Technical Editor:

IM Sergey Soloviov

Cover design by:

Kalojan Nachev

Translation by:

GM Evgeny Ermenkov

The publishers would like to thank Phil Adams for advice regarding
the English translation.

Copyright Igor Lysyj, Roman Ovetchkin 2012

Printed in Bulgaria by "Chess Stars" Ltd. - Sofia
ISBN13: 978 954 8782 88-3

Igor Lysyj

Roman

Ovetchkin

The Open Games for Black

A complete black repertoire with l.e4 e5 against

everything except the Ruy Lopez

Chess Stars

Bibliography
Opening for White Ace. to Anand (vol. I) by Khalifman, Chess Stars 2003
Beating the Open Games by Mihail Marin, Quality Chess 2008

Other CHESS STARS Books

Repertoire books:
Opening for White Ace. to Kramnik l.f3 by A. Khalifman
Volume 1a: Old Indian, rare lines in the Classical Variation, 2006
Volume 1b: The Classical Variation, 2006
Volume 2: Anti-Nim-Ind, Anti-Queen's Indian, English, 2008
Volume 3: English (1 ... c5), English (four knights), 2011
Volume 4: Maroczy, Modern, Trifunovic, 2011
Opening for White According to Anand l.e4 by A. Khalifman
Volume 8: The Sicilian, Paulsen-Kan and rare lines, 2006
Volume 9: The Sicilian, Paulsen-Taimanov and other lines, 2007
Volume 10: The Sicilian, Sveshnikov, 2007
Volume 11; The Sicilian, Dragon, 2009
Volume 12: The Sicilian, Rauzer Attack, 2009
Volume 13: The Sicilian, English Attack, 2010
Opening for Black According to Karpov by Khalifman
Current theory and practice series:
The Sharpest Sicilian by Kiril Georgiev and At. Kolev, 2007
The Safest Sicilian by Delchev and Semkov, 2nd rev.ed. 2008
The Queen's Gambit Accepted by Sakaev and Semkov, 3rd. rev. ed., 2008
The Easiest Sicilian by Kolev and Nedev, 2008
The Petrosian System Against the QID by Beliavsky and Mikhalchishin, 2008
Kill K.I.D. by Semko Semkov, 2009
The King's Indian. A Complete Black Repertoire by Victor Bologan, 2009
The Scotch Game for White by Vladimir Barsky, 2009
The Modern Philidor Defence by Vladimir Barsky, 2010
The Moscow & Anti-Moscow Variations by Alexey Dreev, 2010
Squeezing the Gambits by Kiril Georgiev, 2010
A Universal Weapon l.d4 d6 by Vladimir Barsky, 2010
The Meran & Anti-Meran Variations by Alexey Dreev, 2011
The Safest Grunfeld by Alexander Delchev and Evgenij Agrest, 2011
Fighting the French: a New Concept by Denis Yevseev, 2011
The Modern Reti. An Anti-Slav Repertoire by Alexander Delchev, 2012
The French Defence. Reloaded by Nikita Vitiugov, 2012
The Berlin Defence by Igor Lysyj and Roman Ovetchkin, 2012

More details at www. chess-stars.com

4

Contents
Preface

Part 1. All White Lines wfo 2 .c!Of3

l.e4 e5
1
2
3
4

Rarely-Played Moves. Centre Game 2.d4 exd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

King's Gambit 2.f4 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Vienna Game 2.ltlc3 ltlf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Bishop's Opening 2. .ic4 ltlf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Part 2. All White Lines wfo 3 .ib5

l.e4 e5 2.c!Of3 c!Oc6

5
6
7
8

Rarely-Played Moves. Ponziani Opening 3.c3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Belgrade Gambit 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.d4 ed S.ltldS i.e7 . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Glek Variation 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.g3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Four Knights Game 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4.i.b5 i.b4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

9
10
11
12

Goring & Scotch Gambits 4.c3 dS; 4.i.c4 i.cS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

4.ltlxd4 ltlf6 wfo S.ltlxc6; S.ltlxc6 be wfo 6.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4.ltlxd4 ltlf6 S.ltlxc6 be 6.e5 e7 7.e2 ltldS wfo 8.c4 . . . . . . 138
4.ltlxd4 ltlf6 S.ltlxc6 be 6.e5 e7 7.e2 ltldS 8.c4 .ia6 . . . . . . . 144

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Evans Gambit 4.b4 hb4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

4.d3 ltlf6 various; S.i.b3 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
4.ltlc3 ltlf6 S.d3 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
4.0-0 ltlf6 S.d4 hd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
4.0-0 ltlf6 S.d3 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
4.c3 ltlf6 various; S.d4 exd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
4.c3 ltlf6 S.d3 0-0 wfo 6.0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
4.c3 ltlf6 S.d3 0-0 6.0-0 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Scotch Game 3.d4 exd4

Giuoco Piano 3 . .ic4 .ic5

Index ofVariations

..

...

241

PREFACE

My main opening weapon throughout my chess career, from 1998 to

2010, was the French Defence. However, in the last five years of this
period I played a large number of games in the strongest tournaments
in Russia, mostly against players rated over 2600, and I suffered many
humiliating but well-deserved defeats.

These losses made me reconsider the situation and I came to the

conclusion that the cramped positions in the French Defence are stra
tegically risky and do not quite suit my playing style. At the beginning
of 2010 I qualified for the World Cup and I had to make up my mind
how I was going to try to neutralize effectively Ostap Bender's favourite
move (l.e4). *

The overwhelming majority of the world's theoretical experts con

sider that in reply to l.e2-e4 there are really only two good moves.
Since the sharp Sicilian positions might turn my hair prematurely grey,
I decided to study the calmer move l...eS.

I managed to study the new positions quickly and easily and I felt
quite comfortable with them in practice. By the summer of 2011 I was
already playing nothing but l...eS and had no opening problems with
Black, either in the Finals of the Championship of Russia or in the
World Cup.

In this book I have presented all my analyses and my discoveries

during the World Cup. I believe that it will be useful for chess players
at all levels to study them, together with the excellent annotations and
explanations of Roman Ovechkin.

*English Editor's note: Ostap Bender is the hero of the famous Russian comic
novel The Twelve Chairs, by Ilf and Petrov

The reader might justifiably pose the following question: "How to

cope with the Ruy Lopez if you are Black?". In fact, almost every vari
ation of this opening deserves to be analyzed in a separate volume, so
we shall reveal to you the tremendously complicated and fashionable
Berlin Defence in our next book.

Finally, I and my co-author R.Ovechkin should like to express

our immense gratitude to our friends, Grandmasters I.Kurnosov,
P.Ponkratov and A.Riazantsev, as well as to my long-time coach
N.Ogloblin, for their generous contributions and invaluable help dur
ing the writing of this book.

Igor Lysy
Ekaterinburg, February 2012

Part l
l.e4 e5
All

White Lines without 2.tLlf3

In Chapter 1, we deal with

White's least popular moves. The
most serious among them seems
to be 2.d4 - the Centre Game,
but it went practically fell out of
use after the game Nepomniacht
chi - Vallejo Pons, Moscow 2007.
We base our analysis on this par
ticular encounter.
In Chapter 2, we study the om
nipresent opening of the roman
tics - the King's Gambit (2.f4).
Unfortunately, the 21st century
computer programs have dealt
a severe blow to chess romanti
cism. We recommend to Black
to play 2... d5 3.exd5 exf4, after
which White is forced to fight for
equality.
In Chapter 3, we analyze the
Vienna Game - 2.c!L! c3. Just as in
the King's gambit, Black should
8

try to advance d7-d5 as quickly as

possible. His free piece-play and
the fight for the centre enable him
to equalize effortlessly. The read
ers should pay special attention to
the line: 2 .. Af6 3.f4 d5 4.exd5
xd5 ! - we think this quite fash
ionable variation will reduce con
siderably the adherents to the Vi
enna Game.
Nowadays, even some of the
strongest grandmasters in the
world are trying to avoid the
Petroff Defence and the Ruy
Lopez by playing 2 . .ic4 and
we suggest Black develops his
knights to c6 and f6. After this
White can hardly find anything
more sensible than transposing to
the Giuoco Piano, which is stud
ied in Part 2.
We ask our readers not to be
amazed that in the main lines of
several of these chapters Black
even obtains an advantage, while
in some of the side variations
White somehow maintains the
balance. This is because in the
main line of every variation we
have tried to present either the
most popular, or the most ambi
tious moves for White in his fight
for an advantage on the opening.

Chapter 1

l.e4 e5
Rarely-Played Moves
Centre Game

kov - Vukanovic, Internet 2004,

Black seizes the initiative and ob
tains the advantage of the bishop
pair with 6...lt:laS 7.i.b3 lt:lxb3 8.
axb3 dSt) s ..d6 6.h3 i.g7 7.d3
i.e6 8.i.b3, Nakamura - Mitkov,
Minneapolis 200S (It is even
worse for White to play 8.lt:lbc3?
lt:lb4 9.ri!fdl o-m=
his king is
stranded in the centre and im
pedes the coordination of his own
pieces.), 8...0-0 9.0-0 lt:ld7 10.
i.xe6 fxe6 ll.g3 e8= Black's
pawn-structure has been disrupt
ed, but he has excellent play on
the opened f-file.
2.d3 - This move is solid, but
somewhat passive. 2...lt:lc6
.

In this chapter we shall ana

lyze some rarely played moves for
White, among which the most
popular is

2.d4
For 2.c3 dS 3.exdS xdS 4.d4
exd4 (it is also good for Black to
simply develop a piece 4...lt:lc6!?=)
S.cxd4 lt:lc6 6.lt.'lf3 i.g4 - see
Chapter 9.
2.hS - Naturally, we shall
have a look at this move only be
cause it has been played several
times, against grandmasters at
that, by GM Nakamura. We can
not find any other pluses of this
move, though... Black equalizes
effortlessly, to say the least. 2...
lt:lc6 3.i.c4 g6 4.f3 lt:lf6 S.lt:le2
(after S.c3 i.g7 6.d3, Shaposhni-

3.lt:lf3 lt:lf6, or 3.c3 dS 4.lt.'ld2

lt:lf6 S.i.e2 aS 6.lt:lgf3 i.cS - see
Chapter S.
9

Chapter 1
3.li:Jc3 lLlf6 4.f4 ( 4.lLlf3 d5 - see
Chapter 7; 4.g3 d5 5.exd5 lLlxd5
6.i.g2 lLlxc3 7.bxc3 i.c5 - see
Chapter 3) 4...exf4 5.hf4 d5 6.e5,
Kuehn - D.Trifunovic, Gladen
bach 1999. Now, Black's best re
ply seems to be 6...d4 7.exf6 dxc3
8.bxc3 xf6 9.i.d2 i.a3t - his
pieces are much more active than
their counterparts and White
might fail to develop altogether.
3.g3 d5 4.i.g2 (it is worse for
him to opt for 4.exd5 '\&xd5 5.lLlf3
i.g4 and now White loses after 6.
i.g2? e4-+, but even after the
more precise reply 6.lLlbd2 f5+
Black is better, because he has oc
cupied the centre and leads in de
velopment) 4...dxe4 5.he4 lLlf6
6.hc6+ bxc6+ White must fight
for equality, since his light
squared bishop is absent from the
board and the light squares on his
kingside are vulnerable, Meijers
- Krivonosov, Latvia 1994.
3.f4 d5 4.exd5 (after 4.lLlc3
dxe4 5.lLlxe4 lLlf6 6.lLlxf6+ '\&xf6
7.fxe5 lLlxe5+ Black is considera
bly ahead in development, Jan
turin - Feoktistov, Moscow 1996)
4...'\&xdS 5.lLlc3 i.b4 6.i.d2 (6.fxe5
\&xeS+ 7.'\&e2, Bardahchiyan Vasenina, Varna 2010, 7...lLlf6t he leads in development) 6...e6
7.lLlf3, Nikolin - Markovic, Vrnja
cka Banja 1996 (7.i.e2 exf4 8.lLlf3
lLlf6 - see 7.lLlf3), after 7...exf4+
8.i.e2 lLlf6 9.i.xf4 lLld5 10.i.d2
lLle3 ll.i.xe3 '\&xe3+ Black obtains
the advantage of the two bishops.
3.lLld2 lLlf6 4.g3 d5 5.i.g2 i.g4
6.lLlgf3 dxe4 7.dxe4 i.c5t - Black
10

has an excellent game thanks to

his perfectly deployed pieces and
the passivity of White's bishop on
g2, Maninderpal - I.Ibragimov,
Sangli 2000.

2 . . . exd4 3.Ybd4
3.lLlf3 lLlc6 - see Chapters
9-12; 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 xd5 5.cxd4
lLlc6 6.lLlf3 i.g4 - see Chapter 9;
3.i.c4 lLlc6 4.lLlf3 (4.c3?! lLlf6 5.
lLlf3 lLlxe4 6.0-0 d5+) 4...i.c5 see Chapter 9.

lLlc6

4.e3
This is the main move for
White and it is considered to be
the most aggressive. His queen is
ready to go to g3 attacking Black's
kingside.
4.'\&d1 - This move is too slow.
4...lLlf6 5.i.d3 d5 6.exd5 '\&xd5 7.
lLlf3 i.g4t - Black is far ahead in
development, Lange - Paulsen,
Leipzig 1864.
4.d3 - White's queen is not
better placed here than on e3. 4...
lLlf6 5.lLlc3 (5.f3?! d5+) 5...d5 6.
i.g5 d4 7.lLld5, Badev - Marholev,
Borovetz 2008 (He can weaken
his opponent's pawn-structure

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3. Wixd4 liJ c6 4. Wi e3 liJf6

with 7.i.xf6 gxf6 8.li:ld5 fSt, but
Black's advantage of the two bish
ops and his free piece-develop
ment are much more important.),
after 7...li:lb4 8.li:lxb4 i.xb4+ 9.c3
dxc3 10.Wixd8+ l!ixd8 11.0-0-0+
l!ie8 12.bxc3 i.xc3+ White can
hardly prove that his slight lead in
development is sufficient to com
pensate Black's extra pawn in this
endgame.
4.Wic4 li:lf6 5.li:lc3 (S..id3 dS 6.
exd5 '\WxdS+ - Black leads in de
velopment and after 5..ig5 .ib4+
6.c3 i.e7 7.li:lf3 dS 8.exd5, T.Bauer
- Simi, Plzen 2004, he should
keep the queens on the board and
after 8... li:lxd5+, his superior de
velopment provides him with
good attacking prospects.) 5...
.ib4 6..id2 d6 7.0-0-0, Gunsberg
- Mortimer, London 1887, after
7....ie6 8.li:ld5 i.xd2+ 9.fud2 0-0t
Black has better development and
is ready to begin active operations.
4.Wia4 - White's queen does
not impede the development of
his own pieces on this square. 4...
li:lf6 5..ig5 (5.li:lc3 .ib4 6..id2 0-0
7.0-0-0 d6 8.a3, Amit - Hai
movich, Israel 2002 and after 8...
.icS+ Black gains important tempi
for the organization of his attack
due to the misplacement of the
enemy queen; 5.li:lf3 i.cS 6.i.b5
Wie7 7.li:lc3 liJeS! 8.li:lxe5 Wixe5 9.
f4 Wie7 10.e5 0-0 11..ie2 li:lg4!+
White has delayed the evacuation
of his king away from the centre
and might be sorry for that, Prie
- Relange, Nice 1994; in the vari
ation 5.i.f4 .icS 6.li:ld2 0-0 7.f3

d5 8.0-0-0 Wie7+ Black's pieces

turn out to be much better placed,
Kalinsky - Rubinstein, Kiev 1903)
5....ic5 6.li:lf3 (6.li:lc3? i.xf2+) 6...
h6 7..ih4 g5 8..ig3 dS 9.li:lc3 dxe4
10.li:le5 e3 11.fxe3 0-0t. He has
weakened his castled position,
but has tremendously active piec
es thanks to his opponent's king
stranded in the centre, for exam
ple: 12.li:lxc6 bxc6 13..id3 i.xe3
14.Wixc6 .id7 15.Wixc7 Wixc7 16.
i.xc7 l'!fe8 17.1!if1 .id4 White has
succeeded in exchanging queens,
but has great problems coordinat
ing his pieces.

4 .c!t)f6

5.li:lc3
5.i.c4 .ib4+ 6.li:lc3 0-0 7..id2
i.xc3 - see 5.li:lc3.
5.e5 li:lg4 6.'%1/e2 d6!

11

Chapter 1
7.exd6+ .ie6 8.dxc7 Wxc'T+
White has won a pawn, but he
may fail to develop his forces.
7.f3 lt:\h6 8.exd6+ (8..ixh6
Wh4+ 9.g3 Wxh6 10.exd6+ .ie6 11.
d7+ xd'T+ Black has lost his cas
tling rights, but has obtained the
advantage of the two bishops,
having a considerable lead in de
velopment too.) 8....ie6 9.dxc7
Wxc'T+
7.h3 lt:\gxe5! White fails to win
a piece. 8.f4 lt:ld4 9.e4 Wh4+
10.d1, Taubenhaus - Gunsberg,
Hamburg 1885, 10... lt:\e6 ll.g3
Wf6 12.lt:lc3 c6+ Black ends up
with a solid extra pawn.
5..id2 - This modest looking
move is necessary anyway and
seems reasonable, since it pre
vents the development of the en
emy bishop to b4, where it would
be most active. 5....ie7 6.lt:\c3 (6.
.ic4 dS 7.exd5 lt:lxdS 8.Wg3?, Ca
brera - Suasnabar, Lima 2000,
opening of the central files is in
Black's favour, since he has supe
rior development. White's last
move has enabled Black to start
an immediate attack with the
move 8...lt:\d4!+) 6...d5 7.exd5 lt:\xd5

8.Wg3 (It would be more accu12

rate for White to play 8.lt:lxd5

WxdS 9.lt:le2 .ifS+, although even
then Black's chances are prefera
ble thanks to his perfectly central
ized pieces.) 8...lt:lcb4 9.lt:lxd5 (M
ter 9.0-0-0 lt:\xc3 10.bxc3 lt:\xa2+
White loses after 11.b1 .ie6 12.c4
bS! 13.xa2 bxc4-+, as well as af
ter ll.b2 lt:\xc3 12.xc3 .if6+
13.\t>b3 Wd4-+ Hernandez Mu
noz - Guadamuro Torrente, Lin
ares 2007 and in both cases,
Black's attack is decisive.) 9...
WxdS 10..ixb4 (10.Wxg7? lt:\xc2+
11.d1 lt:\xal 12.Wxh8+ .if8 13.
c3 .ie6-+ White's kingside piec
es have completely failed to come
into action.) 10...e4+ 11.lt:le2
Wxb4+ 12.Wc3 b6 13.0-0-0
0-0+ Black has an overwhelming
advantage with his superior de
velopment and a powerful bish
op-pair in a position with an open
centre, Sanchez Castillo - Otazo
Sanchez, Merida 2001.
5.lt:lf3.ib4+!?

This is a standard resource

and the readers will encounter it
very often in this book. Black forc
es the enemy pawn to c3, where it
occupies the best square for the
development of White's knight.

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3. Wfxd4 tt:lc6 4. Wi e3 tt:lf6

6.c3 (after 6.i.d2 0-0 7.hb4
tt:lxb4 8.i.d3 d5+ White cannot
evacuate his king from the centre
without material losses) 6...i.a5
7.i.c4, Neira Garcia - Flear, San
Sebastian 2005 (in reply to 7.i.d3,
Hajagos - Csikos, Hungary 2010,
Black can exploit the exposed po
sition of the enemy queen to acti
vate his pieces with 7...i.b6 8.'ffff4
d5 9.e5 tt:lh5 10.Wffa4 i.d7+) 7...i.b6
8.'fffd3 0-0 9.0-0 Wfe7 10.tt:lbd2
d6t White has problems with the
development of his queenside in
view of the vulnerability of his e4pawn.
5.i.e2 Wffe7! - This surprising
move enables Black to open the
position to his advantage. 6.tt:lc3
d5 7.exd5 tt:lb4 8.i.d3, Mason Schlechter, Paris 1900, 8...tt:lxd3+
9.cxd3 i.f5 10.tt:lge2 Wffxe3 ll.he3
o-o-m=, or 8.Wffxe7+ he7 9.i.d3,
Schiffers - Schlechter, Nurem
berg 1896, 9...tt:lxd3+ 10.cxd3
i.f5+ and in both cases, Black re
gains his pawn, preserving his ad
vantage of the two bishops.
s . . . .lb4 6 . .ld2 o - o

7.0-0- 0

It is bad for White to opt for

7.'fffg3? d5+ and Black opens the
central files to his advantage,
while after 7.i.c4? i.xc3 8.i.xc3
tt:lxe4+ he wins his opponent's
centre pawn and White is unable
to retain the advantage of the
bishop pair, Kupreichik - Lein,
Voronezh 1969.

7 . . . ges

s.eg3
White is trying to organize a
piece-attack against the enemy
king, but he is likely to fail due to
his lag in development.
8.tt:lge2 d5! 9.tt:lxd5 tt:lxd5 10.
Wfff3 hd2+ 11.l=!xd2 tt:lcb4! 12.exd5
tt:lxa2+ 13.Wb1 tt:lb4+ White's king
position has been weakened and
Black's pieces come into action
easily and effortlessly.
8.Wff4 i.xc3 9.hc3 l'!xe4 10.
'fffd2 (or 10.Wffg3 d5+) 10...d5 ll.f3
l'!e8 12.tt:le2 Wffe7 13.tt:lf4 d4! 14.
hd4 tt:lxd4 15.Wffxd4 i.f5t - Black
has mobilized his forces and seiz
es the initiative thanks to his cen
tralized pieces.
8.f3 d5 9.'ffff2 (In answer to
9.i.e1, Chigorin - Gunsberg, Ha13

Chapter 1
vana 1890, it is good for Black to
play 9...'?tfe7! 10.tt:lxd5 tt:lxdS 11.
ElxdS .ie6--+ and he completes the
activation of his forces and begins
an offensive; 9.'1!9g5 d4 10.tt:ld5
.ixd2+ ll.Elxd2 tt:lxd5 12.'1!9xd5 1!9e7+
Black is considerably ahead in de
velopment and this provides him
with excellent attacking chances.)
9...dxe4 lO ..igS (In the variation
10.tt:lxe4 .ixd2+ 1U!xd2 1!9e7 12.
tt:lxf6+ '?tfxf6t, unlike his oppo
nent, Black has no problems with
the development of his forces,
Meisling - Em.Lasker, Copenha
gen 1919.) 10....id7! 11.tt:ld5, O.Ka
linina - Z.Mamedjarova, Chisi
nau 2005. White's kingside stands
idle and Black begins an attack
with the help of the energetic line:
11...e3! 12.'?tfh4 .id2+ 13.@b1 .ifS
14.tt:lxf6+ gxf6 15..ixf6 1!9d6--+
8..ic4 d6

It is not good for White to

choose 9.li?l(e2 i.cS 10.'?tfg3 tt:leS
11..ib5, Zezulkin - Hudecek, Lito
mysl 1994, because after the con
crete reply 11...tt:lh5 12.'?tfg5 '?tfxgS
13..ixg5 c6 14..id3 tt:lg4+ Black
forces a transition into an end
game and succeeds in winning at
least a pawn.
After 9.h3, Ljubojevic - Rosi
no, Venice 1966, Black solves his
problems with 9....ie6 10.i.xe6
Elxe6 11.tt:lge2 dS+ and maintains
an edge thanks to his active piec
es.
After 9.tt:lh3 tt:leS 10..ib3, Ja
kobsen - Lhagva, Siegen 1970,
Black can play 10...c6 11.f4 tt:leg4
12.'?tfd3 h6+ and he covers the im
portant dS-square and restricts
both his opponent's knights.
9.tt:lf3 i.e6 10.he6 Elxe6 11.
tt:lgS Ele8 12.f4 h6 13.h4 '?tfd7 14.
1!9f3 '?tfg4+ White's aggressive ac
tions have led to the appearance
of the excellent g4-outpost for
Black's pieces and problems for
White with the protection of his
e4-pawn, Winawer - Janowski,
Vienna 1896.

8 .tbxe4 9.tt:lxe4 gxe4

..

9.f3 - With this move White

fortifies his e4-pawn, but weak
ens the dark squares in the centre.
9...tt:le5 10.i.b3 aS 11.a3 i.cS 12.
'1!9e1 bS! 13.tt:lxb5 a4 14..ia2 c6
15.tt:lc3 '1!9b6--+ - White's kingside
forces have not yet come into ac
tions, Pieroni - Rada Equiza,
France 2008.
14

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3. Wixd4 ltJ c6 4. Wi e3 ltJf6

1 0 . .if4
10.i.h6? f6 11.i.g5 Wie6-+
After 10..b:b4 xb4 ll.a3 b6
12.lt:le2 d5+ Black has a solid extra
pawn in the centre.
He manages to comfortably
regroup his pieces in the centre in
the variation 10.i.g5 i.e7 ll.h4 d5
12.f3 e6 13.i.c4 d6+ Ostberg
Eriksson, Sweden 2008.
10.c3 i.e7! White is unable to
exploit the exposed position of
the enemy rook.

2004) 13...g6 14.Wffh6 lt:le5 15..ie2

d5 16.lt:lf3 lt:lg4 17.xh4 Wixh4 18.
lt'Jxh4 xe2+ White loses at least
another pawn, Shumyatsky - Van
Riemsdijk, Sao Paulo 2009.

1 0 . . . 'f6 11.c!Llh3
After 11..b:c7? d6 12..b:d6
Wih6+ 13.c;t>b1 .b:d6-+ White's
back rank was so weak that he lost
his bishop in the game F.Mayer Geske, Offenbach 2005.
n . . . d6

t2 . .id3

12.f3? d4 13.xd4 Wixd4-+

12 . . .c!Lld4

After ll.lt:lf3 d6 12.h3 lt'Je5+

Black has a solid extra pawn in
the centre.
ll.f4 - White weakens the
light squares in the centre. 11...
d5 12.lt:lf3 (12.i.d3 i.f5 13..b:e4
.b:e4+) 12....if5! 13..id3 Wid7 14.
.b:e4 .b:e4+ Rudd - Avrukh, Lon
don 2010. White has won a pawn,
but Black's attack against his
king will be deadly after lt:la5, a4
etc.
ll.i.d3 .ih4! - the rook must
return to base. 12.Wif3e8 13.h5
(13..ic2?! d6 14.lt'Jh3 lt'Je5 15.h5
g6 16.Wih6 .b:h3 17.gxh3 lt:lf3-+
and after i.g5, Black will enter an
easily winning endgame, Waschk
Schoenrock,
Mecklenburg

13 . .ie3
13.c;t>b1? - This move loses by
force. 13...lt:le2 14.Wif3 i.a3!! 15.
bxa3 (15.c3 lt:lxc3-+; 15.i.c1 Wixf3
16.gxf3 e8-+ Rigby - Tuvshin
tugs, Las Vegas 2008) 15...lt:lc3+
16.c;t>c1 lt:lxa2+ 17.c;t>b1 lt:lc3+ 18.
c;t>cl .b:h3 19..b:e4 .b:g2! 20.Wixg2
'xf4+ 21.c;t>b2 lt:lxe4-+ Nepom
niachtchi - Vallejo Pons, Moscow
2007.
It is not good for White to play
13..ig5?! Wffe6 14.c3 Wixa2 15.cxd4,
Masliakov - Orlov, St. Petersburg
2007 and now Black wins with
15...xd4! 16..b:h7+ (16.lt:lf4 .if5!
15

Chapter 1
17.i.xf5 1!c4-+) 16 . . . 1!7xh7 17.1!xd4
a1+ 18.1!7c2 .tfS+ 19.1!7b3 .ie6+!
20.1!7c2 a4+ 21.1!7d3 1!e8!
White's king is completely bare
and he is helpless against his op
ponent's mating attack, despite
his extra rook: 22.h4+ l!?g8 23 .
.ie3 bS+ 24.1!7c2 c5-+

13 .tM5!?

In the diagrammed position

even young Capablanca failed to
find the right path and he ended
up an exchange down after 13 . . .
.ig4? 14.ltlg5 1!xe3 15.xg4 ltle2+
16.he2 1!xe2 17.ltle4 1!xe4 18.
xe4 Mieses - Capablanca, Ber
lin 1913.
There is an interesting alter
native to the move in the text and

16

this i GM Korchnoi's recommen

dation 13 . . . 1!g4!?

14.Yff3 ges
16.c3 hc3!

15 .tg5

%YeS

Black obtains more than suffi

cient material equivalent for the
piece and completely open up the
enemy king.
17.bxc3 %Yxc3+ 18 .tc2 (18.
l!?b1? %Yb4+ 19.1!7a1 ltld4-+) 18
al+ 19.1!7d2 (19 . .ib1? 1!e5-+)
19 xa2+. White's bishop on gS
not only prevents his knight from
using this square, but does not
participate in the protection of his
king either, so there is no doubt
that in the near future he will have
to trade the queens and defend a
rather unpleasant endgame.

Chapter 2

l.e4 e5 2.f4
King's Gambit

4... lDf6 - see 3.exd5, or 3.lDc3 lDf6

- see Chapter 3, variation A.
All other alternatives for White
are clearly worse, for example
after 3J'9h5 lDf6 4.'Wxe5+ .ie7-+
Black's lead in development is so
great that he should be able to set
tle the issue very quickly.

2 . . . d5
Black's main move in the dia
gram position is 2... exf4. It has
been analyzed in GM K. Sakaev's
book "The Petroff: an Expert

Repertoire for Black".

The basic advantage of the
move we recommend is that
White does not get the type of
game he would like - with sacri
fices of pawns and pieces, and
mating attacks. After 2... d5, Black
effortlessly completes his devel
opment in most variations and
occupies the only open file; this
provides him with chances not
only of equalizing, but of seizing
the initiative as well.

3.exd5
For the moves 3.lD f3 exf4 4.
exd5 (4.lDc3 lDf6 - see Chapter 3)

3 . . . exf4
This move is much more natu
ral than 3... e4, which was consid
ered as a refutation of White's en
tire attacking concept by the world
famous "knight" of the King's
Gambit - Rudolf Spielmann.
Black restores the material
balance, has the unpleasant threat
4... h4+ and his pieces come into
play effortlessly. His f4-pawn re
stricts the mobility of White's
17

Chapter 2
dark-squared bishop and enables
Black's pieces to fight for the e3square.

li:lf6 8.li:lf3 0-0+ and he may fail

lo-develop his queenside owing to
the unfavourable placement of his
queen on e2.
After 4. .ie2 h4+ 5.\!ffl .id6
6.d4 c6 7.li:lf3 d8 8.dxc6 li:lxc6+
White's king is totally misplaced
and he will have to return with in
terest the tempi lost by Black on
manoeuvres with his queen.
4.f3?! - White has protected
his d5-pawn and parried the threat
of h4+, but his lag in develop
ment is so great that he cannot even
equalize, and here after 4... li:lf6

4.li:lf3
It is not good for White to play
4.d4?! h4+ 5.1!fd2, Tartakower
- Szabo, Ljubljana 1938, 5...
d8!+ Black removes his queen
from any possible enemy attack
with tempo, while White's king is
bound to remain stranded in the
centre for a long time; or if 4.
li:lc3?! 'W'h4+ 5.1!fe2 (in the gambit
variation 5.g3 fxg3 6.'W'e2+ ie7+
White has no compensation what
soever for the lost pawns) 5...
.ig4+ 6.li:lf3 id6+ and Black will
continue with li:le7 and li:ld7, as in
the 4. .ic4 variation. It would not
be in the spirit of the position for
White to choose 4.e2+?!, be
cause in this version of the King's
Gambit White's queen is mis
placed on the e-file and will come
under attack with tempo. 4... .ie7
5.li:lc3 li:lf6 6.d4 0-0t
It is rather dubious for White
to opt for 4. .ib5+?! c6 5.e2+
(5.dxc6 li:lxc6 6.li:lf3 li:lf6 - see
4.li:lf3) 5... .ie7 6.dxc6 li:lxc6 7.li:lc3
18

5. .ib5+ c6 6.dxc6 li:lxc6 7.d4,

Spielmann - Nimzowitsch, Mu
nich 1906, 7... .ib4+ 8.c3 0-0-+
Black's attack is decisive.
After 5.li:lc3 .id6 6. .ib5+ c6 7.
dxc6 0-0 8.cxb7 e7+ 9.e2
xb7 10.li:lf3, Wheatcroft - Ser
geant, Margate 1939, it seems
very attractive for Black to play
10... li:lc6 11.0-0 l'!e8 12.d1 .if5
and he has an overwhelming lead
in development.
After the more accurate re
sponse for White 5. .ic4 c6 6.li:lc3
.id6 7.e2+ 1J.e7 8.d4 (after 8.d6?
'W'xd6 9.d3 0-0 10. .id2 b5 ll. .ib3
a5+ Black has an extra pawn and a

l.e4 e5 2.f 4 d5 3.ed ef4 ..!Llf.3.!Llf6

dangerous initiative, J.Polgar Benjamin, Buenos Aires 1992,
while he obtains a great lead in
development after 8.dxc6 lt:Jxc6 9.
d3lt:ld4t) 8... 0-0 9.hf4 cxdS 10.
b3 .ib4+ White's his queen proves
to be misplaced on e2 and White
will lose more tempi later, Enders
- Moehring, Salzwedel 1982.
4..ic4?! h4+ S.@f1 .id6

Black has protected his f4pawn and wishes to prepare the

penetration of a knight to the e3square. This outpost will inevita
bly become available to Black be
cause White cannot continue the
game without d2-d4 or d2-d3.
6.lt:Jc3 lt:Je7 7.lt:Je4 (after 7.d4
0-0 8.lt:Jf3, it is good for Black to
play 8... h5 - see 6.lt:Jf3, or 8...
h6!?+ Bronstein - Beliavsky,
Kislovodsk 1982) 7... 0-0 8.lt:Jxd6
(in reply to 8.e1, Westerinen Agdestein, Espoo 1989, it seems
logical for Black to avoid the ex
change of queens with 8... h6
9.lt:Jf3 lt:JfS 10.d3 lt:Jd7-F and his
knight will head for the g4-square;
or if 8.lt:Jf3 h6 9.i.b3?! .ig4 10.
lt:Jxd6 cxd6-+ White will be una
ble to develop his pieces) 8... cxd6
9.lt:Jf3 f6 10.d4 lt:Jd7 ll. .ib3 lt:Jb6

12.c4 .ig4+ Black will double his

rooks on the c-file and White will
lose his c4-pawn, Dekic - Ninov,
Ulcinj 1998.
6.lt:Jf3 hS 7.lt:Jc3 lt:Je7 8.d4
0-0 9.@f2 (The endgame arising
after 9.lt:Je5 xd1+ 10.lt:Jxd1 lt:Jd7
ll.hf4 lt:Jb6 12.i.b3 lt:JbxdS 13.
.id2 is nearly hopeless for White,
De Wit - Winants, Haarlem 1997,
and now 13... a5+ and despite the
exchange of queens White has
considerable difficulties, connect
ed with the fact that his king is so
misplaced that he cannot coordi
nate his forces.) 9... lt:Jd7 10.!%e1
(10..ib3?! lt:Jf6 1U%e1 i.g4 12.h3
.ixf313.xf3 h4+ 14.@fl lt:Jf5-+
Hartmann - G.Schmidt, Bayern
2000) 10... lt:Jb6 ll. .ib3 lt:JexdS 12.
lt:JxdS lt:JxdS 13.c4 lt:Je3 14.he3
fxe3+ 15J'%xe3, J.Polgar - Topalov,
Mexico City 2010. Here it would
be very strong for Black to con
tinue with 15... c5! - he controls
the dark squares and restricts the
mobility of his opponent's light
squared bishop. Black's hands
would then be free for active op
erations on the kingside.

...

{6

19

Chapter 2
In the diagram position White
usually plays the moves A)
5.i.b5+ ?! and B) 5 .ic4.
For S.tt:lc3 ttJxdS - see Chapter
3, variation A.
S..ie2?! - The bishop is rather
passive on this square. After 5...
ttJxdS 6.c4 tt:lb4! 7.d4 .ifS 8.tt:la3
gS 9.0-0 .ie7+ Black has succeed
ed in keeping his extra pawn.
S.d4 ltJxdS

6.tt:lc3 .ib4 - see Chapter 3; 6.

.ic4 .ie6 - see variation A.
6.c4? .ib4+ 7.Wf2 tt:le3!- Black
quickly completes his develop
ment and organizes a decisive at
tack against White's king strand
ed in the centre, Hisler - Murey,
Metz 2003.
6..id3 e7+ 7.e2 (if 7.Wf2
tt:le3 8.e2 eSt Black controls the
dark squares in the centre and ob
tains excellent attacking pros
pects.) 7...tt:lb4 8..ixf4 tt:lxd3+ 9.
cxd3 tt:lc6+ - Black is clearly bet
ter thanks to his bishop pair and
White's weaknesses along the d
file.
6..ie2 .ib4+! 7.c3, Tartakower
- Alekhine, New York 1924, 7...
.id6+ Black has a stable advan
tage owing to his extra pawns and
20

White's vulnerable e3 and e4squares.

S.c4 c6!

Black is trying to exploit his

lead in development and at the
same time eliminate his oppo
nent's cramping pawn.
6.tt:lc3 cxdS 7.cxd5?! (for 7.d4
.ib4 - see 6.d4) 7... ttJxdS+ Even if
White regains his pawn, he will
end up with an isolated pawn. In
the game Borrowdale - Pante
leyev, Email 2007, there followed
later 8.e2+? .ie6 9.b5+ tt:lc6
10.xb7 ttJdb4 ll..ibS .id7-+ and
White was losing a lot of material.
6.dxc6?! - This move only en
hances Black's piece-develop
ment. 6...ttJxc6 7.d4 .ib4+ 8.tt:lc3
(after 8..id2? 0-0--+ Black's attack
is decisive) 8...0-0 9..ie2 tt:le4 10.
.id2 ttJxd2 11.xd2 .ig4+ White
will be faced with a long and dif
ficult defence in view of the ab
sence of his dark-squared bishop
and his weaknesses in the centre,
Hermanowski - Grube, Ruhrge
biet 1998.
6.d4 .ib4+ 7.tt:lc3 (If 7..id2?!
then after the exchange of the
dark-squared bishops White will
have great problems protecting

l.e4 e5 2j 4 dS 3.ed ef4 . lt:lf3lt:lf6

his e3-square and will need to re
capture the enemy f4-pawn with
his queen, which will provide
Black with additional tempi for
the activation of his pieces. 7...
hd2+ 8.W/xd2 cxdS 9.W/xf4 0-0
10.lt:lc3 lt:lc6+ Martinez Martin Meszaros, Peniscola 2002.) 7...
cxdS 8. .ixf4 0-0 9.e2 dxc4 10.
hc4 (10.0-0 lt:lc6 11.hc4 g4 see 10. .ixc4) 10... lt:lc6 11.0-0 g4
12.a3. White should drive the
enemy bishop to the aS-square.
(12.e3?! 1'%c8 13.b3, Handoko Matanovic, Surakarta 1982, 13...
lt:laS+) 12... aS

There has arisen a complicat

ed position with a dynamic bal
ance, in which White's d4-pawn
more often than not proves to be a
weakness rather than a strong
central passed pawn.
13.gS?! .b3 14.1'%xf3 W/xd4+
1S.W/xd4 lt:lxd4+ White has ended
up a pawn down and has prob
lems on the c-file, Bronstein Nikolaevsky, Leningrad 1971.
In the variation 13.dS lt:ld4 14.
Wh1 lt:lxf3 1S.gxf3, Angelov - Ma
rinescu, Bucharest 199S, Black
can obtain a very good position
after 1S... 1'%c8 16.W/d3 !hS 17.lt:le4

g6 White will be unable to

maintain his knight on the e4outpost and after its disappear
ance his king will be terribly en
dangered.
13.Wh1!? This is a useful move,
since it removes his king from a
very dangerous diagonal. 13...
.b3 (in answer to 13... c7!?,
Ageichenko - Kholmov, Moscow
1968, White has the response
14.gSoo with a very complicated
position) 14.1'%xf3 W/xd4 1S.Wif1 lt:le5
16.heS W/xeS 17.1'%e1 W/d4 18.1'%d1
W/h4!

White has excellent compen

sation for the pawn, but tourna
ment practice shows that it should
be sufficient only for equality:
in the game Winberg - Weg
man, Email 2007, after 19.1'%h3
WigS 20.1'%g3 W/eS= Black's queen
was well placed in the centre.
White failed to create serious
problems for his opponent with
19.g3 W/h6 20.b4 !c7 21.1'%d4 es
22.1'%h4 WigS 23.lt:le4 lt:lxe4 24.1'%xf7
lt:lxg3+! 2S.hxg3 1'%xf7 26.Wixf7+
Wh8 27.1'%hS g4 28.d3, Niewia
domski - Pietruske, Email 2007,
since at the end of the forced line:
28... W/d1+ 29.Wg2 W/xd3 30.1'%xeS
21

Chapter 2
c2+ 3l.li>h3 c8+ 32.1i>h4 b6=
Black has exchanged his oppo
nent's most active pieces and the
game will inevitably end in a
draw.

A) 5 . .ib5+ ? !
The bishop is better placed on
c4 than on b5.

5 . . . c6 6.dxc6
For 6.e2+?! i.e7 7.dxc6 lt:lxc6
- see 6.dxc6.

6 . . . tDxc6

White's centre can hardly be

advanced owing to the weakened
complex of squares on the e-file,
while Black's pieces have no diffi
culty coming into play.

7.d4
White loses a piece after 7.
0-0?? b6-+; it is also bad for
him to opt for 7.lt:le5? b6 8.e2
il.e7 9.lt:lc4 dB 10.c3 0-o:i= - he
has transferred his knight to a
very bad square and lags consid
erably in development.
7.e2+?! - This loses an im
portant tempo for White. 7... .ie7
22

8.d4 0-0 9.hc6 bxc6 10.0-0

:!'!eSt (Black's powerful threat
.id6, followed by the transfer of
his knight to the e3-square, forces
White to sacrifice his queen.) 11.
hf4 il.a3! 12.xe8+ xeS 13.
lt:lxa3 .ie6+ and owing to the unfa
vourable position of his knight on
a3, White's compensation is in
sufficient.
7.hc6+ bxc6 8.0-0 il.d6 9.
:i'!e1+ il.e6 10.d4 (10.lt:lg5 0-0 11.
lt:lxe6 fxe6+ White is considerably
behind in development and can
not win a pawn: if 12.l'!xe6? il.cS+
13.1i>h1 f3! with a decisive attack
for Black) 10... 0-0+ with the
bishop pair and a powerful pawn
on f4.
White cannot equalize with
7.lt:lc3 il.d6 8.e2+ il.e6 9.lt:ld4 (It
is slightly better for him to opt for
9.hc6+ bxc6 10.lt:lg5 d7 11.
lt:lxe6 xe6 12.0-0 0-0t when
Black's f4-pawn considerably
cramps White's position, but the
absence of queens should enable
him to gradually equalize, Sirotti
- Schmidt, Email 2008.) 9... 0-0
10.lt:lxe6 fxe6 11. .ixc6 bxc6t
White is a long way behind in de
velopment and may come under a
dangerous attack, for example
after the greedy 12.xe6+? li>h8
13.0-0 b6+ 14.1i>h1 l'!ae8! 15.
h3 (Black mates quickly after
15. xd6? f2!! 16. xf8+ lt:lg8-+)
15... f2 16.\1;lff3 '11;lrh4-+ White's
queenside is undeveloped, while
all Black's pieces are participating
in the action.

7 . . . .id6

l.e4 eS 2/ 4 dS 3.ed ef4. tt:\j3 tt:\f6

8.t'fe2+
8.tt:lc3?! 0-0 9.0-0 b6 - see
8.0-0.
White loses after 8.d5? tt:lxd5+ and Black's knight is untoucha
ble in view of .ib4+.
Black has no problems after
8.0-0 0-0.

9.c3 .ig4 10.tt:lbd2 :Be8 - see

9.tt:lbd2.
9. .ixc6?! bxc6 10.tt:le5, R.J.
Fischer - Witeczek, Detroit (sim)
1964, 10....b6 ll.:Be1 b6+ Black
exerts powerful pressure against
the enemy centre.
9.tt:lc3?! b6 10.'it>h1 .ig4 11.
.ixc6 bxc6+ Black has obtained
the bishop pair and has superior
development, while White's king
side is weak, Green - Aitken, Sun
derland 1966.

9.c4 .ig4 10.tt:lc3 :Bc8 ll. .ixc6

bxc6 12.tt:le2 tt:lh5+ Van Eijk Swinkels, Dieren 2005, or ll.'it>h1
.ib8 12. .ixc6 bxc6+ Cordel Flecher, Email 2007 and in both
cases Black's f4-pawn considera
bly cramps White's pieces.
9.tt:lbd2 .ig4 10.tt:lc4 (Black
leads in development and has an
excellent position on the kingside
with control of the only open file.
He has long-lasting initiative and
in the variation 10.c3 :Be8 ll. .id3
h6 12.tt:lc4 .ic7t) 10... .ic7 ll. .ixc6
(11.c3 :Be8 12. .ixc6 bxc6 13.tt:lce5
.ixe5 14.dxe5 b6+ 15.d4 tt:lh5+
- he succeeds in preserving the
powerful pawn on f4, Nowak Daenen, Email 2009) ll... bxc6 12.
d3 :Be8 13.h3 (in the line: 13.b3
hf3 14.:Bxf3, Pedersen - Pordzik,
Email 1995, it looks very attrac
tive for Black to continue with the
centralizing operation 14... :Be4
15. .ib2 d5t; 13.tt:lfe5 i.f5! 14.
xf5 xd4+ 15.'it>h1 .ixe5+ White
will regain his pawn, but Black's
rook will penetrate to the seventh
rank. White cannot solve his
problems even after the more ac
curate reply 13.tt:lce5 .ixf3 14.
tt:lxf3 d5t since Black's pieces
are considerably more active than
their counterparts.) 13... .ixf3 14.
:Bxf3 :Be4 15.c3 c5+ Richter Schueler, Email 2000.

8 . J.e6
.

(diagram)

9.g5
9.tt:le5? 0-0 10. .ixc6 bxc6+
Black has an obvious advantage
with his powerful bishop-pair,
23

Chapter 2

better development and great

piece-activity and after White's
greedy attempt 1l..b:f4? b6 12.
c3 'LldS, followed by .b:eS, Black's
attack becomes decisive, Long Wygle, Columbus 1977.

9 . . . 0 - 0 1 0 .4Jxe6
10..b:c6? i.g4 1l.d3 aS+
12.i.d2 xgS-+ White's king will
will be stuck in the centre, McTav
ish - Puri, Winnipeg 1985.

10

. .

b6!

has a lot of pieces for the queen,

but they will be unable to come
into play.) 12...4Jxe2 13.4Jxf6+
gxf6 14..b:e2 l"\e8 1S.'it>d1, Gysi Vayser, Email 1995 and here
Black wins easily after 15...l"\xe2!
16.\t>xe2 c6-+ - the coordinat
ed actions of his queen, bishop
and f4-pawn are quite sufficient
to win the game.
In answer to 11.0-0, Black's
attack is crushing after 11...f3!?
12.l"\xf3 l"\ae8 13..b:c6 l"\xe6 14.
d3 bxc6--t
11. .. xc6 (ll...bxc6!?t) 12.
0 - 0 (after 12.4Jxf8?? l"\e8-+
White obtains two rooks for his
queen, so material is not his real
problem: his king has no safe
shelter and will come under a very
dangerous attack.) 12 . . . lUe8 13.

f3 xf3 14.l'!xf3 l'!xe6 15.lik3

(In the endgame after 1S.i.xf4?
l"\e1+ 16.'1t>f2 l"\h1 17..b:d6 4Je4+
18.'1t>e2 4Jxd6+ White has an extra
pawn, but his entire queenside is
practically immobilized.) 15
.

g5t

ll.hc6
Jakubiec - Bulski, Cracow
2011.
11.4Jxf8? 4Jxd4 12.4Jxh7 (12.
'Lld7 'Llxd7 13..b:d7 4Jxe2 14.\t>xe2
l"\d8 1S.i.f5, Petrovic - Petran,
Novi Sad 1981, 15...c6-+ White
24

White cannot advance his cen

tral pawns and his bishop and

l.e4 e5 2f 4 d5 3.ed ef4 . tt'lj3 tt'lf6

rooks are restricted by his oppo
nent's f4-pawn. In addition, Black
controls the only open file and
can improve his position at lei
sure. He can transfer his king to
g6 and prepare the penetration of
his knight to the e3-outpost.

B) 5.J.c4
This calm move is White's
best.

5 . . . .!Llxd5

6. 0 - 0
For 6..!Llc3 .!Llxc3 - see Chapter
3.
6.\!9e2+ ?! i.e7 7.0-0 .!Llc6 (it is
less energetic for Black to contin
ue with 7...i.e6 - see 6.0-0) 8.d4
0-0 9.tt'lc3 tt'lb6+ White is faced
with an unpleasant choice - to re
main a pawn down, or to present
his opponent with the bishop
pair, D.Sokolov - Bykhovsky,
Pavlodar 1991.
6.d4 i.e6
(diagram)
7.0-0? tt'le3 - see 6.0-0; or 7.
i.b3 i.b4+! - see 6.i.b3.
7..ixd5 \!9xd5 8.0-0 (8.tt'lc3

i.b4+ White will fail to regain his

pawn, or he will end up with a
weakened pawn-structure on the
queenside.) 8...tt'lc6 - see 6.0-0.
7.\!9e2 i.b4+ 8.c3 i.e7 9.0-0
0-0 10.i.xd5 i.xdS ll.i.xf4 cS+
Black has a stable advantage with
his powerful bishop-pair in this
open position.
6.i.b3 i.e6 7.c4 (7.0-0 cS - see
6.0-0; 7.d4 .ib4+! - He deprives
the enemy knight of the c3square, which is its best and after
8.c3 i.e7 9.0-0 0-0 10.c4 tt'le3
ll.i.xe3 fxe3+ Black obtains the
bishop pair.) 7...tt:le7 8.d4 tt'lg6
9.0-0 i.e7 10.tt'lc3 0-0 ll.tt'le2
i.g4+ White can regain his pawn
in several ways indeed. He will
present Black with the bishop
pair, which will provide him with
long-lasting initiative, or after
12.tt'lxf4 tt'lh4! the pawn-shelter of
White's monarch will be weak
ened.
Black should not be afraid of
6.i.xd5 \!9xd5 7.tt'lc3 (7.0-0? tt'lc6
8.d4 i.e6 - see 6.0-0, or 8.tt'lc3
\!9f5 9.d4 J.e6 - see 7.tt'lc3; 7.d4
i.b4+ 8.i.d2 \!9b5+ Black preserves
his extra pawn and prevents
White from castling kingside.) 7...
\!9f5!
25

Chapter 2

8.e2+ Ji.e7 (8...e6 9.d4 1i.b4

- see 8.d4) 9.d4 tt:lc6 10.0-0 (10.
tt:lb5 0-0 ll.tt:lxc7? a5-+ Joita
Nikolaevsky, Leningrad 1960; 10.
d5 tt:lb4 ll.tt:ld4 f6 12.d6 xd6
13.tt:ldb5 c5 14.1i.xf4 0-Q=i= Black
maintains a great advantage with
his bishop-pair in a position with
an open centre, Kucherenko Kharchenko, Kharkov 2006) 10...
ii.e6 ll.d51i.xd5 12.tt:lxd5 xd5 13.
Ji.xf4 0-0-0+ Black has an extra
pawn in a quiet position, Jalas Latal, Email 2009.
White plays only very seldom
8.0-0?! tt:lc6 9.d4 Ji.e6 10.tt:lh4
(after 10.tt:le5 tt:lxe5 1U3xf4 g6
12.dxe5 1i.c5+ 13.'it>h1 0-0+ he re
gains his pawn, but falls consider
ably behind in development, Far
kas - Lyell, Kecskemet 2010; 10.
tt:le2 g5 ll.b3 0-0-0 12.1i.b2 i.g7
13.c4 g4 14.tt:le1 f3 15.gxf3 E!hg8-+
Black has a crushing attack in a
position with material equality,
Eames - M.Adams, Canterbury
2010) 10...a5. Now, after ll.tt:lf3
0-0-0 12.1i.xf4 tt:Jxd4 13.tt:lxd4
E!xd4-+ Sharma - Kislik, Kec
skemet 2010, or ll.d5 0-0-0 12.
ii.xf4 tt:lb4 13.f3 tt:lxd5 14.tt:lxd5
E!xd5-+ Keller - Pirrot, Bad Wo
erishofen 2008, Black has a solid
26

extra pawn and he only needs to

play accurately to realize his ad
vantage.
8.d4 1i.b4 9.e2+ (after 9.0-0
0-0 10.tt:le5 hc3 11.bxc3 it would
be interesting for Black to play ag
gressively with ll...g5!?oo, while
the simplest way for him to equal
ize would be ll...tt:ld7 12.1i.xf4
tt:lxe5 13.1i.xe5 d7 14.d3 f6 15.
Ji.g3 b6 16.d5 1i.b7 17.c4 E!fe8=) 9...
e6 10.1i.xf4 0-0 11.xe6 he6
12.'it>f2 (in the variation 12.hc7
E!c8 13.1i.xb8, Mista - Georgiadis,
Plovdiv 2008, Black can force
simplification into a very pleasant
endgame, with equal material but
where his bishop is superior to
the enemy knight, with 13...E!xc3
14.bxc3 hc3+ 15.\t>e2 Ji.xa1 16.
E!xa1 E!xb8+) 12...1i.xc3 13.bxc3,
Zhang Pengxiang - Nisipeanu,
Trignac 2002, and after 13...tt:ld7t
he maintains a long-lasting initia
tive thanks to his superior pawn
structure and more active minor
pieces.

6 . . . J.e6

7.J.b3
Black is threatening 7...tt:le3,

l.e4 e5 2.f 4 d5 3.ed ef 4 . tL!j3 ttlf6

so White should try to neutralize
this threat quickly.
7.hd5?! - This move will only
make matters worse. 7.. .'xd5 8.
d4 ttlc6 9.hf4 0-0-0+ Black has
a clear advantage with his two
bishops, free piece-development
and a clear-cut plan of operations
on the kingside, Ovetchkin Tarasova, Belgorod 2008.
7.''e2 - This is a harmless
move but it enables White to keep
the position balanced: 7... !le7

8.ttlc3 ttlc6 (The position would

be much more complicated after
8... c6!? 9.d4 g5oo) 9.d4 0-0 10.
tLlxd5 hd5 ll.hd5 xd5 12.hf4
.td6 - see 8.d4.
8.d4 - This is objectively the
best move for White, but the aris
ing position does not present any
problems for Black. 8... 0-0 9.ttlc3
(9.!lb3?! .tf6 10.c4 tLle3 ll.he3
fxe3 12.xe3 Eie8t - Black occu
pies the only open file and his
dark-squared bishop exerts pow
erful pressure on the a1-h8 diago
nal, Schaub - Svendsen, Email
2000) 9... tLlc6 (There arises a
fighting position after 9... tLlxc3!?
10.bxc3 hc4 11.xc4 .id6 12.b5
tLld7 13.xb7 ttlb6?, but White

retains some good trumps, Mar

chisotti - Satici, Email 2008.)
10.hd5 hd5 ll.tt:lxd5 xd5 12.
hf4 ild6 13.d2 (13.hd6?
tt:lxd4!+ with an extra pawn for
Black) 13... hf4 14.'xf4 gae8 15.
c3 d7 16.Eiae1 f6 17.b3 tLle7 18.c4
c6= and White's d4-pawn will be
much more of a liability than a
dangerous passed pawn, Krzyza
nowski - Patrici, Email 2009.

7 c5 !
.

Black is fighting for the centre

and the dark squares.

8.d3
8.tLle5?! fld6 9.!la4+ l!if8 10.
e2 f6 ll.tLlc4 flc7 12.d3 a6+ Black has lost his castling rights,
but is considerably ahead in de
velopment and preserves his ex
tra pawn, Villwock - Lyell, Buda
pest 2009.
8.ttlc3?! c4! 9.fla4+ (9.flxc4?
tLlxc3-+) 9... tt:lc6 10.d4 cxd3 11.
cxd3 fle7 12.tLlxd5 hd5 13.i.xf4
0-0+ White's pieces are discoor
dinated and his d3-pawn is weak,
Lanzani - Godena, Milan 2002.
8.c4 tLlf6 9.tLlc3 ttlc6 10.tLle2
.td6 ll.d4 tt:lxd4 12.tLlexd4 cxd4
27

Chapter 2
13.Wxd4 (13.lt:'lxd4 i.cS xf4
o-m= Black will quickly occupy
the central files with his rooks.)
13...Wc7 14.<i>h1 h6+ White has
failed to regain his pawn and his
bishops are passive.
8.<i>h1 i.e7 9.d4 0-0 10.c4 lt:'le3
11.i.xe3 fxe3 12.d5 i.g4+ Black's
bishop has gained access to the
important a1-h8 diagonal, while
White's bishop resembles a pawn,
Fier - Saralegui, Turin 2006.
8.d4 cxd4 9.lt:'lxd4 (Black
should not be afraid of the line:
9.<i>h1 lt:'le3 10.i.xe3 dxe3 11.
Wxd8+ <i>xd8 12.i.xe6 fxe6 13.
lt:'lgS i.d6, lngylfsson - Lukase
vicius, Email 2004 and here,
White's only move is 14.lt:'lf7+
<i>e7, but he ends up in a difficult
position after 15.lt'lxh8? lt:'lc6 16.
lt:'lc3 :B:xh8+ and Black's central
pawns should settle the issue.
White fails to equalize with 15.
lt:'lxd6 e2 16.:B:e1 <i>xd6 17.:B:xe2
lt:'lc6+ and Black remains with an
extra pawn and a more active
king.) 9....ic5 10.<i>h1 i.xd4 11.
'\Wxd4 0-0 12.i.xd5 (12.i.xf4 lt:'lc6
13.Wf2 lt:'lxf4 14.'\Wxf4, Hague Berzinsh, West Bromwich 2004,

28

14...i.xb3 15.axb3 Wd4! 16.Wxd4

lt:'lxd4+ - Black has weakened his
opponent's
queenside
pawn
structure and forces his knight to
go to the a3-square.) 12...lt:'lc6 13.
Wxf4 WxdS+ White's king is insuf
ficiently protected and he lags in
development, Lyell - Haslinger,
Great Yarmouth 2007.

c!Dc6

9.i.xd5
After 9.lt:'lc3 lt:'lxc3 10.bxc3 .id6
11.i.xe6 fxe6 12.We2 We7+ White
fails to regain his pawn.

9 . . . 'fbd5 1 0 .ixf4 J.e7 11.

lt:'lc3 Wd7+ Black has obtained the

bishop pair and dominates the

centre, Hynes - Sochor, Email
2008.

Chapter3

l.e4 e5 2.ltlc3
Vienna Game

White has developed a piece

and covered the dS-square and is
now ready to sharpen the game by
advancing f2-f4.
Black has several good moves
in the diagram position; we rec
ommend

3 . . . d5 !

Here, in contrast to the King's

Gambit, this move is definitely
Black's best.
White's main attempts now to
fight for the advantage, are Al)
4.fxe5 and A2) 4.exd5, al
though he has also tried some
2 . . . f6
Just as in the King's Gambit, other moves in practice.
Black should strive to advance
4.f3, R.J.Fischer - Holger
son, Sacramento (sim) 1964. The
with d7-d5.
Now White can play 3.i.c4 only virtue of this move is that the
c6, transposing to the Bishop's eleventh World Champion played
Opening (see Chapter 4), or 3.f3 it once in a simultaneous display.
c6 (see Chapters 6-8), but his After 4... dxe4 s.xe4 exf4 6.d3
most principled moves are A) i.e7 7. .hf4 0-0 8.0-0-0 cS 9.
3.f4 and B) 3.g3.
e2 c6+ Black obtains a lead in
development and an advantage in
the centre.
A) 3.f4
4.f3- This developing move
29

Chapter 3
often transposes to variation A2 .
4...exf4 5.e5 (5.exd5 tt:lxd5 or 5.
tt:lxd5 tt:lxd5 6.exd5 '\Wxd5 - see
variation A2) 5... tt:le4

6.d4?! - White weakens im

portant central squares with this
move. 6...i.b4 7.i.d2, Plajnsek Pavasovic, Pokljuka 1991, after
7...c5 8.i.d3 i.xc3 9.bxc3 c4 10.
i.e2 tt:lc6 11.0-0 g5+ Black re
mains with an extra pawn and a
powerful knight in the centre.
It seems rather strange for
White to try 6.i.e2?! since after
6...g5 7.0-0 tt:lc6 8.i.b5 a6 9.
hc6+ bxc6+ Black preserves his
extra pawn, obtains the advan
tage of the bishop pair and has
good attacking prospects, Spiel
mann - Bogoljubow, Berlin 1919.
After 6.'\We2 tt:lc5 7.d4 tt:le6 8.
i.d2 c5 9.dxc5 tt:lc6 10.0-0-0
hc5+ Black is not behind in de
velopment and he keeps his extra
pawn.
6.d3 - White ejects the enemy
knight from its wonderful square,
but acquiesces to the fact that he
will be unable to regain the f4pawn. 6...tt:lxc3 7.bxc3 g5 8.h4
(The piece-sacrifice after 8.i.e2
g4 9.0-0 gxf3 10.hf3 i.h6-+ did
30

not bring him any dividends in

the game Mayo - Hulme, Grange
mouth 2005; 8.d4 g4 9.tt:lg1 '\Wh4+
10.@e2, Gunsberg - Mieses, Vien
na 1903, 10...i.h6+ Black pre
serves his extra pawn and his lead
in development and has good
attacking chances against the
enemy king stranded in the
centre.) 8...g4 9.tt:ld4 c5 10.tt:lb3
tt:lc6 ll.hf4 i.g7 12.d4 (The c5pawn is untouchable owing to
12.tt:lxc5? '\Wa5+ and White loses
both his pawns on c3 and e5.) 12...
c4+ Black has excellent prospects
for active operations on the
queenside, Haida - Molisch, Brno
1937.
4.d3 exf4

Strangely enough, only four

moves have been played to reach
this position and yet White needs
to react very accurately in order
not to lose quickly.
In the variation 5.e5 d4! 6.
tt:lce2 tt:ld5 7.tt:lxf4 i.b4+ 8.@f2
tt:lc6 9.tt:lf3 0-0+ Black has man
aged to keep the enemy king in
the centre and achieve a consider
able lead in development, and af
ter White's careless reply 10.i.e2?
tt:le3!--+ Black's attack became de-

l.e4 e5 2.l!J c3 l!Jf6 3.f 4 d5

cisive in the game Lombardy Smyslov, Teeside 1975.
Or 5..txf4 .ib4 6.exd5 (6.l!Jge2
0-0 7.e5 l!Jh5 8..ie3 f6+; 6.e5 d4
7.exf6 dxc3 8.'fe2+ .ie6 9.b3,
Chigorin - Levitsky, Moscow
1899, 9...'!Wxf6+ and in both cases
Black is clearly ahead in develop
ment) 6...t!Jxd5 7..id2 hc3 8.
bxc3 0-0 9.l!Jf3 e8+ 10..ie2 Vffe7
ll.c4 l!Jf6+ White's king is strand
ed in the centre and impedes the
coordination of his own pieces,
Spielmann - Em.Lasker, St. Pe
tersburg 1909.
After 5.exd5 t!Jxd5 6.t!Jxd5
Vffxd5 7.hf4 .id6 8.hd6 (8.Vfid2
0-0+) 8...Vffxd6 9.Vffd2 0-0 10.
t!Jf3, Bronstein - Matanovic,
Vienna 1957, by playing 10...e8+
ll..ie2 c5 12.0-0 t!Jc6+ Black es
tablishes control over the centre
and easily deploys his pieces to
excellent squares.

Al) 4.fxe5 t0xe4

Ala) 5.d3
Alb) 5."Bf3
Ale) 5.t0f3

5.d4? - White fortifies his e5pawn, but leaves his opponent's

powerful knight in the centre and
as a result is unable to develop
his pieces. 5....ib4! 6.Vfid3 (6.'!Wf3
t!Jxc3 7.bxc3 Vffh4+ 8.g3 Vffxd4 9.
t!Je2 .ig4!-+ Albin -Weiss, Vien
na 1890) 6...0-0 7.l!Jf3 .if5 8.Vfie3
c5 9..id3 t!Jc6 10.a3 cxd4 11.t!Jxd4,
Gusev - Leonov, Donskoj 2007,
Black can turn his tremendous
lead in development into material
gains in the simplest way with the
line: ll...t!Jxd4 12.axb4 Vffh4+ 13.
g3 t!Jxg3 14.Vffxg3 '!Wxg3+ 15.hxg3
hd3 16.cxd3 t!Jc2+ 17.'i!?d1 t!Jxa1-+
Black should not be afraid of
5.l!Jxe4 dxe4 6.d4 (6.Vffe2 Vffd5+)
6...exd3 7.cxd3 (even after White's
more accurate response 7.hd3
'!Wh4+! 8.g3 '!We7 9.l!Jf3 t!Jc6 10.
0-0 .ig4t his king is very poorly
protected and this provides Black
with excellent attacking chances)
7...t!Jc6 8.l!Jf3 .ig4+ White's cen
tral pawns are weak and Black
completes development before
his opponent, Marshall - Napier,
New York 1896.
5.Vffe2 - White's queen only
impedes his development on this
square. 5...t!Jc6 6.l!Jf3 (6.t!Jxe4?
t!Jd4+) 6....if5 7.d3 t!Jxc3 8.bxc3
d4 9.b1 (after 9.c4? .ib4+ 10.'i!?f2
0-0 ll..ig5 Vffd7-+ White is com
pletely incapable of completing
the development of his pieces,
Fries Nielsen - Matthiesen,
Aarhus 2003) 9....ic5 10.'!Wf2 Vffe7
11.b5 a6 12.xb7, Castro Rojas
Rajna, Budapest 1977 and now
after the aggressive line: 12...
31

Chapter 3
0-0-0! 13J'l:b3 ltlxe5 14.ltlxe5
Wxe5+ 15.i.e2 dxc3 16. Wf3 !!he8+
Black ends up with a so_lli:Lextra
pawn and good attacking chances
against White's king stranded in
the centre.

Ala) 5.d3
White forces the exchange of a
powerful enemy piece.

5 . . . xc3 6.bxc3 d4 7.f3

There is a transposition of
moves after 7.i.e2 ltlc6 8.lt'lf3 i.c5,
or 7.i.d2 ltlc6 8.ltlf3 i.e6 - see 7.
ltlf3.

. .

c6!

Tournament
practice
has
shown that Black can easily ob
tain an edge if he ignores his op
ponent's c3-pawn. He leads in de
velopment and his pieces have
excellent squares.

8 . .ie2
After 8.i.b2 i.g4 9..ie2 dxc3
10.i.xc3 i.c5 11.d2 0-0 12.
0-0-0 d5 13.Wf4 i.e6+ White
succeeds in evacuating his king to
the queenside, but it is not well

32

placed there either, Y.Shaposh

nikov - Korchnoi, Sochi 1958.
Black has good attacking
prospects after 8. .id2 .ie6 9.cxd4
ltlxd4 10.c3 ltlxf3+ 11.Wxf3 i.e7
12.Wxb7 i.h4+ 13.'i!?d1 0-0t
8.cxd4 .ib4+! 9. .id2 .ixd2+
10.Wxd2 ltlxd4 11.c3 (It would be
over-optimistic for White to
choose 11.0-0-0 0-0 12.We3,
Niedermaier - Panteleev, Germa
ny 2010, since after 12... c5+ he
will have serious problems with
the safety of his king, while in the
variation 11.i.e2 ltlxf3+ 12. .ix3
Wd4+ he loses his e5-pawn) 11...
ltlxf3+ 12.gxf3 0-0 13.1'!g1 (13.
0-0-0 Wd5 14.d4 c5 15.1'!g1 g6
16.c4 We6 17.i.e2 cxd4 18.Wxd4
Wa6+ Black has managed to de
stroy the enemy centre and his
king is much safer, Tushev - Ka
zantsev, Email 2009; 13.d4 Wh4+
14.Wf2 Wf4+ White will have prob
lems with his centre very soon.
Black will either undermine it
with f7-f6, or he will play c7-c5, or
both... ) 13.. .f6 14.f4 fxe5 15.fxe5,
Winterfeld - Goehring, Germany
1993. White's king has no safe
shelter, therefore Black should
complete his development and at
tack the enemy centre only later.
The best way for him to begin is
with the move 15... i.e6+

8 . J.c5
..

Black effortlessly deploys his

pieces to excellent squares and
maintains an edge. White's cen
tral pawns are only a liability for
him.

l.e4 e5 2.tt:l c3 tt:lf6 3.f 4 d5

ll

. .

d4

9. 0 - 0
White solves the problems
with the safety of his king but sac
rifices a pawn, and regaining it
may be a difficult task.
9.cxd4 .b:d4 10.E!b1 0-0 11.
.ib2 E!e8 1V Lixd4 tt:Jxd4+ Black
forces his opponent either to sac
rifice a pawn, or to go in for an
unpleasant position with bishops
of opposite colours.
9..ig5 'd7 10.c4 h6 11..id2
0-0 12.0-0 'e7+ White will have
difficulties with the protection of
his pawns on d4 and eS.
9..ib2 0-0 10.cxd4 tt:Jxd4 11.
c3, Lewandowski - Paprocki, Tor
farm 2005, 11...tt:Jxe2 12.xe2 .ie6
13.d4 i.e? 14.c4 .ib4+ 15.g;,f2 c6+
White can hardly organize mean
ingful counterplay with his light
squared bishop absent from the
board and his pawn centre is
harmless for Black, since it can
easily be undermined with f7-f6,
or even with b7-b5.

9 dxc3 1 0 .g;,hl 0 - 0 ll.ti'el

.

11..if4? ! tt:ld4+ - After the ex

change of the knights, Black's
bishop will occupy the excellent
d4-outpost.

12 .idl

1V Lixd4? .b:d4 13.g3, Broo

kes - Haast, Haarlem 2011, 13...
E!e8 14.i.h5 g6+ - Black hopes to
attack the enemy eS-pawn and his
kingside is securely protected.
In the variation 12.xc3 .ib6
13.d2 tt:lxf3 14..b:f3 .id4 15.E!b1
.b:eS+ White will have problems
with the defence of his kingside,
because Black is threatening h4,
Yusubalijev - Filev, Teteven
2004.
12 xfJ 13.hf3, Opl Donchenko, Dresden 2010, and
here Black can play 13 c6+ re
stricting his opponent's light
squared bishop and preserving
his extra pawn. Later he can at
tack the enemy eS-pawn, while
White's piece-activity is almost
harmless and cannot compensate
for the material deficit.

Alb) 5.ti'fJ
The queen is better placed
here than on e2, because it does
not prevent the development of
White's bishop, but in many vari33

Chapter 3
ations it comes under attack with
tempo.

5 . . . c6 6.i.b5
6.lt)xe4?! ltld4 7.'<&c3 (7.'<&d1
dxe4 8.c3 ltlc6 9 . .ib5 '<&d5 10.'<&e2
i.d7 11.hc6 i.xc6-+ - The light
squares in his camp are cata
strophically weak, Spielmann Moewig, Coburg 1904) 7 . . . dxe4
8.ttle2 ltlc6 9.ltlg3 V9d5 10 . .ic4
'<&xeS 11.0-0, Tzermiadianos - A.
Mastrovasilis, Athens 2002, 11 . . .
f5!+ Black has an extra centre
pawn and can effortlessly develop
his pieces, so this provides him
with a clear advantage.

ltlxc3

White is faced now with a

rather difficult choice.

7.dx:c3
This is White's best option.
His e5-pawn may be a bit weak,
but his pieces come into play
without any difficulties.
After 7.'<&xc3 Wh4+ White lags
in development and has problems
with the protection of his e5pawn.
7.bxc3 '<&h4+ 8.g3 '<&e4+ 9.
'<&xe4 dxe4 10 . .ixc6+ (10.d4 exd3
11.cxd3 .id7 12 . .if4? ltlxe5! 13.
hd7+ ltlxd7 14.'it>d2 0-0-0+
Black has a solid extra pawn, Ca
tozzi - Daniel, BesaDJon 1949)
10.. . bxc6 11.ltle2 (11.d4 exd3 12.
cxd3 .if5 13.'it>e2 l'!d8 14.d4,
Koeniger - Maier, Munich 1993,
after 14 . . . c5+, Black emphasizes
the vulnerability of his opponent's
central pawns) 11 . . . .ic5 12.d4 (12.
ltld4?! 0-0 13.ltlxc6 l'!e8 14 . .ib2
.id7 15.ltlb4 l'!xe5+ White has
failed to win a pawn, his knight on
b4 might be lost and his bishop is
very passive, Antal - Bick, Witley
2001.) 12 . . . exd3 13.cxd3, Vojta Spacek, Czech Republic 2011 and
by playing 13 . . . .ia6 14.d4 .ie7+
Black controls the light squares in
the centre and after completing
his development he can begin un
dermining White's pawn-chain.

7 Wh4+
.

It looks very good for Black to

try here 7 . . . a6!? 8.hc6+ bxc6=
when his advantage of the bishop
pair guarantees him equality, but
he can try for more, Paulsen Blackburne, Breslau 1889.

8.g3 ti'e4+ 9.ti'xe4 dx:e4

The e5-pawn is considerably
34

l.e4 e5 2. tt:\ c3 tt:\f6 3.j4 d5

weaker than the e4-pawn and
White must play precisely to
maintain the balance.

Pilgaard, Villagarcia de Arosa

2002, after 13.. J:!hf8 14J!e1 h6t
Black completes his development
and is ready to begin active opera
tions. The greedy attempt 15.l'!xe4
tt:\a5 16.tt:lf3 .ic6 would lead to the
loss of the exchange for White:
17.!J.d3 (17.l'!e3? g5-+) 17...f6! 18.
exf6 hf6+, because after 19.l'!e3?
g5-+ he would lose a piece.

1 0 bxc6 11./t)e2 i.c5 12.

li)d4, Swanson - Savage, Hinck
.

ley Island 2009.

1 0 . .ixc6+
White disrupts his opponent's
pawn-structure, but now Black's
light-squared bishop might be
come very active.
It is not good for White to opt
for 10..ie3 .id7 11..ixc6 .ixc6 12.
tt:le2 g6 13.0-0-0 .ig7 14.tt:\d4
.ixe5 15.tt:\xc6 bxc6 16..id4 .ixd4
17J'!xd4 f5 18J!hd1 o-m= and he
must play very energetically; oth
erwise, Black's central pawns will
promote, Adamko - Pheby, Email
2009.
After 10.tt:le2 .id7 11.hc6
.ixc6 12.tt:ld4, Baljon - Knox,
Teesside 1978, Black can preserve
his important bishop, avoiding
any defects of his pawn-structure,
with the move 12....id7t
10..if4 .id7 11.0-0-0 (White
cannot reach complete equality
with 11.tt:le2 0-0-0 12.i.c4 .ie6
13..ixe6+ fxe6t Black's e4-pawn
is safe, while White's e5-pawn will
need protection.) 11...0-0-0 12.
.ic4 !J.e7 13.h4, Paredes Corda -

Now it would be very strong

for Black to play 12 i.b6 ! 13.a4
(13.tt:lxc6?! !J.h3 14.tt:\d4 0-0-0
White might fail to complete his
development and his e5-pawn is
seriously endangered.) 13 a5
14.J.f4 h6 15.h4 J.g4t White
must find several very precise
moves to neutralize Black's active
pieces.
.

Ale) 5./t)f3 J.e7

This is the ideal square for the
bishop. It cannot be attacked on
e7, it covers the g5-square and as
sists in the preparation of f7-f6.
35

Chapter 3

6.e2
White must fight against
Black's centralized knight, other
wise he may end up in a worse po
sition.
6.d4 cS 7..id3 (White would
not equalize with 7..ib5+ tt:lc6 8.
0-0 0-0 9..ixc6 bxc6 10.d3,
Menzel - Buchholz, Mecklenburg
2000, because Black can continue
with 10....if5 ll.tt:lh4 cxd4 12.tt:lxf5
dxc3 13.bxc3 .icS+ 14..ie3 .ib6+
and he gains an edge, thanks to
his powerful knight in the centre
and White's weakened pawn
structure.) 7...tt:lxc3 8.bxc3 c4 9.
.ie2 tt:lc6 10.0-0 0-0 ll..ie3 (Af
ter 11.e1 .ifS+ the vulnerability
of White's c2-pawn is empha
sized) ll...bS+ Black's position is
preferable, owing to his clear-cut
plan of queenside attack, Span
genberg - An.Karpov, Buenos
Aires 1994.
6..ie2 0-0 7.0-0 cS 8.'it>h1
(White can get rid of his oppo
nent's powerful knight with 8.
tt:lxdS xdS 9.d3 tt:ld6 10.exd6
.ixd6+, but Black would maintain
an edge in view of his control over
the centre.) 8...tt:lc6 9.d3 tt:lxc3 10.
36

bxc3, Androni - Sapera, Eretria

2011, 10...f6 ll.exf6 .ixf6t White's
c3-pawn is weak and he has no ac
tive counterplay, so he must think
about defending.
6.d3 - White gets rid of the
powerful enemy knight, but the
arising pawn-structure is in
Black's favour. 6...tt:Jxc3 7.bxc3 cS
8..ie2 (8.g3 0-0 9..ig2 tt:lc6 10.
0-0 .ig4+ White has problems
with the protection of his eS-pawn
and his c3-pawn is a liability too,
Heinz - Pelt, Mehlingen 1992)
8...tt:lc6 9.0-0 (in response to 9.
.if4, Black's energetic reaction 9...
gS! 10..ig3 hS+ emphasizes that
White's king has no safe shelter,
so he has no compensation for his
weakened pawn-structure) 9...
0-0 10.e1 (otherwise, Black's
play follows the already familiar
script: after 10J:l:b1 f6 ll.exf6 .ixf6
12.d4 c4t Malienko - Karnaukh,
Kiev 2010, or 10.d4 aS ll..id2,
Schmidt - Beckmann, Germany
1988, ll...c4 12.h3 f6 13.exf6
l:l:xf6+ Black fixes his opponent's
vulnerable queenside pawns and
exchanges the eS-pawn, which
cramps his position. In answer to
10..if4, it seems reasonable for
Black to choose lO ...aS 11.d2
f6t eyeing the enemy c3-pawn
and depriving White of his only
trump - his space advantage.)
10...f6 ll.d4 {ll.exf6 .ixf6 12..id2
d6+ Black has deployed his piec
es aggressively and exerts pres
sure against the weak c3-pawn.)
ll...fxeS 12.dxe5 .ifS 13.c4 'it>h8
14.cxd5 xdS+ White has pro-

l.e4 e5 2. ltJ c3 ltJf6 3.f 4 d5

voked radical changes of the
pawn-structure, but has not
equalized yet, because his eS
pawn and all his queenside pawns
are vulnerable, Kutsenko - Kar
naukh, Kiev 2011.
6..id3! ? ltJcS 7..tb5+ (7..te2?
d4+) 7...c6 8.d4 cxbS 9.dxc5 .ie6
10..ie3 ltJa6 11.WI'd3?! (White fails
to equalize even after the more ac
curate line: ll.ltJxbS ltJxcS 12.0-0
0-0t, but although Black's bish
ops can hardly be activated for the
time being, his position is prefer
able owing to the weakness of
White's eS-pawn.) ll...b4 12.c6
bxc3 13.cxb7, Lu Shanglei V.Malakhov, Chaongqing 2011.
White will inevitably regain his
piece, but we believe that Black
can still create problems for him
with the aggressive line: 13...ltJb4!
14.W/b5+ .td7 1S.bxa8W/ ttJxc2+ 16.
'i!ff2 W/xa8 17.WI'e2 ttJxa1 18.bxc3
0-0 19J''! xa1 b7+ - The forced
play has ended, leaving Black with
the advantage, thanks to his pow
erful bishop-pair and White's
rather weak pawns.

l0xc3

7.dxc3
White's position would be
worse after 7.bxc3 0-0

Now:
8.W/e3 f6 9.c4 ltJc6 10..ib2 fxeS
ll.cxdS W/xdS+ - The position has
been opened up and Black has a
big lead in development, Meijer Euwe, Utrecht 1926.
8.d4 f6 9.We3 (9..if4 fxeS
lO ..txes .tg4 11.e3 ltJc6 12..te2
ttJxeS 13.dxe5 b6+ White's king is
stuck the centre, Becker - Cygon,
Espelkamp 1975) 9...fxe5 10.
ttJxeS, Pashkin - Akhromeev,
Simferopol 1989, and now the
best way for Black to exploit his
lead in development is to ex
change his opponent's only active
piece with the move 10...ltJc6+
8.g3 cS 9..ig2 ltJc6 10.0-0 .ie6
ll.d3 Wd7 12..ig5 !iae8 13.!iae1 h6
14.he7 !ixe7+ White has de
ployed his pieces relatively well,
but he is not likely to improve his
position in the near future, while
his queenside weaknesses remain
a cause of concern for him, Olsze
wski - Malaniuk, Kowalewo Po
morskie 2006.

c5

37

Chapter 3

8 . .if4
It is not so good for him to opt
for 8.e3 ltJc6 9.'\Wf2 '\WaS 10.'\Wg3
e6 11.e2 (ll.d3 0-0-0 12.
0-0 hS Black's chances of or
ganizing an attack against the en
emy king are not worse than those
of his opponent) 11...'\Wa4 12.d3,
Kujovic - Panchanathan, Dallas
2004, after 12... 0-0, Black is
threatening to win a pawn with
the move cS-c4, while after 13.b3
Vfig4+ White is faced with the rath
er unpleasant choice between an
inferior endgame and an attempt
to protect his weak pawns in the
coming middle game.
8.'\Wf2 Vfib6! - Black prevents
the development of the enemy
bishop on cl. 9.e2, Hector Docx, Gothenburg 200S (In reply
to 9.'\Wg3, Black is ready to trans
fer his queen to the other side
of the board: 9... '\Wg6 10.'\Wxg6
hxg6=. It would be worse for
White to continue with 9.c4 e6
10.cxdS hdS ll.c3 lLlc6+ - he has
got rid of his backward pawn, but
lags in development and his eS
pawn would be more of a target
than an asset, Vojta - Rachela,
38

Tatranske Zruby 2008. It is more

accurate for White to play 9.b3
e6 10.d3 ltJd7 ll.c4 dxc4 12.
bxc4 Vfic7 Black's position is a
bit cramped, but if White fails to
exploit this, his queenside weak
nesses are bound to tell.) 9... 0-0
10.0-0 c4!?= Black has given the
d4-square to his opponent, but
has radically solved the problem
of protecting his kingside. White
can hardly avoid the exchange of
queens and only he may have
problems in the endgame.

8 .. )l)c6

9. 0 - 0 - 0
9.'\Wd2 h6 10.e2 (10.0-0-0
e6t Black controls the centre
and is ready to begin an offensive
on the queenside.) 10... gS 11.e3
g4 12.lLlg1 d4 13.f4 dxc3 14.
'\Wxc3, Aaberg - Barkhagen, Swe
den 1996, 14... '\WdS+ - He not only
attacks the g2-square, but his oth
er pieces are all perfectly prepared
to come into action immediately.
9.'\Wf2 e6 10.Vfig3 'WaS (It is
less energetic for Black to contin
ue with 10... '\Wb6 11.0-0-0 0-0-0
12.lLlgS hgS 13.hgS :i!d7 14.f4

l.e4 e5 2. llJ c3 llJf6 3.f 4 d5

g6=, although he would not have
any problems even then, Ponkra
tov - G.Timoscenko, Satka 2008.)
ll.a3 (ll.xg7? 0-0-0 12.h6
d4+ - Black has begun a decisive
attack against White's king, at the
price of only a pawn.) ll...h6 12.
h4 (It would be worse for White to
opt for 12.xg7? 0-0-0 13.g3
a4+ and Black's threats are tre
mendously dangerous, or 12.
0-0-0 g5 13.e3 o-o-m: and
here he has a very unpleasant
plan of advancing with d5-d4.)
12...0-0-0 13.0-0-0 i>b8 White
has prevented his opponent from
occupying additional space on the
kingside, but Black's position has
no weaknesses and he has excel
lent counterplay on the queen
side.

9 . . . .te6

also good to play ll ... d7 12.i>b1

f5t when Black has deployed his
pieces perfectly and is ready to
begin active play on the queen
side) and after ll...d7 12.h3 0-0
13.g4 ab8-+ with the idea b7-b5,
Black begins a direct attack
against the enemy king.
10.i>b1 - This is a useful pro
phylactic move for White. 10...
a5 ll.a3 (in the endgame after
11.b5 xb5 12.xb5 0-0t, Black
has no problems at all) ll...h6 12.
h4, Sorensen - Z.Polgar, Tunja
1989. The best place for Black's
king would be on the queenside,
so she must prepare active opera
tions on the queenside with
12...0-0-0 followed by a mov
ing her king to the aS-square.
10.f2 aS ll.a3 (in answer to
ll.i>b1, Ballester - Haslinger, Dos
Hermanas 2004, it seems very at
tractive for Black to begin a direct
attack with ll...d4 12.c4 b5 13.
llJd2 b8-+) ll...h6 12.e3 b6 Black has obtained a very solid
position and after moving his king
to a8 he can start to prepare the
central pawn-break d5-d4 or or
ganize an attack against the ene
my king.

10

h6 11.g3

11.f2 a5 12.a3 0-0-0

1 0 .h4
10.c4 - White is fighting for
the e4-square, but this only helps
Black organize active operations
on the queenside. 10...d4 11.llJd2,
Hector - Ivkov, Cannes 1989 (in
response to ll.h4, Hector Inkiov, Copenhagen 1990, it is

ll

Yfd7 12 .tg2

In answer to 12.f2 it seems

very reasonable for Black to con
tinue with 12...0-0-0. White's
only attempt to put this move in
doubt would be connected with
13.e3, but Black can counter this
with 13...d4! 14.cxd4 cxd4 15.
39

Chapter 3
l2Jxd4 \Wd5t - he will inevitably re
gain his pawn and his pieces will
be tremendously active.

12

0 - 0 - 0 13.h5

13.\Wfl l'!he8 14.h3 hh3 15.

\Wxh3 \Wxh3 16.l'!xh3 f6= - Black
eliminates the enemy e5-pawn,
which cramps his position, and he
completely equalizes, Barreras
GarcHa - Piccoli, Email 2008.

13

xd5 !

This natural move is the most

precise for Black.

i.g4

14.'tf.>b1
14.\Wfl \We6 15.'tf.>b1 (after the
exchange of the light-squared
bishops with 15.i.h3 hh3 16.
\Wxh3 l'!d7 17.liJd2 a6 18.'i!?b1, Mo
rales Pecino - Kozlov, Email
2007, Black can play 18...\Wxh3
19.l'!xh3 i.d8t emphasizing that
White's e5-pawn might become a
weakness.) 15... l'!d7 16.a3 l'!hd8
17.l'!d3, Morales Pecino - Albano
Rivares, Email 2008, and after
17...i.f5 18.l'!d2 l2Ja5t Black ob
tains excellent attacking pros
pects.

14 ghe8 15.Wfl We6 16.

i.h3 .hh3 17.Wxh3 gd7 18.g4
ged8 19.a3 d4= Glukhovtsev

Koronowski, Email 2010

40

A2) 4.exd5
White plays this move quite
often, even at grandmaster level.
He wishes to fight for the ad
vantage in a position with an ex
tra pawn after 4...e4, but...

Now White can choose be

tween several possibilities A2a)
5.xd5? ! , A2b) 5.f3 and A2c)

5.fxe5.
Among his alternatives, we
must mention that in the varia
tion 5.\Wh5 l2Jxf4 6.Wxe5+ l2Je6+
White's queen will come under at
tack with tempo by Black's devel
oping pieces, Noble - Braunberg
er, Frankfurt 2010, while after 5.
\Wf3 l2Jxf4 6.i.c4 l2Jc6+ Black ends
up with a solid extra pawn, Blanch
- Janev, Balaguer 2011.

A2a) 5.xd5? ! Wxd5

Black's queen is perfectly
placed in the centre of the board,
because it impedes White's devel
opment and cannot be attacked at
all.

l.e4 e5 2.tt:l c3 tt:lf6 3j 4 d5

6 . . . c6 7.3 i.g4 8 .i.e2
xeS

6.fxe5
For 6.tt:lf3 tt:lc6 7.fxe5 .ig4 see 6.fxe5.
6.tt:le2?! - White fails to evict
the enemy queen from the centre
with this: 6... .ie7 7.d4 (the seem
ingly more consequent 7.tt:lc3?
i.h4+ forces White to give up a
whole rook.) 7... .ih4+ 8.tt:lg3 exd4
9.c4, Halpin - Blumbergs, Email
2005, and now with 9.. .'c6+
Black impedes the development
of his opponent's light-squared
bishop and is quite ready to
launch a decisive attack in a few
moves.
After 6.\1;Ye2 tt:lc6 7.c3 .ie7 8.
fxe5 .ih4+ 9.<i>d1, Van de Berk
mortel - Gorla, Switzerland 1992,
the simplest for Black would be to
regain his pawn with 9... tt:Jxe5
10.tt:lf3 (Black does not lose his
knight, because in the variation
10.d4? .ig4 ll.tt:lf3 0-0-0-+
White is unable to capture it.)
10... i.g4 11.\1;Yb5+ \1;Yxb5 12.hb5+
c6 13. .ie2 tt:Jxf3 14.hf3 hf3+ 15.
gxf3 0-0-0+ - The material is
equal, but Black has a superior
pawn-structure and his pieces
come into play very quickly.

9.d4 (In the variation 9.0-0

.ic5+ 10.<i>h1, Inkiov - Dobrev,
lraklion 1992, Black maintains a
stable advantage, thanks to his
lead in development and control
of the centre, with 10... tt:Jxf3 11.
hf3 hf3 12.l'!xf3 0-0+) 9
.

xf3 + 1 0 . h3 hf3 11. xf3

xf3 12.gxf3 0 - 0 - 0 t Black
has a much better pawn-structure
on the kingside and a lead in de
velopment, Sanz Alonso - Mala
niuk, Warsaw 2008.

A2b) 5.3 exf4

41

Chapter 3
This position is reached much
more often from the King's Gam
bit, but for the sake of a conveni
ent presentation of the theoreti
cal material, we shall analyze it
here.

6 .ic4

6.d4?! - This move weakens

the important e3-square and pro
vides Black with several tempi for
his development. 6....ib4 7..id2
.ixc3 8.bxc3 o-m=
6..ie2?! - White's bishop is
more passive here than on c4. 6...
lt'lxc3 7.bxc3 .id6 8.d4 0-0 9.0-0
lt'ld7+
6.lt'lxd5?! \11i xd5 Black's queen
is perfectly placed in the centre.
7.d4 .ie7 8.c4 (8..id3 lt'lc6 9..ixf4
gS! 10..ig3 g4 ll.c4 \11ie6+ 12.lt'le5
lt'lxeS 13.dxe5 .ib4+ 14.'tt> f1 .id7+
and Black will evacuate his king to
the queenside) 8...\11i e4+ 9.'tt> f2 (9.
.ie2 lt'lc6 10.0-0 .ig4 ll.dS lt'leS
12.'tt> h1 0-0 13.lt'lxe5 .ixe2 14Je1
.ixd1 15Jxe4 .ic2 16.!'le2 .id6+
White has played quite sensibly
so far but has failed to equalize.
He either remains a pawn down,
or must fight against his oppo
nent's powerful bishops in an
open position, Tellier - Schmidt,
Email 2009.) 9....if5 10.c5 (the
endgame after 10.\11i e2 xe2+ 11.
.ixe2 gS+ is very difficult for
White, not least because of the
missing pawn.) 10...lt'lc6 ll..ibS
d5 12..ixf4 (it would be more ac
curate for White to play 12.!'le1
.ie4 13.e2 fS 14..ixf4 0-0-0+,
but even then, the vulnerability of
his d4-pawn and the insufficient
42

protection of his king would hurt

him.) 12...0-0-0 13..ie3 .if6+
Kieninger - Eliskases, Stuttgart
1939.
6..ib5+?! c6 White has lost a
tempo, but now Black's knight
has no immediate access to the
c6-square. 7.\11ie2+ .ie6 8..ic4 .ie7
9.lt'lxd5 cxdS lO ..ibS+ lt'lc6 11.d4
\11lc7+ White has not regained his
pawn yet and lags in develop
ment, Rubinstein - Tarrasch,
Merano 1924.

6 . . . lt'lxc3 7.bxc3
7.dxc3 \11ixd1+ 8.'tt> xd1 .id6 9.
!'le1+ 'tt> f8 10.lt'le5 .ixeS ll.!'lxeS f6
12.!'lc5 c6 13..ixf4 b6 14.!'ld5
(White's compensation for the ex
change is insufficient after 14.
.ixb8 bxcS 15..id6+ 'tt> e8 16..ixc5
.ifS+) 14...cxd5 15..ixd5 gS! (Black
frees the g7-square for his king in
case of an eventual check from
the d6-square!) 16..ie3 (16..ig3?!
.ig4+ 17.'tt> e1 lt'lc6 18..ixc6 !'lc8 19.
.ibS 'tt> t7+ Black has coordinated
his rooks and has no problems
with the realization of his advan
tage.) 16....ig4+ 17.'tt> d2 lt'lc6 18.
.ixc6 !'ld8+ 19..id4 !'ld6+ Although
White's bishop on d4 is a beauti
ful piece, it cannot compensate
for the lost exchange.

7 .id6 8.\11ie 2+
..

White's position in the middle

game is clearly worse: 8.0-0 0-0
9.d4 lt'ld7 10..id3 !'le8 ll.c4 cS 12.
c3 lt'lf6+ White has failed to regain
his pawn and his central pawns
are weak, Nobel - Cipka, Email
2005.

9e7 9.Wxe7+ 'tt>x e7

l.e4 e5 2. lt'l c3 ll'Jf6 3.f 4 d5

would be completely irrelevant
with his king stranded in the cen
tre.

6 . . . Wfh4+ 7.e2 .i.g4+ 8 .

ll'J f3 c!Oc6 9.Wfe1

10.0-0
After lO.lLJgS i.e6 ll.ll'lxe6 fxe6
12.0-0 ll'Jc6+ Black has the better
prospects, thanks to his extra
pawn.

9.d4? 0-0-0 10.i.d2, Hamppe

- Steinitz, Vienna 1859 (for 10.
Wfe1 WfhS - see 9.Wfe1, while after
10.if4 f6 White will be unable to
parry his opponent's attack). Here
Black forces mate with 10...E:xd4!
ll.cxd4 ll'Jxd4+ 12.<.!id3 i.fS+ 13.
c3 ll'lxf3 14.V9xf3 V9b4#

9 . . . V9h5

1 0 . . . .i.e6 1u;e1 d7 12.

he6+ fxe6+ Farley - Kazh
galeyev, Yerevan 1996.

A2c) 5.fxe5

1 0 .d4? !

This move has been tried by

grandmasters Ivanchuk, Naka
mura and Ponkratov. The best
that White can rely on is an ap
proximately equal endgame.

5 .. .ti)xc3 6.bxc3
After 6.dxc3? Wfh4+ 7.d2 icS
8.ll'Jf3 V9g4--+ White's extra pawn

Objectively speaking, this is

not the best move for White, but it
is the most ambitious. He pre
serves his extra pawn and hopes
to gradually consolidate his posi
tion. Black must react with maxi
mum energy in order to refute
this plan.
The best move for White leads
to a much calmer game after 10.
d1! i.xf3+ ll.gxf3 0-0-0 (Black
can obtain a very good position
even with the riskier line: 11...
Wfxf3+!? 12.i.e2 WfdS) 12.V9e4
(White loses by force after 12.d4?
43

Chapter 3
lt'lxd4! 13.cxd4 xf3+ 14..te2
:B:xd4+ 15..td2 :B:xd2+ 16.xd2
xh1-+ Donkers - Haast, Haar
lem 2011.) 12...xe5 13.d4 (The
position would remain approxi
mately equal after 13.xe5 lt'lxe5
White has the advantage of the
bishop pair, but his pawn-struc
ture is bad and he has problems
with the coordination of his
pieces.) 13...a5 14..td2, Naka
mura - Milliet, Cap d'Agde 2010
(it is no better for him to play
14.d3 .ta3+). It is essential here
for Black to take the fS-square
under control by playing 14 ...
g6.

This move is forced; other

wise, he cannot develop his king
side.

11 . . . {6 !

After this pawn-advance, it be

comes obvious that White's king
will not be safe on the kingside ei
ther.

12.exf6?
This is a principled move, but
it loses by force. Black must react
very energetically though ...
It would be more accurate
for White to continue with 12.
.tbS fxeS 13..txc6 bxc6.
Black plans to advance his
pawn to fS, restricting White's
light-squared bishop and moreo
ver he is threatening to play .th6.
After 15.a4 .th6 16.f4 (16..txh6?
xc3-+) 16...:B:he8 17.f3 lt'le7+,
or 15..tc4 .th6 16.f4 :B:he8 17.f3
fS+ he is able to force his oppo
nent to place a pawn on f4, where
it will become an easy target
for attack, while in the variation
15..td3 .b3 16.:B:b1 :B:he8 17.h4
dS 18.h3+ fS+ White will be
unable to coordinate his pieces.

1 0 . . . 0 - o - o u.q;,f2
44

In this position, no matter how

he recaptures on eS, White must
fight for a draw:
14.lt'lxe5 .td6 15.h3 :B:hf8+ 16.
q;,g1 .txeS 17.xe5 (after 17.hxg4

l.e4 e5 2. llJ c3 llJf6 3/ 4 d5

xg4 White has to give up his
queen in the variation 18.'1Wxe5?
E:de8 19. .if4 E:xe5-+, but even af
ter 18.E:h4 .ig3 19.E:xg4 .ixel+
White is still a long way from
equality) 17... xe5 18.dxe5 E:d1+
19. ci!fh2 E:xh1+ 20.'tt> xh1 E:fl+ 21.
'tt> h2 .ifS+ - The presence of bish
ops of opposite colours on the
board provides him with some
chances of saving the game, but
no more than that, Gavrilov Pavlikov, Email 2009;
14.xe5 g6 15.E:e1 (15.e2
.id6+) 15... .id6 16.g5 E:df8 17.
E:e2 E:fS 18.xg6 hxg6 19. 'tt> e3
.ixh2t Black has regained the
pawn and his pieces continue to
be very active, Diogo - Debevec,
Email 2009.

12

.txf3 ! 13.Yfe6+

White practically loses by

force after 13.gxf3 h4+ 14.'tt> e2
xf6

24.g3 W/d4+ 25.'tt> g2 e4+ 26.

'tt> g1 E:f3-+

13

. .

'tt>b 8 14.gxf3 gxf6

It looks as if White has a solid

centre, an extra pawn and the ad
vantage of the bishop pair, and it
is his move... Nevertheless, he is
defenceless. Black successfully
breaks his opponent's centre and
has a decisive attack, with various
spectacular sacrifices.

15.Yfh3
White cannot save the game
with 15.h4 E:e8 and after the re
treat of his queen Black's attack is
crushing.

15. .ie3 (He must develop,

protecting his d4-square in the
process.) 15... .ib4! 16. .ih3+ 'tt> b8
17.cxb4 (the d4-square was
impossible to defend anyway... )
17... llJxd4+ 18.hd4 xd4 19. .if5
E:he8+ 20 . .ie4 E:xe4+ 21.fxe4
xe4+ 22. 'tt> f2 E:f8+ 23.'tt> g1 W/g4+

16.W/c4 .id6 17. .ie2 E:hg8 18.

d3 llJeS! 19.dxe5 .icS+ 20.'tt> e1
xeS 21.f4 e7-+;
16.b3 .icS! 17.E:b1 b6 18. .ic4
45

Chapter 3
ll:lxd4 19.cxd4 hd4+ 20.@f1 l'!e3
21.he3 'Wxf3+ 22.@e1 l'!e8 23.
@d2 he3+ 24.@c3 i.d4+ 2S.@b4
hS 26.'Wd3 l'!e3-+ ;
16.'Wxf6 i.d6 17.'Wh6 'WdS 18.
l'!b1 ll:lxd4 19.cxd4 l'!hg8-+;
It is no better for White to opt
for 15.id3 ib4! 16.l'!b1 (16.cxb4
'Wh4+ 17.@f1 l'!he8 18.'Wg4 'We1+
19.@g2 'Wc3 20.'Wf4 l'!g8+ 21.@f2
xa1 22.'Wxc7+ @aS!-+) 16...
h4+ 17.@fl l'!de8 18.'Wg4 'We1+
19.@g2 'We7-+

15 . . . 'Wa5 16.f4
White loses even faster after
16.i.b2 i.a3 17.ha3 'Wxc3!-+

19...l'!e8 20.'Wf3 l'!xd3 21.cxd3 'Wc3

22.l'!b1 i.b6 23.i.b2 'Wc2 24.l'!e1
l'!xe1+ 25.@xe1 'Wxb2-+ Black has
obtained more than enough
pawns for the exchange and the
enemy king is quite open, with
queens present on the board.

19 ... d3+ 2 0 .cxd3 J.d4 21.

ie3 he3 22.xe3 ge8+ 23.
f3 ti'd5+ 24.g4 f5 + 25.h4
ge6 26.Yffl 'ifd8 + 27.g3 ge3+
White loses his queen, and more
over all his weak pawns are drop
ping, 0-1 J.Andersen - Frey Beck
man, Email 2002.

16 . . . xd4! !
This is an important resource
for Black, to deprive White's mon
arch of any shelter.

17.cxd4 gxd4 18.id3 ic5

White's centre has been de

stroyed and no matter where his
king goes Black's pieces will be all
over it.

19.@f3
19.@g2 l'!g8+ 20.@f3 l'!xd3+
21.cxd3 i.d4-+
19.@fl - This is evidently the
most tenacious defence for White.
46

B) 3.g3
This is a less risky move than
3.f4 - White obtains a solid pawn
structure on the kingside and
postpones active operations until
he has completed his develop
ment.

3 . . . d5
It is also good for Black to play
here 3...i.c5.

4.exd5 xd5 5.J.g2

S.lLlf3 lLlc6 - see Chapter 7.
S.hS? - White plays analo-

l.e4 e5 2. lt:Jc3 lt:Jf6 3.g3 d5

gously to the famous variation of
the Scotch Game (l.e4 eS 2.lt:Jf3
lt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4.lt:lxd4 V9h4!?),
but the superfluous move g2-g3
worsens considerably his posi
tion. S... lilc6! 6.i.b5, Proehl Kruppa, Berlin 1993. Here, Black
can complete his development
with 6... i.e7 7.i.xc6+ (7.V9xe5
lt:ldb4 8.@d1 0-0 9.i.xc6 bxc6! see 7.i.xc6) 7... bxc6 8.V9xe5 lt:lb4
9.@d1 0-0 10.lilge2 e8 ll.VNhS
c5-+ and he should win quickly,
thanks to his overwhelming lead
in development and the vulnera
bility of the light squares on
White's kingside.
S.lt:lge2?! - The idea to capture
with a piece on c3, after an even
tual exchange there, is not good,
because in that case the b-file is
not opened. S... lt:lxc3 6.lilxc3 (but
not 6.bxc3? VNdS+ and White is
forced to play 7.g1, after which
his king cannot be evacuated to
the kingside, his only possible
safe place.) 6... lilc6 7.i.g2 i.e6
8.0-0 V9d7 9.d3, Mieses - Napier,
Hastings 1905, his knight has
been removed from the kingside
and this enables Black to obtain
excellent attacking chances with
the help of the standard move 9...
hSt

5 . . . lLlxc3 6.bxc3 .ic5

Black plays 6... i.d6 more of
ten, but we believe that the bishop
is more actively placed on cS,
while if White advances withd2d4, tension arises in the centre
and it is not in his favour to re
duce it.

7.lLle2
7.lilf3 - There is no doubt that
this is the most dangerous move
for Black and after 7... lt:lc6, there
arises the Glek variation, see
Chapter 7.
For 7.d3 lilc6 8.lilf3 (8.lile2
0-0 - see 7.lile2) 8...0-0 9.0-0
i.g4 or 7.V9e2 0-0 8.d3 lt:lc6 9.lt:lf3
eB 10.0-0 i.fS - see Chapter 7.
7.b1 0-0 8.lile2 (White loses
after 8.i.xb7?? i.xb7 9.xb7 VNdS
10.V9f3 e4-+) 8... lilc6 9.0-0 V9d6!
- see 7.lile2.
7.f4N - This move has not
been tried in practice yet, but
Black must be well prepared
against it. 7... lilc6!? (The position
is less clear after 7... exf4 8.d4oo)
8.fxe5 (after 8.lLlf3 exf4 9.d4 i.d6
10.i.xf4 i.xf4 ll.gxf4 0-0 12.0-0
lt:le7!+, it becomes clear that not
only does White need to protect
his weak pawns on f4 and c3, he
also has weak squares on the e
file, which require defending.) 8...
i.xg1 9.hc6+ (9.xg1 lLlxeS 10.
i.a3 i.g4 ll.VNb1 lilf3+ 12.i.xf3
i.xf3 13.V9b5+ V9d7 14.V9e5+ @dB
1S.@f2 e8 16.vgf4 e6t - White's
light squares in the centre are vul47

Chapter 3
nerable and this provides Black
with good attacking prospects.)
9... bxc6 10.13xg1 0-0 White's
king has no safe shelter and the
presence of bishops of opposite
colours on the board will lead to a
powerful attack for Black.
7.W/h5?! - This queen-sortie,
in combination with the develop
ment of the bishop on c4, does not
seem logical and should not yield
any advantage for White. 7... 0-0
8.lt:'lf3 lt:'ld7 9.0-0, G.Szabo - Bon
te, Galatzi 2007. Black should oc
cupy the centre here with 9... e4
lO.lt:'lgS (10.lt:'ld4?! .ib6+ and his
pawn is untouchable, because
after ll.he4? lt:'lf6 12.W/h4 lt:'lxe4
13.xe4 l'%e8+ the light squares
around White's king are defence
less.) 10... lt:'lf6 ll.W/e2 l'%e8 12.
lt:'lxe4 lt:'lxe4 13.he4 .if5 14.d3 Wf6
15. .id2 .ixe4 16.dxe4 c6 17.l'%fe1
l'%e6 18.'>t>g2 fSt Black regains his
pawn and preserves the activity of
his pieces.

i.g4 - see 8.0-0) 9... l'%b8 10.0-0

(10.hc6? W/f6+ - Black regains
the piece and dominates the light
squares in his opponent's camp.)
10... .ig4 - see 8.0-0.
8.i.b2?! White prepares active
operations in the centre, but plac
es his bishop in a very passive po
sition. 8... 0-0 9.d4 .ib6 10.0-0,
Karacsony - Pinter, Budapest
2011, 10... W/f6+
8.d4!? i.b6 (in the variation
8... exd4 9.cxd4 lt:'lxd4 10. .ib2 lt:'lfS
ll.W/xd8+ '.t>xd8 12.0-0-0+ .id7
13.lt:'lf4 White's pieces are very
active, at the cost of a couple of
pawns) 9.ia3, Ivitza - Satholm,
Krakow 1964 (Black should not be
afraid of 9.d5 W/f6 10.0-0 lt:'laS+
since White has voluntarily fixed
his weaknesses.) 9... W/f6 10.0-0
ig4+ Black has deployed his piec
es with meximum effectiveness
and is ready to evacuate his king
to the queenside.

8... 0 - 0

lt:'lc6

9.d3
8. 0 - 0
For 8.l'%b1 0-0 9.0-0 W/d6 see 8.0-0; 8.d3 0-0 9.l'%b1 (9.0-0
48

9.'>t>h1? i.e6 10.h3 .idS+ White

will have great problems with the
protection of his kingside after

l.e4 e5 2.4Jc3 lt:Jf6 3.g3 d5

the exchange of the light-squared
bishops, Tarrasch - Trenchard,
Vienna 1898.
In response to 9.i.b2?!, Fele
can - S.Vajda, Bucharest 1997, it
would be good for Black to con
tinue with the prophylactic move
9....tb6 10.4Jc1 g5 ll.lt:Jb3 i.g4
12.c1 f5t and White cannot
avoid the exchange of the light
squared bishops.
9J:'!:b1 d6! - This is the best
square for Black's queen, because
it does not impede the develop
ment of the rest of his pieces or
the advance of his f-pawn and it
also protects the knight on c6.

After 10.d4 i.b6 ll.dxe5, Ver

hovodko - Miton, Mureck 1998
(ll.d5?! tt:Ja5+ leaves White's
queenside pawns securely block
aded), it is reasonable for Black to
enter an endgame with ll...xd1
12J:'!:xd1 tt:Jxe5t - his pieces are
much more active, while White's
queenside pawns are vulnerable.
In answer to 10.d3, Steffens Ljubarskij, Germany 2007, Black
can play 10..J:'!:b8!?
(diagram)
The idea of this move can be
best illustrated in the variation

n ..te3 i.xe3 12.fxe3 b5!+ and

Black fixes his opponent's weak
queenside pawns.
It is no better for White to opt
for ll.@h1 i.g4 (the move 10... l:'!:b8
also turns out to be useful here,
since Black's b7-pawn is protect
ed.) 12.h3 (after the risky 12.f4?
:!:'!:feB+ White is helpless against
Black's piece-activity) 12....te6 13.
c4 f5 14.4Jc3 a6 15.@h2 (the ag
gressive attempt 15.4Jd5 b5+ in
creases the number of weaknesses
in White's camp) 15....td4 16.i.d2
b6+ Black controls the centre and
has excellent prospects on both
flanks. Still, he is a long way from
a win...
ll.c4 - White wishes to deploy
his knight quickly to the centre of
the board. 11...i.g4 12.h3 i.e6 13.
tt:Jc3 d7 14.@h2 b6t Black can
evict his opponent's knight from
the d5-outpost by preparing c7c6.

9 . . . i.g4
(diagram)

1 0 .h3
For 10.l:'!:b1 l:'!:b8 ll.i.e3 i.xe3
12.fxe3 tt:Je7 - see 10.i.e3
After 10.i.e3 i.xe3 ll.fxe3 l:'!:b8
12.l:'!:b1 lt:Je7 13.c4 (White's greedy
attempt 13.l:'!:xb7? l:'!:xb7 14.hb7
49

Chapter 3
ll.c4 d7 12.<i!?h2 !i:ab8!t Black not only protects his b7pawn, but is also ready to counter
the deployment of his opponent's
knight on dS with the move b7-b5.

ll .id5
mxg2 YlYd7+
. . .

12.c4

hg2

13.

c6-+ loses a bishop.) 13... c6 14.

d2 bS 15.cxb5 cxbSt the main
drawback of his position is the ab
sence of a good square for his
bishop.

10

.ie6

lO... i.hS?! llJ'i:bl !i:b8 12.g4

.ig6 13.tt:\g3oo Shirov - Rytshagov,
Tallinn (rapid) 2004.

u.mh2
After ll.!i:bl !i:b8 12.c4 d7
13.mh2 b6 14. .ie3 tt:\d4t Black's
piece-activity provides him with
excellent attacking prospects.

50

After the exchange of the light

squared bishops White will have
great problems with the defence
of his king and the organization of
active counterplay, Shennum Rodin, Email 2001.

Chapter 4

l.e4 e5 2..ic 4
Bishop's Opening

..

/0c6

In the diagrammed position

the overwhelming majority of
players prefer the move 2... /0f6,
but in that case they must be pre
pared to enter the variation 3.d4
exd4 4.'Llf3!?, while now White's
main attempts to fight for the ad
vantage are based on 3.'Llf3 i.c5 see Chapters 13-20. Among
White's other possibilities, we
shall consider A) 3 .c3, B) 3.d3
and C) 3./0c3 .
The position after 3.h5 g6,
arises more often after another
move-order: 2.h5 /Oc6 3.i.c4 g6
and this was analyzed in Chapter
1, while White's other attempt to
checkmate the opponent in a flash
- 3.f3 f6 4.c3 i.e7 5.g3 g6

6.xg6 hxg6 7.'Llf3 d6? provides

Black with an excellent position
for the endgame.
3.a3?! - White saves his bish
op from an exchange, but loses an
important tempo. 3... 'Llf6 4.'Llc3
(it is preferable for him to play
4.d3 i.c5 - see 3.d3) 4... 'Llxe4 5.
/Oxe4 (5.i.xf7+? xt7 6./0xe4 d5
7.'Llg3 i.c5 8.f3+ g8+ Black
has occupied the centre, obtained
the advantage of the bishop-pair
and has a clear-cut plan connect
ed with the pawn-advance h7-h5h4.) 5... d5 6.i.d3 dxe4 7.i.xe4
i.d6=
3.f4 'Llf6 4. 'Llf3 (4.'Llc3 'Llxe4 see variation C; 4.d3 exf4 - see
variation B ; 4.fxe5?! 'Llxe5 5.i.b3
'Llxe4+ Black has won a pawn and
will create threats against the en
emy king.) 4... 'Llxe4

51

Chapter 4
5.d3?! d5! 6.i.b5 tt'ld6 7.i.xc6+
bxc6 8.fxe5 tt'lf5+ Black's doubled
pawns are not at all weak and his
light-squared bishop will become
very active on the long diagonal
or, if White plays d3-d4, on the f1a6 diagonal.
5.fxe5?! Steinitz - Steffelaar,
Haarlem 1896, This seems to be
the most natural move, but it is a
mistake. After 5... tt'lxe5! 6.tt'lxe5
vgh4+ 7.g3 tt'lxg3 8.i.xf7+ 'it>d8 9.
vgg4 xg4 10.tt'lxg4 ltlxh1 ll.i.d5
i.d6 12.i.xh1 h5 13.tt'le3 i.xh2+
Black ends up with a slight mate
rial advantage in the endgame.
5.i.d5 - White presents his op
ponent with the advantage of the
bishop-pair, but obtains a power
ful centre. 5... tt'lf6 6.i.xc6 dxc6
7.fxe5 tt'ld5 8.0-0 i.e7 9.d4 (9.
tt'lc3 tt'lxc3 10.bxc3 0-0 ll.d3 f6?)
9... i.f5 10.a3 tt'lb6 11.e2 0-0 12.
c4 d7 13.ltlc3 f6? Black ex
changes the e5-pawn, which
cramps his position and it is
White's turn to play very precise
ly.

6.tt'lf3 tt'lf4+, or 6.d3 tt'lb6 7.i.b5

d5 8.hc6+ bxc6t

6 . . . .te6 !N
Black emphasizes quick com
pletion of his development.

7.dxe5
A) 3.c3
This is an attempt to occupy
the centre.

tt'lf6
(diagram)

4.e2
4.d3 tt'la5 - see variation B.
After 4.b3 e7 s.vgc2 g6+
Black comfortably completes his
development.

52

It is more accurate for White

to play 7.tt'lf3 exd4 8.0-0 (after
8.ltlg5?! d7 9.tt'lxe6 fxe6 10.0-0
0-0-0+ Black has an extra pawn
and superior development) 8...
i.e7 9.cxd4 0-0?, but this leads
to a position in which Black has
no problems with his develop
ment and can hope to seize the
initiative owing to White's weak
ness on d4.

4 . . . d5 5.exd5 xd5 6.d4

It is worse for White to opt for

Black launches an attack.

. .

db4!

l.e4 e5 2. i.c4 ttJ c6

8.cxb4
White is forced to be greedy.
After 8.he6? tLld3+ 9.'i!ld1 (9.
'tt> fl tLlxcl 10.'\Wc2 fxe6 1l.V9xc1
V9d3+ 12.tLle2 !ld8-+) 9... fxe6 10.
ttJd2 V9d5+ White will have diffi
culty completing his develop
ment.
In the variation 8.tLla3 hc4
9.ttJxc4 ttJd3+ 10.'tt>fl V9d5 Black's
lead in development and his pow
erful knight on d3 provide him
with more than sufficient com
pensation for the pawn.

14.ttJf3? '1Wc5 15.ti'xg7 0-0-0

16.V9xf7 i.g4. White is in a critical
situation. His king is stranded in
the centre and his pieces are not
developed. After 17.V9c4 V9xe5+
18.i.e3 hf3+ 19.gxf3 :B:d4 20.ti'b3
tLlxe3 2l.fxe3 :B:e8+ White's extra
pawn is no consolation at all.

ttJd4

14 xe3 15.'1Wxe3 hc3

16.bxc3 ti'g4+ 17.J cxb5+

The material is equal, but Black's

bishop is active, while White must
worry about his king stranded in
the centre and his numerous weak
pawns.

9.ti'd3
After 9.V9e4 i.xc4 10.tLlc3 hb4
1l.i.e3 c5 12.0-0-0 hc3 13.bxc3
!leSt White is very likely to come
under a dangerous attack.

Af5 1 0 .ti'g3

After 10.hf7+ 'tt> xf7 ll.V9c4+

i.e6 12.V9d3 ttJc6 13.V9f3+ 'tt> g8
only his queen is in action, so
White must defend very accurate
ly in order not to lose quickly.

10

hb4+ ll.c3

11. 'tt>fl tLlc2+

ll . . . c2+ 12.e2 ti'd4 13.

Ab5+ c6 14.Ae3

B) 3.d3
The main idea of this move is
to enter variations of the King's
Gambit without sacrificing a
pawn.

3 . . . f6
(diagram)

4.f4
4.ttJf3 .ic5 - see Chapter 14;
4.ttJc3 ttJa5 - see variation C.
4. .ig5?! (4.tLle2 ttJ aS+!) 5... h6
5.i.h4, Spielmann - Schlechter,
Karlsbad 1907 (after 5.hf6
V9xf6+, White may be in trouble
53

Chapter 4
10.0-0?! tt:\a7 11.i.a4 b5 12.i.b3
i.xb3 13.cxb3 tt:\c6t Black's pawn
structure is better, so White must
play 10.c3 d5+!, although even
then Black has an excellent posi
tion. He has better development
and a slight space advantage.) 7...
axb6

on the dark squares). Now it is

very good for Black to play 5...
tt:\a5!?t gaining the advantage of
the bishop-pair, while White's
dark-squared bishop might prove
to be completely out of play.
4.c3 - With this move White
saves his bishop from exchange,
but presents his opponent with
enough time to equalize. 4... tt:\a5
5.i.b5 c6 6.i.a4 d5 7.tt:\d2 dxe4
8.dxe4 i.d6 9.b4 b5 10.i.c2 tt:\b7=
4.a3 - White's bishop is safe
now. 4... i.c5 5.tt:\c3 (after 5. tt:\f3 d6
6.0-0 0-0 7.b4 i.b6 8.i.e3 i.e6
9.tt:\bd2, Petrov - Arnaudov, Al
bena 2011, Black can try to seize
the initiative with the line: 9...
i.xe3 10.fxe3 i.xc4 11.tt:\xc4 b5 12.
tt:\cd2 a5t) 5... d6 6.tt:\a4 (White
cannot create any problems for
his opponent with 6.tt:\f3 tt:\d4 7.
h3, Stukopin - Goganov, Kirishi
2011, because after 7... i.e6= his
most dangerous piece is ex
changed.) 6... i.b6 7.tt:\xb6 (Black
should not be afraid of 7.tt:\f3 i.e6,
since after 8.i.xe6 fxe6 9.tt:\xb6
axb6 - see 7.tt:\xb6, while in the
variation 8.i.b5 0-0 9.tt:\xb6 axb6
White must play very carefully:
54

White has the advantage of the

bishop-pair, but he is unable to
prevent the exchange of his light
squared bishop, so Black will eas
ily obtain a comfortable game.
8.c3 h6 Black is trying to re
strict the mobility of White's
dark-squared bishop. Instead,
Black could have equalized easily
with 8... i.e6!?=) 9.i.b3 i.e6 10.
i.c2 d5 11.f3 e71' White has pre
served both his bishops, but Black
has occupied the centre and has a
considerable lead in develop
ment, Stukopin - Chadaev, Ta
ganrog 2011.
8.tt:lf3 i.e6 9.i.xe6 (in response
to 9.e2, Ivanovic - Kovacevic,
Novi Sad 1985, Black can try to
maintain an edge with 9... i.xc4
10.dxc4 h6 11.0-0 0-0 12.l'!e1
tt:\d7t with the idea tt:\d7-c5-e6)
9... fxe6= Schoeneberg - Bisguier,
Skopje 1972.

l.e4 e5 2. i.c4 ltJ c6

8.lLle2 i.e6 9.lLlc3, Morozevich
- Aronian, Moscow (blitz) 2009.
White's knight is better placed on
c3 than on f3, but after 9... h6
10.0-0 0-0 ll.i.e3 W/d7= Black
has no problems at all.

4 . . . exf4

5.tl:\c3
After 5.lLle2? f3 6.gxf3 d5 7.
i.b5 i.d6+ White's kingside is in
ruins, while after 5.ltJf3 d5 6.exd5
ltJxd5t he will need to present his
opponent with the advantage of
the bishop-pair; otherwise he
cannot regain the f4-pawn.
5. .ixf4?! d5 ! 6.exd5 ltJxd5

kingside with 7.. .'?ff h4+ 8.g3 W/e7+

9.ltJe2 i.e6 10.0-0 W/c5+ 1l. h1
ltJe5+
7.Wfe2+ , Spielmann - Schlech
ter, Nuremberg 1906, 7... i.e6 8.
hd5 W/xd5 9.lLlc3 (White loses af
ter the greedy line: 9.hc7? ltJd4
10.lLlc3 i.b4 ll.Wfd2 13c8 12.i.f4
0-0 - he has an extra pawn, but
is unable to complete his develop
ment without losing material.)
9... W/a5 10.lLlf3 0-0-0+ Black ob
tains the advantage of the two
bishops and leads in develop
ment.
7.hd5 W/xd5 8.ltJf3i.g4 9.0-0
0-0-0+ Alapin - Chigorin, St.
Petersburg 1881. Black has the
bishop-pair and a better position
in the centre and can continue
with a clear-cut plan for a king
side offensive: f6, g5, h5 etc.

5 . . J.b4
.

6.f3

In
mann
1906,
Black

answer to 7.id2?!, Spiel

- Chigorin, Nuremberg
it would be very good for
to weaken his opponent's

After 6. .ixf4 d5 7.exd5 ltJxd5

8.hd5 (8.W/e2+ ? J.e6 9.J.d2, Ber
gez - Flear, Narbonne 2008,
Black can play 9... ltJd4 10.Wfd1
0-0-+ and he maintains an over
whelming lead in development.)
55

Chapter 4
8...xd5 9.tt:\f3 .b:c3+ 10.bxc3
0-0t His pieces are perfectly
placed, while White's pawns are
vulnerable.

. .

d5 7.exd5 c!Dxd5 8. 0 - 0

After 8.e2+ i.e6 9..b:d5

xd5 10..b:f4 0-0-0+ Black has
superior development and the ad
vantage of the bishop-pair and he
controls the centre, Mongredien
- Morphy, Paris 1859.

side pawns are a juicy target for

Black's attack.

C) 3 .!Dc3

White does not have any better

square for this knight in any case.

3 ... c!Df6

8 . . . hc3 9.bxc3 0 - 0 1 0 .
hd5 ti'xd5

4.d3

ll.J.xf4
White must regain his pawn,
because after ll.c4?! d6 12J'!b1
i.g4 13.d2 (after 13.!!xb7 tt:\d4 14.
c3 tt:lxf3+ 15.gxf.3 i.h3 16J:!f2 l:'lfe8+
he must worry about the safety of
his king) 13...hf3 14.gxf3 tt:\d4+
Black has an extra pawn and bet
ter-placed pieces. In addition, he
maintains excellent attacking
prospects against his opponent's
badly protected king, Knezevic Blagojevic, Petrovac 2004.

ll Yfc5+ 12.<!>h1 Wxc3 13.

hc7 (13.tt:\g5 a5+) 13 .lg4t
.

White has been deprived of any

active possibilities and his king56

4.tt:\f3 .ic5 - see Chapter 15.

4.tt:\ge2 tt:\xe4! 5.tt:\xe4 (5..b:f7+
mxf7 6.tt:\xe4 d5 7.tt:\4g3 h5!+) 5...
d5 6..id3 dxe4 7.he4 i.d6t Black
has a slight space advantage.
4.f4 tt:\xe4 5.tt:\f3 (5..b:f7+?
mxf7 6.tt:\xe4 d5 7.tt:\g5+ lt>g8 8.d3
exf4 9..b:f4 e7+ 10.tt:\e2 i.g4+ Black's development is clearly su
perior) 5...tt:\d6 (Black wins an
important tempo. The position is
less clear after 5...tt:lxc3!? 6.dxc3
e7 7.f5oo)

l.e4 e5 2. i.c4 lt:l c6

6.i.b3 e4 7.lt:lg5 (It is worse for
White to opt for 7.lt:le5 h4+ 8.g3
h3 9.e2 lt:ld4 10.e3 lt:l4f5 11.
g1, Schmidt - Thiede, Germany
1993, ll... i.e7+, or 7.e2 e7 8.
lt:lg5 lt:ld4 9.e3 lt:lxb3 10.axb3,
Prins - Stoltz, Saltsjobaden 1952,
10... c6+ and in both cases, White
will have problems regaining his
pawn.) 7... h6 8.lt:l gxe4 lt:lxe4 9.
e2, Bogoljubow - Romanovsky,
Leningrad 1924 (after 9.lt:lxe4 d5
10.lt:lg3 h5+ White's difficulties
with the coordination of his piec
es are noticeable). Now Black can
force a very favourable endgame
with 9... h4+ 10.g3 e7 11.xe4
(having provoked the advance of
the enemy pawn to the g3-square,
Black has deprived his opponent
of the resource ll.lt:ld5? lt:lxg3+)
ll... xe4+ 12.lt:lxe4 lt:ld4+ Black
obtains the advantage of the bish
op-pair.
6. .id5 e4

not succeeded either in regaining

his pawn, or in obtaining any
compensation for it.
7.lt:lg5 lt:lb4 8.i.b3 h6 9.lt:lgxe4
lt:lxe4 10.lt:lxe4 d5 ll.lt:lf2 e7+
12.e2 i.f5 13.d3 0-0-0t Black
has completed his development
and obtained a slight advantage
in the centre, Bronstein - Keres,
Parnu 1971.
7.e2 i.e7 8.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe4 9.
xe4 lt:lb4 10.0-0?! (White
should preserve his bishop with
the line: 10.i.b3 d5 11.e2 0-0=,
but his position remains unpleas
ant owing to the strange place
ment of his pawn on f4, where it
deprives his own bishop of this
excellent square. However, he
should be able to maintain the
balance... ) 10... lt:lxd5 11.xd5 c6
12.h5 0-0+ Black has a stable
advantage, thanks to his bishop
pair, H.Jonkman - S.Ernst, Gro
ningen 1999.

7.lt:lxe4 lt:l xe4 8.e2 i.e7 - see

7.e2.
7.lt:le5 g6! - Black does not al
low the enemy queen to go to the
h5-square. 8.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe5 9.lt:lxd6+
hd6 10.fxe5 he5 11.0-0 0-0 12.
d4 i.g7 13.f3 'it>h8+ White has

. .

lt:la5

5.c!ige2
5.f4?! lt:l xc4 6.dxc4 .ib4 7.d3
(White loses quickly after 7.lt:l f3?
lt:l xe4 8.fxe5 lt:l xc3 9.d2 lt:l xa2
57

Chapter 4
10.c3 tt:Jxc1 ll.cxb4 tt:lb3 0-1 Gal
lagher - Miles, Chicago 1990.) 7...
.hc3+ 8.Wxc3 (after 8.bxc3 We7
9.tt:'lf3 d6 10.a3 c5+ White's bish
op is shut out of play) 8...0-0 9.
fxe5 tt:lxe4 10.Wd4 Wh4+ ll.g3
Wg4 12.f4 f5+ Black has fortified
his knight in the centre and wish
es, after suitable preparation, to
develop his bishop on b7, where it
will be perfectly placed. White, on
the other hand, will have a much
more complex task to activate his
bishop.
5.We2?! tt:Jxc4 6.dxc4 b4 7.
d2 0-0 8.a3 .hc3 9..hc3 We7
10.tt:'lf3 d6 ll.tt:'ld2 tt:ld7 12.tt:lfl tt:lc5
13.b3 f5+ Black is ahead in devel
opment and controls the centre,
Hromadka - Duras, Bad Pistyan
1912.
5.b5 - White's bishop cannot
avoid being exchanged. 5...c6 6.
a4 b5 7.b3 b4 8.tt:lce2 d5 9.exd5
tt:Jxb3 10.axb3 cxd5 ll.tt:'lf3 d6+ In addition to his bishop-pair,
Black maintains a space advan
tage, A.Sitnikov - Tarlev, Evpato
ria 2007.
5.g5 tt:Jxc4 6.dxc4 h6 7.h4
(after 7.e3 b4 8.Wd3, Riemer
sma - Willemsen, Groningen
1989, Black seizes the initiative by
playing 8...tt:lg4 9.d2 c5 10.tt:'ld1
d6t; 7..hf6?! Wxf6 8.tt:ld5 Wd8
9.'1Wh5 d6+ White's knight will not
remain for long on the d5-out
post, while Black's bishops are
much more powerful than White's
knights, which have no secure
squares, Deshmukh - Murali
Krishnan, Chennai 2000) 7...e7
58

8.tt:lge2 0-0 9.Wd3, Mok Tze

Meng - Nadanian, Tarakan 2008.
Here Black should complete the
development of his queenside
with 9...d6
5.a3 tt:Jxc4. Naturally Black
will not allow this bishop to run
away. 6.dxc4 d6 7.tt:lf3 (7.tt:lge2
e7 8.f3, Spangenberg - Miles,
Matanzas 1994, after 8...c6 9.Wd3
e6+ he cannot be prevented
from preparing d6-d5; 7.We2 e7
8.e3 tt:lg4 9.tt:'lf3 tt:Jxe3 10.Wxe3,
Salwe - Helbach, St. Petersburg
1905, 10...c6t - Black deprives
the enemy knights of the d5square and plans to prepare f7-f5.
White cannot create any prob
lems for his opponent with 7.f4,
Korbut - Malysheva, Orel 2006,
because after 7...c6 8.tt:Jf3 Wb6
9.Wd3 tt:lg4 10.tt:'ld1 exf4 ll..hf4
e6 12.h3 tt:Je5 13.tt:Jxe5 dxe5 14.
xeS Wc5 15.d4 Wxc4=, there
arises an endgame in which White
must try to hold the balance by
accurate play.) 7...e6 8.We2 c6
9.0-0 Wc7 10.h3 h6 ll.b3 e7=
Black's game is quite easy with his
bishop-pair, Mammadov - Stu
kopin, Kirishi 2011.
5.tt:Jf3 tt:Jxc4 6.dxc4 b4

l.e4 e5 2. .ic4 lt:J c6

After 7..ig5?!, De Dovitiis Chtcherbine, Villa Martelli 2004,
Black should use the opportunity
to weaken White's pawn-struc
ture with 7....ixc3+ 8.bxc3 d6+
7..id2 d6 8.\We2?! (White had
to maintain the balance here by
exchanges: B.lt:JdS hd2+ 9.lt:Jxd2
c6 10.lt:Jxf6+ \Wxf6 11.0-0 0-0=.)
8...0-0 9.a3 (in the variation
9.0-0-0 e8 10.lt:Jh4 hc3 11.
.ixc3, Cherepkov - Klovans, Al
ma-Ata 1968, Black obtains excel
lent attacking prospects with 11...
\Wa4 12.'i!?bl .ie6 13.b3 \Wc6 14.
13he1 bSt) 9...hc3 10.hc3 lt:Jd7
11.0-0 lt:JcS 12.b3, Ori - Collutiis,
Alghero 2011. After 12...f5+, he
opens the f-file and greatly acti
vates his pieces.
7.\Wd3 d6 8..id2 (8.0-0?! hc3
9.bxc3 0-0+; after 8..ig5 h6
9.hf6 \Wxf6 10.0-0-0 hc3 11.
\Wxc3 \Wf4+ 12.\We3 \Wxe3+ 13.fxe3
b6+ Black ends up with a superior
pawn-structure, Jossien - Mar
holev, Bethune 2006) 8....ie6 9.
lt:JdS (It is less accurate for White
to opt for 9.a3 hc3 10.hc3 tt:Jd7
11.b3, Zabojlovich - Acs, Bratis
lava 1993, since this enables Black
to organize active operations on
the kingside with 11...0-0 12.0-0
fSt) 9...hd2+ 10.lt:Jxd2 lt:Jd7?
White's knight is beautifully
placed on dS, but Black's bishop is
not at all inferior, Chuprov - G.
Kiselev, Krasnoyarsk 2007.
5.\Wf3 .ib4 6.lt:Jge2 tt:Jxc4 7.
dxc4 d6 8.h3 (Black should not be
afraid of 8.0-0 c6 9.h3 .ie6 10.b3
\We7?, because White cannot

make use of the weakness of the

d6-pawn, Dunlop - Mussainov,
St. Gallen 2008.) 8....ie6 9.b3
lt:Jd7 10.0-0 0-0 11.lt:Jg3 \Wf6 12.
\Wxf6 (White should not try to
avoid the trade of queens, because
after 12.\Wd3 lt:JcS 13.\We3 hc3
14.\Wxc3 \Wg6 15.\Wf3, Drabke Michalczak, Bad Woerishofen
2005, 15...f5 16.exf5 hfSt Black
has excellent prospects on the
kingside.) 12...lt:Jxf6= Rogers Tunasly, Singapore 1997.
S..ib3 tt:Jxb3 6.axb3 dS! - This
is the most convincing way for
Black to obtain a good position.

In the endgame after 7..ig5

.ib4 8.hf6 gxf6 9.exd5 \WxdS 10.
\Wf3 \Wxf3 11.lt:Jxf3 13g8t Black has
a solid centre and very powerful
bishops and he can easily connect
his rooks, Roeder - Mandl, Vorra
1990.
7.lt:Jf3 - This move leads to
simplifications. 7...dxe4 8.lt:Jxe5
exd3 9.\Wxd3 (After 9.0-0, Black
should not try to win a pawn at
the expense of development. In
stead, the simple reaction 9....ie7
10.13e1 0-0 11.\Wxd3 \Wxd3 12.
tt:Jxd3 .idS= provides him with ex
cellent prospects in the endgame.)
59

Chapter 4
9...'\Wxd3 10.ltlxd3 .ifS ll.ltlbS!
.id6= - The position is complete
ly equal, Casper - Khalifman,
Moscow 1987.
7.exdS .ib4! - This is the most
precise way for Black to solve his
opening problems. He effortlessly
completes his development.

After 8.'\Wf3 ltlxdS 9.t!Jge2 0-0

10.0-0, Braun - Vogt, Oder 1977,
it would be sensible for him to
fortify his knight in the centre
with the move 10...c6=
After 8..igS '\WxdS 9.ltlf3 .ig4
10.'\We2, Kovacs - Lukacs, Hun
gary 199S, it is good for Black to
transfer his knight to the e6square, starting with 10...ltld7=
8..id2 ltlxdS 9.'\Wf3 (Rather
dull and drawish positions arise
after 9.ltlxdS hd2+ 10.'\Wxd2
xdS ll.f3 0-0= earlier - Sharif,
Orange 1994, as well as after 9.
e2 0-0 10.ltlf3 .ig4 11.0-0 aS=,
while in the variation 9.ltlge2 .ie7
10.0-0 0-0 ll.t!JxdS '\WxdS 12.
ltlc3 c6t Black's pieces are more
active.) 9....ie6 10.'\Wg3 0-0 11.
xeS ge8 12.@fl d7 13.ge1, Rog
ers - Taylor, Eerbeek 1978. White
has won his opponent's central
pawn but lags in the development
60

of his kingside and after 13...ltlxc3

14.hc3 f6 1S.'\Wg3 hc3 16.bxc3
aS+ Black is threatening to create
a dangerous passed pawn with bS,
a4, while in response to 17.c4 he is
ready to open the a-file, so that af
ter 17...a4 18.bxa4 gxa4 he can at
tack the enemy c2-pawn.
8.ltlf3 ltlxdS 9..id2 0-0 10.
0-0 (after 10.ltlxdS hd2+ 11.
xd2 '\WxdS= Black's bishop
seems stronger than the enemy
knight, but White should still be
able to hold the balance) 10...
ltlxc3 11.hc3 (ll.bxc3 .id6=) 11...
.ixc3 12.bxc3 f6 13.'\We2 (in the
variation 13.ge1 aS! 14.d4 exd4
1S.cxd4 '\Wd6 16.'\We2 b6= White's
position is the centre is prefera
ble, but Black's powerful bishop
compensates for this, Heilala Sladek, Email 2008; after 13.d4
exd4 14.cxd4 .ie6 1S.c4 c6=,
White can hardly turn his d4pawn into a dangerous passed
pawn, while it might even become
a liability later.) 13...'\We8 14J:Ue1
c6 1S.c4 ge8 16.e3 (16.d4 .ig4
17.dS '\Wd7 18.'\Wd3 aS=) 16....ig4
17.ltld2 aS 18.ltle4 b6= - White's
centralized knight is strong, but
Black's bishop is not inferior, to
say the least, Zautzig - Rosin,
Email 2008.

.ic5 !?

The capture ltlxc4 will not run

away, so Black does not need to be
in any hurry to make it.
Black has a quite reliable alter
native here - S....ie7, but we
would like to recommend a more
active move.

l.e4 eS 2. .ic4 tt:\ c6

6. 0 - 0
White loses after 6.a3? tt:\g4-+
Vyhnalek - Blatny, Decin 1972, or
6..igS? tt:\xc4 7.dxc4 .ixf2+ 8.<;!;>xf2
tt:\g4+ 9.<;!;>e1 WfxgS-+
After 6.tt:\a4? .ie7+ Black gains
an important tempo,
since
White's knight will need to go
back to the c3-square in any
case.
6.tt:\g3 d6 7.0-0, Forgo - Lu
kacs, Zalakaros 1997 (7.h3 tt:\xc4
8.dxc4 .ie6 9.d3 0-0 10.0-0
tt:\d7 Black's plan is based on
Wfh4, followed by g6 and fS; in the
variation 7.tt:\a4 tt:\xc4 8.dxc4 .ib6
9.tt:\xb6 axb6= there arises a com
pletely safe position for Black.
Both sides will have difficulty in
finding an active plan, Pereira Lukacs, Almada 1988) 7. . . .ig4 8.
Wfe1 tt:\xc4 9.dxc4 .ie6 10.b3 0-0
11. .ie3 tt:\d7
6.h3 tt:\xc4 7.dxc4 d6
(diagram)
8.a3 .ie6 9.Wfd3 0-0 - see
8.Wfd3.
8.0-0 .ie6 9.Wfd3, Tischbierek
- V.Chekhov, Berlin 1984, 9...
0-0 10.tt:\g3 tt:\d7
8.Wfd3 .ie6 9.b3 (The aggres-

sive attempt 9.f4 exf4 10. .ixf4

tt:\d7 11.0-0-0 0-0 presents
Black with the eS-square, Gavric
- Trkaljanov, Kladovo 1991; he
should not fear 9..igS h6 10. .ih4
gS! 11. .ig3 Wfe7t when Black can
evacuate his king to either side of
the board, so he need not be con
cerned about the weakening of his
kingside; in the variation 9.a3
0-0 10.0-0 tt:\d7 11.tt:\g3 aS 12.b3
g6, as well as after 9.0-0 tt:\d7
10.b3 0-0 11.tilg3 Wfh4 Black
will prepare the pawn-advance f7fS with the idea of opening the f
file.) 9. . . tt:\d7 10 . .ie3, Doghri Oms Pallisse, Mallorca 2004.
Here Black should fix his oppo
nent's queenside pawns on light
squares with 10... 0-0 11.0-0 aS=

6 . . . toxc4 7.dxc4 d6

61

Chapter 4
8.d3
8.i.g5 i.e6 9.ltld5 (9.d3 h6 see 8.d3) 9... hd5 10.cxd5 h6
ll.i.xf6 xf6t
Black can solve his problems
with now-familiar manoeuvres
after 8.h3 (8.a3 i.e6 9.d3 a5 10.
b3 0-0 ll.ltlg3 ltld7+t) 8... i.e6 9.
d3 ltld7 10.b3 0-0 ll.ltlg3 h4+t
White cannot hurt his oppo
nent with 8.ltlg3 i.e6 9.b3 0-0
10.ltla4, Valenz - Sodoma, Plzen
2000, since after 10... i.d4 ll.c3
.ib6 12.ltlxb6 axb6=, despite the
absence of his dark-squared bish
op Black has an easy game: ltld7,
h4, g6, f5...

sa de Mar 2010, he obtains excel

lent attacking prospects with 11...
i.d4 12.i.b2 i.xb2 13.ltlxb2 g5t
9.ltld5 c6 10.ltlxf6+ (In answer
to 10.b4, Mitkov - Pavasovic,
Nova Gorica 2003, Black can con
tinue with 10... cxd5 ll.cxd5 i.b6
12.dxe6 fxe6+t - both sides have
weaknesses, but the opening of
the f-file is in Black's favour.) 10...
xf6 ll.b3 0-0 12.i.e3, Mitkov Gyimesi, Yerevan 2001, 12... i.a3=

9. . 0 - 0
.

8 . . .ie6
.

1 0 .ig5

9.b3
In the variation 9.i.g5 h6
10. .ixf6 (after 10.i.h4?! g5 ll.i.g3
h5--+ Black launches a direct at
tack against the enemy king) xf6
ll.ltld5 hd5 12.cxd5 0-0 13.c3
a5t Black's powerful dark
squared bishop provides him with
a long-lasting initiative, Babujian
- Dolzhikova, Tromsoe 2010.
After 9.ltla4 ltld7 10.ltlg3 0-0
ll.b3, Forcen - Oms Pallisse, Tos62

White provokes the advance of

his opponent's pawn to h6, so that
Black will have problems advanc
ing g7-g6, followed by f7-f5.
After 10.i.e3 ltld7 11.ad1, Bu
kovec - Krivec, Grize 2001, he
can play ll... a6+t with the idea of
b7-b5.
After 10.ltla4 ltld7 ll.ltlg3 .id4
12.c3 i.b6 13.'i!th1, Roeder - Ren
ner, Vorra 1990, it is good for
Black to play more aggressively
with 13... h4t, planning to pre
pare f7-f5, while a similar attempt
by White to open the f-file with
14.f4?! exf4 15..ixf4 feB+ pro-

l.e4 e5 2. c4 lt'l c6
vides Black with a stable advan
tage, thanks to his control of the
e5-square and the weakness of
White's e4-pawn.
10.lt'ld5 - His knight will not
remain on d5 for long and after
10...lt'ld7 ll.lt'lg3 c6 12.lt'lc3 Wff e7"?
White is practically incapable of
exploiting the vulnerability of the
d6-pawn.
10.b2 - The bishop is rather
passive on this square. 10...a6 11.
Eiad1, Miroshnichenko - Gustafs
son, Chalkidiki 2002. The stand
ard reaction ll...lt'ld7 12.lt'lg3 g61'
enables Black to advance f7-f5,
with good attacking chances.
After 10.h3 lt'ld7 ll.lt'lg3, Mit
kov - Finegold, Bolingbrook
2005, it is very good for Black to
play the standard move ll...Wff h4"?
Black deprives White's bishop of
the h6-square and prepares an of
fensive on the kingside. In the
game, there followed ll...d4
12.e3 lt'lc5 13.'\1;Vd2 he3 14.Wff xe3
f5 15.exf5 hf5 16.lt'lxf5 Eixf5= and
Black equalized completely.
10.lt'lg3 lt'ld7 11.e3 he3 12.
Wffxe3 a6!?= With this move Black
emphasizes that besides the plan
of f7-f5, White must be on the
alert about the possibility b7-b5,
Vogt - A.Petrosian, Riga 1981.

10

h6 ll . .ie3

After ll.M6 Wff xf6+, Black's

bishops are much more mobile
than White's knights, while after
11.h4 g5 12.g3 a61' White can
not exploit the weakening of
Black's kingside. In addition, af
ter Black advances f7-f5 his g- and
h- pawns will join in the attack.

ll . . . d7 12.lt'lg3 a5 13.a4
13.lt'lf5 xe3 14.Wff xe3 lt'lc5 15.
g4 a4?- White is faced with an un
pleasant choice. He must either
weaken the c4-pawn, or acquiesce
to the opening of the a-file, Ed
wards - Schloesser, Email 1997.

13 :Se8 14.:Sadl he3 15.

xe3 Wffg5 !

After the exchange of the

queens, there arises a completely
equal endgame.

16.f5 hf5 17.xg5 hxg5

18.exf5 c5= Bucek - Zidu,
Email 2007.

63

Part 2
l.e4 e5 2.f3 c6
All

White Lines without 3.b5

In the Four Knights Game

(Chapter 8), readers will become
acquainted with a unique opening
manoeuvre, which was first tried
in the 19th century and then re
discovered in the 21st century! In
the Symmetrical (Pillsbury) vari
ation (l.e4 e5 2.3 c6 3.c3

f6 4 .ib5 .ib4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 6.
d3 d6 7 .ig5) Black plays 7 e7!

64

without being afraid of weak

ening his kingside pawn struc
ture. The reflects the absolutely
concrete approach to solving the
problems of the opening which is
typical of today's chess.
The Scotch Game (Chapters
9-12) is one of White's main
weapons in the open games. In
the main variations White lays
the emphasis on long-term
advantages, but falls considera
bly behind in development. Ac
cordingly, Black must react very
energetically and quite concrete
ly. In the basic position of the
main line, arising after l.e4 e5

2.3 c6 3.d4 exd4 4. xd4

f6 5.xc6 bxc6 6.e5 fle7
7.fle2 d5 8.c4 .ia6 9.b3 g6
1 0 .f4

we recommend a move which

is ultra-modern yet already well
tested at grandmaster level
1 0 d6 ! This is the reason that
White began to experiment more
and more often with 9.d2 in his
fight for the advantage and in
deed several spectacular encoun
ters at top level were won using
this move. Here again we present
a very reliable defensive method
- 9 g6, followed by the ex
change of queens and the activa
tion of the light-squared bishop
with c6-c5.
In the Italian Game, White re
cently abandoned the idea of ad
vancing quickly with d2-d4 (in
Chapters 16 and 18 we demon
strate why) and instead he now
tries to focus on a positional
struggle in the middlegame, plac
ing his pawn on d3. In such posi
tions, Black can afford to play
with maximum energy, striving to
advance quickly with d7-d5. This
is more or less analogous to the
plans based on d7-d5 in the Vien
na Game and the King's Gambit.
-

In the treatment of the Italian

Game there is a special place re
served for the Evans Gambit
(Chapter 13). This invention of
the famous captain cannot stand
up to the theoretical requirements
of the year 2011. Having reas
sessed the key position in the
main line (l.e4 e5 2.f3 c6

3 .ic4 .ic5 4.b4 .b:b4 5.c3 .ia5

6.d4 exd4 7.YlYb3 ee7 8. 0 - 0
.ib6 9.cxd4 xd4 1 0 .xd4
.ixd4 ll.c3 f6 12.b5 hal! )

Grandmaster Kurnosov gained

an easy victory in the game
Hector - Kurnosov, Copenhagen
2011.

65

Chapter S

l.e4 e5 2.3 c6
Rarely-Played Moves
Ponziani Opening

In this chapter we shall ana

lyze some openings which are
played only very rarely, such as:
A) 3.d3 - the Philidor Defence
with colours reversed and B)
3.c3 the Ponziani Opening.
Black has no problems after
the move 3.c4?! (the Dresden
Opening). After 3...i.c5 4.ll'lc3 d6
5.d3 ll'lge7 6.i.e3 0-0 7.i.e2 ll'ld4
8.0-0 ll'lec6 Black has a very com
fortable game, dominating the
d4-outpost, Kurtenkov - Lukacs,
Vrnjacka Banja 1985.
3.g3 (this is the Konstantino
polsky Opening) 3...ll'lf6 4.d3 (4.
ll'lc3 d5 - see Chapter 7) 4...d5 5.
exd5 (5.ll'lbd2 dxe4 6.dxe4 ic5 see variation A) 5...ll'lxd5 6.i.g2
i.c5 7.0-0 0-0 8.!'1e1 (8.ll'lc3
-

66

ll'lxc3 9.bxc3 i.g4 - see Chapter 7)

8...f6 9.ll'lbd2 ig4 10.c3 d7
Black has deployed his pieces in
ideal fashion and has a wonderful
position, Ballmoos - Gysi, Ger
many 1993.
3.i.e2 ll'lf6 4.d4 - this is the
Taylor Opening (it is preferable
for White to opt for 4.d3 - see
variation B or 4.ll'lc3 - see the
Four Knights Opening). 4...exd4
5.e5 ll'lg4 6.0-0 (in reply to 6.
ll'lxd4 it is strong for Black to con
tinue with 6...ic5 7.ixg4 ixd4+
and White is faced with the un
pleasant choice between losing
his e5-pawn and playing the move
f2-f4, which prevents the quick
evacuation of his king away from
the centre) 6...i.e7 7.i.f4 (after 7.
ll'lxd4 ll'lgxe5 8.f4, the natural
move 8...ll'lg6+ provides Black
with excellent chances of neutral
izing his opponent's activity,
while retaining the extra pawn)
7... d6 8.i.b5 0-0 9.ixc6 dxe5 10.
ll'lxe5 ll'lxe5 ll.ixe5 bxc6 12.ixd4
i.d6 Black has a good game with
his powerful bishop pair in this
open position, A.Mueller - Polu
dnyakov, Email 2006.

l .e4 e5 2. t'iJ.f.3 t'iJ c6 3.d3 t'iJf6

A) 3.d3
With this, White reaches one
of the variations of the Philidor
Defence with an extra tempo.

3 . . . tt!f6

4.c3
White can hardly continue the
game without this move. White
intends to seize extra space on the
queenside and takes control over
the important d4-square, while
his queen gains access to the c2square.
4.tt!bd2 dS S.g3?! (his bishop
on g2 will be restricted by his own
pawn on e4, so it would be better
for White to choose S..ie2 .icS see 4..ie2, or S.c3 aS - see 4.c3)
S...dxe4 6.dxe4 .icS 7..ig2 0-0
8.0-0 V!ie7 9.c3 aS 10.a4 b6+
Black easily deploys his forces to
active positions and cannot be
prevented from occupying the d
file and penetrating to the d3square, compressing his oppo
nent's pieces to the maximum,
Bravo Barranco - Fernandez Gar
cia, Barcelona 2000.
4..ie2 dS S.exdS (After S.lt:lbd2
.icS 6.c3 aS, or 6.0-0 0-0 7.c3 aS,

or 7.a3 aS 8.b3 V!ie7 9.c3 :gds,

there is a transposition to the
main line - see 4.c3 - while after
9..ib2 dxe4 10.dxe4 :gds ll.Vfie1
.ig4 12.t'iJc4 .ixf3 13..ixf3 bS 14.
t'iJe3 t'iJd4 1S..ixd4 .ixd4t White
must play very accurately to neu
tralize Black's initiative and
equalize.) S...t'iJxdS 6.0-0 .id6 7.
lt:lc3 t'iJxc3 8.bxc3 0-0 9.t'iJgS?! (it
is preferable to play prudently
with 9.:ge1 h6=) 9....ie7 10.t'iJe4
.ie6+ White's knight is unstable in
the centre, while Black's pieces
are more active and he has extra
space, Zilka - Priborsky, Svetla
nad Sazavou 1999.

4 . . . d5

5.tt!bd2
S..igS?! - White presents his
opponent with the advantage of
the bishop pair and he will be
forced to fight for equality. S...
dxe4 6..ixf6 xf6 7.dxe4, Loosh
nikov - Smikovski, Moscow 200S,
and now Black's most energetic
line to seize the initiative would
be: 7...gS!? 8..ic4 g4 9.t'iJfd2 i.d7
10.0-0 hS ll.lt:la3 0-0-0 with a
dangerous attack.
67

Chapter S
5.Wc2 a5 6.i.e2 (White cannot
create any problems for his oppo
nent with 6.a4 i.c5 7.i.g5 i.e6
8.lt:\bd2 !J..e7 9.1J..e2 lt:\d7 10.he7
Wxe7 11.0-0 0-0= and he has no
active prospects, but Black will
find it difficult to obtain anything
real out of his slight space advan
tage, Kurajica - Ivkov, Belgrade
1978. The position is equal after
6.lt:\bd2 !J..c5 7.exd5 Wxd5 8.lt:\e4,
Aubert - Beikert, France 1994,
because with the accurate reac
tion 8...1J..e7 9.i.e2 h6 10.0-0 !J.f5
ll.lt:\fd2 0-0= Black can hope to
obtain an edge later thanks to his
comfortably deployed pieces.) 6...
i.c5 7.0-0 (in the variation 7.i.g5
!J.. e6 8.lt:\bd2 h6 9.i.h40-0 10.0-0
d4= White cannot achieve much
from having pinned Black's f6knight.) 7 ... 0-0 8.i.g5 dxe4 9.
dxe4 h6 10.i.h4, Aleksic - Korne
ev, Assisi 2003, and here, Black
could consider trying the sharp
line: 10...g5!? ll.i.g3 lt:\h5+! when
he obtains a very active position
at the cost of a deterioration in his
pawn-structure.

68

a5

6 .ie2
.

For 6.Wc2 !J..c5 7.i.e2 0-0 - see

6.i.e2.

.ic5

. .

7. 0 - 0
7.a4 - This is a purely defen
sive move, depriving White of his
only possible active plan, based
on the pawn advance b2-b4.
7...0-0 8.0-0 e8 9.Wc2 i.f8 10.
e1 h6 ll.lt:\f1 i.e6+ White's posi
tion is solid but very passive, lssa
- Jonkman, Cairo 2003.
7.Wa4 - This move helps White
prepare a quick b2-b4. 7... 0-0
8.b4 i.d6 9.b5 lt:\e7 10.0-0 lt:\g6=
White has seized space on the
queenside, but Black has de
ployed his pieces in ideal fashion.
7.Wc2 0-0 8.lt:\b3?! (it is better
for White to play here 8.0-0 We7
9.b3 dB - see 7...0-0; 8.h3?! this move weakens the dark
squares on White's kingside 8...
lt:\h5+) 8...i.a7 9.i.g5 h6 10.1J.xf6
Wxf6 ll.exd5 lt:\e7 12.c4 c6 (12...
lt:\ g6!?t) 13.dxc6 lt:\xc6 The vul
nerability of the dark squares in
White's camp cannot be compen-

l.e4 e5 2. lLlj3 lt:Jc6 3.d3 tt'lf6

sated for by his extra pawn, espe
cially since he lags in develop
ment, Van Riemsdijk - De Souza,
Sao Paulo 1991.

0 - 0 8.b3

8.lt:Jxe5 lt:JxeS 9.d4 .ib6 10.

dxeS lLlxe4 ll. .id3 (in the end
game after ll.lt:Jxe4 dxe4 12.'\Wxd8
l'!xd8= it would be easier for Black
to attack the eS-pawn than for
White to target the e4-pawn, but
Black cannot obtain any real ad
vantage from this) ll... .ifS=
Black's pieces are active and
White must play accurately to
maintain the balance, Belkhodja
- Azmaiparashvili, Dubai 2002.
8.'c2 a4 9.b4 (The simplify
ing combination 9.lt:Jxe5? lt:JxeS
10.d4 hd4 ll.cxd4 lt:Jc6+ leads to
the loss of a pawn for White.) 9...
axb3 10.lt:Jxb3 .ie7= Black has no
"bad" pieces and he can fight for
the advantage, Barle - Pavasovic,
Ljubljana 1997.

We7

9.a3
For 9.''c2!? l'!d8 10. .ib2 .ig4!
- see 9..ib2.
White can consider trying 9.

.ib2 l'!d8 10.'Wc2. Now it would be

premature for Black to continue
with 10... d4?!, because in re
sponse to ll.cxd4 he will need to
recapture with his pawn - 11
exd4 (in the variation ll... tt:Jxd4
12.lLlxd4 hd4 13.hd4 l'!xd4 14.
'Wc3;!; Black will have problems
with the protection of his eS
pawn, and moreover White has a
slight lead in development.) 12.
a3co, but with 10... .ig4! he can ob
tain a wonderful position,
. .

for example: ll.h3 (in the vari

ation ll.exdS tt:JxdS 12.l'!fe1 lt:Jf4
13. .if1 .ifS 14.lt:Je4 .ia7= White's
knight is perfectly placed on e4,
but this is the only plus in his po
sition.) ll... .ihS 12.l'!fe1 (or12.a3
d4 and after 13.cxd4 hf3 14.lt:Jxf3
lLlxd4 15.lt:Jxd4 hd4+ or 13.b4
dxc3 14.bxc5 cxb2 15.'\Wxb2 l'!a7+
Black obtains the better position,
thanks to his control of the impor
tant d4-square and his more ac
tive pieces) 12... d4 13.cxd4 (White
loses if he tries to break the pin
with 13.g4? dxc3 14.'\Wxc3 hg4
15.hxg4 lt:Jxg4-+) 13... .ixf3! 14.
lt:Jxf3 (if 14.dxe5 lt:Jxe4 15.lLlxe4
i.xe4 16.dxe4 .id4+ Black regains
his pawn and puts his knight on
69

Chapter S
d4, or 14.dxc5 i.xe2 15.gxe2
ltld7!?+ and if White loses his cS
pawn he will have problems with
the protection of his d3-pawn, but
if 16.gcl ltlb4 17.'\Wc4 ltlxa2 l8.ga1
llJ b4+ the number of pawns on the
board remains equal, but White
has numerous weaknesses to wor
ry about.) 14...ltlxd4 15.ltlxd4
i.xd4+ The dark-squared bishops
have been exchanged and Black
maintains a slight but stable ad
vantage owing to his control over
the d4-square.

trol of the d4-square, which pro

vides him with a stable advantage,
Piskunov - Keosidi, Krasnoyarsk
2009.

B) 3.c3
This is the Ponziani Opening.

3 . . . d5

9 ,gds 1 0 .Ylc2 d4
.

ll . .ib2
After ll.cxd4 i.xd4 12..ib2 (if
12.gbl?! ltlhS 13.g3 .ih3 14.gel
ltlf6t Black's activity is very dan
gerous) 12...i.xb2 13.V;Vxb2 i.g4+
Black will inevitably exchange his
bishop for White's knight to gain
control of the d4-square.
In the variation ll.c4 ltlhS+
White is deprived of any active
play for a long time, V. Pogosian
- Zhukova, Aix-les-Bains 2011.

ll . . . .ig4 12.cxd4 hf3 13.

c!bxf3 c!bxd4 14.c!bxd4 hd4 15.
hd4 gxd4+ Black has firm con70

This is Black's most energetic

reply, creating maximum prob
lems for White.
In the diagram position the
most frequently played moves
are: B1) 4 . .ib5? and B2) 4.Yla4.
For 4.exd5 YlYxdS 5.d4 exd4 see Chapter 9; for 4.d3 ltlf6 5.
ltlbd2 - see variation A.

B1) 4 .ib5?

This active move leads to a

very difficult position for White.

4 . . . dxe4 5. c!bxe5
S.i.xc6+ bxc6 6.ltlxe5 YlYgS see S.ltlxeS.

5 . . . V;Vg5!
The double attack against g2
and eS presents White with prob
lems that he will be unable to
solve.

l.e4 e5 2. ttJj3 tLl c6 3.c3 d5

6.'lfa4
6..ixc6+ bxc6 7.W/a4 W/xg2 see 6.W/a4.
6.d4 W/xg2 7.:1U1 d6! 8.W/h5
(In the variation 8.li:lxc6 i.d7 9.
W/a4 a6 10.lt:la3 :Bc8+ Black re
gains his piece, ending up with a
great lead in development, while
after 9.lt:lxa7 c6 10.c4 :Bxa7 11.d5
c5 12.lt:la3 :Bxa3 13.bxa3 b5 14.e2
lt:lf6 15.e3 0-0+ his compensa
tion for the exchange is more than
sufficient. White's pieces are un
coordinated, his king is stranded
in the centre and his pawns are
weak, Hlavacek - Tsenkov, Email
2005.) 8...g6 9.W/h4 .ixe5 10.dxe5
d7 11.f4, Velimirovic - Boudiba,
Luzern 1989. Now Black should
complete his development by
playing ll...lt:lge7 12.lt:ld2 0-0-0
13.0-0-0 lt:lf5 14.W/g5 W/xg5 15.
.ixg5 lt:lxe5 16.e2 :Bde8+ and al
though White's bishops are
strong, this cannot compensate
for his lost pawn, because Black's
pieces are very well placed.

fixg2 7 .b:c6 +

Or 7.:Bf1 h3 8.@d1 (For

8..ixc6 bxc6 9.W/xc6+ @d8, see
7.hc6+; it is no better for White

to opt for 8.lt:lxc6 bxc6 9..ixc6+

@d8 10.W/c4, in view of 10...:Bb8
and after ll.he4 W/g4 12.:Bh1 lt:lf6
13.d3 d6+ Black retains an
overwhelming advantage, since
White's king is stuck in the centre,
while if 12.f3 .ixf1 13.W/xf1 '?9h4+
14.W/f2 W/xf2+ 15.@xf2 d6+ Black
should be able to exploit his extra
exchange.) 8...i.d6 9.:Be1 lt:lf6 10.
lt:lxc6 0-0 ll.lt:ld4 c5 12.fl i.g4+
13.lt:le2 (in the line 13.f3 exf3 14.
.ixg2 fxg2+ 15.@c2 .ixh2 16.d3
:Bfe8-+ White has an extra queen
for only a few pawns, but Black's
g2-pawn is so powerful that White
is already beyond salvation.) 13...
W/xf2 14.h3 g3 0-1 Nikolov Radulski, Blagoevgrad 2010.

bxc6 8.'lfxc6+ @d8

9.gfl
White's position is hopeless
after 9.W/xa8 '?9xh1+ 10.@e2 d6
ll.lt:lxt7+ @d7 12.lt:lxd6 cxd6-+
and he will be mated or else he
loses his entire queenside.
In the variation 9.W/d5+ .id6
10.lLlxt7+ @e7 ll.W/g5+ 'lfxg5 12.
lt:lxg5 b7 13.0-0 @f6 14.d4 exd3
15.f3 @g6 16.lt:le4 he4 17.fxe4
71

Chapter S
lt:\f6+ White's position is very dif
ficult, because his queenside is
completely undeveloped, Pech Krupikov, Email 2005.
After 9.<;!,?d1 xh1+ 10.<;!,?c2 lt:\h6
1l.xa8 .id6 12.lt:\c6+ (White pre
serves more chances of saving the
game with 12.lt:\c4 xh2+) 12...
<;!,?d7 13.lt:\xa7 lt:\g4 14.lt:\a3 lt:\xf2-+
White is completely helpless
against the combined action of
Black's forces, Taylor - Hebden,
Aintree 1998.

9
<;!,?dt

.ih3 1 0 .xa8 + <;!,?e7 11.

11.lt:\c6+ <;!,?d6-+

ll . . . Yfxfl+ 12.<;!,?c2 .if5

Rheinstaedtler, Email 2005;

it is no improvement for
White to opt for 13.lt:\c6 <;!,?f6 14.
ll:\d4 (after 14.d8+ .ie7 15.d4+
<;!,?g6 16.lt:\e5+ <;!,?h5-+ when Black's
king is completely safe, while its
white counterpart is exposed;
White is also catastrophically be
hind in development and together
these factors will prove decisive)
14...d3+ 15.<;!,?b3 lt:\e7 16.a4 .ig4
17.<;!,?a2 c5 18.lt:\b3 .ie6-+ White
has neither completed his devel
opment, nor ensured the safety of
his king, Csonka - Vujosevic,
Hungary 2005;
13.d5 <;!,?f6 14.lt:\d7+ hd7 15.
xd7 .id6-+

13

e3+ 14.d3

14.<;!,?b2 e2 15.lt:\c6+ <;!,?f6 16.

xfB e1-+ Black organizes a de
cisive attack with his two queens
and a bishop.

13.b3
The alternatives for White lose
quickly:
13.lt:\a3 f6 14.lt:\c6+ <;!,?t7 15.lt:\d4
d3+! 16.<;!,?b3 .ig4 17.lt:\ac2 (after
17.c6 .id1+ 18.lt:\ac2, Black wins
with GM L.Gutman's recommen
dation - 18....id6 19.d5+ <;!,?g6
20.f5+ <;!,?h6 21.f3i.xc2+ 22.lt:\xc2
lt:\e7-+) 17...lt:\e7 18.xa7 .ie6+
19.lt:\xe6 d5+ 20.<;!,?a4 d7+ 21.
<;!,?b3 xe6+ 22.<;!,?a4 ll:\d5 23.b4
hb4 24.lt:\xb4 gas 0-1 Radoor 72

14 e2 15 .i.d2 elltJ + 16.

hel YrxeH Black needs only to

complete his development, after

which the realisation of his extra
piece should not be any problem
whatsoever, Stec - Sedlacek, Slo
vakia 2004.

l.e4 e5 2. ll'lj3 ll'lc6 3.c3 d5

B2) 4.VHa4

This is the strongest move for

White, after which and he can ob
tain an acceptable position.

4 . . . f6
Black securely bolsters the e5pawn and hopes to complete his
development more easily than his
opponent.

move 7...e4! 8.ll'ld4 ll'le5 9.ll'la3

.ic5 10.ll'lac2 ll'le7+; it is no better
for White to opt for 6..ic4 W/e4+ 7.
'it>dl .ie6 8.d3, since Black can
counter this with 8.. J:'!:d8 9.ll'lbd2
l'!xd3 10..ib5 W/xa4+ ll..ixa4 l'!d8+
winning a pawn.) 6....id7 7..ib5?
(The lesser of the evils for White
here is to enter an inferior end
game with 7.VHc4 W/xc4 8..ixc4
exd4 9.cxd4 ll'lb4 10.ll'la3 0-0-0+)
7...a6 8.c4 W/e4+ 9..ie3 l'!d8-+
Reznicek - Kuzmicz, Karvina
2010.
After the move 5.d3, there
arise positions resembling the
Philidor Defence with colours re
versed, except that Black has a
pawn on f6 and not a knight. This
circumstance does not preclude
him from obtaining a very good
position, mainly because the posi
tion of White's queen on a4 looks
completely senseless. 5....ie6

5 . .ib5
After 5.exd5, the reduction of
the tension in the centre is in
Black's favour, since it facilitates
the task of developing his pieces.
5...'\WxdS 6.d4 (For 6..ib5 ll'lge7 see 5..ib5; if 6.b4 .id7 7.b5, Black
can provide an excellent square
for his knight by the intermediate

and now:
6.ll'lbd2 W/d7 (The inaccurate
move 6....id6?! enables White to
play 7.d4t and seize the initia
tive.) 7..ie2 ll'lge7 8.0-0 a6 9.d4
(It is still not too late for him to
simplify the position. It is inferior
for White to opt for 9.b4 ltlg6+
73

Chapter S
Ljubojevic - Palacios de la Prida,
Malaga 1971.) 9... exd4 lO.exdS
(10.cxd4 lLlg6+) lO... i.xdS 11.
ltJxd4 0-0-0 12.ltJ2b3 e8 13.
d1 ltJxd4 14.xd4 lLlc6 15.g4+
'i!?b8= Black has no problems, but
White's position has no problems
either;
In the variation 6.i.e3 i.d6 7.
ltJbd2 lLl ge7 8.d4 0-0= Black eas
ily completes his development,
Turkov - Nightingale, Email
2009;
6.i.e2 i.d6 7.exd5 (after 7.b4
ltJ ge7 8.ltJ bd2, B.Savchenko Delorme, Rijeka 2010, the sim
plest way for Black to stop the ad
vance of White's queenside pawns
is with the move 8... a6=) 7... i.xd5
8.ltJbd2 (In response to 8.d4,
Black equalizes with 8... exd4 9.
cxd4 ltJge7 10.0-0 0-0 ll.lLlc3
i.f7 12.i.c4 e8=; after 8.0-0
ltJ ge7 9. .ie3 it would be good for
Black to play the natural move
9... 0-0, not fearing 10.c4 in view
of 10... ltJd4! ll.i.xd4 i.c6 12.c2
exd4 and here it is bad for White
to continue with 13.lLlxd4? i.xh2+
14.'i!?xh2 xd4+, while in the vari
ation 13.lLlbd2 b6 14.lLlb3 i.cS=
Black maintains his space advan
tage.) 8... ltJge7 9.0-0 0-0 10.lLle4
fS (the position is equal after 10...
e8 ll.i.d1 lLld8 12.xe8 xe8=)
ll.lLlxd6 xd6? Black has grant
ed his opponent the advantage of
the bishop pair but has seized
space and has no problems with
his development.

5 .tL!ge7 6.exd5

This move seems forced, be74

cause after 6.d3?! i.e6 7.0-0 a6

8.i.xc6+ ltJxc6 9.e1 i.e7 10.lLlbd2
0-0+ Black has slightly the better
prospects thanks to his two bish
ops, Blackburne - Berger, Ham
burg 1885, while if 6.0-0?! dxe4
7.xe4 i.fS 8.i.xc6+ (8.e2 a6 9.
i.xc6+ ltJxc6 10.d4 dS+) 8... bxc6
9.a4 i.d3 10.e1 d7+ White has
great problems with the develop
ment of his queenside, and will
thus be unable to exploit the
weakness of Black's pawns.

6 . . . xd5

7.d4
White should try to gain space;
otherwise, after 7.0-0?! e4, he
will have difficulties equalizing.

8.lLle1 i.d7 9.d3 (It seems rea

sonable for him to play 9.f3, but

l.e4 e5 2. lLlj3 lt:J c6 3.c3 d5

in the variation 9... exf3 10.lLlxf3
a6 ll.i.c4 '!WhS 12.i.e2 gSt Black
obtains excellent attacking chanc
es, while if ll.i.e2 0-0-0 12.d4
'tt> b8+! Black's kingside prospects
are at least as promising as
White's active play on the queen
side.) 9... exd3 10.lLlxd3 a6 ll.lLla3
(or ll.i.c4 '!WfS 12.'1Wc2 0-0-0+
with a considerable lead in devel
opment for Black) ll... d8 12.luf4
(12.i.c4 lLleS 13.'1Wb3 'i:lxc4 14.lLlb4
'!Wfl 1S. '!Wxc4 '!Wxc4 16. 'i:lxc4 i.bS
17.b3 lLlg6 18.e1+ 'tt> :fl+ Black has
a stable advantage in this position
with an open centre, thanks to his
bishop pair, Daenen - Morau,
Email 200S) 12... axbS 13.lLlxbS
'!WeS 14.'i:ld3 '!WfS 1S. lLlxc7+ 'tt> f7 16.
'!Wb3+ i.e6 17.'i:lxe6 '!Wxe6 18.
'!Wxe6+ 'tt> xe6 19. 'i:lcS+ 'tt>fl 20.
'i:lxb7 d7 21.lLlcS dS 22. 'i:le4,
Schakel - Miettinen, Email 2008.
White has sufficient material
equivalent for his piece, but after
22... 'i:lfS+ Black's pieces are so ac
tive that White will find it difficult
to advance his pawns much fur
ther.
After 8.i.xc6+ '!Wxc6 9.'1Wxc6+
bxc6 10.'i:ld4 cS ll.'i:lbS 'tt> d7+
White is unlikely to be able to ex
ploit the weakness of his oppo
nent's queenside pawns, because
he will have great problems with
his development.
After 8.c4 '!Wd7 9.'i:le1 a6 10.
'i:lc3 Black can consider continu
ing with 10... b6!?,with these sam
ple variations: 11.cS (In the end
game after ll.hc6 '!Wxc6 12.'1Wxc6+
'i:lxc6 13.lLlxe4 b7 14.d3 0-0-0

1S.i.e3 lUeS+ Black will inevitably

regain his pawn, retaining better
development, but even in the line:
14.b3 0-0-0 1S.lLlg3 hS 16.h4
i.d6+ White will probably be una
ble to keep his extra pawn, since
his pieces are horribly passive. It
is not advisable for him to opt for
ll.d4 exd3 12.'i:lxd3 i.b7 13.hc6
hc6 14.'1Wc2 0-0-0+, or ll.lLlxe4
i.b7 12.hc6 hc6 13.'1Wc2 'i:lfS 14.
'i:lf3 0-0-0+ and in both cases
Black has the bishop pair and su
perior development.) ll... i.b7! 12.
i.e2 'i:ld4 13.i.hS+ g6 14.'\Wxd7+
'tt> xd7 1S.i.d1 'i:ldS 16.cxb6 cxb6 17.
'i:lxe4 e8 18.d3 fS 19.lLlc3 i.g7
Black has mobilized his forces in
ideal fashion and has excellent
compensation for the sacrificed
pawn.

7. . . e4

8.c4
After 8.i.c4 '!WaS 9.'\WxaS 'i:lxaS
10.'i:lfd2 'i:l xc4 ll.lLlxc4 i.e6 12.
'i:lbd2, Reznicek - Hladik, Havi
rov 2010, Black can play 12... fS
13.0-0 lLlg6t and he maintains
the initiative in the endgame,
thanks to his powerful light7S

Chapter S
squared bishop, which has no op
ponent.
8.l!jfd2 g5 9. \!;>f1 (White can
hold the balance with the sur
prising line: 9.fl! e3 10.fxe3
xe3+ 11.e2 g4 12.d1 xe2+
13.xe2 .ixe2 14.\!;>xe2 l2'ld5=) 9 . . .
a6 10.l2'la3? (after 10.e2 g6+
White's position is worse, but
there is plenty of fight left) 10 . . .
axb5 11.xa8, Ovetchkin - Ha
matgaleev, Perm 1998 and here
Black can immediately settle the
issue with ll . . . f5, because White
is helpless against the threat of
12 . . . l2Jd5.

10.d5?! l2Jd4 11.l2'lxe4 a6+, and it is

no better to opt for 10.hc6 l2Jxc6
ll.d5 l2Jb4 12.0-0 (12.l2Jxe4 f5
13.f3 e8+) 12 .. .f5+ and Black's
knight will penetrate to the d3square.

1 0 tlJxd4 ll.c5 tlJxb5 12.

xb5 d7 13.ti'e2

But not 13.c4+ e6 14.e2

h6 15.0-0 f5+ leading to a very
advantageous endgame for Black.

13 tlJd5 14. 0 - 0 c6 15.

.ie3, Mercky - Boychuk, Email

2006.

d8 9.tlJfd2

White should avoid 9.d5 exf3

10.dxc6 \!;>f7 11.0-0 bxc6 12.hc6
l2Jxc6 13.xc6 fxg2 14J:!e1 gbs
15.l2Jc3 d7 16.f3 h3+, because
he cannot exploit the centralized
position of Black's king. Now
there will be an endgame in which
Black will have the better chanc
es, thanks to his two powerful
bishops.
9 \!;>f7
.

Here Black could have created

problems for his opponent by
playing 15 .ie6 16.ge1 (It is
worse for White to opt for 16. l2Jbc3
e7 17.h5+ g6 18.f3 l2Jxe3 19.
xe3 ghe8+ and Black will gradu
ally eject his opponent's knights
from the centre, while the inevita
ble exchange of the major pieces
will also be in his favour.) 16
. .

.ie7 17.h5+ g 6 18.3 .if5

19.tlJbd2 gadS 2 0 .id4 gbe8=

1 0 .tlJxe4
It is too risky for White to play
76

White's pieces are a bit more ac

tive, but Black has a long-term
plus - his advantage of the two
bishops.

Chapter 6

l.e4 e5 2)i)f3 c 63.c3 tLlf6

Four Knights Game
Belgrade Gambit

All four knights have come

into play in the first three moves
of the game. This is why the open
ing is called the Four Knights
Game.
White's main move in the dia
gram position is 4..ib5 - see
Chapter 8, but 4.g3 is also popu
lar - see Chapter 7. In this chap
ter we shall deal with all White's
other reasonable moves.

4.d4
In response to 4..ic4, Black
has an interesting counter-blow
4... lt:lxe4! - a move which has
been analyzed in the recently
published book of GM Konstantin
Sakaev "The Petroff: an Expert
Repertoire for Black" - but he
can also go into the Italian Game

with the move 4....ic5 - see Chap

ter 15.
4.lt:\xe5? - this piece-sacrifice
is not justifiable. 4...lt:\xe5 5.d4
lt:\g6 6.e5 llJg8 7..ic4 d5! (this is
the simplest way for Black to solve
the problems with his develop
ment) 8..hd5 llJ8e7 9..ig5 d7+
On the next move, Black's knight
will be deployed to the f5-square
and he will take over the role of
attacker.
After 4.lt:\d5 .ic5 5.d3 (if 5.
lt:l xf6+?! xf6t Black leads in de
velopment) 5...lt:\xd5 6.exd5 lt:\d4
7.lt:\xd4 .ixd4= Black has no prob
lems with his development and
his position in the centre is not
inferior.
4.h3 - This is not exactly a de
veloping move... 4....ib4!? (Black
can also play here 4...d5) 5..ic4
0-0=
4.a3 - This is an attempt by
White to pretend to be Black, with
an extra tempo. He also prevents
the appearance of the enemy
bishop on the b4-square. 4...d5 5.
.ib5 (After 5.exd5 lt:\xd5, it is not
good for White to play 6.llJxd5
xd5 7.d3 g6 8..ie2 .ig7 9.0-0
77

Chapter 6
0-0 10J''l e1, Drazic - Blagojevic,
Zadar 2009, since after 10... b6+
Black prepares the development
of his light-squared bishop to a
wonderful square and, thanks to
his slight space advantage, he ob
tains the better prospects. After
6.b5 l!Jxc3 7.bxc3 d6=, White's
extra tempo a2-a3, in comparison
to the position with colours re
versed in the variation with 4.d4,
cannot provide him with an ad
vantage - see Chapter 10.) 5...
l!Jxe4 6.1!t/e2 (The position of the
pawn on a3 cannot guarantee an
edge for White in the variation 6.
l!Jxe5 1!t/g5 - see 4.e2; in the line:
6.0-0 1!t/d6 7.1!t/e2 l!Jxc3 8.dxc3
f6+ Black fortifies his centre and
can gradually compensate for his
lag in development, Starostits Colin, Calvi 2009) 6... l!Jxc3 7.
1!t/xe5+ 1!tle7 8.dxc3 d7 9.1!t/xe7+
(9.hc6 hc6 10.i.e3 1!t/xe5 11.
l!JxeS bS 12.a4 a6= Visser Van der Wiel, Hilversum 2006)
9... he7 10.i.f4 (or 10.e3 a6 11.
a4 bS 12.b3 e6=) 10... 0-0-0
11.0-0-0, Kindermann - Gyime
si, Austria 2004 and after playing
11... a6 12.a4 bS 13.i.b3 e6+
Black considerably restricts the
mobility of his opponent's light
squared bishop, which will not be
activated any time soon.
4.d3 dS S.exdS l!JxdS - Black
has occupied the centre and is
able to harmoniously complete
his development. Only one game
between grandmasters has been
played with this line and it contin
ued with 6.g3, Slobodjan - Babu78

rin, Havana 1999; then a reason

able response seems to be 6...g4!?
7.i.g2 (after 7.h3 hf3 8.1!t/xf3
l!Jdb4+ White loses his c2-pawn)
7... l!Jd4 8.a3 c6 9.h3 l!Jxc3 10.bxc3
l!Jxf3+ 11.hf3 e6+ White has
some problems with castling and
his light-squared bishop, which is
usually quite active in the Glek
System, has been restricted by
Black's pawns on b7 and c6.
4.i.e2 - This developing move
is too modest. 4... d5 (but not 4...
cS S.l!JxeS!t with an initiative for
White) S.exdS (It is also possible
to play S.bS?!, reaching a posi
tion with colours reversed in
which Black's move f8-b4 is not
recommended by theory, and
quite rightly so. s... l!Jxe4 6.l!Jxe5,
Djuric - Blagojevic, Zlatibor
1989, after playing 6... 1!t/g5! 7.
l!Jxc6 1!t/xg2 8J''lfl a6, Black ob
tains either a crushing attack in
the variation 9.l!Jxd5 axbS 10.
l!Jxc7+ @d7 11.l!Jxa8 @xc6--+, or a
very pleasant endgame in the line:
9.i.a4 l!Jxc3 10.dxc3 1!t/e4+ 11.1!t/e2
1!t/xe2+ 12.@xe2 d7 13.f4 hc6
14.hc6+ bxc6 15.hc7 @d7 16.
g3 hS+) S... l!JxdS

6.0-0 (The variation 6.b5

l.e4 e5 2. tt:lf3 tt:lc6 3.tt:lc3 tt:lf6

tt:lxc3 7.bxc3 i.d6, is dealt with in
Chapter 10 with colours reversed
and leads to an equal position; it
is inferior for White to opt for
6.tt:lxd5 xd5 7.d3 i.e7 8.0-0
0-0+ and Black has a stable ad
vantage thanks to his extra space
and comfortable development.)
6... tt:lxc3 7.bxc3 (in the endgame
after 7.dxc3 '\!;lfxd1 8J'1xd1, Chris
tensen - Sobjerg, Denmark 2008,
Black equalizes easily after 8...i.f5
9.i.d3 hd3 10.cxd3 0-0-0=) 7...
e4 8.tt:ld4 (In answer to 8.tt:le1 an
option worth considering is 8...
f5!? Now, after 9.d3 i.e6? White
is unable to activate his knight, so
Black's prospects are not at all
worse, but even in the variation
9.d4 i.d6 10.g3 0-0 ll.tt:lg2 b6?
White has no advantage, since he
must take care of his weakened
squares on the kingside.) 8...
tt:lxd4 9.cxd4 '\!;lfxd4

'\!;l!d7 15.i.xb7 !!d8 16.he7 '\!;lfxe7

17.'\!;lfa4+ @f8+ Black has a far-ad
vanced extra passed pawn and he
is not going to lose it, so it will cre
ate considerable problems for
White to complete his develop
ment.) 13.. .i.e6 14.i.e4 '\!;lfxd1 15.
!!xd1 1'!b8 16.i.f4 i.d6 17.hd6 cxd6
18.1'!xd6 @e7t - Black's superior
pawn structure provides him with
an enduring initiative, Short Volokitin, Wijk aan Zee 2009.

..

exd4

5.t0d5
This is the Belgrade Gambit.
The move 5.tt:lxd4 leads to the
Scotch Game - see Chapter 10,
variation A.
5 .ie7 6 .ic4
6.tt:lxd4 tt:lxd5 7.exd5 (after 7.
tt:lf5? i.b4+ 8.i.d2, Ju.Hodgson Orr, London 1985, 8... tt:lf6-+
Black should win easily with his
extra piece) 7...tt:lxd4 8.'\!;lfxd4
0-0? - after the exchange of all
the knights, White's space advan
tage does not impede the harmo
nious development of the rest of
Black's pieces, Sax - An.Karpov,
Tilburg 1979.
. . .

10.c3 (10J:b1 i.d6 ll.i.b2 '\!;l!d5

12.d3, Soria Castillo - Mellado
Trivino, Seville 2006, 12 ... 0-0+
Black has a solid extra pawn, al
though White has some compen
sation owing to his active pieces.)
10... '\!;l!d5 ll.d3 exd3 12J e1 i.e7
13.hd3 (13.i.a3?! i.e6! 14.i.f3

79

Chapter 6
In the variation 6.i.d3 0-0
7.0-0 d6 8.h3 l"!e8+ Black pre
serves his extra pawn, Reinsdorf
Karmann,
Dittrichshuette
2004.
6.i.b5 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.lL\xd4
(after 8.i.xc6 bxc6 9.lL\xf6+ .ixf6
10.lL\xd4 c5 ll.lLle2 i.a6+ Black's
powerful bishop pair gives a sta
ble edge, Fletzer - Zimmerman,
Venice 1949) 8... lL\xd4 9.xd4
lL\xd5 10.exd5 i.f6 11.'?9d3 a6
12.i.a4 b5 13.i.b3 g6 Black's
bishops are more active than
White's, but White has a slight
space advantage, Szilagyi
Kluger, Budapest 1963.
6.i.f4 d6 7.lL\xd4 (The alterna
tives are no better for him. After
7.i.b5 0-0 8.0-0 i.g4+, or 7.i.d3
i.g4 8.h3 .txf3 9.'?9xf3 0-0 10.
0-0 lL\e5 ll.he5 dxe5+ Phoo
balan - Ashwath, New Delhi
2007, or 7.'?9d3 0-0 8.0-0-0 i.g4
9.h3, Riemens - Erwich, Amster
dam 2002, 9... .th5+ White fails to
regain his pawn, while in the va
riation 7.i.c4 i.g4 8.h3 hf3 9.
xf3, Martensen - Hodl, Meck
lenburg 1998, 9... 0-0+ his bishop
pair provides him with some com
pensation, but not enough... )
7... 0-0

8.lL\b5 (8.i.e2?! lL\xd5 9.exd5

lL\xd4 10.xd4 i.f6 11.'?9b4 '?9e7+
White has problems castling and
his pawns on b2 and d5 need pro
tection, Schakel - Braggaar, Ven
lo 2007; 8.lL\c3?! - White reaches
a position from the Philidor De
fence, but with two tempi down,
spent on the knight manoeuvre
c3-d5-c3. 8... d5! 9.lL\xc6 bxc6 10.
e5 lL\d7 11.i.d3 l"!b8 12.13b1 lL\c5+
Black has the edge, thanks to his
superior development, Seeck R.Hess, Bad Pyrmont 1976; 8.
lL\xc6?! bxc6 and here White loses
a pawn after 9.lL\xe7+ xe7 10.f3
d5 ll.e5 lL\h5 12.'?9d2 lL\xf4 13.
xf4 f6+ Prudnikov - Suglobov,
Kiev 1999, but even after 9.lL\c3
13b8+ he can hardly compensate
for his lag in development, Ba
ersch - K.Mueller, Goerlitz 1972)
8... lL\xd5 9.exd5 lL\e5. Black has
an excellent position and exten
sive tournament practice has con
firmed this. 10.d2 c5 ll.he5
dxe5 12.d6 i.g5 13.d5 aS+
14.c3, G.Garcia - Aleksandrov,
Turin 2006, he is ahead in devel
opment and can head for a very
favourable endgame with 14...
i.e6! 15.xc5 (15.xb7 l"!ab8-+;
White is unable to evacuate his
king in the variation 15.xe5?
l"!fe8+) 15... a6 16.h4 i.d8 17.b4
b6 18.xb6 i.xb6 19.lL\c7 i.xc7
20.dxc7 l"!fc8+ Black's position in
the centre is better, while White
must worry about the safety of his
c3-pawn.

0 - 0 7. 0 - 0

It is worse for him to opt for

80

l.e4 e5 2. ti:J.fJ ti:J c6 3. ti:J c3 li:Jf6

7.li:Jxd4 ti:Jxe4 8.0-0 ti:Jf6 9.ti:Jxc6
(9.ti:Jxe7+ ti:Jxe7 10. .ig5 ti:Jg6 11.
gel, Nathanail - Skembris, Corfu
1995, ll... d5 12..id3 h6 13. .te3
ge8+ Black has ended up with an
extra central pawn, while White's
bishops are bound to remain pas
sive.) 9... dxc6 10.ti:Jxe7+ '!Wxe7+
Black's extra pawn is doubled, but
it controls the important d5square, Hoffmann - Heimann,
internet 2005.

pawn in the game Haahr - Sa

maritani, Denmark 1989.

xd5 1 0 .hd5

After 10.'1Wxd5 .ie6 ll.Vfid3

Wd7= the position becomes sim
plified very quickly.

10

. .

.tf6 11.Vfid3 aS

d6 8.xd4 xd4

9.tbd4
After 9.ti:Jxe7+ Vfixe7 10.'1Wxd4
Vfixe4 ll.Vfic3 Vfffc6+ White did not
obtain any compensation for the

12.a4, Uribe Arteaga - Cabre

ra, Collado Villalba 2010 (or 12.c3
a4 13.a3 :B:e8 14. .ie3 c6 15. .ia2
.ie6= Black has seized more space
on the queenside and this pro
vides him with balanced pros
pects) 12 ge8 13.c3 c6 14 .tb3
.te6 15 . .tc2 g6= Black will inevi
tably advance with d6-d5, equal
izing completely.

81

Chapter 7

l.e4 e5 2) bf3 tl)c 6 3.tl)c3 tl)f6 4.g3

Glek Variation

It is inferior for White to retain

a pawn on e4, since after 5.d3
dxe4 6.dxe4 xdl+ 7.'i!;>xdl i.g4t
Black will quickly complete his
development.

xd5 6 . .ig2

For 6.d3 ttlxc3 7.bxc3 .ic5 8.

i.g2 0-0 9.0-0 (9.ttlg5 - see 6.
i.g2) 9...i.g4 - see 6.i.g2.

6 . . . xc3 7.bxc3
According to our database, the
diagram position was reached for
the first time in the game Nim
zowitsch - E.Gruenfeld, Karlsbad
1923. It has been tried by some
other famous players too, but it
was GM Igor Glek who analyzed it
thoroughly and began to play the
move 4.g3 regularly and success
fully at grandmaster level.

If 7.dxc3? xdl+ 8.'i!;>xdl i.f5+

Black leads in development, hav
ing stranded his opponent's king
in the centre and weakened his
pawn structure, Straub - Stefano
va, Willemstad 2003.

7 .ic5

4 . . . d5
After this move Black obtains
a slight space advantage.
He has a reasonable alterna
tive here - 4...i.c5!?, which was
covered in detail in the recently
published book "The Petroff: an
Expert Repertoire for Black" by
Konstantin Sakaev.

5.exd5
82

8. 0 - 0
For 8.e2 0-0 9.0-0 e8 -

l.e4 e5 2.tLlf3 tLl c6 3.tt:J c3 tLlf6 4 .g3 d5

see 8.0-0.
Glek - S.Novikov, Moscow 2006.
After 8.d3 0-0 9.tt:Jg5 (9.0-0 Now Black can activate his pieces
- see 8.0-0) 9. .. i.e7 10.'\&h5 i.f5 with the resolute move 13... e4!
White's premature attack has 14.WI'e2 (after 14.dxe4 i.c4+, or
been neutralized and Black has 14.i.xb6 axb6 15.i.xe4 i.h3+
excellent counterplay.
White loses the exchange; or if
8... 0 - 0
14.i.xe4 i.h3 15.i.g2 i.xg2 16.
i>xg2 Wfd5+ 17.i>g1 tt:Jes) 14 . . .
exd3 15.cxd3 i.d5 = The light
squared bishops are exchanged
and Black has chances of seizing
the initiative.
9.WI'e2 - White's queen is not
always well placed on this square.
9... l"!e8 10.d3 (or 10.l"!e1?! e4!
ll.d3 i.f5 12.dxe4 l"!xe4 13.'\&bS?,
Antal - Gara, Budapest 2002,
13... tt:Jd4! 14.cxd4 l"!xe1+ 15.tt:Jxe1
\!tfxd4-+ and owing to the threat
9.d3
of mate White loses the exchange)
In response to 9.l"!b1, Glek - 10... i.f5 1l.tt:Jg5 Wfd7 12.i.e3 i.b6
Hebden, Dos Hermanas 2003, it 13.l"!fe1 l"!ad8 14.l"!ab1, Lima is very good for Black to continue Dervishi, Elista 1998. Black's
with 9... e4! 10.tt:Jd4! (after 10.tt:Je1 forces are ideally placed and he
l"!e8+ White has problems bring can start an offensive with 14... h6
ing his knight back into play and 15.tt:Je4 i.g4 16.'\&d2 f5! 17.tt:Jc5
it also remains misplaced after i.xc5 18.i.xc5 b6 19.f3 (19.i.a3?!
10.tt:Jh4 f5+) 10... tt:Jxd4 ll.cxd4 e4+ - Black's knight will attack
Wfxd4 12.i.b2 Wl'c4 13.d3 exd3 the weak light squares on White's
14.cxd3 Wl'g4! (Capturing on a2 kingside) 19... i.h5 20.i.f2 i.f7 21.
seems very risky for Black, be a4 tt:Ja5+ Black wants to play c7-c5
cause then White can develop his on his next move. White has ob
initiative in various ways, for ex tained a slight space advantage
ample with 14.'\&h5!?) 15.WI'c2 and his bishops can protect his
i.d6= White's pieces are very ac king, but they are bound to re
tive, but this suffices for equality main passive.
In answer to 9.l"!e1, Black can
at the most.
9.WI'e1!? - White's queen pro choose between many good
tects the c3-pawn from this moves, but we recommend 9...
square, in contrast to its develop 'l&f6!? - Black intends to develop
ment on e2. 9 .. . l"!e8 10.d3 h6 11. his pieces very quickly and this
.ie3 .ib6 12.tt:Jd2 .ie6 13.tt:Jb3, will enable him to seize the initia83

Chapter 7
tive, thanks to his greater control
of the centre. In addition, he tar
gets White's c3-pawn, which
might become very important in
many variations.

After 10.h3 .ie6 11.e2 fe8

1Vl:\xe5?, Brancaleoni - Aglietti,
Bratto 2002, Black wins a pawn
with 12...ll:\xe5 13.d4 (13.xe5
.id7-+) 13...hb3! 14.dxe5 fue5-+
10..ib2?! - The bishop is not
well placed here. 10....ig4 ll.h3
.ih5 12.e2 (Following 12.g4 .ig6
13.d4, Ornstein - Potikha, Aviles
2000, Black must reinforce his
centre with 13....id6 14..ic1 h6
15.b1 ab8 16.h4 exd4 17.cxd4
.ih7! 18.g5 hxg5 19.hxg5 d8+!
White has seized space, but he has
several weaknesses in his camp.)
12...ae8 13.d3 e6 14.g4 .ig6 15.
ll:\d2 h4 16.a4 h5t Black has de
ployed his pieces in ideal fashion
and seized the initiative on the
kingside, Mi.Tseitlin - Hebden,
Hastings 1995.
The aggressive move 10.d4?!
led after 10...exd4 ll..ig5 g6
12.cxd4 ll:\xd4 13..ie7 i.xe7 14.
xe7 ll:\e6+ to the loss of a pawn
and problems with White's rook
stranded in the enemy camp, Zar84

nicki - Gareev, Internet 2005.

10.e2 .id7 ll.b1 (ll.d3 e4
12.dxe4 xc3 13..id2, Virovlan
sky - Pokrovski, Moscow 1999,
13...a3+ Black maintains a slight
advantage thanks to his very ac
tive queen and superior pawn
structure.) ll....ib6 12.a4 (12.d3
e4 13.xe4 ae8 14.f4 xc3t All
Black's pieces are in action and
White's weak queenside pawns
become a telling factor.) 12...fe8
13.d3 e4 14.dxe4 xc3+ Black has
a slight but stable advantage ow
ing to his excellent pawn struc
ture.
In the variation 10.d3 i.b6 11.
e2, Bates - Ledger, Torquay
1998 (Here it is preferable for
White to opt for ll..ie3 e4 12.ll:\d2
exd3 13.ll:\e4 g6 14.cxd3 .ig4 15.
b1 ae8+! his pieces, in particu
lar his knight, are very active but
it is unable to come to the c5square in view of the variation
16.ll:\c5? xe3+, while after every
exchange the vulnerability of
White's pawns becomes more ob
vious.), Black can play 11...h6 12.
.ie3 e4 13.ll:\d4 (13.dxe4 xc3+)
13...exd3 14.xd3 d8+ and Black
ends up with the superior pawn
structure.
10.b1 - This is a very reason
able move, because White's rook
will remain active along the open
file. 10....ib6 ll.d3 h6 12.h3 (after
12.e2, Waitzkin - A.Mikhalevs
ki, Budapest 1997, 12...i.e6 13.c4
.ig4+!; White does not obtain any
advantage with the move 12.i.e3,
Xie - Chapman, Manly Sydney

l.e4 e5 2. ltlj3 ltl c6 3. ltl c3 ltlf6 4.g3 d5

2009, because after 12... e4 13.
ltld4 exd3 14.cxd3 ltlxd4 15. .b:d4
.b:d4 16.cxd4 1!9xd4 17. .b:b7 l'!b8=
the position is considerably sim
plified.) 12... .ie6 13.c4 l'!ad8 14.
1!9e2, Quesada Perez - Hernandez
Carmenates, Cuba 2000, and
here Black can play 14... l'!fe8 15.
.ib2 .ic8 Black has strength
ened his centre and his pieces are
ideally placed.
9 . . . .ig4

1 0 .h3
10. .ie3?! - This move leads to
a change in the pawn structure
which is not in White's favour,
Rodriguez - Miguel Lago, Mon
dariz 1995, 10... .b:e3 ll.fxe3 e4!
12.dxe4 We7+ Almost all White's
pawns are weak and his bishop is
passive.
10.'W'e1 f6 11.ltld2 (For ll.h3
.ih5 - see 10.h3; or ll.l'!b1 Wd7
12.We4 .ib6= Black has securely
covered his b7-pawn, fortified his
centre and developed his pieces in
ideal fashion, Aguilar Melian Mengual Bolo, Email 2008; after
ll.We4 .ie6 12.1!9h4 l'!b8, White
can hardly organize any active

play on the kingside, because af

ter 13.g4?! ltle7+ he weakens the
important f4-square, Gheorghe Haznedaroglu, Email 2006.) 11...
1!9d7 12.l'!b1 .ih3 13. .b:h3 Wxh3
14.'W'e4 (after 14.l'!xb7? .ib6 15.
We4 ltla5+ White loses the ex
change) 14....ib6 15.c4, Fernan
dez Romero - Fernandez Garcia,
Lanzarote 2003 (it is better to
play 15.a4 l'!fe8 16.ltlc4 We6= )
15... We6 16.ltlb3 a51' and Black
seizes the initiative.
10.'W'e2 .ib6!?N This prophy
lactic move has not yet been tried.
(It seems too risky for Black to
weaken his kingside with 10... f6
ll.d4't, but he has a very reasona
ble alternative in 10... Wc8 11.1!9e4
.ifS 12.'W'c4 .ib6=) ll.h3 (White
should avoid ll.We4 f5 12.1!9c4+
l!th8 because after 13.ltlg5 Wf6+
Black's pieces are very actively de
ployed, having fortified the e5pawn and deprived the enemy
knight of the e4-square. In the
endgame arising after 13.h3 .ih5
14.Wh4 Wxh4 15.ltlxh4 e4 16.dxe4
fxe4+ White loses the exchange
with the greedy move 17. .b:e4
.ie2+, but even after 17.g4 i.f7 18.
.b:e4 .ic4 19.i.d3 ltle5 20. .b:c4
ltlxc4+ Black has more than suffi
cient compensation for the pawn.
White's kingside has been de
stroyed, his f2-pawn is weak and
Black's rook is threatening to pen
etrate to the e2-square.) ll... i.h5
12.g4 .ig6 13.ltld2 (A drawish
endgame arises after 13.ltlxe5 l'!e8
14.ltlxc6 l'!xe2 15.ltlxd8 l'!xd8 16.
a4 i.a5 17. .ie3 l'!xc2 18.i.xb7 .ib6=
85

Chapter 7
Black regains his pawn and it be
comes pointless to continue the
game.) 13.. .f5 14.li:'lc4 d7?

Black has obtained an excel

lent position, which can be con
firmed by the following varia
tions:
15.a4 l"lae8 16.i.a3 fxg4! 17.
.txf8 gxh3 18. .txc6 xc6 19.g4
l"lxf8 20.tt:lxe5 (20.xh3 l"lf5 21.
'\Wg3 '\Wf6-+) 20... f6 21.tt:lxg6
.txf2+ 22.'it>h1 xg6 23.xg6 (23.
'\Wxh3 l"lf5-+) 23... hxg6 24.'it>h2
l"lf3+ and the advance of the g6pawn will be very unpleasant for
White.
15.tt:lxe5 - This is the most
principled move. 15... tt:lxe5 16.
'\Wxe5 fxg4 (Black obtains excel
lent compensation after the pa
tient line: 16...c6!? 17.'\Wg3 i.c7
18.f4 l"lae8) 17.'\Wd5+ '\Wxd5 18.
.txd5+ i.f7 19. .txb7 l"lab8 20.i.c6
gxh3? The number of pawns is
equal and the weakness of Black's
h3-pawn is compensated for by
the vulnerability of White's a2and c3- pawns on the queenside.
In answer to 10.l"le1, Wieclaw
- Olszewski, Rewal 2007, it would
be reasonable for Black to deploy
all his forces in the centre with
86

10... '\Wd7 11.e2 i.b6 12.e4 (12.

tt:lxe5?? tt:lxe5 13.xe5 l"lae8-+)
12... l"lad8 13.a4 l"lfe8?
After 10.l"lb1, Nyysti - Sam
malvuo, Helsinki 2000, the game
becomes greatly simplified after
10... e4! ll.dxe4 xd1 12.l"lxd1 tt:le5
13.l"ld5 tt:lxf3+ 14.hf3 .txf3 15.
l"lxc5 he4 16J'!xc7 l"lac8= White
has an extra pawn, but his queen
side pawn structure is in ruins
and he has no advantage whatso
ever.

1 0 . . . i.h5

ll.g4
ll. .ie3?! - Just as on the pre
vious move, this leads to a change
in the pawn structure which is not
in White's favour. ll... .txe3 12.
fxe3 e4! 13.dxe4 .txf3 14.xf3
tt:le5 15.e2 e7+ Black's power
ful centralized knight is stronger
than White's bishop, restricted by
the pawn on e4, Belkhodja - Daas
Hossem, Tunis 2001.
In reply to 11.e2, Nyysti Van Hoolandt, Helsinki 2001, it
seems reasonable for Black to
support his e5-pawn by playing
ll... f6 (without the inclusion of

l.e4 e5 2. ttl.f.3 ttl c6 3. ttl c3 ttlf6 4.g3 dS

the moves 10.h3 h5, this would
have been dangerous for Black
owing to the vulnerability of
Black's light-squared bishop) 12.
d4!? (this is White's most princi
pled move, although it would be
more prudent for him to continue
with 12J"!e1 f7 13.tt:ld2 d5 14.
hd5+ '!Wxd5=) 12...b6 13.dxe5
fxe5 14.g4 g6 15.g5 (15.tt:lxe5?!
tt:lxe5 16.'!Wxe5 c6 17.e3 l"!e8 18.
'!Wf4 he3 19.fxe3 '!We7+ Black re
gains his pawn and retains the
better prospects, in view of
White's weakened pawn structure
and his vulnerable king, which
has been deprived of a secure
pawn shelter.) 15...'!We8 16.tt:lh4
f7 17.tt:lf5 e6 18.e4 (18..b:c6?!
bxc6 19.tt:le7+ c;t>h8 20.'\WxeS c4+
White has lost his king's only de
fender and is condemned to a dif
ficult defence.) 18... c;t>h8 19.tt:le3
tt:ld8! 20.4 '!Wa4 21.ttld5 tt:lf7 22.
tt:lxb6 axb6 23.l"!fe1 tt:ld6f! White
has the advantage of the two bish
ops, but his king is exposed and
his queenside pawns are vulnera
ble.
ll.'!We1 - White attacks the en
emy e5-pawn and avoids the pin.
ll...f6 12.l"!b1 (12.tt:ld2 '!Wd7 13.tt:le4
e7 14.e3 b6 15.f4 exf4 16.gxf4
f5 17.tt:ld2 l'!ae8+ Black has taken
control over the e4-square and
occupies the e-file, Trabert - Vul,
Kecskemet 1991; the position is
about equal after 12.'!We4 f7 13.
tt:ld2 '!Wd7= Barbaric Vuk - Ra
kuljic, Stobrec 2004, or 12.e3
b6 13.tt:ld2 f7= ) 12...b6 13.
a3 (if 13.tt:ld2 f7 14.tt:lc4 d5=,

then Black exchanges his oppo

nent's active bishop and has no
problems whatsoever) 13...l"!e8
14.tt:lh4 '!Wd7 15.'\We4, Pel - Van
Leent, Hoogeveen 2004, 15...f7
16.l"!b2 l"!ad8+ Black has massed
all his forces in the centre, while
White's pieces are scattered round
the edge of the board.
After ll.l"!b1 l"!b8 12.l"!b5, Sper
dokli - Ubiennykh, Athens 2001
(12.g4 g6 13.tt:lg5 e7 14.tt:le4 f5
15.gxf5 hf5 - see ll.g4), it would
be reasonable for Black to bolster
his e5-pawn by playing 12...d6=
After ll.l"!e1 f6 12.e3 he3
13.l"!xe3 it looks very good for
Black to play 13...'\Wd6=, connect
ing his rooks with the plan of cen
tralizing them and then sending
his queen to target the weak ene
my pawns.
n . . .tg6
.

12.tt:lg5
12.'!We2 l"!e8 13.tt:lg5 (in answer
to 13.tt:ld2, Jensen - Efimov,
Email 2009, it is very good for
Black to continue with 13...'!Wd7
14.tt:le4 e7 15.l"!e1 f5 16.gxf5 hf"Sf!
followed by the transfer of his
87

Chapter ?
knight to e6) 13...h6 14.ll:Je4 b6
15.c;!lh1 (15.\Wf3, Burnett - M.Kan
torik, Tatranske Zruby 2008, 15...
ll:Je7 16J'!b1 b8 - he wants to
push c7-c6, while after 17.c4 Black
is ready to retreat 17...ll:Jc6 18.c3
e7?) 15...ll:Je7? Lupulescu Kir.Georgiev, Rijeka 2010.

12 . . . e7 13.ll:Je4 f5 !

gressive line: 16.f4 \Wd7 17.\Wf3,

Simic - M.Trifunovic, Golubac
2008, because of 17...be8 18.
c;!lh2 exf4 19.4 ll:Jd8t Black
plans to advance with b7-b6 and
c7-c5, improving his position in
the centre and strengthening his
queenside. It is no improvement
for White to play 16..te3 \Wd7 17.
c;!lh2 b6+, because Black will cen
tralize his rook and transfer his
knight to the e6-square, Tirard Karpatchev, Avoine 1999.) 16...
\Wd7 17..te3, Lastin - Egin, Mos
cow 1997, he can continue with
17....te6 18.a4 f5 19.\We2 f7+
gaining tempi for the develop
ment of his kingside initiative.

15 . . . .i.g6

White's pieces gain permanent

access to the e4-square, but the f
file is opened. This provides Black
with attacking prospects and he
can occupy the excellent f4square, which is at least as impor
tant as e4.

Black can even try to obtain an

edge now with the move 15...
\Wd7!?? later deploying his knight
on e6.

16.\Wg4 f5

14.gxf5 ht'5 15.Yflt5

White merely loses time with
15.ll:Jg3, Glek - Thorfinnsson, Ali
mini 2011, since giving up his
bishop on g2 for the enemy knight
on c6, might lead to a dangerous
attack for Black. So Black is not
obliged to prevent that capture,
and after 15...e6 16.\Wh5 g6 17.
h6 d5 18.ll:Je4 \Wd7t, with the
plan of ll:Jc6-d8-e6, he seizes the
initiative.
After 15.b1 b8 16.h5 (White
cannot achieve much with the ag88

17.trh5
17.\Wg3 c;!lh8?
17 . . . .i.g6= and the game Ste
vie Adams, Plovdiv 2010 ended
in a draw after a three-fold repeti
tion of moves.
-

Chapter S

l.e4 e5 2)ijf3 ltlc6 3.lilc3 lilf6 4.i.b5

Four Knights Game
Double Ruy Lopez

4 . . . .ib4
We believe that this ancient
symmetrical response provides
Black with excellent chances of
equalizing. He has a good alterna
tive though. This is the sharper
move 4...ltld4!? - see Konstantin
Sakaev's book "The Petroff: an

Expert Repertoire for Black".

5. 0 - 0
Black has no problems after
S.a3 hc3 6.dxc3 ltlxe4 7.e2 ltld6
8.hc6 dxc6 9.xe5+ e7 10.
xe7+ l!txe7= with an absolutely
equal endgame, Bachin - Gutov,
Sochi 2007.
In the variation S.d4 exd4
6.ltlxd4 i.xc3+ 7.bxc3 ltlxe4 8.f3
0-0 9.0-0 ltlxd4 10.cxd4 dS+
White fails to obtain sufficient

compensation for the pawn, since

it would be bad for him to contin
ue with ll..ia3? ltld2 12.f4 ltlxfl
13.hf8 xf8 14.E:xfl c6 1S..id3
.ie6+ with advantageous simplifi
cations for Black.
After s.e2 0-0 6.hc6 (6.
0-0 d6 - see 5.0-0; but not 6.d3?
ltld4 7.ltlxd4 exd4 8.a3 .iaS 9.b4
and after playing 9....ib6 lO.ltldl
aS+ Black obtains a considerable
lead in development and his piec
es are ideally placed; in answer to
6.a3, he is not obliged to present
his opponent with the advantage
of the bishop pair; it is sufficient
for Black to play 6....ic5 7..b:c6
bxc6 8.0-0 E:e8=) Black equalizes
with 6...dxc6 7.0-0 E:e8=. Black
has no weaknesses in his camp
and he has two powerful bishops.
Later he plans to deploy his knight
on the e6-square.
The move S.ltldS leads to sim
plification, after which White
must play very carefully. S...ltlxdS
6.exd5 e4 7.dxc6 dxc6 8..ic4 (It is
simpler to opt for 8..ie2 exf3
9.hf3 0-0 10.0-0 f6= when
Black's development is a bit bet
ter, but he will have difficulty ex89

Chapter S
plaiting this.) 8... exf3 9.'Wxf3 0-0
10.0-0 'Wh4 ll.i.e2?! (White
needs to make one more precise
move, and after ll.d3 i.d6=
Black's slight initiative is not dan
gerous, unless White weakens the
light squares around his king with
12.g3?! 'Wh3+ Falout - Vaindl,
Czech Republic 1999.) ll... l"l:e8 12.
d3 i.d6 13.g3 'Wa4t Black's pieces
are noticeably more active and he
has a dangerous initiative. The
game Y.Meister - Kurnosov, Sat
ka 2008, ended in a win for him
after 14.c3 i.h3 15.l"l:e1? i.g4 0-1.
5.d3 d6 6.i.g5 (6.0-0 0-0 see 5.0-0; 6.i.xc6+ bxc6 7.0-0
0-0 - see 5.0-0; it is too passive
for White to play 6.i.d2 0-0 7.
0-0 !iJe7 8.a3 i.a5 9.i.c4 c6 10.
i.a2 !iJg6= Black has covered the
d5-square and can try to seize the
initiative later with the move d6d5, or prepare the transfer of his
knight to the f4-square, Bara
midze - Kir.Georgiev, Kusadasi
2006; it is no better for White to
opt for 6.a3 i.xc3+ 7.bxc3 0-0 8.
0-0 h6 9.l"l:e1, because by playing
9... a6 10.i.a4 !iJa5= Black de
prives his opponent of his only
trump - his advantage of the
bishop pair.) 6... h6 7.i.h4 g5 8.
i.g3, Legaspi - Iuldachev, Kuala
Lumpur 2008. Here it is worth
considering 8... 0-0!? 9.a3 i.xc3+
10.bxc3 !iJa5 ll.i.a4 c6 12.!iJd2 b5
13.i.b3 !iJxb3 14.cxb3 i.g4! 15.f3
i.e6= With his bishop manoeu
vre, Black has deprived his oppo
nent of control of the important
h5-square and his knight cannot
90

be prevented from occupying that

square later on.
5.hc6 bxc6 - Neither side has
castled yet, so it is preferable to
capture towards the centre with
the pawn, obtaining chances of
seizing the initiative. 6.!iJxe5 (6.
d3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 - see 5.0-0; af
ter 6.0-0 d6 7.d4 0-0 8.dxe5
hc3 9.bxc3 !iJxe4 10.'Wd4 d5, it
would be premature for White to
play ll.c4? i.a6 12.l"l:e1 i.xc4+ with
an extra pawn for Black and an
advantage in the centre. After
ll.i.a3 l"l:e8 12.l"l:fel, Salameh Myers, Lugano 1968, he can play
12... i.a6= not allowing the oppo
nent to advance with c3-c4.) 6...
'We7

White must play very carefully

in this position to maintain the
balance.
It is bad to continue with 7.
d4?! d6 8.!iJxc6 hc3+ 9.bxc3
xe4+ 10.e2, E.Mamedov - Jo
erg, Germany 2003, Black can
counter this with 10... @d7! 11.
'Wxe4 !iJxe4 12.!iJa5 !iJxc3+, regain
ing his pawn and maintaining a
lead in development.
After 7.f4 hc3 8.bxc3 (In re
ply to 8.dxc3, it is strong for Black

l.e4 e5 2. ti:Jj3 ti:Jc6 3. ti:J c3 ti:Jf6 4. i. b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0

to play 8... 0-0! 9.0-0 c5 10J:e1
i.b7t and he regains his pawn,
while his unopposed light -squared
bishop becomes very active.)
Black must enter a forcing line by
playing 8... d6 9.ti:Jxc6 xe4+ 10.
e2 xe2+ 11.\t>xe2 .ib7 12.ti:Jd4
.ixg2 13.:1'&gl .ih3+. Black has a
strong initiative, thanks to his su
perior pawn-structure and more
active pieces. If White plays
greedily - 14.:1'&xg7? then his king
comes under the combined attack
of all of Black's pieces: 14... .ig4+
15.\t>fl lt>f8 16.:1!g5 :1'&e8-+, followed
by the subsequent expulsion of
White's rook from the g-file with
the move h7-h6.
After 7. ti:Jf3 .ixc3 8.bxc3 (It is
inferior for White to play 8.dxc3,
because after 8... xe4+ 9.i.e3
i.a6t Black regains his pawn and
prevents the evacuation of White's
king to safety on the kingside.)
8... xe4+ 9.e2 xe2+ 10.1t>xe2
.ia6+ ll. lt>d1 0-0= A completely
symmetrical position has ap
peared on the board with Black
having several extra tempi, al
though he cannot exploit this in
any meaningful way, Cofman Pfefferle, Germany 2005.
In the variation 7.ti:Jg4 hc3 8.
dxc3 xe4+ 9.ti:Je3 d6 (9....b6! ?
10.d4!=) 10.0-0 0-0= Black
has a slight advantage in the cen
tre, but the position is practically
equal, Kroselj - Novak, Nova
Gorica 2009.
After 7.ti:Jd3! .bc3 8.dxc3
xe4+ 9.e2 xe2+ 10.1t>xe2
0-0= White cannot exploit the

vulnerability of his opponent's a7pawn but has no other pluses,

Aripov - Khoroshev, Tashkent
2010.
5... 0 - 0

White has tried various possi

bilities in the diagram position.
His best chances of trying to ob
tain an advantage are with A)
6.i.xc6 and, of course, with the
most natural move B) 6.d3.
It is bad for him to opt for 6.
d4?! hc3 7.bxc3 ti:Jxe4 8.d3 d5
9.ti:Jxe5 ti:Jxe5 10.dxe5 c6 ll.i.a4,
Riemann - A.Anderssen, Breslau
1876, since his bishop on a4 re
mains out of play and Black can
attack the e5-pawn with 11... :1'&e8+
The simplifications after 6.
ti:Jd5 ti:Jxd5 7.exd5 e4 8.dxc6 exf3
9.xf3 dxc6 10. .id3 i.d6t enable
Black to obtain a lead in develop
ment, Thesing - Werle, Eforie
Nord 2009.
The position is completely
symmetrical after 6.a3 hc3 7.
dxc3 ti:Jxe4 8.:1'&el ti:Jd6 9.hc6
dxc6 10.ti:Jxe5 :1!e8=
6.e2 - This is an attempt by
White to reach original positions.
91

Chapter S
6...d6 7.h3 (It is no improvement
to opt for 7.hc6 bxc6 8.tt:\d1, be
cause by playing 8.. J"!:e8= Black
prevents d2-d4 and prepares the
pawn-advance d6-d5, ending up
with a space advantage.) 7...h6 8.
tt:\d1 .ia5 9.c3 .ib6 10.d3 .ie6=
Black has deployed his pieces in
ideal fashion and has no problems
whatsoever, Santamaria - Mon
teros, Barranquilla 1995.
6J"!:e1 d6

7.d4?! - Black is much better

prepared for the opening of the
position: 7...exd4 8.tt:\xd4 tt:\xd4
9.xd4 .ic5 10.d2, Koziel - Wil
iczkiewicz, Slask 1996 and after
10 ...c6 ll..id3 tt:\g4 12J"!:f1 f5+
Black is ahead in development
and has excellent attacking pros
pects.
After 7.h3 .id7 8.a3, Sharapov
- Burdalev, Yuzhny 2010, Black
obtains a very good game with 8...
hc3 9.bxc3 tt:\e7 10.a4 tt:\g6=
Having doubled pawns, White
will find it hard to utilize his ad
vantage of the bishop pair.
It is no improvement to con
tinue with 7.a3 hc3 8.bxc3 (after
8.dxc3 it is good for Black to opt
for 8...h6= restricting the mobili92

ty of his opponent's dark-squared

bishop) 8.. J"!:e8= when Black has
prevented White's possibility of
occupying the centre with d2-d4
and has no problems at all.
After 7.d3, Black's simplest re
sponse is 7...h6=, preventing the
pin of his f6-knight.
In reply to 7.tt:\d5 Black has a
good line which has not been
played yet: 7....ic5 8.c3 (The risky
move 8.d4?! leads after 8...tt:\xd4
9.tt:\xd4 tt:\xd5 10.tt:\b3 tt:\f4+ to a
position where White is just a
pawn down.) 8...a6 9..ic4 .ia7 10.
d4 (After 10.d3 tt:\xd5 ll.hd5 tt:\e7
12 ..ib3 tt:\g6= Black can easily
parry the activity of White's bish
op by playing .ie6.) 10...h6 ll.h3.
White has not allowed his oppo
nent to increase the pressure
against the d4-pawn with the
move .ig4, but here Black can
play ll...exd4 12.cxd4 l"!:e8 13.d3
tt:\xd5 14.hd5 tt:\b4 15..ixf7+ @xf7
16.b3+ d5 17.xb4 dxe4 18.
tt:\e5+ @g8? Although Black's
king is a bit exposed, he has two
powerful bishops, while White
has difficulty pursuing his attack
since after 19.b3+ .ie6 20.g3
xd4 21.hh6, there arises an
endgame in which Black's bishop
is slightly superior to White's
knight after 21...xf2+! 22.xf2
.ixf2+ 22.@xf2 gxh6 23.l"!:xe4
.idS=

A) 6 . .bc6
This exchange deserves atten
tion, but Black obtains the advan-

l.e4 e5 2. l:iJ.f3 l:iJ c6 3. l:iJ c3 l:iJf6 4.i.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0

tage of the bishop pair and can be
optimistic about the future.

6 . . . dxc6

'Wf3 i.g6=) 10... l:iJd6 11.i.f4 xe1 +

12.'Wxe1 i.f5= The position is sym
metrical and its evaluation as ab
solutely equal cannot be disputed,
Al.Ivanov - Kamsky, Saint Louis
2011.

7 . . . i.g4

7.d3
After 7.!'1e1 e8 8.a3 (in re
sponse to 8.d3 it seems good for
Black to opt for 8... h6 9.h3 b6
10.i.e3 .b:c3 11.bxc3 c5= fortify
ing his position in the centre) 8...
i.d6 9.h3 l:iJd7? - this standard
transfer of Black's knight to the
e6-square provides him with an
excellent position.
7.l:iJxe5 e8 8.l:iJd3 (after 8.l:iJf3
l:iJxe4 9.l:iJxe4 xe4+ Black has the
bishop pair and superior develop
ment, Forgacs - Vidmar, Buda
pest 1913; in the variation 8.d4
.b:c3 9.bxc3 l:iJxe4= Black has the
better pawn-structure, but he
cannot really exploit this, Tauben
haus - Chigorin, New York 1889)
8 ... .b:c3 9.dxc3 l:iJxe4 10.e1 (af
ter 10.'?;Yf3 '?;Yf6 1l.'?;Yxf6 l:iJxf6= the
opponents can agree to a draw,
Spassky - Ljubojevic, Linares
1985; White has no chances of ob
taining an advantage after 10.i.f4
i.f5 11.e1 l:iJd6= Michiels Sasikiran, Antwerp 2009, or 11.

8.h3
In answer to 8.i.g5 it is good
for Black to play 8... 'Wd6 9.a3
.b:c3 10.bxc3 l:iJd7=, followed by a
later transfer of his knight to the
e6-square.
It is no improvement for White
to opt for 8.i.e3 l:iJd7? since Black
is ready to exchange on c3, fol
lowed by c6-c5, as well as accom
plish the standard manoeuvre of
the knight to e6.
After 8.'We2 l:iJd7 9.l:iJd1, it is
good for Black to continue with
9... '?;Yf6t, which would lead to a
weakening of White's pawn
structure.

8 . . . J.h5
(diagram)

9.ee2
It is not very easy for White to
get rid of the pin, for example it
would be bad for him to opt for
93

Chapter S

9.g4? tt:\xg4 10.hxg4 (Black can

organize a powerful attack with
out sacrificing anything after 10.
tt:\xe5 tt:\xe5 11.xh5 fs) 10...
hg4

use of the circumstance that the

centre has been closed.) 11....ig6
12.@g2 !!adS (Black wins an im
portant tempo by attacking the
enemy e4-pawn.) 13.e2, Nim
zowitsch - Leonhardt, San Sebas
tian 1911. Now Black can obtain
an excellent position with 13....ic5
14../t:\d1 e6 15../t:\e3 f6fZ when
Black has fortified his kingside
and plans to advance his queen
side pawns.
In the variation 9.@h1 tt:\d7 10.
g4 .ig6 11../t:\e2, Nimzowitsch Levitsky, St. Petersburg 1914,
Black ends up with a wonderful
game by transferring the knight to
the e6-square, where it both de
fends and attacks after 11....id6
12../t:\g3 tt:\c5 13../t:\fS tt:\e6fZ

9 . . .c!Dd7 1 0 .dl

ll.@h1?, Capablanca - Chajes,

New York 1912 (it is preferable for
White to play 11.@g2 ixc3 12.bxc3
f5 13.e1 fxe4 14../t:\ g5 l'U5 15.xe4
!!xg5 16.ixg5 xg5+ although
even then his king is exposed,
while Black has two pawns for the
exchange) and here Black can
win by force with 11...f5! 12.!!g1
ixc3 13.bxc3 .ih5 14.!!g5 e8 15.
exf5 e4! 16.dxe4 xe4 17.!!xh5
!!ad8-+ and Black regains the
sacrificed material with interest.
After 9..ig5 d6 10.i.xf6 xf6
11.g4 (White plans to organize an
attack on the kingside, making
94

Or 10.g4 .ig6 11../t:\d1 .id6 12.

tt:\e3 tt:\c5 13../t:\c4 f6 14. ./t:\h4 .if7
15../t:\e3 tt:\e6+ and Black has de
ployed his forces in ideal fashion
and is well prepared for action on
the queenside, Soffer - Alterman,
Israel 1998.

1 0 . . .1:e8 ll.e3, Tarrasch

Rubinstein, Vienna 1922, 11

. .

l.e4 eS 2. lD.f3 lD c6 3. lD c3 lDf6 4. i. b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0

.if8+t Black intends to carry out
the manoeuvre lDd7-c5-e6 and
strengthens the position of his
king.

B) 6.d3
This is White's main move in
this position. He wants to pin the
enemy knight on f6.

tage in the centre. In reply to the

careless move 10.c4?!, Bazant Zeberski, Czech Republic 2008,
Black could have played 10...
lDd7!?t with the idea of lD d7-c5
and c7-c6.

Bl) 7 . .ixc6 bxc6

6 . . . d6

8.lDe2
In the diagram position, he
can try to fight for the advantage
with Bl) 7 .ixc6, B2) 7.lDe2 and

B3) 7 .ig5.

7.lDd5?! (The resulting change

in the pawn-structure is in Black's
favour.) 7... lDxd5 8.exd5 lDe7 9.c3
ic5 10.i.c4 i.g4 11.h3 ih5 12.ie3
ib6 13.a4 f5+ White's light
squared bishop is out of play now
and Black easily gains extra space
on the kingside, enabling him to
organize an attack there, Jaffe Capablanca, New York 1910.
7.h3 lDe7 8.a3 (8.lDe2 c6 - see
7.lDe2; 8.i.g5 c6 - see 7.i.g5; 8.
lDh4 c6 9.i.a4 d5+t) 8... hc3 9.
bxc3 lDg6= Black has deployed his
pieces in ideal fashion, preventing
White from obtaining any advan-

With his previous move White

weakened his opponent's queen
side pawn structure, but gave up
any chance of deploying his
knight in the d5-outpost. Accord
ingly, its transfer to the g3-square
seems to be his most reasonable
continuation.
8.ig5 h6 9.i.h4 (It is inferior
for White to play 9..ixf6 xf6+
and Black has a solid centre,
strong bishops and a clear-cut
plan of action based on the pawn
advance f7-f5, Weiss - Strathoff,
Dortmund 2003.) 9...%!fe7 10.h3
%!fe6 1U3e1 lDh5+ Black's knight is
eyeing the f4-square and he is
preparing f7-f5.
After 8.i.e3 hc3 9.bxc3 it is
good for Black to strengthen his
centre by playing 9...c5=
95

Chapter S
8

. .

.ig4 9.1l:lg3 h5 1 0 .f5

In answer to 10.c3, K.Berg D.Bronstein, Tastrup 1990, be

fore removing his bishop from an
attack, it would be useful for Black
to weaken his opponent's king
side with 10...tLlxg3 ll.hxg3 .icSt

14.e4 Wi'b8 15.b3 b6 + 16.c!>hl

1Ue8 =

Black is preparing to advance

with d6-d5, opening the d-file and
preventing his opponent from or
ganizing an effective kingside at
tack.

10

.ic5 !?N

This is a logical move, prevent

ing the manoeuvre tLlf5-e3, but it
has not been tested in practice
yet.

B2) 7.e2

ll .ie3

After ll.tLle3 .ixe3 12.fxe3 fS

13.exf5 !!xfS 14.h3 .ixf3 15.!1xf3
f6= Black completes his devel
opment and has no problems at
all.
It is no improvement for White
to opt for ll.i.d2 tLlf6 12.tLle3 .ixe3
13.fxe3 tLld7=, preparing t7-f5.
ll .ixf5
It is also possible for Black to
try the original idea ll...f6!?
12.hc5 dxcS 13.g3 !!feB 14.!1e1
hfS lS.exfS W/xfS 16.tLlh4 WigS 17.
tLlf3 Wi'fS= and White is unable to
exploit the vulnerability of Black's
tripled pawns.

12.exf5 .ixe3 13.fxe3 f6

96

White's knight will be better

placed on g3 than on c3.

e7 8.c3

For 8..ig5 c6 - see 7..ig5; 8.

.ia4 tLlg6 9.c3 .ia5 10.tLlg3 c6 - see
8.c3.
8.tLlg3 c6 9..ia4 tLlg6 10.d4 (10.
c3 .iaS - see 8.c3; Black has no

l.e4 eS 2. tiJj3 tiJ c6 3. tiJ c3 tiJj6 4. J.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0

problems after 10.i.b3 h6 ll.h3
l3e8 12.c3 i.a5 13.l3e1 d5=, or 10.
h3 d5 ll.c3 J.d6 12.l3e1, Nim
zowitsch - Maroczy, Karlsbad
1907, 12... h6= and in both cases
Black even enjoys a bit more
space.) 10... exd4 ll.tiJxd4 d5 12.
exd5 tiJxd5= The position is com
pletely equal after the centre
pawns have disappeared off the
board, Janowski - Burn, Ostend
1907.
After 8.h3 c6 9.i.a4 tiJg6 10.c3
i.a5 ll.i.c2 (here it is better for
White to play ll.tiJg3 d5 - see 8.
c3.) ll... d5 12.i.g5 (12.tiJg3 l3e8
13.h1, Korenev - Diulger, Eforie
Nord 1998, 13... i.b6t) 12... h6 13.
i.e3, Novak - Priborsky, Klatovy
2002 and after 13...l3e8 14.tiJg3
i.b6t Black is deploy his pieces
ideally and obtain a slight space
advantage.

telin, St. Petersburg 1993, and af

ter playing 12... tiJg6 13.tiJxg6
hxg6= Black fortifies his king
side;
9.i.g5 tiJg6 10.tiJh4, Godena Toth, Switzerland 1997, and now
with 10...c6 11.i.a4 i.b6 12.h1 d5
13.exd5 xd5= Black equalizes
completely, since after 14.i.xf6?!
gxf6 15.tiJf3 l3d8+ White is unlike
ly to be able to exploit the slight
weakening of his opponent's king
side and his d3-pawn needs addi
tional protection.

9 . . . c6 1 0 .ta4

For 10.i.c4 tiJg6 ll.i.b3 h6 see 10.i.a4.

l O . . . tiJg6

8 . . . .ta5

ll.d4

9.tiJg3
White has no chance of retain
ing an edge after the alternatives:
9.h3 tiJg6 10.tiJg3 c6 11.i.a4 d5
- see 9.tiJg3; 9.CiJh4 c6 10.i.a4 d5
1l.tiJg3 i.b6 12.h3, Gubanov - Pe-

ll.l3e1 l3e8 12.J.c2 d5 13.a4

(White can create more problems
for his opponent with 13.i.g5!? h6
14..b:f6 xf6 15.d4, but after 15...
i.g4 16.exd5 .b:f3 17.xf3 xf3
18.gxf3 CiJh4 19.i.e4 cxd5 20..b:d5
exd4 2l.l3xe8+ l3xe8 22.b4 i.c7
23.cxd4 l3d8 24. .b:b7 l3xd4 25.a3
g6 practically by force we reach
an endgame in which Black has
more than enough compensation
97

Chapter S
for the pawn.) 13....ic7= and
Black's position in the centre is
slightly preferable, Llaneza Vega
- Sebastian, Germany 2009.
In answer to ll..ib3, it is good
for Black to play 1l...h6 12.h3 d5=
The position becomes dead
equal after ll.h3 dS 12..ib3, Varga
- G.Timoshenko, Herculane 1996,
12... dxe4 13.dxe4 h6=

his opponent's king position.)

13...exd4 14.tt'lxd4 dS 15.exd5
tt'lxd5=

ll . . J:e8

The position is symmetrical

and both sides have similar devel
opment; nevertheless, they have
to play very accurately, because
after 16.tt'ldf5 f6 17.f3 tt'le5 18.
hS, G.Kuzmin - A. Kharitonov,
Moscow 1991, Black could have
seized the initiative with the move
18....ic7t

12 . . . .ib6 !
12 . .ic2
White supports his e4-pawn.
It would less logical to play
12..ib3 h6 (But not 12...exd4?!
13.cxd4, Alekhine - Euwe, Am
sterdam 1936, since the e4-pawn
is taboo, because if 13...tt'lxe4?
14.tt'lxe4 l"i:xe4 15..ixf7+ @xf7 16.
tt'l g5 White wins the exchange,
so it turns out that Black has sim
ply given up the centre to his op
ponent for nothing.) 13.h3 (It
would be more accurate for White
to continue with 13.dxe5 dxeS
14.c2 .ib6=; in the variation 13.
l"i:e1?! .ig4, he is unable to main
tain his centre and after 14.dxe5,
Janowski - Tarrasch, Ostend
1907, 14... tt'lxe5+ Black destroys
98

After this move White is una

ble to prevent the freeing pawn
break d6-d5.

13.h3
But not 13.l"i:e1?! .ig4 14..ie3
d5t
13 d5 14. xe5, P.Popovic
Pruijssers, Germany 2010.
.

l.e4 eS 2. 0f3 ttl c6 3. ttl c3 ttlf6 4. b5 b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0

Now the position becomes to
tally simplified after the following
practically forced line: 14 xe5
.

15.dxe5 xe4 16.xe4 dxe4

17.'ti'xd8 hd8 18.gel gxe5 19
.if4 ges 2 0 .he4 .ie7 21 .ic2
.ie6 22 .ib3 hb3 23.axb3
.ic5 = and the endgame looks very

drawish.

B3) 7 .ig5

White bases his hopes of ob

taining an advantage on this
move.

e7! ?

Black carries out the standard

manoeuvre of his knight to the
g6-square, without being afraid of
the break-up of his kingside. He is
preparing to play in the centre by
advancing c7-c6 and d7-d5.
This ancient move became
fashionable again during the
years 2010-2011, mostly owing to
games by the ex-world champion
Ruslan Ponomariov against the
strongest Rumanian Grandmas
ter Nisipeanu. Black is trying to
seize the initiative.

8. h4
After 8.e2 c6 9.a4 ttlg6 10.
c3 aS 11.b4, Schiffers - Steinitz,
Nuremberg 1896, it seems very
good for Black to aim his bishop
at the f2-square by playing 11...
b6t
It is not advisable for White to
play 8.c4 c6 9.hf6 (For 9.ttlh4
dS - see 8.h4; it is inferior to
opt for 9.'ti'e2 ttlg6 10.ttlh4,
Janowski - Showalter, New York
1898, since Black can counter this
with 10... ttlf4 11.hf4 exf4+ ob
taining the advantage of the bish
op pair and preparing the open
ing of the central files with the
move d6-d5; White also fails to
retain any advantage with the
line: 9.ttle2 ttlg6 10.c3 a5 11.ttlh4,
Matisons - Kostic, Bardejov 1926,
to which Black can respond with
11... d5 12.exd5 cxdS 13.b3 .ic7=
with a slight advantage in the
centre.) 9... gxf6 10.ttle2 dS 11.a3
.iaS 12.a2 .ib6 13.ttlg3 ttlg6
Black has put White's light
squared bishop out of play and
has excellent counter- chances,
based on eventual activity on the
kingside.
99

Chapter S
8.h3 c 6 9.i.c4 (9.i.a4 lt'lg6 10.
i.b3 h6 ll.i.d2 i.e6= ) 9 ... lt'lg6 10.
lt'lh4, Zavoronkov - Zjukin, Tal
linn 2 0 05 (10.lt'le2? ! h6 ll . .hf6
xf6+ The lack of White's dark
squared bishop is a telling factor
in this position.) 10 . . . lt'lf4 ll.i.b3
lt'le6 12 .he6 fxe6 ! = Black has se
curely covered the fS-square.
8.i.xf6 - This is a very princi
pled move. 8 . . . gxf6
10 .bxc3 cxbS ll.i.gS f6 12 .i.e3
aS+ and he obtains the better
prospects thanks to the weakness
of White's queenside pawns.
9.i.a4 lt'ld7

9 .d4 (Black can obtain a very

good position after 9.lt'ld5 lt'lxdS
10.exd5 i.g4?, or 9.lt'le2 c6 10.
i.a4 fS ll.exfS, Schiffers - Hal
prin, Vienna 1898, ll . . . lt'lxfS? or
9.lt'lh4 c6 10 .i.a4 fS?) 9 . . . hc3
10.bxc3 c6 ll.i.e2 (ll.i.d3 lt'lg6=)
l l . . . lt'lg6 12J!e1 fS 13.exf5 hfS
14.i.d3 f6 15 . .hf5 xfS = White
is unable to exploit the somewhat
insecure position of his oppo
nent's king, while Black domi
nates in the centre and has excel
lent prospects after an exchange
of queens, Bogut - S.Atalik, Neum
2 004.
8 c6
(diagram)
9 .tc4
In response to 9 . .hf6?! Black
has the strong line : 9 . . . .ixc3 !
...

100

Now:
10.a3 hc3 11.bxc3 lt'lc5 12 .i.b3
lt'lxb3 13.cxb3 i.e6 = and Black has
no problems at all, Y.Gruenfeld Baron, Petach Tikva 2011;
10.i.b3 ll:lcS (10 ... h6? ll . .ixe7
xe7 12.lt'lg6 White ends up with
an extra exchange) ll.lt'lfS hfS
1 2 .exf5 h6 13.i.h4 d7 14.he7
(in the variation 14.f6 lt'lg6 15.fxg7
<;t>xg7 16.ig3 fSt Black has excel
lent attacking chances) 14 . . . xe7
15.lt'le2 dS+ with a very strong po
sition for Black in the centre, Ni
tin - A.Gupta, Dubai 2011;
10.lt'le2 lt'lcS ll.c3 (The game is

l.e4 e5 2. ltJ.f3 tt'l c6 3. ttJc3 ltJf6 4. i.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0

equal after ll.i.b3 tt'Jxb3 12.axb3
f6 13.i.d2 .ixd2 14.W/xd2 dS=
White's rook on a1 has become ac
tive, while Black has obtained a
slight space advantage.) ll . . . tt'Jxa4
12.cxb4 (12.W/xa4 i.cS 13.d4 i.b6
14J'!:ad1 i.g4 ! 15.f3 i.e6+ Black has
the better prospects thanks to his
bishop pair, Negi - Sargissian,
Sestao 2 010) 12 . . . tt'lb6 13.a4 i.e6
14.tt'lg3 f6 15.i.e3 dS= Black has a
bit of extra space and his king is
quite safe. After White's risky at
tempt 16.a5 d4 17.i.d2 lt'Jd7 18.f4
exf4 19.tt'le2 tt'JeS 20 .tt'lxf4 i.t7 2 1 .
tt'Jf3, Adams - Clery, Mulhouse
2011, Black could have seized
the initiative by attacking the en
emy b4-pawn with the move 21 . . .
W/d6t
9 . . . d5

B3a) lO.hf6
White is trying to prove that
the weakening of his opponent's
king position is more important
than the advantage of the bishop
pair, which he presents to Black
with this move.
1 0 gxf6

Here it is worth analyzing

thoroughly B3a) 1 0 .hf6 and
B3b) 1 0 .i.b3.
In answer to 10.exd5, R. Pon
omariov - A.Mastrovasilis, Rima
vska Sobota 1996, it is good for
Black to opt for 10 . . . tt'Jexd5 11.tt'le4
i.e7= with unavoidable simplifi
cation.

14.W/h5 - This quite natural

and aggressive move was tried
only in the game Schiffers Teichmann, Berlin 1897. Black
must react very precisely. First he
must support his centre pawns :
14 . . . i.e6 15J:!ae1 (after 15.d4 l!>h8
16.dxe5, Black has the pleasant
choice between the equalizing

ll.i.b3
ll.exdS cxdS 12 .i.b3 hc3 13.
bxc3 lt'Jg6

101

Chapter S
line : 16 . . . ttlxh4 17.xh4 fxeS 18.
g3 f6 = and the double-edged
variation 16 . . . ttlf4 17.h6 fxeS 18.
13ae1 f6 19.g3 13g8 2 0 .'i!th1 tt:lg6)
1S . . .'i!th8 16.ttlxg6+ (It is inferior
for White to continue with 16.d4
e4+ since Black's centre is very
solid and White's bishop on b3
might remain out of play for long
time to come. 16.g3 d7 17.ttlg2
rtlg7 18.ttle3 d4 ! - Black must dis
lodge the enemy knight from its
excellent post, since White was
already threatening to advance
his f2-pawn. 19.cxd4 exd4 20.ttlg2
i.g4 2 1.dS 13fd8 2 2 .xd7 i.xd7! =
White is unable to make use of the
vulnerability of Black's pawns,
mainly because his knight is badly
misplaced.) 16 . . . fxg6 17.h6 aS
18.a4 13f7 19.f4 b6+ 2 0 .'i!th1 c7
21.fxeS fxeS 22.13xf7 i.x7= White's
pawn on c3 and Black's eS-pawn
are equally weak;
14.ttlxg6?! - It is not logical for
White to strengthen his oppo
nent's king position, although this
move has been played very often.
14 . . .hxg6 1S.d2 (It is inferior for
him to continue with 1S.f4 e4 16.
c4? ! Arngrimsson - Semcesen,
Reykjavik 2 009. Black can coun
ter this with 16 . . . dxc4 17.i.xc4 bS !
18 .i.b3 d4+ 19.rtlh1 exd3 2 0 .
xd3 xd3 21.cxd3 i.fS 2 2 .d4 aS+
and he ends up with the better
endgame, thanks to the possibili
ty of creating an outside passed
pawn. It is also important that
White's centre pawn cannot ad
vance beyond the dS-square.
White fails to equalize with 1S.13b1
102

i.e6 16.f4 c7 17.fxeS fxeS+ when

his bishop is passive and his c3pawn is weak, Koehler - Schmidt,
New York 1898. It is much safer
for him to play 1S.c4 ! i.e6 16.cxdS
i.xdS 17.f4 g7 18 .fxeS fxeS=
when White has got rid of his vul
nerable c3-pawn, but Black has
no weaknesses in his camp either,
Schulz - Hromadka, Trencianske
Teplice 1926.) 15 . . . g7. After 16.
13ae1, Schiffers - Janowski, Mos
cow 1901, Black can play 16 . . . i.e6
17.f4 c7 18.fxe5 fxeS+ and Black
obtains a solid centre and can ex
ert pressure against the weak en
emy c3-pawn.
In response to 16.f4, Schiffers
- Suechting, Berlin 1897, it is very
good for Black to play 16 . . . b6+
17.d4 exd4 18.cxd4 d6+ White's
bishop is incarcerated and any at
tempt to free it would lead to the
appearance of another weak
pawn.

ll a5 !
This is an important improve
ment on Black's treatment of this
position in a game played nearly a
hundred years ago : ll . . . d6 12.
...

l.e4 e5 2. 1:iJ.f.3 l:iJ c6 3. 1:iJ c3 1:iJf6 4. i.b5 i.b4 5. 0 - 0 0-0

'Wf3 <i?h8 13.exd5 hc3 14.bxc3
cxd5 15.c4 d4 16.c5 'Wc6oo Tarra
sch - Yates, Karlsbad 1923.
12.a4
After 12.a3 i.xc3 13.bxc3 a4
14.i.a2 l:iJg6 (Black can change the
character of the struggle if he so
wishes with the line : 14 . . . dxe4 ! ?
15.dxe4 '1Mfxd1 16.l'!fxd1 l:iJg6 17.
l:iJf5 i.xf5 18.exf5 1:iJe7 19.l'!d7 1:iJxf5
20 .g4 l:iJh4 21.l'!xb7 l'!ad8 =) 15.
'Wh5 <i?h8 16.<i?h1 l'!g8+! Black has
solved the problem of the protec
tion of his central d5-pawn (Black
can also protect it with his rook
from the aS-square, if necessary.)
and prepares active play on the
kingside, Nisipeanu - Ponoma
riov, Medias 2010.
12 g6 13.xg6
It is no better for White to opt
here for 13.1:iJf5 <i?h8 14.1:iJe2
l'!g8+!, since Black will organize
counterplay on the kingside.
However, it is worthwhile for
White to consider 13.'Wh5 <i?h8.

after14.g3 l:iJf4 ! 15.'Wf3 (15.gxf4

l'!g8+ 16.<i?h1 .ig4 17.Wxf7 f5 18.
l:iJg2 l'!g7+ suddenly White's queen
gets trapped.) 15 . . . l'!g8 16.1:iJf5
h5 17.exf5 i.c5 18.<i?h1 1:iJh3 19.
Wg2 l:iJf4 2 0 .'1Mff3 l:iJh3= A three
fold repetition of the position
arises almost by force.
13 . . . hxg6 14.exd5 hc3 15.
bxc3 cxd5t

..

Black's set-up in the centre is

quite secure and his king is rela
tively safe. In the endgame he will
have the possibility of creating an
outside passed pawn by advanc
ing b7-b5, Saptarshi - Gupta,
New Delhi 2011.

B3b) 10 .ib3

In the variations 14.1:iJe2 l:iJxh4

15.'Wxh4 l'!g8 16.exd5 cxd5 17.<i?h1
f5 18.'Wh5 i.e6+!, and 14.exd5
hc3 15.bxc3 cxd5 16.g3 .ie6f!
White will find it difficult to prove
that Black's centre is weak, while
103

Chapter S
This is the most popular reply
for White. He is convinced that
the possibility of capturing on f6
is unlikely to run away.
1 0 a5
Black begins immediately ac
tive queenside play, although it
would be also very good to con
tinue with 10 . . . d6 ! ? , Caruana Aronian, Moscow 2010.
ll.a3
After 11.a4 d6 12 .f3 h6
13 . .ixf6 xf6 14.xf6 gxf6 15.f4
(White fails to obtain any advan
tage with the line : 15.exd5 .ixc3
16.bxc3 tt:lxd5 17 . .ixd5 cxd5 18.f4
l'!a6 ! =) 15 . . . i.e6= White is unlike
ly to be able to exploit the weak
ness of his opponent's kingside
pawns, while Black has already
occupied the centre. Black has
nothing to be afraid of after 16.
exd5 cxd5 17.tt:lb5 l'!ad8= Yu Rui
yuan - Harikrishna, Mashhad
2011. A much more dangerous try
is 16.f5, Kotsur - Pashikian,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2011, but here
Black can obtain excellent coun
terplay with the far-from-obvious
idea of 16 . . . i.c8 ! (the right square
for this bishop is a6 ! ) 17. tt:le2 b6
18.tt:lg3 i.c5+ 19.@h1 l'!d8 ! 20.tt:lh5
l'!d6 21.tt:lf3 (White's attempt to
mate his opponent fails after 21.
l'!f3 @f8 2 2 . l'!g3 i.f2 23.l'!g4 .ixh4
24.l'!xh4 dxe4 25.dxe4 i.a6+) 2 1 . . .
i.a6? and Black has succeeded in
protecting his f6-pawn with his
rook and now the weakness of his
kingside pawns is completely

compensated for by his advantage

of the bishop pair and the possi
bility of occupying the d-file.
ll . . . hc3 12.bxc3

104

The diagram position was

reached in the game Ni Hua - Yu
Lie, Guangzhou 2010. Here Black
can already seize some more
space on the queenside with
12 . . . a4! 13 .ia2 YlYd6 14.YlYf3
It is inferior for White to opt
for 14.f4 dxe4 15.fxe5 (in the vari
ation 15.dxe4 c5+ 16.@h1 tt:lxe4
17 . .ixe7 xe'l+ White loses anoth
er pawn) 15 . . . xe5 16 . .ixf6 gxf6
17.dxe4 xc3 18.d6 tt:lg6 19.
tt:lxg6 hxg6+. White can regain his
pawn only at the cost of exchang
ing queens, but then the endgame
will be very difficult for him
owing to his numerous weak
pawns.
14 ... h6 15.hf6 Yfxf6 16.
fixf6 gxf6 17.f4 (17.l'!fe1 dxe4
18.l'!xe4 tt:ld5t) 17 .. J:!a5? Both
sides have weak pawns on differ
ent sides of the board, so the posi
tion is double-edged.

Chapter 9

l.e4 e5 2.tLfJ ttlc6 3 . d4 exd4

Goring Gambit
Scotch Gambit

White's main move in the dia

gram position is 4.tt:\xd4 (Chap
ters 10-12). Sharper positions can
arise if White does not recapture
this pawn immediately. We shall
analyse the Goring Gambit with
A) 4.c3 and the Scotch Gambit
with B) 4 . .ic4.
In response to 4 . .ib5 Black can
play for example 4 . . . tt:\f6 - see
Chapter 1 of our book "The Berlin
Defence", or 4 . . . a6, which is also
good, transposing to other popu
lar variations of the Ruy Lopez.
Nevertheless, the best choice is
simply to retain the extra pawn
with the move 4 . . . .ic5. There
might follow: 5.0-0 (in reply to
5.tt:\bd2, Black can end up with a
solid extra pawn in the centre by

playing 5 . . . a6 6.hc6 dxc6 7.0-0

.ia7+, while after 5.c3 dxc3 6.tt:\xc3
tt:\ge7 7 . .ig5 0-0 8.We2 a6 9 . .ic4
d6+ Black has no problems with
the development of his pieces,
Butarova - Zemlina, Russia
2003) 5 . . . a6 6 . .ia4 (after 6 . .ic4,
Black should react in similar fash
ion to variation B, by playing 6 . . .
d 6 7.c3 .ig4 and the fact that his
pawn is on a7 and not on a6 is not
at all detrimental to his position)
6 . . . tt:\ge7 7.tt:\g5 (Black should not
be afraid of 7.b4? ! .ixb4 8.tt:\xd4
0-0 9 . .ib2 .ic5+ Schiller - I.
Ivanov, Los Angeles 1995; it
seems much more insidious for
White to opt for 7.c3 ! ? dxc3 8.
tt:\g5, Akvist - Wedberg, Eksjo
1979, but Black has at his disposal
the resolute deflecting counter
blow - 8 . . . c2 ! 9 . .ixc2 d6 10 ..ib3
tt:\e5 ll.@h1 h6 12.f4 and here the
simplest response is 12 . . . .ig4 ! ?
13.We1 hxg5 14.fxe5 tt:\g6 ! 15.
hf7+ @d7, making use of the fact
that White loses after 16.hg6??
E!xh2+ 17.@xh2 Wh8+ 18.@g3
Wh4#, while after 16.e6+ .ixe6
17.he6+ @xe6t Black has an ex
tra pawn and dangerous threats
105

Chapter 9
on the h-file, while his own king
can be easily evacuated to a safe
zone.) 7 . . .f6 8 . .ib3 (It is more ac
curate for White to continue with
8.lL!f3 0-0 9.c3 dxc3 10.lL!xc3 d6+
and White has some compensa
tion for the pawn, although it is
insufficient. White can also try 8.
lL!f7 Wxf7 9.h5+ g6 10.xc5 d6
11..ib3+ , Ryden -Ahlberg, Goth
enburg 1919, obtaining the advan
tage of the two bishops, but Black
can deprive his opponent of this
trump by giving back his extra
pawn with ll . . . .ie6 12 . .ixe6+
Wxe6 13.c4+ dS 14.b3 Wf7 15.
exdS 'r9xd5 16.xb7 lL!eS 17.
xdS+ lL!xdS+ retaining a consid
erable lead in development.) 8 . . .
fxgS 9.'r9h5+ lL!g6 lO . .ixgS .ie7 11 .
.id2 , Balinov - Sarakauskas,
Schwarzach 2000. White has sac
rificed a piece and kept his oppo
nent's king stranded in the centre,
but after ll . . . b6! 12.f4 .icS ! - +
with the idea of h4 ! , Black easily
neutralizes all the threats.
White's alternatives do not
create any serious problems for
Black:
4 . .ig5 .ie7 S ..ixe7 (It is less
natural for White to play S.h4? !
h6 6 ..if4 lL!f6 7.lL!bd2 0-0 8 . .id3
dS 9.e5 lL!g4+ Black ends up with
an extra pawn and a superior po
sition in the centre. His knight is
ideally placed on the g4-square,
weakened by White's fifth move.)
s ... xe7 6.lL!bd2 lL!f6 7 . .id3 (or
7 . .ib5 b4+) 7 . . . d6 8.0-0 .ig4+
and White has no compensation
for the pawn.
106

4 . .id3?! - On this square the

bishop performs only defensive
functions. 4 . . . -icS S.lL!bd2, Scher
bakova - Kozhukina, Odessa
2008, s . . . d6 6.lL!b3 .ib6 7.o-o
lL!f6+ Black has consolidated his
extra centre pawn and is ready to
attack the enemy e4-pawn.

A) 4.c3 ! ?
This i s a n interesting sacrifice
of the c-pawn, which is usually ir
relevant in the middlegame, with
the idea of gaining tempi for the
development of the pieces.
4 . . . d5 !

Black's best way to counter

this gambit is to decline it and en
sure comfortable deployment of
his forces.
5.exd5
In several games White has
tried S.eS?! - with this he not only
gives up a pawn, but also the light
squares in the centre of the board.
After s . . . dxc3, no matter how
White recaptures on c3, he has no
compensation for the pawn.
If S . .id3 .ig4!

l.e4 e5 2.tt:\j3 tt:\c6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5

6.0-0 (if 6.WI'b3, Black obtains

the better prospects by playing
6 . . . hf3 ! 7.gxf3 tt:lge7, for exam
ple : 8 . .if4 g6 9.tt:la3 .ig7+ or 8.
0-0 Wl'd7 9.exd5 tt:JxdS 10.WI'xb7
j'!b8 ll.WI'a6 i.e?+ and in both
cases White must fight for equal
ity with his ruined kingside. In
reply to 6.cxd4, Black obtains a
very good position with 6 . . . Wl'd7!
7.exd5 tt:Jxd4 8. tt:lc3 .ib4 9 ..ie4
tt:Jxf3 10.hf3 hf3 11. Wl'xf3 0-0-0
12.0-0 .ixc3 13.bxc3 Wl'xdS 14.
Wl'g4+ b8 1S.WI'xg7 tt:le7+ and
his chances are not at all worse in
a fight on both flanks, owing to
his well centralized pieces.) 6 . . .
tt:lf6 7.j'!e1, Tran Thi Nhu - Nguy
en Thi My, Hue 2009, and now
Black's most convincing way of
neutralizing
White's
threats
seems to be 7 . . . .ie7 8.e5 tt:ld7 9.
.ibS dxc3 10.tt:lxc3 a6 ll.hc6
bxc6 12 .WI'a4 .ixf3 13.gxf3 tt:lb6
14.Wxc6+ Wl'd7 15.Wxd7+ xd7+
with a favourable endgame for
Black.
S.ibS - This is an attempt
by White to continue in the spirit
of the Ruy Lopez, but his pawn on
c3 impedes the comfortable com
pletion of his development. 5 . . .
dxe4

6.tt:Jxd4 (after 6.We2 tt:lf6 7.

tt:Jxd4 WdS 8.0-0, Bonner Coates, Ayr 1978, the simple re
sponse 8 . . . .ic5 9 . .ie3 .ig4 10.
hc6+ bxc6 11.Wa6 ib6+ enables
Black to have a lead in develop
ment and occupy the centre) 6 . . .
.id7 7.tt:Jxc6 (White has n o com
pensation for the pawn, even if he
tries some other possibilities: in
the variation 7.hc6 bxc6, after
both 8.\1;Ye2 fS 9.0-0 .id6 10.tt:ld2
tt:lf6+ and 8.0-0 id6 9.j'!e1 fS
10.ttla3 tt:lf6+ Black ends up with
an extra centre pawn ; 7. Wa4 tt:Jxd4
8.WI'xd4 .ixbS 9.We5+ We7 10.
WxbS+ c6 ll.WI'a4 fS+ Deev E.Egorov, Pavlodar 2008; 7.i.f4
.id6 8 . .bc6 bxc6 9.Wd2 tt:lf6+;
7.0-0 .id6 8.Wa4 tt:Jxd4 9.hd7+
Wxd7 10.\1;Yxd4 fS+ White is a
pawn down and his queenside is
not developed, Subrt - Horacek,
Plzen 2 000) 7 . . . bxc6 8 . .ia4, Gar
cia Cortes - Pascua Vilches, Vall
adolid 1992 (8 . .ic4 .id6 9.0-0
tt:lf6+ with an extra pawn and
comfortable development for
Black) and now it looks very rea
sonable for Black to continue with
the aggressive line: 8 . . . .ic5 ! ? 9.
0-0 Wh4+
5 \1;Yxd5

107

Chapter 9

6.cxd4
In answer to 6 . .id3 ? ! it is very
good for Black to play 6 . . . .ig4 7.
e2 Ejjge7 8 ..ie4 d7 9.0-0 0-0-0+
and Black has won a centre pawn
and leads in development.
It is worse for White to play
6.tjjxd4 (jj f6 !+, because his c3pawn merely impedes the devel
opment of his pieces, for example:
7.tjjx c6 (7 ..ie3 .ie7 8.c4 a5+ 9.
tjjc3 tjjxd4 10.hd4 0-0+ and
Black leads in development,
which guarantees him a growing
advantage in a position with open
files in the centre) 7 . . . xc6 8.ltld2
(Entering an endgame with 8.e2+
.ie7 9.b5 .id7 10.xc6 hc6+
merely highlights White's lag in de
velopment; after 8 . .ig5, Black can
mobilize his forces faster: 8 . . . .id7
9.e2+ .ie7 10.ltld2 0-0-0+) 8 . . .
i.g4 9 . f3 , Schrimpl - Tschanter,
Email 2 005 and here Black can
exploit his opponent's develop
ment problems by playing 9 . . .
0-0-0! 10.fxg4 !'!:e8+ ll.i.e2 xg2
12 .!'!:fl i.c5--+ and White will be un
able to activate his queenside.
After 6.i.e2 i.g4 7.0-0 (7.cxd4
i.b4 - see 6.cxd4) 7 . . . d3 ! 8.xd3
108

(8.c4 d7 9.xd3 xd3 10 .hd3

hf3 11.gxf3 0-0-0 12.!'!:dl (jj ge7+
the bl-knight has gained access to
the c3-square, but White cannot
contest the d4-square and his
kingside is in ruins. After 8.hd3
0-0-0= Black obtains a slight
lead in development, but White
should have sufficient resources
to maintain the balance.) 8 . . .
xd3 9.hd3 hf3 10.gxf3, Wake
ham - McAndrew, Email 2005,
Black can continue here with
10 . . . 0-0-0 ll.i.c2 lt:le5 12.f4
ltlg6? and he reaches a very
promising position, thanks to his
superior
development
and
White's ruined kingside.
After 6.i.e3 i.g4 (a very inter
esting and rather unclear position
arises after 6 . . . i.f5 ! ? 7.lt:lxd4
0-0-0oo) 7.i.e2 (7.cxd4 hf3 see 6.cxd4) 7 . . . d3 ! 8.xd3 xd3
9 .hd3 0-0-0= Black easily
solves all his problems.
6 J.g4
.

7 . .ie2
It would be too passive for
White to opt for 7.lt:lbd2? 0-0-0
8.i.e2, Munk - Miklos, Bratislava

l.e4 eS 2. ttlj3 tLlc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dS

2 0 04, 8 . . . tLlf6+ - Black has de
ployed his pieces in the centre in
ideal fashion and leads in devel
opment.
7 . .ie3 i.xf3 8.gxf3 (In the end
game after 8.xf3 xf3 9.gxf3,
Riemann - Anderssen, Breslau
1875, 9 . . . tLlb4 lO . .tbS+ c6 ll . .ia4
.id6 1 2 . 0- 0 llJe7+ he controls the
important dS-square.) 8 . . . .ib4+
9.tLlc3, Rosenzweig - Kupka,
Czech Republic 20 06, 9 . . .tLlf6 10.
a3 .ixc3+ 11.bxc3 0-0 12 . .id3
ttlaS ! 13.0-0 llJc4+ White has the
advantage of the two bishops, but
here this is not sufficient even for
equality, owing to the numerous
weaknesses in his camp.
7.tLlc3 .ib4 8.a3 (8 . .ie2 .ixf3 !
- see 7 . .ie2 ; in the variation 8.i.d2
e6+ White ended up a pawn
down in an endgame after 9.
e2 ? ! hf3 10 .xe6+ fxe6 ll.gxf3
llJxd4+ Chaplin - Lane, Royan
1989, but even after 9 . .ie3 tLlf6
10 . .ie2 tLldS 11.d2 0-0+ only
White has anything to worry
about.)

xa1 10 . .ie2 tLlxb4 11.0-0 a5 1 2 .

b3gg and White's initiative pro
vides him with good compensa
tion for the sacrificed exchange.)
9.axb4 (9.xf3? xf3 10.gxf3
llJxd4 ll.axb4 tLlc2+ 12 .'kt>d1 tLlxa1
13 . .ic4 0-0-0+ 14 . .id2 ttle7-+
White is unable to trap Black's
knight, Stojkovska - Atnilov,
Budva 2003; 9.gxf3 .ixc3+ 10.
bxc3 ttlf6? White's two bishops
are not sufficient to compensate
for the numerous weaknesses in
his camp.) 9 . . . e6+ ! ? (This is
Black's simplest route to equali
ty.) 10 . .ie2 .ixe2 ll.tLlxe2 tLlf6 12.
0-0 0-0 13.b5 llJb4= White's bS
pawn considerably cramps Black's
queenside, but he can easily ex
change it, after which White will
need to take care about the pro
tection of his d4-pawn, Voigt Chandler, Germany 2002.
7 .ib4+ 8.tLlc3
Or 8 . .id2 ? ! .ixd2 + 9.tLlbxd2,
Klee - Minge, corr. 1994 (after 9.
xd2 0 - 0 -0 + Black leads in de
velopment) 9 . . . tLlf6 10.0-0 0-0+
and White has no compensation
for the weakness of White's d4pawn.
.

8 . . . .ixf3 (It is inferior for Black

to play the seemingly attractive
line: 8 . . . a5? ! , Warzecha - Kocks,
Germany 2000, in view of 9.axb4 !
109

Chapter 9
8 . .ixf3!
Black is not forced to present
his opponent with the advantage
of the two bishops, but this is his
most direct road to equality.
9.hf3c4
..

1 0 . .ixc6+
White's alternatives are not
very promising.
10.d5? ! d4 ll.i.d2 0-0-0+
- White's king is stranded in the
centre and the dS-pawn is weak,
Viszlai - Marek, Presov.
After 10 .i.d2 0-0-0 ll.i.xc6,
Goris - Schott, Davos 2006 (after
ll.a3 i.aS+ White will have prob
lems with his centralized king and
the protection of his d4-pawn.)
11.. .xc6+ White has given up his
only advantage - the two bishops
- and has gained nothing in return.
In the variation 10.i.e2 i.xc3+
ll.bxc3 xc3+ 12 .i.d2 xd4+ the
position is opened and White's
bishop-pair provides some com
pensation for his two missing
pawns, Mehlhorn - Van Bogaert,
corr. 1992.
10.i.e3 i.xc3 + ll.bxc3 xc3 +
12 .fl (12 . .id2 a3= ) 12 . . . c4+
110

13. g1 (It is a quick draw after

13.i.e2 dS 14.i.f3 c4=) 13 . . .
ge7 14J''k 1 (14.d2? ! , Warzecha
- Fahrbach, corr. 199 2, 14 . . . 0-0
15J''lc 1 a4+ Black has only one
extra pawn, but he has no prob
lems with his development and a
clear-cut plan of action against
his opponent's vulnerable d4pawn.) 14 . . . xa2 15J''!:a 1 c4 16.
!'lc1= , draw, Marshall - Capa
blanca, Lake Hopatcong 1926.
Black has won a couple of pawns,
but he cannot avoid the repetition
of moves. White has no reason to
decline the draw either; otherwise
he is behind on material and
might come off second best.
10.b3 (After the exchange of
queens, White will have weak
pawns on the queenside and this
prevents him from exploiting the
power of his bishop-pair.) 10 . . .
xb3 ll.axb3 (ll.i.xc6+ bxc6 see 10.i.xc6) ll . . . ge7 12.0-0 (12.
i.gS fS 13.d5 cd4 14.i.d1 0-0+
White has problems coordinating
his pieces; 12.i.e3 0-0-0 13.0-0-0
b8 14J''!:h e1 fS 15.i.xc6 bxc6+
Black's forces are much more ac
tive than their white counterparts,
Borin - Karpatchev, Arco 2003)
12 . . . 0-0-0

l.e4 e5 2 .!Df.3 .!Dc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5

.

13 ..ie3 (The move 13.dS leads

to considerable simplification:
13 ....!Dd4 14.l'!xa7 .!Dxf3+ 1S.gxf3
.ixc3 16.bxc3 .!DxdS 17.c4 'it>b8 18.
l'!a3 .!Db4 19 ..ie3, Marie - Veroci,
Belgrade 1989, after playing 19 ...
.!Dc2 2 0.l'!a2 .!Dxe3 2 1.fxe3 c6=
Black enters a double-rook end
game and can fight for the advan
tage, because his king can be acti
vated much more easily.) 13 ...a6
14.l'!fd1 (14..!Da2?! - with this move,
White merely helps the centrali
zation of Black's monarch. 14 ...
.iaS 1S. .!Dc3 .ib6 16.dS, Schneider
- Serrano, Germany 1993, 16 ...
.!DeS 17..ie4 .ixe3 18.fxe3 'it>b8+
Black has obtained excellent out
posts for his knights on eS and d6;
14.l'!a4? ! White voluntarily iso
lates his rook from the action.
14...aS. Now, after 1S ..!DbS .!DdS
16.l'!d1 l'!he8+ White has no com
pensation for his weak queenside
pawns, Mastrovasilis - Georgiou,
Niforeika 2000, while after 1S.
l'!d1, Olsar - Walowy, Karvina
2003, 1S...l'!he8 16.g3 'it>b8 Black's
piece activity compensates for
White's advantage of the bishop
pair.) 14...l'!he8 1S.l'!a4 (After 1S.
l'!ac1, Izbinski - Nurkiewicz, Lub
niewice 2002, 1S...'it>b8 16.g3 .!DfS+
White has great problems in the
centre. It is more accurate for him
to play 1S.g3 'it>b8 = Forster - Go
dena, Switzerland 200S.) 1S...aS
16.l'!aa1 'it>b8 17.l'!ac1 .!DfS+ Black
has deployed his pieces in ideal
fashion and begins the siege of
White's vulnerable d4-pawn, Bon
ner - R.O'Kelly, Morecambe 197S.

1 0 . . . bxc6

11.1Ne2+
After 11.'Wb3 xb3 12.axb3
aS= the mutual weaknesses on
the queenside balance the pros
pects.

Tournament practice confirms

the evaluation of this position as
favourable for Black.
13.0-0 0-0-0 14..!Da2 (14.
.ie3?! .!De7+) 14....!De7 1S . .!Dxb4
axb4 16 ..id2 .!DdS 17.l'!a4 'it>d7=
Black's position is completely
safe, thanks to his powerful cen
tralized knight, Wolff - Kosiol,
DDR 1990.
13 ..igS f6 14..ie3 .!De7 1S.'it>e2
0-0-0 16 ..!Da2 , Burnier - Van
Beurden, France 1993, 16 ....!DdS=
13 ..if4 0-0-0 14.0-0 (14.
111

Chapter 9
0-0-0 lt:'le7+) 14 ... lt:'le7 1S.lt:'la2
l'!he8 16.lt:'lxb4 axb4 17.l'!fe1 ltJdS.
Black has no problems at all.
White's attempt to simplify the
position as much as possible with
the line 18 ..id2 l'!xe1+ 19.he1
l'!e8 2 0.l'!a8+ 'i!ld7 2 1.l'!xe8 'i!lxe8
2 2.f3 'i!ld7 23.g4 cS ! + fails, be
cause despite the fact that the
fight continues on both sides of
the board, only Black can play for
a win, since his pieces are notice
ably more active, while White's
queenside pawns are weak,
Spooner - MacKintosh, Email
20 03.
11 . . . -exe2+ 12.xe2 lt:'le7
Black's queenside is in ruins,
but White will find it difficult to
exploit this effectively, while
Black has a clear-cut plan of ac
tion against the enemy d4-pawn.

13 . .te3
It is no better for White to opt
for 13.l'!d1 0-0-0 14.'i!lfl cS 1S.
dxcS, Havlikova - Miturova,
Czech Republic 2 0 04, because the
game ends in a draw almost by
force, after 1S ...hc3 16.l'!xd8+
l'!xd8 17.bxc3 l'!d3 18 ..ib2 l'!d2
112

19.l'!e1 'i!ld7 2 0.l'!e2 l'!d1+ 2 1.l'!e1

l'!d2 =
13.'i!ld3 0-0-0 14.c4 (14..ie3
ltJfS 1S.'i!lc4 .iaS 16.g4 lt:'ld6+ 17.
'i!ld3 i.b6 18.a4 aS 19.l'!ad1 fS 20.
h3 b7 2 1.'i!lc2 l'!hf8 = and Black
has no problems whatsoever, Dos
Santos - Salzmann, Email 2007)
14....iaS 1S ..igS (1S.b4 .ib6 16 ..ie3
ltJdS 17.a3 l'!he8 18.1'!he1, Kot Staniszewski, Warsaw 2 0 0S, 18 ...
lt:'lxc3 19. xc3 aS=) 1S ...f6 16..ie3
.ib6 17.1'!hd1 ltJfS= The weakness
of the d4-pawn does not allow
White to fight for the advantage,
Dolgov - Fleischanderl, Email
2002.
13 .. 0 - 0 - 0 14,ghdl
Black has nothing to worry
about after 14.lt:'la4 l'!he8 1S.l'!hd1
ltJdS= since although White's d4pawn is securely protected Black
has an easy plan of action on the
e-file, Ruck - Acs, Hungary 1994.
14 .. ,ghe8
.

15.gacl
White has no advantage after
1S.l'!d3 ltJfS 16J'!ad1 cS 17.dxc5
l'!xd3 18.l'!xd3 hcS= Varitski Pedersen, Pardubice 2 0 0S.

l.e4 e5 2. tt:l./3 tt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4 . .ic4 .ic5

15 .ia5 16.1t>f3 .ib6 = White
has no chance of attacking Black's
weak pawns, while White's d4pawn needs permanent protec
tion, Zarnicki - Soppe, Buenos
Aires 1998.

B) 4 . .ic4
The Scotch Gambit. This is a
useful developing move. White
delays the pawn-advance c2-c3
for a while, although he can hard
ly manage without it. In fact,
Black's pawn on d4 deprives
White's knight on b1 of its best
development square - c3.

4 .ic5
It is natural for Black to pro
tect his d4-pawn, preventing its
capture.
5. 0 - 0
The variation 5.c3 tt:lf6 trans
poses to the Italian Game - see
Chapter 18.
5.i.f4? ! We will study this
move only for the sake of statis
tics, since White has won all the
games so far played with it. 5 . . . d6
6.tt:lg5, Valverde Lujan - Rubio

Barrio, Valladolid 1990 and here

Black can retains a great advan
tage with 6 . . . tt:le5 7 . .ixe5 'Wxg5 8.
i.g3 tt:lf6+
5.e5 tt:lge7 6.0-0 0-0 7.tt:lbd2
d5 8.exd6 .ixd6+
White cannot equalize with
the aggressive line 5.i.g5 tt:lge7 6.
c3 , Regnat - Bildt, Mittelfranken
2009, 6 . . . dxc3 7.tt:lxc3 0-0 8.0-0
h6 9.i.h4 d6 10.tt:ld5 i.e6+ - he
has some compensation for the
pawn (having seized some space
in the centre), but not enough.
5.tt:lbd2 - This move is too
slow, Hoferek - Turkova, Lip
tovsky Mikulas 2 005, 5 . . . d6 6.
tt:lb3 i.g4 7 . 0 -0 tt:lf6+ White has
failed to regain his centre pawn
and needs to think about equaliz
ing.
White can also try 5.tt:lg5 tt:lh6

For 6 . .ixf7+ tt:lxt7 7.tt:lxt7 \t>xt7

- see 6.tt:lxt7.
After 6.'Wh5 'We7 7.0-0 (The
alternatives for White lead to dif
ficult positions for him : in answer
to 7.f4?, Von Eckstadt - Anders
sen, Leipzig 1855, Black can begin
a decisive counter-attack by play
ing 7 . . . d5 ! 8 . .ixd5 tt:lb4 9.i.b3 i.g4
10.'Wh4 f6- + , it is bad for White,
113

Chapter 9
for similar reasons, to opt for 7.
c3? - 7 ... ./tJeS 8 . .ie2 d3 9 ..id1 dS-+ ;
7.tt'lf3? - this move loses a second
pawn. 7 . . . xe4+ 8.d1 fS 9 .
j:'1e1+ .ie7- + ; 7 . ./tJ xfl tt'lxfl 8.
ht7+ xfl 9.xcS, Bassett Woollett, Dublin 1892, after 9 . . .
b 6 lO.bS aS !+ White has re
gained his pawn, but is consider
ably behind in development.) 7 . . .
d 6 8.h3 (Here i t i s bad t o continue
with 8.f4? .ig4 9.h4, Stein Lobo, Palo Alto 198 1, 9 . . . .ie2 ! 10.
.ixe2 d3+ 11.h1 dxe2 12,j:'1e1
.lt'ld4- + , or 8.c3? .ig4 9.h4 .lt'leS !
10.cxd4 hd4 11..ib3 f6 12 . .1t'lh3
.lt'lht7- +) 8 . . . ./tJeS 9 . .ib3 (9 . .ibS+?
c6 10 . .ia4 .lt'lg8 ! - + Black transfers
his passive knight to a better
square, with tempo) 9 . . . .id7 10.
f4 .lt'lc6 11.fS (11 ..id2 0-0-0+)
0-0-0+ White can capture the
enemy t7-pawn, but his queenside
is undeveloped and his e4-pawn
will need additional protection.
White can regain his pawn by
playing 6 . .1t'lxt7 .lt'lxt7 7.ht7+ (Af
ter 7.hS e7 8.ht7+ xt7 9.
xeS b6 10.bS aS+ White has
problems evacuating his king
away from the centre) 7 . . . xt7 8.
hS+ g6 9.xcS (9.dS+ g7 10.
xeS j:'1e8+)

114

9 . . . dS ! This is the most precise

way for Black to exploit his lead in
development. He is trying to or
ganize an attack against his oppo
nent's king which is stranded in
the centre. 10.0-0! This is the
only move. (10 .exdS? j:'1e8 + 11. d1
j:'1eS 12 .c4 h4-+ ; 11. f1 b6 12.
c4 .lt'laS 13.bS .lt'lb3 ! ! 14.cxb3
aS-+ and White is unable to com
plete his development, Hadden Vnukov, Email 1999; after 10.eS? !
j:'1e8 it would be too risky for him
to play 11 . .if4 f6 12 . .ig3 j:'1xeS+
13 .heS xeS+ 14.d1 gs and
Black's attack is decisive, while in
the variation 11.0-0 j:'1xeS 12 . .if4,
Mamedov - Grischuk, Internet
2 0 03, 12 . . . j:'1e4 13 . .ig3 .ifS 14 . .1t'ld2
j:'1e2 1S.j:'1ad1 d7+ Black remains
with an extra pawn and ideally
placed pieces; White cannot
equalize by entering an endgame
with 10.xdS xdS 11.exdS .lt'lb4
12 . .1t'la3 j:'1e8 + 13.d1 .lt'lxdS and af
ter 14 . ./tJbS .ifS 1S.id2 j:'1ad8+ Lin
diawati - Pokorna, Jakarta 2007,
or 14.igS ifS+, Black's central
ized pieces give him the better
prospects.) 10 . . . dxe4 11.c3, Shu
mov - Urusov, St. Petersburg
18S3, (in the variations 11.if4 j:'1e8
12 .c3 d3 13 . .1t'ld2 ifS 14.j:'1fe1 d7+
or 1l.j:'1e1 j:'1e8 12 .igS d7 13.c3
j:'1eS 14.c4+ e6 1S.xe6+ he6
16 . .if4 j:'1aS+, White's compensa
tion for the pawn is insufficient)
and now the simplest response
for Black is 11.. . .ifS 12.cxd4 xd4
13.bS j:'1he8 14.xb7 b6 1S.
xb6 axb6+ and he has already
completed his development, while

l.e4 e5 2.lt:l.f3 lt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4. i.c4 i.c5

White must play very accurately
to equalize.
5 . . . d6

6.c3
The alternatives rebound on
White :
6.tt:lg5 ? ! - This premature at
tack merely leads to a loss of tem
pi. 6 . . . ltle5 7 ..tb3 h6 8.f4 d3+ 9.
@h1 dxc2 10.'xc2 hxg5 11.fxe5
ltlh6 12.e6 (12.exd6 xd6 ! - + with
the idea of mating the opponent
after 13 ..ixg5 xh2+ 14.@xh2
tt:lf5+ 15.i.h6 l3xh6#) 12 . . . fxe6 13.
e5 ltlf5 14.l3xf5 exf5 15.e6 f6-+
Black has an extra exchange, su
perior development and an at
tack, Garcia Ilundain - Shirov,
Villarrobledo 1997.
6.h3 ? ! - White prevents his
knight from being pinned at the
cost of an important tempo. 6 . . .
tt:lf6 7.l3e1 (7.c3 dxc3 8.ltlxc3 h 6
9.i.f4 o-m: Helvensteijn - La
crosse, Netherlands 1996; or 7.
i.g5 h6 8.i.h4 0-0 9.ltlbd2 l3e8
10 .l3e1 ltle5 n . .td3 tt:lg6 12 .i.g3,
Harvey - Walker, Hinckley 2008,
12 . . . i.e6+, and in both cases
White's compensation for the sac-

rificed centre pawn is obviously

insufficient) 7 . . . 0-0 8.c3 (8.i.g5 ? !
h 6 9.i.h4 ltle5 10 .i.b3 ltlg6 ll.i.g3
l3e8+ Szopka - Pankiewicz, Wro
claw 2 006) 8 . . . dxc3 9.ltlxc3 h6+
White has comfortably deployed
his pieces, but Black has no prob
lems with his development either,
Engelbert - Sammalvuo, Copen
hagen 2 0 04.
6.b4? ! .ixb4 7.tt:lxd4, Smid Michalek, Czech Republic 2008,
7 . . . ltlf6 8.ltlb3 0-0 9.c3 .tc5+
White has not succeeded in solv
ing the problems, either with the
development of his queenside or
with regaining his pawn.
6.i.g5 ?! tt:lf6 7.c3 (7.i.b5 h6 8.
i.h4, NN - Em. Lasker, Budapest
1900, 8 . . . 0-0 9.tt:lbd2 l3e8+; 7.
tt:lbd2 - White cannot achieve
much by quiet development. He is
a pawn down and has no compen
sation for it. 7 . . . h6 8.i.h4 0-0 9 .
h 3 i.e6 10 .i.e2 l3e8+ Motyka Warakomska, Kolobrzeg 20 0 1 ;
the move 7.e5 leads to simplifica
tions which are advantageous for
Black: 7 . . . dxe5 8.l3e1 0-0 9 .ltlxe5
tt:lxe5 10.l3xe5, Kanak - Kalivoda,
Klatovy 2000, 10 . . . i.d6 ll.l3e1 h6
12 .i.h4 c5+ - Black ends up with a
solid extra pawn) 7 . . . h6 8.i.h4
i.g4+ White's premature bishop
sortie to g5 has provided Black
with tempi for the development of
his pieces and after the inaccurate
move 9.'b3? 0-0 10.xb7 i.xf3
ll.gxf3 tt:le5 12 . .te2 l3b8 13.a6 d3
14 . .td1 fub2-+ White fails to
complete his development, Rob
inson - Roberts, Swansea 2 0 0 2 .
115

Chapter 9
6J'!:e1 tt'lf6 7.e5 (7.c3 dxc3 8.
tt'lxc3, P.Balogh - Tropp, Liptovs
ky Mikulas 2005, 8 . . . tt'lg4 ! 9J!fl
tt'lge5 10.tt'lxe5 tt'lxe5 11.i.e2 a6! +
Black takes care of his bishop and
retains an extra pawn) 7 . . . dxe5
8.tt'lxe5 o-m=. White has opened
the e-file but Black has managed
to evacuate his king, Galli - Soli
nas, Bratto 1999.
6 . . J.g4!?
Black does not need the extra
pawn and he tries to use the time
that White will spend regaining it
to create meaningful counterplay.
.

7.ti'b3
7.h.f7? - This combination
loses. 7 . . . @xf7 8.tt'lg5+ xg5 9.
b3+ i.e6 10.1!t/xb7, Allen - Adle
man, Warren 1994, 10 . . . g6 ! 11.
xa8 .ih3 12 .g3 1!t/xe4- + and
Black mates quickly.
7.h3? ! - White obtains the ad
vantage of the two bishops, but
falls behind in development. 7 . . .
.ixf3 8 .xf3 f6 9.e2 ll::lg e7 1 0 .
b 4 .ib6 11.i.b2, Marra - Pinheiro,
Volta Redonda 2001, 11 . . . tt'lg6 12.
g3 h5 and Black begins a decisive
attack.
116

After 7 . .if4 tt'lf6 8.tt'lbd2 0-0+

Thorsteinsson - Kaidanov, Inter
net 2000, or 7.tt'ld2 dxc3 8.bxc3,
Shumov - Kolisch, St. Petersburg
1862, 8 . . . ll::lf6+ Black remains with
a solid extra pawn.
7.b4 .ib6 8.b3 (8.a4 a5 9.b5
ll::le 5 10 .i.e2 d3 ! 11.hd3, Mac
Donnell - Steinitz, London 1862,
11 ... tt'lxf3+ 12.gxf3 .ih3 13J'!:e1
h4 14J'!:a2 ll::le7+ Black has de
stroyed the white king's shelter
and leads in development.) 8 . . .
1!t/f6 9 . .ig5 (9.tt'lg5 ? ! ll::le 5 10.h3
.ih5 11.g4 h6 ! 12.f4 tt'lxc4 13.xc4
hxg5 14.fxg5 e5 15 ..if4 xe4-+
Albin - Fleissig, Vienna 1890) 9 . . .
g6 10.tt'lbd2 , Sassi - Jagstaidt,
Switzerland 1995, 10 . . . ll::lf6 11.
l"!:ae1 0-0+ Black completes his
development and has no prob
lems at all.
In the variation 7 . .ib5 .ixf3 8.
1!tfxf3 f6 9.d3 ll::lge7+ White's
bishop pair does not provide him
with sufficient compensation for
the pawn, since Black leads in de
velopment, Em. Lasker - Ruten
berg, Moscow 1899.

7 .lxf3!

l.e4 e5 2.ltlj3 ltlc6 3.d4 exd4 4. i.c4 i.cS

The destruction of the white
king's pawn shelter is much more
important than the loss of the
bishop pair.
8.hf7+
After 8.gxf3 lt:Je5 9.cxd4 ixd4
10.f4 (White fails to regain his
pawn with 10 . .ixf7+ lt:Jxf7 11.Wa4+
Wd7 12 .Wxd4, because of 12 . . . lt:Je5
13.lt:Jd2 lt:Jxf3+ ! 14.lt:Jxf3 Wg4+ 15.
\tlh1 Wxf3+ 16.\tlg1 lt:Je7-F Carame
Gonzalez - Mannion, Catalan Bay
2004.) 10 . . . lt:Jxc4 11.Wxc4 i.b6
12.lt:Jc3 Wh4! --+ Black has won a
pawn and begins an attack on
his opponent's poorly defended
king, Eliason - Anderssen, Berlin
1855.
8 \tlf8
..

9. gxf3
After 9.i.xg8? 1"i:xg8 10.gxf3
g5+ the d4-pawn hampers White's
harmonious development and his
king is vulnerable, so Black has
excellent attacking prospects.
(diagram)
White loses almost by force af
ter 11.\tlh1 Wf6 12.f4 gxf4 13.Wxb7,
Suhle - Anderssen, Cologne 1859,
13 . . . Wg5 ! 14.xa8+ lt:Jd8 15.e5

c6-+ , or 11.d1 Wd7 12 .b4, Ko

lisch - Anderssen, Paris 1860,
12 ... Wh3 13.\tlh1 (13.bxc5 lt:Je5 14.
lt:Jd2 dxc3-+) 13 ... dxc3 14.bxc5 c2
15.We1 Wxf3+ 16.\tlg1 lt:Jd4-+ , or
11.We6 lt:Je5 12.Wf5+ \tlg7 13.\tlh1
\tlh8 14.1"i:g1 g4 15.f4 lt:Jf3 16.1"i:xg4
Wh4 ! 17.1"i:g2 xh2+ 18.1"i:xh2 1"i:g1#
Reiner - Steinitz, Vienna 1860.
In answer to 11.lt:Jd2, Kopetzky
- Spielmann, Vienna 1933, the
simplest course for Black would
be to put his king in the corner, so
that it does not get in the way of
his attacking forces : 11 . . . \tlg7 1 2.
\tlh1 dxc3 13.Wxc3+ i.d4 14.Wb3
Wf6 15.xb7 lt:Je5+
If 11.Wxb7 lt:Je5 12.cxd4 1"i:b8
13.d5 i.xd4--+ all Black's pieces
are in action and he has a danger
ous attack against White's ex
posed king, Kusturin - Saracino,
Italy 1984.
9 . . . dxc3 1 0 . .ixg8
White must play very accu
rately, for example he loses after
10.bxc3 lt:Je5 11.i.d5 h4 12 .Wd1
Wh3-+, while after 10.i.h5 g6 11.
i.g4, City Turin - City Edinburgh,
corr. 1911, Black wins quickly with
11 . . . lt:Jd4! 12.Wc4 Wh4 13.lt:Jxc3
h5-+
10 ... gxg8 11.xc3 d4
117

Chapter 9
ll

The situation is less clear after

gS!?

Black's monarch at all.

. . .

12.'llYd l
White is lost after 1 2 .'llYxb7?
l'l:b8 13.d5 h4 14.g2 g5-+
since Black's attack is decisive.
12 . . . {6 13.f4
After 13.l2Jd5 f7 14.g2 c6 15.
l2Je3 g6+ 16.h1 hS 17.g2
g6= the game ends in a draw by
repetition.
13 g5 !
Black brings his rook on g8
into action.
14.fxg5, Sosnik - Toczek,
Mikolajki 1991.
14.f5 g4 1S . .tf4 l2Jf3+ 15.h1,
Von Heydebrand - Mayet, Berlin
1839, 15 . . . c6+ and Black deprives
the enemy knight of the excellent
dS-square, after which White's
pieces will have difficulty in find
ing good squares. Both kings look
exposed, but White cannot hurt

118

Now Black can play

14 f3 ! 15.xf3+ xf3+
16.hl xg5=
White cannot exploit the open
position of Black's king now that
the queens have left the board.
White's king is cut off and this will
be very important in the end
game. However, White's pawn
structure is slightly better, so the
chances are approximately equal.
.

Chapter 10

l.e4 e5 2.!L!f3 ll::lc 6 3 . d4 exd4 4.ll::lxd4

Scotch Game

The diagram position charac

terizes the Scotch Game. This
opening was very popular during
the 19th century, but then it was
almost forgotten for a long time.
During the 90s of the last century
it was resurrected, mostly because
Garry Kasparov played it in his
last match against Karpov. Nowa
days this is one of the main open
ing weapons of GM Sergey
Rublevsky.
4... (6
Besides this move, Black often
plays 4 . . . .ic5, but that leads to po
sitions of an entirely different type.
5.xc6
5.lt:'lf5? - White loses several
tempi with this move. 5 . . . d5 6.
.ib5 lt:'lxe4 7.lt:'ld4 'i;!ff6+

5.f3?! - He fortifies his e4-pawn

but weakens the dark squares and
lags in development. 5 . . . d5 ! +
5.W/d3 ? ! - This queen sortie is
premature. 5 . . . .ic5 6 ..ie3 (6.lt:'lxc6
bxc6+) 6 . . . lt:'le5 7.W/b3 lt:'lfg4+ Black is ahead in development
and obtains the advantage of the
two bishops.
5 . .ig5? ! h6 6.i.xf6 (After 6 .
.ih4 g5+ White loses his centre
pawn and will have to spend many
tempi in order to regain it.) 6 . . .
W/xf6 7.c3 .ic5 8.lt:'lf3 0 - 0 9 . .id3
d6 10.0-0 .ig4 ll.lt:'lbd2 lt:'le5 1 2 .
.ie2 . White has maintained the
material balance but presented
his opponent with the advantage
of the two bishops, and after 12 . . .
lt:'lg6+ White might come under a
dangerous attack.
5.lt:'lc3 .ib4 6 . .ig5 (6.lt:'lxc6 bxc6
- see variation A; 6.lt:'lf5? 0-0 7.
.id3 d5 8.exd5 lt:'lxd5+ White lags
considerably in development.) 6 . . .
h 6 7 . .ih4 g 5 8.lt:'lxc6 hc3+ 9.bxc3
dxc6 10.W/xd8+ xd8 11 ..ig3 lt:'lxe4
12.0-0-0+ .id7 13 . .ic4 lt:'lxg3 14.
fxg3 e7 15.hf7 .ig4 16.d4 xf7
17.xg4 ae8+ - The almost
forced variation has ended and
119

Chapter l O
Black's prospects are preferable,
thanks to his superior pawn
structure.
5.c4? ! - This attempt by
White to organize an attack
against the enemy king is prema
ture. 5 . . . ltJxe4 6.ltJxc6 (After 6.
0-0 d5 7.b5 d7+ Black has an
extra centre pawn. White can re
gain it with 6.hf7+ \t>xf7 7.''h5+
g6 8.''d5+ \t>g7 9.ltJxc6, but after
9 . . . ''e8 ! 10.''e5+ ''xeS 11.ltJxe5
b4+ 12 .c3, Petrik - Priehoda,
Nova Bana 1983, 12 . . . d6 ! 13.ltJf3
b6+ Black obtains the advantage
of the two bishops and his pieces
are very comfortably placed.) 6 . . .
bxc6 7.''e2 Vfie7 8.0-0. White
leads in development at the cost
of a pawn, but Black can neutral
ize his activity with the precise re
sponse 8 ... ltJd6 ! 9.e1 (9.e3?! ltJf5
10.e1 d5 11.d3 ltJxe3 12.''f3 e6
13.xe3 ''b4+ with an extra cen
tre pawn and the advantage of the
two bishops.) 9 . . . xe2 10.xe2 +
e7 11.d3 \t>d8+ Black should
not be afraid of coming under at
tack, now that the queens have
disappeared from the board. After
the completion of his develop
ment, his advantage will increase.
5 .e5? ! ltJxe5 6.e2 . White has
given up a pawn and he needs to
try to create some difficulties for
his opponent. 6 . . . ''e7 7.ltJf5. This
is his most attractive move, but
not the best. (He should prefer
7.f4 d6 8.ltJc3 ltJg6 9.e3 a6
10.0-0-0 c5 ll.ltJf3 e6 12 .ltJg5
f5+, or 7.ltJc3 ltJc6 8.ltJdb5 xe2+
9 .he2 @dB+ and in both cases
120

Black will have problems realiz

ing his extra pawn.) 7 . . . ''b4+ 8.
ltJc3 (in the variation 8.c3 We4 9.
ltJe3 ltJc6 10.ltJd2 ''e6 ll.ltJf3 d5+
only White will have difficulties)
8 . . . d6 9.ltJe3 e7 10.d2 ''c5 11.
0-0-0 c6 12.f4 ltJg6 13 .g3 0-0+
His hasty attack has been neutral
ized and Black has a solid extra
pawn, Rositsan - Ziatdinov, To
ronto 1998.
White fails to create problems
for his opponent with the line:
5.b5 a6 6.hc6 (It would be
worse to opt for 6.a4?! ltJxd4
7.''xd4 b5 8.b3 c5 9.e5+ e7+
White will save his bishop but his
queen is exposed in the centre of
the board, which will enable Black
to complete his development with
tempo; after 6.ltJxc6 bxc6 7.d3
d5= there arises a position from
variation C, with the inclusion of
the move a7-a6, which does not
change the evaluation of the posi
tion.) 6 . . . dxc6 7.0-0 c5 8.ltJb3
''xd1 9.xd1, Kholmov - Reshev
sky, Moscow 1991. Now Black can
deploy his pieces in ideal fashion
by playing 9 . . . e6 10.f4 (It is
worse for White to opt for 10.ltJc3
d6 11.g5 ltJd7+ - his knight on
b3 is cut off from the action, while
Black's bishops are wonderfully
placed and his knight is ready to
go to the c4-outpost. His queen
side pawns will advance easily at
an opportune moment. Black has
no problems either in the varia
tion 10.f3 i.d6 ll.ltJc3 0-0-0 12.
e3 b6 13.ltJc1 ltJd7 14.ltJ1e2 h6=)
10 ... ltJxe4 11.hc7 c8 12 . .if4 d8 !

l.e4 e5 2. tiJj3 tiJc6 3.d4 exd4 4. tiJxd4 tiJf6 5. tiJxc6 be 6. tiJc3 i.b4
13Jxd8+ @xd8= Black has ex
changed a pair of rooks, his king
is safe and he can think about
seizing the initiative.
5 bxc6
..

In the diagram position White

most often plays 6.e5 V!ffe 7 (Chap
ters 11-12). In this chapter, we
shall deal with some seldom
played moves, among which we
shall focus on: A) 6.tiJc3, B)
6.tiJd2 and C) 6.i.d3.
After 6.i.g5 h6+ White either
loses his e4-pawn, or he must give
up his important dark-squared
bishop for the enemy knight.
In response to 6.'\Wd4, we rec
ommend the amusing possibility
6 . . . i.d6 ! ?N, which has not yet
been tried (Black has usually
played 6 . . . d5) with the following
sample variations : 7.i.d3 (7.i.g5
V!ffe 7 8.i.xf6 gxf6 9.tiJd2 i.eS 10.
V!ie3 hb2 ll.lb1 V!ffe S+ and de
spite the fact that Black's king
lacks a safe shelter, he has the
better prospects thanks to his ex
tra pawn and powerful dark
squared bishop.) 7 . . . 0-0 8.tiJd2
(8.0-0 V!ie7 9.ll:k3 l'i:e8 10.h3 cS

11.V!ffe3 i.b7 12 .l'i:e1 '!WeS 13.f4 '!Wd4+.

Black has completed his develop
ment and his pieces are ideally
placed. White cannot exploit the
awkward position of his oppo
nent's bishop on d6, because in
the variation 14.e5? heS 15.fxe5
l'i:xeS+ he ends up at least a pawn
down.) 8 . . . V!ffe 7 9.0-0 l'i:e8 10.llJf3
i.cS ! (After this accurate move
Black reaches an equal endgame.)
ll.V!ffc3 .ib4 12.1'c4 dS 13.exd5
cxdS 14.V!ffh 4 tiJe4 15.V!ffxe7 he7=

A) 6.toc3
This position is very often
reached from the Four Knights
Game.
6 . . . .ib4

7 .id3
The alternatives for White re
duce him to fighting for equality.
7.i.d2 V!ffe 7 8 . .id3 hc3 9.hc3
tiJxe4 10.0-0 tiJxc3 ll.V!ffh S tiJe2 +
12 .he2 0 -0+ Black has a solid
extra pawn and he will easily
make up his slight lag in develop
ment.
7.i.g5 h6 8.i.h4 0-0 9.i.d3 dS
10.0-0 hc3 ll.bxc3 gS 12 . .ig3

121

Chapter 1 0
dxe4 1 3 . .ic4 '\We7+ Black has won a
pawn, while White will find it dif
ficult to exploit his opponent's
weakened king position.
7.e5 - White's pieces are not
ready to support his space advan
tage. 7 . . . '\We7 8.'\We2 tt:ld5 9 . .id2
tt:Jxc3 10.hc3 hc3+ 11.bxc3
O-m: Rapoport - V. Dmitriev,
Nikolaev 2007.
After 7.'\Wd4 '\We7, White has
difficulties in maintaining the
material balance.

In the variations 8.f3 .ic5 9.

'\Wd3 (9.a4? l'i:b8 10.a3 0-0 11 .
.ie2 d5-+ Palmiotto - Stoeckl,
Munich 1958) 9 . . . 0-0 10 . .ie3
he3 11.'\Wxe3 d5! 12 .e5 l'i:e8 13.f4
tt:lg4 14.d2 f6+ E.Semenova Haug, Kerner 2009, or 8.e5 .ic5
9.'\Wh4 (9.'\Wf4 .id6+) 9 . . . '\Wxe5+
10 . .ie2 , Shevelev - Golod, Ramat
Aviv 1998, 10 . . . 0-0+, or 8 . .ig5
'\Wxe4+ 9 . .ie3 0-0+ Livshits N.Mamedov, Verdun 1995, Black
wins the enemy centre pawn and
obtains a great advantage.
White can fight for equality by
playing 8 .i.d3 .ic5 9.'\Wa4 (9.c4? !
tt:lg4 10.tt:ld1 d5 11.'\Wa4, Pons Hounie Fleurquin, Mar del Plata
1936, but after 11 . . . 0-0 he loses
122

after 1 2 . 0-0? '\We5-+ with a deci

sive attack for Black, while in the
variation 12.'\Wxc6 dxe4 13 . .ie2
l'i:b8+ Black occupies the centre
and obtains a huge lead in devel
opment.) 9 . . . tt:lg4 10.tt:ld1, Eick
hoff - Ljubarskij , Bad Bevensen
2 005, 10 . . . l'i:b8 11.a3 f6 12.0-0
'\We5 13.g3 O-m:, but Black still
has the better prospects thanks to
his lead in development and
White's weakened kingside.
7 d5
.

8.exd5
After 8 . .ig5 h6 9 . .ih4 g5 10.
.ig3 dxe4+ Black has an extra cen
tre pawn.
It is rather dubious for White
to opt for 8.e5? ! tt:lg4. Now, we
shall analyze two logical continu
ations:

l.e4 e5 2.lb.j3 lb.c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 0.xd4 lb.f6 5.lb.xc6 be 6.lb.c3 i.b4
1) 9.0-0 0-0 10 .'\!;!fe1 (White
loses quickly after 10.'\!;!fe2 l"le8 11.
f4 i.c5+ 12.'it>h1 0.xh2 !-+ Gunnars
son - Hardarson, Arborg 1998, or
10.f4 ic5+ 11.'it>h1 '\!;!lh4 12 .h3,
Kastner - Schiess}, Passau 1999,
12 ... '\!;!lg3-+, or 10.l"le1 i.c5-+ fol
lowed by '\!;!lh4 ; after 10 .h3 0.xe5
11.i.xh7+ 'it>xh7 12 .'1'9h5+ 'it>g8 13.
'\!;!!xeS i.d6 14.'1'9d4 l"le8+ Black has
two bishops and dominates the
centre, so he has the better pros
pects, Cid Royo - Baron Rodri
guez, Spain 2004; 10.a3 i.c5 11 .h3
0.xe5 12 .i.xh7+ 'it>xh7 13 .'\!;!lhS+
'it>g8 14.xe5 l"le8 15.'\!;!fg3 i.d6 16.
i.f4 '\!;!ff6 17.i.xd6 cxd6+ White has
succeeded in exchanging one of
his opponent's active bishops but
this has strengthened Black's cen
tre, Koekoek - Konijn, Hengelo
1998) 10 . . .f6 11.exf6 Wd6 1 2 .f4
0.xf6+ White had to exchange his
e5-pawn, which was cramping
Black's position and now his king
is vulnerable.
2) 9.i.f4 f6 10.0-0 (10.exf6?!
'\!;!fxf6+ and Black has numerous
unpleasant threats; in the varia
tions 10.h3 0.xe5 11.i.xe5 '\!;!fe7 12.
0-0 fxe5 13.Wh5+ 'it>d8+, or 10 .e6
i.xe6 11.We2 , Alonso - Nuevo
Perez, Seville 2001, 11 . . . d7 1 2 .
i.f5 'it>fT+ White loses his centre
pawn and is unable to exploit the
uncastled enemy king) 10 . . . 0-0
11.exf6 Wxf6 12.i.g3 i.d6 13.Wd2
(13.i.e2 0.e5+ Black has a slight
edge with his perfectly centralized
forces, Afek - Gyimesi, Kecskem
et 1994) 13 . . . !'lb8 14.0.a4, M.
Nikolov - Arnaudov, Sunny

Beach 2 005, 14 . . . h5t with excel

lent attacking chances.
8 .. cxd5
.

9. 0 - 0
9.i.g5 0-0 10.0-0 c6 - see
9.0-0; after 9.a3 i.e7 10.0-0
0-0, there arises a position from
variation C2 with a white pawn
on a3 rather than a2, but this does
not influence the correct evalua
tion of the position as equal.
9.i.b5+ i.d7 10.We2 + (10.
i.xd7+ ? ! Wxd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.
'\!;!fd3 !'lfe8+ Black has excellent de
velopment and dominates the
centre) 10 . . . i.e7 11.i.xd7+ Wxd7
12.0-0 0-0 13.i.g5 h6 14.hf6
hf6+ - Black's bishop is more
powerful than the enemy knight,
since the latter does not have any
secure outposts, Meister - A.
Onischuk, Togliatti 2003.
The inclusion of the moves
9.We2+ i.e7 cannot change the
character of the fight, because
White's queen on e2 is less active
ly placed than on the f3-square,
while Black's bishop will occupy
the d6-square anyway.
9. 0 - 0
..

123

Chapter 1 0
chances on the queenside and in
the centre, T.Kosintseva - Zaiatz,
Sochi 2 005.
1 0 . c6
..

1 0 . .ig5
This is White's most popular
and aggressive move.
After 10 .h3 c6 11.lLle2 (11.i.g5
h6 - see 10.i.g5) ll .. J'!e8 12.c3
i.d6 13.lLld4 i.c7t Black seizes the
initiative, Tinsley - Em. Lasker,
Leipzig 1894.
Or 10.i.e3 c6 ll.lLla4 l'!:e8 1 2 .
i.f4 i.g4 13.f3, Danilovic - Bakic,
Vrnjacka Banja 1999 and after
13 . . . i.d7+ the weakness of the e3square inside White's camp be
comes a telling factor.
10 .lLlb5 i.g4 ll.f3 i.c5+ 12 .@h1
i.d7 13.c3 i.b6 14.ltJd4 c5 15.ltJf5
l'!:e8+ Black has occupied the cen
tre and his pieces are ideally de
ployed, while White will have
great problems in accomplishing
the same, P. Dobrowolski - Nurk
iewicz, Barlinek 1996.
10.lLle2 l'!:e8 ll.c3, Navara Held, Olomouc 1999, ll . . . i.d6 1 2 .
i.f4 e S t Black takes space and
seizes the initiative.
The game is approximately
equal after 10.i.f4 i.d6 11.d2 c6
12 .lLle2 l'!:e8 13.lLlg3 .txf4 14.xf4
.ie6 = Black has gained a safe and
solid position and has counter124

In the diagram position,

White's main tries in the fight for
the advantage are Al) ll.c a4
and A2) ll.Wf3.
The alternatives fail to create
any problems for Black:
ll.l'!:e1 h6 12 ..th4 i.e6 13.a3 i.d6
14.f3 l'!:e8 15.b4? (it is more pre
cise for White to opt here for 15.
h3 a5 =) 15 ... i.g4 16 . .txf6 d7 17.
i.f5 '!Wxf5 18.xf5 hf5+ Black's
bishops are very powerful, G.Kuz
min - Moldobaev, Krasnodar 1998;
in the variation ll.h3 h6 1 2.
i.h4 i.d6 13.lLle2 c 5 14.c3 l'!:b8 15.
b3 l'!:e8 16.l'!:e1, Zhang Pengxiang
- A.Onischuk, Poikovsky 20 07, it
looks very good for Black to play
16 . . . i.b7? and White must be on
the alert all the time for Black's
possible pawn-breaks d5-d4 and
c5-c4 ;
ll.i.h4 i.d6 12 .i.g3 l'!:b8 13.b3
i.e6 14.lLle2 c5= White has no ac
tive prospects, Sermek - Borisek,
Bled 2005;

l.e4 e5 2.lUj3 lUc6 3.d4 exd4 4.lUxd4 lUf 6 5.lUxc6 bc 6.lUc3 ib4
l l.lUe2 - White transfers his
knight to the f4-square, but it is
not very stable there. ll ...h6 12.
i.h4 i.d6

the only open file, Koch - Fressi

net, Evry 2008) 18 ...l'!e5 19.l'!fe1
We7 2 0.Wc3 d4 2 1.Wa5 l'!e8 2 2 .
l'!xe5 '11;1/xeS 23 . .id3 l'!e7t White's
bishop has no good prospects,
while Black has more space and
good chances of weakening his
opponent's king position.

Al) ll.tLla4

13.lt:Jd4 (13.h3 c5 - see 11.h3;

13 ..ig3 l'!e8 14..ixd6 Wxd6 15.lt:lg3
Wb4 t Bujisic - Blagojevic, Bar
2006; 13.r,th1 l'!b8 14.b3 c5 15.c3
l'!e8 16.Wc2 , Zelcic - Mainka,
Dresden 2002, 16 . . . a5 17.l'!fe1 a4t
Black's queenside initiative is
running unopposed) 13...c5 14.
lt:Jf5 (14.lt:Jb5? ! b8 15.c4 .ib7 16.
lUc3 d4 17.lUe2 Wd6 18..ig3 Wc6
19.f3 .ixg3 2 0.lUxg3 l'!fe8+ White
has spent too many tempi on ma
noeuvres with his knight and in
the meantime Black has created a
powerful passed pawn and has
weakened the e3-square inside
his opponent's camp, Zifroni Macieja, Rimavska Sobota 199 2 ;
after 14.lt:Jf3 .ig4 15.h3 .ie6 16.c3,
Svidler - Kolev, Moscow 1994,
the aggressive line: 16 ... g5 17..ig3
.ixg3 18.fxg3 Wb6t enables Black
to seize the initiative) 14 ....ixf5
15 ..ixf5 g5 16.g3 .ixg3 17.hxg3
l'!e8 18.Wf3, Baklan - Almasi,
Germany 1998 (18.l'!e1 Wd6 19.c3
l'!xe1+ 2 0.Wxe1 l'!e8 2 1.Wd2 We5
22 ..id3 r,tg7t Black has occupied

White's idea is to undermine

Black's centre with c2-c4, or else
to blockade it with c2-c3 and b2b4,in which case his knight will
gain access to a wonderful out
post on d4.
ll h6 12 .ih4 .id6
Black has an interesting alter
native here - 12 ... l'!e8 ! ?
13.gel
After 13.c3 l'!e8 Black has no
problems at all, for example:
14.l'!e1 l'!xe1+ 15.Wxe11id7 16..ig3
.ixg3 17.hxg3 Was 18 ..ic2 ge8 19.
Wd2 .if5= He exchanges his po
tentially "bad" bishop and his po
sition is even a bit more active,
Potkin - Vescovi, Moscow 2002.
13.c4 l'!b8
.

125

Chapter l O

For 14J'le1 i.e6 - see 13.:B:el.

14.b3 :B:e8 15.cxd5 (15.:B:e1?!
:B:xe1+ 16.xe1 dxc4 17.i.xc4
i.xh2 + ! 18.'it>xh2 tt:lg4+ 19.'i!lh3
tt'le3+ 2 0 . 'i!lg3 d6+ 21.f4 g6+
2 2 . 'i!lf2 tt:lxc4 23.bxc4 c2 + 24.
'i!lg1 xa4+ Black has regained his
piece and even has the better
chances now, thanks to the weak
light squares in his opponent's
camp. It would be advantageous
for him to exchange the queens,
because his rook is more active
than its white counterpart.) 15 . . .
cxdS 16.:B:c1 .if4 17.:B:c2 d6 18.
i.g3 i.xg3 19.hxg3, Beck - Van
Hoolandt, Dresden 20 07, after
playing 19 . . . i.a6 2 0.i.xa6 xa6=
Black can exchange his passive
bishop and can seize the initiative
at an opportune moment, in view
of his powerful passed pawn in
the centre.
14.:B:c1 .if4 15.:B:c2 d6 16 . .ig3,
Varga - L.Vajda, Eger 2 0 0 2 , 16 . . .
hg3 17.hxg3 d4t Black has a
strong central passed pawn.
14.\1;Vf3 gS 15 . .ig3, Spangen
berg - Zarnicki, Buenos Aires
1993, 15 .. J''l e 8 16.:B:ae1 :B:xe1 17.
:B:xe1 i.g4 18.\1;Ve3 d4 19 .c1 i.xg3
20.hxg3 aS+ Black's pieces are
deployed considerably more ac126

tively and his passed pawn is very

strong.
14.cxd5 (This seems to be
White's most natural move.) 14 . . .
cxdS 15.b3 i.b7 16J:'k1 i.f4 17.:B:c2
d6 18.i.g3 i.xg3 19.hxg3 d4f
Black's d4-pawn is much rather
an asset than a liability, his bish
op on b7 is very active and his
prospects are at least equal, Z.An
driasian - Wang Hao, Moscow
2 0 07.
13 :B:b8
.

14.b3
14.c3 cS 15.i.c2 (15.b3 i.d7
16.tt'lb2 gS 17.i.g3 .ixg3 18.hxg3
\1;Va5t Black's pieces are very ac
tive, Hector - Fernandez Garcia,
Komotini 1992) 15 . . . i.d7 16J''lb 1,
Ki.Georgiev - P.Nikolic, Brussels
1992, 16 . . . :B:e8 17.:B:xe8+ i.xe8 18.
f3 .ic6+ Black maintains a slight
but stable edge thanks to his dom
inance in the centre and White's
passive knight on the edge of the
board.
14.c4 .ie6 15.cxd5 (after 15.:B:c1
d4 16.c5 i.f4 17.:B:a1 gS 18 .i.g3
hg3 19.hxg3, Al.Motylev - Der
vishi, Guarapuava 1995, Black

l.e4 e5 2. 1:iJ.f.3 1:iJ c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 1:iJxd4 1:iJf6 5. 1:iJxc6 be 6. 1:iJ c3 i.b4
could have played 19 . . .'aS 2 0 .b3
l"lfe8t, provoking the weakening
of the important c3-square) 1S . . .
cxdS 16.b3, Pugachov - Shalam
beridze, Mlada Boleslav 1993.
Now it is worth considering 16 . . .
l"lc8 17.l"lc1 '\WaS ! ? , without being
afraid of 18 . .ixf6 gxf6, because
Black's powerltil bishops will
compensate for the weakening of
his castled position. White cannot
organize an attack on the kingside
with the help of his f2-pawn, be
cause in answer to 19.l"lf1 ! ? Black
has the response 19 . . . '\Wb4 !
14 .Ae6 15.1Yf3 gb4 16 .Ag3
c5 17.h3
In the variation 17.i.fS i.xfS
18.'\WxfS gd4 19.l"le2 i.xg3 2 0 .
hxg3, Egin - Belozerov, Seversk
1997, Black can solve the prob
lems with the rather exposed po
sition of his rook and the protec
tion of his cS-pawn with the active
pawn-advance 2 0 . . . c4 ! =
t7 gbs
It is also good for Black to play
here 17 . . . c4 18.i.f1 i.xg3 19.'1Wxg3
'!WaS =
.

2 0 .'\Wxg3 ti'a5= Black has de

ployed his pieces in ideal fashion
and taken numerous important
central squares under control.
With so many pieces present on
the board, White will find it diffi
cult to prove that his opponent's
cS-pawn is weak, Rublevsky Anand, Moscow 1996.

A2) ll.ti'f3

..

This is an aggressive move

with the idea of organizing an at
tack on the enemy king.
ll h6!
That is Black's simplest re
sponse.
12 .hf6
After 12 .i.h4?! gS ! 13.i.g3 i.g4
14.i.c7 .ixf3 1S.hd8 l"laxd8 16.
gxf3 cS+ Black has a small but sta
ble advantage, thanks to the dis
rupted pawn structure on White's
kingside, M. Rodin - O.Sepp,
Moscow 2 004.
12 .i.f4? ! id6 13.l"lfe1 (13.h3
i.e6 - see variation C) 13 . . . l"lb8
14.1:iJa4 cS 1S.b3 i.e6t Black has
seized the initiative owing to his

18.gadl ges 19.c3 hg3

127

Chapter l O
dominance in the centre, Sutov
sky - Davies, Rishon Le Ziyyon
1995.
12 . . . ti'xf6 13.'xf6 gxf6
Black's two powerful bishops
fully compensate for the defects
of his pawn structure.
14.c!Oe2 .ld6

15.c!Od4
15.c4? ! dxc4 16.hc4 .ie5
17J!ab1 .if5 18.l='1bd1 .ixb2 19.l='1d6
l='1ac8+ and Black has managed to
win a pawn, E. Berg - Najer, In
ternet 2004.
In the variation 15.b3 .ie6 16.
l='1ad1 l='1fd8 17.c4 l='1ac8 18.cxd5
cxd5 19.l='1c1 l='1xc1 20.l='1xc1 l='1c8
21.l='1xc8+ .ixc8= Black's passed
d5-pawn, supported by his strong
bishops, provides him with equal
chances.
In reply to 15.l='1ad1, Votava V. Malakhov, Khanty-Mansiysk
2010, it would be fine for Black to
continue with 15 . . . .ie6 16.tt:\d4
(16.b3 c5=) 16 . . . c5 17.tt:\f5 h5
18 . .ixf5 d4 19.l='1fe1 l='1fe8= and this
endgame, with bishops of oppo
site colour, is equal.
It is more or less the same af128

ter 15.lt:lg3 l='1e8 16.tt:\f5 .ixf5 17.

.ixf5 l='1e7 18.l='1fe1 l='1ae8 = and after
the exchange of all the rooks a
draw becomes inevitable, Ko
vanova - Mkrtchian, Jermuk
2010, or 15.l='1fd1 .ig4 16.h3 he2
17 . .ixe2 .ie5 18.l='1ab1 l='1ab8 19.b3
l='1fd8= Shkuro - Tarlev, Alushta
2006.
15 . . . c5 16.c!Of5 hf5 17.hf5

The opponents can agree to a

draw in the diagram position,
which is exactly what happened in
numerous games.
17. . . .le5= Skripchenko - Ste
fanova, Krasnoturinsk 2003.

l.e4 e5 2. lt':,j3 lt':, c6 3.d4 exd4 4. lt':,xd4 lt':,f6 5. lt':,xc6 be 6. lt':, d2 d5

This is the Tartakower varia
tion, with which White cannot
gain any advantage. His knight on
d2 impedes the development of
his own pieces, but his position is
still quite solid, so he can main
tain the balance without too many
problems.
6 d5 7.exd5
7 . .id3 .id6 - see 6 . .id3 .
7.e5 ? ! - This move looks ac
tive, but it leads to an inferior po
sition for White. 7 . . . lt':,g4 8.lt':,b3
lt':,xe5 9 .e2 .ib4+ 10.c3 .id6 11.f4
.ig4 12 .e3 0-0 13.g3 (after
13 .fxe5 l"!e8 14.exd6 h4+ 15.g3
l"!xe3+ 16.he3 f6+ Black's
threats 17 . . . f3 and 17 . . . l"!e8 turn
out to be too difficult to parry)
13 . . . l"!e8 14.f2 .id1 15.fxe5 l"!xe5-+
White has come under a crushing
attack and he has no satisfactory
defence against 16 . . . l"!f5+, because
it would not work for him to con
tinue with 16.g1 hb3 17.axb3
.ic5-+
7 . . . cxd5 8.J.b5+
8 . .id3 .id6 - see variation B2.
In response to 8.lt':,f3, Black
should continue with 8 . . . .ic5 9.
.ib5+ .id7 10.hd7+ xd7 11.0-0
o-m= - his bishop on c5 is very
powerful and his knight will go to
the e4-square; thanks to this cen
tralization, he will have a slight
edge.
8 .td7 9.hd7+
After 9.'1We2 + .ie7 10.0-0 (10.
hd7+ xd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.lt':,b3
l"!fe8 13. f3 .id6+ Black occupies
the only open file and his pieces
are comfortably deployed, Lueth-

gens - Matthaei, Germany 1993)

10 ... c6 ll ..id3 0-0 12 .lt':,f3 l"!e8 13.
c3 .ig4+ Black is slightly ahead in
development and his position in
the centre is preferable, Black
burne - Janowski, St. Petersburg
1914.
9 . . . Ybd7 1 0 . 0 - 0 .ie7

ll.b3
White has many possibilities
to choose from, but he has no
chance of gaining an advantage
with any of them .
ll.lt':,f3 0-0 12 . .ig5 (after 12 .b3
lt':,e4= Black immediately neutral
izes the threats on the long diago
nal, Rosito - M. Sorokin, Villa Ge
sell 1997) 12 . . . h6 13 ..ih4 l"!fe8 14.
l"!e1 b5 15.b3, Tiviakov - Fressi
net, Pamplona 2 005, 15 . . . '\Wc5= Black is ready to attack the enemy
weakness on c3.
ll.l"!e1 0-0 12.l!fl (White does
not achieve much with 1Vt::l f3 ,
Tartakower - Thiellement, Paris
1955, 12 . . . l"!fe8 =) 12 . . . l"!ab8 13.b3
.ib4= Dolukhanova - Turova,
Salekhard 2008.
ll.c4 - White has matched his
opponent's slight superiority in
129

Chapter 1 0
the centre, but, as compensation
for his weakened pawn-structure
on the queenside, Black's central
ized knight is tremendously
strong. 11 . . . 0-0 12.cxd5 lLlxdS 13.
lt:Je4 l!ad8 14.'\1;Vf3 l!fe8 15.l!d1, E.
Sveshnikov - Morozevich, St. Pe
tersburg 1993, after 15 . . . '\1;Vb5
16 .h3 c6? Black's prospects are
by no means worse.
ll.lLlb3 0-0 12 . .ie3, Pedersen
- Juergens, Denmark 2 001, 12 . . .
l!fe8 13.l!e1 .id6= At a n oppor
tune moment Black can exploit
the insufficient protection of
White's kingside.
11 0- 0 12.i.b2 gfe8 13.
'11;Vf3
Or 13.lt:Jf3 c6=

C) 6.i.d3
This is a very reasonable and
flexible move. White can develop
his knight on b1 either to c3 or d2 .
However, it is rather difficult for
him to obtain any advantage in
this pawn-structure.
6 . . . d5

13 tt)g4
This is the simplest way for
Black to equalize. He plans to ex
change the dark-squared bishops.
14.h3 i.f6 15.hf6 tt)xf6 16.
gfe1 YHd6 17.'%Yc3 c5=
Black
dominates the centre, but White
has quite sufficient resources to
maintain the balance, Godena Onischuk, Reggio Emilia 2 010.

130

The most usual moves in the

diagram position are Cl) 7.e5? !
and C2) 7.exd5.
7.lt:Jc3 .ib4 - see variation A.
7.0-0 dxe4 8.'\1;Ve1 (8.'\1;Ve2 i.g4
- see 7.'%Ye2; 8.l!e1 .ie6 and now
White loses after 9.i.xe4?? '\1;Vxd1
10.i.xc6+ YHd7 11.hd7+ lt:Jxd7-+
Geffert - Motycakova, Slovakia
2008, while if 9 . .ia6 YHxd1 10.l!xd1
l!b8 ll.b3 .id6 12 . .ib2 e3! 13.fxe3
lt:Jg4 14.l!d2 i.xh2 + 1s.'i!?h1 o-m=
Mezhetsky - Pushkariov, Chill
ingham 1996, or 9 ..if1 YHxd1
10 .l!xd1 .id6+ Tellore - Yarmoly
uk, Email 2009, White fails to ob
tain compensation for the sacri
ficed pawn) 8 . . . -ifS ! This is the
best move for Black and it enables
him to equalize without any prob
lems. 9.f3 (9 . .ig5?! .ie7 10.i.xf6

l.e4 e5 2. 0f3 tt:lc6 3.d4 exd4 4. tt:lxd4 tt:lf6 5. tt:Jxc6 be 6. J.d3 d5

.ixf6 11 . .ixe4 0-0! 12 ..ixf5 .ixb2
13.tt:la3 f6 14J'!b1 .ixa3+ Black's extra pawn is weak and
almost irrelevant, but he is still
the one playing for a win , be
cause his pieces are much more
active.) 9 . . . i.c5+ 10.i.e3 i.d4 11.
fxe4 tt:lg4 12 . .ixd4 xd4+ 13.<;f;>h1
i.e6= - Black's control of the d4square completely compensates
for his damaged queenside pawn
structure, Cook - Wyder, Email
2008.
7.tt:ld2 ? ! i.d6 8.0-0 (In the
endgame after 8.exd5 e7+ 9.
e2 xe2+ 10 . .ixe2 cxd5 11.i.b5+
i.d7 12 . .ixd7+ <;f;>xd7+ White must
fight for equality, since Black has
a clear lead in development and
dominates the centre, Csom Ribli, Hungary 1972 .) 8 . . . 0-0
8 . . . 0-0 9.h3 (White merely weak
ens the position of his king with
the seemingly active line : 9.f4?!
i.g4 10.e1, Ehrler - Pioch, Ger
many 1981 and after 10 . . . tt:Jxe4
11.tt:lxe4 E:e8+ he cannot exploit
the weaknesses of Black's queen
side; in the variation 9.E:e1 E:e8, it
would be too optimistic for White
to play 10.c4 i.g4 11.c2 e7 1 2 .f3
e5 13 .g3 i.h3 14.tt:lb3 dxe4 15.
fxe4 h5+ and the open position
of his king precludes him from at
tacking the weak enemy pawns,
Burchfield - Bladyko, Email
2008, but even after the more ac
curate 10.exd5 E:xe1+ 11.xe1
cxd5t Black maintains the initia
tive, thanks to his superior posi
tion in the centre, Callas - Verat,
Cannes 1996.) 9 . . . E:e8

10.exd5 (It is premature for

White to opt for 10.f3 e7 11.
exd5 e5 12.g3 h5 13.f4 i.c5+
14.<;f;>h1 cxd5+ - White's kingside
is weak, which, in combination
with Black's occupation of the
only open file, guarantees Black
the better prospects, Santos Lata
sa - Navarrete Espi, Porto Carras
2010; Black also has an excellent
position after 10 .E:e1 i.b7 11.exd5
E:xe1+ 12 .xe1 cxd5 13.tt:lf3 c5+
Fodre - Balint, Hungary 2005.)
10 . . . cxd5 11.b3 (It is less accurate
for White to play 11.c4 d4 and in
the variation 12.tt:lb3 c5 13.f3
E:b8 14.i.g5 i.b7 15.f5 d7 16 .
.ixf6 xf5 17.i.xf5 gxf6+ Black has
a protected passed pawn in the
centre and the advantage of the
two bishops, which more than
compensates for the defects of his
kingside pawn-structure, Krause
- Vincent, corr. 1990, while if
12.f3 E:b8 13.tt:le4 tt:Jxe4 14 . .ixe4
e7 15.E:e1, Margraf - Van der
Veen, Germany 2008, Black can
enter a very pleasant endgame by
playing 15 . . . i.b7 16 . .ixh7+ <;f;>h8
17.E:xe7 i.xf3 18.E:xe8+ E:xe8 19.
id2 i.e2+; after 11.tt:lf3 eSt White
must react very precisely in order
to parry the activity of Black's ide131

Chapter 1 0
ally placed pieces, Velimirovic Kurajica, Banja Luka 1985.) 11 . . .
b7 1 2 .b2 , Brandenburg - Tim
mermans, Dieren 2010; here
Black can play 12 . . . f4 ! ?t, pre
venting the enemy queen from
coming to the f3-square.
White fails to create any prob
lems for his opponent with the
line: 7.g5 e7 8.tLlc3 (8.exd5
'l!tifxd5! 9.1!tiff3?, Rocha - Cleeve, corr.
1987, 9 . . . 1!tifxg5 10.1!tifxc6+ d8 11.
'l!tifxa8 '!tiel+ 12.e2 'l!tixhl-+ and
Black ends up with an extra bish
op.) 8 . . . ttJxe4 9.xe7 '!tixe7 10.
he4 dxe4 ll.'l!tifd4 0-0 1 2 . 0-0
f5 13.Elfel Elfd8 14.1!tifc4 Elab8
White can probably regain his
pawn but Black's piece-activity
and the superiority of his bishop
over the enemy knight provide
him with sufficient counter
chances, Navarrete Delgado Nava Pereda, Bergara 2 010.
7.'!tie2 dxe4

After 8.tLlc3 the position is

considerably simplified. 8 . . . b4
9.he4 hc3+ 10 .bxc3 ttJxe4 11.
'l!tixe4+ 'l!tie7 12.1!tifxe7+ xe7 13.
f4 Elb8 14.0-0-0 Elb7 15.Elhel+
e6 16.Eld4 Elhb8= White's piece
activity has been completely neu132

tralized, Nedoma - Gubas, Email

2008.
8.0-0 - This move is too opti
mistic, Johnsson - Buj , corr.
1983, 8 . . . g4 9.'1!tife3 (9.f3 'l!tifd4+
10.hl e7+) 9 . . . 1!tife7 10 .a6 1!tife5
ll.b7 d6 12 .hc6+ d7 13.
hd7+ ttJxd7 14.g3 0-0+ Black's
forces are much more active.
The variation 8.he4 ttJxe4 9.
'!tixe4+ '!tie7 leads by force to an
endgame in which Black has a
powerful bishop pair in a position
with an open centre, which more
than compensates for his weak
ened pawn-structure on the
queenside, Mieses - Teichmann,
Berlin 1924.
8.g5 b4+ 9.ttJc3 0-0 10.
he4 hc3+ 11.bxc3 Ele8 12.0-0
(12 .f3 ? ! 'l!tifd6+ Link - Schulz,
Email 2 005. Black is ready to an
swer 13.hf6 with 13 . . . gxf6 ! +) 12 . . .
f5 13.f3 'l!tifd6 14.hf6 'l!tifxf6 15.
'l!tifc4 (After 15.Eladl 'l!tifxc3+, in ad
dition to his piece-activity, Black
wins a pawn, which, although
weak, is still an extra one, Bertel
- Sapronov, Email 2006.) 15 . . .
he4 16.fxe4 'l!tife6 17.1!tifxe6 Elxe6=
There is hardly any material left,
Pavelek - Rabatin, Frydek Mistek
2 0 07.
8.tLld2 b4 9 .he4 0-0 10.c3
(10.hc6?, Palmiotto - Bianchi,
Italy 1961, 10 . . . b7! 11.hb7 Ele8
12 .ha8 'l!tifxa8 13.1!tifxe8+ 'l!tixe8+
14.fl ttJg4 White has failed to
coordinate his forces and Black's
attack is decisive.) 10 . . . ttJxe4 11.
ttJxe4 f5 12.0-0 Ele8 13.cxb4
Elxe4 14.e3 Elxb4= Black is not

l.e4 e5 2. tlJ.fJ l:iJ c6 3.d4 exd4 4. tlJxd4 tlJf6 5. tlJxc6 be 6. i.d3 d5

likely to realize his extra pawn,
Zahour - Glembek, Email 2 0 04.

.ic5

Cl) 7.e5? !

White seizes space but this is

too optimistic, since his pieces
cannot support this gain.
7 .lig4 8. 0 - 0
8.i.f4 i.cS 9 .i.g3 (9.0-0 gS see 8.0-0) 9 . . . i.d4 10.c3 (it is
preferable for him to opt for 10.
CiJc3 heS+) 10 . . . heS 11.0-0
hg3 12 .fxg3 i.e6+ Black has won
a pawn, seized space and weak
ened his opponent's king posi
tion, Fernandez - Congiu, France
2006.
8.f4 .icS 9.\We2 0-0 10.CiJd2
i.f2 + 1l.'>;>fl i.b6+ The material is
equal, but White's king is in terri
ble danger, Storkebaum - Leh
ner, Kaufungen 2003.
After 8.\We2 i.cS 9.f3 (9.0-0
\We7 - see 8. 0-0) 9 ... CiJf2 10J'U1
CiJxd3+ 11.cxd3, Holzinger - Ba
jer, Oeffingen 2 0 0 2 , Black can
best highlight his opponent's de
velopment problems with the
move 11 . . J'!b8+

9 . .if4
9.CiJd2? \Wh4-+ ; 9 .\We1 \We7!
10.i.f4 gS+
It is rather careless for White
to play 9.h3? tlJxeS 10J'!e1 (10.\We2
\Wf6 1U'!e1 0-0 - see 10.l3e1; 11.
'it>h1 0-0 12 .i.e3 tlJxd3 13.\Wxd3
he3 14.fxe3 \Wxb2 1S.CiJd2 aS-+
and White lost several pawns in
the game Nash - Murphy, Email
2 007) 10 . . . \Wf6 11.e2 (In reply to
the more accurate move 11.i.e3 ,
Jouglet - Dessenne, Lille 20 04,
Black can enter a favourable end
game with 11 . . . d4! ? 12 . .ic1 0-0
13.hh7+ 'it>xh7 14.hS+ 'it>g8 1S.
xeS xeS 16.l3xeS i.d6 17.l3e1
cS+) 11 . . . 0-0 12.\WxeS xf2 + 13.
'it>h1 hh3 ! 14.gxh3 f3+ 1S.'it>h2
i.d6-+ Delmar - Lipschuetz,
New York 1888.
After 9.f3 0-0 10.i.f4 f6 11.
h3 g6+ White loses at least a
pawn, Klimpel - Held, Wuerz
burg 1996.
9.e2 e7 10.if4 gS 11.i.d2
(11.i.g3? hS 12 .i.a6 i.xa6 13.xa6
i.b6 14.a4 \We6 1S.h4 0-0-0 16.
CiJd2 gxh4 17.i.xh4 l3dg8-+
133

Chapter 1 0
White's king is weak and his piec
es are uncoordinated, Brochet Hebden, France 1998) 11.. .0-0
12 .b4 (after 12 .i.c3 d4, White
merely creates additional weak
nesses in his position with the
line 13.b4 i.b6 14.i.d2 xeS 1S.
xeS tt:JxeS 16.hgS tt:Jxd3 17.cxd3
i.fS 18.gd1 aS 19.bxaS gxaS+
Malureanu - Chifor, Baile Hercu
lane 2010, but his defence is
difficult even after the more
precise 13.i.aS xeS 14.xeS
tt:JxeS 1S.hc7 tt:Jxd3 16.cxd3 i.fS
17.gd1 gfe8+ - his d3-pawn is
weak and Black's light-squared
bishop is so powerful that White
faces a long and laborious de
fence.) 12 . . . i.b6 13.a4 xeS 14.
xeS tt:JxeS 1S.i.e2 aS 16.bxaS
i.xaS 17.hgS i.fS+ Fister - Babel,
Email 2009.
9 g5

two bishops, while White is inca

pable of exploiting the somewhat
open position of the enemy mon
arch.
10 .i.d2 0-0 ll.b4, Kerman Klengel, Email 2 0 0S, ll . . . i.b6 12.
i.c3 f6 13.h3 (13.exf6? d6 ! 14.g3
gxf6 ! - + ) 13 . . . tt:JxeS+ Black is
ahead in development and has an
excellent position in the centre;
therefore, White cannot do any
thing to exploit his opponent's
rather exposed king.
1 0 h5

ll .ie2
ll.h3? h4 12 .i.h2 tt:Jxh2 13.
xh2 e7 14.e2 (White cannot
ease his defensive task with the
prophylactic line: 14.h1 f8 1S.
e1 g4 16.hxg4 i.xg4 17.tl:Jd2 h3
18.g3 h2 19.4 Ah3 2 o .gf3 gb8 21.
tl:Jb3 i.gH) 14 . . . i.d4 1S.tl:Jc3 (1S.c3
xeS+ 16.f4 xe2 17..ixe2 Ae3 18.
fxgS hgS+ Haupold - Holl, corr.
1990) 1S . . . xeS+ 16. xeS+ heS+
17.g1 .ie6+ Black has two strong
bishops and an extra pawn, so his
position is nearly winning, Kopy
lova - Severina, Rybinsk 20 09.
.

1 0 .ig3
10.i.c1, Werner - Michalczak,
Boeblingen 1999, 10 . . . 0-0 11.tl:Jd2
tt:JxeS 12 .tl:Jb3 .ib6 13 .hS tt:Jxd3
14.cxd3 f6+ Black has won a pawn
and obtained the advantage of the

134

l.e4 e5 2. 4:Jj3 4:J c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 4:Jxd4 4:Jj6 5. 4:Jxc6 be 6. i.d3 d5

White fails to seize the initia
tive with ll .b4 h4 12 .hh4 i.d4
13.c3 .be5 14.i.g3 hg3 15.fxg3
CiJxh2 16Je1 + , Ikegami - Hay
akawa, Email 2 006, because after
the simple move 16 . . . @f8+, Black
has excellent chances of realizing
his extra pawn.
ll ... h4 12.hg4 hxg3 13.
hxg3 f5 !

19 gaf8 !
This is much simpler than the
following line, which leads to a
completely unclear position: 19 . . .
l:Ml 5 20.Wixh5 !!h8 21.Wid1 h6 2 2 .
Wffd 4+ @g8 23.f4 Wffh 2+ 24.@f2oo
2 o .gf3 .tf5 21.g4 Wffe5 22.
gb3 .th7+ White's extra pawn is
of no importance, because his
king is vulnerable, his bishop out
of action and his major pieces are
passive.

14.exf6!
14.i.h5+? @f8 15.g4 Wie7 16.
gxf5 Wffxe5 17.!!e1 Wffxf5 18.f3
!!xh5 0-1 Pasternak - Em.Lasker,
Switzerland 1898.
White loses beautifully after
14.Wid3? fxg4 ! 15.Wffg 6+ @f8 16.
Wffxc6 .ib6 17.4:Jc3 (after 17.Wffx a8
@g7 18.c6 !!h6 19.Wic3 Wffh 8 2 0 .
e 6 + d4-+ White i s mated) 17 . . .
@g7 18.4:Jxd5 (18.Wffx a8 !!h6-+)
18 . . . !!h6 19.e6 he6 2 0 .4:Jxb6
cxb6 2 1.Wib7+ .if7- + Black is
threatening to mate after Wffh 8, so
he should easily convert his extra
bishop into a full point.
14 YlYxf6 15 .th5+ f8 16.
c3 g7 17.a4 i.d6 18.ge1
18.c4? ! i.a6 19 .g4 .bc4+
18 .td7 19.ge3

C2) 7.exd5
White gives up the centre and
cannot fight for an advantage, de
spite the fact that his pawn-struc
ture is better. Black can centralize
his pieces and equalize easily.
7 cxd5

135

Chapter 1 0
The pawn structure in the dia
gram position is identical to the
one that we analyzed in variation
A. Here, though, Black should not
develop his bishop to the b4square, since it will be better
placed on d6 or e7.
Grandmaster practice has con
firmed that Black's position is
very solid.
8. 0 - 0
It seems a bit strange for White
to make a second move in a row
with his bishop: 8 .i.b5 + i.d7 9.
i.xd7+ xd7 10.0-0 i.e7 11.c4
(After 11.ttld2, there arises a posi
tion from variation A, except that
Black has an extra tempo; 11.c3
0-0 12.ttld2 h6 13.ttlf3 i.d6 14.i.e3
c5+ Black's central superiority
gives him the slightly better pros
pects, Osadchy - M.lvanov, Mos
cow 1997; after 11.b3 0-0 12 .i.b2,
Plenkovic - Jovanic, Zadar 2010,
the simplest response for Black
would be to strengthen his posi
tion in the centre with 12 . . . c5
13.ttld2 E:fe8=) 11 . . . d4 12 .i.g5 0-0
13.d3 E:ab8 14.b3 ttld5 15.i.xe7
ttlxe7= Black has a powerful cen
tral passed pawn and can be opti
mistic about the future, Zelcic Varga, Montecatini Terme 1997.
After 8.tLld2 i.d6 9.0-0 0-0
10 .c4 (10.c3 c5+) 10 . . . d4 11.h3 c5
12 .tLlf3 E:e8+ Black dominates the
centre and has the better pros
pects, Chernyshov - Stebunov,
Anapa 2009.
The position seems completely
equal after 8 . .ig5 i.e7 9.ttlc3 0-0
10.0-0 c6= , or 8.tLlc3 c6=
136

.te7

9.c3
9.i.g5 0-0 10 .E:e1 (The posi
tion is again completely balanced
after 10.tLld2 .ig4 11.c1, Fercec
- Fejzullahu, Fuegen 2 0 06, 11 . . .
h6 12 .i.h4 tLlh5 1 3 . .b:e7 xe7=)
10 ... E:e8 11.tLlc3 c6 12.tLla4, Am
bartsumova - M. Krylov, Moscow
2010, 12 . . . i.e6 13.c3 c7=
In the variation 9.c4 0-0 10.
cxd5 tLlxd5 11.i.e4 i.e6 12.tLlc3
tLlxc3 13.bxc3 xd1 14.E:xd1 E:ad8=
Black's pieces are a bit more ac
tive, but the position is still equal,
Nimzowitsch - Tarrasch, San Se
bastian 1911.
9 0 - 0 10 .tg5
Black equalizes comfortably
after 10.E:e1 E:b8 11.b3, Hackfeld
- Zili, Email 2 005, 11.. .i.g4 ! 12.
d2 c5= , or 10.i.f4 c6 11.E:e1 i.d6
12 .d2, Serner - Piccoli, Email
2009, 12 . . . c7 13 . .b:d6 xd6 14.
h3 i.d7= , while after 10.ttle2,
Napoli - Del Rio Angelis, Cutro
2 0 04, 10 . . . c5 11.b3 b6+ Black's
chances are even preferable
thanks to his dominance in the
centre.
.

l.e4 e5 2. 0../3 0. c6 3.d4 exd4 4. 0.xd4 0.f6 5. 0.xc6 be 6. i.d3 d5

1 0 i.e6 ll.'f3
After 11.0.e2 h6 12 .i.c1 c5 13.c3
B:b8 14.B:b1 119d7 15.B:e1 i.d6 =
Black has nothing to complain
about, Hermann - Gabriel, Ger
many 1993.
ll h6
...

dark-squared bishop has no op

ponent and gives him the better
prospects, Sevillano - Krasen
kow, Dhaka 1995.
12 c6 13.h3 i.d6 14.0.e2
c5=
...

. .

12 .if4
After 12 . .ixf6? ! i.x6 13.0.a4
B:b8 14.B:ab1 d6 15.b3 c5+ Black's
.

White should manage to hold

the balance with accurate play,
Plukkel - Sulypa, Wijk aan Zee
2010.

137

Chapter ll

l.e4 e5 2 . f3 c6 3.d4 exd4 4 . xd4

f6 5 .xc6 bxc6 6. e5
Scotch Game
Mieses Variation

In this chapter, we begin the

analysis of White's most natural
move, known as the Mieses Varia
tion, after its populariser, al
though it was played for the first
time by Blackburne in 1881, in his
match against Zukertort.
6 . . . e7
Naturally, it is useful for Black
to force White's queen to occupy
the e2-square, where it prevents
his light-squared bishop from
coming into play.
7.ti'e2
It is not good to play 7.i.f4?!
ll:JdS 8.i.g3 (8.d4 ll:Jxf4 9 .xf4 f6
10 .e6 xe6+ ll.i.e2 i.d6 12 .d2
13b8 13 .b3 0-0-+ and Black's ex
tra centre pawn and lead in devel
opment guarantee him a quick
victory, Zurowski - Head, Email
138

1997) 8 . . . b4+ 9.ll:Jd2 xb2 10.

i.c4 ll:Jc3 11.c1 xc1+ 12.13xc1,
Petrovic - Stojanovic, Nis 2010
and after 12 ... i.a3 13.13a1 i.b2-+
and Black wins the exchange.
7.f4 d6 8.f3 (8.d4 dxeS 9.
fxeS ll:Jg4 10.i.f4 f6 11.c3 ll:JxeS
12 .i.e2 b4+ Black forces an end
game with an extra pawn) 8 . . . i.d7
9 .e3 dxeS 10.xeS xeS+ 11.
fxeS, Knapczyk - Sloan, Email
2001 and with ll . . . ll:Jg4+ he em
phasizes the weakness of his op
ponent's eS-pawn.
7 .ftld5

8.b3
After the rather indifferent
move 8.c3?, it is good for Black to
continue his development with 8 ...
g6 9.f4 i.g7 10 .g3 0-0 ll.i.g2 aS+

3.d4 ed 4Jjj xd4 l:iJf6 5Jijxc6 be 6.e5 e7 7. e2 l:iJ dS

After 8.e4?! g6 ! ? 9.i.d3 .ig7
10 .f4 0-0 11 . .id2 d6+ White will
be unable to hold on to his centre,
Zhivetjeva - Zaitseva, Russia
2004.
It is not good to play 8.a3?! g6
9.c4, Dolukhanova - Ivanenko,
Evpatoria 2006, since after 9 . . .
l:iJb6 10.1:iJc3 .ig7 11..if4 0-0
12 .e3 1'3e8+ White must pay for
the tempo wasted on a2-a3.
8.d2? ! White's bishop is mis
placed on this square. 8 . . . g6 9.c4
(9.1:iJc3 .ig7 10.f4, Dvornitzky Bauer, Hungary 2007, 10 . . . 0-0
11.0-0-0 d6 12.exd6 xd6 ! t) 9 ...
l:iJb6 10 . .if4 .ig7 1l.l:iJc3 .ia6 12 .b3
dS+ White lags in development
and his bishop on f4 would have
been better placed on b2, Goering
- Germann, Germany 2009.
In answer to 8.f4, Mieses Forgacs, Ostend 1907, it is very
strong for Black to follow Garry
Kasparov's recommendation : 8 . . .
b4 + ! 9.c3 (9.d2?! l:iJe3 ! ? 10.c3
l:iJxf1 11.cxb4 l:iJxd2 12 . .ixd2 1'3b8
13.a3 aS 14.bxaS 1'3xb2+ and Black
maintains a stable edge with his
bishop pair and better pawn
structure.) 9 . . . b6 10 .f3 aS 11.
l:iJd2 (11.c4 1:iJb4 12 .e2 .icS 13.a3
l:iJa6+ Black has advantageously
regrouped his forces for an attack
on the enemy kingside.) 11 . . . e3+
12.xe3 l:iJxe3= and after the ex
change of queens Black has noth
ing to fear. He cannot be prevent
ed from exchanging the central
eS-pawn.
8.h4 e6 9.c4 (9.1'3h3 d6! 10.c4
l:iJb6 11 ..if4 dS+; 9.g3 .icS 10 .i.h3

fS 11.0-0 0-0 12 .c4 1:iJb6 13.b3 d6

14 . .ib2 g6+ Black has dangerous
threats on the kingside. White is
noticeably behind in development
after 9. 1:iJd2 .ib7 10 .c4 l:iJb6 11.
l:iJf3 .ib4+ 12 ..id2 .ixd2+ 13.1:iJxd2
0- 0+) 9 . . . 1:iJb6 10.lt:ld2 d6 11.exd6
cxd6= and Black's excellent de
velopment fully compensates for
the slight defects of his pawn
structure.
8.g3 g6 9 .b3 (For 9.c4 .ia6 see 8.c4; after 9.f4 f6 10.exf6 lt:Jxf6
11.lt:Jc3 dS= Black's superiority in
the centre compensates for the
weakness of his doubled pawns;
9 ..ig2 .ig7 10.0-0 0-0 11.c4 .ia6,
or 11.1'3e1 1'3e8 12.c4 .ia6 - see
Chapter 12, while if 10.f4 f6+,
Black can destroy his opponent's
centre, after which his lead in de
velopment will become a telling
factor.) 9 . . . .ig7 10 . .ib2 d6 11 . .ig2
(in the variation 11.f4 dxeS 12 .fxeS
0-0 13.lt:Jd2 1'3e8 14. 0-0-0 gS+
White will once again be unable to
retain his eS-pawn and might
then come under a dangerous at
tack.) 11 . . .-ixeS 12 .-ixeS xeS 13.
xeS+ dxeS+ Black's extra centre
pawn is much more important
than the slight defects of his
queenside pawn structure.
8.lt:Jd2 g6 9.lt:Jf3 (For 9.c4 - see
8.c4; in response to 9.b3, Black
maintains better prospects with
the line: 9 . . . cS 10 .e4 c3 11.
1'3b1 .ih6 12.i.c4 0-0+; in the vari
ation 9.1:iJe4 .ig7 it is too optimis
tic for White to opt for 10.f4 0-0
11 . .id2 l:iJb6 1 2 .0-0-0, because
after 12 . . . dS 13.exd6 cxd6 14.i.c3
139

Chapter 11
)"1e8 15 . .b:g7 xg7 16.li:Jg3 h5+
Black is considerably ahead in de
velopment, while if 10.c4 f5= , ir
respective of White's reply, Black
will have no problems at all.) 9 .. .
1Wb4+ 10.1Wd2 (10 .c3? li:Jxc3+) 10 . . .
)"1b8 ll.c3 (ll.c4 1Wxd2+ 12 . .b:d2
li:Jb4 13.d1 c5= White must play
accurately to avoid to ending up
in a worse position, Schoellmann
- Mikhalchishin, Bled 1995) 11 . . .
1We4+ 12 .1We2 (12 .i.e2 ? ! i.a6i)
12 ... 1Wxe2+ 13.i.xe2 i.g7 14.0-0
0-0 15.c4 i.a6= Black has ob
tained a good game, Vujic Blagojevic, Belgrade 2 0 09.

8 . . a5! ?
This interesting move aims at
the quickest possible organization
of queenside counterplay.
9.c4
If White ignores his oppo
nent's threats he can end up pay
ing dearly, for example: 9.i.b2 a4
10.li:Jd2 axb3 11.axb3 )"1xa1+ 12 .
.b:a1 1Wa3 13.1Wd1 i.b4+ White has
great problems owing to his lag in
development and the weakness of
his dark squares, Mieses - Marco,
Hastings 1895.
.

140

9 .ti:lb6

1 0 . .ia3
For 10.li:Jd2 a4 11.i.b2 or 10.g3
a4 11.i.b2 - see 10.i.b2 .
10.a3 - This i s loses a tempo
and weakens the b3-pawn. Black
can play 10 . . . g6 1l.i.b2 i.g7 12.
li:Jd2 0-0 13.f4 and now after 13 ...
d6 ! + he obtains a huge lead in de
velopment and destroys the ene
my centre.
With the move 10.a4, White
prevents the opening of the a-file
at the cost of weakening the b4square and his b3-pawn. 10 . . .
1Wb4+ 11.li:Jd2 1Wc3 12.)"1b1 i.b4
13.1We4, Grosar - T.Matkovic,
Makarska 1994 (The alternatives
are even worse: 13.f4 1Wd4 14.g3
0-0 15.1Wd3 '&c5 16.i.b2 d5+
Weteschnik - S.Vajda, Balaton
bereny 1996, or 13.h4 0-0 14.)"1h3
'&d4 15.1We3 c5 16.'&xd4 cxd4 17.
)"1d3, Garma - Chan, Beijing
2008, 17 . . . c5+, or 13.d1 '&d4 14.
i.b2 '&f4 15.g3 '&h6 16.i.g2 0-0
17.i.d4 d5 ! + Uralde - Daus, Email
2002 and in all cases White has
obvious problems with his ex
posed king, which not only re-

3.d4 ed 4 . tiJxd4 f1:Jj6 5.tiJxc6 be 6.e5 e7 7.'ef e2 f1:J d5 8.b3 a5

quires protection but also pre
vents the harmonious coordina
tion of his pieces.). Here Black
can continue with 13 . . . 0-0 14.
.id3 g6 15.0-0 d5 16.e2 .ig4+
and he retains the better pros
pects, thanks to his ideally placed
pieces and superior pawn struc
ture.
10.f1:Jc3 a4 1 Ubl (ll . .ib2 'e!e6
- see 10.i.b2) ll . . . axb3 12.axb3
e6 13 . .id2 (13.e4 .ib4 14 . .id2
d5 - see 13 . .id2) 13 . . ..ib4 14.e3
(14.e4 d5 15.exd6 cxd6= Crouan
- Kosten, Sautron 2 005) 14 . . . d6
15.exd6 xe3+ 16.fxe3 cxd6 17.
id3 0-0= Black has nothing to
fear in this endgame, Tomazini Vl. Kovalev, Burdur 2010.
10.ib2 a4

In the variation 11.f3 g5

12 .f1:Jd2 .ib4 13 .0-0-0 axb3 14.
axb3 0-0+ White's king runs
away from the centre, but it re
mains unsafe owing to the open
a-file.
It is no improvement for him
to play 11.f4 axb3 12.axb3 b4+
13.f1:Jd2 gxa1+ 14.ixa1, because
Black can continue with 14 .. .'\WaS
15.i.b2 i.b4 16. d1 0-0t and he
obtains a clear lead in develop-

ment, with excellent attacking

chances in view of the vulnerable
position of the enemy king.
After 11.g3 axb3 12.axb3 b4+
13.f1:Jd2 gxa1+ 14.ixa1 aS it
would be too risky for White to
opt for 15 .ib2 .ib4 16.d1 0-0t,
since after 17.f1:Je4? ! d5 18.exd6,
Chikhaoui - Marin, Turin 2006,
Black maintains an overwhelming
advantage with the natural move
18 . . . cxd6-+, while in the varia
tion 15 . .id4 .ib4 16.ig2 0-0 17.f4
d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19 . .b:c6 i.fsgg
Black has excellent compensation
for the pawn, because White's
king will not find safety anywhere,
Fernandez Jimenez - Rizouk, Se
ville 2010.
11.c2 'e!gS 12.g3 i.b4+ 13.
f1:Jd2 0-0 14.f4, T.Kosintseva - S.
Guliev, Moscow 2 004, 14 ... e7
15.ig2 (15 . .id3?! d5 ! 16 ..bh7+?
h8 17 . .id3 axb3 18.axb3 gxa1+
19.ixa1 dxc4 2 0.bxc4 c5-+)
15 . . . d5+ Black has a better posi
tion, since White's king lacks a
safe and secure refuge.
The endgame is equal after
11.d2 axb3 12.axb3 gxa1 13 .ixa1
b4 14.'e!xb4 ixb4+ 15.ic3 c5=
11.f1:Jc3 e6 12.0-0-0 (In re
sponse to 12 .f4 it is good for Black
to play 12 . . . .ib4 13.0-0-0 0-0
14.'e!f3 axb3 15.axb3 d5 16.exd6
cxd6t with excellent attacking
prospects; 12 .g3 i.b4 13.0-0-0
axb3 14.axb3 , Cetina - Osolin,
Bled 2001, 14 . . . 0-0 15 . .ig2 ixc3
16 . .b:c3 d5+ and Black exposes
White's king. After 12 .e3, it is
worth considering 12 . . . ga5 ! ? 13.f4
141

Chapter 11
i.b4 14.0-0-0 axb3 1S.axb3 dS+)
12 . . . axb3 13.axb3 i.a3 14.e4,
Sarenac - Nestorovic, Subotica
2007, 14 . . . e7 1S. @c2 i.xb2 16.
@xb2 b4 17J''!b 1 0-0 18 ..id3 g6+
and Black retains an edge, since
his opponent's king is exposed.
11.e3 - This move is played
with the idea of developing the
light-squared bishop centrally
and castling kingside. ll . . . axb3
12.axb3 b4+ 13.@d1 (It is inferi
or for White to play 13.c3 l:'!xa1
14.ha1 4Ja4! 1S.xb4 hb4+ 16.
@d1 4JcS 17.@c2 d6 18.i.d3 4Jxd3
19.@xd3 i.fS+ 2 0.@e3, because
the more or less forced line has
ended and after 20 . . . @d7+ Black
has a great advantage, thanks to
his powerful bishop pair in an
open position and the unsafe po
sition of White's king; 13.4Jd2
l:'!xa1+ 14.i.xa1, Baumegger - Ols
en, Bled 2002, 14 . . . a3+ Black
has a noticeable lead in develop
ment.) 13 . . . l:'!xa1 14.ha1 i.cS 1S.
g3 0-0 16.@c2 e1 17.f4 xg3
18.hxg3 dS= White has succeeded
in completing his development
and exchanging the queens, but
Black has nothing to complain
about.
11.4Jd2 axb3 12.axb3 l:'!xa1 +
13.ha1 a3 14.d1 (14.i.d4?!
.ib4 1S.d1, Chandler - Loeffler,
Wuerzburg 1993, 1S . . . cS 16 . .ie3
b2 17.f4 d6 18.exd6 cxd6+ Black
has the better prospects, thanks
to his lead in development and
the open position of White's king.)
14 ... .tb4 1S.i.d3 (It is much more
passive to continue with 1S . .ie2
142

aS 16.i.b2 0-0 17.c2 d6+) 1S . . .

a2 ! This important move pre
vents White from developing har
moniously. (The game S.Zhigalko
- Balogh, Aix-les-Bains 2011,
continued 1S ... aS?! 16.@e2 0-0
17.c2t and White managed to
seize the initiative.) 16.@e2 (It is
no better to play 16.i.c2 aS 17.
i.d4 0-0 18.i.e3 xeS 19.0-0
dS+, or 16.i.d4 0-0 17.i.e3 aS
18.0-0 xeS+ Van der Weide Ris, Haarlem 2007 and in both
cases White has no compensation
for the sacrificed pawn.) 16 . . . 0-0
17.c2 xc2 18.hc2 l:'!e8 19.f4
dSt White's position looks defen
sible, but Black has the initiative.
1 0 J'e6 ll .ixt'S
But not ll.i.b2 a4+ reaching a
position we analyzed in our notes
to the move 10.i.b2, but with
White having lost a tempo.
ll J3xf8

12.4Jc3!N
This is the only move to keep
the position balanced.
In response to 12.a4, it is good
for Black to play 12 . . . .ib7 13.e3
0-0-0 14.id3 d6+ with the better

3.d4 ed 4. !jj xd4 &jjf6 5. !jj xc6 be 6.e5 Vff e7 7. Vff e2 !jj d5 8.b3 a5
development and superior pawn
structure.
White has also tried 12.Cjj d 2
a4, after which he must already
fight for equality. 13J'l:d1 (He is
unable to keep the balance with
13 .b4 .ib7 14.Vfffe3 0-0-0+, or 13.
l'%c1 .ib7 14.Vfff e 4, Temkov - Mitk
ov, Skopje 2008, 14 . . . axb3 15.
axb3 0-0-0 16.c5 Cjj d 5+ and in
both cases, White is considerably
behind in development and might
lose his e5-pawn.) 13 . . . axb3 14.
axb3, Ambarcumova - Zaiatz,
Sochi 2 004, and here Black can
continue with 14 . . . .ib7 15.Vfffe 3 f6
16.Cjj f3 c5+ and he completely
solves the problem of how to acti
vate his pieces.
12 a4 13. 0 - 0 - 0
White is unable to prevent the
opening of the a-file, because af
ter 13.b4? .ia6+ he loses his c4pawn.
He obtains no advantage with
the greedy line 13.c5 Cjj d5 14.Cjj xa4
'it>d8 (Black can also play for a win
with 14 . . . .ia6 ! ? 15.Vfffe4 hf1 16.
'it>xf1 f5 17.Vfff d 4 f4gg with excellent
compensation for the pawn.) 15.
Vffe 4 l'%e8 16.0-0-0 &jj f6 17.f4
Vffx e5 18.Vfffxe5 l'%xe5 19 . .id3 .ia6
20 .ha6 l'%xa6= White has failed
to preserve his extra pawn and the
position is equal.
13 axb3 14.axb3

14 '1t>d8 !
After this precise move, Black
can even fight for more than
equality.
15.'9'e3
The alternatives for White
seem to be worse: after 15.Vfffe 4 f6
16.Vfffx h7 Vfffe 7!+ Black restores the
material balance, while if 15.h5
f6 16.Vfffxh7 e7 17.e6 (17.exf6 xf6
18.c2 l'%a1+ 19.Cjj b 1 d6 20.b2
Vfffh 6+ 2 l.l'%d2 l'%a8 2 2 .f3 i.f5 23.
.ie2 Cjj d7+ his compensation for
the sacrificed pawn is more than
sufficient) 17 . . . d5 18.cxd5 (18.
i.d3? ! he6 19.l'%he1 f5 2 0.l'%e2 Wf6
21.'1t>c2 'it>c8+) 18 . . . l'%a1+ 19.'1t>c2
l'%xd1 20.'1t>xd1 cxd5+ White has
succeeded in trading several piec
es, but his king is still exposed,
while Black dominates the centre.
15 f6 16 .td3 'ffxe5 17.
.ixh7 Wxe3+ 18.fxe3 .tb7 19.
.te4 (otherwise Black will contin
ue with 19 . . c5) 2 0 .h4 gas=

143

Chapter 12

l.e4 e5 2 . f3 c6 3.d4 exd4 4.xd4

f6 5 . xc6 bxc6 6.e5 e7 7.e2
d5 8.c4
Scotch Game
Mieses Variation

We see in the diagram the ba

sic position of the Mieses Varia
tion. Black has two possibilities
here - 8 . . . .ia6 or 8 . . . ttlb6 and we
choose the former, since it devel
ops a piece and temporarily re
stricts his opponent's pieces.
8 . . . .ia6
The basic drawback of this
move is that Black's a7-pawn can
not come into play any time soon,
but it is difficult for White to ex
ploit this effectively. His main at
tempts to create problems for
Black are based on: A) 9.ttld2
and B) 9.b3.
White has also tried:
9.e4 ttlf6 10.e2 (10.e3?
ttlg4 11.e2 ttlxe5-+) 10 . . . ttld5 see 8 . . . .ta6;
144

9.a3 - White takes control

over the b4-square but loses an
important tempo and weakens
the b3-square. 9 . . . g6 10.f4 (In an
swer to 10.e4, it seems very
good for Black to continue aggres
sively with 10 .. .f5 11.d4 ttlb6 12.
ttld2 .ig7 13.ttlf3 d6+ - he leads in
development and wins the enemy
eS-pawn.) 10 . . . ttlb6 ll.ttld2 .ig7
12 .b3 0-0 13 . .ib2 E:ae8 14.e4
f6+ Black has completed his de
velopment and starts to open the
central files, Hughes - R.Stein,
Email 1999;
9 . .id2 - White's bishop is less
actively placed here than on b2,
so he will have to lose an impor
tant tempo later in order to trans
fer it to the long diagonal. 9 . . . ttlb6
10.b3 g6 ll ..ic3 .ig7 12.g3 0-0
13.ig2 E:fe8 14.0-0 .ixeS 15.E:e1
hc3 16.xe7 E:xe7 17.ttlxc3 E:ae8+
Black has ended up with a slight
edge thanks to his extra doubled
pawn, Cabrera - Rego, Cuba
1999;
9.h4 - This move has its
points. White wants to develop
his bishop on gS or his rook to h3,
but his king remains in the centre,

3.d4 ed 4. 0.xd4 0.f6 5. 0.xc6 be 6.e5 W!e7 7. Wfe2 0.d5 8.c4 a6

which cancels out all the pluses of
this move. 9 ... 0-0-0 10J%h3
(White loses after 10.i.g5? f6 11.
exf6 and here, instead of the
equal endgame arising from 11 . . .
Wffx e2 + 12 .i.xe2 0.xf6= M .Shcher
bin - Salnikov, Salekhard 2 0 07,
Black can strike a powerful tacti
cal blow with 11 . . . \Wf7! - + ; after
10 .b3 f6+ White must play very
accurately to avoid losing quickly,
since Black's lead in development
is becoming threatening.) 10 . . .
0.b6

11.b3 (White can consider

11.0.d2 ! ? l:'!:e8 12 .l:'!:a3 b7 13.0.3,
but after 13 . . .6 14.l:'!:e3 \Wd8 15.
exf6 gxf6 ! + he might start to re
gret that his king has not been
evacuated away from the centre
yet.) 11 .. .6 12 .l:'!:e3 (in the varia
tion 12.a4 l!Jd5+ Black will rede
ploy his knight to the weakened
b4-square) 12 . . . 0.d5 13.l:'!:e4 f5 14.
l:'!:d4 l:'!:e8+ White has great prob
lems with the protection of his
weak e5-pawn and his queenside
has not yet been developed, Bak
lan - Nielsen, Internet 2004;
9.4 - This move is too opti
mistic. 9 .. .'<Mfb4+ 10.Wd1 .ic5 11.
0.a3, Hardin - Schiffers, corr.

1894 and here, after 11 .. .''b6 1 2.

0. c 2 0-0 13.W!f3 0.b4 14.l!Je1
i.f2 ! t Black's pieces are tremen
dously active;
after 9.g3 g6 10.g2 (it is pref
erable for White to opt for 10 .b3
g7 - see 9.b3, or 10.0.d2 g7 see 9.0.d2) 10 . . . i.g7 11.0-0 (1l.f4?
0-0 12 .b3 f6 13 .a3 0.b4 14.Wffd 2
l:'!:ab8-+ White has failed to en
sure the safety of his king, Ma
lienko - A. Rodin, Kiev 2 007) 11 . . .
0 - 0 12 .l:'!:e1 (after 12 .0.d2 0.b6 13.
f4 f6+ White has problems with
the protection of his e5-pawn)
12 . . . l:'!:fe8

It is bad for White to play 13.

d2? l:'!:ab8 14.b3 '<MixeS 15.'<Mfxe5
l:'!:xe5 16.0.a3 0.c3 ! + and Black has
not only won a pawn but has sig
nificantlylly activated his pieces.
It is no improvement for
White to opt for 13.0.d2 '<Mfc5 14.
'<Mfg4 0.b6+
White's compensation for the
pawn is insufficient in the varia
tion 13.0.a3 he5 14.W!d2 0.b6+
In response to 13.'<Mfc2 , Schoch
- Jenni, Switzerland 1997, Black
can win a pawn by playing 13 . . .
'<Mfc5 14.l!Jd2 l:'!:xe5 15.l:'!:xe5 i.xeS
16.i.f1 0.b6+
145

Chapter 12
A) 9.d2
This is a natural developing
move. White generally deploys
his knight to f3 to fortify his e5pawn.
9 . g6
.

1 0 .f3
10.b3 i.g7 - see variation B.
It is too risky for White to
choose 10.g3?! i.g7 11.f4 0-0 12.
W/e4, L.Milov - Pinter, Bayern
1999, since after 12 . . . l!Jb6 ! 13.i.e2
(13 .c5 hf1 14.cxb6 i.h3 ! 15.bxc7
d5 16.'1Mfe2 f6-+) 13 .. .f6 14.exf6
\Mfxf6-+ Black's lead in develop
ment becomes decisive.
In answer to 10.l!Je4, Gress
hoff - Dimitriadis, Email 1996,
we recommend that Black con
tinue with 10 ... 0-0- 0 ! N

146

This logical move has not been

tried yet. There might follow: 11.
W/c2 (11.\Mff3? ! '1Mfxe5 12.cxd5 hfl
13. i>xf1 !'!e8+ Black ends up with
an extra pawn, but he will have
problems realizing it) 11 ... \Mfxe5
12.cxd5 hf1 13.i>xf1 !'!e8 14.dxc6
W/xe4 15.W/xe4 !'!xe4 16.cxd7+
lt>xd7 17.i.e3 i.d6= - The activity
of his pieces compensates fully
the slight defect of his queenside
pawn structure.
10.\Mfe4 f5 11.exf6 (in the varia
tion 11.'!Wd4 l!Jb4 12 .'!Wc3 i.g7 13.
l!Jf3 c5+ all Black's pieces have ex
cellent prospects) 11 . . . l!Jxf6 12.
\Mfxe7+ i.xe7=

Tournament practice
has
shown that Black has no difficul
ties in this endgame:
after 13.i.e2 0-0 14.0-0 !:iae8
15.i.f3 g5 16.h3 h5 17.g3 d5+
White will be faced with an un
pleasant defence;
it is not no better for White to
opt for 13.b3 0-0 14.i.e2 i.b4 15.
0-0 !:iae8 16.i.f3 d5 17.!:1d1 g5 18.
h3 h5 19.g3 (19.g4 hxg4 2 0.hxg4
i.c5+ Shadrina - Pokorna, Sze
ged 2 006) 19 ... i.c5 2 0 .i.b2 g4-+
Black has seized control of the f-

3.d4 ed 4. l1Jxd4 l1Jf6 5. l1Jxc6 be 6.e5 Wie7 7. Wie2 l1J d5 B.c4 .ia6
file, Khamrakulov - Perez Cande
lario, Zafra 2004;
it looks most precise for White
to opt for 13 . .id3, but after 13 . . .
l1Jd5 ! ? 1 4 . .tc2 l1Jf4 15.g3 l1Je6=
Black is able to exploit the weak
ness of the d4-square.
1 0 . . . %tb4+

This move practically forces

White's king to remain in the cen
tre, because after ll.l1Jd2 ? ! it is
very good for Black to play either
ll . . . l1Jb6 or 11.. .i.g7 and he retains
a huge lead in development in ei
ther case.
ll.<.!ldl b6 12.b3 i.g7 13.'i!:td2
It is no better for White to opt
for 13.Wc2 0-0 14J'd2 fixd2+
15 . .txd2 d5=
13 ... ti'xd2 +
After this move Black equalizes.
Here Black used to play 13 . . .
Wie7, but i n the game Nepomni
achtchi - Svidler, Moscow 2010,
White continued with 14 . .tb2 0-0
15.Wc2 c5 16.h4 t and created real
problems for his opponent.
14 . .bd2
Or 14.Wxd2 c5=

14 . . . c5 ! ?
With this move Black ensures
that his a6-bishop will be able
to relocated to the long diagonal
and also prevents his opponent
from gaining space on the queen
side with the move c4-c5.
15.c2 0 - 0 16 . .id3
With 16.a4 .ib7 17.a5 l1Jc8 =
White merely helps his opponent
to redeploy his pieces to more ac
tive positions.
After 16J'%d1 E:fe8 17.a4 (in the
variation 17 . .te3 he5 18.hc5
i.f6= White is unable to win the
d7-pawn, because after 19.hb6?
axb6 20.E:xd7 i.c8+ he loses his
a2-pawn) 17 . . . l1Jc8 18.i.e3 d6 19.
exd6 cxd6 2 0 . .tf4 .ib7= The activ
ity of Black's powerful bishops
fully compensates for the weak
ness of his d6-pawn.
16 . . . .ib7 17.gael
Black has no problems after
17.E:he1 d6 18 . .ic3 gae8 19.exd6
.txf3 20.gxf3 cxd6= The dark
squared bishops are exchanged
and Black obtains chances of
seizing the initiative by transfer
ring his knight to the centre.

147

Chapter 12

17 . . . d5 18.exd6 cxd6 19.

ge7 .ixf3 2 0 .gxf3 d5 21 . .if4
(White has no advantage after
2l ..ie3 .if6 22 J''lb 7 fb8 23.xb8+
xb8 24.cxd5 LLlxd5=) 21. .id4
22 .ig3 dxc4 23.bxc4 f5 ! =
Black has restricted his oppo
nent's light-squared bishop and
soon he will either exchange or
evict his opponent's active rook,
J .Andersen - Gagliardi, Email
2008.
.

B) 9 .b3
White protects his b2-pawn
and in the process ensures that
his dark-squared bishop can be
developed to its most active posi
tion.
9 g6
.

Now White has two main

moves in his fight for the advan
tage: B1) 1 0 . .ib2 and B2) 1 0 .f4.
10.%lfe4? - White is trying to
develop his light-squared bishop
to d3 or e2, but Black has a direct
refutation up his sleeve. 10 .. .f5
11.%lfd4 (11.%lfe2 .ig7 12 ..ib2 d6+ Black wins the enemy e5-pawn
and retains the better develop
ment.) 11.. .LLlb4 12 .%lfc3 (12.@d1
.ig7-+ ) 12 ... .ig7 13 . .ib2 d6! 14.
%lfxb4 .ixe5 15 . .ixe5 %lfxe5+ 16 . .ie2
%lfxa1-+ Black will have the pleas
ant task of realizing his extra ex
change.
In the variation 10.g3 .ig7 11.f4
(it would be better for White to
opt for ll . .ib2 - see variation B1)
11.. .f6 12 ..ib2 (in answer to 12.
.ia3 it is very strong for Black to
play 12 ... LLlb4 13.%lfd2 c5 14 . .ig2
0-0-0+ - he has completed his
development and exerts pressure
against the enemy centre) 12 ...
fxe5 13.fxe5 0-0 14.LLld2 ae8
15.0-0-0 %lfg5+ White's king is
exposed and he will be unable to
hold on to his e5-pawn.
10.LLld2 .ig7 ll.LLlf3 (ll . .ib2
LLlb4 - see variation B1) 11 . . . 0-0

12 .%lfb2 LLlb6 13 . .ie2 , Trinh Thi

148

3.d4 ed 4 . l'iJxd4 ti:Jf6 5. ti:Jxc6 be 6.e5 W! e7 7. W!e2 ti:JdS B.c4 .i a6

Nhu - Nguyen T Tra, Ho Chi
Minh City 2001 and here after the
simple line: 13 .. .f6 14.W!a3 W!xa3
15.ha3 !%feB+ Black ends up with
an extra pawn.
In response to 12 . .ig5, Lovik
Sartori, Kerner 2009, it is good
for Black to continue with 12 .. .f6
13.exf6 W!c5 ! 14. 0-0-0 ti:Jxf6t and
he has excellent attacking pros
pects.
After 12 . .ib2, Fogarasi - Volk
mann, Budapest 1997, 12 .. .f6 13.
exf6 W!b4+ 14.W!d2 !%ae8+ 15.'i!id1
W!xd2+ 16.mxd2 ti:Jxf6+ Black's
lead in development provides him
with the better chances, despite
the simplification.
10 . .ia3 - White loses a tempo,
hoping to prove that Black's
knight on b4 is no better placed
there than on b6. 10 . . . ti:Jb4 ll . .ib2
(ll.hb4? W!xb4+ 12 .Wid2 W!e7 13.
W!a5 f6 !+, ll.g3 ? ! ti:Jc2+ 12 .W!xc2
W!xe5+ 13.W!e2 .ig7 14.ti:Jc3 W!xe2+
15. 'i!ixe2 hc3 16.!%c1 .if6+ Ab
dollahzadeh - Grandelius, Lund
2010 and in both cases Black
has an extra pawn; while in
the variation 11.f4 d5 12.ti:Jc3
0-0-0 13.W!b2 WieSt his threats
are extremely dangerous.) 11 . . .
:ll.g 7

12.a3 (12 .f4 0-0 13.ti:Jc3 d6

14.0-0-0 dxe5 15.a3 ti:Jd5+ with
better development for Black)
12 . . . ti:Jd5 13.ti:Jd2 (in reply to 13.
W!e4, E.Semenova - Rysbayeva,
Voronezh 2010, it is very strong
for Black to play 13 .. .f5 14.W!e2
0-0 15.ti:Jd2 d6+ winning the e5pawn; after 13 .g3 0-0 14 ..ig2
!%ae8 15.0-0, Kharashkina - Kuz
mina, Vladimir 2002, it is good
for him to play in similar fashion
to the main line of variation Bl:
15 . . . he5 16.W!xe5 W!xe5 17.he5
!%xe5 18.cxd5 hf1 19.mxf1 cxd5
20.ti:Jc3 c6= Black has occupied
the e-file with his rooks and his
king will be transferred to the d6square.) 13 . . . 0-0 14.0-0-0 (14.
W!e4?! ti:Jb6 15 ..ie2 !%ae8 16.f4 f6+)
14 . . . !%ae8 15.W!f3 (after 15.g3 ti:Jb6
16.f4 d6 17 ..ig2 d5 18.h4 !%b8t
Black has a powerful initiative)
15 . . . ti:Jb6 16.ti:Je4 he5 17.he5 (in
the variation 17.ti:Jf6+ W!xf6 18.
W!xf6 .txf6 19.hf6 c5+ White's ad
vantage of the bishop pair does
not fully compensate for the loss
of his important centre pawn.)
17 ... W!xe5 18.ti:Jf6+ mh8 19.ti:Jxe8
W!a1+ 20.'i!ic2 W!a2+ 21.'i!ic3 fue8= .
I t i s easy t o see that here White
cannot avoid the perpetual check,
for example: 22 . .id3 ti:Ja4+ 23.
bxa4 W!xa3+ 24.'i!ic2 W!a2 + 25.'i!ic1
W!a3+ 26.md2 W!b4+ 27.'i!ic2
W!xa4, with a draw.

Bl) 1 0 .ib2
This is an attractive move.
White develops his bishop to its
best possible position.
.

149

Chapter 12
1 0 . . i.g7
.

ll.g3
11.lLlc3? ! - After this move,
White loses any chance of exploit
ing the tactical motifs based on
capturing Black's knight. ll...lLlxc3
12 .hc3 0-0 13.g3 !lfe8 14.f4 d6+
White loses his e5-pawn and will
be unlikely to obtain full compen
sation for it owing to his lag in de
velopment, Ikonomopoulou Konstantinidis, Iraklion 2 0 07.
ll.lLld2 lLlb4

12 .e4? - This move loses to

12 . . . d5 13.b1 .ic8- +
In the variation 12.lLle4 0 -0
13.f4 d 5 14.a3 (14.lLlf2? dxc4 15.
bxc4 !labS 16.g3, Ksir - Makov
sky, Czech Republic 1996, 16 . . .
!lfd8 17.a3 lLld5 18.!lc1 g5 !-+)
150

14 ... dxe4 15.axb4 xb4+ 16.d2

xd2+ 17.<>xd2 !lfd8+ 18.<>c2
.ic8+ Black's prospects are prefer
able, because he has an extra
passed pawn, Klausner - Boldysh,
Email 2 005.
12 .lLlf3 c5 13.g3 (In response to
13 .e4?, it is very good for Black
to play 13 . . . !lb8 !+, while if 13.a3?
lLlc6 14.0-0-0 0-0 15.h4 !lfb8
16. <>c2 !lb6+ he is ahead of his
opponent in creating threats, Kar
kuth - Graf, Germany 1991.)
13 ... 0-0 14 ..ig2 d5 15.0-0 l'!ad8

16.!lfd1 (White cannot trouble

his opponent with the line: 16.a3
lLlc6 17.!lfe1 dxc4 18.bxc4 lLld4 19.
e4, Altrock - Pellegrinon, Email
2 0 0 2 , since Black can play 19 . . .
lLlxf3+ 2 0 . .hf3 !lb8 21.c2 hc4
2 2 .xc4 !lxb2 = , winning a pawn.
His bishop is terribly restricted
however, so the prospects are
equal.) 16 . . . !lfe8 17.a3 (After 17.
lLle1 dxc4, White has no time for
18.l'!xd8?, Guinsburg - Offen
born, Email 2000, because after
the surprising retort 18 . . . c3 ! 19.
!lxe8+ xe8 2 0.e3 cxb2 21.l'!d1
i.xe5+ Black obtains excellent
winning chances, but even after
the more natural line: 18.bxc4

3.d4 ed 4 . ti'Jxd4 t:j'jf6 5.ti'Jxc6 be 6.e5 'Wfe7 7. fie2 t:j'j d5 B.c4 .i a 6

xd1 19.xd1 heS 2 0.heS 'WfxeS
21.'W!xeS xeS+ Schaper - Johans
son, England 1998, or 19.'W!xd1
heS 2 0.heS 'W!xeS+ Sukhov Daurelle, Email 2002, Black can
hope to increase his advantage.)
17 . . . t:j'jc6 18.'W!c2 (18.e1 'Wff8 19 .
.ih3 dxc4 20.bxc4 t:j'jd4 2 1.fid1
.ib7 2 2 .hd4 cxd4+ Black has ob
tained a powerful passed pawn in
the centre, supported by his
mighty bishops, Sutton - Klaus
en, Email 2008.) 18 . . . d4 19.e1
fid7 2 0 .b4 t:j'jxeS 21.bS, Svidler M.Adams, Tilburg 1997 and here
Black wins by force with 2 1 . . .d3 !
2 2 .'W!b3 t:j'jxf3 + 23.hf3 'WffS 24.
.idS d2 2S.fl c6 ! 26.hc6 d3-+
12.0-0-0

12 . . . t:j'jxa2+ (Here Black could

also consider the less greedy line
12 . . . cS ! ? 13.t:j'je4 .ib7, with the fol
lowing sample variations : 14.e3
he4 1S.'Wfxe4 0-0 16.b1 aS?, or
14.a3 he4 1S.'W!xe4 t:j'jc6 and now
if 16.f4 b8 17.c2 0-0t Black's
attack develops effortlessly, but
even after 16.h4 b8 17.h3 t:j'jd4?
he has excellent counter-chanc
es.) 13.b1 t:j'jb4 14.t:j'je4 0-0 1S.
'Wff3 (In the variation 1S.t:j'jf6+
hf6 16.exf6 'W!xe2 17.he2 d6=

Black's extra pawn compensates

the loss of his important dark
squared bishop.) 1S . . . fe8 16.
t:j'jf6+ (After 16.h4 dS 17.t:j'jf6+
hf6 18.exf6, he can choose be
tween 18 . . . 'WfcS - see 16.t:j'jf6, and
complete equality with 18 . . . 'W!e4+
19.fixe4 xe4=) 16 . . . hf6 17.exf6
'WicS 18.h4 (It is preferable for
White to opt for 18.fif4 dS 19.'W!h6
'Wff8 20.'W!xf8+ xf8 = , but Black's
extra pawn and active pieces fully
compensate for White's bishop
pair.) 18 . . . dS 19.'Wff4 (White
should avoid 19.hS gS+) 19 . . . dxc4
20.bxc4 .ic8 ! (This is stronger
than 20 . . . ab8 when in the game
Carlsen - Aronian, Wijk aan Zee
2011, there followed 21.h6 'Wff8
2 2 .'W!xf8+ xf8 23.hS .ic8 24.
hxg6 fxg6 2S.xh7 .ifS+ 26.a1
t:j'jc2+ 2 7.a2 t:j'jb4+ 28.a1 with
a draw.) 2 1.'W!h6 'Wff8 2 2 .xf8+
xf8 23.hS .ifS+ 24.a1 cS-+
and White is beyond salvation.
11 . . . 0 - 0

12 . .tg2
Or 12.f4? f6 13.exf6 'W!b4+ 14.
d1, Hampl - Goc, Email 2 00S,
14 ... xf6 ! - + with a crush.
1S1

Chapter 12
After 12.lt:\d2 d6 13 .e4 (13.
lt:)f3? dxe5 14.lt:)xe5 l:'lfe8-+ ; 14 .
.b:e5 .b:e5 15.lt:)xe5 l:'lfe8 16.f4
f6- + Kradolfer - Wang Yu A,
Oropesa del Mar 1998) 13 . . . .b:e5 !
(after 13 . . . lt:)b4? 14.a3 d5 15.cxd5
.b:f1 16.xf1 lt:)xd5 17.g2;!; White
has a stable edge thanks to his
better pawn structure and superi
ority in the centre, Jones Smeets, London 2 009) 14.cxd5
cxd5 15.e3 .b:b2 ! 16.xe7 l:'lfe8
17.e3 d4+ Black regains his
queen, obtaining two pawns for
the exchange, with a powerful
bishop pair and a strong central
passed pawn.
In answer to 12 .i.h3, Ashley
Held, Budapest 1997, it is good
for Black to continue in standard
fashion with 12 . . . d6 13 .0-0 .b:e5
14.i.g2 (14.he5 dxe5 15.l:'le1 l:'lfe8
16.d2 lt:)b6=) 14 . . . l:'lab8 15.lt:)c3
fi.g7= and White's compensation
for the pawn is sufficient for
equality, but nothing more.
12 . . . gae8 13. 0 - 0
After 13.f4? ! f6+, Black will not
only win the enemy e5-pawn, but
will also bring his rook on f8 into
action.

152

13 . . . .lxe5 14.ti'xe5
For 14 . .b:e5 xeS 15.xe5
l:'lxe5 - see 14.xe5 .
14 . . . ti'xe5 15 .ixe5 gxe5 16.
cxd5
Or 16.f4 l:'le3 17.cxd5 .b:fl 18 .
xfl cxd5 - see 16.cxd5.
16 .bf'1 17.xfl cxd5

18.f4
18.lt:)d2 l:'lfe8 19 . .if3 (19.lt:)f3?!
l:'le2 2 0 .l:'le1 l:'lxe1+ 2I.lt:)xe1, Lyell
- Truta, Bled 1997, 2 l . . .c6+ - The
exchange of rooks in this pawn
structure is in Black's favour.)
19 . . . a5 2 0 .l:'lc1 c6 2 I.lt:)b1 2 l . . .f8
2 2 . lt:)c3 e7 23.lt:)a4 d6 24.tt:lc5
l:'lb8 25.i.e2 l:'le7 26.l:'lc2 = . Black
has centralized his king and occu
pied the only open file. White will
find it difficult to improve his po
sition, because an exchange of
rooks or any opening of files on
the kingside will be in Black's fa
vour. However, Black cannot do
much without the help of his op
ponent either, so in the game S.
Movsesian - Bacrot, Chalkidiki
2 0 0 2 , the players agreed to a
draw.
It is scarcely any better for

3.d4 ed 4Ji:Jxd4 tlJf6 5. ttJxc6 be 6.e5 W!e7 7. W!e2 ttJ d.S B.c4 a 6
White to play 1B.0,a3 c6 19.tiJc2
!UeB 2 0 . tiJe3 (20.i.f3 'i!;>fB 21.tiJb4
'i!;>e7 2 2 .tiJd3 - see 1B.tiJc3) 20 . . .
'i!;>fB 2 1.d1 'i!;>e7 22.d4 'i!;>d6 ! =
and now that Black's king has oc
cupied the d6-square he has no
problems whatsoever.
1B.tiJc3 c6

White has tried various moves

here, but the essence of the posi
tion is very simple. Black needs to
activate his king and this should
be enough to equalize. Tourna
ment practice has confirmed this
evaluation:
19.e1? ! - After the exchange
of rooks White becomes the de
fending side. 19 . . . xe1+ 20.'i!;>xe1
f5+ Smistik - Rychtecky, Brno
2007;
19.tlJa4 feB 2 0.f3 (Black has
no problems after 20.tiJc5 5e7
21.c1 'i!;>g7 2 2 .b4 e2 23.tiJxd7
xa2= Lupynin - Arppi, Email
200B; while in the variation 2 0 .
c1 e 2 21.tiJc3, Zezulkin - Du
biel, Ustron 2004, 21.. .d2+ he
can even play for a win.) 20 . . . 'i!;>fB
21.tiJc5 'i!;>e7 2 2 . tiJd3 (22.c1 'i!;>d6
23.tiJd3 5e7= Sumets - Moi
seenko, Kharkov 2000) 22 . . . e6
23.tiJc5 (After 23.c1 'i!;>d6, the

careless 24.c5 e1+ 25.'i!;>g2

1e4+ gives Black the better pros
pects, but even after the more ac
curate 24.b4 aB 25.tiJc5 eeB
26.a4 abB = Black has nothing to
complain about, Ponkratov Sepman, Samara 20 04.) 23 . . . e5
24.0,d3 e6= Rublevsky - Bolo
gan, Tomsk 2001;
19.f3 bB 2 0 .c1 'i!;>fB =
Black's king i s centralized and he
has no worries, Totsky - Yan
demirov, Maikop 199B;
19.d1 feB 2 0.f3 ! (White's
idea is to mask the e-file with his
knight on the e2-square and then
to attack the enemy a7-pawn with
his rook.) 2 0 . . . 'i!;>fB 2 1.tiJe2 (It is
less effective to play 21.tlJa4 'i!;>e7
2 2 .tiJb2, Berelowitsch - Pliester,
Bussum 200B, 22 . . . e6 23.d4
'i!;>d6=) 2 1 . . . 'i!;>e7 (Black's position
is solid enough and this can be
best illustrated by the line 2 1 . . .
bB ! ? 2 2 .d4, Avotins - Maurer,
Email 2006, 22 . . . a5 23.a4 b5,
with the idea of equalizing com
pletely after the thematic varia
tion 24.tlJf4 eB 25.e2 c5 26.
tiJd3 c2 27.f3 c3 28.e2 c2 =)
22.d4 'i!;>d6 23.a4 aB 24.a5
(after 24.h4, Zelcic - Plenkovic,
Omis 2 004, it is good for Black to
play 24 . . . a5 ! ? 25.'i!;>e1 'i!;>c7= ; in an
swer to 24.b4, Zelcic - Bozanic,
Pula 2000, the simplest route to
equality for Black is to transfer his
king to the centre in standard
fashion with 24 . . . <;!;>c7=) 24 . . . 'i!;>c7
25.b4 (25.'i!;>e1 'i!;>b6 26.b4 aeB=
Cento - Malyshev, Email 2009)
25 ... a6 26.tiJc1 'i!;>b6 27.tiJb3 a7
153

Chapter 12
2B . .ie2 f6 29. lt:\c5 d6 30.lt:\a4+
@b7= The white pieces have de
veloped their maximum activity,
but White has failed to capture
the a6-pawn and there is no way
of improving his position in sight,
Rublevsky - Tseshkovsky, Sochi
2005.
18 ge3 19.h:d5
The tricky move 19 . .if3? ! is
rather dubious, because after 19 . . .
feB 2 0 .lt:\d2 @g7+ Black gains a
slight edge, thanks to the possibil
ity of activating both his rooks.
19.lt:\d2 c6 2 0 .lt:\f3, Turkin U.Eliseev, Moscow 200B (After
2 0 .e1? ! feB 21.lt:\f3 xe1+ 2 2 .
lt:\xe1 e3+, Black's active rook
and central pawns are stronger
than White's minor pieces, Lap
enna - Sbarra, Bratto 2 006.),
2 0 ... feB 21.lt:\e5 e7 2 2 .c1 f6
23.lt:\g4 3e6 24 . .if3 @g7=
White's rook cannot be activated,
owing to the weakness of his back
rank.
19 gd3
.

It is inferior for White to

choose 20 . .ie4 d1+ 2 1 . @e2 !!c1
2 2 .@d2 g1 23 . .ic2 eB 24 . .id1
g2 + 25.@d3 e1 26.lt:\c3 xh2+
and he loses his kingside pawns,
Brilla Banfalvi - Clark, Email
200B, or 20 . .ic4 d1+ 21.@e2 g1
2 2 . @f2 c1 23 . .id3 eB 24.f5
!!eel+ and White's queenside is
completely paralysed, D. Kovacs Szakall, Hungary 2 004.
2 0 ges 21.@f2 c6 22 .te2
It is still not too late for White
to lose the game: 2 2 .lt:\a3? d2 +
23 . ..t>g1, Klek - I.Balog, Szeged
200B, because after 23 . . . d5 ! - +
h e i s unable t o coordinate his
pieces.
22 gde3 ! 23 .idl gd3 24.
.ie2 gde3 25 .tdl gd3, draw,
Carlsen - Aronian, Moscow 2010.

154

B2) 1 0 .f4
Garry Kasparov introduced
this move into practice some 20
years ago in his game against Kar
pov (Tilburg 1991) and it was con
sidered to be White's most princi
pled continuation.
1 0 d6 !?

2 0 .tf3 !
This is the only move to hold
the balance.

3.d4 ed 4. l1Jxd4 l:iJf6 5. l:iJxc6 be 6.e5 e7 7. e2 l1J d5 8.c4 .ia6

This has become the most fash
ionable move in the last few years
and White so far White has been
unable to prove any advantage.
ll.'ilYd2
11.f3? ! - White loses more
tempi and falls considerably be
hind in development. 11 . . . l1Jb4 12.
c3 (White loses after 12 . .ib2 ?
0-0- 0 ! 13.e6 Ei:g8 14.d1 d5-+
Smerdon - S. Hansen, Canberra
2011, or 12.a3? l1Jc2 + 13.d1 l1Jd4
14.exd6 cxd6 15.d3 .ig7- +
Brandenburg - S.Ernst, Gronin
gen 2 0 09, and in both cases White
fails to complete his develop
ment.) 12 . . . c5+
11 . .ib2 .ig7 12.f2 (White can
try to win the enemy knight, but
he pays a high price for it, because
after 12 .f3? dxeS 13.cxd5 exf4+
14.d2 hb2-+ he ends up a rook
down, Ronchetti - Gustafsson,
Reggio Emilia 2008.) 12 . . . l1Jf6 13.
.ie2 dxe5 14.fxe5 (14.he5 ?! l1Je4
15.d4 f6 16.xe4 0-o:+= Black re
gains his piece and dominates the
dark squares.) 14 . . . l1Jd7 15.0-0
o-m= Black can easily exploit the
weakness of his opponent's e5pawn, while White has difficulty
in attacking Black's queenside
pawns effectively, Johansson Do Prado, Email 2009.
11.exd6 - This move has not
been played yet, but Black must
be well prepared to face it. After
11 . . . xe2 + 12 .he2 .ig7 13.cxd5
he2 14.xe2 cxd5 15.l1Jc3 hc3
16.Ei:bl c6+ Black should b able to
capture the d6-pawn in the next
few moves.

11.'ilYb2 l1Jb6 12.l1Jd2 (Black's

defensive task would be more
complex after 12 .c5 .ixf1 13.cxb6
.ia6 14.c3 d7!+) 12 . . . .ig7 13.
l1Jf3 0-0 14 ..id2 f6+ - White is
unable to hold on to his eS-pawn,
Jones - Kovachev, Fagernes
2011.
11.'ilYf2 l1Jf6

12 . .ie2? ! dxeS 13.0-0 lLle4!

(This move is stronger than 13 . . .
cs 1 4 . .ie3 l1Je4 15.f3 xe3+
16.xe3 .icS 17.xc5 l:iJxcS 18.
fxe5 0-0= and the weaknesses on
eS and c6 cancel each other out,
So - Sargissian, Wijk aan Zee
2011.) 14.f3 fS ! 15.l1Jc3 exf4 16.
l1Jxe4 fxe4 17.xf4 .ig7 18.Ei:b1 Ei:f8
19.g3 Ei:xfl+ 2 0.hf1 .ie5 21.f2
0-0-0+ Black's powerful passed
pawn in the centre makes his po
sition preferable.
12 . .ia3 e6 13 . .ie2 dxe5 14.
fxeS (It appears more accurate for
White to play 14 . .b:f8 xf8 15.
0-0 exf4 16.xf4 g7= with
more than enough compensation
for the pawn, Lundberg - Johans
son, Email 2008.) 14 . . . ha3 (Here
it looks very good for Black to
play 14 . . . 'ilYxe5 ! ? 15.0-0 0-0-0
16.hf8 Ei:hxf8 17.xf6 xe2
155

Chapter 12

18.lt:lc3 \!Ne3+ 19.Wh1 \!Nd4= and

his extra pawn fully compensates
for the temporary passivity of his
bishop and his disrupted queen
side pawn structure, Siefring Schneider, Email 2008.) 15.lt:lxa3
lt:ld7 16.0-0 (16.lt:lc2 lt:lxe5 17. 0-0
0-0 - see 16.0-0) 16 ... 0-0 17.
lt:lc2 lt:lxe5 18 J:'i:ae1 (It is no better
for White to opt for 18J:'i:ad1 \!Ne7
19.lt:le1, Richter - Zitzmann,
Email 2008, since Black can con
tinue with 19 . . . c8 = activating his
most passive piece. It is more ac
curate for White to play 18.lt:lb4 !
b7 19.lt:ld3 lt:lxd3 2 0 .hd3 adS
2 1 .ad1 c5 ! 2 2 .'\Wxc5 \!Nb6 = Black has given back his extra
pawn, but now his bishop is more
active than its white counterpart.)
18 ... \!Ne7 19.f3 b7 2 0 .lt:ld4 \!Nc5
2 1.b4 lt:lxf3+ 22. lt:lxf3 xf2 + 23.
xf2 feB+ Black's bishop looks a
bit passive, but he has excellent
chances of creating a passed pawn
on the kingside, while he can acti
vate his bishop via the a6-square
or by advancing with c6-c5, M.
Mueller - Gustafsson, Germany
2009.
ll ... b6

12.Aa3
In the variation 12 .c5 hf1 13.
xfl dxc5 14.lt:lc3 c4+ White fails
to obtain compensation for the
pawn, because all Black's pieces
can be ideally deployed, Jara
binsky - Kalchev, Email 2009.
It is not much better for White
to play 12 . .ib2 .ig7 13 ..ie2 dxe5 14.
0-0 0-0 15.\!Na5 exf4 16 . .b:g7
Wxg7 17.f3 .ib7+ - He will prob
ably manage to regain one of his
missing pawns, but not both . . . ,
Szablowski - Kislik, Budapest
2011.
12 ... c5 13.c3
13 . .id3 - This move looks
more active, but in fact only White
will have problems now. 13 . . .
0 - 0 - 0 1 4 . .ib2 dxe5 15.0-0 1J.g7
16.e1 he8+ - Black's pieces
have been well centralized and his
prospects are superior.

13 . . . Ag7!?
Black shows that he is in a
fighting mood . . .
I t i s sufficient for equality for
Black to play 13 . . . dxe5, for exam
ple: 14.lt:ld5 lt:lxd5 15.xd5 dB
16.xe5 (in the endgame after
156

3.d4 ed 4. 1:LJxd4 1:iJf6 5. 1:iJxc6 be 6.e5 Wfe7 7. Wfe2 1:iJ d5 8.c4 .i a 6

16.W/c6+ W/d7 17.W/xd7+ l'!xd7 18.
fxeS .ib7= Black has no bad piec
es, Rovchakov - Primakov, Email
2 008) 16 . . . .tb7 17 . .ib2 f6 18.
W!xe7+ mxe7 19.l'!g1 mt7= White
cannot exploit the weakness of
Black's queenside pawns, since he
is unable to attack them, Rosen Nilsson, Email 2008.
14. 0 - 0 - 0 0 - 0 15.W/f2
After 15.exd6 cxd6 16 . .ib2
l'!ad8 17 . .id3 V9c7, White must
play very accurately, because after
the natural move 18.l'!he1? ! Black
can seize the initiative with 18 . . .
d S 19.lt:lxd5 .ixb2+ 20 .W/xb2 1?Jxd5
21.cxd5 c4 2 2 .bxc4 l'!xdSt, but
even after the prophylactic move
18.mb1 dS ! 19.1?Jxd5 I?Jxds 20.
hg7 <JJ xg7 21.cxd5 hd3 + 2 2 .
W/xd3 W/xf4 23.W/c3+ <JJ g 8 24.V9xc5
l'!fe8gg White's king is so open that
Black has full compensation for

the pawn.

15 .ib7!
After 15 . . . l'!fd8?! 16 . .id3 dxeS
17 . .ie4 l'!ab8 18.hc5 W/f6 19 .f5 !
White has neutralized his oppo
nent's threats on the a1-g8 diago
nal, Kotronias - Gustafsson, Aix
les-Bains 2011.
16 .id3 a5+ - The a-file will
be opened and this will provide
Black with excellent counterplay.

157

Chapter 13

l.e4 e5 2 . ttlf3 ttlc6 3 .J.c4 J.c5 4.b4

Evans Gambit

fending but has excellent chances

of seizing the initiative.

This aggressive move was in

troduced into practice more than
150 years ago.
4 . . . J.xb4
Capturing the pawn is Black's
most principled reply.
5.c3
White plans to use the tempo
gained as a result of the pawn
sacrifice to occupy the centre. It
often happens that the best square
for his dark-squared bishop is a3,
so it is bad for him to play 5 . .ib2 ?
d6+ or 5.a3? .ia5+
5 . . . J.a5
Black can choose between sev
eral possibilities to retreat his
bishop. We have decided to rec
ommend this one, because with
this move Black is not just de158

6.d4
White's alternatives here lead
at best to a transposition of moves
back to the main line.
6.Wb3 We7 7.d4 (White must
play energetically, since it would
be inferior to opt for the indiffer
ent line 7.0-0 tt:lf6 8.d4 0-o:t= and
Black succeeds in evacuating his
king away from the centre with
out any positional concessions,
while after 7.J.a3 d6 8.d4 tt:lf6 9.
d5, he has the tactical shot 9 . . .
tt:ld4 ! 10.tt:lxd4 exd4 11.Wa4+ .id7
12.Wxa5 Wxe4+ 13.d1 0-0--+
with a decisive attack.) 7 ... exd4 see 6.d4.

l.e4 e5 2. f:Dj3 f:Dc6 3. c4 c5 4.b4 i.xb4 5.c3 a5

6.a3 d6 7.0-0 (7.d4 exd4 see 6. 0-0) 7 . . . f:Df6 8.d4 .ig4. Now
White's only chance of continuing
the game is with 9.dS f:De7 10.
W/a4+ c6 ll.dxc6 f:Dxc6+ and
Black's extra pawn is not decisive
yet.
6.0-0 f:Df6 7.d4 f:Dxe4

8.dS f:De7 9.f:DxeS 0-0. Black

has removed his king from the
centre and retained the extra
pawn, and after White's nest con
tinuation 10 .l'!e1 d6 ll.l'!xe4 fS
12 .l'!e2 dxeS 13.l'!xeS W/d7+ White
regains his pawn, but at the cost
of a noticeable lag in develop
ment.
In response to 8.l'!e1, it is very
good for Black to play simply 8 . . .
dS ! 9.bS o-m= when White can
regain one of his pawns, but
achieves little else.
8 .W/b3 0-0 9.l'!e1, Maslik Gavrilov, Pardubice 1996, 9 . . .
f:Df6 ! ? 10.dxeS d S ! 11.d3 f:De4+
White must grant his opponent
the advantage of the two bishops
if he wants to regain the sacrificed
pawn.
8 .i.a3 d6 9.dS (after 9.dxeS
0-0+ Black evacuates his king
from the centre, ending up with a

solid extra pawn.) 9 . . . f:De7 10.

W/a4+ c6 ll.dxc6 0-0+ and White
has failed to obtain compensation
for the pawn.
8.dxeS 0-0 9.W/dS (it is worse
to continue with 9.W/c2 dS 10.
exd6 f:Dxd6+, or 9.i.a3 d6 10 .W/c2
f:DgS+ and in both cases Black has
an extra pawn and superior devel
opment. After 9.idS f:DcS Black
neutralizes his opponent's initia
tive in the variation 10 .i.a3 ib6
ll.f:Dbd2 f:De7 12.ixcS ixcS 13.
f:De4 d6+, while in response to 10.
f:DgS, Chigorin - Schabelsky, carr.
1884, Black can now capture a
second pawn, obtaining a great
advantage, because after 10 . . .
f:DxeS ll.f4 c 6 12 .ib3 f:Dxb3 13 .
axb3 f6 14.fxeS i.b6+ 1S.h1 fxgS
16.ia3 l'!xfl+ 17.W/xf1 dS ! 18.exd6
W/f6+, or in this line 14.ia3 ib6+
1S.h1 f:Dg6 16.hf8 W/xf8 17.f:De4
dS 18.f:Dg3 aS+, his bishops are
tremendously active.) 9 . . . f:Dxc3
10.f:Dxc3 ixc3 11.igS (ll.l'!b1 d6+)
11.. .W/e8 12 .l'!ad1 (the more ag
gressive variation 12.l'!ae1 he1
13.l'!xe1 W/e6+ does not help White
either) 12 . . . heS 13.l'!fe1 d6-+
and Black should win easily with
his three extra pawns, Fraser Neumann, Dundee 1867.
8.f:DxeS ! ? 0-0 9.f:Dxt7 (in the
line : 9 . .ia3 d6 10.f:Dxc6 bxc6 11.
W/a4 WigS ! 12 .ic1 W/hS 13.W/xc6 i.fS
14.f3 f:Df6 1S.g4 W/g6+ Black has
mobilized all his forces, unlike his
opponent) 9 . . . l'!xt7 10 . .ixt7+ xt7
ll.dS (after ll.W/hS+ f8 12 .W/xh7
f:Df6 13.Wfd3 dS 14.igS W/d6+ Black
completes his development with1S9

Chapter 13
out any problems, while retaining
a slight material advantage) 11 . . .
ti:J e 7 12 .a4 .b:c3 13.ti:Jxc3 ti:Jxc3
14.c4 ti:Jcxd5 (14 . . . ti:Jexd5 ! ?) 15.
g5 'it>g6 ! ? 16.xd5 ti:Jxd5 17.
hd8, Mavlyaveev - Mrykhin, Ar
mavir 2010 and after 17 . . . b6
Black has more than sufficient
compensation for the exchange,
thanks to his powerful passed
pawns, which will be advanced
soon.
6 . . . exd4

.ie6+ and Black has good chances

of gradually realising his extra
pawn, W.Hort - Wassermann,
Email 2001.
7 . .ia3 - This development of
White's bishop is premature. 7 . . .
d 6 8. 0-0 (8.b3 f6 ! 9.0-0
ti:Jge7 10.cxd4 0-0 ll . .ib2 ti:Jg6+
White's centre looks beautiful,
but it cannot compensate fully for
the sacrificed pawn, since Black's
position has no weak spots.) 8 . . .
dxc3 9.\Wb3 .ig4 ! Black i s fighting
for the initiative. White is practi
cally forced to play 10.hf7+ 'it>f8
ll.hg8 l'!xg8 12.xb7 \WeB 13.e5
l'!b8 14.a6 l'!b6 15.c4 e6 16.
xe6 he6 17.exd6 .if5 18.dxc7+
'it>f7+ and he is left temporarily
with an extra pawn, but this can
only be a small consolation for
him, because he can hardly de
velop his queenside without ma
terial losses.

White's main moves in the di

agram position are A) 7. 0 - 0
and B) 7.'#Nb3.
His other possibilities are infe
rior.
After 7.e5 d5+, Black seizes the
initiative, ending up with an extra
pawn, Marache - Morphy, New
Orleans 1857.
It is not good to play 7.ti:Jg5
ti:Jh6+, since that just helps Black's
king get away from the centre,
Llaneza Vega - Farran Martos,
Formigal 2002.
It seems a bit strange for White
to continue with 7.ti:Jxd4 ti:Jf6 8 .
ti:Jxc6 dxc6 9.xd8 + 'it>xd8 10.f3

A) 7. 0 - 0
Strangely enough, this natural
and often-played move is serious
inaccuracy, after which White will
be forced to fight for equality.
However, this became clear only
during the process of the evolu
tion of this variation and mostly
owing to the analytical and practi
cal contributions of the English
grandmaster Michael Adams.
7 ge7
(diagram)
Al) 8.cxd4
A2) 8.g5

160

In the variation 8 . .ia3 0-0

l.e4 e5 2. tDj3 tD c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 .ia5 6.d4 ed

1 0 .ta.3
This is a very reasonable move,
since it enables White to keep the
enemy king in the centre.
lO.I:iJgS? ! 0-0 U.l:iJxh7 <j;lxh7
12 .h5+ <j;lg8 13.hd5 .ig4 ! 14.
xg4 (White can regain his pawn
in other ways too, for example:
14.hf7+ 1!xf7 15.xg4 xd4 16.
xd4 l:iJxd4+, but he will have
great problems completing his
development.) 14 . . . xd5 15.1!d1
1!fe8+ - the d-pawn is weak and
his queenside is undeveloped,
Glidzhain - Vaseptsov, Izhevsk
2010.
After 10.'\!;!!b 3 White increases
his pressure against the enemy
centre, but Black has more than
sufficient defensive resources.
10 . . ..ie6

9.cxd4 (9.1:iJxd4? ! d6+) 9 . . . d6+

White's centre is beautiful but
Black effortlessly completes his
development, retaining the extra
pawn, while White's bishop on a3
is obviously misplaced.
It is no improvement for him
to opt for 8.b3 0-0 9.cxd4 .ib6
lO.dS (otherwise Black will play
d7-d5 himself, seizing the initia
tive) lO . . . I:iJaS 11.b4 (it is more
or less the same after 11.'\!;!!c3 or
11 .c2) 1l.. .l:iJxc4 12.xc4 d6+
Black has an extra pawn and the
bishop pair and White's space ad
vantage cannot fully compensate
for both these factors.

Al) 8.cxd4 d5 9.exd5 ttlxd5

and now:
ll . .ia3 1!b8 ! (Black protects his
b7-pawn and is not afraid of the
pressure of the enemy bishop
from a3, since he will easily neu
tralize it later by playing .ib4.)
12 .1!d1 (12 .1:iJbd2 .ib4 13 ..ixb4
l:iJcxb4+ Black is ready to evacuate
his king and he has retained his
extra pawn.) 12 . . ..ib4 13 .!xb4
l:iJcxb4 14.a3 l:iJc6 1S.I:iJc3 l:iJxc3
161

Chapter 13
16.xc3 .bc4 17.xc4 0-0 18.dS
'Lle7+ White has gained space and
has good chances of a draw, but
nothing more than that, Nowak
Potrata, Email 2006;
it is bad for White to be greedy
with 11.xb7 'Lldb4. In the varia
tion 12 .dS b8 13.xb8 xb8
14.dxe6 fxe6 1S.'Llc3 0-0 16.b1
e8+ he fails to obtain sufficient
compensation for the queen, Sui
skis - Svidler, Moscow 2001.
White cannot equalize with the
line: 12 .i.bS 0-0 13.hc6 b8 14.
xa7 'Llxc6 1S.cS .idS

coordinated, T.Warakomski
Batchuluun, Olomouc 2010.
1 0 . . . .ie6

ll ..ib5
11.b3 b8 ! - see 10.b3.
ll.'Llbd2 ? ! .ib4 12 .hb4 'Llcxb4
13.a4+. Now, after 13 . . . d7 14.
xd7+ c,ilxd7 1S.'Lle4gg White's ac
tive pieces compensate for the
sacrificed pawn, so Black should
instead play 13 . . . ll:\c6.

For example:
16.'Llbd2 e8 17.'Llb3 .ib4 18.
c2 hf3 19.gxf3 dS+ all his
pawns are weak and his king is ex
posed, E.Sveshnikov - Graf, Ke
merovo 199S;
16 ..igS f6 17 ..ie3 i.b6 18.c2,
Shlegin - Lysyj 2 010 and here
Black's most precise move is 18 . . .
fS ! --+ when his attack becomes de
cisive;
after 16 . .ia3 16 . . . e8 17.'Llbd2
.ib6 18.c3 .bf3 19.xf3 ll:\xd4+
White's queen must retreat to the
d1-square, after which Black has
an overwhelming advantage, be
cause his pieces are much better
162

14 ..ibS 'Llde7 !? 1SJ'!ab1 0-0

16.hc6 bxc6 17.b7 aS+ Black's
extra pawn is almost irrelevant,
but his bishop is superior to the
enemy knight, so his position is
preferable, A.Muzychuk - Ko
steniuk, Heraklio 20 07.
Nevertheless, White can equal
ize, but he has to find a series of

l.e4 e5 2. tiJj3 tiJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 i.a5 6.d4 ed
practically only moves to do so:
14.h6! c8 15Jfcl ! 0-0 16.hb7!
xb7 17.xc6 xc6 18.fuc6 E:tb8=,
although at the end it is still only
Black who can play for a win.
ll ... .ib4! 12.hc6+ bxc6
13.hb4 tiJxb4 14.a4

give up the extra piece with 11 . . .

dxc3 12 .d6+ @e8 13.dxe7 xd1
14.E:xd1 tiJc6 15.i.g5 i.fS+ and he
will inevitably regain the e7pawn, ending up with a great ad
vantage, thanks to his far-ad
vanced passed c-pawn.
9 . . . c!Oe5

14 . . . b8 !
Black provokes advantageous
simplifications.
15.a3 tiJd5 16.xc6+ ti'd7
17.c5 d6 18.xa7 0 - 0 19.
tiJbd2 gas 2 0 .c5 ti'xc5 21.
dxc5 a4= This almost forced
variation has led to an endgame
in which Black has returned the
pawn and can try to prove that his
bishop is stronger than the enemy
knight. In addition, White's cS
pawn can be attacked much more
easily than Black's c7-pawn.
A2) 8.c!Og5 d5
(diagram)
9.exd5
9.tiJxf7 - This piece-sacrifice is
interesting but not quite sound.
9 . . . @xf7 lO.exdS tiJeS ll.i.b3,
Hughey - South, Alberta 2000.
Now, it is reasonable for Black to

1 0 .ib3
After 10.l'i:e1?! tiJxc4 11.a4+
c6 12 .ti'xc4 0-0 13.d6 tiJfS+ Black
has the two bishops and an extra
pawn.
If 10.i.b5+ c6 ll.dxc6 bxc6
12.cxd4 cxbS 13.dxe5 xd1 14.
E:xd1 i.f5+ Black's bishops are tre
mendously active in this open po
sition, E.Sveshnikov - Wu Shao
bin, Beijing 2008.

163

Chapter 13
If 10.'&a4+, Mitlasovszki Shiomi, Budapest 1998, Black
equalizes easily with 10 ... .id7 11.
WxaS tLlxc4 12 .Wc5 tLld6 13.Wxd4
0-0= and White is unable to con
solidate his position in the centre
owing to his lag in development.
After 10.Wxd4 f6 ! White is un
able to exploit the weakness of
the e6-square. 11.1"1e1 (If 1l..ib3
.ib6 12 .We4 .ifS 13 .Wa4+ Wd7 14.
Wxd7+ , Segovic - I.Saric, Sibenik
2008, then after 14 . . . tLlxd7+ Black
maintains the better prospects,
because if 15.tLle6 he6 16.dxe6
tLlcS 17.1"1d1 tLle4+ White's pieces
are undeveloped and he is unable
to support his far-advanced pawn,
which he is likely lose before long.
Instead, several games have con
tinued ll ..ibS+ c6 12.dxc6 bxc6 13 .
.ie2 MS+, also with the better chanc
es for Black, in view of his lead in
development.) ll ... .ib6 12.Wh4 .ifS

13 . .ia3 tLJ7g6 14.'&g3 Wd7 15.

CLJe6 he6 16.dxe6 Wc6 17 . .ie2 (17.
.ib3? 0-0-0-+ - White cannot
develop his queenside.) 17 . . . Wxe6
18.tLld2 0-0-0+ Black's forces are
ideally developed and centralized,
so White's advantage of the two
bishops is not sufficient to com164

pensate for the m1ssmg pawn,

Tanti - V.Szabo, Email 2008.
After 13.CLJe6 CLJ7g6 14.'&h5
he6 15.dxe6 tLlxc4 16.Wb5+ c6
17.Wxc4 tLleS 18.We2 0-0+, White's
queenside is undeveloped, so
White's pawn on e6 is much more
of a liability than an asset.
13.tLlf3 - This is White's most
accurate move. 13 . . . CLJ7g6 14.'&h5
0-0 15.Wxf5 tLlxc4 16.tLlbd2 tLlceS
17.c4, Fritsche - Fritz, Email
2008 and now with 17 . . . :1'17?
Black gains more than adequate
counter-chances.
1 0 ... 0 - 0

ll.lL!xh7
White's alternatives are much
worse:
ll.Wxd4?! - this move pro
vides Black with important tempi
for the organization of a decisive
attack. ll . . . CLJ7g6 12 . .ic2 .ib6 13.
Wd2 h6 14.tLle4 Wh4-+ White is
unable bring his queenside pieces
into play, Baker - Collins, Sun
ningdale 2009;
ll.cxd4?! - after this move
White's centre pawns are doomed.
ll ... tLlg4 12.Wf3 (12 . .ia3 tLlxdS 13.

l.e4 e5 2. CiJj3 CiJ c6 3. c4 c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 aS 6.d4 ed

hf8 W/xgS and here after 14.a3
CiJf4-+ White cannot save his king
without huge material losses, De
scroix - Ruch, France 1997, while
if 14.hd5 xdS 15.a3 d7+
Black's pieces become extremely
active, which more than compen
sates for the sacrificed exchange,
Anderssen - S.Mieses, Breslau
1867) 12 . . . CiJf6 13.a3 h6 14.CiJe4
CiJxe4 15.W/xe4 1"le8 16.b2 CiJfS 17.
f4 b4+ White's central pawns
are weak and this prevents the ac
tivation of his own bishops, Mo
rozevich - Mi.Adams, Wijk aan
Zee 2001.
n . . . <i!?xh7 12.hS+ <i!?g8 13.
xeS CiJf5

than their white counterparts and

White's dS-pawn will soon be
come weaker than Black's c7pawn, Chorfi - Zimmer, Email
2001.

B) 7.'M>3

This is White's best move. He

does not allow his opponent to
develop his g8-knight to the e7square and this enables him more
easily to organize active play in
the centre.
7 V!le7 8 . 0 - 0
Now Black has problems evac
uating his king away from the
centre and so the effect of this
move is even greater.
8 .tb6

14 .id2
In the variation 14.cxd4 1"le8
15.f4 W/d6 16.xd6 cxd6 17 . .id2
.ib6t Black regains the pawn, re
taining some pressure thanks to
the greater activity of his pieces,
Canizares Cuadra - Grazinys,
Email 2 0 03 .
14. . . ge8 15.iff4 ifd6 16.
i!Yxd6 xd6 17.cxd4 .ib6 18.
c3 hd4=i= Black's pieces are
much more aggressively placed

165

Chapter 13
9.cxd4
The move 9.i.g5? is not good
and after 9 . . . f6 ! 10.i.f4 ltJa5 11.
1Wa4 ttJxc4 12 .1Wxc4 1Wf7 13 .1We2
d3 ! 14.1Wxd3 d6+ Black obtains
the advantage of the two bishops
and has prevented his opponent
from breaking through in the cen
tre, Daulyte - N. Kosintseva,
Dresden 2008.
9 .i.b5 - With this move White
presents his opponent with an
important tempo for develop
ment. 9 . . . tLlf6 10.i.a3 d6 11.e5, E.
Christiansen - Joensen, Torshavn
2 0 03, 11 . . . ltJg4 12 .hc6+ bxc6
13.cxd4 0-0+ Now, even if White
manages to regain the pawn, his
position will still be worse, be
cause he will have problems com
bating his opponent's active light
squared bishop.
A very interesting position
arises after 9.i.a3 ! ? d6 10.tLlbd2 ! ?
(for 10.cxd4 ttJxd4 11.tLlxd4 hd4
12 .tLlc3 lLlf6 - see 9.cxd4 ; if 10.
e5? ! tLl a5 11.1Wa4+ i.d7 12 .i.b5 a6
13.hd7+ 1Wxd7 14.1Wc2 ltJe7 15.
cxd4 0-0+ Black has succeeded in
preserving his extra pawn, while
ensuring the safety of his king)
10 . . . tLlh6! (Black needs to prepare
castling, but the e7-square is oc
cupied. Putting his knight on f6 is
no good either, because then
White's pawn-break e4-e5 be
comes much more effective.)
(diagram)
11.cxd4 (Black should not be
afraid here of the thematic move
11.e5, because after 11 . . . 0-0 1 2 .
ae1 tLl a5 13.1Wb2 i.e6 14.exd6
166

cxd6 15.he6 fxe6 16.cxd4 '!Wd7+

he succeeds in ensuring the safety
of his king, while retaining the ex
tra pawn.) 11 . . . ttJxd4 12.tLlxd4 (12.
1Wc3?! To Ngoc Minh - Nguyen
Phu, Hanoi 2002, 12 . . . 1Wf6 and
despite the fact that White can
prevent his opponent from cas
tling kingside with 13.e5 dxe5 14.
ae1, Black can evacuate his king
away from the centre to the other
side of the board by playing 14 . . .
i.e6 ! +) 12 . . . hd4 13.ae1 0-0
14.e5 c5 15.ltJf3 heS 16.i.b2 b5 !
Black gives back his extra pawns,
in order to exchange as many
pieces as possible. 17.i.d5 (It is
important that after 17.1Wxb5 ltJg4
18.h3, Black has the resource 18 . . .
1Wc7!+ and h e retains a t least one
extra pawn, while if 18.1Wb3 i.e6
19.he6 1Wxe6 2 0.1Wxe6 fxe6 21.
he5 ltJxe5 2 2 .tLlxe5 dxe5 23.xe5
ac8 24.xe6 fd8= his passed c
pawn, supported by both his
rooks, guarantees Black at least a
draw.) 17 . . . .ie6 18.ltJxe5 hdS 19.
1Wxd5 dxe5 20.xe5 adS 21.1Wb3
1Wh4 2 2 . xc5 a6= White's piece
activity provides full compensa
tion for the sacrificed pawn, but
nothing more than that.
9 xd4
. . .

l.e4 e5 2 .tiJj3 lLl c6 3. c4 c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 i. a5 6.d4 ed

With 9 . . . lLla5 Black can obtain
the advantage of the two bishops,
but he falls further behind in de
velopment. After 10.11tla4 lLlxc4
11.11tlxc4 d6 12.a4 White has a
powerful initiative, exploiting his
lead in development and space
advantage. Black's queen is mis
placed on e7, since he must con
stantly watch out for the possibil
ity for White to open files in the
centre, Sutovsky - Smagin, Essen
2001.
1 0 .xd4 hd4 11.c3
ll.i.a3 d6 12 .lLlc3 lLlf6 - see
ll.lLlc3.
ll . . f6

an extremely rash move. With

13 . . . d6 14Jxa1 0-0 15J'e1 a6 16.
lLld4 cS 17.e5 dxeS 18.lLlf3 i.e6-+
Black parried all his opponent's
threats and retained an extra ex
change and several pawns as well,
Hector - Kurnosov, Copenhagen
2 011) 13 . . . \t1d8 (13 . . . \t1f8?, Thiele
- Schlemermeyer, Berlin 2 007,
14.i.a3 d6 15Jxa1 W!xc7 16.e5)
14.lLlxa8 i.d4

12 . .ia3
12-ltl bS ! ? - This is an interest
ing, if somewhat adventurous,
move, forcing Black to tread a
very narrow path and find a series
of only moves. If he manages to
do so, however, White will have to
fight for equality. 12 . . . i.xa1! (After
the less greedy line : 12 . . . i.e5? 13.
i.a3 d6 14Jacl c6 15.f4 ! a6 16.
lLlc7+ 11tlxc7 17.fxe5 dxeS 18.
11tlg3 ! + - Black is beyond salva
tion.) 13.lLlxc7+ (13.i.a3? - this is

Black's position looks very

dangerous. His king is stranded in
the centre and his extra pawn
might not make up for this. How
ever, White's knight on a8 is out
of action, and this enables Black
to parry the enemy threats and to
retain the better prospects with
precise play, for example:
15.i.b2 11tle5 16.i.xd4 W!xd4 see 15.i.e3 ;
15 . .ia3? - White pushes the
enemy queen to a better square,
with tempo. 15 . . . 11tle5 16.i.d5 lLlxe4
17.he4 11tlxe4 18.i.b2 hb2 19.
11tlxb2 b6 2 0 .lLlxb6 .ib7 2 1.Wxg7
ge8-+ It looks as if White has
achieved a lot, but now in the end
he still loses his knight;
15.i.e3 ! ? - White wants to ex
change the active enemy bishop,
167

Chapter 13
but he must pay for this with a re
duction in his attacking potential.
15 . . . V!!/c5 16.i.xd4 xd4 17.i.d5
(after 17Jd1 c5+ White has no
more attacking resources and
his knight remains in exile, Cotu
ra Vida - Kristjansson, Email
2010) 17 . . . ttlxd5 18.exd5 d6 19.
V!!/g3 (after 19 .f3 E:e8 20.xf7
i.d7+ White will be unable to save
his knight) 19 . . . xd5 20.xg7
V!!/e5 2 1 .V!!/xf7 i.d7 2 2.h3 E:e8+ The
material is equal, but it will be
much easier for Black to pro
mote his passed pawn than for
White to advance his kingside
pawns.
In reply to the most principled
move for White, 15.i.f4, Black
should not be greedy, because af
ter 15 . . . ttlxe4, Ibrahim - Mathews,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, 16.i.d5
White's activity might be trouble
some for Black, so it is better for
him to opt for 15 . . . d6!

After 16.i.xd6? White is una

ble to exploit the open d-file, be
cause after 16 . . . V!!/x d6 17.E:d1
i.g4 ! - + Black will easily realize
his extra bishop.
If 16.i.xf7? ! ttlxe4 17.d5 (or
17.i.e3 ttlc5 18.a3 i.xe3 19 .fxe3
168

E:f8 2 0.i.d5 E:xf1+ 21.'it>xf1 f6+

2 2 .i.f3 b6-+ and suddenly Black's
counter attack becomes decisive)
17 . . . i.c5 18 .i.e3 i.xe3 19.fxe3 E:f8
2 0.a5+ b6 21.ttlxb6 axb6 2 2 .
V!!/xb6+ c7 23 .d4 E:xfl- + Black
should be able to turn his extra
bishop into a full point.
In the variation 16.i.d5 E:e8
17.i.g5 (or 17.i.xfl? E:f8 18.i.d5
ttlxe4-+ and Black's counter
attack along the open f-file is
crushing) 17 . . .i.c5 (It is inferior
for him to choose the hasty line
17 . . . b6? 18.a4 i.c5 19.i.c6
since White's knight is safe, un
like Black's monarch.) 18.i.xf7
E:f8 19.i.d5 e5 20 .i.h4 g5 2 1.ig3
e7 2 2 .e5 ttlxd5 23.xd5 i.e6 24.
exd6 i.xd5 25.dxe7 + 'it>xe7 26.E:c1
b6+ After this long and almost
forced variation, Black ends up
with the advantage of the two
bishops in an endgame with an
open centre.
16.E:d1 - This is clearly the
best move for White. 16 . . . i.c5 17.
e5 (After 17.i.e3, Black can boldly
capture his opponent's central
pawn : 17 . . . ttlxe4 18 . .b:c5 ttlxc5 19.
a3 b6 2 0 .g3 i.d7 21.xg7 E:e8+
and White is unable to bring his
knight into play.) 17 . . . ttlg4 18.i.b5
(18.exd6? f6-+) 18 . . . i.xf2 + 19.
'it>h1 i.c5 20.i.g3 i.e6 21.exd6
i.xb3 2 2 .dxe7+ 'it>xe7 23.E:d7+
'it>f6 24.axb3 E:xa8 25.E:xb7 E:d8
26.i.e2 ttlf2 + 27 . .b:f2 .b:2+ The
position has been simplified and
is close to a draw. However, it is
White who will have to struggle
for the half-point.

l.e4 e5 2JiJj3 tt'l c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 aS 6.d4 ed

12 .i.g5 ! ? - This aggressive
sortie has only rarely been played.
It is in fact a perfectly reasonable
move, because Black will have
great problems against his excellently developed opponent. 12 .. .
WeS ! ? (12 . . . c6? ! 13.e5 ! --+ ; 12 .. .
0-0?! 13.tt'ldsgg) 13.hf7+. White
is playing for a win. (Black's de
fence would be much easier after
13 . .hf6 Wxf6 14.tt'ld5 Wd8 15.:B:ad1
cS 16.Wg3 0-0 17.Wd6 b6 18.
tt'le7+ 'i!>h8 19.tt'lf5 i.b7 20.tt'lxd4
cxd4 21.:B:xd4 c6 2 2 .dsgg White
will inevitably regain his last
missing pawn and a drawish end
game will ensue, Claridge - Pap
pier, Email 20 05.) 13 . . . \!>fS ! 14.
d2 ! (this is the only move) 14 ...
aS ! ! This far-from-obvious move
is the only one that enables Black
to preserve the balance.

The idea can be best illustrat

ed by the variation 15.a4 :B:a6 ! 16.
c4 tt'lg4 17.g3 :B:f6-+ and Black's
attack is decisive. It is also bad for
White to choose 15.:B:ad1 (after
15.:B:ac1 or 15.:B:ab1, Black's reply
would be the same), in view of
15 . . . a4 ! 16.c4 b6+ and he loses
material.

White's best choice here is

15.c4 ! , but even then, after 15 . . .
a4, Black obtains the better pros
pects almost by force: 16. Wb4+ d6
17.:B:ad1 tt'lg4 18.g3 Wh5 19 .h4 tt'leS
20.i.e2 tt'lf3+ 21.i.xf3 xf3 2 2 .
'i!>h2 i.cS 23.b5 \Wg4 24.i.f4 b6+
White definitely has some com
pensation, but he has no direct
threats, while Black has built up a
very reliable defensive fortress
and he should gradually be able to
consolidate his position.
12 . . . d6

13Jadl
White can regain one of his
pawns with 13.hf7+ Wxf7 14.
Wa4+ d7 15.Wxd4 0-0+, but this
will hardly be sufficient, because
Black has already completed his
development and has no weak
nesses whatsoever, Bohm Kraidman, Netanya 1977.
13 . . ..b:c3 14.Ybc3 ti'e5
It is premature for Black to
play 14 . . . 0-0 15.:B:fe1 tt'lg4 16.f4 ! gg
and White obtains excellent com
pensation for the pawn, Cosenti
no - Nowak, Email 2010.

169

Chapter 13
19.g4 Vfh4 2 0 .i.b3 i.e6+ and he
will exchange the light-squared
bishops, returning some of his ex
tra pawns.
16 We7
.

15.Vfcl!
This is the ideal square for the
queen; from here it not only helps
the development of White's bish
op to b2, but is ready to be trans
ferred to the kingside at any mo
ment.
15.Vfb3 ? ! 0-0 16 . .tb2 Wffe 7 17.
!l:fe1 .te6+ and Black succeeds in
exchanging one of his opponent's
powerful bishops, at the cost of
one of his extra pawns.
In the endgame, arising after
15.Vfxe5 dxeS 16.f4 .te6 17.he6
fxe6 18.fxe5, Kovalevskaya - Ste
fanova, Antalya 2002, White will
still need to fight hard for a draw
if Black plays 18 . . . lDg4 ! +
15 0 - 0
15 . . . lDg4? - This attempt to or
ganize a counter-attack leads to a
very difficult position for Black
after 16.f4 Wff aS 17 . .tb2 0-0 18.
:B:dS
16.i.b2
White cannot create any seri
ous problems for his opponent
with the consolidating move 16.
f3?! Wff aS 17.e5 WffxeS 18 . .tb2 ,
Mozzino - Defore!, Email 2002,
because Black can play 18 . . . Wffh 5

170

17.e5
17.f4 ! ? - This is an interesting
alternative for White. Black faces
great difficulties, which can be il
lustrated by the following varia
tions : 17 . . . .te6 18 . .td3 :B:fe8 19.f5
.td7 20.:B:f3--+ and White's rook is
transferred to the g-file, with de
cisive threats. After 17 . . . lDxe4 18.
:B:fe1, Black loses after 18 ... c6?
19.:B:xe4 Wffxe4 20.Wic3 Wffg 6 21 .
:B:xd6 .te6 2 2 .f5 ! +-, while some of
his other options lead to com
pletely unclear positions. Howev
er, he can solve all his problems
with 17 . . . b5 !

l.e4 eS 2. Ci:Jj3 Ci:J c6 3. c4 c5 4.b4 hb4 5.c3 aS 6.d4 ed

White will end up in a difficult
situation if he tries to keep his
bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal.
18 .b3 b7 19.eS dxeS 2 0 .fxeS
Ci:Je4+
It is slightly better for him to
opt for the greedy line 18.i.xbS
Ci:Jxe4 19.fS (19.c6 b8 20.fe1 fS
2 1.d4 e6+) 19 . . . b8 2 0 .c6
(20 .f6? Ci:Jxf6 2U!xf6? xbS- + ;
Black's position remains very sol
id after 2 1.i.xf6 gxf6+, followed by
f6-fS) 20 . . . b7 2 1.i.xg7 mxg7 2 2 .
i.xe4 f6 ! + Black has parried all
the enemy threats and activated
his bishop, while retaining an ex
tra pawn.
18.eS! - An equal endgame
arises after this move. 18 . . . bxc4
19.exf6 e4 20.fxg7 (20.d4? fS
2 1.f3 e8+ and Black is ready for
a powerful counter attack on the
light squares.) 20 . . . e8 21.fe1
c6 2 2 .xc4 b7 23.xc6 i.xc6=
White's most prudent line here
would be to exchange all the
rooks, but the arising ending with
bishops of opposite colours is a
dead draw.
17 .1t:g4
It is bad for Black to play 17 . . .
dxeS, because after 18.a3 e8
19.i.xf8 xf8 20.b2--+ White's
piece activity more than compen
sates for his minimal material
deficit.
(diagram)
18.exd6
In the variation 18.b3 e6 !
19.exd6 cxd6 20.c3 f6 2 1.d2
g6 2 2 .c2 fS= White can re
gain one of his pawns immediate

ly, but the second pawn provides

Black with sufficient compensa
tion for the fact that White's bish
op is superior to his knight.
After 18.f4 dxeS 19.h3 (Or
19.fxeS?! e6+ and White's dark
squared bishop is no longer so ac
tive; 19.a3 cS 2 0 .h3 Ci:Jh6 ! 2 1.dS
d8! 2 2 .i.xcS c7 23 .e3 xcl
24 . .ixc1 exf4 2S . .b:f4 i.e6 26.
i.xb7 xd1 27.xd1 e8 28 .a3
Ci:JfS= White's bishops are very
strong and provide full compen
sation for his missing pawn, but
nothing more than that.) 19 . . .
cS+ 2 0 . mh1 (20 .i.d4 as 2 1 .
fxeS Ci:JxeS 2 2 .heS xeS. Now it
is bad for White to opt for 23.
ht7+? ! mh8+ and Black com
pletes his development, retaining
at least one extra pawn, while in
the variation 23.xt7 i.e6 ! 24.
xc7 ac8 White must continue
with 2S.dd7! xc7 26 . .b:e6+
xe6 27.xc7, which leads after
27 . . . e3+ to a completely drawn
rook and pawn ending.) 20 . . . Ci:Jf2 +
21.mh2, Pellen - Iniguez, Email
2 0 09. All White's pieces are very
active, but Black has sufficient re
sources to simplify the position:
171

Chapter 13
2 1 . . . .ie6 ! 2 2 . .ixe6 '\Wxcl 23.E:xcl
l2Jd3 24 . .ib3 l2Jxb2 25.fxe5 (25.
E:xc7 e4 26.E:xb7 l2Jd3 27.E:e7 l2Jc5
28 .1d5 E:ad8=) 25 . . . c6 26.E:f3 b5
27.fuc6 l2Jc4= entering an equal
endgame with four rooks on the
board.
18 cxd6 19 .ia3
This is White's most aggres
sive line.
The seemingly attractive line
19.E:fel?! Wfh4 20.'\Wf4 i.e6+ pro
vides Black with superior pros
pects, because after any retreat of
White's bishop, Black continues
with 2 1 . . .g5 ! , exchanging the
queens.
Or 19.E:del i.e6 ! 2 0 . .ixe6 fxe6
2 1.'\Wc4 l2Je5 22 . .ixe5 dxe5 23.E:xe5
E:fe8 24.E:fel E:ac8 25.'\Wb3 E:c6
26.f4 Wfd7= and White will soon
regain his pawn, while Black will
activate his pieces.
It is less precise for White to
play 19.'\Wf4 l2Je5 2 0 .E:fel .ie6! 2 1 .
.ixe5 dxe5 22 .'\WxeS E:ad8 23.E:xd8
E:xd8 = , because he will need to
follow up with several very pre
cise moves to maintain the bal
ance, Corbat - Dayants, Email
2002.
19 gds 2 o .gfel
(diagram)
The diagram position was

172

reached in the game Aberbach Janosi, Email 2008. White's bish

ops are so powerful that they fully
compensate for the two missing
pawns, so we suggest that Black
should seek to simplify the game
as much as possible with 2 0
Y;\'h4! 21.Y;\'f4 Y;\'f6 ! 22.g3 (In
the variation 2 2 .'\Wxf6 l2Jxf6 23.
E:xd6 i.e6 = Black can exchange
the light-squared bishops and a
pair of rooks, at the cost of the ex
tra pawn. He obtains equal pros
pects, however, since his pieces
are centralized and he can even
tually create a passed pawn on the
queenside.) 22 .tbe5 23 .id5
.ig4! 24.f3 .if5 25.hb7 gabS
26.hd6 gxd6 27.gxd6 xd6
28.xe5 xe5 29.gxe5 .ie6
3 0 .ie4 ha2 31.gas .ie6 32.
gxa7= This almost forced line
has led to a dead-drawn position.
..

Chapter 14

l.e4 e5 2 .lt)fJ lt)c6 3 .ic4 i.c5

Giuoco Piano

moves and is fighting for equality.

4 .c!l:\f6

In this chapter we shall deal

with some very rarely played
schemes with which White tries to
obtain an edge - quiet variations
without the early moves c2-c3
and 0-0.
4.d3
4.d4 exd4 - see Chapter 9.
4.i.b3 lLlf6 5.lLlxe5 (5.d3 0-0
- see 4.d3) 5 . . . W/e7! 6.lLlxc6 W/xe4+
7.Wfe2 W/xe2+ 8.<i>xe2 dxc6= Black
is better developed and he has no
problems at all, Firman Laznicka, Germany 2008.
4.W/e2 d6 5.lLlc3? ! (it is prefer
able for White to play 5.c3 lLlf6, or
5.d3 lLlf6 6.c3 a6, or 5.0-0 lLlf6
6.c3 0-0 - see Chapter 19) 5 . . .
.ig4 6.W/d1 lLlf6+ - White has
wasted a couple of tempi on queen

5 . .tb3 ! ?
I n general, this prophylactic
move is useful for White.
For 5.lLlc3 - see Chapter 15;
for 5. 0-0 - see Chapter 17.
5.W/e2 d6 6.h3 (After 6.i.e3
!xe3 7.fxe3 .ie6= Black obtains a
slight lead in development, but he
can hardly exploit it effectively; it
is inferior for White to opt for 6.
0-0 0-0 7.i.g5, Spencer - Blake,
Liverpool 1923, because Black can
respond with 7 . . . h6 8.i.h4 g5
9.i.g3 g4 10.lLlh4 lLlh5t with ex
cellent attacking prospects; after
6.ig5 h6 7.ih4, Bohatirchuk Ludwig, Kirchheim 1947, it looks
173

Chapter 14
very good for Black to isolate
White's dark-squared bishop
from the action with 7 . . . gS 8 ..ig3
.ie6+) 6 . . . .ie6 7 . .ib3 , Nestler Milner Barry, Helsinki 19S 2 . Now
it is reasonable for Black to opt for
the prophylactic move 7 . . . h6=,
depriving the enemy knight and
bishop of the gS-square.
S . .igS - Black has not yet
played d7-d6 and so this pin is
not dangerous. S . . . h6 6 . .ih4 .ie7
(Much sharper positions arise af
ter 6 . . . gS ! ? 7 . .ig3 d6 8.c3oo) 7.tt:lc3
(7.c3 0-0, or 7.tt:lbd2 0-0 8.c3 d6
- see Chapter 19; 7.0-0 0-0 - see
Chapter 17) 7 . . . d6 8 . .ixf6 (This
move is almost forced, because if
8.0-0?! tt:Jxe4 9.he7 tt:Jxc3 10 .
.ixd8 tt:Jxd1 11.hc7 tt:lxb2 12 . .ixd6
lt:lxc4 13.dxc4 f6+, or 8.h3?! lt:lxe4
9 .he7 lt:lxc3 10.hd8 lt:lxd1 11.
hc7 lt:lxb2 12 . .ixd6 lt:lxc4 13.dxc4
f6+ Although White regains his
pawn his queenside pawn struc
ture is just terrible, so he must
fight for a draw.) 8 . . . .ixf6 9.lLldS
(it is preferable to opt for 9.0-0
lt:le7=) 9 . . . tt:laS 10.lt:ld2, Pelikan Rossetto, Villa Gesell 1971. Now
Black can continue with 10 . . . .igS't
and White's knight will inevitably
be ejected from its excellent
square and his light-squared
bishop will be exchanged for
Black's knight. In addition, Black
can activate his rook with fl-fS.
S.lt:lbd2 0-0 6 . 0-0 (6.h3 d6
7.c3 aS 8.0-0 .ie6= Black has
completed his development and
neutralized his opponent's most
active piece in the process. Black
174

has no weaknesses in his position

and in response to 6.lt:lfl, Rabiega
- Jussupow, Germany 2007, he
can play 6 . . . lt:laS 7 . .ib3 lt:lxb3 8 .
axb3 dS+ obtaining the advantage
of the two bishops and starting
active operations in the centre.)
6 ... d6 7.c3 aS ! ? Black prevents his
opponent from seizing extra
space. 8.a4 h6 9J'e1 .ie6 10.b3
e8=
S ..ie3 .ixe3 6.fxe3 d6

This position is completely

safe for Black, as can be confirmed
by the following variations:
7.0-0 .ie6 8 . .ixe6 fxe6 9.lt:lc3
0-0 - see 7.lt:lc3 ;
7.c3 0-0 8 . .ib3, Lacrosse Hamsany, France 200S (8.0-0? !
lLlaS 9.lt:lbd2 tt:Jxc4 10.lt:lxc4 c6't Black is preparing d6-dS and his
bishop is more powerful than ei
ther of White's knights, Messe
maker - Olland, Amsterdam
1887), and here Black can play 8 . . .
.ie6 9.he6 fxe6= , retaining a
slight lead in development;
7.lt:lc3 ie6 8 ..ib3 (8.lLldS 0-0
9.0-0 hdS lO . .ixdS lLlxdS 11.
exdS tLJ b8= Black is ready to fight
for the centre with c7-c6, followed
by b6 ; after 8.he6 fxe6 9.0-0

l.e4 e5 2. t:tJj3 t:tJ c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.d3 l:tJf6 5 . .ib3 0 - 0

0-0, White cannot create any
problems for his opponent with
10.d4 V!ie7 11.Vfid2 a6 12 .a3=
Anand - Aronian, Moscow 2009
(blitz), or 10.l:tJd2 t:tJd7 11.'!9e2 V!ie7
12 J'!xf8+ :!! xf8 13.:1!f1 :!!xf1+ 14.
V!ixf1 a6 1S.a3 V!if6 16. V!ixf6 t:tJxf6
17.t:tJf3 h6 18.h3 @f7 19.@f2 @e7
20.\!;>e2, draw, Bronstein - Spas
sky, Moscow 1981.) 8 . . . 0-0 9.0-0
.ixb3 10.axb3 dS ll.exdS t:tJxdS
12.t:tJxdS V!ixdS= Black's pieces are
slightly more active, but he will
find it difficult to exploit this, Mo
rovic Fernandez - Leko, Yopal
1997.
5. . . 0 - 0

6. 0 - 0
It would again be harmless for
Black for White to play 6 . .igS h6
7 ..ih4 .ie7 ! = or 6 ..ie3 .ixe3 7.fxe3
d6 8.0-0 .ie6.
6.t:tJbd2 aS ! ? 7.c3 d6 8.t:tJfl
(The position is equal after 8.0-0
.ie6 = , or 8.h3 .ie6= since Black
neutralizes the pressure of his op
ponent's light-squared bishop
and obtains an excellent posi
tion.) 8 . . . dS 9.exdS t:tJxdS 10.l:tJg3
f6 11.0-0 .ie6+! . Black has the

better development and domi

nates the centre, but White's
light-squared bishop is very
strong. Black's plan includes de
ploying his major pieces in the
centre and exerting pressure
against the enemy d3-pawn,
which will become even weaker
after every exchange of pieces.
6 . . . h6! ?
White's move order i s tricky;
its point is that after the appar
ently attractive 6 . . . dS? ! 7.exdS
t:tJxdS 8 .h3 t:tJb6 9.:1!e1 aS 10.a4
.id6 ll.l:tJc3 ! .ifS 12 .l:tJbS;!; Black
was faced with difficulties in the
game Movsesian - Naiditsch,
Odessa 2010.
The other natural move 6 . . . d6
leads after 7.c3 .ib6 8.t:tJbd2 t:tJe7
9.t:tJc4 t:tJg6 10.a4 c6 ll.l:tJxb6 axb6
12 .h3 h6 13 . .ie3t to a position
where White has the advantage of
the two bishops, but it is difficult
for him to prove an edge. Howev
er, there is no easy equality for
Black in sight either . . . , Andriasian
- Sargissian, Yerevan 2008.

7.c3
7.t:tJbd2 d6 8.c3 (8.h3 .ie6 9 .
17S

Chapter 14
!!el i.xb3 10.axb3 dS= Black has
no weaknesses and comfortably
develops his pieces.) 8 . . . aS 9.1'!el
e6 10.ttlc4 (It is also possible for
White to try 10.a4 \Wb8 ! ? with
active play on the queenside; 10.
i.xe6 fxe6 ll.a4 e8= and Black
can organize active play on the
kingside ; 10.ttlfl i.xb3 ll.axb3
dS= , or ll.xb3 a4 12 .c2 dS=
with a slight space advantage for
Black) 10 . . . bS ll.ttle3 a4 12 .c2,
Hasan - Lodhi, Dhaka 2008 (it is
better for White to play 12 .i.xe6
fxe6?) and by playing 12 . . . b6
13.d4 exd4 14.cxd4 dS lS.eS ttle4t
with the idea of f7-f6, or even f7fS, Black firmly seizes the initia
tive.
It is no better for White to opt
for 7.e3 i.xe3 8 .fxe3 d6= fol
lowed by e6 and Black neutral
izes White's light-squared bishop.
After 7.1'!el d6 8.c3 e6 9 .d4
(9.h3 aS ! ? = ) i.xb3 10.axb3 b6=
the pressure against White's cen
tre pawns provides Black with
equal chances.
7 . . . d5 !?

8.exd5
176

In the variation 8.e2 dxe4

9.dxe4 \We7 10.ttlbd2 , Tian Tian Liang Xiaoning, Xiapu 2 00S, it is
good for Black to continue with
lO . . . aS= , with the idea of gaining
space on the queenside by ad
vancing aS-a4, or preparing the
development of his bishop to the
a6-square.
After 8.ttlbd2 dxe4 9 .ttlxe4 (or
9.dxe4 aS=) ttlxe4 10.dxe4 f6=
Black's position is a bit more ac
tive.
8 . . . xd5 9.bd2
In answer to 9.1'!el, Black can
protect his eS-pawn indirectly
with the surprising line 9 . . . ttlf6 !
10.c2 (10.ttlxeS? i.xf2 + ! ll.'.!?xf2
ttlxeS--+ with a very powerful at
tack; White cannot capture the
knight on eS owing to the fork,
while after 12 .d4 ttlfg4-+ his
king is doomed.) 10 . . . 1'!e8 11.ttlbd2
a6=
9 .ttlxeS ttlxeS (9 ... i.xf2 + ? ! 10.
!!xf2 ttlxeS ll.h3;t White has a sta
ble advantage thanks to his two
powerful bishops, Miranovic Balog, Sombor 2010) 10.d4 ttlb4
ll.dxcS (after ll.dxeS ttld3= he
will be unable to preserve his ex
tra pawn) ll . . . ttlbd3 12 .f4 (after
12.ttla3 g4 13.f3 fSt Black's
pieces are so active that he will re
gain his pawn no matter what rea
sonable move White chooses.
Black will play e7 and after that
he is likely to maintain an edge.)
12 . . . g4 13.d2 ttlxcl 14.fxeS
xd2 1S.ttlxd2 ttld3= Black re
gains his pawn and the position is
considerably simplified.

l.e4 e5 2.ti:JfJ ttJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.d3 tlJf6 5. i.b3 0 - 0

square, but White will find it dif
ficult to exploit this.
1 0 . . . ges ll .ia4
In the variation ll.ttJcxe5 ttJxe5
12.l2Jxe5 l"1xe5 13.d4 hd4 14.cxd4
l"1e4 15 . .ie3 c6= White obtains the
advantage of the two bishops, but
ends up with an isolated pawn on
d4. In return, Black has the won
derful d5-square for his pieces.

9 . . . tLlf6 ! N
I t would b e worse for Black to
try the natural line : 9 . . . i.f5? ! (9 . . .
i.g4? 10.tlJe4 i.b6, Segura Perez
Uvasnani, Internet 2 0 04, 11.
i.xh6 ! and since Black loses after
1l.. .gxh6 12 .hd5 xd5 13.l2Jf6+
he will remain a pawn down . ) 10.
ttJe4 i.e7 ll.tLlg3 i.g6 12 J!elt
White will retain an enduring
initiative by exerting pressure
against the enemy e5-pawn and
along the a2-g8 diagonal.
1 0 .c!bc4
After 10.e2 l"1e8 ll.tlJe4 l2Jxe4
12.dxe4 f6 13.i.e3 i.b6 = the only
drawback of Black's position is
the relative weakness of the d5-

ll e4! 12.dxe4 Bxd1 13.

gxd1 gxe4 14 . .ixc6 bxc6 15.
gd8+ h7 16.c!be3 .ie7 17.gd1
c5+! White cannot effectively ex
ploit the weakness of his oppo
nent's queenside pawns, owing to
the great activity of Black's pieces.

177

Chapter 15

l.e4 e5 2 . f3 c6 3 .J.c4 J.c5 4 . c3 f6

Giuoco Piano
Italian Four Knights Variation

The Italian Four Knights vari

ation is not considered to be dan
gerous for Black; nevertheless, he
must play accurately.
5.d3
White can hardly manage to
continue the game without this
move.
For 5.a3 a6 6.d3 h6 - see 5.d3 ;
5.h3 d 6 6 . 0 - 0 (6.d3 - see 5.d3)
6 . . . h6 7.d3 - see 5.d3 ; 5.0-0 0-0
6.d3 (6.h3 a6 7.d3 h6 - see 5.d3;
6.a3 a6 7.d3 h6 - see 5.d3) 6 ... h6
- see 5.d3.
In response to 5.'?;1/e2, it is very
good for Black to play 5 . . . ll:ld4! 6.
ll:lxd4 i.xd4 7.0-0 d6= and he has
no problems with the develop
ment of his pieces.
5.ll:ld5 d6
178

and now:
6.0-0 0-0 7.d4?! (7.d3 h6 see 5.d3) 7 . . . ll:lxd4 8.i.g5 i.g4+
White's compensation for the sac
rificed pawn is obviously insuffi
cient;
6.d4 ll:lxd4 7.ll:lxd4 (7.b4 i.b6
8.i.g5 c6 9.i.xf6 gxf6 10.ll:lxb6
Wxb6+ Black has ended up with
an extra pawn in a solid position)
7 . . .i.xd4 8.i.g5? (This is the only
way for White to justify his pawn
sacrifice on the previous move.)
8 ... i.xf2 + 9.'i!ifl ll:lxd5 ! 10.Wxd5
(10 .i.xd8 ll:le3-+) 10 . . . Wxg5 11.
Wxf7+ 'i!id8 12.'i!ixf2 We7+ and
Black has a solid extra pawn;
after 6.c3 ll:lxd5 7.exd5 (7 . .b:d5
0-0 8.0-0 f6 9.d3 h6 - see 5.
d3) 7 ... ll:le7 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4 (9.d3
h6 - see 6.d3) 9 . . . exd4 10.ll:lxd4
ll:lf5 = Black easily completes his

l.e4 e5 2. 0../3 0.c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4. 0. c3 0.f6 5.d3 h6

development and has the d5square safely blocked by a white
pawn. White's space advantage is
almost irrelevant, since only a few
minor pieces will remain on the
board.
5 h6! ?
Black prevents his knight from
being pinned by i.g5.
.

Here, we shall analyze in detail

A) 6. 0 - 0 and B) 6.0.d5.
6.i.b3 0-0 7.0-0 d6 - see
6.0-0; 6.h3 0-0 7.0-0 (it is infe
rior for White to play 7.g4 0.a5 ! t)
7 . . . a6 - see 6.0-0.
White has also tried:
6.a3 a6 - White has prevented
the exchange of his light-squared
bishop for the enemy knight and
it is good for Black look after his
own dark-squared bishop in the
same fashion. 7.i.e3 (7. 0-0 0-0
- see 6.0-0; 7.h3 0-0 8.0-0 d6
- see 6.0-0; 7.0.e2 d6 8.0-0 0-0
9 .0.g3 i.e6= ; 7.b4 i.a7 8.0-0 d6
9 .i.e3 0-0 10.i.xa7 xa7 ll.h3,
Galego - Garbisu de Goni, Mond
ariz 2 0 0 2, ll . . . i.e6= Black neu
tralizes his opponent's most ac
tive piece.) 7 . . . d6 8.h3 (8.0-0

0-0 - see 6.0-0) 8 . . . i.xe3 9.fxe3

i.e6 = after the exchange of the
light-squared bishops, the posi
tion has become absolutely equal;
6.0.e2 - White wants to trans
fer his knight to the f5-square. 6 . . .
d 6 (If Black wants t o obtain a
double-edged fighting position,
he can continue here with 6 . . . d5 ! ?
7.exd5 0.xd5 8.0.g3 0 - 0 9.0-0
i.e6 10J:%e1 f6oo - Black has a
slight space advantage, but the
light squares on his kingside are a
bit weak, A.Kogan - Stefanova,
Brena Baja 2 005.) 7.c3 0-0 8.0.g3
(8.h3 i.e6 =) 8 . . . i.e6 9.i.b3 d5 10.
e2 e8 = Black has completed
his development and has no prob
lems at all, Carraminana Lopez Kosten, Tarragona 2007;
6.i.e3 he3 7.fxe3 d6 8.d4
(8.0.d5 0.xd5 9.hd5 0-0 - see
6.0.d5; after 8.h3 i.e6 9.i.xe6 fxe6
10.0-0 0-0= a completely equal
symmetrical position arises; the
same approach can be recom
mended for Black after 8.d2
i.e6 = , or 8.a4 i.e6=) 8 ... 0-0 9.
0-0 i.g4 10.h3 (after 10.i.d5
0.xd5 ll.exd5 exd4 12.exd4 0.e7t
Black seizes the initiative, because
White's d5-pawn will need pro
tection. Following an exchange of
the major pieces, Black's pawn
majority on the kingside might
become a telling factor.) 10 . . . i.h5
11.d3 e8= White has obtained
a slight space advantage, but the
tension in the centre is not in his
favour, because only Black can re
solve it favourably; otherwise
White's doubled pawns might be179

Chapter 15
come very weak, L.Garcia - Alva
rez Fernandez, Spain 1997.

A) 6. 0 - 0 0 - 0

White fails to obtain the advan

tage of the two bishops, since af
ter 10 . . . .ie6= , he must either trade
the light-squared bishops, or
withdraw his bishop to bl.) 9 . . .
.ie6 10 . .ixe6 fxe6= Black has ex
changed his opponent's most
dangerous piece.
7 a6
Both sides have ensured the
safety of their bishops against the
enemy knights.
8 . .ie3 d6

7.a3
For 7.tLld5 d6 - see 6.tLld5; 7.
h3 a6 (It is useful for Black to pre
vent the threat of tLla4.) 8.a3 d6
9 . .ie3 .ixe3 10.fxe3 .ie6 - see
7.a3.
White cannot achieve any
thing with the immediate 7.tLla4
!J.e7 8.tLlc3 .ic5=
The variations arising after 7.
!J.e3 d6 will be dealt with after the
move 7.a3 and the fact that here
the moves a2-a3 and a7-a6 have
not been included is not signifi
cant.
After 7.a4 d6 8 .tLld5 tLlxd5 9 .
!J.xd5 tLl e 7 10 . .ic4 a S 11.c3 c 6 1 2 .
E1 e 1 tLl g 6 = Black securely protects
the e5-square and will prepare the
deployment of his knight on f4,
Zautzig - Brobakken, Email
2008.
7 . .ib3 d6 8.tLla4 .ib4 9.h3,
Vallejo Pons - Ginzburg, St Lor
enzo 1995 (After 9 .a3 .ia5 10 . .ia2
180

9.h3
9.b4 .ixe3 10.fxe3 .ie6= Black
has neutralized White's active
bishop, Karpatchev - Galdunts,
Germany 2007.
White fails to obtain any ad
vantage with 9 . .ixc5 dxcS 10 . .id5
tLle7 11.tLlxe5 tLlexd5 12.exd5 tLlxd5
13 .Wf3 .ie6 14.tLle4 b6= Black has
no weaknesses in his position and
neither side has any active pros
pects.
9 .b:e3 1 0 .fxe3 .ie6 11.
.b:e6 fxe6 12.d4 exd4 13.exd4
e5 14.dxe5 li)xe5= White has
failed to obtain anything with this
variation and the position is com

l.e4 e5 2. Ci'Jj3 Ci'J c6 3. 1i.c4 1i.c5 4. Ci'J c3 Ci'Jj6 5.d3 h6

pletely equal, Al.Motylev

Harikrishna, Minneapolis 2 005.

B) 6.lt:ld5 d6

for 8.exd5 Ci'Je7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 .d4

exd4 ll . Ci'J xd4 Ci'JfSt, since the
bishop on c4 is restricted by his
d5-pawn, while Black's bishops
are active.
8. . 0 - 0
Black has a very reasonable
alternative here in 8 . . . li:le7 9.
b3 li:lg6 10.d4 b6= ; although
White's centre pawns are beauti
fully placed, he might have prob
lems maintaining them, while af
ter 1l.dxe5 li:lxe5 12.li:lxe5 dxe5 13.
xd8+ in the game Belozerov Smikovski, Omsk 2 001, the oppo
nents agreed to a draw. It is im
portant that in the variation 13 . . .
i>xd8 14.hf7? ! f8+ Black re
gains the pawn, even ending up
with a lead in development.
.

7.c3
Or 7.0-0 0-0 8.e3 (8.c3
li:lxd5 9.hd5 f6 - see 7.c3) 8 . . .
li:lxd5 9 .hd5 b6 10 .hb6 axb6=
and in view of the inevitable move
e6, the prospects are absolutely
balanced, Pepic - Laveryd, Stock
holm 1994.
The move 7.h3 is generally
useful, since it restricts the mobil
ity of Black's light-squared bish
op, but on the other hand it can be
harmful, because White's king
side is weakened. For example, he
can have problems protecting the
f4-square. 7 . . . li:lxd5 8.hd5 f6 9.
e3 li:le7 10 .b3 li:lg6 Robatsch
- Reshevsky, Maribor 1967.
7.e3 li:lxd5 8.hd5 he3 9.
fxe3 0-0 10.0-0 li:le7= Black
plans to transfer his knight to g6
and improve his position in the
centre with c7-c6 and d6-d5, And.
Sokolov - Tkachiev, France 2 0 07.
7 .. .lt:lxd5 8 . .ixd5
It is inferior for White to opt

9. 0 - 0
9.h3 e6 10.he6 fxe6 = Black
has exchanged his opponent's ac
tive bishop and has a slight lead
in development. Black has also
opened the f-file, but has ended
up with doubled pawns on the e
file, A. Kogan - Eljanov, Helsingor
2008.
9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 (Here it
181

Chapter 15
would be inferior for White to
play 10.li:Jxd4 tt:lxd4 ll.cxd4 .tb4+
12 . .id2 .txd2+ 13.Wfxd2 Wlh4 ! t
and Black seizes the initiative,
thanks to the weakness of his op
ponent' s centre pawns.) 10 . . .
i.b6 ! ? 1 1 . 0-0 tt:lb4 12 . .tb3 .tg4 1 3 .
.te3 ttlc6 White has obtained a
beautiful pawn-centre, but Black
is exerting powerful pressure on
it.
9 . . . 1U6 1 0 . .ie3
After 10.b4 .tb6 ll.a4 aS 12 .b5
tt:le7 13 . .ia2 tt:lg6t Black is threat
ening a rather unpleasant pin and
his knight is headed for the excel
lent f4-outpost.
1 0 tt:le7 11 ..ib3
Or ll.ttld2 tt:lxd5 12 .exd5, Roy
Chowdhury - Grover, Le Touquet
2009, 12 . . . .tb6+ and Black has
very good prospects on the king. .

182

side, while White has no active

ideas anywhere.
ll . . . .ig4

Black is threatening to play

tt:lg6-h4 and White cannot avoid
being saddled with doubled f
pawns. Subsequently, White will
have to try to prove that his light
squared bishop is superior to
Black's knight.

Chapter 16

l.e4 e5 2 . f3 c6 3.i.c4 i.c5 4. 0 - 0

f6
Giuoco Piano

White's main move in the dia

gram position is 5.d3, which we
shall analyze in the next chapter,
while here we shall take a look at
some gambit possibilities.
5.d4
This gambit was often tried
during the 19th century, but then
Black found adequate ways of
countering it and it went out of
fashion. In 2 009, however, GM
Sergey Movsesian played it
against GM Michael Adams. His
victory again brought attention
towards this aggressive scheme
and many players decided to fol
low his example.
White has another gambit pos
sibility here - 5.b4 hb4 6.d4?!
(It is better to transpose to the Ev-

ans Gambit with 6.c3 .ia5 - see

Chapter 13) 6 . . . exd4 7.e5 (The
play is forced after 7.c3 dxc3 8.e5
dS 9 . .ib5 tt:le4 10.V9a4 0 -0 ! 11.
hc6 c2 12 .hd5 xdS 13.xb4
cxbl 14J'%xbl b6-+ and Black
should realize his extra pawn
without any problems, Bulgarini
Torres - Badolati, Email 2 0 05.)
7 ... d5 8.a3 (the absence of the b2pawn is important in the varia
tions 8.exf6 dxc4 9.fxg7 E:g8 10.
.igS .ie7+, or 8 .-ibS tt:le4 9 .tt:lxd4
.id7+) 8 . . . -icS 9 .exf6 dxc4 10.fxg7
E:g8+ and Black has excellent
chances of winning with his extra
central pawn.
5 . . .hd4 6.tt:lxd4 c!Llxd4

7.f4
183

Chapter 16
White exploits the somewhat
unstable position of Black's
knight on d4 and opens the f-file,
hoping that this, together with his
advantage of the two bishops, will
provide him with attacking pros
pects.
After 7.c3?! tLle6 8.f4 d6 9.fS
tLlcS 10.tLld2 c6+ White will have
problems protecting his e4-pawn,
Chelushkina - Abramovic, Obre
novac 2 00S.
After 7.i.e3 tLle6 8.tLlc3 d6 9.f3
0-0+ White's two bishops do not
fully compensate for the lost
pawn, since Black has no weak
nesses in his camp.
White can try to transpose
moves with 7.i.gS d6 8.f4 (8.
tLlc3 ? ! c6 9.f4 i.e6 10.i.xe6 tLlxe6
1 1.fxeS dxeS 12 . .b:f6 gxf6+ Black's extra pawn looks weak,
but White's e4-pawn also needs
protection.) 8 . . . i.g4

only captured several pawns but

also leads in development, Viel
wock - Stauss, Ueberlingen
2000.) 9 . . . .b:d1 10 .i.xd8 gxd8 11.
c3 (It is less accurate for White to
play u.gxd1 tLlxc2 12.tLlc3 tLlxa1
13.gxa1 exf4+ and Black has too
many pawns, Perez Garcia - Ar
eas, Lorca 2006.) ll . . . i.e2 12.cxd4
i.xc4 13.gc1 i.a6 14.gxc7 exd4 1S.
tLla3, Langheld - Profitlich, Email
2 009. Of course, Black could try
to realize his extra pawn, but
at the very least he can force a
draw by playing 1S . . . gd7 16.gc8 +
gd8 =
7 . . d6
After 7 . . . e7? 8.fxeS xeS 9.
i.f4 '?;YeS 10 . .b:f7+ 'it>xt7 ll.i.e3
White regains his piece and re
tains his lead in development and
pressure on the f-file.

9.i.xf6 (But not 9.d2? tLlxe4 !

Now if 10.i.xf7+ 'it>d7 11.hd8
tLlxd2 12 .tLlxd2 tLlxc2 13.gac1 tLld4
14.i.h4 tLle2+ 1S.'it>h1 tLlxc1 16.
gxc1 ghf8+, in addition to a rook,
Black wins a third pawn for two
minor pieces, while if 10 .e1
tLlxgS ll.fxgS 0-0-+ he has not

8.fxe5
There is no doubt that White
must continue very aggressively
in order to create play. Slow con
tinuations such as 8.tLlc3 ? ! .ie6+
or 8.c3 tLlc6 9.fS h6+ would enable
Black to consolidate his position
simply and effortlessly.

184

l.e4 e5 2. liJ.f3 liJ c6 3 . .ic4 1J.c5 4. 0 - 0 liJf6 5.d4 hd4

8 . . dxe5 9 . .ig5
It is less energetic for White to
continue with 9.c3? ! .ig4 10.1Mfa4+
(10 .'<MI'e1? liJc2-+) 10 . . . i.d7 11.'<MI'd1
liJe6+ Black completes his devel
opment without any problems
and will later begin to attack the
weak enemy e4-pawn.
.

9 . . . We7 !
This is Black's most ambitious
move (9 . . . '<MI'd6 leads only to equal
ity) with which he is trying to gain
an edge. Now his queen protects
the t7-pawn and this will allow
him to evacuate his king to the
queenside, preventing White
from regaining his pawn.
l O .liJd2
This is not the most popular
move for White here, but it is a re
liable one. He has opened the f
file and now completes his devel
opment.
10.'it>h1 i.e6 11.i.xe6 (11.liJa3?!
0 - 0 - 0 12 .c3 , Heyne - Feher, Iasi
2011, 12 . . . liJb5+ Black disrupts his
opponent's queenside pawn
structure; 11 . .id3 0-0-0 12 .'<MI'e1
h6 13 . .ixf6 gxf6+ - Black is ahead
in development, having preserved

the extra pawn, Steinitz - City

Liverpool, corr. 1893) 11 . . . 1Mfxe6
12.i.xf6 gxf6 13.c3 liJbS 14.WI'e2
liJd6 15.liJd2 l'=1g8 16.l'=1f3, Da Silva
Filho - Weber, corr. 1998. Here,
after the natural response 16 . . .
0-0-0+, Black retains a slight
edge. He has an extra pawn and
after the transfer of his knight to
the d6-square he will tie down the
opponent's forces to the protec
tion of the e4-pawn.
10.l'=1f2 - This move is a bit too
slow. 10 . . . Wfc5 11.i.xf6 gxf6 1 2.
'<MI'd3 (12.liJa3 liJ e6 13.'<MI'e1 liJf4 14.
'it>h1 i.g4+ Windhausen - Zitz
mann, Email 2006) 12 . . . b5 13 .
.idS c6 14.c3 liJe6 15.i.xe6 i.xe6+
Claridge - Lueddeckens, Email
2006.
10.liJc3 - White's knight is
misplaced on this square. 10 . . .
i.e6 11.i.xe6 fxe6 12.liJa4 0-0-0+
Black has completed his develop
ment and strengthened his
centre, Lipecki - Kern, Email
2010.
10.i.xf6 gxf6 11.'it>h1 (11.c3 liJe6
- see 10.c3 ; in response to 11.
liJc3, Black can continue with 1 1 . . .
i.e6, making use of the Circum
stance that his f6-pawn is protect
ed, unlike in the variation in
which his queen is on f6. After for
example: 12 .liJd5 i.xdS 13 .i.xd5
0-0-0+ Black has an extra pawn,
despite its being weak.) 11 . . . l'=1g8
12.c3 i.g4 13.'?tfa4+ i.d7 14.'?tfd1
liJe6+ - Black leads in develop
ment, Petsetidi - Markantonaki,
Ermioni 2 006.
10.c3
185

Chapter 16
was previously considered the
main line.

10 ... ltle6! (The game men

tioned at the beginning of the
chapter, Movsesian - Adams,
Wijk aan Zee 2 0 09, continued
here with 10 . . . .ie6 ll.ltla3 ltlc6
12.@h1gg and Black had failed to
evacuate his king away from the
centre, so White had excellent
compensation for the pawn.) 11 .
.ixf6 (or ll . .ixe6? .ixe6 12 .@h1
d7 13.e2 o-o-m= Black is will
ing to give back his extra pawn.
He leads in development and has
occupied the only open file, Zelcic
- G.Giorgadze, San Sebastian
1991.) ll . . . gxf6 12.ltla3 (in reply to
1 2 .ltld2, Lanzani - Arlandi, Ce
senatico 1986, it is good for Black
to play aggressively with 12 . . . h5
13.@h1 tt:lf4+) 12 . . . tt:lf4 13.@h1,
Stanila - Badiu, Sovata 2002,
13 . . .h5+ - This pawn move en
sures that his bishop can go g4
and is also ready to advance, forti
fying the position of Black's
knight and preying on his oppo
nent's nerves . . .
10.tt:la3 g8 ! - This fantastic
resource (a "mysterious rook
move", to use Nimzowitsch's ter
minology . . . ) enables Black to fight
for the advantage in this particu
lar variation of the gambit, which
186

11.e1 i.e6+
ll . .ixf6 gxf6 12.@h1 i.d7+
ll.@h1 a6 12.c3 tt:le6 13 . .ixf6
gxf6 14.e1 .id7 15.d1 0-0-0+
Bodnaruk - Kosteniuk, Moscow
2010. Black retains the extra
pawn in all cases, completes
development and obtains excel
lent play on the open g- and d
files.
11.d3 - This is clearly the
best move for White. ll . . . i.d7 1 2.
g3 (12.e3 tt:l e 6 13 . .ixf6 gxf6 14.
ad1 b6 15.tt:lb5 0-0-0+ Black's
attack on the g-file is very danger
ous, Stefanov - Janosi, Email
2 0 08) 12 . . . c5 13.@h1 0-0-0 14.
.ixfl gf8 15.i.xf6 (15 ..id5 c6 16.
.ixf6 xf6 17.xf6 gxf6 18 .i.b3
tt:lxb3 19.axb3 d4 2 0 . tt:lc4 i.e6t
Black maintains an enduring ini
tiative thanks to his control of the
only open file and the superiority
of his bishop over the enemy
knight, Tucci - Lounek, Email
2009) 15 . . . gxf6 16.i.h5 @b8 17.
ad1 b6 18.c3 ltle6+ - Black's
knight will go either to c5, exert
ing pressure against the weak en
emy e4-pawn, or to the f4-square,

l.e4 e5 2. t:tJj3 t:tJc6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4. 0 - 0 t:tJj6 5.d4 hd4

supporting the attack along the
g-file, Tamburro - Antonov,
Email 2010.

The diagram position was

reached in the game Just - Paet
zold, Email 2 0 07. By playing 15
ttJe6 16.'1Wxf6 '!Wxf6 17.gxf6 gds
18 .he6 he6 19.gf2 <!>e7=
Black has successfully solved the
problem of equalizing and can
now even fight for the advantage,
since his bishop is slightly more
active than White's knight.
..

10 ttJe6 ll . .ix6 gxf6 12.

'!Wf3 ttJf4
White will regain his pawn,
but he must weaken his kingside.
13.g3 ggs 14.<!>h1 .tg4 15.
'!Wf2
..

187

Chapter 17

l.e4 e5 2 . tt:\f3 tt:\ c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4. 0 - 0

tt:\f6 5.d3 0 - 0
Giuoco Piano

since he can counter this with 9 ...

he3 10.fxe3 hc4 ll.lLlxc4 b5 12.
lLlcd2 a5= and he exerts pressure
on the queenside, equalizing com
pletely.

White has several reasonable

moves in the diagrammed posi
tion. Some of them have already
been analyzed, for example: 6.
lLlc3 h6, has been dealt with in
Chapter 15, 6.i.b3 h6 ! ?, or 6. lLlbd2
d6 - in Chapter 14. The main line
with 6.c3 d5 is analyzed in Chap
ter 20 (via the move order 4.c3
tLlf6 5.d3 0-0 6. 0-0 d5) . All
White's other sensible moves will
be dealt with here: A) 6.i.g5, B)
6.h3 and C) 6.1!el.
For 6.i.e3 he3 7.fxe3 d6 8.
lLlc3 i.e6 - see Chapter 14; for 6.
a4 a6 ! ? 7.c3 d5 8.exd5 l2Jxd5 9.!'1e1
i.g4 - see Chapter 20. Black
should not be afraid of 6.a3 d6 7.
b4 i.b6 8.i.e3 i.e6 9.lLlbd2, M.
Petrov - Arnaudov, Albena 2011,
188

A) 6.i.g5
A15 usual, this pin is not dan
gerous for Black if he can go back
to the e7-square with his bishop.
6 . . . h6 7.i.h4
It is inferior for White to opt
for 7.hf6 xf6+ - after the trans
fer of the knight to g6, Black will
have excellent attacking pros
pects and White will have prob
lems neutralizing the activity of
his opponent's dark-squared
bishop.
7 . . . i.e7

l.e4 e5 2. li:Jj3 li:J c6 3. ic4 ic5 4. 0 - 0 li:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0

8.c3
In answer to 8.c3, the simplest
route to equality for Black is 8 . . .
tt:lhS 9.he7 W!xe7= and his knight
will go to the f4-square, providing
him with counter-play.
8 . .ig3 d6 9.c3 (Even after the
more accurate line : 9.h3 tt:laS 10.
ibS c6 ll.ia4 bS 12 .ib3 ltlxb3
13.axb3, Balsai - Koti, Hungary
2003, 13 . . . V!Jc7f2 Black is ready for
a fight on both sides of the board.)
9 ... tt:la5 10.tt:lbd2 ltlxc4 ll.tt:lxc4
tt:lhSt - Black will exchange his
opponent's remaining bishop and
advance f7-f5, if necessary, creat
ing attacking chances, Dorado
Martin - Gallach Perez, Email
2006.
8.i.b3 d6 9.h3 tt:laS 10.i.a4 cS
ll.ltlc3 i.e6 12.tt:lh2 a6+ Black will
inevitably gain the advantage of
the two bishops, while White will
be unable to exploit the weakness
of the dS-square, Torre - Tim
man, Moscow 1994.
8.d4 - Black is well prepared
for the opening of the central files.
8 . . . exd4 9 J'!e1, Roganovic - Acs,
Hungary 2010. After 9 ... d5 10.
i.xf6 .ixf6 ll.exdS tt:le7+ he opens
the position completely and his
two strong bishops give him the
better prospects.
8.ltlbd2 d6 9.a4 (Or 9.c3 tt:lhS"fZ
and after 9 .h3 aS 10 .c3, Izbinski
- Grabarczyk, Krynica 1997,
Black obtains a very good game
by exchanging the enemy bishop:
10 ... tt:lxc4 11.ltlxc4 i.e6 12.tt:le3 c6f2)
9 . . . tt:lh5f2 - The dark-squared
bishops are exchanged and

Black's knight is headed for the

f4-square, in addition, the pawn
advance f7-f5 figures in his future
plans. It is also important that
White cannot play lO.tt:lxeS? ltlxeS
ll.he7 V!Jxe7 12.Vfixh5 i.g4-+
since he loses his queen.
8 ... d6 9.h3 a5

1 0 . .tb5
10 .i.b3, Sermek - Gostisa,
Bled 2002, 10 . . . a6 1l.e1 bS"fZ
when Black has neutralized the
opponent's light-squared bishop
and made his position secure.
1 0 . . . c6 n . .ta4 b5 12 . .tb3
xb3 13.axb3, Goergens - Kle
schtschow, Germany 2 0 0 2 .

Black has several good moves

189

Chapter 17
here, but we recommend 13
ftc7 Black gives eS-pawn fur
ther support and is able to com
fortably develop his pieces close
to the centre. After completing his
development, he can start active
play on both sides of the board, as
well as in the centre.

B) 6.h3 d6

7.a4 h6 8.c3 a6 9.b4 i.a7 10.

@h1 (lO.bS? White is trying to in
crease his space advantage on the
queenside, but he loses a pawn:
lO . . . axbS 11.axbS hf2 + 12.1!xf2
1!xa1 13.i.b2 E:xbl+) 10 . . . ll:\e7 11.
ll:\bd2 ll:\g6 12 .i.b3 i.e6 - White
has maintained his space advan
tage on the queenside, but has not
achieved anything real, while
Black is well prepared for an of
fensive on the kingside, Zubarev
- Stefansson, Las Vegas 1999.
7 .te6
This is Black's simplest route
to equality, although he has a
good alternative here in 7 . . . ll:\aS ! ?

7.c3
7.i.gS h6 8.i.h4 (8 . .txf6 Wxf6+)
8 . . . gS 9 . .ig3 (White's position be
comes very difficult after the dan
gerous move 9.ll:\xgS? hxgS 10.
i.xgS, Fedorov - Khruschiov, St.
Petersburg 2001. Black must re
act accurately, though . . . After
10 . . . @h7! White loses after 1l.ll:\c3
1!g8 12 .h4 i.g4 13 .ftc1 ftd7 14.i.xf6
i.f3- + and Black forces mate, but
even with the more precise line
11.h4 1!g8 12 .i.xt7 1!g7 13.i.c4
Wf8+ White is helpless against his
opponent's coming attack.) 9 . . .
ll:\hS 10.i.h2 ll:\f4 Black's king is
exposed, but White is unable to
exploit this because Black's pieces
are very active.
190

8 . .b:e6
For 8 .ll:\bd2 aS - see Chapter
19.
After S .igS? ! i.xc4 9.dxc4 h6+
White will have to play ixf6, after
which Black's dark-squared bish
op will remain without an oppo
nent, enabling him to dominate
the dark squares. White loses af
ter 10.ih4? gS ll.ll:\xgS hxgS 12 .
.ixgS aS ! 13. @h2 fte7 14.f4 exf4
1S.E:xf4 WeS-+ His attack has
reached a dead end, he is a piece

l.e4 eS 2. EDj3 EDc6 3. i.c4 i.cS 4. 0 - 0 EDJ6 5.d3 0 - 0

down and his queenside i s unde
veloped.
After 8 . .ib3 a5 9 . .ic2 , Black
obtains an excellent position with
the move 9 . . . d5=
8 . . .fxe6

9.eb3
Black should not be afraid of
9.b4 .ib6 10.EDbd2 a6 ll.EDc4
.ia7= White has no active possi
bilities with which to create prob
lems for his opponent.
White should avoid 9.d4 i.b6
10.dxe5 EDxe5 11.EDxe5 dxe5 12.'1Wxd8
axd8 13.EDd2 d3+, when he has
isolated Black's doubled pawns
on the e-file, but has failed to
complete his development, so his
e4- and f2- pawns are vulnerable.
9 ti'c8 l O .EDg5 ges ll . .ie3
.ixe3 12.fxe3 h6 13.EDf3 b6=
Both sides have problems finding
any active ideas in this position,
Hemmer - Gach, corr. 1994.

fxe6 =, 7.EDc3 .ie6 8.i.xe6 fxe6= ,

o r 7.i.e3 i.xe3 8.fxe3 11:Je7= and in
all cases the alteration to the pawn
structure is in Black's favour.
7.i.g5 h6 8 ..ih4 (8.i.xf6?!
exf6+) 8 . . .g5 9.i.g3 (If 9.EDxg5?
hxg5 10 . .txgs mh7! 11.ef3 mg6 1 2.
.ih4 g8+ Black easily parries his
opponent's hasty attack.) 9 ... EDa5?
Black weakens his castled posi
tion but gains the advantage of
the two bishops, which provides
him with sufficient counterplay.
7 a6! ?
Black has a n apparently good
alternative in 7 . . . .ie6 ! ? 8.he6
fxe6 9.b4 .ib6 10.11:Jbd2 (10.EDg5?
De Beer - Roelfse, Tromsoe 2 009,
10 ... hf2 + n.mxf2 EDxe4-+) 10 . . .
a 6 ll.EDc4 .ia7=

..

C) 6.gel d6
(diagram)
7.c3
White does not achieve much
in the variations 7.h3 .ie6 8.i.xe6
191

Chapter 17
8 . .ib3
This accurate move is the most
popular for White at this point.
8.b4 - This pawn-advance is
pointless, since Black was pre
pared to retreat his bishop to a7 in
any case. Now, unlike in the vari
ation with 7 . . . .ie6, the bishop can
go to a7 in one move: 8 . . . .ia7 9 .
.igS h6 10 . .ih4 gS 11 . .ig3 (After
11.lt:lxg5? hxgS 12 . .ixg5 .ig4 13.
'Wd2 'it>h7+ - Black leads in devel
opment and is ready to use his ex
tra piece in the attack) 11 . . . lt>g7
8.lt:lbd2 - This is a harmless
move, which fails to create any
problems for Black: 8 . . . .ie6 9.a4
.ia7 10 . .ib3 h6 11.lt:lc4 bS 12.lt:le3,
Fries Nielsen - Brinck Claussen,
Tarnby 1983 and with 12 . . . 'Wd7=,
Black connects his rooks and is
ready to deploy them in the cen
tre.
8 . .ig5 h6 9 . .ih4 gS 10.lt:lxg5 ! ?
(In the only game with this line,
White played 10 . .ig3, Rodriguez
Vila - Sarin, Buenos Aires 2010,
but after 10 ... .ia7 11.lt:lbd2 g4
1 2 .lt:lh4 lt:lh5 Black had an excel
lent position.) 10 . . . hxg5 11 . .ixgsgg

White has some compensation

for the piece, but not enough. 11 . . .
192

.ig4 12 .'Wd2 'it>h7 13 .d4 .ia7 14.\t>h1

(White loses after the apparently
attractive line 14.f4 exd4 15.'it>h1
lt>g7 16.'Wf2 l'l:h8 17.'Wg3 'Wd7- + ,
o r 16.e5 lt:lhS 17 . .ixd8 lt:lg3 ! - +)
14 . . . l'l:g8 15.f4 l'l:xgS 16.fxg5 lt:lhS
17.l'l:fl lt>g7 18.l'l:xf7+ lt>g6 19.'Wd3
'WxgSt The position is completely
unbalanced and neither king is
safe. In fact, Black's monarch is
completely exposed. On the other
hand, he can activate his queen
side pieces much more easily and
this factor enables him to face the
future with optimism.
8 . .ie6
. .

9.bd2
9 . .ic2 - White retreats his
bishop from its active position
and this provides Black with the
opportunity to fight for the centre
with 9 . . . d5 10.'We2 l'l:e8 11.h3 h6
Ganguly - Fressinet, Dresden
2008.
9.h3 .ixb3 10.axb3 (in re
sponse to 10.'Wxb3, Kaidanov A.Ivanov, USA 1994, it looks at
tractive for Black to centralize his
pieces in standard fashion with
10 . . . 'Wd7 11.lt:lbd2 l'l:fe8 12.lt:lfl

l.e4 e5 2. 0f3 ti:J c6 3. c4 c5 4. 0 - 0 ti:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0

h6=) 1 0 . . .d 5 11.e2 h 6 12.ti:lbd2
!'1e8 = Black's forces are ideally
placed and he has no problems
whatsoever, Boskovic - Sargis
sian, Rijeka 2010.
After 9 .g5 h6 10 .h4, Van
der Wiel - Huebner, Wijk aan Zee
1986, Black can evade the rather
unpleasant pin by playing 10 . . .
a7 ll.ti:lbd2 e7! 12 .h3 hb3 13.
xb3 !'1ab8 14.a4 e6=
9 . . . h:b3 1 0 .ti:!xb3
After 10.axb3 aS= , Black se
cures the wonderful cS-square for
his bishop and from there it is ac
tive on both sides of the board.
White does not achieve much
with 10.xb3, Kudrin - Brooks,
Chicago 1988. Black should coun
ter this with 10 . . . d7 ll.ti:lf1 h6
12 ..ie3 .b:e3 13.ti:lxe3 b6= and
continue with !'1fe8, preventing

d3-d4, and then put his knight on

g6.
1 0 . . . .ia7 ll . .lg5 h6 12 . .lh4
ges ! 13.tt:!bd2 ge6 =

This rook manoeuvre has ena

bled Black to neutralize the pin.
He equalizes completely with the
subsequent transfer of his knight
to the g6-square. Huebner Smyslov, Velden 1983.

193

Chapter 18

l.e4 e5 2 . f3 c6 3 .i.c4 i.c5 4.c3

Giuoco Piano

This is the main line for White

in the Giuoco Piano.
4 . f6 5.d4
This ancient move was played
more than four hundred years ago
and was analyzed in the manu
scripts of the Italian masters
Greco and Polerio.
The contemporary treatment
of the Italian Game for White is
based on the move 5.d3 and we
shall analyze this in the following
chapters.
It is rather dubious for White
to play 5.0-0?! li:)xe4
(diagram)
6.b4? dS 7 . .ib3 .ixf2 + ! 8.l'!xf2
li:)xf2 9. 1!ixf2 e4-+ - White's
king is completely exposed and
his pieces are isolated on the
. .

194

queenside, Karker - Bang, corr.

1971.
White can regain his pawn
with 6 . .id5 li:)f6 7 . .ixc6 dxc6 8 .
li:)xeS 0-0 9.d4 .ie7 1Q.li:)d2 cS+,
but in return Black obtains the
advantage of the two bishops and
opens files in the centre, Em.
Lasker - Walker, New York 1894.
Interesting complications arise
after 6.d4 dS 7.li:)xe5 li:)xe5 8 . .ib3.
In the game Kupreichik - V.
Smirnov, Minsk 1976, Black con
tinued with 8 . . . .ib6 9.dxe5 h4
10 .e1 .ie6 ll . .ie3 0-0= and
equalized, but he could have re
tained an edge with the more en
ergetic line: 8 . . . 0-0 9.f3 li:)f6 10.
dxcS .ifS+ ; White's cS-pawn needs
protection, while Black's minor
pieces will soon attack the weak
d3-square in White's camp.

l . e4 e5 2. lt:Jj3

5.e2 - White's queen often

stands worse on this square than
on dl. 5 . . . d6

6.h3 0-0 7.d3 e6 8.b3, Poz

gaj - Plenca, Sibenik 2010. Black
has completed his development
and can begin active play on the
queenside with the move 8 . . . a5=
6.b4 - White cannot benefit
from the extra space on the
queenside when his queen is on
e2 : 6 . . . b6 7. 0-0 (7.h3? ! 0-0
8.0-0 ltJe7 9.d3 ltJg6 10 .e3 c6
ll.ltJbd2 ltJh5t Black's knight
comes to the f4-square with tem
po and he obtains good attacking
chances, Coudari - Lantos, Mon
treal 1966; after 7.a4 aS 8.b5 ltJe7
9.d4, Black can gain a slight edge
with the temporary pawn sacrifice
- 9 . . . exd4 10.cxd4 d5 ll.exd5
o-m= - he is ahead in develop
ment and will inevitably regain
the d5-pawn. Later he will exert
pressure against his opponent's
d4-pawn.) 7 . . . 0-0 8.d3 ltJe7 9.a4
c6 10.a5 c7 11.g5, Martucci Zielinski, Email 2006, and here,
with the most natural move 11 . . .
ltJg6?, Black obtains excellent
counterplay based on possible oc
cupation of the f4-square and

lt:J c6 3. c4 c5 4.c3 ltJf6

preparation of the d6-d5 break.

6.d3 a6 7.ltJbd2 (7.b3 e7=
Black should be in no hurry to
castle before his opponent; other
wise, he must reckon with the
possible g5-pin; it is premature
for White to play 7 . .ig5 ? ! h6 8.
h4 g5 9.g3 a7 10.ltJbd2 e7
ll.a4 .id7 12 .b4 ltJh5+, since Black
ends up with the advantage of the
two bishops.) 7 . . . 0-0 8.ltJfl (after
8.b3 a7 9.h3 .ie6 10 .c2 h6=
Black completes his development
and equalizes easily, Zepeda - Pi
arnpuu, Turin 2 006) 8 . . . h6 9.h3
.ie6 10.b3, Paleologu - Schoen,
Cappelle la Grande 2006, and
now it is possible for Black to con
tinue with 10 . . . d5= , followed by
d7, l%ad8, l%fe8.
6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 a6 8 . .ig5 (It is
slightly preferable for White to
opt for 8.1%d1 .ia7 9.b3 ltJe7! ?
10.d4 ltJg6 = , but even then, owing
to the weakness of his f2-pawn, he
is unable to exploit the "X-ray" of
the enemy queen by his rook,
Feygin - Fleck, Essen 2002.) 8 . . .
h 6 9 .ih4 a7. This i s a n impor
tant move. Now Black's bishop
need not fear either d3-d4 or b2b4. A possible continuation is
10 . .ib3 (After 10.ltJbd2 ltJ a5=,
Black exchanges his opponent's
most dangerous piece.) 10 . . . g5
ll . .ig3 (Black should not be afraid
of ll.ltJxg5 hxg5 12 .hg5 @g7 13.
@h1 l%h8+ since White is not well
enough-developed to venture
such aggressive play.) ll . . . ltJh5t
Black's king is exposed but White
cannot exploit this, because
.

195

Chapter 18
Black's forces dominate the king
side.
S.b4 ! ? .ie7! ? Black wants to
advance d7-dS in one move. The
move S . . . .ib6, with the same pur
pose, is less appropriate because
Black needs to be able to control
the gS-square.

For 6.d3 0-0 - see Chapter 19;

for 6 .'\1tfb3 0-0 7.d3 aS! - see
Chapter 19.
6.e2 0-0 7.0-0 (White can
not win a pawn for free, because if
7.bS lLlaS S.lLlxeS lt:lxc4, after 9.
xc4 a6 10.bxa6 :gxa6+, or 9 .
lt:lxc4 lt:lxe4+, Black's lead i n de
velopment is overwhelming.) 7 . . .
a 6 8.d3 (8.:ge1? ! dS ! 9.exdS lLlxdS
and here it is very dangerous for
White to play 10.lLlxeS because of
10 . . . lLlf4 11.f3 lLlxeS 12 .:gxeS .id6
13.:ge1 h4 and White's unde
veloped queenside pieces are un
able to assist in the protection of
his king, while if lO . .ixdS xdS
11.lLlxeS, Reed - Eldridge, Email
2011, Black can play 11 . . . lLlxeS 12.
xeS xeS 13.:gxeS .id6 14.:ge1 aS
1S.bxaS :gxasgg and he obtains ex
cellent compensation for the
pawn with his two powerful bish
ops and superior development.)
196

S ... dS 9.exdS lLlxdS= - Black has a

wonderful position, since White
cannot win a pawn with 10.lLlxeS
lLlxeS 11. xeS, because with 11 . . .
lt:lxb4t Black regains i t immedi
ately, retaining a lead in develop
ment.
6.d4 exd4 7.eS (In answer to
7.bS, Black's most precise re
sponse seems to be 7 . . . dS ! Now, in
the variation S.exdS lLlaS 9 . .ie2
0-0 10.cxd4 a6 11.bxa6 b6+ Black
easily regains both his sacrificed
pawns and maintains a stable ad
vantage, thanks to his better pawn
structure, while if S.hdS lLlaS 9 .
a4 lLlxdS lO.exdS b6 11.xd4
0-0 12.0-0 .ib7gg his lead in de
velopment provides him with ex
cellent compensation for the
pawn.) 7 . . . lt:le4 S.bS lLlaS 9 . .id3
lt:lxc3 10.lilxc3 dxc3

11.0-0 (In response to 11.c2,

Black's most convincing response
appears to be 11 . . . dS 12.exd6 cxd6
13.0-0 .if6 14.:ge1+ .ie6+ and
White is unable to trap the enemy
king in the centre, while if 11.a4
it is good for Black to play simply
11 . . . c6 12 .g4 0-0 13.i.h6 g6 14.
hf8 hf8+ and his two pawns for
the exchange, supported by his

l.e4 e5 2. l:iJj3 l:iJ c6 3. c4 c5 4.c3 l:iJf6 5.d4 ed

powerful bishops, make his position preferable.) ll . . . dS 12.1!9c2
(12 .exd6 cxd6+) 12 ... c5 13.bxc6
l:iJxc6 14.%!ixc3 o-m= White has
seized space on the kingside, but
his compensation for the pawn is
insufficient, because Black has no
problems with the comfortable
development of his pieces, Everts
son - Eriksson, Ronneby 1998.
5 . . . exd4

In the diagram position White

generally chooses either A) 6.e5
or B) 6.cxd4.
It is premature to play 6.i.g5
h6 7.hf6 (After 7.h4 gS 8.i.g3
l:iJxe4 9 . 0-0 dS lO .bS, Biela Murawski, Sielpa 2004, Black can
continue with 10 . . . 0-0 ll.cxd4
b6+, holding on to the extra
pawn while remaining with very
active pieces.) 7 . . .%!ixf6 8.e5, Uru
sov - Petrov, St. Petersburg 1853.
Here the active move 8 ... %!if4+
presents White with difficult
problems. His c3-pawn is hanging
and capturing on d4 would sim
plify the position in Black's fa
vour.

6.b4 i.b6

After 7.b5 dS ! 8.exd5 %!le7+

9.\!;>fl l:iJaS 10.a3 cS ll.hcS
%!!xeS 12 .d3 %!ixd5 13.cxd4 0-0+
Black leads in development and
exerts pressure against the weak
d4-pawn.
In answer to 7.e5 it seems very
good to play 7 . . . d5 ! ? 8.exf6 dxc4
9.fxg7 %!fe7+ 10.\!;>fl l'!g8 11 .b5 l:iJd8
12.l:iJxd4 f6+; White loses his g7pawn and Black's king, unlike
White's monarch, has a safe ref
uge on the queenside.
6.0-0?! This pawn-sacrifice is
not justified. 6 . . . l:iJxe4

7.l'!e1 dS 8.i.g5 f6 9.cxd4 e7

10.h4 dxc4 ll.l'!xe4 fS 12.l'!e1
0-0+ - Black has won a pawn and
gained the advantage of the two
bishops.

197

Chapter 18
7.d5 ttJf6 8J'!e1+ e7 9.ttJxd4
ttJxd4 10.\Wxd4 0-0+ - Black has
a solid extra pawn, Enrique - Ma
tras, Rio de Janeiro 2001.
In the variation 7.e2 dS 8.
cxd4 ttJxd4 9.ttJxd4 hd4 10.ttJc3
hc3 11.bxc3 e6+ Black already
has two extra pawns but he should
not forget to evacuate his king
from the centre, Keres - Raud,
Tallinn 1935.
After 7.b4 b6 8.b5 ttJe7
9.cxd4 dS 10.b3 g4+ Black has
the initiative as well as an extra
pawn, Anderssen - Riemann,
Breslau 1876.
7.cxd4 - This is the best move
for White, but it is still inade
quate. 7 . . . d5 8.dxc5 (After 8.b5
d6 9.ttJe5 0-0 10.ttJxc6 bxc6 11.
hc6 hh2 + 12.\!?xh2 \Wd6+ 13.g3
\Wxc6-+ Black has won a pawn
and weakened the light squares
on his opponent's kingside, Sun
day - Korneev, Velden 1993) 8 . . .
dxc4

9.e1?! \We7 10.ttJc3, Pashiki

an - Sargissian, Yerevan 2003,
and here Black can continue with
lO . . . fS+, comfortably developing
his pieces and keeping the extra
pawn.
198

9.\Wxd8+ l!?xd8 10J'!d1+ (10.

ttJgS ttJxgS 11.xg5+ f6 12J'!d1 +
d7 13.f4 ttJb4 14.ttJc3 ttJd3+ The presence of bishops of oppo
site colours on the board provides
White with good chances of sav
ing the game, V.Okhotnik - An.
Kovacs, Eger 1990 ; 10.e3 e6
11.ttJd4 ttJxd4 12 .hd4 l!?d7 13J'!e1
ttJf6 14.ttJa3 \!?c6+ - White is likely
to regain his pawn, but Black has
a stable advantage in this end
game thanks to his more active
king, Engelbert - Neffe, Germany
1994) 10 . . . d7 11.tLlg5 (11.e3
l!?c8+) 11 . . . ttJxg5 12 .hg5+ l!?c8 13.
ttJa3 e6+. Black's king is closer to
the centre than White's and the
pawn on cS is a target, rather than
a fighting unit which cramps the
opponent, Ninov - Marholev, La
Fere 2008.
9 .\We2 \Wd3 10J'!e1 fS 11.ttJc3
(11.ttJbd2 0-0 12.tLlxe4 fxe4 - see
11.tLlc3; it is no improvement for
White to play 12.ttJxc4 ttJxcS+ with
unavoidable simplification into
an endgame with an extra pawn
for Black, or 12.xd3 cxd3 13.
ltlxe4 fxe4 14.l'!xe4 fS+ and his
far-advanced passed pawn on d3
provides Black with slightly the
better prospects.) 11 . . . 0-0 12.
ttJxe4 (after 12 .\Wxd3 cxd3 13.ttJd5,
Borm - Oei, Hilversum 1984,
White will inevitably regain his
pawn, but Black can continue
with 13 . . . b6! 14.ttJxc7 l'!b8 15.cxb6
l'!xb6't and he completes his de
velopment, retaining the initia
tive thanks to his powerful passed
pawn in the centre.) 12 . . . fxe4 13.

l.e4 e5 2. 0J3 lt:l c6 3. c4 c5 4.c3 lt:Jf6 5.d4 ed

xe4 .if5 14.h4 (14.xd3 cxd3+)
14 .. J'!ae8+ Black has the better
development, T.L.Petrosian Grischuk, Internet 2004.

A) 6.e5
White seizes space.
6 d5
..

7.b5
White is fighting aggressively
for the dark squares in the centre.
It is less active for him to play
7 . .ib3 lt:Je4 8.cxd4 .ib4+ 9 . .id2
(after 9.lt:Jbd2 .ig4+ White cannot
shake off the rather unpleasant
pins without making positional
concessions) 9 . . . lt:Jxd2 10.lt:lbxd2
.ig4 ! (Black must play aggres
sively, because after the indiffer
ent reply 10 . . . 0-0 ll.h3 White
maintains his space advantage for
free.) ll.a4 hf3 ! N 12.xf3
.ixd2 + 13 . ..t>xd2 h4 14 . .ixc6+
bxc6 15.e3 cS ! 16.dxc5 (The end
game is equal after 16.g3 cxd4
17.gxh4 dxe3+ 18.fxe3 0-0-0=)
16 . . J'!b8 17.b3 o-ogg White's king
is stuck in the centre and this pro
vides Black with excellent attack
ing chances.

7 . .ie2 - This move is much

better than its reputation. 7 . . . lt:Je4
(It is less reliable for Black to play
7 . . . d3 8 .exf6 dxe2 9 .xe2 + @f8
10 . .ig5 gxf6 ll . .ih6+ @g8 12.0-0
.if8 13.d2gg, because his rook is
stuck in the corner and his pawn
structure is in ruins. White can
look to the future with optimism.)
8.cxd4 .ib6 9 . 0-0 (after 9.lt:lc3
0-0 10 . .ie3, Schlechter - Reti,
Baden 1914, Black can eliminate
White's eS-pawn which is cramp
ing his position with 10 .. .f6 11.
exf6 lt:Jxf6 =) 9 ... 0-0 10.lt:lc3 .ie6
11.e3 f6 1 2 .exf6 (after 12.b3
lt:Jxc3 13.bxc3 fxeS 14.dxe5, in the
game M .Socko - Pogonina, Plov
div 2010, Black obtained a very
good position by playing 14 . . . .ixe3
15.fxe3 lt:JaS 16.a3 b6= , but it
would have been even stronger
for him to keep the f-file open
with 14 . . . e7+) 12 . . . xf6 13 . .id3
lt:lxc3 14.bxc3 .ig4 15 . .ie2 l'!ae8=
Rebeggiani - G.Gonzales, Email
2000.
7 . . e4 8.cxd4
8.lt:Jxd4? ! 0-0 9 . .ixc6 (9.
lt:Jxc6? bxc6 10 . .ixc6 .ixf2 + n . ..t>fl
.ia6-+) 9 . . . bxc6 10.0-0 f6+ White
considerably lags in development
and must play very accurately to
avoid losing quickly, Ayyad Aleksandrov, Abu Dhabi 2009.
8 . .ixc6 bxc6 9.cxd4 .ie7t Black
cannot be prevented from playing
c6-c5, getting rid of his weak
pawn and maintaining powerful
pressure with his two bishops and
powerfully centralized knight.
8 . . . .ib6
.

199

Chapter 18

9.c3
White should avoid 9.a4 aS
10 .hc6+ bxc6 11.i.e3, V.Svesh
nikov - Samolins, Riga 2006 (in
response to 11.c2 , Pekin - H.
Yildiz, Izmir 2002, it is good for
Black to play 11 . . . c5+, getting rid
of his weak pawn and activating
his bishop), since after 11 . . . i.a6+
he can keep the enemy king
stranded in the centre.
After 9 .c2 Black can prevent
his pawns being doubled on the c
file by playing 9 . . . i.d7 10 .hc6
i.xc6 11. 0-0 (11.lLlc3 0-0 12 . .ie3
fS 13.0-0 f4 14.i.c1 d7? Black's
bishops are not very active yet,
but he has seized space on the
kingside and White will have
problems coping with the power
ful enemy knight on e4, Szewczyk
- Borawski, Lazy 2010) 11 . . . 0-0
12 ..ie3 i.d7 13.a4 c6? Bestian Liss, Haifa 1989.
9.i.xc6+ bxc6 10.0-0 (10.lLlc3
i.g4 - see 9.lLlc3 ; 10.i.e3 0-0 see 9 . .ie3 ; it is too passive for
White to opt for 10.lLlbd2? ! cS+; in
the variation 10.Ytfc2 cS 11.dxc5
i.xcS 12.0-0 0-0? Black gets rid
of his weak pawn on c6 and ob200

tains good counterplay, thanks to

his powerful knight and the ad
vantage of the bishop pair.) 10 . . .
c S 11.i.e3 (In the variation 1 1 .
dxc5 lLlxc5 12.lLlc3 c 6 13.b4 lLle6?
White has difficulty in attacking
his opponent's weak c6-pawn ef
fectively, while Black's knight is
well placed on e6, from where it
controls the important gS- and
d4- squares, and his dS-pawn
might become a dangerous passed
pawn later.) 1l...cxd4 1 2 .lLlxd4 cS
13.lLlb5 0-0+ - Black has solved
all his problems and thanks to his
mobile central pawns and the
powerful
unopposed
light
squared bishop, Black's position
is preferable.
9.i.e3 0-0

For 10.lLlc3 i.g4 - see 9.lLlc3 ;

10.0-0 .ig4 - see 9.0-0.
10.hc6 bxc6 11.c2 (11.0-0
c5 - see 9.0-0; 11.lLlbd2? ! - after
this move Black is able to shed his
weak c6-pawn. 11 . . . c5+ Doghri G.Giorgadze, Manila 1992) 11 . . .
.ia6 12 .xc6 l!b8 13.Vtfa4 csgg Black has completed his develop
ment and has more than enough
compensation for the pawn, be
cause White's king is stranded in

J.e4 e5 2. (jjj3 (jj c6 3. !i.. c4 !i.. c5 4.c3 l:jjf6 5.d4 ed

the centre, Makovsky - Szalai,
Email 2001.
10.\!;Yc2 .td7 ll.i.xc6 (it is pref
erable for White to play 11.(jj c3
.tf5 - see 9.(jj c 3) ll . . . .txc6 12.
(jj b d2 \!;Yd7t Black has no weak
nesses in his position and he can
gradually activate his bishops,
Hjertenes - Abrantes, corr. 1988.
9.0-0 0-0

For 1Q.{jj c3 i.g4 - see 9.(jj c3.

After 10Je1 i.g4 ll.i.xc6 bxc6
12.(jj b d2, Petrova - Vlckova,
Czech Republic 2008, Black can
play 12 . . . (jj g 5+ and he either wins
the d4-pawn or breaches White's
castled position.
10.\!;Ya4 !i..g4 ll.i.xc6 bxc6 12.
(jj b d2 (jj x d2 13.(jj x d2 f6+ - Black's
bishops are active and White's
d4-pawn is weak, Bock - Van den
Doel, Germany 2004.
10.i.xc6 bxc6 11 .\!;Yc2 (in an
swer to 11.(jj c 3, or ll.i.e3, Black
obtains a good position with the
standard reply ll . . . c5?) ll . . . c5
12.dxc5, Okorn - Sedonja, Posto
jna 2008, his knight will be no
less active and secure on e6 than
on e4, so with 12 . . . (jj xcS+ he can
transfer it to this great square,
gaining an edge.

10 .i.e3 i.g4 ll.i.e2 f6 12.exf6

\!;Yxf6 13.(jj c3 !1ad8= - Black has
completed the development of his
forces and has no problems at all,
Paoli - Bernstein, Amsterdam
1954.
9.h3 i.d7! ? 10.i.a4 (White pre
sents his opponent with impor
tant tempi with 10 .i.d3?! (jj b 4 ! 11.
i.e2 c5 12 .i.e3 cxd4 13.(jj xd4 (jj c 6
14. 0-0 (jj x e5 15.\!;Yb3 (jj c4 16.i.xc4
dxc4 17.\!;Yxc4 0-0+ - Black has
completed his development and
his pieces will become extremely
active in this position with an
open centre, Vachier Lagrave Eljanov, Wijk aan Zee 20 07) 10 . . .
f6 !

After 11.(jj c3 0-0 12.0-0 fxe5

13.dxe5 i.e6? White needs to play
accurately, because after the in
different line: 14.i.e3 i.xe3 15.
fxe3 (jj g5 16.i.xc6 bxc6 17.{jj d4
Black can respond aggressively
with 17 . . . {jj xh3 + ! 18 .gxh3 \!;Yg5+
19.h2 (19.h1? .txh3-+) 19 . . .
\!;Yxe5+ 20.g2 !1xf1 2 1.\!;Yxf1 !1f8
22 .\!;Ye1 i.xh3+ ! 23.xh3 :1'1{6 24.
(jj c e2 !1h6+ 25.g2 !1h2 + 26.g1
\!;Yh5+ White loses either a rook, or
queen for rook, and in both cases
Black's connected passed pawns
201

Chapter 18
on the kingside provide him with
the better prospects. It might ap
pear more precise for White to
play 14.i.b3 but then Black again
has a tactical resource at his dis
posal : 14 . . . lt:Jxf2 ! 15Jlxf2 lt:JxeS 16.
i.xdS i.xdS 17.xd5+ xdS 18.
lt:JxdS i.xf2 + 19.1!lxf2 l:!f7 2 0.1!le2
lt:Jxf3 21.gxf3 l:!af8 2 2 .f4 l:!e8+ 23.
l!lf3 !!d7 24.lt:Je3 l:!d3 = and this al
most forced variation leads to an
endgame in which Black's pieces
are much more active, but he will
still find it difficult to breach
White's defences.
After 11.0-0 0-0 12 .i.b3 i.e6
13.lt:Jc3, Januszewski - Zielinski,
Ostroda 2 009, it would be sensi
ble for Black to remove his king
from the dangerous diagonal and
after 13 . . . \!?h8 14.exf6 xf6
15.lt:Jxd5 i.xdS 16.i.xd5 lt:Jxf2 17.
l:!xf2 lt:Jxd4 18.\!?h1 lt:Jf5 his com
pensation for the piece should be
sufficient for a draw, for example:
19.i.g5 (White loses after 19.l:!fl?
lt:Jg3+ 20.I!lh2 d6-+ ; in the vari
ation 19.i.xb7 lt:Jg3+ 20.I!lh2 !!ad8
21 .l:!d2 f4= White cannot avoid
the perpetual check) 19 . . . d6
2 0 .i.xb7 !:labS 21.xd6 cxd6 2 2 .
l:! d 2 l:!xb7= White will find i t dif
ficult to prove that the isolated
d6-pawn is weak, because Black's
piece-activity provides compen
sation.
9. . . 0 - 0
(diagram)
1 0 .i.e3
After 10.i.xc6 bxc6 11.i.e3 (11.
c2? ! - this just loses time - 11 . . .
i.f5 12 .e2 cS+ Leks - K. Pelletier,
202

Chalkidiki 2003; White fails to

create any problems for his oppo
nent with 11.0-0 cS+! and Black
has excellent counterplay, since
his dark-squared bishops comes
to life.) and Black now has the
pleasant choice between the quiet
move 11 . . . i.g4 - see 10.i.e3 - and
the somewhat risky line: 11 . . .
lt:Jxc3 ! ? 12 .bxc3 i.a6oo. White's
king is stranded in the centre, but
Black's dark-squared bishop is
very passive here.
10 .h3 - White prevents his f3knight from being pinned, but
loses an important tempo. 10 .. .f6
11.0-0 (11.i.xc6? ! bxc6 12 .i.e3
lt:Jxc3 13.bxc3 i.a6t - White's king
is stuck in the centre and this pro
vides Black with excellent attack
ing chances, Alzate Londono Vittorino, Neiva 20 05) 11.. .fxe5
12.lt:Jxe4 (12.dxe5 i.e6 13.i.e3 d4
14.lt:Jxe4 dxe3+ Black's bishops
are extremely active, Horbach P.Schneider, Email 2 003) 12 . . .
dxe4 13.lt:Jg5 exd4 14.b3+ l!lh8
15.i.xc6 bxc6 16.lt:Jf7+ l:!xf7 17.
V9xf7 i.a6 18.l:!e1 i.d3+ Black's
powerful pawn-mass in the centre
more than compensates for the

l.e4 e5 2. 1:D.f.3 I:D c6 3. 1lc4 i.c5 4.c3 I:Df6 5.d4 ed

sacrificed exchange, Nozdrachev
- Granovski, Obninsk 2009.
10.0-0 i.g4

izing the activity of his opponent's

Dadello,
pieces,
Sweety
Chalkidiki 2 0 07.
1 0 .ig4

After 11.h3 hf3 12.gxf3 I:Dg5

13.hc6 bxc6 14.g2 I:De6+
White's d4-pawn is weak and his
king is not well protected, so
Black's position is preferable,
Lyubimtsev - Ant. Petrov, St. Pe
tersburg 2 000.
In reply to 11.1:De2 , Biro Veroci, Hungary 1995, it looks
very attractive for Black to try 11 . . .
hf3 12.gxf3 I:Dg5 13.g2 I:D e 6 14.
hc6 bxc6t followed by c6-c5.
After 11.1:Da4 f6t Black can
bring his rook into play, respond
ing to 12 .1:Dxb6, Al Rufei - Ciuk
syte, Elista 1998, with the natural
move 12 . . . axb6+
11.hc6 bxc6 12 .h3 (12.i.e3
I:Dxc3 13.bxc3 f6+ White has prob
lems with his kingside; 12 .d3
i.f5 13.e3 c5+ - His weak d4pawn is exchanged, but his e5pawn is weak and Black's dark
squared bishop is becoming very
active, Pallardo Lozoya - Amin,
Oropesa del Mar 2000) 12 . . . .bf3
13 .xf3 hd4 14.1:Dxe4 dxe4 15.
xe4 d5 16.xd5 cxd5t White
will have great problems neutral-

ll.Yc2
11.a4 I:De7 12 .i.d3 (After 12.
h3? ! hf3 13.gxf3 I:Dxc3 14.bxc3,
Sarakauskiene - Makropoulou,
Plovdiv 2008, Black can play 14 . . .
I:Df5+ emphasizing the weakness
of his opponent's kingside) 12 .. .f5
13.exf6 I:Dxf6 14.1:De5 i.f5 15.i.e2
I:Dg6 16.0-0 c6 17.1:Dxg6 hg6t Black has no weaknesses and his
pieces are easily activated, while
White's d4-pawn needs protec
tion, Macieja - Malaniuk, Wro
claw 2011.
11.hc6 bxc6 12.a4 (after 12.
c2 c5 13.dxc5 1:Dxc5+, the change
in the pawn structure is in Black's
favour; it is more accurate for
White to play 12 .h3 hf3 13.gxf3
I:Dxc3 14.bxc3 d7 15.f4 i.a5 16.
d3 f6t when Black has a power
ful initiative on the kingside, but
White's position is solid, and after
17J!b1 fxe5 18 .fxe5 :B:f3 19.d2
:B:af8 2 0 .a6 .ib6 21.:B:bg1 :B:xf2 +
2 2 .hf2 :B:xf2 + 23.e1 :B:f3 24.d2
203

Chapter 18
Elf2 + 25. 'i!?e1 Elf3= both sides have
nothing better than to acquiesce
to the draw, Vinchev - Friis,
Email 2009) 12 .. .f6 13.xc6
(White has failed to evacuate his
king, so opening the centre with
13.tt:\xe4 dxe4 14.tt:\d2 fxe5+ is in
Black's favour.) 13 . . . tt:\xc3 14.bxc3
hf3 15.gxf3 fxe5 16.dxe5 .ixe3
17.fxe3 Elxf3 18.'i!?e2 , Macieja - De
la Paz Perdomo, Merida 2 005, af
ter 18 . . . Elf8 19.Elafl Ele8+ Black re
tains an edge owing to the oppo
nent's exposed king and his many
weaknesses.
11.0-0 f6 12.exf6 (12 . .ie2? !
fxe5 13.dxe5 he3 14.fxe3 tt:\xc3
15.bxc3 'i!?h8t White's centre
pawns are weak, Cardelli - Mahl
ing, Email 2010) 12 . . . tt:\xf6 13 . .ie2
d6 14.h3 (14.Elc1 Elae8 15.a3 tt:\e7
16.tt:\e5 he2 17.tt:\xe2 tt:\f5+ Krug
- Schlesinger, Wiesbaden 199 0 ;
after 14.tt:\b5 d7 15.tt:\c3 Elae8
16.tt:\a4 .ih5 17.tt:\xb6 axb6 18.h3
d6 19.b3 tt:\e4t Black's pieces
are very active and in particular
White must consider the possible
exchange sacrifice on the f3square on every move, Niewold Wingo, Email 2008) 14 . . . .ih5= Black will prepare to plant his
knight on e4 by playing Elae8,
Carrettoni - Van Damme, Email
2010.
11.b3 hf3 1 2 .gxf3 tt:\g5 13.
0-0-0 (This move is more logical
than 13 .hc6 bxc6 14.d1, Vega
- Otero Acosta, Cuba 2000 and
after 14 . . . tt:\h3 ! 15.f4 h4 16.f3
Elae8 17.g3 h5 18.tt:\e2 f6+
Black is able to exert strong pres2 04

sure against White's centre) 13 . . .

tt:\xf3 14.xd5 xd5 (Here Black
can play the greedy 14 . . . tt:\cxd4 ! ?
15.e4 c 6 16 . .ic4 Ei:e8 17.hd4
tt:\xd4 18.tt:\a4 c5 19.f4 e7oo and
although White has some com
pensation for the pawn it is diffi
cult to assess whether it is
enough.) 15.tt:\xd5 hd4 16.hc6
he3+ 17.fxe3 bxc6 18.tt:\e7+ 'i!?h8
19.tt:\xc6 Elae8 20.Eld5 a6 21.h3
Ele6 2 2 .tt:\d8 Elee8=
l l.h3 .ih5 (The position is
rather unclear after l l . . . .ixf3 ! ? 12.
gxf3 tt:\xc3 13.bxc3 tt:\e7 14.f4 Elc8
15.0-0 c5oo White has the advan
tage of the two bishops and a
beautiful centre, but his king lacks
protection and his centre pawns
might turn out to be weak.)

12 .g4? .ig6 13.tt:\e2 f6+ White

has weakened his kingside with
out obtaining anything in return,
Blatny - Beckemeier, Germany
1996.
12.0-0, Loewenthal - Staun
ton, London 1853, 12 . . . tt:\xd4 ! ? (It
looks like a good alternative for
Black to try 12 . . .f6 ! ? 13.exf6 tt:\xc3
14.bxc3 xf6 15 . .ie2 Elae8 16.c2
h6 17.Elfe1 a6 18.tt:\d2 he2 19.
Elxe2 f5=) 13.hd4 hf3 14.gxf3

l.e4 e5 2. tiJj3 tiJc6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 tiJf6 5.d4 ed

WigS+ 1S.'i!th1 WffS 16.fxe4 (There
is also a perpetual check after
16.hb6 xh3+ 17.'i!tg1 tiJg3 ! 18.
fxg3 Wfxg3= , but White can even
lose if he plays 16.tiJxe4? dxe4 17.
l!tg2 ad8-+) 16 . . . Wfxh3+ 17.'i!tg1
hd4 18.Wfxd4 g4=
12 .hc6 bxc6 13.0-0 ! (this is
stronger than 13.Wfa4 f6 14.exf6,
Caposciutti - Pantaleoni, corr.
1990, because after 14 . . . hf3 1S.
gxf3 tiJxc3 16.bxc3 Wfxf6+ White's
king has nowhere to hide) 13 .. .f6 !
- the opening of the f-file pro
vides Black with more than suffi
cient counterplay, for example:
14.g4 tiJxc3 1S.bxc3 .ig6 16.exf6
Wfxf6 17.tiJeS ae8

and lively after 18.f4 i.e4 19.'i!th2

Wfd6 20.c1 cS 2l.Wfa4 hS 2 2 .gS
cxd4 23.cxd4 aS 24.a3 d8 2S.c6
Wfe7?. White's knight is very pow
erful in the centre, but Black's
bishop on e4 is also a wonderful
piece.
ll . . . .if5
It is too risky for Black to opt
for ll . . . i.xf3? ! 12.gxf3 tiJgS 13.
hc6 bxc6 14. 0-0-0 tiJxf3 1S.
Wfe2 tiJh4 16.hg1 when White
has excellent attacking prospects,
Ni Hua - Marin, Reggio Emilia
2008, but there is a very good al
ternative for Black in ll . . . tiJxc3 ! ?

There is a draw by perpetual

check after 18.tiJd7 Wfh4 19.tiJxf8
fue3 20.tiJxg6 g3+ 2l.fxg3 Wfxg3=
After 18.Wfd2 xeS 19.dxeS
Wfh4 2 0.'i!tg2 (20.hb6? f3-+)
20 . . . .ie4+ 21.f3 hf3+ 2 2 .xf3
(22.'i!th2 hg4 23.xf8+ l!txf8 24.
fl + l!tg8+ Black has more enough
pawns for the exchange) 22 . . . xf3
23.'i!txf3 Wfxh3+ 24.'i!te2 Wfxg4+
2S.'i!te1 Wfg3= Neither side has any
reason the avoid the repetition of
moves.
The struggle is very interesting

12.'Ml3
12 .a4 tiJe7 13.tiJh4 (13.0-0
a6 14 ..ie2 tiJc6 1S.Wfb3 tiJxc3 16.
bxc3 h6 17.tiJd2 Wfd7 18.h3 f6= )
13 . . .f6 ! 14.tiJxe4 he4 1S.exf6
xf6+ Vera Gonzalez Quevedo Lukacs, Havana 1986.
12 .hc6 bxc6 13.tiJxe4 (13.Wfa4
cS 14.dxcS hcS 1S.tiJxe4 he3
16.tiJg3 i.d7 17.aS i.b6 18.xdS
Wfe8+ Black's bishops are ex
tremely active, which more than
compensates the sacrificed pawn,
Strzemiecki - Rutkowski, War20S

Chapter 18
saw 2010) 13 ... dxe4 14J'!dl (14.
tt:lgl c5 15.dxc5 .ta5+ 16. \t>fl d5
17.\Wb3 \Wc6 18.tt:le2 a6 19.h3
.td7+ - Black's pieces are very ac
tive, J.Andersen - Ludwig, Email.
20 04) 14 . . . exf3 15.xf5 fxg2 16.
:!:!gl d5 17.g4 (17.g5?! .ta5+
18 . .td2 , Eggleston - Haslinger,
Hawick 2004, after 18 . . . g6+ Black
neutralizes all his opponent's
threats on the kingside) 17 .. .f5 ! t
- Black seized the initiative i n the
game Kashtanov - Lugovoi, St.
Petersburg 2002.
12 ... a5 13.b4
White loses after the greedy
13.xd5? e7! 14.tt:lxe4 i.e6 15.
tt:lf6+ gxf6 16.e4 b4+ 17.lt:Jd2
\Wxb5- + Bukojemski - A.Ga
vrilov, Cracow 2011.
After 13.a4 tt:Jxc3 14.bxc3 c6
15 ..te2 .ic7+ Black cannot be pre
vented from advancing with b7b5 and then deploying his knight
in the c4-outpost.
13 c6 14 .ie2
For 14 . .id3 tt:Jc4 15 . .ixc4 .ia5 see 14.i.e2.
14 ... c4 15 . .ixc4 .ia5 16.
b3 dxc4 17.xc4 b6 18 .icl
.

18 c5
After 18 . . . tt:Jxc3 19.bxc3 .ie6
2 0.d3 i.f5= Black can force a
threefold repetition of the posi
tion, because if White's queen
abandons the fl-a6 diagonal Black
will seize it with his queen, keep
ing the enemy king stranded in
the centre.
19. 0 - 0
It is inferior for White to opt
for the risky line 19.d5 tt:Jxc3 20.
bxc3 g6 2 1.tt:lh4 .id3 22 .tt:Jxg6
.ixc4 23.tt:Je7+ 'it>h8 24 . .id2 .idS+
when Black regains his pawn and
maintains a stable advantage,
thanks to his superior develop
ment and better pawn structure.
19 xc3 2 0 .bxc3 cxd4
21.xd4 i:!ac8 22.e2 .id7=
Black regains his pawn, retaining
an excellent position, Merrow Kamanel Zamora, Email 2010.

B) 6.cxd4
This is a natural move. White
occupies the centre with tempo.
This line was played as early as in
the 16th century in Greco's games.
6 .ib4+

206

l.e4 e5 2. 1:iJ.f3 l:iJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 l:iJf6 5.d4 ed

White's main attempts to
claim an edge in this position are
based on the moves Bl) 7 .td2
and B2) 7.1:iJc3.
7.'i!?fl d5 8.exd5 l:iJxd5 9.1:iJc3
(The alternatives for White are
worse: 9.a3 i.e? 10.1:iJc3 l:iJxc3 11.
bxc3 0-0+; 9.W'b3 l:iJa5+; 9.i.g5
i.e? 10 .i.xe7 l:iJcxe7+; 9.W'e2+ i.e6
10.a3 i.e7+ and in all the cases
White has lost several important
tempi.) 9 . . . i.e6 ! 10 .W'b3 (Black
need not fear 10 .i.xd5 i.xd5 11.
W'e2 + i.e7+ or 10 .W'd3 i.e7+; an in
teresting fight flares up with 10.
l:iJxd5 hd5 11.W'b3 i.xc4+ 12.
W'xc4 0-0 13.d5 i.a5 14.i.f4 l:iJe7
15J=!:d1 l:iJg6 16.i.g3 l"le8? when
White's position in the centre is
better, but he has problems bring
ing his rook on h1 into play.) 10 . . .
l:iJa5 11.W'a4+ i.d7 12 .i.b5, Casillas
Pellat - Norgaard, Mexico 1995,
12 ... i.xb5+ (Black has a good al
ternative here in 12 . . . i.xc3 !?) 13.
W'xb5+ c6 14.W'e2+ W'e7 15.W'd3
0-0 16.i.d2 !'1ae8?. Black's knight
on a5 is out of play, but his other
pieces are very active and after,
for example, 17.g3 W'd7 18.'i!?g2
i.xc3 19.i.xc3 l:iJf4+ 20.gxf4 W'g4+
21. 'i!?fl W'h3+ 2 2 .'i!?g1 W'g4= it can
end in perpetual check.
7.1:iJbd2 - This move has been
played only rarely; nevertheless,
it is quite playable. 7 ... 1:iJxe4
(diagram)
8.W'e2? d5+
8.d5 l:iJe7 9.0-0 (9.a3 - This
loses an important tempo for
White - 9 . . . hd2 + 10 .i.xd2 d6 11.
W'e2 l:iJxd2 12.W'xd2 0-0+ Kartse

va - Broeker, Wolfsberg 2 0 04)

9 . . . 1:iJxd2 lO.I:iJxd2 (After 10.i.xd2
i.xd2 White cannot gain any ad
vantage with 11.W'xd2 d6 12.!'1fe1
0-0= because Black completes
his development without any
problems, although it will not be
easy for him to exploit his extra
pawn; if instead 11.d6 cxd6
12.W'xd2 d5 ! 13.i.xd5 0-0 ! = when
Black will need to give back his
extra pawn to complete his devel
opment, Ponkratov - Al.Aleksan
drov, St. Petersburg 2011; instead
of Black's last move, it might seem
very attractive to play 13 . . . 1:iJxd5?
but in that case White can win
spectacularly with 14.!'1fe1+ ! l:iJe7
15.!'1xe7+ ! l!?xe7 16.W'g5+ f6 17.
W'xg7+ 'i!?d6 18.1:iJd4 ! +- and it be
comes clear that despite his extra
rook Black is helpless against the
attack by his opponent's perfectly
coordinated pieces) 10 . . . 0-0

207

Chapter 18
ll.a3N (11.lt:le4 ? ! d6 12 .W/a4
i.c5 13.lt:\xc5 dxc5 14.i.g5 Wd6 15.
l'!fe1 lt.Jg6+ - Black has preserved
his extra pawn and the change in
the pawn structure is in Black's
favour, since he can organize an
offensive on the queenside, Kriv
odedov - Moiseyenko, Yuzhny
20 09.) ll . . . i.a5 12 .b4 (A drawish
endgame arises almost by force
after 12 .d6 cxd6 13.lt:le4 d5 14.
hd5 lt:\xd5 15.W/xd5 d6 16.i.g5
i.e6 17.hd8 hd5 18.lt:lf6+ gxf6
19.ha5 i.c4= - Black will almost
certainly be unable to realise his
extra pawn, but it compensates
adequately for his kingside weak
nesses.) 12 . . . i.b6 13.d6 cxd6 14.
lt:\e4 d5 15.hd5 lt:\xd5 16.Wxd5 d6
17.i.f4 i.e6 18.Wxb7 d5 19.lt:lc5 i'k8
20 .l'!ac1 W/f6 2 1.g3 l'!fe8= White's
pieces are a bit more active, but
Black has a passed pawn in the
centre and still has his bishop pair.
8 . 0-0 lt:\xd2

White's pieces are active, but it is

unlikely that he has any advan
tage here because Black has an
extra pawn and a potentially pow
erful bishop.
9.hd2 hd2 10.W/xd2 (10.
lt:\xd2 0-0 ll.d5 lt:\e7+; White los
es a tempo after 10.We2 + , Rich
terova - Blechova, Havirov 2008,
because Black can play 10 ... lt:\e7
ll.W/xd2 d5 12 . .id3 0-0+, com
pleting his development and gain
ing the better prospects) 10 . . . lt:le7
ll.d5 (after ll.l'!ac1 d5 12 .i.d3 c6
13.l'!fe1 0-0 14.W/c2 lt:\g6+ White's
compensation for the pawn is in
sufficient, Fister - Gurmen, Email
2010) ll . . . d6 12.l'!fe1 0-0 13.l'!ac1
(If 13.W/a5? ! lt:\g6 14.l'!ac1 c5+
Black no longer has a backward c
pawn, Ait Chaouche - N.Maiorov,
Lille 2011) 13 . . . l'!e8 14 . .id3 h6 15.
i.e4 i.d7+ - White will find it dif
ficult to exploit his space advan
tage, since Black's pieces are de
ployed quite harmoniously and
although his c7-pawn is backward
he is a pawn up, Bojovic - Castel
lano, Email 2 006.

Bl) 7 .ld2
.

After 9J'1e1+ lt:\e7 10.i.xd2 hd2

ll.Wxd2 d5 ! (11. . . 0-0 12 .W/g5 d5
- see 11.. .d5) 12 .W/g5 (White has
no advantage after 12 .i.d3 0-0 = ,
o r 12 .hd5 Wxd5 13J':1e5 W/d6 14.
l'!ae1 0-0 15J:1xe7 i.e6=) 12 . . . 0-0
13J:1xe7 dxc4 14.l'!ae1 i.d7= all
208

l.e4 e5 2. /:jj.fJ /:jj c6 3. fi.c4 fi.c5 4.c3 l:jjf6 5.d4 ed

This is a very solid move.
White has occupied the centre
and hopes to be able to continue
the game without sacrificing any
thing.
7. . . hd2 + 8.bxd2 d5
After this move White's two
beautiful centre pawns turn into
one isolated pawn.
9.exd5 xd5

1 0 .b3
This is the main line for White
and for a long time it was consid
ered that he could create some
problems for Black with it.
10 .c2 0-0 - see 10 .b3 /:jj a5
11.a4+ /:jj c 6 12 .c2.
After 10.e2+ i.e6 11.0-0
0-0= Black has no problems at
all. He has excellent development
and exerts pressure against the
enemy d4-pawn.
10./:jj e S /:jj xe5 11.dxe5 0-0 12.
0-0 /:jj f4f! Black can activate his
forces very quickly, Karpatchev
Korneev, Arco 2003.
In the variation 10 .i.b5 e7+
11.e2 xe2+ 12.xe2 !d7+ only
White can have problems. His d4pawn needs protection and after

the simplification Black can ex

ploit his opponent's weaknesses
much more easily.
10.0-0 0-0

11.b3 /:jj a5 12.c2 /:jj xc4 13.

/:jj xc4 i.e6t, or 13.xc4 i.e6t, or
11./:jj e4 fi.g4t Stanley - Rousseau,
New Orleans 1845, and in all cas
es Black has no problems at all,
having blockaded his opponent's
isolated pawn.
After 11.h3 /:jj b 6t White is
faced with an unpleasant choice
- either to give up his powerful
bishop for the enemy knight, or to
remain a pawn down, Machan Sergienko, Nachod 2011.
In the variation 11. /:jj b3 i.g4
12 .h3 i.h5 13J:k1 /:jj f4t Black has
good attacking prospects, Vila
Gazquez - O.Korneev, Solsones
2004.
11.:1%c1 (jj b 6 12 .i.b3 a5 13.a4
/:jj d5 14.:1%e1 !e6 15.h3 (15.i.c4
/:jj cb4= ; 15./:jj e 4 i.g4 16./:jj c3 /:jj f4
17.h3 i.h5 =) 15 . . . /:jj cb4 16./:jj e 4
/:jj f4 17.he6 /:jj x e6 18./:jj cS /:jj xc5
19.:1%xc5 b6= White dominates the
e-file, but he will difficulty in ex
ploiting this effectively, while his
d4-pawn is weak, Lebedev - Fil
ipchenko, Email 2009.
209

Chapter 18
11.tt:'le5 tt:'lxd4 12.tt:'lb3 (12.tt:'le4?
tt:'lf4+) 12 . . . tt:'lxb3 13.i.xd5. The
threat of i.xf7 + followed by '?t/h5
looks very dangerous, but Black
can counter this with 13 . . . '?tff6 !
14.'?t/xb3 (14 ..bf7+ E:xf7 15.'?t/xb3
'?t/xe5 - see 14.'?t/b3) 14 . . . '?t/xe5 15.
i.xf7 + (It is inferior for White to
play 15.E:fe1 '?tff6 16.E:e3 c6 17.i.f3
E:b8+ Pribe - Robles Sanchez,
Hessen 2 003, or 15.E:ae1 '?t/f6 16.
E:e3 c6 17.i.f3 E:b8+ Antoszkiewicz
- Haupold, corr. 1979 and in both
lines Black ends up with a solid
extra pawn.) 15 . . . E:xf7 16.E:ae1 (It
is slightly inferior for White to opt
for 16.E:fe1 i.e6 17.E:xe5 i.xb3 18.
axb3 E:d8 = when he must play
very accurately to prevent his op
ponent from exploiting the weak
ness of his doubled pawns. How
ever, the position is still within
the bounds of equality, Deretic Mejak, corr. 1980 .) 16 . . . i.e6 17.
Wfxe6 '?t/xe6 18.E:xe6 E:d8 = - Black
has forced a transition into a
dead-drawn endgame.
1 0 . . . a5!
The move has dealt a serious
blow to the fans of this variation
for White.
ll.Wa4+
The other retreats of his queen
would enable Black to capture the
powerful bishop on c4, solving all
his problems.
ll . . c6
(diagram)
12.J.b5
The overwhelming majority of
games reaching this position have
.

210

ended in a draw here by threefold

repetition: 12.Wfb3 tt:'la5 13.'?t/a4+
tt:'lc6 14.'?t/b3 tt:'la5 15.'?t/a4+ tt:'lc6=
After 12 .'?tfc2 0-0 13.0-0 tt:'lb6=,
or 12 .'?t/b5 tt:'lb6 13.0-0 (13.d5?!
a6+ White loses his d5-pawn)
13 . . . 0 - 0 = Andreikin - Romanov,
Yerevan 2 007, he either loses his
d4-pawn, or must give up his
strong bishop for Black's knight.
12 .tt:'le5 0-0 13.tt:'lxc6 (It is no
better for White to play 13 .i.xd5
tt:'lxe5 and here after 14.dxe5
'?t/xd5+ his e5-pawn is a liability
and Black's bishop is stronger
than the enemy knight, Boyd V.Szabo, Email 2007, while after
14.i.e4 tt:'lg4 15.0-0 c6= Black has
no problems either; after the
transfer of his bishop to d5, he
will fight for the initiative, Be
lanoff - Schuster, Email 2 009.)
13 ... '?t/e8+ 14.\t>f1 (White's king
will be in danger in the centre af
ter 14.1t>d1 tt:'lb6 15.'?t/b5 bxc6 16.
'?tieS tt:'lxc4 17.tt:'lxc4 i.e6+ Reberc
- Kolaric, Postojna 2008.) 14 . . .
tt:'lb6 15.'?t/b5 bxc6 16.Wfc5 tt:'lxc4
17.tt:'lxc4, Hatting - Herman, corr.
1985, and after 17 . . . i.a6+ Black

l.e4 e5 2. tiJf3 tiJ c6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 CiJf6 5.d4 ed

targets the enemy knight and will
try to exploit his lead in develop
ment.
In the endgame arising after
12.1Mia3 e7+ 13.xe7+ CiJcxe7=
Black has no problems, because
without the queens on the board
White can scarcely gain the initia
tive and the weakness of his iso
lated pawn will hurt him even
more now that the position has
simplified.
12 . . . .id7

13. 0 - 0
It is inferior to play 13.b3
e7+ 14.ci!;>fl i.e6+ - White has
lost his castling rights and his
rook on h1 will find it difficult to
come into play any time soon, Mi
ettinen - Buzas, Email 2009.
14.l!!ifel
After 14.b3 a6 15.ha6 gxa6
16.xd5 i.e6 17.c5 ga4 18.gfe1
CiJxd4= Black regains his pawn
and White is forced to play very
precisely, since his knight is po
tentially weaker than the enemy
bishop, Laine - Salonen, Email
2010.
14 a6

15 . .ifl
15.hc6?! hc6+ - Black's
bishop has found a working diag
onal and cooperates with his
knight, which is headed for the
wonderful f4-square, Goncalves Cerqueira Filho, corr. 1995.
15.i.d3 CiJcb4 16.b3 CiJxd3 17.
xd3 f6 ! t White's knights have
no stable squares in the centre, so
Black can begin to attack the weak
d4-pawn.
15 . . . .ie6= - Black has no
weak spots in his position, but the
board is still full of pieces and
Black will not find it easy to prove
that the enemy d4-pawn is weak,
Laine - Pesonen, Email 2 010.
B2) 7.CiJc3

211

Chapter 18
This sharp move was recom
mended and analyzed quite deep
ly more than 400 years ago by
Greco.
7 .tixe4 8. 0 - 0
In a few games White has tried
s :rge2? d5 9.0-0 hc3 10.bxc3
o-m=, but Black completes his de
velopment, remaining with a sol
id extra pawn.
White cannot even equalize
with the aggressive line 8.d5 lLlxc3
9.bxc3 hc3+ 10 .i.d2 hd2 + 11.
xd2 lLle7 12.0-0 (It would be
better to continue 12.d6! cxd6
13.0-0 d5 14.hd5 0-0+ and
Black would need to give back one
of his extra pawns to complete his
development.) 12 . . . d6 13.:1Ue 1
O-m= Villing - Horn, Baden
2002.
After s:rgb3 0-0 9 . 0 - 0 hc3
10 .bxc3 d5 ! ? 11..id3 (ll.hd5?
lLla5- +) ll . . . b6+ Black has a solid
extra pawn, Letay - Nyland, Bu
dapest 2008.
8 ... .ixc3

9.d5 !
9.bxc3 d5

212

10.i.b5 0 - 0 11.1Mfc2 (ll.hc6?!

bxc6+ - His extra pawn is not a
telling factor yet, before Black has
advanced c6-c5, but his pieces are
much more active.) ll . . . i.f5 12.
i.d3 l'%e8+ - White has the advan
tage of the two bishops, but this
does not fully compensate for the
lost pawn, Zuriel - Sarquis, Coro
nel Suarez 2004.
10.i.a3 dxc4 ll.l'%e1 f5 12 .lLld2
.ie6 13.lLlxe4 fxe4 14.1'%xe4, Chek
hover - Pogrebissky, Kiev 1940
and after 14 ... d7! 15.d5 0-0-0
16.1'%xe6 xd5+ Black evacuates
his king from the danger zone and
remains with an extra pawn.
10 .1'%e1 0-0 ll . .id3 (11.1Mfc2 i.f5
12 .i.d3 l'%e8 13.1'%b1 b6 - see 10 .
.id3) ll . . . lLlxc3 12 .1Mfc2 lLle4 13.
he4 dxe4 14.1Mfxe4, Pons Martos
- Clanchet Olle, Martorell 1997,
and now Black should transfer
his knight to d5 by playing 14 . . .
lLlb4 ! +
10 .i.d3 0 - 0 11.c2 l'%e8 12.1'%b1
b6! 13.1'%e1 i.f5 14.i.f4 (14.i.g5?!
lLlxg5 15.1'%xe8+ 1Mfxe8 16.lLlxg5
i.g6+ The simplification is in
Black's favour, Vetter - Heil
mann, Email 2 004) 14 . . . .ig6+ Black has won a pawn and should

l.e4 e5 2. tqf3 ltJ c6 3. 1J.c4 1J.c5 4.c3 ltJf6 5.d4 ed

now try to simplify the position,
Silva - Jensen, Email 20 04.
9 . ttle5
This is not the most popular
move for Black, but it is complete
ly reliable.
.

1 0 .Yfe2
10 .bxc3 tt::l xc4 lUl:el (after 11.
Yld4 0-0, every possible capture
transposes to the main variation
- see 10.Yie2) ll...tt::l c d6 1 2 .tt::l d 2
0-0 13.tt::l x e4 tt::l xe4 14J'l:xe4 d6+
There are bishops of opposite
colours on the board and
White's pieces are very active, so
Black will find it very difficult
to realize his extra pawn, Geroni
mi - Van Wely, Ajaccio (blitz)
2007.
10.1J.b3 ? ! d6 ll.bxc3 .ig4 12.
:Bel fS ! 13 . .if4 (It is too risky for
White to play 13.h3 ix:f3 14.gxf3,
Barnes - Meisel, USA 1972 , since
Black can respond with 14 . . . 0 -0 !
1S.fxe4 Ylh4 16.1"ie3 fxe4 with a
strong attack, because the major
ity of White's pieces are out of
play on the queenside, for exam
ple : 17.1"ig3 :Bf3 18.:Bxf3 tt::l xf3+ 19.

@g2 E:f8 2 0 .i.e3 E:f6 2 1.W/hl E:g6+

2 2 .@fl E:gl+ 23.Yixg1 tt::l xg1 24.
@xgl Ylxh3+ - White has parried
the direct threats against his king,
but Black's h-pawn will soon start
to advance.) 13 . . . 0-0 14.he5
dxeS 15.W/d3 .hf3 16.Yixf3 W/d6+
and Black has an extra centre
pawn, Lukyanov - Ponkratov,
Belgorod 2009.
White has not yet tried the
move 10 . .ie2 , when Black must
find the far-from-obvious re
sponse 10 . . . tt::l xf2 ! ll.i"ixf2 tt::l xf3+
12 .hf3 1J.e5 13.Yie1 d6 14.1J.f4 0-0
15.he5 E:e8 16.E:e2 dxeS 17.E:xe5
.id7+ ending up with a solid extra
pawn.
1 0 0 - 0 ll.bxc3
ll.tt::l xeS? heS 12.Yixe4 E:e8 13.
Yld3 (13.Yic2 d6 14.i.d3 g6 15.f4
.id4+ 16.@h1 Ylf6 17.f5 fJ.x5-+)
13 . . . Yif6 14.f4 .id4+ 1S.@h1 d6-+
Black should win easily with an
extra pawn and superior develop
ment, Wuppinger - Hasenoehrl,
Hallein 1988.
ll.W/xe4 tt::l xf3+ 12 .Yixf3 .ieS
13.:Be1 d6+ - Black completes his
development, retaining the extra
pawn.
ll .ttlxc4 12. Ylxc4
After 12 .Yixe4? ! tt::l d 6 13.W/c2
b6 14.E:e1 .ib7 15.c4 Ylf6 16 . .ib2
f4 17.E:ac1 f6+ Black has devel
oped harmoniously and neutral
ized the activity of the enemy
bishop, retaining the extra pawn,
F.Perruchoud - Zednik, Email
2008.
12 . . . d6
.

2 13

Chapter 18
Budva 2009.) 24 . . . 'it>d8 25.a3 Ei:a2
2 6.tt:ld6 'it>e7 27.tt:lf5+ 'it>d8= Neither side can avoid the repeti
tion of the position.
13 . . . ti'f6

13.ti'd3
13 .ti'g4? b6 14.i.g5 f6 15.i.h6,
Chorba - Bezkorovainaya, Niko
laev 2 0 07, and with 15 . . .'e7+
Black parries his opponent's pre
mature attack.
White cannot create any prob
lems for his opponent with the
line 13.'\Wd4 tt:lf5 14.'\Wd3 d6 15.
i.g5 f6 16.i.d2 ti'e8+ and the
transfer of Black's queen to the
g6-square neutralizes his oppo
nent's activity, Berezjuk - Sosna,
Vsetin 1997.
The position is equal after 13.
Wf4 b6 14.i.a3 i.b7 15.c4 Ei:e8 16.
Ei:fe1 ti'f6 (16.i.xd6? ! cxd6 17.'\Wxd6
Ei:c8 18.Ei:fc1 h6 19.tt:ld4, Leite Parkes Navea, Email 2008, and
with 19 . . . i.a6t Black seizes the
initiative, emphasizing the weak
ness of White's pawns.) 17.'\Wxf6
gxf6 18.i.xd6 cxd6 19.tt:ld4 i.a6
20.Ei:xe8+ Ei:xe8 2 1.tt:lf5 Ei:e2 2 2 .
tt:lxd6 (22 .Ei:c1 'it>f8 23.tt:lxd6 'it>e7
- see 2 2 . tt:lxd6) 22 . . . 'it>f8 23.Ei:cl
'it>e7 24.tt:lf5+ (After the inaccu
rate 24.'it>f1? Ei:e5 25.f4 Ei:xd5 26.
tt:lc8+ 'it>d8 27.tt:lxa7 Ei:c5+ Black
wins a pawn with excellent win
ning chances, Anicic - Godena,
2 14

14.gel
White needs to play very accu
rately here.
14.i.a3?! b6 15.Ei:fe1 (In the
endgame after 15.'\Wd4 ti'xd4 16.
tt:lxd4 i.a6 17.i.xd6 cxd6 18.Ei:fe1
g6+ Black's bishop gains scope,
emphasizing the weakness of his
opponent's d5-pawn, Guizar Wilson, Email 2008; with the
variation 15.i.xd6 Wxd6 16.tt:lg5
ti'g6 17.'\Wxg6 hxg6+ White fails to
weaken Black's pawn structure,
Kravchenko - Otroshenko, Kiev
2000.) 15 . . . i.b7 16.Ei:e5 (if 16.tt:le5
Ei:fe8 17.tt:lxd7 ti'g6 18 .ti'xg6 hxg6+
White loses his d5-pawn and he
must look after his knight, since
Black threatens t7-f6.) 16 . . . Ei:fe8
17.i.xd6 Wxd6+ Verde - Kurkows
ki, Toronto 2008.
14.i.g5? ! '\Wf5 15.'\Wxf5 (15.'1Wd2
tt:le4 16.'1Wc2 d6+ - Black has re
tained his extra pawn and seized
the initiative, Molina Munoz -

l.e4 e5 2. liJfJ li'Jc6 3. :ic4 :ic5 4.c3 li'Jf6 5.d4 ed

Sundararajan, Internet 2004; 15.
d4 li'Je4 16.i.h4 c5 17.d3 li'Jg3 !
18.xf5 li'Jxf5+ Black has solved
all his problems by the exchange
of queens, Vetter - Berger, Email
2004) 15 .. .lijxf5 16Jl:fel (The ac
tive line 16.g4 f6 17.i.f4 li'Je7 18.c4
d6+ would merely lead to the ap
pearance of additional weakness
es in White's camp, Kornilovich Ar.Sobolev, St. Petersburg 1997.)
16 ... h5 17.h3 (17.i.e7 E1e8 18.i.a3
fuel+ 19.fuel b6+ Watson - Grott,
Email 2 008) 17 . . .f6 18.i.d2 b6+
and Black completes his develop
ment, with excellent prospects of
realizing his extra pawn, Mergard
- Schultheiss, Email 2009.
14 . . .b6 15 . .ig5 f5

16.Wxf5
White must enter an endgame;

otherwise, after 16.d4 i.a6 17.

i.e7 E1fe8 18.i.xd6 cxd6t Black's
extra pawn is not very important
yet, but his pieces are very active,
Brown - Reilly, Email 2006.
16.xf5 17.g4 f6 18 . .if4
d6 19.hd6 cxd6 2 0 .d4
In response to 20.E1e7, Loren
zana - Schandorff, Dresden
2008, Black can activate his bish
op, highlighting the weakness of
his opponent's pawns with the
move 2 0 . . . i.a6t
2 0 . . . .ib7=

In this position, in the game

Gashimov - Dominguez Perez,
Nice 2010, the players agreed to a
draw, although Black was by no
means obliged to offer it, since the
onus is now on White to play ac
curately.

2 15

Chapter 19

l.e4 e5 2 .tif3 c6 3.ic4 ic5 4.c3 f6

5.d3 0 - 0
Giuoco Piano

and he has no compensation for

that.
After 6.h3 dS 7.exd5 li:JxdS 8.
BgS, Lesnic - Marczuk, Kerner
2007 (here it is better for White to
play 8.0-0 - see Chapter 20),
Black can continue with 8 . . .f6 9.
i.e3 i.xe3 10.fxe3 i.e6 11.0-0
li:JaS+ and he exchanges his oppo
nent's active bishop, ending up
with a stable advantage.
White's main move in the dia
gram position is of course 6.0-0.
We shall analyze this in the next
chapter. Here we shall deal with
White's alternatives and our anal
yses will focus on the moves: A)
6.b4, B) 6.d2, C) 6.-*.b3 and
D) 6.i.g5.
For 6 .'?;Ve2 dS 7.exd5 li:JxdS
8.0-0 i.g4 - see Chapter 2 0 .
After 6 . .ie3 i.xe3 7.fxe3 li:JaSt
Black seizes the initiative, ex
changing his knight for his oppo
nent's active bishop, exploiting
the fact that it would be bad for
White to play 8.li:Jxe5? e7+ and
Black regains his pawn, gaining a
huge lead in development. It is no
better for White to opt for 8.i.b5? !
d S 9.exd5 '?;VxdS 10.li:Ja3 e 4 11.
dxe4 xe4+ - his e3-pawn is weak
216

A) 6.b4 i.e7!
Black's bishop is better placed
here than on b6, since it supports
the preparation of the pawn-ad
vance d7-d5 in one move by cov
ering the important gS-square.

7.ti'b3
This is the most insidious

l.e4 e5 2. 0,j3 11J c6 3. :ic4 :ic5 4.c3 11Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0

move for White and it forces his
opponent to find the only reply.
This is more than sufficient for
Black, though . . .
7.0-0 d S 8.exd5 0Jxd5 - see
Chapter 2 0 .
7.b5?! - White wins a pawn
with this move, but falls consider
ably behind in development. 7 . . .
0Ja5 8.0Jxe5 0Jxc4 9.0Jxc4 d S 10.
0Jcd2 (10.exd5 \WxdS 11.0-0 :ifS
12 .0Je3 \Wxd3+ Black has regained
the pawn, completed his develop
ment and obtained the advantage
of the two bishops.) 10.dxe4 11.
0Jxe4 (in response to 11.dxe4, it is
again very good for Black to play
11 . . . a6 12.bxa6 l:!xa6+) 11 . . . a6+ Black has completed his develop
ment and now begins an attack on
White's vulnerable queenside
pawns, Vysochin - Godena, Inter
net 2 0 08.
7.:ib3 a6 (Black prevents his
opponent from capturing the e5pawn.) 8.:ig5 h6 9.:ixf6 :ixf6 10.
0Jbd2 d6= - Black has not man
aged to advance with d7-d5, but
White has had to exchange his
bishop for the enemy knight to
prevent this, Reefat - Grover,
Dhaka 2009.
After 7.0Jbd2 dS 8.:ib3 , Berto
ni - Terreni, Vitinia 1998, it is
once again reasonable for Black to
fix the enemy pawn on b4 by play
ing 8 . . . a6 9.0-0 :ie6=
7 a5!
After the natural line : 7 ... d6
8.a4! aS 9.b5 0Jb8 10.0-0t White's
battery along the a2-g8 diagonal
provides him with an enduring

initiative, Bologan - Kraidman,

Gausdal 1991.
8.b5 a4 9.Yfc2 0Ja5 1 0 . 0Jxe5
It is too risky to capture the a4pawn, because after 10.Yfxa4 dS 11.
exd5 0Jxd5+ White falls catastroph
ically behind in development.
White cannot equalize with 10.
0Jbd2 dS 11.exd5 0Jxd5 12 .:ixd5
\Wxd5 13.c4 \Wd6 14.0Je4 \Wg6 15.
0-0 f6+ since Black's two bishops
and solid centre provide him with
a stable edge, Mergard - S.Muel
ler, Email 2 009.

10 d5 ll.exd5 .i.f5 ! (This

move is even stronger than 11 . . .
0Jxd5 1 2 . 0 - 0 :if6 13.l:!e1 l:!e8 14.f4
0Jxc4 15.dxc4 0Jb6+ Martinez Godena, Bratto 20 07) 12.Yfdl
J.d6 13.f4 0Jxc4 14.dxc4 0Je4+
Black is two pawns down, but
White will find it difficult to com
plete his development without in
curring even greater material
losses.
..

..

B) 6.bd2 a5! ?
With this move Black prevents
his opponent from seizing further
space on the queenside.
2 17

Chapter 19
After 6 . . . d5 7.exd5 tt:lxdS 8.
tt:le4 ! ? White's knight occupies
the e4-outpost with tempo and af
ter this the pin on his knight on f3
is less dangerous, in view of the
possible manoeuvre h3, i.hS, tt:lg3.

7. 0 - 0
In response to 7.tt:lf1, Black has
the powerful riposte 7 . . . d5+
7.h3 d6 8.ttlf1 (8.0-0 i.e6 see 7.0-0) 8 . . . i.e6 9.i.b3 dS 10.
exdS hdSt - Black is clearly
ahead in development and this
becomes quite clear after the ex
change of bishops, or even if
White avoids it, Koubek - Korsa,
Czech Republic 2006.
7.i.b3 d6 8.tt:lfl (8.0-0 - see
7.0-0; following 8.h3, Pelekh Serik, Evpatoria 2 005, the sim
plest way for Black to neutralize
his opponent's dangerous bishop
is with the move 8 . . . i.e6=) 8 . . . b5
9.a4 b4 10.tt:lg3 i.e6 11.0-0 l!b8
12 .he6 fxe6= - White has seized
space on the queenside and forced
the exchange on e6. This has ena
bled Black to activate his rook and
cover the fS-square, Baisaev - S.
Kuzin, Dagomys 2009.
218

7 . . . d6
Black's bishop will inevitably
come to e6 and this will solve all
his problems, because the pres
sure of White's light-squared
bishop against Black's kingside
will be thus removed.

8.h3
8.l!e1 i.e6 9.i.b3, Situru Bouchaud, New York 1994, (It is
no better for White to opt for 9.
he6 fxe6 10.b3 e8, since now
he loses his queen after 11.xb7??
i.b6-+, while if ll.a4 tt:lhSt Black
creates very dangerous threats on
the kingside.) 9 . . . hb3 10.axb3
dS= and despite the fact that
Black advanced d7-d5 in two
moves, he has no problems at all,
because he has succeeded in neu
tralizing the pressure of White's
light-squared bishop.
8.i.b3 i.e6 9.i.c2 (In response
to 9.a4, Black equalizes easily
with 9 . . . d5 10.c2 h6= - He ends
up with a slight space advantage
and his bishop has the excellent
e6-square.) 9 . . . h6 10 .h3 dS ll.i.a4
dxe4 12.dxe4, De Ia Paz Perdomo
- Rodriguez Sorribes, Barbera del

l.e4 e5 2. Ci'Jj3 Ci'J c6 3. c4 c5 4.c3 Ci'Jj6 5.d3 0 - 0

Valles 2004. Black's e5-pawn
needs protection, but after 12 . . .
Wfd6 13 .Wfe2 Ci'Jh5? not only he
has defended it securely, but he
now obtains excellent counter
play thanks to the threats of Ci'Jg3
and Ci'Jf4.
8 ... i.e6 9.gel
After 9.a4, Slawinski - Ha
raldsson, Email 2007, 9 . . . h6 10.
Wfb3 d7 ll.he6 fxe6 12.Ci'Jc4
Ci'Jh5 = , or 9.he6 fxe6 10.a4 Wfe8
ll .Ci'Jb3 i.b6= Ticleanu - Voicules
cu, Email 2007, Black's kingside
counterplay is very strong.

9 . . . d7 l O .tl:l fl .ixc4 11.

dxc4 e6 12.d3 Ci'Jh5 t - It is
extremely difficult for White to
prevent Black's pawn advance f7f5, opening of the f-file for his
rooks, Schaack - Zuyev, Hanau
2008.
C) 6.i.b3
This is a standard idea for
White. He protects his bishop
against the threat of Ci'Ja5, and if
Black plays d7-d5, White will have
more options, other than just ex
changing or retreating the bishop.

d5

7.Ci'Jbd2
For 7.exd5 Ci'Jxd5 8.0-0 f5 ! see Chapter 2 0 .
7.e2 aS

After 8.0-0 a4 9.i.c2 Eie8t,

Black has forced his opponent's
bishop off the active a2-g8 diago
nal and Black now has a much
more active position, having
gained extra space on the queen
side, Herzog - M.Szabo, Email
2008.
8.g5 - This pin can easily be
neutralized : 8 . . . dxe4 9.dxe4 h6
10.h4 a4 ll.i.c4 (11.c2 , Guada
muro - Gomez Ledo, Balaguer
2011, 1l.. .Wfd6! 12 .Ci'Jbd2 Ci'Jh5t)
ll . . . Wfd6 ! 12.Ci'Jbd2 Ci'Jh5t - Black
forces his opponent to defend,
219

Chapter 19
Kobalia - Lysyj , Khanty-Mansi
ysk 2011.
8.i.a4 l'!b8 9.0-0 (It is inferior
for White to play the greedy 9.
hc6 bxc6 10 .tt:lxe5 since after
10 . . .'e8 11.d4 i.d6 12 .exd5 tt:lxd5+
he lags considerably in develop
ment and his light-squared bish
op, which could have covered the
f1-a6 diagonal, has disappeared
from the board. In the variation
9.i.g5 b5 ! 10.exd5 bxa4 11.dxc6
d5 12 .hf6 gxf6 13.0-0 xc6+
Black has the better prospects,
since he has two very active bish
ops and open files for his rooks, as
compensation for his seriously
weakened pawn-structure.) 9 . . . b5
10 .i.c2 (It is better for White to
try a line which not yet been test
ed in practice: 10.exd5 tt:Jxd5 11.
hb5 ! l'!xb5 12 .d4 l'!b8 13.dxc5
e7 14.l'!e1 xeS, and here not
15.tt:lxe5? l'!e8-+ when Black wins
a piece, but 15.b3 15 . . . l'!e8t with
good chances for equality for
White.) 10 . . . d4 11.h3 d6 12.cxd4
hd4+ The weakness of the d4square provides Black with better
chances, Herzog - Uifelean,
Email 2008.
8.a4 i.e6 (The game is much
more complex after 8 . . . d4 ! ? 9.
0-0 h6 10.tt:lbd2 e7oo Radjabov
- Shirov, Baku 2009.) 9.i.c2 dxe4
(9 . . . h6 ! ? 10.0-0 d4 11 .h3 l'!e8oo
Hou - Naiditsch, Khanty-Mansi
ysk 2 009) 10.dxe4 h6 11.h3 e7
12 .tt:lbd2 l'!ad8= and in this sym
metrical position, Black has the
better development, but he will
find it difficult to exploit this ef220

fectively, since White has no

weaknesses in his camp, Mame
dov - Cheparinov, Moscow 2011.
7 . .ie6
. .

8.e2
8 .i.c2? ! - White avoids the ex
change of his bishop, but gives
Black a tempo for the develop
ment of his initiative. 8 . . . dxe4
9.dxe4 (It is better for White to
play here 9.tt:lxe4 tt:Jxe4 10.dxe4
i.c4t, but his king will be stuck in
the centre for some time to come,
so his h1-rook will be out of action
for a while.) 9 . . . tt:lg4 10.0-0 i.xf2 +
11.l'!xf2 tt:le3 12 .e2 tt:Jxc2 13.l'!b1
i.xa2+ Black's knight on c2 will
undoubtedly be lost, but, he will
obtain a rook and three pawns
in return for his two minor piec
es, Herman - Hess, Ledyards
2006.
8.0-0 dxe4 9.dxe4 hb3 10.
axb3 (10.xb3 a6= Black pre
vents - 11.xb7? tt:la5-+) 10 . . .
d3 11.b4 .ib6 12.tt:le1 b5 13.tt:lc2
(13.c2 a5 =) 13 ... d3= His queen
is very actively placed on d3 and if
White tries to oust it from there
with his knight he will have to ac-

l.e4 eS 2. 11Jj3 11J c6 3. J.c4 J.cS 4.c3 11Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0

quiesce to a draw by repetition.
8 dxe4 9.dxe4
9 .11Jxe4 11Jxe4 10.xe4 d7 11.
he6 xe6= Black's pieces are a
bit more active, but he will have
difficulty exploiting this.
9 ti'e7 1 0 . 0 - 0
10.h3 h6 11.11Jf1 l'!ad8= Jedras
- Muszynski, Chelm 2010.
10 .b:b3 ll.axb3

D) 6.i.g5
Black can easily parry this pin
when his pawn has not been
moved to d6.
6 h6 7.i.h4

7 i.e7!
This is a typical idea !
8.bd2
In response to 8.b3, Black
can solve all his problems in
standard fashion with 8 . . . 11Jh5
9.he7 xe7= and his knight will
go to the f4-square.
8.0-0 d6 9.h3 (9.11Jbd2 l:iJhS
see 8.11Jbd2) 9 . . . 11Jh5 10.g3 11Jxg3
ll.fxg3 l:iJaS+ Black's bishops are
stronger than the enemy knights,
Zocchia - Bokros, Email 2009.
8.i.g3 d6 9 .h3 l:iJaS 10.11Jbd2
11Jxc4 11.11Jxc4, Verdu Vazquez Garijo Martinez, Valencia 2009,
ll ... e6 12.11Je3 aSt - Black seizes
space on the queenside, making
use of the fact that White's bishop
on g3 is cut off from the action.
8 d6 9.i.g3
In answer to 9.11Jf1 l:iJaS ! ? 10.
bS, Kisonova - Chorvat, Slova
kia 1998, Black's most energetic
response is lO . . . dS 11.e2 (It is
.

ll a5! ?N
Black's bishop should retain
the possibility of retreating to f8
in some lines, so he makes it dif
ficult for White to advance with
b3-b4.
The game Radjabov - Carlsen,
Nice 2 0 09, continued ll . . . a6 12.
b4 J.a7 13.11Jc4 e6 14.11J a5 l:iJxaS
15.l'!xa5t - White managed to iso
late the enemy dark-squared
bishop from the action on the
kingside.
12.ti'b5 i.b6 13.11Jc4 xe4
14.xb6 cxb6 15.i.e3 d6 16.
ti'xb6 f6+t White has captured
his opponent's dark-squared
bishop, but in return Black has
obtained a superiority in the cen
tre.

221

Chapter 19
inferior for White to release his
pressure on the eS-pawn : 11.
ltl3d2 ? ! i.e6+) ll . . . c6 12 .i.a4 dxe4
13.dxe4 bS 14.i.c2 ltlhS 15.i.g3
i.f6+. Black is threatening to play
ltlf4, either immediately or after
preparation, while if now 16 . .b:e5
i.xeS 17.4:lxe5 ltlf4 18.Wif3 WigS 19.
g3 ltlh3 20.4:ld3 i.g4 2 1.W/g2 ltlc4+
he keeps White's king stranded in
the centre and obtains excellent
attacking chances at the cost of
only a pawn.
9.0-0 ltlhS 10 .i.g3 (White los
es after the greedy 10.4:lxe5? ltlxeS
ll . .b:e7 W/xe7 12.W/xh5 i.g4-+ and
his queen is lost, Chen - Sprin
gelkamp, Bagneux 2001; 10.i.xe7
V9xe7=) 10 . . . 4:lxg3 ll.hxg3 i.f6=
Black's bishop frees the e7-square
for the knight manoeuvre ltlc6-e7g6, Thorhallsson - Godena, Saint
Vincent 2 005.
9.a4 ltlhS 10.i.g3, Tate Sanchez Jerez, Benidorm 2 009,
and here Black can play 10 ... 4Jxg3
ll.hxg3 i.f6= , followed by trans
ferring his knight to the g6square, solving all his problems.
9 .i.b3 ltlhS 10.i.g3 (White
does not achieve much with 10.
he7 W/xe7 ll.ltlc4 ltlf4 12.ltle3
W/f6= Kosintseva - Lahno, Chis
inau 2 005.) 10 . . . 4Ja5N (The care
less move 10 . . . 'it>h8 enables White
to win a pawn: ll.ltlxeS ! ltlxeS 12.
i.xeS dxeS 13.W/xh5 W/xd3 14.Wxe5;!;
Tiviakov - Narayanan, Bhubane
swar 2009.) ll.i.c2 c5 12.0-0 J.e6=
Black's position is at least equal.
His pieces are ideally placed and
he is ready for a fight in the centre.
222

9 4:la5
The attractive-looking 9 . . .
ltlhS? loses a pawn for Black after
lO.ltlxeS ltlxg3 ll.ltlxc6 bxc6 12.
hxg3;!;. He has the bishop pair but
this is not sufficient to compen
sate for the missing pawn.
1 0 .J.b5 h5 ll.d4 xg3
12.hxg3 exd4
It is logical for Black to open
the game, since he has two strong
bishops.
13.xd4
Here it is inferior for White to
opt for 13.cxd4 eSt since it is ad
vantageous for Black to open the
position for his bishop pair. If
White plays d4-d5 there arises a
Benoni pawn-structure in which
Black's powerful dark-squared
bishop has no opponent, giving
him the better prospects.
13 . . . a6 14.J.d3 c5 15.c2,
Tiviakov - Naiditsch, Sibenik
2010.

Black can now play 15 . . . d5

16.exd5 YlYxd5= and he equalizes
completely. His powerful bishops
compensate for the unfavourable
position of his pawn on cS.

Chapter 2 0

l.e4 e 5 2 . f3 c 6 3 . .ic4 ic5 4.c3 f6

5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0
Giuoco Piano

6 . . . d5 ! ?
Black's main reply i n the dia
gram position is 6 . . . d6. That is
also a good move. However, we
recommend advancing the d
pawn one square further, because
with this Black immediately ob
tains a slight advantage in the
centre and a clear target for attack
- White's d3-pawn.
The drawback of the move 6 . . .
d S i s that for Black t o maintain
his advantage in the centre he
needs to coordinate his pieces,
which requires very precise
play.
7.exd5
This move is forced.
7 . . . ttlxd5

Now White's main attempts to

fight for an edge are connected
with A) 8.b4 and B) s.gel.
If 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 (9.l2Jxd4?
l2Jb6+) 9 . . . i.e7= Black's bishop is
redeployed to the f6-square, from
where it not only attacks the iso
lated pawn, but assists in the de
fence of his king.
8.l2Jg5 - White is trying to or
ganize an attack against the ene
my king, just using the forces he
has already developed. 8 . . . h6 9.
l2Je4 (in the variation 9.f3 hxgS
lO.i.xdS g4 ll.e4 i.fS ! ? - or 11 . . .
d6 = - 12.xf5 xdS 13J!dl
ad8 14.xg4 fS Black obtains
excellent compensation for the
pawn, owing to the weakness of
223

Chapter 2 0
White's d3-pawn and his undevel
oped queenside) 9 ...!J.e7= (Black
loses a pawn after 9 . . . !J.b6? 10.
hh6 ! and White's bishop is ta
boo, since capturing on dS fails to
a fork on f6.) 10.ltlbd2 , Iftime M.Szabo, Buzias 2002, and here
Black can play 10 . . . lt:Ja5+, either
gaining the advantage of the two
bishops or banishing the enemy
bishop to a4, after which he can
win the d3-pawn with lt:Jf4.
8.!J.b3 ifS 9.!J.g5, Cunha Koziel, Email 2008, (it is slightly
preferable for White to opt for
9 .ltlxe5 lt:JxeS 10.d4 lt:Jb4 ! 11.dxc5
lt:Jbd3= , but Black's piece-activity
is quite threatening) 9 . . . !J.e7 10.
he7 lt:Jdxe7+ - Black has com
pleted his development and will
go on to attack the d3-pawn.
8.e2 !J.g4 9.b4 (Black does
not need to fear 9.h3 !J.hS 10 .g4? !
!J.g6 11.ltlxe5 lt:JxeS 12.xe5 c6+
when White has won a pawn but
lags considerably behind in devel
opment and his king is in danger.)
9 . . . !J.b6 10.a4 a6 11.h3, Morozov
- Bascetta, Email 2009, Black
should maintain the pin with 11 . . .
!J.hS?, since h e need not fear the
loss of his pawn, because White's
king would then be exposed.
8.!J.g5 f6 9.d4N. This is a prin
cipled move for White. (After 9.
!J.h4?! <;!;>h8t, Black has moved his
king off the dangerous diagonal
and now seizes the initiative,
thanks to his superior develop
ment and dominance in the cen
tre, Borisov - Popvasilev, Sofia
2 011; if 9 . .ie3 he3 10.fxe3 .ie6
224

11.e2 , Fluvia Poyatos - Camp

UltraChess, Calella 1999, then af
ter 11 . . . lt:Ja5= Black either ex
changes his knight for the enemy
bishop, or dislodges the enemy
bishop from the dangerous a2-g8
diagonal ; if White avoids the ex
change of his bishop, Black's
pawns on b7 and c7 will join in the
action.) 9 . . . exd4 10.cxd4 !J.b6 11.
lt:Jc3 !J.e6 12J'1e1 !J.fl= Black has
succeeded in keeping control of
the dS-square, so his position is
perfectly playable.
8.lt:Jbd2 ltlb6

9.!J.b5 i.d6 10.lt:Je4 (10.Eie1 !J.g4

- see variation B) 10 . . . !J.g4 11.h3
(11.Eie1 Eie8 12 .h3 ihS - see varia
tion B) 11 . . . !J.h5 12.ltlg3 !J.g6 13.
Eie1, Bronstein - Plachetka, Kiro
vakan 1978. Here Black should
support his eS-pawn with the
move 13 . . . Eie8 = , not fearing the
doubling of his pawns on the
queenside, since in that case the
power of Black's light-squared
bishop would be increased con
siderably.
In response to 9.ltle4, Hofae
cker - Zumbuelt, Germany 1991,
Black should allow the exchange
of his bishop and after 9 . . . lt:Jxc4

l.e4 e5 2. t:lJ.f3 t:lJ c6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 t:lJf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed t:lJxd5
10.CiJxc5 CiJd6= the weakness of
White's d3-pawn might become
an important factor.
After 9.b4 White wins a pawn:
9 . . . ie7 10.b5 CiJaS ll.CiJxe5 tt:laxc4
12.CiJdxc4 CiJxc4 13.CiJxc4, Bauer
Bacrot, Belfort 2010 (13.dxc4
xd1 14J:!xd1 .ie6t and White will
have serious problems with the
protection of his c4-pawn, while
the position is open and Black's
bishops are very powerful), but
after Black plays 13 . . . a6 14.bxa6
Elxa6 15.Ele1 .ie6 and he obtains
more than sufficient compensa
tion for the pawn owing to his ac
tive pieces and White's weak
queenside pawns.
8.h3 CiJb6

9.b4?! - This move only weak

ens his queenside, Kurmann Brkic, Budva 2 009 and after 9 . . .
CiJxc4 10.bxc5 t:lJ4a5 11.Ele1 f6+
White's problems with the protec
tion of his pawns become clear.
9.ig5 d6 ! 10 .b4? ! tt:lxc4 11.
bxc5 g6 12.dxc4 e4 13 .ie3 exf3
14.xf3 CiJe5 15.g3 xg3 16.fxg3
CiJxc4+ - Black has regained his
pawn and has an edge thanks to
the many weak pawns in his op
ponent's camp, although the pres-

ence of bishops of opposite col

ours on the board increases
White's chances of a successful
defence, I.Saric - Brunello, Sze
ged 2 007.
9 ..ib3 .if5 10 ..ic2 Ele8 11.e2
(In answer to ll . .ie3? Black ob
tains a better pawn structure and
a considerable in development
with ll . . . he3 12 .fxe3 hd3 ! 13.
xd3 xd3 14.hd3 e4+; if ll.CiJg5
ig6 12.CiJe4 .ie7 13 .CiJbd2, Neved
nichy - Roganovic, Novi Sad
2009, Black can seize the initia
tive by playing 13 .. .f5 14.CiJg3
d7t when he controls the fourth
rank completely and has no prob
lems with finding good squares
for his pieces) ll . . . CiJd5 12 .Ele1
d7 13.f1 Elad8+ - Black has
completed his development and
retains an edge thanks to his extra
space, E.Alekseev - Kazhgaleyev,
Tashkent 2011.
9 . .ib5 .id6 (Here it is also pos
sible for Black to play 9 . . . f6 ! ?
10.a4 a 6 ll.hc6 bxc6oo and his
two strong bishops, plus the
weakness of White's d3-pawn,
provide Black with an excellent
game, but the neglect of his pawn
structure might not be to every
body's liking . . . ) 10.Ele1 (10.CiJbd2
id7=) 10 . . . CiJe7
(diagram)
ll.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 (Black has
no problems after 12.CiJxd4 tt:lf5
13.tt:lxf5 .ix5= when he easily
completes his development, L.Va
jda - Fressinet, Bastia 2010.) 12 . . .
.if5 13.CiJc3 c 6 14.if1 t:tJbd5= Black has securely occupied the
225

Chapter 2 0

dS-square and has the more ac

tive pieces, E.Alekseev - Shirov,
Foros 2008.
ll.lt:lxeS - White wins a pawn,
but presents his opponent with
the advantage of the two bishops,
Guido - Godena, Bratto 2005.
ll ... c6 ! ? (We believe that this
move is more precise than ll . . . a6,
as played in the game.) 12 . .ia4
lt:lxa4 13.xa4 E:e8gg

and it is easy to see that Black

has enough compensation for the
pawn :
14.d4? ! - This move looks at
tractive, but is not White's best.
After 14 . . . lt:lg6 15.lt:lf3 E:xel + 16.
lt:lxel hh3 ! 17.gxh3 (otherwise
Black will have a very strong at
tack in addition to his two bish
ops, in a position with material
equality) 17 . . . h4 18.dl E:e8
his attack is already decisive and
226

even after White's most tenacious

defence 19 . .ie3 xh3 2 0 .f3
h2 + 2l.fl lt:lh4 2 2 .dl E:xe3 !
2 2 .fxe3 lt:lfS-+ Black regains the
sacrificed material with interest;
the position is equal after 14.
lt:ld2 bS lS.dl (or 15.c2 ifS
16.lt:ldf3 heS 17.lt:lxe5 f6 18.lt:lf3
hd3= ) lS ... heS 16.E:xe5 xd3
17.a4 a6= ; or 14.lt:lf3 ifS 15.if4
ix4 16.xf4 xd3= and in both
cases Black regains his pawn but
White completes his develop
ment.

A) 8.b4
The main benefit of this move
is that it wins a pawn, but its basic
drawback is that White lags in de
velopment and now weakens an
other pawn, on c3.
8 . . . i.e7

9.b5
This is his most consistent
continuation.
9 .ib3?! a6 10 .ic2 ifS ll.ie3
d7+ White has great problems
with the protection of his pawns
on d3 and c3 , Tairova - Samokhi
na, Urgup 2004.

l.e4 e5 2. liJj3 liJc6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 liJf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed liJxd5
9.b3? ! liJb6 10J'%e1 liJxc4 11.
dxc4 f6 12 .c5+ l!lh8+ - Black has
strengthened his position in the
centre and obtained the advan
tage of the two bishops, Rjanova
- Ponkratov, Moscow 2010.
9.h3 .if6 10.liJfd2 (in reply to
10 .1Mfb3, Black can gain the bishop
pair by playing 10 . . . liJb6+) 10 . . .
liJb6 ll . .ibS (ll.liJe4 liJxc4 12.dxc4
.ie7+) ll . . . .id7 12.liJe4 a6 13.hc6
hc6+ - without his light-squared
bishop White is unlikely to pre
serve his d3-pawn, Djurhuus S.Arkhipov, Gausdal 1991.
9J'%e1 .if6

he4 18.dxe4 c6 19.i.b2 f6 2 0.e5

cxbS+ and White is unable to ex
ploit the long diagonal;
10.i.a3 e8 11.liJbd2 bS 12.hd5
(In reply to 12 . .ib3, Smirin - De
lorme, Rijeka, 2010, it looks very
attractive for Black to bring his
aS-rook into action with the move
12 ... a5!+) 12 ...1Mfxd5 13.liJe4 .ie7 14.
i.b2 aS 15.a4, Ponkratov - I.Khai
rullin, Zvenigorod 2008 and here
it is very good to play 1S . . . axb4
16.axb5 xa1 17.1Mfxa1 1Mfxb5 18.c4
1Mfa6+ As a result of the exchanges,
Black's passed b4-pawn might be
come very dangerous, particularly
if the position is further simplified.
9 liJa5

After 10.b3 liJb6 11 . .ie3 liJxc4

12.dxc4, Gassanov - Aliyev, Baku
20 07, it seems good for Black to
activate his queen with 12 . . . d3+
10.b5 liJaS ll . .ia3 (ll.liJxeS
liJxc4 12.dxc4 liJb6 13.xd8 xd8
14 ..if4, Kuczynski - Panczyk,
Wroslaw 1987, 14 . . . g5 ! 1S . .ig3
.ie6+ - Black prevents the normal
development of White's queen
side.) ll . . . e8 12 .hd5 1Mfxd5 13.c4
1Mfd8 14.liJc3, Areshchenko - Slo
bodjan, Munich 2010. Here Black
can win the exchange with 14 . . . e4!
1S.liJxe4 (this is the only move)
1S . . ..ixa1 16.1Mfxa1 .ifS 17.1Mfc3

1 0 .ixd5
It is no better for White to opt
for 10.liJxe5 liJxc4.
.

227

Chapter 2 0
Now, after ll.dxc4 tt:lb6 12 . .ia3
ha3 13.xd8 l!xd8 14.tt:lxa3 tt:la4
15J'l:ac1 f6 16.tt:lf3 .ig4 17.tt:ld4
tt:lxc3 18.l!xc3 l!xd4+, Ruan Lufei
- A.Kosteniuk, Antakya 2010,
Black gained a small but stable
advantage, since the bishop is
stronger than the enemy knight in
a position with an open centre.
In response to ll.tt:lxc4, Ficco
- Godena, Lugano 2007, it is very
good to continue with ll . . . a6! 12.
bxa6 l!xa6+ and Black's bishop
pair, combined with the weakness
of White's queenside pawns, more
than compensate for Black's sac
rificed pawn.
1 0 , . .'rgxd5 ll.c4 d7!

This excellent move is far from

obvious. Black blocks the access
of his bishop to the f5-square, but
in some variations he will exert
pressure on White's d3-pawn
with the move l!d8 and when he
advances a7-a6 or c7-c6, he will
win an important tempo, since his
opponent's b5-pawn will need
protection.
12 . .id2
The only defect of Black's posi228

tion i s the passive position o f his

knight on the edge of the board.
White is trying to exploit this.
12.tt:lc3. Black might make use
of the fact that his e5-pawn is un
touchable at the moment and
bring back his knight closer to the
centre with 12 . . . c6 13.bxc6 (13.
tt:lxe5? d4- +) 13 ... tt:lxc6 14.tt:ld5
b6= and although White has com
pleted his development, but Black
has no problems whatsoever.
12 . . . e4 13 . .ixa5
After 13.dxe4 tt:lxc4+, Black's
knight easily gets back into play.
13 . . . exf3 14.xf3 a6

15 ..ic3
We shall take a look at White's
alternatives:
15.bxa6 l!xa6 16 . .ic3 l!d8 17.d4
(17.l!e1 c5 18.tt:ld2 l!d6 19.tt:le4
l!xd3+ Black regains his pawn and
retains his advantage of the two
bishops.) 17 . . . b5 18.tt:ld2 l!f6 19.
e3 l!e6 2 0.f3 .ia6 ! 21 .d5 l!g6
2 2 .cxb5 hb5 23.l!fe1 .if8+ White
loses his d5-pawn and the one on
a2 is more of a weakness than an
outside passed pawn;
15.b6 cxb6 16 . .ixb6 (after 16.

l.e4 e5 2. tiJ.fJ ti:J c6 3. i.c4 i.cS 4.c3 ti:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed ti:Jxd5
i.c3 c6 17.ti:Jd2 xf3 18.t?Jxf3 fS+
White's queenside pawns are much
weaker than Black's) 16 . . .i.f6 17.
d4 hd4 18.:E'!dl (It is obviously an
improvement for White to play
18 .hd4 xd4 19.ti:Ja3 cS+ but
Black's bishop is clearly superior
to White's knight on the edge of
the board, and his position is
more compact.) 18 . . . ha1 19J:!xd7
hd7 2 0 .xb7 (20.ti:Ja3 i.c6 21.
b3 E:fe8+) 20 . . . E:ae8 2 1.i.e3 E:b8
2 2 .e4 E:fe8 23.c2 i.a4 24.cl
i.b2 25.el E:bd8-+ Andriasian
- A.Mastrovasilis, Rijeka 2010;
White can maintain equality
with a line which has not been played
yet: 15.a4N axbS 16.axb5 E:d8

White still has some difficul

ties to overcome, for example:
White loses the exchange after
17.E:dl? i.b4+;
after 17.e3 i.f6 ! (This is bet
ter than 17 . . . i.b4 18.hb4 E:xal
19.i.c3 E:xb1 20.E:xbl xd3= when
White has regained the exchange
and the most likely result is a
draw.) 18.E:a3 i.b2 19.E:a2 .id4
20 .d2 i.cS+ Black will inevitably
regain his pawn and will have the
edge thanks to his strong bishops ;
17.ti:Jd2 ! i.f6 (The game is rath-

er unclear after 17 . . . xd3 18.hc7

E:xal l9.E:xal xd2 20.i.xd8 xd8
21.E:a8 g6oo; if Black could move
his pieces off the back rank with
out losing material, he would
have excellent winning prospects.
However, it is difficult to see how
he can manage this without allow
ing White to obtain a passed
pawn.) 18.E:a3 f5 19.d4 xf3 2 0 .
t?Jxf3 h S 2 1.h3 b 6 22 .i.b4 E:xa3
23 .ha3 hd4= The position has
been transformed into an end
game with bishops of opposite
colours and most likely a draw.
15 axb5 16.cxb5 xb5 17.
g3
. .

17. . . g5 !
Black releases the pressure
against the d3-pawn, but avoids
weakening his kingside and in
fact now plans an offensive
against the enemy monarch.
18.xc7 ga6
From this square the rook can
be redeployed in the centre or on
the kingside, and it also supports
a possible i.d6.
19 . .id2 f6 20 . .ic3 h4
21.g3
229

Chapter 2 0

2 1 . . . %Yxg3 !
This is stronger than 2 1 . . .Yfh6
2 2 .%Ye3 i.g5 23.f4 i.d8 24.tt:ld2oo
when White has completed his
development and kept his extra
pawn, Macieja - Fressinet, Wat
tenscheid 2011.
22.hxg3 b5+ Black has more
than enough compensation for
the pawn, despite the exchange of
queens. His bishops are very
strongl, while White will have
problems protecting his pawns on
d3 and a2. Furthermore, after the
exchange of queens White will
find it difficult to organize any ac
tive counterplay.
B) s.gel
This is the main line. White
has already opened the e-file, so it
is logical use it to exert some pres
sure on Black's e5-pawn.
8 . . . .ig4
(diagram)
9.h3
White should force Black's bish
op to the h5-square, from where it
cannot return to the centre.
After 9.tt:lbd2 and Black's best
reply 9 ... tt:lb6! it generally amounts
230

to a transposition of moves. 10.

.ib5 (10.tt:le4 tt:lxc4 ll.tt:lxc5 tt:ld6
12 .h3 .ih5 - see 9.h3 .ih5 10.
tt:lbd 2 ; 10.b4 .ie7 ll.h3 .ih5 - see
9 .h3) 10 ... .id6 ll.tt:le4 (ll.h3 .ih5
- see 9.h3 ; ll.hc6 bxc6 12 .h3
.ih5 - see 9.h3) ll . . . Eie8 12 .h3
.ih5 - see 9.h3.
White has a good alternative
here in the form of the less popu
lar move 9.a4 ! ? played in Krivo
kapic - Nestorovic, Subotica
2010. The idea behind this insidi
ous move is to push the pawn to
a5 and deprive Black's knight of
the b6-square and at the same
time ensure the safety of White's
own light-squared bishop. Black's
best response seems to be 9 . . . a6
10.a5 (10.tt:lbd2 tt:lb6 ll.h3 .ih5 see 9 .h3) 10 . . . h8 ll.h3 .ih5 see 9 .h3.
In several games White has
played 9.b4? tt:ldxb4 ! 10.cxb4
hf3 ll.Yfxf3 i.d4+, but he re
mains the exchange down.
After 9.Yfe2 Eie8 10 .h3 Black's
most reliable reply seems to be
10 . . . .ie6 ! ? ll.Yfc2 .ib6 12.tt:lg5
i.f5=
9 . . . .ih5

l.e4 eS 2. 0,j3 'Ll c6 3. 1ic4 ticS 4.c3 'Llf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 dS 7.ed ttJxdS
Souleidis - Ragger, Germany 2007;
it is too risky for White to opt for
14.1i.g5 b6 15.l'!e2 cxd5 16 . .ie3
a6 17.l'!d2 f5 Smola - Wiewio
ra, Kolobrzeg 2008) 14 . . . cxd5 15.
f3 1i.c7 and Black's kingside at
tack procedes effortlessly, Stjazh
kina - Arnaudov, Varna 2010.

Bl) 1 0 .b4 .ib6

Bl) 1 0 .b4
B2) 1 0 .a4
B3) 1 0 .bd2
10.g4 .ig6 ll.'Llxe5 (11.b4 .ib6
- see 10.b4) ll . . . tt:Jxe5 12J%xe5 c6
13 .hd5 (If 13.d4? fi.d6 White
loses after 14.l'!e1 h4 15.f3
l'!ae8-+ since compared with the
Marshall attack his kingside is ir
reparably weakened, while after
14.1i.g5 f6 15.1i.h4, Maslak - Vasta,
Dos Hermanas 2004, 15 . . . he5
16.dxe5 b6-+ Black wins the ex
change and retains the better de
velopment; or 13.f3 c7 14.l'!e1
l'!ae8+ and Black has more than
enough compensation for the
pawn, because White's queenside
is undeveloped and his kingside is
very weak.) 13 . . .1i.d6 (Black ob
tained excellent compensation in
the game Glidzhain - Ponkratov,
Moscow 2010, with 13 . . . cxd5 ! ? 14.
f3 Wfc7 15.l'!xd5 l'!ae8, but he
was two pawns down neverthe
less . . . ) 14.l'!e1 (after 14.l'!g5 cxd5
15.f3 f5 ! 16.gxf5 fi.e7 17.f6 hf6
18.xd5+ l'!t7 19.xd8+ l'!xd8 20 .
l'!xg6 hxg6+ White is an exchange
down in an endgame and his
queenside is still undeveloped,

ll.b5
11.hd5? - White cannot win a
piece like this, because after 11 . . .
xd5 12.c4 h f3 13.gxf3 d4-+
he cannot protect his rook.
It would be too aggressive for
him to weaken his kingside
with ll.g4? ! .ig6 12.a4 (12 .hd5?!
xd5 13.c4 xd3 14.c5 lt:lxb4 15.
cxb6 lt:lc2+ Black obtains a rook
and several pawns for two minor
pieces.) 12 . . . a6 13.a5 (13.lt:lxe5
f6+ Black regains his pawn and
White's kingside weaknesses will
be hurting him even more after
the opening of the e-file.) 13 . . . 1i.a7
14.lt:lxe5, Kubasky - Speisser,
Email 2006. Here Black can play
14 . . . lt:lxe5 15.l'!xe5 c6+, gaining
more than enough compensation
231

Chapter 2 0
for the exchange, owing to his lead
in development and the weakened
position of White's king.
After ll.a4 a6 1 2 J''!:a2 (12.l"!:a3
f6 13.lt:lbd2 .tf7 14.a5 .ta7 15.ll'le4
d7 16.b3 l"!:fd8= it is difficult
for both sides to improve their po
sitions.) 12 .. .f6 13.ll'lbd2 h8 14.
l"!:c2, Vasiukov - Opl, Dresden 2006,
Black should deploy his major
pieces in the centre and the best
way to begin this is to play 14 ... d7=
ll . . . ll'la5 12.gxe5
12 .g4?! - White has weakened
his queenside with his previous
move and now he is doing just the
same with his kingside. 12 . . . .tg6
13.ll'lxe5 (if 13Jxe5? ll'lf4 14.hf4
ll'lxc4+ Black regains his pawn
and quickly activates all his piec
es; or 13.hd5 xd5 14.ll'lxe5 l"!:fe8
15.d4 cS+ White might fail to de
velop altogether.) 13 . . . ll'lxc4 14.
dxc4 h4 ! -+ Black's forces are
tremendously active and White is
almost helpless against his oppo
nent's attack, for example : 15.f3
(15.cxd5? g3+ 16.h1 xh3+ 17.
g1 g3+ 18.hU.xf2-+) 15 ... l"!:ae8!
16 . .ta3 (16.cxd5 f6+) 16 .. .f6 17.
.ixf8 ll'lf4 18.xf4 fxe5-+ and Black's
threats on the f-file are decisive.
12 . . . ll'lf6N
(diagram)
13 . .tb3
13.ll'la3 hf3 14.xf3 .td4 ! 15.
cxd4 (after 15.l"!:e2 hc3 16.l"!:b1 l"!:e8
17.l"!:xe8+ xe8 18.ll'lc2 h6= Black
will easily eliminate White's ad
vantage of the two bishops) 15 . . .
xd4 16.l"!:e1 xa1 17 . .ld2 b2 18.
haS xa3 19.hc7 l"!:ae8 20.l"!:f1
232

cS 21.g3 ll'le4! 22.dxe4 xc4

23 ..td6 xbS 24.i.xf8 EMS= Black
will create an outside passed
pawn on the queenside and this
will guarantee him at least a draw.
Black has the same tactical re
source even if White protects his
bishop on c4 in another way: 13.
ll'lbd2 hf3 14.xf3 .ld4 ! 15.l"!:e2
hc3 16.l"!:b1 l"!:e8 17.ll'le4 ll'lxc4 18.
ll'lxc3 fue2 19.xe2 ll'lb6= The sim
plification of the position is in Black's
favour, because the more pieces
he manages to exchange, the weak
er White's d3-pawn will become.
13 . . . ll'lxb3 14.axb3 ges 15.
gxe8+ xeS 16.g4
White's bS-pawn is hanging
and he has no other defence
against 16 . . . .txf3 .

l.e4 e5 2. l:C,j3 I:C, c6 3. c4 c5 4.c3 I:C,f6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed l:i',xd.S

16 0,xg4! ?
This is the most precise move
for Black, although he can also
play 16 . . . g6.
17.hxg4 ixg4 18 . .if4 (after
18.0,bd2 \WxbS ! 19J:a4 'IWhS 20.
\We2 \Wg6 21.<;t>hl \Wh5+ 2 2 .<;t>g1
\Wg6= the most logical outcome of
the game would be a draw by rep
etition) 18 Jd8 19.bd2 gxd3
2 0 .Wfel ti'xel+ 21.<!Llxel gxc3
22.c4 h5 23.xb6 ax:b6=
White will lose both his b-pawns
in the next few moves, in return
for the b7- and c7- pawns, so
Black's prospects in this endgame
are perfectly acceptable.
.

simplification, because all his

pieces are in play, while White's
queenside is undeveloped and his
king is insufficiently protected,
Silva - Jelic, Email 2 0 0 2 .
n ... whs !
A complicated position has
arisen, one which has not yet
been analyzed thoroughly, so
we shall deal with it at some
length.

B2) 1 0 .a4!?

This move is played with the

same idea as 9.a4, which is to en
sure the safety of White's strong
light-squared bishop.
10 a6 11.a5
ll .l:i',bd2 l:i',b6 - see 10.I:i',bd2 .
ll.g4? ! g6 12./:i)xeS l:i',xeS 13.
EixeS c6 14.hd5 cxdS 15.\Wf3 ti'c7
16.Eixd5 Eiad8 17.Eixd8 Eixd8 18.d4
hd4+ Black's prospects are pref
erable, despite the considerable
.

12.bd2
This is the most natural devel
oping move for White.
He loses after the hasty 12.
\Wb3? 13.gxf3 \Wh4 ! 14.d4
exd4 15.hd5 Eiae8 16.'1Wd1 dxc3
17.e3 he3 18.Eixe3 Eixe3 19 .fxe3
cxb2 2 0 .Eia2 Eid8-+ Black regains
his piece and ends up with extra
pawns and an attack.
The position is double-edged
after 12 .d4 exd4 13.cxd4 b4 14.
d2 hd2 15.0,bxd2 /:i)f4? when
White has seized space on the
queenside but his d4-pawn needs
protection and his king might
come under attack.
A very complicated struggle
arises after 12 .b4 a7 13.b5 axbS
233

Chapter 2 0
14.hb5 f6 15.i.a3 l:'le8 16.a6
c8+ Black has the better posi
tion in the centre and eyes the
kingside, but White has made
some progress on the queenside.
12 .g4 - White wants to in
crease his pressure on the queen
side. 12 . . . i.g6 13.b3 e4 ! 14.dxe4
lt::l e5 ! 15.lt::l xe5 h4 ! . Black has
begun an attack after several very
strong moves and the difficulty
of White's defence can be best il
lustrated by the following varia
tions : 16.lt::l d3 (16.c2? l:'lae8 17.
hd5 g3+ 18.\!i>fl xh3+ 19.'i!i>e2
l:'lxe5- + White's queenside forces
cannot come into play.) 16 . . . g3+
17. \!i>fl xh3+ 18.'i!i>e2 (18.'i!i>g1?
xg4-+) 18 ...he4 19.'i!i>d2 (White
loses by force after 19.lt::l xc5 lt::l f4+
2 0 .hf4 xg4+ 21.'i!i>e3 f3+ 2 2 .
'i!i> d 2 xf4+ 23.l:'le3 xf2 + 24.l:'le2
f4+ 25.\!i>e1 g3+ 26.\!i>fl i.f5-+)
19 ... hd3 20 .hd3 lt::l f4 21.i.f5
lt::l g 2 2 2 .l:'le2 f3 23.c4 lt::l f4 24.
b4 l:'lad8+ 25.\!i>c2 lt::l x e2 2 6.xc5
lt::l x c1 27. \!i>xc1 c6+ and the materi
al is approximately equal, but
Black's prospects are better, since
all his pieces are active, while
White's king is unsafe and his
pawns on g4 and particularly on
f2 are quite vulnerable.
12 f5 13.lifl
After 13.d4 exd4 14.lt::l b 3 d6
15.d3 l:'lae8+ the opening of the
e-file is in Black's favour, because
he is the better-developed side.
13 e4! 14.dxe4 .ixf3! 15.
Yxd5
White loses quickly after 15.
xf3 fxe4-+ , or 15.gxf3 h4-+

15 ht'2 + ! 16.'i!i>xf2 h4+

17.g1
It is inferior for White to con
tinue with 17.g3 xh3 18.'i!i>xf3
fxe4+ 19.'i!i>e2 g4+ 2 0.'i!i>d2 l:'lad8
2 1.xd8 l:'lxd8+ 2 2.'i!i>c2 lt::l e 5+
with an approximate material
balance on the board, but Black's
pieces are much more active than
their white counterparts, while
White's king has no safe refuge.
17 exe1 18.gxf3 gadS 19.
c5 gd6 2 0 .exf5 c!Lle5

234

21.ee3
The attempt to solve his prob
lems tactically by playing 21.
i.h6 leads after 2 1 . . .lt::l xf3+ 2 2 .'i!i>h1
e8 23 . .if4 e4 24.e3 c6 25.
e2 lt::l d 2+ 2 6.g2 lt::l xc4 27 . .ixd6

l.e4 e5 2JiJj3 11Jc6 3. i.c4 i.c5 4.c3 11Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed l:iJxdS
xd6+ to material equality, but
White's position is worse, since
his king is completely exposed.
21 gdl 22.'ffx el el 23.
f2 (The attempt to play for a
win with 23.b3 11Jxc4 24.bxc4 gds
25.l'!b1 l'!dd1 26.l'!xb7 fuf1+ 27.
'i!lg2 l'!g1+ 28.'i!lf2 l'!gf1+ 29.'i!lg3
l'!g1+ 30.'i!lh4 h6+ does not pro
vide White with sufficient com
pensation for the exchange.) 23
c1 24.gxcl xc4 25.gdl g8
26.b4 d6 27.11Je3 xf5 28.
xf5 gxf5 29.gd7 M7 3 0 .gd8+
gf8= The position is drawish, ir
respective of whether White ex
changes the rooks or not.

d3-pawn, while his bishop has an

excellent square on a7.) 1 2 . . . 11Jxc4
13.11Jxc5 11Jd6 14.d4 (after 14.g4
i.g6 15.11Jxe5 l:iJxeS 16.l'!xe5 b6 17.
11Jb3 11Jc4 18.l'!e1 xd3t Black's
pieces are considerably more ac
tive) 14 . . . exd4 15.g4 i.g6 16.cxd4
l'!e8? White's knight has a great
outpost on cS, but his d4-pawn is
potentially weak; Black should
therefore try to bring about ex
changes.

B3a) 11.11Je4 xc4 12.xc5

d6 13.g4 .tg6

B3) t o .tobd2 b6

B3a) 11.e4
B3b) 11 .tb5
B3c) 11.b4

The position is equal after 11.

a4 a6 12.11Je4 (It is inferior for
White to play 12.a5 11Jxc4 13.11Jxc4
f6+ when, having strengthened
his centre Black stands ready to
exert pressure against the enemy

14.xe5
This is White's most consist
ent move.
In reply to 14.a4, it is good
for Black to play 14 . . . l'!e8 ! - he
consolidates his position in the
centre, ignoring his opponent's
queenside threats. Now after
15.11Jxb7 11Jxb7 16.xc6 l'!e6 17.
xb7 l'!b6 18.xa8 xa8 19.11Jxe5
f6 20.11Jxg6 hxg6+ Black ends up
with a slight material advan
tage .
14 ..tg5 c8 15.11Jh4, Corte Redol:fi, Buenos Aires 1955 (it is
235

Chapter 2 0
preferable for White to opt for
15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 b6 - see 14.
d4) and after 15 .. .f6 16.li:lxg6 hxg6
17 . .ie3 b6 18.ltle4 d7+ Black is
ready to attack the enemy d3pawn.
14.d4 exd4 15 . .ig5 (15.cxd4?!
b6 16.a4 ltlxd4 17.xd4 bxcS 18.
xeS f6 19Je3 ltle4 2 0 .xc7
:Bfd8+ White's king is vulnerable
and he has considerable problems
with the development of his
queenside.) 15 . . . c8 16.ltlxd4 (16.
cxd4 b6 17.ltle5 ltlxeS 18.dxe5
bxcS 19.exd6 cxd6= It will not be
easy for Black to exploit the weak
ness of White's king and after the
exchange of queens the position
will become a dead draw.) 16 . . .
lt'lxd4 17.xd4 b 6 18 .ltlb3 :Be8=
Tzermiadianos - Markidis, Kal
lithea 2009.
14 lt'lxe5 15.gxe5 b6

In answer to 16.ltlb3, Black

can play for a win with the help of
the move 16 .. .f5 ! ?. Sarthou Naiditsch, France 2010, or ensure
the safety of his king by playing
16 . . . ltlc4 17.:Be1 xd3 18.xd3
.ixd3=
16 c8 ! 17 .ie7 bxc5 18.
.bf8 xf8 19.c5 ltle4 2 o .gas
After 20.:Be5 lt'lcS 2 1.d4 ltld3
22 .:Be3 lt'lxb2 23.e2 :Bb8 24.c4
h6 25.h4 d6 26.h5 .id3 27.:Bxd3
lt'lxd3 28.xd3 f4= Black re
gains his pawn and White must
play very accurately to maintain
the balance.
.

2 0 ttlc5 21.d4? ! (White is

trying to play for a win. Instead, it
would be preferable for White to
continue with 2 1.f4 .ixd3 22.b4
ltlb7t, with some initiative for
Black in view of the fact that
White's king is completely ex
posed.) 21 ttld3 22.3 :Be8
23.gxa7 .ie4 24.g3 (24.e3
fS! 25.f3 f4 26.d2 .ig6 27.:Bfl
e7- + ; 27.:Bxc7 :Be3-+) 24 f5
25. xc7 (After 25.gxf5 .txfS it is
bad for White to play 26.:Bxc7
:Be6-+ , or 26.xc7 .ixh3 27.c4+

16 .ig5
It would be too risky for White
to play16.ltla6? ! , because the
transfer of the knight from that
square to the kingside would take
too long. 16 .. .f5 17.d4 h4 18.f1
:Bac8--+

236

. .

l.e4 eS 2. li:Jj3 li:J c6 3. i.c4 i.cS 4.c3 li:Jf6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed li:JxdS
a:e6- + , and Black's attack is deci
sive in both cases.) 25 fxg4
26.ti'c4+ lt>h8 27.ti'f7 ti'xf7 28.
gxf7 gxh3 29.gdl lt>g8 3 0 .gc7
h5 31.b4 h4-+ Despite the ex
change of the queens Black's at
tack is crushing, White's king is
incarcerated and he has no satis
factory defence against the threat
of 32 . . . .ig2 .

B3b) ll.J.b5
White tries to attack the ene
my eS-pawn.
ll J.d6

After 12 .i.xc6 bxc6 13.li:Je4 (13.

g4 i.g6 14.tt:lxe5 heS 15J!xe5
xd3 16.f3 d6+ the weakness
of Black's queenside will only be a
factor in the endgame, but at the
moment White's queenside is un
developed and his king is weak,
Gremmer - Leisebein, Email
1999) 13 .. .f5 14.ltlg3 i.xf3 15.ti'xf3
d7? Kofidis - Dervishi, Katerini
1993.
12 ges
.

12.li:Je4
The transfer of the knight to g3
enables him to get rid of the un
pleasant pin without weakening
the position of his king.
For 12.li:Jfl a:es 13.li:Jg3 i.g6 see 12.li:Je4.
12.a4 a6 13.i.xc6 bxc6 14.tt:le4
fS 15.li:Jg3 .ix3 16.ti'xf3 d7?
White is unable to exploit the
weakness of his opponent's
queenside pawns, but Black's ad
vantage in the centre is over
whelming, Guido - Brunella,
Bratto 2 007.

13.tt:lg3
This is the natural completion
of White's knight-manoeuvre.
In reply to 13.ig5?! f6 14.i.e3,
Burtasova - Ir.Semenova, Sochi
2004, it is useful for Black to
eliminate his opponent's light
squared bishop with 14 . . . a6 15.
i.xc6 bxc6?
If 13.a4 a6 14.hc6 bxc6 15.a5
(after 15.i.d2 li:JdS 16.li:Jg3 i.g6?
Black obtains excellent counter
play, thanks to his strong light
squared which now has no oppo
nent, Kusturin - Kasperski, corr.
1998) 15 . . . li:Jd7 16.a:a4, Kalugin E.Alekseev, Olginka 2011 (in re
sponse to 16.i.e3 Black can im237

Chapter 2 0
prove his position i n the centre by
playing 16 . . . c5 17.g4 .ig6 18.lt:Jfd2
E:b8 19.lt:Jc4 i.f8?), and after 16 . . .
f6? Black bolsters his eS-pawn
and enables his bishop to retreat
to f7, where it is better placed
than on g6.
13 . . . .ig6 14.a4
There is no advantage for
White in simplifying the position
with 14 . .igS d7 1S.lt:Jh4 a6 16 .
.ixc6 xc6 17. lt:Jxg6 hxg6= Hase
- Amado, Buenos Aires 1983.
14 ... a6 15.hc6 bxc6 16.a5
lt:Jd7 17.e4 h6 18.a4
18.d4 exd4 19.lt:Jxd6 cxd6 20.
lt:Jxd4 Wff c 7= Wallinger - Colucci,
corr. 1990.

18 ... c5= Black has consolidat

ed his position in the centre, and
it is now difficult for either side to
make any progress in this posi
tion without making positional
concessions, Lazic - Gligoric,
Kladovo 1990.

B3c) ll.b4 .ie7!N

Black's bishop is better placed
here than on d6, since it does not
238

impede the pressure of the major

pieces against White's d3-pawn.

12 .g4
We shall examine White's al
ternatives:
after 12 .bS lt:JaS 13.E:xeS .ig6
14.E:e1 E:e8 1S.lt:JeS i.f6 16.lt:Jxg6
hc3 ! 17.E:xe8+ xeS 18.E:b1
hxg6, Black is not worse, since at
any moment he can exchange his
terribly misplaced knight on aS
for White's strong bishop. For ex
ample: 19 .c2 lt:Jaxc4 20.dxc4
.ixd2 2 1 . .ixd2 e2 2 2 .E:c1 lt:Jxc4
23.i.b4 xc2 24.E:xc2 lt:Jb6 2S.
E:xc7 lt:JdS 26.E:c4 lt:Jxb4 27.E:xb4
E:d8 28.E:c4 E:d7= with complete
equality;
12 .b3 .if6 13 . .ib2 (13.-ibS
aS ! ? 14 . .ixc6 bxc6 1S.lt:JxeS E:e8
16.d4 axb4 17.xb4 cS ! 18.xcS
lt:Jd7 19.c4 heS 20.dxeS lt:JxeS
2 1.d4 Wfff6 Black's piece activity
more than compensates for his
sacrificed pawn.) 13 . . . aS 14.a3
axb4 1S.axb4 lt:Jxc4 16.xc4 d7
17.g4 (17.bS?! lt:JaS+ White's
queenside pawns are an easy tar
get for Black's attack.) 17 . . . .ig6
18.lt:Je4 i.e7? White's pieces are

l.e4 e5 2. l'Dj3 l'D c6 3. c4 c5 4.c3 l'Df6 5.d3 0 - 0 6. 0 - 0 d5 7.ed l'Dxd5

more active, but Black has no
weaknesses in his camp and has
two strong bishops;
in the variation 12.a4 a6 13.
a3 (after 13 .b3?! l'Dxc4 14.xc4
:!'!e8 15.l'Dxe5 ix:b4 ! 16.d4 l'DxeS
17.xb4 l'Dd3 18.1'!xe8+ xe8 19.
xb7 e1+ 20.@h2 :!'!e8t Black
obtains good attacking chances)
13 . . . l'Dxc4 14.l'Dxc4 f6 15.b5 l'Db8
16.he7 xe7= and the position is
simplified.
12 .e2 - White is preparing
d3-d4. 12 . . . l'Dxc4 13.l'Dxc4 f6 14.b5
l'Db8 15.d4 a6!

White has managed to cramp

his opponent a little, but the posi
tion will inevitably be opened up,
when the power of Black's bish
ops will increase considerably.
16.e4 axb5 17.xb7 :!'!a4 18.
l'Db2 (18.xb5 d7 19.xd7 ltlxd7
2 0.ltlb2 :!'!a3 21.l'Dd1 :!'!a5= - Black
will inevitably regain the a2pawn) 18 ... 1'!a3 19.dxe5 :!'!xc3= The
threat of M3 promises Black
good prospects for the future.
16.1'!b1 axb5 17.1'!xb5 d7 18.
:!'!xb7 c6 19.1'!b2 l'Dd7 2 0 .l'Dcd2
(after 2 0.dxe5 hf3 21.gxf3 ltlxe5
22.ltlxe5 fxe5 - Black has excel
lent compensation for the pawn

thanks to the many weak pawns

in White's camp.) 20 .. .'1Wxc3 21.
e4 i.f7=
16.bxa6 l'Dxa6 17.g4 i.f7 18.
dxe5 ltlc5 White's king is ex
posed and his queenside pawns
are weak; if we factor in Black's
bishop pair, this all adds up to ex
cellent compensation for the
pawn.
16.l'De3 - This is White's most
aggressive option. 16 . . . exd4

17.l'Df5 (17.cxd4?! axb5 18.

xb5 .hf3 19.gxf3 l'Dc6 2 0 .l'Dc2
c8t - White's king is endan
gered and might come under at
tack) 17 . . . d6 18.c4+ (18.bxa6
l'Dxa6 19.c4+ @h8 20.l'D3xd4
l'Dc5 2 1 .ltlxd6 cxd6 22 .ltlb5 i.f7
23.g4 e8= White is unable to
create pressure against the ene
my d6-pawn) 18 . . .f7 19.xd4
axb5 2 0.g4 g6 21.ltl3d4 h5 (this
is the most concrete reply) 2 2 .
ltlh6+ @h7 23.l'Dxf7 :!'!xf7 24.f3
l'Dc6 25.l'Dxb5 l'De5 26.d5 c6 ! ?
27.xd6 cxb5 28.xd8 :!'!xd8 29.
e3 @g7= The pawn-weaknesses
of both sides cancel each other
out.
12 .lg6 13.b5 c!Oa5 14.c!Oxe5
.lf6

239

Chapter 2 0

15.xg6
After 15.i.a3 i.xe5 16J'!xe5 l'!e8
17.l'!xe8+ xeS 18.i.c5 bxc4 19.
dxc4 l'!d8 20.e1 f6 2 1.xe8+
i.xe8 2 2 .i.e3 b6= White's extra
pawn is irrelevant. Next move
Black plans to advance c7-c5, fix
ing the weakness and restricting
the enemy bishop.
15 . . . hxg6 16.e4
In the variation 16.c2 l'!e8
17.i.a3 d7 18.l'!ad1 c6 19.bxc6
xc6= Black regains his pawn.
16.i.b2 d7 17.e4 (after 17.
c2 axc4 18.tt:lxc4 xb5+ White's
bishop is bad and his d3-pawn is
weak.) 17 . . . tt:lbxc4 18.dxc4 xd1
19.l'!axd1 tt:lxc4 20.tt:lxf6+ gxf6 21.
.ic1 a6 2 2 .a4 axb5 23.axb5 l'!fe8=
The endgame is by no means
worse for Black.
16 . . . axc4 17.dxc4 xc4
18 . .if4
After 18.b3 tt:ld6 19.tt:lxd6
cxd6 2 0.i.d2 l'!c8= the pawns on
d6 and c3 are equally weak.
After 18.f3 a6= Black opens
the a-file and brings his rook into
play.

240

18 ... .ie5
The careless move 18 . . . a6? !
leads to a loss of a pawn for Black
after 19.bxa6 l'!xa6 20.xd8 l'!xd8
2 1.hc7 l'!d5 2 2 . a4:t
19.e2
19.f3 f5 20.l'!ad1 fxe4 21.xe4
E:xf4 2 2 . E:xd8+ E:xd8 23.xg6
E:d6 24.e8+ E:f8 25.e7 E:fl=
19 . . . .ixf4 2 0 .xc4 c6 21.
gadl (21.bxc6 l:k8= ) 21 . . . c7
22.bxc6 gac8=

White's king is exposed, so he

must head for an endgame in
which the activity of his rooks will
be fully matched by the power of
Black's bishop.

Index of Variations

Part 1. l.e4 e5

Chapter 1 l.e4 e5
various
2 .d4 exd4 3.1!Nxd4 tt:lc6
.

9
10

Chapter 2 l.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 exf4

various
. .
.
18
4.tt:lf3 tt:lf6 various
..
20
A) 5 . .ib5? ! c6
22
B ) 5 . .ic4 tt:lxd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5
.

Chapter 3 l.e4 e 5 2.tt:lc3 f6

A)
3.f4 d5 various
Al)
4.fxe5 tt:lxe4
A2)
4.cxd5 tt:lxd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B)
3 .g3 d5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29
31
. 40
. 46

Chapter 4 l.e4 e5 2 .lc4 c6

various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A) 3.c3 tt:lf6
B) 3.d3 tt:lf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C) 3. tt:lc3 tt:lf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. 51
52
. 53
. 56

Part 1. l.e4 e5 2.:f3 c6

64

Chapter 5 l.e4 e5 2.:f3 c6

various
.
66
A) 3.d3 tt:lf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
.
.
.
. . 70
B) 3.c3 d5
4 . .ib5 dxe4 .
70
Bl)
4.1!Na4 f6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
B2)
.

Chapter 6 l.e4 e5 2.f3 c6 3.c3 f6

various
.
.
4.d4 exd4 5.tt:ld5
.

77
79

241

Index of Variations
Chapter 7 1.e4 e5 2 . c!Of3 c!Oc6 3.c!Oc3 c!Of6 4.g3 d5
S.exdS lt:JxdS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Chapter 8 1.e4 e5 2.c!Of3 c!Oc6 3.lt:Jc3 lt:Jf6 4 .ib5 .ib4
various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
5 . 0-0 0-0 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
A)
6 . .ixc6 dxc6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
B)
6.d3 d6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
B1)
7 . .ixc6 bxc6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
B2)
7.lt:Je2 lt:Je7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
B3)
7 . .ig5 lt:Je7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Chapter 9 1.e4 e5 2 . lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3.d4 exd4

various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
A) 4.c3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
B) 4 . .ic4 .icS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Chapter 10 1.e4 e5 2.lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c!Oxd4 c!Of6
various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
S.lt:Jxc6 bxc6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
A)
6.lt:Jc3 .ib4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
B)
6.lt:Jd2 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
C)
6 ..id3 dS various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
7.e5 lt:Jg4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
C1)
C2)
7.exd5 cxdS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Chapter 11 1.e4 e5 2.lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3.d4 exd4 4.lt:Jxd4 c!Of6 5.c!Oxc6
bxc6 6.e5 YlVe7 7.YlVe2 c!Od5
various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
8.b3 aS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Chapter 12 1.e4 e5 2.c!Of3 c!Oc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c!Oxd4 c!Of6 5.c!Oxc6
bxc6 6.e5 We7 7.ti'e2 c!Od5 8.c4 .ia6
various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
A) 9.lt:Jd2 g6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
B)
9.b3 g6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
B1)
10 . .ib2 .ig7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
B2)
10.f4 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Chapter 13 1.e4 e5 2 . c!Of3 c!Oc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4.b4 .ixb4 5.c3 .ia5
various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
6.d4 exd4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

242

Index of Variations
A)

7.0-0 tt:lge7 various

...
.
. . 160
8.cxd4 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 1
8.tt:lg5 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.b3 e7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
.

A1)
A2)
B)

Chapter 14 1.e4 e5 2.tt:lfJ tt:lc6 3 .ic4 .ic5

various .
. .
.
. . . . . . . .
.
.
173
4.d3 tt:lf6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
S.ib3 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Chapter 15 l.e4 e5 2 .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4.c!Dc3 .!Df6

various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
S.d3 h6 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
A)
6. 0-0 0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
B)
6.tt:ld5 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Chapter 16 l.e4 e5 2 .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4. 0 - 0 c!Df6

S .b4 ixb4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
S.d4 ixd4 6.tt:lxd4 tt:lxd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Chapter 17 1.e4 e5 2 . .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4. 0 - 0 .!Df6 5.d3 0 - 0

various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
A) 6.ig5 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
6.h3 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
B)
6.l:%e1 d6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
C)

Chapter 18 1.e4 e5 2.c!DfJ c!Dc6 3 . .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 .!Df6

various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
S .d4 exd4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
6.e5 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
A)
6.cxd4 ib4 various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
B)
B1)
7.i.d2 ixd2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
B2)
7.tt:lc3 tt:lxe4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Chapter 19 1.e4 e5 2 .!DfJ c!Dc6 3 .ic4 .ic5 4.c3 .!Df6 5.d3 0 - 0
various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
A) 6.b4 !J.e7
216
B) 6.tt:lbd2 aS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 17
6.!J.b3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
C)
D) 6.!J.g5 h6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

243

Index of Variations
Chapter 2 0 l.e4 e5 2.f3 c6 3.i.c4 .ic5 4.c3 f6 5.d3 0 - 0
6. 0 - 0 d5 7.exd5 xd5
various
223
8.b4 i.e7
226
A)
B ) 8.!1el .ig4 9.h3 .ih5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 0
Bl)
10.b4 .ib6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 1
B2)
10.a4 a6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
B3)
10.tt:lbd2 tt:lb6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
.

244