Playing the French 190798237X, 9781907982378

Citation preview

Playing the French By

Jacob Aagaard

& Nikolaos Ntirlis

Quality Chess .qualitychess.co.uk

www

First edition 20 1 3 by Quality Chess UK Ltd Copyright © 20 1 3 Jacob Aagaard

&

Nikolaos Ntirlis

PLAYING THE FRENCH All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. Paperback ISBN 978- 1 -907982-36- 1 Hardcover ISBN 978- 1 -907982-37-8 All sales or enquiries should be directed to Quality Chess UK Ltd, 20 Balvie Road, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 7TA, United Kingdom Phone +44 1 4 1 204 2073 e-mail: [email protected] website: www. qualitychess.co.uk Distributed in North America by Globe Pequot Press,

p.o. Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480, US

. globepequot.com

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Distributed in Rest of the World by Quality Chess UK Ltd through Sunrise Handicrafts, ul. Skromna 3, 20-704 Lublin, Poland Typeset by Jacob Aagaard Proofreading by John Shaw & Andrew Greet Edited by Colin McNab Cover design by B arry Adamson; Cover photo by capture365 . com Back cover photo by John Saunders

Printed in Estonia by Tallinna Raamatutriikikoja LLC

Contents Key to Symbols used Preface Bibliography Introduction

4 5 6 9 13 27 53 75

2 3 4

The Advance Variation The Euwe System 6.a3 6.�e2

5 6 7

The Exchange Variation The Symmetrical Variation Breaking the Symmetry

95 1 09 1 24

8 9 10 11

The Tarrasch Variation 4.exd5 'lWxd5 - Intro and 5.dxc5 Alternatives to the Main Line Main Line with 1 0.lLlxd4

1 39 1 59 1 74 1 96

12 13 14 15 16

The Steinitz Variation 5.lLlce2 Introduction t o 7 . . . a6 The Old Main Line - 9.dxc5 The Modern 9.a3

218 227 243 265 282

17 18 19 20

The Classical Variation Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . . c5! ClassicaI 6.�xe7 'lWxe7 Classical Main Line with 8.lLlf3

299 312 328 340

21 22 23

The McCutcheon Variation 6.�c l and 6.�e3 6.�d2

3 54 373 395

24 25

The King's Indian Attack Six Rare Birds

416 437

Index of Main Games Variation Index

455 457

Key to symbols used

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? ?? !! !? ?! #

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White is slightly better Black is slightly better White is better Black is better White has a decisive advantage Black has a decisive advantage equality with compensation with counterplay unclear with an attack with an initiative a weak move a blunder a good move an excellent move a move worth considering a move of doubtful value mate novelty

Preface For the last two years of my active career as a chess player my openings were decided in 5kype conversations with Nikos - if I was not simply following the files he had sent. We studied the Tarrasch Defence extensively together and I had a fantastic plus five score until we published our book on it (Grandmaster Repertoire 10- The Tarrasch Defence) . At the 20 1 1 Danish Championship I followed his recommendations in all the games and had about 40 minutes more on the clock on average when we guessed the right variations. I also had an advantage in almost all of the games. At the Istanbul Olympiad where Nikos was working for the Danish team as a second we spent a lot of time looking at the French Defence together and discovered a lot of interesting ideas. It was quite natural that we would carry this work forward to a second collaboration. The division of labour in this book has been quite similar to how we worked when we were player and second. Nikos sent me his drafts and ideas and I proofed them to the best of my ability. In the process I managed to make some theoretical contributions; especially the 12 . . . h6!?-apparently-not-a-novelty on page 2 1 0, which seemed crucial to keep this key line alive. This was the result of iron determination after I had rejected all of Nikos's other suggestions as being dubious-looking. In the end 95% of the material in this book comes from Nikos. The same was the case with our previous book. At the same time I take 1 00% responsibility for the content. The direction of the material is mine, the evaluations of many key positions are mine and the verification of the lines is mine as well. We have worked as a team on this book and combined Out strengths in the most effective way. You will find that although this book has two authors, we have decided to let the book have one voice: Nikos's. 50 wherever it says ''1'', imagine a slight Greek accent, but know that the grandmaster is nodding in approval in the background. I do not think that Nikos needed a co-author on this project; nor do I think I could have written this book on my own. Thus I hope the reader will divide praise and criticism fairly; all praise to Nikos and all criticism to me. Jacob Aagaard Glasgow, October 20 1 3

Bibliography In my 1 1 years of studying and collecting material on the French Defence, I have used countless sources to enrich my files. For many years, I had the bad habit (until recently!) not to reference the relevant sources in my notes, but in my defence the idea that I would write a book on the French Defence never crossed my mind! So I am sure the list below, though long, is incomplete. The sources listed are the main ones I re-checked during the process of writing this book. I feel lucky that I have in my library these books, articles, DVDs, databases and so on, and I'd like to thank the authors of each of them for broadening my horizons and help me to better understand chess and in particular the French Defence.

Advance and Other Anti-French Variations, Lev Psakhis, Batsford 2003 A Rock-Solid Chess Opening Repertoire for Black, Viacheslav Eingorn, Gambit 20 1 2 Attacking Chess: The French, Simon Williams, Everyman 20 1 1 Chess Explained: The French, Viacheslav Eingorn & Valentin Bogdanov, Gambit 2008 Chess Fundamentals (Greek edition), Jose Raul Capablanca, Kedros 1 999 Chess Praxis, Aron Nimzowitsch, Quality Chess 2007 Dangerous Weapons: The French, John Watson, Everyman 2007 Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual, Mark Dvoretsky, Russell 2008 Experts on the Anti-Sicilians, Aagaard and Shaw (editors) , Quality Chess 20 1 1 Fighting the Anti-Sicilians, Richard Palliser, Everyman 2007 French: Advance and Other Lines, Steffen Pedersen, Gambit 2006 French Defence 3.Nc3, Lev Psakhis, Batsford 2003 French Defence 3. Nd2, Lev Psakhis, Batsford 2003 French Defence Reloaded, Nikita Vitiugov, Chess Stars 20 1 2 French Defence: Steinitz, Classical and Other Variations, Lev Psakhis, Batsford 2005 How to Beat the French Defence, Andreas Tzermiadianos, Everyman 2008 How to Beat the Sicilian Defence, Gawain Jones, Everyman 20 1 1 How to Play Against 1 e4, Neil McDonald, Everyman 2009 Kasparov on Modern Chess I-IV, Garry Kasparov, Everyman 2007, 2008, 2009, 20 1 0 Knight o n the Left, Harald Keilhack, Schachverlag Kania 2005 Lessons with a Grandmaster 1 &- 1!, Boris Gulko and Joel R. Sneed, Everyman 20 1 1 , 20 1 2 Mastering the French, Neil McDonald and Andrew Harley, Batsford 1 997 My Great Predecessors 1- V, Garry Kasparov, Everyman 2003, 2004, 2006 My System , Aron Nimzowitsch, Quality Chess 2007 Openingfor White According to Anand Vol. 6, Alexander Khalifman, Chess Stars 2006 Play the French (J st-4th editions), John Watson, Everyman 1 984, 1 996, 2003, 20 1 2 Secrets of Chess Defence, Mihail Marin, Gambit 2003 Starting Out: 1 e4!, Neil McDonald, Everyman 2006 Starting Out: King's Indian Attack, John Emms, Everyman 2005 The Alterman Gambit Guide: White Gambits, Boris Alterman, Quality Chess 2009 The Chess Advantage in Black and White, Larry Kaufman, McKay 2004

Bibliography

The Flexible French, Victor Moskalenko, New In Chess 2008 The French Tarrasch, John Emms, Batsford 1 998 The French: Tarrasch Variation , Steffen Pedersen, Gambit 200 1 The Game of Chess, Siegbert Tarrasch, Dover 20 1 1 The Main Line French: 3 Nc3, Steffen Pedersen, Gambit 200 1 The Modern French, Dejan Antic and Branimir Maksimovic, New In Chess 20 1 2 What Would a GM Do, Lars Bo Hansen, Amazon Kindle 20 1 2 Winning with the French, Wolfgang Uhlmann, Batsford 1 995 Encyclopaedias ECO C - 5th Edition , Sahovski Informator 2006 NCO, Cadogan 1 999 DVDs Beating the French Volume 2, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Chess Base 2007 Crushing White - The French Defence, Damien Lemos, Empire Chess 20 1 3 Fitfor the French, Victor Bologan, Chess Base 20 1 1 French Defence Strategy, Nigel Davies, Chess Base 20 1 0 Josh Waitzkin's Videos from "Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition" , Ubisoft 2008 Know the Terrain, Volume 1: The Capablanca Structure, Sam Collins, Chess Base 20 1 2 Mastering the French Chess Opening (Parts 1-3), Susan Polgar 20 1 0 Power Play No 17, Daniel King, Chess Base 20 1 3 The French Defence, Ari Ziegler, Chess Base 2006 The French Defence: 3.Nd2 A complete repertoirefor White, Sergey Tiviakov ChessBase 20 1 3 The Killer French (Parts 1-2), Simon Williams, Ginger G M 20 1 0 Periodicals ChessBase Magazine ( 1 - 1 5 5) ChessCafe 'The Instructor'by Mark Dvoretsky ( 1 37: "Strategy Lessons") Chess Evolution (all issues) Chess Informant ( 1 - 1 1 7) ChessPublishing (up to September 20 1 3) Chess Today (all issues) Chess Vibes Openings (all issues) Kaissiber Magazine (several issues) New In Chess Yearbooks ( 1 - 1 08)

7

Playing the French

8

Websites http://timkr.home.xs4all.nllrecords (Tim Krabbe's Chess Records website)

Analysed games from: . chessbase.com . chessgames.com www. chesspub.com (chesspublishing.com forum) www. chessvibes.com

www www

Videos from: . chess.com . icc.com

www

www

Middlegame material from: http://trainers.fide.com/surveys.html

Introduction by Jacob Aagaard Working on this project we set ourselves some immediate limitations and challenges. First of all we were aware that this book was likely to be one of the last in what seems like an avalanche of books on the French Defence published in the last few years, with books by Vitiugov, Watson, Moskalenko, Antic & Maksimovic and Emanuel Berg. Nikos is the chief researcher and he analysed everything he could get his hands on. If for some reason we have missed something important, please blame him! But at the same time, if we have improved on these other projects, know that he is responsible as well. The first draft of this book was close to 700 pages, as we had checked virtually every possibility in every line, but we eventually managed to whittle the project down to the present version. For example, we had two perfectly playable lines against the Advance Variation, l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ttJ c6 5.tLlf3, but ended up relying on the Euwe System with 5 �d7, as found on page 29. We were satisfied with Black's chances after 5 . . . 1&b6 as well, but eventually we preferred the more flexible bishop development. •..

Curiously, the response we found most challenging actually transposes to the 5 . . . 1&b6 line. After 6.�d3 cxd4 7.cxd4 'lWb6 8.0-0 ttJxd4 White can try to pose problems with 9.ttJ bd2!.

Obviously White does not have to sacrifice a pawn, and it is likely that French Defenders will, from time to time, end up in closed positions such as the following: 8

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10

Playing the French

This posmon can be found on page 67. Throughout the book we have endeavoured to choose lines that rest on a strong positional foundation with an underlying sense of logic. In the present case, Black is seeking to keep the queens ide closed while preparing to open the kingside with . . . g5. The dreaded Exchange Variation occurs after 3.exd5 exd5. We have covered this from two perspectives, the first catering for those who are content with equal play in a near-symmetrical position, and the second for those who are terrified at the prospect of a dull draw ("Oh NO!") . In the latter case we suggest that Black goes for: 4.ttJa tiJf6 5.�d3 c5!?

like Jones, Karjakin and Giri have also taken the medicine prescribed by Dr Tarrasch against the French Fever. Until recently, Black players were trying anything and everything here, believing that equality was relatively easy to achieve. Having helped John Shaw with the analysis for his forthcoming Playing 1 .e4 books, we no longer share this opinion. Actually we felt that the task of solving Black's problems was just as great in this line as anywhere else. After some initial research, we decided to focus on the classical main line with 3 ... c5 . Over the years quite a number of variations have been popular against this line (see Chapters 8- 1 0) but the principal theoretical battleground has remained 4.exd5 �xd5 5.ttJgf3 cxd4 6.�c4 �d6 7.0-0 ttJf6 8.ttJb3 ttJc6 9.ttJbxd4 ttJxd4 10.ttJxd4

i. �� .t �� .m �.i '�"'"�nf''''' � � � :�� \il! �� ��" ��'� �� :�.fm _ �� //"' ' � �� � � -10% �M'" 2 �/Mt!Ja��� �Jt!Ja�J[j 1� �V� � � 8

, '�

3

Although the first 1 38 pages of this book deals with the Advance and Exchange variations, the majority of games in the French see White develop the queen's knight on move 3 . There are those who aspire t o a slight positional advantage with 3.tiJd2, which is known as the Tarrasch Variation. The most incurable repeat offenders of this line are Adams and Tiviakov, who have won game after game with it, but recently young players

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At the moment 1 O . . . ie7 is quite popular, having been played by Kamsky, Giri and others, but our analysis did not arm us with sufficient confidence to recommend it. Extensive analysis convinced us that 10 ... a6! was the only sensible choice (see Chapter 1 1 ) . This is the traditional main line, though recently White has been scoring well with the sharp l l .�el �c7 12.\We2!, aiming to exploit his lead in development.

Introduction

11

c l -bishop remains unobstructed. The downside is that the centre is not so easily reinforced by c2-c3. Black now has a significant choice. The most popular response is 3 . . . j,b4, the Winawer Variation. Since we knew that our friend Emanuel Berg would be writing an extensive two-volume work on this subject, we decided to focus exclusively on 3 tLl f6. This is the second most popular move, but it is by no means second rate, being the preferred choice of Alexander Morozevich, the strongest player in the world who consistently employs the French, as well as some top Chinese GMs. .•.

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Black has been savaged brutally a few times here. White usually continues with j,g5 followed by a strong attack on the kingside. For this reason we came up with the weird­ looking 12 h6! as Black's main move. After analysing it ourselves, we noticed that a correspondence player had used the same move to win a nice game. Although we can no longer claim Black's 1 2th move as our novelty, we consider it the most important theoretical branch of the Tarrasch at present. Black's biggest worry after 12 . . . h6! is the prospect of a sacrifice on e6, but at the moment this is not possible because a subsequent . . . We7! will force an exchange of queens. White can prepare the sacrifice with 1 3.g3!?, but analysis on page 2 1 6 suggests that Black has little to fear. We do, however, advise the reader to practise playing this position in training games with friends, computers or other monsters, to minimize the risk of a costly opening slip in a competitive game. •..

Since the King of Clubs was in nursery, the move played by hairy-chested men and bloodthirsty women has been 3.lLlc3. The advantages of this move over the Tarrasch Variation are that the knight exerts a greater influence over the central squares, thus discouraging a quick . . . c5, and that the

4.e5 lLlfd7 introduces the Steinitz Variation and the big tabiya occurs after: 5.f4 c5 6.lLlf3 lLl c6 7.i.e3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Here there are several branches, for example 7 . . . j,e7!? and 7 . . . cxd4 8.tLlxd4 Wb6!?, while 7 . . . cxd4 8.tLlxd4 j,c5 9 .Wd2 0-0 1 0.0-0-0 a6 has been a main line forever. We only scratch the surface of those lines (in Chapter 1 4) , choosing instead t o focus o n 7 a6! 8.'lWd2 b5. Here White has two main tries, 9.dxc5 (Chapter 1 5) and 9.a3! (Chapter 1 6) . Both of these variations are likely to remain popular for many years to come, but we believe in Black's chances. •••

Playing the French

12

We were slightly more afraid of 4.i.g5, and therefore decided to cover two major responses. For a long time Black was thought to be struggling in the Classical Variation after: 4 ...i.e7 5.e5 tiJfd7

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At this point aggressive players may venture the Alekhine Gambit with 6.h4!? We recommend declining it with either 6 ... tiJ c6!? (Chapter 1 7) or 6 ... c5! (Chapter 1 8) , with good chances for Black in either case. More dangerous theoretically is 6.i.xe7 Wfxe7 7.f4, when the main lines involving 7 . . . 0-0 and . . . c5 often result in a nagging edge for White. Instead we have focused on the modern 7 ... a6! 8.tiJa tiJ h6! with the idea of . . .i.d7 and perhaps . . . i.b5 (see Game 49 on page 345) . Black has a lot of interesting resources, with a certain amount of surprise value included as a bonus. Against 4.i.g5 , the perennial favourite amongst adventurous French players is the McCutcheon Variation: 4 ...i.h4 5.e5 h6

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The board is already releasing smoke, and White faces a pivotal choice. Chapter 2 1 covers White's sidelines o n moves 5 and 6; none of them are theoretically dangerous, but we still need to be prepared. We have some affection for both 6.i.c1 and 6.i.e3 (Chapter 22) and a lot of respect for the most popular 6.i.d2 (Chapter 23) . To venture the McCutcheon in tournament praxis demands thorough preparation and good positional understanding, but the rewards justifY the effort. Finally, in Chapters 24 and 25 you will find various sidelines that are popular from time to time. Failing to play 2.d4 looks eccentric, but it pays to be prepared against the potentially dangerous King's Indian Attack and various second-move oddities. All in all, we think we have achieved our aim of presenting a fighting repertoire with a minimum of drawish positions and perpetual checks. We hope you will win many games with it and never ever lose!

Chapter 1 a

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The Advance Variation l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 A) 4.dxc5 B) 4.f4 C) 4JWg4 D) 4.tLlf3 Dl) 4 ... tLlc6!? D2) 4 ... cxd4!? D21) 5.tLlxd4?! D22) 5.lMfxd4 D23) 5.i.d3

15 17 20 22 22 24 24 25 26

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move unless otherwise indicated.

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Find a strong plan for White. (page 20)

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How should Black defend? (page 25)

Should Black capture the e5-pawn? (page 2 1 )

What is the most accurate move? (page 1 5)

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How should White proceed? (page 22)

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Find the best set-up for Black. (page 26)

Chapter 1

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15

The Advance Variation

l.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS The Advance Variation contains important ideas that are applicable to other lines as well. Moreover, this variation can be easily broken down into its strategic and positional elements, and can thus be explained and taught in a straightforward manner. Maybe in grandmaster practice the Advance Variation will never again become as popular as it was 1 0- 1 5 years ago, but at club level 3.e5 remains a frequent choice, perhaps helped by being Yusupov's recommendation for White in Boost Your Chess 2 (Chapter 4) . _

3 ... cS

various 4th move deviations, it is the only one that can be considered somewhat dangerous. It is important to have some idea how to play against it in order to avoid potential headaches. I shall cover A) 4.dxcS, B) 4.£4 and C) 4.Wfg4, before turning to D) 4.tt1f3.

A) 4.dxcS This move has only one trap that we need to remember.

4 ...tt1c6! 4 . . . .txc5?! is met by 5."lWg4, which causes some discomfort, although it may still be playable for Black. Psakhis suggests that Black is okay after 5 . . . f8 . Houdini has a different opinion though, giving White an edge after the king move, and instead proposing 5 . . . tD e7 followed by . . . tD g6, whether the pawn is taken or not. S.tt1f3 hcs 6 .id3 White's idea is that he can place the bishop on this wonderful square, without worrying that his d4-pawn is going to fall - as there is no d4-pawn anymore! •

First I am going to examine some deviations from the main lines. I don't intend to go in for blanket coverage of these lines, as this is rather impractical. You will face these deviations rarely, and you might well forget long lines of theory. The important thing is to learn some sound ideas to counter these lines - these ideas should stick in your memory. A positive feature is that these deviations will teach us a few things about general French strategy, so the reader is advised not to rush through this section too quickly. The move 4.tDf3 was proposed a few years ago in some video lectures on chess. com by GM Roman Dzindzichashvili, and from the

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6 ... f6! This is the typical reaction when White plays dxc5 and .td3.

16

Playing the French

Playing to attack the e5-pawn with . . . lOge7 and . . . lO g6 is not as simple and strong as the text move.

7.V!Je2 It seems that White has no better move than this. After 7.0-0? fxe5 S . .ib5 , Black has more than one good response.

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1 2 . . . "Wc7!N This is a rather simple double attack on h2 and c4. 1 2 . . . a6 was played in Kriebel - Neelotpal, Sunningdale 20 1 1 , but it gives White counter-chances that he does not deserve. You don't have to remember the following analysis, but it features some entertaining attacking play that you may find fun. 1 3.cxd5 1 3.h3 dxc4+ 1 3 . . . .ixh2t 1 4.Wh l exd5 1 5 . .ie3 The bishop cannot be trapped with 1 5 .g3? because of: 1 5 ... lOxb5 1 6 .lOxb5 "Wd7! 1 7.Wxh2 "Wh3t l S.Wgl lOg4-+ 1 5 . . . lOxb5 1 6.lOxb5

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a) S . . . lO f6!? 9.lOxe5 O-O! The position is highly promising for Black. A recent game continued: 1 0. lO d3 After 1 O.lOxc6 bxc6 1 1 ..ixc6? ElbS, Black's advantage is already decisive, with threats such as . . . .ia6 and . . . lO e4. The combined attack on the f2-square from bishop, knight and rook is too much for White to handle. A sample line is: 12 . .ia4 .ia6 1 3.Ele l .ixf2t! 1 4 .Wxf2 lO g4t 1 5 .Wg3 "Wd6t 1 6.c;t>xg4 "Wxh2 1 7."Wd2 h5t I S.Wg5 "Wg3t 1 9.c;t>xh5 g6t 20.c;t>h6 "Wh4t 2 1 .Wxg6 Elf6# 1 O . . . .id6 I l .c4 1O d4 1 2.1Oc3

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1 6 . . . "Wf7! 1 7.Wxh2 1Og4t I S .c;t>g3 I S.c;t>gl "Wh5-+ I S . . . .id7 Apart from attacking the knight, Black has in mind simple development with . . . ElaeS coming next. 1 9.1Od4 "Wg6 Threatening a deadly discovered check. 20.lOf4 Elxf4! 2 1 ..ixf4 lOe3t-+ This is clearly winning, and the computer even "sees" a forced mate on the horizon. b) S . . . e4!N We have seen that returning the pawn is fine, but keeping it looks even better - White does not obtain compensation. 9.lOe5

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Chapter 1 - The Advance Variation 9.tLld4 is similar; Black plays 9 . . . tLl ge7+ followed by . . �o-o and . . . 'lWb6. 9 . . . tLlge7 1 0.'lWhSt What else can White do here? If not this, then Black simply castles and is already close to winning. 1 0 . . . g6 1 1 .'lWh6 1 1 .'lWgS 0-0 1 2.tLlg4 tLlfS-+

9 . . . 'lWf6!? is fine as well. The always useful ECO gives the line 1 0.�bSt f7=, and it is difficult to disagree. Certainly Black cannot be worse here.

10.0-0 1 O.�bSt f7 1 1 .0-0 �f8 1 2.�d3 g8 1 3.tLlc3 �d6 is a curious transposition to the main line, with both sides having lost two tempos. 1 O.�e3 �d6 1 1 .'lWgS 0-0 1 2. 0-0 eS+ Riediger - Schmidt, Bavaria 2004.

10 ...0-0 l 1 .lLl c3 i.d6 12.�g5 e5

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1 1 . . . tLlfS Simple chess. 1 2.tLlxc6 bxc6 1 3 .�xc6t �d7 1 4.'lWh3 1 4.�xd7t 'lWxd7 I S .'lWh3 0-0-+ 14 . . .�xc6 I S .'lWc3 0-0 1 6.'lWxcS �c8-+

7...fxe5 S.lLlxe5 lLlxe5 9.�xe5 a

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13.f3 a6 14.�h4 i.e6 1 5.hl gcs 16.i.g5 h6 17.i.d2 lLl d7; Winkel - Parwicz, email 2004. Of course, you don't need to memorize all the above details. The important thing is to remember to play 4 . . . tLl c6 and 6 . . .f6!. B) 4.f4

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9 ... lLlf6! Black develops naturally and will later push around the white queen.

This move shows typical misunderstanding of the French Defence by White. Although playing for f4-fS is a natural plan, this move weakens a whole bunch of light squares on the kingside. White may hope that by claiming more space he will make Black's development

18

Playing the French

more difficult, but this does not turn out to be the case, and Black achieves a comfortable development.

4 ttlc6 4 . . . cxd4 is another reasonable move, although it releases the tension and White might be able to use the d4-square: S .tZlf3 ttlc6 •••

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6.lLl bd2!?N (6.a3?! lLlh6 7.�d3 �cS 8.b4 �b6 9.h3 f6 1 0.0-0 0-0 was already very uncomfortable for White in Lavrik - Slugin, Zvenigorod 2008. Black will play . . . lLlf7 next and put lots of pressure on the white centre.) 6 ... lLlh6 7.lLlb3 lLl fS 8 .�d3 Although Black should be okay here, the main line looks more convincing.

s.ttlo 'lWb6 6.d ttlh6!i

Black is already better. The knight is well placed on h6, an important point being that White cannot take it as the move fl-f4 reduced the scope of the c I -bishop. Black has a "general plan" for those positions: . . . �e7, . . . 0-0, .. .f6 and . . . lLlf7, while on the queenside the natural development involves . . . �d7 and . . . :gcB. In this exact situation however, Black is also threatening just to win a pawn with . . . cxd4 and . . . lLl fS , so White's next seems forced.

7.�d3 But if this move is forced, then it is clear that White is facing difficulties. Why is this so? Although the d3-square is often the perfect place for the bishop in the Advance Variation, in this case the d4-pawn is seriously vulnerable, and White will have to waste time moving the bishop again. 7.lLla3 has the idea of protecting the d4-pawn from the c2-square. 8 7 6 5 3 4

2

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But after 7 . . . cxd4 B.cxd4 �xa3 9.bxa3 lLlfS White's position is a mess. He loses the d4pawn anyway and has weakened his structure in the process. 1 O.�d2 lLl fxd4 1 1 .lLlxd4 'lWxd4 1 2.�bS �d7 1 3.:gb l 0-0 1 4.�xc6 �xc6 White resigned at this point in Florianovitz - Bargaal, Brasilia 2006. The resignation may seem slightly premature, but I can understand how disgusted with his positio� White must have felt!

19

Chapter 1 - The Advance Variation

.i�.t �� �*m �� � � �� :• �'I�� ���,l" i � /1) i��m �.��wt!I � 4 � ��� ��'J, ,j� ��� ���,� [jfl§ 2 [jf� __ ���-I� .: 8

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ctJ g4 1 3 .�g l ctJ a5 1 4.h3 ctJ h6 1 5 .�e3 �b5+ Black's ideas include . . .�c4 and . . . f6; White is on the ropes .

10 ... cxd4 1 1 .cxd4

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7 i.d7! 7 . . . cxd4 8.cxd4 ctJxd4 9.ctJxd4 'lWxd4 1 O.�b5t is a trick every j unior must have fallen for at least once. The text move avoids this trick and genuinely threatens to take the d4-pawn. .•.

8.i.c2 8.a3?! cxd4 9.cxd4 ctJxd4 is already a winning advantage for Black. 8 ... �c8! Black does best to increase his lead in development, rather than seek to use it too soon. That said, 8 . . . cxd4 9.cxd4 ctJ b4 is also promising for Black. If White lets his bishop be exchanged, he will lose any prospects for active play, but saving the bishop with 1 O.�b3? looks even worse for White after 1 O . . . �b5 .

9.a3 i.e7 10.0-0 This looks like a mistake, but it is not clear that anything can save White. 1 0.Ela2!? How bad is White's position if this might be the best move? 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 .�e3 ( 1 1 .h3 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 ctJxd4 1 3 .ctJxd4 Elxc2 14.ctJxc2 �h4t 1 5 .�d2 Elc8 and White cannot hope to survive) 1 1 . . .cxd4 1 2.cxd4

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1 1 ...tlJxd4!! 1 2.lLlxd4 i.cs 13.@hl 1 3.Ela2 �xd4t 1 4.Wh 1 0-0 1 5 .h3 �b5 1 6.Elf3 Elc7 17 .a4 �a6 1 8.b3 Elfc8+ Erofeev Lobas, Kiev 2003. 1 3.�e3 loses to 13 . . . 'lWxb2 1 4.Elf2 'lWxa 1 1 5 .ctJb3 'IWxb 1 1 6.'lWxb 1 �xe3.

1 3 ...hd4 Black is a pawn up and also has his opponent's vulnerable king as a target. The following game is a good example of how the attack may proceed. 14.tlJdl i.bS I S.i.a4 0-0 1 6.hbS 'lWxbS 17.tlJb3 tlJ f5 1 8.�f3 i.b6 19.94 tlJ h6 20.h3 'lWc4 2 1 .f5 exf5 22.gS tlJg4 23.hxg4 Wfxg4 24.�d3 Wfh4t 2S.@g2 Wfflt 26.@h3 �c4 27.�g3 �h4t 0-1 Brants - Spaans, email 1 996.

20

Playing the French

C) 4.W1g4

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t.e7 1 0.h4! The downside of the knight's position on g6 is that the advance of the white h-pawn can be strong in the right circumstances. 1 O . . .t.fB 1 1 .h5 ltJge7 1 2.ltJb3 Wc7 1 3.ltJbxd4 ltJxd4 1 4.ltJxd4 t.d7 1 5 .t.g5 ± Nimzowitsch - Menchik, Karlsbad 1 929. 7.0-0 ltJ g6 B.:ge1 Wc7 9.Wg3 t.c5

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This is usually called the Nimzowitsch Variation. The great teacher used this line with success, applying his ideas of overprotection. In this situation the e5-pawn is a strongpoint for White and Nimzowitsch overprotected it with ltJ f3 , :ge l and Wg3 if required. Of course, today we know how to counter this idea simply and effectively.

4 ... �c6! Let's briefly look at two examples of an effective "overprotection strategy" from Nimzowitsch's games, so that you know what to avoid as Black! 4 . . . cxd4 5 . ltJ f3 ltJ c6 6.t.d3

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1 0.h4! Once again the same story. 1 0 . . . 'kt>fB 1 1 .h5 ltJ ge7 1 2.h6± Nimzowitsch - Szekely, Kecskemet 1 927.

5.�f3 W1a5t! Against the Nimzowitsch Variation, this is the important move to remember. White cannot effectively meet this check.

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6 . . . "LJ ge7 6 . . . Wa5t 7.ltJ bd2 ltJ ge7 B.O-O ltJ g6 9.:ge l

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Chapter 1

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21

The Advance Variation

White often blocks the check with: 6.�d2 �b6 Atalik came up with the interesting idea of 6 . . . tiJh6 here. The exchange of queens is welcome to Black, who has already developed desirable pressure on the d4-pawn, and if the white queen moves then . . . �b6 may be even stronger than on the 6th move. 7.b3 7.tiJc3 �xb2 and White's compensation for the pawn is questionable. One practical example is: 8Jk1 tiJ h6 9.�f4 c4+ Tamas Frank, Hungary 1 998. 7 . . . tiJxd4! 8.tiJxd4 cxd4 9.�d3 tiJ e7 1 0.0-0 Palkovich - Braun, Plovdiv 20 1 0.

7 . . . tiJ xe5!N Black captures a good central pawn, and if 8 .�g3 then simply 8 . . . f6!+ with the idea of putting the king on f7. There is no doubt that Black is better, and his position should not be too difficult to play, although of course some care is required.

7 ... dxc3 White IS In bad shape because neither recapture is satisfactory. 8. tLl xc3N This is White's best try. 8 .bxc3 has been played in several games, but can be met with: 8 . . . b6!N 9.0-0 �a6 1 O.c4 Ei:d8+ White does not have real compensation for the pawn.

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1 O . . . �d7!N l 1 .Ei:e l Ei:c8+ Black is threatening . . . �b5 . His advantage is beyond doubt.

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8 ... d4! This is the choice for those who want an open position with no risk of being mated. For those preferring a more closed set-up, I can recommend 8 . . . f5 9 .�f4 tiJ ge7+.

6... cxd4 7..id3 7.tiJxd4

9.tLlxd4 �xe5t 1O ..ie3 tLlf6i After 7 . . . dxc3 White often resorts to playing for tricks. Be alert and don't fall for them. A good French Defence player should be ready to defend winning positions against tricksters, as he may need to do so lots of times in practice! a

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1 1.�h4 tLlxd4 12.�xd4 �xd4 13 ..ixd4 .id7+

22

Playing the French

D) 4.tLlO

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8J:!e 1 8 .a3 ttJg6 9.ttJb3 �b6 1 0.:8e 1 �d7 1 1 .g3 f6!'t Bondarevsky - Botvinnik, Leningrad/ Moscow 1 94 1 .

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As I mentioned above, this is a more serious option for White, and I have decided to look at two ways for Black to respond: Dl) 4 tLl c6!? and D2) 4 cxd4!? .•.

••.

Dl) 4 tLlc6!? •.•

Black defers the capture of the d4-pawn, and introduces the possibility of taking it with the knight.

5 .id3 White shows no concern for his d4-pawn. .

5.c3 transposes to the main lines that I shall examine in Chapters 2-4.

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8 . . . Wb6 8 . . . ttJ g6 a la Botvinnik is better, though the practical material available here is limited. 8 . . . 0-0?? 9.�xh7t '>t>xh7 1 O.ttJg5t '>t>g6 1 1 .Wg4 and White was winning in Dzindzichashvili - Comp Fritz, New York 1 99 1 . The box was evidently unaware of the Greek Gift sacrifice! 9.ttJf1 N ttJ g6 1 O.ttJg3 0-0 1 1 .ttJh5 �d7? This is a cooperative variation given by Dzindzichashvili in his online lectures, allowing White the following impressive blow:

5 tLlxd4!? I consider this move to be a great practical decision. White's whole strategy is based on creating attacking chances against the black king, and the exchange of a pair of knights makes it difficult to do that successfully. ••.

5 . . . cxd4 6.0-0 �c5 7.tLlbd2 ttJ ge7 This is the way Botvinnik used to play against this system. After his games against Levenfish and Bondarevsky in 1 937 and 1 94 1 , the popularity of this system for White declined dramatically.

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1 2.�h6!± The idea is 1 2 ... gxh6? 1 3.W cl 2 and White is completely winning.

Chapter 1 - The Advance Variation

23

Of course Black can play a lot better than this, but in this -variation the most important thing is for Black to have a sound plan in mind. If we start by exchanging a pair of minor pieces that guarantees that we will avoid a scenario involving such a brutal attack. If you want to take on d4 with the pawn, then you should do so on the previous move - see line 02 below.

9 . . . iWc7!?N 1 0.iWe2 j,e7 I l .a3 0-0 Black could play . . . a5 to stop White's next, but there is no real need to. 1 2.b4 f6+ Black's game is very comfortable. We should always bear in mind that Black rarely has anyrhing to fear when he manages to follow up castling with a quick . . .f6.

6.liJxd4 cxd4 7.0-0 liJe7 The remaining knight will finds a perfect place on c6.

8 ... lLl c6 9JWg4 An alternative is to play on the queens ide: 9.a3 j,d7 1 O.b4 This was seen in Kuzmenko - Ianovsky, Kiev 200 5 . Here the computer suggests an interesting way to play:

8J�el White may also bring his knight round to defend the e5-pawn: 8.tDd2 tDc6 9.tDf3 9.f4 is an ugly move that creates a lot of weaknesses: 9 . . . j,e7!?N 1 0. tD f3 0-0 This is quite safe as there is no j,xh7t sacrifice. 1 1 .iWe 1 f6!? and Black is at least equal.

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1 O . . . b5!?N 1O ... a6 plans ... iWc7 followed by ... g6 and . . . j,g7, and also gives Black an edge. However, 1 O . . . j,e7 is less clear as I l .iWg4 disrupts the black kingside. 1 1 .j,xb5 a5!+ Black has taken over the initiative.

9 ...W!c7! The ambitious move. Black could equalize with 9 . . . tD b4, but why should he be happy with that? 1O.i.f4 So far we have been following Turci - Buka!, Reggio Emilia 1 987.

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Playing the French

24

White may now recapture the pawn with 021) 5.tiJxd4?! or 022) 5.�xd4, or sacrifice it with 023) 5.i.d3.

021) 5.tiJxd4?! This position can also be reached from the Caro-Kann, but with White to move! That line is considered quite solid for Black, so here with an extra tempo he faces no problems at all.

10 ... h5!N 1 1 .�g3 I l .Wfe2 fie7 1 2.a3 g5 1 3 .fic 1 fid7 1 4.ltJd2 0-0-0+ 1 l ... h4 1 2.�g4 h3 13.g3 g6 1 3 . . . ltJ b4 and 1 3 . . . Wfb6 are also possible, but the main suggestion seems clearest.

5 ... tiJc6 6.tiJxc6 6.fib5?! achieves less than nothing. 6 . . . fid7 7.ltJxc6 fixc6 S .fid3 If White exchanges bishops he is slightly worse due to the vulnerability of the e5-pawn. S . . . d4! 9.0-0 Wfd5+ Black won the e5-pawn in El Kouch ­ Hamdouchi, Rabat 200 1 . 6 ... bxc6 7.i.d3 tiJe7 8.tiJd2 tiJg6

14.tiJdl i.g7; Black will continue with . . . fid7 and his king may head to gS, while the rook can always go to h5 to put more pressure on e5. After analysing this position and testing this line in blitz games, I have formed the opinion that Black is a little better here. 02) 4 cxd4!? .•.

We'll see this set-up again in variation B of Chapter S on the Tarrasch Variation. Black is fine and a practical example continued:

9.tiJO i.e7 10.�e2 c5 l 1 .c4 i.b7 12.0-0 0-0 13.i.d2?! dxc4 14 ..txc4? 1 4 .fie4 is an improvement, though after 1 4 . . . fixe4 1 5 .Wfxe4 Wfd5 Black is slightly better.

25

Chapter 1 - The Advance Variation

14 ...i.xf3 I S.gxf3 i.gS Black is now winning. 16.i.e3 i.f4 17JUc1 '?9h4 1 8.Lf4 tlJxf4 19.'?ge3 '?9gst 20.�f1 �ad8! Black cuts off the king's escape route and is ready for . . . 'lWg2t followed by . . . 'lWg l t and so on. 21 .�dl '?9g2t 0- 1 Bastian - Khenkin, Bad Liebenzell 20 1 0. D22) S.'?9xd4 tlJ c6 6.'?9f4

7 . . . �d7! 7 . . . a6! ? 8 .�d3?? tLlxd4-+ Puusaari Lehtinen, email 20 1 0 - accidents happens in correspondence games as well! 8 .�xc6 tLl xc6 9.'lWd3 �c8+ Matteucci - Del Vecchio, Ferrara 1 952.

6 ... lLl ge7! 6 . . . 'lWc7 7.tLlc3 a6 8 .�d3 tLl ge7 9.0-0 tLl g6 1 O.'lWg3 tLl gxe5 l 1 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 2.E!e l f6 1 3.tLlxd5 exd5 1 4.f4 �c5t 1 5 .�h l Velimirovic - Kholmov, Odessa 1 975. Scary stuff for sure, but to demonstrate that Black's position in the French Defence is a really hard nut to crack, I provide the following improvement:

On this square the queen will be hit by a knight arriving on g6, but it is important for Black to time this correctly. 6.�b5?! This move is reminiscent of a Sicilian line where White recaptures on d4 with his queen. It is not a big deal in the Sicilian, and it is even less of a deal here in the French! 6 . . . tLlge7 Now if White takes the c6-knight we can simply take with the other knight. The d4square will be covered, the pressure on e5 will mount and there will be no light-squared bishop to point at our king's position. There is surely no reason why White should want to play this position. 7.0-0

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1 5 . . . 0-0!?N 1 6.fXe5 f5= with roughly equal chances.

7.i.d3 tlJg6 8.'?9g3 8 .�xg6 hxg6+ obviously shouldn't worry Black too much. 8 ...'?9c7 9.tlJ c3 tlJ gxeS 10.0-0 lLlxf3t 1 l .'?9xf3 i.e7 1 2.i.f4 '?9d8 1 3.�adl 0-0+ Zvonitsky - Neverov, Kharkov 1 988. It is clear that Black has greatly improved on the Velimirovic - Kholmov game, having won the e5-pawn without allowing any tactics along the e-file.

26

Playing the French

D23) 5.�d3 llJ e7! 6.0-0 lD ec6!

Conclusion

This plan was recommended by Eingorn in A Rock-Solid Chess Opening Repertoire for Black, and offers Black an attractive position. Eingorn gives the following continuation:

In this chapter I introduced several ideas concerning the Advance Variation. White would really like to be able to place his bishop on the wonderful b 1 -h7 diagonal, but Black's pressure on d4 means that he cannot do so without cost. By playing A) 4.dxc5 followed by �d3, White solves this problem in a simplistic way. Black is advised to develop with 4 . . . 4Jc6! and then break with 6 . . . f6! with a fine game. Black's attack on d4 means that the support of the e5-pawn is also in jeopardy. So, it makes sense for White to try to reinforce e5. Doing so with B) 4.f4 actually helps Black because White becomes very weak on the light squares on the kings ide, and it allows the black knight a natural square on h6. Nimzowitsch suggested another way to overprotect the e5-pawn: C) 4.'1Mrg4 followed soon by Wg3 . This manoeuvre worked fine in his praxis, but it allows the concrete response 4 . . . 4J c6 5 . 4J f3 Wa5 t after which Black is doing well. Sacrificing the problematic d4-pawn for compensation is seen in many variations in the French Defence. 023) 4.4Jf3 cxd4 5 .�d3 is one way to do it, albeit not the most respectable one we'll meet in this book. I like the set-up suggested by Eingorn: . . . 4J e7-c6 followed by . . . 4J b8-d7. Also 0 1 ) 4 . . . 4J c6!? with the idea of exchanging a pair of knights after 5 .�d3 4Jxd4 is appealing for Black. Obviously, this gives White the chance to avoid being punished by playing 5 .c3 and transposing to the next chapters. But don't worry, you should have good chances to outplay your opponent in the main lines of the Advance Variation after reading the following chapters!

7.�el 11J d7 This is the reason Black brought his king's knight to c6; that is why 4 . . . cxd4 is a better move order than 4 . . . 4J c6 and 5 . . . cxd4 if Black wants to take on d4 with the pawn. 8.a3 Kogan - Dgebuadze, Cappelle la Grande 200 1 . 8

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8 ... 'iNc7!N 9.'iNe2 lDc5 1O.b4 lDxd3 l 1 .'iNxd3 �d7; Eingorn claims that the position is about equal but I am sure that Black is better here. He has play down the c-file and pressure on e5. The e5-pawn gives White space, but it is hard for him to organize an attack without a light-squared bishop.

Chapter 2 a

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The Euwe System l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 e5 4.c3 tiJe6 A) 5.i.e3 B) 5.g3 C) 5.tiJf3 i.d7! CI) 6.i.d3 cxd4 7.cxd4 �b6 8.0-0 tiJxd4 9 .tt:'lg5 ?! Game 1 CI I) 9.tiJxd4?! C12) 9.tiJbd2! C12 I ) 9... ttJxf3t!? C122) 9...tiJe7 C2) 6.dxe5 i.xe5 C21) 7.i.d3 C22) 7.b4 C221) 7...i.e7 C222) 7...i.b6 -

Game l Game 2 Game 3

Arthur Mrugala - Reimund Lutzenberger, email 1998 Hossein Aryanejad - Vladimir Potkin, Abu Dhabi 2005 Dieter Pirrot - Stefan Kindermann, Germany 2004

30 32 33 33 35 37 41 41 42 45 45 47 47 48

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find seven diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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Suggest a good idea for Black here. (page 38)

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Would you place the knight or the bishop on f6? (page 46)

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Can you find Black's best plan in this position? (page 3 1 )

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The a2-knight appears trapped, but Black has a strong idea. (page 40)

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An elementary but attractive combination. (page 34)

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Can you find Black's strongest move at this point? (page 44)

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White is threatening both the g6-knight and the f8-rook. How Black should continue? (page 49)

Chapter 2

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29

The Euwe System

I shall start with an overview of the coverage of the Advance Variation that should help you to navigate your way around the following chapters.

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3

In this chapter I shall take a look at a couple of alternatives here, Kupreichik's 5 .�e3 and Murey's 5 .g3 .

5 ...i.d7 The Euwe System, which was also an old love of the great French hero Korchnoi, will be covered in Chapters 2-4. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

In the next few chapters we are going to learn how to play this position, without having to remember reams of theory. Our aim is to play quiet, strategic positions, rather than seek chaos and dynamic play. There are two reasons for this. First, I suspect that GM Emanuel Berg will provide Black with a dynamic repertoire in his Grandmaster Repertoire 16 The French Defence 3. And the second reason is that I am convinced that Black simply doesn't need to! We can play slowly, aiming to take advantage of the positive features of our position without getting involved in taking great risks. Traditionally the French Defence has served well the "slow" players who liked to win long games (such as Petrosian and Botvinnik) , and I'd like to show that playing this strategic, slow chess can still be successful in our fast-moving, dynamic era. That's why I have always considered the French Defence a great tool for teaching positional chess to ambitious youngsters.

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4... lDc6 5.lDO

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The Euwe System is characterized in chess literature as "flexible" . In my experience many chess players don't really understand what this means, but the explanation is not too difficult. In the Advance Variation, Black nearly always places his bishop on the d7 -square. The other typical move in the position is . . . 'lWb6, but this move can wait - by staying where it is for the time being, the queen keeps control of important squares on both flanks. So it is more flexible to first play the move that we know we should play ( . . . �d7) and hold back . . . 'lWb6 for later; depending on circumstances we may even decide to develop the queen elsewhere. How should White play now? His main strategic concern is the development of his fl ­ bishop, and he would love to put it on d3, its "dream square". However, Black plans . . . 'lWb6, when the d4-pawn may become very weak, and if that pawn falls then the e5-pawn will also start feeling vulnerable. White may find

30

Playing the French

himself thinking, "Why on earth did I play 3.e5 in the first place?"

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS eS 4.c3 4:Je6 We shall take a quick look at the sidelines A) S .te3 and B) S.g3, before we investigate the standard C) S. 4:JO. •

6 ..td3 is the most direct approach, putting the bishop where it belongs. White indicates that he does not care if his d4-pawn becomes weak - sacrificing it is an option! This line will be examined in this chapter. 6.dxeS is a somewhat different approach, favoured by 5veshnikov. At the end of this chapter, I will propose an interesting way to meet this safely and effectively.

A) S .te3 •

This is Kupreichik's method of protecting the d4-pawn.

S ... �b6 6.�d2

6.a3 is also a popular solution. One idea of this is to play .id3-c2 without fearing . . . cxd4 and . . . 4:Jb4. Another possibility is to continue with b2-b4 and .ib2, defending the d4-pawn before later playing .id3 . Black can easily cross these plans though, as we shall see in Chapter 3. 6 .te2 is a very common reaction. White doesn't hurry to put his bishop on d3 (it can go there later if the opportunity arises) . First he wants to castle, and he hopes that his extra space will offer him slightly the better chances. We will see how to counter this move in Chapter 4. •

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With the d4-pawn securely defended, White now hopes to place his bishop on the d3square. In the introduction I drew attention to the important "strategic problem" of the Advance Variation of the French Defence - White wants to develop the bishop to d3 without losing the d4-pawn. This desire has given birth to various systems which aim to do just this. But if such a system existed then Black would be condemned to an inferior position straight from the opening. So we must look for a weak point in White's set-up in each of these systems. In the case of the Kupreichik system, this is not difficult. What we should spot is that the white queen and bishop on d2/ e3 are vulnerable to a black knight coming to the c4-square!

31

Chapter 2 - The Euwe System G .td7 •••

7 cxd4! In general this exchange is good news for White as it allows him to develop his knight on the most active c3-square, but here Black is playing it with a specific idea in mind. •.•

6 . . .f6!? is alSQ fine for Black, but that is another story!

7.tt:Jf3 White has also tried: 7.f4 This move always looks ugly to my eyes. 7 . . . tLlh6 s.tLlf3 EkS 9 ..te2

9 . . . cxd4 9 . . . .te7N 1 0.0-0 0-0 l l .h3 tLl f5 1 2 . .tf2 cxd4 is an alternative approach that I also like for Black. 1 0.cxd4 1 0.tLlxd4 tLlxd4 1 l ..txd4 .tc5+ 10 . . ..tb4 l l .tLlc3 tLla5+ Gunnarsson - Vidarsson, Hafnarfjordur 1 995. Just as in the main line, the exchange on the d4-square followed by . . . tLla5-c4 proves strong.

7 . . . EkS Although I prefer my main line, I offer this alternative for the demanding reader. S.dxc5 .txc5 9 . .txc5 '!Wxc5 1 O.'!Wg5 This is not as scary as it looks because Black can defend the g-pawn with his queen and then obtain counterplay with a quick . . . f6. 1 0 . . . '!WfS l l .tLl bd2 f6= 1 2.'!Wg3?! tLl h6 1 3 . .td3 fxe5 1 4.0-0-0 '!Wf6 1 5 .l'l:he 1 tLlf7 1 6 . .tb5 Prie - Anand, France 1 993.

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1 6 . . . tLl bS!N 1 7 . .td3 .ta4 I S.tLlb3 e4 1 9.tLlfd4 0-0+

8.cxd4 l'l:c8 9.tt:Jc3 .!baS! The knight coming to c4 means that White will almost certainly have to exchange his light-squared bishop for it, and this represents the strategic failure of the Kupreichik system. IO.l'l:c1 1O . .td3 tLlc4 1 l ..txc4 l'l:xc4 1 2.0-0 .tb4! 1 3.l'l:ac l ( l 3 .l'l:fc l .tb5N is similar) 1 3 . . . .tb5 I prefer Black's position here. A game by the originator ofWhite's system continued: 1 4.l'l:c2 .txc3 1 5 .bxc3 .ta6 1 6.l'l:fc l tLl e7 1 7.l'l:b2 '!Wc7+ Kupreichik - Straub, Groningen 1 997.

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Playing the French

32

Although White eventually won this game, this has nothing to do with the evaluation of the position, but was rather down to him being the better player.

10 ...i.b4 Black increases the pressure. He waits with .. .tLl c4 until the fl -bishop has moved, so that ixc4 will lose a tempo. 1 1 .i.d3 lLl c4= "Equal" is the objective evaluation, but I would rather be Black here. 8 7

develop it on the kingside instead. The bishop may go to the h3-square in order to support a later f4-f5 .

5 ...Wfb6 5 . . . 'lWa5 is Watson's untested proposal, one idea being to meet 6.tLlf3 with 6 . . . tLlxd4. Indeed, it looks an interesting suggestion. 6.lLl e2 f6 Now that the white knight cannot control the e5-square, this typical move gains strength. 7.exfG 7.f4 tLlh6 S .ih3 (S.exf6 gxf6't) S . . . ie7 9.a3 Okhotnik - Madan, Torre del Greco 2006.

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12.i.xc4 l:hc4 1 3.0-0 llJ e7 14.a3 i.xc3 1 5J'hc3 �xc3 1 6.Wfxc3 0-0 17.�c1 �c8 18.Wfd2 �xc1 t 19.Wfxc1 Spyrakopoulos - Poteas, Athens 1 999. Black could now try: 19 ...i.a4N Black has chances of claiming an edge if he can show that his "bad" bishop is more useful than White's, but of course a draw is the most likely result.

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9 . . . 0-0!N 1 0.exf6 ( 1 0.0-0 cxd4 l 1 .cxd4 tLlxd4! 1 2.tLlxd4 ic5-+) 1 0 . . .!hf6 1 1 .0-0 tLl f5+ 7.tLlf4N is the computer's suggestion. Here we need to be a little careful.

B) 5.g3 This is Murey's idea. White acknowledges that there are too many difficulties involved with putting the bishop on d3, so decides to a

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Chapter 2

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The Euwe System

Avoid 7 ... cxd4?! because of S.'lMrh5t cJJ e7 9.b3! (9.ltJg6t? hxg6 1 0.'lMrxhS cJJ f7+) 9 . . . dxc3 1 0.ia3t ltJb4 1 1 .ltJxc3 cJJ dS 1 2.ib5 g6 13.ltJxg6 ltJc2t 14.cJJ f1 ixa3 1 5 .ltJxhS 'lMrd4 16.'lMrxh7 '1Mrxc3 1 7.Ei:d 1 ltJe7 1 S.exf6 ltJf5 1 9.f7± Instead please play 7 . . . 'lMrc7! S .'lMrh5t 'lMrf7 9.'lMrxf7t cJJ x f7, when Black is slightly better developed in this roughly level position.

7... lt)xf6 8.ig2

6.ie3 'lMrb6 7.'lMrd2 transposes to line A on page 3 1 . 6.ltJa3 The idea of ltJ a3-c2 (covering the d4-pawn) is more commonly played after 6.ie2 (see variations A and C of Chapter 4) . 6 . . . cxd4 It is generally a good time to play this move when White can no longer develop with ltJ c3 . 7.cxd4 ixa3 S .bxa3

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9.cxd4 id6 10.0-0 0-0 1 l .lt)bc3 id7 With pressure against the d4-pawn and play on the f-file, Black cannot complain. 12.Whl �ae8 13.f4? It) e7 14.h3 lt)f5 IS.Wfd3 ie8 16.�dl ig6 Black was already much better in Neretljak - Brynell, Rodeby 1 995, after playing all the "happy" moves ( .. .f6, . . . id7 -eS-g6, . . . �cS) of a French Defender.

In this chapter we will examine Cl) 6.id3!? and C2) 6.dxeS. White's most popular options of 6.a3 and 6.ie2 are covered in Chapters 3 and 4 respectively.

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White has problems with his structure, and Black has at least equality. A recent practical example continued: S . . . ltJ ge7!? 9 .id3 'lMra5t 1 0.'lMrd2 �cS 1 1 .�b 1 b6 1 2.0-0 'lMrxd2 1 3 .ixd2 ltJ f5 Black was fine in Volokitin Nepomniachtchi, Eilat 20 1 2. If now 1 4.ixf5 exf5 Black will play . . . h6 and bring the king to e7 with at least equal chances.

Cl) 6.id3!? cxd4! In Attacking Chess: The French, GM Simon Williams recommended: 6 . . . Ei:cS!? This move is in the spirit of the Euwe System (slow, strategic play) , and it was also my main suggestion to my pupils for years. But nowadays, I prefer to punish White for offering a good central pawn. And these days

Playing the French

34

more and more players seem to be playing this line with White, so why not study something ambitious and collect as many points as we can? Still, let me j ust mention a couple of interesting possibilities in this line. 7.a3 7.0-0 is met by 7 . . . cxd4 8.cxd4 lLl b4. Black will take the bishop and can feel safe with his position. 7 . . . cxd4 8.cxd4 Wb6 9.j,c2 9.0-0 lLlxd4 1 O. lLl bd2 lLl c6 1 1 .lLl b3 lLl ge7 1 2.j,e3 Wc7+

8.0-0 The Milner-Barry Gambit. Attempts to keep the d4-pawn are less than encouraging for White:

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9 . . . lLl xd4?! Black usually prepares this sacrifice with 9 . . . g5 forcing 1 0.h3, and only then 1 O . . . lLl xd4. After many hours of analysis I still haven't been able to come to a definite evaluation of this position. I could certainly suggest this for players who want to have fun over the board - bur don't blame me if you lose! 1 O.lLlxd4 j,c5 1 1 .lLlb3?! 1 1 . lLl f3 j,xf2t 1 2.We2 is a better way to defend; I believe that it gives White an edge. 1 1 . . .j,xf2t 1 2.We2 lLl h6 l 3 .lLlc3 lLl g4 Black went on to win impressively in Ziska - Radjabov, Istanbul (01) 20 1 2. However, I am intrigued to know what Radjabov had in mind after 1 1 . lLl f3!.

7.cxd4 '?9b6

8 .j,c2?! lLl b4 Black intends to remove the light-squared bishop and then make White suffer for the rest of game. 9 .j,b3? Trying to keep the bishop leads to disaster. We now follow a game of mine from long ago. 9 . . . Wa6! 1 O.j,c2 My opponent clearly didn't like the look of 1 O.We2 j,b5 . 1 O . . . Ek8!? 1 1 .lLlc3 lLlxc2t 1 2.Wxc2 j,b4 1 3 .j,d2 lLl e7 14.lLlgl lLl f5 1 5 .lLlge2

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1 5 . . . Wxe2t! This was a rapid event, I was

Chapter 2

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35

The Euwe System

not keeping a score of the game and I don't even remember - my opponent's name, but I could not forget such a beautiful finish. This game has served me well in teaching tactics to juniors!

see how to deal with it in our first illustrative game.

8.�e2?! This is the move Nimzowitsch favoured, playing it first against Rubinstein in Karlsbad 1 9 1 1 , and then twice at the San Sebastian tournament in 1 9 1 2, against Tarrasch and Duras. 8 . . . tLlge7 9.b3 Mter 9.tLla3 tLl f5 1 0.tLlc2 Black is very comfortable, a full tempo ahead of a position that can arise from the 6.�e2 line. 9 . . . tLlf5 1 0.�b2 �b4t Once again, White's loss of tempo with �d3e2 means that Black has an excellent version of the 6.�e2 line.

Arthur Mrugala - Reimund Lutzenberger email 1 998

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ttJ c6 5.ttJf3 i.d7 6.i.d3 cxd4 7.cxd4 'lWb6 8.0-0 ttJxd4 9.ttJg5?!

8 ... ttJxd4

This is the weakest of White's three options in this gambit line, but there are still people out there who will try to surprise you with this one. For starters, White avoids the exchange of the knights with check. Moreover he threatens 1 0 .�e3, with the point that 1 O . . . 'lWxb2 1 1 .tLlxf7 will result in unclear complications. a

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Black accepts the gambit pawn. We shall first take a look at the old main line of Cl l) 9.ttJxd4?! and then examine the more topical Cl2) 9.ttJbd2!. 9.tLlg5?! is an aggressive move that can be dangerous in blitz, but should not come close to working at slower time controls. We shall

9 ... ttJc6! Black avoids White's threat and gains a tempo by attacking the e5-pawn. 10.gel White's best scoring option in our database is 1 0 .tLlc3?! but who ever said that statistics should be trusted? 1 O .. .lLJxe5 1 1 .�xh7 ( l l .tLJxd5N 'lWa5 1 2.tLlc3 tLlxd3 1 3.'lWxd3 tLJ f6=i=) 1 1 . . .tLJ f6 1 2.'lWe2 tLJxh7 1 3.tLlxd5

36

Playing the French

( I 3.�xe5 is met by 1 3 . . . f6) 1 3 . . . exd5 1 4.�f4 lLl xg5 1 5 .�xg5 �d6 Black was winning in Halser - Ostrowski, Vienna 1 998.

10 ...i.c5 1 1 .Wif3 8 7 6

1 5 . . . lLl c6!N 1 6.lLlh3 0-0+ White's best seems to be 1 3 .�h3!N lLlhf5 ( I 3 . . . lLl c2 1 4.�xc2 �xf2t 1 5 .1t>f1 �xe 1 1 6.lt>xe 1 OO) 1 4.�b 1 + which limits his disadvantage. Black might try 14 . . . h6 1 5 .lLlf3 lLl c6 1 6.�e2 lLl fd4 1 7.lLlxd4 lLlxd4 followed by . . . �c8 . Continuing with . . .�f8 and . . . g6 in order to prepare castling is then a possibility.

13 ... tiJhfS With a sequence of natural moves, Black has achieved a clear advantage. An important point is that the following pseudo-energetic move does not work for White.

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1 1 ...tiJh6! 1 1 . . . 0-0-0! ? is also considered to be a strong option at this point.

14.g4 After the more restrained 1 4.lLlf3 lLlxf3t 1 5 .�xf3 lLl e7+, Black is also doing well. 8 7

12.tiJc3 1 2.lLlxh7? was tried in Andersson Lundback, Hallstahammar 2002, but after 1 2 . . . lLl g4!!-+N White is in serious trouble on f2.

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1 2 ... tiJ d4 1 3.Wif4 1 3.�d 1 lLl hf5 1 4.lLla4 �xa4 1 5 .�xa4t was played in Hempel - Schmitt, Bensheim 2005, and now Black should play:

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14 ... h6! 1 5.tiJxe6 fxe6 1 5 . . . g5!?N is another way to tactically refute White's play: 1 6.lLlxd5 gxf4 1 7.lLlec7t �xc7 1 8 .lLlxc7t It>d8 1 9.1Llxa8 lLl f3t 20.'kt>f1 lLl 5d4 2 1 .�xf4 (2 1 .�e4 �xg4 creates many problems for White, the most obvious of them being the threat of mate in one!) 2 1 . . .�xg4 22.'kt>g2 lLlxe 1 t 23.�xe 1 �f3t 24.It>f1 lLl e6 The trapped white knight gives Black the victory. 16.gxf5 tiJxf5 17.i.xfS 0-0

Chapter 2

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The Euwe System

There are various minor alternatives for White along the way, but a simple check reveals that all of them are losing.

18.lihd5 exd5 19.e6

37

playing the Sicilian Defence! The reader should look forward to the situation from the current game (having to win a won endgame) appearing frequently in his practice if he becomes devoted to the French Defence.

3 1 .�d3 �d6 32.�b3 �c6! 33.�c3t �b5 34.�c7 34.�b3t �a6 followed by . . . d4 also wins rather easily. 34 ... b6 35.axb6 axb6 36.�xg7 �c4 37.�c7t �d3 38.�c3t �d2 39.�c6 d4 40.�xb6 d3 41 .h3 �dl 42.b4 d2 0-1 el l) 9.liJxd4?! 19 .. J'hfS 20.Wfxf5 �f8 2 1 .exd7 �xf5 22.�e8t �f8 23.d8=Wf Lflt 24.�g2 Wfg6t 25.ig5 Wfxe8 26.Wfxe8 �xe8 27.�xf2 hxg5 White has managed to survive to a rook endgame, but unfortunately for him it is lost.

This was the old main line, but its popularity has faded. This can be put down to there being several well-known theoretical "antidotes" . I have chosen one of these antidotes, which is quite easily memorized yet will remain viable for many years to come.

28.�dl �e5 29.a4 �f7 30.a5 �e6

9 ...Wfxd4 10.liJc3

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The traditional French Defence player is a good endgame player. If you do not like endings, then perhaps you should consider

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10 ... a6 The main alternative is 1 0 . . . Wfxe5, but all Black has is a draw.

38

Playing the French

I l .Wfe2

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14J�dl Retreating the bishop allows Black to execute his idea: 1 4.�b l Wc4! 1 5 .Wd l d4 1 6.tLl e4 d3 1 7.liJd2 Wc7 I S.liJ e4 I S .a3 liJ c2-+ I S . . . liJ c2 1 9.�xc2 dxc2 20.Wg4 Wc4 2 1 .Ele 1 Lopez Gomez - Perez Carrillo, corr. 2004.

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1 1 ...llJe7! The knight is on its way to the b4-square. This is Black's simplest way to play for a small advantage. 1 2.';t{hl A slow move, but if White cannot play f2-f4, he cannot hope for energetic play. 1 2 ... llJ c6 1 2 . . . Wb6 1 3 .f4 g6 is a decent alternative. 13.f4 llJ b4! 1 3 . . . �c5 is more popular, but the text is much simpler.

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2 1 . . .�c6!N Simple chess. 22.f5 22.liJ d6t �xd6 23.exd6 0-0-0-+ 22 . . . �xe4! 23.Wxe4 Wxe4 24.Elxe4 O-O-O!? 25.Elc4t bs 26.g l Eld l t 27.f2 �e7 2S.Elxc2 ElcS! White cannot develop his queenside, so Black is winning easily.

14 ....tcS! This is strong now. The idea is to play . . . Wf2 now that the rook has abandoned the protection of this square. I s.ha6 White wins his pawn back; he has nothing better. 1 5 .�xh7 is met the same way: 1 5 . . . Wf2 1 6.Wxf2 �xf2 1 7.�b l 0-0-0 I S.h3 liJc6't Baudin - Justo, France 2002. f

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1 5 .�b5 ? Wf2 1 6.�xd7t xd7 1 7.Wg4 ( 1 7.Wxf2 �xf2 I S .liJ e4 �a7 1 9.1iJd6 f6

Chapter 2

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The Euwe System

20.ctJxb7 Schulz - Loskamp, Cologne 1 994, and now 20 . . . fxe5N 2 l.fxe5 Ei:hf8-+)

39

20 ...�c6! Beautiful play by Black. Now . . . d4 is a major threat. 2 1 .�f3? This loses a pawn and the game, though after something like 2 1 .�d3 ctJ c4 22.�xc4 dxc4+ Black would also be very happy.

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2 1 ...tLlc4 White resigned at this point in Milesi Apicella, Cap d'Agde 2003. After 22.Ei:c2 ctJ xd2 23.Ei:xd2 �e3, the f4-pawn falls and with it goes any hope of saving the game.

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1 7 . . . ctJd3!! Threatening . . . Wg l t. 1 8 .h3 h5 1 9.Wg5 �e7-+ Rudak - Kruppa, Alushta 1 998.

IS ...Wf2; There is no good way for White to avoid the exchange of the queens, and so Black will be left with the better chances in an endgame. 16.VNxf2 �xf2 17.�e2 I 7.�b5 is examined in our next illustrative game. I 7.�xb7 is met by I 7 . . . Ei:a7+ and the bishop is trapped. A possible continuation is I 8.a3 0-0 I 9.Ei:b I Ei:xb7 20.axb4 Ei:xb4 and Black's pressure is most annoying. 17 ... 0-0 18.�d2 tLlc2 19.Ei:ab l tLl e3 20.Ei:dc1

Hossein Aryanejad - Vladimir Potkin Abu Dhabi 2005

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS cS 4.c3 tLl c6 S.tLlf3 �d7 6.�d3 cxd4 7.cxd4 VNb6 8.0-0 tLlxd4 9.liJxd4 VNxd4 10.liJc3 a6 I 1 .VNe2 tLl e7 1 2.�hl tLl c6 13.£4 liJ b4 14.�dl �cS I S.ha6 VNf2 16.VNxf2 �xf2 8 7 6 5

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17.�bS This is a very logical move, albeit one which allows Black to demonstrate some brilliant technique.

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40

Playing the French

17 ... i.xb5 1 8.�xb5 gxa2! A well-calculated pawn snatch. 1 8 . . . 0-0+ was also a possibility, for "lazy" players who can't be bothered calculating!

24 . . . Ei:c2 25 .g3 b3 26.Ei:a 1 Ei:xb2 27.i.c3 Ei:a2 28.ltJd2 Ei:c2-+ Either a piece falls or the pawn goes to b2 with devastating effect.

19.9xa2 �xa2 20.i.d2 The knight seems trapped . . .

23.gxa2 i.b4 24.i.e3? White cracks under the pressure.

_

20 ... 'i!?d7 2 1 .gal

24.i.c3 was a better defence: 24 . . . d4 25.ltJb5 dxc3 26.bxc3 This was Toufighi - Gonzalez Garcia, Khanty-Mansiysk (01) 20 1 0, and now Black's most accurate continuation is:

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2 1 ...gc8! The knight will not die yet! There is a problem on the back rank.

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26 . . . i.xc3!N 27.ltJd6 Ei:c6!+ followed by . . .f6, challenging the seemingly well-placed knight.

22.�a3 22.Ei:xa2? Ei:c2-+ 22 ...i.c5! Planning to save the knight by playing . . . ltJ b4. 22 . . . b5!?N This also keeps up the pressure. For example: 23.Ei:xa2 b4 24.ltJ b 1 ? This is bad, but it is nice to see how it is refuted. 24.g3! is White's best, but after 24 . . . bxa3 2 5 . bxa3 i.d4=t followed by . . . f6, Black is going to have two connected passed pawns, while White's passed a-pawn can be easily stopped.

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24 ... d4! Of course Black must have seen this far when he took the a2-pawn!

Chapter 2

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The Euwe System

25.�xd4 �cl t 26.�gl �c5 27.h3 27.h4 h5+ keeps all the white pawns on dark squares - and Black may soon take them all!

41

Cl21) 9 ... .!iJxf3t!?

27 ... �xgl t 28.'�h2 �fl 29.g3 �f2t 30.�hl �fl t 31 .�h2 �f2t 32.�hl �c6 Clearly Black is doing all the pressing in this endgame. He has the better rook, better king, better minor piece and lots of targets, whereas White has no targets at all! Black need only display a modest degree of technique to bring the point home. 33 . .!iJc4 �d5 34 . .!iJa5 b6 35 . .!iJ b7 �d4 36.�a8 �xb2 37 . .!iJd6 f6 38.�d8 £Xe5 39 . .!iJf7t �e4 40 . .!iJg5t �e3 41 .�d6 h6 42 . .!iJxe6 �f3 43 . .!iJxd4t exd4 White threw in the towel. 0-1 C121 9 . .!iJ bd2!

10 . .!iJxf3 �b5! Exchanging the bad bishop is always a dream come true for a French player! 1 1 .�e3 �a6 l2.�xb5t �xb5 13 . .!iJ d4 �d7

This is the only move that provides any justification for White's gambit. a b c d e f g h I have decided to offer the reader a choice here. Cl2I) 9 ... .!iJxf3t!? is a relatively simple Black intends to follow up with . . .fu e7. and practical option, whereas my main White certainly has compensation, but on the recommendation of C1 22) 9 ... .!iJ e7 is more , other hand I feel that this compensation is not complex and requires some memorization of enough for an advantage, and the simplicity lines. of the whole line makes it a good practical

Playing the French

42

solution. There is not much theory here and no mass of details to be memorized. I have spent some time analysing this position, and here are the fruits of my work, along with the most relevant practical example that I found in my database.

14Jkl c!iJ e7 lS.Wfd3 1 5 .f4N g6f± l S c!iJ c6 16.c!iJxc6 1 6.f4 i.e7 (or 1 6 . . .Ek8 1 7.f5 tt:lxe5 1 8 .2''1xc 8t 'lWxcB 1 9.'lWb5t tt:l c6 20.l"k 1 f8 12.WfxeS

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8 �e7!? 8 . . . �b6 is perfectly sound, but seems a less practical approach due to the continuation 9.b5 lLl xe5 1 O.lLlxe5 fxe5 I l .Wh5t mf8 . Black will have t o defend against White's initiative for some time, and White might well land a trick before Black gets the h8-rook into play. Unless you are a correspondence player, I would suggest following my main recommendation. •.•

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

9.bS 9 .iJ4

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12 ...�f6! This is the difference compared with the note to Black's 8th move; the bishop is excellently placed on this square. 1 2 . . . lLl f6?! 1 3 .0-0 Wb8 1 4.f4 mfl 1 5 .ie3 id6 1 6.Wg5 1"i:c8 and now 1 7.id4 ic5 looked reasonable for Black in Roca - Kasimdzhanov, Yerevan 1 996, but 1 7.1"i:f3!N offers White a slight edge, as the ideas of id4 and 1"i:g3 are annoying. a

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9 . . . lLl h6!?N This idea looks strong. If White does not take the knight he will j ust be worse after . . . lLlfl. 9 . . . g5? 1 O.exf6 gxf4 I l . fxe7 Wc7 1 2.0-0;1; Pap - Zaja, Bosnjaci 20 1 0.

13.Wfd6t 1 3.ia3t lLl e7 followed by . . . g6 or . . . mfl looks fine for Black. White should probably play the more circumspect: 1 3.We2!N lLl e7 1 4.0-0 mfl 1 5 .a4 lLl g6 1 6.1"i:e l 1"i:e8=

Chapter 2 - The Euwe System

13 .. .tiJe7 14.0-0 e5 15.i.a3 @f'7 16.ltJd2

47

White first plays b4-b5 , kicking the knight away from its good square on c6, before placing the bishop on the aggressive d3-square. This has some pros and cons as the structural commitment is obvious. Black chooses between C22 1) 7 ... i.e7 and C222) 7 ... i.b6.

C22 1) 7 ...i.e7

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16 ...i.f5!N This is a small improvement to the stem game of this line: 1 6 . . . �e8 1 7 .�ad 1 j,g4 1 8.'lWxd8 �axd8 was at least equal for Black in Sveshnikov - Savon, Lvov 1 978. 17JWxd8 ghxd8 18.i.xe7 i.xd3 19.i.xd8 gxd8 Black has fantastic compensation for the exchange in the form of two wonderful bishops. I can assert with confidence that Black is the side holding a small advantage here. C22) 7.b4 8 7

This looks unnatural to me because I don't want to play . . . l2l h6 and allow j,xh6 without a particular reason (I prefer more traditional solutions) , but this doesn't mean that it is bad. Indeed, this move has scored well enough in practice.

8.b5 8 .j,d3 f6 transposes to line C2 1 above. 8 ... l2l a5 9.i.d3 �c7! I prefer this to the rushed 9 . . . l2l c4. For more discussion of the timing of the . . . l2l c4 move, see line C222 below. 10.i.f4 1 0.0-0 l2l c4 attacks both b5 and e5. 1 O.'lWe2 is Houdini's first choice, though after 1 O . . . h5!? with the idea of . . . l2l h6 without fearing structural damage by j,xh6, Black seems fine to me. 1 1 .0-0 l2l h6 1 2.a4 l2l b3 1 3.�a2 l2l xc 1 1 4.�xc 1 This was played in Ubezio - Lagrotteria, Forli 1 993.

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Playing the French

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Now I like 14 . . . a6!N, which makes any ideas White may have with c3-c4 much less dangerous.

ended in a draw after White saved a completely lost position. But what really matters is that Ulibin's opening play was very instructive.

10 ... tiJ c4 This natural move has the double threat of . . . i.xb5 and . . . ttJ b2 exchanging the strong d3bishop.

C222) 7 ...�b6 S.b5 tiJ a5 9.i.d3

1 1 .0-0 hb5 l 1 . . .ttJb2 or l 1 . . .a6!? 1 2. bxa6 ttJ b2 also lead to positions that are slightly more comfortable for Black.

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1 3 ... g5! 14.hc4 h5! 15.YNe2 YNxc4 16.YNxc4 dxc4 17.�e3 tiJ h6 White was clearly on the ropes against the fantastic French Defence player, Mikhail Ulibin. It is interesting to see a few more moves.

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9 ... tiJ e7! Black should not rush with: 9 . . . ttJ c4 "The threat is more dangerous than the execution", as Nimzowitsch would say. I think this aggressive-looking move is inaccurate; Black should develop first and attack the e5-pawn later. 1 0.a4 Wc7 1 1 .We2 a6 1 2.bxa6 :gxa6 1 3.0-0 ttJ e7

IS.tiJdl tiJ g4 19.tiJxc4 gcs 20.tiJ d6t hd6 2 1 .exd6 e5 2 1 . . .f6 followed by putting the king on f7 may be a slightly better way to play. 22.tLH3 tiJxe3 23.fxe3 f6 24.tiJdl 0-0 25.g£2 c;!?g7 Black was clearly better in Sveshnikov Ulibin, Chelyabinsk 1 989, although the game

1 4.ttJbd2! This might not give White an objective advantage, but it leads to positions that are

49

Chapter 2 - The Euwe System more difficult for Black to play. Mter 1 4.lLla3 Ei:xa4 l S .lLlxc4 dxc4 1 6.Ei:xa4 �xa4 1 7.�xc4 0-0 1 8 .�d3 lLl g6 1 9.h4 Black seems to be able to force a draw with accurate play: 1 9 . . . �c6 20.hS �xf3 2 1 .gxf3 iWxe5 22.hxg6 iWg3t 23.�h 1 iWh3t 24.mg1 Yz-Yz Kharlov - Svidler, Novosibirsk 1 99 5 . 1 4 . . . Ei:xa4 l S .Ei:xa4 �xa4 1 6.�xc4 dxc4 1 7.�a3 0-0 1 8.�d6 In the following correspondence game Black defended well and drew, but it would be no fun to try and defend over the board. 1 8 . . . iWd8 1 9.1Llxc4 �c7 20.�cS b6 2 1 .�b4 iWd7 22.Ei:a 1 Ei:a8 23.lLlgS lLl g6 24.lLl d6 �xd6 25.exd6 h6 26.lLl f3 �c6 27.Ei:xa8t �xa8 28.lLle5 lLlxeS 29.iWxeS f6 30.iWe2 Yz-Yz Hausdorf - Gatto, corr. 20 1 0.

10.0-0 Ei:c8 1 0 . . . iWc7 followed by . . . a6 is liable to lead to the liquidation of the queenside. Black will have better chances to put his opponent under pressure if he keeps this idea in reserve. 1 1 .a4 tLJg6 Leaving the queen on the d8-h4 diagonal makes it difficult for White to arrange an effective h4-hS-h6. Ifhe tries to prepare it with g2-g3 then after . . . 0-0 followed by .. .f6, White will have problems with the f3-square.

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l S .Ei:cl ! With the c3-pawn well defended, White is ready to meet the . . . f6 break. l S .. .f6 1 6.exf6 iWxf6 1 7.�gS iWf7 1 8 .�e3 �xe3 1 9.Ei:xe3± White is slightly better.

13.Ei:a2 White may be tempted by: 1 3.iWc2 Hoping that the idea with �gS will gain strength, but it turns out not to be the case. 1 3 . . . iWe7 1 4 .�gS f6 l S .exf6 gxf6 1 6.�h6 1 6.�xg6 fxgS 1 7 .�hS ( 1 7 .�d3 g4-+) 1 7 . . . iWf6+

12.Ei:el O-O!? This move order is my recommendation for Black, although 1 2 . . . iWe7!? is also playable and may well transpose. This is examined in illustrative Game 3 on page SO. 12 . . . lLl c4 Once again, I think it is too soon for this move, as White is ready to offer the exchange of knights: 1 3.lLlbd2! lLlxd2 1 3 . . . lLlaS 1 4.c4± 1 4.�xd2 0-0

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1 6 . . . lLleS! 16 ... Ei:fe8? 1 7.�xg6 hxg6 1 8.iWxg6t would show the benefit of the white queen being placed on c2. 1 7.�xf8 1 7.lLlxeS fxeS 1 8.�xf8 Ei:xf8 1 9.Ei:fl e4

Playing the French

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20.�e2 Wh4--+ 1 7 . . . tLlxf3t 1 8 .gx:f3 Wxf8 1 9.mh l Wh6 20.gg1 t mf7 With ideas such as . . . �c7-e5 , the position looks like good fun for Black. 8

IGwE li Dieter Pirrot - Stefan Kindermann Germany 2004

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 c!lJc6 5.c!lJa �d7 6.dxc5 .hc5 7.b4 �b6 S.b5 c!lJa5 9.�d3 c!lJe7 10.0-0 gcs 1 l .a4 c!lJg6 12.gel VNe7!? I haven't recommended this move order, although I cannot see anything wrong with it either! The "problem" is that with this specific move order, the plan with �g5 produces an unclear position, though it is one that Black may still be happy to play.

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13 ...VNe7!N This is the standard recipe that I recommend. Black wants to double rooks on the c-file and the only way for White to stop this (at least temporarily) is by playing the bishop to g5 . 1 3 . . . f5 ?! may not b e too bad, but i t leads to a kind of position that I would never recommend for Black. 1 4.exf6!N ( 1 4.gae2? tLl h4!'t was torture for White in Shaw A. Grant, Dreghorn 1 995) 1 4 . . . Wxf6 1 5 .�g5 Wf7 1 6.�e3 �xe3 1 7.gxe3 Wf4! 1 8.�xg6! hxg6 1 9. tLl bd2t Given the choice, I would certainly opt for White's position. 14.�g5 Another version of this idea is: 1 4.gae2 gc7 1 5 .�g5 ( 1 5 .g3 gfc8 1 6.h4 tLl f8 1 7.h5 h6 1 8.mg2 �e8!'t leaves Black free to play on the queens ide at his leisure with . . . tLl d7 etc.) 1 5 . . . f6 1 6.exf6 gx:f6 1 7.�h6 ge8't Black will play . . . Wf7 next. 14 ... £6 1 5.exf6 gxf6 16.�h6 gfeS; Black will continue with . . . Wf7, with a fine position.

1 2 . . . 0-0 followed by 1 3 . . . We7 is covered in line C222 above. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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13.�g5! This seems to be the critical continuation, and it is the only move played in this position. 1 3.�a3 is simply met by 13 . . . �c5't. Although White is not a lot worse, he is certainly the one who is seeking equality. 1 3.tLlbd2? allows 1 3 . . . Wc5!+ wit!) an effective double attack on the f2- and c3-pawns.

Chapter 2

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51

The Euwe System

1 3 .g3 0-0 1 4.h4 is strongly met by 1 4 . . . f6!+, because g2-g3 has weakened the f-file, making 1 5 .exf6 "Wxf6 too dangerous for White. 1 3.l'l:a2 0-0 transposes to line C222 above. 1 3."Wc2 0-0 transposes to the note to White's 1 3th move in line C222.

1 6.l'l:a2 "Wfl 1 7.g3 �d8!? The king heads for b8 once more. 1 8 .l'l:c2 With the idea of playing c3-c4 if the king steps onto the c-file. 1 8 . . . e5 1 9.tLlbd2 1 9.c4 can be rnet by 1 9 . . . e4, though 1 9 . . . tLl f4 followed by . . . "Wh5 is also great for Black.

13 £6 14 .ie3?! Whi te had to try: 1 4.exf6N gxf6 1 5 .j,h6°o White prevents castling and can play for tricks in an unclear position; otherwise he is just worse because of his structure. Of course Black's centre pawns and active pieces promise him good play, but I am not sure if he is objectively better. ...

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1 9 . . . l'l:c7! 1 9 . . . e4? now is met by 20.j,xe4! dxe4 2 1 .tLlxe4 and Black is in trouble. 20.j,fl 20.c4 tLl f4! 20 ... �c8 2 1 .c4 j,f5 22.l'l:c 1 d4 By now Black is much better, though of course the above analysis is not exhaustive. a

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1 5 . . . l'l:g8 a) 1 5 . . . tLlc4 with the idea of . . . tLl ce5 also seems playable for Black. b) 1 5 . . . c;t>d8!? plans to go to b8 with the king. 1 6.j,e3 j,xe3 1 7.l'l:xe3 c;t>c7 0 7 . . . l'l:c5 first might be objectively stronger, but I want to show that Black can afford to sacrifice the d-pawn) 1 8.j,xgG hxg6 1 9."Wxd5 �b8 Even a pawn down, Black is fine because of his superior structure. If White tries to keep his extra pawn he will be subjected to serious positional pressure. For example, 20."Wd l e5 2 1 .tLl bd2 g5 22.tLlfl tLlc4 23.l'l:e l j,e6 and Black's compensation is obvious.

14 ,be3 1 5.l'l:xe3 fSi White has no visible counterplay, while Black will start putting pressure on White's queenside weaknesses. .•.

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Playing the French

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1 6 . .!iJ bd2 0-0 17J!cl �e7 1 8 .!iJ b3 l S.c4 ElfcS+

28.b6 fxg3 2S . . . h5 maintains the pressure.

18 .!iJ e4 19.i.xe4 �xe4 20 .!iJ bd2 �e7 2 1 .�b3 �fe8 Black has completed his desired set-up.

29.hxg3 .!iJf4 30.�e3 .!iJh3t 3Vit>g2 tLlf4t 32. gl .!iJh3t 33. g2 The French expert Stefan Kindermann decided to force the draw at this point. AB this was a team event, one can speculate that Kindermann j ust needed a draw to secure the team's success, as he is still slightly better. Maybe you can ask him if you see him! %-%

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22.g3 22.tLld4 f4! ? 23.Elee 1 tLl h4!+ 22.c4 a6! 23.Elec3 dxc4 24.Elxc4 Elxc4 25.Elxc4 Elxc4 26.WI'xc4 axb5 27.axb5 Wl'eS and Black is very slightly better.

Conclusion

8

In this chapter I introduced the flexible Euwe System against the Advance Variation. White has a couple of ways to avoid it, such as Kupreichik's A) S.i.e3 and Murey's B) S.g3, but Black has no problems dealing with those systems.

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22 ... a6 22 . . . f4 also looks natural, though first improving the rook with 22 . . . Elc5!+ may be best.

We then moved on to examine two 6th move continuations - the Milner-Barry Gambit with 6.i.d3 and Sveshnikov's 6.dxc5 . Nowadays the gambit with Cl) 6.i.d3 has regained something of its former reputation, mainly based on the discovery that the 9.tLlbd2 line gives White reasonable compensation, which can be dangerous in practice. I offered a choice of replies. The complex C122) 9 .!iJe7 is the most ambitious line, but if that does not appeal to you then C121) 9 ... .!iJxf3t is a practical alternative. In the lines where White doesn't play 9.tLlbd2, Black can even obtain an edge. Sveshnikov's C2) 6.dxeS is better than its reputation. My favourite way of meeting it is to put the queen on e7 and then double rooks on the c-file. In this way Black aims to get the maximum out of White's concessions on the c-file. •••

23 . .!iJ d4 axbS 24.axbS 24.tLlxb5? i.xb5 followed by .. .f4 is much better for Black who has got rid of his problem piece. I know that this bishop is the favourite piece of every true devotee of the French Defence, but it doesn't hurt to exchange it sometimes! 24 f4 2S.�eel �gS 26 .!iJ 2f3 �g4 27.�b4 �eS 27 . . . i.eS with the idea of . . . Elf7, or possibly . . . tLl fS followed by . . . i.g6, looks promising to me. •••

•

Chapter 3 a

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6.a3 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 � c6 5 . � f3 .id7 6.a3 A) 6 ... �ge7 B) 6 ... c4! B l ) 7 ..ie2?! B2) 7.g3 � a5 8.� bd2 B2 1) 8 ... � e7 B2 1 1 ) 9.h4 B2 1 2) 9 ..ig2 B22) 8 ... .ic6 B22 1) 9 ..ih3?! B222) 9.h4 B223) 9 ..ig2 B3) 7 ..ie3

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Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7

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Dmitry Lavrik - Igor Glek, Moscow 2009 H.A. Hussein - Rainer Buhmann, Dresden (01) 2008 Petr Haba - Eckhard Schmittdiel, Austria 2008 Yochanan Afek - Stephen Giddins, Amsterdam 200 1

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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How can Black obtain counterplay? (page 56)

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Find a strong plan for Black. (page 6 1 )

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Find a good plan for Black. (page 64)

Find Black's best plan. (page 70)

How should Black proceed? (page 68)

How should Black meet the attack on the rook? (page 73)

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White's last move (9.t2J bd2) was inaccurate. Can you see why? (page 59)

Chapter 3 - 6 . a3

l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ttJc6 5 . ttJ f3 .id7 6.a3

� �� �.m ���B u,u��' 'uu � ' ' ' � � :r �i ' i ji�''' '�i 6 m� m m " � �. .& lfr fm %� � lfr ��� % % 8 �i

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%m ""' o"" m �� �� �� "" %� �� j j � �M'lfr � ,,, �O� �?'f(l,, _ � �� o �o

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This development scheme involving a2-a3 and b2-b4 was very popular in the 90s, and I am sure that it will continue to appear in tournaments for many years to come. The simple reason for this is that White's play is easy to understand and ambitious at the same time. White wants to play b2-b4 and claim more space, giving him opportunities to play on both flanks. If Black exchanges on d4, then White can play t.b2, ttJc3 (or ttJ bd2 and later ttJ b3) and Eic 1 , and Black must always consider how to defend against a great knight appearing on c5. On the other flank White can typically play with g2-g4, ttJe 1 and f2-f4, not fearing a counterstroke in the centre. An important detail is that he may be able to put his bishop on d3, as the d4-pawn will be well protected by the b2-bishop. From Black's point of view, the good thing is that these plans involve a lot of white moves, so Black should use the time available to take action to stop this ideal development. The hottest theoretical line today starts with 6 .. .f6!?, Black's idea being to continue with . . . Wc7 and . . . 0-0-0. This takes advantage of the fact that White cannot play a quick ttJ a3b5 in combination with his bishop coming to f4, which might quickly refute Black's idea.

55

(That's why Black is not advised to play 6 . . . f6 with the same idea against 6.t.e2!) Yet, although the idea is so simple, I am not that crazy about it. It reflects the modern thinking in chess, that to play for a win with Black you must achieve unclear positions. I prefer the more classical approach of stepping on the shoulders of our "French Defence fathers" (such as Petrosian, Botvinnik, Korchnoi, Psakhis etc.) , and choosing to study clear strategic solutions in order to form a strong basic understanding. Once these foundations are set, then deviating becomes easier and less risky. Returning to the present position, my main recommendation is a move that I find both ambitious and consistent with Black's general strategy:

6... c4! Now White will only be able to bring his bishop to the b l -h7 diagonal if he plays b2b3 (thus creating a weakness on c3, on a semi­ open file) , or if he plays the manoeuvre t.e2d l -c2 which is really slow and is moreover likely to be prevented by Black putting his own bishop on a4. I will introduce some typical ideas for Black by means of two instructive games, before moving on to a deeper study of the theoretical recommendations. Before then, I shall try to satisfY readers who would like to play something strategically less demanding by looking at 6 . . . ltJge7!? The idea here is that after 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 ttJ f5 White has to defend the d4-pawn, and this gives Black the time to play 9 . . . b5! followed by 1 O . . . a5 liquidating the whole queens ide. This is an easy system to learn, but of course it is rather drawish as the situation quickly becomes simplified . Here I'll examine 7 .ie2, 7.g3, and what is probably the strongest move, 7 ..ie3. •

Playing the French

56

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 � c6 5.�f3 .td7 6.a3 We will take a look at A) 6 ... �ge7 before examining my main recommendation of B) 6 ... c4!. First I would like to j ust briefly mention 6 . . . a5 ?!, a line that I cannot recommend. This can be met by 7 . .td3! and White will be able to retreat the bishop to c2 without fearing . . . ltJ b4 from Black. An instructive continuation is: 7 . . . 1Wb6 S ..tc2 cxd4 9 .cxd4 ltJ ge7 1 O.ltJc3 ltJ g6 1 1 .h4!± In my database, White has scored 1 0/ 1 0 from this posi tion - stay away from this, please!

A) 6 ... �ge7

1O.�c3 After 1 0 . .td3 a5 the queens ide gets liquidated, meaning that White cannot hope for an edge: 1 1 ..txf5 exf5 1 2.ltJc3?! axb4 1 3 .ltJxb5 bxa3 1 4 . .tc3 1Wb6 1 5 .1We2 ltJdS 1 6.ltJd6t .txd6 1 7.exd6t ltJ e6 l S.0-0 .tb5 1 9.1"% 1 .txe2 20.Elxb6 .txf3 Black was much better in Plukkel - Castaneda, Wijk aan Zee 20 1 2, though White somehow escaped with a draw. 10 ... a5 1 1 .�xh5?! White should prefer: 1 1 . .txb5! This capture is far more natural and leads to an equal position. 1 1 . . .axb4 1 2.axb4

If you want an easy-to-learn option, then this may appeal; the theory on this line comes to an end quite quickly.

7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 �f5 9 ..th2 9 . .te3 is met in similar fashion by 9 . . . b5!.

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1 2 . . . .txb4 1 2 . . . Elxa 1 N 1 3.1Wxa 1 ( 1 3 . .txa 1 .txb4 1 4.0-0 1Wa5=) 1 3 . . . .txb4= 1 3 .0-0 0-0 14 . .td3 Elxa 1 1 5 . .txa 1 1Wa5 1 6.ltJe2 ElcS 1 7.g4 ltJ fe7 l S .1Wb 1 ltJ g6 1 9.h4 Sevillano - Yang, Saint Louis 20 1 2. 1 9 . . . h6!?N 20.g2 ltJ fS 2 1 .h5 1WdS=

9 ...h5! A move that GM Igor Glek has played several times. The point is that White doesn't gain anything by playing 1 0 . .txb5, as after 1 O . . . ltJ xe5 Black regains the pawn and is fine.

l 1 ...axb4 1 2.a4 .te7 13 ..td3 0-0 With the queenside in such a mess White cannot hope for an advantage, and indeed it seems that White faces some problems here, as we'll see in the following illuStrative game.

Chapter 3 - 6 . a3

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1 5 .2"k1 ttJa5+ followed by . . . 2"i:fe8 and . . . ttJc4 is probably the scenario White wanted to avoid. 1 5 . . . ttJ h4 1 6.ttJxh4 �xh4 1 7.f4 White wants to cut the bishop out of the game with g4-g5. 17 ... �e7 1 8 .�g2 ttJa5

Dmitry Lavrik - Igor Glek Moscow 2009

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS cS 4.c3 llJc6 S.a3 llJge7 6.llJa llJrs 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 �d7 9.�b2 bS 10.llJc3 as l 1 .llJxbS axb4 12.a4 �e7 13.�d3 0-0 This is where we stopped our theoretical examination, claiming that White faces some problems. 14.0-0 a

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14 ... llJaS!? Glek improves on an earlier game: 1 4 . . . ttJa7 1 5 .'lMre2 ttJc8 Y2-Y2 Saltaev - Glek, Germany 2005. 1 4 ... 'lMrb6 This was played in another game which had a similar course to our main one. 1 5 .g4?! This type of operation is fine if the queens ide is stable and Black cannot penetrate the white position, but here he can do so with . . . ttJa5-c4. This means that White obtains no real attack, but remains with weaknesses that can be exploited later.

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1 9.f5 This is more consistent than 1 9 .�c l ?! ttJ c4 20.f5 Stoj ic - Dole, Singapore 2009, and now Black could simply have played 20 . . . �xb5, when White's attack is not worth a piece. 1 9 . . . ttJ c4 20.'lMre2 f6! 20 . . . �xb5 2 1 .axb5 2"i:xa 1 22.2"i:xa 1 'lMrxb5 is also strong, and if23.2"i:c l then j ust 23 . . . 2"i:c8+ and White can make nothing out of the pin. 2 1 .�h 1 h6!+ Black stops any g4-g5 nonsense and stands much better.

I S.llJdl 'lWb6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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58

Playing the French

Faced with ideas of . . . Ei:fc8 and possibly . . . .ig5 , White now resorted to the typical blow:

1 6.g4?! I don't like this move, but I find it difficult to suggest anything better at this point. 16 . .ixf5 exf5 1 7.'1Wf3 .ixb5 1 8.axb5 Wxb5 1 9.Wxf5 lt:'l c4+

16 ...�xbS 17.axbS tLlxd4 1 8.Ld4 �xd4 19.tlJc4 tlJ b3! 19 . . . Wxa l !? 20.Wxa l It:'lxc4+ was also possible. 20J'ha8 Ei:xa8 2 1 .�xb3

22.Wxc4 WxeS 23.�e4 �xe4 24.Le4 Ei:b8 2S.�c6 �f6 26.Ei:bl �c3 27.�f1 �f8 28. 'it>e2 'it>e7 Black wants to march his king to c4 and then advance his passed pawn. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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29.'it>d3? Cutting off the king with 29.Ei:d l ! was correct, although Black could then play 29 . . . h3 30.Ei:d7t �f6 3 1 . cj{d3 .ie5! 32.h3 g5 . Black is probably winning here, but it is not trivial and there would certainly be a long game ahead. 29 E:d8t 30.'it>c4 After 30. cj{e3 Ei:d4 3 1 .h3 cj{d6, Black has the better king and the better rook, so with correct technique he should win. The following sample variation shows some instructive points: 32 . .ie8 f6 33.b6 e5 34.b7 cj{c7 35 ..ic6 g6 36 . .ie4 .id2t 37.�f3 f5 38.gxf5 gxf5 39 . .ixf5 Ei:f4t 40.�e2 Ei:xf5 4 1 .cj{xd2 Ei:xf2t 42.cj{d3 Ei:f4 and Black should win. ..•

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2 1 . dxc4?! 2 1 . . . .ic5! ?+ was stronger, with the point that knight moves can be powerfully met by either . . . Ei:a3 or . . . Wxg4t. .•

But probably the simplest way was: 21 ... Wxg4 t 22.cj{h l dxc4 23.Wxc4 Wf3t 24.�gl Ei:d8 25 . .ie2 Wf5+ It is well known that with opposite-coloured bishops on the board, the attacking side has a big advantage. In this case the white king is insecure, Black is a pawn up, the e5-pawn is weak, and Black's passed pawn is more dangerous than White's.

30 ... E:d4t 3 1 .'it>cS E:xg4 32.b6 �d4t 33. 'it>bS i.xf2 34. 'it>a6 E:c4 3S.�bS E:d4 36.E:cl E:d6 37.�c6 b3 38.'it>bS b2 39J'l:f1 �e3 40.b7 �a7 0-1

59

Chapter 3 - 6.a3

B) 6 ... c4!

1 3.j,e3 ( l 3.dxe5 fxe5 is no better) 13 ... �c7 1 4.c4 ttJ ge7! 1 5 .:gcl j,g4! 1 6.j,e2 e4 1 7.ttJh4 j,xe2 1 8.�xe2 ttJ g6!+ In Masserey - Erdos, Zemplinska Sirava 2004, Black had gained the upper hand with simple but strong play. 9 . . . g5 1 O.j,g3 g4 I l .ttJh4 fxe5 1 2.dxe5 ttJ h6 Black wants to play . . . ttJ f7 in order to attack the e5-pawn. 1 3 .j,e2 j,g7+ Black was better in Sveshnikov - Kalinik, Kharkov 1 978.

B l ) 7.i.e2?! a

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White has an important choice to make about where to develop his king's bishop. He may place it in the centre with Bl) 7.i.e2?!, on the flank after B2) 7.g3, or may delay the decision with B3) 7.i.e3. 7.ttJ bd2 is a common move order, and after 7 . . . ttJa5 White chooses between 8 .j,e2, and 8.g3, transposing to lines B l and B2 respectively. a

7.j,f4 �b6 8.�c2 f6

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9.ttJbd2 9.exf6 gxf6 1 0.ttJbd2 0-0-0 I l .b3 ( l 1 .j,e2 ttJa5N stops White's b2-b3 ideas, and if 1 2.:gb 1 then 1 2 . . . j,e8! planning . . .j,g6 looks fine for Black) 1 1 . . .cxb3 1 2.ttJxb3 e5!

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This is not the best square for this bishop. Practice has shown that on g2 or h3 the bishop provides much better support to White's plan of expanding on the kingside. However, this move should be looked at, because it is seen quite often in the games of club players. As mentioned above, White often reaches this line by first playing 7.ttJ bd2 and then 7 . . . ttJ a5 8 .j,e2. As the position is closed, many move orders are possible to reach the same positions. Black has usually played this closed system with the queen placed on the b6-square, but Black benefits from not having committed the queen to that square. The Ukrainian GM Moskalenko, in his inspiring book The Flexible French, mentions a plan with . . . ttJ e7 -c8-b6,

Playing the French

60

with the queen going to c7 to keep the c3pawn under observation, thereby making the principled b2-b3 break less strong. In our case we have a whole tempo more to reach this position because we can put the queen to c7 in one move rather than two (Moskalenko plays S . . . 1Wb6 instead of our flexible S . . . �d7!) . And there is another important benefit from the queen being on d8 rather than b6: Black can play . . . �c6 followed by . . . 1Wd7! and then . . . �a4.

7 JiJa5 8.lLlbd2 i.c6! 9.0-0 Now the move I mentioned: •.

9 ...VNd7!

8 � �� �i�!)1 7 �%� ' w�%� '� ' "if� l.� ,�

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. 1i1!lI1i1!lI 1i1!lI0!% Ii1!lIIi1!lI 1i1!lI .� flJfl . 1i1!lI % :[j � �� � ''''%��" " ,�� ,�� ""'%�fi .. �: dJb %O% % � "" av.�= " " ''',,

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Dresden (01) 2008

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.d4? White can put up more of a fight with 34.i>f3 E1xb2 3 5 .E1d3. 34 J�dSt 35.i>c4 .•

B2) 7.g3 As I explained earlier, this is a better way for White to play the position compared with placing the bishop on the e2-square.

7 ... llJa5 S.tiJ bd2 This position also commonly arises from the move order 7.tLl bd2 tLla5 8.g3 .

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35 .. J�e4t? This loses a large part of Black's advantage. After 35 . . . E1xd l 36.E1xd l c7-+ Black would win the e5-pawn without allowing any counterplay.

36J�d4 E1cSt?! 36 . . . E1dxd4t!? 37.cxd4 c7+ 37.i>b3 E1xd4 3S.cxd4 Black is still a little better, but it seems that White can hold the draw with accurate play. 3S ... i>c7 39.d5 39.�c4! �d7t 40.�d3 is a better way to defend. 39 ... i>d7 40.d6 E1c5 41 .E1el g4 42.E1e3 E1cS?! Allowing an immediate draw, though by this point it is not easy to find a winning plan. 43.E1g3 E1c5 %-% A tense struggle, typical for this line.

B2 1) S ... tiJ e7 Black's idea is to play . . . tLl c8-b6 and then . . . Wic7 and . . . 0-0-0 (an "improved Moskalenko system" as I call it) . White can prepare to develop his bishop to h3 with B2 1 1) 9.h4 or may settle for B2 1 2) 9 ..ig2.

B2 1 1) 9.h4 tiJcs 10 ..ih3 1 0.h5 h6 I l .tLlh4 tLl b6 1 2.tLlg2 Wic7 1 3.tLle3 0-0-0 1 4.f4 is recommended in ECO as good for White, but with typical play Black emerges with a fine position: 1 4 . . . .ie7 1 5 . .ih3 b8 1 6.Wie2 E1df8!? 1 7.0-0

Chapter 3 - 6 . a3

6S

(via e 1 and g2) and pushing on the kingside. Black's last move shows that he will be ready for such a scenario. Starting with 1 1 . . .Wc7 is also possible, and may well come to the same thing.

12.lLle1N This untried move is White's most consistent continuation. a

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1 2. lt:l gS ?!N h6! j ust loses time for White.

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Now 1 7 . . . a6?! 1 8.'tt> h 2 'tt> a7 1 9.E:b 1 was unclear in Malaniuk - Bareev, Minsk 1 987, although White went on to win a nice game. Instead Black can improve with 17 . . . f6! ?N or 17 . . . g6!?N, with good counterplay in either case.

1 2.E:e 1 has been tried in practice, presumably with the idea of making .. .f6 less attractive. 1 2 . . . Wc7 1 3.lt:lh2 0-0-0 1 4.f4 h6 was seen in Kudelya - Piven, Belorechensk 2009, when it is obvious that the rook would rather be on f1 . Black is ready to strike with . . . gS with the better game, as White's kingside play is not developed at all. 1 2.We2 Wc7 1 3.E:b 1 0-0-0 1 4. lt:l e 1 was Harari - McAllan, London 200 S . Black should now play: 8 7 6 5

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1O .tlJ b6 1 1 .0-0 White does not benefit from delaying castling: 1 1 .lt:lfl h6 1 2.lt:le3 It:l b3 1 3.E:b 1 Wic7 1 4.lt:ld2 It:lxc l 1 S .E:xc l 0-0-0 1 6.f4 hS (or 1 6 . . . gS!?+N) 1 7.fS?! exfS 1 8 .ixfS ixfS 1 9.1t:lxfS g6 20.lt:le3 f6+ Savchenko Zvjaginsev, St Petersburg (rapid) 20 1 2. ••

1 1 . ..i.e7! Black is ready to stop White's dreams on the queenside after . . . Wc7 and . . . 0-0-0, so he must think what else the position contains. White has the idea of manoeuvring his knight to e3

4 3 2

V,='Z_ _ _ _ _ _ _ '''=/._ _ _ _ _

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1 4 . . . h6N 1 S . lt:l g2 gS! ? 1 6.hS b8 We have a typical situation where Black's chances are not worse. A sample line is 1 7. lt:l e3 fS 1 8.exf6 ixf6 1 9.1t:lg4 eS 20.dxeS ig7, when the threat of . . . ifS-d3 is strong; following up with . . . It:l d7 and a rook to e8 will regain the pawn for Black with an excellent game.

Playing the French

66

Black intends ... gS next, with a big advantage. We can see how useful it is having the bishop on e7.

16.exf6 gxf6 Black is clearly better and should be able to make good use of the g-file. B2 12) 9.i.g2 tlJc8 10.0-0 tlJb6

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12 ...Wfc7 13.tlJg2 1 3.f4?! 0-0-0 1 4.tLlg2 fS+ 13 ... h6!? As well as preparing . . . gS , this has the idea of . . . �a4-c2-h7. 14.l£l e3 1 4.tLlf4?! is well met by 1 4 . . . gS . 14 ... 0-0-0 1 5.£4 I S .hS!? is more logical, but I S . . J:'lhg8! is a strong reply. Black may continue with . . . �b8 followed by playing on the kingside, and he is always ready to meet f2-f4 with . . . fS .

1 1 .:ael This enables tLl f1 -e3, but on the other hand if Black plays . . . h6 then the f3-knight loses its natural retreat to e 1 . White could play 1 1 .tLlgSN while he has the chance, although it does not promise any advantage. 1 1 . . .�e7 1 2.tLlh3 'ilJic7 1 3.ttJf4 ( 1 3.f4 0-0-0 1 4.ttJf3 fS!+) 1 3 . . . g6 1 4.'ilJie2 0-0-0 and Black cannot complain.

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1 l ...Wfc7 1 1 . . . h6N is a possible improvement. It is liable to transpose into our main line, but without allowing White the chance to deviate with ttJgS.

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1 5 ... £5!

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1 1 . . .�e7 1 2.'ilJie2 �a4 1 3.h4 was played in Jenull - Schweigert, Willingen 200 1 , and now I recommend:

67

Chapter 3 - 6 . a3

14.lLlfl 0-0-0 15.h4 c;t>bS 16.i.f4 i.e7 17.lLle3 gdgS! lS.ttlg4

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1 3 . . . h6N This move is very useful as it prevents tLlg5, and at the same time prepares . . . �c2-h7 should the opportuniry arise. 1 4.Ei:b l Wc7 (It is too soon for 14 . . . �c2? which is met by the rypical 1 5 .tLlxc4! �xb l 1 6.tLlxa5 with good compensation for the exchange.) 1 5 . tLl fl 0-0-0 1 6.�f4 Ei:dgS Black intends to continue . . . g5 , with good play on the kingside.

12.Ei:bl 1 2.tLlg5 seems a more logical choice. 12 ...i.a4 13.'W'e2

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13 ... h6! Black could also consider: 1 3 . . . �c2!? 1 4.tLlxc4 ( 1 4.Ei:a 1 �g6 1 5 .tLlh4 �d3+) 14 . . . �xb l 1 5 .tLlxa5 a6 This time it is less clear whether White obtains quite enough for the exchange sacrifice.

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This was Karamalis - Ntirlis, Parras 2009, and now instead of the weak l S . . . h5?! I should have played the obvious:

lS ...g5N 19.hxg5 hxg5 20.i.e3 ttl d7! Black prevents tLl f6, and has the more comfortable position. B22) S ...i.c6

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68

Playing the French

fu usual, 9.b3? is weak at this early stage:

9 . . . cxb3 1 0.lLlxb3 .ia4+ followed by . . . :gcs with great play for Black. I have met this type of quick b2-b3 strategy countless times in online blitz games!

B22 1) 9 ..ih3?!

instead saw a comedy of errors: 1 2.lLle 1 ? .ig6 1 3.f4 h5?! ( 1 3 . . . lLle7! was much stronger) 1 4 . f5 .ixf5 1 5 . .ixf5 exf5 1 6. lLl g2 0-0-0 1 7.lLlf4? ( 1 7.b3°o) 1 7 . . . h4! Black was now better, although he lost in the end! 1 2 . . . lLl b3 Otherwise Black will just be a pawn down. 1 3.lLld6t! .ixd6 1 4.exd6 lLlxa l 1 5 .lLle5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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In The Flexible French, Moskalenko looks at this bishop move (in a related position with the black queen on b6) , calling it the "Armenian Fianchetto". The aggressive way in which he suggested dealing with it is also strong in this specific position:

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1 5 . . . Wa4 1 5 . . . Wxd6 1 6.Wb5t+1 6.lLlxf7 mxf7 1 7 . .ixe6t �f8 1 8 .Wf3t lLlf6 1 9 . .ih6 1 -0 Yea - Eliassen, Gibraltar 2004.

12,1!lJel h5 13.ltJg2

9 .. .'IWd7 1 0.0-0 .ia4 I 1 .VNe2 .ie7!N A common mistake here has been: 1 1 . . . .ic2?

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1 2.lLlxc4!! Lopez Martinez - Lalic, Dos Hermanas 2004,

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13 ... g5!+ Black takes over the initiative on the kingside.

69

Chapter 3 - G . a3

B222) 9.h4 �d7

1 2.ttJxc4!! ttJb3 1 3. ttJ d6t! j,xd6 1 4.exd6 ttJxa 1 1 5 .ttJe5 and White i s winning, Cubas - Rodi, San Bernardo 200 5 .

1 1 .0-0 j,a4 In a similar situation, but with the queen on b6 and the bishop on d7, Portisch has played . . . f5 , a solution which Moskalenko likes against the Austrian fianchetto because Black can then continue with . . . ttJ h6-f7, preparing . . . g5. Unfortunately 1 1 .. .f5 ? doesn't work here because White profits from the opening of the position: 1 2.exf6 gxf6 1 3.�e 1 �e8 1 4 .'lWe2± "Our" set-up with . . .j,c6 and . . . 'lWd7 is generally better than the . . . 'lWb6 lines, but as with all general rules there are exceptions!

1 0.h5 0-0-0 1 1 .ttJh4 is a fairly typical way for White to play, but it seems that Black can gain more than enough counterplay by responding in typical fashion himself: 1 1 . . .j,a4 1 2 .'lWe2 Wb8 1 3.ttJg2 h6 Black wants to put the knight on e7, so he first stops any h5-h6 ideas that would weaken his dark squares on the kingside. 1 4.ttJe3 ttJe7 1 5 .j,h3 �g8 1 6.0-0 g6f± Black has played exactly as in our main line and has achieved a fine game.

10 ... 0-0-0 1 0 . . . j,a4 1 1 .'lWe2 j,c2? has been played several times, but it loses to the same combination that we saw in line B22 1 above.

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13 h6N This move is always useful, so it makes sense to play it straight away. ...

1 3 . . . ttJ e7 1 4.h5 'IWc8 1 5 .f4?! This is definitely premature. White should play f4-f5 only after careful preparation, otherwise he j ust creates weaknesses in his position. 1 5 .ttJg2 followed by ttJ e3 would keep the situation roughly equal. 1 5 . . . Wa8 1 6.ttJg2 �g8 1 7.Wh2 h6 1 8.ttJf3 ttJ b3 a

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Playing the French

70

1 9 .:gb 1 l2Jxc 1 I a m not sure about this move, and would prefer 1 9 . . . g6!?, though it makes no great difference as Black got the better of it in the game anyway. 20.:gbxc 1 Sie8 2 l .:gce 1 g6 22.l2Je3 l2J f5't Black was better in Cubas - Dolezal, Carilo 200 5 .

14.hS 1 4. l2J g2 can be met by 14 . . . Sic2! or 14 . . . g5! . 14 ... ltJ e7 I S.ltJg2

9 ...�d7 10.0-0 We saw 1 O.l2Jf1 on page 62 in Game 6. 10 ....ta4 1 1 .�e2 ltJe7 Yet again, 1 1 . . .Sic2? can be met by 1 2.l2Jxc4! l2J b3 1 3. l2J d6t Sixd6 1 4.exd6 l2Jxa1 1 5 .l2Je5 lMfa4 1 6.c4± with dangerous play for White.

16.ltJe3 1 6. l2J f4?! achieves nothing and after 1 6 . . . l2J ec6 Black can consider . . . Sic2 again, or even . . . Sie7-g5 to kick the knight and proceed with . . . g6. 1 6.f4? is j ust weakening: 1 6 . . . Sic2 1 7.'l!1f2 g6+

16 ... g6f! Black has at least equal play. B223) 9 ..tg2

12.b8?! 1 4.�xf5 exf5 1 5 .e6± 1 4.0-0 mb8 Black plans . . . g5 with good play.

9.h4 �d7 10.h5 h6 l 1 .lLlh4 ia4

8 �0 �� �i�')1 7 � ' _ "if_'��

""' %U �U '.""%It 5 _ �U :D �U'� 4 I .��rd ". �� " ,� ,, %�V;; �� """

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3 %"" �% '�"" r[j%�;u/�""''/ m ' m �� �% � 2 r� "" % �0� r� 8 � .V=£� g 1 /� ''/

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1 2.�b l ! 0-0-0 13.f4! We are seeing White's plan in full action. In fact I believe that White's kingside counterplay in this position is as good as it can get, so if Black is fine here then he has a great position in general. This tense situation is examined in our next illustrative game.

Yochanan Mek - Stephen Giddins Amsterdam 200 1

9.h4N 9.g4?! h5 1 0.�h3 hxg4 1 1 .�xg4 ttJ g6 was fine for Black in Afek - Zueger, Groningen 1 99 1 . 9 . . . ttJ f5 1 0.�f4 �c7 After 1 O . . . �e7?! 1 1 .h5 h6 1 2.g3, I am not

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 lDc6 5.lDO id7 6.a3 c4 7.ie3 lD a5 8.lDbd2 ic6 9.h4 �d7 10.h5 h6 l 1 .lDh4 ia4 12.�b l 0-0-0 13.f4 ie7 14.if2 ixh4!? I rather like this decision because it clears the e7 -square for the knight, as well as getting rid of a dangerous piece which was controlling f5 and g6.

73

Chapter 3 - 6 . a3

15.J.xh4

16.g4 'it>b8 17.J.h3 Wfb5 1 8.0-0 ltJe7 19.f5 White's play is fully developed and we have reached a critical moment of the game.

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19 ... tLl ec6?! Black's queenside counterplay will not be strong enough, so he should take measures on the other side of the board, instead of transferring his forces away from the kingside. 1 9 . . . :BhgS! was more logical, though I'd still prefer White slightly in this murky situation.

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15 ... :Be8?! The rook does not belong here. 1 5 . . . :BfS is an improvement, though most flexible is: 1 5 . . . tt:le7!N Black preserves the possibility of playing the queen's rook to fS or gS. 1 6.i.e2 1 6.g4 asks for too much from White's position. Black is better after 1 6 . . . :BdfS 1 7.i.h3 f5 !. 16 ... :BdfS 1 7.0-0 1 7.g4 is met by . . . f6 and Black is better.

20.£6 gxf6 2 1 .J.xf6 :Bhg8 22.g5? White should not rush the breakthrough. 22.'1Wc l !± was better. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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22 ... tLl b3? Black can obtain counterplay by 22 . . . hxg5!!N 23.h6 1MI'b6 (23 ... :Bg6 24.i.g7! g4 25.:Bxf7t) 24.h7 :Bg6--+ with the idea: 25 .hS=1MI'? :BxhS 26.i.xhS tt:lxd4 27.cxd4 1MI'xd4t 2S.:Bf2 g4 29.i.g2 g3 30.1MI'e l gxf2t 3 1 .1MI'xf2 1MI'xb2 32.:Bb 1 1MI'xa3 33.1MI'xf7 1M1'e3t 34.1MI'f2 1MI'h6-+ a

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1 7 . . . tt:lf5! I S.i.f2 g6 I would choose Black here. We can see that the unusual exchange of his dark-squared bishop has accelerated Black's counterplay in this line.

23.tLlxb3 Wfxb3 24.:Bf2? Instead of this 24.i.g2 would keep a big advantage for White, but we can understand the practical problems that players face in these very complex positions. 24... tLlxd4 25.'it>h2 tLl c2?!

74

Playing the French

Here too Black should play 25 . . . hxg5! 26.i.g4 ttJ c6 27.h6 Ei:g6. According to the computer Black has a big advantage, but it is still somewhat murky.

26.gxh6 llhaI 27.%Yxal Now White's passed pawns and f6-bishop are so strong that he should be guaranteed at least a draw.

34.he6 �xe6 35.h8=%Y �xh8t 36.hl8 �c7 37 ..if6 �d7 38.�g3 �b6 39.�f4 �e6 40.�e3 �c6 %-% Chess is difficult! But even when everything was going very well for White, chances were still presented to Black.

Conclusion In this chapter we examined the important 6.a3 variation of the Euwe System. Although this pawn push is critical against 5 . . . Wb6, it seems to be less critical here for various reasons.

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27 ...%Yb6 28.%Yel 28 .Wfl seems better, because the continuation from the game no longer saves Black: 28 . . . i.d I ? 29.h7 Ei:gf8 30.i.g7 i.xh5 3 1 .i.xf8 Ei:xf8 32.Ei:g2 and now 32 . . . i.g6? is met by 33 .Ei:xg6. However 28 . . . We3! would offer Black enough counterplay. 28 ....idl 29.h7 �gf8 30.�g2 30.i.g7 now loses to 30 . . . i.xh5 3 1 .i.xf8 Ei:xf8 32.Ei:g2 i.g6. 30 ... .if3! 3 1 .%Yfl %Yxfl 3 1 . . .i.xg2! 32.Wxg2 We3 is winning for Black. 32.�xfl .ixh5 33.�g2 .ig6 33 . . . �c7 is a slight improvement, making it more difficult for White to force a draw.

First of all, Black has a rather simple way to equalize. After A) 6 . . . ttJge7 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 ttJ f5 the d4-pawn is threatened and this gives Black time to continue with 9 . . . b5! followed by l O . . . a5! with equal chances. Simple solutions can have drawbacks though, and by choosing this way Black won't get as many winning chances as he would like. On the other hand, B) 6 . . . c4! is both principled and ambitious. Compared with 5 . . . Wb6 6.a3 c4, Black can place the queen more flexibly on d7 or c7. We examined two ideas after the main line with 7.g3 ttJa5 8.ttJbd2. Both B2 1 ) 8 . . . ttJ e7!?, intending . . . ttJ c8-b6 with the queen coming to c7, and B22) 8 . . . i.c6 with the idea of playing the queen to d7, give Black excellent positions. We also examined White's attempt to play B3) 7.i.e3 first and then place his knight on d2. This gives Black the opportunity to break with . . .f6 if he wishes, though I recommend going for the traditional development scheme mentioned above, when White still lacks any convincing way to claim an advantage.

Chapter 4 a

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6.ie2 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS cS 4.c3 ll) c6 S . ll) f3 .id7 6 ..ie2 ll) ge7 A) 7.h4 cxd4 8.cxd4 �b6 9.ll)a3 ll) f5 1 0 . ll) c2 AI) 1 0 ... £6 A2) 1 0 ... E:c8 B) 7.dxcS C) 7.ll) a3 D) 7.0-0 ll)g6 D l ) 8.a3 D2) 8.g3 D3) 8 ..ie3 .ie7 9.dxcS D3 1 ) 9 ll) gxeS D32) 9 ... �c7!? •..

Game 8 Game 9

Jesus de la Villa - Viktor Korchnoi, Pamplona 1 990 Ivan Chaika - David Myers, email 2009

78 79 80 81 82 86 86 87 88 89 90

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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White intends h4-h5. How should Black respond? (page 83)

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What should White play? (page 87)

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How can Black exploit the placement of the bishop on f4? (page 88)

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Evaluate the position after both 1 4 .�d4 and 1 4.Wc2. (page 89)

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Find a strong manoeuvre. (page 89)

Find the best continuation for Black. (page 84)

How should White continue? (page 79)

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How can Black develop his attack? (page 93)

Chapter 4

l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ttJc6 5.liJa �d7 6.�e2 We saw in the previous chapters that White achieved nothing by going for the "play the bishop to d3" strategy, so now he tries something different. He plays a sound developing move and waits to see what Black will do. Shortly White will decide whether to go for a policy of overprotecting the d4-pawn; or he may expand on the kingside in super­ aggressive mode with moves like h2-h4-h5 , and g2-g4 i f a knight appears on f5 . Black's problem is his lack of space, so he needs to carefully decide his scheme of development. -

6 ... ttJge7 This flexible move is an old favourite of mine from my youth, when my good friend Giorgos Tzolas (now a successful lawyer) with whom I shared a coach, first explained to me the ideas behind it. The knight can go to f5 , putting pressure on. the base of the pawn chain on d4 (we may call this the classical approach) ; or the knight may go to g6, putting pressure on the "head" pawn on e5 (we call this the modern approach) .

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6.�e2

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Variation I'd play in a different way! White may want to play g2-g4 against . . . tD f5 and h4h5 against . . . tD g6, and in both cases castling doesn't fit in with that. The move 6.�e2 helped to provide the king with a square on fl if something scary happens to the centre and the position blows up. Still, 7.0-0 is the main line in all the theoretical manuals (and I must admit, it is the most natural move in the position) . Moreover, it remains popular among those grandmasters who still play 3.e5, Grischuk being one notable example.

7.liJ a3 is the move White would like to work. Black no longer has the chance to play an effective . . . cxd4 followed by . . . �xa3, and White wants to defend the d4-pawn by tD c2 in order to play �d3 sometime in the future. Also by delaying castling, White keeps the possibility of playing h2-h4 in answer to . . . tD g6. We shall look at several approaches for Black here. As well as these two principal options, we shall also examine 7.h4 and 7.dxc5.

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ttJ c6 5.ttJa �d7 6.�e2 ttJge7

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White now has an important choice.

7.0-0 has always seemed to me a slight inaccuracy; at least if I played the Advance

We shall take a look at A) 7.h4 and B) 7.dxc5, before turning to the main choices of C) 7.ttJ a3 and D) 7.0-0.

Playing the French

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A) 7.h4

l l . . . �b4 l l . . .11*'b6 obviously repeats, but in my opinion Black can play for more. l 2.0-0N 1 2.11*'d3 can be met by: 1 2 . . . 11*'b6N 1 3.�e3 tZl a5+ 1 2 . . . �xc3 1 3.bxc3 11*'xc3 The d4-pawn is now attacked, so White must drive the queen away. l 4 .�d2 11*'a3 1 5 .�c 1 11*'b4 1 6.�d2 11*'e7 And now the h4-pawn is attacked. 1 7 .�g5 f6 1 8 . exf6 gxf6+ I prefer Black here.

9 c!lJrs 10.c!lJc2 •••

This is not as illogical as it might appear to someone seeing this position for the first time. It is a bit premature though, and before launching this pawn White should prefer to play a more useful move, waiting to see what Black is going to do.

7 ...cxd4 8.cxd4 �b6 This typical French move produces quick counterplay, with . . . tZl f5 coming next. 9.c!lJa3 9.g4? h5+

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%� i U.i.U i _ i BAil U i U �

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�f ".� r�:. �.��;;� ��" " " , %�J.��;; 3 ��r������� t3J r�'ZJ� j"r� t3J g /� ""%�;=""%�

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9.tZlc3 This development of the knight is typical when Black has played an early . . . cxd4, but surprisingly there is hardly any practical material here. 9 . . . tZl f5 1 O. tZl a4 11*'a5t l l . tZl c3

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White has completed his regrouping and now is ready for the g2-g4 push, but Black has a choice of two good ways to cope with that, AI) 10 £6 or Al) 10 Jks. •••

••

l O . . . tZl b4 This third option is given by Sveshnikov, but I am not a big fan of it. I l .tZlxb4 �xb4t 1 2.�fl �b5 Sveshnikov gives 1 2 .. .1''k 8 l 3.g4 tZlh6, which is probably slightly better for White after 1 4.�xh6 and l 5 J:1:c l . But I think that l 2 . . . h5! mus� be played to secure the f5-knight. From a positional point of view it seems

Chapter 4 - 6 . .te2 that Black is doing fine after 1 2 . . . .tb5 . This would be the case but for an astonishing possibility for White:

79

This may seem weakening, but White was threatening f4-f5 . 22.ltJf3 l"i:cg8 23.l"i:ag l .td8 24.l"i:h2 l"i:g7 25.hxg6 fxg6 26.l"i:gh l ltJ g8 27.ltJg5± In Movsesian - Borovikov, Panormo 2002, White methodically and instructively increased the pressure and eventually won.

AI) 10...£6

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1 3.g4! Otherwise Black has no problems at all. 13 . . . .txe2t 1 4.xe2! This is an amazing concept. It may seem that the king is ridiculously placed on e2, but Black will soon have to exchange queens and the king will become extremely useful in the centre of the board. 1 4 . . . Wa6t 14 . . . ltJe7 1 5 .a3 and Black cannot avoid exchanging queens. 14 . . . ltJh6 1 5 . .txh6 gxh6 1 6.Wb3t 1 5 .Wd3 Wxd3t 1 6.xd3 ltJ e7

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I would prefer White's space here. A typical example is the following game: 1 7.h5 h6 1 8.a3 .ta5 1 9.1tJh4 d7 20.f4 l"i:ac8 2 1 .�e3 g6

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A flank attack is met by a central break. l 1 .g4 1 1 ..td3N is an interesting new idea which can be met by 1 1 . . .fxe5 1 2 . .txf5 e4 and Black is fine after some complications which are not difficult for him to navigate: 1 3 . .txe4 dxe4 1 4. ltJ g5 Wb5 ( 1 4 . . . .tb4t followed by castling also appears okay) 1 5 .Wh5t ( 1 5 . ltJ xe4 .te7 1 6 . .tg5 0-0=) 1 5 . . . g6 1 6.We2 Wxe2t 1 7.'j;Jxe2 .tg7= 1 1 ...tiJfe7 An adventurous alternative is 1 1 . . . ltJ fxd4 1 2. ltJ cxd4 ltJ xe5 . If this appeals to you then I recommend studying the game Movsesian - M. Gurevich, Sarajevo 2000. Black has sufficient play for the piece, although to be honest I don't think that he is better here. 1 2.h5

80

Playing the French

1 2.exf6 gxf6 1 3J'l:g1 ( 1 3.g5 �g7+) was Moskovic - G . Buckley, England 20 1 0.

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1 2 ... ttJ d8 This has been played by the French Defence expert Ulibin, and everything this man does with the French should be taken seriously. 1 2 . . . fxe5N 1 3.dxe5 tt:lg8 is a sound alternative. If White continues with 1 4.g5 to prevent . . . tt:l h6, then Black can complete his development with 14 . . . �c5 followed by . . . tt:lge7!

13.a4 1 3.h6 tt:l f7f±

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Black's advantage was already decisive in Kiuttu - Ulibin, Stockholm 20 1 0, although 20 ... ttJxe5!N was even more convincing than the move played in the game. Black wins after 2 1 ..ixe5 Wlxf2t 22. 'it>hl gxc2 23.Wlxc2 d4 24.gfl .ic6t 25.Wlxc6 WlMt 26.'it>g2 bxc6-+. Some alternatives and improvements are possible for White along the way, but I don't think that Black has the slightest problem in this line.

A2) 10 ... gc8 8 7

1 3 ... ttJ ec6 14.0-0 �f7 1 5 ..if4 .ie7 16.Wld3 gc8 1 6 . . . fxe5 1 7.dxe5 0-0+

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17.gfbl ? 1 7 .exf6 gxf6 1 8J'l:fe 1 0-0+

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17 ... fxe5 1 8.ttJxe5 �fxe5 19.dxe5 0-0 20 ..ig3

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l 1 .g4 1 1 .0-0 tt:la5 Black clears the way for . . . �b5 . 1 2.g4 tt:le7 I 3 .b3 h5! I 4.gxh5 :B:xh5 I 5 .�g5 �b5+ Stehno - Tibensky, Olomouc 2006.

Chapter 4 - 6 .ie2

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B) 7.dxcS lLlg6

1 1 ...lLlh6 12.lLle3 After 1 2.ixh6?! gxh6+ Black will obtain powerful counterplay down the g-file. 1 2.Elg 1 N liJ g8 1 3 .�f1 h5 1 4.gxh5 liJ h6 1 5 .liJe3 liJe7� 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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12 ... lLlg8!N An attractive move. Black intends to play . . . h5 next, with strong counterplay. In Mukharev - Nazin, Kolontaevo 1 998, Black played 1 2 ... liJ a5 1 3 .cj;>f1 i.b5 , which is also quite reasonable.

13.hS 1 3 .0-0 h5 1 4.gxh5 Elxh5+ 13 ...£6! This strong move displays another benefit of the knight retreat.

8.ie3 8.b4 is met by 8 . . . a5! and Black has an excellent position. A good example of play from here is 9.Wb3 axb4 1 O.cxb4 b6! 1 1 .b5 liJ a5 1 2.Wd l bxc5 1 3 .a4 c4+ Bastian - Knaak, Germany 1 990. 8 lLlgxeS 9.lLlxeS lLlxeS 1O.f4 The alternative is: 1 0.0-0 i.e7 1 O . . . b6N offers Black fine counterplay. This seems a good time for this break as White is not ready to answer it with liJ b3. 1 1 .b4 0-0 1 2. liJ d2 •.•

14.a3 14.exf6 liJxf6 followed by . . . i.d6 is much better for Black. 14 ... fxeS I S.dxeS Wfc7i Black has pressure on e5 and it is not obvious what White has achieved with his kingside pawn advances.

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Now 1 2 . . . b6 was okay for Black in Smerdon

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Playing the French

- Wang Chen, Kuala Lumpur 20 1 0, although 1 2 . . . a5!, as played in Schwarzburger - Boehm, Stuttgart 1 979, seems even more convincing.

10 ... lik6 1 0 . . . tLl c4!? 1 1 .�xc4 dxc4 1 2.tLla3 �c6 was played in Overton - Grayland, email 2006, and also makes a lot of sense, though I prefer the main line which was the choice of the young Kramnik.

C) 7.tiJa3 cxd4 When White cannot follow up this exchange with tLl b 1 -c3, I think it is to our advantage to release the tension.

8.cxd4 Black now has to decide how to complete development.

1 1 .0-0 In Velimirovic - Zueger, Lucerne 1 989, Black met I I .tLld2 with 1 1 ... b6. Although Black was probably still okay after 1 2.tLlb3, it makes sense to wait for the white knight to move away (for example to f3) before trying the . . . b6 break. Instead, meeting I I .tLld2 a la Kramnik with 1 1 . . . g6N is possible. Here a sample line goes 1 2.0-0 �g7 1 3 .l"i:e l 0-0 1 4.tLlb3 �c7 1 5 .�d2 tLl e7 and I prefer Black. a

1 l ... g6 12.tiJd2 oig7 13.tiJf3 0-0 14.h4 8 7

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8 ... tiJg6! This is the square that Korchnoi preferred for the knight. The idea is well known, with Black planning . . . �e7 and . . . f6. The main line of 8 . . . tLl f5 9.tLlc2 �b6! 1 0.0-0 ( 1 0.h4 transposes to line A above) leads to a rich position. While this is also a sound choice for Black, I have decided to recommend the text.

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14 ... b6 1 5.cxb6 axb6 1 6.h5 tiJ e7 Black is fully equal and may even have a small edge. After a long struggle, Black triumphed in Kharlov - Kramnik, Sao Paulo 1 99 1 .

8 . . . tLl c8 This manoeuvre, borrowed from the Caro­ Kann, was recommended by Artur Yusupov in his coverage of the French Defence in Chapter 1 1 of Build Up Your Chess 3. 9.0-0 �e7 1 0.tLlc2 1 0.�d3?! is premature: 1 0 . . . tLlb4 1 1 .�b 1 tLl b6 1 2.tLlc2 tLlxc2 1 3 .�xc2 �b5 = 1 0 . . . 0-0N This seems best. Black intends to continue

Chapter 4 - 6 .i,e2 with . . . tLl b6 and . . . 2::1 c S, or even . . . a6 and . . . tLlSa7.

83

f6 with fine play for Black) 1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4.tLlc2 Wb6 1 5 .b3 ie7 1 6.i,d3 f6f± Rego - Blazsik, email 1 997.

10 ... 0-O! 1 l .hS lLl h8!

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I l .id3! The bishop occupies its ideal square, aiming at the black kingside. l 1 . . .f6 This is Black's best reaction, but although play is complex, White's position is slightly better.

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This is the revolutionary idea I loved when I was first shown this position! The black knight will re-enter the game via the f7 -square after the . . . f6 break.

1 2.h6 1 2.tLlc2 will be examined in the next illustrative game, which is a classical instructive win by Korchnoi. 12 g6 13.i,e3 f6 14.exf6 � Is.lLl b l !? lLlf7 1 6.lLlc3 lLl gS!? The position was roughly balanced in Zaitsev - Gleizerov, Kaluga 2003, though if either side can claim any advantage it is Black. •••

9.h4! The only move worth considering here, aiming to profit from having delayed castling. 9 ...i,e7 10.g3 After 1 0.h5 tLlh4 I l .tLlxh4 ixh4, Black may continue with . . . ie7! and . . . f6, and has no problems at all. Let's see an example: 1 2.h6 g6 1 3.0-0 ( I 3.tLlb5 ie7 1 4.ie3 0-0 1 5 . 0-0

Jesus de la Villa - Viktor Korchnoi Pamplona 1 990

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS cS 4.c3 lLl c6 s.lLlf3 i.d7 6.i,e2 lLl ge7 7.lLl a3 lLlg6

84

Playing the French

Varying from my recommended move order, but it soon transposes.

S.h4 ile7 9.g3 cxd4 10.cxd4 O-O! 1 1 .h5 c!lJ hS 1 2. c!lJ c2

1 5 . . . tLlg5! Black exchanges one of the defenders of the e5-pawn. 1 6.tLlxg5 ixg5 1 7.�g4 h6 1 8.�f1 �b6!+ White was in trouble in Sepp - Tuominen, Jyvaskyla 1 993. Both the b2- and e5-pawns are attacked, the latter because the f4-bishop must shield the f2-weakness.

13 ...ilxf6 14.h3 White's idea is logical. The bishop goes to b2 to defend the d4-pawn, because if it goes to e3 instead it may be vulnerable to a knight coming to f5 . 1 4. c;t>f1 This pre-empts the check from a5 , but after bringing his knight back into the game, Black is fine. 14 . . . tLlf7 1 5 .c;t>g2 �b6 1 6.ie3 tLld6!? 16 . . .2''1ac8 is also sensible. Next Black can think about playing the f7 -knight to d6, or the c6-knight to e7. 1 7 . tLl e5 :gad8 1 8 .ig4

13.exf6 White has also tried supporting the e5-pawn: 1 3.if4 tLl f7 Kobalia - Gleizerov, Abu Dhabi 2004, was agreed drawn at this point, but Black obviously can fight for the full point, as an earlier example showed: 1 4.id3 Exe5 1 5 .dxe5

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

,,,,, ,,/,�,'m,,,,,,,,,/,="',,,, ,,,, Y'"'''',,,,,/,,/'''''''

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1 8 . . . ixe5! 1 9.dxe5 d4!f± White's best now is: 20.ixd4N 20.tLlxd4?! tLlc4! favoured Black, who won quickly in Liu Dede - Graf, Jakarta 1 997. 20 . . . tLlxd4 2 1 .�xd4 �c6t 22.�gl tLlf5 23.�c3 �xc3 24.bxc3 :gc8 Black regains the pawn with an equal endgame.

Chapter 4

14 ... lLlf7 15.ih2

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6 .ie2

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2 1 .Elxe6? lLl f7 is no good for White either.

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15 .. JWa5t A fine move; Black's idea is to follow up with . . . Elae8 and . . . e5. To avoid this, White decided to go into the endgame.

2 1 ...i>f7 Black defends the e6-pawn economically, but the objectively stronger 2 1 . . . lLl d8 ! 22.lLle3 2"I:c2!+ would have increased Black's advantage.

16.�d2 �xd2t 17.lLlxd2 Black is better because of the weakness of the d4-pawn. Although Black also has a weak e6pawn, it cannot be so easily attacked. Viktor the Great now gives us (not to mention his opponent!) an excellent technical lesson.

22.Eladl a5!? Another lovely move. The white rook has left the defence of the a2-pawn, so Black introduces the idea of . . . lLl b4 to attack it; if then lLl xb4 axb4, Black may penetrate to c2.

17 ... lLld6 The knight is on its way to the f5-square. Is.ig4 White prepares to exchange the knight when it goes there, but Black can keep all his options open. For now the knight is well placed on d6, so the improvement of his other pieces takes priority. IS .. JUcs 19.0-0 Elc7 20.Elfel ElacS! Strategy always comes along with tactics. 21 .i>g2 2 1 .i.xe6t? is met by 2 1 . . .i.xe6 22.Elxe6 lLl d8 with a double attack on the e6-rook and the c2-knight.

23.lLlf3 llJ e7!? Korchnoi decides not to exchange pieces for now, preferring to j ust open the c-6le and increase the pressure. 23 . . . lLl b4!? 24.lLlxb4 axb4 25.lLle5t i.xe5 26.dxe5 lLl b5+

24.llJ e3 tlJ e4 25.Elc1 White stops . . . lLl c3, for the moment . . . 25 ... h5 Once . . . b4 comes, the c3-square will once again become accessible. 26.ih3 b4 27.Elxc7 Elxc7 2S.a3

86

Playing the French

0) 7.0-0

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28 ... a4! Another powerful idea. 29.bxa4 b3! The passed b-pawn is very strong. 30.a5 ttJ c6!? This may not be best. Instead, 30 . . . i.b5!+ would have avoided the tactical possibility that appears on White's 32nd move. 3 U:!:cl rJle7 32.a4? White misses his chance. 32.i.f5 ! threatens to take on e4, and would have given White real chances of holding the game. Even so, after 32 . . . exf5 33.ltJxd5t �d8 34.iDxc7 �xc7 I still like Black. For example, 3 5 .ltJe5 i.xe5 36.dxe5 i.e6 and Black may make progress with . . . ltJ d2-c4. 32 rJld8 33.a6 ttJ b4 34J:hc7 rJlxc7-+ White's queenside pawns are falling, and the b-pawn will decide the game. •.•

35.a7 rJlb7 36.ttJel rJlxa7 37.0 ttJg5 38.�g4 rJla6 39.�c3 �xa4 40.ttJdl rJlb5 4 1 .rJlrz rJlc4 0-1

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As already mentioned, this is regarded as the main line.

7 ... ttJg6 Here too, I like this square for the knight, with the typical plan of . . . i.e7, . . . cxd4, and . . .f6. 7 ... ltJ f5?! can be met by 8.dxc5 i.xc5 9.i.d3±, as proposed by Moskalenko, or by 8 .i.d3 ltJh4 9.ltJ bd2!±. In each case White keeps an edge. We shall take a brief look at 0 1 ) 8.a3, before going on to examine the main moves 02) 8.g3 and 03) 8.�e3.

0 1 ) 8.a3

Chapter 4 By playing 6.j,e2 and then following up with this, White is mixing two systems.

8 ...j,e7 9.h4 cxd4 10.cxd4 gc8 Black's development is good enough to deal with White's space advantage. This means that the .. .f6 break will be effective.

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6.j,e2

87

no need to be a grandmaster to evaluate this position - White should be better by all the rules of chess."

1 l .j,e3 0-0 12.�d2 f6 13.exf6 .bf6 14.tiJc3

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14 ... lLl ce7! Preventing ttJa4. 15.j,d3 This was Romero Holmes - Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee 1 992. Now the simplest would have been: 15 ... lLlh4= Black intends to continue with the standard manoeuvre . . . j,e8-g6. D2) 8.g3 This is a typical move with the knight on g6, but to be honest I don't think much of it, as the following idea for Black seems very effective.

8 ...j,e7 9.h4 cxd4! After 9 . . . 0-0?! 1 0.h5 ttJh8 Moskalenko wrote in ChessBase Magazine 145: "One has

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1 1 .dxc5! Grischuk - Ivanchuk, Khanty­ Mansiysk (6.5) 20 1 1 . I think that only this move j ustifies Moskalenko's above statement. Chucky "forgot" to exchange on d4 first, so that the entrance of the h8-knight to the game would be smooth. Now, with the position opened up, this knight feels really stupid. Even so, Grischuk missed a couple of opportunities and later Ivanchuk stood better. That is the nature of the French Defence. White has to play well to beat you, and helped by your solid pawn structure, you may survive even when the situation seems very awkward. Unfortunately in this case Black produced the last blunder in time trouble and lost.

Playing the French

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10.cxd4 Of course 1 O.h5? is met by 1 O . . . ttJ gxe5 .

Black held the initiative Drozdovskij , Balaguer 20 1 0.

Soumya -

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D3) S.i.e3

10. . .0-0 1 l .hS lbhS 1 2.h6 Having already seen a similar situation in Game 8 , it should be clear to you that 1 2.ttJc3 f6f± offers Black good counterplay. 12 ... g6 13.lbc3 1 3 .ttJbd2 f6 1 4.exf6 i.xf6 1 5 .ttJb3 ttJ f7 1 6.ttJh2 was Hjartarson Korchnoi, Amsterdam 1 99 1 , and now Black should play: 1 6 . . . b6N 1 7.i.g4 ( 1 7.ttJg4 i.h8 1 8 .i.e3 We7 1 9Jk 1 ttJ d6+) 1 7 . . . We7 1 8.E!:e 1 a5+ 13 ... £6 14.exf6 i.xf6 I S.i.f4 After 1 5 .i.e3 ttJ f7 1 6.ttJh2 ttJ d6 Black is fine, and in Lederer - Psakhis, Kfar Sava 1 993, White's position went quickly downhill: 1 7.g4?! i.g5 1 8.Wd2 i.xe3 1 9.Wxe3 Wh4+ I s ... lbf7 16.tvd2 With the bishop on f4, the knight cannot go to d6, bur Black can change tack. 8 7 6 5

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According to Sveshnikov in his books on the Advance Variation, this is the main line here.

S ...i.e7 8 . . . cxd4 is premature: 9.cxd4 i.e7 1 0.ttJc3 0-0 1 1 .i.d3t White has developed naturally without having to make any concessions. After 1 1 . . .i.e8 1 2.E!:c 1 f6 1 3 .exf6 i.xf6 1 4.Wd2 'it>h8 1 5 .i.b 1 E!:c8, White had the advantage in Sax ­ Korchnoi, Wijk aan Zee ( 1 0) 1 99 1 , and could have considered playing either 1 6. ttJ e2N or 1 6.ttJa4N.

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1 6 ... gS! This is the drawback of the bishop's situation. 17.i.e3 lbxh6 I S.i.xgS hgS 19.1bxgS lbfS 20.lba tv£6 2 1 .E!:adl i.eS 22.g4 tvg7 23.cj;>hl lbfe7 24.tve3 lbg6 2s.lbh2 est

9.dxcS 9 . ttJ e 1 Wb6 1 O.Wd2 0-0 1 1 .f4 was Kupreichik - Nikolic, Ljubljana/Portoroz 1 989. Black could try 1 1 . . .ttJh4N with at least even chances. 9.g3 White waits for . . . cxd4 so that he can develop his knight on c3, but Black can allow this as his counterplay arrives quickly. 9 . . . cxd4 1 0.cxd4 f6 1 1 .exf6 i.xf6 1 2.ttJc3 0-0 1 3 .Wd2 ttJge7 1 4.i.d3

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Chapter 4 - 6 .i.e2

1 2.£5 If White plays slowly then Black obtains excellent counterplay: I 2.ttJd2 0-0 I 3.b4 After 1 3.j,d3 Vfic7 Black targets the f4- and c5-pawns, and also the . . . b6 break is on the agenda.

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White has achieved exactly what he wanted (his knight on c3 and bishop on d3) , but he stands somewhat worse (according to Yusupov in Chapter 1 1 of Build Up your Chess 3) because of the following plan: 1 4 . . . h6 1 5 .Elad l i.e8! This was Romanishin - Nikolic, Leningrad 1 987. Black will play . . . i.h5 next. Note the important role of . . . h6 in preventing ttJg5. Remember those typical schemes: firstly ... ttJ g6 and . . . f6, and secondly . . . j,e8-h5. Black may regain the pawn immediately with D3 1) 9 ... tLlgxeS or first play D32) 9 Wfc7!? •..

D3 1) 9 ... tLlgxeS 1O.tLlxeS tLlxeS 1 1 .£4

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In a similar position from the Caro-Kann Advance Variation, Black is considered to be fine. 1 3 . . . j,f6! First I3 . . . a5!? and then . . . j,f6 is also possible. I 4 .Vfic2 The tactical point behind Black's last move is that I 4.j,d4 leads to the loss of a pawn: I 4 . . . j,xd4t I 5 .cxd4 Vfif6 I 6.ttJb3 ttJxf4 I 7.g3 ttJ xe2t I 8.Vfixe2 Vfie7+ I 4 . . . a5! I 5 .a3 Ele8!f± Black plans ... e5 with fine counterplay.

1 2 exf5 1 3.WfxdS 0-0 •••

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1 1 ...tLlg6 I like to retreat the knight to the kingside.

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Playing the French

90

In this posltlon Black can develop good counterplay against White's seemingly strong queenside. For example:

14.c!lJd2 1 4.lLla3 WcB+! and Black threatens to win the c5-pawn after . . . �e6 and .. .!'!dB . 1 4.Wxb7?? E!:bB 1 5 .Wxa7 E!:xb2N 1 6.�f3 f4 1 7.�c l WcB! and the white queen is trapped.

14 ...i.c6 1 4 . . . Wc7 is also good.

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1 5.Wxd8 E!:axd8 1 6J3adl c!lJh4 17J3f2 E!:fe8 18.i.c4 i.f6 Black was a little better in Siewert - Merino Araguas, corr. 1 996, as every single black piece compares favourably with its white counterpart. D32) 9 ... Wc7!? 10.c!lJa3 c!lJ cxe5 1 1 .c!lJxe5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 2.h4 This is more dangerous than: 1 2.lLlb5 �xb5 1 3 .�xb5t lLl c6 This line is considered equal by many sources. 1 4.E!:e 1 N This is Sveshnikov's proposal. 1 4.c4 E!:dB was equal in Kharlov - Sakaev, Podolsk 1 992. 14 . . . 0-0 1 5 .�d3

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L=J'--�',

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1 5 . . . b6! After 1 5 . . . f5 ?! 1 6.b4 Sveshnikov's evaluation is '+!', but my impression is that White is simply better. 1 6.cxb6 axb6 1 7.Wh5 "With an attack" is given by Sveshnikov, but again I have to disagree with him. 1 7 . . . g6 Black isn't in immediate danger, and his strong centre combined with his potential pressure on the queenside leads me to evaluate the position as fine for Black. 1 B .Wh6

1 1 ...c!lJxe5 This is the only move considered by Sveshnikov, but it may not be entirely satisfactory for Black. I recommend 1 1 . . . Wxe5! as an interesting attempt to improve on established theory, and we'll study it in Game 9 below. a

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Chapter 4 - 6.�e2 l S . . . :§a4! 1 9.b4? :§fa8+ White lacks. a knight, which would be required to generate a dangerous attack.

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1 2.�d4 a6 1 3.�xe5 tLlxe5 1 4.f4 tLlg6� 1 2.tLlb5

12 ... 0-0 1 2 . . . a5!? merits investigation, but my feeling is that White is slightly better after 1 3.tLlb5 j,xb5 1 4.j,xb5t tLlc6 1 5 .a3. 13.f4 tLlg6 8 7 a

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1 2 . . . tLl f4 The most ambitious try. 1 2 . . . 0-0= is the safer choice. 1 3.:§el a6!? 13 . . . tLlxe2t 1 4.�xe2 0-0 1 5 .tLlxa7!;!; 1 4.tLld6t j,xd6 1 5 .cxd6 �xd6 1 5 . . . tLlxe2t 1 6.�xe2 �xd6 1 7.�g4! mfS I S.:§ad l � 1 6.b4 tLlxe2t 1 7.�xe2 �c7 l S .j,c5

14.tLl b5N Instead 1 4.�d2 b6!? was fine for Black in Mukhametov - Stojanovic, Bela Crkva 1 996. This innovation is proposed by Houdini, and the machine seems right - White is slightly better here.

Ivan Chaika - David Myers email 2009

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 tLlc6 5.tlJf3 �d7 6.�e2 tLlge7 7.0-0 tlJg6 8.�e3 �e7 9.dxc5 �c7!? 10.tLla3 tLlcxe5 l 1 .tLlxe5 �xe5! 12.i.d4 Attacking the queen is clearly critical, though White has a couple of playable alternatives:

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I S . . . h5!oo I S . . . b6 1 9.j,d4 f6 ( 1 9 . . . 0-0 20.�e3 b5 2 1 .j,xg7+-) 20.�h5t mfS 2 1 .:§ad l � 1 9.�f3 h4 20.�xd5 0-0-0=

12 ...�c7

Playing the French

92

1 7.Wd4 Wxd4 I S.cxd4 xh7 1 3:�d3t tt:l f5 1 4.g4 and White has a great attack. 1 1 .W.xh7t mxh7 1 2.�d3t tt:l f5 1 3.tt:lxd5 W.d6 1 4.g4!? White already had a decisive advantage in Khetsuriani - Karountzos, Athens 2007.

8.i.xc4 c!l.) c6 8 7

1 6 . . . W.d6!! 1 7.tt:lxa8 1 7.tLlb5 W.f4+ 1 7 . . . W.xh3 1 8 .'it>gl W.g4 1 9.E:e 1 W.g3+

9 ...i.g4 10.i.e3 1 0.a3 can be met by 1 O . . . W.a5! ( l 0 . . . W.xf3 1 1 .�xf3 �xd4 only led to equality in Nechepurenko - Chebotarev, Serpukhov 2004) , when White has nothing better than 1 1 .W.e3, transposing to the main line after 1 1 . . . �d6. 1 O.W.g5 h6 1 1 .W.h4N ( l 1 .w'e3 �d6 is the main game, with Black having the useful . . . h6 "for free") 1 1 . . .W.a5 ! 1 2.E:c 1 W.xf3 1 3.�xf3 �xd4 1 4.W.xf6 �xf6 1 5 .�xf6 gxf6 1 6.tLld5 mg7 and Black is a pawn up.

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9.0-0 Here I analysed the untried move: 9.h3N �e7t 9 .. .tue4?! 1 O.O-O! tLlxc3 1 1 .bxc3 W.xc3 1 2.E:b 1 � 1 0.W.e3 tLl a5 1 1 .W.d3 tLl d5 I had fun trying to find the best variations for both sides. I came up with: 1 2.0-0 1 2.�d2 f5+ 1 2 . . . tLlxe3 1 3 .fxe3 �xe3t 1 4.'it>h 1 tLl c6! 1 5 . tLl d5 �h6 1 6.tLlxc7

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10 .. JWd6! I like this move very much. Other moves are of course possible, but most of them compare unfavourably to the text. For example, 1 O . . . E:b8 gets the approval of Lev Psakhis in his French book, but it is too sophisticated for my taste. Despite some initial successes for Black, the hero of the White side of this variation, GM Miezis, has scored excellently against it in recent years. 1 0 . . . W.d6, as we played against the tLlge2 system, makes less sense here as White's kingside is well protected.

Chapter 5 - The Exchange Variation

l OS

1 1 .a3 A logical reaction, now that the bishop's natural retreat is no longer available. 1 1 .h3 i.xf3 ( 1 1 . . .i.h5 is fine too) 1 2.�xf3 ttJxd4 1 3.�xb7 .ixc3 1 4.bxc3 �fb8 l S .�a6 �xa6 1 6.i.xa6 ttJ c2 1 7.�ad 1 ttJxe3 1 8.fxe3 �b6 1 9 .i.c4 �e8 was okay for Black in the computer game 'Spike' - 'Shredder', Trier 20 1 0. l 1 .ttJbS �d7 1 2.a3 i.aS 1 3.i.e2 �fe8 was very comfortable for Black in Weissenbach - Graf, Berlin 2008, but 1 3 . . . ttJ dS!N might be even better. 1 1 .i.e2 Patented by Miezis, securing the f3-knight and preparing play down the c-file.

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1 4 . . . i.xc3N This is a fine positional solution for Black. 1 4 . . . b6? l S .ttJbS �d7 1 6.�xc6?! ( 1 6.ttJ eS!+­ would have been a cleaner kill) 1 6 . . . �xc6 1 7 .�xb4± Meijers - Kraai, Beijing 2008. l S .bxc3 l S .�xc3?! ttJ dS 1 6.�b3 �b4!?+ l S . . . ttJ dS I think that Black is better, and here is some evidence: 1 6.�e 1 ! 1 6.c4 ttJ f4+ 1 6 . . . ttJ xe3 1 7. fxe3 �xe3 1 8.i.c4 �e7 1 8 . . . �xe 1 t 1 9.�xe 1 i.xf3 20 . .ixf7t is not so clear. 1 9. ttJ eS

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1 1 . . .�ad8 1 1 . . .�fe8 1 2.�cl was played in Miezis - Kazhgaleyev, Dresden 2008, and now 1 2 . . . �ad8!N is an obvious novelty. 1 2.�b3 h6 1 3 .�fd 1 �fe8 Notice how harmoniously Black has developed all his pieces to the most active squares available. 1 4.�ac l 1 4.dS is premature, as after 1 4 . . . ttJ aS l S .�a4 i.xc3!? 1 6.bxc3 b6+ Black stands better. After the text move White is fully developed and threatens d4-dS or ttJ b S .

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1 9 . . . �xeS 1 9 . . . ttJxeS 20.�xe3 ttJ f3t 2 1 .�xf3 i.xf3+ is a decent alternative, though the situation remains fairly complex. 20.dxeS �cSt 2 1 .W h 1 ttJxeS

Playing the French

1 06

Black stands fine with two pawns for the exchange, and if White retreats his bishop then Black continues . . . i.e6 with the more comfortable game. So the most testing continuation is: 22.Wb4! Wxc4 23.E\xe5 i.e6 24.Wxc4 i.xc4 25 .E\c5

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25 . . . i.d5! Black first improves his bishop, and will later go for the a2-pawn. 25 . . . i.xa2 allows White some activity after 26.E\xc7 threatening the b7-pawn. 26 . . . i.d5 27.'k1>gl ! White now threatens to pin the bishop. 27 . . . i.c6 28.E\fl White's rooks are very active, and it is doubtful whether Black has any edge. 26.E\xc7 i.c6+ Black will penetrate to d2 and create problems.

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1 4 . . . i.h5!! 14 . . . E\ac8 1 5 .Wd3!� It is not a simple task for White to prove long-term compensation for the pawn. 1 5 .i.xc7 E\fc8 1 6.i.f4 ttJa5 1 7.E\a1 Wxc3 1 8.i.e2 ttJ c6 Black has the easier game.

1 2 ... E\adS 13.V9a4 .ib6 Black's position is comfortable. Let's see some more moves from a practical example: 14J�fdl c!tJ d5 1 5.c!tJxd5 V9xd5 16.E:dl c!tJe7 17 ..ig5 .ixf3 I S.he7 he2 19.E:xe2 E\feS 20J�ael V9xd4 2 1 .V9b5 E:d7 22 . .ib4 E:xe2 23.E:xe2

1 1 . ...ia5 This is my favourite, but there is also something to be said for l 1 . . .i.xc3! ? , which features in the very instructive Game 1 1 below. 12 ..ie2 I also analysed: 1 2.E\c 1 N i.xc3 1 3 .bxc3 Mter 1 3.E\xc3 E\ad8 Black is at least equal. 1 3 . . . Wxa3 1 4.i.f4

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23 ...V9dl t!N 23 . . . h6 24.E\d2! Wxd2 25 .i.xd2 E\xd2 was only equal in Artamonov J. Geller, Samara 20 1 1 . -

107

Chapter 5 - The Exchange Variation

24J�el h6! 25.h3 '?Nd3

13..id3

Black remai�s a pawn up.

Over the next five moves Carlsen will emphasize

IGAMEll1 Rolf Sander

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his

opponent's

light-square

weaknesses.

8

Magnus Carlsen

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Bergen 2002

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4 Note that the actual move order of this game was 4.ctJf3 ctJf6 S.c4.

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4...tLlf6 5.tLlc3 .ib4 6..id3 0-0 7.tLlf3 dxc4 8 ..ixc4 tLlc6 9.0-0 .ig4 10 ..ie3 '?Nd6! 1l.a3

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13...'?Nd5! 14J�bl a6! 15.h3?! This move is part of a bad plan from White. Advancing the

h- and g-pawns weakens

White's kingside without getting anything in return. lS.a4 looks more logical, though Black can play lS...c6 followed by ...bS.

15....ih5 a

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lS...i.xf3 16.Wxf3 Wxf3 17.gxf3 bS 18.a4

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c6 is unclear.

11....ixc3!? Black decides to play against hanging pawns.

16.g4.ig6 17.tLle5.ixd3 18.'?Nxd3 b5

12.bxc3 tLla5 12...Elfe8

13.Wb3

ctJaS

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lS.Wa2 i.xf3 16.gxf3 Ele7 17.i.c4 (17.i.b3 ctJxb3 18.Wxb3 b6 19.c4 ctJhS gives Black

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excellent compensation) 17...Wc6 (17...ctJxc4

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18.Wxc4 ctJdS controlling the dark squares is a

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more human approach) 18.i.e2 ctJdS 19.Wc2 ctJxe3 20.fxe3 Elxe3 21.i.d3 h6 22.Elab 1 a6

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23.Elf2 Elae8 This was played in the game

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'Stoc!dish' - 'Shredder', Trier 2009. Black is okay but the position is double-edged.

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108

Playing the French

Note how Carlsen has played consistently for the light squares by exchanging bishops and playing . . . a6 and . . . b 5 . Soon he also exchanges a pair of knights, leaving on the board White's bad bishop against a good knight.

19JUe1 llJ c4 20.i.gS llJd7 2 1 .lLlxc4 bxc4 22.�e3 lLl b6 23.i.f4 �d7 24.�g3 lLl dS Carlsen shows a high level of technique at a very young age. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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2SJ'3eS f6 Restricting the dark-squared bishop. 26J�e2 �ab8! 27.�eb2 After 27.�be 1 :B:b3! White fails to achieve any counterplay on the e-file. 27 ... �xb2 28.�xb2 �e7 Now Black takes control of the e-file. 29.�bl? �e4 Winning immediately! A beautiful game, which is reminiscent of the crystal-clear way Karpov played in the 80s and 90s. 0-1

Conclusion The dominant feature of the IQP positions in this chapter is piece play, so Black has to know where his pieces belong in order to make the most of his chances. By putting the bishops on b4 and g4, the knight on c6 and the queen on d6, Black can expect at least equal play. After bringing his rooks to the central files, he can even choose between two plans: either transferring his bishop to b6 or exchanging it for the useful c3-knight. If White avoids this scenario by putting his king's knight on e2 instead of f3, then Black can retreat his bishop to d6 and play . . . :B:e8, . . . �e7 and . . . �d7, when he has good chances of obtaining a kingside attack.

Chapter 6 a

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The Symmetrical Variation l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.� f3 � f6 5 . iU c3 Game 1 2 5 .ig5 Game 1 3 5 ..id3 A) 5 ... .id6 B) 5 ....ie7

1 12 1 14 1 16 1 17 1 20

Game Game Game Game

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12 13 14 15

Carl Walbrodt - Geza Maroczy, Budapest 1 896 Lothar Schnitzspan - Krzysztof Pytel, St Ingbert 1 989 Alexander Grischuk - V. Akopian, Enghien les Bains 200 1 Inna Gaponenko - Monika Socko, Germany 2007

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find seven diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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White is threatening the deadly White threatens 1 7 .l::1xd5. How should Black counter this? 'lWg3 . Can you find a defence? (page 1 2 1 ) (page 1 1 5)

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Is there a way to punish White for losing time playing h2-h3? (page 1 1 5)

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Black has a typical move which achieves equal chances. Can you find it? (page 1 22)

Evaluate 1 3 . . . i.xf3 . (page 1 1 8)

White plans ltJ g3-f5 with an attack. How should Black react? (page 1 1 3)

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Choose between 1 3 . . . c6 and 1 3 . . . c5. (page 1 1 9)

Chapter 6

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The Symmetrical Variation

l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.tiJa I rather like this move, even though in terms of popularity in my database it comes second to 4.�d3. I like it because I believe the best place for the knight is certainly f3, whereas the best place for the fl -bishop is not yet known. However, many players take the contrasting view that the best place for the bishop is definitely d3, so they play 4.�d3 right away, preserving the possibility of developing their knight to e2. In my opinion, the immediate 4.�d3 allows Black to respond strongly with 4 . . . c5!, which we shall analyse in detail in the next chapter. With 4.lLlf3, White keeps his options open. He hasn't forgotten about playing c2-c4, he just wants to see Black's next move and react accordingly. It seems to me no accident that on the occasions when Kasparov used the Exchange Variation, he invariably played 4.lLlf3. 8

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4 . . . lLl c6 is the "Nimzowitsch method" (explained in My System) of creating asymmetry in the position. I have used this move (as have my students) , but I was never entirely happy with the position arising after: 5 .�b5 ! �d6 6.c4! dxc4 (6 . . . lLl ge7?? 7.c5) 7.d5 a6 8 .�a4 b5 9 . dxc6 bxa4 1 0.0-0 lLl e7 l l .lLl bd2! - Black has activity, but the structure favours White. I much prefer my recommended approach as it offers more clarity and seems closer to the general spirit of the opening.

II 'B 'B B H '1I �� �� ��

�� �,r��� �_���, � r� � rfj� �tb�;=�.� a

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4 . tLlf6! This move fits our demands perfectly. Naturally there are many playable alternatives, but I would just like to mention some of their potential drawbacks. .

even no disadvantage at all!) after continuing with 5 . . . lLl f6! but if we have to play this move anyway, then why commit the bishop to d6 so early?

r �.i.�.�Ij)�.i �If,'' _�'' ' ' /� �,�_�,

: II� ��II ��;;",,%� ��

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4 . . . �d6 is met by 5.c4! and, as I said in the previous chapter, the bishop doesn't always stand well on d6 in these structures. Black may have only a minimal disadvantage (or

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5.i.d3 This is the most natural move. We have already looked at 5 . c4 in the previous chapter, and we shall start this chapter with two illustrative games featuring 5 . lLl c3 and 5 .�g5 . A big drawback of the Exchange variation from White's point ofview is that Black can continue copying White's moves for a long time, without being afraid that White can punish his play. To illustrate this, we shall examine the symmetrical variation with 5 i.d6, as well as looking at my preferred option of breaking the symmetry with 5 i.e7. .••

•••

Playing the French

1 12

E l1,;II ,'�,

-" ,t � . ptUVl ,

" �I

Carl Walbrodt - Geza Maroczy Budapest 1 896

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4JiJf3 tlJf6 5.tt:Jc3 .id6 6 ..id3 0-0 7.0-0 c6 8 ..ig5 This form of the Exchange variation was very popular in the 1 9th and early 20th century. It was a powerful weapon in the hands of Paul Morphy, and on occasion big names of the time, such as Paulsen, Rubinstein and Reti, fell victim to White's brutal approach. Nowadays it is rarely seen, but it could still cause problems to an unsuspecting French Defence player. I shall use this game to illustrate a method of dealing with this variation, as well as to introduce an idea that we'll see again later. 8 ....ig4 9.h3 8 7 6

variation, especially when the opposing side can restrict one of the bishops by using his pawn structure. In this case, the d3-bishop has no scope on the queenside because of the placement of the black pawns on the light squares, while on the other side of the board, Black can play . . . g6 at some point and further restrict this bishop. 9 . . . �h5 Retreating the bishop is more complex but also fine. 1 0.g4 �g6 1 1 .ttJ e5 White would like to proceed with f2-f4 and Wff3, followed by ttJ d 1 -e3 or ttJ e2-g3, which can prove dangerous if Black is not careful. 1 1 . . . ttJ bd7 1 2.ttJxd7 1 2.f4? Wfb6! 1 3 .ttJxd7 ttJxd7 14.f5 Wfxd4t 1 5 .'it>g2 f6 1 6.fxg6 fxg5 and Black was already winning in Chigorin - Fleissig, Vienna 1 882. 12 ... Wfxd7 1 3.�xf6 gxf6 1 4.Wff3 This move enables White to keep the balance. 1 4.f4 f5! 1 5 .g5 f6 1 6.h4 fxg5 1 7.hxg5 was Mason - Schwarz, Vienna 1 882, and now very strong is: 1 7 . . . Wfg7!N 1 8.ttJe2 �h5+ Black will continue with . . . h6 with a great position.

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9.hf3!? I like this simple approach for Black. It works well here for specific reasons, such as the d4-pawn being undefended, which gives Black the chance to play . . . Wfb6 with tempo. In general, the bishop pair is not such a fierce weapon for either side in the Exchange

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1 4 . . . l'!ae8!N 14 . . . mg7 1 5 .l'!ad 1 ?! It was fll uch better to put a rook on the e-file. 1 5 . . . l'!ae8 1 6.mh 1 �c7 1 7.Wfg2 'it>h8! ( l 7 . . . l'!h8 was also quite

Chapter 6

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good) 1 8.f4 f5 1 9.95 f6 20.h4 Chigorin Weiss, Vienna 1 882, and now 20 . . . h6!N is very strong. 1 5 .l"i:ae 1 1 5 .Wfxf6?! is met by: 1 5 . . . i.xd3 1 6.cxd3 l"i:e6 1 7.Wff5! Best, otherwise .. .f5 becomes an idea. 1 7 . . . Wfe7!

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1 13

The Symmetrical Variation

1 1 . . . Wfb6!N This is a big improvement on: 1 1 . . .Wfc7 1 2.tLlg3! i.xg3 Practically forced, as otherwise the knight will land on f5 , spelling trouble for Black. 1 3.fxg3 White's play along the f-file gave him the advantage in Englisch - Mason, Paris 1 878. 1 2.c3 h6! 1 3 .i.h4 l"i:ae8! 1 4.tLlg3

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Black has a very attractive position with ideas like . . . l"i:e8 taking full control of the e-file, or going for an attack with . . . Wfh4 followed by swinging the rook over to h6 or g6. 1 5 . . . �g7 This position is equal. Black has ideas such as . . . i.c7 followed by . . . Wfd6, and . . . l"i:h8 followed by . . . h5, but White has a fairly sound position and has no reason to be overly worried.

lo.Wfxf3 tiJbd7 1 1 .tiJdl White has also tried: 1 1 .tLle2 This should be met by the same plan as in our main game.

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1 4 . . . i.xg3 1 5 . fxg3 1 5 .i.xg3 is obviously more prudent, but after 1 5 . . . tLl e4 1 6.i.f4 tLl df6 Black has nothing ro worry about. 1 5 . . . g5 1 6.i.xg5 hxg5 1 7.h4 Wfd8!=t White's attack is not nearly as strong as he would like it to be. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 1 ...Wlb6! Maroczy's regrouping remembering. a

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1 14

Playing the French

1 2.c3 �fe8 1 3.�bl 1L1 e4 14.'1WfS lLl f8 1 5.�g4 �e6 16 ..ic1 �ae8 17.lLle3 .ib8!+

IiAME ll Lothar Schnitzspan Krzysztof Pytel -

St Ingbert 1 989

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.lLlf3 lLlf6 5 ..ig5

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The manoeuvre is complete. Black has arranged his pieces in the best possible way: rooks doubled on the e-file, one knight defending the h7-pawn and the other one excellently placed on e4, while the bishop has gone back to bS in order to create a battery with the queen on c7.

18.lLlfS �gG 19.�h4 �c7 20.f4 �d7 2 1 .he4 dxe4 22.lLle3 fS Black has the plan of playing . . . Wff7 followed by . . . tLJ e6, which will maintain his big plus. 23.lLlc4? White is under a lot of pressure, so it is natural to commit mistakes. 23 ...�d5 24.lLl e3 �xa2 25 ..id2 �f6 26.c4? lLlgG 27.�h5 .ixf4-+ 28.�bdl he3t 29 ..ixe3 �b3 30.�del �ef8 3 1 ..ig5 �6f7 32.g4 �xc4 33.gxf5 �xf5 34.�xf5 �xf5 35.�g4 �xd4t 36 ..ie3 �e5 0-1

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5 ....ie7 Black can also play 5 . . . i.d6, and after 6.i.d3 0-0 7.0-0 we have transposed to line A below. 6.h3?! White wants everything! He would like to play a line with i.d3, while avoiding both . . . c5 ideas and the . . . i.g4 pin. But White's development is slow, and Black can look to punish him for this. 6.i.d3 i.g4 transposes to line B on page 1 20. 6.i.e2 This is a rather tame move, but it may be chosen if White is playing the Exchange variation with the intention of making a draw. 6 . . . 0-0 7.0-0 h6 S .i.h4 i.f5 Black is equal, but playing for a win is another matter entirely. However, the following _

115

Chapter 6 - The Symmetrical Variation game fragment shows that if White remains passive then �here may come a time when the equality barrier is crossed. 9.tLlbd2 tLlbd7 1 O.c3 c6 1 1 .E!:el E!:eS 1 2.ifl �b6 1 3 .�b3 So far we have followed Pavlov - Galinsky, Kiev 2002. Here I propose an improvement:

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1 3 . . . g5N 1 4.ig3 tLlh5 Black has the plan of ... tLlxg3 followed by . . . id6, when the e5-square is well protected and he may later take advantage of the e4outpost. White cannot avoid the exchange of his bishop: 1 5 .�xb6 axb6 1 6.ic7 E!:acS The bishop is "mated" .

6... 0-0 7.J.d3 eS! This is the punishment! Black takes advantage of the loss of time caused by h2-h3 . In one of my own games I instead played: 7 . . . tLlc6!? s . o-o h6 9 .ih4 E!:eS 1 O.E!:e l

1 O . . . tLlh5 This is a typical idea in the ig5 lines; the f4square comes under Black's control. This is not so terrible for White, but it is definitely a small success for Black. I l .ig3?! My opponent wanted to avoid easy equality and tried to complicate matters. 1 1 . . .tLlxg3 1 2.fxg3 id6! 1 3.g4 E!:xe l t 1 4 .�xe l tLl b4! Y2-Y2 Spyropoulos - N tirlis, Patraikos 20 1 1 . My last move was accompanied with a draw offer, as that result sealed first place in the tournament for me. Black secures the advantage of two bishops against two knights, and stands much better. My opponent did not want to suffer for hours defending this dismal position, so he accepted the draw despite being much higher rated.

S.meS heS 9.0-0 h6 1 0.J.h4 g5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 1 .J.g3 Sacrificing a piece is an interesting try: I l .tLlxg5!N hxg5 1 2.ixg5 But with cool defence, Black is not worse. 1 2 . . . 'tt> g7 1 3 .�f3 E!:hS! Black plans to unravel with ... ie6 and . . . tLl bd7. Setting up a discovery on the g-file doesn't work: 1 4.�g3?! a

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Playing the French

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18 lD c6 19.'lWxfB .ixfB-+ •.•

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1 4 . . . 4Jh5! The significance of Black's 1 3th move is that the knight is defended here. 1 5 .'lWh4 f6+

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Black will use his superior forces to launch a decisive attack against the white king. In the remainder of the game, Black did not always manage to keep control, but he eventually netted the point.

1 1 ...tiJe4 12 ..ixe4 dxe4 1 3.l2Jfdl fS 8 7

20.lDc3 .ixc2 2 1 .l"i:acl �fS 22J;fel ig7 23.�e3 .id4 24.�f3 �g6 25.�el h5 26.tiJb5 h4 27.tiJxd4 tiJxd4 28.�e7t i>h6 29.�f8 �d3 30 ..ie5 �dl t 3 1 .i>h2 g4 32.hxg4 tiJe2 33.�e6t .ig6 34.g5t i>h5 35.�h8t i>xg5 36.f4t i>fS 37.�f6t i>e4 38.i>h3 �hl t 0-1

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Black's position looks attractive to me.

14.�e2 i>h7 1 5.tiJxe4? This piece sacrifice is dubious. 1 5 . 4J c3 is an improvement, though after 1 5 . . . 4J c6 1 6. 4J b3 ib6 1 7.l"i:fd 1 'lWf6 I'd certainly prefer to be Black, as he has the initiative with ideas such as . . . ie6 and . . . f4.

1 5 ... fxe4 1 6.�xe4t .ifS 17.�xb7t �d7 1 8.�xa8? 1 8 .'lWxd7t 4J xd7+

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.tiJf3 tiJf6 5 ..id3

1 17

Chapter 6 - The Symmetrical Variation In this chapter I shall cover A) 5 ...�d6 and B) 5 ...�e7.

A) 5 ...�d6

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The symmetrical approach.

6.0-0 White sometimes throws in a check: 6.We2t ie6 This is more ambitious than the drawish 6 . . . We7. 7.ctJg5 We7 Black has nothing to worry about; I will provide some evidence to back up this claim. S.ctJxe6 fxe6 9.c3 9.0-0 has been played a couple of times, and in reply I like 9 . . . ctJ c6!N with the idea of 1 0.c3 e5 with equality.

9 . . . c5!N Black should challenge the centre. 9 . . . ctJ c6 is now met by the strong 1 0.f4. 9 ... 0-0 1 0.0-0 e5 1 1 .dxe5 Wxe5 1 2.Wxe5 ixe5 1 3.ctJd2 was okay for Black in Petrie ­ Sukhov, email 2000. Here I like 1 3 . . . ctJ bd7N with equal chances. 1 O.dxc5 ixc5 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2. ctJ d2 ctJ c6 1 3. ctJ b3 ib6 Black will play . . . e5 next, with adequate counter-chances. The centre and the f-file, combined with his good pieces, may result in a successful kingside attack.

6 ... 0-0 7.�g5 7.c4 doesn't bring White anything: 7 . . . dxc4 s .ixc4 ctJ c6 9 .h3 h6 1 0.ctJc3 if5 1 1 .ie3 a6 1 2.a3 2"1eS 1 3.2"1e 1 Wd7 with equality, Mahapatra - Gleizerov, New Delhi 2009. 7 ...�g4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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In this line we can see the basic flaw of the Exchange variation from White's point of view - if you want a draw with Black, then keep copying moves!

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sJiJbdl 8.ctJc3 c6 transposes to Game 1 2 on page 1 1 2.

1 18

Playing the French

S.Ei:e 1 was played in the "immortal drawing game" between Maroczy and Capablanca in the final round of the Lake Hopatcong rournament in 1 926. That game continued: S . . . ltJ bd7 9.ltJ bd2 c6 l O.c3 Vlic7 I 1 .Vlic2 Ei:feS 1 2.�h4 �hS 1 3.�g3 �xg3 1 4.hxg3 �g6 I S .Ei:xeSt Ei:xeS 1 6.�xg6 hxg6 1 7.Ei:e 1 Ei:xe 1 t I S.ltJ xe 1 ltJeS 1 9.1tJd3 ltJ d6 20.Vlib3 a6 2 1 . cj;J fl Y2-Y2

Black's plan is to restrict the white bishop by placing all his pawns on light squares. Black won the game in the end, albeit not without some help from his opponent.

8 .. .liJ bd7 9.c3 White can try 9.c4 now that the black knight cannot go to c6, but the French Defence specialists Akopian, Luther and Uhlmann, have shown the way for Black in their practice: 9 . . .dxc4 1 0.ltJxc4 Ei:eS!? We shall see how to defend Black's position from here in Game 1 4 .

Enghien les Bains 200 1

9 ... c6 10.�c2 �c7 l 1 .Ei:ael Ei:ae8 12 ..ih4 .ihS 13 ..ig3

�E l. Alexander Grischuk Vladimir Akopian -

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.exdS exdS 4.lLla lLlf6 S .id3 .id6 6.0-0 0-0 7 .igS .ig4 8.lLlbdl llJbd7 9.c4 dxc4 10.tLJxc4 Ei:e8 This is a natural move to improve Black's position. Black implies that he is not afraid of the exchange on d6. •

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1 3 ....ixf3!? This was played in Romanos - Tepelenis, Kavala 200S. This game is not in the databases, but I was at that rournament and was lucky enough to see it in person. 14.i.xd6 �xd6 l S.llJxf3 g6= Black has shown that even in the dullest of positions, you can inject some imbalance.

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1 1 .lLlxd6 Let's look at a couple of alternatives that have been tried in practice: l 1 .ltJ e3 �hS 1 2.ltJfS ltJ fS! This shows another good feature of Black's 1 0th move; the knight can arrive on e6 to good effect. 1 3 .Vlid2?! This was Bitman - Duda, Poland 2002, and now the simplest is:

1 19

Chapter 6 - The Symmetrical Variation

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1 3 . . . ixf3 N 1 4. gx:f3 ttJ e6 Black's play has the point: 1 s .ih4? if4! 1 6.Wc3 igS If White exchanges bishops, the weakened dark squares around his king would leave him in bad shape, but the alternative is no better. 1 7.ig3 g6 1 B .ttJe3 ttJxd4-+

1 3 . . . c6 followed by . . . Wc7 would be a more traditional way to play the position, and is also not at all bad. 1 4.dxcS ttJ xcS 1 S .h3?! 1 S .ttJe3N is what my compurer suggests as best, but after 1 S . . . ixe3 1 6.fxe3 ttJ ce4 1 7.ixe4 Wxd 1 1 B.l"ixd 1 ttJxe4 1 9.1"ic7 b6+ Black is a touch better due to his superior structure. So far we have been following Braun Uhlmann, Germany 200S, and here recommend:

1 1 .l"icl h6 1 2.ih4 if4 1 3 .l"ic3 a

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1 S . . . ie6N Black threatens to win material with 1 6 . . . ttJxd3 1 7.l"ixd3 ixc4. 1 6.ttJe3 ixe3 1 7.fxe3 ttJ ce4 1 B.l"icl l"icB+ We have a similar situation to the note above; Black is slightly better.

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1 3 . . . cS! The choice of French guru Wolfgang Uhlmann is instructive. In the open position which arises, Black is in the driving seat because his pieces are more active and can take advantage of the clumsy position of the white rook (for example . . . ttJ e4 comes with tempo) . Black should be alert to such chances of a favourable transformation in the centre, even when it seems to improve White's structure by exchanging the IQP.

1 1 ...cxd6 1 2.'�b3 White tries to take advantage of the dynamic features of the position. If given time, Black has the plan of controlling the dS-square with . . . ie6 and . . . ttJ b6-dS, and he may later improve his position with . . . Wb6 and so on. 12 ...i.xf3 13.gxf3 h6 14 ..th4 '!Wa5!? After weakening the kingside, Black naturally aims to transfer his queen to hS. Playing 1 4 . . . ttJ fB!?N immediately, to transfer the knight to e6, is an interesting novelty suggested by the engines.

Playing the French

1 20

15 ..ig3 tiJf8 16.�xb7 tiJ e6 17.�b5 �d8

The previous line was solidly equal, but some asymmetry in the position is always fun. It is the first step to creating a position where Black can play for the win.

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5 ... �g4 6.�g5 �e7 is j ust a transposition.

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6 ..ig5 6.0-0 0-0 7.�g5 �g4 is a common move order which also transposes to the main line.

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6 ... .ig4 7.0-0 0-0 8.tiJ bd2 White can also start with: S.�el �eS After S . . . ttJ bd7 9.ttJ bd2 c6 1 0.c3 �eS 1 1 .�c2 White has a slightly improved version of the 5 . . . �d6 lines we looked at in variation A. 9.ttJbd2 ttJ bd7 l O.c3

18.�b4 l S .'\W a4 was played in Nataf - Luther, Havana 200 1 , and the simplest reply would have been l S . . . �b6N with equal play. 1 8 .. J'�b8 19.�xd6 �:!:xb2 20.�xd8 At this point the draw was agreed. A possible end to the game could have been 20 .. J"ZxdS 2 1 .�fd 1 ttJd5 22.@fl ttJ g5 23.�db 1 �d2 24.�d 1 �b2 with a repetition of moves. liz-liz

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1 0 . . . c5!? This is the best choice for Black. l O . . . h6 1 1 .�h4 ( l l .�f4 ttJh5=) 1 1 . . .ttJh5! 1 2.�xe7 �xe7 1 3 .�b3! ( l 3.�xe7 �xe7 1 4.h3 ttJ f4!= was Kosten's analysis in ECO) 1 3 . . . ttJ f4 1 4.�fl ttJ b6 White managed to convert his slight advantage into a win in Bellini - Sedina, Montecatini Terme 1 995. I do not think Black should lose if he is careful, but it is a miserable position to play. 1 1 .�c2 c4 1 2.�f5 �xf5 1 3.�xf5 h6 14.�h4 We have transposed to the note - to move 1 0 i n out main line.

B) 5 ....ie7

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121

Chapter 6 - The Symmetrical Variation

8 ... tlJbd7 B . . . tt:lc6 is a decent alternative, and we shall examine it in Game 1 5 below. 9.c3 9.c4 IS mteresting, but so is the reply 9 . . . c5!N, when Black is not worse.

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1 B . . . g6N 1 9.'rlf1c2 �eB 20.�xeBt tt:lxeB 2 1 .tt:le3 j,f4 Black is at least okay, with the threat being . . .j,xe3 followed by . . . 'rlf1e6 and . . . tt:l d6 etc.

10 ... i.h5 I 1 .Wfc2 c4 12.i.f5 i.g6 13.�ael l3e8 ECO evaluates this position as equal. a

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9... c5!? In this line Black should seek to avoid the slightly unpleasant positions that would arise from playing similarly to line A, and should either play . . . tt:lc6 or go for . . . c5 . In his fine book Lessons with a Grandmaster, Boris Gulko analyses the game Shabalov Gulko, Manila (01) 1 992: 9 . . . h6!? 1 0.j,h4 tt:lh5 This is also fine for Black and can be seen as an argument for White playing �e1 earlier. 1 1 .j,xe7 'rlf1xe7 1 2.�e 1 ( l 2.h3 tt:l f4= Gulko) 1 2 . . . 'rlf1d6 1 3.'rlf1b3 tt:l f4 1 4.j,fl c6 and Black is comfortably placed.

1O.h3 1 0.'rlf1c2 c4 1 1 .j,f5 j,xf5 1 2.'rlf1xf5 h6 1 3.j,h4 �eB ( l 3 . . . g6 is about equal) 1 4.�fe l 'rlf1c7 1 5 .�e2 j,d6 1 6.�ae 1 �xe2 1 7.�xe2 'rlf1c6 1 B.tt:lfl This was Glek - Potkin, Internet (blitz) 2004.

14.tlJe5 tlJxe5 1 5.l3xe5 i.d6 1 6.£4 1 6.j,xf6 gxf6 1 7.�xeBt 'rlf1xeB 1 B.tt:lf3 'rlf1fB is "drawish" according to Gulko. The computer likes White, but he does not really have anything. 1 6.�xd5 ? is of course met by 16 . . . j,h2t. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 6 ...Wfc7! 17.i.xf6 gxf6 1 8.l3xd5 Wfc6 19 . .!lJ e4 i.e7 20.l3a5 b6 2 1 .i.xg6 hxg6 22.l3a6 f5 White's aggressive play has resulted in a

1 22

Playing the French

seriously inferior position; Black won in Shabalov - Gulko, Manila (01) 1 992.

14 . . . ltlxd3 1 5 .�e3 ltlxb2 1 6.Wb3 ltlc4 1 7.ltlxc4 dxc4 1 8.Wxc4 In Dabo Peranic - V. Kovacevic, Medulin 1 997, a Petroff-like position had appeared on the board.

Inna Gaponenk.o - Monika Socko Germany 2007

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.tLlf3 liJf6 5 ..ig5 .ie7 6 ..id3 .ig4 7.0-0 0-0 8.liJ bdl tLl c6 This is an attractive move for Black. After White's c2-c3 this knight may appear restricted, but as you will soon see, the positive aspects of the move outweigh the negative ones.

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1 8 . . . �ae8N 1 9.�ae 1 �xe3 20.�xe3 ltle7 Black is fine.

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9.c3 h6 10.i.h4 liJh5 Again we see this rypical manoeuvre. 1 1 .i.g3 Exchanging the bishops is fine for Black: 1 1..� xe7 Wxe7 1 2.�e 1 1 2.h3 ltl f4! is a neat detail pointed out by Gulko. 1 2.Wb3N can be met with 1 2 . . . ltl f4 1 3.�fe 1 Wd6 1 4 . .ifl a5! and the b7-pawn is clearly poisoned: 1 5 .Wxb7?? �fb8 traps the queen. 12 . . .Wd6 1 3.h3 ltl f4 1 4.hxg4 1 4 . .ifl .id7 followed by . . . �fe8 is level.

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1 1 ...liJxg3 12.fxg3 An understandable decision to play for the win, albeit one that brings White nothing. 1 2.hxg3 can be met by 1 2 . . . Wd6, as in the game, followed by . . . .if6, . . . g6 and . . . �ae8 . Indeed, the possibiliry of playing the queen to d6 to increase control of the important e5square is an important feature of the . . . ltlc6 approach. 12 .. JWd6 13.VNc2 gae8

Chapter 6 - The Symmetrical Variation Black is equal, and may continue with . . . �f6 followed by . . Jle7.

14.ifS ixfS 1 5.%VxfS if6 16.%Vf4 %Vd7 17J�ael �e6 Black can slightly improve here with 1 7 . . . tLldB or 1 7 . . . tLle7. In ether case, the idea is . . . b6 followed by . . . c5, when Black stands sligh tly better. IS.g4 %VdS 19.%Vg3 �feS 20.M �xel 21 .�xel �xel t 22.%Vxel %Vd7 Mter carrying out the safe plan of exchanging rooks on the e-file, Black still has an edge because of her superior pawn structure. 23.%Vg3 ie7 24.g5 id6 25.ttJ e5 hxg5 26.%Vxg5 ttJxe5 27.dxe5

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27 ...ic5t?! 27 . . .�e7! 2B.We3 Wb5+ would put serious pressure on the white queenside. 2S.Wh2 %Ve7 Here too, 2B . . . �e7 with the idea of . . . Wb5 could have been tried. After the text the game is close to a draw. 29.%Vxe7 he7 30.Wg3 f6 Mter this, White is able to draw by pushing her newly-created majority on the kingside.

1 23

Another attempt would be 30 . . . c5 followed by . .. g6 and perhaps . . . b5, leaving any decision about . . . f6 for later. The position would still be drawn, but at least Black might keep some practical chances.

3 1 .exf6 ixf6 32.ttJf3 Wf7 33.Wf4 We6 34.g4 c5 35.h5 ie7 36.g5 i£8 37.ttJ h4 id6t 3S.Wg4 d4 39.cxd4 cxd4 40.Wf3 d3 41 .We3 d2 42.We2 if4 43.ttJf3 WfS 44.h6 gxh6 45.gxh6 ixh6 46.ttJxd2 We5 47.tiJ b3 Wd5 48.Wd3 ig7 49.Wc2 b6 50.ttJcl %-%

Conclusion The Exchange variation of the French is one of the few symmetrical openings where Black cannot easily be punished if he continues to copy White's moves for a long time. This fact gives Black a choice. If he is satisfied with a draw, then he should achieve it quite easily, but ifhe wants a fighting game then inserting some imbalance is essential. Exchanging a bishop for a knight, or putting the bishop on e7 instead of d6, are ways to do so without risking much. In this case, putting the knight on c6 in order to reserve the d6-square for the queen is a fine strategy. Also the manoeuvre . . . h6 followed by . . . tLlh5 is something to remember. For those who would like to take more risks, then I suggest looking at the next chapter! Frankly, I prefer the sharper lines in the next chapter, but the lines we have examined in this chapter are still relevant and useful.

Chapter 7 a

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Breaking the Symmetry 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 A) 4.� f3 � f6 5.�d3 c5 6.0-0 c4 7J�e1 t �e7 8.�f1 0-0 9.b3 9 . .!g5 B) 4.�d3 c5! B 1 ) 5.�b5t B2) 5:�e2t B3) 5.c3 B4) 5 . � f3 5 . dxc5 Game 1 8

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Game 1 7

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Game 1 6 Game 1 7 Game 1 8

Akmal Khusanbaev - Raset Ziatdinov, Tashkent 2007 Hrvoje Stevie - Francisco Vallejo Pons, Aix-Ies-Bains 201 1 Thorbjorn Bromann - Emanuel Berg, Denmark 2008

126 1 30 132 132 133 134 135 136

128 130 136

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find six diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move otherwise indicated.

unless

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White threatens !%xg5t . How should Black defend? (page 1 3 1 )

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r·�'·y//"·y[·7=./;.;.•",

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Evaluate 1 4 . . . .ixh3. (page 1 34)

How can Black damage the white structure? (page 1 28)

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How should Black continue? (page 1 29)

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Is there a way to take advantage of the weakening h2-h3 move? (page 1 34)

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How should Black deal with the pressure against e6? (page 1 36)

Playing the French

1 26

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 We will now look at A) 4.lLl O (followed by 5 . .td3), as well as the immediate B) 4.i.d3.

4 . . . c5? is inadvisable as White essentially gets to play against a c2-c4 Exchange variation, but with a whole extra tempo. 5 . .tb5t! .td7 (after 5 . . . tLl c6 White obtains a fine position by adopting the set-up we recommended for Black in Chapter 5) 6 . .txd7t tLlxd7 7.�e2t .te7 8.0-0 tLl gf6 9.E1e l ± Henrichs - Garcia Verd, Palma de Mallorca 2008.

5.i.d3

with . . . c5 and entering an isolated queen pawn position is a sound idea, as I have mentioned already.

6.0-0 6 . .tb5t .td7 7 . .txd7t tLl bxd7 transposes to variation B l on page 1 32. 6.c3 transposes to Game 16 below. 6.dxc5 .txc5 7.0-0 0-0 transposes Game 1 8 at the end of this chapter.

to

6.tLlc3?! c4 7 . .te2 .te7 8.0-0 tLlc6 9 . .te3 0-0 1 O.�d2 When I reached this position, I sought to take advantage of the bad placement of the white pieces with:

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t''''''' ''///'//['� ' '''''''a �e8 A fine manoeuvre. Black is stretching his opponent's defences as he is threatening both . . . �e6 and . . . WbB, and White cannot successfully defend on every front. 3 1 .ga5

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21 ...tLlh7! Black is favoured by an exchange of knights, as White's remaining minor piece cannot permanently stop a monstrous knight arriving on the e4-square. 22.tLlxh7 22.tLlf3 tLldf6 23.tLle5 WeB and Black plays .. .tLl e4 next. 22 ... i>xh7 23.�a �e6 24.i.h4 White ensures that . . . tLl f6-e4 is at least postponed. 24 J�e8 25. i>n �H8!? Black has found a logical plan of pushing .. .f5. ••

26.a4

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3 1 . tLl f6! Only now does this move come. .•

32.g5 32.ixf6 gxf6t 33.'it>e2 is met by 33 . . . WbB! and the black queen penetrates, leaving His Majesty defenceless. 32 ...�e6! Now it is all over; White cannot defend both e3 and h3. 33.gxf6 �xh3t 34.i>n �h2t 0-1

Playing the French

1 30

I;AME . Hrvoje Stevie - Francisco Vallejo Pons Aix-les-Bains 20 1 1

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.tDf3 tlJf6 5.i.d3 c5 6.0-0 c4 7J!:el t i.e7 8.i.f1 0-0 9.i.g5 a

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9 ...i.e6!? An interesting strategic decision. Vallejo has done a lot of work on these lines, so his ideas deserve attention. This move is aimed mainly against b2-b3, as in this case Black does not have to play . . . cxb3, which concedes the d3square to White for his bishop. 9 . . .i.g4 should probably be okay, but in practice White has succeeded in achieving slightly better positions from this line. For example: 1 0.h3 i.xf3 ( l 0 . . . i.h5 1 1 .g4t Kasparov) 1 1 .Wxf3 lLl c6 1 2.c3 lLl e8 1 3.i.xe7 lLl xe7 Now 1 4.lLla3 lLl c7 1 5 .lLl c2 Wd6= was fine for Black in Kengis - M. Gurevich, Tilburg 1 992, but 1 4.b3!N would have been more critical. 9 . . . lLl c6!? This looks very logical to me.

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l O.lLle5 1 0.h3 h6 1 1 .i.h4 i.f5= Black controls the e4-square and stands fine. l O.c3 has generally been met by lO . . . i.e6, but I have always thought that 1 0 . . . i.f5N is more sensible. After 1 1 .b3 cxb3 l 2.axb3 E\e8 1 3.lLlbd2 a5 1 4.lLle5 Wc7 it is clear Black has nothing to fear. 1 0 . . . h6 1 1 .i.h4 1 1 .lLlxc6 bxc6 was slightly better for Black in Gaponenko - Moskalenko, Montcada 2007, according to Moskalenko. 1 1 . . .i.f5 I like this set-up a lot.

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l 2.c3 g5 Simply developing with 12 . . . E\c8 cannot be bad either. 1 3.i.g3 lLl e4 1 4.lLld2 lLlxg3 1 5 .hxg3 ttJxe5 1 6.E\xe5 Wd7 1 7.Wf3 i.e6 Black is more than okay, and can cope well with the following attacking try.

Chapter 7

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131

Breaking the Symmetry

1 8.:1!ae 1 :1!ae8 1 9.tLlxc4 dxc4 20.d5 �c5 2 1 .�f6

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2 l . . .�g4!N My PC screams that this should be played. 2 l . . .�xd5 22.:1!xg5t hxg5 23 .�xg5t allowed White to escape with a draw in Thesing - De Jong, Groningen 20 1 1 . 22.�xh6 :1!xe5 23.:1!xe5 f6 24.:1!e l b5 White has no compensation whatsoever for the piece.

10.llJe5 1 O.b3 tLlc6 l 1 .bxc4 dxc4 is fine for Black. 8

"C�"�/""�"'m.U//

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l 1 .llJ c3 After 1 1 .tLlxc6 bxc6, Black will aim to play the . . . c5 break under favourable circumstances: 1 2.b3 :1!e8 1 3.tLlc3 ( 1 3.c3 c5 and 1 3.tLld2 �c7 1 4.tLlf3 c5 are both fine for Black) 1 3 . . . h6 1 4.�h4 �b4f± 1 l .. Jks 12.llJe2 h6 13 ..ih4 g5 White has done nothing to challenge Black, so it is time to take over the initiative. 14 ..ig3 llJe4 1 5.c3

"···.

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Black now wants to play . . . b5, while White tries to stop him. 1 2.a4 a6 1 3.tLlc3 :1!b8 1 4.:1!b l �a5 Black has good activity, and stands slightly better after either 1 5 .�d2 :1!fe8 or 1 5 .�d2 :1!fd8 .

10 ... llJc6

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1 5 ....if6 Vallejo missed a good opportunity: 1 5 . . . �b6!N 1 6.�c 1 (Black is also doing well after 1 6.:1!b l �f5+ or 1 6.tLlxc6 :1!xc6 1 7.�c 1

1 32

Playing the French

�c8 1 8. f3 tD xg3 1 9.tDxg3 �d6 20.tDh5 �b8+) 16 .. J:%fe8 1 7.tDxc6 Wxc6+

1 6.tihc6 bxc6 17.f3 1 7.b3 looks more prudent, though after 1 7 . . . :ge8 Black can be happy enough with his position. 17 ... tlJxg3 1 8.tlJxg3 cS 19.tlJe2 Wb6 20.�d2 El!b8 Black has everything he could want: two bishops, active pieces and pressure on the white centre.

B) 4.�d3 cS! This bold pawn break is my recommendation against White's move order with 4.�d3 . Please note that by learning this system you have a ready-made answer to the line l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 .�d3, which you can meet with 3 . . . c5!? and if 4.exd5 then 4 . . . exd5.

��.!.. � *m4ll �� � �

�l�_'l � " "� �. '� " '� �'�� % � �� � �W"�� � , __ 4 ����"' O; .� 'U"� '� � !n!' ""�%'"/d' '''' " " 0" " ��'� ���'dn!n 8

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2 1 .b3 El!fc8 2 1 . . .cxb3 22.axb3 :gfc8 was another strong approach. 22.bxc4 dxc4 23.�e3 �f5 24.dxcS El!xcS 2S.tLlg3 �g6 25 . . . �e6 26.tDe4 �e7 27.�h l :ga5 keeps more tension in the position and maintains an edge. 26.tlJe4 he4 27.fxe4 El!bS 28.�xb6 El!8xb6 29.El!ac1 El!cS 30.El!c2 El!d6 3 1 .g3 as 32.El!bl El!e6 33.�g2 El!d6 34.�f1 El!e6 3S.�g2 El!d6 The opposite-coloured bishops prevent Black playing for a win in the endgame. V2-112

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We shall examine the funny move Bl) S.�bSt followed by the more traditional B2) S.�e2t, B3) S.c3 and B4) S.tlJf3. Then we will take a look at 5.dxc5 in Game 1 8 at the end of the chapter.

Bl) S.�bSt This leads to a reversed-colours position (quite typical in the Exchange French) . So now it is Black who is playing an Exchange French with an isolated queen pawn! As we'll soon see, Black is fine in this line, but White is not worse just yet.

S ...�d7 This is a good equalizing move. White's time-wasting journey from f1 to d3 to b5 is more of a psychological ploy than a theoretical threat. Black just needs to keep calm and not over-react. 6.�xd7t tLlxd7 7.tlJf3N

Chapter 7 - Breaking the Symmetry 7.CiJe2 is less natural, but is the only move played in my qatabase: 7 . . . CiJ gf6 8 .ig5 ie7 9.0-0 0-0 1 O.dxc5 CiJxc5 1 1 .c3 Wfb6 and Black had some initiative in Leimkuehler Kern, Essen-Ueberruhr 2000.

7... lLlgf6 8.0-0 i.e7 9.dxc5 lLlxc5

1 33

the queen will later be hit by a rook arriving on the e-file.

6 lLlf6 7.lLla 0-0 8.h3 8 .ie3? E:e8 was fine for Black in City of London - City of Paris, corr. 1 834-6. •.•

8.0-0 ixc5 9 .ig5 h6 1 O.ih4 CiJ c6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Here we have a position which can arise from the Tarrasch Variation of the French Defence (3.CiJd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5!?) if White later plays the knight from d2 to b 1 instead of b3! Black is close to equal in the Tarrasch line (see Chapter 9) , so he must surely be equal here, when White has lost a whole tempo to retreat his knight to its original square. Still, I will provide a little more analysis as evidence:

10J�el 0-0 1 l .lLlc3 1 1 .ig5 ?! is met by 1 1 . . .CiJce4.

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Almost regardless of how White plays, Black will continue with . . . ig4, . . . g5, . . . E:e8 and . . . CiJ e4, with the initiative. I 1 .CiJ c3 If 1 1 .c3 ig4 1 2.CiJbd2 g5 1 3.ig3 E:e8 1 4.Wfd 1 then 14 . . . CiJ e4 and 14 . . . CiJh5 are both great for Black. 1 1 . . .g5 1 2.ig3 E:e8 1 3 .Wfd l CiJ e4 1 4.ixe4 dxe4 1 5 .Wfxd8 Efanov - Ovetchkin, Ekaterinburg 2008. Now Antic & Maksimovic propose the following variation: 1 5 . . . E:xd8N 1 6.CiJxe4 ie7

1 1 ...lLle6 Black is fine. White cannot play his bishop to g5 and the knight on c3 is a target for the . . . d4 push, while Black also has counterplay down the c-file. B2) 5.Wfe2t i.e7 6.dxc5 Now Black will have to lose a tempo to recapture the c5-pawn, but the tempo gained by White (Wfe2) is not a huge success because

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1 34

Playing the French

The threat of . . . f5-f4 is unstoppable. 1 7.tLJc3 f5 1 8 .h4 f4 1 9 . .ih2 .if5 Although a pawn down, the engines immediately prefer Black, which is an indication of j ust how good the black position is.

8 ... tlJ c6 Black has a promising position, as the following line illustrates. 9.0-0 i.xc5 10.c3 �e8 1 1 .Wlc2

better than your opponent." These positions have certain characteristics and it is known, for example, that here the bishop pair is of no real significance. A correctly timed . . . .ig4xf3 can benefit Black, because the potentially bad bishop is exchanged for the knight which is important for controlling the e5-square.

7.tlJa 7.tLJe2 is also equal, though Black can inject a little asymmetry with: 7 . . . g6 8.0-0 .ig7

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1 1 ...Wld6! When the pawn has moved to h3, this move is typical, looking to invade on the g3-square. 12.llJbdl Wlg3! 1 2 . . . .ixh3 1 3 .tLJg5! is not so clear. 13.i.f5 �e2 14.llJd4 tlJxd4 0- 1 Tatai - Korchnoi, Beersheba 1 978. B3) 5.c3 This may be met by the simple:

5 ... cxd4 6.cxd4 tlJ c6 I know that many players will say: " How on earth am I going to win this one?" I would answer: "By understanding what is going on

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9 . .ie3 (9.tLJ bc3 tLJge7 1 O . .ig5 0-0 is fine for Black. Exchanging bishop for knight is not advantageous for White here, because the g7bishop's pressure on the d4-pawn gives Black good play.) 9 . . . tLJge7 1 O.tLJbc3 0-0 1 1 .\Wb3 .ie6 1 2.�ac 1 This was Shestakov - Terentiev, Voronezh 1 998. I would now recommend 1 2 . . Jk8N, followed by . . . \Wd7 and then . . . tLJa5. The position is level but not totally drawish.

? ..i.d6 8.0-0 tlJge? 9.tlJc3 0-0 10.h3 Otherwise . . . .ig4 might come next. 1O ... h6 l 1 .�el i.e6 12.a3 �c8 13.i.e3 Wid? 14.Wldl In Okhotnik - Yusupov, Warsaw (rapid) 20 1 0, Black now played the interesting sacrifice 1 4 . . . .ixh3?!. This would certainly be difficult to face over the board, but the computer assures me that White can defend

1 35

Chapter 7 - Breaking the Symmetry with 1 5 .gxh3N Wxh3 1 6.Wd l Wg4t 1 7.�fl f5 1 8 .li:lgl ! and Black does not have quite enough compensation. A more restrained approach is in order:

14 ...�f5N

6 lLlf6 7.0-0 �e7 8.b3 cxb3 9.cxb3 9.axb3 0-0 1 O.c4 ( l O.li:le5 lLl c6 I l .lLlxc6 bxc6f±) 1 O . . . lLl c6 1 1 .�b2 �g4 1 2. lLl bd2 �b4 1 3 .lLle5 �xe2 1 4.Wxe2 l"i:e8 1 5 .lLldf3 lLl e4 Typical play by a French expert has resulted in a fine position for Black. ..•

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Black is comfortably placed and at least equal.

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1 6.cxd5 Wxd5 1 7.Wc4 Wxc4 1 8.bxc4 lLl xe5 1 9.1Llxe5 lLl d2 20.l"i:fd l f6 2 1 .l"i:a4? a5 22.�c l lLl e4 0- 1 Kuderinov - Lysyj , Novokuznetsk 2008.

9 lLl c6 10.lLle5 0-0 1 1 .�b2 I l .lLlxc6 bxc6 offers Black similar play to the main line. •.•

1 1 ..JWb6 1 2.lLlxc6 bxc6 1 2 . . . Wxc6N is also fine for Black, who can continue with . . .�f5 and . . . l"i:c8. 13.lLlc3 8 7 6 5

This is an improved version for Black of line A, as the bishop is slightly in the way on e2. The set-up with . . . li:l c6, . . .�d6 and . . . li:l ge7 has been recommended here, but I prefer to try to take advantage of the e4-square.

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Playing the French

1 36

This was Arindam - Gleizerov, New Delhi 2009, and I now offer the improvement:

13 ...i.f5N Black has a sound position with good play.

r E;AUE .

�Yl

,,

_ �_

Thorbjom Bromann - Emanuel Berg a

Denmark 2008

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.i.d3 c5 5.dxc5 This is White's most popular move, but allowing Black to take on c5 without losing a tempo cannot be good. 5 ... i.xc5 6.tiJf3 tLlfG 8 7 6 5 4

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Eingorn points out that Black can now play: 9 . . . 0-0 1 O.ttJxe6 �e8 Black plays . . . fxe6 next, with at least equality.

7 ... 0-0 8.h3 8 .i.g5 h6 9.i.h4 g5! 1 O.i.g3 ttJe4 1 1 .ttJ bd2 ttJxg3 1 2.hxg3 ttJc6 1 3.ttJb3 i.b6 1 4.c3 i.g4 and Black had the initiative in Bogut - Atalik, Teslic 2006. 8.ttJ bd2 ttJ c6 9.c3 i.b6 gives Black an active position. A game continued: 1 0.Wa4 ttJg4 1 1 .Wc2 h6 1 2.ttJ b3 Wf6 1 3 .i.d2 i.d7 1 4.ttJ bd4 �fe8 1 5 .ttJxc6 bxc6 1 6.�ad l �ad8 1 7.Wa4 c5+ 1 8 .i.b5 ? Bromann - Su. B. Hansen, Hillerod 20 1 0.

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7.0-0 Checking on the e-file does not achieve anything: 7.We2t i.e6 8 .t2J g5 Wd7 8 . . . Wb6 also looks great for Black. 9 .i.f5 Mter 9.ttJxe6 fxe6 Black's central pawns compensate for the bishop pair. 1 0.i.f5 can be met by the solid 1 O . . . mf7, or by the more ambitious 1 O . . . ttJ c6, when both 1 1 .i.xe6 We7 and 1 1 .Wxe6t Wxe6t 1 2.i.xe6 ttJ d4 are excellent for Black.

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White could have been punished immediately with: 1 8 . . . �e4!N 1 9.Wa6 c4-+

8 ...�d6 A typical move, which we have already seen in Tatai - Korchnoi in line B2.

1 37

Chapter 7 - Breaking the Symmetry 8 . . . ttJc6 9.ttJbd2 9.ttJc3 a6� 9 . . . Wd6 A slightly different version of the same story.

1 9.fXg3 ttJxg3# 1 9 . . . �xf2! 20.�xh5 �xgl 2 1 .Wxgl We5 Black's rook and three pawns against two minor pieces was enough to win in Lhagvasuren - Ulibin, Chelyabinsk 1 99 1 .

9.a3 8 7 6 5 a

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1 0.ttJb3 �b6 1 1 .c3 1 1 .�h l ? h6 1 2.c3 :B:e8 followed by . . . ttJ e4 gave Black a great position in Fernandez Romero - Arizmendi Martinez, Malaga 2008. 1 l . . .�xh3 1 2 . gxh3 Wg3t 1 3 .�h l Wxh3t 1 4.ttJh2 ttJe5 1 5 .�e2 ttJ f3 1 6.�f4 ttJh4 1 7.�f3 ttJh5 1 8.�g3 ? 1 8.�e5 :B:ae8 1 9.:B:gl �xf2 20.Wfl Wxfl 2 1 .:B:gxfl :B:xe5 was White's best defence. Black is slightly better in this endgame with three pawns for the piece.

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9 ...VNg3! 10.tiJg5? 1 0.mh l was the only defensive try. 1O . . . �xf2 l 1 .ttJ c3 �xh3! 1 2.gxh3 Wxh3t 1 3. ttJ h2 �g3 1 4 .We2 ttJ g4 1 5 .:B:f3 Wxh2t 1 6.Wxh2 �xh2 1 7.:B:h3 h6 1 8 .:B:xh2 ttJxh2 1 9.mxh2 :B:d8 As in the previous note, Black obtains rook and three pawns against two minor pieces. His advantage is not so great this time as White has the bishop pair, and also with the queens exchanged, the white king is not so vulnerable. 10 ... h6! l 1 .�hl hfl 1 2.VNf3 VNxf3 13.liJxf3 i.b6 White has to defend a miserable position a pawn down.

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1 8 . . . Wxg3!? 18 . . . ttJ xg3 t 1 9. fXg3 ttJ f5 is less spectacular but perhaps clearer. 1 9.:B:gl

14.tiJc3 i.e6 1 5.tiJa4 i.c7 16.tiJc5 liJ bd7 17.i.e3 tiJxc5 1 8.Lc5 �fc8 19.i.d4 tiJ e4 20.�fel i.g3 2 1 .�e2 i.f5 22.�dl �e8 23. �gl i.g6 24.c3 �e6 25.�f1 tiJxc3 26.�xe6 Ld3 27.�e3 i.xf1 28.�xf1 tiJ e4 29.�b3 b6 30.�b5 �d8 3 1 .a4 i.c7 32.�e2 f6 33.tiJe1 �f7 34.tiJ d3 �e6 35.�b3 i.e5

Playing the French

1 38

36.i>e3 g5 37.a5 tlJ d6 38.,he5 fxe5 39.axb6 tlJ c4t 40.i>e2 axb6 41 .E:b4 E:d6 42.h4 e4 43.tlJil i>f5 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.tlJdl i>e5 46.E:b5 E:c6 47.E:b3 d4 0-1

Conclusion In this chapter we examined the dynamic . . . c5 lines against both A) 4.ltlf3 ltl f6 5 .i.d3 and the immediate B) 4.i.d3 . Playing . . . c5 is only justified when White puts his bishop on d3, as on this square the bishop doesn't stand well against IQP structures. For this reason, the ideas we studied in the previous chapter are also essential, although the current chapter is generally more fun. If Black is allowed to play ... c5-c4 then he is well placed to take control of the important e4-square, while it is not so easy for White to take advantage of the e5-square. If b2-b3 is then played, Black gains a target on the c-file. If White exchanges on c5 to reach an IQP structure, then Black has a ready-made plan of attacking on the kingside. In any case, the Exchange Variation doesn't seem so boring!

Chapter 8 a

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The Tarrasch Variation l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�dl c5! A) 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4 dxe4 6.�xe4 � f6 AI) 7.� c3 A2) 7.�xf6t A3) 7 ..id3 A3 1 ) 7 ....id7 A32) 7 ... �xe4 8 ..ixe4 .ib4t 9 ..idl .ixdlt 1 0.�xdl � d7 1 1 . � e2! � f6 1 2 ..if3 0-0 1 3.0-0 1 3 . tLJ c3 ? ! Game 1 9 B) 4.�gf3 cxd4 5.�xd4 � c6! B l ) 6.�xc6 B2) 6 . .ib5 .id7 B2 1) 7 ..ixc6 bxc6 8.0-0 .id6 9.�e2 � e7!?N 9 . . . 'Wb8! ? Game 20 B22) 7.�xc6 -

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Game 19 Game 20 Game 2 1

Arno Zude - Viacheslav Eingorn, Bad Wiessee 20 1 1 Larry Christiansen - Artur Yusupov, Munich 1 992 Sergey Fedorchuk - Nilcita Vitiugov, Germany 20 1 2

1 42 1 42 1 43 1 44 1 44 1 46 1 46 1 48 1 49 1 50 1 50 151 1 54

1 46 151 1 56

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find seven diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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Black is to move unless otherwise indicated.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

�.i � .� l.� 'l�.l �Sf''� %� , .z��������" �.� �{(.�, ��..��� !�·ri!� " t ,%�/% ��'/.{" %� '": � �if� �. �,';..

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Yusupov played 22 . . . Elxd4 here. Do you agree with his choice? (page 1 52)

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Can you find a plan for Black which completely equalizes? (page 1 47)

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Assess this position. (page 1 56)

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Can you find a way to neutralize the white bishops? (page 1 50)

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9 . . . j,c6 looks natural, but is it good? (page 1 43)

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Can you find a strong plan for White? (page 1 5 5)

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How should Black deal with White's lethal threat of Wh5? (page 1 58)

141

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation

Playing 1 . e4 - Sicilian & French by John Shaw, and Grandmaster Repertoire 1 6: The French Defence Volume 3 by Emanuel Berg, where this old but still topical line will be discussed in detail.

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2

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The Tarrasch variation introduces a strategy of piece play for White, who wants to base his actions on the foundations of his solid, weakness-free pawn structure, while avoiding the structural imbalances that can arise from 3.ttJc3 �b4. I consider 3.ttJd2 to be a very sensible choice for the club player. Playing this system with White requires only limited memorizing of theory, and White usually gets quite sound positions without taking major risks. So are there any problems with playing the knight to d2? Well, it is not a very natural move: the knight blocks the d-file, shuts in the c 1 -bishop, and in general may not be well placed on d2 if Black opens the position. Therefore I choose to respond:

3 .. cS! I would like to just briefly mention a couple of alternatives for Black. .

3 . . . ttJfG is usually met by 4.e5 ttJ fd7 5 .�d3 c5 G.c3 ttJcG and now White has the opportunity to play 7.ttJe2, allowing the other knight to come to f3, thereby keeping a high level of coordination in the white camp. Readers who would like to know more about this line are referred to the future publications

3 . . . �e7 is a rather neutral move and it can be met by the equally flexible 4.�d3, waiting for . . . lLl f6 before playing e4-e 5 , although Black may then play 4 . . . c 5 ! . As we saw in Chapter 7 on the Exchange variation, this thrust is often a good way to take advantage of the early placement of the bishop on d3. White may well do better to meet 3 ... �e7 with 4 . lLl gf3 ! . Anyway, let's return to my recommended line.

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Now 4.exd5 is the big main line and will be the topic of Chapters 9- 1 1 . But before diving into the important theoretical line, I'd like to look at some alternatives for White in this chapter.

A) 4.c3 was recommended by Denis Yevseev in his inspirational and educational book, Fighting the French: A New Concept. White wants to play an interesting IQP position, like the ones which arise in the Queen's Gambit Accepted and the Caro-Kann.

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Playing the French

B) 4.ttJgf3 is another popular move which I will examine in detail. After 4 . . . cxd4 5.ttJxd4 (5.exd5 Wxd5 transposes to Chapters 9- 1 1 , and is the move order recommended by Greek 1M Andreas Tzermiadianos in his book How to Beat the French Defence) , we will cover the traditional and sound 5 . . . ttJ c6. Another idea is 4.ib5t but few strong players have used this. The reason is that after 4 . . . id7 5 .ixd7t Black can recapture with 5 . . . Wxd7!, as there is no danger of lLlf3-e5 . Black will continue with . . . lLlc6, and all White has done is to exchange the traditionally bad French bishop.

A) 4.c3 We shall meet this by exchanging pawns and going into an 1QP position.

4 ... cxd4 5.cxd4 dxe4 6.ttJxe4 ttJ f6

We shall take a look at AI) 7.ttJc3 and Al) 7.tLlxf6t, before going on to examine the main move A3) 7 ..id3.

AI) 7.ttJc3 Keeping minor pieces on the board is a logical strategy in these traditional 1QP positions, but with such a loss of time, White cannot expect to gain a theoretical advantage.

7 ....ie7 After 7 . . . id7!? White has nothing better than 8 .id3, transposing to line A3 1 ) on page 1 44. 8.tLlf3 a6 9 ..id3 b5 This is recommended by both Vitiugov and Eingorn as fine for Black. lO.a3 .ib7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 12J�el ttJc6 Practice has confirmed that Black has a favourable version of a traditional 1QP position. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

This i s a standard, traditional 1QP position, similar to those which arise from many other openings, such as the Nimzo-1ndian, the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the Caro-Kann or the Queen's Gambit Tarrasch. However, there are certain characteristics that are in Black's favour here - first of all that White must lose time if he wants to avoid the exchange of a pair of minor pieces.

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13 ..ig5 1 3.if4 cannot cause any problems, and simply 1 3 . . . :§c8N is fine for Black. For example: 1 4 .Wd2? lLla5!+ 13 ... g6 14 ..ic2 �c8 1 5.�c1 ttJa5

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation

1 43

In IQP positions, Black usually does not have time for this move, but here he is quite comfortable.

8 id7 This is Eingorn's proposal, and it looks strong to me.

16.tlJe5 tlJc4 17.ib3

9.id3 9.tLle5 is the only move given by Eingorn. It is met by the accurate 9 . . . tLl c6, with the idea: 1 O.tLlxd7?! ib4t l l .id2 Wxd4!+

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17 ... tlJxb2! 17 . . . tlJd7 and 1 7 . . . tLld5 1 8.ixe7 tLlxe7 1 9.ixc4 bxc4 20.tLla4 tLl f5 2 l .tLlc5 Wd5 22.f3 tLlxd4 23.tLlxb7 f6! are also satisfactory for Black, but the text is the most ambitious. 18.�e2 tlJc4 19.ixc4 bxc4 2o.ih6 �xd4!? Even 20 . . . l"1e8 works: 2 l .tLlxf7 WdTt 21 .l"1edl �h4 22.ixfs ixfs With two wonderful bishops and two pawns for the exchange, Black is certainly better and went on to win in Ziegler - Meduna, Gausdal 1 988.

A2) 7.tlJxf6t �xf6 White hopes that f6 will prove to be a poor place for the queen.

8.tlJf3 8.a3 id6 9.tLlf3 h6 1 O.id3 id7 is given by Eingorn. I definitely like Black here, with the bishop coming to c6, possibly even followed by . . . id5 and . . . tLlc6.

The position is similar to one that can arise from the Rubinstein variation (3.tLl c3/d2 dxe4 4.tLlxe4 tLl f6?! 5 . tLlxf6t Wxf6) where the queen doesn't stand well on f6. But here there is one big difference - White doesn't have a c-pawn, so the following check spoils White's fun.

9 ...ib4t 9 . . . ic6?? loses to 1 0.ig5 ixf3 I l .Wc l !, a well-known trap from the Rubinstein variation. lo.id2N The only game in my database continued 1 0.';t> fl Hellmann - Urlau, email 2006, and now I propose 1 O . . . h6N with the idea l l .ie3 ic6 1 2.tLle5 id6. lo ... ixd2t 1 1 .�xd2 ic6 Black is fine, though he may not be much better if White plays energetically.

Playing the French

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Intending to play . . . 2"1f7 next.

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1 7 . . . 2"1fdS leads to a spectacular draw, as pointed out by Houdini: l S .�d3 Wf3 1 9.Wh6 g6 20.�xg6 fxg6 2 1 .2"1xg6t hxg6 22.Wxg6t mhS 23 .Wh6t mgS 24.Wg6t=

7 6 5 4

18.tDxfS gxfS I prefer Black, who has superb compensation for the exchange.

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A3) 7 ..id3

12.tDeS!? i.xg2 1 2 . . . �d5 = is safe and sound; Black intends . . . tLl c6 and . . . 0-0, followed by bringing the rooks to the centre. 13J!gl i.dS 14.i.bSt tD c6 ISJ3g4C11 The situation is complicated, although the following line reveals that Black's chances may be slightly favourable.

This is Yevseev's recommendation in Fighting the French. Black can now choose between the potentially sharp A3 1) 7....id7 and the simplifying A32) 7... ltlxe4.

A3 1) 7 ....id7

1 5 ... 0-0 16.ltld7 No other moves seem threatening. 16 . .'I1*IfS 17.h3 Other moves would probably be met with . . . 2"1fdS. .

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17... f6!

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8 ....ic6 9.ltla ltl bd7 10.0-0 i.e7 Vitiugov says that it is equal here, but Yevseev goes into more detail, so let's see some more moves.

14S

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation

1 1 .�e1 1 1 .We2 ttJd5 1 2.i.d2 0-0 1 3.Ei:ad l Wc7 1 4.i.b l a6 l S .Ei:fe 1 was Arizmendi - Taboas, Madrid 2006, as analysed by Yevseev, who proposes an improvement for Black:

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This is recommended by Yevseev, who gives the following line: 1 3.Wd3 g6 1 4.i.h6 Ei:eB l S .�ad l ttJdS 1 6.i.b3 Yevseev evaluates this as unclear. However, I tried this in a training game and, both over the board and while analysing afterwards, r had the feeling that Black's position is rather precarious. 1 6 . . . ttJxc3 1 7.bxc3 WaS This has the idea of meeting I B .c4 with I B . . . WhS followed by . . . i.xf3 . I B.i.f4

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l S . . . ttJxc3N 1 6.bxc3 i.a4 1 7.Wd3 g6 1 8 .i.c2 i.xc2 1 9.Wxc2 bS ( 1 9 . . . ttJ b6!? is a sound alternative) 20.dS ttJcS 2 1 .c4 "with complete equaliry", according to Yevseev.

1 1 ...0-0 12 ..ic2

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12 ...'*Ib6!N This is a brainchild of Jacob's. Black has another interesting try here, but r am less convinced by it: 1 2 . . . Ei:cB!?N

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I B . . . i.f6 This is quite a sound and practical move. r would not repeat my play from the training game: I B . . . bS 1 9.h4 ttJ b6?! 20.hS i.dS ? (20 . . . ttJ dS was forced, but r still prefer White) 2 1 .hxg6 hxg6 22.�xe6 and r was tactically killed; r am thankful that it was not a serious game. 1 8 . . . �ed8 threatens . . . ttJcS, and is also an improvement on my play, but after 1 9.dS Black must navigate many complicated trappy lines. One sample line is: 1 9 . . . i.xdS 20.i.xdS ttJ b6 2 1 .c4 i.b4 22.Ei:xe6 ttJxdS 23.cxdS fxe6 24.We4 Ei:c6 2 S .d6 Wxa2 26.Wxb4 Ei:c4 27.Wxb7 Ei:xf4 2B.We7 �ffB 29.d7°o 1 9.ttJeS 1 9.c4 i.xf3 20.Wxf3 i.xd4 2 1 .Ei:e2 eS 22.cS= 19 ... ttJ xeS 20.i.xeS i.xeS 2 1 .Ei:xeS '*Id8

Playing the French

1 46

1 l .tlJe2! This move allows the white bishop to stay on the long diagonal . 1 1 .ltJ f3?! ltJ f6 1 2.i.d3 0-0 followed by . . . b6 and . . . i.b7 is promising for Black in the long term. l 1 ...tlJf6 12.�f3 0-0

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Black may seem solid, but in fact the position still holds many dangers, as the following long line illustrates: 22.Wg3 b5 23.h4 a5 24.h5 a4 25 .i.c2 i.d5 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.i.xg6 fxg6 2S .Wxg6t 'tt> fS 29.2"1de l 2"1c7 30.2"1h5 2"1£1 3 1 .2"1h6!! i.xa2 32.f4 i.d5 33.f5 2"1xf5 34.2"1hSt 'tt> e 7 3 5 .2"1xeSt WxeS 36.Wxf5t

13.'lWd3 E:fd8; With idea such as . . . ltJ fS-g6 and . . . ltJd5, Black looks active here, and I like his chances. A32) 7 ... tihe4 8.he4 �b4t 9.�d2 hd2t 10.'lWxd2 tlJ d7 8

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Yevseev likes White here, and gives a plan with 0-0, 2"1fc l -c3 and then 2"1ac l , but I think Black is absolutely safe. First we will examine an instructive game, before moving on to Yevseev's primary suggestion and how to deal with it.

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Arno Zude Viacheslav Eingom

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Bad Wiessee 20 1 1

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Black's plan is simple: play . . . ltJ f6, castle and then develop the bishop. This is the line to play with Black if you prefer a quiet life.

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tlJd2 cS 4.c3 cxd4 S.cxd4 dxe4 6.tlJxe4 tlJf6 7.�d3 tlJxe4 8.he4 �b4t 9.�d2 hd2t 10.'lWxd2 tlJ d7 1 1 .tlJe2 tlJf6 12.�f3 0-0 13.tlJc3?! This is not best as it interferes with Yevseev's suggested plan of doubling rooks on the c-file. However, it has featured in two -recent games, so it makes sense to see how to react.

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation We shall examine the stronger 1 3 .0-0 after this game.

13 ... '?9b6 1 3 . . J::l b 8 is a simple and sensible way to prepare the development of the queen's bishop: 1 4.Wf4 .id7 1 5 .Wd6 .ic6 1 6.WxdB :gfxdB 1 7 ..ixc6 bxc6 1 B.0-0-0 :gb4 1 9.1Lle2 :gdbB 20.b3 a5 2 1 .�c2 In Collins - Williams, Dublin 20 1 2, Black was better and the computer likes 2 1 . . .lLlg4N. 14.0-0 gd8 1 5.gfdl .id7 Black can already consider the opening a success. White has no pressure to speak of on the long diagonal, and will simply have a weak pawn as a thorn in his side. 16.d5 This does not work, but in any case White is slightly worse after something like 1 6.:gac l .ic6 1 7 . .ixc6 Wxc6.

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35.'?9c6t c;t>g7 36.'?9b5 '?ge4t 37.c;t>gl '?9b7 38.f4 a6 39.'?9b2t c;t>g8 40.£5 '?98 41 .'?ge5 '?9dl t 42.c;t>h2 '?9c2t 43.c;t>hl '?9xf5 0-1 Let's return to Yevseev's recommendation:

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13 ...'?9b6 The same development as Eingorn favoured in the illustrative game above.

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I also like 1 3 . . . :gbB, the "Williams method" that we saw above: 1 4 .:gfc l .id7 1 5 .:gc5 ( I 5 .:gc2 Wb6=) 1 5 . . . b6 1 6.:gc2 :gcB 1 7.:gac l :gxc2 And now 1 B .Wxc2 WcB and 1 B .:gxc2 WbB are both level.

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16 ....ic6 17.'?9g5 h6 18.'?ge5 exd5 19.1iJxd5 liJxd5 20 .ixd5 gxd5 2 1 .gxd5 ge8 22.'?9d4 .ixd5 23.'?9xd5 ge2 24.gfl gxb2 The rest is, as they say, a matter of technique. •

25.h4 g6 26.a4 h5 27.g3 '?9f6 28.'?9c5 b6 29.'?9e3 ga2 30.gc1 gal 3 1 .'?ge8t c;t>g7 32.gxal '?9xaIt 33.c;t>g2 '?9d4 34.'?9b5 c;t>f6

14.gac1 gd8! Black prepares . . . e5, which will equalize comfortably. 1 4 . . . .id7 1 5 .:gc3 is given as slightly better for White by Yevseev, but after 1 5 . . . .ia4 1 6.:gfc l :gfdB i t i s not obvious why White should be any better; he can certainly ask Black a few questions, but good answers exist.

1 5.gc4 1 5 .:gfd 1 .id7 (or 1 5 . . . e5= with the idea

Playing the French

1 48

1 6.d5? e4) 1 6.2"k3 .ia4 1 7.Ei:dc l e5 l S.Ei:a3 e4! 1 9.Ei:xa4 exf3 20.gxf3 lLld5 and Black has good compensation for the pawn.

French Defence, and the English GM Neil MacDonald in Starting out: 1. e4, j ust to name a few of them. 4 ... cxd4 This simple move highlights the downside of White's move order. 4 . . . lLl c6 can be met by 5.exd5 and if 5 . . . �xd5 6 . .ic4 then Black cannot really play 6 . . . �d6?! due to 7.lLle4! with the initiative. Although the other retreats 6 . . . �d7 and 6 . . . �dS may be playable, they fall outside our repertoire.

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1 5 ... e5!N This is a convincing route to equality. 1 5 . . . a5 1 6.b3 .id7 1 7.Ei:fc l .ib5 is also playable, and now l S .Ei:c7?! .ic6 1 9.�f4 e5! turned out well for Black in White - Compton, Crawley 20 1 2. 1 6.llJg3! Mter 1 6. lLl c3 Ei:xd4 1 7.Ei:xd4 �xd4 1 S.�xd4 exd4 1 9.Ei:d 1 .ig4! 20.Ei:xd4 (20 . .ixg4 dxc3!) 20 ... .ixf3 2 1 .gxf3 �fS 22.Ei:c4 Ei:dS the endgame is easier to play for Black.

4 . . . lLl f6 allows 5.e5 lLl fd7 6.c3 lLlc6 7 . .id3, transposing to a line arising from 3 . . . lLl f6, which also lies outside our repertoire. There is a particular reason I would choose to avoid this line, and that is because it is known as the Korchnoi Gambit. Since Viktor Korchnoi is well known for his love of grabbing material and then defending stubbornly, a gambit line from Korchnoi must surely be treated with respect. After 7 . . . �b6 s .o-o cxd4 9.cxd4 lLlxd4 1 0.lLlxd4 �xd4 1 1 .lLlf3 Korchnoi - Udovcic, Leningrad 1 967, continued: 1 1 . . .�b6 1 2.�a4 �b4 1 3.�c2 h6 1 4 . .id2 �b6 1 5 .Ei:acl .ie7 1 6.�a4 �dS 1 7.Ei:c2 'it>fS l S.Ei:fc l lLlb6 1 9.�g4 .id7 20 . .ia5 Ei:cS 2 1 .Ei:xcS .ixcs 22 . .ib4 g6 23 .�h4 g5

1 6.d5 �a6! 1 7.b3 .id7 is at least equal for Black.

16 Ei:xd4 17.gxd4 �xd4 1 8.�xd4 exd4 19.9dl .id7 20.gxd4 gc8 2 1 .h3 b6 We have reached a level endgame. •••

B) 4.llJgf3 This move has been recommended in many repertoire books for White. The Czech GM Vlastimil Jansa proposed it in his excellent Dynamics of Chess Strategy, the Greek 1M Andreas Tzermiadianos in How to Beat the

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24.lLlxg5 'it>eS 25 . .ib5t .id7 26.lLlxe6 fxe6 27.�h5t �fS 2S .Ei:c3 Ei:h7 29.�g6 Ei:g7

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation 30.�xh6 �xb4 3 1 .:gg3 and Black threw in the towel. An amazing game, and one which clearly shows that White's compensation for the pawn is excellent. Nowadays Black has refined his defences and has found routes to playable positions, and if you are interested in this line, you'll find plenry of material for Black in Emanuel Berg's Grandmaster Repertoire 1 6: The French Defence Volume 3.

5.ttJxd4 5.exd5 �xd5 leads to the main lines that I cover in Chapters 9- 1 1 , and this move order is Andreas Tzermiadianos's recommendation for White. 5 ... ttJc6! Developing the other knight gives White more chance of claiming an edge. For example: 5 . . . tLlf6 6.exd5 �xd5 (I also analysed the other main line with 6 . . . tLlxd5 7.tLl 2f3 but I was not happy with Black's prospects.) 7.tLlb5 tLla6 S.tLlc3! Now S ... �e5t 9.�e2 �b4 was evaluated as unclear by Vitiugov, but 1 0.tLlc4 �c7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.tLlb5 �bS 1 3.c3 �e7 14.�f3 was more pleasant for White in Liushnin - Tinjaca Ramirez, email 2002. I could go into great detail about the problems with 5 . . . tLl f6 but instead let's concentrate on the move I recommend.

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White generally chooses between B l ) 6.ttJxc6 and B2) 6.i.b5. 6.c3 tLlxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 S.tLlxe4 leads to the set-up we saw in line A, but with a pair of knights exchanged; Black has comfortable equaliry.

B 1) 6 . .!lJxc6 bxc6 This is a Sicilian Paulsen position in which Black has effectively gained a tempo (in the Paulsen, Black has played . . . a6 and will later play . . . a5) . An exact transposition to the Paulsen is possible if Black plays . . . a6 on any of the next few moves, but clearly there are better ways to spend the tempo.

7.i.d3 ttJf6 8.0-0 i.e7 9.'?Ne2 White can also develop with: 9.b3 0-0 1 O.�b2 a5

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Black is fine; he plans . . . �a6 to exchange the dangerous d3-bishop, and he may also play . . . a4. 1 1 .�e2 1 1 .a4 stops the black a-pawn, but doesn't stop 1 1 . . . �a6!=' A practical example continued: 1 2.�xa6 :gxa6 1 3.�e2 :gaS 1 4.:gad 1 �b6 1 5 .Wh 1 :gadS 1 6.e5 tLl d7 1 7.f4 c5 1 S.f5 exf5 1 9.:gxf5 Malakhov Wang Hao, Ningbo 20 1 0, and now Marin suggests the improvement 1 9 . . . �e6!N a

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I SO

Playing the French

20.E:dfl E:de8, with the idea of . . . �d8-c7. It seems to me that Black even holds a slight advantage here. 1 1 . . .a4 1 2. lD f3 1 2.c4 transposes to the main line. 12 . . . �b7 1 3.E:fe l lD d7!? Another typical idea in this system. Black plans . . . lDcS to attack the important d3bishop, and also . . . �f6 becomes an idea, so Black is dealing with both white bishops with this move! 1 4.exdS cxdS I S .lDeS lD xeS 1 6.�xeS �f6 The position was equal in Pridorozhni Najer, Moscow 20 1 3.

9 ... 0-0 1 0.c4 a5!? 10 . . .�b7 has also been tried, but I prefer to develop the bishop to a6. l 1 .b3 1 1 .E:d l is an attempt by White to avoid the weakening b2-b3 . Black may still consider . . . �a6 and . . . a4, followed by bring his knight to cS, though it may be safer to first play 1 1 . . . h6N and then . . . lD d7-cS.

13.E:adl E:e8 As mentioned, 1 3 . . . Wfb6! ?N is sensible. 14.cxd5 .ixd3 1 5.�xd3 cxd5 16.i.xf6 i.xf6 17.exd5 axb3 1 8.axb3 ga5 Black had absolutely no problems in Fogarasi - Mihok, Budapest 20 1 0. B2) 6 . .ib5 .id7 White sometimes takes the knight with B2 1) 7 ..ixc6, although B22) 7.tlJxc6 is much more common.

B2 1) 7.hc6 bxc6 I prefer this recapture to: 7 . . . �xc6 8.c4!N dxe4 (8 . . . WfaS 9.exdS exdS 1 O.Wfe2t±) 9.lDxc6 bxc6 1 O.lDxe4 White has the better pawn structure and may create a strong passed pawn on the queenside. This was debated in a blitz game between the co-founders of Quality chess Qacob and John), with White Qacob) emerging victorious. 8

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Black stands well. A simple plan is . . . Wfb6 and . . . E:fd8, planning to liquidate with . . . axb3 and . . . dxc4.

8.0-0 8.c4 �d6 is given as equal by Yusupov. One game soon drifted in Black's favour: 9.Wfe2 lDe7 1 0.eS �c7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.cS .ltJ g6 1 3.lD 2f3 f6+ Mithrakanth - Dolmatov, Kolkata 1 999.

151

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation

8 ....td6 9.'lWe2 Bringing the rook to the e-file leads to similar ideas: 9.Ei:e1 tLle7! This is much safer than 9 . . . �b8 1 O.exd5 cxd5 1 1 .tLlf5 �xh2t 1 2.�h 1 \t>f8 1 3.tLlf3 and now: a) 1 3 . . . �c7 1 4.�e3! is better for White. b) 13 . . . exf5 1 4.tLlxh2 tLl f6 1 5 .tLlf3± Smirin Dizdar, Sibenik 2005. c) 1 3 . . . �d6N 1 4.tLlxd6 �xd6 1 5 .c4 tLl e7 offers White good compensation for a pawn, though perhaps not enough for an advantage. 1 O.e5?! �c7 1 1 .tLl2f3 McCluskey, This was Osterhus Copenhagen 1 994. Black now missed a chance to claim an edge: 1 l . . .c5!N 1 2.tLlb3 �b6+ _

Larry Christiansen

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Artur Yusupov

Munich 1 992

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.liJd2 eS 4.liJgf3 cxd4 S.tlhd4 liJe6 6 ..tbS .td7 7 ..L:e6 bxe6 8.0-0 .td6 9.'lWe2 'lWb8!?

10.liJ4£3 liJ e7 H .eS White does not gain much from maintaining the tension: 1 1 .Ei:e 1

9... liJe7!?N This novelty was suggested by Yusupov after his game against Christiansen in which he played 9 . . . �b8!? - see Game 20 below. 10.e5 .te7 H.liJ2b3 liJg6 Black has good counterplay, according to Yusupov.

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1 1 . . .a5! This is most accurate, although 1 1 ... tt:l g6 is also playable. 1 2.e5

Playing the French

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1 2.a4 0-0 1 3.e5 is now met by 1 3 . . . �b4! and if 1 4.c3 �c5 1 5 .tLl d4 then 1 5 . . .�cB followed by . . . �a6. If White had a light­ squared bishop, his position would be great, but instead he has a bad bishop and no attack, and he stands slightly worse. 1 2 . . . �c7 1 3.tLlb3 This move is aimed against ... f6, because then tLl c5 would follow. 1 3 . . .'IWb5 ! This strong moves assures Black o f a t least equal chances, because 1 4 .Wfe3?! can be met by 1 4 . . . a4 1 5 .tLlc5? �b6.

1 1 ...�c7 1 2.b3?! Yusupov criticized this move in his annotations, obviously believing that the b3square belongs to the knight. 1 2.tLlb3 Wfb5 with equality is given by Yusupov. Let's extend this line: 1 3 .Wfe3 �b6! 1 4.Wfc3 c5 1 5 .a4 d4 1 6.axb5 dxc3 1 7.bxc3 �xb5 I B.Ele l 0-0= 12 ... llJ g6 1 3.Elel f6! A strong undermining move.

Black plans the solid . . . Wffl, or the more aggressive . . . tLl f4 followed by . . . Wfh5/g6.

17.c5 �c7 1 8.llJf1 After I B .Wfe3 Wffl Black threatens to take three times on e5, after which the f2-pawn would hang, and 1 9.Ele2 can be met strongly by 1 9 . . . �cB intending . . . �a6 next. 1 8 .. Wffl I B . . . tLl f4 can now be met by 1 9.Wfd2. .

19.¥Nd2 White takes the f4-square under control, but Black can play on both flanks. 19 ... a5! 20.�d4 20.a3 is met by 20 . . . Elab8+.

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14.�b2 0-0 1 5.c4 �b6 Yusupov also mentions the plan 1 5 . . . Elfl 1 6.Elac 1 �b6+ intending ... WffB . 16J�acl ¥Ne8

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22 ... Elxd4?! Yusupov liked this exchange sacrifice, but analysis with the help of today's engines reveals that Black has much stronger options: 22 . . . fxe5 23 .�xe5 tLlxe5 24.tLlxe5 �xe5 25.Elxe5 a4+ followed by ... ElfbB. 22 . . . f5! plans . . .f4 and . . . �cB-a6, and gives Black the better chances.

1 53

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation

23.\Wxd4 fxeS 24JheS tDxeS 2S.tDxeS heS 25 . . .'IWf6?! is_ met by 26.ttJd2 intending to continue with ttJdf3, increasing White's control over the e5-square. 26.�xeS \Wf4 27.\Wh2? After this mistake White's position becomes critical. 27.�e3! was proposed by Yusupov as best: 27 . . .�xe3 28.�xe3 (after 28.ttJxe3? :8b8+ the c5-pawn is impossible to defend) 28 . . . �b8 29.ttJd2 White has enough control over the central dark squares to avoid being worse. 27 ...\Wb4 28.\Wc1 28 .�c2 �d4 29.�e2 e5 30.�d2 if5!+

3S \W6 Yusupov pointed out that 35 . . . 'lWf6! was much stronger. For example: 36.�e3 d4 37.�d2 d3 followed by . . . 'lWf3-e2 would have finished the game quickly. •.•

From here the game enters a technical phase in which correct technique should enable Black to win, though White provides excellent resistance.

36.\We3 �d8 37.tD d2 d4 38.\We7 �f8 39.f4 h6 40.tDf3 \Wh I t 4 1 . c;!{ g2 \Welt 42. c;!{ h3 \W6t 43. c;!{ g2 d3 44. c;!{ fl �f7 4S.\WeS!

28...\Wd4 29.\We3 \Wal ! 30.\We2 30.:8xe6 ixe6 3 1 .�xe6t �h8 32.�xc6 'lWd4 33.ttJe3 �d2-+ 30 ....ic8!+ 3 1 .�gS?! 3 1 .:8e3 �c 1 !+

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4S \Wd7?! 45 . . . d2 was better, according to Yusupov. •.•

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46.\Wd6! \Wxd6 47.cxd6 �d7 48.tDeS d2 49. c;!{ e2 dl =\Wt SO. c;!{xdl �xd6t S 1 . c;!{ e2 5 1 . �c2!? �g8 52.h4+ would have presented major technical problems for Black to solve in order to win.

31.. ..ia6! 32.\Wxa6 \Wf6 A strong double attack.

SI c;!{ g8 S2.a4 gS S3. c;!{ e3 c;!{ g7 S4.tDc4?! 54. �e4 offered more drawing chances.

33.\We2 \WxgS 34.\Wxe6t c;!{ h8 3S.g3? White should try 35 .\Wxc6, although Black can meet it with 35 . . . �f6 36.�xf6 gxf6 followed by . . . :8c8.

S4 �dS SS.tDeS gxf4t S6. c;!{xf4 �d4t 56 . . . �c5!? 57.ttJc4 C;!{f6+

..•

•.•

1 54

Playing the French

After 57 . . . !%d6 5 B.g4 White is active enough to draw. But Black's last chance was 57 . . . !%d2! with the point 5 B.h4 !%b2 59.lLlxc6 !%xb3 60.lLlxa5 !%xg3, with excellent winning chances.

58.tt:lxc6 �xb3 59.ttJxa5 �b4 60.tt:l c6 �xa4 6 1 .tt:le5 �a5 62.g4 �a3 63.h4 �h3 64.h5 �g3 1/2-%

B22) 7.tt:lxc6

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',�.', r I � � "� �� �� � 6 �i �� �� � � � � 45 �,�� � � � � � � 3 �r�,ff��?;, / ;;U�, f.fl'%�U�r� rfl' � """�i'=""".� 8

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8 .id3 .id6 This is played to control the e5-square. •

B . . . e5?! shows Black occupying the centre too early, and White can quickly put the black centre under pressure: 9.0-0 .id6 (9 . . . lLlf6 is met by 1 0.exd5 cxd5 1 1 .c4t) 1 0.c4 d4 1 1 .f4 lLl f6 1 2.h3 1Wc7 1 3 .lLlf3± White's pressure was already annoying in Rodriguez Vargas Farago, Cienfuegos 1 973. B ... 1Wc7 has the same idea of controlling the e5-square, but the black queen is not flexibly placed on c7. We know that the bishop belongs on d6, but the queen may prove useful on dB or bB. I should admit that this move has been used by Korchnoi to beat the great Tal, but I still prefer the text move.

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7 ... bxc6! Some players might be surprised that I recommend this recapture, but after 7 . . . .ixc6 B . .ixc6t bxc6 9.c4 White's idea is to play 1Wa4 next, putting pressure on the black position. In this well known theoretical position, Black has various options, but ultimately none of them satisfied me. I admit that the bishop on d7 is not the best piece in the world, but after a later . . . c5 it may emerge on c6, and in the meantime the b-file is open for Black's rook or queen. Moreover, in the last few years 7 . . . bxc6! has been used against strong opposition by French experts such as Morozevich, Luther, Vitiugov and Potkin. I reckon that if they trust Black's solid position, then I have no reason not to follow their example.

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9.'?Ne2 White doesn't let Black develop with . . . lLlf6. 9.b3?! This was seen in a recent high-level game, but I don't like it for several reasons. First of all, as we saw in the notes to Game 20, maintaining the option of putting the knight on the b3-square reduces Black's options. Also, b2-b3 gives Black a target for . . . a5-a4. Last but not least, White has failed to notice one of the ideas behind Black's last move.

Chapter 8 - The Tarrasch Variation

1 55

9 . . . Wc7 1 O. liJ f3 Black now finds a way to develop the knight on f6 after all. 1O ... dxe4 1 1 .Wxe4 liJ f6 1 2.Wh4 h6 1 3.0-0 c5 Again we see the plan ofputting the bishop on c6. Although Black's idea seems reasonable, in a recent high-level game White showed the disadvantages of this approach.

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9 . . . liJe7 9 . . . liJ f6!N is Black's best move at this point, and after 1 O.i.b2 e5! Black can already claim a small advantage. Although Black missed this chance, I will give the continuation of the game because it contains some instructive points. 1 0.0-0 liJ g6 1 1 .liJf3 0-0 1 2.2"i:e 1 a5f± Black is fine, with no reason to complain. 1 3.c4 This was Timman - Potkin, Wijk aan Zee 20 1 2, and now simplest is:

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1 3 . . . a4N 1 4.exd5 cxd5 1 5 .i.g5 1 5 .cxd5 axb3= 15 . . . Wb8 1 6.cxd5 axb3 1 7.dxe6 i.xe6 1 8.axb3 2"i:xa 1 1 9 .Wxa 1 i.d5=

9 liJe7 When Black cannot develop with . . . liJ f6, then the plan of ... liJ e7-g6 seems most appropriate. ..•

An excellent new idea from Ponomariov. 1 4 .i.g5 liJd5 1 5 .i.e4 2"i:b8 was Guseinov - So, Khanty-Mansiysk 2009, and now Erenburg points out in his annotations for Chess Base that 1 6.2"i:fe 1 N would offer White slightly the better chances. 1 4 . . . liJd5 1 5 . liJ c4 i.f4 1 6.2"i:e 1 2"i:b8 1 7.i.e4!? i.xc 1 1 8.2"i:axc 1 liJ b6 1 9. 1iJ e3 0-0 20.b3 White has a structural advantage and hasn't allowed Black to create counterplay by putting his bishop on the long diagonal. After a long fight, White won in Ponomariov - Morozevich, Tashkent 20 1 2.

1 o.tiJ f3 liJ g6 In The French Defence Reloaded, Nikita Vitiugov stated the position after 7 . . . bxc6 "has not yet been thoroughly analysed and it is too early to make a final evaluation". But it would appear Vitiugov was inspired to analyse the position, and we shall see him defending it in Game 2 1 below.

Playing the French

1 56

1 O . . . Wb8?!N (a la Yusupov from Game 20) is not great when White has a light-squared bishop instead of a knight. A possible continuation is: I l .e5 fic7 1 2. 0-0 tLl g6 1 3 .:B:e l

1 1 .0-0 White's most logical move. I I .h4?! makes no sense if e4-e5 hasn't been played, as after 1 1 . . .tLl f4 1 2.fixf4 fixf4 only Black can be better. I I .e5?! fic7 1 2.h4 can be met in typical fashion by 1 2 . . . f6+, although I 2 . . . Wfb8!? is also possible as the attack on the e5-pawn practically forces l 3.fixg6 hxg6+.

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1 3 . . . 0-0 ( 1 3 . . .f6 is met by 1 4.exf6 gxf6 1 5 .fif5!±) 1 4.b3! This is the right moment for this move as 1 4 . . . a5 ? is met by 1 5 .fia3 :B:e8 1 6.tLlg5 and White's threats of Wfh5 or tLlxh7 are difficult to meet.

Sergey Fedorchuk Nikita Vitiugov -

Germany 20 1 2

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tlJd2 c5 4.tiJgf3 cxd4 5.tiJxd4 tiJ c6 6 ..ib5 .id7 7.tiJxc6 bxc6 8 . .id3 .id6 9.YNe2 tiJ e7 10.tiJa tiJg6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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I I .c4 0-0 and White doesn't seem to have anything more constructive than 1 2.0-0, transposing to the note to White's 1 2th move below.

1 1 ...0-0 12.e5 This may seem premature, but since Black has castled he is now threatening to play . . . e5 himself. For example, after 1 2.:B:e l e5! only White can face problems. 1 2.c4 This stops . . . e5 because White could then take twice on d5, but now Black is in time to stop e4-e5. 1 2 . . . Wfc7! Comparing the current line with Korchnoi's 8 . . . Wfc7 on page 1 54, the big difference is the presence of the white pawn on c4. This means that at the right moment Black can play the typical idea of . . . dxc4 followed by . . . c5 with good counterplay. l 3.:B:e l This is the right idea for White, who wants to be able to play e4-e5. l 3.g3 can be met by the aggressive 13 ... :B:ae8, planning . . . f5 and/or . . . e5. 1 3 .cxd5 exd5 1 4.exd5 cxd5f± is structurally better for White, but Black has active play on the b- and e-files, and also has the idea of obtaining the bishop pair afte� . . . tLlf4.

Chapter 8

-

The Tarrasch Variatio n

1 3.c4 This occurred in another Tal - Korchnoi encounter, one year after the game mentioned earlier.

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1 3 . . . dxc4N I prefer this to 1 3 . . . ltJ f4 as played in Biaux ­ Fister, France 2002. Note that other moves from Black would allow the dangerous plan of e4-e5 followed by h2-h4. 1 4 . .txc4 c5t! Black can also play 14 . . . ltJe5t! first to stop any possible e4-e5 ideas. In either case, Black has good counterplay.

12 ....ic7

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13.lLlg5!? An aggressive blow that threatens Wfh5 with catastrophic consequences for Black. 1 3.h4N can be met by: 1 3 . . . f6 1 4 . .txg6 hxg6 1 5 . .tf4 ( l 5.exf6?! gxf6 1 6 . .th6 :g0 gives Black some initiative as . . . e5 is coming) 1 5 . . . c5t!

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1 3 . . . Wfe7! A fine move by Korchnoi, which shows the great man's deep understanding of the position. The queen must stay on the dS­ h4 diagonal in order to render the h2-h4 advance harmless. 13 . . . f6 is premature: 14 . .txg6 hxg6 1 5 .:gel g5 1 6.h3! and White has pressure on the black centre. 1 3 . . . c5 is possible, but not as flexible as Korchnoi's move. 1 4.h4 can now be met by 1 4 . . . .tc6 1 5 .h5 ltJ h4, which shows the benefit of having the queen defending this diagonal . On the other hand, 1 3 . . . WfbS?! i s playing with fire. After something like 1 4.:ge 1 a5 1 5 .h4! White has a great attack. 1 4 . .td2 This was a prudent choice by Tal. After 1 4.b3?! Black can start his counterplay: 1 4 . . . a5 1 5 . .td2 c5 Black has ideas such as . . . a4, or . . . d4 and . . . .tc6, so White may feel obliged to try and create some confusion. 16 . .tg5 f6 ( l 6 ... WfeS also seems fine) 1 7.exf6 gxf6 1 S . .th6 :gfeS 1 9.cxd5 ( 1 9.Wfc2 ltJe5 20.ltJxe5 bee5 2 1 .cxd5 exd5 transposes) 1 9 . . . exd5 20.Wfc2 ltJe5 2 1 .ltJxe5 bee5 22.:gac l .td6 Black's massive centre and the

1 58

Playing the French

concentration of firepower aiming at the white kingside will cause some headaches for White. 1 4 . . . c5N This is better than 14 ... f6 1 5 .j,xg6 hxg6 1 6J'1:fe l g5 as in Tal - Korchnoi, Moscow 1 972; I slightly prefer White after 1 7.h3!N. 1 5 .j,g5 Black may now choose between 1 5 . . . We8, with ideas such as . . . E:b8, . . . d4, . . .j,c6 and so on, or 1 5 . . . f6 1 6.exf6 gxf6 1 7.j,h6 E:fe8 followed by . . . lLl f4 or . . . lLle5, with typical counterplay. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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13 Wfe8! Vitiugov reacts coolly, providing additional defence to the g6-knight. •.•

14.f4 1 4.Wh5?! is now comfortably answered by 1 4 . . . h6. 14 ... £5 1 4 . . . h6N 1 5 . lLl f3 j,b6t 1 6.�h l c5 1 7.c4 d4 followed by . . . lLl e7-f5 also looks good for Black. 15.c4 After 1 5 .exf6 E:xf6! Black's ideas of . . . h6 and . . . e5 may prove troublesome for White.

15 ... j,b6t 1 6.@hl lLl e7 17.b3 a5 18.idl a4 1 8 . . . c5, with the idea 1 9.cxd5 lLlxd5 20.j,c4 j,c6, seems fine for Black as well. 19.b4 c5 20.E:abl E:b8 21 .E:fc1 d4 22.a3 A draw was agreed here. The position remains complicated, but Black's chances are in no way worse. l/z-l/z

Conclusion In this chapter we examined two theoretical lines - Yevseev's 4.c3, which is quite a novel way for White to try and cause practical problems, and the more traditionaI 4.lLlgf3. On 4.c3 an IQP arises after 4 ... cxd4 5.cxd4 dxe4 6.lLlxe4 lLl f6. Both A I ) 7.lLlc3 and A2) 7.lLlxf6t pose no problems for Black. Yevseev's proposal of A3) 7.j,d3 has the idea that after 7 . . . lLl xe4 8 .j,xe4 lLld7 9.lLle2 lLlf6 1 0.j,f3 the light-squared bishop can prove strong on the long diagonal. First of all, we saw that Black can avoid this line by playing A3 1 ) 7 . . . j,d7, but even in the main line with A32) 7 . . . lLlxe4, Black can challenge the long diagonal by playing . . . Wb6 or . . . E:b8, followed by . . . j,d7 -c6. 4.lLlgf3 is more testing. I propose 4 . . . cxd4 5.lLlxd4 lLl c6, intending after 6.j,b5 j,d7 to recapture on c6 with the b-pawn, whichever way White chooses to take. In both lines the most flexible way to develop the black pieces is first to play the bishop to d6 and then the knight to e7. The knight often heads to g6, inducing White to play e4-e5, otherwise . . . e5 is liable to be strong for Black. If White discourages . . . e5 by playing c2-c4, then Black can respond with . . . dxc4 followed by . . . c5, . . .j,c6 and . . . lLle5, with a fine g.ame.

Chapter 9

4.exd5 lxd5

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Intro and 5.dxe5

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�d2 c5 4.exd5 A) 4... exd5 B) 4...�xd5! B l ) 5.�b3 B2) 5.dxc5 B2 1) 5 ... .ixc5 B22) 5 ... � f6! 6.�gf3 �xc5 7 ..id3 � bd7! 7 . . . :fle7 - Game 23

Game 22 Game 23

Garry Kasparov - Anatoly Karpov, Amsterdam 1 988 Sergei Rublevsky - Ni Hua, Ningbo (rapid) 20 1 0

161 1 63 1 63 1 63 1 64 1 67 1 70

1 66 1 70

Diagram Preview On this page you will find seven diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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What is Black's most accurate move? (page 1 67)

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Black played 1 O . . . ltJe5 here. Is this co rrect? (page 1 68)

Find the best set-up for Black's pieces. (page 1 64)

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A beautiful combination. Can you see White's idea? (page 1 66)

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How should Black recapture the knight? (page 1 7 1 )

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Evaluate this position and propose a plan for Black. (page 1 70)

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How would you play here? (page 1 72)

Chapter 9

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4 . exd5 'lWxd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ltldl c5 4.exd5 In the previous chapter we covered White's alternatives to this move, and now we are ready to introduce the main variation. At this point I'd like to talk a little about A) 4 exd5, before going on to examine my recommendation of B) 4...'lWxd5!. Even though I do not recommend playing 4 . . . exd5, it is worth taking a quick look at some lines because the fundamental structure of this IQP position involves many ideas that a French Defence player should have in his arsenal, even if this particular line is not part of his repertoire. •••

A) 4 ... exd5

161

the e-file is open here, and if Black can take control of this file and plant a strong knight on e4, then he should be happy to pay the small price of having a weak d5-pawn. All these reasons sound good, right? They are, but when I look at the specifics of the position, it seems the objective assessment of the position is slightly in White's favour. Against strong opposition Black will only be playing for the draw, but with no guarantee of achieving it, as Jacob likes to put it. This is not based on general considerations, but on specifics. White's bishop can land on b5, and although the knight is not great on b3, it may later appear on the much more influential d3square - for details see the main line below.

5 . .!lJgf3! I'll skip a lot of the details and options (for both sides) and go straight to the line that troubles me most for Black. 5 .!lJf6 6.i.b5t! This is the correct timing for this move. •.•

6 i.d7 7.i.xd7t ltl bxd7 The presence of the knight on f3, ready to go to e5, forces Black to recapture with the knight rather than the queen. •••

This move was my favourite for many years. I felt that it was the correct recapture as it is positionally justified by the placement of the knight on d2. Some may argue that the knight belongs on d2 because after the IQP appears on the board, the manoeuvre lLJd2-b3 offers excellent control over d4, the traditional blockading square. That is a simplistic way to see the position, and I would say it is wrong. The natural square for the knight is c3, as we have already seen in the Exchange Variation. From c3 the knight controls the e4-square and attacks the d5-pawn. The knight being on b3 or d4 gives Black the opportunity to take control over the e4-square. It is significant that

8.0-0 i.e7 9.dxc5 ltlxc5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Playing the French

1 62

1 O.tLld4!

12.£3!

It is important to threaten to play tt::l f5 , forcing the queen to go to d7. This will help White to activate the d2-knight. 1 O.tt::l b3 is met by 1 O . . . tt::l ce4 and if now 1 1 .tt::l fd4 then Black has gained the possibility of defending the f5-square with 1 1 . . .tt::l d6, as recommended by GM Eingorn. I like the look of the knight on d6, as it covers the important c4- and e4-squares. White may still have an edge, although my analysis has not proved this.

10 ...VNd7 Otherwise White simply plays tt::l f5xe7, and practice has shown that Black's defensive task is anything but easy. 1 1 .tlJ2b3! With this smart move order, White has avoided Eingorn's recommendation.

With accurate play, White manages to contain Black's activity, and the following variation leads to a position which is more pleasant for White. Black is not dead, but I would not recommend the resulting position to an ambitious French Defence player.

12 ... tlJ d6 13.tlJc5! That's why the queen was driven to d7, so that White can hit her with tempo and improve the b3-knight by bringing it to the more influential d3-square. 13 ...VNc8 l 3 . . . Wc7 1 4.tt::l d3 is a worse version for Black, for example the manoeuvre . . . �d8-b6 is no longer available. 14.tlJd3 0-0 15.i.e3 �e8 16.i.n i.d8

1 1 ...tlJce4 For a long time I considered this position to be entirely satisfactory for Black, who may continue with . . . 0-0 and . . .Ek8, followed by transferring a knight to c4, playing his queen to a4, or launching a minority attack on the queens ide. The plan of doubling rooks on the e-file, along with manoeuvring the bishop to b6, can cause trouble on the kingside as well. Of course Black has a weakness, but this is not a big deal if he gains free play in return. a 8

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This position occurred in Zagrebelny Haritakis, Agios Kirykos 20 1 0, a game I watched live. The Ukrainian grandmaster won effortlessly against a well-respected Greek master who has lifelong experience playing this line. This rang an alarm bell for me, because I had had this position in my files for years and I was not only playing it myself, but also teaching it to various students of mine. I eventually realized that the main line of 1 7.a4,

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Chapter 9 - 4.exd5 Wi'xd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5 as played in this game, gives White a small plus, despite ECO and some other sources claiming otherwise.

17.�el !? Psakhis's recommendation, which may even be slightly more precise than 1 7.a4. The following example is fairly typical and shows why I am not recommending this line for Black. 17 �xel t 1 8.Wi'xel .ib6 19.�d2 �e7 20.�el .!lJe4 2 1 .Wi'e2 h6 22.Wi'e7 �xe7 23.�xe7 �ffi 24.�e2 �e8 25Jhe8t .!lJxe8 26 . .!lJf5 Lilt 27.�xf2 h5 28.�e3 .!lJ b6 29 .!lJf4 .!lJf6 30 .!lJf5 .!lJe8 3 1 . �e3;t A draw was agreed in Jaracz - B. Socko, Warsaw 20 1 1 , although White could well have played on. Despite exchanging all the right pieces, Black is still not entirely safe in this endgame, so Jacob's "playing for the draw without guarantees" applies to this situation. ..•

•

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B) 4 �xd5!

1 63

I shall quickly deal with the harmless B l ) 5 . .!lJ b3 and then proceed t o examine the more critical B2) 5.dxe5. The big main lines after 5 . lLl gf3 will be covered in Chapters 1 0 and 1 1 .

B l ) 5 . .!lJ b3 cxd4 6 .!lJxd4 •

6.\'wxd4 lLl f6 7.lLlf3 lLl c6 8 .\'wxd5 lLl xd5 9.�b5 �d7 was level in Van der Wiel - Glek, Tilburg 1 994.

6 a6 7.i.e3 7.lLl gf3 e5 8 .\'we2 f6 is at least equal for Black. .•.

7 .!lJf6 7 ... e5N 8.lLl df3 \'wa5t (8 ... \'wxd l t 9.E':xd l lLl c6 i s clearly equal) 9.c3 \'wc7, intending to continue with . . . lLl c6, . . . lLl f6, . . . �d6 and so on, keeps the position more complex. .•.

8.�gf3

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This is the line I recommend. Why is this move strong? The main reason is that after the imminent exchange of the c5- and d4-pawns we reach a structure which typically arises from the Sicilian Defence, and has various features in Black's favour. Black keeps a central pawn while White has none. The central pawn may in the future support a central outpost and lead to a central superiority for Black. Also Black's open files on the queens ide give him chances of launching a minority attack, particularly using the c-file. What White has is a lead in development. He has time to occupy good squares with his pieces and will try to use this activity to restrict the black pieces to passive roles. If this leads to the creation of weaknesses in the black position, then it means that White has transformed his temporary advantage into something concrete. Otherwise the future belongs to Black.

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8 e5!N This is clearer than 8 . . . �d7 Winkler Schuetz, Forchheim 20 1 1 , though that should be equal too. •••

9 .!lJ b3 .!lJe6 10.i.e2 i.e7= •

B2) 5.dxe5

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Playing the French B2 1) 5 i.xc5 •..

I do not believe this is the right recapture, though of course nothing terrible is happening yet.

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The c5-pawn will soon be recaptured, resulting in the fundamental pawn structure which is covered in this and the following three chapters. This is the typical Sicilian structure that Black was aiming for with 3 . . . c5! . Rather than comparing i t with typical Sicilian games though, a better way to understand this particular structure is to compare it with games from the "Caro-Kann family" (by which I mean the Caro-Kann Defence, the Scandinavian Defence and other openings in which the black d-pawn is exchanged for the white e-pawn) . This might sound a bit strange at first, but in that structure (dubbed the "Capablanca Structure" by Sam Collins in his Chess Base DVD Know the Terrain, Vol. 1) , Black is trying to achieve the freeing . . . c5 break, and this is exactly what has already happened here. So there is a lot of material from similar structures that may help us to appreciate the nuances of our current position and understand how Black should play. We shall take a quick look at the very common B2 1) 5 i.xc5, before turning to our preferred option of B22) 5 tDf6!.

6.tlJgf3 tlJf6 7.i.c4 Sometimes when this structure is reached from d-pawn openings, there is already a white pawn at c4. But when White can use the c4square for his bishop, Black must be careful because he may be left behind in development, and there may be the danger of various sacrifices on e6. 7 'f1c6 This square is not ideal for the black queen, but other squares have their drawbacks too. •.•

8.'f1e2 0-0 9.0-0 This is quite a well-known theoretical position, albeit one that has proven a little unpleasant for Black in practice. I have not been able to find a clear route to equality here.

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9 tlJ bd7 This is Vitiugov's main line; throughout his book, Vitiugov adopts an objective stance, so the Russian Super-GM doesn't- claim equality. However, he thinks that Black's position is playable, and I would agree. ...

5 ... Wxc5 allows White an interesting opportunity: 6.tL'le4! Wb4 t 7.tL'lc3 tL'l f6 8.a3 Wa5 9.i.d3 a6 1 O.i.f4 tL'l bd7 1 1 . tL'l f3 White had an edge and went on to win in Karjakin Giri, Wijk aan Zee 20 1 2.

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Chapter 9 - 4 . exd5 'Wxd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5 9 . \¥lc7!? 1 0.ltJb3 fie7 is Eingorn's suggestion. It makes a lot of sense for Black to improve the placement of his pieces in this way, and it may well be Black's best bet for equality in this particular position. We will look at similar positions later, but for the moment I'll j ust say that our recommended line may achieve this set-up in a better way. .

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1 2.b3! �b7 13.�b2 This has proved to be more pleasant for White in many games, including Adams - Lemos, Gibraltar 20 1 1 , and Tiviakov - Berelowitsch, Netherlands 20 1 1 . With the absence of Black's dark-squared bishop, the b2-bishop looks like a monster. This is the kind of good piece play with some pressure that White wants in this line.

9 . . . a6 was a move I investigated: 1 0.a4 Wic7 Now that we understand the danger, I would like to propose a good way to counter such a set-up, and also lay the foundation of understanding the lines examined in the next three chapters. 8 7 6 a

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Mter 1 1 .ltJe4 fie7 1 2.ltJxf6t fixf6 1 3 J:h3 ltJc6 1 4.Wie4 ltJ d4 Black gradually equalized in Ni Hua - Lysyj , Dagomys 20 1 0, but I am more concerned about the new idea 1 1 .b3!?N, intending to continue with ltJ e4 and fib2.

1O.ltJb3 b6 1 1 .ttJxc5 VNxc5 Here Vitiugov doesn't mention:

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This is our fundamental "Capablanca structure". I have chosen not to put any white pieces on the board as what I want to concentrate on is the placing of the black pieces. When this structure arises in the Caro­ Kann, usually the c8-bishop is outside the pawn chain (on f5 or g6) . In that situation Black's plan is to put his queen on b6 or a5 , and the rooks ideally on e8 and d8 (or sometimes c8 and d8) . Then Black is as solid as a rock, though generally he has few winning chances. Keeping the bishop inside the pawn chain is somewhat risky, as White may then be able to use his bishop to good effect, targeting sensitive pawns on h7, e6 and f7, but it preserves more

Playing the French

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winning chances for Black as well. In the Caro-Kann line l .e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 dxe4 4.ttJxe4 ttJ d7!? Black often fianchettoes this bishop with . . . b6 and . . . �b7. In this situation the queen can no longer come to b6 or a5, and so the best place for it by far is c7! While this simple analysis seems very natural, it took Black decades to come to this conclusion, as we'll see in the following instructive game.

Garry Kasparov - Anatoly Karpov Amsterdam 1 988

I .e4 c6! Okay, the exclamation mark is j ust a joke. Of course we care only about 1 . . . e6, but we will soon arrive at the structure under discussion. 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2 dxe4 4.ttJxe4 ll) d7 s.tiJf3 c!lJ gf6 6. c!lJ g3 In "our lines" this knight will normally be on d2 rather than g3, which will usually be in Black's favour. 6 ... e6 7 .id3 .ie7 8.0-0 cS 9.'We2 0-0 10.�dl 1 0.�f4 is not so good because Black plays 1 0 . . . cxd4 1 1 .ttJxd4 ttJ c5 (or 1 1 . . . ttJd5 followed by . . . ttJc5), with fine play. •

10 ...'Wc7! Flohr had played this move in the 1 950s, but it was not until this game that the concept caught on. 1 0 . . . cxd4 1 1 .ttJxd4 This was the main line at the time of this game. 1 1 . . .Ei:e8 1 2.b3 Wb6 1 3 .�b2 ttJf8 1 4.ttJf3 �d7 1 5 .ttJe5 Ei:ad8 1 6.ttJe4 We can see how White is methodically gathering his forces on the kings ide. 1 6 . . . ttJxe4 1 7.�xe4 �c8 It may appear that Black is managing to organize his forces, but White now launches the decisive attack. 1 8 .Wh5 ttJg6 1 8 . . . g6 would have been answered beautifully by 1 9.ttJg4!. Readers who are interested in studying the history of this particular type of combination should definitely look at Odessky's Play 1. b3! a wonderful book! 1 9.ttJxf7 'it>xf7 20.Wxh7 e5 2 1 .Ei:xd8 Ei:xd8 22.Wh5 White soon won in Tal - Filip, Moscow 1 967. -

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13 ... �e8 This is typical Karpovian prophylaxis. The a

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Chapter 9 - 4 . exd5 Wfxd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5 f8-square is reserved for the bishop or knight, and also the sensitive e6-square is reinforced.

14.ib2 b6 15.ll:)h5 ib7 This may appear risky, especially if Kasparov is sitting on the other side of the board, but analysis confirms that it is fully correct. Kasparov suggests alternative.

1 5 . . . ttJc5!? as a safer

16.ll:)xe6 White has no other dangerous ideas here according to Kasparov. 16 ...fxe6 17.Wfxe6t @ffi IB.ixh7

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22.13d4 ll:) e4 23.13el tlJ eg5 24.Wfg4 ia3 25.ic3 13xel t 26.ixel 13eB 27.id2 i.d 2B.h4 ixd2 29.13xd2 13e1 H! 30.@h2 13e4? 3 1 .£4 Wfe6? 32.13dBt @f7 33.13d7t @ffi 34.Wfxe6 13xe6 35.hxg5 13e7 36.13xe7 @xe7 37.g4 i.e4 3B.@g3 ib l 39.a3 1-0 After the examination of the dangers of the position and the correct set-up found by Karpov, we now return to the French Tarrasch. It is now easy to recommend that Black's plan should involve capturing the c5-pawn with the queen and then retreating the queen to c7, putting the bishop on e7 and continuing with . . . 0-0, . . . a6, . . . ttJbd7, . . . Ele8 and eventually . . . b6.

B22) 5 ... ll:) f6! This is the move order I recommend. Black intends to recapture the c5-pawn with his queen, but without allowing White to attack it with ttJ e4.

6.ll:)gf3 Attempting to hold on to the c5-pawn does not promise White any advantage: 6.ttJb3 Wi'xd l t 7.'�xd l a

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1 B ll:)c5 Kasparov pointed out that there was a relatively simple solution at this point: 18 . . .j,c5 1 9.Wi'f5 Wi'c6 and in all lines Black emerges on top. •••

After the move played Black was also better, and his eventual loss was due to later mistakes. The rest of the game is of no particular relevance to Out opening study, but you can find it analysed in Kasparov on Modern Chess, Part Four.

19JWh3 ll:)xh7 20.ixg7t @gB 2 1 .ib2 Wfc6

7 . . . j,d7! This excellent move (intending . . . j,a4, . .. ttJ bd7 and . . . Elc8 to regain the c5-pawn) equalizes without the slightest doubt.

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Playing the French

8.f3 8 . tt'l f3 was seen in Novkovic - Isgandarova, Khanty-Mansiysk (01) 20 1 0, and here Black should play: 8 . . . .ia4!N 9.tt'la5 tt'l e4! (9 . . . .ixc5 ? 1 O.tt'lxb7 .ixf2 1 1 .b3!±) 1 O.b3 ( l O.tt'l xb7? tt'l xf2t) 1O . . . .id7= 8 . . . .ie7 9.tt'la5 .ic6 1 O . .ie3 tt'l bd7 1 1 .c3 .ixc5 1 2 . .ixc5 A draw was agreed in Potkin - Vitiugov, Khanty-Mansiysk 20 1 1 .

6 .\Wxc5 7.�d3 tLl bd7! In my opinion, this is Black's best move order. .•

9.c4N .ie7 1 0.We2 is similar to Tiviakov Romanov, a game discussed in the note to White's 1 0th move in Game 23 below. 1 O . . . b6 1 1 .tt'le4 .ib7 1 2.tt'lxf6t

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1 2 . . . .ixf6! By recapturing this way to control the e5-square, Black is fine. After 1 3 . .ig5 0-0 1 4 . .ixf6 .ixf3!? 1 5 . Wxf3 tt'l xf6 Black has nothing to fear. His plan is to double rooks on the d-file, and in an endgame with queen and knight versus queen and bishop, he could even try to play for a small advantage.

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8 V9c7! Unfortunately, there is not much practical experience in this exact position, while there is much more in the 7 . . . .ie7 variation. But it is not too difficult to understand the ideas and to appreciate the differences between these two lines by simple comparison. ...

9.Vge2 This is how White usually plays against 7 . . . .ie7. 9.tt'le4 does not trouble Black: 9 . . . tt'l xe4 1 O . .ixe4 tt'lc5=

9.tt'ld4 a6 Denying the white minor pieces access to the b5-square is natural, though 9 . . . tt'lc5!N 1 O.tt'lb5 Wb8 seems fine for Black and may be a simpler solution. 1 O.Ei:e 1 1 O.We2 tt'lc5 and Black is fine. He can exchange the d3-bishop whenever he wants, and will first develop with . . . .ie7 and . . . b6 (or . . . b5) followed by . . . .ib7.

Chapter 9

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4.exd5 'lWxd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5

1 0 . . . �e7!N I prefer this- to 10 . . . lDe5?! 1 1 .lDe4 lDxd3 ( l 1 . . .lDxe4 1 2.�xe4t) 1 2.lDxf6t gxf6 1 3.Wfxd3 Vachier-Lagrave - Zatonskih, Gibraltar 20 1 2. Although the dynamics are undoubtedly in Black's favour, I would enjoy White's long-term pluses, such as the healthier pawn structure. 1O . . . lDc5N is also an improvement on the game, and after 1 1 .�fl �e7 Black is fine. 1 1 .lDe4 1 1 .Wff3 is met simply by 1 1 . . . lD c5 1 2.�fl 0-0 and White's position is rather uncoordinated; Black is at least equal. 1 1 . . . lDxe4 1 1 . . .0-0 1 2.Wff3 may be slightly in White's favour. 1 2.2"he4 lDc5 1 3 .�f4 Wfb6 1 4.:8:e3 lD xd3 1 5 .:8:xd3 0-0 The position is just equal. If White chases the black queen with 1 6.:8:b3 Wfc5 1 7.:8:c3, then Black · can avoid the repetition with 1 7 . . . Wfd5 1 8 .:8:d3 b5, when it is starting to look promising for Black.

1 1 .lD xf6t gxf6 l 1 . . .lDxf6? 1 2.�b5t lD d7 1 3.lDe5 is a disaster for Black.

1 2.�e4 This typical move gave White the upper hand in G. Shahade - Young, Saint Louis 20 1 1 . White is positionally better and must aim to restrain Black's counterplay, and the neutralization of the long diagonal is an important step in that direction.

1O ..ib5t! This is the only move that makes any sense to me. 10 ....id7 1 1 ..ixd7t ltl cxd7 1 2.c4!

9 . . . b6?! 1 0.lDe4! �b7 1 0 . . . �e7 1 1 .�g5 also allows White a small advantage.

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This seems to be White's only challenging set-up. However, if Black is fine in similar

Playing the French

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posltlons with the light-squared bishops on the board (as shown in Game 22) , then he should also be fine here, as there is less danger to his kingside castled position , or to sensitive

light squares such as e6.

Sergei Rublevsky - Ni Hua Ningbo (rapid) 20 1 0

12 ...i.e7 13.h3 0-0 14J�dl l3fd8 15.i.h2 l3ae8 I reckon that some players might favour White's position here, as his queens ide majority is a potential asset in the endgame, and his bishop is better than its counterpart, which may give White hopes of developing a kingside attack by bringing a rook across via the third rank. Despite all that, Black should be fine provided he is j ust a bit careful.

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLld2 e5 4.exd5 �xd5 5.dxe5 �xe5 As I have said before, I consider 5 . . . tDf6! to be a better move order. 6.lLlgB lLlf6 7.i.d3 i.e7 This is the most popular reaction, though Black has not done so well in practice. My preferred choice of 7 . . . tD bd7! was examined above. 8.�e2 lLl hd7 9.0-0 0-0 I prefer this to the alternatives. If Black intends to castle quickly, then according to Tiviakov the best place for the black queen is h5. 9 ... Wc7 is a solid variation that was proposed by Vitiugov, though I think it is much better to play this earlier (without . . . i.e7) in order to play a quick . . . tD c5 .

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16 ... a6 Several plans are possible, but I like the simplicity of this one. 17.lLlg3 �a5!+! Preparing . . . b5 (and after cxb5 the idea is . . . Wxb5!), which provides Black with plenty of counterplay and ensures that White cannot build up on the kingside too easily.

10.lLle4 Tiviakov recently played: 1 0.c4 Tiviakov explains: "The point is to take control over the d5-square. And with the queen on c5 (if Black plays . . . b6 like in the game) White can play tDd2-e4, and after the exchange on e4 White would have a double attack on the h7-pawn and the rook on a8." 1 0 . . . b6 Based on the above reasoning, Tiviakov considers 1 0 . . . Wh5N to be equal as Black prophylactically defends the h7 -pawn. I I .tD e4 Wc7 Here again, 1 1 . . .Wh5!?N would bring Black an equal position according to Tiviakov. For

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Chapter 9 - 4.exd5 �xd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5 example: 1 2 . .ig5 ( 1 2.tLlg3 �c5=) 1 2 . . . .ib7 1 3 .'1Wc2 .ixe4! 14 ..ixe4 E:ac8= . 1 2.tLlxf6t

the note to Black's 9th move above, which is a line I wish to avoid.

l 1 .�xe4 �h5 The best way to defend the h7-pawn. 1 2 ..ie2 White has also played: 12 . .ig5 .ixg5 1 3.tLlxg5 tLl f6 1 4.�f4 .id7

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1 2 . . . .ixf6!N 1 2 . . . tLlxf6 l 3.tLle5 .ib7 1 4.b3 tLld7 1 5 .tLlxd7 '.Wxd7 1 6 . .ib2 was equal in Tiviakov Romanov, AI Ain 20 1 2, although White managed to win in the end. 1 3.'.We4 g6 1 4.'.Wxa8 .ib7 Now Tiviakov analyses: 1 5 .'.Wxa7 1 5 . .if4 '.Wc6 ( l 5 . . . e5 1 6.'.Wxa7 E:a8 1 7.'.Wxa8t .ixa8 1 8 . .ig3;!;) 1 6.'.Wxa7 E:a8 1 7.'.Wxa8t .ixa8� is similar. 1 5 . . . E:a8 1 6.'.Wxa8t .ixa8� Black has no reason to complain. 8

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1 5.c4 1 5 . tLl f3 E:fd8 1 6.tLle5 ( l 6 . .ie2 tLl d5?) 1 6 . . . tLld5 1 7.'.We4 .ie8= 1 5 .E:ae l .ic6 1 6 .E:e5 '.Wg4 1 7 . .ixh7t 'it>h8°o 1 5 . . ..ic6 1 6.E:ae l E:ad8 1 7.E:e3 This was Daulyte - S. Lalic, London 20 1 1 , and now I like: 1 7 . . . E:fe8N Black intends . . . e5 with counterplay.

1 2 �f6 1 3.�e5 �xe5 14.�xe5 gd8 1 4 . . . .id6 1 5 . .if4 tLld5 1 6 . .ig3 f6 1 7.tLld3 was Darbanvaighani - Beheshtayeen, Mashhad 2003, and now:

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10 ... �xe4! 1 0 . . . '.Wc7 is met by 1 1 ..ig5 , transposing to

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Playing the French

1 7 . . . e5!N 1 8 .if3 ie6 1 9.:!% fd l �ad8 is more than okay for Black.

for White, although after 2 1 . . .ic5 Black has decent counterplay.

l S . .tf3 ttJ dS 1 6.�dl f6 Black is equalizing easily.

1 8 ... exdS 19.�xdS .if5 White has won a pawn, but Black has more than enough compensation.

17.ttJc4 1 7.4Jd3 \t>f7 is also okay for Black.

20.�xd8t �xd8 2 1 ..te3

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17 .td7 1 7 . . . b6!N is much better. Perhaps Black was afraid of 1 8 .tLl e3 ib7 1 9.4Jxd5 ixd5 2o.ixd5 �xd5 2 1 .�xd5 exd5, but after either 22.ie3 ic5 or 22.\t>fl �c8 23.c3 ic5 24.\t>e2 d4, it is j ust equal. .•.

1 8.,txdS 1 8 .4J e3 is also possible, but it is not scary: 1 8 . . . ic6 1 9.4Jxd5 ixd5 2o.ixd5 �xd5 2 1 .�xd5 exd5 22.ie3 �c8 23.c3 ic5 Black is equal as his weakness on d5 will quickly be covered by his king coming to e6. 1 8.4Ja5!? might have proved more difficult to counter, but as long as Black keeps a cool head he should emerge in reasonable shape: 1 8 . . . b6 1 9.c4 ( 1 9.�xd5 exd5 2o.ixd5t looks strong until you notice 20 . . . ie6! 2 1 .ixe6t \t>f8 and Black has strong counterplay) 1 9 . . . bxa5 20.cxd5 �ab8 2 1 .b3 This looks slightly better

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2 1 . .. �c8! 22.liJa3 a6 22 . . . ixa3 23.bxa3 a6 was possible, although the opposite-coloured bishops make a draw likely. 23.c4 .txa3 Black decides to goes for this after all. Maintaining the pressure with 23 . . .ie6 might have been more worrying for White. 24.bxa3 �xc4 2S.�cl! bS Allowing the white rook to become active on the c-file would not promise any winning chances. 26.�xc4 bxc4 27 .td2 Black's advantage is not enough to win, though he pressed for some time. •

27 ... \t>f7 28.£4 \t>e6 29.\t>f2 h5 30.h4 .te4 3 1 .g3 i>f5 32 . .th4 i>g4 33 ..tc3 .ib l 34..th4 .txa2 3S ..tc3 .tbl 36 ..th4 .te4 37 ..td2

Chapter 9 - 4.exd5 'lMrxd5 - Intro and 5 . dxc5

id3 38.ib4 iel 39.id2 id! 4o.ic3 ia4 41 .id2 id! 42.ic3 'it>f5 43.'it>e3 'it>e6 44.'it>d4 ie2 ' 45.ib4 'it>f5 46.'it>e3 id! 47.ic3 ib3 48.ib4 'it>g4 49.'it>fl g5 50.fxg5 fxg5 51 .hxg5 'it>xg5 52.'it>e3 'it>g4 53.id6 c3 54.'it>d3 c2 55.'it>d2 ia4 56.'it>cl 1/2- 1/2

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Conclusion In this chapter we started the discussion about 4.exd5. The reply A) 4 ... exd5 is positionally j ustified and is not so bad, but I do not recommend it. I only mention it to give some typical French ideas that should apply to various lines. Nowadays, the majority of grandmasters prefer to avoid the resulting IQP position because White's plans have been refined, and Black is usually playing for a draw without guarantees. After B) 4 . . . 'lMrxd5! we are essentially playing a Sicilian structure, and one that may also arise from the Caro-Kann family. In Game 22 I showed the way Karpov found to solve Black's problems in such a structure. Applying those ideas in line B2) 5.dxc5, I recommend a plan of taking on c5 with the queen and bringing it back to c7 as soon as possible. Although there are not many games played in this line at grandmaster level, but I cannot find any drawback to this plan. Game 23 instead saw Black leaving the queen on c5 and later relocating it to h5 to help defend the kingside. Though not my main recommendation, this also makes sense and is a reliable back-up plan.

Chapter 10 a

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Alternatives to the Main Line l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�d2 c5 4.exd5 Wlxd5 5.�gB cxd4 6.Ac4 Wld6! A) 7.Wle2 �f6 8.�b3 � c6 9.Ag5 a6 1 0.0-0-0 b5 I 1 .Ad3 Ae7 AI) 12.� bxd4 A2) 1 2J;hel Ab7 13.�fxd4 1 3 .�b l - Game 24 A3 ) 1 2 . � b l Ab7 13.� bxd4 �xd4 14.�xd4 0-0 1 5 . � a � d5!? 1 5 . . . i.d5 - Game 25 B) 7.0-0 � f6! 8.ll)b3 8 . !! e 1 - Game 26 8 ... � c6 B l ) 9.:ge1 B2) 9.Wle2 Ae7! 1 0.:gdl 1 0 .i.g5 - Game 27 B3) 9.� bxd4 �xd4 1 0.Wlxd4 Wlxd4 1 1 .�xd4 Ad7 1 2.Af4 :gc8 13.Ab3 Ac5 1 4.:gadl 0-0 1 5 .h3 1 5 . !!fe l - Game 28

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Game Game Game Game Game

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24 25 26 27 28

Hilmar Krueger - Vladimir Turkov, email 2006 Alexey Kim - Sergey Ivanov, St Petersburg 2004 Tomas Oral - Wang Hao, Calvia (01) 2004 Alexander Ivanov - Boris Gulko, Key West 1 994 Torsten David - Alexander Naumann, Germany 1 993

191 194

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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What is Black's best move? (page 1 80)

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What are Black's options and which would you choose? (page 1 82)

How does Black take advantage of the hanging white pieces? (page 1 77)

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How does Black prove that 1 6.ttJxb5 was inaccurate? (page 1 78)

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Black appears to be in trouble, but can he turn the tables? (page 1 83)

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White is ready to take on d4. What is Black's best move? (page 1 88)

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The complicated 1 1 . . .e5 or the solid 1 1 . . .0-0. Which is correct? (page 1 86)

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Find a suitable set-up for Black's pieces. (page 1 9 1 )

Playing the French

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l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tLJd2 c5 4.exd5 Wlxd5 5.tLJg£3 cxd4

6 ..ic4 This is practically forced, as otherwise Black may be able to play . . . e5 and keep his extra pawn. 6.tLJb3?! This is rare and frankly quite bad. It doesn't lose by force, but Black now gets the advantage without having to play any difficult moves. 6 . . . e5 7.c3 White's only decent practical try. 7 . . . ltJ c6 8 .cxd4 Now I like Houdini's proposal:

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8 . . . i.g4!N 9 .i.e2 9.dxe5 ?! i.b4t 1 O.i.d2 0-0-0+

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9 . . . e4 1 0.ltJfd2 i.xe2 1 1 .'lMfxe2 i.b4 1 2.0-0 ltJ f6+ Black will castle and then eventually arrange to play . . . 'lMfe6 and . . . ltJd5.

We now have an important decision to make: where to put the queen? Some years ago this question had a simple answer - on d6! It is quite easy to understand why this was thought to be best. Generally, the best place for the queen is the c7-square, as we have already mentioned when talking about this structure (see line B2 in the previous chapter) . So Black can play any of 6 . . . 'lMfd6, 6 . . . 'lMfd7 or 6 . . . 'lMfd8, though eventually he will put his queen on c7. So why should the d6-square be better than the others? Players believed that if White is allowed to play a set-up with ltJ b3, 'lMfe2 and l"Idl with his king on the kingside, then he will have the better chances. It is only with the queen placed on d6 (ready to give an annoying check from b4, or to play . . . e5 and keep his extra pawn) that Black prevents this. So to achieve this set-up for his pieces after 6 . . . 'lMfd6, White will have to castle queenside, and this will give Black extra opportunities for counterplay. However, one obvious drawback of 6 . . . 'lMfd6 is that it blocks in the f8-bishop, and Black would like to be able develop this bishop quickly before moving the queen again. So in

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Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line recent years many players have investigated the responses 6 . . . Wd7 and 6 . . . Wd8. These let White play the ' set-up with We2 and :B:d l , but in compensation some other opportunities are gained for Black. The debate is still raging, but current evidence suggests that 6 . . . Wd6 is still the most trustworthy way to equalize, so that is the move I will cover.

6...Wd6! At this point, there are really only two distinct ideas for White: preparing to castle queenside with A) 7.We2 or going the other way with B) 7.0-0. 7.lLle4 Wb4t 8.lLlfd2 lLl d7 Zambor - Petrik, Slovakia 20 1 3 ; Black intends to play . . . lLl gf6 next, and is at least equal. 7.lLlb3 Wb4t 8.lLlbd2 lLl c6 9.0-0 (9.a3 Wb6!?=) 9 . . . lLlf6 1 O.a3 Wb6 I l .b4 Wc7 and Black was very comfortable in Danchenko Sigalas, Nikea 2005.

This is starting position of the queenside castling variation. At this point White normally chooses from AI) 1 2.c2 Myo Naing - Pitirotjirathon, Istanbul (ol) 20 1 2, and now 2 1 . . .i.b7N would have been very strong for Black: 22.h4 i.f6 23.Wff3 'it>g8+ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 5 ....ib7! Natural play by Black. 1 5 . . . Wfc5 has been more popular, but I find the simplicity of the main line attractive. 1 6.ltH5 This is the only move that has occurred in practice. 1 6.lLlxb5 This is untried, and rightly so. Vitiugov provided some fascinating analysis to prove that Black emerges on top. 8 7

h8 20.i.e4

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Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line 1 7.�c4 is not mentioned by Vitiugov, but the solution is simple: with 17 . . . Wle5! Black exchanges queens, and next he will take the g2-pawn with a better endgame. 17 . . . Wlc5 I S.ttJxaS �xg2! The knight is trapped in the corner and Black does not need to rush to take it. Black now threatens . . .2"lbS with a strong attack against the white king. 1 9.Wld It makes sense for White to try and exchange queens. 1 9.Ei:hg l Ei:bS! 20.c3 Wlxc3 2 1 .Ei:d2

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1 6 *£8 This is the simplest solution. 1 6 . . . Ei:dSN and 16 . . . 0-0-0N are favoured by Houdini, but with the black king more exposed, they look riskier to the human eye. •.•

17.ttJe3 1 7. ttJ g3 is unappealing because of the endgame that arises by force after 1 7 . . . Wle5 l S .Wlxe5 �xe5. Then White can exchange one of the bishops with 1 9.�e4 �xe4 20.ttJxe4 'ifle7 but it is well known that rooks like to cooperate more with a bishop rather than a knight, so if someone is better here, it is Black. 17 Wfe5N 1 7 . . . Wlc5 l S.ttJg4 was unclear in Csiba Kovacik, Slovakia 20 1 2, but I don't think Black should allow the knight to g4. .•.

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2 1 . . .�f3! 22.Ei:c 1 Wlxc 1 t 23.lt>xc 1 �xe2 24.Ei:xe2 Ei:xaS and despite the opposite­ coloured bishops, Vitiugov claims an "overwhelming advantage" for Black in this endgame. This is because as well as the extra pawn, Black has the slightly better king position and much the better pawn structure. 1 9.Ei:he 1 is met the same way: 1 9 . . . Ei:bS 20.c3 Wlxc3 2 1 .Ei:d2 �f3! 19 ... Wlxd 20.fxd �xh l 2 1 .Ei:xh l 2 1 .ttJc7 �c6 22.ttJxa6 g5 and according to Vitiugov, Black is ahead in the race to push his pawn majority because of his bishop pair. 2 1 . . .Ei:xaS+ White is better off in this opposite-coloured bishop endgame than in the one we saw above, simply because he is not a pawn down. Nevertheless, according to Vitiugov, Black has some winning chances.

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Black will continue with . . . Ei:dS and . . . g6, after which he can connect his rooks by playing his king to g7. I like Black's position. Based on the above variation, we can understand why White has practically abandoned this line and nowadays aims to first improve his position with 1 2 .Ei:he 1 or 1 2. 'iflb 1 before taking the d4-pawn.

1 80

Playing the French

A2) 1 2.�hel

1 6.Wi'eS! This attacking move also defends the b2-pawn. 1 6 . . . Wi'a l t 1 7 .'kt>d2 Wi'aSt l S.c3± White was much better in Ganguly - Petrik, Dresden (01) 200S. The black king has been caught in the centre, and the threat is 4Jxg7t, while castling allows 4J xe7t.

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According to Vitiugov, this is White's best bet for an opening advantage, but as we shall see, Black shouldn't be too worried ifhe follows the accepted patterns.

12 ....ib7 An untried resource suggested by Neil McDonald on Chess Publishing is 1 2 . . . �a7!?N, aiming to bring the rook to the centre. Then both 1 3.'kt>b l �d7!? and 1 3. 4J fxd4 1'l:d7 result in unclear play. Note that Black should not meet 1 3. 4J fxd4 with McDonald's 1 3 . . . 4J xd4 1 4.4Jxd4 Wi'dS because of: l S .�xbSt axbS 1 6.4Jxe6 Wi'xd l t 1 7.1'l:xd l fxe6 1 8.�xf6 gxf6 1 9.Wi'xbSt 'kt>f7 20.a4± Although a rook and two bishops usually outgun a queen, in this case the queen has three pawns more! 13.lLlfxd4 1 3.'kt>b l is examined in Game 24 below.

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1 5.g3 I looked at various alternatives: l S .�xf6?! �xf6 1 6.�e4 0-0 1 7.�xdS Wi'xdS is clearly misguided, as Black can safely win a pawn: l S. 4J b3 Wi'xg2 1 9.1'l:gl Wi'c6 20.1'l:d3 1'l:fdS 2 1 .1'l:h3 1'l:acS Black was much better in Torres Ventosa - Kononenko, Seville 2007, as White's attempts to attack along the g-file are going nowhere. l S .'kt>b l ? This has not actually been played here, but it reaches a position that has occurred via a different move order with an earlier b 1 .

13 ... lLlxd4 14.lLlxd4 .id5! 14 . . . 4JdS!? should be preferred according to McDonald, but intuitively I like White's position after l S .h4! . I think that the bishop is much better placed on dS than the knight. 14 . . . Wi'dS ? is not as strong as it was in line A I , because here White has: l S . 4J fS ! Wi'xa2 a

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Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line 1 5 . . . ixa2t! 1 6. 'it>xa2 1 6.'it>al Wxd4 1 7.Wf3 ( I 7.ixb5t axb5 18 J'hd4 ic4 t-+ ) 17 ... id5 0- 1 Meyer Bromann, Gausdal 2003. 1 6 . . . Wxd4 1 7.cj;>b l Now 1 7 . . .1'fic5 was fine for Black in Su. B. Hansen - Glek, Esbjerg 2002, but offering the exchange of queens by 1 7 . . . Wg4!N is even stronger. 1 5 .h4 is met by: 1 5 . . . Wc5 1 6.cj;>b l 1'l:cS 1 7.tLlb3 (after 1 7.c3 0-0 1 8 .tLlf5 Black has 1 8 . . . id8!) 1 7 . . . Wc6 I S.tLld4 Wc7 1 9.We3 0-0 20.tLlf5 ic5! (20 . . . id8 ?! 2 1 .tLlxg7 was White's idea) 2 1 .Wh3 tLlh5 Black intends . . . tLl f4, and 22.g3?! is answered by: 22 . . . if3 23.1'l:d2 Wa5t

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1 5 . . . 0-0?! 1 6. tLl f5 exf5 1 7.Wxe7 Wxe7 I S .1'l:xe7 tLl e4 1 9.ie3± was clearly good for White in Rasik - Spiess, Germany 20 1 0.

16.i.e3 White has to drive away the queen, either with the knight or the bishop, but this will deprive White of any active ideas connected with tLl f5 . 1 6.'it>b l ?! i s again met by 1 6 . . . ixa2t 1 7.cj;>xa2 Wxd4 1 8.'it>b l Wg4. After 1 6.tLlb3 Wa7 1 7.f4 0-0 I prefer Black's chances.

16 VNc7 17.�b l 1 7.f4?! ixa2 I S .f5 e5 1 9.tLlf3 tLl d5=+ •••

1 5 .We3N Wc7 1 6.'it>b l 1'l:c8 is given as unclear by Vitiugov. Note that 1 6 . . . 1'l:d8 is not as strong because of 1 7.f4 Wa5 1 8 .a3 b4 1 9.We5 bxa3 20.tLlc6, which clearly shows that the rook is better on the c-file. Black can also meet 1 5 .We3N with the typical 1 5 . . . Wc5 . My computer then gives 1 6.tLlf5 Wxe3t 1 7.tLlxe3, but after 1 7 . . . ic6 Black is fine.

17 ... gc8� This is a typically good Sicilian position for Black!

Hilmar Krueger - Vladimir Turkov

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email 2006

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l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.liJdl c5 4.exd5 VNxd5 5.c!lJgf3 cxd4 6.i.c4 VNd6 7.VNe2 c!lJf6 8.c!lJb3 c!lJ c6 9.i.g5 a6 lO.O-O-O b5 1 l .i.d3 i.e7 12.ghel I have slightly changed the move order of the game, which was actually 1 2.cj;>b l ib7 1 3.tLlbxd4 tLlxd4 1 4.tLlxd4 0-0 1 5 .1'l:he l .

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15 .'IWc5!N Here too, I like this typical move. By moving the queen to a less vulnerable square, Black simply threatens to take the a2-pawn. •.

1 2 i.b7 1 3.�bl We saw 1 3.tLlfXd4 in line A2 above. 1 3 0-0 14.c!lJbxd4 1 4.c3.1'l:fd8 gives Black no problems at all. .••

14 ... liJxd4 15.c!lJxd4

Playing the French

1 82

Sermek - Naumkin, Porto San Giorgio 1 999. Neither side can play for a win: Black doesn't have stable squares for his pieces, while White cannot easily attack on the kingside, nor can he hope to gain anything by pushing pawns on the queenside.

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1 5 .. .'IMfxd4! 1 5 . . . 1"i:fe8N - to rule out 1 6. lLl f5 ideas - was suggested by McDonald, but the text move leads to a position in which only Black has any winning chances. 16 ..Lh7t lLlxh7 17J:'!:xd4 �xg5 Black has three minor pieces for a queen and pawn, and he stands at least equal; in practice Black has a positive score from this position. I S.f4

19.94 �b6 20J''!: d3 lLlf6 21 .g5 lLl e4 We can see that Black has achieved an improved version of Sermek - Naumkin, as the bishop is less of a target on b6, and the knight is excellent on e4. In a practical game, Black's position is certainly easier to play. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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22.h4 :gadS 23.h5 :gxd3 24.cxd3 lLlg3 25.'?Ng4 .!lJfS 26.g6 �d5 27.:ge5 lLlh6 2S.gxf7t :gxf7 29.'?Ng6 :gf6 30.'?NeSt @h7 3 1 .:gg5 lLlf7 32.:gg4 �d4 33.a3 �O 33 . . . lLl d6!? followed by . . . lLl f5 is logical as well.

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I S ...�dS 1 8 . . . �f6 1 9.1"i:dd l g6 20.g4 1"i:ac8 2 l .f5 exf5 22.gxf5 gxf5 23 .'!Nd3 �e4 24.1"i:xe4 fxe4 2 5 .'!Nxe4 cj;>h8 26.a3 was agreed drawn in

34.:gg6 :gxf4 35.:gxe6 .Lh5 36.1"i:xa6 g5 37.:ge6 �g6 3S.'?Nxb5 g4 39.'?Nd5 @g7 40.@c2 �f6 41 .:ge3 :gflt 42.@dl :gxb2 43.'?Nd7 :gg2 44.a4 �g5 45.'?Nd4t @h7 46.'?Nd5 :ggl t 47.:gel :gg3 4S.:ge4 :g0 49.a5 :gfS 50.'?Nd7 :gxa5 5 1 .:gxg4 �h5 52.@c2 �xg4 53.'?Nxf7t @h6 54.'?NfSt @h5 55.'?NeSt @h6 56.'?NfSt @h5 57.'?NeSt @h6 112-1f2

1 83

Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line

A3) 12.i>bl

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14... 0-0 It is sensible to keep the game simple and use the patterns we have already seen.

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This is White's most popular move in my database, but it seems quite harmless if Black applies the typical ideas.

12 ...ib7 1 2 . . . e5?! 1 3.ixf6 gx:f6 1 4.ttJh4! was played in Rozentalis - Rustemov, Esbjerg 200 1 , and some later games; it is very uncomfortable for Black despite his extra pawn. 13.tiJbxd4 1 3 .Ei:he 1 transposes to Game 24 above. 13 ... tiJxd4 14.tiJxd4

1 4 . . . Wc5 This is not a bad alternative. 1 5 .h4 0-0 According to Tiviakov, 1 5 . . . Ei:dS is also fine for Black. 1 6.Ei:he l Ei:feS! Black has defended against the threats of ttJ f5 or ttJxe6, so White tries something else. 1 7.ttJf3 h6 I S.ttJe5! id5 ! After I S . . . hxg5 1 9.hxg5 g 6 20.gx:f6 ixf6 2 l .f4 followed by 22.Wg4, White held the initiative in Rozentalis - Luther, Panormo 200 1 . 1 9.f4 Wc7! 20.g3 Wa5!t Black was attacking in Zapata - Orsini, Sao Paulo 2009.

1 5.tiJa 1 5 .Ei:he 1 Wxd4! 1 6.ixh7t ttJ xh7 1 7.Ei:xd4 ixg5 was seen in Game 24 above. 1 5 .h4 id5 1 6.Ei:he 1 Ei:a7 1 7.g4 Wc7 I S .ie3 Ei:b7 1 9.95 gave White the initiative in Adams - Buhmann, Luebeck 2003. However, Black can improve with 1 5 . . . Ei:fd8!N, gaining a tempo by attacking the d4-knight. Only after 1 6.ttJf3 does Black play 1 6 . . . id5 1 7.ttJe5 Wc7, and here it is Black who has the initiative, with ideas of . . . Ei:ac8 and . . . Wa5 . 1 5 .ttJxb5? axb5 1 6.ixf6

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1 84

Playing the French

1 6 . . . .id5! A crucial resource. 17 ..ixe7 .ixa2t 1 8 .mel Wixe7 The rest of the game is fun for Black: 1 9.Wie4 f5 20.Wie5 .id5 2 l .f4 Wib4 22.b3 Ei:a2 23.Ei:dg l Ei:fa8 24.mdl .ixb3 25.g4 .ixc2t 26 . .ixc2 Ei:d8t 0- 1 Batjancan Batchuluun, Ulaanbaatar 2009.

20.�f3 20.lLle4N was better. Black would then defend the g7-pawn with 20 . . . Wie5, and after 2 1 .lLlg3 Wif6 we once again have a typical doubled-edged Sicilian position, which offers equal chances. 20 'Wf4 2 1 .'We4 2 1 .Wih8t?! me7 22.Wixg7 Ei:g8 23.Wie5 Wixe5 24.lLlxe5 Ei:xg2 gives Black a clear advantage. .•.

2 1 . ..'Wxe4 22.he4 f5 23 ..ixd5 Ei:xd5 24.�d4 'i!lf7 25.c3 'i!lf6; Nikolaidis - Ivanchuk, Peristeri 20 1 0.

Alexey Kim Sergey Ivanov -

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1 5 ... .!lJ d5!? This was the choice of the great Ivanchuk, although as mentioned above, I think the bishop belongs on this square - for 1 5 . . . .id5 see Game 25 below. 1 6.'i!lal This odd-looking move is explained by the variation 1 6.Wie4?? lLl c3t. 1 6 hg5 17.ttlxg5 19.'Wh7t 'i!lfS .•.

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Ei:fd8

St Petersburg 2004

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�d2 c5 4.exd5 'Wxd5 5.�gf3 cxd4 6 ..ic4 'Wd6 7.'We2 �f6 8.�b3 �c6 9 ..ig5 a6 10.0-0-0 b5 1 l ..id3 .ie7 1 2.'i!lbl .ib7 13.� bxd4 �xd4 14.�xd4 .id5 This quickly reaches the same position as our recommended move order of 14 . . . 0-0 1 5 .lLlf3 .id5 . 1 5.�f3 0-0 16.�e5

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1 85

Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line

16 ... b4 1 6 . . . '.Wc7N 1 7.h4 �fd8f± followed by . . . �ac8 is another typical way to play.

22Jkl g6-+ Now the threat is . . . '.Wc3!, which couldn't be played immediately because of .ixh7t in reply.

17.h4 a5 1 8.�h3 �fd8! Simple play by Black. 1 8 . . . �a7? 1 9.�g3 h8 20.'.We3 �b7 2 1 ..ih6 and Black was already in serious trouble in Mista - Petrik, Bmo 2004.

23.c4 bxc3 24 ..Lf6 .Lf6 25.h5

19.�g3 a4 20.f4 20 . .ih6 g6 2 1 .h5 .ie4! is more than okay for Black.

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25 ....tg7 25 . . . .ixb3! 26.axb3 a2t 27.'it>al c2 28.�xc2 '.Wb6 29.�f3 '.Wxb3 30.�b2 .ixe5 3 1 .fxe5 '.Wc3 32.'.Wd2 '.Wxe5-+ and White is completely tied up.

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20 ... a3 20 . . . 'it>f8!N looks promising for Black. It threatens . . . h6 and also plans to continue the attack with . . . a3, without allowing White the opportunity given in the next note. 21 .b3 2 1 ..ixf6! .ixf6 22 . .ixh7t 'it>f8 23.b3 is unclear. According to Houdini, the best play for both sides is then 23 . . . '.Wc5 24.�gd3 �ac8 25.h5 .ic6. After some exchanges, the awkward position of the white king will provide Black with compensation for the pawn, and it is probably fair to assess the chances as equal. 21 ...�c7 Threatening . . . tLl e4!.

26.hxg6 hxg6 27..tc2 gab8 28.ghl �b4 29.tlJxg6 fxg6 30.gxg6 .te4? This gives White one final chance to survive. Instead 30 . . . �xf4 32.'.Wh5 f6-+ would have killed White's hopes for counterplay. 3 1 .gxe6? 3 1 ..ixe4! �d2 32.'.Wf3 �b2t 33.al c2

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1 86

Playing the French

34J:!:h8t! 'kf;>f7 (34 . . . "gxh8 3 S .�h3t 'kf;>g8 36.�xe6t= also leaves Black unable to escape perpetual check) 3 S .1':!:xg7t "gxg7 36.1':!:hlt 'kf;>f6 37.1':!:h6t! "ge7 38.1':!:h7t 'kf;>f6=

3 1 ...i.xc2t 32.�xc2 �xf4 33.g3 �f7 0-1 B) 7.0-0 tiJf6! This should be played, as otherwise l2l e4 can be annoying.

8.tiJb3 This is the main move and the most popular by far. However, we must also consider the alternative 8 .1':!:e 1 . It has been played by both Kasparov and Topalov, so it certainly deserves some respect. We shall look at it in the following illustrative game.

" .'".' " ,,' u ' ''_ .',.�•." prunE �

8 ... tiJ c6 9.tiJe4 tiJxe4 9 . . . �d8 was Pedersen's main suggestion, but White can then play: 1 O.l2lxf6t!? gxf6 ( l O . . . �xf6 hasn't been tried, possibly because after 1 1 .�bS �d7 1 2.c3 dxc3 1 3 .�gS �g6 1 4.�b3 White has a dangerous initiative with the black king still in the centre) 1 1 .�bS White had pressure in Spasov - Hug, Istanbul 2003. 10.�xe4 i.e7 Black now intends to simply play . . . eS, or even . . . �f6 in some cases. 1 l .tiJxd4! 1 1 .�f4 is less common: 1 1 . . .�cS ! 1 2.�d3 �f6 1 3 .a3 as! ? 1 4.1':!:e l 0-0 l S .l2ld2 �e7 1 6.l2lc4 1':!:d8 1 7.�c7 1':!:d7 1 8.�b6 �gS Black was at least equal and went on to win III Marcotulli - Legemaat, corr. 2004. 8 7 6 5

Tomas Oral - Wang Hao

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l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJd2 c5 4.exd5 '\Wxd5 5.lLlgf3 cxd4 6.i.c4 '\Wd6 7.0-0 tiJf6 8.�el

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1 1 ...e5! 1 1 . . .0-0?! 1 2.�f4 �cS ( 1 2 . . . eS ? is of course met by 1 3 .l2lxc6±) And now 1 3.l2lxc6 'lWxc6 1 4.�d3 was slightly more pleasant for White in Kasparov - Gelfand, Astana 200 1 , though the immediate 1 3.�d3!t Picard - David, Poitou Charentes 2003, may be more accurate. 12.i.f4 An amazing move that could throw you off balance if you haven't seen it before. a

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Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line

I S7

1 2.�f3 ctJxd4 1 3.�xf7t dS 1 4.�xg7 Ei:e8+ and White didn't have enough for a piece in Braig - Bibby, ' Bern 1 99 1 .

1 2 exf4 13.llJxc6 �xdl t 14Jhdl bxc6 15.Ei:del .•.

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15 @fB! The only move played for a reason: 1 5 . . . dS ?! 1 6.Ei:xe7 ie6 1 7.Ei: l xe6 fxe6 I S .Ei:xg7t .•.

16Jhe7 ie6! 17.Ei: lxe6 fxe6 IS.Ei:c7 I S.Ei:xe6?! Ei:eS 1 9.Ei:xc6 Ei:e l t 20.ifl e7 2 1 .Ei:c7t f6 22.Ei:c6t g5+ Moreno Tejera ­ Matamoros Franco, Lorca 2003. IS h5! So that the rook can be developed via the h-file. .•.

19.@fl 1 9.Ei:xc6 Ei:dS 20.fl Ei:h6 transposes. 19 Ei:h6 20.Ei:xc6 20. e2 Ei:f6 2 1 .Ei:xc6 Ei:dS 22.a4 e7 23.Ei:a6 :1'1d7 24.id3 f3t 25.gxf3 :1'1f4+ Efimenko Petrik, Cappelle la Grande 2003.

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2 1 .id3 @e7 2 1 . . .e5!? 22.:1'1c7 Ei:e6 23.f3 Ei:e7 24.:1'1c6 and in Janos - Schakel, email 2006, 24 . . . :1'1bS followed by . . . Ei:b6 led to an eventual draw. Perhaps 24 . . . :1'1ed7!?N with the idea of . . . :1'1d6 followed by . . . e7 -f6 would retain a small advantage for Black and allow him to keep pressing. 22.Ei:a6 Ei:d7 23.Ei:a5?! 23.h4! is better according to Oral, with equal chances. This seems true because the h5-pawn is fixed as a target, and this will most likely lead to further simplification. A sample line is: 23 . . . e5 24.Ei:a5 f6 25 .ie4 Ei:hS 26.e2 :1'1hdS 27.:1'1a6t @e7 2S.f3 :1'1c7 29.Ei:g6 f7 30.:1'1g5= 23 h4 White is not given another chance. •.•

24.h3 g6 Intending . . . :1'1h5! next.

.•.

20 ... Ei:dS! In this position both Vitiugov and Stohl rate Black's chances as slightly higher.

25J�a6 g5 26.@e2 @f6 27.b3 Ei:hS 2s.ic4 Ei:e7 29.Ei:c6 Ei:bS 30.a4 Ei:b6 3 I J3cS e5 32.Ei:fBt @g6 33.Ei:gSt @f5 34.a5 Ei:d6 35J:�fBt Ei:f6 Over the last dozen moves White has achieved nothing, while Black has managed to activate both his pawn majority and his king.

1 88

Playing the French

36J�b8 e4 37.a6 gd6 38J�b5t �f6 39.gd5 gxd5 40.,bd5 �e5 41 .c4 gd7 42.�b7 gd3 43.h4 gb3 44.b5 �d4 45.�d5 gb2t 46.�dl e3 0-1 We now return to the main line with s .iZl b3.

8 ... llJ c6 In this chapter I shall cover Ljubojevic's B l ) 9.ge l , Zapata's B2) 9.'?Ne2 and the queenless middlegame line that startS with B3) 9.llJ bxd4 llJxd4 1O.'?Nxd4. The big main line with 9.llJ bxd4 llJxd4 1 O.llJxd4 will be studied in the next chapter. Bl) 9.gel 8 7 6 5 4 3

10.g3 This leads to the Catalan-type positions I mentioned. 1 O.ttJbxd4 ttJxd4 I 1 .Wxd4 ( 1 1 .ttJxd4 transposes to variation E of Chapter l I on page 206) 1 1 . . .Wxd4 1 2.ttJxd4 �d7 1 3.�f4 �c5 1 4.Ei:ad l Ei:cS 1 5 .�b3 0-0 was equal in Radulov, - Yusupov, Indonesia 1 9S3. We shall see this exchange of queens again at the start of the next chapter. 1 O.a4 �d7! I prefer this to 10 . . .�e7 l 1 .ttJbxd4 ttJxd4 1 2.Wxd4 �d7 1 3.�f4 Wxd4 1 4.ttJxd4 Ei:cS 1 5 .�b3, which has generally been evaluated as slightly better for White on the basis of Averbakh - Stahlberg, Zurich 1 953. Black's dark-squared bishop might find a better square on c5 in lines where the queens are exchanged, so playing it to e7 at this point is not the most flexible choice. l 1 .ttJ bxd4 l 1 .g3 Wc7 The queen withdraws so that �f4 can be met by . . . �d6. 1 2.ttJbxd4 ttJxd4 1 3.Wxd4 �c5 1 4.Wc3

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This is a perfectly playable move. White considers that as the d4-pawn is not easy to defend, there is no great hurry to capture it, so White first improves his pieces in the most natural way. Another idea of the text move is to make room for the bishop to retreat to f1 and eventually emerge on the long diagonal with a Catalan-type position appearing on the board.

9 ... a6 I prefer to stick with this move, although 9 . . . �d7 intending 1 O . . . l::!:c 8 or 1 O . . . Ei:dS is perfectly playable too.

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This was Sunzhukhanov - Lakerbaya, Belorechensk 2009, and now I like 1 4 . . . 0-0N 1 5 .ttJe5 Ei:fdS. It is now a mistake for White to play 1 6.ttJxd7?! Ei:xd7, because Black takes over the initiative with ideas such as . . . ttJg4, . . . Wb6 and . . . Ei:adS, but against other moves

1 89

Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line Black may preserve the bishop with . . . iLe8 . l 1 . . .ttJxd4 1 2.Wxd4 Wxd4 1 3 .ttJxd4 Ei:c8 14.iLb3 iLc5 ' Black is at least equal. 1 5 .c3 iLxd4!? 1 6.cxd4 iLc6 Black faced no problems at all in Abasov Sumets, Milan 2009.

1 3 . . . bxa4 1 4.Ei:xa4 ttJe5 1 5 .iLxe5 Wxa4 1 6.ttJfxd4 iLe7 White does not have sufficient compensation for the exchange.

1 1 ...i.b7 1 2.a4 b4 13.i.g2 Wld7 14.lLl bxd4 Ei:d8 15.i.e3 Wlc8 Black is at least equal. B2} 9.Wle2

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1O b5!? There is nothing wrong with lO . . .Wc7 I l .iLf4 iLd6 1 2.iLxd6 Wxd6 1 3 .ttJbxd4, which was equal in Ljubojevic - Speelman, Brussels 1 988, but my suggestion is more active. •••

l 1 .iLf1N I have looked for ways to make this position work for White, but I have not found any. I l .iLf4 Wd7 1 2.iLf1 iLb7!N 12 . . .iLb4 was okay in Lukosius - Borisovs, Palanga 20 1 1 , but the suggested novelry is better as it is designed to stop White's main idea of undermining the queens ide. 1 3.a4?! This is the critical idea, but Black has a tactical counter. 1 3.iLg2 iLb4 1 4.Ei:e2 Ei:d8 is also fine for Black, as White is not allowed to play a2-a4 under favourable circumstances: 1 5 .a4 bxa4 1 6.Ei:xa4 a5 Now . . . iLa6 is a threat. 1 7.iLd2 d3+

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� 21 !l�!l.'�r� ""�""%�7� .""%f0' � ;1"" 0: a

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The Colombian GM Alonso Zapata has played this move nine times in my database from 1 993 through to 2009, including games against strong opponents such as Dolmatov, Nogueiras and Vescovi, so it is appropriate that this variation should be named after him.

9 ...i.e7! There is no point in delaying this move here, as the exchange of queens on d4 will not happen. So it is better to play . . . iLe7 and get castled quickly, and when the d4-pawn is once again under threat we can happily play . . . e5. 10.Ei:dl The alternative is 1 0.iLg5 , though it is generally considered (by Psakhis and Pedersen among others) that Black can emerge from the opening phase with a comfortable position see Game 27 below.

1 90

Playing the French

1 0 ... e5! 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 l .h3 1 l .i.b5?! i.g4!+ 1 2.i.xc6t bxc6 1 3.'lWxe5? 'lWxe5 0-1 Jakobsen - Heidenfeld, Siegen (ol) 1 970. 1 1 ... 0-0 1 2.c3 1 2.i.b5 was played in Shilin - Vysochin, Kiev 2004, and now I like 12 . . . Ei:eB!?N't intending . . . i.fB .

1 4 . . . e4!N 14 . . . Ei:adB?! 1 5 .i.g5 ?! ( I 5 .dxe5 Ei:xd 1 t 1 6.'lWxd 1 ctJxe5 would be completely equal, but understandably the young Topalov wanted to play for the full point) 1 5 . . . e4 1 6.ctJh2 Ei:d5 1 7.i.e3 Ei:fd8+ Topalov - Skalkotas, Kavala 1 990. The Greek 1M clearly had the future World Champion on the ropes, though the game was eventually drawn. 1 5 .ctJg5 'lWf5't White's best reaction is now: 1 6.d5 ctJxd5 1 7.'lWxe4 'lWxe4 1 B.ctJxe4 Ei:adB Black has the better-placed pieces; in particular White's c 1 -bishop has problems finding a role. 1 9.i.d2 Ei:feB 20.Ei:ac 1 ctJe5 Black's knight is eyeing the d3-square and may cause some annoyance.

13.cxd4 e4 14.llJh2 After 1 4.ctJg5?! h6 the knight has nothing better than sacrificing itself on f7.

1 2 ....ifS Black also seems fine after: 1 2 . . . i.e6 1 3 .i.xe6 1 3 .i.b5 can met by 1 3 . . . i.d5 , when 1 4.i.xc6 bxc6 1 5 .'lWxe5 'lWxe5 1 6.ctJxe5 dxc3 1 7.bxc3 Ei:fdB is close to equal, although the bishop pair may j ust give Black an edge. 1 3 . . . 'lWxe6 1 4.cxd4

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14... a6!?; Black was better and eventually won 1stratescu - Zsu. Polgar, Budapest 1 993.

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III

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Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line

Alexander Ivanov - Boris Gulko

I like the look of 1 6 . . . Wb8, intending . . . Was and then perhaps . . . ltJ b8 and . . . j,dS ; Black is at least okay.

16 ... llJxd4 17.llJxd4

Key West 1 994

l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.llJd2 c5 4.exd5 '?Nxd5 5.llJgf3 cxd4 6.J.c4 '?Nd6 7.0-0 llJf6! S.llJb3 llJc6 9.'?Ne2 i.e7! 10.i.g5

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17 ...'?Nc5! l S.J.e3 1 8.j,h4?! is problematic for White due to 1 8 . . . b4! . a

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10 0-0 1 UUel a6 12J�adl 1 2.a4 is untried. The reason for this may be: 12 . . . h6 1 3.j,h4 Wb4f± •..

12 ... b5 13.i.d3 i.b7 14.c3 This is the only way for White to justifY his play. 14 .. JUdS 15.i.b l �acS 16.llJbxd4 Black need not fear 1 6.cxd4 either.

l S ...'?Nc7 Black is fine. 19.a3 llJ d5 1 9 . . . j,dS is also okay. 20.i.cl 20.Wd3?! is met by 20 . . . g6 with the idea: 2 l .j,c l ? j,xa3! 22.bxa3 ltJ xc3 23.�d2 eS-+ 20 ...J.c5 A draw was agreed here, though Black could continue playing. 112-1f2

B3) 9.llJ bxd4 This is the start of the big main line. After 9 . . . ltJ xd4 we shall first discuss the queen less middlegame that arises after 1 O.Wxd4, before turning in the next chapter to the more common and critical 1 O.ltJxd4. a

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Playing the French

1 92

9 ... tiJxd4 l o.Wixd4 Wixd4 1 l .tiJxd4

Moreover the black king can stay in the centre without fearing an assault. Considering all the above factors, I would certainly prefer Black's position in practice, though objectively he cannot yet claim any advantage.

1 l ...i.d7 I like this plan, making room for the rook to quickly come to cS. On the other hand, the best square for the fS-bishop is not yet known, perhaps e7, more often c5, or occasionally somewhere else. a

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We have arrived at a battlefield between classical views and modern ideas. According to the classical view, White stands better because he possesses a 3-2 queens ide majority, and so may be able to create an outside passed pawn. The modern view comes to the opposite conclusion: Black stands better because he can put the queens ide under strong pressure, while his own majority may provide him with a stable central outpost for a minor piece. The above statements indicate the plans that both sides will seek to implement. White will try to exchange pieces (especially rooks, which are the best defenders against a passed pawn) and slowly create problems on the queens ide by creating a passed pawn which will tie down the black king or minor pieces, thus giving freedom to White's pieces to attack other targets. Black will try to keep at least one pair of rooks on the board (to help tie down the queenside) . In the event of the exchange of all the rooks, Black must be well centralized and able to create counterplay with his own majority in the centre. If the queens were still on the board, White's development advantage could give him some initiative. But without queens this development advantage doesn't really count, as there is no way to transform it into an attack.

1 2.i.f4 Since the play is not especially forcing, a dozen sensible moves are possible, so I shall j ust give a couple of other examples. 1 2.i.e2 A common try, with the idea of placing the bishop on f3 to target the b7-pawn. 1 2 . . . i.c5 1 3.ltJb3 i.b6 1 4.a4 1 4.i.f3 is usually met by 1 4 . . .2"kS!? in practice, but I like 1 4 . . . 0-0-0 which is similar to what happens in our main line. Mter 1 5 .i.f4 i.c6!? 1 6.i.xc6 bxc6 Black went on to win in Zesch - Porper, Dresden 2007, but the position at this point is balanced. 1 4 . . . a6 1 5 .i.f3 0-0-0

1 6.�e l Instead 1 6.i.g5 ?! h6 1 7.i.xf6 gxf6+ was

1 93

Chapter 1 0 - Alternatives to the Main Line better for Black in Petr - Moskalenko, Solsones 2003. Black has a powerful pair of bishops and 'a useful central pawn mass. 1 6 . . . i.c6!? This is Moskalenko's proposal and it is understandable why Black is fine after: 1 7.i.xc6 bxc6 White's three queens ide pawns are easily stopped by Black's two, and those two pawns are not weaknesses as they are easily covered by the black king. I S.a5 i.a7 1 9.i.e3 This has been seen in Pirrot - Levitt, Metz 1 99 1 , and Azarov - Ni Hua, Oropesa del Mar 1 999. In both games Black now put his king at b7, with rough equality, but also fine is: 1 9 . . . i.xe3!?N 20J:!xe3 l"i:d5= White has also tried harassing the d7-bishop with: 1 2.ttJf3 i.c5 1 3.ttJe5 However, Black found a convincing reply.

deserved draw against his much higher-rated opponent.

1 2 .. Jks 13.i.b3 i.c5 14J':Xadl 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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14 ... 0-0 Practice has demonstrated that Black has no reason at all to complain here. Instead 1 4 . . . �e7?! looks rather risky with so many pieces still on the board, thought it may be playable for Black. 15.h3 1 5 .l"i:fe 1 l"i:fdS 1 6.h3 is seen in Game 2S below, in which the young Alexander Naumann found a good practical way to play for Black. 1 5 ... l"i:fdS 1 6.c3

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1 3 . . . i.a4 1 4.ttJd3 1 4.b3 i.d4 1 5 .bxa4 i.xe5 was Black's idea. After 1 6.i.b5t �e7 1 7.l"i:b l l"i:hcS, White's bishop pair does not outweigh his crippled pawns. 14 . . . i.d6 1 5 .b3 i.c6 1 6.a4 ttJg4 1 7.h3 ttJe5 I S .ttJxe5 i.xe5 1 9.1"i:b l 0-0-0 Black was fine in Korneev - Svane, Travemuende 20 1 2, and gained a wella

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1 94

Playing the French

16 ... h6!? 1 6 . . . i.e8 is also a popular option. If White replies with 1 7.lLlxe6 fxe6 1 8.i.xe6t i.f7 1 9.i.xc8 l"i:xc8, then the resulting unbalanced situation should be fine for Black, but in general it is safer for Black to avoid such possibili ties. 17.l"i:fel a6 1S.i.eS i.a7 19.tlJ c2 i.c6 20.i.d4 i.xd4 2 1 .l"i:xd4 �hd4 2V!ihd4 i.dS A draw was agreed in Savic - Kosic, Neum 20 1 1 . Black's plan would be to centralize his king now that a few pieces have been exchanged.

Torsten David - Alexander Naumann Germany 1 993

19.1"i:d3?! With hindsight, the rook would have been better placed on almost any other square. 19 ... i>hS!? This is an interesting plan to avoid any lLlxe6 ideas, although with the rook being on d3, it is not necessary. Both 1 9 . . . i.c6 and 1 9 . . . b4 are sound alternatives. 20.l"i:edl i.eS 21 .g4 2 1 .i.e5 i.e7! with the threat of . . . lLld7-c5 is very annoying for White. 2 1 ...�e4 22.f3 �d6 23.i>g2 �c4i Black is slightly better as he has started attacking the queens ide. 8 7

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.�d2 cS 4.�gf3 cxd4 S.exdS �xdS 6.i.c4 �d6 7.0-0 tlJf6 S.�b3 � c6 9.tlJ bxd4 �xd4 1O.�xd4 i.d7 1 l .i.f4 �xd4 12.�xd4 l"i:cS 13.i.b3 i.cs 14.l"i:adl 0-0 l S.l"i:fel �UdS 16.h3

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24.i.xc4 bxc4 2S.l"i:3d2 i.a4 26.�c2 l"i:eS A fine move! Black would like to keep the rooks in order to attack along the b-file, and White's rooks are certainly underperforming on the d-file where the black bishops cover all the entry points.

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16 bS!? 17.c3 as l S.a3 h6!? The 1 4-year-old Alexander Naumann (now a solid grandmaster) finds an interesting plan. •..

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27.l"i:cl i.c6 2S.i.e3 i.e7 29.i>g3 eS 30.h4 l"i:bS 3 1 .�el l"i:b7 32.ge2 i.a4 33.f4? gebS 33 . . . exf4t 34.i.xf4 i.xh4t would have won at once. 34.fxeS gxb2 3S.gxb2 gxb2 36.�f3 gal

Chapter 1 0

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Alternatives to the Main Line

37.g5 La3 Black's a-pa�n is a huge asset and White's attempted counterplay doesn't materialize. 38JUI h5 39.g6 fxg6 40.e6 i.d6t 41 .i.f4 i.e5 42.tDe5 ge2 43.ga i.b5 44.e7 h7 45.i.g5 i.d6 46.i.f4 Le7 47.tDf7 ge2 48.i.d6 i.f6 49.i.e5 i.e6 50.gf4 gg2t 5 1 .h3 gg4 52. gil gxh4t 0-1

Conclusion This chapter started our examination of the main line with 6 . . . Wd6. White's first decision is which side to castle. After castling queenside, White arrives at a crossroads on the 1 2th move. If he goes for A I ) 1 2.lt:lxd4 Black has 1 2 . . . lt:lxd4 1 3.lt:lxd4 and now the star move 1 3 . . . Wd5! ' This double threat doesn't win at once, but certainly White should avoid it. So A2) 1 2.1"i:he 1 has been tried, in order to introduce the possibility of It:l d4-f5 . In this case Black has time for 1 2 . . . .ib7, and after 1 3.lt:lxd4 lt:lxd4 1 4.lt:lxd4 Black plays 1 4 . . . .id5 ! instead. A useful idea to remember for Black is the manoeuvre . . . Wc5-c7. Black's chances on the queenside look more serious than White's on the other flank. A3) 1 2.'kt>b 1 is met by the same 1 2 . . . .ib7. After 1 3.lt:lxd4 It:lxd4 1 4.lt:lxd4 Black can then castle as White's cautious 1 2th move means that he does not have any way to take advantage of this. After 7.0-0 It:l f6, both Kasparov and Topalov have tried 8.1"i:e l , but we saw in Game 26 that Black stands well after 8 . . . lt:lc6 9.lt:le4 It:lxe4 1 0.1"i:xe4 .ie7 1 1 .lt:lxd4 e5!. White usually plays 8.lt:lb3, and after 8 ... lt:l c6 we looked in this chapter at three options for White.

1 95

After B I ) 9.1"i:e1 I propose 9 . . . a6! simply improving Black's position in anticipation of the endgame that arises after White takes on d4 with his queen. After B2) 9.We2 then 9 . . ..ie7! is best, now that the endgame is not possible, and planning to meet 1 O.1"i:d 1 with 1 O . . . e5!. In line B3) we started our investigation of the big main line of the 3 . . . c5 Tarrasch variation when White regains the pawn with 9.lt:l bxd4. After 9 . . . lt:lxd4 we looked at 1 O.Wxd4, when the queenless middlegame is harmless for Black. In the next chapter we will study the critical 1 0.lt:lxd4.

Chapter 1 1 a

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Main Line with 10.�xd4 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�d2 c5 4.exd5 �xd5 5.�gf3 cxd4 6.i.c4 �d6 7.0-0 � f6 8.�b3 � c6 9.� bxd4 �xd4 1 0.�xd4 a6! A) 1 1 .a4 �c7 1 2.b3 1 2 .We2 - Game 29 B) 1 1 .i.b3 C) 1 1 .b3 D) 1 1 .c3 �c7 12.�e2 1 2.i.d3 - Game 3 0 E) 1 1 .� e 1 ! �c7 1 2.�e2! 1 2.i.b3 - Game 3 1 1 2 ... h6!! 1 2 . . . i.d6 - Game 32 1 2 . . . i.c5 - Game 33 E 1 ) 1 3.b3 E2) 13.h3! 1 3 .g3 - Game 34

198 199 20 1 202 203 205 206 206 210 211 212 215 216 216

Game 29 Game 30 Game 3 1 Game 32 Game 33 Game 34

1 99 205 206 21 1 212 216

Karsten Rasmussen - Lars B o Hansen, Tonder 1 993 Jonathan Penrose - A. 0' Kelly de Galway, Dundee 1 967 Cyril Ponizil - Tomas Petrik, Slovakia 20 1 2 Heiko Starke - Joachim Vossenkuhl, email 2007 Gawain Jones - Jonathan Speelman, London 2007 Gordon Evans - Aleksandr Kilichenko, Corr. 20 1 1

Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Find a strong manoeuvre for Black. (page 20 1 )

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How should Black defend against Wg4t? (page 209)

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How should Black continue? (page 1 99)

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What should Black play? (page 205)

Should the knight retreat to g3 or d4? (page 2 1 3)

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Evaluate the position after Should Black worry about his White threatens a check on c2. 1 3 . . . ic5 . Is 1 4.tt:Jf5 a good reply? structure being damaged by ixf6? How should Black defend? (page 2 1 6) (page 208) (page 200)

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Playing the French

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.llJdl c5 4.exd5 Wfxd5 5.tLlgf3 cxd4 6.i.c4 Wfd6 7.0-0 llJf6 8.tLlb3 tLl c6 9.tLl bxd4 tLlxd4 10.tLlxd4 This recapture is White's most challenging option

Ponomariov - Hiibner, Istanbul (01) 2000, but the dark-squared bishop feels misplaced. 1 8.:B:ad l :B:d8 1 9.ttJe5 g6 20.ttJxd7 Due to the opposite-coloured bishops, a draw was agreed in Berelowitsch - Borovikov, Ordzhonikidze 200 1 .

A) 1 1 .a4 This is not a bad move, but it is hardly a critical one. White doesn't allow Black to play . . . b5, but it is not certain that Black intended to play that anyway.

1 1 . .. Wfc7 This is the move Black wants to play, and White's last didn't provide any argument against it. a

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10 a6! This represents Black's most flexible choice and is my recommendation. We may develop our king's bishop to e7, d6 or c5 , and the other one to d7 or b7, but in all cases the move . . . a6 is useful because our queen will feel much more secure on c7. I will cover A) 1 1 .a4, B) 1 1 .i.b3, C) 1 1 .b3, D) 1 1 .c3 and finally E) l U�el!' ..•

One minor option is: 1 1 .�d3 A rare and unthreatening move, but it was played three times by a young Ponomariov. 1 1 . . . �d7 Many moves are possible, but threatening the d4-knight is a simple solution. 1 2. ttJ f3 Wc7 1 3.:B:e l �d6 1 4.We2 ttJd5 Threatening both . . . ttJ b4 and . . . ttJ f4. 1 5 .a3 ttJ f4 1 6.�xf4 �xf4 1 7.g3 �h6 Since . . . g7 -g6 is a useful plan, blunting the d3-bishop, the dark-squared bishop belongs on g7. 17 . . . �d6 1 8 .:B:ad l :B:d8 1 9.c4 g6 20.b4 b6 2 1 .We3 0-0 22.Wh6 �e7 was about level in

12.b3 This is the most economical defence of the bishop. The alternative 1 2.We2 is seen in Game 29 below. 12 ... i.d6 13.h3 0-0 14.i.b2 e5 1 4 . . . �d7 1 5 .:B:e l :B:ad8 1 6.Wf3 :B:fe8 1 7.:B:ad l �c8f± as in Ljubojevic - Seirawan, London 1 982, is another decent set-up for Black, who is waiting for the right moment to play . . . e5. 15.tLle2 1 5 .ttJf3 e4 1 6.ttJg5 �f5 1 7.�xf6 gxf6 1 8.Wd5 �h2t 1 9.�h l �e5 20.ttJxe4 �e6 2 1 .Wd l �xc4 22.bxc4 f5 23.ttJg3 �xa l 24.Wxa l f6 25.ttJxf5 Wxc4 was Movsesian - Morozevich, Reggio Emilia 20 1 1 . According to Vitiugov, White has compensation for the exchange, but no more than that. 15 ... i.f5 16.tLlg3 i.g6 17.Wfe2 :B:fe8 18.:B:adl :B:ad8 19.:B:fel So far we have been following Karpov Chernin, Saint John 1 988, and here I like:

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 O. ttJ xd4

1 99

1 4.c3?!

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19 ...ic5!N Black has a fine position, and one possible plan is . . . 1Wb6 and . . . id4.

Karsten Rasmussen - Lars Bo Hansen Tonder 1 993

l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ltldl c5 4.exd5 �xd5 5.ltlgf3 cxd4 6.ic4 �d6 7.0-0 ltlf6 8.ltlb3 ltlc6 9.ltlbxd4 ltlxd4 10.ltlxd4 a6 1 l .a4 �c7 12.�e2

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1 4 . . . h6! White's biggest problem is the future of his dark-squared bishop. 1 5 .:ge l b6!? 1 5 . . . id7!?� followed by . . . :gfeS, . . . :gadS and . . . e5, is another typical plan which I mentioned above. 1 6.id3 ib7 1 7.id2 :gfdS This was fine for Black in Short - Ivanchuk, Montreal 2007. 1 4 .ig5 This is the best move here, before Black prevents it with . . . h6. However, Black can reply with the same idea that Lars Bo Hansen played in our main game:

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1 4 . . . i>hS!N I analysed the line: 1 5 .:gad l id7 1 6.ib3 ih2t 1 7.i>h l if4

Playing the French

200

1 8.il.xf4 Wxf4 1 9.2"i:fe l 2"i:ac8 With the dark-squared bishops exchanged, preparing . . . e5 makes less sense, so Black simply brings his rooks to the centre then plays . . . il.e8. 20.c3 2"i:fd8 2 1 .il.c2 Wc7 22.ltJf3 il.e8 Black has comfortable equality.

14 .id7 This move was given an exclamation mark by Hansen, but I think 1 4 . . . h6N is j ust as good. White faces problems similar to those Short had to solve against Ivanchuk, concerning the future of the c l -bishop. ..•

1 5 ..ig5

16 ....ih2t The timing of this move is perfect. Black will first offer the exchange of bishops and can then decide abbut the optimal placement of his rooks. 17.@hl .if4 18.i.xf6?! After 1 8.il.xf4 Wxf4+ the d4-knight is hanging, and Hansen point out the possibility: 1 9.1tJf3 il.c6 20.ltJe5 ltJ e4! 2 1 .il.xe4 Wxe5Ft 1 8 ... gxf6+ Now Black can attack along the g-file. 19.Wh5 f5 20 ..ie2 2"i:g8! Black's idea is to double rooks on the g-file. 2 1 .Wxf7 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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1 5 ... @h8! This move is the reason this example features as an illustrative game. Black will follow up with the typical . . . il.h2t and then . . . il.f4, putting the question to the g5-bishop. If the bishop takes the f6-knight, then after . . . gxf6 Black is ready to use the g-file. 1 6 ..id3 Hansen doesn't like this move and instead proposes 1 6.c3, though here too 1 6 . . . il.h2t 1 7.�h l il.f4 1 8 .il.xf4 Wxf4 1 9.�gl 2"i:fd8, followed by ... 2"i:ac8 and ... il.e8, gives Black an equal game.

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2 1 ... 2"i:xg2! 22.Wf6t 22. mxg2?? il.c6t-+ 22 ... �g7 23 ..if3 �e8 24.2"i:gl .ie5 25.Wh4 �eg8 Hansen notes that 25 . . . Wb6!-+ is even stronger. 26.c3 .ixd4 27.Wxd4 e5 28.We3 f4 29.Wd3 hl3 30 ..id5 Wd7 31 .�xg7 :B:xg7 32.�gl .if5 33.Wf3? 33 .2"i:xg7 �xg7+

20 1

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 O. ctJ xd4

33 ...i.g6! 34J!dl e4! 35J1*fxf4 Wfh3t 0-1

B) n.J.b3

which I highlight in the note to White's 1 8th move.

13 . . 0-0 14.i.g5 1 4.c3 e5! 1 5 . lLl c2 j,d7 followed by . . . j,c6 was fine for Black in Levushkina - Wintzer, Germany 2009. .

1 4.:gel e5 1 5 .lLl e2 i.d7 was similarly fine for Black in Rigo - Kaniansky, Slovakia 2000.

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A clever move by White. The idea is that if Black is going to play . . . Wc7 anyway, then White will be ready to reply with the active Wf3. According to Istvan Almasi's article in ChessBase Magazine 155, this variation is currently regarded as one of White's main attempts to gain an opening advantage, but to be honest I do not see any particular problems for Black.

14 ... tlJ d7! 1 5.c3 tlJ e5!? 1 5 . . . b5!? also seems fine, though it is more complicated and demands more theoretical knowledge.

1 1 ...Wfc7 12.Wff3 1 2.:ge l transposes to Game 3 1 on page 206.

16.Wfh5 ttJg6 17.i.c2 b6!? Modest, but perfectly playable.

1 2 .j,g5 j,d6 1 3.j,xf6 gxf6 1 4 .Wh5 Other ways of covering h2 are less efficient. ( l 4.g3 can be met by 1 4 . . . h5, while 1 4.h3 is met by 14 . . . j,d7, after which Black can castle queenside and attack via the g-file.) 14 . . . Wc5! 1 5 .Wh4 Wg5 Black has full equality, and Savchur - Khlusevich, corr. 2000, was agreed drawn here.

12 ...i.d6 13.h3 The alternative 1 3.i>h 1 is met the same way as the text, with only a slight difference

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202

Playing the French

1 8.i.e4 1 B . .ie3 .ib7 1 9.1Llf3 h6 20.%'1:fd 1 (White was rightly concerned that 20 . .ixg6 fxg6 2 1 .'&xg6 %'1:xf3 22.gxf3 .ih2t 23.mg2 %'1:fB would give Black a huge initiative) 20 . . . lLl f4 and Black even had an edge in Tiviakov - lonov, Ohrid 200 1 . 1 B.%'1:ae l is not dangerous in this position, but if White had chosen 1 3.mh 1 instead of 1 3.h3, then there would be the idea of swinging the rook to h3 via e3. In that case, Black defends with 1 B . . . .ib7 1 9.%'1:e3 '&c5!, ready to meet 20.%'1:h3 with 20 . . . h6.

1 8".i.b7 19 ..L:b7 Y*fxb7 20J3adl i.f4 A draw was agreed in Serafim - Silva, email 2006. Serafim is Greece's only correspondence GM, and I find his games interesting to follow, but in this case he accepted that he had gained no advantage with White.

1 1 . . . .id7?! 1 2 . .ib2 '&c7 1 3 .'&e2 is better for White, who will aim to transfer his knight to e5. A practical example is: 1 3 . . . 0-0-0 1 4.lLlf3! .ic6 1 5 .lLle5± Faibisovich - Johannesson, Differdange 200B; the e5-knight is powerful and White's threats include lLlxf7.

12.i.b2 i.d6 B.lDa b5 14.i.d3 i.b7 1 5.c4 This move leads to fascinating play. 1 5 .%'1:e l 0-0 1 6.lLl e5 %'1:adB Black is threatening . . . lLl e4 in order to transfer the knight to c5. 1 7 .'&e2 lLld5! 1 B .'&g4 f5 1 9.'lWh4 This was Tiviakov - Psakhis, Rostov-on-Don 1 993, and now 1 9 . . . lLl c3N+ is strong for Black. 1 5 .'lWe2 lLld5 1 6.g3 ( l 6 . .ie4 0-0 1 7.%'1:fe 1 E'i:acB and Black is slightly better due to the constant threat of . . . lLl f4) 1 6 . . . lLl c3 1 7 . .ixc3 'lWxc3 1 B . .ie4 .ixe4 1 9.'&xe4 E'i:cB

C) 1 1.b3 8 7 6 5 4

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This move is a serious option against the sideline 1 0 . . . .ie7, but against 1 0 . . . a6 it is considered relatively harmless.

1 1 ."Y*fc7 There is no reason to avoid this typical move.

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Here a draw was agreed in A. Ivanov Gulko, Long Beach 1 993, although according to the tournament bulletin, it was felt in the analysis room that Black had slightly the better of it. 15 . .ixf6 gxf6 1 6.'&e2 E'i:cB Black has an active position with a potential attack along the g-file. 17 . .ie4 ( l 7.E'i:ac l can be met by 17 .. .f5, with the idea 1 B ..ixf5 .ixf3!) 1 7 . . . .ixe4 ,1 8.'lWxe4 Wfxc2 1 9.'&d4 .ie7 20.'&a7 '&c6 2 1 .lLld4 '&aB Black was better in Giorgadze - Henley, Tbilisi 1 9B3.

203

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 0. ltJ xd4

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As with the previous line, this is a challenging way to meet 1 O . . . �e7, but here Black is well placed to avoid any discomfort.

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1 l . ..We7 Once again we can play this typical move. Black gains a tempo on the c4-bishop and will continue with . . . �d6, gaining another tempo by attacking the h2-pawn.

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IS ... O-OlN Rather compliant is: 1 5 . . . bxc4 1 6Jk a 1 5 . . .tLlg4!? was played in Tiviakov - Prusikin, Dresden 2007, and later in Womacka - Luther, Chemnitz 2009, both ending in a draw. There is a lot of analysis here from Chess Informant and Chess Publishing, but it seems that there is nothing mote than a draw, with a lot of pitfalls for both sides to avoid in order to get there. I would not recommend this to a practical player. Moreover, it seems that my main line poses some difficult questions for White.

1 2.We2 In many games White has preferred to retreat the bishop, keeping the option of playing Wf3 and thus avoiding a later . . . �f4, but each retreat square has a drawback. 1 2.�d3 will be discussed in Game 30 below. 1 2.�b3 �d6 1 3 .h3 0-0 ( 1 3 . . . �d7 1 4.Wf3 0-0 1 5 .�g5 �h2t 1 6.�h l �e5 1 7.El:ad l El:adS I S.Wd h6 1 9.�f3 hxg5 20.ltJxe5± Sambuev - Zontakh, Sochi 2005) and White has tried various moves here:

16.cxbS axbS 17.,hbS 1 7.�xf6 gxf6 I S.�xb5 Wc5 1 9.a4 El:adS 20.We2 Wh5 and with . . . �hS and . . . El:gS coming, Black has more than enough for the missing pawn. 17 El:ad8 1 8.We2 i.xf3 19.Wxf3 hl2t 20.�hl i.eS I slightly prefer Black's position, because the white queens ide pawns will be targets for Black's heavy pieces. ..•

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a) 1 4 .�g5 is met by 1 4 . . . ltJ e4! 1 5 .�e3 �h2t 1 6. m h 1 �f4 and Black has equalized, as shown in Tiviakov - Hiibner, Venlo 2000, and several other games. b) 1 4.El:e 1 �h2t ( 1 4 . . . h6 1 5 .Wf3 �e5 1 6.�e3! followed by El:e2 and El:ae l , gave White strong

Playing the French

204

pressure in Khalifman - Volkov, Kazan 2005) 1 5 .'it>h l �f4 1 6.W'f3 �xc 1 1 7.E!:axc 1 �d7 Black's perfectly-timed manoeuvres had given him an equal game in Rasulov - Andersson, Budva 2009. c) 1 4 .W'f3 e5! 1 5 .ttJ c2 �d7! 1 6.ttJe3 e4 1 7.W'e2 was seen in Gutsko - Kostiukova, Alushta 2005, and now I like 1 7 . . . �b5N I S .c4 �c6 followed by putting the rooks on cS and dS, and the bishop on e5; Black is more than okay.

�h2t 24.'it>h l �e5 Although he eventually lost, at this point Black was doing perfectly well in Seres - Kristjansson, Budapest 2002.

14 ... b5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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12 i.d6 13.h3 0-0 14.i.b3 1 4 .�g5 allows a small tactic that is worth remembering: .•.

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15.i.g5 Challenging the b5-pawn with 1 5 .a4N is an interesting idea, but with all the black pieces actively placed, 1 5 . . . bxa4 1 6.E!:xa4 �b 7f! looks fine for Black. 1 5 ...i.b7 16.i.c2 1 6.�xf6 is risky for White as he doesn't have a quick way to challenge the b7-bishop, but now White is ready to consider exchanging on f6 followed by �e4. 1 6.E!:ad l ttJe4! 1 7.�c 1 �h2t I S.'it>h l �f4 1 9 .�c2 �xc 1 20.�xe4 �xe4 2 1 .E!:xc 1 W'f4 22.E!:fd l E!:fdS was slightly better for Black in T. Horvath - Brunner, Schoeneck 1 9S5. 16... tiJ d5 The e4-square is not available for the knight, but the d5-square can be used instead.

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1 4 . . . ttJ e4! 1 5 .�e3 b5 1 6.�d3 �b7 1 7.W'c2 ttJ f6 I S .�g5 'it>hS!? The same idea that we saw from Lars Bo Hansen in Game 29. 1 9.�xf6 gxf6 20.�e4 E!:gS 2 l .W'e2 �xe4 22.W'xe4 f5 23.W'f3

17.E!:fel i.h2t 1 8.@hl i.f4 19.W'g4 .ixg5 20.W'xg5 E!:fd8 2 1 J!adl ttJf6 22.W'e5 W'b6 23.i.b3 i.d5 In Campora - Hubner, Biel 1 9S7, Black had the better side of a draw.

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 0 . tLl xd4

(GAME 31

205

8

Jonathan Penrose - Alberic 0' Kelly de Galway

7 6 5

Dundee 1 967

4

l.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.�d2 eS 4.exdS "WxdS S.�gf3 cxd4 6.i.e4 "Wd6 7.0-0 �f6 8.�b3 �e6 9.� bxd4 �xd4 10.�xd4 a6 H .d "We7 12.i.d3 8 7 6 5 4

�B .i �{B.i. �%:.�*� {,�_', �r�� ' ' '/-� r. "" /-� ��� , ��m �%,�,/% ��m���%

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14 � dS! Once again, the e4-square is not available, but the d5-square is. •••

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��'�"" ' ;� ��

�D!� � !�'�." " %W//"" z " " /-� ' ;;

/� ""

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12 ...i.d6 13.h3 0-0 Black can also play 1 3 . . . �d7 1 4."Wf3 0-0 1 5 .�g5 �h2t 1 6.mh l �e5 . In a similar position with the bishop on b3, White can play �ad l to avoid being given an IQP, but he does not have that option here. 1 7.�ae 1 �xd4 1 8 .cxd4 tLld5 1 9."We4 f5 20."We2 "Wb6 2 1 .�d l �b5 Black was slightly to be preferred in Tiviakov - Kramnik, Kherson 1 99 1 , although the game eventually ended in a draw. 14.i.gS 1 4."Wf3 has the point that 1 4 . . . e5 can met by 1 5 .tLlf5!, so instead Black should play 1 4 . . . �d7, transposing to the previous note. 1 4.�e l is met by 14 . . . �h2t 1 5 .mh l �f4 with equality, Gorkavij - A. Petrov, Armavir 20 1 0.

l SJ�el 1 5 ."Wf3 b5 1 6.a4 h6 1 7.�e3 b4 1 8.cxb4 tLlxb4 1 9.�e4 �b8 20.�ac 1 "We7 was equal in Balutescu - Bradshaw, COff. 2008. l S ...i.f4 1 6.hf4 �xf4 17.i.e2 Black is at least equal and he implements a good plan in the following moves. The reason I chose this game is to provide an example of sound play to readers who may find themselves with a knight like this in a similar situation. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

17 g6!? •••

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Playing the French

206

Black wants to play . . . e5 soon, so he takes the f5-square away from White.

30.f3 i.d5 3 1 .�xe5 i.xb3 32.axb3 �b6t 33.'�h2 �xb3 he emerges with an extra pawn.

l s.Wff3 i.d7 19.Ei:adl Ei:adS 20.Wfg3?! 20.�e3 is better, although 20 . . . Ei:fe8, planning . . . e5 followed by . . .i.c6, is still comfortable for Black.

30.g4 White now wins back the e5-pawn.

20 ... e5 2 1 .tlJ e2 White could try 2 1 .i.b3! ? Then 2 1 . . .exd4?! 22.Ei:xd4 liJ xh3t 23.gxh3 �xg3t 24.fxg3 i.xh3 25.Ei:e7 would give White strong counterplay in the endgame, so Black should prefer 2 1 . . . i.c8!?+.

%-1f2

E) l 1 . Ei:e l ! 8 7 6 5 4

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We have finally arrived at the moment of truth. This is White's only real way to press for an advantage.

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1 l Wfc7 1 2.Wfe2! This is the most active way for White to play, and the one which creates the most problems. 1M Andreas Tzermiadianos recommended this in How to Beat the French Defence. 1 2.i.b3 is the old main line and is studied in the following illustrative game. .•.

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2 1 ...i.f5!+ A nice idea - the d3-square beckons. 22.i.b3 22.i.xf5 ? Ei:xd l shows why the g3-square was the wrong choice for the queen.

iGAME 311

22 ... Ei:xdl 23.i.xdl tiJd3 24.Ei:fl tlJxb2 25.i.b3 tiJ d3 26.Wfg5 tiJ c5 27.tlJg3 tlJ e4?! 27 . . . i.e6! 28.�f6 Ei:e8 would have maintained Black's big advantage.

Cyril Ponizil - Tomas Petrik

2S.tlJxe4 i.xe4 29.Ei:el i.f5? This second inaccuracy enables White to equalize. Instead 29 . . . �c6! would keep some winning chances for Black. For example, after

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJd2 c5 4.exd5 Wfxd5 5.tiJgf3 cxd4 6.i.c4 Wfd6 7.0-0 tiJf6 S.tiJb3 tiJ c6 9.tiJbxd4 tiJxd4 10.tiJxd4 a6 1 1 .Ei:el Wfc7 12.i.b3 i.d6

Slovakia 20 1 2

207

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 O. ttJ xd4

20 1 1 . 1 7 . . . ii.d7N 1 8.c3 a5!? Another plan for Black is simply to complete his development with . . . �fe8 and . . . �ad8, and once the e6-point is securely covered, he may even consider . . .ii.c8 followed by . . . b6 and . . . ii.b7. 1 9.a4 Now the b2-pawn is vulnerable. 1 9 . . . ii.c6 20.tLlxc6 bxc6 Black will continue with . . . �b8, and he does not stand worse at all.

13.llJrs This is the main idea behind playing 1 1 .�e 1 , and to someone seeing this position for the first time, it looks really dangerous. However, there is enough practical material nowadays to ascertain that Black can equalize.

1 3 i.xh2t 14. h l 0-0 1 5.llJxg7 Having said "A" , White must also say "B". ••.

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1 3 .h3 This is less critical. 1 3 . . . ii.h2t 1 4.mh 1 ii.f4 This is a safe option for Black.

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1 5 .:1M8! 1 5 . . . mxg7? is practically refuted by 1 6.�d4!. A nice example is: 16 ... e5 1 7.�h4 ii.f4 1 8.ii.xf4 tLl g4 ( l 8 . . . exf4 is met by 1 9.�g5 t W h 8 20.�xf6t Wg8 2 1 .�e5 , and Black must give up his queen to prevent mate.) 1 9.�xe5 Wh8 20.�e8 �xf4 2 1 .�xf8t Wg7 22.�xf7t �xf7 23.ii.xf7 Wxf7 24.�xh7t 1 -0 Kotronias - Simeonidis, Athens 1 997. •.

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1 5 .�f3 1 5 .ii.xf4 �xf4 1 6.mg1 0-0 1 7.c3 b6 1 8 .�f3 �xf3 1 9.tLlxf3 ii.b7 20.tLle5 �fd8 2 1 .�ad 1 mf8 22.�xd8t �xd8 23.�d 1 �xd 1 t 24.ii.xd 1 me7 and Black was doing just fine in Sardella - Skogfeldt, corr. 20 1 1 . 1 5 . . . ii.xc 1 1 6.�axc 1 0-0 1 7.�cd 1 This was Kovalev - Emdin, St Petersburg

16.'�f3 xg7 We can now see the point of the zwischenzug with the rook. It is not immediately obvious how White should continue his attack. From this point on, both sides have to proceed with

Playing the French

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caution, as a single inaccurate move can lead directly to disaster. The following notes may seem daunting to some readers, as it seems that Black has to remember a lot of complicated theory, but if you play through the notes a few times at home, you should not find it difficult to repeat the moves at the board.

Wic6 22.Wie3 WibS 23.:B:h4 :B:eS 24.Wid2 :B:e2 led to a draw in Davidov - Zawadka, email 2006, but after 2S .WidS!N Houdini prefers White. The main line is: 2S . . . :B:eS 26.Wid4! WieS 27.Wid l !± White wins back the piece and has the advantage due to the airy black king.

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17.i.h6t! A fine resource. Black cannot accept the bishop because Wixf6 would come with check and the attack against the exposed king would be crushing.

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19.i.cl This is by far White's most popular choice. 1 9.:B:e4 i>xh6 20.:B:h4 Here Black is advised to play:

17 ... i>g6 1 8.c3! Again the only move to continue the attack, clearing the way for the bishop to check. I S.:B:ad l ? is refuted by: I S . . . :B:xd l 1 9.:B:xd l eS!-+ 20.i>xh2 (20.g3 tLlg4 2 1 ..tc l .tfS 22.c3 e4 23.Wie2 :B:dS 24.:B:fl hS and Black was j ust a piece up in Radovanovic - Vakhidov, Chania 2000) 20 . . . tLl g4t 2 1 .i>gl 'kt>xh6 0-1 Zaw Win Lay - Khalifman, Bali 2000.

1 8 ... c!Ll h5! This is Black's most reliable defence. As the knight is no longer hanging, the threat to the h6-bishop becomes real. I S . . . eS 1 9 . .tc2t e4 20 . .txe4t tLl xe4 2 1 .:B:xe4

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20 . . . WieS! 2 1 .:B:xh2 2 1 .Wixf7 :B:d7 22.Wifst Wig7 23.WicS was agreed drawn in Schramm - Diotallevi, email 2002. Black could continue playing with 23 . . . WigS 24.WifSt :B:g7 , 2 S .:B:xh2 WifS 26.WieS .td7 27.WixaS .tc6 2S.'kt>gl Wif3 29.:B:xhSt WixhS 30.WifS WifS 3 1 .WixfS

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 0. ttJ xd4 �xg2t 32.cj;>fl exf5+ and a long semi-forced line has resulted in a good endgame for Black. 2 1 . . .�d7 22.Wixfl �c6 23.f4 Wif5 24.Wixf5 exf5 25 .�fl �d2 26.�xh5 �xg2 27.�e2t �xh2t 28.cj;>xh2 �e8 29.�d3 This was Luther - Schlecht, Boblinger 2000, and Black should now play:

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22.Wixe3± was Figueredo Losada - Duarte, Havana 20 1 0, and now if 22 . . . b6 as in our main line, White has 23.�c2t cj;>g7 24.Wig5t i'f8 25 .i'h2 with a big advantage. 20.g4 This is critical, but Black is fine. 20 . . . ttJ f6 2 1 .gxf5t exf5 22.Wig2t ttJ g4 23.f3 b5 24.�c2 i'f6 25 .�d4t �xd4 26.cxd4 �b7 27.�xf5 ttJ f2t 28.Wixf2 Wif4 29.�h3

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29 . . . cj;>h5!N Activating his king gives Black the advantage in this endgame, as 30.�xf5?! cj;>h4 leaves the white king in trouble. 1 9.�e3 This may seem similar to the main line, but Black must respond differently.

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29 . . . �g8 29 . . . �g3 30.�e6t i'g7 3 1 .Wie3 �xf3t 32.i'gl �h2t 33.cj;>fl �g4t 34.i'g2 �xe6 3 5 .Wixf4 �xf4 36.�xe6= 30.�e6t i'fl 3 1 .d5 �xd5 32.Wia7t Wic7 33.Wixc7t �xc7 34.�e3 �g3 3 5 .�g2 �g6 36.�h3 Y2-Y2 Alarcon Casellas - Hevia, Havana 20 l O. A logical outcome to a fascinating and rich game. 8 7 6 5

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1 9 . . . f5! With the bishop blocking the e-file, the e6pawn is safe and this is best. 19 . . . �f4? 20.g4 ttJg3t 2 1 .fxg3 �xe3

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Playing the French

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19 ...1.£4! 1 9 .. .f5 ? is wrong here because of 20.g4 ltJ f6 2 1 . .ixe6! .ixe6 22.E!:xe6 mf7 23 . .ig5 mxe6 24.Wxf5 t mf7 2 5 .Wxf6t mg8 26.We6t mg7 27.Wh6t mg8 28 . .ixd8 E!:xd8 29.Wxh2 Wxh2t 30.mxh2 E!:d2 3 1 .mg3 E!:xb2 32.f4, and White managed to win this endgame in Jovanovic Van Rooijen, email 2009. 20.g4 ltJg3t This is virtually always played, but 20 . . . mg7 is also possible: 2 1 .gxh5 .ixc 1 22.E!:axc 1 b6 23.h6t mfB 24.Wg4 .ib7t 25.f3 We7 26.E!:gl Wf6 27.Wb4t and a draw was agreed in Kuerten - Silin, corr. 20 1 0, because of the variation 27 . . . me8 28 . .ia4t b5 29 . .ixb5t axb5 30.Wxb5t me7 3 1 .Wxblt E!:d7 32.Wb4t E!:d6 33.Wb7t.

25.E:c2 i.b7 26.E!:h2 he4 27.Wxe4 Wb7 28.E!:xh7t mg8 29.Wxb7 E:xb7 30.E!:h2 E!:d3 3 U�g2 E:bd7 32.E!:e2 cj;1g7 33.cj;1h3 33.E!:h 1 E!:d2 34.mf2 E!:7d3 35 .E!:he 1 mg6 36.E!:xd2 E!:xd2t 37.E!:e2 E!:d3 (but not 37 . . . E!:xe2t ? 38.mxe2, when White's queenside majority gives him a decisive advantage) 38.mg2 mg5 39.mh3 E!:d 1 40.E!:e5t mf6 4 1 .Ei:e4 Ei:d2 42.Ei:b4 b5 43.a4 bxa4 44.Ei:xa4 Ei:xb2 45.Ei:xa6 Ei:c2 46.Ei:c6 mg6 47.Ei:c5 f6 48.Ei:c8 Yz-Yz V. Kovalev - Pacheco, Istanbul (01) 20 1 2. 33 ... cj;1g6 34.E!:hfl E!:dl 35.E!:e4 E!:hl t 36.cj;1g2 E:ddl 37.E!:b4 b5 38.a4 E:hglt 39.cj;1h2 E:hl t 40.cj;1g2 E:hgl t 41 .cj;1h2 E:hl t %-% We return now to the position after the critical 1 2.We2.

2 1 .fxg3 LeI 22.E!:axeI b6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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23.1.c2t 23.We3 .ib7t 24.mh2 Wc5 25 .Wf4 Wg5 26 . .ic2t mh6 27.E!:cd 1 Wxf4 28.gxf4 .if3 29.E!:xd8 E!:xd8 30.mg3 E!:d2 3 1 .mxf3 Yz-Yz Kuteneva - Beltins, corr. 20 1 1 . 23 ... mg7 24.1.e4 E:a7 24 . . . E!:b8 is also sound: 25 .E!:cd 1 E!:xd 1 26.E!:xd 1 .ib7 27 . .ixb7 Wxb7 28.mg2 b5 was equal in Meribanov - Grib, Minsk 20 1 3.

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12 ... h6!! This is my recommendation, but in order to understand why I came to propose this weird­ looking move, you should study the next two illustrative games. It will then become easier to appreciate the hidden nuances of this almost untried possibility.

Chapter 1 1

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21 1

Main Line with 1 0.ttJxd4

Heiko Starke - Joachim Vossenkuhl email 2007

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ltldl e5 4.ltlgf3 cxd4 5.exd5 \Wxd5 6 ..ie4 \Wd6 7.0-0 ltlf6 8.lLlb3 ltle6 9.ltlbxd4 ltlxd4 10.ltlxd4 a6 l 1 .13el \We7 12.\We2! One of the ideas behind this is that the c4bishop's best retreat square is not yet known, so White plays a useful move and leaves the decision about the bishop's future until later.

1 6.i.xe6 0-0 1 7.i.f5 \t>hB I B.E!:ad l ± Kotronias - Sarakauskas, Cork 2005. White has an enormous position without even being material down.

14..ixf6 gxf6 1 5 ..id3!t This is what I was talking about earlier. The bishop finds a much better spot than b3, and it is obvious that White has the initiative. Even if deep computer analysis suggests that Black may be able to defend, it is most unpleasant to try to do so in practice. White can even choose between playing for a fierce attack or opting for a positional advantage.

12 ....id6 1 2 . . . i.c5 is the other popular move and is covered in the next illustrative game.

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13 ..ig5! This is the problem. White is fully mobilized and thus can afford to sacrifice the h2-pawn. Black certainly must not accept the offer. 13 ... 0-0! 1 3 . . . ttJd7? is untried and for good reason: 1 4.ttJxe6!+- and Black can resign. 1 3 . . . i.xh2t? 1 4.Wh l i.f4 ( 1 4 . . . 0-0 1 5 .i.xf6 gxf6 1 6.g3 loses a piece for Black without nearly enough compensation) 1 5 .i.xf6 gxf6

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1 5 ....ixh2t 1 5 .. .f5 1 6JWh5 WhB 1 7.ttJf3! f6 was played in Roganovic - Milanovic, Tivat 20 1 1 , and now White could have played simply with I B.c3N ±, intending to target the weak e6-pawn with ttJd4, i.c2-b3 and doubling on the e-file. 16.f1 .if4 17.\Wh5! 1 7.g3 E!:dB I B.We4 f5 1 9.ttJxf5 exf5 20.Wxf4 Wxf4 2 1 .gxf4 i.e6 reaches an endgame Vitiugov assesses as better for White but defendable in practice. 22.\t>e2 E!:d6 23.E!:gl t \t>hB 24.E!:g3 E!:eB 25 .E!:e3 E!:d4 26.i.xf5 E!:xf4 27.i.xe6 E!:xe6 2B.E!:d l E!:ef6 29.E!:dBt \t>g7 30.E!:g3t Wh6 3 1 .E!:h3t Yz-Yz Skonieczna Seidel, email 2006.

Playing the French

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17 £5 1 8J3adl! I like this position for White. He can play slowly with consolidating moves like c3, g3, liJ f3 and so on, or he can act more decisively with g2-g4 . •.•

A clash between two former correspondence World Champions saw the immediate advance of the g-pawn: 1 8 .g4 Ei:d8 1 9.c3 Wie7 20.gxf5 e5 2 1 .Ei:ad l h6 22.liJe2 �g5 23.lLl g3 �d7 24.�c4 and White had the advantage.

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Gawain Jones - Jonathan Speelman London 2007

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tLl d2 c5 4.exd5 W1xd5 5.�gf3 cxd4 6 .ic4 W1d6 7.0-0 tLlf6 8.tLlb3 tLl c6 9.tLl bxd4 tLlxd4 10.tLlxd4 a6 I 1 .E:el W1c7 12.W1e2 .ic5 Black aims to take advantage of White's last move by developing the bishop with tempo. •

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24 . . . �e8 25.Ei:xd8 Ei:xd8 26.tLle4 mf8 27.tLlxg5 Wixg5 28.Wixg5 hxg5 29.f6 Ei:d6 30.Ei:xe5 Ei:xf6 3 1 .Ei:xg5 me7 32.Ei:e5t md8 33.me2 White eventually took the full point in Oim - Sloth, email 2003. The rest of the game is very instructive (and I recommend studying it) , bur it is not relevant to this book.

1 8 .id7 19.94 This advance comes under even better circumstances than in Oim - Sloth above. .•.

19 ... h6 20.gxf5 e5 2 1 .tLl f3 E:ae8 22.E:e4+­ Black is in trouble as the idea of tLl h2-g4 is impossible to counter effectively. 22 ...W1c6 23.tLlh2 .ig5 24.E:g4 e4 25.Ei:xg5t hxg5 26.�g4 hf5 27.�h6t W1xh6 28.W1xh6 exd3 29.W1xg5t .ig6 30.E:xd3 Ei:e6 1-0

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13.c3 h6!? Black wants to prevent the c l -bishop from having a bright future, though he will have to watch out for a sacrifice on h6. Back in 2003, Glek awarded this move an exclamation mark in Chess Informant 88. 1 3 . . . b5 1 4.�d3 �xd4 1 5 .cxd4 �b7 is just slightly better for White. 1 6.�g5 Wid6 1 7.Wie5 Ei:d8 1 8 .Ei:ed l tLlg4 1 9.Wixd6 Ei:xd6 was Petr - Yemelin, Czech Republic 20 1 2, and now an interesting way for White to improve is: 20.�f4N Ei:d7 2 l .f3 tLl f6 22.a4± After 1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4.�g5 Black should probably accept a small disadvantage with 14 . . . �xd4 1 5 .cxd4 tLld5. Instead 1 4 . . . tLld5 1 5 .Ei:ad l �e7?

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 0. ltJ xd4 leads to disaster: 1 6.ii.xe7 ltJ xe7 1 7.ii.xe6! ii.xe6 I B .ltJxe6 fxe6 1 9.Wxe6t E10 20.E1d7+- Emms - Kelly, England 200 5 .

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14.llJ6! This is the critical option. 1 4 .ii.b3 and 14.ii.d3 have also been tried, but they are less troublesome for Black.

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1 7.E1ad l !N 1 7.ii.b3 is the only move to have been tried in practice. After 1 7 . . . Wc5 I B .Wd3 Wh5 Fabri - Albano, corr. 2009, White may still have some advantage, but Black has plenty of defensive resources. 17 . . . E1dB I B.E1xdBt ii.xdB I B . . . WxdB is met by 1 9.E1d l , planning to swing the rook into the attack via d3 or d4. 1 9.E1d l ii.e7 20.E1d4 20.E1d3 is mentioned by Tzermiadianos as being strong for White as well. 20 . . . e5 2 1 .We3 ltJ g4 22.Wg3 White has a winning attack. 8 7 6 5 4

14 ... f8! This is Black's best chance of obtaining a playable position. 14 . . . 0-0?! This can be met a sacrifice which was discovered by Kotronias. 1 5 .ltJxh6t gxh6 1 6.ii.xh6 Tzermiadianos offers some fascinating analysis of this sacrifice in How to Beat the French Defence. His main line runs: 1 6 . . . ii.e7 8 7

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L"",FNN'""C e"''''-'m,,-4'

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1 5.llJd4! Retreating the knight to g3 would present fewer problems for Black. 1 5 ....id7 1 5 . . . b5 1 6.ii.b3 ii.b7 1 7.ii.e3 is not an improvement for Black, as there is a constant threat of a2-a4. 16 ..ib3 �c8 17 ..ie3 White is able to develop the bishop to a good square without exchanging it, and also the knight is more influential than on g3.

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214

Playing the French Having seen some of the problems that can arise from I 2 . . . �d6 and I 2 . . . �c5 , we shall now study my recommendation of I 2 . . . h6!!.

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This is the moment of truth - if White does not do something now, Black will play . . . e5 followed by either . . . �c6 or . . . �f5 .

2 1 .c!lJrst! gxf5 22.'!Wxd6 '!Wxd6 23Jhd6 .ic6 24J;xd8 �xd8 25 ..id4 White has a healthy advantage, but Black is not dead yet, and later in the game he even had some chances to equalize completely. 25 ... �g6 26.£3 h5 27.h4 tlJ e8 28.�f2 tlJg7 29.a4 .id5 30 ..ic2 f6 3 1 .h3?! 3 I .�b6 l:'1d6 32.a5± 3 1 ...h5 32.�al ?! 32.axb5 axb5 33.�c5 l:'1a8 34.l:'1e2± 32 ... b4 32 . . . l:'1c8!? 33.�e3? �f7? Black misses his big chance and goes on to lose the endgame after all. After 33 . . . e5! 34.�b6 l:'1b8 3 5 .�a5 bxc3 36.l:'1d I �e6 37.�xc3 'it>f7 Black's counterplay is enough for equality. 34.cxb4 f4t 35.�d2 .ixh3 36 ..ixh3 c!lJrs 37.�c3 �xd4 38.a5 �d7 39.h5 axh5 40.a6 �a7 41 .�h4 c!lJd4 42 . .idl �c7 43.�a2 �e7 44 ..ie2 �c1 45.a7 c!lJ c6t 46.�xh5 tlJxa7t 47.�xa7t �d6 48.�a2 �hl 49.�d2t 1-0

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What is the idea behind this move? Firstly, Black prevents the bishop from coming to g5. At the same time the g7-pawn remains defended so that the knight will not come to f5 with tempo. It is essentially a high-class waiting move. The main moves to consider in reply are El) 13.h3 and E2) 13.h3! but first there are many minor lines to look at. On the only occasion this position arose in practice, 1 3.g3 was played and we'll study this in Game 34 below. I 3.c3 �d6! is fine for Black because I4.lLlf5 can be met by: 1 4 . . . �xh2t 1 5 .�hl 0-0 1 6.lLlxh6t gxh6+ In a similar position with the bishop on c5, Black had problems, but here he will be able to defend his kingside with . . . �f4 or . . .�e5 . 1 3. lLl f5 can b e met by: 1 3 . . . g6! 1 4.lLle3 �g7 I 5 .b3 b5 1 6.�d3 �b7f± 1 3.�f4? Wi'xf4 1 4.�xe6 doesn't work: I4 . . . fxe6 1 5 .lLlxe6 Wi'g4!-+

215

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 0. ltJ xd4 1 3.lLlxe6? fxe6 1 4 . .ixe6 .ixe6 1 5 .iWxe6t iWe7!+ 1 3.lLlf3 .id6 '1 4.b3 0-0 1 5 . .ib2 b5 1 6 . .id3 .ib7 1 7J'hc 1 !l:adB is fine for Black. For example: I B.c4 .ixf3 1 9.iWxf3 .ixh2t 20.'it>h l iWf4 2 1 .iWxf4 .ixf4 22.!l:cd l bxc4 23 . .ixc4 a5 24 . .ic3 !l:xd l 25 .!l:xd l lLl e4 26 . .ie l .ie5 and Black is doing well in the endgame. 13 . .id3 .id6 1 4.lLlf5 .ixh2t 1 5 .xg7 1 7.g3 b5

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1 5 .xh2 h5°o 1 6.g3 gxf5 1 7.'it>xh2 h5 IB ..ig5 I B.h7 20 . .ixf6 !l:gB 2 1 .iWe4t !l:g6 22.xg7 23.Wf g3t �h6 24.Wff4t �g7 25 .Wfg3t with a perpetual. Compared with Game 33, the white knight cannot retreat to g3 or d4.

15.tLle3 b5 1 6.i.d3 i.b7 Black has equalized and may continue with . . . g6 and . . . �g7.

l .d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.tLld2 c5 4.exd5 Wfxd5 5.tLlg£3 cxd4 6.i.c4 Wfd6 7.0-0 tLlf6 8.tLlb3 tLlc6 9.liJbxd4 tLlxd4 10.tLlxd4 a6 1 1 .�el Wfc7 12.Wfe2 h6 13.g3 This seems logical at first glance. White is ahead in development and hopes to win another tempo with j,f4, while pre-empting any attack against the h2-pawn. However, the problem with this move is that it weakens the long diagonal. 13 ...b5! Black immediately seeks to take advantage of the weakness just created. 14.i.d3 1 4.j,xe6 may look dangerous, but Black should survive the complications: 1 4 . . . fxe6 1 5 .ttJxe6 j,xe6 1 6.Wfxe6t j,e7

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1 7.j,f4 ( l 7.a4 bxa4 I B .j,f4 Wfd7 1 9.Wfe5 �fB 20.�xa4 �f7 2 1 .�xa6 �xa6 22.WfbBt WfdB 23.Wfb5t �fB 24.Wfxa6 g5 25 .j,e3 WfdTt is even slightly in Black's favour) 1 7 . . . Wfd7 1 B .Wfb3 �dB 1 9.�e6 'it>fB i O.�ae l j,c5 2 1 .�xa6 Wfd5 22.j,e3 j,xe3 23.�xe3 �f7 The position is dynamically balanced.

Chapter 1 1 - Main Line with 1 0. ttJ xd4

14 ....ieS It is too soon for 1 4 . . . �b7 because of: I S .tLlxe6! fxe6 ' 1 6.Wxe6t dS 1 7.E!d l Wd7 I S .We I �d6 1 9.�fS! WxfS 20.E!xd6t tLl d7 2 1 .�f4 E!eS 22.WaS t 'it>e7 23.Wc7 �dS 24.E!d l �e6 2S.E!e I 'it>fS 26.E!exe6 E!xe6 27.E!xd7;l; IS ..if4 I S .tLlb3 �b7 1 6.tLlxcS WxcS 1 7.a4 bxa4+! IS ...'?Nb6 16.ltJb3 1 6.c3 �xd4 1 7 .cxd4 �b 7 is balanced. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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White had to exchange the cS-bishop first: 1 7.tLlxcS WxcS I S .a4 Wc6 1 9.f3 b4 White's weakened king position means that Black is okay here.

17 ...'?Ne6-+ 18.hbS axbS 19.'?NxbS .ia7 20 ..ie3 .ixe3 2 1 .E!xe3 '?NxbS 22.axbS :gxal t 23.ltJxal @e7 24.:ga3 .idS 2S.tlJb 3 hb3 26.:gxb3 :ge8 27.hS 1 8 . . . Ei:f7!?N with the idea 1 9. CD d l e4 20.fXe4 CD xe4+ looks to be a small improvement. 19.1Lldl %-% Perhaps Petrosian was trying to avoid ghosts of the past. Mter 1 9 . . . �a7 20.c3 CDh5+ Black would be in the driver's seat.

awE . Alexander Zubarev - Dmitry Chuprikov Alushta 200 1

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.lLlc3 lLl f6 4.eS lLl fd7 S.c!tl8 eS 6.dxeS lLl e6 7.i.f4 heS S ..id3 f6 9.exf6 lLlxf6 1 0.'lWe2 Let us now see what happens when White opts for castling. a

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22 . . . CDxg3 23.hxg3 Ei:f6-+ Schneider - Ulibin, Biel 2004. Black followed up by doubling on the f-file, and the opposite-coloured bishops only improved his attacking chances.

10 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0 a6 1 2.c,t>bl i.d7 13.lLleS •••

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13 JkS! AI> well as looking right on general principles, this allows Black to recapture on c6 with a piece.

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226

Playing the French

14.�xe6 1 4.lt:lxd7N �xd7 1 5 J;i:he 1 E:fe8 is not at all bad for Black, who plans . . . �f7 followed by . . . e5 sooner or later. White does not have enough pressure on the central pawn duo.

30 ....txa2! White resigned in view of 3 1 .E:xa2 �d l t 32.'it>b2 E:c2t 33.'it>a3 �d3t when mate is only a couple of moves away. 0-1

14 ... E:xe6 The rook is quite useful here, as the bishop is free to be redeployed with . . . �e8 and either . . . �g6 or . . . �h5 .

Conclusion

15.�e5 1 5 .E:he 1 ?! �a3! 1 6.�e5 E:b6 1 7.b3 E:c6 creates weaknesses around the white king. 1 5 ....te8! Making room for the knight to go to d7. 1 6.0 tlJ d7 17 ..tg3 Wif6! Powerful play by Black as now the threat of . . . �a3 is strong. 18 ..tfl .txf2 19.Wixf2 tlJ e5 20.@a1 h5 White is in an extremely uncomfortable position, and he fails to put up much resistance. 2 1 .E:d2 b4 22.�e2 e5 23.c3?! �xd3 24J�xd3 .tf7 25.cxb4 d4 26Jkl E:fe8 27.E:xe6 Wixe6 28J�dl Wia4 29.h3 .txh3 30J�d2 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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In this chapter we examined rwo lines after 3.lt:lc3 It:l f6 4.e5 It:l fd7 . A) 5 .�g4 cannot be critical, even though Petrosian got into trouble against Gurgenidze back in 1 963. We propose an improvement on that game with 8 . . . h5!N. If you remember this move then you should never have any problems. B) 5 . lt:l f3 is more serious and we should expect to face it more often. After 5 . . . c5 6.dxc5 It:lc6 7.�f4 �xc5 8 .�d3 we play the rypical 8 . . .f6! 9.exf6 It:lxf6, after which White can castle on either side. Petrosian lost a crucial game to Spassky in their 1 966 World Championship match after 1 0.0-0, but seven years later he more than equalized against Ljubojevic - we analysed this in detail in Game 35. Black's main idea is to gain control over the e5-square, and for this he uses some standard devices such as the . . . g6 and . . . It:lh5 manoeuvre, or the . . . It:lxe5 and . . . �c6 idea, intending to play . . . It:lf6-d7 after first preventing �h5 with either . . . g6 or . . . �f7. If White castles queenside then it is better to place the rook on c8 instead and organize a queens ide assault. Game 36 provided a good example of this.

Chapter 13 a

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l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�d � f6 4.e5 � fd7 5 . � ce2 c5 6.d � c6 A) 7.f4 1lMb6 8.�f3 f6! AI) 9.g3 cxd4 10.�exd4 l O.cxd4 Game 37 A2) 9.a3 .ie7! 1 0.b4 l O .h4 Game 38 -

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Game 37 Game 38

Ray Robson - Georg Meier, Lubbock 20 1 0 Ove Hartvig - Stellan Brynell, Helsingor 201 1

229 23 1 233 234 237 239

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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Can you find White's next two moves? (page 232)

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Can you find a typical move with a clear idea in mind? (page 238)

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Everything is blocked on the kingside, so is Black okay? (page 23 1 )

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White has a nice idea to prove some advantage. Can you find it? (page 23 1 )

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How should Black prove that his position is okay? (page 234)

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Black has a fine move to challenge the white centre. (page 236)

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Can you suggest a logical move for Black? (page 240)

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How should Black respond to the threat to his knight? (page 24 1 )

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Chapter 1 3 - S . ltJ ce2

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ltJd �f6 4.e5 tLlfd7 5.tLlce2 Pedersen calls this line the Shirov/Anand Variation as it was the Latvian super-GM who helped this variation to become popular in the 1 990s, and later he found himself defending the black side against Anand in a series of games. Of course, the French is an opening with a rich history and in fact this line can be traced back to one of the first unofficial World Championship matches between McDonnell and La Bourdonnais in 1 834! Later Steinitz, Anderssen and Tarrasch played this line sporadically. Much later the multiple-time Danish Champion Jens Enevoldsen used it consistently, and then Anand started playing it towards the end of the 1 980s. White is playing in similar style to the Tarrasch line 3.tt:ld2 tt:l f6 4.eS ltJ d7 S.f4. In that line White's concept is to defend his strong centre with tt:ldf3 and, if permitted, finish developing his kingside with �d3 and ltJ e2. The present variation has one clear drawback, as the light-squared bishop is blocked by the knight on e2.

Now White must choose between the traditional A) 7.f4 and the trendy B) 7.�B.

A) 7.f4 'Wb6 This is the most common way to play for Black, and the move I am recommending. I considered a couple of other options but eventually rejected them. I will include a few fragments of my analysis so you can see where the problems lie. 7 . . . �e7 This flexible move was recommended by Neil McDonald in How to Play Against 1. e4. 8 . ltJ f3 0-0 9.a3 as 1 O.tt:leg 1 !? cxd4 1 0 . . . f6 1 1 .�d3 is dangerous for Black. 1 1 .cxd4 tt:l b6 1 2.�d3 fS This blunts the power of the bishop on d3, but gives White a clear-cut plan to attack with g2-g4. 1 3.ltJe2 a4 1 4.ltJc3 �d7 1 S .0-0 ltJaS 1 6.�c2

5,..c5 6.d 6.f4 tt:lc6 7.tt:lf3 is playable, but after 7 . . . 'Wb6 White has nothing better than 8.c3 transposing to variation A below. 6,..tLlc6 a

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1 6 . . . tt:l ac4N 1 6 . . . 'We8 1 7.c;t>h 1 tt:l ac4 1 8.E&g1 E&c8 1 9.'We l c;t>h8 occurred in Paehtz - Peng, Ekaterinburg 2006, and now McDonald favours the immediate 20.g4N when White indeed has dangerous attacking potential. The text move was recommended by McDonald. The idea is to transfer the bishop to g6 to help the defence against White's intended g2-g4. Although this may indeed a

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Playing the French

improve on the above game, Black's task is still not joyful after: 1 7.\t>h 1 �e8 1 8.E:g1 'lWd7 1 9.h3 �g6 20.'it>h2 White can slowly improve his position with 'lWe2, E:b 1 , �d2-e 1 getting ready for the right time to strike with g2-g4. In the meantime I am not sure what Black is supposed to be doing. 7 . . . b5!? This active move has a certain appeal, but I was unable to make it work the way I wanted. I will show you a remarkable game between Anand and Shirov in which both players were able to use a computer.

8.a3! White should slow down Black's queens ide advance. 8 . . . cxd4 I checked several other moves but found no route to equality. 9.tLlxd4 tLlxd4 1 O.cxd4 b4 1 1 .a4!? 1 1 .tLlf3!? is a good alternative, for instance: 1 1 . . .bxa3 1 2.bxa3 �a6 1 3.�xa6 'lWa5t 1 4.�d2 'lWxa6 1 5 .'lWe2 'lWxe2t 1 6.'it>xe2t Barsky - Castaneda, Russia 1 993. 1 1 . . .'lWa5 1 1 . . .a5 1 2. tLl f3 �e7 1 3.�d3 �a6 was recommended by McDonald, but 1 4.�xa6N E:xa6 1 5 .0-0 0-0 1 6.'lWd3 E:c6 1 7.f5t favours White somewhat. 1 2.�d2 �e7

1 2 . . . �a6 can be met by 1 3.�xa6 'lWxa6 1 4.'lWe2t aiming for a good endgame. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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1 3.tLlf3 0-0 1 4.�b5! A fine move which hinders Black's further development. It induces either the pawn to a6 or the knight to b6, both of which are undesirable for Black. 1 4 . . . tLl b6 1 5 .b3 �a6 1 6.�xa6 'lWxa6 1 7.a5! tLl d7 1 8 .'lWe2! tLlb8 1 9.'it>f2 'lWxe2t 20.'it>xe2 tLl c6 2 1 .E:hc l E:fc8 22.E:a2 E:c7 23.E:ac2 E:ac8 24.a6t

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24 . . . \t>f8 24 . . . f5! ? 2 5 .exf6 gxf6 26.g4 'it>f7 is another defensive try. 25 .g4 'it>e8 26.f5 'it>d7 27.�f4 g5? 27 ... g6! is offered by McDonald as Black's best defence, and there is no clear win ahead. 28.�e3 h6 29.f6 �f8 30.\t>d3 ltJa5 3 1 .E:xc7t E:xc7 32.E:xc7t 'it>xc7

Chapter 1 3 - 5 . tLl ce2

23 1

for now, as it is not yet clear if it should go to e7 or give a check from b4. At this point White can choose between AI) 9.g3 and A2) 9.a3.

AI) 9.g3 cxd4 IO.lLlexd4!? 1 O.cxd4 is examined in Game 37. The text move is a tricky option that demands close attention. a

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33.lLlxg5!! Nowadays my Houdini takes about one and a half seconds to suggest this sacrifice, though it would have taken the engines much longer back in 2000. 33 . . . hxg5 34.�xg5 lLlxb3 3 5 .h4 lLlal 36.�c l lLlb3 37.�e3 lLlaS 38 .gS lLl c4 39.�c l 1-0 Anand - Shirov, Leon (Advanced Chess) 2000. Having seen the type of scenario that Black should avoid, we now return to 7 . . . Wb6.

10 . . . tLlxd4 1 1 .cxd4 fxeS 1 2. fxeS! �b4t 1 3 .Wf2! is annoyingly better for White, who has scored an impressive 80% from this position in practice. 1 3 . . . �e7 ( 1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4 .Wg2t Psakhis - Dizdar, Zagreb 1 993) 1 4.Wg2 tLl b8 I S .�d3 tLl c6 1 6.E!:fU N. Kosintseva - Edouard, Cap d'Agde 20 1 0 .

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8.ttJf3 f6! Another popular line continues 8 . . . �e7 9.g3 0-0 1 0.�h3 cxd4 I l .cxd4 f6 1 2.E!:fl ! but I was unable to find equality here. Instead Black should start immediate counterplay and hold off moving the f8-bishop

1 l .fxe5 I l .lLlxe6?! concedes Black the initiative after: 1 1 . . .lLlcS! ( 1 1 . . .e4!? 1 2.tLlfd4 lLl f6 is only equal, for example 1 3 .Wb3 lLl xd4 1 4.tLlxd4 �cS = Wizard - White, email 1 994.) 1 2.tLlxf8 �g4!t 1 3.lLld7 lLl xd7 1 4.h3 Mrdja - Stella, Cesenatico 20 1 2. At this point the strongest continuation is 1 4 . . . �xf3!N I S .Wxf3 0-0-0--+ intending . . . exf4 and . . . E!:he8 .

232

Playing the French - Mende, email 2005 , and now 1 4 . . . h6N 1 5 .i.xe7 ttJxe7= is fine for Black. 1 2.i.e3 ttJ e4 leads nowhere special for White, for instance: 1 3.'lWc2 i.d7 1 4.i.d3 i.c5 1 5 .0-0 0-0 1 6.i.xe4 dxe4 1 7.'lWxe4

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After 1 1 . . .i.c5 ?! 1 2.ttJxe6! ttJ dxe5 1 3.ttJxc5! i.g4 it may seem that White is in trouble, but he has a cunning resoutce:

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1 4 .ttJxe5! i.xd 1 1 5 .ttJed7! i.f3 If the queen moves, White will take on d 1 and be happy with three minor pieces for the queen. 1 6.ttJxb6 axb6 1 7. ttJ e6! rj;ld7 1 8.:8:g1 'it>xe6 1 9.i.e3± Ploenes - Herrmann, corr. 200 l . White has the bishop pair and much the better pawn structure.

12.i.h3 1 2.i.b5 i.e7 1 3.0-0 0-0 1 4.i.g5 was Turko

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1 7 . . . ttJxd4 1 8.i.xd4 ( l 8.cxd4 i.e7 gives Black compensation for his pawn due to his excellent pair of bishops. White's best seems to be 1 9.d5 exd5 20.'lWxd5t but after 20 . . .i.e6 he has no advantage whatsoever.) 18 . . .i.c6 1 9.i.xc5 'lWxb2 20.'lWb4 'lWxb4 2 l .cxb4 :8:xf3 The endgame was level in Wunderlich - Gaujens, email 2004.

Chapter 1 3

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1 8.�e3 Vf1c7 1 9.�g l :I"i:f8 Black was at least equal in Atlas - Luther, Austria 200 1 ; the e5pawn is a constant source of worry for White, whereas the e6-pawn is solidly defended.

14 ....id7 15.be7 ttJxe7 16.Vf1e2 ttJe4 17.@hl 1 7.Vf1e3 was an attempted improvement in Koller - Wahedi, Marburg 2006. White's idea is that 17 . . . tL'l f5 1 8 .tL'lf5 exf5 1 8.Vf1xb6 spoils Black's structure. However, with 17 . . . tL'l c6!?N Black avoids any problems.

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17 ... ttJf5! 18.Lf5 exfS This was Koller - Luther, Boeblingen 200 5 . Black had a good position and went o n launch a successful attack involving . . . :I"i:ae8, . . . Vf1h6 and a timely . . . f4! .

I;AME 3'1 Ray Robson - Georg Meier Lubbock 20 1 0

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd ttJf6 4.e5 ttJfd7 5.ttJ ce2 c5 6.d ttJc6 7.f4 'lWb6 8.liJa f6 9.g3 cxd4 1O.cxd4 This has been much more popular than 1 0.tL'lxd4, but it has scored poorly and is considered fine for Black.

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White is clearly struggling; from almost fifty games in my database he has scored a miserable 1 2%. One practical example should suffice: 1 5 . tL'l f4 Vf1e3t 1 6.mfl �xd2 1 7.tL'l xe5 Vf1xe5 1 8 .Vf1xd2 g5 1 9.:I"i:e 1 Vf1f6 20.me2 gxf4 2 1 .:I"i:hfl e5 22.�xd5t mh8 23.gxf4 �h3 24.:I"i:gl :I"i:ad8 25.:I"i:g3 �e6 26.:I"i:d3 �f5 27.:I"i:f3 �g4 0-1 Slobodjaniuk - Moskalenko, Alushra 1 994.

1 2 ... 0-0 1 3 ..if4

Playing the French

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17.'lWcl There is nothing else, but now Black is able to force an endgame with an extra pawn. 17 ...'lWflt 1 8.c;t>dl 'lWxf1 t 19J�xf1 gxf1 t 20.c;t>d2 gxcl 2 1 .gxcl b6 22.gfl White would love to invade on the 7th rank.

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13 ... � dxe5! If this amazing possibility was not available, White's central superiority would offer him a small advantage. As things stand, he has to play accurately to hold the draw. 14.he5 Vitiugov points out that 1 4.tLlxe5? is a mistake due to 1 4 . . . tLlxe5 1 5 . .ixe5 .ixc3t 1 6.bxc3 1Mrb2 17 . .if4 1Mrxc3t 1 8.f2 g5 when White is in trouble. 1 4.dxe5 is met by 1 4 . . . .ia5! attacking the b2pawn. After 1 5 .lMrd2 d4= Black regains the piece with a balanced position.

14 ... �xe5 1 5.�xe5 i.xc3t 1 6.bxc3 'lWb2

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22 ... gb8! 23.gfl If White does not force the rooks off, Black will activate his pieces with chances to press with the extra pawn. 23 ... gb7 24.gxb7 hb7 25.h4 c;t>f8 26.g4 c;t>e7 27.a3 c;t>d6 28.g5= White has succeeded in building a simple fortress. The knight cannot be dislodged from e5, White's pawns cannot be attacked and the black king cannot penetrate. 28 ...i.c6 29.c;t>c2 i.a4t 30.c;t>b2 i.d1 31 .c;t>cl i.h5 32. c;t>b2 i.dl 33. c;t>cl i.h5 34.c;t>b2 i.dl 1/2-1/2

A2) 9.a3

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This not only stops a later . . . .ib4 t, but also plans to take control of more space with b2-b4. On the other hand, it delays White's ' development. The German player Emil Schallop (probably best known today for the solid defence to the

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Chapter 1 3 - S . lU ce2 King's Gambit that bears his name) was first to play this move. In a similar position from the Tarrasch Variation (with the e2-knight standing on g l and Black's pawn being back on fl) , this set-up is considered critical, so we should pay it close attention.

Variation. Black can take advantage with: 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 .�d3 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 fxeS 1 3.fxeS

9 ...i.e7! Now that the check on b4 has been ruled out, this is the best square for the bishop. 1O.b4 This is the most popular move nowadays. 1 0.h4 was the choice of Anand in his 2000 FIDE World Championship final against Shirov, and it contributed to his success. Nevertheless, we shall see that it is Black who can achieve the more comfortable game - for the details see Game 38. 1 O.tLlg3?! 0-0 1 1 .�d3 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 fxeS 1 3.fxeS was Schallop - Paulsen, Leipzig 1 877, and here Paulsen sacrificed an exchange in modern style for an overwhelming position.

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1 3 . . . ltJ dxe5 ! 1 4.dxe5 ltJ xe5 I S .�b 1 ltJ g4 1 6.We2 This was Whatley - Deike, Dallas 200 1 , and now simply developing with 1 6 . . . �d7!N gives Black more than enough compensation for his investment of a piece. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 3 . . . E:xf3! 1 4.Wxf3 Wxd4 l S .ltJe2 Wh4t 1 6.g3 tLldxeS 1 7 .We3 tLlxd3t 1 8 .Wxd3 Wf6 and Black went on to win. 1 0.tLlegl ?! defends against such an exchange sacrifice, but leaves White a full two tempos down on the analogous line from the Tarrasch

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10 ... cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 I l .tLl fxd4? is met by 1 1 . . . fxe5 1 2.ltJxe6 tLl f6 and Black has a huge lead in development. I l .ltJ exd4 can be met with a typical knight sacrifice: 1 1 . . .tLl cxeS ! 1 2.fxeS fxeS 1 3.ltJc2 0-0 1 4 .�e3 Wc7 1 S .Wd2 T. Kosintseva - Pliasunov, Samara 2004, and now l S . . . tLl f6N gives Black excellent compensation and the initiative.

1 1 . .. 0-0 12.Wfd3

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1 2.h4 transposes to 1 O.h4 0-0 I l .b4 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 - see the note to White's 1 1 th move in the next game. 1 2.lLlc3?! fXe5 1 3.dxe5 lLl dxe5 ! 1 4.fXe5 lLlxe5 1 5 .�e2 �d7 was agreed drawn in Smirin Psakhis, Las Vegas 1 999, but Black's position looks preferable to me. A sample continuation is: 1 6.:gfl lLl xf3t 1 7.�xf3 �f6 1 8.'IMld3 :gac8 1 9 .�b2 'IMl cn

We have been following the game Guerra Mendez - Herraiz Hidalgo, Montcada 20 1 2. At this point Black could have executed a familiar sacrifice: 8 7 6 5

1 2.:gb l a5 1 3.b5 a4 1 4. lLl c3 lLl cxe5 1 5 .fXe5 fXe5 1 6.�d3 was Shirov - M. Gurevich, Munich 1 993, and the players agreed that 1 6 . . . exd4!N 1 7.lLlxd4 lLl e5 would now give Black the advantage.

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l S ... tLl cxeS!N 16.fxeS tLlxeS 17.tLlxeS Wlxest Black has full compensation and White must play accurately to maintain the balance.

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1 8.�e2 1 8 .'IMle3 'IMlf6 1 9.'IMlf3 'IMlxf3 20.gxf3 :gxf3 reaches a double-edged endgame where I slightly prefer Black.

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1 2 Wlc7! The idea behind this move is twofold: first of all Black increases his firepower against the e5point, and secondly the positional idea of . . . a6, . . . b5 and . . . lLl b6 becomes available.

1 8 ...�cS Houdini suggests that White can maintain equality with the following line:

••.

19.93 �d4 20.�h2 �d7 21 .0-0-0 �xc3 22.�xc3 :gac8 23.'it>d2 Wlgst

13.tLlc3 1 3 .'IMlc2?! b5! 1 4.exf6 lLl xf6 1 5 .lLl g3 'IMlb6 1 6.'IMld3 a5+ was another success story for Black in Sax - Luther, Germany 1 993. 13 ...fxeS 1 3 . . . a6 could now be met by 1 4.b5°o. 14.dxeS as l S.hS a

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237

Chapter 1 3 - 5 . tt:l ce2

24.';t>e1!? 24.c2 Wie5 gives White nothing better than 2S.d2 ' repeating. The text move keeps the game going, but is not much of a winning attempt. 24 hbS 2S.'?9xbS �xc3 26.�f1 '?ge3 27.�xf8t 'ktxf8 28.'ktf1 '?ge4= •.•

Ove Hartvig - Stellan Brynell Helsingor 20 1 1

l.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 ttJf6 4.eS ttJfd7 S.ttJce2 cS 6.c3 ttJc6 7.f4 '?9b6 8.ttJa !i.e7 9.a3 f6 10.h4 This is a typical idea in such positions. White gains space and prepares to activate his rook along the third rank.

many games after 1 3.bS WixbS 1 4.tLlc3 Wib6 l S .l"i:b l have shown that White has definite compensation for his pawn deficit. 1 3.�h3 What else? White cannot play 1 3 .tLl c3? as the knight will be hanging after 1 3 . . . IXeS 1 4, IXeS tLl cxeS . 1 3 . . . b6!? 13 . . . bS!?N is more typical, though the text move is fine as well. 1 4.bS Otherwise ... j,a6 would be an idea. 14 . . . tLl aS l S .�a2 j,b7 1 6.l"i:c2 tLl c4 1 7, tLl eg l We have been following Lagarde Shahinyan, Batumi 20 1 0, and here Black should play:

10 ... 0-0 l 1 .�h3 White can also advance the b-pawn here: 1 1 .b4 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 1 2.tLlexd4?! hasn't been tried for a good reason: 1 2 . . . tLlcxeS! 1 3.IXeS IXeS+

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1 7 . . . a6!N+ Black opens the a-file for his rook to enter the game.

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1 2 . . . Wic7! We have seen this move in a similar situation, though it has rarely been played in this exact position. l2 . . . aS is considered to be the main line, but

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23B

Playing the French

1 l ... a5! A much praised move which has been played by Bareev and Psakhis, and was used by Shirov in his match against Anand. 1 1 . . . 4J a5!? This was Shirov's choice six months prior to the aforementioned match. 1 2.b4 cxb4 1 3.axb4 1 3.cxb4 4J c4 1 4. 4J c3 fxe5 1 5 . fxe5 was Kurmann - Papa, Switzerland 2002, and now the typical 1 5 . . . 4J dxe5N 1 6.dxe5 4J xe5 gives Black a good initiative. 1 3 . . . 4J c4 The knight may look great on c4, but in reality it doesn't do much - unless it sacrifices itself on e5! 1 4.4Jg3 This was Anand - Shirov, Frankfurt (rapid) 2000. Now McDonald recommends:

�d7 1 6.�e3 cxd4 1 7.cxd4 a4 1 B.b4 4Ja7 gave Black some advantage in Smirin - Psakhis, Las Vegas (rapid) 1 999, but I prefer the text move as there are certain tactical threats against e5 and c3 .

13.llJegl There is no better way to develop the fl ­ bishop. 1 3.4Jg3? Klimov - Danin, Smolensk 2005, can be strongly met by: 13 ... cxd4!N 1 4.cxd4 fxe5 1 5 . fxe5 4J dxe5 ! 1 6.dxe5 !'i:xf3 followed by . . . Wxe5t picking up the rook on a l .

1 3 ... b6! White has gone to a lot of trouble to develop his fl -bishop, but Black is now ready to exchange it with . . . �a6! Black can also go for the familiar piece sacrifice: 1 3 . . . a4 1 4.b4 fxe5 1 5 .fxe5 4J dxe5 1 6.dxe5 4J xe5 1 7.4J xe5 Wxe5t 1 B .We2

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1 4 . . . fxe5!N 1 5 . fxe5 4J cxe5 1 6.dxe5 4J xe5 It is not clear if Black's compensation is fully sufficient, but the position is certainly not easy for White to play. Nevertheless, I believe the text move is more accurate.

1 2.b3 Black's idea was . . . a4 followed by . . . 4Ja5, so naturally White stops it. 12 .. JWc7! 1 2 . . . WdB 1 3.4Jg3 4J b6 1 4 .�d3 f5 1 5 .�c2

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1 B . . . Wc7! ( 1 B . . . �xh4t?! 1 9.'it>d 1 ! proved highly problematic for Black in Anand Shirov, New Delhi/Teheran 2000, and some later games.) 1 9 .�g5 �d6 20.!'i:f3 cxb4 2 1 .cxb4 !'i:xf3 22.Wxf3 �xb4t 23.'it>d 1 �d6 This was eventually drawn in Patterson - Morley, email 200B, but I would prefer to play Black in practice.

Chapter 1 3

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8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

1 4.hS �a6 l S .�xa6 2':1xa6 1 6.exf6 was Hoogervorst - Vermeulen, email 200S, and now Black should play: 1 6 . . . �xf6N 1 7.h6 g6+

l4 ...i.a6 l S.,ba6 2':1xa6 With his strong bishop exchanged, White cannot hope for much from this position. Black's chances are clearly higher, and over the next few moves he increases his advantage. l6J�e2 2':1aa8 l7.hS :gae8 l 8.i.b2 bS 19.94 e4 20.bxe4 bxe4 21 .i.d fxeS 22.fxeS :gb8 23.\Wc2 \Wb6+ Black penetrates the white position and White has no visible counterplay. 24.lLlgS? A tactical oversight in a difficult situation. 24 i.xgS 2S.,bgS lLldxeS 26.i.d tLl d3t 26 . . . ttJxd4! 27.cxd4 'lWxd4 threatening . . . ttJd3t was quicker. ..•

27.:gxd3 cxd3 28.\Wxd3 eS Black is material up and has the attack.

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29.:gb2 \We7 30.:gxb8 \Wxb8 3 1 .lLl e2 e4 32.\Wa6 \We8 32 . . . 2':1f6! would be crushing, as White has no way of escaping a deadly discovered attack. The game continuation is still winning though, and despite a few further inaccuracies on both sides, Black made his extra exchange count. 33.\WbS lLl e7 34.i.gS \We6 3S.\WxaS lLl e8 36.i.f4 lLl b6 37.gS tLl e4 38.\Wb4 \Wd7 39.h6 gxh6 40.gxh6 :ga8 41.lLlg3 lLlxa3 42.\Wb2 lLl e4 43.\We2 \Wh3 44.lLl hS :gal t 4S. f2 e3t 46.i.xe3 \Wh2t 0-1 B) 7.tLlf3!?

Playing the French

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This move has attracted a lot of attention in recent years, but it is no more than a practical way for White to avoid lots of theory. There is a popular variation of the Tarrasch Variation where White also arranges his knights on e2 and f3, but in that line he already has his bishop on d3. In the present case he must play creatively j ust to develop his kingside.

After . . . lD c4 or even . . . lD a5 his plan will be to activate his light-squared bishop, and his queens ide counterplay gives him at least equal chances.

7 .'IWb6!? I find this to be the simplest move for Black. ••

8.g3 S.h4 cxd4 9 .cxd4 f6 1 0.exf6 lD xf6 l 1 .lD c3 i.d6 is fine for Black. S.a3 If White can get in b2-b4 then at least he won't have to worry about a weakness on b2. S . . . a5 9.lDf4 a4 1 O.h4N 1 0.g3 was seen in Baron - Pozdnjakov, Paris 2005, but the text move seems like a better try. 1 O . . . h6 1 1 .i.e2 i.e7 1 2.2"i:h3

lO.exf6 1 0.i.h3?! i.b4 t 1 1 . Wfl fxe5 1 2.i.xe6?! e4 1 3.lDg5 h6 14.lDf7 2"i:fS 1 5 .a3 i.e7 1 6.lDf4 lD f6-+ Maljutin - Ulibin, Jurmala 1 9S9. 1O .tlJxf6 For a thorough analysis of positions featuring this pawn structure, I refer you to the forthcoming third volume of Emanuel Berg's Grandmaster Repertoire series on the French Defence. For our purposes, it is enough to say that with White's bishop being denied the optimal d3-square, Black has a more comfortable version of the analogous Tarrasch line. ••

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1 2 . . . Wb3! This is the right moment to offer the exchange of queens. White has no good way to avoid the swap. 1 3.Wd3 cxd4 1 4.cxd4 Wxd3 1 5 .lDxd3 0-0 1 6.i.d2 lD b6 White has slightly more space, but Black has secured some useful outposts on the queenside.

1 1 .i.g2 1 1 .i.h3 is well met by: 1 1 . . .i.b4 t 1 2. Wfl e5!N 1 3.i.xcS 2"i:xcS 1 4.lDxe5 lDxe5 1 5 .dxe5 lD g4 1 6.lDd4

24 1

Chapter 1 3 - 5 . lU ce2

1 4 .'Wc2?! Lukin - Kruppa, St Petersburg 1 999, should be met by 14 ... 0-0N 1 5 . 0-0 .id7t intending . . . E:c8 with the initiative. 8 7 6 5 a

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1 6 . . . h5!t Black's idea is simply to castle, and after 1 7.h3 ttJxf2! 1 8 .\hf2 E:c4 1 9.'it> g2 E:xd4 20.'Wa4t 'Wc6 2 1 .'Wxc6t bxc6 Black's position is slightly preferable due to his active pieces and better pawn structure.

�� �{_.t �.m �_,;, ,�_,�.i ,

"" ' %B"_ l. "" %� ""'%� %� /"", ;� �� : ������ " ��� � � �m��""LJ�� '�� ����;< ��1W &. �O �""�O;h1 1Mfg6 I would be happy to take Black's position, with ... cxd4 coming next. 9 .lMfd2 9.l"1b 1 can be met by: 9 . . . g5!N l O.fXg5 cxd4 1 1 . ttJxd4 .ic5 1 2. ttJ ce2 ttJ dxe5+ Morozevich has often played such . . . g5 thrusts in similar French positions.

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Cl) 8.llJe2 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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This move has enjoyed some popularity lately, but White's play was neutralized effectively by Topalov in a game against his second, Cheparinov.

8 ....ie7 Another direction that Black can choose is: 8 . . . lMfb6 9.lMfc l g5!? The more restrained 9 . . . .ie7 featured in Shirov - Potkin, Khanty-Mansiysk 20 1 1 , and some other games. l O.c3 cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 .ib4t 1 2.'it>f2 f6 1 3.g3

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9 . . . cxd4! 9 . . . lMfxb2?! allows White to force a repetition with l O.l"1b 1 lMfa3 1 1 .l"1b3 1Mfa l t 1 2.l"1b 1 . 1 0.ttJxd4 1Mfxb2! 1 1 .l"1b 1 1Mfa3 1 2 .l"1b3 1Mfe7 The queen escapes and White does not have enough compensation for the pawn, Rotermund - Steinkohl, Lampertheim 2002.

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1 3 . . . g4! This was Morozevich's improvement over 1 3 . . . l"1f8 1 4.'it>g2 g4 1 5 .ttJh4; which led to a win for White in Topalov - Morozevich, Morelia/Linares 2007.

253

Chapter 1 4 - Introduction to 7 . . . a6 14.t2J h4 fxe5 1 5 .fxe5 ltJ dxe5! 1 6.dxe5 d4 1 7.�f4 !:lf8 1 � .i>g2 �d7 Black eventually won in Predojevic Morozevich, Sarajevo 2008 . This is certainly fun stuff, but I would hesitate to recommend it to mere mortals like us.

9.c3 0-0 10.g3 1 0.a3 was tried in Svidler - Vitiugov, Moscow 2009, but I don't think that the general character of the position is changed, so Black should be fine after 1 0 . . . cxd4N as in our main line. 1O ... cxd4! 1 1 .tlJexd4 1 1 .cxd4 can be met by 1 1 . . . ltJ b6 as given by Postny. Black intends . . . �d7 and . . . !:lc8, with active prospects on the queenside. 1 1 . .. tlJeS 12.i.g2 i.d7 13.0-0 ge8 14.'i!lhl So far we have been following Cheparinov Topalov, Sofia 2008. Now I rather like: 8 7

C2) 8.�d2 hS 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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What are Black's strategic ideas? First of all, he would really like to play . . . b4 followed by . .. a5 and . . . �a6 to exchange his bad bishop for White's good one. Mter . . . b4 the white knight loses its influence on the centre and in particular its control over the e4-square, which Black can exploit quite quickly with . . . ltJ c5-e4. Also, in the event of the black c-pawn being exchanged for the white d-pawn, Black will be quite advanced with the minority attack, a typical strategy for such a structure.

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14 ...�e7!?N This renders White's intended f4-f5 more difficult to achieve. A plausible continuation is: IS.tlJxe6 Le6 16.tlJd4 i.d7 17.�e2 tlJ e4 18.i.gl i.eS Black stands fully equal.

In this position White has two main continuations. The Old Main Line with 9.dxc5 has the idea of playing for the traditional blockade on the dark squares, and is featured in Chapter 1 5 . The Modern Main Line with 9.a3 tries to stop (or at least delay) Black's . . . b4 and . . . a5 plan, and will be examined in Chapter 1 6. In this remaining part of this chapter we will cover five of White's less common tries: C2 I) 9.i.d3, C22) 9.g3, C23) 9.�f2, C24) 9.i.e2 and C2S) 9.tlJ dl !? The first three are not especially challenging but the last two should be studied closely.

C2 I) 9.i.d3

Playing the French

2 54

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1 6.c4N Black must react accurately. 1 6 . . . cxd4 1 7.4Jxd4 �b7! With the following idea: 1 8 .cxd5 4Jxd4 1 9 .i.xd4 �xd5=

9 ... b4 10.lLla4 The alternative is: 1 0. 4J d l �b6! 1 1 .�f2 An unfortunate square for the queen as the knight would like to go there, but there is no better way to defend against . . . cxd4.

10 ... c4! 1 1 .�e2 c3 This is considered to give Black equal play, though there are still a few details he should know to ensure that he avoids any dangers.

8

12.�dl cxb2 13.lLlxb2 �e7 14.0-0 0-0 15.�d3 a5 Black is ready to play . . . i.a6 and exchange White's dangerous bishop.

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16.lLlg5!?

:i �i �:� )1 : !Bla,��� ��r� �� � ' ' � � � ' J ��iJ ��, � �� �� � ;t � � , , ��r,�,� ��� �'''��"''". ���''0 r�I!��I�

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1 1 . . .a5 l 2.0-0 i.a6 1 3 .i.xa6 :B:xa6 1 4.c3 i.e7 1 5 .:B:c l 1 5 .f5?! exf5 1 6.i.f4 cxd4 1 7.cxd4 0-0 1 8.�h l i.d8 1 9.4Je3 4J e7+ White did not have enough compensation for the pawn in Shaposhnikov - Volkov, Samara 2000. 1 5 . . . 0-0 This was Leung - Luppi, email 2002, and now Antic & Maksimovic believe that White's best try is:

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

16 ... g6!?N

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255

Chapter 1 4 - Introduction to 7 . . a6 .

This is an improvement on 16 . . . i.xg5 1 7.fxg5 ctJe7, which gave White the chance to develop a� initiative in Motylev - Wang Hao, China 20 1 0. The problem for Black was that the positionally desirable 1 7 . . . i.a6? would have been met by I S.i.xh7t! c;t>xh7 1 9.Wh5t c;t>gS 20J'l:f4 with a strong attack.

1 2. ctJ exd4 ctJ xd4 1 3.ctJxd4 ctJ xe5 1 4.0-0-0 i.d7 1 5 .i.f4

17.�g4 White wants to transfer the queen to h3, at the same time preventing . . .i.a6 due to the reply ctJxe6. 1 7.We2 is met by 17 . . . Wb6 I S.ctJa4 Wa7 when Black is ready to play . . . i.a6 with a fine game.

17 ... LgS! The timing is now perfect. 18.fxgS .ta6 Black is at least equal. e22) 9.g3 b4 10.ttJe2

� � .i.� •• �� �m i)� 'i�_'i � � � " 6 l� � ��n� �w� �� f/� 5 ��,���''' ,J,% �j'�r � 'ifl' � %� "",�% 'ifl' � � ' .lt5 � � '�� �",,%�, ;: /. " " r :" �, � � � [j r� " ' % [j NittJ_ '' '' ' % i� r� � . � ': 8

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1 5 . . . ctJ c4 After 1 5 . . . i.d6 1 6. fxe6 fxe6, there is the amazing shot 1 7. ctJ f5!! exf5 l S .Wxd5 i.c6 1 9.i.b5! and White is winning. 1 6.i.xc4N This killing move was pointed out by Neil McDonald on Chess Publishing. After 1 6.We2? Wf6, Black was a little worse in Inarkiev - Vitiugov, Dagomys 200S, but it was not a disaster. 1 6 . . . dxc4 1 7.We2! Threatening ctJ xe6. 17 . . . Wf6 I S. fxe6 fxe6

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%U",

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10 ... g6! It is important to restrain White's kingside play. The following line highlights the danger: 1 0 . . . a5 ? 1 1 .f5! cxd4 White also builds up an initiative after l 1 . . .exf5 1 2.ctJf4 cxd4 1 3.i.xd4, according to McDonald.

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1 9.ctJb5!! After this powerful move Black collapses. 1 9 . . . i.xb5 1 9 . . . E\CS 20.ctJc7t :8xc7 2 1 .i.xc7 is hopeless for Black.

256

Playing the French

20.Wh5t Wg6 2 1 .Wxb5t Wf7 22.Wb7t :ke7 23 .:kd6 McDonald extends the analysis further, but I am happy to stop here, as it is clear that White is winning. 8

is different. For one thing, Black has not castled and thus has no need to guard against mating threats from the queen arriving on h4.

9 ...Wb6 10 ..id3 cxd4 1 1 .tiJxd4 .ic5 12.ttlce2 Black now carries out the standard plan to exchange light-squared bishops. 12 ... b4 13.d a5! 1 3 . . . bxc3?! 1 3.bxc3 leaves the Black queen exposed on the b-file. After the text move the position is balanced. The following game features best play for both sides, and the natural result ensues.

7 6 5 4 3

14.0-0 .ia6 1 5.La6 B:xa6 16.B:ac1 0-0 17.cxb4 tiJxb4

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1 l ..ig2 a5 12.0-0 .ia6 1 3JH2 This occurred in Richards - Kiriakov, West Bromwich 2005, and here I suggest:

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13 ....ie7!?N Black has the clear plan of castling and then playing . . . a4-a3 with a fine position.

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C23) 9.VNf2

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1 8.B:xc5! tiJxc5 19.tiJb3 tiJbd3 20.Lc5 ttlxf2 2 1 .Lb6 B:xb6 22.Wxf2 a4 23.ttlc5 B:xb2 24.lDxa4 B:xa2 A draw was soon agreed in Miladinovic Kosic, Niksic 1 997.

6 5 4 3

C24) 9 ..ie2

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We saw the same move causing Black some problems in variation A, but here the situation

Though innocent-looking, this is one of the more critical lines covered in this chapter.

9 ....ie7! This flexible move is Black's best reaction.

257

Chapter 1 4 - Introduction to 7 . . . a6 Incidentally, if the reader happens to have 7 . . . fie7 in his repertoire, then he can aim to transpose to th'is line by meeting 8.Wd2 0-0 9.fie2 with 9 . . . a6 (instead of 9 . . . b6) followed by . . . b5, as discussed in variation B. 9 . . . cxd4 1 0. ttJ xd4 ttJxd4 l 1 .fixd4 fic5 1 2.fixc5 ttJxc5 1 3.Wd4 Wb6 1 4.b4! ttJa4 1 5 .Wxb6 ttJxb6 1 6.a4 is an example of what Black should avoid. Although Black eventually won in Doggers - Moskalenko, Solsones 2004, his position here is unappealing. 9 . . . b4 1 O.ttJdl a5 1 1 .0-0 g6 1 2.c4! was also good for White in Svetushkin - Ilj ushin, Moscow 20 1 0.

1 4.ttJxd4 ttJxd4 1 5 .cxd4 f5 Otherwise White would play f4-f5 with excellent attacking chances. 1 6.g4! White had a strong initiative in Andreikin Shimanov, Dagomys 20 1 0. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

A third problematic line is: 9 . . .Wb6 1 O.ttJ d l ! b4 1 1 .0-0 a5 1 1 . . .fie7 1 2.c4!;!; Kurnosov - Lysyj , Dagomys 20 1 0. 1 2.Ek l ! fib7! Black bolsters the d5-pawn in anticipation of c2-c4. 1 3.c3! But White reacts excellently.

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1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .a3 1 1 . h l is an important alternative which is examined in Game 39 below. 1 1 .ttJ d l b4 1 2. ttJ f2 1 2.c3 a5 1 3.dxc5 ( l 3.fif2 fia6 1 4.fixa6 is covered on page 263 - see 1 3.fif2 in the notes to line C25.) In Zeleic - Riazantsev, Dresden 2007, Black took back with the knight, but I think 1 3 . . . fixc5N equalizes more easily. For example: 1 4.fixc5 ttJxc5 1 5 .We3 Wb6 1 6.Ei:c1 fia6 1 7.cxb4 ttJxb4 1 8 .fixa6 ttJ bxa6 1 9.ttJd4 ttJ e4 20.f5 Ei:ac8= 1 2 . . . a5 1 3.dxc5 fixc5

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258

Playing the French

1 4 . .ixc5 Watson suggested that 1 4.c4N is worth a try, but Black has an adequate response in: 14 . . . bxc3 1 5 .'.Wxc3 .ixe3 1 6.'.Wxe3 .ia6= 1 4 . . . ltJ xc5 1 5 . .id3 .ia6 Black has equalized, and it is instructive to follow this super-GM game a little further. 1 6.'.We3 .ixd3 1 7.cxd3 ltJ a4 1 8.l"i:ab 1 ltJ e7 1 9.1"i:fc l '.Wd7 20.ltJd4 l"i:fc8 2 1 .ltJ d 1 l"i:xc l 22.l"i:xc l l"i:c8 23.'kt>fl h5 24.'.Wd2 '.Wb7 25.l"i:xc8t '.Wxc8 26.'kt>e2 '.Wc5 27.'.We3 ltJ c6 Kamsky - Morozevich, Amsterdam 1 996. By now Black had a slight edge, though the game was eventually drawn in 60 moves.

12 ... a5 13.d

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1 l ...'.Wb6 Since White has taken action against . . . b4 and . . . a5, Black switches plans. 1 Vllj dl 1 2.�h 1 cxd4 This exchange, aiming for a Sicilian-like minority attack, is a common theme when a2-a3 has been played. 1 3.ltJxd4 .ic5 1 4.l"i:ad 1 .ib7 1 5 .l"i:f3 .ixd4 1 6 . .ixd4 ltJ xd4 1 7.'.Wxd4 l"i:ac8

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13 ... a4! This move was first proposed by Neil McDonald in 2008 and soon found followers, being played more than fifteen times since then. 13 . . . .ia6? was effectively refuted by 1 4.dxc5 .ixc5 1 5 .b4!± in Alekseev - Ni Hua, Ningpo 2008. The b5-pawn is fixed as a target and Black's light-squared bishop will not see the light of day any time soon.

14.�d3 tlJ a5 15.'.We2 Now I really like an idea suggested by Watson, which can also be used against 1 5 .'.Wf2.

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1 8 .'kt>gl g6 ( l 8 . . . l"i:c7N is also possible) 1 9.h4 h5 20.l"i:g3 �g7 2 1 .'.Wf2 '.Wxf2t 22.'kt>xf2 ltJ b6 23.l"i:d4 'kt>h6 24.'kt>e l l"i:c7 25 . .id3 l"i:fc8 The position was close to equal, but slightly more comfortable for Black in Parushev - Galanov, corr. 20 1 0. a

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Chapter 1 4

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15 ... lLlb3!N 1 5 . . . lLlc4 1 6.�f2 f5 was unclear in Dj ukic ­ Kalezic, Tivat 2 0 1 1 . 16J!bl .ia6+! Intending . . . b4. 17.dxc5 lLldxc5 1 8.lLlf2 �c6 Watson stops here with an assessment of equality, but I decided to check a bit further.

Karjakin opts for a useful waiting move. He wants to see how Black is going to develop before choosing his course of action. On the other hand, the move is not particularly threatening. If Black understands White's ideas then the correct response may be found, and Carlsen is up to the challenge.

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259

Introduction to 7 . . . a6

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19.1Lld4 lLlxd4 20 ..ixd4 lLlb3 2 1 ..ie3 g6!? Black stands well because of the constant possibility of . . . d4 (which can be prepared by .. J&fd8) followed by . . . b4.

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1 l ...�c7! The logical 1 1 . . .b4!? was met by 1 2.lLla4! cxd4 1 3.lLlxd4 lLlxd4 1 4.�xd4 �b7 in Nijboer M. Gurevich, Amsterdam 2000, and in Chess Evolution 5, Baramidze now proposes 1 5 .b3N �c6 1 6. lLl b2 with a slight advantage for White. -

Baramidze also shows how White can make life difficult for Black after: 1 1 . . .1Mfb6 1 2.lLld l ! b4 1 3.c4!

Sergey Karjakin - Magnus Carlsen Wij k

aan

Zee 20 1 0

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLlc3 lLl f6 4.e5 lLlfd7 5.f4 c5 6.lLlf3 lLlc6 7..ie3 a6 The game actually went 7 . . . �e7 8 .'1Mi'd2 0-0 9.�e2 a6 1 0.0-0 b5, but I have modified the move order to fit with my recommendation for Black. 8.�d2 b5 9 ..ie2 .ie7 10.0-0 0-0 l l .i>hl!?

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260

Playing the French

This is Black's best try. 1 3 . . . cxd4 1 4.ltJxd4 ltJ xd4 1 5 . .txd4 .tc5 1 6 ..txc5 ltJ xc5 1 7.cxd5 exd5 1 S.Wd4 is uncomfortable for Black, and after 1 S . . . ltJ a4 1 9.Wxb6 ltJ xb6 20.ltJe3± White went on to win in Potkin - Wang Hao, Ningbo 20 1 0. 1 4.d5! exd5 1 5 .Wxd5 ltJ a5 1 6 . .tg1 Wc7 1 7.ltJe3 ltJ b6 1 S.We4 .tb7 1 9.Wc2 Baramidze stops his analysis here and says the position offers chances to both sides. Objectively this may be the case, but in a practical game I would rather be White. 1 9 . . . gfdS 20.ltJd2 White will regain the pawn by taking on c4. He may then play against the weakness of Black's remaining queens ide pawns, and at some point may also launch an attack on the other flank with f4-f5 .

occurred in Nijboer - Visser, Tilburg 2003, and now Black should play: 1 5 . . . ltJxd4N 1 6 . .txd4 ltJc5! ( 1 6 . . . .tc5 1 7.ltJe2!) 1 7.f5 exf5 1 S . .txf5 ltJ e6!f±

13 ... :Bac8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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14.VNel "A typical manoeuvre. White intends to gradually start an attack on the kingside. Therefore I decided to start counterplay in the centre immediately." - Carlsen

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1 2.a3 White decides that he cannot manage without this move after all, but it seems likely that . . . Wc7 will prove more useful than c±>h l . 1 2. ltJ d 1 allows 1 2 . . . b4! with the typical idea of . . . a5 and . . . .ta6, and in this position 1 3 .c4?! doesn't work: 13 ... dxc4 1 4.d5? exd5 1 5 .Wxd5 ltJ b6 1 6.We4 g6+

1 2 ....th7 13.:Badl 1 3 .gae 1 gacS 1 4 . .td3! ? cxd4 1 5 .ltJxd4

1 4.dxc5 .txc5 1 5 .ltJd4 was Danin - Vasilevich, Zvenigorod 200S. Now Black should exchange pieces on the d4-square: 1 5 . . . ltJxd4!N 1 6 . .txd4 .txd4 1 7.Wxd4 Wc5f± If Black is allowed to exchange queens then he is happy, and if not then he plays . . . gc7 and . . . gfcS, with . . . g6 also being a sensible move. 1 4 . .td3 is similar to the note to White's 1 3th move above: 1 4 . . . cxd4 1 5 .ltJxd4 ltJxd4 1 6 . .txd4 ltJc5! ( 1 6 . . . g6 1 7.f5!? looks dangerous for Black) 1 7.ltJe2 f6f±

14 ... cxd4 1 5.tiJxd4 tiJxd4 16.hd4 .tc5 17.VNh4? Carlsen questioned this move and suggested 1 7.Wf2 to keep more influence in the centre. A sample variation is 1 7 . . ..txd4 1 S.gxd4 Wic5

Chapter 1 4

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26 1

Introduction to 7 . . . a6

1 9JJ:fd 1 ( 1 9.f5 ? f6!) 1 9 . . . Wle7 20.Wlg3 :8c7 2 1 .�d3 g6 22.lt:le2 It:lc5! and Black is okay as he will soon play .. .f6.

17 ...ixd4 18.!!xd4

After 2 1 . WI g4 Golubev gives the instructive variation: 2 1 . . .:8cf8 22.:8f3 It:lb8! 23.�g6 lt:l c6 24.:8d2 d4!? 2 5 . lt:l e4 It:l e7 26.lt:lxf6t :8xf6 27.�d3 �xf3 and Black wins the f4-pawn.

2 1 . .. !!cf8 22.!!gl � c5 23.fxe6 �xe6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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18 ... f6! 19.id3 1 9.f5 ? makes no sense because of: 1 9 . . . fxe5 20.:8g4 It:l f6'-- + 1 9.exf6 :8xf6 20.Wlh3!? is possible, but Black keeps the initiative with 20 . . . :8cf8 .

19 ... h6!? 1 9 . . . g6!? is playable, though I tend to trust Carlsen's choice more. 20.exfG 20.Wlg4 Wlb6!'t and 20.Wlh3 It:lc5 2 1 .exf6 :8xf6't are both fine for Black. 20 ... !!xfG "Now it is clear that something has gone wrong for White. The rook on d4 is exposed, f4 is weak, and he will be facing tactical problems with . . . e5 quite soon. The 'bad' bishop on b7 is certainly no worse than the white knight, which has dominated it in so many textbook games." - Carlsen 21.f5?

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24.!!g4 24.:8xd5? is strongly met by 24 . . . lt:l f4!. After 24.lt:lxd5 �xd5 25 .:8xd5 It:l f4 26.:8d4 Wlc5 White has give up the exchange, in view of: 27.c3? It:lxd3 28.:8xd3 Wlxg1 t! 29.'it>xg 1 :8f1 #

24 ... �f4 25J�tg3 Wfe7! Carlsen: "The last key move, after which Black is completely winning. The point is to control e2, leaving the white knight without a good square after . . . d4 next." 26.!!xf4 Neither 26.h3 d4 nor 26.:8e 1 ? It:lxd3! would save White. 26 ... !!xf4 White has no compensation for the exchange, and Black duly won.

Playing the French

262

1 0.i.e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 transposes to 1 1 .4J d 1 in the notes to variation C24 - see page 257.

10 ... b4 1 O . . . c4 l 1 .i.e2 Wa5 1 2.c3 b4 was Nepomniachtchi - Ding Liren, St Petersburg 20 1 2. This may be playable, but I am not comfortable releasing the tension on d4 so soon, so I would advise against it.

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27.ltl e2 E:fl 28.ltld4 E:xgl t 29.f2 r;J:]dS 30.Ei:c3 Ei:bS 3 1 .�c2 Ei:b2 32. r;J:]e3 Ei:a2 33.�xe4 �xe4 34.'it>xe4 Ei:xg2 produced an interesting rook endgame in Ragger - B. Socko, Heraklio 2007, which ended in a draw.

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18 ...Wla4! The queen is well placed here, tying White to the defence of the a3-pawn. Black has no problems after this accurate response, so Khalifman's line cannot be considered dangerous today. 19.Wle3 .ib7 20 ..ie2 �Uc8 2 1 .0-0 �xc4 22.hc4 �c8 23 ..ib3? 23.Ei:c 1 is a more prudent choice, though

24.£5 24.Wb6 Wxb3 25 .Wxb7 We3t 26.'it>h l Ei:dS-+ is not an improvement for White. 24....id5! Perhaps Black missed this strong resource. 24 . . . Wxb4?? 27.Ei:d l +-

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25.£6 Wlxb4-+ The queen gets back to defend the g7 -square, and the game is practically over.

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White's e5-pawn is a problem and Black is already threatening . . . :8:f4.

Nikita Vitiugov - Vladimir Potkin

17.e3 55.geSt 'kt>f4 56.gfSt 'kt>g3 57.gdS ghl t 5S. 'kt>d2 b2 0-1 B3) 10.ga2

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This odd-looking move defends against Black's threat of . . . b4 without abandoning the a-file. It was recommended by Kasimdzhanov in his Beating the French ChessBase DVD.

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29 .. J�f7! 29 . . g5 ?! allows White to solve his problems with 30.!!eSt! �f7 3 1 .2:l:e5. .

30.2:l:eSt 2:l:fS 3 1 .2:l:xf8t 'kt>xf8 32J�fl 'kt>e7 33JU2?! 33.h4!? �d6 34.2:l:f3 is a better defensive try, though after 34 . . . 2:l:xf3 35.gxf3 �e5 Black is much better. 33 ... 'kt>d6 34.llJh5 gxd3t 35.'kt>cl g6 36.llJf6 h5? 36 . . . h6! would win quite simply. 37.llJxh5 ge3 3S.llJf4 'kt>e5 39.llJ e2 a5 40.'kt>d2 gb3? 40 . . . g5! should have been preferred, denying the white knight the use of the f4-square. 41 .'kt>cl b4 42.axb4 axb4 43.llJgl ?! Mter 43.g4! iLe6 44.ctJf4= White manages to defend.

10 ...�b6! Black opts for an improved version of the 9 .. .'IWb6 variation that we have studied in line A, with the benefit of having lured the white rook to the a2-square. We shall take a brief look at B3 1) l 1 .g3 before concentrating on B32) l 1 .llJe2. B3 1) 1 l .g3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 l ... cxd4 1 2.llJxd4 ic5 13.lLlce2 This retreat is forced, but in such positions White would prefer his knights to be on d4 . and f3 .

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l3 ...a5 Preventing b2-b4 and preparing the typical plan of . . . �a6 and . . . b4.

24.Wlxh7? �d2! With the deadly threat of 25 . . . !,!h6 26.Wfxg7 ttJ ef3t followed by mate. B32) 1 1 .�e2

14.c3 Renewing the threat. 14 ... a4 Now Black's queenside pawns are immobilized, but he can look to exploit his opponent's light-square weaknesses. 15 ..th3 .!Z) a5 16 ..tfl .!Z)e4 17.Wle2 f6!? Opening the centre is tempting, but Black can also opt for a more patient handling of the position with 1 7 . . . ttJ b8N followed by . . . ttJ c6, with at least equal chances. I S ..txe6 fxe5 19.fxe5 � dxe5 20.,txeS gxeS 2 1 .WlfS So far we have been following Hou Yifan Ding Liren, Xinghua 20 1 2. At this point Black missed a powerful idea:

Turning to this critical move, we have two proposals for how Black may proceed, B32 1) 1 1 ...Wle7!?N and B322) 1 1 ...h4.

B32 1) 1 1 ...'i;Ye7!?N 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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Black plays a third consecutive move with the queen, and achieves equal chances! At the start of the chapter I mentioned that Wolfgang Brodda introduced this move in a similar position, so it seems appropriate to call the current line the "Brodda Deferred". The following continuation shows that Black's scheme is made stronger by the presence of the white rook on a2 instead of a l .

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2 1 ...ge6!N 22.0-0 gf8 23.Wlh5t gg6 Black is ready to walk his king to the queenside and then attack the white king unhindered. I would evaluate the position as unclear but more dangerous for White. Here is one brief example showing how quickly White may fall into trouble:

12.g3 cxd4 l3.�exd4 �e5 14.�xe6 �e4 15.Wle2 Wlxe6 16.�d4 Wle7 17 ..tg2 .tb7 I S.0-0 .te5 19.c3 0-0 20.� b3 In Papp - Kantor on page 286, we saw the same position, but with the white rook on a 1 ; the difference is enough to change our assessment. 20 ....txe3t 2 1 .Wlxe3

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Chapter 1 6 - The Modern 9 . a3

This is the main line, and the obvious way of playing against the rook on a2. 1 2 . . . Wxb4?! is playable but less logical, and enables White to claim a slight edge: 1 3 .dxc5 ! Wxd2t ( 1 3 . . . tLlxc5 1 4.tLled4t) 1 4.mxd2 tLlxc5 1 5 .tLled4t

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21 ...\Wc4! This gives Black the necessary tempo to equalize. 22.ttkl �ac8 23.�al 23.mh l ? tLlxc3! 24.bxc3 Wxfl t! 25 .ixfl d4t shows that White cannot avoid the exchange of queens. 23 \Wc5 24.�el \Wxe3t 25.�xe3 ttJc5= Black is perfectly solid, although it will be tough to generate winning chances from such a position. The following line leads to more open play. •••

B322) 1 1 ...b4

1 3.�al ttJ c6! 14.�bl !?N I have made this untried move the main line because it was recommended by Bologan in his Fitfor the French DVD. Two other moves have been tested; the first is rather feeble but the second should be considered carefully. 1 4.1''1:a2 Now 1 4 . . . tLl b4 led to a draw by repetition in Dembo - E. Danielian, Khanty-Mansiysk (01) 20 1 0, but it is possible for Black to continue with: 14 . . . ib7N 1 5 . tLl c3 Wb4 1 6.ie2 cxd4 1 7.tLlxd4 tLlxd4 1 8.ixd4 ic5 1 9.ixc5 Wxc5 Black plans to castle and then play . . . ic6 followed by . . . a5-a4. 20.tLla4 Wc7 2 1 .0-0 0-0 22.b3 ic6 22 . . . f6 also offers equal chances. 23.tLlb2 a5 24.l:!fa l f6 25 .ig4 f5 26.if3 tLl c5 Intending . . . tLl e4 with good play. 1 4.b3

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1 4 . . . ie7!N 14 . . .ib7 1 5 .tLl c3 Wc7 1 6.tLla4 gave White

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the advantage in Svidler - Komarov, Paris 2006. 1 5 .ltJ c3 1 5 .g3 0-0 1 6.i.g2 a5 1 7. ltJ c3 ( I 7.0-0 i.a6=) 17 . . .'lWc7 1 B.ltJb5 'lWbB is at least equal for Black, who intends . . . i.a6. 1 5 . . . 'lWc7! 1 6.ltJa4!? After 1 6.g3? cxd4 1 7.ltJxd4 i.b4+ the pin of the c3-knight is bad news for White. I also considered 1 6.i.e2 cxd4 1 7.ltJxd4 i.b4 1 B.0-0 0-0 1 9.1tJxc6 'lWxc6 20.i.d4 a5 when Black is fine, with . . . i.a6 coming next.

14 ....te7 I s.tbc3 %Ye7! This is our usual method for pre-empting ltJ a4. Bologan's line continues 15 ... 0-0 1 6.i.e2 f6 1 7.ltJa4 'lWb4 I B .ltJxc5 ltJxc5 1 9.dxc5 fxe5 20.c3 'lWbB 2 1 .fxe5 ltJxe5 22.0-0 ltJ g4 23.g3 and White is better.

16 ..te2 1 6.g3 0-0 1 7.i.g2 a5 followed by . . . i.a6 is fine for Black. 1 6 ... 0-0 17.0-0 as! The standard idea; Black wants to exchange his bad bishop. 1 8.'if.lhl 1 B.f5 ? is met by 1B . . . cxd4 1 9.1tJxd4 ltJdxe5+ and White's attack is not dangerous. 8

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1 6 . . . g5!! This is the only idea that avoids a slight disadvantage for Black. 1 7.dxc5 gxf4 I B.i.xf4 ltJ xc5 1 9.1tJxc5 i.xc5 Black is at least equal due to the weakness of the e5-pawn.

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1 8 cxd4! Exchanging pieces on d4 is a safe route to equality, and the only line I would recommend.

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1 B . . . i.a6?! 1 9.f5 ! From a practical perspective there i s n o sense in allowing this kind of attack. Nevertheless, even in this unfavourable line Black has enough defensive resources to hold a draw. I have included my analysis for instructive

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Chapter 1 6 - The Modern 9 . a3 purposes, as some of the following ideas may be applicable in related positions. 19 . . . cxd4 20. tLJ xd4 ixe2 2 1 .Wlxe2 ic5! The bishop moves away from the intended f5-f6 break and puts pressure on White's centralized knight. 22.liJcb5 liJxd4 23.ixd4

!'i:xe7 32.Wlc8t 'it>f7 33.!'i:fl t 'it>g6 34.Wlf5 t 'it>h6 3 5 .Wlh3t 'it>g6 36.Wlf5 t White's attack has run out o f steam, s o he has to deliver perpetual check.

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23 . . . Wlb6! Black counters the flank attack with pressure in the centre. 24.ixc5 Wlxc5 25.liJd6! 25.f6 gxf6 26.exf6 'it>h8!+ Black has avoided being brutally mated, and has even emerged slightly better due to the weak f6-pawn and his potential play both on the queens ide and along the g-file. 25 . . .Wld4! Black has to attack the e5-pawn. After 25 . . . f6?! 26.fxe6 liJxe5 27.e7 !'i:fb8 28 .e8=!'i:t !'i:xe8 29.liJxe8 !'i:xe8 Black does not have full compensation for the exchange, despite his impressive centralized knight. 26.!'i:be 1 !'i:ad8 Renewing the threat to take on e5. 26 ... Wlxb2!? 27.f6 gxf6 28.Wlg4t 'it>h8 29.Wlh5 Wlxc2 30.liJxf7t 'it>g8 looks dangerous for Black, although my computer insists that White has no more than a draw. 27.liJxf7 !'i:xf7 28.fxe6 This also appears dangerous, but it only leads to a draw. 28 . . . !'i:xfl t 29.Wlxfl liJxe5 30.e7 !'i:e8 3 1 .Wlf5

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19 ... �xd4 1 9 . . . ib4?! 20.liJcb5! followed by c2-c3 gives White the advantage. 20.i.xd4 .tc5 2 1 .tiJ b5 'l&b6 This familiar simplifYing method leads to equal play. 22J:l:al hd4 23.'I&xd4 23.liJxd4 ia6= 23 ...'I&xd4 24.�xd4 .ta6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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Playing the French

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25 ..ba6 25 .:8xa5 ?! initiates complications that turn out in Black's favour: 25 . . . �xe2 26.:8xa8 �xfl 27.:8a l �c4 28.b3 :8c8+ 25 ... :8xa6 26.b3= The endgame is balanced.

Conclusion In this chapter we examined the most critical variation of the 7 . . . a6 system, which arises after 8 .Wd2 b5 9.a3. After A) 9 ... Wb6 l O. ttJ e2! the German correspondence GM Wolfgang Brodda introduced l O . . . Wc7!? This has some interesting ideas behind it, but careful examination revealed a route to an advantage for White. B) 9 . . . Wa5! is a better move, when White must decide how to react to the prospect of . . . b4. One important option is B2) l O.dxc5 as recommended by Khalifman, but the later improvement 1 8 . . . Wa4! gives Black comfortable equality. White's most important try these days is B3) l O.:8a2, when l O . . . Wb6! gives Black an improved version of Variation A, as the white rook is worse on a2 than a l . After 1 1 .ttJ e2 Black can choose between the solid Brodda Deferred line with 1 1 . . .Wc7!?N and the more open 1 1 . . .b4 1 2.axb4 ttJxb4. The two lines lead to different types of positions but both can be evaluated as approximately equal and theoretically healthy for Black.

Chapter 17 a

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The Classical Variation l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�c3 � f6 4 ..ig5 .ie7 A) 5 ..ixf6 .ixf6 6.e5 6. ctJ f3 Game 44 B) 5.e5 �fd7 6.h4!? � c6!? B1) 7.� h3 B2) 7.f4 B3) 7.�g4 B4) 7.�d2 7. ctJ f3 Game 4 5 -

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Game 44 Game 45

Jan Foltys - Paul Keres, Prague 1 937 Sebastien Maze - Mateusz Bartel, Aix-Ies-Bains 20 1 1

301 302 304 306 307 307 308 309

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move unless otherwise indicated.

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Can you see how White secures an advantage? (page 305)

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Suggest a logical plan of action for Black. (page 307)

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The threat of Wfh5t looks strong. Is there a way to deal with it? (page 306)

Can you find the clearest way for Black to proceed? (page 302)

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White is threatening a pawn. How would you react? (page 309)

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Not a typical French position. What is Black's best move? (page 309)

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Should White exchange on e7 or not? (page 308)

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What is Bl'.lck's most logical plan? (page 3 1 0)

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30 1

Chapter 1 7 - The Classical Variation

l.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 ttJf6 4 ..tgS .te?

days, so I feel more confident than ever against 6.h4. Against 6.�xe7, Jacob offered excellent advice accompanied with some fascinating analysis of 6 . . .Vf1xe7 7.f4 a6! 8 . lLl f3 lLl b6!. Thus after more than ten years of playing and studying the French Defence, I suddenly find myself yearning for a suitable chance to test 4 . . . �e7 in my own games. In this chapter we will analyse the rare A) S ..txf6, before commencing our study of the main continuation, which is of course B) S.eS.

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This move introduces the Classical Variation, which is recommended for those who do not want to become involved in the chaos of the McCutcheon Variation. The worst thing that can happen to Black here is to suffer a slight disadvantage, but even that should be manageable in practice. I have to admit that, prior to writing this book, I never fully trusted 4 . . . �e7. First of all, exchanging Black's good bishop for White's bad one seemed like a strategic concession. Secondly, when dealing with the specifics, there was always a theoretical problem in each line I looked at. Mter 5.e5 lLlfd7, not only 6.�xe7 but also 6.h4! ? looked to be in excellent theoretical shape. When Jacob told me that we should feature 4 . . . �e7 in the book, I revisited my oId notes, trying to find traces of hope, while checking modern analytical engines and the latest games, especially high-level correspondence ones. What discovered was actually quite enlightening! First of all in the Alekhine Gambit with 6.h4!?, the reply 6 . . . lLl c6!?, played a couple of times by Morozevich, has become popular and appears perfectly playable. The older 6 . . . c5 line also looks in fine shape these

5.exd5 exd5 transposes to an unthreatening version of the Exchange Variation.

A) S ..txf6 .txf6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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6.eS This has a certain appeal in a strategic sense. Having exchanged bishop for knight, White closes the centre and puts his pawns on dark squares. 6.lLlf3 is covered in Game 44 below.

6 ....te? ? '?Ng4 7.f4 c5 8 . lLl f3 lLl c6 9 .Vf1d2 looks like a plausible way for White to develop, but it does not trouble Black: 9 . . . cxd4 1 O.lLlxd4

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1 O . . . i.d7!N 1 l .ltJb3 ( l l .0-0-0? allows the nasty 1 1 . . .ltJ xe5! winning a pawn) 1 1 . . .1"k8 1 2.i.d3 0-0+ Black is fully mobilized and ready to break with .. .f6 next.

7 ... 0-0 8 ..id3 8

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1 5 ... B:xf4!N 1 5 . . . ltJa5?! 1 6.1"i:xd5! exd5 1 7.i.xd5t �h8 1 8.i.xa8 was unclear in Pilnik - Stahlberg, Mar del Plata 1 942. After the text move Black is doing well because the sacrifice on d5 no longer works: 16.B:xd5 Wfb6! 17 ..ib3 Wfe3t 1 8.B:d2 B:d4 19.1Lldl Wfxd2t 20.Wfxd2 B:xd2 2 1 .'it>xd2 lLlxe5-+ Black's extra pawn, bishop pair and lead in development add up to a decisive advantage in the endgame.

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8 ... 6! 9.Wfh3 9 .exf6?! i.xf6 gives Black easy play on the dark squares. 9 ... c5 10.dxc5 lLl c6 l 1 .f4 b6! 1 2.0-0-0 After 1 2.cxb6 Wxb6 White is in trouble as he cannot hide his king. 12 ... bxc5 1 3.g4 c4 14.hc4 fxg4 15.Wfg2

Jan Foltys Paul Keres -

Prague 1 937

I .d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.lLlc3 lLlf6 4..ig5 .ie7 5 ..ixf6 .ixf6 6.lLla This move, a pet line of the unofficial World Champion Adolf Anderssen back in the 1 9th century, is more dangerous than closing the centre. 6 ... 0-0 7 ..id3 White is preparing for a Greek' Gift sacrifice on h7, but this idea is doomed to failure without the dark-squared bishop.

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7... c5 8.e5 i.e7 9.dxc5 9.h4 cxd4 1 O.ixh7t? �xh7 I l .tLlg5t 'kt>h6! is great for Black, simply because White doesn't have a dark-squared bishop. 1 2.�c 1 N (Mter 1 2.�d3 g6 1 3.tLle2 'kt>g7 14.f4 :B:hB 1 5 .0-0-0 tLlc6 White had nothing for the sacrificed piece in Kemeny - Schrader, Saint Louis 1 904.)

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1 O . . . tLlxc5 This move was proposed by Watson on Chess Publishing. The engine likes it, but I am not convinced that many humans would be happy going down this path. 1 1 .ixh7t! The only critical move. 1 1 . . .�xh7 1 2.tLlg5t 'kt>g6 1 2 . . . 'kt>h6? does not work this time: 1 3.�d2 ixg5 1 4.hxg5 t �g6 1 5 .f4± According to Watson, White does not have enough compensation for his piece. Technically this may be true, but in a practical game Black would face an ongoing attack.

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9... tiJd7 10.h4 f5! I consider this move to be at least as good as anything else in the absolute sense, but clearly best from a practical point of view. 1 0 . . .f6? can be refuted instantly by: 1 1 .tLlg5! fxg5 1 2.ixh7t �xh7 1 3.hxg5t 'kt>gB 1 4.:B:hBt 'kt>xhB 1 5 .�h5t 'kt>gB 1 6.g6 and Black is mated.

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1 3.�g4 ixg5 1 4.f4 :B:hBN This was Watson's proposal. Another idea is: 1 4 . . . f5 1 5 .exf6 'kt>xf6N 0 5 . . . gxf6? 1 6.hxg5 :B:hB 1 7.:B:h6t �f7 1 B .�h5t 1 -0 Lundin - Ask, Gothenburg 2006) 1 6.hxg5t �e7 1 7.:B:h7 :B:gB 1 B.0-0-0 According to Houdini Black can defend here, although in a practical game White's compensation would be annoying. 1 5 .0-0-0 White has genuine compensation. Here is an illustrative line, using Houdini's top suggestions for Black. 1 5 . . . f5 1 6.exf6 gxf6 1 7.hxg5 fxg5 I B.:B:xhB �xhB 1 9.�xg5t �f7 20.f5 Black is in trouble.

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l 1 .exf6?! 1 1 .b4 is White's best try. Then 1 1 . . .b6! 1 2.�b5 was played in Bichsel - Zueger, Switzerland 1 99 5 , but after the simple 1 2 . . . a6!N Black is much better. 1 1 ... hf6!+ White wants to castle queens ide, so the bishop will do a great job on the long diagonal, defending and attacking at the same time. The rest of the game turns into a one-man show, as Keres skilfully develops his advantage. 12.VNdl liJxe5 1 3.0-0-0 VNa5 14.a3 i.d7 Black could obtain a good endgame with 1 4 . . . �xc3 1 5 .Wfxc3 Wfxc3 1 6.bxc3 �d7, but he would rather keep the queens on the board as his attack is more dangerous. 1 5J::!: del :Bae8 16.ttJe5 he5 17.:Bxe5 d4 1 8.:Bxe5 White has to give up the exchange, because if the knight moves then 1 8 . . . liJb3t wins the queen. 1 8.�xh7t mxh7 1 9.Wfxd4 Wfa4!? 20.Wfxa4 liJ xa4 2 1 . liJ e4 8:f5+ leaves White with insufficient compensation for the piece.

18 ... VNxe5 19.1iJe4 VNd5 20.'it> b l e5 2 1 .£3 h6 22.b3 i.e6 23.h5 a5 24.a4

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24 .. �h8 Good technique by Keres; by moving to a dark square the king avoids any tactical accidents. 25.:Bgl :Bc3 26.i.b5 :Be7 27.i.d3 i.d7 28.g4 :Bxf3 29.g5 i.f5 30.gxh6 he4 3 1 .hxg7t :Bxg7 32.:Bxg7 �xg7 33.VNg5t �f7 The checks are over, so White resigned. 0-1 Returning to 5.e5, we shall now focus on:

B) 5.e5 liJfd7 6.h4!? 6.�xe7 is the main line covered in Chapters 1 9 and 20, but before then we must deal with the aggressive text move. We have chosen to call this simply the Alekhine Gambit, though it is also known as the Albin-Chatard Gambit as well as the Alekhine-Chatard Attack. It was first played by the Romanian Adolf Albin in 1 890, and then was taken up by the French player Eugene Chatard and others. Alekhine was apparently the first to discover, after 6 . . . �xg5 7.hxg5 Wfxg5, that 8.liJh3!? is stronger than Albin's 8 . liJ f3, and it was this discovery that made the gambit appear dangerous. More than 75 years later, the SwediSh GM Hector discovered an even better move, 8 .Wfd3! making the acceptance of the gambit even

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Chapter 1 7 - The Classical Variation more problematic from a theoretical point of view. I would advise against accepting the gambit, as for the cost of a flank pawn White gets an excellent lead in development and a fantastic rook without even moving it. In the present posItIon, my primary recommendation is 6 . . . c5!, which is covered in the next chapter. In this chapter I would like to draw your attention to a different plan which I also find quite appealing.

6 .lLlc6!? Before analysing this move, let me briefly show you one other topical line that I discarded: 6 . . . 0-0 This has been advocated by Moskalenko and Ziegler, but I consider it dangerous for Black. Here is a shortened version of my analysis, showing the most important points: 7.�d3 c5 8."Wh5 g6 9 ."Wh6 4J c6 9 . . . cxd4 1 O.4Jf3 4Jxe5 l 1 .4Jxe5 dxc3 ( l l . . .4Jc6? 1 2.4Jxg6!N) 1 2.4Jxg6! fxg6 1 3.�xg6 hxg6 1 4."Wxg6t h8 1 5 .Ei:h3 cxb2 1 6.Ei:b l was better for White in Martin Clemente - Holmberg, email 2006.

defensive idea. White's attack is srymied and his centre is collapsing. 1 1 . . . Ei:e8N 1 1 . . . f5 1 2. 4J f3 ( l 2.4Jh3!?N is also strong) 1 2 . . . 4J xf3 1 3.gxf3 �xg5 1 4.hxg5 "We7 1 5 .4Jb5± Bellon Lopez Gleizerov, Stockholm 200 5 . 1 2.�xe7 Ei:xe7 1 3.h5 "Wf8 1 4.hxg6 fxg6 1 5 ."Wh4 b5

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Moskalenko says Black has counterplay here, but Goh Wei Ming points out the following strong continuation on Chess Publishing: 1 6.4Jce2! 4J xe2t 1 7.�xe2 Intending 4J f3-g5, with better chances for White. After that brief diversion, let us return to the safer 6 . . . 4J c6!?: 8 7 6 5

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1 0.f4! 4Jxd4 1 0 . . . cxd4N l 1 .4J f3!! is good for White, as shown by Moskalenko in The Flexible French. 1 1 .0-0-0! 1 1 .h5? �xg5 1 2.fxg5 "We7!N is an important

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Playing the French

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I find the idea behind this move quite brilliant; Black wants to lure White into exchanging on e7, and after taking back with the queen, Black will play . . . lLl b6 and . . . i.d7 then castle queens ide. This plan is viable only after White has played 6.h4. If the pawn stood on h2, White would simply be able to castle kingside and launch a pawn storm on the queens ide, gaining time by attacking the black knights. With the pawn on h4 though, Black will have at least as many attacking chances as White, because he can open the kingside with .. .f6 (or . . . h6) and . . . gS . If White castles queens ide then . . . f6 will give Black counterplay in the centre, while allowing the d7 -bishop to be activated via eS and g6 or hS. White might avoid exchanging on e7 and play i.e3 or i.f4, but in that case the bishop won't be particularly well placed and White still won't be able to castle on the kingside. In this scenario, Black may keep his king in the centre and expand on the queens ide with . . . a6, . . . bS, and . . . lLl b6. For this reason, Black should generally refrain from playing . . . lLl b6 until the white bishop has committed to an exchange on e7. If the knight goes to b6 prematurely, White can retreat his bishop to f4 or d , when the . . . bS plan is no longer available to Black. We will examine B I ) 7.lLlh3, B2) 7.f4, B3) 7.�g4 and B4) 7.�d2. 7.lLlf3 is the most common move, and it will be discussed in the illustrative game at the end of the chapter.

B I ) 7.llJh3 White defends the gS-bishop, but the lack of control over the eS-square makes the following break more effective.

7 ... f6! 8.exf6 White should not be tempted by: s . lLl f4?!

It looks tempting to attack e6 while threatening WhSt, but Black can counter with a temporary knight sacrifice: s . . . lLl dxeS ! 9.dxeS lLlxeS

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1 O .WhSt 1 O.We2 fxgS l 1 .hxgS i.d6 1 2.WhSt was played in Euwe - Maroczy, Amsterdam 1 922, and now simply 1 2 . . . g6!N is much better for Black. 1 0 . . . g6 1 1 .lLlxg6 lLl xg6 1 2.i.d3 �d7 1 3 .i.h6 WgS 1 4.f4 c6 l S .0-0-0 �c7 White did not have enough for the pawn in Asgari - Ghane Gardeh, Teheran 200S.

8 ... lLlxf6 9.�d2

Chapter 1 7

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The Classical Variation

B2) 7.f4

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12 ... f6! We now see the second stage of the plan. 1 3.d E:df8 14.i.d3 i.e8 I S.We2 �d7 1 6.hS fxeS 17.fxeS llJ e7 1 8.�c2 i.f7 19.94 �e8 20.�h4 cS 8 7 6 5 4

This was seen in a clash between two strong grandmasters, both of them French Defence players, and we shall follow this short but instructive encounter.

7 �b6 There is no need to maintain the possibility of . . . a6, . . . b5 and . . . tt:l b6, because White is unable to avoid the exchange on e7. .•.

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Y2-YZ Vallejo Pons - Zvjaginsev, Rijeka 20 1 O.

With . . . tt:l c6 and . . . �b8 coming next, Black is definitely not worse in the final position.

B3) 7.�g4

8.�d2 h6 9.he7 �xe7 10.�f3 i.d7 1 1 .llJdl 1 1 .0-0-0 0-0-0 1 2.id3 b8 1 3.�b 1 f6 also gives Black good counterplay. 1 1 ...0-0-0 IV!lje3

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7 ... f6!? According to my database, this was played the first time this position arose more than eighty years ago, and it is still considered strong today.

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Playing the French

8.exf6 8 .i.d3? tLl dxe5!? 9.dxe5 tLlxe5 1 0.Wh5t g6 1 1 .i.xg6t tLlxg6 1 2.i.h6 occurred in the stem game Euwe - Olland, Amsterdam 1 92 1 . At this point 1 2 . . .Ei:g8N is clearly better for Black who has an extra pawn and good central control.

19 ...i.e7!N Black can continue with . . . i.f6 and . . . b5, with excellent chances. B4) 7.'?Md2

8 JiJxf6 9JWdl 0-0 10.tLla h6 1 1 .i.e3 Black has a comfortable position, and the following game is instructive: •.

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1 l ...i.b4 12.i.d3 llJ g4 13.'?Md2 e5 14.dxe5 tlJ gxe5 1 5.llJxe5 llJxe5 1 6.0-0-0 c6 17.a3 tlJxd3t 1 8.'?Mxd3 i.f5 19.'?Md2 This was Pyatin - Emdin, Peterhof 2008, and now Black should have played: 8 7

7 ... h6! 7 . . . tLl b6?! is an instructive mistake which has been seen in several games. 8 .0-0-0 h6 9.i.xe7?! Wxe7 transposes to the main line, and this was the move order that actually occurred in the Petrosian - Sedlak game as referenced below. The problem with this move order is that 9.i.f4!?N and 9.i.e3!?N are more troublesome, as Black does not have the plan of . . . a6 and . . . b5 available. 8.i.xe7 In this position retreating the bishop would be met by . . . a6 followed by . . . b5 and . . . tLlb6, with good play for Black.

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8 ...'?Mxe7 9.0-0-0 llJb6 We have arrived back at a common position, having prevented White from ' making an advantageous bishop retreat to f4 or e3.

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Chapter 1 7 - The Classical Variation

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1 3 eS!N 14.dxeS fxeS I S.:B:xh6 1 5 .tLlxd5 tLlxd5 1 6.Wi'xd5 0-0-0 1 7.Wi'e4 :B:dfS also gives Black fine compensation.

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I S .. J�xh6 16.Wfxh6 0-0-0 Black has excellent compensation for his pawn. A possible continuation is:

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lOJ�h3 1 O. �b 1 N is met by the standard 1 O . . . i.d7 I l .h5 0-0-0, intending . . . �bS, . . . i.eS and .. .f6 with counterplay. 1 O.tLlf3 i.d7 I l .h5 0-0-0 1 2.:B:h4 was played in Simonian - Jaroch, Warsaw 20 1 1 , and here 12 .. .f6!N would be thematic and good.

17.�xdS?! �xdS ISJhdS Wff7 19.Wfd2 � e7 20J�aS .ig4 2 1 ..id3 e4 22.:B:xa7 tLl c6! 22 . . . exd3? 23.:B:aSt �d7 24.Wi'xd3t tLl d5 25.:B:xdSt �xdS 26.Wi'd4 is not a simple position to play for either side, but the four pawns for the piece along with the unsafe black king gives White the advantage. 23.:B:aSt � bS; Black wins a piece under more favourable circumstances than in the previous note. Here too, White will have a lot of pawns in return, but the big difference is that White's king is in more danger.

10 ....id7 1 1 .:B:g3 f6 1 1 . . .:B:gS? 1 2.Wi'xh6!± 12.exf6 gxf6 13.:B:g6!? So far we have been following D. Petrosian - Sedlak, Rijeka 20 1 0. At this point Black can make a promising pawn sacrifice:

Sebastien Maze - Mateusz Bartel Aix-les-Bains 20 1 1

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.�c3 �f6 4..igS .ie7 S.e5 �fd7 6.h4 tLl c6 7.�f3

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Playing the French

As mentioned previously, this has been White's most popular choice.

7... h6 7 . . . lLl bG?! has been more popular, but once again this move makes it more tempting for White to avoid the exchange on e7. 7 . . . fG! ? is an interesting alternative. A possible continuation is: 8 .exfG (8 . .if4 fXe5N 9.dxe5 0-0 1 O.g3 lLl bG offers Black good counterplay.) 8 . . . lLl xfG 9 . .ib5 0-0 1 O.We2 .ib4 1 1 ..ixcG bxcG 1 2 . .id2 a5 1 3.0-0-0 WdG 1 4.lLl b 1 .iaG Black had taken over the initiative in Govedarica - Sedlak, Belgrade 2009. 8.i.f4 8 . .ixe7 Wxe7 is fine for Black, who plans . . . lLl bG, . . . .id7 and . . . 0-0-0, followed by breaking with . . . fG.

10.a4 b4 1 O . . . bxa4!?N 1 1 .:gxa4 0-0, with ideas such as . . . fG, or . . . lLl b4 followed by . . . c5, gives Black enough counterplay and would have been a sound alternative. 1 1 .ttlg3 lLl a5 12.i.e3 c5 Black is doing fine, and over the next few moves he starts to get the better of the struggle. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

8 ... a6! 9.lLle2 9.:gh3 was played in Bodek - Wheeler, Las Vegas 20 1 2, and here the consistent continuation for Black is 9 . . . b5N 1 O.:gg3 .if8!? with balanced play. Black may continue with . . . lLl e7 and . . . c5, or . . . lLl bG-c4.

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13.ttlh5 g6 14.lLlf4 cxd4 1 5.,bd4 lLlc6 16.c4 This seems a bit optimistic, but Black was at least equal in any case. 16 ... lLlxd4 17.W!'xd4 i.c5 1 8.W!'d2

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9 ... h5 Let me repeat once again: this space-gaining move is the reason why Black should not play . . . lLl bG too early.

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Chapter 1 7

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The Classical Variation

1 8 . . . dxc4! 19 .�xc4 �b 7+ is a better choice, when the French bishop triumphantly occupies the long diagonal.

19.cxdS ttlxeS 20.i.e2 ttl g4 21.ttld3 i.d6 22.dxe6 he6 23.ttld4 Wfe7 24.ttlxe6 Wfxe6 2S.ttlf4 WfeS 25 . . . 'Wf6 26.g3 h5 might be a safer route to equality, though a draw was agreed here anyway. 'Iz-'Iz

Conclusion We began our coverage of the Classical Variation by dealing with the old move 5 .�xf6, which does not cause any problems against correct defence. We then moved on to the main theoretical branch involving 5.e5 ltJ fd7, examining the aggressive Alekhine Gambit with 6.h4!? After discussing the drawbacks of a couple of popular lines, we concentrated on the modern 6 . . . ltJc6!? Depending on White's choice of 7th move, Black may continue with 7 .. .f6, or in some cases 7 . . . h6, forcing White to decide what to do with his bishop. If White exchanges on e7, then after . . . 'Wxe7 followed by . . . ltJ b6, . . . �d7 and long castling, the presence of the white pawn on h4 enables Black to obtain counterplay on the kingside. If White goes back with �f4 or �e3, then Black is advised to play . . . a6 and . . . b5 followed by ... ltJb6 with good prospects on the queens ide. The 6 . . . ltJ c6 variation has not been tested and analysed in as much detail as some other moves, but based on the evidence so far, it looks fully playable. Factor in the surprise value and the simple logic of Black's follow­ up play, and you have a fine system whose popularity is only likely to increase.

31 1

Chapter 1 8

Alekhine Gambit with 6 c5! . . .

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . tLl c3 tLl f6 4.�g5 �e7 5.e5 tLl fd7 6.h4!? c5! 7.�xe7! @xe7! A) 8.�b5 B) 8.tLlf3!? C) 8.f4 �b6! 9.tLla4 �a5t 1 0.c3 b6 1 1 .�h3 1 1 .@f2 Game 46 D) 8.�g4 E) 8.dxc5 tLlxe5! 9.�e2! tLl bc6 1 0.0-0-0 �a5! l l .@ b l l 1 .f4 Game 47 -

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Game 46 Game 47

Igor Nataf - Mikhail Ulibin, Stockholm 1 999 Artur Gabrielian - Oleg Nikolenko, Moscow 2006

315 316 317 319 320 324 325

319 325

Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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How should Black continue? (page 320)

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How can Black defuse White's initiative? (page 325)

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What simple move should Black play? (page 3 1 7)

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How does Black arrange his pieces harmoniously? (page 322)

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Evaluate Black's chances. (page 326)

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Should Black exchange bishops Can you find a plan to solve the on fl , or is there a better move? problem of the h8-rook? (page 323) (page 3 1 8)

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Black has two playable ideas. Can you find either of them? (page 327)

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Playing the French

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLlc3 lLlf6 4.i.g5 i.e7 5.e5 lLl fd7 6.h4!? c5! 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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Although 6 . . . ltk6!? is a fully viable option that will appeal to many players, there is something appealing about meeting White's system head-on with a strong central counter. I have always considered this to be the most natural move in this position, and I am not the only one. The great Richard Reti played the Alekhine Gambit several times as White, but the only time he faced it as Black, against the future World Champion Max Euwe in 1 923, he opted for this continuation. In the 1 930s the strong Swedish GM Stahlberg used this line exclusively. In more modern times, Ulibin and Gleizerov championed this move in the 1 990s, but despite their efforts, my oid edition of EGO and Pedersen's The Main Line French (published in 200 1 ) preferred White's chances. Today though, with more recent practical material available and more powerful analytical tools to work with, it seems that new life can be breathed into the line.

7.Wg4?! This allows Black to obtain at least equal chances. 7 . . . �xg5! 8 .Wxg5 8.hxg5 cxd4 9.Wxd4 (9.ltJb5 Binder Ripperger, St Ingbert 1 994, can be met by 9 . . . Wa5tN 1 0.c3 ltJxe5 l 1 .Wxd4 ltJbc6, with the better game for Black.) 9 . . . ltJc6 1 O.Wd2 ltJ dxe5 l 1 .f4 Scacco - Sharikov, email 1 998, and now Black should play: 1 1 . . .d4!N 1 2.ltJe4 Wd5 1 3.ltJf2 ltJg6=t 8 . . . Wxg5 9.hxg5 ltJ c6 1 O.ltJb5 cJ;; e7 1 l .f4 a6 1 2 .ltJd6 ltJxd4 1 3.0-0-0 ltJ b6 1 4.�d3 ltJb5 1 5 .�xb5 axb5 1 6.b 1 This was Van Bavel - Wustefeld, Groningen 2005, and Black should now go for: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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1 6 . . . ltJ c4N 1 7.ltJxb5 �d7 1 8 .ltJ c3 �c6 Continuing with . . . d4 will give Black an excellent position. 7.ltJb5?! This might look threatening, but Black has a strong reply:

7.i.xe7! This has been by far White's most popular choice here, no doubt because it obliges Black to recapture with the king. Other moves are not critical. a

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Chapter 1 8

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315

Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . . c5!

7 . . .f6! 8 .exf6 8.id3? a6 9.�h5t 'it>f8 1 0.l"i:h3? cxd4 I I .tLlf3 axb5 1 2 .i116 �a5t! ( 1 2 . . . gxh6? 1 3.�xh6t 'it>e8 14.�h5t would give White a perpetual) 1 3.id2 ib4 White resigned in Kapnisis Ulibin, Athens 1 997. Black's position is too solid for such brutal play to be effective. 8 . . . tLlxf6 Both the h4-pawn and the knight on b5 are misplaced. White is slightly worse already, and in the following game his position went downhill rapidly. 9.id3?! a6 1 O.tLla3 cxd4 I l .tLlf3 tLl c6 1 2.�e2 ib4t 1 3 .'it>f1 0-0+ White was in serious trouble in Caruso Gleizerov, Padua 1 999.

7 .. c;i?xe7! I don't believe in Black's compensation after: 7 . . .�xe7 8.tLlb5 0-0 9.tLlc7 tLlc6 Black has also tried 9 . . . cxd4!? 1 O.tLlxa8 f6! 1 1 .�xd4 tLlc6 1 2.�d2 fxe5 . Although in a practical game Black has some compensation, White's chances are objectively higher. 1 0.tLlxa8 .

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Returning to the main line, moving the king is a definite concession, but one that Black can withstand thanks to his solid pawn centre. Meanwhile the pawns on d4 and e5 are under fire, so White must decide what to do. We shall first take a look at the lesser possibilities A) 8.i.b5 and B) 8.lLlf3, and then study in some detail the main theoretical options of C) 8.£4, D) 8.VNg4 and E) 8.dxc5.

A) 8.i.b5 8 7 6 5 4 3

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1 0 . . . cxd4 I l .tLlf3 �b4t 1 2.�d2 �xb2 1 3.l"i:d l tLlc5 1 4.id3 id7 1 5 .tLlc7 l"i:c8 1 6.tLlxd5 exd5 Black had won some material back and eventually managed to draw in A. Hunt - Short, Bunratty 20 1 1 , but I would not recommend this line as anything more than a blitz weapon.

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This was Euwe's choice in the aforementioned game, which we will follow for a while.

8 ... cxd4 9.VNxd4 lLlc6 10.i.xc6 bxc6 1 1 .0-0-0 VNb6 12.VNg4

316

Playing the French

1 2.'\Wf4N is another option, but with 1 2 . . . ;gb8 1 3.b3 h6! Black stops Wg5t and stands fine.

This rare move provides a simple and effective solution. 8 . . . cxd4 This is the obvious choice, but there is a problem with it. 9.Wxd4 lLl c6 1 0.Wf4 Wc7 1 l .0-0-0 lLldxe5 8 7

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A possible continuation is 1 4.;gh3 Wc7 1 5 . lLl f3 �f8 and Black intends . . . c5 and/or . . . a5 with excellent counterplay.

1 2 ';:�j>f8 13.lLla ;gb8 14.b3 Y*lb4 15.Y*lg5 Y*le7 16.Y*lf4 Now in Euwe - Reti, Scheveningen 1 923, the simplest continuation for Black is: .••

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1 6 ... c5N With good counterplay.

This move is not as innocent as it looks.

8 Y*lb6! •••

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1 2.@b l ! White sidesteps the threatened . . . lLld3t and now threatens ;gxd5!. 1 2 . . . Wb8 The queen moves away from a potential knight fork on d5, and by moving to a defended square she also unpins the e5knight. 1 2 . . . Wd6!N is a better way to achieve the same objectives. After a lot of analysis, I concluded that Black equalizes after 1 3.lLlb5 Wb8 1 4.c4 ;gd8 1 5 .cxd5 ;gxd5, but there are numerous forcing variations along the way, and going down this path makes no sense when an easier alternative exists. 1 3.;ge 1 ! This was an improvement on 1 3 .�b5?! lLlxf3, which was balanced in Kovalev Dreev, Simferopol 1 988. 1 3 .. .f6 1 4.h5t White had a dangerous initiative in Latas Gaujens, email 2007.

9.Y*ld2 9.lLla4N gets nowhere after: 9 . . . Wa5t l O.c3 b6 I I .a3 Otherwise . . . �a6 is fine for Black.

317

Chapter 1 8 - Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . . c5! 1 1 . . .c4! 1 2.h5 h6= White will have to weaken his queens ide ,to rescue the knight from a4. The queen move was played in Kovacevic Saric, Herceg Novi 2007. At this point Black should have played:

9... cxd4N Followed by . . . 4J c6 with equality. C) 8.£4

1 0 . . . '.Wb4t!? This shows Black's desire to continue playing. 1 O . . . a6 is possible, after which best play by both sides continues 1 U '!b l '.Wxa2 1 2.:B:al '.Wb2 with a draw to follow, as in Maksimovic - Ulibin, Chelyabinsk 1 990. 1 1 . 'it> f2 a6 1 2.4Jd6 This position is highly complex but still about balanced. Now 1 2 . . . 4J c6 1 3.c4!? was messy in Rakow - Lamprecht, Hamburg 1 998. Instead I would recommend the simpler continuation: 1 2 . . . '.Wc3!?N Black will play ... 4J c6 next, with good chances.

9 ...Wia5t lO.c3

� • ..t w% � �ff ' % "",% � :.r.i %� � "."i � � � , � � 5 tiii .""� fo""� . �. rd "� �""� �� " � wt!I'.��.! �! � �""wt!I%� '=f�� 8

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A logical move from a strategic point of view, but fortunately for Black it gives him enough time to equalize with a typical French manoeuvre.

8 ...Wib6! 9.4Ja4 Black need not fear the pawn sacrifice: 9.4Jf3?! '.Wxb2 1 O.4Jb5

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lO b6 This is Black's idea, with . . . �a6 to follow. White will maintain a space advantage, but with two pairs of minor pieces exchanged, that is not a huge concern. .•.

l U '!h3 This was suggested by Pedersen back in 200 1 , but had to wait until 2009 for a practical test. 1 1 . 'it>f2 features in Game 46 below. a

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Playing the French

I I .a3 Threatening b2-b4. 1 1 . . .c4! 1 2.b4 cxb3 1 3 .Wfxb3 tt:l c6! By threatening . . . tt:lxd4, Black conveniently develops with tempo. 1 4 .Wfb5 1 4.tt:lf3N i.a6 1 5 .i.xa6 Wfxa6 is fine for Black, one point being that 1 6. f5?! is met by 1 6 . . . Wfd3 when it is Black who grabs the initiative. White should instead go for 1 6.tt:lb2, but after 1 6 . . . tt:l a5 Black is at least equal. 1 4 . . . i.b7 1 5 . tt:l f3

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1 2 ... ttJ c6!N White is not yet ready for f4-f5 , and so Black simply completes his development.

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1 2 . . .i.xfl 1 3.�xfl was okay for Black in Trent - Rendle, Torquay 2009, but there is no real point in exchanging on f1 as White would like to hide his king on the kings ide anyway.

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1 5 . . . 1"1:hc8!?N Black has the simple idea of doubling on the c-file. 1 5 . . . Wfxb5 1 6.i.xb5 h5 was also fine for Black in Balzar - Schaefer, Germany 200 1 .

13 . .txa6 �xa6 14.f2 1 4.f5?! exf5 1 5 .Wf2 1"1:he8't 14... g6 1 5.h5 1 5 .Wgl h5=

1 1 .1"1:b 1 has the same idea as I I .a3, but White hopes that the rook will be more useful on the b-file. After 1 1 . . .c4 1 2.b4 cxb3 Hector He. Gretarsson, Gentofte 1 999, Finkel gives 1 3.Wfxb3N as slightly better for White. However, Black does better with 1 1 . . . tt:l c6!N, stopping any b2-b4 ideas. Black plans . . . i.a6 next, and equalizes quite easily.

1 1 . .. .ia6 12.lLIe Here too, 1 2.1"1:b l N is met by 12 ... tt:l c6=, rather than 12 ... i.xfl 1 3.�xfl tt:l c6 1 4.tt:le2±!= as given by Pedersen.

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' 1 5 ... f6! 16. gl fxe5 17.fxe5 1"1: ag8 Black has good counterplay.

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Chapter 1 8

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319

Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . c5! .

2 1 .�fxdl �b8i White faces an unpleasant defence. His passed pawn is firmly blockaded, and now Black can put his own majority into motion.

Igor Nataf Mikhail UUbin -

Stockholm 1 999

8

l.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.lLlc3 lLlfG 4.igS ie7 S.eS lLlfd7 6.h4 cS 7.h.e7 tJdxe7 8.f4 Wib6 9.lLla4 WiaSt 10.c3 b6 l 1 .tJdfl This game is included not for its theoretical relevance, but because it features direct and powerful play by Black. It is useful to have examples like this in your mental database, which you can access (consciously or subconsciously) in similar situations in your own practice.

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22.�db l �b7 23.tJdfl �hb8 24.�a2 as 2S.tJde3 By defending the d4-pawn, the king frees up White's other pieces. On the other hand, it becomes a target for knight checks, as seen in the next note. 2S ... h4 26.�ab2 26.axb4? tt:lxb4 27.�ab2 tt:l c2t wins for Black. a

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1 1 ...ia6 12.lLlf3 ixfl 13Jhfl lLl c6 14.tJdgl g6 Black has fully equalized. White now embarks on a dubious plan of playing on the queenside, the flank where Black is stronger. IS.b3?! �ac8 16.a3 cxd4 17.cxd4 bS! Provoking a favourable change in the pawn structure.

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18.lLlcs 1 8 .tt:lb2 would be met by 1 8 . . .'\Wc3+. 18 ... lLlxcS

26 ... a4 27.axh4 a3 28.�b3 �xh4 29.�xh4 �xh4

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320

Playing the French

30.gal gb3t 3 1 .@d2 llJ b4 32.tt:Jel al 33.tt:J c2 gbl 34.@c3 h5 35.g3 @dS 36.@d2 @c7 37.@c3 @bS 3S.@d2 tt:Jxc2 39.gxal llJxd4 0-1 D) SJWg4 8 7

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1 2 . . . f6! 1 3.exf6 gxf6 1 4.ttJxd4 ttJc5 1 5 .ttJgf3 This position occurred in Vogt - Crouch, Lenk 1 99 1 , and now 1 5 . . . ttJc6N would have been at least equal for Black, who enjoys excellent control over the centre.

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S ... tt:J c6! This solution, leaving the g7-pawn en prise, is reminiscent of the Winawer Variation.

White's only other idea is: 9.ttJf3 cxd4 1 0.ttJxd4 1 O.ttJb5?! Wa5t 1 1 .�d1 ttJdxe5 1 2.ttJxe5 ttJxe5 1 3.Wxg7 �d7 1 4.ttJxd4 was Alexander - Menchik, Cambridge 1 932, and now 1 4 . . . Wc7!N is great for Black, who threatens . . . Ei:hgB . After 1 5 .Wg5t f6 1 6.Wg7t?! ttJf7 Black is much better.

My oid edition of EGO (2000) gave B . . . �fB, awarding it an exclamation mark, and stopped there! This seems overoptimistic, as Black's situation is quite dangerous. For example: 9.ttJf3 cxd4 1 O.ttJb5 ttJ c6 1 1 .Wf4 Wa5t 1 2.�d l Wb6 1 3.�c1 �gB 1 4.h5t Zherebukh - Berescu, Dresden 2007. White has plenty of attacking ideas such as h5-h6 or ttJ d6.

9.dxc5 9 .Wxg7? Ei:gB 1 0.Wxh7 cxd4 is heavily in Black's favour. Exchanging queens is harmless: 9 .Wg5t �fB 1 O.WxdBt ttJxdB 1 l .f4 cxd4 (Also possible is 1 1 . . .b6 1 2.ttJf3 ttJ c6 1 3.0-0-0 �e7 Situru ­ Hiibner, Yerevan [oIl 1 996.) 1 2.ttJb5 =

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1 0 . . . �fB! Only now does the king withdraw, when the pressure against d4 and e5 prevents White from building his attack too easily. 1 0 . . . ttJ dxe5 1 1 .ttJxc6t ttJxdJ 1 2.Wxg7 is quite dangerous for Black. My computer suggests 1 2 . . . h6 with the idea of playing

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Chapter 1 8 - Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . . c5! . . . Wi'g8 to exchange queens, but after 1 3.Wi'g3 1"1g8 1 4.Wi'f4 intending 0-0-0, it seems to me that Black's position is more difficult to play than White's. 1 1 .tLlxc6 Otherwise the e5-pawn will drop. 1 l . . .bxc6 1 2.f4 1"1b8 1 3 .0-0-0

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1 3 . . . h5!?N 1 3 . . . Wi'a5 gave Black decent counterplay in Limpert Zschiedrich, Germany 200 1 , but I like the idea of securing the kingside first. 14.Wi'f3 g6 White will not be able to create any kingside threats in the foreseeable future, while Black is ready to get started on the queenside. �

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9 . . . tLl dxe5!? has scored well, but I find it excessively risky. The critical line continues: 1 0.Wxg7 1"1g8 ( l 0 . . . h6!?N intending . . . Wg8 could be an area for investigation.) 1 1 .Wxh7 �d7 1 2 .Wh6! Improving the offside queen. 1 2 . . . Wi'a5 1 3 .Wi'd2 Wxc5 1 4.0-0-0 d4 1 5 .tLl a4 Wd5 1 6.b3 b5 1 7.tLlb2 Wi'c5 1 8.'kt>b 1 Wi'a3 This was Cordts - Prusikin, Bad Wiessee 2006, and now after 1 9.tLle2!N I was unable to find any convincing ideas for Black.

1O.tLlf3 Neither of the following alternatives can cause Black any real problems: 1 0.0-0-0 tLl cxe5 ! Th e correct way t o take, because the other knight keeps an eye on both c5 and f6. 1 1 .Wi'f4 1 1 .Wg3N can be met by 1 1 . . .h5!? 1 2.tLlb5 1"1h6f± activating the rook. 1 1 . . .Wi'f6 1 2 .Wi'd2 tLlxc5 1 3.f4 tLl c6 1 4.tLlf3 This was played in Tournier - Thiel, Cannes 2000, and now my preference is:

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9 c.t>f8! Once White has given way in the centre, I really like this safe approach for Black. It can be ...

j ustified strategically, as without control of the centre White cannot easily organize a strong attack. Examining all White's possibilities, we see that it also holds up theoretically.

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1 4 . . . h5N Black has a fine position.

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Playing the French

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1 O. f4 d4 1 O . . . h5 1 UWg3 ltJxc5 1 2.0-0-0 Wa5 1 3. ltJ f3 a6f± followed by . . . b5 was also fine for Black in Butze - Dinkel, corr. 1 975. I l .ltJe4 ltJxc5 1 2.ltJxc5 Wa5t 1 3.cj;Jf2 Wxc5 1 4 . .id3 Now in Jedryczka - Marchio, Griesheim 2002, Black should have played:

prospects. The knight is ready to go to f6, after which . . . .id7, . . . We7 and . . . !%c8 will give Black good counterplay. Black's only problem is his offside king's rook, but at the right time the black king may go to g7 and allow the rook to join the game. Meanwhile, Black remains with a solid central pawn chain which will thwart White's dream of launching a successful attack.

13.liJb5 This has been White's most common try in practice.

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1 4 . . . .id7!N Intending to put the knight on e7 and the bishop on c6. 1 5 . ltJ f3 h5 1 6.Wg3 ltJ e7 Both . . . .ic6 and . . . .ib5 are ideas, and Black is in excellent shape.

10 ... liJ dxe5 1 l .liJxe5 liJxe5 1 2.�g3 8

1 3 .Wd6t? We7 1 4.Wxe7t 'iflxe7 makes no sense for White, as Black's centralized king has gone from being a weakness in the middlegame to a strength in the endgame. 1 5 .ltJa4 ltJf6 1 6 . .ib5 .id7 1 7 . .ixd7 ltJxd7 1 8.'ifld2 !%hc8 1 9.b4 b6 20.cxb6 axb6 2 1 .ltJb2 !%a3+ Steiner - Kashdan, New York 1 93 1 . 1 3 .We3N We7 1 4.ltJa4 ltJ f6 1 5 .c4 .id7 1 6. ltJ c3 !%c8 1 7.b4 b6!f± 1 3.h5N h6 1 4.0-0-0 ltJ f6 can be compared with 1 3.0-0-0 below. Then 1 5 .ltJb5 .id7 1 6.ltJd6 b6 is a variation I have encountered in my training games, and Black is more than okay. 1 3.0-0-0 Here I found a useful improvement for Black.

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1 2 ... liJd7! This accurate move gives

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Black fine

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Chapter 1 8 - Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . . c5! 1 3 . . . tt'lf6!N This is stronger than 13 . . . tt'lxc5 , which leaves the black king somewhat vulnerable. The knight is excellently placed on f6, adding some defensive cover to the kingside while preparing . . . ii.d7 and . . . 1"k8 with excellent play. A sample variation is: 1 4.ii.d3 ii.d7 1 5 .'it>b l 'iffi e7 1 6.'iffi f4 'iffixc5 1 7.g4 1"i:c8 1 8.g5 tt'lh5 1 9.'iffi d2 'iffi d 6! Eyeing the f4-square. White does not have much of an attack, while Black has an extra pawn and is ready for counterplay with . . . a6, . . . b5 and so on.

13 ... a6 14.'lWa3 1 4.tt'lc7? 1"i:a7 and the knight is trapped in the black camp.

trapped. A sample line is: 1 9. 'it>b 1 ii.d7 20.ii.d3 ii.c6 2 1 .1"i:he 1 'iffi f8! followed by . . . 1"i:d8 and the knight is lost.

16 ... tiJxc5 17.'lWxc5 axb5 1 8.bl i.d7 19.1"i:h3 Black is a pawn up and stands at least equal. His only real problem concerns the activation of the rook on h8. The simplistic approach of putting the king on h7 and meeting ii.d3t with . . . f5 is extremely risky because White will open the game with g2-g4. A better solution is to carefully prepare . . . f6 followed by . . . ii.c6 and . . . e5, and finally . . . f7. The following continuation shows how this may be achieved.

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14 ... g8!N A novelty suggested by our silicon friend, which changes the evaluation of the whole line! 14 . . . 'iffie7 1 5 .tt'l d6 tt'lf6 1 6.ii.d3 g6 1 7.0-0-0 gave White a stable edge in Moussard Bodenez, France 20 1 0.

15.h5 h6 16.0-0-0 1 6.tt'ld6 'iffi c7 1 7.0-0-0 tt'l xc5 1 8.'iffi g3 'iffie7 is more comfortable for Black due to the unfavourable placement of the white knight, which may look good but is essentially

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19 ... �c8 20.'lWa3 20.'iffi d4 is met by 20 . . . 'iffi f6! . 2 0. . .'lW fS 2 1 .'lWb3 �c5 22.�e3 f6 23.i.d3 'lWd6! Stopping f2-f4. 24.�de1 24.g3 gives Black time to reorganize his pieces: 24 . . . f7 25 .ii.g6t 'it>e7 26.f4 1"i:hc8 27.c3 mf8 Black is better, and the main question is whether he will find a way to exploit his extra pawn.

Playing the French

324

9.Wd2 lLl bc6 1 0.0-0-0 Wa5 ! 1 U '1h3 Wxc5 gives Black excellent counterplay.

9 ... lLl bc6 1 0.0-0-0 1 O.f4 d4 1 1 .0-0-0 Wa5 transposes to Game 47.

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10 ... W1a5! Better than 1 O . . . f8 1 l .f4 lLld7 1 2.lLlf3 lLlxc5 1 3 .b l as played in Sakaev - Ulibin, Dubai 2000. This position is generally regarded as favourable for White, who intends f4-f5 on his next move.

24 ... i>f7 25.i.g6t i>e7 26.i.f5 e5 27.i.xd7 W1xd7 28.£4 e4 29.g4 ghc8 Black stands better. The king can retreat to f8, and White's attack based on g4-g5 is not as strong as Black's counterplay on the other flank. E) 8.dxc5

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l l .i>bl White takes a moment to secure his queens ide and take the sting out of the . . . d4 push. l 1 .f4 is examined in Game 47 below. a

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8 .. JlJxe5 ! In the previous line we saw that it was risky to capture the e5-pawn, but that was when the white queen was poised to do damage on the kingside. Here there is no such danger, so Black should take the opportunity to eliminate the important central pawn. 9.W1e2!

1 l ... i>f8!N This novelty was given by Sakaev and in ECo. 1 1 . . .d4? 1 2.1''1:xd 4! lLlxd4 1 3.Wxe5 gives White a dangerous initiative, and after 1 3 . . . lLlf5 1 4.g4 f6 1 5 .We l l White was already winning in Pannekoek - Van der Merwe; Dieren 2003 .

12.£4

325

Chapter 1 8 - Alekhine Gambit with 6 . . . c5! This is the only dangerous move. If White does not threaten to play f4-f5 at some point, then Black will continue with . . .Wxc5 followed by . . . h5 and . . . g6, when White's compensation will be in doubt.

12 tlJe4! Threatening . . . ltJxb2 followed by . . . Wb4 t and . . . Wxc3 . .•.

13.Wif3 WixeS 8

Both 1 5 . . . �g8?! 1 6.g4 h6 1 7.f5 id7 1 8 .:8hg l ! and 1 5 . . . g6?! 1 6.h5! offer White attacking chances.

1 6.f5 This is White's only serious attempt to cause problems. 1 6 ... :8h6!? Black has good prospects. Another reasonable continuation is 1 6 . . . Wg4 1 7.fxe6 Wxf3 1 8.gxf3 fxe6 1 9. 1tJ f4 :8h6! with at least equal play.

7 6 5

Artur Gabrielian - Oleg Nikolenko

4

Moscow 2006

3

l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tlJc3 tlJf6 4 .tgS .te7 S.eS .![jfd7 6.h4 eS 7.Le7 �xe7 S.dxeS tlJxeS! 9.Wie2 tlJ be6 10.0-0-0 WiaS! l 1 .f4 •

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14 ..txe4 Practically forced, otherwise . . . ltJ d4 or ... ltJe3 will cause problems to White. 14 ...Wixe4 IS.tlJge2 Sakaev stops here, with the evaluation that White has compensation. This may be true, but I do not believe that Black is in any way worse. 1 5 .h5 allows 1 5 . . . d4! 1 6.ltJe4 ltJ b4, leading to a relatively balanced position: 1 7.Wb3 \;Wxb3 1 8 .axb3 d3 1 9.c3 ltJd5 20.:8xd3 rj;; e7 In practice I would rather be Black here, because of his sounder structure. IS ... hS! The main idea behind this move is to block White's attack with . . . g6, though . . . �g8-h7 and . . . :8h6 are also ideas.

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1 l ... d4! Previously we saw that this advance was a poor choice against 1 1 . �b 1 , but in this position it gives Black excellent counter­ chances.

Playing the French

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1 2.ltJb5? is met by the strong 1 2 . . . d3! 1 3.cxd3 ( l 3.Wf2 ltJ g4 1 4 .Wf3 dxc2 1 5 .\t>xc2 ltJ b4t gives Black a dangerous attack) 13 ... Wxb5 1 4.fxe5 Wxc5t 1 5 .\t>b l Wxe5+ and White's compensation for the pawn was doubtful in Bragin - Braslavsky, Vladimir 2004. 1 2.fxe5 ?! dxc3 1 3.We3 Wxa2 also poses some problems for White:

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at least equal play. For example: 1 6.g4 ( l 6.g3 b5! 1 7 . .tg2 .tb7f±) 1 6 . . . .td7! 1 7.f5 We5 I S.Wg5t cj;Jd6 1 9 . .tg2 cj;Jc7 20.fxe6 .txe6 2 1 .ltJ f4 E1:acS Black will complete the king's promenade with . . . cj;JbS, with an excellent position. 14 ... Wxc5 1 5 ..td3 ltJ f5 1 6.Wg5t f6 1 7.Wxf6t 1 7.Wh5? would give White a serious advantage if his king was on b 1 , but here it soon comes unstuck: 1 7 . . . We3t I S.cj;Jb l We I t 1 9. 1tJ d l ltJ g3 20.Wxh7t cj;Jd6 and Black wins. 1 7 . . . cj;Jxf6 I S .ltJ e4t cj;Je7 1 9.1tJxc5 This endgame arose in Naalden - Van der Merwe, Dieren 2003, and now most accurate is:

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1 4 .Wg5t \t>eS 1 5 .bxc3 Wa3t 1 6.\t>b l Wxc3 1 7.E1:h3 h6 I S .WdSt ltJ xdS 1 9.E1:xc3 .td7 Black was clearly better in Hector - Gleizerov, Stockholm 2002. 1 2.E1:xd4 This was the critical move after 1 1 . \t>b 1 d4?!, but here it is not so dangerous. 1 2 . . . ltJ xd4 1 3.Wxe5 E1:dS

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1 9 . . . b6!N 20.ltJ e4 E1:gS+

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1 4.Wxg7 1 4.ltJge2N ltJ c6 1 5 .Wxg7 Wxc5 gives Black

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'lilt 4 � d7 13.sc 12 ... "l..l

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Chapter 1 8 - Alekhine Gambit with 6 c5! ...

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White tries to keep the c5-pawn, a logical but risky deci � ion.

1 9.�xd3 ( l 9.cxd3 �d7+) 1 9 . . . tLlcxd3t 20.cxd3 gh8 2 1 . tLl g5 gxh4 22.g3 gh2't

On the other hand, 1 3. b l tLlxc5 1 4. tLl f3 �d7 gives Black a comfortable position, with plenty of potential for counterplay.

Conclusion

13 ... £5! The weakness created on e6 is insignificant compared to the importance of conquering c5 . 1 3 . . . b6!? 1 4.cxb6 �b7 is an alternative solution; in return for a pawn, Black completes his development and his pieces suddenly come to life. 14.tDg5 1 4.tLld6?! tLlxc5 1 5 .tLlb5 tLle4't

After 6 . . . c5! 7.�xe7 xe7! Black has a characteristically solid French structure with the usual ideas of counterplay based on developing the knight to c6 to put pressure on the d4- and e5-pawns. There is also the strong idea of 8 . . . Wb6!, meeting 9.tLla4 with the manoeuvre 9 . . . Wa5t followed by . . . b6 and . . . �a6, giving fine counterplay on the queens ide. White's most dangerous options are 8 .Wg4 and 8.dxc5 , which do not allow this manoeuvre.

14 ...tDxc5 1 5J'�h3 E1d8

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16.E1a3 1 6.tLlxh7 tLle4 1 7.tLlg5 E1d5!? 1 8.tLlxe4 fxe4 1 9.b 1 e5! is at least okay for Black. An amusing variation is 20.E1g3?! exf4! 2 1 .E1xg7t f6, when despite the airy king, Black stands better. 16 '?Nb4 17.'?Nxb4 tDxb4 18.tDxh7

V2-1f2

This has been a demanding chapter for the reader, but that is to be expected when meeting the fierce Alekhine Gambit with an equally aggressive central counter. If the reader wishes to meet 6.h4!? in the most combative way possible, with a view to fighting not j ust for equality but potentially for the advantage, then 6 . . . c5! is the best way to approach the task.

.•.

The players agreed to draw at this point, but Black could well have played on with: 1 8 . . . d3!

On D) 8 .Wg4 tLl c6! the critical posmon is reached after 9.dxc5 f8 ! 1 O.tLlf3 tLl dxe5 1 1 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 2.Wg3, when the key move is 1 2 . . . tLl d7!. The knight is flexibly placed and may go to f6 to frustrate White's kingside ambitions. E) 8.dxc5 tLlxe5! 9 .We2 tLl bc6 1 0.0-0-0 Wa5 is another critical tabiya of this variation. Mter 1 1 .f4 d4! we saw in Game 47 that Black is doing well. However, after the prophylactic 1 1 .Wb l Black should avoid pushing the d-pawn in favour of 1 1 . . . f8! followed by picking off the weak c5-pawn. According to my analysis, best play for both sides is 1 2.f4 tLl c4 1 3.Wf3 Wxc5 1 4.�xc4 Wxc4 1 5 .tLlge2 h5! with at least equal chances for Black.

Chapter 19

Classical 6.1xe7 �xe7 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . � c3 � f6 4 ..ig5 .ie7 5.e5 � fd7 6 ..ixe7 V!ixe7 A) 7.� f3 B) 7.V!id2 C) 7.�b5 D) 7.V!ig4 E) 7.V!ih5 F) 7.f4 F l ) 7 ... 0-0 F2) 7 ... a6!

330 33 1 332 333 334 336 336 338

Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagra� s with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move unless otherwise indicated.

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Black has just played 1 1 . . . f6. Was that a good move? (page 330)

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Is 1 3 . . . Wxb2 possible, or should Black play 1 3 . . . Wa4 instead? (page 332)

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How does Black finish his development? (page 33 1 )

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Find a typical method of attack for Black. (page 333)

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How does White prove that he is winning? (page 337)

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How should Black react to the It has been suggested that this is threat to the b5-pawn? good for White. Is that the case? (page 332) (page 335)

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White has a route to an advantage. Can you find it? (page 337)

Playing the French

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l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJc3 tiJf6 4.i.g5 i.e7 5.e5 tiJ fd7 6.i.xe7 Y!fxe7 8

9 ... tiJ c6 10.Y!fe2 After 1 0.0-0 ttJxc5 1 1 .Ei:e l , playing 1 1 . . .fG?! looks natural, but it allows an instructive reaction worth remembering:

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From many years of studying opening theory, I have developed a special fondness for the "Classical Variations" which are present in every major opening (norwithstanding my prior distrust of this particular system for Black, as explained in the opening remarks to Chapter 1 7) . Th e "Classical" label i s generally reserved for systems that feature logical, principled moves from both sides, and which have proved their resilience over many decades of practical testing from some of the best players in the world. This is all true of the present system.

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1 2.exfG WfxfG 1 3 .�b5! White is able to take control of the e5-square. 1 3 . . . aG ( l 3 . . . �d7? 1 4.ttJxd5!) 1 4.�xcG bxcG Rios - Soza de la Carrera, email 2000, and now 1 5 .Wfd4N gives White a clear plus. Instead Black should first play 1 1 . . . �d7! and after further preparation with . . . Ei:ac8 and/or . . . aG, then . . . fG will come.

10 ... .!lJxc5 1 1 .0-0-0

Although 7.f4 is the dominant choice in the above position, this is a repertoire book and we must mention, at least briefly, the alternatives A) 7.tiJa, B) 7.Y!fd2, C) 7.tiJb5, D) 7.Y!fg4 and E) 7.Y!fh5, before finally coming to F) 7.f4.

A) 7.tiJa 0-0 8.i.d3 c5 By undermining the d4-pawn, Black puts indirect pressure on the e5-pawn as well.

9.dxc5 Black will now aim to destroy White's centre with a well-timed . . . fG.

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1 1 ...f6 The preliminary 1 1 . . . aG!? is also possible.

Chapter 1 9 - Classical 6 .�xe7 Wifxe7

12.exf6 Wifxf6 13.q;,bl a6 14.h4 h6 1 5.�de1 �d7 16.�h3 b5 17.g4 b4 1 8.tLldl e5 In KanefscK - Gomez Baillo, Buenos Aires 1 990, Black had gained the initiative in instructive style. B) 7.Wifd2 a6!

33 1

8 7 6 5 4

White can meet 7 . . . 0-0 with S.f4!? transposing into a line that is not in our repertoire.

8.tLldl This is White's only independent idea, preparing to meet . . . c5 with c2-c3. S.f4 tLlb6 9.tLlf3 transposes to variation B of the next chapter on page 345. 8 ...c5 9.c3 tLlc6 10.£4

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14 ... tLl b6! 15.�d3 �d7 16.0-0 1 6.a3 can be met by 1 6 . . . �eS planning . . . �h5 . 1 6 ... tLl b4 1 6 . . . �eSN is possible too.

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On the other hand, the exchange sacrifice 1 6 . . . E1xf3? is not good here: 1 7.gxf3 tLlxd4? I S .�xh7t mxh7 1 9.Wifxd4±

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17.b3 1 7.�b l tLl c4 I s .Wifc3 �eS?

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10 ... £6! This equalizes more easily than: 1 O . . .f5!? l 1 .tLlf3 b5 0 1 . . .0-0 was agreed drawn in Kasimdzhanov - Morozevich, Mainz 2006, which does not really tell us anything about the objective merits of the variation.) 1 2.tLlf2 0-0 1 3.�e2 E1bS 1 4.0-0 a5 Black had some counterplay in Karim - Akobian, Gibraltar 20 1 1 , but I am not convinced that he is fully equal. 1 l .tLlo cxd4 12.cxd4 fxe5 13.fxe5 0-0 14.tLlfl

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17 ... tLlxd3 1 8.tLlxd3 �b5 The position was balanced in Domont Korchnoi, Geneva 20 1 2, though Viktor the

Playing the French

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Great went on to outplay his opponent after exchanging his bishop for the potentially annoying d3-knight.

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played 1 3 . . . c4 in John - Fahrni, Mannheim 1 9 1 4, but after 1 4.a3!N White blocks the queens ide and has a free hand on the other flank. 1 4. lLl f3 1 4 .'lMfxb5? lLl a4 1 5 .Ei:b 1 c4=t leaves the white queen uncomfortably placed. 1 4 . . . b4 Black has good counterplay on the queens ide.

8 ... a6 9.a5 axb5 10.axb6 �hal l 1 .'lWxal c6! 1 2.'lWa8 'lWb4t 13.d

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7 ... lLl b6 Black intends . . . a6 next. 8.a4 White may also play: B.c3 a6 9.lLla3 c5 1 0.lLlc2 ii.d7 1 l .f4 ii.b5! This is similar to our main line suggestion after 7.f4, and Black is already fine here. A practical example continued: 1 2.ii.xb5t axb5 1 3 .'lMfe2 Here Black should have played:

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13 ...'lWxb2! Black has a safe alternative in 1 3 . . . 'lMfa4 1 4.'lMfxbB 'lMfa 1 t 1 5 .�e2 'lMfxb2t 1 6.e3 'lMfc l t 1 7.�e2 'lMfc2t I B .e3 'lMfc l t Y2-Y2 Gyarmati ­ Lehmann, Hungary 1 99B. However, the text move keeps the option of a draw in hand, while giving White the opportunity to go wrong. 14.lLle2 1 4 .'lMfxbB? is no good: 1 4 . . . 'lMfxc3t 1 5 .e2 0-0 1 6. lLl f3 c5 1 7.dxc5 b4+

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1 3 . . . lLl c6!N Black was afraid of losing the b5-pawn and

14 ... b4 1 5.'lWxb8 0-0 16.cxb4 'lWxb4t 17.'it;>dl Now Black can force a draw ,by perpetual check, but he may also continue playing with:

Chapter 1 9

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ClassicaI 6.i!.xe7 Wffx e7

333

9 . . . l2k6?? ignores White's threat: 1 O.�xh7t! It>xh7 ( l 0 . . . lt>h8 1 1 .1Wh5+-) 1 1 .1Wh5t It>g8 1 2.tZlg5 and Black has to give up his queen to avoid being mated.

8 7 6 5

10.0-0-0 llJ c6 1 1 .E:hel After 1 1 .dxc5 tZl dxe5 1 2.tZlxe5 tZlxe5+ White doesn't have any ideas to endanger the black king. For example, 1 3.1Wf4 tZlxd3t 1 4.Ei:xd3 1Wxc5 1 5 .Ei:g3 is simply met by 1 5 . . . 'kt>h8, and White's attack comes to nothing.

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17 ... c5!? 18.VNc7 Wffa4t 19.@d2 i!.d7 20.@e3 i!.c6!? This was J. Geller - R. Bagirov, Krasnodar 200 1 . The computer assures us that White can hold the draw, but for a human player it will not be easy to defend.

So far we have been following Llaneza Vega - Gleizerov, San Sebastian 20 1 0. Now Black could have used a typical and effective device for these positions:

D) 7.Wffg4

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1 l ... c4!N 1 2.i!.e2 b5! White is facing a terrible attack.

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7... 0-0 8.i!.d3 c5 9.ttJ f3 h6! With White's dark-squared bishop exchanged, this is a valuable defensive resource for Black. Although it creates a hook, the thrust g4-g5 is not coming soon and Black has central counterplay to distract White from his attempts to organize an effective attack.

13.ttJxb5 Wffb4 14.ttJc3 Ei:b8 White is now forced to run with his king. 1 5.@d2 ttJ b6 Black has various promlsmg options, but this is my favourite, the threat of . . . tZl a4! giving Black a clear advantage.

Playing the French

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E) 7.Wfh5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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This was recommended by Watson in Dangerous Weapons: The French. Compared with 7.'lWg4, the text move has the advantage that an attempt to defend with . . . h6 will be met by a quick g4-g5 .

7 ... 0-0 This may appear provocative, but it turns out that White's attack is nothing to fear.

1 1 . . .tLlb6! This has scored excellently; Black defends against the threat and makes way for his bishop to develop. 1 1 . . .tLlxd4 1 2.l'hd4 b5 is also decent, and after 1 3.h4 b4 Black has sufficient counterplay. A practical example continued 1 4.tLld 1 ? 'lWc5 1 5 .Ei:d2 'Wa5+ and White was in trouble in Vidarsson - Thorhallsson, Arborg 1 998. 1 2.tLlf3 1 2.h4 h6 1 3.'lWg4 0-0 1 4.Ei:h3 f6 1 5 .Ei:e3 i.d7f± Van der Wiel - Yu Shaoteng, Wijk aan Zee 2002. Black plays . . . Ei:ac8 next and can consider . . . f5 at any point. 12 . . . i.d7 1 3.'lWg4 0-0 1 4 .i.d3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Black may also play: 7 . . . a6 8 .f4 This is an important position, as it can also arise from 7.f4 a6 8 .'lWh5 . 8 . . . c 5 9.tLlf3 tLl c6 1 0. 0-0-0 cxd4 1 1 .tLlxd4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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Black must be on guard against the annoying tLl f5!.

" =,, /'��" ,,=,,

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1 4 . . . f5! 1 5 .'lWg3 1 5 .exf6?! is met by 1 5 . . . 'lWxf6 hitting the f4pawn, followed by . . . e5 next move. This was Mateo - Korchnoi, Thessaloniki (01) 1 98 8 . Here I suggest: 1 5 . . . i.e8! ?N Black stands at least equal, with . . . Ei:c8 and . . . i.h5 coming.

8.£4 Black need not fear: 8.tLlf3 c5 9 .i.d3 g6 1 0.'lWh6 Play has transposed to a century-old game in which Black quickly took control.

335

Chapter 1 9 - Classical 6 .i.xe7 Vf1xe7

better) 1 2.exf6 Vf1xf6 1 3. lLl de2 This was played in Vasvari - Suez-Panama, Gibraltar 2008, and now 1 3 . . . :8b8!N prepares . . . b5 and gives Black the initiative. 9.0-0-0N cxd4 1 0.lLlb5 lLl c6 is White's best according to Eingorn, though Black still stands slightly better. a

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1 0 . . . cxd4! Watson only gave 1 0 . . . lLl c6 l 1 .lLlb5 c4, but the text move amounts to a near refutation of White's play. l 1 .lLlb5 lLl c6 1 2.lLlg5 1 2.lLlc7 is a tricky idea which does not work: 12 . . . :8b8 1 3.lLlg5 f6 1 4.lLlgxe6 :8£1-+ White is busted because he can hardly avoid . . . lLl dxe5 followed by . . . i.xe6 winning a whole piece. 12 . . . f6 1 3.exf6 lLlxf6 1 4.0-0 a6 1 5 .lLl a3 e5-+ Dutas - Spielmann, San Sebastian 1 9 1 1 . The white position is in complete disarray.

9.lLl b5?N This simply does not work. 9 . . . lLl c6 1 0. 0-0-0 a6 l 1 .lLl d6 lLl xd4 1 1 . . . cxd4 is also good. 1 2.i.d3 g6 1 3.Vf1h6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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1 3 . . .f6! Watson points out this strong move, defending before h4-h5 comes. 1 4.h4 Vf1g7!+ White has no choice but to exchange queens, after which Black's material advantage should decide.

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8 ... h2 gdS 25.�d2 gal 26.g4 In Leko - Volkov, New Delhi/Teheran 2000, Black made a rather desperate piece sacrifice and lost. However, by this stage he is already in severe difficulties, for instance:

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This variation has usually been played with the idea of forgetting about castling and advancing on the queenside with . . . c5, . . . b5, ... lLl c6, ... b4 etc. However, I prefer a modern plan involving . . . lLl b6 and . . . �d7, which will be covered in the next chapter. For now we will take a brief look at what happens if White avoids the main line of 8 . lLl f3.

S.�g4 In variation D we examined this queen thrust on move 7, and in reply we castled and played a quick . . . c5 . If we tried the same thing here, the move . . . a6 would count as an important loss of time, so a different approach is needed. 8 .Wh5 transposes to the note to Black's 7th move of line E on page 334.

S ... g6! The simplest way to secure the kingside. The f4-f5 break is a long way from happening, and later . . . h5 may come with tempo:

Chapter 1 9 - Classical 6 .ixe7 Wfxe7

339

So far we have been following Gabuzyan - Gleizerov, Jermuk 20 1 1 . Black has no objection to a queenless middlegame, and having finished developing the queenside, it makes sense now to play:

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10.dxc5 1 0.0-0-0 lLlc6 I l .h4 h5 1 2.Wfh3 b5f± gave Black excellent attacking chances in Pirhala Van Osmael, corr. 20 1 0. 1O �c6 1 1 .0-0-0 �xc5 Black intends to complete development with . . . b5, . . . ib7 and . . . i"kS.

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••.

12.h4 h5 Obviously White should not be permitted to open the h-file.

16 ...Wfxg5N 17.hxg5 �e7 The position is balanced. If White could exchange a few pieces and establish a solid blockade on d4 then he would stand well, but this is not so easy to achieve. Meanwhile Black can prepare to double rooks on the c-file.

Conclusion

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13.Wfg5 Mter 1 3.�g3 b5 1 4.�f2 b4 1 5 .lLle2 a5 Black has time to develop his counterplay. 13 ... h5 14.a3 ih7 15J�h3 �c8 16.tiJd4

In this chapter we examined various 7th moves for White. Against A) 7.lLlf3 and B) 7.�d2, Black's typical play with . . . c5 followed by . . . lLl c6 gives him fine chances. C) 7.lLlb5 is well met by 7 . . . lLl b6 followed by .. a6. D) 7.�g4 and E) 7.�h5 may look threatening, but Black can afford to castle and then obtain strong counterplay in the centre before White's kingside attack gets anywhere. Turning to the main line of 7.f4, we saw that things are not so rosy for Black after F l ) 7 . . . 0-0, but we introduced the alternative F2) 7 . . . a6!, which will be the focus of the next chapter.

Chapter 20

Classical Main Line with 8.�f3 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLIc3 lL1f6 4.i.g5 i.e7 5.e5 lL1fd7 6.i.xe7 Wfxe7 7.f4 a6! 8.lLIa lLI b6! A) 9.i.d3 c5! 1 0.0-0 lLl c6 I 1 .Wie 1 !?N 1 1 . dxc5 - Game 48 B) 9.Wid2 i.d7! 1 0 . 0-0-0 ?! - Game 49 B l ) 1 0.a4!? c5 l 1 .a5 lLl c8 12.dxc5 1 2 . ttJ a4?! - Game 5 0 B2) 10.i.d3! c5 B2 1 ) l 1 .dxc5 B22) 1 1 .0-0!

342 343 345 345 348 350 35 1 35 1 352

Game 48 Game 49 Game 50

343 345 350

Milos Perunovic - Nikola Sedlak, Kragujevac 2009 Ernesto Inarkiev - A. Morozevich, Krasnoyarsk 2003 Deep Sengupta - Nigel Short, Gibraltar 20 1 1

Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move unless otherwise indicated.

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Find the move that best meets the needs of the position. (page 344)

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What is Black's best set-up for his pieces? (page 349)

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How does White secure an edge? (page 342)

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Black needs an accurate move. What is it? (page 343)

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White has j ust played 1 9.i>c 1 , Themes from the Sicilian may trying to run. Will you let him? also be applicable in the French. (page 347) (page 352)

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An easy one. Black to play and force mate. (page 348)

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Another critical theoretical position. What would you play? (page 353)

Playing the French

342

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�c3 �f6 4 .ig5 .ie7 5.e5 �fd7 6.he7 Wlxe7 7.f4 a6! 8.�f3 •

or . . . �d7, and in fact the correct choice will vary depending on White's next move. White's main options are A) 9 .id3 and B) 9.Wld2 . •

9.a3 was proposed by Korchnoi. Then 9 . . . �d7 1 0.b4! ttJc6 1 1 .�d3 ttJa7! was close to equal in Werner - Russo, Fontaine LEveque 2009. However, I consider 9 . . . c5!N most natural, avoiding b2-b4 altogether. Black will obtain a good game by continuing with . . . �d7, . . . ctJc6 and . . . l"\cS.

A) 9 ..id3 a

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We come now to White's most natural move. As indicated at the end of the previous chapter, my choice is:

8 ... llJb6! The older continuation of S . . . c5 9 .Wld2 ttJ c6 1 0.dxc5 Wlxc5 1 1 .�d3 b5 can be met by 1 2.ttJe2!, when an impressive positional game from Tal continued: 1 2 . . . ttJ b6 1 3 .b3! �d7 1 4.a3 f6 1 5 .ttJed4 ttJxd4 1 6.ttJxd4 fxe5 1 7.fxe5 0-0 a

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By developing the bishop first, White hints at short castling.

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v'="'"c;C;;, /'

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I S .'IMfb4!± Tal - Lahav, Tel Aviv 1 990. After the text move Black intends to launch his queenside counterplay before castling. The big question is whether his next move will be . . . c5

9 ... c5! We will see in variation B that after 9.iMfd2 the reply 9 . . . �d7! has a special purpose in dissuading White from castling queenside. Here the advance of the c-pawn achieves the same end, as it would be too risky for White to allow . . . c4 with tempo, after which the pawn­ roller with . . . b5-b4 would come quickly. The pawn move also exerts immediate pressure against White's centre, and thus should be considered slightly more accurate than the bishop move.

343

Chapter 20 - Classical Main Line with 8.lLlf3 9 . . . i.d7 1 0.0-0 c5 1 1 .We 1 ! (I U �? h 1 lLl c6 1 2.dxc5 Wxc5 transposes to Game 48) 1 1 . . .ttJc6 1 2.Wf2 transposes to variation B22 on page 352. This is perhaps the most theoretically critical line of the chapter, and while I believe Black is okay there, he has a slightly easier time in the present variation.

10.0-0 llJc6 1 1 .WI'el !?N 1 1 .dxc5 is featured in Game 48 below. The text move is intended to be compared with the line 9 . . . i.d7 1 0.0-0 c5 l 1 .We 1 ! as given in the note to Black's 9th move above.

This funny-looking move is favoured by the computer. It produces a different type of challenge, but ultimately is nothing to fear. After the straightforward 1 6.ttJxd4 ttJ e7 1 7.:1:'i:ad 1 :1:'i:c8 1 8.h 1 h6 Black is fine; he will castle next and then double rooks on the c-file.

16 ... ltl e7 17.c4 dxc4 IS.:1:'i:xc4 Wl'h6 19.:1:'i:xd4 After 1 9.Wxd4 Wxd4t 20.ttJxd4 ttJd5 the king comes to e7 and Black is fine. 19 ...i.c6

1 1 ... llJxd4! Exchanging a pair of knights makes it easier for Black to organize his position. This is where we see a real benefit of playing 9 . . . c5 and . . . ttJc6 instead of 9 . . . i.d7. 12.llJxd4 cxd4 13.llJe2 Wl'cs 14.h3 i.d7 IS.WI'n

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20J�dl h6 2 1 .llJg3 2 1 .:1:'i:d6 Wxf2t 22.xf2 gives Black a choice between the solid 22 . . . ttJ c8 and the more combative 22 . . . g5!?

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IS ... llJcS! The knight has no future on b6, so it heads for the superior e7 -square. 1 5 . . . 0-0 1 6.ttJxd4 ttJc8 gives White time to play 1 7.f5! with an attack.

16J:�acl!?

2 1 ...0-0 22.i.e4 :1:'i:ac8 23.,ixc6 :1:'i:xc6 24.llJ e4 llJdS The position remains equal.

Milos Perunovic - Nikola Sedlak Kragujevac 2009

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.llJc3 llJf6 4.i.gS i.e7

Playing the French

344

S.eS tiJfd7 6.,be7 Wixe7 7.f4 a6 8.tiJa tiJ b6 9.i.d3 cS 10.0-0 ttlc6 l 1 .dxcS This move is not dangerous, but it leads to typical positions that every Classical player should know how to handle.

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16 ...Wid8! Making room for the knight to retreat to e7. After a subsequent . . . :gc8, the other knight will be able to go to c4. a

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1 1 . Wixcst 1 2.'ifthl i.d7 13.Wiel h6 A necessary preparation for short castling.

17.tiJe2 gc8 18.tiJg3 White plays for a kingside attack, but it doesn't work out.

14.a3 1 4 .�d2 :gc8 1 5 .:gae 1 'O e7 1 6.a3 0-0 is solid for Black.

1 8 .'Oed4 'O c4 1 9.�e2 'Oxd4 20.'Oxd4 �e7 followed by doubling on the c-file is fine for Black.

14 0-0 1 4 . . . 'O e7 1 5 . b4 �c7 1 6. 'O e2 �b5?! 1 7. 'O ed4 �xd3 1 8.cxd3 :gc8 1 9.�e3 is slightly more comfortable for White, and after 1 9 . . . 'O d7?! 20.f5 ! Black had problems to solve in Jenni Sedina, Samnaun 2008.

18 ... ttle7 19.tiJd4 tiJc4 20.Wifl

.•

.•.

IS.b4 This plan was successful in the game in the previous note, but Sedlak shows the correct way for Black to handle it. Against other moves, . . . 'O e7 followed by . . . 'O a4 is fine for Black. a

I S Wie7 16.Wie3 •.•

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20 tiJ b2! Preparing to eliminate a dangerous attacking piece. ..•

Chapter 20 - Classical Main Line with 8.CL:Jf3

34 5

21 .lLlh5 lLlxd3 22.cxd3 lLlg6! 23.E!ac1 '?9h4 The idea be � ind Black's previous move.

I believe this is White's most accurate try for an advantage, if followed up correctly.

24.'?9xh4 24.Wf3 can be met in various ways. One that I especially like is 24 . . . b6 intending . . . a5, and if White replies with b4-b5 , then . . . Elc5! comes.

9 ....id7! This time we bring the bishop out first. As we shall see, this move is specifically directed against White's plan of long castling, as well as being a useful developing move. We shall study three options for White: IO.O-O-O?! is featured in Game 49, and then we shall look at Bl) IO.a4!? and B2) 10 ..id3!.

24 ... lLlxh4 25.�gl The endgame is fine for Black, especially after his next move. 8 7

Emesto Inarkiev - Alexander Morozevich

6

Krasnoyarsk 2003

5

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJd tiJf6 4 ..ig5 .ie7 5.e5 lLlfd7 6.Le7 '?9xe7 7.f4 a6 8.lLla tiJ b6 9.'?9d2 .id7 IO.O-O-O?! Can this really be a mistake?

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25 ....ib5! 26.g3?! .ixd3? Black misses a good opportunity: 26 . . . tt:l f5 ! 27.tt:lxf5 exf5 28.Elfd l d4+ 27.gxh4 Lfl 28.E!xfl E!d 29.£5 E!c4?! After 29 . . . Eld3 30.Elf4 Ele8, chances are more or less equal. Now Black is a bit worse, but he manages to draw. 30.E!dl exfS 3 1 .lLlxfS E!d8 32.�fl g6 33.lLlf6t �f8 34.lLlh7t White could have played on with 34.tt:ld4!t. 34... �g8 35.lLlf6t �f8 36.lLl h7t V2-V2

B) 9.'?9d2

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1O ....ib5! Morozevich shows that the answer is "Yes!" Black takes the opportunity to exchange off his bad bishop while inviting White to open the a-file. 1 l .lLlxb5?!

Playing the French

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White underestimates his opponent's attack. Now he risks becoming worse, whereas quieter moves would keep the position equal, albeit with fewer problems for Black than in the main lines where he does not manage to exchange his bishop so easily. Here are a couple of examples:

l l ... axb5

1 1 ..id3 can be met by 1 1 . . . ttJ c6! as seen in Sirch - Vaznonis, Ankara 2007. Black keeps the tension for the moment, and may continue with . . ..ixd3 followed by long castling. 1 1 . 'it>b 1 .ixfl 1 1 . . .ttJ c6? 1 2.ttJxb5 axb5 1 3 . .ixb5± 1 2.�hxfl ttJ c4 1 2 . . . ttJ c6 followed by long castling is also okay for Black.

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1 2.,hb5t Having said "A" , White decides to say "B" as well, because otherwise the b5-pawn will support . . . ttJ c4 with dangerous counterplay. 12 c6 13.i.d3 �xa2 14.'it>bl?! White could have solved his problems with 1 4 .1Wc3!N. •••

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1 3 .1Wc l 1 3 .1Wd3N ttJ d7!? is fine for Black. For example, after 1 4.f5 0-0-0 1 5 . ttJ d2 ttJxd2t 1 6.1Wxd2 ttJ b6, Black will play his king to b8 and then break in the centre with .. .f6, with equal chances. 1 3 . . . ttJ c6 1 4.f5 This was Gerzhoy - Haskel, Wheeling 20 1 0, and now Black should play: 1 4 . . . 0-0-0!?N Although White has more space, Black is fine as he has a sound position without weaknesses.

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White's idea is to play his king to d2 and his rook to the a-file to exchange the dangerous black rook. Black may respond in various ways, but the simplest is 1 4 . . . ttJ 6d7!? 1 5 .�d2 ( l 5 .b3? is met by 1 5 . . . b5! with a dangerous initiative) 1 5 . . . c5 1 6.�al �xa l 1 7.�xa l c4 1 8 . .ie2 ttJc6 with equality. Wh'ite's bishop is restricted by the enemy pawn chain, and he will be more or less forced to exchange queens

Chapter 20 - Classical Main Line with 8 . tLl f3 in the near future, leading to an endgame with no problems for Black.

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15.g4? White is hoping that he can somehow distract Black from his attack, but this move drew a harsh comment from Korchnoi: "One should not have a title of a master and make such moves. His king's house is in danger, but he does not care!" 1 5 .f5!? is a slight better attempt to distract Black. Nevertheless, after 1 5 . . . exf5 1 6.Ei:he l ( 1 6.�xf5 tLlc4 1 7.Wic3 0-0+) 1 6 . . . 0-0 1 7.Wig5 Wixg5 I B .tLlxg5 Ei:xd4 1 9.e6 f6 20.e7 Ei:eB 2 1 .tLle6 Ei:e4!+ Black stands well.

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17.itlg5 1 7.c3 is the computer's suggestion. The correct response is 1 7 . . . b5 I B. f5 ( 1 B .xd2 l2l xd4 The queens are off and White is a pawn down with enough compensation for equality at best.

9.£3 Watson believes that this casts some doubt on Black's play. While I agree that it is White's best try, I think Black should be okay.

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9 tiJxc3 lO.tiJxc3 c5 These moves are all natural and require little explanation. We will follow a practical example for a few more moves. .•.

Playing the French

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1 1 .a3 ,bc3t 1 2.bxc3 tlJ c6 13 .if2 VNa5 14.VNd2 At this point I found a good novelty. •

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14 c4!N The game continued 1 4 . . . il.d7 1 5 . dxc5 0-0-0 with compensation for Black and a draw in Tamburro - Crook, corr. 20 1 0, but such a position would not be to everyone's tastes. .••

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17.f4 It is hard to see any other way for White to create problems. 17 .id7! 1 8.fxg5 0-0-0 19 .ie3 gg7 20 .ie2 gdg8 Black has full compensation and can consider . . . tLld8-f7 next. ••.

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D3) 6.exf6 hxg5 7.fxg7 gg8

I also considered 1 4 . . . cxd4N 1 5 .cxd4 VNxd2t 1 6. c±>xd2 il.d7 which is strategically risky but may j ust be playable. The following illustrative line is fun, but it comes with a health warning: 1 7.h4 c±>f7 ( 1 7 . . . 0-0-0 1 8.g4 leaves Black under pressure on the kingside.) 1 8.g4 f4 1 9.il.d3 tLl a5 20.Ei:h3 Ei:ac8 Black abandons the kingside to its fate and strives for counterplay. 2 1 .Ei:ah 1 tLl c4t 22.c±>e2 tLl xa3 23.hxg5 il.b5 24.'\t>d 1 il.xd3 25.cxd3 a5 26.Ei:xh6 Ei:xh6 27.Ei:xh6 a4 This wild line has turned out okay for Black, but it seems likely that White can improve somewhere along the way. a

15.h4 Ei:g8 1 6.hxg5 hxg5 Black will park his king on the queenside, while the future of the white monarch remains uncertain. The position bears some resemblance to the blocked structures occurring in the Winawer, but here the dark-squared bishop is a long way from the ideal a3-square.

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Some years ago, while I was going through the French Defence section of NCO, I noticed that this line was assessed as leading to an edge for White. This prompted me to check it more closely, and I am happy to report that Black should have nothing to fear.

37 1

Chapter 2 1 - The McCutcheon Variation

8.h4 B.'IWh5?! is met by B . . .'IWf6 and Black gets some advant�ge. The following example saw White collapse in j ust a few moves: 9.lt'lf3 'Wxg7 1 0.ie2?! It'ld7! 1 1 .0-0?? It'l f6 White was losing at least a piece in T. Bauer - Reitinger, Plzen 2004. 8 gxh4 9.'l'Ng4 After 9.'Wh5 'Wf6 1 O.E1:xh4 'Wxg7 1 1 .0-0-0 id7 Black has absolutely no problems, and plans to play . . . It'lc6 and castle. 1 2.E1:d3 It'l c6 1 3.E1:g3 'WfB 1 4.E1:xgB 'WxgB 1 5 .E1:f4 ••.

9 'l'Nf6! Black simply intends to take the g7 -pawn. •.•

The alternative is 9 . . . ie7 intending . . . c5. It is less strong than the text move, but lovers of chess trivia may be interested to know that it was once used successfully by Alekhine, who then went on to invent the famous 'five queens game', which he published with himself playing White and winning in brilliant style. Interested readers can easily find the game and the full story behind it on the internet, but to delve into it here would be to stray a little too far off topic.

10J�xh4 ttJ c6! This move casts a shadow on the assessment in NCO. 1 O . . . 'Wxg7 1 1 .'Wxg7 E1:xg7 1 2.E1:hBtt is the main idea for White, but even this is rather unclear: 1 2 . . .ifB 1 3. 0-0-0 id7 1 4.E1:e l ic6 1 5 .f4 lt'l d7 1 6.f5 a

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1 5 . . . 0-0-0!+ Black was better in Thakur - Das, Mumbai 200B. The d4-pawn is vulnerable and Black has the better structure and the pair of bishops. It is important to recognize that the f7-pawn is not falling, as 1 6.'Wxf7 ( l 6.E1:xf7? ieB) 16 . . . id6 1 7.E1:f3 'Wg5t I B.cj;Jb l lt'lxd4 is grim for White. a

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1 6 . . . 0-0-0! 1 7. fxe6 fxe6 I B .E1:xe6 E1:g4 1 9.1t'lf3 ig7 20.E1:h5 It'l f6 2 1 .E1:f5 It'l e4� Black had fine compensation for the pawn in Belavenets Bondarevsky, Tbilisi 1 937.

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1 1 .0-0-0 Ihg7 1 2J�h8t We7!

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1 2 . . . ifB 1 3.'Wf3 'Wxf3 1 4.lt'lxf3 id7 1 5 .g3 0-0-0 was equal in Yefremov - Donnenfeld, corr. 1 999, but the main line continuation is more ambitious.

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Playing the French

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13.Wla 1 3.Wlh4N Wlxh4 1 4Jhh4 j,d7 is pleasant for Black. 13 ...Wlxf3 14.tlJxf3

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14 ....ixc3 The horse must be eliminated, as 1 4 . . . b6 runs into 1 5 .tLlb5!' 1 5.bxc3 b6 1 6.g3 .ib7= We have been following the game Lanin Ibar, email 200 1 . I have labelled the position as equal, but deep down I prefer Black's position. The 'French bishop' is not particularly bad here, and White's bishop is also restricted by the wall of black pawns on light squares. Black has a better structure, with one pawn island versus three, which gives him good long-term prospects.

Conclusion In this chapter we have had our first meeting with the famous McCutcheon Variation. Mter 4.j,g5 j,b4 Black doesn't care about the pin and establishes a counter-pin which gives him counterplay in all lines. For example, after 5 .j,d3 dxe4 6.j,xe4 c5! White's centre comes under fire and 7.dxc5 j,xc3t 8 .bxc3 gives White tripled isolated pawns. Black's best plan is to exchange queens and play against those pawns. 5.tLle2 is another idea, but once the position opens up the knight will not be well placed on e2, and after 5 . . . dxe4 6.a3 j,e7 7.j,xf6 j,xf6 8.tLlxe4 tLl c6! Black has at least enough resources to equalize. 5.exd5 was the favourite move ofCapablanca and was highly regarded by other renowned players, including Tarrasch. Nevertheless, Black is fine after 5 . . . Wlxd5 6.j,xf6 gxf6, preparing to put further pressure on White's centre with . . . tLl c6, while keeping the . . . j,xc3 exchange in reserve. Finally we came to the main 5.e5 move, which obviously should be met by 5 . . . h6. The three sidelines 6.j,xf6, 6.j,h4 and 6.exf6 all deserve some respect, but in each case Black can obtain a good game without too much effort. In the next couple of chapters we will turn our attention to the more critical bishop retreats to c 1 , e3 and d2.

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6.icl and 6.ie3 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ltk3 � f6 4.i.g5 i.b4 5.e5 h6 A) 6.i.c 1 !? � e4 7.VNg4 AI) 7 ... @f8?! A2) 7 ... g6! A2 1 ) 8.�e2 �xc3! A2 1 1) 9.bxc3 A2 1 2) 9.�xc3 A22) 8.a3!? i.xc3t! 9.bxc3 �xc3! 1 0 . � e2!?N l o .id3 ! Game 5 3 B) 6.i.e3!? � e4 7.VNg4 g6! B 1 ) 8.�e2 B2) 8.a3 i.xc3t 9.bxc3 B2 1) 9 ... �xc3 B22) 9 ... c5! 1 0.i.d3 h5! 1 1 .VNf4 g5! 12.VNf3 �xc3 1 3.dxc5 d4 1 4.i.d2 � c6 1 5.,ixc3 1 5 .�f6! Game 54 -

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53 54

Leonid Ovcharenko - Evgeny Tsygankov, Correspondence 20 1 2 Alexander Areshchenko - David Smerdon, Isle o f Man 2007

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find eight diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter. a

Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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Find a strong idea for White. (page 388)

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How should White proceed? (page 376)

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The knight must move, but where? (page 38 1 )

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What is White threatening and how should Black counter it? (page 384)

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How should Black proceed? (page 387)

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How does Black bring order to the chaos? (page 389)

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Find a plan' for Black. (page 39 1 )

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Chapter 22

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6 .i.c 1 and 6 .i.e3

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 ttJf6 4.i.g5 i.b4 5.e5 h6 In this chap ter I will analyse A) 6.i.c1!? and B) 6.i.e3!? The two moves are related, as they both involve safeguarding White's bishop from being exchanged by a knight on e4. White also takes something of a risk by neglecting to break the pin on his knight. A) 6.i.c1!?

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If you were to ask me to recommend a line for White against the McCutcheon, this would probably be my suggestion, with 6.i.e3 being a close second. It is no coincidence that I have chosen to study those two moves together in the same chapter, because on one occasion a certain method of counterplay works well, but in the other case it does not. I will point out the relevant points at which the placement of the dark-squared bishop makes a significant difference to the evaluation.

6 ttJe4 7.�g4 This is the only move that is really worth analysing. •.•

7.tiJe2 and similar moves can be met by 7 . . . c5 when the initiative is already on Black's side. At this point the fundamental decision concerns how to protect g7. I used to prefer

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putting the king on f8 in all three main lines, but more recently I have changed my opinion against 6.i.c l and 6.i.e3. Before going into details, I would like to point out a few conceptual differences between those two moves and the main 6.i.d2 line, as found in the next chapter. The most obvious point is that, by avoiding the d2-square, White safeguards his bishop from being exchanged by the black knight from e4. In some scenarios Black may have to make concessions to prevent the knight from being trapped by f2-f3. In more abstract terms, we may observe that 6.i.c l and 6.i.e3 have the potential to lead to faster attacks than 6.�d2, so in the first two lines it is more important for Black to keep the option of castling queens ide, which j ustifies the weakening . . . g6 move. This principle is rather vague, but I think there is some truth to it. From here we will begin by seeing where the problems lie with AI) 7 i>f8?!, before analysing the more reliable A2) 7 g6!. .•.

•••

In passing, I'd like to mention 7 ... g5!? as another possibility. The critical line continues 8.ttJe2 c5 9.a3 �a5 1 O.b4 ttJ xc3 1 1 .ttJxc3 cxd4 when White can choose between 1 2.bxa5 and 1 2. ttJ b 5 . There is no direct refutation, but I do not trust Black's position and prefer moving the g-pawn one square.

AI) 7 i>f8?! •.•

In his Chess Fundamentals book, Capablanca argued that Black should usually defend his g7pawn with the king in such situations, rather than place a pawn on g6, where it might later be attacked by �d3 and/or h4-h5 . After the king move Black has lost his castling rights but has avoided weakening his kingside structure and is ready to attack the centre with . . . c5 . In

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this particular case, however, the king move runs into some problems.

8.11Je2 Protecting c3 is best. 8.a3 should be met by 8 . . . ii.xc3t 9 .bxc3 tLlxc3! when Back should be able to withstand any direct attacking attempts, although the position can be described as dynamically balanced.

1 O . . . h5 1 O . . . c5N is met by 1 1 .ii.a3 tLld7 1 2.0-0-0! and White is attacking first. 1 1 .Wf3!? tLl c6 We have been following the game A. Hunt ­ Anton Guijarro, Utebo 20 1 2. At this point, rather than giving a tempting check on a3, White could have kept some initiative with: 1 2.ii.g5 !N Black will have to solve some problems on the kingside.

8 ... cS 8 . . . f5!? could be an interesting move to analyse, but in the only practical outing so far White got the better of it after 9 .Wh3 c5 1 0.f3 in Kosteniuk - Zueger, Lenzerheide 20 1 0. The main alternative is: 8 . . . tLlxc3 9 .bxc3 ii.a5 I tried to make 9 . . . ii.e7 work, but came to the conclusion that after 1 O.tLlf4 c5 1 1 .ii.d3! tLl c6 ( l 1 . . .g6? is refuted by 1 2.tLlxg6t) 1 2.tLlh5 White is better. Note that this particular attacking set-up would not be as effective with Black's king on e8 and pawn on g6. 1 0.h4! White preferred 1 O.ii.a3t �g8 1 1 .h4 in Popov - Vallejo Pons, Moscow 20 1 2, but in this case Black can play . . . h5 at some point without fearing the arrival of the bishop on g5 . 8

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9.a3 i.xc3t I found nothing better. 9 . . . h5!?N is a new move that could be investigated, although I doubt that it equalizes. 9 . . . cxd4 1 O.axb4 dxc3 is given in NCO, but after 1 1 .tLlxc3 tLlxc3 1 2.bxc3 White is better. 9 . . . ii.a5 1 O.dxc5 tLl d7 ( l 0 . . . tLlxc3 1 1 .tLlxc3 ii.xc3t 1 2.bxc3 was better for White in Hector - Unzicker, Nuremberg 20 1 1 . Just over a century after the Lasker - Tarrasch match of 1 908, another great German player was beaten by an opponent with tripled pawns!) 1 1 .b4 tLlxe5 1 2.Wh5 ii.c7 1 3.tLlxe4 dxe4 1 4 .ii.b2

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Chapter 22

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6 .il.c 1 and 6 .il.e3

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1 4 . . . �g5 1 5 .�xg5 hxg5 1 6.t2k3 e3!? Black eventually won a complicated struggle in Bruzon Bautista - Short, Havana 20 1 0, but after the correct 1 7.0-0-0!N (threatening liJb5) White has some advantage.

1 5 . liJ xe6t!N i.xe6 1 6.�b4t �g8 1 7.�xc3 liJ c6 1 8.f4 Black has some problems to solve; his king is poorly placed, while White has the bishop pair and the possibility of preparing f4-f5 .

10.hxc3! This is one of the cases hinted at earlier, where Black must worry about the future of the knight on e4.

1 l .cxd4 'Wa5t 1 2.c3 � c6 14.'Wh3 This position occurred in - Kindermann, Bahia Feliz subsequent high-level game. chance seems to be:

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13.il.e3 lLl e7 Vallejo Pons 20 1 1 , and a Black's best

14 ... h5!?N As proposed by Vitiugov. I analysed this position quite a lot and eventually concluded that White's chances are higher after:

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10 ... cxd4 The main alternative is 1 0 . . . �a5 I l .f3 liJ xc3 1 2.i.d2 cxd4 1 3 .liJxd4 �c7 1 4.�f4 i.d7 as played in Nabaty - Jorczik, Kerner 2009. Antic and Maksimovic indicate that this line turns out well for Black, but White's play can be improved:

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Playing the French

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Interested readers may analyse deeper if they wish. I will j ust mention one elementary point:

1 5 ... 'Wxa3? 1 6.8 The knight is lost. Let us now turn our attention to the more accurate move: Al) 7 ... g6!

All) 8.tiJe2 This has been overwhelmingly the most popular move here, but I was able to find a convincing solution.

8 ... tiJxc3! 8 . . . c5 has been more popular, but the text move is simple and strong. White now chooses between Al l l) 9.hxc3 and Al12) 9. tiJ xc3. Al l l) 9.hxc3

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From this position White's two main options are Al l ) 8 . .!LJ e2 and Al2) 8.a3!? The first is much more popular, but the second is at least as dangerous. One other move has been tried, but it is harmless at best: 8 .�d3 tLlxc3 9.a3 9.�d2 tLlxa2! 1 0.c3 tLlxc3 1 1 .bxc3 �e7 1 2.h4 was seen in Dekker - Yu, Silicon Valley 1 993, and after 1 2 . . . h5N 1 3.Wg3 c5 it is difficult to believe that White has enough for the two-pawn deficit. 9 . . . tLl a2t!?N 9 . . . �a5 1 0.�d2 tLl a4! is a safe alternative, which is equally applicable in the analogous path beginning with 6.�e3. 1 0.axb4 1 O.c3?? tLlxc l ! is a nice detail that works here, but is not applicable in the 6.�e3 line. 1 O . . . tLlxb4 The d3-bishop will soon be eliminated and White will struggle to demonstrate full compensation for the missing pawn.

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9 ... .ie7! Black's strategy is simple: he is striving for a favourable version of a Winawer, where he has damaged White's queenside structure without exchanging his valuable dark-squared bishop. 1 O.tiJ f4 Another game continued: 1 0.h4 h5 1 1 .Wf4 c5 1 2.2"1h3 tLl c6 Black was more than fine in Sanchez Ibern - Jareno Badenas, Barbera del Valles 20 1 2 . In the event of 1 3.2"1f3N Black defends easily with 1 3 . . . 2"1f8 , after which it will soon be Black's turn to cause trouble with . . . Wa5-a4 and/or . . . b6 and . . . �a6. IO ... c5 In the note to Black's 8th move in variation A I , we encountered a similar situation with Black's king on f8 and pawn on g7.

Chapter 22

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The present version is more favourable, as White does not have the h5-square for his knight, whil� the king has the option of fleeing to the queenside in the event that White fully commits to a kingside attack.

1 l .�b5t! The best try, setting a trap that we must avoid. 1 l ... ttJc6! 1 1 . . .�d7? allows 1 2.tLlxe6! intending to meet 1 2 . . . fxe6?? with 1 3 .Wfxg6t 'it>f8 1 4.h4+­ when the imminent rook lift decides the game. 12.a4! White borrows an idea from the Winawer. In the present position the idea is not so much to activate the bishop on a3, but more to deprive Black of the typical manoeuvre . . . Wfa5a4. Most other plausible moves should be met by . . . Wfa5 with excellent play for Black. Note that the black queen does not always have to rush to a4 on the next move, but it still useful to have the square available, for instance if White plays c3-c4 to uncover an attack from the bishop on d2. After the text move Black can improve on the game Najer - Glek, Istanbul 2003 .

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1 2 ...�a5!N Even without the a4-square available, the queen move is a good one. 1 3.�d2 c4! As proposed by Vitiugov (the exclamation marks are mine) . Black has a solid position and will soon obtain the long-term advantage of the two bishops after forcing White to exchange on c6. A2 1 2) 9.ttJxc3 c5 1O.a3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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lo ...hc3t 1 0 . . . Wfa5 ?! 1 1 .axb4! Wfxa 1 1 2.Wff4!� does not look reassuring. The dark squares are weak and Black is far behind in development. l 1 .bxc3 �a5 12.�d2 �a4 1 3.h4!? This led to a win in an email game, but there are a couple of other options that also demand our attention: 1 3 .c4!? tLl c6! 1 4.dxc5 Wfxc2 should be fine for Black. l 3.Wff3 led to a scary-looking position in one game:

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a) 13 . . . cxd4! ? 1 4.�d3 dxc3 1 5 .�xc3 Wfh4 1 6.g3 Wfd8 1 7 .�b4 tLl c6 1 8 .�d6 tLl d4 1 9.Wff4

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Playing the French

Al2) S.a3!?

tLl f5 20.i.xf5 gxf5 A5 I said, this looks very scary. However, Houdini is not afraid and in a correspondence game Black simply drew: 2 1 .0-0 i.d7 22.2"i:ab 1 b6 23.2"i:fc 1 Wg5 24.Wd4 2"i:gS 25.c4 Wg4 26.Wxg4 fxg4 27.cxd5 Yz-Y:2 Fernandez Vicente - Pessoa, email 2009. b) 13 . . . tLl c6!?N is a sensible alternative. Critical is 1 4.dxc5 tLlxe5 1 5 .Wf6 We4t 1 6.i.e2 2"i:h7 1 7.f3 Wf5 l S.Wxf5 gxf5 , where Black's powerful centre should secure him a decent game. 8 7 6 5

S,..i.xc3t! S . . .i.a5 is the only sensible alternative and it has been recommended in many sources, but I don't think Black can equalize. 9.tLle2 c5 1 0.dxc5 tLl c6 1 1 .b4 tLlxe5 1 2.Wh3 i.c7

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13 Wlxc2!N 1 3 . . . tLl c6?! led to a fine victory for White in Bergmann - Schindler, email 2006. .•.

14.h5 This is the critical move. 1 4.Wf3 We4t! 1 5 .Wxe4 dxe4 1 6.dxc5 i.d7 1 7.2"i:b 1 i.c6 gives Black no problems.

14,..g5 1 5.f4 cxd4 16.cxd4 Wle4t 17.i.e2 Wlxd4 l S.2"i:c1 tLl c6 19.fxg5 Wlxg4 20.i.xg4 tLlxe5 2 1 .i.e2 tLl c6! 2 1 . . .hxg5 22.i.xg5� feels a bit too passive. 22.g6 :ggS 23.i.xh6 fxg6 24.hxg6 e5 The situation remains unclear.

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This may seem an improvement for Black over the 7 . . . fS line (the queen wasn't able to go to h5 here) , but still after 1 3 .tLlxe4! dxe4 14.tLlc3 White is better. Here is one practical example: 1 4 . . . a5 1 5 .i.b2! axb4 1 6.2"i:d 1 Wf6 1 7.i.b5t fS l S.axb4 Wf5 1 9.Wh4 tLlg4 20.h3 tLl f6 2 1 .tLlxe4 g5 22.tLlxg5 i.e5 23.i.d3 Wxg5 24.Wxg5 hxg5 25 .i.xe5 2"i:h6 26.i.b5 tLld5 27.c4 1 -0 Kotainy - Svane, Oberhof 20 1 1 .

Chapter 22

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38 1

6 . .ic 1 and 6 . .ie3

lO.ttle2!?N 1 O.Wh3?!N tLJ e4 is already better for Black, who intends . . . c5 next, and if 1 1 .f3 tLJ c3 1 2 . .id2 tLJ a4 Black has no problems whatsoever.

9.bxd

1 0.Jid3! seems to be White's best try for a theoretical advantage. This move can be found in the illustrative game immediately after the present line of analysis.

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9 ... ttlxc3! Taking this pawn looks - and indeed is somewhat risky, but there is no other way to punish White for refusing to play 6 . .id2.

The text move is a logical novelty which should be considered carefully. The c3-kn ight has already moved three times, and now White offers to exchange it for a piece that has only moved once. If Black refuses to exchange on e2 then the knight will expend yet another tempo, and White's knight can move to the wonderful f4-square.

This is an important moment where Black's best approach depends on whether the white bishop stands on c1 or e3 . Let us see what happens if Black tries to follow the same plan that I recommend against the 6 . .ie3 line: 9 . . . c5 10 . .id3 h5 ( l 0 . . . cxd4 was played in Gagliardi - Oreopoulos, corr. 20 1 2, but after l 1 .tLJe2!N White's chances are higher.) l 1 .Wf4 g5

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lO ... ttla4! From this square the knight prevents a3-a4, supports ... c5 and can easily move to important squares such as c3 and c4, should the need arise. We might also arrive at this choice by the method of elimination, as the alternatives don't look good: 1 0 . . . tLJ e4? l 1 . f3 forces the knight to take an unfavourable route.

Playing the French

382

After 1 0 . . . lLl xe2?! 1 1 .i.xe2 Black has lost considerable time and is unable to create counterplay strong enough to deal with the simple plan of h4-h5. Here is an illustrative line: 1 1 . . .b6 1 2.h4 h5 ( 1 2 . . . i.a6 1 3.i.xa6 lLl xa6 1 4.h5 g5 1 5 .f4 gxf4 1 6.�xf4 �e7 1 7.0-0±) 1 3.�f3 i.a6 1 4.i.xa6 lLl xa6 1 5 .i.g5 �d7 1 6.c4 c5 1 7.�f6 Ei:h7 1 8 .Ei:d a

1 1 .h4! Attempting to target g6 with 1 1 . lLl f4 c5 1 2.i.d3 doesn't work after 1 2 . . . lLl c6. Black is a pawn up with strong threats against White's centre. White's pieces are clumsily placed and the brutal attempts bring nothing: 1 3.i.xg6? ( 1 3.lLlxg6? Ei:g8!-+) 1 3 . . . �g5!-+

Leonid Ovcharenko - Evgeny Tsygankov Correspondence 20 1 2

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lDc3 li)f6 4.i.g5 i.b4 5.e5 h6 6.i.cl li) e4 7JWg4 g6 8.a3 hc3t 9.bxc3 li)xc3 lO ..id3!

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1 1 .. JWe7! 1 1 . . .c5?! 1 2.h5 g5 1 3.f4!t is better for White, as 1 3 . . . gxf4? runs into 1 4.�g7!. The text move is designed to prepare for this possibility by enabling Black to defend with . . . �f8 . 1 1 . . .h5!? 1 2.�f3 c 5 f! i s a reasonable alterna­ tive, albeit slightly riskier than the main line.

1 2.h5 g5 13.f4 gxf4C11 Black will follow up with . . . lLl c6, . . . i.d7 and long castling. White has sufficient compensation for a pawn, but not to claim an advantage.

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This tricky move hints at a possible sacrifice on g6, although it is not a real threat for the time being. On the other hand White develops quickly and forces Black to think about how to catch up on development while keeping the kingside secure and safeguarding the knight on c3 .

lO ... b6! Best, although Black will still need to be accurate. 1 0 . . . c5 This typical move is not fully satisfactory. 1 1 .dxc5 �a5 1 1 . . . �c7 1 2. lLl f3;!; is mentioned by Vitiugov. 1 2.�b4 �xb4 1 3 .axb4 lLl c6 Now in Hector - Brynell, ' Lidkoeping 1 999, White could have obtained a clear advantage with:

383

Chapter 22 - 6 . .tc 1 and 6 .te3 .

1 4.:B:a3!N For exampl,e : 1 4 . . . lLl e4 1 5 .f3 lLlg5 1 6.h4 lLl h7 17 . .tb5 lLl f8 1 8 .lLl e2±

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l l .a4 This whole line is quite fresh, and the present game is currently the only one in my database. The text move is a good option that forces Black to play accurately, but the following alternative also deserves close attention. In the similar position arising after 6 . .td, White's best is considered to be: 1 1 .h4!?N Turn ahead to page 387 and you will see that, in the similar position with the white bishop on e3 instead of d , the same move offers White an advantage. It is important to consider it here as well, to identifY the moment where Black can benefit from the bishop's placement on d . 1 1 . . .\We7! We saw the same idea in the analysis section with 1 0.lLle2. Once again, Black gets ready to meet the potential queen invasion on g7. 1 1 . . . c5 may seem like a good choice with the bishop being at d and not at d, but after 1 2.h5! g5 1 3.f4 c4 White has the devilish 14.lLle2! which gives him the upper hand. 1 1 . . ..ta6 is met by 1 2.h5 g5 1 3.f4 gxf4 1 4.\Wg7! �d7 1 5 .\Wxf7t \We7 1 6.\Wxe7t

�xe7 1 7 . .txf4 reaching, by transposition, an endgame first seen in Naiditsch - Stellwagen, Wijk aan Zee 2006. White is better due to his kingside majority and the vulnerability of the h6-pawn. (The game featured the 6 . .te3 move order, but the line works j ust as well for White with the bishop on d .)

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1 2.lLle2 1 2.h5 is nothing to fear now: 1 2 . . . g5 1 3.f4 gxf4 Since the move \Wg7 is no longer a problem, Black is able to play . . . .ta6 and/or . . . c5 in the near future, with good counterplay. 1 2 . . . lLl xe2 1 3 .\Wxe2 Preventing . . . .ta6. We have reached the crucial moment where Black can benefit from the placement of the bishop on c 1 . 1 3 . . . lLl c6! Gaining a tempo by attacking the d4-pawn. Black will follow up with . . . .tb7 and long castling, with a solid position. 1 4 . .te3 .tb7 1 S .h5

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Playing the French

384

1 5 . . . 0-0-0! An important nuance. 1 6.hxg6 Exg6 1 7 .�xg6 Eldg8 Black has given back his extra pawn but achieved great piece activity. This would not have been possible had the white bishop gone to e3 on move 6, but with the bishop on c1 the idea works like a dream.

13 ...i.b7 Black develops while preparing to use the bishop for defensive purposes if needed.

1 l '?Nd7! An important move to remember.

The following alternative leads to a different type of endgame: 1 4.�c2!?N �c6 1 5 .cxd5 Black was threatening to capture on c4 and play . . . b5. 15 ... Wxd5 1 6.�xa4 b5! 16 ... �xa4? leads to a poor endgame after 1 7.Elxa4 Wc6 1 8.Wd 1 Wxg2 1 9.Wf3 Wxf3 20.lLlxf3±. The piece is considerably better than the three pawns, as Black is unable to mobilize the pawns without creating serious weaknesses. 1 7.�d 1 Wxg2 1 8.Wxg2 �xg2 1 9.�f3 �xh 1 20.�xh 1 c6 We have reached an unclear endgame with White having two strong bishops against a rook and three pawns. I would evaluate the position as objectively somewhat better for Black, although White has his trumps as well.

•••

1 1 . . .c5 ? is a mistake: 1 2.Ela3 h5 1 3.'?Nf4 g5 1 4.Wxg5 Wxg5 1 5 .�xg5 cxd4 1 6. lLl f3 lLl c6 1 7.lLlxd4 lLl xd4 1 8 .Elxc3± 1 1 . . .�a6 1 2.Ela3!t forces the knight to return to the e4-square, since 1 2 . . . �xd3? 1 3 .cxd3 leaves it stranded on c3.

1 2.Ela3 White has to do something, because quiet moves will be met by . . . �a6 and possibly taking on a4 with the knight. With the text move White forces Black to take the pawn immediately, having a particular follow-up in mind. 1 2 ... ltJxa4 13.c4! This was his idea. The threat is cxd5 followed by �b5 , winning the a4-knight.

14.ltJe2 Inviting an endgame featuring three pawns versus a piece, where Black's chances are certainly not worse.

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14 ... dxc4 1 5.i.e4 he4 16.'?Nxe4 '?Nc6 17.'?Nxc6t c!tJxc6 18.Elxa4 b5

Chapter 22

-

Black has the more pleasant endgame, with three connected passed pawns for a piece. In a practical game this would equate to good winning chances, but in this correspondence game White was able to neutralize the pawns and achieve a draw.

19J�a6 c!tJ b4 20.B:a5 a6 2 1 .'!e3 c!tJ c6 22.B:a2

38S

6 . .!c 1 and 6 . .!e3

rooks occupied, so White cannot hope to win the game.

28 ... 0-0 Black was correct to avoid 2 8 . . . We7? 29.d51. However, he might have considered 28 . . . :gaS! ? as a winning attempt, planning t o put the king on e7 next.

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22 ... gS!? Black is searching for a way to bring the h8rook into the game. 22 . . . We7 could be a better practical attempt to play for the win. Play may continue 23.Wd2 as 24.:gb l 4J b4 2S .:gaa l c6 and the knight can choose between d3 and dS. Nevertheless, the white king's proximity to the queenside should enable the first player to hold the position.

23.Wd2 a5 24.f4 gxf4 24 . . . g4?! is met by 25.fS 1 . 2S.tDxf4 b4 White's position may appear critical, but actually he is fine. 26.B:cl c3t 27.Wc2 a4 28.B:aal The pawns cannot advance further, but they will continue to keep at least one of White's

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30 ... a3 30 . . . B:b5 3 1 .4JcS a3 32.4Jb3 reaches the same type of position and is also an obvious draw. 3 1 .tDcl Wg7 32.tD b3 c!tJ e7 33.B:f1 hS 34.h3 tDf5 35.B:f3 1/2-%

Not a bad result against the dangerous 8 .a3 line. Black was never in trouble and his practical chances in the endgame are higher than White's. That concludes my coverage of the 6 . .!c 1 line; let's now see how the play differs when the bishop instead goes to e3.

B) 6 .!e3!? •

Playin g the French

386

I eventually decided in favour of 7 . . . g6 for two reasons. First of all, I like the consistent approach of playing 7 . . . f8 when we can exchange on d2, and 7 . . . g6 when we cannot. I also noticed that Vitiugov gave some suggestions for White after 7 . . . f1 This position was reached in Malmstroem - Trani, email 2004, and now I like 1 5 . . . b6!N intending . . . ia6.

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Safeguarding the bishop makes a certain amount of sense, but it costs time and abandons the c3-pawn to its fate.

9 ... e5 lo.id3 tlJxc3! Simple and strong. H.dxe5 1 1 .id2 is met by 1 1 . . . 4J e4! 1 2.ixe4 dxe4 1 3.4Je2 cxd4 1 4.Wxe4 4J c6+ Blazkova - Zier, Karlovy Vary 2009. The black king will be able to hide on h7 later, as White doesn't have a light-squared bishop.

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12 YMa4! Black uses simple tactics to evade the pin. .•.

13.h3 1 3 .f4?! 4J e4 1 4. 4J f3 4J c6 1 5 . 0-0 4J xd2 1 6.4Jxd2 4J xe5+ Ozsvath - Barczay, Budapest 1 964. 13 YMxg4 14.hxg4 tlJ a4 15.g5 h5 1 6.E:h4 tlJxe5 •..

1 1 ...YMa5 12.id2 1 2.4Jf3 4Je4t is no problem either, for

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Playing the French

1 1 . .. c4 1 2 ..ie2 tLl d7 Black goes for Shipley's manoeuvre as in the aforementioned game.

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Another appealing idea is: 12 . . . tLl cG!? 1 3.tLlf3 c;t>e7! A typical idea for the French Defence. Black intends to walk his king to b8 before breaking with . . . fG. White can do surprisingly little to counter this.

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17.g4 g6 1 8.gxh5 tLlxd3t 19.cxd3 �xh5 20.�xh5 gxh5 Black was j ust marginally better in Zurakhov - Levin, Kiev 1 960. White held the draw without difficulty, but it is obvious that Black had no problems from the opening. B22) 9.V9f4

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1 4.a4 c;t>d7 1 5 .0-0 c;t>c7 1 G.Wc 1 J.d7 1 7.tLld2 1'l:c8 1 8 .Wb2 'it>b8 1 9.'it>h 1 The king walk has been completed and it is time for action. 1 9 .. .fG! Black often employs a similar strategy in the Winawer, but in that variation he may need to think twice about opening the centre due to White's bishop pair. Here there are no such worries.

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White wants to be able to take back with the queen on d2.

9 ... c5 1 O ..id3 tLlxdl 1 l .V9xdl The position resembles the Legaspi - Nadera game, but here Black does not have the option of long castling, which means he has to be slightly more careful. Despite this minor drawback, his prospects are still good.

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40S

Chapter 23 - 6.i.d2 20.exf6 20.f4 can be met by 20 . . . gS!. 20 ... gxf6 2 1 :f4 eS Black clearly had the initiative in Kargin Volkov, Moscow 200S.

20 . . .'±>eS! 2 1 .fS dS! 22.:8f3 as 23.fXe6 fXe6 24.ltJ g6 :8eS 2 S . ltJ f4 c7 26.fl b4+ Rabiega - Vitiugov, Germany 2009.

14... lLI b6 15.YNe3 YNa3 1 6.g5 lLI a4 Once again we see Shipley's plan being put to good use, more than a century after the American first played it. 8 7 6 5 4 3

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13.lLIa YNa5 14.g4? We will see that this is a mistake, but it is easy to see why White may be tempted to choose such a move. The 'hook' on h6 can have a hypnotizing effect at times. 1 4.h4 is more sensible, although the following game shows that Black does well here too: 14 . . .�a3 l S .:8h3 �b2 1 6.:8c1 ltJ b6 1 7.hS �d7 I S .ltJh4 ltJ a4 1 9.f4 bS 20.�g4 White is ready to attack, so Black employs the familiar tactic of evacuating the king from the danger zone.

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17.�d2 b5 1 8J�ab l i.d7 19.:8hgl i.e8 Black has regrouped his forces beautifully and is now ready for . . . :8bS and . . . b4. White, on the other hand, is struggling to create a single threat. 20.gxh6 �xh6 2 1 .�g3 �b8 22.lLIg5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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406

Playing the French

22 ... b4! A decisive breakthrough. 23.cxb4 �xa2 24.gcl gxb4 25.gh3 c3t 26.xg7 34.c!iJg5 i.f7? 34 . . . i.d7! would have kept some chances to resist. Now it is all over.

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20.g4 'lWxh3 2 1 .c!iJxh3 c!iJe7 Black's chances are at least equal. The rest of the game is not especially important for our study of the opening; both sides made a few inaccuracies, bur we should remember this was a blitz game, and the overall quality was pretty high until Black blundered on move 30.

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35.c!iJxf7! c!iJxf7 36.�g4t 'it>f8 37.�g6! Black is unable to defend the e6-pawn. 37 ... �h6 38.i.g4 'it>e7 39.i.xe6 1-0

412

Playing the French

Despite the unfortunate end, the way Korchnoi handled the opening was exemplary. In the final game we will examine an almost identical set-up with the white bishop retreating to e2 instead of fl .

Less accurate is: 1 5 . . . tiJe7 1 6.�f4 tiJf5 1 7.h5 �g5 ( 1 7 . . . �h4?? 1 8.g4+-) The plan of exchanging queens worked fine in the Polgar ­ Korchnoi game, but in this particular position it is not fully satisfactory. 1 8.�xg5 hxg5

•AME " Arghyadip Das Alberto David -

Kolkata 2008

l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tlJc3 tlJf6 4.i.g5 i.b4 5.e5 h6 6.i.d2 i.xc3 7.bxc3 tlJ e4 8.Wfg4 'it>f8 9.i.d3 tlJxd2 10.'it>xd2 c5 1 1 .h4 c4 1 2.i.e2 On this square the bishop temporarily blocks the knight from coming to e2. White has two ways of j ustifying the decision. One idea is simply to bring the knight via h3 to f4, with almost identical play to the previous game, except for the position of White's bishop. A second plan, unique to this particular line, is to move the queen to f4 and post the bishop on h5, making f7 the focal point of the attack.

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1 9.94!N ( l 9 .2"1h3 i,d7 20.g4 tiJ h6 2 1 .f4 gxf4 22.2"1fl f6 23.2"1xf4 c:J;; e7 was okay for Black in ]. Polgar - Panno, Buenos Aires 1 992.) 19 . . . tiJh6 20.2"1g3 f6 2 1 .tiJh3 Black stands worse as f2-f4 is difficult to meet. 1 6.2"1b 1 2"1b8 1 7.tiJh3 Black must be on guard against tiJf4-g6t.

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12 ... b5 1 3J::g h3 tlJ c6 14.Wff4 White can also abandon the bishop manoeuvre to h5 and bring his rook into play. 1 4.2"1f3 a5 1 5 .a3 i,d7!

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1 7 . . . tiJ e7! Good timing. 1 8.tiJf4 1 8.�f4 i,e8 1 9.h5 tiJ c6!? There are no serious threats on the kingside, so Black decides to put his knight back , on c6 rather than f5 . 20.g4 b4't Sanchez - David, Calvi 2008.

413

Chapter 23 - 6.�d2 I B . . . lZJf5 1 9.93 E&gB 20.lZJh5 We7 2 1 .Wf4 �eB Black has, completed his optimal defensive set-up and is ready for . . . b4.

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Let us see one more instructive game fragment from Korchnoi. 14 . . . We7 1 5 .�h5 �eB Sabino Brunello told me this was the game that inspired him to conduct a similar king walk in his game against Sanchez - see the earlier illustrative Game 56. 1 6.a3 a5 1 7.E&g3 E&gB I B. lZJ f3

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22.g4? 22.E&a l was better. A possible continuation is: 22 . . . b4 This is the most direct, but Black could also consider a waiting move of some kind. 23.axb4 axb4 24.el bxc3 25.E&xc3 Wb4 26.Wd2 Wb2f± 22 . . . lZJxh4 23.lZJf6? Having given up a pawn for nothing, White collapses. 23 . . . lZJxf3t 24.�xf3 E&hB-+ Schwerteck - Fiebig, Dortmund 2003. 8 7 6 5

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I B . . . E&a7! On this occasion the second rank defence works well. 1 9.1ZJh2 �dB This is not strictly necessary and the immediate 1 9 . . . b4!N would have been more to the point. 20.il.e2? 20.�e l was called for. In this case Black is unable to play . . . b4 immediately as f7 will hang, so he would have to weaken himself with a move like 20 . . . g6°o followed by . . . b4.

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14 �d7 Not for the first time, Black has more than one playable method of organizing his defences. ...

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Playing the French

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20 . . . b4! 2 1 .axb4 axb4 22.l"i:xa7 1,Wxa7 Black had the initiative in Volokitin Korchnoi, Igualada 2005. In the final position 22 . . . bxc3t 23.l"i:xc3 1,Wxa7 looks slightly more accurate, as the d4-pawn is weak and the rook is misplaced on c3. Still, in theoretical terms this is a moot point as Black has an earlier improvement on move 1 9.

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20.l"i:g3 20.g4? is of course met by 20 . . . g6+.

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20 ... @h7 2 1 .�O l"i:fB 22.'iffg4 f5!+ White has been outplayed.

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15.�h5 'iffe7 1 6.l"i:O �eS This time Black used the bishop rather than the rook to defend f7. This plan also works fine, especially in conjunction with Black's strong follow-up play. 17.a3 a5 ISJiJe2 l"i:bS Now . . . b4 could come at any moment, so White retreats his king.

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19.'it> e l @gS! Black prepares to put the king on h7. Normally this would be dangerous, but here it is j ustified by the peculiar placement of the bishop on h5.

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23.exf6 'iffxf6 23 . . . l"i:xf6!N intending . . . id7 and . . . e5 would have been stronger. 24.tlJf4?! 24.h2 he4 37.�xe4 .••

Playing the French

424

And 1 -0 in Smirin - Popov, Plovdiv 200S. I think we can do better than this! Before I show exactly how Black should answer 3 .We2 I want to introduce a plan that is essential to Black's success.

The Gipslis Plan l .e4 eG 2.d3 d5 3.tLld2 tLl f6 4.ltlg£3 i.e7 5.g3 0-0 G.i.g2 c5 7.0-0 tLl cG SJ�el Just for a moment I am stepping ahead to the Classical KIA (which we'll examine in more detail later) in order to show an important plan that is worth remembering, as it is also applicable in the 3 .We2 KIA, as we'll see in the next illustrative game. S ... h5 S . . . b6!? is the start of the Porto Carras Variation which we'll see later. 9.e5 ltl d7 10.ltlfl In this position I was inspired by the game Fischer - Uzi Geller, Netanya 1 965, (not the famous Efim Geller, but a solid Israeli former national champion) where the following plan was played:

and defend if required (for example from fS) while Black will play . . . tU d4 at the right time and double rooks on the c-file if White exchanges on d4. This is what I call "The Gipslis Plan" because it was first played by the well-known Soviet Grandmaster. Another set-up is also possible: . . . i.b7 and . . . tU d4 with the queen usually at b6 (to defend the new d4-pawn) . Usually, if . . . Wc7 is played a bit earlier, White won't have another way to defend the e5-pawn except to play We2 thus transposing to the 3.We2 variation we are dealing with now. In this exact instance White can defend with i.f4 and this is what happened in the stem game played by Gipslis:

1 1 .i.f4 i.h7 12.h4 ltl d4 13.ltl lh2 E&fcS 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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14.ltlxd4?! Probably White should have avoided this exchange. Even so, 1 4.h5 tUxf3t 1 5 .Wxf3 h6 1 6.tUg4 i.fS is fine for Black.

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10 .. .'IWc7 With the idea . . . a7-a5 , . . . i.a6, . . . E&fcS and . . . WdS . The queen can return to the kingside

14 ... cxd4 15.E&e2 Wih6 16.g4 1 6.h5 h6 1 7. tU g4 E&c6 ( 1 7 . . .i.fS would have avoided the sacrifice, but there is no need for that) I S .i.xh6 gxh6 1 9.Wc 1 WdS 20.tUxh6t g7 2 1 .Wf4 WfS 22.tUg4 E&acS 23.E&c1 hS 24.tUh2 tUc5 25.E&b 1 tU a4 is a winning advantage for Black.

Chapter 24

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425

The King's Indian Attack

16 ... �c6 17 ..ig3 �ac8 1 8.f4 Y!fc7 19.1Da �xc2 20.lDxd4 �xe2 2 1 .lDxe2 Y!fd8 And in Yukhtman - Gipslis, Sverdlovsk 1 957, White had only created weaknesses in his position and had no realistic attacking chances. Black won after displaying adequate technique. So let's see how Black can use this piece of knowledge in practice.

i;AME st

In this game White doesn't allow . . . lLl d4, but in return he creates a weakness on his queenside which is known as a "hook". 1 2.lLlf1 lLl d4 1 3.lLlxd4 cxd4 1 4 . .if4 This is very similar to the Gipslis game we saw. A couple of more modern examples will convince you about the soundness of Black's position: 1 4 . . . l"i:fcS

Alexey Kim Zhang Pengxiang -

Moscow 2004

l .e4 e6 Actually this game started as a Sicilian, but it soon transposed. 2.d3 d5 3.Y!fe2 lDf6 4.g3 .ie7 5 ..ig2 0-0 6.lDa c5 7.0-0 b5! And here actually Black played the inaccurate 7 . . . lLl c6?!. 8.�el lDc6 9.e5 lDd7 10.h4 .ib7 1 l .lDbd2 Y!fc7! I like this plan a lot; it is relatively safe and sound. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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1 5 .l"i:ec 1 1 5 .l"i:ac 1 allows 1 5 . . .'IWa5! ? as in the game Mihajlovskij - Kim, St Petersburg 2007. We see that the Korean GM took the knowledge gained from our main game and used it with the opposite colour! 1 6.a3 l"i:c6+ followed by doubling on the c-file. 1 5 . . . Wfb6 1 6 . .if3 1 6.h5N h6 1 7.Wfd2 .ifS ! ? Now the sacrifice on h6 is not dangerous. I s . lLl h2 l"i:c6 1 9. 1Ll g4 l"i:acS Black continues with his plan and if 20 . .ixh6? gxh6 2 1 . lLl xh6t .ixh6 22.Wfxh6 WfdS!=t the queen returns to the defence and White has nothing for his material deficit. 1 6 . . . l"i:c7 Also logical is 1 6 . . . l"i:c6, leaving the b6-dS diagonal open for the queen. 1 7.Wfd2 l"i:acS I s.lLlh2 a5 1 9 . .id l White chooses a defensive set-up. 1 9 . . . b4 20.lLlf3 a4 2 1 .l"i:ab l Wfa7 2 1 . . . l"i:c6!+ would have avoided White's next.

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22 . .tgS .tfS

1 6 . . . c4 1 7.d4 b4 was very strong as well. I S .1"i:ed l bxc3 1 9.1"i:xc3 ltJdS 20.1"i:c2 c3 2 1 ..tgS ltJ cb4 22 . .txe7 Wfxe7 23.1"i:cc 1 c2 and the Albanian GM was already winning in Dovramadjiev - Dervishi, Yerevan 1 999.

17.c!lJ e3 bxc3 l S.1"i:xc3 c!lJd4 I S . . . ltJ b4 is preferred by my engine and indeed it looks more convincing. 19.c!lJxd4 gxd4 20 .lxb7 'lWxb7 21 ..lg5 .liB 22.c!lJc4 gd7 23.gbl h6 24 ..le3 gadS 25. c!lJ xb6 Otherwise Black would have unpinned with . . . Wfc6 or . . . Wfa6. •

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23.ltJxd4! Wfxd4 24 . .te3 WfxeS 2 S . .tf4 Wfd4 26 . .te3 Wff6 27 . .tgS Wfd4 And in Kononenko - S. Zhigalko, Alushta 20 1 0, White found an amazing perpetual attack on the queen to force the draw in what would otherwise have been a slightly inferior position. Something to remember.

25 ... axb6 26.gcb3 'lWd5 27 .lf4 'lWaS 2S.gxb6 gxd3 29.gbS gxbS 30.'lWxd3 'lWd5 3 1 .'lWc2 •

1 2 JUdS 13.c!lJf1 d4!; This is a strong way of taking advantage of the move c2-c3. From now on, Black is in the driving seat. .•

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3 1 ... gaS?! Now White has chances to get back in the game. Better was: 3 1 . . .1"i:xb I t 32.Wfxb l c4+

14 ..lf4 1 4 . .tgS dxc3 I S . bxc3 ltJ b6't

32.a4 'lWd4 33.gdl 'lWb4 34.gbl 'lWa3 After 34 . . . Wfxa4 3S .Wfxa4 1"i:xa4 36.1"i:bS 1"i:b4 37.1"i:cS White has enough counterplay for a draw.

14 ... 11Jb6 15J�acl dxc3 16.bxc3 b4

35 .le3 g6

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Chapter 24

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The King's Indian Attack

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1 ) Put a pawn on e5, which limits Black's defensive resources considerably as he cannot use the f6- (or d6-) squares for a piece and the . . . f6 break has considerable positional risks as it will create a weak pawn on an open file. This e5-pawn will be overprotected with i.f4 and wre2 if necessary. 2) Manoeuvre the d2-knight to the kingside with l2'l d2-fl , and after h2-h4, then l2'l h2-g4.

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36.wrc1? Losing a pawn. Otherwise White was holding on. 36...wrxa4 37..txh6 .txh6 3S.wrxh6 wre4! 39J:kl wrxe5 And Black won a long ending . . . 0-1

The Classical KIA B2) 3.ttJd2 ttJf6 4.ttJgf3 e5 5.g3 ttJe6 6 ..tg2 .te7 7.0-0 0-0 SJ3el 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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This is our starting position for the study of the Classical KIA variation. The plans for White are well known:

3) Use the h-pawn to create weaknesses in Black's castled position. If the white pawn advances to h6 then the dark squares have been weakened. If Black stops that pawn on h5 with the move . . . h6, then potential sacrifices at h6 are in the air. 4) Use the g5-square for the bishop (to gain a tempo on the e7-bishop) or for the knight, which many times can even be sacrificed after the move . . . h6 by not moving from its outpost. Black often goes for an all-out attack on the queenside, as happened for the first time at the highest level in the already mentioned Chigorin - Tarrasch 1 893 match. Black leaves the kingside at White's mercy, assuming that he cannot organize a quick and effective attack there. Instead I am a fan of a more rounded approach, considering the attack and taking preventive or defensive measures against it, while focusing more on the centre than the queenside.

S ...wre7! I am not the only one who gives an exclam to this move. The legendary Bobby Fischer did so back in 1 968. Black wants to put some pressure on e5 before White is able to protect it with a bishop on f4. 8 . . . b6 can lead to the "Porto Carras Variation" a line invented by Jacob and me during our

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preparation for the first round of the European Team Championships which took place in Porto Carras, Greece in November 20 1 1 . We'll talk more about it later. The Classical Main Line of the KIA has been: Soo.b5 9.e5 lLl d7 l O. lLl fl I was able to follow live a recent game that shows how things might develop. Balaskas - Ganguly, Greek League 20 1 3, continued: I Oo o .b4 The move l Oo o .a5 is more popular, as it avoids the possibility of 1 1 .a3 in the next note. I l .h4 1 1 .a3 should have been met 1 1 . . .bxa3 and not with the computer proposal 1 1 o o .b3? because after 1 2.c3 White has a free hand at Black's kingside without fearing a big attack on his queenside. 1 1 . . .a5 1 2.�f4 1 2. lLl l h2 again might be more flexible. The knight certainly goes there, while the bishop might have other possibilities. 1 2o o .a4

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the Indian Grandmaster. Now White gains some tactical opportunities. 1 5 .h5 l"i:cS 1 5 o o .h6 would have been more prudent, but after the white knight comes to g4 several ideas with a sacrifice at h6 are in the air and probably Black wanted to avoid them. 1 6.h6 g6 1 7.lLlg4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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Now things are looking a bit scary around Black's king, aren't they? Objectively Black is still fine, but he has problems to solve every move. 1 7o o . lLl d4! The knight goes back to the defence. I S .c3 lLl f5 1 9.c4 A nice idea by the Greek master. By sacrificing a pawn he gains access to the e4square for his g5-knight. 1 9o o . dxc4? Black should have played 1 9o o .WdS with unclear play.

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1 3.lLl 1 h2?! It is known from the old Fischer games that here White should play 1 3.a3!. 1 3 o o .�a6?! 1 3o o .a3! would have been stronger. 1 4.lLlg5 WeS Another move of questionable value from

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Chapter 24 - The King's Indian Attack

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This was White's chance. After 20.'lWxa4! Black is iq trouble. Also promising was 20.tLl e4. Instead White played 20.dxc4 allowing 20 . . . �xc4 2 1 .4:le4 �b5! when Black was holding on to equality, and in fact later won. What does the above game teach us? The KIA is a difficult opening to handle, even for high­ level players; Black was over 400 points higher rated, yet was struggling badly in the early middlegame. There are lots of typical ideas and devices, like the . . . a3 and . . . h6 pushes, and tough decisions about when they are good or not. Also White's kingside build-up is psychologically not easy to deal with, unless of course you are a brilliant defensive player and always keep a cool head under pressure. So for the more typical player who dislikes being under attack, I should offer a system which has certain typical devices that are easy to understand and remember; a system that doesn't give White so much play against our kingside.

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1 1 ...lbd4! 1 1 . . .e5 1 2.c3 h6 1 3.4:lh4 is a slight edge to White according to ECO, citing the game Stein - Korchnoi, Stockholm 1 962, but my PC disagrees, offering 1 3 . . . �g4N 1 4 .'lWc2 �e6 1 5 . 4:l f5 �f8 with equal chances. 1 2.lbxd4 cxd4 13.e5 lbd5

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And here we'll see two examples: a

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We shall have a further split: B2 1) 9.lbf1 and B22) 9.e5.

B2 1) 9.lbf1 dxe4 10.dxe4 gd8 I l .Wfe2

1 4.h4 4:l b4 1 5 .�e4 d3!� was a fine positional pawn sacrifice made by a Titan of the French Defence, Lajos Portisch. ( l 5 . . . �d7, like the next example, also makes sense) 1 6.�xd3 4:l xd3 1 7.cxd3 b6 1 8.�f4 �a6 1 9.Ei:ac l 'lWd7 In Pfleger - Portisch, Palma de Mallorca 1 966, Black never faced a problem and was putting

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mild pressure on White's position throughout the game. 1 4.a3 �d7 1 5 .�e4 1 5 .Wi'd3 �a4°o is evaluated as unclear in ECO based on the game Stein - Klovans, USSR 1 963. After 1 6.�e4 g6! ?N 1 7.b3 �e8 I'd rather be Black. 1 5 . . . �e8 1 5 . . . �a4N first may be a slight improvement. 1 6.�d3 b5 1 7.ttJd2 b4 1 8 .a4 ttJ b6 1 9.a5 ttJ d7 20.ttJb3 ttJ c5 2 1 .ttJxc5 Wi'xc5 22.b3 g6 23.�h6 �c6 24.f3 E\ab8 2 5 .�g2 �b5 26.E\ec l a6 27.�d2 Wi'd5 28.Wi'e4 �xd3 29.Wi'xd5 �fl t 30.�xfl E\xd5 3 l .f4 d3 This was the course of Sammalvuo Solozhenkin, Finland 2006, where Black was pressing in the endgame.

B22} 9.e5 8 7 6 5

Gambit" position, as Ari Ziegler puts it in his DVD. Here the computers are happy with Black's chances but I am not, to be honest. There have been a few games played from here, and White's statistics are better. 1 0 . . . b6!? This is usually a prelude to central play (see also the Porto Carras Variation) . 1 1 .ttJfl �b7 1 2 .h4 E\ae8 With the idea of . . . Wi'b8 and . . . �d8 followed by . . .f6 or even . . . �c7 first; this is a plan I had discovered about 1 0 years back when I saw the game Haritakis - Cvetkovic, Korinthos 1 998, where Black won a nice game. I have only used it though in online blitz games. I am not 1 00% sure ifit gives fully adequate counter-chances, but it certainly is another practical weapon you could use. Examining my oid notes today with the use of modern chess engines, all I have to say is that I don't see a flaw in the idea, but it requires some care and flexibility in the implementation. For example, sometimes playing . . . ttJd4 offers better chances than sticking with the original plan. Certainly food for thought, and a good area for personal investigation. However, the main suggestion presented here is simpler.

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The most common move.

9 ... .!lJ d7 l O.VNe2 1 O. ttJ fl ? has surprisingly been played a few times, though it drops the e5-pawn. l O ... b5 10 . . . f6! ? I l .exf6 ttJxf6 is usually met by 1 2.�h3 e5 1 3.�xc8 E\axc8 1 4.ttJxe5 ttJ d4 1 5 .Wi'd l �d6 and we have a sort of "Marshall

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1 1 .h4 Another move order is: 1 1 . ttJ fl �a6 1 1 . . .a5! was better and would transpose to

43 1

Chapter 24 - The King's Indian Attack my main line. 1 1 . . .lLl d4 1 2.lLlxd4 cxd4 transposes to the Kononenko' - Zhigalko game we examined under the 3 .\We2 move order (that incredible perpetual attack on the queen) . 1 2.h4 :1!fcB 1 3.i.f4 lLl d4 1 3 . . . \Wd8 or 1 3 . . . b4 were better. 1 4.lLlxd4 cxd4

1 2 . . . lLl d4!? 1 3.lLlxd4 cxd4 1 4.i.f4 :1!a6 is seen in the next illustrative game.

13.if4 1 3.i.g5 :1!fc8 followed by . . . h6 only helps Black. 13 ... :1!fc8 14.tlJe3 �d8 1 5.h5 1 5 .:1!ael b4 ( 1 5 . . . a4 looks sensible as well) 1 6.c4 bxc3 1 7.bxc3 and now 1 7 . . . lLl f8°o is given Uhlmann in ECO ( 1 7 . . . :1!ab8? is met by I B .lLlxd5± with the point being 1 8 . . . exd5 1 9.e6!) . 1 5 ... h6 My oid source, ECO, stops here with the "=" sign but let me go a bit deeper than this.

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16.ih3 tLl b6 17.tLlg4

1 5 .i.xd5! A typical strike in these positions, known from the classic Fischer game that follows. 1 5 . . . i.b7 1 6.i.xb7 \Wxb7 1 7.:1!ee l :1!c7 1 8.lLl d2 :1!ac8 1 9.1Llb3 \Wd5 20.\We4 :1!xc2 2 1 .:1!xc2 :1!xc2 22.\Wxd5 exd5 23.lLlxd4 :1!xb2 24.i.e l i.a3 25.lLlf5 lLlxe5 26.i.xb2 i.xb2 27.:1!b 1 lLlxd3 28.'tt> f1 1 -0 Votava - Stocek, Turnov 1 996. Please watch out for this kind of sacrifice!

1 1 ... a5 12.tLlfl ia6 This has been my favoutite way to play the position. Of course we have already seen the plan with . . . i.b7 and we'll also see the plan with . . . i.a6 and . . . lLld4. My personal favourite is to postpone the . . . lLld4 move for a while and put the bishop on a6, targeting the queen and not fearing the i.xd5 sac because the queen will return back to d8. This means that after . . . lLl d4 the d4-pawn will not have good protection, but on the other hand Black is well prepared for White's assault, so he can slowly prepare his queens ide play without rushing.

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17 ...iflJ 1 7 . . . lLl a4 1 8.:1!ab l b4 gives Black sensible counterplay. 1 7 . . . c4 1 8.d4 c3 1 9.b3 a4 also gives Black good counterplay: 20.\We3 lLl b4 2 1 .:1!ee l i.b7! threatens . . . axb3 and after 22.a3 lLl xc2! 23.:1!xc2 axb3+ is j ust a funny sample line I produced with the help of my PC (which was responsible for White's choices!) .

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1 8.c3 liJd7 19J�acl a4 20.Wfd2 8

Robert Fischer - Uzi Geller

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Netanya 1 968

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20 ... i>h7 20 . . . c4! ?N 2 1 .d4 b4 has the idea of . . . a3, blowing away the whole queenside. Play may continue: 22.a3 (22.j,xh6 gxh6 23.liJxh6t j,xh6 24.Wxh6 Wf8+ and Black defends successfully) 22 . . . bxa3 23.bxa3 Now after 23 . . . tiJ a5 or 23 . . . E:ab8 Black's counterplay is very strong. 2 1 .i.f1 liJ aS 22.d4 liJ c4 23.i.d3t i>h8 24.Wfe2 i.e7 2S.liJh4 Black can now secure an edge: 2S ...hl4N 26.gxh4 a3i Instead, Davies - L.B. Hansen, Graested 1 990, continued 25 . . . a3 26.b4 cxb4 27.cxb4 j,g5 ? 28 .j,xg5 Wxg5 29.f4 We7 30.f5t and White managed to break through with typical KIA style. In my ten years of French Defence practice as a player and trainer I don't know a single player who hasn't suffered such a bad loss with Black in the KIA (of course I also have!) . So, studying this opening will reduce the probability of you swallowing this bitter pill.

decided to include the notes of the chess legend Bobby Fischer here for the reader to see. Fischer was a great authority on the KIA, so his comments have special value. The notes come from the Israeli Chess Magazine Shamat (August 1 968, pages 1 -2) and were re­ published in Newsletter #475 of the Mechanic's Institute, which I found on the internet.

l .e4 e6 2.d3 dS 3.liJd2 cS 4.g3 liJf6 5.i.g2 i.e7 6.liJgf3 0-0 7.0-0 "These first few moves needed no comment since all this has been played many times before. White is playing a King's Indian with a tempo in hand and against a rather passive set-up of the Black pieces." 7 ... liJc6 8.:gel Wfc7! "This is better than 8 . . . b5 9.e5 tiJd7 1 0.tiJf1 as in the game Fischer - Mjagmarsuren, 50usse 1 967." 9.eS .!tId7 1O.Wfe2 "Now White's queen may become subject to threats on this square, for example . . . tiJd4." 10 ... bS 1 1 .h4 as 12 . .!tIf1 liJd4 13.liJxd4 cxd4 "Now both sides have weaknesses: White a backward pawn on the c-file, Black an artificially isolated pawn on d4. White, with latent kingside attacking chances, however, still has an edge." Fischer's evaluation has not passed the test of time. ECO, for example, evaluated the position as equal and modern chess engines even prefer slightly Black's position. 14.i.f4 :ga6!?

Chapter 24 - The King's Indian Attack "Black decides to bring immediate pressure on White's helpless pawn on c2, ignoring or overlooking White's threat of 1 5 . .ixd5. But after some consideration I rejected this combination because after 1 5 . .ixd5 .ib4! 1 6.2"k l ? ( 1 6.l"leb l is better) 1 6 . . . exd5 1 7.e6 l"lxe6 1 8.'\Wxe6 'lMrxf4 1 9.'lMrxd7 'lMrxc 1 and wins." As we have seen already, 1 4 . . . .ib7 followed by . . . l"lfc8 is another efficient way to get a completely sound position (the "Gipslis Plan") .

lS.llJh2 l"lc6 16.E!ac1 .ia6 "It turns out Black was not aware of White's tactical possibilities on d5. Correct was 1 6 . . . 'lMrb6." I would also recommend 16 . . . l"le8!? which is okay for Black, as . . . .if8 will come if needed. In addition, 1 6 . . . .ib4 is the first choice of the engines and Black seems fine after this. 8

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2 1 .WihS Wixd7 22.llJf3 g6 23.Wih6 i.f6 24.E!xe6 Wixe6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

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2S.i.eS "Forcing by a little combination the exchange of bishops, creating numerous holes on Black's dark squares. This factor is decisive. Geller's last hope was 25.l"le l ? 'lMrxe l t!! 26.llJxe l .ig7 27.'lMrg5 .if6 and draws." 2S ...heS 26.E!el f4 27.E!xeS Wid7 2S.hS "Cracks Black wide open. If 28 . . . gxh5 then 29.l"lg5t."

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2S ... fxg3 29.hxg6 gxf2t "Or 29 . . . l"lxf3 30.l"le8t!! and the g-pawn queens."

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30.xn hxg6 3 1 .Wixg6t Wig7 32.E!gS "The finishing touch: exchanging queens costs Black his bishop on a6."

17.i.xdS! exdS 1 7 . . . l"lc5 was, according to Fischer, the only move that offered Black some practical chances, but White's position is better anyway.

32 ... E!fl ''And here, while I was trying to decide on 33 .'lMrh6 or 33.'lMrh5 Black resigned." 1-0

lS.e6 WidS 19.exd7 E!e6 20.Wig4 f5 "After 20 . . .'\Wxd7 2 1 ..ie5 wins a pawn and eventually the game. Now the weakened e-file proves Black's downfall."

The Porto Carras Variation l .e4 e6 2.d3 dS 3.llJd2 llJf6 4.llJgf3 cS S.g3 llJ c6 6.i.g2 i.e7 7.0-0 0-0 S.E!el

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While preparing for the first round of the European Team Championships where Denmark was facing Hungary, I noticed that Berkes (with an impressive 2705 rating at the time) was playing the KIA rather often. Jacob asked if I had an offbeat idea against it. I said "Yes! When he plays e5 everybody plays . . . ttJd7 or . . . ttJ eS but there is also the move ttJ g4!?" Of course Jacob was very sceptical, but I explained that if h2-h3 is played this knight sits comfortably on h6 from where it can go to f5 or even f7 after the planned . . . f6 break. If not h2-h3 then after . . . f6 there is the threat of . . . ttJxe5 and if exf6 then . . . �xf6 and if h3 then . . . ttJ ge5! . Jacob said "Okay, let's analyse it" and as usual left the room and let me provide my traditional variation tree. While I was doing that, I noticed that White had a strong possibility. After S . . . b5 9.e5 ttJ g4 there was 1 0. ttJ b3! and by putting some pressure on the c5-pawn White could make the whole idea dubious. So I started analysing the same idea, but starting with:

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lO.tiJ fl ! Sadly, after reviewing my analysis I found the flaw in our concept. 1 O .h3 ttJh6 1 1 .ttJf1 1 1 .c3 should be met by l 1 . . .ttJf5f±, as l 1 . . .f6 1 2.exf6 �xf6 1 3 .ttJf1 ttJf7 might just be playable for Black, but it is positionally suspect after 1 4.ttJe3 or 1 4.d4. 1 1 . . . ttJ f5

8 . . b6!? 9.e5 There are also the moves 9.b3 and 9.a3 to consider, but the only way to "punish" Black for the move . . . b6 is to play traditionally. Now Black isn't quick enough on the queenside (as we saw, he usually attacks there with . . . b5 and . . . a5, so . . . b6 is j ust a waste of time considering this plan) so White carries on with his attack. .

9 . tiJ g4!? But now this plan might work! I produced my variation tree; Jacob was happy and went on to achieve a winning position. But by playing the Tarrasch instead! After this experience we both believed we had made a rather significant discovery. By simple means, we had refuted the KIA! .

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1 2.c3 1 2.g4 is comfortably met by either 1 2 . . . ttJh4 or 1 2 . . . ttJ fd4. 1 2 . . . �b7 Intending . . . d4 with fine play for Black. One possible line instead is: 1 3.d4 cxd4 1 4.cxd4 2"1cSf± 1 0.ttJb3 a5

Chapter 24

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The King's Indian Attack

10 . . . f6 1 1 .exf6 ixf6 1 2.c3 a5 should transpose as there is no better move than a2a4. 1 1 .a4 f6 1 2.exf6 ixf6 1 3.c3 e5! 13 ... �a7 1 4.h3 tLlge5 1 5 .tLlxe5 ixe5 1 6.d4t 1 4.h3 tLlh6 1 5 .ixh6 gxh6 The position is unclear but roughly balanced. In return for his damaged kingside, Black has the bishop pair and a strong centre.

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12 Wfc7 With the idea of retreating the bishop to d6 in the event of h2-h3 . . . tLlge5, tLlxe5 . . . ixe5, and f2-f4. •..

12 . . .Wd6 1 3.h3 tLl ge5 ( 1 3 . . . tLlh6 1 4 .if4 e5 1 5 .ixh6 gxh6 1 6.tLle3 ie6 1 7.c4 seems better for White) 1 4.tLlxe5 ixe5 1 5 .f4 if6 1 6.tLle3t and White has a positional edge. a

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l 1 .exf6 1 1 .h3? IS met by 1 1 . . .tLl gxe5 , and not 1 1 . . .tLlh6 1 2.exf6 ixf6 1 3.c3 tLlf7 which transposes to a position we saw under the 1 0.h3 tLlh6 1 1 .c3 move order. 1 l .Lf6 1 1 . . .tLlxf6 1 2.c4 id6 1 3.tLlg5 is better for White. ..

12.c3! By planning d3-d4 White is counting on a small positional edge. You can still play this with Black, but I cannot guarantee equality.

13.tLle3! 1 3 .h3 tLl ge5 1 4.tLlxe5 ixe5 1 5 .f4 id6� 13 ... tLlh6 1 3 . . . tLlxe3 1 4.ixe3t with the idea d3-d4. 14.llJ c2!;t 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Playing the French

Again planning d3-d4. We can say that this is not the end of the story and Black can search for other ways to make this concept work. My aim for this book is to provide well-tested methods that will definitely work, but also to offer some inspiration with risky new ideas and discoveries. So, I leave the reader with the task of trying to make my "Porto Carras" idea work. If you do, please email me!

Conclusion In this chapter we analysed the potentially dangerous King's Indian Attack. We started with Chigorin's 2.We2 which historically was the first step towards the development of the KIA and later the King's Indian Defence. Our choice was 2 . . . :ke7 intending to play 3 . . . d5. After 3.b3 d5 4.:kb2 Kasparov's 4 . . . tLl f6! is better than Tarrasch's 4 . . . :kf6. The most critical line is 3.d4 d5 4.e5 c5 and after 5.Wg4 Black should reply 5 . . . fS! intending . . . cxd4 followed by . . . tLlc6, . . . Wb6, . . . h7-h5 and . . . tLl h6 putting pressure on d4. And if White plays dxc5 then . . .f6!. The true KIA starts after 2.d3 d5 when White can either play 3 .We2 or 3.tLld2. In both cases Black is advised to proceed in classical style with . . . tLl f6 and . . . :ke7 and then . . . c5, . . . b5 and . . . tLl c6, with White trying to develop his initiative on the other flank. We analysed three different set-ups for Black. In the first set-up Black played . . . Wc7 and . . . :kb7 with the idea . . . E1fc8 and . . . tLld4. If White stops this with c2-c3 then Black has . . . d4! followed by . . . tLl d7-b6. The second set-up is again with the queen coming to c7, but this time the bishop goes to a6 after . . . a7-a5 . Now Black can re-organize his forces with . . . E1fcS and . . . WdS. The third set-up is with . . . b6 and meeting e4-e5 by putting the knight on g4. We call this the "Porto Carras Variation" because we discovered this idea at the 20 1 1 European Team Championships in Porto Carras, Greece. As we see things today, White is better here, but Black's idea is playable and some practical tests might repair the few problem areas.

Chapter 25 a

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Six Rare Birds l .e4 e6 2.e5 Game 6 1 2.c4 Game 62 2.llJc3 Game 63 2.f4 Game 64 2.b3 Game 65 2.llJf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4 -

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Game 61 Game 62 Game 63 Game 64 Game 65 Game 66

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Game 66

Wilhelm Steinitz - James Mason, Vienna 1 882 Irina Chelushkina - Alisa Marie, Tivat 1 995 Judit Polgar - Vladimir Kramnik, Cap D'Agde 2003 Andrew Green - Ervin Toth, Szeged 2008 Eva Repkova - Elena Cosma, Pula 2002 Gyula Emodi - Gabor Portisch, Hungary 1 999

439 441 443 446 449 452

439 44 1 443 446 449 452

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Diagram Preview On this page you will find seven diagrams with critical moments from the coming chapter. I recommend that you take up to ten minutes to think about each of them (though less in some cases) . The solutions are found in the following chapter.

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Black is to move otherwise indicated.

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How should Black challenge the long diagonal? (page 445)

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What is the accurate choice? (page 450)

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Find a way to organize Black's pieces. (page 440)

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Find the simplest win. (page 446)

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Find a good set-up. (page 442)

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Find a good plan. (page 447)

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Chapter 25 - Six Rare Birds In this chapter I am going to analyse in some depth six i � teresting sidelines after l .e4 e6. My main criteria in choosing those six lines from the many rare French sidelines is that my students or I have faced these lines more than once, and that there are things that can be helpful in practice to know about these lines. 8

��," .i.�.�4il�.i •_ ',%� ',�_',

6 �.%��.%�!.%�"lI � lI. lI. !. lIlI

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3 ���/�%m��p%m��p%m��,� t3J wfj t3J wfj wfj t3J wfj

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" ' 1 , , , , %� ,� , , , , %� ,�j' ' ' ' ' %% n/// ' ' ' '

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2.b3 was my former coach's favourite move against the French. I propose a nice simple line to meet it, seen in the game Repkova - Cosma. 2.ctJf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4 is the French Wing Gambit. In the game Emodi - G. Portisch, Hungary 1 999, we'll study it to conclude this Rare Birds chapter.

Wilhelm Steinitz James Mason -

Vienna 1 882

l .e4 e6 2.e5 c5 2 . . . d6 is the "equalizing move" . I prefer a more fluid approach.

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I said that a student or I have faced these systems at least once, but there is one exception: 2.e5 is a move I have played myself once, but I have never faced it. I include it out of respect for the first official World Champion, Steinitz. Steinitz played it in quite a number of games, so I call it "the old Steinitz Method" to distinguish it from the "Steinitz Main Line" after 2.d4 d5 3.ctJc3 ctJf6 4.e5. For more details on 2.e5 see the first illustrative game of the chapter. 2.c4 has certain similarities with the Caro­ Kann 2.c4 line. It is not a difficult line to play against, but it deserves some attention. In fact the game we shall study, Chelushkina - Maric, Tivat 1 995, started as an English Opening with l .c4 and transposed to our line after 1 . . . e6 2.e4. 2.ctJc3 d5 is examined in Polgar - Kramnik, Cap D'Agde 2003. 2.f4 is seen in Green - Toth, Szeged 200S.

3.£4 Another set-up is: 3.ctJf3 ctJ c6 4.c3 This is the only move which makes some sense to me. Otherwise, after . . . d6 White will be tortured positionally down the d-file. 4 . . . d6 5.exd6 'lWxd6 6.d4 6.ctJa3 ctJ f6 7.d4 cxd4 S.ctJb5 'lWbS 9.ctJ bxd4 �d7 1 0 .�g5 �e7 is equal. 6 . . . cxd4 7.cxd4 ctJ f6 S.ctJc3 �e7 Black had a comfortable anti-IQP position

440

Playing the French

in Boricsev - Shtyrenkov, Alushta 2003 . Black will continue with . . . b6 and . . . iLb7 then put the rooks on c8 and d8 .

3 ... c!tJ c6 4.c!tJf3 c!tJ h6! S.g3 b6 6 ..tg2 c!tJ f5 7.c3 gbS!? According to ECO, this is the path to equality. Black's last move might not seem very useful, but Black proved that it is useful later in the game with a beautiful manoeuvre.

Black has completed his re-organization brilliantly and stands slightly better. Of course it would have been difficult to beat the World Champion in his prime years, but Black came quite close.

19.c!tJel c!tJf6 20.VNe2 .tb7 2 1 .c!tJf3 .ta6 22.c!tJel .td6 23.gdl .tbS Another sensible re-organization; Black is getting ready for . . . e6-e5 . 24.gadl 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

10 dS l 1 .exd6 1 1 .0-0 h5!? and Black has a great version of the French. White's idea from his second move is to meet . . . d7 -d5 by taking on d6. ..•

1 1 ...lt!xd6 12.0-0 0-0 13.gdl VNcs 14.c!tJf1 White sensibly prepares d3-d4 at the right moment, but this would give him equality at best.

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24 c!tJ e7?! But he misses his chance! Mter 24 . . . e5 25.f5 e4 26.lLl g4 lLlxg4 27.Wxg4 exd3 28.f6 g6 29.Wg5 iLd6+ White would have been in some trouble. ..•

2S.c!tJf3? Luckily another chance pops up! 25.lLlc4 would have been better. 2S c!tJ e4! 26.c!tJel c!tJxdl 27.gxd2+ Black is a clear exchange up, but he failed to convert his advantage. •.•

14 gdS I S .te3 Mter 1 5 .d4 cxd4 1 6.tLlxd4 lLl xd4 1 7.2"i:xd4 iLxg2 1 8 .VNxg2 Wa6+ all the black pieces stand better than their counterparts. •..

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I S .ta6 1 6.VNc2 c!tJ eS 17 ..tfl gb7 IS.c!tJe3 gbd7i ..•

27 ... c!tJg6 2S.h4 c!tJe7 29.VNhS .txd3 30.gxd3 gxd3 3 1 .c!tJxd3 gxd3 32 . .te4 g6 ' 33.VNgS

Chapter 25

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44 1

Six Rare Birds

.AME 6I!

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Irina Chelushkina - Alisa Marie Tivat 1 99 5

l .e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 Instead 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 would of course transpose to Chapter 5 on page 9 5 . 3 ... exd5 a

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33 .. J:l!xe3 Giving back the exchange to get rid of the dangerous knight. 33 . . . Ei:d7!-+ was stronger, but no doubt Black was worried about 34.lt:lg4. In fact, Black then has a cold-blooded defence with 34 . . . Ei:d 1 t and 35 . . . lt:l f5 . The knight check on f6 100ks scary, but it comes to nothing. Easy to say with an engine helping; over the board Black's choice was understandable. 34.he3 c!tJrs 35 ..ifl Black is still better of course, but Steinitz now has something to hold on to: his pair of bishops and the fact he is down by only one pawn. I shall give the remaining moves without comment; there are some fun moments, but nothing of great relevance to the French Defence. 35 .ic7 36.v,vg4 c!tJd6 37 ..id3 e5 38.v,vg5 e4 39 ..ie2 v,ve6 40.h5 f6 41 .v,vh4 e3 42 ..iel c4 43.hxgG hxgG 44.v,vh6 rs 45 ..if3 c!tJf7 46.v,vh l b5 47..id5 v,vd6 48.b3 cxb3 49.axb3 .ib6 50.@fl @f8 5 1 .c4 bxc4 52 ..ixc4 v,vdl 53.v,vc6 c!tJd6 54 ..ie2 v,vd4 55.v,vd7 c!tJ e4 56.v,ve6 v,vf6 57.v,vd7 v,ve7 58.v,vc8t @g7 59 ..id3 c!tJd2t 60.@e2 c!tJxb3 61 ..ic3t c!tJd4t 62 ..ixd4t .ixd4 63.g4 fxg4 64.v,vxg4 v,vb4 65.v,vxgGt @f8 66.@f3 v,vb6

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4.exd5 White should avoid: 4.v,va4t?! i.d7! 5 .�b3 dxe4 6.i.c4 v,vf6 7.v,vxb7 �c6 8 .�b3 i.e6 9.i.xe6?! (9.lt:la3 i.xc4 1 0.lt:lxc4 It:l d7+) 9 . . . v,vxc l t 1 O.'i!:?e2 fxe6-+ White was already busted in Chua Heng Meng - Basheer, Genting Highlands 1 998.

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4... c!tJf6 5 ..ib5t After 5 .i.c4 It:lxd5 two games between legendary opposition proved Black is slightly better: 6.lt:lc3 It:l b6 7.i.b3 It:l c6 8 . lt:l ge2 i.c5 9.lt:le4 i.d4+ was Rubinstein - Spielmann, Vienna 1 908, and 6.�b3 �e7t 7.lt:le2 It:l b6+ was Nimzowitsch - Rubinstein, Hannover 1 926. 5 ... ltJ bd7 6.ltJc3 .ie7 7.ltJf3

Playing the French

442

7.tLlge2 is reasonable, but not if the plan is to follow up with tLl f4: 7 . . . 0-0 8.tLlf4?! (8.0-0 tLl b6=) 8 . . . tLl b6 9JWb3 w'd6+ In Quinteros - loseliani, Rio de Janeiro 1 98 5 , Black was better as she can take on f4 and then capture the d5-pawn.

7 ... 0-0 8.0-0 8.W,xd7 Wxd7 9.tLle5 Wd6 1 O.tLlc4 Wa6 1 1 .tLl e3 l"i:d8� shows how White can keep the d5-pawn, but Black has plenty of compensation for it. For example: 1 2.d3 b5 1 3 .Wb3 b4 1 4.tLle4 w'b7 1 5 .0-0 tLlxd5 1 6.tLlf5 w'f8+ Miezis - Stripunsky, Porz 1 993. 8 tLl b6 9.d4 tLl bxdS We have a typical IQP position, of a type which usually arises from a Petroff. In this case White will lose a tempo due to . . . c7 -c6, so Black should have no theoretical problems here.

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So far we have followed Benjamin - Van der Sterren, Munich 1 994, and now the game continued 1 5 . . . tLl b4 1 6.tLle4 which favoured White. I propose two better ways:

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a) 1 5 . . . Wd6!N 1 6.l"i:ad l l"i:ad8 threatens . . . tLlb4, and after 1 7.a3 tLlxc3 1 8 .W,xe6 l"i:xe6 followed by . . . Wd5 Black is a bit better. b) 1 5 . . . tLl c7!?N is also interesting. 1 6.tLle4 tLlb5 1 7.tLlxf6t Wxf6 1 8 .Wxf6 gxf6 1 9.tLlf3 W,xb3 20.axb3 l"i:ad8 with more or less equal chances.

10 ... cS 1 O . . . c6 was equal in Needham - N. Thomas, British Championship 1 984, but the text is stronger.

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1 1 .i.gS 1 1 .dxc5 tLlxc3+ is Black's idea.

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10.tLleS?! More natural would have been: 1 O.l"i:e 1 c6 1 1 .W,c4 W,e6! 1 2.w'b3 1 2.tLlg5 tLlxc3 1 3.tLlxe6 tLlxd l 1 4.tLlxd8 W,xd8 1 5 .l"i:xd l l"i:e8 1 6.W,e3 tLld5 1 7.W,xd5 cxd5 1 8.l"i:dc 1 w'b6+ Black is somewhat more comfortable, enjoying the better bishop, but White should hold. 1 2 . . . h6 1 3 .tLle5 l"i:e8 1 4.Wf3 W,f8 1 5 .w'd2

1 1 ...tiJxc3 12.bxc3 tLl dS 13.i.xe7 Wxe7 14.Wf3 i.e6 l SJ:Hel cxd4 16.cxd4 :gfd8i Objectively, with careful play White should not lose this position, but 1M Alisa Marie, who incidentally is currently the Serbian Minister of Youth and Sports, displays fine technique to grind out a win. 17.:gacl :gac8 1 8.:gxc8 :gxc8 19:tLld3 Wf6

Chapter 25

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Six Rare Birds

443

gflt 41 .g4 h6 42Jkl gb2 43.gfl gb4 44.gxf7t eS 4S.ga7 gxd4t 46.f5 ga4 0-1

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Judit Polgar Vladimir Kramnik -

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Cap D'Agde (rapid) 2003

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20.lLleS?! 20.Wxf6 tLlxf6 2 1 .tLlc5 �d5 followed by . . . b6 and . . . f8 would offer Black the better chances, but White is still within the drawing zone. 20 ...�xf3 2 1 .gxf3 lLlc3 22.i.d3 i.dS 23.i.e4 b6 24.lLlb3 he4 2S.fxe4 lLlxa2 26.gal ge2 27.dS f8 2S.g2 as 29.lLld4 gb2 30.f3 g6 31 .gdl eS 32.d6 lLl b4 Black is winning. The knight is back in the game and the queenside pawns are much more mobile than White's central ones. The rest of the game is not so interesting.

l .e4 e6 According to my database, Vladimir Kramnik has 14 official games with the French Defence and about 1 0 more blitz, simul or blindfold games (many of them against the world elite) , but in this game he actually opened with 1 . . .c5 . 2.lLle3 d5

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3.f4 It is practical to meet 3 . tLl f3 with 3 . . . tLl f6, and after 4.e5 tLl fd7 5.d4 we reach variation B of Chapter 1 2. Harald Keilhack in his original work Knight on the Left: 1. tLl c3 agrees with me.

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33.eS lLla6 34.e4 d7 3S.f4 a4 36.f5 grlSt 37.xf5 lLleS 38.h4 a3 39.:Sal a2 40.hS

3.d4 simply transposes to a big main line. 3.g3 dxe4 This leads to equality according to Keilhack.

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Playing the French

3 . . . lLl f6 4.e5 lLl fd7 5 . f4 c5 6.i.g2 lLl c6 7.lLlf3 i.e7 s.o-o 0-0 9.d3 was Nimzowitsch - Alekhine, Semmering 1 926, a game which can be found in Chess Praxis. There Nimzowitsch suggests 9 . . . f6 instead of the clumsy 9 . . . lLl b6?!. 4.lLlxe4 lLl f6! And indeed Black is j ust fine.

This is equal, but there is still a lot of play left. Let's follow one example: 6.d3 lLl c6 7.lLlf3 dxe4 S.dxe4 W/xd i t 9.lLlxd l lLl f6 1 0. lLl f2 lLl b4 1 1 .'tt> d l l"1dSt 1 2.i.d2 c4 1 3 . 'tt> e2 i.c5 1 4.i.xb4 i.xb4 1 5 .l"1hd 1

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5 . lLlxf6t 5 .i.g2 lLl xe4 6.i.xe4 e5= Bartsch - Cech, Germany 200 1 . 5 . . .'IMfxf6 6.i.g2 6.d4 c5 7.lLl f3 cxd4 s.lLlxd4 i.c5 9.lLlf3 lLl c6 I O.c3 e5 and Black was even a tiny bit better in Bartsch - Huber, Germany 2000. 6 . . . i.c5 7.W/f3 W/e7 S . lLl e2 e5 9.0-0 lLl c6 l O.c3 0-0 Black was comfortably equal in Bartsch Knaak, Germany 2003.

3 ... c5! After this move we transpose to a very good variation for Black of the Grand Prix Attack. 3 . . . lLl f6 4.e5 lLl fd7 will either transpose to the Steinitz main line, or the Nimzowitsch Alekhine game mentioned above.

4.lLla There are a couple of other moves to consider: 4.i.b5t i.d7 5 .i.xd7t W/xd7=

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1 5 . . . 'tt> e7 Palliser assesses this as fine for Black. 1 5 . . . i.c5= is the first choice of most of my engines. 1 6.lLle5 i.d6 1 7.lLlxc4 i.xf4 l S.e5 lLld7 1 9.1"1d4 i.xh2 20.l"1h l i.g3 2 1 .lLle4 i.f4 22.lLlc3 g5 23.l"1hd l h5 24.a4 lLlbS 25.l"1xdS l"1xdS 26.l"1xdS mxdS 27.'tt> f3 lLl d7 2S.me4 f6 29.exf6 lLlxf6t 30.'tt> d4 md7 3 1 .lLle5t i.xe5t 32.'tt> x e5 'tt> e7 33.a5 h4 34.b4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

""",/.=C�'.. Y"'�"···"",,·F·

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Black is a clear pawn up and winning. Mter say 34 . . . g4!? he could have easily proved this. Instead he played: 34 . . . lLld5?? And after:

Chapter 25 - Six Rare Birds 35.tDxd5t exd5 36.i'f5 md6 37.mxg5 d4 3s.mxh4 'it: dS 39.g4 mc4 40.gS i'xb4 4 1 .g6 Black resigned in Rivas Pastor - Laurier, Madrid 1 993. Even a well-played game can be destroyed by one blunder. . . 4.exdS exdS S .�bSt tD c6 6.Wle2t �e7 7.tDf3 tDf6 is great for Black. White shouldn't exchange on dS because his weaknesses on the e-file become obvious and Black can pur a rook at eS to take advantage of them. s . o-o 0-0 9.�xc6 bxc6 1 0.tDeS Wlc7 1 1 .d3 �d6 1 2.�d2 Ei:eS 1 3.Wlf2 tD g4+ Von Gottschall Maroczy, Munich 1 900.

4... dxe4

44S

The bishop can also head for g2: 6.g3 tD f6 7.tDf2 (7.tDxf6t Wlxf6 S .�g2 g6 9.0-0 �g7 1 0.d3 0-0 1 1 .c3 Wle7= Bermudez Adams - De la Riva Aguado, Morelia 200S) 7 . . . �e7 S .�g2 0-0 9.0-0 Wlc7! The simplest way to challenge the long diagonal. 1 O.b3 b6 The position is equal and after 1 1 .�b2 �b7 1 2.tDe5 Ei:adS a draw was agreed in E. Atalik - 5kripchenko, Krasnoturinsk 2004.

6 ...id7 7.0-0 ttJf6 7 . . . tD h6!? S.b3 tD f5 9 .�b2 �e7 1 O.g4?! tD fd4 1 1 .tDxd4 tDxd4+ is given in ECO based on the game Pribyl - Nei, Tallinn 1 973, bur Kramnik's choice is quite logical, so I would like to stick to that. 8.d3 S.tDxf6t gxf6 (S . . . Wlxf6 9.tDe5 Ei:dS is about equal according to Gary Lane and this has been confirmed in computer games where Black scored 2/3) 9.f5 Wlc7 1 O.fXe6 fXe6 1 1 .tD e 1 5 0 far we are following Malbran -Mellano, Buenos Aires 1 993, and now I like Gary Lane's proposal on ChessPublishing: 1 1 . . . 0-0-0N 1 2.Ei:xf6 c4 1 3.�xc4 WleS This is where Lane's analysis stops. Obviously the idea is 1 4.Ei:f2 �cS 1 S .tDd3 �xf2t 1 6.tDxf2 Ei:hfS+ planning . . . Wlg7 and . . . tDe5.

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S.ttJxe4 The "Toilet Variation", also known as the Cabinet! Probably the funniest name (together with the Fried Liver Attack!) of any chess opening!

8 ... a6 9 . .!tJxf6t 8 7 6

S .�bSt �d7 6.�xd7t Wlxd7 7.tDxe4 tD c6= and Black is fine. A practical example: s.o-o �e7 9.b3 tDf6 1 O.tDf2 Wlc7 1 1 .tD d3 0-0 1 2.�b2 Ei:adS 1 3 .Wle 1 tD d4 1 4.tDxd4 cxd4 I S .Ei:cl Ei:dS 1 6.a4 Ei:fdS 1 7.Wle2 g6 Black was slightly better in Pessi - Marin, Amara 2007.

S ... ttJc6 6.ibS

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Playing the French

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9 ... gxf6 I see nothing wrong with 9 . . . Wxf6N either. After 1 O . .ixc6 .ixc6 1 1 .ttJe5 l'!cS my PC likes White somewhat, but I think it is equal. For example: 1 2 . .id2 .id6 1 3.ttJxc6 ( 1 3 .Wh5 0-0 1 4.ttJxc6 l'!xc6 1 5 . .ic3 Wg6 1 6.Wxg6 hxg6=) 13 ... l'!xc6 14 ..ic3 Wh6 1 5 .Wf3 0-0 1 6.b3 .ie7 1 7.l'!ae l .if6 l S . .ie5 .ixe5 1 9.fxe5 ( 1 9.l'!xe5 g6=) 1 9 . . . Wd2 20.l'!e2 Wc3=

doubling on the g-file, was unpleasant for her as well.

18 �xh2t 19.@hl �g3 20.bxc5 l'!hg8 2 1 .@gl �h2t 2Vit>hl �g3 23.l'!abl l'!g6 24.�xg3 ttJxg3t 25.ttJxg3 �xg3 26.�b2 l'!h6t 27.@gl �h2t 28.@f2 �f4t 29.@e2 �e5t 30.@d2 �g5t 3 1 .@e2 Wxg2t 32J:U2 •.•

1 0.�a4 tlJ d4 l 1 .hdlt �xd7 1 2.�e3 tlJ rs 13.�e2 0-0-0 14.�f2 �c7; Black is a bit better due to his attacking chances on the g-file and Kramnik masterfully proves this. 8 7 6 5

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32 ...�xf2t 32 . . . Wd5 would have been hopeless for White, but Kramnik's simplifYing choice is also fine.

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1 5.ttJd2 Polgar gives up a pawn to try to create some play against the doubled f-pawns, but Kramnik plays like a machine. 15 ...�xf4 1 6.ttJ e4 �c7 17.c3 1 7.ttJxf6 h5 is pretty bad for White. Black can play . . . .ig7 followed by . . . .ie5 sooner or later, and then . . . l'!dgS with excellent attacking chances. 17 ...�d6 1 8.b4 Polgar doesn't like to sit and wait, but she probably had nothing better at this point anyway. l S .h3 l'!hgS, planning . . . l'!g6 and

33.@xf2 l'!h2t 34.@e3 l'!xb2 35.l'!xb2 h5 A draw was agreed at this point, which is explained by the fact that Kramnik only needed a draw to qualifY for the next round and there were no FIDE Rapid Chess ratings back then! Anyway, Black is definitely winning this rook endgame with his two extra pawns. l/z-l/z

Andrew Green - Ervin roth Szeged 2008

l .e4 e6 2.f4

Chapter 25

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Six Rare Birds

447

In the 1 9th century this was considered the main line of the French Defence!

2 ... d5 3.e5 c5 4.c!tJO c!tJc6 5.c3 Wib6 6.tiJa3 id7 7.c!tJc2 E:c8 As we saw in the variation B of Chapter 1 , in this type of position Black has easy play. He simply goes for the set-up with . . . ttJh6, . . .if.e7, . . . 0-0 and even .. .f6 and . . . ttJ£1. I don't like so much to play . . . d5-d4 and give White what he really wants, because I don't mind allowing White to go for d2-d4 here and play an inferior Advance Variation.

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8.g3 White can chose various set-ups: 8 .d3 ttJh6 9.if.e2 if.e7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .iWe l f6 1 2.iWg3 fxe5 1 3.fxe5 ttJ f5 1 4.iWh3 and now in Bangiev - Homuth, Dudweiler 1 996, Black chose the manoeuvre . . .iWd8-e8 while I like the more classical 14 . . . if.e8 and after 1 5 .g4 ttJh6 1 6.if.xh6 gxh6 1 7.iWxh6 if.g6 1 8.iWc l :g£1 Black has excellent compensation for his pawn deficit after doubling on the f-file. 8.d4N This must be best. 8 . . . cxd4 9.cxd4 9.ttJfxd4 ttJxd4 1 0.ttJxd4 if.c5+

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9 . . . ttJ h6!? Bangiev gave 9 ... ttJ b4 with the idea of exchanging light-squared bishops. For example: 1 O.ttJe3 if.b5 1 1 .c;t>f2!?oo It is a good idea in general, but it makes more sense to wait until the fI -bishop has moved. Also interesting is: 9 . . . if.b4t!? 1 O.f2 (not 1 0.if.d2? which drops the b2-pawn: 1 O . . . if.xd2t I l .iWxd2 iWxb2) 1 O . . . ttJh6 with the makings of an initiative. 1 O.if.d3 ttJ b4 Black is pressing for an edge. For example: I l .ttJxb4 if.xb4t 1 2.if.d2 if.b5 After j ust a dozen moves, White is struggling to equalize.

8 ... tiJ h6 9.ig2 ie7 1 0.0-0 c4t l 1 .@hl ic5 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a

1 2.h3?

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Playing the French

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1 2.b3 is preferred by my engine. 1 2 . . . cxb3 1 3.axb3 Wxb3 1 4.j,a3 b6 gives White enough compensation to keep some kind of balance.

30 . . . exf5 3 1 .Wxg7 gxfl t 32.gxfl j,d6 33.ge l t j,e6 34.gxe6t fxe6 35 .Wxg6t and Black cannot escape perpetual checks.

12 ... ttJrs 13.Wh2 h5 1 3 . . . j,f2! 1 4.g4 lLl g3+ would have won an exchange at once.

30 ...hb5 Also effective was 30 . . . axb5 3 1 .Wxg7 j,c6.

14.d4 1 4.lLle3 lLl ce7 and Black keeps the bind. 14 ... cxd3 1 5.�xd3 .tn 1 6.�d2 .txg3t 17.Whl ttJ ce7-+ Black should be simply winning, so the rest of the game is not essential for our purposes. In fact, there were some wild tactics and crazy moments, so I shall include the moves with brief comments, j ust for fun. 1 8.ttJcd4 .tb5 1 9J�dl h4 20.a4 .td7 2 1 .b3 gh5 22 ..ta3 ttJg6 23.ttJili gili 24.ttJd4 gxf4 25.gfl �c7 26.c4 �xe5 27.ttJa �c7 28.�b2 d4 29.ttJxd4 a6? Black was steadily heading for victory, but now chaos is unleashed. 29 . . . f6! would have blocked the white queen's route to g7 and kept control. 8 7 6

3 1 .�xg7 �e5 A solid human move. 3 l . . .j,c6 also works if Black can play like a machine: 32.Wg8t �d7 33.gfd l t j,d5 34.Wg7 gf2 3 5 .j,xd5

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This looks terrifying but Black has one winning move: 35 . . . gh8!! The only square; it makes sense when one considers the needs of the black king. It needs a square on c8 if the d5-bishop retreats, say to g2, but the king also needs the e8-square if White plays j,xblt.

32.�g8t Wd7 33.gadlt Wc7 34.�xf7t A great try: White keeps throwing punches.

5 4

34 ... gxf7 35.gxf7t Wb6 36.gxb7t Wa5 37.axb5 I would bet both players' flags were hanging at this point.

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30.ttJ b5? Right idea, wrong way. 30.lLlf5!= could have saved an unlikely half point. For example:

Chapter 25

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theoretical verdict: in the opening Black equalized almost instantly and was soon winning.

Eva Repkova - Elena Cosma Pula 2002

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37 ... �c7? The only winner was 37 . . . l"ld8! exploiting White's bank rank problems. Then after 38.l"lfl Black must find another only move: 38 . . . �f2!+- Exploiting the back rank again to defend against the vicious threat of l"la7. 38.�b8? Missing his last chance. Mter 38.l"lxc7 Vf1xc7 39.l"la l ! Wb6 40.�b4!

l .e4 e6 2.b3 This variation is very popular in Greece with players like GM Dimitrios Mastrovasilis, GM 10annis Papaioannou and even 1M Georgios Makropoulos (the well-known deputy FIDE President) having lots of games in my database. Even my former coach, the late FM Nikos Karapanos, was a keen supporter of White's chances. The reason for this is that the Bulgarian 1M Nikolai Minev, a coach of the Greek National Team at the start of 80s, analysed this line and suggested it back then in his training sessions. 2 ... d5 3.i.b2

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Black must play precisely to save half a point: 40 . . . Vf1f4! The only drawing move! 4 1 .l"lxa6t Wc7 42.b6t Wd7 43.l"la7t Wd8 44.l"la8t Wd7 45.l"la7t=

38 ... �d7!-+ 39.i.d6 �xd6 40.b4t �a4 41.�b l Y*fe2 42.bxa6 �dl t 0-1 The late drama should not obscure the

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3 ... dxe4 My original intention was to recommend the quirky line 3 . . . lO f6 4.e5 lO g8, but after 5.d4 c5 6.c3 White has an Advance Variation

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Playing the French

with the rather useful b2-b3 and .ib2 as extra moves. White can follow up with ltJ f3, .id3 and 0-0, with good chances of an edge.

4.lil c3 lil f6 Trying to keep the extra pawn with 4 . . . f5 is possible, but it creates long-term weaknesses that make Black's position very difficult to play.

was 1 1 . . .f6!N+. For example, 1 2.0-0-0 ltJ d7 1 3. ltJ f4?! Vff f5 is great for Black. 7 . . . ltJd5 8.ltJxe4 h6 Also good is: 8 . . . ltJ f4N 9 . .if3 h6 1 O.h4 hxg5 1 1 .hxg5 :gxh 1 1 2 . .ixh 1 .ixe4 1 3 . .ixe4 Vffxg5 1 4.ltJe2 c6 White's compensation is not enough for a pawn. 9.g6 f5 1 0.ltJg3 ltJ f4 1 1 ..ixc6t ltJxc6 1 2.Vff f3 ltJxg6 1 3 .Vffh 5 Vffg 5+ Perez Pietro nave - Rodriguez Vila, Villa Martelli 1 999.

5 ...i.b4 6.0-0-0 %Ye7 7.c;t>bl The most common move is: 7.ltJ xe4 .ia3 8.ltJ xf6 t 8 . ltJ f3 ltJ bd7 is comfortable. 8 . . . Vffxf6 9.d4 9 . .ixa3?? Vff a 1 # is too much to hope for.

5.%Ye2 This is the sensible approach, but White has a wild option: 5.g4?! This weakens f4 without any special reason. 5 . . ..id7! 6 . .ig2 .ic6 a

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Now in 2 1 games in the database Black has every time chosen 9 . . . .ixb2t 1 0.'it>xb2 when White has the slightest of edges. Instead 9 . . . Vffe 7!N is a simple improvement with equal prospects. Given a chance, Black might even go for . . . a7-a5 .

7 ...i.xc3 The point of White's previous move was 7 . . . .ia3 8 . .ia 1 . 7.g5 7Ylie2 h5 8 .g5 ltJd5 9 . ltJ h3 ltJ xc3 1 0 . .ixc3 Vff d5 1 1 .g6 In Gelashvili - B. Socko, Panormo 200 1 , Black played 1 1 . . . fxg6, but better

8.dxc3 The other recapture has also been tested: 8 . .ixc3?! .id7

45 1

Chapter 25 - Six Rare Birds

Instead 1 2 . . . 0-0-0 1 3 .tLl e2 e5 1 4. tLl g3 ie6= was Kapnisis - Berelowitsch, Kavala 2002. This game was given by Psakhis in his book, and my coach and I agreed that White has nothing here.

13.llJa hxg4 14.'?;Vxg4 0-0-0 15.�hgl Not 1 5 .'lWxg7? :8:dgB-+ when the queen has no squares. a

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9.f3 9.ixf6 'lWxf6 1 O.'lWxe4 ic6 1 1 .'lWe3 tLld7 1 2 .tLle2 0-0 Black can castle on either side, but it makes sense to castle on the opposite side because White has weakened his king's position with b2-b3. For example, 1 3.f3 a5 1 4.'lWc3 'lWe7 1 5 .tLlc1 a4 1 6.d4 tLl f6 1 7.ic4 id5 was excellent for Black in Hamberger ­ Jauernig, Aschach 2000. 9 . . . exf3 1 O.tLlxf3 tLlc6 1 1 .g4 h6 1 2.:8:g1 0-0-0 1 3 .h4 :8:hgB 1 4.ib2 tLld5 In Hernandez - Arribas Robaina, Havana 1 999, White had compensation, but it is difficult to believe it is fully enough for a pawn; Black is at least equal.

1 5 ... g6 1 6.c4 e5i 17.'?;Vg5 '?;Vxg5 Black could have kept his edge with 1 7 . . . :8:deB!N. l S.liJxg5

S ...i.d7 9.g4 h6 10.i.g2 llJc6 1 1 .i.xe4 liJxe4 12.'?;Vxe4

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l S ... �xh2 1 B . . . :8:dfB would be met by 1 9.ia3, so it is not easy to suggest a logical alternative to the text move. 19.1lJxf7 �ffi 20.llJxe5 liJxe5 2 1 .i.xe5 �hxf2 22.i.d4 �e2 23.�del �xel t 24.�xel �eS 25.�xeSt 2 5 .:8:g1 if5 26.:8:g2 is also drawish. 25 ...i.xeS 26.i.e3 i.d7 27.@c1 i.f5 2S.@d2 a6 29.c5 @d7 30.c4 i.e4 3 1 .i.f4 @c6 a

12 ... h5!

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5 ... bxa3 6.d4 c!iJc6 7.c3 id7

Gyula Emodi - Gabor Portisch Hungary 1 999

l .e4 e6 2.c!iJa d5 3.e5 c5 4.h4

4 . . . c4 has been recommended by Williams and is the only line I have ever played, but without looking at any theory. I see now that the position arising after 5 . c3 a5 6.b5 lLl d7 7.d3 cxd3 S .�xd3 f6 has been analysed by Williams, and also Watson in his Play the French 4th edition. I can see clear similarities with some lines I examined in the Advance Variation chapter, but I am not sure if it is worth the risk. I believe my suggestion is more clear-cut and less messy.

5.a3 This has been considered by some sources as less accurate because it allows 5 . . . d4!? but this is a practical repertoire and I suggest that we play the same way as after 5.d4. 5 .d4 lLl c6 6.a3 bxa3 simply transposes to our main game.

8.id3 There are other moves to consider: S.�xa3?! is not a very strong option as it solves Black's development problems after S . . . �xa3 9.lLlxa3 as the knight comes to e7 without blocking its own pieces. 9 . . . a6 1 O.�d3 Ei:cS 1 1 .0-0 lLl a5 ( l 1 . . .lLl ge7N intending . . . lLl a5 next is also better for Black) 1 2.�c2 lLl e7 1 3.Ei:fh 1 h6 1 4 .�d2 �a4 1 5 .Ei:a2 �c7 1 6.lLlc2 lLl b3 1 7.�e2 b5+ Strater - Baeumler, Goch 20 1 0. s.lLlg5 This untried possibility was mentioned by Eingorn, but it is not especially dangerous. S . . . �e7 S . . . h6 is also possible as the sac on f7 is ineffective: 9.lLlxf7 �xf7 1 O.�f3t lLl f6 This was given by Eingorn; Black is much better. 9.h4 Or 9.lLlxf7 �xf7 1 O .�f3t eS and White has little to show for the piece. 9 . . . lLl h6 Black is at least a bit better as he has a much improved version of a known theoretical line where the bishop goes to e7 and the knight goes to h6 anyway; in the mea�time White has played the less useful moves lLlg5 and h2-h4.

Chapter 25

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Six Rare Birds

453

move, but it fails to trouble Black. However, a calmer build-up by White would allow Black to follow the plan mentioned above. For example: 1 1 .'lMre2 ctJ a5 1 2.�b2 ctJ e7 1 3. ctJ c2 ctJ f5 Black is developing easily, and let's not forget his extra pawn.

1 l ... tlJ b4! This is a safe move, as after a potential . . . dxc4 Black will keep control of d5. a

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1 0.�d3 'lMra5 This is another point, with the idea 1 1 .0-0 a2 and White's centre collapses as c3 and d4 fall. Pawns rarely reach the 7th rank as early as move I I !

1 2.eS If 1 2.�e2 dxc4 1 3.ctJxc4 then 1 3 . . . �c6 or 13 . . . �b5 are both more than okay for Black, but this was probably the lesser evil.

8.ctJxa3 a6 9.�d3 transposes to 8 .�d3.

8 ... h6 Instead 8 . . . a6?! 9.ctJg5 looks a bit scary, but it is probably nothing more than a draw. 9.0-0 a6 10.tlJxa3 �e8 This position has been recommended by Eingorn and his assessment is that White has insufficient compensation for the pawn. My engines don't believe him, but I certainly do after looking at this position for a long time and playing it against both humans and my Pc. As in many other lines in the French Defence, we can afford to leave our king on his original square in order to take care of more urgent matters first. In this case White has long-term prospects on the queenside, as our kingside can take care of itself without help. A set-up that I found very comfortable for Black here was . . . ctJa5, . . . �c6 and . . . 'lMrc7 followed by . . . ctJ ge7 or even . . . �xa3 followed by . . . ctJ ge7, . . . ctJc4 and . . . b5; I couldn't find a way for White to stop this or make it ineffective. l 1 .e4 In the only practical test, White tried this

13.cxb6 'lWxb6 14.�bl tlJ e7 I S.ha6 'lWxa6 16.�xb4 tlJg6 17.�b3 i.a4 18.'lWd3 'lWxd3 19.�xd3 i.e7 20.i.d2 0-0 2 1 .�bl �b8 22.�xb8 �xb8 23.g3 i.b3 24.i.cl i.a4 Black is slightly better here due to the weakness of d4, but it would be difficult to exploit this in practice. So a draw is a fair result, but of course Black clearly won the opening battle. 1/2-1/2

Playing the French

454

Conclusion 2.e5 is included mainly for historical interest. Black can equalize in many ways, but I have chosen the lively 2 . . . c5 with Sicilian-style play. 2.c4 is comfortably met by 2 . . . d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.exd5 4J f6 with an anti-IQP position where Black has free and easy development. 2.4Jc3 frequently transposes to other lines; independent lines are harmless. For example: 2 . . . d5 3.f4 c5 is an unthreatening line of the Grand Prix Attack. 2.f4 leads to a feeble version of the Advance Variation after 2 . . . d5 3.e5 c5 4.4Jf3 4J c6. 2.b3 is a surprisingly tricky line that is highly popular with Greek players. My suggestion is 2 . . . d5 3 .�b2 dxe4 4.4Jc3 4J f6. Black is happy to return the pawn to reach a solidly equal position. 2.4Jf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4 is the French Wing Gambit. I recommend taking it and hanging on to it! After 4 . . . cxb4 5 .a3 bxa3 6.d4 4J c6 7.c3 �d7 White has insufficient compensation.

Index of Main Games 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Arthur Mrugala - Reimund Lutzenberger, email 1 998 Hossein Aryanejad - Vladimir Potkin, Abu Dhabi 2005 Dieter Pirrot - Stefan Kindermann, Germany 2004 Dmitry Lavrik - Igor Glek, Moscow 2009 H.A. Hussein - Rainer Buhmann, Dresden (01) 2008 Petr Haba - Eckhard Schmittdiel, Austria 2008 Yochanan Afek - Stephen Giddins, Amsterdam 200 1 Jesus de la Villa - Viktor Korchnoi, Pamplona 1 990 Ivan Chaika - David Myers, email 2009 Henrik Molvig - Jacob Aagaard, Copenhagen 1 995 Rolf Sander - Magnus Carlsen, Bergen 2002 Carl Walbrodt - Geza Maroczy, Budapest 1 896 Lothar Schnitzspan - Krzysztof Pytel, St Ingbert 1 989 Alexander Grischuk - Vladimir Akopian, Enghien les Bains 200 1 Inna Gaponenko - Monika Socko, Germany 2007 Akmal Khusanbaev - Raset Ziatdinov, Tashkent 2007 Hrvoje Stevic - Francisco Vallejo Pons, Aix-Ies-Bains 20 1 1 Thorbjorn Bromann - Emanuel Berg, Denmark 2008 Arno Zude - Viacheslav Eingorn, Bad Wiessee 20 1 1 Larry Christiansen - Artur Yusupov, Munich 1 992 Sergey Fedorchuk - Nikita Vitiugov, Germany 20 1 2 Garry Kasparov - Anatoly Karpov, Amsterdam 1 988 Sergei Rublevsky - Ni Hua, Ningbo (rapid) 20 1 0 Hilmar Krueger - Vladimir Turkov, email 2006 Alexey Kim - Sergey Ivanov, St Petersburg 2004 Tomas Oral - Wang Hao, Calvia (01) 2004 Alexander Ivanov - Boris Gulko, Key West 1 994 Torsten David - Alexander Naumann, Germany 1 993 Karsten Rasmussen - Lars Bo Hansen, Tonder 1 993 Jonathan Penrose - Alberic 0' Kelly de Galway, Dundee 1 967 Cyril Ponizil - Tomas Petrik, Slovakia 20 1 2 Heiko Starke - Joachim Vossenkuhl, email 2007 Gawain Jones - Jonathan Speelman, London 2007 Gordon Evans - Aleksandr Kilichenko, Correspondence 20 1 1 Ljubomir Lj ubojevic - Tigran Petrosian, Las Palmas 1 973 Alexander Zubarev - Dmitry Chuprikov, Alushta 200 1 Ray Robson - Georg Meier, Lubbock 20 1 0 Ove Harrvig - Stellan Brynell, Helsingor 20 1 1 Sergey Karjakin - Magnus Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 20 1 0

35 39 50 57 60 61 72 83 91 99 1 07 1 12 1 14 1 18 1 22 1 28 1 30 1 36 1 46 151 1 56 1 66 1 70 181 1 84 1 86 191 1 94 1 99 205 206 21 1 212 216 222 225 233 237 259

456 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Playing the French Ernesto Inarkiev - Igor Lysyj , Rijeka 20 1 0 David Kanovsky - Viktor Erdos, Balatonlelle 2003 Yu Yangyi - Ding Liren, Xinghua 20 1 2 Nikita Vitiugov - Vladimir Potkin, Khanty-Mansiysk (3.3) 20 1 1 Jan Foltys - Paul Keres, Prague 1 937 Sebastien Maze - Mateusz Bartel, Aix-Ies-Bains 20 1 1 Igor Nataf - Mikhail Ulibin, Stockholm 1 999 Artur Gabrielian - Oleg Nikolenko, Moscow 2006 Milos Perunovic - Nikola Sedlak, Kragujevac 2009 Ernesto Inarkiev - Alexander Morozevich, Krasnoyarsk 2003 Deep Sengupta - Nigel Short, Gibraltar 20 1 1 Simon Williams - Daniel King, Birmingham 2005 Martin Ramsauer - Peter Behrends, Correspondence 1 994 Leonid Ovcharenko - Evgeny Tsygankov, Correspondence 20 1 2 Alexander Areshchenko - David Smerdon, Isle o f Man 2007 Rhobel Legaspi - Barlo Nadera, Manila 2006 Joseph Sanchez - Sabino Brunello, Milan 20 1 2 Judit Polgar - Viktor Korchnoi, Zurich (blitz) 2006 Arghyadip Das - Alberto David, Kolkata 2008 Alexey Kim - Zhang Pengxiang, Moscow 2004 Robert Fischer - Uzi Geller, Netanya 1 968 Wilhelm Steinitz - James Mason, Vienna 1 882 Irina Chelushkina - Alisa Marie, Tivat 1 995 Judit Polgar - Vladimir Kramnik, Cap D'Agde (rapid) 2003 Andrew Green - Ervin Toth, Szeged 2008 Eva Repkova - Elena Cosma, Pula 2002 Gyula Emodi - Gabor Portisch, Hungary 1 999

27 1 275 288 292 302 309 319 325 343 345 350 363 365 382 390 40 1 407 409 412 425 432 439 44 1 443 446 449 452

Variation Index Chapter 1 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 A) 4.dxc5 15 B) 4.f4 11 C) 4.'1Wg4 20 0) 4.tLlf3 22 0 1 ) 4 . . . tLl c6!? 22 02) 4 . . . cxd4! ? 24 02 1 ) 5.tLlxd4?! 24 022) 5 .iWxd4 25 023) 5 .�d3 26

Chapter 2 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 tDc6 A) 5 .�e3 30 B) 5.g3 32 C) 5.tLlf3 �d7! 33 C l ) 6.�d3 cxd4 7.cxd4 iWb6 8.0-0 tLl xd4 33 9.tLlg5?! - Game 1 3 5 C l l ) 9.tLlxd4?! 31 C 1 2) 9.tLl bd2! 41 C l 2 l ) 9 . . . tLlxf3t!? 41 C 1 22) 9 . . . tLl e7 42 C2) 6.dxc5 �xc5 45 C2 l ) 7.�d3 45 C22) 7.b4 41 C22 l ) 7 . . . �e7 41 C222) 7 . . . �b6 48

Chapter 3 l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 tDc6 5.tDO �d7 6.a3 A) 6 . . . tLlge7 56 B) 6 . . . c4! 59 B l ) 7.�e2?! 59 B2) 7.g3 tLl a5 8.tLlbd2 64

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Playing the French B2 1 ) 8 . . .tZJ e7 64 B2 1 1 ) 9.h4 64 B2 1 2) 9 .�g2 66 B22) 8 . . . �c6 67 B22 1 ) 9 .�h3?! 68 B222) 9.h4 69 B223) 9 .�g2 70 B3) 7.�e3 71

Chapter 4 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 lLJ c6 5.lLJf3 �d7 6.�e2 lLJge7 A) 7.h4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Wb6 9.lLla3 lLl f5 1 O. lLl c2 78 A I ) 1 O . . . f6 79 Al) 1 0 . . .:i!c8 80 B) 7.dxc5 81 C) 7.lLla3 82 D) 7.0-0 lLl g6 86 0 1 ) 8.a3 86 02) 8.g3 87 03) 8 .�e3 �e7 9.dxc5 88 03 1 ) 9 . . . lLl gxe5 89 032) 9 . . . Wc7!? 90 Chapter 5 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4 lLl f6 5.lLlc3 �b4 6.�d3 0-0 A) 7.lLlge2 99 A I ) 7 . . . c5! ? 99 Al) 7 . . . dxc4 1 01 B) 7.lLlf3 103 Chapter 6 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.lLJf3 lLJf6 5 . lLl c3 - Game 1 2 1 12 5 .�g5 - Game 1 3 1 14 5 .�d3 1 1 6 A) 5 . . . �d6 1 1 7 B ) 5 . . . �e7 120

Variation Index

Chapter 7 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 A) 4.lLlf3 lLlf6 5 .j,d3 c5 6.0-0 c4 7J�e l t j,e7 8.j,fl 9.b3 126 9.j,g5 - Game 1 7 130 B) 4.j,d3 c5! 132 B l ) 5 .j,b5t 132 B2) 5 .We2t 133 B3) 5 .c3 134 B4) 5.lLlf3 135 5.dxc5 - Game 1 8 136

Chapter 8 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJd2 c5! A) 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4 dxe4 6.lLlxe4 lLl f6 142 A 1 ) 7.lLlc3 142 Al) 7.lLlxf6t 143 A3) 7.j,d3 144 A3 1 ) 7 . . . j,d7 144 A32) 7 . . . lLlxe4 8 .j,xe4 j,b4t 9 .j,d2 j,xd2t 1 O.Wxd2 lLl d7 I l .lLle2! lLl f6 1 2.j,f3 0-0 1 3.0-0 146 1 3 .lLlc3?! - Game 1 9 146 B) 4.lLl gf3 cxd4 5.lLlxd4 lLlc6! 148 B 1 ) 6.lLlxc6 149 B2) 6.j,b5 j,d7 150 Bl l ) 7.j,xc6 bxc6 8.0-0 j,d6 9.We2 lLl e7!?N 150 9 . . . Wb8!? - Game 2 0 151 B22) 7.lLlxc6 154

Chapter 9 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJ d2 c5 4.exd5 A) 4 . . . exd5!? B) 4 . . . Wxd5! B1) B2)

161 163 5.lLlb3 163 5.dxc5 163 B2 1 ) 5 . . . j,xc5 1 64 B22) 5 . . . lLl f6! 6.lLlgf3 Wxc5 7.j,d3 lLl bd7! 1 67 7 . . . j,e7 - Game 23 1 70

459

460

Playing the French

Chapter 10 l .e4 e 6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 c 5 4.exd5 �xd5 5.ttJ gf3 cxd4 6.�c4 �d6! A) 7.�e2 ttJ f6 8.ttJb3 ttJ c6 9 .�g5 a6 1 0.0-0-0 b5 1 1 .�d3 �e7 1 77 A 1 ) 1 2.ttJbxd4 1 77 A2) 1 2.:ghe 1 �b7 1 3 .ttJfxd4 180 1 3.'it>b 1 - Game 24 181 A3) 1 2.�b 1 �b7 1 3.ttJbxd4 ttJxd4 1 4.ttJxd4 0-0 1 5 .ttJf3 ttJd5!? 183 1 5 . . . �d5 - Game 25 184 B) 7.0-0 ttJ f6! 8 . ttJ b3 (8.:ge 1 Game 26 186) 8 . . . ttJc6 186 B 1 ) 9.:ge1 188 B2) 9 .�e2 �e7! 1 0.:gd 1 1 89 1 O.�g5 - Game 27 191 B3) 9.ttJ bxd4 ttJxd4 1 O.�xd4 �xd4 1 1 .ttJxd4 �d7 1 2.�f4 :gc8 1 3.�b3 �c5 1 4.:gad 1 0-0 1 5 .h3 191 1 5 .:gfe 1 - Game 28 194

Chapter 1 1 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 c5 4.exd5 Wixd5 5.ttJgf3 cxd4 6.i.c4 Wid6 7.0-0 ttJ f6 8.ttJb3 ttJc6 9.lLl bxd4 ttJxd4 1O.ttJxd4 a6! A) 1 1 .a4 �c7 1 2.b3 198 1 2.�e2 - Game 29 199 B) 1 1 .�b3 201 C) 1 1 .b3 202 D) 1 1 .c3 �c7 1 2.�e2 203 1 2.�d3 - Game 30 205 E) 1 1 .:ge 1 ! �c7 1 2.�e2! ( 1 2.�b3 - Game 3 1 206) 1 2 . . . h6!! 206 1 2 . . . �d6 - Game 32 21 1 1 2 . . . �c5 - Game 33 212 E 1 ) 1 3 .b3 215 E2) 1 3 .h3! 216 1 3.g3 - Game 34 216

Chapter 1 2 l .e4 e 6 2.d4 d 5 3.ttJc3 ttJ f6 4.e5 ttJfd7 A) 5.�g4 220 B) 5 . ttJ f3 c5 6.dxc5 ttJ c6 7.�f4 �xc5 8 .�d3 f6! 9.exf6 ttJxf6 222 1 0.0-0 - Game 35 222 1 0.�e2 - Game 36 225

Variation Index

46 1

Chapter 13 I.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tLlc3 tLlf6 4.eS tLlfd7 S.tLl ce2 cS 6.c3 tLl c6 A) 7.f4 'lWb6 8.liJf3 f6! 229 A I ) 9.g3 cxd4 1 0. liJ exd4 231 1 0.cxd4 - Game 37 233 A2) 9.a3 �e7! 1 0.b4 234 1 O.h4 - Game 38 237 B) 7.liJf3!? 239 Chapter 14 I .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tLlc3 tLlf6 4.eS tLlfd7 S.f4 cS 6.lDa tLl c6 7 ..ie3 A) 7 . . . cxd4 246 B) 7 . . . �e7 249 C) 7 . . . a6! 251 C I ) 8.liJe2 252 C2) 8.'lWd2 b5 253 C2 I ) 9 .�d3 253 Cll) 9.g3 255 C23) 9.'lWf2 256 C24) 9.�e2 �e7! 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .a3 256 1 1 .�h 1 !? - Game 39 259 C25) 9.liJd l !? 262

Chapter IS I .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tLlc3 tLlf6 4.eS tLlfd7 S.f4 cS 6.tLla tLl c6 7 ..ie3 a6! 8.'*1d2 bS 9.dxcS .ixcs A) 1 0.liJe2 'lWb6 1 1 .�xc5 liJxc5 1 2. liJ ed4 liJxd4 267 1 2 . . . �d7! - Game 40 271 B) 1 0.�xc5 liJxc5 1 1 .'lWf2 'lWb6 1 2.�d3 b4 1 3.liJe2 a5 1 4.0-0 �a6 1 5 .�h 1 liJ e7 274 1 6.:B:ad 1 - Game 4 1 275 B I ) 1 6.:B:fd 1 276 B2) 1 6.liJg3 278 B3) 1 6.b3 279

Chapter 16 I.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tLlc3 tLlf6 4.eS tLlfd7 S.f4 cS 6.tLla tLlc6 7..ie3 a6! 8.'*1d2 bS 9.a3 A) 9 . . . �b6 284 B) 9 . . . �a5! 287 B I ) 1 O.:B:d 1 287

Playing the French

462

1 0 . .te2 - Game 42 288 B2) 1 O.dxc5 .txc5 1 1 ..txc5 tLlxc5 1 2.tLld4 290 1 2.tLle2 - Game 43 292 B3) 1 O.:B:a2 Wb6! 293 B3 1 ) 1 1 .g3 293 B32) 1 1 .tLl e2 294 B32 1 ) 1 1 . . .Wc7!?N 294 B322) 1 1 . . .b4 295

Chapter 17 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLlc3 lLl fG 4 ..tg5 .te7 A) 5 . .txf6 .txf6 6.e5 301 6.tLlf3 - Game 44 302 B) 5 .e5 tLl fd7 6.h4! ? tLl c6!? 304 B 1 ) 7.tLlh3 306 B2) 7.f4 307 B3) 7.Wg4 307 B4) 7.Wd2 308 7.tLlf3 - Game 45 309

Chapter 1 8 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d 5 3.lLlc3 tlJfG 4 ..tg5 .te7 5.e5 lLlfd7 6.h4!? c5! 7 ..L:e7! xe7! A) 8 . .tb5 315 B) 8 . tLl f3!? 3 1 6 C ) 8.f4 Wb6! 9.tLla4 Wa5t 1 O.c3 b 6 1 1 .:B:h3 317 1 1 .Wf2 - Game 46 319 D) 8.Wg4 320 E) 8.dxc5 tLlxe5! 9.We2! tLl bc6 1 0.0-0-0 Wa5! 1 1 .c;tJb 1 324 1 1 .f4 - Game 47 325

Chapter 19 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLlc3 tlJfG 4 ..tg5 .te7 5.e5 lLl fd7 6 .L:e7 Wlxe7 •

A) 7.tLlf3 330 B) 7.Wd2 331 C) 7.tLlb5 332 D) 7.Wg4 333 E) 7.Wh5 334 F) 7.f4 336 F 1 ) 7 . . . 0-0 336 F2) 7 . . . a6! 338

Variation Index

Chapter 20 l.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�c3 �f6 4.ig5 ie7 5.e5 �fd7 6..he7 Wl'xe7 7.f4 a6! 8.�f3 �b6! A) 9.�d3 c5! 1 0.0-0 � c6 1 1 .WI'e l !?N 342 1 1 .dxc5 - Game 48 343 B) 9.WI'd2 �d7! 345 1 0.0-0-0?! - Game 49 345 B 1 ) 1 0.a4!? c5 1 1 .a5 � c8 1 2.dxc5 348 1 2.�a4?! - Game 50 350 B2) 1 0.�d3! c5 351 B2 I ) 1 1 .dxc5 351 B22) 1 1 .0-0! 352

Chapter 21 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�c3 � f6 4.J.g5 J.b4! A) 5 .�d3 dxe4 6.�xe4 c5 351 A I ) 7.�e2 351 A2) 7.dxc5 358 B) 5.�e2 360 C) 5.exd5 �xd5! 6.�xf6! gxf6! 361 7.�e2 - Game 5 1 363 7.�d2 - Game 52 365 0) 5.e5 h6 361 0 1 ) 6.�xf6 368 02) 6.�h4 368 03) 6.exf6 310

Chapter 22 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�c3 �f6 4.i.g5 ib4 5.e5 h6 A) 6.�c l !? tLle4 7.�g4 315 A I ) 7 . . . �f8?! 315 A2) 7 . . . g6! 318 A2 I ) 8 .tLl e2 tLlxc3! 378 A2 1 I ) 9.bxc3 318 A2 1 2) 9.tLlxc3 319 A22) 8 .a3!? �xc3t! 9.bxc3 tLlxc3! 1 O. tLl e2!?N 380 1 0.�d3! - Game 53 382 B) 6.�e3!? tLle4 7.�g4 g6! 385 B I ) 8.tLle2 381 B2) 8.a3 �xc3t 9 .bxc3 381

463

464

Playing the French B2 I ) 9 . . . tLlxc3 387 B22) 9 . . . c5! 1 O.j,d3 h5! 1 1 .'lWf4 g5 ! 1 2.'lWf3 tLlxc3 1 3 .dxc5 d4 1 4.j,d2 tLlc6 1 5 .j,xc3 389 1 5 .'lWf6! - Game 54 390

Chapter 23 l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.llJc3 llJf6 4 ..ig5 .ib4 5.e5 h6 6 ..id2 .ixc3 A) 7.j,xc3 tLl e4 397 A I ) 8 . tLl e2!? 397 A2) 8 .j,b4 398 B) 7.bxc3! tLl e4 399 B l ) 8 .j,d3 tLlxd2 9.'lWxd2 c5 1 O.dxc5 400 1 O.tLlf3 - Game 5 5 401 B2) 8 .'lWg4! �f8! 402 B2 I ) 9 .j,e3 403 B22) 9 .'lWf4 404 B23) 9 .j,d3 tLlxd2 1 0.mxd2 c5 I l .dxc5 !? 406 1 1 .tLlf3 - Game 56 407 1 1 .h4 c4 1 2.j,fl - Game 57 409 1 2.j,e2 - Game 58 412

Chapter 24 l .e4 e6 A) 2.'lWe2 j,e7! 418 A I ) 3 .b3 419 A2) 3.d4 420 B) 2.d3 d5 421 B I ) 3 .'lWe2 422 B2) 3.tLld2 tLl f6 4.tLlgf3 c5 5.g3 tLl c6 6.j,g2 j,e7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Ei:e l 'lWc7! 427 B2 I ) 9.tLlfl 429 B22) 9.e5 430

Chapter 25 l .e4 e6 2.e5 - Game 6 1 439 2.c4 - Game 62 441 2.tLlc3 - Game 63 443 2.f4 - Game 64 446 2.b3 - Game 65 449 2.tLlf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4 - Game 66 452