiiiy Nf6 26.Rg5 Bh6 and 24...c4 25.Rxd5 Nc5
26.f3 Nd3, with mutual chances in both
Chances are even, but what should Black lines.
do from here? is game offers a good
model to follow. e rst step is to evacuate And here is an example where White
the queen and consolidate the centre. pushed e4: 12...Rd8 13.Bg3 e6 14.Rc1 Ba6
15.Qd1 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Qb7 17.e4
11...Qc8 12.Rfe1 e6
We can observe similar manoeuvring in
the computer game Equinox 3.30-Protector
1.7 2015:

12...Re8 13.a3 e6 14.Qc2 Ba6 15.Nf1

Bxe2 16.Rxe2 Qb7 17.Ng3 Rac8 18.Qd2
Na5 19.Nf1 f6 20.Bg3 Kh8 21.Qc2

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY to me as we’ll stay pretty, but without a
9r+-tr-+k+0 clear plan.
9zpq+n+pvlp0
9-zpn+p+p+0 It seems that the higher rated player,
Bartel, opted for a waiting game.
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zPP+-+0 15...Re8 16.Ng3 Na5 17.Qa4 Qc6
9+-zP-+NvLP0 18.Qc2 Rac8 19.Qe2 f5
9PzP-sNQzPP+0 In the last 5 moves White has improved
9+-tR-tR-mK-0 his queen while Black has achieved
nothing. Bartel reasonably decides to secure
xiiiiiiiiy himself against an opening of the centre.
17...Rac8 18.exd5 exd5 19.Nb3 ½-½, However, I like 19...cxd4!?, intending to
Ribli-Adorjan, Hungary 1995. trade queens with 20.exd4 Qc4!.

13.Bf1 Ba6 14.Qa3 Bxf1 15.Nxf1 20.h4 h6 21.Nf1 c4

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+-trk+0 9-+r+r+k+0
9zp-+n+pvlp0 9zp-+n+-vl-0
9-zpn+p+p+0 9-zpq+p+pzp0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9sn-+p+p+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-+pzP-vL-zP0
9wQ-zP-zPN+P0 9+-zP-zPN+-0
9PzP-+-zPP+0 9PzP-+QzPP+0
9+-+RtRNmK-0 9+-+RtRNmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
It is time for decision. Perhaps the most 22.g4?
ambitious plan is to gain space on the e idea of breaking through with g4 is
queenside with ...Qb7, ...a5, b5. On the certainly good, but I do not understand her
other hand, that would give White some rush. 22.N1h2 Nb7 23.g4 led to a normal
hopes on the kingside with Ng3, h4, position with mutual chances, e.g.
although I do not nose out any danger for 23...Nd6 24.Kh1 e5 25.dxe5 Bxe5
us with his queen in exile on a3. 26.Nxe5 Nxe5 27.Bxe5 Rxe5 28.Nf3 Re4
29.Nd4 Qd7 30.f3 Re7 31.Rg1 Kh7. After
e safest plan is undoubtedly connected the hasty sacri ce, Black has at least two
with ...f5. ways of getting the upper hand.
e idea of ...e5 is also positionally well
22...fxg4 23.N3h2 h5 24.f3 gxf3
founded, but it does not look too attractive
24...e5! 25.dxe5 Bxe5μ was more clear.
25.Nxf3 Nb7 26.Qg2 e5 27.dxe5 Nxe5 10...axb6 11.0-0 b5 12.a3
28.Nd4 Qf6 29.Qxd5+ Qf7 30.Qxf7+
XIIIIIIIIY
Nxf7
9r+l+-trk+0
Black is positionally better, and won after 9+p+-zppvlp0
mutual mistakes: 9-+n+-snp+0
9+p+psN-+-0
31.Nb5 Nc5 32.Re2?! Nd3 33.Rg2 Kh7
34.Nh2 a6 35.Nd4 Re4 36.Ne2 Rce8
9-+pzP-vL-+0
37.Rd2 Bh6 38.b3 Rxe3 39.Bxh6 Kxh6 9zP-zP-zP-+-0
40.bxc4 Nfe5 41.Nd4 Nf4 0-1 9-zP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
2. Michna – Kachiani Gersinska xiiiiiiiiy
Dresden 24.11.2014 We have nothing to worry about our
position, since White is left without an
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 active plan on the queenside. e only
5.c3 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Ne5 danger for us is to remain with a passive
Qb6 9.Qb3 c4! bishop on c8. If it remained caged in after
XIIIIIIIIY ...e6, White would enjoy a lasting initiative,
9r+l+-trk+0 e.g.
9zpp+-zppvlp0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-wqn+-snp+0 9r+l+-tr-+0
9+-+psN-+-0 9+p+nzppmkp0
9-+pzP-vL-+0 9-+-+-+p+0
9+QzP-zP-+-0 9+p+p+-+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0 9-+pzP-+-+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0 9zP-zP-zP-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-zP-sNLzPPzP0
I believe that we should ght for every 9tR-+-+RmK-0
inch of ground. xiiiiiiiiy
10.Qxb6 15.e4².

After 10.Qa3, we must consider the And a similar example:

pawn sac 10...Bf5 11.Nxc6 Qxc6 12.Qxe7
Rfe8 13.Qd6 Qa4©. e point is that the
white queen is in danger, and its exchange
would offer Black tangible pressure, e.g.
14.Bd1 Qb5 15.Qb4 Qxb4 16.cxb4 a5.

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+k+0 9r+-tr-+k+0
9+p+l+pvl-0 9+p+-zppvl-0
9-+n+p+p+0 9-+n+-snp+0
9+p+p+-+p0 9+p+psNl+p0
9-+pzP-vL-+0 9-+pzP-vL-+0
9zP-zP-zPL+P0 9zP-zP-zP-+P0
9-zP-sN-zPP+0 9-zP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-+-tR-mK-0 9tR-+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
17.Rad1². 15.Nef3 Ra6 16.Ng5 Rda8 17.Rad1
Nd8 18.Bf3 Ne6 19.Nxe6 Rxe6 ½-½.
Black would be ne if she prevented e4
by putting a piece on e4, or if she activated 13.h3 Ne6 14.Bh2 Ng5 15.f3 h5 16.h4
his light-squared bishop with the Ne6 17.g4 Nd8 18.g5 Nd7 19.Nxd7
manoeuvre ...Bc8-f5-d3: Bxd7
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-sn-trk+0
9r+-tr-+k+0 9+p+lzppvl-0
9+p+-zppvlp0 9-+-+-+p+0
9-+n+-snp+0 9+p+p+-zPp0
9+p+psNl+-0 9-+pzP-+-zP0
9-+pzP-vL-+0 9zP-zP-zPP+-0
9zP-zP-zPL+P0 9-zP-sNL+-vL0
9-zP-sN-zPP+0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
9tR-+-+RmK-0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
14...Ne4= 15.Nxe4 Bxe4. 20.e4!
Had Black one tempo, she would have
12...Nd8?! blocked everything with 20...f6 21.f4 f5,
Kachiani chooses a passive set-up. but now White takes the initiative.
Perhaps simplest was to prevent any White
expansion on the kingside with 12...h5 20...Bc6 21.exd5 Bxd5 22.a4 Rxa4
13.h3 Be6, but 13...Bf5 was also ne in the 23.Rxa4 bxa4 24.Bxc4?!
game Nocci-Ruggieri, ICCF 2009 – 24.Nxc4 would have been more
14.Rfe1 Rfd8 unpleasant. Black would still be able to
hold thanks to the tactics 24...Nc6 25.Nb6
Nxd4 26.Nxd5 Nxe2+ 27.Kf2 Nd4!=. e
XIIIIIIIIY
a-pawn suddenly enters play in a 27...Rd8
marvellous fashion. 27...f6! 28.gxf6 Bxf6 29.Nd7 Rd8
30.Nxf6+ exf6 was easier to play with
e attempt to improve with 25.Re1 e6 Black.
26.Kg2 is neutralised by 26...Bxc4!
27.Bxc4 Rc8. 28.Kf1 f6 29.Re1 Kf7 30.gxf6?!
It was better to remain active with 29.d5
24...Bxc4 25.Nxc4 b5 26.Nb6 Ne6 Nc5 30.Bc7 Re8 31.Kg2. e text
27.Rd1 practically drops the h4-pawn.
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-trk+0 30...Bxf6 31.Bg3 g5?
9+-+-zppvl-0 e pawn was doomed after 31...Ng7,
9-sN-+n+p+0 but Black exchanges it!
9+p+-+-zPp0
32.hxg5 Nxg5 33.Kf2 Ne6 34.Re4 Ng5
9p+-zP-+-zP0 35.Re1 Ne6 36.Re4 Ng5 37.Re1 Ne6 ½-
9+-zP-+P+-0 ½
9-zP-+-+-vL0
9+-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
 Chapter 2. e Barry Attack 3.Bf4 g6
4.Nc3
Main Ideas
In the diagram position the staunchest
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7
XIIIIIIIIY advocate of the Barry Attack, Hebden, opts
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 for:
9zppzp-zppvlp0 5.Qd2. He counts on a quick attack with
9-+-+-snp+0 0-0-0, Bh6 and h4, so he refrains from e3.
9+-+p+-+-0 en 5...Ne4 forces exchanges in the centre
9-+-zP-vL-+0 and practically takes the sting out of
9+-sN-+N+-0 White’s plan – see Game 3 Cooper-
9PzPP+PzPPzP0 Batchelor, email ICCF email 2011.
However, it reduces our own striking power
9tR-+QmKL+R0 as well.
xiiiiiiiiy
I suggest to pick up the gauntlet and
e Barry Attack is surprisingly popular, ignore completely the attack with:
although the typical move order is 2.Nf3 g6
3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4. I found in my database 5...c6!?
about 5000 games which reached the
diagram position, but only a hundred of is opens a path for the queen to the
them followed the sequence of my main queenside and prepares ...b5-b4. e latter
line. Obviously White chooses the Barry is a nasty threat since Black would gain
Attack reluctantly, just to avoid King’s control over e4. e key point of our set-up
Indian set-ups with ...d6, and prefers 4.e3 is the line 6.Bh6 Bxh6! 7.Qxh6 Bf5 8.0-0-
and Nbd2 when he has a choice. at is a 0 b5! 9.Ne5
strong hint for players with ...g6 in their
repertoire. For instance, I’m not afraid of
entering the Grünfeld, so I would choose
against a London player 2...g6!. I believe
that Black has a ne game after 3.Nc3 d5,
with more active options than in the event
of 2...d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.e3 followed by c3.

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY On 7.a3 we answer 7...Bg4 and do not
9rsn-wqk+-tr0 rush with castling.
9zp-+-zpp+p0
9-+p+-snpwQ0 We saw that the direct attack with Qd2,
9+p+psNl+-0 Bh6 was not too efficient. at explains the
popularity of the slower approach:
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-sN-+-+-0 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2
9PzPP+PzPPzP0 In this line White preserves the option of
9+-mKR+L+R0 castling in both directions. He could still
play Ne5, h4, but if we weaken our
xiiiiiiiiy queenside, he may shift his attention
It may look dangerous for us, but in fact leftwards.
our attacking prospects are more XIIIIIIIIY
substantial. White should desperately seek 9rsnlwq-trk+0
counterplay with e2-e4 or he will become
clearly worse. For instance, 9...b4 10.e4!
9zppzp-zppvlp0
would be unclear. More promising for 9-+-+-snp+0
Black is 9...Qa5!? 10.e4! Nxe4 (10...dxe4=), 9+-+p+-+-0
or 9...Nbd7!? 10.e4!∞. 9-+-zP-vL-+0
5.h4 is a modi cation of Hebden’s plan.
9+-sN-zPN+-0
White is planning e3, Be2, Ne5, h4. He 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
refrains from Qd2 in order to avoid ...Ne4. 9tR-+QmK-+R0
I suggest to answer it with: 5...c6 6.e3 xiiiiiiiiy
(6.Ne5 Qb6) 6...Qb6!?, aiming to provoke
weaknesses on the queenside that would We could answer 6...c5 7.Ne5 Nc6 –
prevent White from castling there. Game 5 Wang-So, Edmonton 2014. 6...c6
is also consistent, albeit less active.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+k+-tr0 My practice shows that after 6.Be2 we
9zpp+-zppvlp0 have a simple way of levelling the game at
9-wqp+-snp+0 once:
9+-+p+-+-0 6...Bg4!?
9-+-zP-vL-zP0 is offers Black an easy game with
9+-sN-zPN+-0 simple decisions to make. More
9PzPP+-zPP+0 importantly, we do not need to know any
theory after it. Note that the bishop sortie
9tR-+QmKL+R0 would have been premature one move
xiiiiiiiiy earlier as White’s queen would have
obtained an active stand after 6.h3 Bxf3
7.Qxf3. With the actual move order, 7.h3
XIIIIIIIIY
Bxf3 8.Bxf3 c6 leaves White without a 9rsnlwq-trk+0
clear plan – see my Game 6 Miles-Kiril 9zpp+-zppvlp0
Georgiev, Wijk aan Zee 1989. 9-+-+-snp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
7.Ne5 Bxe2 8.Qxe2 Nbd7 9.h4 c5 10.0-
0-0 Rc8
9-+-zP-vL-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-sN-zPN+P0
9-+rwq-trk+0 9PzPP+-zPP+0
9zpp+nzppvlp0 9tR-+QmKL+R0
9-+-+-snp+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-zppsN-+-0
e trick is that 7.dxc5 runs into
9-+-zP-vL-zP0 7...Nbd7! 8.Be2 Ne4!μ.
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzPP+QzPP+0 Here is another example:
9+-mKR+-+R0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9-trl+-trk+0
The exchange sacri ce on c3 should offer
9zp-+-wqpvlp0
us a lasting initiative. 9-+p+-+p+0
9+Nzpp+-+-0
...c6 or ...c5? 9-+-zPn+-+0
By refraining from c4, White gains a
tempo for his development, but allows us to
9+-+-zP-+P0
expand with ...c6 and ...b5. 9PzPP+-zPPvL0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
In short, plans with ...c6 are always xiiiiiiiiy
possible against the Barry Attack, but they
are most effective against long castling. 14.Bxb8 cxd4!! with an overwhelming
Note that after 5.Qd2 c6 White cannot attack.
comfortably switch to the plan with e3,
Be2, 0-0 due to ...b5, ...Bb7, when ...Ne4 eoretical Status
would be a constant threat. Nikola Sedlak does not grant in his book
any attention to the Barry Attack at all.
An early ...c5 is called for when White
delays development, commonly with an Alfonso Romero and Oscar de Prado
early h3. at enables typical Grünfeld consider mostly irrelevant lines so their
motifs: coverage is of no interest to us. eir main
game features 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 c6 (?!) 7.h4
Bg4 8.Ne5 Bxe2 9.Qxe2. My proposition
is 6...Bg4! and then ...c5, while 6...c6 is
XIIIIIIIIY
unnecessarily passive against White’s or shift the focus of the game to the ank
harmless development. with ...c6 and ...b5.

Conclusion I do not expect dramatic discoveries that

e Barry Attack offers Black a wide could change the evaluations of my main
range of plans. He can either aim for lines in near future.
exchanges in the centre with an early ...Ne4
 Chapter 2. e Barry Attack 3.Bf4 g6
4.Nc3
Step by Step
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.Nc3
Lately White has been ardently testing
the so-called Jobava Attack 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4
d5 3.Nc3 (although Jobava himself seems
to have migrated to Bg5 already). It is
trendy to meet it by 3...a6 or 3...e6. I cover
the latter in Chapter 4.
However, 3...g6!? is perfectly playable,
even though Black’s defence is more
complicated compared to the Barry Attack
where the knight is already on f3. You can
nd a detailed analysis of this line in Game
7 Ratkovic-V.Spasov, Kragujevac 2015.
4...Bg7
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqk+-tr0
9zppzp-zppvlp0
9-+-+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
I do not see any advantage in delaying
the anchetto with 4...c6.
A. 5.Qd2; B. 5.h4; C. 5.e3
5.h3 0-0 6.e3 c5! transposes to line C.
A. 5.Qd2
A modern approach. White aims for 0-0-
0, Bh6, h4.
5...c6!?
From a theoretical standpoint, 5...Ne4!?
is the most principled answer as it forces
White to take 6.Nxe4.
6.Qe3?! does not work owing to 6...c5!
7.Be5 Nf6! gaining the bishop pair in
an open position. (7...f6 8.Bxb8 is
pleasant for White, but 7...Bxe5!?
8.Nxe5 f6 is a nice alternative to
7...Nf6, e.g. 9.Nd3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 cxd4
11.cxd4 Nc6 and White’s pieces stand
awkwardly.)
7.Nxe4 dxe4 8.Qxe4 may be even worse
since both 8...Nc6 and 8...cxd4 9.Be5
Qa5+ favour Black.
6...dxe4 7.Ne5
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY It is possible to de ne immediately the
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 centre with 9...cxd4 10.exd4 Nd7, as
9zppzp-zppvlp0 11.Nxd7 Qxd7 12.Be3 is roughly equal
9-+-+-+p+0 after 12...b5 13.Be2 Bb7=.
9+-+-sN-+-0 10.0-0-0
9-+-zPpvL-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 10.Nxd7 Qxd7! has been tested in
several games, where White has to play
9PzPPwQPzPPzP0 carefully in order to maintain the
9tR-+-mKL+R0 balance:
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
7...c5!?
9r+l+-trk+0
9zpp+qzppvlp0
7...Nd7 has established itself as a solid 9-+-+-+p+0
equalizer in correspondence chess. See 9+-zp-+-+-0
Game 3 Cooper-Batchelor, email ICCF
email 2011.
9-+LzPpvL-+0
9+-+-zP-+-0
e text is sharper and gives more
chances to ght for a full point.
9PzPPwQ-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
8.e3
xiiiiiiiiy
8.dxc5?! Qxd2+ 9.Kxd2 hands Black
the initiative: 9...0-0 10.e3 Be6 11.Rd1 11.dxc5 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Bxb2 13.Rab1
Rc8 12.Kc1 Nc6 13.Nxc6 Rxc6 Rd8+ 14.Ke2 Ba3 15.Rhd1 Bg4+ 16.f3
14.Kb1 Rxc5 15.f3 (15.Be2 h5 16.h4 Rxd1 17.Rxd1 Bf5 is obviously drawish,
Bxa2+! 17.Kxa2 Rxc2) 15...Rac8 but:
16.Rd2 Rd5ƒ. 11.c3 could be dangerous for White –
8...0-0 9.Bc4 11...b5! 12.Be2 Bb7÷ (12...b4!?; 12...a5
13.Rd1 a4 14.a3 c4÷), when the greedy
9.0-0-0 cxd4 10.exd4 Nd7 is balanced, 13.dxc5 Qc6ƒ 14.b4 runs into 14...a5
e.g. 11.Nxd7 Qxd7 12.d5 Qa4 13.Kb1 15.Rb1 Rfd8 16.Qb2 Rd3!!μ 17.Bxd3
Rd8= or 11.Qe3 Qa5 12.Bc4 Nb6 exd3 18.f3 axb4 19.Qxb4 Ra4 20.Qb3
13.Bb3 Be6∞. Qxc5.
9.Be2 has no venom. A good line for 10...cxd4 11.exd4 Nxe5 12.dxe5
Black is 9...Be6 10.c3 Nd7 11.Nxd7 (12.Bxe5 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qc7 14.Qc3 Be6=)
Qxd7 12.0-0 Rac8 13.h3 Rfd8=. 12...Qc7
9...Nd7

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0 9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zppwq-zppvlp0 9zppzp-zppvlp0
9-+-+-+p+0 9-+-+-snpvL0
9+-+-zP-+-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+L+pvL-+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzPPwQ-zPPzP0 9PzPPwQPzPPzP0
9+-mKR+-+R0 9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
13.Qc3 a) 6...c6

Or 13.Bd5 Bxe5 14.Bxe5 Qxe5 15.Qe3
Bf5 16.h3=.
13...Be6 14.Bxe6
7.Bxg7
14.Bb3 Qxc3 15.bxc3 Rac8 16.Kb2
Rc5 17.Rhe1, Hebden-Hunt, England
2011, could be dangerous only for
White after 17...Bxe5 18.Bxe5 Rxe5
19.f4 Rh5 20.h3 Bxb3 21.axb3 f5
22.Rd7 g5 23.fxg5 Rxg5 24.g4 e6
25.Rxb7 f4!?.
It turns out that White’s attack is not
developing smoothly owing to the
weakness of the g4-square.
Hebden employed 7.h4, but I do not see
what White could oppose to 7...Bxh6!
8.Qxh6 Qb6. e only game in my
database went 9.0-0-0 Ng4 10.Qf4
Nxf2 11.Qh6 Nd7–+, Kohout-
Svoboda, Czechia 2009.

14...Qxc3 15.bxc3 fxe6 16.g3 g5 7...Kxg7 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.f4 may be

17.Bxg5 Rxf2=. balanced, but it looks too static to me.

5...0-0 waits for White to de ne his plan. b) 6...Ne4 7.Qe3!?

It also brings Black good results: 6.Bh6
7.Nxe4 dxe4 8.Ng5 e5! offers Black full
6.0-0-0 Ne4 7.Nxe4 (7.Qe3 c5ƒ) compensation after 9.dxe5 Qxd2+
7...dxe4 8.Ne5 b5 or 8...Qd5 9.b3 Nd7 10.Kxd2 Rd8+.
passes the initiative to Black. 7...Nxc3 8.Bxg7 Kxg7 9.Qxc3 is
position is somewhat easier to play with
White OTB, although the engines tend to
evaluate it as 0.00. A good model to follow
is 9...Qd6!? 10.e3 Bf5 11.Bd3 Bxd3
12.cxd3 a5 13.0-0 Nd7 14.e4=, Hebden-
Berg, Oslo 2012.
XIIIIIIIIY
 c) 6...Nc6!? Paying White in the same
XIIIIIIIIY
coin. Black hurries to complete 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
development. More importantly, it takes e5 9zpp+-zppvlp0
under control. It is indicative that most 9-+p+-snp+0
strong players adhere to this approach. 9+-+p+-+-0
7.Bxg7 Kxg7 8.0-0-0 Qd6 9-+-zP-vL-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-sN-+N+-0
9r+l+-tr-+0 9PzPPwQPzPPzP0
9zppzp-zppmkp0 9tR-+-mKL+R0
9-+nwq-snp+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+p+-+-0 A1. 6.Bh6; A2. 6.e3; A3. 6.Ne5
9-+-zP-+-+0
6.h3 Nbd7 7.e3 transposes to A2.
9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzPPwQPzPPzP0 6.0-0-0 b5 7.Bh6
9+-mKR+L+R0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
is position has occurred in four 9zp-+-zppvlp0
Hebden’s games. 9-+p+-snpvL0
9+p+p+-+-0
In 2009 he fought for e5 with 9.Nb5
Qd7 (9...Ne4!? 10.Nxd6 Nxd2=)
9-+-zP-+-+0
10.Qf4 (10.h4 a6 11.Nc3 h5 12.e3 b5 9+-sN-+N+-0
13.Bd3 b4 14.Na4 Nxd4÷), but 9PzPPwQPzPPzP0
10...Ne4! would have been nice for 9+-mKR+L+R0
Black. Later he turned to: xiiiiiiiiy
9.e3 Bg4 10.h3 and signed a draw after 7...Bxh6 8.Qxh6 b4 9.Nb1 Qa5 is plain
10...Bxf3 (Hebden-Jones, Kilkenny 2012). bad for White.
I would mention that 11.gxf3 e6 12.e4
Nh5 leads to a complex position with A1. 6.Bh6
mutual chances. e Barry Attack in its purest form, yet it
yields White a meager 39% after the
After 5...c6!?, I will focus on: following answer:

6...Bxh6! 7.Qxh6 Bf5 8.0-0-0

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqk+-tr0
9zpp+-zpp+p0
9-+p+-snpwQ0
9+-+p+l+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9+-mKR+L+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
8...b5
Revealing the main idea behind 5...c6.
e threat of ...b4 does not leave White a
choice.
e slower 8...Nbd7 gives time for 9.h3
b5 10.g4 Be4 11.Bg2 Qc7 12.Rhf1 a5
13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe4
Nc4∞.
9.Ne5 Nbd7
9...Qa5!? is a fair alternative. After 10.e4
(10.a3 b4), Black could force a draw by
repetition with 10...dxe4 11.d5 b4 12.Nc4
Qc5 13.Na4 Qxf2 14.Rd2 Qe1+ 15.Rd1
Qf2, or play on for a win with 10...Nxe4
11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.a3 a6 13.Be2 Qc7∞.
10.e4!?
is looks somewhat desperate, but it is
the only way to distract Black from the
queenside. 10.Nxd7 Kxd7! helps Black to
evacuate his king to a safer place and to set
up connection between the heavy pieces.
10.e3?! cedes the centre in view of
10...b4 11.Na4 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Ng4.
10...Nxe5
10...Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Bxe4 12.Qg7 Rf8
13.Nxd7 Kxd7! 14.f3 Bf5 15.Qxh7 Qc7=
is also possible, if you prefer calmer play.
11.dxe5
Black’s chances are slightly better after
11.exf5 Neg4 12.Qh4 g5 13.Qxg5 b4
14.Na4 Qd6 due to the weakness of f2.
11...Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 13.e6! Qd6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+k+-tr0
9zp-+-zpp+p0
9-+pwqP+pwQ0
9+p+p+-+-0
9-+-+l+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9+-mKR+L+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
A critical position. White has enough
compensation, but he must nd a series of
strong moves to prove it – 14.f3 Bf5
15.exf7+ Kxf7 16.g4 Bd7 17.h4 Raf8
17...a5 18.Bd3 a4 seems too arrogant,
although White is unable to extract
anything substantial from his attacking
position – 19.a3 e5 20.h5 Qf6 21.Qd2
Qf4 22.Qxf4+ exf4 23.g5!=.
18.h5 Ke8 19.Re1!? Kd8 20.Qe3 d4
21.Qd2 g5 22.Re4 Rf4 23.Qa5+=.
A2. 6.e3 Nbd7
6...Nh5!? is always an option when
White saved h3. 7.Be5
7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Nd7 10.0-0-
0 is risky for White – 10...Nxg3
 11.hxg3 b5 12.Kb1 Rb8 13.Qe1 b4
14.Na4 Qa5 15.b3 e6.
7...f6 8.Bxb8
Or 8.Bf4 Nxf4 9.exf4 Bg4 10.Be2 Nd7
11.0-0-0 Qc7.
8...Rxb8 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nh4 e5 11.Bxh5
gxh5 12.0-0-0÷. e only White’s threat is
Nc3-e2-g3-f5, but we could prevent it with
the manoeuvre 12...Bh6!? 13.Ne2 Bg5.
7.h3 0-0
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+nzppvlp0
9-+p+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zPN+P0
9PzPPwQ-zPP+0
9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
8.Be2
8.Bd3 does not make sense ,as the bishop
bytes on the granite g6-pawn and leaves h5
without control. A good retort is to gain
space on the queenside with 8...b5 9.Ne5
Bb7 10.0-0 a5 11.a3, and then turn to the
centre with 11...Nxe5 (or 11...Nb6 12.b4
e6) 12.Bxe5 Bh6= 13.Qe1 Nd7 14.Bg3
Bg7 15.f4 e6.
8...b5 9.a3
9.0-0 is harmless – 9...Bb7, and White
cannot establish a favourable dark-squared
blockade. For example, 10.a3 a5, or 10.b4
a5 11.a3 Ne4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Ng5 c5
14.Bxb5?! (14.bxc5 Nxc5) 14...cxd4
15.exd4 h6 16.Nxf7 Rxf7³.
9...a6 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.b4
11.h4 is more enterprising, but risky. It
would be more to the point in schemes
without e3.
Black can allow h4-h5 with 11...c5
12.h5 e6 13.Bg5 Qc7 or opt for the
more challenging:
11...h5 12.g4 (12.0-0-0 c5) 12...Nxe5
13.Bxe5 Nxg4 14.Bxg4 hxg4 15.h5 f6
16.Bg3 Bc8! 17.hxg6 Bf5 where Black is
better on both wings.
11...a5
We have been following the game Eslon-
Ubilava, Terrassa 1996, where Black simply
blocked everything with 12.0-0 a4 13.Rae1
Nb6 14.Bh2 Ne8 15.e4 e6 16.Ng4 Nd6
17.Bxd6 Qxd6 18.e5 Qe7 19.f4 Bc8
20.Qe3 Bd7 21.Nb1 h5 22.Nh2 f5 23.Nf3
Bh6 24.h4 Kf7 25.g3 Kg8 26.c3 ½-½.
Nothing urged him to close the queenside
though. He could safely play on with either
12...Re8 or 12...Nxe5, having ...e5 in
mind.
Even more straightforward was 11...Ne8
12.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.0-0 f6 14.e4 e5 15.Be3
Nc7 with mutual chances.
A3. 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.h4
7.f3 Nh5 8.Nxd7 Nxf4 9.Ne5 offers
Black a pleasant choice:
9...f6!? 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Qxf4 0-0 12.e4
(12.Qd2 Rb8 13.Na4 e5 14.e3 Qe7
15.Be2 Bh6μ) 12...e5 13.dxe5 Rb8
14.Qd2 Rxb2 15.exd5 cxd5 16.Qxd5+ For instance: 10.e3 Kf8 (10...a5 11.Bd3
Qxd5 17.Nxd5 Rxc2°; Kf8 12.0-0 Nd7 13.Bg3 Qb6 14.Qf2
Bb7 15.Ne2 c5 16.c3 Kg8) 11.Bd3
9...Bxe5 10.dxe5 Ne6 11.e4 d4 12.Ne2 Nd7 12.Bxg7+ Kxg7 13.e4.
c5 13.Ng3 Qb6 14.b3 Bd7 15.Bc4 Bb5
16.Bd3 0-0-0∞. 9.Nxe4 Bxe5 10.dxe5 dxe4. e arising
endgame is drawish:
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0 11.0-0-0
9zpp+nzppvlp0 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8 12.0-0-0+ Kc7 13.e3
9-+p+-snp+0 Bf5 14.a3 Rad8 15.Bc4 f6.
9+-+psN-+-0
11...Qxd2+ 12.Rxd2 (12.Kxd2 f5
9-+-zP-vL-zP0 13.exf6 exf6 14.Ke3 Ke7) 12...f6 13.h5 g5
9+-sN-+-+-0 14.exf6 exf6 15.f3 Ke7!=.
9PzPPwQPzPP+0
9tR-+-mKL+R0 8.Bh2 Nxe5 9.dxe5 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6
xiiiiiiiiy 11.f3 0-0 12.0-0-0 Be6!?
Chatalbashev-Avrukh, Benidorm2008,
saw 12...b5 13.e4 Qa5 (13...b4!? 14.Na4
7...Nh5!?
Qa5 15.b3 dxe4 16.Bc4+ Kh8∞) 14.a3 d4
7...Nxe5 8.Bxe5 (8.dxe5 Ng4 9.e4 d4³)
15.Qxd4 Ng4 16.Qc5 Nxh2 17.Rxh2 Qc7
8...Ne4 looks rather dull, but it is the
simplest solution. 18.Rh1 Be6 19.Kb1 Be5 20.h5 g5 21.h6
Rf6 22.Ne2 Bf7 23.Nd4 Qd6 24.b4 a5
Black could also stop the h-pawn with 25.Be2 ½-½.
8...h5 9.f3 b5
XIIIIIIIIY 13.g4 (13.e3 Qa5) 13...Qa5
9r+lwqk+-tr0 Black’s attack would be faster after
14.h5?! d4 15.Qxd4 Nxg4 16.Qe4 Bxa2μ,
9zp-+-zppvl-0 so White should probably switch to defence
9-+p+-snp+0 with 14.a3.
9+p+pvL-+p0
9-+-zP-+-zP0 B. 5.h4
is is a modi cation of the plan from
9+-sN-+P+-0 line A. White is planning e3, Be2, Ne5, h4.
9PzPPwQP+P+0 He refrains from Qd2 in order to avoid
9tR-+-mKL+R0 ...Ne4. I suggest to answer it again with:
xiiiiiiiiy
5...c6
A sharp ght is ahead, but Black’s
kingside is permanently compromised. Our idea is to play ...Qb6. en Rb1
would cancel long castling, while Na4
Qa5+ would provoke c3, b4. White would
XIIIIIIIIY
hardly risk to “hide” his king on that wing. 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
Another possible plan is 5...0-0 6.e3 c5 9-+p+-snp+0
7.Qd2 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.Ne5, Inarkiev- 9+-+p+-+-0
Volokitin, blitz, Doha 2016, when Black
could open the centre with 9...Ng4!?
9-+-zP-vL-zP0
10.Nxg4 Bxg4 11.Be2 Bxe2 12.Nxe2 e5„. 9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzPP+-zPP+0
6.e3 9tR-+QmKL+R0
6.Ne5 Qb6 7.Na4 Qa5+ 8.c3 Nbd7 xiiiiiiiiy
9.e3 0-0 10.Be2 6...Qb6!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0 is move has occurred in only one
game. More popular is 6...Bg4 7.Be2
9zpp+nzppvlp0 Nbd7 8.Ne5 Bxe2 9.Qxe2 h5 10.0-0-0,
9-+p+-snp+0
9wq-+psN-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9N+-zP-vL-zP0 9r+-wqk+-tr0
9+-zP-zP-+-0 9zpp+nzppvl-0
9PzP-+LzPP+0 9-+p+-snp+0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9+-+psN-+p0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-zP-vL-zP0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
Now 10...h5 is a natural way to cut 9PzPP+QzPP+0
across White’s plan. His further attempts to 9+-mKR+-+R0
attack could only compromise his position:
xiiiiiiiiy
11.b4 Qd8 12.Nc5 a5 13.Nexd7 Nxd7 but I do not like this course of events.
14.g4 axb4 15.cxb4 e5! 16.Nxd7 exf4 White’s pieces are clearly more active and
(16...Qxd7 is also good) 17.Nxf8 Qxf8 he has no weaknesses around his king. e
18.a3 Qe7 19.gxh5 fxe3 20.Qd3 exf2+ latest game Karjakin-Giri, blitz, Stavanger
21.Kxf2 c5!μ. 2017, saw 10...Qa5 11.Kb1 Rc8 12.e4ƒ. Li
Chao had previously tried against Karjakin
11.Nd3 Re8! e threat of ...e5 should
10...Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Qd7 12.f3ƒ.
make White castle short – 12.0-0 Qd8
13.Nac5 e5!? (or 13...Nxc5 14.Nxc5 Ng4 7.a3
15.f3 e5=) 14.dxe5 Nxc5 15.Nxc5 Ng4 7.Rb1 Bg4 is a greatly improved version
16.Bxg4 hxg4ƒ. of 6...Bg4.

XIIIIIIIIY
 7.Na4 Qa5+ 8.c3 Nbd7 9.Be2 0-0
XIIIIIIIIY
10.b4 Qd8. e queen has ful lled its 9rsnlwq-trk+0
mission. Now White cannot castle long. 9zpp+-zppvlp0
e c5-square is not of any use for him, 9-+-+-snp+0
and the b4-pawn gives us a lever on the 9+-zpp+-+-0
queenside – 11.0-0 b6 12.Nb2 Bb7 13.a4 9-+-zP-vL-+0
a5 14.Qc2 axb4 15.cxb4 c5 16.dxc5 bxc5
17.bxc5 Rc8 18.Nd3 Ne4 19.Rac1 Qa5=.
9+-sN-zPN+P0
9PzPP+-zPP+0
7...Bg4 8.Na4 Qd8 9.Nc5 Ne4 10.Nd3
XIIIIIIIIY 9tR-+QmKL+R0
9rsn-wqk+-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zpp+-zppvlp0 7.Be2
9-+p+-+p+0
e point is that 7.dxc5, played by
9+-+p+-+-0 Capablanca and Aronian (in blitz), runs
9-+-zPnvLlzP0 into 7...Nbd7! 8.Be2 Ne4!μ.
9zP-+NzPN+-0 7.Nb5 is a strike at the air owing to
9-zPP+-zPP+0 7...Ne4!. White does win a pawn with
9tR-+QmKL+R0 8.Bc7 Qd7 9.Bxb8 Rxb8 10.Nxa7, but
xiiiiiiiiy his queenside is terribly weakened by the
lack of the dark-squared bishop. After
10...Nd7 10...cxd4, he should concede to a
10...0-0 11.Be2 c5 12.c3 Nd7 is a bit slightly worse position following
more risky. 11.Nxd4 (as 11.exd4 Qa4 12.Nxc8
Qb4+ 13.c3 loses to 13...Qxb2!)
11.Be2 f6 12.Bh2 a5∞ 11...Qd6 12.Nxc8 Rfxc8 13.c3 b5³.
Everything is covered and we can calmly
wait for White to de ne his plan. Finally, 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.0-0 b6 is roughly
equal.
C. 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 7...Ne4! 8.0-0
6.h3 waists precious time and should
encourage us to seek a tactical refutation in 8.Nxe4 dxe4 9.Ne5 cxd4 10.exd4 Qb6
the Grünfeld style: would cost White a pawn as 11.Rb1
Be6 12.b3? Nc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.c3 c5
6...c5! is lost altogether.
8...Nc6

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+n+-+p+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zPnvL-+0
9+-sN-zPN+P0
9PzPP+LzPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black’s chances are already preferable –
9.Nb5 stumbles into 9...a6, 9.Na4 does not
improve White’s position either – 9...cxd4
10.exd4 a6, preparing a minority attack.
After 6.Bd3, we can still play 6...Bg4 as
in the main line, but I like the more re ned
move order 6...c5! 7.0-0 cxd4 8.exd4 Bg4.
Finally, 6.h4 is not too consisting with
White’s previous move. We should attack
the centre with 6...c5 7.Qd2 Nc6 8.Ne5
Qa5 9.Be2 Nd7.
6...Bg4
I played this move twice and I still like it
as it offers Black an easy game with simple
decisions to make. At the same time, two
alternatives also deserve serious attention:
6...c5 7.Ne5
Another possible move order is 7.0-0
cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.Ne5 Bf5=.
7.dxc5 is best met by 7...Nbd7! – see
Game 4 Stefanova-Dunnington,
London 1997.
7...Nc6=.
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+n+-snp+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
I consider this set-up in Game 5 Wang-
So, Edmonton 2014.
6...c6 is more contestable here than in
the line 5.Qd2. White has not committed
his king to the queenside, so he could castle
short. It is still a decent option.
7.h3
7.h4 is dubious – 7...Qb6 8.Rb1 Bg4
9.Ne5 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Nbd7.
7.Ne5 could be repelled by 7...Nfd7!
8.Qd2 f6.
7...Nbd7
Carlsen-Salem, blitz, Doha 2016, saw
7...Bf5, but I do not understand the
reason behind this development.
Carlsen’s sharp choice 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.g4
Be6 10.f3 led to a messy position, but
the quiet 8.0-0 Re8 (White’s pawn
formation is more exible after
8...Nbd7 9.g4 Be6 10.Ng5 Ne8
11.Nb1 c5 12.c3.) 9.Bh2 promises
some initiative on the kingside.
8.0-0
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0 9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zpp+nzppvlp0 9zppzp-zppvlp0
9-+p+-snp+0 9-+-+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-+-zP-vLl+0
9+-sN-zPN+P0 9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzPP+LzPP+0 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
8...b5
7.Ne5
I chose this plan for consistency sake, White can gain the bishop pair with 7.h3
but any sensible move as 8...a5 or Bxf3 8.Bxf3, but after 8...c6 he remains
8...Re8 should not be any worse. Also without a clear plan since e4 would only
the somewhat paradoxical 8...b6 brings weaken the d4-pawn.
Black good results: 9.a4 a5 10.Ne5 See my Game 6 Miles-Kiril Georgiev,
Nxe5 (more cunning is 10...Bb7!? rst) Wijk aan Zee 1989.
11.Bxe5 Re8 12.Bf3 e6, and the game
Malaniuk-Aronian, Batumi 1999, ended 7...Bxe2 8.Qxe2 Nbd7 9.h4 c5 10.0-0-0
at this point with a draw. Rc8
9.a3 a5 10.Bd3 Bb7 Pinpointing the sore point of White’s set-
up. In many lines Black could sac the
Aimed against 11.e4, when Black would exchange on c3.
take over the initiative with 11...b4
12.axb4 axb4 13.e5 bxc3 14.exf6 Nxf6 11.f3
15.bxc3 c5. White could defend c3 by 11.Rh3, but it
costs a tempo in a race-type position:
Kantans opted twice for 10...Nb6, but I 11...a6 12.g4 b5 13.h5 b4 14.Na4 Qa5
think that the knight is better placed on 15.b3 c4 16.Nxd7 Nxd7 17.hxg6 fxg6
d7 from where it controls e5.
18.Rdh1 Rc6!. Black’s threats are more
11.Re1 Re8 12.Bh2 e6 13.Rb1 Qb6=. tangible.

11.Qf3 frees e2 for the c3-knight and

wins a tempo by hitting d5, but it is not
enough to maintain the balance – 11...e6
12.g4 b5 13.h5 cxd4 14.exd4 b4 15.Ne2
Nxe5 16.Bxe5

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 12...cxd4 13.exd4 Rxc3 14.bxc3 Na4
9-+rwq-trk+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zp-+-+pvlp0 9-+-wq-trk+0
9-+-+psnp+0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9+-+pvL-+P0 9-+-+-snp+0
9-zp-zP-+P+0 9+-+psN-+-0
9+-+-+Q+-0 9n+-zP-vLPzP0
9PzPP+NzP-+0 9+-zP-+P+-0
9+-mKR+-+R0 9P+P+Q+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
16...h6. Black’s king is absolutely safe
unlike its white counterpart. Black has full positional compensation
for the exchange – 15.Qe3 (or 15.Rd3 h5;
e text enables Qe2-h2 and takes 15.Bd2 Qb6) 15...h5°.
control of e4. e idea of ...a6, ...b5 is
already slow.

11...Nb6 12.g4
12.h5 cxd4 13.exd4 Nxh5 14.Rxh5 is
overly optimistic – 14...gxh5 15.Rh1
Qe8μ.
 Chapter 2. e Barry Attack 3.Bf4 g6
4.Nc3
Annotated Games
position is close to equal. e stem game
3. Cooper – Batchelor for this line is Kogan-Krasenkow, Sanxenxo
2003: 11.Be2 b6
ICCF email 2011
XIIIIIIIIY
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 9r+l+-trk+0
5.Qd2 Ne4 6.Nxe4 dxe4 7.Ne5
XIIIIIIIIY 9zp-+qzppvlp0
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 9-zpp+-+p+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+p+0 9-+-zPpvL-+0
9+-+-sN-+-0 9+-wQ-zP-+-0
9-+-zPpvL-+0 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9+-+-+-+-0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
9PzPPwQPzPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+-mKL+R0 12.Qb3!
xiiiiiiiiy
12.0-0-0 c5 13.Be5 Bxe5 14.dxe5 is
well met by the same manoeuvre
7...Nd7 (7...c5!?) 8.Nxd7 Qxd7 9.e3
If White followed the dream of mating 14...Qf5, or 14...Qe6 15.Bc4 Qf5
the opponent with the overt 9.0-0-0 0-0 (proposed by Dembo).
10.Bh6?!, he would soon notice that Black’s 14...Qc6 15.h4 Be6 16.h5 Rad8 is also
attack was more dangerous – 10...Bxh6! solid. e only danger for Black would
11.Qxh6 Qd5 12.h4 (12.a3 c5–+) stem from ungrounded attempts to
12...Qxa2 13.h5 e3 14.fxe3 Qa1+ 15.Kd2 attack the white king, for instance:
Qa5+ 16.c3 g5μ. 16...Qa4?! 17.a3 g5 18.h6 Rac8 19.Qe1
b5 20.f4 Kh8 21.Qg3 Rg8 22.f5 c4
9...0-0 10.Qb4 23.c3 Bxf5 24.Rhf1 Be6 25.Rxf7 b4
is is Hebden’s attempt to improve on 26.axb4 a5 27.Rg7!‚.
the older 10.Qc3 c6. In both cases the
 12...Qf5 13.c3. Here, instead of 13...c5,
XIIIIIIIIY
I like rst 13...Be6 while we are still 9-+r+-vlk+0
controlling the d5-square. Later we could 9+lzp-+p+-0
push ...c5. 9-zp-+p+pzp0
10...b6 11.0-0-0
9tr-+-+-+-0
Hebden has played twice 11.Rd1. en
9p+-zPpvLPzP0
Black should be careful to avoid a blockade 9zP-zP-zP-+-0
of the queenside since the e4-pawn would 9-zP-+LzP-+0
allow White to obtain an initiative with the 9+-+R+RmK-0
break f2-f3. Hebden-Holmes, rapid xiiiiiiiiy
Daventry 2013, went 11...Bb7 12.Bb5 c6
13.Be2 Rac8 14.0-0 Rfd8 15.a4 e6 16.c3 is diagram favourably defers from the
Qd5 17.a5 Bf8 18.Qa4 b5 19.Qa1 a6 previous one – the b7-bishop controls f3,
20.b4 Qf5. Black’s rooks are active. White is unable to
make progress as the only sensible plan
XIIIIIIIIY 20.c4 is easily parried with 20...Kg7
9-+rtr-vlk+0 21.Rd2 Bd6. Instead, the game saw
9+l+-+p+p0 20.Kg2 Kg7 21.Rh1 (21.c4 Bd6) 21...Bd6
9p+p+p+p+0 22.g5 hxg5 23.hxg5 Rf5 24.Rh4 ½-½.
9zPp+-+q+-0
9-zP-zPpvL-+0 11...Rd8 12.h4 c5
XIIIIIIIIY
9+-zP-zP-+-0 9r+ltr-+k+0
9-+-+LzPPzP0 9zp-+qzppvlp0
9wQ-+R+RmK-0 9-zp-+-+p+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-zp-+-+-0
Black is deprived of counterplay and his 9-wQ-zPpvL-zP0
b7-bishop is particularly bad. 9+-+-zP-+-0
9PzPP+-zPP+0
e correct approach was demonstrated 9+-mKR+L+R0
in the game Bender-Schludecker, BdF-
Schachserver 2014: 11...a5! 12.Qb5 a4
xiiiiiiiiy
13.a3 Qxb5 14.Bxb5 Bb7 15.c3 Ra5
16.Be2 Rc8 17.h4 e6 18.g4 h6 19.0-0 Bf8 13.Qb5
White should seek a queen trade since
13.Qb3?! simply loses a pawn after
13...cxd4 14.exd4 Bxd4 15.Bc4 Qf5
16.Bc7 Rd7 17.h5 gxh5³.

13...cxd4 14.exd4 Qb7!?

XIIIIIIIIY
 Playing for a win! 14...Qxb5 15.Bxb5
Bg4 16.Rde1 Bxd4 17.Rxe4 Bxf2 18.Bg5=
reduces the material.
15.Bc4
15.h5!? Be6 16.hxg6 also looks logical.
en Black should take the difficult
decision to open the h- le – 16...hxg6!
(16...fxg6 would have left the doubled e-
pawns defenceless in the endgame after
17.Bc4 Bxc4 18.Qxc4 Qd5) 17.Bc4 Bxc4
18.Qxc4 Rac8 19.Qb3 Rxd4! 20.Rxd4
Bxd4 21.Qh3 Kf8. It turns out that White
is still to prove that he has sufficient
compensation.
15...Bg4 16.Rd2 Rac8
Black might include 16...h5, for
instance, 17.Qb3 e5 18.dxe5 Rxd2
19.Bxd2 Re8=.
I would have taken the queen – 19...Rd5!
20.Bxg4 Ra8³, since the text allows the
ingenious defence 20.d5! Rxd5 21.Rxd5
Bxd5 22.Qb5 Qf6 23.Be3 Bxa2 24.Kd2=
and White’s king escapes.
20.Be3 Qd5 21.Kb1?
is loses on the spot. 21.c4 still kept
White in the game.
21...Ra8! 22.c4 Qd7 23.Qxb6 Rdb8
24.Qc5 Qa4 25.a3 Rb7 26.Bd1 Qa6
27.a4 Bxc4–+ 28.h5 Bd3+ 29.Rxd3 exd3
30.hxg6 hxg6 31.b4 Qe6 32.b5 Rc8
33.Qb4 Rbc7 34.Bb3 Qe4 35.Bd2 Qxg2
36.Rd1 Qxf2 37.b6 Rd7 38.Bc3 Bxd4
39.Bxd4 Rxd4 40.Qd2 Qxd2 41.Rxd2
Rb4 42.Rxd3 Rxb6 43.Kb2 Kg7 0-1
4. Stefanova – Dunnington

17.c3?! London 1997

White obviously missed the following
pawn sac. 17.Qa4!, threatening Ba6, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7
maintained the balance. 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.dxc5
XIIIIIIIIY
17...a6! 18.Qxa6 Qc6 19.Be2
XIIIIIIIIY 9rsnlwq-trk+0
9-+rtr-+k+0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9+-+-zppvlp0 9-+-+-snp+0
9Qzpq+-+p+0 9+-zPp+-+-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9-+-+-vL-+0
9-+-zPpvLlzP0 9+-sN-zPN+-0
9+-zP-+-+-0 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9PzP-tRLzPP+0 9tR-+QmK-+R0
9+-mK-+-+R0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy 7...Nbd7
7...Ne4 is only good for equality after
19...Be6 8.Nxe4
 8.Nxd5?! Bxb2 9.Nc7, Van Foreest-
Deepan, Basel 2017, 9...Nd7! favours
Black.
8...dxe4 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 10.Ng5 or
10.Ne5=.
7...Qa5 8.Nd2 Qxc5 9.Nb3 Qb6 is the
most popular line. Although Black has
more pawns in the centre, his queenside is
undeveloped. White scores well after 10.a4
(10.Nb5 Na6 or even 10...Ne8 is balanced)
10...Nc6 11.a5 Qd8 12.0-0, but that is
mostly due to Black’s middlegame mistakes.
A solid stand with 12...Re8 should keep
him safe.
8.Nb5
8.Nxd5 Nxd5 9.Qxd5 Bxb2 10.0-0
(10.Rb1 Qa5+ 11.Kf1 Bg7ƒ) 10...Bxa1
11.Rxa1 Qa5 12.Bh6 Qxc5 offers Black the
better pawn structure after 13.Qb3 b6
14.Rd1 Nf6.
After 8.0-0 Nxc5 9.Be5 (9.Nb5 Bg4),
we should nd a way of developing our
bishop. e simple 9...b6= is well tested,
but I like the more aggressive 9...Bg4!?
10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Qxd5 Qb6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpp+-zpp+p0
9-wq-+-vlp+0
9+-snQ+-+-0
9-+-+-+l+0
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
White needs a series of accurate moves to
keep the balance – 12.Nd4 Bxe2 13.Ndxe2
Rfd8 14.Qc4 Rac8 15.Rab1
Abdulla-Hossain, Dhaka 1999, saw
15.Nd5?! Qxb2 16.Nd4 Ne6 17.Nxf6+
exf6 18.Qb3 Qxb3 19.axb3 Nxd4
20.exd4, when 20...a6³ wins a pawn.
15...Nd3 16.Qe4
16.Qg4?! Ne5 17.Qh3 Nc4 18.Nd5
Qc6 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6³.
16...Nc5 17.Qf3 (17.Qc4=) 17...Qa6
18.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 Na4 20.Rd7 Nc5
21.Rd1=.
8...Nxc5 9.Bc7
9.Nc7 Rb8 10.Nb5 is a draw, but Black
could try to mess things up by: 9...Nh5!?
10.Nxa8
Of course White should take the rook.
Palacios de la Prida-Yevgeniy
Vladimirov, Marchena 1989, saw
10.Qxd5? Nxf4 11.Qxd8 Nxg2+
12.Kf1 Nxe3+ 13.fxe3 Bh3+–+.
10...Nxf4 11.exf4 Bxb2 12.Rb1 Bc3+
13.Kf1 Ne4
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9N+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-zpp+p0
9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-+nzP-+0
9+-vl-+N+-0
9P+P+LzPPzP0
9+R+Q+K+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
A spectacular position! Black is currently
a whole rook down, but he will capture the
stray knight to obtain sufficient
compensation. For example:
14.Bd3 Bf5 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Qxd8
Rxd8 17.Ne5 Rxa8 18.Rxb7 Rd8 19.Ke2
Rd2+ 20.Ke3 Rxc2°.
9...Qd7 10.Be5 a6 11.Nc3 b6
Only 11 moves have been sufficient for
Black to obtain the better game. His pawn
centre should allow him to gradually
organise an attack on the kingside. Now
White could simplify to an opposite
coloured bishops endgame, but the distant
passer on the a- le would be a strong
trump – 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Nxd5 Bxb2
14.Nxb6 Qxd1+ 15.Rxd1 Rb8 16.Nxc8
Bc3+ 17.Nd2 Rfxc8 18.0-0 Rb2 19.Nb3
Rxa2 20.Nxc5 Rxc5 21.Rd7 Kf8 22.Bd3
a5³.
12.0-0 Bb7 13.a4 Rac8 14.Qd4 Qd8
15.Qb4 Ncd7 16.Bd4 Re8 17.Ne5 Bf8
18.Rfd1
White’s only chance to keep his bishop
on the active square d4 was 18.f4.
18...e6 19.Qb3 Nxe5 20.Bxe5 Nd7
21.Bg3 Nc5 22.Qa2 Bg7 23.Bf3
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rwqr+k+0
9+l+-+pvlp0
9pzp-+p+p+0
9+-snp+-+-0
9P+-+-+-+0
9+-sN-zPLvL-0
9QzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black has achieved everything one could
want from the opening. Now he has to
devise a plan for a further expansion. A
natural continuation would be 23...Qe7,
followed by ...h5. White lacks space and it
would be difficult for him to manoeuvre.
More importantly, he could not activate his
queen. For instance, 24.h3 Red8 25.Qa3
h5 26.Qb4 Rd7 27.Qxb6?! would be
disastrous due to 27...h4 28.Bh2 d4μ.
I can only guess that Dunnington fell
under the charms of the 18-year-old
Antoaneta and he gallantly steered the
game to a draw:
23...Nd7 24.Qb3 Ne5 25.Be2 Nd7
26.Bf3 Ne5 27.Be2 Nd7 ½-½
5. Wang – So
Edmonton 21.06.2014
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7
5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.Ne5 Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0 9r+lwqr+k+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0 9zp-+n+pvl-0
9-+n+-snp+0 9-+p+-+p+0
9+-zppsN-+-0 9+-+pzp-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9NzP-zP-+-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0 9+-zP-vL-+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0 9P+-wQLzPP+0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
8.0-0 is position occurred in Zichichi-
B.Lalic, Bratto 2001. White’s attack is a
8.dxc5 Qa5= hardly deserves an
total failure as he is undeveloped and does
attention.
not control the centre. Black could start a
8.h4 is more consistent. A good reply is decisive counter-offense with 17...a5
8...cxd4 9.exd4 Qb6 18.Bh6? Bf6–+.

Cebalo and Lalic successfully tested 8...cxd4

9...h5, but it looks too risky. For
instance, White’s pieces are more active
after 10.Qd2 (10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Qd2
Bf5 12.Be5 c5 13.dxc5 Ne4) 10...Nd7
11.Nxd5 Ndxe5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.0-0-
0 Be6, Bentley-Lalic, rapid 2003,
14.Kb1.
10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Na4 Qa5+ 12.c3 Nd7
13.b4 Qd8 14.h5 e5 15.Be3 Re8 16.hxg6
hxg6 17.Qd2
In such positions we should always take
into account the option of dxc5. Pert-
Palliser, Witley 2000, saw 8...Bf5 9.dxc5!
Qa5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Be5 Qxc5. e
transformation of the pawn structure is in
White’s favour since he possesses a clear
plan on the queenside – 12.b3! Nd7
13.Na4 Qa5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.c4.
9.exd4 Bf5!
Black is not afraid of 10.Nxc6 bxc6
11.Na4 as 11...Nd7 would cover c5 while
preparing the break ...e5.

Many games have featured 9...Qb6

10.Nxc6 Qxc6. Stayed the queen’s knight
on f3, White could have hoped for an
initiative. However, it is clearly awkward on
c3 and chances are roughly even after:

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0 9-+-wq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+q+-snp+0 9-+r+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0 9+-+p+l+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-+-+-0 9+-sN-+-+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 9tR-+QtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
11.Bb5 12.Be5?!
It was more accurate to cover the e4-
11.Re1 a6 12.a4 Bf5 13.a5 Rad8= is
similar. square rst – 12.Bf3 Qd7 13.Be5 Rfc8
14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nxd5 Bxc2=,
11...Qb6 12.a4 a6 13.a5 Qd8 14.Be2 Chatalbashev-S.Nikolov, Pleven 2005.
Bd7=. Hebden-Tukmakov, Neuchatel
2003, went further 15.Qd2 Rc8 16.Rfe1 e6 12...Ne4 13.Nxe4 Bxe5! 14.dxe5 dxe4³
17.Bh6 Bxh6 18.Qxh6 Ne8 19.Bd3 Qf6 15.c3?!
20.Qe3 Nd6 21.Na4 Bxa4 22.Rxa4, when 15.Qxd8 Rxd8 16.Rad1 Rxd1 17.Bxd1
instead of 22...Rc6 23.c3 Rfc8 24.Rb4 h5³ is pleasant for Black as his rook is very
R8c7 25.Qg3 Kg7 26.h3 Qd8 27.h4², active. Still it was more stubborn.
Tukmakov should have xed a draw with
22...Nc4 23.Bxc4 Rxc4 24.Rxc4 dxc4 15...Rc5 16.Qxd8 Rxd8 17.Rad1 Rxd1
25.Qe5 Qxe5 26.Rxe5 Rd8 27.c3 Rd5=. 18.Bxd1 Rxe5 19.f4 Rb5 20.Bb3 a5
XIIIIIIIIY
10.Re1 Rc8 11.Nxc6
9-+-+-+k+0
More tension preserved 11.Bf3 Re8, 9+p+-zpp+p0
Torre-Ganguly, Pattaya 2015. 11...h6 is 9-+-+-+p+0
another useful move. 9zpr+-+l+-0
11...Rxc6
9-+-+pzP-+0
9+LzP-+-+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9+-+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
21.Re2 Rb6 22.Kf2 Be6 23.Bxe6 Rxe6
24.Ke3 f5 25.Kd4 Kf7 26.Kc5 Kf6
27.Kb5 Ra6 28.a4 e5 29.fxe5+ Kxe5
XIIIIIIIIY
30.b4 axb4 31.cxb4 f4 32.a5 e3 33.Kc4
Ke4 34.Ra2 Rc6+ 35.Kb3 Kd3 36.b5
Rc8 0-1
6. Miles – Kiril Georgiev
Wijk aan Zee 18.01.1989
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7
5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 c6
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+p+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zPL+P0
9PzPP+-zPP+0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
9.0-0
White’s attack has no bite without the
king’s knight – 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 b5
11.g4 (11.h4 h5) 11...Nb6 12.g5 Nc4
13.Qe1 Nd7 14.e4 e5 was winning for
Black in Em.Lasker/Haalebos-Reti/Oskam,
Rotterdam 1923.
9...Nbd7 10.a4
It looks reasonable to include a4 a5 as it
deprives Black of a future minority attack.
Besides, the pawn on a4 makes more risky a
possible capture on b2 after ...Qb6. Many
years after this game, in Cetinje 2013,
Kosic played against me 10.e4 dxe4
11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Qb6 13.c3?!, and I
obtained the better game with 13...Qxb2
14.Rb1 Qxc3 15.Rxb7 Nf6³.
Correct would have been 13.Be3 Nf6
14.Bf3 Nd5 15.Bxd5! (15.Rb1 Nxe3
16.fxe3 c5³) 15...cxd5 16.Rb1, although
the plan with ...b5 would still give me some
initiative.
10...a5 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4
13.Bxe4 Qb6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9+p+nzppvlp0
9-wqp+-+p+0
9zp-+-+-+-0
9P+-zPLvL-+0
9+-+-+-+P0
9-zPP+-zPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
14.Be3
14.c3 Qxb2 is possible and should lead
to simpli cation.
Perhaps 14...Rfe8!? 15.Qc2 e5÷ is a
better way to play for a win.
15.Qf3 f5 16.Bd3 Qxc3 17.Rac1 Qb2
17...Qxd4? is worse – 18.Bc4+ Kh8
19.Rfd1 Ne5 20.Qg3 Qxc4 21.Rxc4
Nxc4 22.Rd7±.
18.Rc4 e5 19.Rb1 Qa3 20.Rxc6 Kh8
21.Rxb7=.
14...Nf6 15.Bf3 Nd5 16.Bxd5
White cannot preserve a exible pawn
structure – 16.c4? Nxe3 17.fxe3 e5μ is
murky for him, and 16.Bg5 e6 17.c4 Nb4³
is not attractive either.
16...cxd5 17.Qd2 Rfc8 18.c3 Rc4 19.Rfe1
Rac8
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+k+0
9+p+-zppvlp0
9-wq-+-+p+0
9zp-+p+-+-0
9P+rzP-+-+0
9+-zP-vL-+P0
9-zP-wQ-zPP+0
9tR-+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
20.Re2
We have nally reached a static pawn
structure which leaves little choice to both
sides. Of course, I can display some activity
with ...b5, but the b2-pawn is easily
defended. Now Miles could have chosen a
solid, but very passive stand with 20.Ra2 e6
21.Bf4 Qc6 22.Qd1=. Instead, he decides
to trade bishops.
20...Qc6 21.Bh6 e6 22.Bxg7 Kxg7
23.Qd1 Rb8 24.Ra3
24.f4 does not really threaten f4-f5 since
it would only weaken White’s king. After
24...b5 25.axb5 Rxb5 26.Rf2 Qb7 27.Qe2
Rc6 28.g4 Rcb6 29.Ra2 Qb8, White
should maintain the balance by swapping
queens, as 30.Kh1 a4 (intending...Rb3,
...a3) 31.f5 exf5 32.gxf5 Kg8! would give
me new targets.
24...b5 25.axb5 Rxb5 26.Qa1 Qb6 27.g3
h5 28.h4 Rc7 29.Kg2 Rb7 30.Ra4 Qd8
31.Ra3 Kh7
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-wq-+-+0
9+r+-+p+k0
9-+-+p+p+0
9zpr+p+-+p0
9-+-zP-+-zP0
9tR-zP-+-zP-0
9-zP-+RzPK+0
9wQ-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
I have reached the maximum I could
extract from the position, but it is not
enough. e point is that I can never play
...g5? owing to Re5!.
32.Ra4 Rb8 33.Ra3 Qb6 34.Ra4 Kg7
35.Ra3 Kf6 36.Ra4 Rxb2 37.Rxb2 Qxb2
38.Qxb2 Rxb2 39.Rxa5 Rc2 40.Rc5 Kf5
41.Kf3 f6 42.Ke3 g5 43.hxg5 fxg5
44.Kf3 ½-½
7. Ratkovic – V.Spasov
SRB-chT Kragujevac 24.08.2015
is game shows that Black can employ
the Grünfeld approach even if White has
not played Nf3. It is a decent, albeit
double-edged weapon against the Jobava
attack.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Qd2
4.e3 Bg7 5.h4 c6 6.Nf3 Qb6 is covered
in the “Step by Step” chapter, line B.
e purely speculative exchange sac
6.h5?! Nxh5
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY Instead we should strike in the centre with
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 ...c5. White has tried from here:
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+p+-+p+0 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5 (for 8.f3 – see 7.f3)
8...Qa5 9.Ne4 Qxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Bf5
9+-+p+-+n0 11.Bd3 Nbd7 12.Nb3 Rfc8 13.Bxf5 gxf5
9-+-zP-vL-+0 14.Nd4 e6=, Kovalev-Karjakin, rapid,
9+-sN-zP-+-0 Berlin 2015. e game went 15.b4?! which
9PzPP+-zPP+0 gave Black the initiative after 15...a5.
9tR-+QmKLsNR0 15...b6 was even stronger.
xiiiiiiiiy 7.f3 c5 8.e3 Qa5 9.g4
7.Rxh5 gxh5 8.Qxh5 Nd7 9.Qh2
Giving up the centre with 9.dxc5 should
occurred in Wei Yi-Tomashevsky, blitz,
nor bring White success – 9...Nc6 10.g4
Doha 2016. Simplest is 9...Nf8 to cover the
g- le from g6. However, if you are afraid of Qxc5 11.0-0-0 Rd8 12.Nge2 e5 13.g5
it, you could slightly alter the move order Nh5 14.Ng3 d4 15.Nxh5+ gxh5
and answer 4.e3 by 4...c6 5.h4 Qb6, 16.Ne4 Qb6 and White’s attack has
harassing White’s queenside. After 6.a3 been stalled.
Bg7, 7.h5 is no longer a threat, as the b2- 9...cxd4 10.exd4 Nc6
pawn would be hanging. XIIIIIIIIY
4...Bg7 9r+l+-tr-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9zpp+-zppmkp0
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 9-+n+-snp+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 9wq-+p+-+-0
9-+-+-snp+0 9-+-zP-+P+0
9+-+p+-+-0 9+-sN-+P+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9PzPPwQ-+-zP0
9+-sN-+-+-0 9tR-+-mKLsNR0
9PzPPwQPzPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+-mKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy Black is better developed and controls
the centre. erefore, he should not be
5.0-0-0 afraid of the enemy attack. He is going to
e most principled line is 5.Bh6 0-0 meet 11.h4 by 11...h5 12.0-0-0 Rh8
6.Bxg7 Kxg7. e chips are down, the race 13.Be2 Rb8 14.Kb1 Be6 15.gxh5 Nxh5
is about to start. Typical plans with ...c6, 16.Bd3 b5 17.Nh3 Bxh3 18.Rxh3 e6.
...b5 are ineffective as White has not
committed his king to the queenside yet.
 11.g5 does not make sense either – 9...b5?!. However, this pawn is important
11...Ne8 12.h4 Nd6 13.h5 Bf5 14.hxg6 for the attack, so it was better to play rst:
hxg6 15.a3 Rh8μ.
9...c4! 10.g4 Rd8 11.g5 Nh5 12.e4 and
7.0-0-0 c5! 8.e3 now 12...b5 is already strong – 13.a3 e6
14.Bh3 Nc6.
8.dxc5 Qa5 transposes to the main
game. Finally, 7.Nf3 blunts White’s attack and
gives Black a wide choice. He could play in
8...Qa5!
the centre with 7...Qd6 8.e3 Nbd7,
Black should be careful with his hanging intending ...Ne4, or with 7...c6 8.e3 Nbd7
centre. 8...Nc6 left Black a clear pawn 9.h3 Qc7, Kotainy-Timman, Germany
down – 9.dxc5 Be6 10.Bb5 Ne5 2017.
11.Qd4 Qc7 12.Nge2 Rac8 13.Nf4±,
5...0-0
Van Foreest-Grandelius, Wijk aan Zee
After White’s castling, the plan with
2017.
5...c6! 6.f3 b5 becomes topical, too:
9.f3
7.e4
9.dxc5 Rd8 10.h4 h5 effectively cuts
across White’s main plan – 11.Nf3 Alternatively:
Qxc5 12.e4 Nc6 13.exd5 Be6, regaining 7.h4 h5 8.e4 b4;
the pawn.
7.e3 Nbd7 8.g4 Nb6 9.h4
Here in Delchev-Zakhartsov, Paleochora XIIIIIIIIY
2015, Black correctly judged that he should 9r+lwqk+-tr0
push ...b5, but he over-optimistically
decided not to prepare it at all and
9zp-+-zppvlp0
unnecessarily sacri ced a pawn with: 9-snp+-snp+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+p+p+-+-0
9rsnl+-tr-+0 9-+-zP-vLPzP0
9zpp+-zppmkp0 9+-sN-zPP+-0
9-+-+-snp+0 9PzPPwQ-+-+0
9wq-zpp+-+-0 9+-mKR+LsNR0
9-+-zP-+-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-sN-zPP+-0
9...h5 10.g5 Nfd7 11.e4 b4 12.Nce2 a5
9PzPPwQ-+PzP0 13.b3 0-0 14.e5 c5μ;
9+-mKR+LsNR0
7.Kb1 Nbd7 8.e3 Nb6 (8...0-0!? 9.g4
xiiiiiiiiy Re8) 9.Bd3 a5 10.e4, Alekseev-
 Grigoriants, Moscow 2017, 10...b4
11.Nce2 Nc4 12.Qe1 Qb6ƒ.
7...b4 8.Na4 dxe4 9.fxe4 Qa5 10.Nc5
Nbd7 11.Nxd7 Bxd7 12.Bc4 Nxe4
13.Qe1 Nf6 14.Nf3 0-0³.
6.Bh6
Another plausible option is 6.f3 c5
7.dxc5
7.e3 Nc6 8.Kb1 is solid. (Black’s attack
is faster after 8.g4 Qa5 9.Kb1 c4 10.h4
b5 11.g5 b4³.) Black should probably
try the pawn sac 8...c4 9.e4
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+n+-snp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+pzPPvL-+0
9+-sN-+P+-0
9PzPPwQ-+PzP0
9+K+R+LsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
9...b5!? 10.Nxb5 dxe4 11.Bxc4 Qb6
12.Nc3 Rd8 13.Nge2 Na5 14.Bb3
Nxb3 15.axb3 exf3 16.gxf3 Nd5 with
full compensation. e f3-pawn is very
weak, Black’s bishop pair and heavy
pieces will target the enemy king.
7...Nbd7 8.e3 (8.Nxd5? Nxd5 9.Qxd5
Qa5) 8...Nxc5 9.Be5 Qb6 10.Qd4=.
6...c5 7.dxc5 Qa5 8.Bxg7 Kxg7
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+-tr-+0
9zpp+-zppmkp0
9-+-+-snp+0
9wq-zPp+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-sN-+-+-0
9PzPPwQPzPPzP0
9+-mKR+LsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
9.h4
e point is that 9.Nxd5 Qxa2 10.Qc3
is not any better for White. Black could
answer 10...Rd8 11.e4 Be6„. Even
10...Qa1+ 11.Kd2 Qa4 was playable,
Cabrera-Dvirnyy, Catalunya 2014.
9...h5
is is an almost automatic reaction, but
Black could also take over the initiative
with 9...d4!? 10.Qxd4 Nc6, followed by
...Bf5. It is not easy to weigh up the
ensuing complications, though.
A clever alternative was also 9...Nc6!?,
hoping for 10.h5? d4 11.hxg6 h5! 12.Nb1
Qxc5 with a devastating attack. Instead,
10.e3 h5 would transpose to the game.
10.e3 Qxc5 11.Nh3
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 14.Kb1 Rfd8 15.Be2 Rac8 16.Rg3 Ne4
9rsnl+-tr-+0 17.Nxe4 dxe4 18.Qc1 Rxd1 19.Qxd1
9zpp+-zppmk-0 Nb4
9-+-+-snp+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-wqp+-+p0 9-+r+-+-+0
9-+-+-+-zP0 9zpp+-+pmk-0
9+-sN-zP-+N0 9-+-+p+p+0
9PzPPwQ-zPP+0 9+-wq-+-+p0
9+-mKR+L+R0 9-sn-+pzP-zP0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+-zP-tR-0
9PzPP+L+P+0
11...Bxh3! 9+K+Q+-+-0
A good strategic decision. In positions xiiiiiiiiy
with opposite attacks, knights are often
stronger than bishops. 20.a3 (20.c3 Nd3 21.Bxd3 Rd8)
20...Nxc2 21.Qd2 Qd5 22.Qxd5 exd5
12.Rxh3 Nc6 13.f4 e6 23.Bd1 Ne1 24.Bb3 Rc5 25.f5 Nd3
Black has a huge positional edge. All his 26.Rg5 d4 27.fxg6 Rxg5 28.hxg5 dxe3 0-
pieces are active. 1
 Chapter 3. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6
4.c4
Main Ideas
XIIIIIIIIY
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.c4 Bg7 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
5.Nc3 9zppzp-zppvlp0
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 9-+-+-snp+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-+-snp+0 9-+PzP-vL-+0
9+-+p+-+-0 9+-sN-zP-+-0
9-+PzP-vL-+0 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-sN-+N+-0 9tR-+QmKLsNR0
9PzP-+PzPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+QmKL+R0 Now 5...c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Rc1 dxc4
xiiiiiiiiy 8.Bxc4 would throw us out of our
repertoire after 8...0-0 9.Nge2 or 9.Nf3.
5...0-0 erefore, we go 5...0-0, when 6.Nf3
e move order 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 reaches line B. However, White has two
g6 rules out the line 3.Nf3 g6 4.c4 Bg7 major alternatives with independent
5.Nc3 0-0 6.Rc1, but enables 4.c4 Bg7 signi cance: 6.Rc1 and 6.cxd5. I consider
5.Nc3, where instead of Nf3, White has them in Game 11 Wojtaszek-
played e3. Nepomniachtchi, Wijk aan Zee 2017. ey
do not pose any theoretical problem for us,
but we have to include one more line in our
home preparation. at’s why I consider
the move order with 1...Nf6 preferable,
provided that you are not afraid of 2.c4, to
be sure.

After 5...0-0, White could aim at

building a pawn centre or stake on quick
development:
XIIIIIIIIY
A. 6.Rc1 dxc4 7.e4
XIIIIIIIIY
It is not late to return to the more 9rsn-wq-trk+0
prudent 7.e3, when 7...Be6 8.Ng5 Bd5 9zppzp-zppvlp0
9.e4 h6 is the proven equalizer – see Game 9-+-+-+p+0
9 Del Rio de Angelis-Espinosa,Linares 9+-+-+-+n0
2016. 9-+LzPP+-+0
Instead, I suggest a surprise line which 9+-sN-vLP+-0
runs 7...Nbd7!? 8.Bxc4 Nh5 9.Bg5 h6 9PzP-+-zP-zP0
10.Bh4 g5 9+-tRQmK-+R0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
9r+lwq-trk+0 Here the main line is 10...e5 11.dxe5
9zppzpnzppvl-0 Bxe5 12.Qxd8 Rxd8=, see Game 8 Zubov-
9-+-+-+-zp0 Timofeev, Moscow 2009. Instead, I have
9+-+-+-zpn0 another surprise for White in store:
9-+LzP-+-vL0
10...e6!? 11.f4 Qh4 12.Qf3 Nc6 13.e5
9+-sN-zPN+-0 (or 13.Ne2 Rfd8! 14.e5)
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tRQmK-+R0 In practice Black invariably put his
xiiiiiiiiy queen’s rook on d8 and his bishop on f6.
at allowed White to mount an attack
Although it is a very rare guest in with Kh1, Rg1 and the h6-bishop was
practice, it is the weapon of choice of hanging in some lines. I recommend a
famous adepts of the Grünfeld as Kasparov, much better redeployment:
Svidler, Cheparinov. Black will counter- XIIIIIIIIY
attack in the centre with ...e5 or ...c5. His
bishop pair is a potential winner, so White
9r+-+-trk+0
must play concrete, energetic chess. at 9zppzp-+pvlp0
would assure fair winning chances to the 9-+n+p+p+0
better player. 9+-+-zP-+n0
7...Bg4 8.Bxc4 Nh5 9.Be3 Bxf3 10.gxf3
9-+LzP-zP-wq0
9+-+-vLQ+-0
9PzP-+NzP-zP0
9+-tR-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
13...Rfd8! 14.Ne2 Bf8

XIIIIIIIIY
 is position is completely unexplored.
XIIIIIIIIY
Black’s play is rather easy. He is planning 9-+r+-trk+0
...Ne7, ...Ng7-f5, ...Bh6, ...c6, and White’s 9zpp+lzppvlp0
centre will be paralysed. 9-wq-+-+p+0
B. 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Ne4!?
9+-snP+-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+P+P+-+0
9rsnlwq-trk+0 9+-+-+N+-0
9zpp+-zppvlp0 9P+QvL-zPPzP0
9-+-+-+p+0 9+-tR-mKL+R0
9+-zPp+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+P+nvL-+0
e e4-pawn falls after ...Ba4 and White
9+-sN-zPN+-0 should be struggling for the draw, with his
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 compromised pawn structure.
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy Still, that may be the lesser evil, as the
more popular 10.Nd4 Nxc3 11.bxc3
We are going for a kill! White is still to Qxa2³ is not fun either. See Game 10
nd an adequate reaction to this sharp Simantsev-Shishkin, Police 2013.
move.
eoretical status
8.Rc1 Nd7!? 9.cxd5 Qa5 e Bf4 System has seen its moment of
XIIIIIIIIY fame in the 80-ies when Karpov employed
9r+l+-trk+0 it against Kasparov, but it is currently
9zpp+nzppvlp0 struggling. In most lines Black has found
9-+-+-+p+0 clear equalizers. Even more, I show that
9wq-zPP+-+-0 Black has plenty of ways to aspire to the
initiative at an early stage of the opening.
9-+-+nvL-+0
9+-sN-zPN+-0 My main lines are practically uncovered
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 by the best latest books on the Grünfeld.
9+-tRQmKL+R0 e surprise effect should be on your side.
xiiiiiiiiy
It is a bit awkward to recommend here to
White 10.Qc2 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Nxc5 12.e4
Bd7 13.Bd2 Rac8! 14.c4 Qb6.
XIIIIIIIIY
 Chapter 3. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6
4.c4
Step by Step

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.c4 Bg7 7...c5 8.Bxg7 Kxg7 9.e3 Nc6 10.Rc1
5.Nc3 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bd7
XIIIIIIIIY 13.Be2 e5 was also better for Black in
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 Akobian-Khachiyan, chess.com 2017
9zppzp-zppvlp0 7...Qxd5 8.Bxc7 has nearly disappeared
9-+-+-snp+0 from practice owing to the following line:
9+-+p+-+-0 8...Nc6! 9.e3 Bf5 10.Be2 Rac8 11.Bg3
9-+PzP-vL-+0 Qa5+ 12.Qd2 Nb4 13.0-0 Rc2 14.Qe1
Rxb2 15.Ne5 Bxe5 16.Bxe5, Anikaev-
9+-sN-+N+-0
Giorgadze, Soviet Union 1973, 16...Qa3!³
9PzP-+PzPPzP0 (Avrukh).
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy A. 6.Rc1 dxc4
6...c5 7.dxc5 Be6 8.Nd4 Nc6 9.Nxe6
5...0-0 fxe6 10.e3 d4!? is a decent option. 6...Be6
5...c5 is a major option against an early 7.e3 dxc4 transposes to A1.
e3, but it is dubious here. White can XIIIIIIIIY
answer 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qxd5 9rsnlwq-trk+0
Bxc3+ 9.Bd2 Be6 10.Qxb7 Bxd2+
9zppzp-zppvlp0
11.Nxd2 0-0 12.b4! Qa4 13.e3².
9-+-+-snp+0
A. 6.Rc1; B. 6.e3 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+pzP-vL-+0
6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nxd5
9+-sN-+N+-0
Akobian keeps defending 7.Be5, but the 9PzP-+PzPPzP0
natural 7...Bxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxc3 9.bxc3 9+-tRQmKL+R0
Nd7 is ne for Black, especially after xiiiiiiiiy
10.Nxd7 Bxd7 11.e4 e5!.
A1. 7.e3; A2. 7.e4
A1. 7.e3 Nbd7!? 11.g4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Bxg4 13.h3 Bxf3
e solid equalizer is 7...Be6 8.Ng5 Bd5 14.Qxf3 Nf6 15.Bg3 is interesting.
9.e4 h6 – see Game 9 Del Rio de Angelis- XIIIIIIIIY
Espinosa,Linares 2016.
9r+-wq-trk+0
e text is an enterprising alternative, 9zppzp-zppvl-0
meant for players willing to take some risks. 9-sn-+-sn-zp0
In practice it brings nice dividends, 9+-+-+-zp-0
probably because White is less prepared to
meet it.
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+LsN-zPQvLP0
8.Bxc4 Nh5 9PzP-+-zP-+0
8...c5?! 9.0-0 cxd4 10.Nb5 Ne8 9+-tR-mK-+R0
(10...dxe3 11.Ng5±) 11.Nc7 Nxc7 xiiiiiiiiy
12.Bxc7 Qe8 13.Nxd4 Nb6 14.Bxb6 axb6
15.Qb3 Bxd4 16.exd4 Qd8 17.Qb4 b5 White’s bishop pair could become
18.Bb3 e6² is an inferior alternative. dangerous, so Black should seek
counterplay at all cost: 15...c5! 16.dxc5
9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5 Nbd7 17.Na4 Qa5+ 18.Kf1 b6 19.cxb6
XIIIIIIIIY
axb6 20.Kg2 Rac8, planning ...h5-h4,
9r+lwq-trk+0 ...g4.
9zppzpnzppvl-0
9-+-+-+-zp0 11...Nxg3 12.hxg3 c5 13.dxc5
9+-+-+-zpn0 In my opinion, 13.Qd3! e6 14.Rd1,
which preserves the tension in the centre, is
9-+LzP-+-vL0 the most challenging option.
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-tRQmK-+R0 9r+lwq-trk+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9zpp+n+pvl-0
9-+-+p+-zp0
11.Bg3 9+-zp-+-zp-0
11.Nd2 e5 12.Qxh5 exd4 13.exd4 gxh4 9-+LzP-+-+0
14.0-0 Nb6 15.Bb3 Qxd4 16.Nde4 h3, 9+-sNQzPNzP-0
intending ...Qe5, was comfortable for Black 9PzP-+-zPP+0
in L’Ami-Cheparinov, Tromsoe 2014. is 9+-+RmK-+R0
game is important for the theory, as L’Ami
was Cheparinov’s second and both
xiiiiiiiiy
opponents were undoubtedly well prepared
for each other. Here 14...g4 15.Nh4 cxd4 (15...b6
16.Qe4!) 16.exd4 Qg5 17.0-0 Rd8 is
 too dangerous as White gets a strong at a4. e point is that 20.Ng4? is not a
initiative after 18.f4 gxf3 19.Qxf3 Nf6 threat owing to 20...f5! and Black’s counter-
20.Bb3!. White’s main threats are based attack is crushing.
on the break d4-d5 and the attack on
h7. erefore, we should make the A2. 7.e4 Bg4 8.Bxc4
prophylactic move: Alternatively:

14...Re8!, when 15.d5 (14.0-0 Qa5
15.Ne4 cxd4 16.exd4 Rd8∞) 15...exd5
16.Bxd5 Qe7 17.Nb5 Nf6 18.Nd6 Rf8
19.Bc4 Be6 20.Nf5 Bxf5 Qe4! is roughly
equal.
13...Nxc5 14.Qc2 e6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-+pvl-0
9-+-+p+-zp0
9+-sn-+-zp-0
9-+L+-+-+0
9+-sN-zPNzP-0
9PzPQ+-zPP+0
9+-tR-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
15.Nh2
Naturally, 15.0-0 cannot be scary.
Timofeev-Artemiev, Khanty-Mansiysk
2015, saw 15...Qb6 16.a3, when 16...Bd7=
would have been more reasonable than
16...a5. More natural would be to complete
development with 15...Bd7 and only after
16.Rfd1 – 16...Qb6=.
15...b5! 16.Bxb5 Rb8
Black has full compensation for the
pawn. Matsenko-Ipatov, Izmir 2016, went
17.Be2 Ba6 18.Bxa6 Nxa6 19.0-0 Nb4°.
e computer nds an amazing resource:
17...Bxc3!! 18.bxc3 Bb7 19.f3 Bc6! aiming
8.e5? Nh5 9.Be3 c5 10.dxc5 Qxd1+
11.Rxd1 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Bxe5 13.Bxc4
Nc6³, Borges-Llobel Cortell, Albacete
2002.
8.Be3 is more consistent, but it gives us a
wide choice between 8...Nh5, 8...c5 9.dxc5
Qa5 10.Qc2 Be6 and even 8...b5 9.e5 Nd5
10.Nxb5 c5 11.Bxc4 Nxe3 12.fxe3 a6
13.Nc3 Nc6 14.dxc5 Qa5 15.Qa4 Qxc5
16.Ne2 Qa5+ 17.Qxa5 Nxa5 18.Bd5
Rab8=.
8...Nh5
is move order is not obligatory.
8...Bxf3 transposes after 9.gxf3. In
practice White has tried to exploit the move
order by 9.Qxf3 Nh5 10.d5 Nxf4 11.Qxf4,
but the arising position is rich and
promising for Black.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0
9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+P+-+-0
9-+L+PwQ-+0
9+-sN-+-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tR-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
 e game Novikov-C.Horvath, Cairo 11.f4 Qh4
1997, went 11...Qd6 12.Qe3 c6 13.0-0 Mounting the tension.
cxd5 14.exd5 Nd7. Even better is to leave
the queen on d8: 11...c6 12.0-0 cxd5, 11...Nc6!? is of equal worth. It forces
intending to meet 13.exd5 by 13...Nd7 and White to open the centre since after 12.e5?!
13.Bxd5 by 13...Qb6. Bh6 White cannot play 13.Qf3 as the d4-
pawn will hang. Remains:
9.Be3
9.Bg5?! just drops a pawn after 9...Bxf3 a) L.Portish answered 12.d5 exd5
10.Qxf3 Qxd4, since 11.Nd5 e6 12.Nxc7 13.Nxd5, when best is 13...Qh4! 14.Be2
Qe5 13.Nxa8 Qxg5 14.0-0 Nc6 promises Nf6 15.e5
Black a devastating attack, for instance: XIIIIIIIIY
15.Nc7 Be5 16.Nb5 a6 17.Nc3 Bf4 9r+-+-trk+0
18.Rc2 Ne5 19.Qe2 Bxh2+ 20.Kxh2 Nf4. 9zppzp-+pvlp0
9...Bxf3 10.gxf3 9-+n+-snp+0
After 10.Qxf3 Bxd4 11.0-0, we should 9+-+NzP-+-0
refrain from taking on e3. Instead, 11...e6 9-+-+-zP-wq0
or 11...c5 are ne. 9+-+-vL-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9PzP-+LzP-zP0
9rsn-wq-trk+0 9+-tRQmK-+R0
9zppzp-zppvlp0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-+-+p+0
15...Nxd5
9+-+-+-+n0
9-+LzPP+-+0 15...Nd7!? 16.Qd3 Nb6 is more
9+-sN-vLP+-0 ambitious.
9PzP-+-zP-zP0 16.Qxd5 Rad8 17.Qg2 f6. Black has
9+-tRQmK-+R0 good counterplay, but White could draw
xiiiiiiiiy with 18.e6 (18.f5∞) 18...f5 19.0-0 Rfe8
20.Bb5 Bxb2 21.Bxc6 bxc6 22.Rxc6 Bd4
10...e6!? 23.Bxd4 Rxd4 24.Rxc7 Qxf4 25.Qb7
e established equalizer is 10...e5 Qg4+=.
11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.Qxd8 Rxd8=, see Game 8
Zubov-Timofeev, Moscow 2009. b) 12.Be2 Bxd4 13.Bxh5

e text brings about sharp, strategically Or 13.Bxd4 Qxd4 14.Bxh5 gxh5

unbalanced positions, where the strongest 15.Qxh5 Rad8 16.Qg5+ Kh8 17.Rd1
player has higher chances to win compared Qg7 18.Qxg7+=.
to the above-mentioned endgame. 13...Bxe3 14.Qxd8=.
 12.Qf3 Nc6 13.e5 a) 15.f5 exf5 16.Rg1 Ng7 17.Kf1 Be7∞.

13.Ne2 most likely will transpose after b) 15.Bb3 Rac8 16.f5 exf5 17.Rg1 Ng7
13...Rfd8! 14.e5. 18.Rxc6 bxc6 19.Bg5=.

After 14.Rd1, Black could repeat moves c) 15.0-0 Ne7 16.Ng3 Ng7 17.Qxb7 c6
with 14...Na5 15.Bd3 Nc6 16.Bc4, XIIIIIIIIY
while 16.Bc2 Nb4 17.Bb3 c5 would be 9r+-tr-vlk+0
ne for him. More interesting is to play
on with 14...Rac8 15.e5 Nb4 16.0-0
9zpQ+-snpsnp0
Bh6. 9-+p+p+p+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-zP-+-0
9r+-+-trk+0 9-+LzP-zP-wq0
9zppzp-+pvlp0 9+-+-vL-sN-0
9-+n+p+p+0 9PzP-+-zP-zP0
9+-+-+-+n0 9+-tR-+RmK-0
9-+LzPPzP-wq0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+-vLQ+-0 White’s queen is cut off from the
9PzP-+NzP-zP0 kingside. at requires accurate defence,
9+-tR-mK-+R0 e.g. 18.Rc3 Rac8 19.Kh1 Ngf5 20.Bc1
xiiiiiiiiy Bh6ƒ.

13...Rfd8! d) 15.d5 exd5 16.Bxd5 Nb4 17.Bc4

Only this move assures Black of adequate Nd3+ 18.Bxd3 Rxd3 19.Rxc7 Qd8 20.Rc1
counterplay. Its idea is to free f8 for the Bb4+ 21.Nc3 Rc8 22.0-0 Bxc3 23.bxc3
bishop which would enable the manoeuvre b6=.
...Nh5-g7-f5. At the same time the bishop
B. 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5
might enter the play from b4. In practice
7.Be2?! dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bg4 9.Be2 Nc6 is
Black has only tried 13...Rad8, but after
unacceptable for White.
14.Ne2 Bh6?! 15.Rg1 Ng7 16.Bd3 Nb4
17.Bb1! Nd5 18.Rg3 the threat Rh3 is
extremely unpleasant because the h6-bishop
is hanging.

14.Ne2 Bf8
is position is double-edged, but it is
more demanding strategically from White
since his pawn structure is compromised.
Possible continuations are:

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY extensively 15.Bg5 and 15.Bh2 with long
9rsnlwq-trk+0 forced variations in all cases. ey are
9zpp+-zppvlp0 covered in Chess Stars book e Safest
9-+-+-snp+0 Grünfeld. Black may be holding his own,
9+-zPp+-+-0 but I do not see any reason to recommend
such lines when we have such a noteworthy
9-+P+-vL-+0 alternative as 7...Ne4.
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 8.Rc1
9tR-+QmKL+R0 8.Nxe4? dxe4 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 10.Nd4 e5
xiiiiiiiiy 11.Bg5 f6 12.Nb5 fxg5 13.Nc7 Na6 is
plain bad for White.
7...Ne4!?
8.Be5 Bxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Qa5
is should be a little surprise for your
11.Rc1 Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.cxd5 cxd5
opponents as 7...Qa5 is by far the most
14.Be2 was drawn in L.Portisch-Ruck,
fashionable move. It has two serious
Hungary 2003, but nothing hampers Black
drawbacks: the arising positions may be
to play on from the nal position.
drawish in view of the symmetrical pawn
structure; you should remember a lot of 8...Nd7!?
theory. e main line goes: 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 Qa5 is slightly
premature, as the pawn on c3 enables the
8.Rc1 dxc4 (8...Rd8 – Carlsen) 9.Bxc4
line 10.cxd5 Nd7 11.Qb3 Nxc5 12.Qb4.
Qxc5 10.Bb3 Nc6 11.0-0 Qa5 12.h3 Bf5
13.Qe2 Ne4 14.Nd5 e5 Black may try 9...dxc4 10.Qxd8 Rxd8
XIIIIIIIIY 11.Bxc4 Nd7 12.Rd1 Rf8 13.Bg5 Bxc3+
9r+-+-trk+0 14.Ke2 Bf6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Ne5 Bf5
9zpp+-+pvlp0 17.c6, where White preserves some pressure
and plays with a draw in the pocket.
9-+n+-+p+0
9wq-+Nzpl+-0 9.cxd5 Qa5 10.Nd4
9-+-+nvL-+0 10.Bc4?! Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bxc3+ 12.Ke2
9+L+-zPN+P0 Nxc5 is best punished by 12...b5!.
9PzP-+QzPP+0 10.Qc2 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Nxc5 12.e4 Bd7
9+-tR-+RmK-0 13.Bd2 Rac8! 14.c4 occurred in Prohaszka-
xiiiiiiiiy Jansa, Germany 2016, when 14...Qb6!
is position became extremely popular instead of 14...Qa6 would have been
disturbing for White. e point is that the
after Karpov’s exchange sacri ce 15.Rxc6!?
in his world title match against Kasparov in queen controls b1 so ...Ba4 threatens to
1986. Later White has also tested win the e4-pawn. e only move would be
15.Be3 (15.Be2 Ba4; 15.Rb1 Qa6)
15...Bb2 16.Rb1 Bc3+ 17.Bd2 Bxd2+
XIIIIIIIIY
18.Nxd2 Qa5 19.Be2 Ba4 20.Qb2 Nxe4 9r+-+-trk+0
21.Qb4 Qxb4 22.Rxb4 Nc5 23.f3! with 9zpp+-+-+p0
even chances. 9q+-+pvlp+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-+-+-0
9r+l+-trk+0 9-+-+-vL-+0
9zpp+nzppvlp0 9+Q+-zP-+-0
9-+-+-+p+0 9P+-+-zPPzP0
9wq-zPP+-+-0 9+-tR-+-mKR0
9-+-sNnvL-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 19.h3 Rad8 20.Kh2 Rd2 21.Rc2 Rxc2
22.Qxc2 Qc6 23.Qxc6 bxc6 24.Rc1
9+-tRQmKL+R0 Rc8 25.Bd6 Kf7 26.Kg3 Be7 27.Bc5
xiiiiiiiiy Bxc5 28.Rxc5 Ke7 29.Ra5 c5! 30.Rxa7+
Kd6 31.Kf3 c4 32.Ke2 Rb8 33.Kd2
10...Nxc3 Rb2+ 34.Kc3 Rxf2 35.g4 h5 36.gxh5
10...Ndxc5 is less popular and scores gxh5 37.Kxc4 ½-½ Gustafsson-Safarli,
horribly, but in fact it also offers Black a Porto Carras 2011.
nice game:
13.0-0
11.Bc4 XIIIIIIIIY
11.Qc2 Rd8 (11...Nxc3!? 12.Qxc3
9r+-+-trk+0
Qxc3+ 13.bxc3 Rd8 14.Bc4 Bd7=) 9zpp+lzppvlp0
12.Bc7 Qxc7 13.Nxe4 Qa5+ 14.Qc3 9-+-+-+p+0
Qxc3+ 15.Nxc3 Nd7 16.Bc4 Bxd4 9wq-snP+-+-0
17.exd4 Nf6 is enough for a draw, for 9-+LsN-vL-+0
instance: 18.0-0 a6 19.a4 b6 20.Rfe1 9+-zP-zP-+-0
Kf8 21.Re5 Bb7 22.Rce1 Rd7 23.f3 9P+-+-zPPzP0
Rad8=.
9+-tRQ+RmK-0
11...Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bd7 xiiiiiiiiy
12...e5 is brutal, but effective play for a is typical position has been tested in a
draw: 13.dxe6 Bxe6 14.Bxe6 Nxe6 number of games with poor results for
15.Nxe6 Bxc3+ 16.Kf1 fxe6 17.Qb3 White. He cannot retain the extra pawn:
Qa6+ 18.Kg1 Bf6
13...Na4 14.Qb3 Nb6 15.Bb5 Bxd4
16.Bxd7 Bg7 17.Bb5 a6 18.Be2 Nxd5

XIIIIIIIIY
19.c4 Nxf4 20.exf4 b6³, Sanikidze-Gupta, Practice has proved that the a-pawn is
Istanbul 2012. more dangerous than White’s centre. See
Game 10 Simantsev-Shishkin, Police 2013.
11.bxc3 Qxa2³
 Chapter 3. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.Nf3 g6
4.c4
Annotated Games
13.Ne2 commonly transposes, but it is
8. Zubov – Timofeev good for White to keep the more active
option of Nd5.
Moscow 31.01.2009
13...Nc6 14.0-0 Bxb2 15.Rb1 Ne5
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 returns to the main game.
5.Bf4 0-0 6.Rc1 dxc4 7.e4 Bg4 8.Bxc4
Nh5 9.Be3 Bxf3 10.gxf3 14...Nd4!? 15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.b4 Be5
XIIIIIIIIY 17.b5 Nf4 18.Rfd1 b6= occurred in
9rsn-wq-trk+0 Jankovic-Naumann, Austria 2012. e
9zppzp-zppvlp0 game soon nished in a draw.
9-+-+-+p+0 14...Na5 is also possible, as 15.Bd5 c6
9+-+-+-+n0 16.Bxf7+ Kxf7 17.b4 Bc7 does not
9-+LzPP+-+0 look dangerous.
9+-sN-vLP+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9PzP-+-zP-zP0 9rsn-tr-+k+0
9+-tRQmK-+R0 9zppzp-+p+p0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+-vl-+n0
10...e5 9-+L+P+-+0
is is a well tested route to an equal 9+-sN-vLP+-0
endgame. I consider 10...e6!? in the “Step
by Step” chapter.
9PzP-+-zP-zP0
9+-tR-+RmK-0
11.dxe5 xiiiiiiiiy
After 11.d5, Black should undermine the
centre with 11...c6 or prepare the break 13...Nd7
with 11...Nd7 12.h4 Rc8. 13...Nc6!? is a little more
straightforward. en 14.Ne2 transposes,
11...Bxe5 12.Qxd8 Rxd8 13.0-0
and 14.Nd5 Na5 15.Bg5 Rd7 16.Bb5 c6
17.b4 cxb5 18.bxa5 Re8= 19.Rc5 a6
20.Rfc1 f6 21.Be3 ½-½ was the short game
Sumets-Shishkin, Crespi 2009.
14.Ne2
e somewhat passive Black’s 13th move,
which did not target d4, allows White to
keep more tension with 14.Rc2!? Bf4
14...Nb6 15.Bb3 c6 16.Ne2 Rd3 17.f4
Bc7 was seen in Epishin-Ftacnik, Bad
Zwesten 1999. White preserves a space
advantage after 18.Kg2 Rad8 19.Kf3².
15.Nd5 Bxe3 16.fxe3 c6 17.Nc3.
14...Bxb2!
White’s pieces are more coordinated, but
he is unable to gain dividends from that.
15.Rb1 Ne5 16.Rxb2 Nxc4 17.Rxb7
Nxe3 18.fxe3 Rd2 19.Nc3 c6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+k+0
9zpR+-+p+p0
9-+p+-+p+0
9+-+-+-+n0
9-+-+P+-+0
9+-sN-zPP+-0
9P+-tr-+-zP0
9+-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
20.Rc7
20.e5 Rd3 21.Nd1 Rad8 22.Nf2 Rxe3
23.Ng4 Re2 24.Nh6+ Kg7 25.Nxf7 Rdd2
26.Nd6+ is a perpetual.
20...Rd3 21.Rxc6 Rxe3 22.Nd5 Ra3
23.Rf2
At this point the game Janczarski-
Nurkiewicz, Warsaw 2013, ended in a
draw. is is a logical outcome, but equal
endgame still does not mean a draw. An
important factor here is that Zubov is about
a hundred Elo points lower rated than
Timofeev and perhaps that makes him rush
to trade more pieces.
23...Re8 24.Nf6+?!
Why voluntarily give a perfect centralised
knight for the one at the edge of the
board?!. Anything like 24.Kg2 or 24.Rc7
maintained the balance. e text suddenly
gives Black considerable chances as his
pawn structure is much better.
24...Nxf6 25.Rxf6 Re5 26.Rc6 Kg7
26...Rg5 27.Kf1 h5!, intending ...h4-h3,
was perhaps more testing.
27.Rc7 Rea5 28.Kg2 Rxa2 29.Rxa2
Rxa2+ 30.Kg3
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9zp-tR-+pmkp0
9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0
9+-+-+PmK-0
9r+-+-+-zP0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
e asymmetric kingside pawns facilitate
White’s defence. Shift the e4-pawn to g2,
and his task would have been more
difficult.
30...a5 31.Ra7 a4 32.e5!? Kf8 33.e6 fxe6
34.Rxh7 a3 35.Ra7 Ra1 36.Kg2 Ke8
37.Ra6 Ke7 38.h4 Kd7 39.Kh2 Ke7
40.Kg2 Kd7 41.Kh2 Kc7 42.Rxe6 Kb7
43.Re3 ½-½
9. Del Rio de Angelis – Espinosa
Linares 10.08.2016
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5
5.Bf4 0-0 6.Rc1 dxc4 7.e3 Be6 8.Ng5
Bd5
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zppzp-zppvlp0
9-+-+-snp+0
9+-+l+-sN-0
9-+pzP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tRQmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
9.e4
e latest top level game with 9.Nxd5
Nxd5 10.Bxc4 was Wang-Grischuk,
blindfold, Beijing 2011. It went 10...Nxf4
11.Qf3 e6 12.Qxf4 c5 13.dxc5 Qa5+
14.Ke2 Nd7 15.Rc2 Nxc5 16.Rhc1, when
16...b5! 17.Bb3 Nxb3 18.axb3 Rad8 is
slightly better for Black since he could
attack pawns on both anks, for example,
19.Ne4 b4 20.Nf6?! Bxf6 21.Qxf6 Qh5 or
21...Qd5.
9...h6 10.exd5 hxg5 11.Bxg5 Nxd5
12.Bxc4 Nb6 13.Bb3 Nc6
13...Qxd4 14.Qxd4 Bxd4 15.Nb5 Bxb2
16.Rc2 Be5 17.f4! Bd6 18.Nxc7 Bxc7
19.Rxc7 e6! (19...Nc6 20.f5!?) is another
interesting line.
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+-trk+0
9zpptR-+p+-0
9-sn-+p+p+0
9+-+-+-vL-0
9-+-+-zP-+0
9+L+-+-+-0
9P+-+-+PzP0
9+-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black should be holding after 20.g4 Na6,
but he would need accurate defence.
14.d5
14.Ne2 is passive. In G.Garcia-
Uhlmann, Cienfuegos 1973, White
managed to hold the draw after 14...Nxd4
I do not see much sense in inserting
14...a5 15.a4 Rc8 as recommended by
Avrukh in his book e Grünfeld
Defence. After 16.0-0 Nxd4 17.Nxd4
Qxd4 18.Bxe7, the position is a dead
draw. Or 14...Rc8 15.0-0 Nxd4
16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Qf3 e6 18.Qxb7
Nd5=, Lauber-Baramidze, Griesheim
2017.
15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.0-0 c6 17.Qg4 Bxb2
18.Rcd1 Nd5 19.Rd3 Kg7 20.Bxd5 cxd5
21.Qb4 Bf6 22.Bxf6+.
14...Nd4 15.0-0 Qd7 16.Re1
16.Be3 Nxb3 17.Qxb3 Bxc3!? is
satisfactory for Black.
16.h4 looks more disturbing, but
16...Rfe8 17.h5? fails to 17...Qf5. us
White should transpose to the main game
with 17.Rfe1.
16...Rfe8 17.h4 Rad8
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-trr+k+0
9-+-trr+k+0 9zppzpqzpp+-0
9zppzpqzppvl-0 9-sn-+-+p+0
9-sn-+-+p+0 9+-+P+-vL-0
9+-+P+-vL-0 9P+-+-+-zP0
9-+-sn-+-zP0 9+QtR-+-+-0
9+LsN-+-+-0 9-zP-+-zPP+0
9PzP-+-zPP+0 9+-+-tR-mK-0
9+-tRQtR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
20...Qxa4?
18.a4 A critical point. I can understand Black’s
e latest try. longing for an endgame, but his wrong
decision should cost him a pawn.
18.h5 Qf5 is already less clear as White 20...Nxd5 was better and after 21.Rg3,
has 19.hxg6 Qxg5 20.gxf7+ Kxf7 21.d6+ both 21...Kg7 22.h5 Qd6 and 21...Kh8!?
with compensation. On the other hand, 22.Bd2 Rg8 23.h5 gxh5 24.Qf3 Rxg3
Black could slightly modify his idea with 25.Qxh5+ Kg8 26.fxg3 Nf6 should hold.
18...gxh5! 19.Qxh5 Qf5 20.Bd1 Nxd5
21.Qh4 Nf6 22.Ne4 c6 23.Rc5 Ne2+ 21.Qxa4 Nxa4 22.Rxc7 f6 23.Bh6 Kf7
24.Bxe2 Qxe4³ to gain the upper hand in 24.Rxb7 Rxd5 25.Bc1?
Nguyen-Li, China 2010. Now Black escapes. 25.Be3! a6 26.Rc1
dominates the a4-knight and 26...Rb5
18...Nxb3 19.Qxb3 Bxc3! 27.Rxb5 axb5 does not help much – 28.b3
19...c6 20.dxc6 bxc6 21.Qb4 gave White Nb2 29.Rc5 b4 (29...Rb8 30.Rd5) 30.Kf1
an initiative in Dreev-Tari, Gjakova 2016. Nd1 31.Bd2 Ra8 32.Ke2±.
e text equalizes, although Black should
25...a6 26.Ra7 Rb5 27.Re2 Nc5 28.Be3
have strong nerves to defend with a naked
Na4 29.Bc1 Nc5 30.Be3 Na4 ½-½
king.

20.Rxc3 10. Simantsev – Shishkin

Police 18.07.2013

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7

5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Ne4 8.Rc1 Nd7
9.cxd5 Qa5 10.Nd4 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qxa2

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 19.Nb5 Qa5 20.Bg5 .bxc6 21.Be7 cxb5
9r+l+-trk+0 22.Rxb5 Qa4 23.Bxc5 Qxd1 24.Rxd1 Ba6
9zpp+nzppvlp0 25.Bxf8 Bxb5 26.Bxb5 and the ending is a
9-+-+-+p+0 draw – 26...Bxf8 27.Rd7 f5 28.Bc6 Rc8
9+-zPP+-+-0 29.Bd5+ Kh8 30.g4. Instead, he hands the
9-+-sN-vL-+0 initiative to his opponent.
9+-zP-zP-+-0 16.Bg5 e5 17.Be7 exd4 18.Bxc5 dxe3
9q+-+-zPPzP0 19.0-0?
9+-tRQmKL+R0 White surrenders without much ght.
xiiiiiiiiy 19.Bxf8 exf2+ 20.Kxf2 Bxf8 21.Re1 Bc5+
22.Kf1 bxc6 may look scary, but at least he
12.c6 would have been an exchange up. If we
12.Qb3 Qxb3 13.Nxb3 was bad for look a few more moves ahead, the
White in Swayams-Melkumyan, Riga 2014 manoeuvre 23.Qd8+ Kg7 24.Qg5 Bf5
– 13...a5 14.c6 Nb6 15.e4 bxc6 16.Bc7 25.Qf4 Qe6 26.g4= would ensure a luft for
Na4μ. the king at g2 and sufficient counterplay.

His best chance is perhaps 12.Nb3 a5 19...Re8 20.cxb7 Bxb7 21.Bxe3 a5

13.e4 Qb2 (13...a4 14.Nd2) 14.Bd2 a4 22.Ra1 Qd5 23.Qxd5 Bxd5 24.Ra3 Rec8
15.Rb1 Qa3 16.Nd4=. 25.Bd4 Bf8 26.Raa1 a4 27.Bf3 Bxf3
28.gxf3 a3 29.Rfb1 Rcb8 30.Kg2 Rxb1
12...Nc5 13.Be2 Qxd5 14.Bf3 Qc4 31.Rxb1 Bg7 32.Bxg7 Kxg7 33.Kf1 Kf6
15.Be2 Qa2 34.Ke2 a2 35.Ra1 Ke5 0-1
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0 11. Wojtaszek – Nepomniachtchi
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+P+-+p+0 Wijk aan Zee 2017

9+-sn-+-+-0 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7

9-+-sN-vL-+0 5.e3 0-0
9+-zP-zP-+-0
9q+-+LzPPzP0
9+-tRQmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Of course, Black rejects the draw by
repetition of moves. His distant passed
pawn has great prospects and White should
nd the only move to keep the balance –
16.0-0! e5 17.Ra1 Qb2 18.Rb1 Qxc3
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY light-squared bishop. If he put it on d7,
9rsnlwq-trk+0 White would answer Kd2, and on ...Bb7
9zppzp-zppvlp0 the retort is Ke2. In both cases White
9-+-+-snp+0 preserved some pull. en Black discovered
9+-+p+-+-0 the clever waiting set-up:
9-+PzP-vL-+0 12...f6! 13.Rg1 Rf7! and the current
9+-sN-zP-+-0 verdict is that the chances are completely
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 even. Black obtains enough counterplay
9tR-+QmKLsNR0 with ...e5:
xiiiiiiiiy 14.Ke2 Bd7

6.Rc1 14...e5!? 15.dxe5 Bd7 16.exf6 Bxf6„

Two decades ago 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nxd5 may be a simpler solution.
Qxd5 8.Bxc7 was considered the most
15.d5 e5=.
principled retort to 5...0-0.
Here are a couple of recent examples
e point is that 8...Nc6, which
where White tried the new idea 13.b3 –
promises Black the better game in the
13...Rf7 14.Rg1 Bb7 15.Ke2 Bf8
line with Nf3 instead of e3, is not so
effective as White has 9.Ne2 Bg4 10.f3. XIIIIIIIIY
8...Na6 practically regains the pawn
9r+-+-vlk+0
since 9.Bg3 Bf5 would be dangerous for 9zplvL-zpr+p0
White. So he takes 9.Bxa6 Qxg2 10.Qf3 9p+-+-zpp+0
Qxf3 11.Nxf3 bxa6 12.Rc1 and hopes to 9+-+-+-+-0
exploit the full control of the c- le. 9-+-zP-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+P+-zPN+-0
9r+l+-trk+0 9P+-+KzP-zP0
9zp-vL-zppvlp0 9+-tR-+-tR-0
9p+-+-+p+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+-+-+-0 16.Ba5 e6 17.Nd2 Re8 18.h4 e5 19.h5
9-+-zP-+-+0 exd4 20.hxg6 hxg6 21.Rxg6+ Kh7=, Li
9+-+-zPN+-0 Chao-Giri, Stavanger 2016;
9PzP-+-zP-zP0
9+-tR-mK-+R0 16.Nd2 e6 17.Bg3 Rd8 18.Nc4 Rd5
19.f3 Rfd7 20.Rgd1 e5 21.e4 Rxd4
xiiiiiiiiy 22.Rxd4 exd4 23.Na5 d3+ 24.Kd1 Bb4
White had some initial success because 25.Nxb7 Rxb7 26.Rc6 a5 27.Rxf6 a4
Black could not nd the right place for his
28.Rc6 axb3 29.axb3 Kf7 30.Rc4=, Lysyj-
Dominguez Perez, Sochi 2016.
6...Be6!
White misses the option of Ng5. is is
the drawback of 5.e3. e only attempt to
punish Black is 7.Qb3 c5 8.Qxb7, but
8...Qb6! 9.Qxb6 axb6 has turns out to be
pleasant for Black!
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+-trk+0
9+-+-zppvlp0
9-zp-+lsnp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+PzP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tR-mKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
10.Nf3 dxc4 11.dxc5 (11.Ng5 cxd4
12.exd4 Bd5) 11...bxc5 12.Ng5 Bd5 13.e4
(13.Rd1 e6) 13...Bb7 14.Bxc4 (14.f3
Ba6μ) 14...h6 15.Nxf7 Rxf7 16.f3 Ba6³,
Li Bo-Xu Minghui Shijiazhuang 2016. As a
rule, a rook and two pawns should be better
than two minor pieces, but the d3- and d4-
square are very weak and Black’s pieces will
use them to invade the enemy camp.
7.c5 c6 8.Bd3
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+p+lsnp+0
9+-zPp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sNLzP-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-tRQmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
8...Bc8!
I do not see any reason to provoke f3
with 8...Bg4 9.f3 (9.Nge2 Bxe2 10.Bxe2
Nbd7=) 9...Bc8 10.Nge2 Nbd7 11.b4 e5
12.Bg5 exd4 13.exd4 Re8 14.0-0.
9.Bg3
9.Bg5 does not hamper Black’s
counterplay – 9...h6 10.Bh4 b6 11.b4 a5
12.b5 (12.a3 axb4 13.axb4 Na6) 12...bxc5
13.dxc5 Nfd7 14.Na4 cxb5 15.Bxb5 Ba6
16.Be2 Qc8ƒ.
9.Nf3 allows 9...Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3
11.Qxf3 Nbd7 12.0-0 Re8 followed up by
...e5. In principle, Black should be glad to
trade his light-squared bishop, even at the
cost of shuttling along the c8-h3 diagonal.
9...b6 10.b4 Nh5 11.Bh4 a5

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 12...axb4 13.Na4 Nd7 14.Rxc6 Bb7
9rsnlwq-trk+0 15.Rc1 Bf6
9+-+-zppvlp0 is is not a mistake, of course, but
9-zpp+-+p+0 Black could have offered the e7-pawn –
9zp-zPp+-+n0 15...Nxb6!? 16.Nxb6 Qxb6 17.Bxe7 Rfe8
9-zP-zP-+-vL0 18.Bc5 Qa5 19.Kf1 Nf6 with tangible
threats. After the text, the game sets course
9+-sNLzP-+-0 to a peaceful end.
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9+-tRQmK-sNR0 16.Bxf6 Nhxf6 17.Nf3 Nxb6 18.Nc5
xiiiiiiiiy Bc8 19.Qb3 Nbd7 20.0-0 Qa5 21.Rc2
Nxc5 22.Rxc5 Qxa2 23.Qxb4 Ra4
12.cxb6 24.Qb1 Ba6 25.Qxa2 Rxa2 26.Bxa6
White cannot preserve his space Rxa6 27.Rc7 e6 28.Ne5 Ne4 29.Rfc1 Ra2
advantage since 12.a3 axb4 13.axb4 Na6 30.f3 Nd6 31.R1c2 Rxc2 ½-½
14.Rb1? drops the c5-pawn. White’s lag in
development left the c3-knight hanging.
Chapter 4. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 with
...b6
Main Ideas
In this chapter I will offer you a simple
XIIIIIIIIY
and straightforward way to combat the 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
London System by a hybrid between the 9zppzp-+pzpp0
Queen’s Gambit and the Queen’s Indian. Its 9-+-vlpsn-+0
main pluses are: 9+-+p+-+-0
It is very reliable for Black; 9-+-zP-vL-+0
It is easy to learn; 9+-+-zP-+-0
It is practically unexplored so your 9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
opponents would not find models to
follow; 9tR-+QmKLsNR0
It is psychologically unpleasant for xiiiiiiiiy
White since his main plan of
pushing e4 does not work. Our rst goal is to make White de ne
the place of his bishop at once. at is
We start with: important since if he does not retreat it to
g3, we take on f4 and aim to trade the
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nd2 Bd6! other bishopvia a6. In this scenario we need
White’s move order does not bother us – our knight on b8 in order to support
we play the same against 4.Nf3. ...Ba6: 5.Ngf3 Bxf4 6.exf4 b6 7.Bd3 c5 (or
Depending on your repertoire against 7...0-0 8.Qe2 a5) 8.c3 0-0 9.0-0 Ba6=.
1.d4, you could also choose 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3
d5 3.Bf4 Bd6 4.Bg3 Nf6 or move orders
with 1...Nf6, 2...e6.

I consider the early Nf3 as a

concession from the rst player as we can
no longer fear a number of unpleasant set-
ups where White plays Nh3 or f4 before
Nf3. Sometimes he just has more useful
moves than Nf3, e.g. he could build a Qb1-
Bd3 battery towards our king.
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zp-+-+pzpp0
9lzp-+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-zPL+N+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Remember that such an early exchange
of our light-squared bishop is commonly
not very good because White could use the
temporary misplacement of our knight by
opening the centre. In our case we do not
fear it since the e3-pawn has moved to f4,
depriving White of the break e3-e4. See
Game 12 Baron-Rodshtein, Biel 2016.
5.Bg3 0-0 6.Bd3 b6
e point of our set-up. We are going to
play ...Bb7 and stop e4 even by means of
...Ne4, ...f5, if needed.
Note that we could play ...b6 on the
previous turn and in most cases play would
transpose. Here are the pros and cons of
that particular move order:
After 5...b6, the only important
independent line is 6.Bb5+ c6 7.Bd3 Bb7
8.Ngf3 c5 which leads to positions from
the next chapter.
e only minor drawback of 5...0-0
6.Bd3 b6 is that White could play 7.e4
dxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb7 9.Qe2 Nxe4 10.Bxe4
Bxe4 11.Qxe4 Nd7 which is equal, but
easier to play with both sides than the main
lines of the London System.
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zp-zp-+pzpp0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+LzP-vL-0
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
White has the following sensible plans
from here:
White insist on e4
is is possible only after the move order
with 4.Nd2 when White can make use of
the delay of Ngf3:
5...b6 6.Bd3 Bb7 7.Qe2. However, e4 is
not such of a threat as long as we have our
bishop on b7 – we can ignore it with 7...0-
0 and meet 8.e4 by trading everything on
that square. Besides, the stubborn 7...Ne4
is also possible.
In the diagram position White has 7.e4
directly, but as I mentioned above, it does
not bring White any advantage.
White plays Ne5
Less experienced players like this leap
very much since they hope to win with a
quick kingside attack based on f4, Qf3 and
probably g2-g4-g5. Our set-up works very
well against it, as we have ...Ne4, followed
up by ...f6:
7.Ngf3 Bb7 8.Ne5 Ne4 (8...Nbd7!? is a
more subtle retort) 9.Qh5 (the only
sensible try against the threat ...f6) queen, the knight on e5 is just a cause of
9...Nd7! concern for White. We play 10...c5! when
XIIIIIIIIY 11.0-0-0 would stumble into 11...cxd4
9r+-wq-trk+0 12.exd4 Bxe5!³. Remains 11.f3 Nxd2
9zplzpn+pzpp0 12.Qxd2 Nc6=, winning the battle for e5.
9-zp-vlp+-+0
White plays on the queenside
9+-+psN-+Q0
9-+-zPn+-+0 7.Ngf3 Bb7 8.c3 Ne4 9.Qc2 f5
XIIIIIIIIY
9+-+LzP-vL-0 9rsn-wq-trk+0
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0 9zplzp-+-zpp0
9tR-+-mK-+R0 9-zp-vlp+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+p+p+-0
is is White’s most aggressive approach, 9-+-zPn+-+0
but it also gives us excellent counterplay. 9+-zPLzPNvL-0
10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Nxd7 Qxd7 and 10.0-0- 9PzPQsN-zPPzP0
0 f5 are clearly not what White had hoped 9tR-+-mK-+R0
for, so 10.f3 remains the only way to pour
some oil into the re. 10...Ndf6 11.Qh3
xiiiiiiiiy
Nxd2 12.Kxd2 g6. I think that after ...c5 is position is the main goal of our plan
White’s king will soon begin to feel rather with the early ...b6. However, note that we
exposed in the centre. play ...f5 only after White’s knight has
landed on f3. Otherwise Nh3! would take
White could also wait for us to push control of f4 while leaving the option of f2-
...f5, and only then play Ne5: f3 open. White can now switch to 10.c4
XIIIIIIIIY Nd7 11.0-0, but he gets a really harmless
9rsn-wq-trk+0 version of the Stonewall. Almost all of his
9zplzp-+-zpp0 pieces are passive and we have decent
chances on the kingside after 11...Nxg3!
9-zp-vlp+-+0 12.hxg3, see Game 13 Van Foreest-
9+-+psNp+-0 Jakubowski, Berlin 2017.
9-+-zPn+-+0
9+-zPLzP-vL-0 Plan with a2-a4-a5
It was practically never tried in this
9PzPQsN-zPPzP0 setting, but I thought I should mention it.
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy Let’s consider 6.c3 b6 7.a4 Bb7 8.a5

Indeed, we do not have ...f6 anymore,

but the white queen is clearly misplaced on
c2. Without an active support from the
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0 9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zplzp-+pzpp0 9zplzp-+-zpp0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 9-zp-vlp+-+0
9zP-+p+-+-0 9zP-+p+p+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9-+-zPn+-+0
9+-zP-zP-vL-0 9+-zPLzP-vL-0
9-zP-sN-zPPzP0 9-zP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0 9tR-+QmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
We have achieved our goal of preventing 10.Nh3! with a positional edge.
e3-e4. White does not have any threats on
the kingside either, so we can take a course eoretical status
towards taking over the initiative with Only Sedlak mentions brie y the plan
8...c5! 9.Bd3 Qc7, followed by ...Nbd7. with ...b6, Bb7, giving the game Heberla-
Pinkas, Katowice 2015:
Positional decisions XIIIIIIIIY
White could take on d6 at any moment.
Perhaps both recaptures ...Qxd6 and ...cxd6
9rsn-wq-trk+0
are equally good, but I prefer to take by 9zplzp-+pzpp0
queen inorder to preserve a more uid 9-zp-vlp+-+0
pawn structure. 9+-+psN-+-0
When to build a Stonewall construction?
9-+-zPn+-+0
It is rather passive, so I would resort to it 9+-+LzP-vL-0
only when I see strong indications in its 9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
favour, for instance, to stop White’s battery 9tR-+QmK-+R0
Qc2, Bd3. I would de nitely refrain from it xiiiiiiiiy
when the white knight is on g1, in order to
avoid: 9.Qh5, when he ignores the best option
9...Nd7!.

As a whole, the early anchetto is

uncharted territory. It deserves serious
attention.

XIIIIIIIIY
Chapter 4. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 with
...b6
Step by Step
with little chances of showing activity.
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3
I analyse in detail the Jobava Attack 4...Bb4+ is a more exploitative attempt
3.Nc3 e6 in Game 14 Sheng – So, rapid, since the f4-bishop can neither protect
chess.com 2017. e other good answer, the a5-e1 diagonal nor is it pinning the
3...g6, is covered in Chapter 2. Another f6-knight. Still, 5.Nd2 keeps things
version of it – 1.d4.d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.Nc3, is under control. In my opinion, the most
considered in Chapter 6. challenging retort is:
4...c5, aiming at playing against an
3...e6
isolator – 5.Nc3
3...c5 4.Nc3, 4.c3 – see Chapter 6.
XIIIIIIIIY 5.dxc5 Bxc5 6.Nc3 leads to a popular
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 position from the 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6
9zppzp-+pzpp0 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.e3 c5 6.dxc5
9-+-+psn-+0 Bxc5 variation, with a clear tempo up
for Black.
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 5...cxd4 6.exd4 Bb4
9+-+-zP-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9PzPP+-zPPzP0 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0 9zpp+-+pzpp0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+psn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
4.Nd2 9-vlPzP-vL-+0
4.c4 does not t in with the concept of 9+-sN-+-+-0
the London System. at does not mean it 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
is a bad move and we should be ready to
face it. 9tR-+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
4...Bd6 5.Bxd6 Qxd6 6.Nc3 0-0 is
certainly possible, but it would leave us 7.Nf3
 e greedy 7.Bxb8?! Bxc3+ 8.bxc3
XIIIIIIIIY
Rxb8 9.Qa4+ Bd7 10.Qxa7?! brings 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
White to the edge of losing after 10...0- 9zppzp-+pzpp0
0 11.Nf3 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Bc6. 9-+-vlp+-+0
7.a3?! hands Black the initiative after 9+-+p+-+-0
7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qa5 9.Nf3 0-0! 9-+-zPn+-+0
10.Rc1 Bd7. 9+-+-zPNvL-0
7...0-0 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd5 10.Bd2 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
Nc6 11.a3 Be7=. Black has won the battle 9tRN+QmKL+R0
for the tempo, Vitiugov-Zvjaginsev, rapid, xiiiiiiiiy
St Petersburg 2014.
a) 6.Bxd6 Nxd6 7.Nbd2 b6 8.c4 Bb7
4.Bd3 Bd6 5.Bxd6
9.cxd5;
5.Bg3 c5 or 5...0-0 transpose. Instead, b) 6.c4!? Nxg3 7.hxg3 c6 8.g4!?ƒ,
5...Ne4? drops a pawn owing to 6.Bxe4 Vazquez-Candela, Madrid 2013.
dxe4 7.Qg4. Finally, 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Ne5 is an attempt
5...Qxd6 6.Nd2 0-0 7.f4 is senseless, as to save a tempo on Bg3. However, White
after 7...c5 8.c3 cxd4 White has to lacks the option of f4 in this line. A solid
recapture 9.cxd4 when 9...b6 is pleasant for retort is 5...0-0 6.Bd3 c5 7.c3 Nc6
Black. (Another consistent plan is 7...b6 8.Nd2
Ba6.)
4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bg3 should transpose to
the main line after 5...0-0. XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
Many adepts of the London System 9zpp+-+pzpp0
prefer to avoid the Stonewall set-up: 9-+nvlpsn-+0
5...Ne4, planing to meet Nbd2 and
Bd3 by ...f5. I do not believe that
9+-zppsN-+-0
wasting a tempo on move 5 could be the 9-+-zP-vL-+0
best option. White has at least two 9+-zPLzP-+-0
promising options: 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tRN+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.dxc5
is harmless owing to 10...Bxf4 11.exf4
e5 12.fxe5 Qxe5+ 13.Qe2 Qb8!? 14.0-0
Re8 15.Qc2 Ng4 16.g3 Ne5, when
17.Be2 runs into 17...Bf5.
XIIIIIIIIY
 Giri chose against Hou in Wijk aan Zee
2016:
8.Nd2 Qc7 9.Ndf3 b6 10.Nxc6
10.Bg3 Ne7 11.Qb1 Nf5 is ne for
Black.
10.h4!? Bb7 11.h5 cxd4 12.exd4 Ne4
13.Bh2 f6∞.
10...Qxc6 11.Ne5 Qc7 12.Qf3 Ne4!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
9zp-wq-+pzpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zPnvL-+0
9+-zPLzPQ+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
13.Nc4?! Bxf4 14.Qxf4 Qxf4 15.exf4
Ba6 16.Bxe4 dxe4μ, and miraculously
saved a difficult game.
4...Bd6
It is good to make White de ne his
intentions about the f4-bishop rst. After
4...c5, we should also worry about 5.Bd3
Nc6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bxd6 Qxd6 8.f4, as in
Kramnik-Grandelius, Stavanger 2016.
5.Bg3
5.Bxd6 is best met by 5...Qxd6.
e engines will tell you that 5...cxd6 is
completely equal. at may be true after
6.Bd3 Nc6 7.c3 0-0 8.Ne2 e5 9.0-0
Re8=, but we lack any active plan.
6.f4
6.Ngf3 looks totally harmless. We have
a wide range of possible plans. Simplest
is to play for ...e5 with 6...0-0 7.Bd3
Nbd7.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+k+-tr0
9zppzp-+pzpp0
9-+-wqpsn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-+-zP-+-0
9PzPPsN-+PzP0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
White has built a Stonewall formation
with two details in his favour – he has
traded his bad bishop, and he has not
committed his king to the kingside. In
order to insure myself against long castling,
I would play 6...Qb6! 7.Rb1 c5 8.c3 Bd7
9.Bd3 Bb5 with nice prospects for a
minority pawn attack on the queenside.
Our queen’s knight could help the defence
from e7.
5.Ngf3 Bxf4 6.exf4 is not without
venom. It is true that e3-e4 is no longer a
threat, but Black may experience lasting
problems with his remaining bad bishop. I
think that its exchange should be our
primary goal, so we go 6...b6 7.Bd3 c5 (or
7...0-0 8.Qe2 a5) 8.c3 0-0 9.0-0 Ba6=. See
Game 12 Baron-Rodshtein, Biel 2016.
5.c3 Bxf4 is similar to the above line.
5...0-0
 is move order aims to avoid the check 6.Bd3 Bb7 7.Qe2 nurtures the idea of
from b5: pushing e3-e4-e5 when Black would lack
...Nh5, e.g. 7...c5 8.c3 0-0 9.e4 Be7
5...b6!? 6.Bb5+. It is not really 10.e5∞.
dangerous, but transposes to positions from
the next chapter so you would need more
XIIIIIIIIY
preparation. Play continues: 9rsn-wqk+-tr0
9zplzp-+pzpp0
6...c6 9-zp-vlpsn-+0
6...Nbd7?! 7.Bc6 Rb8 8.c4 earned 9+-+p+-+-0
White space in Stefanova-Rudolf, 9-+-zP-+-+0
Mamaia 2016. 9+-+LzP-vL-0
7.Bd3 Bb7 9PzPPsNQzPPzP0
XIIIIIIIIY 9tR-+-mK-sNR0
9rsn-wqk+-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zpl+-+pzpp0
It is easily parried with 7...Ne4, when
9-zppvlpsn-+0 8.Bxe4 dxe4 9.0-0-0 is harmless owing
9+-+p+-+-0 to 9...Qe7, preparing long castling, e.g.
9-+-zP-+-+0 10.Kb1 10...f5 11.f3 Nd7 or 10.f3 exf3
9+-+LzP-vL-0 11.gxf3 Nd7.
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0 However, White could answer 8.c3 with
9tR-+QmK-sNR0 complex play. For instance: 8...Nxd2
xiiiiiiiiy 9.Qxd2 c5 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.f4, or
8...Nd7 9.0-0-0.
8.Ngf3
e simplest solution is:
Or 8.Qe2 c5 9.c3 Nc6 (9...0-0 10.e4!?) 7...0-0 as 8.e4 is not such of a threat –
10.Ngf3 0-0; 8...dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 Bxe4
8.c3 0-0; 11.Qxe4 Nd7 12.Nf3 Nf6 13.Qe2 c5
14.0-0-0 Qc7 looks ne for Black.
8.e4? dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 f5!.
8...c5 9.c3 0-0. 6.c4 is certainly inconsistent with the
knight already committed to d2. Black can
If you still prefer 5...b6, here are more play in the centre with 6...0-0 7.Ngf3 c5 or
White options on move 6: 7...Bb7 8.Rc1 c5.

6.Ngf3 0-0 7.Bd3 Bb7 transposes. White could also try to postpone Ngf3
with 6.c3!? Bb7 7.Bd3 0-0
 7...Ne4!? considerably restricts White’s when the typical manoeuvre ...Ne7,
choice, when 8.Nxe4 dxe4 9.Qa4+ Nd7 preparing ...f6, should assure Black of even
10.Ba6 Bxa6 11.Qxa6 leaves White chances. See Game 16 Skoberne-Halkias,
with a slightly more exible pawn Baku 2016, of the next chapter.
structure, although the evaluation
remains equal. 6.Bd3
XIIIIIIIIY 6.Ngf3 b6 7.Ne5 (7.c3 Bb7 8.Bd3 is
9rsn-wq-trk+0 line B.) 7...Bb7 8.Bd3 is line A.
9zplzp-+pzpp0 6...b6 7.Ngf3
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 7.e4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb7 9.Qe2 Nxe4
9+-+p+-+-0 10.Bxe4 Bxe4 11.Qxe4 Nd7=.
9-+-zP-+-+0
7.Qe2 Bb7 8.Bh4 (8.Ngf3 is the main
9+-zPLzP-vL-0 line) is harmless. Black could play in the
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 spirit of this chapter, without ...c5:
9tR-+QmK-sNR0 8...Nc6!?
xiiiiiiiiy
8...c5 9.c3 Nbd7 is quite good, too.
a) 8.a4 c5
9.c3 e5 10.Qd1, when the manoeuvre
I recommend to avoid the Stonewall set- 10...Qe7 11.Ne2 Qe6 unpins the knight.
up 8...Ne4 9.a5 f5 while the white
knight remains on g1 in view of the 7...Bb7
XIIIIIIIIY
possibility of 10.Nh3!. e f3-square 9rsn-wq-trk+0
remains free for the pawn or for the
other knight.
9zplzp-+pzpp0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0
9.Ngf3 Nc6 10.0-0 Bxg3 11.hxg3
occurred in Sergeev-Ovsejevitsch, Zalakaros
9+-+p+-+-0
2010. e game went 11...Qe7 12.Re1 e5 9-+-zP-+-+0
13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Qxe5 15.a5 h6 ½- 9+-+LzPNvL-0
½. While the plan with ...e5 does equalize, 9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
it should be the last resort for Black if he 9tR-+QmK-+R0
wants to play for a win. It is better to xiiiiiiiiy
choose a waiting game rst, e.g. ...h6,
...Rfc8, ...Rfb8. A. 8.Ne5; B. 8.c3

b) 8.Qb1 is a known idea in positions 8.0-0 is a solid move, but it is too modest
with ...c5. White is eyeing h7 while to set us problems. We can follow our main
supporting b4. It also denies ...Ne4. e scheme with 8...Ne4 9.Bxd6 Qxd6 10.c4
best retort is 8...c5 9.Ngf3 Nc6 10.Ne5,
c5 11.Rc1 Nxd2 12.Qxd2 Nd7 13.Rfd1
cxd4 14.Nxd4 Ne5.
If you wish to avoid positions with a
bishop vs a knight, you could consider
8...Bxg3 (this exchange is always an option
after White has castled short) 9.hxg3 Nbd7
10.Re1 (10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Ne4)
10...c5 11.c3 Qe7=.
8.Qe2 is thematic against schemes with
an early ...c5, but here it is quite
questionable, as we simply stop e3-e4 by
8...Ne4!? (8...c5 9.c3 Nc6 is line A13 of the
next chapter.) 9.0-0-0 Nd7 (9...c5!?)
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zplzpn+pzpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zPn+-+0
9+-+LzPNvL-0
9PzPPsNQzPPzP0
9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
10.Ne5 Bxe5 11.dxe5 Nec5 12.h4
Nxd3+ 13.cxd3 c5 14.h5 b5 15.Kb1 c4ƒ.
A. 8.Ne5 Ne4
is is our main idea, but 8...Nbd7!? is
more safe and could be the best
continuation. e obvious plus of this
move is that it does not allow Qh5. White
on his turn can deny us ...Ne4 with:
a) 9.Qf3, but then he will be unable to
bolster the e5-knight with f4. We start the
battle for e5 – 9...c5 10.c3 Qc7 11.Nxd7
Qxd7 12.Bh4 Ne8 13.Qh3
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+ntrk+0
9zpl+q+pzpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-vL0
9+-zPLzP-+Q0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
13...g6
Keeping the tension in the centre. e
ank approach is also possible – 13...f5
14.0-0 Nf6 15.Bg3 c4 16.Bc2 b5
17.Nf3 b4 18.Ne5 Qe7=.
14.0-0 f6 15.Bg3 Rd8 16.Rfe1 Bxg3
17.Qxg3 Nd6 18.Rad1 Qe7
Black maintains a rm grip on e4, while
his threat ...e5 is real, e.g. 19.a3 e5.
19.f4 does not prevent it due to
19...Rfe8. Black controls the course of
the game so he could choose the best
timing for ...e5. Perhaps the best White
could do is to open the centre with:
19.c4 Ba6 20.Bf1 Nxc4 21.Nxc4 dxc4
22.Qf3 with counterplay.
b) Another consistent move is 9.f4 c5
10.c3 Ne4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Bb5 Now
simplest is to kill the strong knight:
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+n+pzpp0 9zpl+-+-zpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0 9-zpnvlpzp-+0
9+Lzp-sN-+-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zPpzP-+0 9-+-zP-+N+0
9+-zP-zP-vL-0 9+-zPLzPPvL-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0 9PzP-wQ-+PzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
12...Nxe5 13.fxe5 Be7 14.0-0 a6 15.Ba4 Black has more space, but he lacks targets
Rc8 16.Bc2 b5 17.a3 a5 18.Qg4 Bg5÷, – 13.Bxd6 (13.Bb5 Ne7) 13...Qxd6 14.0-0
but 12...Nf6 13.Bh4 cxd4 is also possible. f5 15.Nf2 e5=.
After 14.exd4 (14.exd4 a6=) 14...a6
15.Ba4, we could play 15...Kh8, planning 9...Nd7!
to take ...gxf6. e imbalances in the Finally Black completes development and
position should give us fair chances to play obtains a good game. Heberla-Pinkas,
for a win. Katowice 2015, saw 9...f5?! 10.Nxe4 fxe4
11.Bb5!. Although Black could still hold
9.Qh5 with 11...Ba6!, White’s pieces remain
It would be senseless to support the e5- slightly more active and he could play for
knight with 9.f4, as 9...f6 would repel it the break f2-f3. Instead, Pinkas completely
anyway – 10.Ng4 c5 11.c3 Qe8³ forgot about development – 11...c6?!
(11...Nxd2 12.Qxd2 Nc6³). 12.Be2 c5? 13.Bg4 Qe8 14.Qh3 Bc8,
when 15.Nc4!± would have nailed him
9.f3 is more to the point and play is down at once.
roughly equal after 9...Nxd2 10.Qxd2 c5
11.c3 f6 12.Ng4 Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zplzpn+pzpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0
9+-+psN-+Q0
9-+-zPn+-+0
9+-+LzP-vL-0
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
A1. 10.f3; A2. 10.0-0-0; A3. 10.Nxe4
XIIIIIIIIY
A1. 10.f3 Ndf6
XIIIIIIIIY
10...g6!? 11.Qh6 Nec5! 12.Be2 Nxe5 9r+-+-trk+0
13.dxe5 Be7 14.h4 9+lwq-+psnp0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-zp-vlp+p+0
9r+-wq-trk+0 9zp-zppsN-+-0
9zplzp-vlp+p0 9-+-zP-+PvL0
9-zp-+p+pwQ0 9+-zPLzPP+Q0
9+-snpzP-+-0 9PzP-+-+-zP0
9-+-+-+-zP0 9+-mKR+-+R0
9+-+-zPPvL-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9PzPPsNL+P+0 It is unclear whose attack is more
9tR-+-mK-+R0 dangerous, but Black’s moves look easier to
xiiiiiiiiy nd. For example, 18.Bg3 Ba6! 19.Bc2
Ne8! 20.g5 (20.Qh6 a4 21.a3 f6) 20...cxd4
is less complicated, but it is also less 21.exd4 b5.
demanding from White.
Perhaps White should play for a draw
Black’s defence is based on the idea of with:
meeting h5 by ...g5 – 14...f6 15.0-0-0 Rf7
16.e4 fxe5 17.Bxe5 Bf6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Bb5! cxd4
19.h5 g5=. Black could try 18...Rfc8!? 19.Bf6
(19.Nd7 Ne8) 19...cxd4 20.exd4 a4
Or 14...f5 15.Nb3 Nxb3 16.axb3 Qd7 21.Qh6 Bf8 22.Nd7 Nh5
(16...Rf7 17.Bf4 a5!?) 17.Bf4 Rf7 18.Rh3
Kh8 19.h5 Bf8 20.Qg5 Be7=.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+r+-vlk+0
11.Qh3 Nxd2 12.Kxd2 g6 9+lwqN+p+p0
A sharp position with imminent opposite 9-zp-+pvLpwQ0
attacks has arisen. White will complete an 9+L+p+-+n0
arti cial castling after:
9p+-zP-+P+0
13.Rad1 c5 14.c3 Nh5 15.Kc1 9+-zP-+P+-0
Now Black should aim to activate his 9PzP-+-+-zP0
passive bishop: 9+-mKR+-+R0
15...a5 16.Bh4 Qc7 17.g4 Ng7 xiiiiiiiiy
23.Qxh5!! Bc6!=, when it is White’s turn
to defend accurately – 24.Bxc6 Qxc6
25.Ne5 Qb5 26.Nxg6! (or ...a3 would be

XIIIIIIIIY
nasty) 26...fxg6 27.Qe5 Rc6 28.Kb1 Qc4 A3. 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Nxd7 Qxd7
29.Rhe1 a3 30.Qe2=. 12.Bb5
12.Bc4 Bd5 13.Bxd5 exd5 14.Bxd6
19.Nd7 dxc3 20.Nf6+ Kh8 21.Nxh7 Qxd6 is equal, but we could also try
cxb2+ 22.Kxb2 Be5+ 23.Rd4 Bxd4+ 12...g6, followed by ...f5.
24.exd4 Rac8 25.Bf6 Qc2+ 26.Ka1 Qc3+
with a perpetual check. 12...Bc6 13.Bxc6 Qxc6 14.c3 b5 15.0-0
  a5
XIIIIIIIIY
A2. 10.0-0-0 f5 11.Nxe4 fxe4 12.Be2 Rf5 9r+-+-trk+0
13.Qh3
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-zp-+pzpp0
9r+-wq-+k+0 9-+qvlp+-+0
9zplzpn+-zpp0 9zpp+-+-+Q0
9-zp-vlp+-+0 9-+-zPp+-+0
9+-+psNr+-0 9+-zP-zP-vL-0
9-+-zPp+-+0 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9+-+-zP-vLQ0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-mKR+-+R0 Black is more active, but the position
xiiiiiiiiy remains equal since White has no
weaknesses – 16.Rfc1 Rfb8 17.b3 a4=.
13...Bxe5
B. 8.c3 Ne4 9.Qc2
13...Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bxe5 15.Bg4 Qf6
9.Qe2 is commonly met by 9...Nbd7
16.c3 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Qxc3+ is only a draw.
(although 9...c5 and 9...a5 also deserve
14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.f4! exf3 16.gxf3 Nxf3 attention). Play might continue 10.0-0-0
17.Bd3 d4
Weaker is 10.Ne5 Bxe5.
17...Qe8 is also noteworthy – 18.Bxf5
In Yermolinsky-Luther, Tekirdag 2016,
18.Bxc7 Ng5 19.Qg3 Ne4 20.Bxe4 Black showed a fresh plan against 10.0-
dxe4 21.Be5 Qf7 22.h4 Rf3 23.Qg2 0: 10...Nxg3 11.hxg3 Re8!? 12.Ba6 Qc8
Rf5 24.Qg3=. 13.Bxb7 Qxb7, with ...e5 to follow.
18...exf5 19.Qxf5 Qxe3+ 20.Kb1 d4=. 10...Qe7 11.Bh4 (11.Ne5 Bxe5=)
11...Qe8.
18.Bxf5 exf5 19.Qxf5 Qe7 20.exd4 Nxd4
21.Rxd4 Bxh1 22.Qe5= 9...f5
 

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wq-trk+0 9rsn-wq-trk+0
9zplzp-+-zpp0 9zpl+-+-zpp0
9-zp-vlp+-+0 9-zp-vlp+-+0
9+-+p+p+-0 9+-zppsNp+-0
9-+-zPn+-+0 9-+-zPn+-+0
9+-zPLzPNvL-0 9+-zPLzP-vL-0
9PzPQsN-zPPzP0 9PzPQsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
is position is the main goal of our plan 11.f3
with the early ...b6. Remember that the
white knight should be already on f3, to If White tries to follow the previous
avoid possible Nh3. example with 11.Ndf3, we can answer
11...Qe7 12.Qe2 Bc6 (12...a5!?) 13.Bf4
10.c4 Be8.
is is more accurate than 10.0-0, when
11.Bxe4?! fxe4 12.0-0-0 is simply bad
Black could already take the bishop –
owing to 12...cxd4 13.exd4 Bxe5
10...Nxg3 11.hxg3 Nd7.
14.dxe5 Qg5 15.Kb1 Ba6 16.Ka1 Bd3
10.Ne5 is well met by 10...c5, waiting 17.Qc1 Nd7μ.
for White to de ne his plans. We want to 11.Nxe4 fxe4 12.Be2 Nc6 is balanced –
see where he is going to castle and whether 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Bxd6 Qxd6 15.0-0
he will play f3. e5=.
10...Nd7 11.Ndf3 (11.Nxd7 Qxd7 11...Nxd2
12.Bf4=) is a bit easier for White. For
instance: e engines assess that Black has more
space, so they prefer to keep more pieces
11...Nxg3 12.hxg3 Bxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 – 11...Nf6!? 12.0-0 Qc7. It is up to you
14.dxe5 d4 15.exd4 Bxg2 16.Rh2 Bf3 to decide, according to your mind frame
17.Be2 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 h6 19.f4; for the game.
11...Ndf6 12.Bf4 (12.Bh4 Qe8) 12.Qxd2 Nc6=.
12...Nh5 (12...c5 13.h4) 13.0-0 c5
14.Be2 a6 15.a4 Qc7. 10...Nd7 11.0-0

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY does not fear an open h- le. On the
9r+-wq-trk+0 contrary, he might use it in his favour. e
9zplzpn+-zpp0 engines like 11...Bxg3 12.hxg3 c5 13.cxd5
9-zp-vlp+-+0 exd5 14.Bb5 Ndf6, but they tend to
9+-+p+p+-0 overestimate the importance of the e4-
9-+PzPn+-+0 forepost.
9+-+LzPNvL-0 Human grandmasters would prefer to
9PzPQsN-zPPzP0 keep the dark-squared bishop and part with
9tR-+-+RmK-0 the knight: 11...Nxg3! 12.hxg3, see Game
xiiiiiiiiy 13 Van Foreest-Jakubowski, Berlin 2017.

Black has achieved his positional goals.

He prevented the break e4 and long
castling. Now he can safely take on g3 as he
Chapter 4. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 with
...b6
Annotated Games
In my opinion, we should not hurrywith
12. Baron – Rodshtein ...c5, since it offers White chances to attack
us in the centre with c4. So I would
Biel 02.08.2016 recommend 7...0-0 8.Qe2 a5 9.0-0 Ba6
(perhaps 9...c5 10.c3 Ba6 is more accurate)
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Bd6
5.Nbd2 Bxf4 6.exf4 b6 7.Bd3 XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9rsn-wq-trk+0
9rsnlwqk+-tr0 9+-zp-+pzpp0
9zp-zp-+pzpp0 9lzp-+psn-+0
9-zp-+psn-+0 9zp-+p+-+-0
9+-+p+-+-0 9-+-zP-zP-+0
9-+-zP-zP-+0 9+-+L+N+-0
9+-+L+N+-0 9PzPPsNQzPPzP0
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
is position occurred in Prohaszka-
7...c5 S.Zhigalko, Gjakova 2016. e game
After the exchange of the dark-squared nished with a quick draw after 10.Rfe1 a4
bishops, we are left with a classical example 11.Ne5 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 c5 13.f5 exf5
of a “bad” bishop. While White’s pawn was 14.Qxf5 a3 15.bxa3 Rxa3 16.dxc5 bxc5
still on e3, we had reason to keep it on b7 17.c4 d4 18.Nb3 Qc8 19.Qg5 h6 20.Qc1
in order to hamper e3-e4. When this plan is Ra4 21.Qc2 Ra3 22.Qc1 Ra4 23.Qc2 Ra3
no longer valid, we should obviously aim to ½-½.
trade our bishop via a6. e question is,
what is the best way to arrange the 8.c3 0-0 9.0-0 Ba6 10.Bxa6 Nxa6
exchange. Some players include rst 11.Ne5 Nc7
7...Qd6 8.g3, but I’m not convinced this is It was objectively safer to x the centre at
in our favour. once with 11...cxd4 12.cxd4 Nc7 13.Rc1
Nb5 14.Qa4 Nd6 15.Qa3 Nf5!?=. or in the centre with 13...Nce8 14.cxd5
XIIIIIIIIY exd5 15.Rc1 Rc8 16.Nb3 c4 17.Nd4 Nd6
9r+-wq-trk+0 18.b3 Qb6. In both cases White’s initiative
should gradually fade away.
9zp-+-+pzpp0
9-zp-+psn-+0 12.Qf3?! Nb5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.f5
9+-+psNn+-0 White plays for a draw! He trades his
9-+-zP-zP-+0 doubled pawn, but meanwhile he loses the
initiative.
9wQ-+-+-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 14...exf5 15.Qxf5 Nd6 16.Qf4 Qb6
9+-tR-+RmK-0 17.b3
XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9r+-+-trk+0
We do not have any weaknesses and 9zp-+-+pzpp0
White should be careful with his sensitive 9-wq-sn-sn-+0
pawn on d4. 9+-zppsN-+-0
Rodshtein, who is the clear Elo-favourite 9-+-+-wQ-+0
in this game, prefers to keep the tension in 9+PzP-+-+-0
the centre. He allows 12.dxc5!? bxc5 13.c4. 9P+-sN-zPPzP0
I would not say White has something 9tR-+-+RmK-0
tangible here, but Black should make some
tough decisions. He is likely to be straddled
xiiiiiiiiy
with hanging pawns soon, and it is not a Black is slightly more active, but play
trivial task to defend them. remains roughly equal. e next 20 moves
XIIIIIIIIY do not tip the balance, but just before the
9r+-wq-trk+0 time control White commits a mistake:
9zp-sn-+pzpp0 17...Nb5 18.Rac1 Rae8 19.a4 Nd6
9-+-+psn-+0 20.Rfe1 Nde4 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Nc4
9+-zppsN-+-0 Qxb3 23.Nd6 Re6 24.Nxe4 Nd5 25.Qd2
9-+P+-zP-+0 Qc4 26.f3 h6 27.Red1 Re5 28.a5 Rb8
9+-+-+-+-0 29.Rb1 Rxb1 30.Rxb1 f5 31.Nd6 Qxc3
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 32.Qxc3 Nxc3 33.Rb8+ Kh7 34.Rb7 a6
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
He should probably seek counterplay
down the b- le with 13...a5 14.Rc1 Na6
15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nb1 Rc8 17.Nc3 Nb4÷
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9+R+-+-zpk0 9zplzpn+-zpp0
9p+-sN-+-zp0 9-zp-vlp+-+0
9zP-zp-trp+-0 9+-+p+p+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+PzP-+-+0
9+-sn-+P+-0 9+-+LzPNzP-0
9-+-+-+PzP0 9PzPQsN-zPP+0
9+-+-+-mK-0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
35.Rb6?! 12...c6
35.Kf1 or 35.Ra7 should allow White to Black chooses to keep the centre closed
draw. e text suddenly puts White under a and to attack on the kingside. e doubled
nasty pin after 35...Nd5! 36.Rxa6 Re1+ g-pawns guarantee him an open h- le after
37.Kf2 Re6 and he must nd only moves ...g5-g4, ...h5-h4.
to stay in the game – 38.Kg3 c4 39.Rc6 c3
e other logical plan is to aim for
40.a6 Rg6+ 41.Kf2 Nb4 42.Rc4 Nd3+
hanging pawns in the centre. Artemiev-
43.Ke3 Rxd6 44.a7 Rd8 45.Rxc3 Nb4³.
Grandelius, Doha 2016, saw 12...g6
Rodstein misses this opportunity and the
13.Rac1 c5
game ows smoothly towards the draw.
It was still possible to play 13...Qe7
35...f4 36.Kf1 c4 37.Rxa6 Re6 38.Rb6
14.Nb1 c6 15.Nc3 Rac8.
Nd5 39.Rc6 Ne3+ 40.Kf2 Nd1+ 41.Kf1
Ne3+ 42.Kf2 Nd5 43.Rxc4 Rxd6 44.Rd4 14.cxd5
Rd7 45.a6 Nf6 46.Rxd7 Nxd7 47.a7 Nb6
48.Ke2 Kg6 49.Kd3 Kf5 50.Kd4 g5 Stronger is 14.Nb1!. Besides improving
the knight, it also opens the way for the
51.Kc5 Na8 52.Kd5 Kf6 53.Kd6 Kf7
½-½ white queen to e2. 14...Rc8 15.Qe2 Nf6
16.cxd5 exd5
13. Van Foreest – Jakubowski

Berlin 18.03.2017

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Bd6

5.Bg3 b6 6.Nbd2 Bb7 7.Bd3 0-0 8.c3
Ne4 9.Qc2 f5 10.c4 Nd7 11.0-0 Nxg3
12.hxg3

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rwq-trk+0 9r+-+-trk+0
9zpl+-+-+p0 9zpl+-wq-+p0
9-zp-vl-snp+0 9-+-vl-snp+0
9+-zpp+p+-0 9+Lzpp+p+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9Q+-+-+-+0
9+-+LzPNzP-0 9+-+-zPNzP-0
9PzP-+QzPP+0 9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9+NtR-+RmK-0 9+-tRR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
17.Ba6! It may look that Black’s bishop 18...Rfc8 19.Ba6 Bc6 20.Qc2 Rcb8
is “bad”, but two other positional factors 21.Nb3 Rb6 22.Bf1. Now instead of
have higher priority here: White lacks 22...Rab8³, Black erred with 22...Ba4?!
space so it is good to trade minor pieces; 23.Bc4!= and even went on to lose the
White cannot effectively attack the game.
hanging pawns until the black bishop is
alive. If White had a dark-squared 13.Rfc1 Qe7
bishop, he would have targeted the c5- It seems that Jakubowski is still hesitant
about his plan and postpones his decision.
pawn (with Na4, Ba3). In the concrete
It was time to start the offensive with
position, it is more realistic to hit d5.
13...g5!.
17...Qd7 18.dxc5 bxc5 19.b3 with
complex play. 14.a3 a5 15.cxd5 cxd5
XIIIIIIIIY
14...exd5 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Rfd1 Qe7 9r+-+-trk+0
17.Bb5 Nf6 18.Qa4 9+l+nwq-zpp0
White is trying to trade bishops, but in 9-zp-vlp+-+0
vain. He is doomed to remain with both 9zp-+p+p+-0
clumsy pieces – the bishop and the d2- 9-+-zP-+-+0
knight. Black is already better. 9zP-+LzPNzP-0
9-zPQsN-zPP+0
9tR-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
16.Nb1
16.Bb5!, hitting the d7-knight, would
have prevented 16...g5 altogether.
16...Rad8 would not help as then White
XIIIIIIIIY
would attack b6 with 17.Qb3. at means,
Black would have to play for equalization
with 16...Nf6 17.Qb3 h6 18.Ne5 Rfc8.
16...g5 17.Nc3 Rac8 18.Qe2 g4 19.Ne1
h5 20.Ba6 Nf6 21.Qb5 Rb8 22.Bxb7
Rxb7 23.Nd3?
By trading the bishops, White prepared
to invade through the c- le. It is certainly a
serious threat, but only enough to keep the
balance. Black’s potential attack on the
opposite wing ensures sufficient
counterplay, and White should have
devised a solid stand against it. e e1-
knight may be passive, but it is a good
defender. For instance, it prevents ...h4.
Instead of moving it, White could have
simply double his rooks on the c- le, e.g.
23.Rc2, since 23...h4? 24.gxh4 g3 would be
neutralised with 25.f4! Ng4 26.Nf3.
23...h4!μ 24.Nf4
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-trk+0
9+r+-wq-+-0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0
9zpQ+p+p+-0
9-+-zP-sNpzp0
9zP-sN-zP-zP-0
9-zP-+-zPP+0
9tR-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
It transpires that 24.gxh4 loses to 24...g3.
24...Bxf4
Another continuation of the attack was
24...hxg3 25.fxg3 Bxf4, but the text is
more straightforward.
25.gxf4 g3 26.f3 Ne8 27.Qd3?!
e threat ...h3 should have been
prevented with 27.Qf1, intending to meet
27...Qh7 by 28.Rc2. en 28...Rf6
29.Rac1 h3 is winning, but Black has to
nd the line 30.Nb5 hxg2 31.Qxg2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+n+k+0
9+r+-+-+q0
9-zp-+ptr-+0
9zpN+p+p+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9zP-+-zPPzp-0
9-zPR+-+Q+0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
31...Rd7! (31...Rh6 32.Rc8=) 32.Rc8
Kf7 33.Ra8 Rh6 34.Rcc8 Nf6 35.Na7!
Rh2 36.Qxg3 Rh3 37.Qg2 Qh4 38.Rf8+
Ke7 39.Rae8+ Nxe8 40.Rxe8+ Kf6
41.Rf8+ Rf7 42.Qg5+ Qxg5+ 43.fxg5+
Kg7 44.Rxf7+ Kxf7 45.Kg2 Rh7 46.f4
Kg6 and then he should show good
technique. It is not trivial to convert the
exchange.
After White’s mistake, Black is winning
with 27...Qh7! 28.Qf1 Rg7 29.Rc2 Rf6.
Instead, all his advantage goes down the
drain and he was lucky to escape:
27...h3?? 28.gxh3 Qh4 29.Kg2 Nd6
30.Ne2 Rh7 31.Ng1
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY is opening is often named after Jobava
9-+-+-trk+0 and Prié. In Chapter 2, Game 7 I showed
9+-+-+-+r0 that 3...g6 is a reliable option. Here we’ll
9-zp-snp+-+0 discuss play in QG style.
9zp-+p+p+-0 3...e6
9-+-zP-zP-wq0 3...Bf5 4.f3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.h4 may not
9zP-+QzPPzpP0 be too dangerous, but at least gives White a
9-zP-+-+K+0 psychological initiative.
9tR-tR-+-sN-0 Similarly, the trendy 3...a6 4.e3 e6 also
xiiiiiiiiy allows 5.g4 c5 (5...h6 6.Qf3 b5 7.h4) 6.g5
I guess, Black missed this defensive Nfd7 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.a3 b5 9.h4 Bb7 10.h5ƒ
manoeuvre. offers White too much space, Carlsen-
Caruana, Stavanger 2017.
31...a4 32.Rc6 (32.Qa6!±) 32...Qd8
33.Rac1 Rh6 (33...b5=) 34.Qa6 Nc4 4.Nb5
35.R1xc4 dxc4 36.Qxc4 b5! 37.Qxb5 Apparently, this is the only chance to
Qb8 38.Qe2 Qb3 39.Rc3 Qb7 40.Qc2 pose some problems.
Rb8 41.Qxa4 Qxb2+ 42.Rc2 Qb1 43.Qc4 4.e3 is more popular, but Black has a
Rb2 44.Rxb2 Qxb2+ 45.Ne2 Qd2 wide choice of decent plans. I suggest to
46.Qc8+ Kf7 47.Qd7+ Kf8 48.Qd8+ opt for the most aggressive one:
Kf7 49.Qd7+ Kf8 ½-½
4...Bb4!?
14. Sheng – So XIIIIIIIIY
rapid chess.com 08.03.2017 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
9zppzp-+pzpp0
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 9-+-+psn-+0
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 9+-+p+-+-0
9zppzp-zppzpp0 9-vl-zP-vL-+0
9-+-+-sn-+0 9+-sN-zP-+-0
9+-+p+-+-0 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9tR-+QmKLsNR0
9+-sN-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
e idea of this stab (in connection
9tR-+QmKLsNR0 with...Ne4) is to drag White’s king’s
xiiiiiiiiy knight to e2 where it stands obviously
worse than on f3. With this mission
 accomplished, we could retreat the
bishop to e7.
White cannot ignore our threats with
5.Nf3?! Ne4 6.Qd3, as after 6...c5³ he
cannot prevent...c4 and must take on
c5.
Jobava tried against Caruana 5.Nge2 0-
0 6.a3 Bd6 7.g3 (After 7.Qd2 c5 8.0-0-
0, Black’s attack could be very quick –
8...cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6
11.Kb1 Rb8 12.Nc1 a6‚.) 7...b6
8.Bg2 Bb7 9.0-0 c5, it is unclear what
White could do.
e most natural answer is:
5.Bd3 c5
It is pointless to harass the f4-bishop
with 5...Nbd7 6.Nge2 Nh5 7.Bg3,
since it would be dangerous to take on
g3 before White castled.
6.dxc5 Nbd7 7.Nge2 a6 8.a3 Bxc5
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0
9+p+n+pzpp0
9p+-+psn-+0
9+-vlp+-+-0
9-+-+-vL-+0
9zP-sNLzP-+-0
9-zPP+NzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
It is obvious even at a cursory glance that
Black has a nice position due to his mobile
pawn centre. In the game Bakalchuk-
Postny, Tiberias 2016, White rushed to
break it with 9.e4?!, but 9...e5 10.Bg3 d4³
gained even more space. More accurate was
9.Bg3 b5 10.b4 Be7 11.h3 0-0 12.0-0 Bb7
13.a4=.
Another frequent move is 4.Nf3. I
suggest to follow the same course: 4...Bb4,
with a split:
a) 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqk+-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+-+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9zP-zP-+N+-0
9-+P+PzPPzP0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
We’ll employ typical French motifs: 7.g3
(7.dxc5 Qa5 8.Qd3 Qxc5 9.e3 Nc6
10.Ne5 Nd7 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bg3 e5
13.Qd2 0-0 14.Bd3 f6 15.0-0 Nb6 16.a4
a5³) 7...Qa5 8.Bd2 Qa4 9.h4 Nc6 10.Bh3
Ne4 11.0-0 b6³.
b) 5.Qd3 Ne4
It is natural to discourage long castling
by damaging White’s pawn structure.
5...c5 6.dxc5 Nbd7 (6...0-0 7.a3 Bxc5
8.e4 Qa5 9.0-0-0 leads to a perpetual
check – 9...Bxa3 10.bxa3 Qxa3+
11.Kb1 Qb4+ 12.Kc1 Qa3+=) 7.a3
Bxc5 8.e4 Ng4 is messy after 9.Bg3
Qb6 10.0-0-0 Bxf2 11.h3 Bxg3
12.hxg4 Ne5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.exd5
Bd7 15.dxe6 Bxe6 16.Qf3 a6÷.
 6.Nd2 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bd6∞.
4...Na6 5.a3
Preventing ...Bb4, but wasting a tempo.
More principled is 5.e3 c6 6.Nc3 when we
have to decide at what kind of play we are
aiming. Simplest solution is:
6...Nc7 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Nf3 Bxf4 9.exf4
b6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Ne5 Bb7 12.Qf3 c5
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zplsn-+pzpp0
9-zp-+psn-+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-sNL+Q+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black has no weaknesses, he can easily
parry kingside attacks. For instance:
13.Ne2 Nce8 14.c3 Nd6 15.Qh3 Rc8
16.g4 g6 17.Rad1 (17.f5 exf5 18.gxf5 Rc7)
17...Nd7 18.Rfe1 Rc7 19.Nf3 Re8=.
6...Bb4 7.Bxa6 bxa6 is strategically
double-edged. e key issue here is how
Black could bring his light-squared bishop
into play. If he solved this task, his bishop
pair could prevail.
8.Nge2
Or 8.Nf3 a5 9.0-0 Ba6 10.Re1 c5=.
8...a5
8...0-0 should probably lead to similar
positions. White cannot prevent both
...Ba6 and ...c5, e.g. 9.a3 Be7 10.Na4
a5 11.Qd3 Nd7 12.0-0 c5.
9.a3 Be7 10.Qd3 Bb7 11.Na4 0-0 12.0-
0 Qc8
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+-trk+0
9zpl+-vlpzpp0
9-+p+psn-+0
9zp-+p+-+-0
9N+-zP-vL-+0
9zP-+QzP-+-0
9-zPP+NzPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black will achieve ...Ba6. e question is
will he get enough compensation for the
a5-pawn after:
13.Qc3 Ne4! 14.Qxa5 Ba6 15.Rfe1 Bd8
16.Qb4 Bc4 17.Nc5 a5 18.Qb7. Now he
could take over the initiative with
18...Nxc5 19.Qxc8 Rxc8 20.dxc5 Be7
21.b4 (21.Nc3!?=) 21...Bf6 22.Rb1 e5
23.Bg3 Ra8©, or pour more oil into the re
with 18...Bh4?! 19.g3 Qxb7 20.Nxb7 Be7
21.f3 Nd2 22.Kf2 Ra7 23.Nc5 e5!?
24.Bxe5 Bxe2 25.Rxe2 Nc4. Suddenly it
transpires that Black is winning a piece, but
26.e4! grabs a third pawn for it and
although the computer sees 0.00 at depth
45, only White could win OTB.
Of course, White could preserve his
bishop, but 7.Nge2 0-0 8.a3 Bd6 9.Ng3 is
rather comfortable for Black:
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 7...b6
9r+lwq-trk+0 I prefer 7...Bxf4! 8.exf4 b6. en 9.g4
9zpp+-+pzpp0 Bb7 10.Qf3 0-0 11.g5 Ne8 12.Bd3 only
9n+pvlpsn-+0 looks dangerous. Black has good
9+-+p+-+-0 counterplay on the queenside – 12...c5
9-+-zP-vL-+0 13.Nce2 Nb8 14.c3 Nc6 15.Qh3 g6
16.Nf3 Ng7 17.0-0 a5, planning to trade
9zP-sN-zP-sN-0 bishops via a6.
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKL+R0 Jobava-Topalov, Baku 2016, saw 7...Nc7
xiiiiiiiiy 8.Nf3 Bxf4 9.exf4 Qd6?!

is move could prove to be a waste of

e blitz game Rapport-Wei Yi,
Yancheng 2016, went: 10.Bd3 Re8
11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.f4 c5∞.
roughout the book, I preach to take
on f4 whenever possible, in order to
make the enemy pawn structure more
static:
time. 9...b6!= is easier.
10.Ne5 b6 11.Qf3 c5 12.Nb5 Nxb5
13.Bxb5+ Bd7 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.0-0-0 0-
0 16.Bxd7 Qxd7 17.f5 Qe7 18.Rhe1 cxd4
19.Rxd4 Qf6 20.Qf4 Rae8 21.Re5 exf5
22.Rdxd5 Rxe5 23.Rxe5 g6=.

9...Bxf4 10.exf4 b6 11.Bd3 Nc7 12.0-0 8.Nf3

Ba6=. Our next step will be the thematic 8.Bxd6! Qxd6 9.g4 offers White some
knight transfer to d6, and the break ...c5 – initiative.
13.Nce2 Bxd3 14.Qxd3 Qd7 15.Rfe1 g6
16.Qe3 Nce8 17.Nc1 Rc8 18.Nd3 Nd6 8...Bxf4 9.exf4 0-0 10.Be2 c5 11.0-0
19.c3 Qc7. At last, ...c5 is coming, so the Nb8 12.Ne5 Ba6
XIIIIIIIIY
game is balanced.
9rsn-wq-trk+0
5...c6 6.Nc3 Bd6 7.e3 9zp-+-+pzpp0
XIIIIIIIIY 9lzp-+psn-+0
9r+lwqk+-tr0 9+-zppsN-+-0
9zpp+-+pzpp0 9-+-zP-zP-+0
9n+pvlpsn-+0 9zP-sN-+-+-0
9+-+p+-+-0 9-zPP+LzPPzP0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
9zP-sN-zP-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0 At many occasions in the book I point
xiiiiiiiiy out that such an early exchange has a sound
position reasoning and should gradually
equalize. At the same time, it always gives
XIIIIIIIIY
White a slight iniatiative, due to the arising 9r+-+-trk+0
weakness of our light squares. Black would 9zp-wq-+pzpp0
have more chances to win if he completed 9-zp-+-sn-+0
his development rst, e.g. 12...Bb7, then, 9+-zpPsN-+-0
...Nc6, and prepare ...Ba6 at a later stage of
the game.
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9zP-+-+-+-0
13.Nb5 9-zP-+Q+PzP0
13.Bxa6!? Nxa6 14.Re1 Nc7 15.a4 is 9+-+R+RmK-0
roughly equal. e text is pointless, as xiiiiiiiiy
Black can easily force the bishops trade
anyway.
20...Nxd5
13...Ne4 14.f3 Bxb5 e position is totally dry and 20...Rad8
I do not understand this move. It wastes 21.dxc5 Qxc5+ 22.Qf2 Rxd5 would have
a tempo and allows White to repair his underlined it. e rest of the game saw a
pawn structure 14...Nd6 was a natural series of horrible blunders and is irrelevant
retort. for the opening:

15.fxe4 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Nd7 17.exd5 exd5
18.Rad1 Nf6!
Preserving the knights for defence.
18...Qc7 19.Nxd7 Qxd7 20.dxc5 bxc5
21.f5 would retain some threats.
19.c4
19.dxc5 bxc5 20.c4 d4 21.b4 Qc7=
would break the symmetry a little.
19...Qc7 20.cxd5
XIIIIIIIIY
21.dxc5 Qxc5+ 22.Kh1 Rad8 23.Rc1
Qd6 24.Qf3 f6?? (24...Qe6=) 25.Nc6 Rd7
26.Rfd1 Rc8 27.Ne7+ Nxe7 28.Rxc8+
Nxc8 29.Rxd6 Nxd6 30.Qc6 Re7 31.h3
(31.Qd5+! Kh8 32.g4 Nb7 33.b4+–)
31...Ne4 32.g4 g5 33.Kg2 Kg7 34.h4
gxf4 35.Kf3 Nc5 36.Kxf4?= Nd3+
37.Kg3 Re3+ 38.Kg2 Re2+ 39.Kf3??
Ne5+ 40.Kxe2 Nxc6 41.Ke3 Ne5
42.Kf4 Nd3+ 0-1
Chapter 5. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 with
...c5
Main Ideas
XIIIIIIIIY
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nd2 Bd6 9r+lwq-trk+0
5.Bg3 0-0 6.Ngf3 c5 7.c3 9zp-+-vlpzpp0
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0 9-zpn+p+-+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0 9+-zppzP-+n0
9-+-vlpsn-+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9+-zPL+NvL-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9+-zP-zPNvL-0 9tR-+QmK-+R0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+QmKL+R0 White has two sharp ways of attacking –
xiiiiiiiiy Ng5 and h4, threatening Bh2, g4.
Whatever variation we calculate, we always
e sudden burst of popularity of this
should answer rst how we meet those
line is based on the discovery that 7...Nc6
threats. If we neutralise them and live up to
8.Bd3 b6 9.e4 Be7!! holds Black’s position
a short castle from White, we could start
together. It is critical for him as he cannot
thinking about more long-term planning.
avoid it by delaying ...Nc6 in favour of
...b6: White could choose the particular As long as we maintain the tension in the
move order 6.Bd3 c5 7.c3, when 7...b6?! centre, Ng5 will be connected with an
(7...Nc6!) 8.e4! is slightly more pleasant for unclear pawn sac, for instance: 11.Ng5
White. us the rst thing you should Bxg5 12.Qxh5 g6 13.Qe2 cxd4 14.h4
learn is how to deal with the following Be7!?. erefore, the rst players
position: commonly choose:
10.e5 Nh5 11.a3 a5 12.Qe2 and we have a wide
choice at our disposal.

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0 9r+-+-trk+0
9+-+-vlpzpp0 9+-+-vlpzpp0
9-zpn+p+-+0 9qzpn+p+-+0
9zp-zppzP-+n0 9zp-zppzP-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-zPL+NvL-0 9zP-zP-wQNzP-0
9-zP-sNQzPPzP0 9-zP-sN-zPPmK0
9tR-+-mK-+R0 9tR-+-+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
On the defensive side, all is clear – we’ll Having exchanged the bishops, we
stay with ...g6 and ...f5 at some point. should execute the second stage of our plan
What about the queenside? In most games – to open the f- le with ...Rae8, ...f6.
Black opts for ...c4, ...b5. For instance,
12...Bd7!? 13.0-0?! c4 14.Bc2 b5, or Of course, White should delay castling.
12...Ra7!? 13.0-0?! c4, as in Game 15
Grischuk-Nakamura, Skopje 2015. While A typical manoeuvre is 13.Nf1. I
this plan quickly creates targets in White’s propose to always counter-attack it by
camp, at a later stage we might regret that 13...cxd4 14.cxd4 b5!
we deprived our light-squared bishop of XIIIIIIIIY
any prospects. 9r+-wq-trk+0
I think that our game would be much
9+l+-vlpzpp0
easier if we got rid of that bishop before 9-+n+p+-+0
closing the ank. My recommendation is: 9zpp+pzP-+n0
9-+-zP-+-+0
12...Bb7!?, preparing to meet 13.0-0 by
9zP-+L+NvL-0
13...Nxg3 14.hxg3 Qc8 15.Kh2 Ba6
16.Rh1 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Qa6 18.Qe3
9-zP-+QzPPzP0
9tR-+-mKN+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
15.Bxb5 a4!„, intending ...Qb6, ...Ba6.

e best retort to the waiting 13.Rd1 is

13...g6.

Finally, 13.h4!? may be White’s best

choice, playing for a draw after 13...Nxg3

XIIIIIIIIY
14.fxg3 Qc8 15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Ng5+
XIIIIIIIIY
Kh6 17.Qd3 g6 18.h5 Kg7 19.Nxf7=. 9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-vlpzpp0
Let’s now consider White’s other major 9-zp-snp+-+0
plans. 9+-zppsN-zP-0
   9-+-zPnzP-+0
9+-zPLzPQ+-0
White plays Ne5 9PzP-sN-vL-zP0
7...Nc6 8.Bd3 b6 (or 7...b6!? 8.Bd3
Nc6) 9.Ne5 Bb7
9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0 We can do little to avoid it. e big
9zpl+-+pzpp0 question is who is ahead in the race. I think
I know the answer – Black’s attack is more
9-zpnvlpsn-+0 dangerous, but only because of the novelty:
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 15...cxd4! 16.exd4 b5!‚.
9+-zPLzP-vL-0 b) 11.Qb1 is less committing as it
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 assumes a short castle. I consider in the
9tR-+QmK-+R0 annotations to Game 17 Sandipan-
xiiiiiiiiy Kryvoruchko, rapid, Dubai 2014, several
good plans against it. A safe stand is
e simplest way to treat this position is 11...g6!? 12.0-0 Nh5!? 13.Bf2 f6 14.Nef3
to ignore the e5-knight and to aim to put Nc6!?
our own knight on e4. We’ll start with
...Ne7, but then we’ll need the manoeuvre XIIIIIIIIY
...Ne7-f5-d6. Once our king’s knight lands 9r+-wq-trk+0
on e4, we’ll be in command, and our 9zpl+-+-snp0
counterplay on the queenside should 9-zpnvlpzpp+0
promise us excellent chances. White has 9+-zpp+-+-0
tested two ways of contesting e4 – with
Qf3 and Qb1:
9-+-zP-zPP+0
9+-zPLzPN+-0
a) 10.f4 Ne7 11.Qf3 (11.0-0?! Ne4 9PzP-sN-vL-zP0
12.Bh4 f6) 11...Nf5 12.Bf2 Be7! 13.g4 9tRQ+-+RmK-0
Nd6 14.g5 Nfe4 15.0-0-0 xiiiiiiiiy
A key position for the plan with Ne5. Our “Hedgehog” on the kingside is
exible and sturdy. See the similar Game
16 Skoberne-Halkias, Baku 2016.
XIIIIIIIIY
White castles short
Instead of de ning his plan with 9.Ne5
or 9.e4, White could choose the
noncommittal 9.0-0. I suggest to answer
9...Bxg3 10.hxg3 Bb7, when White does
not have a clear plan. 11.Qa4 could be met
by 11...Rb8, preparing ...c4.
White plays 8.Bb5
is calm positional plan was
popularised by Kamsky and then adopted
by Carlsen, Kramnik and other top players.
It aims to repel (or exchange) the c6-knight
from the centre and then push e4 or c4.
Initially Black semi-automatically answered
8...Ne7 but the surprising follow-up
9.Bd3!, intending e4, offers White some
initiative. I suspect that Black should try to
prove that his bishop is not worse than a
knight. A key moment in his counterplay is
the b- le. I recommend:
8...Qe7 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Qa4
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
9zp-+-wqpzpp0
9-+pvlpsn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9Q+-zP-+-+0
9+-zP-zPNvL-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
10...Bxg3! 11.hxg3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Rab8!?.
Although my analyses suggest that Black
should gradually equalize, I must admit
that White’s position is extremely solid,
without any pawn weaknesses. In other
words, he would often play with a draw in
the pocket. I prefer more double-edged
play, so I offer to sidestep the plan with
Bb5 by delaying ...Nc6. In line B I
consider the clever move order 7...b6! and
we lead out our knight only when we see
Bd3.
Move Order
We have seen from the above paragraph
that delaying ...Nc6 with 7...b6! has the
obvious advantage of avoiding 8.Bb5. In
fact, this move order could restrict White’s
choice even further. If he played an early
Nf3, he would not be able to enter another
critical line, A11. 9.e4, as well, remaining
only with the Ne5-plan. Besides, Black
could also use his knight at b8 to trade
light-squared bishops via a6.
As a partial anti-dote, White should leave
his king’s knight on g1. His most exible
sequence is 4.Nd2 Bd6 5.Bg3 0-0 6.Bd3
c5 7.c3.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+-vlpsn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPLzP-vL-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now 7...b6?! would stumble into 8.e4!,
so 7...Nc6 8.Ngf3 b6 is indispensable.
White will have at his disposal all the
options on move 9 – lines A11 to A14, but
without line A2. 8.Bb5.
Positional decisions
XIIIIIIIIY
Black’s biggest problem is what active 9-+lwq-trk+0
plan to choose. e most natural idea is to 9tr-+-+-zpp0
close the queenside with ...c4 and push b6- 9-+n+pvl-+0
b5-b4. I cannot say it is a bad plan, but it is 9zp-+p+-+-0
rarely the best one. At least it is quite risky
as the d4-pawn is no longer hanging and
9-zppzP-+-zP0
that gives White a free hand on the 9zP-zP-wQNzP-0
kingside. Another obvious drawback is that 9-zPLsN-+P+0
Black remains with a poor light-squared 9tR-+-+RmK-0
bishop. Even when Black wins a pawn on xiiiiiiiiy
the queenside, his position could still be
dangerous owing to the concentration of 19.Nxc4! dxc4 20.Qe4.
white pieces on the opposite ank.
Even against a long castle, the pawn
Analysis storm is not too efficient:
XIIIIIIIIY Analysis
9-+lwq-trk+0
9+r+-+-+p0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+p+p+0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9zp-vlpzP-+-0 9+l+-vlpzpp0
9-zppsN-zPP+0 9-+-+p+P+0
9zP-zP-wQ-zP-0 9zp-+-sNn+P0
9-zPL+-+K+0 9-zppzPpzPQ+0
9+R+-+-+R0 9+-zP-zP-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9PzP-+-vL-+0
9+NmKR+-+R0
30...bxa3 31.bxa3 Rxb1 32.Rxb1 Bxa3 xiiiiiiiiy
33.f5‚.
21...fxg6 22.h6! Qe8 (22...Nxh6?
Remember the following typical hit: 23.Rxh6! gxh6 24.Nxg6) 23.hxg7 Kxg7
24.Rh2 Rg8∞.
Analysis
e plan with ...c4 is more viable if
White has already castled and Black’s
bishop is on d7 (to enable counterplay with
...f6):

Kamsky-Goryachkina

Gibraltar 2016
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY the f- le with ...f6 or ...f5. Our typical
9r+-wq-trk+0 stand on the kingside should be similar to
9+-+lvlpzpp0 the following diagram:
9-zpn+p+-+0
Analysis
9zp-zppzP-+n0
9-+-zP-+-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zP-zPL+NvL-0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9-zP-sNQzPPzP0 9+l+-vlp+p0
9tR-+-+RmK-0 9-zpn+p+p+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9zp-zppzP-+n0
9-+-zP-+-zP0
13...c4!? 14.Bc2 b5 15.Rfe1 Nxg3 9zP-zPL+NvL-0
16.hxg3 b4ƒ. 9-zP-sNQzPP+0
I’m not entirely against the idea of 9+-+RmK-+R0
closing the centre, but I prefer to resort to it xiiiiiiiiy
after having traded light-squared bishops
with ...Bb7, ...Qc8, ...Ba6. at would 14...f6 15.exf6 Rxf6„.
reduce the opponent’s attacking potential:
Here are negative examples where Black
Nguyen-Tregubov remained without counterplay:

Doha 2016 Pechac-Caletka

XIIIIIIIIY Slovakia 2016
9r+-wq-trk+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+l+-vlpzpp0 9-+q+-vlk+0
9-zpn+p+-+0 9zp-trntrp+p0
9zp-zppzP-+-0 9-zp-+p+p+0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9+-+pzP-+-0
9zP-zPL+NzP-0 9-+-zP-+NzP0
9-zP-sNQzPP+0 9zP-+RwQNzP-0
9tR-+-+RmK-0 9-zP-+-+P+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+-+RmK-0
14...Qc8 15.Kh2 Ba6. xiiiiiiiiy
Whatever our active plan is, we should Black’s strategy has led him to a
not forget the defence. We can hardly positional disaster. He has gained full
survive a gradual attack without opening control of the c- le, but it is often fruitless
since Black lacks targets and invasion
squares. On the kingside he did not create
XIIIIIIIIY
any counterplay either. e game saw 9-+-tr-trk+0
further 25.Nf6+ Kh8 26.h5 Bg7 27.Qf4 9zpl+-+pzpp0
Qf8 28.Qh4 and White went on to win. 9-zp-wqpsnn+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
Kamsky-Dreev
Khanty-Mansiysk 2013 9-+-zP-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-zPLzPQ+-0
9-+r+ltrk+0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9zp-wq-sn-zp-0 9+-+R+RmK-0
9-zp-+p+-zp0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+pzPp+P0 White has the more active pieces and his
9-+-zPnvLP+0 next move weakens Black’s castling
9zP-+LzP-+-0 position: 15.Bxg6! hxg6 16.Qh3ƒ Ba6
17.Rfe1 Nh7 18.f4 Bb5 19.Ndf3 Qe7
9-zP-sNQ+-mK0 20.Qg3 Be8 21.Rf1 Qf6 22.Ng5+– Qe7
9+-+R+-tR-0 23.Rf3 f6 24.Nxh7.
xiiiiiiiiy
Carlsen-Ghaem
A similar example of a one-way-game.
After 31.g5! Black would have faced serious Baku 2016
problems. XIIIIIIIIY
“Bad” bishop 9r+l+k+-tr0
White often aims to saddle the opponent 9zpp+-+pzpp0
with a poor light-squared bishop. Indeed, 9-+nwqpsn-+0
sometimes a knight might be stronger than 9+-zpp+-+-0
the bishop, but more often our bishop
would be quite useful on the a6-f1 9-+-zP-+-+0
diagonal. It all depends on who owns the 9+-zP-zPNzP-0
initiative. 9PzP-sN-zPP+0
Kramnik-Hou Yifanrapid Medias 2016
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
e open h- le is a strong factor in
White’s favour. Carlsen developed his
initiative with 9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Bxc6 Bxc6
11.Ne5 Qc7 12.Qf3 h6 13.Qf4 Qe7 14.g4
Nh7 15.Qg3².

XIIIIIIIIY
 Grachev-Litvinov It looks that White has made all the right
Moscow 2016 moves. His pieces are active, he is
XIIIIIIIIY threatening the rook. But he delayed
castling for too long. After 14...Nf5!!
9r+-+-trk+0 15.Bxe8 Rxe8 16.Bf2 cxd4 17.exd4
9+-+n+p+p0 (17.cxd4 Bb4) 17...f6 18.g4 Nxf2 19.Qxf2
9-zplwqp+p+0 Nh6 20.g5 fxe5 21.gxh6 exd4 22.cxd4
9zp-zppsN-+-0 Ba6‚, his positions is spectacularly falling
9-+-zP-+-+0 apart. e a6-bishop plays a big role in
9+-zPLzP-+-0 that.
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 Analysis
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9r+-wq-+-mk0
e theory of the “bad” bishop might 9zp-+lvlp+p0
prompt White to take on d7. However, 9-zpn+p+rzP0
17.Nxd7 Qxd7 would be even slightly 9+-+pzP-zp-0
more pleasant for Black because he would
have a clear plan of advancing on the
9-+-+-+-+0
queenside. 17.Nxc6 Qxc6 18.a4= is more 9+-zP-+NvL-0
solid. 9P+LwQ-zPP+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
Finally, I want to show you two extreme
examples to support my assertion that we
xiiiiiiiiy
should weigh the dynamic factors rst: 22...Na5! 23.Bxg6 hxg6μ. Again, Black’s
“bad” bishop could become the hero of the
Analysis day.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+k+0 eoretical status
is set-up is still too young and
9zplwq-snpzpp0 unexplored. I could not understand well
9-zp-vlp+-+0 what Romero and Sedlak recommend for
9+LzppsN-+-0 White as they prefer to show examples with
9-+-zPnzP-vL0 awful play from Black.
9+-zP-zP-+-0 It seems that lately White tends to avoid
9PzP-sNQ+PzP0 Bd3 in favour of Bb5 (which is easy to
9+-+RmK-+R0 prevent, as I have shown!). Black, for his
xiiiiiiiiy part, investigates the early ...Nh5, as in
Game 19 Kamsky-Nakamura, Saint Louis
2017.
 In all events, Black should expect rich, endgames, so typical for the set-ups with
double-edged middlegames with mutual ...Bf5.
chances. It is unlikely to get early
Chapter 5. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 with
...c5
Step by Step

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nd2 Bd6 13.Bxf7+!! Kxf7 14.Qc4+ was killing:
5.Bg3 0-0 14...Kf8 15.Ng5 Nd5 16.Qxd5 Qxd5
5...c5 should transpose. 17.Nxd5 Nf6 18.Nb6 Rb8 19.f3+–;
14...Ke8 15.Qe6+ Kd8 16.Ng5 Rf8
5...Bxg3 is dubious in all possible 17.Nf7+ Rxf7 18.Qxf7; 14...Ke7
settings, since it offers White a tangible 15.Ng5 Rf8 16.Qe6+ Kd8 17.Nf7+
structural advantage – the semi-open h- le. Rxf7 18.Qxf7 Kc7 19.0-0-0+–.
For instance, 6.hxg3 Nbd7 7.g4! is 13...Qb6 (13...Ne4 14.Qd5) 14.Qa3! e4
obviously in White’s favour.
15.Nd2+– Qa5 16.g5 Qxg5 17.Ndxe4
I have realised a more complex version of Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Qa5+ (18...Qe7 19.Nd6+
the idea of g4 in the game Kiril Georgiev- Kf8 20.Nxf7 Qxa3 21.bxa3 Rg8
Lazic, Padowa 2015. In it I had already the 22.Rxh7+–) 19.Kf1 1-0
king’s knight on f3: 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bg3
6.Ngf3
Bxg3?! 6.hxg3 Nbd7 7.c4 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5
6.Bd3 prunes one important branch
9.Nc3 a6 10.a4 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Qa5
based on Bf1-b5. Play should transpose to
(11...Nb6 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.Rh4)
line A after 6...c5 7.c3 Nc6! 8.Ngf3. White
XIIIIIIIIY has also tried 8.f4, but 8...Ne7 9.Ngf3 Nf5
9r+l+k+-tr0 10.Bf2 Ng4
9+p+n+pzpp0
9p+-+psn-+0
9wq-+-+-+-0
9P+LwQ-+-+0
9+-sN-zPNzP-0
9-zP-+-zPP+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
12.g4! e5 13.Qd6
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 10.Qh5 g6 11.Qe2 cxd4! 12.cxd4 Nbc6
9r+lwq-trk+0 13.Ngf3 Nb4 14.0-0 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 a5
9zpp+-+pzpp0 solves Black’s main positional problem –
9-+-vlp+-+0 the activation of the light-squared
9+-zpp+n+-0 bishop. e blitz game Grachev-
9-+-zP-zPn+0 Malakhov, Moscow 2014, went 16.Rfc1
Ba6 17.Qe3, when simple trade of rooks
9+-zPLzPN+-0 would assure Black of penetration
9PzP-sN-vLPzP0 squares down the c- le – 17...Rc8!
9tR-+QmK-+R0 18.h4 Rxc1 Rxc1 Qb8 20.h5 Rc8=.
xiiiiiiiiy 10.Ngf3 is even easier – 10...Ba6!
11.Qe2 Nxf2 12.Qxf2 Qb6 13.Rb1 f6 is 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.0-0 b5= (or
pretty for Black – we control the centre, 12...Nc7=), Grachev-Sakaev, St
White cannot castle long. Petersburg 2015.
10...g6
On the other hand, the delay of Ngf3
discourages lines with ...b6 without ...Nc6 10...h6 is not safer – 11.Ne2 Ba6
because White could push e3-e4: 6.Bd3 c5 12.Bxa6 Nxa6 13.0-0 b5 14.f4 with f4-
7.c3 b6?! 8.e4! f5 in mind.

e difference with line A11 is that our 11.h4! Ba6 12.h5 with an initiative,
knight cannot reach h5. is is not although 12...Bxd3 13.Qxd3 g5 keeps
dramatic, but makes our castling position things under control.
more vulnerable:
6...c5 7.c3
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwq-trk+0 9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zp-+-+pzpp0 9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 9-+-vlpsn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zPP+-+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPL+-vL-0 9+-zP-zPNvL-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-sNR0 9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
8...Be7 9.e5 Nfd7 10.Qb1! A. 7...Nc6; B. 7...b6!

Provoking a weakness without wasting a e latter aims to cut off most of White’s

tempo. choices and to steer the game into line A14.
8.Ne5.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
A. 7...Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY 9zppwq-+p+p0
9r+lwq-trk+0 9-+nvlpsnp+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0 9+-+psN-+-0
9-+nvlpsn-+0 9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9+-zPL+-vL-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9PzP-sN-+PzP0
9+-zP-zPNvL-0 9tR-+QmK-+R0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+QmKL+R0 Black commonly gets this position with
xiiiiiiiiy ...b6, ...Bb7.
is position has been put under the 11...Nh5! 12.Qf3 f6 and White quickly
microscope lately. It looks like Black is lost after 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Bxg6 Ng7μ,
slightly lagging behind in the theoretical Macagno-Yudasin, chess.com 2017.
dispute and constantly has to catch up with
White’s new ideas. at is not surprising if A1. 8.Bd3 b6
we look at White’s team, led by Carlsen, e anchetto has been dominating the
Kramnik and a strong eld of 2700+ GMs. scene, but 8...Qe7 9.Ne5 Nd7 10.Nxd7
Qxd7! is close to equal.
e newest trend is A2. 8.Bb5, while A1.
8.Bd3 had been the main line. 10...Bxd7? loses a pawn to 11.Bxd6
Qxd6 12.dxc5 when 12...Qxc5? fails to
8.Ne5?! is premature because Black could 13.Bxh7+!!.
save ...b6 and go directly for the main plan
with ...f6: 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.0-0 Bd6 13.Bxd6 ½-
½, Chigaev-Kravtsiv, Riga 2016. e text is
8...Qc7 certainly more interesting and double-
edged.
ere is no reason to play for
equalization with 8...Bxe5 9.dxe5 Nd7
10.f4 (10.Nf3 c4) 10...f6 11.exf6 Nxf6
12.Be2 Bd7 (12...Ne7) 13.0-0 Be8=.
9.f4 cxd4

9...c4 10.Bh4 Nd7 11.Be2 f6 is also a

good option.
10.exd4 g6 11.Bd3
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 10.e5
9r+lwq-trk+0 Kamsky’s attempt to improve with
9zp-+-+pzpp0 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4
9-zpnvlpsn-+0 13.Bxe4 is best met by 13...Rb8! when:
9+-zpp+-+-0
14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Rd1 Rxd1+ 16.Kxd1
9-+-zP-+-+0 Bb7 is totally equal. More challenging
9+-zPLzPNvL-0 is:
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 14.Qg4 Bb7 15.Bc2
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-wq-trk+0
A11. 9.e4; A12. 9.0-0; A13. 9.Qe2; 9zpl+-vlpzpp0
A14. 9.Ne5 9-zp-+p+-+0
A11. 9.e4 Be7! 9+-zp-zP-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+Q+0
9r+lwq-trk+0 9+-zP-+-vL-0
9zp-+-vlpzpp0 9PzPL+-zPPzP0
9-zpn+psn-+0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
9+-zpp+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-zPP+-+0
9+-zPL+NvL-0 e engines suggest here to grab a pawn,
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 but this is not too practical as White
9tR-+QmK-+R0 enjoys an initiative after 15...Bxg2
16.Rg1 Bc6 17.Rd1 Qc7 18.Rd3 g6
xiiiiiiiiy 19.Re3 Rfd8 20.Bf4 Rd5 21.Qh5. e
is surprising retreat is the cause of the game is too chaotic and it is easy to err
current popularity of the set-up with an in rapid time controls. It is safer to
early e6. It put the question on the whole answer:
concept based on the e4-break. e bishop 15...Qd5 16.f3 g6 17.0-0 (17.Bf4 Ba6)
retreat was rst played by Rogers in 1992, 17...Qd2 18.Rf2 Qg5=.
but the London had then the status of an
“irregular” opening so nobody paid 10.exd5 is also harmless owing to
attention. It returned gloriously to the front 10...Qxd5 11.Bc4 Qh5 (or 11...Qf5).
stage only in 2015 thanks to Nakamura.
10...Nh5 11.a3
9...dxe4?! 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 Bb7 Aiming to prevent queenside counterplay
12.Qa4 Rc8 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Rd1 with b4.
obviously favours White.
 Kamsky tested 3 times 11.Qe2. We
should not underestimate it as we could
easily nd ourselves thrown out of our
repertoire.
For instance, Romero and De Prado
only mention 11...Bd7 12.a3 a5 13.0-
0?! c4 14.Bc2 b5 15.Rfe1 Nxg3 16.hxg3
b4ƒ, Kamsky-Goryachkina, Gibraltar
2016, but instead of castling White
should play 13.Rd1 – see 11.a3 a5
12.Qe2 Bd7.
I propose 11...a5, when Kamsky did not
nd anything better against Taborsky than
to transpose to our main line with 12.a3.
11.Ng5 is one of White’s major
resources, so we should know what to do
against it. 11...Bxg5 12.Qxh5 g6 13.Qe2
cxd4 14.h4 and we face a choice:
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zp-+-+p+p0
9-zpn+p+p+0
9+-+pzP-vl-0
9-+-zp-+-zP0
9+-zPL+-vL-0
9PzP-sNQzPP+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
14...Be7!?
I would feel uneasy to play OTB
without my dark-squared bishop:
14...Bxd2+ 15.Qxd2 dxc3 16.bxc3 d4
17.c4 Qe7 18.Rb1 h5 19.Bf4 Bb7
(19...Ba6∞) 20.0-0 Rfc8? 21.Bg5 Qf8
or ...f5. For instance:
22.Bf6±, Van Foreest-Svane, Aachen
2016.
14...Bh6 15.h5 dxc3 16.bxc3 Bg7
(16...Qe7 17.hxg6 Bxd2+ 18.Qxd2 fxg6
19.Bh4 Qg7 20.f4°, Shimanov-Abasov,
Minsk 2017; 16...g5 17.Nf3 f5 18.exf6
Qxf6 19.0-0 Bg7 20.Rae1 Bd7 21.Bb5!
².)
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zp-+-+pvlp0
9-zpn+p+p+0
9+-+pzP-+P0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zPL+-vL-0
9P+-sNQzPP+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
17.Kf1!? (Sedlak) is also tangled. (17.f4
Qc7 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.Nf3 Ne7 20.Rc1
is unclear, Filipovic-Derakhshani, Flims
2016. e g7-bishop is rather poor, and
White has fair compensation for the
pawn.) 17...Qe7 18.Re1 Bd7 19.Qg4 f5
(19...g5 20.h6 f5 21.Qh5∞) 20.exf6
Qxf6 21.Nf3 Qxc3∞.
15.h5
15.Nf3?! dxc3 16.bxc3, Lupulescu-
Aleksandrov, Minsk 2017, allows
16...h5 or rst 16...d4 17.Be4 Bb7
18.Rd1 Qc8 19.c4 and now 19...h5,
when it is unclear how White could
develop his attack.
15...Kg7 e idea is to defend with ...g5
 16.Nf3 dxc3 17.bxc3 Bd7 18.Nh2
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
18.Qe3 g5 19.h6+ Kh8 20.Bc2 Rg8 9zp-+lvlpzpp0
21.Qd3 Rg6 22.Qd2 Na5³; 18.Bh4 g5. 9-zpn+p+-+0
18...f5 19.exf6+ Bxf6 20.Rd1 (20.0-0 e5 9+-zppzP-+n0
21.Rad1 Qe8∞) 20...Bxc3+ 21.Kf1 Qf6∞, 9-+-zP-+-+0
or: 9+-zPL+NvL-0
16.Rd1 Bb7 17.Bb1 Rc8 18.Nf3 dxc3 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
19.bxc3 Rg8 (20.Kf1 Na5 21.Kg1 g5) 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
20.Qe3 xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY Kamsky-Muzychuk, Gibraltar 2016:
9-+rwq-+r+0
9zpl+-vlpmkp0 12...Nxg3 13.hxg3 a5!? 14.a3 a4
9-zpn+p+p+0 15.Nf1?! b5! 16.Ne3 b4 17.cxb4 cxb4
18.axb4 Nxb4³. Critical would be 15.g4!,
9+-+pzP-+P0 intending to mount an attack on the h- le;
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zP-wQNvL-0 Kamsky-Nakamura, Saint Louis 2015:
9P+-+-zPP+0 12...Rc8 13.a3 Nxg3 14.hxg3 f5 15.dxc5?!
bxc5 16.b4 g5³. e obvious 15.exf6 Bxf6
9+L+RmK-+R0 16.Nf1 cxd4 17.cxd4 Nxd4 would be
xiiiiiiiiy roughly equal, but White’s moves look
20...g5 21.Qd3 Kf8 22.Qxh7 Ba6 more easy since he is free of apparent
23.Bd3 Bxd3 24.Rxd3 Rg7=. weaknesses.

11.0-0 looks harmless. Kamsky twice
failed to equalize with White against
11...Bd7, e.g. 12.Re1
I think that instead of 11...Bd7, Black
could play 11...a5 (intending ...Ba6)
12.Qe2 Bb7 as in the main line. Instead,
12...c4 13.Bc2 b5 14.Ng5 Nxg3 (14...g6!?
15.h4∞) 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Nxf7+ Rxf7
17.fxg3 is a draw by perpetual check.

11...a5
11...g6 is not a bad move either.

12.Qe2

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY Gibraltar 2016.
9r+lwq-trk+0
13...g6
9+-+-vlpzpp0
9-zpn+p+-+0 13...c4 would give White a freehand on
9zp-zppzP-+n0 the kingside – 14.Bc2 b5 15.Ng5.
9-+-zP-+-+0 14.Qe3
9zP-zPL+NvL-0
9-zP-sNQzPPzP0 Or 14.Nf1 cxd4 15.cxd4 b5!.
9tR-+-mK-+R0 14...cxd4 15.cxd4 b5
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
12...Bb7!? 9+-+lvlp+p0
Played with the undisguised intention to 9-+n+p+p+0
trade light-squared bishop with ...Qc8,
...Ba6. en Black’s queen could attack the
9zpp+pzP-+n0
b2-pawn through b5. 9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-+LwQNvL-0
Another approach is to prepare ...f5, e.g. 9-zP-sN-zPPzP0
12...g6 13.0-0 f5 14.exf6 Bxf6. It is safer
from a practical standpoint, as it anticipates
9+-+RmK-+R0
any White’s attack on the kingside, but we xiiiiiiiiy
remain with a bad bishop. 16.h4 Nxg3 17.fxg3 f5 18.exf6
Black can choose a pawn storm with
18.Bxb5 Nb4 19.axb4 Bxb5 20.bxa5
...c4, ...b5 after the prophylactic move
Rxa5 promises sufficient compensation.
12...Ra7!?. See Game 15 Grischuk-
Nakamura, Skopje 2015. 18...Bxf6 19.Ne5 (19.h5 Qc7)
19...Nxe5 20.dxe5 Be7 21.Nf3 b4 22.h5
He could also prepare ...c4 with (22.Qh6? Rf7 23.h5 g5) 22...g5 23.0-0
12...Bd7!?. It maintains the hit on d4 so bxa3 24.bxa3 Rb8 25.Kh2 a4 26.Rb1÷.
13.Ng5 would drop the pawn. e only I’m afraid that Black does not have serious
thing I do not like about it is that Black winning chances with his weak king.
abandons the ne positional plan of trading
like-squared bishops. In my opinion, White 13.Rd1!?
should delay castling in order to provoke e direct 13.Ng5?! Bxg5 14.Qxh5 just
some weakening around our king: drops the d4-pawn.

13.Rd1! Castling short would mean to abandon

all hopes for a quick attack – 13.0-0 Nxg3
13.0-0?! c4 14.Bc2 b5 15.Rfe1 Nxg3
16.hxg3 b4ƒ, Kamsky-Goryachkina,
14.hxg3 Qc8 15.Kh2 Ba6 16.Rh1 Bxd3
17.Qxd3 Qa6 18.Qe3
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9+-+-vlpzpp0
9qzpn+p+-+0
9zp-zppzP-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-zP-wQNzP-0
9-zP-sN-zPPmK0
9tR-+-+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son-Tregubov,
blitz, Doha 2016. went 18...cxd4
19.cxd4 Rfc8 20.g4 Bf8 21.Kg3 h6
22.Rh5 Ne7 with a tangled game where
Black is holding his own. Still, it is scary
to allow such a concentration of white
pieces against our king. I suggest to
counter-attack in the centre with:
18...Qb5 19.Rab1 Rae8 20.g4 cxd4
21.cxd4 f6! 22.exf6 Bd6+ 23.g3 Rxf6
24.Kg2 e5ƒ.
13.h4!? might be White’s best option. It
seems that we have nothing more than a
draw after 13...Nxg3
13...cxd4 14.cxd4 Nxg3 15.fxg3 f5 may
be interesting, but White should be
slightly better after 16.exf6 Bxf6
17.Ng5 h6 18.Qxe6+ Kh8 19.Nf7+
Rxf7 20.Qxf7 Qe8+ 21.Qxe8+ Rxe8+
22.Kd1². is line shows the drawback
of 12...Bb7 – it leaves the e6-pawn
unprotected. If Black refrains from ...f5,
White has a draw with 15...Rc8 16.Ng5
(or 16.Bxh7+ Kxh7 17.Ng5+ Kh6
18.Qd3 g6 19.h5 Kg7 20.Nxe6+ fxe6
21.Qxg6+=) 16...h6 17.Qg4 Bxg5
18.hxg5 Qxg5 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.Bh7+
Kh8 21.Bd3+ Kg8=.
14.fxg3 Qc8
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+-trk+0
9+l+-vlpzpp0
9-zpn+p+-+0
9zp-zppzP-+-0
9-+-zP-+-zP0
9zP-zPL+NzP-0
9-zP-sNQ+P+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now 15.Ng5 does not make much sense
owing to 15...h6 so the following forced
line looks imperative:
15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Ng5+ Kh6 17.Qd3
g6 18.h5 Kg7 19.Nxf7 gxh5 20.Qf3 Ba6
21.Qxh5 Bd3 22.Ng5 Bxg5 23.Qxg5+
Kf7 24.0-0-0. Black cannot escape from
the perpetual check: 24...c4 25.Rdf1+
(25.Nf3 Ke8 26.Rxd3 cxd3 27.Rh7 Ra7=)
25...Bxf1 26.Rh7+ Ke8 27.Qh5+ Kd8
28.Qg5+ Ke8 or 24...Ke8 25.Nf3 Be4=.
e only other way to delay castling is
13.Nf1. I propose that we thematically
meet it by 13...cxd4 (or even 13...b5 at
once) 14.cxd4 b5!
e engines also claim that 13...Qc8
14.Ng5 g6 15.Nxh7 cxd4 16.Nxf8
Qxf8 gives full compensation for the
exchange, but it is far from obvious. For
instance: 17.cxd4 Nxd4 18.Qd1 Qg7
 19.Ne3 Nxg3 20.hxg3 Qxe5° or
17.Nd2 dxc3 18.bxc3 d4 19.c4 Bxa3
20.0-0 Be7 21.Qg4 Nb4 22.Be4 Bxe4
23.Nxe4 Nxg3 24.Qxg3 Qd8°.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9+l+-vlpzpp0
9-+n+p+-+0
9zpp+pzP-+n0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-+L+NvL-0
9-zP-+QzPPzP0
9tR-+-mKN+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
15.Bxb5 a4! 16.Bd3 Qa5+ 17.N1d2
Qb6ƒ.
13...g6
13...Qc8 is dubious owing to 14.Ng5.
We could prevent that threat with
13...h6 and the engines are fond of this
move. I have invested a lot of time in it, but
I could not convince myself that weakening
the h7-b1 diagonal is the best idea. My
analysis suggests that Black has probably
good counterplay, but my human intuition
hints that 13...g6 is safer. Let’s delve deeper
in 13...h6:
a) 14.Nf1 Qc8 15.Bb1
15.Ne3 Ba6 16.Ng4 (16.Bxa6 Qxa6
17.c4 Rfd8) 16...Bxd3 17.Rxd3 Qa6
18.Qe3 Qb5³;
15.h4 Ba6 (15...Nxg3 16.Nxg3 Ba6
17.Nh5 Kh8 18.Nf4 cxd4 19.cxd4 a4
20.Rh3 Ra7 21.Nh5 Bxd3 22.Qxd3
Na5 23.Ng5 g6 24.Nf6 Kg7 25.Nh5+
Kh8) 16.Bh2 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 f6 18.exf6
Rxf6 (18...Nxf6=) 19.N1d2 Qd7 20.0-0
Raf8 21.Rde1 Nf4 22.Bxf4 Rxf4 23.g3
R4f5 24.Re3=.
15...Ba6 16.Qc2 f5 17.exf6 Nxf6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+-trk+0
9+-+-vl-zp-0
9lzpn+psn-zp0
9zp-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-zP-+NvL-0
9-zPQ+-zPPzP0
9+L+RmKN+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
At rst sight it seems that all the fun is
for White, but note a subtle detail –
White’s king cannot castle! at brings
suspense in the game:
18.Ne3 cxd4 19.Ng4 (19.cxd4? Qe8
20.Bh4 Ne4–+) 19...Ne4
19...d3 20.Nxf6+ Bxf6 21.Rxd3 Ne7!
22.Bd6 Bxd3 23.Qxd3 Qc4 24.Qh7+
Kf7 25.Ne5+ Bxe5 26.Bxe5 Rg8∞.
20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.Rxd4 Rf5 22.f3 Nxg3
23.hxg3 Bc5 24.Rf4 Bd6 25.Rd4 What a
mess! You can take the draw or play on
with ...Qe8.
18.Bh4?! cxd4 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.cxd4
Ne7 21.Qh7+ Kf7 22.Ne3 Rh8 23.Qc2
Qxc2³.
b) 14.0-0!? Qc8 15.h4 Nxg3 16.fxg3
Ba6 17.g4 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 Qa6 19.Qe3
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0 9r+-+-trk+0
9+-+-vlpzp-0 9+-+-vlp+p0
9qzpn+p+-zp0 9qzpn+p+p+0
9zp-zppzP-+-0 9zp-zppzP-+-0
9-+-zP-+PzP0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-zP-wQN+-0 9zP-zP-wQNzP-0
9-zP-sN-+P+0 9-zP-sN-tRPzP0
9+-+R+RmK-0 9+-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
19...b5 allows White to start the attack at 18...Qb5
once with 20.g5 h5 21.g4 hxg4 22.Nh2÷,
since Black lacks 22...Nxd4. e computer Another idea is 18...b5 19.Nf1 b4 20.h3
comes up with ingenuous defence and cxd4 21.cxd4 bxa3 22.bxa3 Rae8
somehow holds the position, but it is scary 23.N3h2 f5 24.exf6 Bxf6.
to play this over the board. 19.Nf1 Qb3 20.Qd2 Rae8 21.Re1 f6
22.exf6 Bxf6 23.Ne3 Bg7 24.Ng4 b5„.
14.Nf1
We meet 14.h4 by 14...f6 (14...Nxg3 14...b5!
15.fxg3 Qc8 16.0-0 Ba6 is more risky) I recommended the same pawn sac
15.exf6 Rxf6 16.0-0 cxd4=. against 13.Nf1. Whenever White decides
to spend two tempi on the knight
14.Qe3 allows 14...Ba6=. manoeuvre, we could throw in a pawn.
14.0-0 gives us time for our main 14...f5 is another decent retort, but it
strategic idea – 14...Qc8 15.Qe3 hangs on a tactical sequence: 15.exf6 Bxf6
15.h3 Nxg3 16.fxg3 Ba6 17.Rf2 Bxd3 16.Ne3 Bg7 17.Ng4 cxd4 18.cxd4
18.Qxd3 Qc7, preparing ...f6.
15...Nxg3 16.fxg3 Ba6 17.Bxa6 Qxa6
18.Rf2

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY fully compensates for the missing pawn.
9r+-wq-trk+0 For instance:
9+l+-+-vlp0
9-zpn+p+p+0 a) 19...Na5 20.0-0 Ba6 21.Bxa6 Qxa6
9zp-+p+-+n0 22.Qe1 Rfc8 23.Bh4 Bf8 24.Qe3 Nc4
25.Nh6+ Bxh6 26.Qxh6 Nxd2 27.Qxd2
9-+-zP-+N+0 Ng7;
9zP-+L+NvL-0
9-zP-+QzPPzP0 b) 19...Ba6!? 20.Bxa6 Qxa6 21.0-0
9+-+RmK-+R0 Qxe2 22.Rxe2 Nxg3 23.hxg3 Ra7 24.Rc1
xiiiiiiiiy Na5 25.Ne3 Nb3 26.Rc3 Rb8 27.Rec2
Bd8 28.Ng4 Kg7 29.Ne3 Raa8 30.g4 Na1
18...Nf4! 19.Bxf4 Rxf4 20.Qxe6+ Kh8 31.Rc1 Nb3 32.R1c2=.
21.Nge5 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Qe8 23.Qxe8+
Rxe8 24.Bb5 (24.Be2 Re4=) 24...Re4+!  
25.Kf1 Bxe5 26.Bxe8 Ba6+ 27.Kg1 Bxd4 A12. 9.0-0
28.h4 Bxb2 29.Bc6 Bxa3 30.Rxd5 Re6 After the short castle, we can calmly
31.Rd8+ Kg7=. e black pawns are trade bishops:
dangerous.
9...Bxg3
14...Qc8?! is too slow and gives White is looks more straightforward than
good attacking prospects – 15.Ne3 Ba6 9...Bb7, which allows 10.Bh4. Of course,
16.Ng4 Bxd3 17.Rxd3 a4 18.0-0 cxd4 we have 10...Be7 (10...e5? 11.e4) 11.Re1
19.cxd4 Na5 20.Qd2 Nc4 21.Qh6. Ne4, but the text is simpler. As a rule, we
should take on g3, whenever White castles.
15.Bxb5 cxd4 16.cxd4 a4 17.Ne3 Qa5+
18.Rd2 Qb6 19.Ng4 10.hxg3 Bb7
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9+l+-vlp+p0 9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-wqn+p+p+0 9-zpn+psn-+0
9+L+pzP-+n0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9p+-zP-+N+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-+-+NvL-0 9+-zPLzPNzP-0
9-zP-tRQzPPzP0 9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9+-+-mK-+R0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
Black has successfully shifted the focus of e position is roughly equal.
the game to the queenside. His initiative Harikrishna-Nakamura, chess.com blitz
5m+2spm 2016 saw further:
a) 11.Qe2 Ne7
More simple is 11...Re8 12.Ne5
(12.Rfe1 e5) 12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Ne4
14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Bb5 Rf8 16.Rad1
Qg5, grabbing the e5-pawn. Of course,
White is very active, but he lacks targets.
12.dxc5 bxc5 13.e4 Ng6 14.Rad1 Qb6
15.b3 Rad8 16.e5 Nd7=.
b) 11.Ne5 looks more challenging, but
the thematic exchange operation 11...Nxe5!
12.dxe5 Ne4 saves the day.
c) Finally, 11.Qa4 also makes sense.
White prepares a queen lift to the kingside
after a possible dxc5. We can ignore the
threat – 11...Rb8, intending to wait for the
best timing for advancing our queenside
pawns. en 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Qh4 can be
parried by both:
XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-+-+-wQ0
9+-zPLzPNzP-0
9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
13...e5 14.e4 Ne7 15.Nxe5 Qc7 16.Ng4
Nxg4 17.Qxg4 dxe4 18.Bc4 Ng6 19.Rfe1
Kh8 20.Qf5 Rbe8 21.f4!=, and the sharper
line:
13...h6 14.g4 d4 15.cxd4 (15.g5 dxc3
16.gxf6 cxd2 17.fxg7 Kxg7) 15...cxd4
16.g5 dxe3 17.fxe3 hxg5 18.Nxg5 Qxd3
19.Nde4 Ne5 20.Nxf6+ gxf6 21.Rxf6
Qxe3+ 22.Kh2 Be4 23.Re1 Qxe1 24.Qxe1
Ng4+ 25.Kg1=.
A13. 9.Qe2 Bb7 10.Rd1
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-zpnvlpsn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPLzPNvL-0
9PzP-sNQzPPzP0
9+-+RmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
A recent and quite fashionable idea.
White brings the rook in the centre while
delaying the castle. His idea is to de ne his
further plan after seeing our answer (and
take on d2 by rook in the event of Nf6-
e4xd2).
10.e4 (or 10.dxc5 bxc5 11.e4 Be7) is still
met by 10...Be7.
10.0-0 has no venom – 10...Bxg3
11.hxg3 with a wide choice before Black.
e most thematic way is 11...Qe7 (or
11...Re8) 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Ne4=.
Nakamura played 11...Ne7, and I would
suggest the useful waiting move 11...h6.
10...Re8!?
10...h6 is another popular retort, but it
does not work well against plans with Nf3-
e5.
 10...Ne7 is a ne idea when White has
XIIIIIIIIY
played Ne5 and especially f4, but it does 9-+-tr-trk+0
not make much sense here. White can trade 9zplwq-snpzpp0
bishops and try to mount a piece attack on 9-+-+psn-+0
the kingside. e purest form of this 9+p+psN-+-0
approach is displayed by the game 9-+pzP-+-+0
Kramnik-Hou Yifan, rapid Medias 2016:
9zP-zP-zPQ+-0
11.0-0 Qc7?! 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Ne5 9-zPLsN-zPPzP0
Rad8 14.Qf3! Ng6 9+-+R+RmK-0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-tr-trk+0 16...Nc6?!
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-zp-wqpsnn+0 e e5-knight should be repelled, not
9+-zppsN-+-0 exchanged. e correct stand was
9-+-zP-+-+0 16...Ne8! 17.Rfe1 g6 with ...f6 in mind.
9+-zPLzPQ+-0 After the text, White was better in the
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 game Shimanov-Lenic, chess.com 2017.
9+-+R+RmK-0 17.Qg3 a5?! and here 18.Nxc6! Qxc6
xiiiiiiiiy 19.Qh4 Qe8 20.g4 would have been
awkward for Black.
15.Bxg6! hxg6 16.Qh3ƒ Ba6 17.Rfe1
Nh7 18.f4 Bb5 19.Ndf3 Qe7 20.Qg3 Be8 11.e4
21.Rf1 Qf6 22.Ng5+– Qe7 23.Rf3 f6 11.0-0 Bxg3 12.hxg3 e5 was comfortable
24.Nxh7. for Black in Javakhadze-Sevian, Dallas 2016
– 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Rxe5 15.Nf3 Re7
However, after 11.0-0 Black could 16.Ba6 Qc8 17.Bxb7 Qxb7 18.Rd3 Qa6
answer 11...Nf5 and recapture by knight on 19.a3 Qa4.
d6. erefore, it would be more principled
to exchange the bishops at once: 11.Ne5 Qc7

11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Ne5 Qc7 13.0-0 11...Ne7 allows the trick 12.Bb5 Rf8
Rad8 14.a3 13.Nd7.
12.f4 Ne7
14.Qf3!, as in Kramnik’s game, was
stronger.
14...c4 15.Bc2 b5 16.Qf3

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+k+0 9r+-wqr+k+0
9zplwq-snpzpp0 9zpl+-vlp+p0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 9-zpn+p+p+0
9+-zppsN-+-0 9+-zppzP-+n0
9-+-zP-zP-+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPLzP-vL-0 9zP-zPL+NvL-0
9PzP-sNQ+PzP0 9-zP-sNQzPPzP0
9+-+RmK-+R0 9+-+RmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
I consider such positions in line A14.
14.Nf1
e main difference is the inclusion of Rd1
14.0-0 Nxg3 solves all the problems –
Re8. To me, it can only be in Black’s favour 15.fxg3
as the rook supports plans with ...e5 and
defends e6 in the event Black plays ...f6. 15.hxg3 h5 (15...f5?! 16.exf6 Bxf6
On the contrary, it is doubtful that the 17.Bb5) 16.b4 Kg7 builds a solid
white rook is more active on d1 than on a1 defensive line. If White pushed g4 at
if Black opts for a queenside pawn storm. some point, we would answer simply
e game Ziegler-Sevian, Stockholm 2016, ...Rh8.
went further:
15...f5 16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Bb5 cxd4
13.Qf3 Nf5 14.Bf2 Be7 (14...Bf8!?) 18.Bxc6 d3 19.Qf2 Bxc6. White does not
15.g4 Nd6 16.g5 Nfe4 17.h4 f6! 18.gxf6 have time to construct Nimzowitsch’s ideal
Bxf6 19.Ng4 Rf8 20.h5 Kh8 (20...Qe7!) blockading set-up Nd4+Ne5.
21.Nxf6 Rxf6 (21...gxf6μ) 22.Bh4 Rf7
23.Qh3 cxd4 24.cxd4 Nf5μ. In this game 14...f5 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ne3 e5ƒ
Black did lose a tempo on Re8-Rf8, but it Black’s centre is hanging, but it is very
was much more important that White dynamic. See the beautiful Game 18
could not castle long. Sedlak-So, Baku 2016.

11...Be7 12.e5 Nh5 13.a3 g6! A14. 9.Ne5 Bb7

We could delay ...Bb7 with 9...Qc7.

e idea is to ght for e5 with ...f6:

10.f4

A small minus of 9...Qc7 is that White

could answer 10.Nxc6 Qxc6 11.a4=.

XIIIIIIIIY
 10...Ne7 11.Bh4 Ne8 12.Bxe7 Bxe7
13.Qh5 g6 14.Qe2
14.Qh6 Bd6 15.h4 f6.
14...f6 15.Nef3
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+ntrk+0
9zp-wq-vl-+p0
9-zp-+pzpp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-zPLzPN+-0
9PzP-sNQ+PzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Sedlak puts here a “²” sign, but I would
gladly take Black. White has not crossed
the central line yet, while we have a clear
plan of a pawn storm. Play might continue
15...Nd6 16.0-0 c4 17.Bc2 b5 18.a3 Bb7
19.e4 f5 20.exf5 gxf5.
10.f4
10.Qb1 Qc7 is discussed in detail in
Game 16 Skoberne-Halkias,Baku 2016,
while 10...Ne7! leads to Game 17
Sandipan-Kryvoruchko,rapid, Dubai 2014.
10.Ndf3?! Ne7 leaves White with two
knights crowded at only one square, e5, and
the prospect is to lose even that one after
...f6.
10.Qe2 has been played in a number of
games even by strong grandmasters, but I
fail to see any idea behind it. Agrest even
“corrected” himself on the next turn –
10...Qc7 11.Qf3?!. Perhaps 11.Nxc6
Bxc6=, Perez-S.Zhigalko, Doha 2016, was
more realistic.
10.0-0!? Qc7 or 10...Ne7 will most
probably transpose to 10.f4.
Independent lines are:
10...Ne7 11.Qf3 (Kamsky opted for
11.Qb1 g6 12.Nef3 Nf5 13.Be5=)
11...Qc7 12.Ng4 Nd7 13.Bxd6 Qxd6
14.Qg3 (or 14.Qh3 f5 15.Nf3 fxg4
16.Qxh7+ Kf7 17.Qh5+ g6 18.Ng5+ Ke8
19.Bxg6+ Nxg6 20.Qxg6+ Ke7 21.Qg7+
Ke8 22.Qg6+=) 14...Qxg3 15.hxg3 a5
16.Rfd1 a4=, Shengelia-Dragun, Czech
Republic 2016.
10...Qc7 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6
13.f4
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zp-+-+pzpp0
9-zplwqpsn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-zPLzP-+-0
9PzP-sN-+PzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
e simplest way to generate counterplay
here is to launch a minority attack with
13...cxd4 14.exd4 b5 because after 13...b5
14.g4 Nd7?! (it is safer to defend with
...Ne4) 15.g5 cxd4, White could already
recapture 16.cxd4 or even ignore the pawn
by 16.Rf3.
10...Ne7
 I faced 10...Qc7 in my game e only defence is 12...f5 13.g4
Kir.Georgiev-Rauk, rapid Puhajarve 2013. XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
a) I chose 11.0-0 Nd7 9zplwqn+-zpp0
11...Ne7 is seen much more often, and 9-zpnvlp+-+0
it is probably the best plan. Still, I do 9+-zppsNp+-0
not understand why Black should 9-+-zP-zPPvL0
combine Qc7+Ne7. In any event, he has 9+-zPLzP-+-0
a solid position. For instance:
XIIIIIIIIY 9PzP-sN-+-zP0
9r+-+-trk+0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
9zplwq-snpzpp0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 13...Ndxe5 14.fxe5 Be7 15.Bg3 Bg5
9+-zppsN-+-0 16.Bf4 Bxf4 17.Rxf4 Ne7. Everything is
9-+-zP-zP-+0 protected, but White is more active.
9+-zPLzP-vL-0 12...f5 13.Qe2 Nf6 14.Bh4 Ne4
9PzP-sN-+PzP0 XIIIIIIIIY
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 9r+-+-trk+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9zplwq-+-zpp0
12.Bh4?! Ne4 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Qe2 f6 9-zpnvlp+-+0
15.Nef3 Nxd2 16.Qxd2, when 16...e5 9+-zppsNp+-0
was drawish in Boskovic-Krivokapic, 9-+-zPnzP-vL0
Subotica 2010, while 16...c4!? would be 9+-zPLzP-+-0
more challenging. 9PzP-sNQ+PzP0
After 12.Qf3 Nf5 13.Bf2 Be7, White 9tR-+-+RmK-0
has tried 14.Rac1 Rad8 15.Rfd1, xiiiiiiiiy
14.Ng4 Nxg4 15.Qxg4 Nd6 16.Bh4 f5,
and 14.Qh3 Ne4, with a comfortable e e4-knight does not leave me much
game for Black. chances and I decided to trade it, but
12.Qh5?! perhaps 15.g4 deserved more attention.
For instance: 15...Nxe5 16.dxe5 Be7
Too hasty! I should have exploited the 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.gxf5 exf5 19.Nxe4
absence of a knight on f5 to activate my fxe4 20.Ba6 Bxa6 21.Qxa6∞.
bishop with 12.Bh4!. e idea is to
15.Nxe4 fxe4 16.Bb5 Nxe5 (16...Bxe5=)
meet 12...f6 by 13.Qh5 or 12...g6 by
17.fxe5 Be7=.
13.Rf3.
Alternative lines are:
 b) 11.Bh4?! Ne4! (11...Ne8 is also
XIIIIIIIIY
possible.) 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bxe4 cxd4 9r+-+ntrk+0
14.exd4 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Bxe5 16.Bxh7+ 9zplwq-+-+p0
Kxh7 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.fxe5 Qc4 with 9-zpnvlpzpp+0
excellent compensation for the pawn. 9+-zpp+-+-0
c) 11.Qb1 g6 is Game 16 Skoberne-
9-+-zP-zPP+0
Halkias, Baku 2016. 9+-zPLzPN+Q0
9PzP-sN-vL-zP0
d) 11.Qf3!? 9tR-+-+RmK-0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
9r+-+-trk+0
9zplwq-+pzpp0 16...Qd7 17.Bg3 Bc7, followed up by
9-zpnvlpsn-+0 ...Nd6. Black’s queen could easily reach
g7 to neutralise White’s attack.
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0 14.0-0
9+-zPLzPQvL-0 14.Qh3 g6 15.g5 cxd4 16.exd4 Ba6.
9PzP-sN-+PzP0
14...Ba6 15.Bxa6 Rxa6=. It transpires
9tR-+-mK-+R0 that White should turn his attention to the
xiiiiiiiiy queenside in order to keep the balance.
11...Ne7 12.Bf2 XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
12.Bh4 does not rule out 12...Ne8 9zpl+-snpzpp0
13.Qh3 g6 14.Ndf3 f6 since 15.Qxe6+
Kg7 16.Qh3 cxd4 17.exd4 Bc8 18.g4
9-zp-vlpsn-+0
h5 is double-edged. Besides, 12...Ng6
9+-zppsN-+-0
also deserves consideration. 9-+-zP-zP-+0
12...Ne8 13.g4 (13.0-0 f5=) 13...a5!?
9+-zPLzP-vL-0
9PzP-sN-+PzP0
It is not realistic to play for ...Ne4, so 9tR-+QmK-+R0
we do not need our bishop on the long xiiiiiiiiy
diagonal anymore. Still, the thematic
defence based on 13...f6 14.Qh3 g6 is 11.Qf3
also effective. Black could then rearrange We were threatening to stop any further
his pieces in the following way: 15.0-0
attack with 11...Ne4, for instance after
Nc6 16.Nef3
11.Bh4?!.

XIIIIIIIIY
 e game Ivanisevic-Pavlovic, Belgrade Or 14...cxd4!? (to avoid dxc5) 15.exd4
2014, saw 11.0-0?! Ne4 12.Bh4 f6 Nfe4.
13.Nxe4? dxe4 14.Bc4 Bd5 with an 15.Bc2 Nfe4 16.g4 f6.
overwhelming strategic advantage.
13.Qh3 does not change our plan –
It is clear that White should take control
13...Nd6 14.Bh4 Nfe4 15.Bxe7 Qxe7
of e4:
16.Rd1 f6 17.Nef3 c4 18.Bc2 b5 19.Rb1
11.Qb1 brings better practical results, Rab8 20.0-0 a5 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Nd2 f5³.
but you can see in the annotations to Game
17 Sandipan-Kryvoruchko, rapid, Dubai 13...Nd6 14.g5 Nfe4 15.0-0-0
XIIIIIIIIY
2014, that Black has at least two good plans 9r+-wq-trk+0
against it – 11...Ng6 and 11...g6!?.
9zpl+-vlpzpp0
11.Qc2 suffers from the obvious 9-zp-snp+-+0
drawback of taking the c2-square. 9+-zppsN-zP-0
Andreikin-Karjakin, Baku 2015, saw 9-+-zPnzP-+0
11...c4 12.Be2 Nf5 (12...b5!? was more 9+-zPLzPQ+-0
straightforward, intending to meet 13.Bh4
by 13...Ne4) 13.Bf2 Be7 14.Ng4 Nxg4
9PzP-sN-vL-zP0
15.Bxg4 Nd6, and White was lucky to save 9+-mKR+-+R0
the game. xiiiiiiiiy
11.Qe2 is aimless as 11...Ne4 blocks e4 15...cxd4!
and threatens ...f6. Sedlak only mentions:

11...Nf5
11...Ne8, intending ...f6, has a “major”
drawback – White could force a draw after
12.Bf2 cxd4 13.exd4 f6 14.Bxh7+ Kxh7
15.Qh3+ Kg8 16.Qxe6+=.
12.Bf2 Be7 13.g4
13.0-0 is safer for both sides. We can opt
for a queenside advance: 13...Nd6 14.Qh3
14.Rad1 c4 15.Bc2 Nfe4 16.Qh3 Qc8
17.g4 f6 18.Nef3 b5;
14.Bh4 Nfe4.
14...c4
15...c4
16.Bc2(?) 16...b5 “and Black was much
faster n the queenside, Karjakin-Adams,
Wijk aan Zee 2016.”
Indeed, 17.Qh3 b4 18.Nxe4 dxe4
19.Be1 Bd5 20.Rg1 b3 21.axb3 cxb3
22.Bb1 f5 was clearly better, but White
should not lose a tempo on 16.Bc2.
Correct is:
16.Bxe4! dxe4 17.Qg4! b5
17...Bd5 18.h4 f6 is risky – 19.gxf6
Bxf6 20.h5 Nf5 21.Rdg1 Qc7 22.h6∞.
18.h4 b4 19.h5 a5 20.Nb1 Nf5
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 17.Nb3 Nc4
9r+-wq-trk+0
9+l+-vlpzpp0 17...a5 18.Nc5 b4 19.Nxb7 Nxb7
9-+-+p+-+0 20.c4.
9zp-+-sNnzPP0 18.Rhg1 Qc7 19.Nc5 Bxc5 20.dxc5
9-zppzPpzPQ+0 Nxe5 21.fxe5 Qxe5 22.Bxe4 dxe4 23.Qg3,
9+-zP-zP-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9PzP-+-vL-+0 9r+-+-trk+0
9+NmKR+-+R0 9zpl+-+pzpp0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+p+-+0
White obtains sufficient counterplay here
9+pzP-wq-zP-0
with 21.g6 fxg6 22.h6! Qe8 23.hxg7 Kxg7 9-+-+p+-+0
24.Rh2 Rg8 25.Rdh1 h6 9+-zP-+-wQ-0
9PzP-+-vL-zP0
25...Rh8 26.Qg1 Bd5 27.Nxg6 hxg6 9+-mKR+-tR-0
28.Rxh8 Qxh8 29.Rxh8 Rxh8=.
xiiiiiiiiy
26.Rg1 Kh7 27.Qh3 Bf6 28.Ng4 Bg7
29.Bh4 Rf8 30.Ne5 Bxe5 31.fxe5 h5 but “it” does not “feel” that the endgame
32.Bg5 Bd5 33.Qg2 Rb8 34.Qe2 Rh8 after 23...Qxg3 24.Bxg3 Bd5 25.Bd6 f5!
35.Bf6 Rg8 36.a3. Neither side could make 26.Bxf8 Rxf8 is highly unpleasant for
progress from here. White.

e “ exible” 15...b5 may seem clever, Perhaps the most stubborn defence is:
but 16.dxc5! Nxc5 17.Bxh7+! Kxh7 18.e4!!
17.Qe2!? (preparing to take on e4)
removes the defender of e6 and enables a
17...b4
perpetual check after 18...Ncxe4 19.Nxe4
Nxe4 20.g6+! Kg8 21.Qh3 fxg6 22.Qxe6+ 17...a5 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Bxb5 is
Kh7 23.Qxg6+. unclear.
16.exd4 b5 18.cxb4 a5 19.b5 a4 20.a3 Qb6
Black owns the initiative.

e straightforward 17.h4?! b4 18.cxb4

a5 19.b5 a4 20.a3 Qa5 21.Be1 Qb6
22.Qe2 Rac8+ 23.Kb1 Nxb5 24.Bxb5 Ba6
25.Nd7 Bxb5μ was terrible for White in
Sodomski-Fedorov, ICCF 2011. Instead, he
should think about prophylaxis.Stock sh at
depth 40 suggests:
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 9...bxc6 10.Qa4 cxd4
9r+-+-trk+0
9+l+-vlpzpp0 10...Rb8?! is worse when the pawn is on
9-wq-snp+-+0 a6, as it deprives Black of ...Ba6 or
9+P+psN-zP-0 ...Rb8-b6-a6 e.g. 11.Bxd6 Qxd6
12.Qa3 Nd7
9p+-zPnzP-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zP-+L+-+-0 9-trl+-trk+0
9-zP-sNQvL-zP0 9+-+n+pzpp0
9+-mKR+-+R0 9p+pwqp+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-zpp+-+-0
21.Nd7 Qc7+ 22.Nc5 Rfb8, followed up 9-+-zP-+-+0
by ...Ra5, and Black captures on b5. 9wQ-zP-zPN+-0
A2. 8.Bb5
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
XIIIIIIIIY 9tR-+-mK-+R0
9r+lwq-trk+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+nvlpsn-+0 13.0-0!? (13.Nb3 e5 14.Nxc5 Nxc5
9+Lzpp+-+-0 15.dxc5 Qg6 16.0-0 e4 17.Nd4 Bh3
18.g3 is also slightly better for White.)
9-+-zP-+-+0 13...e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Nxe5. In these
9+-zP-zPNvL-0 examples White obtains a more exible
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 pawn structure and in many positions
9tR-+QmK-+R0 his knight is more efficient than the
xiiiiiiiiy opponent’s bishop.
11.cxd4 a5!. A similar idea was
A21. 8...Ne7; A22. 8...Qe7!? successfully tested in the game Le Roux-
8...a6 might be enough for equality after Bellahcene, Chartres 2017.
9.Bxc6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.0-0 Ba6 14.Rfc1 Bb5
Let me also note the game Nisipeanu- 15.Qc2 a4=. e only drawback of this
Cornette, Germany 2016: 9.Bd3 b6 stand is that it is a little passive.
10.e4 Be7 11.exd5 exd5 12.Ne5 Bb7 A21. 8...Ne7 9.Bd3
13.0-0 cxd4 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.cxd4. I 9.0-0 is not threatening with e4, so we
understand White’s idea to weaken the could safely answer 9...b6!?
queenside pawns, but such subtleties are
not enough for a substantial advantage. Closing the centre is also possible –
Instead of 15...Bb5?!, Black could have 9...c4 10.Ba4 b5 11.Bc2 b4 12.Be5
equalized with 15...Ne4!.
 bxc3 13.bxc3 Bxe5 14.Nxe5 Nd7. We
have a bad bishop, but this is balanced
by our space advantage on the
queenside.
10.Bd3 Bb7 11.Qe2 Bxg3 12.hxg3 Qc7
13.Rac1 Rac8 14.dxc5 Qxc5 15.c4 Rfd8
16.Nb3 Qb4 17.cxd5 Bxd5 18.Nfd4 Rxc1
19.Rxc1 Bxb3 20.Nxb3 g6 21.Rc4 Qd6
22.Rd4 Qc7 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 24.Qc2 ½-½,
Golubov-Moskalenko, Sochi 2016.
9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bd3 b6 hardly deserves
any attention, despite Kramnik’s name on
the White side (it was a blitz game, after
all).
9...c4!?
is logical retort has been nearly
unexplored. It is understandable that Black
would like to preserve tension in the centre,
but that is exactly White’s intention, too.
His pieces are better placed for such course
of events as Black’s knight had been pushed
back to e7.
Two games of Carlsen showed that
White was on top after 9...b6 10.e4! –
10...Bxg3? 11.hxg3 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Ng6 was
Carlsen-Korobov, rapid Doha 2016. White
was winning with 13.Ne5!.
10...dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Rb8?
13.dxc5 occurred in Carlsen-Bosiocic, blitz
Doha 2016. 12...Nd5 was stronger, but
13.dxc5 still leaves White with the better
game.
9...Nf5
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+-vlpsn-+0
9+-zpp+n+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPLzPNvL-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
10.Bxf5 exf5 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.dxc5
Qxc5 13.0-0 Re8, Izoria-Khachiyan,
chess.com 2017, also results in a static
pawn formation where White could press
for many moves.
10.Bc2
Wei Yi-Ganguly, China 2016, saw the
strange retreat 10.Bb1?! b5 11.Bh4 Ng6
12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.h4 and White was better
after 13...e5? 14.h5 Ne7 15.dxe5 Bxe5
16.Nxe5 Qxe5 17.Nf3 Qd6 18.Rh4 Rb8
19.Bc2 b4 20.h6². Of course Black should
have carried on his plan with 13...Rb8
14.h5 (14.Ng5 h6) 14...Ne7, but even
more interesting is to recapture on f6 by
pawn – 12...gxf6. I consider such positions
below, with a bishop on c2.
10...b5
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zp-+-snpzpp0
9-+-vlpsn-+0
9+p+p+-+-0
9-+pzP-+-+0
9+-zP-zPNvL-0
9PzPLsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
is position is virtually untested so it is
difficult to select a main line. White has a
rich choice. Let’s consider the most logical
options:
a) 11.e4
is move is the main idea behind the
manoeuvre Bf1-b5-d3, but here it is not
too effective because White cannot
eliminate completely the central pawns –
11...dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 Rb8
14.Qe2
The mundane 14.Bxh7? Kxh7 15.Ng5+
fails to 15...Kg6.
14.0-0 is also innocuous – 14...Bb7
(14...f5!? 15.Bc2 Bb7, followed up by
...Bd5, is also a sturdy construction.)
15.Bxb7 Rxb7 16.Bxd6 Qxd6=.
14...h6
A simple prophylactic move. 14...Bb7
allows 15.Ng5 h6 16.Bxb7 hxg5 17.Be4
Nd5 and White could further unbalance
the position with h4.
14...f5 15.Bc2 Ng6∞ is also a bit too
provocative.
15.0-0 Bb7=.
b) 11.Ne5 enables the queen manoeuvre
Qd1-f3-h3. Our position has no
weaknesses and it could withstand a direct
attack, but I’d prefer to open quickly a
second front on the queenside with:
11...b4
is trades pawns and equalizes. e
slower 11...a5 is more ambitious,
intending 12.0-0 Qc7 13.b3 Bb7.
Perhaps critical is 12.e4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4
dxe4 14.Bxe4 Ra7
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+lwq-trk+0
9tr-+-snpzpp0
9-+-vlp+-+0
9zpp+-sN-+-0
9-+pzPL+-+0
9+-zP-+-vL-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
15.a4 f5 16.Bc2 Bxe5 17.Bxe5 b4=.
12.cxb4 Bxb4 13.0-0 Ba6 14.Nb1.
Chances are even, as 14...c3?! 15.bxc3 Bxf1
16.cxb4 could be only in White’s favour
due to the closed centre.
c) 11.Ng5!? intends to push 12.e4 and
recapture by knight.
11...Rb8 12.e4 dxe4 13.Ngxe4 Nxe4
14.Nxe4 Bxg3 15.hxg3 f5 16.Nc5 Qd5
17.Qf3² is obviously unattractive, so:
11...h6 12.e4! appears to be critical.
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 18.Rfc1
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zp-+-snpzp-0 18.axb5 axb5 19.b3 cxb3 20.Nxb3 Bb7
9-+-vlpsn-zp0 21.Nbc5 (21.Bd3 N7f6 22.Rfb1 Nxe4
9+p+p+-sN-0 23.Qxe4 Nf6 24.Qe1 Qd5 25.Bf1 Bc6
26.Nc5 Ra8=) 21...Nxc5 22.Nxc5 Nf6
9-+pzPP+-+0 23.Rfb1 Qd5=.
9+-zP-+-vL-0
9PzPLsN-zPPzP0 18...Qc7 19.axb5 axb5 20.b3 f5 21.bxc4
bxc4 22.Ng5 N7f6 23.Nxe6 Nxc3 24.Qe3
9tR-+QmK-+R0 Bxe6 25.Qxe6+ Kh8=.
xiiiiiiiiy
d) 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Ne5 Nd7 13.f4
White’s cunning design is to mate us if f6∞.
we choose 12...hxg5? 13.e5 Ne8 14.h4
g4 15.Qxg4!! and Black is helpless e) 11.Bh4 Ng6 12.Bxf6 (12.Bxg6 hxg6
despite having an extra piece – 15...Bc7 13.0-0 a5) 12...gxf6 13.h4 (13.a3 Kh8)
(15...f5 16.Qh5‚) 16.Nf3 Nf5 17.Qh5 13...b4 14.cxb4 Bxb4 15.a3 Ba5 16.Kf1
Nh6 18.a3 Qd7 19.Bf4 f5 20.Qg6 Qf7 Ba6 17.Kg1 Rb8„.
21.h5 Qxg6 22.hxg6‚.
A22. 8...Qe7!? 9.Bxc6
12...Nf5 13.Nxf7! Rxf7 14.e5 b4 After 9.0-0 Black could safely take on g3
15.exd6 is positionally better for White. – 9...Bxg3 10.hxg3 Bd7=.
Perhaps best is:
9...bxc6 10.Qa4
12...Bxg3 13.hxg3 dxe4 14.Ngxe4 Ned5 XIIIIIIIIY
15.Qe2 Rb8 16.0-0 Nd7 17.a4 a6 9r+l+-trk+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9zp-+-wqpzpp0
9-trlwq-trk+0 9-+pvlpsn-+0
9+-+n+pzp-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9p+-+p+-zp0 9Q+-zP-+-+0
9+p+n+-+-0 9+-zP-zPNvL-0
9P+pzPN+-+0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9+-zP-+-zP-0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
9-zPLsNQzPP+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+-+RmK-0
10...Bxg3!
xiiiiiiiiy 10...cxd4 allows the intermediate
White owns the initiative, but we should 11.Bxd6.
be able to gradually neutralise it by
counter-attacking c3:
 It is essential that Black avoid the pin Perhaps White should answer 15.Qd1 a4
along the a3-f8 diagonal. e recent game 16.Ne5 Nd7 17.Nxd7 Qxd7 18.Nb1 Rfb8
Gajewski-B.Socko, rapid, Zgierz 2017, saw 19.Rc5 Bc4 20.Nd2, when simplest is
10...Rb8 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Qa3 Rb5?! 20...Rxb2=.
(12...Nd7 13.0-0 e5 is more critical)
13.Nb3 Ne4 14.dxc5, winning a pawn. 13.Qc2
e only way to ght for the advantage is
11.hxg3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Rab8!? to allow ...Ba6.
is is a bit more aggressive than
12...a5!? 13.0-0 Ba6 14.Rfc1 Bb5 13.0-0 Rxb2 14.Rfb1 Rxb1+ 15.Rxb1
XIIIIIIIIY Qc7 16.Ne5 c5 17.Qc6 Qxc6 18.Nxc6
Bd7 19.Nxa7?! c4 was promising for Black
9r+-+-trk+0 in Raznikov-Li Ruifeng, Dallas 2016.
9+-+-wqpzpp0 Better is 19.Ne7+! Kh8 20.dxc5 Re8 21.c6
9-+p+psn-+0 Re7 22.Rb7! Kg8 23.cxd7=.
9zpl+p+-+-0
9Q+-zP-+-+0 13.b3 Rb6 (threatening ...Ra6) 14.Qa5
Ba6 15.Ne5 Rc8 and 13.Nb3 Rb6 are also
9+-+-zPNzP-0 ne for Black.
9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9tR-tR-+-mK-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-trl+-trk+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9zp-+-wqpzpp0
Black seals the queenside and his 9-+p+psn-+0
defensive line from a4 to c6 looks 9+-+p+-+-0
unassailable. At the same time the b5-
bishop is more than a “big pawn” as its role
9-+-zP-+-+0
could become important if Black opened 9+-+-zPNzP-0
the e- le with ...e5. e game Le Roux- 9PzPQsN-zPP+0
Bellahcene, Chartres 2017, went: 9tR-+-mK-+R0
15.Qc2 a4 16.Ne5 Rfc8 17.Qc5 Qd8
xiiiiiiiiy
18.Rc3
13...Ba6
18.b4!? Ne8 19.a3 Nd6 20.Qc2 f6 13...Qb4!? 14.Qb3 Nd7 equalizes
21.Nef3=. immediately – 15.Qxb4 Rxb4 16.b3 Rb6
17.Rc1 a5 18.0-0 Ba6 19.Rfe1 Rc8 20.Rc3
18...Ne8 19.Rac1 f6 20.Nd3 Nd6 c5.
21.Nf4 Qd7 22.f3 Re8 23.Nd3 Nf5
24.Nf1 e5μ. e text aims to face White with more
complex tasks.
14.a3 h6
XIIIIIIIIY
You could certainly try 14...c5 15.dxc5 9-trr+-+k+0
e5 in a rapid game. White cannot castle 9+-+-wqpzpn0
short, the centre is uid – all this for a mere 9l+-+p+-zp0
pawn. Yet, White may be somewhat better. 9+-sNpsN-zP-0
For instance: 16.b4 Rfe8 17.Nb3 d4
9P+-zP-zP-+0
18.Na5 (18.0-0-0 is another option that
needs analysis.) 18...dxe3 19.Nc6 Qb7
9+p+-zP-+-0
20.Nxb8 exf2+ 21.Qxf2 Qe4+ 22.Kd1 9-+Q+-+P+0
Rxb8 23.Kc1 Bd3 24.Rh4 Qf5² with sharp 9tR-+-mK-+R0
play. xiiiiiiiiy
15.b4 Rfc8 16.Ne5 Bb5 17.g4 23.Qd2 (23.Qc3 f6) 23...Rxc5„.
XIIIIIIIIY
9-trr+-+k+0 B. 7...b6! 8.Bd3
9zp-+-wqpzp-0 8.Ne5 Bb7 9.Bd3 Nc6 transposes to line
9-+p+psn-zp0 A14.
9+l+psN-+-0 e new trend, however, is 8.Ne5 Bb7
9-zP-zP-+P+0 9.Bb5.
9zP-+-zP-+-0
9-+QsN-zPP+0 e only reason behind it is to provoke
9...a6 10.Bd3. is way White hampers a
9tR-+-mK-+R0 future plan with ...Qc8, ...Ba6. However,
xiiiiiiiiy Black can also play in the centre. e game
Black has sufficient counterplay thanks to Agrest-Roberson, chess.com 2017, saw
the break ...a5. For instance: further:

17...a5 18.g5 hxg5 19.Ndf3 Ne4 10...Nc6 11.f4 Ne7 12.Qb1 g6 13.Bf2
20.Nd2 Nf6 is a draw by repetition. cxd4 14.exd4 Nf5 15.0-0 Be7 16.Qc2 Nd6
17.Bh4 Nfe4 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Rae1 b5
A bolder try is: 20.Nb3

17...Nh7 18.f4 a5

Or even 18...f6 19.Ng6 Qe8 20.Nh4 a5

21.a4 Ba6 22.bxa5 Nf8 23.Kf2 Nd7
24.g5 fxg5 25.fxg5 c5 26.gxh6 gxh6„.
19.g5 axb4 20.a4 Ba6 21.Nb3 (21.gxh6
c5 22.hxg7 f5) 21...c5 22.Nxc5 b3

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY In Gupta-Borisek, chess.com 2017,
9r+-+-trk+0 Black closed the centre with 10...c4 and
9+l+-wqp+p0 White practically presented a tempo by
9p+-snp+p+0 retreating the bishop in advance:
9+p+psN-+-0 11.Ba4?! (11.0-0) 11...Ne4 12.Bc2 f5
9-+-zPnzP-+0 (12...b5 13.Qg4 Nd7 14.Qh3 f5
15.Ndf3 Ndf6 16.0-0 a5³) 13.Bxe4 (on
9+NzPL+-+-0 13.Nxe4 we recapture 13...dxe4)
9PzPQ+-+PzP0 13...fxe4 14.Qg4 Qe7 (14...Bc8 15.h4
9+-+-tRRmK-0 Nc6 16.h5 h6 17.Bh4 b5 18.a3 Nxe5
xiiiiiiiiy 19.fxe5 Be7÷) 15.Bh4 Qe8 16.0-0
Nd7 with complex play. Gupta decided
It is obvious that until Black holds e4, he to open a second front on the queenside
would not be running serious risks. with 17.b3, but Black has the bishop
Roberson chose here 20...Rac8 (20...Rfc8=) pair and should welcome any
21.Qe2 Rfe8 22.Ra1 f6 with at least equal imbalances – 17...cxb3 18.axb3 a5.
play – 23.Nf3 Nc4 24.a3 Rc7
11.Bh4 Ne4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.0-0
Or 24...Qc7 25.Rae1 Re7.
is balanced position occurred in
25.Kh1 Kg7 26.Rab1 Qd6 27.Nfd2 Andreikin-Zhou Weiqi, China 2016.
Nexd2 28.Nxd2 e5 29.Bxc4 dxc4 30.dxe5 Black chose here the consistent move
fxe5 31.Nf3 Bxf3 32.Rxf3 e4 33.Rff1 Qe6 13...f6 14.Qg4 Rae8 15.Nc4 a6
34.Rbd1 e3³. 16.Nxd6 Qxd6 17.dxc5 Qxc5 18.Ba4
b5=, but we should always resort
Although 9...a6 is possible, I prefer: reluctantly to pawn moves near our
king. It is better to improve the knight:
9...Qc7 10.f4
XIIIIIIIIY 13...Ne7
9rsn-+-trk+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zplwq-+pzpp0 9r+-+-trk+0
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 9zplwq-snpzpp0
9+LzppsN-+-0 9-zp-vlp+-+0
9-+-zP-zP-+0 9+Lzp-sN-+-0
9+-zP-zP-vL-0 9-+-zPpzP-vL0
9PzP-sN-+PzP0 9+-zP-zP-+-0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9PzP-+-+PzP0
xiiiiiiiiy 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
10...Nc6
 14.Bxe7 (14.Qg4 Nf5 15.Qh3 a6
16.Be2 b5 17.Ng4 f6μ) 14...Qxe7 15.dxc5
(15.Nc4 Bb8) 15...Bxc5 16.Qe2 Qc7
17.Nd7 a6 18.Nxc5 Qxc5=.
8.a4 is aimed against 8...Ba6 when
White has 9.Bb5. We can answer 8...Nc6
9.Bb5 Bb7 or 9...Ne7 10.Bd3 Bb7
11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Ne5 Ne4 13.a5 Nxd2
14.Qxd2 f6 15.Nf3 e5 16.dxe5 fxe5 17.e4
Kh8∞.
8...Bb7
8...Ba6!? is the most principled
alternative. Engines and latest games
suggest that White does not achieve any
signi cant advantage after 9.Bxa6 Nxa6.
My only objection to this plan is that it is
easy for White, too. Possible continuations
are 10.Ne5 Nb8 11.0-0 Qc7 or 10.Qe2
Nb8!?
10...Nc7 11.Ne5 cxd4 12.cxd4 Ne4?!
(12...Qe7 13.0-0 Rfc8), as in Iturrizaga-
Adams, Caleta 2017, is slightly
annoying after 13.Nxe4! dxe4 14.0-0
Nd5 15.Nc6.
In both lines we should expect further
exchanges and even chances.
9.Ne5
It is useless to try 9.Qe2 in view of
9...Ne4 10.Bxd6 Qxd6, when 11.Bxe4?!
dxe4 12.Ng5 f5 13.Nc4 Qe7 14.Qh5 h6
15.Nh3 cxd4 16.exd4, Romanov-
Gagunashvili, Gjakova 2016, would be
clearly in Black’s favour after 16...Nc6μ,
intending ...e5 or ...Ba6.
9.0-0 at best could transpose to the game
after 9...Nc6 10.Ne5. However, Black
might also play 9...Bxg3 10.hxg3 Nbd7,
since he is no longer afraid to open the h-
le.
9.Qb1 Nc6 10.Ne5 leads us to Game 17
Sandipan-Kryvoruchko.
9...Nc6
Play has transposed to line A14. us
Black has sidestepped the slightly annoying
line A2.
Chapter 5. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 with
...c5
Annotated Games
plan. us it has purely prophylactic
15. Grischuk – Nakamura merits.

Skopje 2015 Note that closing the centre at this point

with 12...c4?! 13.Bc2 b5 offers White a
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Bd6 stable positional advantage after 14.Ng5
5.Bg3 c5 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.c3 0-0 8.Bd3 b6 Bxg5 15.Qxh5 g6 16.Qe2. e threat of
9.e4 Be7 10.e5 Nh5 11.a3 a5 12.Qe2 h2-h4-h5 forces Black to undermine the
XIIIIIIIIY
centre in unfavourable circumstances –
9r+lwq-trk+0 16...f5 17.exf6 Qxf6 18.h4 Bf4 19.Bxf4
9+-+-vlpzpp0 Qxf4 20.g3 Qf6 21.f4±, Kramnik-
9-zpn+p+-+0 Zhigalko, rapid Berlin 2015.
9zp-zppzP-+n0
A better setting of the same plan is
9-+-zP-+-+0
12...g6!? 13.0-0 (13.h4 and 13.Nf1 are
9zP-zPL+NvL-0 strongly met by 13...f6.) 13...c4 14.Bc2 b5
9-zP-sNQzPPzP0 15.Qe3 Bd7 16.h4∞.
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy 13.0-0
13.Ng5 was not a threat, as the d4-pawn
12...Ra7!? is hanging.
e idea behind this move is to
13.Nf1 deserves attention.
discourage sharp onslaughts with Ng5. For
instance, the line 13.h4 Nxg3 14.fxg3 f6 e point is that our thematic retort to
15.Ng5, which draws against 12...Bb7!?, this manoeuvre, mentioned in the
fails here due to 15...fxg5 16.Qh5 g6 analysis of 12...Bb7 and 12...Bd7, is not
17.Bxg6 Bd6!. so effective here – 13...b5 14.dxc5! Bxc5
15.N1d2 b4 16.Nb3 Bb6 17.axb4 axb4
A small drawback of the rook manoeuvre 18.Rxa7 Bxa7 19.Nfd4 with slightly the
is that it does not prepare any constructive better chances.
 Sedlak’s recommendation 13...c4
14.Bc2 b5 is not clear. Instead of
15.Ng5 Bxg5 16.Qxh5 g6 17.Qe2 f5
18.exf6 Bxf6 19.Ne3 e5„, White can
try 15.Ne3 b4 16.Nd2 g6 17.Ng4÷.
13...g6!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+lwq-trk+0
9tr-+-vlp+p0
9-zpn+p+p+0
9zp-zppzP-+n0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9zP-zPL+NvL-0
9-zP-+QzPPzP0
9tR-+-mKN+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now 14.Ne3 cxd4 15.cxd4 f5! is
excellent for Black due to the attack on d4,
and 14.Rd1 allows 14...b5 as noted below.
13.Rd1!? is a clever waiting move.
en 13...c4 14.Bc2 Bd7 stumbles into
15.Ng5 Bxg5 16.Qxh5 g6 17.Qe2±.
13...h6 14.0-0 c4 15.Bc2 b5 16.h3
Nxg3 17.fxg3 b4 (17...f5 18.exf6 Bxf6
19.Kh2²) 18.Nh2 bxc3 19.bxc3 Rb7
20.Nxc4 dxc4 21.Qe4 g6 22.Ng4 Bg5
23.Qxc6 is unattractive. Remains:
13...g6 14.Nf1 b5 15.Bxb5 Qb6 16.Ne3
cxd4 17.cxd4 Ba6„.
13...c4 14.Bc2 b5
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+lwq-trk+0
9tr-+-vlpzpp0
9-+n+p+-+0
9zpp+pzP-+n0
9-+pzP-+-+0
9zP-zP-+NvL-0
9-zPLsNQzPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
15.h4?!
15.Qe3! maintained the balance –
15...Nxg3 16.hxg3 f6 17.exf6 Bxf6 18.b3
might be even more pleasant for White, so
Black should continue his offensive –
15...b4 16.axb4 axb4 17.Rxa7 (17.b3=)
17...Nxa7 18.Ra1 Nb5 19.cxb4 Nxg3
20.hxg3 Bxb4 21.g4 (or 21.Nh2) with
complex play. e sight of Black’s light-
squared bishop induced me to promote the
plan with 12...Bb7, ...Qc8 for a main line
against White’s set-up. While it defends
well the weak e6-pawn in the event of
21...f6!, it is difficult to play for a win with
such a piece.
15...g6?!
e white bishop should be killed on the
spot after h4. It may look unemployed, but
in fact it is important for the attack.
15...Nxg3 16.fxg3 f6 would have kept
White’s activity under control. Even better
was 16...b4 17.Nh2 (17.axb4 axb4 18.Nc4
Ba6) 17...bxc3 18.bxc3 f5 19.exf6 gxf6
20.Qh5 Bd6 21.Ng4 f5 22.Nf3 Kh8
23.Ng5 Qe8 24.Qxe8 Rxe8 25.Nf6 Rf8
26.Nh5 a4 27.Nf4 Nd8³. Without queens,
White’s queenside is rather weak.
16.Bh2!
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+l+-+k+0
9-+lwq-trk+0 9tr-+-+rsnp0
9tr-+-vlp+p0 9-+nvLpwqp+0
9-+n+p+p+0 9zpp+p+-+-0
9zpp+pzP-+n0 9-+pzP-zPP+0
9-+pzP-+-zP0 9zP-zP-+-+-0
9zP-zP-+N+-0 9-zPLsNQ+K+0
9-zPLsNQzPPvL0 9tR-+-+R+-0
9tR-+-+RmK-0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
22...e5!
16...Bxh4 A nice shot. Black takes over the
It was safer to seek counterplay with initiative.
16...f5 17.exf6 Bxf6 18.Qe3 Ng7 19.Qh6
Nh5 20.Rae1 Bg7. 23.dxe5 Qh4 24.f5 gxf5
24...Nxf5! 25.e6 Nxd6! 26.exf7+ Kf8
17.g4 would win the g4-pawn. en even the
is is a bit hasty. 17.Nxh4 Qxh4 endgame would be in Black’s favour.
18.Nf3 Qg4 19.Qe3 was stronger. Black
will be unable to keep the knight on h5 25.Rh1 Qd8 26.Qe3 d4 27.cxd4 Ne8
anyway, e.g. 19...f5 20.exf6 Rxf6 21.Ne5 After 27...Bb7 White should avoid the
Nxe5 22.Bxe5 Rf8 23.f3 Qh4 24.Qh6 Qe7 trap 28.d5 Nd4!! 29.Qxd4 Ne6„. Correct
25.g4. is 28.Kf2!! Ne7 29.Bxe7 Qxe7 30.Rh6²,
maintaining the grip.
17...Ng7 18.Nxh4 Qxh4 19.Kg2 f5 XIIIIIIIIY
20.exf6 Qxf6 21.Bd6 9-+lwqn+k+0
White should have staked on piece play –
21.Nf3!, threatening to smother the
9tr-+-+r+p0
opponent. Black would have to return the 9-+nvL-+-+0
pawn in order to activate his bishop – 9zpp+-zPp+-0
21...e5 22.Nxe5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Qg5 9-+pzP-+P+0
24.f3=. 9zP-+-wQ-+-0
21...Rff7 22.f4?!
9-zPLsN-+K+0
White could have partly repaired the 9tR-+-+-+R0
damage with 22.Qe3, but he had a xiiiiiiiiy
(wrong!) plan...
28.Rh6?
28.Bc5! or 28.d5 kept a big advantage.
XIIIIIIIIY
28...Rg7 29.Rg1 Rad7? (why not
29...Rxg4+?!) 30.d5? (30.Kf1+–) 30...Ne7
31.Bxe7 Rdxe7 32.Qd4 Bb7?
Black stubbornly avoids taking on g4 and
the game ends in a draw.
33.Kf2 Qxd5 34.Qxd5+ Bxd5 35.Bxf5
Rxe5 36.Re1 Rxe1 37.Kxe1 b4 38.axb4
axb4 39.Be6+ Bxe6 40.Rxe6 Nc7 ½-½
16. Skoberne – Halkias
Baku ol 10.09.2016
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 Bd6
5.Bg3 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3 b6 8.Qb1 Bb7
9.Bd3 Nc6 10.Ne5
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-zpnvlpsn-+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPLzP-vL-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tRQ+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
10...Qc7
e diagram position is of crucial
importance for our set-up. White wants to
provoke weaknesses in our king’s position
and then advance the f- and g-pawn.
Knowing that, it looks super uous to force
f4 by 10...Qc7. e game course shows that
the queen development is not bad – it
controls the seventh rank against possible
sacri ces, but it is not strictly necessary for
the moment. 10...Ne7 might be a slightly
improved version – see Game 17 Sandipan-
Kryvoruchko,rapid, Dubai 2014. Black
should not be afraid of 11.Bh4 Ng6
(11...Qc7 is also good) 12.Bxf6
Or 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.f4 cxd4 14.cxd4
Qd7.
12...gxf6 13.Nxg6 hxg6 since 14.Bxg6
fxg6 15.Qxg6+ Kh8 is a perpetual. Besides,
he could play on with 12...Qxf6!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-zp-vlpwqn+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPLzP-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tRQ+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
13.f4 (13.Nd7 Qg5ƒ) 13...cxd4 14.cxd4
Bxe5 15.dxe5 Qh4+ 16.g3 Qh3 17.Bf1
Qh6 18.Bd3 d4 19.Be4 dxe3 20.Nf3 Bxe4
21.Qxe4 Qh3 22.0-0-0 Ne7=.
11.f4 g6 12.0-0
is is a good sign that we are in
command. After the short castling Black is
safer, but 12.Bf2 Ne8 13.h4 was simply
bad due to 13...cxd4 14.exd4 f6 15.Nxc6
Bxc6 16.h5 g5! 17.fxg5 e5! 18.Be2 e4. is
line shows that delaying the manoeuvre
...Nc6-e7 has its own pluses – the queen
protected h7!
12...Ne7 13.Bh4
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 16.Rh3 fxe5 17.dxe5 Bxe5
9r+-+-trk+0
9zplwq-snp+p0 Do not be greedy! 17...Bc7?? fails
9-zp-vlpsnp+0 spectacularly to:
9+-zppsN-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-zP-zP-vL0 9r+-+ntrk+0
9+-zPLzP-+-0 9zplvl-wq-+p0
9PzP-sN-+PzP0 9-zp-+p+p+0
9tRQ+-+RmK-0 9+-zppzP-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+-zP-+0
9+-zPLzP-+R0
13...Ne8 9PzP-sN-+PzP0
is was the idea of 11...g6 – to defend 9tRQ+-+-mK-0
h7 in order to enable the knight retreat. xiiiiiiiiy
en all will be ready for ...f6 and Black’s
defensive line would be practically 18.Bxg6! hxg6 19.Qxg6+ Ng7 20.Nf3
unassailable. Strong GM Motylev chose and Black is helpless despite his two
instead 13...Kg7, but it does not look like a extra pieces, e.g. 20...Rf5 21.Ng5 Rxg5
long-term solution. White could carry on 22.fxg5 Rf8 23.Qh7+ Kf7 24.Rf1+ Ke8
his attack with 14.Rf3. 25.Rxf8+ Qxf8 26.Rf3 Qe7 27.Qg8+
14.g4 Kd7 28.g6+–.
White still nurtures some hopes for an 18.fxe5 Nc7 19.Qe1
attack, but they are not too realistic. A XIIIIIIIIY
correspondence game featured 14.Ng4?! f6
15.h3 h5! 16.Ne5 cxd4 17.cxd4 g5μ and
9r+-+-trk+0
Black went on to win. 9zplsn-wq-+p0
9-zp-+p+p+0
A more positional decision was to part 9+-zppzP-+-0
with the bad bishop and maintain the
balance by piece manoeuvring:
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zPLzP-+R0
14.Bxe7 Qxe7 9PzP-sN-+PzP0
9tR-+-wQ-mK-0
Another solid stand is 14...Bxe7 15.Rf3
Nd6 16.Rh3 f5 17.g4 Bf6=.
xiiiiiiiiy
15.Rf3 f6 Chances are even here because Black has
enough counterplay down the f- le. For
Naturally, Black could always seal off instance:
the centre with 15...f5=.
 19...Ba6 20.Bc2 Rf7 21.Qg3 Raf8
22.Re1= (22.Nf3 d4!μ). Black could try
here 22...d4 23.c4 d3!? or 22...Rf2!?, but
the threat on g6 should be sufficient for a
draw in both events, e.g. 23.Bxg6 hxg6
24.Qxg6+ Qg7 25.Qxg7+ Kxg7 26.Rg3+=.
14...f6 15.Nef3 Ng7 16.Qe1 Nc6 17.g5
Gholami-Krush, Doha 2015, saw
17.Bg3, when Black hastily opted for
17...e5 18.fxe5 fxe5. e most such a break
could achieve is equality, as all the white
pieces are in the centre and well prepared to
meet it, e.g. 19.e4=. On the other hand,
Black’s set-up is more exible – such is the
nature of the Stonewall. He could keep on
improving his position with 17...Rae8,
preserving all his options open. For
instance, he could gain more space on the
queenside. It is unclear what White could
oppose in his turn.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zplwq-+-snp0
9-zpnvlpzpp+0
9+-zpp+-zP-0
9-+-zP-zP-vL0
9+-zPLzPN+-0
9PzP-sN-+-zP0
9tR-+-wQRmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
17...f5
I cannot blame this normal human
decision to put safety rst against a decent,
equally rated opponent. From this moment
on, it is a one way road. Black is not risking
anything on the kingside, while White still
has to withstand a pawn storm on the
opposite wing. Yet, 17...cxd4!? 18.Nxd4
(18.cxd4 Nb4) 18...fxg5! 19.Bxg5 e5 was
more enterprising. White’s naked king
would demand unfaltering defence.
18.Qf2 c4 19.Be2 b5 20.Bg3 b4?!
Not the best way of conducting the
advance. White could now take on b4 and
prepare b3. 20...a5 preserved more tension
– 21.Rfc1! Bc8 (21...b4 22.b3) 22.Qf1
Bd7.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9+-wql+-snp0
9-+nvlp+p+0
9zpp+p+pzP-0
9-+pzP-zP-+0
9+-zP-zPNvL-0
9PzP-sNL+-zP0
9tR-tR-+QmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
At some point Black could try ...b4,
...a4-a3.
21.Ne5?
A grave positional mistake. It is not
important that White plugs the hole on e5.
e big fault of his position will transpire
when he tries to defend the queenside
pawns. He should have never left two
targets – on a2 and c3. Correct was 21.cxb4
Bxb4 22.Rfc1.
21...bxc3 22.bxc3 Nxe5 23.fxe5 Ba3
24.Rfb1 Bc6 25.Nf3 Qa5 26.Qe1 Rfb8
27.Qd2 Rb6 28.Rxb6 Qxb6 29.Be1 Rb8
30.Qc2 Qb2 31.Qxb2 Bxb2 32.Rb1 Ba4
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 38.Rc2?
9-tr-+-+k+0 e last moves look in uenced by time
9zp-+-+-snp0 trouble. 38.Rd1 was a must.
9-+-+p+p+0
9+-+pzPpzP-0 38...Nb5 39.Nd2 Ra1 40.Nf3 Kf7 41.h4
a6 42.Bd2 Rb1 43.Be1 Ke8 44.Kf2 a5
9l+pzP-+-+0 45.Nd2 Ra1 46.Nf3 Kf7 47.Ke2 a4
9+-zP-zPN+-0 48.Kf2 Ke7 49.Ke2 Ke8 50.Kf2 Kd7
9Pvl-+L+-zP0 51.Ke2 Kc6 52.Kf2 Rb1 53.Nd2 Ra1
9+R+-vL-mK-0 54.Nf3 Bc1 55.Bd2 Bxd2 56.Nxd2 a3
xiiiiiiiiy (56...Nxc3!–+; 56...Na3–+) 57.Nf3 Kd7
(57...Nxc3!–+) 58.Ne1 Nc7 59.Ke2 Na8
White cannot prevent the penetration of 60.Kd2 Nb6 61.Rc1 Rxa2+ 62.Nc2 Rb2
Black’s rook. e game should have nished 63.Ra1 a2 64.Kc1 Na4 65.Nb4 Rb1+
quickly was not for Halkias’ mistake 3
66.Rxb1 axb1Q+ 67.Kxb1 Nxc3+
moves later:
68.Kc2 Ne4 69.Na2 Kc6 70.Nc1 Ng3
33.Bd1 Bxd1 34.Rxd1 Ba3 35.Kf2 Ne8?! 71.Kd2 Kb5 72.Na2 Ka5 73.Nc3 Kb4
35...Rb2+! 36.Rd2 Rb1 37.Ke2 Ra1 74.Kc2 Ka5 75.Kd2 Ne4+ 76.Nxe4 fxe4
38.Rc2 a5 39.Ng1 a4 puts White in near 77.Kc3 Ka4 78.Kb2 Kb4 79.Kc2 c3
zugzwang. e coup-de-grace will come 80.Kc1 Kb3 81.Kb1 c2+ 82.Kc1 Kc3
from the kingside after ...Nh5, ...f4, and 83.h5 Kd3 0-1
the g5-pawn will be doomed to fall.
17. Sandipan – Kryvoruchko
In his turn, White misses the defence
36.Bd2 Rb2 37.Ra1 after which Black rapid Dubai 16.06.2014
should start working hard all over again.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5 5.c3
36.Ke2 Nc7 37.Rd2 Rb1 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.Bg3 0-0 8.Bd3 b6
XIIIIIIIIY 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.f4 Ne7 11.Qb1
9-+-+-+k+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zp-sn-+-+p0 9r+-wq-trk+0
9-+-+p+p+0 9zpl+-snpzpp0
9+-+pzPpzP-0 9-zp-vlpsn-+0
9-+pzP-+-+0 9+-zppsN-+-0
9vl-zP-zPN+-0 9-+-zP-zP-+0
9P+-tRK+-zP0 9+-zPLzP-vL-0
9+r+-vL-+-0 9PzP-sN-+PzP0
xiiiiiiiiy 9tRQ+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
11...Ng6
I chose to annotate this game because it
presents an entirely different approach,
compared to the previous game. I would
not say it is superior to ...g6, but by some
reason it brings Black better results. Perhaps
White is unprepared against it.
11...g6!? is more popular. White could
castle or attempt to mount an attack:
a) 12.0-0 Nh5!?
12...Qc7 13.Bh4 transposes to Game
16 Skoberne-Halkias.
e standard plan is 12...Nf5 13.Bf2
Be7 having in mind to meet 14.g4 by
14...Nd6 or 14.b4 by 14...Qc7 15.a4=.
It offers Black a comfortable game, but I
believe it would be difficult to win
without removing the knight from e5 by
...f6.
13.Bf2 f6 14.Nef3 Nc6!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-+-snp0
9-zpnvlpzpp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-zPP+0
9+-zPLzPN+-0
9PzP-sN-vL-zP0
9tRQ+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
is position is very similar to the
previous annotated game.
b) 12.Bf2 Nh5!?
is is provocative, indeed, but it is the
most challenging option.
12...cxd4 13.exd4 Nh5 is safer as it
forces 14.g3. en Black has a tempo
for 14...f6 15.Nef3 Qc8 16.0-0 Ba6
17.Re1 Ng7=, Grischuk-Wang, Beijing
2014. However, the exchange on d4
deprives Black of his main plan – a
pawn storm on the queenside with ...c4
and ...b5.
12...Ne8 is at least risky as it does not
stop the march of the h-pawn – 13.h4
f6 14.h5!.
Vocaturo chose 12...Nd7. It prepares
...f6 more effectively than 12...Ne8 as
13.h4 f6 14.h5? fails to 14...fxe5 15.fxe5
Bxe5, while 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 15.h5 is
unclear after 15...cxd4 16.cxd4 e5 or
15...Kg7!. However, 13.Bb5 could force
a repetition after 13...Nf6 14.Bd3.
13.g4 Ng7
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-snpsnp0
9-zp-vlp+p+0
9+-zppsN-+-0
9-+-zP-zPP+0
9+-zPLzP-+-0
9PzP-sN-vL-zP0
9tRQ+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now after 14.0-0 or 14.Nef3, Black will
repel the knight from e5 and will take the
defensive stand from the above-mentioned
game Grischuk-Wang, but he will still
possess an active plan, based on ...c4, ...b5.
 14.g5 is awful as it boxes in the dark-
squared bishop – 14...cxd4 15.exd4 Bxe5
16.fxe5 Nc6 17.Nf3 Nb4.
e only consistent continuation of
White’s previous play would be 14.h4?!, but
White is so behind in development that we
could strike back with 14...f6 15.h5
(15.Nef3 cxd4 16.cxd4 e5!) 15...fxe5
16.fxe5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 c4 18.Bf1 d4–+.
Finally, the game Romanov-Fraczek,
ICCF 2013, demonstrates that Black could
even aim to break through White’s
stronghold at e5: 11...cxd4 12.exd4 g6
13.Bf2 Ne8 14.Ndf3 Ng7 15.Be3 f6
16.Ng4 Qc7 17.Qc1 Rae8 18.0-0 Ngf5
19.Bd2 h5 20.Nf2 Kg7 21.g3 Nc6
22.Qd1
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+rtr-+0
9zplwq-+-mk-0
9-zpnvlpzpp+0
9+-+p+n+p0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-zPL+NzP-0
9PzP-vL-sN-zP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
22...Bc8 23.Rc1 e5ƒ.
12.Nxg6?!
e hasty 12.h4 is well parried by
12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Bb4 14.h5 Nxe5 15.fxe5
Ne4 16.Bxe4 Bxd2+ 17.Kxd2 dxe4 18.h6
Qg5ƒ.
12.0-0! looks innocuous, but it offers us
to reveal our plan. One logical option is
12...a5! – preparing ...Ba6 or ...c4, followed
by ...b5-b4.
e blitz game Kamsky-Dreev, Khanty-
Mansiysk 2013, took on a different
course. Black decided to open the c- le
with 12...Nh5?! and Kamsky obliged –
13.Be1. (Actually, ...Nxg3 was not a
threat since 13.Ndf3 Nxg3 14.hxg3
would be in White’s favour.) 13...cxd4
14.exd4 Nf6 15.a3 Rc8 16.h3 Qc7?!
Black has achieved his idea, to discover
that he has no way to penetrate through
the c- le. On the contrary, White’s
attack would be unpleasant after
17.Ng4!.
13.a4 Qc7
13...Ba6 allows 14.Bxa6 Rxa6 15.f5 so
Black takes e5 under control.
14.Re1 Ba6=.
12...hxg6 13.Bh4
We should meet 13.0-0 the same way as
on the previous turn – 13...a5 14.Bh4 Qc7
15.a4 Ba6 (or 15...Rfb8 rst).
13...cxd4 14.cxd4
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+-+pzp-0
9-zp-vlpsnp+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-vL0
9+-+LzP-+-0
9PzP-sN-+PzP0
9tRQ+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
14...Bb4 23...Qc4 24.g3 Rc8 (24...b5!) 25.a3? Bd2
It is tempting to drag the enemy king to 26.Qxc4 Bxe3+ 27.Kg2 Rxc4 28.Rd1
the centre, but this line could lead just to a Rc2+ 29.Kh3 Rf2 30.Nh4 g5 0-1
draw after 15.a3 Bxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Ne4+
17.Bxe4 Qxh4 18.g3 Qh3 19.Bd3 Qg2+ 18. Sedlak – So
20.Be2 Ba6 21.Qf1=.
Baku ol. 06.09.2016
14...Qd7! 15.Qd1 Bc6 16.Qe2 Ne4
retained more tension. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6
5.Nbd2 e6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bg3 0-0 8.Bd3 b6
15.Qd1 Qd7 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.0-0 Bc6 9.Qe2 Bb7 10.Rd1 Re8 11.e4 Be7 12.e5
18.Nf3 Bb5 19.Rc1 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Rfc8 Nh5 13.a3 g6
XIIIIIIIIY Sedlak assigns a “?!” mark to 10...Re8 in
9r+r+-+k+0 his book, but he does not consider 13...g6
9zp-+q+p+-0 at al. It is all the more interesting to watch
9-zp-+pzpp+0 his reaction to this typical plan of Black.
9+-+p+-+-0
14.Nf1 f5 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ne3
9-vl-zP-zP-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-+QzPN+-0 9r+-wqr+k+0
9PzP-+-+PzP0 9zpl+-+-+p0
9+-tR-+RmK-0 9-zpn+pvlp+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-zpp+-+n0
9-+-zP-+-+0
21.Qa6?! 9zP-zPLsNNvL-0
e position is equal and White could 9-zP-+QzPPzP0
prove it by trading all the rooks with
21.Qb1! Bd6 22.Rxc8+ Rxc8 23.Rc1.
9+-+RmK-+R0
Instead, he makes an awful “active” move xiiiiiiiiy
which could have faced him with
difficulties after 21...b5! 22.Kf2 Rab8. 16...e5
White could only hope to return his queen e most straightforward continuation.
back to safety. Alternatively:

21...Rc7?! 22.Rxc7 Qxc7 23.Qa4?! 16...cxd4 17.cxd4 Nxg3 18.hxg3 e5

23.Qe2 Rc8 24.Ne1 covers the c2-
square. Black would still be slightly better
thanks to his bishop, but without any
concrete threats.
19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Be4
20.Nxe5 Rxe5 21.0-0 Qe7 22.Rfe1
Re8=, Artemiev-Sevian, Lake Sevan
Martuni 2016.
 20...Nf7 21.Bxd5 Bxd5 22.Qb5 a6 29.Qd1 Re5 30.g4 Qc7 31.g3 Qe7 32.Ba4
23.Qxd5 Qxd5 24.Rxd5 Bxb2=, Carneiro- Bb7 33.Qf3=.
El Debs, Florianopolis 2017. e text is
sharper. 24.c4?
is turns out to be the decisive mistake.
17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Nxg3 19.hxg3 e only defence was 24.Nc4! dxc4
Rxe5 20.Bc4 25.Qxe5+ Bf6 26.Qf4 cxd3 27.Rxd3 Qc6
XIIIIIIIIY 28.f3 with a balanced game. Both Black’s
9r+-wq-+k+0 bishops are biting on granite.
9zpl+-+-+p0
9-zp-+-vlp+0 24...Rae8 25.cxd5 Rxe3 26.fxe3 Bxe3+
9+-zpptr-+-0 27.Rf2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+L+-+-+0 9-+-+r+-+0
9zP-zP-sN-zP-0 9zpl+-+-mkp0
9-zP-+QzPP+0 9-wq-+-+p+0
9+-+RmK-+R0 9+-zpP+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+-+-+0
9zP-+Lvl-zP-0
20...b5! 9-zP-+QtRP+0
e exclamation mark is for the
psychological value of this pawn sacri ce. 9+-+R+-mK-0
Black takes over the initiative and faces his xiiiiiiiiy
opponent with difficult practical decisions.
So’s phenomenal calculation abilities soon 27...c4!! 28.Bxc4 Rf8 29.Rdf1 Qd4
tip the balance in his favour. White is tied up and down. e point is
that when his moves with the a-pawn
Objectively slightly better is 20...Kg7 nish, he will have to push d6, fatally
21.0-0 d4 22.b4 Re7 23.bxc5 bxc5 24.Qa2 opening the long diagonal. en the march
Qd7 25.Nd5 Bxd5 26.Bxd5 Rae8 with a of the h-pawn will lead to this mating net:
slight plus for Black, but the opposite-
coloured bishops might lead to a draw.

21.Bxb5 Qb6 22.0-0 Kg7 23.Bd3 Bg5

23...c4 24.Bc2 Bg5 looks also attractive
since 25.Nxc4 loses a piece to 25...Rxe2.
However, Black would be missing the
threat of ...d4 so White would survive with
25.Rde1 Rae8 26.Kh2, for instance:
26...Bc6 27.Qd2 Rxe3 28.fxe3 Bxe3

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 30.b3 h5 31.d6
9-+-+-tr-+0 If White maintained a passive stand, e.g.
9zpl+-+-mk-0 31.Qe1, cutting off the b7-bishop and
9-+-zP-+p+0 protecting his own one with the b3-pawn,
9+-+-+-+-0 he would lose after 31...h4 32.gxh4 Qf4
9-+Lwq-+-zp0 33.h5 Qg3 34.hxg6 Rf6 35.Kh1 Bxf2 and
there is no perpetual check. Black could
9zPP+-vl-zP-0 even improve this idea by bringing his king
9-+-+QtRP+0 into the attack: 31...Kh6! 32.Qe2 Kg5!
9+-+-+RmK-0 33.Qe1 Kg4
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
1.gxh4 Qe4 2.Kh2 Qxh4+ 3.Kg1 Qg3 9-+-+-tr-+0
threatening Qxg2#! 9zpl+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+p+0
e computer needs depths of 40-50
half-moves to reach the verdict: White is
9+-+P+-+p0
doomed! Over the board, things remain 9-+Lwq-+k+0
very complicated. For instance, 30.d6! Bc6 9zPP+-vl-zP-0
31.b4 h5? allows White to escape after 9-+-+-tRP+0
32.b5 Bb7 33.d7 h4 34.Kh1 hxg3 35.Rf7+ 9+-+-wQRmK-0
Kh6 (35...Rxf7 36.Rxf7+ Kh6 37.d8=Q! xiiiiiiiiy
controls h4!) 36.R1f4!=. In this line the c4-
bishop helped in the defence by ensuring A spectacular activity of the king!
the check from f7. e computer discovers
the decoy combination 31...a6!!. Zugzwang! 31...h4 32.Kh1 Rxf2 33.Rxf2 hxg3
34.Rf7+ Kh6 0-1
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-tr-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-mkp0 9zpl+-+R+-0
9p+lzP-+p+0 9-+-zP-+pmk0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-zPLwq-+-+0 9-+Lwq-+-+0
9zP-+-vl-zP-0 9zPP+-vl-zp-0
9-+-+QtRP+0 9-+-+Q+P+0
9+-+-+RmK-0 9+-+-+-+K0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
Now 32.Bxa6 h5 is already winning and e pawn is still on d6 (compare with
32.Qe1 drops a piece after 32...Bxf2+. the line 30.d6! where it quickly reached
d7!) so the mate from h4 is unavoidable!
 19. Kamsky – Nakamura ere is no reason to provoke ...f6 with
8.Bg5 f6 9.Be3 (9.Bh4 Be7) 9...Bd6 10.g3
Saint Louis 01.04.2017
10.Bb5 0-0 11.0-0 a6 (or 11...Bd7
is game discusses the latest trend 12.Re1 Qe8÷) 12.Ba4 Bd7 13.Ne1
against the London System – the plan with Nf4 14.g3, Karjakin-Nakamura, Blitz
...Nh5. In my opinion it has no advantages Stavanger 2017, 14...Ng6÷.
over the queen’s anchetto, but it certainly
deserves attention as a backup line. 10...0-0 11.Bd3

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5 5.c3 11.Bg2?! f5 12.Ne5 f4ƒ, Giri-So,
We could meet 5.Nbd2 by 5...Nc6 (or London 2016.
5...Qb6 6.Rb1) since 6.Bb5 Qb6 (6...Bd7?! 11...Qe8 12.Nh4 g6 (12...g5?! 13.Ng2)
7.0-0 a6 8.Be2!) 7.a4 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.a5 13.0-0.
Qb7 is not a problem.
8...Bd6 9.Ne5 g6 10.g4
5...Nc6 6.Nbd2 cxd4 e critical line, but this game suggests
Another version of the same plan is that it is only balanced. Naiditsch chose
6...Nh5 7.Bg5 f6 when White lacks the against Kravtsiv in Sharjah 2017 the less
retreat to e3. On the other hand, he committing 10.Ndf3!? Qc7 11.Be2 0-0
controls the f4-square and could meet 12.Bh6 Re8
8.Bh4 cxd4 by 9.cxd4÷. e super-speedy XIIIIIIIIY
blitz game Giri-So, chess.com 2017, saw
instead: 8...g6 (8...Bd6 9.Ne5 g6 10.Be2)
9r+l+r+k+0
9.Bd3 cxd4 10.cxd4 Be7 11.0-0 with long 9zppwq-+p+p0
manoeuvring ahead. 9-+nvlp+pvL0
9+-+psN-+n0
7.exd4 Nh5 9-+-zP-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqkvl-tr0 9+-zP-+N+-0
9zpp+-+pzpp0 9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9-+n+p+-+0 9tR-+QmK-+R0
9+-+p+-+n0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-zP-vL-+0 Here instead of sacri cing a pawn with
9+-zP-+N+-0 13.Ng5 Bxe5, White should have done it
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 with 13.0-0! Nxe5?! 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.dxe5
9tR-+QmKL+R0 Qxe5 16.Re1 Bd7 17.Bg4 (17.Bxh5 Qxh5
xiiiiiiiiy 18.Qxh5 gxh5 19.Re3 h4) 17...Qd6
18.Bxh5 gxh5 19.Qxh5². Of course, taking
8.Be3 on e5 is not obligatory, and 13...f6 would
lead to a passive, but sound position.
 We see that the hit on e5 does not bring
dividends, so it would be better to meet
10.Ndf3 by 10...0-0!, intending to push
...e5.
e game Zavortink-So, chess.com
2017, went 11.Be2?! f6 12.Nxc6
(12.Ng4 Bf4) 12...bxc6 13.Qd2 e5³.
More testing is:
11.Bh6 Re8 12.Bb5 Qb6 13.Qe2
13.Qd3 a6 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.0-0 a5
16.Rfe1=.
13...f6 14.g4 Ng7
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+r+k+0
9zpp+-+-snp0
9-wqnvlpzppvL0
9+L+psN-+-0
9-+-zP-+P+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9PzP-+QzP-zP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
15.h4! is looks scary, but 15...Rf8!
16.h5 fxe5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Bxe5
19.Qxe5 Qxf2+ 20.Kd1 Qf6 evens the
chances – 21.Qxf6 Rxf6 22.Bg5 Rf7
23.hxg6 hxg6 24.Bd3 e5 25.Bxg6 Bxg4+
26.Kc2 Rf2+ 27.Kb3 Bf5 28.Bxf5 Nxf5
29.Bf6 Re8 30.Rh8+ Kf7 31.Rxe8 Kxe8
32.Bxe5=.
10.Qa4 occurred in Alekseev-Matlakov,
Sochi 2017.
en 10...Qc7 11.Be2 Ng7 12.Nxc6
bxc6 was roughly equal. However, Black
could offer a pawn:
10...0-0!?, when 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Qxc6
would be risky as Black will open the centre
with 12...Rb8 13.Rb1 e5.
10...Ng7 11.h4
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0
9zpp+-+psnp0
9-+nvlp+p+0
9+-+psN-+-0
9-+-zP-+PzP0
9+-zP-vL-+-0
9PzP-sN-zP-+0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
11...Nxe5
11...h5 12.Bg5 Qb6! 13.Bf6 Rg8
14.Rb1
White failed to prove enough
compensation after 14.Qf3 Bxe5
15.dxe5 hxg4 16.Qxg4 Nh5 17.0-0-0
Qxf2 18.Bg5 Qg3 19.Qa4 Bd7 20.Bb5
Qxe5 21.Bxc6?. White had to put his
rooks on f1 and e1 and it is unclear how
Black could improve his position.
14...Nxe5 15.dxe5 Bc5 16.Qe2 hxg4
17.Nb3 Be7 18.Bxe7 Kxe7 19.Qxg4 Bd7
20.Qg5+ Kf8 is holding, too. White’s
pieces are more active, but his king does
not have a shelter: 21.h5 Nxh5 22.Be2
(22.Nd4 Qd8=) 22...Bb5 23.Bxh5 gxh5
24.Qxh5 Bc4=, or 21.Bd3 Bb5 22.Bxg6=.
12.dxe5 Bxe5 13.Nf3 Bf6 14.h5 0-0
15.Qd2
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 18...dxc3 19.gxf7+ Kxf7 20.Bc4+ Be6
9r+lwq-trk+0 21.Bxe6+ Nxe6 22.Qc2, Lie-Arvola,
9zpp+-+psnp0 Stavanger 2017, when 22...Qb6 23.b3 Bg7
9-+-+pvlp+0 is close to winning.
9+-+p+-+P0
16...b6 17.hxg6 fxg6 18.Ne5 Bb7 19.Rh3
9-+-+-+P+0 Rc8 20.Be2 Bg2 21.Rg3 Bd5
9+-zP-vLN+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9PzP-wQ-zP-+0 9-+rwq-trk+0
9tR-+-mKL+R0 9zp-+-+-snp0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-zp-+pvlp+0
9+-+lsN-+-0
15...d4! 9-+-zP-+P+0
is move turns the tide and now White 9+-+-vL-tR-0
should be accurate. Kamsky is up to this
task.
9PzP-wQLzP-+0
9tR-+-mK-+-0
16.cxd4 xiiiiiiiiy
A later game saw 16.Bxd4 e5 17.hxg6?
exd4 18.0-0-0 22.Rh3! Bg2 23.Rg3 Be4 24.Rc1 Qd6
XIIIIIIIIY 25.a3 Rxc1+ 26.Qxc1 Bxe5 27.dxe5 Qxe5
9r+lwq-trk+0 28.Qd2 Bd5 29.Bd4 Qe4 30.f3 Qf4 ½-½
9zpp+-+psnp0
9-+-+-vlP+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-zp-+P+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9PzP-wQ-zP-+0
9+-mKR+L+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
 Chapter 6. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5
Main Ideas
In this chapter I will discuss systems with the tactical trick ...Bf5, you would be in for
...Bf5 or ...Bg4, focusing on the move a nasty surprise: 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3!?
order: Qb6 5.Qb3 c4 6.Qc2 Bf5? 7.Qxf5! Qxb2
8.Qxd5 Qxa1 9.Qb5±.
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5
It is fashionable to call it e Accelerated e diagram position has been reached in
London System, in contrast with the hundreds, even thousands of games. I must
“Classical” London with 2.Nf3. I devote a admit, I also played it as White in 2013,
special chapter on the intricacies of the even though it was just a blitz game. I
latter move order. consider it in detail in line B. My
conclusion is that after 8.Qc1, 8...Nh5
e idea of delaying the knight 9.Bg3 is roughly equal. My suggestion is to
development is to avoid the famous line go for 8...e6 and save ...h6. Our desired set-
2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.c3 Qb6 up is: 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Be2 0-0 11.h3
6.Qb3 c4 7.Qc2 Bf5,
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-trk+0
9r+-+kvl-tr0 9zpp+-vlpzpp0
9zpp+-zppzpp0 9-wqn+psn-+0
9-wqn+-sn-+0 9+-+p+l+-0
9+-+p+l+-0 9-+pzP-vL-+0
9-+pzP-vL-+0 9+-zP-zPN+P0
9+-zP-zPN+-0 9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9PzPQ+-zPPzP0 9tR-wQ-mK-+R0
9tRN+-mKL+R0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
11...Rfc8!, aiming for ...Qd8, ...Bd6
when White should retreat ingloriously ...b5. While our plan of a pawn storm is
to c1. e same position could arise after well outlined, White’s play is much more
2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.c3. obscure. My attempt against Artemiev to
attack the centre with b3 was dubious, as
Note that the inclusion of Nf3 Nf6 is a
...cxb3 highlighted the awkward placement
must. If you are too hasty to demonstrate
of the queen at c1. Whenever White plays
Nh4, for example on move 10, we answer
XIIIIIIIIY
10.Nh4 Be4 11.f3? 9r+lwqkvlntr0
9zpp+-zppzpp0
Toth-Csirik 9-+n+-+-+0
Hungary 2008 9+-zpp+-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9r+-+k+-tr0 9+-+-zP-+-0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9-wqn+psn-+0 9tRN+QmKLsNR0
9+-+p+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+pzPlvL-sN0 A lot of players favour 2...Nf6 3.e3 c5,
9+-zP-zPP+-0 but I think that it is important to lead rst
9PzP-sN-+PzP0 our queen’s knight. at eliminates a
number of tricky lines with Nc3 and other
9tR-wQ-mKL+R0 tactical attempts.
xiiiiiiiiy
4.c3
11...Bd3! 12.Bxd3 cxd3μ. Do not 4.Nc3 hides no venom here in view of
misunderstand me – we are better here not
4...cxd4 5.exd4 Bf5, taking the sting of
because of the pawn on d3, but because the
Nb5 in view of ...Rc8.
h4-knight is hanging. at was the reason
to provoke f3 – to ban its retreat to f3. 4...Nf6 5.Nd2
Black often plays ...Bd3 in various different Until we have not played ...Bf5, we
settings, but I do not recommend it in could still shift to variations from Chapter
general. e computer as a rule evaluates 5, e.g. 5.Nf3 e6.
positions with a pawn on d3 and a knight
on f3 as 0.00, but in practice the 5...Bf5
overextended pawn is a nuisance, as it needs Some players prefer the simple 5...cxd4
constant attention and protection. 6.exd4 Bf5, arguing that the exchange
transforms the opening into a timid side
Let’s now return to the “accelerated”
line of the Caro Kann. I agree that Black
move order:
has no problems there, but my task
2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 throughout the book is not just to show
you how to even the chances. I have tried to
offer rst-rate schemes with a good
potential to play them for a win. Whenever
possible, I prefer to preserve the c5-pawn in
order to have the active plan with ...c4 in
reserve.

XIIIIIIIIY
6.Qb3 Key points
Or 6.Ngf3 e6 7.Qb3 Qc8! In most lines we’ll have a choice –
whether to play ...Qb6 or not. I tried to
6...Qd7! formulate a rule: we go there only if we can
XIIIIIIIIY
meet Qb3 by ...c4 and ...Bf5. e
9r+-+kvl-tr0 following diagrams show what to avoid:
9zpp+qzppzpp0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+n+-sn-+0 9r+l+kvl-tr0
9+-zpp+l+-0 9zpp+-zpp+p0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-wqn+-snp+0
9+QzP-zP-+-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9tR-+-mKLsNR0 9+QzP-zP-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
Please note that against the Accelerated 9tR-+-mKLsNR0
London I never consider ...Qb6. We defend xiiiiiiiiy
the b7-pawn by either ...Qd7 or ...Qc8 (if
White’s knight is already on f3). is 7.Qxb6! axb6 8.Bc7 Nd7 9.Bb5. Black
approach preserves more tension. is tied with the defence of b6.

7.Ngf3 c4 8.Qd1 e6 9.Be2 We should always keep in mind that

We meet 9.Nh4 semi-automatically by White could take on c5:
9...Be4, e.g. 10.f3 Bg6 11.g4 Bd6. XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+kvl-tr0
9r+-+k+-tr0 9zpp+-zppzpp0
9zpp+q+pzpp0 9-wqn+-sn-+0
9-+nvlpsnl+0 9+-zpp+l+-0
9+-+p+-+-0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9-+pzP-vLPsN0 9+QzP-zP-+-0
9+-zP-zPP+-0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9PzP-sN-+-zP0 9tR-+-mKLsNR0
9tR-+QmKL+R0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy 7.dxc5!.
We also offer this exchange if White does
Another point is not to spend a tempo
not play f3+g4. It is an important link of
on h6 at the early stage of the opening. It is
our plan of pushing ...b5-b4. Without it we
better to use it on development.
could not put a rook on b8.
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY We meet 10.Nh4 by 10...Be4 11.Nxe4
9r+-+k+-tr0 Nxe4 12.Nf3 Bd6=.
9zpp+qvlpzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0 eoretical status
9+-+p+l+-0 e Accelerated London is White’s latest
hope of confusing the opponent by its
9-+pzP-vL-+0 exibility. e move order I suggest – with
9+-zP-zPN+-0 ...Nc6 before ...Nf6, allows to prune most
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0 of the unclear lines and reach sound, well
9tR-+QmK-+R0 tested positions where White should even
xiiiiiiiiy be careful if he wants to maintain the
balance.
 Chapter 6. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5
Step by Step
XIIIIIIIIY
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvlntr0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9zpp+-zppzpp0 9-+-+-snp+0
9-+-+-+-+0 9+-zpP+-+-0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9-+-+pvL-+0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9+-sN-+-+-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9PzPPwQ-zPPzP0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0 9tR-+-mKLsNR0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy 7.0-0-0 a6! 8.d6 b5!

3.e3 8...Nc6 9.dxe7 Qxd2+ 10.Bxd2,

3.e4 is obviously inspired by the Albin
Countergambit. I suggest to take the
challenge – 3...dxe4!, and ignore White’s
extra tempo:
3...Nc6 is not bad, but it leads to many
complex, but balanced endgames, for
instance:
4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nc3 Qxd4 6.Nd5 e5
7.Nc7+ Kd8 8.Nxa8 exf4 9.Nf3!
Qxd1+ 10.Rxd1+ Bd7 11.Bb5 Kc8
12.0-0 f6=;
4.Nc3 cxd4 5.exd5 dxc3 6.dxc6 Qxd1+
7.Rxd1 bxc6 8.Bc7 e6 9.Rd8+ Ke7
10.b3 Nf6 11.Ne2 Nd5 12.Ba5 c5
13.g3 Bb7=.
4.d5 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Qd2 Bg7
XIIIIIIIIY
Miladinovic-Nikolic, Murska Sobota
2008, 10...Nxe7 is also good.
9.dxe7 Qxd2+ 10.Rxd2 Bb7 11.Nge2
Nc6 12.Ng3 Nd4 13.Be5 Rg8 14.Rd1
Bc6³.
3.c3 Nc6 4.e3 transposes to line A, and
4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e3 is considered in line B.
3.Nc3!? Nc6 4.e3 (4.e4 cxd4 transposes
to 3.e4 Nc6) is an aggressive set-up, based
on long castling. I suggest to adopt the
most natural development:
4...cxd4 5.exd4 Bf5
5...a6 is quite popular, but I prefer to
lead out a piece rather than spend a
tempo on unnecessary prophylaxis.
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqkvlntr0
9zpp+-zppzpp0
9-+n+-+-+0
9+-+p+l+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
6.Nf3 e6 7.Bb5
e only way to exploit the absence of
...a6. 7.Bd3 could be met by 7...Bg4.
7.Ne5 Nxe5 8.Bxe5 f6 9.Bf4 Bb4 is
easy for Black.
7...Bd6, followed up by ...Nge7. Black’s
pieces stand harmoniously.
3.Nf3 cxd4 (3...Nc6!? is also possible, of
course.) 4.Bxb8 (4.Nxd4 f6 is awkward for
White.) 4...Rxb8 5.Qxd4 was played by
Alekhine. 5...a6 is not bad, but we did not
take on d4 to chicken out later. We should
consider a pawn sac – 5...Nf6 6.Qxa7 Bd7
7.e3 e6 8.Nc3 Be7
e main idea of the sacri ce is that if
White’s queen returns home with
9.Qd4, 9...b5 will offer Black a tangible
initiative.
9.a4 0-0 (9...b6 10.Bb5 0-0©) 10.Bd3
10.Qd4 Qa5 threatens ...b5, so White
should play 11.Nd2 Bc5 12.Nb3 Bxd4
13.Nxa5 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Rfc8=.
10...b6= and Black has a repetition of
moves.
Finally, 3.dxc5 Nc6 4.Nf3
4.e4 Nf6 5.exd5 (5.e5 Ne4 6.Nd2 Nxc5
7.Nb3 Bf5=) 5...Nxd5 6.Bg3 Bf5=, Bu
Xiangzhi-Ding Liren, rapid Shenzhen
2016. More challenging is 6...e5!?.
4...e6 5.e3 (5.e4 Bxc5 6.Nc3 Nge7=)
5...Bxc5 is comfortable.
3...Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqkvlntr0
9zpp+-zppzpp0
9-+n+-+-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zP-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now A. 4.c3 follows in the spirit of e
Accelerated London while B. 4.Nf3 returns
to the classical treatment of this system.
4.Nc3 transposes to 3.Nc3!? Nc6 4.e3.
A. 4.c3 Nf6
4...Qb6 5.Qb3 c4 6.Qc2 Bf5? is a
common mistake. is tactical device does
not work when the d5-pawn is
unprotected, owing to 7.Qxf5 Qxb2
8.Qxd5 Qxa1 9.Qb5 0-0-0 10.Bxc4±.
Black could try to justify the queen sortie
to b6 by 5...Nf6 6.Nd2 g6
6...c4 7.Qc2 g6 8.e4 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 dxe4
10.Bxc4 Bg7 11.Be3 Na5 12.Be2 Qc6
13.Rd1 Nc4 14.Bxc4 Qxc4 15.b3².
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+kvl-tr0 9r+l+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-zpp+p0 9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-wqn+-snp+0 9-+n+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+QzP-zP-+-0 9+-zPL+-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 9Pwq-sNNzPPzP0
9tR-+-mKLsNR0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
Perhaps the position after 7.Qxb6 axb6 9...Qa3! 10.Re1 Be7 11.Nf3 0-0 12.Rb1
8.Bc7 c4! (all 4 games have seen 8...Nd7 Ne4, and White does not have clear
9.Bb5²) 9.Bxb6 e6 is not bad for Black, compensation for the pawn, e.g. 13.Qc2 f5.
but it needs practical tests.
5...Bf5
5.Nd2 I prefer to preserve the c5-pawn.
5.Nf3 Qb6 transposes to line B, and
5...e6, followed up by 6...Bd6, is 5...cxd4 6.exd4 Bf5 is also possible,
considered in the previous chapter. though. 7.Qb3 Qc8 8.Ngf3 e6 9.Nh4 Be4
10.Nxe4 leads to the following position:
Nakamura tried 5.Bd3 against Kramnik, XIIIIIIIIY
but it was a blitz game.
9r+q+kvl-tr0
It went 5...Bg4 6.Nf3 e6 7.Nbd2 Bd6=. 9zpp+-+pzpp0
Critical is, of course: 9-+n+psn-+0
5...Qb6 6.Nd2 Qxb2 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.exd4 9+-+p+-+-0
e6 9.0-0, Schlosser-Gross, Bayern 1995, 9-+-zPNvL-sN0
9+QzP-+-+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Both recaptures are possible:

10...Nxe4 11.Nf3 Bd6=, and 10...dxe4

11.g3 Be7 12.Ng2 Nd5 13.Bd2 0-0
14.Nf4 Nf6 15.Be2 Qd7=.

6.Qb3
XIIIIIIIIY
 6.Ngf3 e6 brings about another
XIIIIIIIIY
important position. 9r+-+kvl-tr0
9+-+-+pzpp0
6...Qb6 could be met by 7.Nh4! (7.Qb3 9pwqp+psn-+0
c4 8.Qxb6 axb6³; 7.dxc5 Qxb2 8.Nd4 9+-zpp+l+-0
Bg4) 7...Bd7 8.Qb3 c4 9.Qc2 Nh5
10.Bg3.
9Q+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+-0
7.Qb3 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
7.Qa4 Nd7 8.Bb5 is well met by the 9tR-+-mK-+R0
natural 8...Rc8! when 9.Bxc6 Rxc6 xiiiiiiiiy
10.Qxa7 is dubious in view of 10...Bd3
and White’s king remains in the centre. 10.c4 Be7 (10...Bd3 11.dxc5) 11.dxc5
erefore, he should castle, when 9.0-0 Bxc5 12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.0-0 0-0 14.Be5
a6 is at least equal. Black could even sac (14.Nb3 Bb4 15.Nbd4 Be4 16.a3 Bxf3
a pawn with 9...Be7 10.Rfe1 0-0 17.Nxf3 Nxf4=) 14...Bg6 15.Rfc1 Rfd8
(10...a6) 11.Bxc6 Rxc6 12.Qxa7 g5 16.Bd4 Bxd4 17.Qxd4 c5=.
13.Bg3 g4, trying to shift the focus of
7...Qc8!
the game to the kingside. However,
14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.dxe5! (15.Bxe5 cxd4 I do not like 7...Qb6 because of the dull
16.exd4 Bg5 17.Nb3 f6 18.Bg3 Qc8 endgame arising after 8.Qxb6 axb6
19.f3 gxf3 20.gxf3 Kh8‚) looks safe 9.Bb5 Nd7 10.h3! (10.Ne5 only trades
enough. e computer nds only a draw another piece) 10...Be7 11.g4 Bc2 12.0-
after 15...Qa8 16.Qxa8 Rxa8 17.e4 dxe4 0 White’s pieces are more active, and he
18.Bf4 Rb6 19.Nc4 Rba6 20.a3 b5. could open the centre at an opportunity.
7.Bb5!? is the better way of pinning the XIIIIIIIIY
knight. en 7...Nd7 (hoping for 8.Qa4 9r+q+kvl-tr0
Rc8), could be met by 8.0-0, followed 9zpp+-+pzpp0
by Re1, e3-e4. erefore, Black should 9-+n+psn-+0
employ another defence: 7...Qb6! 8.Qa4 9+-zpp+l+-0
a6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 with a balanced game,
for instance:
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+QzP-zPN+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
White can now open the centre or
advance on the kingside. Important
continuations are:
XIIIIIIIIY
 a) 8.Bb5 a6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.h3 Be7 16.Kd1 Nxa1 17.exf5 Rd8 18.Kc1 exf5
11.0-0 0-0=. 19.Be5².

b) 8.c4 cxd4 13.Bxc4 a6. White is ahead in

development, but 14.f3 b5 15.Bb3 Bd3
b1) 9.Nxd4 dxc4! 16.Kf2 a5 17.Rhc1 (17.a4 Bb4) 17...a4
allows Black to hold.
It is essential to take on c4 while our c6-
knight is still alive. at eliminates b2) 8...a5!?, enabling ...Bb4, requires
10.Nxc4? owing to 10...Bb4+. more difficult decisions from White: 9.dxc5
10.Qxc4 9.Qa4!? is a more solid retort. After
9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bb4 11.Rd1 Black
10.Bxc4 Nxd4 11.exd4 a6 12.Rc1
has two ways of obtaining a complex
Qd7= has no venom.
ght where his active knights balance
10...Nxd4 the opponet’s bishop pair: 11...0-0
12.Nxf5 exf5 13.a3 Bxd2+ 14.Rxd2 d4
10...e5 11.Bxe5 Nxe5 12.Qb5+ Nc6 15.Bd3 dxe3 16.fxe3 Re8 17.0-0 g6÷
13.Qxf5 Nxd4 14.Qxc8+ Rxc8 15.exd4 and 11...dxc4 12.a3 Bxd2+ 13.Rxd2 c3
Bb4 should be drawn – 16.Bb5+ Ke7 14.bxc3 0-0 15.Nxf5 exf5 16.Bd3 Rd8
17.a3 Ba5 18.Ke2 Rhd8 19.Rhc1 Rxc1 17.Qc2 Qe6 18.0-0 Ne5 19.Be2 Rxd2
20.Rxc1 Rxd4=. 20.Qxd2 Ne4 21.Qb2 b6 22.Rd1 h6=.
11.Qxd4 Qc6 12.Qc4 9...Bxc5 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Bg3 0-0!?
XIIIIIIIIY 12.e4
9r+-+kvl-tr0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zpp+-+pzpp0 9r+q+-trk+0
9-+q+psn-+0 9+p+-+pzpp0
9+-+-+l+-0 9-+n+p+-+0
9-+Q+-vL-+0 9zp-vln+l+-0
9+-+-zP-+-0 9-+-+P+-+0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 9+Q+-+NvL-0
9tR-+-mKL+R0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
xiiiiiiiiy 9tR-+-mKL+R0
12...Qxc4
xiiiiiiiiy
12...Bxe4 13.Nxe4 Bb4+ 14.Ned2
Sedlak claims that 12...Nd5?! 13.Qxc6+
Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 a4 16.Qa3 e5. e
bxc6 14.Bg3 Nb4 is equal, but only
computer can make a draw here, but OTB
White could win after 15.e4! Nc2+ White’s task is not easy.
 c) 8.Nh4 Be4! 9.f3 Bg6 10.g4 (or 13.a4 e6=. More ambitious is to switch
10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.g4 Be7 10...Be7 to tactics by:
11.Nxg6 hxg6 with mutual chances. See 8...e6 9.b3 a6 10.Qb6 cxb3 11.axb3
Game 20 Sapis-Korneev, Cappelle-la- Qc8!? intending to win a piece after 12.Be2
Grande 2004. g5 13.Nxg5 e5 14.Bxe5 Nd7 15.Qc7 f6.
XIIIIIIIIY Although White obtains 3 pawns, our
9r+-wqkvl-tr0 chances are at least not worse and play is
9zpp+-zppzpp0 very tangled.
9-+n+-sn-+0 8...e6 9.Be2
9+-zpp+l+-0 A major alternative is 9.Nh4 Be4
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+QzP-zP-+-0 By provoking f3, we deprive the h4-
knight of retreat squares. at will force
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 a further weakening – g4, which will
9tR-+-mKLsNR0 saddle White with a backward pawn on
xiiiiiiiiy h3. Compare it with 9...Bg6 10.Be2 b5
11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Qc2 Bd6 13.Bxd6
6...Qd7! Qxd6 14.h3, where our semi-open h- le
6...Qb6 is thematically met by 7.dxc5 is useless.
Qxb3 8.axb3 e5 9.Bg3 Bxc5 10.Ngf3 and 10.f3
Black’s central pawns are weak – 10...Nd7
11.b4 Bd6 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.exd4 f6 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Nf3 b5 12.Qc2 Bd6
14.Be2². was comfortable for Black in Vorobiev-
Moiseenko, Kazan 2017.
7.Ngf3
7.dxc5 is less efficient with queens, since 10...Bg6 11.g4 Bd6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6
we can use our strongest piece to protect XIIIIIIIIY
the central pawn pair – 7...e5 8.Bg3 Bxc5 9r+-+k+-tr0
9.Ngf3 Qe7 10.Bb5 Bd6 11.c4 a6 9zpp+-+pzpp0
12.cxd5=. 9-+nwqpsnl+0
7...c4 8.Qd1 9+-+p+-+-0
8.Qb5 is a weird attempt to trade queens 9-+pzP-+PsN0
via b6-c7. At the same time White is 9+-zP-zPP+-0
planning b3. 9PzP-sN-+-zP0
e safest retort is to stabilise our space 9tR-+QmKL+R0
advantage with 8...Qc8 9.Ne5 a6 xiiiiiiiiy
10.Qb6 Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Nd7 12.Qc7 b5
White’s pieces are passive and do not
support his advanced pawns. In Pakleza-
Jarmula, Szklarska Poreba 2013, he made a
serious positional mistake – 13.g5?! Nd7
14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.f4. Of course, it is wrong
to close the position having a bishop vs. a
knight. 15...b5 16.Qe2 Ne7 would have
promised Black an initiative on the
queenside.
13.e4 is much more natural.
en 13...Ng8 14.Be2 Nge7 stops
White’s offensive, but Black could pose
more problems with:
13...e5!? 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Nxc4 Qe7
16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.dxe5 Qh4+ 18.Kd2 Rd8
19.Qe1 Qg5+ 20.Kc2 b5„. e game may
nish in a draw by perpetual check after
21.h4 Qf4 22.Nd6+ Ke7 23.Qe4 Qxe4+
24.Nxe4 Ne3+ 25.Kb3 Na5+ 26.Kb4
Nc6+ 27.Kb3, since 27.Kxb5?? Rd5+!
28.Kxc6 Rb8! traps the king in a mating
net.
9.b3 is dubious owing to 9...Ba3, so
White should play rst:
9.a4 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.b3 cxb3
12.Qxb3 0-0 13.Be2
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+nwqpsn-+0
9+-+p+l+-0
9P+-zP-+-+0
9+QzP-zPN+-0
9-+-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
I have seen Prohaszka recently opting for
this plan (although Black lost a tempo on
8...h6 in that game). he then pushed a4-a5
and c3-c4. e extra tempo gives us the
pleasant choice between 13...Na5 14.Qb5
b6= and 13...Rfc8 14.a5 Qd8 15.Qa3 b6
16.axb6 axb6 17.Qb2 Rxa1+ 18.Qxa1 Na5
and White will never achieve c4. For
instance, 19.0-0 Ne8 20.Ne5 Nd6,
followed up by ...f6.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+kvl-tr0
9zpp+q+pzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-+p+l+-0
9-+pzP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
9...Be7
We should not spend a tempo on 9...h6
as White will enjoy some initiative after
10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Be7 12.b3 cxb3
13.Qxb3! (13.axb3 0-0=) 13...0-0 14.0-0.
is line is a hint to bolster our c4-pawn
with:
9...b5. Indeed, it is a good option, e.g.
10.0-0 Bd6 11.Ne5 Qc7 12.g4 Bg6
13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Bg3 0-0 15.Kg2=.
We should always be ready to counter-
attack in the centre with...e5 so our
knight should not leave c6. For instance,
15...b4?! would be premature due to
16.cxb4 Nxb4 17.g5 Nh7 18.Nf3,
 intending to meet 18...Nc6 by 19.b3!.
e best solution is:
15...Rab8 16.g5 Nh7 17.Bxd6 Qxd6
18.h4 e5!=.
10.Ne5
10.Nh4 should not be of any concern to
us – we are fully developed and have a clear
plan on the queenside – 10...b5=. e
thematic 10...Be4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Nf3
Bd6 is also good.
10...Nxe5 11.Bxe5 b5!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+k+-tr0
9zp-+qvlpzpp0
9-+-+psn-+0
9+p+pvLl+-0
9-+pzP-+-+0
9+-zP-zP-+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
It transpires that we are not forced to
de ne our king’s position yet. e game
Berkes-orhallsson, Reykjavik 2014,
reached a messy position after 11...0-0
12.g4 Bg6 13.h4 Qb5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.h5
Bd3 16.Bxd3 cxd3, when 17.Nb3 e5 18.g5
e4 19.gxf6 Bxf6 is double-edged. White
could win a pawn with 17.Qb3 Qc6
18.Nf3 b5 19.Qd1 b4 20.Qxd3, but
Black’s pressure evens the chances.
12.g4 Bg6 13.g5 Ne4 14.Bxg7 Rg8
15.Bh6 Nxg5 16.Rg1 f6 17.Bxg5 fxg5
18.Nf3 Bf6 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.dxe5 Qe7∞
A sharp ght is ahead. Our king will stay
on the f- le, ...Rb8 will support ...b5-b4,
while White’s only active idea seems to be
f3, e4. Play might continue 21.Qd4 Kf7
22.f3 b4.
B. 4.Nf3 Nf6
Another approach against the early Nf3
is to pin the knight with 4...Bg4.
5.c3
White has tried many other ideas here.
e only fth move which brings White
a positive score in my database is 5.Nbd2.
e absence of c3 suggests 5...Qb6 as the
most principled retort.
We could also reach positions from
Chapter 5 with 5...e6!? 6.c3 (6.Bb5
Bd7) 6...Bd6. e only independent
line is 7.Bd3 Bxf4 8.exf4.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-zP-+0
9+-zPL+N+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
We do not have the plan with ...b6 I
recommended, since the knight is
already on c6. However, Black’s task is
even simpler here thanks to the tactical
trick 8...Qb6! 9.Qb3 (9.Rb1?! cxd4
10.cxd4 0-0 11.Nb3 Nb4 is in Black’s
favour.) 9...Qc7 10.dxc5 Qxf4=.
 Karjakin, Topalov, and many other GMs
XIIIIIIIIY
prefer 5...cxd4 6.exd4 Bf5 7.c3 e6 9r+-wqkvl-tr0
8.Qb3 Qc8, but I treat this position 9zpp+-+pzpp0
without the exchange on d4 – see line A. 9-+n+psn-+0
Unfortunately, the immediate 5...Bf5 9+-zpp+-+-0
does not transpose, as White has 9-+-zP-vLl+0
6.dxc5!? e6 7.Nd4, taking the f5-bishop.
9+-sN-zPN+-0
Finally, if you prefer to insure yourself 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
against any sharp home preparation, but
still preserve tension, you could choose
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
5...Bg4 6.c3 e6 – see Game 21 xiiiiiiiiy
Naiditsch-Meier, Karlsruhe 2017. 7...Bxf3 8.Bxf3 cxd4 9.exd4 Bd6 10.Bg5
6.dxc5 Qxb2 7.Rb1 Qc3 8.Bb5 Be7=.
XIIIIIIIIY 5.Bb5?! Qa5+ 6.Nc3 Ne4 damages
9r+l+kvl-tr0 White’s pawn structure.
9zpp+-zppzpp0
9-+n+-sn-+0 5.dxc5 e6 6.a3 Bxc5 7.c4 0-0 offers
9+LzPp+-+-0 Black a clear extra tempo over one of the
main lines of the Queen’s Gambit with Bf4.
9-+-+-vL-+0
9+-wq-zPN+-0 5.Be2 counts mostly on 5...Qb6 6.Nc3,
9P+PsN-zPPzP0 although 6...c4 is playable.
9+R+QmK-+R0 Perhaps 5...cxd4 6.exd4 Bf5 7.0-0 e6 is
xiiiiiiiiy the most solid option.
Now both 8...e6 and 8...g6 offer Black XIIIIIIIIY
fair chances. See Game 22 Böhme-Buzek, 9r+-wqkvl-tr0
Lechenicher SchachServer, 2013. 9zpp+-+pzpp0
5.Nc3 is a slightly improved version of 9-+n+psn-+0
3.Nc3, since the inclusion of Nf3 Nf6 is in 9+-+p+l+-0
White’s favour. at is due to the fact that 9-+-zP-vL-+0
in some lines Black would have preferred to 9+-+-+N+-0
develop his knight on e7, as I noted in the
beginning of this chapter.
9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tRN+Q+RmK-0
A good model to follow is the game xiiiiiiiiy
Torre-So, Manila 2011: 5...Bg4 6.Be2 e6
7.0-0 After 8.c3, White could choose between
8...Bd6, 8...Be7, and even 8...Ne4,
XIIIIIIIIY
followed up by 9...Bd6.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
5...Qb6 9zpp+-vlpzpp0
5...Bf5 is questionable owing to 6.dxc5. 9-wqn+psn-+0
You can improve on the above line with
9+-zpp+l+-0
5...Bg4 which is in many aspects similar to 9-+-zP-vL-+0
the schemes with ...Bf5, only 6.dxc5?! does 9+-zP-zPN+-0
not work in view of 6...e5. Instead White 9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
answers 6.Nbd2 e6 7.Qb3 Qc8 – see Game 9tR-wQ-+RmK-0
21 Naiditsch-Meier, Karlsruhe 2017. xiiiiiiiiy
5...e6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 could still transpose Black’s queen is more active, but White
to Chapter 5. does not have weaknesses. e game might
continue 10.Nh4 Be4 11.f3 (11.Nxe4?!
On the contrary, 5...g6 only looks similar
Nxe4 12.Nf3 g5 13.Bg3 f5ƒ) 11...Bg6
to Chapter 1, but the knight on c6 mars
the picture, since the c5-pawn is hanging in 12.Nxg6 hxg6=.
a number of variations.
6.Qc2 invites Black to play 6...Bf5?
6.Qb3 when White has 7.dxc5!
is is the big main line, but I’m not sure 6...g6 is a natural move, but you should
it is better than the humble:
still avoid ...Bf5 – 7.Nbd2 Bg7! (mind
6.Qc1 Bf5. Black preserves the option of the little trick 7...Bf5 8.dxc5!) 8.h3
opening the c- le with...cxd4. at (8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Nh5 10.Bg5 h6
deprives White of active plans on the 11.Bh4 Bf5 with slight pressure) 8...0-0
kingside. 7.Nbd2 e6 9.Be2 Nd7 10.0-0 e5=.
Perhaps simplest is 6...Nh5! 7.Be5
7...cxd4!? 8.exd4 Rc8 is also a promising (7.Bg3 Nxg3 8.hxg3 g6) 7...f6 8.dxc5
set-up.
(8.Bg3 cxd4 9.exd4 e5) 8...Qxc5 9.Bd4
8.Be2 (8.Nh4 Be4) 8...Be7 (8...Rc8!?) Qa5 10.b4 Qc7 11.Qb3
9.0-0 0-0

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY e other retreats allow Black to gain
9r+l+kvl-tr0 space: 9.Be5 f6 10.Bg3 e5 11.Be2
9zppwq-zp-zpp0 (11.Nbd2 0-0-0 12.Be2 exd4 13.Nxd4
9-+n+-zp-+0 Nxd4 14.cxd4 Nxg3 15.hxg3 Kb8³)
9+-+p+-+n0 11...0-0-0 (or 11...Nxg3 12.hxg3 exd4
9-zP-vL-+-+0 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.cxd4 Bb4+³, Ider-
9+QzP-zPN+-0 Wagner, Chartres 2017) 12.Nbd2
exd4³;
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9tRN+-mKL+R0 9.Bg5 f6 (9...h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3
Nxg3 12.hxg3 Bg7 13.Nbd2 Rc8
xiiiiiiiiy 14.Be2 0-0³) 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 e5
11...e5! 12.Qxd5 exd4 13.Qxh5+ g6 12.dxe5 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Nxe5³.
14.Qh4 dxe3 15.fxe3 Bf5 16.Bb5 0-0-0 9...Nxg3 10.hxg3
with an active bishop pair.
XIIIIIIIIY
6...c4 7.Qc2 9r+-+kvl-tr0
7.Qxb6?! axb6 is perfect for Black if Bb5 9zpp+-zppzpp0
is impossible – 8.a3 b5 9.Nbd2 b4 or 9-wqn+-+-+0
8.Na3 Na7 9.Be2 Bf5 10.Nh4 Bd7. 9+-+p+l+-0
7...Bf5! 8.Qc1 9-+pzP-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-zP-zPNzP-0
9r+-+kvl-tr0 9PzP-+-zPP+0
9zpp+-zppzpp0 9tRNwQ-mKL+R0
9-wqn+-sn-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+p+l+-0
9-+pzP-vL-+0 10...h6 11.Nbd2 e6 12.Be2 Be7
9+-zP-zPN+-0 13.Bd1=.
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Be2
9tRNwQ-mKL+R0 10.Nh4 does not achieve to kill the
xiiiiiiiiy bishop, as 10...Be4 11.f3? Bd3 12.Bxd3
cxd3μ is awful for White. Young Kamsky
8...e6 chose 11.Be2 0-0 and acknowledged his
8...Nh5 is much less popular. Black kills mistake by going back – 12.Nhf3 Bg6=.
the enemy bishop, but the resulting
position is closed and roughly balanced: 10...0-0 11.h3
I played 11.b3?! against Artemiev in the
9.Bg3 World blitz championship 2013, but it only
offered Black an active plan on the
queenside after 11...cxb3 12.axb3 Rfc8,
threatening ...Nb4.
11.0-0 Rfc8= will transpose to the main
line, but 11...Nh5 is also an option –
12.Be5 f6 13.Bg3 Nxg3 14.hxg3 Bg6!,
keeping the bishop pair. (Pakleza-Macieja,
Warsaw 2010, saw 14...Qc7?! 15.Nh4 b5?
16.Nxf5 exf5, when 17.a4 a6 18.b3 would
have gained the initiative.)
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0
9-wqn+psn-+0
9+-+p+l+-0
9-+pzP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-wQ-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
11...Rfc8
A standard regrouping of the major
pieces. Black’s plan is ...Qd8, followed up
by ....b5.
Another popular set-up involves
11...h6!?. It is mostly a matter of taste
whether to spend a tempo on this
prophylactic move. As I noted before,
12.b3 cxb3 13.axb3 Rfc8 is promising for
Black. e attempt for a direct attack with
12.g4 Bg6 13.Rg1 Ne4 14.h4 should not
disturb us as White’s pieces, and especially
his queen, are passive. A safe retort would
be:
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpp+-vlpzp-0
9-wqn+p+lzp0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+pzPnvLPzP0
9+-zP-zPN+-0
9PzP-sNLzP-+0
9tR-wQ-mK-tR-0
xiiiiiiiiy
14...Qd8 15.g5 h5, but Black could also
launch a counter-attack with 14...e5!
15.dxe5 Nc5 16.g5 h5 17.Kf1 Rae8
18.Kg2 Bd8, regaining the e5-pawn.
12.0-0
e acid test of Black’s set-ups without
...h6 is 12.Nh4 Be4
12...Bd3 13.Bxd3 cxd3 is too
committing. Although the computer
nds it equal, the d3-pawn would be a
cause of constant concern for us.
13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Nf3 Bd6=.
12.g4 Bg6! 13.g5 is another principled
try.
13.Nh4 Be4 14.Nhf3 does not
necessarily lead to a repetition. Black
can play on with 14...Qd8.
13...Nh5!? (13...Ne4 14.h4 Bf5∞)
14.Bh2

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 13.Nh4 Be4 14.f3 Bd3³ leaves the h4-
9r+r+-+k+0 knight hanging.
9zpp+-vlpzpp0
9-wqn+p+l+0 13...Bg6 14.Nh4 b5 15.Nxg6 hxg6
9+-+p+-zPn0 16.Bf3 b4 17.e4
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+pzP-+-+0 9r+rwq-+k+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0 9zp-+-vlpzp-0
9PzP-sNLzP-vL0 9-+n+psnp+0
9tR-wQ-mK-+R0 9+-+p+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-zppzPPvLP+0
14...f6! 15.Rg1 fxg5 16.Nxg5 Bxg5 9+-zP-+L+P0
17.Rxg5 Nf6„. 9PzP-sN-zP-+0
9tR-wQ-+RmK-0
12...Qd8 xiiiiiiiiy
is is consistent with our previous play,
but White’s timid last move encourages Both sides have realised their plans. It is
12...h6!?. We can no longer fear a pawn obvious that Black’s play is much more
storm against our king. See Game 22 Lazic- straightforward and effective. He could now
Nabaty, Belgrade 2015. It is a model thrust forward his a-pawn – 17...a5!,
example of Black’s plan in this pawn intending ...a4-a3. 17...dxe4 18.Nxe4 Nd5
structure. 19.Rd1 a5³ is also pleasant for him.

13.g4
13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 b5³ is a onesided
game.
 Chapter 6. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5
Annotated Games
20. Sapis – Korneev
Cappelle-la-Grande 01.03.2004
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3 Nf6
5.Nd2 Bf5 6.Ngf3 e6 7.Qb3 Qc8 8.Nh4
Be4!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zPlvL-sN0
9+QzP-zP-+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
8...Bg6 is sound, but passive. By
provoking f3, we create imbalances which
we’ll try to exploit in future. Of course,
White might attempt to avoid f3 by 9.Bg5,
but we’ll keep the tension with 9...Be7
10.Nxe4 (10.dxc5 0-0) 10...Nxe4 11.Bxe7
Nxe7 12.Bb5+ Nc6. Our aim here is to
gain more space with ...c4 so 13.Qc2 looks
logical. 13...a6 14.Bd3 f5 15.f3 Nf6 16.g4
c4 17.Be2 g5 18.Ng2 fxg4 19.fxg4 Qc7
20.0-0-0 0-0-0÷.
9.f3 Bg6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.g4 Be7
e rst important decision in this game.
It is connected with a pawn sac since
12.dxc5!? Bxc5?! 13.0-0-0 e5 14.Qb5²
would be a little unpleasant. Fortunately,
we can delay recapturing the pawn with
12...a5!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+k+-tr0
9+p+-vlpzp-0
9-+n+psnp+0
9zp-zPp+-+-0
9-+-+-vLP+0
9+QzP-zPP+-0
9PzP-sN-+-zP0
9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
It is easy for White to fall under attack –
13.Bb5 Nd7 14.0-0-0 a4 15.Qc2 Ra5
16.Bxc6 bxc6. He should stop the
advance of our pawn, but then his
castling position will be a bit shaky:
13.a4! Nd7 14.0-0-0 Nxc5 15.Qc2 Qd8
16.Kb1 Bd6 17.Bxd6 Qxd6 18.Ne4 Qe7
19.Nxc5 Qxc5 20.Qf2 Na7 and the threat
of ...b5 offers enough counterplay –
21.Qd2 Rb8 22.e4 dxe4 23.Qd7+ Kf8
24.fxe4 Nc6=. We have a nice square on e5
for our knight.
 In the correspondence game Dos Reis-
Bowyer, ICCF 2008, Black obtained a
decent position with the prophylactic
11...Nd7 12.Bg3 a6 13.Bg2 Be7, but why
to remove a piece from the centre without a
serious reason?!
12.Bg2
A strange move at rst sight – it is
unnatural to put a bishop behind its own
pawns. White’s choice betrays an intention
to keep the king on f2 or g1, and an extra
piece around it would be reassuring.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+k+-tr0
9zpp+-vlpzp-0
9-+n+psnp+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vLP+0
9+QzP-zPP+-0
9PzP-sN-+LzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
12...a6?!
Such a move would have made sense if
White’s bishop were still on f1 and could go
to b5. e game shows that Black was
planning ...b5, but we do not need ...a6 in
order to push it.
It was time to devise a plan. Black can
opt for ...c4, ...b5, but that would give
White a free hand in the centre. Stronger is
...cxd4, followed by a minority attack with
...b5-b4. In all events he needs to exchange
the g3-bishop to gain access to b8. us his
rst steps should be 12...Qd7 13.Bg3 cxd4
14.exd4 Bd6. If White takes 14.cxd4, we
play the same 14...Bd6 and probably ...g5.
In this symmetrical structure we might not
need ...b5 at all.
13.Bg3 b5 14.a3?!
is apparently aims to prevent 14.0-0
c4 15.Qc2 b4, but the whole Black’s
concept of closing the ank is wrong.
White would bust his fragile construction
with 16.b3 or 16.e4. Instead of 14...c4?!,
Black should castle 14...0-0 and ght for
the dark squares with ...g5 and ...e5 at an
opportunity.
14...Na5 15.Qd1 cxd4 16.exd4 Nc4
17.Nxc4 Qxc4?!
Why not 17...bxc4³ ?!
18.Bf1 Qc6 19.Bd3 Bd6 20.Kf2 Ke7
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+-tr0
9+-+-mkpzp-0
9p+qvlpsnp+0
9+p+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+P+0
9zP-zPL+PvL-0
9-zP-+-mK-zP0
9tR-+Q+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Another option was 20...Nd7 21.Qe2
Nb6 22.Kg2 Nc4 23.f4∞.
e king move sets up the positional trap
of xing the h2-pawn, which White could
have prevented with 21.Kg2!.
21.Qe2? Rh3! 22.Rag1?
White should have assumed a passive,
but rm stand with 22.Rhg1.
22...Rah8 23.Rg2 Ne8?! White misses his chance and the game
It seems that Korneev does not trust his sets off for a draw.
technique too much, so he prefers to keep XIIIIIIIIY
the pressure with even material. 23...Bxg3+ 9-+-+-+-tr0
24.Rxg3 Rxh2+ was a clear pawn up. After
the text, White gets the chance to correct
9+-sn-mk-+-0
his mistake on move 22. 9-+q+pzpP+0
9+-+p+-+-0
24.Re1 Nc7?! 9-+-zP-+-+0
It was essential to stop f4 with 24...g5
25.Qd2 f6.
9+-zpL+-zPr0
9-zP-+QmKR+0
25.f4 a5 26.f5 Bxg3+ 27.hxg3
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-tR-+-0
9-+-+-+-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-sn-mkpzp-0 32.Qc2? R3h5 33.Qxc3 Qxc3 34.bxc3
9-+q+p+p+0 Rg5 35.g4 Kd6 36.Re3 e5 37.dxe5+ fxe5
9zpp+p+P+-0 38.Bf5 Ne6 39.Kg3 Nf4 40.Rh2 Rxh2
9-+-zP-+P+0 41.Kxh2 Nxg6 42.Bxg6 Rxg6 43.Kg3
9zP-zPL+-zPr0 Rg8 44.Kh4 Rh8+ 45.Kg5 e4 46.c4 Ke5
9-zP-+QmKR+0 47.cxd5 Rg8+ 48.Kh5 Kf4 49.Re1 Rg5+
50.Kh6 Rxg4 51.d6 Rg8 52.Rf1+ Ke3
9+-+-tR-+-0 53.d7 Ke2 54.Rf7 e3 55.Re7 Re8 56.Kg6
xiiiiiiiiy Kd2 ½-½

27...b4?! 21. Naiditsch – Meier

Black fails to adapt to the new reality.
Instead of playing to convert an extra pawn, Karlsruhe 19.4.2017
he should think about defence. A good
solution was 27...gxf5 28.gxf5 R8h6. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6
5.Nbd2 Bg4
28.axb4 axb4 29.fxg6 f6?
Sheer panic. 29...fxg6 30.Qe5 bxc3
31.Qxg7+ Kd8 was nearly equal, and even
29...bxc3 30.gxf7 Rf8 31.Qe3 e5! was
tenable.

30.g5+– bxc3 31.gxf6+ gxf6

e winning idea here is to bring the
passive rook at g2 to the queenside with
32.Qg4! R3h6 33.Kf3!!+–.
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqkvl-tr0 9r+q+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-zppzpp0 9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+n+-sn-+0 9-+-+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0 9+-zppsn-+-0
9-+-zP-vLl+0 9-+-zP-vLl+0
9+-+-zPN+-0 9+QzP-zP-+-0
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0 9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKL+R0 9tR-+-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
White’s move order is speci cally aimed I chose 9.dxe5 against Mads Andersen in
against 5...Bf5, which would be met by 2016, when the most critical answer is
6.dxc5. However, Black’s bishop has a 9...Nd7 10.e4 b5.
backup route!
9.Bxe5 c4 10.Qc2 Bf5 11.Qd1 is a
6.c3 e6 typical London position with mutual
Meier had previous bad experience with chances.
6...Qb6?! 7.dxc5! Qxc5 8.Qb3 and he went
on to lose to Kramnik in 2015. 8...Bh5 9.g4 Bg6 10.Nh4
XIIIIIIIIY
7.Qb3 Qc8 9r+q+kvl-tr0
You have learned from the previous 9zpp+-+pzpp0
sections of this chapter that I disapprove of 9-+n+psnl+0
7...Qb6 when White’s bishop is able to 9+-zpp+-+-0
reach b5 – 8.Qxb6 axb6 9.Bb5². 7...Qd7 is 9-+-zP-vLPsN0
also dubious owing to 8.Bb5.
9+QzP-zP-+P0
8.h3 9PzP-sN-zP-+0
Kramnik, Karjakin and yours truly had 9tR-+-mKL+R0
opted for 8.Ne5 Nxe5: xiiiiiiiiy
10...Be4
A rather provocative decision. Black’s
queen is a little awkward, the opponent will
soon get the bishop pair advantage. All that
suggests to drain out the dynamic with
10...cxd4!? 11.exd4 and complete
development without any risks. Curiously,
the same position has arisen several times
XIIIIIIIIY
with a clear tempo up for White. For
instance, Parligras-Solodovnichenko, Konya
2016 saw 4.e3 cxd4 5.exd4 Nc6 6.c3 Bf5
7.Nbd2 e6 8.Qb3 Qc8 9.Nh4 Bg4 10.h3
Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 – and the game nished
quickly in a draw after 12.Nxg6 hxg6
13.Bg2 Be7 14.0-0 0-0 15.Rfe1 Qd7 16.a4
½-½.
In P.Prohaszka-Jo.Horvath, Hungary
2016, Black preferred 10...Ne4 11.Nxg6
Nxd2 12.Qd1 hxg6 13.Qxd2 Qd7, but the
trade of knights has left his king
unprotected and 14.0-0-0 (instead of the
harmless 14.Bg2) would have assured
White of a promising position.
11.f3 Bg6 12.Be2
When we keep the tension in the centre,
we should always think of the possible
dxc5, especially if the opponent is ahead in
development. Here 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Nxg6
hxg6 14.0-0-0 looks dangerous, but Black
should hold with 14...e5! 15.Qb5 Be7
16.Bg3 d4 17.cxd4 a6 18.Qd3 Nb4+
19.Qc4 exd4 20.exd4 Nxa2+ 21.Kb1 Nb4.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+n+psnl+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vLPsN0
9+QzP-zPP+P0
9PzP-sNL+-+0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
12...Be7
Meier is playing with re. He invites
White to take on c5 and castle long, and
that would give him an initiative.
Our thematic plan in such positions is
12...c4 13.Qd1 Qd8, planning to exchange
the bishops from d6.
13.Bg3?! a6 14.Kf2 b5 15.Qd1 Qd8
16.a4
e only sharp plan of White is to take
on g6 and push h4. Shifting the focus of
the game to the queenside perfectly suits
Black.
16...b4 17.a5?! c4 18.Nxg6 hxg6 19.h4
Bd6
Black has nally picked out the right idea
and his game is already preferable.
Naiditsch continues to act chaotically:
20.f4 Rb8 21.Qc2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-wqk+-tr0
9+-+-+pzp-0
9p+nvlpsnp+0
9zP-+p+-+-0
9-zppzP-zPPzP0
9+-zP-zP-vL-0
9-zPQsNLmK-+0
9tR-+-+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
21...Rb5?
White is seemingly preparing e4, but
Meier ignores the threat. 21...Ne7!μ would
have discouraged it, leaving Black on top.
After the text, 22.e4! would have
changed the character of the game since
22...Nxe4? was bad owing to 23.Nxe4 dxe4
24.Bxc4. Black should concede to 22...Bc7 65.Rh3+ Ke4 66.Rh4+ Kd5 67.Rh8 Rxf5
23.exd5 bxc3 24.bxc3 exd5 25.h5 gxh5 68.Kc2 Ke4 ½-½
26.g5 Ng8 27.Bxh5 Nge7∞, when the
open les would promise White certain 22. Böhme – Buzek
compensation for the doomed pawn at a5.
Lechenicher SchachServer, 2013
22.h5? bxc3 23.bxc3 Qb8? (23...gxh5
24.g5 Ng8μ) 24.hxg6 Rxh1 25.Rxh1 Rb2 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nd2 Nc6
26.Rh8+ 5.Ngf3 Qb6
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-wq-+k+-tR0 9r+l+kvl-tr0
9+-+-+pzp-0 9zpp+-zppzpp0
9p+nvlpsnP+0 9-wqn+-sn-+0
9zP-+p+-+-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+pzP-zPP+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zP-vL-0 9+-+-zPN+-0
9-trQsNLmK-+0 9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
9+-+-+-+-0 9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
Now 26...Bf8 would be balanced, but 6.dxc5 Qxb2 7.Rb1 Qc3 8.Bb5 g6!?
both players were not at their best level. e anchetto is a rare guest in practical
e rest is entertaining, but irrelevant to chess, but it performs well in
the opening. correspondence games.

26...Ke7? 27.Rxb8 (27.Qc1+–) 27...Rxc2
28.Rb7+ Nd7 29.gxf7 Rxd2 30.Bh4+
Kf8 31.Rxd7 Be7 32.Bxe7+ Nxe7 33.g5
Kxf7 34.Ra7 Rc2 35.Ke1? (35.Rxa6+–)
35...Rxc3 36.Kd2 Ra3 37.Bh5+ g6
38.Bxg6+ Kxg6 39.Rxe7 Ra2+ 40.Kc3
Ra3+ 41.Kd2 Ra2+ 42.Ke1 Kf5= 43.Kf1
c3 44.Rc7 Rc2 45.g6 Kxg6 46.Ke1 Kf5
47.Kd1 Rd2+ 48.Kc1 Rd3 49.Kc2 Rxe3
50.Rc6 Rf3 51.Rxa6 Ke4 52.Rxe6+ Kxd4
53.a6 Rf2+ 54.Kb3 Rb2+ 55.Ka3 Rb1
56.Rc6 Kd3 57.a7 Ra1+ 58.Kb3 d4
59.Rc7 c2 60.Kb2 c1Q+ 61.Rxc1 Rxa7
62.Rh1 Rc7 63.f5 Rc2+ 64.Kb3 Rf2
8...e6 is the main line. As you’ll see
below, it is viable continuation, too. 9.0-0
9.Ne5 Bd7
9...Be7 10.Ne5 Bd7
Black commonly refrains from
10...Qxc5 in view of 11.c4 0-0 12.Nb3.
However, it turns out that he obtains
serious compensation for the exchange
after 12...Qa3 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bxc6
Ba6 15.Bxa8 Rxa8 16.Re1 dxc4 17.Nd4

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+k+0 9r+-+-trk+0
9zp-+-vlpzpp0 9zppvLlvlpzpp0
9l+-+psn-+0 9-+n+psn-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+LzPp+-+-0
9-+psN-vL-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9wq-+-zP-+-0 9+-wqNzP-+-0
9P+-+-zPPzP0 9P+PsN-zPPzP0
9+R+QtR-mK-0 9+R+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
e best move order now is 17...c3 (the 12...b6!
game Van Foreest-Brunner,Vaujany Two top level games saw the weak
2016, saw 17...Rc8 18.Be5 c3 but 12...Ne8?! 13.Rb3 Qf6 14.Bg3². e
18.Rb8 would have been slightly better text solves all the problems at once.
for White) 18.Be5 Rc8 19.Bxf6 gxf6
and White cannot avoid the elegant 13.Rb3 Qa5 14.c4 Rac8 15.cxd5 exd5
combination 20.Qc2 (or 20.h3 Bd3! 16.cxb6 axb6=, Indjic-Fridman, Warsaw
21.Qxd3 c2 22.Qxa3 cxb1Q 23.Rxb1 2017.
Bxa3=, although Böhme-Buettner, corr. 9.0-0
2013, went 20...f5 and soon ended in a XIIIIIIIIY
draw.) 20...Bd3!! 21.Qxd3 c2 22.Qxc2 9r+l+kvl-tr0
Rxc2 23.Nxc2 Qxa2=. It seems that 9zpp+-zpp+p0
10...Qxc5 is a sound alternative. 9-+n+-snp+0
11.Nd3 9+LzPp+-+-0
Or 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.e4 0-0 (12...a6
9-+-+-vL-+0
13.exd5 axb5 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Ne4 Qc4 9+-wq-zPN+-0
16.Nd6+ Bxd6 17.Qxd6 Qxc5 18.Qc7 9P+PsN-zPPzP0
Qb6=) 13.exd5 exd5 14.Ne4 dxe4 9+R+Q+RmK-0
15.Qxd7 Bxc5 16.Qxb7 Rac8 17.Kh1 xiiiiiiiiy
Bb6=, Cornette-Feuerstack, chess.com
2017. 9...Bg7
11...0-0 12.Bc7 It is not a good idea to eat the pawn as
White will develop a strong initiative after
9...Qxc5?! 10.c4.

10.Nb3 (10.Nd4 Bd7) 10...0-0 11.Bxc6

bxc6 12.Be5 Qc4 13.Qd4 Qa6
XIIIIIIIIY
 In positions with a bishop vs. a knight
XIIIIIIIIY
we should seek to break the symmetry. 9-trl+r+k+0
Besides, d4 is a nice square for the enemy 9zp-+-zp-+p0
knights. erefore, we should consider 9q+p+nzpp+0
13...Qxd4! 14.exd4 a5, taking over the 9+-zPp+-+-0
initiative.
9-+-sN-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+NwQ-zP-+P0
9r+l+-trk+0 9P+P+-zPP+0
9+-+-zppvlp0 9+R+-tR-mK-0
9-+p+-snp+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zp-zPpvL-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 Everything is covered and Black will soon
be able to claim full equality. White
9+N+-+N+-0 undertakes a last attempt:
9P+P+-zPPzP0
9+R+-+RmK-0 20.Qa5 Nxd4 21.exd4 Kf7 22.Qxa6
xiiiiiiiiy Bxa6 23.Na5 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 Rc8 25.f4
Ke6 26.g4 ½-½
White has enough counterplay after
15.Nbd2 Bh6 16.Rfe1 Bf5 17.Bg3 Ra7 23. Lazic – Nabaty
18.Rb6 Rc8 19.Bb8 Ra8 20.Bg3= though.
Belgrade 2015
14.h3 Ne8 15.Bxg7 Nxg7 16.Qe5
Time to take stock. e c8-bishop does 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.c3 Nc6
not have clear prospects for now, the c6- 5.e3 Qb6 6.Qb3 c4 7.Qc2 Bf5 8.Qc1 e6
pawn is weak. White’s major pieces are also 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.h3 0-0 11.Be2 Rfc8
more active. Black should devise an 12.0-0
accurate defensive set-up in order to
XIIIIIIIIY
neutralise threats like Qc7, Ne5, c4. 9r+r+-+k+0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0
16...Ne6 17.Qc3 f6 18.Nfd4 Rb8 9-wqn+psn-+0
19.Rfe1 Re8 9+-+p+l+-0
9-+pzP-vL-+0
9+-zP-zPN+P0
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-wQ-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
12...h6
XIIIIIIIIY
 Almost everybody plays here 12...Qd8,
XIIIIIIIIY
which is consistent with Black’s previous 9r+rwq-+k+0
moves. However, White’s phlegmatic 9zpp+-vlpzp-0
development offers us the luxury of 9-+n+psn-zp0
spending a tempo on ensuring a retreat 9+-+psNl+-0
square to our bishop.
9-+pzP-vL-+0
13.Ne5 9+-zP-zPL+P0
Another typical manoeuvre is 13.Bd1 9PzP-sN-zPP+0
Qd8 14.Bc2, when we have a choice. 9tR-wQ-+RmK-0
I generally prefer to keep my pawn
xiiiiiiiiy
chain exible, but 14...Bxc2 15.Qxc2
b5 enables 16.e4. Of course, it does not 14...Nxe5
create any threats as e4-e5 would be a e obvious 14...b5 is stronger. It turns
strategic suicide, but it undermines the out that the tactical threat of Ndxc4 does
base of our c4-pawn. A better option is: not help White – 15.Re1 b4 16.Ndxc4
bxc3 17.bxc3 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Ne4 with
14...b5 strong pressure.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+rwq-+k+0 15.Bxe5
It is difficult to evaluate the position after
9zp-+-vlpzp-0 15.dxe5!? Nd7 16.e4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Qb6!.
9-+n+psn-zp0 White’s space advantage is delusive, as the
9+p+p+l+-0 d3-square is weak and easily accessible by a
9-+pzP-vL-+0 knight from c5 and the f5-bishop. Perhaps
9+-zP-zPN+P0 White should put his hopes on the bishop
9PzPLsN-zPP+0 pair by 18.Nd6! Bxd6 19.exd6 Nc5
20.Rd1 Nd3 21.Qe3, intending 21...e5
9tR-wQ-+RmK-0 22.Qxb6 axb6 23.g4!=.
xiiiiiiiiy
15...Bd3 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Re1 b5
Now the plan with e4 will cost White a
tempo – 15.Re1

15.Bxf5 exf5 would leave White with

no plan at all.
15...b4 16.e4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nd5
18.Bd2 Rab8, Abdulla-Gagare, Kolkata
2015. Black is clearly ahead in his play.

13...Qd8 14.Bf3
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+rwq-+k+0 9r+rwq-+k+0
9zp-+-+pzp-0 9+-+-+pzp-0
9-+-+pvl-zp0 9p+-+pvllzp0
9+p+p+-+-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+pzP-+-+0 9PzPpzP-+-+0
9+-zPlzPL+P0 9+-+-zP-+P0
9PzP-sN-zPP+0 9-zP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-wQ-tR-mK-0 9tR-wQ-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
It transpires that White fails to eliminate
18.Be2?!
For better or worse, White had to push the queenside pawns, e.g. 21.Qc3 Be7
18.e4. It would open the e- le and create a 22.b3 Qb6 23.b5 axb5 24.axb5 Qxb5
target on d5. e game Archangelsky- 25.bxc4 Qb4!, and Black’s c-pawn is alive
Rublevsky, Aalborg 1993, went further and rushing forth.
18...b4 19.exd5 exd5 20.Nf1 bxc3 21.bxc3
19...a6 20.axb5 axb5 21.b4 Rxa1
Qa5 22.Ne3 Rd8 23.g3 Bg5 24.h4 Bxe3
22.Qxa1 Ra8 23.Qb2 Ra4 24.Ra1 Qa8
25.Rxe3 Rab8 26.Qd2=.
25.Rxa4
XIIIIIIIIY
18...Bg6 19.a4 9q+-+-+k+0
is clari es the reason behind White’s
19th move – he aims at blocking the
9+-+-+pzp-0
queenside with b4. However, it has two 9-+-+pvllzp0
aws: the resulting position is unpleasant 9+p+p+-+-0
for him, and, more importantly, Black 9RzPpzP-+-+0
could cut across this plan by 19...b4! 9+-zP-zP-+P0
20.cxb4 a6!!
9-wQ-sNLzPP+0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
25...Qxa4?
From a practical standpoint, in near-
fortress positions one should be eager to
unbalance them. 25...bxa4! 26.Qa3 Bc2,
with a further ...e5 in mind, not only
created a passer. It also immobilised the
white queen – Qb2? would lose on the spot
to ...a3. After the text, White could just
XIIIIIIIIY
move the king along the rst line. at Do not do this, even at home!
should earn him a draw. Instead, he
completely forgot any textbooks he might 30...e5! And the game is suddenly over.
have read, and opened the centre himself! 31.exd5 exd4 32.Ne4 dxc3 33.Qxc3 Bxe4
34.Bxe4 Qxb4 35.Qd4 Qc5 36.Qe5 h5
26.g3 Bc2 27.Kg2 g6 28.h4 Be7 29.Bf3?! 37.Qb8+ Kg7 38.Qe5+ Bf6 39.Qb8 b4
Bd3 30.e4?? 40.d6 Be5 41.Qc7 Bxd6 42.Qxc5 Bxc5
XIIIIIIIIY
43.Bd5 c3 44.Bb3 Kf6 45.Kf3 Kf5
9-+-+-+k+0 46.Ke2 Kg4 47.Bxf7 Kh3 48.Bxg6 b3
9+-+-vlp+-0 49.Bf7 c2 50.Kd2 Ba3 0-1
9-+-+p+pzp0
9+p+p+-+-0
9qzPpzPP+-zP0
9+-zPl+LzP-0
9-wQ-sN-zPK+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
 Chapter 7. e Classical London System
Main Ideas
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 is the older way of
entering the London System. Lately
Carlsen, Karjakin and other top players
prefer 2.Bf4, which is the subject of our
next chapter. I explained the reasons for the
decline of the Classical London that arises
after 3.Bf4 in Chapter 6.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
9zppzp-zppzpp0
9-+-+-sn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tRN+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
e main argument against this move
order is the line 3...c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.c3 Qb6.
Chapter 5 provided another way of
exploiting the early knight development:
3...e6 4.e3 Bd6 5.Bg3 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3
b6!? (instead of 7...Nc6) and White cannot
push e4 at all.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqkvl-tr0
9zpp+-zppzpp0
9-+n+-sn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
e inclusion of Nf3 Nf6 might be in
White’s favour in some lines with Bb5,
when Black’s knight would stay better on
e7.
In the diagram position the best way to
take the sting of White’s set-up is to pin
and kill the f3-knight. Another link of our
plan is to exchange on d4, obtaining a
Carlsbad structure in which the c3-knight
would be on a wrong place. We could shape
all this in the following way:
5...Bg4 (or 5...cxd4 rst) 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0
Bxf3 8.Bxf3 cxd4 9.exd4 Bd6

e only small plus of playing Nf3 early

is the system with Nc3:

3...c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nc3

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY e most challenging line now is
9r+-wqk+-tr0 6...axb4! 7.cxb4 b6 – see Game 24
9zpp+-+pzpp0 ompson-Matheis, ICCF 2007.
9-+nvlpsn-+0
If you prefer an easier life, you could
9+-+p+-+-0 regain the pawn with 6...b6. is way you
9-+-zP-vL-+0 avoid positions with two passed pawns on
9+-sN-+L+-0 the queenside, which are commonly
9PzPP+-zPPzP0 pleasant for Black, but the cost of mistakes
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 is higher.
xiiiiiiiiy eoretical status
Our natural plan in this structure is the It seems that e Classical London
minority attack with ...b5 and ...a5. System is unanimously assessed as
completely harmless by modern theory.
Another trendy approach after 2.Nf3 d5
First players try completely new ways of
is to discourage ...c5 by choosing the tricky
treating it. ey experiment with 3.c3 or an
move order 3.c3, having in mind 3...c5
4.dxc5 early Nc3, but this chapter shows that the
ball is still in White’s court.
e Agile London System generously gives
this move a “!”, but my analyses suggest that
White should play very accurately after it not
to become worse. 4...e6 5.b4 a5 6.e3
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
9+p+-+pzpp0
9-+-+psn-+0
9zp-zPp+-+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0
9+-zP-zPN+-0
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
 Chapter 7. e Classical London System
Step by Step
XIIIIIIIIY
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 9rsnq+kvl-tr0
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 9zpp+-+pzpp0
9zppzp-zppzpp0 9-+-+psn-+0
9-+-+-sn-+0 9+-zpp+l+-0
9+-+p+-+-0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9+QzP-zPN+-0
9+-+-+N+-0 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0 9tRN+-mKL+R0
9tRNvLQmKL+R0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy
is far from clear, there have been no
candidates to test 7.Bxb8 Rxb8! 8.Bb5+
3.Bf4
Kd8!. I have won a similar position, but
A modern way to discourage systems
with ...c5 is to play rst 3.c3. with colours reversed (and the
corresponding extra tempo, of course).
en 3...g6 (Chapter 1) and 3...e6 I suspect that best is 7.c4∞ or 7.Nbd2.
(chapters 4-5), are decent options. e latter transposes to Chapter 6, line
3...Bf5 does not transpose to the main A – 6.Ngf3.
line since 4.Qb3 drags the black queen In conclusion, 3...Bf5 deserves serious
to c8. Although 4...Qc8 5.Bf4 e6 6.e3 attention and might be the most
c5 principled retort to the ultra-
sophisticated 3.c3.
e main idea behind 3.c3 is to meet:
3...c5 by 4.dxc5

Another version of this idea is 4.Bf4

Nc6 (White should also be prepared to
play the Exchange Variation against the
Slav after 4...cxd4 5.cxd4. Another fair
XIIIIIIIIY
option is 4...Qb6 5.Qb3 c4 6.Qc2 g6=.) It transpires that White has nothing
5.dxc5 here.
XIIIIIIIIY 11...Qb6 (11...Bc5!? 12.Bd3 Qb6)
9r+lwqkvl-tr0 12.Qb3 Rb8 (12...Qc7! 13.Bb5 a4
9zpp+-zppzpp0 14.Qc2 Ra5³ – capturing on a4 loses to
9-+n+-sn-+0 ...Qxf4) 13.Nbd2 Bd6 14.Qxb6 Rxb6
9+-zPp+-+-0 15.g3. Chances are even, although I
9-+-+-vL-+0 went on to win, Kiril Georgiev-
Goloshchapov, Dubai 2014.
9+-zP-+N+-0
9PzP-+PzPPzP0 It seems that the inclusion of Bf4 Nc6 is
in Black’s favour.
9tRN+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy 4...e6 5.b4

Or 5.Be3 a5 (5...Qc7 6.b4 a5) 6.c4 Na6

Black has two promising continuations
7.cxd5 Qxd5=.
here:
5...a5 6.e3
5...Ne4 brings him nice results, but the
simple 6.Nbd2! (6.b4 g6 7.Nfd2 Bg7 e game Norwood-Wahls, Germany
8.Nxe4 dxe4 9.Qxd8+ Nxd8 10.a4 a5© 1993, ended in a quick draw after
is easier for Black.) 6...Nxc5 7.b4 Ne6 6.Qb3 b6! (It is better to preserve the a-
8.Bg3 leaves White with the more pawn) 7.cxb6 Qxb6 8.Be3 (8.b5 a4!
harmonious pieces. 9.Qb2 Nbd7 10.e3 Bd6 11.Be2 0-0
I faced with White 5...e6! 6.b4 a5 7.b5 12.0-0 Bb7 13.Qc2, Stefanova-Graf,
(7.Nd4 axb4 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.cxb4 Ng4 Recklinghausen 1998, 13...a3! is
10.Qd4 Be7 11.Qb2 e5 12.Bd2 d4°) promising for Black.) 8...Qb7 9.bxa5
7...Ne7 8.e3 Ng6 9.c6 bxc6 10.bxc6 Rxa5 10.Nbd2 (10.Qxb7 Bxb7)
Nxf4 11.exf4 10...Nbd7 11.Bd4 Bd6 12.c4 e5
XIIIIIIIIY 13.Bc3 Ra3 14.Qxb7 Bxb7 15.Bb2 Ra4
9r+lwqkvl-tr0 16.e3 Ke7 ½-½.
9+-+-+pzpp0 Similar is 6.Nbd2 axb4 7.cxb4 b6
9-+P+psn-+0 8.cxb6 Qxb6 9.a3 Bxb4=.
9zp-+p+-+-0
9-+-+-zP-+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9tRN+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY My suggestion is safer as it prevents the
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 creation of two passed pawns.
9+p+-+pzpp0 7.Bb5+7.a4 bxc5 8.b5 c4³) 7...Bd7
9-+-+psn-+0 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7
9zp-zPp+-+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0 8...Nfxd7 9.b5 Nxc5 10.0-0 Nbd7
9+-zP-zPN+-0 11.Nbd2 Qf6 12.Nd4 e5 13.Nc6
Nb8=.
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQmKL+R0 9.Ne5 (9.cxb6 axb4 10.0-0 Qc6=)
xiiiiiiiiy 9...Qa7 10.Qa4+ Nfd7 11.Nxd7 Qxd7
12.Qxd7+ Kxd7. e ending is equal, since
6...b6!? Black easily regains the pawn – 13.cxb6
axb4 14.Bb2 bxc3 15.Bxc3 Nc6 16.a4 Bb4
is move equalizes easily. More 17.Bxb4 Nxb4 18.Ke2 Rhb8=.
challenging is 6...axb4! 7.cxb4 b6. e
arising Noteboom structure is very 3...c5 4.e3
tangled and difficult to play with both 4.dxc5 has no venom here – 4...e6 5.e3
sides as the cost of mistakes is high. Bxc5 6.Be2 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6=.
After 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Nbxd7
10.a4 bxc5 11.b5 Bd6 12.0-0 0-0, 4...Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0 9r+lwqkvl-tr0
9+-+n+pzpp0 9zpp+-zppzpp0
9-+-vlpsn-+0 9-+n+-sn-+0
9+Pzpp+-+-0 9+-zpp+-+-0
9P+-+-+-+0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zPN+-0 9+-+-zPN+-0
9-+-+-zPPzP0 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tRNvLQ+RmK-0 9tRN+QmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
White has now two moves of
White must nd a couple of only moves independent signi cance:
to stay in the game, but if he
consolidated, play would be double- A. 5.Nc3 and B. 5.Be2
edged. Exchanges may charge the white
passers with terrible power. See Game 5.Nbd2 is covered in Chapter 6, line B.
24 ompson-Matheis, ICCF 2007.
A. 5.Nc3 Bg4
 e battle is for the e5-square, so the pin
looks natural. Black often includes 5...cxd4
6.exd4 and only then 6...Bg4 (6...Bf5
7.Bb5). Most likely the game will transpose
to the main line after 7.Be2 or 7.Bb5.
6.Be2
6.dxc5 e6 7.Nb5 Rc8 is comfortable for
Black after both 8.Bd6 Ne4 9.Bxf8 Kxf8
and 8.Nd6+ Bxd6 9.Bxd6 Ne4=.
6.Bb5 e6 7.h3 Bxf3!
Alekhine answered against Nimzowitsch
7...Bh5, but it is a mistake, as the pin
ensures an initiative after 8.g4 Bg6
9.Ne5 Qb6 10.a4!.
8.Qxf3 cxd4 9.exd4 Be7 (9...Bd6!?)
10.0-0 0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Na4 Qa5
13.b3 Ne4=.
6...e6 7.0-0 Bxf3!?
Correspondence players prefer 7...Rc8!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rwqkvl-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vLl+0
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
with equal play after 8.Ne5 Bxe2 9.Nxe2
Be7 10.Nxc6 Rxc6 11.c3 0-0. e text has
a sound strategic background. Black aims to
trade dark-squared bishop which would free
his hands for a minority attack. e game
Torre-So, Manila 2011, went further:
8.Bxf3 cxd4 9.exd4 Bd6 10.Bg5
10.Ne2? Bxf4 11.Nxf4 Qb6 12.c4 dxc4
cost White a pawn in M.Popovic-Solak,
Valjevo 2011.
10.Be3 a6 11.Ne2 Qc7 12.g3 0-0
13.Nc1 b5 14.Nd3 b4 15.Kg2 Rfc8 was
already more pleasant for Black in Kovalev-
Onischuk, Khanty-Mansiysk 2017.
10...Be7 11.Ne2 0-0 12.c3
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-+p+-vL-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zP-+L+-0
9PzP-+NzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
e most straightforward way now is
12...b5 13.a3 a5 with a balanced game.
B. 5.Be2
is modest-looking move is better than
its appearances. In most lines it is similar to
5.Nc3, only the white knight stands better
on d2.
First of all, we cannot choose the plan
with 5...e6 6.0-0 Bd6, since 7.dxc5! Bxc5
8.c4 0-0 9.Nc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 a6 11.Rc1 is
slightly annoying – White is about 2 tempi
ahead in a symmetrical position.
 5...Qb6 also lead to a passive position
after 6.Nc3! a6 7.0-0 (similar is 7.Na4
Qa5+ 8.c3) 7...cxd4 8.exd4 Bg4 (8...Qxb2?
9.Na4 Qb4 10.c4±) 9.Na4 Qa7 10.c3 e6
11.b4, occupying the c5-square.
5...cxd4
is exchange is indispensable if we want
to lead out our bishop to f5.
Another option is 5...Bg4, but I believe
that we have only modest chances to win
after 6.0-0 e6 7.Nbd2 cxd4 8.exd4 Bd6
9.Bxd6 Qxd6 10.c3 0-0.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+nwqpsn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+l+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
A typical Carlsbad structure with
reversed colours has arisen. However, after
11.Ne5 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 White has the best
of it since the minority attack with ...Rab8,
...b5 is not effective without bishops. White
could meet it by a3, b4, Nb3-c5.
6.exd4 Bf5 7.0-0 e6 8.Nbd2 (8.Nh4
Nh5=) 8...Be7 9.c3
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqk+-tr0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0
9-+n+psn-+0
9+-+p+l+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9PzP-sNLzPPzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
9...h6!
We need to preserve more pieces. All the
games in my database have featured 9...0-0
10.Nh4 Bg4
10...Be4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.g3 Nd5
13.Ng2 Nxf4 14.Nxf4 Bd6 is double-
edged, but White possess the cunning
11.g3 rst, when the above line does not
work.
11.Bxg4 Nxg4 12.Qxg4 Bxh4. Chances
may be roughly equal, but Black does not
have a clear plan.
10.Ne5 0-0 11.Re1
In this complex position Black’s chances
are in no way worse. He cannot start a
minority attack before trading the dark-
squared bishops, so his immediate task is to
put ...Bd6, for instance: 11...Bd6, ...Qc7.
en he should reevaluate his plans
according to the enemy actions.
 Chapter 7. e Classical London System
Annotated Games
XIIIIIIIIY
24. ompson – Matheis 9-+-+r+k+0
9+l+n+pzpp0
ICCF 2007 9-+-+psn-+0
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.dxc5 e6 9trP+p+-+-0
5.b4 a5 6.c3 9P+p+-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-zPN+-0
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 9-+-sNLzPPzP0
9+p+-+pzpp0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
9-+-+psn-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zp-zPp+-+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0 20.Bxc4 dxc4 21.Nxc4 Raa8³.
9+-zP-zPN+-0 8...Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10.a4 bxc5
9P+-+-zPPzP0 11.b5 Bd6 12.Bb2?
9tRNvLQmKL+R0 is game shows that the natural set-up
xiiiiiiiiy with Bb2 is nearly lost! e only correct
way is 12.0-0 0-0 13.Nbd2!
6...axb4 7.cxb4 b6 8.Bb5+ XIIIIIIIIY
White follows the general rule that 9r+-wq-trk+0
exchanges are good with less space. 8.a4
bxc5 9.b5 Bd6 10.Bb2 Nbd7 11.Be2 0-0
9+-+n+pzpp0
12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.0-0 Bc7 14.Qc2 c4 is the 9-+-vlpsn-+0
same structure as in the main game, but the 9+Pzpp+-+-0
e2-bishop is obviously unemployed. e 9P+-+-+-+0
game Barber-Brasier, ICCF 2014, went 9+-+-zPN+-0
further 15.Ba3 Re8 16.Bb4 Ba5 17.Qc3
9-+-sN-zPPzP0
Qb6 18.Bxa5 Qxa5 19.Qxa5 Rxa5 and
White found nothing better but embark on 9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
a difficult struggle for the draw with: xiiiiiiiiy
e point is that 13...Qb8 14.Qc2 Rc8
15.h3! e5? 16.e4 c4 is not threatening the
XIIIIIIIIY
fork ...c3 and White is much better after
XIIIIIIIIY
17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Ng5. Instead, Black 9r+-+-trk+0
should try 15...Qb7 16.Bb2 Bc7, followed 9+-wqn+pzpp0
by ...Ba5, or: 9-+-vlpsn-+0
9+P+p+-+-0
15...c4 16.Ba3! Nc5 17.Bb4 e5 18.Rfb1
9P+p+-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-zPN+-0
9rwqr+-+k+0 9-vL-sN-zPPzP0
9+-+-+pzpp0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
9-+-vl-sn-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+Psnpzp-+-0
9PvLp+-+-+0 15.Qc2
9+-+-zPN+P0 Correspondence games have also tested
9-+QsN-zPP+0 15.Bc3 and Black has not scored a
9tRR+-+-mK-0 single win. Play might continue
xiiiiiiiiy 15...Rfb8 16.Qc2 e5 17.h3 Rb7
18.Rfb1 Rab8 19.Qb2 h6 with a
A critical position for the Noteboom dynamic equilibrium.
structure arising after White’s 8th move. It
offers chances to both sides, although Black 15...Nc5 16.h3 e5 17.Rfb1 Nd3,
has a slight initiative. For instance: Morovic-Slipak, Buenos Aires 2017. White
chose 18.Ba3 and eventually won. Stronger
18...Nb3 (18...Ra7 19.Qf5) 19.Nxb3 was 18.Bc3!, setting his pawns in motion.

19.Rxb3? cxb3 20.Qxb3 Bxb4 21.Qxb4 14.0-0 Rc8 15.Qc2

XIIIIIIIIY
Nd7 22.e4 Qc7 23.exd5 Qc3³.
9rwqr+-+k+0
19...Bxb4 20.Nc1 Ba5 21.b6 Qb7 9+-+n+pzpp0
22.Nxe5 Re8 23.Nf3 Re6 24.Ne2=.
9-+-vlpsn-+0
12...0-0 13.Nbd2 Qb8! 9+Pzpp+-+-0
e most popular continuation is 9P+-+-+-+0
13...Qc7?! 14.0-0 c4 9+-+-zPN+-0
9-vLQsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
15...e5!
15...c4 16.Bc3 Nc5 17.Rfb1 is tangled.
Black’s play is not clear. He must do
XIIIIIIIIY
something, but exchanges favour White. e dust has settled and it becomes clear
Cifuentes-Bauer, San Sebastian 2009, saw that Black has won the opening battle. e
17...Ng4? 18.h3 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 only question is could he convert his
20.Bxe5 Qxe5 21.a5 and the pawns were advantage. White could now take a third
unstoppable. pawn, but 26.Qf5+ Kg8 27.Nxe5 Qd6
gives Black the initiative. His extra knight
16.e4 c4 17.exd5 c3! 18.Bxc3 Bb4 at c3 is perfectly placed. With hindsight,
19.Nb1 Nxd5 20.Qb3 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 that could still be his best chance. At least
Nxc3 22.Ng5 Nf6 23.Qxf7+ Kh8 he would suffer with equal material.
24.Qe6 h5 25.Nf7+ Kh7
XIIIIIIIIY 26.Rfe1?! e4 27.h4 Rc5 28.Ng5+? Kh6
9rwqr+-+-+0 28...Rxg5! 29.hxg5 Ng4 wins at once –
9+-+-+Nzpk0 30.Qf5+ Kh8 31.g3 e3 32.f4 (32.Rxe3
9-+-+Qsn-+0 Nxe3 33.Qf3 Ned5) 32...Qb6.
9+P+-zp-+p0 29.Nf7+ Kg6 30.Ng5 Qb7 31.Re3 Qd5
9P+-+-+-+0 32.Qe7 Re8 33.Qa7 Rc4 34.g3 Ra8
9+-sn-+-+-0 35.Qe7 Rcxa4 0-1
9-+-+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
 Chapter 8. e Benoni Approach
Main Ideas
In the previous chapters we assumed by
default that Black would play d5 on move 1
or 2. However, recently many top players,
as Carlsen and Karjakin, became leading
out their bishop against 1.d4 Nf6 – 2.Bf4,
without waiting for ...d5. at invites
King’s Indian’s and Benoni’s a cionados to
push 2...c5.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
9zpp+pzppzpp0
9-+-+-sn-+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
In my opinion, ...c5 should always be
met by d4-d5 – nobody has revoked the
rule that we should gain space in the
opening. However, the London fans
obviously hate this move, as statistics
con rms – 3.d5 is 8 times less popular than
3.e3. I propose a novel approach: 3...d6
4.Nc3 e5 5.Bd2 e4!, ensuring an open
diagonal for our beloved KI bishop.
3.c3 Qb6 4.Qb3 Qxb3 does not deserve
any further attention, so let’s move on to
the main line:
3.e3 Qb6! 4.Nc3
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+kvl-tr0
9zpp+pzppzpp0
9-wq-+-sn-+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now 4...Qxb2 might lead to a repetition
of moves – see Game 25 Prié-Argandona,
San Sebastian 2011. I beieve that we can
safely keep the tension with 4...d6!?. Our
plan is to anchetto both bishops! A key
point is to neutralise the positional threat of
d5. We could accomplish that in different
ways, but best is to exchange early on d4.
at would give us more breathing space.
Our target position should be: 5.Rb1 g6
6.h3 Bg7 7.Nf3 cxd4! 8.exd4 0-0 9.Be2 a6
10.0-0 Qc7 11.a4 b6 12.Qd2 Bb7=.
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 9...b5! is thematic break gives us
9rsn-+-trk+0 active pieces and targets on the queenside.
9+lwq-zppvlp0 Our a-pawn only looks weak – in fact it is
9pzp-zp-snp+0 an important resource. We’ll push it up to
9+-+-+-+-0 a4 in order to x b2.
9P+-zP-vL-+0 eoretical status
9+-sN-+N+P0 e line 3.e3 Qb6! 4.Nc3 Qxb2 5.Nb5
9-zPPwQLzPP+0 Nd5 6.a3 a6 7.Rb1 Qa2 8.Qc1?! axb5 is
9+R+-+RmK-0 not covered correctly by theory.
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
en we could think of ...e5.
9rsnl+kvl-tr0
9+p+pzppzpp0
White’s only way to cut across our plan is 9-+-+-+-+0
5.Bb5+, when 5...Bd7 would be solid, but 9+pzpn+-+-0
not very promising – see Game 26 Prié- 9-+-zP-vL-+0
Kiril Georgiev, Aix les Bains 2011.
9zP-+-zP-+-0
5...Nbd7 preserves more pieces and it is 9q+P+-zPPzP0
also less explored: 6.a4 a6 7.a5 Qc7 8.Be2 9+RwQ-mKLsNR0
cxd4 9.exd4 xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+kvl-tr0 e truth is that Black preserves practical
9+pwqnzppzpp0 chances to win, but 8.Ra1 is an immediate
9p+-zp-sn-+0 draw.
9zP-+-+-+-0 4...d6 5.Bb5+ Nbd7!? is virtually ignored
9-+-zP-vL-+0 so the effect of surprise should give you
9+-sN-+-+-0 some psychological advantage.
9-zPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
 Chapter 8. e Benoni Approach
Step by Step
10.e3 d5.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 3.d5 d6 is safest.
9zpp+pzppzpp0 ere is abundant practice with 3...Qb6
9-+-+-sn-+0 4.Nc3 Qxb2 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4 d6 7.f4.
9+-zp-+-+-0 It con rms that Black’s game is not easy,
9-+-zP-vL-+0 at least in tournaments. In
correspondence chess the score is
9+-+-+-+-0 roughly even.
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0 4.Nc3
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
In this chapter I consider King’s Indian 9zpp+-zppzpp0
set-ups with ...c5. e move order 1.d4 g6
2.Nf3 Bg7 3.Bf4 c5, followed up by ...Nf6,
9-+-zp-sn-+0
should also lead to the main line. 9+-zpP+-+-0
9-+-+-vL-+0
3.e3 9+-sN-+-+-0
3.c3 Qb6 is unpleasant for White –
4.Qb3
9PzPP+PzPPzP0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0
e queen is misplaced on c2 – 4.Qc2 xiiiiiiiiy
cxd4 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.e3 d5 or 6...d6,
threatening ...Nb4, ...e5. 4...e5!

4...Qxb3 e Bf4 gives us a valuable tempo. As

4...cxd4 5.Qxb6 axb6 6.cxd4 Nc6 7.e3
Nb4 8.Kd1 Rxa2= wins a pawn, but
White’s king’s rook quickly enters play.
5.axb3 cxd4 6.cxd4 Nc6 7.Nf3 Nd5
8.Bd2 Ndb4 9.Na3 f6 (9...d5 10.Ne5=)
long as 5.dxe6 Bxe6 6.e4 Nc6 7.Nf3 d5
is totally equal (Black could also keep
the tension with 7...Be7), White
commonly answers:
5.Bd2
 Now we should not allow 6.e4, as White
XIIIIIIIIY
would get a comfortable space advantage 9r+l+kvl-tr0
in a closed centre where tempi are 9zpp+pzppzpp0
irrelevant. e.g. 5...Be7 6.e4 0-0 7.Be2 9-+-+-sn-+0
Nbd7 8.Nf3 Ne8 9.a4, Carlsen- 9wq-sn-+-+-0
Aronian, blitz, Leuven 2017. 9-+-wQ-vL-+0
Instead, we could prevent it by 5...Bf5!? 9+-sN-+-+-0
6.e3 h5 7.Nge2 (7.f3 e4 8.Nge2 h4) 9PzPP+PzPPzP0
7...h4 8.h3 Na6.
9tR-+-mKLsNR0
5...a6 6.e4 b5 is interesting, but White xiiiiiiiiy
can preserve his centre with 7.Qf3!,
intending a4. 6.Bd2 Qb6 7.Nf3
e most straightforward approach is: 7.f3 d6 8.e4 would bring about a very
5...e4! nice Sicilian, e.g. 8...e5!?.
XIIIIIIIIY 7...d6 8.Na4 Nxa4 9.Qxa4+ Bd7
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 10.Qb3 g6!, Meister-Ftacnik, Dresden
9zpp+-+pzpp0 2015. White has not equalized yet.
9-+-zp-sn-+0 3...Qb6
9+-zpP+-+-0 e idea of this move is to uncoordinate
9-+-+p+-+0 White’s pieces and drag the opponent into
9+-sN-+-+-0 unfamiliar schemes. For instance, 3...g6
4.c3 would certainly be more comfortable
9PzPPvLPzPPzP0 for the London player.
9tR-+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy 4.Nc3
4.Na3 Qxb2 5.Nb5= transposes to
Black is planning ...a6 (or ...Na6), ...g6, 4.Nc3 Qxb2.
...Bg7. 6.Bg5 is not a problem due to
6...Be7 7.e3 0-0 8.Nge2 Nh5. Black can avoid the draw with 4...d6!?
5.Nc4
3.dxc5 Na6 4.Qd4 Qa5+ 5.Nc3 Nxc5
has been tested by Meister and Rapport. 5.Nf3 Qxb2 6.Nb5 Qb4+.
5...Qc7 6.a4

6.Nf3 g6 7.Be2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.h3 b6

(9...b5 10.Ncd2 a6=) 10.c3 Bb7=.

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 4.b3 is often seen, but it only encourages
9rsnl+kvl-tr0 us to anchetto our bishop – 4...g6 5.Nf3
9zppwq-zppzpp0 Bg7 6.c3 0-0 7.Be2 d6.
9-+-zp-sn-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-zp-+-+-0 9rsnl+-trk+0
9P+NzP-vL-+0 9zpp+-zppvlp0
9+-+-zP-+-0 9-wq-zp-snp+0
9-zPP+-zPPzP0 9+-zp-+-+-0
9tR-+QmKLsNR0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+PzP-zPN+-0
6...Be6! 9P+-+LzPPzP0
9tRN+QmK-+R0
In this structure White’s biggest threat is xiiiiiiiiy
to gain space with d5. For instance,
6...g6 7.d5! Bg7 8.Ne2 is better for We easily complete our development
him. with ...Nc6 and ...Bf5.
7.Nd2 cxd4 8.exd4 Bf5 9.Nc4 (9.c3 e5) 4...d6
9...Nc6 and Black will prepare ...e5. is might not be the best move, but we
do not have much of a choice if we want to
e bottom line is that White’s knight is
avoid a forced draw.
not any better on a3 than on c3. It would
need quite a few tempi before nding a e critical line is, of course, 4...Qxb2!
good place.
5.Nb5
Another version of the pawn sacri ce is
Grischuk tried 5.Nge2, but he would
4.Nf3!? Qxb2 5.Nbd2. It may be not any
need to prove his compensation after
worse than 4.Nc3, but is totally
5...Qa3 6.Rb1 d6 .
unexplored. A natural continuation is
5...e6. 5...Nd5 6.a3 (6.Rb1 is a draw.) 6...a6
7.Rb1 Qa2
5...Nc6 hampers the queen to return
home – 6.dxc5 (6.Rb1 Qxa2) 6...Qc3
7.Rb1 Qxc5 8.Bd3 d6 9.0-0∞.
6.Bd3 d5 (6...Qc3!?) 7.c4 cxd4 8.Nxd4
Bb4. White is ahead in development, but
I’m not sure if that compensates for the
missing pawn.

XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+kvl-tr0
9+p+pzppzpp0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+Nzpn+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9zP-+-zP-+-0
9q+P+-zPPzP0
9+R+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now 8.Ra1= ends the game with a
repetition, so we should investigate:
8.Qc1 axb5 9.Ra1 Qxa1 10.Qxa1 Nc6
11.Bb5!?. is rich position offers excellent
chances to the better player, although in
correspondence chess it is drawish. See
Game 25 Prié-Argandona, San Sebastian
2011.
5.Bb5+
e check is undoubtedly the most
testing continuation as it allows White to
develop without spending tempi on
defending the b2-pawn.
5.a3 looks super uous, as White might
still have to protect the b2-pawn by Rb1
later. We could continue in the KI spirit:
5...g6
e exchange 5...cxd4 6.exd4 is always
an alternative – 6...Bd7 7.Rb1, when
7...e5 would be premature due to
8.Be3!.
6.h3 Bg7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Be2
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-wq-zp-snp+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9zP-sN-zPN+P0
9-zPP+LzPP+0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
e game Glienke-Rotstein, Bled 1997,
went further: 8...cxd4 9.exd4 Bf5 10.Rb1
Nc6 11.0-0=. e exchange on d4 is
usually meant to discourage d4-d5, but in
the diagram position it is still not threat
owing to the hanging b2-pawn. I prefer the
Sicilian set-up:
8...a6!? 9.0-0 Qc7 10.a4 cxd4 11.exd4
Nc6 12.Bg5 e6=, taking d5 under control.
13.d5?! would be a mistake – 13...Nxd5
14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Qxd5 Bxb2 16.Rab1
Be6 17.Qd2 Bg7 18.Rfd1 Rfe8 19.Qxd6
Qxd6 20.Rxd6 Bf8 21.Rd2 Bb4³.
5.Rb1 is a natural move. After 5...g6
White commonly plays 6.h3 at once.
Another move order is 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.Be2
cxd4 8.exd4 0-0 9.0-0 a6 10.Re1 Qc7
11.a4 Nc6
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY White could choose a piece attack with
9r+l+-trk+0 13.Bh6 Nbd7 14.Nh2 e5=, or gain space
9+pwq-zppvlp0 with 13.d5 Nbd7 14.Rfe1 Nc5 15.Rbd1,
9p+nzp-snp+0 when we should prepare ...e5 even at the
9+-+-+-+-0 cost of the d6-pawn – 15...Rad8 16.Bh6
9P+-zP-vL-+0 (16.Bf1 Rfe8 17.Kh1 e5 18.dxe6 Nxe6
19.Bxd6 Qc8 20.Qc1 Bxf3) 16...e5
9+-sN-+N+-0 17.dxe6 fxe6„.
9-zPP+LzPPzP0
9+R+QtR-mK-0 5...Nbd7
xiiiiiiiiy In the Moscow Variation of the Sicilian
we have the same dilemma – to trade or to
Now 12.d5 Nb4 13.Qd2 b6 is ne for keep the bishops. 5...Bd7 is much more
Black so White should probably resort popular than the text, but without the
to 12.h3, whe we could choose between light-squared bishop we would have less
12...Bf5 13.d5 Ne5 14.Nd2 Rab8 and active options in future. See Game 26 Prié-
12...b6 13.Qd2 Bb7 14.Bh6 Rac8 Kiril Georgiev, Aix les Bains 2011.
15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Nd1 e6.
6.a4 a6 7.a5 Qc7 8.Be2 cxd4
6...Bg7 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.exd4 0-0 9.Be2 It is possible to delay this exchange –
8...g6 9.Nf3 Bg7 10.0-0 cxd4 11.exd4 0-0
Or 9.Bd3?! Nc6 10.Be3 Nb4 11.Bc4 12.Qd2 b5 13.axb6 Nxb6 14.Bh6 Bb7
Bf5 12.Bb3 Qa6³, Harmon-Ehlvest, 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Rfc1 e5÷.
Oak Bridge 2000;
9.Bc4 Qc7 10.Qe2 a6 11.a4 Nc6 12.0- 9.exd4
XIIIIIIIIY
0 Bf5=. 9r+l+kvl-tr0
9...a6 10.0-0 Qc7 11.a4 b6 12.Qd2 Bb7 9+pwqnzppzpp0
XIIIIIIIIY 9p+-zp-sn-+0
9rsn-+-trk+0 9zP-+-+-+-0
9+lwq-zppvlp0 9-+-zP-vL-+0
9pzp-zp-snp+0 9+-sN-+-+-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9-zPP+LzPPzP0
9P+-zP-vL-+0 9tR-+QmK-sNR0
9+-sN-+N+P0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-zPPwQLzPP+0
9...b5
9+R+-+RmK-0 is break is not urgent, but it is
xiiiiiiiiy indispensable in the long run. Without it,
Black will suffer on the queenside.
10.axb6 Nxb6 11.Nf3
11.Bg5 e6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.d5 e5
14.Nf3 f5 would offer Black the best of the
Sveshnikov.

11...g6 12.0-0 Bg7 13.Na2

White should push c4 before Black put
his king’s rook on c8 or b8.

13...0-0 14.c4 Bb7 15.Rc1 Ne4 16.Be3

e5
Black has nally achieved the main KI
goal. He is ready to meet d5 by ...f5 or
open the centre by ...exd4 if allowed. As it
often happens in the KI, White enjoys a
space advantage, but Black’s pieces
constantly generate threats. For example,
17.b4 a5!? (or 17...Rfe8, intending to take
on d4) 18.dxe5 (18.c5 Nd5 19.c6 axb4
20.cxb7 Qxb7 21.Bc4 Nxe3 22.fxe3
Bh6©) 18...dxe5 19.c5 Nd5 20.c6 Nxe3
21.cxb7 Qxb7 22.fxe3 Bh6©.
 Chapter 8. e Benoni Approach
Annotated Games
balanced.) 14...e5 15.Bxe5 fxe5 16.Qxe5+
25. Prié – Argandona Be7 is difficult to assess. Most likely White
does not risk a lot in view of Black’s poor
San Sebastian 18.07.2011 coordination and a naked king.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Qb6 4.Nc3 Qxb2 13.Qxd4 f6
5.Nb5 Nd5 6.a3 a6 7.Rb1 Qa2 8.Qc1 e a3-pawn will not run away. Leben-
(8.Ra1=) 8...axb5 9.Ra1 Qxa1 10.Qxa1 Heinemann, ICCF 2011, saw 13...Rxa3?!
Nc6 14.Nf3 e6 15.0-0 f6 16.Nd2 Nc3 17.Qb6
XIIIIIIIIY
Ra8 and Black miraculously survived in this
9r+l+kvl-tr0 passive position.
9+p+pzppzpp0
9-+n+-+-+0 14.c4 Nxf4 15.exf4
XIIIIIIIIY
9+pzpn+-+-0 9r+l+kvl-tr0
9-+-zP-vL-+0 9+-+pzp-zpp0
9zP-+-zP-+-0 9-+p+-zp-+0
9-+P+-zPPzP0 9+-+-+-+-0
9wQ-+-mKLsNR0 9-+PwQ-zP-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9zP-+-+-+-0
11.Bxb5!
9-+-+-zPPzP0
ree days before the current game Prié 9+-+-mK-sNR0
lost to Gonzalez de la Torre after 11.dxc5?! xiiiiiiiiy
b4 12.a4 Nc3 13.Nf3 (13.Ne2 is also
insufficient for equality owing to 13...g5! 15...e5!!
14.Bxg5 Rg8 15.Bf4 Bg7, Pirs-Fajs, ICCF A very courageous decision! It is counter-
2006) 13...Rxa4μ. intuitive, since when the opponent has a
queen, it is generally of utmost importance
11...cxd4 12.Bxc6 bxc6 to have a safe shelter for the king.
12...dxc6 also looks logical. en the
pieces sac 13.Qxd4 f6 14.Nf3!? (14.c4 It was no secret that Prié played regularly
Nxf4 15.exf4 Rxa3 16.Nf3 e5 is roughly this system, but even if Argandona had
found this move during his home 22.Qf6 Bg6 23.Ne6 d5 24.Nc7 Ra2
preparation, he deserves the highest praise. 25.Nxe8 Rd2+ 26.Kc1 Rc2+ 27.Kb1
e arising complications are hard to assess, Rxf2+ 28.Ka1 Rxf6 29.Nxf6+ Kxg7
but I believe that Black is at least not worse, 30.Ng4 dxc4=.
and he obtains decent practical chances. In
a later correspondence game Black Or 22.c5 Bxc5 23.Qf6 Bg6 24.Ne6
preferred the passive, but solid 15...Rxa3 (24.Re1 Reb8=) 24...Rab8
16.Nf3 e6 17.0-0 Be7 18.c5 Kf7 19.Rc1
Rd8 20.h3 g6, holding rmly the draw, 24...Bb4 is also a draw – 25.h4 Bh5+
Cvetnic-Gábris, ICCF 2014. 26.f3 Rab8 27.Nf4 (but not 27.g4? Bf7
28.Ng5 Bb3+ 29.Kc1 Re2–+).
e book e Agile London System
25.Nxc5 dxc5
decorates 15...e5 with an interrogation
mark, missing the check from e8 after XIIIIIIIIY
16.fxe5 Bxa3 17.exf6 0-0 18.fxg7. 9-tr-+r+k+0
9+-+-+-zPp0
16.fxe5 Bxa3 17.exf6 0-0 18.Ne2?!
Black’s audacity bears fruit. Prié
9-+p+-wQl+0
instinctively tries to keep his pieces closer 9+-zp-+-+-0
together, but his hesitant move is second- 9-+-+-+-+0
rate. If he were to suffer an attack anyway, 9+-+-+-+-0
it would have been better to destroy the 9-+-+-zPPzP0
enemy pawns by 18.fxg7 Re8+ 19.Kd1 d6
20.Nf3 Bb4 21.Ng5 Bf5
9+-+K+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+k+0 26.Kd2 Rb3. Only a computer could
9+-+-+-zPp0 claim that this is a draw! Black has always a
perpetual check with his rooks, but not a
9-+pzp-+-+0 win.
9+-+-+lsN-0
9-vlPwQ-+-+0 Simpler alternatives are:
9+-+-+-+-0 18.Nf3 Bb4+ 19.Ke2 Ra2+ 20.Kd1
9-+-+-zPPzP0 Rxf6 21.c5 Ba6 22.Qxb4 Be2+ 23.Kc1
9+-+K+-+R0 Bxf3 24.Re1 Ra1+ 25.Kb2 Rxe1 26.Qxe1
xiiiiiiiiy Bxg2 with a fortress.

Black’s long-ranged pieces exert 18.Nh3 Bb4+ 19.Kf1 d6 20.Ng5 Rxf6

tremendous pressure, but the computer 21.Ne4 Rf4 22.f3 Ra2=.
nds a draw:
ese evaluations are for the record only.
Over the board, Black’s pieces generate
more threats, so White’s task looks more expecting a verbal proposition of draw, but
difficult. Black suddenly got an insight and deviated
from the repetition:
18...Bb4+ 19.Kd1 Rxf6 20.c5 Rb8
21.Ng3 25.Qd8+ Rf8 26.Qd6 Rf6 27.Qd8+ Rf8
21.Nf4?! (recommended by Romero and 28.Qd6 Bd7!
De Prado in their book) 21...d6 22.Nh5
XIIIIIIIIY
Rf7 23.cxd6 Rb5 24.Nf4 is far from equal,
9-+-+-trk+0
since Black enjoys a strong attack after 9+r+l+-zpp0
24...Ba5! 25.Qe4 Bd7 26.g3 g5 27.Rg1 9-+pwQ-+-+0
Bg4+! 28.f3 Bd7μ. 9+-zPp+-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-vl-+-+-+0
9-trl+-+k+0 9+-+-+PsN-0
9+-+p+-zpp0 9-+-+-+PzP0
9-+p+-tr-+0 9+-+K+-+R0
9+-zP-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-vl-wQ-+-+0 is course of events must have been a
9+-+-+-sN-0 shock for Prié, as he immediately blundered
9-+-+-zPPzP0 decisively:
9+-+K+-+R0
29.Nh5?
xiiiiiiiiy Only 29.Kc2 kept him in the game. e
text loses as it allows a check from f5. One
21...d5
possible line was 29...Bc3 30.Kc2 d4 and
Perhaps Black wanted to deprive the
White lacks 31.Rb1.
opponent of 21...d6! 22.Ne4 (22.f3 Bxc5
23.Qa1 Bb4ƒ), but then 22...Rf5 would 29...Bc8??
retain the initiative. Black has changed his mind and already
wants the draw! But his move simply gives
22.Qe5
up a pawn – 30.Qxc6!
22.f3 Rb5 23.Qe5 Bd7 24.Qc7 Be8
25.Qe5 is equal, as the queen constantly 30.Ng3? ½-½
harasses the black pieces. Despite the tragicomedy at the end, it
was a ne game of a big theoretical
22...Rf8 23.f3 Rb7 24.Qd6?! Rf6?! importance.
e end of the game has been marred by
mutual mistakes. Firstly Black missed 26. Prié – Kiril Georgiev
24...Bd7ƒ, then White made 28.Qd6 on
the board instead of claiming a draw by Aix les Bains 26.03.2011
repetition of moves. Perhaps he was
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Qb6 4.Nc3 d6 What should be our plan here? If we
5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.a4 a6 7.a5 Qc7 push ...e5, then Bf4-g5xf6 would give
XIIIIIIIIY White a lasting pull. In such a scenario we
9rsn-+kvl-tr0 would strongly miss our exchanged light-
9+pwqlzppzpp0 squared bishop. Our only real counterplay
9p+-zp-sn-+0 could be based on ...b5. e best timing for
9zPLzp-+-+-0 it is probably not at once. Let’s castle rst
and see what happens:
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-sN-zP-+-0 9...g6 10.e4 Bg7 11.Nf3 0-0 12.0-0 b5!
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
12...Nh5 13.Bg5 Rae8 14.Re1 only
9tR-+QmK-sNR0 distracts us from the queenside and does
xiiiiiiiiy not help us at all.

8.Ba4 13.axb6 Nxb6

In a recent game Agrest also decided to
13...Qxb6 is another possible set-up.
preserve the bishop, but he retreated to d3
– 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6 10.Nf3, and got 14.Qd3 a5 15.Ra3 a4 16.Rb1 Qb7
nothing after 10...Bg4 11.d5 Ne5. I would 17.Nd2 Nfd7
anchetto my bishop with 10...g6. XIIIIIIIIY
e sternest test of Black’s set-up in my 9r+-+-trk+0
opinion is: 9+q+nzppvlp0
9-sn-zp-+p+0
8.Bxd7 Nbxd7 9.d5!? 9+-zpP+-+-0
9.Nf3 would give me a tempo for 9p+-+PvL-+0
9...cxd4 10.exd4 g6, when d4-d5 would 9tR-sNQ+-+-0
be already double-edged. 9-zPPsN-zPPzP0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+R+-+-mK-0
9r+-+kvl-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+pwqnzppzpp0
9p+-zp-sn-+0 We have xed a target at b2 which
balances our own weak pawn at a4. We
9zP-zpP+-+-0 should not mind trading queens, e.g.
9-+-+-vL-+0 18.Nd1 Qa6=.
9+-sN-zP-+-0
9-zPP+-zPPzP0 8...g6 9.Bg5 Bg7 10.Qd2 Bxa4 11.Rxa4
9tR-+QmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY Rxa5 21.Rxa5 Nc4 22.Ra2 Nxb2 wins d4-
9rsn-+k+-tr0 pawn, too.) 19...a4.
9+pwq-zppvlp0
9p+-zp-snp+0 14.h3 e6!
Finally I address the problem of d4-d5. It
9zP-zp-+-vL-0 is no longer possible due to ...b5. Perhaps
9R+-zP-+-+0 my move also “opened the eyes” of my
9+-sN-zP-+-0 opponent for the importance of having
9-zPPwQ-zPPzP0 more space and he tries to achieve d5. But
9+-+-mK-sNR0 he had missed the moment.
xiiiiiiiiy 15.e4 b5! 16.axb6 Nxb6 17.Ra2 cxd4
We have exchanged the bishops in 18.Nxd4
XIIIIIIIIY
favourable circumstances – White has not
taken the centre. Perhaps I should have take
9r+-+r+k+0
now on d4 to ensure myself against a 9+-wq-+pvlp0
possible d4-d5, but I wanted to keep the 9psn-zppsnp+0
pawn structure unde ned. d5 is still not a 9+-+-+-vL-0
threat in view of ...b5. 9-+-sNP+-+0
11...Nbd7 12.Nf3 0-0 13.0-0 Rfe8 9+-sN-+-+P0
Sticking to the same “ exible” strategy. 9RzPPwQ-zPP+0
is move cannot be bad, of course, but I 9+-+-+RmK-0
might have designed an active plan already. xiiiiiiiiy
For instance, 13...cxd4 14.exd4 b5! 15.axb6
Nxb6 16.Ra2 Rfc8 17.Rfa1 a5! 18.Qd3 e game has transformed to the Sicilian
Defence. In such structures Black should
XIIIIIIIIY always consider ...d5. It is possible right
9r+r+-+k+0 now, but it would only simplify White’s
9+-wq-zppvlp0 task. I decided to transfer my pieces to the
9-sn-zp-snp+0 queenside, but the f6-knight was already on
9zp-+-+-vL-0 its perfect place. Perhaps I should have
9-+-zP-+-+0 played ...Rec8, ...Qb7 and wait. Note that
18...Qb7 would take aim at e4 so White
9+-sNQ+N+-0 would not be able to keep his queen on the
9RzPP+-zPPzP0 c1-h6 diagonal.
9tR-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 18...Nfd7?! 19.Nde2 Rec8 20.Bh6 Nc4
21.Qc1 Bf6 22.Rd1 Qc6
My pieces are clearly more active – It was better to play 22...Qb7 23.b3
18...h6 19.Bd2 (19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Rxa5 Ncb6=.
23.Nd4 Qc5 24.Nce2 Ncb6 25.b3 Qc7 to complicate things with 35...d4 36.Qd2
26.Qe3 Qb7 27.Nf3 d5 (36.Qxd4 Qxd4 37.Nxd4 Nd5 38.Bg5
XIIIIIIIIY Bxe5) 36...Nd5.
9r+r+-+k+0
9+q+n+p+p0 35...Bg7 36.h6 Bf8 37.Ra7 Qb4 38.Ne2
XIIIIIIIIY
9psn-+pvlpvL0 9-trr+-vlk+0
9+-+p+-+-0 9tR-+n+p+p0
9-+-+P+-+0 9-sn-+p+pzP0
9+P+-wQN+P0 9+-+pzP-+-0
9R+P+NzPP+0 9-wq-+-vL-+0
9+-+R+-mK-0 9+P+-wQN+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+NzPP+0
Prié has not offered me any “present” so I 9+-+-tR-mK-0
return to ...d5. However, meanwhile he has xiiiiiiiiy
accumulated signi cant piece power on the
kingside. e waiting 27...Be7 was 38...Nc4??
certainly safer. 38...Nc5 or 38...Ra8 would have
maintained the balance. My combination is
28.e5 Bh8 29.Ng3?! (29.Ned4) 29...Qc7
based on a wrong assessment. e arising
30.Bf4 a5 31.Rda1 a4! 32.h4 Rab8 33.h5
position with 3 pieces vs a queen and a
axb3 34.cxb3 Qc3 35.Re1?! pawn is very difficult for Black. Fortunately,
e rst critical moment of the game. my opponent shared my delusion, so we
White should have given up a pawn to signed a draw!
activate his pieces – 35.Qxc3! Rxc3 36.Ne2
Rxb3 37.Nfd4 Rd3 38.Nc6 Re8 39.Ra7=. 39.bxc4 Bc5 40.Rxd7 Bxe3 41.Bxe3
Instead, his move gave me the opportunity Qxc4 42.Ned4 Qa4 ½-½
 Index of Variations
Chapter 1. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 5.h4 40
g6 (e Grünfeld set-up) 11
5.e3 41
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 Chapter 3. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 (2.Bf4 d5
9zppzp-zpp+p0 3.e3 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3 71) 2...d5 3.Bf4
9-+-+-snp+0 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3 0-0 (e Grünfeld
9+-+p+-+-0 with Bf4) 57
9-+-zP-vL-+0 6.Rc1 dxc4 7.e3 Nbd7 61 (7...Be6 69)
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzPP+PzPPzP0 7.e4 62
9tRN+QmKL+R0 6.e3 64
xiiiiiiiiy
  
4.e3 Bg7 5.h3 16 (5.Nc3 – Chapter 2;
5.c4 – Chapter 3; 5.c3 16) Chapter 4. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 with
...e6, ...b6 75
5.Nbd2 19
3.e3 (3.Nc3 e Jobava Attack 3...e6 94,
5.Be2 22 3...g6 53) 3...e6 (3...c5 4.Nc3, 4.c3 –
Chapter 6) 4.Nd2 (4.c4 79; 4.Nf3 80)
5.Bd3 25
4...Bd6 5.Bg3 (5.Bxd6 81; 5.Ngf3 89)
   5...0-0 (5...b6 82) 6.Bd3 b6

Chapter 2. 1.d4 Nf6 (2.Bf4 d5 3.Nc3

(e Jobava Attack), 3...g6 53, 3...e6 93)
2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 (e Barry
Attack) 31

5.Qd2 c6 (5...Ne4 34; 5...0-0 36) 6.Bh6

37

6.e3 38

6.Ne5 39
XIIIIIIIIY
 XIIIIIIIIY 9.0-0 115
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zp-zp-+pzpp0 9.Qe2 116
9-zp-vlpsn-+0 9.Ne5 117
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 8.Bb5 Ne7 123
9+-+LzP-vL-0
8...Qe7 126
9PzPPsN-zPPzP0
9tR-+QmK-sNR0 7...b6 128
xiiiiiiiiy
  
7.Ngf3 Bb7 83
Chapter 6. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 145
8.Ne5 Ne4 9.Qh5 Nd7 10.f3 85
3.e3 (3.e4 148; 3.Nc3 148; 3.Nf3 149;
10.0-0-0 86 3.dxc5 149) 3...Nc6 149

10.Nxe4 86
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqkvlntr0
8.c3 87 9zpp+-zppzpp0
Chapter 5. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6
9-+n+-+-+0
with ...c5 99 9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
4.Nd2 (4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 cxd4 9+-+-zP-+-0
7.exd4 Nh5 141) 4...Bd6 5.Bg3 0-0 9PzPP+-zPPzP0
6.Ngf3 (6.Bd3 106) 6...c5 7.c3 107
9tRN+QmKLsNR0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
9rsnlwq-trk+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0 4.c3 (4.Nc3 – 3.Nc3) 4...Nf6 149
9-+-vlpsn-+0 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.c3 155 (5.Nbd2 Qb6 155;
9+-zpp+-+-0 5...Bg4 162)
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zP-zPNvL-0   
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0 Chapter 7. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 (e
9tR-+QmKL+R0 Classical London System) 171
xiiiiiiiiy
3.c3 c5 (3...Bf5 175) 4.dxc5 175
7...Nc6 8.Bd3 b6 9.e4 108
3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 156
 5.Nc3 175 4.Nc3 d6 (4...Qxb2!? 188) 5.Bb5+
Nbd7 186 (5...Bd7 190)
5.Be2 176

  

Chapter 8. e Benoni Approach 1.d4

Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 181

3.e3 (3.c3 183; 3.d5 183) 3...Qb6 184

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+kvl-tr0
9zpp+pzppzpp0
9-wq-+-sn-+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9-+-zP-vL-+0
9+-+-zP-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tRN+QmKLsNR0
xiiiiiiiiy