Opening Repertoire The Ruy Lopez [Annotated] 1781945411, 9781781945414

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First published in 2019 by Gloucester Publishers Limited, London.

Copyright © 2019 Joshua Doknjas

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About the Author

Joshua Doknjas is a FIDE Master from Canada who has enjoyed success competing internationally. He has won seven national titles for his age and tied for 1st in the 2019 U18 North American Youth Chess Championship. This is his second book for Everyman Chess.

Also by the Author:

Opening Repertoire: The Sicilian Najdorf (with John Doknjas)





Contents

About the Author

Bibliography

Introduction

Part One: Classical Systems

1 The Zaitsev: 9 ... Bb7 and Sidelines

2 The Chigorin: 9 ... Na5

3 The Breyer: 9 ... Nb8

Part Two: Fashionable Lines

4 The Anti-Berlin: 4 d3

5 The Open Variation

6 The Anti-Marshall: 8 a4

Part Three: Sharp Tries and Sidelines

7 Systems with 5 ... b5 and 5 ... Bc5

8 Systems with ... g6 and ... Nge7

9 The Schliemann

10 Rare Lines

Index of Complete Games





Bibliography

Bologan’s Ruy Lopez for Black: How to Play for a Win against the Spanish Opening, Victor Bologan (New in Chess 2015)

Playing 1 e4 e5 - A Classical Repertoire, Nikolaos Ntirlis (Quality Chess 2016)

The Berlin Defence Unraveled: A Straightforward Guide for Black and White, Luis Bernal (New In Chess 2017)

The Schliemann Defence: Move by Move, Junior Tay (Everyman Chess 2018)

Online Resources and Databases

ChessBase Live Database

ICCF Database

Big Database 2019

The Week In Chess

Chess Engines

Stockfish





Introduction

The Ruy Lopez is one of the most rich and diverse openings. The game can easily lead to a complicated and strategic struggle, or a sharp fighting game, where White aims to attack on the kingside while Black plays for a queenside expansion. The wide variety of interesting positions that can be reached out of the opening greatly contributes to the longevity of the Ruy Lopez. In recent years, many top players such as Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Viswanathan Anand have employed this opening as a major part of their repertoire. This book is divided into three parts.

Part One

Part One examines the classical systems, including the Zaitsev, the Chigorin, and the Breyer. Over the years, these systems have declined a bit in popularity because White can often obtain some pressure on Black’s position, which can be unpleasant to defend in practice. However, the lines are quite complicated strategically and White should pay close attention to the typical ideas and plans for both sides.

Part Two

In Part Two, we’ll move on to the fashionable lines: the Berlin, the Open Ruy Lopez, and the Marshall. These lines are frequently seen at the top level because of their solidity and objective strength. Many of the variations are quite concrete as Black often aims to equalize immediately out of the opening. For our repertoire, we’ll try to challenge Black by entering complicated and strategic positions. Therefore, I recommend the 4 d3 AntiBerlin, 9 c3 in the main line of the Open Ruy Lopez, and the 8 a4 AntiMarshall.

Part Three

Part Three covers Black’s sharp tries and sidelines: 5 ... b5 and 5 ... Bc5, ... g6 and ... Nge7 systems, the Schliemann, and rare lines. In many of these variations, Black plays for active and rapid development. However, his position is often compromised by either allowing White to take control of

the centre or by creating a weakness for White to attack.

How to Get the Most out of This Book

I highly encourage readers to pay close attention to the questions and exercises in every game. This is because they can help to understand the instructive moments of the game and some of the important concepts to remember. Play through the games. All of the games I selected for this book feature high-level players, and many of them display useful middlegame ideas that can be applied in similar types of positions. Read the short conclusion at the end of each game as it summarizes the important ideas and variations that were covered.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my family for their support and encouragement throughout this project, as well as Byron Jacobs and the team at Everyman Chess for making it possible.

Joshua Doknjas,

Canada,

November 2019





Chapter One

The Zaitsev: 9 ... Bb7 and Sidelines

The Zaitsev Variation (9 ... Bb7) combines dynamism with solidity to form a sound system against the Ruy Lopez. Despite not being played too often at the top level, the Zaitsev is in good shape objectively, and White needs to understand the main ideas to be able to put pressure on Black’s position. In Game 1, we’ll start by looking at Black’s options on move 9 besides the three big main lines: 9 ... Bb7, 9 ... Na5, and 9 ... Nb8. This includes moves such as 9 ... a5, 9 ... Re8, and 9 ... Nd7. These moves don’t do much to prevent White from taking control of the centre and White should be able to secure at least a slight advantage out of the opening. In our main game, White’s strong centre and well-coordinated pieces make Black’s play extremely difficult, and he is unable to create sufficient counterplay. In Game 2, we examine some of Black’s less common tries in the Zaitsev Variation. The most important of these is the line Black played in the game, with 11 ... exd4 and 12 ... Nd7. This variation became quite popular in 2015 and 2016, but we will see how White can properly place his pieces and develop good play on the kingside. In the game, White accurately launches an attack while making sure to avoid any counterplay that Black has in the centre, and the game is finished off with an excellent mating net idea. Game 3 moves on to 11 ... Bf8, the main line of the Zaitsev, which we meet by playing 12 a3.

This game focuses on 12 ... g6, a natural move preparing to develop the bishop to g7, but also a very risky one, as the f7-pawn can turn into a serious weakness. On the 14th move, White has two good options to choose from, one leading to a positional game, and the other to a sharp battle. Both are analysed in some detail, and our main game sees White choosing the sharper plan and winning quickly with a kingside attack. Game 4 looks at 12 ... h6, the most popular option and a very solid choice. Although Black is objectively fine, White often obtains an easier game due to his central control. This game serves as an excellent example of this, as White manages to outplay his opponent by first improving his position, and then striking on the queenside with b4 and c4 consecutively.

Game 1

P.Bobras-A.Leniart

Polish Team Championship 2016



1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Nd7

  Question: What is Black’s idea behind 9 ... Nd7 - ?   Answer: 9 ... Nd7 prepares to play ... Nb6, transferring the knight to the queenside. The knight has also opened up the f6-square for the e7-bishop, which could allow Black to put some pressure on White’s centre. However, Black’s development is rather passive, and this allows White to immediately gain a space advantage. Others: a) The Zaitsev Variation, 9 ... Bb7 is the subject of the following games in this chapter. b) 9 ... h6 10 d4 Re8 (10 ... Bb7 11 Nbd2 transposes to 9 ... Bb7 10 d4 h6, which is looked at in the next game) is analysed in the 9 ... Re8 variation.

c) 9 ... a5 10 d4 (10 a4?! doesn’t really make sense in this position, as it just encourages Black’s queenside play; for example, 10 ... b4! 11 d4 bxc3 12 bxc3 exd4 13 cxd4 d5! and Black has good chances for equality) 10 ... a4 11 Bc2 Bd7 12 Na3! (12 d5?! is too early, Black can play 12 ... Na5 and if 13 b4 then simply 13 ... Nc4; White should use one of his knights to defend the c4-square and not give Black this possibility) makes it difficult for Black to defend his slightly overextended queenside pawns. Black has two main moves here: c1) 12 ... Qb8 13 Qe2 exd4 14 Nxb5 dxc3 15 Nxc3 gave White a clear edge in L.Stetsko-A.Aleksandrov, Minsk 2016, after the game’s 15 ... Nb4 (15 ... Ne5 could be met by 16 Rb1 protecting the b2-pawn so that White can soon develop his c1-bishop), the most accurate move was 16 Bd1! maintaining pressure on Black’s a-pawn. c2) 12 ... Rb8 13 d5 Na7 (Black tried 13 ... Na5 in C.Tiemann-L.Grego, correspondence 2015, but White had 14 b4! axb3 15 axb3 c5 16 Be3 with a much better position, as Black wasn’t able to do much on the queenside) 14 Be3 c5 was S.Sethuraman-R.Ponomariov, Tbilisi 2017, and here White found 15 Nxe5! (15 b3 would also have given White a clearly better position) 15 ... dxe5 16 d6 Rc8 17 f4 and soon obtained a winning position. d) 9 ... Be6?! is a dubious line that allows White to take control of the centre. Play may continue 10 d4 (10 Bxe6 fxe6 11 d4 is also a very pleasant position for White) 10 ... Bxb3 11 axb3 exd4 12 cxd4 d5 (12 ... Nb4 is well met by 13 d5, when Black has tried the energetic 13 ... c5 14 dxc6 d5!? in several games; B.Gelfand-A.Mikhalchishin, Istanbul 2000, continued 15 e5 Ne4 16 Nc3 Nxc3 17 bxc3 Nxc6 18 Qd3 and White had more space and a much better position) 13 e5 Ne4 14 Nc3 and now: d1) 14 ... Nxc3 15 bxc3 gave White a much better pawn structure in Z.Hracek-H.Kallio, Bled 2002, the game saw 15 ... Qd7 16 Qd3 Nd8 and White played 17 Re2 (17 b4! is slightly more accurate, preventing Black’s weak a-pawn from moving any further) followed by Rea2, trying to take advantage of the open a-file and Black’s weak a6-pawn. d2) 14 ... f5 15 exf6 Nxf6 16 Bg5 Qd6 (16 ... b4 17 Na4! Ne4 18 Bxe7 Nxe7 19 Rc1 as in R.Oppermann-H.Dewald, correspondence 2010, allowed White to control the c5-square and put pressure on the c-file) 17 Qe2 (17 Ne5 could be met by 17 ... Nb4, although White is still much better here) 17 ... b4 18 Na4 Ne4 19 Bxe7 Qxe7 20 Rac1 and White had a clear advantage in B.Panyushkin-F.Trani, correspondence 2011.

e) 9 ... Rb8?! 10 d4 (10 Bc2 d5! may give Black some counterplay) 10 ... exd4 11 cxd4 d5 gives White two good options: e1) 12 exd5 is a bit simpler than the main line with 12 e5. Play may continue 12 ... Nxd5 13 Nc3 Nxc3 14 bxc3 Na5?! (14 ... Bf5 is better, but White still has a very comfortable position after 15 Bf4) 15 Ne5 and White had an excellent position in I.Salgado Lopez-E.Fernandez Romero, Lugo 2009. e2) 12 e5 and the main line runs 12 ... Ne4 13 Nbd2 Bf5 14 Bc2 Nb4, when White can try: e21) 15 Bb1 was played in J.Radulski-G.Gajewski, Cappelle-la-Grande 2007, the game continued 15 ... c5 16 a3 Nc6 17 Nxe4 Bxe4 18 dxc5 Bxc5 and White played 19 Be3, but 19 Bf4! looks slightly stronger. e22) 15 Bxe4 dxe4 16 Nxe4 Qd5 17 Bg5! is best, getting rid of Black’s bishop pair advantage. Following 17 ... Bxg5 18 Nfxg5 Rbd8 19 a3 Nc6 20 Nc3! (White gives back the pawn, but gains quick development; the slower 20 Ng3?! allowed Black to equalize in A.Heimann-A.Naiditsch, Deizisau 2010, after 20 ... Bg6 21 Nf3 Nxd4) 20 ... Qxd4 21 Qf3 Ne7 22 e6 f6 23 Nf7 and White had a nearly winning position in W.Bachmann-J.Kolarík, correspondence 2009. f) 9 ... Re8 should in most cases transpose to the Zaitsev Variation (9 ... Bb7), but there are a couple of ways Black can try to play without ... Bb7. After 10 d4, if Black plays ... Bb7 now or on the next two moves, the play will transpose to positions seen later in this chapter. 10 ... h6 11 Nbd2 Bf8 (11 ... Bb7 transposes to a position discussed in our next game, on the note to Black’s 11th move: 11 ... h6) 12 Nf1 Bd7!? 13 Ng3 Na5 14 Bc2

Black has tried two main moves at this point: f1) 14 ... Nc4 15 b3 Nb6 and White can choose whether he wants to attack on the kingside or the queenside (both should provide him with an advantage): f11) 16 a4 bxa4 17 bxa4 a5 is Black’s best, preventing White from playing a5, but White’s strong centre makes it much easier for him to develop his pieces and begin an attack on the queenside. The game continued 18 Bd3 c6 19 Be3 g6 20 Qd2 and White had a very comfortable edge in R.Garcia Pantoja-L.Supi, Sao Paulo 2019. f12) 16 Be3 c5 17 Nh4! and Black didn’t have a good way to respond to the threat of Nhf5 in J.Johansen-A.Sciupokas, correspondence 2013, Black played 17 ... Ng4!? (17 ... g6 18 Qd2 is excellent for White, as he is ready to play f4 soon) trying to double White’s g-pawns, but White was able to take advantage of the open h-file with 18 hxg4 Qxh4 19 Nf5 Bxf5 20 gxf5 Rab8 21 g3! followed by Kg2 and Rh1, and White had an overwhelming position.

f2) 14 ... c5 15 d5 (15 b3 prevents the ... Nc4-b6 manoeuvre and also gives White an edge; for example, 15 ... Nc6 16 d5 Ne7 17 Be3 Ng6 18 Qd2 and Black experiences difficulties in finding active play) 15 ... Nc4 and now I like the development chosen by White in J.Tomczak-A.Ostrovskiy, Warsaw 2018: 16 Nh2 Nb6 17 Qf3 g6 18 b3 Bg7 19 Be3 Qe7 20 Nhf1 and White could play Nd2 next, which would help to restrict Black’s queenside play and support the e4-pawn. Later, White could slowly begin a kingside expansion. 10 d4 10 d3 has a good idea behind it: to play slowly with Nbd2-f1-g3, while Black’s ... Bf6 idea won’t be too effective. However, Black can change plans and play actively with 10 ... Na5! 11 Bc2 c5 obtaining a better version of the 9 ... Na5 variation, as here White’s pawn is on d3 instead of d4. 10 ... Bf6 Preventing White from developing naturally with Nbd2. a) 10 ... Bb7 is probably Black’s best option, transposing to a line in the Zaitsev Variation: 9 ... Bb7 10 d4 Nd7, which is analysed on the note to Black’s 10th move in the next game. b) 10 ... Nb6 is a natural follow up to Black’s previous move, but it allows White to develop without any difficulties. After 11 Nbd2, Black can try: b1) 11 ... exd4 12 cxd4 Nb4 (12 ... d5?! 13 Bc2! intends to play e5 next, and if Black plays 13 ... dxe4?!, then 14 Bxe4 Nd5 15 Nb3 gives White a clearly better position, because Black’s queenside is quite weak and White’s e4-bishop puts pressure on the e4-a8 and e4-h7 diagonals) 13 Nf1 c5 14 a3 Nc6 and in P.Svidler-M.Adams, Linares 1999, White played 15 Be3! (not 15 Ng3?! Nxd4 16 Nxd4 cxd4 17 Qxd4 Bf6! with pressure on the b2pawn), which isn’t the usual square for the bishop, but protecting the d4pawn is extremely important in this position. The game continued 15 ... Na5 16 Bc2 Nbc4 17 Bc1! and White had a much better position, even though it may appear that he lost two moves by playing Be3-c1. Black’s knights look active, but have no clear targets and White can play Rb1 to defend the b2pawn if necessary. b2) 11 ... Bf6 12 Nf1 Re8 13 Ng3 g6 14 Bh6! Bb7 15 Rc1 (15 Qd2! looks more natural, for example, 15 ... Na5 16 Bc2 c5 17 d5 followed by b3 gives White a clear edge) and Black struggled to find active play in S.Fedorchuk-Z.Efimenko, Kiev 2012. Black tried 15 ... Nc4 (15 ... Na5! is

stronger, but 16 Bc2 c5 17 d5 is slightly better for White) but soon ran into trouble after 16 Bxc4 bxc4 17 d5 Na5 18 b4 as the knight on a5 is completely out of play. 11 a4! Forcing Black to make some type of concession to defend his queenside. 11 Be3 protects the d4-pawn and prepares to play Nbd2 on the next move, but Black can exploit the slightly misplaced bishop on e3 with 11 ... Na5! 12 Bc2 Nc4 obtaining quick counterplay in the centre and decent chances for equality. 11 ... Bb7 Or: a) 11 ... Rb8 12 axb5 axb5 13 d5 Ne7 14 Na3! (Black’s pieces are fairly uncoordinated while White has a space advantage and clear targets on the queenside) 14 ... b4 15 cxb4 Rxb4 16 Bd2 Rb8 was seen in M.PalacP.Chomet, Cap d’Agde 2008, and White could play 17 Nc4! with a much better position. b) 11 ... Na5?! 12 Bc2 sees White threatening to play axb5 followed by b4, exploiting the pin on the a-file. After 12 ... Bb7 (12 ... Nb6 13 b4 Nac4 14 a5 Nd7 15 d5 and in M.Hansen-D.Vera Siguenas, Badalona 2016, White had a much better position; Nbd2 could be played next and then White could either try to create some play on the kingside or slowly break through on the queenside with c4), 13 d5! is the optimal moment for White to close up the centre. Now Black’s b7-bishop is shut in and the knight on a5 is completely out of play. Following 13 ... Be7 (Black would like to play 13 ... c6, but then 14 dxc6 Bxc6 15 Qxd6 picks up a pawn) 14 Na3 c6 15 b4! forces Black to accept some weaknesses on the queenside. P.Leko-J.Pinter, Budapest 1997, continued 15 ... Nc4 16 Nxc4 bxc4 17 dxc6 Bxc6 and White found the strong 18 Nd2! forcing Black to play 18 ... d5 19 exd5 Bxd5, which was met by 20 Nf3 and White quickly achieved a winning position. 12 Na3

  Question: White isn’t threatening to win the b5-pawn due to the pin on the a-file, so why is White developing his knight to a3?   Answer: White wants to play axb5, but it wouldn’t be ideal to do so immediately, as after 12 axb5 axb5 13 Rxa8 Qxa8 Black has the open a-file and can play ... Na5 or ... b4 next. 12 Na3 makes axb5 followed by d5! a serious threat and forces Black to make a concession if he wants to avoid White’s idea. 12 d5 closes up the centre and is a good alternative to 12 Na3. The most natural move for Black is 12 ... Ne7, and the game E.Safarli-V.Ivanchuk, Batumi 2018, showed how White can play from here: 13 axb5 axb5 14 Rxa8 Qxa8 15 Na3 Ba6 16 Ba2 g6 17 Nc2! Bg7 18 Nb4 and White had a clear advantage, mainly due to Black’s weak queenside. 12 ... exd4 Others:

a) 12 ... Nb6 ignores White’s idea of playing axb5 and d5. Following 13 axb5 axb5 14 d5 Ne7 15 Be3 Black has some weaknesses to deal with on his queenside. A.Grischuk-G.Ginsburg, Mainz 2006, saw 15 ... Qd7 16 Qe2 Ba6 17 Nc2! with the idea of either Nb4 or Ra5, giving White an excellent position. b) 12 ... Na5 13 Bc2 exd4 (13 ... b4?! is dubious because of 14 cxb4 Nc6 15 dxe5 Ndxe5 16 Nxe5 dxe5 17 b5 and White is a pawn up while Black has very little compensation) 14 axb5 axb5 15 cxd4 b4 16 Nb5 gave White a clear advantage in S.Das-S.Shyam, Kolkata 2015, Black tried to create counterplay with 16 ... Qb8 (preparing to trap White’s knight with ... Bc6) and now White could have played 17 e5! (the simpler 17 Bd3 Bc6 18 Qe2 would also be fine, but it isn’t as convincing as 17 e5!) with the point that after 17 ... Bxf3 18 Qxf3 Qxb5 19 Bd3 Qb7 White has 20 Qf5! winning back the knight on d7. 13 cxd4 Re8 Or: a) 13 ... Nb6 is a natural move, trying to play ... bxa4 and trade off the b6-knight for White’s b3-bishop. 14 axb5! (14 Bf4 has been the most popular choice; after 14 ... bxa4 15 Bxa4 Nxa4 16 Qxa4 a5 17 Bd2 White had a slight edge in G.Kasparov-A.Karpov, Lyons/ New York 1990, because of the pressure on the queenside and better central control.; still, Black has the two bishops and this gives him some chances as well) is my recommendation, maintaining the two bishops. Play may continue 14 ... axb5 15 d5 Ne5 16 Rb1! (moving out of the pin on the a-file) 16 ... Nxf3+ 17 Qxf3 Qd7 (the immediate 17 ... c6? is impossible due to 18 e5) 18 Be3! (18 Nc2 was Hou Yifan-N.Dzagnidze, Novi Sad 2016, but after 18 ... c6! Black managed to create some counterplay) is best, attacking the b6-knight, so that Black is unable to play ... c6. A sample line is 18 ... Rfe8 (White doesn’t need to fear 18 ... Na4 19 Nc2 Nxb2 because 20 Bd4! Bxd4 21 Nxd4 Na4 22 Bxa4 followed by Nxb5 gives White the pawn back with a much better position) 19 Nc2 Be5 20 Bd4 and White will likely gain the d4square for his knight. b) 13 ... Na5 14 axb5! and now: b1) 14 ... axb5 15 Bc2 transposes to a line we examined earlier in this game: 12 ... Na5 13 Bc2 exd4. b2) 14 ... Nxb3?! 15 Qxb3 axb5 16 Qxb5 Nb6 17 Bf4 gives White an extra pawn while Black is lacking active play.

14 axb5 axb5 15 Bf4 One of the main ideas behind 12 ... exd4 is that if White tries 15 d5?, Black’s bishop on f6 turns into an excellent piece because it is no longer blocked by the e5-pawn. After 15 ... Nb4 Black’s pieces are wellcoordinated, putting pressure on White’s queenside (the a-file and the f6-a1 diagonal). 15 ... Na5 16 Bc2 Protecting the e4-pawn and threatening to play Nxb5. 16 Nxb5?! Nxb3 17 Qxb3 Rxa1 18 Rxa1 Bxe4 is fine for Black, but because of the weak c7-pawn, White may still have a slight edge. 16 ... b4 17 Nb5 Bc6

  Exercise: How should White defend his knight on b5?   Answer: 18 Qd3! Accomplishing two tasks at once; protecting the knight on b5 and threatening to play e5, which would exploit Black’s vulnerable kingside. 18

Bd3 Qb8 19 Qe2 gives White an advantage, but 18 Qd3! is even stronger. 18 ... b3 Or: a) 18 ... g6 defends the kingside, and White should meet this with 19 Qf1! Nb6 20 Bd3 and White had protected his knight on b5 and obtained a clear edge in L.Krajnc-J.Potrata, correspondence 2000. b) 18 ... Qb8 19 e5 g6 20 Nxd6! cxd6 21 exf6 Rxe1+ 22 Rxe1 Nxf6 was D.Sarenac-D.Blagojevic, Obrenovac 2011, although the material is equal, White has the two bishops and significantly more active pieces. Best here would have been 23 d5! (the simple 23 Bg5 Nd5 24 Nh2 is great for White as well) 23 ... Nxd5 (23 ... Bxd5 is met by 24 Bg5 Bc4 25 Qd4 and Black is unable to defend his weak kingside dark-squares) 24 Bh6 Qd8 25 Nd4 Bb7 26 Nb3! and White is winning, as Black is unable to coordinate his pieces. 19 Bd1 19 Bb1! as in C.Lutz-S.Smagin, Essen 2001, looks slightly more accurate. The game continued 19 ... Qb8 20 Nc3 (20 e5 is also good for White, for example, 20 ... g6 21 Nxc7 Qxc7 22 exf6 Rxe1+ 23 Nxe1 Nxf6 24 Bg5 with a clearly better position) 20 ... g6 and White could have tried the aggressive 21 h4! with a strong centre and good chances for an attack. The game continuation 21 Rc1 was also a good move and Black had difficulties creating counterplay. 19 ... Qb8 19 ... Nb6 was a better try, but Black’s position is still unpleasant. Play may continue 20 Nc3 Nbc4 21 Qb1 and White is prepared to play e5 within the next couple of moves. 20 Nc3 Qb4 21 Be2 Nf8 22 Bd2 White’s strong centre and well-coordinated pieces force Black to play passively and White manages to pick up the far advanced b3-pawn. 22 ... Qb6 23 Ra3 Nb7 24 Rea1 Rxa3 25 Rxa3 Nd8 26 d5 Bd7 27 Qc4 Ng6 28 Rxb3

White’s extra pawn and more active pieces give him a winning position, but Black continues to fight. However, throughout the rest of the game White is never in any danger of losing his advantage and wins without any serious problems. 28 ... Qa7 29 Qa6 Qxa6 30 Bxa6 Bxc3 31 Bxc3 f6 32 Rb8 c5 33 dxc6 Nxc6 34 Bc4+ Kf8 35 Rb7 Rxe4 36 Bd5 Re7 37 Rb6 Nge5 38 Nxe5 Nxe5 39 Rxd6 Nd3 40 Ba2 Bb5 41 Rb6 Ra7 42 Bd5 Bd7 43 Bc4 Bf5 44 Bxf6 gxf6 45 Rxf6+ Kg7 46 Rxf5 Nxb2 47 Bb5 Nd1 48 Rc5 Ra1 49 Bf1 Ra2 50 Rf5 Nc3 51 g3 Ne4 52 Bd3 Nf6 53 Rg5+ Kh6 54 Rf5 Kg7 55 Kg2 Rd2 56 Rf3 Nd5 57 Bf5 Rb2 58 Ra3 h6 59 Be4 Nf6 60 Ra7+ Kg8 61 Bf5 Re2 62 g4 Re1 63 Ra5 Kg7 64 Ra7+ Kg8 65 Rb7 Nd5 66 Kg3 Ne7 67 Bd3 Kf7 68 Bc4+ Kg7 69 f3 Kf8 70 Ra7 Rc1 71 Bd3 Rg1+ 72 Kf2 Rd1 73 Be4 Rd6 74 Kg3 Rb6 75 h4 Rd6 76 Kf4 Rf6+ 77 Ke5 Rb6 78 Rd7 Kf7 79 Rd6 Rb5+ 80 Bd5+ Kg7 81 Rd7 Kf8 82 Rd8+ Kg7 83 Rd7 Kf8 84 h5 Rb6 85 Rd8+ Kg7 86 Rd7 Kf8 87 Rd6 Rxd6 88 Kxd6 Nc8+ 89 Ke6 Nb6 90 Bb3 1-0

Black’s sidelines on move 9 give White great chances to achieve a comfortable opening advantage. The most important of these sidelines is 9 ... Nd7, which was played in our main game. In this line, Black tries to put pressure on White’s centre, usually by playing ... Bf6 and ... Re8. However, as we saw in this game, White is able to maintain his strong centre and develop his pieces by playing 11 a4! and 12 Na3. If White is able to play a couple of accurate moves, Black will have problems finding good squares for his pieces, because of White’s strong centre. In the game, White actively developed his pieces in the opening and targeted Black’s overextended b3pawn, which eventually cost Black the game.

Game 2

A.Grischuk-K.Alekseenko

Russian Team Championship 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Bb7 10 d4

10 ... Re8 Others: a) 10 ... Na5 11 Bc2 c5 reaches a position discussed in the 9 ... Na5 chapter (9 ... Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Bb7). b) 10 ... Nd7 should be met by 11 Nbd2, when Black can play 11 ... Bf6 immediately or take on d4 first: b1) 11 ... exd4 12 cxd4 Bf6 13 Nf1 Na5 14 Bc2 c5? (14 ... Re8 transposes to our main game) and in T.Lei-A.Neiksans, Riga 2017, White played the strong 15 e5! exploiting Black’s weak protection over the e5square. The game continued 15 ... dxe5 16 dxe5 Be7 17 Qd3 g6 18 Bh6 Re8 19 e6 and White’s kingside attack put Black in serious trouble. b2) 11 ... Bf6!? 12 Nf1 Re8 (12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 Na5 transposes to 11 ... exd4 which is discussed above; while 12 ... Na5 13 Bc2 c5 14 d5 is bad for Black because of his misplaced bishops and knight on a5) 13 d5! is a good moment for White to close up the centre, as now Black’s last move has no purpose. A.Hakobyan-A.Mikaelyan, Yerevan 2017, continued 13 ... Na5 14 Bc2 Nc4 15 a4 with a great position for White. c) 10 ... Qd7 is playable, but Black usually prefers to use the d7-square for one of his knights. After 11 Nbd2, Black has several options to choose from: c1) 11 ... h6 12 a3 (12 Bc2 immediately is also good) 12 ... Rfd8 13 Bc2 Bf8 14 Nf1 Qe8 15 Ng3 Ne7 16 Nh4 and White was building up pressure on the kingside in C.Aryan-I.Kovalenko, Dubai 2016. c2) 11 ... Rae8 12 Nf1 exd4 13 cxd4 Na5 14 Bc2 saw White having good control over the centre and a strong position in M.WarmerdamS.Ernst, Apeldoorn 2018. c3) 11 ... exd4 12 cxd4 Nb4 13 Qe2 c5 14 a3 Nc6 15 d5 Ne5 16 Bc2 gave White a much better position in J.Stigter-E.Polyakov, correspondence 2016, due to Black’s misplaced queen on d7 and bishop on b7. d) 10 ... exd4 11 cxd4 Na5 12 Bc2 c5 13 d5 is also seen in the 9 ... Na5 chapter (9 ... Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 exd4 12 cxd4 Bb7). e) 10 ... h6 11 Nbd2 exd4?! (11 ... Re8 transposes to 10 ... Re8 11 Nbd2 h6) 12 cxd4 Nb4 13 Qe2 c5 14 a3 gave White a much better position in M.Stukan-A.Mindlin, Batumi 2018. 11 Nbd2 In the game, White first repeated moves with 11 Ng5 Rf8 12 Nf3. 11 ... exd4

Or: a) 11 ... Bf8 is the main line and will be examined in the next two games. b) 11 ... h6 12 Nf1 (12 a3 Bf8 transposes to the main line of the Zaitsev Variation, which we will examine in Game 4; however, with 12 Nf1, White is able to immediately take advantage of Black’s slow play) 12 ... Bf8 13 Ng3 and White is much better due to his well-placed pieces. For example, 13 ... Na5 14 Bc2 Nc4 15 b3 Nb6 16 Bd2 c5 17 d5 saw Black lacking active play in M.Petrolo-M.Boccia, correspondence 2012. 12 cxd4 Nd7 12 ... Na5?! is an inaccurate move order. Black needs to wait until White has played Nf1, as here the c4-square is covered. Following 13 Bc2 c5 14 d5 Nd7 15 Rb1 Bf6 16 b3! White has an excellent position, as Black’s knight on a5 has no good squares available. 13 Nf1 Na5 13 ... Bf6 14 Ng3 transposes to 13 ... Na5 after 14 ... Na5 15 Bc2. Black could also try 14 ... g6!?, when play may continue 15 Bh6 Na5 16 Bc2 Nc4 (16 ... c5 17 e5! dxe5 18 dxc5 Nc4 19 Ne4 gave White an excellent position in K.Sasikiran-F.Bracker, Stockholm 2016) 17 b3 Na3 18 Bd3 c5 19 Bf4 saw White preparing to play e5 with an advantage in A.GavrilovM.Kravtsiv, Pardubice 2012. 14 Bc2

A critical position for this line with 11 ... exd4. Black will try to put pressure on White’s centre with ... Bf6 and ... c5, while White will be aiming to create play on the kingside. 14 ... Bf6 14 ... c5 15 Ne3 (White also has the option of playing 15 d5, leading to similar positions that we will see after 14 ... Bf6) 15 ... cxd4 16 Nxd4 gives Black two main options: a) 16 ... g6 17 a4! (17 b3!? should lead to a slight edge for White as well) weakens Black’s queenside. After 17 ... b4 18 Bd2 Qb6 19 Nb3, White has a comfortable advantage. Play may continue 19 ... Nf6 (or 19 ... Bf8 20 Nxa5 Qxa5 21 Ng4 gave White an edge, as in P.Pasko-P.Veselý, correspondence 2016) 20 Nxa5 Qxa5 21 Bb3 (21 Qf3!? is another possibility) 21 ... Bxe4 22 Ng4 d5 23 Nh6+ Kg7 24 Bg5 and Black was in a dangerous situation due to White’s actively placed pieces in S.GorokhovH.Clever, correspondence 2015. b) 16 ... Bf8 17 b3 reaches another split:

b1) 17 ... Nc6 18 Nxc6 Bxc6 19 Nf5 Ne5 20 Bf4 Rc8 21 Qd2 gave White a clear advantage in T.Keskowski-M.Enkalo, correspondence 2014, due to Black’s weak d6-pawn. b2) 17 ... Bxe4 wins a pawn but allows White to develop a powerful kingside attack. J.Schuller-R.Silva, correspondence 2014, saw 18 Bxe4 Rxe4 19 Bb2 Rc8 20 Qf3 Re8 21 Qg3 Nf6 22 Ndf5 with excellent coordination for White, putting pressure on Black’s kingside. b3) 17 ... Rc8 18 Bb2 Nf6 was A.David-M.Nikolov, Porto Rio 2015, and here 19 Nef5! provides White with an edge. 15 Ng3! Threatening Nf5 and forcing Black to play ... g6, which could have been a useful square for one of Black’s knights. 15 Rb1 c5 16 d5 Nc4 17 b3?! (17 Ng3! followed by Nh2 should be preferred, with play similar to our main game) 17 ... Nce5 18 N3h2 Ng6 19 Ng3 Bc8 gave Black some counterplay in A.Giri-P.Svidler, Baku 2015. 15 ... g6 15 ... c5? 16 Nf5 is nearly lost for Black, due to the weak d6 pawn. If 16 ... Nf8, White can simply play 17 dxc5 dxc5 18 Nd6. 16 Rb1!

  Question: What is the purpose of this move?   Answer: 16 Rb1 is aimed against Black’s f6-bishop and a5-knight. After White meets ... c5 with d5, White wants to have his b-pawn protected from the bishop on f6. White also wants to be able to meet ... Nc4 with b3, forcing Black’s knight to retreat. 16 ... c5 17 d5 Nc4 Another forced move, otherwise White could play b3 and Black’s knight would be completely out of play on a5. 18 Nh2 18 b3 is also possible, when White can meet 18 ... Nce5 or 18 ... Ncb6 with 19 Nh2, transposing to the lines we will see after 18 Nh2. 18 ... Nde5 Others: a) 18 ... Bg7 19 b3 Ncb6 20 Ng4 Qh4!? (20 ... Ne5 21 Ne3 gave White a good position in M.Bosiocic-J.Borisek, Spilimbergo 2018, as he was well-

prepared to continue actively with Bb2, f4, and Qf3) was tried in M.Bosiocic-M.Costachi, Minsk 2017, but White exploited the awkward placement of Black’s queen with 21 Be3 Ne5 22 Qc1 Nxg4 23 Bg5 Bh6 24 Bxh4 Bxc1 25 Rexc1 and obtained a much better endgame. b) 18 ... b4 19 Ng4 Bg7 was played in L.Aroshidze-S.Wehmeier, Barcelona 2013, and I think the best move for White is 20 Nh6+! (20 b3 would be good for White if Black was forced to retreat his knight, but 20 ... Na3! is fine for Black; however, 20 Bh6!? is a fully playable alternative) 20 ... Kf8 21 a3 a5 22 Ba4 Nce5 (22 ... Ncb6 allows 23 Bb5, showing that the inclusion of a3 and ... a5 favours White) 23 Ngf5!! gives White an overwhelming attack, a sample line is 23 ... gxf5 24 Nxf5 Re7!? (or 24 ... Nf6 25 Bg5 with f4 or Re3 ideas) 25 Bh6 Bxh6 26 Qh5! f6 27 Qxh6+ Kg8 28 Re3 with a winning position for White. c) 18 ... h5 19 b3 Ncb6 20 a4 Bg7 21 a5! was played in A.SzíjártóK.Miettinen, correspondence 2016, and White developed a strong attack after 21 ... Nc8 22 f4 b4 23 Nf3 Na7 24 Bb2, exchanging off Black’s good bishop before attacking on the kingside with f5 or e5. 19 b3 Nb6 20 Bh6 20 Rf1 a5 21 f4 Ned7 22 Ng4 Bg7 23 Bb2 was L.Jarmula-M.Nikitenko, Lvov 2019, and is another good way to create a kingside attack. 20 ... Bc8 21 Rf1 The immediate 21 f4! was a bit more accurate, as 21 ... Bh4 is met by 22 Nh5! and Black’s weak dark squares on the kingside are excellent targets for White’s pieces. 21 ... b4 21 ... Bh4 was stronger, but White has 22 Nh1!! and f4 next. 22 f4 Ned7 23 Kh1 Ra7 24 Qf3 Nf8

  Exercise: How should White continue his kingside attack?   Answer: 25 e5! Opening the diagonal for the bishop on c2 before playing f5. The immediate 25 f5 would also have given White a winning position. 25 ... dxe5 26 f5 Bg7 27 Bxg7 Kxg7 28 f6+ 28 Ng4 is more natural, bringing another piece into the attack. Instead, White creates a mating net around Black’s king. 28 ... Kh8 29 Rbd1 Rd7 30 Qe3 Nxd5 31 Rxd5! Rxd5 32 Qh6 Ne6 33 Ne4! Rg8 34 Nf3 Qf8 35 Nfg5 Nxg5 36 Nxg5 Rg7 37 fxg7+ Qxg7 38 Nxf7+ 1-0 This game focussed on Black’s sidelines in the Zaitsev Variation, especially the line with 11 ... exd4. White should remember the idea we saw in the game with 16 Rb1, which made it much easier for White to restrict Black’s counterplay on the queenside. After this, White easily developed a powerful kingside attack and Black was unable to create any real fighting

chances.

Game 3

A.Zhigalko-T.Sanikidze

Vandoeuvre 2016

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Bb7 10 d4 Re8 11 Nbd2 The actual move order of the game was 11 a3 Bf8 12 Nbd2. 11 ... Bf8 12 a3! g6

A risky variation, Black tries to activate his bishop, but will have to deal with White’s queenside pressure (13 Ba2 followed by b4) as well as the weak f7-pawn. Others: a) 12 ... h6 is the subject of the next game. b) 12 ... Qd7 13 d5! (13 Bc2 is fine as well, giving White a slightly better version of the positions we will see after 12 ... h6, because Black’s queen on d7 is slightly misplaced) makes Black’s queen on d7 look strange,

because Black’s typical reaction to d5 is to reroute the knight to d7 via b8. Black has two main options: b1) 13 ... Nb8 14 Nf1 is simply much better for White, who will slowly develop play on the kingside. For example, 14 ... Qd8 15 Ng3 Nbd7 16 Nh2 followed by Qf3 or Ng4. b2) 13 ... Ne7 14 Nf1 Ng6 (14 ... c6 15 Bg5! gave White a good position in C.Vasselon-J.Waard, correspondence 2018) 15 N3h2! frees the f3-square for White’s queen and prepares to play Ng4. Following 15 ... Be7 16 Ng3 c6 17 dxc6 Bxc6 18 Ng4 White has a clearly better position, with lots of pressure on the kingside. c) 12 ... Nb8? has been played a number of times, but is just a blunder. V.Topalov-A.Karpov, Salamanca (rapid) 2018, continued 13 Ng5 Re7 14 Ndf3 (preparing Nxf7 followed by Ng5) 14 ... Nbd7 15 Nxf7 Rxf7 16 Ng5 d5 17 Nxf7 Kxf7 18 f4! and White had a winning position. 13 Ba2   Question: Why does White move his bishop to the a2-square? Isn’t it better placed on c2?   Answer: 13 Bc2 isn’t a bad move, and the bishop does support the centre from c2. However, the bishop is much more useful on the a2-g8 diagonal, where it puts pressure on the weak f7-pawn. In just a few moves, we will see why the f7-pawn is an important target in White’s attack. 13 ... Bg7 13 ... exd4 14 cxd4 Bg7 15 b4 transposes to the 13 ... Bg7 14 b4 variation. Or if you prefer to avoid the forcing play, the alternative 15 Qc2!? prepares to play b4 or Nf1, and gives White a pleasant position. 14 b4!

This move, gaining space on the queenside, is the most challenging idea for Black to face in the 12 ... g6 variation. The only reason White isn’t already much better after this move is because Black can respond energetically and create some counterplay on the queenside. Because the play after 14 b4 is quite sharp and may be difficult to remember, I would recommend the alternative 14 Qc2 for some readers. 14 Qc2 still gives White good chances for an advantage, while avoiding complications. 14 Qc2 Qd7 15 b4 and now: a) 15 ... exd4 16 cxd4 a5 is similar to the main variation we will see after 14 b4, but here with White’s queen developed on c2, the play doesn’t have to become as sharp. S.Sethuraman-R.Wojtaszek, Gibraltar 2016, continued 17 bxa5 Nxa5 18 Rb1 Qc6 19 Qd1 d5 20 Ne5 Qa6 21 a4! Nc4 (21 ... bxa4 is met by 22 Bb2 when White has excellent compensation for the pawn) 22 Rxb5 and White’s superior piece coordination gave him the advantage. b) 15 ... a5 16 bxa5 Rxa5 17 d5 (17 Rb1!? could also be considered, perhaps with a very slight edge for White due to the pressure on the b-file)

17 ... Nd8 18 c4 c6 19 Rb1 and in A.Nekhaev-C.Voiculescu, correspondence 2016, White was able to put some pressure on Black, but Black’s position always remained fairly solid. 14 ... exd4! The critical line, forcing both sides to play precisely. Others: a) The immediate 14 ... a5?! is inaccurate, White gains a large advantage after 15 Ng5! when Black has two options to defend the f7pawn: a1) 15 ... Rf8 16 a4! and Black queenside starts to fall apart. For example, 16 ... axb4 (or 16 ... bxa4 17 b5!) 17 axb5 Nb8 18 Bxf7+ Kh8 19 Rxa8 Bxa8 20 dxe5 led to a quick victory for White in R.Van Kampen-M. Nemeth, Bilbao 2014. a2) 15 ... Re7 16 d5 and here the main point behind 15 Ng5 is seen: with Black’s rook on e7, he is forced to move the knight back to b8. After 16 ... Nb8 17 Nb3 axb4 18 cxb4 White gains control over the important a5square. Soon White will play Na5, making Black’s position extremely unpleasant. b) 14 ... Nb8? allows 15 Ng5 with ideas of Ndf3 and Nxf7. For example, 15 ... Re7 (or 15 ... Rf8 16 Ndf3) 16 dxe5 dxe5 17 Ndf3. c) 14 ... Qd7 is too slow, Black needs to try to take advantage of White’s slightly delayed development. White obtains a comfortable position after 15 Bb2 a5 (15 ... Nh5 can be met by 16 Nb3 with the idea of d5 and Na5) 16 d5 Ne7 17 Nb3 axb4 18 cxb4 Nh5 19 Rc1 (White first improves his position before placing the knight on a5) 19 ... Bc8 20 Rc3 Ra7 21 Na5 and Black lacked an active plan in S.Karjakin-I.Sokolov, Poikovsky 2010. d) 14 ... h6 prevents White from playing Ng5, but is too slow of a move. A.Firouzja-A.Moradi, Bushehr 2019, continued 15 Bb2 Qd7 16 d5 Ne7 17 c4! (17 Nb3 going after the a5-square was good as well) 17 ... Nh5 18 c5 Bc8 19 a4 and White’s advantage on the queenside quickly became decisive. 15 cxd4 a5 Practically forced, otherwise White will maintain his strong centre with a clear advantage. 15 ... Nxd4? is a tactical attempt that doesn’t come close to working: 16 Nxd4 c5 17 N4f3 Nxe4? (17 ... c4 18 Bb2 gives Black no compensation) 18 Nxe4 Bxa1 19 Bg5 is completely winning for White. 16 Ng5!

The critical move, targeting the f7-pawn, and forcing Black to play accurately to survive. Alternatives are: a) 16 Rb1 led to a nice win for White in V.Topalov-S.Mamedyarov, Shamkir 2019, but this wasn’t due to the outcome of the opening. b) 16 Qb3 is the most popular move, but Black has several satisfactory responses: 16 ... Qd7 (16 ... d5! 17 e5 axb4 18 axb4 Bf8! 19 Bb2 Nh5 20 Bc3 Ra4 gave Black good play in A.Antunes-N. Andriuschenko, correspondence 2017) 17 Bb2 axb4 18 axb4 Ra4 19 Bc3 Nh5 20 Bb1 (20 d5!? might be a slight improvement, but Black is fine with accurate play here as well) 20 ... Rxa1 21 Bxa1 was E.Inarkiev-G. Oparin, Moscow 2017. White’s position feels stronger with his powerful pawn centre, but Black will have his chances to fight back. c) 16 d5!? Ne5 17 Nxe5 Rxe5 18 Bb2 gave White an excellent game in Z. Hracek-T.Sanikidze, Minsk 2017, but Black’s play could be improved with 16 ... Nxd5! 17 exd5 Rxe1+ 18 Qxe1 Bxa1 19 dxc6 Bxc6 20 Nb3 and White’s position may be slightly better, but it is extremely complicated. 16 ... d5

If 16 ... Re7 17 Ndf3! (White brings in his other knight, threatening Nxf7 followed by Ng5) 17 ... d5! (17 ... Qe8 18 e5! is very dangerous for Black; and 17 ... h6 18 Nxf7 Rxf7 19 Bxf7+ Kxf7 20 Qb3+ Kf8 gives Black two pieces for a rook and pawn, but 21 d5! with the idea of Nd4-e6 is excellent for White) 18 e5 Ne4 19 Qc2! (19 Qd3!? going after Black’s b5pawn also seems interesting) 19 ... axb4 20 Nxe4 dxe4 21 Rxe4 b3! (an incredibly important resource for Black to find) 22 Qxb3 Na5 23 Qc2 Bxe4 24 Qxe4 Re8 25 Bd2 Nc4 and 26 Bxc4 was played in M.Krüger-I.Agaltsov, correspondence 2017, and a draw was agreed shortly. 26 Bb4! poses Black much more difficult practical problems, for example 26 ... Bf8! 27 Bxc4 bxc4 28 Rc1 c6! 29 Qxc6 (or 29 Qf4!? with the idea of Nd2-e4) is more comfortable to White. 17 e5 axb4 Or 17 ... Nxd4!? 18 Bb2 (note that 18 exf6? isn’t possible due to 18 ... Rxe1+ 19 Qxe1 Qxf6 and White will drop either his g5-knight or a1-rook) gives Black several knight moves to choose from: a) 18 ... Nf5 19 Ndf3 Nd7 20 e6 fxe6, when White should have the better chances after 21 Nxe6 (or 21 Rxe6!? Bxb2 22 Bxd5 Rxe6 23 Nxe6 Qc8 24 Bxb7 Qxb7 25 Qb3!) 21 ... Rxe6 22 Rxe6 Bxb2 23 Bxd5 Bxd5 24 Qxd5 Kh8 25 Ng5. In both cases, Black’s position is very difficult to play. b) 18 ... Nd7 19 Nxf7 (before taking Black’s knight on d4, White gives up his knight for a pawn) 19 ... Kxf7 20 Bxd4 Nxe5 21 Nb3! (21 Qe2? led to an advantage for Black in A.Tari-T.Nyback, Heraklio 2017) and the weak c5-square, as well as the king’s poor placement on f7 are major problems for Black. c) 18 ... Nh5 19 Nxf7! Qh4 (19 ... Kxf7 20 Bxd4 would be clearly better for White) protects the knight on d4, but White has an incredible idea: 20 Re4!! (not 20 Ne4?! Ne6!) 20 ... dxe4 21 Bxd4 and White’s attack will give him more than enough compensation for the exchange, the immediate threat is Nd6. Play may continue 21 ... axb4 (or 21 ... Nf4 22 g3 Nxh3+ 23 Kf1 Qe7 24 Nxe4) 22 Rc1! Re7 (22 ... Qe7 runs into 23 Bc5 Qd7 24 Nd6+ followed by Nxb7 or e6) 23 Nd6+ Kh8 24 Nxb7 Bxe5 25 Be3 with an advantage for White.

  Exercise: How should White continue in this sharp position?   Answer: 18 Nb3! Exploiting the weakened c5-square. 18 exf6 is tempting, but Black can play 18 ... Qxf6! and suddenly White’s pieces are very uncoordinated, especially as Black is threatening to play ... Nxd4. 18 ... Nd7 Or: a) 18 ... Ne4 19 Nxf7 Qh4! (19 ... Kxf7? 20 Rxe4 is excellent for White, as he is ready to play Nc5 and create threats on the kingside) 20 Rxe4 Qxe4 21 Ng5 Qf5 22 f4!! (despite being down an exchange, White has a crushing attack) 22 ... Bf8 23 Bb1 Qd7 24 f5 and White was completely winning in J.Kuta-J.Kostál, correspondence 2015. b) 18 ... bxa3 19 Nc5! (19 exf6 gives White an advantage, but 19 Nc5 is even stronger) 19 ... Bc8 20 Re3! and Black’s knight on f6 has no good square to move to. For example, 20 ... Nh5 (or 20 ... Ne4 21 Ncxe4 and the

f7-pawn will be hanging if Black takes back) 21 Nxf7! Kxf7 22 Qf3+ followed by Bxd5. 19 e6 fxe6 20 Rxe6?! 20 Nxe6! is the correct way to play, and gave White a clear advantage in I.Pastukhov-L.Despontin, correspondence 2017. Black can try: a) 20 ... Qe7 but then 21 Bd2 defends the rook on e1 and threatens to play Nxc7. b) 20 ... Qc8 21 Nxg7 Kxg7 22 axb4 Nxb4 23 Bb1 gives White tremendous compensation for the pawn. All of his pieces will quickly come into play, while Black’s pieces have no good squares. c) 20 ... Rxe6 was the continuation of the game mentioned above, and after 21 Rxe6 bxa3 22 Bf4 Qf8 23 Bxc7 Qf7 24 Re3 b4 25 Bd6 White converted his advantage easily. 20 ... bxa3?! 20 ... Bf6! seems to give Black roughly equal chances in this very complicated position. Black attacks White knight on g5, and gives his king an escape square on g7. For example, 21 Nc5? (maybe 21 Qe2!? could be tried, but Black should be fine after 21 ... Nb6) 21 ... Nxc5 22 Rxe8+ Qxe8 23 Bxd5+ looks similar to the game, but now that the g7-square is free, Black can play 23 ... Kg7 which is easily winning. 21 Nc5

21 ... Nxc5? 21 ... Rxe6! 22 Ncxe6 Qf6 is difficult to play, as the position is very dangerous for Black. 22 Rxe8+ Qxe8 23 Bxd5+ Kf8? This quickly loses the game, but Black’s position was lost anyway: a) 23 ... Kh8 24 Nf7+ Kg8 25 Nd6+ picks up the queen. b) 23 ... Ne6 was the best chance. The point compared to playing 23 ... Kh8 immediately is that after 24 Bxe6+ Kh8 25 Nf7+ Kg8, White’s bishop on e6 is under attack. Still, White can play 26 Ba2 with a winning attack. 24 Nxh7+ Ke7 25 dxc5 Bf6 26 Qe2+ Kd8 27 Qxe8+ Kxe8 28 Nxf6+ Ke7 29 Bg5 1-0 In this game we looked at the 12 ... g6 variation, which can quickly lead to very sharp play. White has two good options to choose from on the 14th move. 14 Qc2 is a safe developing move, preventing some of Black’s counterplay before playing b4. It is a good choice to avoid double-edged positions, while still getting decent chances to obtain an advantage. However, 14 b4 is the critical choice and my main recommendation. After

14 b4, Black is forced to defend extremely precisely, with very little room for error.

Game 4

D.Jakovenko-G.Oparin

Russian Championship, Satka 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Bb7 10 d4 Re8 11 Nbd2 Bf8 12 a3 h6

13 Bc2   Question: Why does White retreat his bishop to c2 instead of a2, as we saw in the previous game?   Answer: 13 Ba2 maintains the pressure on the f7-pawn and is a good idea in the 12 ... g6 variation, but here White is unable to attack the f7-pawn

easily. For example, 13 ... Nb8 14 Qb3!? Qd7 reaches a roughly balanced position where Black has decent chances for counterplay with ... c5. 13 ... Nb8 Black brings his c6-knight to the better d7-square, which allows Black to prepare ... c5 and play on the queenside or in the centre. It also gives Black the option of playing ... c6, solidifying the queenside, which is what we will see in this game. Others: a) 13 ... Qd7 connects the rooks, but takes away the d7-square from Black’s knights. After 14 Nf1 Rad8 15 d5! (the natural 15 Ng3 was played in M.Palac-T.Vukelic, Mali Losinj 2017, but 15 ... d5! could have given Black a solid endgame after 16 dxe5 dxe4 17 Nxe4 Qxd1 18 Nxf6+ gxf6 19 Rxd1 Rxd1+ 20 Bxd1 fxe5), the knight on c6 will be misplaced. Play may continue 15 ... Ne7 16 b3! intending to meet 16 ... c6 with 17 c4 and 17 ... a5 with 18 a4. b) 13 ... d5 aims to force matters in the centre, but White should obtain the better chances. After the forcing moves 14 dxe5 Nxe5 15 Nxe5 Rxe5, White should play 16 Nf3! (16 f4 is a more aggressive approach, but it weakens the king on g1; after 16 ... Bc5+ 17 Kh1 Nxe4 18 Nxe4 Rxe4, Black had sufficient counterplay in A.Motylev-R.Vasquez Schroder, Sitges 2017) giving Black the option of retreating the rook or sacrificing it on e4: b1) 16 ... Rxe4!? 17 Bxe4 dxe4 (17 ... Nxe4 can be met by 18 Bf4 c5 19 Ne5! when Black’s compensation is insufficient) 18 Qxd8 Rxd8 19 Nd4 Nd5 was seen in I.Salgado Lopez-V.Kovalev, Heraklio 2017, and 20 Nf5 looks like a slight improvement over the game’s 20 Rd1. White has much better chances in this endgame. b2) 16 ... Re8 17 e5 Ne4, and now: b21) A.Tari-S.Vidit, Wijk aan Zee 2018, saw 18 Bf4 c5 19 a4 f5 20 Nd2 Qh4 and the game continued 21 Nxe4?! (instead 21 Be3! with the idea of f3 or f4 looks slightly better for White) 21 ... dxe4 22 Qd7 Qxf4, which was at least equal for Black. b22) 18 Qe2 c5 19 Nh2 (19 a4!? Qb6 20 Bf4 is a valid alternative and was tried in V.Bologan-I.Cheparinov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2009; while 19 Nd2 is a popular and natural choice, but Black obtains good counterplay after 19 ... Rxe5 20 f3 c4! as in T.Radjabov-R.Wojtaszek, Dortmund 2019) was seen in P.Schmid-H.Repp, correspondence 2017, and White generated a powerful kingside attack after 19 ... c4 20 Nf3 (20 f4!? is interesting as

well) 20 ... Qc7 21 Be3 a5 22 Bd4 Nc5 23 Nh2 Ra6 24 Qh5 followed by Ng4. 14 b3 Nbd7 15 Bb2

We have reached a critical position for this chapter and Black has a number of playable options to choose from.   Question: What are the plans for Black and White in this position?   Answer: Black has two main plans in this position: 1. Play for ... c5 (15 ... Rb8 or 15 ... c5), which gains space on the queenside and puts pressure on White’s d4-pawn. However, this does allow White to play d5 and close up the centre. 2. Play solidly with ... c6 and ... g6 (15 ... c6, 15 ... g6, or 15 ... Rc8), and slowly try to add pressure on White’s centre and possibly prepare ... d5. If Black chooses this plan, he will usually activate the knight on f6 with ... Nh5-f4.

Against the first plan, White is usually happy to close up the centre and build up pressure on the kingside. Against the second plan, White can improve his position with moves like a4, Bd3, and Qc2, before preparing to create play on the queenside with b4 or c4. In this game, we will see White carry out both of these queenside pawn advances. 15 ... c6 Or: a) 15 ... c5 aims to close the queenside, but this should be beneficial for White. Play may continue 16 d5 Bc8 and now 17 a4 (17 c4!? and Nf1 next also looks comfortable for White) 17 ... Rb8 transposes to the 15 ... Rb8 16 a4 c5 line. b) 15 ... Rb8 puts the rook on the b-file, where it will be useful later if the queenside is opened. 16 a4 and now: b1) 16 ... Ba8!? prepares to open the b-file, or to play ... b4; play may continue 17 axb5 axb5 18 Ba3!? (instead 18 Bd3 would give Black the opportunity to play 18 ... d5!), which is played with the idea of stopping ... b4. While Black’s position is very solid, White’s strong pawn centre should give him the slightly easier game. R.Homont-B.Garau, correspondence 2016, continued 18 ... Nh5 19 Nf1 Nf4 20 Bc1 Ng6 21 d5 c6 22 c4 and White space advantage in the centre gave him a better position. b2) 16 ... c5 17 d5 Bc8 18 Bd3 Nh5 (18 ... c4 should be met with 19 Bf1) 19 axb5 axb5 20 Bf1 (20 g3! seems like a slight improvement and after 20 ... Ndf6 21 Kh2, White will continue by playing Qe2 and c4, before trying to create some play on the kingside) 20 ... Ndf6 21 Ra7 Nf4 22 Qa1 Ng6 23 Qa5 Qxa5 24 Rxa5 Bd7 25 Rea1 was T.Radjabov-M.Carlsen, Shamkir 2014. White’s control of the a-file gives him the slightly better chances, but the position is quite closed, making it difficult for White to make progress. c) 15 ... g6 can be met by 16 Bd3 when play likely transposes to the 15 ... c6 line. Black can try: c1) 16 ... Bg7 17 a4 c6 is seen in the 15 ... c6 variation on the note to White’s 17th move. c2) 16 ... Nh5!? is the alternative, targeting the f4-square. M.KopalaA.Lukásová, correspondence 2017, continued 17 Bf1 Nf4 18 Qc2 and 18 ... exd4 was played to create counterplay in the centre, but after the moves 19 cxd4 d5 20 Rad1 Ne6 21 h4! Bg7 22 e5 h5 (or 22 ... c5 23 h5) 23 b4! White

had excellent play on the kingside while Black’s counterplay in the centre and queenside was severely restricted. Later in the game, White managed to break through with g4. d) 15 ... Rc8 16 a4 gives Black two main ways to deal with the threat of axb5: d1) 16 ... b4?! 17 cxb4 exd4 18 Bxd4 (18 Nxd4! c5 19 bxc5 Nxc5 20 Qf3 may be slightly more accurate, and Black doesn’t have nearly enough compensation for the pawn) 18 ... c5 19 bxc5 Nxc5 20 Qb1! was seen in V.Topalov-Ding Liren, St. Louis 2016, and Black was soon under a lot of pressure on the queenside. d2) 16 ... c6 is more solid, but also slightly passive, and Black can easily find himself in a position where he is lacking active play. After 17 Bd3 Nh5 18 g3 (18 Bf1!? is also playable, waiting for Black’s knight to come to f4 before playing g3) Black retains a solid position, but White’s play seems slightly easier. A.Chamaev-T.Schmidt, correspondence 2017, saw 18 ... Nhf6 19 Bf1 Qc7 20 axb5 axb5 21 Bg2 and White can slowly try to prepare c4 or perhaps b4 and Nb3. 16 Bd3 g6 17 Qc2!?

17 a4! is my recommendation, but 17 Qc2 should also give White an advantage. Black has two main options here: a) 17 ... Nh5 18 Bf1 Nf4 19 Qc2 Qc7 (19 ... Ne6 was played in D.Kokarev-K.Alekseenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2017, and 20 b4 looks strong, with the idea of playing Nb3, or dxe5 followed by c4) 20 b4 Nb6 21 g3 Nh5 22 axb5 cxb5 23 d5 Rac8 24 Ra3 gave White good play on the queenside in I.Dolgov-K.Oreopoulos, correspondence 2017. b) 17 ... Bg7 18 Qc2 Qc7 (18 ... Nh5 19 b4 Nf4 20 Bf1 Ne6 21 Nb3 gave White a comfortable position in D.Svetushkin-M.Chigaev, Kazan 2019) 19 Bf1! (the alternative is the energetic 19 c4 bxa4?! 20 c5!! which gave White an excellent game in S.Karjakin-E.Espinosa Veloz, Baku 2015) gives White ideas of playing c4 or b4. S.Lobanov-B.Sattarov, St. Petersburg 2018, continued 19 ... Rac8 20 dxe5 dxe5 21 c4 bxa4 22 c5! with a large advantage for White, due to Black’s cramped pieces. 17 ... Nh5 18 Bf1 Nf4 19 b4!

An important move, preparing to play Nb3, which makes it more difficult for Black to play ... a5 or ... c5. In general, this idea with b4 is good for White if Black is unprepared to fight back actively. 19 ... Rc8   Question: Why can’t Black play ... a5 or ... c5 to fight back on the queenside?   Answer: 19 ... a5?! 20 Nb3 gives White control of the a5-square. 19 ... c5 is stronger, but White is still better after 20 d5 when c4 will likely be played next, weakening Black’s queenside. 19 ... Nb6 would be met by 20 dxe5 dxe5 21 c4!, exploiting the weak e5-pawn. 20 c4 20 Nb3 is another idea, supporting the centre and targeting the a5square. 20 ... exd4 21 Bxd4 bxc4 22 Nxc4 c5 23 Bb2 cxb4 24 axb4 d5 25 exd5

Slightly stronger was 25 Qc3! forcing Black to play 25 ... Nf6 and then 26 Rad1 takes advantage of the pin on the d-file, with a clear edge for White. 25 ... Rxe1 26 Rxe1 Nxd5 26 ... Bxb4 could be met by 27 Qc1! with a very dangerous position for Black, due to the unprotected king on g8. 27 Qd2 N7f6 28 Rd1 Qe8 29 Nfe5 Qe6 30 Qd4 Bg7 31 Qa7 Rc7 32 Na5 Bc8 33 Qa8 Nb6 34 Qb8 Nfd5 35 Nac4 Rb7 36 Qd6 Kh7 37 Qd8 Bf6 38 Qf8 Bg7 39 Qd8 Bf6 40 Qf8 Bg7 41 Nd7!!

An excellent move, unleashing the bishop on b2. 41 ... Bxf8 42 Nxf8+ Kg8 43 Nxe6 Bxe6 44 Na5 From this point, White is able to convert his endgame advantage without any difficulties. White’s bishop pair and the weakness on a6 make Black’s defence extremely difficult. 44 ... Rd7 45 Nc6 Rc7 46 Nb8! Nc4 47 Ba1 a5 48 Bxc4 Rxc4 49 bxa5 Rc8 50 Be5 f6 51 Bd6 Nc3 52 Re1 Kf7 53 a6 Nb5 54 Bg3 Bd5 55 Nd7

Rc2 56 Nb6 Bc6 57 Ra1 f5 58 a7 g5 59 Be5 Ke6 60 Bg7 Nxa7 61 Rxa7 Rc1+ 62 Kh2 Rc2 63 Bd4 f4 64 Rh7 1-0 The 12 ... h6 variation of the Zaitsev usually provides White with a more comfortable game, due to his control of the centre and a slight space advantage. The 13 ... d5 variation has been tried by several top players, but forces Black to play quite accurately, because White can easily develop a strong attack on the kingside. As we saw in the plan discussion on the note to move 15, Black can choose to play solidly with ... c6 or try to attack White’s centre with ... c5 ideas. In our main game, Black played ... c6, which allowed White to improve his position and put pressure on Black’s queenside with 19 b4! and 20 c4.





Chapter Two

The Chigorin: 9 ... Na5

The Chigorin Variation is one of the most popular systems that Black can play against the Ruy Lopez because of the complicated and strategic positions that often arise from it. These days it is rarely seen in practice at the highest level, as in many of the lines Black faces an unpleasant defence due to White’s strong centre and space advantage. Still, there are some variations which are perfectly playable for Black and demand some accuracy from White to fight for an advantage.

In Game 5, some of Black’s less common tries are discussed. White can count on obtaining a much more pleasant position in these lines, as he will either get a better pawn structure, or more active piece play. Black played a bit too passively in the opening, which gave White enough time to generate

play on the queenside, and eventually win the game due to Black’s weak a6-pawn. Game 6 is an introduction to the old main line of the Chigorin Variation with 11 ... Qc7. We meet this by playing 12 d5!, closing up the centre and gaining some space. In the game, Black tries to create quick play on the queenside, but this backfires as White is well-prepared to fight back. Game 7 continues our discussion of the 11 ... Qc7 12 d5 variation, and this game focuses on 12 ... Nc4!? This is an interesting idea where Black spends a couple of moves to reroute his knight to a better square. In the game, White manages to close the queenside and slowly prepare a kingside attack with f4, which proves decisive. Game 8 looks at 12 ... Bd7, the main line of the 11 ... Qc7 12 d5 variation. The game is a model example for how White should aim to play these lines. White plays the opening accurately and carefully restricts Black’s queenside play. After this, White transfers his pieces to the kingside and overwhelms Black with a kingside expansion. Game 9 examines 11 ... Nd7, which is currently Black’s most popular try in the Chigorin Variation. We meet this with 12 a4!, which forces Black to slightly weaken his position on the queenside. In this game, we will focus on three moves: 12 ... Rb8, 12 ... exd4, and 12 ... b4. All of these moves give White excellent chances for an advantage because of his better pawn structure. Our main game sees White slowly improve his position before launching a kingside attack, while Black is unprepared to put up a proper defence. Game 10 looks at the 12 ... Bb7 variation, which is the main line after 11 ... Nd7 12 a4. This move seems to be Black’s best choice, because it doesn’t create any weaknesses on the queenside. However, the bishop on b7 is slightly misplaced after White plays 13 d5!, and Black’s a5-knight only has the c4-square to move to. The most important concept seen in this line is preventing counterplay, as White needs to ensure that Black’s queenside play is always under control.

Game 5

A.Shirov-J.Gemy Vargas

Arica 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6

The actual move order of this game was 7 ... 0-0 8 h3 d6 9 c3. 8 c3 0-0 Others: a) 8 ... Na5 9 Bc2 c5 10 d4 and Black can play: a1) 10 ... Qc7 11 d5 (11 a4 is a good alternative, which should give White a better position) and Black has nothing better than 11 ... 0-0 when White can play 12 h3, transposing to the main line of the Chigorin Variation (Games 6-8). a2) 10 ... exd4 11 cxd4 Bg4 12 Nbd2 0-0 (12 ... cxd4 runs into 13 h3 Bh5 14 g4 Bg6 15 Nxd4 and White is clearly better) 13 d5 Re8 14 h3 Bh5 15 g4 Bg6 16 Nh2! Nd7 17 f4 h6 18 Ndf3 and White developed powerful play on the kingside in A.Antunes-H.Hausdorf, correspondence 2018. b) 8 ... Bg4?! is a very poor square for Black’s bishop. One sample line is 9 h3 Bh5 10 d3 0-0 11 Nbd2 Na5 12 Bc2 c5 13 Nf1 Nd7 14 Ng3 and White was much better in V.Kharlamov-H.Haraldsson, correspondence 2013. 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2

10 ... c5 Alternatives are: a) 10 ... d5?! is played with the idea of meeting 11 exd5 with 11 ... e4! The simplest route to a White edge is 11 d4! and now: a1) 11 ... exd4?! runs into 12 e5, giving White an excellent position. a2) 11 ... Nxe4 12 Nxe5 leads to a better position for White because of his better pawn structure and piece placement. Play may continue 12 ... f6 13 Nd3 Bd6 14 Nd2 f5 15 a4 Bd7 16 Nf3 and White’s control over the e5square gave him a large advantage in V.Jansa-L.Renaze, Aix les Bains 2011. a3) 11 ... c5?! can be met by 12 dxe5 Nxe4 13 Nbd2 Nxd2 14 Qxd2, followed by Qf4-g3 with pressure on Black’s kingside. a4) 11 ... dxe4 12 Nxe5 c5 13 Be3 Bb7 14 Nd2 Qc7 and here 15 Qb1 attacks Black’s e4-pawn and has been seen in a number of games, but I think the best is 15 Bf4! as in H.Hamann-P.Colucci, correspondence 2012. The game continued 15 ... cxd4 16 Nxe4 Nxe4 17 Bxe4 Bxe4 18 Rxe4 and White had a much better position. b) 10 ... Bb7 11 d4 gives Black the following options: b1) 11 ... c5 transposes to 10 ... c5 11 d4 Bb7. b2) 11 ... d5 12 Nxe5 Nxe4 13 Nd2 is much better for White, as in A.Dgebuadze-U.Von Herman, Germany 2010. b3) 11 ... Nc4 brings the a5-knight to the better b6-square, but loses a lot of time. For example, 12 b3 Nb6 13 Nbd2 Nfd7 14 Nf1 was seen in B.Rogulj-M.Rade, Sibenik 2011, and White’s control over the centre gave him a large advantage. White can continue with Ng3-f5, or attack on the queenside with a4. 11 d4 cxd4

  Question: Why does Black exchange on d4? Doesn’t it make more sense to maintain the central tension?   Answer: Black is aiming to create quick play along the open c-file, but this shouldn’t be too dangerous for White if he continues accurately. After the exchange on d4, White obtains the better pawn structure and should be able to gain an advantage without much trouble. The two main lines, 11 ... Qc7 and 11 ... Nd7, will be examined in the next five games. Others: a) 11 ... Bb7 is met with 12 d5!, shutting in Black’s bishop on b7. Black usually tries the standard manoeuvre 12 ... Nc4 (12 ... Bc8 would actually transpose to the 11 ... Nc6 variation which we will examine below) 13 b3 Nb6 and after 14 a4, Black has a few options to choose from: a1) 14 ... Bc8 15 Qe2 Bd7 16 c4 closes up the queenside, and after 16 ... b4 17 Nbd2 g6 18 Nf1 Nh5 19 g4, White went on to win an excellent game

in G.Kasparov-A.Grischuk, Cannes 2001. a2) The slow 14 ... Qc7 was tried in R.Kazantsev-J.Schuster, correspondence 2014, which continued 15 Qe2 (15 a5!? immediately is possible as well) 15 ... b4 16 a5 Nbd7 17 Be3 Rfc8 18 Nfd2 with a nearly winning position for White, as Black’s queenside is weak and White’s pieces are much better coordinated. a3) 14 ... c4 is probably Black’s best chance for counterplay on the queenside. Following 15 bxc4 Nxc4 16 Na3! (16 Nbd2 is less accurate because of 16 ... Nb6) forces the trade of knights, as the b5-pawn is attacked as well. G.Tringov-O.Romanishin, Stara Pazova 1988, saw 16 ... Qc7 17 Nxc4 Qxc4 18 Ra3! Qc7 19 axb5 axb5 20 Rb3 with an advantage for White, due to the pressure on Black’s weak b5-pawn. b) 11 ... Nc6 looks strange because it allows White to reach a position similar to the ones we will see in the next couple of games, but with an extra tempo. S.Satyapragyan-J.Gonzalez Garcia, Sitges 2009, continued 12 d5 Na5 13 b3 (13 Nbd2 is also possible, as ... c4 isn’t too much of a threat anyways; for example, 13 ... c4 14 b4! cxb3 15 axb3 Nb7 16 b4 and Black’s a6-pawn will be a target for White on the queenside) 13 ... g6 (13 ... Bd7 14 Nbd2 Qc7 is another possible set-up, but Black is actually just a full tempo down over the game C.Aravindh-A.Bellaiche, Biel 2017, which we will look at later in this chapter in Game 8; White can play 15 c4 or 15 Nf1, in both cases with a much better position) 14 Bh6 Re8 15 Nbd2 Nb7 16 a4 and a position was reached where Black didn’t have much active play, while White could slowly transfer his pieces towards the kingside. c) 11 ... exd4 opens the e-file, but the resulting pawn structure is in White’s favour. After 12 cxd4 Re8 (12 ... Bb7 has also been seen before, but White is happy to play 13 d5! shutting in the bishop on b7; the continuation 13 ... Nd7 14 Nbd2 Bf6 15 Rb1 was seen in Yu Yangyi-N.Veinberg, Porto Carras 2018, and White could play b3 next, or Nh2-g4) 13 d5 Nd7 14 Nbd2 Bf6 15 Rb1, White had the better chances in S.Karjakin-N.Short, Wijk aan Zee 2010. 12 cxd4 Nc6 Not the most popular move, but it is quite natural to move the knight off the edge of the board before White has a chance to play d5. Others: a) 12 ... Bb7 13 d5 gives Black two main options: a1) 13 ... Rc8 allows 14 b3 (14 Nbd2 is a solid developing move and also gives White an edge) shutting out Black’s knight on a5. Black should

aim for counterplay along the c-file with 14 ... Qc7 and after 15 Bd3 Nd7 16 Bd2 f5, 17 exf5! is excellent for White, as in A.Volkov-R.Taroma Corpus, correspondence 2012. a2) 13 ... Nc4 14 a4 Nb6 (14 ... bxa4 is playable as well, but White is happy to open up the queenside, as the a6-pawn can turn into a serious weakness; for example, 15 Rxa4 Nb6 16 Ra3 Nfd7 17 Nc3 Qc7 18 Bd3 with an excellent position for White) 15 a5 (15 Nc3!? is an interesting alternative, aiming to play Ne2-g3) 15 ... Nbd7 16 Nc3 Rc8 17 Ne2 gave White a comfortable position in V.Talvere-T.Svilponis, correspondence 2008. White’s large space advantage makes it much easier for him to manoeuvre his pieces and to eventually create an attack on the kingside. b) 12 ... exd4 13 Nxd4 Bb7 attacks White’s e4-pawn, but gives the f5square to White’s knight (13 ... Re8 14 Nc3 Bd7 15 b3! prevents ... Nc4 and prepares to develop the c1-bishop to b2; play may continue 15 ... Rc8 16 Bb2 Nc6 17 Rc1 Bf8 18 Qd2 and White had a much more comfortable position in N.Daubenfeld-J.Vaindl, correspondence 2009). F.SilvaC.Leenders, correspondence 2018, continued 14 Nf5 (another way for White to develop his pieces is 14 Nc3 g6 15 b3 Re8 16 Bb2) 14 ... Re8 15 Bg5 h6 16 Bh4 Bf8 17 Nc3 Rc8 18 Ne3! (fighting for control over the d5square) 18 ... g5 19 Bg3 with a slight edge for White. c) 12 ... Qc7 13 Nc3! (I should note that 13 d5? would be a mistake in this position, due to 13 ... Bd7 14 Nbd2 Rfc8 15 Bd3 Nb7, which gave Black good play on the c-file in V.Asadli-I.Can, Manavgat 2018) looks like the most accurate way for White to play, intending Nd5 or Ne2-g3. Black can try 13 ... Bb7 (13 ... Bd7 14 Nd5 Nxd5 15 exd5 is bad for Black, due to White’s pressure on the e-file and the poor placement of the a5-knight) to prevent Nd5, but now 14 d5! is good for White, as he is prepared to play Bd3 followed by Ne2. Meanwhile, Black’s bishop on b7 is misplaced and gets in the way of the a5-knight, because Black can’t play ... Nb7-c5. Play may continue 14 ... Rfc8 15 Bd3 Nc4 16 a4 b4 17 Ne2 Nd7 18 b3 Na5 19 Bd2 and in L.Grego-V.Tudor, correspondence 2015, White had managed to restrict Black’s queenside play and obtain a large advantage. 13 Nc3 Bb7 A logical way for Black to develop his light-squared bishop, as it keeps the d7-square available for the c6-knight ( ... Nb8-d7). Also possible is 13 ... Bd7 which has the idea of meeting 14 d5 (14 Be3!? is also good) with 14 ... Nb4 15 Bb1 a5, but in E.Van Haastert-

J.Hilwerda, Delft 2018, White found 16 Nxe5! dxe5 17 d6 and obtained a large advantage. 14 d5 Nb8 15 b4 Nbd7 15 ... a5 strives for immediate counterplay on the queenside, but White has 16 Rb1! and the b5-pawn will become a major weakness in Black’s position.

  Exercise: Which side of the board should White attack on?   Answer: 16 a4! Attacking on the queenside is the correct approach for White in this position. With 16 a4, a weakness will likely be created on Black’s queenside. Later in this chapter, we will see some games where White focuses his play on the kingside. However, this game is an example of how White can restrict Black’s queenside play and then create his own attack on the queenside. Black’s a6-pawn soon becomes a major target for White’s attack.

16 ... Qc7 17 Bd2 bxa4 18 Nxa4 Rfc8 19 Bd3 Nb6 20 Nxb6 Qxb6 21 Qe2 Bd8 22 Ra2!

White has a winning position due to Black’s weak a-pawn, and Shirov doesn’t give his opponent any chances to fight back. 22 ... Qa7 23 Rea1 a5 24 Be3! 24 bxa5 allows 24 ... Ba6 and Black manages to trade off his poor lightsquared bishop, but White would still be winning here. 24 ... Qb8 25 bxa5 Bxd5 26 Rb2 Qc7 27 exd5 e4 28 Bxe4 Nxe4 29 Bb6 Qe7 30 Re1 f5 31 Nd4 Qf6 32 Nc6 Bc7 33 Bd4 Qf7 34 f3 Bxa5 35 Nxa5 Ng3 36 Qb5 Re8 37 Rbb1 h5 38 Bf2 h4 39 Nc6 Ra2 40 Nd4 Rc8 41 Rb2 Rxb2 42 Qxb2 Rc5 43 Ne6 Rxd5 44 Qb8+ 1-0 Black’s 10th and 11th move alternatives in the Chigorin Variation give White excellent chances to obtain an advantage out of the opening. The variations with 10 ... Bb7 and 10 ... d5 are dubious sidelines, and White should just remember to meet the latter with 11 d4! In the main line after 10 ... c5 11 d4, both 11 ... Bb7 and 11 ... Nc6 give White a space advantage, and with a few accurate moves, Black will experience difficulties in trying

to find good squares for his pieces. Our main game saw Black open up the c-file, hoping this would help him to gain counterplay on the queenside. White responded accurately and was able to turn Black’s a6-pawn into a major weakness, which eventually cost Black the game.

Game 6

R.Robson-S.Sevian

St. Louis 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Qc7 12 d5

12 Nbd2 is the main line, but after 12 ... cxd4 13 cxd4 Nc6 14 Nb3 a5 15 Be3 a4 16 Nbd2 Bd7, I don’t believe White’s chances for an edge are any greater than after 12 d5. 12 ... c4 An interesting idea, trying to gain space on the queenside and create an outpost on c5 for Black’s a5-knight via b7-c5. However, this idea will only

pay off if White develops slowly. Instead, White finds a move that immediately counters Black’s plan and puts him under serious pressure. The main lines, 12 ... Nc4 and 12 ... Bd7, will be looked at in the following games. There are two other moves that we should consider: 12 ... Nd7 and 12 ... Ne8. a) 12 ... Nd7 allows the f-pawn to advance and prepares to transfer the knight to the queenside. White has tried many moves here, but he needs to play actively to counter Black’s plan: a1) The natural developing move 13 Nbd2 isn’t ideal in this position because Black can play 13 ... c4! and obtain strong counterplay on the queenside. Play may continue 14 Nf1 Nb6 (14 ... Nb7!? immediately could also be tried) 15 g4 Nb7 16 Ng3 a5 17 Be3 Nc5 and a complicated position was reached in C.Obregon-J.Granda Zuniga, Antofagasta 2017, where both sides have their chances. a2) 13 b3 Nb6 14 Nbd2 Bd7 15 Nf1 led to a fairly typical position for this line in K.Mekhitarian-H.Carvalho, Campo Grande 2015. White may have a slight edge, but Black has placed his pieces optimally. a3) 13 b4! is likely the most difficult move for Black to face. White begins playing actively on the queenside before Black can properly place his pieces. 13 ... Nc4 (13 ... cxb4 14 cxb4 Nc4 15 a4 transposes to 13 ... Nc4 14 a4 cxb4) 14 a4 and now: a31) 14 ... Bb7 actually transposes to the final game of this chapter, N.Grandelius-A.Kelires, Batumi 2018. a32) 14 ... Rb8 makes sense to support the b5-pawn. In J.BrasierP.Ziegler, correspondence 2015, White slowly developed pressure on the queenside with 15 Qe2 Bb7 16 Na3! Nxa3 17 Bxa3 (17 Rxa3!? deserves attention as well) 17 ... cxb4 18 cxb4 f5 19 axb5 (or 19 Rec1!?) 19 ... axb5 20 Bb3 fxe4 21 Qxe4 and the open c-file provided White with a better position. a33) 14 ... cxb4 15 cxb4 bxa4 (15 ... Bb7 can simply be met by 16 Nc3) 16 Bxa4 with a further split: a331) 16 ... Rb8 was tried in J.Bjerre-I.Can, Konya 2018. White continued by putting pressure on the c-file with 17 Qc2! Ndb6 (17 ... Rxb4 runs into 18 Ba3!) 18 Bb3 Bd7 19 Re3! and achieved a winning position. a332) 16 ... Ndb6 17 Bb3 Bd7 18 Re2! (preparing to swing the rook over to the c- or a-file) 18 ... Qb7 19 Rea2 and White was much better in R.Rangel García-L.Nucci, correspondence 2017.

b) 12 ... Ne8 13 Nbd2 (13 b4!? should also lead to an advantage for White) gives Black a choice: b1) 13 ... f5?! isn’t a move White should be afraid of. After 14 exf5 Bxf5 15 Bxf5 Rxf5 16 Ne4, White’s actively placed pieces and control of the e4-square give him an excellent position. b2) 13 ... c4 isn’t much of a concern for White, as he can simply play 14 Nf1 with ideas of b4 or a4, while Black’s knight is very misplaced on e8. b3) 13 ... g6 14 b4 Nb7 15 a4! is an excellent way for White to start creating weaknesses on the queenside. J.Feco-K.Schulz, correspondence 2008, continued 15 ... cxb4 16 cxb4 Bd7 17 axb5 Bxb5 18 Ba4 and White had a clear advantage.

  Exercise: What should White play here?   Answer: 13 b4! White takes away the c5-outpost from Black’s knight and welcomes the opening of the a-file, which would give White a clear plan of attack.

13 Nbd2 is met with 13 ... Nb7! 14 Nf1 a5!? 15 Ne3 Nc5 16 a4 bxa4 17 Nxc4 Ba6 and Black had generated a fair amount of counterplay on the queenside in J.McPhillips-M.Hebden, Leeds 2013. 13 ... cxb3   Question: Why does Black take the pawn? Doesn’t this just open the afile for White?   Answer: Black is hoping that his counterplay on the c-file will compensate for White’s control over the a-file. Black is also hoping that his knight will have some play on a5. If ... Nb7 was played immediately, a lot of time would be needed before the knight could ever come back into the game. Still, after 13 ... cxb3, White is better prepared for play on the queenside, and can be happy with the outcome of the opening. 13 ... Nb7 is the alternative, but the knight on b7 is placed quite poorly and Black can easily find himself in a very cramped position if White plays correctly. Following 14 a4 Bd7 15 Be3! (instead, 15 Nbd2 gives Black the opportunity to play 15 ... a5!? with some chances to fight back on the queenside) is the most accurate way to play, as seen in J.Cuartas-H.Dalo, Barcelona 2015. Play continued 15 ... Rfb8 (note that 15 ... a5? doesn’t give Black anything, because White has 16 Na3! and suddenly Black’s queenside pawns become major targets; for example, 16 ... axb4 17 cxb4 bxa4 18 Nd2! with the idea of Ndc4 gives White an overwhelming position) 16 a5 (closing the queenside and preparing to take action on the kingside) 16 ... Nd8 17 Nbd2 Ne8 18 Nf1 f6 19 N3h2 Nf7 20 f4 and White quickly developed a dangerous initiative on the kingside. 14 axb3 Bd7 14 ... Nb7 can be met by playing 15 b4, restricting Black’s knight. G.Dauletova-T.Batchimeg, Baku 2016, continued 15 ... Nd7 16 Be3 Nb6 17 Na3 and White could try to slowly increase the pressure on the queenside, and prepare the c4 break. 15 Ba3 Creating the threat of Nxe5 followed by either taking the bishop on e7 or playing d6. 15 Bd3! looks slightly stronger than the game continuation as it prepares Re2-a2, putting pressure on the a-file. Following 15 ... Rfb8 16

Re2 Nb7, 17 b4! can now be played, as in V.Gashimov-E.Inarkiev, Astrakhan 2010. White already had a much better position, because Black is unable to bring his knight to the c4-square. 15 ... Bd8 The only way to safely avoid White’s threat of Nxe5. Although Black’s bishop on d8 gets in the way of his rooks, White’s bishop on a3 is slightly misplaced as well, because White may want to double his rooks on the afile. 16 Nbd2 As mentioned on the note to White’s 15th move, White can play 16 Bd3 with the idea of transferring the e1-rook to the queenside via e2-a2. However, it makes a bit more sense to play this a move earlier, as the bishop on a3 can get in the way. In J.Negri-L.Fedeli, correspondence 2006, play continued 16 ... Qb8 17 Re2! Bb6 18 Rea2 Nb7 19 b4! (restricting Black’s b7-knight) 19 ... a5 20 Bc1 and White obtained a clear advantage. 16 ... Qb8

17 b4!?

Immediately questioning Black’s knight. Usually White prepares b4 carefully, so that Black is unable to play ... Nc4. However, in this position, after 17 ... Nc4 18 Nxc4, Black is forced to take back with the pawn, and White correctly sees that this will make Black’s defence extremely difficult. 17 Bd3 was tried in S.Sjugirov-E.Alekseev, Moscow 2009. This is the more common idea, covering the c4-square and preventing ... Nc4 before playing b4. 17 ... Nc4 Probably the best try, as 17 ... Nb7 would leave Black with very passively placed pieces. 18 Nf1 leads to a much more comfortable position for White, and he can continue by slowly adding pressure to the kingside. 18 Nxc4 bxc4 19 Ba4!? Before attacking Black’s c4-pawn, White wants to trade off Black’s light-squared bishop, which could be useful on b5, defending Black’s weakness. 19 Qe2 with the idea of Nd2 was another option. 19 ... Bb5 20 Bc1 h6 21 Nh4 Bxa4 22 Rxa4 Nxd5

23 exd5 23 Qxd5! Bxh4 24 Be3 was stronger, as Black is unable to defend all of his weak pawns. 23 ... Bxh4 24 Qg4 Qd8? Black’s queen should have stayed on b8, where it can move to b5 and attack White’s a4-rook and d5-pawn. 24 ... Bf6 25 Bxh6 a5! followed by ... Qb5 gives Black some chances to fight back. 25 Bxh6 Bxf2+ After 25 ... Bf6 26 Bd2 followed by Rea1 and Black can’t defend his a6- and c4-pawns. 26 Kf1 Qf6 27 Bg5 Qg6 28 Kxf2 f5 29 Qh4 White has a completely winning position. Although Black continues trying to create threats, White wins without any problems. 29 ... f4 30 Kg1 Qc2 31 Raa1 f3 32 Qf2 Qxc3 33 Be7 Rf7 34 Bxd6 e4 35 Bc5 Re8 36 Rad1 fxg2 37 Qxg2 e3 38 Qg3 Qb3 39 d6 Qa4 40 Bxe3 Qxb4 41 Qg4 Qb5 42 Rc1 Qa5 43 d7 Rd8 44 Rf1 Rdxd7 45 Qxc4 Qe5 46 Bf4 Qh5 47 Rc3 Rd5 48 Rg3 Rdf5 49 Rf2 Qd1+ 50 Kg2 Kh8 51 Be3 Qd7 52 Rd2 Qe8 53 Qh4+ 1-0 12 ... c4 is an idea that aims to control of the queenside. If given enough time, Black would be able to reach a comfortable position. In this game, White responded energetically with 13 b4, which immediately put Black in a dangerous position. Later in the game, White was able to exploit Black’s queenside weaknesses. This, combined with Black’s lack of active play, enabled White to convert his advantage without any difficulties.

Game 7

A.Grischuk-R.Rapport

FIDE Grand Prix, Geneva 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Qc7 12 d5 Nc4!?

  Question: What is Black’s idea with this move?   Answer: Black’s idea is to reroute his knight to the more active b6square, before White has a chance to push his pawn to b3 (restricting Black’s knight). The downside to this plan with ... Nc4-b6 is that White is now able to gain several tempi off of this piece, as we will see in the game. The main line, 12 ... Bd7, will be looked at in the next game. 13 b3 13 a4 is fine as well, and would most likely transpose to the game after 13 ... Bd7 14 b3 Nb6. 13 Nbd2?! would be a mistake, as Black is generally happy to trade off his knight in this line. For example, 13 ... Nxd2 14 Bxd2 Nd7 and Black is ready to start playing on the queenside with ... c4 and ... Nb6. 13 ... Nb6 14 a4! We have reached an important branching point for the line with 12 ... Nc4. Black needs to decide whether he wants to allow White to play a5 (14

... Bd7 or 14 ... Ne8), or if he should fight back on the queenside (14 ... c4 or 14 ... bxa4). 14 Nbd2?! is a natural developing move, but not effective in this position. Black can play 14 ... c4! and after 15 b4 (or 15 bxc4 Nxc4 16 Nxc4 Qxc4! gives Black good play as well) 15 ... a5, Black had excellent counterplay on the queenside in B.Adhiban-E.Gasanov, Nakhchivan 2015. 14 ... Bd7 Others: a) 14 ... Ne8 prepares to play ... f5, but Black’s pieces are too passively placed for this break to be effective. The game G.Cardelli-G.Ruggeri Laderchi, correspondence 2006, was a good example of how White should meet Black’s plan. White played 15 Qe2! (The immediate 15 a5 Nd7 16 c4 aims to close up the queenside and is similar our main game; on the other hand, 15 Be3?! bxa4 16 bxa4 Nc4! is slightly unpleasant for White and provides Black with some counterplay) attacking Black’s b5-pawn, and more importantly, avoiding ... bxa4 followed by ... Nc4. Play continued 15 ... Bd7 16 Be3 f5 17 a5! (before taking Black’s pawn on f5, White must push back Black’s knight, as the d5-pawn is hanging) 17 ... Nc8 18 exf5 Bxf5 19 Bxf5 Rxf5 20 c4! and White had a clear space advantage and more actively placed pieces. Later in the game, White was able to bring his b1knight to the important e4-square and gradually increase the pressure on Black’s position. b) 14 ... c4!? fights for the c4-square and is probably Black’s best try. Now: b1) 15 b4?! was tried in A.Chandra-A. Stukopin, Brownsville 2015, with the idea of playing a5 and closing up the queenside. However, after 15 ... Nxa4! 16 Bxa4 bxa4 17 Qxa4 Bd7 Black was completely fine. b2) 15 a5? tries to push Black’s b6-knight back, which would give White a good position, but Black can play 15 ... cxb3! with a very comfortable position, due to the weak c3-pawn. b3) 15 bxc4! Bd7 (15 ... Nxc4 allows White to take advantage of the pin on the a-file with 16 axb5 Bb7 17 bxa6 Bxa6 18 Bd3, and Black lacks compensation) 16 axb5 axb5 17 Rxa8 Rxa8 18 cxb5 Bxb5 is similar to the 15 ... Nxc4 variation above, but here Black may have a bit more compensation because he controls the open a-file. P.Rallabandi-M.Deans, correspondence 2016 continued 19 Nfd2 Bd7 20 Qe2 g6 21 c4 and White had a much better position.

c) 14 ... bxa4 15 bxa4 gives Black a choice: c1) 15 ... Bd7 was met by 16 Na3! in X.Merrheim-W.Vertongen, correspondence 2014. White’s idea is to prevent ... Nc4 before gaining space on the queenside with a5. c2) 15 ... Nc4 16 Nfd2!? (16 Qe2 is completely fine as well and should also give White a comfortable advantage) 16 ... Na5 17 Na3! (again we see this Na3 idea, exploiting the weakened c4-square) 17 ... Nd7 18 Nb3 Nxb3 19 Bxb3 Bb7 20 Qd3 gave White an excellent position in M.RuemmeleW.Mehlhorn, correspondence 2008. c3) 15 ... a5 is an interesting idea, trying to bring the c8-bishop to a6. 16 Na3! Ba6 17 Rb1 Rfb8 was tried in A.Bodnaruk-M.Severina, Sochi 2016, and perhaps the most accurate move would have been 18 Nb5!, taking advantage of the weak b5-square. White intends to play Nd2 and c4, gaining a comfortable space advantage, while Black is left without an active plan. 15 a5 Nc8

16 c4!?

Others: a) 16 Nbd2 g6 17 Nf1 was tried in E.Bacrot-P.Svidler, Nalchik 2009, and leads to a similar slow manoeuvring game that we will see after 16 c4. However, in this variation White also has the possibility of playing b4 later in the middlegame, weakening Black’s queenside. For this reason, 16 Nbd2 may be a bit more accurate than immediately closing the queenside with 16 c4, but White has an advantage in either case. b) 16 b4 is another alternative, and was tried in G.Kasparov-V.Ivanchuk, Prague (rapid) 2002. The game continued 16 ... c4 (but perhaps 16 ... cxb4 was best, when White has a slight advantage after 17 cxb4 Ne8 18 Nbd2) 17 Nbd2 g6 18 Nf1 Nh5 19 Bh6 Re8 20 Qd2 and White was ready to play either Ng3 or g4. 16 ... b4 16 ... g6 refuses to close up the queenside, but in V.Topalov-A.Shirov, Linares 2004, White took advantage of this with 17 Nc3! Nh5 18 Ne2 and White had succeeded in rerouting his knight to the ideal e2-square. Note that White’s knight is actually better placed on e2 than on f1, because the knight on e2 covers the f4-square. After 18 ... Re8, the immediate 19 g4! is possible because White’s knight on e2 prevents Black from playing ... Nf4. Play may continue 19 ... Ng7 20 Ng3 Rb8 21 Bh6 with an overwhelming advantage for White. 17 Nbd2 Bd8!?

  Question: What is Black’s idea behind this move, and how should White continue?   Answer: 17 ... Bd8 clears the e7-square for the c8-knight, but even on this square, Black’s knight will remain quite passive. White should be trying to bring his pieces towards the kingside, preparing for an expansion with either g4 or f4. 17 ... g6 is a more typical idea for Black in these lines, preparing to transfer the f6-knight to g7 via h5 (or e8) and then possibly a kingside expansion with ... f5. The game M.Adams-R.Kasimdzhanov, Tripoli 2004, was a model game for how White should meet this plan: 18 Nf1 Nh5 19 Bh6! (slightly disrupting Black’s plan with ... Ng7) 19 ... Re8 (19 ... Ng7 could be met by 20 g4! and White can slowly increase the pressure on the kingside, while Black’s pieces lack active squares) 20 Qd2 Bf8 21 g4! Ng7 and now that Black’s play has been restricted, White should look for a way

to begin his own attack. The game continued 22 N3h2 Qd8 23 f4! and White achieved a completely dominating position. 18 Nf1 Kh8 The immediate 18 ... Ne7 seems to be more consistent with Black’s plan, but then White could try 19 Nxe5! (or the simple 19 Ng3 intending Nh4 or Nh2 would give White good play on the kingside) 19 ... dxe5 20 d6 Qb8 21 dxe7 Bxe7 22 Ne3! followed by Bb2 and Qf3, with a much better position. 19 Ra2!? Preparing to eventually transfer the rook to the centre or kingside. 19 Ng3 with the idea of playing on the kingside would be more natural. For example, 19 ... Qb8 20 Nh4 Ne7 21 f4! and Black’s passively placed pieces make it difficult to defend against White’s attack. In the game, White takes a slower approach and makes sure all of his pieces will be useful once he decides to open up the position. 19 ... Qb8 Again, 19 ... Ne7 would allow 20 Nxe5 dxe5 21 d6 and after White takes Black’s e7-knight, he can develop comfortably with Ne3 and Qf3. With 19 ... Qb8, Black sidesteps White’s Nxe5 idea. 20 Be3 Ne7 White has slowly improved the placement of his pieces and he can now choose from several different plans. 21 Ng3 For the next eight moves, White prepares to break through on the kingside with f4. Meanwhile, Black is unable to find a plan good enough to prevent White’s idea. Instead: a) 21 Nxe5!? is an interesting idea, winning three pawns in return for the piece. Following 21 ... dxe5 22 Bxc5 Re8 23 Qd2 Ng6 24 Bxb4, White’s three connected passed pawns pose Black serious problems. However, because White already has a very comfortable position, it is logical to avoid these complications. b) 21 g4!? was another possibility, trying to cramp Black’s position. 21 ... Qc8 22 Nh4 Neg8 23 Rf1 Ne8 24 Nf3 Bf6 25 Nh2 Ne7 26 Nh5 Ng6 27 Bb1 Qd8 28 Qc1 Kg8 29 Kh1 Bh4 30 f4!

  Question: Why does White want to play this move? Doesn’t it just weaken his kingside?   Answer: This move gives White excellent attacking chances on the ffile and allows White to attack a major weakness in Black’s position: the d6-pawn. These two factors easily compensate for White’s slightly weakened kingside. 30 ... exf4 31 Nxf4 Ne5 32 Nd3 Nxd3 33 Bxd3 Nf6! Trying to take advantage of the weak g3-square by preparing ... Nf6-h5. 34 Bf4 The simplest way for White to prevent counterplay was with 34 Rf3!, and after 34 ... Nh5, the point is that White can play 35 g4! Ng3+ 36 Kg2 and Black’s knight is trapped on g3. 34 ... Nh5 35 Bxd6 Ng3+ 36 Bxg3

After the move played in the game, White retains a better position, but the most accurate would have been 36 Kg1! Nxf1 37 Nxf1 Be7 38 Bf4, when all of White’s pieces will easily come into the game, and the d- and epawns are incredibly strong. 36 ... Bxg3 37 Nf3 Qc7 38 Re2 f6

  Exercise: White is up a pawn, but the bishop on d3 is passively placed. How can White improve his position?   Answer: 39 e5! White gives back the pawn to open up the diagonal for his bishop. 39 ... Bxe5 40 Qc2 h6 41 Bh7+ 41 Nh4 was also good, taking advantage of Black’s weakened lightsquares. 41 ... Kh8 42 Bf5 Be8 43 Nxe5 fxe5 44 Rfe1 Qxa5 45 Rxe5 Qc7 46 Qd2 Qd6 47 Re6 Qg3 48 Rxh6+ Kg8 49 Bh7+ Kh8 50 Bf5+ Kg8 51 Bh7+ Kh8 52 Be4+ Kg8 53 d6 Ra7 54 Re6 Raf7 55 Kg1 Rf2 56 Qd1 Bf7

57 Bd5 g6 58 R6e3 Qg5 59 Bf3 Ra2 60 d7 Rd8 61 Re8+ Kg7 62 Rxd8 Qxd8 63 Qd6 1-0 In this game, we looked at an interesting plan that Black can try to reroute his knight with ... Nc4-b6. The main disadvantage of this idea is that White is easily able to gain space on the queenside, before transitioning the play to the kingside. Our main game showed how White can carefully manoeuvre his pieces and slowly increase the pressure on Black’s position, while making sure to avoid any of Black’s chances for counterplay.

Game 8

C.Aravindh-A.Bellaiche

Biel 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Qc7 12 d5 Bd7 13 b3!

  Question: What is the purpose of this move?

  Answer: This move prevents the typical ... Nc4-b6 idea, which would bring Black’s knight to a better square. 13 b3 also allows White to meet ... c4 with b4. For example, 13 Nbd2 would be inaccurate because of 13 ... c4! 14 Nf1 Nb7 followed by ... Nc5 and ... a5, leading to a complicated game where Black will get his share of chances on the queenside. 13 ... Nb7 Black has tried many moves here, but in most cases, White can rely on a general knowledge of these types of positions. Most importantly, White needs to remember the importance of preventing Black’s queenside counterplay, which was the key idea behind 13 b3. White should almost never weaken his position on the queenside, as this can give Black strong outposts for his pieces or clear targets to attack. If White is able to restrict Black’s queenside counterplay, he can develop play on the kingside fairly easily. This can be achieved by transferring pieces to the kingside, for example, Nbd2-f1 and then possibly g4 and an eventual f4 break. Our main game is a perfect example of this plan in action. Others: a) 13 ... Ne8 may be the most accurate way for Black to carry out the plan with ... g6 and ... Ng7. Compared to the move played in our main game (13 ... Nb7), White isn’t allowed to play c4 immediately. Still, White’s position is much more comfortable after 14 Nbd2 g6 15 Nf1 Ng7 16 Bh6, when he can continue with g4 and Ng3, putting more pressure on Black’s kingside. Black’s main problem is his lack of active play. Any kingside counterplay will likely be impossible, as White will be playing g4 soon and would be happy to open up the position if Black plays ... f5. Queenside counterplay is difficult as well because White can always meet ... c4 with b4. D.Collas-S.Mazur, Merlimont 2011, saw an idea from Black aiming to open up the queenside with 16 ... c4!? 17 b4 Nb7 18 a4! a5, but it turned out that Black’s queenside was a serious weakness after 19 axb5 axb4 20 cxb4 Bxb5 21 Ne3, and the c4-pawn will be difficult to defend in the near future. b) 13 ... g6 14 Nbd2 Nh5 15 Nf1 c4 (15 ... Ng7 transposes to 13 ... Ne8 above) is an attempt to open up the kingside. White can meet this with 16 b4! (16 Bh6 Rfc8 17 b4 Nb7 18 a4 a5 gave Black counterplay in R.Hovhannisyan-V.Akopian, St. Petersburg (rapid) 2018) 16 ... Nb7 17 a4 a5 18 Be3 axb4 19 cxb4 bxa4 20 Bxa4 and White has an excellent position because Black’s b7-knight is out of play and the c4-pawn is a major weakness.

c) 13 ... c4?! encourages White to play b4, when Black hopes to obtain counterplay with a quick ... a5, but White is well-prepared for this. Play may continue 14 b4 Nb7 15 a4 Rfb8 (note that 15 ... a5? 16 Na3! should be winning for White, as Black’s queenside is poorly defended), which was seen in A.Volokitin-E.Postny, Berlin (blitz) 2018. There was nothing wrong with the game’s move 16 Be3, but White could have also completely closed the queenside with 16 a5 and then begun to transfer his pieces towards the kingside. d) 13 ... Rfe8 14 Nbd2 (14 Be3 before Nbd2 is also fine) 14 ... c4 15 b4 Nb7 16 a4 a5 17 axb5 Bxb5 18 Nb1! is a surprising and useful idea to remember. White gains a clear advantage by transferring his knight to a3, where it will attack Black’s b5-bishop and c4-pawn. For example, 18 ... Rec8 19 Na3 Bd7 20 Nd2 and Black’s queenside is falling apart. e) 13 ... Rfb8 14 Nbd2 c4 15 b4 Nb7 16 a4 a5 17 axb5 Bxb5 18 Nb1! In similar fashion to the previous variation (13 ... Rfe8), White will bring his knight to a3 and force Black to defend his weaknesses on the queenside. Play may continue 18 ... Be8 19 Na3 Nd7 20 Qe2, when Black experiences difficulties in defending his queenside. 14 c4!

White takes advantage of Black’s last move, which has left the c4square insufficiently defended. 14 c4 encourages Black to play 14 ... b4 when it will be difficult for Black to play on the queenside. If Black leaves his pawn on b5, White has the additional option of playing Nc3-e2. The advantage of this manoeuvre was mentioned in the previous game: the knight on e2 protects the f4-square in case Black tries to play ... Nh5-f4. It was also possible to play 14 Nbd2 g6 (interesting is 14 ... c4!? 15 bxc4 bxc4 and Black has some chances for counterplay on the queenside, though White retains the better chances anyway after 16 a4! Rfc8 17 Ba3, and the c4-pawn may become a weakness in the future once White plays Qe2 and Rab1-b4) 15 Nf1 Nh5 16 Bh6 Ng7 17 g4 f6 18 Ng3 Nd8 19 Kh2 and in E.Alekseev-V.Akopian, Astrakhan 2010, White’s pressure on the kingside gave him a better position. 14 ... b4 Others: a) 14 ... Rfb8 15 Bd3 (15 Nc3 immediately is good for White as well) 15 ... Na5 16 Nc3! (16 Nbd2 is the most popular move, and also good for

White; D.Sengupta-P.Thipsay, New Delhi 2018, continued 16 ... g6 17 Nf1 bxc4 18 bxc4 Nb7 19 Ng3 Nd8 and here 20 Nh2 is a slight improvement over the game’s 20 Bg5, as it helps to prepare f4 and expand on the kingside) followed by Ne2 gives White a pleasant position. Black can try 16 ... bxc4!? 17 bxc4 Rb4, but White has 18 Qc2! followed by Ne2. White is prepared to meet 18 ... Nxc4? with 19 a3, winning a piece. b) 14 ... Rfe8 15 Nc3! g6 16 Ne2 Rab8 17 Ng3 Bf8 18 Bd3 and White could slowly start building up on the kingside in P.Pasko-G.Ruggeri Laderchi, correspondence 2014. c) 14 ... bxc4 15 bxc4 Rfb8 seems to give Black some control over the b-file, but this is not at all a problem for White. The natural developing move 16 Nbd2 (or 16 Nc3) gives White an advantage, as Black is unable to make use of the open b-file. 15 Nbd2 a5 15 ... g6 16 Nf1 Nh5 17 Bh6 Ng7 18 g4! f6 19 Ng3 (19 a3 was Hou Yifan-N.Grandelius, Fagernes 2016, and although White should have a good position after this move, I think it is the beginning of a slightly inaccurate plan; White should focus on kingside play) 19 ... Nd8 20 Be3 Nf7 21 Kh2 Kh8 22 Rg1 was seen in N.Huschenbeth-R.Stern, Magdeburg 2019, which contained many similarities to our main game, as White slowly built up play on the kingside.

  Exercise: How should White meet Black’s threat of ... a4, trying to open the a-file?   Answer: 16 a4! This move secures White a comfortable advantage as Black is left without chances for counterplay on the queenside. 16 Nf1?! a4! 17 bxa4 Rfb8 makes White’s kingside play much more difficult, as the c4- and a4-pawns are slightly vulnerable. 16 ... Ne8 16 ... bxa3 opens up the b-file, but after 17 Rxa3, White intends to play either Nf1-e3 or Nb1-c3 next with a comfortable advantage. 17 Nf1 g6 A common plan by Black in this line, he prepares to play ... Ng7 and ... f5 eventually.

  Exercise: How can White counter Black’s plan?   Answer: 18 g4! Gaining space on the kingside and making it much more difficult for Black to play ... f5. This move also restricts Black’s e8-knight, as it is unable to come to the f4-square. Note that this g4 idea is most effective when Black’s knight is on e8. Otherwise, it could be possible for Black to fight back on the kingside with ... h5. 18 ... Ng7 Playing 18 ... h5?! in this position is extremely dangerous for Black, as White is prepared for the opening of the kingside: 19 gxh5 Bxh3 20 Qd2! and Ng3 and Qh6 will follow shortly. 19 Ng3 f6 20 Nh2 Nd8 21 f4 White begins a kingside expansion and ensures all of his pieces are participating in the attack.

21 ... exf4 22 Bxf4 Nf7 23 Kh1 Ne5 24 Rg1 Kh8 25 Qe2 Rae8 26 Rg2 Qc8 27 Rag1 Rg8 28 Bc1 Bd8 29 Qf2 Be7 30 Nhf1!

An excellent idea, White takes the time to activate all of his pieces, as Black is unable to create any counterplay. 30 ... Ref8 31 Ne3 Bd8 32 Ne2 Be7 33 Nf4 Qd8 34 Bb2 Ne8 35 Rh2 Qc8 36 Qe2 Kg7 37 h4! Kf7 38 g5 Nc7 39 Nf5! Ke8 40 gxf6 Rxf6 41 Nd3 Rgf8 42 Nxe7 Kxe7 43 Nxe5 dxe5 44 Bxe5 Rf3 45 Qg2 Bh3 46 Qg5+ Ke8 47 Bd6 R8f7 48 Qe5+ Kd8 49 Bd1 Rf1 50 Bxc7+ 1-0 The 12 ... Bd7 variation should be met by playing 13 b3!, which makes it difficult for Black to create play on the queenside. In this game, White managed to balance prophylactics with his own play on the kingside. Once Black’s queenside play was restricted, White slowly brought his pieces over to the kingside and Black’s passively placed pieces made it extremely difficult for him to defend.

Game 9

I.Kurnosov-M.Ragger

Austrian Team Championship 2011

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Nd7 12 a4!

Forcing Black to make a concession on the queenside, as White is threatening to play axb5 followed by b4. 12 ... Bb7 places the bishop on a slightly unusual square, and we’ll see how White can try to take advantage of this in the next game. Other options like 12 ... b4 and 12 ... Rb8 are playable, but weaken Black’s queenside and give White a much easier game.   Question: Why should White play 12 a4 - ? Isn’t 12 d5 similar to the variations we looked at after 11 ... Qc7 12 d5 - ?   Answer: 12 d5 appears to be more consistent with our repertoire, but with Black’s knight on d7, he is better prepared for a closed centre. This is

because Black can create counterplay on the queenside ( ... Nb6 and ... c4) more quickly. Following 12 ... Nb6 13 b3 Bd7 (13 ... f5!? 14 exf5 Bxf5 15 Bxf5 Rxf5 also gives Black some chances for counterplay) 14 Nbd2 c4 15 b4 (White should prefer 15 Nf1, but 15 ... Nb7! leads to a complicated middlegame position) 15 ... Nb7 16 a4? is a common idea we’ve seen in some of the previous games to neutralize Black’s ... a5 plan. However, in this situation, Black’s pieces are well-placed on the queenside and he can win a pawn with 16 ... Nxa4 17 Bxa4 bxa4 18 Nxc4 Qc7. 12 ... b4 The main line 12 ... Bb7 will be looked at in the next game. Instead: a) 12 ... exd4!? 13 axb5 axb5 gives White a choice between two good options, 14 b4 and 14 cxd4. 14 b4 variation leads to a very sharp position, but one where Black experiences major difficulties. 14 cxd4 is the most popular move and gives White a risk-free advantage. a1) 14 b4!? suddenly turns the game into a double edged position. After 14 ... dxc3, 15 Rxa5! (15 bxa5? b4 16 Nxc3 bxc3 gives Black a good position, as 17 Qd3 can be met by 17 ... Ba6!) is best, exchanging off the rooks. Following 15 ... Rxa5 16 bxa5 b4 (or 16 ... Qxa5 17 Qd3 b4 18 e5) 17 Nxc3! bxc3 18 Qd3 Qxa5 19 e5 g6 20 e6! gives White an attack worth much more than the two pawn advantage Black has. For example, 20 ... fxe6 (or 20 ... Ba6 21 Qd1 fxe6 22 Rxe6 Qd8 23 Qd5 Kh8 24 Bh6 and Black’s pieces are far too passively placed to put up enough resistance against White’s attack) 21 Rxe6 Ne5 22 Nxe5 Bxe6 23 Nxg6 Rf7 24 Nxe7+ Rxe7 25 Qg3+ and White will play Bg5 or Bh6 next, when the bishop pair is too much for Black to handle. a2) 14 cxd4 b4 (14 ... Bb7 15 Nc3 b4 16 Nd5 was excellent for White in A.Motylev-T.Kaasen, Helsingor 2017) 15 Nbd2 (White could also play 15 Bf4 before Nbd2) 15 ... Nb6 16 Nf1 c4?! tries to create play on the queenside, but allows White to obtain full control of the centre. K.Sasikiran-K.Piorun, Matanzas 2017, continued 17 Ne3 d5 18 exd5 Bb7 and White won quickly after 19 Ne5. b) 12 ... Rb8 13 axb5 axb5 14 b3! (restricting Black’s queenside play) 14 ... exd4 15 cxd4 Nc6 16 Nc3 Nb4 17 Bf4 gave White a clear advantage in S.Sevian-Z.Javakhadze, Dallas 2017. 13 cxb4 cxb4 14 Nbd2 14 d5? Nc5 followed by ... b3 gives Black dangerous counterplay. 14 ... exd4

Black hopes that his pieces will be able to put pressure on White’s centre, for example, with ... Bb7, ... Nc5, and ... Bf6. However, White can also develop his pieces quickly and try to take advantage of the weakened d5-square and d6-pawn. In this game, Black was tied down to defending these weaknesses, which allowed White to exploit Black’s undefended kingside. Others: a) 14 ... Bb7 15 Nf1 gives Black a choice: a1) 15 ... Re8 sees Black preparing to create counterplay in the centre, so now is a good moment for White to play 16 d5! (instead 16 Ne3?! b3! takes advantage of the weak e4-pawn, which is only protected by White’s c2-bishop. G.Gopal-P.Ladron de Guevara Pinto, Gibraltar 2018, continued 17 Bb1 exd4 18 Nf5 Bf8 19 N3xd4 and now Black could obtain good counterplay with 19 ... d5!) closing up the centre, and Black’s a5-knight and b7-bishop are misplaced. Play may continue 16 ... Bc8 17 Ng3 Nc5 18 Be3 g6 19 b3 and White will slowly prepare to attack on the kingside. a2) 15 ... exd4 16 Nxd4 g6 17 Ne3 (17 Bh6 makes sense as well, developing the bishop to an active square before playing Ne3, after 17 ...

Re8 18 Ne3 Bf6 19 Ng4 Rc8 20 Qd2 Be7 21 b3, White had achieved an excellent position in A.Serazeev-V.Lebedev, correspondence 2017, as Black lacked active play) 17 ... Ne5 18 f4 led to a nice attacking win for White in S.Ter Sahakyan-D.Anton Guijarro, Minsk 2017, but more accurate is 18 b3!, which prepares Bb2 and prevents any of Black’s ideas with ... Nc4. White will also try to take advantage of the weak d5-square and d6-pawn, for example, 18 ... Rc8 19 Ne2! Re8 20 Nf4 followed by Nfd5. b) 14 ... Rb8 15 Nb3! Nxb3 (15 ... Bf6 16 Nxa5 Qxa5 was A.TukhaevR.Ziatdinov, Taleigao 2018, White played 17 Bb3 and soon obtained a much better position; however, even stronger is 17 Be3! One sample line is 17 ... Bb7 18 d5 Rfc8 19 Nd2 with a clearly better position for White) 16 Bxb3 Bb7 (16 ... a5?! allows White to open up the position with 17 dxe5! and after 17 ... dxe5, White can play 18 Be3 Bb7 19 Bd5) 17 a5! is an important move for White to play, weakening Black’s b4-pawn. Play may continue 17 ... exd4 18 Nxd4 Nc5 19 Nf5 Bf6 20 Bf4 Bxe4 21 Nxd6 and White has a much better position. c) 14 ... Bf6 15 Nb3 (15 d5 is fine as well, Black’s pieces are not wellplaced for a position with a closed centre) 15 ... Bb7 16 d5 Nxb3 17 Bxb3 a5 18 Be3 Qb8 19 Rc1 and White had a clear advantage in F.LibiszewskiR.Delabaca, Brest 2019. 15 Nxd4 Bf6 15 ... Nc5 is another possibility, and after 16 N2b3 Naxb3 (or 16 ... Ncxb3 17 Bxb3), White needs to keep his strong knight on d4 and play 17 Bxb3! (17 Nxb3?! Bb7 gave Black good play in K.Kulaots-A.Neiksans, Palanga 2018), which gives Black a number of options, but White has an advantage in any case: a) 17 ... Nxb3 18 Qxb3 Bd7 19 Bf4 is good for White, Black’s d6-pawn is a major weakness. b) 17 ... Bb7 18 Bd5! Bxd5 19 exd5 gives White control over the important c6-square. c) 17 ... Bd7 18 Bd5 Rc8 19 a5 and White will continue developing (Be3, Qe2, etc.) over the next few moves.

  Exercise: How should White defend his knight on d4?   Answer: 16 N2b3! Protecting the d4-knight and trading off Black’s important a5-knight. Without this piece, Black will have difficulties in creating any serious counterplay. 16 N2f3?! Ne5! was fine for Black in A.Chandra-R.Robson, PRO chess league (rapid) 2018. Black’s a5-knight will likely be useful in the future to put pressure on White’s queenside. 16 ... Ne5 The alternative is 16 ... Nxb3 17 Bxb3 Bb7 18 Nf5 Nc5, and now 19 Bd5 trades off Black’s b7-bishop, which was putting pressure on White’s e4-pawn. W.So-A.Lesiege, PRO chess league 2017, continued 19 ... Kh8 20 Be3 when White was better, but slightly more accurate is 20 Bxb7! Nxb7 21 Qd5 and White has active pieces, control over the d5-square, and a target to attack (Black’s d6-pawn).

17 Nxa5 Qxa5 18 Bb3 Bb7 This gives White the f5-square for his knight, but Black didn’t have much of a choice. 18 ... Bd7 19 Be3 followed by Qe2 and Red1 gives White a much better position where Black has very little counterplay. 19 Nf5 Rad8 19 ... Ng6 could be tried to prevent White from playing Bf4, but then 20 h4! creates a strong attack on the kingside. A key point here is that 20 ... Nxh4 21 Nxd6 Rad8 can be met by 22 Bf4, protecting the knight on d6, and White will try to play Qg4 next. 20 Bf4 Ng6

  Exercise: How does White deal with his unprotected f4-bishop and b2pawn?   Answer: 21 Qh5!

White brings his queen into the attack, freeing the d1-square for his rook, and threatening to win Black’s queen on a5 with a discovered check. 21 ... Qc7 21 ... Kh8 is another way to avoid the discovered check, but 22 Bg3 Bxb2 23 Rad1 is excellent for White, as Black’s pieces are extremely uncoordinated. White will probably take the d6-pawn next, or bring in one of his rooks to attack on the kingside. 22 Rac1 Qb8 23 Bg5! Trading off one of Black’s main defenders on the kingside. 23 ... Bxg5 23 ... Bxb2 24 Bxd8 Bxc1 25 Be7 is winning for White. 24 Qxg5 Rde8 25 Rcd1 Re5 Black prevents White from playing Nxd6, so that he can play ... Bxe4. White’s next move makes this idea harmless. 26 h4! Bxe4 27 Rxe4 Rxe4 28 h5 Rfe8 29 Bxf7+ Kxf7 30 hxg6+ hxg6 31 Nxd6+ 1-0 Black’s minor options on move 12 (12 ... b4, 12 ... exd4, and 12 ... Rb8) should give White a comfortable advantage, if he is careful to prevent Black’s queenside counterplay. Although Black’s queenside is usually weakened (due to White playing 12 a4), Black still has some chances to fight back, and White should try to exchange off Black’s active pieces and avoid any unnecessary counterchances. If White can do this, he can start to exploit some of the weaknesses in Black’s position. We saw in this game how White was able to take advantage of the weak d6-pawn and Black’s undefended kingside.

Game 10

N.Grandelius-A.Kelires

European Championship, Batumi 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 The actual move order of the game was 9 ... Nd7 10 d4 Bb7 11 a4!? Na5 12 Bc2 c5 13 d5. 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Nd7 12 a4 Bb7

  Exercise: Should White close the centre with d5 or allow Black to take on d4?   Answer: 13 d5! This is the ideal moment for White to close the centre, as Black’s bishop on b7 becomes slightly misplaced. Instead, 13 Nbd2?! exd4 14 cxd4 b4! would give Black good counterplay. Compared to the pawn structure that we saw in the last game, Black has a pawn on c5 instead of e5. The importance of this is seen if White tries 15 d5?!, when Black can play 15 ... c4! obtaining excellent play on the queenside. 13 ... Qc7

Others: a) 13 ... c4 gives White a choice: a1) 14 Nbd2?! is inaccurate because of 14 ... Nc5! with good play for Black on the queenside; White is unable to play 15 Nf1?! due to 15 ... Nab3 followed by ... Nxc1 and ... f5. a2) 14 Na3!? looks interesting, for example, 14 ... Qb6 15 axb5 axb5 16 Nxb5 Qxb5 17 Ba4 Qb6 18 Bxd7 with an extra pawn for White, although Black does have some compensation. a3) 14 Be3! looks best, developing the bishop before playing Na3 or Nbd2. Black can play: a31) 14 ... Bc8 15 Na3! (also possible is 15 axb5 axb5 16 Nbd2 which gave White a slight edge in M.Bosiocic-I.Saric, Mali Losinj 2018) makes it difficult for Black to defend his queenside; for example, 15 ... Rb8 16 Qe2 Qc7 17 axb5 axb5 and 18 Nxb5! (18 b4 is also good for White) 18 ... Rxb5 19 b4 Nb7 20 Ba4 gives White a winning position. a32) 14 ... Qc7 15 Na3! is the most unpleasant move for Black to face. Following 15 ... bxa4 16 Bxa4 (not 16 Nd2? because of 16 ... f5! 17 exf5

Nf6 and Black had good counterplay in A.Gadimbayli-V.Sanal, Cesme 2018) 16 ... Nc5 (16 ... f5 doesn’t give White any problems here because of 17 exf5 Nf6 18 Ng5! and 18 ... Bxd5 is met by 19 Nc2 followed by Nb4, when the threat of Ne6 will always be unpleasant for Black) 17 Bc2 Bc8 18 Nd2, White had an excellent position in K.Kulaots-S.Mihajlov, Fagernes 2018. a33) 14 ... Qb8 15 Nbd2 (15 Na3 is strong as well, Black could play 15 ... Bc8 in order to defend the b5-pawn, but 16 Qe2 followed by Reb1 puts Black under serious pressure on the queenside) 15 ... Bc8 16 axb5 axb5 17 Ra3 Nb7 18 Qa1 was seen in E.Sutovsky-V.Bologan, Poikovsky 2017, and Black’s queenside began to fall apart after 18 ... Rxa3 19 bxa3 f5 20 exf5 Nf6 21 a4! b) 13 ... b4 14 b3 threatens to play c4, closing up the position. Black can avoid this with 14 ... bxc3, but 15 Nxc3 Rb8 16 Bd2 Bc8 gave White an excellent position in S.Shankland-J.Xiong, St. Louis 2017. Perhaps the most accurate move here is 17 Ne2 followed by Ng3. c) 13 ... Nb6 is well met by 14 b4! cxb4 (14 ... Nac4 allows White to change the pawn structure advantageously: 15 bxc5 dxc5 16 Nbd2 Nxd2 17 Qxd2 Bd6 18 Qe2 and White was able to put pressure on Black’s queenside in R.Van Kampen-E.L’Ami, Amsterdam 2013) 15 cxb4 Nac4 16 a5!? (16 Nc3 is also possible, inviting Black to open up the queenside; play may continue 16 ... bxa4 17 Nxa4 f5 18 exf5 and White had an excellent position in S.Zhigalko-M.Nikitenko, Minsk 2018) closes up the queenside, as White sees that his space advantage will give him easier piece mobility. L.Dominguez Perez-L.Lenic, Istanbul 2012, continued 16 ... Nd7 17 Nc3 Nf6 18 Ne2 Kh8 19 Ng3 Bc8 20 Bd3 Bd7 21 Qe2 Rc8 22 Ra2 Rc7 23 Rc2 and the knight on c4 soon became a problem for Black. d) 13 ... Kh8 prepares to eventually play ... f5 and has been seen a few times in practice. After 14 b4! Nc4, White has two good options: d1) O.Korneev-M.Perez Candelario, Linares 2018, saw 15 Nbd2 Nxd2 (instead 15 ... cxb4! 16 cxb4 f5 gives Black some chances for counterplay, although 17 exf5 Bxd5 18 Ne4! may provide White with a slight edge) 16 Bxd2 f5 17 exf5 with an advantage for White; d2) N.Buksa-A.Kozak, Budapest 2017, continued 15 Nfd2! Nxd2 16 Nxd2 f5 17 bxc5 Nxc5 18 Rb1! Qa5 19 c4 and Black’s queenside started to fall apart. 14 b4!

An excellent way to begin play on the queenside, while preventing Black from playing ... c4. 14 b3 looks natural, trying to restrict Black’s queenside play. However, in this position Black can play the energetic 14 ... c4! 15 b4 Nb3 16 Bxb3 cxb3 17 Qxb3 f5! as in L.Henderson de la FuenteA.Erenberg, Douglas 2018, with good compensation for the pawn. 14 ... Nc4 14 ... cxb4?! 15 cxb4 Nc4 is a worse version of the game, as White is given the c3-square for his knight. After 16 Nc3, White is much better because of Black’s weak queenside. 15 Nfd2!

  Question: Why does White play Nfd2 - ? Doesn’t it make more sense to bring the knight on b1 to d2?   Answer: The biggest advantage of Nfd2 is that it retains the option of moving the knight on b1 to a3, attacking Black’s queenside. Also, if Black

plays ... cxb4, White can take back with his c3-pawn, freeing the c3-square for the b1-knight. While this Nfd2 idea works well in this position, White should be aware that this idea isn’t always the best. If Black is wellprepared to attack with ... f5, White should favour quicker development with Nbd2. In this position, 15 Nfd2 is an excellent idea, because ... f5 isn’t too dangerous for White. a) 15 Nbd2 is perhaps a simpler route to a small edge, but Black’s position is quite solid. A sample line is 15 ... Nxd2 (15 ... cxb4 16 cxb4 f5?! isn’t too dangerous, White has 17 exf5 Bxd5 18 Nxc4 Bxc4 19 Be4 followed by Bd5, gaining control over the d5- and e6-squares) 16 Bxd2 cxb4 17 cxb4 Nb6 18 a5 Nc4 19 Bc1 with a complicated position, but one where I think White should have a slight advantage. Black will be aiming for counterplay with ... f5, and White will try to attack Black’s knight on c4 with moves like Bd3, Qe2, and Ra2-c2. b) 15 a5? has been played several times, and closes the a- and b-files. We’ve seen this idea before, but in this situation, Black is able to open up the c-file whenever he wishes to do so. Black also has ideas of playing ... f5, creating play against White’s centre. For example, 15 ... Rac8! threatens ... cxb4 followed by ... Nb2. White could play 16 Ra2, but 16 ... f5! 17 exf5 Nf6 is excellent for Black. 15 ... Rfc8?! This allows White to favourably change the pawn structure with Nxc4. This is one of the critical positions in the 11 ... Nd7 12 a4 variation and we should look at Black’s alternatives closely. a) 15 ... f5!? strives for immediate counterplay in the centre and on the kingside. White should meet this with 16 Nxc4! (16 exf5 allows 16 ... Ncb6! with a complicated game) 16 ... bxc4 17 bxc5 Nxc5 (17 ... Qxc5 can be met by 18 Nd2 and White can continue by playing Ba3, Rb1, and Qc2, with excellent pressure on Black’s queenside and the c4-pawn) 18 exf5 Rab8 and we have reached a position that has been seen a few times in correspondence practice. I think the easiest route to an edge is 19 Be3 Nd7 (19 ... Qa5 can be met by 20 Bxc5 Qxc5 21 Be4! with an advantage for White) 20 Qf3!? Nf6 21 Be4 as in P.Sekowski-A.Uberos Fernández, correspondence 2017. White has control over the e4-square and his d5pawn is well supported. Soon, White will develop his knight on b1 and try to attack Black’s c4-pawn.

b) 15 ... Nxd2 16 Bxd2! (keeping the knight on b1 so that it can develop to a3) 16 ... f5 17 exf5 Nb6 (17 ... Kh8 was tried in T.Nguyen-A.Kozak, Budapest 2018, and now 18 bxc5! looks good; one sample line is 18 ... Nxc5 19 Be3 Nxa4 20 Bxa4 bxa4 21 Qd3 with an excellent position for White) 18 axb5 axb5 19 Na3! Qd7 appears to be fine for Black, but White has an excellent resource in 20 Qb1!!, targeting the b5-pawn and threatening to play f6 followed by Bxh7. A.Sanchez Huerga-F.Tieken, correspondence 2014, continued 20 ... c4 21 f6 Rxf6 22 Bxh7+ Kf8 23 Bg5! Rf7 24 Bxe7+ Kxe7 25 Be4 giving White a large advantage due to the Black king’s position. c) 15 ... cxb4 16 cxb4 Rac8 looks natural, trying to put pressure on the c-file. White can play 17 Nxc4! (17 Ra2!? is good as well) 17 ... Qxc4 18 Na3 with the idea of meeting 18 ... Qxb4 with 19 Bd2 Qc5 20 axb5 axb5 21 Bd3 b4 22 Nb5 and the b4-pawn will drop in a few moves. 16 Nxc4 bxc4 17 a5?!

Taking control of the b6-square, but this move looks a little slow, and Black’s next move begins to create counterplay while White’s pieces aren’t

fully developed. Others: a) 17 Qg4! prevents ... f5 and looks very strong in this position. White intends to play Bh6 or Be3 followed by Na3, attacking Black’s queenside. b) 17 Be3 is a natural developing move that also gives White great chances. 17 ... f5! 18 bxc5 Qxc5 19 Be3?! 19 Nd2 is more accurate, trying to take advantage of Black’s weak c4pawn. White has ideas of Ra4 or developing his dark-squared bishop to a3. For example, 19 ... Nf6 20 Ba3 Qc7 21 Rb1 followed by Rb6. 19 ... Qc7 20 exf5 Nf6 21 Bg5 Nxd5 22 Be4 Bxg5?! 22 ... Ne3! would have allowed Black to gain equality. Following 23 Rxe3 Bxg5 24 Bxb7 Qxb7 Black is prepared to play ... d5 with a comfortable game. 23 Bxd5+ Bxd5 24 Qxd5+ Kh8 25 Na3

25 Nd2! also attacks the c4-pawn, but brings the knight to the more active e4-square. In this case, 25 ... Qc5? wouldn’t be possible because of 26 Qxc5 Rxc5 27 Ne4.

25 ... Qc5 26 Red1 Be7 27 Qe6?! 27 Nc2 looks stronger, White needs to activate his knight quickly. 27 ... Bh4 28 Kh1 Bf6 29 Rxd6 Re8 29 ... e4! opens up the diagonal for Black’s bishop and tries to take advantage of the few uncoordinated pieces White has. After 30 Rxa6 Bxc3 31 Rxa8 Rxa8 32 Qxe4 Rc8 33 Ra2 Qxa5, both sides have their chances in this complicated position. 30 Qd5 30 Rxa6! is even stronger, with a winning position for White. 30 ... Qxf2 31 Nxc4 After this, White is able to convert his advantage without any difficulties. 31 ... Qxf5 32 Rb6 Rf8 33 Nd6 Qg6 34 Rf1 h6 35 c4 Qc2 36 c5 Qe2 37 Qf3 Qa2 38 c6 Be7 39 Nf7+ Kg8 40 c7 Rac8 41 Nxh6+ Kh8 42 Nf5 Rxc7 43 Qh5+ 1-0 In this game we looked at 12 ... Bb7, the main line of the 11 ... Nd7 12 a4 variation. Preventing counterplay is a common theme seen in this line and White should make sure to keep Black’s queenside play under control (as we saw with 14 b4!). White also needs to be prepared to meet Black’s ideas with ... f5. Usually this can be done by playing exf5 and fighting for control of the e4-square. This game showed one of the most solid lines that Black can play after 9 ... Na5, and understanding the main ideas for both sides (as illustrated in many of the variations) will serve readers well.





Chapter Three

The Breyer: 9 ... Nb8

The Breyer is one of the most respectable variations that Black can play against the Ruy Lopez. Similarly to the Chigorin Variation, the Breyer often leads to a complicated and strategic game with lots of pieces on the board. Although the Breyer is only seen occasionally at the top level these days, it remains a solid choice for a tense game.

In Game 11, lines where Black plays an early ... c5 (move 11 or move 12) are examined. These lines can be a bit tricky, but White often obtains a much easier game due to his space advantage. In the game, White chooses the right moment to close the centre with d5 and manages to put Black under some pressure on the queenside, which eventually proves decisive.

Game 12 covers a number of sidelines that Black can play, leading up to the main line of the Breyer. Most of these sidelines are a bit passive and give White excellent chances for an edge. In the main game, Black tries the rare 15 ... Nb6!?, which White meets accurately by gaining space on the queenside and putting pressure on Black’s centre. Game 13 examines the main line of the Breyer, where White plays a rare, but very powerful idea with 18 Nh2!?, signalling his intentions for play on the kingside. The game serves as an excellent example for how White should play the typical Breyer pawn structure. White carefully restricts Black’s queenside play and finds the ideal squares for his pieces, before launching a decisive kingside attack.

Game 11

K.Sasikiran-E.Postny

Stockholm 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Nb8 10 d4 Nbd7 10 ... Bb7!? should be met with 11 Nbd2!, when 11 ... Nbd7 transposes to normal lines. Instead, the endgame after 11 dxe5 dxe5 12 Qxd8 Bxd8 13 Nxe5 Nxe4 is quite solid for Black, although White should still have a slight edge. 11 Nbd2

11 ... Bb7 a) 11 ... Re8?? is a blunder because of 12 Bxf7+ Kxf7 13 Ng5+ followed by Ne6. b) 11 ... c5 12 Nf1! (12 d5?! is inaccurate due to 12 ... c4 13 Bc2 Qc7 and Black’s pieces are ideally placed for play on the queenside) is strong, quickly transferring the knight to g3. This is possible because Black hasn’t put much pressure on the e4-pawn. 12 ... Re8 (12 ... Bb7 13 Ng3 gives Black nothing better than 13 ... Re8, when 14 d5 transposes to 12 ... Re8) 13 Ng3 gives Black several options to choose from: b1) 13 ... cxd4 opens the centre, but Black’s pieces aren’t ready for this; for example, 14 cxd4 exd4 15 Nxd4 Bf8 16 a4! and Black is in trouble on the queenside. b2) 13 ... Bf8

Can be met in two ways: b21) 14 a4 Bb7 15 d5 c4 (not 15 ... g6?! as then 16 c4! leads to an advantage for White) 16 Bc2 g6 17 Bg5 transposes to the main line of the Breyer, analysed in Game 13. b22) 14 d5 c4 15 Bc2 Qc7! is fairly solid for Black. I think White’s best is 16 Bd2! (16 Be3 a5 gives Black good counterplay on the queenside), protecting the b4-square so that 16 ... a5 (stronger is 16 ... Nb6, but 17 Nh4! g6 18 f4 exf4 19 Bxf4 Nfd7 20 Rf1 gave White good kingside play in B.Shulman-Y.Tyulenko, correspondence 2015) can be met with 17 a4. b3) 13 ... Bb7 14 d5 g6 (14 ... c4?! 15 Bc2 g6 16 b4! has the idea of meeting 16 ... a5 with 17 a4 and is pointed out by Bologan in “Bologan’s Ruy Lopez”; D.Stegmann-J.Mulder, correspondence 2018, continued 17 ... axb4 18 cxb4 bxa4 19 Ne2 a3 20 Be3 Nh5 21 Qc1 and White regained the a3-pawn, achieving a much better position) 15 Bc2 (15 c4!? also deserves attention; after 15 ... Nb6, 16 Nd2! is best, supporting the c4-pawn, when play may continue 16 ... Bc8 17 Qe2 Bd7 18 Bc2 and Black’s queenside

play was difficult to carry out in M.Kopala-M.Stukalov, correspondence 2017) and now: b31) 15 ... c4 transposes to the previous note (14 ... c4?!). b32) 15 ... Bf8 16 b3! (16 a4 would transpose to the main line of the Breyer, but White can exploit Black’s inaccurate move order by playing b3 first, taking the sting out of ... c4) 16 ... Qc7 17 a4 c4 18 b4 with an excellent position for White in I.Dolgov-M.Wojnar, correspondence 2014. b33) 15 ... Qc7 16 Bh6! (16 b3 looks natural, but Black has 16 ... c4! 17 b4 a5 18 a4 axb4 19 cxb4 bxa4, reaching a pawn structure we have seen in the previous variations; however, here Black is fairly well-developed and can create play on the queenside) 16 ... c4 (16 ... Bf8 17 Qd2 a5 18 a4 b4 19 c4 Bxh6 20 Qxh6 Qd8 21 b3 saw White closing up the queenside in H.Rösch-K.Miettinen, correspondence 2017) 17 Qd2 and Black has two main options: b331) 17 ... a5 18 a4! Ba6 19 axb5 Bxb5 and 20 Nf5 Bd8 21 Kh1!? Nc5 22 Qe3 gave White some pressure in M.Tobor-C.Raijmaekers, correspondence 2017. b332) 17 ... Bf8 should be met by playing 18 Bxf8 Rxf8 19 Rf1! when White can slowly prepare to break through with f4. For example, 19 ... a5 20 Qh6 Rfb8 21 Nd2 and f4 next gives White excellent play. 12 Bc2 c5 12 ... Re8 is the main line and will be looked at in the following games. 13 d5!

Most of Black’s pieces are developed and they would be well-placed if the centre was opened with ... exd4. Therefore, White decides that this is a good moment to close up the centre. Another viable option is 13 a4!? and now: a) One of the key points behind 13 a4 is seen after 13 ... cxd4 14 cxd4 exd4 15 Nxd4 when White is clearly better because Black is unable to defend both the b5-pawn and the f5-square. b) 13 ... Re8 14 d5 c4 15 b3! is mentioned by Bologan and leads to a great position for White; for example, 15 ... cxb3 16 Nxb3 Qc7 17 Bd3 Qxc3 18 Be3 Rec8 19 Rc1 Qb4 20 Rb1 gave White excellent play in V.Topalov-M.Adams, Novi Sad 2009. c) 13 ... Qc7 14 Nf1 cxd4 (14 ... Rfc8 15 d5 c4 16 Ng3 g6 17 Bh6! followed by Qd2 or Nh2 should give White a slight edge) 15 cxd4 Rfc8 (15 ... Rac8 16 Re2 bxa4 17 d5 Nc5 18 Ng3 g6 19 Re3 Qb8 20 Bd2 gave White a good position in A.Nekhaev-V.Gerbich, correspondence 2018, due to Black’s weak queenside) 16 Re2!? is a bit challenging for Black. Some

sample lines are: 16 ... exd4 (or 16 ... bxa4 17 d5 Nc5 18 Ng3) 17 Nxd4 d5 18 e5 Nxe5 19 axb5 Bd6 20 Nf5 with a complicated game. 13 ... c4 14 b3!   Question: Why doesn’t White continue developing with Nf1 instead of playing b3 - ?   Answer: 14 Nf1 is a completely playable alternative, but 14 ... Qc7 15 Ng3 g6 gives Black a very solid position, and chances for queenside counterplay later in the game ( ... a5, ... Nc5, etc.). 14 b3! exploits Black’s slightly overextended queenside, making Black’s play much more difficult. 14 ... cxb3 14 ... Qc7 allows White to put pressure on the b-file and attack the c4pawn after 15 bxc4 bxc4 16 Rb1. E.Alekseev-M.Sorokin, Moscow 2006, continued 16 ... Rab8 17 Qe2 Rfc8 18 Ba3 with an excellent game for White. 15 axb3 Qc7 16 Bb2 a5

Or: a) 16 ... Nb6 17 Nf1 Nfd7 18 Ne3 g6 19 b4 was seen in A.ShirovE.Postny, Germany 2007. White could also first start by playing the developing move 19 Qe2, in either case White obtains an advantage. b) Not rushing play on the queenside with 16 ... Rfb8!? looks like a very solid choice. C.O’Hare-K.Holroyd, correspondence 2017, is a good example of how White can slowly improve his position. The game continued 17 Qe2 a5 18 Rec1 Qb6 (18 ... Ba6 can be met by 19 b4! a4 20 Bd3 and White will slowly prepare the c4 break) 19 Ne1! g6 20 Kh2 Nh5 21 g3 Nc5 22 Nd3 Bc8 23 Nxc5 Qxc5 24 Bd3 Bg5 25 Rc2 and White had good chances, as he was ready to create play on the queenside with b4.   Exercise: Find a move that prevents Black’s counterplay on the queenside.   Answer: 17 b4! An excellent move, preventing ... b4 and taking away the c5-square from Black’s knight. Alternatives are: a) 17 Bd3 would be met by 17 ... b4! as in A.Smirnov-A.Warakomska, Warsaw 2018, Black could play ... Nc5 next, gaining a tempo off of White’s d3-bishop. b) 17 Nf1 looks natural, but White’s knight is much more useful on the d2-square, where it helps to play on the queenside. After 17 ... g6 18 Ne3 a4, Black was fine in M.Caliò-J.Schuller, correspondence 2015. 17 ... axb4 17 ... a4 18 Nb1! followed by Na3 and Nd2 gives White good play on the queenside, as he can slowly prepare the c4 push. 18 Rxa8 18 cxb4?! Rxa1 19 Bxa1 Nb6 20 Bd3 Nc4 leads to a similar position that we will see in the game, but here White’s bishop on a1 stands slightly worse. 18 ... Rxa8 19 cxb4 Nb6 Others: a) 19 ... Ba6 20 Bd3 Nb6 21 Qe2 Nc4 22 Rc1 Nh5 (22 ... Rc8 23 Nf1 is simply a good position for White, Black is tied down to defending on the cfile and has very little active play) and instead of winning a pawn with 23 Bxc4, strong is 23 Qe1! preparing to meet 23 ... Nf4 with 24 Bf1.

b) 19 ... Nh5 20 Bd3! prepares to meet ... Nf4 with Bf1. Play may continue 20 ... Qb6 21 Nb3 Nf4 22 Bf1 and White can soon play g3 or Na5. 20 Bd3 Nc4 21 Qc2!

Adding pressure to the c-file before taking Black’s c4-knight. 21 ... Rc8 22 Rc1 Ba6 23 Qb3 Qb6 24 Nxc4 bxc4 25 Bxc4 Nxe4 26 Bxa6 Qxa6 27 b5 Rxc1+ 28 Bxc1 Qa1 29 Qc4 White’s strong passed b-pawn gives him a winning position, and Black is unable to generate any counterplay. 29 ... Nc5 30 Kh2 h6 31 Be3 Qb2 32 g3 e4 33 Bd4 Qb3 34 Nd2 Qd3 35 Qxd3 exd3 36 Bxc5 dxc5 37 Kg2 Kf8 38 Kf3 Bg5 39 b6 Bd8 40 Nc4 d2 41 Ke2 Ke7 42 b7 1-0 11 ... c5 and 12 ... c5 are solid choices for Black, but can easily lead to a slightly passive position. Against 11 ... c5, White plays 12 Nf1, quickly bringing the knight to a better square. After this, White will try to close up the centre and generate play on the kingside, while making sure that Black’s queenside play is under control. In the 12 ... c5 variation, we looked at two ideas for White: 13 a4 and 13 d5. 13 a4 usually leads to a more open and

complicated game, where Black will often fight for counterplay along the open c-file. 13 d5 requires some accuracy for Black to deal with, especially because of the 14 b3! idea we saw in this game. White has good chances to create targets on Black’s queenside and use the a- or c-file to attack, which is exactly what happened in the game.

Game 12

E.L’Ami-E.Van den Doel

Dutch Championship, Amsterdam 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Nb8 10 d4 Nbd7 11 Nbd2 Bb7 12 Bc2 Re8 13 Nf1

13 ... Bf8 The main line, intending to play ... g6 and ... Bg7. Others: a) 13 ... c5 14 d5 (14 Ng3?! is inaccurate because of 14 ... exd4! 15 cxd4 cxd4 16 Nxd4 Bf8 and Black’s pieces are ideally placed to attack White’s e4-pawn) 14 ... c4 15 Ng3 Bf8 16 b4! (16 a4 g6 transposes to the

main line of the Breyer, analysed in the next game) is best, aiming to close up the queenside. Black has two options to prevent this: 16 ... a5 (also possible is 16 ... cxb3 17 axb3 Qc7 18 Bd2 Nb6, as in M.Brodsky-E.Postny, Hoogeveen 2006, and here 19 Ra2 is much better for White, slowly putting pressure on Black’s queenside) 17 a4 axb4 18 cxb4 bxa4 19 Rxa4 Rxa4 20 Bxa4 and Black is left with a pawn on c4 that will be difficult to defend. b) 13 ... d5?! leads to a favourable pawn structure for White after 14 Nxe5: b1) not 14 ... Nxe4?? as White has 15 Nxf7 Kxf7 16 Rxe4 Nf6 (16 ... dxe4 runs into 17 Bb3+ Kf8 18 Qh5) 17 Re2 and White won quickly in A.Sokolov-Z.Sturua, Vilnius 1984. b2) 14 ... Nxe5 15 dxe5 Nxe4 16 f3 Ng5 17 Ng3 g6 18 f4 and White soon developed a powerful attack in P.Svidler-D.Baramidze, Germany 2008. c) 13 ... g6 can be met with 14 Ng3, transposing to our main game after 14 ... Bf8. However, 14 Bh6!? is also possible, taking advantage of the unprotected h6-square. Play may continue 14 ... Bf8 (or 14 ... c5 15 d5 c4 16 b4) 15 Bxf8 Nxf8 16 Ng3 with an edge for White. 14 Ng3 g6 Or: a) 14 ... c5 15 d5 g6 16 b3! intending c4 or a4 gives White a better position. Following 16 ... Qc7 17 c4 Bg7 18 Be3 White was ready to begin play on the kingside in E.Bacrot-V.Koziak, Chartres 2017. b) 14 ... c6 15 a4 g6 is looked at below through the 14 ... g6 15 a4 c6 move order. 15 a4 Nb6!?

  Question: What is the purpose of Black’s move? Doesn’t it just lose a tempo after White plays a5 - ?   Answer: 15 ... Nb6 does lose a tempo after White plays 16 a5, but Black’s queenside play becomes slightly easier because the b5-pawn will no longer be under attack. However, as we will see in this game, if White continues actively, he should be able to neutralize Black’s counterplay and have good chances to secure an advantage. Others: a) 15 ... c5 is the main line and will be analysed in the next game. b) 15 ... c6 16 Bg5 h6 17 Be3 Qc7 18 Qd2 Kh7 can be met by either 19 Bd3 or 19 Bb3 with a good position for White. c) 15 ... exd4 16 cxd4 c5 17 d5 is a great pawn structure for White, due to his space advantage and Black’s lack of active play. Play may continue:

c1) 17 ... Nb6 was seen in D.Sadzikowski-B.Savchenko, Izmir 2016. White responded with 18 b3, which prevents ... Nc4 and should give White a slight edge, but even stronger is 18 Qd3!, forcing Black to weaken his either queenside or play ... Qd7 to defend the b5-pawn. For example, 18 ... Nxa4 (18 ... Qd7 19 a5 is very unpleasant for Black) 19 Bxa4 bxa4 20 Rxa4 Nd7 21 Bd2 followed by Bc3 with a clear edge. c2) 17 ... Bg7 18 Bf4 Nb6 19 Qd3 bxa4 20 Bxa4 Nxa4 21 Rxa4 Nd7 and in P.Teclaf-M.Pitzanti, Khanty-Mansiysk 2016, 22 Bd2 followed by Bc3 would give White a better position. d) 15 ... Bg7 gives White a choice: d1) 16 dxe5!? Nxe5! (16 ... dxe5 17 Qe2 Bc6 18 axb5 axb5 19 Be3 Qb8 was J.Bures-K.Sasikiran, Czechia 2011, and I think White should try 20 Bb3! to put some pressure on Black’s weak f7-pawn) 17 Nxe5 Rxe5 18 f3 Re8 19 Bg5 h6 20 Bd2 Nd7 21 Be3 gave White a slight, but stable edge in I.Tkachenko-D.Mostowik, correspondence 2018. d2) 16 Bd3 and now: d21) 16 ... c6 is by far the most popular choice, but it is quite passive. T.Radjabov-K.Sasikiran, Skopje 2015, continued 17 Bg5 Nf8 (17 ... Qc7 is similar to 17 ... Nf8, for example, 18 Qd2 Nf8 19 Bh6 and White will likely play b4 as soon as possible, making Black’s queenside play extremely difficult; if 17 ... h6 18 Be3 Qc7 19 Qd2 Kh7, White has 20 dxe5! Nxe5 21 Nxe5 dxe5 22 c4! and in A.Kveinys-R.Grib, Panevezys 2018, White had serious pressure on Black’s queenside) 18 Qd2 Ne6 19 Bh6 Nd7 20 axb5 (in I.Saric-V.Neverov, Skopje 2019, White maintained the tension by playing 20 Red1 Qe7 21 Bf1 Red8 22 Bxg7 Kxg7 23 b4! and won quickly) 20 ... axb5 21 Rxa8 Bxa8 22 Bxg7 Kxg7 23 Ra1 (23 Rd1 may be slightly more accurate, preparing to put pressure on the d-file) with a slight edge for White due to his space advantage. d22) 16 ... exd4! is a forcing variation, leading to a position where Black is a pawn down, but has good drawing chances. 17 cxd4 c5 18 axb5 (18 d5? is a mistake due to 18 ... c4 19 Bc2 b4 and Black’s queenside pawns give White major problems) and after the forcing moves 18 ... axb5 19 Rxa8 Bxa8 20 dxc5 Nxc5 21 Bxb5 Rf8 22 e5 dxe5, White has tried two moves here: 23 Nxe5! (or 23 Qxd8 Rxd8 24 Nxe5 Nd5 25 Bc4 Re8, and Black drew comfortably in Hou Yifan-N.Vitiugov, Belokurikha (rapid) 2018, but perhaps White could try 26 f4!?) 23 ... Qd5 24 Bf1 was

O.Alifanov-V.Koval, correspondence 2017, and Black would face a difficult defence in a practical game. 16 a5 16 axb5 axb5 17 Bg5 was V.Anand-M.Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2018. White should have a slight edge, but Black’s position is quite solid and Carlsen drew fairly comfortably. 16 ... Nbd7 17 d5!

Before playing b4, White prevents Black from playing ... exd4 followed by ... c5, which would give Black good counterplay in the centre. 17 b3 exd4 18 cxd4 c5 19 d5 Bg7 doesn’t give Black any problems. As mentioned above, 17 b4?! allows 17 ... exd4 18 cxd4 c5 with good play for Black, as in T.Sosa-B.Dhulipalla, Gibraltar 2019. 17 ... c6 Or: a) 17 ... c5?! is a mistake, as White can easily restrict Black’s queenside play with either 18 b4 or 18 b3.

b) 17 ... Rc8 18 b3! (18 b4 was tried in M.Rafiee-J.Cuenca Jimenez, San Cristobal de La Laguna 2018, but Black exploited the weak c3-pawn by playing 18 ... c6! 19 dxc6 Rxc6 20 Bb2 d5! and achieved a good position) is best, as now White can meet 18 ... c6 with 19 c4! and maintain good control over the centre. V.Zarubitski-P.Pultinevicius, Kirishi 2018, saw 19 ... Qc7 (19 ... bxc4 20 bxc4 Qc7 21 Ra2 defends the bishop on c2, because Black was threatening to play ... cxd5 and open the c-file; play may continue 21 ... Nc5 22 Bg5 Bg7 23 Nh2! followed by Qf3 with a comfortable position for White) 20 Ra2 Bg7 21 Be3 Rb8 and 22 Qd2 looks slightly stronger than the game’s 22 Qe2, and gives White a clear advantage. 18 dxc6 Bxc6 19 b4!

  Question: What is the purpose of this move? Doesn’t it weaken the c3pawn?   Answer: The c3-pawn becomes a slight weakness, but b4 also takes away the important c5-square from Black’s knight on d7. This allows White

to play Bb3 next, putting pressure on Black’s f7-pawn, without having to worry about ... Nc5. 19 ... Ra7! Preparing to play ... Qa8 and ... d5. On a7, Black’s rook may help to defend the weak f7-pawn in the future. 19 ... d5 immediately creates counterplay in the centre and looks good for Black at first sight, but 20 Bb3! attacks d5 and targets the f7-pawn. H.Gromotka-E.Rasmussen, correspondence 2018, continued 20 ... dxe4 21 Ng5 Re7 22 Qc2 and White regained the e4-pawn with a much better position. 20 Bb3?! 20 Be3! allows White to develop his pieces quickly, which should be White’s main priority in this position. Following 20 ... Rc7 21 Qd2 Qa8 22 Rad1 (22 Bh6!? is another possibility, for example, 22 ... d5 23 Bxf8 Nxf8 24 Qg5! threatens the f6-knight and the e5-pawn, giving White good play) helps to prevent the ... d5 break; play may continue 22 ... Bb7 (22 ... Nxe4 is possible, but after the forcing line 23 Nxe4 Bxe4 24 Bxe4 Qxe4 25 Bb6 Qb7 26 Bxc7 Qxc7 White has 27 Nh2!? with a slightly better position) 23 Bb3 Rec8 24 Qa2 and White obtains good play on the a2-g8 diagonal. 20 ... Qa8 21 Qe2!? A creative idea that seems to help Black play ... d5, but White intends to place his queen on a2, where it can put pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal. 21 Bg5 d5 22 exd5 Bxd5 23 Nxe5 Bg7 24 Nxd7 Rxe1+ 25 Qxe1 Rxd7 gives Black good drawing chances, even though he is a pawn down. 21 ... d5 22 Qa2 Rc7 23 Bb2 Bb7?! 23 ... Re7 is a better try, defending the f7-pawn. Play may continue 24 Rad1 Nxe4 25 Nxe4 dxe4 26 Ng5 Nf6 and now 27 c4! looks strong, but after 27 ... bxc4 28 Bxc4 Bb5!? Black has his share of the chances in this complicated position. 24 Rad1 Bd6

  Exercise: How can White continue to put more pressure on Black’s position?   Answer: 25 Nf1! Preparing to play Ne3, when Black will be unable to protect both of his weaknesses on d5 and f7. 25 ... Qc8 25 ... Nxe4? runs into 26 Rxe4 dxe4 27 Bxf7 followed by Ng5. 26 Ne3 Bf8 27 exd5 Bd6 28 c4 Bxb4 29 cxb5! A temporary exchange sacrifice, which works well because of Black’s passively placed pieces. After this, White wins the game without any difficulties. 29 ... Bxe1 30 Rxe1 Rc3 31 bxa6 Rxb3 32 Qxb3 Bxa6 33 Rc1 Qa8 34 Rc7 Bc8 35 Qb5 Qa6 36 Qc6 Qxc6 37 dxc6 Nc5 38 Nxe5 Be6 39 Ba3 Nb3 40 a6 Nd4 41 a7 1-0

In this game we looked at a number of sidelines that Black can choose from after playing 12 ... Re8. On the note to Black’s 15th move, we looked at 15 ... Bg7, a solid but slightly passive variation. After 16 Bd3, exd4! objectively gives Black good chances for a draw, but only after a difficult defence in a slightly worse endgame. 15 ... Nb6 was played in our main game and White played very accurately, restricting Black’s queenside play and then putting pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal. Readers should remember the importance of playing 17 d5 instead of 17 b4?!, which is a very easy mistake to make in this line.

Game 13

M.Vachier Lagrave-B.Amin

French Team Championship 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Nb8 10 d4 Nbd7 11 Nbd2 Bb7 12 Bc2 Re8 13 Nf1 Bf8 14 Ng3 g6 15 a4 c5 16 d5 c4 16 ... Nb6?! allows White to gain space on the queenside with 17 a5 Nc4 (17 ... Nbd7 18 b3! is good for White, as Black is unable to create queenside counterplay) 18 b4, when play may continue 18 ... cxb4 19 cxb4 Bc8, as in G.Sigurjonsson-S.Gligoric, Novi Sad 1976. White could take advantage of the c4-knight by playing 20 Nd2! Bd7 21 Nxc4 bxc4 22 Ra3 and Rc3 next, attacking the c4-pawn. 17 Bg5

The critical position for our repertoire against the Breyer. 17 ... Nc5 Others: a) 17 ... Qc7 is fairly slow and not a very useful move for Black. Play may continue 18 Qd2 (18 Nh2 is good as well, when 18 ... Bg7 19 Be3 transposes to the 17 ... Bg7 variation) 18 ... Reb8 19 Rf1 Bg7 20 Bh6 Bc8 21 Bxg7 Kxg7 22 a5 Ra7 23 Nh2 and White quickly launched a strong attack in C.Siefring-B.Zhak, correspondence 2015. b) 17 ... Bg7 18 Nh2 (18 Qd2 followed by Nh2 is a more popular move order) 18 ... Qc7 (18 ... h6 is an option that could be cut out by using the 18 Qd2 move order, but White still has the better chances after 19 Be3 h5 20 Nf3) 19 Qd2! (19 Qf3 is the typical square for White’s queen in the 17 ... Nc5 variation, but here, the queen is much more useful on the d2 square; for example, 19 ... Reb8 20 Ngf1 Bc8! and Black has roughly equal chances) gives White excellent attacking chances. Some sample lines are: 19 ... Reb8 (or 19 ... Nc5 20 f4 Rf8 21 Rf1 Qb6 22 Kh1 bxa4 23 f5 and White quickly developed a crushing attack in A.Ljubicic-F.Sochor, correspondence 2016)

20 f4 b4 (20 ... h6 is met with 21 fxe5 hxg5 22 exf6 Nxf6 23 Qxg5 and White has an extra pawn) 21 Rf1 b3 22 Bd1 h6 23 fxe5 hxg5 24 exf6 Nxf6 25 Qxg5 and White was up a pawn in A.Ilyasov-K.Glaser, correspondence 2017, and won quickly with a powerful attack. c) 17 ... Be7 18 Be3 avoids any tricks with ... Nxd5, and now: c1) 18 ... Qc7 19 Nh2 h5 (19 ... Nc5 transposes to our main game on the note to move 18: 17 ... Nc5 18 Nh2 Be7) can be met by 20 Ngf1! followed by Nd2 and Qf3. c2) 18 ... Qb8 can be met by 19 Nh2 (19 Qd2 also gives White an excellent position as Black has not placed his pieces on good squares; for example, 19 ... Bd8 20 Nh2 Bb6 21 Bxb6 Nxb6 22 f4 led to a crushing win for White in V.Kotronias-I.Nikolaidis, Poros 1998), which gives White a clear advantage because he is threatening to play Ng4 or f4, while Black has difficulties creating counterplay. d) 17 ... h6 is the main line, but can easily transpose to the 17 ... Nc5 variation. After 18 Be3, Black has: d1) 18 ... Qc7 19 Qd2 h5 (19 ... Kh7 20 Nh2 with ideas of Ng4) 20 Ng5 Bg7 21 Qe2 Nc5 22 Ra3 was A.Motylev-D.Baramidze, Germany 2012, White restricted Black’s queenside play and then won quickly with a kingside attack. d2) 18 ... Nc5 19 Nh2 reaches the same position as in move 19 of our main game. Instead of 19 Nh2, 19 Qd2 h5 20 Bxc5! is another difficult idea for Black to face. M.Adams-D.Baramidze, Dortmund 2014, continued 20 ... dxc5 21 Reb1!? Nd7 22 b3 Nb6 23 Qe2 with pressure on Black’s queenside. Although this line gives White good chances to obtain an edge, 19 Nh2 is my main recommendation because it is more consistent with our repertoire. 18 Nh2!?

  Question: What is the purpose of Nh2 - ?   Answer: 18 Nh2 has several ideas behind it: 1) White wants to take advantage of Black’s last move (17 ... Nc5), which has left the knight on f6 fairly vulnerable. 18 Nh2 creates the threat of Ng4 and frees the f3 square for the queen, where it can attack the f6knight. 2) White provokes Black to play ... h5, which would weaken the kingside; especially the g5 and h4-squares. 3) White allows the f-pawn to move forward, an idea that we saw a number of times in the previous variations, and will also see later in this game. 18 ... h6 Pushing White’s bishop back to e3 before playing ... h5. Alternatives are: a) 18 ... h5 immediately looks natural, and now:

a1) 19 Qf3 looks like a decent follow up to 18 Nh2, after 19 ... Be7 20 Bh6 Black can try the interesting 20 ... Rb8!? (20 ... Bf8 21 Be3 is actually a transposition to our main game) with the idea of playing ... Bc8. White could switch to queenside play with 21 Ra2 or try 21 axb5 axb5 22 Qe3 and Nf3 next. a2) Even stronger is 19 Nf3!, which appears to waste a tempo, but White can now exploit the weakened g5 and h4-squares. Black has two main options here: a21) 19 ... Be7 20 Be3 Nfd7 21 Qe2 Bf6 22 Nf1! is an excellent idea, bringing the g3-knight to the stronger d2-square, where it defends the e4pawn and the b3-square. This manoeuvre also makes it easier for White to advance his f and g-pawns, creating an attack against Black’s king. N.Praznik-L.Korogodski, correspondence 2017, continued 22 ... Qc7 23 N1d2 Reb8 24 Ng5 Qd8 25 h4 and White later managed to breakthrough on the kingside with f4 and take advantage of the weaknesses in Black’s position. a22) 19 ... Bg7 20 Be3 (20 Nh4!? intending Qf3 looks very dangerous for Black) 20 ... Qc7 21 Ng5 Nfd7 22 Qe2 Rec8 23 Reb1 and White managed to restrict Black’s queenside play and eventually develop a decisive kingside attack in C.Persson-P.Makovský, correspondence 2012. b) 18 ... Be7 threatens ... Nxd5, so White needs to choose a square for his bishop: b1) 19 Qf3?! Nfd7 20 Be3 Bg5! is mentioned by Bologan and gives Black full equality. b2) 19 Bh6 Bf8 20 Be3 Qc7 21 Qf3! is very strong, forcing Black to defend the knight on f6. After 21 ... Bg7 (21 ... Nfd7? 22 Ng4! would be far too dangerous for Black) 22 Bg5 Ncd7 23 Ra2 White has a clear advantage and can slowly improve his position with moves like Rea2 and Ngf1-d2. b3) 19 Be3! Qc7 (19 ... Nfd7 20 Qg4 prevents ... Bg5, and W.Kozlowski-M.Kreuzer, correspondence 2016, continued 20 ... Bf8 21 Qe2 Qe7 22 Ng4 Bg7 23 Nh6+ Kh8 24 Qf3 f6 25 h4 and Black was under serious pressure on the kingside) 20 Rf1! Bf8 21 Bg5 Bg7 22 f4 saw White creating a powerful kingside attack while Black lacked counterplay in A.Bubir-M.Santos, correspondence 2016. c) 18 ... Bg7?! 19 Ng4 forces Black to play 19 ... h5, when White has 20 Nh6+ with an excellent position. For example, 20 ... Kh7 (if 20 ... Bxh6 then 21 Bxh6 gives White the bishop pair and weak dark-squares to attack

on Black’s kingside) 21 Qf3 Qd7 (or 21 ... Bxh6 22 Bxf6 Qd7 23 Nf5! gxf5 24 Qxh5 with the idea of Bg5 or exf5 followed by g4) 22 Nhf5 Ng8 23 Be3 and Black will experience difficulties in defending his kingside over the next few moves. 19 Be3 h5 19 ... Qc7 is the alternative, not weakening the g5-square. 20 Ng4! (20 Qf3 also gives White good play) looks best, as Black is forced to reply with 20 ... Nxg4, when White can play 21 hxg4 and use the open h-file to attack. For example, 21 ... Kh7 22 Qd2 bxa4 23 f3 Bg7 24 Kf2 followed by Rh1. 20 Qf3! 20 Bxc5!? dxc5 21 Qd2 reaches a favourable pawn structure for White. However, with Black’s pawn on h5, it makes a lot of sense for White to play for an attack on the kingside, as we will see in the game. 20 ... Nh7 20 ... Nfd7 can be met by playing 21 Ra2 (the immediate breakthrough on the kingside with 21 Nxh5?! looks interesting, but Black has 21 ... gxh5 22 Qxh5 Qf6! 23 Bxc5 Nxc5 24 Ng4 Qg6, reaching a complicated but roughly balanced endgame) followed by Rea1, restricting Black’s queenside play. White can then continue with the typical knight manoeuvre Ngf1-d2 and gradually prepare a kingside attack. 21 Qe2 Avoiding Black’s idea of ... Ng5 followed by ... h4. 21 ... Qc7

  Exercise: How should White continue?   Answer: 22 Ngf1! Transferring the knight to the d2-square, where it will protect the e4pawn and the b3-square. White is preparing to open up the position with f4 and he needs to make sure the e4-pawn will be protected sufficiently. With the knight on g3, Black could obtain counterplay with ... h4, forcing White’s knight to retreat, which would reduce White’s protection of the e4pawn. 22 Ra3 followed by Rea1 is another good choice, with an edge for White. 22 ... Rab8 23 Nd2 Bc8 24 axb5 axb5 25 f4! An excellent moment to open up the f-file and create an attack on the kingside. 25 ... exf4 26 Bxf4 Nf6 27 Qf1 Nfd7 28 Nhf3 Bg7 29 Qf2 Rb6 30 Be3 Ra6 31 Rxa6 Bxa6 32 Bd4!

Challenging the only piece defending Black’s king. 32 ... Bf8 32 ... Ne5 would be met with 33 Nxe5 Bxe5 34 Rf1 and Black’s weak dark squares will make it extremely difficult for him to defend his kingside. 33 Rf1 Bh6 34 g4! Black’s misplaced pieces on the queenside make it impossible for him to defend White’s kingside attack. 34 ... hxg4 35 Qh4 gxf3 36 Qxh6 Ne5 37 Nxf3 Ncd7 38 Ng5 Nf8 39 Nxf7 Qxf7 40 Rxf7 Kxf7 41 Bd1 Re7 42 Bg4 1-0 The main line of the Breyer leads to a strategically complicated position, where White will be focussing his play on the kingside and Black on the queenside. In this game, we saw how dangerous White’s plan with Nh2 can be. This plan is particularly useful when Black has played ... Nc5 (because Nh2-g4 is a very serious threat), but we also saw how effective it can be in some of the other variations, like 17 ... Be7 and 17 ... Bg7. In our main game, White accurately prevented Black’s queenside play and then

launched a devastating kingside attack, starting with 25 f4!





Chapter Four

The Anti-Berlin: 4 d3

The Berlin is one of the most popular choices for Black against the Ruy Lopez at the top level. This is mainly due to its solidity, as it is very difficult for White to play aggressively against this variation. Our repertoire against the Berlin is based on the 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 variation. The play here is quite strategic and complicated, where there is lots of scope to outplay the opponent. In many of the variations, White fights for control of the centre with c3 and d4 or on the queenside with a3 and b4.

Game 14 looks at Black’s 4th move sidelines after 4 d3: 4 ... Ne7 and 4 ... d6. Both of these moves are solid, but a bit passive, and White has good chances for an edge in these lines. In the game, White develops his pieces actively and accurately prevents Black’s main ideas. At some point, White

loses most of his advantage, but manages to win the game due to Black’s weakened kingside. Game 15 covers Black’s sidelines in the diagram shown above, namely 6 ... Qd6 and 6 ... Bg4. 6 ... Qd6 is a slightly awkward square for Black’s queen, as it would be a problem for Black if White is able to play Nbd2-c4. Still, Black’s position is pretty solid and White should play accurately to secure an advantage. 6 ... Bg4 was Black’s choice in the game and led to very sharp play. The complications favour White, but the positions are rather tricky. White plays the opening very well and obtains a nearly winning position, but blunders late in the game. Game 16 moves on to the solid 6 ... Bd6 variation. Against this move, we’ll see how White can try to put some pressure on Black’s queenside with Nbd2-b3-a5. In the game, White gains a better pawn structure out of the opening and a promising position, but the play quickly becomes very complicated where both sides have their chances. Game 17 examines the 6 ... Qe7 variation, where Black aims to develop actively with ... Bg4 followed by ... Nd7. In this game, we’ll see how White can continue energetically and put pressure on Black’s position. The play can easily become quite sharp, as White often plays b4 and g4 to gain space and restrict Black’s bishops. Game 18 begins our analysis of the 6 ... Nd7 variation, which we meet by playing 7 c3 followed by 8 d4. In this game, we’ll look at some of Black’s less common tries, where White’s strong pawn centre can be very unpleasant for Black to play against. In the game, Black manages to obtain some counterplay with ... f5, leading to a complicated fight.

Game 19 examines 9 ... f6 and 9 ... Qe8, Black’s two main options in the diagram shown above. The play is very complicated here, and White generally tries to put pressure on Black’s e5-pawn, while Black will either gain space on the queenside, or transfer his pieces towards the kingside. In the game, Black struggles to find a good plan and White plays accurately to obtain a better position and slowly convert his advantage.

Game 14

F.Caruana-A.Naiditsch

GRENKE Classic, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 d6 Others: a) 4 ... Bc5 is the main line and we will analyse it in the next five games of this chapter. b) 4 ... Ne7 is a rare idea. Black aims for a solid, but slightly passive setup with ... c6 and ... d6. 5 Nc3 (of course not 5 Nxe5?? c6 6 Bc4 Qa5+) and

now: b1) 5 ... Ng6 6 d4, when Black has: b11) 6 ... Bb4 was tried in D.Navara-M.Luch, Czechia 2006, White should play 7 dxe5! Nxe4 8 Qd4 Nxc3 9 bxc3 Be7 and here 10 h4! is very strong. If Black plays 10 ... h5 (10 ... c6 11 Bc4 is excellent for White, as h5 is coming next) then White can play 11 e6, intending to meet 11 ... fxe6 with 12 Qxg7. This takes advantage of 10 ... h5, which weakened the g6knight’s protection. Without the inclusion of h4 and ... h5, Black would be winning because of ... Bf6! b12) 6 ... exd4 7 Qxd4! (not 7 Nxd4? when Black easily gains counterplay against White’s centre after 7 ... c6 8 Bd3 Bc5 9 Be3 d6 followed by ... 0-0 and ... Re8) 7 ... a6 8 Bc4 d6 9 h4! gives Black major problems on the kingside. 9 ... h5 is met by 10 Ng5, and one interesting variation is 10 ... Ne5 11 Bf4! (the simple 11 Be2 also gives White a clear advantage) 11 ... c5 12 Qxe5+! dxe5 13 Bxf7+ Ke7 14 Bxe5 and despite being up a queen for a knight and two pawns, Black is completely lost in this position. One of White’s ideas is to play Rd1 followed by Bxf6 and Nd5. b2) 5 ... c6 6 Bc4

Now Black has two main options: b21) 6 ... Ng6 7 h4! (7 d4?! exd4 8 Qxd4 is met by 8 ... b6! followed by ... Bc5, giving Black active play) 7 ... h5 8 Ng5 d5 9 exd5 b5 (9 ... cxd5? is a blunder due to 10 Nxd5! Nxd5 11 Qf3; the game Z.EfimenkoA.Cherniaev, Coventry 2005, continued 11 ... Be6 12 Nxe6 fxe6 13 Bb5+ Ke7 14 Bg5+ Nf6 15 Qxb7+ and White was completely winning) 10 Bb3 cxd5 11 d4! (11 Nxb5? wins a pawn, but gives Black active play after 11 ... Bc5 and ... Bg4 will be coming soon) 11 ... e4 12 Qe2 a6 13 f3 was excellent for White in B.Socko-M.Luch, Warsaw 2014. b22) 6 ... d6 and now: b221) 7 0-0 h6 was quite solid for Black in I.Saric-S.Fedorchuk, Rio Achaea 2018, play continued 8 d4 Qc7 9 Nh4!? (9 h3! looks a bit stronger, and should give White a slight edge) 9 ... g6? (the active 9 ... g5! leads to a roughly balanced game) and here White could have played 10 dxe5! dxe5 11 f4 obtaining a clear advantage. For example, 11 ... Bg7 12 fxe5 Qxe5 13 Be3 followed by Bd4.

b222) 7 d4! exd4 8 Qxd4 (8 Nxd4 was tried in A.SherwoodT.Rosenhöfer, correspondence 2018, and following 8 ... Ng6 9 Bb3 Be7 10 0-0 0-0 11 h3 Re8 12 Re1 Bf8, Black’s position was quite solid, though White was able to put Black under some pressure) 8 ... Ng6 9 h4 looks similar to some of the variations we saw after 6 ... Ng6 7 h4, but here Black also has the additional possibility of playing 9 ... Bg4!? (9 ... Qb6 10 Be3 Qxd4 11 Bxd4 Ng4 12 h5 led to a much better endgame for White in N.Matinian-S.Soysal, Batumi 2018) Still, White should retain slightly better chances after 10 Ng5! Ne5 11 Bf4 Qc7 (or 11 ... h6 12 Bxe5 hxg5 13 Bg3) 12 f3 Nxc4 13 Qxc4. c) 4 ... Bd6 looks like an awkward square for the bishop, but Black’s position is still fairly solid. Play may continue 5 c3 a6 6 Ba4 0-0 7 0-0 Re8 and now: c1) A.Lanc-A.Malashenkov, correspondence 2017, saw 8 h3, but this seems to be slightly inaccurate. After 8 ... h6 9 Re1 Bf8, 10 d4 was played with the idea of meeting 10 ... exd4 with 11 e5, but the inclusion of h3 and ... h6 takes the sting out of this plan. This is because White is unable to use the g5-square for his knight after 11 ... Nd5 12 Bb3 Nb6. c2) Instead, White should play 8 Re1!, as here 8 ... Bf8 9 d4! is quite dangerous for Black. For example, 9 ... exd4? 10 e5 Nd5 11 Bb3 and White is prepared to play Ng5 next. 5 0-0 Bd7 Others: a) 5 ... g6 6 d4! Bd7 (6 ... exd4?! runs into 7 e5!) 7 d5! (7 Re1 transposes to 5 ... Bd7 6 Re1 g6, which we will examine below) aims to take advantage of Black’s slightly inaccurate move order. Play may continue 7 ... Ne7 (or 7 ... Nb8 8 Qe2 Bg7 9 Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10 c4 a5 11 Nc3 Nc5 12 Ne1 and White had a pleasant position in F.Nepustil-S.Kudela, correspondence 2015) 8 Bxd7+ Nxd7 9 c4 Bg7 10 Be3 h6 11 Nfd2 f5 12 f3 f4 13 Bf2 g5 14 Nc3 Ng6 and in W.So-E.L’Ami, Batumi 2018, and White played the slightly surprising 15 c5!? and obtained good play. But 15 b4! seems best and has the idea of playing c5 next. Black will find it difficult to create a powerful kingside attack without his light-squared bishop. b) Black can obtain the bishop pair with 5 ... a6 but White will have good play in the centre after 6 Bxc6+ (not 6 Ba4?! as Black can play 6 ... b5 7 Bb3 Na5) 6 ... bxc6 7 Re1 and now Black has:

b1) 7 ... Be7 8 d4 exd4 9 Nxd4 Bd7 is a solid, but passive set-up. The easiest route to an edge seems to be 10 c4! (10 Nc3 0-0 11 Qf3 should also be good for White) 10 ... 0-0 11 Nc3 Re8 12 Qf3 h6 13 Bf4 and Black’s position is unpleasant. b2) Black tried 7 ... Bg4 in S.Karjakin-V.Kramnik, Paris (blitz) 2018, and here I think White should play 8 c3 (instead, the game continued 8 Nbd2 Be7 9 h3 Bh5 10 Nf1 Nd7 and Black had a solid position) 8 ... Be7 (8 ... c5 transposes to 7 ... c5 8 c3 Bg4) 9 Be3 Nd7 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 d4 with a slight edge. b3) 7 ... c5!? fights for control of the important d4-square.

8 c3 and now: b31) 8 ... Be7 9 d4 cxd4 10 cxd4 0-0 11 Nc3 (the immediate 11 dxe5 dxe5 12 Qc2 followed by Nbd2 also looks good for White) 11 ... Bb7 12 dxe5 dxe5 13 Qc2 Bd6 14 Bg5 gave White a comfortable edge in S.Ventura Monfort-J.Lario Cortés, correspondence 2014.; b32) 8 ... Bg4 9 h3 gives Black a choice:

b321) 9 ... Bh5?! runs into 10 d4! and if 10 ... cxd4 (10 ... Nd7 is more solid, but White is much better after 11 Be3) 11 cxd4 exd4, then White wins after 12 e5 dxe5 13 g4! (this move is why White needs to insert 9 h3 Bh5 before playing d4) 13 ... Bg6 14 Nxe5 Be7 15 Nc6. b322) 9 ... Bxf3 gives up the bishop pair, but makes it more difficult for White to play d4. Following 10 Qxf3 Be7, White has: b3221) 11 Be3 was tried in Wei Yi-R.Rapport, Tbilisi 2017, but after the interesting manoeuvre 11 ... Qb8!? 12 b3 a5 13 d4?! (13 Nd2! should be preferred, with the idea of meeting 13 ... a4 with 14 Reb1) 13 ... a4! Black had no problems equalizing. b3222) 11 Nd2! 0-0 12 Nc4 a5! Looks best, preventing Na5, but White still has a slight edge here. One sample line is 13 a4 Nd7 14 Qg4 Nb6 15 Nxb6 cxb6 16 f4! and White develops good play on the kingside. c) 5 ... Be7 is a solid, but slightly passive set-up. Following 6 c3 0-0 7 Re1 Black has 3 main moves: c1) 7 ... Bd7 transposes to 5 ... Bd7 (our main game). c2) 7 ... Bg4 8 Nbd2 Nd7 9 h3 Bh5 10 Nf1 a6 was tried in P.Harikrishna-R.Stern, Germany 2016, the game continued 11 Ba4 Nc5 12 Bc2 Ne6 13 Ng3 and White was slightly better. But the energetic 13 g4! looks even stronger, for example, 13 ... Bg6 14 Ng3 Ng5 15 Kg2! as in S.Ter Sahakyan-M.Bartel, Gjakova 2016, was promising for White. The game saw 15 ... Nxf3 16 Qxf3 Bg5 and here 17 Bxg5 Qxg5 18 Rh1! would be better for White. c3) 7 ... a6 8 Ba4 b5 (8 ... Re8 9 Nbd2 b5 transposes to 8 ... b5 9 Bc2 Re8; while 8 ... Bg4 9 Nbd2 Nd7 is a rather slow plan that should be met energetically: 10 h3 Bh5 11 Bc2 Kh8 12 g4! Bg6 13 Nf1 Nb6 14 Ng3 d5 15 Qe2 f6 16 h4! and White had an excellent position in K.AlekseenkoA.Naiditsch, Gibraltar 2019) 9 Bc2 leads to another split: c21) 9 ... Re8 10 Nbd2 Bf8 11 a4 (11 d4 exd4 12 cxd4 Bg4 leads to unclear play) 11 ... Rb8 12 Nf1 h6 13 axb5 axb5 14 d4 exd4 15 Nxd4! Bd7 16 Ng3 Ne5 17 f4 was unpleasant for Black in M.Zordick-H.Packroff, correspondence 2017. c32) 9 ... d5 10 Nbd2 dxe4 (10 ... d4 11 cxd4! exd4 12 a3 Nd7 13 Nb3 was tried in A.Muñiz Pardiño-J.Schwarz, correspondence 2018 – the game continued 13 ... Nde5 14 Nxe5 Nxe5 15 f4 and White obtained a very pleasant advantage; while 10 ... Bg4?! 11 h3 Bh5 12 g4! Bg6 13 Nh4 d4 14 Ndf3 Bc5 15 a3 gave White an excellent position in A.Kasyan-L.Pospísil,

correspondence 2016) is probably Black’s best choice, but White should have a risk-free slight edge in this line. After 11 dxe4 Be6 12 a4, Black has: c321) 12 ... b4 13 Qe2 Qc8 14 Nc4 Nd7 15 a5!? (15 Ng5! gains the bishop pair and looks pretty good for White) 15 ... f6?! (15 ... Qb7! should be preferred, when White is slightly better after 16 Ne3) 16 Ne3 gave White good control over the d5 and f5-squares in S.Movsesian-Z.Almasi, Istanbul 2012. c322) 12 ... Qb8!? 13 Qe2 Qb7 14 b4! gained space on the queenside and made it difficult for Black to find an active plan in R.Hall-V.Iotov, correspondence 2015. c323) 12 ... Bc5 13 Qe2 Ba7 14 b4! Nh5 and in F.Caruana-J.Gustafsson, Dortmund 2012, White played 15 Nf1 and gained an advantage (15 g3!? prevents ... Nf4 and is also better for White). 6 Re1!

  Question: Why is 6 Re1 more accurate than 6 c3 - ?  

Answer: Because Black hasn’t yet shown where he plans to develop his f8-bishop (to e7 or to g7), so White wants to maintain the possibility of playing c4 in one move. If Black develops his bishop to e7, White will play c3, as we will see in our main game. If Black tries 6 ... g6, then we can play 7 d4!, obtaining a fairly good version of a King’s Indian pawn structure. Still, 6 c3 is completely playable. The position after 6 ... g6 7 Re1 Bg7 8 Nbd2 0-0 is fairly sound for Black, but White can fight for a small advantage here. 6 ... Be7 Or: a) 6 ... g6 7 d4! Bg7 8 d5 Ne7 9 Bxd7+ exchanges off Black’s lightsquared bishop which usually plays a vital role in Black’s kingside attack. 9 ... Nxd7 10 Be3 and now: a1) 10 ... 0-0 11 c4 h6 (11 ... f5?! is met by 12 Ng5!) 12 Nfd2 f5 13 f3 is very similar to the 10 ... h6 variation. a2) 10 ... h6 11 Nfd2 f5 12 f3 and here we’ll look at two high-level games: a21) 12 ... h5 13 c4 b6 was tried in S.Sjugirov-P.Ponkratov, Yaroslavl 2018, in order to slow down White’s queenside attack. The game continued 14 Nc3 f4 15 Bf2 g5 16 b4 Nf6 17 c5 Ng6 18 Rc1 (18 Qa4+! would have been even more unpleasant for Black) 18 ... 0-0 19 cxd6 cxd6 20 Nb5 Rf7 21 Rc6 and White had excellent queenside play. a22) 12 ... Nf6 13 c4 c6!? (13 ... 0-0 14 Nc3 f4 looks natural in this position, but isn’t very effective, as Black doesn’t have his light-squared bishop; play may continue 15 Bf2 g5 16 c5 Ng6 17 b4 h5 18 Nc4 and White has excellent queenside play, while it’s difficult for Black to do much on the kingside) was played in L.Dominguez Perez-T.Radjabov, Dortmund 2019, the game continued 14 Nc3 0-0 15 Qb3 cxd5 16 cxd5 Rf7 17 Rac1 (17 a4 also deserved consideration) 17 ... fxe4 18 Ndxe4 and White had a fairly comfortable edge. b) 6 ... a6 7 Bxc6 Bxc6 8 c4! is a strong move, making it much more difficult for Black to find active play. Black needs to decide where he wants to develop his bishop: b1) 8 ... g6 9 Nc3 Bg7 10 d4 0-0 (10 ... exd4 11 Nxd4 0-0 12 f3 is better for White, as it is very difficult for Black to create play here) 11 dxe5 dxe5 12 Qc2 was good for White in S.Lobanov-S.Himanshu, Leiden 2018, because he could soon begin a queenside expansion with b4-b5.

b2) 8 ... Be7 was tried in I.Dolgov-V.Gorozhantsev, correspondence 2017, the game continued 9 Nc3 0-0 10 d4 Re8 11 Qc2 exd4 12 Nxd4 Bd7 13 Bf4 and Black’s position was very unpleasant. 7 c3 0-0 8 h3 8 Nbd2 is the main line and White should also be slightly better here. 8 ... Re8 9 a4!

  Question: What is the purpose of 9 a4 - ?   Answer: 9 a4 gains space on the queenside, while also preventing Black from playing ... a6 and ... b5. 9 Nbd2 is more natural and fully playable as well. Black will likely play 9 ... Bf8, preparing ... Ne7, so White should play 10 Ba4! and after 10 ... Ne7 11 Bc2 Ng6 12 d4 c6 13 Nf1 White has a slight edge. 9 ... Bf8 9 ... a6 10 Bc4 Na5 11 Ba2 c5 aims to play ... b5, but White can fight back with 12 b4 (12 Bg5 should also give White an edge) 12 ... cxb4 13

cxb4 Nc6 14 Bd2. 10 Bg5! Others are possible: a) 10 Bc4!? looks like a good alternative, preventing Black’s main idea of 10 ... Ne7? as here White wins with 11 Qb3. 10 ... h6 is stronger, but White is slightly better after 11 a5 a6 12 Nbd2 Be6 13 Bxe6 Rxe6 14 c4!, restricting Black’s central play. b) 10 a5 gaining more space on the queenside also deserves consideration. 10 ... h6 11 Bh4 g5 12 Bg3 Ne7 12 ... Nh5 seems to threaten ... Nxg3, but White can ignore this by playing 13 Nbd2! and now: a) 13 ... g4? runs into 14 Bh4! Be7 15 Bxe7 Qxe7 16 Nh2! picking up the g4-pawn. b) 13 ... Nf4 is probably best. White should meet this with 14 Nf1 Bg7 15 Ne3 and slowly prepare to play d4. c) 13 ... Nxg3 14 fxg3 and White is prepared to play g4 next, followed by Nf1-g3. For example, 14 ... Ne7 15 Bxd7 Qxd7 16 g4 Ng6 17 Nf1 with a clearly better position for White. 13 Bxd7 Qxd7 14 Nbd2 Ng6 15 Nc4 Rad8 16 Ne3 d5 16 ... c6 preparing ... d5 was more solid. After 17 Qc2 d5 18 Rad1 White will aim to exploit Black’s weak light-squares on the kingside with either Nf5 or Nh2-g4. 17 exd5 Bg7 17 ... Nxd5 immediately runs into 18 Ng4!

  Exercise: Black is prepared to play ... Nxd5 on his next move and achieve a comfortable game. How can White make things difficult for Black?   Answer: 18 d4! Challenging Black in the centre and attacking the e5-pawn. 18 c4 c6! Is fine for Black, as after 19 dxc6 bxc6 White is unable to defend the d3-pawn. 18 ... exd4 Or: a) 18 ... e4 19 Nd2 is good for White. Black is unable to play 19 ... Nxd5?! because of 20 Nxd5 Qxd5 21 Bxc7. b) 18 ... Nxd5 19 dxe5 gives White an extra pawn in the endgame arising after 19 ... Nxe3 20 Qxd7 Rxd7 21 Rxe3. 19 cxd4?! 19 Qxd4! is best, when Black can try:

a) 19 ... Nxd5 20 Qxd5 (or 20 Qxa7) 20 ... Qxd5 21 Nxd5 Rxe1+ 22 Rxe1 Rxd5 23 Bxc7 and Black faces a very difficult defence in this endgame. b) 19 ... Ne4 20 Be5! (but not 20 Qxa7?! f5!, and Black gets counterplay) 20 ... Bxe5 (20 ... Nxe5 21 Qxe4 is a safe extra pawn for White) 21 Nxe5 Rxe5 22 Ng4! Rxd5 23 Qxe4 and White has a much better position. 19 ... Nxd5 20 Nxd5 Rxe1+ 21 Qxe1 Qxd5 22 Bxc7 Rc8 23 Rc1 Bxd4 24 Qd2 Qd7 25 Nxd4 Rxc7 26 Rxc7 Qxc7 27 Nf5

The position is close to equal, but the weaknesses around Black’s king give him some difficulties in defending. 27 ... Kh7 28 g3 Ne5 29 Qe3 Nc4?! 29 ... f6! was stronger, supporting the knight on e5. 30 Qc3 Qe5 31 Qd3 Nxb2 32 Qc2 Qe1+ 33 Kg2 Qd1 34 Qe4 Qxa4? 34 ... Qd7! threatens to play ... Qc6 or ... Nxa4. 35 Qxb7 Qa2 36 Ne3 Kg7 37 Qb4 Qb1 38 g4 Kg8 39 Nf5 Qc2 40 Qb8+ Kh7 41 Qb7 Kh8 42 Qe7 1-0

Black’s 4th move sidelines in the Berlin give White good chances to obtain a slight edge. In the 4 ... d6 variation after 5 0-0 Bd7, it is important to remember the accurate 6 Re1!, which allows White to meet 6 ... g6 with 7 d4! and obtain a good King’s Indian structure. In our main game, Black opted for a ... Be7 set-up, but White was able to put Black under some pressure by gaining space on the queenside (9 a4!) and then preventing Black’s main idea of ... Ne7 with 10 Bg5!

Game 15

P.Leko-D.Navara

Spanish League 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 Bg4

A very ambitious idea, Black is hoping to develop actively with moves such as ... Nd7, ... f6, and ... Qe7. However, this can only be achieved if White plays slowly. We will look at 6 ... Bd6, 6 ... Nd7, and 6 ... Qe7 later in this chapter.

6 ... Qd6 is similar to the more popular 6 ... Qe7 variation, but here the queen on d6 can be more easily attacked by Nbd2-c4. However, the advantage of 6 ... Qd6 is that it puts pressure on White’s d3-pawn.   Question: Why can’t White play 7 h3 here?   Answer: 7 h3?! is a natural looking move, but one which White should be very careful about playing if Black hasn’t castled kingside. Black can play 7 ... Rg8! followed by ... g5, putting White in serious danger. White can try 8 c3 intending to meet 8 ... g5 with 9 d4, but after 9 ... g4! the play becomes very sharp, and it looks quite dangerous for White. After 7 c3, Black can play: a) 7 ... Bb6 8 Qc2! (8 d4 runs into Black’s main idea behind 7 ... Bb6: 8 ... Bg4! 9 Nbd2 Nd7 and Black should be able to obtain good counterplay against White’s centre) protecting the d3-pawn in preparation for Nbd2. One sample line is 8 ... Bg4 9 Nbd2 Nd7 10 h3 Bxf3 11 Nxf3 0-0 12 Rd1 and White has a better position, as he can slowly prepare to play d4 while Black lacks active play. b) 7 ... 0-0?! was tried in J.Vozda-R.Postl, correspondence 2009, and White obtained an excellent position after 8 d4 Bb6 9 a4 a5 10 Qc2 Nd7 11 Na3!

  Question: What is the point of developing the knight to a3 instead of d2?   Answer: White developed his knight to a3 instead of d2 so that 11 ... exd4 12 cxd4 Bxd4? can be met by 13 Rd1 c5 14 Nb5! Qc6 15 Bf4 with a winning position. c) 7 ... Bg4 8 Nbd2 and now: c1) 8 ... Nd7 9 h3 Bxf3 and in M.Kravtsiv-Z.Almasi, Heraklio 2017, White played 10 Qxf3, but the more accurate recapture would have been 10 Nxf3! because the knight can help White to play d4 and expand in the centre. The knight can also put some pressure on Black’s kingside, this is seen after 10 ... 0-0 11 Nh4! (the natural 11 d4 should be slightly better for White, but Black’s position is solid) 11 ... Qe6 (11 ... g6 weakens the kingside and can be met by 12 Qc2 Rfe8 13 Nf3 followed by gaining space on the queenside with b4 and a4, or Rd1 and d4) 12 Nf5 Rfe8 13 Qg4 Bf8 14 Rd1 (14 f3!? and d4 next also looks good) and White’s position is much

more pleasant. His main plan is to keep his centre well-supported and play d4 soon. c2) 8 ... Qxd3 leads to a better endgame for White after 9 Nxe5 Qe2 10 Nxg4 Qxg4 11 Qxg4 Nxg4 12 Nb3 and here Black has two options: c21) 12 ... Bb6 was seen in A.Manzo-L.Laffranchise, correspondence 2010, but the bishop appeared to be misplaced on b6 after the moves 13 c4! a5 14 c5 Ba7 15 h3 Ne5 16 Nxa5 0-0-0 17 b4 and White obtained a clear advantage. c22) 12 ... Be7 looks stronger, but the endgame is still unpleasant for Black. For example, 13 Rd1 Ne5 14 Bf4 Nc4 15 Rab1 Rd8 (or 15 ... Rc8 16 Nd4) 16 Nd4 is slightly better for White. 7 h3 Bh5 7 ... Bxf3 8 Qxf3 gives Black two main options: a) 8 ... 0-0 9 Nd2 Re8 (9 ... Nd7 10 Nc4 a5 11 a4 Re8 12 Qg3 Qe7 13 Kh1 Bd6 was M.Rodshtein-B.Bok, Yerevan 2014, and 14 f4! would be quite dangerous for Black) 10 Nc4 Nd7 11 Bd2 Re6!? (protecting the c6pawn, so that Black doesn’t need to worry about ... b5 Na5!; 11 ... b5 12 Na5 and Nb7 next gives White an edge) 12 g3 was slightly better for White in M.Adams-M.Rodshtein, Tbilisi 2017, but it would be stronger to first play 12 a4! and then after 12 ... Rg6 13 g3 White can slowly prepare to create play on the kingside. b) 8 ... Nd7 9 Nd2 and now: b1) 9 ... Bd6 10 Nc4 Qe7 11 Qg3 f6 and in I.Salgado Lopez-O.Korneev, Linares 2015, White was much better after 12 Kh1 (the immediate 12 f4! looks very strong as well). b2) 9 ... Qf6 10 Qxf6 leads to a favourable endgame for White. E.Bacrot-L.Fressinet, Pau 2008, saw 10 ... Nxf6 11 Nc4 Nd7 12 Bd2 and White soon expanded on the queenside with b4 and a4. After this, White prepared to play d4 and took control of the centre, while Black had to defend passively. b3) 9 ... Qe7 10 Nc4! (10 a4 was played in E.Inarkiev-D.Jakovenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013, and should give White a slight edge, but White can delay this move for now) 10 ... f6 (10 ... 0-0-0?! isn’t effective in this position; following 11 Bd2 f6 12 a3 Nf8 13 b4 White was far ahead with his attack in I.Salgado Lopez-S.Maze, Haguenau 2013) 11 Bd2 leads to another split:

b31) 11 ... 0-0 12 Qg4! (12 a3 followed by b4 was also good for White in M.Kanarek-D.Mastrovasilis, Suwalki 2017) intending to create play on the kingside; for example, 12 ... Rfe8 13 Kh2 Nf8 14 g3 followed by f4. b32) 11 ... b6 12 a3 0-0 13 b4 Bd6 14 Ne3 Kh8 15 h4! and White was clearly better in E.Sutovsky-L.Fressinet, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, as he could slowly increase the pressure on the kingside while Black lacked active play. b33) 11 ... Nf8 12 b4 Bd6 13 a4 Ne6 14 c3 is much better for White. Black will soon castle kingside and White can play moves like g3 and h4h5, increasing the pressure on Black’s position. 8 g4!

8 Nbd2 is a simpler approach, avoiding the complications that arise after 8 g4 Nxg4. However, 8 Nbd2 allows Black to develop without too many difficulties. Following 8 ... Nd7 (8 ... Qe7 actually transposes to the 6 ... Qe7 variation, which is discussed later in this chapter in Game 17) 9 Nc4 (9 c3!? is also playable, aiming to later expand in the centre with d4) 9 ... f6 10 c3 Bb6 11 Qe2 leads to a roughly balanced position.

8 ... Nxg4 8 ... Bg6 9 Nxe5 Qe7 10 Nxg6 hxg6 gives Black the open h-file, but this isn’t enough to compensate for the extra pawn White has. After 11 Kg2! 00-0 12 Nd2, Black can try: a) 12 ... Rh7 intending ... Rdh8 is simply met with 13 Rh1. b) 12 ... Nd7 13 Nf3 Ne5 (13 ... f5? runs into 14 Bg5 Nf6 15 Nh4! with a nearly winning position for White) 14 Bf4 is much better for White. c) 12 ... Nh7 13 f4! (13 Nf3 should be fine for White, but allows unnecessary complications after 13 ... f5!) is very strong, covering up some of the entry points into White’s position (the g5 and e5-squares). 13 ... f5 is probably Black’s most dangerous idea, but White can play 14 Qf3, when Black is struggling to show any play for the pawn. 9 hxg4 Bxg4 10 Be3 10 Kg2? looks like a natural way to defend the knight on f3 and was played in K.Alekseenko-L.Babujian, Yerevan 2015, but 10 ... Qc8! with the threat of ... Bh3 would be very unpleasant for White. 11 Rh1 is well met by 11 ... f5. 10 ... Bd6 Black’s most popular choice, avoiding the exchange of bishops and supporting the e5-pawn. Others: a) 10 ... Qf6!? 11 Kg2! (not 11 Nbd2? Bh3) when Black can play: a1) 11 ... Be7?! keeps more pieces on the board, but after 12 Nbd2 0-0-0 (12 ... h5 13 Rg1 g5 14 Kf1 is perfectly safe for White) 13 Rg1 White is doing very well. a2) 11 ... Bxe3 12 fxe3 Qe6

  Exercise: Find a good plan for White to restrict Black’s kingside play and bring the g2-king to safety.   Answer: 13 Rf2! (13 Kf2? runs into 13 ... 0-0 followed by ... f5) is an excellent idea and gives White a clear advantage. White’s plan is to play Nc3, Qh1, and Kf1-e2. For example, 13 ... h5 14 Qh1 0-0-0 15 Nc3 f6 16 Kf1 g5 17 Ke2 and White is much better. b) 10 ... Be7!? 11 Kg2! (11 Nbd2 is met by 11 ... Qc8! followed by ... f5; while 11 Kh1? appears to be similar to our main game, but the difference is seen in the variation 11 ... f5 12 Rg1 h5 13 exf5? and here, because Black has his bishop on e7 instead of d6, he win with 13 ... e4!, due to the pin on the d-file) and now: b1) 11 ... Qc8 threatens ... Bh3 and prepares to activate the queen with ... Qe6. The following line shows how White can obtain a much better position: 12 Rh1 f5 13 Qg1! Qe6 (13 ... fxe4 14 dxe4 0-0 is met by 15 Ne1!

and White keeps everything under control) 14 exf5 Qxf5 15 Nfd2 0-0 16 Kf1 and Black’s best try is 16 ... Bd1! but after the forcing variation 17 Na3 Bxc2 18 Nxc2 Qxd3+ 19 Ke1 Qxc2 White can play 20 Qg4! threatening either Qe4 or Qc4+ with a large advantage. b2) 11 ... Qd7? runs into 12 Nxe5 Bxd1 13 Nxd7 Bxc2 14 Nc3! b3) 11 ... f5 forces White to find one accurate move: 12 Qe1! preparing to play Nxe5. White has no time to waste, as Black is intending to play ... 00 and immediately open up the f-file. 12 ... fxe4 (12 ... 0-0? is now met by 13 Nxe5; and 12 ... Bxf3+ 13 Kxf3 is good for White, Black has no way of exploiting White’s temporarily misplaced king) 13 Nxe5 Qc8 14 Rg1 and White has a much better position, for example, 14 ... Bh3+ 15 Kh2 Bd6 16 d4 followed by Rg3.

  Exercise: How should White arrange his pieces in order to best meet ... f5 - ?   Answer: 11 Kh1!

Preparing to play Rg1. This makes it more difficult for Black to open up the f-file, because after ... f5 Rg1, the bishop on g4 will be under attack. Others: a) 11 Nbd2?! f5! 12 exf5 0-0 13 Qe1 Bxf3 14 Nxf3 Rxf5 15 Qe2 Qf6 16 Nh2 e4! gave Black sufficient compensation in Wei Yi-Xiu Deshun, China 2015. b) 11 Kg2 f5! gives Black good play. Compared to the 10 ... Be7 variation, here 12 Qe1?! is ineffective, because after 12 ... 0-0 White is unable to play Nxe5. 11 ... f5 11 ... Qd7 12 Rg1 Bh5! (12 ... h5 was tried in D.KokarevA.Pridorozhni, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015, and White responded very accurately with 13 Nbd2 0-0-0 14 Qe1! f6 15 Nh2 Be6 16 Nc4 and after 16 ... Kb8, best would have been 17 Qa5! and Black is under major pressure on the queenside) is one of the most tricky lines for White to deal with in this sharp 8 ... Nxg4 line. White must begin by covering the h3-square, as Black is threatening ... Qh3. 13 Rg3! f5! (13 ... 0-0-0?! is not at all dangerous for White after 14 Nbd2 f5 15 exf5) and only now can White play 14 Rg5 because Black’s queen can no longer move to h3. M.Kuusela-K.Miettinen, correspondence 2014, continued 14 ... g6 15 exf5 Rf8 and White was able to obtain an advantage after 16 Nbd2. But even stronger is 16 Rxh5! gxh5 17 Nh4, and one sample line is 17 ... Qf7 18 Qf3 Be7 19 Qh3 Qf6 (or 19 ... Bxh4 20 Qxh4 Qxf5 21 Nd2) 20 Nf3 Qxf5 21 Qxf5 Rxf5 22 Nbd2 and White has a much better endgame, which is quite similar to the one we will see in our main game. 12 Rg1 h5 12 ... Qd7 13 exf5 Qxf5 is met by 14 Nh4! 13 exf5 Qf6 14 Nbd2 Qxf5 15 Rg3! Freeing the g1-square for the queen.

15 Nh4!? also looks very strong. Play may continue 15 ... Qf6 16 Ndf3 0-0-0 (16 ... Rf8 runs into 17 Rxg4 hxg4 18 Ng5 followed by Qxg4) threatens to play ... Rdf8 and forces White to play 17 Bg5. A sample line is 17 ... Qf7 18 Bxd8 Rxd8 19 Qe2! Rf8 20 Qe3 Bxf3+ (20 ... Qf6!? is possible to maintain the pressure, but after 21 Raf1 White is ready to play Rg2 or Rg3 next, and Black is struggling to show adequate compensation) 21 Nxf3 Qxf3+ 22 Qxf3 Rxf3 23 Raf1 with a close to winning endgame for White. 15 ... h4 15 ... 0-0-0 16 Qg1 Rdf8 17 Nh2 (or 17 Ng5) is excellent for White. 16 Rxg4! Giving back some of the material to obtain an endgame where White’s two knights will be much more useful than Black’s rook and two pawns. 16 ... Qxg4 17 Nh2 17 Ng5 was also possible, for example 17 ... Qd7 18 Qe2 0-0-0 19 Rg1 and White can play Qg4 next. 17 ... Qd7 18 Qg4 Qxg4 19 Nxg4

An interesting endgame has arisen where White has two knights for Black’s rook and two pawns. Although this should usually be a roughly balanced endgame, this position is close to winning for White. This is mainly because Black is unable to use his rooks effectively, as they lack targets. Meanwhile, White’s minor pieces can be placed on the weak squares that Black has, such as e4 and g5. 19 ... Kf7 20 Rg1 Rh5 21 Nh2 Be7 22 Nhf3 Rf5 23 Kh2 Rf8 24 Kh3 24 Ng5+ may have been slightly stronger. 24 ... Kg8 25 Nh2 25 Kg4! and Rh1 next was good as well. 25 ... Kh7 26 Ne4 g5 27 Bxg5 Rg8 28 Kxh4 Rf4+ 29 Kh5 Rf5 30 Kh4 Rf4+ 31 Kh5 Rf5 32 Rg3 Rh8 33 Nf3??

White had played excellently throughout the game to convert his advantage, but here he blunders. 33 Rh3! is winning for White, for example, 33 ... Kg7+ 34 Kg4 Rxh3 35 Bxe7 Rfh5 36 Nf3 and White’s actively placed minor pieces make it impossible for Black to do anything with his rooks. 33 ... Bxg5 34 Rxg5 Rxf3 35 Rxe5 Rf7 36 Kg4 Kg7 37 f4 Rh2 38 Rc5 Kf8 39 b4 Ke8 40 f5 Rg7+ 41 Kf4 Rgg2 42 f6 Kf7 43 Re5 Rf2+ 44 Nxf2 ½-½ In this game we looked at two of Black’s rarer options on move 6, 6 ... Qd6 and 6 ... Bg4. 6 ... Qd6 should be met by 7 c3, aiming to expand in the centre. Black has many different options to choose from, but White retains a more comfortable position against all of them. 6 ... Bg4 is an interesting variation where Black must decide between playing a solid but worse position after 7 h3 Bxf3, or if he wants to sacrifice material after 7 ... Bh5 8 g4. White should have an advantage against both of these lines, but some accuracy is needed in the sharp 7 ... Bh5 8 g4 variations and the defensive ideas for White should be reviewed carefully.



Game 16

Ding Liren-Ma Qun

Chinese Team Championship 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 The actual move order of this game was 6 Nbd2 Be6 7 Nb3 Bd6 8 Na5 Rb8 9 0-0 0-0 10 b3 Qe7 11 a4. 6 ... Bd6

  Question: Can White play 7 d4 and open up the centre?   7 Nbd2 Answer: 7 d4 is interesting, but Black is fine if he plays 7 ... Nxe4! (instead 7 ... Qe7?! was played in Le Quang Liem-S.Sethuraman, Xingtai 2019, and White was much better after 8 dxe5 Bxe5 9 Nxe5 Qxe5 10 Qf3!

0-0 11 Nc3 Re8 12 Bf4) for example, 8 Qd3 f5! 9 dxe5 Be7 and Black has nothing to worry about. 7 ... Be6 Transposing to a line that typically arises through the 6 Nbd2 line (6 Nbd2 Be6 7 0-0 Bd6!?). 7 ... Bg4 8 h3 Bh5 9 Nc4 Nd7 10 Na5 (10 Re1 0-0 11 Ne3 looks slightly better for White as well) 10 ... Qc8 11 c3 is a bit unpleasant for Black. 8 Nb3!?

A fairly rare idea, intending to attack the b7-pawn with Na5 and disrupt Black’s development. Others: a) 8 b3 is the main line, preparing to play Nc4 and Bb2. b) 8 d4 used to be considered dangerous for Black, but in V.MalakhovL.Dominguez Perez, Sochi 2019, Black solved his problems quite convincingly. The game continued 8 ... Nd7 9 dxe5 Nxe5 10 Nxe5 Bxe5 11 f4 Qd4+! 12 Kh1 Bd6 13 Qe2 (or 13 e5 Be7 14 f5 Bd7 15 Qe2 0-0-0 is fine for Black) 13 ... f6 14 c3 Qc5 15 c4 0-0-0 and Black soon obtained an advantage.

8 ... Qe7 Or: a) 8 ... 0-0 9 Na5 Rb8 10 b3 and now: a1) 10 ... Qe7 transposes to our main game (8 ... Qe7). a2) 10 ... Nd7 is met by 11 Ng5 and White is slightly better. a3) The solid 10 ... h6 can be tried, but then 11 Nc4 looks slightly unpleasant for Black. For example, 11 ... Nd7 (or 11 ... Bxc4 12 bxc4 Nd7 13 Qe2 and White will continue with moves like g3 and Nh4) 12 Qe2 (12 Bb2 looks natural, but the pawn structure arising after 12 ... Bxc4 13 bxc4 isn’t ideal for White with his bishop on b2; Black has some counterplay after 13 ... b5!) 12 ... Qe7 13 Ne3 and White will play Bb2 next, trying to put some pressure on Black’s centre. b) 8 ... a5!? tries to prevent White from playing Na5, but White has 9 Qe1! preparing to play Na5 and also removing the queen from a potential pin on the g4-d1 diagonal. Play may continue 9 ... a4 (9 ... b6?! runs into 10 d4) 10 Na5 Qb8!

 

Question: Why does Black play 10 ... Qb8 instead of 10 ... Qc8 - ?   Answer: if Black plays 10 ... Qc8 instead, White can continue with 11 Ng5 Bg4 12 h3 Bh5 13 f4! and obtain good play in the centre and on the kingside. If Black had his queen on b8 instead of c8 in this position, he would be able to play ... Qa7+ and win White’s knight on a5. 11 b4! (11 Ng5?! has no real purpose here, as after 11 ... Bg4 12 h3 Bh5 White has difficulties in creating play on the kingside) secures the a5outpost for White’s knight. Black can try: b1) 11 ... Bg4 12 Nh4 0-0 13 Nc4 (13 a3! looks like a slight improvement, White’s knight can remain on a5 to tie down some of Black’s pieces; one sample line is 13 ... Nh5 14 h3 Be6 15 Qc3 f6 16 Kh2!? and White can slowly prepare for a kingside expansion) 13 ... Be6 (13 ... Nh5! is stronger, making it much more difficult for White to play f4; play may continue 14 h3 Be6 15 Qc3 Qd8 16 Nf3 with roughly equal chances) 14 Nxd6 cxd6 15 f4 gave White a clear advantage in L.Dominguez PerezL.Aronian, St. Louis (blitz) 2019, and he soon launched a strong kingside attack. b2) 11 ... 0-0! 12 Be3 (12 Bd2!? also deserves consideration) gives Black a wide variety of options: b21) 12 ... Nd7 13 Ng5! Bg4 14 f3 Bh5 15 Rb1 prepares to put pressure on Black’s queenside, for example, 15 ... f6 (15 ... Re8 is met by 16 c4 followed by c5; if Black tries 16 ... c5? then White wins a pawn after 17 Nxb7! Qxb7 18 bxc5) 16 Ne6 Re8 17 Nc5 and Black’s position is a bit unpleasant. b22) 12 ... Qc8!? 13 a3 is slightly more comfortable for White. One sample line is 13 ... Re8 14 Qc3 Nd7 15 Ng5 and White is prepared to play f4 in the near future. b23) 12 ... Nh5 isn’t a great square for Black’s knight, White can take control of the centre by playing 13 Qc3! Nf4 (13 ... f6 runs into 14 d4) 14 Bxf4 exf4 15 d4 with an edge. b24) 12 ... Bg4 may be Black’s best try, forcing White’s knight away from the centre. Following 13 Nh4 Nh5 14 f3! Be6 15 g3, we have reached a position that should be slightly better for White. He can prepare to play f4 or gain space on the queenside, while Black defensive task is a bit unpleasant. c) 8 ... Nd7 gives White two main options:

c1) 9 Ng5 and now: c12) 9 ... Qe7! 10 Na5 Rb8 (Black could also try 10 ... 0-0-0!?, with a complicated game) transposes to 9 Na5 below. c12) 9 ... Bxb3?! 10 axb3 f6 11 Ne6! (11 Nf3 gave White a slight edge in Wei Yi-J.Garcia, Ashkhabad 2017, but 11 Ne6 is even stronger) 11 ... Qe7 12 Qg4 g6 allowed White to develop a powerful attack in S.VaibhavS.Maze, Lille 2012, after 13 f4! exf4 14 Bxf4 Bxf4 15 Rxf4 Ne5? 16 Qh3 and Black was already lost. c2) 9 Na5! is probably the most accurate choice. Play may continue 9 ... Rb8 10 Ng5 Qe7 (10 ... Nf8!? 11 Nxe6 Nxe6 12 a4 0-0 13 Qg4 is good for White, one sample line is 13 ... Qe7 14 Nc4 f6 15 Be3 and White will begin to play on the kingside with moves like g3 and h4-h5) 11 Nxe6 Qxe6 12 a4 0-0 13 Nc4 and here Black has several different plans to choose from: c21) 13 ... f5 aims for kingside activity, but after 14 exf5 Qxf5 15 Be3 Black is stuck with an isolated e-pawn. c22) 13 ... b6 was tried in V.Anand-T.Radjabov, Dubai (blitz) 2014. White can play 14 Qf3 aiming to put pressure on Black’s kingside, play

may continue 14 ... a5 15 Ne3 g6 16 Qg3 Rbe8 17 Bd2 with a better position for White. c23) 13 ... c5 was seen in D.Svetushkin-D.Dvirnyy, Skopje 2016. The game continued instructively: 14 b3 Rbe8 15 Qh5! b6 16 Bb2 f6 17 Rae1 Nb8 18 g3 Nc6 19 f4 and Black’s position became extremely dangerous. 9 Na5 9 Qe1?! as seen in I.Saric-L.Fressinet, Germany 2016, looks too slow. Black could have played 9 ... 0-0-0! with a double-edged position, but one where Black is definitely not worse. 9 ... Rb8 9 ... 0-0-0!? is a sharp try. White can try: a) 10 Bd2 was R.Robson-L.Dominguez Perez, St. Louis 2019, the game saw 10 ... Bg4 11 Rb1 Nd7 and here: a1) 12 Nc4 was Ray Robson’s choice, which was met by 12 ... Qf6 and Black soon took on f3, obtaining a better endgame. a2) 12 h3! looks slightly risky as it creates a slight weakness in front of the king, but it was a more accurate choice. The point is that after 12 ... Bh5 White can play 13 b4 leading to sharp play, and 13 ... Qf6? (13 ... f5! should be preferred, with a double-edged game) is now a blunder due to 14 g4 followed by Bg5. b) 10 a3! looks like an improvement over the Robson-Dominguez game mentioned above, as it doesn’t commit the c1-bishop to a square yet. Some sample lines are 10 ... Bg4 (or 10 ... h6 11 b4 g5 12 c4 g4 13 Ne1 c5 14 Qb3 and White has a powerful kingside attack) 11 b4 Nd7 12 h3 Bh5 13 Qe1!! (13 c4 is more natural and playable as well) allows White to get out of the pin on the h5-d1 diagonal without doubling his kingside pawns. The idea is to meet 13 ... Bxf3 with 14 Qe3 and after 14 ... Kb8 (14 ... Qf6? 15 Qxa7 wins for White) 15 Qxf3 White’s queenside attack seems more dangerous than Black’s play on the kingside. For example, 15 ... h5 16 Rb1 Rdg8 (the immediate 16 ... g5 should be met by 17 Qf5 followed by c4; if Black plays 17 ... g4!? then 18 h4! is strong) 17 Be3 g5 sees Black threatening to play ... g4, so White should play 18 Qf5! when 18 ... Rg6 (18 ... g4 is met by 19 c4) gives White enough time to breakthrough on the queenside with 19 b5! and if Black tries 19 ... c5 then White has 20 Nc6+ bxc6 21 Qxd7! leading to a much better endgame. 10 b3 0-0 11 a4!

  Question: What is the purpose of 11 a4 - ?   Answer: 11 a4 simply improves White’s position by gaining space on the queenside. a4 also helps to prepare Nc4, as it makes it much more difficult for Black to play ... b5. 11 Nc4 Bxc4 12 bxc4 b5! gives Black counterplay. 11 ... Bb4 11 ... Nd7 allows 12 Ng5, and after Nxe6 White will have an advantage. 12 Nc4 12 Bd2 also looks slightly better for White, for example, 12 ... Bxd2 13 Qxd2 Bg4 14 Qe3 Nd7 15 Nc4 and White can slowly prepare to play f4, or he can try expanding on the queenside. Either way, Black’s position is a bit unpleasant. 12 ... Bxc4 Or:

a) 12 ... Rbd8 13 Qe2 Nd7 14 Ne3 is slightly better for White. One sample line is 14 ... f6 15 Nh4 g6 16 Bb2 and White will try to play f4 soon. b) 12 ... Nd7 can be met by playing 13 Ne3 and White will continue to improve his position with moves like Bb2 and Qe2, and then he will begin to create play on the kingside. 13 bxc4 Nd7 14 Bg5 f6 15 Be3 White is well-prepared to create kingside play with Nh4, Qg4, and f4. 15 ... Bc5

  Exercise: Should White allow Black to exchange bishops or retreat to d2?   16 Nh4 A natural move, preparing to play Nf5. But after the exchange of bishops, Black manages to hold his kingside together and equalize. Answer: 16 Bd2! looks best, avoiding the bishop trade, which could prove to be useful when White begins his play on the kingside. White

should be slightly better in this position, for example, 16 ... Rfe8 17 Nh4 g6 18 g3 Nf8 19 Kh1 and White will try to play f4 next. 16 ... Bxe3 17 fxe3 g6 18 Qg4 Rbe8 19 Rf3 Even though White has the open f-file, Black defends accurately and makes it difficult for White to achieve anything on the kingside. 19 ... Qe6 20 Qg3 Kf7 21 a5 b5! 22 axb6 axb6 23 Ra7?!

23 Rff1 was better, with a close to equal position. 23 ... Qd6 23 ... Ra8! would have put White under some pressure. 24 Rxc7 is critical, but 24 ... Ke7 threatens ... Kd8 and forces White to play 25 c5 bxc5 26 Rb7, and after 26 ... Ra1+ 27 Rf1 Rfa8 Black is much better. 24 Qh3 Ke7 25 Rf1 Ra8 26 Rxa8 Rxa8 27 Nf3! Forcing Black to weaken his kingside. 27 ... h5 28 Qg3 g5 29 Qf2 Qe6 30 d4 The immediate 30 h4! may have been even stronger. 30 ... c5?! 30 ... Kd8 31 dxe5 Kc8! was better, bringing the king to safety.

31 d5 Qg8 32 h4!

32 ... gxh4?! Allowing White’s knight to control the excellent f5-square. 32 ... Qg7 could be tried, but Black likely has too many weaknesses in his position. 32 ... g4 33 Nd2 also looks difficult for Black. 33 Nxh4 Ra2 34 Nf5+ Kd8 35 Qd2 Ra3 36 Rf3 h4 37 Rh3 Ra4 38 Rxh4 Rxc4 39 d6 cxd6 40 Nxd6 Ra4 41 Rh8 1-0 The 6 ... Bd6 variation is a very solid choice from Black, when it seems that White’s best choice is to play 7 Nbd2, transposing to a line that is typically seen through 6 Nbd2 Be6. The idea we looked at in this game with 8 Nb3!? gives Black some problems to solve, as his position can become quite unpleasant if White is able to maintain his knight on a5. 8 ... a5 seems like a reasonable way for Black to play, but after 9 Qe1!, White still manages to put Black under some queenside pressure. Our main game saw 8 ... Qe7, and White was able to obtain a slightly better pawn structure after 12 ... Bxc4 13 bxc4. In the middlegame, it would have been best for White

to play 16 Bd2!, keeping the bishops on the board, and making a potential kingside attack more dangerous for Black.

Game 17

F.Caruana-J.Xiong

US Championship, St. Louis 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 Qe7 7 Nbd2 White would like to play 7 h3?!, as it prevents Black from playing his main idea of ... Bg4 followed by ... Nd7. However, Black has 7 ... Rg8! which became well-known after the game L.Aronian-V.Kramnik, Berlin 2018. In L.Felytin-V.Susedenko, correspondence 2014, White tried 8 Nbd2 g5 9 d4! Bxd4 10 Nxd4 exd4 11 e5 and gained some counterplay, but Black still has a better position. 7 c3 aims to play d4, expanding in the centre, but Black can play 7 ... Bg4! S.Ottesen-M.Tornow, correspondence 2019, continued 8 h3 Bh5 9 Nbd2 a5 10 Qe2 0-0 11 Nc4 Nd7 with a completely fine position for Black. 7 ... Bg4 Or: a) 7 ... 0-0 8 Nc4 Nd7 9 c3! prepares to play d4 and take control of the centre. Now: a1) 9 ... a5!? gives White several options: a11) 10 a4 could be tried, but then 10 ... b6! with the idea of ... Ba6 and ... Rfd8 leads to some counterplay for Black. a12) White obtains a more pleasant position after 10 Re1, Black can try 10 ... b5 to push away White’s c4-knight (which was putting pressure on Black’s centre), but after 11 Ne3 the threats of Nf5 and d4 give Black some problems. a13) An interesting alternative is 10 b3!?, preventing Black from playing ... a4 and also protecting the c4-knight in case Black plays ... b6 followed by ... Ba6. a2) 9 ... Bd6 10 a4 (10 Re1 would be fine as well, but Black doesn’t have any immediate ideas, so it makes sense to play a4 first and gain some space on the queenside) 10 ... Nb6 (10 ... a5 is met by 11 Re1 and White will likely play d4 on the next move or two) 11 Nxd6 cxd6 12 a5 Nd7 13 Re1 h6 14 d4 Re8 (or 14 ... Nf6 15 h3 and White will prepare to continue

expanding on the queenside) 15 Be3 exd4 16 Nxd4 Ne5 17 Bf4 and White had a clear advantage in T.Kubicki-A.Yarovoy, correspondence 2016. b) 7 ... a5 8 Nc4 Nd7 9 c3 0-0 transposes to 7 ... 0-0 8 Nc4 Nd7 9 c3 a5!?, which was analysed above. 8 h3 Bh5

At this point, White has a choice between several different moves. We’ll consider 9 Nc4 and the latest preference at the top level, 9 a3. 9 a3! The most forcing and direct continuation. At first sight, it looks like Black can simply play 9 ... a5 and it will be difficult for White to continue his play on the queenside. However, with a couple of forcing moves, we’ll see how White manages to play b4 anyway. 9 Nc4 is a slightly slower approach which doesn’t require as much theory to remember. a) 9 ... 0-0-0!? 10 Qe2 (10 Re1 is similar to 10 Qe2 and should also give White a better position) 10 ... Rhg8 (10 ... Nd7 can be met with 11 a4! and Black is under a lot of pressure; it’s important to note that 11 ... Rhf8

prepares ... f5, and White should play 12 Re1! in order to defend the queen on e2, as after 12 ... f5 13 Bg5 Qxg5 14 Nxg5 Bxe2 15 Rxe2! White obtains a winning endgame) 11 Be3! (11 g4 Nxg4 led to complications in R.Kevlishvili-A.Kashlinskaya, Amsterdam 2018) may not be objectively better than 11 g4, but is much simpler. Play may continue 11 ... Nd7 12 Rfb1 f6 13 a4 g5 14 b4! and White’s queenside attack is much more dangerous than Black’s attack on the kingside. b) 9 ... Nd7 10 Bd2 leads to a further split: b1) 10 ... 0-0-0 11 Qe2! (11 Rb1? prepares to play b4, but Black has 11 ... f5! 12 exf5 e4 13 dxe4 Qxe4 with a much better position) 11 ... f6 12 Rfb1 Nf8 13 b4 Bd6 14 Qe3! attacks the a7-pawn and gets out of the pin with tempo. After 14 ... Kb8 15 Nh4 White is clearly better. b2) 10 ... 0-0 11 g4! Bg6 12 a3 prepares to play b4 and gives White a very pleasant advantage. One sample line is 12 ... a6 13 b4 Ba7 14 Ne3 when White controls the f5-square and will continue to slowly expand on the kingside. b3) 10 ... f6! is best, not showing which side of the board Black intends to castle on. 11 Rb1 (11 b4?! was A.Naiditsch-D.Howell, Batumi 2018, the game continued 11 ... Bxb4 12 Bxb4 Qxb4 13 Rb1 Qe7 14 Rxb7 and Black played 14 ... Nb6!?, temporarily trapping White’s rook on b7 with a very unclear position; 14 ... Nc5 is fine as well, and should lead to a balanced position) and now: b31) 11 ... b5! 12 Ne3 Bxe3 13 Bxe3 Nf8 and because Black is unable to castle on the queenside, White can play 14 g4! and Black isn’t able to take advantage of White’s slightly exposed kingside. A.SherwoodA.Babasyan, correspondence 2018, continued 14 ... Bg6 15 Nh4 Ne6 16 Qd2 and Black was close to equality, but White’s chances look slightly preferable as he can slowly prepare to play f4. b32) 11 ... Nf8 12 b4 Bd6 13 Ne3! (13 Na5?! 0-0-0 followed by a kingside expansion gives Black good play) 13 ... Ne6 14 Nf5 Qd7 15 Be3 is slightly better for White. Likely he will play c3 next and can then gain space in the centre with d4 or push his queenside pawns. b33) 11 ... 0-0 12 b4! gives Black two main options: b331) 12 ... Bd6 13 Ne3 (13 a4 is an interesting alternative that was tried in L.Fenes-A.Talnis, correspondence 2017; the idea is to first gain some space on the queenside and restrict Black’s play, before playing on the

kingside) 13 ... b6 14 a3 c5 15 g4 Bf7 16 Nf5 Qe6 17 N3h4 and White had a pleasant position in G.Dunlop-M.Bescós Anzano, correspondence 2018. b332) 12 ... b5!? 13 g4! (the natural 13 Ne3 is also playable, but not nearly as dangerous for Black) 13 ... Bf7 14 Ncxe5 fxe5 15 bxc5 Nxc5 and the change in pawn structure might at first appear to favour Black, as the ffile is opened for his rook. However, White is able to use the b2-square for his queen and target Black’s weak e5-pawn. V.Gerasimov-M.Ryvkin, correspondence 2015, continued instructively: 16 Kg2! (protecting the knight on f3 before playing Qc1-b2) 16 ... a5 (or 16 ... Bxa2 17 Ra1 Bf7 18 Ra5! followed by Qa1 gives White an overwhelming advantage) 17 Qc1! h6 18 Qb2 Nd7 19 a3 Rfb8 20 Rg1 c5 21 g5 and White won quickly with a powerful kingside attack. 9 ... a5 9 ... Nd7!? prepares to quickly play ... Nf8 and ... Ne6 shortly after, but this move allows White to play b4 and gain space on the queenside. After 10 b4 Bd6 11 Nc4 (11 g4?! looks like a natural move, but it actually allows Black to gain counterplay on the kingside, as we will see in our main game after 9 ... a5, White should only play g4 if Black is unable to castle queenside and create kingside play; V.Anand-I.Cheparinov, Germany 2019, continued 11 ... Bg6 12 Nc4 h5 13 Kg2 0-0-0 and Black should have a much better position, but Anand was able to fight back and even had the better chances at some point) Black can play: a) 11 ... 0-0-0?! 12 c3 and White will play a4 next and quickly create a strong queenside attack. b) 11 ... 0-0 12 Bd2 (the immediate 12 g4 is a fully playable move as well, because Black has already castled on the kingside and it will be difficult for him to take advantage of White’s slightly exposed kingside; R.Romanov-F.Becsenescu, correspondence 2011, continued 12 ... Bg6 13 Be3 b6 14 Qd2 Rfe8 15 Qc3 and Black lacked an active plan) 12 ... Rfe8 13 Ne3 Nf8 14 Nf5 Qd8 15 g4! (15 Ng3 was played in F.Tieken-H.Packroff, correspondence 2015, but after 15 ... Bxf3 16 Qxf3 g6 White only had a slight advantage) followed by Kh2, Rg1, and h4 looks very dangerous for Black. One sample line is 15 ... Bg6 16 Kh2 (16 Kg2!? followed by Rh1 and h4 also deserves consideration) 16 ... Ne6 17 Rg1 f6 18 h4 Bf7 19 Qf1 and with accurate play, Black should be able to hold on the kingside, but White’s space advantage and more active pieces still give him the slightly better chances.

c) 11 ... Nf8!? and now: c1) 12 Na5?! 0-0-0 13 Be3?! (13 c4! immediately would be best, when the play is extremely double-edged) 13 ... Ne6 14 c4 appears at first to be good for White, as his attack on the queenside looks much more advanced than Black’s attack. However, Black can obtain an overwhelming position by playing 14 ... f5! 15 exf5 e4 when 16 dxe4 is met by 16 ... Bh2+. c2) 12 Be3! f6 (12 ... Ne6 drops a pawn to 13 g4 Bg6 14 Nfxe5 Bxe5 15 Nxe5, Black can try 15 ... 0-0-0, but shouldn’t have nearly enough compensation after 16 Qf3) 13 Na5! is only played now, as Black’s ideas with ... 0-0-0 and ... f5 are much less effective here. Play may continue 13 ... 0-0-0 14 c4 (14 Bxa7? f5! gives Black counterplay) 14 ... f5? (better is 14 ... Qd7, but after 15 Qa4! White develops a powerful queenside attack) is simply a blunder here without the Black knight on e6. For example, 15 c5 (or 15 Bg5) 15 ... fxe4 16 dxe4 Bxc5 17 Bxc5 is winning for White. d) 11 ... f6

White can play:

d1) 12 Na5!? is a very interesting untested idea. The main point is seen after 12 ... 0-0-0 (12 ... Rb8 13 Nc4 followed by Ne3 is slightly better for White, because Black is unable to castle on the queenside) 13 Qe1! and now 13 ... Bxf3 is met by 14 Qe3!, when the most natural continuation seems to be 14 ... c5 15 bxc5 Bxc5 16 Qxf3 and while Black definitely has chances for counterplay in this complicated position, White’s position looks slightly better. d2) 12 Be3 makes sense, intending to meet 12 ... Nf8 with 13 Na5!, but Black can switch plans and play 12 ... 0-0! with a completely fine position, as White would much rather have his knight on the e3-square instead of the bishop. d3) 12 Ne3 Nf8 13 Nf5 Qd7 (or 13 ... Qf7 14 Rb1 Ne6 15 Be3 0-0 16 g4 Bg6 17 Nd2 and White will continue to improve his position with moves like h4 and c3 followed by d4) 14 Be3 Ne6 and now: d31) 15 c3 0-0-0 16 Ng3 Bxf3 17 Qxf3 was A.Giri-V.Topalov, Shamkir 2019, and the position was close to rough equality. d32) 15 Rb1!? is another way to prepare an expansion on the queenside, and is possibly slightly more accurate than 15 c3, because now the d3-pawn isn’t weakened. 15 ... 0-0-0 (15 ... 0-0? would run into 16 Nxe5) 16 a4 gives White good attacking prospects. Finally, 9 ... 0-0 10 b4 Bb6 (10 ... Bd6 11 Nc4 Nd7 transposes to a variation discussed above: 9 ... Nd7 10 b4 Bd6 11 Nc4 0-0) 11 Bb2 Nd7 12 g4! was seen in J.Malisauskiene-A.Gorbunova, correspondence 2017, play continued 12 ... Bg6 13 Nc4 f6 14 Nh4 Qe6 15 Qd2 a6 16 Nxb6 cxb6 17 f4 and Black was stuck defending passively while White built up play on the kingside. 10 Nc4 Nd7 11 g4 11 Ne3 is a safe alternative, but not too dangerous for Black. One sample line is 11 ... f6! 12 Nf5! Qf7 13 Ng3 Bxf3 14 Qxf3 and White can play Be3 next and maybe Rab1 followed by b4. The chances should be roughly equal in this position. 11 ... Bg6

  Exercise: Black is ready to either strike back on the kingside with ... h5, or close up the queenside with ... a4 on his next move. How should White continue?   Answer: 12 b4! Actively gaining space on the queenside and not worrying about 12 ... axb4. 12 ... Bb6!? The most popular move has been 12 ... axb4 and after 13 Bg5 f6, 14 axb4 takes advantage of Black’s undefended rook on a8. Now: a) 14 ... Rb8!? is untested in practice but a serious option to consider, as it moves the a8-rook out of danger and maintains the option of playing ... h5. Play may continue 15 Bxf6 gxf6 16 bxc5 h5! 17 Nh4! and some sample lines are 17 ... Nf8 (or 17 ... Qh7 18 Nxg6 Qxg6 19 f4! and White should be slightly better) 18 Kh2! (18 Nf5!? Qh7 19 Kh2 Ne6 should give Black

adequate compensation) 18 ... hxg4 19 Qxg4 Bh5 20 Qg3 with a complicated position, but one where Black’s play looks much more difficult than White’s. b) 14 ... Rxa1 15 Qxa1 Bd6 16 Nxd6+! (16 Qa8+ led to a roughly equal endgame after 16 ... Qd8 17 Qxd8+ Kxd8 18 Ra1 in V.Anand-H.Nakamura, St. Louis (blitz) 2017) 16 ... cxd6 17 Be3 is best, and gives White a comfortable advantage. Play may continue 17 ... 0-0 18 Qa7! Rb8 19 Nh4 and White is prepared to gain space with c4 and f4. The immediate attempt for counterplay 19 ... d5!? is best met by 20 Bc5! Qe6 21 Nf5 and White’s well-placed pieces and control over the a-file give him an excellent position. c) 14 ... 0-0 15 Rxa8 Rxa8 16 Bxf6 gxf6 (protecting the e5-pawn) 17 bxc5 Nxc5 18 Ne3 (White has also tried 18 h4!? which looks slightly unpleasant for Black as well) 18 ... Ne6 19 Qd2 Qc5 20 h4

In M.Rüfenacht-L.Mezera, correspondence 2017, White was able to put serious pressure on Black’s position. Play continued 20 ... b5 21 Kh2 Kh8

22 h5 Be8 23 Nf5 Qf8 24 d4 and White had a much better position, although Black was able to hold. 13 bxa5!? Preventing Black from castling queenside, but also releasing some of the pressure White has on Black’s position. Others: a) 13 Bd2 is a natural move for White, simply putting more pressure on Black’s a5-pawn. However, Black has 13 ... a4! closing up the queenside and he is well-prepared to play ... h5 and ... 0-0-0 soon. b) 13 Bb2 is a reasonable way to put Black under a bit of pressure. Play may continue 13 ... f6 14 Nh4! a4 15 Nxb6 Nxb6 (15 ... cxb6?! weakens Black’s queenside pawn structure, making it more difficult for him to castle long; White is much better after 16 Bc1! followed by Be3 and f4) 16 f4 Nd7 17 fxe5 Nxe5 18 Qe1 and a complicated position is reached with close to equal chances. c) 13 Nxb6! seems to be the best try for an advantage. After 13 ... cxb6 White should continue developing actively and play 14 Be3! (14 Bd2 is met by 14 ... a4! followed by ... b5. White can probably fight for an edge here, but Black has a very solid position) and now Black has several options to consider: c1) 14 ... b5 15 Qb1! 0-0 16 Qb2 and one idea for White in this position is to play Kg2 followed by Ng1-e2-g3. c2) 14 ... 0-0 is also met by 15 Qb1 followed by Qb2. White retains a small advantage here as Black lacks active play, while White can slowly improve his position and put some pressure on Black’s kingside. c3) 14 ... a4 15 Qd2 b5 closes the queenside, but White can prepare a kingside expansion. For example, 16 Rae1 0-0 17 Kg2 h6 18 Ng1! followed by Ne2 and f4. c4) 14 ... h5!? aims for quick kingside counterplay, and forces White to play several accurate moves. 15 g5 h4! 16 Qe1! (16 Qd2 Bh5 17 Kg2 is playable as well, but 16 Qe1 keeps the d2-square open for the f3-knight) 16 ... Bh5 17 Kg2! (not 17 Nxh4?? Bf3! 18 Nxf3 Qe6 and Black wins) with another split: c41) 17 ... Qe6?! threatens ... Bxf3 and ... Qxh3, but because White played 16 Qe1 instead of 16 Qd2, he has 18 Nd2! with a clearly better position. c42) 17 ... Bxf3+ 18 Kxf3 Nf8 (or 18 ... 0-0 19 Kg2) 19 bxa5 bxa5 20 Qc3 is a bit better for White, despite the king’s awkward placement on f3.

c43) 17 ... f5! 18 exf5 Bxf3+ 19 Kxf3 0-0 and here 20 Ke2 (or 20 f6!?) 20 ... Rxf5 21 f3 is slightly better for White, but the position is quite complicated. 13 ... Bxa5 14 Bb2 f6 15 Nxa5 Rxa5 16 Nh4 0-0 The surprising 16 ... Kd8!? is a very playable alternative to the move Black chose in the game. For example, 17 a4 Kc8 18 Bc3 Ra6 19 a5 Nf8 and although Black’s rook on a6 is completely out of play, he should be able to create some counterplay on the kingside. 17 Nf5 Qe6

  Exercise: How should White prepare to attack on the kingside?   Answer: 18 Kh2! The immediate 18 f4 isn’t bad, but it leads to a roughly balanced position after 18 ... c5 19 Qd2 Ra6 and if White retreats his f5-knight (in order to play f5), Black will play ... exf4. 18 ... c5 19 h4 c4?!

19 ... h6! is stronger, as now 20 h5?! (20 Rg1 could be tried, slowly preparing to breakthrough on the kingside, but Black’s position seems fairly solid) can be met by 20 ... Bh7! 20 h5 Bf7 21 Rg1 cxd3 21 ... h6 is met by 22 Bc1! intending Bxh6 next or Qd2 followed by Nxg7. 22 cxd3 Rb5

  Exercise: How should White respond to the threat to his bishop?   Answer: 23 Bc1! The bishop on c1 puts pressure on the c1-h6 diagonal and will be a useful piece in White’s kingside attack. 23 ... Kh8 24 Be3 Rb3 25 Rg3 c5 26 Qe2 g5?! Stopping White from playing g5, but this weakens Black’s pawn structure. White accurately takes advantage of the weaknesses on Black’s kingside and manages to win the game without any problems.

27 hxg6 Bxg6 28 a4 Qa6 29 Bh6 Rg8 30 Rag1 Qxa4 31 Ne7 Qd4 32 Qd1 c4 33 Nxg8 Kxg8 34 dxc4 Rxg3 35 Qxd4 exd4 36 Kxg3 Bxe4 37 Rd1 d3 38 f3 Bg6 39 Ra1 Kf7 40 Ra7 Nc5 41 Be3 Ke8 42 Bxc5 d2 43 Ra8+ Kd7 44 Bb6 Kc6 45 Ba5 1-0 The 6 ... Qe7 variation is an important line for our repertoire against the Berlin, because Black aims to develop actively with ... Bg4 and ... Nd7. On White’s 9th move, we have a decision to make between 9 Nc4 and 9 a3. Both moves give White reasonable chances for an edge, but 9 a3 would be my preference, and it has been the most popular choice recently at the top level. After 9 a3, Black can ignore White’s queenside expansion and play 9 ... Nd7, which leads to very sharp play, but White should be able to put Black under some pressure here. Our main game saw 9 ... a5, which appears to prevent White from playing b4, but White is able to play this anyway after several active moves. I like White’s chances in the 9 ... a5 variation, and it seems that Black faces an unpleasant defence in many of these lines.

Game 18

Wang Hao-D.Howell

Gibraltar 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 Nd7 7 c3!

Preparing to play d4 and gain control of the centre. This plan is one of the main reasons we start with 6 0-0, rather than 6 Nbd2. 7 ... 0-0 Others: a) 7 ... Bd6 8 d4 (8 Bg5?! would be inaccurate because of 8 ... f6, and 9 Bh4?! runs into 9 ... h5! giving Black a powerful attack on the kingside) 8 ... h6!? (8 ... 0-0 transposes to the main lines we will see after 7 ... 0-0) seems to be the only serious independent option that Black gains by playing 7 ... Bd6 first before castling. 9 Nbd2 and now: a1) 9 ... exd4 is best met by playing 10 Nxd4! preparing to play f4. After 10 ... 0-0 the immediate 11 f4!? (11 Nc4 transposes to 9 ... 0-0) is possible, leading to a double edge position. One sample line is 11 ... Nb6 12 e5 Bc5 13 Ne4 Bxd4+ 14 cxd4 Bf5 15 Nc5 and White’s position looks promising, although Black has chances for counterplay as well. a2) 9 ... 0-0 10 Nc4! (10 Re1 exd4 11 cxd4 looks good for White, due to his strong control over the centre, but 11 ... Nb6! preparing to play ... f5 next gives Black sufficient counterplay) 10 ... exd4 11 Nxd4 Re8 (11 ... Bc5

can be met by 12 Bf4 Re8 13 Re1 Nf6 14 f3 with a slight edge for White due to his strong central control; even though Black does have the two bishops, it’s difficult for him to develop the c8-bishop and find active play) 12 Re1 Nf8 13 Qc2 Ng6 is quite solid for Black, but I think he still has some problems to solve before obtaining equality. For example, 14 Be3 Bf4 (or 14 ... Bf8 15 f4) 15 g3 Bxe3 16 Nxe3 Ne5 17 Qe2 and Black’s position is slightly uncomfortable. b) 7 ... h6 8 d4 exd4 (8 ... Bd6 transposes to 7 ... Bd6) 9 cxd4 Bd6 10 Nc3! (slightly inaccurate is 10 Be3?! 0-0 11 Nbd2, as White’s pieces aren’t fully prepared to meet Black’s typical counterplay with ... f5; for example, 11 ... Nb6 12 Ne5 Qe8 13 f4 f6 and ... f5 next gives Black good play) 10 ... 0-0 11 h3 gives Black several options: b1) 11 ... Nb6 sees Black preparing to gain counterplay with ... f5, but White can meet this with the energetic 12 Ne5! and it is quite difficult for Black to find a reasonable plan in this position. For example, 12 ... f5 (or 12 ... Qe8 13 Bf4) 13 f4! fxe4 14 Nxe4 with an active position for White. b2) The immediate 11 ... f5?! is met by 12 Qb3+! Kh8 13 e5 Be7 14 Re1 Nb6 15 Bd2 and Black isn’t in time to set up a light-squared blockade. White will soon be playing e6, cramping Black’s position. b3) 11 ... a5!? gains space on the queenside and may be the best plan Black has available. White can try to slowly improve his position with 12 Re1 (or 12 Ne2!? with the idea of Bf4 is interesting; play may continue 12 ... Nb6 13 Bf4 f5 14 Bxd6 cxd6 15 Qb3+ followed by e5) 12 ... Nb6 13 Bd2 and objectively the position should be close to equal, but White’s strong centre still gives Black some problems to solve. 8 d4 Bd6 Or 8 ... exd4 9 cxd4 and now: a) 9 ... Be7 10 Nc3 b5?! (Black usually doesn’t have a clear plan in these positions where he plays ... exd4, because it is difficult to play against White’s strong centre, but here 10 ... Nb6 was stronger; White should play 11 Re1 and 11 ... f5?! can be met by playing 12 Ne5! fxe4 13 Qb3+ Nd5 14 Rxe4 with a good position for White) was a sharp but dubious way to fight for counterplay in V.Anand-H.Nakamura, Paris (rapid) 2019. The game continued 11 Bf4 Bb7 12 Qc2 a6 13 Rad1 Qc8 and here White exchanged off a pair of knights with 14 Ne5. Instead, I think White should try 14 a4! followed by Rfe1-e3, slowly improving his position, as Black lacks active

play. White could also gain a clear advantage by playing 14 Ne2!?, transferring the knight to g3. b) 9 ... Bb6 sees Black’s dark-squared bishop putting some pressure on White’s centre, although the bishop isn’t optimally placed here. 10 Bg5! (Normal development with 10 Nc3 h6 11 Be3 Re8 12 Re1 should also give White a slight edge, but Black’s position is solid) reaches another split: b1) 10 ... Nf6? is a blunder, but only if White starts with 11 a4! (11 e5? h6 12 Bh4 g5 13 Nxg5 Qxd4 is fine for Black, as 14 Qxd4 Bxd4 15 exf6 Bxb2 traps White’s rook on a1) 11 ... a5 and now 12 e5 h6 13 Bh4 g5 14 Nxg5 is excellent for White; because the a-pawns are on a4 and a5, White’s rook has an escape square on a2: 14 ... Qxd4 15 Qxd4 Bxd4 16 Nf3 Bxb2 17 Ra2! with a winning position. b2) 10 ... f6 11 Be3 Re8 12 Qb3+ Kh8 13 Nc3 Nf8 14 h3 gives White a slight advantage due to his central control. b3) 10 ... Qe8 is probably Black’s best continuation, but it is difficult to see how Black will be fighting back against White’s powerful centre. One sample line is 11 a4 a5 12 Nc3 h6 13 Be3 Nf6 14 Qc2 with an advantage for White, 14 ... Bg4 is simply met by 15 Ne5! 9 Bg5

  Question: What is the purpose of Bg5 - ?   Answer: The purpose of 9 Bg5 is to activate the bishop while slightly disrupting Black’s development. Another important point, which we will see in our next game, is that White can often play Bh4-g3, putting pressure on Black’s centre. If White instead played a passive developing move like 9 Be3?!, Black easily finds good squares for his pieces and can create counterplay against White’s centre. For example, 9 ... Re8 10 Nbd2 exd4 11 cxd4 c5! 9 ... Be7 Not the most popular move, and I think White has good chances to gain a slight advantage here. White has a choice between retreating his bishop (to e3) or exchanging on e7. Exchanging on e7 seems like the most natural move, White eliminates Black’s bishop pair and will try to focus on controlling the centre. However, retreating to e3 is logical as well, because White has a space advantage and should try to keep pieces on the board. I

think 10 Bxe7 gives White slightly better chances for an edge, but the play does become a bit simpler. The two main lines: 9 ... f6 and 9 ... Qe8 will be looked at in the next game. 10 Be3 Or 10 Bxe7! Qxe7 11 Nbd2 and now: a) 11 ... exd4 12 cxd4! (12 Nxd4 is possible as well, but 12 ... Nf6 13 Qc2 c5 14 Ne2 b6 was fine for Black in A.Naiditsch-J.Zhou, China 2017) 12 ... Rd8 13 Qb3 Nf8 14 Rfc1 Ne6 (14 ... a5!? could also be tried; White can ignore it, or play 15 a4, in either case Black’s play isn’t easy) 15 Qe3 looks like a slight advantage for White, as his centre is well supported. This makes it difficult for Black to come up with a good plan, as his pieces lack good squares. b) Maintaining the tension with 11 ... Rd8!? deserves attention as well. White can slowly improve his position by playing 12 Re1 a5 (12 ... exd4 is similar to the variation we looked at above with 11 ... exd4, White should be slightly better after 13 cxd4 Nf8 14 Qc2) 13 Qc2 and White can play Nc4 or Nf1 next, and Black will likely take on d4 soon, giving White a comfortable position. Without ... exd4, it would be difficult for Black to develop his pieces. c) 11 ... c5! aims to close the centre looks like the critical line for White to deal with. White should play 12 d5! (12 Re1?! allows 12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 cxd4 14 Nxd4 Rd8 with a completely fine position for Black) and here the most natural plan for Black is to manoeuvre his knight to the d6-square: 12 ... Nf6 13 Re1 Ne8! (13 ... Bg4 could also be tried before playing ... Ne8; White has several interesting plans to choose from, but I think the best is 14 Nc4! Bxf3 15 Qxf3 Ne8 16 b4! and White has good play on the queenside) 14 b4! (otherwise Black could play ... Nd6 and his position would be quite solid). Play may continue 14 ... cxb4 15 cxb4 Nd6 16 Qb3 and White can play Rac1 next, obtaining good play along the open c-file. White can also gain space on the queenside with moves like a4 and b5. 10 ... exd4 11 cxd4

  Exercise: Should Black create counterplay against White’s centre with 11 ... f5 or 11 ... c5 - ?   Answer: 11 ... f5! Breaking apart White’s centre and opening the f-file for the rook. 11 ... c5 is another way to fight back against White’s centre, but the resulting pawn structure favours White: 12 Nc3 cxd4 13 Nxd4 Nf6 14 Qe2! (not fearing ... Ng4; the slower 14 h3 allows 14 ... c5 15 Nf3 Qxd1 giving Black nearly equal chances) 14 ... Ng4 (14 ... c6 15 Rad1 Qc7 16 h3 is very comfortable for White because of his active pieces and good control over the centre) 15 Rad1 Nxe3 16 Qxe3 Bc5 17 Na4 and even though Black does have the two bishops, White’s pieces are well-placed and he can start to expand in the centre with e5 and f4. 12 exf5

12 e5? is a serious mistake, after 12 ... Nb6 White’s central pawns are blockaded and Black can quickly develop a kingside attack with moves such as ... h6 and ... g5. 12 ... Rxf5 13 Qb3+!? White’s idea is to develop his queen with tempo and quickly bring in his other pieces. The only problem with this move is that the f3-knight now lacks protection. 13 Nc3 is a natural alternative and now: a) 13 ... Nf8?! 14 Ne5 followed by f4 is extremely dangerous for Black. b) 13 ... Bd6 14 Re1 Nf8 15 Nd2 and Nde4 next leads to a roughly balanced position. c) 13 ... Nb6 14 Re1 (14 Ne5!? Be6 15 f4 is another playable option) and White can slowly improve the activity of his pieces with moves like Ne5, Qc2, and Rad1. 13 ... Kh8 14 Nbd2 Now if White plays 14 Nc3?! Black has 14 ... Rxf3! 15 gxf3 Qf8 with good compensation for the exchange. 14 ... Bd6 A natural move, improving the dark-squared bishop and trying to put some pressure on White’s kingside. 14 ... Nb6 is another possibility, preparing to play either ... Qd5 or ... Nd5. White can start by simply improving his position with 15 Rfe1 and here Black has: a) 15 ... Qd5 16 Qxd5 (keeping the queens on with 16 Qc2 Be6 17 Ne5 leads to a complicated middlegame) 16 ... Nxd5 17 Bg5 is a slightly better endgame for White. b) 15 ... Nd5 16 Ne5 looks comfortable for White, as Black isn’t easily able to get rid of White’s knight on e5. For example, 16 ... Bd6 is met by 17 Ndc4! (17 Ndf3 is also possible) and Black has difficulties developing his pieces. He can try 17 ... Qh4!? (17 ... Qg8 18 f3 Nb6 19 Qc3 gives White a slight edge) creating some threats on the kingside. The critical line runs 18 f3 Rh5 19 h3 Bxh3 20 Bf2 Qf6 21 gxh3 Rxh3 22 Re4! Qg5+ 23 Kf1 Qh5 24 Ke2 and White’s king is fairly safe on e2, while Black shouldn’t be able to create enough play to compensate for the material lost. 15 Rae1

It’s always difficult to decide which rook to place on e1, but here I think White might have made a slight inaccuracy. 15 Rfe1 and one variation showing the advantage of 15 Rfe1 is seen after 15 ... h6 16 Ne4 Rxf3 17 gxf3 Nf8, and compared to the line we will see on the note to Black’s 16th move (16 ... Rxf3), 18 Bd2 is possible, because here ... Bh3 is pointless, as White’s rook isn’t trapped on f1. 15 ... h6 16 Ne4 16 Nc4 is natural to fight for the e5-square, but then 16 ... Rxf3! is slightly stronger than the variation we will examine after 16 Ne4 Rxf3, as White has less defenders for his king. 16 ... Nf8 16 ... Rxf3!? 17 gxf3 Nf8 intending to play ... Bh3 gives Black good compensation for the exchange. White can try 18 Qf7! because now 18 ... Bh3?? loses to 19 Bxh6! gxh6 20 Nf6. Instead, 18 ... Be6! is best, but after 19 Qh5 White has defended the h3-square. Still, Black has decent compensation because of his bishop pair and White’s weakened kingside pawn structure.

17 Nxd6 17 Ne5 Bxe5 18 dxe5 Qd5 (18 ... Rxe5? immediately gives back the pawn due to 19 Bxh6 gxh6 20 Qc3) 19 Qc2 Rxe5 20 Ng3 and White has good compensation for the pawn as he can easily develop threats on the kingside, while Black’s pieces are undeveloped. 17 ... cxd6 18 Bc1 b6 19 Qc2 Bd7 20 Nd2 d5?!

20 ... Qh4 is an improvement, preventing the move White played in the game, while 20 ... c5!? was also an interesting alternative.   Exercise: How should White begin active play on the kingside?   Answer: 21 f4! Threatening g4 followed by f5, when Black will severely lack space. 21 ... Rf6?! 21 ... Ng6! was stronger, but after 22 Nf3 Rf6 23 Ne5 Black is still under some pressure. 22 f5!

Gaining space on the kingside and restricting the f8-knight. 22 ... c5 23 Re5?! 23 g4! ignores Black’s threat of ... cxd4 and gives White a winning position. For example, 23 ... cxd4 24 Nf3 Bb5 25 Rf2 d3 26 Qd1 and Black’s pieces are too passive to deal with White’s upcoming kingside attack. 23 ... Bb5 24 Rfe1 cxd4 25 Nf3 d3 26 Qb3 Bc4 27 Qc3 Rc8 28 Qd4 Bxa2 29 Bd2 b5 30 Re7 Qb6 31 Rxa7?

After the queens are exchanged, it would be much better for White to have his bishop on the d4-square, instead of his knight, because the bishop can target the weak g7-pawn. Thus: 31 Be3! Qxd4 32 Bxd4 Rxf5 33 Rxg7 and White wins. 31 ... Qxd4+ 32 Nxd4 Rc4 33 Nf3 Ra4 34 Ree7 Rxf5 35 Rxg7 Ne6 36 Rh7+ Kg8 37 Rae7 Rg4 38 Rxh6 d4 39 h3 Rg7 40 Rexe6?! Bxe6 41 Nxd4 Bd5 42 Nxf5 Rxg2+ 43 Kf1 Rxd2 44 Ne7+ Kg7 45 Nf5+ Kf8 46 Rf6+ Ke8 47 Ne3 Bc4 48 Rf2 Rc2 49 Ke1 Rc1+ 50 Kd2 Rh1 51 Rf3 Rh2+ 52 Kc3 d2 53 Rf4 d1N+ 54 Nxd1 Rxh3+ 55 Kb4 Rb3+ 56 Kc5

Kd7 57 Rf2 Rh3 58 Nc3 Rh5+ 59 Kd4 Rh4+ 60 Ne4 Kc6 61 Rf6+ Kc7 62 b4 Bg8 63 Ke5 Rh5+ 64 Kd4 Rh4 65 Ke5 ½-½ In this game, we started our examination of the solid 6 ... Nd7 line. We meet this by playing 7 c3, aiming to gain space in the centre and give Black difficulties in developing his pieces. Although Black’s position is solid, it often isn’t easy for him to come up with a good plan, or to find good squares for his pieces. The 9 ... Be7 variation was played in our main game, which allows White to either exchange off the dark-squared bishops with 10 Bxe7, or to retreat and play 10 Be3. Due to Black’s lack of space, it makes sense to keep the bishops on as White did in the game, but 11 ... f5! gave Black decent fighting chances. I think 10 Bxe7 is a bit more accurate, eliminating Black’s bishop pair advantage and playing for a small advantage in a slightly simpler position.

Game 19

P.Eljanov-T.Radjabov

Shamkir 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 Nd7 7 c3 0-0 8 d4 Bd6 9 Bg5 f6 9 ... Qe8

  Question: Is there a major difference between 10 Nbd2 and 10 Re1 - ?   Answer: Although the move order isn’t extremely important, I think 10 Re1 is slightly less accurate than 10 Nbd2, because Nbd2 is a move White needs to play in almost every line, while it is possible to play without moving the rook to e1. Let’s have a look at both options: a) 10 Re1 f6 11 Bh4 Qf7 (11 ... Kh8?! 12 Nbd2 Qh5 13 Bg3 exd4 14 Bxd6 cxd6 15 Nxd4 Qxd1 16 Raxd1 was a clearly better endgame for White in R.Robson-N.Theodorou, internet 2019) 12 Nbd2 a5 13 Bg3 Re8 14 Qc2 Nf8 (14 ... a4 15 Rad1 exd4 16 cxd4 Bxg3 17 hxg3 Nb6 18 a3 Be6 19 Rc1 gave White a slight edge in F.Zajsek-M.Ryvkin, correspondence 2017; in general, the opening of the position with ... exd4 favours White, unless Black is able to obtain some immediate counterplay with ... f5 or ... c5) and here White can try:

a1) 15 dxe5 fxe5 16 b3 Ng6 17 Nc4 transposes to the main line of the 10 Nbd2 variation examined below. a2) White should avoid 15 c4?, when 15 ... c5 16 d5 b6 was seen in the famous game Stockfish 8-AlphaZero, London 2018. Without the pawn on c4, it may be possible for White to obtain some play with Nc4. But in this position, Black can just slowly build up pressure on the kingside, while it is difficult for White to find counterplay. a3) 15 b3!? is interesting, preparing to play Nc4. For example, 15 ... Ng6 (or 15 ... Bg4 16 dxe5 fxe5 17 Nh4!) 16 Nc4 a4 17 h3 with a complicated middlegame. b) 10 Nbd2 and Black has: b1) 10 ... h6 11 Bh4 exd4 12 cxd4 (12 Nxd4 Bf4 13 Re1 Ne5 14 Nf1 Ng6 15 Bg3 Qe5 16 Qc2 c5 17 Nf5 was close to balanced in D.HoevenZ.Straka, correspondence 2016, but this pawn structure should give White a slightly easier game in practical play) looks much more natural, and it isn’t easy for Black to create counterplay in this position. Play may continue 12 ... Nb6 13 Re1 a5 14 Rc1 when White seems better, due to his strong centre, but Black’s position is pretty solid. b2) 10 ... c5!? 11 dxe5 (11 Re1?! is met by 11 ... cxd4 12 cxd4 exd4 and now 13 Nxd4?! runs into 13 ... Bxh2+ 14 Kxh2 Qe5+) is best, White cannot really maintain the tension in the centre as it isn’t supported well enough. After 11 ... Nxe5 12 Nxe5 Bxe5 13 f4 f6, White has a choice: b21) 14 Bh4 Bd6 15 Qe2 (15 Qf3!? makes it more difficult for Black to play ... b6 and also deserves attention) 15 ... b6 16 Rae1 looks unpleasant for Black, but he should be fine objectively. b22) 14 fxe5 fxg5 15 Qb3+ Rf7 16 Rxf7 Qxf7 17 Qd5 was about equal in J.Potrata-L.Lendero, correspondence 2017. b3) 10 ... Qe6!? is an alternative way for Black to develop his queen (instead of 10 ... f6 and 11 ... Qf7). Play may continue 11 Re1 Re8 12 Bh4 b6 13 Qc2 a5 14 Rad1 Ba6 15 b3 Qg6 16 Nc4 and White had a slight edge in N.Bernal Varela-D.Fengier, correspondence 2017. b4) 10 ... f6 11 Bh4 Qf7 12 Bg3! (putting pressure on Black’s centre; 12 Re1 transposes to the 10 Re1 variation) 12 ... a5!? (12 ... Re8 13 Qc2 isn’t easy for Black to play, for example, 13 ... Nf8 is well met by 14 dxe5! fxe5 15 Ng5 Qf6 16 Qb3+ and White obtains an advantage after 16 ... Ne6 17 Nxe6 Qxe6 18 Nc4) 13 Qc2 Re8 14 b3! is a very strong idea, preparing to play Nc4. This move also protects the a2-pawn from Black’s queen on f7.

Play may continue 14 ... Nf8 (or 14 ... exd4 15 cxd4 Nf8 16 Nc4 Bxg3 17 hxg3 is slightly better for White; Ne3 and then Nh4 will probably be played next) 15 dxe5 (Eventually White will need to take on e5 as it gives him play on the open d-file; however, it is also possible to delay dxe5 for a couple of moves with 15 Nc4 Ng6 16 Rfe1) 15 ... fxe5 16 Nc4 Ng6 17 Rfe1 and here Black can try: b41) 17 ... Bg4 looks natural, but White has 18 Nh4! Following 18 ... Nf4 (18 ... Nxh4 19 Nxd6 cxd6 20 Bxh4 is slightly better for White because he is able to play along the d-file and attack Black’s weak d6-pawn) is probably Black’s best try, but the position arising after 19 Nf5 Bxf5 20 exf5 b5 21 Nxd6 cxd6 22 Rad1 sees Black under a bit of pressure, as White will be able to attack in the centre. b42) 17 ... a4 18 Nxd6 (18 Rad1 axb3 19 axb3 Bg4 20 Rd3 Nf4 was roughly balanced in N.Daubenfeld-Z.Straka, correspondence 2017) 18 ... cxd6 19 bxa4 (19 c4!? also deserves consideration, White can try to target Black’s d6-pawn) 19 ... Qc4 20 Qb3 looked like it should give White a slightly better endgame in S.Brömme-Y.Efimov, correspondence 2018, but Black was able to hold without too many problems. 10 Qb3+!?

  Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing 10 Qb3 - ?   Answer: 10 Qb3 puts some pressure on Black’s queenside and frees the d1-square for one of his rooks. However, the queen on b3 looks slightly misplaced, and in some variations Black is able to play ... a5 followed by ... a4, gaining a tempo off of White’s queen. 10 Bh4 is a natural alternative, which usually leads to positions like the ones we saw after 9 ... Qe8. Practice has seen: a) 10 ... Qe8 transposes to 9 ... Qe8 after either 10 Re1 or 10 Nbd2. b) 10 ... a5 gains space on the queenside, a typical plan for Black in these positions. Following 11 Nbd2 a4 12 Re1 b5 13 Bg3 Qe7 14 a3 (instead, White could try 14 Nf1! c5 15 Ne3 Qf7 16 Qc2 with ideas of playing b3 or Nf5) was played in F.Tarrío Ocaña-P.Kouba, correspondence 2017, but this move seemed slightly unnecessary. The game continued 14 ...

Qf7 15 Qc2 c5 16 dxe5 fxe5 17 c4 b4 18 Nf1 with a roughly balanced position. c) 10 ... Qe7 11 Nbd2 Re8 (11 ... a5 12 Bg3 Qf7 transposes to the main variation of the 9 ... Qe8 line) 12 Bg3 c5 13 Re1 Qf7

Now: c1) 14 d5!? isn’t a bad move because White is able to use the c4-square for his knight, but it still seems risky to close up the centre so early. Play may continue 14 ... c6?! (instead Black should try 14 ... g6 and slowly prepare to advance his kingside pawns) 15 c4 Nb6 16 Qc2 Bd7 17 a4 Nc8 18 Nf1 Ne7 19 Ne3 and Black had serious problems in W.ZugravM.Romm, correspondence 2016. c2) 14 Qc2! maintaining the central tension makes Black’s play more difficult. One sample line is 14 ... a5 15 Rad1 b6 16 dxe5! Nxe5 17 Nxe5 Bxe5 18 f4 and Black’s position is a bit unpleasant. 10 ... Kh8 11 Bh4 b6 Others:

a) 11 ... exd4!? opens the centre and is a good example of one of Black’s more direct plans in this line: play ... exd4 and aim for quick counterplay with either ... c5 or ... f5. One sample line is 12 cxd4 Nb6 (12 ... c5 should be met by 13 Rd1 followed by Nc3 with a slightly better position for White) 13 Bg3! (13 Nbd2? runs into 13 ... g5 14 Bg3 Bxg3 15 hxg3 g4 and Black wins the d4-pawn) 13 ... f5! 14 Nc3 f4 15 Bh4 Qe8 16 e5 Be7 17 Bxe7 Qxe7 18 Ne4 with a complicated game ahead. b) 11 ... a5! gains space on the queenside and aims to take advantage of White’s slightly misplaced queen on b3. Best is 12 Nbd2 (12 a4?! looks natural, but the inclusion of ... a5 and a4 favours Black; this is seen in the variation 12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 Nb6 14 Bg3 Bb4! and Black is slightly better), when play may continue 12 ... a4 13 Qc2 Qe8 14 Bg3! puts pressure on Black’s centre, which makes it much more difficult for him to create active play on the kingside. Because of this, it looks correct for Black to aim for queenside play: 14 ... c5 15 Rfe1 (15 d5?! would be a serious mistake; White needs to keep the e5-pawn under some pressure, or Black will be able to easily push his kingside pawns forward; Black would probably start with 15 ... b5! and then continue by playing ... Nb6 and either ... g5 or ... f5) 15 ... b5! (the immediate 15 ... Nb6 prepares to develop the c8-bishop, but runs into 16 b4! and suddenly White has active play on the queenside, for example, 16 ... cxb4 17 cxb4 Bg4 18 dxe5 fxe5 19 Qc3 and White’s control over the c-file and Black’s weak e5-pawn give White an advantage) 16 b3! Nb6 17 Rab1 and White’s main idea in this position is to play dxe5 followed by Nh4 or c4. White should have some advantage here, though Black is quite solid. c) 11 ... Qe8 12 Nbd2 Nb6 intending ... Bg4 or ... Be6 was a reasonable plan played in S.Kuipers-L.Vrolijk, Leiden 2017, but slightly passive. The game continued 13 Bg3 Be6 (Black could also try 13 ... Bg4, but White is better after 14 Rfe1 Rd8 15 h3 Bh5 16 c4) 14 c4! exd4 (14 ... Qh5 15 dxe5 fxe5 16 Qc3 and White will expand on the queenside with b4 and a4 next, while it’s hard to find a good plan for Black) gives White a comfortable edge, but there weren’t many other options for Black. White played 15 Bxd6 cxd6 16 Nxd4 Bg8 17 Rfe1 and obtained an advantage, as his pieces are active and the d6-pawn is a weakness. 12 Nbd2 Ba6?! It would be more accurate to first play 12 ... a5! when the threat of ... a4 is a bit annoying for White. Still, White should be slightly better after 13

Rfd1 Ba6 14 Qa4. 13 Rfe1 Qe7

  Exercise: How should White continue putting pressure on Black’s position?   14 dxe5!? Answer: 14 Nc4! forces Black to give up the bishop pair or lose the e5pawn. Play may continue 14 ... Bxc4 15 Qxc4 c5, and now 16 d5 (16 Bg3!? is also possible) is a good moment for White to close up the centre because Black is stuck with his bad bishop and it will be difficult for him to create active play on the kingside. 14 ... Nxe5?! 14 ... Bxe5! was a stronger choice, as after 15 Nxe5 Nxe5 Black gets the d3-square for his knight. 15 Nxe5 Qxe5 16 Bg3 Qe7 17 Bxd6 cxd6 18 Rad1

White has a comfortable advantage, as his knight is superior to Black’s bishop. Black’s slightly vulnerable pawns on d6 and c6 also make his defensive task more difficult. 18 ... Bc8 19 Qa4 b5 20 Qa5 Bg4 21 f3 Be6 22 Nf1 d5 23 exd5 Qc5+ 24 Ne3 Bxd5 25 a3 Rfe8 26 Qb4 Qb6 27 Qd4 Qxd4 28 Rxd4 Re7 29 Kf2 Rae8 30 Rdd1 Bb3 31 Nf5 Rxe1 32 Rxe1 Rxe1 33 Kxe1 Be6 34 Nd4 Bd5 35 Kd2 a6 36 Ke3 Kg8 37 Nf5 Kf7 38 Kd4 Be6 39 Ne3 Ke7 40 Kc5 Kd7 41 Kb6 f5 42 f4 g5 43 g3 gxf4 44 gxf4 Kd6 45 Kxa6 Kc7 46 Ka5 1-0 9 ... f6 and 9 ... Qe8 are both very solid lines, which require precise play from White to fight for an advantage. In the main line of the 9 ... Qe8 variation, we saw a few important concepts that are worth remembering. 12 Bg3! is useful to put Black’s centre under some pressure, and 14 b3! helps to defend White’s queenside while also preparing to play Nc4 (which attacks Black’s centre). In our main game after 9 ... f6, Black should have tried for active queenside counterplay with 11 ... a5!, leading to interesting and complicated play where both sides have chances. Instead, Black couldn’t come up with an ideal plan and White was able to obtain a clear

advantage out of the opening.





Chapter Five

The Open Variation

The Open Ruy Lopez is a solid and active line, where Black often tries to use dynamics to neutralize White’s slight opening advantage. The critical position for the Open Ruy Lopez is shown in the diagram below.

  9 Nbd2 is White’s most popular choice in this position, but there is a lot of theory to learn and Black has been holding his own in practice. Instead of 9 Nbd2, our repertoire choice is 9 c3, and throughout this chapter we’ll see some fresh ideas that White can use to challenge Black. Game 20 starts off by looking at the sidelines Black can play on move 6 in the Open Ruy Lopez. The interesting 6 ... Be7!? has become a fashionable choice, but Black’s position can become a bit unpleasant if

White responds accurately. In the game, White obtains excellent chances for an advantage out of the opening, but the game becomes very complicated after White sacrifices an exchange. Game 21 moves on to one of the main lines in the Open Ruy Lopez, 9 c3 Bc5. White has chances to put Black under some positional pressure with 10 Qd3, which has given White good results in practical games. After 10 ... 0-0, we’ll look at two ways for White to play, one aims for a small edge, and the other leads to a complicated, fighting middlegame. In Game 22, we begin our discussion of the 9 c3 Be7 10 Bc2 variation. In the game, Black plays 10 ... Bg4, which is met by a rare and challenging idea that can be unpleasant to face over the board. After the opening, White has good chances for an edge, but misplays it slightly and the game becomes very unclear in the middlegame. Game 23 looks at 10 ... 0-0, one of the most solid variations for Black after 10 Bc2. White makes an unusual choice on move 12 and then unleashes a new idea on move 13, which quickly gives him an advantage out of the opening. Black’s play can be improved, but White’s pressure on the open e-file and the queenside is unpleasant for Black to play against.

Game 20

K.Alekseenko-S.Ernst

Gibraltar 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 Be7!? A very interesting variation that has been tried recently by Mamedyarov, Carlsen, and Caruana. 6 ... b5 is the main line, and will be analysed in the next 3 games of this chapter. 6 ... exd4 7 Re1 d5 is a sharp but rather dubious variation. We’ll look at two options for White: a) 8 Nxd4 is the main line, which leads to the forcing variation: 8 ... Bd6 9 Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10 Kh1 Qh4 11 Rxe4+ dxe4 12 Qd8+ Qxd8 13 Nxd8+ Kxd8 14 Kxh2 and White has the better chances in this endgame. R.WardT.Tozzi, correspondence 2017, shows how White can gain an advantage: 14 ... Be6 15 Be3 f5 16 Nc3 Ke7 17 g4! g6 18 Kg3 (18 g5 is also possible) 18 ... h5 19 g5 h4+ 20 Kh2 Rad8 21 Ne2 and White had a clear edge in this position, as his minor pieces have excellent squares to move to.

b) 8 Bg5!

This is my preference, because it forces Black to defend with extreme precision. Even if Black does manage to do this, his position will still be clearly worse. However, some players may prefer 8 Nxd4 as it is a bit simpler compared to some of the positions we will see after 8 Bg5. Black can try: b1) 8 ... Be7?! 9 Bxe7 Qxe7 (9 ... Kxe7 is met by playing 10 Bxc6 bxc6 11 Qxd4 with a clearly better position for White) 10 c4! and Black is just lost, due to his lack of development. Some sample lines are: 10 ... Be6 (or 10 ... b5 11 cxb5 Nd8 12 Qxd4 0-0 13 Nc3 and White will win the d5pawn) 11 cxd5 Bxd5 12 Nc3! 0-0-0 13 Nxe4 Bxe4 14 Bxc6 bxc6 15 Nd2 with a winning position for White. b2) 8 ... Qd6 9 c4! (not 9 Nxd4? as after 9 ... Be6 Black doesn’t have much to worry about) reaches another split: b21) 9 ... Be6 10 cxd5 Qxd5 11 Bb3 Qf5 12 Bc2 Ne5 (12 ... Nxf2 13 Kxf2 Qc5 14 Bb3 and Black is unable to take advantage of White’s slightly exposed king on f2; in fact, Black’s king will likely be in serious danger in

a couple of moves) 13 Nbd2 d3 14 Ba4+ b5 15 Nxe4 Nxf3+ 16 gxf3 Bb4 (16 ... bxa4 17 Qxd3 is winning for White, the threat is to play Nd6 and win Black’s queen; if 17 ... Qa5 then the simplest is 18 Qd4! and Black is unable to properly develop his pieces) 17 Qxd3 0-0 18 Bc2 gave White an excellent position in M.Clowes-P.Shishkov, correspondence 2008, as all of his pieces were extremely well-coordinated. b22) 9 ... dxc3 10 Nxc3 Be6 11 Nxe4 dxe4 12 Nd4 and Black can play: b221) 12 ... Qd5 is well met by 13 Nxe6 fxe6 14 Qh5+ g6 15 Qh4 and Black struggles to develop his pieces while White’s pieces will all be useful in the upcoming attack. b222) 12 ... h6 13 Bh4 b5 14 Rxe4 bxa4 sees Black temporarily up a piece, but 15 Qf3! (15 Qxa4 is also good) intending to play Nxe6 followed by Rd1 is nearly winning for White. For example, 15 ... Rb8 (15 ... Ne7 runs into 16 Rxe6 fxe6 17 Qxa8+) 16 Nxe6 fxe6 17 Rd1. b223) 12 ... Bd5 13 Rc1! is excellent for White, note that 13 ... f6 14 Bf4! Qxf4 loses to 15 Nxc6 Bxc6 16 Rxc6. b224) 12 ... f5 13 Bf4! (the simpler alternative 13 f3 Bd7 14 Bxc6 Bxc6 15 fxe4 is playable as well, but only slightly better for White) 13 ... Qxf4 (13 ... Qd5 14 Nxc6 bxc6 15 Qh5+ g6 16 Qh3 gives White tremendous compensation for the two pawns) 14 Nxe6 Qe5 15 Qb3 b5 16 f4! puts Black in serious trouble, after 16 ... bxa4 17 Qc4 Black is unable to defend his c7-pawn, as 17 ... Qd6 is met by 18 Rad1. b3) 8 ... f6 9 Nxd4 and now: b31) 9 ... Bd7 is far too risky because of 10 Nc3; b32) 9 ... Qd6 10 Nd2! fxg5 11 Nxc6 bxc6 (11 ... Kf7 is better, but Black’s position is hopeless after 12 Bb3) loses to 12 Nxe4 dxe4 13 Qxd6 Bxd6 14 Bxc6+. b33) 9 ... Bc5 is Black’s best try, but leads to a very dangerous position for him to play. Play may continue 10 Nxc6 Bxf2+ 11 Kf1 Qd7 (or 11 ... bxc6 gives White a winning endgame after 12 Bxc6+ Ke7 13 Rxe4+ dxe4 14 Qxd8+ Rxd8 15 Kxf2) 12 Nc3 bxc6 13 Nxe4 Bxe1 14 Nxf6+ gxf6 15 Qh5+ Kf8 16 Rxe1! (16 Bh6+ Ke7 17 Rxe1+ Kd8 18 Qf3 Qf5 19 Qxf5 Bxf5 20 Bxc6 was just a better endgame for White in S.Grayland-S.Müller, correspondence 2007) and Black is in serious trouble. Some sample lines are: b331) 16 ... fxg5 17 Kg1 Bb7 18 Qxg5 Qg7 19 Qf5+ Qf7 (19 ... Kg8 20 Re3 wins for White) 20 Qe5 Rg8 21 Rf1 is winning for White, after 21 ...

Qxf1+ 22 Kxf1 Black’s bishop on b7 will be left out of the game for a long time. b332) 16 ... Qf5+ 17 Kg1 Qg6 18 Qe2 Qxg5 19 Bxc6 Kg7 20 Bxa8 h5 21 Qe7+ Kg6 22 Rf1 and despite the material equality, Black’s position looks almost impossible to defend. 7 Re1 b5!

This is the critical variation, leading to a pawn sacrifice where Black obtains the bishop pair and the open b-file. The next couple of moves are mostly forced (at least on Black’s part). Alternatively, Black can try 7 ... f5 8 dxe5 0-0 9 Bb3+ Kh8 and now: a) 10 Nbd2?! Nc5 11 Nc4 (11 Bc4 can be met by 11 ... d6 with a roughly balanced game) and in H.Stevic-M.Bosiocic, Sibenik 2012, Black could have tried 11 ... f4! before taking on b3. b) 10 Nc3 gives Black a choice: b1) 10 ... Nc5?! would now run into 11 Nd5! and White’s active pieces make it difficult for Black to properly develop. For example, 11 ... Nxb3 (or 11 ... b6 12 c3 Bb7 13 Bc2 is much better for White) 12 axb3 b6 13 h4! Bb7

14 Bg5 and White’s play on the kingside and in the centre should give him a winning position. b2) 10 ... Nxc3 11 bxc3 Qe8! (or 11 ... b6 12 Bd5 Bb7, and in N.DjukicM.Zivanic, Obrenovac 2002, 13 Bf4 Na5 14 e6 would be much better for White) looks like Black’s best try, freeing the d8-square for the knight on c6 and also preparing to play ... Qg6 at some point. Play may continue 12 Nd4 Nd8 (12 ... Qg6 can also be met by playing 13 Bd5) 13 Bd5 Ne6 14 a4! gains space on the queenside and cramps Black’s position. 8 Rxe4 d5 8 ... bxa4?! 9 d5 Nb8 10 Nxe5 is clearly better for White. 9 Nxe5 Nxe5 10 Rxe5 bxa4 11 Qe2 Others: a) 11 Nc3 0-0 12 Re1 (12 Rxd5 is critical, but after 12 ... Bd6 Black obtains active play for the pawn; although White may be able to give Black some problems with accurate play) 12 ... Bd6 13 Qh5 a3 and Black had good play in F.Caruana-M.Carlsen, Zagreb 2019. b) 11 b3 is a decent option, playing for a slight edge. H.NakamuraF.Caruana, St. Louis 2019, continued 11 ... Be6 (or 11 ... 0-0 12 Ba3 Bxa3 13 Nxa3 axb3 14 cxb3 Qd6 15 Nc2 and Black should be fine, although White may be very slightly better) 12 Ba3 Bxa3 13 Nxa3 0-0 14 Nb1! Qd6 15 Nc3 and White was a bit better, due to his slightly more active pieces. c) 11 Qe1 f6! (11 ... c6?! 12 Bd2! threatens to play Ba5 shows one of the advantages of having the queen on e1; however, the queen on e1 isn’t prepared for active play in the centre, as we will see after 11 ... f6!) 12 Re3 c5! can be compared to the variation we will see after 11 Qe2 f6 12 Re3 c5, where the queen on e2 assists White in developing play on the kingside. Play may continue 13 Qd1 (13 dxc5 d4 is good for Black, for example, 14 Re2 Kf7! 15 Nd2 Re8 and Black will likely put some pressure on the b7-g2 diagonal next) 13 ... 0-0 14 Nc3 and in L.Aronian-S.Mamedyarov, Batumi 2018, Black had decent play after 14 ... Rb8. 11 ... Be6

Taking the pressure off of the e7-bishop, allowing Black to castle, but the bishop is rather passive on e6. Others: a) 11 ... f6 12 Re3 c5 13 dxc5 and now: a1) 13 ... Kf7!? 14 Nc3 is much better for White. Play may continue 14 ... Bxc5 15 Rd3 Re8 16 Qh5+! (16 Be3 Bxe3 17 Rxe3 Rxe3 18 Qxe3 should also be good for White, but with less pieces on the board, it may be easier for Black to defend) secures White a clear advantage after 16 ... Kg8 17 Bf4 Qe7 18 h3. a2) 13 ... d4 is similar to a variation we looked at after 11 Qe1, but here White’s queen on e2 is much more active. For example, 14 Rg3 Kf7 15 Bh6! g6 (15 ... gxh6? runs into 16 Qh5+ Kf8 17 Nd2 with a winning attack) 16 Nc3!! (16 c3 is more natural, but not as dangerous for Black) 16 ... dxc3? (16 ... Re8 is better, but the position after 17 Nxa4 Bd6 18 Qd1 Bxg3 19 hxg3 gives White excellent play for the exchange) 17 Re1 cxb2 18 Re3 and White has a crushing attack, as Black’s king is too exposed. One sample line is 18 ... Ra7 19 Qc4+ Ke8 20 Qxa4+ Rd7 21 Qc6 and White wins.

b) 11 ... c6 is a very solid choice, preparing to play ... Ra7 and castle. After 12 Nc3 Ra7, White can try: b1) 13 Nxa4 0-0 with a further split: b11) Not 14 Bd2? as in I.Saric-M.Ragger, St. Petersburg (blitz) 2018, due to 14 ... Bd6 and White played 15 f4, giving up the exchange. 15 Re3 would run into 15 ... Qh4 with an excellent position for Black. b12) 14 Qd3 holds on to the d4-pawn, but allows Black to develop some counterplay after 14 ... Bd6 15 Re1 Qf6, still White may be slightly better after 16 c3 Bf5 17 Qf1 Qg6 18 f3. b13) 14 Qf3 Bf6 15 Re2 Bxd4 16 Be3 saw White give back the d4pawn for active play in N.Nicolaescu-H.Hofstetter, correspondence 2019. White is slightly better, but Black was able to hold with accurate play. b2) 13 Bf4!? also deserves attention, favouring active development over winning the a4-pawn. Play may continue 13 ... a3 (or 13 ... 0-0 14 Re1 Be6 15 Re3 gives White better chances) 14 bxa3 (14 b3 0-0 15 Re3 Bb4! is also better for White, but Black has decent drawing chances after ... Re7) 14 ... 0-0 15 Re1 Be6 16 Re3 and Black faces an unpleasant defence.   Exercise: How should White continue putting pressure on Black’s position?   Answer: 12 f4! Preparing to play f5. Without this move, Black could castle or play ... Bf6 without any problems. 12 ... g6 Others: a) 12 ... Bf6 or 12 ... Bd6 would run into 13 f5! b) 12 ... Qd7? temporarily defends against f5, but after 13 Nc3 Black is in trouble. For example, 13 ... g6 (13 ... Bg4 14 Qe3 and White will likely pick up the d5-pawn on the next move) 14 f5! gxf5 15 Bf4 and it’s difficult for Black to do much in this position. 13 Nc3 a3 14 b3!

  Question: Why should White play 14 b3 instead of 14 bxa3 - ?   Answer: The reason 14 bxa3?! is worse than 14 b3 is because it weakens White’s pawn structure slightly and allows Black to obtain counterplay on the open b-file. This is seen in the long variation: 14 ... Bd6 15 f5 gxf5 16 Bf4 Bxe5 17 Qxe5 Rg8 18 Re1 Qd6 19 Nxd5 0-0-0 20 Qxd6 cxd6 21 Ne7+ and in comparison to 14 b3! Bd6, here Black will have counterplay in the endgame because of White’s damaged pawn structure (the a2-pawn is hanging). 14 ... Bb4! Alternatives: a) 14 ... Bd6 15 f5! gxf5 16 Bf4 (of course not 16 Rxf5?? Qh4!) 16 ... Bxe5 17 Qxe5 Rg8 18 Re1 Qd6 (18 ... c6 19 Na4 followed by Nc5 gives White excellent play) 19 Nxd5 (19 Qxd5!? is also possible) 19 ... 0-0-0 20 Qxd6 cxd6 21 Ne7+ and this endgame should be winning for White.

b) 14 ... 0-0 15 f5! is extremely dangerous for Black, for example, 15 ... gxf5 16 Bf4 Bd6 17 Rf1! and White develops excellent play on the kingside. 17 ... Kh8! is best, when play may continue 18 Re3 Rg8 19 Qf2 Bxf4 20 Qxf4 followed by Ne2 and White is much better. 15 Na4 0-0 16 Bd2?! 16 c3! Bd6 17 Nc5 is more accurate.

Compared to the game, White is able to win the a3-pawn, as his bishop is still on c1. Also, Black doesn’t have any ideas with ... Bf5 to win White’s c2-pawn like he does in our main game.   Question: Why does White have compensation after 17 ... Bxe5 - ?   Answer: After 17 ... Bxe5 (17 ... Bf5 18 Rxd5 is much better for White) 18 fxe5 White has excellent compensation for several reasons: 1) Black has weak dark-squares around his king, which allows White to play Bh6 and maybe put a piece on f6 eventually.

2) After playing fxe5, White’s bishop suddenly became extremely active, while Black is stuck with a bad bishop on e6. 3) White has the open f-file, which assists White in developing a kingside attack. 16 ... Bd6 17 Nc5! Bf5! 18 Bb4 18 Rxd5 Bxc2 is roughly equal. This is one of the reasons it would have been more accurate for White to play 16 c3 instead. 18 ... Bxe5

Black takes the exchange, as White’s dark-squared bishop is misplaced (away from the important d2-h6 diagonal). However, Black’s position is still difficult to play and he quickly goes wrong. 19 fxe5 Qh4 20 c3 a5 21 Bxa3 Rfe8 22 Rf1 f6 23 e6 a4?! 23 ... Re7 followed by ... Rae8 should be fine for Black. 24 bxa4 Qg4?! 25 Qe1 Be4 26 Qf2 Bf5 27 h3! Exploiting Black’s misplaced queen. 27 ... Qh5 28 g4 Qxh3 29 gxf5 Kh8 30 fxg6 Rg8 31 Qxf6+ Rg7 32 Rf3 Qh5 33 e7 1-0

6 ... exd4 and 6 ... Be7 are both very interesting variations in the Open Spanish. 6 ... exd4 leads to forcing play, where White should be able to obtain an advantage with a bit of accuracy. We looked at 8 Nxd4 briefly, and saw how White can obtain a better endgame. However, I prefer 8 Bg5, which forces Black to defend an incredibly dangerous position. 6 ... Be7 is becoming quite popular, especially after Black was successful in the wellknown Aronian-Mamedyarov game. In that game, White chose 11 Qe1, but 11 Qe2 looks stronger, as the queen can more easily move to the kingside. After either 11 ... f6 or 11 ... Be6 (the move played in our main game), White has good attacking chances and Black’s position is quite difficult to defend. Instead, Black can try 11 ... c6, protecting the d5-pawn and preparing to play ... Ra7. Black’s position is fairly solid here, but slightly unpleasant, and White has good chances to obtain an edge.

Game 21

A.Giri-V.Anand

Grand Chess Tour (rapid), Leuven 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 Others: a) 7 ... exd4? 8 Re1 d5 9 Nc3 Be6 (9 ... dxc3? 10 Bxd5 gives White a winning position because of the pressure on the e-file and d5-a8 diagonal) 10 Nxe4 dxe4 11 Rxe4 Be7 12 Bxe6 fxe6 13 Rxe6 Qd5 14 Qe2 was excellent for White in K.Piorun-B.Blodstein, Pardubice 2012. b) 7 ... Be7 8 dxe5 Nc5 9 Bd5 0-0 10 Nc3 Bb7 11 Be3 was much better for White in M.Akdag-O.Ikegami, correspondence 2009, the game continued 11 ... d6 (or 11 ... Ne6 12 a4 b4 13 Ne4 gives White a comfortable edge) 12 Bxc5 dxc5 13 Qe1 b4 14 Rd1! followed by Ne2-f4 and White soon developed a crushing attack. 8 dxe5 Be6 9 c3 Bc5 9 ... Be7 will be analysed in the next two games. 9 ... Nc5 10 Bc2 Bg4 (10 ... Be7 transposes to our next game on the note to move 10: 9 c3 Be7 10 Bc2 Nc5?!) 11 Re1 and now: a) 11 ... d4 is well met by 12 h3 Bh5 13 e6!, when play may continue 13 ... fxe6 (or 13 ... Nxe6 14 Be4!) 14 cxd4 Bxf3 15 Qxf3 Nxd4 16 Qh5+ g6 17 Bxg6+ hxg6 18 Qxh8 and White obtains a better endgame after 18 ... Nc2 19 Bh6 Qe7 20 Bxf8 Qxf8 21 Qxf8+ Kxf8 22 Rc1!

b) 11 ... Be7 12 b4! (12 Nbd2 transposes to a main line which should be slightly better for White, but 12 b4 looks even stronger) gains space on the queenside with tempo and pushes back Black’s knight in order to play a4 next. Following 12 ... Ne6 (12 ... Na4 13 h3 Be6 14 Qd3 gives White a significant advantage) 13 a4 Rb8 14 Na3 Qd7 (14 ... Bh5 prepares to meet Qd3 with ... Bg6, but White can target Black’s queenside and play 15 axb5 axb5 16 Bd3 with a clear advantage) 15 Qd3! attacks Black’s b5-pawn and also prepares to play Rd1, which would put pressure on the d5-pawn. Black could try 15 ... d4 but White is better after 16 axb5 axb5 17 Rd1 Bh5 18 Bb1! (18 Qe4!? Bg6 19 Qe2 is also good for White) which prepares to play Nc2 and win Black’s d4-pawn. White is clearly better as there isn’t much Black can do to stop this plan. 10 Qd3

  Question: Why does White play 10 Qd3 instead of the natural 10 Nbd2 -?  

Answer: 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 Bc2 Nxf2! leads to sharp play, where Black seems to be holding his own. 10 Qd3 looks a bit slow, but there are a couple of important ideas behind it: 1) The queen on d3 puts some pressure on Black’s e4-knight, which makes Nbd2 more effective. 2. In some lines, White may be able to play Bc2 and create play along the c2-h7 diagonal. 2) 10 Qd3 prepares to play 11 Be3, which is an idea we will see in our main game. 10 ... 0-0 Alternatives are: a) 10 ... Ne7!? supports the d5-pawn, which frees the e6-bishop to move to f5. 11 Nbd2 (11 Nd4 was seen in A.Firouzja-D.Brodsky, Konya 2018, and should be met by 11 ... Bxd4! 12 cxd4 c5, when Black obtains good counterplay in the centre) 11 ... Bf5 12 Qe2 0-0 13 Nd4 and White was better in E.Huerta Navarro-J.Vosselman, correspondence 2017. The game continued 13 ... Bg6 14 Nxe4 Bxe4 15 Bg5 h6 (if Black tries 15 ... Re8 then White should play 16 Rad1 Qd7 17 e6! fxe6 18 Qxe4 dxe4 19 Bxe6+ with a clearly better endgame) 16 Bh4 g5 17 Bg3 Bb6 18 Bc2 and Black’s position was very dangerous, as White could slowly prepare to play f4 and create an attack on the kingside. b) 10 ... f6 11 exf6 Qxf6 12 Nbd2!? (12 Be3 0-0 transposes to our main game) 12 ... Ne5! 13 Nxe4 Nxd3 14 Nxf6+ gxf6 15 Be3 and White has a slightly better endgame. 11 Be3 White aims to exchange off the bishops and play for slight positional pressure. Although this shouldn’t give White much objectively, Black doesn’t have a great score in practice because many of the arising positions are a bit difficult to defend. 11 Nbd2 is the alternative and can lead to a more complicated game. 11 ... f5 (11 ... Nxf2?! 12 Rxf2 Bxf2+ 13 Kxf2, and compared to the 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 Bc2 Nxf2 variation mentioned above, White’s actively placed queen on d3 secures him a comfortable advantage; play may continue 13 ... f6 14 exf6 Qxf6 15 Bc2 g6 16 Kg1 Rae8 17 h3 and Black’s compensation is insufficient) 12 Bc2!? (12 exf6 Nxf6 13 a4 Bf7!? 14 Ng5 Ne5 15 Qf5 Qd6 was very solid for Black in M.Willow-J.Ojeda, correspondence 2016).

This is much less popular than 12 exf6, but it maintains the tension and keeps the game interesting. Black can try several different moves here: a) 12 ... Qe8 13 Nb3 d4 was tried in P.Stefanov-G.Armani, correspondence 2017, the game saw 14 Nbxd4 (14 cxd4 is met by 14 ... Bb6 and Black has excellent compensation for the pawn because of ideas such as ... Rd8 or ... Bc4) 14 ... Bc4 15 Bb3 Bxb3 16 axb3 Nxe5 17 Nxe5 Qxe5 18 Be3 and White had a slight edge. b) 12 ... Qe7 13 Nb3 Bf7 (13 ... Bb6 can be met by 14 Be3) and in E.Prokopchuk-A.Mikhalevski, Pardubice 2006, best would be 14 Nxc5 Nxc5 15 Bg5! (the simple 15 Qe3 would be fine as well) 15 ... Qxg5 16 Nxg5 Nxd3 17 e6! and White should be very slightly better in this endgame. c) 12 ... Qd7 is the most natural choice. Play may continue 13 Nb3 Be7 14 Nbd4 Nxd4, when White has a choice: c1) 15 cxd4?! f4! 16 Bd2 and in V.Anand-S.Sethuraman, Douglas 2017, 16 ... g5! (instead, Black played 16 ... Bf5?! and White soon gained an advantage) would have been extremely dangerous for White.

c2) 15 Nxd4! c5 16 Ne2 Rac8 17 f3 d4 18 Kh1! (18 fxe4?! c4 followed by ... d3 would be fine for Black) 18 ... Ng5 19 cxd4 Bc4 20 Bb3! Ne6 21 Bxc4 bxc4 22 Qxc4 and White was better in J.Martí Pericot-S.Kerr, correspondence 2015. 11 ... f6 Others: a) 11 ... f5 12 exf6 transposes to our main game with 11 ... f6. b) 11 ... Re8 was tried in R.Cvak-J.Maldonado Pacheco, correspondence 2017, and looks like a very solid choice. The game continued 12 Rd1 (12 Nbd2 is the other option, which makes it difficult for Black to play ... f6, but allows Black to exchange off two pairs of minor pieces; following 12 ... Bxe3 13 Qxe3 Nxd2 14 Qxd2 Na5 15 Rfd1 Qe7 16 h3 Rad8 17 Bc2, both sides had roughly equal chances in M.Florea-J.Dijon, correspondence 2016) 12 ... f6 13 Nbd2 (one of the main reasons behind playing 11 ... Re8 is seen after 13 exf6 Bxe3 14 Qxe3, when Black is able to play 14 ... Nxf6! with a very solid position as the e6-bishop is now protected) 13 ... Nxe5 (13 ... Nxd2 14 Qxd2 Bxe3 15 fxe3 Nxe5 16 Nxe5 transposes to 13 ... Nxe5) 14 Nxe5 Nxd2 15 Qxd2 Bxe3 16 fxe3 fxe5 17 Bxd5 Qxd5 18 Qxd5 Bxd5 19 Rxd5 and a rook endgame was reached which would be slightly unpleasant to defend in practice, due to White’s more active rooks. However, the correspondence game mentioned above was drawn quite quickly. c) 11 ... Bxe3 12 Qxe3 Na5 13 Nbd2 Nxd2 14 Nxd2 Qc8 15 f4 c5 (15 ... Nc4 could be met by 16 Bxc4 dxc4 17 h3 and White will activate his knight on d2 by playing Ne4-c5 or Nf3-d4 followed by a kingside expansion) 16 Bc2 f5 17 exf6 (17 Qf2!? followed by Nf3-g5 may be even stronger) 17 ... Rxf6 18 Qd3 gave White a good position in Wei Yi-Ding Liren, Shenzhen (rapid) 2016.

12 exf6 Qxf6 13 Nbd2 13 Re1 Bxe3 14 Qxe3 Rad8 15 Nbd2 Nxd2 16 Nxd2 Bf5 17 Qg3 Rd6 18 Nf3 was slightly better for White in J.Siigur-M.Bas Fortuny, correspondence 2018. 13 ... Nxd2? The alternatives are: a) 13 ... Ne5 14 Nxe5 Qxe5 15 Bd4! gives White good chances for an edge. b) 13 ... Bxe3! 14 Qxe3 Nxd2 15 Qxd2 Rad8! (15 ... Kh8 16 Qe3 Rad8 17 Rad1 followed by Rfe1 gives White a slight edge) is a very solid line, and most likely Black’s best choice. White has several different options he can try here; b1) 16 Rfe1 Bg4 17 Re3 Na5 18 h3 Nc4 didn’t give Black any problems in F.Piccoli-A.Dillenburg, correspondence 2018. b2) 16 Rae1 Na5 and now: b21) 17 Qd4 Qxd4 18 Nxd4 Bf7 19 Ne6 led to a roughly balanced endgame in A.Malashenkov-S.Kerr, correspondence 2016.

b22) 17 Bc2! looks more interesting, after 17 ... Nc4 White can try either 18 Qd4, or 18 Qd3 g6 19 b3. b3) 16 a4!?, when Black has: b31) 16 ... Bg4 17 Nd4 Nxd4 (17 ... Ne5 can be met by 18 axb5 axb5 19 Rfe1) 18 cxd4 c6 19 Rae1 should give White a small advantage. b32) 16 ... d4! 17 Bxe6+ Qxe6 18 axb5 axb5 19 cxd4 still requires Black to be a little precise, but it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to hold. b33) 16 ... Na5 17 Bc2 Nc4 18 Qd3 g6 19 Qd4 bxa4 20 Bxa4 Nxb2 21 Bc6 was very slightly better for White in D.Fechner-P.Clement, correspondence 2014.

  Exercise: How should White continue?   14 Qxd2? Answer: 14 Ng5! gives White a winning endgame after 14 ... Qf5 15 Qxf5 Rxf5 16 Bxd2, due to Black’s poor piece coordination. Following 16 ... Bf7 17 Nxf7 Kxf7 18 g4!, White will pick up the d5-pawn.

14 ... Bxe3 15 fxe3!? Because many of Black’s pieces are unprotected, he doesn’t have a move to defend his d5-pawn (White is currently threatening Nd4). Instead, Black strives for active play, and obtains reasonable compensation. 15 Qxe3 is a safer alternative and White can play Ng5 next or slowly improve his position with Rae1 or Rad1. 15 ... Na5! 15 ... Qd8? runs into 16 e4. 16 Bxd5 Nc4 17 Bxc4 Bxc4 18 Rf2 Rad8 19 Nd4 Qg6 20 Rxf8+ Rxf8 21 b3

21 ... Bd3?! 21 ... Bd5! should give Black sufficient compensation for the pawn. 22 Ne6! Qxe6 23 Qxd3 c5 24 e4 Re8 25 Re1 Qe5 26 c4 h6 27 Qd5+ Kh7 28 Qxe5 Rxe5 29 cxb5 axb5 30 Kf2 Kg6 31 Ke3 Re7 32 Rc1 Rc7 33 a4 bxa4 34 bxa4 Kf6 35 a5 c4 36 a6 c3 37 Ra1 Rc8 38 a7 c2 39 Kd2 Ke5 40 Kc1 Ra8 41 Ra4 1-0

The 9 c3 Bc5 variation in the Open Ruy Lopez aims for active play, and we meet this by playing the useful 10 Qd3 move. After 10 ... 0-0, we looked at two plans for White: 11 Be3, which aims for slight positional pressure, and 11 Nbd2, which generally leads to a more complicated game with chances for both sides. After 11 Be3, Black has many different options, but his main plan is to go ... f6, which was played immediately in our main game. On move 13, Black needs to play 13 ... Bxe3! And although Black is close to equality here, White is still able to give Black some slight problems.

Game 22

M.Vachier Lagrave-A.Giri

Grand Chess Tour, Zagreb 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 c3 Be7 10 Bc2 The purpose of our move order is to avoid the variation 10 Nbd2 Nc5 11 Bc2 d4!, which is an extremely solid line with a lot of theory to learn.  

10 ... Bg4 10 ... 0-0 will be looked at in the next game.   Question: Because Black meets 10 Nbd2 with 10 ... Nc5, why can’t he meet 10 Bc2 with 10 ... Nc5 - ?   Answer: After 10 Nbd2 Nc5, White needs to spend a move playing 11 Bc2 in order to keep the bishop pair. In this position, 10 ... Nc5?! is dubious, because White can immediately put Black under pressure with 11 Nd4!. Play may continue 11 ... Nxe5 (or 11 ... Qd7 12 Nxe6 and White will play f4 next, with a much better position) 12 f4 Nc4 (12 ... Bg4 13 Qe1 Nc4 14 f5 and White develops a crushing attack, for example, 14 ... 0-0 15 Qg3 Bh5 16 Qh3 g6 17 g4) was tried in N.Fercec-M.Vucic, Kladovo 1989, the game continued 13 Nc6 Qd6 14 Nxe7 and now:

a) 14 ... Kxe7?! was Black’s choice in the game, White played 15 b3 followed by f5, obtaining a completely winning position. b) 14 ... Qxe7 is better, but White has excellent play after 15 b4! (15 b3 Nb6 16 Ba3 is also great for White), one sample line is 15 ... Nb7 16 f5 Bd7 17 Re1 Ne5 18 Bf4 f6 19 a4 with a nearly winning position for White, as all of Black’s pieces are poorly placed. 11 Qe1!? A rare idea, but a tricky one for Black to deal with. White moves his queen out of the pin created by Black’s g4-bishop and prepares to play Nd4. 11 h3 Bh5 12 g4 (12 Bb3 Nxe5 13 Qxd5 Nxf3+ 14 gxf3 Nf6 15 Qc6+ Nd7 was completely fine for Black in Y.Volodarsky-K.Boldysh, correspondence 2016) 12 ... Bg6 13 Nd4 Nxd4! (13 ... Qd7 allowed White to develop excellent play in F.Caruana-Wei Yi, Wijk aan Zee 2016, after 14 f4! Nxd4 15 cxd4 f5 16 Be3 0-0 17 Nc3) as seen in Hou YifanM.Muzychuk, Lvov 2016, leads to a perfectly fine position for Black. The game continued 14 cxd4 h5 15 f3 Ng3 16 Rf2 hxg4 17 Bxg6 Rxh3! (17 ... fxg6? runs into 18 Qd3!) 18 Qc2 Bc5 19 Qxc5 Rh1+ 20 Kg2 Rh2+ 21 Kg1 Rh1+ with a draw. 11 ... Nc5 Others: a) 11 ... 0-0?! 12 Nd4! gives White a good position. The critical line is 12 ... Nxe5 13 f3 c5 14 Bf4! cxd4 15 Bxe5 d3! (without this idea, Black would lose his e4-knight or g4-bishop) 16 Bxd3 Nc5 17 Bxh7+ Kxh7 18 fxg4 and White is up a pawn. Black may have some compensation, but it isn’t enough for equality. b) Although 11 ... Bxf3 forces White to accept doubled pawns on his kingside, White will have the bishop pair advantage and good attacking chances in the centre. After 12 gxf3, Black has: b1) 12 ... Qd7, when White can try: b11) 13 Qe2! Nc5 14 f4 transposes to 12 ... Nc5. b12) 13 Qe3!? Nc5 14 b4 d4!? (14 ... Na4! 15 f4 transposes to 12 ... Nc5 13 b4 Na4 14 Qe3 Qd7 15 f4, examined below) 15 cxd4 Ne6 16 d5 Qxd5 17 Be4 Qd7 18 Nc3! and White has excellent play, 18 ... Bxb4 would be met by 19 Rd1. b13) 13 Bxe4 wins a pawn, but loses the bishop pair advantage. Black should have sufficient compensation following 13 ... dxe4 14 Qxe4 0-0 15 f4 (15 a4 Rae8 is also fine for Black) 15 ... Qg4+ 16 Qg2 Qxg2+ 17 Kxg2

f6 and the position is roughly equal because White is lacking in development. b2) 12 ... Nc5 again gives White a choice: b21) 13 b4 Na4 14 Qe3 (14 f4!? Qd7 15 Kh1 with a complicated game also deserves consideration) 14 ... Qd7 15 f4 (15 Rd1?! g5! Gives Black good play) 15 ... 0-0-0! Sees Black preparing to play ... g5 and create kingside counterplay. White doesn’t appear to have anything better than 16 Qd3 g5 (16 ... Kb7? runs into 17 Bxa4 bxa4 18 b5) 17 Bxa4 bxa4 18 Qxa6+ Kb8 19 Qb5+ with a perpetual. b22) 13 f4! Qd7 14 Qe2! (14 Qe3 0-0-0 15 b4 Na4 transposes to 13 b4 Na4 14 Qe3, which we looked at above)

14 ... d4! (Black is unable to play 14 ... 0-0-0?! because of 15 b4 Na4 16 Bxa4! followed by Qxa6, which was one of the points behind 14 Qe2) 15 Qf3 0-0 (15 ... 0-0-0? is far too dangerous for Black after 16 a4!, for example, 16 ... d3 17 Bd1 Nxa4 18 b3 Nc5 19 Qg2! threatens Bg4; Black can try 19 ... h5, but after 20 Be3 White’s queenside attack will be much more powerful than Black’s play on the kingside) 16 Rd1 and now:

b221) 16 ... Rad8!? leads to an interesting position after the forcing variation 17 b4 d3 18 bxc5 Nd4! (getting out of the pin on the d-file) 19 cxd4 dxc2 20 Rd2 cxb1Q 21 Rxb1 and Black has some compensation for the pawn because of White’s weak light-squares, but it isn’t enough. b222) 16 ... b4?! 17 Nd2 d3 aims to shut in White’s c2-bishop, but this is only temporary after 18 Bb1 Rad8 19 Nb3 and Black’s d3-pawn will soon fall. b223) 16 ... d3 17 Bxd3 Nxd3 18 Rxd3 Qe6 19 Nd2 (White could also consider starting with 19 a4!?) 19 ... Rad8 20 Rxd8 (20 Ne4 is met by 20 ... g5! which is one of Black’s main ideas for counterplay in this line) 20 ... Rxd8 21 Nf1 f6 (21 ... g5! may be Black’s best try, but he doesn’t have full equality yet after 22 Qe2) 22 exf6 Bxf6 23 Be3 is slightly better for White, but Black should be able to hold with accurate play. 12 Nd4! 12 Nbd2 Ne6! gives Black a fairly comfortable position because he has good control over the important d4-square. 12 ... Nxd4 13 cxd4 Ne6 14 Qd2

14 ... 0-0 14 ... c5!? 15 dxc5 (15 h3 Bh5 16 f4 looks dangerous for Black, but 16 ... f5! gives him a fairly sound position) 15 ... Bxc5 16 Nc3 and now: a) 16 ... 0-0? runs into major trouble after 17 Qd3 g6 18 Bh6, when one sample line is 18 ... Bf5 19 Qd2 d4 20 Ne4 and White will either be able to bring his knight to f6 or win an exchange. b) 16 ... Bh5 17 Nxd5 0-0 18 Nf4 and Black is faced with a difficult defence. c) 16 ... Nd4 17 Bd1 Bf5 18 b4! (18 Qf4 Bg6 19 Bf3 0-0 20 Nxd5 Nxf3+ 21 Qxf3 Bh5! 22 Qxh5 Qxd5 and even though Black is a pawn down, his active pieces give him good compensation) is quite unpleasant for Black to deal with. Play may continue 18 ... Ba7 (18 ... Bb6 19 Bb2 0-0 20 Na4! is an important resource; following 20 ... bxa4 21 Bxd4 Bxd4 22 Qxd4 White has a slight edge) avoids White’s Bb2 followed by Na4 idea, but makes it easier for White to play a4 and activate his rook along the afile. Following 19 Bb2 (19 a4 is also possible, for example, 19 ... 0-0 20 axb5 Nxb5 21 Nxb5 axb5 22 Ra5 and White looks slightly better) 19 ... 0-0 20 a4 Qd7 21 axb5 axb5 22 Ra6, White is prepared to play Rd6 next. 15 Nc3 The most natural move, simply developing a piece before preparing to play on the kingside. At this point Black has a number of options he can try. 15 Qd3!? looks interesting, forcing Black to weaken his kingside. Play may continue 15 ... g6 16 Bh6 Re8 (16 ... c5!? sacrifices the exchange and is an interesting alternative; the position after 17 Bxf8 Bxf8 18 dxc5 Nf4 19 Qe3 Bh6 20 Kh1 d4 21 Qg3 is very unclear, but Black’s compensation should be sufficient) 17 Qd2 c5! is best, Black needs to fight for active counterplay in the centre. Following 18 h3 Bf5 19 Bxf5 gxf5 20 Nc3, a complicated is reached, but Black should be alright. Some sample lines are 20 ... Nxd4 (or 20 ... cxd4 21 Ne2 Qc7 22 f4 and probably White will play Ng3 next, when Black’s position is difficult to defend because of his pawn weaknesses) 21 b4! cxb4 22 Qxd4 bxc3 23 Qxc3 Kh8 24 Rad1 with a roughly balanced position. 15 ... f5 Others: a) 15 ... Bh5 is a solid option that has the idea of meeting Qd3 with ... Bg6. Play may continue 16 f4 f5 17 Bb3 c6 18 Qf2 and White intends to play moves such as Be3, Rac1, and Ne2.

b) 15 ... c5!? aims to meet 16 dxc5 with 16 ... d4, and should be fine for Black, but it looks slightly unpleasant for him after 17 Ne4 Nxc5 18 Nxc5 Bxc5 19 Be4 Rc8 20 Qd3. c) 15 ... Rc8 16 Qd3 g6 17 Bh6 Re8 18 Bb3 c5 (18 ... c6 19 Be3 is better for White, as Black lacks active play) is more aggressive, but White should still have the better chances after 19 dxc5 d4 20 Nd5. 16 Qd3 Or: a) 16 f4 was tried in E.Sutovsky-D.Vocaturo, Gibraltar 2018, and 16 ... c5! would give Black decent play, although the position after 17 dxc5 Bxc5+ 18 Kh1 d4 19 Bb3 is still quite complex. b) 16 f3 Bh5 17 Ne2 is a reasonable plan, aiming for Nf4. The only problem is that Black can continue energetically with 17 ... f4! 18 b4 g5 and an unclear position is reached, but Black seems to have decent chances here. 16 ... Kh8

 

Exercise: White wants to play f3 followed by Ne2-f4. Should he play it immediately or start with 17 Bb3, encouraging Black to play ... c6 - ?   17 Bb3?! Answer: 17 f3! Bh5 18 Ne2 intending Nf4 looks like the best plan, because Black is unable to play ... f4 due to the pressure White has on the c2-h7 diagonal. Some sample lines are: 18 ... g5?! (or 18 ... c5 19 dxc5 Nxc5 20 Qd1 is slightly better for White, and he will likely continue with Nf4 next) prevents Nf4, but weakens Black’s kingside. After 19 Be3 Qd7 (if 19 ... Bg6 White can play 20 f4!) White can begin to create play on the queenside with 20 a4. 17 ... c6 18 h3 18 f3 Bh5 19 Ne2?! (19 Be3 is probably White’s best choice, but Black will start to gain space on the kingside with 19 ... f4 20 Bf2 g5) isn’t nearly as effective as it was in the 17 f3! Bh5 18 Ne2 variation, as Black can simply play 19 ... f4! which wouldn’t have been possible if White’s bishop was still on c2. 18 ... Bh5 19 f4 g5?! 19 ... c5! is a stronger plan, putting White under pressure in the centre. Play may continue 20 dxc5 (20 Bxd5?! Nxd4 21 Be3 Rc8 gives Black a nearly winning position) 20 ... Nxc5 21 Qd4 Nxb3 22 axb3 Rc8 and Black will probably play ... Bc5 followed by ... d4 next. 20 Kh2 20 Bd1!? Bg6 21 Ne2 leads to a complicated position. 20 ... gxf4 20 ... b4! 21 Na4 and White’s knight on a4 is a bit out of play. 21 Bd1 Bxd1 22 Qxd1 Bg5 23 Ne2 Ra7 24 Bxf4 Now White is better, but Black manages to create counterplay on the open g-file. 24 ... Rg7 25 Qd2 Rfg8 26 Bxg5 Rxg5 27 Rf2 c5 28 b4 cxb4 29 Qxb4 R5g6 30 Qc3 Qh4 31 Raf1 f4 32 Qf3 Rg3 33 Qxd5 Ng5

34 Nxf4? 34 Rxf4! wins, but this is quite difficult to find, as the position after 34 ... Rxh3+ 35 gxh3 Qxh3+ 36 Kg1 looks like Black should have something decisive. 34 ... Nxh3 35 Qxg8+ Rxg8 36 Nxh3 Qxd4 37 e6 Qd6+ 38 Nf4 Rf8 39 g3 Rxf4 40 gxf4 Qxe6 41 f5 Qh6+ 42 Kg3 Qg5+ 43 Kh3 Qh5+ 44 Kg3 Qg5+ 45 Kh3 Qh5+ 46 Kg3 ½-½ In this game we focussed on the 9 c3 Be7 10 Bc2 Bg4 variation. We meet this line with 11 Qe1!?, which is a very interesting and fairly new way for White to play. If Black plays 11 ... Bxf3, White accepts doubled pawns on his kingside, in return for the bishop pair and strong pawns on f4 and e5. Objectively Black should be fine, but the positions are very complicated and require him to play precisely. In our main game after 11 ... Nc5, White played 12 Nd4! and obtained a good pawn structure. Black usually aims for play with either ... f5 or ... c5, but as we saw in many of the variations, there are ways for White to put some pressure on Black’s position.



Game 23

I.Nepomniachtchi-Wei Yi

FIDE Grand Prix (rapid), Moscow 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 c3 The actual move order of the game was 9 Nbd2 Be7 10 c3 0-0 11 Bc2 f5. 9 ... Be7 10 Bc2 0-0 11 Nbd2 f5 Black has the following alternatives: a) 11 ... Nc5?! is a passive choice, following 12 Nb3 (the immediate 12 Nd4 would also be good for White) 12 ... Qd7 13 Re1 Rfe8 (13 ... Nxb3 14 axb3 f5 was played in O.Korneev-R.Theissl Pokorna, Reykjavik 2004, but soon led to trouble for Black after 15 exf6 Bxf6 16 Qd3 g6 17 Bh6) 14 Ng5 g6 15 Nxe6 Qxe6 16 f4 Rad8 17 Kh1 Qd7 18 Qf3 and White had a clear edge in S.Nilsson-S.Rynkevich, correspondence 2009. b) 11 ... Nxd2 12 Qxd2! is the best recapture, preparing to use the queen to create threats on the kingside. After 12 ... Qd7 13 Re1 Rfe8 14 h3 Bf8 15 Qg5! Rad8 16 Qh5, White had excellent play in S.Shcherbatyuk-G.Plume, correspondence 2017. c) 11 ... Bf5 12 Nd4 Nxd4 13 cxd4 Qd7 (13 ... f6 14 Nxe4 Bxe4 15 Bxe4 dxe4 16 Qb3+ Kh8 17 Be3 was much better for White in V.IvanchukV.Korchnoi, New York 1994) 14 Nb3! and White will take control of the c5-square. D.Szczepankiewicz-W.Wójcik, correspondence 2006, continued 14 ... a5 15 f3 Ng5 16 Bxg5 Bxg5 17 Nc5 Bxc2 18 Qxc2 with a winning position for White, as his kingside pawns could easily roll forward. 12 exf6!?

  Question: What is the purpose of playing 12 exf6, giving up the strong pawn on e5?   Answer: 12 exf6 is a rare line, but a very interesting one. White opens up the e-file and prepares to quickly develop his pieces. As we will see in a couple of moves, White also has ideas of playing a4 and attacking Black’s slightly weakened queenside. White is currently struggling to show anything in the main lines after 12 Nb3 so deviating here seems like a good choice. 12 ... Nxf6 13 Re1 13 Nb3 is the most popular choice, but doesn’t seem to be as critical. After 13 ... Bg4 14 Qd3, Black has: a) 14 ... Bh5 15 Nbd4 Nxd4 16 cxd4 Bg6 17 Qe2 Bxc2 18 Qxc2 Bd6 19 Bg5 gave White an edge in M.Vachier Lagrave-L.Fressinet, Nimes 2009.

b) 14 ... Qd7 15 Nbd4 Nxd4 (or 15 ... Bd6 16 Bg5 Nxd4 17 Nxd4 c5 18 Bxf6 gxf6 19 Nf5 and White has slightly better chances) 16 cxd4 Bxf3 17 Qxf3 saw White obtain the bishop pair advantage in D.Anton GuijarroS.Vidit, Martuni 2016, but Black should be fine. c) 14 ... Ne4!? 15 Nbd4 Nxd4 16 Nxd4 Bd6 17 h3 Qh4! soon led to a draw in M.Nayhebaver-R.Biolek, Tatranske Zruby 2014. 13 ... Qd7 Others: a) 13 ... Bg4 14 h3 Bh5, when White can try: a1) 15 Bf5!? as played in E.Safarli-I.Shahaliyev, Baku 2015, can be met by 15 ... Bd6! (instead 15 ... Kh8?! 16 g4! Bf7 17 Ng5 allowed White to develop active kingside play) 16 g4 Bg6 17 Bxg6 hxg6 18 Nf1 Qd7 followed by ... Rae8 and Black is fine. a2) 15 Nf1 is a simple and playable alternative, but shouldn’t be too challenging for Black after 15 ... Bc5 16 Be3 Bxe3 17 Rxe3 d4! a3) 15 a4! challenges Black on the queenside, and now: a31) 15 ... Bd6 should be met by playing 16 axb5 axb5 17 Rxa8 Qxa8 18 g4! with a clearly better position for White, for example, 18 ... Bg6 (or 18 ... Bf7 19 Ng5!) runs into 19 Bxg6 hxg6 20 Qc2. a32) 15 ... b4 16 Nf1

16 ... Bc5 (16 ... Ne4?! is an active idea, aiming to create play along the open f-file, but can be simply met by 17 Ng3! with a much better position for White; Black’s most dangerous continuation is 17 ... Nxf2!? 18 Kxf2 Bh4!, but here White has 19 Re6! preventing Black from playing ... Qd6, and 19 ... Qd7 20 Qd3 g6 21 Bb3! is good for White) 17 Be3 Bxe3 18 Rxe3 d4 and Black should equalize with accurate play. Maybe White’s best try is 19 Rd3, when play may continue 19 ... Bxf3 20 Rxf3 Qd6 21 Ng3 Ne5 22 Rf4 and the chances are roughly equal in this complicated position. b) 13 ... Qd6 doesn’t look like a natural choice and appears to just be a slightly worse version of 13 ... Qd7. Play may continue 14 a4 (14 h3 is a safer choice and should be slightly better for White as well; White will try to improve his position with moves like Nf1 and Be3, and then may attack on the queenside with a4) 14 ... b4 15 a5! Bg4 16 h3 Bh5 17 Ba4! (17 Bf5 aims to control the important e6-square, but 17 ... Ne5!? leads to complicated play; though White should still be better) is a very annoying move for Black to deal with. 17 ... Nxa5 is critical, but White obtains tremendous compensation after 18 Qe2! Rf7 (or 18 ... bxc3 19 bxc3 Bd8 20

c4! gives White a clear advantage, he will try to open the position with cxd5 and maybe play Ba3) 19 g4! (or the safer 19 Qf1 is fine as well) 19 ... Nxg4 20 hxg4 Bxg4 21 Qe5 and Black lacks compensation. 14 a4!

This new idea by Nepomniachtchi puts Black under serious queenside pressure, and it already isn’t so easy for Black to achieve full equality. 14 Nf1 Rae8 15 Ng5!? as tried in D.Baramidze-E.L’Ami, Germany 2006, isn’t a problem for Black after 15 ... Bg4! 16 f3 Bf5 17 Bxf5, and we see the point behind inserting ... Bg4 and f3, as Black can play 17 ... Bc5+! (17 ... Qxf5? 18 Ne6! would be excellent for White) with a good position. 14 ... Bf5?! Now White can obtain a much better position because he is able to easily develop his pieces and put pressure on Black’s slightly weakened queenside. Instead: a) 14 ... b4 15 a5! Bc5! (15 ... Bg4 16 Ba4 is a very unpleasant pin for Black to deal with) encouraging White to play Nb3, as then White can’t play Ba4. Still, White retains the better chances after 16 Nb3 (16 Ba4?!

would run into 16 ... Ng4) 16 ... Bd6 17 Nbd4 (alternatively, there is 17 Be3 Bg4 18 Nbd2 Ne5 19 Nxe5 Bxe5 20 f3 with a small advantage for White), which leads to a fairly forcing line: 17 ... Nxd4 18 Nxd4 Bg4 19 f3 c5 20 Ne2 Bf5 (20 ... Bh5 21 Bg5 is very comfortable for White) 21 Bxf5 Qxf5 22 cxb4 cxb4 23 Be3 and White’s control of the important d4-square gives him an edge. b) 14 ... Bg4?! is dubious because of 15 axb5 axb5 16 Rxa8 Rxa8 17 Bd3 and Black’s queenside becomes quite weak. 15 Bxf5 Qxf5 16 axb5 It was also possible to maintain the tension on the queenside for a bit longer with 16 Nf1 Qd7 17 Bg5. 16 ... axb5 17 Rxa8 Rxa8 18 Nf1 Qd7 19 Bg5 Rd8 20 Ng3 h6 21 Bxf6 Bxf6

  Exercise: How should White continue?   Answer: 22 Nh5!

A very strong move that attacks Black’s f6-bishop and prepares to play Nf4, which would target Black’s d5-pawn and the weak e6-square. 22 Qd3!? preventing ... Qf5 before playing Nh5 was also worth considering. 22 ... Qf5 22 ... Rf8 is met by 23 Nf4 Ne7 24 Qe2 with a clear advantage for White. 23 Nxf6+ Qxf6 24 Qb3! b4! 25 cxb4 Nd4 26 Nxd4 Qxd4 Black has decent drawing chances because all minor pieces have been exchanged. 27 Rd1 27 Qc3!? was an interesting alternative, Black will be faced with an unpleasant defence. 27 ... Qe5 28 g3 Kh8 29 Qc3 d4 30 Qd3 c6 31 b3 Qd6 32 Rc1 Rb8 33 h4 Rxb4 34 Qa6 Rb8 35 Rxc6 Qd5 36 Rc8+ Rxc8 37 Qxc8+ Kh7 38 Qc4 Qf3 39 Qxd4 Qxb3 40 Qe4+ Kh8 41 Kg2 Qf7 42 g4 Qf6 43 Kg3 g5 44 hxg5 hxg5 45 Qf5 Qe7 46 Kf3 Kg7 47 Qe4 Qf6+ 48 Qf5 Qe7 49 Qd5 Qf6+ 50 Ke2 Qb2+ 51 Qd2 Qb5+ 52 Qd3 Qb2+ 53 Kf1 Qc1+ 54 Kg2 Qc6+ 55 f3 Qe6 56 Qd4+ Qf6 57 Qb4 Qe5 58 Kf2 Kf7 59 Qe4 Qb2+ 60 Ke3 Qc3+ 61 Ke2 Qb2+ 62 Kd3 Qb3+ 63 Kd4 Qb4+ 64 Ke5 Qb2+ 65 Qd4 Qe2+ 66 Qe4 Qb2+ 67 Qd4 Qe2+ 68 Qe4 ½-½ 10 ... 0-0 is one of the soundest lines that Black can play in the Open Ruy Lopez against our repertoire choice of 9 c3. After 11 Nbd2, Black has a number of options, but 11 ... f5 is by far the most critical and Black’s results here have been very solid recently. In this game, we looked at 12 exf6!?, aiming to create play on the open e-file and attack Black’s queenside. On move 13, Black played 13 ... Qd7 which was met by Nepomniachtchi’s strong new idea, 14 a4! However, Black managed to hold the game with accurate defence, despite being much worse out of the opening. Instead, Black could deviate with either 13 ... Bg4 or 13 ... Qd7 14 a4 b4, but the play remains complicated and Black’s weakened queenside requires him to display accuracy while defending in many variations.





Chapter Six

The Anti-Marshall: 8 a4

The Marshall has consistently been one of the most challenging lines for Ruy Lopez players to face. The Marshall Attack after 8 c3 d5! has been doing very well theoretically for Black, and White usually avoids this with an Anti-Marshall line. Our repertoire choice is the fashionable 8 a4 AntiMarshall.

Game 24 focuses on the 8 ... Bb7 variation, as well as Black’s sidelines on move 8. This game is the longest one in this chapter, and a very important one, because it can also be reached through the 5 ... b5 6 Bb3 Bb7 move order (see Chapter 7). Although the latest preference at the top level is 8 ... b4, 8 ... Bb7 is a very solid and complex line, where White needs to understand the positions to be able to put pressure on Black.

Game 25 moves on to 8 ... b4, which we meet by playing the fashionable 9 a5. The critical position is reached after 9 a5 d6 10 d3 Be6 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Nbd2.

In this game, we’ll look at Black’s rare options in the diagrammed position: 12 ... Qb8, 12 ... Qc8, and 12 ... d5!? Although Black manages to equalize in the game after 12 ... d5, several alternatives are suggested for White to put Black under some pressure. Game 26 examines 12 ... Qe8, which is one of Black’s most popular choices. In the game, White gives Black major problems by expanding in the centre with 13 c3 and 14 d4. Black needs to display accuracy early on in order to not end up in a passive position. Game 27 analyses 12 ... Rb8, which is currently Black’s most popular choice and a very critical one. The play often leads to very sharp positions, where White obtains good control of the centre, but Black can fight for counterplay with some of his active pieces. In the game, White manages to gain an advantage against one of the leading experts on the Marshall, Ding Liren, but the position is very complicated and White misses a surprising

opportunity late in the middlegame.

Game 24

A.Giri-E.Tomashevsky

FIDE Grand Prix, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 a4 Bb7 Others: a) 8 ... b4 is the main variation and will be looked at in the next 3 games of this chapter. b) 8 ... Na5!? is an interesting sideline. Black is planning to sacrifice his b5-pawn, in return for the bishop pair and doubled b-pawns for White, but this shouldn’t be enough for Black. 9 axb5 (9 Nxe5? Nxb3 10 cxb3 Bb7 11 d3 d5! gave Black excellent play in C.Cranbourne-A.Civitillo, correspondence 2005) 9 ... Nxb3 (9 ... axb5?! would give White an excellent position after 10 Nxe5 Bb7 11 Nxf7! Rxf7 12 Bxf7+ Kxf7 13 Nc3, as the b5-pawn is weak and White can soon play e5) 10 cxb3 Bb7 (10 ... d5 11 d4! fights for central control and looks like the best route to an edge; E.Gimenez-A.Civitillo, correspondence 2009, continued 11 ... dxe4 12 Nxe5 Bb7 13 bxa6 Bxa6 14 Nc3 and Black didn’t have enough compensation for the pawn) 11 bxa6 Bxe4 12 Nc3 Bd3! (12 ... Bb7 allows 13 Qe2 which should secure White a large advantage) 13 Nxe5 Bxa6 14 d4 Bb7 15 Rxa8 Bxa8 and in M.Palac-S.Halkias, Warsaw 2013, White played 16 Bg5 and soon gained an advantage, but 16 Ng4! may be even stronger. c) 8 ... Rb8?! is quite passive and doesn’t give White any problems in obtaining an advantage. 9 axb5 axb5 10 c3 (the safer 10 d3!? is slightly better for White) and now: c1) 10 ... d6 11 d4 exd4 12 cxd4 Bg4 13 Nc3 Qd7 14 d5 (14 Be3 would also be good, as Black is left with a passive position) was excellent for White in A.Volokitin-J.Votava, Austria 2019. c2) 10 ... d5 11 exd5 Nxd5 12 Nxe5 Nxe5 13 Rxe5 c6 is the main line of the Marshall gambit, with the difference that here White controls the open a-file. This provides White with a much better position. For example, 14 d4 Bd6 15 Re1 Qh4 16 g3 Qh3 17 Re4 (or 17 Qd3 followed by Qf1 looks good as well) 17 ... g5 18 Qf1 Qh5 19 f3 and Black doesn’t have enough compensation.

9 d3

  Question: Can Black play ... d5 here, like he does in the Marshall gambit?   9 ... d6 Answer: a) 9 ... d5!? has been tried in several games, but White is well-prepared to meet this gambit. Compared to the Marshall gambit, White has a couple of small advantages: 1) Black’s development is slightly unusual, he would prefer to keep his light-squared bishop on the c8-h3 diagonal. 2) White can play axb5 and exchange off a pair of rooks. This is favourable for White because in the Marshall gambit, Black’s a8-rook can become a useful part of his attack. On the other hand, White’s a1-rook generally stays quite passive.

3) White has a pawn on d3 instead of c3, this should allow White to develop slightly faster, and he also has the option of bringing his knight to c3.

Play may continue 10 exd5 Nxd5 11 axb5 (the simpler 11 Nbd2 could also be tried; following 11 ... f6 12 c3 Kh8 13 axb5 axb5 14 Rxa8 Bxa8 15 Ne4 b4 16 d4 White had a small edge in F.Caruana-M.Carlsen, Stavanger 2017) 11 ... axb5 12 Rxa8 Bxa8 13 Nxe5 Nd4 and now: a1) 14 Nd2 has been tried a couple of times, and has given good results for White. However, after Black plays ... Nxb3, White’s knight will be forced to the b3-square, which isn’t an ideal place for the knight. After 14 ... Bd6 15 c3?! (15 Nef3! would still give White good chances for an edge) 15 ... Nxb3 16 Nxb3 c5! (16 ... Re8?! 17 d4 Nf6 18 Bg5 quickly led to a winning endgame for White in R.Robson-V.Durarbayli, Ulaanbaatar 2018) was V.Ivanchuk-E.Bacrot, Odessa 2007, and Black should have enough play for the pawn. a2) 14 c3! looks like White’s best choice, play may continue 14 ... Nxb3 15 Qxb3 Bg5! (or 15 ... b4 16 d4 Nb6 17 Be3 Nd7 and in D.Kokarev-

V.Moiseenko, Khanty-Mansiysk (rapid) 2017, the simplest would have been 18 Nxd7! Qxd7 19 c4 with an excellent position for White) is best, fighting for control of the important f4-square. White should continue by playing 16 Nd2 Bf4 (16 ... Nf4? is simply met by playing 17 Ne4) 17 Qxb5 Bxe5 18 Rxe5 Nf4 19 Nf3 Nxd3 20 Bg5 f6 21 Re3! Nxf2 22 Bf4 with an edge. b) 9 ... Re8 aims to play ... Bf8 followed by a quick ... d5. White has tried two main moves here: b1) 10 Nbd2 h6! (10 ... Bf8 11 Nf1 Na5 12 Ba2 d5 13 axb5 axb5 14 exd5 Bxd5 15 Bg5 and White had a much better position in F.CaruanaA.Onischuk, St. Louis 2018; while 10 ... Bc5 11 Nf1 d5 12 axb5 axb5 13 Rxa8 Qxa8 14 Bg5! gave White an excellent position in R.PietrocolaA.Carrettoni, correspondence 2019) 11 Nf1 (11 c3 is probably best, transposing to 10 c3) 11 ... Bf8 12 Ne3 Na5 13 Ba2 d5! 14 exd5 Nxd5 15 Ng4 Nb4 gave Black good counterchances in J.Staniszewski-J.Hagberg, correspondence 2016. b2) 10 c3! looks best, waiting to see what Black does before playing Nbd2. After 10 ... h6 (One of the main points behind delaying Nbd2 is that 10 ... Bf8?! can be met by 11 Bg5!, which makes it difficult for Black to play ... d5; following 11 ... h6 12 Bh4 d6 13 Na3 White had achieved a large advantage in P.Svidler-A.Onischuk, Mallorca 2004) 11 Nbd2 Bf8 (11 ... d6 12 Nf1 Qd7 13 Ng3 is fairly comfortable for White) 12 Ba2 Black has tried several different plans: b21) 12 ... b4 can be met by 13 a5! gaining space on the queenside. b22) 12 ... d5 13 exd5 Nxd5 14 Ne4 Nb8! 15 g4! Nf6 16 Nfd2 Nh7 17 Nf1 and White had a good attacking position in V.Parshin-V.Gullotto, correspondence 2017. b23) 12 ... d6 13 Qb3! (the natural 13 h3 is fine as well) 13 ... Qd7 14 axb5 Na5 15 Qxf7+ Qxf7 16 Bxf7+ Kxf7 17 Rxa5 and White’s extra pawn gave him the slightly better chances in C.Epure-Y.Anokhin, correspondence 2016. Although Black should be fine after some accurate play.

10 Nbd2 Also deserving attention is 10 c3!? which was tried by Ding Liren, an expert on the Marshall from the Black side. This option may appeal to some players over the main line (10 Nbd2) because it allows White to develop slightly more naturally. In this line, White aims to play place his bishop on c2 (instead of a2) followed by Nbd2-f1-g3. Black has: a) 10 ... Qd7 11 Nbd2 Nd8 and the main ideas for both sides are shown in the variations below: a1) the immediate 12 d4!? is interesting, but Black gains some counterplay after 12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 Ne6 followed by ... d5. White could try 14 d5 himself, but Black has 14 ... Nc5 15 Bc2 c6! a2) 12 Nf1 Ne6 13 Ng3 c5 14 d4 exd4 15 cxd4 d5 16 e5 Ne4 17 Nf5 and White eventually won a very double-edged game in Ding LirenZ.Efimenko, Porto Carras 2018. a3) 12 Bc2! with the idea of playing d4 looks like the most accurate continuation. White obtains an advantage after 12 ... Ne6 (or 12 ... c5 13 axb5 axb5 14 Rxa8 Bxa8 15 d4) 13 d4 exd4 14 Nxd4.

b) 10 ... Na5! is probably best, trying to gain space on the queenside. Play may continue 11 Bc2 c5 12 Nbd2 Re8 13 Nf1 h6 14 Ng3 (the immediate 14 d4 exd4 15 cxd4 would be met by 15 ... d5! 16 e5 Ne4 and Black should be fine) and we’ve reached a typical position that has been tested on many occasions. I.Smirin-V.Topalov, Biel 1993, continued 14 ... Bf8 15 d4 Qc7?! (instead, Black should play for quick counterplay in the centre with 15 ... cxd4! 16 cxd4 d5, obtaining roughly equal chances) 16 d5 Nc4 17 b3 and White had secured an advantage, as Black lacked active play on the queenside. 10 ... Na5 Or: a) 10 ... Qd7 11 c3 Nd8 is a standard plan for Black, but not a very effective one in this position, as White can put Black’s centre under some pressure with 12 Bc2 Ne6 13 d4 exd4 14 Nxd4. b) 10 ... Nd7 intends to play ... Nc5 followed by ... Nxa4. White should meet this by playing 11 c3 Nc5 12 axb5! (12 Bc2 isn’t bad either, but it gives Black the bishop pair after 12 ... Nxa4 13 Bxa4 bxa4; and while White can still fight for an advantage, Black will have some ideas for counterplay with either ... d5 or ... f5) 12 ... axb5 13 Rxa8 Qxa8 14 Bc2 and we have reached a position that should be slightly easier for White to play due to his well-coordinated pieces. Black has several options to choose from at this point: b1) 14 ... Ne6 15 Nf1 Bf6 (15 ... Bd8?! was tried in D.KokarevA.Iljushin, Togliatti 2014, but White quickly gained a large advantage after 16 Ng3 Ne7 17 d4) transposes to the 14 ... Bf6 variation. b2) 14 ... Bf6 15 Nf1 Ne6 is a natural way for Black to develop his pieces, as it prevents White from playing d4. Still, Black doesn’t have much active play here, and M.Dorer-K.Boldysh, correspondence 2009, continued 16 Ne3 g6 17 b4 Bg7 18 Bb3 Ne7 19 Ng4 with a pleasant position for White. b3) 14 ... b4! is critical, and was tried in 2019 by Topalov. Black is trying to weaken White’s queenside, as the weaknesses there will give Black some compensation for White’s central control. b31) 15 Nc4!? is slightly more cautious and a very playable alternative to 15 d4. Following 15 ... bxc3 16 bxc3 Ne6 (16 ... Qa1 is an improvement, but the endgame arising after 17 Be3 Qxd1 18 Rxd1 is quite pleasant for White) 17 d4 Ba6 18 Ne3 exd4 19 cxd4 Nb4 20 Nf5 White had achieved a

nearly winning position and soon launched a decisive attack in D.SibeldinS.Gromov, correspondence 2012. b32) 15 d4 bxc3 16 bxc3 Nd7 17 Nf1

Black can play: b321) 17 ... Qa1 was L.Dominguez Perez-G.Sargissian, Huaian (rapid) 2016, and White obtained a slightly better endgame after 18 Bd2. Instead, 18 Ne3! Bf6 19 d5 Ncb8 20 c4 Nc5 21 Qe2 gives White a space advantage and ideas of attacking on the kingside with g4 and h4. Although Black’s position is quite solid, White’s play seems much easier here. b322) 17 ... Bf6 18 d5 Ncb8! (18 ... Na5 isn’t a great square for Black’s knight and it shuts in the queen on a8; A.Goretov-A.Sychov, correspondence 2015, continued 19 Ne3 Ba6 20 Nf5 Bb5 21 Ng5 g6 22 Nh6+ Kg7 23 h4 and White quickly created overwhelming pressure on the kingside) intends to reroute the knight to the c5-square. Now White has: b3221) 19 h4!? was an interesting try in H.Nakamura-V.Topalov, Riga 2019, but Black managed to create enough counterplay after 19 ... Qa1 20

Re3 (20 c4 followed by Ne3 and g4 may be a slight improvement) 20 ... Nc5 21 c4 Qa6. b3222) I recommend that White should play 19 c4, which makes it more difficult for Black to create queenside counterplay. For example, 19 ... Nc5 (19 ... Qa1? would run into 20 Re3 followed by Ra3) 20 Re3 (or 20 Be3 Nbd7 21 Qa1) 20 ... Qa6 21 N3d2 intending to play Ra3 and Nb3 next. 11 Ba2 c5 11 ... bxa4 12 Nf1 (12 Bb1!? is an interesting alternative, as after 12 ... Bc6 13 c3 Black’s pieces are awkwardly placed) transposes to our main game after 12 ... c5. 12 Nf1

  Question: Why is White giving up his a4-pawn? Shouldn’t he just take on b5 first and then play Nf1 - ?  

Answer: 12 axb5?! axb5 13 Nf1 isn’t good for White because of 13 ... Nc6, which makes it difficult for White to properly develop his pieces, as Black’s pressure on the a-file is quite unpleasant. 12 Nf1 does allow Black to temporarily win a pawn with 12 ... bxa4, but White gets more control of the important c4-square, and will usually win the pawn back later. 12 ... bxa4 Others: a) 12 ... Bc8 is a logical alternative to improve the placement of the bishop, but is a bit slow. 13 Bd2! (13 c3 would be met by 13 ... c4! and Black obtains some queenside counterplay) 13 ... b4 14 c3 bxc3 15 bxc3 Qc7 16 Bg5 c4 17 d4 and White had a much more comfortable position in A.Goretov-S.Nadeev, correspondence 2018. b) 12 ... b4 is the main line, but hasn’t been seen too often recently at the top level. If Black plays accurately, his position will be fairly solid, but in many lines he faces a difficult defensive task. After 13 c3 Black has two main tries: b1) 13 ... bxc3 14 bxc3 c4!? weakens White’s e4-pawn, but also allows White to target Black’s d6-pawn. After 15 Ng3 cxd3 16 Qxd3, Black’s most popular choice is 16 ... Bc8, defending the f5-square. White has two good plans: 17 Ba3 targets the d6-pawn and should give White a slight edge. Another possibility is 17 Nh4!?, which is a more aggressive approach, aiming to place a knight on f5. b2) 13 ... Rb8 is probably more accurate, but will leave Black with a weakness on b4. After 14 cxb4 cxb4 15 Bd2

Black has a number of ways to defend the pawn on b4: b21) 15 ... Nc6?! would be a mistake, as Black loses control over the important d5 and c4-squares. 16 Rc1 followed by Ng3 gives White a clear advantage. b22) 15 ... Bc8 16 Rc1 b3 17 Bb1 Qb6 18 Ne3 saw White launch a decisive kingside attack over the next couple of moves in A.DvoinikovJ.Tanti, correspondence 2014, as Black’s pieces are very passively placed. b23) 15 ... Bc6 is a natural choice, hoping to put some pressure on White’s a4-pawn. Play may continue 16 Ng3 g6 17 d4! (the simpler 17 Rc1 Qd7 18 b3 should also give White a slight edge) 17 ... Qb6 18 Qe2 Nd7 (an important tactical point is seen after 18 ... exd4 19 Nxd4! and if Black plays 19 ... Qxd4?, White has 20 Be3 Qe5 21 f4 trapping Black’s queen) 19 Be3 Qb7 20 h4! Bf6 21 h5 was excellent for White in O.Büßing-H.Repp, correspondence 2011. b24) 15 ... Ba8! is best, Black protects his b4-pawn and keeps his bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal, making it more difficult for White to control the important d5-square. Following 16 Ne3 Qd7! (another important move,

preparing to meet White’s Nf5 idea with ... Bd8) 17 Nc4 Nxc4 18 Bxc4 a5 19 Rc1 Black’s position was very solid in G.Poli-J.Bücker, correspondence 2018. However, White has the slightly easier game, as his pieces are a bit more active. White will slowly improve his position with moves like h3, Nh2, or Bb5, while Black doesn’t have a clear plan. 13 Ne3 13 Bd2 before Ne3 has also been tried in some games, but I think it makes sense to keep this bishop on c1, so that the b2-pawn is protected. However, 13 Bd2 prevents 13 ... Bc8, due to a tactical point: 13 ... Bc8?! (13 ... Bc6! should be preferred, when 14 Ne3 may be very slightly better for White) 14 Bxa5! Qxa5, and now 15 Bb3 picks up the a4-pawn. If Black plays 15 ... Bd7, then White has 16 Bxa4 Bxa4 17 b3 followed by Rxa4 with a clearly better position, as Black’s light-squares are extremely weak. 13 ... Bc8 Or: a) 13 ... Bc6 is the most popular choice, but it leaves the f5-square unprotected. White can take advantage of this immediately with 14 Nf5! Bd7 15 N3h4, intending to create an attack on the kingside. Play may continue 15 ... Kh8 (15 ... Nc6 16 c3 Kh8 17 Nxe7 Nxe7 18 Bb1 Nc8 19 f4 was good for White in B.Thompson-H.Gromotka, correspondence 2015, as Black’s pieces are quite passive) 16 Bg5! (16 f4?! Nc6 17 c3 Rb8 18 Rf1 exf4 and Black managed to develop enough counterplay in P.SvidlerE.Tomashevsky, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015) 16 ... Rb8 17 Nxe7 Qxe7 18 Nf5 and Black was under serious pressure in A.Mihailovs-G.Dlugolecki, correspondence 2017. Note that 18 ... Bxf5 19 exf5 Rxb2?! allows 20 Bd5, and even though Black is currently two pawns up, White has excellent compensation due to his bishop pair and Black’s uncoordinated pieces. b) 13 ... Qd7 prepares to meet Nf5 with ... Bd8 and is an interesting way to keep the bishop pair, but it looks too slow. After 14 Nf5 Bd8 15 Bg5 Nc6 16 Qd2 Ne8 17 c3 White had a very comfortable position in L.SpagnoliV.Brunclík, correspondence 2018. 14 Nh4 g6 Others: a) 14 ... Nxe4?! would be a mistake in this position, because White obtains excellent compensation for the pawn after 15 dxe4 Bxh4 16 Bd5! Rb8 17 Rxa4 with play on the a-file and good squares for his minor pieces.

b) Trying to block up the a-file with 14 ... a3!? is an important idea to consider. White has two options to consider: b1) 15 bxa3 Nxe4! and compared to the variation we saw after 14 ... Nxe4?!, White is unable to put pressure on the a-file. Still, White retains good chances for an edge. This is seen after 16 dxe4 Bxh4 17 Bd5 Rb8 18 Qd3 Qc7 19 Bd2 and in S.Nordal-D.Kuhne, correspondence 2017, White played Rab1 next, fighting back on the open b-file. b2) The untested idea 15 Nhf5!? is a very challenging option for Black. The position after 15 ... axb2 16 Bxb2 Nc6 17 c3 Be6 18 Qf3 sees White obtain enough compensation for the pawn. However with good play from Black, White shouldn’t have much more. 15 Nf3 Bd7

  Exercise: How should White continue in this position?   Answer: 16 Nd5!

Exchanging off a pair of knights and opening up the c1-h6 diagonal for the bishop on c1. This move allows White’s pieces to develop much more easily. 16 ... Nxd5 17 Bxd5 Rb8 18 Bh6 Re8 19 Qd2 19 Qc1!? was tried a few months later against Tomashevsky. The game continued 19 ... Bf8 20 Bd2 (20 b3! would give White good chances for an edge) 20 ... Bg7 21 h4?! Nc6 22 Ng5 Rf8 and Black had a slightly better position in A.Motylev-E.Tomashevsky, Chita 2015. 19 ... Bc6 Or: a) 19 ... Rxb2? runs into 20 Ng5!, attacking Black’s weak f7-pawn. 20 ... Bxg5 allows 21 Bxg5 Qc7 22 Bf6! and Black is lost. b) 19 ... Bf8 20 b3 is clearly better for White. 20 Bxc6?! Instead of exchanging off the bishops, White should play 20 Ra2!, defending the b2-pawn, as tried in K.Lavrac-N.Kogoj, correspondence 2015. White doesn’t need to fear ... Bxd5, as the pawn structure will be favourable for him (Black’s knight on a5 will lack good squares). The game continued 20 ... Bf6 21 h3 Bxd5 22 exd5 e4 23 Qf4 Bxb2 24 Ng5 and White had already achieved a crushing position due to the poor placement of Black’s pieces. 20 ... Nxc6 21 c3 Qd7 22 Qc2 a5 23 Rxa4 Red8 24 Bc1

24 ... d5 24 ... f5 is another possible pawn push. After the game continuation, White isn’t better, but manages to find good squares for his pieces and put Black under some pressure. 25 exd5 Qxd5 26 Rae4 f6 27 Qa4 Rbc8 28 R4e3 Rc7 29 Nd2 Rcd7 30 Nc4 Now White has an advantage and accurately wins the game without giving Black any serious counterplay. 30 ... Qe6 31 Qc2 Bd6 32 f4! Bc7 33 Rf3 Rd5 34 Qe2 Kh8 35 Qf1 f5 36 Rfe3 Qf6 37 Qe2 Re8 38 g4 Qh4 39 gxf5 gxf5 40 Kh1 Rd7 41 Rg1 e4 42 Qg2 Qf6 43 Rg3 Qf7 44 b3 Bd8 45 dxe4 fxe4 46 f5 Bc7 47 Rg4 Ne5 48 Rxe4 Rdd8 49 Bg5 Rb8 50 Qe2 Nd7 51 Re6 Rg8 52 Qf3 Rbe8 53 Qg4 Ref8 54 Nd6 Bxd6 55 Rxd6 Qxf5 56 Rxd7 Qxg4 57 Rxg4 Rf5 58 Rd5 10 In this game, we looked at Black’s alternatives to 8 ... b4 in the 8 a4 Anti-Marshall. The main alternative is 8 ... Bb7, but 8 ... Na5!? is an interesting sideline that also deserves some attention. The critical position

for the 8 ... Bb7 line arose on move 10, when Black’s two main options are 10 ... Na5 and 10 ... Nd7. The 10 ... Nd7 variation leads to a position where Black obtains some counterplay on the open a-file, but White will have good plan in the centre. Our main game saw 10 ... Na5, and Black is faced with an important decision on move 12 between 12 ... bxa4 and 12 ... b4. The 12 ... b4 line seems easier to play for White, as Black needs to accurately defend his queenside and protect the c4 and d5-squares. 12 ... bxa4 looks more critical, and White is down a pawn temporarily, but has ideas of creating some play on the a-file, or bringing a knight to the weak f5-square.

Game 25

M.Vachier Lagrave-L.Aronian

GRENKE Classic, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 a4 b4 9 a5

9 ... d6 White can meet 9 ... Bc5 with 10 c3 followed by d4. Others: a) 9 ... d5?! 10 exd5 and now: a1) 10 ... Nxd5 can be met by the simple 11 d3 (or 11 Nxe5 Nxe5 12 Rxe5 is also possible, as Black doesn’t have sufficient compensation for the pawn) followed by Nbd2, giving White a clear advantage. a2) 10 ... e4 11 dxc6 exf3 12 d4 fxg2 13 Nd2! (13 Bf4?! was N.Grandelius-V.Dragnev, Germany 2018, but here 13 ... Bg4 followed by ... Nh5 gives Black some counterplay) with the idea of playing Nf3-e5 gives White an advantage. b) 9 ... Rb8 10 d4! (10 d3 Bc5 should be fine for Black, as his bishop is well placed on c5) leads to forcing play: 10 ... exd4 11 e5 Ne8 12 Nxd4 Nxd4 13 Qxd4 d6 14 Nd2 dxe5 15 Qxd8 Bxd8 16 Nc4 and White has a much better endgame. One sample line is 16 ... e4 17 Rxe4 Nf6 18 Re1 Be6 19 Rxe6! (19 Ne5 would also give White an edge) 19 ... fxe6 20 Ne5 and White has ideas of playing Nc6 or Bxe6. If Black plays 20 ... Nd5, then 21 Nd7 is good for White. 10 d3 Be6 Alternatives are: a) 10 ... Bg4 has been played a number of times, but it doesn’t have a clear purpose. 11 c3 and now: a1) 11 ... d5?! 12 exd5 (12 h3?! is an inaccurate move order due to 12 ... Bxf3 13 Qxf3 d4 and Black is still worse, but his position is playable) 12 ... Nxd5 13 h3 Bh5 14 Ba4! gave White a nearly winning position in S.Erenburg-S.Azarov, internet 2019. a2) 11 ... Rb8 12 Nbd2 (White should avoid 12 Bc4?! bxc3 13 bxc3 Nxa5! 14 Rxa5 Rxb1 which gave Black equal chances in M.KravtsivL.Babujian, Taleigao 2018) 12 ... Qc8 13 h3 Bh5 14 Bc4 Nd8 15 d4 was clearly better for White in A.Horvath-S.Peczely, Zalakaros 2019. b) 10 ... Rb8 11 Nbd2 Nd7 (11 ... Be6! is best, when 12 Bxe6 fxe6 transposes to the final game of this chapter) was seen in Yu YangyiE.Moradiabadi, internet 2018, and White obtained a much better position after 12 Nf1 (the immediate 12 c3 is natural and good for White as well) 12 ... Nc5 13 Bd5 Bd7 14 Be3 as he can play Ng3 and c3 next, while Black’s pieces are a bit uncoordinated. 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Nbd2 d5!?

An interesting idea, Black strikes immediately in the centre, before White has a chance to prepare c3 followed by d4. The downside to this plan is that the e5-pawn can easily become a major weakness in Black’s position. The two main lines, 12 ... Qe8 and 12 ... Rb8, will be looked at in the following games. Other tries are: a) 12 ... Qc8 is a rare move. Black defends his e6-pawn while also possibly preparing to play ... Nd8, as then he would be able to play ... c5. It looks best for White to expand in the centre: 13 c3 Rb8 14 d4 bxc3 15 bxc3 Rb5 16 dxe5 dxe5 (16 ... Nxe5 can be met with 17 c4!) 17 Nc4 and White has a slightly better position because of his better pawn structure. b) 12 ... Qb8 and now: b1) 13 Nb3 was tried in M.Vachier Lagrave-L.Aronian, London 2018, but I think this is slightly inaccurate because Black can continue with his ... Qb8-Qb5 plan without any problems: 13 ... Qb5! (13 ... Nd8 was played in the aforementioned game, but 14 c3 would have given White good chances for an edge; for example, 14 ... c5 15 Nbd2 followed by Nc4 and d4) 14 h3

(14 c3?! is a mistake, due to 14 ... bxc3 15 bxc3 Rfb8) is fine, but Black has nothing to worry about after 14 ... h6 15 Be3 d5. b2) 13 c3! gives Black a choice: b21) 13 ... Nd7 14 d4 Bf6 (14 ... Qb5!? 15 c4 Qb7 16 d5 Nd8 17 Nf1 c6 18 Ng3 and White had the slightly better chances in N.Bernal VarelaT.Biedermann, correspondence 2017) tries to hold the centre together, White should meet this by gaining space with 15 d5 Ne7 16 c4 (16 dxe6?! would be too early, after 16 ... Nc5 17 Nb3 Nxe6 Black is fine) 16 ... c6 17 dxe6! is a good moment to take, as now White can quickly play Nb3 and c5. For example, 17 ... Nc5 18 Nb3 Nxe6 19 c5! d5 20 Bd2 with a much better position for White. b22) 13 ... Qb5 would run into 14 Qb3!, exploiting the fact that Black’s queen is slightly out of play and unable to protect the e6-pawn. 14 ... Qxd3 (14 ... Nd8 15 c4 followed by c5 gives White an edge) is critical, but White keeps an advantage here as well. After 15 Qxe6+ Kh8 16 Re3 Qb5 17 Ng5, Black’s best chance for counterplay is 17 ... d5.

White should meet this with 18 c4!! (18 Nf7+? Rxf7 19 Qxf7 Rf8 provides Black with counterplay; while 18 Rf3?! dxe4 19 Rh3 Qe2! also gives Black counterplay) 18 ... dxc4 19 Rh3 h6 20 Nf7+ Rxf7 21 Qxf7 and White has ideas of Rg3 or g4, with a nearly winning position. For example, 21 ... Rd8 22 g4! c3 23 g5! and Black is in serious trouble. 13 Nb3!? First preventing ... Bc5 before playing c3. Now Black needs to decide how he wants to deal with White’s threat of exd5. He can either defend his e5-pawn, or play ... d4 and close up the centre.   Question: Couldn’t White play exd5 and win the e5-pawn?   Answer: White can win a pawn, but Black gets good play on the f-file after 13 exd5 exd5 14 Nxe5 Nxe5 15 Rxe5 Bc5!, which attacks White’s f2pawn and forces him to defend. For example, 16 Re1 (or 16 Rf5 Qd7 17 Rf4 Rae8 gives Black sufficient compensation) leads a forced line, ending in a draw: 16 ... Bxf2+ 17 Kxf2 Ng4+ 18 Kg1 Qh4 19 h3 Nf2 20 Qe2 Rae8 21 Qxe8 Nxh3+ 22 gxh3 Qg3+ with a perpetual. Instead of 13 Nb3, White can also try 13 c3. Black has: a) 13 ... Bd6 14 d4! gave White a slight edge in V.Topalov-P.Svidler, St. Louis 2016, the game simplified a bit after the concrete line 14 ... bxc3 15 bxc3 exd4 16 cxd4 dxe4 17 Nxe4 Bb4 18 Bd2 Nxe4 19 Rxe4 Qd5 20 Bxb4 Qxe4 21 Bxf8 Rxf8 and here 22 Rc1 soon led to a quick win for White, but Black should only be slightly worse objectively. b) 13 ... Bc5! 14 Nb3 Ba7 15 Be3 (15 Qc2 before playing Be3 could also be tried and wouldn’t lead to early simplifications, which we will see after 15 Be3) 15 ... bxc3 16 bxc3 and now: b1) 16 ... dxe4 17 Ng5! (17 dxe4?! Qxd1 18 Raxd1 Rab8 gave Black a slightly better endgame in D.Howell-M.Adams, London 2018) 17 ... Qxd3 18 Nxe6 Qxd1 19 Rexd1 Rfc8 20 Bxa7 Nxa7 21 g4!? was J.EdwardsG.Hill, correspondence 2018, Black was able to find a couple of active moves and a draw was soon agreed. b2) 16 ... Bxe3 17 Rxe3 dxe4 (or 17 ... Qd6 18 Nbd2 followed by Qc2) 18 Ng5 Qd5 19 dxe4 Qxd1+ 20 Rxd1 and the endgame was balanced in S.Pasierb-D.Fraczek, correspondence 2018. 13 ... d4

13 ... Bd6 is the other main option for Black to protect his e5-pawn. 14 Bg5! (14 c3?! gives Black too much time, as he can just play 14 ... h6 with a fine position) intends to bring the bishop to h4 and then g3, where it will attack Black’s e5-pawn. 14 ... Qe8 and now: a) 15 Bxf6 Rxf6 16 d4 looks natural for White, trying to create play in the centre, but Black is fine after a couple of accurate moves: 16 ... Qg6! 17 exd5 (alternatively, 17 Qd3 dxe4 18 Qxe4 Qxe4 19 Rxe4 exd4 is a roughly balanced endgame) 17 ... e4! 18 dxc6 Rxf3 and Black has enough play for the pawn. b) 15 Bh4 Nh5 16 Bg3 Qg6 17 c3 (17 exd5 wins the e5-pawn, but Black is able to obtain enough compensation with 17 ... exd5 18 Nxe5 Nxe5 19 Bxe5 Nf4! 20 Bxf4 Rxf4 21 Rf1 Raf8 22 g3 h5! and Black is fine) 17 ... bxc3 18 bxc3 Nf4 19 Qc2 Rf7 (19 ... Nh3+!? 20 Kh1 Rxf3 is an aggressive idea, but White should be slightly better after 21 gxf3 Rf8 22 Qe2 h5 23 Red1 intending to play exd5 followed by d4) 20 Nbd2 Raf8 21 Ra4!? was an interesting try in I.Nataf-R.Rio, correspondence 2016, although Black’s position is quite solid.

  Exercise: What should White’s plan be in this position?   14 Bd2 Answer: White has two main ideas, he can try to play positionally, bring a knight to c4, and eventually play c3, which is what White tried in the game. The other plan is to play for an f4 break. This plan seems to be quite effective in this position, as Black has already closed the centre with ... d4. Others: a) 14 Ng5!? Qd7 15 Rf1 h6 16 Nh3! and White will improve his position and slowly prepare to play f4. For example, 16 ... Rab8 (16 ... g5!? is also possible, but 17 f3 Qe8 18 Nf2 Qg6 19 Bd2 is slightly better for White, as he can soon open the position with c3) 17 Bd2 Qe8 18 Kh1 Qg6 19 Qe2 and f4 next. Black could try 19 ... Bd6, but 20 g3 renews the threat, and looks like a much more pleasant position for White. b) 14 Rf1 Qe8 15 Nfd2 would not be the best way to play for a plan with f4, as here 15 ... g5!? gives Black some kingside counterplay. 14 ... Rb8 15 Rc1 Preparing to play c3 at some point, but Black plays accurately to ensure that White won’t be able to do this. I would again prefer a plan with some play on the kingside. For example, 15 Rf1 Rb5 16 h3 Nd7 17 Nh2 and White could try Qg4 next, although Black’s position is quite solid. 15 ... Rb5 16 h3 16 c3 dxc3 17 bxc3 Qxd3 is completely fine for Black. 16 ... Qd6 17 Bg5 Nd7 17 ... Nxa5?! would be inaccurate here, as White will find excellent squares for his pieces. This is seen after 18 Nxa5 Rxa5 19 Nd2 followed by Nc4 and Ra1. Black will likely be stuck defending passively, while White’s play is quite natural. 18 Bxe7 Qxe7

  Question: Can White play c3 in this position?   19 Nfd2 Answer: 19 c3 unfortunately allows Black to gain counterplay with 19 ... bxc3 20 bxc3 Rxf3! 21 gxf3 (forced, as White’s queen must defend the knight on b3) 21 ... Qg5+ 22 Kf1 Ne7 and White needs to play accurately with 23 f4, not allowing Black to play ... Ng6-f4. After 23 ... Qh6, White has nothing better than 24 cxd4 Qxh3+ 25 Ke2 Qg4+ 26 Kf1 Qh3+ with a draw. 19 ... Nc5 19 ... Nxa5 was also a playable option, as the position after 20 Nxa5 Rxa5 21 Ra1 gives White sufficient compensation for the pawn, but not more. Play may continue 21 ... Rxa1 22 Qxa1 Ra8 23 Qa5 Qc5 24 Qxc5 Nxc5 25 Nc4 with balanced chances. 20 Nc4 Nb7

20 ... Nxb3 21 cxb3 Nxa5?! 22 Nxa5 Rxa5 23 Rc6! would give White an excellent position, as he has control over the c-file, and Black’s rook is stuck on a5 defending the a6-pawn. 21 Ra1 Nd6 22 Ncd2 Nb7 23 Nc4 Nd6 24 Ncd2 White could play on with 24 Rf1 hoping to create some play on the kingside eventually, but Black should be completely fine after 24 ... Rf6. 24 ... Nb7 25 Nc4 ½-½ In this game, we started our examination of the 8 ... b4 9 a5 variation. Black has many different plans to choose from, but the critical one in this game was 12 ... d5!?, which has been tried by several experts on the Marshall including Levon Aronian, Michael Adams, and Peter Svidler. White can try either 13 c3 or 13 Nb3, both of which give White some chances to obtain a small edge, but Black’s position is fairly solid. The game continuation led to a fairly closed position, but on move 14, 14 Ng5!? is a new idea and seems like an interesting way for White to create some play on the kingside.

Game 26

S.Sevian-K.Sasikiran

World Team Championship, Astana 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 a4 b4 9 a5 9 d3 d6 10 a5 was the move order played in the game. 9 ... d6 10 d3 Be6 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Nbd2 Qe8

  Question: What is the purpose of 12 ... Qe8 - ?   Answer: 12 ... Qe8 prepares to bring the queen to g6, where it could put some pressure on White’s kingside. The queen on e8 also makes it easier for Black to protect his e6-pawn, as he is now able to play ... Nd8 followed by ... c5. White should respond to Black’s idea by playing energetically and gaining space in the centre. 12 ... Rb8 is the main line and will be looked at in the next game. 13 c3 Rb8 Others: a) 13 ... Nh5 14 d4 Nf4 15 Nf1 Rb8 (15 ... Qg6 would be met by 16 Bxf4 Rxf4 17 Ng3) 16 Bxf4 Rxf4 17 Qd3 and White had a very pleasant position in S.Shyam-O.Perez Mitjans, Montcada 2018. b) 13 ... bxc3 14 bxc3 Nd7 15 Qa4 Nc5 was seen in D.HarikaK.Szczepkowska, Wroclaw 2018, and White played 16 Qc4 (instead, 16 Qc2! is best, when Black lacks counterplay; for example, 16 ... d5 17 exd5

exd5 18 d4! gives White a clear advantage), but after 16 ... Qd7 17 d4, Black found 17 ... d5!, gaining a tempo off of White’s misplaced queen and equalizing the game. c) 13 ... Qg6 is consistent with Black’s previous move, and White should continue energetically with 14 d4. Now it looks like Black’s best chance for kingside counterplay is 14 ... Nh5 (14 ... bxc3 is also playable, but slightly passive; for example, 15 bxc3 exd4 16 cxd4 Na7 17 Qb3 Nh5 18 Nf1 Rab8 19 Qd3 Nb5 20 Ng3 gave White an edge in A.Kupsys-A.Bell, correspondence 2016, due to his strong centre) 15 Nc4! (note that 15 Nf1?! runs into 15 ... d5!, sacrificing a pawn, but gaining good play after 16 exd5 e4 17 dxc6 exf3 18 g3 Bd6 with ... Qg4 and ... Nf4 ideas) 15 ... exd4 16 cxd4 Rxf3!

White should be better after the following moves: 17 Qxf3 Nxd4 18 Qd3 c5 (18 ... Bf6 threatens to play ... d5, so White should play 19 Qd1 with a clear advantage) 19 Kh1 and Black’s compensation is insufficient. Note that 19 ... d5? is a big mistake here, due to 20 Ne5. 14 d4

14 Nc4!? is a slightly slower approach, but also challenging for Black. After 14 ... Qg6 (14 ... Rb5 15 h3 h6 16 Be3 Nh5 17 d4 gave White the slightly better chances in A.Gulevich-B.Laube, correspondence 2017) 15 h3, Black can try: a) 15 ... bxc3 16 bxc3 Nh5 17 Be3 Rb5 (the immediate 17 ... Nf4 18 Bxf4 Rxf4 19 Ncd2 Rbf8 puts pressure on the f-file, but shouldn’t worry White, as he can continue with 20 Qa4!, exploiting the poor placement of Black’s c6-knight) 18 Qe2 Rfb8 19 Rec1 and in M.Huber-V.Malyshev, correspondence 2018, Black had control of the b-file, but White had a better position because he could gradually prepare to play d4. b) 15 ... Nh5!? strives for play on the kingside and looks like Black’s best approach. Following 16 Be3 Nf4 17 Bxf4 Rxf4, White should play 18 Ncd2! protecting the knight on f3, so that Qb3 or Qa4 can be played. Black can try 18 ... Bg5!? intending to bring the c6-knight to e7, but 19 Nxg5 Qxg5 20 Nf3 should be slightly better for White. c) 15 ... Nd7 16 Be3 d5 17 Ncd2 bxc3 (17 ... Bd6 is also possible, trying to maintain the tension, but 18 Qa4! is slightly better for White) 18 bxc3 Nc5 19 Bxc5 Bxc5 20 Qa4 gave White a clearly better position in M.Carlsen-L.Aronian, St. Louis 2017. 14 ... bxc3

Or: a) 14 ... Rb5 sees Black willing to accept doubled e-pawns in return for some play against White’s kingside, as after 15 dxe5 dxe5, Black’s bishop on e7 is able to move to c5. Play may continue 16 Nc4 Bc5 (16 ... Nh5 17 Be3 h6 18 Qe2 Nf4 19 Bxf4 exf4 improves Black’s pawn structure, but White is still better after 20 Red1, when White has play on the d-file and could consider playing e5 at some point) 17 Qe2 Qg6 18 h3 h6 19 Bd2 and White was slightly better in N.Bernal Varela-V.Stronsky, correspondence 2017, as Black lacked active play. b) 14 ... Nh5 15 dxe5 dxe5 16 Nc4 Bc5 (16 ... Rb5 reaches the 14 ... Rb5 15 dxe5 dxe5 16 Nc4 Nh5 variation that we looked at above) is another try, but 17 Qe2 should give White a slight edge. Although Black has the open f-file, his e5-pawn is a weakness and it isn’t easy for him to come up with an active plan. 15 bxc3 exd4 15 ... Rb5 leads to similar positions that we saw after 14 ... Rb5, but here Black has already traded on c3, which should favour White slightly.

After 16 dxe5 dxe5 17 Qe2 White can continue with moves such as Nc4 and Ra2, slowly trying to improve his position. 16 cxd4 Nb4 A typical idea that we will also see in our next game. The knight on b4 assists in preparing an eventual ... d5 and threatens to go to the d3-square. Instead 16 ... Rb5 17 Ba3 (17 Qc2!? puts pressure on the c-file and could also be considered) and now:   a) 17 ... Qd7 18 Qc2 Rfb8 19 Rec1 Nxa5 20 Qxc7 soon led to a winning endgame for White in N.Huschenbeth-K.Alekseenko, Skopje 2019. b) 17 ... Nxa5 18 Rc1 followed by Qc2 gives White great compensation for the pawn, especially because Black’s knight on a5 is completely out of play. c) 17 ... Rxa5 18 Qc2 would also be excellent for White. d) 17 ... Nh5 threatens ... Nf4, and White should meet this with 18 g3 Bg5! 19 Nxg5 (otherwise Black has ... Bxd2 and White has difficulties defending his f3-knight and d4-pawn) 19 ... Rxg5 20 Nf3 Rxa5 21 e5!, which gives White more than enough compensation for the pawn. Black could try 21 ... Qd7, and then 22 Re3! allows White to consolidate his position, while Black’s pieces are quite uncoordinated. 17 Qb3 Nh5?!

  Question: Why is Black giving up his e6-pawn?   Answer: Rather than defending passively with 17 ... Qd7 or reaching a slightly worse position with 17 ... d5, Black creates some ideas for counterplay along the f-file. However, if White continues accurately (as he does in this game), he should be able to win without any problems. Others: a) 17 ... Qd7 18 Ba3 Nc6 19 Qc2 followed by Rac1 leads to a slightly passive and unpleasant position for Black. b) 17 ... d5! was the best way for Black to play. Play may continue 18 exd5 exd5 19 Ba3 Qd7 20 Qc3 Bd6 21 Reb1 and White has the slightly better chances, but Black should hold with precise play. 18 Qxe6+ Kh8 19 Rb1 Nf4 20 Qc4 Qg6 21 g3 d5 22 exd5 Bd6 23 Ba3 After a few accurate moves, White has reached a completely winning position and doesn’t give Black any chances to fight back. 23 ... Nh3+ 24 Kf1 Qh5 25 Rb3 Nxd5 26 Rxb8 Rxb8 27 Bxd6 cxd6 28 Qxa6 Rd8 29 Qc6 Nhf4 30 gxf4 Nxf4 31 Re4 Qf5 32 Re8+ 1-0

In this game, we examined the 12 ... Qe8 variation. Black needs to play quite accurately to avoid being faced with serious pressure in the centre, which White was able to achieve in our main game by playing c3 and d4. One critical line that should be checked closely is 13 ... Qg6, which aims for active play on the kingside. Still, with a few precise moves, White should be able to limit Black’s activity and obtain a better position.

Game 27

D.Swiercz-Ding Liren

World Team Championship, Astana 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 a4 b4 9 a5 d6 10 d3 Be6 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Nbd2 Rb8!

This idea has emerged as the main line against the fashionable 9 a5 Anti-Marshall.   Question: What is the purpose of 12 ... Rb8 - ?

  Answer: 12 ... Rb8 fights for control of the b-file and intends to activate the rook on the b5-square, where it can attack White’s a5-pawn. In this position, White has two main options: 13 c3 and 13 Nb3. Both of these moves give White better control of the d4-square, as White would like to play d4 and fight for central control. 13 c3 If 13 Nb3 Qc8! (13 ... Rb5?! is inaccurate because of 14 d4, and compared to the 13 c3 variation, White’s a5-pawn is defended and Black is unable to play ... bxc3 to open up the b-file) and now: a) 14 d4 Nd7 15 d5?! is inaccurate, because Black can obtain a better position by using the d8-square for his knight with 15 ... Nd8. Instead, 15 Qd3 has been tried, but 15 ... Nxd4 16 Nfxd4 exd4 17 Nxd4 Nc5 gave Black a very solid position in A.Nechaev-D.Geana, correspondence 2018. b) 14 h3 gives Black two main options: b1) 14 ... Nd8 15 Be3 (15 d4 allows 15 ... exd4 with ... c5 next) 15 ... c5 16 Nbd2 Nc6 (16 ... Nd7 would also be met by 17 c3 followed by d4; White’s central control gives him a slightly better position and the easier game) 17 c3 Rb5 18 d4 and now: b11) 18 ... exd4 19 cxd4 Nxa5 20 dxc5 dxc5 21 Ra2!? Qb7 (21 ... Nd7! is an improvement which should give Black nearly equal chances; he is prepared to play ... Bf6 or ... Nb8-c6, which would provide support for Black’s knight on a5) 22 b3 Kh8 23 Qc2 Nd7 24 Rea1 and White went on to win an excellent game in W.So-L.Aronian, Berlin 2018. b12) Black tried 18 ... bxc3 19 bxc3 exd4 20 cxd4 Nxa5 in Zou ChenDai Changren, Qinhuangdao 2019, and was up a pawn, but White exploited Black’s poor piece coordination with the energetic 21 dxc5 dxc5 22 Qa4! Nd7 23 Rec1 (23 Reb1!? may be slightly stronger) and obtained an advantage. b2) 14 ... Qb7!? was tried later in 2018, and after 15 d4 (White could also consider playing 15 Be3!? first) 15 ... Qb5 (15 ... Nd7! is best, with roughly equal chances) allowed White to gain an advantage in D.KokarevK.Alekseenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2018, after the moves 16 Ng5 Nd8 17 dxe5 dxe5 18 Qd3 because of his better pawn structure. 13 ... Rb5! Others: a) 13 ... Qe8 transposes to the 12 ... Qe8 game.

b) 13 ... Nd7 has been seen a few times, but is quite passive. P.SvidlerA.Onischuk, Tbilisi 2017, continued 14 Nb3 (14 d4 is also good for White, as after 14 ... Bf6 15 d5 Ne7 16 c4 White has a space advantage and a slight edge) 14 ... d5 15 Be3 bxc3?! 16 bxc3 dxe4 17 dxe4 Rb5 18 Qe2 Qb8 and now the strong 19 Qc4! exploited Black’s poor piece coordination. c) 13 ... bxc3 14 bxc3 Rb5 15 d4 (15 Nc4 should give White a slight edge; compared to the 13 ... Rb8 14 Nc4!? variation, Black has already played ... bxc3, which should favour White) 15 ... exd4 16 cxd4 transposes to our main game. 14 d4 14 Nc4!? is the main alternative, leading to a slower game. Play may continue 14 ... Qe8 15 h3 Nh5 16 Be3 Nf4 17 Bxf4 (perhaps White should try 17 d4 immediately, and only exchanging the e3-bishop when it is necessary to do so) 17 ... Rxf4 18 d4 exd4 19 cxd4 and White had control of the centre in S.Evtushenko-V.Odrov, correspondence 2017, but 19 ... Qh5! gave Black sufficient kingside counterplay. 14 ... bxc3 14 ... Qe8 also transposes to the 12 ... Qe8 game. 15 bxc3 exd4 15 ... Qd7 was S.Ter Sahakyan-A.Shmavonyan, Yerevan 2018, but playing slowly shouldn’t give White any problems. The game continued 16 Qe2 Ra8 17 dxe5 dxe5 18 Nc4 Rd8 19 Bg5 with a very comfortable position for White. 16 cxd4

16 ... Nb4 A popular position in the 9 a5 Anti-Marshall and an important one for our repertoire. Black is intending to play ... Nd3-f4 and/or fight against White’s centre with ... c5. On the other hand, White will be trying to exploit Black’s poor piece coordination and maintain control of the centre.   Question: Can’t Black win White’s pawn on a5?   Answer: 16 ... Nxa5 is playable, but Black needs to play very accurately, as the knight on a5 could easily be stuck on the side of the board. Black also needs to be careful about his weak a6-pawn. White tried 17 d5 (even stronger is 17 Qc2! Qd7 18 Ra4 Rfb8 and White has 19 Ba3!, maintaining the pressure on Black’s position and obtaining excellent compensation for the pawn) in A.Smith-J.Hammer, Drancy 2016, with the idea of gaining space in the centre and controlling the c6-square. 16 ... Rxa5? 17 Rxa5 Nxa5 18 Qa4 and White regains the a6-pawn with a clear plus.

17 Ba3! This looks like the most challenging move for Black to face, but White has a number of other options. Alternatives are: a) 17 Nf1 is natural, but 17 ... c5 gave Black adequate counterplay in A.Grischuk-Ding Liren, China 2017. b) A few days after our main game was played, 17 d5 was tested against Ding Liren. The game continued 17 ... Ng4 18 Rf1 c5 (18 ... Nd3! is stronger, putting pressure on White’s f2-pawn; the play remains very complicated, but Black should be fine) and in B.Amin-Ding Liren, Astana 2019, 19 dxe6! Qc8 20 h3 would have given White good chances for an advantage. c) 17 Nb1!? is a very interesting practical try and was seen in K.Sasikiran-A.Mikaelyan, Yerevan 2018. After 17 ... c5 18 Na3! Black has a difficult decision to make: c1) 18 ... Rb8 was played in the aforementioned game and after 19 Bd2 White went on to win, but 19 Nc4! looks stronger. A sample line is 19 ... d5 20 exd5 Nfxd5 21 Rxe6 cxd4 22 Qb3 with good play for White. c2) 18 ... Rxa5! is the correct choice, but difficult to play, as Black’s pieces appear to be stuck on the queenside (the rook on a5 has no squares to move to). Following 19 Bd2 d5 20 Ng5 Qd7 21 exd5 exd5 22 Ne6, a complicated but objectively roughly equal position was reached in S.Salzmann-R.Semmler, correspondence 2018. 17 ... Nd3 Or: a) 17 ... d5 18 Ng5 (18 e5 Nh5!? 19 g3 Qe8 gives Black some chances for counterplay on the kingside and complicates the position a bit; although 20 Re3! should still give White the better chances) 18 ... Qd7 19 e5 Ne8 20 Ngf3 Rxa5 reaches a position where Black is up a pawn, but White’s superior piece coordination gives him a much better position. White can continue with 21 Nb3 Rb5 22 Qd2 followed by Rec1. b) 17 ... c5?! 18 Bxb4 cxb4 19 Nb3 is very comfortable for White. Black’s b-pawn has been blocked and White’s centre is well supported. If Black tries 19 ... d5, White can play 20 Ng5! 18 Rf1

18 ... Nf4 A very natural move, bringing the knight to a more stable location, but this is actually a slight inaccuracy. Other possibilities are: a) Black needs to identify the right moment to fight for counterplay against White’s centre, and here he should play 18 ... c5! 19 Qc2 Nb4! (19 ... Nf4?! gives White a clear advantage after 20 dxc5 dxc5 21 g3) which looks strange because Black’s knight was on this square just a few moves ago. However, it is the best move in this situation because White’s rook has been forced back to f1. Following 20 Bxb4 cxb4 21 Rfc1 (21 Rfe1!? is a playable alternative, making Black’s ... d5 ideas more difficult) 21 ... Qe8 and now 22 Qd3! (the only game in my database continued 22 Qb3 d5! and a draw was soon agreed in R.Hameister-D.Evans, correspondence 2019; note that 23 e5!? could be met by 23 ... Ne4! 24 Nxe4 dxe4 25 Qxe6+ Qf7 and Black has enough counterplay because of his passed b-pawn) looks like the most challenging option. Black has: a1) 22 ... Nh5 23 g3 Qg6 24 Kh1 looks rather unpleasant for Black.

a2) 22 ... Bd8 puts some pressure on White’s a5-pawn and allows Black’s queen to defend the e6-pawn, but 23 Rc2! should give White a slight edge. a3) 22 ... d5!? is surprisingly still playable in this position, even though White has the e4-square covered. For example, 23 e5 Ne4 24 Nxe4 dxe4 25 Qxe4 b3! 26 Rab1 Qd7 27 Qc6 leads to a complicated position, where Black’s b-pawn should provide him with sufficient counterplay, although he still needs to be a bit careful. b) 18 ... Qd7 is an interesting alternative, preparing to play ... Qc6 and put pressure on White’s centre. White should continue with 19 Qc2 (19 g3 is playable, but 19 ... Ng4! should give Black roughly equal chances) 19 ... Nf4 20 g3 Nh3+ 21 Kg2 and now 21 ... Rh5! leads to a fairly forced line: 22 Rac1! c5 23 dxc5 dxc5 24 Nc4 Ng4 25 Nce5 Nxe5 26 Nxe5 Rxe5 27 Kxh3 and White will soon play Kg2 with a better position. 19 g3 Nh3+ 19 ... Ng6 20 Qe2 is very comfortable for White, as Black is lacking his main ideas for counterplay. If 20 ... Rxa5 then 21 e5! is excellent for White. 20 Kg2 Ng5 21 Nxg5 Rxg5 22 Qb3 Qd7

  Exercise: How can White exploit the poor placement of Black’s g5rook?   Answer: 23 e5! Intending to play Nf3 if Black plays ... dxe5, and if Black declines, White can use the e4-square for his knight with Ne4! 23 ... Nd5 23 ... dxe5? 24 Nf3! followed by Nxe5 puts Black in serious trouble. For example, 24 ... Rf5 25 Nxe5 Qd5+ 26 Qxd5 Nxd5 27 Bxe7 Nxe7 28 Rac1 with a winning endgame for White as Black has too many pawn weaknesses. 24 Ne4 Rgf5 25 f4 Qc6 26 Rac1 Qa8 27 Qf3 Defending the knight on e4, as Black was threatening ... Nxf4. 27 Rce1!? makes it more difficult for Black to create counterplay. For example, 27 ... g5!? 28 exd6 cxd6 29 fxg5 with an advantage for White. 27 ... g5! 28 exd6?!

This move leads the game to a drawish position, but the best move was incredibly difficult to find. 28 Rxc7!! wins for White. Some sample lines are: a) 28 ... gxf4 29 g4! R5f7 30 exd6, when 30 ... Nxc7 is met by 31 dxe7 followed by Nd6 or Bd6. b) 28 ... Rxf4 29 gxf4 Nxc7 30 Bxd6 is winning for White as well. c) 28 ... Nxc7 29 exd6 gives White two pawns for a rook, but he will soon be winning another piece; Black’s pieces are too uncoordinated. 28 ... cxd6 29 Bxd6 gxf4 30 Bxe7 Nxe7 31 Nc5 fxg3 32 Qxa8 Rxa8 33 hxg3 Rc8 34 Nxa6 Rxc1 35 Rxc1 Rxa5 ½-½ The 12 ... Rb8 line is one of the most critical ways for Black to face the 8 a4 b4 9 a5 Anti-Marshall Variation. We looked at two ideas for White, 13 Nb3 and 13 c3. Both of these moves focus on play in the centre, while Black will be aiming for activity on the queenside. On move 16, Black has the option to take White’s a5-pawn, but this gives White excellent play, as he controls the centre while Black’s pieces are uncoordinated. The main variation with 16 ... Nb4 gives White several ways to challenge his opponent. I believe 17 Ba3 is the most dangerous line, when Black needs to play very accurately to avoid defending a worse position.





Chapter Seven

Systems with 5 ... b5 and 5 ... Bc5

5 ... b5 and 5 ... Bc5 are dynamic lines where Black aims for active piece play, while White usually fights for central control. In Game 28, we will analyse 5 ... Bc5, which has become a fashionable line because it was seen in a few high-level games. The game shows how White can fight for central control and make Black’s position a bit unpleasant. Although Black should be fine objectively, it isn’t easy for him to come up with a good plan, and the game sees White’s strong play lead to a smooth victory. Game 29 examines the 5 ... b5 6 Bb3 Bb7 variation, which often transposes to the 8 a4 Bb7 Anti-Marshall after White plays 7 d3. If Black wants to avoid this transposition, his main independent option is the one tried by Black in the game: 7 ... Bc5. The game shows how White can try to exploit this slightly inaccurate move, as Black’s bishops are often left out of play on the queenside.

Game 30 moves on to the 5 ... b5 6 Bb3 Bc5 variation, which usually leads to the position in the diagram above. White’s last move, 10 a5!, has exploded in popularity since 2017 and is a very challenging line for Black to deal with. In this game, Caruana displays strong preparation and launches a powerful kingside attack, which Black is unable to defend against. Several other sidelines that Black can play are discussed, and Black’s play is often quite unpleasant, due to White’s strong centre and active pieces. Game 31 continues our analysis of the critical 10 a5 variation. This game focuses on 14 ... Re8, which is Black’s most popular variation and a very solid one. The active 15 Nf1 and the more positional 15 Qc2 are analysed in detail, and both of these moves require a high degree of accuracy from Black to defend. In our main game Black doesn’t respond correctly, and White achieves a large advantage by playing actively in the centre.

Game 28

Yu Yangyi-Wen Yang

Danzhou 2016

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Bc5 5 ... b5 6 Bb3 Bc5 7 c3 d6 8 d4 Bb6 9 a4 Bb7 was the actual move order of the game. 6 c3

6 ... b5 Others: a) 6 ... Nxe4?! runs into 7 d4, when play may continue 7 ... exd4 8 cxd4 Bb6 9 d5 Ne7 10 Bc2 Nxf2 11 Rxf2 Bxf2+ 12 Kxf2 d6 13 Bg5 and White has a clear advantage. b) 6 ... Ba7 7 d4 0-0 transposes to 6 ... 0-0 7 d4 Ba7 below. c) 6 ... 0-0 7 d4 Ba7 is an interesting line which has been played in several games by Carlsen. We’ll look at two options for White: c1) 8 dxe5 generally leads to an endgame where White has good chances for a small edge. Following 8 ... Nxe4 9 Qd5 Nc5 10 Bc2 Ne7 11

Qd1 d5 (11 ... d6?! would be inaccurate due to 12 Bg5! h6 13 Bh4 d5 14 Bxe7 Qxe7 15 b4 Ne4 16 Qxd5, and Black didn’t have enough play for the pawn in W.Schmid-M.Bergner, correspondence 2016) 12 exd6 Qxd6 13 Qxd6 cxd6 14 Re1! (14 Rd1 Bg4! 15 Rxd6 Bf5! is only played now, as it exploits the awkward positioning of White’s rook on d6; after 16 Na3 Ne4 17 Bxe4 Bxe4 18 Rd1 Nf5, the game led to a comfortable draw for Black in S.Karjakin-M.Carlsen, Stavanger 2018) 14 ... Re8 when White can try: c11) 15 Be3 Bf5 16 Na3 Bxc2 17 Bxc5 dxc5 18 Nxc2 Nc6 didn’t give Black any problems in M.Vachier Lagrave-L.Fressinet, Brest 2019. c12) 15 b4 Ne6 16 Nbd2 is also worth considering. Black’s position should be fine, but it could be a bit difficult to defend. c13) 15 Na3! looks like a slight improvement over the game mentioned above. Play may continue 15 ... Be6 (an important point behind Na3 is that it protects the c2-bishop, making 15 ... Bf5? a blunder because of 16 Rxe7!; while 15 ... b5 16 Bg5 Be6 17 Nd4 is very slightly better for White) 16 Be3 Bd5 17 Nd4 b5 18 Ne2 intending Nf4 and Rad1 looks unpleasant for Black. c2) 8 Re1 keeps more pieces on the board and leads to a complicated middlegame. 8 ... b5 9 Bc2! (9 Bb3 d6 10 h3 Bb7 11 a4 Ne7 with pressure on White’s e4-pawn gave Black a fine position in V.Topalov-R.Wojtaszek, Shamkir 2018) 9 ... d6 10 h3 and now: c21) 10 ... h6 11 Be3 Bb7 12 Nbd2 Re8 was seen in I.SaricM.Annaberdiev, Konya 2019, and instead of 13 d5, White could obtain the better chances after 13 a3!, which maintains the tension in the centre and also defends against Black’s threat of ... exd4 followed by ... Nb4. c22) 10 ... Bb7 11 Be3 exd4 12 cxd4 Nb4 13 Nbd2 (13 d5!? also looks quite interesting, after 13 ... Bxe3 14 Rxe3 c6 15 dxc6 Nxc6 16 Nc3, Black will have to play actively to compensate for the weakness on d6) 13 ... Nxc2 14 Qxc2 Qd7 15 d5 Bxe3 16 Rxe3 gave White a slight edge in J.Severins-A.Visser, correspondence 2017. 7 Bb3 7 Bc2 d5! leads to long and concrete variations where Black should be fine objectively. A recent example was L.Dominguez Perez-F.Caruana, St. Louis (rapid) 2019, which continued 8 a4 dxe4 9 axb5 exf3 (9 ... Bg4?! doesn’t give Black enough play after 10 bxc6 exf3 11 gxf3 Be6 12 Ra5! Qd6 13 f4 in F.Caruana-A.Onischuk, St. Louis 2016; while 9 ... 0-0 10 Ng5 Bg4 11 Qe1 is clearly better for White) 10 Qxf3 e4 11 Bxe4 Ne5 12 Qe2 00 13 d4 Bg4 14 Qc2 Nxe4 15 Qxe4 Nf3+ 16 gxf3 Bh3 17 dxc5 Bxf1 18

Kxf1 Qd1+ 19 Qe1 Qxf3 20 Be3 axb5 21 Rxa8 Rxa8 and with precise play Black should be fine, but the defence can be quite unpleasant. 7 ... d6 8 a4 Bb7!?

Recently, this idea has become quite popular and it has been used by top players such as Mamedyarov, Caruana, and Anand. Alternatives are: a) 8 ... Rb8 is the main line and will be discussed later in this chapter. b) 8 ... Bg4 9 h3 and now: b1) 9 ... Bxf3 10 Qxf3 gives White the bishop pair advantage and a slightly better position. Some sample lines are: 10 ... Na5 (or 10 ... 0-0 11 d3 Na5 12 Ba2 b4 13 Nd2 Rb8 14 Qd1 was quite comfortable for White in M.Churkin-L.Machýcek, correspondence 2015) 11 Bc2 b4 12 d3 Rb8 (12 ... 0-0 13 Nd2 Rb8 14 Qe2 Re8 15 Nf3 and White is prepared to play d4 next, so Black needs to fight for active play; after 15 ... bxc3 16 bxc3 Nb3 17 Bxb3 Rxb3 18 d4 White was clearly better in P.LeBled-J.Pineda, correspondence 2015) 13 Bg5 Qe7 14 Nd2 h6 15 Bh4 Qe6 16 Rad1 bxc3 17 bxc3 Nd7 18 Rb1 was much better for White in G.Menéndez Rodríguez-

M.Sánchez, correspondence 2017, because of his bishop pair and welldeveloped pieces. b2) 9 ... Bh5 is an interesting line that can lead to extremely messy positions, but White has a simple route to an edge with 10 axb5! (10 g4 Bg6 11 d4 Bb6 12 g5 Nxe4 13 Bd5 Ne7 14 Bxa8 Qxa8 15 axb5 was seen in D.Navara-I.Morovic Fernandez, Batumi 2018, and here Black should have played 15 ... Qc8! with very complicated play) 10 ... axb5 11 Rxa8 Qxa8 12 d3 and Black can try: b21) 12 ... 0-0 13 Bg5 Nd7 and in E.Sutovsky-A.Onischuk, Montreal 2006, White played 14 g4 Bg6 15 Bd5, but the immediate 14 Bd5! was even stronger. b22) 12 ... h6 was tried in J.Adair-J.Lampert, Skopje 2015, but after 13 g4 Bg6 14 Nh4 Bh7, 15 Qf3! would be much better for White. b23) 12 ... Na5 13 Bc2 b4 14 Ba4+ (the immediate 14 d4 is also excellent for White) 14 ... c6 and in E.Sutovsky-A.Stefanova, Antwerp 2009, the simplest was 15 d4 (instead, White played 15 g4 Bg6 16 Qe1 and won quickly, but 15 d4 is even stronger) 15 ... exd4 16 cxd4 Bb6 17 Qe1 and White will pick up the b4-pawn shortly. c) 8 ... b4 9 d4 Ba7 10 Bg5 (10 dxe5 Nxe5 11 Nxe5 dxe5 12 Qxd8+ Kxd8 looks like a very slightly better endgame for White, but Black shouldn’t have too many problems equalizing; White can also consider 10 h3 0-0 11 Be3 Bb7 12 Nbd2, which is a solid alternative and gave White a slight edge in L.McShane-M.Adams, London (blitz) 2018) 10 ... Rb8 11 Bd5 (11 dxe5 leads to an endgame after 11 ... Nxe5 12 Nxe5 dxe5 13 Qxd8+ Kxd8 14 Bxf7 bxc3 15 bxc3 Rf8, where Black’s play along the open b and f-files gives him enough compensation for the pawn) 11 ... Ne7 12 dxe5 Nfxd5 13 exd5 0-0 (hoping that Black’s bishop pair and fairly wellcoordinated pieces will give him enough play for the pawn) 14 exd6 Qxd6 15 c4 Nf5 and in I.Nepomniachtchi-V.Kramnik, Dortmund 2018, the most accurate way to meet Black’s plan of ... f6 followed by ... g5 was 16 Qc1! f6 17 Bf4 Qd7 18 Nbd2 g5 19 Bg3 h5 20 Ne4 with a complicated position, but Black’s pieces are placed a bit passively, which makes it difficult for him to create active play on the kingside. 9 d4 Bb6 10 Bg5 The most challenging option. White is prepared to trade his bishop for Black’s f6-knight, as then his centre will be under less pressure. 10 ... h6

10 ... exd4 11 cxd4 h6 12 Bxf6 Qxf6 13 Bd5 transposes to 12 ... exd4 below. 11 Bxf6 Qxf6 12 Bd5 Aiming to reduce Black’s pressure on the centre and also defending against the immediate threat of ... exd4 followed by ... Nxd4. 12 d5 is less challenging. Play may continue 12 ... Ne7 13 axb5 0-0! 14 Bc4 axb5 15 Rxa8 Rxa8 16 Bxb5 Ng6 and although White was up a pawn in M.Akdag-V.Sutkus, correspondence 2015, Black’s bishop pair and fairly well-coordinated pieces gave him adequate compensation. 12 ... 0-0

12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 0-0 14 Nc3! (14 Na3 transposes to 12 ... 0-0 13 Na3 exd4) 14 ... b4 15 Ne2 Na5 16 Bxb7 Nxb7 17 Qd2 and White had a better position in S.Pinkovetsky-T.Hamarat, correspondence 2006.   Exercise: How should White continue developing his pieces?   Answer: 13 Na3!

Bringing the knight to c2, where it will help support White’s centre. The alternative is 13 dxe5 dxe5 14 Qe2, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Black. I.Nepomniachtchi-S.Mamedyarov, St. Louis 2019, continued 14 ... bxa4 15 Nbd2 Rad8 16 Nc4 Bc8 17 Rxa4 and probably the best choice for Black is 17 ... a5! (instead, the game saw 17 ... Ne7 18 Nxb6 cxb6 19 c4 and White obtained a small edge), for example 18 Nxb6 cxb6 19 Qe3 Rd6 20 h3 Ne7 gave Black roughly equal chances in P.PolakovicG.Gerola, correspondence 2015. 13 ... Rfb8 13 ... exd4 14 cxd4 b4?! (14 ... Ra7 15 Nc2 bxa4 16 Rxa4 a5 17 Re1 is very similar to our main game; while 14 ... Rfb8 15 Nc2 bxa4 16 Rxa4 a5 17 Re1 transposes to our main game) 15 Nc4 Ba7 16 Qd2 Rab8 17 Rfd1 gave White a much better position in A.Bodnaruk-S.Khademalsharieh, Germany 2017. 14 Nc2 It is necessary for Black to play 13 ... Rfb8 instead of 13 ... Rab8 in order to meet 14 axb5 axb5 15 Nxb5 with 15 ... Rxa1! 16 Qxa1 exd4. 14 ... bxa4 15 Rxa4 a5 16 Re1 exd4!

  Question: Why is it good for Black to play 16 ... exd4 - ? Doesn’t this just give White more control of the centre?   Answer: Although White obtains a strong centre after 17 cxd4, this is Black’s best idea for counterplay. Without ... exd4, it is very difficult for Black to put pressure on White’s centre. If Black doesn’t have any pressure on White’s centre, White could easily manoeuvre his pieces and create threats on the queenside (for example, see the 16 ... Ne7 variation below). Others: a) 16 ... Ne7 17 Bxb7 Rxb7 18 dxe5! (18 Ne3 exd4 19 cxd4 would transpose to our main game with 16 ... exd4, but White can do better than this) isn’t a natural choice, but is very strong here. The point is that Black has no real way of gaining counterplay, while White is easily able to attack Black’s queenside and possibly the e5-pawn as well. Following 18 ... dxe5 19 Qe2 Rab8 20 Rea1 gave White a comfortable advantage in A.Haugen-

A.Jonvik, correspondence 2015, and after 20 ... Ba7 (Black could also try 20 ... Ng6, when White should play 21 g3 Qe6 22 Nd2 followed by Nc4 or b4) 21 b4!, Black was in trouble. b) 16 ... Ra7 17 Ne3 prepares to either play Nc4 or Bb3 followed by Nd5, so Black is forced to play 17 ... exd4 18 cxd4 and now 18 ... Nb4 (18 ... Re8 19 h3 Ba8 20 Nf5 leaves Black without any immediate counterplay against White’s centre) was seen in P.Leijen-J.Severins, correspondence 2018, the game continued 19 Bxb7 Raxb7 20 h3 Rd8 21 Nc4 Ra7 22 Ra3 with a slight edge for White. 17 cxd4 Ne7 18 Bxb7 Rxb7 19 Ne3 Rd8 Or: a) 19 ... Re8 was tried in M.Kravtsiv-A.Bachmann, Albena 2014, and White could try 20 Qc2 Rbb8 21 b3 which looks a bit unpleasant for Black. b) 19 ... Rab8 is a solid alternative, aiming to play ... c6 followed by ... Bc7 with some counterplay on the open b-file. Now: b1) In view of Black’s plan, 20 Nc4 c6 21 b4! seems logical, but Black can improve with 20 ... Nc6!, obtaining sufficient play. b2) 20 g3 is a semi-waiting move, White improves his position and waits for Black to play ... c6, as then he would be able to play Nc4 without having to worry about ... Nc6. Following 20 ... c6 21 Nc4 Qe6 (21 ... Bc7 runs into 22 e5!) 22 e5 d5 23 Nd6 a complicated position was reached in D.Vlasak-M.Medina, correspondence 2014. White has ideas of playing b4 and creating play on the queenside. Black should be objectively close to equality, but White’s position looks slightly preferable. 20 Qc2 Rbb8 21 h4 d5 22 e5 Qc6?! Allowing White to reach a better endgame, but Black’s position was already a bit unpleasant. 22 ... Qe6 can be met by 23 Ra3 followed by Rc3 and Black faces an unpleasant defence. 23 Qxc6 Nxc6 24 Rc1 Nb4 25 Nf5 Re8 26 Ra3 Re6

26 ... h5 followed by ... g6 was another possibility. This would prevent White from carrying out a kingside expansion, but at the cost of weakening some of the dark-squares around Black’s king.   Exercise: How should White continue improving his position?   Answer: 27 h5! Gaining space on the kingside and preparing to target Black’s weak g7pawn. The way White exploits the newly created weaknesses on Black’s kingside over the next couple of moves is very instructive. 27 g4 with similar ideas was also possible. 27 ... Rbe8 28 Kf1 f6? Aims to open the e-file and create counterplay, but White takes advantage of the weakened g6-square. 28 ... Kh7 was stronger, when White can play 29 g4! and Black’s defensive task would be extremely difficult. 29 N3h4! Kf7

29 ... fxe5 is met by 30 Rg3 threatening to play Rxg7 followed by Ng6, and Black has no good way of defending against this. 30 f4 Rc6 31 Rxc6 Nxc6 32 Rg3 White has a completely winning position because Black’s kingside pawns are extremely vulnerable. 32 ... Nxd4 If 32 ... Rg8, the simplest is 33 exf6. 33 Rxg7+ Ke6 34 Rg6 Rf8 35 Nxh6 a4 36 Ng4 a3 37 bxa3 Ra8 38 h6 Rxa3 39 Rxf6+ Kd7 40 h7 Ra1+ 41 Kf2 Ra2+ 42 Kg3 Ne2+ 43 Kh2 Bg1+ 44 Kh3 Ra8 45 Ng6 1-0 We meet the fashionable 5 ... Bc5 variation by playing 6 c3, giving Black the choice between two lines: 6 ... 0-0 and 6 ... b5. 6 ... 0-0 7 d4 Ba7 gives White the option of playing 8 dxe5, which should lead to an endgame where White has slightly better chances. We also looked at 8 Re1, which allows White to maintain his strong centre and also fight for a small edge. In our main game after 6 ... b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 a4, 8 ... Bb7!? is a very respectable line, and this is confirmed by the fact that several top players, including Anand and Caruana, have played it with some success. The line tried by White in this game shows how it is possible to put some slight pressure on Black’s position and challenge him to identify the right moment for counterplay.

Game 29

V.Anand-V.Topalov

St. Louis Showdown (rapid) 2016

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bb7 Alternatives: a) 6 ... Bc5 is the topic of our next two games. b) 6 ... Be7 gives White a choice: b1) 7 Re1 transposes to 5 ... Be7 6 Re1 b5 lines which are considered in Chapters 1-3 and Chapter 6. b2) Alternatively, White could consider 7 a4 Bb7 (7 ... b4 8 d4 d6 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 Qxd8+ Bxd8 11 Re1 0-0 12 Nbd2 gave White a better endgame in J.Potrata-D.Rihtaric, correspondence 2011) 8 d3 and Black should play either 8 ... 0-0 or 8 ... d6, when 9 Re1 will likely transpose to the 8 a4 Anti-Marshall (Chapter 6) with 8 ... Bb7.

c) 6 ... d6 7 a4! (7 c3 Be7 8 Re1 transposes to lines we examined in Chapters 1-3; but with 7 a4, White can take advantage of Black’s inaccurate move order) 7 ... b4 8 d4 Bg4 (if 8 ... Be7, see 6 ... Be7 7 a4 b4, which we examined above) 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 Nbd2 Bc5 11 h3 Bh5 12 Bc4 Na5 13 Qe2 and White had a comfortable advantage in S.Brömme-K.Miettinen, correspondence 2017. d) 6 ... Nxe4?! 7 Re1! (7 d4 transposes to the open Ruy Lopez, but White can take advantage of Black’s inaccurate move order) 7 ... d5 8 Nc3 Nxc3 9 dxc3 Be6 10 a4! (of course, White shouldn’t regain the material with 10 Nxe5?? because of 10 ... Nxe5 11 Rxe5 c6 and Black’s position is perfectly safe while White’s b3-bishop is shut out of the game) 10 ... b4 11 a5 creates the threat of Ba4 and is very unpleasant for Black to deal with. Following 11 ... Qd6 12 cxb4 (12 Ba4 is also good, for example, 12 ... f6 13 cxb4 Bd7 14 Bb3 and White has an edge) 12 ... f6 13 c3 Be7 14 Be3 0-0 15 Ba4 Rf7 16 Rc1 Black has serious difficulties mainly due to the lack of protection for the knight on c6. Black tried 16 ... Nb8 in M.Pirs-L.Neagu, correspondence 2014, but was nearly lost after 17 Bc5 Qd8 18 c4! e) 6 ... Bd6?! 7 d4 Bb7 8 Re1 0-0 9 Bg5 Re8 10 c3 is clearly better for White. 7 d3

7 ... Bc5 This appears to be a slightly inaccurate move. As we will see in the game, White is able to steer the game towards positions where the bishop is misplaced on c5.   Question: In what cases would the bishop be misplaced on c5?   Answer: The most important case where the bishop is misplaced on c5 is when Black wants to play ... c5. This is much more difficult to carry out with a bishop on c5 instead of e7. Another example is in some lines where White plays Be3 or Bg5. These two moves are generally played with the intention of creating active play on the kingside. With both of Black’s bishops on the queenside, it can be difficult for him to defend properly. It seems that the only way Black can fight for equality is to aim for active play, perhaps with an early ... d5, which is what Black tries in this game. However, even here Black’s position looks a bit shaky, and White has excellent chances to obtain an advantage. Others:

a) 7 ... Be7! 8 a4 d6 (8 ... 0-0! 9 Re1 transposes to the 8 a4 AntiMarshall with 8 ... Bb7, which we looked at in Chapter 6; while 8 ... b4?! 9 a5 followed by Nbd2, Re1, and c3 is clearly better for White) 9 Re1 Na5 (9 ... 0-0! also transposes to the 8 a4 Bb7 Anti-Marshall line in Chapter 6) is an independent option for Black, if he wants to avoid transposing to the 8 a4 Anti-Marshall, but it looks rather dubious, as after 10 Ba2 c5 11 Nh4! Bc8 12 Nf5, White has a solid edge. b) 7 ... h6 is a rather slow move and can be met by 8 a4! with a better position for White. One sample line is 8 ... b4 9 Re1 Bc5 10 c3 and White will soon play d4, while Black lacks active play. c) 7 ... Bd6 looks like a strange choice, but it has been seen in several hundred games. Compared to 7 ... Bc5, Black’s bishop on d6 doesn’t block the c-pawn. Still, the awkward positioning of the bishop on d6 shouldn’t give White many problems in gaining an edge. After 8 a4, Black has: c1) 8 ... h6 9 c3 0-0 10 Nh4!? (10 axb5 axb5 11 Rxa8 Qxa8 12 Nh4 is also much better for White) 10 ... Re8 (10 ... Nxe4 as in M.WürschnerS.Kudela, correspondence 2007, was accurately met by 11 axb5 axb5 12 Rxa8 Bxa8 13 Ng6 with a clearly better position for White) 11 Qf3! Bf8 12 Bxh6 and White quickly obtained a winning position in T.RadjabovL.Johannessen, Eilat 2012. c2) 8 ... 0-0 9 axb5 axb5 10 Rxa8 Bxa8 11 Na3! Qb8 (11 ... Bxa3 12 bxa3 gives White the bishop pair and an edge, for example, 12 ... d6 13 Bg5 h6 14 Bh4 Qe7 15 Qd2 is very unpleasant for Black) 12 Bg5 Be7 13 c3 followed by Nc2-e3 gave White a very comfortable position in H.BöhnkeV.Kuzmin, correspondence 2018. 8 a4 0-0 Alternatives are: a) 8 ... d6 9 Nc3 b4 (9 ... Na5 10 Ba2 b4 11 Ne2 transposes to 9 ... b4) 10 Ne2 (10 Nd5 Na5! gives Black reasonable play) and now: a1) 10 ... Na5 11 Ba2 h6 (11 ... 0-0 12 Bg5 transposes to 10 ... 0-0) prevents ideas with Bg5, but allows White to develop easily after 12 Ng3 00 13 Be3 (or 13 Nf5 Bc8 14 N3h4 gave White good play on the kingside in D.Krivic-C.Persson, correspondence 2012) 13 ... Bxe3 14 fxe3 Rb8 15 Qe1 and White was much better due to the closed queenside and Black’s misplaced pieces in R.Kruis-C.Persson, correspondence 2012. White managed to slowly increase the pressure on the kingside while Black lacked counterplay.

a2) 10 ... 0-0 11 Bg5!

Here we see one of the reasons Black’s bishop is misplaced on c5: the pin caused by White’s bishop on g5 is very unpleasant. Black’s position would be fine if either of his bishops were able to defend on the kingside, but it takes too much time to transfer them. Following 11 ... h6 (11 ... Na5 12 Ba2 is pretty much the same, Black is unable to prevent White from increasing the pressure in the centre with c3 and d4 or on the kingside with Ng3-Nh5 or Nf5) 12 Bh4 Na5 13 Ba2, Bc8 is logical, aiming for counterplay with ... Bg4, but in A.Razumikhin-D.Ronneland, correspondence 2014, White continued energetically with 14 d4! exd4 15 Nexd4 g5 16 Nxg5! hxg5 17 Bxg5 and Black was in serious danger. b) 8 ... b4 9 Be3 (simple development with 9 c3 d6 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 Nc4 as in I.Smirin-V.Georgiev, Minneapolis 2005, is also slightly better for White) 9 ... Bxe3 10 fxe3 gives White good play on the kingside. The main reason this Be3 plan is so effective is because Black’s bishop is out of play on b7, so Black will lose two tempi bringing it back into play via c8. Also, because Black closed the queenside with 8 ... b4, he will have difficulties

creating counterplay. M.Granski-D.Sawiniec, correspondence 2012, continued 10 ... 0-0 11 Nbd2 d6 12 Nh4 Bc8 13 Qf3 Ne7 14 Qg3 Kh8 15 Rf2 and Black’s position was extremely unpleasant to defend. 9 Nc3 Na5 Or: a) 9 ... b4 10 Nd5 (not 10 Ne2? d5!), when Black can try: a1) 10 ... h6 11 Be3! d6 12 a5 Rb8 13 Bxc5 dxc5 was much better for White in A.Motylev-M.Sebag, Bastia 2003, but instead of 14 c3, 14 Ne3! should be preferred, and White can begin to exploit the weak light-squares such as c4 and f5. a2) 10 ... Nxd5 11 Bxd5 d6 12 c3 (12 Be3?! Bxe3 13 fxe3 would be good for White, if not for 13 ... Na5! and White cannot easily avoid the trade of bishops, which greatly favours Black; on 14 Ba2, Black has 14 ... b3! with excellent play for the sacrificed pawn) 12 ... Rb8 13 d4 Ba7 14 Re1 was better for White in J.Fenwick-H.Grill, correspondence 2010, as Black’s bishops are clearly misplaced. b) 9 ... Nd4?! allows White to obtain a very favourable pawn structure after 10 Nxd4 exd4 11 Ne2 as he has ideas with Bg5 and/or f4 followed by e5. c) 9 ... d6?! 10 axb5 Nd4 11 Nxd4 (11 bxa6 Nxb3 12 cxb3 Rxa6 wins a pawn and should also be much better for White, but 11 Nxd4 looks simpler) 11 ... exd4 12 Ne2 axb5 13 Rxa8 Bxa8 14 Bg5 and again White has a much better pawn structure, along with active play on the kingside and in the centre. 10 Ba2!?

A solid and strong alternative to the lines where White takes the e5pawn (10 Nxe5 or 10 axb5).   Question: How does Black obtain compensation after 10 Nxe5 - ?   Answer: If White plays 10 Nxe5, Black will continue with 10 ... Nxb3 11 cxb3 b4 winning the bishop pair and forcing White’s c3-knight to retreat. Following 12 Ne2 d5! 13 d4 Be7 14 exd5 Re8, Black has good chances to put pressure on White’s kingside, especially by using the b7-g2 diagonal. 10 axb5 Nxb3 11 cxb3 axb5 12 Rxa8 Bxa8 13 Nxe5 b4 14 Na4 Be7 15 Nf3 c5 16 Be3 d6 and because of White’s misplaced knight on a4 and Black’s bishop pair, Black had good compensation in V.IotovA.Siikaluoma, correspondence 2018. 10 ... b4 11 Ne2 11 Nd5?! Nxd5 12 exd5 b3! 13 cxb3 Bxd5 gives Black an excellent game. 11 ... d5

Others: a) 11 ... d6 transposes to 8 ... d6 9 Nc3 b4 with a later ... Na5. b) 11 ... Re8 protects the e5-pawn in preparation for ... d5. The downside to this move is that it is a bit slow. After 12 Ng3 d5, White has: b1) 13 Bg5 looks natural, but should be fine Black. Play may continue 13 ... dxe4 (13 ... h6! is an improvement, and after 14 Bxf6 Qxf6 15 exd5 Rad8 16 c4?! Bf8 Black has excellent compensation for the pawn, especially due to White’s poorly placed bishop on a2) 14 Nxe4 Be7 15 Bxf6 Bxf6 16 Re1 and White had a small advantage in K.Varberg-M.Klein, correspondence 2011. b2) 13 Be3! Bf8 (13 ... Bxe3?! 14 fxe3 gives White excellent play on the open f-file, especially due to Black’s weakness on f7; if 14 ... dxe4?, then White wins with 15 Ng5) 14 Nd2 and now: b21) 14 ... dxe4 15 dxe4 Bc8! was an interesting idea played in Z.Hracek-J.Emms, Germany 1996. Black is aiming to play ... Be6 and exchange off the light-squared bishops. I think White should play 16 Qe2, intending to meet 16 ... Be6 with 17 Bxe6 Rxe6 18 Rfd1 and White has an edge. b22) 14 ... h6 prepares to play ... d4, trapping White’s bishop. White should meet this with 15 Nh5! (White played 15 f4!? in S.Pavlov-M.Bartel, Aix les Bains 2011, which should be met by 15 ... exf4 16 Bxf4 c5 leading to complicated play) 15 ... b3! (One of the points behind White’s last move is that it allows him to meet 15 ... d4?! with 16 Bxh6 gxh6 17 f4!, developing a crushing kingside attack; one sample line is 17 ... Nxh5 18 Qxh5 Qf6 19 fxe5 Rxe5 20 Qh3 Qd8 21 Rxf7 and Black is in serious trouble) 16 Nxb3 Nxb3 17 Bxb3 dxe4 18 dxe4 Bxe4 19 Qxd8 Raxd8 20 Nxf6+ gxf6 21 f3 and White’s chances are slightly preferable in this endgame. b23) 14 ... Rc8 15 c3 (15 Qe2 c5 16 Bg5 is also better for White) 15 ... Rb8!? (15 ... c5 looks more consistent with 14 ... Rc8, but White has 16 Bg5! when 16 ... c4 is well met by 17 dxc4 dxc4 18 cxb4 Bxb4 19 Nh5) is an unusual idea tried in C.Vasselon-V.Cotos, correspondence 2018, Black is aiming to exploit White’s previous move and play for counterplay with ... b3 or open the b-file with ... bxc3. The game continued 16 Bg5 h6 17 Bxf6 Qxf6 18 Bxd5 and White was slightly better. 12 Nxe5 dxe4?!

12 ... Bd6! is Black’s best choice, but it also doesn’t look sufficient for full equality. After 13 d4 Nxe4 (13 ... dxe4 transposes to 12 ... dxe4 13 d4 Bd6 below) 14 f3 Nc5 (14 ... Ng5 15 Ng3 Ne6 16 Nf5 c5 17 c3 gave White a comfortable edge in A.Ivanov-M.Varjokallio, correspondence 2013, because of his actively placed pieces) 15 Ng3 Nd7 16 f4 Nf6 17 c3 (the immediate 17 Qf3 is also fully playable), Black’s position is quite unpleasant, as White can gradually put pressure on the kingside with moves like Nf5 and Qf3. 13 d4 Bb6?!

The b6-bishop is now stuck on the queenside for the rest of the game, and this causes Black major problems. Others: a) The main alternative was 13 ... Bd6, but White is still better after 14 Bg5, as seen in R.Williams-H.Böhnke, correspondence 2018. Black played a couple of forcing moves, hoping to gain counterplay on the kingside: 14 ... b3 15 Bxb3 Nxb3 16 cxb3 h6 17 Bh4 g5 18 Bg3 Nd5 but after 19 Nc4, Black didn’t have enough compensation for the pawn.

b) 13 ... Be7 14 Ng3 sees White preparing to play Bg5 and Nf5, so Black could try 14 ... c5!?, but after 15 dxc5 Qc7 16 Ng4 White is much better.   Exercise: How can White exploit the fact that Black’s two bishops are unable to defend the kingside?   Answer: 14 Bg5! White creates two threats: Bxf6 followed by Nd7 and also Ng4, attacking the pinned f6-knight, which Black would be unable to protect. 14 ... b3 14 ... Qd6 was tried in A.Delchev-V.Georgiev, Sunny Beach 2015, but this is an awkward square for Black’s queen. White was nearly winning after 15 c3 (15 Bxf6?! gxf6! 16 Ng4 f5 gives Black some chances for counterplay) 15 ... bxc3 16 bxc3 Nd5 17 Bd2 (the immediate 17 c4! would be even stronger) due to Black’s poor piece coordination. 14 ... h6 runs into 15 Bxf6 Qxf6 16 Nd7. 15 cxb3 Nc6 16 b4! Opening the diagonal for the bishop on a2 leads to a winning position for White. 16 ... Nxd4 16 ... Nxb4 would be met by 17 Bxf7+ Rxf7 18 Nxf7 Kxf7 19 a5 Ba7 20 Qb3+ and White wins. 17 Nxd4 Qxd4 18 Bxf6 Qxd1 19 Raxd1 gxf6 20 Nxf7! Rxf7 21 Rd7 Raf8 22 a5 Ba7 23 Rc1

One of Black’s main problems in the variation with 7 ... Bc5 is that his bishops can end up out of play on the queenside. Interestingly, this is perfectly illustrated in the current position as Black’s bishops are unable to help defend the kingside. 23 ... Bb8 24 Rcd1 24 Rc3! followed by Rg3 and Rxf7 was the easiest way to finish off the game. 24 ... Kg7 25 Rxf7+ Rxf7 26 Bxf7 Kxf7 27 Rd8 e3 28 fxe3 Ba7 29 Kf2 Ke7 30 Rg8 Be4 31 g4 Kd7 32 h4 Ke7 33 h5 Kd7 34 Rg7+ Kc6 35 Re7 Bc2 36 h6 Kd6 37 Rf7 Be4 38 Rxf6+ Ke7 39 Rxa6 Bb8 40 g5 1-0 We meet the 6 ... Bb7 variation by playing 7 d3, giving Black two main options: 7 ... Be7 and 7 ... Bc5. After 7 ... Be7 8 a4, the game will almost always transpose to the 8 a4 Bb7 Anti-Marshall, analysed in Chapter 6. The 7 ... Bc5 variation is a risky one for Black, because the bishop is often needed on e7 to help defend against a kingside attack by White. In addition to this, the bishop on c5 also prevents Black from gaining space on the queenside with ... c5. Black has to hope that the active position of the

bishop will compensate for these issues. However, as we saw in the game, Black’s play is quite difficult, especially because White can cause problems with Bg5 quite frequently.

Game 30

F.Caruana-G.Jones

Isle of Man 2017

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bc5 7 c3 Although I prefer the 7 c3 d6 8 a4 move order (as played in our main game) White can also consider the move order 7 a4 Rb8 (7 ... Bb7 8 d3 transposes to the previous game, Anand - Topalov, which saw 6 ... Bb7 7 d3 Bc5 8 a4) 8 c3, when the main independent option that Black has is 8 ... 00!? (8 ... d6 transposes to our main game), and the main line runs 9 d4 Bb6 10 axb5 axb5 11 dxe5, when Black can play: a) 11 ... Nxe4 12 Bd5! gives White an edge, one sample line is 12 ... Nc5 13 b4 Ne6 14 Na3 Ne7 15 Be4 Bb7! (15 ... c6? 16 c4! is clearly better for White) 16 Bxb7 Rxb7 17 Nxb5 Bxf2+ 18 Rxf2 Rxb5 19 Rd2 and White has good play on the open d-file. b) 11 ... Ng4 12 Bf4 with another split:

  Question: What is the difference between 12 ... Qe7 and 12 ... Qe8 - ?   Answer: 12 ... Qe8 keeps the e7-square free for the c6-knight. This is useful after 12 ... Qe8 13 Qd5, when Black can play 13 ... Ne7! followed by ... Ng6 and obtain good counterplay. However, because 12 ... Qe8 is slightly more passive than 12 ... Qe7, White can try to fight for an advantage after 13 Nd4. b1) 12 ... Qe7 13 Qd5! Bb7 14 Qxb5 Ba8! was played in I.SmirinG.Kamsky, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005, the game continued 15 Qc4 Ncxe5 16 Bxe5 Nxe5 17 Nxe5 Qxe5 18 Nd2 Kh8 and here the most important thing for White to do was to restrict Black’s counterplay with either ... d5 or ... f5 by playing 19 Qd3 or 19 Bc2. b2) 12 ... Qe8! 13 Nd4 (13 Qd5?! Ne7! 14 Qd2 Ng6 gave Black good play in E.Riccio-V.Rezzuti, correspondence 2009) 13 ... Ngxe5 14 Nxb5 d6 (14 ... Bxf2+! may be Black’s best try, when 15 Rxf2 Rxb5 16 Bd5 Rb8 17 b4 was roughly balanced in H.Sherwood-H.Doppelhammer, correspondence

2017, as Black’s control of the e5-square compensates for White’s bishop pair advantage) 15 N1a3 Ba6 16 Ba4 Qe7 17 b4 Ng6 18 Bg3 Nce5 19 c4 gave White a slight edge in A.Kopelevich-Y.Volodarsky, correspondence 2012. 7 ... d6 8 a4 Rb8 Black’s alternatives to this move were discussed in the first game of this chapter. 9 d4 Bb6 10 a5!

10 ... Ba7   Question: What happens after 10 ... Nxa5 - ?   Answer: 11 Rxa5! sacrifices the exchange, and White will at least win back the material, or obtain tremendous compensation. Following 11 ... Bxa5 12 dxe5 Ng4 (12 ... dxe5 13 Qxd8+ Kxd8 14 Nxe5 and the threats of Nxf7 and Nc6 make Black’s position close to lost; while 12 ... Nxe4 is met

by 13 Qd5 Be6 14 Qxe4 Bxb3 15 Nd4! and Black is unable to defend against both Nxb3 and Nc6) 13 Bg5 f6 14 exf6, Black has: a) 14 ... Nxf6 can be met by 15 Nd4 or 15 Re1 followed by e5. b) 14 ... gxf6 15 Bh4 c5 and in K.Kulaots-S.Sulskis, Palanga 2018, White could play 16 Bd5! with a crushing position. Black’s play is extremely difficult while White can easily find good squares for his pieces and create an attack. 10 ... Bxa5?? loses to 11 d5. 11 h3 11 Be3 Bg4! is fine for Black. S.Sulskis-A.Shirov, Riga (rapid) 2019, continued 12 dxe5 Bxf3 13 Qxf3 Nxe5 with equality. 11 ... 0-0 Others: a) 11 ... h6 12 Be3 Ra8 gives White a choice: a1) 13 dxe5 looks like it leads to a better endgame for White, but Black should be fine after 13 ... Nxe5 14 Nxe5 dxe5 15 Qxd8+ Kxd8 16 Bxa7 Rxa7 17 Bxf7, as seen in F.Caruana-K.Lagno, Gibraltar 2017. The game continued 17 ... Nxe4? (17 ... Ke7! gives Black decent play for the pawn; play may continue 18 Bg6 Rd8 19 Na3 Rd2 20 b4 c5 with good compensation) 18 Bg6 Nd6 19 Nd2 and White was winning. a2) 13 Re1! 0-0 (13 ... Bb7?! 14 Nbd2 0-0 15 Nf1 transposes to our main game, on the note to Black’s 14th move: 14 ... Bb7) 14 Nbd2 also transposes to our main game. b) 11 ... Bb7 12 Be3 and now: b1) 12 ... 0-0?? would be a blunder due to 13 d5. b2) 12 ... Ra8?! 13 dxe5 Bxe3? (13 ... dxe5 14 Bxa7 Qxd1 15 Rxd1 Rxa7 16 Bc2 is a clearly better endgame for White) 14 exf6 Bh6 15 fxg7 Bxg7 16 Bd5 led to a quick win for White in P.Idani-K.Islam, Hamedan 2018. b3) 12 ... Nxe4 13 Re1 (13 d5 Bxe3 14 dxc6 Nxf2 led to very complicated play in D.Navara-S.Ganguly, Wijk aan Zee 2011) and Black can play: b31) 13 ... Ne7 14 Nbd2 Nxd2 15 Bxd2 0-0 (15 ... exd4?? would lose to 16 Ng5 followed by Qh5) 16 dxe5 dxe5 17 Nxe5 and White regains the material with slightly better chances, for example, 17 ... Ng6 18 Be3 Nxe5 19 Qxd8 Rbxd8 20 Bxa7 and White’s bishop pair gives him a small edge.

b32) 13 ... exd4 14 cxd4 d5 15 Nbd2 Ne7! as in I.Saric-K.Lagno, Gibraltar 2019, should be objectively fine for Black, but the poor placement of the bishops on b7 and a7 make the position a bit unpleasant. The game continued 16 Nxe4 dxe4 17 Ng5 Bd5 18 Bxd5 Qxd5 and instead of 19 Nxe4 regaining the material, White could have first started with 19 Rc1! and Black is under a bit of pressure. 12 Be3 Ra8

Alternatives are: a) 12 ... Bb7? loses to 13 d5. b) 12 ... Nxe4 leads to a fairly forced line: 13 Bd5 exd4 14 Nxd4! (14 cxd4 Qe8 is fine for Black) 14 ... Nxd4 15 Bxe4 d5 16 Bxd4 Bxd4 (16 ... c5 was tried in S.Zhigalko-A.Grischuk, Kemer 2007, but White achieved a significant advantage after 17 Bxg7 Kxg7 18 Bxd5 Qg5 19 c4! bxc4 20 Ra3!) 17 Bxh7+ Kxh7 and in V.Anand-A.Shirov, Moscow (blitz) 2007, instead of 18 Qxd4, White should have preferred 18 cxd4! with a better position, as he can exploit the open c-file by developing his knight and then playing Rc1.

c) 12 ... Re8 13 dxe5! Bxe3 14 exf6 Bf4 15 Qd5! Re6 (15 ... Ne5 16 Nxe5 Be6 is another possibility, which can be met by 17 Nc6 or 17 Qc6 Bxb3 18 Nd3) 16 fxg7 (of course not 16 Qxc6?? Bb7) 16 ... Qe7 17 g3 and although Black does have some compensation, it shouldn’t be enough. d) 12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 and now: d1) 13 ... Nb4 can be met by 14 Bd2!? c5 15 Bxb4 cxb4 16 Nbd2, as in J.Hammer-T.Hansen, Oslo 2008, the game continued 16 ... Nh5 17 Re1 Nf4 18 Nf1 Qf6 19 Ng3 and White was much better. d2) 13 ... d5 14 e5 Ne4 15 Nc3 Nxc3 16 bxc3 gave White an excellent pawn structure and a clear edge in I.Khairullin-D.Petrukhin, Krasnoyarsk 2007, White played Bg5 next and quickly developed a winning attack. d3) 13 ... Ne7 14 Nc3! (14 Nbd2?! as tried in P.Svidler-D.Pavasovic, Dresden 2008, should have been met by 14 ... c5! obtaining some counterplay in the centre and on the queenside) 14 ... b4 (14 ... Bb7 runs into 15 e5 Nfd5 16 Bg5 and White’s active pieces make Black’s play extremely difficult) 15 Nd5!, when Black has several options: d31) The pawn structure that arises after 15 ... Nexd5 16 exd5 is better for White, as Black’s bishops are restricted, while White is able to use the open c-file. For example, 16 ... h6 (16 ... Bb7 17 Bg5 is excellent for White) 17 Nh2! frees the f3-square for the queen, which is useful in the variation 17 ... Bb7 18 Qf3! and White protects the d5-pawn. d32) 15 ... Nfxd5 16 exd5 Bb7 is trickier than the previous variation, as here White is unable to play Bg5 due to ... f6. Instead White can play 17 Qd3! Nxd5 18 Bc2 f5 19 Bg5 Qe8 20 Rfe1 with excellent compensation for the pawn. d33) 15 ... Nxe4 16 Qc2 Nxd5 17 Bxd5 Nf6 18 Bc6! is very unpleasant for Black. d4) 13 ... Nxe4 is Black’s most popular choice, but it allows White to obtain excellent play for the pawn after a couple of moves: 14 Qc2 Qe8 15 Nc3, and here: d41) 15 ... Bf5? was tried in Ju Wenjun-K.Lagno, Shenzhen (rapid) 2019, and 16 Nd5 threatening both Qxc6 and Nxc7 wins for White. The most important variation is 16 ... Ne7 17 Nh4! and too many of Black’s pieces are unprotected. d42) 15 ... Nf6 16 Rfe1 gave White excellent compensation in A.Timofeev-S.Halkias, Dresden 2007, the game continued 16 ... Qd7 17 Ne4! (exchanging off Black’s important defensive knight on f6) 17 ... Nxe4

18 Qxe4 Ne7 19 Ng5 Ng6 20 Bd5 c5 21 Bf4 and Black was in serious trouble. d43) 15 ... Nxc3 16 Qxc3 Ne7 17 Rac1 c6 18 Rfe1 was clearly worse for Black in S.Azarov-M.Krylov, Loo 2013. The game saw 18 ... b4 19 Qd3 Qd7 20 Bg5 Ng6 21 h4! and White had obtained a winning position. 13 Re1 h6 Or: a) 13 ... Bb7 14 Bg5 h6 15 Bh4 g5 (15 ... Re8 16 d5 Nb8 17 Nh2! and White has a better position, as he will continue with Qf3 and/or Ng4).

  Exercise: How should White meet this risky kingside thrust?   Answer: 16 Nxg5! gives White a much better position, mainly because Black’s bishops are out of play on the queenside. After 16 ... hxg5 17 Bxg5 exd4, 18 Bd5! is an important point, tying down the c6-knight and b7bishop. White will continue with Qf3 and Black’s position becomes extremely difficult to defend.

b) 13 ... Re8 14 Nbd2 Bb7 15 Ng5 (exploiting the fact that Black has not yet played ... h6) 15 ... Re7 16 d5! as tried in V.Anand-A.Shirov, Wijk aan Zee 2010, is a good idea, playing for a slight edge. 16 ... Nb8 (16 ... Bxe3 17 Rxe3 Nb8 18 Nf1 h6 19 Nf3 c5 20 c4 would be slightly better for White, as he can slowly build up play on the kingside, while Black is unable to create much play on the queenside) 17 Bxa7 Rxa7 18 Nf1 c6 19 Ne3 cxd5 was seen in V.Anand-A.Shirov, Wijk aan Zee 2010, and White could try 20 Bxd5, which looks like a slight improvement over the game’s 20 exd5. Following 20 ... Bxd5 21 Nxd5 Nxd5 22 Qxd5, Black’s backwards d6-pawn and lack of counterplay make his position unpleasant to defend. 14 Nbd2 exd4 Or: a) 14 ... Re8 is the main line and will be looked at in the next game. b) 14 ... Bb7?! is inaccurate because of 15 Nf1! and now: b1) 15 ... Re8?! 16 Ng3 and White has managed to manoeuvre his knight to g3 very quickly, which puts Black in serious trouble. If Black had played more accurately with 14 ... Re8 (as we will see in the next game), this quick Nf1-g3 manoeuvre wouldn’t be nearly as effective. b2) 15 ... Nxe4 runs into 16 d5 Bxe3 17 Rxe3 and Black loses one of his knights. b3) 15 ... exd4 16 cxd4 Nb4 17 d5 and White has a better position. Probably Black’s best try is 17 ... c5, but after 18 Ng3 Black’s pieces look quite misplaced. 15 cxd4 Nb4 16 e5! 16 d5 is a more positional alternative, which I would recommend for players who find the variations after 16 e5 too complicated. However, the lines with 16 e5 are much more critical and force Black to play extremely precisely to survive. After 16 d5, Black can try: a) 16 ... Bxe3 17 Rxe3 c5 18 dxc6 Nxc6 19 e5 (19 Rd3! prepares to play e5 and gives White a slight edge) led to equality in N.Grandelius-G.Jones, Linares 2017. b) 16 ... Re8 17 Bxa7 (alternatively, White can consider 17 Nf1!?, when 17 ... Nxe4 can be met by 18 Bxa7 Rxa7 19 Qd4! c5 20 dxc6 Nxc6 21 Qb6 and Black’s position may be a bit tricky to defend) 17 ... Rxa7 18 Nd4 Bd7 19 N2f3 c5 Black was fairly close to equality in J.Hostinský-R.Cvak, correspondence 2017. 16 ... Nfd5

16 ... dxe5?! 17 Nxe5 is clearly better for White because of all the weaknesses Black has in his position. For example, 17 ... Bb7 (17 ... Bxd4 runs into 18 Bxf7+ Rxf7 19 Nxf7 Kxf7 20 Qb3+) 18 Ndf3 Nbd5 19 Rc1 and White will continue with moves like Qc2 and Nc6, while Black lacks active play. 17 Ne4 Nxe3 17 ... Bb7?! prepares to play ... Nxe3 followed by ... dxe5 when Black’s two bishops would put a lot of pressure on White’s centre. White should play 18 Bd2! and Black is in trouble, some sample lines are: 18 ... Nd3 (or 18 ... dxe5 19 Nxe5 Bxd4 20 Qh5! with a winning position for White) 19 Bg5! (19 Bxh6 Nxe1 20 Qxe1 dxe5 21 dxe5 gxh6 22 Rd1 should win as well) 19 ... Nxf2 20 Qc2 Nxh3+ 21 gxh3 hxg5 22 Nexg5 and Black is unable to defend his kingside without losing material. 17 ... Be6?! allows White to simply continue preparing his attack with 18 Qd2. 18 Rxe3 White is prepared to play Qd2 on his next move, attacking Black’s b4knight and allowing the a1-rook to enter the game. 18 ... Bb7!

Or: a) 18 ... Be6 19 Qd2 Bxb3 20 Rxb3 Nd5 21 Re1 gives White an excellent position, as he is prepared to play Ng3 followed by Re4. b) 18 ... dxe5? is a natural idea, aiming to destroy White’s centre so that he will be unable to attack on the kingside. However, here it loses to 19 Nxe5 Bxd4 (or 19 ... Qxd4 20 Qh5) 20 Nxf7! Rxf7 21 Rf3.   Question: What does 18 ... Bb7 do to stop 19 Qd2 - ?   19 e6! Answer: 19 Qd2?! can now be met by 19 ... dxe5! leading to sharp play. One variation showing the importance of having the bishop on b7 is seen after 20 Qxb4 exd4 21 Ree1?! (21 Rd1 is stronger, with a very complicated game) 21 ... c5! 22 Nxc5?! and Black has 22 ... Bxf3! 23 gxf3 Qg5+ followed by ... Bxc5 with a winning position. 19 ... Nd5

19 ... fxe6 is strongly met by 20 Nfg5! and it is impossible for Black to play 20 ... hxg5? (20 ... Bd5 is stronger, when play may continue 21 Nxe6 Bxe6 22 Bxe6+ Kh8 23 Qd2 Nc6 24 Bd5 and White has a clear advantage) due to 21 Bxe6+ followed by Qh5, taking advantage of the opened h-file. 19 ... Bd5? runs into 20 Neg5!, attacking the f7-pawn and preparing to play e7. 20 exf7+ Kh8?! In view of what happens in the game, this move is inaccurate. However, it looks extremely risky to play 20 ... Rxf7, especially because Black’s pieces on the b3-g8 diagonal are under serious pressure. 20 ... Rxf7! 21 Nfg5!, when Black has: a) 21 ... hxg5 22 Qh5! Bxd4 23 Rd3! (23 Nxg5?! isn’t enough here because of 23 ... g6! 24 Qxg6+ Rg7 25 Qe6+ Kh8 26 Qh6+ Kg8 with a perpetual) 23 ... c5 (23 ... Bxf2+ 24 Nxf2 and White will play Ng4 next with excellent play) leads to a fairly forced variation: 24 Nxg5 g6 25 Qxg6+ Rg7 26 Qe6+ Kf8 (26 ... Kh8 27 Nf7+ is also much better for White) 27 Bxd5 Bxd5 28 Qf5+ Bf6 29 Nh7+ Rxh7 30 Qxh7 and White’s rook and pawn are superior to the two bishops in this position, especially because of Black’s exposed king and poor piece coordination. b) 21 ... Rf5!

Now: b1) 22 Qg4? Rxg5 23 Nxg5 Qxg5 would be clearly better for Black. b2) 22 Qh5!? is an interesting idea, play may continue 22 ... Bxd4! (22 ... Rxg5 23 Nxg5 Qxg5 runs into 24 Re8+ Rxe8 25 Qxe8+ Kh7 26 Bc2+ and Black is forced to play 26 ... g6, which puts his king in serious danger; for example, 27 Qf7+ Kh8 28 Qf8+ Kh7 29 Re1 with a nearly winning position for White) 23 Qg4! is strong now (but not on move 22, as we saw above) because White can exploit Black’s unprotected bishop on d4. This is seen after 23 ... Qc8 24 Nxd6! cxd6 25 Qxd4 Rxg5 26 f4 Rf5 27 Re7 Qc5 28 Rxg7+ Kh8 29 Qxc5 dxc5 30 Rxb7, and Black is faced with a slightly unpleasant endgame. b3) 22 Qc2 Kh8 23 Ne6 Nxe3 24 fxe3 Qe7 25 Nxd6 Rf6 26 Nxb7 Rxe6 27 Bxe6 Qxe6 28 Ra3 and White had a slight edge in W.Klewe-C.Ernst, correspondence 2017. 21 Re1 Rxf7 22 Rc1! 22 Nfg5? Re7! 23 Qg4 Qc8 or Qd7 is fine for Black. 22 ... Rc8

22 ... Rf8 gets out of the pin on the b3-f7 diagonal and should be met by 23 g3! which prevents Black from playing ... Nf4 and also prepares to play Nh5. Following 23 ... Nf6 24 Bc2 Rf7 25 Nh4, Black’s position is extremely dangerous. 23 Nfg5 23 g3!? was tried in S.Ter Sahakyan-T.Harutyunian, Yerevan 2018, and prepares to play Nh4. The game continued 23 ... Qd7? (23 ... Qg8! is a better defence, preparing to meet 24 Nh4 with 24 ... g5!, but White still obtains the better chances after 24 Neg5 Rf6 25 Rc2 followed by Rce2 and Black will have major difficulties defending this position) 24 Nh4 Kg8 25 Nc3 and White won quickly. 23 ... Rf5 23 ... Re7 24 Qg4 and compared to the 22 Nfg5 variation, Black is unable to play either 24 ... Qc8 or 24 ... Qd7: 24 ... Qd7? (24 ... Qf8 is probably Black’s best try, but his position is extremely unpleasant after 25 Ne6 Qe8 26 Ng3 Bxd4 27 Qxd4 Rxe6 28 Rxe6 Qxe6 29 Qa7!) runs into 25 Qxd7 Rxd7 26 Nxd6! 24 Ne6 Qd7 25 Qg4 Qf7 25 ... Qxe6 is met by 26 Ng3. 26 Rxc7!

26 Nxc7 works as well, and has a similar idea to the move played in the game. White wants to remove the defenders of the rook on f5. 26 ... Rxc7 26 ... Nxc7 27 Nxd6 followed by Nxf5 is completely lost for Black. 27 Nxd6 Rxf2 28 Nxc7 Qf6 29 Nxd5 Qxd4 30 Qxd4 Bxd4 31 Re4 Ba7 32 Nb6 1-0 Black’s sidelines in the 5 ... b5 6 Bb3 Bc5 variation can easily lead to sharp play, where Black often needs to defend a dangerous position. The most important of these sidelines is the variation played by Black in this game with 14 ... exd4. On move 16, we looked at two options for White, 16 d5 and 16 e5. 16 d5 gives White decent chances for a small edge, but Black’s position is fairly sound. 16 e5 is the critical test of Black’s line and requires him to play a number of accurate moves in order to not be crushed by an attack. Even if Black manages to find these moves, achieving full equality will be a very difficult task. In our main game, White exploited his opponent’s inaccuracy with 20 ... Kh8?! and launched an excellent kingside attack.



Game 31

A.Grischuk-A.Shirov

European Cup, Rogaska Slatina 2011

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bc5 7 c3 d6 8 a4 Rb8 9 d4 Bb6 10 a5 Ba7 11 h3 0-0 12 Be3 Ra8 13 Re1 h6 14 Nbd2 Re8

15 Qc2 15 Nf1 leads to complicated play where Black should be fine objectively, but White has scored excellently in practice. 15 ... exd4 is forced, as Black cannot allow White to play Ng3 and support his centre so easily. After 16 cxd4, Black can take on e4 with his knight or rook: a) 16 ... Rxe4 17 Ng3 and now: a1) 17 ... Re6!? 18 Bxe6 (18 Qd2 is an interesting alternative, maintaining the pressure on Black’s position) 18 ... fxe6 19 Qd2 gave White an edge in Le Quang Liem-G.Jones, Hengshui (blitz) 2019, although

Black’s position is quite solid as it is more difficult for White to create an effective kingside attack without his light-squared bishop. a2) 17 ... Re7 18 Qd2, when Black has: a21) 18 ... Qf8 gives White two main options: a211) 19 Rec1 Bd7 20 Nh4?! (20 Rc2 followed by Rac1 is a bit unpleasant for Black) 20 ... d5 21 Nhf5?! Re6 didn’t give White sufficient compensation for the pawn, so Black was slightly better in S.KarjakinF.Caruana, Loo 2013. a212) 19 Rac1 Bd7 20 Bc2 Nd5 21 Bf5! aims to exchange off Black’s d7-bishop, which is a very important defensive piece for Black. Black’s best is 21 ... Re6!, but after 22 Bxe6 fxe6 23 Nh5 White has a better position and will likely play Nf4 next. a22) 18 ... Bd7 can be met by either 19 Rac1 or 19 Bc2 followed by Bf5. a23) 18 ... d5 19 Rac1! (19 Bxh6?! gxh6 20 Qxh6 Nxd4 looks fine for Black)

19 ... Bd7 (19 ... Ne4! is Black’s best option, simplifying the game a bit, play may continue 20 Nxe4 dxe4 21 Rxc6 exf3 22 Bf4 Rxe1+ 23 Qxe1 Bxd4 24 Rxc7 Bd7 25 Qe4 and White is better, but Black has decent drawing chances; while 19 ... Qd6?! 20 Bf4 Rxe1+ 21 Nxe1 Qd7 22 Nf3 gave White overwhelming compensation for the pawn in N.GrandeliusA.Shirov, Lund 2018) 20 Bxh6 gxh6 21 Qxh6 Nxd4 was seen in E.Blomqvist-L.Moroni, Batumi 2018, and White forced a draw with 22 Qg5+? Kf8 23 Qh6+ Kg8 24 Qg5+. Instead, 22 Ne5! leads to a winning position for White, some sample lines are: a231) 22 ... Nxb3 23 Qg5+! (not 23 Qxf6?? Rxe5! 24 Qxe5 Bd4! and White loses) 23 ... Kh7 24 Qxf6. a232) 22 ... Re8 23 Rxc7! a233) 22 ... Re6 23 Qg5+ Kf8 24 Nh5! and despite being a piece down, White’s excellently coordinated pieces give him a completely winning position. b) 16 ... Nxe4 17 Bd5 (17 d5!? also deserves consideration, White seems to get adequate play for the pawn, but not much more) 17 ... Bb7 (17 ... Qd7 18 Bxh6 Nf6 is an interesting idea, compared to 17 ... Bb7 18 Bxh6 Nf6, 19 Bg5 doesn’t work here because Black’s queen on d7 is already out of the pin; instead White can play 19 Qc1! Nxd5 20 Qg5 g6 21 Qxd5 with a better position) 18 Bxh6

Now: b1) 18 ... Nxa5 19 Rxe4 Rxe4 20 Bxe4 Bxe4 21 Ng3! is very dangerous for Black, the critical line is 21 ... Bxf3 22 Qxf3 Bxd4 (or 22 ... gxh6 23 Nf5!) 23 Bg5! Qe8 24 Rxa5 and White has a winning position. b2) 18 ... Nxf2 19 Rxe8+ Qxe8 20 Kxf2 gxh6 21 g4 (the simple 21 Kg1 would also give White a clear edge) is excellent for White. b3) 18 ... Nf6? 19 Bg5 is winning for White, all of Black’s pieces are tied down to defensive tasks. b4) 18 ... gxh6 19 Rxe4 Rxe4 20 Bxe4 d5 21 Bc2 (21 Bd3?! would be inaccurate, as after 21 ... Qf6 White doesn’t have the Ra3 resource) 21 ... Qf6 22 Ra3! Bxd4 23 Ng3 reaches a complicated position, where White is prepared to launch an attack on Black’s weakened kingside with Nh5. Black needs to play very accurately here to survive: b41) R.Robson-S.Ganguly, Ulaanbaatar 2018, saw 23 ... Bxb2? and 24 Nh5! would win for White. Some sample lines are 24 ... Qh8 (or 24 ... Qd6 25 Rb3 Bh8 26 Nh4 followed by Nf5 is crushing) 25 Re3 d4 26 Re2 Rd8 27

Qd3 and Black’s passively placed pieces give him no chances of surviving against White’s kingside attack. b42) 23 ... Bc5! is best, the critical line runs 24 Nh5 Qh8 25 Rd3 (25 Rc3!? could also be tried) 25 ... Re8 26 Rxd5 Nd4 27 Rxc5 Bxf3 28 gxf3 Re1+! 29 Qxe1 Nxf3+ and Black is fine. 15 g4!? is also possible, e.g. 15 ... exd4! (15 ... Qe7?! 16 Nf1 Nd8 17 Ng3 c5 18 Qd2 c4 19 Bc2 Nh7 20 b4 gave White a much better position in F.Caruana-M.Carlsen, Isle of Man 2017, but Black quickly obtained an advantage after a couple of inaccuracies by White) 16 cxd4 Nb4 17 Bxf7+ (17 g5 c5! leads to very double edged play, but it seems that Black is not worse here) 17 ... Kxf7 18 Qb3+ Nbd5 19 exd5 Qd7 and although White is up a pawn, Black will likely be able to win it back with ... Bb7 and ... Bxd5 or ... Nxd5 in the near future. 15 ... Bb7 15 ... exd4 has been met in several different ways: a) 16 Nxd4 Nxd4 (16 ... Ne7! followed by ... c5 gives Black good counterplay) 17 cxd4 c5?! (17 ... Bb7 is better, though 18 d5 may give White a slight edge) 18 e5! led to a complicated position in I.SaricP.Maghsoodloo, Batumi 2018, but one where White had the better chances. b) 16 cxd4?! Nb4! 17 Bxf7+ Kxf7 18 Qb3+ Nbd5 19 exd5 Bb7 was better for Black in Y.Kryvoruchko-V.Durarbayli, Doha 2014. c) 16 Bxd4! looks best, when Black has: c1) 16 ... Bd7 17 Bxa7! (17 e5 was tried in K.Kulaots-A.Shirov, Viljandi 2018, and is also a good try for an edge; the game continued 17 ... dxe5 18 Bxe5 Be6 19 Rad1 Nxe5 20 Nxe5 and White’s pressure on the dfile along with the weak c6-square gave Black some difficulties) 17 ... Rxa7 18 Nf1 and now: c11) 18 ... Nh5 prepares to create some play on the kingside with ... Nf4 and ... Qf6. However, White is able to obtain a better position after accurate play: 19 Qd2 Qf6 20 Ne3! Bxh3 (20 ... Nf4 can also be met by 21 Nd5) 21 Nd5 Qg6 22 Nh4 Qg5 23 Qxg5 hxg5 24 Nf3 followed by Nxg5 with a better endgame. c12) 18 ... Be6 19 Bxe6 Rxe6 and in S.Erenburg-G.Bick, Montevideo 2018, White played 20 N1d2, but 20 Ng3 looks stronger. White can continue with Nd4 or b4 followed by Rad1. c2) 16 ... Nxd4 17 cxd4 c5 18 e5! dxe5 19 dxc5 Qc7 20 Rac1 and White had a comfortable advantage in R.Kevlishvili-A.Girish, Balatonlelle 2019.

c3) 16 ... Bb7 17 Bxa7 Rxa7 was tried in G.Oparin-A.Shirov, Moscow (rapid) 2017, and 18 Nf1! (the game’s 18 Nd4?! could have been met by 18 ... Ne7! followed by ... c5) with Ng3 next gives White a better position, as it is hard for Black to find active play. c4) 16 ... Ne5!

A very solid choice, and was seen in S.Nihal-G.Jones, Malmo 2019. White can play: c41) 17 Nxe5 dxe5 18 Bxa7 Rxa7 19 c4 was seen in M.Palac-G.Bick, Vienna 2019. White is aiming to cramp Black’s position with c5 next. To prevent this, Black played 19 ... c5!? (19 ... c6 20 Nf3 Rd7 21 c5 would give White an edge), but after 20 cxb5 axb5 21 Qxc5 Rxa5 22 Rad1, White had a slightly more pleasant position. c42) The game mentioned above continued 17 Rad1 Nfd7 18 Nxe5 dxe5 19 Bxa7 and after 19 ... Rxa7 Black is prepared to play ... c5 which would threaten both ... c4 and ... Qxa5. This is why White played 20 Bd5 c5 21 b4 (21 c4!? is also possible, temporarily sacrificing the a5-pawn; play may continue 21 ... Qxa5 22 Ra1 Qb6 23 cxb5 axb5 24 Rxa7 Qxa7 25 Qb3

and Black should be close to equality after 25 ... Nf6 26 Qxb5 Rd8) 21 ... Qe7 22 Qb2 with roughly balanced chances.

  Exercise: Should White play 16 dxe5 or 16 d5 - ?   Answer: 16 dxe5! White’s pieces are well-developed, so he is prepared to open up the game. The alternative 16 d5 looks tempting as it gains space, but it closes the centre and allows Black to obtain counterplay after 16 ... Ne7 17 Bxa7 Rxa7 18 c4 c6! 16 ... Nxe5 Others: a) 16 ... dxe5 17 Bxa7 (17 Nf1 maintains the tension and is also slightly better for White) 17 ... Nxa7 18 c4! (not giving Black time to play ... c5) 18 ... Qe7 19 cxb5 axb5 20 a6 Bc6 21 Qc3 and White had a clearly better position in C.Aravindh-S.Shankland, Sitges 2017, due to the passed a-pawn and Black’s poorly coordinated pieces.

b) 16 ... Bxe3 17 exf6 Bxd2 18 Qxd2 Qxf6 19 Bd5! was a strong move played in Ju Wenjun-Guo Qi, China 2019, tying down Black’s minor pieces. The game continued 19 ... Rad8 20 Nh2 (also possible is 20 Re3!? Ba8 21 Qe2! which prepares to meet 21 ... Ne7? with 22 Bxa8 Rxa8 23 e5!) 20 ... Ba8 21 f4 and White had a slight edge. 17 Nxe5 Rxe5 Or 17 ... dxe5 18 Bxa7 Rxa7 19 c4! (19 Nf1 c5 20 c4 should also be slightly better for White, but there is no reason to not play 19 c4 immediately) and now: a) 19 ... Bc6 20 cxb5 Bxb5 21 Nf3 followed by Qc3 and Rac1 leads to an unpleasant position for Black to defend. b) 19 ... Qe7 20 Rac1 Bc6 (20 ... Rc8 allows 21 c5!) 21 cxb5 Bxb5 22 Qc5 is better for White, as he can put pressure on the c-file and the weak e5-pawn. c) 19 ... c5?! and compared to the 19 Nf1 c5 variation we saw above, White can play 20 cxb5! axb5 21 Qxc5 Rxa5 22 Rad1 and Black’s pieces are quite uncoordinated. 18 Bxa7 Rxa7

  Exercise: How should White continue?   Answer: 19 f4! White needs to attack in the centre immediately, before Black has a chance to organize his pieces and create counterplay. If White plays too slowly with 19 Rad1?!, Black can play 19 ... c5 and obtain good counterplay. 19 ... Re7 20 e5 Qe8?! 20 ... Nd7! is Black’s best try to defend this position. Play may continue 21 e6 fxe6 22 Rxe6 Rxe6 23 Bxe6+ Kh8 24 Re1 and White is clearly better as his pieces are much more active than Black’s. 21 Nf3 dxe5 22 fxe5 Nd7 22 ... Bxf3 23 Qf2 attacks Black’s rook on a7 and protects the e1-rook, which allows White to play exf6 if Black’s a7-rook moves away. 23 e6?!

23 Nh4! Nc5!? (23 ... Nxe5 24 Qf2 and Nf5 next leads to a winning position for White) 24 Ba2 Ne6 25 Re3 followed by Rg3 and possibly Bb1 gives White a devastating attack. White could also have played 23 Qf2!, which attacks both the rook on a7 and takes control of the c5 square. White will play Nh4 next with a crushing attack. 23 ... fxe6 24 Qf5

White still retains a much better position with this move, but it becomes more difficult to convert his advantage. 24 Nd4! Bd5 (24 ... Nf8 25 Re5! and Black’s position is hopeless) allows White to win material with 25 Nf5! exf5 26 Bxd5+ Kh8 27 Rxe7 Qxe7 28 Qxf5. 24 ... Kh8 25 Rxe6 Rxe6 26 Bxe6 Nf6 27 Nd4 Be4 28 Qe5 Qg6 29 g4 Ra8 30 Rf1 Re8 31 Qxc7 Qg5 32 Qf4 Qc5 33 Kh2 b4 34 Bf7 Rc8 35 Ne6 Qe7 36 g5 Qxf7 37 Qxe4 Nxe4 38 Rxf7 Nxg5 39 Rc7 Re8 40 Nxg5 hxg5 41 cxb4 Re2+ 42 Kg3 Rxb2 43 Rb7 Kh7 44 Kg4 Kh6 45 Kf5 Rf2+ 46

Ke5 Rf4 47 Kd5 Kh5 48 Kc5 Kh4 49 Rxg7 Rf5+ 50 Kb6 Rf6+ 51 Ka7 10 In this game we analysed 14 ... Re8, which is one of the most solid variations Black can choose in the line starting with 10 a5. We examined two options for White in detail: 15 Nf1 and 15 Qc2. Many of the positions arising after 15 Nf1 are extremely dangerous for Black, and this explains why White has excellent results in practical games. Black’s best options seems to be going for the 16 ... Nxe4 variation and improving on the Robson-Ganguly game, which was shown in the analysis. 15 Qc2 gives Black two main options, 15 ... exd4 and 15 ... Bb7, and both of these give White good chances for an edge, but Black’s position is quite solid. This is especially the case in the 15 ... exd4 16 Bxd4 Ne5 variation, where Black’s position may be slightly unpleasant, but it is very difficult for White to obtain an objective advantage.





Chapter Eight

Systems with ... g6 and ... Nge7

Systems with ... g6 and ... Nge7 in the Ruy Lopez have become fashionable over the past few years because they allow Black to achieve a complicated middlegame while avoiding main line theory. The downside to these lines is that White gets a space advantage, and often a better position if he plays accurately. Game 32 examines the lines where Black plays ... Nge7 without including ... a6 and Ba4. This means that instead of gaining space on the queenside with ... a6 and ... b5, Black will usually try to play actively in the centre with ... d5. In the game, White meets this plan accurately and achieves a better position by giving Black major weaknesses on the queenside. In Game 33, Black includes 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 before playing ... Nge7. The play can easily become quite sharp here because Black needs to play actively to fight back against White’s strong centre. In the game, White accepts an isolated pawn, but obtains active piece play and finds several weaknesses to target on Black’s queenside. In Game 34 we’ll look at the 3 ... g6 variation, which is a popular choice when aiming for a complicated game, as there are usually few piece exchanges in the opening. Our main game is a great example on how White should play these types of tense positions. White maintains the tension in the centre, slowly improves his position, and chooses the right moment to close up the centre with d5 and create a queenside attack. White’s accurate play leaves Black with no chances for counterplay, and he wins without any serious difficulties.

Game 32

A.Naiditsch-H.Nakamura

Isle of Man 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 The lines where Black includes 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 before playing 4 ... Nge7 will be looked at in our next game.

After 3 ... Nge7, 4 c3 is the most consistent choice for our repertoire. Now: a) 4 ... a6 5 Ba4 transposes to the next game. b) 4 ... g6 transposes to our main game. c) 4 ... d6?! 5 d4 Bd7 is a rather passive set-up. I.Glek-D.Nitsche, Bad Wiessee 1999, shows how White should continue: 6 Bc4! (threatening Ng5) 6 ... Na5 7 Be2 Ng6 8 h4! Be7 9 h5 (9 g3 may be a slight improvement, but White is better in either case) 9 ... Nh4 10 Nxh4 Bxh4 11 d5 b6 12 b4 and White obtained a very pleasant advantage. d) 4 ... d5 5 Nxe5 dxe4 6 Qe2 Be6 (6 ... Qd5?! 7 Nxc6 Nxc6 8 d4 Bf5 9 Nd2 gave White a much better position in Gao Rui-Ye Rongguang, Shenzhen (blitz) 2017) 7 Nxc6 (7 d4?! exd3 8 Nxd3 Ng6 gave Black equal chances in F.Caruana-I.Sokolov, Reykjavik 2012) 7 ... bxc6 8 Ba6, when Black has: d1) 8 ... Rb8 is well met by 9 d3 exd3 10 Bxd3, and Black has difficulties developing his pieces. For example, 10 ... Ng6 (or 10 ... Nd5 11 Bf5 will give White a much better pawn structure after Bxe6) 11 f4! is unpleasant for Black; d2) 8 ... Qd5 9 0-0 Ng6 was seen in W.So-A.Gupta, Dubai 2008, and 10 Re1 Bd6 11 Qxe4 Qh5 12 g3 would be clearly better for White. 4 c3 The actual move order of this game was 4 d4!? exd4 5 c3 Nge7 6 cxd4 d5. 4 ... Nge7 5 d4 exd4 5 ... Bg7?! allows White to gain space in the centre with 6 d5 a6 (or 6 ... Nb8 7 d6) 7 Be2 Na7 8 c4 (but not 8 d6?, as Black has 8 ... cxd6 9 Qxd6 Nb5!) 8 ... d6 9 Nc3 0-0 10 h4! and White had an excellent position in B.Spassky-F.Sanz Alonso, Montilla 1978. 6 cxd4

6 ... d5 Others: a) 6 ... a6 7 Ba4 transposes to our next game. b) 6 ... Bg7?! 7 d5 a6 8 Be2! (8 Ba4 b5 transposes to a position we will see in our next game; but with 8 Be2, White can exploit Black’s inaccurate move order) 8 ... Ne5 9 Nxe5 Bxe5 10 Nc3 d6 11 0-0 when Black can try: b1) 11 ... f5 12 f4 Bg7 13 Be3 fxe4 14 Nxe4 (14 Bd4 could also be considered, immediately exchanging off the bishops) gives White a better position. b2) 11 ... 0-0 can be met by playing 12 Bh6 Re8 13 f4 and White’s space advantage makes Black’s position very unpleasant. b3) 11 ... c5 12 dxc6 bxc6 13 Bh6 and in R.Praggnanandhaa-L.Moroni, Ortisei 2018, Black was in serious trouble. After the game’s 13 ... d5, White could have played 14 f4! with a winning position. For example, 14 ... Bxc3 (or 14 ... Bf6 15 Qa4) 15 bxc3 dxe4 16 Qa4 and the weak dark-squares and poor placement of Black’s king will cost him the game. 7 exd5

7 e5 closes up the centre and Black seems to be doing reasonably well after 7 ... Bg7 8 h3 0-0 9 0-0 a6 (9 ... f6?! opens up the centre too soon; White gains an advantage after 10 exf6 Bxf6 11 Bh6 Rf7 12 Ng5, as in B.Laube-M.Baumgartner, correspondence 2012) and now 10 Bxc6 (10 Ba4 is more challenging, but Black can play 10 ... h6 followed by ... f6, and seems to have a decent game) 10 ... Nxc6 11 Nc3 f6 gave Black good play in B.Bok-A.Brkic, Aix les Bains 2011. 7 ... Nxd5 8 0-0 Bg7 9 Bxc6+ 9 Re1+ is the most popular choice, delaying the capture on c6. Play usually continues 9 ... Be6 10 Bg5 Qd6 11 Nbd2 0-0, and now: 12 Nc4!? (12 Ne4 Qb4 13 Bxc6 bxc6 transposes to our main game) 12 ... Qb4 13 a4! (13 Bxc6 makes more sense with the knight on e4 instead of c4, because then White could more easily put pressure on the c-file and move his knight to the weak c5-square)

a) 13 ... Rfb8! looks like a strange move, but it seems to be Black’s best option.  

Question: What is the idea behind 13 ... Rfb8 - ?   Answer: 13 ... Rfb8 frees the f8-square for Black’s queen and anticipates Bxc6, when the rook will be quite useful on b8. After 14 Rc1 Qf8, White can play: a1) 15 Bxc6 bxc6 16 Nfe5 was G.Kuzmin-V.Baklan, Enakievo 1997, and here 16 ... Nb4! gives Black good play, as he is threatening to play either ... f6 or ... c5. a2) 15 h3! may be White’s best choice, simply improving the position. 15 ... a6 (15 ... h6 16 Bxc6 hxg5 17 Bxd5 Bxd5 18 Nxg5 gives White an extra pawn, although the two bishops give Black decent compensation) can be met by 16 Bxc6 bxc6 17 b3 with a slight edge. b) 13 ... a6 14 Bd2 Qe7 15 Bxc6 bxc6 16 Rc1 is clearly better for White, due to Black’s weak queenside and lack of active play. The immediate 16 ... c5 can be met with 17 Bg5!, forcing Black to weaken his position if he wants to maintain the c5-pawn. After 17 ... f6 18 Bd2, White is prepared to play dxc5 or Na5 next, and Black’s position is starting to look quite dangerous. c) 13 ... Rfe8 14 Bd2 Qf8 15 Na5 is annoying for Black, due to the pin on the b5-e8 diagonal. T.Gharamian-A.Vul, Cappelle-la-Grande 2016, continued 15 ... Nxd4 16 Bxe8 Nxf3+ 17 Qxf3 Rxe8 18 Nxb7 and Black didn’t have nearly enough play for the exchange. 9 ... bxc6 10 Bg5 Qd6 10 ... f6?! 11 Re1+ Kf7 is a risky approach that should be met by the energetic 12 Ne5+! (the safe 12 Bd2 followed by Nc3 should only be very slightly better for White) 12 ... Kg8 13 Nc3 and even though White has two hanging pieces (on e5 and g5), Black is unable to do anything about it: a) 13 ... fxg5? is impossible due to 14 Nxc6 Qd6 15 Nxd5 and Black can’t take either of White’s knights because of Ne7+. b) 13 ... Qd6 is met by 14 Nc4 Qb4 15 Qe2! and Black is in trouble; the critical line runs 15 ... fxg5 16 Qe8+ Bf8 17 Ne5 Qe7 18 Qxc6 Nb6 19 Nd5! Qe6 20 Nxc7 Qxc6 21 Nxc6 and Black’s rook is trapped on a8. c) 13 ... Bb7 14 Qg4 Qe8 15 Nd3 Qc8 16 Qxc8+ Rxc8 17 Bd2 with a clearly better endgame for White. 11 Re1+ Be6 12 Nbd2 0-0 13 Ne4 Qb4 14 Qc1!

  Question: Why should White play 14 Qc1 instead of 14 Qc2 - ?   Answer: 14 Qc2 isn’t a bad move, but the queen is slightly more vulnerable on this square. Once White plays Nc5, Black will play ... Bf5, which is more unpleasant for White with the queen on c2. For example, 14 ... Rfe8 15 Bd2 Qb6 16 Nc5 Bf5 and Black is fine. 14 ... Rfe8 15 Bd2! The most forcing and best continuation. 15 h3 allows Black to play 15 ... f6! (15 ... Rab8?! 16 b3 Bf5 17 Bd2 Qf8 18 Nc5 gave White a pleasant advantage in C.Lutz-S.Beukema, Germany 2016), freeing the f7-square for his bishop, for example, 16 Bd2 Qb6 17 Nc5 Bf7 and Black was fine in C.Blanco Gramajo-P.Mary, correspondence 2008. 15 ... Qb6 16 Nc5 Bf5 17 Ne5 It may be stronger for White to play slowly with 17 b3!, as Black doesn’t have a clear plan anyway. One of the main ideas behind this move

is to protect the b-pawn, as it is now possible for White to play Qc4 in some variations, which would activate the queen and defend the important d4pawn. Play may continue: a) 17 ... Nb4 18 Na4 Qb5 19 Bxb4 Qxb4 20 Qxc6 and Black didn’t have enough play for the pawn in A.Rasmussen-S.Pedersen, Hillerod 2010. b) 17 ... Bf8 18 Ne5 Bxc5 19 Qxc5 Qxc5 20 dxc5 gave White a comfortable endgame edge in M.Dorer-S.Gromov, correspondence 2015. c) J.Lopez Martinez-M.Berkovich, La Massana 2013, saw 17 ... a5 18 Ne5 Nb4 (18 ... Re7 19 Qc4! protects the d4-pawn and prepares to play Na4 or Rac1 on the next move) 19 Qc4 Bxe5 20 Rxe5 Rxe5 21 dxe5 and White had a clear edge. 17 ... Rad8 17 ... Re7! with the idea of playing ... Rae8 and putting pressure on the e-file is a more active approach, and it is difficult for White to prove an advantage here. Expanding on the queenside by playing 18 a3 (instead 18 Nb3 prepares Na5, but can be met with 18 ... Bxe5 19 dxe5 Rae8 20 Na5 Bd3 and Black was fine in R.Pommrich-C.Malisevschi, correspondence 2016) 18 ... Rae8 19 b4 looks logical, and play may continue 19 ... f6 20 Nc4 Rxe1+ 21 Bxe1 Qb8, when Black is close to equality, but the weaknesses on the queenside make his defensive task a bit difficult. 18 h3 Nf6?!

18 ... h5 could also have been tried, but White can continue improving his position with 19 b3 or 19 a3. 19 Nb3 19 Qc4! looks best, activating the queen and protecting d4 with tempo. 19 ... Rd5 20 Nxc6 Rxe1+ 21 Bxe1 Bf8 22 Ne5 Be6 23 Nc4 A safer choice would be 23 Bc3, maintaining the knight on e5 to prevent Black from bringing his rook over to the kingside. 23 ... Qb7 24 Ne3 Rh5 25 Nc5 Bxc5 26 dxc5 Bxh3 27 c6 Qc8 28 f3 Bxg2 29 Nxg2 Qh3

30 Bc3? 30 Qf4! would make it much more difficult for Black to develop counterplay, which he manages to do in the game. 30 ... Nd5 31 Bd4 f6 32 Qe1 Kf7 33 Rd1 Rg5?! 34 Qe2 34 Qf1! is a stronger defensive move, for example, 34 ... Kg7 (34 ... Nf4 runs into 35 Qc4+ Kg7 36 Bxf6+) 35 Rd2! Nf4 36 Be3 and White wins. 34 ... Kg7 35 Bc5 Re5? 35 ... Nf4! would lead to a much better endgame for Black after 36 Rd7+ Qxd7 37 cxd7 Nxe2+ 38 Kf2 Rd5, but both players were in severe time trouble. 36 Qf2 Rg5 37 Rd4 Qe6 38 Re4 Qxc6 39 Qd4 a5 40 a3 h5 41 Kh2 Kh7 42 Qc4 Qb7 43 Re7+ Kh8 44 Bd4 Rf5 45 Rd7 Qb8 46 Qc6 1-0 In this game we looked at the ... Nge7 lines where Black delays playing ... a6. This means that Black is usually more focussed on playing ... d5 and creating counterplay in the centre, rather than gaining space on the queenside with ... a6 and ... b5 (which we will see in the next game). In our main game, Black accepted a worse pawn structure on the queenside in

return for the bishop pair. These lines seem fairly unpleasant for Black, and White is often able to put pressure on the open c-file and use the weak c5square for his knight. Although Black managed to complicate the game in the late middlegame, the opening was a great success for White, as he excellently took advantage of the weaknesses in Black’s position.

Game 33

T.Sanikidze-B.Rzayev

Turkish Team Championship 2016

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nge7 5 c3

5 ... g6 5 ... d6 6 d4 Bd7 is a fairly passive set-up where White has many different good plans he can choose from. The one chosen in the game M.Gleichmann-A.Har Even, correspondence 2014, looks very effective: 7 d5 Nb8 8 Bc2 (alternatively, White can obtain a fairly good version of a King’s Indian pawn structure with 8 Bxd7+ Nxd7 9 c4 because Black is left

without his important light-squared bishop and his queenside has been slightly weakened by ... a6; N.Pogonina-A.Naiditsch, Gibraltar 2016, continued 9 ... h6 10 Nc3 g5 11 Nd2 Nf6 12 Nf1 Qd7 13 Ng3 and White had a much better position) 8 ... Ng6 9 Nbd2 Be7 10 Nc4! (it is important that White delays castling, because there is a good chance he will be pushing his kingside pawns forward) 10 ... 0-0 (10 ... a5 is also possible, a sample line is 11 g3 h6 12 Ne3 a4 13 Bd2 0-0 14 h4 and White has the better chances) 11 h4! h6 12 g3 Re8 13 a4 a5 14 Nh2 and White had secured a major advantage, because of the excellent attacking prospects on the kingside. 6 d4 exd4 7 cxd4 b5 Or 7 ... Bg7 8 d5 Na5 (8 ... b5 9 Bc2 transposes to 7 ... b5 8 Bc2 Bg7) 9 Bd2! and now: a) 9 ... Bxb2?! 10 Bxa5 Bxa1 11 Nc3 is already winning for White, for example, 11 ... Bxc3+ (or 11 ... Bb2 12 Qb3) 12 Bxc3 0-0 13 d6! cxd6 14 Bb3 and the weak c3-h8 diagonal along with White’s powerful bishops give him a crushing attack. b) 9 ... Nc4 10 Bc3 Bxc3+ 11 Nxc3 0-0 12 Bb3 Na5 and in S.Ter Sahakyan-C.Repka, Montebelluna 2018, it would have been slightly more accurate for White to start with 13 Bc2 before playing h4. 8 Bc2 d5 8 ... Bg7 9 d5! Na5 (9 ... Nb4 10 Bb3 a5 11 a3 Na6 12 0-0 d6 13 Nc3 Bd7 14 Be3 Nc5 15 Bd4! gave White an excellent position in B.BokB.Dastan, Skopje 2014) 10 Bd2!

Attacking the knight on a5 and preparing to play Bc3, challenging Black’s bishop on g7. If these dark-squared bishops are exchanged, Black will be left with weak squares on the kingside.   Question: How does White obtain enough play after 10 ... Bxb2 - ?   a) Answer: After 10 ... Bxb2?! 11 Bxa5 Bxa1 White can play 12 Nc3! with overwhelming compensation for the exchange. This is because: 1) Most of White’s pieces are properly placed and prepared to attack, while Black’s are undeveloped or misplaced. 2) Black has weak dark-squares on the kingside, which are difficult to defend because of the misplaced a1-bishop. 3) Black has to choose between 12 ... Bb2 allowing White to play 13 d6 and win at least a pawn, or 12 ... Bxc3, which gives White excellent play on the c3-h8 diagonal. Possibilities now are:

a1) 12 ... Bxc3+? 13 Bxc3 0-0 14 h4! (other moves such as 14 0-0 or 14 Bf6 are winning for White as well) 14 ... h5 (14 ... d6 15 Bf6! and White will play h5 next, or Qd2-h6) prevents White from playing h5 himself, but the inclusion of h4 and ... h5 makes Black’s position completely lost after 15 d6 cxd6 16 Qxd6 because of the weak g6-pawn and f6-square. a2) 12 ... Bb2 13 d6 Nc6 14 Nd5 (14 dxc7 Qf6 15 Nd5 Qg7 16 Bb6 also looks extremely dangerous for Black) 14 ... 0-0 15 dxc7 Qe8 16 Bd2! (transferring the bishop to a more active diagonal) 16 ... Bg7 17 0-0 d6 18 Bf4 and White won quickly in S.Narayanan-K.Rjabzev, Pardubice 2015. b) 10 ... Nc4 11 Bc3, when Black has: b1) 11 ... Nxb2?! gives White two good options: 12 Bxg7 (or 12 Qc1 Bxc3+ 13 Nxc3 Nc4 14 Bd3 and White has tremendous compensation for the pawn, due to his space advantage in the centre and Black’s weak darksquares on the kingside) 12 ... Nxd1 13 Bxh8 Nxf2 14 Kxf2 c6 15 Re1 is nearly winning for White, as the rook and two minor pieces are clearly better than the queen and two pawns. b2) 11 ... Bxc3+ 12 Nxc3 with a further split: b21) 12 ... Nxb2?! 13 Qb1 (13 Qc1 transposes to 11 ... Nxb2 12 Qc1 above) 13 ... Nc4 14 a4 and Black is in serious trouble. b22) 12 ... d6 13 b3 (13 Qc1 is also a logical choice, protecting the b2pawn and preparing to activate the queen soon on the kingside) 13 ... Ne5 14 Nd4 c5 15 dxc6 0-0 16 Nd5 N7xc6 17 f4 was much better for White in S.Sethuraman-D.Ghosh, Chennai 2012. c) 10 ... c5 11 Bc3 and now: c1) 11 ... Bxc3+ 12 Nxc3 d6 13 0-0 (13 Qc1 Bg4 14 Ng5 is a more aggressive option, which gave White good chances in V.IordachescuV.Petkov, Erice 2014) 13 ... Bg4 14 h3 Bxf3 15 Qxf3 0-0 16 b3 and Black’s knights were quite misplaced in M.Zufic-A.Tomazini, Zadar 2014. Black tried the active 16 ... f5!? but White reacted correctly and achieved an excellent position after 17 Rfe1 Qd7 18 e5! c2) 11 ... 0-0 12 0-0! (12 Bxg7 Kxg7 13 b4?! has been a very popular choice, but it seems unnecessary; B.Tiglon-J.Xiong, Philadelphia 2019, continued 13 ... cxb4 14 Qd4+ Kg8 15 Qxb4 Bb7 16 Nbd2 and here 16 ... f5! would have given Black excellent play) is simple and strong. Play may continue 12 ... d6 13 Bxg7 Kxg7 14 Nbd2 Re8 15 h3 Bd7 (15 ... Ng8 16 Re1 Nf6 17 b3 Kg8 18 Nf1 was also good for White in Z.Hracek-M.Jurcik,

Czechia 2014) 16 b3 f6 17 Nh2 Nb7 18 f4 and White was clearly better in N.Kulick-M.Chmielewski, correspondence 2017. 9 exd5 Nxd5 9 ... Nb4 is the alternative, Black’s idea is to keep his knight on e7 where it helps to defend against White’s ideas with Bg5 and Re1. However, this plan is a bit passive and in M.Adams-J.Van Foreest, Douglas 2014, White developed his pieces actively and quickly put Black’s position under a lot of pressure. The game continued 10 Bb3 Nbxd5 11 0-0 Bg7 12 Bg5 Qd6 (12 ... f6 weakens the kingside and blocks in the g7-bishop; following 13 Bd2 0-0 14 Nc3 Kh8 15 Ne4 White had a comfortable advantage in A.Gadimbayli-D.Kollars, Kirishi 2016) 13 Nbd2 Bf5 14 Re1 0-0 15 Rc1 Rae8 16 Ne4 and Black was left with a poor position. 10 0-0 Bg7 11 Bg5 Qd6

11 ... Nde7 may be Black’s best option, in view of the strong position White can obtain in the 11 ... Qd6 12 Nbd2! line. After 11 ... Nde7, 12 Be4! forces Black to play 12 ... f6 (12 ... Bb7? is met by 13 Bxe7) weakening the kingside. Play may continue 13 Bf4 0-0 14 a4 Rb8 15 Nc3 and now:

a) 15 ... Bf5 can be met by 16 Bxf5 Nxf5 17 d5! and Black’s position is very unpleasant. b) 15 ... b4 16 Ne2 g5 17 Bg3 g4 18 Nh4 was great for White in H.Grabner-L.Grego, correspondence 2014, as Black’s position is filled with weaknesses. c) 15 ... g5!? aims to push White’s pieces back and create active play on the kingside. However, Black’s position has too many weaknesses for this to be effective. A.Bell-P.Morley, correspondence 2016, continued 16 Be3 b4 17 Ne2 g4 18 Ne1 f5 19 Bxc6 Nxc6 20 Rc1 and White had good play along the open c-file, while Black’s kingside play didn’t look very promising. 12 Re1+?! 12 Nbd2!   Question: Why is it more accurate for White to play 12 Nbd2 instead of 12 Re1 Be6 13 Nbd2 - ?   Answer: Black’s bishop is useful on e6, where it defends the d5-knight, so White shouldn’t encourage Black to play ... Be6 with 12 Re1+. After 12 Nbd2 Nxd4? 13 Ne4 Qb6 14 Nxd4 Bxd4, White can play 15 Bb3! (this move would have no purpose if Black’s bishop were already on e6 - which is the case after 12 Re1 Be6 13 Nbd2) 15 ... Be6 16 Bxd5 Bxd5 17 Be3! with a winning position. Instead of 12 ... Nxd4?, Black can play: a) 12 ... 0-0 is natural, but after 13 Ne4 Qd7 14 Rc1 Black has very little compensation for the weak c5-square, and will experience difficulties in developing his pieces. b) 12 ... f5!? as tried in A.Pijpers-M.De Wit, Netherlands 2018, prevents White from playing Ne4, but weakens the kingside. The game continued 13 Re1+ Be6 14 Qe2 Kf7 and White should play 15 Bb3! (instead, the game saw 15 Nb3?!, which could have been met by 15 ... Rhe8 followed by ... Kg8) 15 ... Rhe8 16 Ne5+ Kg8 17 Nxc6 Qxc6 18 Nf3 with an excellent position. 12 ... Be6 13 Nc3 13 Nbd2? would be a mistake, compared to the variation we saw after 12 Nbd2 Nxd4, Black is much better prepared in this position. For example,

13 ... Nxd4 14 Ne4 Qb6 and White is unable to prevent Black from castling, which gives Black a better position. 13 ... Nxc3 14 bxc3 0-0 15 Nd2!

Preparing to bring the knight to c5 via e4 and freeing the f3-square for the queen. 15 ... Bd5?! 15 ... Na5! gives Black good chances for equality. The main idea is to meet 16 Ne4?! (16 Qf3 is a better choice, but Black’s position is quite solid after 16 ... Bd5 17 Be4 c6) with 16 ... Qc6 and Black will be doing well after he plays ... Bd5. 16 Ne4 Bxe4 17 Bxe4 Rae8 18 Qf3 Now White has a much better position because of his bishop pair and active pieces. 18 ... Nd8 19 Rad1 f5 20 Bd5+ Kh8 21 Bf4 Qd7

  Exercise: What should White’s plan be in this position?   Answer: 22 h4! While Black’s pieces are passively placed, White advances his h-pawn and aims to create weaknesses on the kingside. 22 ... c6 23 Bb3 Rxe1+ 23 ... h5 prevents White from expanding further on the kingside, but weakens the g6-pawn. White could play 24 Be5 followed by c4 and Black’s position is extremely unpleasant. 24 Rxe1 Re8 25 Rxe8+ Qxe8 26 h5 gxh5 27 Bg3 Qg6 28 Qf4 h6 29 Qb8 Qg5 30 Bf4 Qe7 31 Qc8 Qf8 32 Qd7 h4 33 Bd6 1-0 In this game, we analysed the ... Nge7 system where ... a6 and Ba4 are included. On move 8, Black has the choice between 8 ... Bg7 and 8 ... d5. After 8 ... Bg7 9 d5 Na5, White should remember the strong 10 Bd2!, which ignores the hanging b2-pawn and prepares to play Bc3, exchanging off Black’s good g7-bishop. In the 8 ... d5 variation, White accepts an isolated

pawn on d4, but Black’s position is very dangerous if White continues to play actively due to the open c-file and weak c5-square.

Game 34

S.P.Sethuraman-G.Jones

World Team Championship, Astana 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 The actual move order of the game was 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 d6 5 0-0 Bd7 6 c3 g6 7 d4 Bg7 8 Bg5 f6 9 Be3 Nh6. 4 c3

  Question: Is it necessary for Black to play ... a6 before ... d6 and ... Bd7 -?   4 ... a6

Answer: The inclusion of ... a6 and Ba4 favours Black slightly, because it eliminates ideas White may have with Qb3. This is seen in the variation 4 ... d6 5 d4 Bd7 6 0-0 Bg7 7 dxe5! and now: a) if 7 ... Nxe5?!, White can play 8 Nxe5 dxe5 9 Qb3! with a much better position because of the open d-file and Black’s weak b7-pawn. Note that if Black had included ... a6 Ba4, Black could play ... b5! in this position and trap White’s bishop on a4. Play may continue 9 ... Nf6 (9 ... Rb8 10 Rd1 Nf6 11 Bxd7+ Nxd7 12 Be3 led to a quick win for White in E.Shaposhnikov-K.Bryzgalin, St. Petersburg 2002) 10 Bxd7+ Qxd7 11 Qxb7 and White has an extra pawn. Black’s only hope is for some quick queenside counterplay, but this doesn’t provide sufficient play for the pawn. For example, 11 ... 0-0 12 Re1 a5 13 Qb3 Rfb8 14 Qc2 a4 15 Nd2 and White is clearly better. b) Instead, Black should prefer 7 ... dxe5 but the pawn structure is advantageous for White. One sample line is 8 Nbd2 a6 (or 8 ... Nge7 9 Qc2 0-0 10 Rd1) 9 Be2 Nf6 10 Qc2 0-0 11 Nc4 Re8 12 Bg5 Qc8 13 Ne3 and White had an edge in J.Kolarík-L.Mezera, correspondence 2016. 4 ... Bg7 5 d4 exd4 6 cxd4 a6 (6 ... Nge7?! 7 d5! was analysed in the first game of this chapter through the move order 4 ... Nge7 5 d4 cxd4 6 cxd4 Bg7?!) 7 Ba4 transposes to 4 ... a6 5 Ba4 Bg7 6 d4, which we will see later. 5 Ba4 d6 5 ... Bg7 6 d4 exd4 7 cxd4 b5 (7 ... Nge7 8 d5 was analysed in the previous game on the note to Black’s 7th move: 7 ... Bg7) 8 Bc2 d6!? (8 ... Nge7 9 d5! also transposes to the previous game, on the note to Black’s 8th move: 8 ... Bg7) when White has: a) 9 0-0?! Bg4 and Black obtains good play, as in N.Short-D.Paravyan, Moscow (rapid) 2018. b) 9 h3 gives Black an extra option because he has delayed moving his g8-knight. He can play 9 ... Nf6!, which isn’t the normal square for Black’s knight in the ... g6 lines, but here this move is quite strong. Play may continue 10 Nc3 0-0 11 0-0 Bb7 12 Bg5 h6 13 Bh4 Qd7 14 a3 Na5 and Black had good play in A.Goryachkina-A.Galliamova, Khanty-Mansiysk 2018. c) 9 d5! looks like the most challenging option for Black to deal with. For example, 9 ... Na5 10 0-0 Ne7 11 Re1 (11 Bd2?! doesn’t give White enough compensation for the exchange after 11 ... Bxb2 12 Bxa5 Bxa1 13

Nc3 Bb2, though White does have good practical results from this position, as in the game D.Navara-I.Salgado Lopez, Germany 2019; however, Black should objectively be at least fine here) 11 ... 0-0 12 Nc3 Re8 13 h3 (also playable is 13 Rb1 h6 14 h3 Bb7 which was seen in S.GrigoriantsR.Berzinsh, Tallinn (blitz) 2016, and 15 Be3! followed by Bd4 and trading off the dark-squared bishops is very good for White) 13 ... Bb7 14 Bd3 Rc8 15 Bf4 gave White a slight edge in H.Arppi-K.Miettinen, correspondence 2017. 6 d4 Bd7 7 Bg5!

White’s idea is to disrupt Black’s development slightly before retreating the bishop to e3. 7 ... f6 7 ... Be7 8 Be3! Nf6 and now: a) 9 d5 Nb8 10 Bxd7+?! wouldn’t be a good decision here, because Black can play 10 ... Nbxd7 and White doesn’t have an easy way to defend the e4-pawn. 11 Qc2 (11 Nbd2 runs into 11 ... Ng4) could be met by 11 ... Qc8! followed by ... c6 and White’s centre is under a lot of pressure.

b) 9 Bc2 0-0 10 0-0 when Black can play: b1) 10 ... Re8 leads to another split: b11) 11 h3 Bf8 (opening up the position with 11 ... exd4 favours White after 12 cxd4 Nb4 13 Nc3 Nxc2 14 Qxc2 because of his strong pawn centre and active pieces; one sample line is 14 ... c6 15 Rad1 Bf8 16 e5! Nd5 17 Nxd5 cxd5 18 Qd2 and White is much better) and in K.AlekseenkoA.Demchenko, Konya 2019, I think White should have played 12 d5! (White instead played 12 Nbd2, which isn’t a bad move, but the knight will be quite misplaced on d2 if White decides to close up the centre with d5) 12 ... Ne7 13 c4 Bg7 14 Nc3 and White will continue with b4 and c5, obtaining good play on the queenside. b12) 11 d5! makes a lot of sense here, because Black will need a lot of time to reorganize his pieces to prepare a kingside attack. Black’s best try seems to be aiming for counterplay on the queenside or in the centre (with ... c6) instead. For example, 11 ... Na5 12 Nbd2 b5 and Black is prepared to play ... c6, but White can fight back by playing 13 b4! Nb7 14 a4 with the better chances. b2) 10 ... exd4 11 cxd4 Nb4 is the alternative, but White’s strong centre is extremely uncomfortable for Black. E.Sutovsky-H.Stevic, Heraklio 2017, continued 12 Nc3 Nxc2 13 Qxc2 c6 14 Bh6 Re8 15 h3 d5 16 e5 Nh5 17 Qd2 Qb6 (17 ... Ng7 could also be met by 18 Bg5) and it looks best for White to play 18 Bg5, aiming to get rid of Black’s bishop pair and fight for control of the dark-squares around Black’s king. 18 ... Bf8 can be met by 19 g4! Ng7 20 Bf6 and White will prepare to play Ng5 or Nh2 followed by h4. 8 Be3 Nh6 Others: a) 8 ... Bg7 9 0-0 (9 Bb3?! is too slow, after 9 ... Qe7 Black is prepared to play ... f5 next) 9 ... Nh6 transposes to our main game. b) 8 ... Qe7!? 9 0-0 Bh6 was tried in M.Adams-L.McShane, Hull (blitz) 2018, and I think White should play 10 Qe2, which makes it difficult for Black to develop his g8-knight. One sample line is 10 ... Bxe3 11 Qxe3 Qg7 12 Bxc6 Bxc6 13 c4! and White has good play in the centre and on the queenside. c) 8 ... Bh6 gives White a couple of options: c1) In C.Moreno Carretero-G.Jiménez Pulido, correspondence 2017, White tried the interesting 9 Qd3!? and after 9 ... Bxe3 10 Qxe3 Nge7 11 Nbd2 a5, White could play 12 Bc2 (12 Qh6 was played in the game, but

Black obtained good counterplay after 12 ... exd4 13 cxd4 Nb4!) followed by 0-0 with a better position. The tension in the centre makes it very difficult for Black to expand on the kingside. c2) The most natural continuation is 9 Bxh6 Nxh6 10 0-0 0-0 11 Nbd2 Nf7 12 Re1 and White will slowly continue improving his position and expand on the queenside, while it is difficult for Black to find active play. 9 0-0 9 Bb3!? has been tried by several strong players, but Black could sidestep this possibility by starting with 8 ... Bg7. Practice has seen: a) 9 ... Qe7 10 0-0 Bg7 11 Re1 Nf7 (the active 11 ... Ng4!? 12 Bc1 f5 may be a slight improvement, but White should still have the better chances after 13 h3 Nf6 14 Nbd2) 12 Nbd2 0-0 13 h3 Kh8 14 Nf1 Na5 15 Bc2 Nc4 16 Bc1 b5 17 b3 and White had an advantage in S.Ter Sahakyan-C.Aryan, Budapest 2019. b) 9 ... Bg7 10 a4!? (10 dxe5 opens up the position a bit and may be slightly better for White) 10 ... Qe7 (Stronger is 10 ... Ng4! when White should likely give up the bishop pair, as 11 Bc1?! f5 gives Black good play) 11 0-0 Nd8 12 c4 and White had a slight edge in M.Vachier LagraveN.Batsiashvili, Gibraltar 2018. 9 ... Bg7 The most natural choice, Black usually plans to move his knight to the f7 square, where it supports his centre and protects the king. Black can also try the energetic 9 ... Ng4!?, but White is better because it is difficult for Black to expand on the kingside when White has such a strong centre. Play may continue 10 Bc1 Bg7 11 Nbd2 0-0 12 Re1 with similar play to our main game. 10 Re1 10 dxe5 is the main alternative, immediately trying to open up the position a bit.

Black has tried several different ways to recapture the pawn: a) 10 ... Nxe5?! 11 Nxe5 fxe5 12 c4! 0-0 and in S.VedmediucT.Georgescu, Bucharest 2013, Black’s position would be very unpleasant after 13 Bxd7 Qxd7 14 f3, as White can easily start to expand on the queenside with b4 and c5, while Black is lacking active play. b) 10 ... dxe5 11 Nbd2 and now: b1) 11 ... Qe7 12 b4! b6 (12 ... f5?! is well met by 13 Bc5! and White will likely play exf5 or Bb3 next; White’s active pieces make Black’s position extremely difficult to play) 13 Bb3 a5 14 Bd5 gave White an edge in R.Kevlishvili-M.Tabatabaei, Karlsruhe 2019. b2) 11 ... Nf7 12 Bb3 (12 b4 could now be met by 12 ... f5! and Black gains some counterplay) 12 ... Qe7 13 Bd5! 0-0 14 b4 provided White with excellent queenside play in B.Bellahcene-J.Le Roux, Brest 2018. c) 10 ... fxe5 11 h3 (11 Bb3 prevents Black from castling, but allows 11 ... Ng4! and Black is able to transfer his knight to the stronger f6-square; White still has chances for an edge here, but Black’s position is pretty solid) 11 ... Nf7 12 c4 g5!? (12 ... 0-0 13 c5! was played in V.Fedoseev-

A.Pridorozhni, Kolomna 2016, the game continued 13 ... dxc5 14 Bxc5 Re8 and 15 Bb3 would have been clearly better for White) aims to exploit the slight weakness White created on the kingside with 11 h3. However, White still retains the better chances after 13 Qd2 g4 14 hxg4 Bxg4 15 Nh2, although the position is very complicated. 10 ... 0-0 11 h3 Nf7 12 Nbd2

  Question: What are the plans for White and Black in this pawn structure?   Answer: White will continue improving his position with moves like Nf1-g3 and Bc2, and look for a suitable moment to gain space in the centre with d5. In general, White should try to maintain the tension in the centre for a while, as it makes it much more difficult for Black to begin his kingside expansion. Black’s plan is also to slowly improve his position, and he will bring his pieces towards the kingside with moves like ... Qe7 and Ncd8-e6. As we will see in the game, White first activates his pieces and

only plays d5 when Black doesn’t have much hope of creating active play on the kingside. 12 ... Qe7 The immediate 12 ... f5 could be tried, but it allows White to favourably open up the position with 13 exf5 Bxf5 14 dxe5 Ncxe5 15 Bb3 and White had the better chances in R.Cvak-K.Kuuse, correspondence 2016. The game continued 15 ... Nd3 16 Bg5 Bf6 17 Ne4! and Black’s position was unpleasant to defend. 13 Bc2?! Instead of retreating the bishop, White should first play 13 Nf1! which allows him to meet 13 ... f5?! (13 ... Ncd8 should be preferred, when 14 Bc2 transposes to our main game) with 14 exf5 gxf5 15 Ng3! and Black’s kingside play turns into more of a weakness than a strength. 13 ... Ncd8 13 ... f5! is a good opportunity for Black to play this move, as White hasn’t had time to fully organize his pieces. Play may continue 14 exf5 gxf5 15 d5 Ncd8 16 g3 Bh6 (or 16 ... Nh8!? followed by ... Ng6) with a very unbalanced position, and Black has decent counterchances. 14 Nf1 14 b4!? immediately expanding on the queenside also deserves consideration. 14 ... Ne6 15 Qd2 a5 16 Ng3 16 a4! should be preferred, as ... a4 makes it more difficult for White to start active play on the queenside. One sample line is 16 ... Rfd8 17 Ng3 Kh8 18 d5! (White could also start by improving his position a bit more, for example, 18 Bb3 c6 19 Bc4 Nc7 20 Qc2 and White will prepare to play dxe5) 18 ... Nf4 19 b4 and White has excellent queenside play. 16 ... Rfd8 17 Nh2 Again, 17 a4! should give White the better chances. 17 ... a4! 18 b4 axb3 Instead of opening the a-file, Black could have tried 18 ... c6! preparing to play either ... b5 or ... d5. The game is roughly balanced in this complicated position. 19 axb3 Qf8 20 d5!

A perfectly timed move. White correctly sees that after this is played, his queenside attack will develop at an extremely fast rate. Black’s e6knight is also running out of squares, and this makes White’s queenside play even stronger. 20 ... Nc5 21 b4 Na4 22 c4 b5 22 ... Kh8?? 23 Bxa4 Bxa4 24 b5! is White’s idea, so Black avoids this with 22 ... b5. 23 cxb5! Now White will be able to exert pressure on the open c-file and Black’s weak c7-pawn. 23 Bxa4 Rxa4 24 Rxa4 bxa4 25 Qc2 was also playable, but White’s choice is much simpler. 23 ... Bxb5 24 Bb3 Qe8 25 Qc2 Qd7 26 Nf3 Bh6 27 Bxh6 Nxh6 28 Nf1 Rdc8 29 Ne3 Nb6 30 Ra5 Kg7 31 Rea1 Nf7 32 Nd2 Qe8 33 Ra7

For the rest of the game, White gradually puts more pressure on Black’s position and ensures that he will never be able to generate any type of counterplay. 33 ... Qd8 34 R1a5 Rxa7 35 Rxa7 Bd7 36 Qc3 Kf8 37 Kh2 Bb5 38 Ra5 Bd7 39 Ra7 Bb5 40 Qc2 Bd7 41 Ndc4 Ra8 42 Ra5 Rb8 43 Qc3 Nxc4 44 Bxc4 Rb7 45 Bd3 Kg7 46 Qa3 f5 47 exf5 Qh4 48 Kg1 Qd4 49 fxg6 hxg6 50 b5 e4 51 Bf1 Ne5 52 Ra4 Qd2 53 Rxe4 Bxb5 54 Rxe5 dxe5 55 Qe7+ Kg8 56 Bxb5 Qd4 57 Ng4 1-0 The 7 Bg5 variation is one of the most critical ways for White to play against Black’s opening set-up. The game usually becomes quite complicated, where both sides slowly try to improve their position. Black usually tries to prepare ... f5, while White’s main plan is to play d5, followed by an expansion on the queenside. In our main game White showed exactly how this should be done, as he found the correct moment to play d5 (move 20), and followed this up with a quick attack on the queenside. White’s pressure on the open a- and c-files forced Black to defend passively and White converted his advantage without any major

difficulties.





Chapter Nine

The Schliemann

The Schliemann Defence with 3 ... f5 is one of Black’s most combative lines against the Ruy Lopez. Black immediately challenges White in the centre, at the cost of weakening his kingside. Our repertoire choice is 4 d3 because Black is currently struggling to achieve equality in practice and many of the lines give Black an unpleasant defensive task. In Game 35, we’ll look at some of the sidelines Black can play after 3 ... f5 4 d3, namely 4 ... d6 and 4 ... Nf6. We’ll also take a look at the dubious delayed Schliemann variation, where Black plays 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 f5. As we will see, White can immediately fight for the initiative and create excellent attacking chances. In the game, White sacrifices a pawn to quickly develop his pieces and achieves a winning position immediately out of the opening. The main line of our repertoire against the Schliemann defence continues 3 ... f5 4 d3 fxe4 5 dxe4 Nf6 6 0-0. At this point, Black has two main options: 6 ... d6 and 6 ... Bc5.

Game 36 examines 6 ... d6, which has been under some pressure lately due to 7 Bc4! Black faces some difficulties in developing his pieces and is usually unable to castle on the kingside. Unfortunately for Black, White is often much better prepared for the sharp play that occurs after opposite-side castling. In the game, Black decides to sacrifice a piece on the kingside, but White defends accurately and wins without any problems. Game 37 moves on to the 6 ... Bc5 variation, where Black sacrifices a pawn in return for the bishop pair and some active play. However, this game shows how White can neutralize most of Black’s activity and obtain a position where Black’s defence is a bit unpleasant.

Game 35

Z.Hracek-R.Biolek

Czech League 2010

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 The Schliemann proper runs 3 ... f5 4 d3 and now:

a) 4 ... fxe4 is the main line and will be analysed in the next two games. b) 4 ... d6 5 exf5 Bxf5 (5 ... a6 6 Ba4 Bxf5 7 0-0 Nf6 8 d4 b5 9 Bb3 Be7 10 a4 is clearly better for White, mainly because of Black’s poor king position) 6 d4 exd4 7 0-0 Bd7 8 Re1+ Be7 9 c3 gave White an excellent position in P.Svidler-A.Maksimenko, Germany 2007. c) 4 ... Nf6?! 5 exf5!, when Black can try: c1) 5 ... Ne7 6 0-0 c6 7 Ba4 d6 8 Nc3 Bxf5 9 d4 is much better for White. c2) 5 ... d6 6 0-0 Bxf5 (6 ... a6 also leads to trouble for Black after 7 Bxc6+ bxc6 8 d4 e4 9 Ng5 Bxf5 and in G.Golovchenko-P.Ponkratov, Samara 2004, White played 10 f3 and gained a large advantage) 7 d4 e4 8 d5 gave Black major problems in C.Pinero Rodriguez-R.Rondon Chacon, Porlamar 2016. c3) 5 ... Bc5 6 0-0 0-0 7 Be3 Qe7 (7 ... Nd4 can be met by 8 c3 Nxb5 9 Bxc5 d6 10 Qb3+ as seen in S.Himanshu-O.Ossa, Sitges 2017) 8 Nc3 Nd4 9 Bc4+ Kh8 10 Re1 was already winning for White in G.GuseinovZ.Stojcevski, Bilbao 2014. 4 Ba4 f5?! 5 d4!

  Question: Why is d4 good for White here, but 3 ... f5 4 d4 isn’t?   5 ... exd4 Answer: The main difference is seen after 5 ... fxe4 6 Nxe5 Nxe5?! 7 dxe5 and Black is in serious trouble, because it is almost impossible for him to properly develop his pieces. However, without the inclusion of ... a6 and Ba4 (as could occur after 3 ... f5 4 d4?!), Black could play ... c6!, attacking White’s b5-bishop and preparing to play ... Qa5+ picking up the e5-pawn. After 7 dxe5, play may continue 7 ... b5 (7 ... Qe7 8 Bf4 b5 9 Bb3 Bb7 sees Black preparing to castle queenside, but with White’s active pieces, this is a very dangerous idea; after 10 Nc3 0-0-0 11 Bd5! Black is unable to organize his pieces to properly defend the queenside) 8 Bb3 Bb7 9 Nc3 Bb4 10 0-0 Bxc3 11 bxc3 Qe7 12 Bf4 and White is winning. Black has no good way of developing his pieces or finding a safe place for his king. Instead of 6 ... Nxe5?!, Black has usually played 6 ... Nf6 7 0-0 Bd6 (7 ... Be7?! should be met by 8 c3! with the point of meeting 8 ... 0-0 with 9

Qb3+ d5 10 Nxc6 bxc6 11 Bxc6), which should be met by 8 Nc3 Nxe5 9 dxe5 Bxe5 10 Nxe4 and now 10 ... 0-0 11 f4 was better for White in D.Vocaturo-B.Diesen, Saint Vincent 2005, but even stronger is 11 Bb3+! Kh8 (11 ... d5 12 Nxf6+ and White wins the d5-pawn) 12 f4 Nxe4 (12 ... Bxb2?! 13 Bxb2 Nxe4 gives Black an extra pawn, but after 14 f5! White has tremendous compensation because of his excellent two bishops; White will likely continue with Qd4 or Rf4 next) 13 fxe5 Rxf1+ 14 Qxf1 d5 15 Qf7! c6 16 Be3 and White is clearly better. 6 e5 Bc5 6 ... b5 7 Bb3 Bb7 prepares to play ... Na5 followed by ... c5-c4 and was tried in G.Beikert-S.Bücker, Sasbach 2018. The simplest is 8 a4! (in the game, White played 8 0-0 Na5 9 Nxd4 c5 10 Nxf5 c4 and a very complicated position arose) 8 ... Na5 9 Ba2 c5 10 0-0 and White has excellent compensation for the pawn. Play may continue 10 ... Qb6 11 c3 Ne7 (or if 11 ... Nh6 then White can play 12 Re1 preparing to play e6) 12 b4! and White is clearly better. 7 0-0 Nge7 8 c3!

8 Bb3 is the alternative, when Black usually plays 8 ... d5, which isn’t ideal because it allows White to create play on the open e-file. However, Black doesn’t have anything better, as he needs to find a way to develop his pieces. Following 9 exd6 Qxd6 10 Re1 Black will probably try to castle on the queenside, but White is much better because of all the weaknesses Black has in his position. After 10 ... h6 11 Nbd2, Black can play: a) 11 ... b5 prevents Nc4 but severely weakens Black’s queenside. Following 12 a4 Rb8 (12 ... Bb7 13 axb5 axb5 14 Rxa8+ Bxa8 15 Qe2 is also much better for White, as in S.Vesselovsky-V.Sikula, Kosice 1997) 13 axb5 axb5 14 c3! (14 Nf1?! g5! gave Black some play in V.JansaB.Schippan, Hockenheim 2007) is very strong, White wants to open up the position before Black has time to play ... g5-g4 or get his king to safety. One sample line is 14 ... d3 15 Nf1 g5 16 Be3! and Black is in trouble. b) 11 ... Qf6 12 Nc4 gives Black major difficulties in developing his pieces. Practice has seen: b1) 12 ... Bd7 13 Nce5 0-0-0 14 Nxd7 Kxd7 (14 ... Rxd7 loses the exchange due to 15 Be6) 15 Be6+ Ke8 16 Qd3 and Black’s king is trapped in the centre. b2) 12 ... g5 13 Nce5 Kf8 14 c3 was extremely dangerous for Black in S.Brynell-D.Bronstein, Tastrup 1990. b3) 12 ... Be6 13 Rxe6! Qxe6 14 Nb6 and White was clearly better in S.Klimov-D.Melnikov, St. Petersburg 2009. 8 ... dxc3 8 ... d3 gives back the pawn and makes it more difficult for White to create a quick attack against Black’s king. However, Black is just much worse after 9 Qxd3 d5 10 exd6 Qxd6 11 Qe2 mainly due to the weaknesses on the kingside caused by ... f5. 9 Nxc3 0-0 9 ... d5 10 Bg5 b5 (10 ... 0-0 is met by 11 Nxd5 and Black is unable to take back on d5 because of White’s powerful bishops) 11 Nxb5! axb5 12 Bxb5 Bb7 13 Rc1 led to a quick win for White in H.Stefansson-J.Perez Pardo, Malaga 2009. 10 Nd5 h6 10 ... d6? is strongly met by 11 b4!, which exploits the exposed king on g8 after 11 ... Nxb4 (if Black retreats with 11 ... Ba7 then White can simply play 12 Bg5) 12 Nxb4 Bxb4 13 Qb3+. 11 Bb3 Kh8

11 ... Kh7 12 Bg5! (12 Re1? Nxd5 13 Qxd5 Qe7 led to a roughly balanced game in J.Kratochvil-R.Biolek, Czechia 2011) takes advantage of the h7-king’s poor placement, as Black can’t play ... hxg5 due to Nxg5+. One sample line is 12 ... b6 13 Rc1 Bb7 14 Re1 Rc8 15 Bh4 and Black can’t untangle out of his passive position, while White is prepared to play Ng5 or e6 in the near future.   Exercise: How should White create play on the kingside?   Answer: 12 Bxh6! Destroying Black’s kingside pawn structure and preparing to play Qc1, taking advantage of Black’s unprotected c5-bishop. 12 ... gxh6 13 Qc1 Kh7 14 Nf6+ Rxf6 15 exf6 Qf8 16 Qxc5 White is up the exchange for a pawn, and all of his pieces are active, so he wins the game without any problems. 16 ... Qxf6 17 Rfe1 d6 18 Qc3 Kg6 19 Re2 Qxc3 20 bxc3 Bd7 21 Rae1 Ng8 22 Nh4+ Kg5 23 g3 f4 24 Re4 fxg3 25 hxg3 h5 26 Re6 Bxe6 27

Rxe6 Nge7 28 f4+ 1-0 In this game we looked at couple of rare options that Black can play in the Schliemann Variation after 3 ... f5 4 d3, as well as the delayed Schliemann (3 ... a6 4 Ba4 f5?!). All of these lines should allow White to obtain a much better position out of the opening. Probably the most important thing for White to remember is that the delayed Schliemann should be met by 5 d4!, which usually leads to positions where Black has major difficulties in developing his pieces and finding a safe location for his king. In our main game, White actively placed his pieces in the opening and quickly achieved a winning position after 12 Bxh6!

Game 36

R.Hovhannisyan-L.Nisipeanu

Dubai 2012

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 f5 4 d3 fxe4 5 dxe4 Nf6 6 0-0 d6 7 Bc4!

Threatening Ng5, which forces Black to develop his pieces in a slightly unusual manner. 7 Nc3 is the most popular and natural move, but not the most challenging for Black. Play may continue 7 ... Be7 8 Bc4 Na5 9 Be2 0-0 10 Nd5 (10 b4 is more challenging, but the most White could have here is a slight edge) 10 ... Kh8 and Black was fine in V.Anand-S.Shyam, Douglas 2018. 7 ... Bg4 By far the most popular choice, as it allows Black to develop a piece while preventing Ng5. Others: a) 7 ... Be7? is a blunder, due to 8 Ng5. b) 7 ... h6 prevents Ng5 and prepares to play ... g5 in some lines, but this move creates other weaknesses in Black’s position. 8 Nh4! looks best, and in order to cover the g6-square, Black can play 8 ... Bg4 9 f3 Bh5, but White has 10 g4! Bf7 (10 ... g5 11 Nf5 Bg6 12 Be3 is excellent for White) 11 Bxf7+ which weakens the control Black has over his light-squares. After 11 ... Kxf7, 12 Qd3! is more accurate than the natural 12 Nc3, because following 12 ... g5 (or 12 ... Be7 13 Nc3 Qd7 14 h3 is clearly better for White, due to Black’s weak light-squares) 13 Nf5 Ne7, White can play 14 c4! and Black’s play is extremely difficult. c) 7 ... Na5 8 Be2 and now: c1) 8 ... Be7 should be met by the energetic 9 b4! (9 Nc3? allows Black to safely castle: 9 ... 0-0 and the game transposes to the 7 Nc3 variation, with a roughly balanced position), fighting for control over the important c4-square, which puts Black in serious danger. After 9 ... Nc6 10 b5, Black has: c11) 10 ... Na5 11 Bd2 c6 (if 11 ... b6 12 Bxa5 bxa5, the simplest for White is 13 Bc4 preventing Black from castling, and Black is left without any active play) 12 Qe1 is winning for White, one sample line is 12 ... b6 13 Bxa5 bxa5 14 bxc6 Qb6 15 Nc3 and Black is down a pawn with far too many problems in his position. c12) 10 ... Nb8 11 Ng5! (11 Bc4 prevents Black from castling and is also clearly better for White) 11 ... 0-0 12 Bc4+ Kh8 13 Nf7+ Rxf7 14 Bxf7 Nxe4 15 Nd2 when Black could try 15 ... Nc3 (15 ... Nf6 may be safer, but 16 Bb2 and probably f4 next gives White a nearly winning position) 16 Qf3 Nxb5, but after 17 Bb2 Black is in trouble because of his uncoordinated pieces.

c2) 8 ... Be6 9 Ng5 Bg8 10 Nc3 (it’s important to note that the immediate 10 f4?! is met by 10 ... Qd7 and Black is prepared to castle queenside; White should still be better in this unbalanced position, but Black will have good chances for counterplay) prepares to play Nd5, which makes it difficult for Black to develop his pieces and get his king to safety. Black can try: c21) 10 ... Qd7 11 Nd5 h6 (one of the main points behind 11 Nd5 is that 11 ... 0-0-0?? runs into 12 Nxf6 gxf6 13 Bg4) or 11 ... c6 is met by 12 Nxf6+ gxf6 13 Bg4, in both cases giving White a clearly better position. c22) 10 ... Be7 11 f4 c6 and in F.Van Assendelft-R.Pruijssers, Amsterdam 2012, Black gained counterplay after 12 Bd3? Nc4! Instead 12 b3! is winning for White, as it keeps Black’s a5-knight completely out of the game. c23) 10 ... h6

  Exercise: How should White continue?  

Answer: 11 f4! (11 Bh5+ is more natural, but after 11 ... Ke7 12 Nh3 Nxh5 13 Qxh5 Qe8 White will need to play accurately to continue putting Black under pressure) breaks open the position and takes advantage of Black’s exposed king, which is stuck in the middle of the board. Black’s position is close to being completely lost. Some sample lines are: 11 ... hxg5 (or 11 ... Qd7 12 Bh5+ Kd8 13 Nf7+! Bxf7 14 Bxf7 Qxf7 15 fxe5 and Black is in trouble) 12 fxg5 c6 (12 ... Nd7? runs into 13 Bh5+ Ke7 14 Nd5+) 13 gxf6 gxf6 14 Bg4! and all of Black’s pieces are poorly placed, especially his king, which will be stuck in the centre for a while. Meanwhile, White will develop his pieces and take advantage of the weak f6-pawn and f5 and h5-squares. 8 h3 Bh5 9 Nc3

9 Qd3!? is a playable alternative that removes the queen from the pin and protects the e4-pawn. Black has several options he can try: a) 9 ... Qd7 10 a3! prevents ... Nb4 and allows White to meet ... Na5 with Ba2. Following 10 ... h6 (10 ... 0-0-0 11 Nc3 Kb8 12 b4 h6 13 b5 gave White a strong queenside attack in I.Popescu-K.De Smet, correspondence

2016) 11 b4 g5 12 Nc3 (one of the points behind Black’s idea is that 12 b5 can be met by 12 ... Nd8! which would have been impossible if Black had played ... 0-0-0; Black will obtain some counterplay here after playing ... Ne6 and ... Bg7) 12 ... a6 13 Nd5 Bg7 14 Nxf6+ Bxf6 15 Rb1 was much better for White in V.Henri-R.Gibbons, correspondence 2014. b) 9 ... Na5 10 Be6 was difficult for Black to deal with in C.VoiculescuJ.Kuiper, correspondence 2009. The game continued 10 ... Bxf3 (Black could try 10 ... Qe7, but after 11 Bg4! Bxg4 12 hxg4 White has a slight edge; for example, 12 ... Nc6 13 g5 Nd7 14 Nc3 and White takes control of the d5-square) 11 Qxf3 Qe7 12 Bb3 Nxb3 13 Qxb3 0-0-0 and White was much better prepared to launch an attack than Black. After 14 Nc3 Rd7 15 Nd5 Qf7 16 Be3 a6 17 c4 Black was unable to generate any counterplay and lost in a couple of moves. c) 9 ... Nd7!? is an interesting idea, bringing the knight to the queenside and opening up the f-file for a major piece. Play may continue 10 Nc3 Be7 (10 ... Nb6? is met by 11 Be6! and if Black tries 11 ... Qf6 then White has 12 Nb5) 11 Nd5 Nc5 (11 ... Rf8 12 Nh2 is quite uncomfortable for Black, as it is difficult for him to develop his pieces; for example, 12 ... Nc5 13 Qg3 Ne6 14 Nxe7 Qxe7 15 Bxe6 Qxe6 16 Qxg7 gives White an extra pawn, Black hopes for counterplay along the open g-file, but this shouldn’t provide enough compensation) 12 Qa3 and now: c1) 12 ... Ne6 can be met with either 13 Bd2 or 13 b4 and White should be slightly better in either case. c2) 12 ... a5 13 Be3 Bxf3 (13 ... Nxe4 is met by 14 Qb3! threatening both Qxb7 and Nxe7) 14 Bxc5 Bxe4 15 Be3 and White has excellent compensation for the pawn. Black’s king is currently unable to find safety, while all of White’s pieces are active and prepared to attack. 9 ... Qd7 Or: a) 9 ... Nd4?! 10 g4 Nxf3+ 11 Qxf3 Bg6 was F.Caruana-L.Aronian, London (blitz) 2018, and here the best for White would have been 12 g5! Nd7 (12 ... Nh5 can be met by playing 13 Be6, which gives White a winning position) 13 h4 (13 Qg4 is also good for White) and Black should try 13 ... Nb6 aiming for ... Qd7 followed by ... 0-0-0, but White can play 14 Be6! Qe7 15 Bg4 followed by playing on the queenside with a4 next. b) 9 ... Be7 10 g4! (10 Be3 Qd7 transposes to our main game: 9 ... Qd7 10 Be3 Be7) 10 ... Bg6 (10 ... Nxg4 11 hxg4 Bxg4 doesn’t give Black

nearly enough compensation after the simple 12 Be2) 11 Ng5 Nd4 12 f4 is very dangerous for Black. Some sample lines are: 12 ... c6 (or 12 ... h6 13 Ne6 Nxe6 14 Bxe6 c6 15 Qe2 and White’s bishop on e6 gives Black major problems) 13 f5 h6 14 Nf3 Nxf3+ 15 Qxf3 Bf7 16 Bxf7+ Kxf7 17 Be3 and White is better due to his space advantage. c) 9 ... a6 was tried in R.Van Kampen-B.Bok, Amsterdam 2011, the simplest is 10 Be3 when Black has nothing better than 10 ... Qd7 transposing to 9 ... Qd7 10 Be3 a6, which we will examine below. Alternatively, White could play the aggressive 10 g4, aiming to take advantage of Black’s slow play. After 10 ... Bg6, 11 Ng5! is best, targeting the e6-square and allowing the f-pawn to move forward. Play may continue 11 ... Na5 (11 ... Qe7 12 Nd5 Nxd5 13 exd5 Nd4 14 Bd3 is good for White; after the bishops are exchanged, White will have the important e4-square to put his knight on) 12 Bd3 Qd7 13 Nd5 (the immediate 13 b4?! could be met by 13 ... h6! when the play becomes fairly unclear) 13 ... 0-0-0 14 b4 Nc6, and White achieves a winning position with the energetic 15 b5! breaking open Black’s queenside. Play may continue 15 ... axb5 16 a4 b4 17 a5 and Black is lost. 10 Be3 Be7 Others: a) 10 ... 0-0-0 11 Rb1 Be7 12 b4 Kb8 (the immediate 12 ... g5? runs into 13 Nd5! and Black is nearly lost; 13 ... g4 looks critical, but White simply can play 14 Nxf6 Bxf6 15 Nh2 with a winning position) is an important move Black needs to play before launching his attack.

The Black king protects the a7-pawn and steps out of any trouble that could occur on the h3-c8 diagonal.   Exercise: How should White continue?   a1) 13 Re1?! was played in H.Muri-M.Rebord, correspondence 2017, but is rather slow and after 13 ... g5! 14 Nd5 (14 Bxg5? runs into 14 ... Nd4) 14 ... Nd4 Black had serious counterplay. One instructive variation is 15 Bxd4 exd4 16 Qxd4 Nxd5 17 exd5 and we can see one of the main reasons Black moved his king to b8: now he is able to play 17 ... Bxf3 with counterplay on the kingside while not having to worry about Qxa7. a2) Answer: 13 Be2! is a very strong defensive move that takes the sting out of ideas Black had with ... g5 and/or ... Nd4. Play may continue 13 ... Rhg8 (13 ... d5 just leads to a much worse position for Black after the forcing variation 14 b5 Bxf3 15 Bxf3 Nb4 16 exd5 Nbxd5 17 Nxd5 Nxd5 18 Bxd5 Qxd5 19 Qe2 and White will play c4 or a4 next, while Black is far behind in his play on the kingside) 14 b5 (14

Nd5 immediately is just as strong as it is after 14 b5 Na5) 14 ... Na5 15 Nd5! (also possible is 15 Nxe5 dxe5 16 Bxh5 Qxd1 17 Bxd1 and White has a much better endgame) is a very powerful move. The point is to meet 15 ... Nxe4 with 16 c4! and White develops a crushing attack on the kingside. 16 ... Nf6 (or 16 ... b6 17 Nd2) 17 Nb4 and White is close to winning. One idea here is Qa4 followed by Nc6. b) 10 ... h6 and now: b1) White shouldn’t start attacking on the queenside immediately with 11 b4?! because Black hasn’t yet shown where he plans to put his king. After 11 ... Be7 12 Rb1 a6! Black should be fine. For example, 13 a4 (or 13 Be2 Bf7! followed by ... 0-0) 13 ... a5! 14 b5 Nb4 with unclear play. b2) 11 Nd5! when Black has: b21) 11 ... Nxe4? is a blunder because of 12 Nxe5. b22) 11 ... 0-0-0 12 b4 Nxe4 13 b5 Na5 (13 ... Ne7 runs into 14 Nxe5!) 14 Be2 and even though Black is a pawn up, White will continue with c4 and create a powerful queenside attack. b23) 11 ... Bf7 12 Qd3 Be7 13 Bb5 and Black is under a lot of positional pressure. White will try to play c4 next and place one of his rooks on the d-file. Meanwhile, Black’s pieces are quite passively placed and he lacks active ideas. c) 10 ... a6 11 Nd5! (11 Be2 looks natural, eliminating counterplay and threatening Nxe5; the only problem with this move is that it releases the pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal, following 11 ... Bg6 12 Nh4 Bf7 13 Qd3 Be7, 14 Nf5 should be slightly better for White, but Black’s position is quite solid after 14 ... 0-0) 11 ... Nxd5 (11 ... 0-0-0?! 12 b4 is devastating for Black) 12 Bxd5 Be7 13 c3 and White is prepared to begin an expansion on the queenside. 11 a4! Gaining space on the queenside, as Black’s main plan is to castle queenside and create a kingside attack with ... g5.

11 ... a6 Alternatives: a) 11 ... 0-0-0 12 Nd5 Rhf8 (12 ... Nxe4 13 a5 gives White a powerful attack) 13 Nxf6 Bxf6 14 c3 and White will continue with b4, while Black’s counterplay looks too slow. b) 11 ... Rf8 12 Be2 Bxf3 13 Bxf3 Kf7 14 Nd5 Kg8 15 a5 was positionally winning for White in F.Caruana-M.Carlsen St. Louis (blitz) 2019. c) 11 ... h6 12 Re1! (the immediate 12 Nd5? is met by 12 ... Nxe4 and the endgame arising after 13 Nxe5 Bxd1 14 Nxd7 Bxc2 is roughly balanced) 12 ... 0-0-0 (12 ... Rf8 13 Be2 threatens to play Nxe5; if Black plays 13 ... Bg6 then White can try 14 a5 gaining space on the queenside and also preparing to play Ra4) 13 Nd5 Rhf8 (13 ... Nxe4? 14 a5 and White develops a winning attack on the queenside) 14 Be2 is probably the simplest route to a clear edge. White sacrifices the e4-pawn, but prevents counterplay Black could obtain with ... Bxf3. Play may continue 14 ... Nxe4

15 b4! Nf6 16 c4 and White’s queenside play is extremely dangerous for Black to deal with.   Question: Why can’t White play 12 Be2, getting out of the pin on the h5-d1 diagonal?   12 Re1! Answer: 12 Be2?! looks like a safe move, but it releases the pressure White had on the a2-g8 diagonal. This allows Black to castle kingside, or use the f7-square for his bishop. Play may continue 12 ... Bg6 (not 12 ... Bf7? 13 Ng5) 13 Nh4 Bf7 and Black will play ... 0-0 next with a fairly safe position. In general, White should only play Be2 if Black has already castled queenside. 12 ... Nb4!? Threatening to play ... Bxf3 followed by ... Nxc2. 12 ... 0-0-0 13 Be2! (13 Nd5?! Rhf8 gives Black some counterplay) is much better for White. Some sample lines are: 13 ... Nb4!? (or 13 ... Bg6 14 Nh4 Bf7 15 Nf5 Be6 16 Nxe7+ Qxe7 17 Nd5 followed by c4 and a queenside expansion) 14 Nd5 Nfxd5 15 exd5 Bg6 (15 ... e4 16 Nd4 is excellent for White) looks interesting at first sight, as White can’t defend the c2-pawn easily. However, 16 Qd2 (16 Rc1 Na2 17 Ra1 Nb4 is a repetition) 16 ... Nxc2 17 b4! gives White a winning attack.

  Exercise: How should White meet Black’s idea?   Answer: 13 g4! A very strong and aggressive move that exploits Black’s slightly unusual development. It is played with the idea of keeping Black’s king in the centre of the board (see the 13 ... Bg6 and 13 ... Bf7 variations below). 13 Be2 is safer, but Black finds a good square for his bishop after 13 ... Bf7!, which takes control the d5-square, making it extremely difficult for White to create play on the queenside (Nd5 is not possible). 13 ... Bxg4? Others: a) 13 ... Bg6 14 Ng5! prepares to put a piece on e6, which would be devastating for Black. 14 ... h5 aims to complicate the position and is likely Black’s best chance. Following 15 Be6 Qc6 16 gxh5 Bxh5 17 Qd2, Black has managed to open the h-file, but White has a clear advantage due to Black’s uncoordinated pieces and misplaced king.

b) 13 ... Bf7 14 Bxf7+ Kxf7 and Black is prepared to create some kingside play with ... h5, so White should continue actively: 15 Qe2! (threatening Qc4) 15 ... Qc6 (15 ... Nc6 16 Rad1 puts pressure on the d-file and is excellent for White, as he can play b4 next and expand on the queenside) 16 a5!

A very important move, which has the idea of meeting 16 ... Nxe4 with 17 Nxe4 Qxe4 18 Ra4! The critical line is 18 ... c5 19 c3 Qc2 20 cxb4 Qxa4, and after 21 bxc5 White has overwhelming compensation for the exchange. c) 13 ... Nxg4 14 hxg4 Qxg4+ fails to 15 Kh2 Qxf3 16 Be2. 14 hxg4 Qxg4+ 15 Kf1 Nxc2 15 ... Qh3+ 16 Ke2 followed by Rg1 or Rh2 gives White nothing to worry about. 16 Qxc2 Qxf3 17 Qd1 17 Be6 prevents ... Qh3 and was also winning. 17 ... Qh3+ 18 Ke2 c6 19 Qb3 d5 20 exd5 Qg4+ 21 Kd2 cxd5 22 Qxb7 Qxc4 23 Qxa8+ Kf7 24 Qxh8 Ne4+ 25 Kc2 Nxc3 26 bxc3 Bb4 27

Bd4 1-0 The 6 ... d6 line in the Schliemann defence is a dynamic line, where Black aims for active development and play along the open f-file. After the critical 7 Bc4!, Black’s alternatives to 7 ... Bg4 look dubious, as they promise White good chances for an early initiative. 7 ... Bg4 leads to sharp play, and Black often castles queenside with the intention of playing on the open f-file or with ... g5. However, Black’s light-squared bishop is often misplaced on h5, and White can play moves such as a4 and Nd5, putting Black under pressure on the queenside. One of the most important ideas to remember in the main line after 7 ... Bg4 is that White should only play Be2 if Black has already castled queenside, as discussed in the notes to move 12 and move 13.

Game 37

W.Krzyzanowski-G.Ziese

Correspondence 2018

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 f5 4 d3 fxe4 5 dxe4 Nf6 6 0-0 Bc5 7 Bxc6! White has tried many moves against 6 ... Bc5, but winning the e5-pawn seems to be by far the most critical option. 7 Nc3 is a natural move, but after 7 ... 0-0 8 Bg5 d6 9 Nd5 Kh8 Black has been doing well in practice.

7 ... bxc6 8 Nxe5 0-0 9 Nc3 d6 Or: a) 9 ... Qe8?! 10 Nd3 Bd4 11 e5 Nd5 (11 ... Bxe5 12 Re1 was excellent for White in S.Iermito-K.Paveto, Resistance/Saenz Pena 2013) 12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 Re1 was simply an extra pawn for White in L.Henderson de la Fuente-L.Vistisen, Reykjavik 2017. b) 9 ... Ba6 10 Nd3, when Black has: b1) 10 ... Bd4 11 e5 Bxc3 12 bxc3 Nd5 13 Qg4!? (13 Bd2 followed by f4 is also much better for White) 13 ... Qe7 (13 ... Nxc3 regains the pawn, but allows White to develop quickly and actively with 14 Ba3 Rf7 15 f4! and White’s kingside attack is extremely difficult for Black to defend against) 14 Bd2 gave White a clear edge in J.Friedel-B.Thorfinnsson, Reykjavik 2017. b2) 10 ... Bb6 11 Bg5 Qe8 12 Re1 Rb8 (12 ... Qg6 13 Be3 Rae8 14 Bxb6 axb6 15 f3 Nh5 16 Kh1 and Black didn’t have nearly enough compensation for the pawn in E.Ioannidis-E.Wiewiora, Katowice 2019) was tried in R.Robson-I.Chirila, Princeton 2012, and White decided to return his

extra pawn with 13 Na4 (13 Bh4 defends against ideas Black may have with ... Bxf2 and also gives White a clear advantage) 13 ... Bxd3 14 Nxb6 Rxb6 (14 ... Bxc2 15 Qxc2 axb6 16 Rad1 is also good for White, because of his active pieces) 15 cxd3 Rxb2 and although the material was equal, White obtained a clearly better position after 16 Qc1 because of his central control and Black’s uncoordinated pieces. c) 9 ... Re8 10 Nd3 Bd4 11 Ne2 and now: c1) 11 ... Rxe4 gives Black material equality, but 12 Nxd4 Rxd4 13 b3! is excellent for White, as his pieces are extremely well-coordinated. One sample line is 13 ... Re4 14 Bb2 d5 (14 ... d6 is met by 15 Qf3) 15 Qd2 Bf5 16 Rae1 and White is nearly winning because of his powerful bishop on b2 and the weak c5 and e5-squares. c2) 11 ... Bb6 12 Bg5 h6 (12 ... Rxe4 should be met by 13 Ng3 Re6 14 Nh5 and White can continue adding pressure on Black’s position with moves like Qf3 and Rae1) 13 Bxf6 Qxf6 14 Ng3 d6 was played in Y.Anokhin-F.Silva, correspondence 2014. White responded with 15 Rc1, but 15 Kh1 preparing f4 and play on the kingside looks strong and much more natural.

  Question: Why can’t White take the c6-pawn?   10 Na4 Answer: 10 Nxc6?! gives Black excellent compensation for the pawn after 10 ... Qe8 11 Nd4 (or 11 b4 Ba6!) 11 ... Nxe4 12 Nxe4 Qxe4 when Black has the two bishops and active pieces that can put pressure on White’s kingside. 10 ... Qe8 Others: a) 10 ... Nxe4 11 Nxc5 Nxc5 12 Nxc6 Qe8 13 Nd4 Qg6 14 f3 Bh3 (14 ... Bb7 15 Be3 Nd7 16 Qd3 Qxd3 17 cxd3 gave White a clearly better endgame in C.Balogh-A.Averbukh, Baku 2016) and in H.Stevic-M.Zelic, Zagreb 2016, White achieved a good position after 15 Qd2, but maybe slightly stronger is 15 Rf2!? One sample line is 15 ... Rae8 16 Qf1! Bc8 17 Qc4+ Kh8 18 Bd2 and Black lacks compensation for the pawn.

b) 10 ... Bb6!? 11 Nxb6 axb6 12 Nxc6 Qe8 13 Nd4 Qxe4 14 f3! (14 Qf3? was played in S.Sevian-S.Nihal, internet blitz 2019, but Black can play 14 ... Qxd4! 15 Qxa8 Ng4 as pointed out by Junior Tay in The Schliemann Defence: Move by Move) 14 ... Qd5 (or 14 ... Qg6 15 b3 Bh3 16 Qd2 and Black lacks play for the pawn) 15 b3 b5 16 Bb2 Qg5 17 Qc1 Qc5 18 Kh1 Re8 19 Re1 is given by Junior Tay, and White has a much better position. c) 10 ... Bxf2+ 11 Rxf2 dxe5 12 Qxd8 Rxd8 13 Bg5 Rd6 14 Nc5 was an excellent endgame for White in I.Rihtaric-L.Valdes, correspondence 2012. Black has a worse pawn structure and all of White’s pieces are active and well-coordinated. d) 10 ... Ba6!? needs to be met energetically: 11 Nxc5! (11 Nd3?! Nxe4 gave Black few problems in G.Gopal-V.Lillo Castany, Benasque 2017) 11 ... Bxf1 12 Qxf1 dxc5 13 Qc4+ Kh8 14 Be3 Qe8 15 f4 and in G.GopalT.Kügel, Pardubice 2017, White had overwhelming play for the slight material deficit. 11 Nd3 Bg4 Alternatives: a) 11 ... Bd4 12 c3 Bb6 (12 ... Bg4 13 Qc2 Bb6 14 Nxb6 axb6 15 f3 Be6 16 Be3 gave White a clear edge in J.Plenca-M.Zelic, Mali Losinj 2017) 13 Nxb6 axb6 14 f3 Be6 was D.Howell-A.Salem, Gibraltar 2015, and 15 b3 looks like a slight improvement over the game’s 15 Bg5. One sample line is 15 ... Qf7 16 Be3 Ra5 17 c4 with a much better position for White. b) 11 ... Nxe4 is a passive line, where Black accepts tripled c-pawns, in return for a slightly simplified position. F.Caruana-T.Radjabov, Zug 2013, saw 12 Naxc5 Nxc5 13 Nxc5 dxc5 14 Be3 Qg6 and now I think White’s best is 15 Qd2!, intending to play f3 and Qf2. Some sample lines are 15 ... Bf5 (or 15 ... Bh3 16 f3 Rae8 17 Rae1 Re5 18 Kh1 and Black is left without any play on the kingside) 16 f3 Rab8 17 c4 Bd3 18 Rf2 Bxc4 19 Bxc5 and Black is faced with a long and tedious defence. 12 Qe1 Bd4 12 ... Bb6?! 13 Nxb6 axb6 14 f3 followed by b3 is excellent for White. 13 c3 Bb6 14 h3 14 Nxb6 is the most popular choice. The main line runs 14 ... axb6 15 f3 Be6 16 a3 Bc4 17 Qd1

Black has a choice between two main moves: a) 17 ... Qf7 18 Re1 Nd7 (18 ... Rae8 19 Bg5 Nd7 20 Bh4! with the idea of playing Bg3 is suggested by Junior Tay and should give White a clear edge) 19 Be3 c5 and in D.Garcia Ramos-V.Lillo Castany, Barcelona 2018, White tried the interesting 20 Nc1 with the idea of playing b3. Instead, 20 Bf2! is given by Junior Tay and looks like White’s best option. Following 20 ... Bxd3 21 Qxd3 c4 22 Qc2 Ne5, Black secures the d3-outpost for his knight, but this doesn’t give Black enough compensation. For example, 23 Red1 Nd3 24 a4 Rfe8 25 b4 and White has the better chances. b) 17 ... Qg6 18 Re1 Rae8 (18 ... Nd7 threatens ... Bxd3 followed by ... Ne5, but 19 Kh1! is unpleasant for Black; for example, 19 ... c5 20 Bf4 Qe6 21 Bg3 and Black faces a difficult defence) 19 Nf4!? (19 Nb4 was played in R.Robson-R.Prasanna Raghuram, Kenner 2016, but 19 ... d5! would give Black sufficient counterplay) was played in M.Beetsma-R.Villeneuve, correspondence 2019, and would be my recommendation for White in this line with 14 Nxb6. The game continued 19 ... Qf7 20 Be3 Bb3 21 Qe2 Nd7 22 Nd3 and it is very difficult for Black to find an active plan. However,

White’s play isn’t easy either and I think Black has good drawing compensation in this position. White can slowly improve his position with moves like Bf2-g3, but it isn’t so clear what he will do next if Black continues to play solidly.

  Question: What are the pros and cons of 14 ... Bh5, 14 ... Be6 and 14 ... Bc8 - ?   Answer: 14 ... Bh5 looks like the most natural move, keeping the bishop active while also maintaining pressure on White’s e4-pawn. However, this move doesn’t threaten anything, and Black’s position can become quite difficult quickly. Others: a) 14 ... Be6 puts some pressure on White’s queenside and threatens ... Bc4, which would be extremely unpleasant for White. The downside of this move is that after White deals with Black’s threat, Black may struggle to

find active play. This is because the bishop on e6 makes it much more difficult for Black to put pressure on the e-file. b) 14 ... Bc8 looks quite strange, but it has a good idea behind it. Black threatens to play ... Ba6, which could cause problems for White if he is unprepared. Compared to 14 ... Be6, Black still attacks White’s e4-pawn. The downside to this move is that the bishop on c8 can obstruct Black’s development. 14 ... Be6 Or: a) 14 ... Bh5 was tried in A.Sanchez Huerga-D.Cumming, correspondence 2015, the game continued 15 e5 dxe5 16 Nxe5 Nd7 17 Nxb6 cxb6 18 Nxd7 Qxd7 and White was basically a full pawn up. The opposite coloured bishops give Black some drawing chances, but the defence will be extremely unpleasant. 19 Qe4 intends to put the queen on h4 and is an interesting alternative to the game’s 19 Qd2, but White is better in either case. b) 14 ... Bc8!? 15 e5 and now: b1) 15 ... dxe5 16 Nxe5 Qh5 17 Nxb6 axb6 18 f4!? (18 b3 was seen in M.Matveeva-H.Williamson, correspondence 2018, and after 18 ... Re8 19 f4 Nd7 Black managed to hold a slightly worse position) seems more testing. Play may continue 18 ... Nd7 19 Nxc6 Ba6 20 Qe6+ Kh8 21 c4 and now Black can try 21 ... Nc5 (or 21 ... Qc5+ 22 Be3 Rf6 23 Qxd7 Qxe3+ 24 Kh1) 22 Qe5 Qf7 23 Be3 with an advantage for White in either case. b2) 15 ... Nd7 16 Nxb6 axb6 17 exd6 Ba6! gave Black some activity in D.Kraft-G.Ziese, correspondence 2018, but White continued accurately and forced Black to defend a very unpleasant position after 18 Qd2 Ne5 19 d7! Nf3+!? (if 19 ... Nxd7, then 20 Re1 Qf7 21 f3 is good for White) 20 gxf3 Qg6+ 21 Kh2 Bxd3 22 Rg1 Qd6+ 23 f4 Qxd7 24 a4 and White’s shattered kingside isn’t a problem, as his rook can soon move to g3, and he will be able to press with minimal risk for a long time. 15 b3 Qf7 Alternatives: a) 15 ... c5 is an interesting idea, aiming for ... c4. 16 c4 (16 Nf4 c4 17 Nxb6 axb6 18 b4 is also possible) was played in D.Kucherov-H.Vötter, correspondence 2016, the game continued with the forcing variation 16 ... Bxc4 17 Nxb6 Bxd3 18 Nxa8 Bxf1 19 Qxf1 Qxa8 20 Qc4+ Rf7 and after the strong 21 e5! Black faced an extremely unpleasant defence.

b) 15 ... Nh5 plays for counterplay on the kingside, but in Y.AnokhinM.Visconti, correspondence 2013, White accurately prevented this with 16 Kh2! c5 17 Nab2 Qf7 18 c4! and Black was lost.

  Question: What happens if White plays 16 c4 here, with the idea of playing c5 and boxing in Black’s bishop?   16 Bd2! Answer: 16 c4? looks tempting, and it would be a good move if Black didn’t have a very surprising resource: 16 ... Bd4! (distracting White’s bishop away from the kingside) 17 Bb2 (17 Rb1? Rae8 is completely winning for Black due to the difference in piece activity) 17 ... Bxh3! 18 gxh3 Qg6+ 19 Kh2 Ng4+ 20 hxg4 Rf3! 21 Bxd4 Qxg4 22 Qe3 Qh3+ 23 Kg1 Qg4+ with a perpetual. 16 Nxb6 axb6 17 Bd2 is a slightly inaccurate move order because of 17 ... c5! and Black gains some counterplay on the queenside. If White tries 18

c4 (instead, 18 Nf4 should give White a slight edge, but Black has reasonable compensation for the pawn because of his queenside play) then Black obtains good play after 18 ... b5! 19 cxb5 Bd7. 16 ... Rae8 16 ... Rfe8 17 Nxb6 axb6 18 f3 and if Black tries for counterplay in the centre with 18 ... d5, then White has 19 Ne5 followed by exd5. 17 Nxb6 cxb6 18 Qe3 18 f3 is a good alternative. The idea is to meet 18 ... d5 with 19 Qh4!, which secures a much better position for White. 18 ... Bf5 18 ... Bc8!? prepares to activate the bishop along the a6-f1 diagonal and attack in the centre with ... d5. However, this idea is a bit slow, and in N.Bernal Varela-H.Doppelhammer, correspondence 2017, Black’s position was quite unpleasant after 19 f3 d5 20 e5 Ba6 21 Rfe1 Bxd3 22 Qxd3 Nd7 23 f4 because White had an extra pawn and a well-supported centre. 19 f3 d5 20 Qg5 Bc8 20 ... dxe4 21 Qxf5 g6 22 Qg5 exd3 23 Rfe1 is much better for White. Black’s pawn on d3 is overextended because the rest of his pieces are placed too passively to support it. 21 e5 h6 22 Qe3 Ba6 23 Rfe1 Nh5 24 e6

White has obtained a comfortable advantage, and even though his e6pawn is a bit overextended, he finds a way to sacrifice it in return for a positional edge. 24 ... Qf6 24 ... Qg6 runs into 25 e7 followed by Ne5. 25 Nb4 Bb7 26 Rad1 Ng3 27 c4 Nf5 28 Qd3 Rxe6 29 cxd5 Rxe1+ 30 Rxe1 c5 31 Nc6 Bxc6 32 dxc6 Qxc6 33 Bc3

White has transformed his advantage from a material advantage to a positional one, as he has excellent control over the e-file and the c3-g7 diagonal. 33 ... Qg6 34 Re5 Kh7 35 Qe4 Ng3 36 Qxg6+ Kxg6 37 h4 Rf7 38 Kh2 Nf5 39 h5+ Kh7 40 Kh3 Nd6 41 a4 Kg8 42 Kg4 Rc7 43 Kf4 Kf7 44 Rd5 Rc6 45 Be5 Ne8 46 Kf5 Ke7 47 g4 a6 48 f4 Nf6 49 Rd1 b5 50 Bb2 Ke8 51 axb5 axb5 52 Ra1 Rb6 53 Ra7 Kf8 54 Rc7 c4 55 b4 1-0 In this game we examined the 6 ... Bc5 variation, which allows White to win a pawn, but Black obtains the bishop pair and some activity. The critical position for our repertoire against this line starts on move 10 when Black can choose between a number of different options. White shouldn’t have any difficulties in obtaining an advantage against the rarer choices like 10 ... Nxe4 or 10 ... Bb6, but the play can be a bit tricky and White should be careful to avoid any unnecessary counterplay. In the main game on move 14, we looked at both 14 Nxb6 and 14 h3. These moves give White good chances for an advantage, but with accurate play, Black can obtain some compensation for the pawn. After 14 h3, Black can try 14 ... Bh5, 14 ...

Bc8, or 14 ... Be6. In all of these variations, Black defence is quite difficult, but the opposite coloured bishops allow Black to hold in some endgames. Of course, White should always be prepared to meet any active or aggressive ideas that Black may have.





Chapter Ten

Rare Lines

In this chapter, we’ll be looking at a number of Black’s rarer tries. This includes lines with an early ... d6 or ... Bc5, as well as 3 ... Nd4 and other 3rd move sidelines. Most of these lines are dubious and allow White to gain an edge without much difficulty, but we will see a couple of respectable lines where White needs to play accurately to put Black under pressure. Game 38 analyses most of Black’s sidelines on move 3 and 4. One important option here is 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 b5, which has been tried a few times in high-level practice. In our main game, Black plays the 3 ... Nd4 variation and White meets this very accurately by restricting Black’s counterplay in the centre. Immediately after the opening, Black’s lack of active play allows White to develop a strong kingside attack, which eventually proves decisive. Game 39 begins our examination of the ... d6 lines and we will study both the passive 3 ... d6 and the more energetic 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 d6 variation. In our main game, Black chooses an aggressive approach and tries to create an attack on the kingside. However, White responds to this very accurately and obtains a much better position out of the opening. In Game 40, we’ll look at what happens if Black plays ... d6 on move 5 or move 6.

Both of these lines are solid, but a bit passive, and White is often able to gain active play in the centre. In our main game, Black misplays the opening, which is immediately exploited by White and he wins the game without any trouble.

Game 38

P.Harikrishna-M.Dambacher

European Cup, Novi Sad 2016

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nd4

Others: a) 3 ... d6 and 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 d6 will be analysed in our next game. b) 3 ... Bb4 4 c3 Ba5 5 Na3! looks like the simplest route to a better position. After 5 ... Bb6 6 Nc4 d6 7 0-0 Nge7 8 a4! 0-0 9 d3 White was clearly better in A.Gaujens-J.Verenzuela, correspondence 2015. c) 3 ... Qe7?! 4 0-0 Nd8 5 d4 c6 6 Ba4 d6 7 c4 followed by Nc3 and advancing the queenside pawns is excellent for White. d) 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 when Black can try several different sidelines: d1) Note that 4 ... f5 was already covered in Chapter 9. d2) 4 ... Bc5 5 c3 Nge7!? (5 ... b5 6 Bb3 d6 7 d4 exd4 8 cxd4 Bb6 9 h3 h6 10 Nc3 and White had a clear edge in L.Castellano-V.Kratochvíl, correspondence 2016) 6 0-0 Ng6 (6 ... Ba7 prepares to meet 7 d4 exd4 8 cxd4 with 8 ... d5 but after 9 exd5 Nxd5 10 Re1+ Be6 11 Bg5 Qd6 as in V.Kuporosov-M.Rodin, Moscow 2000, White could obtain a clear advantage by playing 12 Nbd2 followed by Nc4 or Ne4) was seen in L.Dominguez Perez-T.Nabaty, Netanya 2019. The game continued 7 d4

Ba7 8 Bg5! (forcing Black to slightly weaken his kingside) 8 ... f6 9 Be3 00 10 Re1 d6 11 Nbd2 Kh8 and White could play 12 Bc2 here, with an edge. d3) 4 ... b5 5 Bb3 and Black can play: d31) 5 ... Nf6 6 0-0 transposes to lines we looked at in Chapter 7. d32) 5 ... Bb7 6 0-0 Nf6 also transposes to Chapter 7 (3 ... a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bb7). d33) 5 ... Na5 6 0-0 leads to another split: d331) 6 ... Nxb3 7 axb3 d6 8 d4 f6 (8 ... exd4 9 Nxd4 Bb7 10 Nc3 g6 11 b4! Bg7 12 Nb3 and Na5 gave White an excellent position in D.MorozovJ.Schmidt, correspondence 2013) 9 Nc3 (starting with 9 c4 first could also be tried) 9 ... Bb7 10 Qd3 (10 Nh4!? has also been a very popular choice, freeing the f3-square for the queen and preparing to play f4) 10 ... Ne7 11 Rd1 Ng6 12 Be3 was better for White in T.Glørstad-T.Torgersen, correspondence 2018, because of his more active development. After 12 ... Qd7, White continued energetically with 13 dxe5 fxe5 14 h4! Be7 15 h5 and Black’s position quickly became unpleasant. d332) 6 ... d6 7 d4 exd4 (7 ... Nxb3 8 axb3 transposes to 6 ... Nxb3 7 axb3 d6 8 d4 above) 8 Nxd4 Bb7 9 Bd2! (9 c4!? c5 10 Nf5 g6 11 Ng3 is a good alternative) fights for control of the important a5-square. Black has two options: d333) 9 ... c5 10 Bd5! and White obtains a better position in the endgame arising after 10 ... Bxd5 11 exd5 cxd4 12 Qe1+ Qe7 13 Bxa5 Qxe1 14 Rxe1+ . For example, 14 ... Kd7 (14 ... Ne7 15 c4! and White is able to exploit some of the weaknesses on Black’s queenside; play may continue 15 ... dxc3 16 Nxc3 Kd7 17 a4 and Black’s defence will be quite difficult) 15 Rd1 Be7 (or 15 ... Rc8 16 a4) 16 Bb6 is much better for White. d334) 9 ... Nxb3 10 Nxb3 Rb8 (10 ... Nf6 11 Na5 Qc8 12 Nc3 Be7 13 Qf3 0-0 14 Nd5 Nxd5 15 exd5 Bf6 16 c3 gave White a comfortable edge in F.McDermott-C.Kuitert, correspondence 2018) prepares to meet 11 Na5?! with 11 ... Ba8. Instead, 11 a4! allows White to put pressure on the a-file. Following 11 ... bxa4 12 Rxa4 Nf6 13 Nc3 Be7 14 Nd4, White will likely play Nf5 next, with the better chances. d34) 5 ... g6

6 a4 b4 7 d4 (7 c3 Bg7 8 d4 is another plan, which also gives White good chances for an edge) 7 ... exd4 8 Nxd4 Na5 (8 ... Bb7?! 9 Nxc6 Bxc6 10 Qd4 Qf6 11 e5 would be clearly better for White) 9 Bd5! c6 (9 ... Rb8?! 10 Nf3 sees White threatening to play Bxf7 followed by Qd5 and Qxa5; this is the main reason Black should play 9 ... c6 immediately: to cover the d5square) 10 Ba2 Bg7 11 0-0 Ne7 12 c3 gives Black two main options to defend the b4-pawn: d341) 12 ... c5 13 Nb3! Nb7 14 cxb4 cxb4 15 Be3 Bxb2 (15 ... Nc6 16 N1d2 d6 17 Nc4 gave White a significant advantage in N.PetrovZ.Tomazini, Zadar 2018) 16 Bd4! Bxa1 (16 ... Bxd4 17 Qxd4 0-0 18 Qxb4 is better for White, mainly because of his space advantage and Black’s passively placed pieces) 17 Nxa1 gives White overwhelming compensation for the exchange. Some sample lines are: 17 ... Rf8 (17 ... 0-0 is well met by 18 Qf3 Nc6 19 Bf6 Qa5 20 Bd5!) 18 Nc2 Nc6 19 Bg7 Rg8 20 Bb2 followed by Nd2 and Black is in serious trouble. d342) 12 ... Rb8 13 cxb4! (13 Bf4 d6 14 Nb3 was A.Shirov-N.Petrov, St. Petersburg (rapid) 2018, but this isn’t the most challenging option for

Black to face) 13 ... Rxb4 14 Nc2 sacrifices the e4-pawn, but White gets quick development and Black’s rook becomes very misplaced. For example, 14 ... Rxe4 15 Nd2 Rf4 (15 ... Re6 is probably best, but after 16 Bxe6 fxe6 17 Rb1, White will play b4 and Bb2 next with a much better position) 16 Nf3 Rf6 17 Bg5 with an excellent position for White. e) 3 ... Bc5 4 c3 gives Black a wide variety of options: e1) 4 ... f5!? 5 d4! and now: e11) 5 ... exd4 6 e5! sacrifices a pawn, but puts Black in serious trouble, as the f6-square is taken away from Black’s knight. One sample line is 6 ... dxc3 7 Nxc3 Nge7 8 0-0 0-0 9 Na4 (9 Nd5 is also very strong) 9 ... Bb6 10 Nxb6 axb6 11 Re1 and White had tremendous compensation in A.KovalevJ.Meister, Bela Crkva 1990, because it is extremely difficult for Black to develop his pieces. e12) 5 ... fxe4 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 Nxe5 Bd6 (7 ... Qd5 8 0-0 Nf6 9 f4 was clearly better for White in D.Solak-S.Drazic, Kragujevac 2010) 8 Qh5+! is an important move for White to play, forcing Black to play ... g6, which opens up opportunities for a kingside attack (likely with Bh6) in the future. Play may continue 8 ... g6 9 Qe2 Bf5 10 Bf4 Nf6 11 Nd2 Qe7 12 0-0 0-0-0! (12 ... 0-0?! 13 Rae1 gives Black serious problems as White is ready to play Bh6 and/or f3) 13 h3 (13 Rae1 c5 14 Ndc4 Rhe8 15 Nxd6+ Rxd6 16 Nc4 was better for White in V.Kharlamov-D.Nightingale, correspondence 2015) 13 ... Rhg8 (13 ... h5 was tried in N.Mamedov-D.Tokranovs, Albena 2017, and 14 Rae1 c5 15 Ndc4 gives White the better chances) 14 Bh2 h5 15 Ndc4 Nd5 16 f3 was great for White in V.Anand-E.L’Ami, Germany 2017. e2) 4 ... Bb6 5 d4 exd4 (5 ... Nf6 transposes to 4 ... Nf6 5 d4 Bb6 below) 6 cxd4 Nce7 is a fairly passive set-up, and White is much better after 7 0-0 c6 8 Bd3 d5 9 e5. e3) 4 ... Nge7 5 0-0 Bb6 contains some similarities to the line we saw after 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 Bc5 5 c3 Nge7, but here White’s position is even better because Black hasn’t included ... a6 Ba4. 6 d4 exd4 (6 ... Ng6 7 Bg5 f6 8 Be3 is also much better for White) 7 cxd4 d5 8 exd5 Nxd5 9 Re1+ Be6 10 Bg5 Qd6 11 Nbd2 and Black’s position is very dangerous. e4) 4 ... Nf6 5 d4

Black has two options: e41) 5 ... Bb6 should be met by 6 Nxe5!, which is by far the most critical choice. After 6 ... Nxe5 7 dxe5 Nxe4 8 Qg4!, Bxf2+ might look slightly dangerous for White at first sight, but Black’s poor development gives White a nearly winning position. Play may continue 9 Ke2 Qh4 10 Qxg7 Rf8 11 Bh6 Bc5 12 Nd2 Qf2+ (or 12 ... a6 13 g3 Qh3 14 Nxe4 Qg2+ 15 Kd3 Qf3+ 16 Kd2 Qxe4 17 Rhe1 and White was completely winning in K.Piorun-V.Neverov, Skopje 2019) 13 Kd1 Nxd2 14 Bxd2 c6 15 Rf1 Qh4 16 Bd3 d5 17 Rf4 and Black was in serious trouble in A.RazumikhinD.Hoch, correspondence 2015, as White is well-prepared to create problems for Black on the kingside. e42) 5 ... exd4 6 e5 and now: e421) 6 ... Ne4 7 0-0 d5 8 cxd4 Bb6 9 Be3 is actually just an extra tempo for White over a theoretical variation in the Italian (3 Bc4 Bc5 4 c3 Nf6 5 d4 exd4 6 e5). After 9 ... 0-0 10 Nc3 Bg4 11 Bxc6 bxc6 12 h3 Bh5 13 Rc1 Rb8 14 Ne2, White had a clear edge in P.Schmid-F.Süess, correspondence 2017.

e422) 6 ... Nd5 7 0-0 Be7 8 cxd4 d6 9 exd6 cxd6 (9 ... Qxd6 is an uncomfortable square for Black’s queen; one sample line is 10 Nc3 0-0 11 Re1 Be6 12 Ne4 Qd8 13 Bxc6 bxc6 14 Ne5 and White has a much better position) 10 Qb3! a6 (10 ... Nc7 is strongly met by 11 d5 Nxb5 12 Qxb5 a6 13 Qe2) 11 Qxd5 axb5 12 Qxb5 was an extra pawn for White in R.Hameister-P.Tõnisson, correspondence 2012, although Black’s bishop pair may give him some drawing chances. 4 Nxd4 exd4 5 0-0 5 Bc4 is another popular line, but the play becomes more concrete after 5 ... Nf6 6 0-0 (6 d3 d5! is fine for Black) 6 ... Nxe4 7 Bxf7+ Kxf7 8 Qh5+ g6 9 Qd5+ Kg7 10 Qxe4 Qf6, and Black is only slightly worse here. 5 ... Bc5 Or: a) 5 ... c6 6 Bc4, when Black can play: a1) 6 ... d5 sees Black willing to accept a poor pawn structure in return for some control over the centre. However, White is much better after 7 exd5 cxd5 8 Bb5+ Bd7 9 Re1+ Ne7 10 c4! Play may continue 10 ... a6 (10 ... Bxb5 11 cxb5 Qd7 12 Qa4 a6 13 Qxd4 axb5 14 Nc3 gave White a clear edge in L.Cernousek-J.Jirka, Czechia 2011) 11 Bxd7+ Qxd7 12 d3 0-0-0 13 Nd2 Kb8 14 b4! and White won quickly in G.Kasparov-A.Khalifman, Moscow (rapid) 2002. a2) 6 ... Nf6 7 Re1 looks like a good choice, simply preventing Black from playing ... d5. After 7 ... d6 (7 ... Bc5 8 e5 Nd5 9 Bxd5 cxd5 10 d3 is clearly better for White because of Black’s poor pawn structure) 8 c3 Ng4 prepares to move the knight to the more active g4-square. In Y.Kryvoruchko-A.Llorente Zaro, Cappelle-la-Grande 2008, White met this plan accurately: 9 h3 Ne5 10 d3 Nxc4 11 dxc4 dxc3 12 Nxc3 Be7 13 Bf4 and the weakness on d6 gave Black major problems. b) 5 ... g6 6 Bc4 Bg7 7 Qf3! forces Black to place his queen awkwardly to defend the f7-pawn. For example, 7 ... Qe7 (or 7 ... Qf6 8 Qg3 d6 9 d3 is much better for White) 8 d3 d6 9 c3 Be6 10 Bxe6 fxe6 11 cxd4 Bxd4 12 Nc3 and White had a clear edge in M.Jarabinsky-F.Müssig, correspondence 2014. 6 Bc4!   Question: What is the purpose of 6 Bc4 - ? Can’t White just start with 6 d3 - ?

  Answer: 6 d3 is the most popular move, and it’s not bad, but 6 ... c6 7 Bc4 d5! leads to a fairly solid position for Black. 6 Bc4 avoids this possibility because if Black tries to play 6 ... c6, White will be able to play 7 Bxf7! Kxf7 8 Qh5 with a winning position. 6 ... d6 As mentioned above, 6 ... c6?? runs into 7 Bxf7+ Kxf7 8 Qh5+ g6 9 Qxc5. Instead: a) 6 ... h5?! takes control of the g4-square, but is an extremely risky choice so early in the game. After 7 d3 c6 8 Re1 Ne7 9 Qf3, Black is in trouble, because White prevented Black from gaining active play with ... d5. b) 6 ... Qh4!? 7 d3 (7 Qf3!? also deserves attention, for example, 7 ... Qf6 8 Qh5 d6 9 d3 and White has ideas of playing f4) 7 ... Ne7 8 Nd2 0-0 9 h3! (9 c3?! d5! 10 exd5 Bg4 11 Nf3 Qh5 was fine for Black in E.SutovskyR.Rapport, Ashdod (rapid) 2015) is a good idea, preventing any ideas Black may have with ... d5 followed by ... Bg4. After 9 ... d6 10 Nf3 Qh5 11 Bf4, White will play c3 next, with a comfortable edge. 7 d3 Ne7 Others: a) 7 ... c6 gives White a couple of good options: a1) 8 Qh5 Qe7 9 Bg5 Nf6 10 Qh4 h6 11 f4! 0-0 12 Bxf6 Qxf6 13 Qxf6 gxf6 14 f5 was a much more pleasant endgame for White in S.BorodinM.Shchebenyuk, correspondence 2016. a2) A good alternative is 8 Re1 Ne7 (8 ... Nf6 can be met by 9 e5! dxe5 10 Rxe5+ Be7 11 Qe1 and the pressure on the e-file is difficult for Black to deal with) 9 Nd2 0-0 10 Qh5 d5 11 Bb3 and White had a better position in V.Matijosius-R.Stapinski, correspondence 2019. b) 7 ... Nf6?! 8 Bg5 h6 9 Bh4 g5 10 Bg3 Qe7 (10 ... Ng4 11 h3 Ne5 12 Bb3 Be6 13 Qh5 gave White excellent play in B.Gelfand-V.Kupreichik, Sverdlovsk 1987) 11 e5 dxe5 12 Bxe5 0-0 13 Re1 was much better for White in M.Vachier Lagrave-R.Kula, Warsaw (rapid) 2010.

  Exercise: How should White begin to create play on the kingside?   Answer: 8 Qh5! Forcing Black to castle kingside, where White will be able to create a lot of play. This move also makes it more difficult for Black to play ... d5, and without this pawn push, Black will lack active play. White could also play 8 Bg5 and Qh5 next, which should transpose to the game. 8 f4!? also deserves attention, but it isn’t as strong as 8 Qh5 because Black has counterplay ideas with ... d5. For example, 8 ... 0-0 9 f5 d5 10 Bb3 f6 leads to complicated play, though White should still be much better here. 8 ... 0-0 9 Bg5! Actively developing the bishop and again making it even more difficult for Black to play ... d5. 9 ... Be6

9 ... h6 10 Nd2! (there is nothing wrong with the natural 10 Bh4 followed by Nd2 and f4; but 10 Nd2 basically allows White to save a tempo) 10 ... Be6 (10 ... hxg5? runs into 11 Nf3 followed by Nxg5 and Black is lost) may be Black’s best option, but 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Bxe7 Qxe7 13 g3 is clearly better for White because he is ready to expand on the kingside with f4. Meanwhile, Black’s bishop on c5 is completely out of play. 10 Qh4 10 Nd2? allows Black to get counterplay after 10 ... Bxc4 11 Nxc4 f6 12 Bh4, and in M.Neulinger-P.Haba, Oberwart 1992, 12 ... d5 would give Black equal chances. 10 Bxe6 fxe6 11 f4 is similar to our main game, but with 10 Qh4, White forces Black’s rook to the passive e8-square first. 10 ... Re8 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 f4 Qd7 13 Nd2 13 Rf3 was tried in T.Burg-M.Dambacher, Skopje 2015, but it seems more effective to start by bringing the knight into the attack. 13 ... Ng6 14 Qg4 Rf8

  Exercise: How can White continue his kingside attack?   Answer: 15 h4! Rf7 16 h5 Ne7 17 Nf3 Because Black’s knight has been pushed away, White is able to use the h4-square for his knight. On h4, White’s knight assists in playing f5 and makes it much more difficult for Black to defend his kingside. 17 ... Raf8 18 Nh4 Nc6 19 a3 a5 20 Qg3 d5 21 Rae1 Re8 22 Qg4 e5 Otherwise, White would play exd5 or maybe even Ng6. 23 f5 dxe4 24 Rxe4 Be7 25 h6!

25 ... Bxg5 26 Qxg5 Qe7 27 f6 Rxf6 28 Nf5 Qd7 29 hxg7 Rg6 30 Qh5 Ree6 31 Rh4 h6 32 Rg4 Rxg4 33 Qxg4 Qe8 34 Nh4 1-0 In this game we examined several rare options that Black can play, and White has excellent chances to obtain a clear opening edge against all of them. Our main game covered the 3 ... Nd4 sideline, where Black often aims for counterplay with ... c6 followed by ... d5. We saw how White is able to make it very difficult for Black to achieve this, with moves such as 6

Bc4! and 8 Qh5! White accurately restricted his opponent’s play and quickly developed a crushing kingside attack, by using all of his pieces in the attack.

Game 39

P.Smirnov-V.Yandemirov

European Cup, Fügen 2006

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 3 ... d6 4 d4 Bd7 (4 ... exd4 5 Nxd4 Bd7 6 Nc3 transposes to 4 ... Bd7 5 Nc3 exd4 below) 5 Nc3

And now: a) 5 ... Nf6 6 Bxc6 Bxc6 7 Qd3! exd4 8 Nxd4 Nd7 (8 ... Be7 can be met by 9 f3 and White will continue with Be3 and 0-0-0; 8 ... Bd7 is rather passive and after 9 Bg5 Be7 10 0-0-0, White was able to obtain good play on the kingside in V.Potkin-A.Ivanov, Sochi (rapid) 2017) 9 Be3 (there is nothing wrong with 9 Nxc6 bxc6 10 Qa6 as tried in A.Grischuk-A.Ivanov,

Dagomys 2010, but 9 Be3 looks more natural) 9 ... Be7 10 0-0-0 and White’s space advantage and active pieces will provide him with excellent attacking prospects on the kingside. b) 5 ... Nge7?! is a very passive choice. The pawn structure arising after 6 d5 favours White greatly, because Black is lagging behind in development and the e7-knight is misplaced. Play may continue 6 ... Nb8 7 a4 Ng6 8 h4 Be7 9 g3 0-0 10 h5, with an excellent position for White in Y.KryvoruchkoT.Todorovski, Struga 2014. c) 5 ... exd4 6 Nxd4, when Black can try: c1) 6 ... g6 allows White to create good attacking chances after 7 Be3 Bg7 8 Qd2 Nf6 9 Bxc6 bxc6 10 Bh6! 0-0 (or 10 ... Bxh6 11 Qxh6 Ng4 12 Qd2 Qh4 13 g3 Qh3 14 f4 was clearly better for White in M.SimantsevH.Abbasifar, Kireevsk 2011) 11 Bxg7 Kxg7 12 0-0-0 Qb8 (12 ... Re8 13 Rhe1 Rb8 14 f4 c5 15 Nf3 Bc6 16 e5 gave White a much better position as Black was forced to weaken his pawn structure in M.Schlenther-J.Dam, correspondence 2017) 13 f3 (the immediate 13 f4! prepares e5 and would also be extremely dangerous for Black), and White soon launched a powerful kingside attack in L.Luther-R.Schlamp, Bad Homburg 2008. c2) 6 ... Nf6 7 0-0 reaches another split: c21) 7 ... Nxd4?! trades off a couple of pieces, which makes sense when you have a passive position, but here White is easily able to put a lot of pressure on Black. After 8 Bxd7+ Qxd7 9 Qxd4 Be7 10 Rd1, White had already achieved a significant advantage in M.Savic-B.Lajthajm, Veliko Gradiste 2019. Due to White’s threat of e5, Black played 10 ... Qc6 (10 ... Qe6 may be an improvement, but 11 Nd5 Bd8 12 Bg5 is extremely unpleasant for Black), and after the energetic 11 Bh6! 0-0 (11 ... gxh6 is met by 12 Nd5) 12 Nd5 Bd8 13 Rd3! White had a crushing position. c22) 7 ... Be7 gives White a number of good plans to choose from, but I like the straightforward 8 Nxc6!, when Black can play: c221) 8 ... bxc6 9 Bd3 0-0 10 f4 Re8 (10 ... Qb8 11 Qf3 gave White an excellent position in L.Cernousek-Z.Hracek, Ostrava 2019, because of his space advantage and Black’s passively placed pieces) 11 h3 Bc8 12 b3! Nd7 13 Bb2 Nc5 14 Bc4 Bf8 15 Qf3 and in L.Pospísil-K.Miettinen, correspondence 2015, White had a clear advantage because of his strong centre and attacking chances on the kingside. c222) 8 ... Bxc6 9 Bxc6+ bxc6 10 b3 (10 f4 followed by Qf3 is a good alternative, White would also be much better here) 10 ... 0-0 11 Bb2 Nd7 12

f4 Bf6 13 Qd3 c5 (13 ... Nc5 14 Qc4 Re8 15 e5! gave Black major problems in B.Panyushkin-V.Struzka, correspondence 2014) 14 Rae1 and Black was faced with an unpleasant defence in B.Zhak-J.Oliveira, correspondence 2016. 4 Ba4 d6 5 0-0

5 ... Bg4 Others: a) 5 ... Nf6 is analysed in our next game through the 4 ... Nf6 5 0-0 d6 move order. b) 5 ... Bd7 6 d4! (6 Re1 g5! gave Black good play in A.GrischukS.Mamedyarov, Heraklio 2017) and Black has: b1) 6 ... b5?! 7 Bb3 gives Black a choice: b11) 7 ... exd4 8 c3 dxc3 9 Nxc3 Na5 and in K.Spraggett-N.Short, Gibraltar 2014, best was 10 Bxf7+! (also good is 10 Re1 followed by e5) 10 ... Kxf7 11 Ng5+ Ke8 12 e5 and Black is in serious trouble, for example, 12 ... Bc6 (12 ... dxe5 runs into 13 Qd5) 13 Ne6 Qe7 14 exd6 Qxd6 15 Qe2 gives White a powerful attack.

b12) 7 ... Nxd4 8 Nxd4 exd4 9 c3! is an important point behind 6 d4. Black’s position suddenly becomes very dangerous. For example, 9 ... dxc3 (9 ... d3 gives back the pawn, but Black has a very unpleasant position after 10 Qxd3 Nf6 11 Qg3, as it is difficult for him to develop the bishop on f8; Black tried 11 ... Bc6 12 Re1 Qd7 in P.Darini-M.Khademi, Teheran 2015, but White won quickly after 13 Nd2 Qg4 14 e5) 10 Qh5 Qe7 11 Nxc3 Nf6 12 Qf3 gave White tremendous compensation for the pawn in D.NavaraJ.Votava, Germany 2012. Because White is threatening e5, Black played 12 ... Qd8 and now White could try 13 Qg3 Nh5 14 Qe3 Nf6 15 f4! with good play in the centre. b2) 6 ... Nf6 7 d5 gives White a good King’s Indian pawn structure. Following 7 ... Nb8 8 Bxd7+ Nbxd7 9 Re1 c6!? (the positions arising after 9 ... g6 10 c4 Bg7 11 Nc3 are unpleasant for Black, due to his fairly passive pieces and the absence of his light-squared bishop; A.Puranik-G.Aradhya, internet 2018, continued 11 ... 0-0 12 Rb1 a5 13 a3 Kh8 14 b4 axb4 15 axb4 Ng8 16 Nb5 and White was much better, because of his excellent queenside play) looks like Black’s best try, aiming to open up the position. After 10 dxc6!, White will try to exploit the weak d6-pawn. C.Siefring-O.Robleto, correspondence 2017, continued instructively: 10 ... bxc6 11 Nbd2 Be7 12 Nc4 Nb6 13 Nfd2 0-0 14 Nxb6 Qxb6 15 Nc4 Qc7 16 Bg5 Rfd8 17 Qf3 and White had actively placed his pieces and obtained a very comfortable position. 6 h3 6 c3?! Qf6! 7 d3 Nge7 gives Black good play. 6 ... h5!? Black’s best try, otherwise he will be left with a fairly passive and unpleasant position. 6 ... h5 often leads to sharp positions, but the complications favour White with accurate play. Alternatively, Black can play 6 ... Bh5 7 c3 and now: a) 7 ... Qf6? would be a serious mistake, as the insertion of h3 and ... Bh5 allows White to play 8 g4! Bg6 9 d4 with a crushing position, as both d5 and Bg5 are threatened. b) 7 ... Nf6 was seen in L.Kavalek-V.Hort, Prague 1990. The game continued 8 d4 b5 9 Bb3 Be7 10 Be3 0-0 11 Nbd2 Qc8 and instead of the game’s 12 Qb1!?, 12 g4! is very strong. One sample line is 12 ... Bg6 13 Nh4 Na5 14 Nxg6 hxg6 15 Bc2 and White has a clear advantage.

c) 7 ... b5 8 Bb3 Nf6 9 Re1 Be7 10 d3 is better for White, as Black’s bishop is misplaced on h5. Play may continue 10 ... 0-0 11 Nbd2 Na5 12 Bc2 c5 13 Nf1 Ne8 14 Ng3 Bg6 15 a3 (the immediate 15 d4 is also good for White) 15 ... Nc6 16 b4 and Black’s position was quite unpleasant in A.Sokolov-R.Ziatdinov, Bern 1994. 7 d4!

  Question: What is the purpose of 7 d4 - ?   Answer: 7 d4 opens up the position and allows the c1-bishop to support the g5-square. This is useful when White plays hxg4 followed by Ng5! as then Black’s queen is prevented from coming into the attack on the open hfile. A simpler way to play is 7 Bxc6+ bxc6 8 d4 Qf6 (8 ... Bxf3 9 Qxf3 exd4 10 Re1! gives White excellent compensation for the pawn; play may continue 10 ... Qd7 11 Nd2 g5 12 Qd3 Bg7 13 Nf3 was M.Müller-H.Kutlu, correspondence 2017, and White played Nxd4 next, regaining his pawn) 9

Nbd2 g5 10 dxe5 dxe5 11 Nc4 Bxf3 12 Qxf3 Qxf3 13 gxf3 f6 14 Be3 and White had a slightly better endgame in Y.Solodovnichenko-J.Hector, Vasteras 2018. 7 ... b5 8 Bb3 Nxd4 8 ... Bxf3 9 Qxf3 Qf6 10 Qc3! Nxd4 11 Qxc7 gave White a much better position in R.Brajovic-M.Bukvic, Cetinje 2005. 9 hxg4 Nxb3 9 ... hxg4 10 Ng5 Nh6 11 Bd5 (11 f4!? is a good alternative, after 11 ... Nxb3 12 axb3 Be7 13 g3 Black’s kingside play was restricted in G.OparinA.Leontiev, St. Petersburg 2013) 11 ... c6 (11 ... Be7?! 12 c3 Bxg5 13 cxd4 is winning for White, as in V.Shinkevich-V.Yandemirov, Moscow 2001) 12 c3 cxd5 13 cxd4 Be7 14 Qd2 dxe4 (14 ... exd4 can me met by 15 exd5 and Black lacks active play) 15 dxe5 dxe5 16 Nc3 f5 17 Qd5! and Black was in trouble in V.Grigoryev-V.Savin, correspondence 2015. 10 axb3 hxg4 11 Ng5 Qd7

  Question: What is Black’s plan in this position?

  Answer: Black is preparing to play ... c6 followed by ... f6 ( ... f6 immediately wouldn’t be possible, due to Qd5). Although Black’s plan seems rather slow, the knight on g5 can’t be saved, so White should focus on fighting for active play on the queenside. 12 c4! Rb8 Black’s best try, but it drops the a6-pawn. Others: a) 12 ... c6? would just lose to 13 cxb5 cxb5 14 Qd5. b) As mentioned above, 12 ... f6? runs into 13 Qd5! and Black is lost. For example, 13 ... Rb8 (or 13 ... Rd8 14 Qe6+) 14 cxb5 fxg5 (14 ... axb5 is met by 15 Ra8!) 15 bxa6. c) 12 ... b4 was tried in R.Brajovic-A.Kosoric, Nis 1997, White responded accurately with 13 c5! c6 14 Nd2 (threatening Nc4) and after 14 ... d5, 15 exd5! cxd5 16 Re1 would have given White a winning position. 13 Rxa6 f6 The g5-knight is lost, but White is able to take over on the queenside. 14 Nc3 fxg5

15 Nxb5 15 Ra7! is even stronger than the game continuation. Black can try: a) 15 ... Qf7 16 Nd5 Qh5 17 Nxc7+ Kd8 18 Bxg5+! Nf6 19 f4 and White was winning in A.Makerov-A.Calonge González, correspondence 2012. b) 15 ... Nf6 16 Bxg5 Qf7 17 Bxf6 Qxf6 (17 ... Qh5 could be met by 18 f4 gxf6 19 Nd5) 18 Qxg4 Qh6 19 Qh3! (not 19 f4?? d5! and Black wins) 19 ... Qxh3 20 gxh3 and White had a winning endgame in S.KorshunovS.Trokhymyshyn, correspondence 2017. 15 ... Nf6 15 ... Be7 intends to meet 16 Ra7 with 16 ... Bd8 and was tried in V.Popov-V.Yandemirov, Voronezh 2003. After 17 Bxg5 Nf6 White should play 18 Qd3!, protecting the e4-pawn and preparing to play Rfa1 next, and Black has no active play. 16 Ra7 Rc8 17 Re1 Qf7 18 Be3 Qh5 19 Kf1 Kd7 19 ... Qh1+ 20 Ke2 Qxg2 21 Nxc7+ Kf7 22 Nd5+ Kg6 23 Nxf6 was better for White in B.Westera-W.Siewert, correspondence 2010. 20 Qa1?! Preparing to activate the queen on the a-file, where it can help to attack Black’s king. However, Black manages to cause problems on the kingside. 20 Ke2! looks much stronger, for example, 20 ... g3+ 21 f3 g4 22 f4 Nxe4 23 b4 and Black’s king is far more vulnerable than White’s. 20 ... Qh1+ 21 Ke2 Qxg2 22 Nxc7 Rxc7 23 Qa4+ Kd8

24 Qa5 24 Bb6 leads to very complicated play after 24 ... Qxe4+ 25 Kd2 Qf4+ 26 Kd1 Nd5! 24 ... Ne8 25 Kd2 Kd7?! 25 ... g3! was stronger, following 26 Re2 Qf1 27 fxg3 Rh1, White will have to force a perpetual with 28 Bxg5+ Be7 29 Ra8+ Kd7 30 Qb5+ Ke6 31 Qd5+. 26 Qb5+ Ke7 27 Rxc7+ Nxc7 28 Qb7 Kd7 29 Bb6 Be7 30 Qxc7+ Ke6 31 Ra1 Qxe4 32 Ra7 Re8 33 Qd7+ Kf7 34 Qxd6 g3 35 fxg3 Qg2+ 36 Kc1 Qxg3 37 Bc5 Qf4+ 38 Kc2 Qf5+ 39 Kc3 Qf3+ 40 Kb4 Qf6 41 Qd5+ Kg6 42 Qe4+ Kh5 43 Rxe7 Rxe7 44 Bxe7 Qxe7+ 45 c5 g4 46 Kb5 g3 47 c6 Qd6 48 Qh7+ Kg4 49 Qxg7+ Kf3 50 Qf7+ Ke3 51 c7 Qd3+ 52 Qc4 Qd7+ 53 Kb6 Qc8 54 Qa6 Qe6+ 55 Ka7 Qd7 56 Qb6+ Ke4 1-0 In this game we looked at 3 ... d6 and 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 d6. The 3 ... d6 variation is quite passive and it allows White to obtain a much more active position out of the opening. 3 ... a6 4 Ba4 d6 is a trickier variation and requires White to play accurately in the 6 ... h5!? line. On move 7, we

looked at two options for White: 7 Bxc6 and 7 d4!. 7 Bxc6 isn’t too complicated and a decent way to play, but Black has reasonable drawing chances in the endgame that usually arises after 7 ... bxc6 8 d4 Qf6. 7 d4 is definitely the critical choice because it gives White a better position with accurate play. However, the game can become complicated, and White should be sure to keep Black’s kingside play under control.

Game 40

A.Tari-V.Dragnev

Gibraltar 2019

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 5 ... d6 6 Re1 and now: a) 6 ... Be7 transposes to our main game. b) 6 ... Bg4 7 c3 Be7 also transposes to our main game. c) 6 ... b5 7 Bb3 Na5 (7 ... Be7 8 c3 transposes to the Classical Systems in the 5 ... Be7 variation, which we analysed in Chapters 1-3) allows Black to obtain the bishop pair, but White can play 8 d4! with good play in the centre. After 8 ... Nxb3 9 axb3, Black has: c1) 9 ... Bb7 10 Nc3 Nd7 (10 ... Be7 11 dxe5 dxe5 12 Qxd8+ Rxd8 13 Nxe5 b4 and in K.Georgiev-J.Hector, Haifa 1989, best was 14 Na2! Nxe4 15 Nd3 a5 16 Bf4 when Black’s queenside is under major pressure) can be met by 11 Nd5!, preparing to play c4. Play may continue 11 ... Be7 (or 11 ... c6 12 Ne3 g6 13 Bd2 and White is clearly better because of Black’s rather passive position) 12 c4 0-0 13 Bd2 f5!? and in Y.Gruenfeld-L.Winants, Baku 2016, it was possible to open up the position with 14 exf5! Rxf5 15 Qc2 and White has a clear edge. c2) 9 ... Nd7 10 dxe5 Nxe5 11 Bf4 Ng6 (11 ... f6?! 12 Nc3 Bb7 13 Nd4 Qd7 14 Nd5 gave White a crushing position in I.Khairullin-O.Dimakiling, Bangkok 2016) 12 Bg5 Be7 13 Bxe7 Nxe7 14 e5! 0-0 15 exd6 cxd6 16 Nc3 and White had a better pawn structure and the more active position in L.Kritz-I.Nikolaidis, Peristeri 2010. d) 6 ... Bd7 7 Bxc6!? (7 c3 is the main line, when play usually continues 7 ... g6 8 d4 Bg7 and White can fight for an advantage with several different moves, such as 9 h3 or 9 Nbd2) is a strong and straightforward approach, giving up the bishop pair in return for central control and active piece play.

After the natural moves 7 ... Bxc6 8 Nc3 Be7 9 d4, Black can try: d1) 9 ... 0-0? leads to a forcing line: 10 dxe5 dxe5 11 Qxd8 Raxd8 12 Nxe5 Bxe4 (12 ... Bd7 13 Nxd7 Rxd7 14 Bg5 is simply a free pawn for White) 13 Nxe4 Nxe4 14 Nd3! f5 15 f3 Bc5+ 16 Nxc5 Nxc5 17 Bg5! Rd5 18 Be7 Re8 19 c4! and Black was lost in S.Shankland-J.Pfreundt, Biel 2016. d2) 9 ... exd4 10 Nxd4 0-0 (10 ... Bd7 prevents both Nxc6 and Nf5, but is a bit passive; play may continue 11 Qf3 0-0 12 h3 b5 13 a3 Re8 14 Bg5 and White had a comfortable edge in G.Popilski-O.Kobo, Kiryat Ono 2013, Black tried 14 ... Nd5, but was much worse after 15 Bxe7 Nxe7 16 Rad1 Qb8 17 e5!) gives White a choice between two good options: d21) 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Ne2 intending to play either Nd4 or Ng3 was an interesting idea in A.Motylev-A.Demchenko, Jerusalem 2015. However, 12 b3! followed by Bb2, f4, and Qf3 looks like a slight improvement and gives White a better position. d22) 11 Nf5 gives Black a choice:

d221) 11 ... Nd7 12 Nd5 Bxd5 13 Qxd5 Rb8 14 Be3 was excellent for White in M.Vavulin-J.Sindarov, Moscow 2018. d222) 11 ... Re8 12 Bg5! puts Black under some pressure, for example, 12 ... h6 13 Bh4 Bf8 14 f4 g6 15 Nd4 and White has a pleasant position. d223) 11 ... Bd7 12 Nxe7+ Qxe7 13 f3 is clearly better for White because of his better pawn structure and space advantage. 6 Re1 d6 7 c3

7 ... Bg4 7 ... 0-0 8 h3 b5 9 Bc2! (9 Bb3 transposes to main lines we analysed in Chapters 1-3, but here it makes much more sense for White to just play 9 Bc2 in one move) 9 ... Bb7 10 d4 Re8 (10 ... exd4 11 cxd4 Nb4 12 Bb3 c5 13 a3 Nc6 14 Nc3 and White’s strong centre gave him an edge in V.AnandI.Sokolov, Prague 2002) 11 Nbd2 Bf8 12 a3 is very similar to the Zaitsev Variation (Chapter 1), but the difference here is that Black has his pawn on h7 instead of h6, so White is a half-tempo up. One sample line is 12 ... Nb8 13 b3 Nbd7 14 Bb2 c6 15 Bd3 followed by a4 with a slight edge for White. 8 d3!

White is preparing to play Nbd2-f1-g3, which will cause problems for Black’s g4-bishop. To counter this plan, Black starts a knight manoeuvre of his own, with ... Nd7-c5-e6. 8 h3 Bh5 9 Bxc6+!? is a playable alternative, and White gains control of the centre after 9 ... bxc6 10 d4 Nd7 11 Be3, which was seen in A.GiriS.Mamedyarov, Leuven (blitz) 2018. The game continued 11 ... Rb8 (11 ... Qb8!? also deserves attention) 12 b3 0-0 13 Nbd2 and White had a slight edge. 8 ... Nd7 8 ... 0-0 was actually covered in Caruana-Naiditsch (on the note to Black’s 5th move -- 5 ... Be7), which can be seen in Chapter 4. There, I mentioned that 9 Nbd2 Nd7 10 h3 Bh5 11 Bc2 Kh8 12 g4! leads to a promising position for White after 12 ... Bg6 13 Nf1 Nb6 14 Ng3 d5 15 Qe2 f6 16 h4, which was seen in K.Alekseenko-A.Naiditsch, Gibraltar 2019. 9 Nbd2 Nc5 9 ... 0-0 transposes to 8 ... 0-0 9 Nbd2 Nd7 above. 10 h3 Bh5 11 Bxc6+! 11 Bc2 is the most popular choice, but after 11 ... Ne6 12 Nf1 Ng5!, Black obtains a solid position. E.Najer-S.Mamedyarov, Antalya 2017, continued 13 Bxg5 Bxg5 14 Ng3 Bxf3 15 Qxf3 0-0, when White may be slightly better, but it is very difficult to prove it. Black will aim to slowly improve his position with ... g6 followed by ... Qe7 and ... Nd8-e6. 11 ... bxc6

  Question: What is the problem with 12 Nf1 - ?   12 d4 Answer: 12 Nf1?! looks like a natural move, but it allows Black to equalize comfortably following 12 ... Ne6 13 Ng3 Bxf3 14 Qxf3 0-0 (the immediate 14 ... Bg5 is also fine for Black) because it is very difficult for White to play d4. Without d4, Black isn’t under any pressure in the centre and obtains easy play. After 15 Be3 c5!, Black had a comfortable position in A.Sokolov-M.Adams, Senat 2003. However, 12 Qc2 is a fully playable alternative. Black can play: a) 12 ... Ne6 13 d4 is fairly unpleasant for Black. 13 ... f6 could be tried, but then White has 14 Nh4!, preparing to play Nf5. For example, 14 ... 0-0 (14 ... exd4 can be met by 15 Qa4 and White wins back the pawn) 15 Nf5 a5 16 Nf1 followed by Be3 and N1g3 gives White good play. b) 12 ... Nd7 may be Black’s best choice, strengthening the e5-pawn. Play may continue 13 d4 0-0 14 dxe5! Nxe5 (or 14 ... dxe5 15 g4 Bg6 16

Nc4) 15 Nxe5 dxe5 16 Nf1 and White has an advantage because of his better pawn structure and Black’s misplaced h5-bishop. Likely White will continue with Ng3-f5, and then slowly try to target the weaknesses on Black’s queenside. 12 ... Nd3 13 Re3 Nxc1 13 ... Nf4! is the other option, keeping more pieces on the board. Play may continue 14 Nf1 0-0 (or 14 ... f6?! 15 Ng3 Bf7 16 Re1 Ne6 17 Be3 Qb8 18 Nf5 and Black was in serious trouble in N.Grandelius-J.Hector, Sweden 2014) 15 Ng3 Bxf3 16 Rxf3 Ng6 and now either 17 Re3 or 17 Qa4!? are slightly better for White because of his strong central control. 14 Qa4! A very strong intermediate move. White steps out of the pin on the h5d1 diagonal and puts pressure on Black’s c6-pawn, which gives Black major problems in a couple of moves. a) 14 Rxc1 is met by 14 ... Bg5!, when play may continue 15 Rd3 0-0 16 dxe5 Bxf3 17 Qxf3 Bxd2 18 Rxd2 Qg5! and Black has good drawing chances. b) 14 Qxc1 would also be slightly better for White, but 14 Qa4 is more active and difficult for Black to play against. 14 ... Qd7 15 Rxc1 f6?! 15 ... 0-0 16 dxe5 dxe5 17 Qc4! (not 17 Nb3? immediately, due to 17 ... Qe6! and White’s queen is completely out of play on a4) prevents ... Bc5 and prepares to play Nb3. For example, 17 ... Rad8 18 Nb3 Bxf3 19 Rxf3 Qd6 20 Na5 and White has a clear edge.

  Exercise: How should White continue?   Answer: 16 Rd3! Black is unable to defend his e5-pawn, as the queen must remain on d7 to protect c6. 16 ... 0-0 17 dxe5 fxe5 18 Nxe5 Qe6 19 Nxc6 White is two pawns up and wins the game without any problems. 19 ... Bg5 20 Nd4 Qh6 21 Qc2 Rae8 22 Rf1 Bg6 23 Nf5 Bxf5 24 exf5 Rxf5 25 Nf3 Bf6 26 Qa4 Rb5 27 Qxa6 Rxb2 28 Qc4+ Kh8 29 Qxc7 Rxa2 30 Rxd6 Qh5 31 c4 h6 32 c5 Ra3 33 Qd7 Rxf3 34 gxf3 Re5 35 f4 Rf5 36 c6 Qxh3 37 Rd3 1-0 5 ... d6 and 5 ... Be7 6 Re1 d6 are both solid, but slightly passive set-ups. After 5 ... d6 6 Re1 Bd7, we looked at the interesting 7 Bxc6!? which gives up the bishop pair, but allows White to actively develop his pieces. White has excellent chances to obtain a comfortable opening advantage because of his space advantage and easy play. In the 5 ... Be7 6 Re1 d6 variation, Black

usually plays ... Bg4 followed by ... Nd7-c5-e6. This plan is quite slow, but if White does nothing to prevent it, Black will be perfectly fine (as we saw in the 11 Bc2 variation to our main game). Instead of 11 Bc2, 11 Bxc6! followed by either 12 d4 or 12 Qc2 give White a slight edge.





Index of Complete Games

Alekseenko.K-Ernst.S, Gibraltar 2019

Anand.V-Topalov.V, St. Louis Showdown (rapid) 2016

Aravindh.C-Bellaiche.A, Biel 2017

Bobras.P-Leniart.A, Polish Team Championship 2016

Caruana.F-Jones.G, Isle of Man 2017

Caruana.F-Naiditsch.A, GRENKE Classic, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden 2018

Caruana.F-Xiong.J, US Championship, St. Louis 2019

Ding Liren-Ma Qun, Chinese Team Championship 2018

Eljanov.P-Radjabov.T, Shamkir 2017

Giri.A-Anand.V, Grand Chess Tour (rapid), Leuven 2018

Giri.A-Tomashevsky.E, FIDE Grand Prix, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015

Grandelius.N-Kelires.A, European Championship, Batumi 2018

Grischuk.A-Alekseenko.K, Russian Team Championship 2017

Grischuk.A-Rapport.R, FIDE Grand Prix, Geneva 2017

Grischuk.A-Shirov.A, European Cup, Rogaska Slatina 2011

Harikrishna.P-Dambacher.M, European Cup, Novi Sad 2016

Hovhannisyan.R-Nisipeanu.L, Dubai 2012

Hracek.Z-Biolek.R, Czech League 2010

Jakovenko.D-Oparin.G, Russian Championship, Satka 2018

Krzyzanowski.W-Ziese.G, Correspondence 2018

Kurnosov.I-Ragger.M, Austrian Team Championship 2011

L'Ami.E-Van den Doel.E, Dutch Championship, Amsterdam 2018

Leko.P-Navara.D, Spanish League 2018

Naiditsch.A-Nakamura.H, Isle of Man 2018

Nepomniachtchi.I-Wei Yi, FIDE Grand Prix (rapid), Moscow 2019

Robson.R-Sevian.S, St. Louis 2017

Sanikidze.T-Rzayev.B, Turkish Team Championship 2016

Sasikiran.K-Postny.E, Stockholm 2017

Sethuraman.S-Jones.G, World Team Championship, Astana 2019

Sevian.S-Sasikiran.K, World Team Championship, Astana 2019

Shirov.A-Gemy Vargas.J, Arica 2018

Smirnov.P-Yandemirov.V, European Cup, Fügen 2006

Swiercz.D-Ding Liren, World Team Championship, Astana 2019

Tari.A-Dragnev.V, Gibraltar 2019

Vachier Lagrave.M-Amin.B, French Team Championship 2019

Vachier Lagrave.M-Aronian.L, GRENKE Classic, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden 2019

Vachier Lagrave.M-Giri.A, Grand Chess Tour, Zagreb 2019

Wang Hao-Howell.D, Gibraltar 2018

Yu Yangyi-Wen Yang, Danzhou 2016

Zhigalko.A-Sanikidze.T, Vandoeuvre 2016